northern – Radio Free https://www.radiofree.org Independent Media for People, Not Profits. Sun, 18 May 2025 03:02:52 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://www.radiofree.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/cropped-Radio-Free-Social-Icon-2-32x32.png northern – Radio Free https://www.radiofree.org 32 32 141331581 Fighting Rages Along Ukraine’s Northern Border As Troops Cross Into Russia | Front Line Updates https://www.radiofree.org/2025/05/14/fighting-rages-along-ukraines-northern-border-as-troops-cross-into-russia-front-line-updates/ https://www.radiofree.org/2025/05/14/fighting-rages-along-ukraines-northern-border-as-troops-cross-into-russia-front-line-updates/#respond Wed, 14 May 2025 15:38:56 +0000 http://www.radiofree.org/?guid=ec7018a5b54bcaa737fd5b18e5576540
This content originally appeared on Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and was authored by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2025/05/14/fighting-rages-along-ukraines-northern-border-as-troops-cross-into-russia-front-line-updates/feed/ 0 532960 Junta bombs northern Myanmar after rebels reject peace negotiations https://rfa.org/english/myanmar/2025/05/09/myanmar-junta-tnla-ceasefire/ https://rfa.org/english/myanmar/2025/05/09/myanmar-junta-tnla-ceasefire/#respond Fri, 09 May 2025 09:40:32 +0000 https://rfa.org/english/myanmar/2025/05/09/myanmar-junta-tnla-ceasefire/ Myanmar’s military launched attacks on four villages in northern Myanmar controlled by an insurgent group, according to a statement published by rebels on Friday, despite both armies agreeing to a ceasefire extension only days earlier.

A junta plane attacked villages in Shan state’s Nawnghkio township, bombing Ya Pyin and Tha Yet Cho from Monday to Thursday, according to a statement from the Ta’ang National Liberation Army, or TNLA, which controls the area.

International rights groups and insurgents have criticized junta forces for repeatedly violating their own ceasefire declared on April 2 and extended until May 31 to aid in earthquake recovery. The junta troops have reportedly killed more than 200 civilians and destroyed homes and a hospital since the March 28 quake.

While the Three Brotherhood Alliance, comprising the TNLA, Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, or MNDAA, and Arakan Army, also declared a ceasefire until May 31, each has individual tensions with junta forces over contested territories.

The MNDAA agreed to transfer the city of Lashio in Shan state back to the military, but the TNLA has staunchly refused pressure from both the military regime and China during peace talks on April 28 and 29 to return territories acquired after the 2021 coup, including Nawnghkio and several parts of Mandalay region.

The move will severely cost TNLA, as junta attacks seem to be increasing, said a military analyst, who declined to be named for security reasons.

“They will be under less pressure if they accept the junta’s demands. If they don’t accept them now, they will suffer more. The [junta] military has a high chance of success,” the analyst said.

Heavy artillery targeted a wedding ceremony in Tha Yet Cho village on Thursday, killing 4 civilians including a five-year-old child, and injuring seven more. During a battle between TNLA forces and junta soldiers in nearby Nawng Len village, the junta used drones to drop eight bombs and five gas bombs, and fired 31 explosives into residential areas.

Junta soldiers also targeted Ong Ma Ti and Taung Hla villages, where TNLA troops were stationed.

The TNLA did not release any information on the gas bomb attacks, and Radio Free Asia could not confirm their effects on residents.

Junta forces also targeted Mandaaly region’s Thabeikkyin township, bombing TNLA-controlled Hpawt Taw village with a fighter jet.

The TNLA has urged the public to be vigilant and protect themselves against airstrikes.

RFA tried to contact junta spokesperson Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun for more information on the release, but he did not respond.

The next round of peace talks between China, Myanmar’s military junta and the TNLA will be in August.

“They [the junta] want to pressure the TNLA before the August discussions,” Thailand-based political analyst Sai Kyi Zin Soe told RFA.

“The military wants to reclaim the territories they lost in 2023.”

Translated by Kiana Duncan. Edited by Taejun Kang and Mike Firn.


This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by RFA Burmese.

]]> https://rfa.org/english/myanmar/2025/05/09/myanmar-junta-tnla-ceasefire/feed/ 0 532025 Junta bombs northern Myanmar after rebels reject peace negotiations https://rfa.org/english/myanmar/2025/05/09/myanmar-junta-tnla-ceasefire/ https://rfa.org/english/myanmar/2025/05/09/myanmar-junta-tnla-ceasefire/#respond Fri, 09 May 2025 09:40:32 +0000 https://rfa.org/english/myanmar/2025/05/09/myanmar-junta-tnla-ceasefire/ Myanmar’s military launched attacks on four villages in northern Myanmar controlled by an insurgent group, according to a statement published by rebels on Friday, despite both armies agreeing to a ceasefire extension only days earlier.

A junta plane attacked villages in Shan state’s Nawnghkio township, bombing Ya Pyin and Tha Yet Cho from Monday to Thursday, according to a statement from the Ta’ang National Liberation Army, or TNLA, which controls the area.

International rights groups and insurgents have criticized junta forces for repeatedly violating their own ceasefire declared on April 2 and extended until May 31 to aid in earthquake recovery. The junta troops have reportedly killed more than 200 civilians and destroyed homes and a hospital since the March 28 quake.

While the Three Brotherhood Alliance, comprising the TNLA, Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, or MNDAA, and Arakan Army, also declared a ceasefire until May 31, each has individual tensions with junta forces over contested territories.

The MNDAA agreed to transfer the city of Lashio in Shan state back to the military, but the TNLA has staunchly refused pressure from both the military regime and China during peace talks on April 28 and 29 to return territories acquired after the 2021 coup, including Nawnghkio and several parts of Mandalay region.

The move will severely cost TNLA, as junta attacks seem to be increasing, said a military analyst, who declined to be named for security reasons.

“They will be under less pressure if they accept the junta’s demands. If they don’t accept them now, they will suffer more. The [junta] military has a high chance of success,” the analyst said.

Heavy artillery targeted a wedding ceremony in Tha Yet Cho village on Thursday, killing 4 civilians including a five-year-old child, and injuring seven more. During a battle between TNLA forces and junta soldiers in nearby Nawng Len village, the junta used drones to drop eight bombs and five gas bombs, and fired 31 explosives into residential areas.

Junta soldiers also targeted Ong Ma Ti and Taung Hla villages, where TNLA troops were stationed.

The TNLA did not release any information on the gas bomb attacks, and Radio Free Asia could not confirm their effects on residents.

Junta forces also targeted Mandaaly region’s Thabeikkyin township, bombing TNLA-controlled Hpawt Taw village with a fighter jet.

The TNLA has urged the public to be vigilant and protect themselves against airstrikes.

RFA tried to contact junta spokesperson Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun for more information on the release, but he did not respond.

The next round of peace talks between China, Myanmar’s military junta and the TNLA will be in August.

“They [the junta] want to pressure the TNLA before the August discussions,” Thailand-based political analyst Sai Kyi Zin Soe told RFA.

“The military wants to reclaim the territories they lost in 2023.”

Translated by Kiana Duncan. Edited by Taejun Kang and Mike Firn.


This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by RFA Burmese.

]]> https://rfa.org/english/myanmar/2025/05/09/myanmar-junta-tnla-ceasefire/feed/ 0 532026 Myanmar rebel army hands northern city back to junta https://rfa.org/english/myanmar/2025/04/22/mndaa-lashio-junta/ https://rfa.org/english/myanmar/2025/04/22/mndaa-lashio-junta/#respond Tue, 22 Apr 2025 09:00:29 +0000 https://rfa.org/english/myanmar/2025/04/22/mndaa-lashio-junta/ Read RFA coverage of this topic in Burmese.

Myanmar’s junta re-entered a northern city near the Chinese border on Tuesday abandoned by a rebel army after months of occupation, residents told Radio Free Asia.

The Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, or MNDAA, is one of many insurgent groups fighting the junta that seized power in a 2021 coup for autonomy and democracy. It controls parts of northern Shan state and until recently, the long-embattled town of Lashio. Frequent conflict and airstrikes have forced much of the population to flee and reduced some wards to looted rubble.

Junta soldiers re-entered Lashio early on Tuesday morning to reclaim the city abandoned by the MNDAA days prior, one resident said.

“From near city hall to the city entrance, it was full of cars, at least 50. Some soldiers got down from the cars wearing military uniforms and black masks, then I saw they had machine guns mounted on the car,” he said, identifying the group as Divisions 33, 99 and 77.

“I think they’re waiting for troops to be fully equipped before they re-deploy.”

The MNDAA removed personnel, offices and equipment from the city on Friday, making final preparations on Tuesday, residents said. Some added that they were concerned about the large numbers of soldiers entering the city.

The MNDAA and junta entered into China-brokered ceasefire negotiations on Jan. 18 in Yunnan province’s city of Kunming and agreed to retreat from Lashio within three months, they said.

MNDAA and junta representatives met with China’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs’ representative for Asia Deng Xijun at Two Elephants Hotel in Lashio to discuss the handover, residents said.

The junta has not released any information about the transition.

When asked about reports on the MNDAA’s withdrawal, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun neither confirmed nor denied it.

“China and Myanmar are friendly neighbors. China’s position on the Myanmar issue is very clear,” he said during a regular briefing on Tuesday.

“We follow the principle of non-interference in other countries’ internal affairs, support Myanmar in safeguarding independence, sovereignty, national unity and territorial integrity, support various parties in Myanmar in carrying out friendly consultation toward political reconciliation, and support Myanmar in resuming the political transition process.”

The MNDAA captured Lashio in August 2024 as part of Operation 1027, a joint mission with two other insurgent armies to capture land from the Myanmar military.

RFA’s attempts to contact the junta, MNDAA and Chinese Embassy of Myanmar went unanswered.

Translated by Kiana Duncan. Edited by Taejun Kang and Mike Firn.


This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by RFA Burmese.

]]> https://rfa.org/english/myanmar/2025/04/22/mndaa-lashio-junta/feed/ 0 528249 Myanmar insurgent army to withdraw from northern territory amid Chinese pressure https://rfa.org/english/myanmar/2025/04/16/myanmar-insurgent-group-withdraw-chinese-pressure/ https://rfa.org/english/myanmar/2025/04/16/myanmar-insurgent-group-withdraw-chinese-pressure/#respond Wed, 16 Apr 2025 10:38:22 +0000 https://rfa.org/english/myanmar/2025/04/16/myanmar-insurgent-group-withdraw-chinese-pressure/ Read RFA coverage of this topic in Burmese.

Amid mounting pressure from Beijing, a powerful rebel army in northern Myanmar is preparing to withdraw from the conflict-hit city of Lashio by April 22, residents in rebel-held territory told Radio Free Asia.

The withdrawal by the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, or MNDAA, follows a high-level meeting earlier this month between representatives of the Chinese government, Myanmar’s military junta, and MNDAA leaders.

Sources close to the group say the move is part of ongoing peace negotiations being brokered by China in Kunming, which has hosted several unsuccessful ceasefire attempts.

“Everyone is waiting for April 22,” said one resident, who spoke anonymously for security reasons. “Some ward offices have already been cleared out, and the rest are set to close by April 17 and 18.”

Although the MNDAA has made no public announcement, residents say only its communications office and police force will remain in Lashio. The rest of its departments, personnel, vehicles, and equipment are being relocated to Laukkiang and Hsenwi.

“Everything regarding the army has been removed,” said one local.

Despite the retreat, MNDAA troops are expected to stay stationed just five kilometers outside the city.

The MNDAA, a member of the Three Brotherhood Alliance alongside the Ta’ang National Liberation Army and the Arakan Army, has fought for autonomy and territorial control since the 2021 military coup ousted the democratically elected National League for Democracy government.

Lashio was captured by MNDAA forces in August 2024 during Operation 1027, a joint campaign with the alliance.

Their occupation has drawn intense junta retaliation, including frequent airstrikes and devastation from the March 28 earthquake, reducing swathes of the city to rubble.

While some residents have criticized the MNDAA’s decision to pull out, others believe it is a tactical move to minimize civilian casualties in the heavily disputed area.

Translated by Kiana Duncan. Edited by Taejun Kang.


This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by RFA Burmese.

]]> https://rfa.org/english/myanmar/2025/04/16/myanmar-insurgent-group-withdraw-chinese-pressure/feed/ 0 526089 Insurgent army executes 5 civilians in northern Myanmar https://rfa.org/english/myanmar/2025/04/11/myanmar-executions/ https://rfa.org/english/myanmar/2025/04/11/myanmar-executions/#respond Fri, 11 Apr 2025 09:21:06 +0000 https://rfa.org/english/myanmar/2025/04/11/myanmar-executions/ Read RFA coverage of this topic in Burmese.

An insurgent army in northern Myanmar publicly executed five convicted criminals, including a Chinese citizen, residents told Radio Free Asia on Friday.

The Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, or MNDAA, is one of Shan state’s largest ethnic organizations. It has been fighting for territory since a military junta took power in a 2021 coup, and has largely administered its own justice in the territory, occasionally publicly executing criminals.

“One Chinese and four Burmese were shot at the airport, all five were given the death sentence,” said a Lashio resident, declining to be named for security reasons. “Another Myanmar citizen was sentenced to life in prison and the other Chinese man was also given a life sentence.”

Another Myanmar citizen was sentenced to death, but his execution has been suspended for two years, the resident said.

The group was arrested in 2023 on charges of murder, rape, robbery and burglary, residents said. All are between 30 and 60 years old and from Lashio and Hsenwi in Shan state and Mandalay region’s Mogok town.

According to the MNDAA’s legal system, the public is invited to witness executions.

The MNDAA has not released any information on whether the accused were given lawyers. RFA contacted the MNDAA’s communications official for more information, but there was no response.

Amidst frequent clashes, airstrikes, an increase in crime and a shortage of qualified personnel, several ethnic insurgent organizations have struggled to conduct court proceedings during the ongoing civil war. In Lashio, persistent airstrikes and a declining economy have led to looting of local businesses and homes.

On Dec. 5, the MNDAA accused 14 people in Laukkaing town of criminal charges, including murder, executing six of them.

Translated by Kiana Duncan. Edited by Mike Firn and Stephen Wright.


This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by RFA Burmese.

]]> https://rfa.org/english/myanmar/2025/04/11/myanmar-executions/feed/ 0 525118 Senator Whitehouse and Congresswoman Dean Introduce the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act https://www.radiofree.org/2025/03/31/senator-whitehouse-and-congresswoman-dean-introduce-the-northern-rockies-ecosystem-protection-act/ https://www.radiofree.org/2025/03/31/senator-whitehouse-and-congresswoman-dean-introduce-the-northern-rockies-ecosystem-protection-act/#respond Mon, 31 Mar 2025 05:53:20 +0000 https://www.counterpunch.org/?p=358934 On Thursday, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and Representative Madeleine Dean reintroduced the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act in the U.S. Senate (S. 1198) and in the U.S. House of Representatives (H.R. 2420) with fifteen original cosponsors across both chambers. The Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act will designate approximately 23 million acres of inventoried roadless areas in the Northern Rockies as wilderness. NREPA (Ner-EEpa) will preserve More

The post Senator Whitehouse and Congresswoman Dean Introduce the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act appeared first on CounterPunch.org.

]]>

Custer-Gallatin National Forest next to Yellowstone National Park – photo by Custer-Gallatin National Forest.

On Thursday, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and Representative Madeleine Dean reintroduced the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act in the U.S. Senate (S. 1198) and in the U.S. House of Representatives (H.R. 2420) with fifteen original cosponsors across both chambers.

The Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act will designate approximately 23 million acres of inventoried roadless areas in the Northern Rockies as wilderness. NREPA (Ner-EEpa) will preserve a vital ecosystem and watersheds in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and Eastern Washington, and Oregon. It will also preserve biological corridors that are essential for biodiversity of native species.

We are so proud of Senator Whitehouse and Congresswoman Dean for standing up for a climate solution that protects public land, water, and interconnected species ranging from tiny insects, birds, and fish to mammals, plants, bushes, and huge trees with massive root systems that store carbon.

These legislators know that removing the words ‘climate change’ from government studies and documents won’t make the world cooler in any sense of the word. They know that forests are the best carbon storage device in the world. And without NREPA’s protection, the photo below shows what’s been happening in our national forests.

Helena National Forest land owned by all Americans – photo by Vicki Anfinson

NREPA saves the federal government millions of dollars annually by reducing wasteful subsidies to the logging industry.  It also closes unintended legal loopholes that have left many of the areas protected by the Clinton Roadless Rule vulnerable to clearcutting and roadbuilding.

By introducing NREPA, Congresswoman Dean and Senator Whitehouse are saying NO to the timber industry executives and others who misinform the public while enriching themselves. And Senator Whitehouse and Congresswoman Dean are saying YES to preserving carbon storage and slowing climate change.

Simply by designating existing roadless areas as Wilderness, NREPA protects the environment, fights climate change, creates jobs, and saves taxpayers millions of dollars in logging subsidies.

It is time to start protecting ecosystems, which will keep species from going extinct.

The post Senator Whitehouse and Congresswoman Dean Introduce the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act appeared first on CounterPunch.org.


This content originally appeared on CounterPunch.org and was authored by Carole King - Mike Garrity.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2025/03/31/senator-whitehouse-and-congresswoman-dean-introduce-the-northern-rockies-ecosystem-protection-act/feed/ 0 522613 ‘You Have Constitutional Rights’: Immigrants Prepare for ICE Raids in Northern Virginia https://www.radiofree.org/2025/03/20/you-have-constitutional-rights-immigrants-prepare-for-ice-raids-in-northern-virginia/ https://www.radiofree.org/2025/03/20/you-have-constitutional-rights-immigrants-prepare-for-ice-raids-in-northern-virginia/#respond Thu, 20 Mar 2025 19:56:43 +0000 https://progressive.org/latest/immigrants-prepare-for-ice-raids-in-northern-virginia-gibler-20250320/
This content originally appeared on The Progressive — A voice for peace, social justice, and the common good and was authored by John Gibler.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2025/03/20/you-have-constitutional-rights-immigrants-prepare-for-ice-raids-in-northern-virginia/feed/ 0 520436 Vietnamese monk takes bus to northern Thailand after being denied entry into Myanmar https://rfa.org/english/vietnam/2025/03/04/vietnam-monk-thich-minh-tue-myanmar-thailand/ https://rfa.org/english/vietnam/2025/03/04/vietnam-monk-thich-minh-tue-myanmar-thailand/#respond Tue, 04 Mar 2025 21:49:34 +0000 https://rfa.org/english/vietnam/2025/03/04/vietnam-monk-thich-minh-tue-myanmar-thailand/ Read a version of this story in Vietnamese

Vietnamese monk and internet sensation Thich Minh Tue is traveling to northern Thailand by bus after he was denied entry Tuesday into Myanmar on his 2,700-kilometer (1,600 miles) barefoot pilgrimage to India.

For more than two months, Minh Tue has been walking across Thailand with a entourage that has grown to about 30 people, including five other monks along with dozens of YouTubers documenting his journey.

But with Myanmar gripped by a civil war, the group has been uncertain for a few weeks now about how they would get across the country to India, the birthplace of Buddhism -- or whether authorities would even let them in.

With the Buddhist monk’s Thai visa nearing expiration, the group decided to give up walking -- part of what had drawn people to Minh Tue in the first place -- and chartered a bright pink bus to get them more quickly to Thailand’s western border town of Mae Sot.

“My visa will soon expire. So now, I need to take a ride to the border gate,” Minh Tue -- “Thich” signifies that he’s a monk -- told YouTubers who are covering his trek. “If it is open, I will enter Myanmar immediately.”

RFA had reported that Minh Tue’s Thai visa had been extended on Feb. 24 by 30 days. But later, Phuoc Nghiem, a volunteer who helps the group with visa paperwork, clarified in a YouTube video that the extension was only for 15 days -- or until Feb. 9.

(Amanda Weisbrod/RFA)

Back on the bus

Once they reached Mae Sot midday Tuesday, the entourage of 30 filed off the bus and went to the border gate, an RFA reporter on the scene said.

But there they were told that only Thai and Myanmar citizens could cross. The other side of the border has seen fighting between Myanmar junta soldiers and rebels.

So the monk and his entourage got back on the bus and headed 560 kilometers (350 miles) north to Mae Sai to try their luck at the border crossing there, YouTubers covering his trip said.

By Tuesday night, they were close to Mae Sai, they said.

Internet hero

Minh Tue, who carries a rice cooker with him for alms, became a internet star last year in Vietnam while walking across the country. People were drawn to his ascetic lifestyle and humble manner.

Vietnam’s state-sanctioned Buddhist sangha has not officially recognized him as a monk, but he has nonetheless garnered widespread admiration and support.

At one point, Vietnamese authorities, leery of his popularity, announced he had “voluntarily retired.”

Late last year, he decided to go on a pilgrimage to India, the birthplace of Buddhism.

Buddhist monks are turned back at the Mae Sot border gate, background, between Thailand and Myanmar, March 4, 2025.
Buddhist monks are turned back at the Mae Sot border gate, background, between Thailand and Myanmar, March 4, 2025.
(RFA)

He left Vietnam in November, walked across Laos and entered Thailand around New Year’s.

Since then, he and his group have been walking across Thailand on hot asphalt roads, covering about about 20 kilometers (12 miles) each day.

If he is unable to enter Myanmar, Minh Tue has raised the possibility of flying to Sri Lanka, and then going to India, tracing the route in reverse along which Buddhism first arrived in Thailand.

Translated by Anna Vu. Edited by Eugene Whong and Malcolm Foster.


This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by RFA Vietnamese.

]]> https://rfa.org/english/vietnam/2025/03/04/vietnam-monk-thich-minh-tue-myanmar-thailand/feed/ 0 516149 Save the Northern Rockies Ecosystem https://www.radiofree.org/2025/03/04/save-the-northern-rockies-ecosystem/ https://www.radiofree.org/2025/03/04/save-the-northern-rockies-ecosystem/#respond Tue, 04 Mar 2025 06:35:14 +0000 https://www.counterpunch.org/?p=356249 “The happiest man is he who learns from nature the lesson of worship.“ – Ralph Waldo Emerson The mountainous ecosystems of the Northern Rockies are under assault by the Trump administration, his oligarchic masters, and their soulless, plundering corporations and trust funds. Mining, oil and gas drilling, clear-cut logging, roadbuilding, industrial recreation, livestock grazing, and More

The post Save the Northern Rockies Ecosystem appeared first on CounterPunch.org.

]]>

Beartooth Range, Montana. Photo: Jeffrey St. Clair.

“The happiest man is he who learns from nature the lesson of worship.“

– Ralph Waldo Emerson

The mountainous ecosystems of the Northern Rockies are under assault by the Trump administration, his oligarchic masters, and their soulless, plundering corporations and trust funds.

Mining, oil and gas drilling, clear-cut logging, roadbuilding, industrial recreation, livestock grazing, and commercial and residential real estate development threaten the continued existence of tens of millions of acres of publicly-owned lands that have avoided commodification and domestication since the Lewis and Clark expedition (May 14, 1804 –September 23, 1806).

Wyoming, Idaho and Montana, the mountainous red states, are pushing for state supremacy, rapid privatization and liquidation of all public lands and the animals and plants that live there.

States want to exploit the charismatic megafauna so trophy hunters will pay for a license to kill threatened grizzly bears, the same way they have exploited for decades the slaughter of endangered Yellowstone buffalo, wolves, elk, swans, native trout and anything to boost state revenues.

Booming global markets kill the last big mammals, photograph the gunner with a manly, domineering pose over the dead carcass, as populations go extinct. Apparently, killing the proverbial goose that lays the golden eggs, evades irrationality because after everything on planet earth has been shot, or bombed, eaten, stuffed, or taken to the landfill, we’re all going to Disneyland Mars.

State religion in this God-forsaken backwater region is practiced at the altar of the God of Mammon (neoliberal, pseudo-Christianity). When combined with an extreme variety of cultural retrogression that longs to return to 19th-century, state and local politics takes on a soporific Nietzschean, nihilistic cognitive framework.

Until humanity comes up with a secular form of exorcism, the mass psychosis caused by the mind parasite wetiko will keep attracting m and more “mighty whitey” migrant killers who watched one too many episodes of Yellowstone.

How do we combat this gathering madness?

Grassroots activists in the region have a legislative plan. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) will reintroduce The Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act (NREPA) in the U.S. Senate.

NREPA protects over 23 million acres of defacto wilderness in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, eastern Oregon, and eastern Washington. In Yellowstone, Glacier and Grand Teton NationalFrank Church–River of No Return, and Parks some 3 million acres of the nation’s most treasured mountain scenery and critical wildlife and fish habitat will finally be designated wilderness. NREPA legislates special regulatory protection for secure core wildlife habitat in linkage corridors connecting sacred places like Glacier National Park, Yellowstone National Park, The Bob Marshall Wilderness Areas.

NREPA will designate all the inventoried roadless areas in the Northern Rockies as wilderness; protect some of America’s most beautiful and ecologically significant lands while saving taxpayers lots of money and creating jobs that restore impaired trout streams and critical habitat areas fragmented by too many roads. NREPA is national interest legislation with the strongest and most enduring protection the federal government can bestow upon public lands.

The Northern Rockies ecosystem is an important part of our natural heritage encompassing the largest block of wilderness lands outside of Alaska. NREPA is one of the most effective ways of combating climate change and reducing species loss in western North America. We are facing the world’s sixth major extinction. Congress must remember reverence of the sacred and act now to pass ecosystem protection before the last intact ecosystem in the Lower 48 is destroyed.

For more information about the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act (NREPA) contact the Alliance for the Wild Rockies.

The post Save the Northern Rockies Ecosystem appeared first on CounterPunch.org.


This content originally appeared on CounterPunch.org and was authored by Steve Kelly.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2025/03/04/save-the-northern-rockies-ecosystem/feed/ 0 516459 Chinese-owned shop explodes in northern Laos | Radio Free Asia (RFA) https://www.radiofree.org/2025/02/14/chinese-owned-shop-explodes-in-northern-laos-radio-free-asia-rfa/ https://www.radiofree.org/2025/02/14/chinese-owned-shop-explodes-in-northern-laos-radio-free-asia-rfa/#respond Fri, 14 Feb 2025 22:31:07 +0000 http://www.radiofree.org/?guid=68119ac55310c3f4fa88a6f510abdd24
This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Radio Free Asia.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2025/02/14/chinese-owned-shop-explodes-in-northern-laos-radio-free-asia-rfa/feed/ 0 513832 Shop explosion, fire in northern Laos kills 4, injures others https://rfa.org/english/laos/2025/02/14/lao-explosion-chinese-shop-vientiane/ https://rfa.org/english/laos/2025/02/14/lao-explosion-chinese-shop-vientiane/#respond Fri, 14 Feb 2025 21:09:46 +0000 https://rfa.org/english/laos/2025/02/14/lao-explosion-chinese-shop-vientiane/ A fire and explosion at a Chinese-owned shop in northern Laos on Friday killed four people, including Chinese nationals, and injured several others, the Chinese consulate in Luang Prabang said.

The blast occurred around 10 a.m. local time at the shop in Xay district in Oudomxay province, the consulate said. China’s Xinhua News Agency said it happened in Nami village and caused significant damage to surrounding houses.

A fire truck sits outside a badly damaged commercial property as black smoke billows into the sky in Xay district of Oudomxay province in northern Laos, Feb. 14, 2025.
A fire truck sits outside a badly damaged commercial property as black smoke billows into the sky in Xay district of Oudomxay province in northern Laos, Feb. 14, 2025.
(Lao Red Cross in Oudomxay province)

“After fire rescue [arrived], the fire was [put] under control and the injured were sent to the hospital,” the consulate said, adding that the cause of the incident is under investigation.

Witnesses confirmed the blast to RFA Lao but had few details. Photos circulated by the Lao Red Cross in Oudomxay showed a fire truck parked at the front a badly damaged commercial property, with black smoke billowing into the sky.

The consulate in Luang Prabang, which is also located in northern Laos, said the Chinese Embassy and consulate had activated an emergency response.

An aerial view of the ruins of a Chinese-owned shop in Xay district of Oudomxay province in northern Laos, following an explosion on Feb. 14, 2025.
An aerial view of the ruins of a Chinese-owned shop in Xay district of Oudomxay province in northern Laos, following an explosion on Feb. 14, 2025.
(Oudomxay Province Red Cross Emergency Rescue Unit)

Chinese presence is palpable in Oudomxay and other regions in northern Laos, fueled in part by construction of the US$6 billion high-speed railway connecting Kunming, China to the Lao capital Vientiane.

Despite the injection of investment, Laotians have complained that Chinese have an outsized economic influence over its small Southeast Asian neighbor.

Edited by Joshua Lipes and Mat Pennington.


This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Roseanne Gerin for RFA English.

]]> https://rfa.org/english/laos/2025/02/14/lao-explosion-chinese-shop-vientiane/feed/ 0 513818 Palestinians return to destroyed homes in northern Gaza https://www.radiofree.org/2025/01/28/palestinians-return-to-destroyed-homes-in-northern-gaza/ https://www.radiofree.org/2025/01/28/palestinians-return-to-destroyed-homes-in-northern-gaza/#respond Tue, 28 Jan 2025 23:15:01 +0000 http://www.radiofree.org/?guid=e175bc115c3765e31330bd41e83a6241
This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2025/01/28/palestinians-return-to-destroyed-homes-in-northern-gaza/feed/ 0 511391 Northern Mariana Islands advocates hit back at Trump diversity directives https://www.radiofree.org/2025/01/23/northern-mariana-islands-advocates-hit-back-at-trump-diversity-directives/ https://www.radiofree.org/2025/01/23/northern-mariana-islands-advocates-hit-back-at-trump-diversity-directives/#respond Thu, 23 Jan 2025 03:36:40 +0000 https://asiapacificreport.nz/?p=109917 By Mark Rabago, RNZ Pacific Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas correspondent

Two LGBTQIA+ advocates in the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) are up in arms over US President Donald Trump’s executive order rolling back protections for transgender people and terminating diversity, equity and inclusion programs within the federal government.

Pride Marianas founder Roberto Santos said Trump’s initiatives against the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policy were no surprise.

“While we know policies and practices promoting these values have proven to be positive, we know how futile it is to convince Trump or his supporters that diversity, equity and inclusion are human rights.”

President Donald Trump
President Donald Trump . . . “We will forge a society that is colourblind and merit based. Image: Getty Images/The Conversation

Transgender rights have become a contentious political topic in recent years. During November’s election season, many Republicans campaigned on reversing transgender laws with a particular focus on transgender women participating in sports.

In his inauguration speech, Trump said: “This week, I will also end the government policy of trying to socially engineer race and gender into every aspect of public and private life.

“We will forge a society that is colourblind and merit based. As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders — male and female.”

Last month, the US Supreme Court tackled a major transgender rights case, and its conservative justices asked tough questions of lawyers challenging the legality of a Republican-backed ban in Tennessee on gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors.

Challenging argument
Santos presented an argument to Trump’s position on two genders and his declaration they could not be changed.

“To speak specifically to his statement about there being two and only two genders, I believe he’s referring to what we call biological or anatomical sex, and the construct of male and female as gender is a social construction,” Santos said.

“So, the inaccurate terminology he’s using is a testament to how ill-informed he is on the matter.”

Marianas Business Network president and founder PK Phommachanh-Daigo, meanwhile, discussed his journey as a Southeast Asian refugee from Laos in response to the diversity question under the second Trump administration.

“My family and I were sponsored by an Irish family in a small, conservative town in northeastern Connecticut. Growing up as the youngest of six children, with my eldest sibling 15 years older, we were culturally accustomed to a straightforward view of gender — male, female, or ladyboy, a concept common in Southeast Asia.

“It’s clear that the current debate over gender and DEI programmes is more politically charged in the US, especially among Republican and liberal factions.”

On Trump’s announcement to recognise only two genders and eliminate DEI programmes, Phommachanh-Daigo said it was not surprising “given the ongoing cultural war between the MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement and the so-called ‘woke’ culture”.

“The elimination of DEI programmes could potentially lead to a regression into systematic exclusion and discrimination, perpetuating cycles of inequity and racism.”

Cultural richness
He said this was in sharp contrast to the CNMI community, which was deeply rooted in cultural richness and familial bonds.

“We are generally accepting of people regardless of their gender or sexual orientation,” he said.

“Societal issues often stem from external influences rather than within our tight-knit local community. While the immediate impact on our government workforce may be minimal due to strong familial ties and the predominance of local employees, the long-term implications of eliminating DEI initiatives could erode the inclusive environment we strive to maintain.”

The message to the LGBTQIA+ community in the CNMI message is for them to just focus on personal growth, family, and positive contributions to society, regardless of the policies of the new Trump administration.

“Be a role model for others, and continue to foster a community that values acceptance, understanding, and mutual respect.”

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.


This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2025/01/23/northern-mariana-islands-advocates-hit-back-at-trump-diversity-directives/feed/ 0 510755 Mothballed northern New Caledonia nickel company appoints new chair https://www.radiofree.org/2025/01/13/mothballed-northern-new-caledonia-nickel-company-appoints-new-chair/ https://www.radiofree.org/2025/01/13/mothballed-northern-new-caledonia-nickel-company-appoints-new-chair/#respond Mon, 13 Jan 2025 00:36:47 +0000 https://asiapacificreport.nz/?p=109294 By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk

New Caledonia’s mothballed northern nickel plant, Koniambo Nickel (KNS), has appointed a new chairman to steer a shareholding transfer amid the territory’s industry troubles.

He is Alexandre Rousseau, who was until now the company’s vice-president.

The company said in a release it had this month replaced Neil Meadows, who has held the position for the past three years.

Alexandre Rousseau is the new Chairman of New Caledonia’s Koniambo nickel – PHOTO NC la1ère
Alexandre Rousseau . . . new chair of New Caledonia’s Koniambo nickel plant. Image: NC la 1ère/RNZ Pacific

Rousseau has been with the company for the past 15 years.

Like his predecessor, his main task will be to supervise the company’s main shareholder Anglo-Swiss Glencore’s transfer of shares to a yet-to-be-identified buyer.

The nickel plant, located in the north of New Caledonia’s main island, was mothballed in late August 2024, leaving about 1200 employees unemployed.

Glencore announced early last year its decision to withdraw from the venture, which had accumulated a staggering loss of 13.7 billion euros (NZ$25 billion) in 10 years of operation.

Seeking potential buyers
KNS has since been searching for potential buyers for Glencore’s 49 percent shares.

Koniambo Nickel logo
Koniambo Nickel logo. Image: KNS

The majority shareholder (51 percent) remains Société Minière du Sud Pacifique (SMSP), which is the financial arm of New Caledonia’s Northern Province.

KNS said talks were ongoing with at least two interested international companies, which had sent inspection delegations on site during the last quarter of 2024.

Another nickel mining plant, Prony Resource, in the south of New Caledonia’s main island, is also seeking potential buyers for parts of its stock.

The most advanced talks are with South Africa’s precious metals producer Sibanye-Stillwater, which said it was considering Prony as a possible source for battery-grade nickel.

While Prony had to cease production for several months due to New Caledonia’s insurrection last year, it managed to gradually resume operations last month.

This is in view of a planned inspection visit from a Sibanye-Stillwater delegation, who want to see a functioning factory.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.


This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2025/01/13/mothballed-northern-new-caledonia-nickel-company-appoints-new-chair/feed/ 0 509379 Israel orders patients, staff to ‘evacuate’ last two hospitals in northern Gaza siege https://www.radiofree.org/2025/01/04/israel-orders-patients-staff-to-evacuate-last-two-hospitals-in-northern-gaza-siege/ https://www.radiofree.org/2025/01/04/israel-orders-patients-staff-to-evacuate-last-two-hospitals-in-northern-gaza-siege/#respond Sat, 04 Jan 2025 08:58:56 +0000 https://asiapacificreport.nz/?p=108992 Asia Pacific Report

Israel is forcing two hospitals in northern Gaza to evacuate under threat of attack as its ethnic cleansing campaign continues.

Israeli forces have surrounded the Indonesian Hospital, where many staff and patients sought shelter after nearby Kamal Adwan Hospital was destroyed in an Israeli raid last week, reports Al Jazeera.

Late on Friday, a forced order to evacuate was also issued for the al-Awda Hospital, where 100 people are believed to be sheltering.

The evacuation order came today as New Zealand Palestine solidarity protesters followed a silent vigil outside Auckland Hospital yesterday with a rally in downtown Auckland’s Te Komititanga Square today, where doctors and other professional health staff called for support for Gaza’s besieged health facilities and protection for medical workers.

Protester Jason holds a placard calling for Kamal Adwan Hospital medical director Dr Hussam Abu Safiyyan to be set free
Protester Jason holds a placard calling for Kamal Adwan Hospital medical director Dr Hussam Abu Safiyyan to be set free at today’s Palestinian solidarity rally in Auckland. Image: David Robie/APR

When one New Zealand medical professional recalled the first time that the Israel military bombed a hospital in in Gaza November 2023, the world was “ready to accept the the lies that Israel told then”.

“Of course, they wouldn’t bomb a hospital, who would bomb a hospital? That’s a horrible war crime, if must have been Hamas that bombed themselves.

“And the world let Israel get away with it. That’s the time that we knew if the world let Israel get away with it once, they would repeat it again and again and we would allow a dangerous precedent to be set where health care workers and health care centres would become targets over and over again.

“In the past year it is exactly what we have seen,” he said to cries of shame.

“We have seen not only the targeting of health care infrastructure, but the targeting of healthcare workers.

“The murdering of healthcare workers, of aid workers all across Gaza at the hands of Israel — openly without any word of opposition from our government, without a word of opposition from any global government about these war crimes and genocidal actions until today.”

In an impassioned speech about the devastating price that Gazans were paying for the Israeli war, New Zealand Palestinian doctor and Gaza survivor Dr Abdallah Gouda vowed that his people would keep their dream for an independent state of Palestine and “we will never leave Gaza”.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has called for an investigation into the Israeli attacks on Gaza hospitals and medical workers.

Volker Türk told the UN Security Council meeting on the Middle East that Israeli claims of Hamas launching attacks from hospitals in Gaza were often “vague” and sometimes “contradicted by publicly available information”.

Tino rangatiratanga and Palestinian flags at the Gazan health workers solidarity rally
Tino rangatiratanga and Palestinian flags at the Gazan health workers solidarity rally in Auckland today. Image: David Robie/APR

Palestine urges UN to end Gaza genocide, ‘Israeli impunity’
Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian envoy to the UN, said: “It is our collective responsibility to bring this hell to an end. It is our collective responsibility to bring this genocide to an end.”

The UNSC meeting on the Middle East came following last week’s raid on the Kamal Adwan Hospital and the arbitrary arrest and detention of its director, Hussam Abu Safia.

“You have an obligation to save lives”, Mansour told the council.

“Palestinian doctors and medical personnel took that mission to heart at the peril of their lives. They did not abandon the victims.

“Do not abandon them. End Israeli impunity. End the genocide. End this aggression immediately and unconditionally, now.”

Palestinian doctors and medical personnel were fighting to save human lives and losing their own while hospitals are under attack, he added.

“They are fighting a battle they cannot win, and yet they are unwilling to surrender and to betray the oath they took,” he said.

Norway is the latest country to condemn the attacks on Gaza’s hospitals and medical workers.

On X, the country’s Foreign Ministry said that “urgent action” was needed to restore north Gaza’s hospitals, which were continuously subjected to Israeli attack.

Without naming Israel, the ministry said that “health workers, patients and hospitals are not lawful targets”.

A critical "NZ media is Zionist media" placard at today's Auckland solidarity rally for Palestinian health workers
A critical “NZ media is Zionist media” placard at today’s Auckland solidarity rally for Palestinian health workers. Image: APR

Israel ‘deprives 40,000’ of healthcare in northern Gaza
The Israeli military is systematically destroying hospitals in northern Gaza, the Gaza Government Media Office said.

In a statement, it said: “The Israeli occupation continues its heinous crimes and arbitrary aggression against hospitals and medical teams in northern Gaza, reflecting a dangerous and deliberate escalation.”

These acts, it added, were being carried out amid “unjustified silence of the international community and the UN Security Council”, violating international humanitarian law and human rights conventions.

The statement highlighted the destruction of Kamal Adwan Hospital, where its director, Dr Hussam Abu Safia, was arrested and reportedly subjected to physical and psychological abuse.

The GMO described these acts as “full-fledged war crimes”.

According to a recent report by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Israeli military had conducted more than 136 air raids on at least 27 hospitals and 12 medical facilities across Gaza in the past eight months.

The GMO report demanded an independent international investigation into these violations and accountability for Israel in international courts.

Protesters at today's Auckland rally in solidarity with Palestinian health workers
Protesters at today’s Auckland rally in solidarity with Palestinian health workers under attack from Israeli military. Image: David Robie/APR

Amnesty International criticises detention of Kamal Adwan doctor
Agnes Callamard, secretary-general of the human rights watchdog Amnesty International, said Israel’s detention of Dr Hussam Abu Safia underscored a pattern of “genocidal intent and genocidal acts” by Israel in Gaza.

“Dr Abu Safia’s unlawful detention is emblematic of the broader attacks on the healthcare sector in Gaza and Israel’s attempts to annihilate it,” Callamard said in a social media post.

“None of the medical staff abducted by Israeli forces since November 2023 from Gaza during raids on hospitals and clinics has been charged or put before a trial; those released after enduring unimaginable torture were never charged and did not stand trial.

“Those still detained remain held without charges or trial under inhumane conditions and at risk of torture,” she added.

Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa secretary Neil Scott speaking at today's Auckland rally
Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa secretary Neil Scott speaking at today’s Auckland rally supporting health workers under Israeli attack in Gaza. Image: David Robie/APR


This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2025/01/04/israel-orders-patients-staff-to-evacuate-last-two-hospitals-in-northern-gaza-siege/feed/ 0 508404 Pacific leaders remember Jimmy Carter’s ‘pivotal role’ for CNMI https://www.radiofree.org/2024/12/31/pacific-leaders-remember-jimmy-carters-pivotal-role-for-cnmi/ https://www.radiofree.org/2024/12/31/pacific-leaders-remember-jimmy-carters-pivotal-role-for-cnmi/#respond Tue, 31 Dec 2024 02:35:03 +0000 https://asiapacificreport.nz/?p=108821 By Mark Rabago, RNZ Pacific Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas correspondent

The Governor of the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas has paid tribute to former US President Jimmy Carter who died yesterday.

“Carter played a pivotal role in the historic establishment of the CNMI as a Commonwealth in political union with the United States,” Governor Arnold Palacios said.

He said that on 24 October 1977, Carter signed the proclamation affirming the full force and effect of the Northern Mariana Islands Constitution, a landmark moment in the territory’s history.

CNMI Governor Arnold Palacios answers questions from the media.
CNMI’s Governor Arnold Palacios . . . paid tribute to former US President Jimmy Carter for his dedication to humanity, peace, and service. Image: RNZ Pacific/Mark Rabago

Governor Palacios and Lieutenant-Governor David Apatang both said the CNMI honoured Carter not only for his role in shaping the political landscape of the CNMI, but also for his unwavering dedication to humanity, peace, and service.

The CNMI’s outgoing Congressman Gregorio Kilili Sablan also paid tribute to Carter in a statement.

“Appreciating his long life and service, Andrea and I mourn the passing of Jimmy Carter. Guided by his faith, Carter lived an exemplary life worthy of imitation,” he said.

US Congress Delegate Gregorio Kilili Sablan has introduced a bipartisan bill to ban the shark fin trade across the United States.
US Congress Delegate Gregorio Kilili Sablan . . . “Carter lived an exemplary life worthy of imitation.” Image: USDA/Lance Cheung/RNZ Pacific

It is a sentiment shared by Sablan’s successor, Delegate-elect Kimberlyn King-Kinds.

‘Profound sadness’
“It is with profound sadness that we like the rest of the world mourn the passing of Jimmy Carter, a true servant leader whose life exemplified humility, compassion, and unwavering dedication to the betterment of humanity.

“From his leadership in the White House to his tireless efforts with Habitat for Humanity and global peace initiatives, President Carter’s legacy of service will forever inspire us. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Carter family and all who were touched by his remarkable life. May he rest in eternal peace,” King-Kinds said.

American Samoa’s Delegate to Washington, Uifa’atali Amata Radewagen also shared her memories of Carter.

“I have fond memories of the entire Carter family from the time President Jimmy Carter sent his son Jeff and daughter-in-law Annette to Pago Pago.

“Carter designated them as his personal representatives to the first inaugural of an elected Governor of American Samoa, Uifa’atali Peter Coleman.

US Congresswoman Aumua Amata Radewagen.
US Congresswoman Aumua Amata Radewagen . . . “I have fond memories of the entire Carter family.” Image: radewagen.house.gov/RNZ Pacific

“My Dad had me show them around part of that time, as did others, and in turn, they invited my husband Fred and me for private dinner in the White House family quarters.

“This was a particularly generous act on their part to allow us in the areas that few people get to see, including guiding us through the Map room, the famous Lincoln bedroom, Queen’s bedroom and third floor.

“While we were there, President Carter and First Lady Rosalynn Carter arrived and very kindly greeted us.”

Radewagen said that personal kindness was forever part of President Carter’s lasting legacy.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.


This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2024/12/31/pacific-leaders-remember-jimmy-carters-pivotal-role-for-cnmi/feed/ 0 507984 2 Kurdish journalists killed in suspected Turkish drone attack in northern Syria https://www.radiofree.org/2024/12/20/2-kurdish-journalists-killed-in-suspected-turkish-drone-attack-in-northern-syria/ https://www.radiofree.org/2024/12/20/2-kurdish-journalists-killed-in-suspected-turkish-drone-attack-in-northern-syria/#respond Fri, 20 Dec 2024 15:53:22 +0000 https://cpj.org/?p=440906 Sulaymaniyah, December 20, 2024 —The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by the killing of journalists Jihan Belkin and Nazim Dashdan in northern Syria in a suspected Turkish drone attack on their vehicle and calls for an investigation into whether they were targeted for their work.

“Journalists are civilians and must be protected at all times,” said CPJ Advocacy and Communications Director Gypsy Guillén Kaiser in New York. “We call on Turkey’s defense authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the killings of journalists Jihan Belkin and Nazim Dashdan in Syria. It is imperative to ensure those responsible are held accountable.”

The journalists  were killed in a suspected Turkish drone attack on their vehicle on the road between Tishreen Dam and the town of Sarrin, in northeastern Aleppo, according to multiple news reports and Belkin’s employer, who spoke to CPJ.

Belkin, 28, was a correspondent for the Hawar News Agency (ANHA), while Dashdan, 32, worked as a freelance journalist for multiple outlets including ANHA, Firat News Agency, and Ronahi TV. Both journalists were inside a car while moving between locations as they were covering the recent clashes between Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Turkish-backed opposition forces Syrian National Army (SNA), which has been supported by Turkish airstrikes during its offensive. Their driver, Aziz Haj Bozan, was also injured in the attack.

ANHA is a news agency affiliated with the Kurdish administration of northeast Syria and broadcasts in six different languages. ANHA, Firat News Agency, and Ronahi TV are pro-Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which Turkey designates a terrorist organization.

ANHA manager Akram Barakat told CPJ via messaging app that the incident took place around 3:20 pm. “They were returning to Kobani city after covering the fighting near Tishreen when a Turkish drone deliberately targeted their vehicle, killing them instantly,” he said. Barakat said that Belkin had been working as a journalist in northern Syria since 2017, and Dashdan since 2014. “Both had consistently reported on wars and conflicts in the region for various outlets,” he said.

Barakat told CPJ that the journalists’ vehicle was clearly marked as “Press,” but that Turkey “continues to disregard”  international laws.

“Turkish drone strikes have repeatedly targeted journalists in our region while the international community remains silent,” Barakat said. “We urge international organizations, human rights groups, and the global community to take immediate action to stop these attacks on journalists and hold the perpetrators accountable. This silence has only exacerbated the dangers faced by journalists in the region.”

CPJ’s email requesting comment from the Permanent Mission of Turkey to the United Nations did not receive a response. The Turkish Defense Ministry website did not provide access to allow CPJ to request comment.


This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2024/12/20/2-kurdish-journalists-killed-in-suspected-turkish-drone-attack-in-northern-syria/feed/ 0 506862 2 Kurdish journalists killed in suspected Turkish drone attack in northern Syria https://www.radiofree.org/2024/12/20/2-kurdish-journalists-killed-in-suspected-turkish-drone-attack-in-northern-syria-2/ https://www.radiofree.org/2024/12/20/2-kurdish-journalists-killed-in-suspected-turkish-drone-attack-in-northern-syria-2/#respond Fri, 20 Dec 2024 15:53:22 +0000 https://cpj.org/?p=440906 Sulaymaniyah, December 20, 2024 —The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by the killing of journalists Jihan Belkin and Nazim Dashdan in northern Syria in a suspected Turkish drone attack on their vehicle and calls for an investigation into whether they were targeted for their work.

“Journalists are civilians and must be protected at all times,” said CPJ Advocacy and Communications Director Gypsy Guillén Kaiser in New York. “We call on Turkey’s defense authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the killings of journalists Jihan Belkin and Nazim Dashdan in Syria. It is imperative to ensure those responsible are held accountable.”

The journalists  were killed in a suspected Turkish drone attack on their vehicle on the road between Tishreen Dam and the town of Sarrin, in northeastern Aleppo, according to multiple news reports and Belkin’s employer, who spoke to CPJ.

Belkin, 28, was a correspondent for the Hawar News Agency (ANHA), while Dashdan, 32, worked as a freelance journalist for multiple outlets including ANHA, Firat News Agency, and Ronahi TV. Both journalists were inside a car while moving between locations as they were covering the recent clashes between Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Turkish-backed opposition forces Syrian National Army (SNA), which has been supported by Turkish airstrikes during its offensive. Their driver, Aziz Haj Bozan, was also injured in the attack.

ANHA is a news agency affiliated with the Kurdish administration of northeast Syria and broadcasts in six different languages. ANHA, Firat News Agency, and Ronahi TV are pro-Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which Turkey designates a terrorist organization.

ANHA manager Akram Barakat told CPJ via messaging app that the incident took place around 3:20 pm. “They were returning to Kobani city after covering the fighting near Tishreen when a Turkish drone deliberately targeted their vehicle, killing them instantly,” he said. Barakat said that Belkin had been working as a journalist in northern Syria since 2017, and Dashdan since 2014. “Both had consistently reported on wars and conflicts in the region for various outlets,” he said.

Barakat told CPJ that the journalists’ vehicle was clearly marked as “Press,” but that Turkey “continues to disregard”  international laws.

“Turkish drone strikes have repeatedly targeted journalists in our region while the international community remains silent,” Barakat said. “We urge international organizations, human rights groups, and the global community to take immediate action to stop these attacks on journalists and hold the perpetrators accountable. This silence has only exacerbated the dangers faced by journalists in the region.”

CPJ’s email requesting comment from the Permanent Mission of Turkey to the United Nations did not receive a response. The Turkish Defense Ministry website did not provide access to allow CPJ to request comment.


This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2024/12/20/2-kurdish-journalists-killed-in-suspected-turkish-drone-attack-in-northern-syria-2/feed/ 0 506863 Myanmar border with China in northern rebel zone to reopen – group says https://rfa.org/english/myanmar/2024/12/13/kachin-china-border-opens/ https://rfa.org/english/myanmar/2024/12/13/kachin-china-border-opens/#respond Fri, 13 Dec 2024 10:18:56 +0000 https://rfa.org/english/myanmar/2024/12/13/kachin-china-border-opens/ Read RFA coverage of this topic in Burmese.

The border between Myanmar and China in an area controlled on the Myanmar side by ethnic minority guerrillas is to reopen, the rebel group said on Friday, allowing for a resumption of trade including the export to China or rare earth minerals.

Myanmar’s Kachin Independence Army, or KIA, and authorities in China have both closed the border in Myanmar’s northern-most state in recent weeks, as the insurgents have seized crossing points from the Myanmar military and Chinese authorities have banned cross-border movements in the hope of stopping the fighting.

Representatives of the ethnic Kachin insurgent force, one of the most powerful groups fighting the Myanmar junta that seized power in 2021, met officials in the Chinese city of Kunming on Thursday to discuss the border, said a KIA spokesman.

“It’s true that the border gates are being opened,” KIA Information Officer Naw Bu told Radio Free Asia, adding that he did not have details of the talks in Kunming.

Residents on the border said that while gates on both sides had been opened, vehicles had yet to resume crossing and it was not clear when they would.

The Chinese embassy in Myanmar did not respond to inquiries from RFA.

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The KIA seized five major crossing points from junta forces in recent weeks, taking full control of the border with China in its areas of operations after capturing important rare-earth and jade-mining centers, which export their output to China.

Residents of Kachin state, on the other hand, import a wide range of consumer goods and essentials from China, including fuel, and border closures have brought hardships.

China is pressing insurgent groups in northern and northeastern Myanmar to make peace with the military and it has closed its border in places controlled by insurgents on the Myanmar side to press them into talks.

In October, China refused to let civilians fleeing fighting take refuge on its side of the border.

The KIA responded with its own border closure, stopping the export of rare earths. Hla Kyaw Zaw, a Myanmar political analyst based in China, later told RFA that businessmen with interests in Kachin state’s mines had appealed to Chinese authorities to get the border open again.

Two insurgent forces in Shan state, to the southeast of Kachin state, have agreed to ceasefires and negotiations with the junta in recent days but the KIA is locked in fierce fighting to capture the major Kachin state town of Bhamo from junta forces.

A resident of the Kachin state border town of Pang War said the crossing with China was open but vehicle traffic had yet to resume.

“The gates on both sides have been opened,” said the resident, who declined to be identified for security reasons. “But so far today they haven’t let cars pass. Let’s see what happens tomorrow.”

Translated by Kiana Duncan. Edited by RFA Staff.


This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by RFA Burmese.

]]> https://rfa.org/english/myanmar/2024/12/13/kachin-china-border-opens/feed/ 0 505892 Northern Marianas leaders meet Taiwan President Lai Ching-te in Guam https://www.radiofree.org/2024/12/05/northern-marianas-leaders-meet-taiwan-president-lai-ching-te-in-guam/ https://www.radiofree.org/2024/12/05/northern-marianas-leaders-meet-taiwan-president-lai-ching-te-in-guam/#respond Thu, 05 Dec 2024 02:06:32 +0000 https://asiapacificreport.nz/?p=107809 By Mark Rabago, RNZ Pacific Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas correspondent

Northern Marianas Governor Arnold Palacios and Senator Celina Babauta have travelled to Guam to attend a luncheon with Taiwan President Lai Ching-te.

Taiwan is officially known as the Republic of China (Taiwan). China claims Taiwan as its own territory, with no right to state-to-state ties, a position Taiwan strongly disputes.

Palacios welcomed the opportunity to meet Lai and said this could pave the way for improved relations with the East Asian country.

“This meeting is an opportunity for the CNMI to foster relations with allies in the region.”

When asked if meeting the President would upset the People’s Republic of China, which considers Taiwan a rogue state and part of its territory, Palacios said: “As far as being in the crosshairs of China, we already are in many ways.”

Worldwide, a dozen countries maintain formal diplomatic ties with Taipei.

In January, Nauru cut ties with Taiwan and shifted its diplomatic allegiance to Beijing.

Reconnecting bonds
Babauta, meanwhile, said she was deeply humbled and honoured to be invited to have lunch with Lai and Chia-Ching Hsu, Lai’s Minister of the Overseas Community Affairs Council.

“I am looking forward to connecting and discussing opportunities to strengthen the bond between our two regions and explore how we can create new avenues for our mutual benefit and prosperity, particularly by leveraging our Jones Act waiver,” she said.

“We must turn our economy around. This is an opportunity I could not pass up on.”

Babauta said she asked Lai if she could also make a stopover to the CNMI, but his busy schedule precluded that.

“I am assured that he will plan a visit to the CNMI in the near future.”

The luncheon, which is part of Taiwan’s “Smart and Sustainable Development for a Prosperous Austronesian Region” program, will be held at the Grand Ballroom, Hyatt Regency Guam at noon Thursday and is expected to also have Guam Governor Lou Leon Guerrero and other island leaders.

Lai has previously visited Hawai’i as part of his US tour, one that has elicited the ire of the government of the People’s Republic of China.

Summit ends dramatically
Earlier this year, the Pacific Islands Forum leaders’ summit ended dramatically when China demanded the conference communiqué be changed to eliminate a reference to Taiwan.

The document had made a reference to the Forum reaffirming its relations to Taiwan, which has been a development partner since 1992.

But the Chinese Ambassador to the Pacific Qian Bo was furious and the document was rewritten.

Reports say China’s Foreign Ministry has “strongly condemned” US support for Lai’s visit to the US, and had lodged a complaint with the United States.

It earlier also denounced a newly announced US weapons sale to Taiwan.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.


This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2024/12/05/northern-marianas-leaders-meet-taiwan-president-lai-ching-te-in-guam/feed/ 0 504715 Fire destroys Tibetan shop in northern India | Radio Free Asia (RFA) https://www.radiofree.org/2024/11/22/fire-destroys-tibetan-shop-in-northern-india-radio-free-asia-rfa/ https://www.radiofree.org/2024/11/22/fire-destroys-tibetan-shop-in-northern-india-radio-free-asia-rfa/#respond Fri, 22 Nov 2024 20:35:56 +0000 http://www.radiofree.org/?guid=de32213910dbe3f336324a895ae4330d
This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Radio Free Asia.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2024/11/22/fire-destroys-tibetan-shop-in-northern-india-radio-free-asia-rfa/feed/ 0 503247 Fire destroys Tibetan shop in northern India | Radio Free Asia (RFA) https://www.radiofree.org/2024/11/22/fire-destroys-tibetan-shop-in-northern-india-radio-free-asia-rfa-2/ https://www.radiofree.org/2024/11/22/fire-destroys-tibetan-shop-in-northern-india-radio-free-asia-rfa-2/#respond Fri, 22 Nov 2024 20:22:34 +0000 http://www.radiofree.org/?guid=350d0247f2081fb1facb8b1197fd2438
This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Radio Free Asia.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2024/11/22/fire-destroys-tibetan-shop-in-northern-india-radio-free-asia-rfa-2/feed/ 0 503273 Northern California School District Adds Resources for Students of Color https://www.radiofree.org/2024/11/18/northern-california-school-district-adds-resources-for-students-of-color/ https://www.radiofree.org/2024/11/18/northern-california-school-district-adds-resources-for-students-of-color/#respond Mon, 18 Nov 2024 21:17:50 +0000 https://www.projectcensored.org/?p=45326 During the 2024–2025 school year, the Tamalpais Union High School District in Northern California will fund four new positions to provide support and resources for students of color, the Marin Independent Journal reported in August 2024. The districts’ trustees approved $430,000 for the consultant contracts after racial incidents in 2023-24…

The post Northern California School District Adds Resources for Students of Color appeared first on Project Censored.


This content originally appeared on Project Censored and was authored by Kate Horgan.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2024/11/18/northern-california-school-district-adds-resources-for-students-of-color/feed/ 0 502503 ‘Catastrophic’: Journalists say ethnic cleansing taking place in a news void in northern Gaza https://www.radiofree.org/2024/11/08/catastrophic-journalists-say-ethnic-cleansing-taking-place-in-a-news-void-in-northern-gaza/ https://www.radiofree.org/2024/11/08/catastrophic-journalists-say-ethnic-cleansing-taking-place-in-a-news-void-in-northern-gaza/#respond Fri, 08 Nov 2024 19:01:36 +0000 https://cpj.org/?p=434343 On Wednesday, November 6, an Israeli strike killed at least 15 people in a house in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza. But communications difficulties meant that the Gaza health ministry struggled to determine the death toll. This is just one example of countless others where local reporters were able to help verify information about potential atrocities during Israel’s escalating offensive in the area, journalists tell CPJ.

Israel has stepped up systematic attack on journalists and media infrastructure since the start of its northern Gaza campaign. Israeli strikes killed at least five journalists in October and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) began a smear campaign against six Al Jazeera journalists reporting on the north. There are now almost no professional journalists left in the north to document what several international institutions have described as an ethnic cleansing campaign. Israel has not allowed international media independent access to Gaza in the 13 months since the war began.

Getting information about the impact of the war on journalists – and therefore a clear picture of the impact of the war itself – was already challenging when CPJ issued a report in May on the challenges of verification. Journalists interviewed by CPJ in late October and early November told CPJ that the continued attacks on the media – along with the food shortages, continual displacement, and communications blackouts experienced by all Gazans – placed severe constraints on coverage of the impact of Israel’s northern Gaza military offensive. The offensive began on October 5 by targeting the town of Jabalia and its refugee camp before spreading to all of northern Gaza in what the Israeli military said was a bid to stop militant Hamas fighters from regrouping.

 “Israel is accused of adopting a ‘starve or leave’ policy to force Palestinians out of northern Gaza. It seems clear that the systematic attacks on the media and campaign to discredit those few journalists who remain is a deliberate tactic to prevent the world from seeing what Israel is doing there,” said CPJ Program Director Carlos Martinez de la Serna, in New York. “Reporters are crucial in bearing witness during a war, without them, the world won’t be able to write history.”

Reports from the area say that the IDF burned schools, attacked hospitals and medical staff, and detained and abused men. Scores of people have been killed, tens of thousands of people have been forced to flee, and families separated as the attack continues.

The U.N. secretary general, António Guterres; Jordan’s foreign secretary; and the Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem are among those describing the assault as an “ethnic cleansing,” with the U.N. Human Rights Office fearing it could lead to the potential destruction of the Palestinian population. 

A news void is one of the direct impacts of this campaign, potentially leaving possible war crimes with no evidence or documentation.

CPJ documented the following threats to journalists and press freedom in northern Gaza during the recent weeks:

Journalists killed in strikes

CPJ confirmed at least five killings of journalists in Jabalia and Gaza City since October 6: 

  • An Israeli drone missile killed AlHassan Hamad, an 18-year-old Palestinian freelance photographer who worked with several media outlets during the war, shortly after he finished a video report in Jabalia on October 6. 
  • An Israeli drone strike killed Mohammed Al-Tanani, a 26-year-old Palestinian camera operator for the Hamas-owned Al-Aqsa TV, while his TV crew was reporting on Israeli forces operations in the Jabalia refugee camp on October 9. The strike also injured TV correspondent Tamer Lubbad. Both were wearing “Press” vests and helmets at the time.
  • Three Palestinian journalists — Nadia Emad Al Sayed, Saed Radwan, and Haneen Baroud — were killed alongside eight others in an Israeli airstrike on a school sheltering displaced families in Gaza City on October 27. The bombs hit one of the classrooms they had turned into a makeshift newsroom. 

“The situation is catastrophic and beyond description,” a camera operator for the privately owned Al-Ghad TV, Abed AlKarim Al-Zwaidi, told CPJ. “We do not know what our fate will be in light of these circumstances.” 

The IDF responded on October 31 to CPJ’s email requesting comment on these killings, repeating previous statements it could not fully address questions if sufficient details about individuals were not provided. The statement reiterated previous comments that it “directs its strikes only towards military targets and military operatives, and does not target civilian objects and civilians, including media organizations and journalists.”

CPJ is also investigating reports that two other journalists were killed during this time in northern Gaza. 

Starvation and aid blocks

Israel, accused of blocking humanitarian aid into Gaza since the start of the war, has throttled food and humanitarian aid from entering northern Gaza since October 1 and ordered all residents to evacuate, making it all but impossible for journalists to keep working, several members of the media told CPJ.       

Al-Zwaidi – one of the journalists who described Israel’s actions as ethnic cleansing – told CPJ that journalists, like most civilians in northern Gaza, “have not had food or anything clean to drink for more than 20 days.” He said most journalists are “trying to eat the minimum amount of food that keeps them alive,” and they drink what is “semi-wastewater, full of germs.” 

The IDF’s October 31 response to CPJ’s request for comment said that more than 392 aid trucks, mainly carrying food, had entered northern Gaza in recent weeks, and supplies were available in warehouses scattered throughout the northern region.

The IDF also cited October 28 and 30 announcements by COGAT (Coordinator of the Government Activities in the Territories), the Israeli unit responsible for the coordination and facilitation of humanitarian initiatives, that it had facilitated patient and staff evacuations and delivered supplies at the Kamal Adwan hospital. One of the area’s last functioning medical facilities, Kamal Adwan, has been repeatedly attacked by Israel, which claims it has been used by Hamas.

Tor Wennesland, the U.N. special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, told the U.N. Security Council on October 29 that northern Gaza had received virtually no humanitarian assistance since the start of October. The U.S. envoy to the U.N. warned that Israel must improve its flow of aid or face cuts to American military assistance.

Journalists arrested, detained

  • Israeli military forces arrested Nidal Elian, editor-in-chief at the satellite channel Al-Quds Today, on October 22 in Beit Lahia. 

His wife told CPJ that Israeli military forces issued an order through a drone’s loudspeaker for residents to evacuate the area because the IDF was going to destroy it and to go to a school near the Kamal Adwan hospital. When they arrived, Israeli soldiers separated the men from the women and detained Elian. Elian’s whereabouts remain unknown.

  • The IDF also detained Al-Ghad TV’s Al-Zwaidi for several hours on October 25. 

After around four hours of bombing and firing on the Kamal Adwan hospital in Beit Lahia,  Al-Zwaidi told CPJ that Israeli forces ordered everyone in the hospital to go into the yard and remove their clothes down to their underwear. The journalist said their hands were tied tightly and they were forced to march to a nearby Israeli army barrack, with soldiers and tanks following them. 

Al-Zwaidi told CPJ that the soldiers pressed the muzzles of their guns to the detainees’ heads and ordered them to kneel with their heads on the ground for more than five hours in the sun. He said the soldiers beat him twice before releasing him.  

The IDF responded on October 31 to CPJ’s email requesting comment on these detentions, saying that the IDF detains individuals suspected of terrorist activity and releases anyone found not to be involved. The IDF added that detained individuals are “treated in accordance with international law.” 

Coverage constraints

Journalists who spoke to CPJ said there are very few reporters left to document atrocities in northern Gaza. Those who remain have to struggle with communication and internet shutdowns that limit their ability to report the news.

“There is a frightening difficulty in [obtaining] media coverage inside Gaza City and the northern Gaza Strip,” Al-Zwaidi told CPJ. Journalists are trying to continue to circumvent the shutdowns by using e-sims, but the need to find areas of higher elevation to get a signal increases their risk of targeting by Israeli forces.

“I face death at every moment in my attempts to provide media coverage and keep the northern Gaza Strip in the spotlight,” Al-Zwaidi said. 

The IDF has also prevented reporters from approaching sites that have been bombed or attacked, further suppressing documentation of alleged crimes, Osama Al Ashi, a camera operator with China’s state-run CCTV television and freelance documentary producer, told CPJ. 

Palestinians inspect the damage outside a building destroyed by an Israeli bombardment in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip on November 7, 2024. (Photo: AFP)
Palestinians inspect the damage outside a building destroyed by an Israeli bombardment in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip on November 7, 2024. (Photo: AFP)

Equipment shortages, low morale

In addition to shortages of vital equipment such as cameras and protective helmets and vests, the morale of journalists still in northern Gaza is dropping as “they feel ignored by the rest of the world,” Al Jazeera correspondent Mohammed Quraiqi told CPJ. 

“The lack of interest and assistance directed to journalists locally and internationally allows their continuous targeting and killing,” Quraiqi told CPJ. “Unfortunately, no one stands with journalists, neither in the northern nor the southern Gaza Strip, from official, regional, or international bodies, to provide them with the necessary support.”

Northern Gaza “has become one of the most difficult and dangerous environments for journalistic work in the world,” Al Ashi told CPJ. 

“The feeling of fear and anxiety [occurs] all the time. I fear for my family, and I fear being among them; it is a very difficult feeling,” Al Ashi told CPJ. “But I am convinced that my presence as a journalist in the northern Gaza Strip to convey the image is very important. Otherwise, Gaza City and the northern Gaza Strip would be isolated from the entire outside world.”

The difficulties for journalists in northern Gaza “is greater than any description,” Basel Khaireddine, a northern Gaza correspondent for the Iranian state-run broadcaster Al-Alam TV, told CPJ. 

“There is a constant deliberate targeting of journalists, not only because they are journalists and transmit the news, but also because the occupation targets all residents,” Khaireddine told CPJ. “Everyone is within its range of fire, and it does not differentiate between a woman, a man, or a child. It also does not differentiate between a journalist and others, even though journalists are civilians.

Restricting medical care

Amid the destruction of Northern Gaza’s medical facilities and detention of medical staff, as of November 8. Israel had not approved the emergency medical evacuation of Al Jazeera camera operators Fadi Al Wahidi and Ali Al Attar for treatment outside the Gaza Strip. Al Wahidi was severely wounded by a gunshot wound in Jabalia on October 9; Al-Attar sustained serious injuries from shrapnel from an October 7 Israeli airstrike.  

 CPJ has joined other rights organizations in urging Israel to authorize their evacuation and treatment. 

The IDF responded on October 31 to CPJ’s email requesting comment on these injured journalists on October 31 by referring CPJ to COGAT. CPJ’s November 1 email to COGAT asking whether the journalists would be allowed to receive medical care outside the Strip did not receive a response by CPJ’s requested November 4 deadline.

Terror allegations against journalists

On October 23, the IDF accused six Palestinian journalists working with Al Jazeera in Gaza of being members of the militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad, raising fears that they could be targeted for killing by Israeli forces.  

The journalists are Anas al-Sharif, Talal Aruki, Ismail Farid, Alaa Salama, Ashraf Saraj, and Hossam Shabat.

Salama, Al Jazeera Mubasher’s correspondent in southern Gaza and a journalist for 18 years, told CPJ he denied these “false allegations” against him, adding that he worries that “the Israeli army is creating justifications to…target journalists, especially [as] the Palestinian media has played a major role in refuting the Israeli narrative.”

Saraj, Al Jazeera Mubasher’s correspondent in central and southern Gaza and a journalist for six years, told CPJ he has felt increasingly in danger since the accusations were made. 

“Since the first day of the war, I have continued my journalistic work, and I have proof of that because the screen belies any allegations,” Saraj told CPJ. “Today, I feel like I am waiting for death and the moment when my martyrdom is announced.”

Shabat, Al Jazeera Mubasher’s correspondent in northern Gaza, told CPJ that anxiety and fear would not deter them from continuing their coverage.

“We convey the truth on Al Jazeera Mubasher, and we move within the areas classified by Israel as safe,” Shabat said. “We are citizens, and we convey their voices. Our only crime is that we convey the image and the truth and do not belong to the Hamas movement.” 

Al Jazeera has rejected the allegations against the journalists and CPJ has condemned Israel’s claims that they are members of militant groups, noting that Israel has repeatedly made similar unproven statements without producing credible evidence.  

The IDF said in its October 31 response to CPJ that it had no further comment on the six journalists beyond what was published on October 23.


This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2024/11/08/catastrophic-journalists-say-ethnic-cleansing-taking-place-in-a-news-void-in-northern-gaza/feed/ 0 501095 "Ethnic Cleansing": Israeli Group B’Tselem Calls for World to Stop Israel’s Siege of Northern Gaza https://www.radiofree.org/2024/10/24/ethnic-cleansing-israeli-group-btselem-calls-for-world-to-stop-israels-siege-of-northern-gaza-2/ https://www.radiofree.org/2024/10/24/ethnic-cleansing-israeli-group-btselem-calls-for-world-to-stop-israels-siege-of-northern-gaza-2/#respond Thu, 24 Oct 2024 14:34:36 +0000 http://www.radiofree.org/?guid=ece297db0e6767038396eb9a88ef20ad
This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2024/10/24/ethnic-cleansing-israeli-group-btselem-calls-for-world-to-stop-israels-siege-of-northern-gaza-2/feed/ 0 499304 “Ethnic Cleansing”: Israeli Group B’Tselem Calls for World to Stop Israel’s Siege of Northern Gaza https://www.radiofree.org/2024/10/24/ethnic-cleansing-israeli-group-btselem-calls-for-world-to-stop-israels-siege-of-northern-gaza/ https://www.radiofree.org/2024/10/24/ethnic-cleansing-israeli-group-btselem-calls-for-world-to-stop-israels-siege-of-northern-gaza/#respond Thu, 24 Oct 2024 12:30:15 +0000 http://www.radiofree.org/?guid=a4240f90aa22b5fee6d993ed968c4a15 Seg2 sarit gaza north flee

The leading Israeli human rights group B’Tselem warned this week the world must stop the “ethnic cleansing” of northern Gaza, where the Israeli military has imposed a brutal siege since October 5, demanding that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians flee south or face death. Israel is blocking almost all food, water and medicine from reaching northern Gaza while its forces carry out deadly raids and bombardment of the area, overwhelming the remaining hospitals. B’Tselem spokesperson Sarit Michaeli says it’s impossible to watch events unfold and “not conclude that what is going on there is the deliberate pressuring by the Israeli army of the civilian population of the area to move out of this area in order to empty it of Palestinians.”


This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2024/10/24/ethnic-cleansing-israeli-group-btselem-calls-for-world-to-stop-israels-siege-of-northern-gaza/feed/ 0 498961 UN pauses polio vaccination drive in northern Gaza amid escalating violence – October 23, 2024 https://www.radiofree.org/2024/10/23/un-pauses-polio-vaccination-drive-in-northern-gaza-amid-escalating-violence-october-23-2024/ https://www.radiofree.org/2024/10/23/un-pauses-polio-vaccination-drive-in-northern-gaza-amid-escalating-violence-october-23-2024/#respond Wed, 23 Oct 2024 18:00:00 +0000 http://www.radiofree.org/?guid=d8fdd41672da0d009423e51a0cc1963f Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

Palestinian children displaced by Israeli air and ground offensive on the Gaza Strip walk through a temporary tent camp near Kerem Shalom crossing in Rafah, Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Hatem Ali)

  • UN paused polio vaccination drive in northern Gaza amid escalating violence.
  • Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin said evidence shows North Korea sent 3,000 troops to Russia, and warned of serious issue if they join Ukraine war on Moscow’s side.
  • Boeing reported over $6 billion Q3 loss amid uncertainty over striking workers’ contract.
  • Harris criticized Trump after John Kelly said he wanted generals like Hitler’s.
  • Man pleaded guilty to making interstate threats against top election officials, judges, and federal agents in Colorado and Arizona.

The post UN pauses polio vaccination drive in northern Gaza amid escalating violence – October 23, 2024 appeared first on KPFA.


This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2024/10/23/un-pauses-polio-vaccination-drive-in-northern-gaza-amid-escalating-violence-october-23-2024/feed/ 0 498801 North Korea blows up northern side of inter-Korean roads: Seoul https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/north-korea-border-roads-10152024003509.html https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/north-korea-border-roads-10152024003509.html#respond Tue, 15 Oct 2024 04:40:00 +0000 https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/north-korea-border-roads-10152024003509.html North Korea blew up its side of roads connected to South Korea on Tuesday, the South Korean military said, after Pyongyang vowed to cut cross-border transport links amid disputes over drones that the North says have flown over its capital. 

The South Korean military responded by firing shots south of the Military Demarcation Line.

“The North Korean military conducted detonations, assumed to be aimed at cutting off the Gyeongui and Donghae roads, at around noon and is carrying out additional activities using heavy equipment,” the Joint Chiefs of Staff, or JCS, said. 

The South’s military did not suffer any damage and it responded by firing shots south of the Military Demarcation Line, the JCS added.

“The military is closely monitoring the North Korean military’s activities and maintains a firm readiness posture amid strengthened surveillance under South Korea-U.S. cooperation,” it said.

The Koreas are connected by roads and railways along the Gyeongui line, which connects the South’s western border city of Paju to the North’s Kaesong 26 kilometers (16 miles) away, and the Donghae line along the east coast. But the border has been sealed in recent years and heavily guarded on both sides, so destroying the roads on the North Korean side is unlikely to have much impact.

Last week, JCS Chairman Adm. Kim Myung-soo told lawmakers that the Gyeongui and Donghae routes had been effectively cut off in August, noting that the military had been monitoring the North’s activities.

The North has removed street lamps and installed mines along its side of the Gyeongui and Donghae roads, as well as deploying troops to build apparent anti-tank barriers and reinforce barbed wire within its side of the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas, the South Korean military said.

AP18337237862630.jpg
South Korean army soldiers stand guard in front of an unpaved road that crosses the Military Demarcation Line inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in the central section of the inter-Korean border in Cheorwon, South Korea, Monday, Dec. 3, 2018. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

The two Koreas are still technically at war, having signed an armistice, not a peace treaty, when the Korean War ended in 1953. Under the agreement the two sides drew a Military Demarcation Line near the 38th parallel, establishing a 2 kilometer (1.2 mile) demilitarized zone, or DMZ, on either side of the border.

Tuesday’s explosions came after North Korea announced last Wednesday that it would cut off roads and railways to South Korea and bolster border defenses.

The South’s military said on Monday it had detected signs the North was planning to blow up the roads by installing covers over them in preparation for the blasts.

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Relations between North and South Korea have been particularly strained recently with both sides exchanging threats of annihilation if the other were ever to attack.

North Korea claimed last Friday that South Korean drones carrying anti-regime propaganda leaflets were detected in the night skies over Pyongyang three times this month, and threatened to respond with force if such flights occurred again. 

In response, South Korea’s defense ministry warned that the North would face “the end of its regime” if it caused any harm to South Korean people, while its JCS said it could not confirm whether the North’s drone claims were true.

Edited by Mike Firn. 


This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By Taejun Kang for RFA.

]]> https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/north-korea-border-roads-10152024003509.html/feed/ 0 497650 "Surrender or Starve": Israel Weighs Plan to Liquidate Northern Gaza https://www.radiofree.org/2024/10/14/surrender-or-starve-israel-weighs-plan-to-liquidate-northern-gaza/ https://www.radiofree.org/2024/10/14/surrender-or-starve-israel-weighs-plan-to-liquidate-northern-gaza/#respond Mon, 14 Oct 2024 14:25:43 +0000 http://www.radiofree.org/?guid=aa9e9887afb6b758ebfc4f6994af31ce
This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2024/10/14/surrender-or-starve-israel-weighs-plan-to-liquidate-northern-gaza/feed/ 0 497576 “Surrender or Starve”: Israel Weighs Plan to Liquidate Northern Gaza as Siege on Jabaliya Intensifies https://www.radiofree.org/2024/10/14/surrender-or-starve-israel-weighs-plan-to-liquidate-northern-gaza-as-siege-on-jabaliya-intensifies/ https://www.radiofree.org/2024/10/14/surrender-or-starve-israel-weighs-plan-to-liquidate-northern-gaza-as-siege-on-jabaliya-intensifies/#respond Mon, 14 Oct 2024 12:37:52 +0000 http://www.radiofree.org/?guid=a954595fcfb60fa76b60c3d619cf6261 Seg3 ngazaaftertentmassacre

We speak with the reporter who revealed the Israeli plan to displace or kill the entire Palestinian population of north Gaza. Israeli Major General Giora Eiland has proposed ordering everyone in northern Gaza to evacuate within one week, after which Israel will conduct a total siege on the area and deem anyone who remains an eligible target for military attack. “Are we talking about Israel committing an extermination of hundreds of tens of thousands of people if they will choose to stay?” asks Meron Rapoport, editor and writer at Local Call and columnist at +972 Magazine, who says many areas in Gaza have already been ordered to evacuate and are not receiving new aid deliveries. “We have the sense here that this plan is being actually implemented without being officially adopted.”


This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2024/10/14/surrender-or-starve-israel-weighs-plan-to-liquidate-northern-gaza-as-siege-on-jabaliya-intensifies/feed/ 0 497572 Insurgent army tightens its grip on northern Myanmar town https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/shan-state-tnla-captures-town-10142024064254.html https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/shan-state-tnla-captures-town-10142024064254.html#respond Mon, 14 Oct 2024 10:46:38 +0000 https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/shan-state-tnla-captures-town-10142024064254.html Read RFA coverage of these topics in Burmese.

An insurgent group battling Myanmar’s junta in Shan state has taken full control of a major town, a spokesperson told Radio Free Asia on Monday.

The Ta’ang National Liberation Army, or TNLA, said it captured the final junta base in Hsipaw on Sunday and plans to use its position to strike other military camps in the area.

The TNLA, is a member of the Three Brotherhood Alliance that launched Operation 1027 nearly a year ago in an effort to seize territory from the military that took power in a 2021 coup. 

Since launching the offensive, heavy fighting for control of Lashio, Nawnghkio and other northern Shan towns has sparked concern from China, which borders the state to the east, and forced it to shut previously busy border crossings. 

China has tried to protect its interests by brokering ceasefires between the junta and alliance members, but these haven’t lasted long. 

The second round of Operation 1027 began when a five-month truce collapsed in June. Since then the TNLA has captured Kyaukme, Mongmit and Nawnghkio towns in northern Shan state, as well as Mandalay region’s Mogoke town. 

Two months later, the TNLA turned its sights on Hsipaw. It captured most of the town on Aug. 12 but the junta held on to an infantry camp.

On Sunday, the Infantry Battalion 23 base finally fell to the TNLA, spokesperson Lway Yay Oo said. 

“We managed to completely control Hsipaw,” she told RFA. “According to our list, there must be over 50 captured soldiers and over 100 members of military families. We will release the family members.”

Neither side has reported any casualties and RFA’s calls to Shan state’s junta spokesperson Khun Thein Maung went unanswered.

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By taking full control of Hsipaw the TNLA is in a stronger position to attack nearby junta camps. After capturing most of the town in mid-August it started targeting light infantry battalions 503 and 504 about a kilometer away.

The junta has been hitting back with daily airstrikes. A Y-12 airplane dropped more than 80 bombs on TNLA positions on Friday, the group said in a statement published the following day. 

In over two months of fighting in Hsipaw, junta airstrikes and artillery fire have killed 32 people, including young children and injured 100 more residents, according to local civil society groups. 

Lashio under fire

Another Three Brotherhood Alliance member has also been taking territory off junta forces in Shan state. Since the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, or MNDAA, captured the junta’s military headquarters in Lashio in July, and took full control of the town in August, civilians have borne the brunt of junta retaliation through frequent airstrikes and shelling.

Junta bombs killed three villagers on Monday morning in the township’s Ei Naing village, residents said. 

Three men in their 40s died and two other people were injured, including a child, according to a resident who didn’t want to be named for fear of reprisals.

“The men who were attacked died on the spot. They didn't have time to dodge because the bomb fell straight on their house,” he said. 

The injured were moved to a safe location to receive medical treatment, he added.

The bombs destroyed a church and five houses, according to an MNDAA-associated aid group.

2.jpg
Residents stand outside a house bombed by junta planes in Ei Naing village, Lashio Township, Shan state on Oct. 14, 2024. (Facebook: Lashio Reconstruction)

Frequent battles near Ei Naing village prompted heavy shelling by the junta, causing most of the 1,000 people living in the area to flee, residents said.

Many returned to Lashio after the MNDAA took control of the township, but fled again following Monday’s attack. 

In September, the MNDAA said it had cut ties with Myanmar’s shadow National Unity Government. It said it would work with China to bring peace and announced it had no plans to capture large towns in Shan state. 

Days later the junta bombed Lashio and peace talks never took place.

Since June, over 20 junta airstrikes on Lashio have killed three people and injured over 100, according to an MNDAA statement on Oct. 4.

Translated by Kiana Duncan. Edited by Mike Firn. 


This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By RFA Burmese.

]]> https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/shan-state-tnla-captures-town-10142024064254.html/feed/ 0 497541 Rebels seize junta base near Chinese rare-earth mine in northern Myanmar https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/myanmar-china-rare-earth-mine-kia-09302024141902.html https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/myanmar-china-rare-earth-mine-kia-09302024141902.html#respond Tue, 01 Oct 2024 14:00:37 +0000 https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/myanmar-china-rare-earth-mine-kia-09302024141902.html Read RFA coverage of this topic in Burmese

Ethnic Kachin rebels have seized control of a key military base in northern Myanmar’s Kachin state near a Chinese rare-earth mine and other Chinese-led projects, according to residents and a rebel official.

Rebel control of these mines could potentially disrupt shipments of these lucrative rare earths, which are used in cell phones, cars and other products.

It would also give the Kachin Independence Army, or KIA, more leverage in dealing with China, which has seemed to favor the military junta in power, including possible future peace talks that might be brokered by China.

China is keen to see an end to the turmoil following the military’s 2021 coup d’etat in Myanmar that threatens its economic interests, which include oil and natural gas pipelines from the Indian Ocean coast.

In recent weeks, Beijing has pressed insurgent forces along the countries’ shared border to agree to halt their offensives against the junta, although neither side appears ready to lay down their arms.

On Monday, the KIA took control of the military’s No. 105 Infantry Battalion base near Chipwi township – a major hub for rare-earth mines in Myanmar – in addition to five other junta outposts in Chipwi and neighboring Tsawlaw township the rebel group had seized earlier.

Chipwi township in Kachin state Jan. 24, 2024. (Citizen Photo)
Chipwi township in Kachin state Jan. 24, 2024. (Citizen Photo)

A resident of Chipwi told RFA Burmese that the KIA had effectively assumed control of the township, which is home to more than 20,000 people and located around 65 km (40 miles) from the Chinese border.

"It is confirmed that the KIA has taken over the [township] police station and the junta’s combined forces in [nearby] Lay Maing village,” said the resident who, like others interviewed for this report, spoke on condition of anonymity due to security concerns.

“Chipwi is an administrative town with mostly public servants and fewer members of the armed forces,” he said. “At this point, the KIA and anti-junta forces control it.”

The resident said that the military has been conducting airstrikes in a bid to retake control of the territory.

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KIA spokesperson Colonel Naw Bu confirmed to RFA that his group had seized control of junta outposts near Chipwi.

“We have taken over the military outpost [No. 105 Infantry Battalion] and the police station in Chipwi township,” he said, although he could not confirm “full control of the entire area.”

Hundreds flee town center

Anti-junta forces began attacking the Chipwi police station, a junta outpost in nearby Sha Ngaw village and a checkpoint controlled by the military in Lay Maing village on Sunday, as well as the junta’s No. 298 Infantry Battalion base in Tsawlaw township.

A resident, who also declined to be named, said that shops and markets were closed in Chipwi’s town center – located just 1.5 km (1 mile) from the military’s No. 105 Infantry Battalion base – after around 2,000 civilians, or some two-thirds of the urban population, fled ahead of the fighting.

Another resident of Chipwi told RFA that junta artillery fire had killed a 15-year-old girl in the area.

Attempts by RFA to contact Moe Min Thein, the junta’s Social Affairs Minister and spokesperson for Kachin state, went unanswered Monday, as did efforts to reach China’s embassy in Yangon

According to a May 23 report by Global Witness, which monitors global natural resource mining, rare-earth exploration in Kachin state’s Pang War and Chipwi townships increased 40% to more than 300 mining blocks from 2021-2023.

China’s Customs Department said that China imported more than US$1.4 billion worth of rare-earth minerals from Myanmar in 2023. China is the world’s top processor of rare-earth minerals, which are used in consumer electronics and military equipment.

In addition to rare-earth mines, China also runs the Chipwe Nge Hydroelectric Plant, which provides power to the Kachin state capital Myitkyina and nearby Waimaw township, and which is located about 10 km (6 miles) south of Chipwi.

Since the beginning of 2024, the KIA and its joint forces have seized around 220 junta outposts in eight Shan and Kachin state townships.

Translated by Aung Naing. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster.


This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By RFA Burmese.

]]> https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/myanmar-china-rare-earth-mine-kia-09302024141902.html/feed/ 0 495832 Junta offensive underway to recapture towns in northern Shan state https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/myanmar-shan-truck-convoy-09252024151013.html https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/myanmar-shan-truck-convoy-09252024151013.html#respond Wed, 25 Sep 2024 19:10:34 +0000 https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/myanmar-shan-truck-convoy-09252024151013.html Read RFA coverage of this topic in Burmese.

Myanmar’s junta is shifting troops from southern to northern Shan state in a bid to recapture several towns it lost to in an offensive launched by an alliance of ethnic armies last year, according to residents and rebel officials.

The Three Brotherhood Alliance launched an offensive last October, codenamed Operation 1027, that pushed back the military from several regions in Shan state it controlled following its February 2021 coup d’etat, including along northeastern Myanmar’s border with China.

China helped to negotiate an end to hostilities between the junta and the alliance – made up of The Ta’ang National Liberation Army, Arakan Army and Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army – but the alliance resumed attacks in Shan state in late June following the lifting of the ceasefire. 

On Wednesday, residents and a spokesperson for the Ta’ang National Liberation Army, or TNLA, told RFA Burmese that the junta had dispatched troops from its Eastern Central Command based in southern Shan state’s Hko Lan township to the townships of Mongyai, Tangyan and Nam Lan in northern Shan state.

"I saw more than 10 covered military trucks as well as many soldiers in the cars,” said a resident of Kyay Thee township who, like others interviewed for this report, spoke on condition of anonymity due to security concerns. “I saw the vehicles near a village between Kyay Thee and Mong Yai townships.”

20240925-MYANMAR-JUNTA-TROOPS-SHAN-002.jpg
Lashio township suffered damage from air strikes, Sept. 24, 2024, in Myanmar. (Kokang News Agency via Facebook)

A resident of Panglong township told RFA that junta forces were using civilian cars to travel to Kyay Thee and Mong Yai, via the Panlong-Le Char road.

"We saw around 15 covered military vehicles beyond Le Char about two days ago,” said the resident. “A second military convoy included 12-foot long civilian light trucks in Panglong township, heading to Le Char and Kyay Thee. There were more than 10 vehicles in that group.”

Residents said the second convoy was likely to be transporting “about 1,000 soldiers.”

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TNLA spokeswoman Lway Yay Oo confirmed the troop movement, but said her group was unclear which towns the junta is targeting.

"We know that many junta troops are heading to our areas, but we have no idea about their intentions,” she said.

Other sources told RFA that the junta is gathering soldiers who retreated from the alliance offensive in northern Shan state in the townships of Mongyai, Tangyan and Hko Lan.

They said that reinforcements are being sent from the No. 55 Light Infantry Division, as well as Nos. 18, 17 and 7 Military Operations Commands.

Vow to retake lost towns

Earlier this month, junta chief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing said during a trip to southern Shan state’s Taunggyi city that the junta would launch air and ground offensives to recapture lost towns in northern Shan state.

The comments followed the junta’s Sept. 2 designation of the members of the Three Northern Brotherhood Alliance as “terrorist groups.”

20240925-MYANMAR-JUNTA-TROOPS-SHAN-004.jpg
Lashio township suffered damage from air strikes, Sept. 24, 2024, in Myanmar. (Kokang News Agency via Facebook)

Since Min Aung Hlaing’s vow to retake townships in northern Shan state, airstrikes have intensified, leading to a threefold increase in civilian casualties compared to August, according to data compiled by RFA.

Between Sept. 1 and 24, junta airstrikes killed more than 130 people and injured more than 70 others across eight states and regions, including Mandalay, Magway, Bago, Sagaing, Tanintharyi, Shan, Rakhine, and Kayah, the data showed.

Maung Maung Swe, the deputy secretary of the shadow National Unity Government, or NUG, told RFA that the uptick in airstrikes was part of a bid by the junta to show China it means business along its neighbor’s border.

"They resorted to bombing as a means to rekindle the support of their allies, which had waned due to territorial losses,” he said. “Simultaneously, this tactic serves to instill fear within our population.”

A former military officer and political commentator, who also declined to be named, said that the junta likely decided to move on northern Shan state amid Chinese pressure on the alliance members to stop fighting.

Attempts by RFA to contact junta spokesperson Major General Zaw Min Tun regarding military movements in northern Shan state went unanswered Wednesday.

The Three Brotherhood Alliance captured a total of 16 townships in northern Shan state between October 2023 and January 2024 as part of the first round of Operation 1027, before China mediated a suspension in fighting.

However, in late June the alliance launched a second round of the offensive, capturing Lashio city, where the junta’s Northeast Military Command headquarters was located, Kyaukme township which was also the base of the junta’s No. 1 Military Operations Command, and Nawnghkio township, as well as Mogoke township in neighboring Mandalay region.

The junta has been conducting daily airstrikes and artillery strikes on Hsipaw and Nawnghkio townships, as well as Lashio city, according to residents.

According to RFA data, junta airstrikes and heavy weapons attacks killed nearly 2,000 civilians and injured nearly 4,000 others between the military’s February 2021 coup d’etat and May 2024.

Translated by Aung Naing. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster.




This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By RFA Burmese.

]]> https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/myanmar-shan-truck-convoy-09252024151013.html/feed/ 0 495102 Flooding from typhoon swamps northern Laos, Myanmar’s Inle Lake area https://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/flooding-typhoon-yagi-09162024164805.html https://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/flooding-typhoon-yagi-09162024164805.html#respond Mon, 16 Sep 2024 21:27:00 +0000 https://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/flooding-typhoon-yagi-09162024164805.html Updated Sept. 16, 2024, 08:52 p.m. ET.

Images from northern Laos and central Myanmar show the extent of flooding from torrential rains brought by Typhoon Yagi.

Asia's biggest storm of the year has left scores of people dead or missing in several countries in Southeast Asia since roaring across northern Vietnam, northern Laos and Thailand last week, causing landslides and flooding, and destroying homes, bridges and roads.

People gather on a porch as buildings sit in floodwaters in Luang Prabang province, Laos, Sept. 12, 2024. (FB/Pouth Freedomman via Reuters)
People gather on a porch as buildings sit in floodwaters in Luang Prabang province, Laos, Sept. 12, 2024. (FB/Pouth Freedomman via Reuters)

Since Sept. 10, high water levels in Laos’ Luang Namtha province have forced residents in affected villages up to the second floors of their flooded homes as they wait for help. 

Others have sought temporary shelter inside a provincial administration hall, a badminton court hall and Buddhist temples. 

Vegetation and buildings are inundated by floodwaters in Luang Prabang province, Laos, Sept. 12, 2024. (FB/Pouth Freedomman via Reuters)
Vegetation and buildings are inundated by floodwaters in Luang Prabang province, Laos, Sept. 12, 2024. (FB/Pouth Freedomman via Reuters)

The waterlogged areas include 35 villages, according to a Sept. 11 provincial administration report submitted to Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone’s office.

Authorities are busy rescuing people from the roofs of their homes, taking them to temporary shelter, and providing food and drinking water from donations by businesses and the wealthy, said a local official who declined to be identified so he could speak freely. 

Vegetation and buildings are inundated by floodwaters in Luang Prabang province, Laos, Sept. 12, 2024. (FB/Pouth Freedomman via Reuters)
Vegetation and buildings are inundated by floodwaters in Luang Prabang province, Laos, Sept. 12, 2024. (FB/Pouth Freedomman via Reuters)

Heavy rains from the storm caused spillover from the Namtha 3 Dam that flowed down the Namtha River, a tributary of the Mekong and the largest river in the province, and contributed to the flooding of province's Luang Namtha district.

Lake level rises 6 meters

In Myanmar, flooding from heavy rains has displaced more than 20,000 people from over 170 villages since Sept. 11 in the vicinity of Inle Lake, and residents urgently need aid, locals and volunteer aid workers said.

The flooding caused power outages and forced schools to close in communities near the freshwater lake in southern Shan state.

“We have never experienced such a severe flood before,” said a resident of Ma Gyi Seik village. 

Homes are inundated by floodwaters at Inle Lake in Myanmar’s southern Shan state following Typhoon Yagi, Sept. 14, 2024. (STR/AFP)
Homes are inundated by floodwaters at Inle Lake in Myanmar’s southern Shan state following Typhoon Yagi, Sept. 14, 2024. (STR/AFP)

The water level of the lake has risen more than six meters (20 feet) above normal because of heavy rainfall and water washing down from the mountains, inundating roughly 2,000 nearby homes.  

A resident of affected He Yar village said only a few of some 800 single-story houses were not inundated with water, and that villagers must rely on food delivered by boat.

Rescue workers have evacuated the elderly to Buddhist monasteries, though they need water and medicine, while other families are staying with friends and relatives, said a volunteer rescue worker.

Homes are inundated by floodwaters at Inle Lake in Myanmar’s southern Shan state following Typhoon Yagi, Sept. 14, 2024. (STR/AFP)
Homes are inundated by floodwaters at Inle Lake in Myanmar’s southern Shan state following Typhoon Yagi, Sept. 14, 2024. (STR/AFP)

As of Sept. 16, Myanmar state media said 226 people had died and 77 were still missing, according to the AFP news agency.

The death toll is double the previous figure of 113 reported on Sunday, with nearly 260,000 hectares (640,000 acres) of crops destroyed by floods.

Translated by Phouvong for RFA Lao and by Aung Naing for RFA Burmese. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Malcolm Foster.

Updates Myanmar death toll to 226.


This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By RFA Lao and RFA Burmese.

]]> https://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/flooding-typhoon-yagi-09162024164805.html/feed/ 0 493686 SA company Sibaneye-Stillwater eyes New Caledonia nickel mining plant https://www.radiofree.org/2024/09/16/sa-company-sibaneye-stillwater-eyes-new-caledonia-nickel-mining-plant/ https://www.radiofree.org/2024/09/16/sa-company-sibaneye-stillwater-eyes-new-caledonia-nickel-mining-plant/#respond Mon, 16 Sep 2024 19:07:43 +0000 https://asiapacificreport.nz/?p=105480 By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk

A South African company is reported to be the most probable bidder for shares in New Caledonia’s Prony Resources.

As part of an already advanced takeover of the ailing southern plant of Prony Resources, the most probable bidder is reported to be South African group Sibaneye-Stillwater, local new media report.

Just like the other two major mining plants and smelters in New Caledonia, Prony Resources is facing acute hardships due to the emergence of Indonesia as a major player on the world market, compounded with New Caledonia’s violent unrest that broke out in May.

Prony Resources has been trying to find a possible company to take over the shares held by Swiss trader Trafigura (19 percent).

The process was recently described as very favourable to a “seriously interested” buyer.

Citing reliable sources, daily newspaper Les Nouvelles Calédoniennes yesterday named South Africa’s Sibanye-Stillwater.

The Johannesburg-based entity is a significant player on the minerals world market (including nickel, platinum and palladium) and owns, amongst other assets, a hydro-metallurgic processing plant in Sandouville (near Le Havre, western France) with a production capacity of 12,000 tonnes per year of high-grade nickel which it bought in February 2022 from French mining giant Eramet for 85 million euros (NZ$153 million).

Sibanye-Stillwater appears to follow a well-planned scheme, aiming at building an integrated project that would control all of the nickel extraction and production stages.

The ultimate goal would be, for the South African player, to become a leader on the production market for innovative electric vehicles batteries, especially on the European market.

Southern Province President Sonia Backès had already hinted last week that one buyer had now been found and that one bidder had successfully reached advanced stages in the due diligence process.

If the deal eventuated, the new entity would take over the shares held by Swiss trader Trafigura (19 percent) and another block of shares held by the Southern Province to reach a total of 74 percent participation in Prony Resources stock, as part of a major restructuration of the company’s capital.

Prony Resources, in full operation mode, employs about 1300 staff.

Another 1700 are employed indirectly through sub-contractors.

It has paused its production to retain only up to 300 staff, in safety and maintenance mode, partly due to New Caledonia’s current unrest.

New Caledonia's Koniambo -KNS- mining site aerial view PICTURE KNS
New Caledonia’s Koniambo (KNS) mining site aerial view. Image: KNS

New Caledonian consortium’s surprise bid for mothballed Northern plant
Meanwhile, a local consortium of New Caledonian investors is reported to have made an 11-hour offer to take over and restart activity for the now mothballed Koniambo (KNS) nickel plant.

The plant’s furnaces were placed in “cold care and maintenance” mode at the end of August, six months after major shareholder Anglo-Swiss Glencore announced it wanted to withdraw and sell the 49 percent shares it has in the project.

This caused close to 1200 job losses and further 600 among sub-contractors.

Other bidders still interested
KNS claimed at least three foreign investors were still interested at this stage, but none of these have so far materialised.

Talks were however reported to continue behind the scenes, with interested parties even ready to travel and visit on-site, KNS Vice-President and spokesman Alexandre Rousseau told Reuters news agency earlier this month.

‘Okelani Group One’
But a so-called “Okelani Group One” (OGO), made up of three local partners, said their offer could revive the project with a different business model.

They say they have made an offer to KNS’s majority shareholder SMSP (Société Minière du Sud Pacifique, New Caledonia’s Northern province financial arm).

OGO president Florent Tavernier told public broadcaster NC la 1ère much depended on what Glencore intended to do with the staggering debt of some US$13.7 billion which KNS had accumulated over the past 10 years.

Another OGO partner, Gilles Hernandez, explained: “We would be targeting a niche market of very high quality nickel used in aeronautics and edge-cutting technologies, especially in Europe, where nickel is now classified as ‘strategic metal’.”

Although KNS was designed to produce 60,000 tonnes of nickel a year, that target was never reached.

OGO said it would only aim for 15,000 tonnes per year and would only re-employ 400 of the 1200 laid-off staff.

New Caledonia’s third nickel plant, owned by historic Société Le Nickel (SLN, a subsidiary of French mining giant Eramet), which is also facing major hardships for the same reasons, is said to currently operate at minimal capacity.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.


This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2024/09/16/sa-company-sibaneye-stillwater-eyes-new-caledonia-nickel-mining-plant/feed/ 0 493690 Myanmar junta airstrike kills 11 civilians in northern town https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/shan-state-junta-tnla-airstrike-09062024013335.html https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/shan-state-junta-tnla-airstrike-09062024013335.html#respond Fri, 06 Sep 2024 05:35:00 +0000 https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/shan-state-junta-tnla-airstrike-09062024013335.html Myanmar junta forces launched an airstrike on an insurgent-controlled town in Shan state on the border with China in the early hours of Friday, killing 11 civilians and wounding 11, residents said.

A military aircraft dropped two bombs near the night market in the town of Namhkan, said a resident who wished to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals.

“At 1 a.m. the bombs fell to the north of the Pawng Pwe night market. About six houses were hit,” he said. “A child and a pregnant woman were killed, entire families were killed.”

Radio Free Asia telephoned Shan state’s junta spokesperson Khun Thein Maung to ask about the incident but he did not answer calls.

Residents said five women, four men, a four-year-old boy and a newborn girl were killed. Residents shared video with RFA showing people clawing through rubble to uncover lifeless bodies.

The border trade town of Namhkan is under the control of the ethnic minority Ta’ang National Liberation Army, or TNLA, a member of the Three Brotherhood Alliance of insurgent groups that has made unprecedented gains against junta forces since late last year.

China has intervened to protect its economic interests in Myanmar and brokered two short-lived ceasefires. Recently, China has been pressing the TNLA to agree to peace, insurgent sources said.

The TNLA and its allies in pro-democracy People’s Defense Forces have this year attacked and captured Nawnghkio, Kyaukme, Hsipaw and Mongmit towns in Shan state and Mandalay region’s Mogoke town.

On Sept. 4, a junta airstrike on Hsipaw town in northern Shan state killed a civilian and injured four.

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In southern Shan state, an airstrike on a camp for the internally displaced killed at least nine people late on Thursday, according to Banyar Khun Aung, a vice secretary of the anti-junta Karenni State Interim Executive Council.

“The plane dropped the bomb at around 10 p.m.,” he said. “Nine bodies were found, including seven children and two women. There were also many injured and missing people. A teacher was among the dead.”

The victims were two boys and five girls aged between 10 and 13, and two women in their 40s, he added.

Residents of the area in Pekon township said that more than 1,000 people displaced by the fighting are sheltering in the camp, including about 600 children.

Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Mike Firn.


This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By RFA Burmese.

]]> https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/shan-state-junta-tnla-airstrike-09062024013335.html/feed/ 0 492057 Fighting drives 200,000 people from northern Shan state capital | Radio Free Asia (RFA) https://www.radiofree.org/2024/08/12/fighting-drives-200000-people-from-northern-shan-state-capital-radio-free-asia-rfa/ https://www.radiofree.org/2024/08/12/fighting-drives-200000-people-from-northern-shan-state-capital-radio-free-asia-rfa/#respond Mon, 12 Aug 2024 20:37:13 +0000 http://www.radiofree.org/?guid=7191d8ee49139c123203ce9508988082
This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Radio Free Asia.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2024/08/12/fighting-drives-200000-people-from-northern-shan-state-capital-radio-free-asia-rfa/feed/ 0 488366 Fighting drives 200,000 people from northern Shan state capital | Radio Free Asia (RFA) https://www.radiofree.org/2024/08/12/fighting-drives-200000-people-from-northern-shan-state-capital-radio-free-asia-rfa-2/ https://www.radiofree.org/2024/08/12/fighting-drives-200000-people-from-northern-shan-state-capital-radio-free-asia-rfa-2/#respond Mon, 12 Aug 2024 19:55:33 +0000 http://www.radiofree.org/?guid=f579e1e31c25bd23be695aa7d2d9af6d
This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Radio Free Asia.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2024/08/12/fighting-drives-200000-people-from-northern-shan-state-capital-radio-free-asia-rfa-2/feed/ 0 488409 Northern Myanmar cut off by state-wide communications blackout https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/kachin-telecoms-blackout-07302024064424.html https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/kachin-telecoms-blackout-07302024064424.html#respond Tue, 30 Jul 2024 10:51:25 +0000 https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/kachin-telecoms-blackout-07302024064424.html Northern Myanmar is experiencing a communications blackout that has cut Kachin state’s population off for 10 days, residents told Radio Free Asia on Tuesday, with telecoms providers promising to restore services but declining to say why they were down.

Junta officials have at times shut down telecommunication links in different parts of the country since seizing power in a 2021 coup, usually in response to a security crisis, often leaving victims of violence isolated and unable to call for help. 

But residents who have left Kachin state said that while there has been fighting between the military and anti-junta insurgents over recent months, there did not seem to be a particular reason for the military to cut phone lines and mobile services in all 18 of the state’s townships since July 21.

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The junta has not made an announcement about the blackout. Myo Swe, director of the junta’s Ministry of Transport and Communications, blamed telecommunication operators for the failure but told Radio Free Asia he didn’t know why the services were down.

That is little comfort for families increasingly worried about being cut off from loved ones.

 “I don’t know what’s going on,” said one woman in Myanmar’s main city of Yangon who has family in the Kachin state capital of Myitkyina.

“I still can’t connect with my family … I can’t even wire money to them,” said the woman, who declined to be identified for fear of reprisals.

Junta-affiliated telecommunication operators that provide services in the region, Myanma Post and Telecommunications, known as MPT, and ATOM, both told RFA that they were working to restore services but did not give a reason for the blackout. 

Since Myanmar’s coup, junta officials have introduced increasingly strict measures to crack down on dissent, such as prohibiting the use of virtual private networks, or VPNs, and decreasing broadband speed nationwide. 

As of July 22, the internet is inaccessible in 249 areas across the country due to direct military action, according to data collected by the Myanmar Internet Project, a civil society organization monitoring internet access. The Sagaing region has been the hardest hit by restrictions, followed by Kachin and Chin states.

Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Kiana Duncan and Mike Firn.  

 


This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By RFA Burmese.

]]> https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/kachin-telecoms-blackout-07302024064424.html/feed/ 0 486366 New Caledonia’s mothballed nickel plant starts mass sackings process https://www.radiofree.org/2024/07/29/new-caledonias-mothballed-nickel-plant-starts-mass-sackings-process/ https://www.radiofree.org/2024/07/29/new-caledonias-mothballed-nickel-plant-starts-mass-sackings-process/#respond Mon, 29 Jul 2024 09:02:49 +0000 https://asiapacificreport.nz/?p=104255 By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk

New Caledonia’s mothballed nickel plant in Koniambo (north of the main island of Grande Terre) has announced it has started mass sackings of some 1200 staff, despite efforts to identify a potential buyer.

Koniambo (KNS-Koniambo Nickel SAS) operations had already been mothballed after the announcement, in February, from its major financier, Anglo-Swiss giant Glencore, that it wanted out.

KNS is jointly owned by Glencore (49 percent) and New Caledonia’s Northern province (51 percent).

While making the announcement, Glencore signalled a 6-month delay in the implementation of its decision, including payment of salaries.

The same timeframe was also supposed to be used to find potential buyers for the shares owned by Glencore.

Glencore said in February that keeping its stake in KNS was no longer sustainable.

It also recalled that the plant, in more than 10 years of existence and operation, had never made a profit.

Staggering debt
Over the past decade, KNS had accumulated a staggering 13.5 billion euros (NZ$25 billion) in debt.

As the August 31 deadline looms at the end of the six-month respite, what had been the symbol of New Caledonia’s Northern province empowerment and wealth “re-balancing” of the French Pacific archipelago’s provinces is now faced with a bleak reality.

Koniambo’s wealth relies on the Tiébaghi nickel massif, believed to hold about one quarter of New Caledonia’s nickel reserves.

Koniambo nickel operation. (Image courtesy of Glencore.)
The Koniambo nickel operation . . . a symbol of New Caledonia’s Northern province empowerment and wealth “re-balancing” programme. Image: Glencore

Koniambo: a highly political symbol
KNS was born from a political and financial deal, including France — the “Bercy Accord” signed in December 1997, just months before the political Nouméa autonomy Accord was signed in 1998.

The deal was de facto enacting the transfer of the Tiébaghi massif to New Caledonia’s Northern province and its financial arm, the Société Minière du Sud Pacifique (SMSP).

It was the financial translation of the will to restore some balance between the affluent Southern Province and the less favoured Northern Province of New Caledonia, mostly populated by the indigenous Kanak community.

Since the Koniambo project and its construction started, the new activity has had a stimulating effect on the whole region, especially in the small towns of Voh, Koné and Pouembout.

The number of local companies increased, as well as the population.

In announcing the official lay-offs on Friday, KNS still wanted to appear optimistic: “Even though we are pursuing the search process for a potential buyer, and that three groups continue to display an interest for our company, we do not have at this stage a finalised offer”, the company admitted.

“We are therefore compelled to go ahead with the collective lay-off process on economic grounds”.

‘Cold’ sleep process
Beyond August 31, only a group of about 50 workers will remain employed in maintenance work on what will then be described as “cold” sleep process.

“But the fact that three world-class groups are still in discussions show that Koniambo Nickel still represents a strong interest for potential takeovers”, an optimistic KNS vice-president Alexandre Rousseau, told public broadcaster NC la 1ère on Saturday.

On top of the wave of sackings announced by KNS, some 600 contractors relying on the plant’s activities have also lost their jobs since February.

Idle nickel transport trucks lined up on Koniambo mining site in New Caledonia - Photo RRB
Idle nickel transport trucks lined up on Koniambo mining site in New Caledonia. Image: RRB

Local unrest – world nickel crisis
The announcement comes as New Caledonia’s economy is in a critical situation.

It has suffered a major blow, on top of an already grave financial situation.

Since May 13, violent unrest has been ongoing in New Caledonia, with a backdrop of protests against French-proposed modifications of voters’ eligibility for provincial elections, regarded by pro-independence movements as a bid to reduce the political voice of the indigenous Kanak community.

Since the riots, destruction, looting and arson began, more than 700 businesses have been destroyed, 10 people killed (eight civilians and two French gendarmes), and the overall cost of the unrest has topped 2.2 billion euros (NZ$4 billion).

During the riots and unrest, nickel mining sites have been specifically targeted several times.

Entire nickel sector in crisis
New Caledonia’s nickel industry has also been in profound turmoil over past years.

Its other two plants — in the Southern province (Prony Resources) and historic operator Société le Nickel (SLN) in Doniambo near Nouméa — owned by French mining giant Eramet — are also on the verge of collapse.

The situation comes from a world nickel market now dominated by Indonesian units, which have started to produce nickel in mass quantities and at a much lower price.

The result was a collapse of the world nickel price — it slumped by 48 per cent in 2023.

New Caledonia’s production, in this context, was also regarded as too expensive, prompting efforts for a deep reform, especially on the cost structure such as electricity.

A French assistance plan proposed in 2023 by French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, including a 200 million euro (NZ$367 million) package, was declined by local authorities, who said too much was being asked by France in terms of strings attached to the massive funding loan.

The French-proposed reform also intended to diversify New Caledonia’s nickel buyers from an almost-entire reliance on Asian clients and instead turn to more European buyers, mostly car manufacturers for the purposes of production of batteries for electric cars.

Other plants on the verge of collapse
As a result of the combined effects of the current situation (the ongoing riots and the pre-existing nickel crisis), Prony Resources’ operations are at a standstill.

Eramet, which in recent months had made no secret of its desire to disengage from SLN, earlier reported a net loss of some 72 million euros (NZ$133 million) for the first half of the financial year.

New Caledonia’s nickel industry is believed to employ about 25 percent of the French Pacific archipelago’s workforce.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.


This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2024/07/29/new-caledonias-mothballed-nickel-plant-starts-mass-sackings-process/feed/ 0 486173 A surprising litmus test for Kanaky New Caledonia’s independence parties https://www.radiofree.org/2024/07/13/a-surprising-litmus-test-for-kanaky-new-caledonias-independence-parties/ https://www.radiofree.org/2024/07/13/a-surprising-litmus-test-for-kanaky-new-caledonias-independence-parties/#respond Sat, 13 Jul 2024 02:39:03 +0000 https://asiapacificreport.nz/?p=103425 ANALYSIS: By Denise Fisher

The voters in the second round of France’s national elections last weekend staved off an expected shift to the far-right. But the result in the Pacific territory Kanaky New Caledonia was also in many ways historic.

Of the two assembly representatives decided, a position fell on either side of the deep polarisation evident in the territory — one for loyalists, one for supporters of independence. But it is the independence side that will take the most from the result.

Turnout in the vote was remarkable, not only because of the violence in New Caledonia over recent months, which has curbed movement and public transport across the territory, but also because national elections have been seen particularly by independence parties as less relevant locally.

Not this time.

The two rounds of the elections saw voters arrive in droves, with 60 percent and 71 percent turnout respectively, compared to typically low levels of 35-40 percent in New Caledonia. Images showed long queues with many young people.

Voting was generally peaceful, although a blockade prevented voting in one Kanak commune during the first round.

After winning the first round, a hardline loyalist and independence candidate faced off in each constituency. The second round therefore presented a binary choice, effectively becoming a barometer of views around independence.

Sobering results for loyalists
While clearly not a referendum, it was the first chance to measure sentiment in this manner since the boycotted referendum in 2021, which had followed two independence votes narrowly favouring staying with France.

The resulting impasse about the future of the territory had erupted into violent protests in May this year, when President Emmanuel Macron sought unilaterally to broaden voter eligibility to the detriment of indigenous representation. Only Macron then called snap national elections.

These are sobering results for loyalists.

So the contest, as it unfolded in New Caledonia, represented high stakes for both sides.

In the event, loyalist Nicolas Metzdorf won 52.4 percent in the first constituency (Noumea and islands) over the independence candidate’s 47.6 percent. Independence candidate Emmanuel Tjibaou won 57.4 percent to the loyalist’s 42.6 percent in the second (Northern Province and outer suburbs of Noumea).

The results, a surprise even to independence leaders, were significant.

It is notable that in these national elections, all citizens are eligible to vote. Only local assembly elections apply the controversial voter eligibility provisions which provoked the current violence, provisions that advantage longstanding residents and thus indigenous independence supporters.

Independence parties’ success
Yet without the benefit of this restriction, independence parties won, securing a majority 53 percent (83,123 votes) to the loyalists’ 47 percent (72,897) of valid votes cast across the territory. They had won 43 percent and 47 percent in the two non-boycotted referendums.

Even in the constituency won by the loyalist, the independence candidate Omayra Naisseline, daughter-in-law of early independence fighter Nidoïsh Naisseline, won 47 percent of the vote.

These are sobering results for loyalists.

Jean Marie Tjibaou
Jean-Marie Tjibaou, founding father of the independence movement in Kanaky New Caledonia, 1985. Image: David Robie/Café Pacific

Independence party candidate Emmanuel Tjibaou, 48, carried particular symbolism. The son of the assassinated founding father of the independence movement Jean-Marie Tjibaou, Emmanuel had eschewed politics to this point, instead taking on cultural roles including as head of the Kanak cultural development agency.

He is a galvanising figure for independence supporters.

Emmanuel Tjibaou is now the first independence assembly representative in 38 years. He won notwithstanding France redesigning the two constituencies in 1988 specifically to prevent an independence representative win by including part of mainly loyalist Noumea in each.

A loyalist stronghold has been broken.

Further strain on both sides
While both a loyalist and independence parliamentarian will now sit in Paris and represent their different perspectives, the result will further strain the two sides.

Pro-independence supporters will be energised by the strong performance and this will increase expectations, especially among the young. The responsibility on elders is heavy. Tjibaou described the vote as  “a call for help, a cry of hope”. He has urged a return to the path of dialogue.

At the same time, loyalists will be concerned by independence party success. Insecurity and fear, already sharpened by recent violence, may intensify. While he referred to the need for dialogue, Nicolas Metzdorf is known for his tough uncompromising line.

Paradoxically the ongoing violence means an increased reliance on France for the reconstruction that will be a vital underpinning for talks. Estimates for rebuilding have  exceeded 2 billion euros (NZ$3.6 billion), with more than 800 businesses, countless schools and houses attacked, many destroyed.

Yet France itself is reeling after the snap elections returned no clear winner. Three blocs are vying for power, and are divided within their own ranks over how government should be formed. While French presidents have had to “cohabit” with an assembly majority of the opposite persuasion three times before, never has a president faced no clear majority.

It will take time, perhaps months, for a workable solution to emerge, during which New Caledonia is hardly likely to take precedence.

As New Caledonia’s neighbours prepare to meet for the annual Pacific Islands Forum summit next month, all will be hoping that the main parties can soon overcome their deep differences and find a peaceful local way forward.

Denise Fisher is a visiting fellow at ANU’s Centre for European Studies. She was an Australian diplomat for 30 years, serving in Australian diplomatic missions as a political and economic policy analyst in many capitals. The Australian Consul-General in Noumea, New Caledonia (2001-2004), she is the author of France in the South Pacific: Power and Politics (2013).


This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2024/07/13/a-surprising-litmus-test-for-kanaky-new-caledonias-independence-parties/feed/ 0 483669 Renewed fighting drives 50,000 people from homes in northern Myanmar https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/lashio-residents-flee-07082024180121.html https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/lashio-residents-flee-07082024180121.html#respond Mon, 08 Jul 2024 22:01:59 +0000 https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/lashio-residents-flee-07082024180121.html Some 50,000 people have fled their homes over the last five days amid renewed fighting around Lashio, the capital of northern Shan state, residents and relief workers told Radio Free Asia.

At least 15 civilians have been killed since July 3, when forces allied with the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, or MNDA, began an offensive in the township around Lashio, which is home to the military junta’s Northeastern Military Command’s headquarters. 

Battles have since taken place in Nam Tong, Man Hawng, Nam Ma Baw Da and Nawng Mun villages.

Most of the deaths happened in one area of Lashio township that was struck by artillery fire during the first day of fighting, an aid worker who wished to remain anonymous for security reasons told Radio Free Asia. Several other residential areas have since been hit by artillery attacks.

“The artillery fire occurs frequently until now,” the aid worker said. “The residents have fled their homes in these areas.”

A heavy weapon that was dropped on another neighborhood on Sunday injured three Buddhist novices and two civilians, he said.

ENG_BUR_LASHIO FIGHTING_07082024.02.JPG
Residents flee from armed conflicts in Lashio township, July 2024, northern Shan state, Myanmar. (Citizen Photo)

Residents of Lashio township have been heading south toward the city of Taunggyi, the capital of Shan state that is about 340 km (210 miles) away, one resident told RFA. Others aimed to look for shelter in the Mandalay region or in the commercial capital of Yangon, he said.

Lashio sits at the junction of a highway that connects mainland Myanmar to the Chinese border to the north.  

Fighting between Lashio-based junta soldiers and insurgents resumed on June 25 after the collapse of a ceasefire brokered by Chinese officials in a series of meetings that began in January. 

The Ta’ang National Liberation Army, an ally of the MNDAA, announced the capture of 26 junta camps in the days following the end of the ceasefire.

The TNLA and other resistance forces in Mandalay have been attacking junta outposts in four townships in northern Shan state and Mandalay region.

RFA tried to contact MNDAA spokesperson Li Kya Win and the junta’s spokesperson for Shan state, Khun Thein Maung, for more details on the fighting, but neither of them answered the phone.

Translated by Aung Naing. Edited by Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster.


This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By RFA Burmese.

]]> https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/lashio-residents-flee-07082024180121.html/feed/ 0 482940 Journalist threatened after reporting on drug trafficking in northern Syria https://www.radiofree.org/2024/07/08/journalist-threatened-after-reporting-on-drug-trafficking-in-northern-syria/ https://www.radiofree.org/2024/07/08/journalist-threatened-after-reporting-on-drug-trafficking-in-northern-syria/#respond Mon, 08 Jul 2024 14:48:11 +0000 https://cpj.org/?p=401812 Since June 10, 2024, Syrian journalist Jomaa Akash, a correspondent for the Saudi state-owned broadcasters Al Arabiya and Al Hadath, has received threats of violence on social media, according to statements by the independent Syrian Journalists Association (SYJA) and Syrian Kurdish Journalists Network, and the journalist who spoke to CPJ. 

The threats followed Akash’s June 9 Al Hadath report about a growing problem of drug trafficking in the northern city of Raqqa, which included interviews with local women who had been exploited by the trade and victimized by drug consumption. The report also explained how the ongoing conflict in Syria pushed this illegal trade to the forefront in Raqqa, which was previously occupied and controlled by the militant Islamic State group.

Akash told CPJ that his report was taken out of context and was interpreted as if it was targeting the reputation of Raqqa, its residents, and its women when the report highlighted the dangers of the growing drug business amid economic collapse.

The leader of Al Afadila, one of Raqqa’s largest and oldest clans with considerable local authority in the city, posted a video to Facebook on June 11 of four clan leaders addressing Akash, threatening him with violence if he entered Raqqa, and banning him from the city.

The leaders also called for “holding the journalist accountable and suspending him from work,” and demanded that the channel issue an apology from the city’s residents and delete the report. The news channel broadcasted the right of reply from Raqqa city, without agreeing to remove its report.

“After one of the clan representatives appeared in that video threatening me with violence and banning me from entering Raqqa, people followed his lead online, and the amount of threats I have received doubled.” Akash told CPJ. “I tried to explain to my attackers that the report was taken out of context, but the power the clans have on the ground in Raqqa makes it harder to argue against,” Akash added, saying that clans are a trusted entity in Raqqa and he fears that their threats might translate into real violence against him.

Akash told CPJ that he contacted the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Autonomous Authorities of the North and East Syria Region, two entities responsible for maintaining safety in the autonomous region, to protect him in accordance with the law because he is a licensed media worker, but so far, they have not taken any action to ensure his safety.

CPJ’s messages to the Autonomous Authorities of the North and East Syria Region and Syrian Democratic Forces requesting information about Akash’s case did not receive a response.

Clan representatives who spoke to CPJ on the condition of anonymity said Akash’s report had accurate information and many truths but also had some exaggerations. They told CPJ that the threats Akash is facing are unacceptable and no journalist should be threatened for doing their job.


This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Committee to Protect Journalists.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2024/07/08/journalist-threatened-after-reporting-on-drug-trafficking-in-northern-syria/feed/ 0 482875 Reporter arrested at land claim demonstration in Northern New York https://www.radiofree.org/2024/06/27/reporter-arrested-at-land-claim-demonstration-in-northern-new-york/ https://www.radiofree.org/2024/06/27/reporter-arrested-at-land-claim-demonstration-in-northern-new-york/#respond Thu, 27 Jun 2024 18:20:36 +0000 https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/reporter-arrested-at-land-claim-demonstration-in-northern-new-york/

Isaac White, a reporter for Indian Time, was arrested while covering a demonstration on New York’s Barnhart Island at the Canadian border May 21, 2024.

The weekly newspaper reported that White arrived at the island, which is owned by the New York Power Authority, after receiving a news tip. He found a small demonstration opposing a proposed settlement of the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe’s claims to that land.

When state police arrived at 7:30 p.m., demonstrators were using a backhoe to excavate at the NYPA’s St. Lawrence-FDR Power Project, the Post-Standard reported. A spokesperson for the NYPA said no equipment was damaged.

When police began arresting those present, White was among the detained. He identified himself as a reporter and said he was there in a professional capacity, but he was told it didn’t matter, Indian Time wrote.

White and seven demonstrators were taken to the state police barracks in Massena before being released on charges of trespassing and misdemeanor conspiracy, according to a news release from the New York State Police. One of the demonstrators was also charged with second-degree criminal mischief, a felony.

According to Indian Time, White’s charging documents state he is accused of “knowingly and unlawfully agreeing with several other individuals to engage in activity which included damaging property, belonging to the New York State Power Authority, to an extent constituting a felony in the state of New York.”

The New York State Police did not respond to requests for additional information.

White appeared alongside the other arrestees for arraignment on June 11, the paper reported, but the necessary paperwork had not been properly filed with the court and the hearings were adjourned. The reporter is scheduled to reappear in court on Aug. 13.

White declined to comment while the charges against him are still pending.


This content originally appeared on U.S. Press Freedom Tracker: Incident Database and was authored by U.S. Press Freedom Tracker: Incident Database.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2024/06/27/reporter-arrested-at-land-claim-demonstration-in-northern-new-york/feed/ 0 481497 Junta troops destroy roads in northern Myanmar as renewed fighting looms https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/roads-destroyed-06142024223259.html https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/roads-destroyed-06142024223259.html#respond Sat, 15 Jun 2024 02:33:14 +0000 https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/roads-destroyed-06142024223259.html Military junta troops have destroyed major roads that connect several towns and cities controlled by rebel forces in northern Myanmar’s Shan State in what could be preparation for renewed fighting in the area, residents told Radio Free Asia.

Junta forces used bulldozers on Wednesday to damage a road connecting Namtu township and Namsang Man Ton, which has been under the control of the Ta’ang National Liberation Army, or TNLA.

On Thursday, junta bulldozers made a section of the Lashio-Hsenwi road impassable. That part of the road, which leads to Hsenwi, Kun Long and Chinshwehaw townships, is an area controlled by the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, or MNDAA.

The TNLA, MNDAA and Arakan Army together make up the Three Brotherhood Alliance, which in October launched an offensive that has dealt the military a series of defeats, pushing government forces back.

Residents of Lashio told RFA that security has been tightened at the entrance to the strategic town, which is home to the military’s northeast command headquarters.

ENG_BUR_ROADS DESTROYED_06142024.2.jpg
The road leading to Lashio city under the control of Brigade 6 of the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) was destroyed by the junta, June 13, 2024. (PSLF/TNLA News via Telegram)

That’s likely a reaction to a nearby buildup of forces by the Three Brotherhood Alliance, a resident told RFA on condition of anonymity for security reasons.

“It’s been apparent that the junta has also been gathering its forces and weapons near the area controlled by the ethnic armed organizations,” the resident said. 

“Moreover, insurgent forces have been seen near Lashio,” the resident. “And now the roads to Lashio have been cut off. It is expected that conflict will occur very soon.”

Ceasefire violation

A resident of Moe Meik township, who requested not to be named, told RFA that people are already fleeing to safe areas ahead of expected armed clashes between the junta and the alliance.

“We have learned that the ethnic alliance force is headed to this area,” he said. “Almost all the people have left the town now.”

The destroyed roads have led to a rise in the price of rice and other goods, a Namtu township resident told RFA. Gasoline has increased from 3,600 kyat (US$1.72) to 4,000 kyat (US$1.91) per liter and is being sold on a limited basis, he said.

In nearby Kutkai township, the price of rice has risen by 50,000 kyat (US$24) per bag as people rush to buy supplies, a resident there said.

Three Brotherhood Alliance and junta representatives agreed to a Chinese-brokered ceasefire during a round of talks in January. Less than a week after the agreement, both sides were accused of violating the deal. 

ENG_BUR_ROADS DESTROYED_06142024.4.jpg
Members of the Kokang army (MNDAA) clean up the Rantheshan camp, which they had just captured, October 29, 2023. (The Ko Kang via Facebook)

Junta forces carried out artillery shelling on June 9 on a TNLA outpost between Pang Tin and Man Pying villages, which is located about 32 kilometers (20 miles) away from Moe Meik. 

Troop movements and other preparations by the TNLA are in response to the shelling, several residents said.

TNLA spokeswoman Lway Yay Oo told RFA that the junta is violating the January ceasefire agreement, and they will carry out retaliatory attacks if junta troops conduct more military action.

“It was found that the junta has sent more drones and forces in northern Shan state. They are also cutting off routes,” he said. “It is deliberately creating fear in the public.”

Calls by RFA to junta spokesperson Major Gen. Zaw Min Tun for a response to the TNLA spokeswoman’s remark went unanswered.   

It’s unlikely that members of the Three Brotherhood Alliance would accept another ceasefire, military and political commentator Hla Kyaw Zaw said.

“Even if China tries to prevent it again, the TNLA will not stop its mission,” he said. “Now that the junta has cut through the roads, the TNLA has reason to attack.”

Translated by Aung Naing. Edited by Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster.


This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By RFA Burmese.

]]> https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/roads-destroyed-06142024223259.html/feed/ 0 479688 Northern Myanmar residents caught up in fighting, dozens hurt https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/kachin-state-residents-caught-in-battle-05272024065115.html https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/kachin-state-residents-caught-in-battle-05272024065115.html#respond Mon, 27 May 2024 10:54:00 +0000 https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/kachin-state-residents-caught-in-battle-05272024065115.html Fighting in northern Myanmar trapped 40 people and wounded dozens, witnesses told Radio Free Asia on Monday, as the war between the junta that seized power in 2021 and its enemies trying to end military rule takes an increasing toll of civilians.

The Kachin Independence Army, an ethnic minority rebel group battling the junta in resource-rich Kachin State says it has captured about 100 junta camps, eight towns and a major trade route in recent months.

Last week, the group seized a base in Waingmaw township, about 20 km (12 miles) from the state capital, Myitkyina.

Heavy fighting erupted there late on Sunday as a military convoy was passing, sending residents fleeing any way they could, most in cars and on motorbikes, some of those who fled said.

Twenty-six civilians were wounded by gunfire and shelling, with six men and two women in critical condition, the residents said, adding that about 40 people, many of them migrant workers, were trapped and unable to escape in the chaos.

“Unfortunately they got stuck in the fighting that erupted at the entrance of Waingmaw town,” said one resident who managed to flee. The resident declined to be identified citing safety fears.

“They were suddenly in the middle of a battle and getting injured.”

It was not clear which side’s fire hit the residents, they said.

RFA telephoned Kachin State’s junta spokesperson, Moe Min Thein, and Kachin Independence Army information officer Col. Naw Bu for more information, but neither of them answered the calls.

Most of those wounded in the fighting were men between the ages of 30 and 60, the resident said.

Aid groups sent them to hospital in Waingmaw, but were transferred early on Monday to hospital in Myitkyina, about 20 km (12 miles) to the north, relief workers told RFA. 

Limited telecommunications have made it difficult for aid workers to confirm the identities of the injured and to assess safety, they said.  

Seven residents of Waingmaw were killed and 22 wounded in fighting between Tuesday and Saturday last week.. 

Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Kiana Duncan and Mike Firn. 


This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By RFA Burmese.

]]> https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/kachin-state-residents-caught-in-battle-05272024065115.html/feed/ 0 476597 Northern Michiganders are getting off propane — and on to natural gas https://grist.org/energy/northern-michiganders-are-getting-off-propane-and-on-to-natural-gas/ https://grist.org/energy/northern-michiganders-are-getting-off-propane-and-on-to-natural-gas/#respond Wed, 22 May 2024 08:30:00 +0000 https://grist.org/?p=638490 This coverage is made possible through a partnership with Grist and Interlochen Public Radio in Northern Michigan.

Like many buildings in this part of rural northern Michigan, the Tsuber Auto garage in the Village of Mesick is heated with propane, delivered by truck once or twice a month to the tank outside. 

On a recent morning, owner Vyacheslav Tsuber was sitting behind the counter of a small, brightly lit lobby with his son — one of eight kids. As Tsuber walked to the cavernous shop in the back, the smell of drip coffee mixed with rubber and grease. 

On average, he said, it costs anywhere from $3,000 to $5,000 a year to heat the shop. But that could soon change. DTE Gas Company, a subsidiary of Michigan’s largest utility, is expanding its natural gas network to the area, giving over 1,000 homes and businesses the choice to switch to natural gas. 

Natural gas is more climate-friendly than the propane and wood used in much of the region, according to DTE. The switch could also slash heating bills. 

“If the cost of natural gas is going to be nearly half of what propane costs, for a lot of people, this is an easy decision,” Tsuber said. 

The choice many see is between propane and natural gas, because that’s how DTE presented the project. What’s left out of that equation, say climate advocates, is a third option: electrification. Instead of locking in fossil fuels for decades to come — and reducing the incentive for people to electrify their homes — why not make it easier to switch to electric heating instead? 

A white man with a salt-and-pepper beard stands in his automative shop next to a tall red cabinet of drawers holding tools.
Vyacheslav Tsuber owns Tsuber Auto garage in Mesick, Michigan. He is thinking of heating his garage with natural gas to save money, but also said he has more homework to do to make a good environmental decision. Izzy Ross / Grist

Supporters of natural gas see it as a bridge fuel, something consumers can use on their way to a sustainable future.

But critics say we don’t have that kind of time.

As Sam Stolper, an assistant professor at the University of Michigan School of Sustainability puts it: “We have really ambitious [climate] goals for good reason. They’re needs, not just goals, and we’re not going to hit them if we keep making decisions to switch to natural gas … instead of going straight to electrification.”

To him, the solution is clear. “It’s on governments to make it so that households are able to choose that option,” he said. 

Natural gas is a fossil fuel made up mostly of methane, an extremely potent greenhouse gas that is much more efficient at trapping heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide. 

There have been major efforts to encourage more home electrification. The federal Inflation Reduction Act is providing tax credits and rebates for technologies like heat pumps.  

Still, getting off natural gas can be lengthy, pricey, and complicated, as Grist’s own reporters have experienced, requiring a deep dive into federal tax incentives and equipment upgrades.

The way homes are heated in the United States varies by region. In Michigan, natural gas is the primary heat source for more than three-quarters of households and the leading source of electricity. It also has the most natural gas storage of any state. That makes natural gas an especially attractive option for utilities since they can buy it from elsewhere during the summer, store it, and sell it for less in the winter. To make electricity more affordable, utilities’ rates would have to change substantially, said Parth Vaishnav, an assistant professor of sustainable systems at the University of Michigan.

A large tubular tank with Propane painted on it in large letters.
A propane tank in Mesick, Michigan, where residents now have the option to move from propane to natural gas to heat their homes and businesses. Izzy Ross / Grist

“Relative to natural gas, electricity is really expensive in Michigan — more expensive than it is in many other states,” he said. “If you go from natural gas to a heat pump, it would raise almost everybody’s bills by quite a lot, and the problem would be worse for people on low incomes than for people on high incomes.”

Financial considerations and logistical legwork can make the prospect of adopting cleaner heating daunting. For some, it’s not really an option at all. 

“Not everyone, unfortunately, has the luxury to worry about a lot of environmental concerns,” said Conor Harrison, a geography professor at the University of South Carolina.

“Sometimes we are too quick to think about individual choices,” he said. “Changing a heating system in a house, like that is a major, major project. And it’s one that people typically don’t do until they have to.”

Then there are factors like the strength of the power grid and the resilience of its infrastructure, which experts say could complicate electrification. 

“Of course, you have freedom to choose how you heat your home, but frankly, only up to a point,” said Gernot Wagner, a climate economist with Columbia Business School. “If the electric grid isn’t capable of sending more power to your home, then you’re up a creek when it comes to installing a heat pump.”

Local initiatives have proved key to encouraging communities to embrace renewable energy in some cases. In others, municipal governments have moved to ban natural gas altogether. 

But sometimes it’s not just about choosing the cleanest option. Places like Mesick and Buckley have worked for years to make natural gas a reality, eyeing economic benefits for the community. 

“Propane was good, but natural gas is so much cheaper. That’s why it becomes, really, the frontrunner,” said Takis Pifer, the mayor of Buckley.

Pifer, who previously worked as an analyst for DTE, acknowledged that other energy systems can work — he had a heat pump installed in his home — but said it made sense to give consumers more choices.

There’s also hope that the addition of natural gas will give a boost to businesses in the area. 

“It’s exciting. It’s a good thing for town,” said Debbie Stanton, who has worked as Mesick’s village clerk for over two decades. 

Stanton isn’t against renewable energy; she got a grant to install a heat pump for the village office. But she said natural gas will create additional options for people living there; in the past, businesses looking to set up shop in Mesick opted to go to places that had a gas hookup. And with rising prices, saving on heating bills could help residents. 

“I raised three kids, and I spend more on groceries right now for the two of us than I did when I had my three kids at home,” she said. “You listen to people that have families, they’re spending $500 a week on groceries. So there’s not a lot of money left over for other things, and maybe being absolutely green isn’t their priority at this time.”

Oil and gas companies have long promoted natural gas as a clean energy source, despite knowing that it was a major contributor to climate change. 

Despite Michigan’s goal of economy-wide carbon neutrality by 2050 and calls for reducing reliance on fossil fuels, it has by no means shunned natural gas.

Last year, the state awarded $50 million in grants for “low-carbon energy infrastructure” — much of which went to expanding biogas and natural gas. As Planet Detroit reported at the time, utility and gas industry lobbyists donated tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions to legislators who wrote and sponsored the bills behind the funding. 

DTE received $7.28 million as part of that, making the roughly $17 million gas main extension project possible, said Scotty Kehoe, the utility’s director of gas operations for Greater Michigan.

“Natural gas is one of those ways that we’re reducing our carbon footprint,” he said. “While natural gas might not be a renewable energy source, it is a very clean energy source.”

Despite utilities continuing to push forward with natural gas, the energy landscape is changing. 

After a major methane leak at a Pennsylvania storage reservoir in 2022, the federal government began rolling out new rules for gas storage facilities, along with plans to fine companies for leaking methane.

More homeowners are buying heat pumps than gas boilers. Federal incentives for heat pumps and energy-efficiency measures may help reduce the demand for natural gas heating. 

Some places, like a remote community in Washington state, have created a cooperative finance model to fund heat pump installations. 

And Michigan is harnessing federal incentives to start offering home-energy rebates for efficiency upgrades and electrification this fall — right around the time DTE is planning to finish its natural gas project. 

Back at the auto shop in Mesick, mechanic Vyacheslav Tsuber is considering all this. Some of his heating equipment will have to be replaced in the next few years, and natural gas would be convenient. Still, he said, he has more homework to do. 

“We are very conscious to make sure that our decisions [are] environmentally friendly,” he said, “Or [are] at least better than what we use right now.”

This story was originally published by Grist with the headline Northern Michiganders are getting off propane — and on to natural gas on May 22, 2024.


This content originally appeared on Grist and was authored by Izzy Ross.

]]> https://grist.org/energy/northern-michiganders-are-getting-off-propane-and-on-to-natural-gas/feed/ 0 475749 As Russia Attacks Northern Kharkiv Region, Ukrainian Troops In The East Are Stretched Thin https://www.radiofree.org/2024/05/17/as-russia-attacks-northern-kharkiv-region-ukrainian-troops-in-the-east-are-stretched-thin/ https://www.radiofree.org/2024/05/17/as-russia-attacks-northern-kharkiv-region-ukrainian-troops-in-the-east-are-stretched-thin/#respond Fri, 17 May 2024 16:18:55 +0000 http://www.radiofree.org/?guid=08d6d7defe569ce1d291a5f90cebcb11
This content originally appeared on Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and was authored by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2024/05/17/as-russia-attacks-northern-kharkiv-region-ukrainian-troops-in-the-east-are-stretched-thin/feed/ 0 475104 Deadly Flash Floods Hit Northern Afghanistan https://www.radiofree.org/2024/05/13/deadly-flash-floods-hit-northern-afghanistan/ https://www.radiofree.org/2024/05/13/deadly-flash-floods-hit-northern-afghanistan/#respond Mon, 13 May 2024 16:08:47 +0000 http://www.radiofree.org/?guid=eed0d76c462ec4c81719041a28579d5b
This content originally appeared on Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and was authored by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2024/05/13/deadly-flash-floods-hit-northern-afghanistan/feed/ 0 474394 Drone footage shows development of mines in northern Cambodia https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/global-green-iron-mines-05022024144104.html https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/global-green-iron-mines-05022024144104.html#respond Thu, 02 May 2024 18:41:00 +0000 https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/global-green-iron-mines-05022024144104.html Drone footage shows the latest developments at ore mines in northern Cambodia that citizens worry is harmful to the environment and could disrupt the lives of people who live nearby, residents told Radio Free Asia.

The mines are concerning because the developer Global Green has cleared forest cover and the project has impacted residents’ farmland without compensation. In the footage, the abrupt end of the forest is clearly visible, and the cleared area, said to be several hectares, is active with trucks bustling to and from work areas and large buildings where other trucks are parked.

“We request that the government release more information on the conservation and strict implementation of the law on the protection of natural resources in the Prey Lang Conservation Area,” a member of the core group of the Prey Lang Community Network in Preah Vihear province, Khem Soky, told RFA Khmer.

Global Green is owned by Try Dalux, the eldest son of tycoon Try Pheap, an advisor to Senate President Hun Sen, who ruled Cambodia as prime minister from 1985 until he stepped down last year so his son could succeed him.

The company has plans to expand its iron ore business in Preah Vihear and Stung Treng provinces.

On April 10, a community network in Preah Vihear province issued a statement alleging that Global Green's iron ore operation has damaged community forests and affected indigenous livelihoods, including preventing them from activities like resin extraction, picking mushrooms, traditional medicine gathering and family-owned mining. 

The mining site, which used to be a cashew plantation, has been cleared by Global Green without proper compensation, a resident of Preah Vihear province, who asked not to be named over the concern of the security, told RFA.

He said that the company is currently hiding some information and that people suspect that the company has been smuggling gold ore to be sold abroad, which would be in violation of the government's license to exploit only iron ore.

“It is difficult for us to know whether it is iron ore or gold ore,” he said. “But if it is only iron they shouldn’t put it in trucks and take it away. I suspect it's gold because it is red.”

RFA was unable to contact Pen Bona, head of government spokesman, and Ministry of Mines and Energy spokesman Ung Dipola for comment. Global Green representative Hak Sinath also could not be reached for comment.

The project coordinator of the Cambodian Youth Network Association, Ot Latin, said that any development or government investment must have an accurate and transparent assessment of social and environmental impact and must involve the people living there in the area first, otherwise those developments do not reflect the legitimacy and legality.

"Looking at this mining investment, the company seems to be making a lot of money, but if we look at the challenges of the people, the living standards of the people, it is not better and benefits from the mine business,” Ot Latin said. “I think the government should review the companies that have been granted concessions, especially the mining concessions."

Translated by Samean Yun. Edited by Eugene Whong and Malcolm Foster.


This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By RFA Khmer.

]]> https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/global-green-iron-mines-05022024144104.html/feed/ 0 472721 TV reporter arrested at Northern California university protest; charges dropped https://www.radiofree.org/2024/05/01/tv-reporter-arrested-at-northern-california-university-protest-charges-dropped/ https://www.radiofree.org/2024/05/01/tv-reporter-arrested-at-northern-california-university-protest-charges-dropped/#respond Wed, 01 May 2024 21:06:37 +0000 https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/tv-reporter-arrested-at-northern-california-university-protest-charges-dropped/

TV journalist Adelmi Ruiz was arrested in the early hours of April 30, 2024, while covering student protests at California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, her outlet KRCR-TV reported. The charges have since been dropped against Ruiz, who is a reporter for the Redding station and its Arcata-Eureka bureau, KAEF-TV.

In an interview with KRCR-TV, Ruiz said she arrived shortly after 10 p.m. on April 29 to begin documenting the pro-Palestinian student encampment and protests.

“I got b-roll, I was recording sound and I was trying to get interviews, but a lot of protesters were denying to be on camera,” Ruiz said. She told the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker that she was reporting from behind the students’ barricades when police moved in.

At approximately 2:30 a.m., the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office and Cal Poly Humboldt Police Department led an operation to clear and secure multiple campus buildings, utilizing law enforcement officers from across the state, KRCR-TV reported.

In Ruiz’s live recording from the scene, lines of officers can be seen advancing onto campus. While what appears to be a final line of university police officers assembles near where Ruiz is reporting, one of the officers calls out to tell her to come behind the police line and out of the way. Ruiz complies and seconds later is placed in flex cuffs and told she’s being detained.

“Wait, I’m press,” Ruiz tells the officer, adding that she was there doing her job. The officer, who was from California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, replies, “OK, well, find a different job if it causes you to break the law.”

Ruiz told the Tracker that she repeatedly identified herself as a journalist and showed the officers her press badge and jacket, but it didn’t make a difference.

Ruiz said a work-issued cellphone fell from her pocket and was lost when officers removed her backpack, and that the bag and her personal cellphone remained in the deputies’ custody on campus while she was transported to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility.

At the county jail, Ruiz said she received a thorough pat-down and had mug shots taken, but was not fingerprinted. According to the daily booking sheet, Ruiz was charged with trespassing, unlawful assembly, obstructing an officer and obstructing a business.

Shortly after 5 a.m., Ruiz told the Tracker, Sheriff William Honsal pulled her aside to talk about how she had been caught up in the arrests. He apologized for what happened and said that he would finish processing her paperwork and that she’d be free to go.

Ruiz was released at 5:25 a.m., according to law enforcement records, under a California statute that allows officers to release an arrestee when they believe there are insufficient grounds for pursuing the charges. When reached by phone, the Humboldt County Superior Court confirmed that there are no pending charges against Ruiz.

Honsal drove her back to campus himself, Ruiz told the Tracker, and she was able to resume her reporting once her belongings were returned.

“I am extremely thankful to the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Department for William Honsal, who was able to get everything resolved as quickly as possible,” Ruiz said.


This content originally appeared on U.S. Press Freedom Tracker: Incident Database and was authored by U.S. Press Freedom Tracker: Incident Database.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2024/05/01/tv-reporter-arrested-at-northern-california-university-protest-charges-dropped/feed/ 0 472565 Drone footage shows empty landscape from logging in northern Cambodia https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/prey-leng-drone-footage-04302024164538.html https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/prey-leng-drone-footage-04302024164538.html#respond Tue, 30 Apr 2024 21:14:45 +0000 https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/prey-leng-drone-footage-04302024164538.html The drone footage reveals what has long been reported – enormous patches of barren land in every direction where logging has evidently taken place.

The recent video from northern Cambodia shows that hundreds of hectares of forest in the vast Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary have been subject to anarchic destruction and clearance.

The sanctuary, created in 2016, covers an area of 431,683 hectares (1.07 million acres), across parts of Preah Vihear, Stung Treng, Kampong Thom and Kratie provinces.

Footage taken by an activist shows mostly empty sections of land, containing a small number of leftover felled trees, and surrounded by still-forested land.

But activists have said that government authorities have done nothing in the years since to prevent supporters of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party from illegally exporting timber to neighboring Vietnam, a major buyer of luxury hardwood.

According to the Global Forest Watch, an open-source web application that monitors global forests in near real-time, Cambodia lost 114,000 hectares of natural forest in 2023 alone – equivalent to an area the size of Los Angeles.

ENG_KHM_ForestClearing_04292024.2.jpg
Illegal clear cut inside the protected Prey Lang forest, April 25, 2024 in Cambodia. (Oudom Chey)

“I really regret having witnessed such deforestation,” said Khem Sokhy, a core member of the Prey Lang Community Network. “From the very beginning, illegal logging has been allowed to occur, causing impacts on our natural resources.”

Activists still hold out hope that authorities will one day “love our natural resources and stop committing corruption.”

Neither Song Chansocheat, the head of Preah Vihear Provincial Department of Environment, nor National Military Police spokesman Eng Hy could be reached for comment on Monday.

Translated by Sovannarith Keo. Edited by Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster.


This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By RFA Khmer.

]]> https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/prey-leng-drone-footage-04302024164538.html/feed/ 0 472367 Counterfeit bills spread in northern Laos https://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/bills-04292024175117.html https://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/bills-04292024175117.html#respond Mon, 29 Apr 2024 21:51:22 +0000 https://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/bills-04292024175117.html A gas station in northern Laos reported that a customer passed 14 fake 50,000 kip bills (worth US$2.34 each) to fill up the car’s gas tank, the owner of the establishment told Radio Free Asia.

It’s one of many incidents of counterfeit bills surfacing at businesses in the region since the national bank’s April 26 warning that fake bills were circulating in the country.

The problem seems to be most acute in the north, around the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone, a de facto Chinese-controlled tourist zone centered on the Kings Romans Casino in Bokeo province.

“When we touched the bank notes, we could feel the difference. They also don’t look authentic,” the gas station owner, from the same province, who like all anonymous sources in this report requested anonymity for security reasons, told RFA Lao.

He said shortly afterward, bank employees came to receive a payment from the business. When the bills were run through a counting machine, they did not pass muster. The bank confiscated all but one of the counterfeit notes.

“We kept only one for future reference,” he said.

In Laos, the 50,000-kip note is the most frequently used, and the 100,000 kip note (worth $4.68) is the highest denomination. 

With the rapid depreciation of the kip and soaring inflation, people now have to carry around large numbers of bills for many purchases or transactions.

Seems widespread

One day after the visit from the bank, the bank employees returned to the gas station with police to investigate. They said they were still not sure who was behind the counterfeiting scheme, which seems widespread.

A storekeeper in Bokeo said eight counterfeit bills were discovered at her store.

“Somebody must have spent them at our store. I don’t remember who it was because we have so many customers,” she said. “I found out when I deposited the money at our bank.”

The bank double-checked all the notes in her deposit and called her with the bad news, she said. She gave all the information she had to the bank to help with their investigation.

A bank employee from Bokeo said that every single note, either Lao or foreign is carefully checked.

“In the time since the national bank issued the warning, we luckily haven’t received any fake bank notes,” the bank employee said.

Tips on how to detect them

A national bank official confirmed that they issued the warning and offered tips on how to detect counterfeit currency.

“First, touch it. The fake ones are softer,” he said.  “Second, look at it through light. You’ll see a series of dark lines embedded in the real bank notes, while the fake ones don't have lines.”

The national bank last year issued similar warnings about counterfeit 100,000-kip, 50,000-kip and 1,000 Thai baht ($27) notes surfacing nationwide.

In April 2019, police in the town of Luang Prabang in northern Laos arrested three Chinese nationals for spending counterfeit 50,000-kip and 100,000-kip banknotes at a market.

According to Lao law, those caught making fake bills can be jailed between five to 15 years and fined between 50 million to 500 million kip ($2,340-$23,400). Those caught using the bills can be jailed between three months and five years, and fined between 2 million and 5 million kip ($94-$234).

Translated by Max Avary. Edited by Eugene Whong and Malcolm Foster.


This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By RFA Lao.

]]> https://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/bills-04292024175117.html/feed/ 0 472142 New Caledonia’s nickel French lifeline ‘pact’ in limbo https://www.radiofree.org/2024/04/20/new-caledonias-nickel-french-lifeline-pact-in-limbo/ https://www.radiofree.org/2024/04/20/new-caledonias-nickel-french-lifeline-pact-in-limbo/#respond Sat, 20 Apr 2024 00:27:41 +0000 https://asiapacificreport.nz/?p=99984 By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk

The French-proposed “pact” to salvage New Caledonia’s beleaguered nickel industry is still in limbo as the local Congress has decided to refer the whole document to a “special committee” for re-examination.

The committee was set up on Thursday during a Congress special sitting.

The pact has been proposed to rescue New Caledonia’s nickel industry, which faces grave difficulties.

One of its three processing plants and smelters, Koniambo (KNS) located in the Northern province, has already been mothballed due to the decision from major financier Glencore to pull out and sell its 49 percent shares within the next six months.

This has already affected more than 1000 jobs.

This comes as a result of significant changes in the world nickel industry production market, which is now dominated by Indonesia, with the ability to produce nickel in large quantities and at a much lower price.

The other two processing plants, Prony Resources and historical player Société le Nickel (SLN, a subsidiary of French mining giant Eramet), also face a critical situation and the risk of closing down within the next few months.

Prony’s Swiss stakeholder Trafigura is also on the way out and Eramet has clearly indicated it no longer intends to further finance SLN.

Emergency assistance
The “pact” is an attempt by French Finance minister Bruno Le Maire (who visited New Caledonia on a fact-finding mission in November 2023) to provide some €200 million (NZ$365 million) in emergency assistance, provided New Caledonia’s nickel industry commits to major reforms in order to reduce its production costs and finds new market outlets, possibly in Europe.

Le Maire initially scheduled the signing of this pact for the end of January 2024.

But since, the document has still not been signed.

Even though France and most pro-France parties in New Caledonia have since urged local authorities to urgently sign the document, it now faces more opposition from the pro-independence parties there, as well as one of the pro-French parties (Calédonie Ensemble).

They argue that the pact, in its present form, is not asking enough commitment from the nickel industry companies and that it also required New Caledonia to dig into its coffers and find over 65 million US dollars to finance a cost-cutting electricity exercise, which would require raison new taxes and therefore adding to the burden of the local population.

An anti-nickel pact banner in New Caledonia’s Northern town of La Foa.
An anti-nickel pact banner in New Caledonia’s Northern town of La Foa. Image: 1ère TV

SLN’s extraction sites blockaded
For more than a week also, SLN is facing more hardships as it is barred from extracting nickel for its Nouméa smelter in the Northern province.

This comes after a decision from Northern province President Paul Néaoutyine, who has invoked several late payments of an administrative provision designed to guarantee possible environmental damage.

Eramet has since held several emergency meetings in Paris and released sufficient funds for a short-term payment.

But Néaoutyine has since demanded that those payments cover a longer period.

Meanwhile, SLN’s extraction activities on Northern sites have ground to a halt.

Only maintenance and security work is remaining.

This places SLN’s Nouméa smelter in a reduced activity mode with a real danger of slow suffocation if normal levels of nickel supply don’t resume soon enough.

Over the past week, tension has significantly escalated on SLN’s extraction sites, where blockades have sometimes prevented SLN employees to access Northern extraction sites.

Some of the SLN staff have also been verbally “insulted” and assaulted” by local villagers in the rural mining towns of Canala, La Foa and Kouaoua, SLN said earlier this week in a release.

Nickel turns political again
New Caledonia’s Congress (with a pro-independence majority of members) on Thursday resolved to initiate a process of “formulating complementary” and “alternative” propositions to the French nickel pact.

During sometimes heated debates, pro-pact parties Les Loyalistes and Rassemblement have expressed strong reservations about the new process, saying the signature was urgent and that thousands of jobs were at stake.

Last week, New Caledonia’s government President Louis Mapou, even though a member of the pro-independence side, urged the Congress pro-independence majority members to vote for the signing of the pact.

He accused them of ignoring economic reality and of wanting to turn the whole issue into a political one.

The nickel pact issue has since become a major bone of contention in the more general political confrontation between pro-independence and pro-France parties, including over a French-proposed change in voters eligibility for local elections.

Talks between all local parties in order to address New Caledonia’s long-term political future have been stalled.

On April 13, those issues were at the centre of two simultaneous demonstrations when the marches, one organised by pro-independence movements and the other by pro-France parties, brought at least 40,000 people to the streets of Nouméa.

The Congress’s new Special Committee is scheduled to hold its first meeting on Monday, 22 April 2024.

No date has been announced that would indicate a specific duration for its debates.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.


This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2024/04/20/new-caledonias-nickel-french-lifeline-pact-in-limbo/feed/ 0 470731 Mass Evacuations Ordered In Southern Russia, Northern Kazakhstan As Floods Surge https://www.radiofree.org/2024/04/12/mass-evacuations-ordered-in-southern-russia-northern-kazakhstan-as-floods-surge/ https://www.radiofree.org/2024/04/12/mass-evacuations-ordered-in-southern-russia-northern-kazakhstan-as-floods-surge/#respond Fri, 12 Apr 2024 19:56:46 +0000 http://www.radiofree.org/?guid=a4c91afe403de2aeb7fc45602f7ed982
This content originally appeared on Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and was authored by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2024/04/12/mass-evacuations-ordered-in-southern-russia-northern-kazakhstan-as-floods-surge/feed/ 0 469600 The Confederacy Stronghold of Northern Illinois https://www.radiofree.org/2024/03/26/the-confederacy-stronghold-of-northern-illinois/ https://www.radiofree.org/2024/03/26/the-confederacy-stronghold-of-northern-illinois/#respond Tue, 26 Mar 2024 20:41:37 +0000 https://progressive.org/magazine/the-confederacy-stronghold-of-northern-illinois-masciotra-20240326/
This content originally appeared on The Progressive — A voice for peace, social justice, and the common good and was authored by David Masciotra.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2024/03/26/the-confederacy-stronghold-of-northern-illinois/feed/ 0 466375 Authorities torch homes in northern Cambodia land dispute | Radio Free Asia (RFA) https://www.radiofree.org/2024/03/12/authorities-torch-homes-in-northern-cambodia-land-dispute-radio-free-asia-rfa/ https://www.radiofree.org/2024/03/12/authorities-torch-homes-in-northern-cambodia-land-dispute-radio-free-asia-rfa/#respond Tue, 12 Mar 2024 20:36:55 +0000 http://www.radiofree.org/?guid=8b426c0249113b7cb0561e580c55146f
This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Radio Free Asia.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2024/03/12/authorities-torch-homes-in-northern-cambodia-land-dispute-radio-free-asia-rfa/feed/ 0 463644 Week-long battle in northern Myanmar displaces over 110,000 https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/pa-o-battle-03122024065812.html https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/pa-o-battle-03122024065812.html#respond Tue, 12 Mar 2024 11:00:00 +0000 https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/pa-o-battle-03122024065812.html Week-long fighting between the junta and a northern ethnic army is responsible for mass displacement in Myanmar, locals told Radio Free Asia on Tuesday.

Junta troops entered Hsihseng city in western Shan state on March 3, where gunshots could still be heard as of Monday at noon, said one Hsiseng resident, asking for anonymity. 

“The battle is still going on. The junta based in Hsaik Hkawng village and Bang Yin city are shelling towards Hsihseng city,” he said. “On March 3, the junta troops returned to enter Hsihseng city, and the fighting has been going on ever since and hasn’t stopped yet.”

The Pa’O National Liberation Army captured Hsihseng on Jan. 22, causing junta troops and the allied Pa-O National Army to retaliate with heavy weapons and airstrikes. The Pa-O National Liberation Army is an insurgent group composed of the Pa-O, an ethnic group native to northeast Myanmar’s Shan state.

More than 100,000 people from six urban Hsihseng neighborhoods and 60 villages in Hsihseng township have fled to safety, as have the residents of 31 villages in neighboring Hopong township.

Fighting also resumed in southern Shan state’s Pinlaung township on Saturday, forcing nearly 10,000 civilians from 17 villages to temporarily relocate.

A Pinlaung resident who wished to remain anonymous for security reasons told RFA on Monday that fighting between the junta and Karenni Nationalities Defense Forces and allied Pa-O National Liberation Army resumed in the township after junta troops carried out an offensive.

“The junta army carried out the offensive and confronted them there. It’s been three days since March 9,” he said.

On Sunday and Monday, fighting grew more intense as the junta began using airstrikes and heavy weapons, he added.

Heavy damage in southern Shan state

The renewed conflict has killed nearly 50 civilians and injured 60 more from Jan. 22 to March 11, despite a Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement signed by both the Pa-O National Liberation Army and junta officials in Hsihseng, Hopong and Loilen townships, according to the Pa-O Youth Organization.

Roughly half of the dead were killed by airstrikes or heavy weapons, among them five children, according to the youth organization’s Monday statement. 

“The military council has increased the airstrikes and drone bombings in the Hsihseng city battles. In Hopong’s Mae Nel mountain ridge, the junta carried out an airstrike when the locals returned after fighting calmed on March 8,” said Nan, a spokeswoman of the Pa-O Youth Organization. 

“It killed a man on the spot in Kyauk Ka Char village, Hopong township. About 10 houses were damaged, although there was no fighting in that village.”

In some areas, civilians are continuing to die from airstrikes, she added.

Thirteen of the near 50 deaths occurred when people died after being arrested and interrogated by the junta. Eight people, including those internally displaced, died due to other causes.

Five children were among the 60 injured. Airstrikes injured 36 people, artillery shells injured 18 and six were injured by landmines and other causes, according to the statement. 

The junta army fired over 1,500 explosives, and conducted over 400 attacks by air and drones, destroying nearly two hundred homes, as well as 15 religious buildings. 

RFA reached out to Shan state’s junta spokesperson Khun Thein Maung to confirm the organization’s statistics, but he did not answer calls.

In early 2023, conflict killed more than 30 civilians and displaced more than 10,000 during fierce battles between the Karenni National Defense Forces, affiliated resistance groups, or People’s Defense Forces, and junta troops in Pinlaung township.

Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Kiana Duncan and Mike Firn. 


This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By RFA Burmese.

]]> https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/pa-o-battle-03122024065812.html/feed/ 0 463539 Kachin army storms northern Myanmar, taking 14 camps https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/kia-storms-camps-03082024053613.html https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/kia-storms-camps-03082024053613.html#respond Fri, 08 Mar 2024 10:38:26 +0000 https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/kia-storms-camps-03082024053613.html A rebel army in Myanmar seized over a dozen junta camps in the north, an official told Radio Free Asia on Friday. 

Since the Kachin Independence Army launched an offensive on Sunday, it has captured 14 camps near its headquarters in Lai Zar city on the Chinese border, said information officer Col. Naw Bu.

Several townships in Kachin state have been caught in frequent conflict as junta troops and Kachin Independence Army soldiers fight for control of the area’s jade mines, highways, and border areas. 

Since China brokered a ceasefire between the Three Brotherhood Alliance and junta forces, Kachin state’s largest army – not in the alliance – has been a formidable opponent for the military in both Shan and Kachin states. 

Rebel soldiers seized camps on Myitkyina-Bhamo road on the fifth day of the six-day attack.

“The largest camp, Hpun Pyen Bum where 120 millimeter heavy weapons are based, was captured on Thursday evening. Ntap Bum camp was also captured,” he said. 

“Most of the junta’s small defensive camps around Bum Re Bum and Myo Thit were captured. Now, these small defensive camps are being used [by the KIA] to attack big camps, like Bum Re Bum and Ka Yar Taung.”

The junta army has been firing heavy artillery at the Kachin Independence Army’s headquarters in Lai Zar since Thursday, he added. 

The bombardment has impacted not only Lai Zar, but also the border with China. Shells fired by junta troops killed three civilians, including a child and a woman on Thursday. Three more fell across the Chinese border, destroying property, locals said.

RFA contacted the Chinese Embassy in Yangon and national junta spokesman Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun to confirm the army fired shells into China, but neither responded by the time of publication. 

A Lai Zar resident told RFA this morning that the sounds of fighting could be heard everywhere as the junta continued to attack the city with heavy weapons. 

“Since this morning, gunshots have been heard in many places. There were more than eight rounds of artillery fired this morning until 8 a.m.,” he told RFA on Friday. “The shells landed on the other side of Lai Zar city, on the Chinese side and burned houses. Many people in the city have been fleeing to safety.”

Grounded Flights and Closed Roads

The Kachin Independence Army has not had control of these camps since 2011, Col. Naw Bu said, adding they also plan to reopen Bhamo-Myitkyina Road. The highway was closed in July after fighting erupted between the junta and Kachin Independence Army in Nam Sang Yang village, near Lai Zar.

FB_IMG_1709888803213.jpg
Bhamo Airport, Kachin state in Feb. 2024. (Citizen Journalist)

Clashes in Kachin state’s capital have also impacted transportation in and out of the state. An airline ticket sales representative told RFA resistance groups began attacking multiple flight locations across the region.

On Thursday, the Kachin Independence Army and allied People’s Defense Forces attacked the junta air force headquarters with short-range missiles. The groups also fired heavy weapons at Bhamo Airport, forcing it to close indefinitely and suspend flights.

“Bhamo Airport has been closed since Thursday. The airport authorities have shut down the airport and are not sure when the planes will be allowed to land again,” a representative told RFA, asking to remain anonymous for security reasons. “I am not sure if the canceled flights will be replaced so I am just refunding people’s money.”

A Bhamo resident who wished to remain anonymous for security reasons said fighting in the city continued into Friday.

“The airport was attacked by a short-range missile and the runway was hit and damaged a little. People who are traveling urgently and the sick are having a hard time now the airport is closed,” he said. “Heavy weapons were also firing all night last night. I couldn’t sleep.”

RFA contacted Kachin state’s junta spokesperson Moe Min Thein regarding the closures and conflict, but he did not respond.

Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Kiana Duncan and Mike Firn.


This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By RFA Burmese.

]]> https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/kia-storms-camps-03082024053613.html/feed/ 0 462841 Battle erupts on northern Myanmar university campus https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/campus-battle-02282024194951.html https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/campus-battle-02282024194951.html#respond Thu, 29 Feb 2024 00:49:59 +0000 https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/campus-battle-02282024194951.html A battle erupted on a university campus in northern Mynamar’s Sagaing region earlier this week as ethnic Kachin and Chin fighters attacked junta troops based on the property, prompting the rebels to detain and eventually evacuate more than 130 civilians trapped in the crossfire, residents and fighters told Radio Free Asia.

Fighters from the Kachin Independence Army, the Chin National Front and local People’s Defense Force fighters attacked a junta camp on the Kale University campus on Monday. 

They had to retreat from the campus after military reinforcements for junta troops arrived, an official from local militia group Kalay-Kabaw-Gangaw said. That’s when the students and staff were moved, he told RFA Burmese.

“We moved them to places where they were safe from flying bullets, so they didn’t get hurt during the battle. That’s it,” he said.

A PDF member who wanted to be anonymous for his safety concerns said some of the students and staff were interrogated, but everyone was held in a way that allowed them to keep their dignity and rights.

“We didn’t arrest them,” he said. “We just kept them for a while.”

Heavy artillery from junta forces the following day, on Tuesday, left four civilians in the area dead, local residents told Radio Free Asia.

Junta-affiliated newspapers on Wednesday reported that junta troops saved 285 teachers and students from being captured by PDF forces. There was no mention of the 130 people who were detained and evacuated by anti-junta forces.

Junta troops on campus

A PDF member from Kale township who didn’t want to be named for security reasons said that the joint rebel forces attacked a junta checkpoint at the university’s entrance because junta troops were demanding money from trucks and passenger cars.

“The primary motivation for our attack on the university was the presence of occupation of junta’s soldiers in the school campus,” the PDF member said. “They have been there for three years since the coup d’état,” in February 2021.

Also on Monday, the Chin National Front and local PDFs attacked the Ko Mai police station in Khaikam city in Chin state, which is adjacent to the campus of Kale University, according to a PDF official.

Locals said the heavy artillery that was fired continuously on Tuesday was in retaliation for the attack on the police station.

Residents said that there has been intense fighting between the junta’s forces and local PDFS in Kale and in surrounding villages over the last week.

The Kale District PDF said in a statement on Monday that residents should evacuate as soon as possible ahead of an expected increase in fighting with junta forces in the coming days.

Residents said some people have been hiding in their own homes and bunkers and placing sandbags outside.

A local resident who didn’t want to be named said junta troops have been shooting people walking on the street and also shooting into homes with light and heavy weapons.

Translated by Kalyar Lwin. Edited by Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster.


This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By RFA Burmese.

]]> https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/campus-battle-02282024194951.html/feed/ 0 461140 Thanks To Free Electricity, Northern Kosovo Used To Be A Paradise for Crypto Mining. Not Anymore. https://www.radiofree.org/2024/02/27/thanks-to-free-electricity-northern-kosovo-used-to-be-a-paradise-for-crypto-mining-not-anymore/ https://www.radiofree.org/2024/02/27/thanks-to-free-electricity-northern-kosovo-used-to-be-a-paradise-for-crypto-mining-not-anymore/#respond Tue, 27 Feb 2024 13:02:31 +0000 http://www.radiofree.org/?guid=7bcb2a4b4176ed8b098d03abdf268c33
This content originally appeared on Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and was authored by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2024/02/27/thanks-to-free-electricity-northern-kosovo-used-to-be-a-paradise-for-crypto-mining-not-anymore/feed/ 0 460839 No Dinars, Just Euros: Ethnic Serbs Protest In Northern Kosovo https://www.radiofree.org/2024/02/13/no-dinars-just-euros-ethnic-serbs-protest-in-northern-kosovo/ https://www.radiofree.org/2024/02/13/no-dinars-just-euros-ethnic-serbs-protest-in-northern-kosovo/#respond Tue, 13 Feb 2024 08:38:58 +0000 http://www.radiofree.org/?guid=a52abb001855c858efb384a181633951
This content originally appeared on Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and was authored by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2024/02/13/no-dinars-just-euros-ethnic-serbs-protest-in-northern-kosovo/feed/ 0 458493 Despite eradication efforts, opium poppy cultivation persists among Hmong in northern Laos https://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/opium-02122024164037.html https://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/opium-02122024164037.html#respond Mon, 12 Feb 2024 21:41:15 +0000 https://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/opium-02122024164037.html Ethnic Hmong villagers in remote areas of northern Laos are continuing to grow opium poppies despite government eradication efforts, due to long-held beliefs about the crop’s medicinal properties, according to officials and residents.

In recent weeks, Lao authorities announced that they had destroyed 2,590 square meters (two-thirds of an acre) of Hmong-grown opium poppy fields in Luang Namtha province, which lies along the border with China and Myanmar, and another 11,000 square meters (2.7 acres) in Xieng Khouang province, on the Vietnamese border.

However, they acknowledged that there are many poppy fields that are too remote to access in other areas of Xieng Khouang, as well as in Phongsaly province, which borders China and Vietnam.

In its World Drug Report 2023, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, or UNODC, said it had documented 5,700 hectares (14,100 acres) of opium poppy cultivation in Laos, mostly in the country’s seven northern provinces of Phongsaly, Hua Phane, Luang Prabang, Oudomsay, Bokeo, Xieng Khouang, and Luang Namtha. Opium can be used to make heroin.

An official from the National Defense Unit in Luang Namtha who, like others interviewed for this report, spoke on condition of anonymity due to security concerns, told RFA Lao that the cultivation and consumption of opium remains common among the Hmong in rural northern Laos, and is “difficult to control.”

“There is a lot growing for local consumption and even though the region has set up rehab centers for people, there aren’t enough,” he said. “There are also still a lot of people who use opium as a medical treatment when they are sick.”

The official said that the Hmong communities that continue to grow opium poppies and smoke opium are extremely remote, preventing authorities from accessing them or regularly patrolling the areas.

“The areas where they live are far from other communities; 30-40 kilometers (19-25 miles) off the main roads, and only motorbikes can navigate the paths, so it’s hard to carry out inspections” he said. “It’s mostly ethnic villagers living there.”

Use in treating sickness

An official from the Natural Resources and Environment Unit in Xieng Khouang said that part of the reason ethnic communities still grow opium poppies and smoke opium in the province is due to their belief that it can help cure them when they are ill.

Opium has a long history of medical use in relieving pain, inducing sleep, and treating bowel conditions.

ENG_LAO_OpiumFields_02092024.2.jpg
A Hmong tribesman takes a puff of opium at his village in Houaphan province, northern Laos, June 27, 2018. (Aidan Jones/AFP)

The official said ethnic communities in Xieng Khouang mostly grow opium for personal consumption, and not in large quantities.

While the overall amount that is grown can vary, he said, “the Hmong grow opium for use, not for sale.”

A villager from Hua Phane told RFA that cultivation of opium poppies had decreased significantly in the province in recent years due to government and NGO campaigns educating residents about the dangers of opium.

But he said that while the use of opium is down in Hua Phane, “that doesn’t mean it has ended.”

“Some [ethnic] groups … grow it in remote areas, far away from the cities,” he said. “They grow it to use as medicine for their families.”

Laos was the third-largest illicit opium poppy producing country in the world until 1998, but the UNODC says eradication efforts by the government and international partners “have reduced cultivation to marginal levels.”

Nonetheless, the agency said, the northern part of Laos remains known as one of two opium producing countries in Southeast Asia, with the main driver of cultivation in the region being “primarily related to poverty.”

Translated by Sidney Khotpanya. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Matt Reed.


This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By RFA Lao.

]]> https://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/opium-02122024164037.html/feed/ 0 458310 No Dinars, Just Euros: Ethnic Serbs Protest In Northern Kosovo https://www.radiofree.org/2024/02/12/no-dinars-just-euros-ethnic-serbs-protest-in-northern-kosovo-2/ https://www.radiofree.org/2024/02/12/no-dinars-just-euros-ethnic-serbs-protest-in-northern-kosovo-2/#respond Mon, 12 Feb 2024 17:17:17 +0000 https://www.rferl.org/a/kosovo-dinar-euro-protest/32816681.html

Hundreds of ethnic Serbs marched in Kosovo's North Mitrovica on February 12 to protest against a new regulation targeting Serbia's currency, the dinar. Kosovo's Central Bank issued a regulation restricting all cash transactions anywhere in the country to euros from February 1.


This content originally appeared on News - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty and was authored by News - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2024/02/12/no-dinars-just-euros-ethnic-serbs-protest-in-northern-kosovo-2/feed/ 0 458517 Lawsuit Launched to Protect Wolves in Northern Rocky Mountains https://www.radiofree.org/2024/02/07/lawsuit-launched-to-protect-wolves-in-northern-rocky-mountains/ https://www.radiofree.org/2024/02/07/lawsuit-launched-to-protect-wolves-in-northern-rocky-mountains/#respond Wed, 07 Feb 2024 17:21:08 +0000 https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/lawsuit-launched-to-protect-wolves-in-northern-rocky-mountains Four conservation and animal protection groups today notified the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that they plan to sue over the agency’s denial of their petition to protect gray wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains under the Endangered Species Act.

“It’s beyond frustrating that federal officials are harming wolf recovery by denying wolves in the northern Rockies the powerful federal protections they deserve,” said Andrea Zaccardi, carnivore conservation legal director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Unlike the Fish and Wildlife Service, we refuse to sanction the annual slaughter of hundreds of wolves. Allowing unlimited wolf killing sabotages decades of recovery efforts in the northern Rockies, as well as those in neighboring West Coast and southern Rockies states.”

The groups’ petition sought to relist gray wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains or across the West under the Endangered Species Act. The Service denied the petition, relying largely on outdated and unambitious recovery goals for the northern Rocky Mountains wolf population.

The Service also ignored the best available science that shows why the agency cannot reasonably rely on state overestimates of the northern Rockies wolf population and that aggressive, unregulated killing threatens wolf viability across the West. Wolf populations in West Coast and Rockies states rely on wolves traveling from the northern Rockies to increase genetic diversity and promote a healthy, stable future for the species.

“Nearly 30 years after wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park, wolves in the region are once again in danger of extinction,” said Margie Robinson, staff attorney for wildlife at the Humane Society of the United States. “The Humane Society of the United States will not idly stand by while the federal government permits northern Rockies states to wage war on wolves. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service must make decisions that protect precious native wildlife for generations to come, rather than allowing states to cater to trophy hunters, trappers and ranchers.”

Under recently passed laws, Montana extended the wolf-trapping season by four weeks and established a bounty program to pay hunters and trappers for costs associated with killing wolves. Montana hunters and trappers killed 258 wolves during the 2022 season and have already killed more than 235 wolves this season, which runs until March 15.

Idaho law allows the state to hire private contractors to kill wolves, lets hunters and trappers kill an unlimited number of wolves and permits year-round trapping on private land. It also allows hunters and trappers to kill wolves by chasing them down with hounds and all-terrain vehicles. In 2022 and 2023 Idaho hunters and trappers killed more than 560 wolves.

Across most of Wyoming gray wolves are designated as “predatory animals” and can be killed without a license in nearly any manner and at any time. Wyoming hunters have legally killed numerous wolves within 10 miles of the border with Colorado, where wolves are finally returning to the state through dispersals and historic releases.

“The Fish and Wildlife Service failed to recognize how the harmful methods that Idaho and Montana have implemented will drive down wolf numbers drastically,” said Nick Gevock, Sierra Club field organizer for the northern Rockies. “The regimens these states have pursued are reminiscent of the 1800s effort to eradicate wolves, and they have no place in modern wildlife management. No other species is treated this way, and it's reversing what was a great conservation success story.”

“The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service failed in its commitment to advance the long-term survival of wolves in the northern Rockies — instead bowing to the demands of those who prioritize profit over wildlife,” said Gillian Lyons, director of regulatory affairs for Humane Society Legislative Fund. “Gray wolves are iconic residents of the Rocky Mountains who deserve federal protections, and we will continue this fight on behalf of the millions of Americans who value these intelligent, social creatures.”

Today’s notice of intent to sue gives the Fish and Wildlife Service 60 days to remedy its legal violations. If the agency fails to do so, the groups will file a lawsuit in federal district court.

Background

Wolves in Idaho, Montana, eastern Washington, eastern Oregon and northern Utah lost federal protections through a congressional legislative rider in 2011. Following a court battle, wolves in Wyoming also lost federal protection in 2012. Since losing Endangered Species Act protection, wolves in the northern Rockies have suffered widespread persecution.

In 2021, after Idaho and Montana enacted even more aggressive wolf-killing laws, the Center for Biological Diversity, the Humane Society of the United States, Humane Society Legislative Fund and Sierra Club petitioned the Fish and Wildlife Service to again protect gray wolves in the northern Rockies. The petition asked for immediate relisting of wolves under the Endangered Species Act, saying the new, destructive wolf-killing state laws will cause steep wolf population declines, threatening the wolves with endangerment.

In August 2022, wildlife conservation groups were forced to sue the Service for failing to make a final decision on whether gray wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains warrant federal protection under the Act. The agency’s denial, announced last week, comes in response to a court-imposed deadline resulting from that lawsuit.


This content originally appeared on Common Dreams and was authored by Newswire Editor.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2024/02/07/lawsuit-launched-to-protect-wolves-in-northern-rocky-mountains/feed/ 0 457470 Northern Rockies Gray Wolves Denied Endangered Species Act Protection https://www.radiofree.org/2024/02/02/northern-rockies-gray-wolves-denied-endangered-species-act-protection/ https://www.radiofree.org/2024/02/02/northern-rockies-gray-wolves-denied-endangered-species-act-protection/#respond Fri, 02 Feb 2024 19:07:58 +0000 https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/northern-rockies-gray-wolves-denied-endangered-species-act-protection

Deluzio, who introduced the House version of the bill with Rep. Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.), noted that the Norfolk Southern train derailed and released hazardous materials "less than a mile from the Pennsylvania state line and the homes and farms of my constituents."

"Without dwelling on the resulting health problems, environmental scare, and general lack of trust that I still regularly hear from my constituents, I instead want to empathize that we cannot accept congressional inaction, and how the February 3, 2023 derailment could have been much worse," the congressman wrote. "Folks like us, who live along or near the tracks, refuse to be treated as collateral damage in the way of big railroads' profits."

"Over the last two centuries, railroad companies have wielded their power and influence to protect their profits and avoid commonsense safety measures, allowing them to cut corners and pad the pockets of their corporate shareholders at the expense of the American people," he explained. "After the East Palestine derailment, the big railroad lobby sprang into action once again and lobbied members of Congress—directing them to do nothing to make rail safer and risk cutting into their profits."

The Railway Saftey Act—led in the Senate by Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and JD Vance (R-Ohio)—contains provisions to enhance safety procedures for trains carrying hazardous materials, reduce the risk of wheel bearing failures, require well-trained two-person crews, force carriers to face higher fines for wrongdoing, support communities impacted by disasters, and invest in safety improvements.

Brown and Vance have also issued fresh calls for action this week.

"Over the last year, I've visited East Palestine repeatedly, and our staff is there even more often," Brown said Tuesday. "Each time, we ask residents what we can do. They want the support and the compensation they are owed, but they do not want this derailment to define them. I don't want that either, and I don't want any other community in Ohio or around the country to have to deal with a disaster like this ever again."

"As I've told the people of East Palestine—and as I keeptelling them: I'm here for the long haul," he added. "I will always fight for the people of East Palestine. I will always fight to hold Norfolk Southern accountable. And I will always fight to make our railways safer."

As Nexstar's Reshad Hudson reported Tuesday:

Vance says he's working with Brown to get the needed support for the bill.

"It's not going to eliminate every train crash, but it hopefully can make these things much less common because they happen way too often,” Vance said.

According toRoll Call, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told reporters this week that his department has "done our part" and "we are pressing industry to do their part, Congress needs to act as well."

"Any congressional leader of any party who is serious about railroad safety should support funding for railroad safety inspections... and should support the Railway Safety Act," he said.

While the outlet noted that delays in the House are partly tied to a forthcoming national Transportation Safety Board investigation report, the bill's sponsors and Buttigieg are largely blaming industry opposition, with the secretary saying that "in the past, there have been times when Congress stood up against the railroad lobby... they should do that now."

The White House announced this week that Biden plans to visit East Palestine sometime in February "to meet with residents impacted by the Norfolk Southern train derailment and assess the progress that his administration has helped deliver in coordination with state and local leaders to protect the community and hold Norfolk Southern accountable."

The White House also reiterated the administration's support for the Railway Safety Act—a bill that is backed by workers but also contains loopholes that "you can run a freight train through," as Eddie Hall, national president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, warned last year.

Other measures before Congress include the Railway Accountability Act—led by Brown along with Sens. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) and Bob Casey (D-Pa.), who are also fighting to pass the Railway Safety Act.

Demands for congressional action on rail safety and more have also continued to pour out of East Palestine and surrounding communities—particularly from people who remain displaced and are suffering a wide range of symptoms.

"What I've been experiencing is some of the fear that I've never known in almost all of my 70 years," Stella Gamble, a grandmother of nine who lives less than a mile from the derailment, said in a testimony shared by The Real News Network. "I am so afraid for my grandchildren and for the other children in this town. My granddaughters have rashes on their skin. They've been having female issues. They get massive headaches."

"I think that the whole thing behind everything that's happened here is the same as it is everywhere else in this country. It's all about the money," Gamble added. "Everything about it is the money, and they will gladly sacrifice a few thousand Appalachians to keep their trains going through here... We're just a sacrifice. That's how I feel. And I feel like my grandkids are being sacrificed, too."


This content originally appeared on Common Dreams and was authored by Newswire Editor.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2024/02/02/northern-rockies-gray-wolves-denied-endangered-species-act-protection/feed/ 0 456633 Myanmar’s junta storms 3 townships in bid for northern town https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/junta-storms-townships-02022024064626.html https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/junta-storms-townships-02022024064626.html#respond Fri, 02 Feb 2024 11:51:16 +0000 https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/junta-storms-townships-02022024064626.html Six civilians are dead after junta air raids and maneuvers in several townships in Myanmar’s Sagaing region, residents told Radio Free Asia on Friday. 

At least 10 were injured and 15 people were arrested in Pale, Kanbalu, and Khin-U townships during two days of military operations on Wednesday and Thursday.

In Pale, two women were killed and five others were injured when junta fighter jets bombarded Kan Gyi village, a member of Pale People’s Defense Forces said.

“Kan Gyi village was bombarded without a fight. A woman died on the spot at home and another woman died at the hospital,” he said, declining to be named for security reasons. “The other five were critically injured. One had to have his hand amputated.”

Resistance fighters told RFA the aerial attack was likely retaliation after the Pale People’s Defense Forces attacked a military camp.

On Wednesday, Pale People’s Defense Forces launched an assault on a joint junta and Pyu Saw Htee militia camp in the township’s Zee Phyu Kone village. The following day, the junta retaliated, bombarding Zee Phyu Kone and Kan Gyi villages with airstrikes.

North of Pale, junta forces simultaneously launched eight more airstrikes across Kanbalu township’s Thin Taw, Zaw Chaung, and Ma Gyi Kone villages on Thursday. The attack killed a 40-year-old man and injured five other residents, locals said.

The military attacked the villages bordering Kawlin and Kanbalu townships in Sagaing’s east in order to recapture Kawlin town, said Kanbalu People’s Defense Forces' information officer, who declined to give his name for fear of reprisals. Myanmar’s shadow National Unity Government and its armed wing of People’s Defense Forces captured Kawlin in November.

“The junta council wants to regain Kawlin, so it is clearing the route its forces are going to take,” he told RFA on Friday. “The junta air force is continuously shooting at places where there is no battle – where not even a single bullet was shot.”

A woman from Ma Gyi Kone village, and two men and three women from Zaw Chaung villages were seriously injured in Thursday’s assault on Kanbalu township. However, their injuries were not life-threatening, the information officer added. Another man from Zaw Chaung village bled to death while receiving medical treatment. 

Regime troops also stormed Khin-U township’s Tha Yet Kone and Kin Pyit villages on Wednesday. The following morning, villagers found the bodies of three civilians, residents and defense force officials said.

The victims were 31-year-old Ye Aung from Tha Yet Kone village and 51-year-old Than Tun  and 42-year-old Than Lwin Gyi, both from Kin Pyit village. Another 15 people are missing and may have been arrested, a defense force official said.

After junta troops captured the three victims, they were killed near Ka Lon village, said defense force spokesperson Ah Lin Yaung.

“The column entered Tha Yet Kone village at night and arrested Ko Ye Aung, who was sleeping at home. The other two men were caught while fleeing in the forest. The people who have been arrested are yet to be identified and counted,” he said.

“There are many people who are still missing. We are still investigating whether they are in other villages or not. There are approximately 15 people [we can’t find]. But it could be more than that.”

Calls by RFA to Sagaing region’s junta spokesperson Sai Naing Naing Kyaw went unanswered.

According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a total of 4,477 people have died since the Feb. 1, 2021 coup.

Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Mike Firn.


This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By RFA Burmese.

]]> https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/junta-storms-townships-02022024064626.html/feed/ 0 456453 Moscow-Bound Passenger Plane Crashes In Northern Afghanistan https://www.radiofree.org/2024/01/21/moscow-bound-passenger-plane-crashes-in-northern-afghanistan/ https://www.radiofree.org/2024/01/21/moscow-bound-passenger-plane-crashes-in-northern-afghanistan/#respond Sun, 21 Jan 2024 09:09:59 +0000 https://www.rferl.org/a/moscow-bound-passenger-plane-crashes-in-northern-afghanistan/32785405.html

CHISINAU -- Moldova has paused a recruitment effort to funnel construction workers to Israel, alleging that Israelis have put Moldovans in "high-risk conflict zones," withheld passports, and committed other abuses while plugging gaps in their workforce brought on by the current war in the Gaza Strip.

The Labor Ministry confirmed to RFE/RL's Moldovan Service this week that Chisinau had "temporarily postponed" the latest round of recruitment under the bilateral agreement following the accusations by Moldovan citizens, but said it could resume once Israel confirmed the practices were stopped and "security and respect" for Moldovan nationals were ensured.

Israel has faced an acute labor squeeze since hundreds of thousands of reservists and other Israelis were called up to fight and thousands of Palestinians were denied access to jobs in Israel after gunmen from the EU- and U.S.-designated terrorist group Hamas carried out a massive cross-border attack that killed just over 1,100 people, most of them Israeli civilians, on October 7.

"As a result of the deterioration of the security situation in the state of Israel, workers from the Republic of Moldova were employed to work in high-risk conflict zones, some citizens had their passports withheld by employers, complaints were registered about the confiscation of workers' luggage, as well as Israeli authorities carried out activities of direct recruitment of Moldovan workers, on the territory of the Republic of Moldova, which is contrary to the provisions of the agreement," the ministry said in a January 17 response to an RFE/RL access-to-information request.

The ministry did not accuse the Israeli state of perpetrating the abuses. It said Moldovan officials have reported the "violations" to Israel and asked it to put a stop to them and "ensure the security and respect of the rights of workers coming from the Republic of Moldova," one of Europe's poorest countries with a population of some 3.4 million.

The Moldovan Embassy in Tel Aviv said some 13,000 Moldovans were in Israel before the current war broke out. Many work at construction sites or provide care for the elderly, inside or outside the auspices of the recruitment agreement.

Israeli authorities did not immediately respond to RFE/RL's request for comment on the Labor Ministry's accusations.

Since the war erupted in early October, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government has sought to extend worker visas and attract more foreign labor from around the world, including by raising its quota on foreign construction workers by roughly half, to 65,000 individuals.

It appealed publicly for 1,200 new Moldovan workers for the construction sector, including blacksmiths, painters, and carpenters.

Speaking in Israel's parliament, the Knesset, the director of the Foreign Workers Administration, Inbal Mashash, named Moldova, along with Thailand and Sri Lanka, as countries where Israeli hopes were highest for more guest workers.

The bilateral Moldovan-Israeli agreement on temporary employment in "certain sectors" including construction in Israel was signed in 2012 and has been amended on multiple occasions, including in December.

In addition to setting up training and procedures to regulate and steer labor flows, it imposes restrictions that include a ban on Israeli companies recruiting on Moldovan territory.

In its decade-long existence, some 17,000 Moldovans have worked in Israel under the auspices of the agreement through 28 rounds of recruitment. At the last available official count, in 2022, there were about 4,000 participating Moldovans.

"The [29th] recruitment round will resume once the above-mentioned irregularities are eliminated and we receive confirmation from the Israeli side of the necessary measures being taken to ensure security and respect for the rights of employed [Moldovan] citizens on the territory of the state of Israel," the Moldovan Labor Ministry said.

From the early days of the current war, Moldovans have spoken out about family concerns and the pressures to pack up and leave Israel, but most appear to have stayed.

As rumors spread of pressure on Moldovan construction workers to stay in Israel after a January 5 pause announcement, Labor Minister Alexei Buzu confirmed there were problems but focused on the accusation that Israeli firms were improperly recruiting Moldovans outside the program or for repeat stints.

A failure to comply with some provisions brings "a risk that other commitments will be ignored [or] will not be delivered at the time or according to the expectations described in the agreement," he said.

Buzu stopped short of leveling some of the most serious accusations involving Moldovan workers being sent to work in 'high-risk conflict zones" or having their passports or belongings taken from them.

Reuters has reported that the worker shortage is costing Israel's construction sector around $37 million per day.

Moldova's National Employment Agency (ANOFM) is responsible for implementing the Israeli-Moldovan recruitment agreement. The Labor Ministry said the agency had already lined up construction recruits and scheduled professional exams for the end of December before the postponement.

The ministry said a similar agreement on the home-caregiver sector between Moldova and Israel -- the subject of negotiations in December -- had “not yet been signed."

The Hamas-led surprise attack on October 7 sparked a massive response from Israel including devastating aerial bombardments and a ground offensive in the Gaza Strip, which was home to 2.3 million Palestinians before the latest fighting displaced most of them.

The Hamas-run health authorities in Gaza say 24,700 people have been killed in the subsequent fighting and 62,000 more injured.


This content originally appeared on News - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty and was authored by News - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2024/01/21/moscow-bound-passenger-plane-crashes-in-northern-afghanistan/feed/ 0 453725 Two civilians die as fighting continues in northern Myanmar https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/kia-mongmit-01192024053656.html https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/kia-mongmit-01192024053656.html#respond Fri, 19 Jan 2024 10:39:22 +0000 https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/kia-mongmit-01192024053656.html Fighting between the Kachin Independence Army and junta troops in northern Myanmar left two residents dead, locals told Radio Free Asia on Friday. 

On Thursday morning, the Kachin Independence Army and other local resistance militias raided a police station and the three infantry battalions stationed in Mongmit, locals said. Junta troops soon retaliated by land and air, they added.

Fighting flared up again Friday morning after a brief respite, residents said, with battles intensifying near the town’s center.

The junta’s airstrikes continued into Friday afternoon, one local told RFA, declining to be named for security reasons. 

"[The junta] is still firing now from a fighter jet. We had to hide in basements,” he said. “Now, there's fighting near the police station and the market.”

The jet dropped six bombs on Friday morning, he added. 

Airstrikes were particularly heavy on Thursday, with at least 10 bombs damaging some residents’ homes, locals said.

A 37-year-old man named Si Thu was killed by a bomb blast, they said. Another man in his 40s died of apparent heart failure.

Three others were injured, they added.

Because of the ongoing attack, families and aid organizations have not been able to collect the bodies, one resident said. 

"One of the four injured in yesterday's airstrike has died. Another pedestrian died after suffering a heart attack caused by the sound of explosions,” they said, declining to be named for fear of reprisals. “We have not moved their bodies yet. No one can go out.”

Most of the village’s 10,000 residents have fled to nearby villages, he added. Residents told RFA that junta troops are strictly inspecting civilians fleeing through the city’s exits.

Myanmar’s regime has not released any information about the fighting in Mongmit. RFA contacted Shan state junta spokesperson Khun Thein Maung and the Kachin Independence Army’s information officer Col. Naw Bu for comment, but neither answered by the time of publication on Friday. 

Clashes between the Kachin Independence Army and junta troops have persisted since Monday in Kutkai and Mongmit townships.

The KIA is not part of the alliance of ethnic armies that agreed a ceasefire with the junta on Jan. 11 in several townships across Shan state. That China-brokered ceasefire has already faltered with the Three Brotherhood Alliance claiming the junta launched airstrikes on Mongmit and two other townships in the northern state on Sunday

The alliance also announced in a press release Wednesday that one of its members, the Myanmar Democratic National Alliance Army, had retaliated after the junta fired grenades at its troops.

Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Mike Firn.


This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By RFA Burmese.

]]> https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/kia-mongmit-01192024053656.html/feed/ 0 453140 Days after ceasefire, northern Myanmar sees more battles https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/myanmar-ceasefire-breaks-down-01172024054526.html https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/myanmar-ceasefire-breaks-down-01172024054526.html#respond Wed, 17 Jan 2024 10:50:55 +0000 https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/myanmar-ceasefire-breaks-down-01172024054526.html Fighting erupted between the junta and allied ethnic groups in northern Myanmar just days after the two sides agreed a ceasefire, according to a statement released Wednesday by the Three Brotherhood Alliance.

The alliance accused junta soldiers remaining in Shan state’s Kokang of firing grenades, the statement said. It added that junta troops launched the weapons from 30 meters (98 feet) away while allied Kokang resistance fighters were stationed near Kachin mountain. 

Despite the ceasefire reached during a third round of China-brokered peace talks in Kunming on Thursday night, the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army retaliated and fighting began again around 4 p.m. on Tuesday. 

The alliance claimed junta troops fired back three times with heavy weapons before retreating.

Despite the ceasefire, it’s possible that remaining junta troops separated from the rest of the army would open fire and attack, a military analyst who wished to remain anonymous for security reasons told Radio Free Asia on Wednesday.

“The areas of Laukkai, Konkyan, and Yan Long Keng are very rough and it’s difficult to communicate there. It’s probably the remnants of the junta army that went into the forest during the [previous] battles,” he said. 

“I am not sure whether they know about the ceasefire after the [Kunming] talks.”

The Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, one of the groups making up the Three Brotherhood Alliance, captured Laukkai city in Kokang’s Self-Administered Zone when more than 1,000 junta troops surrendered on Jan. 4 

Although the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army sent the surrendering troops back to Lashio, some who were separated from the main group may have initiated the attack, military observers said.

Both the alliance and regime announced their public agreement to the ceasefire on Friday.

According to the agreement, all parties involved would immediately cease fighting in their current locations. Starting Friday, the Three Brotherhood Alliance agreed to refrain from attacks on cities and junta camps. Regime forces similarly committed to halting airstrikes and other heavy weapons attacks.

However, tensions still run high. When the Kachin Independence Army launched an attack on a Kutkai military base Sunday night, the junta Defense Service released a statement claiming the Three Brotherhood Alliance’s Ta’ang National Liberation Army was involved. 

Despite the ceasefire, the alliance is still preparing for future battles, claiming in a statement released Sunday that the regime is launching an offensive that began on Saturday. The statement added the junta is also responsible for airstrikes and heavy weapons attacks in Mongmit, Kutkai, and Kyaukme townships after the ceasefire agreement.

RFA called Shan state junta spokesperson Khun Thein Maung and national junta spokesperson Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun for more information on these accusations, but calls went unanswered Wednesday.

According to data compiled by RFA, in the more than two months since Operation 1027 launched on Oct. 27 to Friday’s ceasefire, the alliance captured 15 cities in northern Shan state.

Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Mike Firn.


This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By RFA Burmese.

]]> https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/myanmar-ceasefire-breaks-down-01172024054526.html/feed/ 0 452421 What role did China play in a rebel group’s victory in northern Myanmar? https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/conflict-01162024171117.html https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/conflict-01162024171117.html#respond Tue, 16 Jan 2024 22:29:21 +0000 https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/conflict-01162024171117.html When the Three Brotherhood Alliance of rebel groups in Myanmar started a campaign against junta forces in the northern part of the country they chose a slogan designed to win support from a fourth potential ally: China.

“Wipe out the scammers, rescue our compatriots,” the group declared in the message. 

China, which shares a border with Kokang, a region in Shan state in northern Myanmar, had expressed increasing frustration with organized crime rings that had been allowed to operate in the area by junta-aligned forces. An estimated 120,000 people are being held in Myanmar against their will. Chinese nationals have both been trafficked by these groups and fleeced by them. 

The Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army – which along with the Ta'ang National Liberation Army and the Arakan Army make up the Alliance – had tried and failed twice before to retake the region. This time, however, Kokang’s capital of Laukkai fell into rebel hands on Jan. 4. 

Since then, China has played a clear role in mediating a truce between the two sides. But the initial success of the rebel campaign has led analysts to speculate that it had, in fact, received Chinese backing. 

China’s leaders may have sought to kill "two birds with one stone,” according to Deng Yuwen, a political commentator and former journalist  – strengthening China’s position in the region while removing the destabilizing threat presented by the scam compounds.

"The Chinese government can use the scamming operations as a way to secretly support local forces … and control the area that way," Deng said. 

"They solve the scamming problem and cultivate bold agents of the Chinese state at the same time," he said, meaning China believes the new leaders of Kokang will better reflect its interests. 

ENG_CHN_ChinaMyanmarAnalysis.2.jpg
Chinese police arrest Chinese nationals allegedly involved in online scamming operations in Myanmar, Dec. 10, 2023. (Kokang officials)

A ‘king’ and a coup

Kokang has long been in China’s orbit, and many of its residents are ethnically Chinese. In the mid-20th century, Kokang served as a base for Myanmar communists. 

With the collapse of the Communist Party of Burma in 1989, local warlord Peng Jiasheng – whose nickname was "the king of Kokang” – switched his allegiance to the junta. The military granted the region autonomy and allowed Peng to keep his military presence in the area, though China remained an important patron. 

In 2009, Peng was ousted in a coup led by his second-in-command, Bai Suocheng, who consolidated his family's control over the state. Bai allowed government troops to be stationed in Kokang for the first time while residents were granted Myanmar nationality. 

Bai offered sanctuary to criminal groups in return for huge payouts that also benefited the junta. Eventually, massive, organized scam operations began to thrive in Kokang.

China pushes back

Last year, the Chinese government appeared fed up. In August, it took part in a joint operation with Myanmar and Thailand targeting the scam centers.

Over the intervening months, more than 40,000 Chinese nationals were arrested in Shan state for involvement with online scams, according to data collected by RFA. 

A number of powerful Kokang business people were arrested at a trade fair in China in October, and in November, Beijing issued arrest warrants for a well-connected Kokang politician and three family members on allegations of masterminding an online scam ring. 

ENG_CHN_ChinaMyanmarAnalysis.3.jpg
China’s Ministry of Public Security issued arrest warrants for 10 people, including the former chairman of the Kokang self-administered region, Bai Suocheng [top row, first left], his son Bai Yingcang [top row, second left] and his daughter Bai Yinglan [top row, third left]. (The Kokang)

On Dec. 10, China's Ministry of Public Security put out another wanted list, naming 10 individuals in connection with the scams, including Bai Suocheng, his grown children and a few junta officials.

The move not only showed Beijing’s growing impatience with Myanmar's handling of the scam rings, but signaled that China favored leaders in Kokang more closely aligned with its national interests.

The prince’s plans

After he had been dethroned as the king of Kokang, Peng Jiasheng resurfaced as the leader of the MNDAA, fighting Myanmar forces on occasion without significant success.

When he died in 2022, his son, Peng Denren, took over and immediately made plans to reclaim control of his father’s lost territory. The Alliance launched “Operation 1027” – so-called for the on Oct. 27, 2023, date – offensive against Myanmar military strongholds in northern Myanmar.

Even though the Alliance remained outnumbered by government troops, the rebel forces scored several significant victories early on. Its soldiers have since seized more than 300 military bases, around a dozen towns, and won control of several key trade routes with the neighboring Chinese province of Yunnan.

ENG_CHN_ChinaMyanmarAnalysis.4.jpg
Members of the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army walk past a Myanmar military base after seizing it during clashes near Laukkaing township in Myanmar’s northern Shan state, Oct. 28, 2023. (Kokang Information Network/AFP)

Suspicion over ‘foreign’ experts

Myanmar's junta chief in November claimed that the ethnic-minority armed groups were getting outside assistance, according to a report by Agence France-Presse. 

He said the rebels had been using "drones with advanced technology" to attack junta positions and were aided by "foreign drone experts," although he didn’t specify which country they came from.

Li Jiawen, a spokesman for the MNDAA, denied the offensive was aided by the Chinese. "The situation we have today is the result of nearly 70 years of tyranny by the junta," Li said.

Even China’s tacit approval of the operation is important, Yun Sun, the director of the China Program at the Stimson Center, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank, said in an interview with RFA.

“The biggest support that China has lended to this organization is to not stop them,” she said. 

Rebel forces were able to retreat over the border to avoid junta artillery barrages. China allowed the flow of money and goods in Shan state that helped to sustain the rebels to continue, Sun said. 

And there was likely a psychological effect: The morale of junta forces would have suffered when they realized the difficulty of sustaining control of the area without China’s approval.

“The fact that China did not stop them carries a lot of currency,” she said. “It sends a message … that China is not completely happy with the junta at this time.” 

China mediates

Beijing has indicated that its chief priority in Myanmar is stability, which has meant supporting the junta in the broader struggle for control of the country. 

“China's position is very clear,” ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said in a late December press conference. “China will not support any party in provoking trouble. A ceasefire and negotiation are in the interests of all relevant parties in Myanmar and will also help maintain peace on the China-Myanmar border.”

After a stray missile landed in a Chinese border town in Yunnan – injuring three Chinese citizens and prompting a strong rebuke from Beijing – China's vice foreign minister, Sun Weidong, flew to Myanmar on Jan. 4. He met with junta leader Min Aung Hlaing and held talks with his Myanmar counterpart, Lun Wu, about the situation in northern Myanmar.

ENG_CHN_ChinaMyanmarAnalysis.5.jpg
Ta'ang National Liberation Army fighters prepare to launch a drone during an attack on the Myanmar military’s camp in Namhsan township in Myanmar's northern Shan State, Dec. 12, 2023. (AFP)

On the day of Sun's arrival, the junta announced it would transfer control of the Kokang Autonomous Region headquarters to the MNDAA. 

The months-long struggle for Laukkai had come to an end.

“The formal cessation of hostilities began two days ago,” MNDAA’s Li Jiawen told RFA on Jan. 6. “You could still hear some artillery sounds on Jan. 5, but as of today, the artillery has stopped.”

Videos provided by sources close to the MNDAA show Myanmar military personnel, with the Myanmar flag on their chests, handing over weapons and ammunition to the MNDAA before lining up for withdrawal. Kokang chairman and junta Brig. Gen. Tun Tun Myint engaged in what appeared to be friendly conversations with his recent enemies.

The analyst Deng Yuwen said the scene might be an example of junta realpolitik: concede a hard-to-defend territory and appease a powerful neighbor in the process. 

“This place still needs to develop its economy before it can finally be safe,” Deng said. “If the economy doesn't grow, other issues will arise over time ... which China doesn't want to see.”

Scam crackdown

The MNDAA emphasizes the restoration of law and order in laying out its plans for Laukkai. Li Jiawen said that efforts to crack down on scam operations are ongoing, while most members of the Bai family and their associates have fled to Myanmar's capital.

“Telecommunications fraud in Laukkai has been largely eliminated, with only a small number of remnants,” Li said. “We will continue to investigate and completely root out telecommunications fraud.”

ENG_CHN_ChinaMyanmarAnalysis.6.JPG
Smoke spreads following a missile strike in Nansan, Yunnan province, China, Image released Jan. 3, 2024. (Image from video obtained by Reuters)

He also expressed gratitude to China: “This has definitely been fruitful, and China's mediation and involvement will continue in our negotiations with the Myanmar military. I believe that, under the vigorous mediation of the Chinese government, we will have a favorable outcome to those, too.”

The junta military meanwhile seems intent on getting back on China’s good side. 

After Taiwanese voters backed a political party that supports an independent Taiwan in the recent presidential race, the junta issued a statement declaring its commitment to a “one China policy.”

Myanmar’s military rulers oppose “any separatist activities aimed at ‘Taiwan independence’ and foreign interference in the internal affairs of other states,” the junta said in the statement.

Additional reporting by RFA Burmese. Translated by Luisetta Mudie and edited by Jim Snyder and Abby Seiff.


This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By Song Danyang for RFA Mandarin.

]]> https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/conflict-01162024171117.html/feed/ 0 452322 Northern Kosovo Residents No Longer Have Free Electricity, Endangering Local Cryptocurrency Mining https://www.radiofree.org/2024/01/16/northern-kosovo-residents-no-longer-have-free-electricity-endangering-local-cryptocurrency-mining/ https://www.radiofree.org/2024/01/16/northern-kosovo-residents-no-longer-have-free-electricity-endangering-local-cryptocurrency-mining/#respond Tue, 16 Jan 2024 10:02:41 +0000 http://www.radiofree.org/?guid=bace2d60e6499b1e81927ae8ac5952b4
This content originally appeared on Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and was authored by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2024/01/16/northern-kosovo-residents-no-longer-have-free-electricity-endangering-local-cryptocurrency-mining/feed/ 0 452132 Baghdad Recalls Ambassador After Iran Strikes Northern Iraq, Stoking Fears Of Regional Instability https://www.radiofree.org/2024/01/16/baghdad-recalls-ambassador-after-iran-strikes-northern-iraq-stoking-fears-of-regional-instability/ https://www.radiofree.org/2024/01/16/baghdad-recalls-ambassador-after-iran-strikes-northern-iraq-stoking-fears-of-regional-instability/#respond Tue, 16 Jan 2024 06:50:57 +0000 https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-strikes-iraq-kurds-syria/32776135.html More than 6,000 kilometers from Tehran, in treacherous waters off the shores of Singapore, a "dark fleet" of oil tankers waits to offload the precious cargo that helps keep Iran's economy afloat -- a dependency that could also sink it.

The fleet has grown steadily over the past five years, delivering Iranian crude to China as the countries work in concert to circumvent international sanctions that target Tehran's lucrative oil exports. But while the clandestine trade has buoyed Iran's budget, it also comes at tremendous cost and risk to Tehran.

Iran gives China a hefty discount to take its banned oil, taking 12 to 15 percent off the price of each barrel to make it worthwhile for Beijing to take on the liability of skirting sanctions, according to research by the data analysis unit of RFE/RL's Radio Farda.

Additional costs add up as well: ship-to-ship operations to offload the oil, middlemen, hidden-money transfers, and rebranding the oil to mask its Iranian origin and make it appear to come from a third country, said Dalga Khatinoglu, an expert on Iranian energy issues.

Altogether, said Khatinoglu, who contributes to Radio Farda's data analysis unit, Iran's budget figures and official statements indicate that 30 percent of the country's potential oil revenue was wasted last year.

And with the draft budget for the next fiscal year currently being debated by the Iranian parliament, there are no guarantees that Tehran's bet on quenching China's thirst for oil will continue to be a panacea.

With Iran almost entirely dependent on Beijing to take its oil and on other entities to facilitate the trade, Tehran has managed to inject desperately needed revenue into its economy. But Iran has also put itself at risk of seeing its main revenue stream dry up.

"There's definitely an extent to which Tehran has become more dependent on the likes of China or those who would be willing to deal with Iran in spite of Western sanctions," said Spencer Vuksic, a director of the consultancy firm Castellum, which closely tracks international sanctions regimes.

Vuksic said Iran is "definitely put in a weak position by having to depend on a single external partner who's willing to deal with and engage with Tehran."

Oily Deficit

Iran has trumpeted its foreign trade, claiming in December that oil revenue had contributed to a positive trade balance for the first eight months of the year.

But the oil and gas sector, by far the largest part of the Iranian economy, will not be enough to save the current budget of around $45 billion that was approved last year.

The Iranian fiscal year, which follows the Persian calendar and will end in March, is expected to result in a major deficit. In presenting the draft budget to parliament in December, President Ebrahim Raisi acknowledged a $10 billion deficit.

But the shortfall could be much higher -- up to $13.5 billion, the largest in Iran's history -- by the end of the fiscal year, according to Radio Farda. This is because data shows that just half of the expected oil revenues were realized, in part due to lower than expected oil prices and additional costs and discounts related to Tehran's oil trade with China.

Whereas the budget expectations were based on oil being sold at $85 per barrel, the price of crude dipped below $75 per barrel in December and has fluctuated wildly recently amid concerns that tensions in the Middle East could disrupt shipping and production.

An Iranian oil platform in the Persian Gulf (file photo)
An Iranian oil platform in the Persian Gulf (file photo)

And while Iran expected to export 1.5 million barrels of oil per day (bpd), it exported only 1.2 million bpd in the first eight months of the year, according to Radio Farda.

Altogether, Radio Farda estimates that Iran lost some $15 million per day in potential revenue through its trade with China, which accounts for more than 40 percent of the Iranian budget.

For the upcoming budget of about $49 billion, expectations for domestic and foreign oil revenue have dipped by 3 percent, according to Khatinoglu, even as the projected budget itself has risen by about 18 percent.

Accounting for the fluctuation of global oil prices, which fell far short of the average estimated for the current year, the peg has been lowered to $71 per barrel. Tehran is also expecting lower oil-export volumes -- which only briefly met forecasts of 1.5 million bpd, the highest levels seen since 2018 -- with only 1.35 million bpd forecast.

Iran is reportedly expected to plug the gap left by the lower oil revenue by increasing taxes on wealthy individuals and businesses, while Khatinoglu says Tehran will try to boost revenue by raising domestic energy prices.

Shipping Competition

Adding to the uncertainty of Iran's finances is the potential for weaker Chinese demand for its oil and competition from Russia which, like Tehran, sends banned oil to Beijing.

And international sanctions are continuously evolving to punish countries and entities that foster Iran's illegal oil trade, threatening to capsize the dark fleet that helps sustain Tehran's so-called resistance economy.

On the other hand, the mercurial nature of oil price fluctuations and demand could work to Iran's advantage. With Venezuelan oil no longer under sanctions, Russia is left as the only competitor for clandestine oil sales to China.

And Iran's capacity to export oil is greater than ever, allowing it to more easily sell its oil to Beijing when demand is high.

This is largely due to the considerable expansion of the global "dark fleet" of oil since crippling U.S. sanctions targeting Iran's oil exports were restored after the United States unilaterally withdrew in 2018 from the Iran nuclear deal that has been agreed with six world powers.

The deal, known formally as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), offered sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on Tehran's controversial nuclear program. After the deal went into effect in January 2016, Iran more than doubled its legal oil exports in a few months, eventually reaching a high of 1.54 million bpd in 2018.

But with the U.S. withdrawal from the deal and subsequent reintroduction of sanctions that year, Iranian oil exports plummeted. And after the exceptions granted to a handful of countries -- including China -- that were allowed to continue to import Iranian oil expired in 2019, Iranian oil exports slowed to a trickle.

This was partly because Iran was not equipped to export its oil and had no immediate customers willing to defy the sanctions. But that changed with the fine-tuning of Iran’s efforts to defy sanctions, the fivefold rise in the number of dark-fleet tankers, and China's willingness to take the risk of doing business with Tehran -- although Beijing has not acknowledged unregistered imports of Iranian oil.

Today the dark fleet of often aging ships -- nearly half of them VLCCs (very large crude carriers) -- has risen to up to 1,000 vessels, according to Vortexa, which tracks international shipping. Many smaller ships are involved in Russian oil exports, which account for about 80 percent of all opaque tanker activity. But Iran had access to nearly 200 tankers, many of them supertankers, as of early 2023, according to Vortexa.

More than 20 ships, 13 of them VLCCs, joined the Iranian fleet in 2023, Vortexa reported in June, contributing to record-high Iranian oil exports under sanctions.

Vortexa attributed the rise to increased Chinese demand, the addition of the new tankers to shuttle Iranian oil after many had switched to shipping Russian oil, and the decline of Iranian inventories drawn down to boost exports amid heightened competition with Russia for the Chinese market.

While Chinese demand for Iranian oil slowed in October, Vortexa noted in a subsequent report, Washington’s removal of oil sanctions on Venezuela that month opened the possibility of higher demand for Iranian oil.

Uncertain Waters

In an October report, the global trade intelligence firm Kpler explained that tankers illegally shipping Iranian oil commonly "go dark" upon entering the Persian Gulf by turning off their transponders, technically known as the automatic identification system (AIS). After visiting Iran's main oil terminal on Kharg Island or other ports, they then reemerge after a few days indicating they are carrying a full load.

From there, the ships offload the oil with ship-to-ship transfers that take place in unauthorized zones, mostly in the Singapore Straits. Eventually the oil, rebranded as coming from Malaysia or Middle Eastern countries, enters China, where it is processed by more than 40 independent "teapot" refiners that have little exposure to international sanctions or the global financial system.

Sanctions Revisited

The challenge for those trying to halt the illicit trade in Iranian oil as a way to hold Tehran accountable for its secretive nuclear activities and dire human rights record, is how to make the negatives of dealing with Iran greater than the financial benefits.

That has put the illicit seaborne trade of oil -- both Iranian and Russian, owing to the ongoing war in Ukraine -- under greater scrutiny by the international community.

"There's continuous refining of the sanctions programs to include and expand sanctions against those involved in evasion, and that includes sanctioning so-called dark fleets," said Castellum’s Vuksic, noting that the number of targeted sanctions against Iranian individuals and entities rose by more than 1,000 last year.

A tanker is photographed by satellite taking on Iranian oil in Asia.
A tanker is photographed by satellite taking on Iranian oil in Asia.

The big question is enforcement, an issue that is being debated in the United States and other countries and is leading to increased calls for countries like Panama to de-flag illegal tankers and for countries to clamp down on dark-fleet ships anchored off their shores.

"My expectation is that governments, including the United States, will take action against these dark fleets, especially the facilitators and the [ship] owners when they're identified," Vuksic told RFE/RL.

Other factors, including concerns about the impact of a broader Middle East conflict potentially involving Iran, could also hurt or help Iran's financial standing.

As Kpler noted while reporting that Chinese imports of Iranian oil had dropped significantly in October, the changing global landscape can have a big effect on the independent Shandong-base refineries that purchase Iranian oil.

"Middle East tensions/threat of stricter enforcement of U.S. sanctions may have turned Shandong refiners more risk-adverse," the global trade intelligence firm wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

In the past week, supply fears also exposed the volatility of global crude prices, potentially to Iran's benefit.

Oil prices rose sharply on January 2 on news that Iran had sent a frigate to the Red Sea and was rejecting calls to end support for attacks by Tehran-backed Huthi rebels that have disrupted shipping in the important trade route.

Prices surged again following the deadly January 3 bombing attack in Iran, for which the Islamic State militant group has claimed responsibility.

But the week ended with questions about the future of Iran's cut-rate deal with the only country willing to help prop up its economy, with Reuters reporting that China's oil trade with Iran had stalled after Tehran withheld supplies and demanded higher prices.


This content originally appeared on News - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty and was authored by News - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2024/01/16/baghdad-recalls-ambassador-after-iran-strikes-northern-iraq-stoking-fears-of-regional-instability/feed/ 0 452682 Civilians bear brunt of attacks in northern Sagaing region https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/sagaing-attacks-01102024152704.html https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/sagaing-attacks-01102024152704.html#respond Wed, 10 Jan 2024 20:45:23 +0000 https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/sagaing-attacks-01102024152704.html More than 400 civilians clustered in four townships in northwestern Myanmar’s Sagaing region have been killed over the past two years by airstrikes, artillery fire, landmines and murder by junta troops, according to data compiled by Radio Free Asia. 

Sagaing emerged early on as a hotbed of armed resistance following the military’s takeover in a February 2021 coup d'état and has remained so nearly three years later with armed conflicts occurring almost every day between rebels groups and junta troops.

Breaking down the four townships, some 265 people were killed in Kanbalu, 51 in Katha, 44 in Tigyaing and 33 in Indaw, information from witnesses, locals, and media releases by rights groups and resistance groups indicated. 

The largest death toll came during an April 2023 aerial attack on Kanbalu’s Pa Zi Gyi village.

In the past three months, fierce fighting between local People’s Defense Forces and junta soldiers has erupted in Tigyaing.

The Tigyaing Revolution Force, an armed resistance group, announced on Dec. 22 that the junta had conducted at least 150 airstrikes in the area.

Three people were killed by airstrikes on Jan. 3, said a member of the Tigyaing People's Defense Force who did not want to be named.

“They attacked the civilians’ homes, [and] three homes were destroyed,” he told RFA. “Three civilians were killed, and four were injured. From the very beginning, almost 30 people have been killed by airstrikes.”

Intensifying violence

In Kanbalu township, before the Pa Zi Gyi village incident, junta soldiers abducted and killed 14 civilians in 2022, and torched about 500 houses in Kyi Su village, killing 10 local residents last July 18 and 19, said a resident, who did not want to be named for fear of his safety.

“People lost their lives in various ways,” he said. “The worst situation was in November 2022 when there was a mass killing of 14 people in Koe Taung Boet village tract. It was the worst incident apart from the air attack.”

An official from the Katha township People's Defense Force, or PDF, who declined to be named for the same reason, said clashes with junta troops intensified in the second half of 2023, as the number of resistance forces in the area increased. 

“So, they [the junta troops] burned more houses and killed more people,” he said. “In 2023, people could be killed on sight.”

Seven civilians were killed and more than 30 wounded in a Myanmar junta airstrike on Moe Dar Gyi village, Sagaing region, after a ceremony for Buddhist novitiates on Jan. 18, 2023. (Katha Revolution – IR)
Seven civilians were killed and more than 30 wounded in a Myanmar junta airstrike on Moe Dar Gyi village, Sagaing region, after a ceremony for Buddhist novitiates on Jan. 18, 2023. (Katha Revolution – IR)

Seven residents were killed, and more than 30 were wounded when two junta fighter jets dropped bombs on Katha’s Moe Dar Gyi village after a Buddhist novitiation ceremony — a coming-of-age rite for boys under 20 who are joining a monastery — on Jan. 18, 2023. 

Then on Sept. 17 of last year, seven civilians from Toke Gyi village in Katha township were arrested and killed by junta soldiers.

Junta troops also captured and shot dead villagers in Indaw township, whom they accused of having ties to PDFs, said an official from the Indaw PDF.

“In Kyaung Kone [village], they saw something on their phones while they were checking and beat them to death,” he said. “A group of eight people were also killed because they were relatives of PDF members.”

Worst violence

Kyaw Zaw, spokesman for the President’s Office of the shadow National Unity Government, confirmed that the most civilian killings occurred in Sagaing region.

“Mass killings occurred all over Myanmar, and the most incidents took place in Sagaing,” he said. 

“After the start of Operation 1027, the terrorist junta increased attacks on civilians,” he added, referring to a series of simultaneous attacks by an alliance of three ethnic armies that began last Oct. 27 in multiple towns in northern Shan state.

Sai Naing Naing Kyaw, Sagaing region’s ethnic affairs minister and junta spokesman, told RFA that he could not comment on the situation because he was traveling. 

The junta is oppressing civilians more and more to maintain power, said a spokesman for Kachin Human Rights Watch, who asked to be identified only by his first name Jacob for fear of being arrested by junta soldiers.

“Currently, civilians are being killed unjustly in Sagaing region,” he told RFA. “This is a violation of human rights.”

Translated by Htin Aung Kyaw for RFA Burmese. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Malcom Foster.


This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By RFA Burmese.

]]> https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/sagaing-attacks-01102024152704.html/feed/ 0 450898 Junta helicopter shot down by anti-junta force in northern Myanmar https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/junta-helicopter-down-01032024054343.html https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/junta-helicopter-down-01032024054343.html#respond Wed, 03 Jan 2024 10:44:00 +0000 https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/junta-helicopter-down-01032024054343.html A junta helicopter has been shot down in Waingmaw township of Myanmar’s northern Kachin State by an anti-junta Kachin Independence Army, or KIA, on Wednesday afternoon, according to a KIA spokesperson.

The helicopter was leaving the township after delivering supplies to the Nar Hpawt junta military camp in the area before it was shot down, and the KIA is currently investigating further details, Col. Naw Bu, KIA’s information officer, told Radio Free Asia on Wednesday. 

“I can confirm that the helicopter has crashed, and it was our front line that fired upon it. But it is not fully known whether it crashed due to a technical defect or our attack,” said Naw Bu. 

“Now the reports from the ground said that the junta council’s jets are hovering around the site where the helicopter crashed. And the locals said that air strikes are being conducted near the location.”

The specifics regarding the type of helicopter that crashed, the number of people on board, and any casualties are still unknown, Naw Bu added. 

Local residents in nearby village Nam Sang Yang told RFA that they witnessed a military helicopter descending slowly in an upside-down position, while emitting smoke.

One resident said that he observed a military helicopter plummeting in a burst of smoke near Nam Sang Yang village, shortly before noon on Wednesday.

“It [the helicopter] was shot at around 11.50 a.m. Two helicopters came to drop supplies and one was hit when it took off after completing the delivery. It crashed near a hill not far from Nam Sang Yang village,” said the resident. 

Junta’s Nar Hpawt camp is located in the area under the control of the KIA Brigade(5), which is defending KIA’s headquarters in nearby Laizar city.

RFA was unable to reach junta spokesman Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun for comments about the helicopter.

According to weapons experts, the Myanmar Air Force is utilizing Russian-made military helicopters for both transport and combat purposes. 

Activists group Justice For Myanmar revealed that Sky Aviator Company Limited, known for its ties to the military leadership, acquired these helicopters from Russia in 2019.

Edited by Taejun Kang and Elaine Chan.


This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By RFA Burmese.

]]> https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/junta-helicopter-down-01032024054343.html/feed/ 0 449175 Myanmar junta kills 7-year-old in northern airstrike https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/sagaing-airstrike-arson-12222023051338.html https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/sagaing-airstrike-arson-12222023051338.html#respond Fri, 22 Dec 2023 10:16:00 +0000 https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/sagaing-airstrike-arson-12222023051338.html

A junta airstrike on a village in Myanmar’s northern Sagaing region killed a seven-year-old girl, residents told Radio Free Asia Friday.

The Dec. 16 attack on Paungbyin township’s Kha Maing (West) also claimed the life of an adult woman.

Separately on Thursday, a helicopter attack killed 30-year-old Kyaw Soe, and injured five other civilians in Paungbyin’s Tha Yau, according to a local village administrator who wished to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals.

“A monastic school building, a market, the road, the soccer field and a highway station were shot at,” he said.

“It took only 25 minutes, but the helicopter turned around twice and continued firing. People were not aware and were calm because there had been no fighting.

“People are in shock. Women and children are very scared. People didn’t have time to dodge and were shot as soon as they heard the sound of the helicopter.”

The injured are being treated by the humanitarian team of Paungbyin People’s Administration Group, he said.

38894149-a626-418d-9a11-a9011fff7a4d.jpeg
Destroyed homes in Nyaung Pin Te village, Chaung-U township, Sagaing region, Dec 21, 2023. (Citizen journalist) 

In another attack Thursday, junta troops raided Nyaung Pin Te village in Sagaing’s Chaung-U township, killing a local man and burning nearly 120 houses down – nearly half the homes in the village – residents told RFA.

The body of 55-year-old Zaw Win was found on Thursday evening after troops left the village, according to a villager who didn’t want to be named for safety reasons.

“He was brutally killed. Only half of his head is left,” he said.

“The junta troops burnt the houses in the village for three days. Yesterday … troops torched four places in the village, and took the village rice which was recently harvested at the end of the rainy season.”

Troops took 2,000 baskets of rice and 50 bags of fertilizer from the village and slaughtered 10 cattle, he said.

Locals said the column of around 100 soldiers from Chaung-U abducted about 80 civilians but released them when they returned to base. They said the villagers were used as human shields because troops feared they would be intercepted by People’s Defense Forces along the route.

RFA called the junta’s Sagaing region spokesman Sai Naing Naing Kyaw about the incidents but he said he had no information about them because he had been traveling.

Although many villagers returned after the troops left, around 1,400 residents of Nyaung Pin Te village are too afraid to go home, locals told RFA.

Across Myanmar more than 2.6 million people have fled the fighting according to the United Nations.

Data for Myanmar, an independent research group, announced on Dec 13, that more than 77,000 homes had been burned down since the Feb. 01, 2021 coup.

Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Mike Firn and Taejun Kang.


This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By RFA Burmese.

]]> https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/sagaing-airstrike-arson-12222023051338.html/feed/ 0 447399 Politics and Travel in Northern Ireland with People Before Profit https://www.radiofree.org/2023/12/15/politics-and-travel-in-northern-ireland-with-people-before-profit/ https://www.radiofree.org/2023/12/15/politics-and-travel-in-northern-ireland-with-people-before-profit/#respond Fri, 15 Dec 2023 06:55:02 +0000 https://www.counterpunch.org/?p=307733 Many people are aware that I spent eleven days in Ireland in early October. I was invited by the organizers of the People Before Profit (PBP) to speak at their Think Left conference in Derry and was later added to their All That’s Left conference in Belfast. I did workshops on the U.S. labor movement, More

The post Politics and Travel in Northern Ireland with People Before Profit appeared first on CounterPunch.org.

]]>

Photo by Joe Allen.

Many people are aware that I spent eleven days in Ireland in early October. I was invited by the organizers of the People Before Profit (PBP) to speak at their Think Left conference in Derry and was later added to their All That’s Left conference in Belfast. I did workshops on the U.S. labor movement, the far right, and a night time welcoming panel in Belfast with other speakers, including TD Paul Murphy. Here’s a report on my impressions of the PBP and some comments on the general political situation in Ireland, which is potentially on the cusp of major political changes. Talk of a new Ireland is in the air, including the possibility of a united Ireland, despite the huge obstacles that remain in the way. The Gaza crisis also broke while I was there.

People Before Profit

People Before Profit (PBP) is an all-Ireland party, an alliance of several socialist organizations, though people can join individually. Comrades in the Socialist Workers Network, an affiliate of the International Socialist Tendency (IST) are the heart of the PBP. Its media outlet is Rebel and its theoretical magazine is the Irish Marxist Review (IMR). The late John Molyneux explained the history and the political strategy of PBP in the IMR, available here. Though PBP had suffered some electoral reversals on the local level last year, it still retains four Teachta Dála (TDs) or deputies, including such nationally known figures as Richard Boy Barrett and Bríd Smith, in the Irish Parliament or the Dáil Éireann. There is rarely a week that goes by where either one of them is not quoted, interviewed by a major media outlet or gives a major speech in the Dáil.

I can’t think of any other group associated in the past or present with the IST that has achieved the electoral successes of the PBP, while maintaining their revolutionary socialist principles, including what had been its largest affiliate, the British Socialist Workers Party (SWP). A few IST affiliates and former groups have done some electoral work, but none have achieved what PBP has, so far. The only thing comparable in the U.S. is Socialist Alternative’s Kshama Sawant, who is not running for reelection, during her decade-long tenure as a Seattle City Councilwoman. I can’t think of any DSAer that can compete with her record.

Ireland is a country where the long legacy of British imperialism still shapes the politics of the country. It remains a partitioned country where the six counties of the north remain part of the UK, while the twenty-six counties of the south made up the Republic. While it is still an island where two currencies prevail, the border that divides the country is nearly non-existent due to the Good Friday Agreement. Travelling north by bus to Derry from Dublin airport, the only way you know that you’ve entered Northern Ireland is the Union Jacks and Loyalist paraphernalia put up by Loyalist gangs at the former border checkpoints, that are now all gone from what I could tell.

The countryside was in many ways what you would expect it to be, a lot of sheep farming because of meat and wool exports. It was incredibly lush given the wet climate but climate change has begun to have an impact. The weakening of the Gulf Stream may mean harsher winters in Ireland. I was struck by the effort by the Loyalist gangs to display their flags and banners throughout the countryside. I was told by comrades these were clearing meant to signal who was welcome in these villages and who was not. It was very common to see Presbyterian churches, Orange Order lodges, along with well-kept up Presbyterian cemeteries all along the way until you got to the outskirts of Derry.

Derry

I spent most of my time in Derry, where the PBP has a vibrant presence. Long time ISO member Shaun Harkin, for example, is the PBP councilor for the Foyleside on the forty-member Derry City/Strabane District  Council. There are few campaigns that go on without some PBP participation. Derry is the most political city I’ve ever been to. I’m not a global trotter by any measure but I’ve lived in several American cities with radical histories, visited London, Barcelona, and Melbourne. None compare to Derry.

It has gained worldwide attention in recent years due to the Derry Girls series streamed on Netflix, which has proved to be a boon to its tourist trade. Despite its small size, roughly the same size as Waukegan, Illinois, it has played a huge role in Irish politics. Derry was the birthplace of the modern civil rights movement, where the Battle of Bogside and Bloody Sunday took place. Its proud history is memorialized everywhere with murals, monuments, and museums. Our longstanding comrade and lifelong Derry resident, Eamonn McCann, chronicled its history in his classic book War and an Irish Town.

The Think Left conference began on October 5th with a memorial walk for the late Dermie McClenaghan, one the founding activists of the civil rights movement in Derry. Eamonn McCann spoke movingly about his friend Dermie that he had known since he was eleven years old. The walk began with about one hundred people at the Waterside Train Station, proceeded across the Peace Bridge to the Free Derry Monument and finished at the ornate Guild Hall. The walk drove home to me that Derry felt like our city, a Catholic/Nationalist city with a long history of labor and socialist politics. The Loyalist section is fairly small and has little impact on the politics of Derry.

Later that night the PBP organized ‘Liquid Gold, the true cost of water privatisation‘. It was chaired by former PBP Derry City and Strabane District Councillor, Maeve O’Neill and featured Feargal Sharkey, the former front man for the Undertones, Derry’s famed home town, post-punk band, in conversation with Eamonn McCann. Sharkey, a long time record executive, has made a name for himself as a campaigner for clean rivers and against water privatization. Lough Neough (pronounced “Lock Nay”) is the largest lake in Ireland and supplies over 40% of the water supply across the island, and was the center of the discussion The Lough is under duress from many angles. I’d say over 200 people attended the lively meeting.

To get an idea of what Feargal Sharkey is like, here’s the link to  a short interview he did from three weeks ago. The Undertones, despite the acrimonious breakup of the band, are the only real cultural rivals to the Derry Girls. When Fergal’s father Jim died in 2014, hundreds attended his funeral, including Dermie  McClenaghan, who told those gathered that, “Jim was a Labour man, was a member of the ETU (Electrical Trades Union) and the Old Derry Labour Party. He supported Labour politics all his life and also marched with the Civil Rights movement in the city in the late sixties.” The continued popularity of the Undertones can be seen here with 700 Derry school kids singing “Teenage Kicks.”

The rest of the conference was held at St. Columbs Hall, an important meeting place since it was built in 1886. Many of the conference workshops would be familiar to us: growing inequality, gender based violence, attacks on immigrants, the growth of the far right, and Palestine. But, there were others that are very specific to Ireland, not surprisingly. The Why the Irish language Belongs to All was really interesting, the panel included people from a broad range of backgrounds, including speakers who come from a Unionist family and PBP member and former council candidate Darragh Taiwo Adelaide. The PBP position on the Irish language movement is available here.

Overall, I’d say about 500 people attended the entire Think Left conference. I could help but notice that there was very little overlap between workshops. It was like they drew from different audiences, except for the jam packed meeting with Palestinian poet Mohammed El-Kurd soon after Hamas launched their attack. I spoke on the struggle against the Far Right and what’s happening with the U.S. labor movement with Niall McCarroll, the current chair of the Derry Trades Council, and Nuala Crilly, both are members of the PBP. I was surprised at the extensive and favorable reporting of the workshop by The Derry Journal, available here.

One small disappointment was that Bernadette Devlin McAliskey, one of the great heroes of the civil rights movement, tested positive for Covid and couldn’t participate in a panel called, “Can A New Ireland Be A Socialist Ireland.” The rest of the panelists did a good job. For those who haven’t read her autobiography The Price of My Soul, please make time to read it, you won’t be disappointed. It was written when she was a 22 year old member of the British Parliament. She’s a real hero of Derry with her image featured throughout the city.

Gaza Crisis

The Gaza crisis broke during the Derry Conference and has provided a big opportunity for PBP throughout Ireland. I was at a demonstration in Derry that began at the world famous “You are now entering Free Derry” monument and marched to the beautiful Guild Hall. Cosponsored by the PBP and the Irish Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC), it was an overwhelming working class demonstration that brought out the small Arab and Muslim community, a relatively new community of immigrants in Derry. There were about three hundred people on the first Gaza march, with speakers from the PBP, Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC), and contributions from individual Arab and Muslim speakers.

The history of Ireland and continued colonial status of the north deeply inform how people view the Palestinian struggle. After all, Ireland was England’s first colony and the model of settler colonialism pioneered there was carried throughout the world by them. The Ulster and Derry Plantations were models for Plymouth and Jamestown, as well as the Zionist settlement in Palestine. Remember the Balfour’s declaration purpose was to create a “loyal Jewish Ulster” on the Suez Canal? This means Palestinian flags are proudly displayed in Nationalist working class neighborhoods, while Israeli flags are flown in Loyalist Neighborhoods.

Familiar and different

For many Americans travelling to Ireland it is simultaneously a very different country from the U.S. and a familiar one. While Ireland has a strong connection to the United States due to two centuries of emigration, there are more direct links. Until it closed in 1977, the U.S. Navy had a base on the Foyle River in Derry where two generations of Irish women met their future husbands. Probably, the most famous was Brigid Sheils Makowski, who met her husband stationed there and moved to the U.S., but she returned to Ireland after the emergence of the Civil Rights Movement. Makowski rose eventually into the leadership of the Irish Republican Socialist Party (IRSP). Her life was recounted in Daughter of Derry: The Story of Brigid Sheils Makowski, available here.

Here are a few examples I encountered. One of the first comrades I first met off the bus in Derry told me that her sister married an American sailor and moved to Rockford, Illinois. Another comrade I met at Sandinos pub after a meeting asked me, “What that’s accent?” I told him I’m from Boston, and he rattled off where his uncle owned a pub in Quincy, and all the cities on the South Shore he’d worked in. I asked him, if that was an U.S. Army Airborne tattoo on his arm? He said, yes. “I joined up in 20002 when I was really broke.” It was like talking to a younger version of someone I went to high school with. Ordering a coffee one day, a Barista asked me where I was from? I said Boston. “Oh, my husband is from Boston.”

I was prepared for the American connection to Ireland to be a bit older and more frayed, yet it was young and alive. Outside of the Loyalist community, where at least the older generation thought all Americans were IRA supporters, Americans are viewed quite favorably in Ireland. Walking Derry’s City Walls one day, I looked at the landscape and it struck me how it reminded me of the New England mill towns of my youth. It was like looking into the past. But, Derry is very rooted in the present. Despite being in the far northwest corner of Europe, you never for a moment feel remote from the world.

Belfast

Travelling from Derry to Belfast was an unexpected treat. The two hour train trip took me through the lush countryside of small farms and villages, but then shot north along the coastline for some dramatic ocean vistas. Yet, there was one incident that reminded me that, despite the low to nearly non-existent visible police presence in Derry, the Orange state is never far away.  About an hour into the trip, four heavily armed cops marched through the carriage. It was very jarring. My first thought was, Who are they looking for? Apparently, no one in particular. A patch on their uniforms called them something like the “Traffic Safety Team” or something equally Orwellian. I felt pretty safe until they showed up.

Cruising along we stopped at Coleraine, which is the location of Northern Ireland’s second university campus built in the 1960s. It was another example of the historic discrimination against Derry. Stormont chose Loyalist Colerain not Derry, the North’s second largest city. Entering Belfast we passed by the giant cranes of the Harland and Wolff shipyards. They built the ill-fated Titanic. It was a reminder of Belfast’s past era as a world class shipbuilding center. The Derry-Belfast train dead-ended at Great Victoria Street, and you immediately felt you were in the big city. I was met by Brian Kelly, one of my oldest friends and a longstanding member of the International Socialist Organization (ISO) member. Brian’s been living and teaching in Northern Ireland for several decades and is a well-regarded historian.

Belfast is the Capital city where the dysfunctional Stormont, the Northern Ireland Assembly, is located and looms over the city center. The PBP’s Gerry Carroll is a Member of the Legislative Assembly or MLA. After putting my luggage away we walked through the city center to meet Brian’s daughter for lunch and we stumbled across a statue of the great abolitionist Frederick Douglass. I wasn’t expecting this. The statue was unveiled in July, and as BBC NI reported, “The city has become the first in Europe to honor Mr. Douglass with a statue. It is located at Rosemary Street, close to where he addressed crowds in 1845.” It’s a reminder that Belfast was not always a center of Orange/Loyalist reaction.

I was in Belfast for only a few days but I got a good feel for the city. Leaving the city center, you immediately feel that Belfast is a much tougher place than Derry. While the Good Friday Agreement (GFA) was welcomed by large majorities of the Catholic/Nationalist and Protestant/Loyalist communities because it largely ended the military conflict, the scars left by the war years, for me, meant that Belfast had a more mournful feel to large parts of it. I never felt “down” in Derry, but Belfast made me reflective of the cost of the struggle, despite Derry being the site of the Bloody Sunday Massacre. It’s also a funny thing how “The Troubles” have become a tourist attraction for Northern Ireland.

Traveling up and down the Falls Road in West Belfast, you still have “peace walls” or military grade fencing that separate Catholic and Protestant neighborhoods, though it has come down in many places. Murals adore the Falls Road where the Nationalist murals prominently display its heroes and martyrs, along with identifying with the historic figures of the African and African-American Freedom movements. Like in Derry, Palestinian flags are flown in Catholic/ Nationalist neighborhoods, including from apartment towers. While in the Protestant neighborhoods, Israeli flags and murals are prominent, along with displays of loyalty to the British Empire.

The struggle in Belfast had a more civil war like feeling, where the Loyalist violence was up close and personal. Memorial gardens were constructed by residents in Catholic neighborhoods in Belfast in the years following the GFA. I found them very moving. Here’s a few pics, available here and here. Brian introduced me to his friend Mike McCann, author of Burnt Out: How the Troubles’ Began. Mike works as an auto mechanic. In his student days at Queens he was told early on that he would never get a degree. They didn’t appreciate him challenging his professors who tried to blame the Troubles on the Catholic population and the Civil Rights Movement. I read a good chunk of his book on the flight home. It was fascinating and terrifying at the same time.

The first night I was  in Belfast, Gerry Carroll was on The Nolan Show, the highest rated program on BBC Northern Ireland, and known for its pro-Unionist slant, it is the equivalent of a Sean Hannity or Tucker Carlson show for an American audience. Gerry squared-off against Democratic Unionist Party’s (DUP) leader Edwin Poots. The DUP was founded by and led for decades by internationally known bigot, the late Ian Paisley. The Gaza crisis had just broken and the atmosphere was thick with hatred for anyone supportive of Palestine. I thought Gerry did a great job. A snippet of his appearance is available here. Shaun Harkin also had a successful appearance on The Nolan Show a week later.

Gerry’s appearance sparked one of  the Loyalist gangs to threaten to shut down All that’s Left conference, most comrades thought it was less that a gang would show up than the police and the Queen University administration would use it as an excuse to shut it down. Luckily, nothing came of it. I was able to squeeze in a visit Milltown cemetery, where many well-known Republican leaders and martyrs are buried, and the Connolly museum, which was great. Ironically, the Connolly Museum that has many American union benefactors, including the former head of the Laborers’ Union and Clinton family ally Terry O’Sullivan.

The All that’s Left conference was held at Queen’s University. The campus reminded me of a leafy New England college town with older brick buildings and lots of green spaces. I was only able to participate in the Friday opening night of the conference, the turnout was much more made up of students, a setting familiar to former members of the ISO, who did political work around campuses. I did a workshop  on the U.S. labor movement and a welcoming panel. I was originally paired with Eddie Conlon, one of the PBP’s long standing trade unionists, but he tested positive for Covid. Eddie’s article on the Irish working class today is well worth reading and later posted in Jacobin.

Many of the workshops were similar to the Derry  conference. It was good to see Mike Gonzalez, historian and author. Mike was a longstanding member of the SWP, who these days is a RS21 member. He spoke on Frida Kahlo. At the opening panel PBP TD Paul Murphy spoke on the ecological crisis and Catherine Curran Vigier spoke on the struggles in France. When it was my turn, I spoke in support of the Palestinian struggle, how the social crisis in the U.S. could break in either direction politically, and that the UAW strike was the most significant labor struggle in decades. Paul Murphy asked me later who I was affiliated with, and I said, I was a member of the ISO for four decades and Tempest, which I thought was clear but maybe not.  Murphy said he was affiliated with Reform and Revolution. I said we disagree about the future of DSA.

PBP and Tempest

The Gaza crisis has provided an opportunity for PBP to expand its national presence in Irish politics. They successfully shamed Sinn Fein into calling for the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador to Ireland, and have reinvigorated the BDS movement across the country. The PBP strikes me as having a more ecumenical attitude towards relations with other revolutionary socialist groups across the globe than the IST they are formally affiliated with. The prospect for big political changes in Ireland are great but not certain. The PBP’s pamphlet The Case for a Left Government:  Getting Rid of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael was given an unexpected boost when the Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar denounced it in the Dáil. I think we would benefit from a further exchange of speakers, articles, and discussions on the future of the revolutionary left.

The post Politics and Travel in Northern Ireland with People Before Profit appeared first on CounterPunch.org.


This content originally appeared on CounterPunch.org and was authored by Joe Allen.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2023/12/15/politics-and-travel-in-northern-ireland-with-people-before-profit/feed/ 0 445988 Junta bombing kills 5, including a child, in northern Myanmar https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/shan-state-bombing-12082023061213.html https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/shan-state-bombing-12082023061213.html#respond Fri, 08 Dec 2023 11:14:23 +0000 https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/shan-state-bombing-12082023061213.html A heavy aerial attack in northeastern Myanmar killed five civilians, an official from an anti-junta women’s organization told Radio Free Asia on Friday. 

On Wednesday night, junta aircraft bombed a village in Namhkan township in northern Shan state. 

The victims included 46-year-old Tar Ah Swe; 56-year-old Yar Ah Ba; 50-year-old Yar Kham Li; and a 35-year-old male teacher, Yai Lay. A five-year-old girl, Lway O Dae, also died in the attacks, according to Lway, an official from the Ta’ang Women’s Organization. 

“The teacher, Yai Lay, is from Namhkan’s Man Pu village. He is sheltering in Ho Nar village because the [military] situation in Namhkan is bad. Tar Ah Swe and Yar Ah Ba are a couple from Pang Long village in Manton township,” she said.

“Yar Kham Li and Lway O are mother and daughter. They were all sheltering in a tea trading house to flee the fighting.”

Four others, including two six-year-old children, were injured and sent to Namhkan Hospital, she added.

Half an hour later, the junta bombed nearby Pang Law village. Seven houses were destroyed in the attack, residents said.

The junta’s air force dropped the bombs despite there being no fighting beforehand, a Ta’ang National Liberation Army information official said, confirming five civilians were killed. However, daily battles are erupting at Sa Kham Thit military camp outside of Namhkhan city, about 13 kilometers (eight miles) from the site of the bombing.

“The junta bombing was far from the village. There was no fighting in these villages,” he said. “The junta used a 500-pound [226 kilogram] bomb. We can tell because of its intensity.”

RFA reached out to Shan state’s junta spokesperson Khun Thein Maung to investigate the group’s claim that the junta dropped 500 pound bombs, but he did not return calls on Friday.

During a resistance military offensive called Operation 1027, in which three allied groups won several Shan state cities, the group’s forces also took control of Namhkam, the Ta’ang National Liberation Army said. The group is fighting with junta forces daily to gain control of Sa Kham Thit Hill, more than 1.6 kilometers (one mile) from Namhkan city.

Since Operation 1027 launched on Oct. 27, 103 civilians, including 20 children, have been killed according to data compiled by the Ta’ang Women’s Organization. Small weapon fire, heavy artillery and airstrikes, have injured nearly 170 people in northern Shan state. 

Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Mike Firn.


This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By RFA Burmese.

]]> https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/shan-state-bombing-12082023061213.html/feed/ 0 444435 Ongoing conflict in northern Myanmar kills 2, including child https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/shan-conflict-11202023045637.html https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/shan-conflict-11202023045637.html#respond Mon, 20 Nov 2023 09:58:57 +0000 https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/shan-conflict-11202023045637.html Residents in northeastern Myanmar are facing both a humanitarian crisis and intense conflict, people living in the area told Radio Free Asia. On Sunday night, airstrikes by junta forces killed two people, including a child, in Shan state.  

Locals were caught off guard when a junta plane began an aerial attack on Myo Thit village in Namhsan township around 10 pm. It was unexpected because there had not been any fighting beforehand, said one local, asking to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals. 

“There is no fighting in Namhsan, but the aerial bombardment was carried out while people were sleeping,” he told RFA, adding that six women and two men were injured in addition to the two killed. “People died and houses were also burned.”

The explosions damaged 23 houses in total. The bomb weighed roughly 500 pounds and killed Tar San Naw, as well as a child, when it landed on a house, according to a statement released by the Ta’ang National Liberation Army on Monday.

The junta has not released any information about this attack and calls by RFA to Shan state’s junta spokesperson Khun Thein Maung went unanswered.

Conflict in northeastern Shan state has intensified in the last two months, as an allied group of resistance armies took three major cities in Operation 1027 in late October.

Earlier that month, the Ta’ang National Liberation Army attacked several junta convoys, causing their troops to retaliate. Since Oct. 10, nearly 30,000 internally displaced people have been sheltering in makeshift tents near the China-Myanmar border in Laukkaing township. 

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A camp for internally displaced people in Laukkaing township on November 18, 2023. Credit: The Kokang

Since Thursday, heavy rain has made life more difficult for those forced from their homes.

After several days of rain, resources are becoming harder to find and people’s health is deteriorating, said a Laukkaing resident, who did not want to be named for security reasons. 

“They have been living in tents since before [the rain]. It is raining and they are not comfortable anymore. Most are workers from other areas, not residents,”  he told RFA. “There are many people who came to work in Laukkaing from other areas. Water also became scarce in that camp.”

Elderly people and children are also more prone to illness in the colder weather without blankets, he added. On Saturday, the camp’s water and electricity were cut off.

The Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army warned Chinese citizens in Laukkaing to return to China to avoid conflict in the region. They also told civilians to stay away from military camps and not to move around the area.

All of Laukkaing’s roads and gates out of the city are blocked and locals are facing food shortages, residents also reported. Junta troops are not letting food or supplies into the city. 

After Operation 1027, battles between the military junta and the three northern allies have been continuing in eight townships, including Namhkan, Chinshwehaw, Nawnghkio, Lashio and Manton.

Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Mike Firn.


This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By RFA Burmese.

]]> https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/shan-conflict-11202023045637.html/feed/ 0 439893 Expanding conflict in northern Myanmar displaces more than 200,000 https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/displaced-11152023170124.html https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/displaced-11152023170124.html#respond Thu, 16 Nov 2023 00:22:09 +0000 https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/displaced-11152023170124.html Fierce fighting between Myanmar’s military and ethnic armies in northern Shan state in recent weeks has expanded to include parts of the northwest, southeast and Rakhine state, displacing more than 200,000 people, according to the United Nations.

Three weeks since the “Three Brotherhood” Alliance of the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, the Arakan Army and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army launched an offensive on Oct. 27 dubbed “Operation 1027” the rebels have made notable gains against the military in several key cities in Shan state in the country’s northeast.

In the wake of the operation, the Arakan Army, or AA, this week attacked the junta’s military in the western state of Rakhine, ending a ceasefire brokered one year ago on humanitarian grounds. Conflict is also underway in Kayah state’s Loikaw township, including aerial bombardment in urban areas causing civilian casualties

But the fighting has taken a huge humanitarian toll. In a flash update published late on Tuesday, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or UNOCHA, said that more than 200,000 people had been displaced by fighting in the regions as of Nov. 14 – many of whom have moved towards the border with China to the north.

ENG_BUR_RoundUp_11152023.2.png

The exodus included people who fled active war zones, as well as others who left their homes amid the threat of clashes, village raids by junta troops, and military artillery and air strikes, it said.

“A halt in clashes and provision of unimpeded humanitarian access by all parties are critical to safeguarding the lives and well-being of civilians and aid workers who are delivering life-saving services to people in need,” the UNOCHA said.

The agency noted that key transportation routes in townships with active fighting have been blocked both by junta forces and ethnic armies, “further restricting people’s movements to safer locations as well as humanitarian access.”

But UNOCHA said that, despite insecurity, access and telecommunications challenges in the regions, humanitarian assistance is continuing in northern Shan, while humanitarian partners in the northwest, southeast and Rakhine state are”assessing new needs to respond accordingly.

“Needs in the Northwest, Southeast and Rakhine are increasing by the day and require immediate response,” it said.

ENG_BUR_RoundUp_11152023.3.jpg
Buildings burn in Tigyaing township in Myanmar’s Sagaing region, Nov. 12, 2023. Credit: Tigyaing People’s Defense Force

More than 1.6 million civilians have fled their homes due to fighting since the military’s Feb. 1, 202,1 coup d’etat, according to figures released by the UNOCHA at the end of last month.

Artillery and air strikes

The latest numbers suggest that the fears of those fleeing fighting in Myanmar are not unfounded.

Sources in affected regions recently told RFA Burmese that more than 70 civilians were killed and at least 252 injured by junta artillery and air strikes in Myanmar over the last two months alone.

The U.S.-based Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, or ACLED, said it had documented at least 2,302 military artillery strikes and 1,275 air strikes in Myanmar between Feb. 1, 2021, and Nov. 10 this year, resulting in 1,037 and 1,261 fatalities, respectively.

The number of military artillery and air strikes in Myanmar has steadily increased from 222 and 159 in the first quarter of this year to 347 and 256 in the third quarter, coinciding with reports of anti-junta forces winning an increasing number of battles on the ground.

ENG_BUR_RoundUp_11152023.4.jpg
A person injured in an artillery strike is seen near Par Hsin Kyaw gate at the exit of Laukkaing township, Shan state, Myanmar, Nov. 11, 2023. Credit: Citizen journalist

At least 19 civilians – including a pregnant woman and five children under the age of 10 – were killed by military air strikes from Nov. 12-14 in Sagaing region’s Tigyaing township, residents of the township told RFA, amid a push by anti-junta forces to claim territory in the region. The strikes were carried out with Mi35 combat helicopters on villages where people displaced by conflict have been sheltering, they said.

Attempts by RFA to contact junta Deputy Information Minister Major Gen. Zaw Min Tun for comment on reports of civilian casualties resulting from military artillery and air strikes went unanswered Wednesday, but the junta has previously said that its forces do not target non-combatants.

Poor morale and defections

The military’s shift in strategy to lean more heavily on artillery and air strikes also comes amid reports of poor morale in Myanmar’s armed forces that sources say are a result of gains by the armed resistance and a realization that the military might not emerge the victor in its multi-front conflict.

Sources say flagging morale has contributed to a number of military defections in recent months.

On Tuesday, 32 junta soldiers stationed at Loikaw University in Kayah state – including Captain Kaung Myat, the commander of Light Infantry Battalion 6 – surrendered to local resistance forces together with their arms and ammunition after suffering a “high number of casualties” in a clash with ethnic Karenni armed groups, the anti-junta Karen Nationalities Defense Force said in a statement.

Days earlier, the entire Light Infantry Battalion 129, including its commander and 134 family members, surrendered to the Three Brotherhood Alliance’s Myanmar National Democratic Alliance, or MNDAA, in northern Shan state. And on Oct. 30, all 41 members of Light Infantry Battalion 143, including a deputy commander and two company commanders, surrendered to the MNDAA in Shan’s Kunlong township.

ENG_BUR_RoundUp_11152023.5.jpg
Members of the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army ethnic army load soldiers of the junta’s Light Infantry Battalion 129 and their family members onto a truck in the Kokang Self-Administered Zone in northern Shan state, Tuesday Nov. 14, 2023. Credit: The Kokang online media via AP

Attempts by RFA to contact junta Social Affairs Minister Myint Kyi, who is also the spokesperson for the Kayah state government, for comment on the latest surrender went unanswered Wednesday.

But the junta has signaled of late that it is concerned by gains by the resistance and their impact on support for his regime.

Last week, junta chief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing said that the alliance’s “Operation 1027” could “break the country into pieces” if left unchecked. 

ENG_BUR_RoundUp_11152023.6.jpg
A pro-military rally was held Nov. 12, 2023, in front of City Hall in Yangon. Credit: MWD

To boost the morale of troops and demonstrate public support for the military, the junta has organized several rallies in major cities in recent days, including Yangon, Mandalay, Naypyitaw, and Myitkyina.

But residents of the cities told RFA on condition of anonymity that the rallies are part of a bid by the junta to “hide its deteriorating political and military situation.”

Translated by Aung Naing. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster.


This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By RFA Burmese.

]]> https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/displaced-11152023170124.html/feed/ 0 439021 U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration says Israel will allow a four-hour humanitarian pause each day in its combat operations in northern Gaza to allow civilians to flee to the south – Thursday, November 9, 2023 https://www.radiofree.org/2023/11/09/u-s-president-joe-bidens-administration-says-israel-will-allow-a-four-hour-humanitarian-pause-each-day-in-its-combat-operations-in-northern-gaza-to-allow-civilians-to-flee-to-the-south/ https://www.radiofree.org/2023/11/09/u-s-president-joe-bidens-administration-says-israel-will-allow-a-four-hour-humanitarian-pause-each-day-in-its-combat-operations-in-northern-gaza-to-allow-civilians-to-flee-to-the-south/#respond Thu, 09 Nov 2023 18:00:00 +0000 http://www.radiofree.org/?guid=1429d79a888064d339d5fc578e071452 Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

A man sits on the rubble as others wander among debris of buildings that were targeted by Israeli airstrikes in Jabaliya refugee camp, northern Gaza Strip, Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023. A new U.N. report paints a stark picture of the devastating collapsing Palestinian economy after a month of war and Israel’s near total siege of Gaza. (AP Photo/Abed Khaled, File)

A man sits on the rubble as others wander among debris of buildings that were targeted by Israeli airstrikes in Jabaliya refugee camp, northern Gaza Strip, Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023. A new U.N. report paints a stark picture of the devastating collapsing Palestinian economy after a month of war and Israel’s near total siege of Gaza. (AP Photo/Abed Khaled, File)

The post U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration says Israel will allow a four-hour humanitarian pause each day in its combat operations in northern Gaza to allow civilians to flee to the south – Thursday, November 9, 2023 appeared first on KPFA.


This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2023/11/09/u-s-president-joe-bidens-administration-says-israel-will-allow-a-four-hour-humanitarian-pause-each-day-in-its-combat-operations-in-northern-gaza-to-allow-civilians-to-flee-to-the-south/feed/ 0 438390 Public healthcare in northern Mexico is dodging federal rules on abortion https://www.radiofree.org/2023/11/02/public-healthcare-in-northern-mexico-is-dodging-federal-rules-on-abortion/ https://www.radiofree.org/2023/11/02/public-healthcare-in-northern-mexico-is-dodging-federal-rules-on-abortion/#respond Thu, 02 Nov 2023 16:51:59 +0000 https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/5050/mexico-abortion-legal-rules-regulations-supreme-court-chihuahua-nuevo-leon-sonora/
This content originally appeared on openDemocracy RSS and was authored by Dánae Vílchez, Verónica Martínez.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2023/11/02/public-healthcare-in-northern-mexico-is-dodging-federal-rules-on-abortion/feed/ 0 438662 Junta razes village in northern Myanmar, opens fire on residents https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/sagaing-ambush-10202023071649.html https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/sagaing-ambush-10202023071649.html#respond Fri, 20 Oct 2023 11:20:00 +0000 https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/sagaing-ambush-10202023071649.html Updated Oct. 10, 2023, at 8:25 a.m. ET

A man died and eight were injured when troops laid landmines in their village in Sagaing region after raiding it and burning the houses to the ground, locals said Friday.

Two mines exploded while residents were cleaning up the remains of their houses on Thursday, one Pyawbwe resident told Radio Free Asia. After the troops left the village, they turned back to shell the survivors. 

“After they left, we went in and cleared the burnt houses in the village. The two mines planted by the junta soldiers were stepped on and blew up,” said the man who wished to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals. “The troops shelled the area that had been blown up, injuring nine people with landmines and heavy artillery. One of them died this morning.”

The column trekked from Ye-U township to Tabayin township. Villages along the route were systematically raided and bombarded with heavy artillery, he added.

Across the south of Sagaing region, military convoys have carried out brutal attacks, causing thousands to flee their homes in early October. 

Troops killed one man and arrested 30 on a five-day raid across Shwebo, Khin-U, Pale and Kanbalu townships during the third week of October. On Saturday, villagers found three teenagers beaten and shot to death outside their village in Yinmarbin township. 

RFA contacted Sagaing region’s ethnic affairs minister and junta spokesperson Sai Naing Naing Kyaw seeking comment on the attack, but he did not reply by time of publication. 

Nationwide, junta convoys killed eight civilians from Oct. 1 to 17 with airstrikes and heavy artillery, according to data compiled by RFA. Forty-one people were injured.

More than 800,000 people have fled their homes in Sagaing region due to the conflict since the military coup, according to the United Nations.

Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Mike Firn.

Updated to add that the attack happened on Thursday.


This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By RFA Burmese.

]]> https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/sagaing-ambush-10202023071649.html/feed/ 0 435647 Israel orders civilians in northern Gaza to evacuate https://www.radiofree.org/2023/10/13/israel-orders-civilians-in-northern-gaza-to-evacuate/ https://www.radiofree.org/2023/10/13/israel-orders-civilians-in-northern-gaza-to-evacuate/#respond Fri, 13 Oct 2023 19:54:00 +0000 http://www.radiofree.org/?guid=3caef184c1a4991a2ee99558c51df468
This content originally appeared on Human Rights Watch and was authored by Human Rights Watch.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2023/10/13/israel-orders-civilians-in-northern-gaza-to-evacuate/feed/ 0 434187 Israel Orders 1.1 Million Palestinians to Evacuate Northern Gaza Amid Bombing & Siege https://www.radiofree.org/2023/10/13/israel-orders-1-1-million-palestinians-to-evacuate-northern-gaza-amid-bombing-siege/ https://www.radiofree.org/2023/10/13/israel-orders-1-1-million-palestinians-to-evacuate-northern-gaza-amid-bombing-siege/#respond Fri, 13 Oct 2023 15:14:03 +0000 http://www.radiofree.org/?guid=1dc6c6593f80dfd068176b02dab803ad
This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2023/10/13/israel-orders-1-1-million-palestinians-to-evacuate-northern-gaza-amid-bombing-siege/feed/ 0 434311 A Second Nakba? Israel Orders 1.1 Million Palestinians to Evacuate Northern Gaza Amid Bombing & Siege https://www.radiofree.org/2023/10/13/a-second-nakba-israel-orders-1-1-million-palestinians-to-evacuate-northern-gaza-amid-bombing-siege/ https://www.radiofree.org/2023/10/13/a-second-nakba-israel-orders-1-1-million-palestinians-to-evacuate-northern-gaza-amid-bombing-siege/#respond Fri, 13 Oct 2023 12:11:53 +0000 http://www.radiofree.org/?guid=5a0e403b842ad6ca556099cb29847e32 Seg1 muhammad

Israel’s military on Friday ordered 1.1 million civilians in the northern Gaza Strip to evacuate “southwards” in just 24 hours, a demand that aid groups say will cause untold human suffering. The ultimatum comes ahead of an expected ground invasion of the besieged coastal enclave, where authorities say 1,537 people have been killed since Israel began devastating airstrikes in retaliation for a Hamas attack in which militants killed 1,300 people and took some 150 hostages. Hamas says the intense Israeli bombardment that has pulverized much of Gaza also killed 13 hostages. Meanwhile, Israel continues to maintain a total blockade of the territory, blocking food, water, fuel and medicine from reaching those trapped inside. For more on the crisis and mounting human toll, we speak with Gaza writer Muhammad Shehada, who condemns the international community and mainstream media for its complicity in Israel’s destruction of Gaza. “These things are unimaginable horrors that are inflicted on Gaza right now with no one intervening to stop it,” he says. “This is pure madness.”


This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2023/10/13/a-second-nakba-israel-orders-1-1-million-palestinians-to-evacuate-northern-gaza-amid-bombing-siege/feed/ 0 434256 Stamping out ‘local terrorism’ a high priority for PNG, says Governor Juffa https://www.radiofree.org/2023/09/08/stamping-out-local-terrorism-a-high-priority-for-png-says-governor-juffa/ https://www.radiofree.org/2023/09/08/stamping-out-local-terrorism-a-high-priority-for-png-says-governor-juffa/#respond Fri, 08 Sep 2023 09:34:53 +0000 https://asiapacificreport.nz/?p=92804 PNG Post-Courier

Northern Governor Gary Juffa has joined Papua New Guinea’s police chief and the Prime Minister in calling for Papua New Guineans to lay down arms and cease acts of local terrorism.

“I stand with the Commissioner of Police, David Manning, and Prime Minister James Marape to apply the full force of the law to quell all forms of local terrorism in PNG and, particularly, in Northern Province.

“I am particularly concerned as a few weeks ago my Oro Bay RPSC (rural police station commander) Sergeant Terry Giwaya was ruthlessly gunned down only a few kilometres away from his station,” Governor Juffa said.

“I commend Commissioner Manning and his ACP Southern Clement Dalla for their swift action in responding to our plight, seeing through the proficient capture of the alleged thugs and the recovery of an alleged police firearm.

“The success of this operation is attributed also to the provincial police command, our local Northern police personnel,” Juffa said

“All gloves off” was not an order given lightly by any police commissioner or prime minister but with “our ignorance of the rule of law” and the disrespect to its enforcement machinery — the RPNGC — such an order was “timely and very necessary”.

Law and order priority
Juffa added that law and order in Northern Province would always be a priority on a par with health, infrastructure and education and had seen the Northern provincial government spending close to 1 million kina to date.

“Every citizen has a right to move freely without fear and to engage in commerce with the full covering of the laws of our country,” Juffa said.

“I stand with my prime minister and our police commissioner to clamp down on local terrorism and elements that fuel the atrocities.”

Governor Juffa indicated plans were afoot to take the body of Sergeant Giwaya back home, including an official programme scheduled to take place after the September 16 independence celebrations next weekend.

Republished with permission.


This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2023/09/08/stamping-out-local-terrorism-a-high-priority-for-png-says-governor-juffa/feed/ 0 425745 Another War Breaks Out in Northern Ethiopia, as the Threat of Disintegration Looms https://www.radiofree.org/2023/09/08/another-war-breaks-out-in-northern-ethiopia-as-the-threat-of-disintegration-looms/ https://www.radiofree.org/2023/09/08/another-war-breaks-out-in-northern-ethiopia-as-the-threat-of-disintegration-looms/#respond Fri, 08 Sep 2023 05:50:44 +0000 https://www.counterpunch.org/?p=293776 “The worst-case scenario is unfolding in Ethiopia,” Gabriel Bizuneh tells me, as he organizes in the Ethiopian community in Washington, D.C. Once again, the federal government is at war with another region in a federal system where regions are demarcated on ethnic lines. Moreover, each region in Ethiopia has its own police force, special units, More

The post Another War Breaks Out in Northern Ethiopia, as the Threat of Disintegration Looms appeared first on CounterPunch.org.


This content originally appeared on CounterPunch.org and was authored by Tikur Netsanet.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2023/09/08/another-war-breaks-out-in-northern-ethiopia-as-the-threat-of-disintegration-looms/feed/ 0 425779 It’s Time to Protect the Northern Rockies https://www.radiofree.org/2023/09/08/its-time-to-protect-the-northern-rockies/ https://www.radiofree.org/2023/09/08/its-time-to-protect-the-northern-rockies/#respond Fri, 08 Sep 2023 05:49:33 +0000 https://www.counterpunch.org/?p=293607 As a conservation scientist, I’m blessed with a three-decade career spanning many of the most important forests on Earth. I became interested in the Kootenai National Forest and the Northern Rockies in general during the early 1990s when the visionary Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act (NREPA) was born. Congress should pass this bold act to protect the More

The post It’s Time to Protect the Northern Rockies appeared first on CounterPunch.org.


This content originally appeared on CounterPunch.org and was authored by Dominick Dellasala.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2023/09/08/its-time-to-protect-the-northern-rockies/feed/ 0 425830 Australian fight to protect koala habitats in northern NSW heats up https://www.radiofree.org/2023/08/26/australian-fight-to-protect-koala-habitats-in-northern-nsw-heats-up/ https://www.radiofree.org/2023/08/26/australian-fight-to-protect-koala-habitats-in-northern-nsw-heats-up/#respond Sat, 26 Aug 2023 00:04:00 +0000 https://asiapacificreport.nz/?p=92335 The battle to stop the destruction in Australia of critical koala habitats in state forests in Northern NSW has escalated in recent weeks. Wendy Bacon reports on the campaign from daring lock-ons and vigils in the depth of forests to rallies, parliament and courts in Sydney which has led to a halt to logging in Newry State Forest.

SPECIAL REPORT: By Wendy Bacon

Back in Feburary this year, campaigners celebrated as the then shadow Environmental Minister Penny Sharpe announced Labor’s support for a Great Koala National Park (GKNP), stretching along the Mid-North coast from Kempsey to Coffs Harbour.

The purpose of the park, which was first proposed more than a decade ago, is to protect critical habit for the koala and other threatened species.

Koala numbers in NSW plummeted by more than half between 2000 and 2020 due to logging, land clearing, drought and devastating bushfires. A NSW Parliamentary Inquiry in 2020 heard scientific evidence that koalas could be extinct by 2050 unless there are dramatic changes.

NSW is the only mainland state not to have a plan to stop logging of native forests, essential koala habitats.

Hopes raised by Labor’s narrow election win in March this year were quickly dashed. Hope has now turned to anger with 200 people marching in protest in the mid-north NSW city of Coffs Harbour earlier this month and nation-wide rallies.

In Sydney, hundreds marched through the streets of Marrickville to a protest outside Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s electoral office.

NSW Forestry Corporation steps up logging
When she received a petition calling for a moratorium on logging within the GKNP in June, Minister for Environment Penny Sharpe reiterated her commitment to the Park but confirmed that logging would not stop.

Instead the government-owned, NSW Forestry Corporation (NSWFC) has stepped up its logging inside the proposed GKNP, including in areas containing long-lasting koala hubs, carting off huge tree trunks and leaving devastated land in its wake. These operations are losing millions each year.

The campaign consists of a network of local community groups, such as the Friends of Orara East Forest, some of which conduct weekly vigils; the Belligen Activist Network and the Knitting Nannas, as well as larger environmental groups such as the National Parks Association.

It is supported by the NSW Greens, Animal Justice and some Independent MPs including MP for Sydney Alex Greenwich. Further north, the North East Forest Alliance has taken legal action to stop the NSWFC logging 77 percent of the Braemar forest, part of the proposed Sandy Creek National Park where koalas survive despite long standing koala communities being reduced by 70 percent in the 2019/2020 bush fires.

On June 28, a broad-based group of MPs and NGOS advocating for the park held a press conference calling on politicians across all parties to support a moratorium on the ongoing destruction of the GKNP and immediately start to work on transition plans for timber workers and development of the Park, including with local First Nations people.

But Minister Sharpe reiterated her intention to allow logging to continue.

A few days later, logging began in the Orara East and Boambee Forests, both of which are inside the Great Koala National Park. Vigils and petitions were clearly not working.

Civil disobedience begins
On July 7, three HSC students on school holidays locked on to heavy machinery and a full barrel of cement in Orara East Forest. At the same time in Boambee Forest, two Knitting Nannas locked onto heavy machinery. Another protester occupied a tree. In all, logging was delayed by 10 hours.

Seventeen-year-old Mason said: “I’m here on behalf of myself and my 14-year-old brother. The rate at which our government is auctioning off natural forests is frightening, and I feel powerless to do anything about it.

“We’ve tried protesting, and we can’t vote, which is why we feel driven to take this action against these machines ripping our trees down. The government can stop this and we just need them to take notice.”

The three students were arrested but released from custody with cautions and no charges laid.

On the same day, two Knitting Nannas Christine Degan and Susan Doyle were arrested in the Boambee State Park. Both are veterans of vigils and protests aimed at stopping logging and for action on climate change.

Orara State Forest
“Shame … shame … shame” banners in Orara State Forest. Image: Chris Deagan/CityHub

In desperation, they took a further step. They slept overnight in a home near the perimeter of the State Park.

Before day break, Degan and Doyle and supporters walked up a steep hill, using torches to find their way through the bush to the logging camp. There they were met by an angry security guard who burst into an aggressive tirade, accusing them of being terrorists.

While two supporters calmed him down, the two women were locked onto equipment. There they sat in two small beach chairs in drizzling rain and cold for eight hours until the NSW police arrived and arrested them.

A bulldozer in Orara State Forest
A bulldozer in Orara State Forest. Image: Chris Deagan/CityHub

The two friends were released on condition that they did not contact each other, except through a lawyer, or go near any forests were logging was underway.

Earlier this month, they were each fined a total of $500 for entering and refusing to leave a forest.

Battle moves to Newry Forest
A vigil camp is now in its third week in the Upper reaches of the Kalang River where other sites have recently been made “active” for logging.

Nearer the coast, the the battle front has moved to the Newry Forest near Belligen. For nine months in 2021, the community had joined the local Gumbaynggir elders in a blockade that successfully delay logging operations.

Although Newry is  a core part of the GKNP, the NSWFC approved 2500 hectares of the forest for logging in May this year. In July, the listing went from “approved” to “active,” leading the Bellingen action group to organise a workshop to upgrade their direct action tactics.

On July 31, local Gumbaynggirr Elders, Traditional Custodians and supporters established a peaceful protest camp on sacred land within the forest. They were met with armed police and steel gates preventing the public from entering the forest.

A Gumbarnggirr spokesperson told the National Indigenous Times that the NSW Forestry Corporation (NSWFC) was endangering koala and possum gliders that are their totem animals.

“The values of Newry to the Gumbaynggirr people are precious, priceless and absolutely irreplaceable. …There is a desperate need for these appalling industrial logging operations to be stopped or we simply won’t have koalas left and priceless and irreplaceable Gumbaynggirr values and cultural heritage will be destroyed.”

Protesters locked on in Newry Forest
“Hands off country” . . . protesters locked on in Newry Forest. Image: CityHub

Gumbaynggirr elder arrested after locking on
On the second day of logging, two younger protesters locked onto machinery. On the third day, Wilkarr Kurikuta, a Ngemba, Wangan and Jangalingou man, locked-on to a harvester.

“I’m here for my old people and my sister, a proud Gumbaynggirr woman, to exercise my sovereign right to protect country,” he said.

He told the NSW government that it should expect resistance until an end is put to the destruction of his people’s land and waters. He was violently removed, charged and held overnight in a cell.

The next day, two more young people locked onto industrial logging machinery in Newry Forest, again halting logging. They were arrested, charged and released. Logging had so far been disrupted on six days.

On August 2, Greens MP Sue Higginson moved a motion in the NSW Legislative Council to confirm the NSW government’s intention to protect critical koala habitat, noting that the Newry State Forest was “identified for protection in 2017 as having three koala hubs” and that a three-day survey had found five threatened plant species, evidence of koalas and high quality habitat for threatened koalas, the Glossy Black Cockatoo and Greater Glider.

She described the “industrial scale logging operation” as happening under “martial law”.

First Nations elders were integral to the protest at Newry Forest
First Nations elders were integral to the protest at Newry Forest. Image: Bellingen Activist Network/Facebook/CityHub

“The community on the front line are not doing this because it is fun or because they want to, or because they dislike forestry workers or police,” she told Parliament.

“They are doing it as an act of hope in the democratic process in which they believe — the genuine hope that they will be seen and heard and that their actions will lead to political outcomes that protect this forest, which the government has promised to protect but is currently destroying.”

Labor opposed the motion with the Minister for the Environment Sharpe moving amendments which removed any reference to the factual core of the motion described above. Her amendments were passed with Liberal National Party support.

A reduced anodyne motion recording commitment to protect the koala was then passed.

In her response Penny Sharpe referred to “internal work” being done to proceed with the Park. She said she was working closely with the Minister for Forestry Tara Moriarty.

This will further concern forest campaigners because in Moriarty’s speech in support of Sharpe’s amendments, she supported the current logging operations as being done in line with sustainable ecologically sound forest management, with the NSW Environmental Protection Authority ensuring compliance with all policies.

This is the very issue that is being contested by the movement to save the forests. It suggests that Moriarty may not accept the findings of a recent NSW Auditor-General’s report which found that both the NSW Forest Corporation and the NSW Environmental Protection Authority were insufficiently resourced, trained and empowered to enforce compliance and that NSWFC’s voluntary efforts did not extend to satisfactorily ensuring contractors do not breach regulations and policies.

This issue is already before the courts. The North Eastern Alliance, which has previously taken successful court actions during the 34 year period it has been campaigning to protect forests, is arguing that the NSW Land and Environment Court should set aside approvals to log sections of the Braemar and Myrtle Forests further north at the Sandy Creek State Park which is also a proposed national park in the Richmond Valley.

The NSWFC has agreed to halt logging in these forests which are home to koalas and more than 23 threatened species, until the case is decided. The Alliance will be represented by the Environmental Defenders’ Office.

Alliance President Dailan Pugh, who has 44 years experience in protecting forests, said that “Myrtle and Braemar State forests are both identified as Nationally Important Koala Areas that were badly burnt in the 2019/20 wildfires, killing many of their resident koalas.

“Despite this, recent surveys have proved that most patches of preferred koala feed trees are still being utilised by Koalas. Logging of more than 75% of the larger feed trees … that koalas need to rebuild their numbers will be devastating for populations already severely impacted by the fires.”

Protesters hold a banner on cleared ground
Protesters hold a banner on cleared ground. Image: Bellingen Activist Network/Facebook/CityHub

The Environmental Defenders’ Office is arguing that the logging operations are unlawful for several reasons: because the operations are not ecologically sustainable, because Forestry Corp failed to consider whether they would be ecologically sustainable, and because the proposed use of “voluntary conditions” is in breach of the logging rules.

NEFA is asking the court to declare the logging approvals invalid and to restrain NSWFC from conducting the operations.

Pugh said: “We have been asking the NSW Government for independent pre-logging surveys on State forests to identify and protect core Koala habitat and climate change refugia, and protection of Preferred Koala Feed Trees (select species >30 cm diameter) in linking habitat. Our requests are falling on deaf ears, we hope this will make them listen.”

While Labor politicians insist that the logging is consistent with protecting biodiversity, the situation looks different to campaigners on the ground. Degan describes seeing crushed casuarinas which provide habitat for the Glossy Black Cockatoo when she visited the Newry Forest for the first time in four weeks.

“It’s just a vast area with trash that’s a metre deep, that no footed animal can get across. I couldn’t get across and I’d break an ankle or shoulder falling over. There’s no way that animals on foot could traverse that debris that’s left behind. It may be regrowth native forest but after 50 years it provides substantial decent habitat.”

Down in Hobart, another forest activist Collette Hamson is spending three months in prison because she broke conditions of a suspended sentence. Before she went to prison she said:

“The reason I commit these offences [is] because I am terrified of the worsening climate crisis. I am not a menace to society, yet here I am facing a jail term . . . I am not giving a finger to the entire judicial system, I am standing up for the forests, for takayna, a safer planet and if that makes me a dangerous criminal then I think we are going to need bigger prisons.”

Labor plans lengthy consultation
While the Minister for Environment Penny Sharpe may be able to remove any mention of protests in a parliamentary motion, it is another thing to deal with the wave of civil disobedience that is likely to continue until native forest logging is halted. Sharpe says that A$80 million has been set aside for GKNP and planning is underway.

City Hub asked the Department of Environment to confirm that no consultation was yet underway and on what date one consultation would begin.

A National Parks and Wildlife Service spokesperson replied, stating that development of the park “will be informed by expert scientific advice, an independent economic assessment of impacts on jobs and the local community, and an inclusive consultation process with stakeholdes . . .

“Consultation with stakeholders will occur in the future, with specific timings still to be determined.”

This lengthy process could take most of NSW Labor’s term in government ending in 2027. Unless logging is halted while planning occurs, the proposed National Park along with threatened species it is supposed to protect could be decimated before it arrives.

Wendy Bacon was previously professor of journalism at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and supported the Greens in this year’s NSW election. This article was first published by CityHub on August 15 and is republished with permission.  Wendy Bacon’s investigative journalism blog.


This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by Wendy Bacon.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2023/08/26/australian-fight-to-protect-koala-habitats-in-northern-nsw-heats-up/feed/ 0 422648 Australian fight to protect koala habitats in northern NSW heats up https://www.radiofree.org/2023/08/26/australian-fight-to-protect-koala-habitats-in-northern-nsw-heats-up-2/ https://www.radiofree.org/2023/08/26/australian-fight-to-protect-koala-habitats-in-northern-nsw-heats-up-2/#respond Sat, 26 Aug 2023 00:04:00 +0000 https://asiapacificreport.nz/?p=92335 The battle to stop the destruction in Australia of critical koala habitats in state forests in Northern NSW has escalated in recent weeks. Wendy Bacon reports on the campaign from daring lock-ons and vigils in the depth of forests to rallies, parliament and courts in Sydney which has led to a halt to logging in Newry State Forest.

SPECIAL REPORT: By Wendy Bacon

Back in Feburary this year, campaigners celebrated as the then shadow Environmental Minister Penny Sharpe announced Labor’s support for a Great Koala National Park (GKNP), stretching along the Mid-North coast from Kempsey to Coffs Harbour.

The purpose of the park, which was first proposed more than a decade ago, is to protect critical habit for the koala and other threatened species.

Koala numbers in NSW plummeted by more than half between 2000 and 2020 due to logging, land clearing, drought and devastating bushfires. A NSW Parliamentary Inquiry in 2020 heard scientific evidence that koalas could be extinct by 2050 unless there are dramatic changes.

NSW is the only mainland state not to have a plan to stop logging of native forests, essential koala habitats.

Hopes raised by Labor’s narrow election win in March this year were quickly dashed. Hope has now turned to anger with 200 people marching in protest in the mid-north NSW city of Coffs Harbour earlier this month and nation-wide rallies.

In Sydney, hundreds marched through the streets of Marrickville to a protest outside Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s electoral office.

NSW Forestry Corporation steps up logging
When she received a petition calling for a moratorium on logging within the GKNP in June, Minister for Environment Penny Sharpe reiterated her commitment to the Park but confirmed that logging would not stop.

Instead the government-owned, NSW Forestry Corporation (NSWFC) has stepped up its logging inside the proposed GKNP, including in areas containing long-lasting koala hubs, carting off huge tree trunks and leaving devastated land in its wake. These operations are losing millions each year.

The campaign consists of a network of local community groups, such as the Friends of Orara East Forest, some of which conduct weekly vigils; the Belligen Activist Network and the Knitting Nannas, as well as larger environmental groups such as the National Parks Association.

It is supported by the NSW Greens, Animal Justice and some Independent MPs including MP for Sydney Alex Greenwich. Further north, the North East Forest Alliance has taken legal action to stop the NSWFC logging 77 percent of the Braemar forest, part of the proposed Sandy Creek National Park where koalas survive despite long standing koala communities being reduced by 70 percent in the 2019/2020 bush fires.

On June 28, a broad-based group of MPs and NGOS advocating for the park held a press conference calling on politicians across all parties to support a moratorium on the ongoing destruction of the GKNP and immediately start to work on transition plans for timber workers and development of the Park, including with local First Nations people.

But Minister Sharpe reiterated her intention to allow logging to continue.

A few days later, logging began in the Orara East and Boambee Forests, both of which are inside the Great Koala National Park. Vigils and petitions were clearly not working.

Civil disobedience begins
On July 7, three HSC students on school holidays locked on to heavy machinery and a full barrel of cement in Orara East Forest. At the same time in Boambee Forest, two Knitting Nannas locked onto heavy machinery. Another protester occupied a tree. In all, logging was delayed by 10 hours.

Seventeen-year-old Mason said: “I’m here on behalf of myself and my 14-year-old brother. The rate at which our government is auctioning off natural forests is frightening, and I feel powerless to do anything about it.

“We’ve tried protesting, and we can’t vote, which is why we feel driven to take this action against these machines ripping our trees down. The government can stop this and we just need them to take notice.”

The three students were arrested but released from custody with cautions and no charges laid.

On the same day, two Knitting Nannas Christine Degan and Susan Doyle were arrested in the Boambee State Park. Both are veterans of vigils and protests aimed at stopping logging and for action on climate change.

Orara State Forest
“Shame … shame … shame” banners in Orara State Forest. Image: Chris Deagan/CityHub

In desperation, they took a further step. They slept overnight in a home near the perimeter of the State Park.

Before day break, Degan and Doyle and supporters walked up a steep hill, using torches to find their way through the bush to the logging camp. There they were met by an angry security guard who burst into an aggressive tirade, accusing them of being terrorists.

While two supporters calmed him down, the two women were locked onto equipment. There they sat in two small beach chairs in drizzling rain and cold for eight hours until the NSW police arrived and arrested them.

A bulldozer in Orara State Forest
A bulldozer in Orara State Forest. Image: Chris Deagan/CityHub

The two friends were released on condition that they did not contact each other, except through a lawyer, or go near any forests were logging was underway.

Earlier this month, they were each fined a total of $500 for entering and refusing to leave a forest.

Battle moves to Newry Forest
A vigil camp is now in its third week in the Upper reaches of the Kalang River where other sites have recently been made “active” for logging.

Nearer the coast, the the battle front has moved to the Newry Forest near Belligen. For nine months in 2021, the community had joined the local Gumbaynggir elders in a blockade that successfully delay logging operations.

Although Newry is  a core part of the GKNP, the NSWFC approved 2500 hectares of the forest for logging in May this year. In July, the listing went from “approved” to “active,” leading the Bellingen action group to organise a workshop to upgrade their direct action tactics.

On July 31, local Gumbaynggirr Elders, Traditional Custodians and supporters established a peaceful protest camp on sacred land within the forest. They were met with armed police and steel gates preventing the public from entering the forest.

A Gumbarnggirr spokesperson told the National Indigenous Times that the NSW Forestry Corporation (NSWFC) was endangering koala and possum gliders that are their totem animals.

“The values of Newry to the Gumbaynggirr people are precious, priceless and absolutely irreplaceable. …There is a desperate need for these appalling industrial logging operations to be stopped or we simply won’t have koalas left and priceless and irreplaceable Gumbaynggirr values and cultural heritage will be destroyed.”

Protesters locked on in Newry Forest
“Hands off country” . . . protesters locked on in Newry Forest. Image: CityHub

Gumbaynggirr elder arrested after locking on
On the second day of logging, two younger protesters locked onto machinery. On the third day, Wilkarr Kurikuta, a Ngemba, Wangan and Jangalingou man, locked-on to a harvester.

“I’m here for my old people and my sister, a proud Gumbaynggirr woman, to exercise my sovereign right to protect country,” he said.

He told the NSW government that it should expect resistance until an end is put to the destruction of his people’s land and waters. He was violently removed, charged and held overnight in a cell.

The next day, two more young people locked onto industrial logging machinery in Newry Forest, again halting logging. They were arrested, charged and released. Logging had so far been disrupted on six days.

On August 2, Greens MP Sue Higginson moved a motion in the NSW Legislative Council to confirm the NSW government’s intention to protect critical koala habitat, noting that the Newry State Forest was “identified for protection in 2017 as having three koala hubs” and that a three-day survey had found five threatened plant species, evidence of koalas and high quality habitat for threatened koalas, the Glossy Black Cockatoo and Greater Glider.

She described the “industrial scale logging operation” as happening under “martial law”.

First Nations elders were integral to the protest at Newry Forest
First Nations elders were integral to the protest at Newry Forest. Image: Bellingen Activist Network/Facebook/CityHub

“The community on the front line are not doing this because it is fun or because they want to, or because they dislike forestry workers or police,” she told Parliament.

“They are doing it as an act of hope in the democratic process in which they believe — the genuine hope that they will be seen and heard and that their actions will lead to political outcomes that protect this forest, which the government has promised to protect but is currently destroying.”

Labor opposed the motion with the Minister for the Environment Sharpe moving amendments which removed any reference to the factual core of the motion described above. Her amendments were passed with Liberal National Party support.

A reduced anodyne motion recording commitment to protect the koala was then passed.

In her response Penny Sharpe referred to “internal work” being done to proceed with the Park. She said she was working closely with the Minister for Forestry Tara Moriarty.

This will further concern forest campaigners because in Moriarty’s speech in support of Sharpe’s amendments, she supported the current logging operations as being done in line with sustainable ecologically sound forest management, with the NSW Environmental Protection Authority ensuring compliance with all policies.

This is the very issue that is being contested by the movement to save the forests. It suggests that Moriarty may not accept the findings of a recent NSW Auditor-General’s report which found that both the NSW Forest Corporation and the NSW Environmental Protection Authority were insufficiently resourced, trained and empowered to enforce compliance and that NSWFC’s voluntary efforts did not extend to satisfactorily ensuring contractors do not breach regulations and policies.

This issue is already before the courts. The North Eastern Alliance, which has previously taken successful court actions during the 34 year period it has been campaigning to protect forests, is arguing that the NSW Land and Environment Court should set aside approvals to log sections of the Braemar and Myrtle Forests further north at the Sandy Creek State Park which is also a proposed national park in the Richmond Valley.

The NSWFC has agreed to halt logging in these forests which are home to koalas and more than 23 threatened species, until the case is decided. The Alliance will be represented by the Environmental Defenders’ Office.

Alliance President Dailan Pugh, who has 44 years experience in protecting forests, said that “Myrtle and Braemar State forests are both identified as Nationally Important Koala Areas that were badly burnt in the 2019/20 wildfires, killing many of their resident koalas.

“Despite this, recent surveys have proved that most patches of preferred koala feed trees are still being utilised by Koalas. Logging of more than 75% of the larger feed trees … that koalas need to rebuild their numbers will be devastating for populations already severely impacted by the fires.”

Protesters hold a banner on cleared ground
Protesters hold a banner on cleared ground. Image: Bellingen Activist Network/Facebook/CityHub

The Environmental Defenders’ Office is arguing that the logging operations are unlawful for several reasons: because the operations are not ecologically sustainable, because Forestry Corp failed to consider whether they would be ecologically sustainable, and because the proposed use of “voluntary conditions” is in breach of the logging rules.

NEFA is asking the court to declare the logging approvals invalid and to restrain NSWFC from conducting the operations.

Pugh said: “We have been asking the NSW Government for independent pre-logging surveys on State forests to identify and protect core Koala habitat and climate change refugia, and protection of Preferred Koala Feed Trees (select species >30 cm diameter) in linking habitat. Our requests are falling on deaf ears, we hope this will make them listen.”

While Labor politicians insist that the logging is consistent with protecting biodiversity, the situation looks different to campaigners on the ground. Degan describes seeing crushed casuarinas which provide habitat for the Glossy Black Cockatoo when she visited the Newry Forest for the first time in four weeks.

“It’s just a vast area with trash that’s a metre deep, that no footed animal can get across. I couldn’t get across and I’d break an ankle or shoulder falling over. There’s no way that animals on foot could traverse that debris that’s left behind. It may be regrowth native forest but after 50 years it provides substantial decent habitat.”

Down in Hobart, another forest activist Collette Hamson is spending three months in prison because she broke conditions of a suspended sentence. Before she went to prison she said:

“The reason I commit these offences [is] because I am terrified of the worsening climate crisis. I am not a menace to society, yet here I am facing a jail term . . . I am not giving a finger to the entire judicial system, I am standing up for the forests, for takayna, a safer planet and if that makes me a dangerous criminal then I think we are going to need bigger prisons.”

Labor plans lengthy consultation
While the Minister for Environment Penny Sharpe may be able to remove any mention of protests in a parliamentary motion, it is another thing to deal with the wave of civil disobedience that is likely to continue until native forest logging is halted. Sharpe says that A$80 million has been set aside for GKNP and planning is underway.

City Hub asked the Department of Environment to confirm that no consultation was yet underway and on what date one consultation would begin.

A National Parks and Wildlife Service spokesperson replied, stating that development of the park “will be informed by expert scientific advice, an independent economic assessment of impacts on jobs and the local community, and an inclusive consultation process with stakeholdes . . .

“Consultation with stakeholders will occur in the future, with specific timings still to be determined.”

This lengthy process could take most of NSW Labor’s term in government ending in 2027. Unless logging is halted while planning occurs, the proposed National Park along with threatened species it is supposed to protect could be decimated before it arrives.

Wendy Bacon was previously professor of journalism at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and supported the Greens in this year’s NSW election. This article was first published by CityHub on August 15 and is republished with permission.  Wendy Bacon’s investigative journalism blog.


This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by Wendy Bacon.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2023/08/26/australian-fight-to-protect-koala-habitats-in-northern-nsw-heats-up-2/feed/ 0 422650 The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – August 17, 2023 Rescue and recovery efforts continue in Maui, Governor promises to protect homeowners. Wildfires in Northern Canada force thousands of evacuations. https://www.radiofree.org/2023/08/17/the-pacifica-evening-news-weekdays-august-17-2023-rescue-and-recovery-efforts-continue-in-maui-governor-promises-to-protect-homeowners-wildfires-in-northern-canada-force-thousands-of-eva/ https://www.radiofree.org/2023/08/17/the-pacifica-evening-news-weekdays-august-17-2023-rescue-and-recovery-efforts-continue-in-maui-governor-promises-to-protect-homeowners-wildfires-in-northern-canada-force-thousands-of-eva/#respond Thu, 17 Aug 2023 18:00:00 +0000 http://www.radiofree.org/?guid=30011ab25a5a9590152fc393d8ea4ffe Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

 

The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – August 17, 2023 Rescue and recovery efforts continue in Maui, Governor promises to protect homeowners. Wildfires in Northern Canada force thousands of evacuations. appeared first on KPFA.


This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2023/08/17/the-pacifica-evening-news-weekdays-august-17-2023-rescue-and-recovery-efforts-continue-in-maui-governor-promises-to-protect-homeowners-wildfires-in-northern-canada-force-thousands-of-eva/feed/ 0 420041 36 missing after massive landslide at jade mine in northern Myanmar https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/landslide-08142023144403.html https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/landslide-08142023144403.html#respond Mon, 14 Aug 2023 18:45:00 +0000 https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/landslide-08142023144403.html Three dozen people are missing in northern Myanmar’s Kachin state after a landslide triggered by heavy rains over the weekend buried workers at a jade mine, most of whom were small-scale scavengers and prospectors, sources at the site said Monday.

The landslide, which occurred at around 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, highlights lax safety measures at the area in Hpakant township, where nearly 300 people died in similar accidents last year. Poor oversight of mining operations has only worsened under Myanmar’s military junta, which seized power in a February 2021 coup d’etat.

A rescue worker said that the block of land where the landslide took place is owned by Jade Leaf Co. Ltd., but operations had been suspended due to downpours during the rainy season.

"According to our current list, 36 people are missing, but we haven't found any bodies yet,” he told RFA Burmese, adding that search operations are ongoing. “The rescue process has been delayed by a series of minor landslides still happening in the area.”

Video of the aftermath of the incident, obtained by RFA, shows brown water surging up the sides of muddy embankments that circle the caldera of the mine as people look on. In the background, a steep, dark stain runs down the side of a nearby cliff, where scavengers were washed away by a torrent of moving earth.

Divers have been unable to enter the pool at the caldera of the mine site and can only hang hooks from motorboats to drag the water for remains as collapses continue, he added, speaking on condition of anonymity citing security concerns.

Most of those missing had entered the block illegally to scavenge for precious stones in piles of excavated earth and rubble, he said.

‘They couldn’t get back onto land’

A person who survived the incident said that he recognized the impending collapse after experiencing a similar landslide in the area.

“We yelled warnings to the people digging under the cliff, but they didn't hear us,” said the man, who also declined to be named. “We ran uphill and escaped the danger, but the rest of the people were swallowed up by the landslide … right before my eyes.”

Many people sustained injuries in the accident and eight were sent to the hospital for treatment, he added.

Another eyewitness who was excavating near the landslide said he knew many of those who went missing in the collapse.

“Since the water was churning, they couldn’t get back onto land,” he said. “Five or six of my friends are gone. The mining company left the piles of rubble and excavated earth just as they were and as the rainwater flowed down, all of them collapsed."

ENG_BUR_JademineLandslide_08142023.2.jpg
The location of the jade mine landslide can be seen at the end of the lake in Hpakant, Kachin state, Myanmar, Aug. 13, 2023. Credit: Citizen journalist

Win Ye Tun, the junta’s spokesman and social minister for Kachin state, told RFA that only 10 people were reported missing or injured as of Monday morning and said authorities have been providing assistance.

“We have been continuously assisting those impacted, giving them medical treatment and providing aid,” he said, acknowledging that “some people needed to be sent to the hospital” to treat their injuries.

Illegal operations an unsafe conditions

More than 190 people died in a landslide at the Wai Khar jade mining site in Hapkant in 2022, while nearly 80 company employees and miners died in a separate accident at mining sites owned by Myanmar National Co. and Shan Yoma Co. last year. 

Under the deposed National League for Democracy, or NLD, jade mining concessions had been suspended in Hpakant and around 90% of mining rights had expired by the end of 2020.

However, residents of the area told RFA that since the coup, jade companies have illegally restarted mining operations and skirted scrutiny by paying taxes to the Kachin Liberation Organization, an ethnic army in the area, and the junta.

ENG_BUR_JademineLandslide_08142023.3.jpg
The lake where the landslide took place is seen in Hpakant, Kachin state, Myanmar, Aug. 13, 2023. Credit: Citizen journalist

Aung Hein Min, an NLD member of parliament for Hpakant who won his seat in the November 2020 election, said that landslides in the township are caused by the permeation of rainwater during the rainy season.

“Many people go there to mine, often at spots that were previously excavated by manpower or machinery and can easily collapse if they are dug out again,” he said. “The rainy season provides plenty of water, which can prompt these disasters.”

According to a recent statement by the U.K.-based rights group Global Witness, nearly 400,000 people in Myanmar rely on scavenging precious stones in the Hpakant region to earn a living – most of whom work under unsafe conditions.

Translated by Myo Min Aung. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster.


This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By RFA Burmese.

]]> https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/landslide-08142023144403.html/feed/ 0 419136 Landslide sweeps through jade mine in northern Myanmar, at least 36 missing | Radio Free Asia (RFA) https://www.radiofree.org/2023/08/14/landslide-sweeps-through-jade-mine-in-northern-myanmar-at-least-36-missing-radio-free-asia-rfa/ https://www.radiofree.org/2023/08/14/landslide-sweeps-through-jade-mine-in-northern-myanmar-at-least-36-missing-radio-free-asia-rfa/#respond Mon, 14 Aug 2023 16:16:31 +0000 http://www.radiofree.org/?guid=ac471c77f5cc1c901d19668e2d905a7d
This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Radio Free Asia.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2023/08/14/landslide-sweeps-through-jade-mine-in-northern-myanmar-at-least-36-missing-radio-free-asia-rfa/feed/ 0 419078 Illegal mining of rare earth metals surges in northern Myanmar https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/rare-earth-08082023151043.html https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/rare-earth-08082023151043.html#respond Tue, 08 Aug 2023 19:45:21 +0000 https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/rare-earth-08082023151043.html An increase in the illegal mining of rare earth metals in northern Myanmar is being driven by demand from neighboring China for terbium and dysprosium – elements that are used in the production of electric vehicles, area residents and environmental activists said.

The practice is rampant in Kachin state, where successive governments have failed to regulate mining for gold, jade and other rare metals for generations. The number of unsanctioned operations ballooned after the military’s Feb. 1, 2021, takeover amid conflict between junta troops and armed resistance forces in the region.

In the first six months of 2023, the value of rare earth minerals exported from Myanmar to China reached nearly US$773 million, according to Chinese customs data. 

In 2021, more than US$811 million worth of rare earth minerals were exported to China. That dropped to over US$615 million in 2022 amid instability and armed conflict, according to the data. 

This year, rare earth mining has risen in the state’s northeastern Pang War and Chipwi areas bordering China, according to a Burmese resident who requested anonymity for safety reasons.

“The surge is primarily due to the paramilitary militias, known as phithusit, engaging in mining because they lack other sources of income,” the resident said. 

In this early 2022 photo, a new rare earth mine is dug into the side of a mountain in Pangwa in northern Myanmar's Kachin state. Credit: Global Witness via AP
In this early 2022 photo, a new rare earth mine is dug into the side of a mountain in Pangwa in northern Myanmar's Kachin state. Credit: Global Witness via AP

Because of the depletion of mining areas in Pang War, people have started mining in the Chan Maw Khone area of Chipwi township and in the vicinity of the town of Chipwi, which previously had not been mined, he said.

At least 4,000 Chinese nationals work at more than 200 mining sites in the area around Pang War. They transport chemicals used in the mining industry nearly every day, according to a person close to immigration officials in Pang War, who also declined to be named for safety reasons. 

RFA could not reach Chinese companies or workers engaged in mining activities in the areas because they use Chinese mobile phone networks.

The Chinese nationals are believed to have entered the country illegally, but Myanmar officials cannot take action against them because only the Border Guard Force and the pro-junta Pyi Thu Sit militia operate in the area, the local said.

The Chinese embassy in Yangon didn’t immediately respond to RFA’s emailed requests for comment.

Various armed groups involved

Kachin state has been a hotbed of anti-junta resistance since the coup, with the military using heavy artillery and air strikes during clashes with an ethnic armed group and anti-regime People’s Defense Force units.

Armed groups in Kachin state, including the Myanmar military, pro-junta militias, Border Guard Forces, and the Kachin Independence Organization’s armed wing, have all profited from exporting metals to China, according to a Thailand-based researcher on Sino-Burmese relations, who declined to be named for safety reasons.

According to a July 26 listing of U.S. and Ireland-based Strategic Metal Invest, one kilogram of dysprosium was worth about US$500, while one kilogram of terbium was valued at more than US$2,000.

The illegal extraction of rare earth metals contaminates groundwater and soil, produces toxic dust, and leaves open pits with water tainted by chemicals. But the ongoing instability has made it difficult to do any prevention work, said an environmental activist from a group that observes the mining businesses in Kachin state.

“Stopping the mining depends on the rule of law within the region, but currently environmental activist groups like ours are in a difficult position to [try to] work effectively,” he said. “We can’t go to the excavation sites as we could before.”

Junta forces keep a close eye on area activists to see if they meet with anti-regime armed groups, he said. The junta also restricts environmental protection groups from going to certain places, the activist said.

A rare earth mining operation in northern Myanmar's Kachin state, March 2022. Credit: Citizen journalist
A rare earth mining operation in northern Myanmar's Kachin state, March 2022. Credit: Citizen journalist

Win Ye Tun, the junta's social affairs minister and spokesman for Kachin state, said the mining of rare earth metals is illegal there.

“Our government has not officially approved any mining sites,” he said. “Some are still being verified, some are prohibited, and action will be taken against those mining, according to the law.”

It’s possible that armed groups themselves are conducting the mining, he added.

RFA couldn’t reach the state’s Border Guard Force for comment.

Meanwhile, new mining is taking place in the Mai Ja Yang area controlled by the Kachin Independence Organization, or KIO, the political wing of the Kachin Independence Army, which controls the area and has clashed with the Myanmar military for decades.

KIO spokesman Colonel Naw Bu told RFA that the organization has only conducted some test-mining in the area.

Chinese companies mining rare earth minerals in Kachin state said they would stop their activities after more than 1,000 villagers in the area controlled by the KIO began protesting in December 2022, complaining of environmental damage caused by extracting the elements, Voice of America reported in April.

That month, the KIO gave the Chinese enterprises permission to mine in the state near the border with China’s Yunnan Province.

Translated by Myo Min Aung for RFA Burmese. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Matthew Reed.


This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By RFA Burmese.

]]> https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/rare-earth-08082023151043.html/feed/ 0 417776 Mass rescue, evacuations underway as torrential rains flood northern China https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/beijing-flooding-08022023120446.html https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/beijing-flooding-08022023120446.html#respond Wed, 02 Aug 2023 19:08:00 +0000 https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/beijing-flooding-08022023120446.html At least 20 people have died and hundreds of thousands of people have been evacuated, as torrential downpours continue to batter northern China on Wednesday, as the Chinese capital saw its heaviest rainfall since records began 140 years ago.

Nearly one million people have been evacuated from danger zones in Beijing and neighboring Hebei province, as well as in the northern province of Shanxi, according to state media reports cited by Agence France-Presse.

Rainstorms linked to Storm Doksuri, a former super typhoon, dumped hundreds of millimeters of rain daily on the capital and Hebei province over the past four days, state media reported, sending torrential floods along local river systems, including Beijing's Yongding River.

"This is the Yongding River," says a resident over a clip of a torrent of fast-flowing flood water that stretches as far as the eye can see. "Normally, there's hardly any water in it -- in fact it often dries up entirely."

"They said it was a once-in-100 years event, then two days later we get more rainstorms," reads a comment on another video clip of the 865 kilometer-long Yongding River, which sweeps through Beijing's western suburbs and Fengtai district. 

"The rains that have hit Beijing have been more than anyone could have imagined."

"Stay safe -- stay away from riverbanks during flooding!" warns a report from the China News Network, with more footage of swollen floodwaters in northern China.

"The New Lugouqiao bridge has been closed, as the flood sluices are opened to allow the water to disperse," it said. "The Fengtai government has refuted rumors of the collapse of the Lugouqiao bridge, saying that it was the Xiaoqinghe Bridge right next to it [that collapsed]."

According to a clip posted by Beijing Satellite TV to Weibo in mid-July, the river has dams and reservoirs all along its length, roughly every two kilometers. Just two weeks before Typhoon Doksuri hit northern China, the footage showed vast expanses of dry sand all along the riverbed – a stark contrast to the raging torrents in the wake of the typhoon.

Death toll questioned

A resident of Beijing's Fangshan district who gave only the surname Liu said she was highly skeptical of the official death toll, citing widespread flooding of single-story buildings.

"A relative of mine in the hills near Mentougou had their house entirely washed away," she said. "The government is saying that 11 people died [in Beijing alone], which I don't think is likely."

"The Xiaoqinghe bridge collapsed and all of those cars went into the river, and they're saying nobody died? Do you believe that?"

Liu said local people were having trouble getting a phone signal after local base stations were flooded.

"All of the routes are totally cut off here, and we can't go out," she said. 

Social media footage showed turbulent floodwaters battering a bridge in Mentougou, a hilly area on the western edge of Beijing, while footage uploaded to the social media platform Sina Weibo showed Yongding River floodwaters rushing past Beijing's Capital Iron and Steel Works, which remained dry.

A local resident told the Global Times newspaper that local people had struggled to evacuate everyone in time, while the paper said "many houses" had been washed away.

"From the moment it started raining, we activated the emergency plan to evacuate all villagers," the paper quoted the resident as saying. "But the floods came more quickly. We didn't complete the evacuation until Monday night."

People move out items from stores after the remnants of Typhoon Doksuri brought rains and floods in Beijing, China, Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2023. Credit: Tingshu Wang/Reuters
People move out items from stores after the remnants of Typhoon Doksuri brought rains and floods in Beijing, China, Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2023. Credit: Tingshu Wang/Reuters

Meanwhile, some took to Weibo to tell the world about Hebei's Zhuozhou city, which many said had been sacrificed to keep Beijing relatively flood-free, receiving floodwaters diverted to protect the capital.

“I‘m 39 years old and I never thought I'd live to see this. Floodwater is three or four meters deep in the city streets, which are totally under water," a Zhuozhou resident said in a clip uploaded by Phoenix TV.

Farmland to swampland

Weibo user @Eagle_of_God_5zn posted a video clip of dark red muddy waters surging through a village, with the comment: "It's as if tens of thousands of horses were galloping through the streets of the village, and the farmland in the suburbs has turned into a swampland." 

"The people of Zhuozhou have sacrificed too much for this disaster relief effort," the user wrote. 

Villagers reportedly clashed with police near Zhuozhou city amid public opposition to the release of floodwaters into land around their village, a move that many saw as sacrificing Zhuozhou to save Beijing, according to a clip uploaded to the citizen journalist X account “Mr. Li is not your teacher.”

The BBC's China correspondent Stephen McDonell said via his X account that Zhuozhou was suffering "an ongoing emergency."

"#Beijing has canceled its red alert status," McDonell wrote. "Water levels have receded all over the city. In #Hebei Province, the town of Zhuozhou is still struggling with the ongoing emergency, after flood waters were diverted there to take the pressure off the capital."

Some residents of the city complained that they weren't given enough notice of the diversion.

Video footage filmed by a resident of Hebei's Zhuozhou city and uploaded to Sina Weibo showed areas of streets and parking lots under muddy water.

Another clip from the same city showed flood waters up to the eaves of single-storey buildings, while in another, people are seen in buoyancy jackets, paddling an inflatable raft up a broad city street.

Meanwhile, social media users bemoaned the flooding of a book depository in Zhouzhou, which is a major center for China's publishing industry.

Highlighting heroism

Social media footage from a book warehouse in the city showed muddy waters flowing through the building, with hundreds of books swirling around and floating away on the torrent.

Sina Weibo user @Babur drew a parallel between the loss of the books and ongoing censorship of the publishing industry under ruling Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping.

"The submerged book warehouses in Zhuozhou are basically emblematic of the amount of room that has been given to cultural and intellectual sectors in recent years," the user commented.

Residents watch floodwaters inundate an area in Miaofengshan on the outskirts of Beijing, Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023. Credit: Ng Han Guan/AP
Residents watch floodwaters inundate an area in Miaofengshan on the outskirts of Beijing, Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023. Credit: Ng Han Guan/AP

Elsewhere in Hebei, a video clip showed cars jammed into city streets at 1.00 a.m. in Baoding city, as residents tried to leave the city following an evacuation order, according to the person filming.

State media coverage focused on the sheer amount of rain, and on footage of heroic rescue operations, including the hoisting of a man out of a car as it rolled over in floodwater, the rescue of women, children and a baby by inflatable boat, and the efforts of residents to deliver food to stranded people or rescue workers, despite the floods.

"Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday demanded all-out search and rescue for people missing or trapped by floods and geological disasters," state news agency Xinhua reported. 

"It is crucial to ensure medical treatment for the injured and provide aid and comfort to the families of the deceased," the agency quoted Xi as saying.

China has earmarked 110 million yuan (U.S.$15.43 million) for flood prevention and disaster relief work in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Emergency Management said on Tuesday.

The funds will be used to support emergency rescue work and relief work for people affected by floods, the ministries said.

"Beijing is intensifying disaster relief efforts by employing People's Liberation Army helicopters to airdrop essential supplies and transfer stranded residents," the Global Times reported.


Translated with additional reporting by Luisetta Mudie.


This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By Gu Ting for RFA Mandarin.

]]> https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/beijing-flooding-08022023120446.html/feed/ 0 416501 Hundreds of Buddhist monks march for peace in northern India | Radio Free Asia (RFA) https://www.radiofree.org/2023/07/25/hundreds-of-buddhist-monks-march-for-peace-in-northern-india-radio-free-asia-rfa/ https://www.radiofree.org/2023/07/25/hundreds-of-buddhist-monks-march-for-peace-in-northern-india-radio-free-asia-rfa/#respond Tue, 25 Jul 2023 19:32:26 +0000 http://www.radiofree.org/?guid=b3a6189770c7a914dbd17b34a922e73a
This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Radio Free Asia.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2023/07/25/hundreds-of-buddhist-monks-march-for-peace-in-northern-india-radio-free-asia-rfa/feed/ 0 414474 Was Westminster to blame for gaps in Northern Ireland’s pandemic planning? https://www.radiofree.org/2023/07/11/was-westminster-to-blame-for-gaps-in-northern-irelands-pandemic-planning/ https://www.radiofree.org/2023/07/11/was-westminster-to-blame-for-gaps-in-northern-irelands-pandemic-planning/#respond Tue, 11 Jul 2023 15:24:19 +0000 https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/covid-19-inquiry-arlene-foster-northern-ireland-stormont-government-westminster/
This content originally appeared on openDemocracy RSS and was authored by Ruby Lott-Lavigna, Laura Oliver.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2023/07/11/was-westminster-to-blame-for-gaps-in-northern-irelands-pandemic-planning/feed/ 0 410962 Was Westminster to blame for gaps in Northern Ireland’s pandemic planning? https://www.radiofree.org/2023/07/11/was-westminster-to-blame-for-gaps-in-northern-irelands-pandemic-planning/ https://www.radiofree.org/2023/07/11/was-westminster-to-blame-for-gaps-in-northern-irelands-pandemic-planning/#respond Tue, 11 Jul 2023 15:24:19 +0000 https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/covid-19-inquiry-arlene-foster-northern-ireland-stormont-government-westminster/
This content originally appeared on openDemocracy RSS and was authored by Ruby Lott-Lavigna, Laura Oliver.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2023/07/11/was-westminster-to-blame-for-gaps-in-northern-irelands-pandemic-planning/feed/ 0 410963 Northern Ireland: Health sector known to be at risk of failure since 2018 https://www.radiofree.org/2023/07/10/northern-ireland-health-sector-known-to-be-at-risk-of-failure-since-2018/ https://www.radiofree.org/2023/07/10/northern-ireland-health-sector-known-to-be-at-risk-of-failure-since-2018/#respond Mon, 10 Jul 2023 16:06:02 +0000 https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/covid-19-inquiry-northern-ireland-risk-register-health-sector-finances/
This content originally appeared on openDemocracy RSS and was authored by Ruby Lott-Lavigna.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2023/07/10/northern-ireland-health-sector-known-to-be-at-risk-of-failure-since-2018/feed/ 0 410699 Dalai Lama celebrates 88th birthday at residence in northern India https://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/dalai-lama-birthday-07062023162617.html https://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/dalai-lama-birthday-07062023162617.html#respond Thu, 06 Jul 2023 23:35:54 +0000 https://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/dalai-lama-birthday-07062023162617.html The Dalai Lama celebrated his 88th birthday at his residence in Dharamsala, India, on Thursday, feted by song-and-dance performances and declaring he was in good health and expected to live to be 100.

“Today, you are celebrating my 88th birthday, but when I look in the mirror, I feel I look as if I’m still in my 50s,” the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism said to those gathered for the celebration. “My face doesn’t look old, it isn’t wrinkled with age. What’s more I still have all my teeth so there’s nothing I can’t eat or chew.”

“According to indications in my own dreams and other predictions, I expect to live to be more than 100 years old,” said the Dalai Lama, whose real name is Lhamo Thondup and is also known as Tenzin Gyatso. “I’ve served others until now, and I’m determined to continue to do so. Please pray for my long life on that basis.”

Attending the celebration in the temple courtyard adjacent to the Dalai Lama’s residence were his relatives, members of the Tibetan government-in-exile, and later Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, chief minister of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, where Dharamsala is located. 

His birthday comes amid ongoing controversy about who should determine his successor. 

Tibetans say they have the right to do so according to their Buddhist belief in the principle of rebirth. They believe the Dalai Lama chooses the body into which he is reincarnated, a process that has occurred 13 times since 1391, when the first Dalai Lama was born. 

But China, which annexed Tibet in 1951 and maintains a tight rein on the western autonomous region, says only Beijing can select the next spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists, as stated in Chinese law. 

The Chinese government intends to appoint a pro-Beijing puppet leader in place of the Dalai Lama after he dies, giving it an opportunity to firm up its control of the region, according to a report issued in 2022 by the International Tibet Network, a global coalition of Tibet-related groups.

Beijing accuses the Dalai Lama of supporting terrorism and trying to split Tibet from China, though the spiritual leader is pursuing a policy approach called the Middle Way, which accepts Tibet’s status as a part of China but urges greater cultural and religious freedoms, including strengthened language rights, guaranteed for ethnic minorities under the provisions of China’s own constitution.

The Dalai Lama cuts a birthday cake presented to him during the celebration of his 88th birthday at his residence in Dharamsala, India, on Thursday, July 6, 2023. Credit: Tenzin Choejor
The Dalai Lama cuts a birthday cake presented to him during the celebration of his 88th birthday at his residence in Dharamsala, India, on Thursday, July 6, 2023. Credit: Tenzin Choejor

“I was born in Tibet and I bear this name Dalai Lama, but in addition to working for the cause of Tibet, I’ve been working for the welfare of all sentient beings,” he also said in remarks to the crowd in Dharamsala. 

“I’ve done whatever I could without losing hope or allowing my determination to flag. I’m angry with no one, not even those Chinese leaders who have adopted a harsh attitude towards Tibet. Indeed, China has historically been a Buddhist country as witnessed by the many temples and monasteries I saw when I visited that land.”

Subtle celebrations

China has sought to erase the Dalai Lama and his likeness from the Tibet Autonomous Region, so Tibetans there celebrated his birthday in subtle ways.

They shared poems and odes to the Dalai Lama online and circulated in various online messaging groups an image of a hat he wore as a child in a popular photograph, with the number “88” appearing below it. 

“Tibetans are engaging in creative ways as well as performing religious activities to celebrate his holiness’s birthday,” said a Tibetan who lives in the region, referring to reciting prayers and hoisting prayer flags. 

The exiled Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader, who is a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, also expressed gratitude for the support he has received from his friends. 

In a four-minute recorded video message marking his birthday, the Dalai Lama said, “On the occasion of my birthday, if you, my friends, can guard your minds and lead good-natured lives, you will be joyful at heart, and as a result be able, directly and indirectly, to help everyone around you.”

High-level government officials, including U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, issued birthday greetings to the Dalai Lama on what Blinken said was an auspicious day for the Tibetan community. 

“His Holiness’s kindness and humility serve as an inspiration to many around the world, and I have deep admiration for his ongoing commitment to peace and nonviolence,” Blinken said. “Today, may we reflect on his messages of compassion and tolerance as we reaffirm our commitment to upholding the human rights of all people, including those of the Tibetan community.”

“The United States is unwavering in our commitment to support the linguistic, cultural, and religious identity of Tibetans, including the ability to freely choose and venerate their religious leaders without interference,” he said.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted: “Spoke to His Holiness @DalaiLama and conveyed heartfelt greetings to him on his 88th birthday. Wishing him a long and healthy life.”

Translated by Tenzin Dickyi for RFA Tibetan. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Malcolm Foster.


This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By RFA Tibetan.

]]> https://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/dalai-lama-birthday-07062023162617.html/feed/ 0 409945 Dalai Lama celebrates 88th birthday at residence in northern India https://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/dalai-lama-birthday-07062023162617.html https://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/dalai-lama-birthday-07062023162617.html#respond Thu, 06 Jul 2023 23:35:54 +0000 https://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/dalai-lama-birthday-07062023162617.html The Dalai Lama celebrated his 88th birthday at his residence in Dharamsala, India, on Thursday, feted by song-and-dance performances and declaring he was in good health and expected to live to be 100.

“Today, you are celebrating my 88th birthday, but when I look in the mirror, I feel I look as if I’m still in my 50s,” the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism said to those gathered for the celebration. “My face doesn’t look old, it isn’t wrinkled with age. What’s more I still have all my teeth so there’s nothing I can’t eat or chew.”

“According to indications in my own dreams and other predictions, I expect to live to be more than 100 years old,” said the Dalai Lama, whose real name is Lhamo Thondup and is also known as Tenzin Gyatso. “I’ve served others until now, and I’m determined to continue to do so. Please pray for my long life on that basis.”

Attending the celebration in the temple courtyard adjacent to the Dalai Lama’s residence were his relatives, members of the Tibetan government-in-exile, and later Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, chief minister of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, where Dharamsala is located. 

His birthday comes amid ongoing controversy about who should determine his successor. 

Tibetans say they have the right to do so according to their Buddhist belief in the principle of rebirth. They believe the Dalai Lama chooses the body into which he is reincarnated, a process that has occurred 13 times since 1391, when the first Dalai Lama was born. 

But China, which annexed Tibet in 1951 and maintains a tight rein on the western autonomous region, says only Beijing can select the next spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists, as stated in Chinese law. 

The Chinese government intends to appoint a pro-Beijing puppet leader in place of the Dalai Lama after he dies, giving it an opportunity to firm up its control of the region, according to a report issued in 2022 by the International Tibet Network, a global coalition of Tibet-related groups.

Beijing accuses the Dalai Lama of supporting terrorism and trying to split Tibet from China, though the spiritual leader is pursuing a policy approach called the Middle Way, which accepts Tibet’s status as a part of China but urges greater cultural and religious freedoms, including strengthened language rights, guaranteed for ethnic minorities under the provisions of China’s own constitution.

The Dalai Lama cuts a birthday cake presented to him during the celebration of his 88th birthday at his residence in Dharamsala, India, on Thursday, July 6, 2023. Credit: Tenzin Choejor
The Dalai Lama cuts a birthday cake presented to him during the celebration of his 88th birthday at his residence in Dharamsala, India, on Thursday, July 6, 2023. Credit: Tenzin Choejor

“I was born in Tibet and I bear this name Dalai Lama, but in addition to working for the cause of Tibet, I’ve been working for the welfare of all sentient beings,” he also said in remarks to the crowd in Dharamsala. 

“I’ve done whatever I could without losing hope or allowing my determination to flag. I’m angry with no one, not even those Chinese leaders who have adopted a harsh attitude towards Tibet. Indeed, China has historically been a Buddhist country as witnessed by the many temples and monasteries I saw when I visited that land.”

Subtle celebrations

China has sought to erase the Dalai Lama and his likeness from the Tibet Autonomous Region, so Tibetans there celebrated his birthday in subtle ways.

They shared poems and odes to the Dalai Lama online and circulated in various online messaging groups an image of a hat he wore as a child in a popular photograph, with the number “88” appearing below it. 

“Tibetans are engaging in creative ways as well as performing religious activities to celebrate his holiness’s birthday,” said a Tibetan who lives in the region, referring to reciting prayers and hoisting prayer flags. 

The exiled Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader, who is a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, also expressed gratitude for the support he has received from his friends. 

In a four-minute recorded video message marking his birthday, the Dalai Lama said, “On the occasion of my birthday, if you, my friends, can guard your minds and lead good-natured lives, you will be joyful at heart, and as a result be able, directly and indirectly, to help everyone around you.”

High-level government officials, including U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, issued birthday greetings to the Dalai Lama on what Blinken said was an auspicious day for the Tibetan community. 

“His Holiness’s kindness and humility serve as an inspiration to many around the world, and I have deep admiration for his ongoing commitment to peace and nonviolence,” Blinken said. “Today, may we reflect on his messages of compassion and tolerance as we reaffirm our commitment to upholding the human rights of all people, including those of the Tibetan community.”

“The United States is unwavering in our commitment to support the linguistic, cultural, and religious identity of Tibetans, including the ability to freely choose and venerate their religious leaders without interference,” he said.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted: “Spoke to His Holiness @DalaiLama and conveyed heartfelt greetings to him on his 88th birthday. Wishing him a long and healthy life.”

Translated by Tenzin Dickyi for RFA Tibetan. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Malcolm Foster.


This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By RFA Tibetan.

]]> https://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/dalai-lama-birthday-07062023162617.html/feed/ 0 409946 Brexit prep forced Northern Ireland to ‘cannibalise’ departments before Covid https://www.radiofree.org/2023/07/06/brexit-prep-forced-northern-ireland-to-cannibalise-departments-before-covid/ https://www.radiofree.org/2023/07/06/brexit-prep-forced-northern-ireland-to-cannibalise-departments-before-covid/#respond Thu, 06 Jul 2023 16:27:31 +0000 https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/covid-19-inquiry-no-deal-brexit-prep-cannibalise-departments/
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]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2023/07/06/brexit-prep-forced-northern-ireland-to-cannibalise-departments-before-covid/feed/ 0 409879 Key Northern Ireland emergency documents years out of date before pandemic https://www.radiofree.org/2023/07/06/key-northern-ireland-emergency-documents-years-out-of-date-before-pandemic/ https://www.radiofree.org/2023/07/06/key-northern-ireland-emergency-documents-years-out-of-date-before-pandemic/#respond Thu, 06 Jul 2023 12:39:17 +0000 https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/covid-19-inquiry-key-documents-out-of-date-northern-ireland/
This content originally appeared on openDemocracy RSS and was authored by Ruby Lott-Lavigna.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2023/07/06/key-northern-ireland-emergency-documents-years-out-of-date-before-pandemic/feed/ 0 409799 Protesters throw stones at 5 TV crews covering protests in northern Kosovo https://www.radiofree.org/2023/06/29/protesters-throw-stones-at-5-tv-crews-covering-protests-in-northern-kosovo/ https://www.radiofree.org/2023/06/29/protesters-throw-stones-at-5-tv-crews-covering-protests-in-northern-kosovo/#respond Thu, 29 Jun 2023 17:00:53 +0000 https://cpj.org/?p=296542 On June 16, 2023, a group of between 15 and 20 protesters threw stones at and chased five ethnic Albanian news crews in the northern Kosovo town of Leposavic, forcing them to flee and abandon their reporting.

The news crews worked for Kosovo public broadcaster RTK and private TV stations Tëvë1, RTV Dukagjini, Klan Kosova, and KTV.

One of the protesters pushed RTK camera operator Bardh Bekteshi to the ground, stole his camera, and kicked him several times, according to a video published by RTK on Twitter, and Gentiana Begolli Pustina, RTK’s head of international relations and communications, who communicated with CPJ via email.

An emergency room treated Bekteshi for a fractured left arm and minor injuries to his face, left knee, and back on June 16 before releasing him to recover at home.

Since late May, protests have broken out throughout northern Kosovo over the election of several ethnic Albanian mayors to represent Serb-majority areas, after many Serbs boycotted the elections. More than a dozen ethnic Albanian journalists have been attacked or harassed while covering the protests.

On June 19, Kosovo Police announced they arrested an ethnic Serb resident of Leposavic, whom they identified by his initials U.V., on suspicion of being involved in the attack, according to a report by regional news website Balkan Insight. The suspect’s legal representation denied his involvement.

CPJ’s email to the press department of the Kosovo Police did not receive an immediate reply.


This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Committee to Protect Journalists.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2023/06/29/protesters-throw-stones-at-5-tv-crews-covering-protests-in-northern-kosovo/feed/ 0 408234 ‘Red’ alert for Beijing as heat wave sweeps northern China https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/beijing-heat-wave-06232023122021.html https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/beijing-heat-wave-06232023122021.html#respond Fri, 23 Jun 2023 16:20:37 +0000 https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/beijing-heat-wave-06232023122021.html Beijing issued a “red” alert level Friday, a day after the city’s temperature soared to a record for June, weather authorities and local media said, as northern China suffers a scorching heat wave expected to extend into next week.

Already, several monthly heat records have been broken across China, which has prompted fears of a looming energy crisis.

On Thursday afternoon, Beijing’s temperature reached 41.1 degrees Celsius (105.9 F), a record since data collection started in 1961, according to the municipal weather observatory. It was also Beijing’s second-highest level in history, just below the 41.9 C (107.4 F) registered on July 24, 1999.

This week’s scorching heat has coincided with the annual Dragon Boat Festival holiday, which started on Thursday, when millions of Chinese travel to visit relatives or for tourism.

Authorities urged residents to remain indoors.

“Citizens and tourists are reminded to reduce the time for outdoor activities during high-temperature periods, pay attention to heatstroke prevention and cooling, and replenish the water frequently,” the state-owned China Weather Network said in a warning Friday.

Last summer, China faced its most severe heat wave and drought in many decades, resulting in extensive power deficits and significant food and industrial supply network disruptions.

Humans contributing

According to a scientific report last month, the record-breaking heat wave that hit parts of Asia in April was made at least 30 times more likely due to human-induced climate change.

The temperatures were at least 2 degrees Celsius hotter due to climate change, which has seen average global temperatures rise 1.2 degrees since 1900, the World Weather Attribution (WWA) study said.

Experts have said clear and dry conditions now have exacerbated the current heat wave.

ENG_ENV_BeijingTemperature_06232023.2.jpg
A man and woman relax after swimming in a canal during a heatwave in Beijing, June 23, 2023. Credit: AFP

It was the first time that Beijing, home to more than 21 million people, issued a “red” alert in its four-tiered warning system since the new system was introduced in 2015. 

On Friday, Beijing’s temperature hit 40.3 degrees C (104.5 F), the first time on record that China’s capital rose to more than 40 degrees, the Beijing weather observatory’s chief forecaster, Zhang Yingxin, told a press briefing, according to media reports.

China’s National Meteorological Center said temperatures in parts of Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei and Shandong rose rapidly over 40 C (104 F), with a total of 19 observatories in four regions reporting record-high temperatures, Zhang Fanghua, its chief forecaster said, according to CWN. 

In the northern port city of Tianjin, the temperature reached 41.2 C (106.16 F), a record high for the region.

The temperature reached 43 C (109.4 F) in coastal Shandong on Thursday, according to the meteorological center.

Local authorities in northern and eastern Chinese cities have issued heatstroke and dehydration warnings, advising people not to work outdoors during the hottest parts of the day.

Meanwhile, in southern China, authorities issued the lowest “yellow” alert for rainstorms on Friday, with heavy rains projected to hit parts of Guangxi Zhuang, Fujian, Guangdong and Yunnan in the coming days.

Edited by Malcolm Foster.


This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Subel Rai Bhandari for RFA.

]]> https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/beijing-heat-wave-06232023122021.html/feed/ 0 406531 Alliance for the Wild Rockies Challenges Massive Clearcut and Burning Project Near Lake Pend Oreille in Northern Idaho https://www.radiofree.org/2023/06/16/alliance-for-the-wild-rockies-challenges-massive-clearcut-and-burning-project-near-lake-pend-oreille-in-northern-idaho/ https://www.radiofree.org/2023/06/16/alliance-for-the-wild-rockies-challenges-massive-clearcut-and-burning-project-near-lake-pend-oreille-in-northern-idaho/#respond Fri, 16 Jun 2023 05:48:38 +0000 https://www.counterpunch.org/?p=286321 Remember when the Forest Service bluffed the public and the naive collaborator groups saying the agency never approved clearcuts larger than 20 acres? No longer! The latest Buckskin-Saddle project in northern Idaho includes 30 square miles of logging with more than half that area in clearcuts – including 31 clearcuts larger than 100 acres and More

The post Alliance for the Wild Rockies Challenges Massive Clearcut and Burning Project Near Lake Pend Oreille in Northern Idaho appeared first on CounterPunch.org.


This content originally appeared on CounterPunch.org and was authored by Mike Garrity.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2023/06/16/alliance-for-the-wild-rockies-challenges-massive-clearcut-and-burning-project-near-lake-pend-oreille-in-northern-idaho/feed/ 0 404393 Ethnic Albanian journalists attacked, vehicles vandalized during Serb protests in northern Kosovo https://www.radiofree.org/2023/06/05/ethnic-albanian-journalists-attacked-vehicles-vandalized-during-serb-protests-in-northern-kosovo/ https://www.radiofree.org/2023/06/05/ethnic-albanian-journalists-attacked-vehicles-vandalized-during-serb-protests-in-northern-kosovo/#respond Mon, 05 Jun 2023 14:35:38 +0000 https://cpj.org/?p=290815 Berlin, June 5, 2023—Kosovo authorities must investigate the recent attacks on multiple news crews covering protests in the country and ensure journalists can cover demonstrations safely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday.

In late May, protests broke out throughout northern Kosovo over the election of several ethnic Albanian mayors to represent Serb-majority areas, after many Serbs had boycotted the elections.

More than a dozen ethnic Albanian journalists have been attacked or harassed while covering the protests, according to news reports and Xhemajl Rexha, chair of the independent trade organization Association of Journalists of Kosovo.

“Kosovo authorities must thoroughly investigate the recent attacks on news crews covering protests in the country and hold the perpetrators to account,” said Attila Mong, CPJ’s Europe representative. “Kosovo authorities, as well as international NATO-led forces in the area, must ensure that members of the press can safely cover protests without fear of harassment or assault.”

May 29

In the northern town of Zvečan, a group of 15 to 20 Serb protesters approached about 10 Albanian-speaking reporters and demanded that they stop filming, according to news reports and Rexha. When the journalists refused, the protesters began throwing rocks and eggs and shouted ethnic slurs at them.

Masked individuals also attempted to seize a camera from a journalist with the Kosovo news Periskopi and tore the camera operator’s shirt, and three people wearing masks separately knocked a camera out of the hands of a journalist with the Kosovo news website Gazeta Papirus.

People also painted Serbian nationalist symbols on a parked car with the logo of the privately owned Albanian TV station Top Channel in Zvečan.

In the northern town of Leposavić, crews with the local broadcaster RTV Dukagjini, news website Kallxho, and the regional outlet Balkan Investigative Reporting Network found their cars vandalized with their tires slashed and painted with Serbian nationalistic symbols after they returned from reporting.

Protestors also slashed the tires and broke the windows of a car with the logo of the privately owned Kosovo TV channel TëVë 1 and set it on fire while the journalists covered protests in the northern town of Zublin Potok. 

May 30

In Leposavić, eight to 10 protesters, some wearing masks, approached news crews with RTV Dukagjini and the privately owned Kosovo website KOHA and demanded they stop filming. As the reporters continued to cover the demonstrations, protesters threw rocks and eggs and tried to block them from filming by putting their hands in front of their cameras. Protestors also took a camera from a TëVë 1 camera operator and broke it.

Also in Leposavić, four or five people threw bricks and stones at two cars, each marked as “Press,” while they were carrying journalists with the privately owned independent Albanian TV channels A2 CNN and News23, and the news websites Panorama and News24. No one was injured. 

A2 CNN reporter Jul Kasapi was later quoted by his employer saying that officers with the NATO-led international peacekeeping Kosovo Force, or KFOR, stood by and did not intervene.

In North Mitrovica, protesters took a mobile phone from Berat Bahtiri, a camera operator for privately owned Kosovo broadcaster RTV21. Police later found it destroyed, Rexha told CPJ. Bahtiri suffered minor injuries on his arms during a scuffle over the phone.

In the northern town of Zubin, protesters threw an explosive at a taxi containing a news crew with the Albanian service of the U.S. Congress-funded broadcaster RFE/RL, which did not damage the vehicle or result in any injuries.

Masked protesters in Zveçan shot at a car marked “Press” carrying camera operator Bledar Rexha and reporter Butrint Bejra, with the privately owned Albanian station Syri TV. One bullet hit the car, but no one was injured.

Also in Zveçan, unidentified people broke windows, punctured tires, and painted Serb nationalist symbols on two cars used by journalists with KOHA and the privately owned Kosovo TV station T7. Separately in Zveçan, people punctured the tires of two cars used by journalists with the privately owned Kosovo TV channels Kanal 10 and ATV, and also punctured the tires and shot bullets into a car, which was not marked press, used by journalists working for Periskopi.

May 31

An unknown individual punched RTV21 reporter Burim Zariq in the abdomen while he was recording protests in Zveçan. The journalist did not report any serious injury.

On June 2, CPJ joined 12 other press freedom organizations in a joint statement calling on Kosovo authorities to implement the necessary measures to guarantee reporters’ safety as they report on the protests. CPJ emailed KFOR and the Kosovo police for comment but did not receive any replies.


This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Erik Crouch.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2023/06/05/ethnic-albanian-journalists-attacked-vehicles-vandalized-during-serb-protests-in-northern-kosovo/feed/ 0 400966 Ethnic Serbs Clash With Security Forces In Northern Kosovo https://www.radiofree.org/2023/05/29/ethnic-serbs-clash-with-security-forces-in-northern-kosovo/ https://www.radiofree.org/2023/05/29/ethnic-serbs-clash-with-security-forces-in-northern-kosovo/#respond Mon, 29 May 2023 20:11:55 +0000 http://www.radiofree.org/?guid=9a58954fb370e63dd36ce82637475117
This content originally appeared on Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and was authored by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2023/05/29/ethnic-serbs-clash-with-security-forces-in-northern-kosovo/feed/ 0 399252 Could mandatory voting fix Northern Ireland’s dysfunctional politics? https://www.radiofree.org/2023/05/23/could-mandatory-voting-fix-northern-irelands-dysfunctional-politics/ https://www.radiofree.org/2023/05/23/could-mandatory-voting-fix-northern-irelands-dysfunctional-politics/#respond Tue, 23 May 2023 16:10:49 +0000 https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/northern-ireland-local-elections-sinn-fein-mandatory-voting-low-turnout-stormont/
This content originally appeared on openDemocracy RSS and was authored by Emma DeSouza.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2023/05/23/could-mandatory-voting-fix-northern-irelands-dysfunctional-politics/feed/ 0 397061 Serbs’ Boycott Impacts Local Elections In Northern Kosovo https://www.radiofree.org/2023/04/23/serbs-boycott-impacts-local-elections-in-northern-kosovo/ https://www.radiofree.org/2023/04/23/serbs-boycott-impacts-local-elections-in-northern-kosovo/#respond Sun, 23 Apr 2023 20:53:48 +0000 http://www.radiofree.org/?guid=53b2bfd767be36afff658486a5047844
This content originally appeared on Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and was authored by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2023/04/23/serbs-boycott-impacts-local-elections-in-northern-kosovo/feed/ 0 389845 Australian lawmakers meet with Dalai Lama, government-in-exile in northern India https://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/australian-lawmakers-04192023170157.html https://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/australian-lawmakers-04192023170157.html#respond Wed, 19 Apr 2023 21:14:17 +0000 https://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/australian-lawmakers-04192023170157.html A four-member delegation from Australia’s All-Party Parliamentary Group for Tibet who met with the Dalai Lama on Tuesday offered support to preserve Tibet’s language and culture amid China’s efforts to restrict Tibet’s linguistic and cultural rights.

MP Sharon Claydon, who also serves as deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Sen. Janet Rice, MP Sophie Scamps and MP Susan Templeman arrived in Dharamsala, India, on Monday for a four-day visit. The hillside city in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh is home to the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists, and to the Tibetan government-in-exile.

The delegation was accompanied by Zoe Bedford, executive officer of the Australia Tibet Council and Karma Singey, the Dalai Lama’s representative for Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia. 

The bipartisan Australian All-Party Parliamentary Group for Tibet seeks to put pressure on the Australian government to encourage negotiations between Beijing and the Tibetan government-in-exile, while recognizing that Tibet is an occupied country which had independent ties with Britain.

“His Holiness told us that our concern and support for the Tibetan cause gives hope to the millions of Tibetan people and to His Holiness,” Rice said after the delegation’s audience with the Dalai Lama.

“We discussed China and many other things and the core message of His Holiness is that the courage of the Tibetan people is more powerful than the threat that the Chinese Communist government poses,” she added. 

About 2,500 Tibetans live in Australia, many of whom are former political prisoners, according to the Australia Tibet Council, an NGO that campaigns for the freedom and human rights of Tibetans.

The delegation also met with Penpa Tsering, the leader, or Sikyong, of the Central Tibetan Administration, or CTA, as the government-in-exile is called.

The Dalai Lama and the CTA have long advocated a Middle Way approach to peacefully resolve the issue of Tibet and to bring about stability and co-existence based on equality and mutual cooperation without discrimination based on one nationality being superior than the other. 

There have been no formal talks between the Dalai Lama and Beijing since 2010, and Chinese officials have made unreasonable demands of the Dalai Lama as a condition for further dialogue.

Chinese communists invaded Tibet in 1949, seeing the region as important to consolidate its frontiers and address national defense concerns in the southwest. 

A decade later, tens of thousands of Tibetans took to the streets of Lhasa, the regional capital, in protest against China’s invasion and occupation of their homeland. But People’s Liberation Army forces violently cracked down on them and surrounded the Dalai Lama’s summer palace, forcing him to flee to Dharamsala.

Translated by Tenzin Dickyi for RFA Tibetan. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Matt Reed.


This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By Yeshi Dawa and Lobe Socktsang for RFA Tibetan.

]]> https://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/australian-lawmakers-04192023170157.html/feed/ 0 388948 Death toll from Myanmar junta air attack on northern village rises to 200 https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/air-attack-04172023154031.html https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/air-attack-04172023154031.html#respond Mon, 17 Apr 2023 19:48:50 +0000 https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/air-attack-04172023154031.html The death toll from a military airstrike in northern Myanmar’s Sagaing region on civilians has nearly doubled to an estimated 200 people, a local member of the People’s Defense Forces told Radio Free Asia on Monday.

During the April 11 attack, jets bombed and helicopters strafed the opening ceremony for a public administration building in Pa Zi Gyi village. It was the latest example of the junta’s increased use of air power in their conflict with armed resistance groups amid falterning progress on the ground.

“Nothing was left of some people who died in the air strike,” said a member of a local People’s Defense Force, who declined to give his name so he could speak freely. 

“As far as we can confirm, there were over 170 people dead up to yesterday’s update, but when we can take the missing people into account, we can say that the total is about 200,” he said.

He said it would be difficult to ascertain an exact toll given that many body parts were missing, and because surviving villagers had fled. The village had about 300 residents.

About 70 Pa Zi Gyi residents who fled their homes remain sheltering in forests, and resistance groups and aid workers are providing them with food supplies from nearby villages, he said. 

And as of Sunday, six more of the injured people died, while others are being treated by medical teams linked to the shadow National Unity Government, or NUG, a group of former civilian leaders and others opposed to the junta’s rule.

Now, local resistance fighters will advise other villages not to open administrative offices and will instruct residents about defending themselves should the junta launch further air attacks and  build air raid shelters.

“We are going to pass it on to as many villages as possible,” the member of the People’s Defense Force said. “The military junta’s attack on these defenseless villages with no presence of resistance is entirely unacceptable.” 

The new count comes a day after the National Unity Government reported that 168 people, including 40 minors, had been killed in the air attack.

At a news conference on Sunday, the NUG said that the dead included six children under the age of 5, 19 children between ages 5 and 14, five children between ages 14 and 18, and 10 children whose ages could not be identified.

The shadow government also said that medical personnel had been sent to treat the 16 civilians who were injured, including children.

The NUG said it would make efforts to ensure justice in the deadly assault, which forced more than 300 villagers in all to flee.

Pa Zi Gyi villagers whose family members were killed in this attack are asking the international community to take effective action against the perpetrators and not to sell jet fuel, weapons or ammunition to the junta.

Translated by Myo Min Aung for RFA Burmese. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Malcolm Foster.


This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By RFA Burmese.

]]> https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/air-attack-04172023154031.html/feed/ 0 388335 Culprits behind dense smog in northern Thailand, Laos: Corn and wildfires https://www.rfa.org/english/news/environment/smog-04172023135125.html https://www.rfa.org/english/news/environment/smog-04172023135125.html#respond Mon, 17 Apr 2023 17:59:08 +0000 https://www.rfa.org/english/news/environment/smog-04172023135125.html It was almost midnight, and the full moon appeared an eerie burnt orange above the streetlights that were clouded by the smog hanging in the air. 

“Our nose burns, our throats get stuck and our eyes turn teary. It has been this way since February,” said Phattanik Masa, a resident of Mae Sai, in northern Thailand, who was wearing two face masks as she stood in line with others to offer alms to monks.

“This Buddhist ceremony is a significant event. We do it for good luck,” she explained. “That’s why we are all here despite the horrible air.”

For the past two months, residents across northern Thailand and Laos as well as Shan state in Myanmar have been suffering from the worst smog in years.

Thousands have gone to hospitals with respiratory problems, and workers in Chiang Mai, Thailand – ranked among the most polluted cities in the world in recent weeks – have been told to stay indoors and work from home.

The two main culprits behind the hazardous pollution – 16 times worse than healthy levels in some areas – are out-of-control wildfires and the burning of ever-wider fields of corn stubble after the February harvest to clear land for planting season in May. 

The wildfires are fanned by drier-than-usual weather. Many are in hilly, inaccessible areas and Thailand’s fire-fighting efforts are under-funded.

Farmers, meanwhile, have carved growing swathes of farmland from the forest to raise corn, grown mostly for animal feed. Demand for meat is increasing, which means greater demand for corn – and higher prices, which drives the farmers to plant, grow and burn more. 

“The situation is the culmination of many years of bad agricultural practice,” said Rattanasiri Kittikongnapang, a Greenpeace food and ecology campaigner. “This is the worst haze in more than 10 years.”

Unenforced zero-burn policy

Corn fields are spreading all over the region. Between 2015 and 2019, 1.7 million hectares of land was converted from forest to maize cultivation, she said.

The Thai government announced a zero-burn policy in March, but it has not been enforced. Authorities in Bangkok are “hoping it will all go away by itself since they are getting ready for an election,” said Rattanasiri.

3ENG_ENV_feature_air_pollution_04072023-08.JPG
A maize field that was burned after the harvest is seen in Doi Sa-Ngo village in Chiang Rai province in northern Thailand, April 5, 2023. Credit: Subel Rai Bhandari for RFA

Achoo, a Thai farmer with corn fields in Doi Sa-Ngo village in Chiang Rai province, sees no problem with burning. “It’s natural. After you collect the harvest, you burn the rest,” she said. “Everyone does this, and we have been doing this for years.”

But there are economic forces at work here, too. 

Previously, villagers grew mostly vegetables, cassava, pineapple and edible flowering plants. In recent years, they have switched to maize, especially after one of the farmers became a middleman to transport it to animal feed companies.

“We don’t have to do anything. We get seeds and fertilizers from this person, even if we don’t have any money,” Achoo said. “After the harvest, he collects it from us and takes it to the city.”

The growing number of so-called hot spots – areas where fires burn or are likely to burn – are linked to deforestation and growing more corn for animal feed. And the increasing demand for corn can be linked directly to the expansion of the meat industry, says Alliya Moun-Ob, an air pollution campaigner for Greenpeace Thailand.

According to government figures, Thailand needs at least 8 million tonnes of maize for animal feed but produces about 5 million tonnes. It means the rest has to be imported. 

Corporate demand

Two decades ago, Thailand set up cross-border contract farming programs with farms in Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia under which it imports corn at zero tariffs. Since then, the region has spiked in open burning, Alliya said.

Alliya and other activists say much of the demand for corn is driven by Thailand’s Charoen Pokphand Group, or CP Group, the world’s largest animal feed producer, with an annual production of 27,650 metric tons. 

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Haze obscures the mountains as seen from Doi Sa-Ngo village in Chiang Rai province in northern Thailand, April 5, 2023. Credit: Subel Rai Bhandari for RFA

“The Thai government supports one particular company - CP - which is responsible for contract farming maize in the north and neighboring countries,” Rattanasiri said.

To convince rice farmers to switch to corn, CP said it would provide interest-free financial support, if needed, and promised it would buy the product at a guaranteed price in a pilot program announced in December by the Royal Initiative Discovery Institute, a palace project promoting sustainable agriculture in the countryside.

Many farmers “who don’t have any resources or capacity, also don’t have a choice” but to do contract maize farming, Alliya said.

“What is missing in legal and policy-making mechanisms is the liability of industrial sectors linked to environmental impacts while gaining benefits from maize,” Alliya said.

CP says it is implementing a program to trace and verify if its source of maize for feed production is cultivated in a sustainable manner, including from areas that were not deforested and farms that do not resort to burning the stubbles. 

Paisarn Kruawongvanich, a company executive, said the group has “always prioritized building a sustainable food production chain while also mitigating transboundary haze pollution.” 

CP did not respond to an RFA question about what it would do if farmers failed to follow their advice to stop burning stubble.

The increasing demand for livestock feed has been lifting corn prices. In February, local corn prices were 26% higher than a year ago, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service grain and feed report, “due to insufficient locally produced corn and uncertainty in the global corn trade.”

Wildfires

Apart from that, wildfires are burning wildly out of control in many parts of the region this year, experts said, due to the start of the dry season after the end of La Nina, in which low sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean results in cooler and wetter conditions in parts of Asia.

In Laos, air quality has remained “unhealthy” to “hazardous” for over four weeks. IQAir said the PM2.5 concentration in the capital Vientiane on Friday was 150, more than 11 times the WHO guideline.

Residents told RFA Laos Service the smoke was coming from all directions, as experts blamed open burning and weather changes for this year’s fire problem.

“The visibility is low. We have to wear masks when going outside. My kids are getting sick and have itchy noses and eyes. It’s like having a cold or flu,” a resident of the capital Vientiane told RFA’s Lao Service earlier this month.

A doctor at a Vientiane hospital said they were receiving “a lot of patients with respiratory problems.” 

In Myanmar’s Shan state, residents in Tachileik, which borders Mae Sai, told RFA’s Myanmar Service they had been badly affected by smog since Mar. 24, forcing flights to be canceled.

Local residents said that in the past, the haze lingered for a couple of days, but this time it has been longer and denser.

In Southeast Asia, El Nino – warmer ocean surface temperatures – brings drier, warmer weather and increases the risk of forest fires and smoke haze, according to the ASEAN Specialized Meteorological Center, or ASMC.

“There was also likely no controlled burning management to maintain the forest’s health. If you don’t manage it properly, a small fire could easily be huge and uncontrolled,” said Prof. Ekbordin Winijkul, head of the energy, environment, and climate change department at the Asian Institute of Technology,

4ENG_ENV_feature_air_pollution_04072023-03.JPG
A wildfire destroyed this roadside forest located on the way to Doi Chang mountain in Lamphun province, Thailand, April 4, 2023. Credit: Subel Rai Bhandari for RFA

Thai authorities would not say the suspected causes for wildfires, though many people have been arrested for suspicion of starting the fires. 

Activists told RFA that the reasons could be to clear forests to create new farmland or for mushroom-hunting. The destruction caused by the fire creates a nutrient-rich environment conducive for fungi to grow almost immediately afterward, which farmers hunt to collect and sell in the market.

If nothing is done about addressing the smog, more people will die, experts say

Air pollution was among the top 10 risk factors for death in all Southeast Asian countries in 2019, with about half a million premature deaths attributed to exposure to air pollution, said Mushtaq Memon, UNEP Coordinator of Chemicals and Pollution Action for Asia and the Pacific.

“Immediate challenges on addressing the open burning of crop residues include providing timely and sufficient resources” to farmers, he said.

Ekbordin said transboundary haze “is not one country or one company problem.”

“We must address it collectively. If we do not take concrete actions soon, then the situation will worsen,” he added. “And it will happen every year.”


This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By Subel Rai Bhandari for RFA.

]]> https://www.rfa.org/english/news/environment/smog-04172023135125.html/feed/ 0 388304 Division Remains Deep in Northern Ireland as Biden Marks 25th Anniversary of Good Friday Agreement https://www.radiofree.org/2023/04/14/division-remains-deep-in-northern-ireland-as-biden-marks-25th-anniversary-of-good-friday-agreement-2/ https://www.radiofree.org/2023/04/14/division-remains-deep-in-northern-ireland-as-biden-marks-25th-anniversary-of-good-friday-agreement-2/#respond Fri, 14 Apr 2023 15:08:07 +0000 http://www.radiofree.org/?guid=d160eff1ea33ae687b5c97b951a1ab47
This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2023/04/14/division-remains-deep-in-northern-ireland-as-biden-marks-25th-anniversary-of-good-friday-agreement-2/feed/ 0 387838 Division Remains Deep in Northern Ireland as Biden Marks 25th Anniversary of Good Friday Agreement https://www.radiofree.org/2023/04/14/division-remains-deep-in-northern-ireland-as-biden-marks-25th-anniversary-of-good-friday-agreement/ https://www.radiofree.org/2023/04/14/division-remains-deep-in-northern-ireland-as-biden-marks-25th-anniversary-of-good-friday-agreement/#respond Fri, 14 Apr 2023 12:27:23 +0000 http://www.radiofree.org/?guid=53f7bba463ef3c2623ce7f65b2996a31 Biden ireland parliament

President Biden was in Ireland this week to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, the U.S.-brokered peace deal that ended three decades of fighting in Northern Ireland, known as the Troubles. Biden’s visit comes less than two months after British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced he had reached a deal with the European Union on post-Brexit trade rules for Northern Ireland, and a year after the British Parliament introduced a bill to provide amnesty to former British soldiers and individuals involved in the Northern Ireland conflict. Human rights experts have accused the bill of undermining the Good Friday Agreement. We speak to renowned activist Eamonn McCann, a former member of the Northern Ireland Assembly.


This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2023/04/14/division-remains-deep-in-northern-ireland-as-biden-marks-25th-anniversary-of-good-friday-agreement/feed/ 0 387782 Wild elephants destroy homes and crops in northern Laos https://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/wild-elephants-damage-04072023152854.html https://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/wild-elephants-damage-04072023152854.html#respond Fri, 07 Apr 2023 19:29:09 +0000 https://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/wild-elephants-damage-04072023152854.html A dozen wild elephants destroyed several homes in a village in northern Laos that borders protected forest land, causing extensive damage to rice fields and other crops, several villagers said. 

The rampage on Monday in Oudomxay province followed a similar incident in January when the elephants showed up just as the rice plants were growing tall, according to one resident of the province’s La district. They came again five days later to eat other crops in the area.

The elephants also wrecked a shelter at a nearby rubber plantation, the resident said, adding that villagers are now afraid to work their farms in the evening because the animals like to come after sunset.

A husband and wife said in a video clip on their Facebook page that their hut and rice fields were ruined in the Monday attack.

“They destroyed all of our property, including our clothes, kitchen wares, pots and dishes,” the couple said in a video clip on their Facebook page. “This time is the worst, they destroyed everything.”

Radio Free Asia attempted to contact the couple through Facebook, but didn’t immediately receive a response. 

The annual aggressive period

Elephants who eat farmers’ crops are simply looking for food, said a staff member at the Elephant Conservation Center in neighboring Xayaburi province. But if they destroy other property, like homes or trees, that’s an indication that male elephants are in their annual aggressive period, known as musth, the staff member said. 

A large stretch of forest land has been set aside for elephants where they can live and forage peacefully, an official with Oudomxay province’s Agriculture and Forestry Department said. There are about 20 wild elephants in La district, he said. 

“We’ve ordered people to move away from the habitat,” the official said. “We’ve also built some tree houses to monitor and watch the wild animal activities.”

District authorities paid some compensation to villagers who lost their homes in January that included the provision of lumber, corrugated sheets and nails. Eventually, provincial authorities want to develop the area as a tourist attraction where people can drive their cars to watch the elephants, the official said.

Laos has about 800 elephants, and half of those live in the wild, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

Translated by Max Avary. Edited by Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster.


This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By RFA Lao.

]]> https://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/wild-elephants-damage-04072023152854.html/feed/ 0 386206 South African journalists attacked, threatened, harassed in separate incidents https://www.radiofree.org/2023/04/06/south-african-journalists-attacked-threatened-harassed-in-separate-incidents/ https://www.radiofree.org/2023/04/06/south-african-journalists-attacked-threatened-harassed-in-separate-incidents/#respond Thu, 06 Apr 2023 17:05:04 +0000 https://cpj.org/?p=275469 In March 2023, journalists in multiple towns in South Africa were attacked, harassed, or threatened in connection with their reporting.

On March 2, in the city of Newcastle, Mayor Xolani Dube and his deputy Musa “Sugar” Thwala accused Estella Naicker, a reporter with privately owned newspaper Northern Natal News, of being paid by political rivals to write negative stories about them while she reported on a residents’ association filling potholes in the city, according to the journalist, who communicated with CPJ via messaging app, and a statement by the South African National Editors’ Forum, a local trade group.

Thwala asked Naicker what she was doing there, told her no one had invited her, and said that he and the mayor were unhappy about her recent coverage of them. He warned her against publishing further stories about them without talking to him first and asked her to leave.

Naicker had recently reported on alleged corruption in the municipality, according to CPJ’s review of the newspaper’s print edition. Naicker said she did not obey their orders and instead went across the road, where she began taking photographs.

Two of the mayor’s bodyguards approached, took her phone, and deleted the pictures she had taken that day. “After that, I had two of their bodyguards standing on either side of me so that I don’t take other pictures,” Naicker told CPJ. 

Naicker called Mbali Butale and Zianne Leibrandt, both journalists with Northern Natal New’s sister newspaper, the Newcastle Advertiser, to support her and record any further incidents, according to those sources and Butale and Leibrandt, who communicated with CPJ via messaging app. When the pair arrived, four bodyguards approached and threatened to slap the journalists if they took pictures. “The atmosphere was very hostile,” Butale said.

Thwala approached the group and told Naicker that he had warned her more than three times to stop publishing stories about him, saying, “I will not warn you again,” according to the journalists.

Thwala and Dube left shortly after, and the reporters finished their assignment. CPJ contacted Thwala and Dube via messaging app for comment but did not receive any replies. 

On March 8, in the city of East London, Sithandiwe Velaphi, a senior reporter from the privately owned newspaper Daily Dispatch, received an anonymous phone call that warned him to watch his back as people were hired to shoot him because of his investigative stories, according to a SANEF statement and the journalist, who communicated with CPJ via messaging app. 

Velaphi’s employer immediately withdrew him from the field for his safety, according to Cheri-Ann James, his editor, who communicated with CPJ via messaging app. Velaphi said he was unsure which stories had prompted the threat, but he had recently reported about assassinations and alleged fraud and corruption.

“I am working remotely and avoiding public places,” Velaphi told CPJ, adding that he filed a police report in East London on March 10, and the matter was being investigated as of April 6. CPJ called and messaged the Fleet Street Police Station for comment but did not receive a response.

Separately, at about 2 a.m. on March 20, in Cape Town, two unidentified men threw a rock at a South African Broadcasting Corporation vehicle, according to news reports, a SANEF statement, and Angie Kapelianis, SABC’s head of news input, who communicated with CPJ via messaging app. 

Corbin August and Atule Joka, both reporters, and Oratile Tlhoaele, a video journalist, were gathering footage for SABC ahead of an opposition-led protest when the two men hurled a rock at the vehicle’s front window and hit Tlhoaele in the head, according to those sources and Joka, who communicated with CPJ via messaging app. 

Tlhoaele received treatment at a hospital for head wounds, and the journalists reported the incident to nearby law enforcement officers at the time.

South African Police Service spokesperson Novela Potelwa told CPJ by phone that the attack on SABC journalists is under investigation by police in Cape Town.


This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Committee to Protect Journalists.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2023/04/06/south-african-journalists-attacked-threatened-harassed-in-separate-incidents/feed/ 0 385767 Activists find illegal logging evidence in protected area in northern Cambodia https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/prey-lang-logging-04042023171405.html https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/prey-lang-logging-04042023171405.html#respond Tue, 04 Apr 2023 21:14:40 +0000 https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/prey-lang-logging-04042023171405.html Forest protection activists found more than 200 fallen trees that had been illegally cut down in a vast protected area of northern Cambodia that showed signs of around-the-clock operations, transport trucks, motorcycles and armed security.

Activists with the Prey Lang Community Network for Preah Vihear province traveled through the area for four days and three nights in late March. 

Prime Minister Hun Sen has promised publicly that he would take action to prevent illegal logging in Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary, which covers land in Preah Vihear, Stung Treng, Kampong Thom and Kratie provinces. 

He’s even blamed Cambodia’s poor in recent years for the country’s growing loss of forest cover. But activists have said that government authorities have done nothing to prevent supporters of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party from illegally exporting timber to neighboring Vietnam, a major buyer of luxury hard wood.

A 2020 survey by researchers at Denmark’s University of Copenhagen showed that Cambodia had lost 26 percent of its tree cover, equivalent to about 5.7 million acres, since 2000, according to satellite imagery

Moving timber day and night

Activists told Radio Free Asia on Monday that logging transport trucks and motorcycles seen last month carried an identifying logo from the Phnom Penh-based Macle Logistics (Cambodia) Co., Ltd.

A Prey Lang community network member, Srey They, said the perpetrators brought wood out of the forest day and night in an area where forest crimes are on the rise. Groups of between five and 10 people – some of them armed – were seen cutting and transporting timber in Preah Vihear’s Rovieng district, he told RFA.

“It is very sad that the government has established the protected area, but there are still perpetrators of deforestation for companies,” Srey They said. 

Illegal logging continues in Cambodia because of compliant government officials, Cambodian Youth Network project coordinator Oath Latin said.

“This involves corruption between the timber traders, the perpetrators and the officers who are stationed around the Prey Lang checkpoint,” he said.

RFA was unable to contact the director of the Department of Environment, Song Chan Socheat, and the spokesman for the Ministry of Environment, Neth Pheaktra, on Monday, calling several times without an answer.

Translated by Sok Ry Sum. Edited by Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster.


This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By RFA Khmer.

]]> https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/prey-lang-logging-04042023171405.html/feed/ 0 385150 Anti-junta protesters now students at university in northern Myanmar | Radio Free Asia (RFA) https://www.radiofree.org/2023/03/22/anti-junta-protesters-now-students-at-university-in-northern-myanmar-radio-free-asia-rfa/ https://www.radiofree.org/2023/03/22/anti-junta-protesters-now-students-at-university-in-northern-myanmar-radio-free-asia-rfa/#respond Wed, 22 Mar 2023 22:40:17 +0000 http://www.radiofree.org/?guid=dc3fbda838091d9f5a90926420cac29d
This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Radio Free Asia.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2023/03/22/anti-junta-protesters-now-students-at-university-in-northern-myanmar-radio-free-asia-rfa/feed/ 0 381391 Civilians in northern Myanmar face growing risks from landmines https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/landmines-03212023163231.html https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/landmines-03212023163231.html#respond Tue, 21 Mar 2023 20:46:56 +0000 https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/landmines-03212023163231.html Dang Zalian was out looking for something to feed his goat earlier this month when he stepped on a landmine.

The 25-year-old from Hakha township in northwestern Myanmar’s Chin state sustained serious injuries and is now recuperating in the hospital, said a member of his family who, like other sources interviewed for this story, spoke to RFA Burmese on condition of anonymity.

“It happened only 200 or 300 feet away from his home. He stepped on the mine while looking for goat food, leaving both of his legs injured,” the family member said. “The military troops are stationed on the campus and they’ve buried landmines around the school.”

Now Dang Zalian is worried that both of his legs will have to be amputated.

“Even if his legs aren’t amputated, they’ll never be the same again,” the family member said.

Dang Zalian’s story is an increasingly common one in Chin state, where the Chin Human Rights Organization says at least 11 civilians have been killed and 20 others injured by mines since Myanmar’s military seized power in a February 2021 coup.

The victims, many of whom are young, often lose limbs in the explosions and are disabled for life.

Chin civil society organizations told RFA that at least 37 members of anti-junta Chin Defense Force groups have also been killed by landmines since the coup.

Tragic toll

Dang Zalian is only the latest civilian to be maimed by a landmine in the state since the start of the year.

In February, two residents in Mindat township were seriously injured while traveling to the nearby township of Tilin.

On March 1, 34-year-old Slawm Bu stepped on a mine buried near the monument to Myanmar’s independence in Hakha’s Myo Thit Ward while she was on her way to tend to her farm. The blast destroyed her left leg, which she had to have amputated below the knee.

And on March 13, a man, woman and 17-year-old boy were left seriously injured when the motorcycle they were traveling on set off a mine in Tedin township, along Myanmar’s border with India.

Residents of Chin told RFA that landmines were never an issue prior to the coup. They said that these days, anywhere junta troops are stationed becomes a high risk area, including schools, urban roadsides, and the outskirts and farmland of more rural villages.

No longer feel safe

A resident of Hakha, who declined to be named for security reasons, said that they no longer feel safe when they have to enter the jungle or mountains to cut wood, grow crops or hunt.

“The local media has warned us not to go to places that we shouldn’t, such as where military junta troops are stationed, and not to go into mountains or jungle unless it is absolutely necessary,” the resident said.

“But we can’t live without going into the mountains or the jungle, so some of us have stepped on landmines because of that.”

Members of the anti-junta local militia in Myanmar’s Chin state examine the remains of a landmine allegedly planted by junta forces, Jan. 2022. Credit: Mindat CDF
Members of the anti-junta local militia in Myanmar’s Chin state examine the remains of a landmine allegedly planted by junta forces, Jan. 2022. Credit: Mindat CDF
Other residents told RFA that not only junta troops, but also Chin Defense Force groups, deploy landmines in their conflict. But Chin National Front spokesperson Salai Htet Ni said that Chin revolutionary groups take care “not to harm civilians.”

“Either CNF troops or other local defense forces retrieve the landmines that we plant while fighting the junta forces, when the fighting is over,” he said. “We use the landmines carefully.”

“There has never been any civilian hurt because of us, although there have been times when our own members have been injured in accidents while handling the mines.”

Salai Htet Ni said that civilians “are only injured or killed by the military's landmines.”

Targeting civilians

The director of the Chin Human Rights Organization, Salai Mang Henlian, told RFA that when the military encounters difficulties in ground operations, they often target civilians with landmines “to scare them and prevent them from supporting the local defense forces.”

“We have uncovered the junta’s systematic planting of landmines to attack civilians when we investigate mine incidents. We consider this a serious human rights violation and a war crime.”

Attempts by RFA to contact Thant Zin, the junta’s social affairs minister and spokesman for Chin state, about allegations that the military had intentionally targeted civilians went unanswered Tuesday. 

However, junta Deputy Information Minister Major Gen. Zaw Min Tun has previously told RFA that “the military does not bury landmines in areas where civilians live.”

Lway Po Myam, who promotes landmine awareness for the ethnic Ta’ang Youth Group, said residents of Chin state need to be better educated about the dangers of the explosives.

“People in other states, such as Kayin, are working on landmine awareness programs for civilians. Shan state is doing that, too,” he said. “They should network with other organizations to provide training to the people in Chin state.”

Lway Po Myam said awareness can spread more effectively by setting up a “training of trainers” program whereby safety instructors can educate a select group of people who will then share what they have learned with others.

According to the data compiled by RFA, at least 218 civilians were killed and 592 others injured by landmines, heavy artillery and airstrikes across Myanmar between August 2022 and the end of January.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said in a report in April 2022 that at least 102 civilians were killed and 288 others injured by landmines and other explosive weapons in Myanmar since the coup. It said that the victims included 133 children and 257 adults – most of whom were residents of Rakhine, Chin, Kayah, Shan, and Sagaing states.

The tally was a 37 percent increase from a year earlier, when UNICEF said that a total of 284 people were killed or injured by landmines and other explosives in the country.

Translated by Myo Min Aung. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster.


This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By RFA Burmese.

]]> https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/landmines-03212023163231.html/feed/ 0 381080 Police raid karaoke bar in northern Laos area known for drugs, trafficking https://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/karaoke-bar-raid-03162023161153.html https://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/karaoke-bar-raid-03162023161153.html#respond Thu, 16 Mar 2023 20:15:07 +0000 https://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/karaoke-bar-raid-03162023161153.html Police raided a karaoke bar in the notorious Golden Triangle area of northern Laos, finding that the majority of the club’s patrons – 198 people – were either high on drugs or tested positive for illegal narcotics.

Twenty-nine of the 198 people were Chinese, according to the Bokeo province public security website.

The 198KTV karaoke bar where the March 11 raid took place is known as a center of drug use and trafficking, according to a local resident, who like other sources in this report requested anonymity for safety reasons. 

There are several small entertainment venues in the town of Tonpheung, located in Bokeo province just outside of the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone, or SEZ, the resident told Radio Free Asia. 

“Most of them belong to the Chinese. The big night clubs are in the Golden Triangle SEZ – of course, they belong to the Chinese also,” the resident said. “Most bar patrons are also Chinese; only a few Laotians because they don’t have much money.”

Police talked to owners and operators of karaoke bars, coffee shops and restaurants in the town on March 2 and were told that an average of five people were being rushed to the hospital for drug overdoses each night.

“We also received complaints about street fights, loud noise and late closures,” a police officer told RFA.

Reeducated and released

On Monday, those arrested in the March 11 raid were released after police officers and Women’s Union and Lao Youth Federation officials reeducated them about the dangers of drugs, drug trafficking and smuggling.

Another resident of Tonpheung complained to RFA that the police didn’t do more to punish those arrested. They should have at least fined or jailed them – and the arrested Chinese should have been deported, the resident said.

The SEZ is a gambling and tourism hub catering to Chinese citizens that has been described as a de-facto Chinese colony. It has become a haven for criminal activities including prostitution, scamming and drug trafficking.

“Oh, drugs are everywhere, not only in that night club,” a retail store owner near the SEZ told RFA. “Most of the users or bar-goers are young. Many of them are workers at the casino in the Golden Triangle SEZ.”

Sex service is also available at all night clubs, the same retailer said. Most of the providers are Lao women and most of their clients are Chinese men, he said.

The SEZ was established in 2007. The zones are business areas that are exempt from most national-level economic regulations, and often receive tax breaks and are governed by different labor laws. 

The Golden Triangle – which the SEZ takes its name from – encompasses a larger area in northern Laos along the Mekong River that also includes parts of Thailand and Myanmar. It got its name five decades ago for its central role in heroin production and trafficking in Laos, Thailand and Myanmar.

Translated by Max Avary. Edited by Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster.


This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By RFA Lao.

]]> https://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/karaoke-bar-raid-03162023161153.html/feed/ 0 379984 ‘Save the Books’: Outcry Grows Over Digital Plan for Vermont College Libraries https://www.radiofree.org/2023/03/13/save-the-books-outcry-grows-over-digital-plan-for-vermont-college-libraries/ https://www.radiofree.org/2023/03/13/save-the-books-outcry-grows-over-digital-plan-for-vermont-college-libraries/#respond Mon, 13 Mar 2023 18:18:25 +0000 https://www.commondreams.org/news/vermont-public-university-libaries-digital

Students, staff, alumni, and bibliophiles remain outraged that libraries at Vermont's public college are set to lose vast portions of their book collections, despite a new "refined plan" to potentially retain volumes that "have been deemed academically valuable."

Faced with intense backlash to the all-digital plan unveiled last month, the Vermont State Colleges System (VSCS) said Thursday that academic department chairs and the provost may now be allowed to decide which books survive the purge.

Along with the selection of works that are determined to be academically vital to students, schools may maintain a "collection of popular, casual, reading books, as well as children's books in the library with a 'take-a-book, leave a book' honor system."

The plan to make the libraries mostly digital for the upcoming fall semester is part of a broader transition underway: With the help and support of the state Legislature, Castleton University, Northern Vermont University, and Vermont Technical College will soon become Vermont State University (VTSU) and share a chancellor and board of trustees with the Community College of Vermont.

As VTDiggerreported:

The system plans to keep roughly 30,000 books across five campus libraries, according to Sylvia Plumb, a spokesperson for Vermont State University. That figure is roughly 10% of the approximately 300,000 items in the current collections.

"The refined plan expands upon the original concepts to address the concerns identified by faculty, staff, and students," Plumb said. "This is a natural and expected part of the input and operational process."

[...]

The campuses will also keep a part-time library assistant at Castleton, Johnson, Lyndon, and Randolph, and will hire student workers. The move would still eliminate seven full-time positions, as administrators said earlier, but "several new part-time jobs will be available," Plumb said.

It's unclear how much the "refined plan" differs from the original plan. Plumb said in an email that the savings from the updated plan would be an estimated $500,000, "consistent with the original plan."

Speaking to a crowd that gathered at the Vermont Statehouse in Montpelier last month—before the refined plan was announced—Devon Harding declared that as a Castleton student with learning disabilities, "the physical library is not a privilege, it's my right."

"My disabilities cannot be accommodated digitally. Eye strain, difficulty tracking lines, blue light effects on ocular health, struggles to focus. These are not problems a screen can help with," she said. "Furthermore, I can't afford all my textbooks without the library."

"How can you defend a higher education institution without books?" Preston Garcia, a Castleton biology professor who serves as the faculty assembly president, toldThe Boston Globe. "It's an embarrassing decision. Once you get rid of materials, they are gone."

The newspaper noted Monday that on one recent weekday at Castleton, signs at the library entrance read: "Save the books," "Books save lives," and "Books are history." Garcia said that despite the revised plan, "people are as upset as they have been."

While "the Vermont systemmay be one of the first in the nation to take such a dramatic step, higher education watchers say campus libraries are increasingly being targeted for dramatic changes," the Globe highlighted, pointing to similar moves by decision-makers at the University of California, Berkeley in 2017 and Florida Polytechnic University in 2014.

Although the changes in Vermont are ostensibly informed by usage and intended to save money, the developments come amid efforts by right-wing politicians and activists to restrict books and lessons available at educational institutions and libraries nationwide.

Those book-banning campaigns and other censorship efforts are opposed by many students, parents, educators, and librarians as well as groups including the American Library Association, American Federation of Teachers, and PEN America.

Battles to outlaw certain books and lessons in the U.S. are part of a worldwide trend documented in "not only autocracies but even liberal democracies," according to an annual report published earlier this month by the Varieties of Democracy Institute in Sweden. "The global retreat in academic freedom affects more than 50% of the world's population or 4 billion people."


This content originally appeared on Common Dreams and was authored by Jessica Corbett.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2023/03/13/save-the-books-outcry-grows-over-digital-plan-for-vermont-college-libraries/feed/ 0 379091 Fighting drought, potato farmers in northern Minnesota overdrew their water permits by tens of millions of gallons https://grist.org/agriculture/fighting-drought-potato-farmers-in-northern-minnesota-overdrew-their-water-permits-by-tens-of-millions-of-gallons/ https://grist.org/agriculture/fighting-drought-potato-farmers-in-northern-minnesota-overdrew-their-water-permits-by-tens-of-millions-of-gallons/#respond Sat, 11 Mar 2023 14:00:00 +0000 https://grist.org/?p=604122 This story was originally published by the Star Tribune.

During the 2021 drought, nearly 800 Minnesota farmers with high-capacity wells pumped 6.5 billion more gallons of water than their permits allowed, state records show.

Farms on land owned or operated by R.D. Offutt Co., a potato-growing giant that has become one of the biggest water users in the state, were responsible for 23 percent of the excessive pumping.

“That’s quite a bit of overuse,” said Randall Doneen, a section manager for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. “We’re trying to get people back into compliance.”

The overpumping in 2021 put more stress on already depleted aquifers, lakes, and streams and raised the risk that neighboring wells would run dry.

A Star Tribune review of water permit data reported each year to the DNR found more than three of four water users who violated their permits were agricultural irrigators. But they are unlikely to face fines or other consequences because of laws that the DNR says are too lenient. Many irrigators may not even have to pay for the extra water they used, based on the tiered fee system the state charges heavy users.

In some cases, farmers needed to go over their permits to keep their crops alive, said Jake Wildman, president of the Irrigators Association of Minnesota.

“Nobody wants to have to pump as much we did,” Wildman said. “We all understand rules and regulations are there for a reason. We all want to follow them. I truly believe we did the best we could with the tools we had and climate we were given.”

The permit violations on R.D. Offutt farms is particularly concerning to neighbors and water quality advocates, because many of them are located in the Pineland Sands region of central Minnesota. The same sandy porous soil that makes the land attractive for growing potatoes also makes it vulnerable to pollution.

When too much water is drawn from the ground for crops, it allows pollutants to seep into the soil, potentially contaminating drinking water.

Based in Fargo and founded 60 years ago, R.D. Offutt is one of the largest potato growing operations in the world. Much of their produce is cut into French fries, and the company is a major supplier to McDonalds restaurants.

It rapidly expanded in Minnesota in the past two decades. Many forests and timberlands in the Pineland Sands area, which covers parts of Hubbard, Wadena, Cass, and Becker counties, were cleared and turned into irrigated cropland.

By 2018, the company’s growth concerned DNR officials to the point that the agency stopped approving its well permit applications. The DNR said a comprehensive study was needed to find out whether increased water use was drying up lakes and streams, or hurting water quality in wells in the region. R.D. Offutt had dozens of pending well applications at the time.

Rather than fund the study, the company reached a deal with the DNR that withdrew all but five permit applications. The DNR asked lawmakers to fund the study. They did not, and it was never done.

By 2021, R.D. Offutt was the registered landowner or agent of more than 650 high-capacity well permits in the state. Together, those farms pumped 22 billion gallons of water — about 2.5 billion more than was used by the entire city of Minneapolis’ water treatment plant, which serves about 500,000 people.

The overuse was a result of just how bad the 2021 drought was, R.D. Offutt spokeswoman Jennifer Maleitzke said. It was the state’s most severe dry spell since at least 1988.

“Without measurable rainfall, farmers like us relied on irrigation to make sure crops across the state survived and there were no disruptions to the food supply chain,” she said.

In the years before the drought, R.D. Offutt farms complied with their permits. Less than 1 percent of the company’s permit holders went over their limit in 2020 and 2019.

“Every single growing season is different,” Maleitzke said. “We take our responsibility seriously to preserve the water supply in Minnesota, and we’ve made significant investments during our 60 years of farming potatoes to do just that.”

The overuse shows how irrigators and high-capacity water users face few repercussions if they violate a permit, said Mike Tauber, who lives in the Pineland Sands region in Backus, Minn., and has helped organize petitions demanding in-depth water quality studies.

“They’re thumbing their nose at the agencies,” Tauber said.

Everyone with a permit to draw more than 1 million gallons of water a year is required to report how much water they use. But that reporting is largely done on the honor system. There are no compliance checks.

The city of Blaine opened three new wells and pumped millions of gallons in 2021 and 2022 without getting permits. The DNR learned about it only after 141 nearby private well owners complained about running dry.

Blaine, too, likely won’t face any fines. Lawmakers have given the DNR few ways to penalize anyone that violates the permits.

The DNR could issue an “administrative penalty” ranging up to $20,000, depending on the severity of the breach. But the fine would be forgiven as soon as the user comes into compliance, Doneen said.

The DNR only typically issues a penalty in the most egregious cases, Doneen said. He doesn’t except any fines to be issued for farmers who overpumped during the drought.

But dry spells are precisely when the state should be more aggressive in protecting water supplies, said Carrie Jennings, research and policy director at the St. Paul-based Freshwater Society.

“That’s the critical time when you would want to do it,” she said.

DNR administrators have asked lawmakers in each of the last two years to allow them to increase the fines they can impose on permit violations. A bill in the House would let the agency fine up to $40,000. The agency also would get more discretion over whether fines are forgiven.

“The tools we have aren’t what we need,” said Bob Meier, assistant DNR commissioner.

Permit holders that exceeded the limits would still need to pay the same tiered water-use rates as everyone else. All permit holders pay $140 a year to pump up to 50 million gallons of water. They’re charged $3.50 for every million gallons after that. The price rises again after 100 million.

The average R.D. Offutt permit that was violated had a limit of 43 million gallons in 2021. Those that went over, but still pumped less than 50 million gallons, wouldn’t have to pay any more than the $140 minimum. The users that exceeded the permits did so by an average of 10 million gallons. If they were only permitted to pump 43 million gallons, those users would need to pay an extra $10.50 — roughly the cost of a Big Mac with large fries.

This story was shared with permission through the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk, an editorially independent reporting network based at the University of Missouri.

This story was originally published by Grist with the headline Fighting drought, potato farmers in northern Minnesota overdrew their water permits by tens of millions of gallons on Mar 11, 2023.


This content originally appeared on Grist and was authored by Greg Stanley, Star Tribune.

]]> https://grist.org/agriculture/fighting-drought-potato-farmers-in-northern-minnesota-overdrew-their-water-permits-by-tens-of-millions-of-gallons/feed/ 0 378818 Ukrainian Troops Defend Bakhmut’s Northern Flank From Russian Attacks https://www.radiofree.org/2023/03/10/ukrainian-troops-defend-bakhmuts-northern-flank-from-russian-attacks/ https://www.radiofree.org/2023/03/10/ukrainian-troops-defend-bakhmuts-northern-flank-from-russian-attacks/#respond Fri, 10 Mar 2023 17:00:59 +0000 http://www.radiofree.org/?guid=53a38e46ecd7a468420f23a3708e073c
This content originally appeared on Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and was authored by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2023/03/10/ukrainian-troops-defend-bakhmuts-northern-flank-from-russian-attacks/feed/ 0 378550 Were You Affected by the Massive Wildfire in Northern New Mexico? We Want to Hear From You. https://www.radiofree.org/2023/03/02/were-you-affected-by-the-massive-wildfire-in-northern-new-mexico-we-want-to-hear-from-you/ https://www.radiofree.org/2023/03/02/were-you-affected-by-the-massive-wildfire-in-northern-new-mexico-we-want-to-hear-from-you/#respond Thu, 02 Mar 2023 10:00:00 +0000 https://www.propublica.org/getinvolved/new-mexico-wildfires-hermits-peak-calf-canyon by Patrick Lohmann, Source New Mexico

Eric Maestas didn’t have much time to spare on an afternoon in April when he stepped out of the old Memorial Middle School gymnasium with an armful of food, water and an extra pair of slippers.

The supplies were for his parents, waiting for him at a nearby campground. They’d been evacuated from their Cleveland home, threatened by what was becoming the biggest wildfire in New Mexico history. His parents were elderly, his father on oxygen. They feared their home had been consumed by flames.

Yet Maestas took a few moments to tell me, a reporter he didn’t know, what it was like to flee that home, that land, that village full of history and memories.

“Everybody was panicking,” he said, placing the slippers on top of boxes in the back seat of his sedan. “They shut down all the electricity. They shut down all the cellphones. There was nothing. And everybody was fighting to get gas and get out of there. It was pretty crazy.”

The blaze he was fleeing was the result of two planned fires, ignited by the United States Forest Service, that escaped containment lines and became the biggest wildfire in New Mexico history. The Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire ultimately burned more than 340,000 acres, destroyed at least 900 structures, including 400 homes, and forced about 15,000 people to flee. Then, monsoon rains fell on the scarred earth and floods further damaged rural homes, ranches, forests, watersheds and centuries-old waterways.

As a reporter with Source New Mexico, I’ve relayed similar tales about this disaster dozens of times since that Saturday afternoon in April.

Across more than 100 articles Source New Mexico has published since that first day, we’ve kept elected officials and state and federal agencies aware that the crisis here is still unfolding. With your help, we’ve revealed how the Forest Service barely met its own requirements for one of the prescribed burns, how the Federal Emergency Management Agency delayed aid for acequias — the waterways that have irrigated the land for generations — and how FEMA denials for housing aid have hurt families.

In order to hold the federal government accountable for how it is handling a crisis it sparked, I need to hear from you about how things are going. If you’ve got a few minutes, please reach out.

I was born and raised in New Mexico. I recently moved to Las Vegas, New Mexico, to dedicate all of my time to speaking to my new neighbors about the fire, the flood and the aftermath. I’ve partnered with ProPublica, a national nonprofit news organization that has provided resources and expertise to help me investigate the government’s response to the fire. I want to speak with as many of you as I can about what you’ve been through, whether you’ve gotten what you need and how the government has handled this.

The people working on this project are not lawyers, contractors or consultants who stand to make a profit off this disaster. We are journalists who will listen to you and investigate what happened.

Here’s how to reach me:

Phone: (505) 933-9013

Email: PLohmann@SourceNM.com

Or you can answer a few questions on this short form so I can learn about your experience and get in touch. Thank you.

We take your privacy seriously. We are gathering these stories for the purposes of our reporting and will contact you if we wish to publish any part of your story. We are the only ones reading what you submit.

Byard Duncan contributed reporting.


This content originally appeared on Articles and Investigations - ProPublica and was authored by by Patrick Lohmann, Source New Mexico.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2023/03/02/were-you-affected-by-the-massive-wildfire-in-northern-new-mexico-we-want-to-hear-from-you/feed/ 0 376469 Cyclone Gabrielle: More heavy rain for NZ’s disaster-hit northern regions https://www.radiofree.org/2023/02/24/cyclone-gabrielle-more-heavy-rain-for-nzs-disaster-hit-northern-regions/ https://www.radiofree.org/2023/02/24/cyclone-gabrielle-more-heavy-rain-for-nzs-disaster-hit-northern-regions/#respond Fri, 24 Feb 2023 05:33:41 +0000 https://asiapacificreport.nz/?p=85226 RNZ News

New Zealand civil defence staff have sent out text alerts to residents in North and West Auckland today to avoid unecessary travel as thunderstorms brought localised downpours.

Those in Rodney, Helensville, Upper Harbour, Te Atatu and Henderson Valley received an emergency alert on their mobiles this evening as the rain has increased the risk of landsliding and flooding.

Bethells Beach, Piha, Karekare and Muriwai, which have been cut off since Cyclone Gabrielle, have also received the the mobile alert.

Areas north of Auckland were hit by the sudden torrential downpour this afternoon causing slips, road closures and surface flooding in towns including Mangawhai, Wellsford and Te Arai.

The intersection of State Highway 1 and Mangawhai Road is closed, say police.

Motorists are able to continue north on State Highway 1, but cannot access Mangawhai Road.

Police said there were slips in north-west Auckland, especially in Mangawhai.

Meanwhile, heavy rain warnings remained in place for Hawke’s Bay, Gisborne and the Coromandel — all regions devastated by last week’s cyclone — as they braced for more downpours this weekend.

Metservice said the heaviest rain for Hawke’s Bay would be during Saturday morning with the risk of thunderstorms.

An evacuation order has been issued for people in the Esk Valley ahead of the heavy rain. It took effect from 1.30pm today.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Australian emergency workers on alert for more flooding in the Esk Valley area, Hawke's Bay
Australian emergency workers on alert for more flooding in the Esk Valley area, Hawke’s Bay. Image: 1News screenshot APR
An Esk Valley house damaged by the floods after a week's clean-up operations
An Esk Valley house damaged by the floods after a week’s clean-up operations. Image: 1News screenshot APR


This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2023/02/24/cyclone-gabrielle-more-heavy-rain-for-nzs-disaster-hit-northern-regions/feed/ 0 375059 Cyclone Gabrielle: More heavy rain for NZ’s disaster-hit northern regions https://www.radiofree.org/2023/02/24/cyclone-gabrielle-more-heavy-rain-for-nzs-disaster-hit-northern-regions/ https://www.radiofree.org/2023/02/24/cyclone-gabrielle-more-heavy-rain-for-nzs-disaster-hit-northern-regions/#respond Fri, 24 Feb 2023 05:33:41 +0000 https://asiapacificreport.nz/?p=85226 RNZ News

New Zealand civil defence staff have sent out text alerts to residents in North and West Auckland today to avoid unecessary travel as thunderstorms brought localised downpours.

Those in Rodney, Helensville, Upper Harbour, Te Atatu and Henderson Valley received an emergency alert on their mobiles this evening as the rain has increased the risk of landsliding and flooding.

Bethells Beach, Piha, Karekare and Muriwai, which have been cut off since Cyclone Gabrielle, have also received the the mobile alert.

Areas north of Auckland were hit by the sudden torrential downpour this afternoon causing slips, road closures and surface flooding in towns including Mangawhai, Wellsford and Te Arai.

The intersection of State Highway 1 and Mangawhai Road is closed, say police.

Motorists are able to continue north on State Highway 1, but cannot access Mangawhai Road.

Police said there were slips in north-west Auckland, especially in Mangawhai.

Meanwhile, heavy rain warnings remained in place for Hawke’s Bay, Gisborne and the Coromandel — all regions devastated by last week’s cyclone — as they braced for more downpours this weekend.

Metservice said the heaviest rain for Hawke’s Bay would be during Saturday morning with the risk of thunderstorms.

An evacuation order has been issued for people in the Esk Valley ahead of the heavy rain. It took effect from 1.30pm today.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Australian emergency workers on alert for more flooding in the Esk Valley area, Hawke's Bay
Australian emergency workers on alert for more flooding in the Esk Valley area, Hawke’s Bay. Image: 1News screenshot APR
An Esk Valley house damaged by the floods after a week's clean-up operations
An Esk Valley house damaged by the floods after a week’s clean-up operations. Image: 1News screenshot APR


This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2023/02/24/cyclone-gabrielle-more-heavy-rain-for-nzs-disaster-hit-northern-regions/feed/ 0 375060 Cyclone Gabrielle: More heavy rain for NZ’s disaster-hit northern regions https://www.radiofree.org/2023/02/24/cyclone-gabrielle-more-heavy-rain-for-nzs-disaster-hit-northern-regions-2/ https://www.radiofree.org/2023/02/24/cyclone-gabrielle-more-heavy-rain-for-nzs-disaster-hit-northern-regions-2/#respond Fri, 24 Feb 2023 05:33:41 +0000 https://asiapacificreport.nz/?p=85226 RNZ News

New Zealand civil defence staff have sent out text alerts to residents in North and West Auckland today to avoid unecessary travel as thunderstorms brought localised downpours.

Those in Rodney, Helensville, Upper Harbour, Te Atatu and Henderson Valley received an emergency alert on their mobiles this evening as the rain has increased the risk of landsliding and flooding.

Bethells Beach, Piha, Karekare and Muriwai, which have been cut off since Cyclone Gabrielle, have also received the the mobile alert.

Areas north of Auckland were hit by the sudden torrential downpour this afternoon causing slips, road closures and surface flooding in towns including Mangawhai, Wellsford and Te Arai.

The intersection of State Highway 1 and Mangawhai Road is closed, say police.

Motorists are able to continue north on State Highway 1, but cannot access Mangawhai Road.

Police said there were slips in north-west Auckland, especially in Mangawhai.

Meanwhile, heavy rain warnings remained in place for Hawke’s Bay, Gisborne and the Coromandel — all regions devastated by last week’s cyclone — as they braced for more downpours this weekend.

Metservice said the heaviest rain for Hawke’s Bay would be during Saturday morning with the risk of thunderstorms.

An evacuation order has been issued for people in the Esk Valley ahead of the heavy rain. It took effect from 1.30pm today.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Australian emergency workers on alert for more flooding in the Esk Valley area, Hawke's Bay
Australian emergency workers on alert for more flooding in the Esk Valley area, Hawke’s Bay. Image: 1News screenshot APR
An Esk Valley house damaged by the floods after a week's clean-up operations
An Esk Valley house damaged by the floods after a week’s clean-up operations. Image: 1News screenshot APR


This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2023/02/24/cyclone-gabrielle-more-heavy-rain-for-nzs-disaster-hit-northern-regions-2/feed/ 0 375061 Amnesty for Northern Ireland’s Troubles promises neither peace nor justice https://www.radiofree.org/2023/02/09/amnesty-for-northern-irelands-troubles-promises-neither-peace-nor-justice/ https://www.radiofree.org/2023/02/09/amnesty-for-northern-irelands-troubles-promises-neither-peace-nor-justice/#respond Thu, 09 Feb 2023 14:49:30 +0000 https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/northern-ireland-troubles-bill-amnesty-opposition/ OPINION: The UK government’s Northern Ireland Troubles bill will sweep historic crimes under the carpet


This content originally appeared on openDemocracy RSS and was authored by Daniel Holder, Sonya Sceats.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2023/02/09/amnesty-for-northern-irelands-troubles-promises-neither-peace-nor-justice/feed/ 0 371232 How a farcical new report on Northern Ireland Protocol poses a real threat https://www.radiofree.org/2023/01/13/how-a-farcical-new-report-on-northern-ireland-protocol-poses-a-real-threat/ https://www.radiofree.org/2023/01/13/how-a-farcical-new-report-on-northern-ireland-protocol-poses-a-real-threat/#respond Fri, 13 Jan 2023 14:39:14 +0000 https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/northern-ireland-protocol-uk-eu-good-friday-agreement-danger-centre-for-union-report/ OPINION: It’s worrying that a paper undermining the Good Friday Agreement has been welcomed by influential politicians


This content originally appeared on openDemocracy RSS and was authored by Emma DeSouza.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2023/01/13/how-a-farcical-new-report-on-northern-ireland-protocol-poses-a-real-threat/feed/ 0 364304 Northern CA storm surge floods roads, homes and cars, topples trees and kills at least 7 people; House adjourns after 11 rounds of voting with no Speaker; Biden announces stricter border enforcement measures https://www.radiofree.org/2023/01/05/northern-ca-storm-surge-floods-roads-homes-and-cars-topples-trees-and-kills-at-least-7-people-house-adjourns-after-11-rounds-of-voting-with-no-speaker-biden-announces-stricter-border-enforcement-m/ https://www.radiofree.org/2023/01/05/northern-ca-storm-surge-floods-roads-homes-and-cars-topples-trees-and-kills-at-least-7-people-house-adjourns-after-11-rounds-of-voting-with-no-speaker-biden-announces-stricter-border-enforcement-m/#respond Thu, 05 Jan 2023 18:00:00 +0000 http://www.radiofree.org/?guid=0539a8b53a11412aa147c78f12c20807

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

Image: Asylum seekers reach the US-Mexico border in Tijuana by Daniel Arauz via FLICKR.

The post Northern CA storm surge floods roads, homes and cars, topples trees and kills at least 7 people; House adjourns after 11 rounds of voting with no Speaker; Biden announces stricter border enforcement measures appeared first on KPFA.


This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2023/01/05/northern-ca-storm-surge-floods-roads-homes-and-cars-topples-trees-and-kills-at-least-7-people-house-adjourns-after-11-rounds-of-voting-with-no-speaker-biden-announces-stricter-border-enforcement-m/feed/ 0 362329 Monster storm hits Northern California, prompting Gov Newsom to declare a state of emergency; CA Republican Kevin McCarthy falls short after six rounds of voting to choose a new House Speaker; North Bay homeless advocates call for more emergency shelter https://www.radiofree.org/2023/01/04/monster-storm-hits-northern-california-prompting-gov-newsom-to-declare-a-state-of-emergency-ca-republican-kevin-mccarthy-falls-short-after-six-rounds-of-voting-to-choose-a-new-house-speaker-north-b/ https://www.radiofree.org/2023/01/04/monster-storm-hits-northern-california-prompting-gov-newsom-to-declare-a-state-of-emergency-ca-republican-kevin-mccarthy-falls-short-after-six-rounds-of-voting-to-choose-a-new-house-speaker-north-b/#respond Wed, 04 Jan 2023 18:00:00 +0000 http://www.radiofree.org/?guid=38fa01afd96672110e653380bc8987e4

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

Image: Flooding in Sonoma County in 2008 by Patrick Dirden via FLICKR

The post Monster storm hits Northern California, prompting Gov Newsom to declare a state of emergency; CA Republican Kevin McCarthy falls short after six rounds of voting to choose a new House Speaker; North Bay homeless advocates call for more emergency shelter appeared first on KPFA.


This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2023/01/04/monster-storm-hits-northern-california-prompting-gov-newsom-to-declare-a-state-of-emergency-ca-republican-kevin-mccarthy-falls-short-after-six-rounds-of-voting-to-choose-a-new-house-speaker-north-b/feed/ 0 362056 Rep McCarthy fails to win Speaker role after three rounds of voting; Northern California expects intense storm, flooding and high winds; Wood Street encampment in Oakland braces for storm and city eviction January 9 https://www.radiofree.org/2023/01/03/rep-mccarthy-fails-to-win-speaker-role-after-three-rounds-of-voting-northern-california-expects-intense-storm-flooding-and-high-winds-wood-street-encampment-in-oakland-braces-for-storm-and-city-evi/ https://www.radiofree.org/2023/01/03/rep-mccarthy-fails-to-win-speaker-role-after-three-rounds-of-voting-northern-california-expects-intense-storm-flooding-and-high-winds-wood-street-encampment-in-oakland-braces-for-storm-and-city-evi/#respond Tue, 03 Jan 2023 18:00:00 +0000 http://www.radiofree.org/?guid=6fbf55c2af78e5ea4eb60368ab764dc9

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

Image: Jared DeFigh rakes wood chips at the Wood Street Commons to help with mud, after rainstorms flooded parts of the encampment in Oakland. Photo by Corinne Smith / KPFA News

The post Rep McCarthy fails to win Speaker role after three rounds of voting; Northern California expects intense storm, flooding and high winds; Wood Street encampment in Oakland braces for storm and city eviction January 9 appeared first on KPFA.


This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2023/01/03/rep-mccarthy-fails-to-win-speaker-role-after-three-rounds-of-voting-northern-california-expects-intense-storm-flooding-and-high-winds-wood-street-encampment-in-oakland-braces-for-storm-and-city-evi/feed/ 0 361811 Hundreds Of Ethnic Serbs Protest In Northern Kosovo https://www.radiofree.org/2022/12/22/hundreds-of-ethnic-serbs-protest-in-northern-kosovo/ https://www.radiofree.org/2022/12/22/hundreds-of-ethnic-serbs-protest-in-northern-kosovo/#respond Thu, 22 Dec 2022 18:04:59 +0000 http://www.radiofree.org/?guid=ff7940f8ea6df17dc3641d0ae9ea35f6
This content originally appeared on Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and was authored by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2022/12/22/hundreds-of-ethnic-serbs-protest-in-northern-kosovo/feed/ 0 359597 At least 3 TV crews attacked while covering protests in northern Kosovo https://www.radiofree.org/2022/12/22/at-least-3-tv-crews-attacked-while-covering-protests-in-northern-kosovo/ https://www.radiofree.org/2022/12/22/at-least-3-tv-crews-attacked-while-covering-protests-in-northern-kosovo/#respond Thu, 22 Dec 2022 16:28:59 +0000 https://cpj.org/?p=250262 Berlin, December 22, 2022 – Authorities in Kosovo must conduct a swift and thorough investigation into recent attacks on three TV crews and ensure that journalists can cover protests safely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday.

Since the beginning of December, at least three TV crews covering demonstrations in northern Kosovo have been targeted in separate attacks by unknown individuals. 

Violence erupted in the region after the December 9 arrest of a Kosovo Serb police officer suspected of involvement in attacks on Kosovo police patrols. In response to his arrest, Serbs living in northern Kosovo erected barricades on main roads.

“Kosovo authorities must launch a swift and exhaustive investigation into recent attacks on the TV crews of Kallxo, Klan Kosova, and RTV Dukagjini and bring the perpetrators to justice,” said Attila Mong, CPJ’s Europe representative. “Kosovo and international authorities in charge of security in northern Kosovo must ensure that members of the press can safely cover protests without fear of harassment and assault.”

On December 9, a TV crew with the privately owned news website Kallxo was filming the streets in the northern town of Mitrovica from their car when a group of seven or eight men with coverings over their heads and faces began hitting the car with their fists and throwing objects, according to news reports and reporting by the outlet. CPJ’s email to Kallxo’s general inbox did not receive a reply. 

An RTV Dukagjini TV crew was preparing to broadcast near a road barricade in Rudare, Kosovo when unknown individuals threw an explosive device behind reporter Doruntina Bylykbash on December 10, 2022. She was unharmed.(Screenshot: Facebook/RTV Dukagjini)

On December 10, the two-person crew from the privately owned Kosovo TV station RTV Dukagjini were preparing to broadcast near a road barricade in the northern village of Rudare when unknown individuals threw an explosive device behind reporter Doruntina Bylykbash, according to news reports, outlet footage posted to Facebook, and Bylykbash who spoke with CPJ via a messaging app. 

Bylykbash told CPJ that they were carrying their microphone and camera, identifying them as journalists. No one was injured because her camera operator was able to warn her to move in time. They did not report the attack to authorities; however, an investigation was launched by Kosovo police, KFOR, and EULEX after the news reports about the incident.

Currently, Kosovo police do not patrol northern Kosovo, which is instead monitored by KFOR, a NATO-led international peacekeeping force, and EULEX, the  European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo, according to Haris Ademi, a reporter with the privately owned Kosovo TV station Klan Kosova, who spoke to CPJ by email. 

On December 19, a three-person Klan Kosova TV crew was filming a road barricade near the northern village of Çaber when they were approached by seven or eight men dressed in black with their faces covered. The men began chanting “kill,” and throwing stones at the crew, according to news reports, outlet footage posted to Facebook, and Ademi. 

The crew, which included Ademi, camera operator Agon Bejtullahu, and driver Elsad Sinan, fled the scene without injury. The outlet’s logo on the car, their news camera, and Ademi’s microphone identified them as journalists, Ademi said.

Ademi told CPJ that they reported the attack to the Kosovo police but has no update on the investigation. 

Kosovo police confirmed to CPJ in an email that criminal investigations into these attacks are underway, “even though the situation and circumstances created by the barricades in the north make the work of police difficult.” They said preventing and investigating criminal acts, “including cases where the media/journalists were attacked,” remains their priority.

CPJ’s emails to the press department of KFOR and EULEX did not receive an immediate reply.


This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Committee to Protect Journalists.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2022/12/22/at-least-3-tv-crews-attacked-while-covering-protests-in-northern-kosovo/feed/ 0 359577 Cypriot journalist Başaran Düzgün denied entry into Turkey https://www.radiofree.org/2022/12/06/cypriot-journalist-basaran-duzgun-denied-entry-into-turkey/ https://www.radiofree.org/2022/12/06/cypriot-journalist-basaran-duzgun-denied-entry-into-turkey/#respond Tue, 06 Dec 2022 20:42:25 +0000 https://cpj.org/?p=245830 On November 16, 2022, Cypriot journalist Başaran Düzgün, chief editor for the Cyprus newspaper Havadis, was denied entry to Turkey, reports said.

Düzgün told CPJ via messaging app on November 21 that he had been stopped at customs at the Sabiha Gökçen Airport in Istanbul by the passport police, who told him that he was not allowed into Turkey. When he asked why, the journalist was told he had an “N82”code near his name on the records and asked to return to Cyprus, which he did. He had been traveling to Istanbul for a meeting with a Turkish news agency, the journalist added.

N82 is a restriction code used to block certain foreigners’ entry to Turkey for security reasons, Havadis reported.

Düzgün is a citizen of the Turkish-occupied Northern Cyprus, which declared independence in 1976, three years after Turkey’s partial invasion of the island, but is not recognized by any other country besides Turkey.

“I was denied entry because I have been criticizing the works of the [Turkey’s ruling] Justice and Development Party in Cyprus,” Düzgün told CPJ, when asked why he thinks he was banned from entry. The journalist argued that Turkey’s government has been intervening in the domestic policies of Northern Cyprus, and his critical reporting on these matters led to his ban.

Düzgün said he tried to get information from the Turkish embassy in Northern Cyprus via his lawyer but did not receive any reply.

CPJ emailed Turkey’s Interior Ministry for comment but did not receive any reply.


This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Jennifer Dunham.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2022/12/06/cypriot-journalist-basaran-duzgun-denied-entry-into-turkey/feed/ 0 355765 The Future of Grizzly Bear Recovery in the Northern Rockies https://www.radiofree.org/2022/11/25/the-future-of-grizzly-bear-recovery-in-the-northern-rockies/ https://www.radiofree.org/2022/11/25/the-future-of-grizzly-bear-recovery-in-the-northern-rockies/#respond Fri, 25 Nov 2022 06:48:39 +0000 https://www.counterpunch.org/?p=266435 Federal and state officials under the auspices of the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee (IGBC) will soon be holding their winter meetings in Missoula and Bozeman (see igbconline.org). They have their hands full. Overly focused on delisting of grizzly bears in the Northern Continental Divide (NCDE) and Greater Yellowstone Ecosystems, hopefully the IGBC will put the rose-colored More

The post The Future of Grizzly Bear Recovery in the Northern Rockies appeared first on CounterPunch.org.


This content originally appeared on CounterPunch.org and was authored by Mike Bader.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2022/11/25/the-future-of-grizzly-bear-recovery-in-the-northern-rockies/feed/ 0 353394 Headquarters of news website Rondoniaovivo shot multiple times in northern Brazil https://www.radiofree.org/2022/11/17/headquarters-of-news-website-rondoniaovivo-shot-multiple-times-in-northern-brazil/ https://www.radiofree.org/2022/11/17/headquarters-of-news-website-rondoniaovivo-shot-multiple-times-in-northern-brazil/#respond Thu, 17 Nov 2022 21:08:02 +0000 https://cpj.org/?p=243847 Rio de Janeiro, November 17, 2022—Authorities in the northern Brazilian state of Rondônia must conduct a swift and thorough investigation into the shooting attack on Rondoniaovivo’s headquarters and adopt all necessary measures to ensure the outlet’s staff can report safely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday.

Around 3:40 a.m. on Saturday, November 12, an unidentified man shot multiple times at the headquarters of privately owned news website Rondoniaovivo in the city of Porto Velho, Rondônia’s capital, according to several news reports, the outlet’s news director Ivan Frazão, and owner Paulo Andreoli, who spoke to CPJ in separate phone interviews.

The shots hit and broke the front door and windows, but no one was hurt because the building was empty at the time, according to the Rondoniaovivo report, a security camera video, Frazão, and Andreoli.

Andreoli and Frazão told CPJ they believe the attack was retaliation for the outlet’s critical coverage of protests in Rondônia in support of President Jair Bolsonaro, who lost his reelection bid on October 30. Andreoli said that in recent days, several offensive comments were posted on Rondoniaovivo’s website, but that they had not received any specific direct threats.

“Authorities in Rondônia must immediately investigate the violent attack on the Rondoniaovivo headquarters, bring the perpetrators to account, and adopt all necessary measures to ensure the outlet’s journalists can continue to report safely,” said Natalie Southwick, CPJ’s Latin America and Caribbean program coordinator, in New York. “The concerning pattern of ongoing harassment and intimidation of journalists covering protests by Bolsonaro supporters across Brazil poses a threat to journalists’ safety and press freedom.”

Andreoli said that military police officers arrived on site around 6 a.m. on Saturday, November 12, and that he delivered all footage from security cameras to the Civil Police, but that as of Wednesday, November 16, authorities had not provided him with an update on the investigation.

“This was politically motivated. It was a message. ‘Pistolagem’ (professional hitmen or gunslingers) exists in Rondônia,” Andreoli said. “But we are not going to stop. Our journalism will continue. More carefully, but it will continue.”

Rondoniaovivo, which was founded 18 years ago, covers topics including general news, security, and policing, and is one of the main local news outlets in the state, Frazão said.

The press office of the Rondônia state security and defense secretary said in an email to CPJ that military police officers arrived at the scene at 6:39 a.m. on Saturday, November 12, found the Rondoniaovivo headquarters full of marks from the bullets and 20 projectile casings at the scene. The email also stated that the investigations are ongoing and that police have “identified a person suspected of carrying out the shooting, but still need to confirm this with other evidence.”

According to a November 10 joint statement by 14 civil society organizations, there were at least 40 incidents of attacks or harassment against journalists covering the pro-Bolsonaro protests following the second-round presidential election on October 30.


This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Committee to Protect Journalists.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2022/11/17/headquarters-of-news-website-rondoniaovivo-shot-multiple-times-in-northern-brazil/feed/ 0 351707 United States likely to base long-range bombers in northern Australia https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/australia-bombers-11012022122953.html https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/australia-bombers-11012022122953.html#respond Tue, 01 Nov 2022 16:30:06 +0000 https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/australia-bombers-11012022122953.html Plans to station nuclear capable B-52 bombers in the far north of Australia show that the U.S. military is seeking more deterrence options against China as its military strength increases, defense experts said.

In August, the U.S. Department of Defense sought preliminary information from contractors about building a parking apron to accommodate six B-52 bombers at the Australian air force’s Tindal base southeast of Darwin, according to the U.S. government’s contracting site. Australian broadcaster ABC reported on Monday that it had seen detailed plans for the air base expansion.

For more than a decade, Australia and the United States have extended their defense alliance with what they call force posture initiatives that have involved deployments of U.S. marines in Darwin as well as joint air force exercises and military infrastructure investment in Australia.

“This deployment has been a long time coming,” said Brian Harding, a former Pentagon official who helped negotiate the initial Australia-U.S. force posture arrangements under President Barack Obama. 

“The development of new infrastructure in northern Australia to support U.S. Air Force operations has long been seen as potentially far more strategically important than the rotations of U.S. Marines, but has flown below the radar,” he told BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service.

China’s Foreign Ministry criticized the U.S.-Australian plans and said the two countries have an outdated Cold War zero-sum mentality.

“Such a move by the U.S. and Australia escalates regional tensions, gravely undermines regional peace and stability, and may trigger an arms race in the region,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said at a ministry press conference.

China’s military buildup, its expansive claims tothe South China Sea, a busy global shipping route, and its forays into Taiwan’s airspace have contributed to heightened tensions in East Asia for several years.

China’s annual military spending will reach U.S. $230 billion this year compared with $60 billion in 2008, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, which cites official Chinese government figures. U.S. military spending was nearly $770 billion in 2021, according to CSIS.

On Tuesday, the Pentagon said that infrastructure works at the Tindal air base would support the “rotational presence” of a range of U.S. military aircraft in Australia following commitments for enhanced cooperation made at ministerial talks in 2021.

U.S. military aircraft, including B-52s and other bombers, have visited Australia for years to participate in joint exercises, which would continue, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Defense said in an email. Australia hosted four U.S. stealth bombers at its Amberley air force base in July.

The B-52 strategic bombers can carry both conventional and nuclear weapons. Since 1970, Australia has been a signatory to the Treaty on the Non Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, which commits it not to acquire nuclear weapons and to support efforts at disarmament. 

Paul Dibb, a former director of Australia’s Defence Intelligence Organization, said in a television interview that Australia’s prohibition of nuclear weapons would be unlikely to change unless there was a conflict or imminent threat of one.

“What this [B-52] presence does … is to show to China it can’t just keep pushing south and south through the straits and waterways of the South China Sea,” he said. 

It would also be reassuring for U.S. allies South Korea and Japan, Dibb said. 

Meanwhile, Taiwanese Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said Taiwan, which China regards as a breakaway province, had not asked for a B-52 deployment in Australia.

“We’ve been making efforts to defend ourselves. To improve our capabilities is our permanent goal. Of course we pay close attention to other countries’ activities and developments but we don’t take part in them,” he said.

Ashley Townshend, a security expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said China’s military buildup had contributed to regional instability and eroded American primacy in the Pacific by threatening U.S. ports and airstrips in places such as Guam.

“China’s missile threat is so severe that [the] U.S. needs more, safer places to operate. Australia is one such place. Dispersal here is part of efforts to bolster deterrence by making bombers more survivable, effective,” he said on Twitter.

Australia sees a robust U.S. military presence as crucial to its own security and a boost to U.S.-Australian navy cooperation is likely to be next, Townshend said.

BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated news service. Staff at Radio Free Asia contributed to this report.


This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By Stephen Wright for BenarNews.

]]> https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/australia-bombers-11012022122953.html/feed/ 0 347002 A new election won’t solve Northern Ireland’s power-sharing crisis https://www.radiofree.org/2022/10/27/a-new-election-wont-solve-northern-irelands-power-sharing-crisis/ https://www.radiofree.org/2022/10/27/a-new-election-wont-solve-northern-irelands-power-sharing-crisis/#respond Thu, 27 Oct 2022 16:22:27 +0000 https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/northern-ireland-dup-stormont-assembly-election/ The DUP’s boycott of Stormont has caused political paralysis. Is it time to change how Northern Ireland operates?


This content originally appeared on openDemocracy RSS and was authored by Emma DeSouza.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2022/10/27/a-new-election-wont-solve-northern-irelands-power-sharing-crisis/feed/ 0 345660 Military jets bomb concert in northern Myanmar, killing at least 50 https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/airstrike-10242022190133.html https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/airstrike-10242022190133.html#respond Mon, 24 Oct 2022 23:14:00 +0000 https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/airstrike-10242022190133.html Military jets bombed a concert northern Myanmar commemorating the founding of an ethnic political group on Monday, killing at least 50 civilians and wounding 100 more, according to residents. 

It was believed to be the deadliest single airstrike since the military seized power in a February 2021 coup.

The attack came just days ahead of a special meeting of foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, in Indonesia to discuss growing violence in Myanmar, one of its members. 

The bombing was the latest explosion of violence in fighting over the past 20 months between the military and pro-junta militias and rebel groups scattered across the country. It was strongly condemned by the United Nations, Western governments and human rights groups.

“The junta dropped four bombs in the middle of a crowd where a thousand people were celebrating,” said Col. Naw Bu, a spokesperson for the Kachin Independence Organization, or KIO, which was marking its 62nd anniversary at the concert, which featured several Kachin celebrities, some of whom were killed.

“It is really concerning that the junta intentionally dropped bombs on an area that was not only not a battlefield, but a place where we were celebrating together with many civilians,” he said.

A month ago, two military helicopters killed more than a dozen civilians, including seven children, at a school in Sagaing region, further to the north, in what was previously thought to be the bloodiest airstrike since the coup.

The attack occurred at the Anan Par Training Ground, about two miles outside of Hpakant township’s Kan Hsee village, residents told RFA’s Burmese language service. The training ground is under the control of the 9th Brigade of the Kachin Independence Organizatin’s military wing, the Kachin Independence Army, or KIA, which has been fighting the government off and on for decades in a bid for greater autonomy.

Among those killed in the attack were KIA soldiers, Kachin celebrities, and civilians, residents of Hpakant said Monday. 

A Kachin artist, who declined to be named, said at least nine Kachin celebrities who attended the concert were among the casualties. Musicians Aurali Lahpai, Galau Yaw Lwi (a.k.a Yungwi Shadang), and Ko King were killed, while Zaw Dain, a veteran actor and the former chairman of the Kachin Artist Association was injured, he said.

The Associated Press reported that as many as 80 people were killed, citing KIO members and a rescue worker.

RFA was unable to independently verify the death toll or the identities of the victims.

Blocked Access

A member of a Hpakant-based relief group, who declined to be named for security reasons, told RFA that providing assistance to the wounded wasn’t possible because junta forces had blocked off the road leading to the site of the attack.

“We cannot go there to provide any relief help,” he said. “Junta forces have blocked several gates to make sure no one can travel to the area,”

Other local relief groups said that although they had requested permission to travel to the Anan Par Training Ground from General Ko Ko Maung, the head of the junta’s Northern Military Command, they had not been cleared to go as of the evening on Monday. The area is located around 15 miles outside of Hpakant.

Win Ye Tun, the junta’s Minister for Social Affairs and the spokesperson for Kachin state, told RFA that he hadn’t received details about the airstrike, but said he is assembling a team to provide assistance.

“I haven’t received any specific information about civilians being killed. I heard some news, but it’s an ongoing battle,” he said. “I am currently networking resources to help. We can’t just take off to go there and help immediately. After the fighting is over and when it is safe to go there, I will follow up.”

ENG_BUR_KachinAirstrike_10242022 102.JPG
In this photo provided by a citizen journalist, a victim of the Myanmar junta's airstrike, aimed at a Kachin gathering receives treatment in Hpakant township, northern Kachin state, Myanmar, Oct. 24, 2022. Credit: Citizen journalist

International condemnation

The attack prompted a statement on Monday from the U.N. office in Myanmar condemning what it said appeared to be an “excessive and disproportionate use of force by security forces against unarmed civilians,” adding that reports suggested “over 100 civilians may have been affected.”

The statement said that those injured should be “availed [of] urgent medical treatment,” calling such airstrikes “unacceptable” and demanding that those responsible be held to account.

Stéphane Dujarric, the spokesperson for U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, said Monday that Guterres had expressed “deep concern” over reports of the airstrikes in Kachin state.

“We reiterate our call for the immediate cessation of violence and all those who were injured need to be given urgent medical treatment as needed,” he said.

A statement jointly issued by the U.S. Embassy in Yangon, EU member states, Norway, Switzerland, and the U.K., said Sunday's attack “underscores the military regime’s responsibility for crisis and instability in Myanmar and the region and its disregard for its obligation to protect civilians and respect the principles and rules of international humanitarian law.”

Phil Robertson, deputy head of Human Rights Watch’s Asia-Pacific Division, went further, calling the strike a “war crime.”

“It is outrageous and unacceptable that they have attacked a group of civilians,” he said, adding that the junta knew there was an entertainment event taking place at the site and suggesting the airstrike was “retaliation” against the KIA for its resistance to military rule.

“It shows how completely bankrupt, both morally and ethically, this Myanmar military junta is,” he said. “It’s a clarion call for the U.N. Security Council to finally act … to stop the military junta from these kinds of atrocities against their own people.”

ENG_BUR_KachinAirstrike_10242022 103.JPG
The concert area following an airstrike targeting a Kachin gathering by the Myanmar junta in Hpakant township, northern Kachin state, Myanmar, Oct. 24, 2022. Credit: Citizen journalist

Myanmar’s shadow National Unity Government suggested that the military had violated the Geneva Conventions with the latest attack on civilians and called in a statement on the international community and the U.N. to “take effective actions urgently” against the junta.

It noted that the attack came just a month after a Sept. 16 airstrike on Sagaing region's Let Yet Kone village killed 13 civilians, including seven children, and wounded 12 others. The attack, in which two military helicopters fired on a school for more than an hour, was thought to be the single worst air raid on a civilian area in Myanmar since the coup.

The National Unity Government said that since seizing power, the military had carried out nearly 240 airstrikes targeting the civilian population throughout Myanmar, “resulting in [the] deaths of over 200 civilians and destruction of many houses and religious buildings.”

Later on Monday, the junta issued a press statement denying reports that civilians had been killed in the attack in Kachin state, which it said were “lies” circulated by “fake” online media groups.

The statement said the training ground where the attack occurred was an “active military area operated by terrorists,” and that there were only armed fighters and KIA-supporting businessmen at the site, but no “common civilians.”

It also claimed that junta forces had carried out the operation “according to the law of armed conflict, based on the Geneva Conventions.”

Translated by Myo Min Aung. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.


This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By RFA Burmese.

]]> https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/airstrike-10242022190133.html/feed/ 0 344295 Charting the Rise of Anti-French Sentiment Across Northern Africa https://www.radiofree.org/2022/10/19/charting-the-rise-of-anti-french-sentiment-across-northern-africa/ https://www.radiofree.org/2022/10/19/charting-the-rise-of-anti-french-sentiment-across-northern-africa/#respond Wed, 19 Oct 2022 05:58:55 +0000 https://www.counterpunch.org/?p=260200 In November 2021, a French military convoy was making its way to Mali while passing through Burkina Faso and Niger. It did not get very far. It was stopped in Téra, Niger, and before that at several points in Burkina Faso (in Bobo-Dioulasso and Kaya as well as in Ouagadougou, the country’s capital). Two civilians More

The post Charting the Rise of Anti-French Sentiment Across Northern Africa appeared first on CounterPunch.org.


This content originally appeared on CounterPunch.org and was authored by Vijay Prashad.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2022/10/19/charting-the-rise-of-anti-french-sentiment-across-northern-africa/feed/ 0 342942 Northern Ireland: a Protestant State for a Protestant People? Not Any More https://www.radiofree.org/2022/09/27/northern-ireland-a-protestant-state-for-a-protestant-people-not-any-more/ https://www.radiofree.org/2022/09/27/northern-ireland-a-protestant-state-for-a-protestant-people-not-any-more/#respond Tue, 27 Sep 2022 06:00:58 +0000 https://www.counterpunch.org/?p=255973 Northern Ireland was designed just over a century ago as “a Protestant state for a Protestant people”, though unionists deny that this phrase was ever actually used by a Northern Ireland prime minister. Unionist politicians spoke of “the majority” as a shorthand which legitimised the dominance of the Protestant community. The phrase can never be More

The post Northern Ireland: a Protestant State for a Protestant People? Not Any More appeared first on CounterPunch.org.


This content originally appeared on CounterPunch.org and was authored by Patrick Cockburn.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2022/09/27/northern-ireland-a-protestant-state-for-a-protestant-people-not-any-more/feed/ 0 336534 How Northern Ireland’s Unionists are Embarrassing Themselves Over King Charles’ Meeting with Sinn Féin https://www.radiofree.org/2022/09/22/how-northern-irelands-unionists-are-embarrassing-themselves-over-king-charles-meeting-with-sinn-fein/ https://www.radiofree.org/2022/09/22/how-northern-irelands-unionists-are-embarrassing-themselves-over-king-charles-meeting-with-sinn-fein/#respond Thu, 22 Sep 2022 05:57:41 +0000 https://www.counterpunch.org/?p=255680 Trust Northern Ireland to inject a few drops of rancour into the royal obsequies, though this is scarcely a surprise in a place where murals of Queen Elizabeth II adorn gable ends in unionist districts and republicans have just become the largest political party. More

The post How Northern Ireland’s Unionists are Embarrassing Themselves Over King Charles’ Meeting with Sinn Féin appeared first on CounterPunch.org.


This content originally appeared on CounterPunch.org and was authored by Patrick Cockburn.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2022/09/22/how-northern-irelands-unionists-are-embarrassing-themselves-over-king-charles-meeting-with-sinn-fein/feed/ 0 335254 Why Chris Heaton-Harris and Steve Baker mean instability for Northern Ireland https://www.radiofree.org/2022/09/20/why-chris-heaton-harris-and-steve-baker-mean-instability-for-northern-ireland/ https://www.radiofree.org/2022/09/20/why-chris-heaton-harris-and-steve-baker-mean-instability-for-northern-ireland/#respond Tue, 20 Sep 2022 12:44:21 +0000 https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/chris-heaton-harris-steve-baker-liz-truss-northern-ireland/ OPINION: No wonder a trade deal with the US is off the table – look at Truss’s new Northern Ireland ministers


This content originally appeared on openDemocracy RSS and was authored by Peter Shirlow.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2022/09/20/why-chris-heaton-harris-and-steve-baker-mean-instability-for-northern-ireland/feed/ 0 334699 Why Chris Heaton-Harris and Steve Baker mean instability for Northern Ireland https://www.radiofree.org/2022/09/20/why-chris-heaton-harris-and-steve-baker-mean-instability-for-northern-ireland-2/ https://www.radiofree.org/2022/09/20/why-chris-heaton-harris-and-steve-baker-mean-instability-for-northern-ireland-2/#respond Tue, 20 Sep 2022 12:44:21 +0000 https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/chris-heaton-harris-steve-baker-liz-truss-northern-ireland/ OPINION: No wonder a trade deal with the US is off the table – look at Truss’s new Northern Ireland ministers


This content originally appeared on openDemocracy RSS and was authored by Peter Shirlow.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2022/09/20/why-chris-heaton-harris-and-steve-baker-mean-instability-for-northern-ireland-2/feed/ 0 334700 “Major Step Towards a United Ireland”: As Britain Mourns Queen, Northern Ireland Considers Future https://www.radiofree.org/2022/09/14/major-step-towards-a-united-ireland-as-britain-mourns-queen-northern-ireland-considers-future/ https://www.radiofree.org/2022/09/14/major-step-towards-a-united-ireland-as-britain-mourns-queen-northern-ireland-considers-future/#respond Wed, 14 Sep 2022 15:00:01 +0000 http://www.radiofree.org/?guid=99a4985f8e1ef604cb27fc0b442a15e0
This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2022/09/14/major-step-towards-a-united-ireland-as-britain-mourns-queen-northern-ireland-considers-future/feed/ 0 333041 “Major Step Towards a United Ireland”: As Britain Mourns Queen, Northern Ireland Considers Its Future https://www.radiofree.org/2022/09/14/major-step-towards-a-united-ireland-as-britain-mourns-queen-northern-ireland-considers-its-future/ https://www.radiofree.org/2022/09/14/major-step-towards-a-united-ireland-as-britain-mourns-queen-northern-ireland-considers-its-future/#respond Wed, 14 Sep 2022 12:15:13 +0000 http://www.radiofree.org/?guid=9671411578019446484bc39825cc4471 Seg1 queenelizabeth northernireland file

We speak with journalist and activist Eamonn McCann about Queen Elizabeth II’s legacy in Ireland and the impact of her recent death on the prospects of Irish unification. This comes as King Charles III visited Northern Ireland Tuesday on his national tour commemorating his mother, whose reign oversaw more than 3,600 deaths over three decades in Northern Ireland in fighting between the Irish Republican Army and forces backed by Britain. “There is a great confidence among nationalist and republican leaders in Northern Ireland that we are now moving inexorably towards a united Ireland,” says McCann, a former member of the Northern Ireland Assembly.


This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2022/09/14/major-step-towards-a-united-ireland-as-britain-mourns-queen-northern-ireland-considers-its-future/feed/ 0 333012 Vietnamese authorities call “Jesus Church” in northern provinces an “evil religion” https://www.rfa.org/english/news/vietnam/jesus-church-evil-09122022234614.html https://www.rfa.org/english/news/vietnam/jesus-church-evil-09122022234614.html#respond Tue, 13 Sep 2022 03:47:39 +0000 https://www.rfa.org/english/news/vietnam/jesus-church-evil-09122022234614.html Vietnamese police and government authorities are trying to crack down on a religious group that is growing in popularity in the country’s northern provinces.

On Monday state-controlled media quoted the Hai Phong City Police as saying the “Jesus Church” is operating in many localities without permission. The Government Committee for Religious Affairs has not yet recognized the “Jesus Church” as a religious organization, the news organizations said.

All religious groups in Vietnam are required to obtain government approval, otherwise they are banned.

The “Jesus Church” is concentrated in provinces including Dien Bien, Lai Chau, Son La, Lao Cai, Yen Bai, and Thanh Hoa.

It was founded around five years ago, according to the Ministry of Public Security, which called it an “evil religion,” saying it was concerned about the rapid growth of the church among the Hmong community. 

The ethnic group originally followed animist beliefs but many Hmong converted to Christianity in the 20th and 21st centuries.

Hai Phong City Police Department said there are about 100 Hmong people living there and, although they were not “Jesus Church” followers they had issued a warning to try to stop them joining the religion.

Police said the “Jesus Church” was founded by a man calling himself David Her whose real name is Ho Cha Sung. The department said he is a Hmong from Xiangkhoang province in Laos, currently living in California.

In April, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) issued a proposal to put Vietnam back on the list of countries of special concern for not respecting religious freedom, saying the government continues to persecute independent religious communities.


This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By RFA Vietnamese.

]]> https://www.rfa.org/english/news/vietnam/jesus-church-evil-09122022234614.html/feed/ 0 332328 Weeks after tropical storm Ma-On batters northern Laos, residents struggle to recover https://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/storm-09102022171537.html https://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/storm-09102022171537.html#respond Sat, 10 Sep 2022 21:30:26 +0000 https://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/storm-09102022171537.html Two weeks after tropical storm Ma-On battered Southeast Asia, northern Laos is digging itself out of the devastation, as authorities contend with damaged infrastructure, inundated farmland, and hundreds of displaced people at risk of disease from lack of access to clean water.

The ninth named storm of the 2022 Pacific monsoon season, Ma-On formed over the Pacific Ocean on Aug. 18 and became a severe tropical storm by Aug. 23, before slamming into Mainland Southeast Asia on Aug. 25. The storm brought heavy winds and rain to the region, and triggered flash floods in Vietnam and Laos.

While the storm had mostly dissipated by Aug. 26, its impact on impoverished Laos – with its limited capacity to rebuild in the aftermath of natural disasters – was profound.

Among the worst hit areas in northern Laos was Oudomxay province, where on Thursday, Provincial Governor Bounkhong Lachiemphone described the destruction as “massive” in an interview with the official Lao National Radio.

“The most devastated area is La district, followed by Nomor district and Xay district, where a lot of basic infrastructure such as roads, bridges, the power grid, hospitals, health clinics, schools, farms, and irrigation systems are damaged or destroyed,” he said.

“Our residents’ livelihoods are severely affected, especially in La district where more than 100 homes were swept away, and more than 500 others were damaged. Livestock are dead. Farmland – especially rice and produce fields – are covered with mud and debris.”

Residents of Oudomxay province watch recovery efforts in the aftermath of Ma-On tropical storm. Credit: Radio and Television of Oudomxay province
Residents of Oudomxay province watch recovery efforts in the aftermath of Ma-On tropical storm. Credit: Radio and Television of Oudomxay province
Bounkhong said damage from the storm in the three hardest hit districts had surpassed 150 billion Lao kip (U.S. $10 million) and that resources have been stretched thin as authorities continue with recovery efforts.

“Right now, we have employed 300 soldiers to help build shelters and repair damaged homes for the displaced,” he said.

“We’ve had to rely on donations from domestic and international organizations.”

Khamseng Ali, the head of the Public Works and Transportation Department of Oudomxay province, estimated that repairs to 49 roads and 44 bridges damaged in flooding caused by Ma-On would cost at least 60 billion Lao kip (U.S. $3.8 million).

“This is the worst flood in 37 years in our province,” he said.

An official with the Public Works and Transportation Department in Xay district, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told RFA Lao that National Route 13 North, which cuts across northern Oudomxay from the border with Luang Namtha province in the west to the border with Luang Prabang province in the east, had been severed in several places. Highway 2E, which runs from the capital of Oudomxay to the border with Phongsaly province to the northeast, is also damaged in multiple stretches as the result of landslides and flooding, he said.

“Many sections of the highways have become impassable,” he said, adding that recovery crews are “repairing them as we speak.”

Humanitarian efforts hampered

The devastation has severely hampered humanitarian efforts, according to health workers in the province, who told RFA that people displaced by the storm lack access to clean water and are vulnerable to disease.

“More than 1,000 people flocked to our hospital from Aug. 31 to Sept. 8,” said a health worker in Oudomxay’s Namor district.

“These sick people are from the 13 worst-affected villages … in Namor district. Most of them are children who are suffering from high fevers and diarrhea. Our health workers have also traveled to the affected villages and advised residents to only drink boiled water, eat thoroughly cooked food, sleep under mosquito nets, and wear masks.”

The health worker told RFA that many victims of the storm are also suffering from the flu, which has spread quickly within displaced communities.

“Our hospital spent 200 million kip (U.S. $12,700) to buy medicine, but much of it was damaged by flooding,” he said.

“Now, the hospital has run out of money and medicine, so we’ve had to request more funding from the provincial government.”

A resident of Namor’s Tangdoo village told RFA that there is no longer running water in the area and said at least 20 residents are sick from flu and diarrhea.

“Those whose toilets weren’t washed away by flooding must use water from wells or creeks to flush them,” said the resident, who declined to be named.

“When our village was flooded, there was a landslide too. The irrigation system is broken. Now we must fetch water for cooking and sewage.”

Motorists traverse a road inundated by flooding in Oudomxay province. Credit: Radio and Television of Oudomxay province
Motorists traverse a road inundated by flooding in Oudomxay province. Credit: Radio and Television of Oudomxay province
Displaced at risk

A health worker in Oudomxay’s La district told RFA that the flu is rampant.

“For treatment of flu, our district hospital and health centers in affected villages have run out of medicine,” the worker said.

“The sick who come to the hospital have to buy their own medicine at the private pharmacy. We haven’t received any additional funding for extra medicine despite the increasing demand.”

An official with the Oudomxay Provincial Health Department said authorities are scrambling to assist those in need, but acknowledged that recovery efforts are slow-going.

“Several areas were buried by landslides during the flooding and all of the water networks – including the irrigation systems – in Namor and La districts are damaged and in need of substantial repairs,” the official said.

Ma-On’s impact on northern Laos came days after authorities released water from nine upstream dams in the provinces of Phongsaly, Luang Prabang, Xayaburi, and Vientiane. Residents told RFA at the time that the release flooded their homes, places of work, and farms, forcing many to escape to higher ground.

Translated by Max Avary. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.

Residents of Oudomxay province avoid a large sinkhole caused by heavy rains. Credit: Radio and Television of Oudomxay province
Residents of Oudomxay province avoid a large sinkhole caused by heavy rains. Credit: Radio and Television of Oudomxay province


This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By RFA Lao.

]]> https://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/storm-09102022171537.html/feed/ 0 331824 How Drought and Growth Threaten the Waters of the Northern Rockies https://www.radiofree.org/2022/08/29/how-drought-and-growth-threaten-the-waters-of-the-northern-rockies/ https://www.radiofree.org/2022/08/29/how-drought-and-growth-threaten-the-waters-of-the-northern-rockies/#respond Mon, 29 Aug 2022 05:47:28 +0000 https://www.counterpunch.org/?p=253560 The news is full of stories about bodies, sunken vessels and trash being revealed by sinking water levels in Lake Mead. The crisis in the Colorado River Basin is a cautionary tale for the headwater states of the Northern Rockies, which send water to three oceans. The Northern Rockies could be pressured to send more More

The post How Drought and Growth Threaten the Waters of the Northern Rockies appeared first on CounterPunch.org.


This content originally appeared on CounterPunch.org and was authored by Mike Bader.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2022/08/29/how-drought-and-growth-threaten-the-waters-of-the-northern-rockies/feed/ 0 327286 PODCAST: Developing northern Uganda – Market forces https://www.radiofree.org/2022/08/12/podcast-developing-northern-uganda-market-forces/ https://www.radiofree.org/2022/08/12/podcast-developing-northern-uganda-market-forces/#respond Fri, 12 Aug 2022 16:15:48 +0000 https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/audio/2022/08/1124542 Okubani Market is located in northern Uganda’s Yumbe District, within the Bidibidi refugee settlement which, during the South Sudan civil war, was the largest settlement of its kind in the world.

The market is a vital economic hub for refugees from South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as the host community, which suffered years of insecurity at the hands of the Lord’s Resistance Army.

For the last of our mini-series recorded in northern Uganda, Conor Lennon from UN News visited Okubani, to see how the support of the local government and the UN is helping those living in the region to improve their livelihoods.

Music: Within the Earth, Ketsa


This content originally appeared on UN News and was authored by UN News/ Conor Lennon.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2022/08/12/podcast-developing-northern-uganda-market-forces/feed/ 0 323239 Podcast: Developing northern Uganda – a brighter life https://www.radiofree.org/2022/08/05/podcast-developing-northern-uganda-a-brighter-life/ https://www.radiofree.org/2022/08/05/podcast-developing-northern-uganda-a-brighter-life/#respond Fri, 05 Aug 2022 04:17:33 +0000 https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/audio/2022/08/1123962 Hundreds of millions of people do not have access to electricity, seriously hampering their ability to improve their development prospects.

In Arua, northern Uganda, where employment rates are low and poverty is high, the UN is supporting a company that is providing pay-as-you-go solar energy services, putting the benefits of electricity in reach of villagers who would otherwise never be able to afford it.

In this, the third episode in our mini-series recorded in Uganda, Conor Lennon from UN News heads to Arua to see the impact that solar power is having on people’s lives.

Music: Within the Earth, Ketsa


This content originally appeared on UN News and was authored by UN News/ Conor Lennon.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2022/08/05/podcast-developing-northern-uganda-a-brighter-life/feed/ 0 320887 Rudaw reporter Barzan Ferman detained in northern Syria https://www.radiofree.org/2022/08/03/rudaw-reporter-barzan-ferman-detained-in-northern-syria/ https://www.radiofree.org/2022/08/03/rudaw-reporter-barzan-ferman-detained-in-northern-syria/#respond Wed, 03 Aug 2022 18:34:06 +0000 https://cpj.org/?p=215901 Washington, D.C., August 3, 2022 – Authorities in northern Syria should immediately release journalist Barzan Ferman and reverse their suspension of the Rudaw Media Network’s license, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday.

At about noon on Tuesday, August 2, forces affiliated with the Democratic Union Party, the political party in power in the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, detained Ferman, a reporter for Rudaw TV, in the city of Qamishli according to a report by his employer and the journalist’s sister, Hamalin Ferman, who spoke to CPJ in a phone interview.

Hamalin Ferman told CPJ that authorities had not disclosed where the journalist was being held or the reason for his arrest.

“Authorities in northern Syria must immediately release journalist Barzan Ferman, or disclose his location and the reason for his arrest,” said CPJ Senior Researcher Yeganeh Rezaian. “The Democratic Union Party must halt its censorship efforts against the Rudaw network and allow the broadcaster to work freely and safely.”

Hamalin Ferman told CPJ that her brother was at Rudaw’s office in Qamishli when three masked security officers, one of whom carried a gun, detained him and took him away in a white van. She said the journalist’s family asked local officials and security forces about his status but had not received any responses.

When CPJ contacted Abdullah Sa’dun, a spokesperson of Asayish intelligence agency, the region’s main law enforcement body, via messaging app, he said that he had already spoken with the journalist’s family and would not comment further.

On February 5, the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria announced that it was suspending the Rudaw Media Network’s license and the licenses of its employees, claiming the network spread “hate and misinformation.” Ferman had continued working since that suspension, and was detained while helping two colleagues clean and arrange the shuttered office, his sister said.

Hamalin Ferman told CPJ that the journalist’s family was not aware of any threats against the journalist, but added, “maybe he kept it secret.”

Rudaw is affiliated with the Iraqi Kurdistan regional government and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) in northern Iraq, and its main office is based in the Iraqi Kurdish capital city of Erbil; it is funded by Nechrivan Barzani, the deputy president of the KDP and the president of the Kurdistan region of Iraq, according to CPJ research.


This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Erik Crouch.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2022/08/03/rudaw-reporter-barzan-ferman-detained-in-northern-syria/feed/ 0 320467 Defending the Big Wild: Mike Garrity’s Campaign to Protect the Northern Rockies Ecosystem https://www.radiofree.org/2022/08/03/defending-the-big-wild-mike-garritys-campaign-to-protect-the-northern-rockies-ecosystem/ https://www.radiofree.org/2022/08/03/defending-the-big-wild-mike-garritys-campaign-to-protect-the-northern-rockies-ecosystem/#respond Wed, 03 Aug 2022 05:49:41 +0000 https://www.counterpunch.org/?p=251102

Boulder River Valley and Absaroka Range, Montana. Photo: Jeffrey St. Clair.

What do you call a fifth generation Montanan who was born, raised, and educated in the Big Sky state, and has dedicated his life to ensuring future generations will have the opportunity to experience the intact ecosystems and vast fish and wildlife diversity of the Big Sky State he so loves? Well, if he’s the Executive Director of the Alliance for the Wild Rockies, you call him Mike Garrity – and his organization fearlessly challenges the Forest Service and BLM to make them follow the law with the ferocity of his Irish ancestors, winning more than 80 percent of their court challenges.

Garrity grew up in Helena, Montana as one of six kids and, as he puts it: “Because I was part of a big family, a cheap form of entertainment for my parents was to take us hiking and backpacking since that was basically free. We ran around in the woods all day up on McDonald Pass where my grandfather had built a cabin and it was heaven for little kids. Spending so much time out in nature was probably the primary influence on my decision to be a dedicated wildlands advocate.”

Indeed, his father was a plaintiff’s attorney who “represented people against corporations and tried to make the world a better place,” says Garrity, who has followed in those footsteps, not by becoming an attorney, but by having no qualms whatsoever about using the judiciary to hold the federal government land management agencies to the letter and intent of the laws intended to protect the rich natural legacy of the Northern Rockies ecosystems.

Way back in 1979 Mike started college at the University of Montana in Missoula, majoring in history and economics. Missoula had several operating lumber mills back then and the logging industry provided a perfect study of the alleged trade-off of jobs and the environment – and the economics that actually drove the process. He saw how workers were basically useful pawns in the industry, but were simply discarded when the mills shut down because the corporate owners had logged themselves out of a future with massive, unsustainable clearcuts.

After graduation Mike first put his economics degree to use working at a Savings and Loan in Missoula and then headed for Boston, Massachusetts, where his sister was living, to work as an accountant for a firm that managed skyscrapers. He had never lived in a city larger than Missoula, and like many Montana kids, wanted to experience what the big city had to offer.

But after three years Mike had enough of big city life and returned to Montana to pursue graduate studies in economics at UM. “My time in Boston and excursions to the New England forests gave me a new appreciation for the vastness of Montana’s wild country. Basically, all the species that were here when Lewis and Clark’s expedition went through more than 200 years ago are still here – in Montana, but certainly not on the East Coast.”

His studies in economics and love of nature led him to Dr. Thomas Power, a well-known and highly respected natural resource economist, who was Chair of the UM Economics Department. “I took some economics classes from Dr. Power and his way of approaching environmental economic issues was a huge influence on my thinking.”

He also decided to take some personal action on protecting the environment. “I’d already decided to send some money to Greenpeace because it was evident the fight for conservation was a fight for our future.” In the process, he learned a lesson about what has come to be called the “Big Green” national groups. “I was inundated with more and more requests for money from their endless mailings. I actually think they spent far too much of their time and effort just raising money instead of doing things to actually improve the environment…which was supposed to be their mission.”

Then, right after starting grad school his Dad sent him an article about the Alliance for Wild Rockies which was headquartered in Missoula. “After reading about the group, I called Mike Bader, the Executive Director, and asked if they needed any volunteers. Bader told me to come over to their office and I eventually became a member of their board.”

Mike Garrity. Photo: George Wuerthner.

Thinking he would pursue a career in academia, he went to the University of Utah to seek a Ph.D. in economics, became an Adjunct Instructor at the University, and taught classes on environmental economics.

While there, Garrity heard that his mentor Dr. Tom Power was going to testify in favor of the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act (NREPA) – a new proposal drafted by Montanans that would designate all the remaining roadless lands in the Northern Rockies as Wilderness.

But surprisingly, the president of UM told Power he could not testify because he believed it would be viewed unfavorably by the Montana legislature and put future university appropriations at risk. “The incident had a profound effect on me” says Garrity. “And I decided right there and then that I didn’t want to be a professor if it meant my ability to speak out on important and controversial issues would be compromised.”

Being well-versed in environmental economics, Garrity decided to learn more about the political end of environmental policy and took a job with incumbent Congressman Merril Cook, who was running in a primarily Democrat district in Salt Lake City. “He was a Republican, but he was good on the environment, was against removing grizzly bears from Endangered Species Act protections, and opposed Montana’s notorious slaughter of bison that inadvertently crossed Yellowstone Park’s invisible border in search of food” says Garrity.

What he also learned was the power of federal lawmakers. “The first timber sale I helped stop was on the

in southern Utah,” Garrity recalls. “Mike Dombeck was Chief of the Forest Service then and if my boss asked for timber sales to be pulled, Dombeck got them eliminated. I was shocked at Congressional power. But I remember going to the area after the sale was terminated and walking through the stand where all the trees were to be clearcut. Knowing they would not be chopped down thanks to our efforts made me feel like I had really made a difference. It made me feel happy.”

Meanwhile, back in Missoula the Alliance’s Mike Bader and environmental attorney Tim Bechtold produced a policy proposal they called The Grizzly Bear Alternative, arguing that grizzlies should be permitted to naturally reintroduce themselves throughout the Rockies. Garrity wound up doing the economic analysis “and that,” he says, “was an eye opener.”

Among other things, the Conservation Bear Alternative proposal called for ripping out all the roads in grizzly bear habitat and to prohibit logging in roadless areas. “So I went to the Teamsters and the Operating Engineers unions, to sell them on the idea that ripping out roads would provide good paying jobs, Garrity recalls. “They said they liked to hike as much as me, but hated environmentalists. When I told them the proposal required union wages, however, that got their attention and they eventually endorsed the proposal, even though they remained opposed to environmentalists.” The lesson showed Garrity that even people who didn’t think of themselves as environmentally friendly, could be persuaded to support ecologically beneficial policies.

When he returned to Montana, Garrity took over as the Executive Director at the Alliance. “I told the board my intent for the organization was to go to court to stop illegal timber sales and other bad proposals,” Garrity recalled. “George Bush was president and Republicans controlled the House. That meant the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act was not going to pass, and if saving intact, functioning ecosystems was the goal, the Alliance needed to focus more on reaching the public through the press and stopping illegal agency projects in court.”

As a result of that decision and new direction, the Alliance now sues the Forest Service more than any other group in the country. “We not only sue the most, but we win the most,” he says, pointing to their outstanding record of winning about 80% of their court challenges.

But being outspoken and litigious has a cost – especially as many foundations turned to funding “collaboration” rather than litigation. “In response to the declining funds, I told the board I wanted the Alliance to be a group that spent its money on directly protecting the land, the water, the ecosystems and the fish and wildlife — not just continually concentrating on raising ever more money as so many so-called ‘conservation groups’ were doing” Garrity explained.

Garrity with other groups won a lawauit to protect wolves, but in the end, the other groups wanted to relinquish the win because they thought it might help re elect Senator Jon Tester. Garrity was the only one to oppose a settlement. Photo George Wuerthner 

A lawsuit to cripple wolf recovery efforts by removing the species from Endangered Species Act protections was illustrative of why Garrity chose his path and principles.  “We won the lawsuit,” Garrity recalls. “However, we heard from a bunch of ‘conservation’ groups that if we wanted Montana’s Senator John Tester to be reelected, we had to give up the legal victory we had worked so hard to win.

“We were on a conference call and I was shocked when the co-plaintiff groups said we had to settle the lawsuit to help Tester’s campaign,” Garrity quipped. “But we are non-profit groups under federal law and participating in activities to promote political campaigns was and remains illegal. So I refused to sign off and Federal Judge Malloy threw out the settlement because all the plaintiffs had to agree to forgo the legal win — and I would not give up such an important victory to protect the wolves on the theoretical benefit to a political campaign.”

Tester then went on to slap a rider on a defense appropriation bill delisting the wolves. “That really showed some gratitude toward the groups that were ready to give up their legal victory to help his campaign,” Garrity recalled. “And it’s a lesson I will never forget.”  As it turned out, Tester narrowly won re-election without us giving up the wolf victory.

Ironically, groups that had originally been part of the winning lawsuit, including Defenders of Wildlife and the Sierra Club “eventually sent me letters asking me to contribute so they could ‘save’ the wolves they tried to throw under the bus for a political campaign,” says Garrity.

Today, the Alliance for the Wild Rockies remains one of the most aggressive and successful groups defending wildlands and intact ecosystems in the Northern Rockies. Their successful lawsuits have protected tens of thousands of acres of public lands from roading, livestock grazing, and logging as well as protecting habitat for endangered species like wolverine, bull trout and grizzlies. They continue to promote the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act which would designate more than 23 million acres of new wilderness, as well as much needed restoration of impacted areas.

Garrity still feels good about doing something that makes the world a better place. Wildlands and wildlife – as well as all of us who value them – are lucky to have a fearless advocate that not only gives them a voice in public land decisions, but ensures federal agencies follow the law to protect the last intact, functioning ecosystems of the Northern Rockies.


This content originally appeared on CounterPunch.org and was authored by George Wuerthner.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2022/08/03/defending-the-big-wild-mike-garritys-campaign-to-protect-the-northern-rockies-ecosystem/feed/ 0 320247 Thousands Flee Homes as McKinney Fire Burns 51,000 Acres in Northern California https://www.radiofree.org/2022/07/31/thousands-flee-homes-as-mckinney-fire-burns-51000-acres-in-northern-california/ https://www.radiofree.org/2022/07/31/thousands-flee-homes-as-mckinney-fire-burns-51000-acres-in-northern-california/#respond Sun, 31 Jul 2022 19:04:26 +0000 https://www.commondreams.org/node/338702

In Northern California, the McKinney Fire became the state's largest wildfire so far this year on Sunday, having burned through more than 51,000 acres in just two days and forcing thousands of people to flee their homes.

About 3,000 people were under evacuation orders in Siskiyou County on Sunday, a day after Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency to allow easier access to federal aid and so out-of-state emergency workers could "assist California crews in battling the fires."

The fire began Friday in Klamath National Forest, fueled by unusually high temperatures and drought conditions which have left vegetation drier than normal. On Sunday the National Weather Service warned temperatures could rise to between 100° and 115°F before the bout of extreme heat was expected to end late Sunday night.

Meteorologists are also concerned about thunderstorms developing through Tuesday, potentially sparking more fires in the areas if they come with strong winds and lightning strikes.

The McKinney grew rapidly on Saturday morning, growing significantly in size between 9:30 and 10:30 am and forming what NASA calls "a fire-breathing dragon of clouds," officially called a pyrocumulonimbus—"an explosive storm cloud actually created by the smoke and heat from fire" which can generate its own weather and which grew to be more than 39,000 tall Sunday.

"The fire created thunderstorms, which could have caused new fires nearby," Brad Schaaf, a meteorologist in Medford, Oregon, told the New York Times Sunday.

In Yreka, the county seat of Siskiyou County, more than a dozen homes and other buildings had been destroyed by Sunday, and the number was expected to rise according to a spokesperson for the county sheriff's office.

"It's a very dangerous fire—the geography there is steep and rugged, and this particular area hasn't burned in a while," Tom Stokesberry, a spokesperson with the U.S. Forest Service, told the Associated Press.

Oregon state Rep. Dacia Grayber was camping near the Oregon-California border when the strong winds caused by the pyrocumulonimbus woke her and forced her to flee her campsite.

"The terrifying part for us was the wind velocity," she told the AP. "It went from a fairly cool breezy night to hot, dry hurricane-force winds."

Scientists agree that the continued extraction of fossil fuels and carbon emissions are contributing to more long-lasting and intense drought and extreme heat, making wildfires like the McKinney Fire more likely and harder to control as they spread through dry vegetation quickly.

As the fire began on Friday, the U.S. House passed the Wildfire Response and Drought Resiliency Act, a collection of nearly 50 bills to strengthen resiliency and mitigation projects for communities impacted by the climate crisis, protect watersheds like rapidly-drying Lake Mead in Nevada and Arizona, and make it easier for wildfire victims to get federal assistance.

Lawmakers are also reviewing the $739 billion package announced last week by Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), which includes some major investments in renewable energy—but also offers drilling giveaways to the oil and gas sector and provisions that could stymie solar and wind power development.

"Our state is depending on Congress taking bold, urgent action on climate," said Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) on Friday.


This content originally appeared on Common Dreams - Breaking News & Views for the Progressive Community and was authored by Julia Conley.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2022/07/31/thousands-flee-homes-as-mckinney-fire-burns-51000-acres-in-northern-california/feed/ 0 319674 Grassroots Development in Northern Uganda: Connected farmers https://www.radiofree.org/2022/07/30/grassroots-development-in-northern-uganda-connected-farmers/ https://www.radiofree.org/2022/07/30/grassroots-development-in-northern-uganda-connected-farmers/#respond Sat, 30 Jul 2022 05:15:56 +0000 https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/audio/2022/07/1123562 In Lumonga village, situated in a remote part of the West Nile region of northern Uganda, smallholder farmers have traditionally been cut off from the banking system, and been forced to rely on small savings and loans from their community to survive hard times.

For the second episode in our Lid Is On mini-series recorded in northern Uganda, Conor Lennon from UN News went to Lumonga village, to see how digital technology is helping the farmers to get connected, and have a better chance of getting the finance they need to buy basic equipment, grow more crops, and sell more produce.

Music: Within the Earth, Ketsa


This content originally appeared on UN News and was authored by UN News/ Conor Lennon.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2022/07/30/grassroots-development-in-northern-uganda-connected-farmers/feed/ 0 319488 Liz Truss’s U-turn on Brexit is bad news for Northern Ireland https://www.radiofree.org/2022/07/25/liz-trusss-u-turn-on-brexit-is-bad-news-for-northern-ireland/ https://www.radiofree.org/2022/07/25/liz-trusss-u-turn-on-brexit-is-bad-news-for-northern-ireland/#respond Mon, 25 Jul 2022 16:07:20 +0000 https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/liz-truss-rishi-sunak-conservative-leadership-election-northern-ireland-protocol-brexit-eu/ An ex-Remainer with a point to prove, Truss will continue Johnson’s hardball tactics with the EU – at NI’s expense


This content originally appeared on openDemocracy RSS and was authored by Emma DeSouza.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2022/07/25/liz-trusss-u-turn-on-brexit-is-bad-news-for-northern-ireland/feed/ 0 318028 Border closures, conflict threaten ‘shipadi’ fungus trade in remote northern Myanmar https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/shipadi-07232022005627.html https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/shipadi-07232022005627.html#respond Sun, 24 Jul 2022 13:46:54 +0000 https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/shipadi-07232022005627.html Pandemic-related border closures and travel restrictions under military rule are taking their toll on the trade of “shipadis,” a rare fungus prized in China for its alleged healing properties, according to the ethnic Rawan who hunt it in northern Myanmar’s Kachin state.

The shipadi is a species of parasitic Cordyceps fungi whose spores infect caterpillars, causing them to crawl upwards before killing them. After the caterpillar dies, the fruit of the fungus grows out of its head in a bid to further spread its spores.

While shipadi grow mainly in China’s Tibet Autonomous Region, where they are known as “yartsa gunbu,” the Myanmar variant is found only on the ground, trees, and glaciers of northern Kachin state’s remote Puta-O region, near Myanmar’s borders with India and China.

The ethnic Rawan who inhabit the region hunt for the fungus they call “Poe Say Nwe Pin” in May and June each year, when the weather warms and the ice has thawed. The highly-coveted golden-colored shipadi is mostly found on the glaciers of Phonrin Razi, Phangram Razi, and Madwe, and can appear as infrequently as once every four years.

Aung Than, a local trader, told RFA Burmese that prior to the pandemic, merchants exported the majority of their shipadi to China, where they could expect healthy profits due to their use in traditional Chinese medicine as a treatment for kidney disease. However, China closed its borders soon after the coronavirus began to spread globally in early 2020, forcing shipadi traders to find a new market for their product.

“In the past, when border crossing was easy, they bought shipadi from us,” he said.

“But we cannot go there anymore and they can't come to us either. It’s been more than two years now since I lost the market in China.”

Aung Than said that since the pandemic, domestic demand had grown for shipadi, but traders could no longer expect to earn the profits they once had.

A shipadi pokes out of the ground in Puta-O township. Credit: RFA
A shipadi pokes out of the ground in Puta-O township. Credit: RFA
Danger from conflict

Other Rawan shipadi traders in Kachin state told RFA that the market had been further impacted by fighting between junta troops and ethnic Kachin rebels since the military seized control of Myanmar in a coup on Feb. 1, 2021.

Daw Hla, the owner of an herbal store in Puta-O, said she regularly sold to customers from Myanmar’s big cities, including Yangon and Mandalay, prior to the coup. But an increase in clashes between the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and the military since the takeover had made it more dangerous to hunt shipadi and ship it out of the region, she said.

“I used to send them to Yangon, Naypyidaw and other cities, as well as all over Kachin state. I’d send them as soon as I got the orders,” she said.

“The transportation was OK and sales were good in the past. But this year, I don’t have much [shipadi] to sell. There’s little product to be had this year – it’s getting very rare.”

Sources told RFA that the KIA had recently seized a military camp in Puta-O’s Tsum Pi Yang village, and that fighting along the main road from Puta-O to the Kachin state capital Myitkyina had become particularly fierce since the anniversary of the coup, making it extremely dangerous to travel in the area.

A collection of shibadi gathered in Puta-O township. Credit: RFA
A collection of shibadi gathered in Puta-O township. Credit: RFA
A risky journey

Residents of Puta-O township form groups of five or six each year to climb the mountains and search for shipadi, and can spend months away from home during the hunt.

One resident named Lan Wan Ransan told RFA that hunting shipadi has always been risky, particularly during the rainy season when flash floods are common. Other times, he said, the snow and ice may not have thawed enough, making the trek into the mountains deadly and the search for shipadi nearly impossible.

“There are many difficulties along the way,” he said.

Normally, a single shipadi could fetch 2,000-3,000 kyats (U.S. $1-1.50), Lan Wan Ransan said, but the price has doubled this year, due to the added danger of the conflict. Most hunters will only find around 50 shipadis this year, he added, calling it a significant decrease from years past.

In addition to shipadi, the Rawan also gather herbs in the mountains of Puta-O that are rarely found elsewhere, including the roots of the Khamtauk, Machit, Taushau, and Kyauk Letwar plants, as well as ice ginseng. However, none are as highly-prized as the caterpillar fungus from the glaciers of northern Kachin state, they say.

Translated by Khin Maung Nyane. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.


This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By RFA Burmese.

]]> https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/shipadi-07232022005627.html/feed/ 0 317833 PODCAST: Developing northern Uganda – pride in honey https://www.radiofree.org/2022/07/23/podcast-developing-northern-uganda-pride-in-honey/ https://www.radiofree.org/2022/07/23/podcast-developing-northern-uganda-pride-in-honey/#respond Sat, 23 Jul 2022 09:19:17 +0000 https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/audio/2022/07/1123072 Northern Uganda has higher poverty and less employment that the south of the country, which is why the UN is backing projects aimed at boosting the regional economy.

In “Developing northern Uganda”, a special four-part mini-series, we go to Yumbe and Arua districts, to see how the UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) is helping to create sustainable employment prospects for local people.

In this episode, Conor Lennon from UN News visits Honey Pride, a social enterprise supported by UNCDF, and meets one of the hundreds of beekeepers whose lives have been improved since the business began.

Music: Within the Earth, Ketsa


This content originally appeared on UN News and was authored by UN News/ Conor Lennon.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2022/07/23/podcast-developing-northern-uganda-pride-in-honey/feed/ 0 317651 After Roe v Wade, is Northern Ireland the next anti-abortion frontier? https://www.radiofree.org/2022/07/01/after-roe-v-wade-is-northern-ireland-the-next-anti-abortion-frontier/ https://www.radiofree.org/2022/07/01/after-roe-v-wade-is-northern-ireland-the-next-anti-abortion-frontier/#respond Fri, 01 Jul 2022 13:27:53 +0000 https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/5050/roe-v-wade-abortion-northern-ireland/ Don’t forget about us, say women who still face huge barriers to access abortion


This content originally appeared on openDemocracy RSS and was authored by Nandini Archer, Darcey Edkins.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2022/07/01/after-roe-v-wade-is-northern-ireland-the-next-anti-abortion-frontier/feed/ 0 311849 The Era of Northern Hegemony Over Mexico Is Coming to an End https://www.radiofree.org/2022/06/27/the-era-of-northern-hegemony-over-mexico-is-coming-to-an-end/ https://www.radiofree.org/2022/06/27/the-era-of-northern-hegemony-over-mexico-is-coming-to-an-end/#respond Mon, 27 Jun 2022 08:52:22 +0000 https://www.counterpunch.org/?p=247523

Photograph Source: The White House – Public Domain

In 2010, Cuba’s former President Fidel Castro said: “López Obrador will be the person with the most moral and political authority in Mexico when the system collapses and, with it, the empire.” He was referring to Andrés Manuel López Obrador (known as AMLO), who is the current president of Mexico and head of the Morena (National Regeneration Movement) political party.

Despite the wide lead he had in all the polls before the elections, López Obrador’s victory in 2018 took almost everyone by surprise. Even the Morena militants remained doubtful for some days, since the dynamics of electoral fraud in Mexican politics had made defeat seem inevitable.

Few of us knew what to expect from Mexico’s new government since AMLO is the first leftist president in our country’s modern political history. The first two years of his term were marked by the absence of any concrete foreign policy, at least publicly. The theory that the best foreign policy is domestic policy led President López Obrador to concentrate his efforts on trying to solve the larger problems being faced by the Mexican people, as well as dealing with former U.S. President Donald Trump’s aggressive anti-immigration policy that was mainly directed toward the Mexican migrant population entering and already in the United States.

Fourth Transformation

The only noteworthy Mexican public diplomacy initiative undertaken by López Obrador during the first three years of his six-year term was to advocate for the Comprehensive Development Plan for Central America. This plan was developed by El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). President López Obrador’s government began working on the plan from the day he took office. The initiative addressed both issues, the attacks faced by migrants from Central America in the United States and the real needs of the people who are compelled to migrate to other countries from the region. The structural causes of migration—poverty, inequality and insecurity—framed the discussion by the stakeholders who worked on finalizing the initiative. The plan challenged the U.S. border security doctrine, which treats socioeconomic problems as military problems.

The triumph of Morena in one of Latin America’s largest countries opened a cycle of hope among progressive forces in the region; Latin American leaders and intellectuals have spoken of Mexico as the epicenter of the new progressive wave in the hemisphere. But Morena’s triumph was met by three complexities. First, the difficulties being faced by López Obrador as he has tried to lay the foundations for national development and address the glaring inequalities in the country (10 percent of Mexicans hold 79 percent of its wealth); this included a national project to end inequality and discrimination, which would be funded by the revitalization of the oil industry, the nationalization of lithium, and the implementation of various infrastructural works.

Second, because the pandemic accelerated the process of the neoliberal crisis at a global level, including in Mexico, López Obrador has spoken about the need to “end” neoliberalism by 2022 in the country. Third, there has been a renewed aggression by the United States through its blockades and sanctions campaigns against several Latin American countries, including Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela. López Obrador’s fourth transformation (4T), which is the name of his political project—referring “to a moment of change in the political system”—has led to disputes with the U.S. government and U.S.-controlled institutions (including the Organization of American States). This is what gradually drew Mexico’s government into a more prominent role in the Americas.

López Obrador’s Public Diplomacy

The increase in López Obrador’s activity relating to international diplomacy has been gradual and well-calculated. López Obrador gradually introduced some of these foreign policy matters into the arena of national political debate before he tested the waters in the region with them. Each morning he holds a press conference, where many of these ideas are first introduced. López Obrador’s commitment to building a revolution of conscience has transformed Mexican diplomacy into a public phenomenon.

Before López Obrador, foreign policy matters were discussed behind closed doors. Now, López Obrador uses his press conference to provide the public with the historical and political reasons for Mexico’s position on, for instance, the U.S. blockade of Cuba and its economic war against Venezuela, the violent anti-immigrant policy of the United States and the war between Russia and Ukraine. Because López Obrador has tried to explain the reasons for the diplomatic decisions taken by Mexico regarding various global matters, it has helped build a consensus among large sections of the population for these decisions, including the most recent decision taken by him to not attend the Summit of the Americas.

Summit of the Americas

United States President Joe Biden announced in January that the United States and the Organization of American States (OAS) would host the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles from June 6 to June 10. López Obrador toured Central America and the Caribbean, which ended in Cuba, before the summit. During the tour, López Obrador developed Mexico’s position on the summit. This viewpoint was also apparent earlier when Mexico hosted the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) summit in September 2021, where Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela were able to participate—unlike during the Summit of the Americas where these countries were banned from attending the event. At that 2021 summit, López Obrador proposed to shut down the OAS and replace it with “a block like the European Union,” such as CELAC.

Before the Summit of the Americas began, López Obrador announced that Mexico would not attend it because of two principles of Mexican foreign policy: First, the United States’ decision to not invite Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela violated the principle of non-intervention in the internal affairs of other countries. Second, the principle of legal equality of all countries should allow all people to be represented at the international level through their governments. López Obrador’s decision to withdraw from the summit surprised both Washington and Latin American capitals; his decision was followed by both Bolivia and Honduras and was backed up by countries such as Argentina.

Biden, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar, meanwhile, tried to negotiate to ensure the presence of the Mexican president at the summit, but without any success. The hegemony of the OAS had begun to decline after the CELAC summit in 2021 but seems to have reached its end with these latest developments during the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles.

But the more important outcome of the summit was the reaction of the different Latin American leaders who joined Mexico’s show of dignity and displayed the strength of popular power and assumed positions of support for a new form of regional organization, which does not require the support of the United States. The general mood in Latin America is that the U.S. should not waste its time interfering south of its border but should, instead, spend its energy trying to resolve its cascading internal crises.

This article was produced by Globetrotter.


This content originally appeared on CounterPunch.org and was authored by Rodrigo Guillot.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2022/06/27/the-era-of-northern-hegemony-over-mexico-is-coming-to-an-end/feed/ 0 310228 BoJo’s Demolition of the Northern Ireland Protocol is Hypocrisy Run Wild https://www.radiofree.org/2022/06/20/bojos-demolition-of-the-northern-ireland-protocol-is-hypocrisy-run-wild/ https://www.radiofree.org/2022/06/20/bojos-demolition-of-the-northern-ireland-protocol-is-hypocrisy-run-wild/#respond Mon, 20 Jun 2022 08:58:46 +0000 https://www.counterpunch.org/?p=246796

Photograph Source: Matt Brown – CC BY 2.0

By playing the “orange card” in Northern Ireland and backing a single community, Boris Johnson is returning the province to permanent instability.

The success of the peace process depends on British government neutrality between the Catholic/nationalist and Protestant/unionist communities, each of which number about one million people. The Good Friday Agreement of 1998 (GFA) successfully institutionalised a complex balance of forces in which little could be done without nationalist and unionist cooperation.

Power was shared not only within Northern Ireland but between outside players like the Irish Republic and the European Union, both of whom had a central role in the new order.

These arrangements will be destroyed by the bill to override the Northern Ireland Protocol which is being brazenly and misleadingly presented by the British Government as saving the GFA. Johnson absurdly calls the changes “trivial” and “not a big deal”, though they put his government on a collision course with the EU, the Irish Government, the Biden administration and the nationalist community in the north.

Ignored in this is the fact that Sinn Féin became the largest single party in the Northern Ireland Assembly in the election on 5 May and 52 out of 90 Assembly members have signed an angry letter to Boris Johnson supporting the Protocol. The signatories say that they “reject in the strongest possible terms your government’s reckless new Protocol legislation, which flies in the face of the expressed wishes of not just most businesses, but most people in Northern Ireland”.

Watching Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis justify the demolition of the Protocol as essential to preserve democracy in Northern Ireland is to see hypocrisy run wild. The aim is supposedly to lure the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) back into a power sharing Assembly, but in practice the new bill will make certain that on crucial matters there will be little power to share.

The bill makes certain that the status of the 300-mile-long Irish land border – one of the most contested frontiers in the world – is once more uncertain. The Partition of Ireland, to the delight of Irish Republicans, is once more an international issue thanks to Johnson.

But, of course, nothing that Johnson has done to Northern Ireland since the Brexit referendum in 2016, when it voted 56 per cent to 44 per cent to stay in the EU, has much to do with the future of the province. Devoting so much political energy to gutting the Protocol only makes political sense from Johnson’s point of view as a way of getting the European Research Group to support his leadership.

Even if this ploy does not work, it puts friction with the EU back on top of the media agenda and diverts attention from other troubles such as the revolt by Conservative MPs, Partygate and the general political shambles.

As a toxic bit of diversionary tactics, the bill shares the stage with flying refugees to Rwanda as a high visibility “wedge issue” geared to distracting the public and turning past scandals and failures into ancient history.

There is nothing wrong or surprising about the resurgence of English nationalism since national revival is a worldwide phenomenon. Nationalism always contains a strong element of fantasy and wish-fulfilment, but the English variant of this type of communal identity appears to be more impractical than most. Coping with immigrants crossing the Channel from France in flimsy boats obviously requires cooperation with France but instead we have a headline-grabbing scheme to fly refugees to Rwanda.

Likewise, the success of the GFA depended on recognition that there were two communities in Northern Ireland, each with an entirely different set of loyalties and these would have to inhabit a single statelet that looks both to Britain and the Republic of Ireland. The DUP, whatever they now pretend, never liked the GFA and relished the idea of Brexit re-establishing a hard Irish land border. To their horror, their leaders found that they had outsmarted themselves and the new trade border ran down the Irish Sea.

The present idea appears to be that there will be no real border between Britain and the EU and British ministers will be able to pick and choose which parts of the Protocol they plan to implement or disregard. This is clearly not going to work and may be a bargaining position, but it will raise unionist expectations and nationalist fears and produce nothing but turmoil.


This content originally appeared on CounterPunch.org and was authored by Patrick Cockburn.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2022/06/20/bojos-demolition-of-the-northern-ireland-protocol-is-hypocrisy-run-wild/feed/ 0 308376 Boris Johnson’s hypocrisy on the Northern Ireland protocol is a new low https://www.radiofree.org/2022/06/14/boris-johnsons-hypocrisy-on-the-northern-ireland-protocol-is-a-new-low/ https://www.radiofree.org/2022/06/14/boris-johnsons-hypocrisy-on-the-northern-ireland-protocol-is-a-new-low/#respond Tue, 14 Jun 2022 00:02:00 +0000 https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/boris-johnson-brexit-northern-ireland-protocol-good-friday-agreement-hypocrisy-dup/ Recent political posturing isn’t about peace – it’s about the selfish aims of the PM and the DUP


This content originally appeared on openDemocracy RSS and was authored by Emma DeSouza.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2022/06/14/boris-johnsons-hypocrisy-on-the-northern-ireland-protocol-is-a-new-low/feed/ 0 307041 The Northern Ireland Protocol is in Tatters https://www.radiofree.org/2022/05/18/the-northern-ireland-protocol-is-in-tatters/ https://www.radiofree.org/2022/05/18/the-northern-ireland-protocol-is-in-tatters/#respond Wed, 18 May 2022 08:59:35 +0000 https://www.counterpunch.org/?p=243679

Photograph Source: Sinn Féin – Protest at Boris Johnson visit – CC BY 2.0

The recent UK midterm elections delivered a historic verdict in the north of Ireland when Sinn Féin, standing for a reunited Ireland, emerged as the largest party.

Sinn Féin topped the first-preference vote with 29%, and won 27 seats, enabling its deputy leader, Michelle O’Neill, to become the north of Ireland’s first minister-designate.

O’Neill is the first nationalist to hold this position in a momentous blow to Protestant-oriented Unionism.

The Democratic Unionist party (DUP), the largest of the Unionist parties won 25 seats.

The cross-community Alliance Party won 13 seats, becoming the third-largest party in an election for the first time.

The DUP, much chagrined at its loss of hegemony in Northern Ireland politics, retreated in a huff by saying it will not re-enter the Northern Ireland power-sharing executive while issues with the Northern Ireland protocol remain.

The 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which resulted in the prevailing Northern Irish political settlement, called for a “frictionless” border between the 2 parts of Ireland.

Brexit put the “frictionless” border in jeopardy, since a border now existed between the EU-member Republic of Ireland and the UK-belonging (and thus non-EU) Northern Ireland.

The anomalous status of Northern Ireland with regard to EU trade was resolved by the Northern Ireland protocol, which retained the “frictionless” border, but upheld the need for checks on goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the latter basically being a part of the EU’s single market).

In the 2019 general election, Boris “BoJo” Johnson had a single mantra—he had an “oven-ready deal” that would “Get Brexit Done!”. It won him an 80-seat parliamentary majority.

The routinely dishonest BoJo claimed categorically that his Brexit deal would not put a border in the Irish Sea. He insisted that businesses in Northern Ireland would have unencumbered access to markets in England, Scotland and Wales, saying with typical bombast that the Irish Sea trade border would exist “over my dead body”.

However, BoJo, in his haste to show he could “get Brexit done”, signed an agreement with the EU, binding in international law, which required the Irish Sea border to be there.

In so doing BoJo conned the DUP, which is renowned historically for its inflexibility when it came to safeguarding what it perceives to be Unionist interests.

BoJo also duped the EU into thinking he could be trusted when he signed a treaty enshrining Northern Ireland’s special status with regard to the EU— a status he clearly had no intention of adhering to.

The DUP, having lost its majority in the assembly, decided to take a gamble by calling BoJo’s bluff— telling BoJo that unless he scrapped unilaterally the part of the Northern Ireland protocol which requires trade barriers to exist between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, the DUP would not enter into any power-sharing arrangement with Sinn Féin, thereby scuppering the Good Friday Agreement.

The foreign secretary Liz Truss, who has ambitions to succeed BoJo and is branding herself as a “Margaret Thatcher MK 2”, has taken the position that the UK has no choice but to act unilaterally if the EU did not accede to the UK’s demands to abolish the checks on goods crossing from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.

BoJo supported Truss at first, but shifted his position later in typical fashion. Renowned for having no settled principles on anything (except his own self-interest)— BoJo was after all anti-Brexit when he was mayor of London, BoJo flew to Belfast on Monday to meet with the north of Ireland’s political leaders.

BoJo took a less strident tone than his foreign secretary, but ended-up pleasing no one.

Sinn Féin’s president Mary Lou McDonald accused BoJo of intolerable and timewasting tactics where the protocol is concerned.

McDonald said BoJo was placating the DUP and that he gave “no straight answers” during their meeting, saying: “The British government is in a game of brinkmanship with the European institutions, indulging a section of political unionism which believes it can frustrate and hold society to ransom”.

The DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson said after meeting BoJo: “We cannot have power-sharing unless there is a consensus. That consensus doesn’t exist”.

“Consensus” for the DUP involves ditching the part of the protocol which requires a trade border to exist between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, and since Sinn Féin is opposed to this, no return to power-sharing is on the horizon, and BoJo left the meetings empty-handed, with the ball back in his court. The only thing that would be acceptable to the DUP is precisely what Sinn Féin opposes.

BoJo said more details regarding the protocol would be released “in the coming days”, and is widely expected to scrap unilaterally key parts of the protocol, daring the EU to give him what he wants or else.

After his meetings with the Northern Irish leaders, BoJo typically wanted to have his cake and eat it. He dismissed the idea that his proposed legislation, giving his government the right to ignore key parts of the protocol, could start a trade war with the EU, saying: “What we’re doing is sticking up for the Belfast/Good Friday agreement, and what we are doing it trying to protect and preserve the government of Northern Ireland”.

It is hard to see the EU sitting back and allowing the UK to get away with breaking an international treaty it had signed in order to maintain a “frictionless” border between the 2 parts of Ireland, and by so doing, ensuring that a single market exists between the north and the south of Ireland.

The EU fears a “slippery slope”. Its members have trading relations with non-EU countries, of course, and allowing the UK to break agreed-upon rules for the institution of a single market could set a precedent for other countries demanding a similar leeway in their trading relations with EU members.

Meanwhile, a delegation of powerful US Congressional representatives, including the head of the ways and means committee, Richard Neal, is expected to arrive in London in the coming days, reflecting the White House’s concern about escalating tensions over the protocol.


This content originally appeared on CounterPunch.org and was authored by Kenneth Surin.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2022/05/18/the-northern-ireland-protocol-is-in-tatters/feed/ 0 299692 Internment, herring and DUP tantrums remembered on a Northern Irish beach https://www.radiofree.org/2022/05/17/internment-herring-and-dup-tantrums-remembered-on-a-northern-irish-beach/ https://www.radiofree.org/2022/05/17/internment-herring-and-dup-tantrums-remembered-on-a-northern-irish-beach/#respond Tue, 17 May 2022 15:13:46 +0000 https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/northern-ireland-dup-ballykinler-barracks-birds-holiday/ Last week, we visited County Down’s coast, taking my toddler daughter on her first-ever trip, just around the bay from where I had mine 33 years ago


This content originally appeared on openDemocracy RSS and was authored by Adam Ramsay.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2022/05/17/internment-herring-and-dup-tantrums-remembered-on-a-northern-irish-beach/feed/ 0 299470 A panicked DUP flounders as Northern Ireland embraces change https://www.radiofree.org/2022/05/13/a-panicked-dup-flounders-as-northern-ireland-embraces-change/ https://www.radiofree.org/2022/05/13/a-panicked-dup-flounders-as-northern-ireland-embraces-change/#respond Fri, 13 May 2022 15:24:29 +0000 https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/northern-ireland-election-dup-sinn-fein-refuse-defeat/ Northern Ireland has changed – and unionism has been left behind. But if the party can’t dominate, it won’t participate


This content originally appeared on openDemocracy RSS and was authored by Susan McKay.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2022/05/13/a-panicked-dup-flounders-as-northern-ireland-embraces-change/feed/ 0 298661 U.N. to probe rights violations in northern Ukraine, Subpoena issued to House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy, Environmentalists cheer oil lease cancellations – May 12, 2022 https://www.radiofree.org/2022/05/12/u-n-to-probe-rights-violations-in-northern-ukraine-subpoena-issued-to-house-republican-leader-kevin-mccarthy-environmentalists-cheer-oil-lease-cancellations-may-12-2022/ https://www.radiofree.org/2022/05/12/u-n-to-probe-rights-violations-in-northern-ukraine-subpoena-issued-to-house-republican-leader-kevin-mccarthy-environmentalists-cheer-oil-lease-cancellations-may-12-2022/#respond Thu, 12 May 2022 18:00:00 +0000 http://www.radiofree.org/?guid=9d9b8ad24a07be46979c856fcd6989b2
This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2022/05/12/u-n-to-probe-rights-violations-in-northern-ukraine-subpoena-issued-to-house-republican-leader-kevin-mccarthy-environmentalists-cheer-oil-lease-cancellations-may-12-2022/feed/ 0 298427 Is Irish Reunification on the Horizon? Sinn Féin Wins Historic Victory in Northern Ireland Election https://www.radiofree.org/2022/05/09/is-irish-reunification-on-the-horizon-sinn-fein-wins-historic-victory-in-northern-ireland-election/ https://www.radiofree.org/2022/05/09/is-irish-reunification-on-the-horizon-sinn-fein-wins-historic-victory-in-northern-ireland-election/#respond Mon, 09 May 2022 14:17:30 +0000 http://www.radiofree.org/?guid=a069ecf1adc6002c40cc1963e3ed34e2
This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2022/05/09/is-irish-reunification-on-the-horizon-sinn-fein-wins-historic-victory-in-northern-ireland-election/feed/ 0 297241 Is Irish Reunification on the Horizon? Sinn Féin Wins Historic Victory in Northern Ireland Election https://www.radiofree.org/2022/05/09/is-irish-reunification-on-the-horizon-sinn-fein-wins-historic-victory-in-northern-ireland-election-2/ https://www.radiofree.org/2022/05/09/is-irish-reunification-on-the-horizon-sinn-fein-wins-historic-victory-in-northern-ireland-election-2/#respond Mon, 09 May 2022 12:45:24 +0000 http://www.radiofree.org/?guid=265296b2869cc7296ce396a36089ae99 Seg4 sinnfein win

In a historic victory, the Irish nationalist Sinn Féin party has won the most seats in Northern Ireland’s parliament for the first time ever. Sinn Féin is the former political wing of the IRA — the Irish Republican Army — and favors reunification with the Republic of Ireland. The party won 27 of 90 seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly, while the Democratic Unionist Party, which wants to remain in the United Kingdom, dropped to second place for the first time in decades with 24 seats. We speak with journalist and political activist Eamonn McCann, who says Northern Ireland was founded over a century ago so that “it could be guaranteed that there would always be a unionist majority.” That arrangement has now been shattered, he says, and the calls for Irish reunification are likely to increase if Sinn Féin wins government in the next election in the south. “The more the tide toward a united Ireland increases, the more alarmed the unionists will become,” says McCann. We also speak with Sinn Féin lawmaker Mairéad Farrell, who represents the Galway West constituency in the Republic of Ireland parliament and who says the party’s victory came after a “positive campaign” focused on people’s everyday needs.


This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2022/05/09/is-irish-reunification-on-the-horizon-sinn-fein-wins-historic-victory-in-northern-ireland-election-2/feed/ 0 297250 Will the ‘peace babies’ change Northern Ireland’s politics forever? https://www.radiofree.org/2022/04/20/will-the-peace-babies-change-northern-irelands-politics-forever/ https://www.radiofree.org/2022/04/20/will-the-peace-babies-change-northern-irelands-politics-forever/#respond Wed, 20 Apr 2022 00:02:00 +0000 https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/northern-ireland-elections-youth-vote/ Young people born since the Good Friday Agreement are ditching traditional identity labels and demanding action on issues such as climate change


This content originally appeared on openDemocracy RSS and was authored by Emma DeSouza.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2022/04/20/will-the-peace-babies-change-northern-irelands-politics-forever/feed/ 0 292135 Thousands of Sutter Health Nurses Stage 1-Day Northern California Strike https://www.radiofree.org/2022/04/18/thousands-of-sutter-health-nurses-stage-1-day-northern-california-strike/ https://www.radiofree.org/2022/04/18/thousands-of-sutter-health-nurses-stage-1-day-northern-california-strike/#respond Mon, 18 Apr 2022 21:36:22 +0000 https://www.commondreams.org/node/336240

Thousands of nurses at 18 Northern California Sutter Health hospitals and medical facilities on Monday began a one-day strike to protest what their union called the healthcare provider's refusal to address "proposals about safe staffing and health and safety protections" amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

"We have tried repeatedly to address the chronic and widespread problem of short staffing that causes delays in care and potentially puts patients at risk."

More than 8,000 members of California Nurses Association (CNA)—a National Nurses United (NNU) affiliate—and CNA-affiliated Caregivers and Healthcare Employees Union are participating in the action, according to NNU.

"The Sutter nurses voted for this strike," Renee Waters, a trauma-neuro intensive care registered nurse with 26 years' experience, said in a statement.

She added that "we are striking because Sutter is not transparent about the stockpile of PPE supplies and contact tracing," a reference to the personal protective equipment that has often been in short supply throughout the pandemic.

The striking nurses are asking for "safe staffing that allows nurses to provide safe and therapeutic care" and "pandemic readiness protections that require the hospitals to invest in personal protective equipment stockpiles and comply with California's PPE stockpile law."

Waters insisted that "we must address these issues and more."

"A fair contract is needed to retain experienced nurses, have sufficient staffing and training, and ensure we have the resources we need to provide safe and effective care for our patients," she said. "Nurses are fighting back against Sutter putting profits before patients and health care workers."

Amy Erb, a registered nurse who works in critical care at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco, said that "nurses overwhelmingly voted to go out on strike because we see no other option left for us and our patients."

"We have tried repeatedly to address the chronic and widespread problem of short staffing that causes delays in care and potentially puts patients at risk, but hospital administrators continue to ignore us," she added. "We have a moral and legal obligation to advocate for our patients. We advocate for them at the bedside, at the bargaining table, and if we have to, on the strike line."

Committee for Recognition of Nursing Achievement (CRONA), a union representing nurses at two of the nation's leading hospitals—Stanford Health Care and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, both in Palo Alto—announced Monday that around 5,000 of its members would strike in one week's time amid collapsing contract negotiations.

"Nurses are exhausted, and we're burning out," Charon Brown, a nurse in the cardiovascular intensive care unit at Stanford Health Care, said in a statement. "Striking is a last resort, but the hospitals are refusing to take our well-being seriously."

CRONA vice president and Stanford radiology nurse Kathy Stormberg said that "hospitals have not wanted to acknowledge how short-staffed we are. They don't want to acknowledge that relying on travel nurses and staff nurses working overtime shifts isn't sustainable. People are worn out."

"Nurses are exhausted, and we're burning out. Striking is a last resort, but the hospitals are refusing to take our well-being seriously."

The union's nurses have been working without a contract since March 31, and demanding solutions to chronic staffing problems, as well as mental health and wellness support, and competitive wages and benefits.

Meanwhile, CRONA noted that Stanford and Packard hospitals reported that their joint operating surplus soared by $676 million in 2021, with the two facilities raking in a combined $8.3 billion in revenue. Stanford Health Care CEO David Entwistle received more than $3 million in compensation in tax year 2019, according to hospital filings

"I am frustrated that Stanford and Packard hospitals would rather cut corners than invest in their bedside nurses, especially after receiving hundreds of millions in federal aid dollars," CRONA president and Packard pediatric oncology nurse Colleen Borges said. "Providing care at such wealthy hospitals should not cost nurses our health, our sanity, or our time with our loved ones."

"Instead of acknowledging our sacrifices and rewarding us with the support we need," she added, "the hospitals would rather push overworked and exhausted nurses toward a strike."


This content originally appeared on Common Dreams - Breaking News & Views for the Progressive Community and was authored by Brett Wilkins.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2022/04/18/thousands-of-sutter-health-nurses-stage-1-day-northern-california-strike/feed/ 0 291729 Russia continues attacks on northern Ukraine despite pledge to draw down military; President Joe Biden gets 2nd COVID-19 booster, calls for greater COVID-funding; California’s first in the nation task force on reparations agrees only descendants of slaves qualify – March 30, 2022 https://www.radiofree.org/2022/03/30/russia-continues-attacks-on-northern-ukraine-despite-pledge-to-draw-down-military-president-joe-biden-gets-2nd-covid-19-booster-calls-for-greater-covid-funding-californias-first-in-the-nat/ https://www.radiofree.org/2022/03/30/russia-continues-attacks-on-northern-ukraine-despite-pledge-to-draw-down-military-president-joe-biden-gets-2nd-covid-19-booster-calls-for-greater-covid-funding-californias-first-in-the-nat/#respond Wed, 30 Mar 2022 18:00:00 +0000 http://www.radiofree.org/?guid=6926c26543227dba9f179027170fb0a0
This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2022/03/30/russia-continues-attacks-on-northern-ukraine-despite-pledge-to-draw-down-military-president-joe-biden-gets-2nd-covid-19-booster-calls-for-greater-covid-funding-californias-first-in-the-nat/feed/ 0 286589 CounterPunch Readers Reply to My Review of Belfast Kenneth Branagh’s Pathetic Paean to Northern Ireland’s Protestant Fascists and British Imperialism https://www.radiofree.org/2022/03/20/counterpunch-readers-reply-to-my-review-of-belfast-kenneth-branaghs-pathetic-paean-to-northern-irelands-protestant-fascists-and-british-imperialism/ https://www.radiofree.org/2022/03/20/counterpunch-readers-reply-to-my-review-of-belfast-kenneth-branaghs-pathetic-paean-to-northern-irelands-protestant-fascists-and-british-imperialism/#respond Sun, 20 Mar 2022 07:17:55 +0000 https://www.counterpunch.org/?p=237647 I so appreciate Jeffrey St. Clair allowing me, and other Counterpunch authors, to leave contact information for readers. For me, I write to organize, to build relationships, I use the same tagline each article but it seems like my articles on film and culture get the most and most passionate responses. Fighting the anti-imperialist cultural More

The post CounterPunch Readers Reply to My Review of Belfast Kenneth Branagh’s Pathetic Paean to Northern Ireland’s Protestant Fascists and British Imperialism appeared first on CounterPunch.org.


This content originally appeared on CounterPunch.org and was authored by Eric Mann.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2022/03/20/counterpunch-readers-reply-to-my-review-of-belfast-kenneth-branaghs-pathetic-paean-to-northern-irelands-protestant-fascists-and-british-imperialism/feed/ 0 283532 Thugs attack residents protesting a hydropower plant in northern Vietnam https://www.radiofree.org/2022/03/15/thugs-attack-residents-protesting-a-hydropower-plant-in-northern-vietnam/ https://www.radiofree.org/2022/03/15/thugs-attack-residents-protesting-a-hydropower-plant-in-northern-vietnam/#respond Tue, 15 Mar 2022 23:00:54 +0000 http://www.radiofree.org/?guid=c4e66025c1337ec4001da35da25c0cb7
This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Radio Free Asia.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2022/03/15/thugs-attack-residents-protesting-a-hydropower-plant-in-northern-vietnam/feed/ 0 282213 Russian Rocket Blamed For Building Blaze In Northern Ukraine https://www.radiofree.org/2022/02/28/russian-rocket-blamed-for-building-blaze-in-northern-ukraine/ https://www.radiofree.org/2022/02/28/russian-rocket-blamed-for-building-blaze-in-northern-ukraine/#respond Mon, 28 Feb 2022 11:48:39 +0000 http://www.radiofree.org/?guid=90797cf38b811c0be6665ad5f6990534
This content originally appeared on Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and was authored by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2022/02/28/russian-rocket-blamed-for-building-blaze-in-northern-ukraine/feed/ 0 277564 Security forces detain 2 more journalists in northern Syria https://www.radiofree.org/2022/02/22/security-forces-detain-2-more-journalists-in-northern-syria/ https://www.radiofree.org/2022/02/22/security-forces-detain-2-more-journalists-in-northern-syria/#respond Tue, 22 Feb 2022 17:08:20 +0000 https://cpj.org/?p=169567 Washington, D.C., February 22, 2022 – Authorities in northern Syria should immediately release Ahmed Sofi, Dara Abdo, and all other members of the press detained for their work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday.

On Saturday, February 19, forces affiliated with the Democratic Party Union, the political party in power in the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria’s regional government, arrested Sofi and Abdo at their homes in Al-Hasaka governorate, according to multiple reports by their employer, ARK TV. 

Sofi works as a correspondent for ARK TV’s parent company the ARK Media Foundation, and Abdo works as a correspondent for ARK TV and Radio Rêbaz, according to those reports. ARK TV and Radio Rêbaz both are Iraqi-based broadcasters affiliated with the Kurdistan Democratic Party-Syria opposition party.

Authorities have not disclosed where the journalists are being held or the reasons for their arrests, according to those reports and KDP-S media director Khalid Ali, who spoke to CPJ in a phone interview.

Security forces previously detained ARK TV correspondent Sabri Fakhri and Yeketi Media reporter Bawar Malla Ahmad on February 5, as CPJ documented at the time. According to a Facebook post by his father, Ahmed was released on February 9. CPJ was unable to determine Fakhri’s status.

“Authorities in northern Syria must release journalists Ahmed Sofi and Dara Abdo immediately, as well as all other journalists being held for their work,” said CPJ Middle East and North Africa Program Coordinator Sherif Mansour. “The Democratic Party Union must allow the press to work freely, and ensure that political differences do not result in the harassment and detention of journalists and their families.”

Ali told CPJ that masked uniformed men raided Abdo’s home in the city of Al-Hasaka, and another group raided Sofi’s home in the village of Bana Qasr. The security forces arrested Abdo at his home, but Sofi was not at the scene, so they detained his son, which prompted Sofi to surrender himself in exchange for his son’s release, according to those ARK TV reports.

Ali referred to their detentions as “kidnapping,” saying he was not aware of any court order calling for the journalists’ arrests.

When CPJ called Kanaan Barakat, the co-chair of the Jazira region Interior Ministry, which covers Al-Hasaka governorate, he said that ARK TV and Radio Rêbaz both “have no license and can’t work in our region.”

He also accused both outlets of publishing “misinformation” and trying to “stir up discord and temptation.”

When CPJ called Riyad Yousif, co-chair of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria’s Information Department, he said that he did not have any information on the journalists’ arrests “because those media outlets and their staff are not registered in our department.”

Ali told CPJ that he believed “authorities want to silence every different and free voice,” and said that the reporters were only trying to cover the realities of life in the region, “which are deteriorating in terms of freedom of speech and media.”


This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Erik Crouch.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2022/02/22/security-forces-detain-2-more-journalists-in-northern-syria/feed/ 0 275918 The Northern Ireland Peace Agreement is Crumbling, But Boris Johnson does not Seem to Care https://www.radiofree.org/2022/02/21/the-northern-ireland-peace-agreement-is-crumbling-but-boris-johnson-does-not-seem-to-care/ https://www.radiofree.org/2022/02/21/the-northern-ireland-peace-agreement-is-crumbling-but-boris-johnson-does-not-seem-to-care/#respond Mon, 21 Feb 2022 09:59:48 +0000 https://www.counterpunch.org/?p=234728 Northern Ireland is turning into a failed state in a permanent condition of crisis, something which is being ignored by Boris Johnson as he and his ministers strut about the capitals of Europe giving speeches about defusing the crisis in Ukraine. More

The post The Northern Ireland Peace Agreement is Crumbling, But Boris Johnson does not Seem to Care appeared first on CounterPunch.org.


This content originally appeared on CounterPunch.org and was authored by Patrick Cockburn.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2022/02/21/the-northern-ireland-peace-agreement-is-crumbling-but-boris-johnson-does-not-seem-to-care/feed/ 0 275548 Peter Byrne and Will Carruthers: National Park Service is betraying its mission at Northern California’s Point Reyes National Seashore https://www.radiofree.org/2021/03/09/peter-byrne-and-will-carruthers-national-park-service-is-betraying-its-mission-at-northern-californias-point-reyes-national-seashore-2/ https://www.radiofree.org/2021/03/09/peter-byrne-and-will-carruthers-national-park-service-is-betraying-its-mission-at-northern-californias-point-reyes-national-seashore-2/#respond Tue, 09 Mar 2021 22:14:22 +0000 https://www.projectcensored.org/?p=23972 Today’s guests say that the National Park Service is betraying its mission at Northern California’s Point Reyes National Seashore by favoring legacy cattle ranches and dairies over preservation of the land…

The post Peter Byrne and Will Carruthers: National Park Service is betraying its mission at Northern California’s Point Reyes National Seashore appeared first on Project Censored.


This content originally appeared on Project Censored and was authored by Project Censored.

]]> https://www.radiofree.org/2021/03/09/peter-byrne-and-will-carruthers-national-park-service-is-betraying-its-mission-at-northern-californias-point-reyes-national-seashore-2/feed/ 0 384390