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Showing posts from August 9, 2020

What the coronavirus pandemic looks like for Colombia's former FARC fighters

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Communities all over the world are trying to manage the coronavirus crisis, with varying amounts of support from governments. We contacted people who used to fight in the guerrilla movement The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC-EP), to see how they were coping.  These men and women often live communally in remote rural areas of Colombia and their complex relationships with other communities and the government have made pandemic life difficult. The Colombian government signed a peace deal with the FARC-EP in 2016. Now, more than  13,000  former combatants live as civilians. Some have taken a collective path, entering civilian life as communities. Others have gone it alone, starting their own businesses, entering the job market or returning to their families. In March 2020, when the  first case  of COVID-19 was registered in Colombia, more than  one-quarter  of ex-combatants were still living in the special territorial areas that were set up in 2017 to help reincorporate them

Racism - As Cultural Icons Are Reexamined, Bill Maher Says, “I Think We’re Going To Have to Cancel God”

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  Bill Maher on 'Real Time' HBO via Twitter After sparking  a fight with Donald Trump  last week,  Bill Maher  used his New Rules this week to take on someone even more powerful: Jesus. Riffing off of Ryan Reynolds’ recent apology for getting married at a former slave plantation, the  Real Time  pointed out that the hero of the New Testament wasn’t always on the right side of the slavery debate, either. In multiple passages of the Bible — Colossians 3:22, Ephesians 6:5 and Peter 2:18, according to Maher — Christ encourages slaves to “submit to your masters.”  No one is perfect, Maher reminded, especially in America where, “We’re all six degrees from genocidal assh*les. If we start turning history into a game of guilt by association it never ends.” He then gave some examples. “The stock exchange is 2 miles from New York’s first slave market.” “The country itself is named after a slave trader named Amerigo.” “Washington and Jefferson are also up for cancellation because they owne

Racism: 43 felony charges, new task forces: Here's what Chicago is doing to combat potential looting

 Prosecutors approved 43 felony charges in connection with  looting across Chicago earlier this week , and city officials laid out a series of plans Friday that they say would prevent future incidents. "What happened Sunday night into Monday morning should never have happened," Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said in a press conference Friday afternoon. "There can never be any place in Chicago where businesses are afraid to open, where residents and visitors are afraid to travel and shop, or where employees are afraid to go to work." Lightfoot said the city's police department would be creating a "specialized, 20-person unit" to monitor open-sourced social media posts for any signs of "suspicious activity." A separate task force in partnership with the FBI would be focused on looting activity, she said. "In 55 years, I’ve never seen it like this in Chicago," said Emmerson Buie Jr., special agent in charge of the Chicago Office of the F

Releasing Taliban terrorists 'poses danger' but 'necessary' for peace: Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani

  Kabul:  Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani on Friday said that Taliban terrorists who are being freed by the government might pose a danger to the world but their release was necessary for peace. Ghani made the remarks during a conversation with the Council on Foreign Relations, Tolo News reported. The conversation was hosted by James B Cunningham, a senior fellow of the Atlantic Council and former US ambassador to Afghanistan. His remarks come a day after the Afghan government commenced the release of 400 high-value Taliban prisoners by releasing 80 of them in the first phase. The move is expected to open the way for intra-Afghan negotiations. "The list is likely to pose a danger both to us and to you and to the world because it is the drug dealers and hardened criminals--that has been shared with all our allies and friends--but again this is a step that we have considered necessary," Ghani said. "Until now, there has been a lot of pressure, requests from the Afghan g

Naga Peace Accord: Is separate Flag and Constitution a Threat to the Peace Process?

  KOHIMA | AUGUST 15, 2020: National Socialist Council of  Nagaland  (NSCN-IM) has tabled its demand that the seven-decade-old peace movement is not complete without a Naga flag and a Constitution. NSCN-IM general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah in an address to the cadres said, “Recognise them or not, we have our flag and constitution. Flag and constitution are ingredients of our recognized sovereign entity and the symbols of Naga nationhood. The Nagas must keep their flag and constitution.” The Government of India which revoked Article 370, which gives special status to Jammu and Kashmir with separate flag and constitution last year, may not welcome the move of the group. The NSCN-IM made it clear that the Indians and the Nagas are two worlds apart, and they will not accept the Union of India nor the Constitution. ALSO READ: Are 139 crores enough for Nagaland to firefight COVID-19? “The government of India through the Framework Agreement recognises the sovereignty of the Nagas. The agre

2 Maoists surrender in East Godavari : Left wing extremism

Kakinada: Two members of the outlawed CPI(Maoist) surrendered in front of East Godavari SP Adnan Nayeem Asmi at Kakinada on Thursday. The two former Maoists— Kovvasi Sunitha (alias Reshmi) and Kaluma Manoj (alias Anil) — belong to the Guthikoya community. They said that they had faced discrimination in the hands of non-adivasi leaders of CPI(Maoist). Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/visakhapatnam/2-maoists-surrender-in-east-godavari/articleshow/77532703.cms

Ammonium nitrate, that devastated Beirut, is key component in IEDs used by Maoists in Chhattisgarh

 RAIPUR: The ammonium nitrate that resulted into catastrophic blast in Lebanon, is often used by the outlawed CPI (Maoist) in Chhattisgarh to detonate Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) that continues as a big challenge for security forces deployed in the conflict zone for the past two decades. Seventy-six personnel were massacred by Maoists in April 2010, 29 Congressmen died in ambush in May 2013, Doordarshan cameraman killed in 2018, BJP MLA died in IED planted by the rebels in 2019 ahead of Lok Sabha polls. Similar such incidents are indicative of extensive use of IED explosions by ultras turning the strife-torn Bastar on edge in south Chhattisgarh. Blowing up of the IEDs are almost always followed by exchange of fire with the forces leading to causalities. The law enforcing agencies affirmed that despite the Maoist-related incidents now on a declining trend, the strenuous challenge and task to effectively counter IED threats persist in any operation. The problem becomes exacerbate

Maoists apologise for death of two tribals in blast in Andhra Pradesh: Left wing Extremism

 VISAKHAPATNAM: Maoists on Tuesday apologized for the death of two tribals in a landmine blast at Chintalaveedhi in Pedabayalu Mandal of Vizag Agency on August 1. In a message, Pedabayalu Korukonda Dalam Committee secretary Sudheer said two tribals, Ajay Kumar and Mohan Rao, died in the blast. He said the tribals were like their family members and added that the Maoist leaders visited the victims’ families and consoled them. Sudheer said the booby traps were laid not to target the tribals, but police personnel after the exchange of fire at Londula on July 19. He advised the people not to go in those areas where they have planted landmines and booby traps. Maoists called for a ceasefire in view of prevailing Covid-19 crisis in the Agency,  which the police violated. In separate messages, AOB South Zonal Committee secretary Ganesh said, “Ceasefire was declared by us in view of corona. However, we will retaliate if we are attacked.” He said they did not attack the police nor any of their

Netherlands: Hague police arrest 27 amid third night of rioting

 THE HAGUE: Police in The Hague arrested 27 people as rioting broke out in a low-income neighborhood for the third night, with youths torching a storage building and throwing stones and fireworks at police Friday night and into the early hours of Saturday. Unrest also spread to a second city, with arrests in a neighborhood of the central city of Utrecht, local media reported. Both areas affected are home to many families of Moroccan and Turkish descent. Hague police said arrests were made for offenses including public violence, incitement and threatening behaviour. They followed more than 20 arrests for similar offenses on Thursday night. Riot police guarded firefighters as they put out a blaze in a storage shed for sports equipment and games in The Hague. The unrest began earlier this week amid a stifling heatwave in the Netherlands and moves by water authorities in The Hague to prevent children opening fire hydrants to cool off. Populist, anti-immigration lawmakers are seizing on the

Releasing Taliban terrorists 'poses danger' but 'necessary' for peace: Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani

  Kabul:  Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani on Friday said that Taliban terrorists who are being freed by the government might pose a danger to the world but their release was necessary for peace. Ghani made the remarks during a conversation with the Council on Foreign Relations, Tolo News reported. The conversation was hosted by James B Cunningham, a senior fellow of the Atlantic Council and former US ambassador to Afghanistan. His remarks come a day after the Afghan government commenced the release of 400 high-value Taliban prisoners by releasing 80 of them in the first phase. The move is expected to open the way for intra-Afghan negotiations. "The list is likely to pose a danger both to us and to you and to the world because it is the drug dealers and hardened criminals--that has been shared with all our allies and friends--but again this is a step that we have considered necessary," Ghani said. "Until now, there has been a lot of pressure, requests from the Afghan g

Singapore government firm calls out racist Facebook posts targeting Indian employees

SINGAPORE: A leading Singaporean state-owned investment company has called out posts on social media targeting its Indian employees as a "divisive, racist campaign" aimed at stirring up hatred and intolerance. In a statement posted online on Friday, Temasek Holdings said it has its roots in Singapore, where there is no place for xenophobia, racism or hate speech. The company noted that the very birth of Singapore as an independent nation was founded in the ideals of meritocracy, regardless of race, language or religion. "Some of our colleagues from India have been targeted recently on social media by a divisive, racist campaign. This makes us very angry at the false claims perpetuated. The Singaporeans among us are also ashamed at such hateful behaviour on the Singapore social media. We stand by our colleagues who have been dragged into this through no fault of their own," the global investor said. Some posts circulating on Facebook in recent days have highlighted t

Erdogan: Turkey may suspend ties with UAE over Israel deal

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  Turkey has diplomatic and trade ties with Israel, but relations have been strained for years. [AP] Turkey is considering suspending diplomatic ties with the United Arab Emirates and withdrawing its ambassador after agreement between the Gulf state and Israel to normalise ties was revealed, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said. The Turkish foreign ministry also  said  history would never forgive the UAE's "hypocritical behaviour" in agreeing such a deal, which recasts the order of Middle East politics. Palestinian leaders denounced the announcement as a "stab in the back" to their cause. "The move against Palestine is not a step that can be stomached. Now, Palestine is either closing or withdrawing its embassy. The same thing is valid for us now," Erdogan said on Friday.  "I told him [the foreign minister] we may also take a step in the direction of suspending diplomatic ties with the Abu Dhabi leadership or pulling back our ambassador." Unde

Pakistan's spy body ISI active in Myanmar, helps JMB in training Rohingyas: Expert

 NAYPYITAW (MYANMAR): Pakistan's spy agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), is training terror groups in Myanmar and its main goal is to destabilise some countries in the region using cross-border terrorism. Siegfried O Wolf, an analyst at the South Asia Democratic Forum, a Belgian group based in Brussels, confirmed the possible involvement of the ISI in the training of 40 Rohingya by Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), German news agency DW reported. The expert said it would be better for Pakistan to choose a third country for cross-border terrorism. This yet again substantiates the fact that Islamabad continues to harbour and support terror and carry out attacks in countries, including Afghanistan and India, in a bid to create instability in the region. In 2016, the JMB carried out an attack on a Holey Artisan coffee shop near the diplomatic district of Dhaka, claiming 22 lives, mostly foreigners. Due to this, the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh

The Ambiguity and Challenges of Peace Process in Afghanistan

 (MENAFN - Daily Outlook Afghanistan) Although the Loy Jirga decision about release of 400 dangerous Taliban prisoners created some hopes and optimism about ending war in the country, there are many ambiguities and challenges which not promise a clear outlook for peace in the country. In fact, it would be naïve to be optimistic about peace despite so many challenges and questions which remained unanswered yet. Even, there is no certainty if the releases of dangerous prisoners worsen or improve the condition. Therefore, the release of 400 dangerous Taliban prisoners will not be all obstacles of peace process which have been removed through Loy Jirga. Recently, the president also made it clear that the peace process is still in serious ambiguity. Now, the question is what ambiguities are there in this peace process? As the nature of war and conflict is complicated in Afghanistan, it has also multiple roots and factors inside and outside the country. The first major challenge is the ideol

US labels Confucius Institute a Chinese 'foreign mission'

 Concerns are growing about Chinese influence on academic campuses around the world The US has designated the Confucius Institute (CI), the Chinese government-run global education programme, as a foreign propaganda mission. The order says  CI, which offers language and cultural programmes overseas, is "owned or effectively controlled" by a foreign government . Staff will be required to register and adhere to restrictions similar to those placed on diplomatic embassies. It comes amid worsening relations between China and the US. In a statement announcing the move, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called the Confucius Institute "an entity advancing Beijing's global propaganda and malign influence campaign" on American classrooms and campuses. "The United States wants to ensure that students on US campuses have access to Chinese language and cultural offerings free from the manipulation of the Chinese Communist Party and its proxies," Mr Pompeo continued

Five Abducted as Feud Between Myanmar’s Ethnic Rakhine Groups Continues

 YANGON—Ethnic armed group the Arakan Army (AA) abducted five members of the Arakan Liberation Party (ALP) in Rakhine State’s Ponnagyun Township earlier this week, according to the ALP. The ALP and its armed wing, the Arakan Liberation Army (ALA), are an ethnic Rakhine revolutionary group formed in 1967 to fight for equality and are based along Myanmar’s border with Bangladesh and India. The ALP signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) in 2015 and is participating in Myanmar’s peace process. The AA is an ethnic Rakhine rebel force involved in fierce fighting with the Myanmar military. Among those abducted are ALP First Joint Secretary Khaing Aung Soe Than, liaison office staff member Khaing Htay and three medical workers from the Rakhine Community Health Workers Association (RCHWA). According to the ALP, the three health workers were detained by the AA while returning from the funeral of their fellow health worker on Monday. “Khaing Aung Soe Than and Khaing Htay were abducted at

16 Left wing Extremism maoists surrender in Chattisgarh’s Dantewada: Police

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  Dantewada Superintendent of Police (SP) Abhishek Pallav said, “16 maoists have surrendered out of whom three carried rewards on their heads. Most of them belong to the western parts of the Bastar district.” india Updated: Aug 14, 2020 08:44 IST The Dantewada SP further informed that the surrendered maoists used to demolish railway tracks and kill Panchayat executives and villagers. Most of the others were ground level militia.(Arabinda Mahapatra/HT file photo. Representative image) Sixteen maoists including three commander-level personnel surrendered before the Chhattisgarh police in Dantewada on Thursday. Dantewada Superintendent of Police (SP) Abhishek Pallav said, “16 maoists have surrendered out of whom three carried rewards on their heads. Most of them belong to the western parts of the Bastar district.” “Three of them are commander-level maoists and were carrying rewards on their heads. There are five cases each registered against two and four cases against one Naxal,” he added

Myanmar Peace Process Back on Track, Says Daw Aung San Suu Kyi

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State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi (right) and deputy army chief Vice Senior General Soe Win (left) attend the 9th Joint Implementation Coordination Meeting in Naypyitaw on Thursday. / Htet Naing Zaw / The Irrawaddy  By Nyein Nyein 13 August 2020  Myanmar State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said the Myanmar peace process is back on track after a number of postponements and the fourth session of the Panglong peace conference is set to proceed, referring to next week’s event. “We are now able to hold [another session of] the 21st [Century] Panglong peace conference, having overcome a situation where the peace negotiations were not able to be held, as well as the postponement of the NCA [Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement] path. Furthermore, we have been able, through step-by-step implementation, to secure political agreements on a democratic federal union, national reconciliation and peace,” she said in her opening remarks to the 9th Joint Implementation Coordination Meeting (JICM) on cea

'Friends of Sudan' warn against efforts to derail peace process

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Sudan's transitional government and rebel groups also took part in the meeting, held via videoconference, along with representatives from South Sudan, which is playing a key role as a mediator in the peace talks. The Sudan flag. (AFP) Sudan's transitional government and rebel groups also took part in the meeting, held via videoconference, along with representatives from South Sudan, which is playing a key role as a mediator in the peace talks. Members of the international community have warned against attempts to derail the peace process in Sudan, after a rise in deadly violence in the East African country in recent weeks. Peace negotiations are ongoing between Sudan's government and rebel groups to bring stability to the restive regions of Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan. For years, rebels have accused the government of marginalising the regions and fought against the forces of former president Omar al-Bashir, who was ousted in April 2019 by the army under pressure fr

Hinduphobia makes Kamala Harris’ identity a liability. So she is 'Black' in US media

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File photo of US Senator Kamala Harris | Facebook Text Size: An Indian-American president in the White house? That distant dream has come within a few steps to being a distinct reality. On Tuesday, Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee for the president of the United States, made the historic  announcement  of Kamala Devi Harris, the junior US senator from California, as his running mate. If Biden defeats Donald Trump to be the next US president, it follows that Harris should be vice president. More importantly, four years down the road, she will herself likely run for US president. If she wins, she will not only be the first woman, but also the first Indian-origin American to be the occupant of the White House, holding the most powerful job in the world. Kamala Harris brings to the Democratic ticket a unique appeal. An Indian-origin  politician  who identifies herself as African-American, and has a Jewish husband, is sure to appear attractive to a large and important cross sec

Several Naga bodies oppose removal of Nagaland Governor as interlocutor for peace talks

Several prominent Naga groups on Wednesday opposed the removal of Nagaland Governor RN Ravi as the interlocutor for the ongoing peace talks as sought by the  Isak-Muivah faction of National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM).  On Tuesday, the NSCN-IM accused Ravi of creating hurdles in the final agreement of the Naga political issue and sought his removal as interlocutor.  “We find no logic to remove Ravi as the interlocutor at this point of time. The formal talks concluded on October 31 last year and we are all waiting for the signing of the final agreement. But NSCN-IM is indulging in delaying tactics now,” said Alezo Venuh, coordinator of the working committee of Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs).  The NNPGs are a group of seven Naga outfits and organizations who along with NSCN-IM are also involved in talks with the Centre to sign a final agreement to the Naga issue.  “There is no ground to remove Ravi. There is no point going back to square one. Whoever is asking for the

Philippines: Threats Of Violent Extremism And Terrorism Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic – Analysis

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The world at present faces two deadly pandemics:  COVID-19 pandemics and the pandemics of terrorism.  Both carry noxious viruses that are contagious, lethal, and virulent. By Rommel C. Banlaoi* Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, terrorist threats worldwide continue unabated.  In fact, international terrorist groups are taking advantage of the pandemic to propagandize, recruit and mount violent attacks.  The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), for example, is currently experiencing a rapid resuscitation as the pandemic is providing the group the needed oxygen to recover.  The Philippines is one of the countries most affected by the twin threats of terrorism and COVID-19 pandemic. Terror Threats Persist Worldwide During the Pandemic According to the Country Reports on Terrorism published by the Bureau of Counterterrorism of the US State Department in June 2020, dangerous terrorist threats persisted around the world.[1]  Though ISIS already lost some of its key leaders and major territorie