Turkey will implement Montreux pact on access to Black Sea - Erdogan


Ahval
Last Updated On: Mar 01 2022

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Turkey will exercise its legal rights to control shipping through the Bosporus Straits to the Black Sea due to the war in Ukraine.

“Turkey is determined to use the authority given by the Montreux Convention on the Turkish Straits in a manner to prevent escalation of the Russia-Ukraine crisis,” Erdoğan said at a televised news conference late on Monday after a meeting of his cabinet.

Under the 1936 Montreux Convention, Turkey is in charge of regulating the passage of ships into and out of the Black Sea and has the power to close them to warships. Russia has large naval bases in the Black Sea, where Ukraine is also located.

Erdoğan repeated his disappointment at Russia's decision to go to war with Ukraine and reiterated an offer to mediate between the two countries, which he called friends of Turkey.

“It Turkey is not a warring side, it has the authority to stop the ships of warring countries from transiting the straits,” Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said after the cabinet meeting, according to the state-run Anadolu news agency.

“If warships are returning to bases in the Black Sea then passage is not restricted. We are implementing the provisions of Montreux. We have warned all countries on the Black Sea and elsewhere to not sail warships through the Straits. Furthermore, there has been no request for passage.”

According to the Montreux convention, Black Sea nations must notify Turkey eight days in advance of their warships, including submarines, transiting the straits. Ships belonging to other nations require 15 days notice. The decision to block ships could affect an estimated 16 Russian warships and submarines currently in the Mediterranean, some of which are part of their Black Sea fleet.

In anticipation of any disruption to Turkey’s energy supplies from the conflict, the Turkish leader announced that taxes on energy would be cut and a discount would be provided for electricity providers.

On Saturday, a phone call took place between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Erdoğan in which Zelensky praised Erdoğan for his support in the ongoing war with Russia. After the call, Zelensky tweeted his thanks to Turkey for a "ban on the passage of Russian warships" to the Black Sea. Turkish officials refuted that any such decision had been made.

A day later, Çavuşoğlu said that a state of war existed between Russia and Ukraine, citing an analysis provided by Turkish legal experts. That distinction would allow Turkey to move forward with closing the Straits if it chose to do so, he said.

On Monday, Erdoğan refrained from explicitly saying whether Turkey would restrict access to Russia’s warships. Since the initial warnings that Russia was planning to invade Ukraine in late 2021, Turkey has tried to position itself as a neutral between Ukraine and Russia while offering mediation.

Erdoğan said that Turkey was ready to fulfill its commitments as a member of NATO and a supporter of international efforts to end the war, but made it clear that it could not sacrifice its own interests by taking sides.

“Turkey will not give up its national interests but won’t neglect the regional and global balance either," he said. "We won’t turn away from Russia or Ukraine."

Diplomatic efforts by the United States and European Union were unable to prevent Russia from launching what President Vladimir Putin called a “special military operation” into Ukraine on Feb. 24. Prior to the invasion, Moscow demanded that the West refuse Ukraine membership in NATO, halt any expansion of the alliance and retreat to its pre-1997 boundaries in Central and Eastern Europe. The West refused.

Erdoğan said he was sceptical of what he considered Russia’s excessive demands, but has also criticised the West for being indecisive in halting the emerging conflict. Turkey has not joined in on sanctions against Russia despite condemning the 2014 annexation of the Crimean Peninsula. Erdoğan has also built up a personal rapport with Putin in subsequent years and the two countries cooperate on key regional issues such as Syria.

Russia has rejected Erdoğan’s offers to negotiate a solution to the conflict. Moscow has also been sharply critical of Ankara’s military exports to Ukraine, including shipments of its TB-2 Bayraktar drones that have been assailing Russian convoys and troop formations in the last week.

This has not prevented Turkey from continuing to pursue talks with Russia. Over the weekend, Çavuşoğlu and Defence Minister Hulusi Akar spoke to their counterparts in Moscow to encourage de-escalation. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev encouraged Putin to consider Turkish-Azeri mediation of the conflict.

Although Turkey has been critical of Western diplomacy and sanctions, Turkish diplomats have been in touch with their Western counterparts throughout the crisis.

İbrahim Kalın, Erdoğan 's chief foreign policy advisor, spoke over the phone on Monday with Biden's national security advisor Jake Sullivan about the war and reiterated Turkish support for Ukraine. According to Erdoğan’s office, Kalın and Sullivan agreed to “intensify efforts towards a ceasefire”.

Representatives from Ukraine and Russia met on the Ukrainian side of the border with Belarus on Monday to discuss terms for a possible ceasefire. The talks did not produce an initial outcome, but the two sides agreed to convtinue negotiations.

Turkey could be forced to take sides with West in Ukraine war - scholar

Mar 01 2022 

Turkey could be forced to take sides with the West in the Ukraine war by banning the passage of Russian warships through the Bosporus Straits to the Black Sea under the Montreux Convention, said Serhat Güvenç, a professor of international relations at Istanbul's Kadir Has University.

Turkey may be selling a decision this week to implement the convention as an obligation under international law, but the move signals where Ankara could lean if the war continues, Güvenç told CNN television on Monday.

"Turkey has decided to align more with its traditional allies in NATO and the European Union, and a bit away from Russia," he said.

The Ukraine, which views the presence of Russian warships in the Black Sea as a threat, has made an official request to Turkey to close the straits to Russian ships.

On Monday, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced that Turkey would use the authority given by the Montreux Convention to restrict access to the Black Sea. Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu warned all warring and non-warring countries against sailing their warships through the straits.

The Montreux Convention, signed in Switzerland in 1936, grants Turkey rights to regulate maritime traffic through the straits and to close them to warships of countries in a state of war. The 1936 treaty does however allow for the ships of warring countries to return to their bases in the Black Sea.

Russia has already completed a naval buildup in the Black Sea by shifting units from the Baltic ahead of the start of hostilities, Güvenç said.

"They [Russia] probably have enough resources to sustain their naval power in the Black Sea for about two to three months," Güvenç said. "But if conflict drags on, it'll be a different story."

Six Russian warships and a submarine passed through the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits on Feb. 8, Tass reported at the time, for naval drills near Ukraine.

Implementing the treaty is in Ankara's best interest because it supports Turkey during times of war, Güvenç said.

“Any exception made to please Russia could jeopardise the treaty's credibility in the long run,” he said.

NATO member Turkey has built close relations with Russia over the past five years, raising concern among fellow NATO members. In 2019, it acquired advanced S-400 air defence missiles from Moscow. In response, the United States has barred Turkey from a programme to develop and purchase the advanced F-35 stealth fighter jet.

Russia also supplies the largest number of visitors to Turkey’s tourism industry. Turkey, which lies south of Ukraine over the Black Sea, has sold armed drones to Kyiv, and has sought to increase cooperation in defence and economic matters.

 

Woman in Mardin risks up to 5 years in prison for twitting picture of Zapatista fighter

Zilan O. is charged with terrorist propaganda for sharing a picture of a Zapatista fighter and an armed Yazidi woman on Twitter. The public prosecutor's office in Mardin is demanding two to five years in prison.

•  ANF
 
•  MARDIN
 
•  Monday, 28 Feb 2022, 09:40

The Turkish government is systematically restricting freedom of expression. Tweets on social media are used to silence critical opinions. A new case is the criminalization of Zilan Ö. She is accused of sharing a picture of a Zapatista fighter and one of an armed Yazidi woman. The chief public prosecutor's office in Mardin has initiated proceedings for terrorist propaganda and is demanding between two and five years in prison.

The accusation is based on a picture by North American artist Sam Philips depicting a Zapatista fighter. Prosecutors consider the Zapatista woman portrayed to be a "member of the armed separatist terrorist organization PKK/KCK". Publishing such a photo, according to the prosecutor, meant “legitimizing” their actions.

In addition, a tweet dated 6 September 2020 is also the subject of the indictment. It shows a Yazidi woman with a gun and a baby in her arms. This Yazidi, who is protecting herself against the IS genocide, was also considered a "PKK member" by the public prosecutor.

Seven parties in Turkey against the war in Ukraine: "We refuse the unjust war!"

A newly formed coordination of left parties and organisations in Turkey opposes the war in Ukraine and accuses Russia and NATO of plunging the world into war for their economic interests.

•  ANF
 
•  ANKARA
 
•  Tuesday, 1 Mar 2022

An alliance of the left parties and organisations, HDP (Peoples’ Democratic Party), EMEP (Labor Party), EHP (Proletarian Movement Party), Halkevleri (People’s Houses), SMF (Federation of Socialist Councils), TİP (Workers’ Party of Turkey) and TÖP (Social Liberty Party), was formed in Ankara at the weekend. A statement by the coordination of the alliance on the war in Ukraine said: "While the world is struggling to heal the wounds of the pandemic, it is facing a great new threat of war. Capitalism is not interested in the bread or health of humanity, instead it is creating the basis for a new war in which peoples are slaughtered for energy and weapons monopolies. This is what the war and occupation that began with the escalation of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia in the Donbass is all about. We do not stand with Russia and the US-led NATO, which disregard the will of the peoples with their expansionism. We refuse unjust wars and the slogans of war. Our side is peace, our side is the same as that of the peoples who oppose war all over the world.

"Taking to the streets for world peace and against rearmament"

We salute the democratic forces that have taken to the streets in Turkey demanding 'Peace Now!'. We call on everyone to take to the streets for world peace and against the global expansion of the war apparatus. Turkey should not be a party in a war and polarisation that puts fire to the fuse of the Third World War. We warn the AKP government, which collaborates with regional and international powers and has long been in an aggressive position of constant conflict with neighbouring peoples. Turkey must not be included in the NATO or Russian war bloc. The people who want peace will not allow this.

"Together against war and militarism"

War is the enemy of the workers who fight for equality and human life. The workers, the poor, the women and the youth are the ones who lose the most in war. All peoples, the workers of our country, must unite against war, militarism and chauvinism. War is also the enemy of democracy. It is the shortest road to dictatorship, autocracy and oligarchy. War means more displacement, assault and rape for women. War means destruction of the environment. It threatens all living beings, not just human beings.

"Solidarity is a weapon against war"

All forces fighting for democracy in our country must unite against war. It is an imperative necessity of the struggle for democracy to stop this war and prevent the slaughter of peoples and the barons of war from becoming even stronger. For this we must show the greatest solidarity.

"Withdraw troops now - preserve the right to self-determination"

In Donetsk, Lugansk and Ukraine, civilians are being killed, people are being displaced en masse. All war and occupation forces must be withdrawn from the region and the peoples’ right to self-determination should be recognised. Imperialism and fascism have reached a level of madness and desperation that even the use of nuclear weapons is apparently being considered. Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Vietnam and Halabja are historic warnings against such forms of criminal war. We will not stand by and watch! Now is the time to raise our voices against war and for peace and brotherhood!"

Ukraine-Russia war: Shelling of Kharkiv is a war crime - Zelensky

By AARON REICH AND REUTERS 

© (photo credit: Vitaliy Gnidyi/Reuters) The Ukrainian national flag is seen in front of a school which, according to local residents, was on fire after shelling, as Russia

The recent shelling of the city of Kharkiv in Ukraine by Russian forces was a war crime, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said as the conflict stretched into its sixth day.

The president called for a no-fly zone for Russian missiles, planes and helicopters, though he did not specify how this would be enforced. Washington has firmly declined a Ukrainian request for the West to impose a no-fly zone to shield Ukraine from Russian airstrikes - a step that would bring Western forces into direct conflict with the Russian military.

Zelensky argued that Russia has committed war crimes in Ukraine, specifying that the artillery shelling of the city of Kharkiv constituted as the targeting of civilians.

According to Ukrainian Ambassador to the US Oksana Markarova, Russian forces used an illegal weapon known as a vacuum bomb against Ukraine.

"They used the vacuum bomb today, which is actually prohibited by the Geneva convention," Markarova said after briefing members of the US Congress. "The devastation that Russia is trying to inflict on Ukraine is large."

© Provided by The Jerusalem Post Ukraine's ambassador to the United States Oksana Markarova walks between meetings with members of the U.S. Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, US. February 28, 2022.

 (credit: REUTERS/JONATHAN ERNST)

A vacuum bomb uses oxygen from the surrounding air to generate a high-temperature explosion, typically producing a blast wave of a significantly longer duration than that of a conventional explosive.

In addition, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch both said that Russian forces appeared to have used widely banned cluster munitions, with Amnesty accusing them of attacking a preschool in northeastern Ukraine while civilians took shelter inside.

Amnesty International said international humanitarian law prohibits the use of inherently indiscriminate weapons such as cluster munitions. Launching indiscriminate attacks that kill or injure civilians constitutes a war crime.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said she had seen reports but did not have confirmation that Russia had used such weapons. "If that were true, it would potentially be a war crime," she told a press briefing, noting that there are international organizations that would assess that and President Joe Biden's administration "would look to be a part of that conversation."

The Russian embassy in Washington did not respond to requests for comment.

Any state that has committed war crimes should not be allowed to be a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, Zelensky said.

"Dozens of eyewitness accounts" indicated that this was a targeted attack of a residential area without military facilities, Zelensky said, according to the New Voice of Ukraine news outlet. "The Russians knew where they were shooting," he said, adding that "No one in the world will forgive you for killing peaceful Ukrainian people."

This comes after the International Criminal Court said they might investigate any war crime committed in Ukraine.

Military developments

Satellite images taken on Monday show a Russian military convoy north of the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv that stretches for about 40 miles (64 km), substantially longer than the 17 miles (27 km) reported earlier in the day, according to Maxar Technologies.

Further, Ukraine cut communications for Russian cellphone numbers in the country, according to the Derzhspetszviazok (The State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine), the country's intelligence and technical security service.

In addition, Ukraine will allow foreigners traveling to the country to help fight against Russia to do so without a visa, according to a new decree signed by the president that went into effect Tuesday.

The decree, signed by President Volodymyr Zelensky, allows for all foreigners hoping to join the new unit for foreign volunteers, known as the International Legion of the Territorial Defense Force, with the exception of those coming from Russia.

The new unit for foreign volunteers was announced on Sunday, with Ukrainian authorities having said the next day that thousands have already applied to join.

Some young volunteers are traveling straight to Ukraine to enlist.

Others are applying at Ukrainian embassies and consulates before quitting jobs or dropping out of university. Full story here.
Negotiations

Zelensky said the negotiations between Russia and Ukraine were conducted against the background of Russian bombardments into Ukrainian territory.

The fact that these two events took place at the same time, Zelensky said, was no coincidence, accusing Moscow of doing it intentionally, according to NV.

"Don't waste your time, we don't accept this tactic," Zelensky said, according to NV. "Fair negotiations can only happen when one side doesn't hit the other with artillery during negotiations."

Regarding the points brought up in the talks themselves, Zelensky said that he would go over what was discussed with the Ukrainian delegation when they return to Kyiv so they can decide how to move forward when the second round of negotiations begins, according to Ukrainian media.


Diplomacy

Ukraine has made an effort to reach out to the West repeatedly during the conflict, including Europe.

Zelensky officially applied on Monday to join the European Union, with the application being on its way to Brussels for processing, Ukrainian President's Office deputy head Andrij Sybiha wrote on Facebook.

In response, the heads of state for eight different EU member states – Bulgaria, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia and the Czech Republic – pushed for immediately admitting Ukraine into the bloc.

This follows Slovakian Prime Minister Eduard Heger telling Politico that Ukraine should have a "special track" towards EU membership.

Energy ministers from European Union countries on Monday agreed to urgently link a European power system to Ukraine's grid, a move that would increase its independence from Russia.

Ukraine disconnected its grid from a Russian system last week and has asked for emergency synchronization with a European system. That would mean Russia would no longer control technical aspects of Ukraine’s network such as grid frequency. EU officials said the link could be completed within weeks. Full story here.
Sanctions, economy and corporate reactions

The financial impact of the conflict, international reaction to it from businesses and Western sanctions has been noted in analyses of the Russian economy.

The rouble stabilized somewhat on Tuesday after its crash to an all-time low, while the safe-haven yen and Swiss franc were steady after their biggest rallies in almost seven weeks with traders focused squarely on the developing crisis in Ukraine.

This impact was also felt by Russian companies, with many of its key companies taking hits.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Tuesday morning that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had offered his country, which is under attack from its neighbor Russia, more support in the form of sanctions and weapons.

A stream of Western companies pulling out of Russia is expected to grow on Tuesday, as corporations and investors across industries follow the lead of energy firms BP and Shell, which abandoned multi-billion-dollar positions after the invasion of Ukraine.

Disney is believed to be the first major Hollywood studio to pause theatrical releases in Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine.

The impact has also been felt in sports, too.

International football governing body FIFA has expelled Russia from competing in the World Cup, with Russia's business partnerships with the US hockey league the NHL ending and Russia and Belarus being sanctioned by the International Ice Hockey Federation sanctioned Russia and Belarus, which is supportive of the invasion, banning both nations from upcoming world championship tournaments. Full story here.

This is a developing story.

'Mom, it’s so hard': Russian soldier allegedly texts home invasion details from Ukraine

Courtney Greenberg 

Text messages allegedly written by a Russian soldier to his mother describe how the invading army is “hitting everyone, even civilians.”

© Provided by National Post The Security Service of Ukraine published texts allegedly written by a Russian soldier on their Telegram account. The photo shows the cracked phone of the soldier, described the role of Russia in Ukraine.

They were read aloud by Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.N. Sergiy Kyslytsya at the U.N. General Assembly Emergency Meeting on Monday.

“I would like to read from a screenshot of a smartphone of a killed Russian soldier,” he said, before reading the exchange in Russian.

Photos of the texts were released earlier by the Security Service of Ukraine on Telegram (an instant messaging service) and published in the Ukrainian media outlet Ukrinform . The circumstances surrounding the soldier’s death were not disclosed, other than it occurred in combat. Kyslytsya said the texts were sent “several moments before he was killed.”

In the exchange that has only been verified by Ukrainian sources, the soldier tells his mother, in Russian, that he is no longer in Crimea doing training exercises. When his mother asks if she can send him a parcel, he says “the only thing I want now is to hang myself.” He goes on to explain that he is in Ukraine, where there is a “real war.”

“I’m scared, we’re hitting everyone, even civilians,” he wrote. “We had been told that people would welcome us here but they jump under our vehicles, not letting us pass. They call us fascists. Mom, it’s so hard.”

© Security Service of Ukraine/Telegram A series of text messages allegedly written by a Russian soldier before he was killed in combat were published by the Security Service of Ukraine. The texts say that civilians were “hit” in the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

“If you want to just visual the magnitude of the tragedy, you have to imagine next to you, next to every name plate of every single country in this general assembly, more than 30 souls of killed Russian soldiers already,” said Kyslytsya, when he finished reading the text messages. “Next to every name of every single country in this assembly, 30 plus killed Russian soldiers. Hundreds of killed Ukrainians. Dozens of killed children. And it goes on and on and on.”

This comes as Ukraine and its allies called for a United Nations inquiry into possible war crimes committed by Russia during its actions in Ukraine.

The United Nations Human Rights Council voted on Monday to accept Ukraine’s request to hold an urgent debate on Thursday on Russia’s invasion. A Ukrainian draft resolution will be considered at the urgent debate.

If adopted, a commission of three independent experts would investigate all alleged violations of international law in Crimea and the Donetsk and Luhansk regions since 2014 and in other areas of Ukraine since Russia’s invasion last week.

Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Yevheniia Filipenko, told the Human Rights Council: “Russian forces attempt to sow panic among the population by specifically targeting kindergartens and orphanages, hospitals and mobile medical aid brigades thus committing acts that may amount to war crimes.”

Sheba Crocker, U.S. ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva, said in a statement to Reuters that Monday’s vote to hold the debate showed Russia was totally isolated on the Council.

“Only 4 countries supported Russia’s position, clearly demonstrating the international community is united in condemning Russia’s egregious action,” she said.

Russia’s ambassador Gennady Gatilov said it had launched “special operations to stop the tragedy” in Ukraine’s breakaway Donbass region, and that Russia’s forces were not firing on civilian targets in Ukraine.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov canceled his planned visit to Geneva to address the forum on Tuesday, which Moscow’s mission said was “due to an unprecedented ban on his flight in the airspace of a number of EU countries that have imposed anti-Russian sanctions,” but gave no specifics.

The cancelation coincided with neutral Switzerland imposing financial sanctions against Russian President Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and Lavrov.

British minister of state Lord Ahmad called for a probe into alleged human rights violations by Russia.

“There are various discussions taking place here at the Human Rights Council on this investigative mechanism. There are other engagements that we are having, including with the ICC (International Criminal Court), to ensure there is accountability for those crimes that are being committed every hour, every day on the sovereign territory of Ukraine,” he told Reuters.

He said Russia was increasingly isolated economically, politically and diplomatically.

“We will continue to work with our international partners to make sure that again a very clear message is given to Russia that there is a major cost economically for Russian institutions, Russian banks, that this invasion is going to be costly to them.”

Canada’s Foreign Minister Melanie Joly told the U.N. rights forum: “Allow me to convey something directly to the representative from Russia: Human rights are universal and can’t be manipulated to justify wars and crimes.”

(Additional reporting by Emma Farge; writing by Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Peter Graff and Angus MacSwan)

With reporting from Reuters

More Abbott baby formula recalled after reports of illnesses

Zoe Christen Jones 

Abbott has issued a recall for another lot of baby formula after an additional child who is believed to have consumed the formula fell ill and later died, the FDA said Monday. The recall affects one lot of Similac PM 60/40 that was made at Abbott Nutrition's Sturgis, Michigan, facility.

Parents should check any purchased formula for the lot code # 27032K80 (can) or # 27032K800 (case) and throw it away if it matches, the FDA said. Consumers can also use this link to check if they should throw away their formula.

The FDA said this lot is a special formula "for certain infants who would benefit from lowered mineral intake." It was not included in the previous recall.

"At this time, Similac PM 60/40 with lot code 27032K80 (can) / 27032K800 (case) are the only type and lots of this specialty formula being recalled," the FDA said.

The recall comes after the CDC announced that another infant who had been exposed to the formula was infected with Cronobacter sakazakii. The FDA said the Cronobacter infection "may have been a contributing cause of death." That infant was believed to have consumed product from the lot that is being recalled, the FDA said.

The recall also comes only 9 days after the company recalled multiple formulas made at the same Abbot facility, including Similac, Alimentum and EleCare. Parents are encouraged to check their formulas, as exposure to Cronobacter can cause sepsis and meningitis. Infants displaying symptoms of poor feeding, irritability, or fevers should receive immediate care.

In total, four infants have reported Cronobacter infections and one has reported a Salmonella Newport infection, according to the FDA. All five infants were hospitalized and two died, the FDA said.

© Provided by CBS News Baby formula is offered for sale at a big box store on January 13, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. / Credit: Getty Images

"We understand that infant formula is the sole source of nutrition for many infants and is an essential product," the FDA said in an advisory Monday. "FDA is working with Abbott Nutrition to better assess the impacts of the recall and understand production capacity at other Abbott facilities that produce some of the impacted brands. We are also working with Abbott Nutrition on safe resumption of production at the Sturgis, MI facility."

Why a deadly crackdown on democracy 75 years ago is becoming more important for Taiwan today 

(AND THE REST OF THE WORLD)

By Eric Cheung, Gladys Tsai and Will Ripley,

 CNN 


As a young man, Fred Chin spent years imprisoned on a craggy island off Taiwan.

© John Mees/CNN

 Former political prison Fred Chin in a former prison at Jing-Mei White Terror 

Memorial Park, where he was tortured by secret police in the 1970s.

Before he was sentenced, guards punched him, forced him to drink his own blood, and hung him upside down while they poured salty water into his mouth, he said.

Malaysian-born Chin had come to Taiwan to study at university in 1971, but had attracted the attention of the island's secret police. He doesn't know why.

They accused him of bombing a US government office in Taiwan the year before and working as a communist spy to overthrow the government in Taipei. There was no evidence, according to Chin, so secret police tortured him until he confessed to the crimes and imprisoned him for 12 years.

"They treated us like animals and didn't respect our dignity," said Chin, now 72. "They wanted me to admit that the explosion was done by me."

© John Mees/CNN Former political prison Fred Chin in a former prison at Jing-Mei White Terror Memorial Park, where he was tortured by secret police in the 1970s.

Chin was one of up to 200,000 people imprisoned during what became known as Taiwan's "white terror," a four-decade crackdown on political dissent imposed by an authoritarian regime between 1947 and 1987, according to Taiwan government estimates. Both political activists and apolitical people like Chin were caught up in the crackdown.

Until martial law lifted in 1987, the "white terror" events were considered a taboo subject.

Since 1995, the "white terror" has been commemorated each year on February 28, the date the government violently suppressed a 1947 uprising in the capital Taipei, considered to be the start of the crackdown. The date is also shorthand for its popular name -- the 228 incident.

The Taiwan government estimates that between 18,000 and 28,000 died during the uprising, while another 10,000 died in the subsequent four decades.

As Taiwan marks 75 years since the event, interest in the island's painful journey to democracy is growing -- as are fears that it could be taken away.

© John Mees/CNN Hundreds of unwanted statues of former president Chiang Kai-shek were moved to a park in Taoyuan city, as Taiwan reflects on his oppressive role during the "white terror" period.

Experts have warned that Beijing could be taking notes from Russia's invasion of Ukraine for a similar move towards Taiwan. Tensions between mainland China and Taiwan have risen significantly in the last few years -- Beijing claims self-governed Taiwan as part of its territory and has refused to rule out the use of military force.

© Gladys Tsai/CNN

 Taiwan's former vice president Annette Lu spent more than five years in prison.

Activists and onlookers say the "white terror" period only highlights how difficult it has been to win democracy on the island -- and how much Taiwan potentially stands to lose.

A long fight for freedom

Taiwan, an island off the southeastern coast of mainland China and home to 24 million people, has had a long history of being governed by overseas powers.

For five decades, Taiwan was under the control of Japanese colonial rulers. But in 1945, after Japan's defeat in WWII, the island was handed to China's then-ruling Nationalist Party -- or Kuomintang.

Less than two years later, rising tensions between local Taiwanese and their rulers from mainland China erupted into the 228 incident, said Wu Jieh-min, a political sociology professor at Taiwan's Academia Sinica.

© Chiang Ying-ying/AP 

Annette Lu in 2007, in Taipei, Taiwan.

On February 27, 1947, Taipei police hit a contraband cigarette seller in the head while confiscating her wares. When bystanders came to her defense, police fired and killed one of them.

The bystander's death sparked protests which evolved into sometimes violent riots, with demonstrators expanding their complaints to include growing inflation, corruption and conflicts between locals and mainland Chinese officials.

Facing defeat in a civil war in mainland China, Kuomintang leader Chiang Kai-shek retreated to Taiwan in 1949 and imposed martial law which lasted for 38 years -- one of the world's longest periods of martial law.

Nevertheless, activists continued to fight for democracy.

In December 1979, pro-democracy activist Annette Lu stood in front of a crowd of about 80,000 people at a human rights parade in Kaohsiung city.

She hadn't planned to speak, but as she criticized the Kuomintang government for denying freedom to the Taiwanese people, she remembers the crowd falling silent. Some had tears in their eyes, she said.

Suddenly, she saw military troops and police fire tear gas into the crowd. She was arrested along with other activist leaders and sentenced to 12 years in prison for sedition, during which time she says she wrote a novel on toilet paper. Ultimately she was released after five and a half years.

In 1987, martial law was lifted, and it was only in 1996 that Taiwan held its first direct Presidential election. In Taiwan's second-ever presidential election, Lu -- who had once been locked up for her political beliefs -- become the island's first female vice president.

© Julian Wilson/AP 

President Chiang Kai-shek in Taipei in 1956.

"Once I joined the opposition movement, I knew sooner or later I would be jailed," she added. "I told the crowd we had to fight together...The message landed me in prison, but so many people (were) inspired by me."

Taiwanese identity

Although the events of "white terror" took place decades ago, this period of history is gaining prominence in Taiwan.

"Among the younger generation, there has been heightened awareness about white terror and our history of democratization in recent years," sociology professor Wu said. "New creations of literature and artwork on this topic are evidence that more people are paying attention."

Earlier this month, Taiwanese indie rock band Sorry Youth invited a victim to appear in a music video filmed at a former detention center. In 2019, Taiwanese horror film "Detention," set during the "white terror" period, was a hit at the box office, and won numerous awards at Taipei's Golden Horse Award -- often dubbed the "Chinese-language Oscars."

And in 2018, President Tsai Ing-wen -- only the second-ever Taiwanese president not affiliated with the Kuomintang -- set up a transitional justice committee to review injustices committed during its authoritarian era. The committee officially exonerated former prisoners like Chin and Lu and offered compensation.

© Gladys Tsai/CNN

 A memorial wall inside a former political prison on Green Island, Taiwan, bears the names of thousands of prisoners sentenced during the "white terror" period.

According to Wu, the history of political suppression has played an important part in shaping a unique identity among the Taiwanese people. "Taiwan now has a shared history and identity. For many, human rights and democracy are very important," he said.

Discussions about the "white terror" period -- and the importance of democracy -- have only grown in recent years as Beijing has piled military, economic and diplomatic pressure on Taiwan to achieve its longterm goal of "reunification" with the island. China's ruling Communist Party views Taiwan as an inseparable part of its territory, despite having never controlled it.

Some politicians and analysts have raised concerns that Beijing may be watching Russia's invasion of Ukraine with an eye on Taiwan.

Last week, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said "echoes" of what happens in Ukraine "will be heard in Taiwan," while US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also said "others are watching" the Western response to Russia, "even if it's half a world away from Europe."

For its part, China says Taiwan is not Ukraine, claiming the island has belonged to China "since ancient times."

"China's sovereignty and territory have never been divided and cannot be divided. This is the status quo of the Taiwan question," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said last week when asked about comparisons made between Taiwan and Ukraine.

But while experts also pointed out differences between the geopolitical situations in Ukraine and Taiwan, the island's leaders put its military on "a high level of vigilance."

Last year China sent hundreds of warplanes into the skies above waters southwest of the island, prompting the island to issue radio warnings and deploy air defense missile systems to monitor the activities. Taiwan's Defense Minister, retired general Chiu Kuo-cheng, made a dire prediction -- by 2025, China could be able to mount a "full-scale" invasion of Taiwan.

Beijing has previously criticized Taiwan's government for using the 228 incident as a tool to promote the island's separation from mainland China.

"If China invades or takes Taiwan in the foreseeable future, I'm very worried that the 228 tragedy would happen again," Wu said.

"The tragedy of the past is why many people are scared about establishing political ties with China again," he said. "For Taiwanese people, many want to avoid this tragedy from happening again. And this is the reason why many people do not want to see Taiwan falling into the hands of a foreign regime again."

The past as a warning

Victims of the "white terror" continue to process what happened to them -- but they also hope their experiences serve as a lesson to younger generations.

Chin, who became a Taiwanese citizen after his time in prison, now spends time reminding the younger generation of Taiwan's painful history by offering guided tours at a memorial park.

"We didn't want these kinds of things to happen again, to anyone else," he said.

Another white terror victim, Chen Wu-jen, was imprisoned for two years from 1969 after he scribbled words opposing the ruling Kuomintang on the back of an aptitude test during his military conscription. He was 20.

Chen, now 73, went on to become an artist. Last year he became the first "white terror" victim to hold an exhibition at Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei, a building commemorating the leader who once oppressed him. The exhibition included his oil paintings and woodcarvings showing what it was like to be persecuted, and an area that invited visitors to reflect how Taiwan should correct its past mistakes and achieve transitional justice.

He said it is important for the younger generation to understand the sacrifices many people made for democracy. "The freedom we enjoy today did not fall from the sky, and only came about because many people worked hard for it," he added.

Lu said this message is especially important to present-day Taiwan.

"We have to insist our principles -- democracy, freedom and the dignity -- are what our people desire for," said Lu, now 77.

"Our future has always been decided by outsiders," she said. "We really want to be ourselves."

‘CODA’ Star Marlee Matlin Delivers Powerful SAG Awards Acceptance Speech: ‘We Deaf Actors Have Come A Long Way’

Corey Atad

© Photo: Rich Fury/Getty Images Eugenio Derbez, Marlee Matlin, Daniel Durant,

 Troy Kotsur, and Emilia Jones

Marlee Matlin is proud of the strides deaf actors have made.

On Sunday night, the film "CODA" surprised viewers by picking up the coveted SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.

The film beat out fellow nominees "Belfast", "Don't Look Up", "House of Gucci", and "King Richard", and Matlin delivered a powerful acceptance speech on behalf of castmates Emilia Jones, Troy Kotsur, Daniel Durant, and Eugenio Derbez.

"I'm stunned, I'm stunned," she said, in sign language.

The coming-of-age film tells the story of a child of deaf adults (CODA) who pursues her passion for singing.

"Thank you [the film's creators] for writing the words and including deaf culture, we love you," Matlin continued. "The interpreters, thank you all the CODA interpreters and all CODAs everywhere, all over the world. My kids, all four of them are CODAs."

She went on, addressing the audience in the room at the awards ceremony, "And look, you are all our peers. We deaf actors have come a long way. [For] 35 years, I have been seeing so much work out there and all this time, I've watched all of your films and I pay the deepest respect to all of you."

Matlin also added, "Is Meryl Streep here? Oh my God, I love you!"

Finally, the actress said, "This validates the fact that we deaf actors can work just like anybody else. We look forward to more opportunities for deaf actors [and] deaf culture. Thank you. We love you," before showing the audience how to say "I love you" in sign language.

Border crisis: AFRICAN Foreign students fleeing Russian invasion say they face racism

LONG READ

By Stephanie Busari, Nimi Princewill and Shama Nasinde,

 CNN 11 mins ago

As the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues, foreign students attempting to leave the country say they are experiencing racist treatment by Ukrainian security forces and border officials.

© WOJTEK RADWANSKI/AFP/Getty Images Refugees from many diffrent countries - from Africa, Middle East and India - mostly students of Ukrainian universities are seen at the Medyka pedestrian border crossing fleeing the conflict in Ukraine, in eastern Poland on February 27, 2022

© Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP/Getty Images Smoke billows over the town of Vasylkiv just outside Kyiv on February 27, 2022, after overnight Russian strikes hit an oil depot.

One African medical student told CNN that she and other foreigners were ordered off the public transit bus at a checkpoint between Ukraine and Poland border.

They were told to stand aside as the bus drove off with only Ukrainian nationals on board, she says.

Rachel Onyegbule, a Nigerian first-year medical student in Lviv was left stranded at the border town of Shehyni, some 400 miles from Ukraine's capital, Kyiv.

She told CNN: "More than 10 buses came and we were watching everyone leave. We thought after they took all the Ukrainians they would take us, but they told us we had to walk, that there were no more buses.

"They told us we had to walk. It started to rain and we walked 12 hours to get to Shehyni."

"My body was numb from the cold and we haven't slept in about 4 days now. Ukrainians have been prioritized over Africans -- men and women -- at every point. There's no need for us to ask why. We know why. I just want to get home," Onyegbule told CNN in a telephone call Sunday as she waited in line at the border to cross into Poland.

© ATTILA KISBENEDEK/AFP/Getty Images 

University students, including many from Nigeria, fleeing from the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, stow their luggage as they get on their transport bus near the Hungarian-Ukrainian border in the village of Tarpa in Hungary on February 28, 2022.

Onyegbule says she eventually got her exit document stamped on Monday morning around 4.30 a.m. local time.

Allegations of violence

Saakshi Ijantkar, a fourth-year medical student from India, also shared her ordeal with CNN Monday via a phone call from Lviv, western Ukraine.

"There are three checkposts we need to go through to get to the border. A lot of people are stranded there. They don't allow Indians to go through.

CNN has been unable to confirm the identities or affiliations of the people who operated the checkpoints, but Ijantkar said they were all wearing uniforms.

"They allow 30 Indians only after 500 Ukrainians get in. To get to this border you need to walk 4 to 5 kilometers from the first checkpoint to the second one. Ukrainians are given taxis and buses to travel, all other nationalities have to walk. They were very racist to Indians and other nationalities,'" the 22-year-old from Mumbai told CNN.

She added that she witnessed violence from the guards to the students waiting at the Ukrainian side of the Shehyni-Medyka border.

Ukrainian men aged between 18 and 60 are no longer allowed to leave the country, but that decree does not extend to men who are foreign nationals.

Ijantkar says she saw Indian men were left in queues for long hours along with other non-Ukrainian nationalities.

"They were very cruel. The second checkpoint was the worst. When they opened the gate for you to cross to the Ukrainian border, you stay between the Ukraine and Poland, the Ukrainian army don't allow Indian men and boys to cross when you get there. They only allowed the Indian girls to get in. We had to literally cry and beg at their feet. After the Indian girls got in, the boys were beaten up. There was no reason for them to beat us with this cruelty," Ijantkar said.

"I saw an Egyptian man standing at the front with his hands on the rails, and because of that one guard pushed him with so much force and the man hit the fence, which is covered in spikes, and he lost consciousness," she said.

"We took him outside to give him CPR. They just didn't care and they were beating the students, they didn't give two hoots about us, only the Ukrainians," she added.

CNN contacted the Ukrainian army in light of the allegations of violence, but did not immediately hear back.

Freezing conditions

Ijantkar said many of the students waited for at least a day, but she eventually turned back to Lviv because she was terrified, waiting in freezing temperatures with no food, water, or blankets.

"I saw people shaking so terribly in the cold, they were collapsing because of hypothermia. Some have frostbite and blisters. We couldn't get any help and (were) just standing for hours," she said.

Andriy Demchenko, a spokesman for the Border Guard Service of Ukraine told CNN Monday that allegations of segregation at the borders are untrue and that the guards are working under enormous pressure at the borders -- but are working within the law.

"From the day when (Russian President Vladimir) Putin has made an attack on Ukraine, the influx of people trying to leave Ukraine and the war zone has increased tremendously. If earlier, people trying to cross the border into the European Union and back amounted up to 50,000 (people) a day, now the amount doubled and continues to increase. There is huge pressure on checkpoints, on border guards.

"In order to speed up the process and allow larger amounts of people to cross, the government has simplified the procedure of the border crossing as much as possible. Due to the increase in the volume of the individuals crossing, people have to stay in long queues. However, I can state that everything happens according to the law. There is absolutely no division by nation, citizenship, or class at the border," Demchenko said.

Ukraine attracts many foreign students wanting to study medicine because it has a strong reputation for medical courses and tuition -- and other expenses are much lower than in programs in other Western nations.

Another stranded student told CNN on Sunday that border staff on the Ukrainian side of the border were showing prejudice against foreign students.

"They are depriving the foreigners. They are being very racist with us at the border. They tell us that Ukrainian citizens have to pass first while telling foreigners to stay back," said Nneka Abigail, a 23-year-old medical student from Nigeria.

"It's very difficult at the moment for Nigerians and other foreigners to cross. The Ukrainian officials are allowing more Ukrainians to cross into Poland. For instance, around 200 to 300 Ukrainians can cross, and then only 10 foreigners or 5 will be allowed to cross... and the duration of time is too long. It's really hard.. they push us, kick us, insult us," Abigail said.

Africans have been sharing their experiences online using the hashtag #AfricansinUkraine. Their stories have prompted an outcry and a number of crowdfunding appeals have been launched to try help those stranded in the country.

One of those who shared their story online is Korrine Sky, a medical student from Zimbabwe who had been studying in Ukraine since September.

She fled the country on Friday but, with the aid of two London-based friends, managed to raise more than £20,000 ($26,800) to help stranded Afro-Caribbean students.

"This situation we're in is a life-or-death situation. We need to make sure that all the African students cross the border successfully and safely," she said, speaking on Instagram Live from the Romanian side of the border on Sunday.

Around 500,000 refugees from Ukraine have so far crossed to neighboring European countries, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, said on Monday.

Are home countries doing enough to help their citizens?

Some of those CNN spoke to said they did not blame the Ukrainian authorities for prioritizing their citizens but rather their own governments for not making arrangements to assist them out of the country.

The "Nigerian government is being their usual nonchalant self," Onyegbule said.

"There are many of us in Ukraine. They can't just leave us like this. It's so sad but we are used to the bad governance in Nigeria. It's very sad."

Onyegbule acknowledged that there were Nigerian officials waiting to meet her and others once she crossed over into Poland.

"It would have been so helpful in Ukraine, we were looking for someone to speak on our behalf there."

Nigeria's foreign affairs minister Geoffrey Onyeama said on Twitter that Ukrainian authorities had assured him that there were no restrictions on foreigners wanting to leave Ukraine.

"Problem is the result of chaos on the border and checkpoints leading to them," he stated, adding that he is "personally coordinating with our missions in Ukraine, Poland, Russia, Romania and Hungary to ensure we get our citizens out of Ukraine and bring back to Nigeria those ready to return while supporting those who are remaining in Ukraine."

CNN has reached out to nyeama for comment on allegations that the Nigerian government hasn't done enough to help its citizens leave Ukraine.

African nations on the UN Security Council Monday condemned discrimination against African citizens at the Ukrainian border during a UNSC meeting at the UN HQ in New York City.

"We strongly condemn this racism and believe that it is damaging to the spirit of solidarity that is so urgently needed today. The mistreatment of African peoples on Europe's borders needs to cease immediately, whether to the Africans fleeing Ukraine or to those crossing the Mediterranean," Kenyan Ambassador to the UN Martin Kimani said Monday.

Onyegbule, the first-year medical student, said she was attracted to study in Ukraine because she was looking for a "safe and cheap option outside Nigeria."

"Generally living in Ukraine has been peaceful, it's a beautiful country. Sometimes in the trams, people don't want to sit beside you and they stare at you but generally, the Ukrainians are nice people," she said.

Yellowstone National Park celebrates 150th anniversary

By Forrest Brown, CNN 

Beth Pratt first explored the wonders of Yellowstone National Park through the pages of a book.

© Amanda Mortimer/Adobe Stock Sunlight illuminates the spray as the Yellowstone River crashes over the Lower Falls.

Inside a tattered hardcover entitled "National Parks of the U.S.A.," she still has a list where she penned in five Western parks she dreamed of visiting. Among the quintet was Yellowstone.

"I can still remember gazing endlessly at the photographs of granite peaks, roaring waterfalls and magnificent wildlife, and daydreaming about wandering in those landscapes. I would think 'someday, someday ...'" she told CNN Travel.

Her someday came during a cross-country trip from her Massachusetts home to California. As for her first look at Yellowstone, "it was truly a moment of awe."

Pratt, who later took a job at the park, shared an entry from her journal dated September 20, 1991:

"Yellowstone is beautiful. No description I could give would do it justice -- I am no John Muir. It is enchanting and full of natural wonders and the wildlife are everywhere. A Disneyland for naturalists. Right now, I'm watching a herd of elk across from my campsite. The bull sings to his herd an eerie song, yet a sound suited to the land."

© Jacob W. Frank/NPS Wildlife such as bighorn sheep put visitors back in touch with nature.

Indeed, Yellowstone is a land rich in dates and memories.

The park -- 96% of which is in Wyoming, 3% in Montana and 1% in Idaho -- is celebrating a major milestone this year.

On March 1, 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant signed the Yellowstone National Park Protection Act into law. With the stroke of his pen, he created the first national park in the United States but also the world.

© khomlyak/Adobe Stock Get your steps in at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.

On this 150th anniversary, the National Park Service and Yellowstone fans look at the past, present and future with events planned well into the year.

A very short account of a very long history

Yellowstone's history actually begins way before 1872, and it wasn't as untouched as many people might think. For thousand of years, we have evidence of people thriving on the land's bounty.

© F.Gottschalk/Adobe Stock Grand Prismatic Spring is an otherwordly sight at Yellowstone National Park.

"Some of the modern trails frequented by hikers in Yellowstone are believed to be relics of Indigenous corridors dating all the way back to roughly 12,000 years ago," the US Geological Survey says.

It was familiar ground to Blackfeet, Cayuse, Coeur d'Alene, Kiowa, Nez Perce, Shoshone and other tribes -- all believed to have explored and used the land here, the USGS says.

They "hunted, fished, gathered plants, quarried obsidian and used the thermal waters for religious and medicinal purposes, the NPS says. (Yellowstone sits atop a supervolcano, and it has the world's greatest concentration of geysers as well as hot springs, steam vents and mudpots, the NPS says.)

While the Indigenous people lived in balance with the land, waves of westward US expansion began putting pressure on wilderness areas throughout the West.

European Americans began exploring the area that's now Yellowstone in the early 1800s, according to the NPS, and the first organized expedition entered the area in 1870. Vivid reports from the expeditions helped persuade Congress -- whose members hadn't even seen it -- to protect the land from private development.

Just two years later, Yellowstone was officially created.

Significance of Yellowstone 'cannot be overstated'

The creation of Yellowstone was a game changer and a trendsetter.

It helped usher in more US national parks, with California's Sequoia and Yosemite joining the roster in 1890. Mount Rainier was added to the list in 1899. Today, there are 63 national parks, with the newest being New River Gorge in December 2020.

Ken Burns titled his 2009 documentary on US national parks "America's Best Idea." Its value has made it a UNESCO World Heritage site.

"The significance of Yellowstone to wildlife conservation and preserving our wild heritage cannot be overstated," said Pratt, who is currently California regional executive director for the National Wildlife Federation.

She said the formation of the park ensured "that our natural heritage is held in trust for future generations" and "inspired other public land protections like the open space movement -- so the legacy of Yellowstone for the common good extends far beyond even the national park system.

"Yellowstone National Park also serves as a time capsule, a sort of 'land that time forgot' in terms of wildlife. It's one of the few places you can get a sense of a past when wildlife dominated our world," Pratt said via email.

Jenny Golding is a writer, photographer and founding editor of A Yellowstone Life, a website dedicated to helping people connect with the park. She runs it with her husband George Bumann, a sculptor and naturalist.

They told CNN Travel in an email interview that "Yellowstone has always set the example for preservation and conservation, and balancing those goals with visitation and education."

"The significance of the park has changed over time, but in recent history it has shown us the critical role of wild places in contemporary life," Bumann said.

"The park has been a global leader in establishing the range of possibilities and approaches to caring for wild animals and landscapes. It's also a place for us to find our collective and individual center. People come here expecting to be transformed, or enlightened, in ways they don't in other places."

Golding concurs. "You can't help but be a part of something bigger here," she said.

"We live and breathe Yellowstone; it's in the very fiber of our being -- the wilderness, the animals, the smell of hot springs in the air. For us, Yellowstone means so many things -- wildness, presence and connection with something deep and intangible."


Mistakes were made

Running the park has been a 150-year learning experience, to put it mildly.

Yellowstone has an uneven history in environmental management and consideration of the Indigenous peoples' historical ties to the area, said Superintendent Cameron Sholly in an online presentation earlier this year.

"If we rewind to 1872 ... we didn't have a very good track record of resource conservation in the country. It was basically nonexistent," Sholly said. "Once Yellowstone became a park in 1872, the small group trying to protect it had a really tough time, initially."

And mistakes were made all along the way, Sholly said.

"We didn't get it right in many ways. Our government policies were generally to rid the park of predators, and we did that. We did it in mass." He noted that wolves and cougars were completely rooted out, and the bear population was decreased significantly.

"Beyond predators, we decimated the bison population from tens of thousands in the park to less than 25 animals, and we basically tinkered with the ecosystem and took it completely out of balance, really unknowingly at that point in time." Sholly said. "Even if you fast forward to the 1960s, we were feeding bears out of garbage dumps so visitors could see them."

Since then, there's been a turnaround in attitudes and wildlife.

"So although we're talking about 150 years of Yellowstone ... most of the success of us putting the pieces back together of this ecosystem have occurred largely over the last 50 to 60 years."

He cited the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone in 1995, which "remains probably the single largest successful conservation effort in the history of this country, if not the world."

Honoring a long legacy

Sholly also acknowledged work remains regarding Indigenous people.

"We're putting a heavy emphasis in this area in the fact that many tribes were here thousands of years before Yellowstone became a park."

He noted the transfer of 28 Yellowstone bison into the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes' Fort Peck Indian Reservation "as part of an ongoing effort to move live bison from Yellowstone to tribal nations" and upcoming efforts to educate visitors about the park's long Indigenous history.

"We also want to use this anniversary to do a better job of fully recognizing many American Indian nations that lived in this area for thousands of years prior to Yellowstone becoming a park."

And even more challenges loom on the 150th anniversary. Yellowstone has invasive species such as lake trout and is affected by climate change. Yellowstone and other popular parks are figuring out how to best handle record crowds. And the park must continue to cope with fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Anniversary events

Because of the pandemic, the park isn't planning any large-scale, in-person events for now. But it is holding virtual programs and some smaller in-person programs.

Some of the highlights:

• Badges: This summer, the park's Junior Ranger Program is free of charge. You can go to a park visitor center or information station to get a booklet and earn a badge during your visit.

• Lodging history: Yellowstone National Park Lodges will host a public event at the Old Faithful Inn on May 6, coinciding with the seasonal opening of the historic inn. A Native American art exhibition and marketplace will be open May 6-8.

• Tribal Heritage Center: From May to September 2022, visitors can go to the Tribal Heritage Center at Old Faithful. There, Native American artists and scholars can directly engage with visitors, who will learn how the tribes envision their presence in the park now and in the future.

• Horses: From July 28 to 30, members of the Nez Perce Appaloosa Horse Club will ride a section of the Nez Perce Trail, hold a parade in traditional regalia and conduct trail rides.

• Symposium: The University of Wyoming's 150th Anniversary of Yellowstone Symposium is scheduled for May 19-20, both virtually and in-person at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming. Free registration is required.

Click here to get for the full listing of currently planned events.


Favorite spots in Yellowstone

With the 150th anniversary approaching, Jenny Golding of A Yellowstone Life reflected on her time at the park.

"I first came to the park on a coyote research study in 1997. George [Bumann] and I came back on our honeymoon, and then returned permanently in 2002," she said. "I had done a lot of hiking and traveling before Yellowstone, but there was no place that touched my soul the way Yellowstone did. Yellowstone has a living, breathing heart."

They've lived there permanently since 2002, "initially working with the park's nonprofit education partner and now independently."

As for a special place in the park, Bumann loves Lamar Valley, which is noted for its easy viewing of large numbers of animals.

"It's a place where you see the Earth for what it has come to be over the course of millions of years, not for the things we've done to it. But every time I go out, I find new special things in different places in the park."

Beth Pratt, who lived and worked at Yellowstone from 2007 to 2011 overseeing sustainability projects, had a hard time narrowing down to a favorite place.

But when pressed, the author of "When Mountain Lions Are Neighbors" said, "I have to give my favorite place in Yellowstone to Norris Geyser Basin. Old Faithful gets all the attention, but Norris is full of wonders.

"Norris Geyser Basin is described in the NPS guide as 'one of the hottest and most dynamic of Yellowstone's hydrothermal areas.' But even this description is an understatement -- the otherworldly nature of the area simply evokes awe. When you visit the basin, it's like being transported to another planet."

And the memories of the animals stay with her.

"I once saw nine different grizzly bears in one day and had almost 40 bighorn sheep wander by me one day as I ate my lunch. Yellowstone is a wildlife immersion experience like no other in our country."