After referendum rout, Chile leader pursues quest for new constitution


Paulina ABRAMOVICH, Paula BUSTAMANTE
Mon, September 5, 2022 


President Gabriel Boric vowed Monday to press ahead with efforts to replace Chile's dictatorship-era constitution, hours after voters rejected a first draft in a setback to his leftist reform agenda.

Boric, 36, met the rejection by 61.8 percent of voters with "humility," he said, while adding there was "latent discontent" against deep-rooted social inequality in the country.

Sunday's "No" majority vote -- by a far larger margin than projected by pollsters -- was the latest in a wave of recent political and social showdowns in the country.

It started with protests in 2019 for a fairer, more equal society, which led to a referendum in 2020 in which 80 percent voted for replacing the constitution.

A left-leaning convention was elected last year to do the drafting work, and in December, Boric took office after beating a right-wing rival by campaigning against Chile's neoliberal economic model -- protected by the constitution.

The constitution, which dates from the rule of dictator Augusto Pinochet, is widely blamed for making companies and the elite richer at the expense of the poor, working classes.

Among the proposals that proved most controversial, the text would have entrenched the right to elective abortion and guaranteed stronger protections for Indigenous rights.
- Try again -

After the overwhelming rejection, Boric called on politicians to "put Chile ahead of any legitimate differences and agree as soon as possible on the deadlines and parameters for a new constitutional process."

He invited party representatives to talks starting Monday, but none of the right-wing opposition have indicated whether they would attend.

According to analysts, most Chileans and political parties want a new constitution, but not the one they got to vote on.

One exception is far-right politician Jose Antonio Kast -- Boric's vanquished rival in December elections -- who is against a constitutional change.

"The right is split among the more moderate sectors, which have committed to changes and reforms... and the most extreme sectors, which I believe are not ready for that change," said analyst Cecilia Osorio of the University of Chile.

The referendum was "disappointing" for public servant Carola, who said the draft was "very progressive on environmental issues" and women's rights.

"It is a bit difficult" to accept the rejection, she told AFP.

But Pablo Valdez, a 43-year-old lawyer among those celebrating the rejection, said the outcome made him "hopeful" that "tensions will be reduced."

The Chilean Stock Exchange opened 3.65 percent higher Monday and the peso strengthened 3.2 percent to 885.52 to the US dollar.

Boric, Chile's youngest-ever president painted by his detractors as a "communist", had won his election with promises creating rights-driven "welfare state" in one of the world's most unequal countries.
- 'Pinochet is alive' -

Proposals to protect the environment and natural resources such as water -- which some say is exploited by private mining companies -- garnered much attention in the constitutional debate.

The new constitution would also have overhauled Chile's Congress, while requiring women to hold at least half of positions in public institutions.

Many had feared the new text would generate instability and uncertainty, which could harm the economy.

But supporters believed it would prompt necessary changes in a conservative country marked by social and ethnic tensions.

Although the constitution has undergone several reforms since its adoption in 1980, it retains the stigma of having been introduced during the military dictatorship of Pinochet.

The draft new text was drawn up by an elected, left-leaning constitutional convention made up of 154 members, split equally between men and women and with 17 places reserved for Indigenous people.

Colombia's President Gustavo Petro, an ally of Boric, tweeted after the rejection on Monday that: "Pinochet is alive in some political sectors of the Americas."

The European Union for its part, said it took "note of the commitment expressed by President Boric and across the political spectrum on the need to pursue the constitutional process."

pb-pa-apg/lbc/mlr/bgs


Too much, too fast? Why Chile’s draft constitution was roundly rejected

FRANCE 24 - Yesterday 

Chileans have overwhelmingly rejected a draft constitution that would have replaced the constitution adopted during Augusto Pinochet's dictatorship, dealing a blow to the country's youthful President Gabriel Boric.




Although rejection had been expected in Sunday's plebiscite, the almost 24-point margin was a shocking repudiation of a document that was three years in the making and had been promoted as a democratic effort to replace the constitution imposed by Gen. Augusto Pinochet 41 years ago.

The constitution, written by a convention split equally between male and female delegates, characterised Chile as a plurinational state, would have established autonomous Indigenous territories, and prioritised the environment and gender parity.

With 99.9 percent of the votes counted, the rejection camp led by 61.9 percent to 38.1 percent and turnout was heavy, with voting mandatory.

Analysts say some of the proposals in the draft constitution were too radical for most voters – a majority of whom have made it clear they want a new constitution, just not this one.

Here are five possible factors behind Sunday's vote.

Going too far?

Many of the draft's most ground-breaking proposals raised concerns that things may be changing too much, too fast.

"There was certain content... that generated resistance from broad sectors of society and increased levels of fear and uncertainty," said Marcelo Mella, a political scientist at the University of Santiago.

Catholic-majority Chile was deeply divided on draft proposals guaranteeing the right to abortion, declaring access to water and health care as human rights, and specifically recognizing Indigenous rights, which some say undermines the goal of national unity.

"A part of the (draft) constitution is very 'millennial,' and those 'millennial' values are not what the more traditional part (of society) wants," said sociologist Marta Lagos.

Voters were also torn over a proposal to replace the Senate, the upper house of the bicameral Congress, with a so-called Chamber of Regions.

While it would have better represented regional interests, it would have had less power than the existing Senate. Detractors feared this could weaken the opposition's veto powers, leaving too much power in the hands of the president.

Drafting disarray

Much of the drafting process was combative, with even the constitutional assembly's opening session marred by protests from its own members.

Several issues had to be shelved, with negotiators unwilling to compromise, and there were numerous verbal assaults.

"More than the result of the text itself, what people had been evaluating poorly... was the way this process unfolded," political analyst Marco Moreno of the Central University of Chile told AFP.

Voters were put off by disrespectful behaviour and "excesses" on the part of some assembly members, he said.

One member reportedly cast a vote from the shower, for example, while others came to work dressed as the Pokemon character Pikachu or a dinosaur.

As he acknowledged the draft's rejection on Monday, President Gabriel Boric said it was necessary for leaders to “work with more determination, more dialogue, more respect” to reach a new proposal “that unites us as a country”.

Rebuking Boric

Boric, 36, is Chile’s youngest-ever president and a former student protest leader. He had tied his fortunes so closely to the new document that analysts said it was likely some voters saw the plebiscite as a referendum on his government.

After initial euphoria at his electoral victory last December, his approval rating recently declined to just 38 percent – the same as the constitutional "Yes" vote.

Boric, who had promised a rights-driven "welfare state" in place of the neo-liberal status quo, has had to contend with social unrest driven partly by economic hard times, and some have questioned the wisdom of dramatic changes in policy now.

"There is an important protest vote" in the outcome of the constitutional process, said Moreno.

After Sunday's blow, Boric said he would shuffle his government team and host political talks on how best to restart the constitutional process.

Economic downturn

After record growth of 11.7 percent in 2021, boosted by early withdrawals from pension funds and state assistance to people contending with the pandemic, the Chilean economy entered a phase of slowdown and high inflation.

"When our country decided to open the constituent process... it did not have the level of economic crisis it has today," said Mella.

"People's risk assessment may have changed, given the dramatic change in economic conditions," he added.

The Chilean peso strengthened and stocks in the Santiago market soared on Monday after rejection of a constitution that would have increased environmental regulations on businesses.

Shy voter factor

Despite polls that foresaw the defeat, no pollster had predicted such a large margin for rejection of what would have been one of the most progressive constitutions in the world.

Analysts point to the so-called "spiral of silence", the phenomenon in which people may hide their opinion on a controversial subject if they perceive they are in a minority, including from pollsters.

The high voter turnout of more than 80 percent – 13 million out of some 15 million eligible voters – was unexpected, though participation was technically compulsory.

"Practically everyone who had to vote" did so," said Moreno. "That was not in any analysis."

(FRANCE 24 with AFP and AP)

An overnight, climate-friendly train trip to Croatia

Traveling by night train is becoming increasingly popular, and new connections are added every year. DW reporter Lisa Stüve put it to the test and took the night train from Munich to Zagreb.



Rather than battling the chaos at airports, a night train offers the option of settling down for the night and waking up at your destination


At Munich's Ostbahnhof station, I am greeted by the smell of Leberkäse meatloaf and other Bavarian cuisine. Much to my delight, the night train to Zagreb is already waiting at platform 12, ready to depart. The conductor of the Croatian railroad company HZPP directs me to my sleeping carriage, speaking a mixture of German, Croatian and English. A short time later, the train jolts into motion in a southeasterly direction.

As I stand with other passengers in the aisle sipping a beer, conversations quickly develop about previous night train trips and the destinations we are heading to. On a plane this would be a rare experience. At most there might be a brief exchange with the person sitting next to me.

The adventure can begin: DW reporter Lisa Stüve in front of the overnight train to Zagreb
On the night train, the journey is part of the travel experience

Time and again, conversations during the journey reveal that it is this different way of traveling that makes the night train so special. Thirty-seven-year-old Sarah, from Belgium, whom I meet on the journey, tells me that she loves that the night train takes its time to get to the destination and that she can really feel the distance of the trip.

Sarah is not alone in her appreciation of slow travel. Night trains are not currently a mass phenomenon, and there is still a lack of attractive routes and offers, both nationally and internationally, but the idea of boarding a train in the evening and getting off the next day rested and stress-free is experiencing a renaissance and gaining more and more fans. Matthias Gastel, rail policy spokesman for Germany's Green Party, envisions a Europe-wide night train network that would make inner-European flights largely superfluous.

"Since most of the COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, night trains on the Munich-Zagreb route have been fully booked, especially on summer weekends," says Ivana Cubelic of corporate communications at Croatian railroad company HZPP. People have a desire to catch up on travel after two years of being locked-down, according to the German Travel Association. But it's not just the desire to travel that is driving demand for night train travel, it's also increasing environmental awareness.

When it's crowded, the night journey can become uncomfortable

I encounter a family from Berlin who are on their way to Albania. Parents Bianca and Thomas tell me that there had been heated discussions at the breakfast table about the pros and cons of travel in times of climate change. Their daughter is part of the Friday's for Future movement, started by environmental campaigner Greta Thunberg, and insisted on train travel. In the end, they came to a compromise: go to their destination by train and bus, return by plane.

Ismail from Amsterdam, who has been on the road since 8 a.m., explains his decision to take the night train as follows: "In my circle of friends, awareness of the climate crisis we are currently experiencing is quite pronounced. Some are stricter and don't fly at all. If I want to travel with them, I have to follow that."
Growing rail network

My plan is to board in Munich in the evening and get off in Zagreb in the morning. From there, I will continue by bus to the Croatian Adriatic coast. The distance from Munich to Zagreb is just under 550 kilometers (342 miles). A one-way ticket from Munich to Zagreb cost €80 ($80). For the sake of simplicity, I booked the ticket directly through the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB). Wido and Johannes, my fellow travelers from Weimar, complain that you have to be very skilled to book a ticket. They say many get so frustrated with the complicated booking system, that they give up and use the car. But that may soon change.

The European night train network is to be expanded and extended in the coming years, and the compatibility of international bookings is also to be improved. German rail operator Deutsche Bahn is joining in, albeit in cooperation with European partner companies and without its own wagons. Thirteen more major European cities are to be accessible by night train in the coming years. The Berlin-Brussels and Berlin-Paris routes are set to begin in December 2023.

Night trains are becoming increasingly popular, which is why the railroads are continuing to expand their route network

A climate-friendly alternative

On the night train to Zagreb, passengers agree that demand will continue to rise. Alex from Bonn, who is traveling to Slovenia with friends for a hiking vacation, says that Deutsche Bahn needs to do its homework, advertise the service better and promote night trains as a viable alternative to flying.

Ecologically, the advantages of taking the train are clear. If the route from Munich to Zagreb is covered by rail, this produces around 20 kilograms of CO2 per passenger. By plane, the figure is 130 kilograms, according to the online calculator EcoPassenger. But as we all know, people do not only choose means of transport for ecological reasons. Despite all the climate debates, air travel between major European cities is often cheaper than traveling by overnight train. After all, air travel is subsidized, with kerosene tax and and VAT scrapped on cross-border flights.

Not exactly luxurious, but good for waking up: my breakfast on the night train to Zagreb
The journey is part of the adventure

It's not just the carbon footprint that's much lower on train journeys. Night trains also afford greater comfort and a nicer travel experience than flights.

On the way to Zagreb I am lucky, with a six-person compartment all to myself. Two weeks later, I will discover that the sleeping experience is somewhat less romantic and comfortable when the carriage is fully occupied. For those who are light sleepers, the night train adventure can quickly turn into an all-nighter, leaving you feeling rather groggy the next day.

While looking out the window early in the morning en route to Zagreb, I see picturesque meadows framed by imposing mountains. Breakfast is basic, consisting of a croissant and a jet-black coffee. It takes the last of the tiredness out of my limbs. We arrive in Zagreb shortly before 9 a.m.

My destination: the Croatian Adriatic coast. The journey was an adventure in itself.

As I walk from the main train station to the nearby bus station, the city seems deserted on this Sunday morning. The last leg of my journey takes me by bus to the coastal town of Zadar. After another three hours, I am rewarded for the almost 17-hour journey — with a plunge in the clear waters of the Croatian Adriatic.

This article was originally written in German.

EUROPE'S MOST SCENIC TRAIN LINES
Flam Line, Norway
This 20-kilometer (12-mile) route in southern Norway connects Flam with Myrdal mountain railway station, situated 867 meters (2,844 feet) above sea level. Touted to be the country's most beautiful train ride, this journey takes you past an impressive waterfall and through a gorgeous valley. A return ticket will set you back about €60 ($62).
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High speed rail to displace flights amid airport chaos?

Cancellations, short staffing and lost baggage currently make flying a nightmare. In Europe, trains are set to become a faster, more reliable and climate-friendly alternative.

Africa: Rich nations pledge funds at climate crisis summit

Africa generates less than 3% of all greenhouse gas emissions, but experts say it is particularly vulnerable to climate change. Wealthy nations say they'll do more to help African nations cope with climate shocks.

African nations are at the frontline of a global climate emergency inspite of contributing least to it

Wealthy nations said they would spend about $25 billion (€25 billion) by 2025 to boost Africa's efforts to adapt to climate change, according to officials at a climate summit in Rotterdam, Netherlands, held Monday.

The summit was the first ever to bring together leaders from across many governments and institutions, like the World Trade Organization and the International Monetary Fund, to discuss climate adaption techniques for Africa.

The amount pledged was billed as the largest ever climate adaptation effort globally.

Akinwumi A. Adesina, president of the African Development Bank, told DW that Africa was not just affected by climate change, but "distressed" by it.

Africa and the climate crisis

Africa is the world's most climate-vulnerable continent, according to the latest UN assessment.

The summit gains importance because it comes before the 27th annual summit of the Conference of the Parties (COP27) in Egypt, to be held in November.

It was at COP26 in Glasgow that leaders revisited 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. They also made a new commitment to bring more international funding for rapid climate adaption measures.

The African Adaptation Summit takes place just weeks after the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) found that rich countries had failed to deliver on their 2009 promise to spend $100 billion a year by 2020 to help developing countries adapt to global warming.

The OECD said richer nations gave $83.3 billion to poorer nations in 2020, the highest ever sum, but still short of the original amount.

African nations generate less than 3% of all greenhouse gas emissions but they're suffering "a deluge of problems," Adesina told DW.

Adesina added that Africa loses anywhere between "$7 billion and $15 billion a year as a result of climate change."

How can Africa tackle climate change?

Adesina told the summit that Africa does not have the financial resources to tackle climate change since it only receives "3% of the total climate financing."

Africa will need between $1.3 and $1.6 trillion this decade to implement itss commitments to Paris climate agreement, an annual cost between $140 and $300 billion, Adesina said.

He told DW he is not too concerned whether African can balance the needs of its economy as well as commit to climate adaption techniques.

He maintains African nations have vast gas reserves, and given the crisis in Europe, may even be able to help European countries to secure gas supplies in the future.

Still, despite the presence of leaders and four African presidents at the summit, Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations, Amina Jane Mohammed, said it was important to take note of those who weren't there.

She told DW that the struggle was to "continue to see this [climate change] as an existential threat for everyone and not just for one side of the world."

Mohammed said a major problem was that while money was available for climate finance, very little of it found its way to Africa.

"The truth of the matter is that the resources that we need, need to be leveraged. They need to be de-risked… that's not happening. And it needs to happen yesterday."

Mohammed added it was crucial for climate adaptation techniques to take effect.

"This is an implementation COP. It's happening in Africa. If we can't demonstrate commitments to Africa at this time, then really the promises are broken," she told DW.

Associated Press material contributed to the report 

Nigeria: Police seek Lagos property developer after building collapse

At least six people have died in yet another building collapse in Nigeria. Authorities fear the death toll could be much higher.

The death toll is expected to increase

Nigerian authorities are seeking a property developer after a deadly building collapse, they announced on Monday.

A seven-level building that was under construction in an upscale area of Lagos collapsed on Sunday, killing at least six people.

Authorities fear the death toll could be higher, with few survivors found. The collapse occurred on Victoria Island.

In the wake of the accident, police said they were seeking the developer responsible for the construction.

The city's planning and development commissioner has also submitted his resignation, coming under pressure amid frequent building collapses in the state.

The commissioner accused the developer of "having embarked on construction without a valid planning permit and ignoring official warnings against continuing."

At least 10 buildings collapsed in Nigeria last year, with the sprawling megacity of Lagos home to six of those. In one incident, more that 40 people died when a high-rise collapsed while under construction.

And since 2005, at least 152 buildings have collapsed in the city of roughly 20 million people, according to a South African university researcher investigating construction disasters.

Many residents of Africa's most populous nation reside in crumbling buildings, while construction safety regulations are often ignored.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has demanded that construction standards be overhauled, describing the frequent building collapses as "increasingly embarrassing."

At least one social media user complained about unsafe work at the latest building just days ahead of the collapse. It was being built next to a hospital in the neighborhood of Oniru.

aw/msh (AFP, AP)

Activists push to renew Germany's popular 9-euro ticket system

Germany's €9 monthly ticket — designed to help combat rising living costs — is over, but an activist group hopes to force the German government to reintroduce the affordable ticket scheme by riding ticketless en masse.

For three months, passengers could traverse Germany for just nine euro per month

An initiative by activists is attempting to continue Germany's popular 9-euro ticket scheme — which sold about 52 million tickets — though without official recognition. The ticket, which was available for just three months and allowed passengers to travel on local and regional public transit throughout Germany for just €9 ($8.92) per month, ended on August 31.

The low-cost ticket was introduced to ease the financial burden on consumers amid high inflation and sharply rising energy costs. Many people in Germany would like to see the payment scheme made permanent — and now a group is taking some unusual steps to continue paying just €9 per month.

9 Euro Fund: how it works

The 9 Euro Fund uses paying members' monthly membership fees to fully cover fines its ticketless members incur while riding public transport — even for multiple penalties.

Demand for the 9 Euro Fund has been high. The campaign's spokesperson, Leo Maurer, told DW that "10,000 people have either become a member or donated" to the fund already — and 20 paying members have incurred fines.

The Fund's organizers recommend that passengers traveling without a regular ticket display a tag — printable from its website — clearly stating that the passenger is traveling without a ticket. The Fund's organizers believe publicly announcing their intentionally ticketless travel will spare passengers possibly being charged by authorities with obtaining services by fraud — a more serious offense than just incurring a fine for riding without a ticket.


 

GERMANY: TOURISM SECTOR REVIEWS THE 9-EURO TICKET

Sylt — a dream island destination at a bargain price

The white dream beaches of the North Sea island of Sylt attract hundreds of thousands of vacationers every year. Most of them are well-heeled, because Sylt is one of the most expensive vacation destinations in Germany. With the 9-euro ticket, at least the journey was possible at a bargain price.

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The 9 Euro Fund began covering ticketless riders on Thursday following the end of the 9-euro ticket scheme. The fund's first day in operation coincided with a separate nationwide ticketless ride organized by the climate activist group Last Generation. The latter group told DW their goal was to show "that our government isn't even taking the easiest steps that are, so to speak, absolute no-brainers, to lower CO2 emissions and prevent us from a climate catastrophe."

Activists from other countries in Europe have organized similar funds. In Sweden, the Planka.nu campaign has offered passengers a ticketless travel scheme similar to the 9 Euro Fund for more than 20 years. Another initiative, called "yo no pago" ("I don't pay"), exists in Spain and covers the fines ticketless passengers incur.

Legal questions surround ticket activism

One of the 9 Euro Fund's main goals is to pressure the German government into extending the reduced-cost public transport ticket into the future. But the initiative's spokesperson told DW that the fund was not meant to be permanent, and that the group has not decided how long it will continue the initiative.

The group's strategy is another gray area. 

Benjamin Grunst, an attorney specializing in criminal law, told DW that the legality of the 9 Euro Fund’s tactics is murky. While the organization's offer to pay fines incurred while traveling without a ticket is legal, he said that public incitement to commit a crime — in some cases and areas, fare evasion may be against the law — would be a criminal offense. 

"The operators are sailing very close to the legal wind here," Grunst said. "I assume that the public prosecutor's office will promptly investigate whether there is an initial suspicion of a criminal offense."

Germans revive Cold War Monday demonstrations amid inflation

Protesters from Germany's left and the right have called for regular Monday protests against the rising cost of living. These evoke the peaceful revolution in East Germany but also of recent anti-immigrant rallies.

By helping bring down communist East Germany, Monday demonstrations have a storied history in Germany

Parties on both the left and right of the political spectrum in Germany have announced a "hot autumn" with regular Monday demonstrations.

The socialist Left Party was the first to announce the new series of protests against Germany's rising prices for gas, energy and food. 

It chose Leipzig, a city in former East Germany, as the location for its first Monday march on September 5. 

The choice of Leipzig has a powerful symbolic resonance: This is where East Germans played a decisive role in toppling the dictatorship in the German Democratic Republic (GDR) with their Monday demonstrations.

THERE WAS ONCE A WALL...
The Wall that no one feared anymore
Just 48 hours after the borders were opened, the so-called "death strip" had lost its power to terrify. Berliners celebrated in front of, behind and on top of the concrete wall that had divided the city. East and West Germans were one people again.
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What were Cold War Monday demonstrations?

It all started with prayers meetings at Leipzig's St Nicholas Church that evolved into demonstrations in September 1989. These peaceful protests eventually spilled into other towns and cities across East Germany. 

Protests around the 40th anniversary celebrations of the GDR on October 7, 1989, were met with a forceful response by the state. Despite the increased international attention at the time, some 3,500 people were arrested and many others injured throughout East Germany.

The next day, October 8, some 8,000 police and armed military units gathered in Leipzig. This triggered fears that the state would crack down on the Monday demonstration by using the "Chinese Solution" —  a term East Germans used to refer to the Chinese massacre of pro-democracy protesters in Tianamen Square, which had occured only a few months previously. 

More than 70,000 protesters, out of Leipzig's population of 500,000, turned out and marched peacefully on that date. Across the country, hundreds of thousands protested against the communist regime of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) at the time, chanting "We are the people!"

The security forces backed down.

In 2004, East German protesters took to the streets of Leipzig on Mondays 

to show their anger against labor market reforms

AfD and Free Saxons compete with the Left Party

The fact that Monday was chosen for this week's marches obviously enhances that symbolism, something that has not gone down well with some.

The Green Party criticized Sören Pellmann, a Leipzig-based member of the Bundestag and Left Party's eastern Germany representative, for using the term "Monday demonstration," as he believed it had a  symbolic meaning that was directed against the SED, the Left's precursor party.

The Greens also accused the Left Party of accepting "that far-right appropriations of the Monday demonstrations in the center of the city could become acceptable."

That was an allusion to the fact that in addition to the Left Party, several right-wing parties have also called for demonstrations, including the far-right splinter party called Free Saxons and far-right populist Alternative for Germany (AfD), which is represented in the Bundestag and under surveillance by Germany's domestic intelligence agency.

The Left Party leadership has defended itself against the accusations. They are aware of the danger coming from the right, said Janine Wissler, who shares the party leadership with Martin Schirdewan.

As for Schirdewan, he defended the plan for the Leipzig demonstration as a "powerful, peaceful protest" for a political course correction.

The protest slogan translates as "Unburden people. Cap prices. Tax excess profits." Wissler argued: "Protests against the economic and social consequences of the war in Ukraine should not be left to the right. After all, the Left is the party of social justice."

But right-wing extremists have already demonstrated the danger of appropriation. "Together against those up there": Under this slogan, the smallest party had registered its rally at the same location as the Left near Leipzig's main train station, giving the impression that it was pulling together with its political opponents. The Left Party successfully took legal action against this.

Far-right xenophobic demonstrations by the PEGIDA movement turned violent 

like here in Chemnitz on Monday August 27,2018

The far-right appropriates the battle cry: 'We are the people'

The label "Monday demonstration" has been appropriated many times since Germany's reunification in 1990, by both the left and the right. In 2004, the Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS), another forerunner of today's Left Party, mobilized against what was known as "Agenda 2010," the then government's reforms of unemployment benefits.

In 2014, the xenophobic"Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamization of the Occident" (PEGIDA) launched demonstrations against immigration every Monday, first in the state of Saxony and later throughout Germany. The movement reached its peak when Chancellor Angela Merkel allowed around a million refugees in 2015 and 2016, mainly from war-torn countries such as Syria and Afghanistan, to enter Germany to claim asylum.

In the Saxon capital of Dresden alone, up to 25,000 people took to the streets, specifically echoing the tradition of the GDR's peaceful revolution with the slogan: "We are the people." PEGIDA protests still take place today, though more than 200 people rarely take part.

Protesters against COVID regulations appropriated the Monday demonstrations 

in 2021, labeling their far-right protests as 'Monday evening strolls'

COVID protest disguised as a 'stroll'

Another mass movement emerged temporarily at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, when protests against the government's policies to contain the virus were called "Monday strolls" in an attempt to evade and satirize lockdown restrictions. However, with falling infection figures and the removal of almost all restrictions, such as mandatory masks in stores, cinemas or concert halls, this variant of the Monday demonstrations has also died down.

Now the Monday demonstrations are set to bloom again. The dispute about the alleged or actual misuse of the original from the fall of 1989 will probably continue.

This article was originally written in German.

Ukraine war and the long tradition of deception

Deceiving the enemy is an important war tactic. Throughout history, military strategy has involved the use of dummies — be it fake guns, tanks, airplanes or soldiers. The current conflict in Ukraine is no different.

Dummy weapons, vehicles and soldiers are being deployed in the war in Ukraine

There have been numerous reports that the Ukrainian military is outfoxing the Russians on the battlefield in a modern adaptation of deception tactics that go back to ancient times. Videos posted on social media platforms seem to show Ukrainian forces using US-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, against Russian forces — with a devastating effect.

Strikes with the long-range rocket artillery system have indeed destroyed large ammunition and fuel dumps deep behind Russian lines in southern Ukraine in recent weeks, wreaking havoc on Russian logistics. So targeting HIMARS is a high priority for Russia.

But now media reports indicate Ukrainian has a fleet of wooden HIMARS replicas set up to draw Russian fire, which reveals the location of Russian weapon placements and leads the Russian military to squander its finite supply of precision missiles. Though made of wood, the HIMARS reproductions bear a strong enough resemblance to their real counterparts, which may well help even the odds Ukraine faces against a larger, better-equipped Russian army.

The ancient tactics

Though the Ukrainian subterfuge replicates some of the most modern American equipment on the battlefield today, their imitation game is hardly new.

The Chinese military general, strategist, and philosopher Sun Tzu recommended this tactic in his military treatise The Art of War, written in the 5th century BCE. There, he called on military commanders to "set up decoys and feign confusion" and cause an enemy to miscalculate the opposing force. "All warfare is based on deception," Sun Tzu wrote.

While at camp during Rome's Gallic Wars in what is today France and Belgium in the 50s BCE, Julius Caesar stationed some of his legionaries in such a way that they appeared to be a much larger force than they actually were and thereby exaggerated Roman strength. Caesar's accounts of his wars in Europe describe approaching and destroying Gaulish forces that had been distracted by his deceptively large forces at camp.

For centuries, military commanders also sought to dupe enemy forces with fake equipment. During the American Civil War (1861-1865), Confederate troops employed "Quaker guns” — large wooden logs painted black to look like cannons and named after the pacifist Quaker religious group — to trick Union generals. At Centreville, in Virginia, Confederate General Robert E. Lee built extensive fortifications with many rows of Quaker guns, appearing from a distance to be a heavily fortified defensive line.

Wooden so-called Quaker Guns were used in the American Civil War

World War I

After the advent of the internal combustion engine and its more widespread application in war, battlefield decoys gained new importance. The tank made its combat debut during World War I (1914-1918). With it, the British Army attempted to break the stalemate of trench warfare. Quickly, both the British and Germans employed dummy tanks, made of wood and painted burlap cloth, to deceive the other side and lead the opponents to overestimate the adversaries' strength.

Although motorized military machines made their widespread operational debut during World War I, Europe's armies were not yet fully motorized but still relied partly on horses to move material across the battlefield. So the armies erected dummy horses made of wooden, blanket-covered frames to deceive enemy reconnaissance pilots' observations from the air.

World War II

During World War II (1939 - 1945), Nazi Germany and its allies, as well as the alliance of their opponents practiced deception on a much grander scale. Before the Western Allies crossed the channel and landed in Normandy, France, in 1944, troops in England had already made extensive use of inflatable tanks.

These dummies inflated German estimates of Allied strength, and in combination with false intelligence, this served to convince the Germans that the Allied invasion would take place elsewhere, which helped draw German forces away from the Normandy beaches.

So great was the importance placed on tactical trickery that the United States Army created the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops — also known as the Ghost Army — which was described as a "traveling road show of deception.” Armed with inflatable tanks, trucks, and airplanes, and audio recordings of troop and vehicle movements which blasted out via powerful speaker systems, the American Ghost Army staged large deception operations in Belgium, France, Germany, and Luxembourg and is credited with saving the lives of thousands of US soldiers through their reception.

Both parties to World War Two used dummy tanks made of wood to dupe their enemies

Islamic State tactics

Wartime trickery extends to nonstate actors as well. In 2016, the Iraqi Army captured wooden replicas of Humvees and tanks built by the terrorist Islamic State militia, intended to draw fire from the US-led air campaign. Though they were made primarily of wood, the imitation vehicles appeared genuine from a distance — some even had bearded mannequins in the driver seats to complete the deception.

Lacking any airpower, the Islamic State hoped to distract coalition warplanes, negate the allied coalition's advantage in the air, and preserve the Islamic States' fleet of captured trucks, tanks, and personnel carriers.

Edited by: Rina Goldenberg

India: Why are suicides among farmers on the increase?

Financial burdens caused by climate change and government polices have led to a rise in the number of suicides among agricultural workers. Maharashtra state has suffered more than most.


Some experts have criticized the Narendra Modi government and its farming policies

In India, over 600 farmers in the region of Marathwada, Maharashtra state, have died from suicide this year, according to official figures, with a majority of deaths blamed on rains that damaged thousands of hectares of agricultural land.

Some agricultural experts believe the death toll could be even higher.

The figure is almost certain to eventually exceed last year's official figure of 805 suicides across Marathwada's eight districts, despite two consecutive state governments waiving farm loans in 2021.

Some 65% of the population living in this region are solely dependent on agriculture and similar activities for their livelihood and vocational needs. With climate change having drastic effects on crop production, many are beginning to suffer.

"When it comes to agriculture, the sector is tethered to poverty and distress," Joginder Singh, a prominent farm union leader, told DW. "The deaths are a reflection of the extremely fragile nature of farming communities and a multiple set of crises affects them."

This year, however, extreme rainfall events in Maharashtra damaged crops across 800,000 hectares, affecting farmers in 24 districts, mostly in the regions of Marathwada and Vidarbha.

Paddy, corn, soyabean, cotton, pigeon peas and banana crops and other vegetables have been heavily damaged, according to the state agriculture department, and half the damage has been reported in the state of Marathwada alone.
Suicides up almost 30% since 2019

The latest report of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) in India, published earlier this week, said 5,563 agricultural laborers committed suicide last year and the number of people killing themselves in the industry increased by 9% from 2020, and up 29% from 2019.

Most suicides were reported in Maharashtra, with 1,424 cases, followed by Karnataka with 999, and Andhra Pradesh with 584.

"It is unfathomable that farmers' suicides are increasing every year, especially in the cotton growing belts," Indra Shekhar Singh, independent agriculture policy analyst told DW. "Crop failures, rising inputs costs and low market prices often trap the farmers in a cycle of debt. Farmers haven't fully recovered from the lockdowns yet too."

Experts point out that, through direct benefit transfers (DBT), the government can help farmers to diversify and move away from water-guzzling crops such as BT cotton and sugarcane to better newer climate-suited crops such as millets, legumes, or oilseeds.

"If DBTs are successfully implemented the government may score points with the farmers and also help mitigate climate change and save the precious water in this dry region," added Singh.

Problems are compounded by a lack of support from banks, especially in the face of inclement weather and market fluctuations.

"Farmers are hence prompted to turn to local moneylenders who charge them a much higher rate of interest," Singh said.

Agriculture: India's economic backbone

India is an agrarian country where over 50% of the population is reliant on agriculture to make a living. Apart from the rising farmers' suicides in vast swaths of the country, millions of mostly small-scale farmers have been squeezed by falling prices for their crops and the rising transportation and storage costs.

Outbreaks of rural discontent pose a challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who promised to double farm incomes in five years when he came to power in 2014.

Many believe the suicides expose the precarious state in which the country's struggling farmers and impoverished agricultural laborers currently find themselves.

Last year, the Modi government was forced to repeal contentious agriculture laws that were proposed to modernize the farm sector after a nationwide agitation by farmers.

"Farmers withstand instability and an absence of security especially in Maharashtra," Darshan Pal Singh, leader of the Krantikari Kisan Union, told DW. "Their crop holdings are smaller than the farmers in Punjab. Debt cycles and erratic weather patterns like this year only add to their woes."

"The magnitude of the problem is so big that no government has ever tried to understand the increasing burden on the farmers due to inflated prices of agricultural inputs," he added.

Farmer groups point out that the government decides the market rates and argue that it is failing to meet the Minimum Support Price (MSP) – the price at which the government is supposed to buy that crop back from farmers if the market price falls below it.

Ketki Singh, vice president of the Bhartiya Kisan Union's women's wing, maintains that many sales do not even cover the production costs, leaving farmers facing massive losses.

RECORD TEMPERATURES HIT INDIA'S FARMERS
Air conditioners and blocks of ice
India is currently experiencing an exceptional heat wave. Rajgarh, a city of 1.5 million people in central India topped out at 46.5 degrees C (116 degrees F) while thermometers in nine other cities also climbed above the 45 degree mark. No wonder that anything to fight the heat is an easy sell on the streets of New Delhi.
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Climate change heaps misery on farmers

"Climate change has acted as the last nail in the coffin by resulting in furthering of the uncertainties associated with the already uncertain monsoon system and hence agricultural production," Ketki told DW.

"Can you imagine that nearly 30 people in the farming sector die by suicide daily?" she said.

According to government figures, two-thirds of India's population of 1.3 billion depends on farming for their livelihood, but agriculture makes up just around 17% of the nation's total economic output, amounting to around $2.3 trillion (€2.3 trillion).

China tightens control over civil society amid rising nationalism

By stirring up nationalistic sentiment, Beijing wants to create a social echo chamber in China where there is no space for alternative voices, say experts.



Analysts say the timing of the rise of anti-foreign sentiments in China likely reflects Beijing's political needs

Nationalistic sentiment appears to be on the rise in China, at a time when countries in the Indo-Pacific region are already expressing concerns about Beijing's aggressive military posture.

Over the past week, two incidents associated with anti-Japanese sentiments have sparked widespread discussion on the Chinese internet.

On August 15, a video emerged of a Chinese woman being arrested by police for wearing a traditional Japanese kimono dress while taking photos in the city of Suzhou. She was reportedly cosplaying a character from a manga series.

In the video, the police official was seen shouting at the woman that if she had worn a Hanfu (traditional Chinese clothing), he wouldn't have stopped her from posing for photos. "But you are wearing a Kimono. Are you Chinese? If you don't comply, you are provoking trouble. Please come with us," the police shouted angrily at the woman.

The woman, who is an active user on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, later wrote that she was "educated" at the police station for five hours and police searched content on her phone. She was released around midnight the next day.
Negative sentiments toward Japan on the rise?

Millions of netizens in China viewed the video and some questioned whether the police has overreacted. "I would never imagine that someone could be arrested for wearing a Japanese kimono in Suzhou. This huge country can't tolerate a woman wearing a kimono," wrote one Chinese netizen on Weibo.

"Who is the one that's provoking trouble? If this (wearing a kimono in public) is provoking trouble, should they first close down all Japanese restaurants on the street?" another netizen wrote.

Hu Xijin, the former editor-in-chief of China's state-run tabloid Global Times, wrote on Weibo that there is no legal reason to ban a kimono, but he also noted that given the rising tension between Japan and China over Tokyo's close cooperation with the US over issues related to Taiwan, negative sentiments toward Japan are rising in China.

While it's unclear if the police's arguments reflect China's official position, the fact that he wasn't disciplined for over-exercising his power shows that Beijing doesn't want to punish people within their own system, said Yaqiu Wang, a senior China researcher at Human Rights Watch (HRW).

"In order to ensure the loyalty of people in the system, Chinese authorities are willing to protect those who have violated regulations," she noted, adding: "This is one way for Beijing to protect the system."

Brand apologizes for suspected attempt to be 'Japanese'

On August 18, the Chinese retail brand Miniso, which has characterized itself as a product retailer inspired by Japan, apologized through a statement after its Spanish Instagram account posted a picture of dolls in which Chinese netizens argued the brand had mislabeled a doll wearing a traditional Chinese outfit called qipao as a "Japanese geisha doll."

Facing an intense online backlash, Miniso issued a lengthy statement, apologizing for "taking the wrong path" in the founding stage with its brand positioning and vowing to "do a good job of Chinese culture and values exportation."

The latest incidents reflect the anti-Japan sentiment that has existed in China for decades, Ting Guo, a Chinese Studies scholar at the University of Toronto. "This is not that new, as we have seen waves of anti-Japan sentiment played out in China," she underlined.

Analysts say the timing of the rise of anti-foreign sentiments in China likely reflects Beijing's political needs. "When the Chinese government needs anti-Japanese sentiment as a symbol of its declaration to the outside world, it will stir up such sentiment," said Teng Biao, a US-based Chinese human rights lawyer.

"Even when there is no specific incident, the Chinese Communist Party may need anti-Japanese sentiment to divert domestic political conflicts or the public's attention," he added. "It's a common practice in authoritarian regimes and the timing is often carefully chosen."

Since Miniso issued the statement, Chinese netizens have continued to question the sincerity of the brand's apology. "How about also clarifying the brand's country of origin? Why does a Chinese brand keep claiming that it is 'from Japan,'" one netizen wrote on Weibo.

"Even if the company thinks designing their package based on Japanese style can help with their sales, it is only a concept. Please don't pretend to be a Japanese company. Japanese style is not flawless. Our own culture is more beautiful," another netizen commented under Miniso's Weibo post.
Using nationalism to create a social echo chamber

Apart from using nationalism to achieve certain political goals, Teng Biao said Chinese authorities' attempt to interfere with citizens' personal choices is a phenomenon that typically happens in a totalitarian country. "While many people will resent the government's intervention, the majority of the Chinese people are unable to criticize the authorities' improper behavior," he stressed.

"Although many people feel very worried about the logic behind the kimono incident in Suzhou, such reflection and worry will not become mainstream. Fervent patriotism and anti-Japanese sentiment are much stronger," the lawyer added.

Wang from HRW and Guo from the University of Toronto both believe that by stirring up nationalistic sentiment, Beijing wants to create a social echo chamber in China where there is no space for alternative voices, say experts. "Many people are afraid of being targeted by nationalistic netizens online, so they choose to remain quiet," Wang said. "One of the effects of nationalism is the chilling effect."

Guo said that while support for China's MeToo movement and other similar issues remain active, pressure from the government, censorship, and control of the public sphere will still turn China into a more monotone civil society. "It cultivates an awareness of what you can do and what you can't do," she said. "That's one of the byproducts of top-down nationalism today."

Teng Biao said that the Chinese government will continue to reinforce nationalism and anti-West sentiment in the near future, and it also means that there will be more government intervention in Chinese citizens' everyday life, as the kimono incident has shown. "Authorities will do more to interfere with the Chinese people's thoughts and ideas, and there will be more and more of this in the future."

Edited by: Srinivas Mazumdaru