It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Tuesday, July 04, 2023
The British town where the antisemitic blood libel theory was born could get a Jewish heritage center
Jurnet's House in Norwich, England, was built and owned by a Jewish family in the 12th century and could become a Jewish heritage center. (Evelyn Simak via Creative Commons)
(JTA) — When the mayor of the British city of Norwich apologized last spring for the historic assault on local Jews that took place nearly 900 years ago, it was hailed as a major step. Now the city could go even farther — by handing its oldest non-church building over to its local Jewish community.
Norwich is encouraging local Jewish leaders to apply for the lease on Jurnet’s House, the 12th-century structure that was originally the home of Isaac Jurnet, a Jewish moneylender. The house was closed in 2020 because of mold but had previously been used by the city as an education space with a bar in the medieval vault; its lease will become available again next year.
Assuming management of the building could be costly because it has undergone water damage, said Marian Prinsely, a leader in both the town and its synagogue, in an interview with the Jewish Chronicle. “It’s the oldest secular building in Norwich,” she said. “It’s going to need a lot of renovation.”
But she and others in the Jewish community, along with historians at the University of East Anglia, located in Norwich, say the expense associated with transforming Jurnet’s House into a “Jewish heritage center” is justified because of Norwich’s history of antisemitism.
It was in Norwich, in 1144, that the first known case of the blood libel took place. The antisemitic lie — that local Jews killed Christian children to use their blood for ritual purposes — has endured since, spurring massacres and pogroms in Europe and infusing contemporary conspiracy theories including QAnon.
“We don’t just want it as a museum,” Prinsely told the Jewish Chronicle about the community’s bid for Jurnet’s House. “It could also house an institute for the study of antisemitism. Being at the home of the first blood libel gives it extra credence.”
“They’re Going to See Who Made Them 100 Billion Dollars Last Year”: Interview with UPS Teamster Dan Arlin
In one month, 340,000 UPS Teamsters could strike if a contract agreement is not reached between the union and the company. Dan Arlin, a UPS worker and union activist, discusses the importance of this moment for the Teamsters and the labor movement writ large.
Photo of Dan Arlin (center, blue shirt) at a Teamsters rally against retaliation, September 1st, 2022, in Maspeth, Queens. Photo by Luigi W Morris.
Dan Arlin is a feeder driver (responsible for transporting packages and freight to and from local delivery hubs and sorting facilities) and Teamster shop steward in Springfield, Massachusetts. He has been a member of Teamsters Local 404 for his 23 years at UPS. In March 2022, he was unjustly fired. After months of trying to clear his name while UPS withheld records, Arlin filed charges against the company with the NLRB. After eleven months, including months of arbitration, Arlin was eventually reinstated to his job with back pay. Arlin is host of The Bi-Weekly Grievance Show.
Luigi Morris: You were wrongly terminated and out of work for eleven months. What happened?
Dan Arlin: It all goes back to March of 2022. I went into work one morning, and they brought me to the office and terminated me for “dishonesty,” for “falsification of records,” and for “not working in the best interest of the company.” When I asked what I did, they wouldn’t actually tell me what it is that I did wrong. Eight days later, we had a local-level hearing. And that’s when they made the accusations.
They accused me of falsifying records at a pickup, but they had their own internal reports which cleared me of any wrongdoing. However, they withheld those reports for over four months. I had to file charges with the NLRB because the company refused to turn them over. Finally, the NLRB ordered them to turn over the records. Even with the proof that I did nothing wrong, they still kept me out of work for a total of eight months. The arbitrator got me back to work and cleared me of any wrongdoing.
Four days later, we had a meeting to discuss my reinstatement. When we walked in, instead of reinstating me, they turned around and re-terminated me for union activity. So I went back to arbitration and won two straight arbitrations. So I was out a total of eleven months before I went back to work. I am still fighting that. The NLRB is going to formally charge the company and it’s most likely going to go to trial, plus I’m in the process of seeking civil suits against the supervisors and the company for what they did to me.
This harassment was one hundred percent because of my union activity. What happened to me is probably not uncommon. Anybody that stands up for their rights, even as simple as filing a grievance, management likes to immediately put discipline on you, and then they’ll say, “Well, if you drop your grievance we’ll drop the discipline.” So it’s their way of getting out from underneath grievances a lot of times. The act of harassment definitely is a common practice at UPS.
My case is probably one of the most egregious stories I’ve heard. At no point did the company ever even present evidence that I did anything wrong, and in fact, withheld evidence that would have cleared my name. That’s pretty bad. I took a financial hit. I almost lost my place, my car, and everything. Everything came together at the right time, and I was able to overcome it, but it got really scary at the end.
What I would say to the younger guys is the best way to stand up for your rights is to do everything correctly at work. Do your job methodically, don’t take shortcuts, just follow the methods. And repeat that every single day. And that way, if you stand up for your rights, they don’t have anything to get you. If you’re the type of driver that is not following the methods or you’re taking shortcuts because you think it’s faster, management is going to use all that stuff against you.
LM: How did you start organizing? What made you get involved with the union?
DA: You know, it started with me just defending my own rights and then grew to helping other members to defend their rights. Over the last three to five years, I’ve actually gotten more progressive and really worked on educating members and helping them out. During my eleven months out of work, rather than sitting home feeling sorry for myself, I used those months to network with Teamsters all over the country. I traveled all over New England and went to strike lines. I made good friends at Local 251 in Rhode Island walking the picket line during their eight-month strike at DHL in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. I walked the picket line eight to ten times. I went to the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA) one-day strike up in Pittsfield. I’ve just gone to different picket lines and helped out and networked and got to know people.
Then in October of this last year, I went to Chicago to the TDU conference, and rubbed elbows with some pretty impressive Teamsters and got to know a lot of people, and I had started to do interviews. It wasn’t even necessarily for a podcast, it was just doing interviews to try to share some content on my Facebook page for other members to see, and I developed a passion for it. I realized this is the best way for me to reach out to members and share my knowledge.
My show [The Bi-Weekly Grievance] covers a variety of topics — right now, a lot of it is UPS, but recently I did an interview with Deb Gesualdo who was the president of the Malden Education Association (MEA), and we covered illegal public sector strikes. Because the teachers unions in Malden and Haverhill, Massachusetts both went on strike at the same time. Technically, that’s illegal in our state, but the brave men and women there stood up for their rights and did it anyway, and they were able to get effective contracts out of it.
LM: What are your expectations towards the contract negotiation?
DA: Right now, I truly feel like we’re more solid of a unit as UPS Teamsters than we have been in a very long time. I think, overwhelmingly, the members are tired of the baloney that goes on there, and are all on the same page that we need to fight for the best contract ever.
That being said, over the years, the union itself was heavily damaged by the [late Hoffa Jr.] administration, in my opinion. The union kind of lost its will for a while, and there were a lot of Locals that became disengaged and less active. Overall, it was like a trickle down effect, and I think that when Sean [O’Brien] and Fred [Zuckerman] ran, it was the perfect opportunity to change the tenor of our union and put us back on the forefront. Some Locals picked it up right away and ran with the ball and are leading the charge in the labor movement, but some Locals haven’t re-engaged yet because of the years that they were basically told not to.
We’re not going to be able to undo 25 years of harm by the Hoffa [Jr.] administration. The UPS contract is just one contract — it’s going to take a few contracts to correct all the wrongs that were done under the Hoffa administration. Same for the Locals – it’s going to take time to rejuvenate them and get them back in the mentality of educating their members. It works in reverse, right? The best way to improve your Locals is to get the energy moving at the bottom, and it spreads up. So you get your members engaged, you get your members informed, you empower them to stand up for their rights, and if your leadership isn’t participating, well, that’s what elections are for. As Teamsters, one of the most democratic things you can do is vote on your contracts and vote on your union leadership and hold them accountable.
LM: It’s being said this contract will have part-timers as one of the top priorities after decades of being left behind. Why do you think this is a key issue when considering striking?
DA: The interesting part that some people don’t know, and it’s worth mentioning, is that many years ago, I think it happened in the ‘80s, prior to this change in contract, part-timers and full-timers got paid exactly the same hourly rate. The only difference in pay was that part timers worked fewer hours, so they got half the paycheck, but per hour, they were making the same.
It’s funny, you know, we had two-tier languages shoved down our throat last time, and Sean [O’Brien] is looking to remove it, but we should really be pushing the company to go back and get rid of the original two-tier pay scale that they implemented on the part-timers back in the ‘80s.
For example, in Massachusetts, my buildings, Springfield and Watertown, are the only two full-time preloads that I know of in the entire country. The rest of the preloads are all loaded by part-timers. That’s an example of both of those positions doing the same exact job — loading the trucks. The only difference is that the full-timers load roughly six trucks in an eight-hour period, and a part-timer, because they’re working half the time, will load roughly three trucks in a four-hour period, and they’re making one-third of what our full-time preload is because our full-time preload makes the same exact money as drivers.
There’s been no talk of removing that two tier system. But ultimately, that would be the best thing for our part timers — to remove that payscale that they created for the part-timers. They work just as hard as any one of us at the company, and you know, those warehouses are sweat boxes, and the danger — with all the lifting and movement that they do, it’s an injury in itself that they make one-third of what the full-time people make.
The part-timers need to be brought up to around $25 an hour, plus catch up raises, because based on their pay in the ‘80s, adjusting for inflation, they should be at $25 an hour, and with the brutality that this job requires, they should be making more.
LM: In December, Biden and the Democrats in Congress undemocratically imposed a bad contract ahead of a potentially huge railway strike. How do you think this is impacting UPS Teamsters who may be worried about the potential strikebreaking role of the government?
DA: The thing to know about that is FedEx and the railroad unions fall under a law called the Railway Labor Act where the government does have some sway. They implemented a contract for the railroad workers that was very subpar to what they were looking for.
The difference here is that UPS workers fall under a different category called the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). Under the NLRA, the government does not have that power over us; they cannot invoke a contract over us. They cannot intervene or prevent us from striking.
That being said, there is the Taft-Hartley Act, which would allow the President to intervene, but he’s getting ready to run for another Presidential bid, and he does not want to alienate 1.2 million Teamsters across the country by intervening on a strike that the government should stay out of, so it would be a very unpopular thing for him to do.
If need be, we will walk out August 1st.
LM: What perspectives have you encountered toward the possible strike?
DA: I believe, just like in ‘97, we have the public support for this kind of action, if need be. You know, the labor movement in general is popular right now. People understand that workers need to fight for more, because let’s face it, everything costs more these days. Our paychecks don’t go as far, and yet you watch all these companies getting richer and richer, so I think the public is really behind us. I think they’ll be right behind the Teamsters if we have to strike.
From the members’ perspective, it’s a wide spectrum. There are people that absolutely don’t want a strike, but they’re in the severe minority. Then there’s a bulk of the members who want to do it, but they’re nervous because they’ve never been through a strike. And then there are a lot of people that realize the importance of a short-term loss that would lead to years and decades of benefits for themselves and future members.
For us to settle, just to avoid a strike, would be devastating to our union. That would destroy it. As all these other unions are looking up to us, we need to fight for what’s right. Are we gonna get everything we want? Absolutely not. That’s never the case. But there needs to be an overwhelming change to multiple levels of this contract in order to be considered successful. I think we’ve gotten a lot of stuff, but with the economic demands, there’s obviously going to be a fight with this company. I think anybody that knows anything knows that that’s where the real sticking issues are always going to be.
I would say to the public: Please, stand by us and support us. If we go on strike, come visit us on the picket lines, come support us, come stand with us. The more pressure we put on this company, the quicker the strike will come to an end, and we’ll get back to work and get things rolling again.
LM: What are your thoughts around the upsurge in the labor movement more generally?
DA: A couple of things are driving the current labor movement. For one, it’s a generational thing. It’s very hip or cool to be in unions right now, and the younger generation is really driving this movement, too. You see that in Starbucks and Chipotle, where you have these young teenagers and 20-somethings organizing one store at a time, joining the Teamsters, joining other unions.
The second part of that is coming out of the pandemic, where people were stuck at home, and a lot of people lost their jobs. When they came back into the workforce, they started demanding more. They were demanding that companies that had made all these profits off of people while they were stuck at home stand up and do the right thing. As history tells you, corporations and large companies don’t tend to do the right thing, and that’s the purpose of unions; unions are meant to bring people up from poverty.
Between the new generation, the economy, the pandemic, and inflation, with people’s paychecks buying less these days than they did before — all of this is a recipe for a large labor movement, and it is roaring right now. I mean, just look around the country at teachers going on illegal strikes, because school committees are taking advantage of the fact that they aren’t supposed to strike and not giving them contracts for years at a time. Then you have a lot of these trucking companies, Cisco, New Penn, all these people taking strike authorization votes, because people have had it. You’re seeing a lot more strikes and action in the labor movement than you have in many years, and all eyes are on the UPS Teamster negotiations, because as the single largest employer and the single largest [private sector] bargaining unit in the country, people will use our agreement to set the standards for some of those smaller agreements. So there’s a lot of pressure on Sean and Fred to do the right thing.
LM: What would you like to say to UPS workers? DA: We just need to stick together. This is an important time in the UPS Teamsters’ history, and we really do need to regain control of this contract. The companies are used to getting their way. They’re used to concessionary contracts. I think they’re almost daring the Teamsters to go on strike because they are so used to getting their way, and they don’t really believe that we’ll do it. But we need to stand strong. If need be, we need to walk out those doors unified. We need to show UPS who really runs this company. It’s not them, you know. Their management is going to dress up in browns and deliver what’s left in the building, but once [a strike] happens, tractor trailers aren’t moving and airplanes aren’t moving. Within two or three days, they’re not going to have any packages left in the building, and those trucks are going to sit there, and they’re really going to see who made them the 100 billion dollars last year in gross profit. We need to give them that wake up call or they’re just going to keep taking advantage of us.
Luigi Morris is a UPS Warehouse Worker - Teamster Local 804. He is also a member of Left Voice, freelance photographer and socialist journalist.
IAEA: Europe’s largest nuclear power plant regains back-up electricity feed
03 July 2023
The Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) in Ukraine is now reconnected to its only back-up power line after four months, but the power situation at the site remains “highly vulnerable”, warned Rafael Mariano Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Monday.
“While the reconnection of the back-up power line is positive, the plant’s external power situation remains highly vulnerable, underlining the precarious nuclear safety and security situation at the site,” Mr. Grossi said
Much needed back-up
According to IAEAOpens in new window, the plant’s connection to the single remaining 330 kilovolt (kV) power line out of six that existed before Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022 was restored on Saturday.
The connection had been cut on 1 March due to damage sustained on the other side of the Dnipro River. The four-month-long effort to restore the connection reflects the challenging security situation in the region.
The ZNPP had been relying solely on a single main 750 kV power line for essential functions like reactor cooling and nuclear safety since the conflict began. Prior to Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine, the plant had four such power lines.
The newly energized 330 kV line will serve as a backup and will be available to supply power to the ZNPP in case the main line becomes unavailable or damaged.
Since February 2022, the plant has experienced seven instances of complete power loss from external sources, compelling temporary reliance on emergency diesel generators for electricity, according to IAEA.
‘So far’ no mines or explosives observed
No mines or explosive devices have been detected around the plant by a team of agency experts, Mr. Grossi had announcedOpens in new window on Friday. The IAEA inspection team had also noted that the plant had the reserves of water available for use despite the destruction of the downstream Kakhovka damOpens in new window more than three weeks ago, he said.
In inspection was spurred by reports that mines and other explosives had been placed in and around the plant, including mines near the cooling pond, Mr. Grossi said, adding that IAEA takes such reports very seriously.
“I have instructed our experts at the site to look into this matter and request the access they need for doing their job,” he said. “Until now they have not observed any mines or other explosives. Further access will still be needed.”
Residents Near Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant Prepare for Worst
Ukrainians near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest, are preparing for a potential meltdown and its fallout following warnings of a Russian attack on the facility. Warsaw reporter Lesia Bakalets has been in contact with residents inside Ukraine. Camera: Daniil Batushchak.
CPJ calls for Zimbabwe president to reject ‘Patriot Bill’ threatening critical journalism
Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa speaks in Harare in May 2023. On June 3, CPJ called on the president to reject the ‘Patriot Bill’ as it seriously threatens the rights to freedom of expression and media freedom in Zimbabwe. (AFP/Jekesai Njikizana)
Lusaka, July 3, 2023—Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa should not sign into law the overly broad Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Amendment Bill as it seriously threatens the rights to freedom of expression and media freedom in Zimbabwe, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday.
On June 7, Zimbabwe’s upper chamber of parliament approved the bill, commonly called the “Patriot Bill,” following the lower chamber’s approval on May 31. President Mnangagwa is expected to sign into law the bill, which opponents say criminalizescriticism, ahead of the country’s general elections in August.
The bill would criminalize “willfully injuring the sovereignty and national interest of Zimbabwe.” That would include any meeting or communication between a Zimbabwean citizen or permanent resident and foreign governments or their agents with the aim of “subverting, upsetting, overthrowing or overturning the government,” for which the penalty is 20 years imprisonment.
Njabulo Ncube, director of the industry trade group Zimbabwe National Editors Forum (ZINEF), told CPJ via messaging app that he feared journalists could risk arrest or imprisonment for meeting with foreign missions sent to observe and monitor the August 23 general elections.
“They will ask us to give the state of the situation in Zimbabwe, and once we speak, they may deem that to be unpatriotic, and they may want to invoke provisions of this bad law,” Ncube said. “Since it’s so vague, they can find anything to use to charge the journalists.”
“Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa must not sign the unconstitutional and poorly drafted ‘Patriot Bill’ into law and should focus instead on ensuring a safe environment for free and fair elections to be held in August,” said Angela Quintal, CPJ’s Africa program coordinator, in New York. “Journalists must have the right to report freely and meet whomever they choose to, including foreign diplomats, without running the risk of imprisonment and a criminal record because a government functionary deems such discussions unpatriotic or subversive in terms of the proposed law.”
The bill would also criminalize participating in a meeting called by an agent of a foreign government whose objective may be deemed to “consider or plan an armed intervention,” the penalty for which can include life imprisonment or death.
If an individual is found guilty of trying “to consider, implement or extend sanctions or trade boycott against Zimbabwe, its officials, or residents,” they could face up to 10 years imprisonment, a fine of 200,000 dollars (US$552), or both.
Minister of Information Monica Mutsvangwa told CPJ via messaging app that the bill did not criminalize journalists’ work in Zimbabwe but barred meetings with foreign governments and their agents that have “the intention to injure the sovereignty and the national interest of Zimbabwe.”
“I therefore urge members of the public and journalists in particular, to seek beforehand, full knowledge of meetings they intend to attend so that they are not found on the wrong side of the law,” Mutsvangwa said.
Dumisani Muleya, managing editor of the privately owned website NewsHawks, told CPJ via messaging app that he believed the bill was aimed at silencing citizens and journalists, and he feared that mere interviews with experts or foreign diplomats could get journalists arrested and imprisoned under the proposed law.
“If I’m doing an interview that is asking questions that are inviting unfavorable answers, does that constitute a crime?” Ncube asked.
Mswathi Hlongwane, secretary-general of the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists, told CPJ via messaging app that the bill’s vagueness meant provisions were open to misinterpretation and abuse by “whoever holds power” and local journalists could be convicted for doing their reporting, as it involves meeting with many people—foreign and local—whose information is relevant to the public interest.
In a letter sent in late June to President Mnangagwa, Ourveena Geereesha Topsy-Sonoo, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights special rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information, warned that the proposed law would have far-reaching consequences on media and other fundamental freedoms.
CPJ’s calls and questions sent via messaging app to presidential spokesperson George Charamba and Mike Bihima, the ruling ZANU PF party spokesperson, went unanswered.
All nations should treat migrants with respect for their dignity, safety: UN
84 migrants were pushed back to Turkish territorial waters by Greece
Firdevs Bulut Kartal |03.07.2023 -
TORONTO
The UN on Monday emphasized the importance of treating immigrants with respect for their dignity, in response to an incident involving 84 migrants who were pushed into Turkish territorial waters by Greece.
"From our standpoint, we simply want to make sure that all nations treat all migrants with respect for their dignity and for their safety," said Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq at a briefing.
When asked whether Greece's actions violated international law, Haq said that the UN Refugee Agency will deal with the issue.
On Sunday, Greek naval forces pushed 84 irregular migrants into Turkish territorial waters near Ayvacik. The Turkish Coast Guard's Northern Aegean Group Command conducted a rescue operation, bringing the individuals ashore.
Türkiye and global rights groups have repeatedly condemned Greece’s illegal practice of pushing back asylum seekers, saying it violates humanitarian values and international law by endangering the lives of vulnerable migrants, including women and children.
India sells arms to junta while claiming concern over crisis in Myanmar
Observers say such sales abet junta war crimes and suppliers should be held accountable.
By RFA Burmese 2023.07.03
Myanmar junta soldiers march during a parade to commemorate the 78th Armed Forces Day in Naypyidaw in 2023.
Aung Shine Oo/AP
Companies in India are supplying weapons to Myanmar’s junta while Prime Minister Narendra Modi expresses concern about the political crisis in Myanmar on the international stage, observers said Monday, highlighting the two-faced nature of the strategy.
Indian arms manufacturer Bharat Electronics Limited, or BEL, transferred military equipment worth more than US$5.1 million to Myanmar’s army or known Myanmar arms brokers Alliance Engineering Consultancy and Mega Hill General Trading over a period of six months from November 2022 to April 2023, the rights group Justice for Myanmar reported in June.
The military equipment included metallic sonar domes; transducers and gaskets for the domes to be used on frigates, warships or submarines; directing gear systems; technical documents; various items for radio transmission or radar equipment; and manpack radios for battlefield communication.
Justice for Myanmar called the shipments “part of a pattern of Indian support for the Myanmar military and its domestic arms industry” and called on India’s allies to use their leverage to “pressure India to stop the supply of arms and dual use goods and technology” to the regime, including during Modi’s state visits to the U.S. and France this year.
The weapons sales come even as Modi and U.S. President Joe Biden issued a joint statement following their meeting at the White House on June 22 expressing concern about the worsening rights situation in Myanmar and calling for the release of the country’s political prisoners.
A Hexacopter drone used in unmanned aerial surveillance manufactured by Bharat Electronics is displayed during a defense exhibition in Bangalore, Dec. 2021. Indian arms manufacturer Bharat Electronics Limited transferred military equipment worth more than US$5.1 million to Myanmar’s army over a period of six months from November 2022 to April 2023, the rights group Justice for Myanmar reported in June. Credit: Manjunath Kiran/AFP
Than Soe Naing, a political analyst, pointed out the hypocrisy of India selling weapons to the junta with one hand while saying it is concerned with the situation in Myanmar on the other.
He noted that India has stayed neutral amid the ongoing conflict in Myanmar and neglected or even arrested refugees who have fled fighting across its border.
“But on the international arena, when making a statement as a democratic country, it uses the terms ‘democracy and human rights,’” he told RFA. “It doesn’t make any sense. It is a government that is indirectly supporting the crimes committed by the Myanmar military by willfully ignoring them.”
Justice for Myanmar’s report came on the heels of one released in May by U.N. Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar Tom Andrews, who said the junta had imported at least US$1 billion in arms and raw materials to manufacture weapons between the Feb. 1, 2021, military coup d’etat and December 2022.
Rights groups say the junta is using such weapons against the people of Myanmar, including to attack the armed resistance and civilians who oppose its rule.
While Russia, China and Singapore were the major sources by far, the U.N. report found that Indian entities, including state-owned entities, had transferred US$51 million in arms and related materials to the junta over the same period. That followed Russia’s US$406 million, China’s US$267 million, and Singapore’s US$254 million.
Selling weapons for war crimes
Ko Mike, a spokesman for the Blood Money Campaign, a collective of Myanmar activists campaigning to stop revenues reaching the junta, said that Indian companies selling weapons to Myanmar are abetting war crimes.
“They are supporting killings by a terrorist group [the junta] that is committing the worst crimes in the world,” he said. “Sometime in the future, it will be necessary to do something internationally about accountability [for such entities].”
Ye Tun, a political analyst, said that Modi appears to believe the junta is responsible for maintaining stability in Myanmar.
“So if you [maintain stability] by using weapons, India will sell weapons to Myanmar’s military [to support such alleged efforts].”
Prior to the sales detailed in Justice for Myanmar’s latest report, the group noted that Indian state-owned arms producer Yantra India Limited shipped multiple 122mm howitzer barrels to the junta in October 2022 in an apparent breach of international law.
A model of 'Akash' surface to air missile developed by Bharat Electronics is displayed during a defense exhibition in Bangalore, Dec. 2021. Credit: Manjunath Kiran/AFP
The Indian government has so far ignored calls by civil society organizations and the people of Myanmar, including the shadow National Unity Government, or NUG, and failed to comply with U.N. resolutions and its responsibilities under international law, said Justice For Myanmar spokesperson Yadana Maung.
Radio Free Asia attempted to contact the Indian Embassy in Myanmar by email for comment but received no response. Calls to junta Deputy Information Minister Major Gen. Zaw Min Tun, seeking comment on the claims, went unanswered Monday.
Regional stability at risk
Thein Tun Oo, the executive director of the Thayninga Institute for Strategic Studies, which is made up of former military officers, called it “normal” for India to assist its neighbor.
“India can stand on its own two feet and cooperate with anyone it wants to,” he said. “India has taken Myanmar as a partner ... [because] Myanmar is the best country for India to cooperate with on the security of the Indian Ocean. So, it is normal for India to cooperate with Myanmar.”
Myanmar junta’s soldiers participate in a parade to mark Armed Forces Day in Naypyitaw in 2021.Indian arms sales to Myanmar are supporting the military regime’s war crimes and the international community must act to stop them, rights activists and analysts said Monday, in response to a new report detailing weapons shipments to the junta in recent months. Credit: Reuters
But NUG spokesman Kyaw Zaw said that as the world’s largest democracy, India is expected to embrace democratic values and not prop up regimes that oppress their own people.
“We hope that India will try to understand the will of the people of Myanmar and help them to fulfill that will,” he said.
If India instead continues to support the junta, he said, there will be no resolution to the conflict in Myanmar and the stability of the region will be at risk.
Translated by Htin Aung Kyaw. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster.
Vietnam gives activist 6-year sentence for trying to start new political party
His vision for Prosperous Vietnam Party was to eliminate power inequality under Communist Party
By RFA Vietnamese 2023.07.03
Vietnamese activist Phan Son Tung wears a cap reading “For a Prosperous Vietnam.”
Vietnam on Monday sentenced activist Phan Son Tung to six years in prison for advocating the formation of an opposition to the ruling Communist Party of Vietnam, his lawyer told Radio Free Asia.
Tung, 39, was arrested in August 2022 on anti-state propaganda charges for calling for the formation of the Prosperous Vietnam Party, which would work toward eliminating inequality in political power by removing communist party leadership.
Also related to his charges were his demand for citizens to have the freedom to establish associations and political organizations, and his social media content, which authorities said was “anti-state.”
According to the indictment, Phan Son Tung created and managed three YouTube channels, namely “For a prosperous Vietnam,” Phan Son Tung and Son Tung TV, and a Facebook page under the name David Phan. He had posted around 1,000 video clips on these channels, generating more than 148 million views with 530,000 followers.
The indictment also accused him of creating and disseminating 16 video clips with fabricated and confusion-creating content, six of which contained information promoting psychological warfare. Another 17 pieces of content distorted, slandered or insulted the prestige of organizations or the honor and dignity of individuals.
The indictment also acknowledged that he had been remorseful, cooperative and sincere in his confessions, and had paid a fine of 27 million dong (US$1,149), the total revenue generated from advertising income and from selling merchandise emblazoned with the words “For a Prosperous Vietnam.”
‘Full of social evils’
According to a Facebook post by attorney Le Van Luan, Tung used to work on the Project Management Board of Vietel Real Estate Firm but then moved out to establish his own company.
It was then that he learned that Vietnam is a society “full of social evils,” and he began to advocate for a stronger Vietnam with a “clean government” that is free of corruption, with each person playing their role.
During Monday’s trial, which began at 8:30 a.m. and ended at noon, Tung acknowledged every action he was accused of. But he maintained that none of those were crimes, his lawyer Ngo Anh Tuan told RFA’s Vietnamese Service.
"He reaffirmed that his acts were not unlawful and the defense lawyers also proved this,” Tuan said. “However, the prosecutors still stuck with their viewpoint.”
Tuan said he was expecting a shorter sentence because during the trial the prosecution did not demonstrate how his actions deserved a greater sentence. But because he had multiple violations, the judge decided to hand down the minimum sentence proposed by the prosecution, said Tuan.
Tung has become the sixth activist charged with “anti-state” propaganda under Article 117 since January 2023.
Amnesty International has described the law as a means to suppress legitimate dissent and “a favored tool of the authorities to arbitrarily imprison journalists, bloggers and others who express views that do not align with the interests of the communist party.”
Translated by Anna Vu. Edited by Eugene Whong and Malcolm Foster
Kenyan president lifts 6-year logging ban despite environmental concern
Ban on logging initially imposed in response to alarming rates of deforestation
3/07/2023 Monday
AA
Kenyan President William Ruto
In a move aimed at reviving struggling local economies, President William Ruto announced on Sunday the lifting of a six-year ban on logging in Kenya.
The ban had been put in place by his predecessor, Uhuru Kenyatta.
Ruto addressed the issue during a service at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Molo, Nakuru, where he assured the public that his government has implemented comprehensive plans to ensure responsible logging practices.
“Over the next 10 years, we shall grow 15 billion trees and restore 10.6 million hectares of degraded forests and rangelands," Ruto said.
He emphasized that only mature trees would be harvested, and an equal number of saplings would be planted in their place.
While the decision has been lauded by many for its potential economic benefits, concerns over the environmental impact of increased logging activities persist.
Kenya's forests play a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance, providing habitats for wildlife, preserving water catchment areas, and mitigating climate change through carbon sequestration.
During the ban, the government focused on reforestation efforts and initiated programs to raise awareness about the importance of forest conservation.
However, the logging industry suffered a severe blow, leaving many communities that heavily rely on forest products in dire economic straits.
Environmental activists and conservation groups have expressed reservations about the decision, expressing concerns over the potential for unchecked logging practices leading to renewed deforestation and degradation of natural habitats.
They argue that sustainable forestry practices must be strictly enforced to ensure the long-term health and vitality of Kenya's forests.
Scientists find new clue in what led to megalodon’s demise
By Amaya McDonald, CNN Mon July 3, 2023
Megalodon, one of the most fearsome sharks that ever lived, wasn’t the cold-blooded killer it’s made out to be — at least not literally.
Through an analysis of fossilized megalodon teeth, scientists have discovered the extinct shark was partially warm-blooded, with a body temperature around 7 degrees Celsius (44 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than estimated seawater temperatures at the time, according to a study published last week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
“We found that O. megalodon had body temperatures significantly elevated compared to other sharks, consistent with it having a degree of internal heat production as modern warm-blooded (endothermic) animals do,” study coauthor Robert Eagle, professor of marine science and geobiology at UCLA, said in an email.
The findings suggest this distinct trait played a key role in the ancient predator’s terrifying size — and its eventual disappearance.
Gigantism in megalodon
Believed to be at least 15 meters (49 feet) long, Otodus megalodon, also known as the megatooth shark, was one of the largest apex marine predators since the Mesozoic era and went extinct about 3.6 million years ago, according to Eagle.
Scientists previously theorized that megalodons were warm-blooded, but the new study is the first to provide concrete evidence to that effect.
The researchers observed how closely carbon-13 and oxygen-18 isotopes found in the ancient shark’s fossilized teeth were bonded together — a data point that can reveal how warm the body was. From this finding, they deduced the megalodon’s average body temperature was about 27 C (80 F).
Like modern great white and mako sharks, megalodons were regionally endothermic, which means they had the ability to regulate temperature in certain parts of the body, according to the study. In contrast, the body temperatures of other cold-blooded apex predators are regulated by the temperature of water around them.
Being warm-blooded may have been one of the key drivers fueling megalodons’ massive size and overall prowess as predators, according to senior study author Kenshu Shimada, a paleobiologist at DePaul University in Chicago.
“A large body promotes efficiency in prey capture with wider spatial coverage, but it requires a lot of energy to maintain,” Shimada said in an email. “We know that Megalodon had gigantic cutting teeth used for feeding on marine mammals, such as cetaceans and pinnipeds, based on the fossil record. The new study is consistent with the idea that the evolution of warm-bloodedness was a gateway for the gigantism in Megalodon to keep up with the high metabolic demand.” The ‘vulnerability of being warm-blooded’
For such an enormous animal, having to use so much energy constantly to regulate its body temperature may have contributed to its downfall as the world changed. The timing of megalodons’ extinction coincides with the cooling of the Earth’s temperature, the researchers said.
“The fact that Megalodon disappeared suggests the likely vulnerability of being warm-blooded because warm-bloodedness requires constant food intake to sustain high metabolism,” Shimada said. “Possibly, there was a shift in the marine ecosystem due to the climatic cooling,” causing the sea level to drop, altering the habitats of the populations of the types of food megalodon fed on such as marine mammals and leading to its extinction.
Compared with other apex predators, megalodon was much larger, and therefore more vulnerable to changes in populations of prey, said lead study author Michael Griffiths, professor of environmental science, geochemist and paleoclimatologist at William Paterson University in New Jersey.
But learning more about the ancient shark could still help scientists better understand the threats similar marine animals face today.
“One of the big implications for this work is that it highlights the vulnerability of large apex predators, such the modern great white shark, to climate change given similarities in their biology with megalodon,” Griffiths said.
