GREEN CAPITALI$M

US to unveil ‘guardrails’ needed for carbon markets to succeed

AFP
May 28, 2024

The world's top 25 'carbon majors' caused climate damage at a cost of 20 trillion dollars from 1985-2018, but their financial gains were about 50 percent larger during those years. - © © OLIVIER CHASSIGNOLE / AFP

Issam AHMED

President Joe Biden’s administration is set Tuesday to unveil “guardrails” it says will ensure that carbon offset markets effectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions, a significant win for advocates of the contentious schemes.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will lay out the government’s first broad guidelines for “high-integrity” carbon markets, aimed at boosting confidence in a system that critics have panned as greenwashing.

To transition to a low-carbon economy, “We need to use all the tools at our disposal — creatively, thoughtfully, and at scale,” she will declare in an event with other senior officials, including White House senior climate adviser John Podesta.

“I believe that harnessing the power of markets and private capital is critical. This includes efforts to grow high-integrity voluntary carbon markets.”

Carbon credits enable corporations and countries to offset their greenhouse gas emissions, with each credit representing the reduction or removal of one tonne of CO2, often in developing countries through projects combating deforestation.

The carbon offsets market is currently worth around $2 billion, but has come under intense fire recently after research has shown that claims of reduced emissions under the schemes are often hugely overestimated — or simply non-existent.


Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will join an event outlining the government’s vision for ‘high-integrity’ carbon markets, aimed at boosting confidence in a system that critics have panned as greenwashing – Copyright AFP/File KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI

Yellen will outline principles emphasizing integrity in three key areas: supply-side credits tied to genuine emissions reductions or removals; demand-side corporate accountability that prioritizes emission reduction; and market integrity through greater transparency and reduced complexity.

– US imprimatur –

The release of the guidelines signal the US government is throwing its weight behind the controversial climate financing mechanisms.

Prominent advocates of carbon markets, including former US climate envoy John Kerry, argue that government funding alone is insufficient to meet the Paris accord’s goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Kenya’s President William Ruto has hailed Africa’s carbon sinks as an “unparalleled economic goldmine” with the potential to generate billions annually.

The UN special envoy on climate ambition and solutions, business tycoon Michael Bloomberg, welcomed the announcement.

“These will help increase investment in projects that reduce emissions and help more businesses grow while reducing their carbon footprints,” he said in a statement with UN special envoy on climate action and finance Mark Carney, and Mary Schapiro, former chair of the US securities and exchange commission.

But scientists emphasize that offsetting should not be used as a license to continue polluting, as emissions must fall by nearly half this decade to meet global warming goals.

A recent global scientific review found that market-based approaches to forest conservation, including carbon offsets and deforestation-free certification schemes, have largely failed to protect trees or alleviate poverty.

Earlier this month, the United Nations introduced rules allowing individuals harmed by carbon credit projects, mostly in the developing world, to file formal appeals.

Activities linked to carbon markets include renewable energy generation, protecting carbon-absorbing environments like forests or peatlands, and replacing coal-fired cookstoves with cleaner alternatives.

But as these schemes have proliferated, allegations of local communities being exploited or displaced have also grown.

Biden administration expands tax credits beyond wind, solar

The sun rises behind windmills at a wind farm in Palm Springs, California,  

REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

Wed, May 29, 2024 
By Valerie Volcovici

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Biden administration on Wednesday proposed expanding tax credits that have for years boosted U.S. solar and wind energy projects to cover a wider range of clean energy technologies including nuclear fission and fusion.

The Treasury Department announced its guidance for Clean Electricity Production Credits and Clean Electricity Investment Credits, created under the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, that will be available in 2025 as the previously available wind and solar production and investment tax credits sunset.


"The Inflation Reduction Act’s new technology-neutral Clean Electricity credits, which will come into effect in 2025, are one of the law’s most significant contributions to tackling the climate crisis,” John Podesta, Senior Advisor to the President for International Climate Policy, said in a statement.

He said they will help the U.S. meet its goal to achieve a net-zero emission power sector by 2035.

The proposal identifies a half-dozen technologies that may be eligible to qualify for the lucrative tax credits, including marine and hydrokinetic energy, nuclear fission and fusion, hydropower, geothermal and some forms of waste energy recovery. The credits were as high as 30% for wind and solar projects if all conditions were met.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told reporters that the IRA has already driven over $850 billion in clean energy and manufacturing investment from the private sector and led to record additions of renewable energy capacity.

The new program is "the next key step," she said.

"These credits ... make an unprecedented long-term commitment to the clean energy sector to ensure the U.S. is a major market for new clean power generation over the next decade and beyond," she said.

Research firm the Rhodium Group estimated that credits could result in a reduction of 300-400 million tonnes of GHG emissions compared to no tax credits in 2035, a cut of 29%-46%.

Some environmental groups flagged concerns that the tax credits for zero greenhouse gas emissions technology could end up supporting controversial energy sources, such as burning waste or methane biogas captured from landfills.

"The Biden Administration must prevent dirty energy from co-opting billions in taxpayer dollars," said Sarah Lutz, a campaigner for Friends of the Earth.

(Reporting by Valerie Volcovici; Editing by Stephen Coates)


From electric vehicles to deciding what to cook for dinner, John Podesta faces climate challenges

The Canadian Press
Wed, May 29, 2024




WASHINGTON (AP) — John Podesta was two months into his new role as President Joe Biden’s global climate envoy when he faced his first international crisis — what to serve for dinner.

He had invited his Chinese counterpart, Liu Zhenmin, over to his house but learned that his guest — perhaps not surprisingly — only likes Chinese food. Although Podesta is well known for his culinary skills, he usually sticks to cooking Italian.

“I thought, OK, well, this is a diplomatic challenge,” Podesta told The Associated Press in an interview.

So Podesta whipped up risotto with leeks and fennel, infusing a classic Italian dish with vegetables that can be found in Chinese recipes. It was a culinary compromise to smooth out an essential relationship between the world’s two superpowers.

Few other problems will be solved as simply as switching around some ingredients. Although Podesta has worked on climate issues for years, the complications and obstacles have only multiplied as scientists warn that global warming is reaching critical levels.

In the interview, Podesta said he saw opportunities to work with China to limit greenhouse gas emissions that are even more potent than carbon dioxide. However, trade disagreements between the U.S. and China have led to what he described as “a period of some friction and competition," and Podesta said he would push China to contribute more money to the global fight against climate change.

International negotiations aren't Podesta’s only responsibility. He's also keeping his previous job of implementing Biden’s domestic clean energy initiatives. Podesta conceded that progress has been slower than expected on electric vehicles, but he believes there’s still momentum despite efforts by the political right to “demonize” zero-emission vehicles.

Looming over all of Podesta's efforts is this year's election and the threat that Donald Trump could be even more zealous in trying to undo climate progress if he returns to in the White House. Podesta warned of a “carte blanche to the polluters."

“Those things matter," he said. "Voters can make a judgment about whether they matter to them. They certainly matter to the planet.”

It's high stakes for a 75-year-old veteran of Democratic politics who was recently considering retirement.

“I had one foot in the car on my way to California with my wife,” he joked.

Taking on two — very big — roles

Podesta's plan to step away from public life changed when Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act two years ago, pumping $375 billion into the fight against climate change. Podesta had helped lay the political groundwork for the law by working with advocacy groups, and Biden asked him to oversee the implementation of financial incentives for clean technologies.

“There’s no one else in the United States that knows as many people in government and knows how to get as much done in government," said Christy Goldfuss, who previously worked at the Center for American Progress, a Democratic-aligned think tank that Podesta founded two decades ago.

Podesta's role expanded into international politics when John Kerry, Biden's first global climate envoy and a former U.S. secretary of state, retired earlier this year. Kerry was known for his close relationship with his Chinese counterpart, Xie Zhenhua, who stepped down as well and was replaced by Liu.

Although neither Podesta nor Liu are new to climate diplomacy, "there’s more uncertainty in the bilateral climate relationship than there has been for the last three years,” said Li Shuo, an analyst at the Asia Society who previously worked with Greenpeace in Beijing.

Earlier this month, Podesta hosted Liu in Washington for their first official meeting since taking on their new roles.

“Personal relationships only go so far, but they are important in terms of building the level of trust that each side is telling the other what is possible,” Podesta said. "And I think we ended up having a good outcome of the meeting.”

Podesta described the conversations as a give and take: “He was pushing me, I was pushing him.” The U.S. and China have opportunities to improve their reductions in emissions of methane and hydrofluorocarbons, he said, and “the world is looking to us to find ways where we can work together.”

From billions to trillions of dollars for climate

However, a sticking point will be an area known as climate finance.

Under the Paris agreement reached in 2015, wealthy countries are supposed to collectively provide $100 billion in annual assistance for developing nations to adopt clean technologies and cope with the impact of climate change. They reached the goal in 2022, two years behind schedule, according to a report released Wednesday by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Negotiators are supposed to set a new, more ambitious target during the November summit in Azerbaijan.

“We have a challenge where it’s not just billions or even hundreds of billions of dollars of need that’s out there," Podesta said. "We need to mobilize trillions of dollars to transform the global economy from one that’s running on polluting fossil fuels to one that’s running on clean energy.”

China has resisted any requirements to put its own money into the pot, but Podesta emphasized that it’s the world’s top emitter of greenhouse gases “and it does have an obligation to the rest of the world to contribute.”

The United States is under pressure to increase its own financial commitments, something that has been challenging with Republicans in control of the House.

Joe Thwaites, an expert on the issue at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said Biden administration officials have made progress by scraping together funding from around the federal government and searching “behind the proverbial couch cushions.”

Climate talks clouded by trade disputes

Trade concerns with China have become more prominent. Although China has boasted that its production capacity could help the world transition to a clean energy future, U.S. officials are worried about American workers being displaced if cheap Chinese electric vehicles and other green products flood U.S. markets.

“There’s no question that we’re now in a fierce competition, particularly in these clean technologies," Podesta said. He suggested that China is supercharging some of its industries and ramping up exports to compensate for its pandemic slump and the collapse of its housing sector, an approach that he described as “anti-competitive.”

Biden recently announced higher tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, batteries and other technologies. He's also pushing U.S. automakers to increase production of zero-emission vehicles through regulations and financial incentives.

“We’re seeing continued momentum," Podesta said. "It’s maybe not as quite as fast as people anticipated. But it’s very strong, very forward moving. And I think that companies are fully committed to that transition to electrification.”

Trump has criticized the focus on electric vehicles, and partisanship has colored drivers' views of the issue, creating a political and cultural hurdle to lowering emissions from transportation.

“I think that the right has kind of demonized electric vehicles," Podesta said.

Dave Cooke, senior vehicles analyst at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said that while the rules have been eased for the next few years, automakers need to increase their efforts now to ensure they hit stricter goals down the line.

“We’ve given them such a cushy first few years,” he said. “If they don’t use that time to figure out their long-term strategy, that would be extremely problematic.”

Reports by independent analysts show that the U.S. is not on track to hit the emissions reduction target that Biden set for 2030, but Podesta said he was not concerned.

“I’m confident that we can do that," he said. "We’ve done an enormous amount already.”

He added that clean energy policies tend to be more partisan in Washington than elsewhere in the country.

"The facts on the ground are changing," Podesta said. “As people go to work in these industries, as they take advantage of the investments that are coming to their communities and see the results of lowering pollution across the board, I think they’re very hard to reverse.”

Chris Megerian, The Associated Press

How my photos of a pick-up football game made a mark on Canadian political history

THE PICTURE THAT LOST HIM THE ELECTION

Doug Ball
Wed, May 29, 2024





THIS IS THE PIC ROBERT STANFIELD WOULD HAVE PREFFERED

SINCE HE WAS RUNNING AGAINST THIS GUY

"Hey, Doug — did you take that shot of Stanfield on the front of the Globe and Mail this morning?"

We were boarding the Progressive Conservative campaign bus outside the Hotel Vancouver early on May 31 during the 1974 federal election.

I was a photographer working for The Canadian Press out of Montreal, where I had been stationed the previous year.

Early the day before, we had flown out of Halifax heading for a rally in Saskatoon and then overnight in Vancouver.

We had a refueling stop in North Bay and were allowed to deplane and stretch our legs on the tarmac.

Someone with the PC party brought out a football and started throwing it around.

I asked Robert Stanfield, the then-Opposition leader, if he was going to join in — and he suggested he might.

I put my Nikon F2 camera aside and joined the game.

A few minutes in, I saw Stanfield take off his suit coat and prepare to enter the fray.

I quickly grabbed my camera and fired off the full roll of 36 frames of him catching the football, throwing it around — and missing it, too.

When I finished the roll, I ran into the terminal and sent the film back to my office in Toronto, where it would be developed, made into prints and transmitted to news clients.

After the evening rally in Saskatoon, I made a quick call to see how the photos had turned out.

All they said was: "It's on the front of the Globe and Mail!"

After waking up in Vancouver, I went to the door of my hotel room and saw two pictures on the front of the Vancouver Province newspaper — one of Stanfield dropping the football, another of him catching it.

Then I saw the Globe and Mail headline: "A Political Fumble?"

On the bus, while I waited to catch hell from Stanfield’s political aides, Charles Lynch of Southam News sat down in front of me and asked the question — if it had been my photo. I said yes.

"Trudeau just won the election," he said.

Then-prime minister Pierre Trudeau had won a large majority in 1968, but Stanfield had given him a run for his money in 1972, cutting the Liberals down to minority control in Parliament.

Lynch wasn’t wrong. Stanfield lost, and Trudeau formed another majority government.

Shortly after the election, Stanfield announced his intention to retire. He would go on to serve as the Opposition leader until 1976, when Joe Clark took the party helm.

When Stanfield spoke at the press gallery dinner in 1975, I wasn't in the room — but a friend told me that he gave the funniest speech, in which he called me out by name.

That year, I won the National Newspaper Award for best political photo.

More than a decade later, I got ahold of the ex-politician's phone number.

I dialed and expected a secretary to answer. But Stanfield picked up the phone.

I got nervous. I blurted out my name. I asked the question I'd been wondering about for years: would he sign a copy of the football photo?

It was the most pregnant pause I had ever heard.

Then: "Ah yes," he said. "You won an award for that, and I got nothing. Unbelievable!"

We met for lunch a few weeks later, and he signed a copy: "Doug — I should have taken off my tie."

After the meal, we headed out into a grey, drizzling day and took a few pictures together. Stanfield asked the photographer if we could take one more, on the count of three.

On three, Stanfield put the hook of his umbrella around my neck and gave it a playful tug, and we laughed.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 29, 2024.

Doug Ball, The Canadian Press

Whitehorse mayor shuts down motion to support Palestine

CBC
Wed, May 29, 2024 


Whitehorse Mayor Laura Cabott in front of city hall 

 (Jackie Hong/CBC - image credit)

Tensions were high at Monday's city council meeting in Whitehorse.

Last week, Coun. Michelle Friesen presented a notice that she would bring forward a motion expressing support for Palestinians.

The motion would have had Mayor Laura Cabott write a letter on behalf of the city to the prime minister and foreign affairs minister expressing solidarity with Palestinians and support for a permanent ceasefire.

That discussion was quickly put on pause after Coun. Kirk Cameron called for a point of order.

"The purposes of a local government include providing — within its jurisdiction — good government for its community," Cameron said. "That doesn't, in my estimation, no matter how I expand my imagination, doesn't capture an absolute pathetic war on the other side of the planet."

Cameron said the statement would be divisive and breach council's code of conduct.

Residents speak out in support of motion

Bylaw officers in full uniform were stationed outside the council chambers.

During the meeting, a number of Whitehorse residents scheduled to speak on the city's temporary fee-for-service recycling program instead raised the issue of the motion.

Robin Reid-Fraser began with comments related to recycling, but concluded by talking about the ceasefire motion and recent Israeli attacks on Palestinian refugees in Rafah.

"Finally, I wish to express my belief that ending a genocide demands efforts from all of us until that genocide ends," Reid-Fraser said. "I sincerely hope that council will move forward with the debate regarding a ceasefire."

Cabott quickly intervened, banging a gavel and calling for the microphone to be shut off. Two other speakers were also cut off when their comments turned to the situation in Gaza.

Cabott didn't address the motion and the point of order until closer to the end of the meeting.

"My ruling is that the point of order is well taken, which basically means that as the presiding officer, I accept the point of order raised by Coun. Cameron," she said. "The reasons for that are a couple of points."

First was the city's municipal act, which states that the jurisdiction of a council is confined to the municipality it represents. The second point was a section which requires council to make decisions that are "in the best interest of the community as a whole."

Protesters in Whitehorse marching through the city's downtown on November 4, 2023.

Protesters in Whitehorse marching through the city's downtown on November 4, 2023. (Caitrin Pilkington/CBC)

Friesen asked for an appeal but was outvoted. All councillors but Mellisa Murray sided with the mayor.

Yukon NDP Leader Kate White was present at the meeting to support the motion. On social media, she expressed disappointment with the city's decision.

"Citizens care about the ongoing genocide in Palestine," she wrote. "Why not debate the motion, say your piece and then vote against it? Why stop the motion from getting to that point? What are you afraid of?"

'We're here to support all interests'

Cabott later clarified her reasoning in an interview with CBC.

"The focus of this council is municipal matters with respect to our citizens here," she said. "I don't think it would be helpful or appropriate to be singling out a particular group of people versus another group of people or religion or culture."

"We're here to represent all interests, all people, all residents, no matter what their cultural or ethnic background is. My view of that motion was that it was [intended] to start separating people out."

Cabott began Monday's meeting with proclamations recognizing the upcoming National Indigenous History Month, Filipino Heritage Month and International Pride Month in June. Whitehorse city council proclamations aim to highlight a variety of causes, including diversity and multicultural awareness.

A family protesting in Whitehorse on Nov. 4.

A family protesting in support of Palestine in Whitehorse on Nov. 4. 2023. (Caitrin Pilkington/CBC)

When asked by CBC if she would consider a proclamation dedicated to Palestinians, Cabott said the Palestinian cause had already been addressed in a proclamation she shared in April.

"Last month I did a proclamation recognizing Jewish Heritage Month, and the same day, I did a proclamation recognizing other cultures and people from Asia, which includes, broadly, people from the Middle East, which would include Palestinians," Cabott said.

Cabott said she recognizes that local Whitehorse-Palestinian residents have been impacted by the violence in Gaza, and that she has heard the strong opposition some in Whitehorse are feeling about the war, but the city is not planning any future steps to address the issue.

She shared that she met with local Jewish and Muslim leaders "when all of this began" back in October.

That same month, Whitehorse officially declared Chortkiv, Ukraine, to be its sister city.

At the time, Coun. Kirk Cameron spoke in support of that motion.

"We are incredibly influential when it comes to our statement about fairness and human rights around the world," he said. "For us to step up and give our connection and allegiance and statement of support to that community, I think says a lot."

Ottawa paramedics keep pushing for taxi pilot after province's rejectio

CBC

Wed, May 29, 2024

Ottawa's paramedic Chief Pierre Poirier says he's already working on other options to solve the considerable strain put on paramedics by offload delays at hospitals. (Jean Delisle/CBC - image credit)


A "frustrating" refusal by the province has not weakened the city's resolve to launch a taxis-as-ambulances pilot project, Ottawa's paramedic chief told reporters on Wednesday, explaining that an opportunity may be hiding in what the ministry didn't say.

The City of Ottawa proposed the pilot last autumn as a way to offset the hours paramedics are waiting at overcrowded emergency rooms. These delays lead to "code zero" events where no ambulance is available for calls.

The trial would have allowed paramedics to send patients with non-serious injuries to hospital in a taxi instead.


"That kind of creative solution is exactly what we need," said Mayor Mark Sutcliffe. "So, I was a little bit surprised by the fact that the province wasn't in agreement."

The news was also disappointing to Pierre Poirier, chief of the Ottawa Paramedic Service, but in that rejection he saw an opportunity.

"We haven't given up on it," he said. "What it said in the letter is not to use 911 paramedics to provide that service. Sometimes it's what is said versus what is not said."

Poirier said he doesn't know the rationale for the rejection, but is exploring using community paramedics instead.

Unlike paramedics who respond to emergency calls, provincially funded community paramedics help with preventative care including, for instance, helping people who have been discharged after surgery.

Paramedics prepare their equipment in the parking lot of the Civic Hospital campus.

The Ottawa Paramedic Service application to the province suggested using 911 paramedics to call taxis for patients who don't have serious injuries. Now it's working on an alternative involving community paramedics. (Jean Delisle/CBC)

Program would be an Ontario first

This taxi program would be a first in Ontario, according to both Poirier and the province.

The Niagara region uses a different model, where dispatchers can provide 911 callers with a taxi option.

In Niagara, when a 911 call comes in, dispatchers ask questions to determine the seriousness of the emergency. If they find it's safe for the caller to wait, they transfer the call to a nurse.

In Niagara, 911 dispatchers can offer to provide callers with a taxi instead of an ambulance. (Submitted by Niagara Region Public Health and Emergency Services)

Poirier said that's another option the city is ready to explore.

"We look forward to reviewing their revised proposal," said Hannah Jensen, a spokesperson for Ontario's health minister.

The mayor said he's hopeful that the province will work with the paramedic chief to find a solution.

So is Poirier.

"It is frustrating, but often change takes time. We have to build relationships. We have to understand the perspective of the Ministry of Health. We're committed to working together with them to find solutions," Poirier said.

"What we propose is not always successful, and we have to find other ways of being creative."

SASKATCHEWAN

Cabinet minister in camouflage with gun nearly caused security alert at legislature

Jeremy Simes
Wed, May 29, 2024




REGINA — A leaked letter says Saskatchewan Trade Minister Jeremy Harrison nearly triggered a security incident when he walked into the legislature in camouflage gear toting a long gun in a case.

The Opposition NDP said Wednesday the document stokes further suspicions of Harrison’s story and reinforces that he has lost trust and needs to be fired from Premier Scott Moe’s cabinet.

“These are not minor inconsistencies,” NDP Leader Carla Beck told reporters while presenting the letter, which was also obtained by The Canadian Press.


“The minister has been caught again red-handed in a lie. This has to be it. The premier has to show some leadership here.”

Beck noted the Saskatchewan Party member took the gun into the legislature in April 2016, more than a year after a lone gunman killed a ceremonial guard at the War Memorial in Ottawa before entering Parliament, where he was shot to death.

“There was heightened security (after that). We saw a number of security measures come in, and this is (Harrison's) judgment?” Beck said.

When the matter came to light two weeks ago, Harrison denied it happened.

Earlier this week, he admitted he did bring a gun inside the legislature but insisted security was kept in the loop.

The letter, however, says security was not informed.

The letter, dated April 29, 2016, is from the acting sergeant-at-arms. The legislature was not sitting at the time, as the provincial election had been two weeks earlier.

The name of the person the letter was sent to is redacted.

On that day, the letter says things got tense when security noticed an unrecognizable man wearing camouflage holding a gun case walking towards the legislature.

The letter says a desk officer "was at the point of keying his radio and announcing that there was a GUN.”

A security officer got closer to the man to get his attention by saying, "Sir,” before realizing it was the legislature member.

"Harrison walked past the (security) kiosk carrying his gun case and disappeared around the corner. The gun itself was not visible, however, it was obvious that it was a gun case," the letter says.

It adds that Harrison was going to go coyote hunting with the Speaker at the time.

In the letter, the acting sergeant-at-arms writes security "should be advised in advance of this type of behaviour, even by an MLA.”

The letter also says security should be allowed to confiscate all weapons. "There is no need for anyone to have a gun in this building under these circumstances.”

The letter is the latest turn in the controversy that began May 16 and has embroiled both Moe and his governing Saskatchewan Party.

On the last day of spring sitting, Speaker Randy Weekes publicly accused Harrison of: once bringing a hunting rife into the building; wanting to carry a handgun; and threatening the Speaker by flashing the inside of his suit jacket as if to suggest he had a gun.

A day later, Moe told reporters the Speaker's allegations were “unequivocally false.”

In the days that followed, as pressure mounted on Harrison to explain himself, he admitted in a statement that he did bring in a gun into the legislature about a decade ago to prevent it from being stolen from his truck.

He apologized and said he was quitting his job as government house leader but staying in cabinet.

Harrison also insisted that he brought his gun into the legislature "with the knowledge of security officials."

On Monday, he went further, telling reporters he initially forgot about taking the gun into the legislature and that his family had helped jog his memory.

He also said he had notified security but did not say which security officials.

A spokesperson for Moe's office said Wednesday the premier stands by Harrison and has a different interpretation of the minister's statement about security.

“(Harrison) indicated (he carried in the gun) with the knowledge of security officials,” said the spokesperson.

Weekes has cut ties with the Saskatchewan Party. Earlier in the sitting, the Speaker also accused fellow caucus members, including Harrison, of sending him inappropriate text messages to try to intimidate him in his role as the impartial facilitator of house debate.

Harrison did admit to sending a text to Weekes with an expletive and said it wasn't appropriate.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 29, 2024.

Jeremy Simes, The Canadian Press

Saskatchewan NDP asks Speaker to call meeting on gun allegation, invite investigation

Jeremy Simes
Tue, May 28, 2024 



REGINA — Saskatchewan's Opposition is calling on the Speaker to set the wheels in motion for a third-party investigation into gun-carrying and bullying behaviour inside the legislature.

NDP democracy critic Meara Conway told reporters Tuesday that Speaker Randy Weekes chairs the all-party house services committee and could call for that panel to vote on whether to launch a third-party probe with authority to summon witnesses.

The allegations surround Premier Scott Moe’s governing Saskatchewan Party, particularly Trade Minister Jeremy Harrison. Saskatchewan Party members form a majority on the house services committee, meaning such an investigation couldn't happen without their support.

Conway said if Weekes calls a committee meeting, it would provide a “clean route” to getting an investigation.

“There is an alleged culture of bullying and harassment at the core of Scott Moe’s Saskatchewan Party caucus,” said Conway.

“Minister Harrison remains one of Moe’s senior ministers and essentially the face of Saskatchewan to international investors and trade partners, despite the fact he’s now an established liar and has displayed conduct well below what we’d expect from any minister of the Crown.”

In a letter to Weekes sent Tuesday, Conway said the issue is bigger than both parties.

“The rule of law must be upheld and the basic principles of workplace safety and accountability must be respected,” she wrote.

Weekes declined to comment on whether he would call such a meeting.

Moe’s office said in a statement that it supports an investigation through the legislature’s anti-harassment policy, with formal complaints filed with the assembly clerk.

It said a third-party probe is a non-starter.

“We would support any investigation that may occur pursuant to the Members’ Anti-Harassment Policy but would not support pursuing this matter through House Services Committee, as that is not the appropriate avenue,” said the statement.

Weekes, who must be impartial in his role as Speaker, failed to secure a nomination to run for the Saskatchewan Party in the upcoming fall election and recently cut up his party membership card.

He surprised the house in April by announcing he had been the subject of intimidating text messages from fellow Saskatchewan Party caucus members, particularly Harrison.

On May 16, the last day of the spring sitting, Weekes added more accusations. He said Harrison had flashed the inside of his jacket at the Speaker, a gesture suggesting the minister was carrying a gun. Weekes also said Harrison once brought a rifle into the building and also wanted to bring in a handgun.

A day later, Moe told reporters the allegations against Harrison were “unequivocally false.”

But Harrison later issued a statement saying he did indeed bring a long gun into the legislature a decade ago to prevent it from being stolen from his truck.

On Monday, Harrison explained more in media interviews. He said he had initially forgotten he took a rifle into the legislature but was reminded of it by family and passed the new information on to Moe.

He denied the accusation from Weekes of wanting to bring a handgun into the legislature. But Harrison said texts to the Speaker were regrettable and part of the cut and thrust of politics.

Harrison resigned his position as government house leader but remains in his cabinet post. Moe said he still has confidence in Harrison.

Last week, the NDP wrote to legislative security and the chief firearms officer asking what they knew about Harrison bringing a gun and wanting to carry one in the legislature.

Dani Herman, the director of legislative security, wrote in response that any allegations of an offence would need to be reported to Regina police.

A spokesperson for Regina police said he could not find any recent reports of complaints of guns at the legislature.

Blaine Beaven, legal counsel for the Saskatchewan Firearms Office, said in a letter that he couldn’t say whether Harrison requested to carry a handgun, as the office can’t release personal information.

Beaven said authorization to carry is only given in very limited circumstances.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 28, 2024.

Jeremy Simes, The Canadian Press

Conservative attacks on Speakers in Ottawa, Regina a pattern, say Liberals and NDP

Mickey Djuric
Wed, May 29, 2024 



OTTAWA — The federal Liberals and NDP say conservative politicians are displaying a pattern of attacks against Speakers' independence, an allegation the Conservatives in Ottawa strongly deny.

The accusation comes a day after the federal Conservatives tried, and failed, for the third time to get House of Commons Speaker Greg Fergus to resign over allegations he is too partisan for the role.

Their attempts are designed to intimidate and delay House work, government House leader Steven MacKinnon said.


"The fact is that this culture of intimidating the chair is something we have seen in other legislatures and I think Canadians are rightly horrified by it," he said.

His NDP counterpart Peter Julian said there's a "disturbing undercurrent" in Ottawa and in Saskatchewan by conservatives who are attacking independent institutions, with their latest target being Speakers.

Julian drew a connection to Saskatchewan by linking Jeremy Harrison, former Saskatchewan Party House leader to federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre. Both were elected to Parliament in 2004 as Conservatives. Harrison served one term in Ottawa before being defeated in 2006. He was elected provincially in 2007.

While Poilievre is undermining the Speaker in Ottawa, Harrison is doing the same in Regina, Julian charged.

"It's a pattern now," he said to The Canadian Press.

On May 16, Saskatchewan's Speaker Randy Weekes accused several Saskatchewan Party members and staff, including Harrison, of intimidation, including sending him harassing text messages about his rulings. Weekes was elected as a Saskatchewan Party MLA, and served briefly in cabinet.

Last fall he lost the party's nomination to run in the next election and he tore up his party membership card this month when he made the allegations of intimidation.

Weekes also said Harrison once sought permission to bring a gun into the legislature. Harrison initially denied the allegation but resigned last week after admitting he had forgotten about the incident which happened more than a decade ago.

"The disturbing undercurrent as we see in Saskatchewan, as we're seeing here, is attacks on independent institutions," Julian said.

"And this isn't something we've seen before from Conservatives, but since Mr. Poilievre has become leader we're seeing this more and more."

A spokesperson for Poilievre rebuked Julian's connection.

"This is something that happened in the Saskatchewan Legislature regarding an entirely different party and has nothing to do with the Parliament of Canada and its Liberal Speaker or the Conservative Party of Canada," said Sebastian Skamski, a spokesperson for Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre.

"This is just another pathetic, desperate attempt by the coalition NDP to distract and play defence for Justin Trudeau and their Liberal masters."

The Conservatives argue that Fergus has proven himself to be biased, including ejecting Poilievre from the House of Commons last month for refusing to retract his comment calling Prime Minister Justin Trudeau a "wacko." Fergus was forced to pay a $1,500 fine and apologize after he delivered a partisan tribute to an outgoing interim Liberal leader in Ontario on a video played at the party's leadership convention.

The Liberals apologized to Fergus earlier this month after an invitation to an event in his riding was posted with language attacking the Conservatives. They said the invite was posted by a party staffer using boilerplate terms by mistake. It was replaced.

That incident is what prompted a Tory motion to oust Fergus, which failed Tuesday when the Liberals and NDP voted against it.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 29, 2024.

Mickey Djuric, The Canadian Press

MPs set to vote on whether to oust Speaker Greg Fergus

CBC
Tue, May 28, 2024 

Speaker of the House of Commons Greg Fergus appears as a witness before the House of Commons standing committee on procedure and House affairs in Ottawa on Tuesday, May 28, 2024. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press - image credit)


MPs are set to vote tonight on whether to allow Greg Fergus to stay on as Speaker of the House.

The Conservatives put forward a motion Monday asking the House to remove Fergus from the role over partisan language that appeared in an ad for an event in his riding.

Fergus is likely to remain in his job; the NDP is expected to join with the Liberals to vote down the motion.

But debate and questions about Fergus's impartiality took up time in the Commons chamber and at the House procedures committee on Tuesday.

Conservative MP Chris Warkentin moved the motion to remove Fergus after Deputy Speaker Chris d'Entremont ruled that the use of partisan language in the ad amounted to a prima facie question of MPs' privilege.

House of Commons rules state that questions of privilege take priority over all other matters. MPs spent most of Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning debating the issue.

The Liberals, with the support of the NDP, passed a closure motion on the privilege debate, which will force a vote on the matter on Tuesday evening.

Conservatives grilled Fergus during his Tuesday appearance before the House procedures committee.

Conservative member of Parliament Michelle Rempel Garner reacts at the start of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration to discuss the Government's Response to the Final Report of the Special Committee on Afghanistan in Ottawa, on Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2023.

Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner questioned how opposition MPs could approach House Speaker Greg Fergus about workplace harassement issues given the concerns about his impartiality. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press)

The committee is reviewing the House workplace harassment and violence prevention policy, which the Speaker has a role in overseeing.

Conservative MPs Michelle Rempel Garner and Jamil Jivani questioned how opposition MPs could approach Fergus about workplace issues given the concerns about his impartiality.

Rempel Garner pointed to Fergus's past defence of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after he elbowed former NDP MP Ruth Ellen Brosseau during an incident in the House in 2016.

"Do you think opposition MPs would feel safe or empowered to report incidents of any form of harassment given that this … falls under your supervision?" Rempel Garner asked.

Fergus replied that MPs should have "complete confidence" that complaints will be given the "full treatment" by his office.

Rempel Garner responded by saying many women feel uncomfortable reporting to men in power because they fear their concerns won't be heard.

"I am not sure that if I reported something to you that you would treat me fairly, that I wouldn't have my issue twisted for partisan gain because of the repeated incidents of partisanship," she said.

Fergus's actions have raised questions before

The online ad for "A Summer Evening with the Honourable Greg Fergus" included a line that took aim at Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre. It accused him of pursuing Conservative policies "that would risk our health, safety and pocketbooks" and promoted a Liberal plan to "grow an economy that works for everyone."

The Liberal Party apologized to Fergus in a letter last week, saying the language posted on the event page was the auto-populated, standardized language the party uses for events on its website.

The language was posted without Fergus's knowledge and "as a result of a miscommunication between the Party and the riding association," said the letter from Azam Ishmael, the party's national director.

This is not the first time Fergus, who was elected to the chair in October, has had his impartiality questioned by MPs.

Fergus initially lost the support of Conservative and Bloc Québécois MPs when he taped a video tribute to outgoing Ontario Liberal leader John Fraser while wearing the Speaker's robes.

He also participated in a fundraising event in his riding last fall, something billed as a "cocktail militant" for Liberal supporters.

Fergus held on to his job after the NDP backed him during the fracas over the video. He apologized and paid a fine for breaking Commons rules that forbid the use of parliamentary resources for partisan purposes.

The NDP has maintained that Fergus behaved appropriately in this most recent case by having the event cleared by the Clerk before proposing to host it.

Rescue teams don't expect to find survivors in Papua New Guinea landslide

Lewis Jackson and Renju Jose
Wed, May 29, 2024

Aftermath of a landslide in Enga Province

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Papua New Guinea ruled out finding survivors under the rubble of a massive landslide on Thursday, with the exact number of dead under almost two storeys of debris and mud still unknown but ranging from hundreds to thousands.

Heavy equipment and aid have been slow to arrive because of the treacherous mountain terrain, a damaged bridge on the main road, and tribal unrest in the area.

"No bodies are expected to be alive under the debris at this point, so it's a full recovery operation to recover any human remains," Enga province disaster committee chairperson Sandis Tsaka told Reuters.

Officials are still trying to pinpoint how many people are buried under parts of a mountain which collapsed onto the Yambali village in the Enga region around 3 a.m. last Friday.

Without a current census – the last credible one was done in 2000 – officials are relying on incomplete voter records and checks with local leaders to reach an estimate on total deaths.

More than 2,000 people may have been buried alive, according to the PNG government. A U.N. estimate put the death toll at around 670, while a local businessman and former official told Reuters it was closer to 160.

Tsaka said the government was still unsure about the death toll though it would be a "significant number."

"It could be anywhere from hundreds to 2,000. I wouldn't totally rule 2,000 out because of the uncertainty about how many people were (there) at the time but I can't give you a definitive answer till we complete the social mapping," he said.

Of the six bodies recovered so far, two lived outside the disaster area, Tsaka said, reinforcing officials' view that there was lots of movement between communities.

Dozens of soldiers, engineers, geology experts and public health officials have reached the site, Tsaka said. Rescue teams are planning to use heavy machinery from Thursday, after unstable ground delayed its use earlier.

Thousands of residents are on alert for potential evacuation in case the landslide shifts further downhill.

"We are not even sleeping at night. We are afraid that more of the mountain will fall down and kill us all," 20-year-old resident Frida Yeahkal told Reuters.

EPIDEMIC DANGERS

The landslide has buried nearby creeks and streams and contaminated the village's primary water sources, posing a significant risk of disease outbreaks, the United Nations migration agency said in its latest update.

Most households lack alternative sources, such as rain catchment tanks, and there were no methods to treat water, further exacerbating drinking water shortages, it said.

The agency estimates about 1,650 people have been displaced, with one in five under the age of six.

"What will happen to the ones alive? I do not know where we will go for food and shelter. Our houses and gardens have all been destroyed," community leader Yuri Yapara told Reuters.

(Reporting by Renju Jose in Sydney; Editing by Michael Perry)

Fears rise of a second landslide and disease outbreak at site of Papua New Guinea disaster

Rod Mcguirk
Tue, May 28, 2024


MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Authorities fear a second landslide and a disease outbreak are looming at the scene of Papua New Guinea’s mass-casualty disaster because of water streams and bodies trapped beneath the tons of debris that swept over a village. Thousands are being told to prepare to evacuate, officials said Tuesday.

A mass of boulders, earth and splintered trees devastated Yambali in the South Pacific nation’s remote highlands when a limestone mountainside sheared away Friday. The blanket of debris has become more unstable with recent rain and streams trapped between the ground and rubble, said Serhan Aktoprak, chief of the International Organization for Migration’s mission in Papua New Guinea.

The U.N. agency has officials at the scene in Enga province helping shelter 1,600 displaced people. The agency estimates 670 villagers died, while Papua New Guinea’s government has told the United Nations it thinks more than 2,000 people were buried. Six bodies had been retrieved from the rubble by Tuesday.

“We are hearing suggestions that another landslide can happen and maybe 8,000 people need to be evacuated,” Aktoprak told The Associated Press.

“This is a major concern. The movement of the land, the debris, is causing a serious risk, and overall the total number of people that may be affected might be 6,000 or more,” he said. That includes villagers whose source of clean drinking water has been buried and subsistence farmers who lost their vegetable gardens.

“If this debris mass is not stopped, if it continues moving, it can gain speed and further wipe out other communities and villages further down” the mountain, Aktoprak said.

A U.N. statement later tallied the affected population at 7,849, including people who might need to be evacuated or relocated. The U.N. said 42% of those were children under 16.

Some villagers were evacuated on Tuesday, Enga provincial disaster committee chairperson and provincial administrator Sandis Tsaka told Radio New Zealand. The number was unclear.

As many people as possible would be evacuated on Wednesday, Tsaka said.

Relocating survivors to safer ground has been a priority for days and evacuation centers have been established on either side of the debris heap, which is up to 8 meters (26 feet) high and sprawling over an area the U.N. says is equivalent to three or four football fields.

Scenes of villagers digging with their bare hands through muddy debris in search of their relatives’ remains were also concerning.

“My biggest fear at the moment is corpses are decaying, ... water is flowing and this is going to pose serious health risks in relation to contagious diseases,” Aktoprak said.

Aktoprak’s agency raised those concerns at a disaster management virtual meeting of national and international responders Tuesday.

The warning comes as geotechnical experts and heavy earth-moving equipment are expected to reach the site soon.

The Papua New Guinea government on Sunday officially asked the United Nations for additional help and to coordinate contributions from individual nations.

An Australian disaster response team arrived Tuesday in Papua New Guinea, which is Australia’s nearest neighbor. The team includes a geohazard assessment team and drones to help map the site.

“Their role will be particularly helping perform geotechnical surveillance to establish the level of the landslip, the instability of the land there, obviously doing some work around identifying where bodies are,” said Murray Watt, Australia's minister for emergency management.

The Australian government has offered long-term logistical support for clearing debris, recovering bodies and supporting displaced people. The government announced an initial aid package of 2.5 million Australian dollars ($1.7 million).

Earth-moving equipment used by Papua New Guinea’s military was expected to arrive soon, after traveling from the city of Lae, 400 kilometers (250 miles) to the east, said Justine McMahon, country director of for humanitarian agency CARE International.

The landslide buried a 200-meter (650-foot) stretch of the province's main highway. But the highway had been cleared from Yambali to the provincial capital Wabag through to Lae, officials said Tuesday from Enga.

“One of the complicating factors was the destruction of parts of the road plus the instability of the ground, but they have some confidence that they can take in heavy equipment today,” McMahon said Tuesday.

An excavator donated by a local builder Sunday became the first piece of heavy earth-moving machinery brought in to help villagers who have been digging with shovels and farming tools to find bodies.

Heartbroken and frustrated Yambali resident Evit Kambu thanked those who were trying to find her missing relatives in the rubble.

“I have 18 of my family members buried under the debris and soil that I'm standing on,” she told Australian Broadcasting Corp. through an interpreter.

“But I can't retrieve the bodies, so I'm standing here helplessly,” she added.

Yambali couple John and Jacklyn Yandam spoke of being trapped in the rubble for eight hours on Friday morning before they were dug out by neighbors.

Large fallen boulders had formed a barrier that prevented the couple from being crushed in their house by tumbling rubble. But they would have remained trapped without their neighbors' help.

“We thank God for saving our lives at that moment,” the wife told Papua New Guinea's National Broadcasting Corp., referring to the mountainside collapsing at 3 a.m.

“We were certain that we were going to die, but the big rocks didn't crush us,” she added.

Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said an Australian air force C-17 Globemaster, a four-engine transport jet capable of carrying 77 metric tons (85 U.S. tons) of cargo, was already bringing supplies from Australia to Papua New Guinea's capital, Port Moresby.

Two smaller Australian air force turboprop transport planes were already at Port Moresby, which is 600 kilometers (370 miles) southeast of the devastated village.

“There is more that we are seeking to do, but to be frank, part of the issue here is about not overwhelming a system which is currently under a lot of stress,” Marles told Parliament.

The smaller C-130 Hercules and C-27J Spartan transport planes are to fly supplies from the capital to Mount Hagen, the capital of Western Highlands province, from where the cargo would travel by road to neighboring Enga province.

That plan took a blow with news that a bridge between Mount Hagen and Wabag collapsed on Tuesday, officials said. The cause of the collapse was not explained, but it was unrelated to the landslide.

A detour would add two or three hours to the journey, the migrant agency said. Urgent efforts were underway to repair the bridge.

Papua New Guinea is a diverse, developing nation with 800 languages and 10 million people who are mostly subsistence farmers.

Rod Mcguirk, The Associated Press

BURMA

Myanmar's ethnic armies consolidate strongholds as junta weakens, reports say

Reuters
Wed, May 29, 2024

 Soldiers from the rebel Karen National Liberation Army patrol in the Myanmar border town of Myawaddy

(Reuters) - Myanmar's ruling junta has lost control over vast tracts of territory, including access to much of its international borders, allowing ethnic armed groups to expand and consolidate regions under their control, two reports assessing the conflict said on Thursday.

The country of 55 million people has been in turmoil since February, 2021 when the military ousted an elected government led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, sparking widespread protests.

The street demonstrations, which were met with a brutal crackdown, morphed into an armed resistance movement that has combined with many of Myanmar's ethnic rebel armies to pose the most significant challenge to the military in decades.

The junta does not have effective control of Myanmar, having lost complete authority over townships covering 86% of the country's territory that are home to 67% of the population, according to the Special Advisory Council for Myanmar (SAC-M).

A junta spokesman did not respond to a call from Reuters seeking comment.

"The military junta does not control enough of the territory of Myanmar to uphold the core duties of the state," the SAC-M, an independent group of international experts set up after the coup to support the return of democracy, said in a briefing paper.

"The junta has abandoned significant territory and has been forced into a defensive posture in most parts of the country where it remains present."

Operation 1027, a coordinated offensive last October led by three ethnic armies, marked a key moment that exposed a weakened military, which ceded swathes of borderlands in Myanmar's north.

A series of offensives by ethnic armies since have pushed the junta out of peripheral areas all the way from the country's border with Thailand to coastal tracts along the Bay of Bengal.

"The ethnic armed groups that have achieved many of these military victories are consolidating control of their expanded homeland areas, with many well on the way to establishing autonomous statelets," the non-profit Crisis Group said in a report.

The military's mounting losses and growing dismay among the elite in the capital Naypyidaw has left junta chief Min Aung Hlaing's future in serious doubt, although he has packed senior ranks with officers loyal to him, according to Crisis Group.

"He might thus be able to keep his job, but given the level of discontent, he could nevertheless face a plot to remove him," it said.

With the junta losing control of almost all the country's borders and non-state administrations likely to expand, neighbouring states, regional blocs and the international community should widen their engagement with resistance groups, both reports said.

Internal displacement in Myanmar has reached a record high, with over three million people forced out of their homes because of the escalating conflict, according to UN agencies.

"The international community must understand this reality and work directly with resistance authorities and civil society to deliver urgent aid and assistance to the Myanmar people," said Yanghee Lee, one of SAC-M's founding members.

(Reporting by Reuters staff, Writing by Devjyot Ghoshal; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)

Why the West needs to pay attention to Myanmar's anti-junta forces

Mizy Clifton
Wed, May 29, 2024



Insights from The Washington Post, Bloomberg, and The New Humanitarian
The News

Anti-junta forces in Myanmar have gained scores of towns and army bases from the ruling military in recent months, reigniting hopes of a turning point in a three-year-long civil war that has seen more than 3 million people internally displaced and at least 8,000 civilians killed.

The junta, which seized power from a democratically-elected government in 2021, is struggling to replenish ground troop losses amid widespread defections, casualties, and surrenders, making it “nearly impossible” to retake lost territory, according to the United States Institute of Peace.
SIGNALSSemafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories.
Potential Western support for rebels will be ‘politically fraught’Sources: The Washington Post , Lowy Institute , Bloomberg

The US “should be doing a lot more to bring a decent end to the war,” The Washington Post’s Keith B. Richburg argued. President Joe Biden must bring armed rebel groups and the exiled National Unity Government together “around a common agenda of federalism and democracy” against a brutal junta, he added. Building a genuine federal democracy will “likely take years of highly complex and politically fraught negotiations,” wrote a Myanmar expert for the Lowy Institute, but some resistance groups have already begun instituting state-like structures in areas under their control. Risk-averse governments and donors may be wary of working with armed organizations rather than states but can identify groups that value inclusive, civilian-led structures and international humanitarian law, a Bloomberg columnist wrote.

Eyes on Rohingya caught in the crossfireSources: United Nations , Human Rights Watch , The New Humanitarian , Observer Research Foundation

The international community risks “failing a desperate people in their hour of peril” if it does not take action to prevent another Rohingya bloodbath like in 2017, the UN’s Special Rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar said. More than 1,000 men from the mostly Muslim minority have been abducted and forcibly conscripted from across Rakhine State since February 2024, according to Human Rights Watch, but there are also allegations of extortion and targeted killings at the hands of the anti-junta Arakan Army, The New Humanitarian reported. Concrete international actions to address the persecution of the Rohingya “remain elusive” and the lack of accountability mechanisms perpetuates the cycle of violence, Sreeparna Banerjee from the Observer Research Foundation warned.

Rohingya forced to fight alongside Myanmar army tormentors

Tanbirul Miraj RIPON with Shafiqul ALAM in Dhaka
Tue, May 28, 2024

Families of those dragooned into combat say their relatives had no choice (-)


Rohingya mother Sofura Begum has spent years in a squalid refugee camp after fleeing Myanmar. Now her teenage son has been taken to fight alongside the troops that put her there.

Militant Rohingya groups in Bangladesh have forcibly recruited hundreds of young Rohingya men and boys to battle the Arakan Army, a rebel outfit in neighbouring Myanmar that has won a string of victories against the junta there.

Those sent to fight are making common cause with the military that drove 750,000 members of the persecuted Muslim minority from their homes and into Bangladesh in a 2017 crackdown now the subject of an ongoing UN genocide court case.

In their recruitment drive, militants say Rohingya need to ally with old enemies in the Myanmar army to face a new threat.

But the families of those dragooned into combat say that their relatives were not given a choice.

"They told us to hand him over," Begum, 30, told AFP after her 15-year-old son Abdul was picked up by armed men from her home.

"They threatened us... They said it's our war of faith. I didn't want my son to join the war. But we are in a dangerous situation."

AFP spoke with six families who said men from their household had been forcibly recruited by three Rohingya armed groups with an established presence in the refugee camps.

One man, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, said his 20-year-old son had been taken by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) and sent across the border to fight.

"I learned that he was injured in the war," the man said.

"It's shameful my son was forcibly recruited... Every day our people are being picked up."

- 'Slaughtered our people' -

Myanmar's military has lost vast swathes of territory this year to an advance by the Arakan Army, one of several rebel groups battling the junta that took power in a 2021 coup.

The Arakan Army says it is fighting for more autonomy for the ethnic Rakhine population in the state, which is also home to around 600,000 Rohingya who remained after the 2017 crackdown.

This month the rebel outfit took control of Buthidaung, a Rohingya-majority town not far from Bangladesh.

Several Rohingya diaspora groups said in a statement that fighters forced Rohingya to flee, then looted and burned their homes -- claims the Arakan Army called "propaganda".

Another armed group in the Bangladesh camps, the Rohingya Solidarity Organisation (RSO), said it had recruited refugees to fight.

"The Arakan Army has tortured and slaughtered our people," Ko Ko Linn, the RSO's political chief, told AFP.

"Their only policy is the extermination of the Rohingya community," he added. "So we are recruiting Rohingyas regularly, giving them military training."

Ko Ko Linn would not say if other groups had forcibly recruited people.

But Arakan Army spokesperson Khaing Thu Kha accused three groups -- RSO, ARSA and the Arakan Rohingya Army (ARA) -- of recruiting Rohingya from Bangladesh.

He said the conscripts were taken for training in a Myanmar army base, before "fighting alongside" the junta's forces.

With mobile and internet networks down across swathes of Rakhine state it is difficult to assess how any cooperation between Rohingya groups and the junta is playing out on the battlefield.

- 'Lied from the beginning' -

A senior UN staffer and a rights group official, both speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the subject, said Rohingya armed groups had recruited "hundreds" of refugees in Bangladesh.

Rohingya armed groups working in concert with the military have recruited hundreds more men and boys in Myanmar itself.

Myanmar officially regards the Rohingya as interlopers from Bangladesh, despite roots in the country stretching back centuries.

Successive governments there have subjected the minority to decades of persecution, including a 2015 decision to cease recognising their citizenship.

Thomas Kean of the International Crisis Group think tank told AFP that children as young as 14 had been pressed into battle against their will.

But he added that it appeared a small number of Rohingya had signed on to fight voluntarily after being promised "wages and even citizenship" by Myanmar's junta.

After significant battlefield losses against rebel groups since last year, Myanmar's junta activated a dormant conscription law in February to bolster its armed forces.

One Rohingya man in Buthidaung, who asked not to be identified, told AFP his brother had been "beaten and abducted by ARSA" and taken to serve alongside the military.

He said that the junta's representatives had said at first that the recruits were being trained as a militia to defend Rohingya villages.

"But later, they began using them on the battlefields," he added. "The junta lied from the beginning."

‘The entire town is burning.’ Fires rage as Rohingya caught up on the front lines of Myanmar’s civil war

Helen Regan and Avery Schmitz, CNN
May 23, 2024·8 min read

Families of Rohingya people trapped in Myanmar’s west are desperately trying to contact loved ones after a weekend of widespread arson attacks displaced up to 200,000 people and caused extensive destruction of homes.

The country’s Rohingya have long suffered mass atrocities and forced displacement that many – including UN experts – consider to be genocide, perpetrated by the country’s military. Now, they are caught between warring forces in a deepening conflict that has unleashed more violence against the Muslim-majority community.

Since seizing power in a coup in February 2021, the military has been fighting a widening civil war against ethnic armed groups and people’s resistance forces across Myanmar.


In the western state of Rakhine, the Arakan Army, a powerful ethnic-minority armed group battling Myanmar’s military junta, said it seized a predominantly Rohingya town close to the Bangladesh border.

Reports from activists and relatives of residents have emerged of AA soldiers torching and looting Rohingya houses in the town of Buthidaung, preventing people from returning home, confiscating phones and threatening to kill those who try to contact family abroad.

A junta-imposed internet and telecoms blackout in the state is making it almost impossible for relatives to speak with family members there and for journalists, activists and international monitoring groups to verify exactly what is unfolding.

Farooq, a Rohingya poet living as a refugee in neighboring Bangladesh, told CNN that most of his family were still in Buthidaung but he has not been able to reach them since Saturday.

“Then, my brother-in-law told me that my family were displaced, and my home was burned down by the Arakan Army,” he said.

Rohingya rights activists and former officials said about 200,000 people had been forced to flee their homes to escape the fires and that many people, including women and children, had spent multiple nights hiding out in open paddy fields with no food, medicine, or belongings. There are also reports of an unconfirmed number of casualties.

CNN cannot independently verify these reports. But satellite imagery showed huge fires engulfed downtown Buthidaung on Saturday morning and continued to burn over the weekend.

Remote sensing data curated by NASA’s Fire Information for Resource Management System and viewed by CNN suggests that the fires spread in the early hours, while satellite imagery collected by space technology company Maxar and obtained by CNN shows large-scale destruction across Buthidaung on that day.

“The entire town is burning,” said Nay San Lwin, a Rohingya activist originally from Buthidaung, and co-founder of the Free Rohingya Coalition. “Few houses remain intact, only a few.”

The violence echoes attacks on the stateless Rohingya community in 2016 and 2017, when Myanmar’s military launched a brutal campaign of killing, rape and arson that is currently subject to a genocide investigation at the International Court of Justice.

An estimated 1 million Rohingya people live now in what many consider to be the world’s largest refugee camp in Bangladesh, after hundreds of thousands fled the military’s “clearance operations.”

Many of those who remained in Myanmar live in apartheid-like conditions and face heavy restrictions on their movement, education and healthcare. More than 100,000 Rohingya people have been kept in squalid displacement camps by the military and government in the Rakhine state capital for the past 10 years. Others have made perilous boat journeys to Indonesia, choosing to risk their lives at sea over enduring inhumane conditions at home.

Young Rohingya men also face forcible conscription from the junta, the AA and armed Rohingya insurgent groups both in Myanmar and in the sprawling Bangladesh camps where gang violence is escalating.

Experts with the Special Advisory Council for Myanmar on Sunday warned that the Rohingya are “again at risk of genocide” and urged the UN Human Rights Council to convene a special session to address the “worsening human rights emergency in Myanmar.” UN rights chief Volker Türk said in a statement on Sunday that “this is a critical period when the risk of yet further atrocity crimes is particularly acute.”
Buthidaung attacks

Fighting between the Arakan Army and Myanmar’s military erupted in November after a shaky ceasefire broke down. The AA has made significant territorial gains in Rakhine state in recent months and last week announced that it had taken control of all junta military bases around Buthidaung, as well as the town itself.

Aung Kyaw Moe, a Rohingya adviser to Myanmar’s shadow National Unity Government – a continuation of the administration deposed in the coup – wrote on Saturday that the AA had ordered residents to leave the town in the days before the attack.

“Two days before AA call elders for meeting to leave the houses as soon as possible AA will confiscate the Buthidaung downtown,” he wrote on X, adding “the Rohingya said they will not leave because they have no where to go.”

In recent weeks, the population of Buthidaung had swelled as residents fled fighting in nearby villages, Rohingya activists said.

Nay San Lwin from the Free Rohingya Coalition – who managed to speak with several residents of Buthidaung – said that, at 9:30 p.m. local time on May 17, AA soldiers entered the town and shortly after began torching homes. Reports also suggested that junta airstrikes and artillery had hit Buthidaung that day but there were no military soldiers left in the town, he said.

“I asked them about who are conducting the burning – they strictly said the AA members came into town and started shooting into the air and warning people to get out of their houses or you will be burned alive,” he said.

John Quinley, director of human rights group Fortify Rights, said there is “clear destruction of civilian infrastructure including Rohingya civilian homes.”

“What we have in Buthidaung over the last few days is the junta conducting artillery shelling and airstrikes… and signs pointing to the AA conducting widespread arson over the weekend,” he said.

This satellite image shows a damaged bridge in Buthidaung, Myanmar, on May 18, 2024. - © 2024 Maxar Technologies

AA spokesperson Khaing Thu Kha wrote on Telegram Friday evening that the armed group was “evacuating the Muslim communities in Buthidaung and providing food, shelter, and medical care for them including the children, the women, and elderly persons.”

The AA has denied it torched the town, saying in a statement on May 20 that it “adheres to its principle of fighting under the military code of conduct and never targets non-military objects.”

It accused the Myanmar military, along with allied Rohingya militant groups – which it refers to as “Bengali terrorists” – of destroying Buthidaung.

The AA said that on May 17 the Myanmar military “launched a prolonged aerial attack on Buthidaung township until midnight as their last desperate attacks.”

A previous statement from the AA in late April said that homes of non-Muslim people living in Buthidaung had been burned down in attacks by “junta-backed Bengali Muslim terrorist groups” and “other Muslim militants recently armed and trained by the junta.”

CNN cannot independently verify these claims.

Farooq, whose family were forced to flee the fires, said it was the AA who set fire to villages and the homes of the Rohingya. There was no active fighting with the military at the time, he said.

“In Buthidaung, when my (family) home and when my mom was asked to leave the village, there was no fight at all. There is no military left, no base, no junta there,” he said.

He said AA soldiers had warned residents there not to contact people living abroad and anyone caught with a Bangladesh SIM card “will be executed.”

Nay San Lwin also said he had heard reports that AA soldiers were taking cash and mobile phones from fleeing Rohingya.

“They are afraid they have footage (of them) torching these houses,” he said.

In recent weeks, Buthidaung’s residents had been subject to increasing violence by junta forces, rights groups and activists have said. Satellite imagery from Planet Labs, obtained by CNN, shows that western neighborhoods were affected by fire damage in mid-April and the Pan Zinn Chaung Bridge—a crucial artery on the eastern edge of the city—was destroyed prior to Friday’s arson attacks.

Humanitarian offices of Medecins Sans Frontières in the town were burned down on April 15, the group said. “We hear reports of more than 200 homes being burned down and witness thousands of people who are displaced by the violence seeking refuge in an area directly across from where our office was located,” it said at the time.
Warnings of further atrocities

An immediate concern is a humanitarian crisis in Rakhine state, with newly displaced residents unable to access food or clean water.

“There are no NGOs at all, who will distribute food for them? The Myanmar military has blocked all access,” said Nay San Lwin. “Also they are confining people to these villages. They are not allowed to leave.”

The violence has sparked a flurry of condemnations from human rights groups and the international community, calling for a halt in the fighting, to protect civilians, and for humanitarian aid to be allowed into Rakhine.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said the US is “deeply troubled by the reports of increased violence” in Rakhine state and warned there are “risks of further atrocities occurring.”

“The military’s previous acts of genocide and other crimes against humanity targeting Rohingya, in addition to its history of stoking intercommunal tensions in Rakhine State and elsewhere across the country, underscore the grave dangers to civilians.”

Myanmar’s National Unity Government said on Tuesday that it has “repeatedly acknowledged that shameful past actions and failures in Myanmar allowed horrendous atrocities to be committed against minority communities, including the Rohingya, Rakhine and others in Rakhine state.”

“We are committed to ensuring that these crimes are never repeated.”

CNN’s Lucas Lilieholm and Angus Watson contributed reporting.