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)
Monday, September 16, 2024
After peddling lies, Jewish Chronical in upheaval
Israel's AG seeks investigation into information published in the Jewish outlet claiming Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar intended to smuggle hostages out of Gaza to Iran through the Philadelphy Corridor claiming information comes from IDF
UK-based news outlet Jewish Chronicle is facing outrage in Israel and among its readers, after it published unsubstantiated claims that the IDF found documents indicating Hamas planned to smuggle hostages out of Gaza to Iran through the Philadelphi Corridor. The paper said it severed ties with the freelance reporter. "It's every newspaper editor's worst nightmare to be deceived by a journalist," Chronical editor Jake Wallis Simons wrote on his X account on Sunday adding several columnists have said they would no longer work with the publication.
The incident came to a head after the UKs Jewish Chronicle, and Germany’s Bild, the largest and most influential newspaper in the country — claimed to expose highly confidential internal Hamas documents seized by the IDF, allegedly taken from the terror group's leader Yahya Sinwar's personal belongings.
Both publications echoed what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had claimed in speeches and interviews last week claiming that Sinwar was trying to sow discord among the Israeli public, had no real interest in a hostage deal and planned to smuggle hostages via underground tunnels under the Philadelphi Corridor to Egypt and from there to Iran.
An inquiry into all the materials collected from the start of the IDF operation in the Strip showed that no unit knew where these materials were sent nor what the source for the information allegedly obtained by the outlets, was.
The Bild, attributed the information to a proposal from another Hamas official. and the claim that Hamas was not interested in a deal, was never mentioned.
Jewish Chronicle's removed article
Opposition lawmakers demanded that a criminal investigation be launched following allegations on Ynet and its sister publication Yedioth Ahronoth suggesting a forgery and leak of the alleged "Sinwar documents" to foreign media.
Meirav Cohen a lawmaker for Yesh Atid said lies must have consequences. "Those spreading blatant falsehoods for political purposes must pay the price – whether they're low-ranking individuals or, even more so, senior officials."
"This is a cynical and dangerous misuse of classified documents, and as a body overseeing Israel's defense establishment, it’s our duty to discuss it, understand how it happened and determine what can be done to prevent the recurrence of leaks of classified information held by the IDF."
Residency for enlistment?
Israeli military recruits African asylum-seekers for war in Gaza The Israeli military has reportedly been recruiting African asylum-seekers to support its war efforts in Gaza, offering promises of permanent residency in return. But refugee advocacy groups say they have reason to doubt that asylum seekers are receiving what was promised.
Israeli media reported on Sunday that the government has been recruiting African asylum-seekers for the war in Gaza in return for being given permanent residency in Israel.
Military sources, speaking to Israel’s “Haaretz” news outlet, confirmed that the recruitment was being organised “with legal guidance from defense establishment advisers” but the manner in which the recruits will be used has not been made public.
Approximately 30,000 asylum-seekers, most from Sudan and Eritrea, resided in Israel as of 2020 but fewer than 1% of asylum claims are approved, according to Shira Abbo, director of public policy at Hotline for Refugees and Migrants, Israel's leading refugee advocacy organisation.
The UN’s 1951 Refugee Convention states that a refugee is someone who a host state or international body recognises as not being able to return to a home country due to a “well-founded fear of being persecuted”. In contrast, an asylum seeker is someone still awaiting that recognition.
“For many, their requests are not denied but pending for five, 10 years or more, leaving them in legal limbo,” Abbo said.
The war that erupted between Israel and Hamas after the attacks of October 7, in which three asylum seekers were among more than 1,100 killed, set off a wave of volunteerism among those living and working in Israel. Many asylum seekers, desperate to solidify their legal status, offered to enlist in civilian command centres and agricultural work. It was then, according to Haaretz, that military officials saw an opportunity to leverage this desire. ‘A life-or-death war for Israel’
One asylum seeker, identified only as “A” by Haaretz, shared his experience. Having arrived in Israel at the age of 16, he sought to integrate into society by joining the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). At the start of the war, someone claiming to be a police officer instructed him over the phone to report immediately to a security facility.
"They told me they were looking for special people to join the army. They told me this was a life-or-death war for Israel," he told Haaretz.
After several meetings with officials, A was informed that, if he enlisted, he would undergo two weeks of training alongside other asylum seekers and receive documents from the state of Israel.
However, he ultimately decided that military life was not for him and withdrew from the programme before training commenced. Unfulfilled promises?
The Hotline for Refugees and Migrants has expressed concern over the lack of transparency, stating that while rumours of the benefits of military service have been circulating, the organisation has not been able to confirm any cases in which what has been promised has been delivered.
The recruitment practice has also been met with criticism for creating a quid pro quo when asylum should be decided on the basis of merit.
“Asylum status is granted due to persecution, not as part of a deal,” said Julia Grignon, professor of international humanitarian law and research director at the Institute for Strategic Research (IRSEM). “Enlisting in the military should never be a condition for obtaining refugee status.”
Some have argued that Israel is exploiting vulnerable people who fled their homelands in search of safety.
“The little information we have is alarming,” Abbo said. “Rights should come before obligations. It’s dangerous to recruit individuals without rights and expect them to risk their lives based on vague promises.”
The Israeli defense establishment maintains that its actions comply with the law.
The reports come amid a shortage of Israeli soldiers as the country’s war against Hamas nears the one-year mark. Israel’s Supreme Court ruled in June that ultra-Orthodox Jews, historically exempt from conscription, would now be required to serve.
As the conflict continues, questions remain about whether these individuals will ever see the promises made to them fulfilled and what recourse, if any, they might have if the promises are not. Grignon admitted their options are likely limited.
“A UN body may call out Israel’s violation of international law, but that’s about it,” she said.
Israeli settlers raid, attack West Bank primary school
The Arab Al-Kaabneh school in the occupied West Bank was raided, with students and teachers attacked, according to local sources.
Palestinians in the West Bank have been living under Israeli occupation since 1967 [Maja Hitij/Getty-file photo]
Israeli settlers raided and attacked a primary school in the occupied West Bank on Monday, also beating staff at the school.
The Arab Al-Kaabneh school northwest of Jericho was raided, with students attacked, according to local sources cited by the official Palestinian news agency Wafa.
According to local sources, settlers were armed with batons which they used to carry out the assaults, spreading widespread fear among residents. The sources added that the school remained under siege with students being trapped inside.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society said three people were wounded in the assault and were transported to a nearby hospital.
"The colonists [Israeli settlers] took control of the school and terrorised the children, which caused studies to be delayed and educational activities to be disrupted," Jamal Sliman Mulihat, a local resident told Wafa.
It comes as the Palestinian health ministry announced on Monday that 43-year-old Ahmed Omar Mahmoud Azqili had died, succumbing to wounds caused by gunfire from Israeli forces around a month ago in Jenin in the northern West Bank.
A Palestinian woman also miscarried on Sunday after Israeli forces attacked a family in the West Bank on Sunday in a violent storming of Hebron. Israeli forces descended on the woman's home, damaging property.
Israeli forces and settlers have escalated their attacks on the West Bank, with hundreds of Palestinians killed since the war on Gaza began in October.
At least 600 Palestinians have been killed in the occupied West Bank since 7 October, while raids on cities have become more frequent.
The Israeli military campaign in Gaza has killed at least 41,226 people, according to the coastal enclave's health ministry.
UN special rapporteur: ‘Palestinians have right to resist oppression’
UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese said that Israel’s presence in the occupied Palestinian territory is unlawful and “constitutes an aggression against the right of self-determination”.
“The Palestinians – like it or not – have the right to resist the oppression,” she said.
The UN special rapporteur to the occupied Palestinian territory was speaking remotely at a news conference for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
The caveat, she said, is that this resistance has to be done “within the realm and the limits of international law; therefore, civilians cannot be targeted, killed or taken hostage”.
The Gaza Strip has been under brutal bombardment since the start of the Israeli genocidal war on the Gaza Strip on October 7.
Besides the large number of casualties and the huge displacement of people, basic food, fuel, water and medical supplies have run out for the 2.3 million residents in Gaza due to the tight Israeli blockade and the massive destruction of infrastructure and facilities.
GENOCIDE
'12,000 minors, 710 infants': Names released of over 34,000 victims of Israel's war on Gaza
Anadolu staff |16.09.2024 -
GAZA CITY, Palestine
Health authorities in the embattled Gaza Strip on Monday released the names of 34,344 Palestinians killed by the Israeli army in the course of its deadly onslaught against Gaza Strip, now approaching its grim first anniversary.
The list published by the Gaza Health Ministry in Gaza included the names of 11,983 minors under the age of 18 killed by the Israeli army.
The list also includes the names of 710 infants under a year old killed in Gaza by the Israeli army since last Oct. 7, as well as names of 2,734 Palestinians over 60 also killed by Israeli attacks.
Despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire, Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip following an attack by Palestinian group Hamas last Oct. 7.
More than 41,200 people, mostly women and children, have since been killed and over 95,400 injured, according to local health authorities.
The Israeli onslaught has displaced almost the entire population of the territory amid an ongoing blockade that has led to severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine.
Israel also faces accusations of genocide for its actions in Gaza at the International Court of Justice.
*Writing by Ahmed Asmar
Archaeologists Reveal Viking Treasure Left Buried for 1,000 Years: 'Unique'
Viking Bracelet Made 1,000 Years Ago Found in Farmer's Field—'Real Shock'
NEWSWEEK Science and Health Reporter Published Sep 16, 2024
Archaeologists have unearthed a hoard of Viking treasure that was hidden for more than a 1,000 years.
The treasure was found on a mountainside in Årdal, Hjelmeland municipality, in Norway, the University of Stavanger (UiS) announced in a press release.
The treasure consists of four silver bracelets, each featuring different decorations. Based on their appearance, they have been roughly dated to the 9th-10th centuries, Volker Demuth, an archaeologist with the UiS Museum of Archaeology, who was part of the discovery team, told Newsweek.
This suggests the artifacts date to the Viking Age, a period in medieval history between roughly the late 8th and 11th centuries, when the Vikings—a Scandinavian seafaring people—raided, colonized, and traded widely across Europe and beyond.
The Viking treasure discovered in Årdal, Norway. The hoard consists of silver bracelets that are thought to be more than 1,000 years old. Volker Demuth/Museum of Archaeology, University of Stavanger
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"This is undoubtedly the most significant event of my career," Demuth told ScienceNorway.
The treasure was first spotted by UiS field archaeologists Mari Krogstad Samuelsen and Ola Tengesdal Lygre. The researchers were part of a team, alongside Demuth, who were brought in to survey the site before the construction of a tractor road on the mountainside by a local farmer, who owns the land.
"At first I thought it was a question of some twisted copper wires that you can often find in agricultural land, but when I saw that there were several lying next to each other and that they were not copper at all, but silver, I realized that we had found something exciting," Lygre said in the press release.
The treasure was found beneath the floor of what was once a small house that formed part of a larger Viking Age farm, according to the archaeologists. The house—whose remains are very well-preserved—may have belonged to slaves who lived on the farm, the archaeologists suspect.
"The excavation shows that there was a large and powerful Viking farm here, consisting of several houses for both people and animals. We have found remains of soapstone pots, rivets, knife blades and whetstones for sharpening tools," Demuth said.
The fact that the treasure was found during a scientific excavation is significant because it enables archaeologists to place the bracelets in their proper context.
"[The treasure] is a unique find, because we very rarely find such objects exactly where they were placed. As a rule, such valuable objects are discovered on fields that have been plowed, where an object has been completely taken out of its original context. Since the silver hoard has not been moved, it can give us completely new insights into life and society in the Viking Age," Demuth said.
"The find-spot has not been disturbed by modern activities, therefore the archaeological remains are comparably well preserved, directly underneath the surface," he told Newsweek.
Evidence from the excavation indicates that the farm was burned down at one point, which might explain why the treasure was buried. In fact, the age of the treasure coincides with a period of significant unrest in the Viking world.
"If people who lived on this farm had to flee from an attack, it would be natural to hide away the valuables you had before escaping to the mountains. And perhaps in a place where you wouldn't have thought that a treasure was hidden," Demuth said.
A map shows the location of the village of Årdal, in Norway's Hjelmeland municipality.
A map shows the location of the village of Årdal, in Norway's Hjelmeland municipality. A Viking treasure, thought to be more than 1,000 years old, was found in the area.
The bracelets have not yet been completely excavated because they were removed from the site together with the surrounding soil. This block of earth is being carefully analyzed and the objects will be dug out in the lab under controlled conditions.
An initial survey indicated that the earth contains four bracelets, which appear to be made from "very pure" silver with almost no signs of corrosion, Demuth told Newsweek.
Thanks to the "excellent" preservation conditions of the archaeological context, researchers expect to obtain a more accurate date for when the treasure was hidden after analyzing samples from fireplaces and burnt features within the Viking building.
"This is an absolutely fantastic find, which gives us completely unique knowledge about one of the most central eras in Norway, namely the Viking Age," museum director Ole Madsen said in the press release.
Control of the Murdoch media empire could be at stake in a closed-door hearing in Nevada
A probate court in Nevada is set to begin reviewing evidence this week in a behind-closed-doors dispute that could determine who will control Rupert Murdoch’s media empire after his death
A probate court in Nevada is set to begin reviewing evidence behind closed doors in a case that could determine who will control Rupert Murdoch’s media empire after his death.
Murdoch, 93, arrived at court Monday for the hearing. Last year, he moved to change the terms of his irrevocable family trust in a bid to ensure that his eldest son, Lachlan, remains in charge of his cadre of newspapers and television networks, including The Wall Street Journal and Fox News Channel, according to reporting by The New York Times based on a sealed court document.
Evidentiary hearings in the case are scheduled to run through Tuesday of next week. The court has kept the hearings closed to the public and most documents sealed, largely rejecting requests for access by news organizations including The Associated Press.
The trust was originally set up to give equal control over Rupert Murdoch’s businesses to his four oldest children upon his death, according to the Times.
Murdoch stepped down as leader of both Fox News’ parent company and his News Corp. media holdings last fall. He is arguing that to preserve his businesses’ commercial value for all his heirs, the trust must be changed so Lachlan can ensure his newspapers and TV networks continue to have a conservative editorial outlook, the Times reported.
Lachlan succeeded his father as chairman of News Corp. in November. He's also executive officer at Fox Corp., home to conservative news network Fox News, the Fox broadcast and sports networks, and local TV stations. The media empire spans continents and helped to shape modern American politics.
Rupert Murdoch's bid to change the trust has pitted him against his other three children named as beneficiaries: James, Elisabeth and Prudence, and they have united to stop their father from revising the trust, according to the Times.
Irrevocable trusts are typically used to limit estate taxes, among other reasons, and can’t be changed without permission from the beneficiaries or via a court order.
Nevada Probate Commissioner Edmund J. Gorman of the Second Judicial District Court in Reno ruled this summer that Rupert Murdoch could amend the trust if he can show that he is acting in good faith and for the sole benefit of his heirs, the Times reported.
The court's ruling notes that Murdoch sought to give Lachlan permanent and exclusive control over his companies because the mogul was worried that a lack of consensus among his children could affect the strategic direction at his companies, including potentially leading to a change in editorial policy and content, according to the Times report
___
Associated Press writer Alex Veiga in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
Muslim voters in swing states favor Green Party’s Jill Stein, CAIR survey finds
Muslim voters react to Democratic and Republican candidates' Gaza policies in key states where Green Party candidate Dr. Jill Stein is leading
Islam Dogru and Hakan Copur
|16.09.2024 -
NEW YORK
A new survey suggests Muslim voters in key swing states are leaning toward Green Party candidate Dr. Jill Stein in the upcoming US presidential election, a shift that could impact the race's outcome.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) conducted the survey between Aug. 25-27, finding that Stein outperforms her Democratic and Republican rivals in three of six critical swing states.
The poll, which surveyed 1,115 registered Muslim voters nationwide, shows Stein leading among Muslim voters in Arizona with 35%, Michigan with 40%, and Wisconsin with 44%.
Stein’s Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris, leads among Muslim voters in Georgia with 43% and Pennsylvania with 37%, while Republican candidate Donald Trump trails, only securing the most Muslim support in Nevada at 27%.
“Have you seen the latest CAIR poll? We leading with Muslim American voters by at least 5 points in Arizona, Michigan, and Wisconsin!,” Stein wrote on social media.
Criticism over Gaza war
Muslim voters' growing support for Stein is viewed as a message to Democratic and Republican candidates over their continued backing of Israel amid the ongoing Gaza war, with both parties facing criticism from the community.
“Candidates running for office cannot afford to overlook the issues that matter most to Muslim Americans. Ignoring this community or taking their votes for granted could be a costly mistake, particularly in swing states like Michigan, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Arizona, Nevada and Wisconsin, where elections are often won by narrow margins,” said CAIR’s Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw.
The overall survey shows Harris leading slightly among Muslim voters nationwide, with 29.4%, while Stein closely follows at 29.1%. Trump trails at 11.2%, and The People’s Party candidate Dr. Cornel West received 4.2% of the Muslim vote.
Gender and ethnic differences were also notable in the survey. Harris is favored by 29% of Muslim men, while 34% of Muslim women support Stein.
Harris enjoys strong backing from Black Muslim voters, with 55.3% supporting her. Stein is preferred by 32.7% of white, Arab, and Turkish Muslim voters.
However, 16.5% of respondents said they were undecided about their vote.
The US has nearly 2.5 million Muslim voters, and despite widespread dissatisfaction, over 90% plan to vote in the Nov.election, according to the survey.
The presidential election's outcome will hinge on a handful of swing states, including Arizona, Nevada, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Georgia.
Electoral votes
With the Electoral College system, where delegates determine the winner, a candidate must secure 270 out of 538 electoral votes to win the presidency. The winner-takes-all system in most states means even a slight lead can result in all of a state’s electoral votes.
The close race between Harris and Trump has drawn particular attention to these states. According to Real Clear Politics, Trump leads Harris by less than 1% in five of the seven key swing states.
Nationally, Harris has 48.4% support compared to Trump’s 46.9%, based on a poll average from Aug. 22-27.
While inflation, economic issues, abortion, and border security dominate the concerns of voters nationwide, foreign policy, particularly the US stance on Gaza, is a significant issue for Muslim voters.
Michigan, with its large Muslim and Arab population and its 15 electoral votes, is a key state where this issue is likely to have an impact. In the February primaries, 13% of Michigan voters cast “uncommitted” votes in protest of President Joe Biden’s Gaza policy.
While many of these voters are critical of both major parties, they are closely watching Harris’s stance on Gaza to determine whether to support her.
Papua New Guinea: At least 20 people die in clashes over rich mine
Videos posted online show fires and families displaced by the presence of what the authorities call "illegal miners”, migrants from neighbouring areas who came to dig for gold. Local landowners get proceeds from the Porgera mine, one of the richest in the world, as compensation for environmental damage. Various groups have clashed over the mine, a scourge Pope Francis denounced a few days ago during his visit.
Port Moresby (AsiaNews) – At least 20 people died in violent clashes that broke out about five days ago near the Porgera gold mine, in Papua New Guinea’s Enga province.
The country’s police commissioner, David Manning, issued an emergency order to safeguard infrastructure and residents from "illegal miners" who "use violence to victimise and terrorise local landowners".
Papua New Guinea’s second-largest mine opened in 1990, and has been a source of conflict among tribal groups over land ownership.
Pope Francis touched this issue on several occasions during his recently completed visit to Asia and Oceania. Just a week ago, he urged an end to tribal violence and called for the equitable distribution of wealth from natural resources.
It is unclear how many illegal miners operate in the region, but according to local authorities, since the mine reopened in late 2023, the number of migrants digging for gold at the mine and surrounding areas has increased, clashing with local landowners who, instead, are compensated by foreign mining companies for the environmental damages they cause.
Back in April, following the reopening of the mine, Commissioner Manning labelled migrants from other parts of Papua New Guinea "illegal squatters”.
“These troublemakers are illegally taking up private lands to make illicit profit and they don’t care who they hurt or what they damage. This greed is harming the businesses and communities of the Porgera Valley,” he said.
To cope with the situation (despite today’s Independence Day celebration), security personnel have been authorised to use force to quell any violence.
Recent videos and pictures posted online show heavily armed men roaming the streets of the city, buildings burning, and displaced families.
Commissioner Manning ordered officers to move against anyone carrying a weapon. This means “that any person carrying an offensive weapon in public will be considered a threat and dealt with accordingly, with force,” he said on Saturday.
An additional 122 officers and some soldiers have been deployed to restore order. “We also call on the landowners to support security force operations for the protection of their people and infrastructure on their land,” Manning added.
According to Benar News, New Porgera, the company that runs the mine, has suspended its activities because it is unable to guarantee the safety of its personnel.
“Over the past twenty-four hours a significant escalation in tribal fighting has impacted many of our employees,” said James McTiernan, the company’s general manager, in a statement.
Local employees were allowed to take unpaid leave to move their families to safety.
The Porgera gold mine is located about 600 kilometres northwest of the capital Port Moresby, at an altitude of over 2,000 metres.
It is among the top 10 gold mines in the world, generating about 10 per cent of Papua New Guinea’s annual exports.
Since May, it is only possible to reach the site on foot or by air after a landslide cut off road links, killing more than 100 people,
The region is home to about 50,000 people in a country of 12 million.
New Porgera Limited is 51 per cent owned by Papuan shareholders (Kumul Minerals, a state-owned holding company, local landowners, and Enga province) while 49 per cent is held by Barrick Niugini, a joint venture between Canada's Barrick Gold and China's Zijin Mining.
In 2019, the Papua New Guinean government refused to renew the license of foreign companies, leading to the closure of the mine in April 2020. But operations resumed on 22 December 2023 after long negotiations.
On several occasions, residents have reported violence by security personnel and tried to draw attention to the problem of mining waste and tailings, which have polluted local rivers for years, and made parts of the land useless.
Rebel army captures major Myanmar navy training base
The loss of the training base for Myanmar’s navy will be a major blow to junta morale, a state politician said.
By RFA Burmese 2024.09.09
Arakan Army forces after capturing the junta's Central Naval Diving and Salvage Depot in Rakhine state on Sept. 5, 2024.
Arakan Army Information Desk
Insurgents in western Myanmar have captured an important military training base after a month of fighting, the rebel army said in a statement, dealing what is likely to be a severe blow to the embattled military.
.Arakan Army troops seized the Central Naval Diving and Salvage Depot between Thandwe township’s Maung Shwe Lay and Kwin Waing village in Rakhine state on Thursday, said the ethnic minority insurgent force battling for self-determination.
The Arakan Army, or AA, said the facility was the last naval base held by junta forces in Thandwe township, and it was defended on a “huge-scale” by the junta’s air force and navy as well as more than 1,200 soldiers, including many new graduates from the base.
“More than 400 junta soldiers were killed during our attack, and junta weapons, ammunition and equipment were seized,” the AA said in its statement.
Radio Free Asia was not able to independently verify that toll and the junta's main spokesperson, Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun, did not respond to requests for comment.
The AA posted pictures of its fighters standing by a diving boards at the training center.
The base is a major navy training facility and its loss will be of huge significance for the military, said Pe Than, a former member of parliament for the Arakan National Party, which in the past had affiliations with the AA.
“Losing such a base will affect training as well as fighting. They’ve destroyed the navy and weakened the army, like cutting a man off at the waist,” he said.
He said the Danyawaddy Naval Base in Kyaukpyu township, to the north of Thandwe, was the navy’s last facility in Rakhine state.
“The military is like a bird with one wing now,” he said.
Arakan Army forces after capturing the junta's Central Naval Diving and Salvage Depot in Rakhine State on Sept. 5, 2024 (Arakan Army Information Desk)
The loss of the base will not only dent the junta’s morale and reputation but also bring in more resources for the AA through the control of goods coming through a nearby port, he said.
The AA said it expected junta retaliation against civilians in the area. Human rights investigators say junta forces have been increasingly attacking civilian targets as they lose ground to insurgent forces in different parts of the country. The military denies attacking civilians.
The Arakan Army, which launched a new offensive against the military in November, controls nine townships in Rakhine state and one in neighboring Chin state, and is battling to take full control of three other townships.
Junta forces have launched crackdowns in the north of the state, near the Bangladesh border, and across the neighboring Ayeyarwady region after AA gains in the south of the state.
Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Kiana Duncan and Mike Firn.
China in delicate dance with Myanmar’s rebel groups
The junta ally is likely trying to end conflict along its borders, but its assets are under rebel control.
By RFA Burmese 2024.09.12
A worker arranges watermelons imported from Myanmar at a wholesale fruit market, Jan. 13, 2023 in Ruili, Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province of China.
Nearly 2 million people in Myanmar’s northern Shan state are facing a shortage of medicine and other basic commodities after China shuttered its border, according to residents and ethnic rebels, who said prices for goods have “skyrocketed” in the region over the past two weeks.
On Aug. 25, Chinese authorities closed border gates serving 20 Shan state townships and Myanmar’s junta began restricting trade routes, as a group of rebel factions known as the Three Brotherhood Alliance pushed the military out of major towns in the region.
The alliance, which first launched an offensive against the military in October 2023, now controls 21 townships in northern Shan state, as well as five border gates in the townships of Kyin Sang Kyaut, Chinshwehaw, Yan Long Keng, Mone Koe, and Nam Hkam.
Lway Yay Oo, the spokeswoman of one of the ethnic alliance members known as the Ta’ang National Liberation Army, or TNLA, told RFA Burmese that residents of areas under its control no longer have access to the basic necessities they had come to rely on through border trade.
“Since China closed the border gates, and the junta has blocked trade routes, there is a serious shortage of medicine in our area,” she said.
People visit the first Myanmar's Lashio-China's Lincang border economic and trade fair in Lashio, Myanmar, Nov. 21, 2019. (Haymhan Aung/Xinhua via Getty Images)
Residents of northern Shan state said they believe that China – one of the junta’s few international allies and the largest foreign investor in Myanmar – shut down the border as part of a pressure campaign to end armed conflict in the area.
“Some pharmacies have tried to get medicine to sell, but it's not enough,” said a resident of Kutkai township who, like others interviewed for this report, spoke on condition of anonymity due to security concerns.
“It is difficult to get medicine for the sick and vaccinate the children,” he said, adding that people in the area cannot afford to pay to have supplies delivered from Myanmar’s urban centers, such as Yangon, which are dealing with their own shortages amid the country’s civil war.
Residents said that the prices of remaining stock have “skyrocketed” since the gate closures.
A pharmacy owner in northern Shan state, who also declined to be named, told RFA that since the junta cut off trade routes, only small quantities of the most important drugs are being transported within the region.
"It is not easy to transport medicine, and we can only smuggle urgently needed supplies,” he said. “Chinese medicine is out of stock now, although we can get B-6 and B-12 [vitamin supplements].”
Attempts by RFA to contact Khun Thein Maung, the junta’s minister of economy and spokesperson for Shan state, for comment on the situation went unanswered Thursday, as did efforts to reach representatives from China’s Embassy in Yangon.
Protecting Chinese interests
China’s border closure follows three separate meetings last month between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Chinese Ambassador to Myanmar Ma Jia and junta representatives, during which Beijing sought assurances that the military regime would protect its projects and citizens in the country.
In response, the junta pledged to prioritize the safety of China’s assets, according to a statement released by Chinese authorities.
But amidst the intensifying conflict in Myanmar, control over at least 10 Chinese projects has shifted from the military to armed opposition groups, including ethnic rebels and the anti-junta People’s Defense Force, or PDF, according to an Aug. 19 report by the Institute for Strategy and Policy – Myanmar.
A woman works at a motorbike factory in China Yunnan Pilot Free Trade Zone Dehong Area in Dehong, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Nov. 4, 2019. (Jiang Wenyao/Xinhua via Getty Images)
They include the Muse Border Economic Cooperation Zone, Kunlong Dam, Kunlong Bridge, Chinshwehaw Border Economic Trade Zone, Naung Pha Dam, Lancang-Mekong Environmental Cooperation Center, Goteik Bridge and New Road Project, Sinn Shwe Li-2 Sugar Factory, Alpha Cement Factory and Takaung Nickel Factory, the group said.
When questioned about the situation, TNLA spokeswoman Lway Yay Oo told RFA that all Chinese projects under her group’s control in northern Shan state are currently suspended.
"Given the ongoing instability in the region, we have temporarily suspended all investments,” she said. “Moving forward, we are working to develop the necessary policies in order to resume operations when conditions allow.”
Junta ‘no longer accountable’
Nay Phone Latt, spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office of Myanmar’s shadow National Unity Government, or NUG, told RFA that the junta no longer has the capacity to safeguard Chinese projects.
"The current regime is in a position where it is unable to ensure its own security, let alone protect the citizens of the country,” he said. “I want to clearly state that it can no longer be held accountable for the safety of international investment projects, foreign workers, or the security of those involved."
Nay Phone Latt noted that the PDF is currently providing security for the Takaung Nickel Plant, a US$855 million Chinese-owned mining project. He said that while “discussions have taken place” between the NUG and China regarding the plant, he could not disclose details of the talks at this time.
In addition to the China-Myanmar oil and natural gas pipeline, ethnic rebel groups may partially control railways, roads, waterways and trade routes within the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor, which forms part of China’s broader Silk Road infrastructure initiative.
Chinese farmer Yukan who sells vegetables at a market in Myanmar, queues to leave a border crossing in Menghai county, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Jan. 11, 2020. (Hu Chao/Xinhua via Getty)
According to the Institute for Strategy and Policy – Myanmar, at least nine Chinese investment projects in Kyaukphyu and Thandwe townships, located in Rakhine state, are now partially controlled by the Arakan Army, or AA.
When asked for comment, AA spokesperson Khaing Thukha said that foreign investment projects will be protected. "All parties involved in the ongoing conflict in Myanmar have expressed the need to safeguard China’s interests,” he said.
RFA contacted junta spokesperson Major General Zaw Min Tun regarding the Chinese projects now under the control of ethnic groups, but received no response.
Translated by Kalyar Lwin and Aung Naing. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster.
