UK's King Charles in Belfast as free speech concerns mount

King Charles III has been visiting Northern Ireland on the latest leg of his tour after the death of Queen Elizabeth II. 

Meanwhile, police are facing criticism over their treatment of anti-monarchy protesters.

King Charles and his Queen Consort Camilla met members of the public outside Hillsborough Castle

The new British monarch on Tuesday promised that he would follow in the footsteps of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, and strive for peace in Northern Ireland.

King Charles III was visiting the province as part of his tour taking in the four constituent nations of the United Kingdom.

What did King Charles do in Northern Ireland?

While in Northern Ireland, the king met the country's political leaders, including those from nationalist parties who want Northern Ireland to leave the United Kingdom and join the Republic of Ireland.

King Charles told politicians he would draw on his mother's "shining example" when it came to promoting the welfare of all of Northern Ireland's residents.

"My mother felt deeply, I know, the significance of the role she herself played in bringing together those whom history had separated, and in extending a hand to make possible the healing of long-held hurts," the king said.

Hundreds of people gathered along the roadside leading to Hillsborough Castle near Belfast, the official residence of the royal family in Northern Ireland. Floral tributes carpeted the area in front of the gates to the castle.

While crowds of well-wishers gathered to greet the new king, Northern Ireland is deeply divided over the British monarchy. The institution draws mixed emotions in the province, where there are two main communities: largely Protestant unionists who view themselves as British and mainly Roman Catholic nationalists who consider themselves to be Irish.

While he was heir to the throne, Charles visited Northern Ireland 39 times. His 40th visit comes as unionists feel their place in the wider UK is under greater threat than ever before, with nationalists set to lead the province's devolved government for the first time.

After returning to Scotland from England on Monday, Charles's trip to Northern Ireland comes ahead of his visit on Friday to Wales.

Charles and his siblings, Anne, Andrew, and Edward, on Monday night stood vigil around their mother's flag-draped coffin in Edinburgh's St. Giles' Cathedral. Members of the public filed past the casket, which was draped in the Royal Standard of Scotland and topped with the ancient crown of Scotland.

Queen Elizabeth died on Thursday in her holiday home at Balmoral in the Scottish Highlands. Her coffin was flown to London on Tuesday and arrived at Buckingham Palace ahead of a state funeral next Monday.

Concerns over policing and free speech

The queen's death and the ascent of King Charles to the throne have raised questions about the public space for dissent.

British police faced criticism from civil liberties groups on Tuesday over their treatment of anti-monarchy protesters and the right to exercise free speech.

A female protester holding a protest placard reading "Not My King" was confronted by at least four officers outside the UK parliament in London, with footage going viral on social media on Monday. The woman was escorted away and reportedly made to stand at another location, but police did not arrest her.

Meanwhile, lawyer and climate activist Paul Powlesland tweeted that a police officer had warned him that he risked arrest by holding up a blank piece of paper opposite parliament.

"He confirmed that if I wrote, 'Not My King' on it, he would arrest me under the Public Order Act because someone might be offended," Powlesland wrote.

However, in some cases people did actually face prosecution. Police charged a woman in Edinburgh with a breach of the peace after holding aloft a sign reading "F*** imperialism, abolish the monarchy."

A man who heckled Prince Andrew as the former monarch's hearse passed through Edinburgh on Monday faced the same charge.

rc/wd (Reuters, AFP, dpa, AP)

UK
DINOSAUR DEBUT AT REPUBLIC DAY EVENT

Huge dinosaur puppet named 'Chuck The Rex'.

May 8, 2024


On May 5th last year, the coronation of King Charles, anti-monarchy campaigners were arrested under dubious circumstances despite having formally arranged with Metropolitan Police an agreed protest along the route. Charges were later dropped, and a substantial compensation payment is being negotiated.

One year on, organisers from Republic staged their first Republic Day rally in Trafalgar Square. It’s planned to be an annual event bringing together the ever-growing number of republicans calling for an elected head of state instead of a hereditary, expensive and privileged monarchy.

Several hundred people attended the event during the afternoon, and huge banners adorned the walls of the square with the slogans ‘Abolish The Monarchy’ and ‘Change The Country For Good’.

Speakers included poet/musician Femi Nylander, ex-MP and author/musician Norman Baker, writer/actress Kelechi Okafor, and Republic founder Graham Smith. Activist Peter Tatchell spoke alongside Floris Muller, who is the leader of the Dutch anti-monarchist group, Republiek.

There were also cultural contributions from poet Martin Hayes (Culture Matters), and a video of Yasmin Alibhai-Brown reading Benjamin Zephaniah’s poem ‘Tea With The Queen’.

Later than originally planned, a 15 foot-high puppet made its appearance and circled round the square – a huge dinosaur called ‘CHUCK THE REX’.

Over the past year, Republic have staged protests at Royal venues and events, and they vow to continue and grow the movement calling for a referendum on the future of the monarchy, with its abolition to be replaced by an elected head of state. Polls are moving in their direction, with support for Charles dropping, especially among younger people.



More info and get involved at Republic.

Oath  to the King: 'No Quebecer wants the Constitution reopened,' says Trudeau

After noting that elected officials in Quebec City are free, if they wish, to pass legislation to remove the oath of office from King Charles III, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he is closing the door on any constitutional change.

"I'm not going to speculate on what the National Assembly may or may not do. What I can tell you is that there is no Quebecer who wants the Constitution to be reopened," he said Wednesday before taking part in Question Period in the Commons.

In the morning, he had said that Quebec elected officials are willing to pass a bill on the swearing-in procedures that concern them.

"It must be understood that these oaths are governed by the Assembly and Parliament themselves. The National Assembly has the right to decide how they want to organize their swearing-in process," he argued.

"It takes a bill, but for that, it takes members who sit and vote on bills," he added.

Asked whether he believes Quebec has the power to change the 1867 Constitution by passing such a bill to abolish the oath to the British monarchy, Trudeau did not clearly answer.

Later Wednesday, he argued that debates about the monarchy are far down the list of people's priorities.

"Quebecers, like Canadians, want us to worry about the cost of living, the jobs of the future, climate change and that's what we're going to spend our time on," he said.

Trudeau said his team has 'no intention' of making any changes to the oaths of office that must be taken by members of the House of Commons.

"I'll keep my thoughts to myself," said Gérard Deltell, after recalling that he was once an elected member of the National Assembly.

The Conservatives' Quebec lieutenant, Pierre Paul-Hus, said his party was not keen on the idea of changing the oaths of office at the federal level.

"For the Conservative Party, we are not in a mode of wanting to shake things up. For the moment, we are satisfied with the status quo," he said.

Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet said his party intends to introduce a motion next week to force a parliamentary debate on the issue of a possible abolition of ties to the monarchy.

The issue of the oath of allegiance to the monarchy has recently resurfaced in the National Assembly in Quebec City, as the Parti Québécois and Québec solidaire refuse to go through the exercise to complete their swearing-in.

Québec solidaire spokesperson and re-elected MNA for Gouin, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, sent a letter on Tuesday to the leaders of the other parties represented in the National Assembly with the aim of convening a meeting as soon as possible to resolve the 'impasse.'

Only 'a transparent meeting' will allow to 'get out of the dead end', he insisted in an interview with The Canadian Press.


- With information from Michel Saba, in Ottawa, and Jocelyne Richer, in Quebec City

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Oct. 19, 2022.

PATHETIC JINGOISM

Watch SIR Keir Starmer lead Labour conference singing God Save the King for first time

Fears that protesters could disrupt the moment appeared not to materialise, as the conference hall sang the national anthem following a tribute to the UK's "greatest monarch" Elizabeth II


Dan Bloom

 Daily Mirror

Online Political Editor

25 Sep 2022


Keir Starmer today led Labour’s conference in singing God Save The King for the first time after a tribute to “greatest monarch” Elizabeth II.

The Labour leader opened the gathering by tribute to the late Queen, held a minute’s silence in her memory and sang the National Anthem, backed by the shadow cabinet.

He appeared to have a tear in his eye at the end of the one-verse rendition.

Some Labour figures' fears that objectors could disrupt the event appeared not to materialise, as a witness in the hall in Liverpool said there was “not a murmur” of dissent.

Shadow Cabinet ministers were at the front to sing God Save The King

 (Image: Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)

The scene in the conference hall 

(Image: Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)

Jeremy Corbyn, who has lost the Labour whip in Parliament, had described the decision to sing the national anthem for the first time as “very odd”.

The former Labour leader told the BBC : “They've never done it before, there's never been any demand to do it.

“We don't as a country routinely go around singing the national anthem at every single event we go to.

“We don't sing in schools, we don't have the raising of the flag as they do in the USA and other places.

“We are not that sort of, what I would call, excessively nationalist.”

But his successor wanted to pay tribute to the Queen just days after her funeral, and draw a line under Tory claims that Labour is unpatriotic.

Keir Starmer sang alongside Angela Rayner

 (Image: Daily Mirror/Andy Stenning

A source close to Keir Starmer said: “If you want proof the Labour Party has changed, that tribute to the Queen was it. What a moment.”

In a tribute to the late Queen, he said she was “this great country’s greatest monarch”

BROUGHT A TEAR TO HIS EYE

SIR Keir Starmer appears emotional as national anthem sang at Labour Party Conference

The national anthem was sang at the conference, despite previous criticism


Aaliyah Rugg

 Sky News

25 SEP 202

Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer appeared to be emotional during the National Anthem at the annual Labour Party Conference.

The Labour leader opened his party's conference in Liverpool with a tribute to the Queen, who died aged 96 following a 70-year reign. It was followed by a minute's silence and the national anthem God Save the King.

Many in the hall were seen singing the anthem and applause was heard once it concluded. During the applause, Sir Keir could be seen emotional as the national anthem came to an end, appearing to be blinking away tears.

READ MORE: Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer's promise to give hope to struggling families

It comes following concerns expressed by some about the decision to sing the anthem. Jeremy Corbyn was said to have criticised the decision as he told the BBC: "They've never done it before, there's never been any demand to do it. We don't as a country routinely go around singing the national anthem at every single event we go to."

Sir Keir, in his tribute, said: "The late Queen Elizabeth II was this great country's greatest monarch. She created a special, personal relationship with all of us. A relationship based on service and devotion to our country. Even now, after the mourning period has passed, it still feels impossible to imagine a Britain without her."

The annual Labour Party conference is being held in Liverpool from today, September 25 until Wednesday, September 28 at the city's Arena and Convention Centre. Kickstarting the event is a speech by Deputy Leader Angela Rayner, followed by a meeting to discuss party reports, before a discussion on 'winning the General Election' takes place from 1.30pm.

Voices: Keir Starmer is standing by Labour’s authentic and popular monarchism

John Rentoul - 10 Sept

One of the more unfair charges against Jeremy Corbyn was that he disrespected the Queen because he wouldn’t sing the national anthem. He is presumably a republican in theory, but doesn’t seem to mind the monarchy in practice. He is heir to the Marxist tradition in the labour movement, epitomised by John Wheatley’s comment that he “saw no point in substituting a bourgeois president for a bourgeois king”.


GettyImages-1243093130.jpg© POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Wheatley’s view was quoted by Clement Attlee in an essay he wrote in 1959. Attlee had ceased to be prime minister, having lost the 1951 election, and Elizabeth had become Queen. Attlee modestly declared that he had “taken part in bringing about a number of changes in British society”, but “there is one feature of it which I have never felt any urge to abolish, and that is the monarchy”.

He was a proud monarchist, with a strong pragmatic argument for his view. “A president, however popular, is bound to have been chosen as representative of some political trend, and as such is open to attack from those of a different view,” he wrote. “A monarch is a kind of referee, although the occasions when he or she has to blow the whistle are nowadays very few.”

In fact, his traditionalism went deeper than that, as he showed when he accepted a hereditary earldom when he retired three years later. No other Labour leader was quite so royalist, although Tony Blair tried. Blair said he was “from the Disraeli school”, as he copied Disraeli’s flattery of Victoria by describing Elizabeth as “the best of British”. But Blair could never quite conceal his anti-establishment cast of mind, and the royal family could never quite forgive him for having saved it from the popular backlash after the death of Diana.

Watch in full: Sir Keir Starmer reacts to death of Queen Elizabeth II Duration 2:52 View on Watch

Keir Starmer’s tribute to the Queen in the Commons on Friday was just as striking for its traditionalism. He quoted Philip Larkin’s lines on the silver jubilee: “In times when nothing stood / But worsened, or grew strange, / There was one constant good: / She did not change.” That is a stark statement of explicit conservatism – not only that, but a statement by an avowed Conservative.

Never mind that Larkin was writing of a time when, under a Labour government, the country seemed to him to be going to the dogs, and that he regarded the Queen as one of the few fortifications against anarchy. Starmer may have wanted to suggest that there are echoes of the Seventies economic crisis today, and that the tables have turned between the parties.

In any case, he went on to use the Queen’s legacy to make his own statement of deep conservatism: “The country she came to symbolise is bigger than any one individual or any one institution. It is the sum total of all our history and all our endeavours, and it will endure.”

It is a sentiment that fits with Starmer’s patriotic theme, set out consistently since he took over from Corbyn. Corbyn was personally polite about the Queen, and his tribute to her was touchingly genuine. “I enjoyed discussing our families, gardens and jam-making with her,” he said. “May she rest in peace.”

One of his best moments in the 2017 election campaign was when Jeremy Paxman pointed out that there was nothing in Labour’s manifesto about getting rid of the monarchy. “Look, there’s nothing in there as we’re not going to do it,” Corbyn said. When he was pressed, he said: “It’s certainly not on my agenda and, do you know what, I had a very nice chat with the Queen.”

But Corbyn’s politics had become, by the time of the 2019 election, a problem with voters who regard themselves as patriotic, and particularly with the kind of working-class voters with whom Attlee instinctively associated. Those voters could no longer be deflected by chats about jam from Corbyn’s hostility to the establishment, including its conventional views on national security.

Hence the flags in Starmer’s videos and his photo opportunities with soldiers. Some of Starmer’s poses have been crude, but this week allowed him to seal his reputation as a monarchist in the Attlee tradition. He is fortunate in his new opponent, too. Whereas before this week, the Conservatives might have been tempted to attack him for that video in which he slyly boasts about being made a Queen’s Counsel, “which is odd since I often used to propose the abolition of the monarchy”, they can’t now.

Not because Starmer is now a KC, a King’s Counsel, but because Liz Truss, too, was an abolitionist in her youth. That balances the two main parties in a way that Attlee would have appreciated. He felt that there should be no difference between the parties on the rules of the game. He was right – if the monarchy evolves, that should happen without being driven by party politics. By returning Labour to its monarchist tradition, Starmer has ensured that politics can be fought on a level playing field

CAMBODIA

Hun Sen threatens to dissolve Candlelight Party over connection to Sam Rainsy

Trigger appears to be the opposition leader’s comments about the king.

By RFA Khmer
2022.10.26

Supporters of the Candlelight Party take part in a rally on the last day of campaigning for the commune elections in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, June 3, 2022.

 AFP

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Wednesday threatened to dissolve the opposition Candlelight Party if it does not clarify its stand on alleged insulting comments about King Norodom Sihamoni by exiled opposition leader Sam Rainsy.

Sam Rainsy, co-founder of the now banned opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party, or CNRP, fled to France in 2015 to avoid arrest for various charges.

On Monday, he posted a comment on Facebook  that in 2005, Hun Sen forced the king to support a “treasonous act” – a reference to signing a border treaty with Vietnam – otherwise he would abolish monarchy. Sam Rainsy also blamed Hun Sen for using the king to shield his dictatorship.

“The king today has no national conscience, not even a little,” Sam Rainsy said in the video. “After Hun Sen, the king of Cambodia betrayed the nation, because we supplemented others, betrayed the nation completely, because we cut off Khmer territory to foreigners.”

On Wedneday, Hun Sen responded by demanding the Candlelight Party make its stance on Sam Rainsy clear.

“Is Sam Rainsy right or wrong? I want the Candlelight Party to clarify its stand on Sam Rainsy’s statement claiming the King has no conscience. The party’s leaders need to clarify before our compatriots,” Hun Sen told a crowd at a public gathering in Kampong Chhnang province.

Hun Sen, who has ruled Cambodia for nearly four decades, also urged party activists to join his ruling party, saying the Candlelight Party is at risk of being dissolved. 

In 2017, Cambodia’s Supreme Court dissolved the CNRP, a move that allowed Hun Sen’s ruling Cambodian People’s Party to capture every seat in the National Assembly in 2018 general elections.

“It isn’t a small story, and [it’s] not a joke,” Hun Sen said. “The Candlelight Party members must immediately defect to avoid any problem [because Sam Rainsy’s supporters in the party] want to topple the government and monarchy.”

On Tuesday, Cambodia’s Ministry of Justice alleged that Sam Rainsy had seriously insulted the king and ordered Phnom Penh Municipal Court to take immediate and strict legal action against him, though he has been sentenced to life in prison and permanently barred from engaging in politics.

Hun Sen recently tried to convince party activists to condemn Sam Rainsy for supposedly insulting the king, calling on party vice presidents Thach Setha and Son Chhay to issue a statement.

The prime minister also said he learned of a phone conversation between CNRP co-vice president Eng Chhai Eang and Candlelight Party officials about setting up the party’s network in Ratanakiri province. The prime minister told the crowd that political parties can’t work with “convicts” in accordance with the law. 

“With this, I want to tell you [the Candlelight Party] that you are facing any issue for yourself, so what you should do is to clarify your stand over Sam Rainsy’s comment. Is it right or wrong? I want an affirmation from you,” said Hun Sen. 

He went on to say that he has a problem with the Candlelight Party because the party was founded by Sam Rainsy. 

Senior Candlelight Party officials said they have no connection to Sam Rainsy. Thach Setha, who also serves as the party’s spokesman, said the Candlelight Party acted in accordance with the law and has a leadership structure that has nothing to do with Sam Rainsy. 

He said the party would issue a statement on its stand, but would not condemn Sam Rainsy as a person. 

"We work independently, we have full sovereignty of our party, we do not accept orders from anyone,” Thach Setha said. “We will make a statement but not name a specific person, and [condemn] all of those who insult the king. Those who abuse the constitution, we will also condemn. We fight to protect Cambodia and the throne.” 

Political analyst Em Sovannara said the country’s leaders should not compromise national interest with political conflict, and that Cambodia has no law prohibiting citizens or politicians from talking to “convicts.” 

"Yes, if we talk about communication, it is not illegal,” he said. “Any person has the right to communicate, the accused, the convict or the prisoner. The politician has the right to communicate.”

Translated by Samean Yun for RFA Khmer. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.

ABOLISH THE MONARCHY
In Commonwealth, queen’s jubilee draws protests and apathy

By JILL LAWLESS

yesterday

1 of 13

A man waves a British union flag and a flag bearing the image of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II ahead of the annual Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey in London, Monday, March 9, 2020. After seven decades on the throne, Queen Elizabeth II is widely viewed in the U.K. as a rock in turbulent times. But in Britain’s former colonies, many see her as an anchor to an imperial past whose damage still lingers. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, File)

LONDON (AP) — After seven decades on the throne, Queen Elizabeth II is widely viewed in the U.K. as a rock in turbulent times. But in Britain’s former colonies, many see her as an anchor to an imperial past whose damage still lingers.

So while the U.K. is celebrating the queen’s Platinum Jubilee — 70 years on the throne — with pageantry and parties, some in the Commonwealth are using the occasion to push for a formal break with the monarchy and the colonial history it represents.

“When I think about the queen, I think about a sweet old lady,” said Jamaican academic Rosalea Hamilton, who campaigns for her country to become a republic. “It’s not about her. It’s about her family’s wealth, built on the backs of our ancestors. We’re grappling with the legacies of a past that has been very painful.”

Queen Elizabeth II walks past Commonwealth flags in St George's Hall at Windsor Castle, England to mark Commonwealth Day. (Steve Parsons/Pool via AP, File)

The empire that Elizabeth was born into is long gone, but she still reigns far beyond Britain’s shores. She is head of state in 14 other nations, including Canada, Australia, Papua New Guinea and the Bahamas. Until recently it was 15 — Barbados cut ties with the monarchy in November, and several other Caribbean countries, including Jamaica, say they plan to follow suit.

Britain’s jubilee celebrations, which climax over a four-day holiday weekend starting Thursday, aim to recognize the diversity of the U.K. and the Commonwealth. A huge jubilee pageant through central London on Sunday will feature Caribbean Carnival performers and Bollywood dancers.



But Britain’s image of itself as a welcoming and diverse society has been battered by the revelation that hundreds, and maybe thousands, of people from the Caribbean who had lived legally in the U.K. for decades were denied housing, jobs or medical treatment — and in some cases deported — because they didn’t have the paperwork to prove their status.

The British government has apologized and agreed to pay compensation, but the Windrush scandal has caused deep anger, both in the U.K. and in the Caribbean.

A jubilee-year trip to Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas in March by the queen’s grandson Prince William and his wife Kate, which was intended to strengthen ties, appears to have had the opposite effect. Images of the couple shaking hands with children through a chain-link fence and riding in an open-topped Land Rover in a military parade stirred echoes of colonialism for many.

Britain's Prince William and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge attend the Commonwealth Service on Commonwealth Day at Westminster Abbey in London. (Daniel Leal/Pool via AP, File)

Cynthia Barrow-Giles, professor of political science at the University of the West Indies, said the British “seem to be very blind to the visceral sort of reactions” that royal visits elicit in the Caribbean.

Protesters in Jamaica demanded Britain pay reparations for slavery, and Prime Minister Andrew Holness politely told William that the country was “moving on,” a signal that it planned to become a republic. The next month, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne told the queen’s son Prince Edward that his country, too, would one day remove the queen as head of state.

William acknowledged the strength of feeling and said the future “is for the people to decide upon.”

“We support with pride and respect your decisions about your future,” he said in the Bahamas. “Relationships evolve. Friendship endures.”

When then Princess Elizabeth became queen on the death of her father King George VI 1952, she was in Kenya. The East African country became independent in 1963 after years of violent struggle between a liberation movement and colonial troops. In 2013, the British government apologized for the torture of thousands of Kenyans during the 1950s “Mau Mau” uprising and paid millions in an out-of-court settlement.

Memories of the empire are still raw for many Kenyans.

“From the start, her reign would be indelibly stained by the brutality of the empire she presided over and that accompanied its demise,” said Patrick Gathara, a Kenyan cartoonist, writer and commentator.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II arrives for a church service at St. John's Cathedral, Antigua, Feb. 20, 1966. (AP Photo, File)

“To this day, she has never publicly admitted, let alone apologized, for the oppression, torture, dehumanization and dispossession visited upon people in the colony of Kenya before and after she acceded to the throne.”

U.K. officials hope countries that become republics will remain in the Commonwealth, the 54-nation organization made up largely of former British colonies, which has the queen as its ceremonial head.

The queen’s strong personal commitment to the Commonwealth has played a big role in uniting a diverse group whose members range from vast India to tiny Tuvalu. But the organization, which aims to champion democracy, good governance and human rights, faces an uncertain future.

As Commonwealth heads of government prepare to meet in Kigali, Rwanda, this month for a summit delayed by the coronavirus pandemic, some question whether the organization can continue once the queen’s eldest son, Prince Charles, succeeds her.

“Many of the more uncomfortable histories of the British Empire and the British Commonwealth are sort of waiting in the wings for as soon as Elizabeth II is gone,” royal historian Ed Owens said. “So it’s a difficult legacy that she is handing over to the next generation.”

The crisis in the Commonwealth reflects Britain’s declining global clout.

Zimbabwe was suspended from the Commonwealth under its authoritarian late President Robert Mugabe, and is currently seeking readmission. But many in its capital of Harare have expressed indifference to the queen’s jubilee, as Britain’s once-strong influence wanes and countries such as China and Russia enjoy closer relations with the former British colony.

“She is becoming irrelevant here,” social activist Peter Nyapedwa said. “We know about (Chinese President) Xi (Jinping) or (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, not the queen.”

Sue Onslow, director of the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London, said the queen has been the “invisible glue” holding the Commonwealth together.

But she says the organization has proven remarkably resilient and and shouldn’t be written off. The Commonwealth played a major role in galvanizing opposition to apartheid in the 1980s, and could do the same over climate change, which poses an existential threat to its low-lying island members.

“The Commonwealth has shown a remarkable ability to reinvent itself and contrive solutions at times of crisis, almost as if it’s jumping into a telephone box and coming out under different guise,” she said. “Whether it will do it now is an open question.”

ABOLISH MONARCHY
Damaged Queen Victoria statue is beyond repair, Manitoba government says

WINNIPEG — A statue of Queen Victoria that was toppled and beheaded by protesters last year outside the Manitoba legislature is beyond repair and will not be restored.


© Provided by The Canadian PressDamaged Queen Victoria statue is beyond repair, Manitoba government says

"It's gone through a lengthy assessment process and is not repairable," Justice Minister Kelvin Goertzen said in an interview.

Trying to replicate it is also out of the question, Goertzen said, because it would cost at least $500,000.

"I know it will be disappointing to many people — it won't be recast — but that's the decision."

The statue, a prominent monument on the front lawn of the legislature, was tied with ropes and hauled to the ground on Canada Day last year during a demonstration over the deaths of Indigenous children at residential schools. It was covered with red paint. The head of the large statue was removed and found the next day in the nearby Assiniboine River.

While the statue was toppled in an area covered by many security cameras, no one was charged with causing the damage.

A smaller statue of the Queen, on a side lawn next to the lieutenant-governor's house, was also toppled but suffered less damage. That one of Queen Elizabeth II is being repaired and will be put back in place, Goertzen said.


Discussions with Indigenous groups are ongoing about what might replace the Queen Victoria statue, he added.  

TRIPTICH OF LOUIS RIEL, GABRIEL DUMONT 

AND POUNDMAKER

There is no word yet on what is to become of the broken Queen Victoria statue. In online discussion forums, some people have suggested the statue be installed in a museum as-is to commemorate last year's protest.

The decision to not restore or replicate the statue comes amid a public debate over how to mark Canada Day this year, at a time when the country is still coming to grips with the legacy of residential schools. Winnipeg is home to the highest concentration of Indigenous people among major cities in Canada.

Organizers of the city's big annual Canada Day celebrations at the Forks — the downtown junction of the Red and Assiniboine rivers — have renamed the event this year "A New Day," cancelled fireworks and promised events that will be reflective as well as celebratory.

That has led to accusations that organizers have cancelled Canada Day, which they deny. Jenny Motkaluk, a candidate for the city's mayoral election in October who finished second in the last race in 2018, blasted the decision and said she would go elsewhere because she loves the country unconditionally.

Other mayoral candidates are supporting the renamed event and have said acknowledging the country's history, including its flaws, is important.

Wab Kinew, Manitoba's Opposition NDP leader, said there are ways to mark the holiday while acknowledging the wrongs.

"I think it could mean things like marking Canada Day, attending a Canada Day celebration, but wearing an orange shirt in honour of the (residential school) survivors," Kinew said.

"I am a patriot, but I'm a patriot who is also the son of a residential school survivor, and my dad shared a bunk with a child who never came home from that residential school."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 22, 2022.

Steve Lambert, The Canadian Press

Call for review of Thai royal insults law sparks rare debate


Pro-democracy rally in Bangkok

Panu Wongcha-um and Panarat Thepgumpanat
Fri, November 5, 2021

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Nine political parties in Thailand have taken a position on reform of a strict royal insults law in recent days, bringing into the mainstream a controversial debate that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago.

The catalyst for the discussion has been a youth-led anti-government protest movement that emerged late last year and openly called for a reform of the monarchy - a bold move in a country that traditionally upholds the king as semi-divine and above criticism.

Changing the lese majeste law, which carries punishments of up to 15 years in prison for each perceived insult of the monarchy, had been a subject off-limits for decades in Thailand, where the crown is officially above politics and constitutionally enshrined to be held in "revered worship".

But the opposition Pheu Thai party ignited discussion on the taboo topic this week, with major parties weighing in quickly after it proposed a parliamentary review of how it said the law was being used to prosecute scores of opponents of the royalist government.

Since the student protests began last year, at least 155 people, including 12 minors, have been charged with lese majeste, according to a tally compiled by the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights group.

"The lese majeste law has become a fault line in Thai politics. It was inevitable," said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political analyst at Chulalongkorn University.

"Moving forward, this will be the front-and-centre issue to decide Thailand's political future."

DESTRUCTIVE DEBATE?

The Pheu Thai party's call for a parliamentary review drew strong reaction among royalist conservatives.

Major parties in the ruling coalition issued their own statements objecting to amending the law, including Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, a former army chief.

"It's a security matter for our country," he said. "We do not want to destroy something that is revered by Thai people."

Prayuth's government has denied misusing the law. The palace, which has a longstanding policy of not commenting on the issue, could not be reached for comment.

Thailand's media has long self-censored on issues of the monarchy but in a rare move, Thursday's Bangkok Post newspaper carried an infographic of the major parties' positions on lese majeste, under the headline "to change or not to change".

Opposition parties Move Forward and the Seri Ruam Thai have also accused the government of abusing the royal law to go after opponents, and they called for punishments to be less severe.

In February, 44 Move Forward lawmakers sought a reduction in the maximum sentence from 15 years to one year, or a 300,000 baht ($8,982) fine, or both. Their effort was shot down by parliament, which said it was unconstitutional.

Stirring the debate too was influential tycoon and self-exiled former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, Pheu Thai's de facto founder. This week, Thaksin voiced his support for preserving a law that he himself has been accused of breaking, while calling for changes in how it was applied.

Political scientist Wanwichit Boonprong said a push for a review is unlikely to gain much traction in parliament, though it has forced other parties to take a firm position on one of the country's most sensitive issues.

But Piyabutr Saengkanokkul, secretary-general of the student-led progressive movement, a backer of the Move Forward party, said opposition efforts were not bold enough, and it was time to abolish the law altogether.

"The party needs to be avant garde," Piyabutr said on Twitter, adding Move Forward should be pressing a more progressive agenda.

(Reporting by Panu Wongcha-um and Panarat Thepgumpanat; Editing by Martin Petty and Mark Heinrich)

JAMES CONNELLY IS ROLLING IN HIS GRAVE

Even separatists Sinn Fein praise 'dedicated' Queen as she celebrates her Platinum Jubilee: 

Republican leader Michelle O'Neill praises monarch for her 'significant' contribution to peace in Northern Ireland

Michelle O'Neill thanked the Queen for her 'warmth and unfailing courtesy'

Wrote of 'value and respect' she had for monarch's contribution to reconciliation

Significant moment for the party, whose ultimate aim is reunification of Ireland

ABOLISH THE MONARCHY

By DAVID WILCOCK, DEPUTY POLITICAL EDITOR FOR MAILONLINE

PUBLISHED:  2 June 2022

Irish republicans Sinn Fein have congratulated the Queen on her Platinum Jubilee, hailing her 'dedicated' service and 'significant' contribution to the peace process in Northern Ireland.

In a letter to the monarch, the party's vice president and leader in Ulster Michelle O'Neill thanked the Queen for her 'warmth and unfailing courtesy' when they had met.

She also wrote of the 'value and respect' she had for the monarch's contribution to reconciliation.

Harry has gone from the very essence of a popular 21st century Prince to skulking in side rooms with his most junior or obscure relatives. On his and Meghan's comeback, was the lack of a picture with William and Kate deliberate, asks RICHARD KAY , and other top stories from June 03, 2022.

The letter is a significant moment for the party, whose ultimate aim is the reunification of Ireland, and shows how serious it is about political power.

It also has historically close ties to the IRA, among whose victims during the decades of the Troubles was Lord Mountbatten of Burma.

Mountbatten was the Duke of Edinburgh's uncle and was close to Prince Charles before he was murdered in a bomb attack on his boat in Northern Ireland in 1979.

Former DUP leader Dame Arlene praised Ms O'Neill's gesture, telling BBC Radio Ulster the Jubilee celebrated three things - the Queen's public service and dedication; the institution of the monarchy; and the concept of Britishness.

'I think for republicans, like Michelle O'Neill, like Nicola Sturgeon, they have recognised in Her Majesty the Queen the first of those, the fact that she has given so much service to the country,' Dame Arlene said.

'They're recognising that and I think that that is something that is to be welcomed.'

In a letter to the monarch, the party's vice president and leader in Ulster Michelle O'Neill thanked the Queen for her 'warmth and unfailing courtesy' when they had met.


She also wrote of the 'value and respect' she had for the monarch's contribution to reconciliation. The Queen is pictured meeting former Sinn Fein deputy first minister Martin McGuinness in Belfast in 2012.


The letter is a significant moment for the party, whose ultimate aim is the reunification of Ireland. It also has historically close ties to the IRA, among whose victims during the decades of the Troubles was Lord Mountbatten of Burma (left), the Duke of Edinburgh's uncle

Former DUP leader Dame Arlene praised Ms O'Neill's gesture, telling BBC Radio Ulster the Jubilee celebrated three things - the Queen's public service and dedication; the institution of the monarchy; and the concept of Britishness

Ms O'Neill's letter to the Queen, which was sent last month and reported by the Belfast Telegraph on Thursday, read: 'I thought it best to write to you personally as you mark 70 years of dedicated public service to the British people as Monarch.

'Your Platinum Jubilee is an historic moment, especially for all those from the unionist and British tradition on the island of Ireland, and across these islands whom with great pride and devotion hold you very dear.

'Personally, I wish to thank you for your warmth and unfailing courtesy on the occasions in which both I and my late colleague, Martin McGuinness, met with you in Belfast in 2012 during your Diamond Jubilee, and thereafter at Windsor Castle during the State Visit of President of Ireland, Michael D Higgins to the UK in 2014.

'I wish to record the value and respect I place on the significant contribution you have made to the advancement of peace and reconciliation between the different traditions on our island, and between our two islands during those years of the peace process.

'As incoming First Minister of the Northern Ireland Executive I, like you, will take every opportunity to strengthen the bonds of friendship and renew the spirit of co-operation between those of us in the world of politics and public life from different traditions, and also the people and communities we proudly represent.'

Beacons will be lit at Northern Ireland's highest peak and most westerly town later to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.

The official four-day celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Queen's coronation will include street parties, exhibitions, church services and lunch events.

Thursday will mark the start of a long bank holiday weekend which will also include a visit from the Earl and Countess of Wessex.

The Royal couple are expected to carry out two engagements in the region on Saturday.

A gun salute will take place at Hillsborough Castle, the Royal family's official residence in Northern Ireland, while in Belfast the HMS Pembroke will be alongside for the weekend and open to visitors with pre-booked tickets.

The UK's most westerly town, Enniskillen in Co Fermanagh, will enjoy one of the busiest celebrations.

Visitors can enjoy a special exhibition at Enniskillen Castle which will include a maid of honour gown and page outfit worn by local people who played key roles at the coronation.

It will also host a special church service at St Macartin's Cathedral on Thursday evening where the Queen visited in 2012 during her Diamond Jubilee, before beacons are lit.

As part of 1,500 beacons being lit across the UK between 9.15-9.45pm, many locations in Northern Ireland will host a lighting including Titanic Belfast in the capital city and St Columb's Cathedral in Londonderry as well as the region's highest peak.

The Walking With The Wounded charity will hike a beacon up Slieve Donard in Co Down, while their colleagues do the same at the other UK peaks, Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Mount Snowdon.

On Sunday, big lunch events will be taking place across the region, including on the Shankill Road and in the town of Bangor, Co Down which was made a city as part of the Jubilee celebrations.

Anti-monarchists celebrate Republic Day for 1st time in UK

Republican groups call for 'better, fairer, and more equitable democracy'

Behlül Çetinkaya |06.05.2024

Anti-monarchists, holding banners, gather to stage a protest against the Royal Family and to demand the abolition of the monarchy on Commonwealth Day in front of the Westminster Abbey Church in London, United Kingdom on March 11, 2024.

LONDON

For the first time, anti-monarchists in the UK celebrated "Republic Day" on Sunday, the same day as King Charles' first coronation anniversary.​​​​​​​

Representatives of republican groups from Norway and the Netherlands also attended the Republic Day celebration held at Trafalgar Square in London.

The event was organized by anti-monarchist group Republic, whose members carried banners and signs saying "Not my king" and "Abolish the monarchy."

"You have public days every year, on this anniversary of the coronation, on this anniversary of Charles being anointed our head of state, refusing to stand for election and we will keep on going until the monarchy is abolished," Graham Smith, leader of Republic, said at the celebration.

Smith added the group wanted "better, fairer, and more equitable democracy."

Arguing that the members of Britain's Royal Family do not deserve the positions they hold, he said that when the royals leave, the country would elect parliamentarians and presidents its people could be proud of.

"We are responsible for those decisions because we might get it wrong. Yes, you might choose someone who is no good, but then we can choose someone else later," he added.

Pope says human rights should be ‘promoted, not violated’ during visit to Bahrain

Thu, 3 November 2022 

© Marco Bertorello, AFP

Pope Francis said human rights should not be "violated" and hit out at use of the death penalty as he arrived in Bahrain for his second trip to the Gulf on Thursday.

The leader of the world's 1.3 billion Catholics, who is the first pope to visit the tiny nation, is visiting to promote dialogue between Christians and Muslims.

But rights groups had urged him to also use the visit to speak out about alleged abuses in the Sunni-led monarchy.

Pope Francis told dignitaries, including his host, King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, that religious freedom should be "complete and not limited to freedom of worship".

Speaking less than three weeks from the World Cup in neighbouring Qatar, which has faced fierce scrutiny over its migrant workers, the pope also demanded that "working conditions everywhere are safe and dignified".

"Much labour is in fact dehumanising," he said at the gleaming Sakhir Royal Palace. "This does not only entail a grave risk of social instability, but constitutes a threat to human dignity."

The first papal visit to the island nation follows this pontiff's 2019 trip to the United Arab Emirates, also aimed at inter-faith outreach.

Pope Francis, 85, uses a wheelchair due to knee problems and boarded and disembarked from the plane on an electronic platform.

(AFP)

Pope Francis visits Bahrain as rights groups seek engagement on alleged abuses

Pope Francis, leader of the world's 1.3 billion Catholics, flies Thursday to the Gulf state of Bahrain to foster ties with Islam in a voyage overshadowed by criticism of human rights abuses.


Pope Francis visits Bahrain as rights groups seek engagement on alleged abuses

© AETOSWire

The second voyage by a pope to the Arabian Peninsula after Francis' 2019 trip to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is similarly aimed at encouraging interfaith dialogue between Muslims and Christians, and will include the pontiff leading a prayer for peace at a vast modern cathedral opened last year.

But criticism of Bahrain's human rights record has already erupted ahead of Francis' voyage, which lasts through Sunday, as international rights groups urge him to speak out against alleged abuses against Shiites, activists and opposition figures in the Sunni-led monarchy.

The 85-year-old Francis, who will likely be mostly confined to a wheelchair due to recurring knee pain, is scheduled to arrive at 4:45 pm local time (1345 GMT) and conduct a "courtesy visit" with King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa following a welcoming ceremony.

He will then give a speech to authorities, diplomats and members of civil society, according to his official schedule.

On Friday, Francis will address the "Bahrain Dialogue Forum: East and West for Human Coexistence", organised by the UAE-based Muslim Council of Elders, followed by a private meeting with Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, grand imam of the prestigious Cairo-based Al-Azhar, Egypt's highest Sunni institution.

The two religious leaders signed a joint document pledging interfaith coexistence during Francis' UAE trip in 2019.

The Argentine pope has made outreach to Muslim communities a priority during his papacy, visiting major Muslim countries such as Egypt, Turkey and Iraq, and most recently in September, Kazakhstan.

On Tuesday, Francis asked the faithful assembled on Saint Peter's Square to pray for his upcoming trip, calling it "a journey under the banner of dialogue".

Ahead of the voyage, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni told journalists he would not guess whether Francis would broach the topic of human rights.

But the pope's view "concerning religious freedom and liberty is clear and known", Bruni said.

Public pressure

Francis' visit to Bahrain comes amid recent scrutiny of the rights record of neighbour Qatar -- particularly treatment of low-income migrant workers, women and the LBGTQ community -- ahead of the World Cup later this month, which it is hosting.

>> ‘Just hell’: New book shines light on migrant deaths ahead of Qatar World Cup

But on Tuesday, Human Rights Watch and eight other rights groups called on Francis to publicly press Bahrain to "halt all executions, abolish the death penalty, and seriously investigate torture allegations and violations of the right to a fair trial".

They also called on Francis to demand better protections of migrant workers and the release of opposition figures, journalists and others still imprisoned since a crackdown that followed pro-democracy protests in 2011.

A government spokesman rejected the groups' allegations, stating Tuesday that Bahrain "does not tolerate discrimination" and no one is prosecuted for their religious or political beliefs.

Friday's "prayer for peace" will be held at the cavernous Our Lady of Arabia Cathedral in Awali, which seats over 2,000 people and opened in December. It was built to serve Bahrain's approximately 80,000 Catholics, mainly workers from southern Asia, including India and the Philippines.

On Saturday, Francis will lead mass at Bahrain's national stadium before a crowd of nearly 30,000 people, where workers on Wednesday were adding finishing touches, including a giant gold cross above Francis' chair.

About 2,000 spots will be saved for Catholics arriving from Saudi Arabia, Bishop Paul Hinder, the apostolic administrator for the vicariate of Northern Arabia, told Vatican News.

Sunni powerhouse Saudi Arabia, the cradle of Islam, is an absolute monarchy repeatedly accused of abuses by rights groups. Riyadh does not recognise freedom of religion and bans all non-Muslim places of worship.

Francis will preside over a prayer meeting with Catholic clergy and others on Sunday before his return to Rome.

(AFP)

Time Running Out for Surprise Winner Pita to Secure Thai PM Role

Pita Limjaroenrat 

Patpicha Tanakasempipat
Updated Tue, June 27, 2023 at 5:21 PM MDT·5 min read


(Bloomberg) -- Ever since Pita Limjaroenrat led his Move Forward Party to a surprise first-place finish in Thailand’s election last month, he’s faced a flurry of legal complaints and controversies challenging his bid to take power after more than a decade of military-backed rule.

Now with parliament scheduled to convene July 3 and lawmakers expected to vote on a new prime minister in the days or weeks afterward, time is running out for the 42-year-old leader to make sure his victory was anything other than symbolic.

Pita’s biggest challenge remains the 250-member Senate — a body appointed by the royalist military establishment following a 2014 coup, many of whose members oppose his proposal to ease penalties for criticizing the royal family. And they apparently don’t care that he won the most votes.

“It’s not our job to listen to the people,” Senator Prapanth Koonmee, a lawyer who said 90% of lawmakers in the upper chamber have already made up their mind, said in an interview. “Even if you got 100 million votes, I still wouldn’t pick you if I don’t like you or find you suitable.”

That hasn’t slowed down the Harvard-educated Pita. He’s built support from a range of pro-democracy parties since the vote and traversed the country seeking to sustain enthusiasm for the May 14 election results, which amounted to a shocking blow to the royalist establishment.

The stakes are high ahead of the parliamentary vote, expected soon after King Maha Vajiralongkorn opens parliament next week. A failure by Pita to get enough support could mean the unraveling of his coalition or even rule by a minority-led government.

The uncertainty has Thailand’s markets and global investors on edge. Thailand’s main stock index is the worst performer in Asia this year, having tumbled about 11%.

Read More: Here’s How Thailand’s PM Race Could Play Out as Talks Drag On

Pita has downplayed the uncertainty and sought to reassure supporters that he will lead the next government. That outreach has included meetings with various business groups, where he talks about the transition of power and the agenda for his first 100 days in office.

“We’re working hard to break the wall and forge an understanding between the two chambers,” Pita said at Parliament House on Tuesday. “There is constant progress.”

He added that he’s confident there will be enough support — he currently needs 64 senators — for him to be prime minister.

“Pita seems to be trying to create a sense of momentum and inevitability about him becoming prime minister, in the hope of putting pressure on senators to back him,” said Peter Mumford, the Southeast Asia practice head of consultancy Eurasia Group. “It is far from certain that the strategy will work, though.”

His performance as a prime minister-in-waiting has helped energize Move Forward’s supporters, who have pressured senators in online campaigns, public panels and street demonstrations to declare their support for Pita. But the voices run the risk of falling on deaf ears, as many senators have remained silent or publicly ruled out their support.

For many senators, resistance to Pita’s leadership is based largely on Move Forward’s platform to amend the lese majeste law, or Article 112 of the Thai criminal code, which penalizes criticisms against the king and other royals.

“Senators don’t like his disloyalty to the monarchy and his plans to reform and uproot Thai society,” said Senator Prapanth, 69. “It’s not acceptable.”

Pita has denied allegations that he is disloyal, saying he seeks to improve the relationship between the monarchy and the people.

Prapanth’s remarks underscore just how high the odds are stacked against Pita and his pro-democracy coalition. Yet with Move Forward previously ruling out alliances with conservative parties, there is little alternative but to win over as many senators as possible.

Behind the scenes, Move Forward has deployed top officials to approach individual senators — and even relied on a network of allies who are friends and families of lawmakers to make the party’s case.

“We’re trying whatever method is required to communicate with as many senators as possible,” said Parit Wacharasindhu, the party’s policy campaign manager, who is also one of the negotiators doing the outreach.

One of their strategies has been to argue that senators should vote for Pita not because they agree with him but for the same reason they cited in voting for incumbent Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha in 2019: because he had the support of the majority of the lower house.

Parit noted that hopes are higher for a group of 63 senators who previously voted for a failed measure to abolish the Senate’s power to vote for prime minister and limit it to the 500-member lower house. Parit said he’s confident he can win those senators over, then go for others.

“I still hope that senators will make decisions based on rational grounds, regardless of emotion and personal preferences,” Parit said.

One lawmaker in the Pita camp is Senator Zakee Phithakkumpol, a 45-year-old academic who considers himself a minority in the upper chamber. Zakee said he occasionally shares his views privately with those who oppose Pita in hopes of changing their minds. He also helped advise Move Forward negotiators who approached him on how best to address the senators’ concerns, he said.

“I tried to communicate with the elder senators that I’m not taking Pita’s side but the way we’re carrying on may not be good in the long term, especially if we want the monarchy to endure in Thai society,” Zakee said in an interview.

Zakee, who backed Prayuth in 2019, said he believes that abiding by democratic principles is the only way to prevent chaos.

“Thai society is at a crossroads between change and delaying it,” he said. “Your choice will upset some people either way, so what’s more important is to respect the rules. I believe that doing the right thing will protect you.”

--With assistance from Anuchit Nguyen and Margo Towie.