Police and soldiers killed in clashes with rebel fighters in eastern Myanmar

Issued on: 24/05/2021 - 
   

FILE PHOTO: People join a rally against the military coup to demand the release of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, in Yangon, Myanmar, February 9, 2021. © REUTERS - Stringer

Text by: NEWS WIRES

Dozens of Myanmar security force members were killed Sunday, rebel fighters said, after heavy fighting in the coup-hit country's eastern fringe.

Myanmar has been in chaos since the February putsch, as the military uses lethal force to crack down on dissent.

The civilian death toll has climbed to at least 815 people, according to a local monitoring group.

The violence has pushed some in the anti-junta movement to form a so-called "People's Defence Force" (PDF) in their own townships -- made up of civilians who fight back against security forces with homemade weapons.

There were clashes in eastern Myanmar over the weekend, particularly in Kayah state's Demoso town, and in neighbouring Shan state

People's Defence Force member Thet Wai -- not his real name -- said at least 20 police officers died Sunday and his side seized a police station in Moebyel town, Shan state, east of the capital Naypyidaw.

The police station was burnt down and rebel fighters also took four security force members into custody, local media reported.

"I thought today is a day of conquest," Thet Wai, 29, told AFP.

"But I am also worried because we have seen air strikes and tanks today. They have much better weapons than us."

He said the Myanmar military had launched helicopter air strikes in the evening at Demoso, a town in Kayah state about 40 kilometres south.

Another civilian fighter at Demoso said at least 13 Myanmar soldiers had been killed Sunday, while four of his men were wounded.

"We intended to seize their police station, but they used air strikes and we could not stop their reinforcement trucks getting into the town," he said.

"We had to withdraw our troops from fighting."

The fighting continued through Sunday night, according to a senior leader of the Karenni National Progressive Party -- an ethnic armed group with a stronghold in Kayah state.

He confirmed that the military was using tanks, helicopters and mortar attacks in Demoso and Loikaw, the capital of Kayah state.

Meanwhile, military chief Min Aun Hlaing, who removed civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi from power in the coup, gave a two-hour interview to Hong Kong's Phoenix Television, with the full programme yet to air.

In a snippet released Sunday, he offered reassurances to Chinese investors after a spate of arson attacks at factories in the commercial capital Yangon.

"Our citizens don't hate China," he said. "It happened for political reasons."

Suu Kyi has not been seen in public since she was placed under house arrest.

She has been hit with a string of criminal charges including flouting coronavirus restrictions during last year's election campaign and possessing unlicensed walkie-talkies.

Suu Kyi is expected to appear in person in court on Monday for the first time, after weeks of delays to her legal case.

(AFP)

Fighting erupts in Myanmar town on Chinese border
Issued on: 23/05/2021 - 

People take part in a demonstration against the February 1 military coup, along a street in the town of Muse in Shan state, near the China-Myanmar border on February 8, 2021. © STR, AFP

A gun battle erupted on Sunday between Myanmar security forces and an alliance of armed ethnic groups opposed to February's coup, at a town on the border with China, Myanmar media said.

The fighting at Muse, one of the main crossing points to China, was the latest to hit Myanmar since the coup led to an upsurge of conflict with insurgent groups in border regions, as well as bombings, shootings and arson across the country.

Gunfire broke out in Muse around dawn, broadcaster DVB and Khit Thit Media said. Khit Thit Media published pictures of what it said were civilian vehicles that were peppered with bullet holes.

There were no immediate reports of casualties.

Reuters was unable to reach a junta spokesman or spokesmen for the four ethnic armed groups that make up the Northern Alliance.

One of the groups in the alliance, the Kachin Independence Army, attacked a military post in northwestern Myanmar, nearly 320 km (200 miles) from Muse and closer to the Indian border on the other side of the country on Saturday.

The junta is fighting a growing number of conflicts since it seized power on Feb. 1 and overthrew elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Ethnic armed groups that have waged war for decades to demand greater autonomy have been joined by new groups opposed to the coup.

Meanwhile, protests are carried out daily against military rule, while strikes have paralysed hospitals, schools and much private business.

More than 125,000 school teachers - nearly a third of the total - have been suspended for joining a civil disobedience movement to oppose the coup, an official of the Myanmar Teachers' Federation said.

Demand the release of prisoners

At least 815 people have been killed by security forces since the coup, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners activist group.

The junta disputes that figure and its leader, Min Aung Hlaing, said in comments broadcast on Saturday that 300 people had been killed in addition to 47 police.

Protesters also demand the release of nearly 4,300 people who have been arrested since the coup, including Suu Kyi, 75.

Min Aung Hlaing said Suu Kyi was healthy and would soon appear in court. Her next hearing is on Monday on some of the many charges brought against her, which range from illegal possession of walkie-talkie radios to breaching a state secrets law.

The army seized power on the grounds of alleged fraud in the general election won by Suu Kyi's party in November. Its accusations had been dismissed by the former electoral commission, dozens of whose officials are now locked up.

(REUTERS)

Myanmar's Suu Kyi appears in court for first time since coup

Myanmar's former de facto civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi appeared in court for the first time since a military coup pushed the country into turmoil.





Aung Saan Suu Kyi has been detained since early February


Myanmar's ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi appeared in court on Monday to face a change of "incitement to sedition," her lawyers said.

Suu Kyi was placed under house arrest and had not been seen in public since the February 1 military coup that overthrew her government.
What happened in court?

Lawyer Thae Maung Maung told Reuters news agency that Suu Kyi looked in good health and held a face-to-face meeting with her legal team for about 30 minutes before the court hearing.

In recent weeks, the 75-year-old answered questions in court by video link. Her lawyers had not been able to meet her in person.

"She said she was praying for everyone to get well. She said the party was formed for the people, so it will exist as long as the people exist," Frontier Myanmar quoted Suu Kyi's lawyer as saying

The head of Myanmar’s military-appointed election commission recently said his agency was considering dissolving Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party for alleged involvement in electoral fraud.

According to Frontier Myannmar, the tightly controlled hearing also lasted just 30 minutes.
What are the charges against Suu Kyi?

Suu Kyi is accused of sedition, violating a state secrets law and breaking coronavirus containment measures among other charges.

In February, Myanmar's junta amended the country's colonial-era sedition law, increasing the penalty for the crime from three years to a minimum of seven years and up 20 years in jail, according to The Irrawaddy news outlet.

Violation of Myanmar's Official Secrets Act could lead to a prison sentence of up to 14 years.

Myanmar crackdown leads to deaths, arrests and displaced people

A special courtroom had been set up for Monday hearing in the capital Naypyidaw, not far from Suu Kyi's home, her lawyer Min Min Soe told German news agency dpa.

Her lawyers reject the case against her, claiming the charges are trumped-up.
What is the situation in Myanmar?

Despite fierce reprisal by security forces, anti-coup protests continue across Myanmar, demanding the release of political detainees, including Suu Kyi.

At least 818 people have been killed so far in crackdowns on anti-coup protests, according to the Association for the Assistance of Political Prisoners (AAPP) monitoring group.

AAPP said nearly 5,400 people had been arrested since the coup.

The junta claims the coup was in response to electoral fraud in the November election.

Myanmar's ousted lawmakers formed a shadow government, which the junta later designated a terrorist group.

The coup also triggered unrest as Myanmar's ethnic rebel groups strongly opposed the military takeover.

Myanmar's Suu Kyi defiant in first comments since coup

Myanmar's civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been detained since a February 1 coup and faces a litany of charges from the ruling junta 

Issued on: 24/05/2021 
Yangon (AFP)

Detained Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Monday voiced defiance in her first public comments since being held in a coup, vowing her ousted political party would "exist as long as the people exist."

Myanmar has been in uproar since the February 1 putsch, with near-daily protests and a nationwide civil disobedience movement. More than 800 people have been killed by the military, according to a local monitoring group.

In her first in-person court appearance, Suu Kyi told her lawyer her National League for Democracy would "exist as long as the people exist," even as the junta threatens to dissolve the party -- which swept elections in 2020 -- over alleged voter fraud.

The Nobel laureate -- who had not been seen in public since the coup -- sounded "healthy and fully confident" during the 30-minute meeting, her lawyer Min Min Soe told AFP.

"She wishes her people to stay healthy as well as affirmed the NLD will exist as long as people exist because it was founded for people," she added.

Suu Kyi has been hit with a string of criminal charges including flouting coronavirus restrictions during last year's election campaign and possessing unlicensed walkie-talkies.

There was a heavy security presence in the capital Naypyidaw, an AFP correspondent said, with the road to the specially-constructed courthouse blocked off by police trucks.

Suu Kyi had faced weeks of delays to her legal case and her lawyers had struggled to gain access to their client.

The next hearing was set for June 7, Min Min Soe said, adding she had also met with former president Win Myint, who was ousted and detained along with Suu Kyi.

- 'Everything she can' -

Junta leader Min Aung Hlaing gave a two-hour interview to Hong Kong's Phoenix Television last week, with the full programme yet to air, though portions have been released.

Asked about Suu Kyi's political achievements, the military leader said: "In short, she has done everything she can."

A group of ousted lawmakers -- many of them previously part of the NLD -- have formed a shadow "National Unity Government" in an attempt to undermine the junta.

The military has declared the group would be classified as "terrorists".

In a separate interview excerpt, Min Aung Hlaing disputed the death toll from anti-coup protests and said the junta was not ready to adopt a consensus brokered by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to halt violence.

The continuing violence has pushed some in the anti-junta movement to form a so-called "People's Defence Force" (PDF) in their own townships -- made up of civilians who fight back against security forces with homemade weapons.

Sunday saw heavy fighting between junta forces and the Karenni National Progressive Party -- an ethnic armed group with a stronghold in Kayah state on Myanmar's eastern fringe.

The military used tanks, mortars and helicopters in fighting which continued into Sunday night, according to a senior KNPP leader.

Four people taking refuge in a church were killed in army shelling, according to media and a spokesperson for a local group coordinating evacuations from the area.

© 2021 AFP

 

Jews and Muslims find common ground in German city

An unusual organization brings Jews and Muslims together to fight hate and promote dialogue. In the small central German city of Marburg they have jointly been calling for an end to the violence in the Middle East.

   

Petra Bunk and Bilal El-Zayat have known each other for 20 years

It's not every day that members of the Jewish and Muslim communities come together. But even more notable is the association that Monika Bunk and Bilal El-Zayat founded one year ago, called "Together: Marburg Society for Jewish-Muslim Dialogue" ("Gemeinsam e.V. Marburger Gemeinschaft für Jüdisch-Muslimischen Dialog"). 

"We won't bring the Middle East conflict to Marburg, where we can't solve it," the two activists say as they make their appeal to some 100 participants of a vigil for peace in Israel and the Palestinian territories.They make sure that placards and slogans don't go too far. Bunk explains "you can criticize Israel's policies all you want, but you can't deny its existence or recognition."

Some 100 participants held a vigil in Marburg for peace in Israel and the Palestinian territories

Their initiative in Marburg is an example of how it's possible to overcome divisions: Bunk is Jewish, a theologian; El-Zayat is Muslim, a surgeon. They've known each other for 20 years, and they've both received a German integration prize for their activism. 

The current Middle East conflict is putting the two communities' trust to the test. Marburg's Islamic community includes around 5,000 people, and some of its members are Palestinians from the Gaza strip. Emotions are running high. El-Zayat tells of one member whose uncle lost his house due to the recent airstrikes.

Seven years ago, during the 2014 Gaza War, Bunk and El-Zayat were asked to take on roles as crisis managers and mediators to prevent the Middle East conflict from leading to a confrontation in Marburg.

Freedom of speech and its limits

Trust has grown over time in the Jewish-Muslim association, and members make sure religion and politics are strictly divided. Despite differences of opinion, there is a common cause: The desire to live together peacefully in Marburg — even if sparks can fly during political discussions. 

80,000 people live in the pittoresque university town of Marburg

"It's not all sunshine and roses. Sometimes things really heat up here," El-Zayat says. "But we've learned over the years to have more understanding for the opposing side." Bunk steps in to correct. "Although really there is no opposing side because there are no opponents here." 

Bunk recalls the quarrel she and El-Zayat had overthe publication of cartoons in western media poking fun at the prophet Muhammad. They were miles apart from each other when it came to the question of how far freedom of speech could go. 

In today's times, when social media adds fuel to the fires of interreligious conflict, the association's founders try to solve things by talking. 

Jews and Muslims: More similarities than differences

First and foremost comes the organization's motto: Jews and Muslims have more things in common than divide them. 

In 2019, when they heard of people falling victim to antisemitic attacks simply because they were wearing a yarmulke,Bunk and El-Zayat were immediately reminded of Muslim women, who often face hostilities because they wear a headscarf. The pair quickly organized a "Yarmulke-Headscarf Day" in Marburg. 

Both of them recall the successful joint protests by Jews and Muslims in 2012 for legislation on the circumcision of young males. They also highlight the religions' similar burial rituals.

Petra Bunk and Bilal El-Zayat addressed the small crowd at the vigil for peace

 in Israel and the Palestinian territories

Last September, some 20 members of Marburg's 320-person Jewish community attended the inauguration ceremonies for the city's new mosque.

When Bunk and El-Zayat organized a tour bus to visit the Buchenwald concentration camp, Jews, Christians, and Muslims took part.

In the future, the group has planned chess tournaments and cooking courses as ways for people to get to know each other better, because food always brings people together.

"We've certainly made a difference, but I don't know if in our lifetimes we'll experience coexistence between Jews and Muslims being the most normal thing in the world," Bunk says, thinking about the future. Still, she often gets approached by young Muslims on the street who tell her that she and El-Zayat are role models. 

El-Zayat adds, "We Muslims in Germany have to recognize that a partnership with Jews in this country can help us. And it's exactly the same the other way around." 

This article has been translated from German.

CRIMINAL CAPITALI$M

Turkish mafia scandal threatens Erdogan government

A Turkish mafia leader claims the government is in cahoots with the criminal underworld. President Erdogan and Interior Minister Soylu are finding themselves in hot water.


Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's approval ratings are plummeting


Turkish mafia boss Sedat Peker is leveling serious accusations against leading government lawmakers. He has published five videos on YouTube in which he claims that high-profile politicians from Turkey's ruling AKP party are involved in serious crimes.

The clips, which have gone viral and are making headlines, claim leading lawmakers were involved in malfeasance, murders, rapes, drug trafficking and other illicit practices. Peker alleges the Turkish government has spent the past years shielding him from persecution, even issuing police escorts to guarantee his safety.

The Mafioso claims Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu tipped him off that authorities were on his case, allowing him to flee Turkey and escape prosecution — an allegation that has put the minister under considerable pressure.

As the government has so far refused to investigate Peker's claims, Turkish opposition lawmakers are demanding Soylu's resignation. But without a full investigation into the accusations, nobody knows at this stage whether there is any truth to the allegations.

Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu is accused of helping a criminal escape prosecution

Peker, who fled abroad in January 2020, has been well-known in Turkey for years. Known as a leading figure in Turkey's criminal underworld, he has been tried several times — including on charges of murder and kidnapping — and was sentenced for "establishing a criminal organization."

Wishing the affair away?

Peker's videos have sparked a lively debate in Turkey. After weeks of ignoring the accusations, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was finally compelled to comment.

"It causes us great sorrow to see that some wretched and unworthy people in our country accept help from the mafia," Erdogan said this week during a Cabinet meeting. "Like terror organizations, criminal gangs are venomous snakes."

Ibrahim Uslu, a political scientist with the Ankara Social Research Center (ANAR), says Erdogan's statement came too late. "The ruling AKP party must instantly launch a parliamentary inquiry when a man who had fled the country makes slanderous and insulting statements against the government."

Uslu says the entire affair is a public relations fiasco for the government because public trust in the judiciary and state is already low. "The AKP should have made clear it is taking decisive action against criminal organizations."

Approval rates plummet

Polls show that Peker's claims are affecting the government's public standing. According to one survey conducted by polling company Metropoll, AKP approval ratings have dipped to a mere 27% — a 33% drop compared with June 2018. According to ano

ther poll, President Erdogan has lost considerable public support. The survey finds Erdogan now only has a 40% approval rating, putting him behind the opposition mayors of Ankara and Istanbul, Mansur Yavas and Ekrem Imamoglu, respectively. Erdogan also trails nationalist opposition lawmaker Meral Aksener of the Good Party.

Elated Erdogan supporters celebrate after the 2018 elections

Ibrahim Uslu says Erdogan's poor ratings mainly result from the country's economic crisis and pandemic fallout. "Peker's polemical statements may not be directly affecting the poll results, but they will shake the public's trust in the government in the long run," says Uslu.

Baris Doster, a political scientist at Marmara University, thinks the videos will have a more immediate impact. "AKP's approval ratings will plummet. It would take a miracle for the government to rebound from this," said Doster, who is certain opposition lawmakers will continue to capitalize on Peker's claims.
An old problem

Fikri Saglar, a member of Turkey's main opposition CHP party, says the Peker affair is part of a much bigger problem. "The government never managed to distance itself from the mafia […] Today, it is cozying up the government. Peker's videos show it is abundantly clear that the government and the mafia are close."

Peker's claims are reminiscent of media reports from the 1990s, which alleged ties between high-ranking government officials and criminals. Politically motivated assassinations and the disappearance of certain individuals during this era are thought to have been orchestrated by criminal organizations. Turkish media outlets referred to this shady network as a kind of "deep state."
Mafia links?

Lately, a range of far-right mafia figures has been found to have links to powerful government officials. In April 2020, right-wing extremist mafia boss Alaattin Cakici was released from jail due to an amnesty law. Some 90,000 inmates — including numerous violent criminals like Cakici — were freed because of the pandemic. Incarcerated journalists, dissidents and ill inmates, however, were not.

Turkey: Journalists in Danger

After his release, Cakici met Devlet Bahceli, the leader of Turkey's ultranationalist MHP party, which governs together with Erdogan's AKP party. Cakici and Bahceli are both believed to be supporters of the Grey Wolves, a Turkish far-right organization.

UPDATED

AIR PIRACY

Global outrage after Belarus diverts Ryanair flight to detain opposition journalist


Issued on: 24/05/2021 
Text by: FRANCE 24



Belarus forced a passenger plane carrying a wanted opposition activist to divert and land in its capital, provoking a furious outcry from world leaders who described it as an "act of state terrorism" ahead of an EU summit Monday expected to toughen sanctions on Minsk.

Dissident journalist Roman Protasevich was detained on Sunday after Ryanair flight FR4978 was pulled from its Athens-to-Vilnius route and – accompanied by a Belarusian fighter jet – diverted to the capital city, state television reported.

Passengers described seeing the 26-year-old, who had been living in Poland, looking nervous as the flight was diverted to Minsk.

"He just turned to people and said he was facing the death penalty," Monika Simkiene, a 40-year-old Lithuanian, told AFP in Vilnius after landing – without Protasevich – several hours later.

Edvinas Dimsa, 37, said: "He was not screaming, but it was clear that he was very much afraid. It looked like if the window had been open, he would have jumped out of it."

The incident comes as the European Union is set to discuss toughening its existing sanctions against Belarus, imposed over the crackdown by the regime of President Alexander Lukashenko on opposition protesters, at a pre-planned summit on Monday.

"The outrageous and illegal behaviour of the regime in Belarus will have consequences," EU chief Ursula von der Leyen tweeted, calling for Protasevich's release, and adding those responsible "must be sanctioned".

Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki denounced Belarus's actions as "an act of state terrorism", while French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian called for a "strong and united response" from the EU.

Lithuania and Latvia have called for international flights not to use Belarusian airspace.

Speaking on Irish radio on Monday, Ryanair Chief Executive Michael O'Leary described the incident as a "case of state-sponsored hijacking, (...) state-sponsored piracy".it

France 24's Dave Keating reports from Brussels

01:26

 

'

The International Civil Aviation Organization – the UN's civil aviation agency – said the forced landing "could be in contravention of the Chicago Convention", which protects nations' airspace sovereignty.

Minsk's airport had released a statement earlier saying the plane had to make an emergency landing there at 1215 GMT following a bomb scare.

"The plane was checked, no bomb was found and all passengers were sent for another security search," said Nexta, a Belarus opposition channel on the Telegram messaging app, which Protasevich previously edited.

Lukashenko's press service said on its own Telegram channel the president had given the order to divert the flight and had ordered a MiG-29 fighter jet to accompany the plane.

It comes as Belarus authorities intensify their crackdown on the opposition following historic protests that gripped the ex-Soviet country after last year's disputed presidential election.

'Absolutely unacceptable'

The United States "strongly condemned" the arrest, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken calling for Protasevich's release.

"This shocking act perpetrated by the Lukashenka regime endangered the lives of more than 120 passengers, including US citizens," he said in a statement, using an alternative spelling of the Belarusian leader's name.

He added on Twitter: "We demand an international investigation and are coordinating with our partners on next steps."

 

European leaders reacted with fury. In Athens, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis tweeted: "The forced landing of a commercial plane to detain a journalist is an unprecedented, shocking act" it 'Calls for stronger sanctions against Belarus'

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda described Belarus's actions as "abhorrent" and prosecutors said they had opened a criminal investigation for the hijacking of a plane.



The government in Ireland, where Ryanair is headquartered, described the incident as "absolutely unacceptable", while NATO called it "dangerous" and demanded an international investigation.

Since last August's disputed election, Belarusians have taken to the streets demanding the resignation of Lukashenko, who has ruled for over two decades.

Protasevich and Nexta founder Stepan Putilo, 22, were added to Belarus's list of "individuals involved in terrorist activity" last year.

The two – both now based in Poland – were accused of causing mass unrest, an offence punishable by up to 15 years in jail.

Belarus also labelled the Nexta Telegram channels and its logo "extremist" and ordered them blocked.

With close to two million subscribers on Telegram, Nexta Live and its sister channel Nexta are prominent opposition channels and helped mobilise protesters.

"It is absolutely obvious that this is an operation of secret services to capture the plane in order to detain activist and blogger Roman Protasevich," exiled opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya said on Telegram.

The opposition says that Tikhanovskaya, who fled to neighbouring Lithuania after the election, was the true winner of last year's presidential vote.

KGB involved?

A member of the Nexta team, Tadeusz Giczan, tweeted that representatives of the Belarusian security agency had been on Protasevich's flight.

"Then when the plane had entered Belarus airspace, the KGB officers initiated a fight with the Ryanair crew insisting there's an IED onboard," he said.

A spokeswoman for state company Lithuanian Airports, Lina Beisine, told AFP that Minsk airport had said the flight was redirected "due to a conflict between a member of the crew and the passengers".

The Belarusian state aviation agency said on Monday that its air traffic controllers had issued "recommendations" to the crew of a Ryanair plane that was unexpectedly diverted to Minsk, but had not forced it to land using threats, the RIA news agency reported.

"This looks quite a lot like the kind of thing we have seen in the past from Russia," said FRANCE 24's regional correspondent Gulliver Cragg.

"It looks like the kind of story that they almost don’t want you to believe; they just want to show how brazen they are," Cragg added.

In a statement – that did not mention Protasevich – Ryanair said the flight's crew had been notified by Belarus air traffic control of "a potential security threat on board" and were instructed to divert to Minsk, the "nearest" airport.

The EU and the United States have sanctioned Lukashenko and dozens of officials and businessmen tied to his regime with asset freezes and visa bans.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

Belarus: EU calls for international probe into forced landing of Ryanair plane

The EU urged a probe after a Ryanair passenger jet was forced to land in Minsk — in an apparent bid to arrest an activist blogger on board. EU leaders are set to discuss additional sanctions against Belarus.



The Ryanair plane lands in the Lithuanian capital after its diversion to Minsk

Top EU diplomat Josep Borrell on Monday called for an international investigation after Belarus forced a Ryanair passenger jet to land in Minsk, in an apparent effort to arrest an activist journalist.

"In carrying out this coercive act, the Belarusian authorities have jeopardized the safety of passengers and crew," Borrell said in a statement issued on Monday.

"An international investigation into this incident must be carried out to ascertain any breach of international aviation rules," the statement went on.

The Belarusian Transport Ministry on Monday announced it had set up a commission to carry out its own investigation into the forced landing and would publish the results soon, according to a report by the Russian RIA news agency.

EU to discuss incident at summit

The president of the European Council, Charles Michel, said EU leaders will discuss the incident at an EU summit beginning on Monday, adding that the affair would not remain "without consequences."

He called on the Belarusian authorities to immediately release the detained passenger.

An EU spokesman said the leaders would discuss "possible sanctions" on Belarus. High-level officials in the country have already been sanctioned by the bloc over the brutal repression of the opposition, protesters and journalists following disputed elections in August 2020. More than 34,000 people have been arrested in the country since August, and thousands have been brutally mistreated.

DW's Bernd Riegert, who is following the summit, said that "the most likely sanctions are targeted sanctions, or smart sanctions, as they call it here in Brussels." These include asset freezes and restrictions on travel for sanctioned individuals, he said, along with cutting Belarus off from the SWIFT banking system internationally.

"All EU leaders are on the same page, even the direct neighboring countries like Poland and the Baltics. It seems as though Belarus has crossed a red line," he said.


What happened?

On Sunday, a Ryanair jet flying from Athens to Lithuania was intercepted by a Belarusian fighter jet and diverted to Minsk International Airport after being told a bomb was on board.

No explosives were found on the aircraft, but Raman Pratasevich, a 26-year-old former editor from the Minsk-critical Telegram channel Nexta, was allegedly taken into custody. Pratasevich is a known critic of Belarus' long-time leader Alexander Lukashenko and his government.

After hours of delays, the plane was later allowed to fly on to Lithuania — but at least four people, including Pratasevich's Russian girlfriend, did not reboard the plane.

In an interview with DW, an adviser to opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Franak Viacorka, said Pratasevich was now "in the hands of the cruelest regime in Europe" and voiced concern for his safety.

What does Ryanair say?

Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary told Irish radio station Newstalk that the forced landing "was a case of state-sponsored hijacking ... state-sponsored piracy" carried out to detain a dissident journalist.

O'Leary said his company believed that some Belarusian secret service agents had been on the plane as well.

Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney echoed O'Leary's remarks, calling the incident "aviation piracy, state-sponsored."

He told state broadcaster RTE that sanctions on Belarus with a "real edge" were needed in response.

The low-cost airline Ryanair is headquartered in the Irish capital, Dublin.

VIDEO Belarus: EU calls for international probe into forced landing of Ryanair plane | News | DW | 24.05.2021

Belarus reporter said 'death penalty awaits me here' — witness

Journalist Raman Pratasevich might face the death penalty after Belarusian authorities forced his plane to land in Minsk. A passenger on the flight described Pratasevich's reaction.


Pratasevich was the top editor in a key opposition media outlet

Raman Pratasevich, a 26-year-old Belarusian national, was "upset" after realizing the Ryanair fllght he was on was unexpectedly landing in Minsk, a witness told Radio Free Europe's Belarus department on Sunday.

"After a sudden turn of the plane, one guy [Pratasevich] started panicking, grabbing his head," the source, another passenger on the flight said. "There was no conflict up until the plane turned, no falling out, nothing."
Belarus claims a bomb scare

According to pro-government media in Belarus, President Alexander Lukashenko himself ordered a MiG-29 fighter jet to be scrambled and intercept the Ryanair jet over an alleged bomb scare. No bomb was found on the pl


Watch video 03:51 Belarus diverts plane to arrest opposition figure

Instead, Belarusian authorities detained the exiled reporter Pratasevich, who had been traveling from Greece to Lithuania. Pratasevich faces criminal charges in Belarus, including inciting hatred against the government. He is also on the nation's list of "individuals involved in terrorist activity." Belarus opposition leaders say he could face the death penalty in his native country.

Reporter's luggage 'thrown out' onto the runway

Upon landing in Minsk, security forces took the passengers out and had sniffer dog teams inspect their belongings, the passenger told Radio Free Europe.

Pratasevich's luggage was "thrown out on the runway" and he was taken aside.

"We asked him what was going on." the passenger said. "He told us who he was and added: 'A death penalty awaits me here.' He was a bit calmer, but trembling."

Eventually, he was taken away by the military, according to the source.

Watch video 03:49 Journalist Hanna Liubakova: It’s not safe in Belarus for Raman Pratasevich

Pratasevich previously served as the editor-in-chief of opposition news outlet NEXTA, which the Belarus authorities have labeled as extremist.
Pratasevich suspected he was followed in Athens

In a separate interview to Deutsche Welle, an aide to opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Franak Viacorka said Pratasevich was in touch with him before boarding the plane and told him he suspected he was being followed.

"This morning I was in touch with Raman… he shared [with me] concerns that someone was following him in Athens airport," the politician said.

NEXTA also shared texts sent out by Pratasevich from Athens, in which he described a suspicious Russian-speaking man who seemed to try to get a photo of his travel documents.

"The great thing is, that he was the next in line to get his documents checked, and he just turned and walked away… at the gate," Pratasevich wrote, describing the man as "middle-aged, built, balding" and carrying a leather suitcase.

Talking to DW, Viacorka described the 26-year-old reporter as a "personal enemy of Lukashenko," saying that Pratasevich was "posting videos and pictures from a protest about torture in prisons, about the conditions in jails. He was one of the most prominent figures speaking about the horrible violations of human rights."

"I think what we saw today, it was their revenge, personal revenge of Lukashenko against Raman and his principled position right now," he told DW.

The richest person who ever lived

VIDEO The richest person who ever lived - BBC Reel

In the era of Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, Wall Street and Big Tech, it is hard to fathom a more prosperous time in human history. However, many believe Mansa Musa’s wealth outdoes that of all modern billionaires.

Mansa Musa ruled over the Mali empire in the 14th Century, and his incredible access to gold made him arguably the richest human to have ever lived. So, why is it that he has largely disappeared from the western historical imagination?

Video by Dominika Ozynska & Adrian Hartrick

12 APRIL 2021|HISTORY

CLEAN GREEN GLOW IN THE DARK

South Korea, U.S. agree to joint entry into third-country nuclear power market

Posted May. 24, 2021 


South Korea and the United States have agreed to jointly expand into the nuclear power market in third countries such as the Middle East and Europe. 

The U.S., which has strengths in technologies such as nuclear power plant design, and South Korea, which has excellent nuclear power plant construction capabilities, are likely to hold hands, which will also provide momentum for nuclear power plant exports.

 The nuclear industry welcomed the cooperation of South Korea and the United States in the nuclear industry, but there are concerns that the moon jae-in government's policy of denuclearization and the nuclear power plant export business are contradictory.

President Moon and U.S. President Donald Biden, who visited the United States, said in a joint statement Thursday that they had "agreed to strengthen cooperation in overseas nuclear power markets, including joint participation in nuclear power plants," according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade and  Resources. 

Based on this agreement, discussions on nuclear industry cooperation between the two companies are expected to materialize. In particular, the United States is strengthening international cooperation to restrain China and Russia, which are expanding new nuclear power plants, and is expected to help South Korean companies expand their overseas nuclear power plants. 

The two countries also agreed to set the conditions for the conclusion of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Additional Protocol when exporting nuclear power plants to third countries. The additional protocol includes strengthening the IAEA's inspection powers for undecoded nuclear sites, which are not signed by some states, such as Brazil and Saudi Arabia.

With this agreement, we expect that the nuclear power plant export business, which has been slow to advance in the nuclear power industry, will become lively
again. 

However, it is often pointed out that nuclear power export cooperation with the United States is difficult to gain strength because nuclear power is already progressing as a major policy in Japan.

 "In Japan, nuclear power plants are dangerous," said Chu Hang-gyu, a professor in the Department of Nuclear Engineering at Seoul National University. Which country would believe in south Korea's nuclear power plants and buy them?" he said, pointing out that future nuclear power plant exports would be sustainable only if they prevented related companies from being downfall due to the suspension of construction of Units 3 and 4 of Sinhan-ul.

 MOON PRAISES & UNIFICATION CHURCH (MOONIES) BLESSES

Pres. Moon praises his summit with Biden as the best one ever

Posted May. 24, 2021 

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South Korean President Moon Jae-in sees the South Korea-U.S. summit as one of the most successful summits ever.

Moon mentioned on social media on Saturday (local time) after his meetup with U.S. President Joe Biden, "The meeting produced the best ever outcomes. It was a better-than-expected achievement,” adding that it was the best visit with the perfect discussion part of it. The South Korean president gave a meaning to a partnership with Washington for vaccines and direct support of vaccines for South Korean military troops, saying that he was told that despite public opposition within the United States, the U.S. government put a high value on the alliance with South Korea. 　

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea has issued welcome messages in series. "My heart is full,” Ruling party leader Song Young-gil said on Facebook on Saturday. “The summit talk brought about greater outcomes than hoped across the whole agenda items including vaccine supply, economic cooperation and bilateral partnership.” Lee Nak-yeon, the former chairman of the ruling party, assessed the removal of the missile guidelines as the best ever achievement made in the history of South Korea. 　

By contrast, the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) criticized that further details should have been confirmed on denuclearization strategies and vaccine supply roadmaps. Although it saw the establishment of partnership for vaccines and the supply of vaccines for the South Korean military as significant achievements, the party pointed out that it is too early to be content in self-satisfaction and narcissism in such a critical moment. Yoo Seung-min, a former lawmaker and PPP member who is regarded as a prospective presidential runner, gave critical comments on lack of details during the summit talk, explaining that it is disappointing that there is no clear strategy for the denuclearization of North Korea nor any specific pledge on vaccines.

The progressive minor Justice Party commented that despite a high hope of vaccines, the summit talk ended up with no positively sensational results. "Regrettably, Washington's comprehensive vaccine partnership did not provide specific targets to Seoul while South Korean businesses will invest 44 trillion won in the United States,” it pointed out.

Sung-Hwi Kang yolo@donga.com · Sung-Yeol Yoo ryu@donga.com                               The DONG-A ILBO (donga.com)

Unification minister says Moon-Biden

 summit creates 'sufficient' conditions

 for dialogue with N. Korea

By Yonhap
Published : May 24, 2021



Unification Minister Lee In-young (Yonhap)

Last week's summit between President Moon Jae-in and US President Joe Biden created "sufficient" conditions needed to resume the long-stalled dialogue with North Korea, Unification Minister Lee In-young said Monday.

On Friday (US time), Moon and Biden held their first face-to-face summit in Washington and agreed to engage diplomatically with North Korea and take "pragmatic" steps to reduce tensions, while reaffirming that dialogue will be pushed based on previous agreements, including the 2018 Singapore deal between the North and the US

Biden also announced his designation of Sung Kim, former US ambassador to South Korea, as its special envoy on North Korea, a move seen as signaling that Washington is ready for dialogue with the North.

"It has become clear that dialogue will be based on the North Korea-US agreement in Singapore, which North Korea apparently has hoped for, and the US designated its top nuclear envoy for the job, which is seen as signifying its willingness for dialogue," Lee told a local radio show.

"Taking all those things into account, (the Moon-Biden summit) served as a chance to generate sufficient conditions for South Korea, North Korea and the US to create a virtuous circle of dialogue and work actively to improve their relations," he added.

In 2018, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and then US President Donald Trump held their first summit in Singapore and agreed to work toward the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in exchange for security guarantees from Washington.

Little progress, however, has been made since their second summit in early 2019, which fell apart as Pyongyang and Washington couldn't come to terms on denuclearization steps and sanctions relief. Inter-Korean relations have also been stalled amid stalemated nuclear talks.

The US said it reached out to North Korea in mid-February but that the reclusive nation remained unresponsive. Washington is said to have recently offered to explain the outcome of its recently concluded North Korea policy review to the North, to which Pyongyang reportedly responded by saying the offer was "well received."

Lee expressed hope that the North will decide to resume dialogue.

"When the US knocked on the door of North Korea in February, the North rejected it, but when it sought to explain the outcome of its policy review, the North did not," Lee said. "I think North Korea will look into the results of the South Korea-US summit and make some kind of decision."

As for the possibility that the North would react negatively to an agreement reached during last week's summit to lift restrictions on South Korean missiles, Lee said that the issue should be seen as having nothing to do with the North and China but as a matter of "national defense" and "missile sovereignty."

Meanwhile, Lee Jong-joo, spokesperson of the unification ministry, said that the government will do its utmost to jump-start the stalled peace process by resuming dialogue with the North based on the achievements made during last week's summit between Moon and Biden.

"We also hope that North Korea will return to the spirit of the Panmunjom Declaration and the Singapore agreement and actively respond to (offers for) dialogue and cooperation," the spokesperson added.

The Panmunjom Declaration refers to a summit agreement signed in April 2018 between the leaders of the two Koreas, which calls for cooperation to ease tensions, expand exchanges and rid the Korean Peninsula of nuclear weapons. (Yonhap)

QUINCY JONES DIDN’T WANT TO WORK WITH ELVIS BECAUSE HE WAS ‘RACIST’
MISS2BEES
MAY 21, 2021

Quincy Jones Didn't Want To Work With Elvis Because He Was 'Racist' (thesource.com)

Quincy Jones did an interview with The Hollywood Reporter and spoke about the protests for George Floyd and interacting with Billie Holiday and Elvis Presley.

“No. I wouldn’t work with him,” said Jones when asked if he would work with Presley.

“I was writing for [orchestra leader] Tommy Dorsey, oh God, back then in the ’50s. And Elvis came in, and Tommy said, “I don’t want to play with him.” He was a racist mother — I’m going to shut up now. But every time I saw Elvis, he was being coached by [“Don’t Be Cruel” songwriter] Otis Blackwell, telling him how to sing,” he spilled.

Quincy Jones isn’t the first person to accuse Elvis Presley of being a racist, and it was revealed that his biggest hit, “Hound Dog” was actually stolen from a Black woman named Big Mama Thornton.

The living legend spoke about his time working with Billie Holiday when he was a teenager, and shared the biggest lesson that she taught him.

“Oh my God, stay away from heroin,” said Jones. “She could barely get to the stage, man. She could barely walk on the stage, but Bobby Tucker was like my brother. He eventually became the music director for Billie. When she came out, we were so awestruck by her, we forgot to play the horn. He said, “Goddammit, read the music, man. Play the horns!” We were 14 years old. Come on, man. Billie Holiday.”

Andra Day recently portrayed the Jazz singer in the biopic The United States vs. Billie Holiday, and many fans feel like she was snubbed of the 2021 Best Actress award that she was nominated for.

Quincy, who has lived throughout many eras in this country, was asked about former officer Derek Chauvin being found guilty for the murder of George Floyd.

“It’s been coming a long time, man. People have been turning their heads the other way, but it’s all the same to me — misogyny, racism. You have to be taught how to hate somebody. It doesn’t come naturally, I don’t think. I don’t think so, unless you’ve been trained. I just think it’s such a bad habit. These racists, oh my God. Asians? How the hell do you get mad at an Asian girl?”

Statue outside Hampden planned to honour pioneering black Scots footballer

The SFA are looking to honour Andrew Watson as part of the redevelopment of Hampden Park in Glasgow

By Gordon Blackstock
Chief Reporter with the Sunday Mail
23 MAY 2021

1881 - Andrew Watson, the first black player to play for Scotland,
made his debut v England in a 6-1 win

The first black footballer to captain Scotland’s national team is to be honoured with a memorial outside Hampden.

It is understood Scottish FA officials have spent the last few months on the plans dedicated to Andrew Watson.

Experts on Watson, who died 100 years ago, have welcomed the proposal as a “fitting tribute”.

It comes ahead of a documentary on Tuesday presented by former Rangers star Mark Walters which examines Watson’s career.

The BBC Scotland show also looks at the racism Walters suffered when he joined the Light Blues in 1987.


Andrew Watson is to be honoured with a memorial


READ MORE
Rangers legend Mark Walters opens up on vile racist attacks when darts and bananas were thrown from crowd

Author Llew Walker – who wrote Andrew Watson, The Story Of The World’s First Black International Footballer – said: “Watson is not only a leading light in Scotland but across the world.

"He was a pioneer and it’s frankly absurd he’s not been honoured yet with a statue.

“A statue would be a fitting tribute. There’s plenty of other footballers who have statues who never came anywhere close to achieving what Watson did, either in the game or influencing future players.”

Rangers legend Mark Walters joins pupils from Ibrox and Craigton Primary School at a Show Racism the Red Card workshop (Image: SNS Group)

READ MORE
Commentator Archie Macpherson 'missed racist implication' of bananas thrown at Rangers' Mark Walters

Born in Guyana in South America in 1856 to Scottish dad Peter and his local wife Hannah Rose – the daughter of a slave – Watson moved to the UK when he was six.

By 13, his wealthy father, who owned a sugar plantation, had died.

His death left Watson with a sizeable inheritance that allowed him to pursue a football career after dropping out of a Glasgow University engineering course in 1875.

Within six years, Watson was representing Scotland in two thrashings of England and captaining the side.

He was lured south of the Border by English football authorities after he led Scotland to 5-1 and 6-1 victories over the Auld Enemy in 1881.

The left-back went on to play for numerous clubs before retiring to Kew in Surrey, where he died.

An SFA spokesman said: “The SFA is looking at plans for a lasting memorial to Andrew Watson, which will form part of the redevelopment plans for Hampden Park.

“Additionally, we are in discussions with the Guyana FA over initiatives that will ensure future generations can be educated on, and inspired by, Andrew’s career and legacy.”

Hampden Park (Image: SNS Group / SFA)

Earlier this year, a study found a third of Uefa countries still hadn’t had a black player represent them.

Academics at Poland’s Jagiellonian University carried out the research.

Professor Przemysław Nosal, who led the study, said: “Watson was really a pioneer of pioneers.

“He was the first and his role can’t be underplayed.”