Nearly 800 million children affected by lead poisoning — half of them live in South Asia
BI INDIA BUREAU JULY 31, 2020,

Dylan Winterflood/unsplash

One in every third child — about 800 million worldwide — are being poisoned by lead

According to the UN report, lead poisoning hampers children's ability to fully develop and prevents them from taking the maximum advantage of the opportunities in life.

Further, childhood lead exposure is estimated to cost lower- and middle-income countries almost $1 trillion due to the lost economic potential of these children over their lifetime.

The study calls for the need to abolish dangerous practices like informal recycling of lead acid batteries

Childhood lead poisoning has been a long-recognised concern and a new study shows us the extent of this grave problem. According to UNICEF, a third of the world’s children - about 800 million worldwide — are affected by lead poisoning, through air and water pollution. They have found unacceptably high levels of lead in these children’s blood, at or above 5 micrograms per deciliter — the level which requires action. Moreover, nearly half of these children live in South Asia, states this UNICEF and Pure Earth report.

“With few early symptoms, lead silently wreaks havoc on children’s health and development, with possibly fatal consequences. Knowing how widespread lead pollution is – and understanding the destruction it causes to individual lives and communities – must inspire urgent action to protect children once and for all.” UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore warned.

Findings of the UNICEF report

Lead poisoning causes irreparable harm and hampers children's ability to fully develop - it has been linked to mental health and behavioural problems

Older children have higher risk of kidney damage and cardiovascular diseases

Children from low and middle-income countries are more prone to it

Childhood lead exposure is estimated to cost low and middle-income countries almost $1 trillion, due to the lost economic potential of these children over their lifetime.

Lead poisoning - the leading causes

The report notes that informal and substandard recycling of the lead-acid battery is a leading contributor to lead poisoning in children living in low and middle-income countries, which have experienced a three-fold increase in the number of vehicles since 2000.

The increase in vehicle ownership, combined with the lack of vehicle battery recycling regulation and infrastructure, has resulted in up to 50% of lead-acid batteries being unsafely recycled in the informal economy.

Workers in dangerous and often illegal recycling operations break open battery cases, spill acid and lead dust in the soil, and smelt the recovered lead in crude, open-air furnaces that emit toxic fumes poisoning the surrounding community.

Often, the workers and the exposed community are not aware that lead is a potent neurotoxin.

Other sources of childhood lead exposure include lead-in water from the use of leaded pipes, lead from active industry, such as mining and battery recycling, lead-based paint and pigments; leaded gasoline, which has declined considerably in recent decades, but was a major historical source, lead solder in food cans, and lead in spices, cosmetics, ayurvedic medicines, toys and other consumer products, said the report.

Parents whose occupations involve working with the lead often bring contaminated dust home on their clothes, hair, hands, and shoes, thus inadvertently exposing their children to the toxic element.

"There is good news to hope. The good news is that lead can be recycled safely without exposing workers, their children, and their surrounding neighbourhoods, ” Richard Fuller, President of Pure Earth said.

Fuller says lead-contaminated sites can be remediated and restored.
A Third of Children Globally Have Dangerous Levels of Lead in Their Blood

Workers sort through used computers and other electronic waste at a workshop in New Delhi, India.
Kuni Takahashi—Getty
BY MÉLISSA GODIN
JULY 30, 2020


One in three children globally have dangerous levels of lead in their blood that could cause long-term physical and mental health problems, according to a new report, with the majority of children affected in low and middle-income countries.

The research—conducted by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation and published by Unicef in collaboration with Pure Earth on Thursday—found that up to 800 million children globally have lead levels at or above 5 micrograms per decilitre, an amount that can diminish a child’s IQ score by 3-5 points and could lead to increased violence, according to the report.

Most affected children are in low and middle-income countries, with South Asia accounting for half of the global total. India has the largest number of children with lead poisoning, with more than 275 million children with blood lead levels of more than five micrograms per decilitre.

“With few early symptoms, lead silently wreaks havoc on children’s health and development, with possibly fatal consequences,” said Henrietta Fore, Unicef Executive Director in a press release. “Knowing how widespread lead pollution is—and understanding the destruction it causes to individual lives and communities—must inspire urgent action to protect children once and for all.”

The report says e-waste, mining, paints and poorly recycled lead batteries are among the sources of poisoning. For example, children in many areas inhale the fumes from informal battery recycling operations and open-air smelters.

While exposure to high levels of lead can be deadly, lower levels can still have long-term health impacts, particularly for children whose brains are still developing. For children under the age of five, lead exposure is particularly dangerous and linked to mental health issues, behavioral problems as well as higher levels of crime and violence. Older children can also face severe problems, such as kidney damage and cardiovascular diseases.


But although the report rings an alarm bell about lead poisoning worldwide, it does offer hope.

“The good news is that lead can be recycled safely without exposing workers, their children, and surrounding neighborhoods. Lead-contaminated sites can be remediated and restored,” said Richard Fuller, President of Pure Earth. “People can be educated about the dangers of lead and empowered to protect themselves and their children. The return on the investment is enormous: improved health, increased productivity, higher IQs, less violence, and brighter futures for millions of children across the planet.”

Nature can help restore Canada after COVID-19


CONTRIBUTORS
OPINION
Nature can help restore Canada after COVID-19
ML
By Megan Leslie Contributor
Wed., July 29, 2020

It’s almost time; we can all feel it. But know that we are not passive observers, waiting to see what’s on the other side. The coronavirus crisis has created a potentially transformative pivot point in history — and it’s up to us to meet this moment and safeguard our future.

So will our leaders' post-pandemic recovery plans focus only on fixing our economic present, or will they be bold enough to also fight the still-looming crises of biodiversity loss and climate change?

Canada’s COVID-19 fight has proven that we are capable of taking extraordinary action to meet such existential threats head-on. Now Canada has a chance to repair both our country, and our planet. We simply cannot return to the failed policies that have left Canada’s endangered species and habitats in dramatic decline, while climate impacts such as flooding, fires, and melting sea ice increase exponentially. We must instead grow a green and just economy of the future that rises to the challenges of our time — and nature can help us do it.

This is what Canadians are calling for. An Ipsos poll showed 61 per cent of us want the economic recovery to prioritize climate change, and 60 per cent “agree that if [our] government does not act now to combat climate change, it will be failing all citizens.”

Economists are also on board. Research on this “generational opportunity” from Oxford University shows COVID-19 recovery investments in the environment are better for the economy because “green projects create more jobs, deliver higher short-term returns per dollar spend, and lead to increased long-term cost savings, by comparison with traditional fiscal stimulus.”

That Oxford report calls for “natural capital investment for ecosystem resilience and regeneration,” or as we call it, “restoration.” This nature-based solution creates employment in rural, urban, and Indigenous communities, while reversing biodiversity loss and reducing climate change. It achieves this through massive restoration and stewardship of forests, wetlands, grasslands, and shorelines — which protects Canada’s globally important wildlife and our natural carbon stores.

Restoration makes sense everywhere, but particularly here in Canada, where our iconic nature has been progressively degraded and destroyed by deforestation, urban sprawl, coastal development, agricultural expansion, large-scale dams, and the mass draining of wetlands.

In other words, there’s a lot of work to invest in! WWF-Canada has already seen successes from our restoration efforts with Katzie First Nation on the West Coast, and in the Saint John River Watershed in the east. And our 2019 Wildlife Protection Assessment used carbon mapping to identify places across the country with the most at-risk species and the most stored carbon, from BC’s Okanagan Valley and the prairie grasslands to the Arctic tundra and southern Ontario and Quebec. We’re expanding that work in our National Carbon Mapping project with McMaster University, modeling carbon storage above and below ground to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of future conservation actions.

How much does this matter? Well, right now nearly 800 plant and animal species in Canada are at risk of extinction, and we’re still on track to miss our 2030 emissions targets by 77 megatonnes. But nature-based solutions can protect endangered species while bringing down carbon emissions (through new storage and avoided release) by as much as 29 per cent of our current output.

Of course, that’s just the potential. This is a complex process requiring the right actions in the right places for the right outcomes — otherwise, positive impacts will be much less than what’s possible. But right now, we have a brief moment where anything and everything is possible.

As terrible as this tragedy has been, it’s providing a rare opportunity to not just imagine the world we want to live in, but also to fund it. As we start rebuilding our lives and businesses, it’s critical we do so wisely. We can transition to habitat-friendly renewable energy, improve public transportation, reduce overconsumption, increase sustainable development and, yes, invest in restoration.

We can redesign our economy and our communities to make them resilient and strong, and to protect people and nature. But this moment won’t last forever, and future generations are depending on us to seize it.


Megan Leslie is a former NDP MP and the current President and CEO of WWF-Cana

India's Nagaland conflict exposes ancient tribal tensions

India's northern Naga tribes have been in a 50-year dispute with authorities over being recognized by New Delhi. Despite promises of rapprochement, armed tension continues. Anktia Mukhopadhyay reports from Kohima.



India's northeastern state of Nagaland is embroiled in a conflict dating back more than half a century, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to end one of the longest running guerilla insurgencies in Asia, which has seen thousands of people killed.

However, the Indian government took its first steps towards resolving the dispute only in 2015 by introducing a framework agreement with a Naga nationalist group called the National Socialist Council of Nagalim – Isaac-Muivah (NSCN-IM).

One of the terms of the agreement included granting "special status" to Naga people within India.

In August 2019, Modi asked interlocuter and current Governor of Nagaland R N Ravi to conclude talks with NSCN-IM and sign a final agreement to end the conflict within three months.

Nearly a year has passed, and there is still no end in sight for the conflict. Tensions grew in July when the Indian army and paramilitary forces started cracking down on NSCN-IM soldiers in the states of Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland, targeting their arms trade and ammunition.

A government officer, who requested to be anonymous, said that Governor Ravi wants to force the NSCN-IM to the negotiating table by attacking their sources of funding. Naga leaders have repeatedly delayed talks on finalizing the deal.

"The NSCN continues to stay firm on its demand for a separate Naga flag and recognized constitution, which is a difficult demand for the government to accept," said Angshuman Choudhury, a researcher at New Delhi's Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies.

Read more: India signs landmark peace agreement with Nagaland separatist group

The people of Nagaland

The origins of the Nagaland conflict can be traced back prior to India's independence. Naga tribes are spread out across several states in northeast India and parts of Myanmar. They declared their independence before the British left India, but were forcefully assimilated into the republic of India in 1947.


Zakengu-ü is a midwife and village doctor in Khonoma, Nagaland. Khonoma is a village in southern Nagaland. It is a stronghold of the Angami tribe, one of the sixteen major tribes of the land

Matters were complicated in 1955 when the Indian government targeted the Naga National Council (NNC), the first organized Naga political force, prompting most NNC leaders to go underground. The NNC eventually split into two factions – the NSCN-IM and the NSCN-Khaplang. The Indian government took advantage of the new division.

Negotiations with the NSCN-IM remain complicated, as Nagas are demanding the integration of their ancestral homelands, which include territories in Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh. All three states have refused to cede territory to the Nagas.

An observer of the crisis, who requested to remain anonymous, said the Nagas "have no sense of guilt or doubt about the rightness of the facts of their history. They cannot accept being treated as secessionists or separatists by Delhi."

Many Naga people also feel India has failed to effectively "integrate" Nagaland with the rest of the country. Some say Delhi's lack of understanding about their tribal culture results in decisions which are not in the best interest of Nagaland.

Read more: Naga rebels lift blockade of Manipur

Those who migrated for better economic opportunities have also reported frequent discrimination, while others feel alienated by the current Hindu nationalist government. The majority of Nagas are Christian.

A lawyer based in the Nagaland capital of Kohima said Naga tribes wants a solution "but not at the cost of burying the Naga national history."

"We would prefer an arrangement like that of the UK and Scotland," he said.


Niketu Iralu, a Naga elder and well-known peace and social activist in Nagaland

A question of politics

Opponents criticize Ravi for approaching Nagaland like a "law enforcement issue" instead of a political one.

"Ravi is a policeman who only understands law and order and sees everything through that lens," said journalist Subir Bhaumik.

Bhaumik said the government would not have signed a framework agreement with NSCN-IM in 2015 "if Nagaland was a law and order issue." According to the journalist, misunderstandings surrounding the history and identity of the Naga people have complicated negotiations.

Delhi views Nagaland as a "disturbed area" and has kept the state under a draconian Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). The act extends wide-ranging powers to the army, including the use of force and arrests without warrants. The AFSPA was extended this year until December.

Read more: India: Animal rights activists hail dog meat ban

Internal division in Nagaland

On June 25, Ravi's letter to Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio was leaked. In the letter, Ravi alleged that the state government had been a "mute spectator" as "armed gangs" engaged in extortion and violence in the region. Ravi also alleged that "law and order" in Nagaland has collapsed.


View of Ukhrul town in Manipur, which is the home of Thangkul Nagas

"There are some elite groups and locals in Nagaland who pay money to the insurgents. Either they are supporters or they are forced to pay up, fearing attack on them and their kin," a government officer said in response to a request for comment.

"The central government is worried that Naga armed groups including the NSCN-IM continue to exert their parallel authority in the state and in turn, dilute the peace process," said researcher Choudhury.

In response, the NSCN-IM said that they ran a legitimate government and charged legitimate taxes.

Meanwhile, Niketu Iralu, a Naga elder, warned the years-long conflict cannot be resolved by underestimating the positions of the Nagas and the government of India.

"Delhi can't ignore the facts of the history of the Nagas, the most important one of which is that they had declared they were not a part of the new map India inherited from the British. For this reason, the Nagas say their movement is not a struggle for secession," he said.

"India is a very ancient civilization, but it is a young democracy. It can't calmly discuss this issue with the Nagas."

Turkey's long history of femicides

The recent murder of Turkish student Pinar Gültekin by her ex-boyfriend has sparked outrage in Turkey. Women's rights activists are calling for the government to tackle the widespread problem of femicide in the country.

    

 

Watch video02:40

Femicide case in Turkey

Violence against women is not uncommon in Turkey. The recent killing of 27-year-old student Pinar Gültekin at the hands of her former boyfriend, however, sent shock waves through the country. The woman from Turkey's southwestern Mugla province was beaten and strangled to death by the man. He then tried burning the corpse in a nearby forest. After failing to do so, he disposed of her corpse in a bin, which he then filled with concrete.

Several days after the murder, the man was apprehended thanks to CCTV footage captured at a gas station where he was loading a fuel canister into his vehicle. The police say the man acted out of jealousy. According to the We Will Stop Femicide online platform, this year alone, 27 women were murdered for similar motives; a further 23 suspected femicides were recorded as well.

Read more: Femicides in Turkey: A problem that is being ignored

Women in Turkey's cities, particularly in the country's west, have taken to the streets to express their anger at the state of affairs. At a recent protest march in the coastal metropolis of Izmir, however, Turkish police intervened, arresting several activists. Scuffles ensued. 

Police crackdown on protest

Arzu Sert, who attended the Izmir protest, told DW she was violently abused while in police custody. She recounts how she and others had gathered outside a cultural center in the city's Alsancak district to make a press statement. Then, as the march got underway, police officers attempted to block the route with barricades, Arzu Sert says "Then we were illegally detained, beaten and abused," she adds.

Lawyers and attorneys have expressed outrage over the violent crackdown. Zeynep Tepegoz, a lawyer, says Turkish citizens have a constitutional right to stage peaceful protests. Police acted illegally, she asserts: "The events in Izmir indicate that police deployed disproportionate force [ ... ] there is no justification for pinning protesters to the ground and beating them," she says. 

Many Turkish womens' right groups say the crackdown reflects a wider societal problem. They say many women who are being abused seek — but never receive — proper help. Melek Önder of the We Will Stop Femicide initiative told DW that Turkish police, the government and state officials must do much more to protect women at risk: "There were cases where women who were being violently abused asked for help, but nothing happened," she says.

 

Watch video05:53

Violence against women in Turkey

Disingenuous condolences?

One day after Pinar Gültekin's murder, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan took to Twitter to express his condolences. He wrote: "Yesterday, we were overwhelmed with pain when we had to learn that Pinar Gültekin was murdered by a villain. I despise all crimes committed against women."

Many womens' right activists, however, say the president's words ring hollow. After all, the government has done little to implement the so-called Istanbul Convention, which aims to tackle violence again women and domestic abuse, as well as promoting gender equality. The initiative was launched by the Council of Europe in 2011, and Turkey was the first country the ratify the treaty a year later. It has since adopted legislation reflecting the treaty.

Women's rights activists regard the Istanbul Convention as a powerful tool to fight violence against women. But many criticize the treaty is not being properly implemented. Even though signatory countries have vowed to do so, in reality few are applying and enforcing the enshrined principles. There are also too few measures designed to help and protect endangered women. Turkish protesters have therefore called for the treaty to be fully implemented in the country.

Istanbul Convention

Deeply religious forces within Turkey regard the Istanbul Convention as a threat to country's traditions and have been undermining efforts to see it implemented. Ebru Asiltürk, the spokeswoman for womens' affairs for Turkey's Islamic conservative Saadet Party, is one such critic. In an opinion piece for Turkey's conservative daily Milli this May, she wrote the treaty would be like a "bomb" destroying Turkey's traditional family structure. She argued it would threaten the "financial and moral integrity of families." In her view, the convention breaches Article 41 of the Turkish Constitution which enshrines the protection and unity of the family. She therefore urges Turkey to abandon the treaty altogether. 

Many people on social media expressed support for Asiltürk's viewpoint, with some claiming on Twitter that the treaty is a simply means by the West to hurt Turkey.

Turkey's government, meanwhile, has not displayed any real determination in tackling the problem of femicides and has failed to side with those who decry it. Protest marches calling for women to be better protected are regularly dispersed. When 2,000 women gathered in Istanbul on November 25, for a demonstration marking the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, police disbanded the protest using tear gas and rubber bullets.

 

Watch video01:45

Women in Istanbul protest against violence and femicide

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Femicide case in Turkey   

• Date 24.07.2020
• Author Daniel Bellut
• Homepage DW News -
• All videos DW News
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• Related Subjects Women's rights, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey, International Women's Day
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EUROPE

Germany: Left-of-center parties call for lowering voting age to 16

Three of Germany’s main political parties have called for the federal voting age to be lowered from 18 to 16. According to a recent study out of Berlin, there are few arguments against the idea.




Fifty years after Germany lowered the voting age for federal elections from 21 to 18 years old, some politicians are calling for the age to be dropped once again.

"I am convinced that young people at 16 are very capable of making a responsible choice," German Family Minister Franziska Giffey told news agency dpa in Berlin on Thursday. "We should give them this opportunity."
Left flank broadly in favor

The idea has found support with the leadership of Giffey's own Social Democrats (SPD) as well as the leaders of Germany's Green Party and the left-wing die Linke Party.

SPD Chairwoman Saskia Esken said that her party wants the voting age lowered to 16 for all local, state, federal, and European elections in Germany.

"We must give young people the opportunity to participate and help shape the future," Sasken said.


Just 50 years ago, young Germans were campaigning to reduce the voting age to 18

"We live in a time where the maturity of the young generation begins much earlier. It would be nice if the legislature could see that and follow suit," Green Party leader Robert Habeck said.

"Sixteen-year-olds are no less interested and informed than 18-year-olds, said die Linke party leader Katja Kipping. "It is high time to let young people aged 16 and over have a say."

Read more: How young voters matter in European Parliament elections
Right flank broadly reticent

But Germany's center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) / Christian Social Union (CSU) alliance opposes the move.

"It has proven to be a good idea linking voting rights and the age of majority," CSU Secretary-General Markus Blume told dpa.

In Germany, full criminal responsibility, possession of a driver's license and other rights and obligations are linked to the age of majority, which is 18.

"This is also the correct standard for the right to vote, the supreme right in a democracy," Blume said.

"Young people are more committed today than they have been in a long time," he said. "The climate movement has shown that political participation is possible in many different ways without having to change the electoral law."

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) Party is also against lowering the voting age, while positions within the liberal pro-business Free Democratic Party were mixed, according to news agency AFP.

Some states have already started

A recent study of the subject from researchers at the Freie Universität (FU) Berlin largely supported lowering the voting age.

FU researchers compared the 2019 state elections in Brandenburg — where 16- and 17-year-olds were already allowed to vote, to those in Saxony, where they were not. They asked young people there about their political interest and knowledge.

"We can already see that 15-year-olds have a fairly pronounced interest in and knowledge of politics, and that this is independent of the valid electoral law in both of the federal states studied," explained researcher Thorsten Faas.

However, the study also found that the prevalence of these factors were largely linked to "privileged domestic or educational situations."

The voting age in Germany was lowered from 21 to 18 years on July 31, 1970 amid a global student protest movement.

kp/msh (AFP, dpa)

Thai protesters call for end of monarchy on king's birthday
The king's passivity during the COVID-19 pandemic has made him the target of unprecedented criticism at home and abroad. As Thailand struggles to cope with the crisis, he is gallivanting miles away in Germany.

Thailand celebrated the 68th birthday of King Maha Vajiralongkorn on Tuesday with official religious ceremonies and public displays of loyalty throughout the country. The king himself, however, was absent from his own festivities.

As anti-government protests gain momentum and the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic grip the country, the monarch and his entourage have sought refuge in a luxurious hotel in the Bavarian Alps. The Thai king is known to reside in Germany for long periods of time.

Read more: Thailand's king living in luxury quarantine while his country suffers

On the morning of the king's birthday, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha led an annual oath-swearing ceremony with his cabinet members and 69 Buddhist monks in Bangkok's Sanam Luang Square — vowing to be loyal civil servants to the king, also known as Rama X.

"We solemnly swear that we will do good work and be the strength of the country. We will follow in His Majesty's footsteps to solve the problems of the nation and the people," said Prayut and his cabinet.

For Thais who revere the monarchy, Vajiralongkorn's birthday is an important time of year. For others, it is a reminder of outdated traditions and the mass inequality that exists in the country.

Vajiralongkorn's passivity during the pandemic has also made him the target of unprecedented criticism in a country where the monarchy plays an important role for many.
https://www.dw.com/en/thai-protesters-call-for-end-of-monarchy-on-kings-birthday/a-54367300
Thai elephants face starvation as tourism drops

Growing anti-monarchy sentiments

Coverage of the king's lavish life abroad circulating in foreign media outlets cannot be reported in Thailand due to its strict lese majeste law, which prohibits any disparaging statements or opinions about the king and the royal family. Failing to adhere to Article 112 is a crime punishable by three to 15 years in prison.

In June, the prime minister said the king, in his "compassion," had instructed the government not to enforce Article 112 for persecutions but warned that anyone who criticizes the monarchy risks their livelihood.

Read more: Coronavirus aggravates Thailand's plastic waste crisis

Exiled activist Junya Yimprasert told DW: "Article 112 is still a threat as long as it exists because it's used periodically and systematically."

Despite draconian laws on speaking out against the monarchy, Thais have taken to the streets and social media platforms to vocalize their frustrations. Student-led anti-government protests have been spotted, with demonstrators brandishing placards and banners with messages critical of the king. The slogans, however, were disguised with slang and sarcasm.

The Free Youth movement staged a political rally in Bangkok on July 18 to demand the dissolution of parliament and an end to crackdowns on anyone opposing the government and constitutional reforms. They carried signs reading "Lost faith is definitely not a crime" and "We didn't lose faith because we never had faith," referring to political and human rights activist Tiwagorn Withiton.

Read more: Thai king strips former PM Thaksin Shinawatra of royal honors

'I lost faith in the monarchy'

Withiton was admitted to a psychiatric hospital in early July against his will after he spoke out against the forced disappearance of Thai dissident Wanchalearm Satsaksit in Cambodia. Satsaksit had been critical of Thailand's military and monarchy.

Withiton had posted a photo on Facebook in which he was wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with "I lost faith in the monarchy." Security officers paid him a visit and tried to convince him to stop wearing the T-shirt, citing that it could cause division in Thailand.

Read more: Thai activists accused of defaming king 'disappear'

After continuing to wear the T-shirt in public, the activist was taken forcibly from his home in the northeastern province of Khon Kaen.

"It's a medical issue," Major General Puttiphong Musikun, provincial police chief for Khon Kaen, told DW, without giving further details.

Withiton's alleged abduction sparked an online uproar, with netizens demanding answers under the hashtags #SaveWanchalearm and #Abolish112.

After two weeks in hospital, Withiton was unexpectedly freed on July 22. He said ongoing protests calling for his release were the catalyst for his freedom.

"Right now, I have to recover physically and emotionally after being admitted to the hospital," said Withiton.

Read more: Rights group slams Thailand's repressive laws to intensify crackdown on COVID-19 critics
https://www.dw.com/en/thai-protesters-call-for-end-of-monarchy-on-kings-birthday/a-54367300
Thailand: COVID-19 and tourism's collapse

Protests expand to Germany

Some 8,500 kilometers (5,300 miles) to the northwest, members of the German non-profit PixelHELPER Foundation and Thai nationals living abroad gathered to stage a protest on the king's birthday.

Led by exiled activist Junya Yimprasert, protesters gathered in front of Berlin's Brandenburg Gate and held signs which read: "Thai king to International Criminal Court (ICC)." They also erected a makeshift guillotine with a caricature of Rama X behind bars.

"Our goal is to abolish the monarchy," said Yimprasert. The 54-year-old has been using an unconventional approach to catch the king's attention. For weeks, she and fellow protesters have used a light projector to display anti-monarchy messages on the front walls of the Grand Hotel Sonnenbichl in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, where the king currently resides.

To garner more attention, the group has also projected comical illustrations featuring Rama X onto the walls of the German parliament and the home of Chancellor Angela Merkel.


The activists now intend to step up the protest. "We are searching for old fire brigade cars to drive alongside him [the king] when he goes biking. We want to end the fun of his private life and convey to him that it's not so nice that he stays in Germany," said PixelHELPER founder Oliver Bienkowski.

Speaking with DW, Bienkowski said the group is also planning to stage a 24/7 protest in front of the king's hotel and expand their efforts to other European countries, including Switzerland, where Queen Suthida is believed to be staying.

The Berlin-based organization also wants to target Thailand's tourism sector to make Germans "aware of the situation" in the Southeast Asian country.

Thailand's Royal Office did not respond to DW's requests for comments about the ongoing protests and the king's role in Thailand given his absence.



ORNATE CORONATION CEREMONIES IN THAILAND
Wearing a 200-year-old crown
In one of Saturday's ceremonies, the king put on a crown weighing 7.3 kilograms (16 pounds) and measuring 66 centimeters (26 inches) in height. It symbolizes his royal powers, which include the right to intervene in government affairs. "I shall reign in righteousness for the benefits of the kingdom and the people forever," he said in his traditional first royal command.
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https://www.dw.com/en/thai-protesters-call-for-end-of-monarchy-on-kings-birthday/a-54367300








Date 29.07.2020
Related Subjects Asia, Coronavirus
Keywords Asia, Thailand, coronavirus, Maha Vajiralongkorn, protests
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Uganda court jails killer of mountain gorilla for 11 years
Issued on: 30/07/2020 -

Thanks to intensive conservation efforts the mountain gorilla's status improved from "critically endangered" to "endangered" in 2018. The picture shows mountain gorillas in the DR Congo's Virunga National Park ROBERTO SCHMIDT AFP/File

Kampala (AFP)

A Ugandan court on Thursday sentenced a man to 11 years in prison for offences including the killing of a beloved mountain gorilla in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

The Silverback gorilla, named Rafiki -- which means "friend" in Swahili -- was believed to be around 25 years old. He was found dead last month from a spear wound.

Felix Byamukama, a resident of a nearby village, was arrested and admitted to killing the gorilla, saying it was in self-defence, according to the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA).


The authority said Byamukama was given an 11-year jail term for killing Rafiki "and other wildlife" in the park.

Byamukama had pleaded guilty on three charges including illegally entering the protected area and killing a duiker and a bush pig.

UWA executive director Sam Mwandha said: "We are relieved that Rafiki has received justice and this should serve as an example to other people who kill wildlife."

Rafiki headed a family of 17 gorillas, the first to become habituated to humans in the national park, allowing tourists to hike through the forest to see them. Their life expectancy in the wild is about 35 years.

The wildlife authority described the killing of Rafiki as a "great blow" after intensive conservation efforts saw the mountain gorilla's Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) category upgraded from "critically endangered" to "endangered" in 2018.

The population of the gorillas grew from around 680 individuals in 2008 to over 1,000.

The mountain gorilla's habitat is restricted to protected areas covering nearly 800 square kilometres (300 square miles) in two locations -- the Virunga Massif and Bwindi-Sarambwe -- which stretch across the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda.

Rafiki's murder came as poaching incidents were on the rise in Uganda, which had imposed a strict lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic, and with tourists yet to return.

"We have noticed a rise in incidents of poaching in our national parks following the closure of our tourism hubs because of COVID-19," the UWA's Mwandha told AFP.

"What we are investigating is who is behind the cases of poaching. Due to lockdown have the communities near the parks turned against the wildlife as a source of livelihood? Is it a criminal network behind the rise in poaching? Is the absence of tourism in parks facilitating poaching?

"Wherever the answer lies, incidents of poaching are a cause for worry and we have intensified patrols in parks," he added.

© 2020 AFP