China’s response

Action must be taken

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A modern calamity in which 72 lives and possibly many more undocumented ones were taken. The dreadful tragedy, inconceivable by many to have even occurred, caused nationwide horror and mourning in the United Kingdom. Now an inquiry has been released describing the events of the night in excruciating detail.

A lengthy inquiry has been launched following the Grenfell Tower tragedy in which a London block of apartments caught ablaze on the night of June 14, 2017. The first phase of the report examined what happened on the night about the police, fire and ambulance services, the deceased and the spread of the fire.

Several factors became immediately apparent in the causation of the fire – such as the building’s flammable cladding and budget cuts to the London fire service – leading to the downfall of the tower and loss of life to its tenants. The long-awaited phase one report of the public inquiry was divided into two phases by its chair, Martin Moore-Bick.

The fire began on the fourth floor of the tower as a result of faulty electrical lines leading to the combustion of a fridge-freezer. Rapidly, the fire blazed upwards engulfing the top floor within half an hour of the fire brigade being called. With the blaze starting just before 1 am, around four and a half hours after, the entire building was ablaze leaving 72 dead. The last known survivor exited the building at 8 am. Some tenants of Grenfell Tower attempted to move floors to escape the fire but soon, the top floors were heavily lit.

Published last week, the first part of the report investigated the catastrophic events of the night of the fire. Whilst the second part, which may not be published for another two years or so, is set to scrutinise the causes of the tragedy. To consider the events first appears most rational to a nation intent on determining what occurred during the fire, and secondly as per the second phase of the report, what caused the fire to prevent any such disasters from occurring again.

The London fire service bore a large amount of scrutiny and criticism from phase one of the inquiry. Within the Chairman’s statement, he notes that those liable to respond to the incident were “not trained to recognise a fire in the external wall of a high-rise building [or] how to respond to it,” he added that the London Fire Brigade “failed to revoke the ‘stay-put’ advice at a time where the stairs remained passable,” noting that had they done so, more lives could have been saved.

Moore-Bick added that there was a lack of great communication and appropriate training representing significant failings amongst the LFB. Pointedly, the cladding was also mentioned as it is known to have promoted the fire- in this instance, the report recommended that the sharing of building materials be conducted to avoid such combustible materials being put in place again. It became clear in the report that the tower did not comply with building regulations.

Further recommendations were made for the input of fire safety measures and regulations amongst inhabitants and police, fire and ambulance services. The detailed report distressingly shares the events of the night and the wrongdoings of the fire brigade. Many of the criticisms came down to insufficient training and ill-preparation for a fire this strong. However, Moore-Bick praises the courage of the firefighters who risked their lives to save people from the burning building. Dany Cotton, head of the LFB argued against the report, stating: “I would not change anything we did on the night.”

Since publication, the response to the inquiry has been rather strong with several survivors suggesting Cotton should be fired. The report also absolves Behailu Kebede – the tenant in which whose room the fire began and who first alerted nearby residents and the authorities – of starting the fire after he faced great harassment by tabloids and members of the public.

Following the fire, hundreds were left homeless and hurt whilst a once lively community grieved and mourned the deaths of loved ones. Since the tragedy, there were nationwide calling for the victims to be rehoused which took a considerable amount of time. A recent report stated that out of the 202 tenants, 178 had been permanently rehoused whilst the remainder live in temporary residences. So far, the first phase of the report has brought agreement for the removal of the cladding, new fire safety measures and a pursuit of criminal investigations that will continue in the second report.

However, it may be another two years or so before the second report is released, and which will detail the construction of the tower in detail and more so the causation of the events that took place. What is important now for survivors and members of the public is that the recommendations are implemented accordingly.

The inquiry has been significant in exposing the events of the night. For Grenfell United, “there is still a long road ahead for justice and change. For the 72 people that we lost, who are forever in our hearts, we will not stop until change comes.”

There understandably needs to be justice served. Two years later and it is important that lessons are being learned. It is not only necessary to point blame on organisations or materials but to put steps in place to avoid such a great tragedy from repeating itself.

In similar news, Jeremy Corbyn was mocked in the House of Commons by Conservative MP’s for wearing a green tie to honour the victims of the fire whilst survivors and families of the incident looked on. Corbyn was addressing the official inquiry while Tory MP’s in the stands jeered garnering great criticism for an apparent disrespect and lack of awareness to the situation.

Also, Conservative lawmaker Jacob Rees-Mogg faced a barrage of criticism on Tuesday, November 5, after a radio interview in which he stated that Grenfell Tower victims could have ignored instructions from the fire brigade and used “common sense” to exit the burning building, saving more lives.

Jeremy Corbyn and families of the victims objected his remarks calling for an apology to be made. Corbyn also called Rees-Mogg “crass and insensitive”. Al Jazeera reported that Rees-Mogg “profoundly apologised” later adding that “I would hate to upset the people of Grenfell if I was unclear in my comments. With hindsight and after reading the report no one would follow that advice. That’s the great tragedy.”

L'articolo The Grenfell Tower Inquiry Blasts the London Fire Brigade in First Report proviene da InsideOver.

Global protests at the hands of organisation Extinction Rebellion (XR) are beginning to take place as dozens of activists are being arrested.

L'articolo Global Shutdown as Extinction Rebellion Protests Begin proviene da InsideOver.

United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo fired remarks aimed towards China and their detainment of the Uighur Muslims in concentration camps.  Pompeo spoke out at a Vatican conference organised by the US embassy on religious freedom. He blasted the country over their repressive policies against the Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang.  

Pompeo called on the global community to join Washington in protecting religious freedom stating China were the “worst perpetrators of abuse against people of faith,” and that “Beijing should be held accountable.” 

China’s autocratic regime was slandered as Pompeo added: “When the state rules absolutely, it demands its citizen’s worship government, not God. That’s why China has put more than one million Uighur Muslims … in internment camps and is why it throws Christian pastors in jail.” 

Who Are the Uighurs?

The Uighur Muslims are a Turkic speaking minority from Central Asia who have been wrongfully held and tortured by the Chinese government as a result of their communist hard-line regime. It is reported that over a million Uighurs and other Muslims have been living in these egregious camps where they have been subjected to some shocking conditions since 2017.  

Back in the mid-twentieth century, the Uighurs quickly proclaimed sovereignty, however the area was brought under the authority of a territorial China’s new Communist government in 1949.  Uighurs are populous in Xinjiang with around 11 million people in and around the city. 

Stemming from the terrorist attacks performed by the East Turkistan Islamic Movement – a terrorist group linked to Al-Qaeda and responsible for many attacks in Xinjiang, China proceeded with the persecution of Muslims to curb future attacks.  

The Truth About The Concentration Camps

In August 2018, a UN human rights committee was told there were solid reports that China had transformed the Uighur self-ruling area into something that looks like a monstrous internment camp”. Around a million people may have been confined, the board was told. 

Denying all claims of human rights violations, Beijing continues to use the excuse in that the “re-education camps” are used to fight terrorism and radicalisation where Muslims are being detained in efforts to absolve all accountability. It is within these “re-education camps” where the Uighurs are allegedly combating extremism but have instead been found to be targeting Muslims removing their rights to practice their religion in attempts to make them “normal citizens”.  

Brutal new legitimate punishments have been enforced to limit Islamic practices. This includes the forbiddance of long facial hair and headscarves, the religious guidance of kids, and even Islamic-sounding names. Extreme surveillance strategies where individuals are forced to give up DNA samples and biometric data so they can be identified by their faith and religion are used.  

The inhabitants of the camps are placed under systematic surveillance and are constrained against their will to political indoctrination where they are forced to renounce their religion and practice the values of Chinese communists. They also submit to poor diets in which they are rarely fed in overcrowded facilities. It is thought that inmates who die are cremated so no evidence is left. Thousands of Uighur Muslims have been protesting against the government’s internment camps advocating for the release or whereabouts of their missing family members. 

Hamid Sabi, a human rights lawyer has accused China of harvesting organs of Uighurs. Sabi took his claim to the United Nations Human Rights Court asking them to investigate the matter further. This is just one of many claims regarding the treatment of the detainees.  

In his speech, the US Secretary of State also told the story of a woman who through the advocacy of her husband, was released from the camps and was forced to eat pork, denounce her religion, recite atheist values and was given unknown drugs.  

What are international countries doing about it?

Australia condemned the detention camps further prompting calls for change. There has been increasing international criticism of China’s treatment of Uighur Muslims however, up till now, no country has directly acted out of just issuing statements. The country has been widely condemned for their actions, with 22 countries signing a letter to the UN urging them to act and for China to stop its mass detention and execution of genocide of the Uighur Muslims. 

Criticism has also circulated for Muslim-majority countries such as Pakistan and Turkey who have remained distant from the matter. It is suggested that many such countries have turned a blind eye to the matter for the sake of foreign policy and maintaining a strong relationship with China – one of the strongest economical countries in the world.  For example, Turkish President Erdogan, despite being the leader of a Muslim-majority country, has been rather silent on the issue. Critics believe it is because China helped Turkey secure a $3.6 billion deal for energy and transportation. 

On the contrary, a congressional group in the United States has strongly encouraged the government to place sanctions on administrators and companies involved in the human rights crisis in Xinjiang.  

With media access to the camps limited, the truly shocking nature of the ongoing human rights crisis in China is slowly being revealed. Groups and individuals on social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter and Facebook have been rallying to raise awareness of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in China as they did for South Sudan when users of the apps turned their handles #BlueforSudan. 

Previous incidents such as Abu Ghraib and the treatment of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar have set precedence to the anti-separatist and Islamophobic hate crimes some countries have been known to carry out. With comparisons also being drawn to the Holocaust, history could, unfortunately, be repeating itself. 

L'articolo Mike Pompeo Slams Uighur Muslim Camps in China proviene da InsideOver.

International investigative journalists often face a feat that puts themselves in danger, and often it is their intrinsic drive to seek the truth that may land them in sticky situations. Other instances, we see civilians or governments lash out – take Jo Cox a British journalist murdered in cold blood for her defence of the European Union and left-wing stance.

However, the death of one journalist shook the world and exposed the downfall of world command. Almost one year later, his brutal murder on 2 October, 2018 still monopolises aspects of mainstream media and appears to have challenged governmental perspectives. This was, of course, the death of Washington Post correspondent, Jamal Khashoggi.

Recent reports of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) stating he feels responsible for the death of the journalist because it “happened under my watch” are set to air in a PBS documentary on the anniversary of Khashoggi’s death leading to an exploration of the whole case.

Events Surrounding Khashoggi’s Death

The Washington Post columnist had previously reported stories including the rise of Osama Bin Laden and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan for Saudi news organisations. He was reported to have served the Saudi government and was a close associate to the royal family. However, the ties became broken and Khashoggi went into self-imposed exile in 2017. He soon joined the Washington Post where he wrote a monthly column in which he criticised policies of MBS.

The journalist was last seen alive on 2 October, 2018 entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul trying to obtain marriage papers for him and his fiancée. Khashoggi was supposedly killed inside the consulate where his body was removed and brutally dismembered, with the remains of his body still missing.

Saudi Arabia strongly denied any involvement in the killing for up to two weeks after its occurrence, whilst Saud al-Qathani, a former royal advisor, allegedly gave orders over Skype to the killers in a report by Reuters.

Many competing narratives clouded the death with blame initially being placed on rogue operatives and then on al-Qahtani as mentioned. The UN also published a report in which they held MBS liable for the death stating he had violated several international laws and “the death was met with few responses – legally, politically or diplomatically.”

Then on the 3^rd January, 11 suspects were put on trial in connection with the murder in undisclosed proceedings where Saudi prosecutors called for the death penalty on five out of the 11 suspects.

Early September, Turkey’s intelligence agency obtained a recording of the journalist moments before his death detailing his last words. Jamal Khashoggi can be heard pleading with his killers to not cover his mouth because he had asthma, stating: “You’ll suffocate me.”

The recording was published in Turkey’s Sabah newspaper where a team of Saudi officials flew from Riyadh to Istanbul to get the 59-year-old journalist. A member of the hit squad is then heard saying: “Help us, so that we can help you. Because in the end, we will take you to Saudi Arabia. And if you don’t help us, you know what will happen in the end.”

He was also instructed to write a message to his son reassuring him that if he had not heard from him, he was okay, to which Khashoggi refused stating: “I write nothing.”

The Aftermath of Khashoggi’s Death

Khashoggi’s death undeniably ignited an international uproar. The brutal killing tarnished the Crown Prince’s image and thus damaged Saudi Arabia’s oil trade alliances with the market dropping rapidly. Many countries and individuals held MBS liable for the murder whilst he continues to claim no part in the killing.

Perhaps it can be argued that MBS’ new statement is simply a moral one in efforts to improve setbacks Saudi Arabia has faced since the incident such as the targeting of their oil facilities and the UAE taking a step back in their role in the Saudi-coalition on the war on Yemen.

The killing was globally denounced destroying some of Saudi Arabia’s alliances with other countries and had a great geopolitical impact in the media remaining in headlines for up to a month after his death.

Many western countries re-evaluated their relationship with Saudi Arabia, with many keeping their distance. The US, Canada, France and the UK levied sanctions against all Saudis associated with the murder bar MBS of course, whilst Germany, Denmark and Finland cancelled arms deals.

Trump notably described the egregious act as the “worst cover-up in history” and maintained a cool relationship with the country for business purposes.

The Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the murder “premeditated” and in “cold blood” urging for the perpetrators to be tried and sentenced in Turkey.

Politico reports Erdogan saw the killing as a chance to propel Turkey’s regional position and rebrand his tainted image, through his great displays of morality.

Overall there is a worsening media climate as number of journalist killings is rising, yet this one garnered the attention of the world in a way that no other has. The killing exposed the amoral nature of politics where such gruesome acts are carried out, but also the commercial aspect where the impact of such a brutal act came down international business, rather than the fight for justice.

One year later and there is no doubt that a global obsession remains of what happened to journalist, Jamal Khashoggi and what it continues to means for the future of Saudi Arabia and international journalists.

L'articolo Jamal Khashoggi: The Killing of a Journalist One Year Later proviene da InsideOver.

Last August marked 20 years since the momentous referendum vote which resulted in East Timor’s independence from Indonesia. But how did we get here, two decades later?

To begin with,  Portugal used to trade with Timor hundreds of years ago and during the middle of the 16th century, they colonised the nation. The Fretilin (Revolutionary Front for Independent East Timor) – a major left-wing party in East Timor –  soon gained territory of the nation during a brief civil war and in 1975 declared East Timor Independent.

Only nine days later, an aggressive Indonesia invaded the colony, leading to the loss of hundreds of thousands of lives as a result of the direct conflict.  The Fretilin Party fought with great resistance against the Indonesians as many opposed the takeover of control. East Timor suffered 24 years of disease, famine and terrible conflict at the hands of the Indonesian military and colonial rule.  The East Timorese were against Indonesian rule as Portugal’s colonial impact meant that most of the population were Catholics who spoke Tetun – their own language – and were therefore culturally dissimilar to the rest of Indonesia. A quarter of a million lives were lost as civilians fought Indonesia’s occupation and annexation.

After mass bloodshed, there was mounting pressure from international countries for the violence to end. At the beginning of the resistance, many took a blind eye to appease Indonesia and did not interfere. However, The Economist Reports that declassified documents from America reveal Australia and America’s western governments were, in fact, aware of Indonesia’s cruel aims and failed to act until the matters worsened.

Soon, a referendum was authorised. The UN-backed referendum saw the Southeast Asian nation granted independence but at a bloody cost. On the 30th August 1999, a whopping 78.5% of people voted in favour of independence from Indonesia. East Timor came back to its pre-annexation status of autonomy, but became a territory under UN supervision with no government.

However, following the referendum result, there was great bloodshed for three weeks. Anti Independence Timorese militia who were supported by the Indonesian military began to attack. The country’s infrastructure was destroyed and hundreds and thousands of civilians were forced out of their homes, whilst some fled to escape and became refugees. the fight for independence was a resilient one fought by the natives of East Timor. Following this horrendous timeline of events, the nation became devasted and exhausted at heart.

An Australian-led UN peacekeeping force was deployed to stop the violence, and in August 2001 East Timor held its first democratic elections to establish an autonomous government.

A year later in 2002, full sovereignty was established and, the former opposition leader of CNRT was elected President at the time. The country then unveiled a new national flag, with the yellow symbolising the people’s fight for independence, the red expressing the people’s suffering which was endured for such a long time, the black signifying colonial repression of the country whilst the star symbolised hope for the future. This flag gave the people something to believe in and allowed them to become part of a strong community who fought for their country.

Last month on the 30th, people came together in the country’s capital Dilli to celebrate the landmark ruling that led to the independence of East Timor. Celebrations are expected to last until the end of September for the people who paid a big price for freedom.

L'articolo A History of East Timor’s Independence, 20 Years On proviene da InsideOver.