Women make up half of the world’s population, but a recent study showed that corporations spend just one percent of their funds for acquisitions specifically on women-owned businesses. A Washington-based nonprofit is trying to change that, and says that supporting women-owned businesses has positive social effects.Chef Molemo Virtuosa came up through the male-dominated industry of high-end cooking. She was one of only a few female chefs at some of the nation’s top hotels before starting her own catering business.Despite her best efforts, her business suffers from something she can’t control: sexism. Although sub-Saharan Africa has some of the world’s highest rates of female entrepreneurship, businesswomen often struggle to get financing and build support networks.For chef Mo, as she prefers to be called, pressure in the kitchen pressured her to hide away.“When service becomes so busy, they really push you out the way because they don’t think that you can push as quickly as they can, you know, and take out the food as quickly as they can as well,” she said. “I think that’s why I also decided on becoming a pastry chef, and not just being skilled in the food, high-end dining you know, fine dining and all of that, because I think with the pastries, I was able to just hide away from all these males and do my pretty work, you know, without them being in my face.”Non-profit WEConnect International is trying to bring businesswomen to the forefront, by linking women-owned businesses to qualified buyers and running educational seminars for women entrepreneurs.“Women represent a third of the world’s private businesses, they’re half the population, they make or influence over 75 percent of all purchasing decisions,” says Elizabeth Vazquez, CEO of WEConnect International. “We need women and men to be in our value chains. We need them to step up and deliver solutions to the problems that we all face. And women are uniquely qualified, because of their life experience, to provide solutions, that right now, we don’t have access to.”And, says business owner Belukazi Nkala, women entrepreneurs often find solutions that have long been ignored by their male counterparts. Her company designs work clothing for women engineers, miners and factory workers. It’s not about just aesthetics, she says — but safety.“The one thing that I’ve noticed, especially with women, is we tend to — everything about the workwear tends to be oversized because we’re trying to compensate for one part of our body or another,” she said. “So it’s important that from a safety element, it has to fit properly to be able to be in it in an environment, for example in mining, you can’t be caught onto something. And, you know, something could happen which could obviously be a safety issue, or something hazardous that could happen at work.”For chef Mo, investing in women is just good business sense.“We’re able to run households. I mean, honestly speaking, you get home and you make sure that there’s dinner cooked at a certain time, you make sure that the kids are well-fed, the kids are bathed, you know they’re sleeping and what not,” she said. “If I’m able to manage a household after a full day of work, how can you now exclude me from a business?”But she doesn’t want your business just because she’s a woman. Instead, she says, look for proof of her virtuosity, in her pizza.
…
Month: March 2020
Court: House Entitled to Mueller Probe Grand Jury Testimony
The Justice Department must give Congress secret grand jury testimony from special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday, giving the House a significant win in a separation-of-powers clash with the Trump administration.The three-judge panel said in a 2-1 opinion that the House Judiciary Committee’s need for the material in its investigations of President Donald Trump outweighed the Justice Department’s interests in keeping the testimony secret. The opinion authorizes access to information that Democrats have sought since the conclusion of Mueller’s investigation, giving lawmakers previously-undisclosed details from the two-year Russia probe.Writing for the majority, Judge Judith Rogers said that because Mueller himself “stopped short” of reaching conclusions about Trump’s conduct to avoid stepping on the House’s impeachment power, the committee had established that it could not make a final determination about Trump’s conduct without access to the underlying grand jury material.“The Committee’s request for the grand jury materials in the Mueller Report is directly linked to its need to evaluate the conclusions reached and not reached by the Special Counsel,” wrote Rogers, a Clinton appointee.Judge Thomas Griffith issued a separate concurring opinion. Judge Neomi Rao, a Trump appointee, dissented, suggesting that the need for the testimony could have waned after Trump’s acquittal at a Senate impeachment trial last month.“After all, the Committee sought these materials preliminary to an impeachment proceeding and the Senate impeachment trial has concluded. Why is this controversy not moot?” Rao wrote.It is unclear when the materials might actually be turned over. The Trump administration can ask the full appeals court to rehear the case, and can appeal to the Supreme Court.The ruling softens the blow of a loss the House endured two weeks ago when judges on the same court said they would not force former White House counsel Don McGahn to testify before Congress. The split decisions leave neither the administration nor Congress with a clear upper hand in an ongoing inter-branch dispute.The ruling is a major win for Democrats who have fought the Justice Department for nearly a year, but it’s unclear what the House will actually do with the material. Lawyers for the Democrats have said the grand jury material could potentially be used for additional articles of impeachment, though the Senate impeachment trial over the president’s interactions with Ukraine ended weeks ago in an acquittal.The case is one of several disputes between the Trump administration and Congress that courts have grappled with in recent months.The two sides had been similarly at odds on the question of whether McGahn could be forced to testify about Trump’s behavior during the Russia investigation. The appeals court ruled in a recent 2-1 decision that judges had no role to play in that dispute and dismissed the case.Mueller issued a 448-page report last April that detailed multiple interactions between the 2016 Trump campaign and Russia and that examined several episodes involving the president for potential obstruction of justice. Mueller said his team did not find sufficient evidence to establish a criminal conspiracy between the campaign and the Kremlin to tip the election, though pointedly noted that he could exonerate the president for obstruction.Portions of the report were blacked out, including grand jury testimony and material that Mueller said could harm ongoing investigations or infringe on the privacy of third parties.Grand jury testimony is typically treated as secret, in part to protect the privacy of people who are not charged or are considered peripheral to a criminal investigation. But several exceptions allow for the material to be turned over, including if it is in connection with a judicial proceeding.The House argued that the impeachment inquiry met that definition, and it sought copies of testimony referenced in Mueller’s report. Chief U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell sided with the House last October in ordering that the material be turned over.The Justice Department appealed that decision, with lawyers arguing that the material sought by the House had no relevance to the impeachment inquiry and that the House already had ample information about the investigation.Several dozen witnesses appeared before Mueller’s grand jury, including former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort.
…
US Census Bureau Site Goes Live as Counting Begins in Earnest
The 2020 census is off and running for much of America now.The U.S. Census Bureau made a soft launch of the 2020 census website on Monday, making its form available online. On Thursday, the Census Bureau will begin mailing out notices far and wide.For the bureau, the once-a-decade head count is akin to running a sprint and marathon at the same time. It takes awhile, but there’s plenty of action throughout.“It is that intense …. counting up to 330 million people in a very diverse, very mobile population, and over 140 million housing units,” Stephen Buckner, a senior Census Bureau executive, said during a recent visit to Miami.The bureau had an official in-person launch in January in Toksook Bay, Alaska. Mail service is spotty and internet connectivity is unreliable in remote Alaska, making door-to-door canvassing the best way to gather responses. The Alaska villages get a head start over the rest of the nation because many residents scatter each spring to subsistence hunting and fishing grounds.There has been a U.S. census every decade since 1790. The results determine how many congressional seats each state gets and how $1.5 trillion in federal spending is distributed.The 2020 census is the first in which most people are being encouraged to answer the questions online, though people can still answer the questionnaire by telephone or by mailing back a paper form if they prefer.The notices mailed out starting this week will include a census ID that matches addresses. People filling out the form via the internet are encouraged to use the ID, but those who answer the questions online before getting their IDs still will be counted.“The best user experience is provided with a Census ID,” the bureau said in a statement Monday evening.About 80% of households receiving mailings will get notices about how to answer the questions online, and about 20% of households automatically will receive a paper ballot if there are large numbers of seniors in their neighborhood or levels of internet connectivity are low.Census workers won’t begin going door-to-door in earnest until May, when they’ll approach homes that haven’t responded and ask the questions in person. Bureau officials are monitoring the spread of the novel coronavirus, which could disrupt the door-to-door phase. If there is a major disaster, such as an epidemic, census workers instead can drop off the questionnaires at homes, with the hope that people will respond on their own, according to the bureau’s operational plan.This week also poses the first true test of the Census Bureau’s new IT systems for capturing online responses. For the past three years, the Government Accountability Office has placed the census on its list of high-risk programs, mainly because it is relying on technology that has not been used before. Last month, the bureau decided to use a backup data-collection system for handling the online responses after officials grew concerned that the primary system would not be able to handle excessive traffic.The online approach to answering the 2020 census questions causes Democratic U.S. Rep. Karen Bass of California, to worry it will lead to an undercount of blacks and other minorities in hard-to-count communities.“Having the census online can be a way of continuously undercounting the black population,” Bass said last week.Perhaps the most attention given the 2020 census over the past several years has been to the failed effort by the Trump administration to put a citizenship question on the form. The U.S. Supreme Court rejected those efforts, but some worry that lingering unease may scare off some Hispanics and immigrants from participating.“It’s a challenge every 10 years to get any American to fill out the census. Some people feel you’re invading their privacy, as though it’s intrusive. Some people are fearful of giving the government more information,” said U.S. Democratic Rep. Joaquin Castro of Texas. “But every 10 years, that challenge has been especially tough in minority communities, who sometimes are more disconnected from government than other communities.”
…
Turkey Says US Offering Patriot Missiles If S-400 Not Operated
The United States has offered to sell Turkey its Patriot missile defense system if Ankara promises not to operate a rival Russian system, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said, in what he called a significant softening in Washington’s position.Two Turkish officials told Reuters that Turkey was evaluating the U.S. offer but that Ankara had not changed its plans for the Russian S-400 systems, which it has said it will start to activate next month.Defense Secretary Mark Esper speaks during a briefing at the Pentagon in Washington, March 2, 2020.In Washington, the Pentagon said that U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper had not changed his position on the issue, which was: “Turkey is not going to receive a Patriot battery unless it returns the S-400.”NATO allies Turkey and the United States have been at odds over Ankara’s purchase last year of the S-400s, which Washington says are incompatible with the alliance’s defense systems.Turkey asks for PatriotsAfter heavy fighting in northwestern Syria’s Idlib region this year Turkey asked Washington to deploy Patriots along its border with Syria for protection but the United States said Turkey cannot have both the S-400s and the Patriots.Speaking to reporters on his return flight from Brussels, Erdogan said Ankara had told Washington to deploy Patriot systems to Turkey and that it was ready to purchase the systems from the United States as well.”We made this offer to the United States on the Patriot: If you are going to give us Patriots, then do it. We can also buy Patriots from you,” he said.”They also softened significantly on this S-400 issue. They are now at the point of ‘promise us you won’t make the S-400s operational’,” Erdogan added.FILE – First parts of a Russian S-400 missile defense system are unloaded from a Russian plane near Ankara, Turkey, July 12, 2019.U.S. offers supportPrevious talks between Turkey and the United States on the purchase of the Patriots have collapsed over a host of issues, from the S-400s to Ankara’s dissatisfaction with Washington’s terms. Turkey has said it will only agree to an offer if it includes technology transfer and joint production terms.While ties between Ankara and Washington have been strained, the United States has offered support for its ally as it battles to stop Russia-backed Syrian government advances in Idlib. But U.S. officials said on Tuesday Ankara had to clarify its position on the S-400s for their security ties to advance.U.S. special representative for Syria James Jeffrey and U.S. Ambassador to Turkey David Satterfield told reporters on a conference call from Brussels that Washington was discussing with NATO what support it can offer Turkey militarily.Jeffrey also said they had considered possible responses should Russia and the Syrian government break a ceasefire in Idlib, officials said.NATO help for TurkeyHe suggested other NATO states could individually or as an alliance provide military support to help Turkey. But he ruled out sending ground troops and said there still needed to be a resolution to the S-400 issue for the security relationship to move forward.”You can forget ground troops. Turkey has demonstrated that it and its opposition forces are more than capable of holding ground on their own,” Jeffrey said. “The issue is the situation in the air and it’s what we are looking at,” he said.Washington did not believe that Russia and Syrian had any interest in a permanent ceasefire in Idlib, he said.”They are out to get a military victory in Syria and our goal is to make it difficult for them to do that,” Jeffrey said.”Our goal is … to make them think twice. If they ignore our warnings and preparations and move forward, then we will react as rapidly as possible in consultation with our NATO and European allies on what the package of sanctions and other reactions will be.”Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gestures as he addresses his ruling party members, in Ankara, Turkey, March 2, 2020.Position “Unchanged”While Erdogan has frequently referred to the S-400 purchase as a “done deal” and said Turkey will not turn back from it, he did not repeat that stance in his comments on Tuesday. Turkish officials, however, said Turkey’s position remained unchanged.”The United States has once again brought up the Patriot offer. The United States’ previous strong stance isn’t the case anymore. They are approaching Turkey more empathetically now,” a senior official said.”The core condition is that the S-400s are not activated, or in other words that they are not unboxed. This offer is being evaluated, but there is no change of stance on the S-400s,” the official, speaking on condition of anonymity said.A separate Turkish official told Reuters the latest offer byWashington also include Turkey’s return to the F-35 stealth fighter jet program, which Turkey was involved in both as manufacturer of plane parts and customer for the jets.After Ankara bought the S-400s, Washington suspended its involvement in the program and threatened sanctions.”There is a U.S. offer for Patriots, but this offer includes the F-35s,” the Turkish official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “Air defense systems can be purchased, but Turkey’s conditions are clear: there has to be issues like the know-how transfer and joint production.”Turkey has said it plans to activate the S-400s it received from Russia in April. The United States has warned that such a move will trigger U.S. sanctions, though Ankara has repeatedly said good ties between Erdogan and U.S. President Donald Trump may be able to avert this.
…
Erdogan Stands by Russia Despite Syrian Tensions
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is standing by his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, despite escalating tensions between them over Syria.Erdogan confirmed Tuesday his commitment to activate Russia’s S-400 missile system, claiming Washington’s “position regarding the S-400 has toned down significantly.”In a telephone press briefing Tuesday with James Jeffrey, U.S. special representative for Syria engagement, U.S. Ambassador to Turkey David Satterfield said the Russian missile system was at odds with Turkey’s NATO partnership.”It is incompatible with Turkey’s role as a NATO partner, and it would produce serious consequences with respect to the U.S. CAATSA (Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act),” Satterfield said, warning that Congress could impose sanctions in the “not-distant future.”In the face of Washington’s threats, Erdogan pledged this month to activate the system in April.Ankara’s S-400 purchase violates the CAATSA, which forbids the acquisition of advanced Russian military systems.FILE – First parts of a Russian S-400 missile defense system are unloaded from a Russian plane near Ankara, Turkey, July 12, 2019.Washington initially threatened to sanction Turkey on the delivery of the S-400. But in a widely interpreted gesture to Ankara, the threat of sanctions were instead linked to the activation of the missile system. Erdogan’s determination to go ahead and activate the system is likely to be a blow to Washington’s efforts to improve ties with its NATO ally.Ankara’s deepening relationship with Moscow is causing alarm with Turkey’s western allies. However, recent rising Turkish-Russian tensions over Syria are fueling speculation of Turkey pivoting back to the West. “Turkey is getting stronger with the American support, militarily and psychologically,” said international relations professor Huseyin Bagci, of Ankara’s Middle East Technical University.”Turkey never left the West, from the very beginning. Turkey will stay with the West. All these appearances with Russia are periodical and not permanent, and this period is probably, in general terms, over, and Turkey will return to the West, said Bagci.While Ankara and Moscow back rival sides in the Syrian civil war, they have been cooperating to end the conflict. But that cooperation started to break down over Idlib, Syria’s last rebel stronghold. Last month, Turkish troops intervened to back rebels faced with being overrun by Russian-backed Syrian government forces. An explosion is seen following Russian airstrikes on the village of al-Bara in the southern part of Syria’s northwestern Idlib province.Earlier this month, Erdogan went to Moscow to hammer out an Idlib cease-fire agreement with Putin. In a widely reported snub, Putin kept Erdogan waiting in front of TV cameras before his meeting. Observers, along with western diplomats, are warning that the cease-fire is also likely to be a temporary affair.”We don’t believe they (Damascus and Moscow) have any interest in a permanent cease-fire in Idlib,” Jeffrey said. “They are out to get a military victory in all of Syria. Our goal is to make it very difficult for them to do that by a variety of diplomatic, military and other actions.” But Erdogan is showing little signs of abandoning his relationship with Putin.”Erdogan is not ready to give up on the Turkish-Russian relations and his very personal relationship with Vladimir Putin,” said Asli Aydintasbas, a senior fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations.”In the end, it is not Turkey so much, but Erdogan who appears reliant on Moscow,” said analyst Atilla Yesilada of Global Source Partners. “This suggests that even when extremely vital national interests, such as the defense of Idlib, are at stake, Erdogan prioritizes his anti-Western ideology to optimal policymaking.”But it’s Washington’s reluctance to back its words of support with action and willingness to confront Moscow that other analysts explain Erdogan’s reticence to pivot away from Moscow. “There has been a reluctance on the part of both the United States and NATO to commit militarily in Syria,” Aydintasbas said. “So, while Turkey has ample political support with politicians and officials lining up to criticize Russia and praise Turkey for its work, in Syria, there is no substantial military backing nor any desire to get involved in the Syrian war or confront Russia, in order to create a safe zone in Syria.”Erdogan is seeking to create a safe zone in Idlib protected by a no-fly zone. The zone would provide a sanctuary to rebels and their families, averting a new exodus of refugees into Turkey.A Turkish military convoy is seen moving through eastern Idlib province, Syria, Feb. 28, 2020, a day after 33 Turkish soldiers were killed in the province in an airstike by Syrian government forces.Washington backs the idea but remains ambiguous over what support it’s prepared to give.”We are looking at ways to assist Turkey. That’s why we are here,” said Jeffrey. “Everything is on the table. We will see what happens next and what our allies are willing to put on the table, and will see what the United States can do to support them.”But observers claim a broader lack of trust between Ankara and Washington is also an obstacle to improving ties. The U.S.-led war against Islamic State relies on supporting the YPG, a Syrian Kurdish militia designated by Turkey as terrorists.”Hopes of Turkey pivoting back to the United States are definitely misplaced, because for Erdogan and Ankara, the U.S. position in particular in relations (to) the YPG is unacceptable. It’s an anathema for Ankara,” said former senior Turkish diplomat Aydin Selcen, who is now an analyst for Mediascope.Ankara’s suspicions of Washington’s motives continue to corrode relations. Turkish prosecutors are still filing cases over the 2016 failed coup that accuse America of being involved.Analysts suggest such mistrust will likely mean Erdogan will continue to look to Moscow.
…
Myanmar Army Sues Reuters for Criminal Defamation
Myanmar police said the army had filed a lawsuit against Reuters news agency and a local lawmaker for criminal defamation, weeks after the military objected to a news story published about the death of two Rohingya Muslim women as a result of shelling in Rakhine state.After publication, the army said its artillery fire had not killed the women or caused other civilian injuries and blamed insurgents of the Arakan Army (AA), who are fighting for greater autonomy in Rakhine state. The AA denied responsibility and accused the army. Reporters are banned from the area where the incident happened.Police Lieutenant Kyaw Thu, the acting station head in Buthidaung township, in the north of Rakhine state, told Reuters both the news agency and the lawmaker were being sued under section 66D of the Telecommunications Act.The section, which has been used to jail government critics in the Southeast Asian country, outlaws online defamation and carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison.Kyaw Thu said that police had not yet contacted Reuters about the case and would seek to do so.”We are trying to make an approach in so far as we can, to find out where Reuters news agency is, what kind of organization it is and the reporter and the editor,” he told a Reuters reporter on Sunday before putting down the phone.He said that police had requested permission from the speaker of Myanmar’s national parliament with regards to proceeding with the case against lawmaker Maung Kyaw Zan, who represents Buthidaung.The case follows an army complaint about a story published by Reuters on Jan. 25 in which the lawmaker was quoted as saying that the army’s artillery fire had caused the deaths of the two Rohingya women.The army held a news conference on Feb. 4 to complain about the story, after which Reuters updated the story to reflect the army’s position.The army subsequently filed a complaint objecting to the Reuters story to the Myanmar Press Council (MPC), which adjudicates disputes between authorities and news media.”Reuters stands by the reporting that is of concern to the military and is the subject of an ongoing discussion with Myanmar’s Press Council,” a Reuters spokesperson said.”We do not believe there is any basis for a criminal action against Reuters or our journalists under Myanmar law. We have not seen any criminal complaint against Reuters, and so cannot comment further at this time.”The member of parliament said that it was unfair to bring a lawsuit against him.”As a representative of the people, I listened to what the people told me and I spoke about it,” he told Reuters by phone. “I will just have to face the lawsuit and receive the judgement from the court.”Zaw Min Tun, a spokesman for the military, confirmed the complaint against the lawmaker but said he did not know about the lawsuit against Reuters.Rakhine state is the western region from which more than 750,000 Rohingya fled in 2017 following a military crackdown.Myanmar is facing charges of genocide at the International Court of Justice in the Hague over the crackdown. The army denies genocide, saying it was fighting a legitimate battle against Rohingya militants who attacked police stations.Two Reuters reporters were released from a Myanmar jail last May after spending more than 18 months behind bars, accused of breaking the official secrets act in a case that sparked an outcry from diplomats and human rights advocates.Before their arrest in December 2017, they had been working on an investigation into the killing of 10 Rohingya Muslim men and boys by security forces and Buddhist civilians in Rakhine state.
…
Cameroon Journalists Caught in Separatist Conflict Plea for Help
Dozens of reporters in Cameroon are calling for help after losing their jobs and, in some cases, their homes because of the war between separatist forces and the government. The reporters say they are constantly attacked or kidnapped for refusing to be propaganda tools for one side or the other.Thirty Cameroonian journalists, most of them women from the volatile North West region, have gathered in the capital city Yaounde to discuss the difficulties of reporting from Cameroon’s crisis zones.Comy Mussa, coordinator of Sisters Speak 237, an NGO that convened the meeting, says she invited the reporters because they need help to continue practicing their profession.”They do not have the kind of editorial support they need to tell a good story. We have a space where we provide this type of support and we also help them with sourcing for grants. Occasionally, we help with maybe transportation to go to an area and get a story that needs to be told,” she said.Mussa said the reporters are victims of brutality and violence and most of them are now poor because they are either out of their job or can no longer work in an environment which is increasingly hostile.It’s not just female journalists who are experiencing problems. Gilles Yumo of the Guardian Post newspaper said that in February his equipment and other items seized by armed men. He said he cannot even apply for a job because his academic certificates were among the things taken from him.”I have had several calls, threats, intimidation from separatist fighters because it is in such a way that nobody wants to see you reporting what is not in their favor, so when they got my documents what they told me is that they are going to get rid of them by burning [them],” Yumo said.Freelance journalist Mary Ngwa says she moved from Bamenda to Yaounde due to threats from separatists.”I reported on the soldiers. That’s when I received the big threat on my life. I started receiving phone calls. The guys were asking me, why did you not report about the other people that were killed. Why did you only report about the military?” Ngwa said.Since the separatist crisis started in 2017, journalists have complained of abuses by both the government and separatists fighting for the independence of the English-speaking areas from the majority French-speaking country. More than two dozen said they have been arrested or threatened.Jude Viban, president of the Cameroon Association of English-Speaking Journalists, says the military and separatists should know that reporters are not propaganda tools.”We denounce each time [when a] journalist is attacked and then, equally, what we are trying to do is to provide some material like bullet proof jackets to help the journalist work in those areas. We are opening a lot of discussions for government forces to understand that journalists are not in any way the enemy. They are just doing their job,” Viban said.The Cameroon government insists that it does not exert pressure on reporters and the military has always said they do not harass reporters.Separatist groups, meanwhile, have said they will not allow anyone to stand in their path toward self-determination.
…
Tibetan President-In-Exile Urges UN Official to Visit Tibet
Tibetan President-in-exile Lobsang Sangay urged the United Nations human rights chief on Tuesday to visit Tibet to examine rights violations and press for unrestricted access to the China-controlled region.
Sangya made the statement as the Central Tibetan Administration, the exile government, commemorated the 61st Tibetan Uprising Day on Tuesday. On March 10, 1959, Chinese soldiers crushed a Tibetan uprising in Lhasa, forcing the spiritual leader the Dalai Lama and over 80,000 Tibetans into exile in India and other countries.
China announced last month that the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, Michelle Bachelet, will visit China this year.
Bachelet, a former president of Chile, has been pushing China to allow U.N. officials to investigate reports of disappearances and arbitrary detentions, particularly of Muslims in the Xinjiang region.
Sangya wants Bachelet to add Tibet to her itinerary.
We strongly urge her to visit Tibet and press China for unfettered access in order to monitor the deteriorating human rights conditions in Tibet,'' he said.If the Chinese government harbors any hope that the Tibet issue will gradually lose its momentum, we would like to send a clear message that we will persist. The indomitable courage of Tibetans inside Tibet will continue to inspire those of us in exile to strengthen our commitment,” he said.
He said Tibetans still want genuine autonomy, and for that, the Chinese government must resume dialogue with the envoys of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.''Let’s talk China” and “China, wake up, no more killings.”
Meanwhile, members of the Tibetan Students Association of Madras organized a march in Chennai as part of the commemorations of Uprising Day, the Press Trust of India news agency said.
The protesters carried banners reading
China does not recognize the Tibetan government-in-exile and accuses the Dalai Lama of seeking to separate Tibet from China.
The Dalai Lama denies being a separatist and says he merely advocates substantial autonomy and protection of the region’s Buddhist culture.
Around 140,000 Tibetans now live in exile, mostly in India. Over 6 million Tibetans live in the Tibet region.
The U.N. and rights activists say at least 1 million ethnic Uighur and other Muslims are held in detention centers in Xinjiang. China rejects charges that they are detention centers, and describes the centers as training facilities to help stamp out terrorism and extremism.
…
Somber Event Marks 1st Anniversary of Ethiopian Crash
Grim-faced, visibly grief-stricken, some crying, hundreds of family members gathered Tuesday for a memorial service at the site where one year ago an Ethiopian Airlines jet crashed into the rocky ground, killing all 157 on board.
The area of the disaster, about 40 miles southeast of Addis Ababa, the capital, was closed to the press as buses brought family of the victims to the commemoration, sponsored by Ethiopian Airlines and Boeing, the maker of the jet.
Residents of the rural Tulufera area, near Bishoftu, took a break from fetching water and milking cattle, to remember when the jet nose-dived into the earth.
“It was very chaotic and we were in distress” Tsegaye Workineh, who said he was one of the first people to reach the crash site, told The Associated Press on Tuesday.“It is a sight that I will never forget in my entire life. You’re lucky that you haven’t seen it. It was very shocking.”
Big buses and smaller vehicles arrived on a newly built dirt road for the service where large tents have been erected.
Flight 302 took off from Addis Ababa airport the morning of March 10 last year and the pilots quickly reported problems and sought permission to return to the airport. They struggled but failed to control the plane, which six minutes after takeoff hit the barren patch of land.
The Ethiopian crash came almost five months after a strikingly similar crash in Indonesia of the same model aircraft. Together the two crashes led to a grounding of all Boeing 737 Max jets, more than 380 planes used by more than 50 airlines around the world. Boeing initially expressed confidence that the planes would soon be returned to service, but no date has been set.
In an interim report released Monday, Ethiopian investigators mostly blame Boeing for the crash, saying there were design failures in the flight-control system which repeatedly pushed the nose of the plane down. The report also said Boeing had offered inadequate training for pilots.
…
Airlines Slash Flights, Freeze Hiring as Virus Cuts Travel
Airlines are slashing flights and freezing hiring as they experience a sharp drop in bookings and a rise in cancellations in the face of the spreading coronavirus.Delta Air Lines said Tuesday that travel demand has fallen so badly in the past week that it expects one-third of seats to be empty this month on flights within the United States — previously the market most immune to virus fallout.Business travelers are grounded as meetings and conferences are being canceled. Leisure travelers are scared.Normally airlines try to lure reluctant customers by discounting fares, but that won’t work in the face of the COVID-19 outbreak.“If you are scared of flying, you are probably scared at any price,” said Delta President Glen Hauenstein.Delta, the world’s biggest airline by revenue, said it will cut international flights by 20% to 25% and reduce U.S. flying by 10% to 15%, roughly matching cuts previously announced by United Airlines. CEO Ed Bastian said the airline is “prepared to do more” if the outbreak grows.A Delta Air Lines plane is taking off at Reagan Washington National Airport outside Washington, D.C. (Photo by Diaa Bekheet)The airline is cutting spending, including putting a freeze on hiring, delaying voluntary pension contributions and suspending share buybacks.American Airlines announced it will cut international flying by 10% this summer and reduce U.S. flying by 7.5% in April. It has delayed training of new pilots and flight attendants.United said it has arranged $2 billion in additional bank borrowing to preserve financial flexibility — raising liquidity from $6 billion to $8 billion.The airlines are also evaluating their assets — planes, engines, spare parts and other items — to determine what could be used as collateral for more borrowing, if that is needed.The demand drop-off that began in Asia picked up steam in the U.S. about two weeks ago, when the virus spread outside Asia, notably to Italy. It has been felt equally among business and leisure travelers.Hauenstein said demand has fallen more sharply on the West Coast — Washington state and California have suffered larger outbreaks — than on the East Coast. He said younger people have been more willing to keep flying; people over 55 less willing.The virus appears to be most dangerous among older people. The Associated Press reported this week that the White House overruled a plan by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to recommend that older and physically weak Americans be advised not to fly on commercial airlines because of the new virus, according to a federal official.American’s CEO, Doug Parker, said the largest decline has been in tickets within seven days of departure, which are often bought by business travelers.“That is absolutely driven by U.S. corporations putting in place travel advisories and travel restrictions and canceling travel,” he said. “Once we get to the point where corporate America is ready to travel again, that will come back.”Airlines have been waiving change fees and touting stepped-up cleaning of airplane cabins to make passengers feel more comfortable about flying.Delta, United, American and most international carriers have suspended flights to China, where the outbreak began and has infected the most people.U.S. airline officials have expressed steadfast confidence that they can manage their way through the outbreak.Airline stocks have been among the hardest hit during the market sell-off of the last few weeks.Since mid-February, shares of American have lost more than half their value, United’s stock has fallen more than 40% and Delta and Southwest Airlines more than 25%. They rallied slightly in trading Tuesday morning.
…
In Face of Threats, Lawyer Defends Gays in Cameroon
In a country where homosexuality is criminalized, Alice Nkom was the first lawyer in Cameroon to defend suspected gay people. For this, she says she has faced attacks and death threats. Despite this, Nkom, who was also the first female lawyer in the country, says she is determined to continue to defend minorities. Moki Edwin Kindzeka narrates this report by Anne Nzouankeu in Douala, Cameroon.
…
Putin Agrees With Proposed Constitutional Change Allowing Him to Run For Reelection
Russian President Vladimir Putin says he agrees with a proposed constitutional amendment allowing him to seek another term in office, but only if it is approved by the Constitutional Court.”In principle, this option would be possible, but on one condition — if the constitutional court gives an official ruling that such an amendment would not contradict the principles and main provisions of the constitution,” Putin said on Tuesday while speaking to parliament’s lower house, the State Duma.Currently, the constitution allows for a president to serve two consecutive six-year terms.Putin’s current presidential term, his second consecutive one, ends in 2024.However, Valentina Tereshkova, a lawmaker from the United Russia party, proposed earlier in the day a constitutional amendment that would reset Putin’s presidential term count back to zero because of sweeping changes to the constitution currently being debated.
…
Major US Sports Leagues Limiting Access to Locker Rooms Amid Virus Scare
The NBA, NHL, Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer are closing access to locker rooms and clubhouses to all nonessential personnel, including media, in response to the coronavirus crisis, the leagues announced in a joint statement Monday night.They said they made the decision “after consultation with infectious disease and public health experts.” The NBA, in a call with teams earlier Monday, stressed that the move is not to ban reporters but to ensure the safety of players and staff in those areas.The statement, in part, read: “Given the issues that can be associated with close contact in pre- and post-game settings, all team locker rooms and clubhouses will be open only to players and essential employees of teams and team facilities until further notice. Media access will be maintained in designated locations outside of the locker room and clubhouse setting.”The changes, which the leagues say are temporary, will begin Tuesday — though some NHL teams began putting them into use this past weekend and the Buffalo Sabres did the same on Monday night. The NBA said interviews with players would continue in different settings, stressing a gap of 6-to-8 feet between reporters and interview subjects.“I don’t know that we have our arms around how significant of an issue this is at this point, so if the league is recommending or their policy is we want to take step by step type precautions, then we want to go along with that,” Texas Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said.It is unclear how long the new policies will last.“No disrespect, but that’s the last thing I’m worried about,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said prior to Denver’s NBA game against Milwaukee on Monday night.“I think it’s dangerous for everybody,” Rangers pitcher Edinson Volquez said. “Somebody could have it, you talk to a guy, you go home, maybe you transfer that to your kids and wife and family. So I think it’s a good idea for now. Probably later, hopefully we can get together again. But for now, we have to take care of that.”For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.The vast majority of people recover from the new virus. According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover. In mainland China, where the virus first exploded, more than 80,000 people have been diagnosed and more than 58,000 have so far recovered.“Roses are red, Violets are blue, Wash your hands! WASH YOUR HANDS!” Enes Kanter of the Boston Celtics wrote on Twitter.Meanwhile, there is already a clear sense of the new normal in the U.S.The Miami Heat held their annual gala at a theater in Miami Beach on Monday night, albeit a bit differently than usual. The team’s three NBA championship trophies were near the entrance — with someone standing by with a bottle of hand sanitizer. And guests, when they arrived, were offered champagne by some attendants, more hand sanitizer by others.“Until the league says something else, we are business as usual with a tremendous amount of caution and prevention to make sure everybody’s safe,” Heat President Pat Riley said Monday night. “But also, educating them that they’ve got to do the same thing.”The NBA held a call with team medical staffs later Monday night and scheduled a Wednesday call between league officials and team owners to discuss next steps. The NBA told teams last week to prepare for the possibility of playing games in empty arenas, something the game’s biggest star — Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James — insists he does not want to see.“I doubt that that’s going to happen,” Riley said. “But you have to be prepared.”It could happen in at least one NHL arena. Late Monday, California’s Santa Clara County announced a ban of all large gatherings of at least 1,000 people for the rest of the month. The policy would affect three San Jose Sharks home games, and the Sharks said in a statement they are reviewing their options. The team could play the games without fans, find a neutral site or play the games on the road.MLB officials, like the NBA, held a conference call with all 30 of their franchises on Monday to discuss the new policies. All four leagues — and the NFL, which has been involved in the talks but isn’t part of this policy since no teams are currently holding practices — are collecting information from the CDC and Canadian health officials, even as the situation changes almost on an hour-by-hour basis.“We are regularly conveying the guidance from these experts to clubs, players, and staff regarding prevention, good hygiene practices and the latest recommendations related to travel,” MLB said in a statement. “We are continuing to monitor developments and will adjust as necessary. While MLB recognizes the fluidity of this rapidly evolving situation, our current intention is to play Spring Training and regular season games as scheduled.”More than 113,000 people worldwide have tested positive for the disease and over 3,900 people with the virus have died, most of them in China. More than 62,000 people have already recovered. The virus has infected 600 people in the United States — including the director of the agency that runs the airports in New York and New Jersey — and at least 26 have died, most in Washington state.The Pro Basketball Writers Association quickly responded to the leagues’ announcement by saying its membership “believes the safety of fans, players, team employees, arena workers and the media who cover the league must be protected. Our thoughts are with all people who already have been adversely impacted by the virus.“Therefore, we understand the NBA’s decision to temporarily close locker rooms to everyone but players and essential team personnel with the NBA’s promise that once the coronavirus crisis abates, the league will restore full access to the journalists who cover the league.”Some NCAA Division III men’s basketball games this past weekend were played without crowds because of concerns over the virus. At least one college hockey playoff series this coming weekend in Troy, New York, between RPI and Harvard also will be played without fans.
…
Xi Visits Coronavirus Epicenter Wuhan
Chinese President Xi Jinping traveled Tuesday to the city of Wuhan for his first visit since the area became the center of a coronavirus outbreak that has infected more than 80,000 people and killed 3,100 in China.Chinese state media said Xi would be visiting medical workers and patients, as well as inspecting efforts to control the outbreak.His visit came as health officials reported 19 new cases Tuesday, part of a continuing trend of fewer and fewer infections in China as the virus spreads more rapidly in other countries. About 70% of China’s cases have already recovered.Part of China’s response was to lock down large areas to try to prevent the virus from spreading at large gatherings or among travelers going to other areas in the country.Italy is now taking the same strategy after becoming one of the largest outbreak sites outside of China with more than 9,000 cases and 460 deaths.The Italian government initially put restrictions on the northern part of the country, but Tuesday brought the start of travel restrictions to the entire country of 60 million people.A traveler wears a mask inside Rome’s Termini train station, Tuesday, March 10, 2020.Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said in a televised address Monday evening that the quarantine measures could be summarized by the phrase “I’m staying home.”In Iran, officials said Tuesday the coronavirus has killed 54 more people, bringing the death toll in the Islamic Republic to 291The head of the World Health Organization said Monday that the coronavirus has gained a foothold in so many countries that “the threat of a pandemic has become very real.”But WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus voiced optimism as well, saying it “would be the first pandemic in history that could be controlled.”Tedros said that with “decisive, early action,” world leaders can slow the advance of the illness and prevent infections. He said that “among those who are infected, most will recover.”In the United States, which has about 600 cases and 26 deaths from the virus, several areas with outbreaks are banning large gatherings, while major universities, including: Stanford, the University of Washington and Ohio State University are holding classes only online.Four members of Congress are self-quarantining after having contact at a recent political conference with someone who has tested positive. Incoming White House chief of staff Mark Meadows may have had contact and is also isolating himself until Wednesday.President Donald Trump, who spoke at the conference and had contact with several people who had direct contact with the infected person, has not been tested for the coronavirus.President Donald Trump speaks in the briefing room of the White House in Washington, March, 9, 2020.White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said in a statement late Monday the president “has neither had prolonged close contact with any known confirmed COVID-19 patients, nor does he have any symptoms,” and that White House doctors will monitor him.Elsewhere, Germany reported its first two deaths from coronavirus, but Chancellor Angela Merkel warned against thinking that it is in vain to try to halt the spread of the virus.”We are working for valuable time,” Merkel said, “time in which scientists can research medicines and a vaccine” and governments can stockpile protective gear.French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron took a hand-in-hand walk down Paris’s famed Champs-Elysees boulevard as a message of confidence, but kept a one-meter security distance from other people.”I’m shaking hands using my heart,” he said as he waved at people.
…
Health Experts Deeply Concerned About Coronavirus Risk at US Eldercare Facilities
Coronavirus is most dangerous to the elderly and those with weakened immune systems. Since the first fatalities in the US originated from a nursing facility in the state of Washington, there is deep concern among health experts, patients and their families that eldercare facilities are especially vulnerable. VOA’s Julie Taboh has more.
…
Saudi Arabia Increase Oil Output to Record High
Saudi Arabia’s state-run oil giant Saudi Aramco said Tuesday it would increase its crude oil production to 12.3 million barrels a day in April, a record amount.
The move seems to make good on the country’s promise over the weekend to increase output after Russia refused to cooperate on cutting production. That led to a 25% plunge in the price of crude on Monday, the sharpest decline seen since the 1991 Gulf War. International benchmark Brent crude traded up over 7% Tuesday at nearly $37 a barrel.
In a filing made Tuesday on Riyadh’s Tadawul stock market, Aramco — formally known as the Saudi Arabian Oil Co. — said that the increase in production represented a rise of 300,000 barrels per day.
“The company has agreed with its customers to provide them with such volumes starting 1 April 2020,” it said in the filing. “The company expects that this will have a positive, long-term financial effect.”
Saudi Aramco shares were up 9.7% in trading Tuesday on the Tadawul to 30.95 riyals, or $8.25, giving the world’s most-valuable company a valuation of $1.65 trillion.
It came a day after Aramco shares collapsed by 10% and were pulled from trading for reaching the Tadawul’s maximum permitted loss in a day, dropping its valuation to $1.4 trillion. Aramco had offered only a sliver of its shares on the Tadawul for investors.
Aramco’s decision likely will flood global energy markets and put further pressure on prices. The company had reached $2 trillion in early days of trading in December.
Saudi state television later quoted Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman as saying the kingdom didn’t see the need for an OPEC meeting in May and June.
“Every oil producer in the free market can take care of their own market share,” the energy minister said, according to state TV.
The lower oil prices come as there’s less demand for air travel amid the spread of the new coronavirus around the world, further depressing prices. However, that likely will push down gasoline prices at the pump for Americans. On average, a gallon of regular unleaded in the U.S. sold for $2.36 a gallon, according to AAA, down from $2.43 a month ago.
…
US Starts Troop Pullout, Seeks End to Afghan Leaders’ Feud
The United States began withdrawing troops from Afghanistan, the U.S. military said Tuesday, taking a step forward on its peace deal with the Taliban while also praising Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s promise to start releasing Taliban prisoners after he had delayed for over a week.The U.S.-Taliban deal signed on Feb. 29 was touted as Washington’s effort to end 18 years of war in Afghanistan. The next crucial step was to be intra-Afghan talks in which all factions including the Taliban would negotiate a road map for their country’s future.But Ghani and his main political rival, Abdullah Abdullah, were each sworn in as president in separate ceremonies on Monday. Abdallah and the elections complaints commission had charged fraud in last year’s vote. The dueling inaugurations have thrown plans for talks with the Taliban into chaos, although Ghani said Tuesday that he’d start putting together a negotiating team.The disarray on the Afghan government side is indicative of the uphill task facing Washington’s peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad as he tries to get Afghanistan’s bickering leadership to come together. In an early Tuesday tweet, Khalilzad said he hoped the two leaders can “come to an agreement on an inclusive and broadly accepted government. We will continue to assist.’’U.S. military spokesman in Afghanistan Sonny Leggett said in a statement Tuesday that the military had begun its conditions-based reduction of forces to 8,600 over 135 days.’'Currently, the U.S. has about 13,000 soldiers in Afghanistan - 8,000 of whom are involved in training and advising Afghanistan's National Security Forces, while about 5,000 are involved in anti-terror operations and militarily supporting the Afghan army when they are requested.Ghani had been dragging his feet on releasing some 5,000 Taliban prisoners, something agreed to in the U.S.-Taliban deal. Ghani promised Monday to announce a decree to free the prisoners, after the U.S. and a number of foreign dignitaries appeared to back his claim to the presidency by sending their representatives to his inauguration.U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo released a statement Monday saying,We also welcome President Ghani’s announcement that he will issue a decree March 10 on Taliban prisoner release.’’Taliban officials said late Monday that a flurry of biometric identifications were being conducted on Taliban prisoners, hinting at a mass release, according to prisoners currently in lockup. The Taliban officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to talk to the media.Pompeo also said he “strongly opposed” the establishment of a parallel government in Kabul, despite the early signs of one emerging. Abdullah had quickly sent his vice-presidents to occupy the official offices on Monday, ahead of Ghani’s plan to send his vice presidents to their offices Tuesday.Pompeo warned against “any use of force to resolve political differences.” Both candidates – but particularly Abdullah – are backed by warlords with heavily armed militias, underscoring fears they could use force to back their candidate.The U.S. has said its partial troop withdrawal over an 18-month period provided for in the deal will be linked to the Taliban keeping their promises to help fight terror in Afghanistan, but not to the success of talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government.On the weekend, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahed said the insurgent group was committed to their agreement with the United States and called on Washington to do its part to make sure their prisoners were freed.The Islamic State claimed responsibility for a rocket attack that took place during Ghani’s inauguration ceremony. IS also claimed a brutal attack last week on a gathering of minority Shiites that killed 32 and injured scores more. The U.S. in reaching its deal with the Taliban said they expected the Taliban, which has been battling Afghanistan’s IS affiliate, to further aid in the effort to defeat IS.
…
All-Female Ethiopian Flight Crew Aims to Inspire
For the sixth year in a row, an Ethiopian Airlines flight has flown from the Ethiopian capital to Washington, D.C. with an all-female crew to mark International Women’s Day. VOA’ s Amharic Service was at the welcoming ceremony in Washington’s Dulles International Airport. VOA’s Salem Solomon has more.
…
COVID-19 Slowing in China, But Soaring in Italy as Countries Enact Measures to Limit Virus Spread
The death toll from coronavirus in Italy is mounting as nearly a quarter of the country’s population starts the week under travel and other restrictions. In the United States, the number of cases is surging – spreading to 34 states – with 22 people having died from the illness. In China, a different picture, with workers slowly returning to their offices as the number of new coronavirus cases declines. VOA’s Mariama Diallo reports.
…
Maasai Female Rangers Protecting Wildlife in Kenya
Kenya’s Amboseli National Park is home to herds of elephants which are prone to poaching for the illicit trade in ivory. And now a program that has brought on board women in the fight against poachers is gaining traction. Lenny Ruvaga reports from Kajiado.
…
Trump Downplays COVID-19 Amidst Tanking Markets
U.S. President Donald Trump sought to play down the plunging price of oil and the global spread of the new coronavirus as markets plunged on Monday. Meanwhile his advisers presented him with a list of policy recommendations they hope will mitigate the economic fallout of the outbreak. White House Correspondent Patsy Widakuswara has the story.
…
Coronavirus-linked Scams on the Rise, US Secret Service Warns
The U.S. Secret Service is warning Americans to be on the lookout for coronavirus-linked scams saying that “any major news event can become an opportunity for groups or individuals with malicious intentions.”In a statement Monday, the Secret Service said criminals have already begun to use the fears surrounding the coronavirus outbreak to play on people’s emotions.The agency said in one instance that victims received an e-mail purporting to be from a health organization containing supposedly important information about the virus. An attachment, when opened, prompted victims to enter e-mail login credentials that were then stolen or unleashed malware on the computer.It said other schemes used social media sites to get people to donate to phony charitable causes related to the outbreak, while others used advertisements for in-demand medical supplies to get people to pay for items that were never sent.”Fear can cause normally scrupulous individuals to let their guard down and fall victim to social engineering scams, phishing scams, non-delivery scams, and auction fraud scams,” the Secret Service said.The agency urged people to be on heightened alert and said more of these incidents are expected.Last week, police in Britain said victims in that country had lost more than $1 million to coronavirus-linked scams. It said many of those involved scams over face masks, with one victim paying nearly $20,000 for masks that were never delivered.
…
Family at Risk After Arrest of Cambodian Woman for ‘Sexy’ Online Sales
Ing Chhorvy sits in a two-room condominium in Phnom Penh’s upscale Tuol Kork district. The 38-year-old mother of five is neither the owner of the condo nor does she live there, but the developer wants mortgage payments for the posh unit her cousin owns.Ing Chhorvy is worried about her children’s future after the arrest of her cousin, Ven Rachana, who went by Thai Srey Neang on Facebook and owns the condo.”The important thing is that she is the breadwinner of the family. When she is imprisoned, what else do we have?” said Ing Chhorvy, who lives in Phnom Penh’s Tuol Sangke commune.Ven Rachana sold women’s clothes and cosmetics on a Facebook page called the Thai Srey Neang Online Shop. Every day, she posted pictures of her products or went live on Facebook to sell them.She is one of the many Cambodians who use Facebook, a platform synonymous with the internet in Cambodia, to sell items from food products to medications with almost everything under the sun in between.The sellers can be seen on Facebook working hard to find buyers. They model their products for viewers, answer viewer queries and then direct potential buyers to payment methods.However, on February 18, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen ordered a clampdown on female online sellers for dressing too “sexy” while selling their products. The prime minister was speaking at the National Council of Women when he ordered the police to raid the homes of female online retailers, purportedly because they were sullying Khmer culture.”As described in Khmer literature, the Khmer woman must remain virtuous to uphold the image of her family,” Online seller Thai Srey Neang was arrested by National Police of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Feb. 20, 2020. (Courtesy Photo)According to police reports, a day before Ven Rachana’s arrest, she had been summoned to a local police station and “educated” about her clothing choices. The police then had her sign an agreement to refrain from posting “sexy” pictures and videos. In a video posted to Facebook by the police, she apologizes for wearing clothing “which disgraces Khmer traditions” and “affects the honor of Cambodian women,” according to Amnesty International. But that night Ven Rachana resumed her allegedly provocative sales pitches on Facebook, leading to her arrest shortly after. Released hours later, police said Ven Rachna was re-arrested after posting a photo of herself in her underwear hours after being released.Authorities have charged her with pornography under Cambodia’s 1996 Law on Suppression of Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation. They also charged Ven Rachna with exposure of a sex organ under Article 249 of the Criminal Code, according to Amnesty International. She was then sent to pretrial detention in Phnom Penh’s CC2 prison. The combined charges could result in up to 15 months’ imprisonment, according to Amnesty.Van Meta said the family requested leniency for their breadwinner.”We were trying hard to make this request, but they didn’t release her,” said Ven Meta, 42, whose two daughters live with Ven Rachana.Ven Meta said she was worried about mounting expenses, especially outstanding payments for the condominium, which now totaled around $2,000.The condo developers have started “to ask for money, saying that if there is nobody living there or is not paying the money, they will not let us to keep the home,” Ven Meta said, adding that before her arrest, Ven Rachana lived in the condo with the two nieces and two sales assistants.Hun Sen’s order has come under scrutiny from human rights groups. His assertion that “sexily” dressed women were aggravating the issue of sexual exploitation came under fire as a case of “victim-blaming.” Victim-blaming suggests that the victim rather than the perpetrator bears responsibility for an alleged crime. Amnesty International’s Regional Director Nicholas Bequelin said, “These transparently trumped-up charges are an affront to gender equality and make a mockery of the rule of law. The arbitrary nature of Ven Rachna’s arrest and the discriminatory abuse of her freedom of expression represent a troubling regression in the state of women’s rights in Cambodia.”A coalition of women’s rights advocates and groups released a statement February 19 questioning the legal basis to arrest or even educate women for their choice of clothing, and suggestions that women’s appearance in public affected Khmer culture.”Furthermore, there is no deep study to prove that the way of woman dressing clothes is the cause of creating the deficit of social morality,” the statement read.Seng Reasey, executive director of the local rights group, Silaka, questioned how a celebrity could post pictures in a bikini and not upend so-called social morality, but that someone lower on the socioeconomic ladder could be arrested for dressing “sexy” and affecting cultural and societal norms.”When they are celebrities, it seems to be no problem. Or is this done because action is being taken against someone of a different status,” said Seng Reasey, adding that neither the bikini-clad celebrity nor the online seller should face criminal action.Suong Nary, 25, just started her own online business on Facebook, selling products such as lotions. She said she was concerned by Ven Rachana’s arrest and imprisonment but was quick to add that she did not use “sexy” sales tactics on her Facebook page.A successful business “depends on our words and our products, which are the main requirements to make sales,” she said. “I don’t believe that we have to do Facebook Live.”Back in Tuol Kork, Ing Chhorvy is keen for Ven Rachana to be released and resume selling products on Facebook, her mounting economic desperation seemingly making it hard for her to consider that her cousin could go back to jail. “We hope that there is someone coming to help, so she can be released soon,” she said. “If she comes, we will be able to continue our living because we have many children.”
…
US Strikes in Somalia Nearly on Par with Strikes in Iraq, Syria
The pace of U.S. military strikes against al-Qaida affiliate al-Shabab in Somalia this year is nearly on par with the number of strikes against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.The U.S. has carried out 25 strikes against al-Shabab to date in 2020, including one Monday in the vicinity of Janaale, Somalia, that U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) said killed four terrorists.Data released to VOA by a U.S. defense official show the U.S. carried out 29 airstrikes against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria from January 1 to March 1, the latest date in which strike data was available. A full strike report from Operation Inherent Resolve is expected later this week.Strikes in Iraq and Syria have significantly tapered off since the territorial defeat of the so-called Islamic State caliphate last March.In 2019, there were more than 2,000 airstrikes in Iraq and Syria, with at least 1,600 of those carried out in the first couple of months. U.S. Central Command has decreased troop numbers in Syria, where thousands of IS fighters are estimated to remain, but increased troop numbers elsewhere in the Middle East in an effort to counter the threat of Iran.FILE – Al-Shabab fighters march during military exercises in the Lafofe area, some 18 kilometers (11 miles) south of Mogadishu, Somalia, Feb. 17, 2011.Meanwhile, AFRICOM conducted a record 63 strikes in Somalia last year. Most were against al-Qaida affiliate al-Shabab, which has an estimated 6,000 militants in Somalia, with a handful of strikes against Islamic State. There were 47 U.S. military strikes in Somalia in 2018.”Airstrikes are preventative measures to ensure al-Shabab does not increase in size and strength,” AFRICOM spokesman Maj. Karl Weiss told VOA on Monday. “That said, airstrikes and kinetic operations are not the command’s primary effort in Somalia; our core activity is the training of Somali security forces.”Despite the ramped up strike numbers in Somalia, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper has appeared averse to adding more U.S. troops to Africa, where Islamic extremists have plagued the continent from Somalia to the Sahel.FILE – Defense Secretary Mark Esper speaks during a briefing at the Pentagon in Washington, March 2, 2020.The Pentagon is in the middle of a review of AFRICOM that could reduce the number of U.S. troops on the continent. The first troop change in Africa under Esper’s leadership withdrew conventional troops and replaced them with specialized military trainers.Esper has said the move would leave “roughly the same number of troops on the continent,” while giving U.S. commanders the capability to bolster partner forces.Members of Congress have pushed back against any potential troop cuts, saying a decrease could provide an opening for strategic competitors Russia and China. Republican Senators Lindsey Graham and Jim Inhofe, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, have even called for an increase in the number of U.S. troops deployed to Africa.Esper is trying to follow a shift started by his predecessor, Jim Mattis, away from counterterrorism toward strategic competition with China and Russia. During Mattis’ time as defense secretary, the U.S. pulled 100 to 200 troops from West Africa and was preparing for further cuts.Defense officials said extremist groups in West Africa did not appear to pose a threat to the U.S. homeland, but they have since continued to pummel U.S. allies, especially in countries like Burkina Faso. A top general in U.S. Africa Command admitted to VOA at the time of the troop pullout that the U.S. and its allies were “not winning” the counterterror war for the Sahel.AFRICOM Commander Gen. Stephen Townsend has said al-Shabab is the “largest and most violent” of al-Qaida’s branches worldwide. Defense officials have stressed that while al-Shabab does not possess the capability to strike the U.S. homeland, the group has the intent to do so.”It is important to impact their ability to threaten peace and security in East Africa and prevent their threats against the U.S. from being a reality,” Townsend said in a press release last month.Townsend and CENTCOM Commander Gen. Kenneth “Frank” McKenzie testify together in front of the House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday.
…