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Category: Human Rights

  • Three dead in New Caledonia amid independence, electoral unrest

    Three people have now died in New Caledonia in the wake of pro-independence protests and escalating unrest.

    Charles Wea, a spokesperson for international relations in the New Caledonian territorial President’s office, confirmed the deaths to RNZ Pacific.

    The circumstances are unclear in the French territory’s third day of violence.

    France’s Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said hundreds of people had been injured in rioting, Reuters reported.

    French High Commissioner Louis Le Franc said: “I sense dark hours have arrived in New Caledonia.”

    “So what we must remember from what I am going to tell you is a call for calm — stop, stop.

    “Stop what has been started.”

    Security forces bolstered
    This follows France sending in more than 600 reinforcements to back up local police.

    More than 130 people have been arrested and fears are turning to how these people will be detained, with the prison population already at capacity.

    Local journalist Coralie Cochin told RNZ another curfew had been announced for this evening starting at 6pm local time.

    A New Zealander holidaying in New Caledonia earlier told RNZ residents in the territory believed the situation could get worse.

    Mike Lightfoot and his family are stuck in New Caledonia until at least Friday after the government imposed curfews and a drinking ban to try to quell protests.

    The violence was provoked by a proposal by France which would allow French residents who have lived in New Caledonia for 10 years, to vote in provincial elections — a move local pro-independence leaders fear will dilute the vote of the indigenous Kanak population.

    Lightfoot said the situation seemed peaceful as his family returned from a beach north of Nouméa, but the number of protests escalated as they entered the capital.

    ‘Frightening — gunshots, explosions’
    Intersections were blocked and some were on fire. There were riot police throughout the city.

    He and his wife had to leave the hotel at night to find a doctor after she developed a chest infection.

    “It was a frightening experience. We could hear gunshots. We heard explosions.”

    They had to drive through a roundabout on fire, blocked by 150 protesters.

    Lightfoot said locals and staff in the hotel had told them they believed protests could escalate with the presence of more riot police and latest moves from France.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Violence erupts in New Caledonia as independence supporters oppose legislation in Paris

    Macron’s plan has backfired. But there can be no sustainable solution without cooperation of all parties, writes a former Australian diplomat in New Caledonia.

    ANALYSIS: By Denise Fisher

    Monday night saw demonstrations by independence supporters in New Caledonia erupt into serious violence for the first time since the 1980s civil disturbances.

    The mainly indigenous demonstrators were opposing President Emmanuel Macron’s imposition of constitutional change to widen voter eligibility unless discussions about the future begin soon.

    The protests occurred the day before France’s National Assembly was to vote on the issue, and just after Macron had proposed new talks in Paris.

    On Monday, May 13, in Noumea, as France’s National Assembly debated the constitutional change in Paris, their local counterparts in the New Caledonian Congress were debating a resolution calling for withdrawal of the legislation.

    The debate was bitter, after months of deepening division between independence and loyalist parties and focusing as it did on one of the most sensitive issues to each side, that of voter eligibility. The resolution was passed, as independence parties secured the support of a small minority party to outnumber the loyalists.

    Macron, in an eleventh hour bid to prompt all parties to participate in new discussions about the future, proposed on May 13 to hold talks in Paris, but only after the Assembly vote of May 14 (albeit before the next step in the constitutional amendment process, a meeting of both houses).

    Independence party leaders had called on their supporters to demonstrate against the constitutional reform, to coincide with the National Assembly’s consideration of the issue. The evening of May 13 was marked by violence on a scale not seen in decades.

    Burning of buildings, roadblocks
    It included the burning of buildings and businesses, roadblocks preventing movement in and out of the capital, and the closure of airports and ports in some of the islands. Police were targeted with gunfire and stoning, resulting in 35 injured police.

    As of yesterday, Tuesday May 14, people were being asked to stay at home, with a curfew imposed. France, which already had 700 police on the job in New Caledonia, has sent reinforcements to maintain order.

    A curfew was imposed. France, which already had 700 police on the job in New Caledonia, has sent reinforcements
    A curfew was imposed. France, which already had 700 police on the job in New Caledonia, has sent reinforcements to maintain order. Image: Al Jazeera screenshot APR

    The violence immediately brought to the minds of leaders the bloodshed of the 1980s, termed “les événements”.

    The French High Commissioner, or governor, suggested things were moving “towards an abyss” and cancelled some incoming flights to prevent complications from tourists being unable to access Noumea, while noting that the airport and main wharf remain open. He urged independence leaders to use their influence on the young to stop the violence.

    The Mayor of Noumea, Sonia Lagarde, described the situation as “extremely well organised guerrilla warfare” involving “well-trained young people” and suggested “a sort of civil war” was approaching.

    On the face of it, to an outsider, Macron’s plan to broaden voter eligibility to those with 10 years’ residence prior to any local election, unless discussions about the future begin, would seem reasonable.

    He sees the three independence votes held from 2018–21 as legal, notwithstanding the largely indigenous boycott of the third. (Each referendum saw a vote to stay with France, although support was narrow, declining from 56.7% to 53.3% in the first two votes, but ballooning to 96.5% in the third vote boycotted by independence supporters.)

    ‘Radical’ for white Caledonians, ‘unconscionable’ for Kanaks
    For New Caledonians, Macron’s positioning is radical. Loyalists see it as a vindication of their position.

    But for independence parties, France’s stance has been unconscionable.  Independence leaders reject the result of the boycotted referendum and want another self-determination vote soon.

    Some have refused to participate in discussions organised by France, although one of the most recalcitrant elements suggested some discussion would be possible just days before the violent demonstrations.

    But they have all strongly opposed Macron’s imposing constitutional change to widen voter eligibility unilaterally from Paris. They were affronted by his appointment of a prominent loyalist MP as the rapporteur responsible for shepherding the issue through the Assembly.

    They have instead been calling for a special mission led by an impartial figure to bring about dialogue.

    Protests included the burning of buildings and businesses
    Protests included the burning of buildings and businesses, roadblocks preventing movement in and out of the capital, and the closure of airports and ports in some of the islands. Image: NC La Première TV

    More importantly, they see the highly sensitive voter eligibility issue as a central negotiating chip in discussions about the future. Confining voter eligibility only to those with longstanding residence on a fixed basis — not by a number of years prior to any local election as Macron is proposing — was fundamental to securing independence party acceptance of peace agreements over 30 years, after France had operated a policy of bringing in French nationals from elsewhere to outweigh local independence supporters who are primarily indigenous.

    Differences have deepened
    With the inconclusive end of these agreements, differences have only deepened.

    Loyalist leaders have accused independence leaders of planning the violence. Whether it was planned or whether demonstrations degenerated, either way it is clear that emotions are running high among independence supporters, who feel their position is not being respected.

    No sustainable solution for the governance of New Caledonia is possible without the cooperation of all parties.

    It seems that, regardless of Macron’s evident intention of spurring parties to come to the discussion table, his plan has backfired. Discussions are unlikely to resume soon.

    Denise Fisher is a visiting fellow at Australian National University’s Centre for European Studies. She was an Australian diplomat for 30 years, serving in Australian diplomatic missions as a political and economic policy analyst in many Australian missions in Asia, Europe and Africa, including as Australian Consul-General in Nouméa, New Caledonia (2001-2004). She is the author of France in the South Pacific: Power and Politics (2013). This article was first published by the Lowy Institute’s The Interpreter and is republished by Asia Pacific Report with permission.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • New Caledonia unrest: Pro-independence calls for calm ‘to preserve peace’

    By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk

    A group belonging to New Caledonia’s pro-independence movement, UNI (Union Nationale pour l’Indépendance), has released a communiqué saying they were “moved by and deplored the exactions and violence taking place“.

    UNI member of New Caledonia’s Northern provincial assembly Patricia Goa said the violent unrest “affects the whole of our population”.

    She said it was “necessary to preserve all that we have built together for over 30 years” and that the priority was “to preserve peace, social cohesion”.

    Patricia Goa at the government of the Northern Province in New Caledonia
    New Caledonia’s Northern provincial assembly Patricia Goa . . . call to “preserve all that we have built together for over 30 years.” Image: Walter Zweifel/RNZ

    New Caledonia’s territorial President, pro-independence leader Louis Mapou, in a news release from his “collegial” government, appealed for “calm, peace, stability and reason”.

    He said they “must remain our goals” in the face of “those events that can only show the persistence of profound fractures and misunderstandings”.

    Louis Mapou of New Caledonia's pro-independence UNI Party
    New Caledonia President Louis Mapou . . . an appeal to “bring back reason and calm”. Photo: RNZ Walter Zweifel

    He called on all components of New Caledonia’s society to “use every way and means to bring back reason and calm”.

    “Every explanation for these frustrations — anger cannot justify harming or destroying public property, production tools, all of which this country has taken decades to build,” he said, strongly condemning such actions.

    Referring to current debates in the Paris National Assembly on changing the French Constitution — to allow more voters at New Caledonia’s local provincial elections — Mapou also appealed to French President Emmanuel Macron, to “bear in mind” that at all times, the priority must remain for a comprehensive agreement to be struck between all political leaders of New Caledonia, to pave the way for the archipelago’s long-term political future.

    This accord has not taken place and Macron at the weekend invited all of New Caledonia’s leaders to restart discussions in Paris.

    Protestors take part in a demonstration led by the Union of Kanak Workers and the Exploited (USTKE) and organisations of the Kanaky Solidarity Collective in support of Kanak people, with flags of the Socialist Kanak National Liberation Front (FLNKS) next to a statue of Vauban, amid a debate at the French National Assembly on the constitutional bill aimed at enlarging the electorate of the overseas French territory of New Caledonia, in Paris on May 14, 2024. France's prime minister on May 14, 2024, urged the restoration of calm in New Caledonia after the French Pacific archipelago was rocked by a night of rioting against a controversial voting reform that has angered pro-independence forces.
    Protesters take part in a demonstration led by the Union of Kanak Workers and the Exploited (USTKE) and organisations of the Kanaky Solidarity Collective in support of Kanak people, with flags of the Socialist Kanak National Liberation Front (FLNKS) in Paris next to a statue of Vauban, a celebrated 18th century French military engineer who became a Marshal of France. Image: RNZ

    Back in Paris, debates resumed last night in National Assembly, but the vote on a French government-proposed Constitutional change to modify the conditions of eligibility ended with a decisive yes 351-153 in spite of the strong opposition.

    Left-wing MPs are supporting New Caledonia’s pro-independence movement in their struggle against a text they believe would seriously affect their political representation.

    The constitutional change is regarded as the main cause of New Caledonia’s current unrest.

    Meanwhile, New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters, is this week heading a political delegation in several Pacific island countries and territories, including Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, and Tuvalu.

    However, the New Caledonian leg of the tour was officially cancelled and will be rescheduled to another date.

    As part of the official travel programme, the delegation was to “meet with government, political and cultural leaders, visit New Zealand-supported development initiatives and participate in community activities”.

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    Burnt van and tyres at one roadblock near Nouméa’ Magenta industrial zone
    Burnt van and tyres at one roadblock near Nouméa’ Magenta industrial zone. Image: RNZ/La 1ère TV

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • 450,000 Civilians Flee as Israeli Assault on Rafah Enflames Tensions With US

    Tensions between Israel, the United States and the international community reached a boiling point on Monday as Israeli troops advanced on the city of Rafah in southern Gaza. The assault forced thousands of already battered and displaced civilians to flee once again from any sort of shelter and safety they had established since losing their homes to Israel’s bombs months ago. Reem Zidiah…

    Source

    This post was originally published on Latest – Truthout.

  • EU Migration Pact will bring more misery, racism, and violence against migrants seeking safety across Europe

    The EU has ramped up its assault on refugee rights with its latest sweep of borderisation policies. On Tuesday 14 May, the bloc gave the final greenlight for a broad overhaul of its migration and asylum policies. However, the new EU ‘Migration Pact’ is simply another extension of its racist “fortress Europe” project. Crucially, its colonial undertones were unmistakable amidst platitudes to “help people fleeing persecution”.

    EU Migration Pact

    Across a suite of ten legislative acts, the EU has reformed its framework for asylum and migration. A majority of EU countries backed these, ensuring its passage despite opposition from Hungary and Poland. The overhaul comes into effect from 2026.

    It establishes new border centres that will detain migrants while their asylum requests are vetted. Notably, the new policies will effectively accelerate deportations. Partly, it will do so through new border procedures that categorise asylum seekers. Border officials will use this new system to make quick assessments on applications.

    European politician clamoured to hail the new policies. In one breath German interior minister Nancy Faeser said the reform will help people fleeing persecution, while in the other she said that it will make:

    clear that those who do not need this protection cannot come to Germany or must leave Germany much more quickly

    Unsurprisingly then, migrant and human rights organisations have consistently slammed the EU’s new slapdash approach to asylum applications and migration in general.

    Amnesty EU called the new EU Migration Pact out on X:

    In other words, the new policies will sure up Europe’s racist borders. Meanwhile, more borderisation will put migrant lives at risk. As Amnesty previously highlighted in April:

    For people escaping conflict, persecution, or economic insecurity, these reforms will mean less protection and a greater risk of facing human rights violations across Europe – including illegal and violent pushbacks, arbitrary detention, and discriminatory policing.

    “Final nail in the coffin for human rights”

    The Europe-wide umbrella organisation the Platform for Undocumented Migrants (PICUM) also criticised the EU’s move:

    PICUM has previously articulated the multitude of ways the new EU Migration Pact will endanger migrant rights. Alongside pushing up deportations, the policies will exarcerbate racial profiling, limit access to legal representation, and remove vital safeguards.

    The UK’s Migrant Rights Network – a member of PICUM – has warned this will:

    expand the digital surveillance at Europe’s borders and further embed the mass criminalisation of migrants.

    Specifically, it explained that in practice, this will mean:

    the use of intrusive technology including surveillance and drones, in addition to the mass collection of people’s data which will be exchanged between police forces across the EU. Notably, this includes changes in the Eurodac Regulation. Eurodac is an EU database that stores the fingerprints of “international protection applicants” and migrants who have arrived irregularly.

    This will mandate the systematic collection of migrants’ biometric data including facial images which will be retained in massive databases for up to 10 years. This data can be exchanged at every step of the migration process and made accessible to police forces across the European Union for tracking and identity checks purposes.

    This means biometric identification systems will also be used to track people’s movements.

    Colonial borders

    In parallel with the sweeping reforms, the EU is stepping up its colonial ideology. Specifically, it has been negotiating deals with countries of transit and origin aimed at curbing the number of arrivals. Of course, this entails outsourcing the EU’s borders.

    In recent months, it has inked agreements with Tunisia, Mauritania and Egypt.

    Meanwhile, Italy has also struck its own accord with Albania. This will allow it to send migrants rescued in Italian waters to the country while their asylum requests are processed.

    Furthermore, a group of countries spearheaded by Denmark and the Czech Republic are laying the groundwork for a similar approach. They have been coordinating a letter to the European Commission pushing for the bloc to transfer migrants picked up at sea to countries outside the EU.

    However, Migration Policy Institute Europe Camille Le Coz said that there were “many questions” about how any such initiatives could work.

    Under EU law, immigrants can only be sent to a country outside the bloc where they could have applied for asylum, provided they have a sufficient link with that country.

    That rules out – for now – any programmes such as the UK’s abhorrent Rwanda scheme. Therefore, Le Coz said that it still needs “to be clarified” how proposals for any EU outsourcing deals would work.

    EU Migration Pact: racist apparatus

    Unsurprisingly then, entrenching its hard borders is EU’s answer to people seeking safety and community in Europe. Specifically, the EU originally launched work to reform its migration legislation off the back of the so-called 2015 “refugee crisis”.

    Now, this has culminated in a slate of racist legislation that will put migrants at greater risk of harm. Of course, outsourcing borders and criminalising migrants is entirely on brand with the colonial “fortress Europe” rhetoric.

    Invariably, this has become the intrinsic racist apparatus of colonial nations dodging responsibility for driving violence and displacement across the globe in pursuit of continued capitalist plunder. To the politicians in the halls of power, migrant lives continue to be expendable.

    Additional reporting via Agence France-Presse

    Feature image via Youtube – Channel 4 News

    By Hannah Sharland

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • It’s not just World Central Kitchen. More aid workers shared coordinates only for Israel to kill them

    Israel has repeatedly attacked aid workers in Gaza who had previously shared their coordinates with the state.

    Aid organisations targeted include World Central Kitchen, Doctors Without Borders, International Rescue Committee, Medical Aid for Palestinians, American Near East Refugee Aid Organisation, and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).

    Terrorising humanitarian workers

    The UN reports that as of 30 April, Israel has killed at least 254 aid workers in Gaza. The majority of those killed are from UNRWA – the largest aid organisation in Palestine.

    In eight instances where Human Rights Watch documents that aid workers shared their location with Israel, the state murdered or injured at least 31 people. Israel also gave no warning before the attacks.

    The UK and US governments are additionally complicit. In one of these attacks Israel used a US-made bomb fired from an F16 jet, which includes parts the UK supplied.

    And in the World Central Kitchen attack on 1 April, Israel struck aid workers with a Hermes 450 drone that uses a UK-made engine.

    Israel has an army unit – the Coordination and Liaison Administration. This says it looks after Palestinian humanitarian needs in Gaza.

    Targeted aid workers acting for Doctors Without Borders shared their location with this unit.

    Making Gaza uninhabitable for Palestinians

    The attacks on aid workers appear to be part of Israel’s strategy to attempt to ethnically cleanse Palestinians out of Gaza and force them into other countries like Egypt.

    Israel’s conduct to aid workers sends them a chilling message and had forced at least 11 organisations to severely scale back their operations. This contributes to making Gaza uninhabitable for Palestinians.

    Israel has weaponised starvation against Palestinian people.

    The UN reports that 1.1 million people in Gaza are experiencing or facing catastrophic food insecurity. That’s because Israel is restricting the number of aid trucks entering Gaza to an average of 180 per day.

    This is well below the over 500 trucks needed, according to a spokesperson for UNRWA.

    Since 24 March, Israel has prevented UNRWA from providing food aid in North Gaza.

    This means malnutrition is particularly an issue in North Gaza. Oxfam reports that people there are surviving on an average of 245 calories per day – less than a can of beans.

    Israel’s collective punishment against the Palestinian people such as through using starvation as a weapon is a war crime under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

    We must ensure Israel faces accountability for such atrocities in the ICC. Or the state will continue to act with impunity.

    Featured image via NBC News – YouTube and Doctors Without Borders – YouTube

    By James Wright

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Saudi Aramco-FIFA Sponsorship Deal : Another Case of Blatant Sportwashing

    Aramco, a leading energy and chemicals Saudi public company, has signed a four-year global partnership with the International Association Football Federation (FIFA). The company will become FIFA’s Major Worldwide Partner exclusive in the energy category, with sponsorship rights for multiple events including the highly anticipated FIFA World Cup 26 and FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027.

    The agreement, which runs until the end of 2027, fits Saudi Arabia’s strategy of sportwashing to hide human rights abuses. Indeed, the policy, initiated by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman since his accession to power in 2017, is primarily designed to “sportswash” Saudi Arabia’s reputation, hosting major sporting events that attract widespread positive media attention to divert it away from the hosts’ abuses. By providing the worldwide population extensive possibilities of distractions, it becomes easier to forget reiterated human rights violations in the country. In this way, the world can be made to neglect the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, the fierce repression of Saudi independent journalists, the poor women’s rights in the kingdom and ignore the mass killings of migrants along the Saudi border with Yemen.

    Having already secured sponsorship rights for the 2026 Men’s World Cup and the Women’s World Cup the following year, the Saudi government may soon secure the rights to host the 2034 men’s football World Cup and – gallingly, considering the country’s treatment of women – as it is bidding for the 2035 women’s World Cup too. Recently, Manahel al-Otaibi, a 29-year-old fitness instructor and women’s rights activist, has been sentenced to 11 years in prison by Saudi’s authorities because of her choice of clothing and support for women’s rights.

    One of most worrying consequences is probably the fact that giving a positive image to governments with abysmal human rights records obscures the struggle of those whose rights are being violated and of the activists and NGOs that are trying to raise awareness about what is going on in these countries.

    In April 2016, FIFA adopted the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and revised its own Statutes to include its responsibility to respect human rights in article 3 of the FIFA governing Statutes (non-discrimination was already long enshrined in article 4). Even if, in June 2017, FIFA adopted and published its Human Rights Policy stating that human rights commitments are binding on all FIFA bodies and officials, the Federation seems to ignore its commitments. In particular, FIFA is obliged to integrate human rights requirements into bidding processes for competitions and as a factor in the subsequent selection of the hosts.

    For this reason, Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) urges Saudi Arabia to enact human rights reforms and to comply with the international standards setted by international treaties. Also we require the FIFA to apply clear, objective human rights criteria to all states for hosting sports competitions. Although FIFA has not contributed to adverse human rights impacts, the action of the Saudi government is effective because the sports federations allow it : the FIFA disregards Saudi Arabia’s atrocious human rights record, attracted by the billions of dollars that Saudi Arabia invests to cover it.

    The post Saudi Aramco-FIFA Sponsorship Deal : Another Case of Blatant Sportwashing appeared first on Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain.

    This post was originally published on Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain.

  • Violence against LGBTQ+ people SURGING in Europe, new report finds

    It’s 2024, but violence against LGBTQ+ people continues apace. In fact, across Europe, it has rocketed to record levels. This is according to a new Europe-wide survey which revealed the situation for LGBTQ+ people living across the EU, Albania, North Macedonia, and Serbia.

    Unsurprisingly, the new survey exposed the appalling scale of discrimination that bigots across the board, from employers to healthcare systems, and throughout multiple other public institutions continue to mete out against them.

    Europe LGBTQ+ report

    On Tuesday 14 May, the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) released its new damning report on the state of society for LGBTQ+ people in 2023. Specifically, over 100,000 respondents from across the EU, Albania, North Macedonia and Serbia participated in the FRA’s comprehensive survey. It followed two previous surveys the FRA had conducted first in 2012, and then again in 2019.

    Significantly, the report noted that its findings “present a paradox”. On the one hand, it showed a positive uptick in the number of people living openly as LGBTQ+. For instance, the report identified that the share of respondents open about their sexual and gender identity had increased.

    In 2019, less than half – 46% – said they were open about this. By contrast, 52% of respondents said they are “often or always” open about being LGBTQ+.

    Alongside this, 36% of survey respondents said they had experienced discrimination in the 12 months before the survey. While still over a third, this was down from the 42% respondents reported in 2019.

    However, an alarming rise in violence since 2019 has tempered progress in LGBTQ+ living safe and free from hatred.

    Notably, 14% of respondents reported experiencing a physical or sexual attack in the five years before the survey was conducted in 2023. Comparatively, 11% of respondents had reported this in 2019.

    Of course, some groups shouldered a disproportionate burden of this violence. In particular, bigots had threatened or carried out violence against intersex and trans people far more than the average across the LGBTQ+ community.

    In 2019, violence against intersex people across the previous five years had been 22%, but this sky-rocketed to 34% in 2023. Meanwhile, this was the case for 29% of trans women and 23% of trans men in 2023.

    Discrimination in all aspects of public life

    As well as an increase in violence, the Europe LGBTQ+ report showed that unconscionably high levels of discrimination persists in multiple aspects of public life.

    Overall, in the 12 months before the survey, 37% of respondents said that institutions, public services, and people had discriminated against them for being LGBTQ+.

    This included 18% in the workplace, 17% in food and drinks venues, and 15% in education settings. For instance, bullying at schools has drastically increased. More than two in three respondents said they had been bullied, a steep increase compared to one out of two in 2019.

    Healthcare was also hot on the heels of these public settings, with 14% of respondents reporting that services had discriminated against them.

    Notably, the report said that:

    LGBTIQ people face severe difficulties in accessing healthcare, in many cases leading to forgoing treatment (5 %), avoiding seeking necessary healthcare (6 %) or being refused treatment by medical professionals (2 %).

    A worrying proportion of respondents (10 %) say that they faced such problems in accessing emergency care or that they had to change general practitioner due to negative reactions(5 %).

    Similarly, the high rates of discrimination were also the case in housing for 12% of respondents. Moreover, 1% of survey respondents had said this discrimination had pushed them into homelessness. The report highlighted the disproportionate levels of LGBTQ+ people forced into this:

    many respondents face difficulties with housing and homelessness that are disproportionate compared with the general population. For example, 6 % of intersex respondents report having to sleep rough in a public space at least once in their life compared with 0.2 % of the general population.

    Political football for the far right

    Notably, a shameful ecosystem of online bigotry is partly responsible for driving this spike in hate-motivated violence.

    Specifically, the report stated that:

    Online campaigns inciting hate against LGBTIQ people are spreading disinformation.

    Nearly two thirds of respondents said they:

    often or always encounter online statements including calls for violence against LGBTIQ people, references to ‘LGBTIQ propaganda’ or ‘gender ideology’, references to LGBTIQ people posing a sexual threat or a threat to ‘traditional values’, considering LGBTIQ people to be ‘unnatural’ or mentally ill, and other forms of hatred.

    As the Canary previously reported, the vitriolic tirade of online disinformation has fed into European far-right narratives.

    Of course, this is especially prescient ahead of the European Parliament’s 2024 elections in June.

    Already, the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association Europe (IGLA-Europe) has highlighted this hatred in action. In a similar report it published in February, the IGLA-Europe identified an alarming surge in anti-LGBTQ+ hate speech from politicians across the bloc.

    Most prominently, political candidates and elected officials directed this towards trans people throughout the continent.

    Given this, IGLA-Europe advocacy director Katrin Hugendubel said in February that:

    It is in this climate that the European Parliament elections will take place next June. The public discourse is becoming more polarised and violent, particularly against trans people, and the LGBTI community has experienced the highest and most severe violence across Europe in decades.

    Overall, the new Europe LGBTQ+ report underscores the stark and ongoing violence, harassment, and discrimination that persist for the LGBTQ+ community. Of course, this upsurge in violence hasn’t occurred in a vacuum. Evidentially, while politicians continue to use LGBTQ+ people as their political football, this violence and discrimination will continue to thrive.

    Additional reporting by Agence France-Presse

    Feature image via Youtube – Planet V

    By Hannah Sharland

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Curfew in New Caledonia after Kanak riots over French voting change plan

    By Stephen Wright and Stefan Armbruster of BenarNews

    French authorities have imposed a curfew on New Caledonia’s capital Nouméa and banned public gatherings after supporters of the Pacific territory’s independence movement blocked roads, set fire to buildings and clashed with security forces.

    Tensions in New Caledonia have been inflamed by French government’s plans to give the vote to tens of thousands of French immigrants to the Melanesian island chain.

    The enfranchisement would create a significant obstacle to the self-determination aspirations of the indigenous Kanak people.

    “Very intense public order disturbances took place last night in Noumea and in neighboring towns, and are still ongoing at this time,” French High Commissioner to New Caledonia Louis Le Franc said in a statement today.

    About 36 people were arrested and numerous police were injured, the statement said.

    French control of New Caledonia and its surrounding islands gives the European nation a security and diplomatic role in the Pacific at a time when the US, Australia and other Western countries are pushing back against China’s inroads in the region.

    Kanaks make up about 40 percent of New Caledonia’s 270,000 people but are marginalised in their own land — they have lower incomes and poorer health than Europeans who make up a third of the population and predominate positions of power in the territory.

    Buildings, cars set ablaze
    Video and photos posted online showed buildings set ablaze, burned out vehicles at luxury car dealerships and security forces using tear gas to confront groups of protestors waving Kanaky flags and throwing petrol bombs at city intersections in the worst rioting in decades.

    Kanak protesters in Nouméa demanding independence and a halt to France's proposed constitutional changes
    Kanak protesters in Nouméa demanding independence and a halt to France’s proposed constitutional changes that change voting rights. Image: @CMannevy

    A dusk-to-dawn curfew was imposed today and could be renewed as long as necessary, the high commissioner’s statement said.

    Public gatherings in greater Noumea are banned and the sale of alcohol and carrying or transport of weapons is prohibited throughout New Caledonia.

    The violence erupted as the National Assembly, the lower house of France’s Parliament, debated a constitutional amendment to “unfreeze” the electoral roll, which would enfranchise relative newcomers to New Caledonia.

    It is scheduled to vote on the measure this afternoon in Paris. The French Senate approved the amendment in April.

    Local Congress opposes amendment
    New Caledonia’s territorial Congress, where pro-independence groups have a majority, on Monday passed a resolution that called for France to withdraw the amendment.

    It said political consensus has “historically served as a bulwark against intercommunity tensions and violence” in New Caledonia.

    “Any unilateral decision taken without prior consultation of New Caledonian political leaders could compromise the stability of New Caledonia,” the resolution said.

    French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin told his country’s legislature that about 42,000 people — about one in five possible voters in New Caledonia — are denied the right to vote under the 1998 Noumea Accord between France and the independence movement that froze the electoral roll.

    “Democracy means voting,” he said.

    New Caledonia’s pro-independence government — the first in its history — could lose power in elections due in December if the electoral roll is enlarged.

    New Caledonia voted by small majorities to remain part of France in referendums held in 2018 and 2020 under a UN-mandated decolonisation process. Three ballots were organised as part of the Noumea Accord to increase Kanaks’ political power following deadly violence in the 1980s.

    Referendum legitimacy rejected
    A contentious final referendum in 2022 was overwhelmingly in favour of continuing with the status quo. However, supporters of independence have rejected its legitimacy due to very low turnout — it was boycotted by the independence movement — and because it was held during a serious phase of the covid-19 pandemic, which restricted campaigning.

    Representatives of the FLNKS (Front de Libération Nationale Kanak et Socialist) independence movement did not respond to interview requests.

    “When there’s no hope in front of us, we will fight, we will struggle. We’ll make sure you understand what we are talking about,” Patricia Goa, a New Caledonian politician said in an interview last month with Australian public broadcaster ABC.

    “Things can go wrong and our past shows that,” she said.

    Confrontations between protesters and security forces are continuing in Noumea.

    Darmanin has ordered reinforcements be sent to New Caledonia, including hundreds of police, urban violence special forces and elite tactical units.

    Copyright ©2015-2024, BenarNews. Used with the permission of BenarNews.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • NZ foreign minister Peters cancels New Caledonia visit as unrest erupts

    New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has cancelled his visit to New Caledonia due to pro-independence unrest throughout the French Pacific territory.

    Peters and a delegation of other ministers was due to visit the capital Nouméa later this week.

    Nouméa’s La Tontouta International Airport is expected to remain closed until at least 5pm today (local time).

    The violence in Nouméa came as the National Assembly in Paris prepared to vote on a government-tabled constitutional amendment for New Caledonia.

    On Monday demonstrations, marches and confrontations with security forces spread throughout New Caledonia with flashpoints in suburbs of Nouméa.

    Police in New Caledonia during unrest.
    Police in New Caledonia guard the telecommunications office of OPT in Nouméa. Image: RNZ/@ncla1ere

    By the evening, several violent confrontations were still taking place between pro-independence militants and police.

    Officials were working to set a new date for the visit, Peters said.

    Aircalin flights cancelled
    New Caledonian airline Aircalin has also cancelled a flight due to leave Auckland for Nouméa this afternoon.

    Aircalin flight SB411 had been due to depart Auckland at 2pm.

    The airline said rescheduling information would be posted on its website as soon as possible.

    An alert issued by Aircalin stated flight SB410 from Nouméa, due to land in Auckland at 12.40pm today, had also been cancelled.

    However, as of noon, Auckland International Airport’s arrivals board had no indication of any changes to the flight, or cancellations.

    Meanwhile, Air New Zealand is monitoring the situation ahead of its next flight to Nouméa at 8.25am on Saturday, May 18.

    A spokesperson for the airline said that flight was still expected to leave on schedule.

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • UN denies Gaza death toll of women and children has been revised down

    Spokesperson says confusion results from Gaza health ministry’s new way of classifying those not yet fully identified

    The UN has denied that the estimated death toll of women and children in the war in Gaza has been revised downward, pointing towards a confusion between the total numbers of dead bodies recorded, and the number of those who have so far been fully identified.

    After the Gaza health ministry’s revised totals of those killed first appeared on the website of the UN’s office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs (Ocha), they were quickly seized on as proof by pro-Israel media and commentators that the UN had previously been exaggerating the toll.

    Continue reading…

    This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.

  • Rwanda deportation law should not apply in Northern Ireland, court rules

    UK government considers appeal after judge says act undermines post-Brexit human rights protections guaranteed in the region

    The cornerstone of Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda deportation policy should not apply in Northern Ireland because it undermines human rights protections guaranteed in the region under post-Brexit arrangements, a high court judge has ruled.

    Parts of the UK’s Illegal Migration Act were also incompatible with the European convention on human rights (ECHR), Mr Justice Humphreys said.

    Continue reading…

    This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.

  • UK politics: government to appeal against ruling that blocks Rwanda deportations in Northern Ireland – as it happened

    Rishi Sunak says Belfast judgment will not affect his plans and the Good Friday agreement should not be used to obstruct Westminster policy

    Sunak starts with global security threats.

    The dangers that threaten our country are real.

    There’s an increasing number of authoritarian states like Russia, Iran, North Korea and China working together to undermine us and our values.

    People are abusing our liberal democratic values of freedom of speech, the right to protest, to intimidate, threaten and assault others, to sing antisemitic chants on our streets and our university campuses, and to weaponize the evils of antisemitism or anti-Muslim hatred, in a divisive ideological attempt to set Britain against Britain.

    And from gender activists hijacking children’s sex education, to cancel culture, vocal and aggressive fringe groups are trying to impose their views on the rest of us.

    Continue reading…

    This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.

  • NZ pro-Palestine protester climbs onto Christchurch City Council roof

    RNZ News

    A New Zealand pro-Palestinian protester who climbed onto the roof of the Christchurch City Council building has been handcuffed and taken away in a police car.

    About 20 protesters gathered near the Christchurch Art Gallery today.

    Officers were called to the scene near Worcester Boulevard about 11.20am, and police and firefighters worked to get the person down from the roof.

    Worcester Boulevard has now reopened after being closed off to the public.

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    Christchurch City Council pro-Palestine protest on 13 May 2024.
    “Stand with Rafah!” placard as pro-Palestinian protesters with flags picket Christchurch City Council. Image: RNZ/Nathan McKinnon

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Fiji abstains from new UN vote on Palestinian membership bid

    Asia Pacific Report

    The UN General Assembly has voted overwhelmingly to grant Palestine new rights and privileges, calling on the Security Council to reconsider its bid for full UN membership, reports TrimFeed.

    The resolution on Friday was opposed by the US, Israel, and seven other countries — four of them island nations from the Pacific — citing concerns over direct negotiations and a two-state solution.

    Papua New Guinea, Federated States of Micronesia and Palau were among the countries voting against Palestine.

    Fiji Abstains from UN Vote on Palestinian Membership Bid
    Fiji abstains from UN vote on Palestinian membership bid. (Note: Australia voted yes, it did not abstain). Image: TrimFeed

    The UN General Assembly called on the Security Council to reconsider Palestine’s request to become the 194th member of the United Nations.

    The overwhelming vote in favour by 143-9, with 25 abstentions, reflects wide global support for full membership of Palestine in the world body.

    The outcome of this vote has significant implications for the Israel-Palestine conflict, as it may influence the trajectory of future negotiations and the prospects for a two-state solution.

    Furthermore, the level of international support for Palestinian statehood may impact on the balance of power in the region and beyond.

    Fiji, Vanuatu, and Marshall Islands were among the countries that abstained from the vote, alongside the United States, Israel, Argentina, Czechia, Hungary, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, and Papua New Guinea voting against.

    US will veto statehood
    The US has made clear that it would block Palestinian membership and statehood until direct negotiations with Israel resolve key issues and lead to a two-state solution.

    The vote comes amid escalating violence and rising death tolls on the Palestinian people — more than 35,000 have been killed and almost 79,000 wounded in the War on Gaza

    Many countries have expressed outrage at the situation and fears of a major Israeli ground offensive in Rafah.

    Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian UN Ambassador, delivered an emotional speech, saying, “No words can capture what such loss and trauma signifies for Palestinians, their families, communities, and for our nation as a whole.”

    Israel’s UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan vehemently opposed the resolution, accusing UN member nations of not mentioning Hamas’ October 7 attack that killed 1139 people and he shredded a copy of the UN charter in protest.

    US Deputy Ambassador Robert Wood said: “For the US to support Palestinian statehood, direct negotiations must guarantee Israel’s security and future as a democratic Jewish state, and that Palestinians can live in peace in a state of their own.”

    While the resolution grants Palestine some new rights and privileges, it reaffirms that it remains a non-member observer state without full UN membership and voting rights in the General Assembly.

    Humanitarian ceasefire vote
    Palestine became a UN non-member observer state in 2012. The United States vetoed a widely-backed council resolution on April 18 that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for Palestine.

    The General Assembly’s vote calling for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza on October 27 and the ongoing violence underscore the urgent need for a resolution to the long-standing crisis.

    As the international community remains divided on the issue of Palestinian statehood, the path to lasting peace remains uncertain.

    Republished from TrimFeed.


    This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Human Rights: The Case for the Defence by Shami Chakrabarti review – freedoms fighter treads a fine line

    The Labour peer and former Liberty director makes a clear, impassioned case for human rights law, but steers surprisingly clear of thorny political arguments

    It may sound a little melodramatic to say that human rights are under attack in Britain. But in the week I opened this book, it certainly didn’t feel that way. Parliament was locked in battle over the Rwanda bill, widely seen as driving a coach and horses through human rights obligations, with Shami Chakrabarti herself in the thick of the fray as a Labour peer. Nigel Farage was once again demanding Britain leave the European convention on human rights – the new passion project for Brexiters who would rather not talk about how Brexit itself is going, and who see the convention as a haven of suspiciously lefty values – while Rishi Sunak was bending over backwards not to rule that out. There’s still something faintly surreal about having to actively make a case for the right to life, liberty, or freedom from being tortured – who doesn’t automatically value these things? – but if Brexit taught us anything, it’s that liberals are surprisingly bad at defending truths that seem so obvious we’ve never given them much thought. This time, it pays to be ready.

    Chakrabarti has already covered some of this ground in her brilliant first book, On Liberty, in which she reflected on her time running the civil liberties organisation of that name and somehow pulled off the rare feat of tackling extremely serious issues without taking herself too seriously. This third book, however, feels more like sitting through an undergraduate lecture, albeit an absorbing one.

    Continue reading…

    This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.

  • As I Nurse My Baby, I Mourn for All the Mothers in Gaza Whose Milk Is Drying Up

    My daughter and I recently reached 21 months of breastfeeding. When we started this journey, I would never have believed we would make it this far, knowing that breastfeeding may not be possible to start or sustain due to myriad reasons. As I reflected on this milestone, I was heartbroken to read about Sabreen, a baby girl who was prematurely delivered from her dead mother’s womb after her entire…

    Source

    This post was originally published on Latest – Truthout.

  • Human Rights Act will be safe with a Labour government | Letters

    James Toon, who helped develop the act in the 1990s, responds to an article by Shami Chakrabarti on the pressing need for equal treatment

    I read with interest Shami Chakrabarti’s article (The big idea: why we need human rights now more than ever, 6 May). The context for her article is the Conservative right’s repeated calls to repeal the Human Rights Act 1998. This was one of the landmark statutes of the first Blair administration, and its legal and constitutional significance is immense.

    Although now retired, I was a member of the Home Office bill team that developed the policy broadly set out in the 1996 Labour document Bringing Rights Home, supported ministers during its passage through parliament, and started work on its implementation. I had several discussions with Jack Straw, the then home secretary.

    Continue reading…

    This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.

  • 1000 protest in Auckland over Israel’s war on Gaza, honour Nakba victims

    Asia Pacific Report

    About 1000 people in Aotearoa New Zealand gathered for a two-hour rally in central Auckland today and marched down Queen Street and returned to Aotea Square to mark the Nakba three days early — and protest over Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.

    They called for an immediate ceasefire in the war as the death toll passed more than 35,000 people killed — mostly women and children – and chanted “hands off Rafah” as the Israeli military intensified their attack on the southern part of the besieged enclave.

    Israel’s Defence Force (IDF) also deployed tanks in northern Gaza months after claiming that they had “dismantled” the resistance force Hamas in the area.

    For the past seven months, protesters have staged rallies across New Zealand every week at more than 25 different towns and locations and they have rarely been reported by the country’s news media.

    Ironically, today was also marked as Mother’s Day and many protesters carried placards and banners mourning the mothers and children killed in the seven-month war, such as “Every 15 min a Palestinian child dies”, “Israel/USA, how many kids did you kill today”, “Decolonise your mind — stand with Palestine”, and “Stop the genocide”.

    Some protesters carried photographs of named children killed in the war, honouring their short and tragic lives, such as 13-year-old Hala Abu Sada, who “had a passion for the arts – she made educational and entertaining videos for deaf children”.

    “Hala dreamed of becoming a singer.”

    The Nakba – ‘ethnic cleansing’
    Every year on May 15, Palestinians around the world, numbering about 12.4 million, mark the Nakba, or “catastrophe”, referring to the ethnic cleansing of Palestine and the near-total destruction of Palestinian society in 1948, reports Al Jazeera.

    The Palestinian experience of dispossession and loss of a homeland is 76 years old this year.

    Happy Mothers' Day in New Zealand on Nakba Day
    “Happy Mothers’ Day” in New Zealand . . . but protesters mourn the loss of mothers and children as the death toll in Israel’s War on Gaza topped 35,000 on Nakba Day. Image: David Robie/Asia Pacific Report

    On that day, the State of Israel came into being. The creation of Israel was a violent process that entailed the forced expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their homeland to establish a Jewish-majority state — the wishes of the Zionist movement.

    The 1948 Nakba
    The 1948 Nakba . . . more than 750,000 Palestinians were forced to leave their homeland and become exiles in neighbouring states. Many dream of their UN-recognised right to return. Image: Wikipedia

    Between 1947 and 1949, at least 750,000 Palestinians from a 1.9 million population were forced out of their homeland and made refugees beyond the borders of the state.

    Zionist forces seized more than 78 percent of historic Palestine, ethnically cleansed and destroyed about 530 villages and cities, and killed about 15,000 Palestinians in a series of mass atrocities, including more than 70 massacres.

    The current resolution does not give Palestinians full membership, but recognises them as qualified to join, and it gives Palestine more participation and some rights within the UNGA.

    Overwhelming UN vote backs Palestine
    The UN General Assembly (UNGA) has overwhelmingly voted to support a Palestinian bid to become a full UN member by recognising it as qualified to join and recommending the UN Security Council “reconsider the matter favourably”.

    Memberships can only be decided by the UN Security Council, and last month, the US vetoed a bid for full membership.

    The current resolution does not give Palestinians full membership, but recognises them as qualified to join, and it gives Palestine more participation and some rights within the UNGA.

    Voting yes for the resolution were 143 countries, including three UN Security Council permanent members, China, France and Russia and also Australia, New Zealand and Timor-Leste.

    Nine countries voted against, with four Pacific nations, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Palau and Papua New Guinea among those joining Israel and the US.

    Twenty five countries abstained, including UNSC permanent member United Kingdom and three Pacific countries, Fiji, Marshall Islands and Vanuatu.

    "Look up Nakba" . . . and The Key to returning home
    “Look up Nakba” . . . and The Key to returning home to historical Palestine. Image: David Robie/Asia Pacific Report
    Palestinian children singing at Aotea Square today
    Palestinian children singing at Aotea Square today . . . a speaker said their future was in “good hands with our young people”. Image: David Robie/Asia Pacific Report
    Some of the pro-Palestinian protesters at Auckland's Aotea Square today
    Some of the pro-Palestinian protesters at Auckland’s Aotea Square today . . . the background banner says “IDF = Murder Machine”. Image: David Robie/Asia Pacific Report

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Could new US sanctions threaten future of West Bank settlements? | Emma Graham-Harrison and Quique Kierszenbaum

    Joe Biden’s latest executive order gives scope to target the finances of Israeli politicians and businesses linked to extremists

    Escalating US sanctions on violent settlers, initially taken as a mostly political rebuke to extremists, are now seen by some inside Israel as a potential threat to the financial viability of all Israeli settlements and companies in the occupied West Bank.

    The Biden administration’s new controls on a handful of men and organisations linked to attacks on Palestinian civilians, first announced in February then expanded twice in March and April, have generally been treated in Israel and beyond more as a humiliating public censure of a close ally than as a major political shift.

    Continue reading…

  • Lady Massey of Darwen obituary

    Teacher, education adviser and politician who worked tirelessly to improve the lives of children in Britain and abroad

    Doreen Massey, Lady Massey of Darwen, who has died of cancer aged 85, devoted a long and busy working life primarily to improving the lives of children and young people in Britain and, subsequently, as a member of the Council of Europe, further afield. She believed in an inclusive society and sought to challenge discrimination, to defend human rights and, whenever possible, to speak on behalf of those who did not themselves have a voice.

    Massey was acclaimed for her considerable ethical contribution to a number of issues in public life, notably on education, marriage equality, LGBTQ+ rights, sexual health and the misuse of drugs and alcohol. She was a forthright, brave woman who lived life according to the values she espoused, and in consequence was as widely popular in parliaments as she had once been as a schoolteacher in the playground.

    Continue reading…

    This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.

  • Starmer’s latest RACIST DOGWHISTLE stunt dressed up as policy HAS to be seen to be believed

    Not a week seems to go by without the political establishment demonising migrants in ostentatious displays of facile right-wing rhetoric. This time, it was Keir Starmer who launched Labour’s latest racist tirade against people seeking asylum. Specifically, the opposition party has announced its new reactionary scheme to “stop the boats”.

    Of course, the new vile plan should come as no surprise from a Labour lurching shamelessly to the right on everything from Gaza to welfare.

    Starmer’s ‘stop the boats’ publicity stunt

    On Friday 10 May, Starmer unveiled Labour’s new plans to tackle so-called illegal migration. Predictably, the announcement was riddled with racist political posturing. As the Telegraph reported ahead of the announcement:

    Keir Starmer will vow on Friday to use terror laws to tackle the small boats crisis, as part of plans to work more closely with Europe to combat people smugglers.

    The Labour leader will announce plans to scrap the Rwanda scheme and use the money to create a border security command with new powers to treat people smugglers like terrorists.

    Notably, Starmer broke the news during a speech in the Dover constituency of Tory defector Natalie Elphicke. However, Labour’s decision to welcome the right-winger with open arms has prompted backlash from MPs and the public alike. This is because Elphicke has a torrid history of voting for hardline, right-wing policies across the board.

    Crucially – as the Canary’s James Wright pointed out however – her racist politics are now almost indistinguishable from Starmer’s Labour:

    Elphicke and Starmer both demonise refugees. Elphicke has suggested refugees are terrorists who bring “violent protest” to British streets, while Starmer has spent Prime Minister’s Questions trying to flank Rishi Sunak from the right – pressing him on ‘stopping the boats’.

    Labour’s answer to Rwanda is just more racism

    Naturally, migrant rights campaigners have been quick to drag the Labour leader over his latest capitulation to the right.

    Migration and asylum policy researcher and advocate Zoe Gardner condemned the plan on Sky News:

    Moreover, as migrant rights writer and campaigner Minnie Rahman noted, Labour’s new immigration scheme isn’t about making the UK safer for migrants:

    Ostensibly then, Labour’s answer to Rwanda is simply more racist prevarication:

    Fueling right-wing narratives

    It also didn’t go amiss to some that Starmer also shared the announcement via his X and linked to an article from the hate-mongering corporate media tabloid the Sun:

    Of course it wouldn’t be the first time the Labour leader has dabbled with the toxic shit rag. One X poster pointed out that it’s exactly this rhetoric which is fueling right-wing hatred towards migrants:

    Safe routes to asylum

    Vitally, people on X highlighted that the terrorism and border force plans will do little to actually stop dangerous boat crossings. Instead, as Labour socialist National Executive Committee Mish Rahman explained, this requires expanding safe routes of asylum:

    Ultimately, Labour’s reticence to do just that is driving migrants to these perilous and deadly crossings:

    Meanwhile, refugee and asylum specialist Lou Calvey commended Labour’s commitment to scrap the Rwanda scheme. Conversely however, Calvey underscored the announcements lack of substance on ending the UK’s complicity in violating migrant rights:

    Starmer: saving lives or pandering to racists?

    Of course, others pointed out how Labour isn’t actually interested in ending the hostile environment for migrants and saving lives. Instead, it’s barreling into the next election with its anti-migrant rhetoric on full throttle:

    At the end of the day, Labour’s latest dogwhistle blueprint shows that it’s increasingly pointless trying to work out where they end and the Tories begin.

    As an election beckons, the two major UK parties have doubled-down on their disgusting anti-migrant racism. Be it Sunak or Starmer, Conservative or Labour, casting your ballot for either party is now meaningless if you care for any of the most marginalised groups in the UK.

    If you had any doubts where Labour stand on migrant rights, it’s abhorrent vitriol on channel crossings now makes it clear for all to see. Starmer may as well crack out the notorious Miliband anti-migration mug and be done with it. Of course, that’s the one thing he really should be smashing – and its appalling rhetoric right along with it.

    Feature image via Youtube – Guardian News

    By Hannah Sharland

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Bahrain pardoned 1584 unjustly jailed prisoners, yet 600 remain behind bars and on death row

    The pardon of more than 1500 prisoners on April 8th by Bahraini king Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa  has taken activists by surprise.

    While officials portray the amnesty as a benevolent gesture aimed at fostering reconciliation and healing societal divisions, it can be more accurately viewed as a calculated manoeuvre to mitigate rising domestic tensions, international pressure, and improve Bahrain’s image on the global stage.

    Central to the discussion are the individuals affected by this amnesty, particularly those labelled as political prisoners, such as activists, journalists, and advocates who had been detained for their dissenting views or involvement in pro-democracy movements.

    Amongst the released, were several leading figures in human rights campaigning for which NGOs have been advocating for their freedom for more than a decade now. For example, Naji Fatteel, a Bahraini human rights defender imprisoned since 2013, was amongst those freed. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Bahraini human rights NGO Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR). Since then, he has been imprisoned, tortured, and the target of death threats during the Bahraini uprising starting in February 2011. Sources highlight the appalling conditions he endured during his imprisonment; he was tortured, subjected to electric shocks, deprived of food and sleep, losing consciousness, and needing hospital treatment twice.

    It is important to remember that the released should not have been imprisoned in the first place, in fact, at least 65% of the 1584 people were convicted  solely on protest-related charges.

    The timing of Bahrain’s prisoner amnesty coincides with ongoing wars and political tensions in the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA). Since the beginning of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza approximately six months ago, tensions have escalated within Bahrain due to its normalized relationship with Israel under the Abraham Accords. Despite not withdrawing from the normalization accord with Israel, many Bahraini citizens have vocally opposed the Abraham Accords and demonstrated solidarity with Palestinians. Bahrain’s involvement in “Operation Prosperity Guardian” and its support for US-UK bombings in Yemen, purportedly in response to Yemen attacks on Israeli-affiliated vessels, further exacerbates domestic discontent.

    Against this backdrop of heightened tensions and growing opposition, the prisoner amnesty may be perceived as an attempt by the Bahraini government to alleviate domestic pressure and calm public dissent. By releasing prisoners, including human rights defenders, the government may seek to appease Bahrainis who are critical of its stance on the Arab–Israeli conflict conflict and its normalization of relations with Israel.

    The release of the wrongfully convicted prisoners may be seen as a step towards reconciliation as well as a response to international pressure. Despite this move, however, human rights abuses persist in Bahrain, with hundreds still imprisoned or on death row. The fight for justice and human rights must continue, ensuring the release of all prisoners and addressing fundamental systemic issues.

    The post Bahrain pardoned 1584 unjustly jailed prisoners, yet 600 remain behind bars and on death row appeared first on Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain.

    This post was originally published on Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain.

  • Climate Choir bring Taylor Swift and Darth Vader together in musical harmony at a climate-wrecking bank’s AGM

    On Friday 10 May, the UK Climate Choir movement raised its voice in song against fossil fuel financier Standard Chartered outside its annual shareholder meeting. Protesters did so with a little help from two unlikely bedfellows: pop country legend Taylor Swift and iconic Star Wars villain Darth Vader.

    Climate Choir: causing trouble as shareholders walk in

    Climate Choir singers serenaded shareholders and board members at Standard Chartered’s AGM. They did so to protest its ongoing role in fueling the climate crisis.

    Protesters sang adapted lyrics to the tune of Taylor Swift’s ‘I Knew You Were Trouble’ singing to call out the bank’s polluting investments:

    Protesters with Climate Choir Movement banners.

    Alongside this, trumpets performing the Star Wars Imperial March theme accompanied the singers as they unfurled a banner depicting the message “Standard Chartered – Here to Destroy Your Planet”:

    Darth Vader and a Storm Trooper alongside protesters with a banner that reads: Standard Chartered - Here to destroy your planet.

    Protesters also held banners highlighting the bank’s investment in destructive projects in the Global South:

    Protesters witha banner that reads: Oil spill in the Verde Island Passage Feb 2023 - Funded by Standard Chartered.

    Standard Chartered – a climate villain

    Climate Choir campaigners staged their protest to call out Standard Chartered’s complicity in the climate crisis and human rights violations.

    Crucially, the bank is a serial financier of fossil fuels. According to the 2023 Banking on Climate Chaos report, the bank has financed fossil fuels to the tune of $46.156bn between 2016 and 2022.

    On top of this, the bank scrapped its membership of a major climate scheme in 2023. This was the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) – a voluntary climate certification benchmark.

    However, as the Canary previously reported, the SBTi has been awash in accusations of greenwash. Moreover, it has jam-packed its membership with an assembly of infamous climate-wrecking companies and human rights violators. As a result, the Canary argued that the SBTi is:

    a glorified greenwashing front, designed to massage the sustainability-leaning egos of some of the world’s biggest corporate polluters.

    Given this, Standard Chartered would be right at home among these prolific corporate climate villains. However, the bank has snubbed the de facto greenwashing scheme. Specifically, it did so because of concerns it could hinder its ability to continue financing fossil fuels. In other words, it’s not even pretending to dial down its enthusiasm for funding the companies destroying the planet.

    Destroying the planet

    So naturally, the bank has continued flirting with ecocidal and climate destructive oil and gas projects.

    While financing projects directly, Standard Chartered also provides loans and underwrites bonds to companies causing environmental damage. Notably, campaigners at the AGM concentrated on two major fossil fuel developments financed by Standard Chartered.

    In the Philippines, it is financing Filipino company San Miguel Corporation (SMC). Crucially, the company is the driving force behind a massive liquified natural gas (LNG) buildout in the Verde Island Passage (VIP). The VIP is a strait and the most biodiverse marine habitat in the world, dubbed the “Amazon of the Oceans”.

    There, the existing and planned gas projects are wreaking havoc on communities and the environment. The projects are exposing the Batangas communities and surrounding provinces to toxic air and water pollution. Moreover, these projects have threatened marine and plant life, impacting fish catch for the local fishing communities.

    Avril De Torres from the Philippine-based Centre for Energy, Ecology and Development (CEED) and Protect Verde Island Passage (Protect VIP) said:

    Standard Chartered is the biggest financier of San Miguel Corporation, having channeled US $184 million to the Philippines’ biggest gas expansionist and major coal developer from 2021 to 2023 alone. By funding SMC, Standard Chartered is bringing destruction to communities and ecosystems across the country, including the Philippines’ own Amazon of the Oceans – the Verde Island Passage.

    Another climate and community-wrecking project

    Meanwhile, Standard Chartered-financed LNG is also destroying ecological biodiversity and communities in Mozambique. Projects there have worsened violent conflict, forced communities off their lands, and ravaged natural marine and coastal ecosystems. Companies are displacing fishing and farming communities far from their coastal and agricultural lands so they can no longer conduct their livelihoods.

    TotalEnergies is one such company exploiting LNG in Mozambique. It is involved in a joint venture to restart the gargantuan climate bomb Monzambique LNG project. Burning the extracted gas would produce up to 4.5 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. Alarmingly, this is more the combined annual greenhouse gas emissions of the EU.

    Of course this severely increases the risk of climate crisis-fueled disasters like deadly Cyclone Freddy in 2023. Despite this, Standard Chartered has agreed a $500m loan for the project.

    In April, a coalition of non-profits also called out Standard Chartered and other banks for continuing to facilitate Total’s climate-wrecking business through new bonds.

    Daniel Ribeiro from Justiça Ambiental (JA!) and Friends of the Earth Mozambique said:

    Standard Chartered is offering a US $500 million loan to a gas project in Mozambique that is hurting communities, our economy, and the global climate system. The Mozambique LNG project is creating conditions that worsen the violence in the region that has been ongoing since 2017, and has created a number of human rights violations in the process of resettling communities.

    Climate Choir calling out big polluters in song

    The Climate Choir Movement was founded in Bristol in the Autumn of 2022. It uses voices in peaceful and creative protests against corporations fueling climate breakdown.

    Standard Chartered isn’t the first time the choir has called out big polluters through song. As the Canary reported in March, it occupied Parliament and regaled MPs with its revised rendition of Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus. It was protesting the government’s recent approval of the enormous North Sea Rosebank oil field.

    Additionally, the choir has performed inside museums and corporate AGMs, outside airports and investment companies, courts, and cathedrals.

    Co-founder of the Climate Choir Movement Jo Flanagan said:

    Last year we sang at Barclays AGM. In March we occupied and sang in the Houses of Parliament. And today we say to Standard Chartered ‘your standards are twisted’. While they continue to invest in dirty gas and coal, global warming has exceeded temperatures of 1.5 degrees Celsius over a 12-month period. This is a dire warning to humanity — a warning that some bankers still do not seem to heed.

    And the group has grown from strength to strength. It now boasts some 700 singers in 13 participating choirs in Bath, Bristol, Ballycastle, Exeter, Forest of Dean, Guildford, London, Oxford, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Sheffield, Southampton, and Swansea.

    Climate Choir director Kate Honey is a composer whose work has been performed internationally. For the Choir’s latest action, they rewrote Taylor Swift’s lyrics to call out the bank’s controversial fossil fuel investment practices. They said:

    The new lyrics are our way of creatively challenging Standard Chartered’s continuing funding of fossil fuel projects. The bank and its board are acting as climate villains. Their investments do not benefit local communities. They are on the wrong side of history and It is time for them to give up on dirty fuels and
    invest in renewables.

    Feature and in-text images via the Andrea Domeniconi/UK Climate Choir Movement

    By Hannah Sharland

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • UN to vote over reviving Palestine’s bid for membership as Biden ‘pauses’ arms for Israel

    Pacific Media Watch

    The United Nations General Assembly is expected to vote later today on a resolution that would grant new “rights and privileges” to Palestine and that — again — calls on the UN Security Council to favourably reconsider Palestine’s request for full UN membership, reports Al Jazeera.

    The US vetoed a widely backed resolution on April 18 that would have paved the way for full UN membership for Palestine, a goal that Israel has worked strenuously to prevent and Washington has been instrumental in blocking on behalf of its key ally.

    The US Deputy Ambassador to the UN, Robert Wood, said yesterday that the Biden administration remained opposed to Palestinian membership.

    During the April 18 vote, Palestine’s application received strong support with a vote of 12 in favour, the UK and Switzerland abstaining, and the US alone in voting no.

    The State of Palestine appealed for support on Thursday, saying a vote for UN membership comes at “a critical moment for the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, including the right to their independent State … [and] rightful place among the community of nations”.

    Palestinians are facing a critical shortage of clean water as Israel continues air strikes on eastern Rafah and blocks humanitarian aid from entering the besieged enclave.

    UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths has said that the Israeli military has not allowed anything or anyone to go in or get out of Gaza since its takeover of the Rafah crossing on Tuesday.

    “The closure of the crossings means no fuel. It means no trucks, no generators, no water, no electricity and no movement of people or goods. It means no aid,” he said.

    Hamas says ‘ball in Israel’s hands’
    French news agency AFP is reporting that Hamas announced early Friday that its delegation attending Gaza ceasefire talks in Cairo had left the city for Qatar and stated that the “ball is now completely” in Israel’s hands.

    “The negotiating delegation left Cairo heading to Doha. In practice, the occupation [Israel] rejected the proposal submitted by the mediators and raised objections to it on several central issues,” the group said in a statement, adding it stood by the ceasefire proposal.

    “Accordingly, the ball is now completely in the hands of the occupation,” the group said.

    According to Al Jazeera’s Patty Culhane, reporting on the US President Joe Biden’s exclusive interview with Erin Burnett this week with CNN, “We saw President Biden come out and say, ‘look, if they do this large-scale invasion of Rafah — there will be no bombs, no artillery shells, perhaps none of the technologies that turn dumb bombs into smart bombs’.

    “And he is not just saying that it is going to happen. He is showing that it is already sort of happening.”

    A shipment of bombs — 1800 900kg bombs that cause massive destruction and 1700 230kg bombs — due for delivery to Israel have been “paused”.

    As student protests calling for an immediate ceasefire and divestment from universities in Israel spread around the globe, academics at two universities in New Zealand have condemned administrations for not standing up for their role as a “critic and conscience of society”.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Puna calls for Pacific ‘journalistic vigilance’ in face of climate crisis

    By Kamna Kumar in Suva

    Pacific Islands Forum Secretary-General Henry Puna stressed the importance of media freedom and its link to the climate and environmental crisis at the 2024 World Press Freedom Day event organised by the University of the South Pacific’s journalism programme.

    Under the theme “A Planet for the Press: Journalism in the face of the environment crisis”, Puna underscored the critical role of a free press in addressing the challenges of climate change.

    “The challenges confronting the climate crisis and the news profession seem to share a common urgency,” Puna said at the event last Friday.

    PACIFIC MEDIA CONFERENCE 4-6 JULY 2024
    PACIFIC MEDIA CONFERENCE 4-6 JULY 2024

    He highlighted the shared urgency between climate activism and the news profession, noting how both were often perceived as disruptors in contemporary narratives.

    Puna drew attention to the alarming death toll of journalists, particularly in conflict zones like Gaza, and the pervasive threats faced by journalists worldwide, including in the Pacific region.

    Against this backdrop, he emphasised the vital importance of truth and facts in combating misinformation and disinformation, which pose significant obstacles to addressing climate change effectively.

    PIF Secretary General Henry Puna delivers his speech at the 2024 World Press Freedom Day celebration at The University of the South Pacific. Image: Veniana Willy/Wansolwara

    The Secretary-General’s address resonated with a sense of urgency, emphasising the need for journalism that informs, educates, and amplifies diverse voices, especially those from vulnerable nations directly impacted by the climate crisis.

    ‘Frontlines of climate change’
    He said the imperative for a press that reported from the “frontlines of climate change”, advocating for a 1.5-degree Celsius, net-zero future as the paramount goal for survival.

    “A press for the planet is a press that informs and educates,” Puna said.

    “And, of course, for our Blue Continent, it must be a press of inclusive and diverse voices.”

    Puna highlighted the Pacific Islands Forum’s commitment to transparency and accountability, noting the crucial role of media in communicating the outcomes and decisions of annual meetings.

    He cited instances where the presence of journalists enhanced the Forum’s advocacy efforts on climate, environment, and ocean priorities on the global stage.

    Reflecting on past collaborative efforts, such as the launch of the Teieniwa Vision against corruption, Puna underscored the symbiotic relationship between political will and journalistic integrity.

    He urged governments and media watchdogs to work hand in hand in upholding shared values of transparency, courage, and ethics.

    Guests and Journalism students at the 2024 World Press Freedom Day at The University of the South Pacific. Image: Veniana Willy/Wansolwara

    ‘Political will’ needed
    “It takes political will to enforce the criminalisation of corruption and prompt, impartial investigation, and prosecution,” Puna said.

    Looking ahead to 2050, he expressed hope for a resilient Blue Pacific continent, built on the foundations of a robust and resilient press.

    He envisioned a future where stories of climate crisis give way to narratives of peace and prosperity, contingent upon achieving the 1.5-degree Celsius, net-zero target.

    “In 2050, we will have achieved the 1.5 net zero future that will ensure our stories of the code red for climate in 2024 become the stories of a code blue for peace and prosperity beyond 2050,” Puna said.

    He commended the commitments made at the G7 Ministerial in Turin to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, emphasising the pivotal role of media in upholding democratic values and advancing collective aspirations for a secure and free society.

    Puna extended his best wishes to journalists and journalism students, acknowledging their vital role in shaping public discourse and driving positive change in the face of the environmental crisis.

    His plea served as a rallying cry for journalistic vigilance and solidarity in the pursuit of a sustainable future for all.

    Kamna Kumar is a third-year journalism student at The University of the South Pacific. Republished from Wansolwara News in a collaboration with Asia Pacific Report.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Flawed immigration detention risk assessment tool can’t be upgraded as ABF data ‘riddled with errors’

    Exclusive: One detainee recorded as being involved in ‘over 3,000 incidents’ in a year – an ‘incredibly unfeasible’ scenario, FOI documents say

    The secretive risk assessment tool used in Australia’s immigration detention centres could not be replaced by a better model due to insufficient data collection by Australian Border Force, documents reveal.

    The security risk assessment tool is meant to determine whether someone is low, medium, high or extreme risk for escape or violence. It calculates risk ratings based on factors including pre-detention history and episodes that can occur in detention, such as possessing contraband or refusing food or fluids.

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    Continue reading…

    This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.

  • Alabama sets nitrogen-gas execution for man who survived botched 2022 effort

    Alan Miller to go to death in September as state rejects warnings that gas-mask method represents cruel and unusual punishment

    Alabama has scheduled its second execution of a death row prisoner using the novel technique of nitrogen gas, brushing aside objections that the procedure is a form of cruel and unusual punishment banned under the US constitution.

    Barring last-minute judicial moves, Alan Miller, 59, will be put to his death on 26 September, after an execution date was set on Thursday by the state’s Republican governor Kay Ivey. Should it go ahead, the anticipated killing would be exceptional not only as only the second time that nitrogen has been used in the US, but also because Miller has already been subjected to a botched execution, which he survived.

    Continue reading…

    This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.

  • Detainee protests on rise over deportations from UK to Rwanda

    Hunger strikes at detention centres as asylum seekers get ‘no answers’ from Home Office and fear removal on Gatwick or Heathrow flights

    Protests and hunger strikes among asylum seekers held in detention centres in preparation for deportation to Rwanda are increasing, the Guardian has learned.

    Approximately 55 detainees, including Afghans, Iranians and Kurds, are believed to have staged a 10-hour peaceful protest in the exercise yard at Brook House immigration removal centre, near Gatwick airport from 6pm Tuesday until 4am Wednesday.

    Continue reading…

    This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.

  • Profile in Persecution: Ali Mahmood Mahmood (AlKahraba’ii)

    Ali Mahmood Mahmood (AlKahraba’ii) was a 15-year-old Bahraini school student and minor when Bahraini authorities arrested him from his grandfather’s house on 16 January 2019 without presenting an arrest warrant. During detention, he endured torture, enforced disappearance, denial of access to legal counsel, unfair trial based on confessions extracted under torture, and sectarian-based insults. Ali was sentenced to 10 years in prison, of which he served five years before being released on 8 April 2024, under a royal pardon that included 1,584 convicts.

    On 16 January 2019, riot police, commandos, and special forces raided the home of Ali’s grandfather in Duraz, where he was staying. The officers entered the house from above and arrested him without providing any arrest warrant or reason for his arrest. Ali’s arrest occurred on a cold day while he was wearing light clothes, and officers refused to provide him with warmer clothing. Subsequently, they transferred him to the Criminal Investigation Directorate (CID) Building, where he managed to call his family for no more than a minute, informing them of his location. After that, his news was cut off and he forcibly disappeared until he was transferred to the New Dry Dock Prison on 6 February 2019. 

    Ali was previously summoned to appear before the Hamad Town Center in 2018 when he was 14 years old; however, he was not arrested at that time.

    At the CID, Ali was interrogated without the presence of a lawyer or guardian for 20 days. CID officers stripped him of his clothes, beat him on his face, forced him to stand for extended periods, poured cold water on him while the weather was cold, and then transferred him to an extremely cold air-conditioned room. Furthermore, they insulted his parents and his Shia religious sect. Subsequently, he confessed to the fabricated charges brought against him under torture.

    Ali was not presented to the Public Prosecution Office (PPO). Instead, he was transferred to Jau Prison, where he met with the PPO’s representative who forced him to sign papers without knowing their content. On 6 February 2019, he was transferred to the New Dry Dock Prison, where he was able to call his family for the first time since his enforced disappearance when he was at the CID.

    Ali was not brought before a judge within 48 hours after arrest, was not given adequate time and facilities to prepare for his trial (which started six months after his arrest), and was unable to present evidence or challenge the evidence presented against him. Furthermore, the court utilized the confessions extracted from him under torture as evidence against him in his trial.

    On 28 January 2020, Ali was sentenced to 10 years in prison and a fine of 100,000 dinars. He was convicted of 1) training on explosive materials, 2) attempted explosion, 3) possession of weapons, 4) manufacture of explosives, and 5) conspiring with external entities. The court of appeal, as well as the court of cassation, upheld the sentence.

    On 22 March 2024, Ali joined a hunger strike in solidarity with his fellow inmate, Mohamed Hasan Radhi, who was transferred to isolation. In a voice recording spread on social media, Ali held concerned authorities responsible for the deterioration of his inmate’s psychological condition.

    On 8 April 2024, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain issued a royal decree pardoning 1,584 convicts on the occasion of the silver jubilee of his accession to the throne, coinciding with Eid al-Fitr, with Ali among them. He was released on the same day.

    Ali’s warrantless arrest, torture, enforced disappearance, denial of attorney access, unfair trial, and religious discrimination constitute violations of the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT), the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), and the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), to which Bahrain is a party. Furthermore, the violations he endured as a minor contravene the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), to which Bahrain is also a party.

    As such, Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) calls upon the Bahraini authorities to investigate the allegations of Ali’s arbitrary arrest as a minor, torture, enforced disappearance, religious discrimination, and denial of attorney access during interrogations, and to hold the perpetrators accountable. Additionally, ADHRB urges the Bahraini government to end the isolation of all political prisoners, holding the government responsible for the deterioration of the psychological conditions of the isolated detainees. While ADHRB welcomes the issued royal pardon, which included several political prisoners, it considers this belated step insufficient unless investigations into the violations suffered by these released individuals are conducted, compensation is provided, perpetrators are held accountable, and political arrests and prison violations cease.

    The post Profile in Persecution: Ali Mahmood Mahmood (AlKahraba’ii) appeared first on Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain.

    This post was originally published on Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain.