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  • Fiji human rights group condemns ‘troubling’ support for Israel at ICJ

    Asia Pacific Report

    A Fiji human rights advocacy coalition has condemned Fiji’s “profoundly troubling” stance as being one of only two countries supporting continued illegal occupation by Israel of the Palestinian territories.

    The Fiji NGO Coalition on Human Rights (NGOCHR) said the occupation had been widely recognised by the international community — including the United Nations — as a “violation of international law” and an impediment to peace and self-determination of the Palestinian people”.

    It called on Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka’s coalition government to withdraw support for Israel and back a “just and lasting peace in Palestine” in its oral submissions before the International Court of Justice hearings in The Hague next Monday.

    Fiji is the only country apart, from the United States, backing Israel after its genocidal war against the Palestinians over the past four months. Fifty countries and three international organisations are supporting Palestine.

    “By supporting the Israeli occupation, the Fijian government not only isolates itself from the international community but also from the very principles of justice and human dignity it purports to uphold,” said NGOCHR chair Shamima Ali.

    “Such a position undermines Fiji’s reputation and casts a shadow over its commitment to the values enshrined in international law.

    “The decision to support the genocidal, violent occupation raises serious questions about the processes and considerations behind Fiji’s foreign policy choices. It is imperative that the Fijian government demonstrates accountability and transparency in its decision-making.”

    Transparency demanded
    The coalition demanded that Prime Minister Rabuka, a former military officer who led Fiji’s first two military coups in 1987 and who is also Foreign Minister, publicly reveals who had drafted the submissions on Fiji and why the country was taking such a position.

    In a statement, the coalition said that NGOCHR “and our allies, as staunch advocates for human rights and justice, expresses its profound dismay and unequivocal condemnation of the Fijian government’s decision to submit a written statement in support of the Israeli genocidal occupation of Palestine, including East Jerusalem.”

    The International Court of Justice (ICJ) hearings this week on Israel's continued occupation of the Palestinian Territories
    The International Court of Justice (ICJ) hearings this week on Israel’s continued occupation of the Palestinian Territories. This case is separate from the South African case before the ICJ accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza. Image: Al Jazeera/Creative Commons

    “This submission, made to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the context of hearings on the legal consequences arising from the policies and practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territor[ies], places Fiji alongside the United States as one of the only two countries endorsing such a stance.”

    In September 2023, said the statement, the Israeli occupation, which had been enduring and marked by efforts to annex Palestinian land both legally and in practice, had been unequivocally deemed unlawful by the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem and Israel.

    In October 2023, the commission concluded that the permanence of the occupation and Israel’s annexation measures rendered it unlawful — a stance echoed by leading human rights organisations worldwide, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.

    Fiji supporters protesting in solidarity with Palestine
    Fiji supporters protesting in solidarity with Palestine. Image: NGOCHR

    “The global consensus on this matter, formed by UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967 and the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing and a host of international human rights NGOs, underscores the severity of the occupation’s impact on the Palestinian people,” Ali’s statement said.

    “These reports detail egregious violations of human rights and international law, painting a stark picture of the suffering endured by countless individuals under the occupation.

    Serious questions raised
    “The decision to support the genocidal, violent occupation raises serious questions about the processes and considerations behind Fiji’s foreign policy choices.

    “It is imperative that the Fijian government demonstrates accountability and transparency in its decision-making.

    “The public has a right to understand how such positions, which significantly impact [on] Fiji’s standing on the global stage and its moral compass, are determined. We call upon the government to disclose the rationale and any consultations or analyses that led to this stance.

    “This call for clarity is not just about ensuring governmental transparency; it’s about reaffirming Fiji’s dedication to principles that respect human dignity and international law.

    “Without this openness, the trust between the Fijian people and their government risks being eroded, especially on matters of international significance that reflect on the entire nation.”

    The coalition called on the Fiji government to reconsider its position and to align its international engagements with the “principles of human dignity, justice, and respect for international law”.

    ‘Advocate for justice, rights’
    “We urge the Fijian government to demonstrate its commitment to human rights and justice by advocating for the rights of all people, including the Palestinian people, to live in peace, security, and dignity.

    “We stand in solidarity with those advocating for peaceful resolution of conflicts and upholding human rights worldwide. The NGOCHR will continue to monitor this situation closely and support Fiji in adopting a foreign policy that reflects the values of its people and the principles of international law.”

    The Fiji NGO Coalition on Human Rights represents the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre (FWCC), Fiji Women’s Rights Movement (FWRM), Citizens Constitutional Forum (CCF), femLINKPacific, Social Empowerment and Education Programme (SEEP) and DIVA for Equality Fiji (DIVA).

    The Pacific Network on Globalisation (PANG) is also an observer (PANG).

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Wapenamanda massacre: ‘Pregnant mothers fled for their lives’

    By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist

    A man housing people who fled a massacre in Papua New Guinea’s Enga province yesterday says pregnant mothers and children are displaced.

    More than 50 bodies have been retrieved, with police still searching as intertribal tension continues.

    Prime Minister James Marape said he was “deeply moved” and “very, very angry” and will give arrest powers to the military to contain the violence.

    Aquila Kunza, who lives in Wapenamanda, told RNZ Pacific the situation was “disheartening.

    “They are below 10-years-old [the people staying with him],” Kunza said.

    “Some of them are pregnant mothers, they fled for their lives. [Those who are] 10-years above, they fight.”

    Kunza said boys as young as 10 have been left traumatised from fighting on the battlefield.

    Veteran PNG journalist and RNZ Pacific correspondent, Scott Waide, said it “is one of the worst instances of killings” that he has seen in the past decade.

    In 2022, there was a massacre on Kiriwina Island, northeast of capital Port Moresby with a death toll of more than 20 — violence that was triggered by a feud after a death at a football match a few weeks earlier.

    The incident in Enga province highlands this week has been fuelled by a long standing feud between different clans — Sikin and Kaikin tribes and the Ambulin tribe, according to national public broadcaster NBC.

    The clans were aided by guns from the black market, Waide explained.

    According to his sources on the ground, the weapons used were not homemade, but rather military grade, including “Israeli-made Galil, US-made M16s”.

    “There’s a huge black market attached to this tribal fighting that’s happening,” he said.

    “One assault rifle costs upwards of K30,000 [about NZ$13,000]. So it’s a very complex web of people who benefit from this tribal fighting as well.”

    ‘Businessmen and educated elites supplying guns’
    Acting Enga provincial police commander Inspector Patrick Peka has condemned the actions of leaders and “educated elites” from both warring factions for supplying guns and ammunition, and hiring “tribal warlords” and “gunmen” from other districts to come and fight as their incentives are lucrative.

    An MP in an electoral district within Enga province, Wapenamanda Open, has called for a state of emergency (in Enga) in an effort to curb lawlessness.

    In a statement, Miki Kaeok, who is a Pangu Pati member of Marape’s government, appealed to Enga governor Sir Peter Ipatas and all MPs from the province to rally behind his call.

    Kaeok said the tribal fighting had turned into a “guerilla type of warfare” with parties from all parts of the province directly involved.

    “Businessmen leaders and educated elites are supplying guns, bullets and financing the engagement of gunmen,” he said.

    “They must be identified and their business accounts thoroughly checked to substantiate their direct involvement.”

    ‘People have given up’
    There are 18 or so tribes scattered around mountains and rivers fighting in the highlands.

    In a nearby town, Wapenamanda it is almost business as usual, Kunza said.

    He said elders had stopped at nothing to try and ease tensions.

    “We have tried every means [to stop this]. Churches have taken a collective stand to try stop them. Elders sat the men with guns down and told them to stop and listen. They were told they will be supported and relocated,” he said.

    However, their attempts to convince the men did not work, who defied all advice “to our surprise and disappointment”, Kunza said, before violence escalated again.

    “People have given up, people are exhausted” from the ongoing tribal fighting.

    “Please all men and put down your guns” for the sake of the women and children, he is pleading with the fighters.

    Tribal politics
    Peka said a lot of the people killed in this violent incident were hired from other parts of the province to kill.

    “Most dead bodies identified are men believed to be from Laiagam, Kandep and Wabag plus other parts of the province,” Peka said.

    Waide said it was not a secret that people have offered their services as “mercenaries” in tribal fighting.

    “It’s a sad situation and unfortunate turn of events and it’s escalating by the year,” Waide said.

    He said it was always difficult to understand the reasons behind the ongoing violence without understanding the cultural context and tribal politics.

    Meanwhile, the Pacific Islands Forum said it stood ready to support PNG after some of the worst tribal fighting the country has ever seen.

    In a statement, Forum Secretary-General Henry Puna expressed his sincerest sympathies to the government and people of the country.

    Puna urged all parties involved to seek peaceful resolutions to this conflict.

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

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Palestinian foreign minister tells ICJ of ‘besieged, bombed and killed’ Gazans

    Asia Pacific Report

    Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki began his address to the week-long “historic” International Court of Justice hearings into the status of the people and state of Palestine in the Hague saying it was an “honour and great responsibility”.

    “I stand before you as 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza — half of them children — are besieged and bombed, killed and maimed, starved and displaced,” he told the court.

    “As more than 3.5 million Palestinians in West Bank, including East Jerusalem, are subjected to colonisation of their territory and the racist violence that enables it,” he added.

    “As 1.7 million Palestinians in Israel are treated as second-class citizens . . .  in their ancestral land,” he said, reports Al Jazeera.

    “As seven million Palestine refugees continue to be denied the right to return to their land and homes.”

    An unprecedented 52 countries and three international organisations are scheduled to give evidence.

    Five maps of ‘destruction’
    The foreign minister showed five maps to the court which he said demonstrated the ongoing “destruction of the Palestinian people”.

    The first map showed historic Palestine — the territory he said over which the Palestinian people should have been able to exercise their right to self-determination.

    A second map showed the 1947 UN Partition Map, which ignored the will of Palestinians, said al-Maliki.

    The third map shows three-fourths of historic Palestine becoming Israel over 1948-1967.

    “From the first day of its occupation Israel started colonising and annexing the land with the aim of making its occupation of irreversible,” he said.

    The fifth map was one presented by Israeli Benjamin Netanyahu at the UN General Assembly which he described as portraying “the new Middle East”.

    Al-Maliki added: “There is no Palestine at all on this map, only Israel comprised of all the land from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea.”

    End ‘brutal’ occupation
    Meanwhile, Amnesty International has issued a statement saying Israel must end its “brutal” occupation of Palestine — including Gaza, the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem — “to stop fuelling apartheid and systematic human rights violations”.

    Agnes Callamard, the rights group’s secretary-general, said Israel’s occupation of Palestine had been characterised “by widespread and systematic human rights violations against Palestinians”.

    “The occupation has also enabled and entrenched Israel’s system of apartheid imposed on Palestinians,” Callamard added, noting that the occupation had over the years “evolved into a perpetual occupation in flagrant violation of international law”.

    “Israel’s occupation of Palestine is the longest and one of the most deadly military occupations in the world,” she said.

    “For decades it has been characterised by widespread and systematic human rights violations against Palestinians. The occupation has also enabled and entrenched Israel’s system of apartheid imposed on Palestinians.”

    ‘Join South Africa’ plea to Luxon
    In New Zealand, a full page advertisement in news media presented an open letter to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon urging the NZ government join the South African case against Israel under the Genocide Convention.

    Sponsored by the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA), the letter in The Post declared that it agreed with the government that a military occupation into Rafah “would be ‘catastrophic’ with appalling humanitarian consequences”.

    It urged the NZ government to join South Africa’s urgent request to the ICJ to “end Israel’s attacks on Rafah”.


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

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • PM Luxon leaves Big Gay Out abruptly after heated Gaza war protest

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Thousands seek to leave Myanmar after military service announcement | Radio Free Asia (RFA)


    This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Radio Free Asia.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Dutch PM ‘Cautiously Optimistic’ Military Aid For Ukraine Coming ‘Soon’

    Aleksei Navalny’s family and close associates have confirmed the Russian opposition politician’s death in an Arctic prison and have demanded his body be handed over, but officials have refused to release it, telling his lawyers and mother that an “investigation” of the causes would only be completed next week.

    “Aleksei’s lawyer and his mother have arrived at the morgue in Salekhard,” Navalny spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh wrote on X, referring to the capital of the region of Yamalo-Nenets, where Navalny’s prison is located.

    “It’s closed. However, the [prison] has assured them it’s working and Navalny’s body is there. The lawyer called the phone number which was on the door. He was told he was the seventh caller today. Aleksei’s body is not in the morgue,” she added.

    Yarmysh then said in a new message: “An hour ago, the lawyers were told that the check was completed and no crime had been found. They literally lie every time, drive in circles and cover their tracks.”

    But in a third message, she said, “Now the Investigative Committee directly says that until the check is completed, Aleksei’s body will not be given to relatives.”

    Navalny associate Ivan Zhdanov, who currently resides abroad, said that Navalny’s mother was told her son had died of a cardiac-arrest illness.

    “When the lawyer and Aleksei’s mother arrived at the colony this morning, they were told that the cause of Navalny’s death was sudden death syndrome,” Zhdanov said.

    Navalny’s mother, Lyudmila, who traveled to the Yamalo-Nenets region some 1,900 kilometers northeast of Moscow, was earlier informed that the Kremlin critic died at the “Arctic Wolf” prison on February 16 at 2:17 p.m. local time, according to Yarmish.

    Vadim Prokhorov, a lawyer who has represented Russian human rights activists, told Current Time that “what is happening is not accidental.”

    “The Russian authorities will do everything not to turn over the body in time or certainly not to conduct a forensic medical examination,” Prokhorov told Current Time, the Russian-language network led by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA.

    The penitentiary service said in a statement on February 16 that Navalny felt unwell after a walk and subsequently lost consciousness. An ambulance arrived to try to revive him but he died, the statement added.

    Navalny, a longtime anti-corruption fighter and Russia’s most-prominent opposition politician for over a decade, was 47.

    His death sparked an immediate outpouring of grief among many Russians, while leaders around the world condenmed the death of Vladimir Putin’s staunchest critic, blaming the Russian president directly for the death.

    Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers meeting in Munich on the sidelines of a security conference held a minute’s silence for Navalny on February 17. The G7 consists of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United States.

    In a joint statement released by Italy, the ministers expressed their “outrage at the death in detention of Aleksei Navalny, unjustly sentenced for legitimate political activities and his fight against corruption.”

    Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said that “for his ideas and his fight for freedom and against corruption in Russia, Navalny was in fact led to his death.”

    “Russia must shed light on his death and stop the unacceptable repression of political dissent,” he added.

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the death of Navalny showed that it is impossible to see Putin as a legitimate leader.

    “Putin kills whoever he wants, be it an opposition leader or anyone who seems like a target to him,” Zelenskiy told the Munich Security Conference on February 17.

    Yale history professor Timothy Snyder, an expert on Central and Eastern Europe, told RFE/RL in Munich that Navalny will be remembered as someone who sacrificed his life for his country.

    “Putin wants to be remembered as a ruler of Russia. But Navalny will be remembered in a different way because Navalny died for his country rather than for killing other people.”

    “He tried to show that other things are possible [in Russia] and we’ll never know what kind of leader he would have been,” he added.

    Navalny’s vision for change in Russia will be kept alive by his team, his spokeswoman Yarmysh said. “We lost our leader, but we didn’t lose our ideas and our beliefs,” Yarmysh told Reuters via Zoom, speaking from an undisclosed location.

    Navalny’s death was a “very sad day” for Russia, and must lead to international action, the wife of a former Russian agent killed by radiation poisoning said on February 17.

    Marina Litvinenko, whose husband Aleksandr died of radiation poisoning in 2006, three weeks after drinking tea laced with polonium at a meeting with Russian agents at a London hotel, told AFP she had sympathy for Navalny’s wife, Yulia.

    The Kremlin, which Navalny said was behind a poison attack that almost killed him in 2020, has angrily denied it played any role in Navalny’s death and rejected the “absolutely rabid” reaction of Western leaders.

    Inside Russia, people continued to mourn the death of the anti-corruption crusader despite official media paying little attention to his death and efforts to remove any tributes to him.

    At least 340 people have been detained in 30 cities and towns in Russia on February 16 and 17 after they came to pay tribute, include laying flowers, to the memory of Navalny, according to OVD-Info, a group that monitors political repression in Russia.

    On February 17, police blocked access to a memorial in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk and detained several people there as well as in another Siberian city, Surgut, OVD-Info said.

    In Moscow, people came to lay flowers at the “Wall of Sorrow” memorial on the avenue named after Soviet physicist and dissent Andrei Sakharov on February 17. Riot police immediately moved in and more than 15 people were arrested, the Sota news outlet reported.

    In St. Petersburg, an Orthodox priest was detained on February 17 after he announced he would hold a memorial service for Navalny.

    Grigory Mikhnov-Vaitenko was detained near his home as he was going to the Solovetsky Stone memorial dedicated to Soviet victims of political repression.

    He was remanded in custody and was to be presented to a judge on February 19, the site 24liveblog.com reported.

    However, a memorial service was performed by a different Orthodox priest at the site, in the presence of several people, some of whom were detained after the service was completed.


    This content originally appeared on News – Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty and was authored by News – Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • War on Gaza: Palestinian journalism has been decimated with impunity

    Pacific Media Watch

    The toll of four months of war in Gaza on journalism is “nothing short of horrifying” — Palestinian journalists killed, wounded, and prevented from working without any possibility of safe refuge, reports the Paris-based global media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

    RSF has strongly condemned the “eradication of journalism and the right to information” in Gaza by the Israeli army, and has called on states and international organisations to increase pressure on Israel to “immediately cease this carnage”.

    In 124 days of conflict, at least 84 journalists have been killed in Gaza, including at least 20 in the course of their journalistic work or in connection with it, according to RSF statistics.

    Journalists are being decimated as the days of this interminable war go by, through incessant Israeli strikes from the north to the south of the Gaza Strip, the watchdog said.

    Journalists who had survived these four months were “living a daily hell” — in inhumane conditions, they suffered shortages of all kinds, particularly of equipment, as well as regular media blackouts, RSF said.

    “In four months of conflict, Palestinian journalism has been decimated by Israeli armed forces with complete impunity, with a staggering death toll of more than 84 journalists killed — at least 20 in the line of duty,” said RSF’s Middle East desk in their statement.

    “After filing two complaints with the International Criminal Court and making repeated appeals to States and international organisations, RSF is once again urging the UN Security Council to immediately enforce Resolution 2222 (2015) on the protection of journalists.

    Journalists trapped in Rafah
    Journalists in Gaza have no way out or any place of safe refuge. Forced to flee to the south of the enclave since October 7, the vast majority have taken refuge in Rafah, where the crossing point with Egypt is still closed and where an invasion of the city could lead to a new bloodbath.

    Rafah was described by Israel as a “security zone” at the start of the conflict. Despite RSF’s calls for the Rafah gate to be opened, the Israeli authorities continue to prevent Gazan journalists from leaving and to block access to the enclave for foreign journalists.


    As Gaza killings rise, so does the toll on Palestinian journalists.   Video: Al Jazeera

    A chilling toll
    According to the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate (PJS), about 50 local and international media outlets in Gaza have been totally or partially destroyed by the Israeli army since October 7, in addition to the appalling death toll.

    RSF filed two complaints with the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on 31 October and 22 December 2023 in connection with the killings of journalists and the destruction of media outlets.

    In the aftermath of the killings of independent videographer Moustafa Thuraya and Al Jazeera journalist Hamza Dahdouh on January 7, RSF obtained a decision from the ICC prosecutor to include crimes against journalists in its investigation into the situation in Palestine.

    Two days later, RSF called on the UN Security Council to urgently address Israel’s violations of Resolution 2222 on the protection of journalists.

    The struggle of journalists in the field
    Against this terrifying backdrop, Palestinian reporters in Gaza are showing untold courage in continuing to report on the war.

    Most have lost loved ones. Forced to move, they live in tents, with no electricity and very little food or water.

    Wounded journalists have very limited access to medical care. In partnership with Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism (ARIJ), RSF has been providing grants to Gazan journalists since the start of the war to support their reporting work.

    Pacific Media Watch collaborates with Reporters Without Borders.

    A man visits the spot where Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was killed
    A man visits the spot where Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was killed by Israeli snipers on 11 May 2022 while covering an Israeli raid in the Jenin refugee camp in the north of the occupied West Bank. Image: AJ/RSF

    Al Jazeera rejects Israeli forces’ attempt to justify crimes against journalists

    Al Jazeera Media Network has rejected the Israeli occupation forces’ attempt to justify the killing and targeting of journalists.

    In a statement this week, the network has condemned the accusations against its journalists and recalled Israel’s “long record of lies and fabrication of evidence through which it seeks to hide its heinous crimes”.

    The statement continued:

    “At a time when its correspondents and field crews are making great sacrifices to cover what is happening in Gaza, Al Jazeera’s employment policies stipulate that employees are not to engage in any political affiliations that may affect their professionalism, and to adhere to the controls and directives contained in the Network’s code of ethics and code of conduct.

    “Al Jazeera ensures that all its journalists and correspondents adhere to the editorial standards.

    “The network recalls the systematic targeting of Al Jazeera by the Israeli authorities, which includes:

    • the bombing of its office in Gaza twice,
    • the assassination of its correspondent Shireen Abu Akleh,
    • the killing of colleagues Samer Abu Daqa and Hamza Al-Dahdouh,
    • the deliberate targeting of a number of Al Jazeera journalists and their family members, and
    • the arrest and intimidation of its correspondents in the field.

    “Given Israel’s unprecedented campaign against journalists, Al Jazeera urges media outlets worldwide to exercise the utmost caution and responsibility when headlining Israel’s justifications for its crimes against journalists in Gaza.”

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Wenda accuses Indonesia of more human rights atrocities in Papua

    Asia Pacific Report

    A West Papuan pro-independence leader has accused Indonesia of new human rights atrocities this week while the republic has apparently elected a new president with a past record of violations in Timor-Leste and West Papua.

    Indonesian Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto has declared victory in the presidential election on Wednesday after unofficial vote counts showed him with a significant lead over his rivals, reports Al Jazeera.

    The 72-year-old former Kopassus special forces commander, who had run unsuccessfully for president twice before, was given a dishonourable discharge in 1998 after claims that his force kidnapped and tortured political opponents of Soeharto as his regime crumbled.

    Former Kopassus general Prabowo Subianto
    Former Kopassus general Prabowo Subianto … declared victory in Indonesia’s presidential election this week after unofficial polls gave him at least 57 percent of the vote. Image: Politik

    He has also been accused of human rights abuses in East Timor, which won independence from Indonesia amid the collapse of the Soeharto regime, and also in West West Papua.

    On the day that Indonesia went to the polls — Valentine’s Day, February 14 — Benny Wenda, president of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP), accused Jakarta’s military of continuing its “reign of terror” in rural West Papua.

    “The latest tragedy they have inflicted on my people occurred in the Puncak regency,” Wenda said in a statement.

    “Military raids on the February 3 and 4 devastated a number of highland villages.

    ‘Villagers tortured, houses burnt’
    “Numerous houses were burnt to the ground, villagers were tortured, and at least one Papuan died from his wounds — though Indonesian control of information makes it difficult to know whether others were also killed.”

    Wenda said that “as always”, the military had claimed the victims were TPNPB resistance fighters — “a grotesque lie, immediately denied by the villagers and their relatives”.

    Wenda also accused Indonesia of “hypocrisy” over Israel’s war on Gaza.

    “We have complete sympathy with [Palestinians over their suffering] in what is happening in Gaza,” he said.

    “But Indonesian hypocrisy on Palestine cannot be ignored. They are bringing a legal case to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) about Israel’s occupation of Palestine while intensifying their own brutal and bloody military occupation of West Papua.

    “They are supporting South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the ICJ while conducting their own genocide in West Papua.

    Denying West Papuan rights
    “They are crying about Palestinians’ right to self-determination while continuing to deny West Papuans that same right.”

    More than 500,000 West Papuans have been killed since the occupation began in 1963, says the ULMWP.

    In the past six years, more than 100,000 Papuans were estimated to have been displaced, made refugees in their own land as a result of Indonesian military operations.

    “Genocide, ecocide, and ethnic cleansing — West Papuans are victims of all three. The world must pay attention to our plight.”

    There were no reports of reaction from the Jakarta authorities.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • NZ’s weak criticism of Israel’s ethnic cleansing war crime too little too late

    COMMENTARY: By Martyn Bradbury, editor of The Daily Blog

    Winston Peters says Israel’s actions getting ‘out of hand’ ahead of planned Rafah offensive

    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has joined with the leaders of Australia and Canada to express grave concern about Israel’s planned ground offensive into the southern Gazan city of Rafah.  

    It’s the strongest statement from New Zealand yet as the number of people killed in the conflict continues to climb. 

    The 'myth of Western humanity and democracy'
    The ‘myth of Western humanity and democracy’. Image: TDB

    New Zealand, Canada and Australia’s weak tantrum against Israel’s ethnic cleansing war crime is simply too little too late.

    Israel’s attacks on Gaza have killed at least 28,663 Palestinians and wounded 68,395 since October 7.

    The death toll in Israel from the October 7 Hamas-led attacks stands at 1,139.

    The disproportionate violence here is beyond appeals from “friends”.

    Pictured is Winston gland handling the Israeli Ambassador earlier this week.

    NZ Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters (right)
    NZ Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters (right) meets with Israel’s Ambassador to New Zealand Ran Yaakoby on Monday . . . the war on Gaza conflict was among key subjects discussed. Image: MFAT via X(Twitter)

    Petty protest belittles NZ mana
    New Zealand’s petty attempts to protest Israel’s ethnic cleansing war crime has belittled our mana and our moral high ground.

    We are refusing to do what is required to against this appalling level of violence, and because we are cowards, this coalition government shames us all.

    According to Newshub: “Rafah, usually a city of 250,000, now has an estimated 1.5 million Palestinians sheltering there, but Israel is planning a ground offensive.

    “So they must flee — back to bombed out buildings — with ruins now perhaps safer.”

    The quoted joint statement by New Zealand, Canada and Australia said:

    “A military operation into Rafah would be ‘catastrophic’ and ‘devastating’.

    “We urge the Israeli government not to go down this path. There is simply nowhere else for civilians to go.

    “There is growing international consensus. Israel must listen to its friends and it must listen to the international community.”

    “Palestinian civilians cannot be made to pay the price of defeating Hamas.”

    Republished from The Daily Blog with permission.


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

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Could Indonesia’s Presidential Election Usher In Return to Military Rule?

    Wednesday’s presidential election in Indonesia could see the ascendance of General Prabowo Subianto, who has tried for years to seize power after decades of involvement in mass killings, kidnapping and torture across Indonesia, in occupied East Timor and in independence-seeking Western New Guinea. Subianto is a longtime U.S. protégé and the son-in-law of former Indonesian dictator Suharto.

    Source

    This post was originally published on Latest – Truthout.

  • Israeli offensive in Rafah ‘not a way forward’ for Gaza, says NZ’s Luxon

    RNZ News

    With an “appalling” loss of life unfolding in Gaza, it’s essential Israel halts plans for an assault on the city of Rafah, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says.

    The government has hardened its position towards Israel’s actions in Gaza, saying air strikes on the southern city of Rafah should stop and Israel should not go ahead with any more ground operations.

    At a post-Cabinet press conference yesterday, Luxon said he was extremely concerned about the 1.5 million Palestinians sheltering in Rafah right now — and that his preference was for a complete pause in hostilities.

    He said Foreign Minister Winston Peters had met with Israeli ambassador Ran Yaakoby at the Beehive on Monday to pass on the government’s concerns.

    The statements come as British Foreign Secretary David Cameron has also called for the fighting to stop and for a permanent sustainable ceasefire to be put in place.

    New Zealand was one of 153 countries calling for the ceasefire, Luxon told RNZ Morning Report.

    NZ Prime Minister Christopher Luxon
    NZ Prime Minister Christopher Luxon . . . “The loss of life is appalling, the humanitarian situation is deteriorating, the cost of the conflict frankly is far too high.” Image: RNZ/Angus Dreaver

    He said the government was extremely concerned about the loss of life for civilians as well as the threat to regional stability in the Middle East.

    ‘Loss of life appalling’
    “The loss of life is appalling, the humanitarian situation is deteriorating, the cost of the conflict frankly is far too high.

    “We want to see a pause in hostilities and that’s why we’ve said we don’t want Israel to proceed with an assault on Rafah.”

    He said it was crucial to invoke the Middle East peace process which would take action from both sides — Hamas to release the remaining hostages and stop its rocket fire on Israel while the latter would need to cease its military operations and allow increased humanitarian aid for Gaza.

    “What you’re hearing overnight is a concerted position from countries all around the world saying: look, we need an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. That needs to be the pathway to the permanent sustainable ceasefire we all want to see happen.”

    Israel had a massive duty to protect civilians in Gaza and consider the long-term impact of its actions on the Middle East.

    “That’s why we just don’t think going into Rafah, proceeding with operations there is a way forward. We want Israel to stop and think about the consequences and getting a long-term solution in place to actually get to peace.”

    New Zealand had also continued to contribute humanitarian support with another $5 million donation to the International Red Cross and the World Food Programme.

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

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Kyiv Claims Russian Military Using Musk’s Starlink In Occupied Areas

    The party of jailed former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, which according to still incomplete results has won most mandates in the February 8 elections, said it was ready to form a government amid warnings by the nuclear-armed country’s powerful military that politicians should put the people’s interests above their own.

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has so far announced the winners of 253 of the 265 contested parliamentary seats amid a slow counting process hampered by the interruption of mobile service.

    According to those results, independents backed by Khan’s Pakistan Tehrik-e Insaf (PTI) won 92 seats, while former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) garnered 71, and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) obtained 54 mandates. The remainder are spread among other small parties and candidates.

    Both Khan and Sharif declared victory.

    As results appeared to point to a hung parliament, PTI’s acting Chairman Gohar Ali Khan on February 10 told a news conference in Islamabad that the party aimed at forming a government as candidates backed by it had won the most seats.

    Khan also announced that if complete results were not released by February 10 in the evening, the PTI intended to stage a peaceful protest on February 11.

    Third-placed PPP, led by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, a former foreign minister who is the son of assassinated former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, could play kingmaker in case of talks to form a coalition government.

    Sharif said on February 9 that he was sending his younger brother and former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as an envoy to approach the PPP and other political parties for coalition talks.

    The elections were held in a highly polarized environment as Khan, a former cricket superstar, and his party were kept out of the election. Khan is currently in prison after he was convicted of graft and leaking state secrets. He also saw his marriage annulled by a court.

    Earlier on February 10, the chief of Pakistan’s powerful military urged the country’s political class to set aside rivalries and work for the good of the people.

    “The nation needs stable hands and a healing touch to move on from the politics of anarchy and polarization, which does not suit a progressive country of 250 million people,” General Syed Asim Munir said in a statement.

    “Political leadership and their workers should rise above self-interests and synergize efforts in governing and serving the people, which is perhaps the only way to make democracy functional and purposeful,” Munir said.

    The military has run Pakistan for nearly half its history since partition from India in 1947 and it still wields huge power and influence.

    The February 8 vote took place amid rising political tensions and an upsurge of violence that prompted authorities to deploy more than 650,000 army, paramilitary, and police personnel across the country.

    Despite the beefed-up security presence, violence continued even after the election. On February 10, the leader of Pakistan’s National Democratic Movement, Mohsin Dawar, was shot and wounded in Pakistan’s North Waziristan tribal district.

    Daward was shot and injured as he addressed supporters in front of a military camp in Miramsha in the country’s northwest.

    Mohsin Dawar's injuries were not believed to be life-threatening.
    Mohsin Dawar’s injuries were not believed to be life-threatening.

    Dawar, a well-known Pashtun politician, was shot in the thigh and rushed to a nearby hospital in stable condition. He was later transported to the capital, Islamabad, for further treatment. His injuries are not life threatening. Videos of a bloodied Dawar circulated on social media

    Three supporters were killed and 15 more injured in the incident, Rahim Dawar, a party member and eyewitness who is of no relation to the Pashtun politician, told RFE/RL.

    Dawar, who was running for the lower house of parliament, arrived at the headquarters of the regional election committee, located inside the military camp, to demand officials announce the result of the vote.

    Soldiers barred Dawar from entering and he was later shot as he addressed supporters outside the office. Dawar’s supporters accuse the police and security forces of firing at them.

    The security forces have yet to respond to the allegation. Local media, citing unidentified security sources, reported that some policemen were also killed in the incident, but RFE/RL could not confirm that.

    Dawar won a five-year term in 2018 and served in parliament until it was dissolved. Election officials later in the day said Dawar had lost the election.

    Crisis-hit Pakistan has been struggling with runaway inflation while Islamabad scrambles to repay more than $130 billion in foreign debt.

    Reported irregularities during the February 8 poll prompted the United States, Britain, and the European Union to voice concerns about the way the vote was conducted and to urge an investigation.

    Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry on February 10 rejected the criticism.

    PTI was banned from participating in the vote because the ECP said it had failed to properly register as a party. Its candidates then decided to run as independents after the Supreme Court and the ECP said they couldn’t use the party symbol — a cricket bat. Parties in the country use symbols to help illiterate voters find them on the ballots.

    Yet the PTI-backed independents have emerged as the largest block in the new parliament. Under Pakistani law, they must join a political party within 72 hours after their election victory is officially confirmed. They can join the PTI if it takes the required administrative steps to be cleared and approved as a party by the ECP.

    Khan, 71, was prime minister from 2018 to 2022. He still enjoys huge popularity, but his political future and return to the political limelight is unclear.

    With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and AP


    This content originally appeared on News – Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty and was authored by News – Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister Dismissed Amid Military Reshuffle

    The party of jailed former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, which according to still incomplete results has won most mandates in the February 8 elections, said it was ready to form a government amid warnings by the nuclear-armed country’s powerful military that politicians should put the people’s interests above their own.

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has so far announced the winners of 253 of the 265 contested parliamentary seats amid a slow counting process hampered by the interruption of mobile service.

    According to those results, independents backed by Khan’s Pakistan Tehrik-e Insaf (PTI) won 92 seats, while former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) garnered 71, and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) obtained 54 mandates. The remainder are spread among other small parties and candidates.

    Both Khan and Sharif declared victory.

    As results appeared to point to a hung parliament, PTI’s acting Chairman Gohar Ali Khan on February 10 told a news conference in Islamabad that the party aimed at forming a government as candidates backed by it had won the most seats.

    Khan also announced that if complete results were not released by February 10 in the evening, the PTI intended to stage a peaceful protest on February 11.

    Third-placed PPP, led by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, a former foreign minister who is the son of assassinated former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, could play kingmaker in case of talks to form a coalition government.

    Sharif said on February 9 that he was sending his younger brother and former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as an envoy to approach the PPP and other political parties for coalition talks.

    The elections were held in a highly polarized environment as Khan, a former cricket superstar, and his party were kept out of the election. Khan is currently in prison after he was convicted of graft and leaking state secrets. He also saw his marriage annulled by a court.

    Earlier on February 10, the chief of Pakistan’s powerful military urged the country’s political class to set aside rivalries and work for the good of the people.

    “The nation needs stable hands and a healing touch to move on from the politics of anarchy and polarization, which does not suit a progressive country of 250 million people,” General Syed Asim Munir said in a statement.

    “Political leadership and their workers should rise above self-interests and synergize efforts in governing and serving the people, which is perhaps the only way to make democracy functional and purposeful,” Munir said.

    The military has run Pakistan for nearly half its history since partition from India in 1947 and it still wields huge power and influence.

    The February 8 vote took place amid rising political tensions and an upsurge of violence that prompted authorities to deploy more than 650,000 army, paramilitary, and police personnel across the country.

    Despite the beefed-up security presence, violence continued even after the election. On February 10, Pashtun candidate Mohsen Dawar
    was shot and wounded in Pakistan’s North Waziristan tribal district.

    Crisis-hit Pakistan has been struggling with runaway inflation while Islamabad scrambles to repay more than $130 billion in foreign debt.

    Reported irregularities during the February 8 poll prompted the United States, Britain, and the European Union to voice concerns about the way the vote was conducted and to urge an investigation.

    Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry on February 10 rejected the criticism.

    PTI was banned from participating in the vote because the ECP said it had failed to properly register as a party. Its candidates then decided to run as independents after the Supreme Court and the ECP said they couldn’t use the party symbol — a cricket bat. Parties in the country use symbols to help illiterate voters find them on the ballots.

    Yet the PTI-backed independents have emerged as the largest block in the new parliament. Under Pakistani law, they must join a political party within 72 hours after their election victory is officially confirmed. They can join the PTI if it takes the required administrative steps to be cleared and approved as a party by the ECP.

    Khan, 71, was prime minister from 2018 to 2022. He still enjoys huge popularity, but his political future and return to the political limelight is unclear.

    With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and AP


    This content originally appeared on News – Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty and was authored by News – Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Israeli military to prepare a plan to evacuate civilians from Gaza city of Rafah ahead of an expected Israeli invasion – February 9, 2024

    Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

    Palestinian children displaced by Israeli air and ground offensive on the Gaza Strip walk through a temporary tent camp near Kerem Shalom crossing in Rafah, Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Hatem Ali)

    Palestinian children displaced by Israeli air and ground offensive on the Gaza Strip walk through a temporary tent camp near Kerem Shalom crossing in Rafah, Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Hatem Ali)

     

    The post Israeli military to prepare a plan to evacuate civilians from Gaza city of Rafah ahead of an expected Israeli invasion – February 9, 2024 appeared first on KPFA.


    This content originally appeared on KPFA – The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Syrskiy Takes Over As Top Ukrainian Commander In Major Military Shake-Up


    This content originally appeared on Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and was authored by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • West Papua independence fighters ‘set to free’ kidnapped NZ pilot

    RNZ Pacific

    A pro-independence militant West Papuan group says it will release a New Zealand pilot it has held hostage for a year via the United Nations, reports Reuters.

    It was unclear when the 38-year-old pilot, Philip Mehrtens, who was kidnapped exactly a year ago yesterday when he landed a small commercial plane in a rugged mountainous area, would be released.

    Terianus Satto of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), one of several groups fighting for Papua’s independence from Indonesia, said in a statement that Mehrtens would be released to “protect humanity and . . . human rights”.

    “TPNPB will return the pilot Philip Max Martherns [sic] to his family through the jurisdiction of the Secretary-General of the United Nations,” he said.

    A spokesperson for Foreign Minister Winston Peters said: “New Zealand continues to work with all parties on securing Mr Mehrtens’ safe release. The Minister of Foreign Affairs has no further comment at this time.”

    A low-level but increasingly deadly struggle for independence has been waged in the resource-rich western half of the island of Papua since it was brought under Indonesian control in a vote overseen by the United Nations in 1969 but rejected as flawed by most West Papuans.

    Papuans are indigenous Melanesians like their neigbouring islanders in the independent state of Papua New Guinea.

    Negotiations over pilot
    Indonesia’s government and military, which have struggled against the pro-independence movement, have said they were in negotiations to free the pilot.

    However, Asia Pacific Report says West Papuan activists are wary of negotiations with Indonesian authorities.

    A statement last week by another faction seeking independence, the government of the “Federal Republic of West Papua”, declared that Indonesian authorities had been resisting diplomatic moves to free the pilot and negotiations had reached a “stalemate”.

    The statement signed by the self-styled president Yoab Syatfle said: “The people of West Papua are of Pacific race and have closer affinity and share common customs and  traditions with the people of Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, New Caledonia, Australia, Cook Islands, Federal States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Tonga and Tuvalu.”

    Seeking negotiations for an independent future for West Papua, Syatfle said that since Mehrtens had been kidnapped, “60 innocent people had been killed, Indonesia had banned and closed access from air and land, closed 14 districts, closed 33 villages, and closed 39 churches [in the Nduga Regency].”

    Indigenous people had had to move to other safe places and the Indonesian military controlled everything, the statement said.

    “The Indonesian military never reached the location of the kidnappers [in a year] because it was a Papuan stronghold and because of the challenges of the mountains.”

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

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Anti-junta forces claim to have downed 7 military aircraft since coup

    Since Myanmar’s coup three years ago, anti-junta forces claim to have shot down at least seven military fighter jets and helicopters – three in January alone – a serious blow to the military increasingly relying on its advantage in the air against underequipped rebel groups making gains on the ground.

    Radio Free Asia was unable to verify the shoot-downs, which rebels groups say were achieved mostly through small-arms fire. The military has said nothing about them.

    Nearly all the incidents occurred within the past year, and three since the start of the year.

    In the latest, on Jan. 29, a Eurocopter AS 365 Dauphin transport helicopter crashed in Kayin state’s Myawaddy township. Joint forces of the ethnic Karen National Liberation Army, or KNLA, and the Cobra People’s Defense Force, or PDF – ordinary citizens who have taken up arms – claimed responsibility for bringing it down. 

    On Jan. 3, the ethnic Kachin Independence Army, or KIA, claimed to have shot down a Mi-17 transport helicopter over Kachin state’s Waingmaw township, as well as a FTC 2000G fighter jet over northern Shan state on Jan. 16.

    The military has become wary after losing fighter jets and combat helicopters in recent months, said KIA information officer Col. Naw Bu, and is now exclusively using transport helicopters “capable of carrying hundreds of bombs” in its attacks on rebel forces.

    “But they cannot use helicopters everywhere,” he said. “That’s why … they are experiencing difficulties.”

    A former army officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to security concerns, said that while anti-junta forces do not possess surface-to-air missiles and other sophisticated equipment, they are still capable of shooting down the junta’s low-flying aircraft with weapons such as .50 caliber machine guns.

    “Speaking of the plane that went down recently, the ground commander couldn’t clear [anti-junta forces from] the ground, so the aircraft may have been shot down by snipers,” he said.

    The officer noted that the United States military lost more than 2,200 aircraft during flights over Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia during the Vietnam War, including more than 1,700 to hostile action and more than 500 in accidents, despite having a significant advantage in the air over its enemies.

    “Such things happen,” he said. “It can be said that these are common incidents.” 

    Pivot to the air

    The junta, which ousted the democratically elected government in a Feb. 1, 2021 coup d’etat, has deployed fighter aircraft and artillery attacks in the ensuing civil war with devastating effect, in many cases causing civilian deaths and widespread destruction.

    And as the rebel groups have seized more ground in recent months, junta commanders have increasingly turned to air attacks, opposition groups and military experts say.

    During the first year of the coup, 109 civilians were killed and 177 were injured by airstrikes and artillery attacks. During the second year, civilian casualties jumped almost four times to 328 killed and 768 injured. The most recent year – between Feb. 1, 2023, and Jan. 31, 2024 – 992 people were killed and 1,696 were injured, according to data compiled by RFA.

    U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk warned earlier this week that human rights abuses in Myanmar had “deteriorated even further” in recent months as the military has grown desperate amid a series of battlefield defeats, and called for sanctions to limit the junta’s access to weapons, jet fuel, and foreign currency.

    ENG_BUR_AircraftShotDown_02062024.gfx.png

    The first time rebels say they shot down a junta aircraft was in May 2021, just months after the coup, when the KIA claimed responsibility for taking out an Mi-35 attack helicopter that crashed in Kachin state’s Momauk township.

    It would be nearly two years until the next crash, when a PDF paramilitary group in Sagaing region’s Homalin township claimed to have shot down a Russian-made Mi-17 transport helicopter on Feb. 3, 2023.

    In June that year, the Karenni National People’s Liberation Front, or KNPLF, said it shot down a K-8W light attack fighter jet over Kayah state’s Bawlake township. Ethnic Karenni combined forces said they downed another K-8 fighter jet on Nov. 11 and were able to locate the crash site.

    ‘Generals’ blood run cold’

    As the war drags into the fourth year, the military will lose more aircraft, predicted Capt. Ze Thu Aung, who left Myanmar’s Air Force to advise anti-junta groups as part of the Civil Disobedience Movement.

    “Every resistance group now has an understanding of how to weaken the junta’s airstrikes,” he said. “At the moment, everyone is already preparing for them. That’s why the rate of military aircraft crashes has increased in 2023 and 2024.”

    Than Soe Naing, a political commentator, said he believes that if more aircraft are destroyed, the military will lose its biggest asset, leading to “a turning point in protecting the lives of the people.”

    A Eurocopter 365 helicopter is commissioned into service during the celebration of the 71st anniversary of Myanmar air force at a base in Meiktila Station on Dec. 15, 2018. (Myanmar military)
    A Eurocopter 365 helicopter is commissioned into service during the celebration of the 71st anniversary of Myanmar air force at a base in Meiktila Station on Dec. 15, 2018. (Myanmar military)

    More importantly, commentator Kyee Myint said, if the military’s aircraft is shown to be susceptible to attack, it would mark a significant blow to the junta’s tactical advantage over the armed resistance.

    “It would make the generals’ blood run cold,” he said. “Then, the resistance would no longer need to look up in fear.”

    Kawlin under attack

    The latest crash came amid a fierce push by junta forces to retake Kawlin, in the northern Sagaing region, since the start of the month, with a combined force of some 800 soldiers supported by airstrikes, shelling and drone attacks.

    Residents said that the military had recently dropped a column of reinforcements by aircraft to assist in its fight for the town – a rice-producing area of economic and strategic significance to northern Sagaing.

    “Everyone is afraid of both the ground troops and aerial attacks,” said one resident who declined to be named, citing fear of reprisal.

    Nearly 50,000 residents of Kawlin have fled the town since Feb. 1, after receiving reports of advancing troops and possible airstrikes, he said.

    Translated by Htin Aung Kyaw and Aung Naing. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster.


    This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By RFA Burmese.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • NZ police accused of aggression after arrests at pro-Palestine protest

    RNZ News

    An activist organisation is accusing the Aotearoa New Zealand police of brutality after arrests were made at a pro-Palestine protest in Lyttelton today.

    About 60 people took part in the protest at Lyttelton Port this morning, and police said four people were arrested about 1pm after blocking traffic.

    Protesters had blocked a tunnel and poured a liquid onto the road, a police spokesperson said.

    Charges were being considered.

    Police arrested pro-Palestine protesters, and accused the group of blocking traffic in Lyttelton, on 6 February, 2024.
    Police arrest pro-Palestine protesters and accuse the group of blocking traffic in Lyttelton today. Image: Allforallpalestine/RNZ

    Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA) secretary Neil Scott issued a statement saying members were “repulsed” by police actions at the protest, which he labelled “disgusting”.

    “The police arrested seven people and pepper sprayed many, including senior citizens protesting peacefully,” Scott said.

    Scott said the group was 17 weeks into protests calling for a ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza and for the government to condemn the violations since last month’s International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling.

    Police ‘aggression’ increased
    Police “aggression” toward the protest activities had been increasing during that time, Scott said, and the group wanted an investigation into officers’ actions at the latest protest.

    Protest organiser Ihorangi Reweti-Peters told RNZ that police used “brute force” to stop protesters from blocking the road.

    “Police were sort of rarking people up and saying, ‘come on then’, and ‘do it’.”

    “Everyone was sprayed — pepper sprayed — and then the people were arrested.”

    Three of those arrested had been released by early this evening, Reweti-Peters said.

    Police have been contacted for comment.

    • Protest organisers are planning a pro-Palestine protest at Parliament and the US Embassy in Wellington next Tuesday.
    Police arrested pro-Palestine protesters, and accused the group of blocking traffic in Lyttelton, on 6 February, 2024.
    The pro-Palestine protesters, accused of blocking traffic in Lyttelton today. Image: Allforallpalestine/RNZ

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • ‘We stand by Colonel Naliva’- Fiji military backs officer accused over human rights

    By Eleisha Foon RNZ Pacific journalist

    The Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) “stands by” one of its senior officers, who is taking on a role with the Australian Army, despite the officer being accused of committing human rights abuses.

    The Australian first reported that Colonel Penioni (Ben) Naliva had been appointed as deputy commander of the Australian Army’s 7th Brigade, making him second in command of about 3500 Australian troops.

    However, the right-hand man to former Fiji coup leader and prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama, according to the newspaper, is alleged to have been involved in the violent beatings of two Fijian politicians in 2006.

    “In another case, the UN Special Rapporteur named then-major Naliva, in a report to the Human Rights Council, as being involved in the savage beating of a Suva businessman that left him unable to walk,” according to The Australian’s frontpage report published today.

    “In a third case, a prominent youth activist says Naliva was present when he was detained and tortured in 2006, and did nothing to stop it.”

    Rejected accusations
    But RFMF Military Assistant to Chief of Defence Lieutenant-Colonel Eroni Duaibe has rejected the accusations labelled against Colonel Naliva.

    He told RNZ Pacific most of the allegations had “come about through social media platforms” posted by “disgruntled individuals”.

    “There has not been any formal reports that have been lodged with Fiji police in regards to this,” Lieutenant-Colonel Duaibe said.

    “We stand by Colonel Naliva and his appointment with the Australian defence.”

    According to The Australian, following inquiries about the accusations, “[Australian] Defence is understood to be working with the Fijian government to determine ‘appropriate next steps’”.

    “Defence is aware of reporting regarding Colonel Penioni Naliva. Defence takes any allegations of wrongdoing seriously,” it reported.

    “Colonel Naliva has not been charged over any of the allegations and The Australian is not suggesting they are true, only that they have been made and are now the subject of inquiry by the Australian government.”

    Committed on defence
    RNZ Pacific has contact the Australian Defence, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Fijian Human Rights and Anti Discrimination Commission for comment.

    Australia has committed to grow its defence and security cooperation with Fiji — under the Vuvale Partnership agreement signed last October, with increasing co-deployments.

    The appointment comes after Colonel Naliva graduated from the Australian War College last year.

    Independent Senator Jacqui Lambie has also called on the Australian government to explain who appointed Colonel Naliva to the role when he is facing such allegations.

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

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Pressure must go on Israel to comply with World Court genocide rulings

    Aotearoa New Zealand must ramp up pressure on Israel to abide by last month’s International Court of Justice ruling, writes John Minto.

    COMMENTARY: By John Minto

    In 2003, the International Court of Justice ruled that Israel’s “apartheid wall” being built through Palestinian territory was a violation of international law and should be dismantled. Israel ignored the ruling and more than 20 years later the wall remains a potent symbol of Israeli policies of segregation based on ethnicity.

    Last December, Israel was taken to the court again, this time by South Africa which argued Israel was committing genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza with genocidal talk from Israeli leaders and indiscriminate killing of civilians — more than 27,000 killed so far including more than 12,000 Palestinian children.

    The charge of genocide against Israel will take years to be heard and decided upon but in the meantime South Africa argued for the court to issue interim orders to require Israel to end its military operation and allow desperately needed humanitarian assistance to flow freely into Gaza.

    Last month, the ICJ gave an interim ruling and although it did not demand an immediate ceasefire, it agreed with South Africa’s case that there was evidence to suggest Israel had breached the Genocide Convention and requiring Israel to report back to the court within a month on the steps it was taking to protect Palestinian lives and their very existence in Gaza.

    Israel is now on probation. What happens in the coming weeks will determine whether Israel ends its killing spree in Gaza or shows the ICJ its middle finger as it did in 2003.

    Commentary on the ICJ decision indicates the huge moral weight the decision carries for Israel and its small coterie of supporters, including New Zealand, which has been complicit through its silence, to end the war on Gaza.

    The only way Israel will follow the ICJ ruling is if it comes under enough pressure from countries such as New Zealand.

    Strong demand or look away?
    Western countries have previously called on other countries to abide by ICJ rulings — such as the ruling which said Russia must end its war in Ukraine. Will we make the same strong demand of Israel or will we look the other way?

    So far New Zealand has been equivocal, Foreign Minister Winston Peters making a few obligatory tweets but nothing more. The contrast with how we dealt with Russia compared with Israel could not be clearer.

    The Foreign Minister’s stance seems more aimed to avoid difficult conversations with US representatives at diplomatic cocktail parties than pressure to end the killing of Palestinian children.

    With Israel’s history of ignoring international law, New Zealand must speak out in a principled, assertive way. The alternative is to be silent and for this country to suffer derision for such cowardly, obsequious behaviour.

    Already New Zealand is swimming against the tide of world opinion. We have refused to criticise the killing of Palestinian civilians by Israel despite loudly condemning the killing of Israeli civilians in the October 7 attack.

    We have also refused to condemn other war crimes such as the “collective punishment” of Palestinians through the withholding of food, water and other necessities of life. We haven’t even made an unequivocal call for an immediate, permanent ceasefire or called for an International Criminal Court investigation into war crimes on and after October 7.

    We did this for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, so why the reticence over the Middle East?

    The lines are drawn . . . “ceasefire now”
    The lines are drawn . . . the “ceasefire now” and “hands off Yemen” protest at Auckland’s Devonport Naval Base last Monday. Image: David Robie/APR

    NZ’s selective morality
    Our embarrassing history is one of selective morality. In 2014 when Israel launched a war on Gaza with similar mass killing of Palestinians, the John Key government called in the Israeli ambassador and made clear New Zealand’s expectations. The Christopher Luxon-led government has failed to take even this most rudimentary measure.

    The time for doing that is well past. We must indicate to Israel that its behaviour is morally and ethically reprehensible.

    The government should immediately close the Israeli embassy until Israel is in full compliance with the ICJ decision as well as the broader provisions of international law such as allowing Palestinian refugees the right to return to their land and homes in Palestine, ending the military occupation and ending Israel’s apartheid policies against Palestinians.

    Wringing our hands is not an option. It might be acceptable for the comfort of the Minister of Foreign Affairs but for Palestinians it means ongoing death and destruction.

    John Minto is the national chairman of Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA) and contributes to Asia Pacific Report. This article was first published by the Otago Daily Times and is republished with the author’s permission.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • US, Thailand to hold annual military drills with troops from 30 nations

    The United States will stage annual, large-scale military drills in Thailand at the end of February, the allied nations announced Friday, with more than 10,000 troops from 30 nations slated to participate. 

    As part of the maneuvers, the U.S. and Thai navies will salvage a U.S.-made corvette that sank in the Gulf of Thailand in December 2022, leaving 34 crewmen dead or unaccounted for. 

    The Cobra Gold war games will be held Feb. 27 to March 10 – the 43rd iteration of the world’s longest-running international military training program and one of the Indo-Pacific region’s largest combined military exercises.

    Troops from the seven main participants – the U.S., Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, South Korea and Japan – will join combat rehearsals at five locations, including amphibious landings, strategic parachute jumps, ground and air live-fire and cyber warfare.

    China will not take part in combat drills but will join civic action missions with India.

    CG20_28feb_USMC.jpg
    U.S. Marine Corps amphibious assault vehicles secure the Had Yao beach head during the multinational amphibious landing drill in Chon Buri province, southeast of Bangkok, Feb. 28, 2020. (Pimuk Rakkanam/RFA)

    The exercises follow a late January high-level meeting in Bangkok between U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi. 

    That meeting was aimed at lessening tensions on the Taiwan issue and in the South China Sea.

    Light salvage operation

    Thailand and the United States will work together on the light salvage of the HTMS Sukhothai, which capsized and sank off Prachuap Khiri Khan province in stormy seas, officials from the two host countries said Friday. 

    Twenty-nine died while five crewmen remain undiscovered, according to the Royal Thai Navy.

    “This salvage, which will be executed as part of Cobra Gold 2024, will hopefully bring some comfort and closure to the families of all the brave sailors and marines who were lost,” U.S. ambassador Robert F. Godec, told a joint news conference at a Thai military headquarters on Friday. 

    The chief of Royal Thai Navy, meanwhile, denied local reports that the U.S. has forced it to give up a contract with a Chinese-linked company to fully salvage the corvette from the 50-meter-deep seafloor.

    “The U.S. Navy’s offer came properly and it has nothing to do with any Chinese company,” commander of the Royal Thai Fleet, Adm. Chatchai Tongsaard, said at the same conference, adding that the delay was due to the Thai Navy miscalculating its ability to perform the salvage on its own.

    The light salvage operation will include a search for the deceased, a damage survey, the destroyal of damaged weapons and the retrieval of undamaged components. The ship is likely to be discarded, he said.

    Amphibious landing rehearsals

    Premiered in 1982, this year’s Cobra Gold exercise will feature greater arrays of sophisticated military hardware as it follows its heavy year format of a two-year cycle.

    “The objective of the exercise for 2024 is to enhance the relations of all participating nations, to enhance the forces’ capability and interoperability in conducting missions under the joint-combined environment and adapt to various kinds of threats and crises,” said Gen. Thitichai Tiantong, the Royal Thai Armed Forces’ Chief of Joint Staff.

    The U.S. will not deploy any carrier strike groups, according to Col. Kurt Leffler, the Chief of the Joint U.S. Military Advisory Group said. The focus instead will be on the amphibious landing rehearsals, he said.

    Godec stressed the importance of the Indo-Pacific region, where up to 60 percent of the world’s maritime trade transits.

    “Cobra Gold maintains our shared readiness to secure the global commons, which is particularly relevant with piracy on the rise in key shipping routes around the world,” he said.

    “Protecting Indo-Pacific maritime trade routes ensures the free flow of goods and services, which keeps transportation costs low, enabling Thai and American businesses to thrive and prosper and benefiting consumers through lower prices.”

    The war games were scaled down in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc across the globe that year.

    Myanmar, whose military junta staged a coup against a civilian government in 2021, was not invited to observe the drills in 2022 due to limited seats, according to the Thai military. It was unclear whether it took part in Cobra Gold 2021, which was partly held virtually.  

    Edited by Mike Firn and Matt Reed.


    This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By Pimuk Rakkanam for RFA.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Canberra ‘ignores public’ over Gaza war – UNRWA fund cuts ‘irresponsible’, says Senator

    Asia Pacific Report

    Senator and deputy leader of the Australian Greens party Mehreen Faruqi says the survival of millions of people in Gaza depends on the “live-saving” humanitarian aid provided by UNRWA, and it is “totally irresponsible” to cut funds to the UN agency.

    “Western countries, like Australia, who have suspended this aid [to UNRWA] have made a pretty disgraceful and morally indefensible decision,” she said.|

    “We know that people are being starved in Gaza at the moment. We know that there is a humanitarian crisis.

    Australian Greens party Mehreen Faruqi senator
    Australian Greens party Mehreen Faruqi senator . . . “The Australian government is making decisions that are completely opposed to the sentiments, feelings and demands of the Australian people.” Image: Wikipedia

    “We know that there is a mission of genocide that Israel is committing, and at this time to suspend aid is disgraceful,” Faruqi told Al Jazeera.

    Australia joined some 15 US-led countries to cut UNRWA funding by US$667 million — more than half of its total pledges.

    The people of Australia had taken to the streets to protest over “weeks and weeks” in support of Gaza. But the government was refusing to listen to their demands, Faruqi said.

    “By refusing to listen to the people of Australia, the Australian government is making decisions that are completely opposed to the sentiments, feelings and demands of the Australian people,” she said.

    ‘People can see . . . 26,000 have been massacred’
    “People in Australia can actually see what is going on in Gaza. They can see more than 26,000 people have been massacred.

    “They can see that more than 12,000 of those are children. This is completely unacceptable. This [Israeli] mission of genocide.

    “And especially the cheerleading by Australia, by the UK, by the US of this invasion of Gaza is reprehensible.”

    UNRWA’s funds should be restored immediately and increased, Faruqi added.

    Countries such as Ireland, Norway and Spain have continued to fund UNRWA – in some cases increasing their aid — and have condemned the funding cuts as an “attack on humanity”.

    New Zealand is currently still funding UNRWA and will review the situation before its next instalment is due mid-year.

    ‘Happy to keep war going’

    Australian author and journalist Antony Loewenstein
    Australian author and journalist Antony Loewenstein . . . “Israelis also “very happy to keep the war going”. Image: Al Jazeera screenshot APR

    Also interviewed by Al Jazeera, independent journalist Antony Loewenstein, author of The Palestine Laboratory exposing the Israeli military profit machine, talked about the views of the Israeli population and the Jewish diaspora.

    Answering a question about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s declared goal of “total victory” as the war drags on, Loewenstein acknowledged how global diasporas were split in their opinions with younger Jewish groups in the US increasingly seeking a ceasefire, but his view of Israel was grim.

    “One of the things that is really clear. . . is that most Israelis want their hostages back, which makes sense. But at the same time they are also very happy to keep the war going.

    “In fact, most polls do not suggest that the majority of Israeli Jews want the war to end.,” he said.

    “They do want Hamas to be removed in some way. What that looks like, of course is up to debate.”


    Author Antony Loewenstein discusses Jewish diaspora splits over the Gaza war. Video: Al Jazeera

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Few ‘rotten apples’ shouldn’t prevent NZ aid to thousands of innocent people in Gaza, says Peters

    RNZ News

    New Zealand would likely continue funding the United Nations agency delivering aid in Palestine if concerns about its staff were dealt with, the Foreign Affairs Minister says.

    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on Tuesday confirmed New Zealand was reviewing future payments to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).

    It follows accusations by Israel that 12 agency staff were involved in the Hamas’ attacks on October 7, which left about 1140 dead and about 250 taken as hostages.

    NZ Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters
    NZ Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters . . . “I think the New Zealand people would want us to respond to the crisis.” Image: RNZ/Angus Dreaver

    Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters told RNZ Morning Report the allegations warranted a proper investigation.

    But he said the critical issue was the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

    According to the Palestine Health Ministry more than 26,000 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched a war on the besieged enclave in response to October 7.

    Awaiting UN investigation
    Peters said it was possible there were a few “rotten apples” within UNRWA.

    “If the matter has been dealt with, and with assurances that it does not happen in the future, then the crisis is of a level, we must, I believe, and I think the New Zealand people would want us to respond to the crisis rather than to react in that way and punish a whole lot of innocent people because of the actions of a few.” he said.

    Peters said it would be premature to make a decision before the UN finished its investigation.

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

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • US Military Considers Civilians Expendable Despite New Harm Mitigation Plan

    In war, people die for absurd reasons or often no reason at all. They die due to accidents of birth, the misfortune of being born in the wrong place — Cambodia or Gaza, Afghanistan or Ukraine — at the wrong time. They die due to happenstance, choosing to shelter indoors when they should have taken cover outside or because they ventured out into a hell-storm of destruction when they should have…

    Source

    This post was originally published on Latest – Truthout.

  • Defunding UNRWA will cause Gazans ‘more misery and suffering’, warns former PM Clark

    Asia Pacific Report

    Former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark, who led the UN Development Programme which oversees UNRWA, told RNZ Morning Report today it was the biggest platform for getting humanitarian aid into Gaza for a populations that is 85 percent displaced.

    People are on the verge on starvation and going without medical supplies, she said.

    “If you’re going to defund and destroy this platform, then the misery and suffering of the people under bombardment can only increase and you can only have more deaths.”

    Former NZ prime minister Helen Clark
    Former NZ prime minister Helen Clark tells Morning Report why humanitarian funding should continue. Image: RNZ screenshot

    Clark said it was “most regrettable that countries have acted in this precipitous way to defund the organisation on the basis of allegations”.

    Al Jazeera reports that top Palestinian officials and Hamas have criticised the decision by nearly a dozen Western countries led by the US to suspend funding (totalling more than US$667 million) for UNRWA — the UN relief agency for Palestinians — and called for an immediate reversal of the move, which entails “great” risk.

    Ireland, Norway and Spain and others (with funding totalling more than $497 million) have confirmed continued support for UNRWA, saying the agency does crucial work to help Palestinians displaced and in desperate need of assistance in Gaza.

    The Norwegian aid agency said the people of Gaza would “starve in the streets” without UNRWA humanitarian assistance.

    Hamas’ media office said in a post on Telegram: “We ask the UN and the international organisations to not cave into the threats and blackmail” from Israel.

    Defunding ‘not right decision’
    Former PM Clark did not deny the allegations made were serious, but said defunding the agency without knowing the outcome of the investigation was not the right decision, RNZ reports.

    “I led an organisation that had tens of thousands of people on contracts at any one time. Could I say, hand on heart, people never did anything wrong? No I couldn’t. But what I could say was that any allegations would be fully investigated and results made publicly known,” she said.


    UNRWA funding cuts — why Israel is trying to destroy the UN Palestinian aid agency.  Video: Al Jazeera

    “That’s exactly what the head of UNRWA has said, it’s what the Secretary-General’s saying, that process is underway, but this is not a time to be just cutting off the funding because a small minority of UNRWA staff face allegations.”

    Luxon suggested Clark’s plea would not affect New Zealand’s response.

    “I appreciate that, but we’re the government, and they’re serious allegations, they need to be understood and investigated and when the foreign minister [Winston Peters] says that he’s done that and he’s happy for us to contribute and continue to contribute, we’ll do that.”

    He compared the funding of about $1 million each year (in June) with the $10 million in humanitarian assistance provided by the government for the relief effort — “and we’ve split that money between the International Red Cross and also the World Food Programme”.

    Clark said people could starve to death or die because they did not receive the medication they needed in the meantime.

    If major donor countries like the United States and Germany continued to withhold funding, UNRWA would go down and there was no alternative, she said.

    Clark did not believe there was any coincidence in the allegations being made known at the same time as the International Court of Justice’s ruling on the situation in Gaza.

    According to the BBC, the court ordered Israel to do everything in its power to refrain from killing and injuring Palestinians and do more to “prevent and punish” public incitement to genocide. Tel Aviv must report back to the court on its actions within a month.

    Clark said the timing of the UNRWA allegations was an attempt to deflect the significant rulings made of the court and dismiss them.

    “I think it’s fairly obvious what was happening.”

    Israel had provided the agency with information alleging a dozen staff were involved in the October 7 attack by Hamas fighters in southern Israel, which left about 1300 dead and about 250 taken as hostages.

    More than 26,000 people — mostly women and children — have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched a major military operation in response, according to the enclave’s Health Ministry.

    UNRWA was founded in the wake of the creation of the state of Israel in 1948 to provide hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees who were forcibly displaced with education, healthcare, social services and jobs. It started operations in 1950.

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

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • ‘Ceasefire now’ protesters march on NZ naval base, demand Luxon upholds Israel genocide order

    Asia Pacific Report

    About 500 protesters marched through the heart of Auckland’s tourist suburb of Devonport today to the Royal New Zealand Navy base, accusing the government of backing genocide in the Middle East.

    Demanding a “ceasefire now” in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza that has killed almost 27,000 Palestinians — mostly women and children — so far, the protesters called on the New Zealand government to scrap its support for the US-led Red Sea maritime security operation against Yemen’s Houthis.

    Speakers contrasted New Zealand’s “proud independent foreign policy” and nuclear-free years under former Labour prime ministers Norman Kirk and David Lange with the “gutless” approach of current Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.

    Among many placards condemning the New Zealand government’s stance, one read: “We need a leader not a follower — grow some balls Luxon”. Others declared “It is shameful for NZ troops to aid genocide”, “Hands off Yemen” and “Blood on your hands”.

    Led by the foreign affairs activist group Te Kūaka NZA and Palestinian Youth Aotearoa, the march was organised in reaction to Luxon’s announcement last week that New Zealand would deploy six NZ Defence Force officers to the Middle East in support of the US-led attacks on Yemen.

    “We are appalled our government is dragging New Zealand into a new war in the Middle East instead of supporting diplomatic efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza,” Te Kūaka spokesperson Dr Arama Rata said.

    Police guard at the entrance to Auckland's Devonport Naval Base
    Police guard at the entrance to Auckland’s Devonport Naval Base today. Image: David Robie/APR

    ‘Unpopular, dangerous move’
    “This is an unpopular, undemocratic, and dangerous move, taken without a parliamentary mandate, or authorisation from the United Nations Security Council, which could further inflame regional tensions.”

    Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA) secretary Neil Scott branded the New Zealand stance as preferring “trade over humanity!”

    A child carrying a placard protesting
    A child carrying a “blood on your hands” placard today protesting over the childrens’ deaths in the Gaza Strip. Image: David Robie/APR

    He said that in South Africa’s case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) the ruling indicated “plausible genocide” by Israel in its war on Gaza and that state was now on trial with an order to comply with six emergency measures and report back to The Hague within one month.

    “This is something that has been obvious to all of us for months based on Israel’s actions on the ground in Gaza and Israeli politicians’ stated intent,” Scott said.

    “Yet [our] government refuses to call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. It refuses to take any action to oppose that genocide.”

    Referring to the Houthis (as Ansarallah are known in the West) and their blockade of the Red Sea, Scott said: “Ships and containers heading to Israel — no other ships to be impacted.

    “They [Houthis] state that they are carrying out an obligation to oppose genocide under Article 1 of the Genocide Convention. They will end their blockade when Israel ends the genocide.

    The lines are drawn at Devonport
    The lines are drawn . . . the “ceasefire now” and “hands off Yemen” protest at Devonport Naval Base today. Image: David Robie/APR

    ‘Oppose Israeli genocide’
    “This is something every country in the world is meant to do. Oppose Israeli genocide — that includes Aotearoa.

    “So what does Prime Minister Luxon, Minister of Foreign Affairs [Winston] Peters and Minister of Defence [Judith] Collins do? They decide to send our sailors to the Red Sea to defend ships — getting our Navy to be complicit in defending Israeli genocide.”

    His comments were greeted with loud cries of “Shame”.

    Scott declared that the protesters were calling on the government to “acknowledge New Zealand’s obligations” under Article 1 of the Genocide Convention; expel the Israeli ambassador until the genocide ends, and to “immediately rescind the order to send our sailors” to join the US forces “defending Israeli genocide”.

    The protesters also called on New Zealand’s Defence Force chief Air Marshal Kevin Short and Navy chief Rear Admiral David Proctor to stand by the legal obligations of the Genocide Convention to oppose Israeli genocide.

    Pointing to the HMNZS Philomel base as Navy officers and a police guard looked on, Green Party MP Steve Abel referenced New Zealand’s “proud episode 50 years ago” when the late Prime Minister Norman Kirk dispatched the frigate HMNZS Otago (and later the Canterbury) to Moruroa atoll in 1973 to protest against French nuclear tests.

    He also highlighted Prime Minister David Lange’s championing of nuclear-free New Zealand and the nuclear-free Pacific Rarotonga Treaty “a decade later” in the 1980s.

    Abel called for a return to the “courageous” independent foreign policies that New Zealanders had fought for in the past.

    Today’s Devonport naval base protest followed a series of demonstrations and a social gathering in Cornwall Park over the holiday weekend in the wake of the “first step” success against impunity by South Africa’s legal team at The Hague last Friday. Other solidarity protests have taken place at some 17 locations across New Zealand.

    Rallying cries near the entrance to the Devonport naval Base
    Rallying cries near the entrance to the Devonport Naval Base today. Image: David Robie/APR
    "Grow some balls Luxon" placard in
    “Grow some balls Luxon” placard in the protest today at the Devonport Naval Base. Image: David Robie/APR
    Green Party MP Steve Abel
    Green Party MP Steve Abel . . . contrasted the Luxon government’s weak stance over the Middle East with the “proud” days of the Royal NZ Navy in protesting against French nuclear testing.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • UN refugee agency a neutral Gaza ‘lifeline for millions’, says aid officer

    RNZ News

    A New Zealander working for the UN refugee agency for Palestinians says having countries pull funding is devastating.

    Speaking from Geneva, Hector Sharp told RNZ Midday Report UNRWA was the only organisation with the ability to deliver the kind of aid needed in Gaza.

    “We’ve been doing this for 75 years, so we’re quite good at it,” he said.

    “In Gaza, we have nearly two million people of the 2.3 million residents completely dependent on UNRWA for their daily shelter, food, and survival.”

    Sharp said what was happening now in Gaza was a man-made famine.

    “This loss of funding comes at a time where UNRWA is a lifeline for millions of people,” he said.

    Sharp said they were urging the countries that had cut funding to reverse those decisions.

    He said the allegations of staff from UNRWA being involved in the October 7 attacks came as a shock.

    “United Nations employees must remain neutral, independent, and impartial,” he said.

    UNRWA is ‘humanitarian’
    “UNRWA is a humanitarian agency — we don’t have a police force, we don’t have an intelligence service or a criminal justice capacity, so we have no authority to monitor what our staff do outside their work.

    “But, we also don’t work in a vacuum, our staff are drawn from a population which is under ongoing occupation and we are aware of the neutrality risks that this poses,” Sharp said.

    New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it would review its contribution for the UNRWA, which is under fire after 12 of its staff allegedly took part in the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7.

    The ministry said in a statement that this country had been providing UNRWA with $1 million a year in funding.

    “As we always do prior to releasing funds, we will assess the situation again prior to that payment being made,” the statement said.

    At least nine countries, including top donors the US and Germany, had paused funding after allegations by Israel about 12 staff who had since been dismissed.

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

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • UN refugee agency a neutral Gaza ‘lifeline for millions’, says aid officer

    RNZ News

    A New Zealander working for the UN refugee agency for Palestinians says having countries pull funding is devastating.

    Speaking from Geneva, Hector Sharp told RNZ Midday Report UNRWA was the only organisation with the ability to deliver the kind of aid needed in Gaza.

    “We’ve been doing this for 75 years, so we’re quite good at it,” he said.

    “In Gaza, we have nearly two million people of the 2.3 million residents completely dependent on UNRWA for their daily shelter, food, and survival.”

    Sharp said what was happening now in Gaza was a man-made famine.

    “This loss of funding comes at a time where UNRWA is a lifeline for millions of people,” he said.

    Sharp said they were urging the countries that had cut funding to reverse those decisions.

    He said the allegations of staff from UNRWA being involved in the October 7 attacks came as a shock.

    “United Nations employees must remain neutral, independent, and impartial,” he said.

    UNRWA is ‘humanitarian’
    “UNRWA is a humanitarian agency — we don’t have a police force, we don’t have an intelligence service or a criminal justice capacity, so we have no authority to monitor what our staff do outside their work.

    “But, we also don’t work in a vacuum, our staff are drawn from a population which is under ongoing occupation and we are aware of the neutrality risks that this poses,” Sharp said.

    New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it would review its contribution for the UNRWA, which is under fire after 12 of its staff allegedly took part in the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7.

    The ministry said in a statement that this country had been providing UNRWA with $1 million a year in funding.

    “As we always do prior to releasing funds, we will assess the situation again prior to that payment being made,” the statement said.

    At least nine countries, including top donors the US and Germany, had paused funding after allegations by Israel about 12 staff who had since been dismissed.

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

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Amnesty chief calls UNRWA funding cuts ‘heartless’, ‘sickening’

    Asia Pacific Report

    Agnes Callamard, the secretary general of Amnesty International, has called the funding cuts to the UN’s Palestinian humanitarian relief agency a “heartless decision” by some of the world’s richest countries “to punish the most vulnerable population on earth because of the alleged crimes of 12 people”.

    In a post on X, formerly Twitter, she added: “Right after the ICJ [International Court of Justice] ruling finding risk of genocide. Sickening.”

    While nine Western nations, including the US, rushed to suspend UNRWA’s funding after allegations that members from the agency participated in the October 7 attack, the same countries have failed to formally revise their ties to Israel despite mounting reports of genocidal abuse by Israeli forces.

    The Director-General of the World Health Organisation, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said that “cutting off funding” to UNRWA at what he called a “critical moment” would only “hurt the people of Gaza who desperately need support”.

    The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs highlighted the plight of some 1.9 million displaced Palestinians in Gaza with the main UN agency delivering humanitarian aid losing its major financial backing.

    “Scenes of forcibly displaced people are a disgrace to humanity,” it said in a statement.

    “Over half a million Palestinians in Khan Younis were instructed by the occupying forces to evacuate their homes, including hospitals and health centres, in a cruel expansion and deepening of forced displacement from southern regions.”

    UNRWA employs about 30,000 people and provides humanitarian aid, education, health and social services to 5.9 eligible Palestinian refugees living in Gaza, the occupied West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.

    The UNRWA donors funding breakdown
    The UNRWA donors funding breakdown in 2022. Graphic: Al Jazeera

    The UN agency received almost US$1.2 billion in pledged in 2020, with the US being the biggest donor providing $343.9 million. The fifth-largest donor, Norway, provided $34.2 million and is continuing is funding in spite of the action by the US and its allies.

    Hani Mahmoud, reporting for Al Jazeera from Rafah, southern Gaza, said the entire city of Khan Younis continued to be pounded by Israeli bombardment.

    “Thousands of people have been ordered to evacuate and are going through security checkpoints with facial recognition technology,” he said.

    “Women and children are separated from the men. A large number of people have been detained and dehumanised during the process.

    Video showed people “trying to flee the horror” on different routes away from the bombing they were targeted by tank and artillery shells and small-arms fire, and also Israeli attack drones that hovered low over the city.

    There were reports of many people killed.

    “Intense fighting is now taking place in the southeastern part of Khan Younis at the edges of Rafah city,” he said.

    Meanwhile, a “Return to Gaza Conference” in Jerusalem — attended by Israeli cabinet ministers and members of the parliamentary Knesset — has laid out a plan for the re-establishment of 15 Israeli settlements and the addition of six new ones, on where recently destroyed Palestinian communities stood.

    An Israeli humanitarian lawyer, Itay Epshtain, said the fact that Israeli officials would convene a high level meeting to plan what he called an act of aggression — the acquisition of occupied territory and its colonisation — was an early indication of intent to breach the provisional measures ordered by the International Court of Justice last Friday.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Palestinian agency condemns funding cuts as ‘ collective punishment’

    Asia Pacific Report

    Former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark has joined a chorus of global development and political figures defending the United Nations “lifeline” for more than two million Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip enclave.

    Declaring New Zealand should stick to its three-year funding agreement with the UN relief agency for Palestinians (UNRWA), Clark joined the pleas by the agency chief executive Philippe Lazzarini — who condemned the US action to suspend funding as “collective punishment” — and Secretary-General António Guterres.

    New Zealand is due to fund the agency $1 million this year.

    Protesters at an Auckland solidarity rally for Palestine demanding an immediate unconditional ceasefire also condemned the countries suspending UNRWA funding amid reports of serious flooding of Gaza refugee camps.

    Other political leaders to voice concerns as eight countries joined the US in announcing they were suspending their funding for UNRWA include Scotland’s First Minister Humza Yousaf and former leader of the UK Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn.

    Two countries — Ireland and Norway — declared they they would continue funding the agency and Lazzarini said: “It is shocking to see a suspension of funds to the agency in reaction to allegations against a small group of staff.”

    Cuts one day after ICJ ruling
    The cuts to funding were announced by the US a day after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) had ordered Israel to take steps to prevent genocidal acts and to punish those who committed such acts in its war on Gaza, and to immediately facilitate aid to the victims of the war.

    Israel had alleged that about a dozen of the agency’s 13,000 employees had been involved in the deadly Hamas raid on southern Israel on October 7.

    The eight other countries that have joined the US in suspending funding are Australia, Britain, Canada, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Finland.

    “Serious as allegations around a tiny percentage of now former UNRWA staff may be, this isn’t the time to suspend funding to UN’s largest relief and development agency in Gaza,” said Clark, who is also the former head of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), in a post on social media.

    Secretary-General Guterres said in a statement that the UN had taken “swift actions” following the “serious allegations” against UNRWA staff members, terminating most of the suspects and activating an investigation.

    A watermelon banner at the Auckland rally today
    A watermelon banner at the Auckland rally today . . . a symbol of justice for the Palestinian people. Image: David Robie/APR

    “Of the 12 people implicated, nine were immediately identified and terminated by the Commissioner General of UNRWA Philippe Lazzarini, one is confirmed dead, and the identity of the two others is being clarified,” he said.

    “Any UN employee involved in acts of terror will be held accountable, including through criminal prosecution.

    ‘Ready to cooperate’
    “The secretariat is ready to cooperate with a competent authority able to prosecute the individuals in line with the secretariat’s normal procedures for such cooperation.

    “Meanwhile, 2 million civilians in Gaza depend on critical aid from UNRWA for daily survival, but UNRWA’s current funding will not allow it to meet all requirements to support them in February.”

    Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, said that states cutting funding to UNRWA could be “violating their obligations under the Genocide Convention”.

    “The day after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) concluded that Israel is plausibly committing genocide in Gaza, some states decided to defund UNRWA,” Albanese said in a post on social media.

    Albanese also described the decision taken by several UNWRA donors as “collectively punishing millions of Palestinians at the most critical time”.

    Noting the irony, lawyer and social media content producer Rosy Pirani said in a post on Instagram: “The US stopped funding UNHRA over an unverified claim that some of its employees may have been involved in 10/7, but continues to fund Israel despite actual evidence [before the ICJ] that it is committing genocide.”

    Meanwhile, the largest hospital in besieged Khan Younis city remained crippled and faced collapse as Israel’s offensive continued nearby. Doctors described it as a “dangerous situation”.

    Footage showed people in the crowded facility being treated on blood-smeared floors as frantic loved ones shouted and jostled. Cats scavenged on a mound of medical waste.

    Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson at the Auckland rally today
    Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson at the Auckland rally today . . . she vowed that her party would challenge the government over its Yemen action without parliamentary debate. Image: David Robie/APR
    The stunning carved waharoa (entranceway) in Auckland's Aotea Square today
    The stunning carved waharoa (entranceway) in Auckland’s Aotea Square today . . . Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson paid tribute to artist, journalist and activist Selwyn Muru (Te Aupōuri), who died last week, as the creator of this archway. Image: David Robie/APR
    A group of Jews Against Genocide protesters at the Auckland rally today
    A group of Jews Against Genocide protesters at the Auckland rally today . . . among the growing numbers of Jewish protesters who are declaring “not in our name” about Israel’s war on Gaza. Image: David Robie/APR

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.