radiofree.asia

Category: military

  • Myanmar’s military recruiting Rohingya at displaced camps

    Myanmar’s junta is offering freedom of movement to Rohingya Muslims restricted to camps for the displaced in Rakhine state as part of a bid to entice them into military service amid the nationwide rollout of a conscription law, according to sources in the region.

    The enactment of the People’s Military Service Law on Feb. 10 has sent draft-eligible civilians fleeing from Myanmar’s cities, saying they would rather leave the country or join anti-junta forces in remote border areas than fight for the military, which seized power in a 2021 coup d’etat.

    Myanmar’s military is desperate for new recruits after suffering devastating losses on the battlefield to the ethnic Arakan Army, or AA, in Rakhine state. Since November, when the AA ended a ceasefire that had been in place since the coup, the military has surrendered Pauktaw, Minbya, Mrauk-U, Kyauktaw, Myay Pon and Taung Pyo townships in the state, as well as Paletwa township in neighboring Chin state.

    But rights campaigners say the junta is drafting Rohingya into military service to stoke ethnic tensions in Rakhine state, while legal experts say the drive is unlawful, given that Myanmar has refused to recognize the Rohingya as one of the country’s ethnic groups and denied them citizenship for decades.

    Some 1 million ethnic Rohingya refugees have been living in Bangladesh since 2017, when they were driven out of Myanmar by a military clearance operation. Another 630,000 living within the country are designated stateless by the United Nations, including those who languish in camps for internally displaced persons, or IDPs, and are restricted from moving freely in Rakhine state.

    Residents of the Kyauk Ta Lone IDP camp in Rakhine’s Kyaukphyu township told RFA Burmese that junta forces, including the township administration officer and the operations commander of the military’s Light Infantry Battalion 542, took a census of the camp’s Muslims for the purpose of military service on Monday.

    Junta personnel compiled a list of more than 160 people deemed eligible for conscription and informed them they would have to take part in a two-week military training program, according to one camp resident who, like others interviewed for this report, spoke on condition of anonymity due to security concerns.

    “The township administration officer came … and told us that Muslims must also serve in the military, but we refused to follow his order,” the resident said. “Then, the military operations commander arrived here along with his soldiers, and forced us to do so under the military service law. They collected the names of more than 160 people.”

    Freedom of movement

    Some 1,500 Rohingyas from around 300 families have been living at Kyauk Ta Lone since ethnic violence forced them to flee their homes in Kyaukphyu 12 years ago. 

    Since taking the census on Monday, junta officers have repeatedly visited the camp, trying to persuade Rohingya residents to serve in the military with an offer of free movement within Kyaukphyu township, said another camp resident. 

    “They won’t guarantee us citizenship,” he said. “But if we serve in the military, we will be allowed to go freely in Kyaukphyu.”

    Other camp residents told RFA they “would rather die” than serve in the military, and suggested the recruitment drive was part of a bid by the military to create a rift between them and ethnic Rakhines – the predominant minority in Rakhine state and the ethnicity of the AA.

    No date was given for when the training program would begin, they said. After receiving training, the recruits would be assigned to a security detail along with junta troops guarding routes in and out of Kyaukphyu, and dispatched to the battlefield “if necessary.”

    Rohingya IDPs are afraid to serve in the military, but are unable to flee the camp because it is surrounded by junta troops, residents added.

    Other recruitment efforts

    The military service census at the Kyauk Ta Lone IDP camp came as Rohingyas in the Rakhine capital Sittwe, the Rakhine townships of Buthidaung and Maungdaw, and other parts of Kyaukphyu reported that junta troops have been arresting and collecting data from members of their ethnic group as part of a bid to force them into military training.

    On Monday and Tuesday evening, military personnel arrested around 100 Rohingyas of eligible service age from the Buthidaung villages of Nga/Kyin Tauk, Tat Chaung, Pu Zun Chaung and Kyauk Hpyu Taung, said a resident who also declined to be named.

    “People doing business in the village were arrested. Village elders were also arrested,” said the resident, who is also a Rohingya. “At least one young person from every house was arrested and taken to the army. The parents of those who were arrested are quite worried now.”

    Junta troops said that the AA had established camps near the Rohingya villages and residents would have to undergo military training to defend the area, he added. They said the residents would be equipped with weapons and returned to their villages after the training was complete.

    Rohingyas in Sittwe and Maungdaw, where an AA offensive is now underway, also reported junta census efforts and pressure to join military training. They said that larger villages are expected to provide 100 people for training, while smaller ones should send 50 residents.

    Law does not apply

    A lawyer who is representing Rohingyas in several legal cases told RFA that the People’s Military Service Law “does not apply” to members of the ethnic group because they do not have citizenship status in Myanmar.

    He added that the junta’s attempt to recruit Rohingyas is part of a bid to drive a wedge between them and the people of Myanmar, many of whom oppose the military regime.

    Nay San Lwin, an activist on the Rohingya issue, said that the junta hopes to divert attention from its losses to the AA in Rakhine state by igniting tensions between ethnic Rakhines and Rohingyas.

    “If the Rohingyas are forced into their army, there could be a lot of problems between the Rakhines and the Rohingyas,” he said. “That’s what they want. Once that happens, they’ll drop all support for the Rohingyas as usual. But the main reason is to use the Rohingyas as human shields.”

    Nay San Lwin noted that as successive governments in Myanmar have denied the Rohingya citizenship, there should be no pressure to force them to serve in the military.

    The junta has released no information on efforts to recruit Rohingyas in Rakhine state and attempts by RFA to contact junta Deputy Information Minister Major Gen. Zaw Min Tun and Rakhine State Attorney General Hla Thein, who is the junta’s spokesman in the region, went unanswered Thursday.

    The AA issued a statement on Wednesday calling on ethnic Rakhines to take refuge from junta oppression – which it said includes unlawful arrests, extortion, forced military recruitment, and extrajudicial killings – in AA-controlled territory, instead of fleeing to other areas of the country.

    Conscription eligibility

    According to Myanmar’s compulsory military service law, men aged 18-35 and women aged 18-27 face up to five years in prison if they refuse to serve for two years, while highly skilled professionals aged 18-45 must also serve, but up to five years. More than 13 million of the country’s 54 million people are eligible for service.

    Conscription is slated to be implemented at the end of April 2024, with a goal of recruiting up to 60,000 service members each year, in batches of around 5,000 people.

    Translated by Aung Naing and Kalyar Lwin. 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.

  • Namah not happy with Marape’s reply over PNG ‘warlords’ question

    By Gorethy Kenneth in Port Moresby

    Papua New Guinea’s former opposition leader Belden Namah says Prime Minister James Marape never answered in detail the questions he asked in Parliament this week about the Enga massacre

    Namah, the Vanimo Green MP, said he was dissatisfied with the response Marape presented in Parliament yesterday as the death toll from the Wapenamanda killings rose to about 70.

    “He never answered any one of my questions,” he said angrily.

    “I would have expected him to say, yes, we are putting together a special force from the police and the military to go in there and go after the warlords, go after the murderers.”

    “We have funding allocated separately for that. We have the capacity, the policemen and women have enough uniforms, three sets of uniforms, they have allowance, these are the sort of preparedness I was looking for the PM to tell me when I was talking about combat readiness.

    “We are sending the same old people, the soldiers and the police and they are fraternising with the tribal fighters, with the lot of people on the ground and not effecting any arrests.

    “In fact, they are standing around with the warriors carrying their guns, soldiers and police carrying their guns, where are we heading?” he asked.

    ‘I wanted PM to go hard’
    “I wanted the Prime Minister to come to the floor of Parliament and say my government is going to do this and do that, and go hard on these people.

    “The death toll has gone up to 70, it’s not a small number, it’s hit news media everywhere in the world.

    “It is not about this 70 only, it started in his electorate, in his province and I would have expected that he would put in place counter measures for this.

    “He has not. Police have their own intelligence officers, military have their own intelligence, [and] the government has its own.

    “They should be out there penetrating the tribal villages collecting information and then send in special forces — that’s what I mean by having the government ready to counter these kinds of activities.

    “And if the force was in readiness, they would have put [it] forward.”

    Namah said Marape’s response yesterday demonstrated that the government was not interested in sorting out the security issues in the Highlands-affected areas.

    Police chief on notice
    Prime Minister Marape told Parliament that Police Commissioner Davd Manning had been put on notice to ensure the country was secured.

    Marape addressed the pressing issues of lawlessness raised during a parliamentary session this week, singling out that a plan to incorporate all suggestions by MPs –– including the Enga massacre and others.

    Gorethy Kenneth is a senior Post-Courier journalist. Republished with permission.

     

     

     

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Bainimarama slams Fiji’s support for Israeli occupation of Palestine as ‘disturbing’

    RNZ Pacific

    Former Fiji prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama says the country’s intervention at the International Court of Justice over Israel’s occupation of Palestine betrays Fiji’s legacy as peacekeepers.

    Paul Reichler, an attorney representing Palestine at the ICJ revealed this week that Fiji and the United States were the only nations to defend Israel’s occupation of Palestine.

    Fifty countries and three international organisations are calling for self-determination and an end to the Israeli military occupation which has lasted more than half a century.

    Fiji political rivals Sitiveni Rabuka (left), a former prime minister, and Voreqe Bainimarama, the current Prime Minister
    Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka (left) condemned by former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama over Fiji’s stance on military occupation of Palestine . . . “with what credibility will we support the independence of territories like New Caledonia and French Polynesia?” Image: Vanguard/IDN

    Bainimarama said Fiji’s stance “insults the intelligence of every Fijian”.

    The former prime minister and military commander said that that position undid Fiji’s long-standing commitment to neutrality, peacekeeping, and the principles of self-determination and decolonisation.

    “The coalition government’s claim that the occupation of foreign territory by Israel is legal — an argument not even advanced by Israel itself — reveals a disturbing truth that Fiji’s voice to the world is hostage to a demented few who are hellbent on destroying our national reputation,” he said in a statement today.

    ‘Contradicts our stance on independence’
    “This action contradicts our firm stance on the rights to independence and statehood, rights we have championed for our Pacific brothers and for all colonial peoples.

    He said Fiji has stood with Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Kiribati, and others in their pursuit of independence.

    “We must ask ourselves: with what credibility will we support the independence of territories like New Caledonia and French Polynesia? We must not be selective in our support for statehood and independence.

    “Our actions today will define our legacy and our ability to lead in the Pacific and beyond.

    “The world should know that the vast majority of Fijians stand on the side of peace. That is our national character and that is the spirit in which we offer our service on the frontlines of conflict zones around the world.”

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

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Post-Courier: Stop PNG’s booming death and destruction industry

    EDITORIAL: The PNG Post-Courier

    Some people are literally making a killing in Enga.

    Yes, they really are.

    Hired gunmen are getting rich by the day and picking up women and girls as payments as well, leaving deaths and destruction in their wake in what is apparently becoming a booming industry.

    PNG POST-COURIER
    PNG POST-COURIER

    The news is disturbing, to say the least, for a province that has got so much going at the moment.

    As the illegal industry takes root by the day, we do not see this deadly business which is already stretching the limits of tolerance and the resources of the law and justice sector, ending soon.

    Police Commissioner David Manning promised more manpower will be deployed into the province to assist those on the ground to curb the tribal fighting.

    At the same time, he is asking for help from the provincial leaders to get down to their communities to stop the fighting and killing.

    Grabbed world attention
    The recent massacre in Wapenamanda has grabbed world attention again and this time the Australian government, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese describing the event as “very disturbing”, promising more technical aid to PNG to address this madness.

    Tribal fighting has always been a curse in Enga for years. What started as bow and arrow affairs in the past have now gone high-tech with the deployment of drones, Google maps and high-powered guns, resulting in the high number of deaths

    Genocide is the word to describe what is happening.

    Horror . . . the bodies of tribesmen killed in Wapenamanda
    Horror . . . the bodies of tribesmen killed in Wapenamanda piled up alongside the Highlands Highway. Image: PNG Post-Courier

    Powerful tribes are eliminating the weak, and leaving the disciplinary forces helplessly watching by the roadsides as the massacre continues to go.

    There is no concern for the lives killed, the injuries or the plight of the hundreds of mothers and children caught up in this mayhem.

    In the words of Provincial Police Commander, Superintendent George Kakas, businessmen, educated elites and well-to-do people fund these activities, hire gunmen and purchase firearms and ammunitions.

    We would like to add politicians to the list because we suspect that they procured the weapons and left them with their supporters during the elections and these guns are now coming out.

    How could they sleep peacefully?
    How could these people find the peace to sleep peacefully in the night when their money, the technology, the guns and bullets they supplied are killing in big numbers and the murderers are uploading images of the dead bodies online for the world to see?

    Prime Minister James Marape recently promised new legislation to curb domestic terrorism and we wait to see whether this law will ever get passed by Parliament.

    This law is needed now to make the facilitators and the killers account for their actions.

    In the interim, the government must declare a State of Emergency in Enga to deploy the full force of the law into the fighting zones to deal with the perpetrators.

    They are known to the police, the leaders and even the Prime Minister.

    What is stopping the police from arresting these culprits? Are they above the law? Are they protected species, vested with the power to end lives of other people in this manner?

    Entire tribes wiped out
    What are we waiting for?

    To see entire tribes wiped out from the face of Enga before we move in to collect the bodies, take the women and children to care centres and keep watching from the roadsides.

    Enough is enough. Declare the SOE in Enga. Enact the domestic terrorism legislation. Arrest those that facilitate and kill.

    So much is going for Enga today and if nothing is done to end this ugly disease, Enga is doomed.

    This PNG Post-Courier editorial was originally published under the title “Genocide in Enga” on 21 February 2014. Republished with permission.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Wapenamanda massacre: PNG leaders angry over tribal war ‘barbarity’

    By Gorethy Kenneth

    Papua New Guinea’s image on the international stage took a battering yesterday when graphic images of dead bodies piled upon each other and displayed on roadsides in the restive Enga province went viral on social and mainstream media in the country and abroad.

    More than 50 men were killed when two tribal enemies engaged in a brutal gun battle on Sunday morning from about 4am until 5pm in the afternoon at Birip 7mile village along the Highlands Highway between Wapenamanda and Wabag districts.

    Local police said the ongoing guerilla warfare between the Saa Walep, Ambulyn tribes and their allies with Kaekin, Palinau and Sikin tribes have claimed hundreds of lives, devastation of land and properties and displacement of more than 20,000 people.

    Graphic images and news of the killings spread swiftly through Australia and other parts of the region yesterday morning.

    Police said very high-powered weapons, including military grade guns, were used in the killings, and that many more bodies were yet to be recovered.

    While the massacre took place on Sunday morning, by 1pm yesterday, Police Minister Peter Tsiamalili Jr said there were “46 hired gunman dead! 3 locals only!” and that
    “This trend of hired gunmen is a build up of more then 15 plus years!”

    Police Commissioner David Manning said: “The multiple deaths that occurred from a tribal clash in the vicinity of Wapenamanda, Enga Province, was a disgraceful act of barbarity.”

    ‘We label this domestic terrorism’
    Prime Minister James Marape said: “We label this as almost domestic terrorism — you [are] terrorising the society, you disturb against a community, that’s terrorism.”

    “As Prime Minister, I am deeply moved and I am very, very concerned, I am very, very angry, in between these many words that you could express in as far as communities not responding to the rule of law.”

    He went on to say: “I just want to appeal to our people in Enga, especially the tribal warriors, there is no prize to be engaged in tribal fights.

    “We have great concern for what is happening in Enga Province, to lose one life, let alone many lives does not evade our consciousness and our concern.”

    Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also responded to media queries, saying he was very concerned about the fresh spate of violence in Enga, a province that had seen considerable Australian and other investments.

    Graphic news and images of the slaughter, which police said included women and
    children, were shared widely on social and mainstream media all of Sunday evening and yesterday.

    Senior policeman Samson Kua, who is in charge of the western end of the Highlands region, said high powered firearms such as self-loading rifles (SLR), M4 machine guns, AR 15, M16s, pump action shot guns and other weapons were used in the killings.

    ‘Hang their heads in shame’
    “All leaders based outside of Wabag who are related to the conflicting tribes must now hang their heads in shame and assist police on the ground in Enga to stop the tribal fight once and for all,” Kua told the Post-Courier.

    “There has been enough destruction to properties and establishment. Now it has claimed many lives.”

    Kua said policemen could not go between the warring tribes when high-powered firearms are being used.

    “[Sunday’s] mass killings nearly claimed the lives of some policemen and soldiers as well.

    “In any tribal fights when there is massive use of high-powered firearms, there is no winner to the fight. Common sense must apply here, anyone who takes part know the outcome when he is involved. Let’s all try and work together to stop the tribal conflict.”

    East Sepik Governor Allan Bird, who is the opposition’s candidate for prime minister in an impending vote of no-confidence on the government, was stinging in his criticism of the government’s lack of response and quick action.

    “We regret the senseless violence that has resulted in families losing fathers, brothers and sons. We also regret the collateral damage that these situations cause with women and children being assaulted and abused,” he said.

    ‘Deplorable death tally’
    “It is deplorable that the death tally of senseless violence continues to increase under their watch.

    “We need results, not rhetoric. The country is experiencing serious law and order issues — it’s a war zone in some parts of the country.

    “We need our law enforcement agencies to be ready, prepared, and willing to tackle these situations.

    “The country needs strong action now. The government needs to restore law and order for our rural people urgently.”

    But Marape defended his government saying: “Police have been looking into what has been happening in Enga, in terms of contact tracing, finding out who is responsible, I want to relate to our youths who are holding guns out there, people outside who are sponsoring, will not be there to answer to you.”

    Gorethy Kenneth is a senior PNG Post-Courier article. Republished with permission.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Ukrainian Air Defense Repels Fresh Russian Drone Attack, Says Military

    European Union foreign ministers in Brussels provided strong public backing to the exiled widow of Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny, vowing additional sanctions against Moscow to hold it responsible for the death of her husband in a remote Arctic prison.

    “The EU will spare no efforts to hold Russia’s political leadership and authorities to account, in close coordination with our partners; and impose further costs for their actions, including through sanctions,” the EU’s top diplomats said in a joint statement following their meeting with Yulia Navalnaya on February 19.

    Navalnaya, who has become a vocal Kremlin critic in her own right over recent years, vowed to “continue our fight for our country” as she traveled to Brussels to seek backing from the 27-member bloc, whose leaders have expressed outrage over Navalny’s death in custody last week and Russian authorities’ refusal to allow his mother and lawyers to see his body.

    “Three days ago, Vladimir Putin killed my husband, Aleksei Navalny,” Yulia Navalnaya said in a two-minute video post on X, formerly Twitter.

    Navalnaya, who along with their two children lives abroad, was already in Munich for a major international security conference when reports emerged on February 16 that Navalny had died at a harsh Arctic prison known as Polar Wolf, where he was serving a 19-year sentence for alleged extremism that Navalny and Kremlin critics say was heaped atop other convictions to punish him for his anti-corruption and political activities.

    “I will continue the work of Aleksei Navalny,” Navalnaya said. “Continue to fight for our country. And I invite you to stand beside me.”

    She called for supporters to battle the Kremlin with “more fury than ever before” and said she longed to live in “a free Russia.”

    EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell emerged from that meeting expressing “the EU’s deepest condolences” and confidence that Russian President “Vladimir Putin & his regime will be held accountable for the death of [Aleksei Navalny].”

    “As [Navalnaya] said, Putin is not Russia. Russia is not Putin,” Borrell said, adding that the bloc’s support is assured “to Russia’s civil society & independent media.”

    An ally of Navalny, Ivan Zhdanov, said in a post on Telegram that an investigator had stated that tests on Navalny’s body will take 14 days to complete.

    Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis insisted earlier that the EU must “at least” sharpen sanctions against Russia following Navalny’s death.

    The EU has already passed 12 rounds of Russian sanctions and is working on a 13th with the two-year anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine approaching later this week, with member Germany pressing for more.

    German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock had said Berlin would propose new sanctions on Moscow at the meeting with Navalnaya, but the outcome remained unclear.

    The German Foreign Office said it was summoning the Russian ambassador over Navalny’s death to “condemn this in the strongest possible terms and expressly call for the release of all those imprisoned in Russia for political reasons.”

    Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s office called separately for clarification on the circumstances and for Russian authorities to release Navalny’s body to the family.

    The Kremlin — which for years avoided mention of Navalny by name — broke its official silence on February 19 by saying an investigation was ongoing and would be carried out according to Russian law. It said the question of when his body would be handed over was not for the Kremlin to decide.

    It called Western outcry over the February 16 announcement of Navalny’s death “absolutely unacceptable.”

    The Latvia-based Novaya Gazeta Europe said on February 18 that police were securing a local morgue in the Siberian city of Salekhard as speculation swirled around the location of the 47-year-old Navalny’s body and whether it showed signs of abuse.

    Navalny is the latest on a significant list of Putin foes who have ended up dead under suspicious circumstances abroad or at home, where the Kremlin has clamped down ruthlessly on dissent and free speech since the Ukraine invasion began.

    Political analyst Yekaterina Shulman told Current Time that Navalny “possessed incomparable moral capital” in Russia but also well beyond its borders.

    “He possessed fame — all Russian and worldwide,” Shulman said. “He had moral authority [and] he had a long political biography. These are all things that cannot be handed down to anyone and cannot be acquired quickly.”

    She cited Navalny’s crucial credibility and “political capital” built up through years of investigations of corruption, campaigning for elections, and organizing politically.

    “Perhaps this apparent political assassination will become a rallying point not for the opposition — the opposition is people who run for office to acquire mandates [and] we are not in that situation — but for the anti-war community…inside Russia,” Shulman said.

    Navalny’s family and close associates have confirmed his death in prison and have demanded his body be handed over, but authorities have refused to release it pending an investigation.

    Mediazona and Novaya.gazeta Europe said Navalny’s body was being held at the district morgue in Salekhard, although officials reportedly told Navalny’s mother otherwise after she traveled to the remote prison on February 17 and was denied access.

    A former spokeswoman for Navalny, Kira Yarmysh, claimed Navalny’s mother had been turned away again early on February 19.

    Yarmysh tweeted that Russia’s federal Investigative Committee had told his mother and lawyers that “the investigation into Navalny’s death had been extended. How much longer she will go is unknown. The cause of death is still ‘undetermined.’”

    “They lie, stall for time, and don’t even hide it,” she added.

    The OVD-Info human rights group website showed more than 57,000 signatories demanding that the Investigative Committee return Navalny’s body to his family.

    WATCH: Court documents examined by RFE/RL reveal that medical care was repeatedly denied to inmates at the prison where Aleksei Navalny was held. In one case, this resulted in the death of an inmate. The revelation comes amid questions over how Navalny died and as his body has still not been handed over to his family.

    The group noted that a procedural review process could allow authorities to keep the body for at least 30 days, or longer if a criminal case was opened.

    Since the announcement of his death on February 16, Russian police have cordoned off memorial sites where people were laying flowers and candles to honor Navalny, and dispersed and arrested more than 430 suspected violators in dozens of locations.

    Closely watched by police, mourners on February 19 continued to leave flowers at tributes in Moscow to honor Navalny. Initial reports suggested police in the capital did not intervene in the latest actions.

    The Western response has been to condemn Putin and his administration, with U.S. President Joe Biden saying there is “no doubt” that Putin is to blame for Navalny’s death.

    The British and U.S. ambassadors laid tributes over the weekend at the Solovetsky Stone, a monument to repression that has emerged as a site to honor Navalny.

    U.S. Ambassador Lynne Tracy said she was honoring “Navalny and other victims of political repression in Russia,” adding, “His strength is an inspiring example. We honor his memory.”

    The French ambassador also visited one of the memorials.

    With reporting by Reuters


    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.

  • 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.