This content originally appeared on Human Rights Watch and was authored by Human Rights Watch.
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Read RFA coverage of this story in Mandarin
Chinese authorities are holding Gao Zhen, one of the Gao Brothers artistic duo, on suspicion of ‘insulting revolutionary heroes and martyrs,’ after seizing satirical artworks depicting Chairman Mao from his home studio, Radio Free Asia has learned.
Gao Zhen, 68, who with his brother Gao Qiang has a global reputation for works of political satire, was detained by police in Sanhe city in the northern province of Hebei on Aug. 26, according to a detention notice sent to his family the following day, Gao’s lawyer and friends told RFA Mandarin.
The Gao Brothers’ dissident artwork has been shown at many venues overseas, but not publicly displayed in China since they signed an open letter from dissident physicist Fang Lizhi to then supreme leader Deng Xiaoping during the pro-democracy movement of 1989.
Police detained Gao Zhen at around 9.00 a.m. on Aug. 26, rushing into his apartment and taking him away in handcuffs, while searching his studio and questioning his wife for several hours, according to an Aug. 31 post on the Gao Brothers’ Facebook page.
State security police confiscated books, computer hard drives, and sculptures and artwork relating to late supreme leader Mao Zedong, the post said.
Chinese artists Gao Brothers perform during the award ceremony of the Kandinsky Prize in Moscow on Dec. 10, 2008. (Reuters/Sergei Karpukhin) All of the works taken by police were created more than a decade ago, before laws on protecting the reputation of “revolutionary heroes and martyrs” took effect, it said.
China passed a law criminalizing “insults” to the ruling Communist Party’s canon of revolutionary heroes and martyrs in 2018.
Gao is currently being held in the Sanhe Detention Center on suspicion of “infringing the reputation of revolutionary heroes and martyrs,” the Facebook post said.
His lawyer Qu Zhenhong confirmed Gao’s detention to RFA Mandarin on Sunday, but declined to give further details.
“His family has received a notice [of detention], but it’s inconvenient for me to say anything more because the case is still under investigation,” Qu said.
‘Miss Mao’
U.K.-based writer Ma Jian said he had heard of Gao’s detention in a text message from his brother Gao Qiang, who lives in New York.
“According to the detention notice, he has been detained for crimes against the reputation of heroes and martyrs,” Ma said in an open letter about Gao’s detention, a copy of which was shared with RFA Mandarin.
The letter cited several sculptures from several years back including the “Miss Mao” series, depicting the late chairman with breasts, and “Mao Kneels in Repentance,” which are believed to have sparked the charges.
Chinese artists the Gao Brothers walk past some of their “Miss Mao” pieces that feature life-sized, Pinocchio-nosed sculptures of Mao Zedong in their studio in Beijing Oct. 16, 2007. (Reuters/David Gray) Signed by Ma and several other creative artists, the letter called on the Chinese government to release Gao and to repeal the legislation banning “insults” to revolutionary heroes, because it infringes on the freedom of speech guaranteed — on paper, at least — in China’s constitution.
It likened Gao’s detention to the political witch-hunts of the 1966-76 Cultural Revolution, in which the Gao brothers lost their father.
“Today, the Sanhe police department seems to see Gao Zhen’s artistic works as evidence of crime, repeating the persecution of the Cultural Revolution,” the letter said, saying that controls on Chinese artists continue to tighten under Communist Party leader Xi Jinping.
About to depart for New York
Thailand-based fellow artist Du Yinghong said Gao’s detention came as he and his family prepared to board a flight to New York, where his son was due to start school.
“We’ve booked a flight to Tokyo, and then back to New York, because our son is about to start school,” Gao says in an Aug. 26 voice note to Du, a recording of which was shared with RFA Mandarin. “I hope I’ll get a chance to organize a trip [to visit you] next year, when we can discuss art-related matters.”
Repeated calls to the Sanhe Detention Center rang unanswered on Sunday.
The other Gao Brother — Gao Qiang — responded to written questions from RFA only with the message: “Thank you for your attention.”
A person close to the case told RFA Mandarin that the detention notice included the phrase “infringing the reputation of heroes and martyrs.” It is likely that the charge relates to sculptures of late supreme leader Mao Zedong, including one of Mao “kneeling and repenting,” they said.
If the authorities can’t make that stick retroactively, they may seek evidence to support other charges typically used to target critics of the ruling Chinese Communist Party, including “subversion” and “picking quarrels and stirring up trouble,” the person said.
Raid on warehouse
Gao Zhen’s detention came alongside a police raid on his warehouse, apartment and studio in Sanhe’s Best Jingu Industrial Park, according to Ma Jian. Previous attempts by police to enter the premises in 2023 were unsuccessful as Gao Zhen was in New York for the whole of last year.
In 2011, as the authorities released artist and social critic Ai Weiwei from 80 days’ detention over alleged tax evasion, officials raided the 798 Art Village in Beijing in reaction to a satirical sculpture the brothers made of Mao as a woman.
The polished stainless steel sculpture titled “Miss Mao trying to poise herself at the top of Lenin’s head,” portrays the aging leader with signature receding hairline and facial mole, sporting a large pair of naked breasts. The Miss Mao element sits atop a large and grotesque head of Lenin, balancing with a tightrope walking pole.
A super-sized version of the sculpture was shown at the Vancouver Biennale festival in 2010, and was widely seen as a dissident work, satirizing orthodox communism and the official Chinese view of history.
Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Malcolm Foster.
This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By Kitty Wang for RFA Mandarin.This post was originally published on Radio Free.
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This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.This post was originally published on Radio Free.
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In 1980, historian Howard Zinn published his classic work, A People’s History of the United States. The book would go on to sell over a million copies and change the way many look at history in America. We begin today’s special with highlights from a production of Howard Zinn’s Voices of a People’s History of the United States, where Zinn introduced dramatic readings from history. We hear Alfre Woodard read the words of labor activist Mother Jones and Howard’s son Jeff Zinn read the words of an IWW poet and organizer Arturo Giovannitti.
This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.This post was originally published on Radio Free.
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With assembly elections soon to be held in Haryana, political leaders from various parties have hit the campaign trail. In this context, Congress MP Kumari Selja appeared as a guest for an interview with journalist Ajit Anjum on YouTube.
During the conversation, while speaking about the inauguration and foundation stone laying of projects, she criticised the BJP’s promises. Selja remarked, “You should also look at those inaugurations to see how much has actually been completed. They don’t even spare the Ram temple; they inaugurate half of it, and Ram keeps dripping from it during the monsoon… Forget about these things, all their claims have proven to be false.” This specific part of the interview, especially her use of the phrase ‘Ram tapakna’ (dripping) has been widely shared, with claims that the Congress leader insulted the Hindu god Lord Ram using offensive language.
The video was shared by the official Haryana BJP X handle, which described Selja’s remarks as a reflection of Congress’s hatred towards the Hindu deity Ram. The post stated, “Congress has always insulted Lord Shri Ram Ji. Such language towards Shri Ram Ji is not only an insult to the Hindu faith but also an insult to all Shri Ram devotees.” (Archived link)
कांग्रेस ने हमेशा प्रभु श्रीराम जी का अपमान किया है, श्रीराम जी के प्रति ऐसी भाषा न सिर्फ सनातन धर्म का अपमान है बल्कि सभी श्रीराम भक्तों का अपमान है।#सनातन_विरोधी_कांग्रेस pic.twitter.com/lKl3AetiyY
— Haryana BJP (@BJP4Haryana) August 28, 2024
BJP spokesperson Anuja Kapoor also objected to the phrase ‘Ram tapakta rehta hai’ and criticised the language used by Kumari Selja, accusing the Congress party of insulting Lord Ram.
राम टपकता रहता है ?
काँग्रेस ने फिर किया ‘भगवान श्री राम का अपमान’
ये किस प्रकार की भाषा ?
pic.twitter.com/nJHaANUg52— Anuja Kapur (@anujakapurindia) August 28, 2024
Similarly, BJP supporter Amit Kumar Sindhi shared the video and referred to it the “cheap language”.
Other BJP-affiliated accounts, such as Political Kida, Jitendra Pratap Singh, and Ocean Jain also shared the clip, questioning Selja’s language and calling it an indecent comment about the Hindu deity.
Click to view slideshow.Fact Check
In colloquial Haryanvi, ‘Ram tapakna’ refers to the dripping of raindrops. Kumari Selja’s comment in the video aligns with this context, as there were reports a few days after the Ram temple’s inauguration that water was dripping from the temple roof following heavy showers. Many users have also pointed out in the comments of the viral tweets that in Haryanvi, ‘Ram tapakna’ simply means raindrops.
We also found a video statement by Deepender Singh Hooda, a Congress MP from Haryana, published by ANI on January 15, 2024. In this video, recorded during his visit to the Ram temple in Ayodhya for Makar Sankranti, Hooda explains, “In the area where I come from, people start their day by saying Ram-Ram. In that area, when it rains, they say ‘Ram baras gaya’.” This statement clarifies that ‘Ram barasna’ means rain and is not offensive or vulgar language, but rather a common regional expression.
#WATCH | Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh: On his visit to Ayodhya, Congress MP Deepender Hooda says, “Lord Ram belongs to everyone. This is not my first visit to Ayodhya. Today we have come here to seek the blessings of Lord Ram on the occasion of Makar Sankranti…” pic.twitter.com/AopHAmdp2c
— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) January 15, 2024
A keyword search led us to a Facebook post from 2023, which further explains that in Haryana, the word ‘Ram’ is used in various ways, including to refer to rain. The post mentions that when it rains in Haryana, people say, “Ram aaya hai,” or “Bahut Ram barsa bhai.”
The readers should note that Kumari Selja was born and brought up in Haryana and for the most part of her political career, she has worked in that state.
To sum it up, many BJP leaders and supporters misrepresented the colloquialism used by Kumari Selja, incorrectly portraying it as an insult to Hindu deity Ram. In fact, in the Haryanvi dialect, ‘Ram tapakna’ (dripping) simply refers to raindrops falling, and is not a derogatory comment.
The post ‘Ram tapakna’: Kumari Selja’s remarks taken out of context to claim she insulted the Hindu deity appeared first on Alt News.
This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Abhishek Kumar.This post was originally published on Radio Free.
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This content originally appeared on chomsky.info: The Noam Chomsky Website and was authored by anthony.This post was originally published on Radio Free.
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Noam Chomsky on The Collapse of American Empire with Matt Kennard
Noam Chomsky Interviewed by Matt Kennard
September 1, 2024. Novara Media.
This content originally appeared on chomsky.info: The Noam Chomsky Website and was authored by anthony.This post was originally published on Radio Free.
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This content originally appeared on The Intercept and was authored by The Intercept.This post was originally published on Radio Free.
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This content originally appeared on The Grayzone and was authored by The Grayzone.This post was originally published on Radio Free.
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This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.This post was originally published on Radio Free.
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South Vietnam’s yellow flag with three red stripes – which represented the anti-communist republic until the end of the Vietnam war in 1975 – sparks strong, opposing emotions among Vietnamese, depending on who you’re talking to.
And recently, it’s been getting a lot of attention online in Vietnam.
Social media users have been digging up footage of Vietnamese celebrities performing at events in the United States where the yellow flag appeared in the background, with the aim of embarrassing them.
They’ve “outed” a string of celebrities, including singer Myra Tran, who in 2019 performed at the U.S. funeral of a former soldier in the South Vietnamese army, prompting her to apologize.
But for ethnic Vietnamese in the United States, the flag holds deep emotional significance, and they say there’s nothing to apologize for.
The conflicting sentiments around the flag show the lingering divisions that persist nearly 50 years after the end of the Vietnam War.
What does the flag represent to the Vietnamese diaspora?
The 1975 victory of the North Vietnamese forces brought the country under communist rule and triggered a mass exodus of Vietnamese in the southern part of the country to flee to the United States, Canada and elsewhere.
To those Vietnamese refugees and immigrants, the flag represents their lost homeland – the Republic of Vietnam, which existed from 1955 until 1975, a land that some of their loved ones died to protect.
Student protesters in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) display the South Vietnam flag during a protest against Premier Nguyen Khanh, Aug. 31, 1964. (Nguyen Van Duc/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) It is also a symbol of resilience of those who resisted communism and overcame immense challenges to build new lives, and, most importantly, their enduring stance against communism.
Many Vietnamese immigrants have used the flag to express hatred for a communist regime that ousted them from their country.
Activists have lobbied local officials to recognize the flag representing the displaced overseas Vietnamese community. In the United States, the flag has been formally recognized by 20 states and 85 cities as of 2023, according to a resolution introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives last year that seeks to recognize the flag as a symbol of the Vietnamese immigrant community.
In cities like Westminster, California, home to a large Vietnamese American population, the flag is displayed during community events, protests and memorials. Virginia’s Eden Center, the East Coast’s largest concentration of Vietnamese businesses, also flies the South Vietnamese flag alongside the U.S. flag.
“Since I was born, I’ve always seen the yellow flag with three red stripes everywhere, and I know that it is the flag of the Vietnamese people,” 23-year-old Phuong Anh, born and raised in southern California, told RFA Vietnamese.
What does it represent to Hanoi?
In Vietnam today – represented by a red flag with a yellow star – the old South Vietnamese flag is considered a symbol of treason and defiance against the government. Showing it is seen as subversive, potentially leading to severe penalties, including imprisonment.
The flag is often associated with the so-called “reactionary forces,” a term the Vietnamese government uses to describe those who oppose its rule, including former South Vietnamese officials, their descendants, and members of the Vietnamese diaspora who fled the country after the war.
State-controlled media work hard to make sure images of the yellow flag do not appear in publications or on broadcasts, even if it is in a news report about an election campaign in the United States or a sports event.
In January 2022, for example, Vietnam Television postponed airing a soccer match in Australia due to fans waving red-striped yellow flags in the stadium.
How does the flag remain an obstacle?
The flag, as a symbol of resistance to communism, worries the Vietnamese government as it could spark opposition and dissent at home and abroad, according to experts.
In Vietnamese educational and propaganda materials, the yellow flag is depicted as something to be disavowed. As a result, many in the country are angry or hostile when they see the flag.
The tension surrounding the flag shows the legacy of the Vietnam War and the deep divisions it created. It leaves many overseas Vietnamese questioning whether the Vietnamese government is ready for reconciliation with the diaspora community and moving forward from the past.
“We can only achieve reconciliation if we understand the pain of our people,” said Johny Huy, a Vietnamese in North Carolina. “I believe these are things our nation needs to acknowledge, we need to recognize and accept the suffering of those who had to flee and escape after 1975.”
Edited by Malcolm Foster.
This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by RFA Staff.This post was originally published on Radio Free.
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This content originally appeared on The Intercept and was authored by The Intercept.This post was originally published on Radio Free.
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This content originally appeared on Laura Flanders & Friends and was authored by Laura Flanders & Friends.This post was originally published on Radio Free.
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This content originally appeared on The Intercept and was authored by The Intercept.This post was originally published on Radio Free.
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Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.
The post The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – August 30, 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.
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This content originally appeared on The Grayzone and was authored by The Grayzone.This post was originally published on Radio Free.
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This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.This post was originally published on Radio Free.
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A photo is viral on social media where a person is seen cutting a cake, standing next to Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of Kolkata’s R G Kar Medical College and Hospital. Users claim he is Sanjay Roy, the prime accused in the August 9 rape and murder.
Sandip Ghosh has been in the news since the discovery of the horrific crime at the state-run hospital in Kolkata. Serious questions have been raised about his conduct following the discovery of the postgraduate trainee’s body on August 9 — Ghosh did not even file an FIR in the matter. After he resigned on August 12, he was reinstated by the Bengal government as principal of another state-run medical college within hours. The decision was reversed following a huge backlash and only after the Calcutta high court sent him on compulsory leave. The CBI has questioned him for over 130 hours and 13 consecutive days in the rape and murder case. The central agency has also filed an FIR against him over alleged financial irregularities at R G Kar during his tenure. The Enforcement Directorate, too, has launched a probe into this matter.
The photo, where he is apparently seen with the prime accused, is being shared as ‘proof’ of Ghosh’s complicity in the alleged crime.
X user Jitendra Prasad Singh, who shares misinformation on a regular basis, shared the photo and claimed that it showed Roy celebrating his birthday “with RG Kar Medical College Principal Sandip Ghosh in his cabin…” (Archive)
कोलकाता का दरिंदा संजय राय किसी भी पद पर नहीं था
वह तृणमूल कांग्रेस का कार्यकर्ता था
और तृणमूल कांग्रेस के सिंडिकेट ने उसे मेडिकल कॉलेज में कैंटीन चलाने का और मरीजों को एडमिट करने पर कमीशन का परमिशन दिया था
और उसका रुतबा देखिए कि वह आरजी कर मेडिकल कॉलेज के प्रिंसिपल संदीप… pic.twitter.com/zPZBcjCmPY
—
Jitendra pratap singh (@jpsin1) August 29, 2024The same claim was made by users like Squint Neon (@TheSquind), Mishraji (@R_Mishraji), Krishnendu Mukherjee (@TheKMukherjee), Boiled Anda (@AmitLeliSlayer), News On Thumb (@newsonthumb), The Thinking Hat (@ThinkinHashtag), Satish Chandra Misra (@mishra_satish) and several others.
Republic (Archived version) and Times Now Bengali (Archived version) published reports on the viral photo identifying the man standing as Sanjay Roy. While Republic called it an ‘unconfirmed photo’ and said the man “appears to be Sanjoy Roy”, Times Now wrote in the headline (originally in Bengali), “R G Kar Incident Viral Picture: Smiling Sanjay cutting cake standing next to Sandip, huge row over viral photo.”
Zee News also telecast the image in a bulletin on the Kolkata incident and identified the man in question as accused Sanjay Roy. A similar story was also put out by an outlet named Calcutta Television Network (Archive).
Click to view slideshow.On Facebook, the photo was shared by Kolkata-based filmmakers Pratim D Gupta and Srijit Mukherjee. Gupta said in a suggestive caption, “Friends with benefits!”. Mukherjee shared Gupta’s post.
Others who shared the same photo on Facebook identifying the man on the right as Sanjay Roy include a user named Krishnendu Mukherjee and a page named The Ultimate Trolls.
Fact Check
A reverse image search on the viral photo took us to an Instagram post which contained the same photograph. Shared on August 28 (a day before the photo went viral) by a handle named CNMCRDA (which stands for Calcutta National Medical College Resident Doctors’ Association), the post identifies the man as Prasun Chatterjee, a data entry operator at the Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital (CNMC&H).
The Instagram post contains eight slides; the viral photo is the last slide. The first slide has another photo of Prasun Chatterjee (below, left). And the same photo has been used by Chatterjee as his Facebook profile picture.
We could not access the Facebook profile of Prasun Chatterjee since it is locked.
However, a keyword search on Facebook took us to a post by a user named Prosenjit Dey from January 3, 2020. The post contains several photos showing Prasun Chatterjee celebrating his birthday at the office of Sandip Ghosh, who was then the medical super cum vice principal (MSVP) of CNMC&H.
The Facebook post describes the photos as “Birthday celebration , of Prasun Chatterjee at MSVP office,CNMCH”.
Birthday celebration , of Prasun Chatterjee at MSVP office,CNMCH
Posted by Prosenjit Dey on Friday 3 January 2020
As readers can see, both Chatterjee and Ghosh are wearing the same clothes in these photographs and the viral image, which makes it evident that these photos are taken on the same day. All of them are clicked in the same room as well.
This confirms that the man in the viral photo cutting a cake next to Sandip Ghosh is not the accused in Kolkata’s R G Kar rape and murder, but an indiviual named Prasun Chatterjee. The photo is from January 2020.
Alt News has reliably learnt from its sources in Kolkata’s medical fraternity that Chatterjee, who is officially a data entry operator at CNMC&H, has also functioned for a long time as a close aide to former R G Kar principal Sandip Ghosh. This has been reported by the Bengali media as well. Chatterjee’s Facebook bio says both: “Works at R G Kar Medical College” and “Works at Calcutta National Medical College”.
Chatterjee’s involvement in the events following the discovery of the junior doctor’s body at R G Kar on August 9 has come under the scanner. A viral video showing a crowd inside the seminar room on August 9 after the discovery of the body, which has raised a lot of questions about the sanctity of the crime scene, shows Chatterjee present there along with others.
The post Sanjay Roy cutting cake next to ex-principal Sandip Ghosh? No, man in viral photo is not the R G Kar accused appeared first on Alt News.
This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Indradeep Bhattacharyya.This post was originally published on Radio Free.
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The United States is moving toward a multiracial society. But that demographic development has sparked an authoritarian political backlash. Powerful forces like things just the way they are. Our political system makes the U.S. vulnerable to minority rule. Perhaps the most undemocratic mechanism enabling minority rule is the antiquated Electoral College. No other country has one. The Electoral College has given the presidency to a candidate that received fewer votes multiple times. Most recently, in 2016, Donald Trump was elected president even though Hillary Clinton won the popular vote. It almost happened again in 2020 where a shift of a few thousand votes would have given the White House to Trump even though Joe Biden got seven million more votes. Recorded at the University of Notre Dame.
This content originally appeared on AlternativeRadio and was authored by info@alternativeradio.org.This post was originally published on Radio Free.
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This content originally appeared on The Grayzone and was authored by The Grayzone.This post was originally published on Radio Free.
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This content originally appeared on The Grayzone and was authored by The Grayzone.This post was originally published on Radio Free.
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This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.This post was originally published on Radio Free.
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This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.This post was originally published on Radio Free.
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This content originally appeared on VICE News and was authored by VICE News.This post was originally published on Radio Free.
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The Israeli military has launched its biggest operation in the occupied West Bank in close to two decades, with hundreds of troops, backed by armored vehicles, bulldozers, fighter jets and drones, conducting simultaneous raids in the northern cities of Jenin and Tulkarm. At least nine Palestinians were killed overnight, with an additional 11 injured. In total, at least 652 Palestinians have been killed in the occupied West Bank since October — nearly 150 of them children — most of them during near-daily raids by the Israeli military. Israeli officials have indicated that the raids are just the first stage of an even larger operation in the West Bank. “They are trying to repeat the Nakba. … They are trying to repeat the same ethnic cleansing, the same genocide that is committed in Gaza,” says Dr. Mustafa Barghouti, who joins us from Ramallah in the occupied West Bank. “Their goal is ethnic cleansing. Their goal is annexation of the West Bank.”
This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.This post was originally published on Radio Free.
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A video and photograph of a cargo vessel have been shared in Chinese-language social media posts that claim they show vessels from the Evergreen Group – Taiwan’s shipping and transportation conglomerate – flying a Chinese flag while passing through the Red Sea in July.
But the claim is false. Evergreen vessels have not passed through the Red Sea since December 2023.
A video of a cargo ship was posted on Chinese social media Bilibili on Aug. 17.
“A cargo ship belonging to China’s Taiwan-based Evergreen Group passed through the Red Sea flying the five-star red flag without incident. Previously, the Houthis have repeatedly attacked passing ships in the Red Sea, but ships flying the Chinese and Russian flags have usually been able to pass through safely,” the video’s caption reads.
The 12-second video shows multiple scenes, including China’s national flag, the Five-star Red Flag, and a cargo ship with an “EVERGREEN” sign on it.
Separately, a photo of what appears to be Evergeen’s cargo vessel was shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Aug. 18, alongside a caption that reads: “The Evergreen Hotel refused to fly the Chinese flag, but Evergreen Marine flew the Chinese flag when it passed through the waters under the jurisdiction of the Houthis in the Red Sea.”
A number of influencers posted photos of Evergreen ships purportedly flying China’s flag (Screenshots/X, Weibo and Bilibili) The claim began to circulate online after Chinese social media users criticized a decision by a branch of the Taiwanese Evergreen Laurel Hotel in Paris to refuse to fly China’s national flag during the Olympics.
Some users further criticized the Evergreen Group, the hotel’s parent company, for what they said was double standards after several of its ships passed through the Red Sea in July while flying the Chinese flag for protection.
Evergreen Group is a Taiwan conglomerate with businesses in shipping, transport and associated services such as energy development, air transport, hotels and resorts.
Taiwan has been self-governing since it effectively separated from mainland China in 1949 after the Chinese civil war, but China regards Taiwan as a renegade province that should be reunited with the mainland, by force if necessary.
However, the claim about the Evergreen vessels flying the flag is false.
Vessels in question
Reverse image searches found the two vessels seen in the Bilibili video and the photo on X are Evergeen’s EVER ALP and EVER BUILD.
A comparison of the EVER ALP and the EVER BUILD with the respective Chinese influencers’ content. (Photo/AFCL) According to the ship tracking service Marine Traffic, both vessels are under the jurisdiction of Panama.
Since the internationally recognized United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea stipulates that a ship must sail under the flag of the state to which it is registered, those ships should fly Panama’s flag.
Information on the EVER ALP and EVER BUILD. (Screenshot/Marine Traffic) According to a contingency plan issued by Evergreen in December 2023, all of its cargo vessels originally scheduled to pass through the Red Sea between Asia, Europe and the eastern United States would be rerouted around the Cape of Good Hope due to the threat of attacks on merchant ships.
Since the release of the contingency plan by Evergreen, the EVER ALP has not passed through the Red Sea, while the EVER BUILD has only sailed between northeast China and Thailand, nowhere near the Red Sea.
Records from the ship tracking service Marine Traffic also show that neither the EVER ALP nor the EVER BUILD has sailed through the Red Sea since the group issued its contingency plan.
The respective routes of both vessels recorded on Marine Traffic show that they have not entered through the Red Sea in the last 9 months. (Screenshots/Marine Traffic) A representative of Evergreen told AFCL that it had not changed its company-wide shipping reroute around the Cape of Good Hope, and the company required its vessels to follow the international and industry practice of flying the flags of the country under whose jurisdiction they sail.
Hoisting a different country’s flags
A former Taiwanese Coast Guard official told AFCL that, in practice, there are cases when a ship might fly a different country’s flags.
It is common for ships to fly another country’s flag alongside their own registered state flag to show goodwill when passing through that country’s territorial waters, the official said.
In disputed waters, ships from one country involved in the dispute might fly the flag of the other country to reduce the risk of interference from the rival state’s authorities or militias.
Lastly, ships from smaller or less powerful nations often fly the flag of a more powerful country when passing through pirate-infested waters to create a deterrent, the official explained, adding that Taiwan did not legally permit ships under its jurisdiction to engage in the second or third scenarios.
Translated by Shen Ke. Edited by Shen Ke and Taejun Kang.
Asia Fact Check Lab (AFCL) was established to counter disinformation in today’s complex media environment. We publish fact-checks, media-watches and in-depth reports that aim to sharpen and deepen our readers’ understanding of current affairs and public issues. If you like our content, you can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X.
This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By Dong Zhe Asia Fact Check Lab.This post was originally published on Radio Free.
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In the polls, convicted felon Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are essentially tied. Jill Stein, Cornel West, and RFK, Jr. are third-party candidates, supported by far-right dark money groups aiming to “Ralph Nader” the election in Trump’s favor. Meanwhile, mainstream media—especially the New York Times—continues to normalize MAGA fascism. Amidst growing election anxiety, it might be difficult to hear the pleas from the Uncommitted movement and their Democratic allies, who are advocating for a permanent ceasefire and hostage deal to end the war in Gaza.
To help us understand the Uncommitted movement and its significance in this election, this week’s guest is Palestinian-American and Georgia state representative Ruwa Romman. She was on a short list of Palestinian-Americans who submitted a two-minute speech for the DNC, which was ultimately rejected, despite the invitation to Democratic leadership to collaborate on the text. Though not an Uncommitted delegate herself, Rep. Romman will explain how to bridge our differences and move forward with a unified front. Holding our elected officials accountable isn’t just a civic duty—it’s essential for enacting real change and enforcing laws effectively, especially those to hold war criminals like Netanyahu and Hamas accountable. Despite the challenges ahead, there’s a glimmer of hope.
This week’s bonus show, exclusive to our Patreon supporters at the Truth-teller ($5/month) level and higher, delves into how Trump broke the law (yet again!) to come to power in the 2016 election by accepting an illegal campaign donation from Egypt’s dictatorship. To access this and all bonus episodes, be sure to subscribe to the show! Thank you to everyone who supports Gaslit Nation—we couldn’t make this show without you!
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Join us at a Gaslit Nation event! Gaslit Nation Patreon supporters at the Truth-teller level and higher, join the conversation at our live-tapings! Meet these incredible authors! You can also drop your questions in the chat or send them ahead of time through Patreon! Subscribe at Patreon.com/Gaslit to join the fun!
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September 16 at 7:00 PM ET: In-person live taping with Andrea and Terrel Starr at the Ukrainian Institute of America in NYC. Celebrate the release of In the Shadow of Stalin, the graphic novel adaptation of Andrea’s film Mr. Jones, directed by Agnieszka Holland. Gaslit Nation Patreon supporters get in free – so message us on Patreon to be added to the guest list. Everyone else can RSVP here: https://ukrainianinstitute.org/event/books-at-the-institute-chalupa/
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September 17 at 12:00 PM ET: Virtual live taping with investigative journalist Stephanie Baker, author of Punishing Putin: Inside the Global Economic War to Bring Down Russia. Her book has been highly praised by Bill Browder, the advocate behind the Magnitsky Act to combat Russian corruption.
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September 18 at 4:00 PM ET: Virtual live taping with the one and only Politics Girl, Leigh McGowan, author of A Return to Common Sense: How to Fix America Before We Really Blow It.
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September 24 at 12:00 PM ET: Virtual live taping with David Pepper, author of Saving Democracy. Join us as David discusses his new art project based on Project 2025.
Show Notes:
WATCH: Kamala Harris addresses war in Gaza 2024 at Democratic National Convention | 2024 DNC Night 4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oogNVOqnChc
Watch: Palestinian American Lawmaker Gives Speech the DNC Wouldn’t Allow on Stage
How to Stop Trump from Stealing the Election https://www.gaslitnationpod.com/episodes-transcripts-20/2024/7/30/how-to-stop-trump-from-stealing-the-electionnbsp
Fani Willis vs. Trump: The Nazis Strike Back https://www.gaslitnationpod.com/episodes-transcripts-20/2024/01/24/fani-willis-trump-nazis
This content originally appeared on Gaslit Nation and was authored by Andrea Chalupa.This post was originally published on Radio Free.
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