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Category: World

Junta forces are mobilizing in central Myanmar amid Shan state ceasefire, rebel say

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Myanmar’s junta has been mobilized forces for offensives in the Mandalay, Sagaing and Magway regions at the same that it has significantly reduced attacks in northern Shan state following a recent ceasefire there, members of the rebel People’s Defense Forces told Radio Free Asia. Between Dec. 2 and Dec. 6, junta airstrikes and artillery killed 19 people and wounded at least 10 others in three townships in Mandalay region’s Myingyan district, according to an official from a pro-democracy paramilitary People’s Defense Force, or PDF, who requested anonymity for security reasons. Among the dead were four rebel paramilitary fighters, the PDF official said. The attacks are likely inspired by the junta’s larger aim of regaining control of Myanmar’s central plain heartland, according to the PDF official. The central plains -– home to the country’s majority ethnic Bamar peoples –- has seen fierce fighting since the military’s Feb. 1, 2021, coup. PDF units are made up of ordinary civilians who took up arms against the junta following the coup, and in many areas they have pushed junta troops back from territory the controlled. The offensives also coincide with the recent ceasefire agreed to by the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, or MNDAA, and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army, or TNLA, after pressure from neighboring China. “China’s interference has played a significant role in Myanmar’s overall military situation,” a PDF member in Magway region’s Pakokku township said. “While the TNLA and MNDAA in northern Myanmar are facing pressure from China, the junta has reduced its airstrikes, and battles have decreased in these areas,” he said. “This has led the junta to focus more on the plains.” The attacks have notably increased in Mandalay, Sagaing, and Magway regions since just after junta chief Min Aung Hlaing returned from his early November trip to China, according to local rebel fighters. Resistance forces have abandoned some road sections between Myingyan and Taungthar townships in Mandalay due to the junta’s intensive ground and air attacks, according to the PDF official in Mandalay region’s Myingyan district. The junta has also moved forces into Sagaing region’s Pinlebu township, and have also sent troops along the Ann-Padan route, which is the only connection between Ann town in Rakhine state and Padan in Magway region, the official said. “They are likely preparing to control the central plain areas of Myanmar through a defensive war strategy,” the PDF official said. Political analyst Than Soe Naing said the last few weeks have again highlighted how anti-junta forces need to improve on their military strategy and coordination in central Myanmar. “Without a united front in the plain areas, their offensives have slowed, and they still require more weapons and ammunition,” he said. RFA attempted to contact junta spokesperson Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun to ask about the military offensive in the central plains region, but received no response. Translated by Aung Naing. Edited by Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

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Myanmar appoints new defense minister as army struggles

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Read RFA coverage of this topic in Burmese. Myanmar’s junta appointed a new minister of defense, state-controlled media reported, in the wake of significant insurgent advances across the county that have put the military under unprecedented pressure. Gen. Maung Maung Aye, who has been chief of general staff, was appointed minister in place of Gen. Tin Aung San, who retained his position as deputy prime minister, media reported. State media did not give a reason for the change in its reports on Wednesday but the military has suffered major setbacks at the hands of insurgent forces over the past year. RFA called junta spokesperson Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun for comment, but he did not respond by time of publication. A defense official in a parallel government in exile, the National Unity Government, or NUG, said the junta would be determined to change the trajectory of the war. “Across the whole country, the army is obviously losing very badly, so this could be to redeem themselves or change that,” said NUG defense official Aung San Sha. The new defense minister will have to deal immediately with a crisis in Rakhine state in the west, where ethnic minority Arakan Army insurgents are closing in on the military’s Western Command headquarters in the town of Ann. The loss of the base will be a major setback for the army against one of Myanmar’s most powerful guerrilla forces. Ethnic Kachin insurgents are battling to capture the northern town of Bhamo, while fighters in the northwest, central areas and the east have also made advances. RELATED STORIES Junta chief vows to complete Myanmar census by year-end — then hold elections Myanmar rebels capture last military post on Bangladesh border Myanmar military presses offensive after two groups agree to talk In Shan state in the northeast, insurgents captured the town of Lashio, on an important trade route to the nearby border with China, in August and have held on to it despite a relentless campaign of airstrikes by the military. China has pressed two insurgent armies in Shan state to talk peace with the junta but it is not clear if the rebels will withdraw from the places they have captured, including Lashio. The new minister will be responsible for providing security for an election expected next year, which the junta hopes will boost its legitimacy, both at home and abroad, even though the opposition has rejected the vote as meaningless when their leaders, including Aung San Suu Kyi, are in prison. A former soldier who defected to the ranks of the junta’s opponents said the outgoing minister was also paying the price for implementing a deeply unpopular campaign of conscripting young people, with nothing to show for it. “All over the country the military is suffering – they’re recruiting and aren’t succeeding,” said the defector, Naung Ro. “It’s also because of this that Tin Aung San has been replaced,” Maung Maung Aye will be the third defense minister appointed by the junta that seized power with the ouster of an elected government in February 2021. Translated by Kiana Duncan. Edited by RFA Staff. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

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Ukraine drones kill 50 North Koreans in battle in Kursk region

Editor04 mins

Read a version of this story in Korean Around 50 North Korean soldiers were killed in a battle against Ukrainian army drones in the Kursk region this week, video of the battle shared on social media revealed. It’s the latest evidence that North Korean forces are participating in Russia’s war with Ukraine, a fact that Moscow and Pyongyang are trying to hide, including by allegedly burning the faces off of North Koreans who are killed in action. The video, shared by Ukraine’s 8th Special Operations Regiment on Facebook, showed a drone attack in the battle fought on Monday. In the video, what are believed to be North Korean soldiers are seen running away or hiding behind trees when they encounter Ukrainian first-person-view drones, also known as FPV drones. An FPV drone with an attached portable grenade launcher during a test flight conducted by Ukrainian servicemen at their position near a frontline, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine October 11, 2024.(Reuters) These FPV drones are said to be able to reach speeds of up to 150 kilometers (93 miles) per hour, meaning that if they encounter each other within 100 meters, it will take less than a second for them to collide. Andrii Kovalenko, the head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council, posted on on his Telegram account that North Korean soldiers were no match for the drones, also called unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs. “The dead DPRK soldiers did not have a visual understanding of the danger from UAVs before the drone strikes, which may indicate that the Russians poorly informed the Koreans about the use of drones at the front,” Kovalenko said. He also said that the Russian soldiers were seen trying to quickly recover the bodies of North Korean soldiers who died on the front lines, which was different from the way they recovered Russian casualties. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday in an address that preliminary data suggests that the Russians were trying to hide the deaths of North Korean soldiers. “Unfortunately, we are forced to defend against them as well, even though there is not a single reason for North Koreans to die in this war,” Zelensky said. “The only reason is Putin’s madness, which has consumed Russia and fuels this war.” Translated by Claire S. Lee and Leejin J. Chung. Edited by Eugene Whong. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

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Myanmar military defends Bhamo with bombing blitz, residents say

Editor07 mins

Read RFA coverage of this topic in Burmese. Myanmar’s ruling military battled to defend a major northern town on Wednesday as its forces also came under pressure in the west and the east and its most important ally China worked to stop the onslaught by insurgents determined to end the generals’ rule. Forces of the junta that seized power in a February 2021 coup have been pushed back in different places across the country by ethnic minority insurgents and allied pro-democracy militias over the past year. Ethnic Kachin insurgents have been attacking the northern city of Bhamo on the Irrawaddy River for two weeks and have advanced towards the military’s headquarters there. Junta forces have responded with heavy airstrikes, residents said. “Last night at around 8 p.m., the planes were dropping bombs. There must have been about 100 strikes,” said one Bhamo resident, who declined to be identified in fear of reprisals. “On the side of the headquarters, fighting is continuing and we hear gunfire. We can also see houses near there burning.” An aid organization in the area said 30 civilians had been killed and nearly 150 wounded in Bhamo since Dec. 4. Among the dead were 10 children and five nuns, said a spokesperson from the group who declined to be identified. “It’s an approximation from people on the ground and those who fled,” said the spokesperson. “The dead were killed by airstrikes and heavy weapons, and some by shooting when they fled.” RFA tried to telephone Kachin state’s junta spokesperson, Moe Min Thein, to ask about the situation in Bhamo but he did not answer. China, the junta’s main foreign ally, has been trying to end the violence in its neighbour, where it has extensive economic interests including rare earth mines in Kachin state energy pipelines from the Indian Ocean, and has been pressing insurgents to strike ceasefires with the junta. The chairman of the Kachin Independence Organization, or KIO, General N’Ban La, met senior Chinese official Wu Ken in the Chinese city of Kunming on Dec. 12 for talks on a truce with the Myanmar military and trade along Kachin state’s border with China, said Kachin military information officer Naw Bu. “They discussed a ceasefire and opening gates along the border, then after fighting stops, they talked about having peace talks with the junta,” he said. “Neither side has made any formal decision or agreement.” He declined to say if China was putting pressure on the KIA but China has in recent days pressed two insurgent groups in Shan state, to the southeast of Kachin state, to agree to ceasefires after cutting off border trade. RELATED STORIES Chinese aid cannot overcome Myanmar junta’s declining finances and morale China undermines its interests by boosting support for Myanmar’s faltering junta Sources: Junta representatives, leaders of rebel group in talks in China Manerplaw re-captured In Myanmar’s western-most Rakhine state, ethnic minority Arakan Army, or AA, insurgents have surrounded the army Western Command base in the town of Ann, one of the military’s last major headquarters in the state. The AA released drone video footage of the base on Wednesday, showing burning buildings in ruins, with smoke rising. Radio Free Asia could not verify the date the video was taken but it was clearly of the Western Command headquarters. The AA also released video of scores of captured men, hands tied, marching in a line with white flags of surrender. In the east, Myanmar’s oldest insurgent group, the Karen National Union, or KNU, re-captured their headquarters at Manerplaw, which they lost in 1995 to the army following a split in their ranks. “We are taking back the headquarters that we lost for 30 years,” said the group’s spokesman, Saw Taw Nee. Manerplaw, on a river along the border with Thailand, is of great symbolic importance. The Karen headquarters was the hub of opposition efforts by an alliance of ethnic minority groups and student fighters from the majority Burman community after the military crushed a pro-democracy uprising in 1988. Those same groups are again striving for unity as they seek to end military rule and usher in what they say will be a democratic, federal Myanmar. Translated by Kiana Dunan. Edited by RFA Staff. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

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UK court dismisses claim against intel agency by alleged Chinese ‘spy’

Editor07 mins

A London-based lawyer accused of secretly working with China’s propaganda arm has lost a legal appeal against the U.K.’s domestic intelligence service. Christine Lee said an “interference alert” from MI5 issued in January 2022 had violated her rights, leading to lost business, a barrage of racist emails and even death threats. Her son, David Wilkes, was part of the appeal and said that the alert also negatively affected him. But the Investigatory Powers Tribunal, an independent U.K. judiciary body, unanimously dismissed their claim, calling the alert issued to the British Parliament “a proportionate response to the threat posed” by Lee. The alert accused Lee of attempting to interfere with U.K. politics on behalf of the United Front Work Department, which Western governments say operates covert intelligence and influence campaigns abroad. The alert was the first ever issued related to China. However, officials did not deem her to have committed any prosecutable offense. Lee was born in Hong Kong but emigrated with her family to Belfast when she was 12. The advisory notice on lawyer Christine Lee from MI5, the U.K.’s domestic intelligence and security agency.(MI5) At the time the alert was issued, she was working as an attorney largely on behalf of members of the British Chinese community. Lee’s work on Anglo-Chinese relations garnered an award in 2019 from then-Prime Minister Theresa May. Wilkes, her son, was a diary manager for Barry Gardiner, a member of Parliament to whom Lee had donated more than 500,000 GBP over five years. The issuance of the alert prompted a barrage of news reports alleging that Lee was a Chinese agent, which she claimed caused her emotional distress. The judgment issued this week notes that Lee received rape and death threats following the issuance of the alert. Lee said the alert led to “irreparable reputational harm” and ended her work on behalf of asylum seekers. Wilkes alleged that he was told by his employer to resign or be dismissed the day the alert was issued. Gardiner denied the claim, and the two later reached a settlement. But the alert forced him to change careers and cost him friendships, Wilkes said. However, the tribunal ruled today that MI5’s warning about Lee’s alleged threat was justified, and that the agency was not responsible for abuses she faced from the media and public. The court was established in 2000 to weigh cases in which public entities, in particular British intelligence agencies, are alleged to have violated individual rights. The decision to dismiss Lee and Wilkes’ claims comes as fears over Chinese efforts to influence politics have gripped Britain. RELATED STORIES EXCLUSIVE: United Front-linked group lauded Yang Tengbo’s links to David Cameron EXCLUSIVE: Alleged Chinese spy tied to Prince Andrew is businessman Yang Tengbo EXPLAINED: What is China’s United Front and how does it operate? On Monday, British officials named Yang Tengbo as the alleged Chinese spy who had been barred from entering the United Kingdom due to national security risks in 2021, confirming an RFA Dec. 13 report. Yang had served as a business adviser to Prince Andrew and, as also was reported by RFA, had connections with former British Prime Ministers David Cameron and Teresa May through his consultancy, the Hampton Group International. British authorities allege Yang plotted to secretly advance Beijing’s interest in the U.K. through his ties to high-profile figures. China’s Foreign Ministry said the UK’s allegation of YangTengbo engaging in espionage was ‘ridiculous’ and called on both sides to work towards mutual benefit. Chinese officials have denied the allegations, saying Yang’s work was part of normal exchanges to promote international business. Yang himself had asked British authorities to release his name publicly. “The widespread description of me as a ‘spy’ is entirely untrue,” he said in a statement. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian on Tuesday called the spying allegations against Yang “ridiculous.” Edited by Abby Seiff and Boer Deng We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

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Myanmar and Thailand to discuss disputed militia posts on border

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Read RFA coverage of this topic in Burmese. Representatives of the Thai government and Myanmar junta are due to discuss a series of militia posts along the two countries’ common border that Thailand says are in its territory, Myanmar’s junta spokesperson said. The United Wa State Army, or UWSA, militia force controls autonomous regions in Shan state including one on the border with Thailand, which says nine of the group’s outposts are in Thai territory and must be removed. The confrontation has raised fears of violence between what is probably Myanmar’s most powerful militia force, which is also accused of massive involvement in the drug trade, and the Thai army. Myanmar junta spokesperson Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun told Myanmar state media on Monday that military representatives were due to meet the Thai government and the issue of the UWSA camps would be tackled. “Mainly border issues and matters related to cross-border crime will be discussed. We will discuss cooperating in order to enact border stability and fight criminal violations,” the junta spokesperson said. He did not give a date for the talks. Thai officials, at a meeting with UWSA representatives in the Thai city of Chiang Mai in November, gave the UWSA a deadline of Dec. 18 to withdraw from the posts, media reported. But Wa officials dismissed the Thai demand on Dec. 7, and said the matter should be taken up in government-level discussions, adding that the Thai army was “not their enemy.” The UWSA emerged from the break-up of the Communist Party of Burma in 1989, when its rank-and-file fighters, drawn largely from the Wa ethnic minority, mutinied against the party’s aging leadership. The UWSA struck a ceasefire with the Myanmar military in exchange for autonomy in zones on the borders of both China and Thailand. Despite being what is largely seen as the best equipped militia force in Myanmar, it has not joined the anti-military insurgency that has swept the country since the generals ousted an elected government in a 2021 coup. International anti-narcotics agencies say the UWSA has been heavily involved in the opium and heroin trade for decades and took up the manufacture of methamphetamines on a massive scale in more recent years. The UWSA, which is known to have close contacts with China, denies involvement in drugs. The nine disputed border outposts that the UWSA says are in its “171 military region” are in the Shan state townships of Tachileik, Mongsat, Mongton, Hway Aw and Pong Par Kyi, along the northern Thai border. Translated by Kiana Duncan. Edited by RFA Staff. RELATED STORIES Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

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New decree keeps associations under control of Vietnam’s Communist Party: Project 88

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A recently decree that increases restrictions on associations in Vietnam is aimed at ensuring they stay under the control and do not threaten the absolute power of the ruling Communist Party, a new report said Monday. On Nov. 26, Vietnam’s government enacted Decree 126, which makes it more difficult to establish an association and gives the government more power to control and monitor the activities and funding sources of associations once they are up and running. Decree 126 replaces an earlier decree known as Decree 45 and grants the government the power to suspend and dissolve associations in Vietnam — a power it did not have previously. Ben Swanton, co-director of human rights group Project 88, said in a statement accompanying an analysis of the new decree that it is part of “a new wave of repression that is shaping policymaking in a way that will further suppress civil society.” RELATED STORIES Vietnamese NGOs shy from UN engagement fearing government reprisal NGOs Ask EU Parliament to Vote Against EU-Vietnam FTA And IPA Over Human Rights Issues NGOs speak out against Vietnam’s hopes of election to the UN Human Rights Council In issuing Decree 126, Vietnam’s government said the additional restrictions were needed to “ensure party control over associations,” “prevent foreign influence on domestic affairs,” and “clarify the role of associations in policymaking.” “Taken together, the government’s reasons for replacing Decree 45 paint a picture of paranoid leaders who want to tighten their chokehold on associations in the country,” Project 88 said. On July 13, 2023, the Communist Party issued Directive 24, which labels foreign influence a threat to Vietnam’s national security and orders further restrictions on local organizations. The Ministry of Home Affairs named Directive 24 as a driving force behind the need to replace Decree 45 with Decree 126. According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, as of December 2022, there were 71,669 registered associations operating in Vietnam. Student groups, community organizations, and civil society advocacy coalitions, as well as artistic collectives and social clubs, fall within the parameters of the decree, Project 88 said. Contradictions Project 88 said in its analysis that the new decree contradicts both Vietnam’s constitution and international law. “Vietnamese citizens have a constitutional right to free association, which is also guaranteed under international law,” the group said. “But Decree 126 grants the government unfettered authority to stop people from forming associations and to stop associations from operating independently.” The new decree also introduces new controls over the activities of associations, which “can only engage in policy advocacy at the request of the state.” “They must abide by all government regulations, and cannot do anything to harm national security, social order, morality, or the cultural identity of the nation,” Project 88 said. “None of these terms are defined by the decree, leaving it up to the discretion of public officials to determine what precisely constitutes a harm to one of these government interests.” Project 88 said that Decree 126 establishes a database to track the members and activities of all associations permitted to operate in the country, and gives authorities the right to request unlimited information of associations. Latest policy targeting associations The decree is the latest in a series of policy measures targeting associations in Vietnam, Project 88 said. In addition to Directive 24, earlier policies imposed onerous requirements for those that receive foreign funding and required government approval to host a conference related to national sovereignty, security, human rights, ethnicity, or religion. “The fears of the communist party towards an independent civil society have been known for some time,” the report said. “In various fora, the party has expressed concern about the potential for an independent Vietnamese civil society to interfere with the [party’s] control over the country’s internal affairs, particularly with regards to setting government policy.” The group said that a major goal of Decree 126 is “to ensure that associations in Vietnam will remain under state control.” “A related objective is to tighten control over associations as the country further integrates with the international community,” it said. Project 88 called on the Vietnamese government to repeal Decree 126 and Directive 24, and “stop enacting policies … that impose onerous requirements on associations.” The group also urged the government to stop forcibly closing associations, ensure that associations can engage in policy advocacy without fear of intimidation, and develop training programs to improve the knowledge of officials about freedom of association. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

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Rebels in Myanmar’s Rakhine state seize another stronghold, shun talks

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Read RFA coverage of these topics in Burmese. Ethnic minority guerrillas in Myanmar’s Rakhine state have seized a major stronghold from the military, a spokesperson for the group said on Monday, another step towards their goal of controlling the entire state, while rejecting a junta call for talks. The Arakan Army, or AA, which is fighting for self-determination in Myanmar’s western-most state, is one of the country’s most powerful forces battling the junta that seized power in 2021. The insurgent force controls about 80% of the state, where China has extensive energy interests, and it fully captured the 12th of the state’s 17 townships before dawn on Saturday. “We managed to seize control of Operational Command Center No. 5 in Toungup township,” said AA spokesperson Khaing Thu Kha. “That means the Arakan Army has been able to completely seize the township.” RFA attempted to contact military spokesperson Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun for comment but he did not respond by the time of publication. Hours after the insurgents captured the base, the junta chief, Senior General Ming Aung Hlaing, called on the AA and two of its allies to agree to ceasefires and talks to end the war. “You can’t achieve your aims by demanding them through armed conflict, you must come to the political table,” Min Aung Hlaing said in a speech on the 50th anniversary of Rakhine State Day. “I urge you to give up the way of conflict so that we can peacefully solve our problems and arrive at a good path,” he said. RELATED STORIES In viral video, besieged Myanmar troops bemoan lack of support from junta chief EXPLAINED: What is Myanmar’s Arakan Army? Chinese aid cannot overcome Myanmar junta’s declining finances and morale The AA and the two allied groups, both based in Shan state on northwestern Myanmar’s border with China, launched a stunning offensive late last year, seizing large areas from junta troops including major towns and bases. Under pressure from China the two Shan state groups – the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, or MNDAA, and Ta’ang National Liberation Army – have recently declared ceasefires and agreed to talks. A delegation from the MNDAA met representatives of the Myanmar military in the Chinese city of Kunming on Sunday, a source close to the military told Radio Free Asia, adding that Chinese officials also attended. But the AA rejected the junta’s call for a ceasefire, Khaing thu Kha said. “I consider it a dishonorable and brazen thing to say because in Myanmar, the military are the real violent ones,” he said. “Nobody in Myanmar supports them … they can not represent Myanmar anymore. The terrorist military should apologize to the public and surrender their weapons as quickly as possible,” Khaing Thu Kha said. The AA spokesman said his forces were closing in on another major military base in Rakhine state, its Western Command near Ann town, while junta forces were defending Gwa, in the far south of the state, with air power and fire from navy vessels, he said. “The situation is good, we can say that we’ll capture it soon,” the AA spokesperson said of the Ann base. Translated by Kiana Duncan. Edited by RFA Staff. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

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An ICC arrest warrant for Myanmar junta chief is too little, too late

Editor02 mins

There’s occasionally something to be said for symbolic gestures, but I struggle to get too worked up over the news that an International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor has finally applied for an arrest warrant for Min Aung Hlaing, Myanmar’s junta chief. The Nov. 27 . Myanmar Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, inspects officers during a parade to commemorate Myanmar’s 79th Armed Forces Day, in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, March 27, 2024. The French government says it won’t comply with the Netanyahu warrant either because Israel isn’t a member of the ICC. But neither is Myanmar a party to the Rome Statute, so hasn’t Paris just given Min Aung Hlaing a kind of Western-backed immunity? For years the ICC has tried to rid itself of the criticism that it only goes after rulers of poor, internationally-weak nations while ignoring the crimes of first world leaders. Unfortunately, by seeking to prosecute the leaders of Israel and Myanmar in the space of a few weeks, the court may have succeeded in removing that stigma – but at the cost of its credibility and authority. David Hutt is a research fellow at the Central European Institute of Asian Studies (CEIAS) and the Southeast Asia Columnist at the Diplomat. He writes the Watching Europe In Southeast Asia newsletter. The views expressed here are his own and do not reflect the position of RFA. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

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A long-deferred dream realized. My reunion with my mother

Editor013 mins

Uyghur-American lawyer Nury Turkel hadn’t seen his mother in more than two decades. But she and two other Uyghurs, who were subjected to an exit ban in China, were included in a prisoner swap between the United States and China in November. Here, Turkel relates the story of his long-delayed reunion with his mother. My heart is overwhelmed with joy, relief and renewed hope this holiday season. After more than 20 years of separation, I am finally reunited with my beloved mother here in America. The most precious moment was seeing her embrace her grandchildren for the first time — a long-deferred dream finally realized. For much of my life, holidays like Thanksgiving felt hollow because of our family’s fractured reality. I have always been close to my mother. Our family often joked that I was an only child, although I have three younger brothers. My mother relied on me when she felt stressed or sad. This deep bond traces back to my birth during China’s notorious Cultural Revolution in a Communist reeducation camp. Chinese authorities used this bond to torment me, despite my having lived in America as a free Uyghur for nearly three decades. I had not seen my mother since 2004 and had spent only 11 months with my parents since leaving China 29 years ago. While on a flight from Rome, Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks to the people released by China, November 2024. I was born in 1970 in the midst of unspeakable horrors. My mother had already spent over six months in the camp before my birth. Severely malnourished and suffering from a fractured hip and ankle, she gave birth to me while in a cast from the chest down. We lived under dire conditions, marked by scarce food and constant surveillance. I was malnourished and frail, a living testament to my mother’s suffering. The first several months of my life were spent in detention alongside her. We were starved, isolated and stripped of our dignity. Yet, through it all, her resilience and unwavering strength sustained me through the darkest times. In the summer of 1995, driven by a long-standing admiration for freedom in America and inspired by the end of the Cold War, I arrived in the United States as a student and was later granted asylum. Witnessing the collapse of former Soviet blocs, including Central Asia regions with deep cultural, historical and geographical ties to the Uyghur people, reinforced my desire for freedom and higher education. Despite my life as a free American and four years as a U.S. official, the past continued to haunt me. I endured years of sanctioned isolation, unable to be there when my father passed away in 2022. The Chinese government’s retaliation intensified, barring my mother from traveling and isolating her socially. My mother, facing severe health issues, remained under constant surveillance and travel restrictions. These are common sufferings and struggles for countless Uyghurs around the world. I have been sanctioned by both China and Russia for what appears to be retaliation against my service in the U.S. government and decades-long human rights advocacy work. Every attempt to reunite us was blocked, and my mother’s deteriorating health intensified the urgency. Yet, our determination to be together never wavered. On the eve of Thanksgiving, a miracle unfolded. Three days before her arrival in America, security officials in Urumqi notified my mother that she would need to get ready to go to Beijing at 4 a.m. the next day. She had about 20 hours to prepare for this trip. It was a journey she had longed for with hope and prayer for over two decades. In her final hours in China, she visited my father’s grave to say goodbye one last time, honoring their shared history and fulfilling a deeply personal need for closure before embarking on her long-awaited journey. They had been married for 53 years, sharing countless memories, from raising a family to weathering life’s challenges with unwavering love and commitment. On the night of Nov. 24, around the same time Chinese security informed my mother about the trip to Beijing, I received a call from the White House notifying me about developments I would learn more about the next day at a pre-planned meeting with a senior National Security Council official. I woke up my wife and children and shared the news. I felt relieved, excited and deeply grateful. Early on Thanksgiving morning, while driving to Dulles Airport for my flight to Texas where I was to meet my mother, I received a call from a U.S. official who put her on the phone. “Son, I am on a U.S. government plane and free,” she said. “I don’t know what to say. So happy beyond words.” For so long, I lived with the constant fear that one day I might receive the unthinkable news of my mother’s imprisonment — or worse — just as I lost my father over two years ago. But when I heard my mother’s voice, hope prevailed, and the long-held darkness lifted. That fear and the unthinkable are no longer part of my life. At the U.S. Joint Base in San Antonio, Texas, I watched my mother descend the plane’s stairs, supported by a U.S. diplomat and greeted by a military commander in uniform. A wave of emotions washed over me, and I ran toward my mother. We embraced, tears streaming down our faces, overwhelmed by the reality of our long-awaited reunion. Her first words — “Thank God I’m here with you, and I won’t be alone when I die” — shattered and mended my heart all at once. This has been more than a reunion. It’s the restoration of a piece of my soul. Words cannot fully express my gratitude. On Thanksgiving morning, my brother, who had flown with me to Texas, and I brought our mother to Washington. Watching her embrace her grandchildren for the first time was a moment of incredible joy and healing. Though my father…

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