Day: January 30, 2022

When Ali Haj Suleiman saw his prize-winning photos of children scavenging in war rubble shared on Twitter by a top Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, the Syrian photojournalist was not flattered. The children of war-torn Syria were presented as victims of U.S. military actions in Afghanistan.

Suleiman took screengrabs of the tweet and tagged spokesman Zhao Lijian, seeking a correction and apology for the use without permission of his work and the misrepresentation of the images. Zhao’s Jan. 24 tweet said: “This is 20 years of war, America’s consequences for children in ‘Afghanistan’.” Suleiman noticed it on Jan. 27.

“These large and small shells are the Syrian Assad regime supported by Russia…the legacy of attacks against Syrian civilians and children,” wrote Suleiman, who at 23 has spent half his life with his country embroiled in a brutal civil war.

“He did not contact me and did not apologize after deleting the tweet,” Suleiman told RFA’s Mandarin Service in an interview by text, translated from Arabic to English.

“I’m so angry because what the officials are doing is changing the truth,” he wrote.

The children in the image that Zhao misrepresented were risking their lives to collect scrap metal from bullet casings and artillery shells to earn money survive the war, Suleiman wrote from northwestern Syria’s Idlib province, the sole remaining stronghold of the opposition to the regime of Bashar al-Assad.

The tweet disappeared without explanation, but not before it stayed up several days to be shared by Zhao’s 1.1 million followers, and circulated widely on the popular Sina Weibo inside China.

Suleiman also documented that Zhao’s tweet was shared by fellow Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Hua Chunying, who deleted the post after the Syrian’s complaints.

“It’s so annoying when you see officials in countries trying to change the facts,” said Suleiman, whose photos of the Syrian children won honorable mention last year in the UNICEF Photo of the Year Award.

Zhao and Hua are proponents of China’s “wolf warrior” diplomacy featuring envoys who aggressively use of social media platforms like Twitter that are banned in China to insult, threaten against governments or individuals that criticize China.

They and their colleagues are no strangers to having misleading social media posts blow up in their faces before being quietly removed.

In November 2020, Zhao responded to a report on Australian atrocities in Afghanistan by posting a doctored image showing a smiling Australian soldier holding a bloodied knife at the throat of a veiled child, who is holding a lamb.

‘This is not the first time’

Prime Minister Scott Morrison demanded an apology for what he called “a false image and a terrible slur” that Beijing “should be totally ashamed of.”

A report last May by the Oxford Internet Institute following the removal of tens of thousands of fake pro-China social media accounts by major platforms found that many of the accounts supported the work of public figures pushing “wolf warrior” diplomacy on Twitter.

China’s then ambassador to London, Liu Xiaoming, had nearly 27,000 fake accounts following his account on Twitter, which had retweeted Liu’s tweets nearly 200,000 times before being deleted by the platform, the report found.

International relations expert Yao-Yuan Yeh of the University of St. Thomas in Houston told RFA that the latest row is unlikely to convert Zhao to fact checking before posting.

“He doesn’t care what the facts are, because the core focus of big external propaganda is big internal propaganda. In fact, he wants to tell the country how good we are by smearing the United States,” said Yeh.

“For him, verification of facts and information are not important at all, and this is not the first time, nor will it be the last,” he added.

For Suleiman, who turned to photography to document the war after his family fled the capital Damascus for opposition-held Idlib after the arrest of his father in 2014, Zhao’s clumsy propaganda effort is made worse by the fact that China is a diplomatic supporter of the Assad regime at the United Nations.

“The Chinese government is participating in the ongoing massacre against the Syrian people through its use of its veto in the Security Council against decisions aimed at deterring the Syrian regime from killing the people and even against decisions to pass humanitarian aid to Syrians across the border,” he told RFA.

Written in English by Paul Eckert.

North Korean state media have reported the country’s test of an intermediate range ballistic missile, Pyongyang’s longest-range missile test in more than four years.

 

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the test was meant to verify the accuracy of the Hwasong-12 missile launched early Sunday from a northwest region.

 

State media showed pictures not only of the missile emerging from a mobile launcher in a wooded area, but also two photos looking back at Earth, taken by a camera attached to the warhead after it had reached outer space.

 

South Korea’s military earlier said the missile reached a maximum altitude of about 2,000 kilometers, flying at a steep angle, before splashing down about 800 kilometers away from the launch site.

 

North Korea used the lofted trajectory “in consideration of the safety of neighboring countries,” according to the Monday KCNA report.

 

North Korean missile launches have at times passed over Japan, prompting outrage from Japanese leaders.

 

The Hwasong-12 has a maximum range of about 4,500 kilometers, according to defense analysts.

 

It is the longest-range missile North Korea has tested since 2017, when it launched two intercontinental ballistic missiles during the height of tensions between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and then-U.S. President Donald Trump.

 

Although the move will likely be viewed as a provocation by many in Washington, North Korean state media did not cover it as such.

 

The brief KCNA report on Monday contained none of the bombastic, anti-U.S. language that often accompanied major North Korean launches in 2017.

 

The launch, in fact, was not even covered on the front page of the Rodong Sinmun, North Korea’s ruling party newspaper.

 

Analysts say North Korea has tried to convey a sense of normalcy about its launches in an attempt to be treated like any other country developing its own weapons.

 

North Korea, however, is prohibited from any ballistic missile activity by a series of United Nations Security Council resolutions.

 

That has not deterred launches. So far in January, North Korea has launched 11 missiles, setting a new monthly record.

 

In a statement, the U.S. military’s Indo-Pacific Command condemned the test and called for North Korea to refrain from further destabilizing acts.

 

In a statement, South Korean President Moon Jae-in said the launch takes North Korea a step closer toward making good on its threat to abandon its voluntary suspension of longer-range missile tests.

 

Japan’s chief Cabinet secretary, Hirokazu Matsuno, also strongly condemned the launch.

 

North Korea’s missile frenzy appears at least partly aimed at pressuring the United States and South Korea amid an extended pause in nuclear talks. North Korea has several other possible motivations for testing missiles, including shoring up domestic political support for leader Kim, ensuring the performance of new weapons and demonstrating deterrence.

 

 

Source: Voice of America

Myanmar’s military government is set to pass a new cybersecurity law that will ban the use of internet services, a move that has been condemned by digital rights activists and business groups.

The Southeast Asian country has been in turmoil since a coup by the military last February. A widespread grassroots movement has seen thousands refuse to accept military rule, with anti-coup communications and demonstrations now largely mobilized online.

But a draft bill released by the junta, if passed, would criminalize the use of virtual private networks and online gambling, carrying a punishment of one to three years’ imprisonment and fines of up to $2,800.

The first draft of the bill was released last year, but progress on the legislation slowed after substantial public outcry and industrywide criticism. The legislation is expected to become law next week.

“We are speculating the bill will actually be official within just a few days, it might come before the first of February,” Ma Htike, a digital rights activist, told VOA.

People living in Myanmar rely heavily on internet access, especially social media platforms such as Facebook, for news, and many have struggled to get online since the junta took control of the country’s telecommunication regulators after the Feb. 1, 2021, coup. Major Norwegian telecommunication operator Telenor recently quit its operations inside the country because of the political situation.

The military regularly shuts down the internet, routinely blocks social media platforms and censors what information can be found online, all in the name of ensuring national “stability.”

 

But political analyst Aung Thu Nyein describes the latest draft legislation as unusually severe.

“The leaked new communication law is the most draconian law restricting many freedoms and privacy of a person,” he told VOA. “This law could be a major roadblock to technological development as well, such as prohibiting the use of digital coins and blockchain technology, etc.

“It is definitely for the purpose of oppression of freedom of speech and a tool for control,” he said.

Junta-enforced regional internet blackouts make VPNs vital to accessing independent news online via private networks outside of the country.

According to Top10VPN, Myanmar went without internet access for 72 consecutive days from February to April of last year, driving demand for VPNs up by 7,200%. The report also says the shutdowns came at a cost, with Myanmar suffering nearly $3 billion in lost revenue, according to the indicators from the World Bank, The International Telecommunication Union, Eurostat and the U.S. Census.

Htike says most of Myanmar’s citizens continue to struggle with the blackouts.

“There are still various locations that the mobile internet has not been available,” she told VOA, adding that junta-backed regulators have scheduled price increases for internet subscriptions, which is likely to pose “a big obstacle” for most citizens in a country with typically low per capita incomes.

“[The] internet plays a pivot role to send information to all parts of the country, from cities to remote corners,” said Aung Htun, a journalist for Burma VJ, an informal network of professional and citizen video journalists who pool footage. “That’s why the military tried to raise the data fees higher than previously.”

In its attempts to control the flow of information, the Myanmar military has also cracked down on the country’s media. According to Reporting ASEAN, a monitoring group in Southeast Asia, 120 journalists have been arrested with 49 still detained and 16 convicted. The licenses of at least five media outlets have been revoked.

Aung Htun also says the looming internet restrictions under the new law will put people at increased risk of arrest in public, where the military sometimes randomly searches phones.

“It’s getting more difficult to hide data in your phone. It’s better to use simple ways; don’t keep any important data in your phone,” he said, adding that journalists must “stay low, and try to be in touch with your colleagues [only] by secure network.”

Freedom House, a nonprofit research institute that ranks internet freedom by country on a scale in which 100 is “most free,” placed Myanmar at 17 in 2021.

Ten foreign businesses and industry groups in Myanmar said in a joint letter they are “deeply concerned” over the latest draft of the cybersecurity law.

“If enforced, the current draft disrupts the free flow of information and directly impacts businesses’ abilities to operate legally and effectively in Myanmar,” the statement read.

Htike said the new law could force customers to break the law in order to use basic business services.

“Myanmar’s economy really declined after the coup, but still small businesses have used social media and networks, but with this kind of [restriction] it’s going to be very difficult,” she added.

Feb. 1 marks one year since the Myanmar military removed the country’s democratically elected government. To mark the anniversary, anti-coup activists have called for a silent strike, which leaves the streets of towns and cities across Myanmar deserted.

“Silent strikes are a good strategy for people to get involved,” said Htike, who also warned that risks remain whether you’re demonstrating in the streets or online.

Myanmar’s military routinely stops and searches people to check phones for evidence of VPN activity, such as whether the phone has Facebook access, which is impossible without a VPN.

They also surveil the web for digital anti-junta activity.

In a silent protest, Htike added, “it might be difficult for [the military] to do search and seizure [on empty streets], but [even] if people are active [only] online, they can [still] be targeted there.”

Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, gained independence from Britain in 1948, but most of its modern history has been under military rule.

After a brief period of civilian rule, the military in November 2020 began making unsubstantiated claims of electoral fraud. On Feb. 1 of 2021, the military removed the democratically elected government and arrested leader Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint, both of whom have since been sentenced to several jail terms.

Widespread opposition to military rule has resulted in thousands of arrests and at least 1,499 killings, according to the Thai-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.

Source: Voice of America

2021 has been a traumatic year for the people of Myanmar, characterized by unprecedented levels of human suffering. Post the military takeover, so many of the impressive development gains the country has made over the past 15 years are now sadly under serious threat due to a combination of economic instability, COVID-19, escalating conflict, and a rapid and ever-increasing erosion of human rights. This has pushed record numbers of people into the humanitarian assistance space.

 

At the time of publication, conflict has intensified across many new parts of the country, particularly in the northwest and southeast, leaving people traumatized and displaced. The situation is forcing increasing numbers of people to flee for their lives, sometimes taking shelter in neighboring communities and other times in jungles and forests with limited access to assistance. They join hundreds of thousands of people displaced by previous conflict who are living in protracted displacement sites, predominantly in Rakhine, Kachin and Shan. The majority of those displaced are dependent on humanitarian support for their survival and have limited options for return.

 

Poverty is back to levels not seen since 2005 with almost half the population now unable to make ends meet. Steep price hikes, combined with job and income losses, mean many families can no longer afford enough food to eat and are slipping into humanitarian need for the first time. More than 13 million people are now in moderate or severe food insecurity as a result and the outlook for malnutrition is dire unless we intervene now. People are increasingly resorting to dangerous coping strategies to survive, leading to worsening protection risks.

 

Faced with this grim outlook, humanitarians have recalibrated the humanitarian response in Myanmar for 2022, with a new national scope of analysis and action. The 2022 Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) published in December makes a clear case for expanded response with 14.4 million people in humanitarian need. While it will not be possible for humanitarians to reach all of these people with assistance, the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) has prioritized an unprecedented 6.2 million people for urgent support based on the severity of their needs and a realistic assessment of our ability to deliver. This represents an exponential scale-up from our target of 1 million people at this time last year, but the situation demands that we do more, and I am confident that humanitarians will rise to the challenge. However, the success of this scale-up and our ability to reduce suffering on a national scale in 2022 will be dependent on three key factors – expanded and safe access to people in need, increased funding, and removal of bottlenecks such as visa delays and banking restrictions.

 

Humanitarians stand willing and able to work in areas of need across the country but are facing access constraints that are delaying this lifesaving assistance. Local organizations are bravely delivering to people wherever they can, but this is only part of the solution to a crisis of this scale. Quicker, simplified and predictable access processes and assurances of aid worker safety are urgently needed for a humanitarian response of this size, allowing local, national, and international organizations to support people in need. Advocacy for this is paramount and the collective voices of humanitarians, key bilateral partners including donor governments, the UN, and ASEAN must be raised and heard.

 

To carry out the ambitious programme of work outlined in this HRP, the humanitarian community requires $826 million. I encourage partners and donors to reflect on the pages at the back of the plan outlining the tough decisions we will need to make to further triage the response if we are not able to raise the funds we need. I urge donors to give generously, in solidarity with the people of Myanmar to save lives and protect hard-fought development gains while there is still a window to do so. Millions of lives are now on the line.

 

 

Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Employees who will work on the special non-working days on February 1 (Chinese New Year) and February 25 (EDSA People Power Revolution Anniversary) are entitled to additional wages, the labor department reminded employers.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III issued Labor Advisory No. 3, Series of 2022, to guide employers and employees alike on the proper computation of premium pay for the said special non-working days.

Premium pay refers to the additional compensation for work performed within eight hours on non-workdays, such as special days, Bello said.

Under the Labor Advisory, employees who will report for work on the said days shall be paid an additional 30 percent of their basic wage on the first eight hours of work. The computation is [(Basic wage x 130%) + COLA].

Meanwhile, employees who will render overtime work shall be paid an additional 30 percent of their hourly rate on the said day. Their compensation is computed as follows: Hourly rate of the basic wage x 130% x 130% x number of hours worked.

The Labor Advisory also states that those who will render work on a special day that also falls on their rest day shall be paid an additional 50 percent of their basic wage on the first eight hours of work. The computation is [(Basic wage x 150%) + COLA].

Employees who will work overtime during a special day that also falls on their rest day shall be paid an additional 30 percent of their hourly rate on the said day. This is computed as the hourly rate of the basic wage x 150% x 130% x number of hours worked.

For employees who did not work, the “no work, no pay” principle shall apply unless there is a favorable company policy, practice, or collective bargaining agreement granting payment on a special day.

February 1 and February 25 are declared Special (Non-Working) Days under Presidential Proclamation No. 1236 issued by President Rodrigo Duterte on October 29, 2021.

 

Source: Department Of Labor and Employment Republic of Philippines