SCA MORNING PRESS CLIPS
Prepared for the U.S. Department of State
Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs
TO: | SCA & Staff |
DATE: | Wednesday, July 10, 2024 6:30 AM ET |
Afghanistan
No music, no Western-style haircuts: UN report details life in Afghanistan under Taliban’s moral enforcers (CNN)
CNN [7/10/2024 2:41 AM, Lex Harvey, 22.7M, Neutral]
Listening to music, smoking hookah, and getting a Western-style haircut are all punishable acts under the suffocating rule of the Taliban in Afghanistan, according to a new UN report.
The Taliban’s so-called morality police have curtailed human rights – disproportionately targeting women and girls – creating a “climate of fear and intimidation,” said the report by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) published Tuesday.
The Ministry of the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (MPVPV), established by the Taliban when it seized power in 2021, is charged with legislating and enforcing the Taliban’s strict interpretations of Islamic law.
Those interpretations include a ban on activities deemed to be “un-Islamic” including displaying images of humans and animals and celebrating Valentine’s Day. Moreover, the report said, the Taliban’s instructions are issued in a variety of formats – often only verbally – and are inconsistently and unpredictably enforced.
When the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in August 2021 in a lightning takeover following the chaotic withdrawal of US-led troops after two decades of war, the radical Islamist group appeared keen to distance itself from its earlier period of rule in the 1990s, presenting itself as more moderate.
However, this report found many of the same rules of that era have been revived, despite the Taliban’s earlier pledge to honor women’s rights within the norms of “Islamic law.”
Between August 15, 2021, and March 31, 2024, the UN documented at least 1,033 instances where Taliban officers had used violence to enforce their rules.“The de facto MPVPV reportedly has a broad mandate and various enforcement methods have been used, including verbal intimidation, arrests and detentions, ill treatment and public lashing,” said the report, which was compiled using public announcements and documented reports of human rights violations.
The Taliban’s violations against women and girls are so severe that one senior UN official recently said they could amount to “crimes against humanity.” This report details how the MPVPV is enforcing rules on the way women dress and access public places.
The Taliban has arbitrarily shuttered women-owned businesses, made it illegal for women to appear in movies, closed women’s beauty salons and restricted access to birth control, the UN report said.
Women in Afghanistan are not allowed to access parks, gyms and public baths – sometimes the only way to get hot water in the winter – and must be accompanied by a male guardian (a mahram) when traveling more than 78 kilometers (48.5 miles) from their homes, according to the report.
While women must wear a hijab, men must also follow rules about beard length and hairstyles.
In December 2023, the morality police closed 20 barbershops for one night after barbers allegedly shaved and trimmed beards, as well as Western-style haircuts, the report said. The Taliban denied claims two barbers were detained for two nights. The report said they were only released after promising not to give those haircuts again.
UN says Taliban is legally obligated to protect human rights
Afghanistan is party to seven international human rights instruments and as a result is legally obliged to protect and promote the human rights of its citizens, the UN report pointed out.
These rules violate a slew of human rights, from the right to work and attain a living, to the rights of freedom of movement and expression, to sexual and reproductive rights, the report added.
In a statement, the Taliban called the UN’s criticism “unfounded” and said the report’s authors were “attempting to evaluate Afghanistan from a Western perspective, which is incorrect.”“Afghanistan should be assessed as a Muslim society, where the vast majority of the population are Muslims who have made significant sacrifices for the establishment of a Sharia system,” the statement said.
However, reports from Afghanistan suggest the Taliban’s repressive control over women has led to a sharp rise in suicide attempts.
CNN interviewed a 16-year-old girl who drank battery acid to escape life under the Taliban, saying she was “overwhelmed by hopelessness” after spending months at home due to a ban on girls in secondary education.
Among the Taliban’s list of prohibitions, according to the report, is the public display of human and animal images, which it deems “un-Islamic.”
This law has resulted in the removal of advertising signage and the covering of shop mannequins, the report said. The UN reported some cases where NGOs were told to remove human images from materials meant to alert children or other people with limited literacy about the risk of unexploded artillery and other public health issues.
Media is heavily restricted, and residents live in a surveillance state, the report added.“People’s right to privacy is violated through searches for prohibited items in their phone or cars, having their attendance at mosques recorded, or being required to show proof of family relationship in public places.”
The Taliban met with top UN officials and global envoys in Qatar in June in a two-day conference that excluded Afghan women, sparking outcry from human rights groups.
In a press conference after the meeting, Rosemary DiCarlo, the UN’s under-secretary-general for political and peacebuilding affairs, called the discussions “frank” and “useful,” and said that the “concerns and views of Afghan women and civil society were front and center.”
This was the third UN meeting about Afghanistan in Doha, but the first the Taliban has attended. Afghanistan: Taliban ‘morality police’ crack down on women (Deutsche Welle)
Deutsche Welle [7/9/2024 7:22 PM, Staff, 15592K, Neutral]
The Taliban government in Afghanistan is carrying out stricter enforcement of religious law in Afghanistan through the deployment of "morality police," according to a UN report published Tuesday.The UN report said the Taliban has created a "climate of fear" since the Islamist militant group regained power in August 2021 and set up the so-called "Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice."In its report covering the ministry’s activities, the UN assistance mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) reported that the ministry is responsible for curtailing human rights and freedoms, particularly targeting women in a discriminatory and unfair way.Since taking power, the Taliban have also barred girls and young women from receiving an education, while keeping women out of public jobs. What does the report say?
The report says the ministry enforces a strict interpretation of Islamic law that cracks down on personal freedoms for women and girls, while eliminating a free press and civil society.
Morality police squads have the power to scold, arrest, and punish citizens who participate in activities considered to be "un-Islamic," including wearing "Western" hairstyles and listening to banned music.
The ministry rejected the UN report, and claimed its decrees were issued to "reform society," and should have their "implementation ensured," the Associated Press reported.
‘Women dare not travel without male escorts’
There is a "a climate of fear and intimidation" owing to the ministry’s invasion of Afghans’ private lives, ambiguity over its legal powers, and the "disproportionality of punishments," the report said.
The Taliban government has overseen a ban on women travelling without male escorts, enforced a conservative dress code, barred women from public parks and shut women-run businesses, the report added.
The Taliban government defended the decision to enforce male escorts for women, saying they are "to safeguard her honor and chastity" while referring to Islamic dress as "a divine obligation."
Ban on ‘Western haircuts’
The Taliban morality police also enforce "measures to reduce intermingling between men and women in daily life," and instruct barbers to refuse "Western style" haircuts for men and arresting people playing music.
The vice ministry denied banning women from public places and said it only intervened in mixed-gender environments.
The UNAMA report is "trying to judge Afghanistan from a Western perspective", when it is an Islamic society, Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said late Tuesday.
"All the rights of Islamic law are guaranteed to citizens, men and women are treated in accordance with Sharia law, and there is no oppression," Mujahid posted on social media.
UN Records 1,033 Instances of Taliban Mistreating Citizen (Newsweek)
Newsweek [7/9/2024 9:23 PM, Natalie Venegas, 50452K, Negative]
The United Nations (U.N.) has recorded at least 1,033 instances of mistreatment of Afghan citizens by the Taliban’s morality police, according to a U.N. mission report published on Tuesday.The report said that since the Taliban took power in 2021, Afghanistan has descended into worsening poverty, repression, particularly of women and girls, and international isolation. The U.N. noted these conditions began after the Taliban created a ministry for the "propagation of virtue and the prevention of vice."Punishments for non-compliance to the Taliban’s measures are often severe and disproportionate, according to the report. The U.N. mission added that enforcement of the measures has resulted in widespread human rights violations with at least 1,033 instances between August 2021 and March 2024."This includes the use of threats, arbitrary arrests and detentions, excessive use of force by de facto law enforcement officials and ill-treatment," the report said, according to the Associated Press (AP).Newsweek reached out to the U.N. via email on Tuesday for comment.While the report highlights numerous violations of personal liberty and physical and mental integrity, these instances were said to primarily affect men who were accused of violating Taliban orders or because of actions taken by their female relatives.Fiona Frazer, head of the human rights service at United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), said that the Taliban ministry’s expansion to include measures in areas like media monitoring and eradicating drug addiction only further exacerbates the concerns for Afghans."The position expressed by the de facto authorities that this oversight will be increasing and expanding gives cause for significant concern for all Afghans, especially women and girls," Frazer said, according to the AP.In a response to the AP, the Taliban’s ministry dismissed the U.N. report as false and contradictory."Decrees and relevant legal documents are issued to reform society and should have their implementation ensured," the ministry told the news agency.The new report is not the first time the U.N. has warned of the increasing human rights violations in Afghanistan, as the agency previously stressed the need for the reversal of the Taliban’s mandates."We understand that the Taliban have a highly different worldview than any other Government, but it is difficult to understand how any Government worthy of the name can govern against the needs of half of its population," Roza Isakovna Otunbayeva, special representative of the secretary-general for UNAMA, said in a 2023 statement.António Guterres, United Nations secretary-general, also said in January 2022 that after the Taliban took over "daily life has become a frozen hell" for Afghans.In addition, Heather Barr, associate women’s rights director at Human Rights Watch, likened Afghan women to "prisoners in their homes."She warned in January 2022 that the crisis facing women and girls was "escalating with no end in sight" and the Taliban’s policies were depriving the country of one of its "most precious resources." WHO data contradicts Afghan Taliban’s claim of zero polio cases (VOA)
VOA [7/9/2024 8:45 AM, Ayaz Gul, 4032K, Negative]
A Taliban Health Ministry spokesman says Afghanistan has recorded no polio cases so far in 2024, contradicting reports of nine cases recorded by the World Health Organization."This year, we haven’t had a positive case of poliovirus in the entire country," Sharafat Zaman, the Afghan Ministry of Public Health spokesperson, said in a video announcement ahead of a four-day polio vaccination campaign that began Monday.However, the WHO-led Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) has recorded nine paralytic polio cases in Afghanistan so far in 2024, including three reported this week from the southern province of Kandahar."The Afghan Ministry of Public Health has reported all the cases of wild poliovirus as per the IHR (International Health Regulations) protocols to WHO," Hamid Jafari, director of polio eradication for the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region, which includes Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan, told VOA.Jafari told VOA that the information is available weekly in the WHO polio analysis published online. Afghanistan did not detect a polio case this year until April. It recorded six cases in 2023."[As of] now, we have no confirmed cases of poliovirus," Zaman reiterated Tuesday in written remarks when VOA contacted him for an explanation regarding his ministry’s claims of no polio cases in Afghanistan this year, despite the nine cases recorded by the WHO.Afghanistan and Pakistan are the only countries in the world where wild poliovirus is still endemic. The highly contagious disease affects young children and can paralyze them in severe cases or can be deadly in certain instances.In his video statement, the Public Health spokesperson stated that the ongoing polio vaccination campaign would inoculate roughly 8 million children under the age of 5 against the paralytic virus in 23 of the 34 Afghan provinces. He called on parents, religious scholars, and community leaders to collaborate with vaccinators to help eradicate polio in the country.WHO’s Jafari noted that Afghanistan has a "long and positive track record in complying with" IHR recommendations.The regional WHO director told VOA that in addition to participating at every quarterly meeting of the IHR’s emergency committee, the crisis-ridden country "has intensified polio eradication efforts and identified ways of implementing temporary recommendations."WHO has warned that the recent repatriation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan has increased the risk of polio spreading on both sides of the border.An ongoing crackdown on undocumented migrants in Pakistan has forced hundreds of thousands of Afghans to return to their home country since November 2023.Polio in PakistanPakistan recorded six cases of paralytic poliovirus in 2023 and has reported eight cases so far this year. According to the GPEI data, the worldwide case count stands at 17 as of Tuesday, nine from Afghanistan and eight from Pakistan.The WHO has reported 44 positive wild poliovirus environmental samples from Afghanistan and 211 from Pakistan to date in 2024."The persistent detection of poliovirus in environmental samples and polio cases will delay the interruption of transmission beyond the timeline of the end of 2024 and will likely get pushed to the next low season in the first half of 2025," Jafari said.Polio immunization campaigns have long faced multiple challenges in both countries, including security and vaccine boycotts, dealing setbacks to the goal of eradicating the virus from the globe.While the return of the Taliban to power in Afghanistan in 2021 effectively ended years of war-related violence there, surging militancy and allegations that vaccines cause infertility or that vaccinators are government spies continue to hamper polio eradication efforts in Pakistan."Despite immense efforts to stop polio, transmission of wild poliovirus type 1 in Afghanistan and Pakistan expanded through late 2023 and 2024," Jafari stated.He mentioned that the rise in poliovirus detection in environmental samples in Pakistan since August 2023 is mainly due to "unpredictable" population movements, leading to virus detection in previously polio-free areas. "The large, unusual population movements were in part related to the repatriation of migrants," said the WHO regional director. Pakistan
Pakistan suspends deportations of Afghans on ‘humanitarian grounds’ (VOA)
VOA [7/9/2024 4:31 PM, Ayaz Gul, 4032K, Negative]
Pakistan has halted the expulsion of undocumented migrants from Afghanistan after discussions with the chief of the United Nations refugee agency.Filippo Grandi, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, or UNHCR, wrapped up his three-day visit Tuesday and called for "a bolstering of efforts towards longer-term solutions" for Afghans in Pakistan.A post-visit UNHCR statement said, "Grandi expressed appreciation that the ‘Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan’ had been suspended and sought assurances that it would remain on hold."A senior Pakistani official who was knowledgeable about Grandi’s meetings with leaders in Islamabad confirmed to VOA that Pakistan had halted deportation of Afghans. However, the official did not specify the duration of the suspension. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly to the media."Our message to Grandi was that the international community should fulfill its responsibility for the upkeep and repatriation of Afghan refugees. It’s a shared responsibility and shouldn’t be left to Pakistan to lift the entire burden," the official said.The decision to suspend the evictions of Afghans was taken on "humanitarian grounds" because of deteriorating economic and humanitarian conditions facing impoverished, war-ravaged Afghanistan, said Pakistani and U.N. officials. During his visit, Grandi met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other senior Pakistani officials, and his talks mainly focused on the fate of about 3 million Afghans.According to Pakistani and U.N. officials, of those, about 1.3 million are officially declared refugees, nearly 900,000 hold Afghan citizenship cards, and the remainder are without documents, or their visas have expired while waiting to seek asylum in third countries after fleeing the August 2021 Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.Repatriation actionPakistan unleashed a crackdown last November on all foreigners illegally staying in the country, citing a dramatic rise in militant attacks and attributing them to people residing among the refugee populations. The move has largely targeted more than 1 million Afghan migrants and asylum-seekers who lack legal documents or valid visas.Pakistani and Afghan officials say close to 600,000 Afghans have been repatriated to their homeland since the deportation campaign started.During his stay in Pakistan, Grandi also traveled to Afghan refugee localities in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, including its capital of Peshawar, and met with their representatives."In the meantime, as Pakistan continues to host some 3 million Afghans, all solutions need to be explored in addition to voluntary repatriation, including third-country resettlement and longer-term solutions within Pakistan," concluded the UNHCR statement.Islamabad maintains that anti-Pakistan militant groups entrenched in sanctuaries in Afghanistan have stepped up attacks against Pakistani security forces and civilians since the Taliban returned to power in the neighboring country three years ago.Taliban authorities have criticized the expulsion of Afghans from Pakistan and dismissed allegations they are allowing militants to use Afghan soil to threaten neighboring countries and beyond. As Violence Surges, Can Pakistan Protect Its Chinese Projects? (New York Times)
New York Times [7/10/2024 12:01 AM, Zia ur-Rehman and Christina Goldbaum, 831K, Neutral]
In a busy port city along Pakistan’s southwestern coast, a newly built security barrier and hundreds of new checkpoints safeguard Chinese workers.
Farther down the Arabian Sea coast, in Pakistan’s largest city, Karachi, officials added hundreds of police officers to a special unit charged with protecting Chinese-funded development projects. And in the capital, Islamabad, officials created a new police force specifically to protect Chinese nationals.
Across Pakistan, authorities are hurrying to bolster security for Chinese workers after a surge in militant violence targeting Chinese-funded megaprojects. The attacks have threatened infrastructure, energy and trade projects that have kept Pakistan’s economy afloat through a dire economic crisis.
That investment in Pakistan, which began in 2015 as part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, involves around $60 billion of planned projects. Tens of thousands of Chinese workers are thought to be in Pakistan, though estimates vary widely. Chinese investment has proved critical since support from the United States tapered off after the war in neighboring Afghanistan ended in 2021.
The Chinese-funded projects struggled with security challenges from the start. But over the past three years, as militant groups have resurged across Pakistan and the number of terrorist attacks has soared, Chinese investments — or even just projects perceived to have some connection to China — have become increasingly vulnerable.
A series of attacks this spring highlighted that threat. In late March, armed fighters targeted the Chinese-built and operated port in Gwadar along the southwestern coast of the Arabian Sea, killing two Pakistani security officers. Days later, militants attacked the country’s second-largest air base, citing opposition to Chinese investment to extract the region’s resources.
The day after the air base attack, five Chinese workers died after a suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden truck into their vehicle. The next month, five Japanese workers were the object of a suicide attack in Karachi after being mistaken for Chinese workers, according to the police. (The Japanese escaped unharmed, but a bystander, who was not a foreigner, was killed.)“The bottom line is that one of Pakistan’s closest allies and most important donors is now the foreign entity that is the most vulnerable to terrorism in Pakistan,” said Michael Kugelman, the director of the Wilson Center’s South Asia Institute.“Pakistan’s economy is in a very precarious state,” he added. “Islamabad can’t afford to have one of its most critical donors feel that level of vulnerability. The stakes are very high.”
Already, the security situation appears to have dampened Beijing’s confidence in investing in Pakistan. Last month, Pakistan’s prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, visited Beijing and met with China’s leader, Xi Jinping, in an effort to secure an additional $17 billion in funding for energy and infrastructure projects. But the visit ended with no firm pledge for future investments from Beijing.
There was a “vague promise to enhance economic cooperation, but these outcomes fell short of the substantial agreements Pakistan had hoped for,” said Filippo Boni, an academic specializing in China-Pakistan relations at the Open University in Britain.
Since the start in 2013 of China’s Belt and Road Initiative — $1 trillion of infrastructure development programs in roughly 70 countries — Pakistan has been the program’s flagship site. Beijing has planned billions of dollars in megaprojects in the so-called China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, and it has started on several, including the deepwater port in Gwadar.
Along the way, China has also lent more and more to Pakistan as the country has faced a major economic downturn, with inflation hitting double digits and joblessness soaring.
For years, the megaprojects have faced security threats from militant groups operating in Pakistan, including the Islamic State affiliate in the region; armed separatists; and the Pakistani Taliban, an ideological twin and ally of the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Many harbor grievances against China, experts say. The Islamic State and Pakistani Taliban seek revenge for Beijing’s repression of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang. In recent years, both groups have begun collaborating with the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, a Uyghur organization that China has long accused of inciting unrest in Xinjiang, according to a United Nations Security Council report released in January.
Others, like the Baluch Liberation Army, an armed separatist group in Baluchistan Province, oppose outsiders — including Pakistan’s central government and China — benefiting from the province’s natural resources.“They view Chinese development efforts as reinforcing Pakistan’s central government, which they perceive as oppressive,” said Iftikhar Firdous, an expert on armed groups with The Khorasan Diary, an Islamabad-based research platform.
Over the past three years, violence from those groups has surged, an increase that many experts attribute to the Taliban seizing power in Afghanistan. Pakistani officials have accused the Taliban government of offering safe haven to some groups, like the Pakistani Taliban, which they say has allowed violence to flourish.
The Afghan government has denied those claims, and it has cracked down on other terrorist groups within the country, including the Islamic State. But one result of that was to push militant fighters into Pakistan, experts say.
As violence has rebounded across Pakistan, so, too, have attacks on Chinese workers and projects.
Seeking to rebuild Beijing’s confidence, in recent months Pakistani authorities have bolstered the ranks of a dedicated security division within the police and military established in 2015 to safeguard Chinese Belt and Road Initiative projects. They have discussed additional fencing around the port in Gwadar, the centerpiece of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
But the country’s law enforcement is already overstretched, officials say. Police and army officers are ill-equipped to confront militants, many of whom are armed with American-made weapons procured from Afghanistan after U.S. troops withdrew. More focus on protecting Chinese nationals could come at the expense of protecting Pakistanis, they warn.
Chinese officials have urged Pakistan to let private Chinese security contractors protect its projects in the country, an idea Pakistani authorities have rejected.
The countries have also been at odds about other approaches to coping with the threat from the Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, or T.T.P., said Asfandyar Mir, a senior expert at the United States Institute of Peace.
Pakistani officials have sought to pressure the Afghan government to act against T.T.P. fighters. At times Pakistan has directly attacked them, officials say, firing airstrikes into Afghanistan and expelling Afghan refugees.
China has taken a more collaborative approach, Mr. Mir said, effectively offering to normalize relations with Afghanistan in the hopes of persuading Taliban officials to negotiate with the T.T.P. on Beijing’s behalf.
Pakistani officials have faced resistance from their own citizens over the recent increase in security measures for Chinese workers.
In Gwadar, hundreds of residents have poured into the streets in recent months to protest the government’s digging a trench to separate the compound where the Chinese live from the rest of the city.
The trench was the latest security measure. Checkpoints line major roads, where every few miles police and army personnel scan identification cards and search vehicles. Hundreds of police and army officers roam the streets. There has been talk of walling off the Chinese-built portion of the city entirely with a new fence.“Living in Gwadar already feels like living in a security zone,” said Mumtaz Hout, 29, a university student. “Now these new trenches, and the talk of future fencing, are further restricting our movement and violating our basic rights.” Pakistan’s top spy agency gets legal powers to intercept telephone calls (Reuters)
Reuters [7/10/2024 4:04 AM, Asif Shahzad, 5.2M, Neutral]
Pakistan has legally authorised its army-run spy agency to tap telephone calls and messages, further strengthening its key role in the politics of a nation ruled by military regimes for almost half its independent history.
The powerful military plays an oversized role in making and breaking governments in Pakistan, where the new powers for its Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency provoked outcry from the opposition and on social media.
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar told parliament the ministry of information technology and telecommunications had been advised of the change in a July 8 notice.
"Anyone who misuses the law will face action," Tarar said on Tuesday, adding that the measure would be restricted to tracking criminal and terrorist activities and the government would ensure it did not infringe people’s lives and privacy.
"The federal government in the interest of national security and in the apprehension of any offence, is pleased to authorise officers ... to intercept calls and messages or to trace calls through any telecoms system," said the notice, seen by Reuters.The move was opposed in parliament by the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Khan had previously backed the ISI’s surveillance of politicians’ telephone calls, or even his own, in the absence of legal authorisation.
A leader of the party, Omar Ayub Khan, said the agency would wield its powers even against government lawmakers, and vowed that his party would mount a court challenge.
The army’s Inter-Services Public Relations Wing (ISPR) did not respond to a request for comment from Reuters.
"Is what is `legal` also constitutional or right?" Farieha Aziz of rights advocacy group Bolo Bhi asked on X. Record number of journalists killed in Pakistan already this year (The Guardian)
The Guardian [7/9/2024 10:00 PM, Shah Meer Baloch, 86157K, Negative]
Seven reporters have been killed in Pakistan in the first six months of 2024, a record annual number with half a year still to go.The most recent victim was Khalil Jibran, a former president of a local press club in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan. He died in June when the car he was driving was ambushed by two men who dragged him out and shot him multiple times.Adil Jawad, who works for an organisation that investigates journalist killings, said at least four of the seven cases – which involved traditional journalists and citizen reporters – were likely to have been work-related.Most of the deaths have taken place in smaller towns and cities, where the role of social media in amplifying the profile of professional journalists and giving a platform to citizen reporters has been most keenly felt.Jawad said the attacks were taking place in the context of “widespread impunity” for perpetrators.The Freedom Network, which advocates for press freedoms, said 53 journalists were killed because of their work between 2012 and 2022, and that over the same time frame only two cases resulted in culprits being punished.Citizen journalism has grown significantly in Pakistan in recent years, fuelled by the rise of social media and curbs on the mainstream press. Laypeople have taken it upon themselves to cover the worsening law and order situation and corruption in the ruling elite.In late May, Nasrullah Gadani, a journalist known for holding local politicians, land owners and feudal lords to account in his reporting, was killed in the Badin district of Sindh province, setting off a wave of protests. His brother Yaqoob Gadani alleged that Khalid Lund, a local member of parliament, masterminded the killing. Lund has denied the allegations.Just three days before Gadani’s death, another journalist, Kamran Dawar, was killed in the North Waziristan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.Responding to those deaths, Anthony Bellanger, the general secretary of the International Federation of Journalists, said at the time: “Journalists and media workers in Pakistan have a constitutional right to freedom of expression, however this is undermined by targeted attacks, assaults, and killings. Authorities must ensure that the media is free to work without fear of retribution and ensure that these killings are subject to an immediate, thorough, and transparent investigation.”Pakistan dropped two places in this year’s World Press Freedom Index, published by Reporters Without Borders, to 152 out of 180 countries. The index said Pakistan was “one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists, with three to four murders each year that are often linked to cases of corruption or illegal trafficking and which go completely unpunished”. Jeep falls from a mountain road into a ravine in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, killing 14 people (AP)
AP [7/10/2024 4:32 AM, Staff, 15592K, Negative]A jeep fell from a mountain road into a ravine in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir on Wednesday, killing 14 people and injuring two others, officials said.The incident happened in the Neelam Valley, government administrator Nadeem Janjua said. Rescuers had transported the dead and injured to a hospital while the cause of the accident is still to be determined, Janjua said.Kashmir is divided between neighboring India and Pakistan, with both claiming the entire territory.Road accidents are common in Pakistan mainly because of to poor road infrastructure and poor enforcement of traffic laws and safety standards. Last month, a van fell into a river in the same district, killing 16 people, mostly children. India
White House: India has ability to urge Putin to end war in Ukraine (Reuters)
Reuters [7/9/2024 3:36 PM, Steve Holland and Jeff Mason, 42991K, Negative]
India’s relationship with Russia gives it an ability to urge President Vladimir Putin to end its war with Ukraine, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said on Tuesday.Jean-Pierre made the remarks after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Putin that the death of innocent children was painful and terrifying, a day after a lethal strike on a children’s hospital in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. Modi’s Moscow Visit Showcases a Less Isolated Putin, Angering Ukraine (New York Times)
New York Times [7/9/2024 4:14 PM, Paul Sonne and Anupreeta Das, 831K, Neutral]
They hugged and strolled under the trees. They sipped tea and exchanged thoughts for hours. They petted horses together at the stables.
The jovial scenes between President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, captured during the Indian leader’s first visit to Russia in five years, illustrated a sobering reality.
Despite the West’s campaign to isolate Russia over its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, other nations have pursued their own interests with regard to Moscow, helping Mr. Putin shore up the Russian economy and continue to wage his war. India, which has close ties to the United States, has emerged as the second-biggest importer of Russian oil after China in the years since the invasion.
Mr. Modi’s state visit, which began late Monday with a trip to Mr. Putin’s residence outside Moscow, underscored the point. At the Kremlin on Tuesday, Mr. Putin awarded Mr. Modi the Order of St. Andrew, the Russian government’s highest civilian honor, expressing “sincere gratitude” for his contribution to relations between their states.“We have had two and a half years now of endless Russian atrocities, and most of the world is not daunted or uncomfortable maintaining some kind of business as usual with Moscow,” said Andrew S. Weiss, the vice president for studies at the Washington-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. “That’s a really sad commentary on Russia’s continued geopolitical weight.”
While Mr. Modi was hugging the Russian leader late Monday, rescue workers and volunteers in Kyiv were clearing away rubble from a Russian strike on Ukraine’s biggest pediatric hospital. Images of children outside the destroyed medical facility with their IVs still attached, or in some cases covered in blood, wrenched a nation that has been exhausted by more than two years of Russian bombardment.“It is a huge disappointment and a devastating blow to peace efforts to see the leader of the world’s largest democracy hug the world’s most bloody criminal in Moscow on such a day,” Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, wrote on X.
The state visit was also juxtaposed against the gathering of NATO countries on Tuesday in Washington, where they discussed continued support for Ukraine.
Western governments have failed to persuade India and many other governments around the world to take a public position against Mr. Putin’s war. Mr. Modi has avoided condemning Russia’s invasion and instead issued general calls for peace, maintaining the warm relations with Moscow that India has cultivated since the days of the Cold War.
The Indian leader said he had discussed Ukraine with Mr. Putin at his residence, agreeing on the need for peace as soon as possible.“Any person who believes in humanity feels pain when people die, and especially when innocent children die,” Mr. Modi said Tuesday, a possible implicit reference to the hospital attack. “When we feel such pain, the heart simply explodes, and I had the opportunity to talk about these issues with you yesterday.”The state visit offered still more evidence that Mr. Putin has managed to avoid the pariah status Western leaders tried to force on him after the invasion. Mr. Putin has maintained a robust diplomatic schedule holding two meetings with China’s leader, Xi Jinping, in two months, along with meeting the leaders of Vietnam, Hungary, Belarus and the nations of Central Asia,
On Tuesday, Indian officials said that the two countries had struck various agreements to strengthen economic ties, with the goal of reaching $100 billion in bilateral trade by 2030.
Russia and India also said they would strengthen their military cooperation, including manufacturing more weapon spare parts and units in India. They pledged to continue developing national payment systems, which allow Russia to conduct trade outside U.S. dollars and away from platforms impacted by Western sanctions.
Mr. Modi, who said he had met Mr. Putin 17 times over the course of the past decade, invited Mr. Putin to visit India next year.“Russia is India’s true friend,” Mr. Modi said at a meeting with members of the Indian community in Moscow, according to the Russian state news agency Tass.
While India imported little Russian crude before the invasion of Ukraine, the nation has since risen to become the No. 2 importer of Russian oil after China, helping fill the Kremlin’s coffers despite a Western ban on most Russian oil imports. In many cases, India has been refining Russian crude and re-exporting it to European nations that are subject to the ban, giving it a lucrative middleman role .
Matthew Miller, the State Department spokesman, told reporters on Tuesday that the U.S. has “been quite clear about our concerns” about India’s relationship with Russia, and has related them “privately, directly to the Indian government” — including within the past 24 hours. “We continue to urge India to support efforts to realize an enduring and just peace in Ukraine,” he said.
Mr. Modi said Tuesday that as a friend, he had always told Mr. Putin that peace was a prerequisite for future generations to have a bright future.“That is why we believe that war is not a solution,” he said. “There can be no solution through war. Bombs, missiles and rifles cannot ensure peace. That is why we emphasize dialogue.”
India has a long history of friendly relations with Moscow. The Soviet Union and later Russia for decades supplied much of India’s arms and military equipment, though that reliance has decreased in recent years, in part because of pressure from the United States.“This has been a time-tested relationship, and there is a consensus in India, regardless of political orientation, that the relationship with Russia is one to be preserved and not squandered,” said Rajan Menon, professor emeritus of political science at City College.
Mr. Putin has cast his invasion of Ukraine as an anti-imperial struggle against an encroaching West, and that message has resonated in parts of the developing world that once lived under Western colonialism. According to a Pew Research Center poll conducted this year, just 16 percent of respondents in India expressed unfavorable views of Russia, compared with 46 percent who voiced positive associations.
During his talks with Mr. Putin, Mr. Modi sought the early discharge of all Indian nationals who were recruited by the Russian army under “false pretenses,” according to government officials. The contentious issue had introduced a sour note in the countries’ friendly relations. Mr. Putin agreed to the discharge of those citizens, who India has said number between 35 and 50.
Mr. Menon predicted that India would continue to cultivate deeper ties with the United States over the long term, but not at a cost of having to choose sides.“Anyone who expects you can peel India off and put it in the U.S. column — that is not going to happen,” he said. “Would you rather be completely dependent on the United States or Russia, or have a position of maneuverability between the two?” Modi’s Moscow Visit Spotlights India’s Tricky Balancing Act on Russia (Wall Street Journal)
Wall Street Journal [7/9/2024 4:20 PM, Tripti Lahiri and Krishna Pokharel, 810K, Neutral]
Hours after Russia launched a missile attack that struck sites across Ukraine, including a children’s hospital in Kyiv, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted pictures of himself hugging Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Later, the Kremlin published images of the leaders riding in a golf cart along well-manicured lawns at the Russian leader’s residence.
The following day, Modi publicly chastised Putin over the attack in televised remarks ahead of their private talks, saying that “when innocent children are killed, when we see innocent children dying, it is heart-wrenching.”“Solutions will not be found on the battlefield,” Modi went on to say, calling for dialogue to end the war. “Resolutions and peace talks don’t succeed in the midst of bombs, guns and bullets.”
Modi’s visit—his first to Russia in five years—is the latest example of India’s delicate and not-quite-neutral approach on the war in Ukraine. Modi met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit in Italy last month, but arrived in Moscow as Washington hosts a North Atlantic Treaty Organization meeting that will focus on supporting Kyiv’s war effort.“It is a huge disappointment and a devastating blow to peace efforts to see the leader of the world’s largest democracy hug the world’s most bloody criminal in Moscow on such a day,” tweeted Zelensky on the social-media platform X on Tuesday.
Russia has denied carrying out the attack on the hospital.
India’s leader has publicly said the war is destabilizing and called for a diplomatic solution to bring it to an end, but has never openly criticized Russia for the invasion. India has also bought tens of billions of dollars of Russian oil, becoming the second-largest importer of Russian crude after China, a move that some in the West say is helping fund Russia’s war effort.
And Modi’s presence in Moscow, on the heels of a visit by Hungarian leader Viktor Orban, whose country is presently holding the European Union presidency, also makes it hard to argue that Russia has been effectively isolated—a key Western goal.
Keeping Russia close even while drawing closer to the West, and the U.S. in particular, is part of India’s sometimes enigmatic diplomatic doctrine of “strategic autonomy.” India’s foreign policy outlook, premised on pursuing its national interest in a “multipolar” world, can sometimes look similar to language frequently invoked by Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping as a criticism of what they regard as a world centered around U.S. power.
But India’s multipolarity is not China’s multipolarity, said Indian political experts.“Russia and China also seek a multipolar world but one that is free of American dominance,” said Brahma Chellaney, a strategic affairs expert at the Center for Policy Research, a New Delhi think tank. “Ending America’s global preeminence is not an Indian objective.”
For example, while India has joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a regional security group founded in 2001 by Russia and China as a counter to existing multilateral groupings, it is frequently at odds with China, and Modi was a notable absence at this year’s gathering.
India’s diminished interest reflects its unease with the direction of the organization as New Delhi tries to balance its relations with Russia and the West, said Bates Gill, a senior fellow at the National Bureau of Asian Research.
India also sees shoring up its ties with Russia, still its major military supplier, as crucial to a goal it shares with the U.S.—countering China. That has become a greater concern for India in the wake of a deadly clash on its Himalayan border with China in 2020.
Against that complex backdrop, the U.S. and other Western countries have largely refrained from criticizing India over Russia, even as China’s support for Russia is likely to be a prominent topic of discussion at the NATO summit. The scale of China’s oil purchases from Russia dwarf those of India’s, while U.S. administration officials have said dual-use technology from Beijing is helping Moscow’s military production.“There is a general consensus in the West, which is very obvious, that an empowered India is in their long-term interest,” said Swasti Rao, a Eurasian affairs expert at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses in New Delhi, a government-affiliated think tank.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said on Monday that the U.S. would pay attention to Modi’s talks, and that India was aware of U.S. concerns over New Delhi’s ties with Moscow.
Modi’s Moscow visit is largely intended to resolve issues between the two countries that have cropped up since the war, including a trade imbalance due to India’s large energy purchases and Russia’s recruitment of Indian nationals to fight in its army. India’s foreign secretary said in Moscow that Russia has promised to discharge those fighters.
In Moscow, Modi thanked Putin for the stabilizing effect of its fuel sales to India, saying they had helped insulate Indian citizens from the worst effects of inflation.Putin thanked Modi for seeking a resolution to the conflict, according to a Kremlin statement.“I am grateful to you for the attention you pay to the most pressing problems, including trying to find some ways to resolve the Ukrainian crisis, of course, first of all, peacefully,” said Putin. Earlier in the visit, Putin also praised India, which overtook China as the world’s most populous country last year, for its high birth rate.
Still, Modi’s arrival in Moscow on an especially deadly day for civilians provoked criticism of the Indian leader from several European and U.S. commentators.
Rao said the attack placed Modi in an awkward position and she expected that Indian officials would have had discussions with their Russian counterparts about it.“It is a question that should be asked to President Putin,” said Rao. “Why did he invite a good friend and put that good friend in such a diplomatically complicated situation?” India’s Modi tells Putin that ‘heart bleeds’ over deaths of children in war (Reuters)
Reuters [7/9/2024 1:40 PM, Vladimir Soldatkin, 42991K, Neutral]
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday that the death of innocent children was painful and terrifying, a day after a lethal strike on a children’s hospital in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.The visiting Indian leader used emotive language to deliver an implicit rebuke to Putin at a summit intended to underscore the deepening partnership between their two countries.Winding up his two-day trip, the two sides set out nine key areas for closer cooperation, ranging from nuclear energy to medicine, and said they aimed to boost bilateral trade by more than half to hit $100 billion by 2030.But given that Putin has rarely been publicly criticised face-to-face over the war in Ukraine by the leader of a country that Russia sees as a friend, Modi’s televised comments were striking."Whether it is war, conflict or a terrorist attack, any person who believes in humanity is pained when there is loss of lives," Modi said."But even in that, when innocent children are killed, the heart bleeds and that pain is very terrifying."Ukraine says it has recovered fragments of a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile at the Kyiv children’s hospital which was hit on Monday during a wave of Russian attacks that killed 44 Ukrainians, including four children, across the country.At the hospital itself, two adults were killed and Interfax Ukraine said eight children were among about 50 people wounded.Russia said, without providing evidence, that it was a Ukrainian anti-missile system that struck the hospital.Modi appeared to criticise Russia once before over its actions in Ukraine when he told Putin in September 2022 that "today’s era is not an era of war". Putin said at that time he understood Modi’s concerns.India, however, has not condemned Russia’s invasion and has taken the opportunity to buy record amounts of discounted Russian oil as sanctions have decimated Moscow’s trade with the West.Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra, accompanying Modi on the trip, said India wanted to further strengthen energy ties and could seek deals with Rosneft (ROSN.MM) and other leading Russian oil firms. The two countries said they were also exploring an increase in Russian coal sales to India.In joint statements, they further outlined plans for closer cooperation in developing the Northern Sea Route through Arctic waters and for working together in space exploration, among other areas.SPECIAL PARTNERSHIPFor Russia, India has become an increasingly important partner, both economically and diplomatically, as Moscow seeks to demonstrate that Western attempts to isolate it over the war in Ukraine have failed.Putin, speaking before Modi, said their two countries enjoyed a "particularly privileged strategic partnership"."I thank you for the attention you are paying to the most acute problems including trying to find ways to resolve the Ukrainian crisis, above all by peaceful means, of course," he said.Modi told him: "Solutions are not possible on the battleground. Amidst guns, bullets and bombs, peace talks cannot be successful. We have to find the path to peace only through talks."Putin did not visibly react to Modi’s remarks and it was not clear if they had influenced the summit’s course. The Kremlin said an expected round of delegation-level talks would not take place as the two leaders had covered the agenda in full.SENSITIVE TIMINGThe timing of the Ukrainian hospital incident was embarrassing for Modi, just as he began his visit on Monday.As Modi shared his image hugging Putin on social media, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said it was a "huge disappointment and a devastating blow to peace efforts to see the leader of the world’s largest democracy hug the world’s most bloody criminal in Moscow on such a day".The U.S. State Department said on Monday it had raised concerns with India about its relationship with Russia. Separately, President Joe Biden called the latest attacks on Ukraine "a horrific reminder of Russia’s brutality".Russia said it struck military targets and the Kremlin repeated its insistence that Russia does not target civilians.Swasti Rao, Eurasia expert at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses think-tank in New Delhi, said Modi’s stance was aimed at projecting India as a credible mediator between Russia and Ukraine and "trying to reinstate the international community’s faith in India as a credible actor" which opposed violence.It was also meant to remind Moscow, Rao said, that "at the end of the day we are a valuable partner, you’re a valuable partner, but then we also stand by the U.N. Charter and international law". In Moscow, India’s Modi calls for peace, decries ‘heart-wrenching’ death of children (VOA)
VOA [7/9/2024 12:18 PM, Anjana Pasricha, 4032K, Neutral]
Urging peace during a visit to Moscow, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Russian President Vladimir Putin that the death of children was painful, and a resolution to the war in Ukraine cannot be found on the battlefield.The two leaders held a summit Tuesday, their first since Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, in which both leaders underlined their commitment to deepen ties.Modi’s remarks came a day after the main children’s hospital in Kyiv was hit by a missile strike, which Ukraine blamed on Russia, but for which Moscow has denied responsibility. Several other cities in Ukraine also were hit in deadly strikes, killing at least 31 people.In televised remarks at the Kremlin, Modi said, "Whether it is war, conflicts, or terror attacks, everyone who believes in humanity is pained when there is loss of lives. But when innocent children are killed, when we see innocent children dying, it is heart-wrenching and that pain is immense.”Asserting that India is ready to cooperate in "all ways" for restoration of peace in the region, Modi said that “amid bombs, guns and bullets, solutions and peace talks do not succeed. We will have to follow the path to peace only through talks."It was Modi’s first visit to Moscow in five years. The two countries had been holding annual summits since 2000, but none since 2021.Images displayed bonhomie between the Indian and Russian leaders as they hugged, rode a golf cart at Putin’s residence and talked for several hours during a private dinner hosted by the Russian president on Monday before formal talks were held on Tuesday. Putin called Modi his “dear friend."As Modi began his visit, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized the meeting."It is a huge disappointment and a devastating blow to peace efforts to see the leader of the world’s largest democracy hug the world’s most bloody criminal in Moscow on such a day," he wrote Monday on the social media platform X, in reference to the missile strike on the children’s hospital.During Modi’s two-day visit, both countries hailed their strong partnership that dates back to the Cold War years."Our relationship is one of a particularly privileged strategic partnership," Putin said."I am grateful to you for the attention you pay to the most pressing issues, particularly trying to find ways to resolve the Ukraine crisis, primarily through peaceful means,” he was quoted as saying by the official TASS news agency.Modi said the relationship had scaled new heights under Putin’s leadership and that they had taken significant decisions to deepen their partnership.The visit came amid concerns that New Delhi’s longstanding ties with Russia were stagnating as it builds a closer partnership with the United States. Analysts said Russia’s growing proximity to Beijing is also a source of worry for New Delhi, whose ties with China are at an all-time low.Modi said the energy cooperation between the two countries had helped India control fuel prices and bring stability in global markets. India did not join Western sanctions and has markedly increased its purchases of oil from Russia.After the talks, Putin conferred Russia’s highest civilian award, the Order of Saint Andrew the Apostle, on Modi and said both countries were working for stability.During an address to the Indian diaspora in Moscow, Modi called Russia a trusted ally and an “all weather friend.”"Every Indian considers Russia to be India’s friend in good and bad times,” Modi said. Expressing appreciation for Putin’s leadership, he said that "the commitment of our relationship has been tested multiple times, and it has emerged very strong each time.Modi announced the opening of two new consulates in Russia — in Kazan and Yekaterinburg.Russia also agreed to facilitate the return of Indian nationals working in its army, following discussions between the two leaders, according to reports in the Indian media.Several cases of Indians lured to Russia with the promise of lucrative jobs or education, who ended up fighting against Ukraine have been reported in the last few months.The meeting between Modi and Putin took place as NATO leaders opened a summit in Washington where support for Ukraine against the Russian invasion is set to top the agenda.India has walked a fine line as it builds a strong partnership with the United States but maintains ties with Russia.As Modi began his visit on Monday, the United States said it has raised concerns with India about its relationship with Russia. "So, we would hope [that] India and any other country when they engage with Russia would make clear that Russia should respect the U.N. Charter, should respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters.While the West has imposed sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, multiple countries including China and India have continued to build ties, setting back efforts to isolate it. Indians Fighting In Ukraine Alongside Russian Troops To Return Home, Report Says (Radio Free Europe)
Radio Free Europe [7/9/2024 6:36 AM, Staff, 1530K, Negative]
NDTV television in India reported on July 9 that about 20 Indian nationals who are fighting with Russia’s armed forces in Ukraine will return home soon. NDTV quoted sources as saying the issue was discussed at talks between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin during the ongoing visit by the Indian leader to Moscow. In March, seven Indian citizens issued a video, saying they came to Russia as tourists in December but were tricked by a Russian guide into traveling to Belarus, where they were arrested for not having visas and deported to Russia, where they were forced to fight in Ukraine. Exclusive: India races to build power plants in region claimed by China (Reuters)
Reuters [7/9/2024 7:37 AM, Sarita Chaganti Singh, 42991K, Neutral]
India plans to spend $1 billion to expedite the construction of 12 hydropower stations in the northeastern Himalayan state of Arunachal Pradesh, two government sources said, a move that could raise tensions with China that lays claims to the region.The federal finance ministry under Nirmala Sitharaman recently approved up to 7.5 billion rupees ($89.85 million) in financial assistance to each hydropower project in the northeastern region, the sources said.Under the scheme, about 90 billion rupees will likely be allotted for the 12 hydropower projects in Arunachal Pradesh, said the sources, who have direct knowledge of the matter.The scheme is likely to support northeastern states and help them finance equity holdings in the projects they host. Having state governments on board generally helps in expediting regulatory clearances, locals rehabilitation and negotiations on sharing electricity with the host state.The plans for the hydropower stations are expected to be announced in the 2024/2025 federal budget that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government will unveil on July 23, the sources said, declining to be named as the information remained confidential.The Indian finance and power ministries and China’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.Last August, the government awarded contracts to state-run firms NHPC (NHPC.NS), SJVNL (SJVN.NS), opens new tab and NEEPCO for the construction of the 11.5-gigawatt-capacity plants entailing an estimated investment of $11 billion, as part of a broader project to develop infrastructure in the border region.None of the companies responded to a request for comments.These power plants were earlier enlisted with private sector firms, but remained non-starters due to various reasons.India has built less than 15-gigawatt hydropower plants in the last 20 years, while installations of new coal and other renewable sources of energy were nearly 10 times of the new hydropower projects.India and China share a 2,500 km (1553.43 mile) largely un-demarcated border, over which they fought a war in 1962.India says Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of the country, but China claims it is a part of southern Tibet, and has objected to other Indian infrastructure projects there.The Indian government is pushing projects in the eastern region following reports that Beijing could construct dams on a section of the Brahmaputra river, known as the Yarlung Tsangbo in China, that flows from Tibet through Arunachal Pradesh.India is concerned that Chinese projects in the region could trigger flash floods or create water scarcity.Both countries are working to improve infrastructure along their border regions since clashes in western Himalayas left 20 Indian and at least four Chinese troops dead in 2020.Last week, India Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Kazakhstan where the two agreed to step up talks to resolve issues along their border. ‘No woman left in my family now’: India’s Hathras mourns stampede victims (Al Jazeera)
Al Jazeera [7/9/2024 7:46 AM, Ghazala Ahmad and Md Meharban, 20871K, Negative]
Vinod Kumar was away from home for work when he received a call informing him that his 70-year-old mother’s photo was circulating on social media, and that she was among dozens killed in a stampede at a religious event she was attending last week.“I rushed home and as soon as I reached, I asked for my wife’s whereabouts and no one knew. I asked for my daughter. She is nine or 10 years old,” Kumar, who sells leather and rexine bags for a living, told Al Jazeera, wiping tears from his face. “She was nowhere to be found, either.”All three were confirmed dead, their bodies found at different hospitals in Hathras, a small town in India’s northern state of Uttar Pradesh, about 200km (125 miles) southeast of the national capital, New Delhi, and the neighbouring Agra district.“I am devastated. I lost my mother, wife and daughter. No woman is left in my family now. I am now left with my three sons,” he said.Kumar’s family members were among at least 121 people who died in the stampede as the devotees, most of them women, surged towards a Hindu preacher who was addressing a crowd of nearly 250,000 people under a giant tent in Hathras district’s Phulrai Mughal Garhi village.More than 100 were wounded. Clothes and footwear of the dead and injured devotees lay strewn in rainwater on the ground where the event was held.Authorities said the preacher, Suraj Pal Singh, a former police constable known in the region as Bhole Baba, only had permission for 80,000 people.The key organiser, Devprakash Madhukar, surrendered to the police last week and has been charged with attempted culpable homicide, Singh’s lawyer told reporters. Madhukar has been sent to 14 days in judicial custody.Nipun Agrawal, Superintendent of Police in Hathras, told Al Jazeera on Tuesday 11 arrests have been made in the case so far, including two women.Police, however, said the preacher Singh was not named in the case they had registered. Local media reports say his whereabouts remain unknown.Singh released a video statement after the incident, which was broadcast on Indian TV channels last week. In the video, Singh said he had faith that those responsible for the stampede would be punished.“May God give us the strength to bear this pain,” he said.While the cause of the stampede is being investigated, officials said a crowd rushed to touch the preacher’s feet as he left after finishing his sermon. But the devotees were allegedly stopped by Singh’s aides, leading to commotion, and causing many to fall on the ground and be trampled.Among them was Lal Ram Singh’s 22-year-old wife, Kamlesh Devi, and their seven-month-old daughter Chanchal. As they left for the “satsang”, as the event is locally called, little did Lal Ram know it would be the last time he would see them alive.“After the event got over, I came to the point where we had decided I will pick them up. They didn’t come for two hours. I started looking for them and witnessed a huge crowd at the site. Dozens of dead bodies were lying around,” he told Al Jazeera.“I looked for them everywhere … but to no avail,” he recollected. “From there I rushed to the hospital [in Sikandra Rao town, Hathras], which was filled with more dead bodies. There I identified [the bodies of] my wife and child.”Several witnesses said the stampede was caused after people rushed towards the preacher to collect the soil around his feet for blessings.Hans Kumari was among the attendees at the religious gathering. She described the chaos once the preacher ended his sermon.“People at one point started pushing each other, leading to a stampede-like situation,” she said. “I fell into a pit in the fields and got stuck there. I was gasping for air and felt suffocated. There must have been 50-100 people over me,” Kumari recalled.“Two women lying under me died on the spot,” she said. “Only my neck and head was out. I fainted and was later rescued when they removed the bodies one by one.”While deadly crowd crushes are common at India’s religious events, the incident has caused outrage, with growing calls for accountability and questions raised over the precautions taken by the authorities.Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the crush and his office announced a compensation of 200,000 rupees ($2,396) for the next of kin of each person deceased, and 50,000 rupees ($599) for each wounded.The Uttar Pradesh government has formed a three-member panel to probe the reasons for the stampede and make those responsible accountable.But for Kumar, whose life has come to a standstill following the crush, there is only desperation ahead.“What should I do now: go to work or look after them [three sons]? I don’t understand how I will manage my kids now,” he told Al Jazeera. A double-decker bus collides with a milk truck in northern India, killing at least 18 people (AP)
AP [7/10/2024 12:26 AM, Biswajeet Banerjee, 456K, Negative]
A double-decker passenger bus collided with a milk truck in northern India on Wednesday, killing at least 18 people and injuring many others, officials said.
The collision occurred on an expressway in Uttar Pradesh state, and 19 injured people were rushed to the hospital by villagers in the area, said police officer Arvind Kumar, adding that their condition was reported to be stable. The bus was traveling from the northern state of Bihar to the capital New Delhi.“Authorities are in the process of identifying the victims, and a probe has been launched to determine the exact cause of the accident,” Kumar added.
Gaurang Rathi, a government official, said that according to a preliminary investigation the bus may have been speeding when it struck the milk truck from behind, which led both vehicles to overturn. The collision was severe enough that one side of the bus was torn off, causing passengers to be ejected from the vehicle. Images on television showed bodies scattered across the road.
India has some of the highest road death rates in the world, with hundreds of thousands of people killed and injured annually. Most crashes are blamed on reckless driving, poorly maintained roads and aging vehicles.
In May, a bus carrying Hindu pilgrims skidded and rolled into a deep gorge on a mountainous highway in Indian-controlled Kashmir, killing at least 21 people. Half a dozen pregnant women infected as India suffers Zika virus outbreak (The Independent)
The Independent [7/9/2024 9:55 AM, Namita Singh, 56358K, Neutral]
India is seeing a surge in Zika cases with authorities identifying at least six pregnant women infected by the virus.A 74-year-old man is reported to have died from the infection in the southern state of Karnataka. Since the man had comorbidities, doctors are yet to ascertain if his death was caused directly by the virus.In any case, he is the first patient in the state found with Zika traces at the time of their death, The Times of India reported.While Zika, transmitted by the Aedes mosquito, is typically not fatal, it is linked to microcephaly, a condition where children are born with significantly smaller heads and have neurological problems.Also linked to dengue, chikungunya and urban yellow fever, the Aedes usually bites during the day. Zika can be transmitted from the mother to her foetus during pregnancy, as well as through sexual contact, blood transfusion and organ transplantation.Infected people are usually asymptomatic and those developing symptoms show them three to 14 days after infection. The symptoms include rash, fever, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain, malaise and headache, and they usually last for two to seven days, according to the WHO.The Zika outbreak has particularly raised alarm in Pune, Kolhapur and Ahmednagar in western Maharashtra state, which is grappling with floods after a heavy downpour.The southern state of Kerala has also reported Zika cases.Pune has counted at least 12 cases so far, six of them pregnant women. “We have stepped up our surveillance activities,” said Dr Rajesh Dighe, assistant chief medical officer at the Pune Municipal Corporation.“Samples have been sent to the National Institute of Virology as part of the screening of pregnant women from areas where Zika cases were detected. Overall, 68 samples from pregnant women have been sent to the apex laboratory,” he was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.The city’s health department imposed a fine of Rs10,000 (£93) on a builder after a mosquito breeding site was found near his housing complex and a pregnant woman tested positive for the virus.“She has been asked to consult her doctor, take folic acid tablets as directed and undergo the screening test to check whether the baby is at risk of any congenital conditions and if further tests are required,” Dr Dighe said.The federal health ministry issued an advisory last week advising state governments to “alert the clinicians for close monitoring” of the affected pregnant women.Infected people are usually asymptomatic and those developing symptoms show them three to 14 days after infection. The symptoms include rash, fever, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain, malaise and headache, and they usually last for two to seven days, according to the WHO.The Zika outbreak has particularly raised alarm in Pune, Kolhapur and Ahmednagar in western Maharashtra state, which is grappling with floods after a heavy downpour.The southern state of Kerala has also reported Zika cases.Pune has counted at least 12 cases so far, six of them pregnant women. “We have stepped up our surveillance activities,” said Dr Rajesh Dighe, assistant chief medical officer at the Pune Municipal Corporation.“Samples have been sent to the National Institute of Virology as part of the screening of pregnant women from areas where Zika cases were detected. Overall, 68 samples from pregnant women have been sent to the apex laboratory,” he was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.The city’s health department imposed a fine of Rs10,000 (£93) on a builder after a mosquito breeding site was found near his housing complex and a pregnant woman tested positive for the virus.“She has been asked to consult her doctor, take folic acid tablets as directed and undergo the screening test to check whether the baby is at risk of any congenital conditions and if further tests are required,” Dr Dighe said.The federal health ministry issued an advisory last week advising state governments to “alert the clinicians for close monitoring” of the affected pregnant women. NSB
China and Bangladesh reaffirm their ties as territorial and economic issues rise in region (AP)
AP [7/10/2024 4:49 AM, Staff, 456K, Neutral]
China and Bangladesh are reaffirming their ties during a visit by Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to Beijing on Tuesday as tensions rise in the region over territorial disputes and resources.China’s official Xinhua News Agency quoted Wang Huning, a member of China’s Politburo Standing Committee who met with Hasina, as saying that “China and Bangladesh have respected and treated each other with equality, setting a good example of friendly coexistence and mutually beneficial cooperation between countries.”Bangladesh occupies a strategic position between Myanmar, a longtime Chinese ally now wracked by internal conflict, and India, the rising Asian giant with which China has a longstanding border conflict.Hasina met with her Chinese counterpart, Li Qiang, on Tuesday and oversaw the signing of 28 agreements between the countries covering mostly trade and investment.While Bangladesh maintains development partnerships with the United States and India, it is also drawing closer to China, which is heavily engaged in the country’s major infrastructure projects.Hasina is eager to strengthen relations to encourage Chinese investment in her country’s economy, which faces challenges over a heavy debt burden. China also provides Bangladesh with tanks, missile launchers and other weapons and is building seaports, railway tracks, power plants and bridges. The U.S. remains Bangladesh’s largest source of foreign direct investment.Hasina’s visit to China is taking place a few weeks after she visited India, demonstrating her plans for a partnership with both neighbors in the face of growing interest by the U.S. in the Indo-Pacific region.While the U.S. and European countries pressured Hasina’s administration to hold free and fair elections in January, China openly sided with Hasina. China has also showed a willingness to help Bangladesh’s economy as it faces dwindling foreign currency reserves.Media reports in Bangladesh say it will seek $20 billion in new loans from China during Hasina’s visit.Concerns have risen over China’s border tensions with India, the Chinese military’s expansion into the South China Sea and Indian Ocean, fighting in neighboring Myanmar and China’s control of water resources in the Himalayas that affects agriculture in Bangladesh and neighboring countries. Bangladesh Suspends Job Quotas After Student Protests (Agence France-Presse)
Agence France-Presse [7/10/2024 4:49 AM, Eyamin Sajid, 456K, Neutral]
Bangladesh’s top court on Wednesday temporarily suspended quotas for coveted government jobs after thousands of students staged nationwide protests against what they call a discriminatory system, lawyers said.The quota system reserves more than half of well-paid and massively over-subscribed civil service posts, totalling hundreds of thousands of government jobs, for specific groups including children of liberation heroes.Students launched protests earlier this month, demanding a merit-based system, with demonstrations on Wednesday blocking highways and railway lines."Our only demand is that the government abolish the quota system," said student protest leader Rasel Ahmed, from Chittagong University."We will not return to classrooms until our demand is met," Ahmed told AFP.The quota system was abolished in 2018 after weeks of protests, but reinstated in June by Dhaka’s High Court, sparking fury from students.The Supreme Court on Wednesday suspended that order for a month, said lawyer Shah Monjurul Hoque, who represents two students seeking to end the quota system."The Supreme Court... passed a status quo order (suspension order) on the High Court verdict for four weeks," Hoque told AFP, adding the chief justice, Obaidul Hassan, had requested that students go back to class.The quota system reserves 30 percent of government posts for children of those who fought to win Bangladeshi independence in 1971, 10 percent for women, and 10 percent for residents of specific districts.Students said only those quotas supporting ethnic minorities and disabled people -- six percent of jobs -- should remain.Critics say the system benefits children of pro-government groups, who back Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.Her father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was Bangladesh’s founding leader.Hasina, 76, won her fourth consecutive general election in January, in a vote without genuine opposition parties, with a widespread boycott and a major crackdown against her political opponents.Critics accuse Bangladeshi courts of rubber-stamping decisions made by her government.Hasina has condemned the protests, saying the matter had been settled by the court."Students are wasting their time," Hasina said Sunday, adding there was "no justification for the anti-quota movement".Thousands of students on Wednesday threw up barricades across key intersections in Dhaka, as well as blocking major highways connecting the capital to other cities, police said.Students in the city of Mymensingh blocked the railway to stop trains from moving, Al Mamun, a police inspector, told AFP.Hemayetul Islam, deputy police chief in the northwestern city of Rajshahi said that "at least 200 students" blocked the highway to Dhaka."Brilliant students no longer get the jobs they want because of this quota system," said Halimatuz Sadia, a protester and physics student at Chittagong University."You work hard only to find out that there are only a limited number of jobs available," she added. Sri Lanka paves way for Musk’s Starlink to enter telecoms market (Reuters)
Reuters [7/9/2024 9:01 AM, Uditha Jayasinghe, 42991K, Positive]
Sri Lanka’s parliament approved amendments to a decades-old law on Tuesday to allow Elon Musk’s Starlink, the satellite unit of SpaceX, to set up operations in the South Asian island nation.Sri Lanka’s parliament passed the new telecommunications bill, which amended the existing law for the first time in 28 years, without a vote, parliament’s office said in a statement.The amendments will introduce three new types of licences and allow Starlink to enter Sri Lanka’s telecoms market as a licensed service provider, pending approval from the telecoms regulator, technology minister Kanaka Herath told parliament.The original law had no regulations allowing satellite internet service providers to operate in the country."This opportunity is not just for Starlink but any other company that wants to invest in Sri Lanka," Herath told lawmakers on Tuesday while presenting the bill."Our plan it to grow the IT sector to a $15 billion industry by 2030. So it is important that we attract international companies to provide internet, especially to rural areas."Starlink approached Sri Lanka in March with a proposal to set up operations, Herath told Reuters on Monday. Sri Lanka granted Starlink preliminary approval in June after fast-tracking the process.Starlink will have to pay a tariff for the licence, Herath added, without giving details. Sri Lanka’s Debt Restructuring Deal: Economic Relief or Creditor Windfall? (The Diplomat)
The Diplomat [7/9/2024 4:14 PM, Rathindra Kuruwita, 1.2M, Neutral]
Close on the heels of agreements with key bilateral lenders, the Sri Lankan government last week announced that it has reached debt restructuring agreements with commercial creditors (those who have bought the country’s International Sovereign Bonds (ISBs).
Of the country’s $37 billion external debt, ISBs amounted to $12.5 billion by the end of 2023, according to official data. According to a statement issued on July 3, investors agreed to take a 28 percent nominal reduction on the bonds’ principal. The deal also includes Macro-Linked Bonds (MLB), whose payouts are linked to economic growth and a potential governance-linked bond.
Sri Lankan economic analyst Dhanusha Gihan Pathirana told The Diplomat that while the government and the bondholders present the agreement as a 28 percent “haircut,” a reduction applied to the value of an asset, the bondholders can further trim it to just 15 percent, should certain economic conditions be met.
Pathirana said that this is one of the most disadvantageous debt restructuring agreements a developing country has signed. “This is considerably smaller than Zambia’s 18 percent and Ghana’s 37 percent haircuts,” Pathirana said. Like Sri Lanka, Zambia and Ghana too defaulted due to the impacts of the COVID pandemic, and had both entered into debt restructuring agreements after painful negotiations.
Under the agreement, Sri Lanka has to pay a low interest of about 3.75 percent until 2028, but from 2028, Sri Lanka must pay a weighted interest of 8.2 percent to bondholders if the GDP goes past $100 billion, Pathirana said, adding that given the current trends, i.e., the nominal GDP value has increased by about 14 percent in 2023, this is highly likely. “This is a great deal for bondholders because the original interest rates were between 5 to 7 percent,” he pointed out.
History of Discussions
According to the government, the agreement is a culmination of discussions that have been taking place with the Ad-Hoc Group (AHG) from 2023. AHG, which includes some of Sri Lanka’s largest international holders of ISBs, controls about 50 percent of the ISBs held by foreign parties. They are represented by a steering committee advised by financial advisors Rothschild & Co, and legal advisors White & Case.
In a statement, Sri Lanka’s finance ministry said that the country is among “the first countries where debt restructuring was based on the IMF’s new Debt Sustainability Analysis (DSA) framework.” As per the DSA, Sri Lanka needs to achieve several targets to restore debt sustainability, including reduction of Public Debt to GDP ratio from 128 percent in 2022 to less than 95 percent by 2032, reduction of Gross Financing Needs (GFN) as a percentage of GDP from 34.6 percent in 2022 to less than 13 percent on average during 2027-2032, and reduction of the percentage of foreign currency debt service as a percentage of GDP from 9.2 of GDP in 2022 to less than 4.5 during the period 2027-2032.
The ministry of finance also said that they had categorized external creditors into six groups, and that they needed to negotiate with them separately while ensuring equal treatment for all. These creditor groups are the Official Creditor Committee of official bilateral lenders (co-chaired by France, India, and Japan), who hold $5.8 billion of Lankan debt; the China Exim Bank ($4.2 billion); other Official Creditors (Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan – $0.3 billion); ISB holders ($14.2 billion); China Development Bank ($3.2 billion) and other commercial creditors (under $0.2 billion). Sri Lanka finalized domestic debt restructuring last year.
While discussions with the bilateral creditors seem to be progressing, with the Official Creditor Committee and China’s Exim Bank agreeing to back the country, there were concerns regarding the discussions with the bondholders. The AHG believes that Sri Lanka and the IMF have underestimated the country’s GDP growth. In 2022, Sri Lanka’s GDP was $74.85 billion. Although the GDP declined by 2.3 percent in 2023, it is projected to grow by 2.2 percent in 2024 and 2.5 percent in 2025. The bondholders argue that Sri Lanka’s GDP will grow at a higher rate, enabling the country to pay higher interest rates on the new series of bonds it will issue during the restructuring of privately owned debt.
However, the two sides seem to have ironed out these differences in the last two months. The finance ministry says “AHG and Sri Lanka resumed restricted negotiations on the 27th – 28th of June in Paris,” a day after Sri Lanka signed agreements with the Official Creditor Committee (OCC) and Exim Bank of China. The Sri Lankan government insists that the AHG submitted a new proposal that addresses Sri Lanka’s concerns, i.e., the choice of baseline parameter, inclusion of downside risk, choice of trigger and share of upside.The finance ministry says the agreement takes the baseline from the June 2024 second review of the IMF-supported program and would be applied as the choice of baseline parameter. To address the concerns over sharing downside risk, the two sides have incorporated additional downside scenarios, providing Sri Lanka with further debt relief in case of adverse macroeconomic outcomes. Regarding the choice of trigger, Sri Lanka had concerns about the Ad Hoc Group’s preference for a single trigger due to the risk of nominal U.S. dollar GDP increasing solely based on currency appreciation rather than real GDP growth. This could lead to higher payouts without a corresponding increase in government payment capacity. Therefore, a “control variable” capturing real GDP growth was agreed upon. Additionally, the upside thresholds and payouts were adjusted to ensure a more balanced share of upside between the creditor and debtor.
A Win for Creditors
Pathirana, the economic analyst, pointed out that while the government is portraying the agreement with bondholders as a victory in a bid to impress voters ahead of elections, it has agreed to increase the country’s ISB debt repayments to $19.6 billion in 2038, worsening the debt burden worse and setting the country to another default. According to the London Stock Exchange filing, the total amount of restructured debt is $14.43 billion, including $1.889 billion in overdue interest.“The restructuring agreement provides for a 28 percent debt reduction on bonds originally valued at $12.55 billion. However, if Sri Lanka’s GDP grows beyond the conservative limits set by the IMF, the concessions could be reduced from 28 percent to 15 percent. This means the benefit of economic growth will accrue not to the people but to the creditors,” Pathirana said.
Drawing attention to the experience of other countries, Pathirana noted that “Ghana achieved a 37 percent debt reduction in 2023 and is negotiating for longer maturity dates. Zambia secured an 18 percent reduction and extended its maturities to 2030-2053. Ecuador and Argentina also managed to reissue bonds with extended maturities. In contrast, Sri Lanka’s agreement extends the maturity date from 2028 to 2038, which is relatively short.”
Pathirana says the bondholders extended loans to Sri Lanka at exorbitant interest rates, ahead of the developing country’s anticipated default, trapping the country in a cycle of debt, and yet do not bear substantial losses from debt restructuring.“This dynamic not only unfairly burdens developing countries with high interest rates, but also risks creating a self-fulfilling prophecy where high interest burdens push sovereigns to default. Indeed, bondholders can be seen to triumph both before and after debt restructuring, while the countries negotiating their debt restructuring—and their citizens—wait in financial limbo,” Pathirana said.
Global debt justice organizations and scholars advocate for a new path, emphasizing the need for a government with the vision and strength to pursue debt justice. Holding predatory private creditors accountable requires significant political change.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s late-night agreement is not a victory but a dangerous deception that further entangles Sri Lanka in an exploitative global debt system prioritizing creditor profits over the country’s development and the people’s welfare. A radical political shift toward debt justice and accountability is urgently needed to break free from this cycle and build a sustainable future for Sri Lanka. Central Asia
Central Asian railway to offer new link between China, Europe (Nikkei Asia)
Nikkei Asia [7/9/2024 11:15 AM, Staff, 2042K, Negative]
A rail network that spans across Central Asia is gradually taking shape, spurred on by interest in bypassing such geopolitical hot spots as Russia and the Red Sea.China, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan signed an agreement last month on a railway project connecting the three countries, with construction slated to begin in October.The new railway will be "a landmark project of Belt and Road cooperation among the three countries," Chinese President Xi Jinping said at the signing ceremony.The railway will cover approximately 500 kilometers at a cost of more than $5 billion. The line will cross southern Kyrgyzstan to link the city of Kashgar in China’s northwestern Xinjiang region to eastern Uzbekistan. From there, the line will connect with transport routes bound for Europe through other railways running through Turkmenistan and Turkey. A plan to extend the link to South Asia is being considered.A separate project to expand rail transport capacity between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan is slated for completion in 2025.The rail network connecting China and Europe through Central Asia and the Caucasus region has been dubbed the Middle Corridor. Heads of state railways in the region met in June and agreed to cooperate on developing the network.Freight volume along the Middle Corridor via the Caspian Sea jumped 90% or so on the year to roughly 2.8 million tonnes in 2023. It will balloon to 11 million tonnes by 2030, according to a World Bank projection.Geopolitical risk factors have complicated competing routes. Sea routes connecting China and Europe are more cost-effective, but Houthi rebels in Yemen have kept up their attacks on ships traveling through the Red Sea. Some ports in Asia and the Mediterranean Sea are even severely congested with container ships unwilling to take the Red Sea voyage.The Northern Corridor, the rail network traversing Russia, has long been used to ferry freight between China with Europe. But following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the European Union imposed sanctions on Russian railways. U.S. financial sanctions have also impeded trade.Not only is the rail network underdeveloped in the Middle Corridor, but existing railways are also aging and suffering from a shortage of freight cars. This has left a bottleneck in capacity. To capture more transport demand, Middle Corridor countries are moving to develop the network.In May, a project to expand capacity was completed for the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway going through Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey.Obstacles remain, including the tangle of customs procedures and the need to unload and reload cargo along the rail lines.This has caused delays along the Middle Corridor. Although the route is 3,000 km shorter than Russia’s Northern Corridor, a trip through the Middle Corridor can sometimes take three to four times as long. Many have called for streamlined procedures and lower transport costs to spur use.Both Europe and China have approached Middle Corridor countries under the outlook that transport demand will rise in the long term. The EU has announced 10 billion euros ($10.8 billion) in investments toward rail and port development in Central Asia and the Caucasus.On July 1, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed an agreement with China on expanded use of the Middle Corridor and cooperation on transportation infrastructure.Georgia said in late May that it was awarding a Chinese-led consortium a contract to build a deep-water port in the Black Sea town of Anaklia. A member, China Communications Construction, is on a U.S. blacklist over its involvement in the buildup of Chinese military outposts in the South China Sea.Russia has a history of opposition to developing the rival Middle Corridor. But it has apparently shifted to tacit approval now that it is more dependent on trade with China since the war in Ukraine began. Central Asia’s Post-Ukraine Future (The Diplomat)
The Diplomat [7/9/2024 8:23 AM, Ahmad Tariq Noorzadeh, 1156K, Neutral]
As Russia’s war in Ukraine slogs on through its third year, its global impacts have disrupted political assumptions, weakened economies, and paved the way for geopolitical realignment. Moscow has long been the dominant external influence in the wider Eurasian region, particularly among the states of Central Asia: Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. However, the war has altered perceptions of Russia within Central Asia, creating opportunities for other players, especially China.Initially, there was a widespread belief in Central Asia that Russia, embroiled in war and under sanction, would become an unreliable partner, making cooperation with it difficult. Russia knew that its role and influence over Central Asia could diminish after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine and sought to deepen political cooperation with these countries to demonstrate that despite being in confrontation with the West, it could still be considered a reliable partner in the region. Putin has traveled to all five Central Asian countries to initiate a new chapter of cooperation during the war. However, these efforts have not necessarily been very fruitful. On March 2, 2022, the U.N. General Assembly adopted a resolution rejecting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and demanding that Russia immediately withdraw its forces and abide by international law by an overwhelming majority of 141 countries approving against just five in opposition. Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan abstained, while Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan were not present for the vote. None of them sided clearly with Russia.An important apprehension the Central Asian countries have developed in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is that in the long term, if Russia emerges victorious, a similar scenario could occur in their countries. This worry is particularly acute in Kazakhstan, given the significant presence of ethnic Russians in the country.Looking ahead, the Central Asian nations face a critical agenda. First, they must engage proactively with the international community, but the challenge lies in transforming external financial and political opportunities into internal progress. Secondly, they need to strike a delicate balance in their relations with Russia and other global players, avoiding the perception of blind support for Russia’s actions while simultaneously avoiding accusations from Moscow of being anti-Russian. Achieving this equilibrium will be pivotal for Central Asia’s future stability and prosperity.Since 2022, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have found ways to prolong the tenures of their established leaders; Turkmenistan completed a dynastic succession; Tajikistan has laid the groundwork for its own dynastic succession; and Kyrgyzstan has centralized and personalized the power of its president.For most Central Asian countries, where Russia was the largest trading partner before the war, China has now replaced it. The war has served as additional motivation to seek out a diversity of partnerships.Uzbekistan maintains good relations with Russia but simultaneously seeks to expand its ties with the West. Tashkent has never issued a direct statement condemning the Russia-Ukraine war, but has not stated support either. Uzbekistan’s economic and security situation has been significantly affected by Russia’s war on Ukraine. While Uzbek-Russian relations have been improving since Shavkat Mirziyoyev became president in late 2016, the Kremlin’s aggression in Ukraine threatens some of that progress. Several million Uzbek migrant laborers work in Russia, and the remittances they send home are crucial for Uzbekistan’s economy. By 2023, China had replaced Russia as Uzbekistan’s leading trade partner. The Uzbek government has also been strengthening relations with Azerbaijan and Turkey, seeking new trade corridors and military cooperation.Just weeks before Russian forces began bombarding Ukrainian cities, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev requested an intervention by the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a Moscow-led military bloc, amid dramatic unrest in the country. However, on the eve of the war, Kazakhstan defied expectations by firmly ruling out the prospect of recognizing Russia-backed separatist entities in eastern Ukraine. Many commentators had characterized Tokayev as indebted to Putin for his intervention, and Kazakhstan’s neutral stance incurred the collective wrath of Russian lawmakers and Kremlin propagandists. Despite the tense rhetoric, Tokayev has managed to keep ties between Moscow and Astana largely stable. As with Uzbekistan, by 2023, China had replaced Russia as Kazakhstan’s largest trading partner.Russia has never been Turkmenistan’s top trading partner; Ashgabat, which has adopted a policy of neutrality in its foreign affairs since 1995, maintained a neutral and cautious stance during the escalation of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Economically, China has long been Turkmenistan’s most important economic partner.Compared to the other Central Asian countries, Tajikistan has greater security and economic dependencies on Russia. Russian military forces are still based in Tajikistan, and given the long border with Afghanistan and the resurgence of the Taliban, Tajikistan’s security interests necessitate increased cooperation with Russia. The relationship between Russia and Tajikistan has not undergone significant changes since the start of Russia’s war in Ukraine. Dushanbe refrains from making public assessments regarding the entry of Russian forces into Ukraine, maintaining a neutral stance.Due to the lack of significant economic interests from Western countries in Kyrgyzstan and Bishkek’s high level of economic orientation toward Moscow, Kyrgyzstan faces minimal external pressure beyond Russia. Kyrgyzstan’s involvement in major projects with Russian participation ensures Moscow’s support during this tumultuous period. Kyrgyzstan arguably leads the Central Asian countries in helping Russia circumvent Western sanctions for several types of goods, officially referred to as “parallel imports” in Russia.Despite the countries of Central Asia hedging their bets on Russia, their greatest concern is the possibility of Russia winning the war in Ukraine. If that happens, it’s feared that a similar scenario could be replicated in Central Asia. The risk in these countries is significantly higher compared to Ukraine. The severe dissatisfaction of people with their dictatorial governments and the presence of terrorist and separatist groups are factors that increase the concerns of Central Asia should a war like that in Ukraine arrive in the region.Therefore, the existing policies of multilateralism in Central Asia are rapidly losing their relevance. The region will inevitably have to align either with the West or the non-Western bloc, including China, Russia, Iran, and other countries. Choosing between the West and Russia is challenging for Central Asia. Politically, these countries have not experienced democracy, freedom of speech, and press freedom in the way the West envisions these norms. Economically, they are increasingly dependent on the West for technology and investment, but remain deeply enmeshed with Russia. Having been former Soviet republics with economic and military structures based on the Russian model, breaking free from Moscow’s influence is difficult. But it is possible. Kazakh Penitentiary Service Rejects Claims That Pressure Was Put On Jailed Opposition Leader (Radio Free Europe)
Radio Free Europe [7/9/2024 11:00 AM, Staff, 1530K, Negative]
Kazakh penitentiary service officials on July 9 rejected a statement by the imprisoned leader of the unregistered Algha Qazaqstan (Forward Kazakhstan) political party about his treatment by prison administrators. Marat Zhylanbaev said he launched a hunger strike protesting against his being placed in solitary confinement over an alleged brawl with other inmates. Zhylanbaev was sentenced to seven years in prison in November on a charge of taking part in the activities of the banned Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan (DVK) movement and its financing. International and domestic human rights organizations have urged Astana to release Zhylanbaev. Twitter
Afghanistan
UN Special Rapporteur Richard Bennett@SR_Afghanistan
[7/9/2024 8:04 AM, 40K followers, 102 retweets, 246 likes]
Afghan women & girls have the right to participate in sport. I call on sport bodies to support them, inside & outside #Afghanistan. Looking forward to seeing inspiring & talented Afghan women & men compete at #Olympic & #Paralympic games in #Paris2024.
Heather Barr@heatherbarr1
[7/9/2024 10:47 PM, 62.9K followers, 14 retweets, 25 likes]
Jan 22–UN SG says “after the Taliban took over "daily life has become a frozen hell" for Afghans.”
June 24–Situation has steadily worsened. SG hands Taliban huge political win @Doha3; they gloat over blocking women’s participation, discussion of rights.
Jahanzeb Wesa@JahanzebWesa
[7/9/2024 3:47 PM, 2.6K followers, 2 retweets, 4 likes]
UNAMA Report:
—Taliban have negatively impacted human rights, with a disproportionate impact on women.
—Taliban measures have forced many women out of the workforce, exacerbating poverty and reducing job opportunities for women who are the sole breadwinners of their families.
Habib Khan@HabibKhanT
[7/10/2024 2:15 AM, 228.2K followers, 26 retweets, 54 likes]
"The Taliban cut up my thighs and rubbed salt in the wounds," recounts Leilma Daulatzai, former head of the women’s council in Balkh. She was severely tortured in a Taliban prison. To make things worse, her husband divorced her when he learned about the ordeal. Painful interview. Pakistan
Government of Pakistan@GovtofPakistan
[7/9/2024 12:24 PM, 3.1M followers, 5 retweets, 17 likes]
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif announced Rs 50 billion package to provide a relief of up to seven rupees per unit to around 25 million domestic power consumers, falling in the protected category for three months till September.
Government of Pakistan@GovtofPakistan
[7/9/2024 12:21 PM, 3.1M followers, 15 retweets, 30 likes]
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif’s historic initiative to solarize all tube wells in Balochistan marks a significant step towards sustainable energy solutions.
Anas Mallick@AnasMallick
[7/10/2024 2:22 AM, 73.1K followers, 3 retweets, 13 likes] Pakistan has Temporarily Halted the operation for the return of illegally residing migrants in its territory following the request from UN which was made during the recent visit of UN High Commissioner for Refugees to Pakistan, per sources -- The return operation saw over 600,000+ illegally residing Afghan nationals in Pakistan, return to their country.
Madiha Afzal@MadihaAfzal
[7/9/2024 6:48 PM, 42.8K followers, 5 retweets, 33 likes]
An actual security threat from the Pakistan Taliban, but seems the state worries at least as much about the opposition party’s supporters on X/Twitter.
Madiha Afzal@MadihaAfzal
[7/9/2024 10:44 AM, 42.8K followers, 4 retweets, 8 likes]
The word salad of alarming terms used by Pakistan’s interior ministry to justify its Twitter/X ban in court is quite something. As the government itself continues to post on X. https://www.dawn.com/news/1844724
Madiha Afzal@MadihaAfzal
[7/9/2024 10:12 AM, 42.8K followers, 8 retweets, 31 likes]
Pakistan’s government continues to expand the power of the intelligence agencies (as it did in its previous stint in office in 2023) — now granting them the power to trace and intercept calls “in the interest of national security and in the apprehension of any offense.”
Asif Durrani@AsifDurrani20
[7/9/2024 4:29 AM, 9.2K followers, 17 retweets, 64 likes]
Held substantive talks with UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, this morning. The two sides expressed readiness to find a durable solution to the Afghan refugee problem, including their repatriation.
Habib Khan@HabibKhanT
[7/9/2024 10:10 AM, 228.2K followers, 16 retweets, 80 likes]
Manzoor Pashteen, leader of PTM, blames the Pakistani military establishment for the attack on Gilman Wazir. Gilaman, a prominent activist and poet now in a coma, opposes the occupation of Pashtun lands by the Pakistani military.
Hamir Mir@HamidMirPAK
[7/9/2024 1:23 AM, 8.5M followers, 274 retweets, 776 likes]
Is it not a big violation of government policy by the government itself? Government of Pakistan imposed a ban on X many months ago but why the Prime Minister and his senior ministers are using X through VPN continuously? What kind of message is it to the people of Pakistan? India
Narendra Modi@narendramodi
[7/9/2024 11:13 AM, 99.8M followers, 18K retweets, 131K likes]
Honoured to receive the The Order of Saint Andrew the Apostle. I thank the Russian Government for conferring the award. This award is dedicated to my fellow 140 crore Indians.
Narendra Modi@narendramodi
[7/9/2024 8:22 AM, 99.8M followers, 9.3K retweets, 69K likes]
Held productive discussions with President Putin at the Kremlin today. Our talks covered ways to diversify India-Russia cooperation in sectors such as trade, commerce, security, agriculture, technology and innovation. We attach great importance to boosting connectivity and people-to-people exchanges.
Narendra Modi@narendramodi
[7/9/2024 7:15 AM, 99.8M followers, 5.8K retweets, 38K likes]
Visited the Atom Pavilion with President Putin. Energy is an important pillar of cooperation between India and Russia and we are eager to further cement ties in this sector.
Michael Kugelman@MichaelKugelman
[7/9/2024 1:19 PM, 211.1K followers, 22 retweets, 208 likes]
At the Modi-Putin summit, Russia endorsed a long-running Indian foreign policy goal: To become a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group. India has been denied membership for years, one reason being that Russia’s good friend China is staunchly opposed to it.
Michael Kugelman@MichaelKugelman
[7/9/2024 12:58 PM, 211.1K followers, 5 retweets, 11 likes]
Though it’s notable that no new defense deals were announced (not publicly at least). Also, there is no mention of the S-400 package in the joint statement, though it was likely discussed during the talks. Mainly an emphasis here on continuing to talk about defense cooperation.
Michael Kugelman@MichaelKugelman
[7/9/2024 12:58 PM, 211.1K followers, 50 retweets, 240 likes]
In Washington, this item will likely draw the most concern: "Both Sides agreed to encourage joint manufacturing in India of spare parts, components, aggregates and other products for maintenance of Russian origin arms and defence equipment...."
Michael Kugelman@MichaelKugelman
[7/9/2024 12:51 PM, 211.1K followers, 19 retweets, 50 likes]
Kashmir mentioned in Modi-Putin joint statement:"They strongly condemned the recent dastardly terrorist attack on an Army convoy in Kathua area of Jammu & Kashmir on 8th July 2024." It also jointly condemns the recent attacks in Dagestan and Moscow.Michael Kugelman@MichaelKugelman
[7/9/2024 11:25 AM, 211.1K followers, 86 retweets, 538 likes]
In Moscow today, Modi reiterated New Delhi’s longstanding position that the war in Ukraine needs to end. What he said is less significant than where he said it. It’s the first time he’s made this declaration in Russia. A more powerful statement to make in Moscow than Samarkand.
Madiha Afzal@MadihaAfzal
[7/9/2024 11:17 AM, 42.8K followers, 4 likes]
Zelensky: “huge disappointment and a devastating blow” to see Modi bear hug Putin on the day that Russia attacked a children’s hospital in Ukraine NSB
Awami League@albd1971
[7/9/2024 11:28 AM, 639.4K followers, 33 retweets, 58 likes]
Today, 9th July, marks one of the darkest day in #Bangladesh’s history of law and justice. On this day in 1979, ruthless dictator and the founder of @bdbnp78, General Ziaur Rahman turned an ordinance into a law which gave impunity to the killers of #Bangabandhu and his family members who were assassinated in August 1975. Those directly involved in the #August15 killings or those who were involved in the planning are protected from prosecution in any court, according to the impunity ordinance. Khondokar Mostaq promulgated this ordinance in 1975. This ordinance shielded the killers and their benefactors from any legal or administrative actions against them. Later, Ziaur Rahman, father of @trahmanbnp, legalised this illegal ordinance. Besides, during his rule, those who self-proclaimed themselves as Bangabandhu’s killers were even rewarded. https://en.somoynews.tv/news/2024-07-09/uyD3WVAT #IndemnityOrdinance #DarkAugust #15thAugust
Awami League@albd1971
[7/9/2024 9:14 AM, 639.4K followers, 28 retweets, 79 likes]
HPM #SheikhHasina held a bilateral meeting with H.E. Mr. Wang Huning, Chairman, The National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference at the Great Hall of Beijing on 09 July 2024. Photo: Saiful Kallol #BangladeshChinaFriendship #Bangladesh #AwamiLeague
Awami League@albd1971
[7/9/2024 7:58 AM, 639.4K followers, 33 retweets, 55 likes]
During her speech today at the #China-#Bangladesh Investment and Trade Conference, HPM #SheikhHasina called upon the Chinese investors to #investinBangladesh as she believes that great things can be achieved if both countries join hands. https://albd.org/articles/news/41481
Awami League@albd1971
[7/9/2024 5:46 AM, 639.4K followers, 30 retweets, 75 likes]
Bangladeshi and Chinese companies have signed 16 memoranda of understanding (MoU) during a summit on trade, business, and investment opportunities between #Bangladesh and #China in Beijing. Chinese companies will invest in Bangladesh’s #textile, #electricvehicle, #solarpower, #fintech and technology sectors. https://albd.org/articles/news/41482
Tshering Tobgay@tsheringtobgay
[7/9/2024 6:23 AM, 99.4K followers, 4 retweets, 22 likes]
15 RBP personnel are set to be deployed for UNMISS @unmissmedia. Urged them to serve, 1st as representatives of His Majesty The King; 2nd, in gratitude to the UN system for their decades of assistance; and 3rd, to uphold our reputation as an upright and hardworking nation.
Tshering Tobgay@tsheringtobgay
[7/10/2024 3:43 AM, 99.4K followers, 3 retweets, 9 likes]
Today, 4th day of the 6th month in Bhutanese lunar calendar, is observed as the auspicious day on which Gautama Buddha gave his first sermon after enlightenment. May this day remind us to practice loving-kindness and compassion towards oneself and all sentient beings. Central Asia
UNODC Central Asia@UNODC_ROCA
[7/10/2024 2:03 AM, 2.4K followers, 3 retweets, 6 likes]
Highlights from the International Probation Forum in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, hosted by the Kyrgyz Ministry of Justice under the @UNODC @EUinKyrgyzstan #Just4All with support of the @StateDeptCT . Stay tuned for insights! @georgeabadjia @MadinaSarieva @ph_meissner
Bakhtiyor Saidov@FM_Saidov
[7/9/2024 12:31 PM, 3.9K followers, 5 retweets, 6 likes]
Glad to meet with @Petronas Chairman H.E. Dato’ Seri Mohd Bakke Salleh. #Uzbekistan is committed to bringing the best global experience and expertise to the production energy, substantially increasing the share of renewables, and sustainability. During the meeting we discussed the promising areas of cooperation and further steps to be taken.
Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s Press-service@president_uz
[7/9/2024 10:10 AM, 195.8K followers, 1 retweet, 14 likes]
President Shavkat #Mirziyoyev met with @GilbertFHoungbo, Director General of the @ilo, to discuss ways to enhance cooperation with this influential @UN agency. Mr. Houngbo commended Uzbekistan’s progress in labor rights and voiced support for ongoing reforms. They agreed to develop and adopt a new Country Program for 2026-2030 aimed at strengthening labor laws and regulations in #Uzbekistan.
Navbahor Imamova@Navbahor
[7/9/2024 10:25 PM, 23.5K followers, 3 likes]
Special thanks to @FurqatSidiq, Uzbekistan Ambassador to US-Canada for his candid address - explaining how Uzbekistan stands to benefit from media development and vibrant/professional journalism - to our #SolutionsJournalism trainees from Tashkent and the Ferghana Valley engaging in a three-day intense workshop focusing on global trends, international best practices, and critical skills that we need to move forward in our ever important field.
Navbahor Imamova@Navbahor
[7/10/2024 2:51 AM, 23.5K followers, 1 like]
US supports media freedom and credible/professional journalism in Uzbekistan. @USAGMgov #SolutionsJournalism trainees in Tashkent were delighted to have Laura Brown @usembtashkent to speak with them this week, as we started our three-day workshops across country, engaging journalists and bloggers from every region.
Navbahor Imamova@Navbahor
[7/9/2024 9:36 PM, 23.5K followers, 3 likes]
#SolutionsJournalism training in Uzbekistan. Three-day workshops in Tashkent, Samarkand, and Khiva this month bringing together journalists and bloggers from all over the country. @AmerikaOvozi @USAGMgov collaborating with the New Media Education Center in Tashkent.{End of Report} To subscribe to the SCA Morning Press Clips, please email SCA-PressOfficers@state.gov. Please do not reply directly to this email.