|
|
|
Last Updated: Jun 18th, 2008 - 12:32:31 |
South African Immigrants Displaced in Xenophobic Violence
 |
| Immigrants stand in line at migrant camp in South Africa. Photo BBC News |
In South Africa, tens of thousands of immigrants have been displaced in a wave of xenophobic attacks. The violence broke out earlier this month when mobs attacked immigrant communities across the country. An unidentified Somalian refugee urged international intervention.
Unidentified: “We run from fight. We run far away from our country. We get killed here. We get killed in our country. We don’t know where we belong. We don’t know. So what we need: United Nations and government. Wherever you are, Thabo Mbeki, I’m telling you that, wherever you are now, if you’re listening to this, you killers, you are the one who support this, you are the one who did everything in this problem, because you are the head of this country, you are president, you could stop this immediately. You’ve got heavy army, heavy police. You could have stopped it long time before xenophobia attacks started.”
Officials in South Africa’s Western Cape have asked the government to declare the province a disaster zone. Another unidentified immigrant said the makeshift camps are uninhabitable.
Unidentified: “By the time we came, more than 2,000 people,
only provided two tents, something unreasonable. There’s no toilets, there’s no dispensary, there’s no clinic. Then they say that the government’s providing that place. So if you reach there, you find that even a dog you can’t keep it at that place, so just like with the truth is being revealed that government and South Africans, all in general, they don’t like us.”
UN Experts: Food Crisis Violates Basic Human Rights
Top UN officials say the rise in global food prices is posing a major threat to basic human rights. Speaking before the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva Thursday, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour, said the soaring costs of basic staples should be seen as an issue of international humanitarian law.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour: “Excellencies, the current food crisis stems from a perverse convergence of several factors, including distortions in supply and demand, unfair trade practices, as well as skewed policies involving incentives or subsidies. Yet, at its core and in its punitive effects, this crisis boils down to a lack of access to adequate food. Such access is a right protected in international law.”
Meanwhile, Oliver de Schutter, the independent UN expert on the right to food, said the world food crisis should not be seen as a natural disaster.
Oliver de Schutter: "Natural disasters are not human rights violations in themselves, unless states who can help victims stand by and do nothing to help people. The world food crisis is not a natural disaster. The causes are political. The causes are known. So if we impose an obligation to act, this prevents us from remaining silent.”
Experts: No Slowdown to Rising Food Prices
International experts are warning global food prices will remain high over the next decade. A new report from the United Nations and Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development blames the rising cost of oil, the weakening dollar and increasing demand for biofuels such as ethanol. The report calls for a reevaluation of the drive to invest in biofuels, which are said to account for 33% of the rising food costs. Ethanol has raised food prices by diverting crops to produce fuel rather than food. Kemal Dervis of the UN Development fund said the environmental gains of biofuel investment needed to be evaluated in light of its effect on increasing hunger.
Kemal Dervis: “Well you know the I think one important thing we are also discussing is that the fight against climate change and fight against poverty should not be viewed as two separate things. They must be integrated into an overall strategy and I think some of the problems we’ve seen in biofuels is that the strategy vis-a-vis climate change went ahead without coordination and without being part of the overall strategy for development.”
Global Cluster Bomb Ban Approved Over US Objection
More than 100 countries have agreed to ban cluster bombs. The agreement does not include the United States, which boycotted the talks in Dublin. Russia, China, Israel, India and Pakistan also did not take part. But the deal got a boost when the British government ignored US pressure and signed on in a last-minute intervention. Thomas Nash of the Cluster Munition Coalition said the deal is robust.
Thomas Nash: “It’s an incredibly strong document. It’s an incredibly strong document, because it will ban forever all cluster munitions. There’s a very strong restrictive definition in here that doesn’t allow for any cluster munitions to be ever used again.”
Clusters bombs are packed with bomblets that spread out over a large area and often don’t explode on first impact. They have been particularly lethal to children who pick them up off the ground, sometimes years down the line. Simon Conway, director of Landmine Action, said the deal would affect tens of thousands of lives.
Simon Conway: “This is massive. This will make a huge difference in the world. We’re talking about tens of thousands of people who would otherwise lose their
lives or their limbs.”
The Bush administration defended its boycott by saying eliminating cluster bombs would endanger US soldiers. Despite its opposition, US officials apparently worked behind the scenes to affect the final language. Anti-cluster-bomb activists say US pressure was likely decisive in ensuring a provision allowing signatories to engage in military operations with non-signatory states.
Group: Children in Conflict Zones Face Sexual Abuse from Peacekeepers, Aid Workers
A new report from the British charity Save the Children says children in post-conflict zones face ongoing sexual exploitation and abuse from peacekeepers and aid workers. At least twenty-three organizations and peacekeeping missions were linked to sexual exploitation of children in Haiti, Ivory Coast and South Sudan. Corinna Csaky of Save the Children says more cases are likely unreported.
Corinna Csaky: “This new report is showing that children, some as young as six, are being sexually exploited and abused by peacekeepers and by aid workers. And for all the reported allegations of abuse, we think that there are many, many more that are unreported. We believe there is a chronic silence surrounding this abuse, and we’d like organizations to do something about it, to help children speak out about the abuse against them.”
The study found several different types of abuse, including trading food for sex, rape, child prostitution and pornography.
DNC Attorneys Rule Against Clinton on Michigan, Florida Delegates
On the campaign trail, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton has been dealt a new setback in her bid for the Democratic nomination. On Wednesday, lawyers for the Democratic National Committee ruled Michigan and Florida must forfeit at least half their total delegate vote as punishment for holding primaries ahead of schedule. Clinton won both contests, although candidates had agreed not to campaign in either state and Obama’s name wasn’t even on the ballot in Michigan. The Obama campaign says it’s willing to forfeit part of its delegate lead as a compromise to end the dispute. Democratic Party officials will issue a final ruling on Florida and Michigan at a meeting this Saturday. Clinton, meanwhile, was in South Dakota Wednesday ahead of the June 3rd primary.
Sen. Hillary Clinton: “So as you go to cast your votes, I hope you consider not just what I’ve said but what I’ve done and what I will do to be your champion. If you stand with me today and on Election Day, I will stand for you
every day.”
Obama, meanwhile, campaigned in Colorado, where he promised to double spending on scientific research.
Sen. Barack Obama: “The fact that we’ve seen our investment in research and development flatlined, critical parts of our government like NIH that are not receiving substantially more money, that inhibits our ability to train
engineers and scientists, and that’s something that I’m going to reverse. I’m going to double the amount of money that we put into scientific research and discovery, when I’m president of the United States of America.”
White House: McClellan “Disgruntled” Ex-Employee
The Bush administration is dismissing scathing criticisms from former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan. In a new memoir, McClellan accuses the administration of deliberately manipulating the public to wage the war on Iraq. McClellan also criticizes his former bosses for the handling of Hurricane Katrina and the CIA leak case. On Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Dana Perino called McClellan a “disgruntled” former employee. She continued, “It is sad. This is not the Scott we knew.” McClellan, meanwhile, was questioned by reporters outside his home in Arlington, Virginia.
Scott McClellan: “Well, I hope people get a chance to take a look at it. I think it’s got an important larger message, and I wanted to let it speak for itself today, and I look forward to doing some interviews tomorrow, beginning tomorrow. I look forward to getting out and talking about it then.”
Reporter: “What was your reaction to Karl Rove’s comments last night on FOX, that it was like the work of a left-wing blogger?”
Scott McClellan: “Well again, I’m going to be doing my interviews tomorrow. And so, I hope people will get a chance. I think there have been a lot of comments. People haven’t had a chance to really look at the book, and it’s got an important message that I think people need to take a look at. And today I want to let it speak for itself, let people get a chance to take a look at it, and then tomorrow I look forward to going on the air and talking about it.”
Meanwhile, McClellan has come under criticism for what some say is speaking out too late. Former counter-terrorism czar Richard Clarke said McClellan should have shared his beliefs while at the White House.
Richard Clarke: “Most Americans figured out a long time ago that the war in Iraq was sold to them as a bill of goods through the Bush propaganda machine. So thank you, Scott, for telling us a blinding flash of the obvious. It wasn’t obvious in 2004, however. And when I said it in 2004, McClellan was part of the White House machine that attacked me for criticizing the Bush Administration and criticizing the war in Iraq.”
McClellan resigned in April 2006, after nearly three years as Bush’s press secretary. In a recent interview about eh book, McClellan said President Bush had personally told him he authorized the leak of former CIA operative Valerie Plame’s identity. McClellan says he asked President Bush aboard Air Force One if he was the one who approved outing Plame to the media. McClellan says Bush replied: “Yes, I was.”
PTSD Rises 46% Among US Troops
New figures show a dramatic increase in post-traumatic stress disorder among US troops. According to the Pentagon, new cases of PTSD surged more than 46 percent last year, bringing the five-year total to nearly 40,000. The number of cases rose as President Bush extended Army tours and expanded the occupation of Iraq under the so-called troop surge.
Harsh Sentences for Immigrant Workers Jailed in Iowa Crackdown
In Iowa, 270 undocumented workers have been sentenced to five months in prison. The workers were arrested earlier this month in an immigration raid on a meatpacking plant. It was described as the largest single immigration raid in US history. More than ten percent of the town of Postville, Iowa were put behind bars. Attorneys for the workers accused the government of violating due process rights by barring meetings with their clients and ignoring immigration laws. The hearings took place at a fairgrounds usually used for exhibiting cattle where the workers were held. Only a small number of the workers were found to have criminal records. No charges have been filed against the owners of the meatpacking plant, Agriprocessors.
Obama Accepts Clinton Explanation on RFK Comment
In other campaign news, Senator Obama says he’s accepted Senator Hillary Clinton’s explanation for controversial comments invoking the 1968 assassination of Robert F. Kennedy to justify her continued stay in the Democratic presidential race. In an interview in South Dakota Friday, Clinton cited Kennedy’s assassination as an example of a contest continuing through June.
Sen. Hillary Clinton: “My husband did not wrap up the nomination in 1992 until he won the California primary somewhere in the middle of June, right? We all remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California. You know I just—I don’t understand it.”
Clinton explained she was trying to cite a historical precedent for a June presidential contest. While not apologizing for the remark, Clinton did say, “I regret that if my referencing that moment of trauma for our entire nation and in particular the Kennedy family was in any way offensive.” The Obama campaign initially criticized Clinton for invoking the assassination of a candidate. Obama has received Secret Service protection since the early stages of his campaign after receiving race-based death threats.
More International News
Castro Criticizes Obama on Embargo Pledge
In Cuba, former President Fidel Castro has criticized Senator Barack Obama for vowing to continue the US embargo if he’s elected to the White House. Speaking last week before the Cuban American National Foundation in Miami, Obama said he would open diplomacy with Cuba but maintain the embargo as a threat to win Cuban reforms.
Sen. Barack Obama: “Never in the lives of two generations of Cubans has the people of Cuba known democracy. This is the terrible and tragic status quo that we have known for half a century of elections that are anything but free or fair, of dissidents locked away in dark prison cells for the crime of speaking the truth. I won’t stand for this injustice, you will not stand for this injustice, and together we will stand up for freedom in Cuba. That will be my commitment as president of the United States of America.”
In response, Castro wrote that while Obama is “the most advanced candidate in the presidential race,” his plan represents “a formula for hunger for [Cuba].”
Cuba Demands White House Answers on Opposition Funding
Cuba is demanding answers from the Bush administration on allegations the top US diplomat in Havana ferried money from an anti-Castro exile group in Miami to opposition figures on the island. The cash is said to come from Santiago Alvarez, who was once convicted in the US of conspiring to collect military-style weapons to overthrow Cuba’s government. Alvarez is currently serving a ten-month prison term for refusing to testify against airline bomber Luis Posada Carriles. On Thursday, Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque questioned the Bush administration’s involvement in the case.
Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque: “We are here today to ask what the government knows about this situation. What does the Secretary of State know? Was she informed that her Havana diplomats were acting this way? And now, what does she think? Does she see clearly that her diplomats were acting as go-betweens? Does she support Parmly in his activities as go-between and emissary shuttling money from terrorists groups to mercenary groups.”
Carter: Israel Has 150 Nukes
Meanwhile, former President Jimmy Carter has revealed he believes Israel has at least 150 nuclear weapons in its arsenal. The Israeli government has never acknowledged its nuclear weapons program. But its existence has been widely known since the scientist Mordechai Vanunu leaked government documents in the 1980s. Carter’s comments mark the first time a former US president has spoken on the number of Israel’s atomic weapons. Carter also called Israel’s occupation of Palestinians “one of the greatest human rights crimes on earth.”
Archbishop Tutu Visits Gaza to Begin Killing Probe
In Israel and the Occupied Territories, South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu arrived in Gaza Tuesday to begin a probe into the killing of nineteen Palestinians by Israeli troops in 2006. The Israeli government had previously blocked Tutu’s UN-backed investigation by denying him entry. Speaking in Gaza City, Tutu condemned Israel’s treatment of Palestinians in Gaza.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu: "For us, what is happening in Gaza is unacceptable. We have already seen and heard enough to move us close to to tears.”
Tutu also called on Hamas to end rocket attacks on Israeli towns and said the two sides should begin peace talks.
U.S. Withdraws Fulbright Grants to Palestinian Students in Gaza
In Israel and the Occupied Territories, the U.S. State Department has withdrawn all Fulbright scholarships to Palestinian students in Gaza because the Israeli blockade prevents them from leaving. The seven students would have used the money to pursue degrees at U.S. schools this fall. But U.S. officials say the grants will be re-directed so as to not go to waste if the students can’t leave Gaza. An Israeli parliamentary committee has asked the government to reconsider its travel ban on Palestinian students. But even if the policy is changed the students won’t be able to apply for a Fulbright until next year.
Mathematician Donates Prize Money to Promote Palestinian Rights
Meanwhile an award-winning American mathematician has donated all of his prize money to promote Palestinian freedom of movement. David Mumford received the 2008 Wolf Foundation Prize in Mathematics earlier this week. Mumford says he’s giving the entire one hundred thousand dollars to Bir Zeit University in the West Bank and to Gisha, an Israeli group that campaigns for Palestinian rights. Mumford said: “I decided to donate my share of the Wolf Prize to enable the academic community in occupied Palestine to survive and thrive. I am very grateful for the prize, but I believe that Palestinian students should have an opportunity to go elsewhere to acquire an education.”
© Copyright 2006 SeeingBlack.com
Top of Page
|
|
|
|
