US gets tough on corporates using forced Uyghur labour in China
The US-China rivalry transcends to almost every aspect they confront. Currently, both are trying to contain each other’s influence across the globe. The only thing that favours US in this, along with antagonising China, is Beijing’s authoritarian regime. Under CCP’s control China is perusing some of the most heinous human rights violation across the mainland which includes the persecution of Uyghur Muslims.
And now, it seems that western countries are materialising some laws that addresses and sanctions Uyghur genocide.
Another Uyghur genocide sanction Bill introduced in US Senate
A bill was recently introduced in US Senate acknowledging the violation of human rights of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang, China. If passed it would compel businesses to disclose links to forced Uyghur labour to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and provide funds for those who have escaped the Xinjiang region to counter Chinese propaganda.
Apart from the SEC filing, the US Senate Bill strives to expand the existing travel restrictions on Chinese officials linked to Uyghur genocide. It will also provide additional funding for “broadcast initiatives to counter Chinese propaganda.”
The bill named ‘The Uyghur Genocide Accountability and Sanctions Act’ would also provide funding for ongoing Uyghur cultural and linguistic preservation projects.
In a press release, Senator Marco Rubio, a Republican from Florida, who introduced this bill along with a Democrat Senator, Jeff Merkley from Organ said, “By building upon current legislation, this bicameral bill aims to enhance the enforcement of secondary sanctions on businesses that offer assistance to the Chinese Communist Party’s ongoing atrocities against the Uyghurs.”
As per Rubio and Merkley, if the Bill is passed, it will plug holes in 2021 Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act and also impose penalties on those making profits out of Uyghur forces labour.
France passes an Act on the lines of 2021 US Act
Interestingly, introduction of this bill coincides with a French Bill that has been passed in France’s Senate on Thursday, that urges the European Union to copy the 2021 U.S. ban on the import of goods linked to forced Uyghur labour, which according to French lawmakers has rerouted many such goods into the European single market.
French senators unanimously passed a resolution on Thursday, urging the adoption of Europe’s own version of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act to prohibit imports associated with slave labor. The legislation was introduced by Senator Mélanie Vogel, who represents Europe Ecology – The Greens for the constituency of French citizens living abroad, with the intention of exerting pressure on EU officials.
Within Europe’s single market, the power to unilaterally alter trade policies is not vested in the 27 individual EU member states. Instead, laws governing imports and exports are harmonized across the European Union.
“This resolution is basically asking for the introduction of a very efficient mechanism at the E.U. level that would ban goods made using forced labor,” Vogel said. “Basically, it’s asking the French government to push for this position at the E.U. level.”
Senator Vogel noted that an existing EU proposal concerning the issue solely seeks to prohibit imports of goods after they have been substantiated as connected to slave labor through a rigorous legal process. However, the French Senate favored a ban based on the approach established in the United States, which assumes that goods originating from Xinjiang involve slave labor.
Consequently, the burden of proof would be placed on companies seeking to export goods into the EU market, requiring them to demonstrate that they have not utilized forced labor. This shift removes the onus from human rights activists to prove violations of human rights and places it squarely on the exporting companies to affirm that forced labor has not been employed.
Challenges for EU
Such a bill is needed in Europe more than ever before because after the 2021 US Act was passed, most of the Xinjiang made commodities have been rerouted into Europe. While talking to RFA, Dilnur Reyhan, head of the European Uyghur Institute and a Uyghur studies lecturer at the National Institute of Oriental Languages and Civilizations in Paris said, “The goods made with Uyghur forced labor that couldn’t enter the U.S. are making their way into the European market. That’s why it’s extremely critical that such legislation needs to pass in Europe as well.”
Antilia case: Supreme Court grants three weeks’ interim bail to ex-cop Pradeep Sharma
Retired Mumbai ACP Pradeep Sharma has been granted three weeks’ interim bail by the Supreme Court, allowing him to attend to his ailing wife. This development comes after his bail plea was rejected by the special court and the Bombay High Court. The bail application was filed on the grounds of his wife’s health condition, which had worsened after a surgery. However, the prosecution had opposed the bail, citing that Sharma’s wife had previously visited him at the Pune hospital where he was lodged during his judicial custody.
Pradeep Sharma was arrested by the NIA in 2021, as a suspect in the Antilia terror scare and Mansukh Hiran murder case. The charges against him include murder and criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code, along with relevant sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The NIA alleges that Sharma was part of the conspiracy to murder Mansukh Hiran, a Thane resident. Hiran was linked to the SUV found parked outside industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence, Antilia, allegedly by the main accused and dismissed cop Sachin Waze on 25 February 2021.
In response to the NIA’s request, the special court directed the hospital to submit a medical report on Sharma. The agency had raised concerns that Sharma was unnecessarily prolonging his hospital stay. The medical report will likely play a crucial role in assessing the validity of Sharma’s claims regarding his wife’s health condition. The case will continue to unfold, with the medical report from the hospital playing a significant role in determining the future course of legal proceedings.
Pakistan Army abducts 3 Pashtuns in North Waziristan; Pashtuns protesting
An indefinite protest is being carried out in North Waziristan demanding the release of three Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) leaders.
On 30 May, North Waziristan coordinator of Pakistan Tahaffuz Movement (PTM), Eid-ur-Rehman was arrested by Pakistan Army from Saidgee checkpost as soon as he entered Waziristan. On the very next day another two PTM activists named Zakim Wazir and Jalal Wazir were also abducted.
It has been more than six days and the Pakistan Army has not provided any clear information about the grounds of their arrest. Even the location of their captivity is not revealed to any of their family members.
However, it must be noted that these abductions took place after a public gathering was organised on 26 May to mark the fourth anniversary of Kharqamar incident in which more than 16 PTM protestors were shot dead by Pakistan Army.
Agitated by their forced abduction, PTM has organized a sit-in protest since 3 June demanding the release of all three PTM leaders and, if there are grounds for their detention, they should be presented in court and subjected to the rule of law.
PTM has proclaimed that the protest will continue until all the three activists are not released.
Glamour magazine calls pregnant biological female as ‘trans pregnancy’
It appears there’s a devious agenda to make the deviant LGBTQIA+ behaviour appear normal in our society. Now the LGBTQIA+ community is no longer content with “being left alone” or “being together”, rather they are attempting to change the laws of nature. One such proposal is to mainstream the idea that men can get pregnant! Yes you read it right. Absurd as it may sound but the trans activism is trying to make the world believe that men do get pregnant. In an attempt to mainstream this absurd idea a biological female Logan Brown posed on the cover of Glamour magazine with her bloated pregnant belly. “Trans Pregnant Proud” is the caption of Glamour magazine.
“I DO EXIST” ?
Logan Brown was featured on the June cover to commemorate Pride Month, posed in a painted-on suit, and was showcasing her very large baby bump. He tweeted, “I’m a pregnant trans man, and I do exist. No matter what anyone says, I’m living proof.” The 27-year-old cover model was born female but now “identifies as a man”. Brown became pregnant when “he” (she) was on a break from testosterone treatments.
In the interview, biological female Logan Brown said, “I’ve been brought up in a very close-knit family, and so to bringing a baby into the world in a queer relationship is the best feeling ever. I feel like we’ll be able to love and appreciate each other, and my daughter will be able to grow up knowing that she’ll always be loved and accepted for whoever she is. And I think that’s a really important thing for her to be around.”
Brown was seen discussing the journey of exploring identity. She initially came out as a lesbian and now identifies as ‘trans’.
THE REACTION
The netizens took to Twitter to express their disdain. “Nothing to be proud of. A women who took testosterone during pregnancy and cut off her breats (breasts) so she can’t breastfeed the baby. That’s what GLAMOUR selected as a cover model,” tweeted Dr Anastasia Maria Loupis a medical doctor. “I strongly agree that giving birth is a woman’s privilege. Brown took testosterone to stop being a woman; later, she becomes pregnant, which defeats the whole purpose of being a man. Brown argues that “he” is pregnant and that a man can get pregnant. However, Brown isn’t proof that a man can get pregnant. He is a biological woman, and thus, he can get pregnant, and no one is refuting that argument.”
“‘He’ has removed her breasts, not her uterus; how’s that supposed to be a man? Confused though.”
One user wrote,‘ You’re featuring a straight pregnant woman on the cover of your gay pride edition?”
Another wrote, “Woman gets pregnant” shocker.
“Let’s not ignore the detrimental effect of testosterone on the child. She paused the testosterone for a few months for health reasons; that in itself is the answer that her body is not ready, yet she is pregnant. I wonder what effect the child would have.”
This concept of gender identity is simply getting out of hand. Earlier considered a mental illness, it is being made to appear normal and to have achieved wider acceptance across societies and cultures. Why are we putting up with this nonsense? Accepting nonsense doesn’t make it okay; it rather escalates it. As a society, we have reached a point where we not only accept this gibberish but also support it. Corporations and magazines are hopping on this “rainbow” bandwagon and are giving a nudge to this form of ‘mental illness’ in order to monopolise the target audience
Kashmiris shout anti-Pak slogans at POJK LitFest
During the ongoing Pakistan Literature Festival at the five-star Hotel Pearl Continental (PC) Hotel Muzaffarabad in Pakistani-occupied Jammu Kashmir (POJK), prominent Pakistani journalists Hamid Mir and Wasatullah engaged in a discussion about the Kashmir issue. Among the attendees were students from Jamia Kashmir, who passionately expressed their views. The venue reverberated with slogans like “Kashmir will attain independence, this country belongs to us, we will govern it, and we will determine its future”.
Observing the atmosphere following the slogans, Hamid Mir and Vasatullah decided to step down from the stage at the Pakistan Literature Festival. Hamid Mir stated that if the youth chanting slogans had a specific agenda, then they would leave. He further questioned why the Kashmir issue had not been resolved in the past 75 years if emotional slogans alone were sufficient to free Kashmir. In response, the youths asserted that no Pakistani should visit their homeland and speak in favor of Pakistan. They vowed to respond strongly if anyone dared to do so. Subsequently, Muzaffarabad journalists Wahid Iqbal Butt and Tariq Naqash acted as mediators and facilitated a resolution, allowing the two Pakistani journalists to resume their conversation.
On the other hand, the students who raised slogans expressed their belief that the Kashmiris themselves are the true stakeholders in the Kashmir issue. They expressed frustration over their repeated unanswered questions and the lack of opportunity to voice their opinions. However, as soon as some of the youths began discussing the possibility of Kashmir’s accession to Pakistan within a pro-Pakistan narrative, they were met with slogans against Pakistan and in support of the freedom of Jammu and Kashmir. This disrupted the event, and the youths chanting slogans made it clear that Pakistan was not their friend but their enemy, and they desired immediate independence from Pakistan. The passionate slogans deeply shocked Pakistani intellectuals and those who supported Pakistan, as the sloganeers openly expressed their strong resentment and hostility towards Pakistan.
Over 80 school girls poisoned in northern Afghanistan
In a shocking incident in northern Afghanistan, approximately 80 school girls were poisoned and subsequently hospitalized. This unfortunate event marks the first reported case of poisoning since the Taliban takeover in August 2021, which has resulted in severe restrictions on the rights and freedoms of Afghan women and girls. The incident occurred in Sar-e-Pul province over the course of the weekend, raising concerns about the safety and well-being of female students in the region.
Incident:
According to Mohammad Rahmani, the head of the provincial education department, nearly 60 students from Naswan-e-Kabod Aab School and 17 students from Naswan-e-Faizabad School were affected by the poisoning. The two primary schools are located in close proximity to each other and were targeted successively. The motive behind the attacks was revealed to be a personal grudge, although no further details were provided by the education official.
Following the incident, all affected students were promptly transferred to hospitals for treatment. Mohammad Rahmani reassured the public that the girls’ health condition has stabilized, and they are currently recovering. While the specific nature of the poisoning and the exact injuries sustained by the girls were not disclosed, ongoing investigations by the provincial education department aim to uncover more information about the incident. Though Rahmani did not disclose the specific ages of the affected students, he said they were in grades 1 to 6.
Similar Incidents:
The poisoning incident in Afghanistan bears some resemblance to a series of poisonings that occurred in neighboring Iran, predominantly targeting girls’ schools. Since November of the previous year, thousands of students in Iran reported falling ill due to exposure to noxious fumes. However, the responsible parties behind these incidents in Iran have yet to be identified, and the exact substances used in the poisonings remain unknown.
The poisoning of school girls in northern Afghanistan highlights the dire situation faced by Afghan women and girls in the aftermath of the Taliban’s takeover. With the severe restrictions imposed on female education and employment, incidents such as these only serve to further marginalize and endanger the lives of Afghan girls seeking an education. The international community should raise its voice against such atrocities and provide support to promote a safe and inclusive environment for Afghan women and girls.
Pashtun hurls abuses at former Pak Army chief Gen Bajwa
Pakistan Army’s former chief was confronted and abused by a Pashtun man in France over his role in destabilizing Afghanistan.
In a viral video, a Pashtun origin man abuses Qamar Javed Bajwa in extreme anger for veiled support of Taliban in disturbing political stability in Afghanistan which ultimately led to Taliban’s takeover.
The Army’s role in running Pakistan and it’s nexus with Taliban is not a hidden fact. Taliban take over of Afghanistan is attributed to the culpability of Bajwa.
The only thing that Bajwa said was that he is no longer the Army Chief. He threatened the man by saying, ‘Do not make my video or else I will call the police.’
It is worth noting that the incident occurred in France where the retired Chief of Army is on a visit to France’s Annecy, a tourist destination city, with his wife.
With Urdu subtitles pic.twitter.com/aSuAtXDVDB
— Pirdhan Baloch (@PirdhanB) June 5, 2023
Odisha train accident, 280 deaths, 900 injured
In a heart-wrenching incident yesterday, two passenger and one goods train collided near Bahanaga Railway Station in Odisha.
Reportedly, Coromandel Express running between Shalimar Station and Chennai collided with Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, which led to a significant number of casualties. According to Pradeep Jena, Chief Secretary of Odisha, a goods train was also involved in the dreaded accident. So far, the death toll has reached 280, while more than 900 are injured and rescued.
While the rescue operation has now concluded, the restoration operation is ongoing. The Prime Minister has called a high-level meeting to review the situation. He himself is reported to reach Odisha and visit Balasore and Cuttack today.