25-10-2021

More documents

Recommendations

Info

MONDAy, OCTOBER 25, 20214Fears of a Hamas takeover of the West Bank are exaggeratedActing Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alame-mail: editor@thebangladeshtoday.comMonday, October 25, 2021Financial sector :relieving strainsThere is no need to explain why the financialsector of a country needs to be wellregulated for the obvious reasons. Nationaleconomies can be strained from undermanagement of the financial sector.But it does not seem that some policymakers inBangladesh realize, yet, the supreme importanceof protecting the financial sector from the takingof actions full of potentially harmfulconsequences. A former and now deceasedhighly respected Deputy Governor of theBangladesh Bank (BB) in a media interviewunderlined the importance of shaking offpolitical influences by the BB for the healthierrunning of the financial sector as a whole. Forexample, theBB for long was arm twisted intoconsidering proposals for establishing newprivate sector banks.Earlier, the BB as the guardian of the country'sbanking sector and the specialist officialorganization to judge the merit or not inestablishing new banks, had been opposing theidea tooth and nail. But it had to buckle downfinally to intense political pressures speciallyfrom the former finance minister who shockedall concerned by saying that it was the politicaldecision of the government to set up more banksregardless of BB's opposition to the move.BB had been struggling for the government tosee the point that there is just no roomforproliferation new banks as many of theexisting banks were in difficult conditions fromtheir classified loans and overexposure to therisky capital markets. BB insisted on completingbanking reforms and restoring the health of thebanking system as a whole before allowing newbanks.Even a delegation chief of the IMF told themedia that permission for new banks must not begiven when in varying degrees many of theexisting banks remained gripped by seriousliquidity and other problems. Besides,economists, well intentioned bankers and otherexperts in this sphere, have been urging thegovernment not to succumb to pressure fromsome interest groups and invite setbacks to thefinancial sector by admitting new banks.The financial sector of the country also facesdifficulties from government's over borrowing.Government's borrowing from the bankingsystem in the last two years has surpassed pastrecords . As a result, the banks generally aresuffering from a liquidity crisis.The credit-deposit ratio (CDR) of a goodnumber of scheduled commercial banks hasstarted rising again posing a threat to thecountry's banking system. "Despite the centralbank's close supervision, CDR of 12 banks, bothin the public and private sectors, has gonebeyond absolute safe limit that might lead toinstitutional great stresses , " a senior officer ofthe Bangladesh Bank told a front rank Dhakadaily recently.Banks' credits to the private sector havedeclined to satisfy government's appetite forborrowing. The borrowed amounts are going intounproductive spending in many cases onpolitical considerations and the increased moneysupply has fuelled inflation.According to recent credible media reports theamount of total classified loans in the financialsector has crossed Taka 2 lakh and 20 thousandcrore Taka . And the trend continues unchecked.The amount of classified loans and otherirregularities in the country's financial sector as awhole do not suggest that the sector and thecountry's economy is about to pass over the cliff.Our macro economy and financial sector iscomparatively healthier than many othercountries.But the present situation certainly points to theneed of closely and very strictly monitoring thefinancial sector from the highest level of thegovernment and pushing through timelycurative and reformative actions steadily butdecisively against all odds specially the politicalones. All concerned would only hope that thegovernment would start seriously takingrectification measures before the financial sectorfaces further strains.Over the past few months, therehas been an escalation ofviolence in the occupied WestBank. Armed clashes betweenPalestinians and the Israeli army inJenin and Jerusalem and elsewherehave resulted in the deaths of severalPalestinian fighters and civilians andthe injuries of several soldiers fromthe Israeli occupation forces. Therehave been also stabbings, carrammingattacks, and shootings atdifferent locations targeting Israelisoldiers and settlers.These incidents coincided with theescape of six Palestinian politicalprisoners from the Israeli Gilboaprison.In view of these developments,Israel's security services haveexpressed increasing concern aboutthe growing resistance in the WestBank. More specifically, Israeliofficials have raised the spectre of aHamas takeover of the occupiedPalestinian territories currently underthe nominal control of the PalestinianAuthority (PA). But how realistic isthis prospect?Since Hamas's victory in the 2006Palestinian legislative elections, Israelhas perceived the movement as agrave threat.Then Israeli Prime Minister EhudOlmert made it clear that hisgovernment was not going tocooperate with a Hamas-led cabinet,the way it had with the Fatah-led PA.The subsequent tensions betweenFatah and Hamas, fuelled by externalforces, escalated into armed clashes,in which Hamas fighters were able totake control of the Gaza Strip. Israelimposed a debilitating siege on thestrip and in the following yearslaunched repeated deadly wars on itspeople, killing thousands anddestroying civilian homes andinfrastructure.Meanwhile, the PA, now underFatah's control again, launched amassive security operation to uprootHamas from the Wes Bank. Workingwith Israel, it arrested hundreds ofHamas members, closed its officesand associations and clamped downon its supporters.The same happened with IslamicJihad, an ally of Hamas.Since then, the movement has beenable to set up small cells to carry outlimited operations against Israeliforces. But the violence of the past fewmonths raised concerns within theIsraeli security community about theextent of Hamas's penetration of theWest Bank and its ability to rally othergroups to carry out resistanceactivities.Some have perceived the new"security infrastructure" Hamas hasbuilt as different from the limitedcells it had in the past and moredifficult to trace. Such a developmentcan be considered a major failure ofthe Israeli occupation forces andintelligence, which over the past fewyears have tightened their grip on theWest Bank. Hamas also appears to beincreasingly coordinating on-thegroundactivities with otherPalestinian factions. In mid-September, as the violence escalatedand fears emerged of an Israeliassault on Jenin, Hamas, along withthe armed wing of Fatah and IslamicJihad, announced a joint "operationsroom" to fight off any Israeli attack.One major consequence of thesedevelopments is the increasing feelingof insecurity in Israel and amongIsraeli settlers in the West Bank.There are fears that the West Bankand Jerusalem might plunge intoviolence, as they did during the socalledKnife Intifada of 2015-16, whenhundreds of Palestinians and dozensof Israelis were killed, or during theseries of bombings in the 1990s andthe second Intifada in the 2000s.These attacks have taken placedespite the Israeli army's regulararrest campaigns, security summons,and repeated round-the-clockincursions into cities, villages andrefugee camps across the West Bank,as well as the continuous Israelisecurity coordination with the PA.It is important to note that therecent armed attacks took place in thecontext of growing anger at the PA.In April, President Mahmoud Abbascancelled the Palestinian legislativeelections for fear of Fatah, whichdominates the PA, losing to Hamas.ADNAN ABU AMERANDREA BUSFIELDThis drew sharp condemnations fromvarious Palestinian political factionsand the Palestinian people.Palestinians were also angered bythe feeble response of the PA to Israeliaggression against worshippers at Al-Aqsa Mosque and forced evictions ofPalestinian residents of Jerusalem.Likewise, the Palestinian governmentdid little to counteract the deadlyIsraeli assault of Gaza in May.The death of Nizar Banat at thehands of the PA's security forces inlate June was another event thatfuelled Palestinian rejection of Abbas.The assassination drew large crowdsof Palestinians to the streets, wherethey faced a brutal crackdown byPalestinian security forces. This onlycaused further outrage and amplifiedcalls for Abbas's resignation.A poll conducted by the PalestinianCenter for Policy and Survey Researchand published in September revealedthat 80 percent of the respondentswant the president to resign. At thesame time, 45 percent believe thatHamas should lead the Palestinians,while only 19 percent said Fatahdeserves this role.The popular opposition to Abbasand the armed military struggleagainst the Israeli occupation in theWest Bank have ignited fears in somecircles that Hamas might benefit fromthese events and mobilise otherfactions for its own ends.Some Israeli and foreign analystshave been vocal about the possibilityof such mobilisation leading toHamas taking control of the WestBank as it did in Gaza.It is true that Hamas would like tobe the dominant force in Palestinianpolitics and end Abbas's dictatorialrule, but statements about thepossibility of a Hamas takeover of theWest Bank seem greatly exaggeratedfor several reasons.First, Hamas still does not have anintegrated, durable infrastructure inthe West Bank and therefore, does nothave the necessary strength to extendits influence over it. Its popularitymay have increased, but the PA andthe Israeli occupation forces continueto put serious efforts into dismantlingcells and networks loyal to the group.This is preventing it from establishinga deeper footprint.Second, the PA may be rejected bymany Palestinians, but it stillcommands full military power overthe West Bank. It may suffer frominternal tensions, but it is still able tomobilise all its loyalists, who areunited in their fear of losing theirprivileges if their patrons fall frompower. PA officials are ready to doeverything and anything to stay inpower and would not hesitate to seekIsraeli military help.Third, Israel constantly seeks todislodge Hamas from the West Bankat any cost, given the grave threat thatany increased Hamas capabilitiesthere would pose to the more than400,000 Israeli settlers illegallyresiding on occupied Palestinian land.It is highly unlikely they would allowHamas to grow its power in the WestBank to the point where it can stage atakeover.This fear-mongering on part ofIsraeli officials about Hamas'scapabilities may be aimed atundermining any efforts of mediationbetween Hamas and Fatah, after therecent tensions following thecancellation of the elections. It is inIsrael's direct interest to keepPalestinian factions divided so theycan never present a united front to itsoccupation and crimes.The Israeli leadership is also playingup this Hamas's "resurgence" possiblyto garner more international supportfor its brutal security campaignsagainst the Palestinians. Theincreased international spotlight onthe raids on Islam's third holiest site,Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the forcedexpulsions of Jerusalemites fromtheir homes has worried it. It is,therefore, seeking to take attentionaway from these crimes and dominatethe narrative on Palestine again.What Israel and its allies, however,cannot preclude is the spectacularloss of legitimacy the PA has suffered,which renders its rule over the WestBank in the long run completelyuntenable.Source: Al JazeeraCyprus: From holiday island to 'holy island'Primarily Greek Orthodox, Cyprusis home to a small but vibrantLatin community of more than2,400 people who can trace their rootsto the Crusaders. And it is this historicaland religious wealth that officials arenow looking to promote, in a postpandemicpush to bolster its Covidravagedcoffers.Steeped in myth and legend, thissmall island, which takes up only 9,251square kilometers of theMediterranean, has been conquered,coveted and colonized throughout its10,000-year history by such historicalgiants as Alexander the Great andEngland's King Richard the Lionheart.But while Cyprus has long beenconsidered the gateway to the East -standing at the crossroads of Europe,Asia and Africa - some 2,000 years agothe island was experiencing trafficcoming from the other direction, actingas the gateway through which themessage of the Gospels was spread tothe West.The Apostles Paul and Barnabas arethe missionaries credited with bringingChristianity to Cyprus, and in anotherreligious coup for the island, its firstbishop was none other than Lazarus,the man Jesus raised from the dead.As the story goes, after theResurrection of Christ and rumors ofplots to kill him, Lazarus fled Judea forCyprus, where he lived for another 30years before dying for the second, andlast, time.Some 1,100 years later, Cyprus againfound itself as a portal between twoworlds, when Richard the Lionheartstopped by on his way to the Holy Landto get married. In an unconventionalhoneymoon move, he then laid waste tothe place, took it for his own and sold itto the Knights Templar, who used it as amilitary base throughout the Crusades.Today, these snapshots of ancienthistory remain embedded in theinfrastructure of modern Cyprus.The Church of St Lazarus in Larnacais said to be built over the legendarybishop's tomb, which was discovered inSince Hamas's victory in the 2006 Palestinian legislativeelections, Israel has perceived the movement as a gravethreat. Then Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert made itclear that his government was not going to cooperate witha Hamas-led cabinet, the way it had with the Fatah-led PA.AD 890. Human remains found in amarble sarcophagus under the altar in1972 were later identified as part of thesaint's relics. They are now kept in aplinth in the central aisle of the church.A 50-minute drive from the church,along the southern coastal road, liesLimassol Castle, the home of the CyprusMedieval Museum and the low-vaultedroom, lined with tombstones of ancientknights, where Richard the Lionheart issaid to have married. These are just twoof the historical riches that litter thelength and breadth of the island.Christodoulos Papachristodoulou, ofthe Deputy Ministry of Tourism, said:"Due to its geographical position, theisland has played host to people comingfrom all over the Middle East andfurther away. All of which meansCyprus has a unique blend ofmonuments, relics and sites that formpart of our natural wealth, and we areproud to share them with visitors fromabroad."Before the pandemic hit, Cyprusattracted 40,000 religious tourists ayear - a drop in the glitteringMediterranean Sea compared withcommercial tourism's 4 million visitorsa year, but officials are hopeful they cangenerate much greater interest in theisland's religious and cultural history."Cyprus has a wealth of historical sitesthat stretch back for centuries, and thepotential is high for attracting culturaltourists who want to explore the homeof some of Christianity's biggestmilestones," Papachristodoulou said.Cyprus possesses no fewer than 10UNESCO World Heritage Listedchurches as well as a staggeringcollection of Byzantine art,meticulously preserved frescos and anumber of monasteries steeped in theirown myths and legends.Limassol Castle, where Richard theLionheart is said to have married.Photo: Cyprus Deputy Ministry ofTourism Credit: Cyprus DeputyMinistry of TourismNow, the government's new CyprusNational Tourism Strategy aims toestablish the country as a quality yeararounddestination offering religious,cultural, green and agro-tourismexperiences, and investment agencieshave been quick to recognize thepotential of diversification.George Campanellas, chief executiveof Invest Cyprus, said: "The draw ofreligious tourism should not beA 50-minute drive from the church, along the southerncoastal road, lies Limassol Castle, the home ofthe Cyprus Medieval Museum and the low-vaultedroom, lined with tombstones of ancient knights,where Richard the Lionheart is said to have married.underestimated. There are 10,000years of history on our island and, inmany respects, this is an untappedsource, not least for visitors who wantmore from their holiday experiences."The vision of the new CyprusNational Tourism Strategy is to turnCyprus into a sustainable andtechnology-smart destination. Thanksto more than 320 days of sunshine ayear, there is no 'off season' as such andour tourism strategy aims toincorporate other local and culturalexperiences in order to attractinvestment."In this regard, our efforts are focusedon diversifying, enriching andimproving the quality of the touristicproduct and investment opportunitiesinto thematic areas."Among potential investors currentlylooking into the deeper riches to bemined from Cyprus tourism is JosephBorghese, an Indo-Cypriotentrepreneur who has established twocompanies on the island, Pundi X 365and Borghese Ventures. Offering techsolutions in tourism and hospitality,fintech, edtech and data analytics,Borghese is hoping to add glamping tohis business concerns.He said: "Sustainable tourismremains a relatively untapped marketand it is clear that there are areas of theisland that have much to offer touriststhroughout the year. The forests ofTroodos are not only very scenic andbeautiful, they offer a very differenttourism experience to the usual sun, seaand sand image, and they are also hometo some of the country's mostimpressive monasteries and historicaltreasures."My aim, once the legislativeframework is in place, is to offer touristsan experience that sits in harmony withnature, offering luxury eco-friendlycottages and villas at the heart of ruraland religious Cyprus."The popular summer holiday image ofdrunk foreigners spilling out ofnightclubs in Ayia Napa often sits atodds with what is a deeply conservativeand traditional society - and yet the twohave co-existed quite happily fordecades. Constantinos N Phellas,professor of sociology and senior vicerectorat the University of Nicosia, said:"One cannot discount the unique andenduring contribution of Christianity tothe island, dating back to [AD 45]."Christianity was widely adoptedthroughout the townships andcommunities in Cyprus, bequeathing anamazing collection of importantecclesiastical monuments and churchesover the years and a deeply traditionaland conservative outlook in her people."As a result, Cyprus has become aone-stop destination for tourists whowant it all; from the holiday hotspots tocultural and spiritual experiences thatleave the soul enriched."Source: Asia times
MoNDay, oCtoBER 25, 20215Sudanese protesters demandfull civilian rule in SudanZEiNaB MohaMMED SaLihHundreds of thousands ofpro-democracydemonstrators have taken tothe streets of the Sudanesecapital Khartoum and othermajor cities demanding fullcivilian rule, just days after asit-in was launched callingfor a return to militarygovernment.Images posted on socialmedia showed vast crowdsmarching in different partsof the Sudanese capital inprotests to reject militaryrule as the crisis in thecountry's troubled transitionfrom authoritarian ruledeepened.The military has sharedpower with civilians in anincreasingly frayedtransitional sovereignauthority since a popularuprising removed PresidentOmar al-Bashir after threedecades in power. At leastone Sudanese journalist wasreportedly shot in the headwhile covering the protests,which came amid mountingtension over the country'sfaltering democratictransition.According to someestimates, participantsnumbered in the hundredsof thousands. Protesters inOmdurman were met withheavy teargas to preventthem from crossing a keyNile bridge leading to centralKhartoum. Plumes of smokecould be seen across the cityas protesters burned tyresand waved Sudanese flags.The demonstrations onThursday were organised byForces for Freedom andChange (FFC), the civilianumbrella coalition that ledthe movement to toppleBashir. A splinter faction ofthe FFC, aligned with somerebel groups and politicalparties, has aligned itselfwith the military, which hasaccused the civilian partiesof mismanagement andmonopolising power and isseeking to dissolve thecabinet.Many chants were criticalof the head of the rulingSovereign Council, GenAbdel Fattah al-Burhan,accusing him of being loyalDemonstrators in Khartoum march in support of the interim governmentand the transition to full civilian rule.Photo: Gettyto Bashir. Seraj Omer, a 32-year-old musician andactivist from Khartoum, toldthe Guardian he wasprotesting "to support thepower of people and civilianpower".The relationship betweenthe military generals andSudanese pro-democracygroups has deteriorated inrecent weeks over thecountry's future. Sudan hasbeen ruled by an interimcivilian-military governmentsince 2019. With Bashirtoppled, the ruling generalsagreed to share power withcivilians representing theprotest movement. Theaftermath has been volatile."Let's mark with ourprotests a new wave ofpopular uprising that willpave the way for a fullycivilian and democraticrule," read a statement bythe Sudanese Professionals'Association, which called forlarge rallies nationwide onThursday. The groupspearheaded the uprisingthat kicked off in December2018 and culminated inBashir's ousting."October 21 is a lesson forany tyrants, loyalists oropportunists deluded intothinking they can turn backthe hands of time," wroteSovereign Council memberSiddig Tawer, one of severalcivilian officials whoendorsed the protests.Neighbourhoodresistance committees saidin a statement they wereprotesting the entirepower-sharing agreementand demanded sole civilianrule. Many businesses incentral Khartoum wereclosed in anticipation of theprotest and there was anextensive police presence.The military says it iscommitted to the transitionto democracy and electionsat the end of 2023.Prime minister AbdallaHamdok, who leads thecabinet under the militarycivilianpower-sharingagreement, remains populardespite an economic crisis.He has said he is speaking toall sides in the crisis in orderto find a solution.Global heating may triggerepidemic of kidney diseaseNataLiE GRovERChronic kidney diseaselinked to heat stress couldbecome a major healthepidemic for millions ofworkers around the world asglobal temperatures increaseover the coming decades,doctors have warned. Moreresearch into the linksbetween heat and CKDu -chronic kidney disease ofuncertain cause - is urgentlyneeded to assess thepotential scale of theproblem, they have said.Unlike the conventionalform of chronic kidneydisease (CKD), which is aprogressive loss of kidneyfunction largely seen amongelderly people and thoseafflicted with otherconditions such as diabetesand hypertension, epidemicsof CKDu have alreadyemerged primarily in hot,rural regions of countriessuch as El Salvador andNicaragua, whereabnormally high numbers ofagricultural workers havebegun dying fromirreversible kidney failure.CKDu has also started tobe recorded as affecting largenumbers of people doingheavy manual labour in hottemperatures in other partsof Central America as well asNorth America, SouthAmerica, the Middle East,Africa and India.Kidneys are responsiblefor fluid balance in the body,which makes themparticularly sensitive toextreme temperatures.There is an emergingconsensus that CKDu shouldbe recognised as a heatstress-related injury, whereworkers are developingsubtle damage to theirkidneys each day while theyare in the field. This in turncan develop into severekidney disease or completerenal failure over time.This repetitive low-gradeassault on the kidneys doesnot necessarily come withsymptoms, so workers maynot even know they aregetting sick over time untilthings get so bad that theyend up with end-stagekidney disease, said DrCecilia Sorensen, director ofthe global consortium onclimate and health educationat Columbia University."I think we just have noidea what the scope of theproblem is because we're notdoing surveillance for it," shesaid. "There are someregions that are clearlyhotspots but in terms of itsprevalence and how seriousa problem it is, I don't eventhink we've begun to wrapour brains around it."The documentedepidemics, however, havesimilar characteristics.Those affected tend to bepeople who work in hotconditions outdoors andcomefromdisproportionatelyvulnerable backgrounds -socially and economically -with limited access tomedical care or insurance, orlive in areas with modesthealthcare infrastructure.Sorensen said that,according to current data, itappears that the severity ofthe kidney damage getsworse the more vulnerableand desperate the worker is.She says that those who haveno control over their workingconditions or areincentivised to work forlonger hours with no breaks,such as workers paid for howmany berries they pick orhow much sugar cane theycut, are likely to be thoseworst affected."They're getting sick fromSugar-cane cutters in Nicaragua, where abnormally high numbers of agriculturalworkers suffer from CKDuPhoto: Ed Kashithe work that they're doing,but they have no otheroptions, and there's verylittle regulatory oversight inthe work environment thatprevents this fromhappening. It's a huge blindspot and a human rightsissue," she said.Dr Ramón GarcíaTrabanino, a clinicalnephrologist and medicaldirector at El Salvador'sCentre of Hemodialysis, firstnoticed an unusual numberof CKD patients saturatinghis hospital as a medicalstudent more than twodecades ago."They were young men,"he said, "and they were dyingbecause we didn't have thebudget or the capacity to givethem dialysis treatment. Wedid the best we could, butthey kept dying and morekept coming."Since then he has startedresearching similarepidemics in Mexico,Nicaragua, Costa Rica andPanama. "If you take a lookat the maximumtemperature maps in theregion in Central America,you will notice that theymatch the regions where weare describing the disease,the hotspots," he said. "ElSalvador and Nicaragua -every year we have a fight forthe first place for the countrywith the highest mortalitydue to CKD. Our mortalityrates are about 10 timeshigher than what we shouldexpect. The number of newpatients is overwhelming."Although the consensusview is that CKDu is relatedto heat exposure anddehydration, some scientistsbelieve exposure toagrochemicals and infectiousagents, as well as geneticmakeup and risk factorsrelated to poverty,malnutrition, and othersocial determinants ofhealth, are also likely to playa role.SaEED KaMaLi DEhGhaNJosé Luis Martín C Gascónused a walking stick tocarry out his duties as thePhilippines' "courageous"human rights lawyer, aresult of living with withdiabetes and the wound itleft on his right foot. But inthe words of his brother,Miguel Gascón, whoconfirmed his death onFacebook earlier thismonth, "of all the battlesyou fought, we had to loseyou to Covid-19".The Filipino lawyer hadchaired the commission onhuman rights (CHR), anindependent constitutionalbody, since 2015, and wasfamous for his publicconfrontations with thecountry's president, RodrigoDuterte - particularly overhis "war on drugs", whichactivists say has involved theunlawful killing of drugusers and traffickers.In the aftermath of hisdeath on 9 October, at theage of 57, tributes havepoured in for Gascón,known as Chito, withactivists and scholars athome and abroad hailing "atrue hero", "a tirelesschampion" and "a giant forhuman rights"."Neither diabetes norCovid-19 stopped him fromserving the victims ofhuman rights violations …under the most extremepressure of a president whodetests human rights to itscore," said Fides Lim, wife ofthe jailed peace consultantVicente Ladlad, Filipinonews website Bulatlatreported.Lim, a spokesperson forKapatid, a grouprepresenting politicalprisoners' relatives, added:"The country lost adedicated public servantwho never cowered in fear inasserting people's rights andcivil liberties despite everycurse and insult of atyrannical president."Gascón was a "courageoushuman rights defender",said human rights NGOKarapatan. "Chito's tenureas chairperson came at acrucial time of massiveUnsafe conditions and low pay formigrants on Irish fishing boatsELLa MCSWEENEyRacist insults, verbal abuse,long working hours with fewbreaks and pay below thelegal minimum wage are"common workplaceexperiences" of migrantworkers in the Irish fishingsector, says a new study. Thereport, conducted byMaynooth University'sDepartment of Law, comesfour months after adamning assessment by theUS state department overIreland's failure to combathuman trafficking, whichstated that undocumentedworkers on Irish vessels arevulnerable to trafficking andforced labour.The study features indepthinterviews with 24male migrant workers in theIrish fishing industry, someof whom areundocumented. More thantwo-thirds said they couldwork up to 20 hours a day,with allegations of wagesbeing withheld, being forcedto live on the boat withoutenough food, and workingunder threat of dismissaland deportation fromIreland. More than half ofthe participants interviewedsaid that they had beensubjected to verbal andracial abuse.Only one-third of workerssaid that they felt safe on thefishing vessels. Othersreported a range of injuries,including broken bones,back problems and fingerinjuries or loss. While asmall number of injuredworkers were "looked after",the report says, theremainder appeared not toreceive sick pay.In 2016, after a Guardianinvestigation that uncoveredallegations of exploitation ofFilipino human rightslawyer Chito GascónJosé Luis Martín C Gascón, leads families of victims of alleged unlawfulkillings.Photo: Bullit Marquezchallenges and worseningattacks on human rights inthe Philippines," the groupsaid. "He and thecommission faced variousthreats for their work infulfilling their mandate,especially in openlydenouncing the Duterteadministration's sham andbloody drug war." Gascónshowed "dignity, strengthand courage", despiterelentless personal attackson him and the commissionhe led, said Jacqueline deGuia, a CHR spokesperson."Never bitter, neverfearful, he was equallyunrelenting in 'pounding therock of impunity', as he'dsay. Through the hardestdays, Chito provided stableleadership. He was anintellectual giant whoshowed great eloquence inhis speech. He cared whenno one did and he daredwhen others were fearful."Gascón was appointed tochair the CHR by the lateformer president, BenignoAquino III, who wassucceeded by Duterte in2016. He studied philosophyand then law at theFishers work on their nets in Killybegs.workers from Asia andAfrica onboard Irishtrawlers, the Irishgovernment set up ataskforce to investigate thetreatment of migrantworkers on trawlers, whichresulted in the creation of an meaningfully"atypical working scheme"(AWS) for non-EEAworkers in the fishing fleet.Under the scheme,workers are contracted to anindividual employer andhave the right to a safeworking environment,regular breaks and restperiods, annual leave andpayment of the legalminimum wage. If thecontract is breached byeither party, the permitshould be revoked.But this latest study,funded by the InternationalTransport Workers'Federation, reveals a gapbetween the terms andconditions of the AWScontract and the reality ofhow workers are treated atsea. The AWS "can be usedby employers as a means toUniversity of thePhilippines, before taking amaster's degree ininternational law at theUniversity of Cambridge.The 1986 people's revolt,known as the Februaryrevolution, which forced anend to the 20-year rule of thedictator Ferdinand Marcos,provided an opportunity forGascón. He was theyoungest memberappointed to the body incharge of drafting a newconstitution.He later served as theyoungest representative inthe eighth Philippine'scongress during PresidentCorazon Aquino's term,where he most notablychampioned legislation toprotect children.In 2014, a year beforebecoming the CHR chair, hewas appointed to the humanrights victims' claims board,set up for reparationprogrammes for the victimsof martial law in the 1970sand 1980s.Carlos H Conde, seniorresearcher at Human RightsWatch's Asia division, tellsthe Guardian that Gascónthreaten and exploitworkers", the report says,adding that the level ofcontrol exerted byemployers "makes itimpossible for migrantworkers to engagewithinspections". One workertold the researchers that thecontract was "for show"."Long hours, long hours,sometimes one week, nosleep, just working," saidanother.Figures released in July byIreland's Department ofJustice show that 227fishers on Irish boats holdAWS permits, includingworkers from thePhilippines, Egypt, Ghanaand Indonesia. Thedepartment said it had notbeen made aware of anyconfirmed breaches ofcontract under the AWS.Five workers interviewed forthe report said that theywere satisfied with theirworking situation, but thattheir immigration statusand lack of freedom tocame to the CHR at aparticularly important timefor the Philippines."A few months afterGascón's appointment bythen President BenignoAquino III in June 2015,Rodrigo Duterte, then amayor of Davao City in thesouth, announced that hewould run for president andthat he would embark on aviolent campaign againstcrime, just as he did inDavao City, in whichhundreds had been killed byhis Davao death squad sincethe 90s," he says.The Filipina journalistMaria Ressa's recent Nobelpeace prize win highlightedthe situation of humanrights in the Philippines,Conde adds. "The humanrights situation in thePhilippines right nowcontinues to be dire. Thekillings in the 'drug war' arecontinuing, even if the ICC[international criminalcourt] has initiated aninvestigation, and regardlessof the UN's efforts to helpthe Philippines improve itscapacities to address rightsissues."Photograph: Richard Waymanchange employer or sectorwas a key challenge.According to the Irishlabour inspectorate, sincethe AWS was introduced in2016, there have been 323breaches of employmentlaw on Irish boats. Fewerthan half of thoseinterviewed for this studyrecalled boats beinginspected by the authoritiesfor compliance with labourlaw. One worker told theresearchers that that he hadreported bad treatment toinspectors, but "they didnothing".Dr Clíodhna Murphy, oneof the report's authors, toldthe Guardian that thepermit scheme was not fitfor purpose. "I think that theatypical scheme needs to bethoroughly reviewed andoverhauled - if it is retainedat all," she said. In 2019,four UN special rapporteurswarned the Irishgovernment that theirpermit scheme breachedinternational human rightslaw.
Page 1 and 2: MondayDhaKa: October 25, 2021; Kart
Page 3: MONDAY, OCTOBeR 25, 20213Dhaka Univ
Page 7 and 8: Erdogan orders removalof 10 ambassa
Page 9 and 10: MonDAY, octoBer 25, 20219Luis Suare
Page 11 and 12: monDAY, oCtober 25, 202111Shornadip

25-10-2021

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?