DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ We're about to enter the Digital Dark Ages
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-15 | by ( Adam Rogers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Without laborious renaming, everything behind those links — billions of them, a decade of digital content — will become inaccessible. We're about to enter the Digital Dark Ages. The Department of Veterans Affairs is legally required to preserve all medical records for 75 years after the death of a vet — but it's having problems, in part because of a balky digital records system. "Over the long term, you can't preserve a digital object in its original form," says Manoff, the former MIT librarian. The Dark Ages, as historians used to call the early centuries of medieval Europe, lasted for 500 years.

Persons: Mark Graham, Graham, we're, Marlene Manoff, Loren McClenachan, McClenachan, we'd, Adam Rogers Organizations: Google, Companies, of Alexandria, New York Times, Pew Research Center, Gawker, Los Angeles Herald Examiner, New York Newsday, Paramount, MTV, Comedy, Yahoo Groups, Yahoo, Facebook, Penguin, AOL, Prodigy, Department of Veterans Affairs, Wayback, Wayback Machine, MIT Libraries, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, MIT, Business Locations: Friendster, Key West , Florida, Europe

“They are using food as a weapon,” a senior aid official told CNN. “No official travel authorization has been granted to humanitarian partners to implement activities outside of Sittwe township since November 2023,” a senior aid official told CNN. The UN aid officials made clear in their meetings, which have not been previously reported, that the status quo is unacceptable, the sources said. A World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse in Maungdaw was looted and burned in June, depriving that community of urgently needed food aid. A senior UN aid official in Myanmar blamed the funding shortfall in part on international apathy.

Persons: CNN — Khin Mar Cho, Soldiers, Byine Phyu, Khin Mar Cho, ” Khin Mar Cho, “, —, ”, Myint Kyaw, Sen, Min Aung, Mohammed, ” Mohammed, Shayna Bauchner, we’ve, OCHA, Sai Aung, Rakhine —, Ejaz, Jamila, Bangladesh Azim Khan Ronnie, Buthidaung, drenching, ” Jamila, ULA, ” Sajjad Mohammad Sajid Organizations: CNN, United Nations, Arakan Army, AA, UN, Myanmar’s Ministry of Information, AFP, Getty, Partners Relief, Development, Human Rights, ” Aid, SAC, Administration Council, Food, UN Office, Humanitarian Affairs, UN Security Council, European Union, Aid, Human Rights Watch, Solent, Myanmar, Development Coordination, United League of, Programme, Junta Locations: Myanmar, Byine, Rakhine, Sittwe, Rakhine State, Myanmar’s, Yangon, “, Sai, AFP, China, Buthidaung, Bangladesh, Cox’s Bazar, Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh Tanbirul Miraj Ripon, Kutupalong, Tanbirul Miraj Ripon, Arakan, Maungdaw, ULA, Gaza, Ukraine

☆ Myanmar: Hundreds of fleeing Rohingya reportedly killed in drone strikes as fears mount of ethnic cleansing
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-12 | by ( Avery Schmitz | Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —Renewed fears of ethnic cleansing against the stateless Rohingya Muslim community are mounting after reports that hundreds of people, including women and children, were killed by drone strikes while fleeing violence in Myanmar’s western Rakhine state last week. Witnesses and Rohingya activists told CNN that a series of drone strikes on August 5 hit civilians fleeing fighting and violence in their villages in Maungdaw, northern Rakhine. The displaced families had been waiting to cross the river to Bangladesh at the time of the attack, they said. Forced recruitment of Rohingya men and boys is stoking religious tensions between the Rohingya Muslim and Rakhine Buddhist communities, the report said. “Ethnic Rohingya and Rakhine civilians are bearing the brunt of the atrocities that the Myanmar military and opposition Arakan Army are committing,” said Elaine Pearson, Asia director at Human Rights Watch.

Persons: Rohingya, “, ”, –, …, Orla Murphy, Hasan, Rehman Asad, Mohammad Elias, Elias, ” Elias, Elaine Pearson Organizations: CNN, Arakan Army, AA, Myanmar, United Nations, International Court of Justice, Free Rohingya Coalition, Resource Management, Sans, MSF, “, ” CNN, Bangladesh’s Border Guard Force, Human Rights, Human Rights Watch Locations: Rakhine, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Ma, Maungdaw, Myanmar’s, Muangdaw, Lwin, Rohingya, Cox’s Bazar, Ukhia, Cox's Bazar, “, Buthidaung, Arakan, Asia

☆ Many dozens of Rohingya, including children, killed in drone attack while fleeing Myanmar, witnesses say
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-10 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

A drone attack on Rohingya fleeing Myanmar killed many dozens of people, including families with children, several witnesses said, describing survivors wandering between piles of bodies to identify dead and injured relatives. Four witnesses, activists and a diplomat described drone attacks on Monday that struck down families waiting to cross the border into neighboring Bangladesh. Three of the witnesses told Reuters on Friday that the Arakan Army was responsible, allegations the group denied. One witness, 35-year-old Mohammed Eleyas, said his pregnant wife and 2-year-old daughter were wounded in the attack and later died. He was standing with them on the shoreline when drones began attacking the crowds, Eleyas told Reuters from a refugee camp in Bangladesh.

Persons: Mohammed Eleyas, Eleyas, “, ” Organizations: Arakan Army, Reuters Locations: Myanmar, Bangladesh, Rakhine, Arakan, Maungdaw

☆ UK riots show how social media can fuel real-life harm. It’s only getting worse
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-09 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

For nearly a decade, governments and civil rights groups have increasingly argued that online platforms have created enormous societal costs. Many social media companies have invested heavily in content moderation over the years. In the European Union, officials are looking to hold social media companies accountable for spreading misinformation under the new Digital Services Act. In the UK, the Online Safety Act could take effect as soon as this year, requiring, among other things, social media platforms to remove illegal content. “We’re going to have to look more broadly at social media after this disorder,” UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a video distributed to media Friday.

Persons: “ We’re, Keir Starmer, Jordan, Olesya Dmitracova, Kara Fox Organizations: CNN, stoke, Capitol, European Union, Digital Services, Facebook, United Locations: United Kingdom, unaddressed, Leeds, England, United States

☆ Transphobic abuse of Rohingya hijras in Bangladesh refugee camps forces victims to live in hiding
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-29 | by ( Ladan Anoushfar | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

How relevant is this ad to you? Video player was slow to load content Video content never loaded Ad froze or did not finish loading Video content did not start after ad Audio on ad was too loud Other issues

☆ Bangladesh floods: Nearly 2 million people stranded as devastating floods hit northeast
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-22 | by ( Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Extensive flooding has stranded about 1.8 million people in northeast Bangladesh, following weeks of heavy rains that have submerged homes and devastated farmland, according to state media and humanitarian agencies. There is concern for those trapped by floodwaters who now face food shortages and a lack of clean water, according to local media. A mother holds her son in front of her house in floodwater on June 20, 2024 in Sylhet, Bangladesh. Salahuddin Paulash/Drik/Getty ImagesDensely populated and low-lying Bangladesh is prone to seasonal rains, flooding and cyclones. People move their belongings through a flooded street in Sylhet, Bangladesh, on June 20, 2024.

Persons: Bangladesh Sangbad, Sunamganj, ” Sheldon Yett, Salahuddin Paulash, ”, Sultana Begum, ” Hasan Sarwar, Syed Mahamudur Rahman Organizations: CNN, Bangladesh, Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Water Development, Villagers, United Nations, Children’s Fund, UNICEF, UNICEF Representative, World Bank, Remal, Bangladesh’s Ministry of Disaster Management, Bangladesh Water Development Locations: Bangladesh, Sylhet, India, floodwater, Asia, Myanmar, Cox’s Bazar, Assam

☆ A Myanmar Rebel Group Is Accused of Persecuting Rohingya
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-03 | by ( Verena Hölzl | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

International courts are still investigating the Myanmar military’s slaughter of the country’s Rohingya Muslim minority in 2017 that the United States has called a genocide. Now a new threat to the group is looming, this time at the hands of a powerful rebel force. That force, the Arakan Army, has won control of large parts of Rakhine State in Myanmar over the past few months, most recently the northern section where many Rohingya still live. The Arakan Army has rejected these allegations. Formed roughly 15 years ago, the Arakan Army claims to be 40,000 people strong and has fought Myanmar’s military for years.

Persons: Rohingya Organizations: Arakan Army Locations: Myanmar, United States, Bangladesh, Arakan, Rakhine State, Rakhine

☆ Cyclone Remal: Over 1 million evacuated as Tropical Cyclone brings heavy rain to Bangladesh and India
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-26 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Tropical Cyclone Remal made landfall in Bangladesh on Sunday, bringing torrential rain and heavy winds as it continues to move inland across eastern India, toppling trees, turning roads into rivers and causing large-scale damage. Cyclone Remal made landfall in Bangladesh on May 26, 2024. Locals stand near the sea as Cyclone Remal made landfall in Bangladesh on May 26, 2024. Tropical Cyclone Remal has been churning across the Bay of Bengal since late last week prompting authorities to prepare ahead of its arrival. People are riding on a scooter as rains hit Kolkata, India ahead of Cyclone Remal's landfall on May 26, 2024.

Persons: Remal, K M Asad, ”, Md Liakath Ali, Ali, Sudipta Das, Narendra Modi, “, ” Modi Organizations: CNN, Indian Meteorological Department, CNN Weather, Bangladesh Meteorological Department, BRAC, Coast Guard, Cyclone, Indian, Sunday, Cyclones, Shenzhen Institute of Meteorological, Chinese University of Hong Locations: Bangladesh, India, West Bengal, Bengal, Mongla, Payra, Myanmar, Cox’s Bazar, Kolkata, West, North America, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Asia, Western, Central India

☆ Buthidaung: Fires rage as Rohingya caught up on the front lines of Myanmar’s civil war
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Helen Regan | Avery Schmitz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

This satellite image shows Buthidaung, Myanmar, on January 17, 2024. © 2024 Maxar Technologies This satellite image shows Buthidaung, Myanmar, on May 18, 2024. This satellite image shows a damaged bridge in Buthidaung, Myanmar, on May 18, 2024. Warnings of further atrocitiesAn immediate concern is a humanitarian crisis in Rakhine state, with newly displaced residents unable to access food or clean water. The Myanmar military has blocked all access,” said Nay San Lwin.

Persons: Farooq, ”, Young, Volker Türk, Kyaw, –, Buthidaung –, “, John Quinley, Khaing, Lwin, Rohingya, Pan, Matthew Miller Organizations: CNN, Arakan Army, AA, Resource Management, Free Rohingya Coalition, International Court of Justice, Council, Myanmar, UN Human Rights Council, National Unity Government, Free Rohingya Coalition –, Maxar Technologies, “, ” CNN, Bangladesh, Labs, Medecins, Rakhine . State Department, Unity Government Locations: Myanmar’s, Myanmar, Rakhine, Arakan, Bangladesh, Buthidaung, Lwin, Indonesia, San Lwin, Rakhine State

☆ Kim Aris: Aung San Suu Kyi’s son casts doubt on reports Myanmar former leader has been moved from prison
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Drn/Getty Images Suu Kyi, front center, is seen with her parents and her two elder brothers in 1947. Kyodo News Stills/Getty Images Suu Kyi poses with Burmese comedian Par Par Lay, who was part of the pro-democracy act "The Moustache Brothers." Soe Than Win/AFP/Getty Images Suu Kyi meets US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at Suu Kyi's residence in Yangon in 2011. Peter Muhly/AFP/Getty Images Suu Kyi is presented with the Congressional Gold Medal while visiting the US Capitol in 2012. U Aung/Xinhua News Agency/Getty Images Suu Kyi addresses the United Nations General Assembly in New York in 2016.

Persons: Aung, Suu, ”, Kim Aris, Suu Kyi, she’s, ” Aris, CNN’s Anna Coren, “, Michael Aris, ” “, Zaw Min Tun, Min Aung Hlaing, Aris, they’ve, Ma Khin Kyi, Par, Karl Malakunas, David Brunnstrom, Jonathan Karp, Price, Luis D'Orey, David Van Der Veen, Jonathan Utz, Michael Wolf, Pornchai Kittiwongsakul, Soe, Hillary Clinton, Paula Bronstein, Minzayar Oo, Kyi, Bono, Peter Muhly, Alex Wong, Barack Obama, Obama, Brendan Smialowski, Chris Ison, Ragnar Singsaas, Romeo Gacad, Lauren DeCicca, Lam Yik Fei, Htin Kyaw, Aung Naing, Min Aung, Aung Htet, Kyaw, Jewel SamadD, John Kerry, Jonathan Ernst, Reuters Suu Kyi, Heath Mitchell, Pope Francis, Elizabeth II, John Stillwell, Mike Pence, Bernat, Myanmar's, Koen Van Weel, ’ Aris, I’d, Suu Kyi’s NLD Organizations: CNN, Aung, National League for Democracy, Aris, Reuters, Burma Independence Army, Kyodo, Stills, Oxford University, Getty, Embassy, Suu Kyi, Panos, Congressional, Capitol, Suu, Xinhua News Agency, United Nations General Assembly, National Park Service, Palace, ASEAN, Court of Justice, Association for Political, United Nations Locations: Myanmar, Britain, Rangoon, Yangon, Myanmar’s, Zaw, heatstroke, Naypyidaw, India, Par Par Lay, England, AFP, Bangkok, Thailand, Bagan, Pathein, Camberley, Oslo, Norway, Kawhmu, New York, Washington ,, Washington, DC, Singapore, Gambia, “, Burma, doesn’t

☆ What’s Happening In Myanmar’s Civil War?
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Hannah Beech | Weiyi Cai | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +16 min

RUSSIA CHINA INDIA Pacific Ocean MYANMAR INDONESIA Indian Ocean AUSTRALIA RUSSIA CHINA INDIA Pacific Ocean MYANMAR INDONESIA Indian Ocean AUSTRALIAWhat’s Happening In Myanmar’s Civil War? Parliamentary rule 1962 Military coup 1988 Nearly five decades of military rule Widespread pro-democracy protests followed by bloody military crackdown. National civil unrest 2021 Military coup ended power sharing with civilian government. Parliamentary rule Nearly five decades of military rule National civil unrest British colonial rule 1948 1988 1990 2007 2011 2021 1962 2015 Widespread pro-democracy protests followed by bloody military crackdown. National civil unrest 2021 Military coup ended power sharing with civilian government.

Persons: Adam Ferguson, Min Aung, Daw Aung, Suu Kyi, Aung, —, Tom Andrews, Chin, Rakhine Karen Mon Bamar, Kayan, Karen, Ms, hideouts Organizations: MYANMAR INDONESIA Indian Ocean, Insurgent, Council, Myanmar, 8th Battalion, Karenni Nationalities Defense Force, The New York Times, Senior, National Unity Government, People’s Defense Forces, Rebels, Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, Myanmar Peace Monitor, United Nations, General Administration Department, Union of, United, National Liberation Army Locations: RUSSIA CHINA, MYANMAR INDONESIA Indian Ocean AUSTRALIA RUSSIA CHINA, MYANMAR INDONESIA Indian, MYANMAR INDONESIA Indian Ocean AUSTRALIA, INDIA CHINA BANGLADESH Mandalay MYANMAR LAOS Naypyidaw Bay, Bengal Yangon THAILAND, INDIA CHINA Mandalay MYANMAR, Yangon THAILAND Bay, Bengal, Myanmar, Ukraine, Gaza, India, China, Karenni State, country’s, Suu, Myanmar’s, British, Sagaing Region, MYANMAR, Naypyidaw, Burma, United States, Rakhine, Thailand, Union, Union of Burma, Afghanistan

☆ The ‘Night Government’ Expands Its Violent Reach in Rohingya Camps
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-30 | by ( Verena Hölzl | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Armed Rohingya groups and criminal gangs involved in the drug trade are so entrenched in the camps, aid groups and refugees said, that they are known as the “night government,” a moniker that signified their power and the time that they typically operated. In recent months, they have become more brazen, terrorizing their fellow Rohingya and battling one another in gunfights in broad daylight as they fight for control of the camps. The escalating violence has become another scourge in the camps, which were already rife with disease and malnutrition, and prone to floods and landslides. Doctors working in the camps say that the number of gunshot wounds they are treating soared in the past year. Accounts in local news media show the number of killings in the camps doubled to more than 90 over the same period.

Locations: Myanmar, Bangladesh, gunfights

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Nine members of the United Nations Security Council condemned “indiscriminate” airstrikes by Myanmar's military against civilians before an envoy briefed the council Monday as part of regional efforts to implement a peace plan that has so far been largely ineffective. Before the council meeting, nine of the 15 council members stood before reporters to support a statement read by Britain’s U.N. The United States pushed for an enforceable Security Council resolution to prevent Myanmar from getting jet fuel, the council diplomat said. According to the council diplomat, China, which has close ties to Myanmar, emphasized the need to give ASEAN's efforts time and space. Russia, which also has links to Myanmar, reiterated that the council shouldn’t be interfering in the country’s internal affairs.

Persons: Alounkeo Kittikhoun, —, Kittikhoun, Britain’s U.N, Barbara Woodward, Myanmar’s, Aung, Suu Kyi, United States —, Saleumxay Kommasith, Win Myint, U.N, Kyaw Moe Tun, Suu Kyi’s Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, United Nations Security Council, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, Lao, Arakan Army, Bangladesh, Myanmar’s Border Guard Police, Democratic, Amnesty Locations: Myanmar, ASEAN, Laos, Suu, China, Ecuador, France, Japan, Malta, South Korea, Slovenia, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States, Thailand, Rakhine, Bangladesh, Arakan, U.S, Union, Vietnam, Russia

☆ Myanmar Border Guards Flee to Bangladesh Amid Clashes With Rebels
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Ruma Paul and Sudipto GangulyDHAKA (Reuters) - At least 95 Myanmar border guards, some of them wounded, have fled to Bangladesh over the last few days as fighting intensifies between rebel forces in Myanmar and the junta regime, officials in Bangladesh said on Monday. Members of the Myanmar Border Guard Police (BGP) entered Bangladesh with their weapons and 15 of them had bullet wounds when they crossed the border, Shariful Islam, a spokesman for Border Guard Bangladesh, said on Monday, adding that the wounded received treatment at different hospitals. Bullets and mortar shells from across the Myanmar border landed on Bangladesh territory on Monday, killing at least two people, a government official in Cox's Bazar said. Panic has gripped the refugee camps in Myanmar with many waiting to cross over to Bangladesh as supply chains have been cut off due to the ongoing conflict, according to Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. Some of the Rohingya Muslims want to flee here as they are living in constant fear without basic needs," Rohingya refugee Oli Hossain said.

Persons: Ruma Paul, Sudipto Ganguly, Mohammed Mizanur Rahman, Rahman, Mohammad Shamsud Douza, Oli Hossain, Nick Macfie Organizations: Sudipto Ganguly DHAKA, Myanmar Border Guard Police, Border Guard Bangladesh, Bangladesh Locations: Myanmar, Bangladesh, Bangladesh's, Cox's Bazar, Islam, Bandarban, Bazar

SYDNEY (AP) — Across a treacherous stretch of water, the Rohingya came by the thousands, then died by the hundreds. Last year, nearly 4,500 Rohingya — two-thirds of them women and children — fled their homeland of Myanmar and the refugee camps in neighboring Bangladesh by boat, the United Nations’ refugee agency reported. On Thursday, Indonesian officials said another boat carrying Rohingya refugees landed in the country’s northern province of Aceh. Global indifference toward the Rohingya crisis has left those languishing in the overcrowded camps with few alternatives to fleeing. “Of course I understand how dangerous the boat journey by sea is,” Ayub says.

Persons: —, Marzuki, Andi Susanto, ”, Babar Baloch, — that’s, Mohammed Ayub, Myanmar’s, Ayub, ” Ayub, “, It’s, UNHCR’s Baloch, Mohammed Taher’s, Mohammed Amin, Taher, ” Taher, Niniek Karmini Organizations: SYDNEY, United Nations ’, UNHCR, Fishermen, Associated Press Locations: Myanmar, Bangladesh, Bengal, Andaman, Aceh, Lhokseumawe, Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia, UNHCR’s, Jakarta

A key part of that lofty aspiration was the drafting of a convention that codified and committed nations to prevent and punish a new crime, sometimes called the crime of crimes: genocide. Now, in response to Israel's devastating military offensive in Gaza that was triggered by murders and atrocities perpetrated by Hamas militants on Oct. 7, South Africa has gone to the International Court of Justice and accused Israel of genocide. The ICC prosecutes individuals and is separate to the International Court of Justice, which rules in disputes between nations. At public hearings earlier this month and in its detailed written submission to the ICJ, South Africa cited comments by Israeli officials that it claimed demonstrate intent. Both Gambia and South Africa have filed ICJ cases in conflicts they are not directly involved in.

Persons: Reich, Mary Ellen O’Connell, Notre Dame University's, Israel, “, Joan E, Donoghue, ”, Marieke de Hoon, Said O’Connell, Malcolm Shaw, Serbia “, —, Radovan Karadzic, Ratko Mladic, Jean Paul Akayesu, Omar al, Bashir, Danica Kirka Organizations: —, United Nations, Nazi, Notre Dame, Notre Dame University's Kroc, International Court of, Criminal, ICC, International Court of Justice, University of Amsterdam, of Islamic Cooperation, Rwanda —, Yugoslav, Bosnian, Associated Locations: HAGUE, Netherlands, Nazi Germany, Germany, Eastern Europe, Russia, Gaza, South Africa, Israel, Pretoria, Africa, ”, Rome, Serbia, Srebrenica, Bosnian, Moscow, Ukraine, Gambia, Myanmar, That's, Yugoslavia, Rwanda, Arusha, Tanzania, Darfur, Cambodia, Khmer Rouge, London

Myanmar sank into civil war after the army seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021. At least 107 religious buildings — including 67 churches and five Buddhist monasteries — have been destroyed by the military since the 2021 takeover in Chin state alone, the Chin Human Rights Organization said. Myanmar Witness cross-checks evidence such as photos, videos and witness accounts found on social media with satellite photo analysis and other methods to try to verify human rights abuses. Many human rights activists believe that the military aims for religious buildings. "I can think of 10 that I’ve already seen in ruins or big holes in them, direct airstrikes," Eubank said.

Persons: Chin, Aung, Suu Kyi, Matt Lawrence, ”, Benedict Rogers, Salai Mang, Lian, ” Lian, “, Ngun Thawng Lian, —, Karenni, Dave Eubank, I’ve, Eubank Organizations: Burman, United Nations, Assistance Association for Political, Information Resilience, Human Rights Organization, International Commission of Jurists, Myanmar Air Force’s, East Asia, Christian Solidarity Worldwide, “, Myanmar, Free Burma Rangers, U.S . Special Forces Locations: BANGKOK, Myanmar, Suu, United Kingdom, Chin, “, Rakhine, Bangladesh, Australia, Thantlang, Philippines, Philippine, Kayah, Demoso, Karenni

☆ What Might Happen Next in the Genocide Case Against Israel
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Amanda Taub | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Depending on the angle from which you view it, the genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice can embody either the promises or the failures of one of the primary aims of the international human rights project: making rights a matter of law, not just of power. Last week, the court, which is the United Nations’ top judicial body, heard initial arguments in the case brought by South Africa in late December, which accuses Israel of “acts and omissions” that are “genocidal in character” against Palestinians in Gaza. This is only the fourth time that a country has brought a genocide case before the I.C.J. And the other three have been filed in just the last four years: a 2019 case against Myanmar alleging genocide against the Rohingya minority; a 2022 case alleging Russia had abused the Genocide Convention as a pretext for an illegal invasion of Ukraine, and that Russia appeared to be planning acts of genocide in Ukraine; and the current case against Israel. Israel categorically denies the accusation, and the 17 judges sitting in this case are now deliberating whether to order “provisional measures,” a temporary order that would ask Israel to take proactive steps to ensure genocide doesn’t occur in the future, while the case is pending.

Persons: Israel, ” Organizations: Israel, International Court, United Nations Locations: South Africa, Gaza, Myanmar, Russia, Ukraine, Israel

Political Cartoons View All 253 ImagesThe Arakan Army is a member of the armed ethnic group alliance that recently gained strategic territory in the country’s northeast. The Arakan Army is the well-trained and well-armed military wing of the Rakhine ethnic minority movement, which seeks autonomy from Myanmar’s central government. The Arakan Army first said late Sunday night that it gained complete control of Paletwa township. Paletwa, whose location on the border gives it strategic importance, is where the Arakan Army first established a foothold in 2015 to fight the against the army. However, the Chin have been a major force in the resistance against the military since the army seized power in 2021, so they now share a common enemy with the Arakan Army.

Persons: Khaing, Khaing Thukha, Aung, Suu Kyi, hasn't, Paletwa, Chin Organizations: Arakan Army, Associated Press, Military, Army, Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, National Liberation Army —, Paletwa Locations: BANGKOK, Rakhine, India, Bangladesh, Arakan, Paletwa, Chin, Shan, China, Suu

☆ Israel denies genocide accusations at top UN court, says war in Gaza is self-defense
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-12 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

South Africa and Israel are signatories to the 1948 Genocide Convention, meaning they are obliged not to commit genocide and to prevent and punish it. South Africa has asked the court to order Israel to suspend its military campaign in Gaza. In January 2020, the court granted The Gambia’s request for provisional measures to protect the Rohingya people remaining in Myanmar from genocide. A 2022 report by Human Rights Watch found continued abuses against the Rohingya remaining in Myanmar, despite the provisional measures. South Africa cited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Israeli forces on October 28, ahead of the imminent launch of its ground offensive in Gaza.

Persons: Israel, ” Israel, Germany “, Steffen Hebestreit, ”, “, Tal Becker, Becker, Galit Raguan, Omri Sender, Hollandse, Israel ’ Israel, Malcolm Shaw, Michel Porro, Ghazi Hamad, Benjamin Netanyahu’s, ” Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Ronald Lamola, Madonsela, Remko de, Gilad Noam, Christopher Staker, Staker, Nadine Schmidt, Catherine Nicholls Organizations: CNN, Israel, United Nations ’, International Court of Justice, Hamas, ICJ, UN, Holocaust, Human Rights Watch, ”, The Hague, South African, Getty, Criminal Court, ICC Locations: South Africa, Gaza, ”, The Hague, Netherlands, Germany, Africa, Israel, Myanmar, Russia, Ukraine, Lebanese, Remko de Waal, AFP

☆ Exclusive: China lures hundreds of Taiwan politicians with cheap trips before election
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Yimou Lee | Thomson Reuters | Yimou Lee Is A Senior Correspondent For Reuters Covering Everything Taiwan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Across Taiwan security agencies are looking into more than 400 visits to China in the past month, most led by local opinion leaders such as borough chiefs and village heads, a Taiwan security official looking into China's activities told Reuters. He said it was "self-evident" Beijing was trying to sway Taiwan elections through means including free trips for politicians. More than 300 borough chiefs or village heads from populous central Taiwan alone have participated in such trips to China in the past few months, this person said. "Certain borough chiefs have become the window of contacts in Taiwan for some Chinese units." Chinese officials allegedly asked participants to support certain political parties and "oppose Taiwan independence", the prosecutors said in a statement.

Persons: Tsai Ing, Chiu Tai, Hsing Tai, chao, Yimou Lee, Ben Blanchard, William Mallard Organizations: Beijing, Reuters, China's Taiwan Affairs Office, Mainland Affairs Council, Chinese Communist Party, Thomson Locations: TAIPEI, Beijing, China, Taiwan, Taipei, Shanghai, New Taipei City, Kaohsiung

Rohingya traditionally take to sea in October, at the end of the rainy season, on journeys fraught with danger. Of 3,572 Rohingya who have left on 34 boats this year, 31% of them were children, data showed. In 2022, one of the deadliest years for the Rohingya at sea, a fifth of the about 3,705 people who fled were children. "Children making the boat journeys was not a trend before," said Mohammed Mizanur Rahman, Bangladesh's refugee relief and repatriation commissioner based in Cox's Bazar. With little hope of settling in Bangladesh or being accepted elsewhere, they feel they have no choice but to take to sea, Rahman said.

Persons: Riska, Chris Lewa, Mohammed Mizanur Rahman, Rahman, taka, Mohammed Taher, Ruma Paul, Sudipto Ganguly, Krishna N, Das, Robert Birsel Organizations: REUTERS, Rights DHAKA, Malaysia, Thomson Locations: Sabang, Aceh province, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Bangladeshi, Cox's Bazar, Arakan, Southeast Asia, Indonesia's Aceh, South Asia, Dhaka, Mumbai

☆ Hundreds of Rohingya come ashore in Indonesia, joining about 1,000 this week
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

During November to April, when the seas are calmer, many members of the persecuted minority leave Myanmar on rickety boats for Thailand, Muslim-majority Bangladesh, Malaysia and Indonesia. Mitra Salima Suryono, a spokesperson for the U.N. refugee agency in Indonesia, said there did not appear to be any particular reason for the big number of Rohingya arriving. Mitra said Aceh villagers had tried to prevent hundreds of Rohingya arriving in the Bireuen area in northeast Sumatra last week although they eventually came ashore on Sunday. For years, Rohingya have left Buddhist-majority Myanmar where they are generally regarded as foreign interlopers from South Asia, denied citizenship and subjected to abuse. Usman Hamid, the director of rights group Amnesty International Indonesia, called for authorities to take in the Rohingya and talk with neighbours, especially Malaysia and Thailand, where Rohingya also often stop.

Persons: Rohingya, Adek, Mitra Salima Suryono, Mitra, Usman Hamid, Stanley Widianto, Robert Birsel Organizations: Reuters, Indonesia's, Amnesty International, Thomson Locations: JAKARTA, Indonesia's Aceh, Myanmar, Thailand, Muslim, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia, Sabang, Aceh, Sumatra, South Asia, Bangladeshi, Cox's Bazar, Amnesty International Indonesia

☆ Hundreds more Rohingya refugees arrive in Indonesia's Aceh
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Rohingya Muslim women and children rest, following their arrival in Kulee village, Pidie regency, Aceh province, Indonesia, November 19, 2023. REUTERS/Riska Munawarah Acquire Licensing RightsACEH, Nov 19 (Reuters) - More than 500 Rohingya refugees originally from Myanmar landed on the shores of Indonesia's Aceh province on Sunday, the fourth wave of arrivals this week, a local UNHCR official said. The refugees, who arrived at various parts of the province including Bireuen, Pidie and East Aceh, have overwhelmed local facilities, Munawaratul Makhya, a UNHCR official, told Reuters. Almost 1 million Rohingya are living in camps in Bangladesh in what U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi described as "the biggest humanitarian refugee camp in the world". Indonesia's Foreign Ministry said the Southeast Asian country "has no obligation nor capacity to accommodate refugees, let alone to provide a permanent solution".

Persons: Riska, Rohingya, Rohingyas, Filippo Grandi, Hidayatullah Tahjuddin, Dewi Kurniawati, David Holmes Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, UNHCR, Reuters, Ministry, UN, Thomson Locations: Kulee, Aceh province, Indonesia, Rights ACEH, Myanmar, Indonesia's Aceh, Bireuen, Pidie, East Aceh, Muslim, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Thailand, Jakarta

Search resuls for: "Rohingya"

25 mentions found