China-Africa summit: The tactics behind President Xi Jinping’s red-carpet welcome

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Getty Images Dancers perform as they welcome Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa on 2 September 2024 at Beijing Capital International AirportGetty Images

More than 50 African leaders have been welcomed by China to Beijing this week for a conference to improve relations at a time when there is an increase in political and economic unrest around the world.

According to Macharia Munene, a professor of international relations at the University of Nairobi, “it pertains to their vanities.” The leaders received a red carpet embrace that included pleasure by dancers in bright costumes.

The leaders ‘ perceptions that the meeting was an equal ‘ had been carefully choreographed.

Before the mountain, many of them, including Kenya’s William Ruto and South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa, met with their Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in one-on-one meetings and were given tour of Beijing and other places at the heart of China’s growth.

As Prof Munene puts it, China’s goal is to show American officials that” we are in the same boat, we are all subjects of American imperialism”.

Paul Frimpong, senior producer of the Ghana-based Africa-China Centre for Policy and Advisory, says that Western capabilities- as well as oil-rich Gulf states- are trying to meet China’s effect in Africa.

He tells the BBC,” There is a strong interest and opposition in and around Africa’s possible.”

Cobus van Staden, co-founder of the China-Global South Project, writes that China goes out of its way to emphasise its own status as a developing country, signalling solidarity with Africa and the rest of the Global South.

” It prevents the grimness of the US and EU’s continued support focus with its attendant conditionality and preaching,” he continues.

Getty Images Customers try make-up at the Shein pop-up store in Mall of Africa on in Johannesburg, South Africa - August 2024Getty Images

Over the last two decades, China’s politics has paid off. Out of all the countries in the world, it has risen to be Africa’s largest buying partner.

Data from the International Monetary Fund ( IMF) shows that a fifth of Africa’s exports go to China, the bulk of which includes metals, mineral products and fuel. Since 2001, the export have quadrupled in US dollars.

For American states, China is also the” second largest cause of goods” of manufactured goods and equipment, according to the IMF.

But the balance of trade, in most cases, facilitates China tremendously.

In his intergovernmental meeting with President Xi, Mr. Ramaphosa made an effort to address this issue.

The president of South Africa stated that” we would like to handle the structure of our business and reduce the business deficit.”

In a subsequent joint statement, it was stated that” China showed it was ready to boost career development by citing personnel conferences for Taiwanese companies to promote local employment in South Africa.”

Kenya, on the other hand, is requesting more breaks despite a sizable debt that consumes almost two-thirds of its annual income and has recently sparked protests as a result of the government’s attempt to raise new taxes to pay off the finances gap.

Mr Ruto hopes to secure funding for various infrastructure projects, including the completion of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR ) to connect Kenya’s coast to neighbouring Uganda, the building of roads and dams, the establishment of a pharmaceutical park and a technology-driven transport system for the capital, Nairobi.

China stopped funding the contentious SGR four years ago after connecting Nairobi to the port town of Mombasa, which caused rail lines to end in a discipline outside the pool area of Naivasha.

Getty Images Incomplete rail tracks for the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) line lay on the ground in Kenya - May 2019Getty Images

As a major bilateral supplier to many African countries, China has often come under scrutiny for its deals, particularly in recent years when some African countries, including Ghana, Zambia and Ethiopia, suffered debt problems.

Bill sustainability is a topic of conversation at every major forum on Chinese-African relations, according to Mr. Frimpong, and it’s good to be at the most recent summit as well.

The international forces are driven by their own interests, and the debt crisis serves as a reminder that American states need to increase their economies and finances to lessen their reliance on them.

This is especially true given that the IMF predicts that China’s expansion will continue to slow, and it is advised that African nations can adapt by promoting regional economic integration and designing structural reforms to boost local income.

Most importantly, as Dr. Van Staden points out, African leaders must “overcome the leather rope feature of these delegations to create their own offers, set their own conditions, and throw their own events.”

BBC coverage of this subject follows:

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China’s sluggish factories spurring hotter stimulus calls – Asia Times

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That loud sputtering sound emanating from China is increasing in volume as factory activity contracts for a fourth straight month.

China’s official manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) dropped to 49.1 in August from 49.4 in July. Since April 2023, this key barometer has been below the 50-mark separating expansion and contraction for all but three months.

It suggests that Beijing’s efforts to revive Asia’s biggest economy care gaining less traction than hoped.

“We believe more fiscal easing is necessary to help secure the around 5% full-year growth target,” says Yuting Yang, an economist at Goldman Sachs Group.

At the moment, trade tensions with the West and debt troubles weighing on local governments are limiting Beijing’s ability to boost consumer spending.

Add in great uncertainty about who might be leading the US economy five months from now – and the magnitude of new tariffs on China-made goods – and Xi Jinping’s government is under increasing pressure to spur growth at home.

Xi’s “fridges-not-bridges” pivot, as some economists call it, aims to put household spending in the driver’s seat.

After the slowdowns of recent history — like the 2008 Lehman Brothers crisis — Beijing switched on the infrastructure engine.

This time, though, with local government finances in distress and overcapacity sweeping the nation, Team Xi is looking to ignite a domestic demand-led growth boom.

The economic payoff for all those massive skyscrapers, six-lane highways, international airports and hotels, white-elephant stadiums, sprawling shopping districts and amusement parks has become less and less over time. And the bill is now coming due.

Pulling off this transition is easier said than done in the post-Covid-19 era. A deepening property crisis has average consumers bracing for further drops in home prices, which is complicating efforts to cushion the downturn. So are deflationary trends spooking global investors.

The resulting blow to confidence is weighing on China’s US$17 trillion economy and triggering capital outflows that are sending mainland stocks lower. All this is making it harder for Xi’s inner circle to turn things around.

“Unfortunately, our year-old negative forecast for China appears to be playing out,” says economist Richard Martin at advisory firm IMA Asia. He adds that “the rest of Asia will need to prepare for the spillover from China’s slump, including the risk of a surge in dumped products.”

Ditto for worries about how Chinese overcapacity will collide with geopolitical currents.

Among them are Western efforts to slow China’s ability to increase global market share. Last week, Canada announced new tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles, aluminum and steel.

Ottawa’s 100% levies on EVs and 25% taxes on steel and aluminum put it in protectionist league with Washington and Brussels.

Such moves are adding to Xi’s headaches as a uniquely chaotic US election cycle heats up. Though a Donald Trump 2.0 presidency might be tougher on Beijing, a Kamala Harris-led White House would almost surely also tighten the screws on Xi’s economy.

That might add to the argument for greater Chinese fiscal stimulus. For Xi, who earlier this year began his third term as Communist Party leader, the stakes are high at home and abroad.

The party’s legitimacy with China’s 1.4 billion people rests on rapid economic growth and increasing per-capita income. The same goes for Xi’s ambitions both among the BRICS — Brazil, Russia, India and China — and the broader constellation of Global South nations.

A major narrative surrounding the BRICS and the Global South is of emerging-market economies coming into their own and picking up the slack as the US and Europe mature and grow less rapidly.

For now, China’s overcapacity troubles are putting the nation in global headlines for all the wrong reasons. Many argue, of course, that China isn’t exporting deflation so much as rising mainland productivity and efficiency and thus making the economy more competitive.

“As China is some 55% of regional GDP and the main trading partner for most neighbors, the outlook for China policy is critical,” Martin says. “So far, economic policy has been poorly aligned with the problems undermining China’s growth.”

The good news is that signals from Xi and Premier Li Qiang suggest reforms are being implemented. Key among them: getting bad assets off property developers’ balance sheets, strengthening local government finances across the nation and supporting private sector development.

For many, though, the perceived slow pace of action raises concerns about China’s economic trajectory into 2025.

Once again, says economist Carlos Casanova at Union Bancaire Privée, China’s manufacturing PMI is “highlighting ongoing challenges in the sector, driven by a downturn in housing and sluggish domestic demand. Most components showed a sequential decline, indicating widespread weakness.”

Notably, he adds, producer price and input price subcomponents experienced “significant easing” for different reasons.

“The producer price subcomponent, closely tied to the broader producer price index,” Casanova says, “suggests that overcapacity continued to exert downside pressure on factory prices in August.”

The bottom line, Casanova says, is that “economic growth is uneven, primarily fueled by service consumption, exports and substantial investment in core technology.”

All this, he says, “suggests that the government will need to implement counter-cyclical measures to stimulate domestic demand.”

This could entail additional interest rate cuts by the People’s Bank of China, though that might put downward pressure on the yuan.

“We believe China’s reluctance to pursue RMB appreciation in August may buy exporters time to offload their dollar holdings without incurring significant currency losses,” says Tommy Xie, an economist at OCBC Bank. It also suggests the PBOC might be reluctant to ease more.

Martin at IMA notes that “our view is that policy will be forced into better alignment as you can’t let a house burn for too long before turning on the hose.”

Two big steps are needed and anticipated, Martin notes. First, allowing market clearing by freeing prices and letting firms go bankrupt.

“Beijing has just allowed that in residential property, which means a big real estate and construction shake-out and a rise in unemployment and consumer distress,” he says.

“The rest of Asia needs to be ready for an increase in China’s export dumping in 2025. Second, the national government needs to use its balance sheet to drive up growth as all other balance sheets are too weak. No change yet but we are waiting.”

A major challenge is making good on Xi’s pledge to encourage households to spend more and save less. Along with faster, more balanced economic growth, that means building bigger social safety nets.

As Xi and Li realize, investment-led growth has peaked in China, as the financial system can no longer generate the same pace of credit expansion as in the past decade, says Logan Wright, director of China markets research at Rhodium Group.

“China’s economy is slowing once again, and weaker household consumption is the primary cause,” Wright notes. Household borrowing, he explains, “remains under pressure from low levels of consumer confidence and the flagging property market.”

As a result, the imbalances between domestic and external demand have widened, with China producing persistently large trade surpluses, now reaching $858 billion over the past year, or around 4.8% of GDP.

Because of this “slowdown” in household consumption, Wright says, “calls for structural reform to rebalance China’s economy are multiplying.”

“In the absence of significant fiscal reforms, long-term household consumption growth is likely to slow to around 3% to 4% per year in real terms over the next five to ten years,” Wright says.

At most, he adds, “household consumption will contribute around 1.5 percentage points of GDP growth per year, which is likely to limit overall long-term GDP growth to around 3%, given the known headwinds to faster investment growth.”

The good news is that Xi and Li claim to be on the case, devising ways to recalibrate China’s growth engines. The bad news is that official data continue to paint a picture among investors that Beijing isn’t moving fast enough to turn things around.

Follow William Pesek on X at @WilliamPesek

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Australia: Aboriginal teen dies by suicide in Perth youth prison

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A youth prison in the state of Western Australia ( WA ) in Australia has a suicide death of an Aboriginal teenager.

The 17-year-old was taken into custody on Thursday when he was discovered unresponsive in his body and unable to be revived, according to the country’s authorities. He had only been there for two days.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander citizens are the most frequently imprisoned people on the planet, and they also pass away in prison much more frequently than non-Indigenous Australians.

Deaths in juvenile detention areas, however, are rare, and this is the next in the state in under a year.

” This is a horrible, horrible function”, WA leading Roger Cook said when announcing an inspection on Friday night.

” Undoubtedly, a failure has occurred, and we will take the crucial work of comprehending the circumstances.”

The unidentified student arrived at the center on Tuesday intoxicated and had been placed in an extensive guidance unit as a result of concerns for his wellness.

Commissioner of Corrective Services Brad Royce told investigators that there were no indications of mental stress.

The child had been checked on by team ten days in the days prior to his death, and he had spent the majority of Thursday evening outside of his body.

Cleveland Dodd, 16, became the first infantile to pass away in a WA children detention facility ten months after the incident.

This year, investigators cleared jail staff of grave misconduct, but they also discovered major failures in the months leading up to Dodd’s dying.

Mr. Royce claimed he had examined the images taken on Thursday at the detention facility and was satisfied with the staff’s “appropriate” answer.

Since Dodd’s dying, the state’s children prison have improved, according to Mr. Cook.

He said,” I have more confidence than ever in how our juvenile detention facilities are run.”

Australia has been under international pressure to increase the minimum legal age, which is 10 in some states, and disproportionately affects First Governments children.

The UN, which claims that the conditions in children detention centers violate international law, including the Agreement on the Rights of the Child, has also received foreign criticism.

” This was a treatable death. How many times, by how many professionals, should the WA state be in the dark about the hazards of their children detention facilities? Amnesty International’s Kacey Teerman said in a speech.

Responding to questions about these long-held concerns, Corrective Services Minister Paul Papalia on Thursday said there was” no obvious, immediate, systemic change” needed.

” We’re responding with anything we can and anything that’s required”.

If this story has raised issues for you, you can call Lifeline at ( 13 11 14), or 13-yarn at ( 13 92 76 ).

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High Court judge spells out appropriate conduct for defence lawyers cross-examining sex offence victims

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A High Court judge in Singapore issued a judgment on Thursday ( Aug 29 ) outlining what constitutes appropriate conduct when lawyers cross-examine victims of sexual crimes and how safeguarding measures should be taken to protect such victims.

The view explained Justice Vincent Hoong’s justification for rejecting the appeals against his faith and phrase for a teacher who was imprisoned for 14 weeks for abusing a 10-year-old scholar at a fee center.

In lieu of being caned, he was given another two months in jail.

CROSS-EXAMINING ALLEGED VICTIMS OF SEXUAL Infractions

Justice Hoong noted that when the sufferer in the case was questioned about her dress during the harassment.

He claimed that if it revealed the nature of the crime, asking sufferers what they wore is appropriate.

” For instance, the line of questioning may verify whether the stroking was over or under clothes, whether there was skin-on-skin phone and or how it came to be quite skin-on-skin contact”, said Justice Hoong.

Such concerns are needed, he said. However, the inquiry becomes unpleasant when it is premised on or leads to the assertion that the defendant’s clothes in some way led to the physical abuse.

” For instance, any line of questioning that makes the claim that the sufferer had sparked unwanted interest because she was dressed innocently must be rejected,” said Justice Hoong.

He added that there was no lengthy cross-examination of the target, which lasted for half a day.

Although there were some comments that could have been made more appropriate to the fresh victim, the judge said the judge had the right to ask her questions in a thoughtful way and that she had the opportunity to understand her responses at several points.

He said that it should be kept in mind that cross-examination is not intended to unnecessarily bother, abuse, or deceive a witness.

Unnecessary questioning of the victim’s reliability, digging into useless individual history, or insinuating blame can not only traumatize the victim, but it can also sustain dangerous stereotypes about physical violence, according to Justice Hoong.

This may discourage other patients from revealing their identities because they fear they will go through the same suffering, he said.

” It is too often overlooked that the purpose of cross-examination is to elicit information from the testimony to help the cross-examiner’s situation”, said the prosecutor.

While cross-examination is a way to ensure that a witness’s testimony is correctly examined when in conflict with the situation of the celebration cross-examining, it is not intended to be a platform for theatricality or for an advocate to exhibit a talent for hostile or intense, repetitive or harsh questioning.

Insulating Steps

The trial in this case requested a cloaking measure to cover the victim’s testimony on the grounds that she was under 18 at the time.

The woman was 14 when she testified.

The defense filed an objection to the program, claiming that a cloaking determine implied that there had been” some sort of danger made to the victim” and that she had been afraid to see the plaintiff face-to-face.

A cloaking estimate is a method of allowing the witness to testify in court without having to look at the accused or have the accused glance at him or her. It also refers to a method of allowing the witness to testify while in the same court as the accused.

According to Justice Hoong, an application for shielding measures does not necessarily imply that a threat was made to the victim.

Such a request may be made for a particular category of witnesses, including but not limited to an alleged victim of a sexual offence or a witness under the age of 18.

The judge cited a relevant section of the law that states that a court may impose shielding measures if the witness is afraid to testify in front of the accused, afraid to testify in person, or if giving evidence in front of the accused would aggravate the witness.

If a witness ‘ credibility of the witness ‘ testimony will be questioned due to their fear or distress, the court may also impose shielding measures.

Justice Hoong said it is well-known that giving evidence can re-traumatize victims of sexual crimes, and that special measures like shielding can help lessen the trauma of testifying live in the same setting as the accused.

The Criminal Procedure Code mandates that all alleged victims of sexual or child abuse in Singapore will give testimony in closed court unless they wish to testify in front of an audience.

Justice Hoong argued that the presumption of innocence and the witness ‘ rights are at the center of” the concept of shielding measures in legal proceedings.”

The judge said,” Ultimately, the overriding aim is to ensure justice is served while balancing the need to protect the witness and maintain the integrity of the judicial process, against the fundamental rights of the accused.”

In order to be transparent, he argued that a court that uses a shielding measure despite an objection should clearly state the reasons for doing so.

He said that parties should bear in mind that “effective cross-examination elicits evidence without aggressive, repetitive and oppressive questioning”.

” Ultimately, the pursuit of justice should never compromise the dignity of the individuals involved”, he said.

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Jobseeker support scheme to have tiered payouts, open to those who earned up to S,000 a month

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Dr Tan said the&nbsp, particle of the monthly payments is higher at the start to give “greater peace of mind” soon after employment.

” It will be gradually decreased from the second quarter on in order to keep the tempo and to keep the motivation for applicants to begin working sooner if they find a good-fitting work.”

The minister claimed that the program is not intended to provide social support. &nbsp,

” I want to emphasise that the total payment of up to S$ 6, 000 should not be viewed in isolation… The quantum is designed to give you more peace during your job search efforts because the system itself is not a interpersonal support scheme, he continued. &nbsp,

JOBSEEKER SUPPORT CAN Get ADDED TO OTHER SCHEMES.

Homeowners facing economic problems can get help from other strategies, such as ComCare Short-to-Medium-Term Assistance and Goods and Services Tax Voucher system.

Those who enrol in entitled full-time, long-form education programmes under the SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme, or business attachments under WSG’s Mid-Career Pathways Programme, may acquire education allowances in addition to the jobseeker support scheme payouts, if they meet the eligibility criteria for the particular schemes.

Under the SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme, Singaporeans older 40 and earlier you get a regular training salary of up to S$ 3, 000 for up to 24 months if they enrol in chosen full-time, long-form programs. &nbsp,

The person’s average income will be based on 50 % of the person’s current 12-month salary.

Singaporeans and PRs over the age of 40 and above can receive a training allowance of up to S$ 3,800 per month for the duration of an attachment lasting between four and six months under the Mid-Career Pathways Programme. &nbsp,

For instance, a retired, mature worker who makes S$ 5, 000 per month can receive benefits from the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support program and a salary from the SkillsFuture Level-up Programme. &nbsp,

Over a six-month period, he would receive up to S$ 21, 000, consisting of about S$ 15, 000 of training allowance, and S$ 6, 000 of jobseeker support payouts. &nbsp,

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‘Rashomon effect’ obscures Rakhine war atrocities in Myanmar – Asia Times

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The insurgent Arakan Army ( AA ) and the Myanmar Armed Forces ( MAF ) are engaged in a bloody dénouement for the border town of Maungdaw in northern Myanmar.

For several weeks of intense fighting, the regime forces of the State Administration Council ( SAC ) have steadfastly defended the town, but they are almost completely in ruins all over Rakhine. However, the state’s human population has suffered a significant cost as a result of the nearly certain victory of the insurgent AA.

A fatal incident on the border with Bangladesh apparently took place on August 5 as thousands of Rohingya who were escaping Maungdaw by ship were targeted by robots dropping weapons.

Scores of deceased residents who had been hit by bombs, whether on land waiting to enter Teknaf or who may have floated up after the ships had been targeted immediately surfaced on social media. Numerous individuals asserted that the AA was to blame for the strike.

Reuters and other foreign media reported the incident several days after it occurred, but none could independently check the culprit, the possibility of multiple offenders, or the number of civilian casualties, with projections ranging broadly between 70 to 200. In recent days, a British Broadcasting Corporation ( BBC ) investigation has revealed heartbreaking survivor testimony but no conclusive proof of the attacks ‘ perpetrator.

Both the MAF and AA both frequently used weaponized unmanned aerial vehicles ( UAVs ), growing in popularity in the previous few months of fighting in Rakhine state. Therefore, it is challenging to tell which armed group operates which drones, particularly from civilians who are not familiar with military strategies and weapons systems.

The AA may also be using Myanmar army-seized heavy weaponry. The AA has fired on arteries fleeing by river and lake in recent occurrences, killing both MAF employees and their households.

The SAC selection of thousands of Rohingya males who have been trained and armed to combat alongside MAF troops has contributed to the uncertainty and rising tensions between the Rohingya and Rohingya areas.

The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army ( ARSA ), the RSO, and the Arakan Rohingya Army ( ARA ) are three of Bangladesh’s refugee camps.

Additionally, the MAF captain has armed a well-known drug dealer named Dil Mamat, according to Border News Agency.

The AA’s political wing, the United League of Arakan ( ULA ), released a statement on August 7 claiming the group was” saddened to learn from social media that in recent days, many Muslims fleeing the town have reportedly died from artillery or small arms fire, bombings, drownings, airstrikes, or massive explosions near the coast of Maungdaw, causing great distress”.

We graciously inform you that these deaths are not related to our business and did not occur in regions under our power. We are looking into these instances ‘ specifics and will immediately release details as soon as we have verified the information,” it said. &nbsp,

The ULA declaration therefore issued five warnings to civilians to prevent the MAF and Rohingya armed groups and consider safety in AA territory, shelter there, and show white flags.

The Global New Light of Myanmar regime propaganda organ reported that “AA terrorists massacred Bengalis, including children, who arranged to flee to other countries due to their attacks at a prawn pond west of Phawyazi village in Maungtaw ( sic ) …Women and girls were raped and killed.” The international community should be aware of the terrorist acts committed by AA terrorists, but they ruthlessly executed Bengalis who had made moves abroad.

The AA’s open relationships department got into high gear. The AA released images and video of Rohingya men carrying children and other citizens out of harm’s way in dress. According to a ULA/AA standard video, 500 Rohingya were reported to have been evacuated by ship from Kyar Yin Tan town on August 8 after being allegedly used by the MAF as human shields.

The AA’s statements of providing human assistance are incredibly difficult to freely verify. It is possible for AA forces to have multiple experiences operating simultaneously, allowing them to commit atrocities in one place and assist civilians somewhere. However, it is important to keep in mind that the MAF are committing crimes against several areas in the same way throughout Myanmar.

Since April, when the issue reached Buthidaung, due west of Maungdaw, the complaints of the AA targeting citizens have significantly increased tensions. Studies of Rohingya and SAC causes burning down Myanmar sections of Buthidaung emerged as the AA advanced in the town and reportedly staged arson attacks on remote Rohingya villages.

A fortnight later, as AA forces entered the village in mid-May, there were several reports of Rohingya forces burning down Rohingya neighborhoods, perhaps as retaliation for the April arson.

There was a lot of confusing and contradictory reporting, which was exacerbated by the lack of access for many Myanmar and international reporters who rely on frequently traumatized eyewitness accounts of people who have reached Bangladesh.

The deaths of a Médecins Sans Frontières ( MSF ) office and pharmacy in Buthidaung in mid-April and the theft and arson at a World Food Programme ( WFP ) warehouse in Maungdaw in late June have heightened the controversies.

Human Rights Watch ( HRW) conducted the most accurate reconstruction of the events in the Buthidaung area on August 12 through extensive interviews with both Rohingya and Rakhine sources. HRW attributes blame on both the AA and SAC troops for their Rohingya auxiliaries.

However, the HRW report’s accompanying satellite imagery is of such poor quality that it is inconclusive. Much of the “digital evidence” used in “remote control” rights reporting from Rakhine state since the 2021 coup has been of uneven quality, demonstrating the limitations of open source intelligence.

The AA is very sensitive to criticism from other countries. Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, called the situation “alarming” and “anger” for the country’s civilians on April 19 in an “alarm” statement. The AA, who responded in great detail and obvious umbrage to many of his points in a four-page rebuttal, raised the ire of the AA.

The statements” could cause disrespectful impressions of Arakanese among the international community and cause confusion and suspicions between the Muslim and non-Muslim communities.” In fact, making such a false claim actually harms the idea that we have a national movement and struggle.

In a statement from the UN in June, Türk did mention the massacre of more than 50 Rohingya civilians in the village of Byine Phyu north of Sittwe as well as reports of sexual violence committed by a joint force of MAF, Arakan Liberation Army ( ALA ) troops, and Rohingya recruits.

The international community’s perception of bias is that the majority of Rakhine grievances are centered solely on the plight of the Rohingya.

How likely is it that the August 5 incident’s perpetrators will be found out as to be completely responsible? It has always been very difficult to find information on deadly incidents in Rakhine state. This is true of all Myanmar’s conflict zones, in Shan, Kachin, and Karen states, as well as in “new” post-coup battlefields in Sagaing and Magwe.

Yet since at least the communal violence of 2012, Rakhine has been personally perplexed by fabricated information and false reports. One of the challenges of reporting on violence against civilians is the notoriously distorted Du Chee Yar Tan incident from early 2014, which is just one more illustration of this.

After being ruled out by the UN and Western rights organizations, an alleged massacre in a village close to Maungdaw was ultimately ruled to be largely false, leading to significant aftershocks in relations between the then-Thein Sein administration and the UN and Western embassy.

Although it is obvious that the MAF was to blame for the massive ethnic cleansing marches against the Rohingya in October 2016 and August 2017 that displaced over 700,000 people from Bangladesh, some of the details of the horrifying events cannot be verified.

The AA slowly expanded insurgent operations into Rakhine state in 2018 as a new, even more perplexing phase of the conflict. Six years of intense fighting has displaced over 300, 000 civilians and seen multiple war crimes perpetrated by the MAF on Rakhine communities, as well as Rohingya, ethnic Mro, Daignet and Chin civilians.

Additionally, the AA has been linked to numerous crimes committed against civilians. For many years, doubts have grown to a new dangerous level because of its stated commitment to protecting all civilians equally.

Some of AA commander Major General Twan Mrat Naing’s Twitter/X commentary has been ugly racism that has n’t served the ULA/AA’s cause.

The group can then produce more politically correct messaging, as they did in May when they responded to The New Humanitarian with a carefully worded statement about recent human rights violations and intercommunal relations.

Although the AA claims that it protects all of Rakhine’s residents ‘ human rights and citizenship are admirable, its level of confidence is regrettable. The onus is on the ULA/AA to ensure they abide by their principles.

However, it is crucial to establish fact-based reporting on allegations of atrocities by all conflict-related parties. Multiple competing viewpoints on violent events can obstruct peace for all communities to coexist, known as the” Rashomon Effect.” This has been a vehement reality in Rakhine for more than ten years.

Civilian protection, humanitarian assistance and aid to the war wounded must be prioritized. The ULA/AA will almost certainly be the main source of future peace, aid to development, and trade in Rakhine, which makes it crucial to gather the facts about war crimes for future and lasting stability.

David Scott Mathieson is an independent analyst who studies human rights, conflict, and human rights issues in Myanmar.

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Li Rui: US trial begins in battle for Mao secretary’s diaries

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Getty Images Li Rui in an interview in 2006Getty Images

In a case being portrayed as a battle against Chinese state censorship, a test has begun in California to determine whether Stanford University is keep the journals of a major Chinese established.

The later Li Rui, a former minister to Mao Zedong’s Communist China, is the author of the memoirs.

His wife filed a lawsuit for the files to be returned to Beijing after Li’s dying in 2019. She claimed they belong to her.

Stanford rejects this. According to the report, Li, who had previously been critical of the Chinese government, gave his memoirs to the school out of fear that the Chinese Communist Party would devastate them.

The diaries, which were written between 1935 and 2018, cover much of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP ) rule. China emerged from impoverished confinement to become a key component of the global economy during those eight turbulent years.

” If]the diaries ] return to China they will be banned… China does not have a good record in permitting criticism of party leaders”, Mark Litvack, one of Stanford’s lawyers, told the BBC before the trial began.

The BBC has contacted attorneys representing Zhang Yuzhen, Mr Li’s lady, for opinion.

Mr. Li, a notable CCP number known for his liberal views, was both admired and ignored by the celebration.

In the middle of the 1950s, Mao made him one of his private secretaries because he was a young vocal cadre. But the place was shortlived.

When Li criticized Mao’s landscapes at a social gathering, he was ousted and sentenced to years in prison. He was one of the hundreds of party authorities and figures who had ties to Mao and who were vilified by the eccentric head.

Like some of them, Li returned to prominence after Mao died in 1976. He oversaw the ministry of hydroelectric power and a CCP department that selected officials for key positions. Within the party, he was allied with the more liberal, open-minded faction advocating for reform.

After his retirement, he continued to lobby the party for reform. But his unsparing, sharp-tongued criticism of leaders, including President Xi Jinping – whom he dismissed as “lowly-educated” – needled the government. His writings were censored and his books banned in China.

As a group elder, nevertheless, he continued to be treated with respect and enjoyed privileges. He was given a state death when he passed away.

Throughout, as he navigated the echelons of power, he meticulously recorded observations about party politics and key events in his diaries.

These include his account of the Tiananmen Massacre, which he witnessed from a balcony overlooking the square and labelled as “Black Weekend” in English in his diary. It is a highly sensitive issue that is rarely discussed in China.

His girl, Li Nanyang, began donating his records, including the memoirs, to Stanford’s Hoover Institution in 2014, when he was still alive.

In a 2019 interview with BBC Chinese after his death, she said this fulfilled her father’s intentions.

In China, Ms. Zhang filed a complaint against Li Nanyang, her stepdaughter, in the same year.

Getty Images Mao Zedong Getty Images

According to reports, Ms. Zhang, who was Li Rui’s next wife, claimed that he wanted her to choose which of his records may be made public and that Stanford received them inadvertently.

The lady claimed that the memoirs contained “deeply personal and private interests” of her living with Li. She claimed that her “personal disgrace and emotional distress” were brought on by the diaries ‘ accessibility by Stanford’s people.

The journals were ordered to be delivered to Ms. Zhang by a jury in Beijing.

Stanford has rejected this decision. The school was never given a chance to defend itself, according to its lawyers, who claim that” Chinese authorities are not objective in politically charged situations like this.”

The college filed a separate petition against Ms. Zhang in the US, and the trial that started in California on Monday was the result of that suit.

Stanford is asking the California judge to grant the university’s request that the school be declared the sole proprietor of the diaries.

According to its attorneys, Li Rui wanted to give his paperwork to Stanford because he “understood that the government would seek to control his account of contemporary Chinese story” and he “feared that the materials may be destroyed.”

In order to follow Li’s hopes, Stanford has been given the right to keep copies of the journals, but it is arguing to keep the original files as well.

” Li Rui wanted his memoirs, including his classics, at Hoover”, Mr Litvack said. ” We have fought to keep them at Hoover because that’s why they are there.”

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Man got intimate video from woman on dating app but created anonymous accounts to demand more, gets jail

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Warning: This document contains links to suicidal thinking.

A gentleman received personal video from a person on a dating apps while chatting with her, which he knew were meant to be personal.

But, after they ended their conversation, the man started an unnamed website account and threatened the woman five times in a month.

The lady was pressured into sending another close photo of herself, but she eventually became so frightened that she had a panic attack and had depressive thoughts.

Terrell See Jun Jie, 25, was sentenced to 38 weeks ‘ jail on Tuesday ( Aug 13 ) for his crimes.

He admitted to three counts of threatening to disperse personal recordings, with additional two counts being considered.

THE Event

The victim met View on a dating software, whose identity is protected by a giggle order and whose facts were redacted from court records.

The victim deliberately sent Observe two personal videos of herself some time in 2021 while the two were talking on the app. &nbsp,

One picture clearly shows her mouth, and the videos were sent with the knowledge that they were only intended for See’s seeing and not to be distributed.

Eventually, the victim ceased speaking with Notice for reasons that are not stated in court documents.

But, in June 2022, View wanted more personal videos or images of the target and&nbsp, decided to use the two videos he already had to harm the victim.

See set up a Telegram accounts without his identifying information and sent the target two romantic movies of herself, threatening to deliver them if she did not send him more.

The woman initially blocked the account on Telegram, but she later learned that the person had blocked her because she did n’t realize that the person had contacted her was See.

The person then unblocked the consideration and accepted the risk by sending a picture of herself in a poseless state, partially blocked by her phone.

See created a new Telegram consideration on July 13, 2022, to demand more information from the target.

The victim once more guessed that it was the same man who had threatened her but did not know who was speaking with her.

She begged him to halt, but Discover continued with his threats. Frightened and distressed, the sufferer stopped replying.

After that, View created an Instagram accounts and sent a nude photo of the victim, knowing that she would accept this as a threat.

The girl guessed that it was the same man who had threatened her and reported it to the police on July 17, 2022.

Undaunted, See used a paid application to obtain an international phone number and use it to create a WhatsApp accounts. He threatened the prey on Jul 20, 2022.

He threatened the girl with a unique WhatsApp account the same day. He claimed that if she blocked him, she would be” trended” online, and that he would share her information and those of others who were related to her if she did n’t respond.

VICTIM TAKEN TO HOSPITAL

The target reported to the authorities again. After this, she suffered a panic attack and was taken to hospital by ambulance.

Following the abuse she had been subjected to, she was treated at the Institute of Mental Health for a panic attack and lively suicidal thinking.

The attorney sought nine to 11 months ‘ prison for See, noting the” serious problems” suffered by the sufferer that the” criminal need” See harboured for personal materials for his own sexual gratification.

The prosecutors said See had “weaponised” the movies he was formerly given, and his crimes were “highly planned and premeditated”.

” With each infraction, the accused used a various messaging app, mobile number and or accounts, behind which he hid anonymously”, said the counsel, adding that Notice had even gone to the amount of buying an international mobile range.

He said there was a degree of cruelty in See’s actions.

The prosecution argued that the absence of any final distribution of the explicit material would have been a separate offence if there had been.

Defence lawyer Mr N Divanan from Phoenix Law asked for a total of 28 to 32 weeks ‘ jail instead, saying his client had created the accounts to “reconnect” with the victim.

He claimed that there was no such thing as sophistication when creating the Instagram and Telegram accounts. Since the images sent to her were only shared by her and See, he added, the victim would have eventually developed at least a strong suspicion that the contact had been made.

The lawyer claimed that because of his client’s blockade, he was forced to create additional accounts.

For threatening to distribute intimate recordings, See could have been jailed for up to five years, fined, caned, or given any combination of these punishments.

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Veteran lawyer Eugene Thuraisingam penalised over unredacted transcripts sent to press in molestation case

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In a molestation case, veteran lawyer Eugene Thuraisingam was ordered to pay a fine of S$ 1, 000 ( US$ 755 ) for the distribution of unredacted transcripts to the press.

The plaintiff, a girl who had accused a doctor of molestation, was likely to be identified in the transcripts.

Dr Yeo Sow Nam, next 52, was acquitted of all matters of assaulting the claimant in August 2021&nbsp, after she admitted to lying.

However, it was discovered that the defense team had sent the media unredacted transcripts in violation of the joke order.

The lead lawyer, Mr. Thuraisingam, was subject to disciplinary action in a case brought by the Law Society of Singapore ( LawSoc ), which regulates local attorneys and their conduct.

Mr. Thuraisingam was spared of four counts related to Dr. Yeo’s case, according to a report released by the disciplinary tribunal last Thursday ( Aug 8 ).

These include deceiving the jury, using the court system by challenging the gag order, making submissions in open court before journalists, and mischaracterizing the plaintiff’s behavior.

The court determined that Mr. Thuraisingam was innocent of the four fees because they were false.

The court said the judge’s gag order app was “entirely right” at the time when it was made.

He did but in the interest of empty justice, as well as to justify Dr Yeo, said the judge.

According to Mr. Thuraisingam, he” strongly and fairly believed that it was critical for members of the press and the general public to be informed of the claimant’s perjury.”

By ordering his associate, Mr. Johannes Hadi, to spread the records to the press, Mr. Thuraisingam admitted guilt to one of the charges of publishing the proceedings ‘ records.

WHAT HAPPENED

In February 2020, Dr. Yeo was charged with four counts of rape against the plaintiff, who is still protected by the giggle order.

The press reviews on the situation caused Dr Yeo “much distress”, the judge noted.

Another attorney assisted Dr. Yeo, who will succeed him in soon August 2020.

The situation went to trial in March 2021 before District Judge Ng Peng Hong, taking area “in cameras” or away from the public and press.

At all times, the personality of the claimant was protected by a gag order issued in February 2020, prohibiting the release of her name, address, pictures or any information or item likely to lead to her recognition.

On Mar 5, 2021, a friend and director to Dr Yeo sent an email to Mr Thuraisingam. He said he was” trawling for any inaccurate news reports” on an online forum known as Sammyboy, and said that posts on the forum were “likely to ( have ) come from the complainant’s side”.

Dr. Yeo inquired about what could be done with comments on Sammyboy, and Mr. Hadi advised Dr. Yeo to “ignore the comments on puerile forums like sammyboy.com,” stating that they should “pick ( their ) battles in the media wisely.”

Mr. Thuraisingam demanded Judge Ng’s permission to give the media access to trial transcripts from the in-camera proceedings that time.

He promised the judge that any records that were distributed may be redacted and contain details about the joke order in place.

The judge accepted his request on the grounds that the joke order would not be violated and that the important redactions may be made.

On Mar 16, 2021, Mr Thuraisingam informed Mr Hadi via e-mail to “remember to dark out” the plaintiff’s title, and to remind the media that they could not write her name.

Yet, he did not instruct Mr. Hadi to redact any information that might lead to the complainant’s recognition.

Eventually, Mr Hadi redacted just the claimant’s brand from the records and emailed them to members of the press from Singapore Press Holdings and Mediacorp.

As a result, the records sent to the press contained unredacted data that could be used to determine the plaintiff, including her time, date of birth, job and boss.

According to the tribunal, this was in violation of Section 7( 4 ) of the State Courts Act, which prohibits the use of a gag order.

The prosecution’s lead prosecutor called Mr. Thuraisingam on June 26, 2021, to inform him that the trial intended to file an indictment discharge application.

Mr. Thuraisingam updated Dr. Yeo and requested his consent for an empty court hearing. The defense team wanted this because they also wanted to have the gag get lifted.

Both parties uploaded their proposals to the joke purchase program. In Mr Thuraisingam’s written submissions, the army group alleged that the claimant was a” self-confessed philanderer” and that she had admitted to knowingly and intentionally lying in jury.

Mr. Thuraisingam gave Mr. Hadi the order to release the defense team’s written submissions for the gag order application as well as some fresh trial transcripts to the press in August 2021.

He declined to request that Mr. Hadi redact information that might have helped the complainant be identified.

On Aug 11, 2021, Mr Hadi emailed the documents to members of the press from Singapore Press Holdings, Mediacorp, the South China Morning Post and others.

Eventually, Mr Thuraisingam did not go ahead with the application to lift the gag order. The prosecution requested that the gag order be upheld.

In April of this year, Mr. Thuraisingam was charged in court with breaking the gag order after information that was made available that could have identified the complainant.

He pleaded guilty and was fined S$ 4, 000 by the court. &nbsp,

The Attorney-General then referred the case to LawSoc for a separate disciplinary inquiry into Mr Thuraisingam’s conduct as a lawyer.

Mr. Thuraisingam should be ordered to pay a fine of S$ 1, 000 in addition to costs and payments of S$ 2, 000, but the tribunal determined there was” no cause of sufficient gravity for disciplinary action” for the uncontested charge. &nbsp,

When CNA got in touch with him, Mr. Thuraisingam declined to comment.

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Proposed law to fix Singapore casino entry levy at S0 a day, after lapse of earlier order due to oversight

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After an earlier oversight, the Ministry of Home Affairs ( MHA ) and the Ministry of Social and Family Development ( MSF ) announced in a press release on Tuesday ( Aug 5 ) that a proposed law change would fix casino entry taxes for Singapore citizens and permanent residents at S$ 114 ( US$ yearly ) and S$ 3, 000 annually.

The act was introduced by Sun Xueling, the minister of state for home affairs and cultural and family development, in Parliament on Tuesday. The final change to the Casino Control Act was in 2012.

The taxes, which aim to hinder everyday and urge playing, had been increased on Apr 4, 2019 from S$ 100 everyday and S$ 2, 000 yearly, for a period of five years.

But, MHA had overlooked the issuance of the 2019 purchase, and the taxes immediately reverted to the lower prices on Apr 4 this year.

Although they were still collected during the expiration period from April 4 through May 7, with approximately S$ 4.4 million being collected above the authorized entry tax costs, they were restored to their higher amounts on May 8.

The ministers stated in the press release that the government had always intended to control the higher entry taxes after the five-year window, adding that the proposed amendments do “regularise the higher entry taxes” collected after the expiration date.

We have made our procedures more stringent to prevent a similar event from occurring again.

The authorities will continue to monitor and adjust the passage tax as needed, according to MHA, but there are no plans to increase it further.

In violation of the proposed regulation changes, gambling in gambling becomes a criminal offense. An excluded people may be fined up to S$ 10, 000 and jailed up to 12 months if found guilty.

Family members create a home visit cap to determine how many times a person can gamble in a casino, including when their behavior has caused them injury, including financial and emotional distress, neglectful family obligations, or relationship breakdowns. &nbsp,

On average, five people per month violate their Family Visit Limit.

A violation of an Exclusion Order by Laws, Third Party Exclusion Order, Third Party Visit Limit, or Home Exclusion Order is now merely a criminal offense.

The National Council on Problem Gambling and its boards will also be able to use the proposed amendments to replace an Exclusion Order with a Visit Limit, and vice versa.

The procedure typically lasts one to two weeks, according to MHA and MSF, without any protections protecting the person.

FUTURE-PROOFING Rules

The proposed changes will also extend the Gambling Regulatory Authority’s ( GRA ) regulation of casino activities to cover betting and lotteries, beyond games of chance.

” To be clear, there are currently no plans to help games to carry out betting and lotto”, MHA and MSF said in the press release.

Video software, which can be deployed on wireless equipment, could also be approved by the GRA if the need arises. This follows the GRA’s study of game system companies developing technology, without the equipment, which can be used on off-the-shelf products such as tablets.

Under the proposed changes, the GRA may even permit the development of new betting machines like electronic credits as chips for casinos in the future.

The Minister for Home Affairs has also been given the authority to appoint principal stockholders under the act.

As the primary owners are responsible for the development of the included accommodations and their long-term pledges in Singapore, the minister is much placed” to take into account whole-of-government factors”, MHA and MSF said.

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