Sunday, November 13, 2016

U.N. urges Burmese government to probe sex assault cases in Rakhine state

In this Friday, Oct. 14, 2016 photo, Myanmar police officers patrol along the border fence between Myanmar and Bangladesh in Maungdaw, Rakhine State, Myanmar. Pic: AP

12th November 2016

THE Burmese (Myanmar) government must open an investigation into allegations of sexual assault in northern Rakhine state following recent border attacks, a U.N. official said.

In a statement issued Friday, Zainab Hawa Bangura, the U.N.’s special representative on sexual violence in conflict, said she was gravely concerned by the reports and said it was essential for the government to allow humanitarian access to the area to provide support for the survivors.

“The recent escalation of violence may lead to more incidents of sexual assault, and therefore I call upon the government of Myanmar to take measures to stop this spiral of violence, particularly against women and girls,” she said.

The reports follow a surge in violence by security forces, prompted by the killings of nine police officers at border posts on Oct. 9.

SEE ALSO: Burma: Govt lifts blockade on Rakhine state, allows envoys and aid workers to enter

The envoy warned that there might be more similar incidents of sexual assaults in the future as the escalation of the violence continues, and urged to the Government of Myanmar to act now to prevent any future incidents.

“These are not isolated incidents but are part of a wider pattern of ethnically motivated violence that my office has tracked over the past several years,” she said.

“It is critical to end impunity for sexual violence, and I would remind the relevant authorities that human rights must be respected even in the context of counter-insurgency operations.”

SEE ALSO: Burmese government blocking aid in Rakhine state, says HRW

She said it is also vital for the government to provide enough access for the humanitarian organizations to intervene and ensure life-saving clinical management and psycho-social support services for survivors.

Bangura also called on the government to end access restrictions on human rights monitors and member of the media.

“(We) will continue to monitor the situation, provide any necessary support to the survivors, and hold perpetrators of conflict-related sexual violence accountable,” she said.

The UN had previously expressed concern at violent attacks by unidentified individuals and groups against border guards and security forces on Oct 9 in three areas of Northern Rakhine that became deadly.

SEE ALSO: Burma: UN adviser urges fullest restraint after fresh round of violence in restive state

Armed men attacked three police outposts in Maungdaw township near the border with Bangladesh, killing the nine police officers and seizing weapons.

The President’s Office blamed a previously unknown Rohingya group called Aqa Mul Mujahidin for the attacks, though other officials have said it is unclear who was responsible.

Five members of the security forces have also been killed in another round of violence, forcing government security forces to declare the area an “operation zone” to sweep for attackers. According to senior members of the government, security forces have killed 30 people.

Longstanding discrimination by the Buddhist majority against Muslim Rohingya in Rakhine exploded into bloody violence in 2012. More than 100,000 people, mostly Rohingyas, are still in displacement camps.

Additional reporting by the Associated Press

Colombian government and Farc reach new peace deal

Modifications to original accord, rejected in a plebiscite, aim to win round no vote but arguments have already begun

Farc lead negotiator Ivan Marquez addresses the audience while Colombia’s lead government negotiator Humberto de la Calle and mediator Dag Nylander of Norway look on. Photograph: Enrique de la Osa/Reuters

Sibylla Brodzinsky in Bogotá-Sunday 13 November 2016

A new peace deal reached between the Colombian government and leftist Farcguerrillas aims to broaden support after voters last month narrowly rejected an original accord to end more than 50 years of conflict.

Government and rebel negotiators announced late on Saturday in Havana that they had agreed on a host of modifications to the original deal, taking into account objections from different sectors of society that campaigned against it, led by former rightwing president Álvaro Uribe.

“We have reached a new final accord to end the armed conflict that integrates changes, precisions and proposals suggested by the most diverse sectors of society,” the two sides said in a statement.

The government, which had insisted that the first agreement was the “best deal possible”, admitted it had improved. “I humbly recognise that this agreement is better,” Humberto de la Calle, the government’s chief negotiator, said.

“We understood the importance of reformulating [the agreement] with a broader consensus that incorporates many voices that were absent during the negotiating process,” said Iván Márquez, the Farc lead negotiator.

Colombian voters rejected that deal in a plebiscite on 2 October, sending negotiators back to the drawing board.

Although the text of the new agreement was not immediately published, the president, Juan Manuel Santos, laid out certain changes in a televised speech. Some are little more than clarifications of the often-vague language of the text. Other modifications are more substantial.

Under the new agreement, Farc commits to declare and hand over all their assets, which will be used for reparations to victims of the conflict, a provision not included in the first accord and demanded by leaders of the no vote.

Many Colombians who rejected the deal said they did so because they wanted to see guerrillas behind bars for the thousands of kidnappings and killings they were responsible for. The new agreement does not include jail time for former rebels but better defines the kinds of alternative punishment they will face under a special tribunal that will prosecute war crimes, according to Santos.

Critics had also balked at the idea of convicted criminals being able to hold public office. That provision remains unaltered in the new deal. Santos defended the issue.

“The reason for all peace processes in the world is precisely so that guerrillas leave their arms and can participate in politics legally,” he said.

It is not clear whether Santos will risk a new plebiscite to ratify the agreement or ask congress to approve it but even before the new text was published critics tweeted their objections.

“The new agreement continues to include Farc members of congress who don’t need votes to be elected. Absurd and unacceptable,” tweeted Vanesa Vallejo.

Political analyst Ramiro Bejarano said the continued criticism from those who have opposed the peace process was predictable. “Their strategy is to torpedo peace,” he tweeted.

On congratulating Colombia on the new deal as an “important step forward”, US secretary of state John Kerry said continued dissent was understandable.

“After 52 years of war, no peace agreement can satisfy everyone in every detail,” he said in a statement.

Uribe, who championed the no vote in the referendum, did not immediately react to the new accord other than to say it should be open to review.

Donald Trump: I may not repeal Obamacare, President-elect says in major U-turn

Andrew Griffin-@_andrew_griffin-Saturday 12 November 2016

Getting rid of the healthcare plan was among billionaire businessman's biggest campaign promises

Donald Trump has said that he might not repeal Obamacare, perhaps his biggest campaign promise.

The President-elect performed the apparent U-turn after his meeting with Barack Obama at the White House this week, he has said.

Mr Trump is going to look at "amending" the Affordable Care Act, rather than completely repealing it, he told the Wall Street Journal.

"Either Obamacare will be amended, or repealed and replaced," Trump told the newspaper. "I told him I will look at his suggestions, and out of respect, I will do that."

After the President and President-elect met at the White House, Mr Trump said that he and Mr Obama had discussed "some of the difficulties" the country faced but also "some of the really great things that have been achieved". Some took that latter remark as a reference to Obamacare and perhaps other policies, and a potential suggestion that Mr Trump may be won around on what has become one of Barack Obama's flagship policies but also one hated by much of the Republican party.

Mr Obama also said he was "encouraged" by Mr Trump's willingness to work with his team, telling him: "We want to do everything we can to help you succeed because if you succeed the country succeeds".

The tense meeting was far more respectful than the exchanges between the two during the presidential campaign, during which Mr Obama called Mr Trump unfit to be president, and Mr Trump said Mr Obama was "the founder of Isis".

Mr Trump said after he spoke with congressional leaders, shortly after his first meeting with Mr Obama, that healthcare would be among his top priorities in office.

“We're going to move very strongly on immigration. We will move very strongly on healthcare. And we're looking at jobs. Big league jobs,” he told the press.

Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Mr Trump said that he may well keep at least two of the main provisions of the healthcare bill. He said that he is favouring retaining a key part of Obamacare that stops insurers from refusing to cover people because they have existing conditions, and another that lets parents add coverage for their children to their own policies.

“I like those very much,” he told the paper.

Mr Trump did say that he would still be looking to strengthen the border with Mexico, and that he would look into deregulating banks so that they can "lend again".

Morocco, international climate protesters demand: 'Make love, not CO2'

US President-elect Donald Trump is seeking to withdraw from global agreement to limit climate change

Sunday 13 November 2016

Moroccan, international protesters against climate change call for action to protect planet in Marrakesh on sidelines of COP22 climate conference on Sunday (AFP)

Thousands of Moroccans and foreigners marched on Marrakesh on Sunday to demand "climate justice" from global envoys gathered for UN talks on staving off worst-case-scenario global warming.

"It is an international march for all the people who suffer the results of climate change, yet had no role in causing it," said Mohamed Leghtas of a Moroccan climate coalition of environment, human rights and labour groups.

"Climate change is a triple injustice: committed by the north against the south, by current generations against future ones, and by a minority which enriches itself from fossil fuel energy against the poor who are left to pick up the pieces," he told AFP.

Native Peruvians, Berber groups and African associations formed part of the procession that snaked through the city, brandishing placards reading: "Make love, not CO2," and "1.5 C to stay alive."

The latter refers to the goals of the climate rescue Paris Agreement concluded at the previous round of UN talks in the French capital in 2015, and set the goal of limiting global warming to two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), or 1.5 C if possible.

"We are here to demand respect and to urge the world to commit to cutting greenhouse gases," blamed for warming the planet, added Antolin Huascar of Peru's agricultural confederation.

The protest took place on the sidelines of the 22nd Conference of Parties of the UN's climate convention, COP22 for short, which runs until 18 November.

US President-elect Donald Trump, meanwhile, is seeking quick ways of withdrawing from the global agreement to limit climate change, a source on his transition team said, defying widening international backing for the plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Trump, who has called global warming a hoax and has promised to quit the Paris Agreement, was considering ways to bypass a theoretical four-year procedure for leaving the accord, according to the source, who works on Trump's transition team for international energy and climate policy.

"It was reckless for the Paris agreement to enter into force before the election" on Tuesday, the source told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Diplomats must negotiate rules for putting the hard-fought Paris Agreement's goals into action.

On Tuesday, they will be joined by dozens of African heads of state, French President Francois Hollande and UN chief Ban Ki-moon.

"People must fight for their rights and not count on governments are under pressure from multinational corporations," Khadija Riadi, a Moroccan human rights defender, told AFP at the march.

"There can be no climate justice without respect for human rights."

Powerful earthquake shakes New Zealand, two killed

Two killed as powerful earthquake hits New Zealand

By Charlotte Greenfield and Greg Stutchbury | WELLINGTON- Mon Nov 14, 2016

A powerful earthquake rocked New Zealand on Monday killing at least two people, damaging roads and buildings, and prompting a tsunami warning that sent thousands fleeing to higher ground.

Emergency response teams were flying by helicopter to the region at the epicenter of the 7.8 magnitude quake, some 91 km (57 miles) northeast of Christchurch in the South Island, amid reports of injuries and collapsed buildings.

Hundreds of aftershocks, the strongest measuring 6.1 magnitude, continued to shake the country well into mid-morning, after the initial quake struck minutes after midnight.

Powerlines and telecommunications were down, and daylight revealed sizeable cracks in roads and damage to infrastructure.

"It was the most significant shock I can remember in Wellington," Prime Minister John Key told reporters at a dawn news conference from the parliament's underground bunker in the capital city. "There will be quite major costs around roads and infrastructure."

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull pledged assistance.

The first tremor struck just 23 km (14 miles) deep, jolting many from their sleep and raising memories of the 6.3 magnitude Christchurch quake in 2011, which killed 185 people. New Zealand's Geonet measured Monday's quake at magnitude 7.5, while the U.S. Geological Survey put it at 7.8.

But a tsunami warning that led to mass evacuations was downgraded after large swells hit Wellington, in the North Island, and Christchurch, the South Island's largest city.

New Zealand lies in the seismically active "Ring of Fire", a 40,000 km arc of volcanoes and oceanic trenches that partly encircles the Pacific Ocean. Around 90 percent of the world's earthquakes occur within this region.

MARKET REACTION

Stock exchange operator NZX Ltd (NZX.NZ) said financial markets would be open as usual, although many offices in the capital were closed. The NZX said its Wellington staff were working remotely.

A flurry of listed property companies, including Investore Property (IPL.NZ) and Argosy Property (ARG.NZ), issued notices to the NZX saying they were engaging structural engineers to examine buildings for any damage. Initial inspections showed limited impact.

The New Zealand dollar NZD=D4 fell as low as $0.7086 after the quake, from around $0.7125 before it struck, but recovered to $0.7110. The 2011 earthquake was not all bad news for the local currency, as it sparked a building boom and resulted in a huge net inflow of insurance payments.

PM POSTPONES TRIP

Key was meeting national emergency officials later on Monday morning and postponed a trip to Argentina, where he had planned to hold a series of trade meetings ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders' summit in Peru later in the week.

"The situation is still unfolding and we don't yet know the full extent of the damage," Key said. "I believe it is better that I remain in New Zealand in the coming days to offer my assistance and support."

Key said he hoped to travel to the tourist town of Kaikoura, which appeared to have borne the brunt of the quake, later on Monday.

St. John Ambulance said it was sending helicopters carrying medical and rescue personnel to Kaikoura, where at least one of the casualties was found in a collapsed house. The South Island town, a popular destination for whale watching, was completely cut off and officials said there were reports of a collapsed building.

Kevin Heays, of Environment Canterbury in Kaikoura, told Radio New Zealand there had been a lot of damage to roads.

"There are a lot of poles down," he said. "I'd say we will be without power for a long, long time. I understand that the roads north and south are out so we are pretty well isolated."

Local television reported that water to the town had also been cut off. A Reuters photographer about 60 km from the town reported damage to roads, bridges and railway lines.

In Wellington residents caused gridlock on the roads to Mount Victoria, a hill with a lookout over the low-lying coastal city.

Around 100 people, including children sleeping on floors and benches, were camped out in the distinctive parliament "Beehive" building.

"I never thought I would go to a parliament in my pyjamas," said German tourist Agatha Blasinski, 35, who had been sleeping in a Wellington backpackers' hostel when the quake struck.

Residents were advised to stay away from the central business district on Monday and the train network was closed for checks. Wellington International airport was open, however, although some arriving and departing flights were delayed.

In Christchurch, where tsunami sirens continued intermittently, three evacuation centres were accepting residents. Police set up roadblocks to prevent people from returning to lower-lying coastal areas.

Pictures shared on social media showed buckled roads, smashed glass and goods toppled from shelves in shops in Wellington and the upper South Island.

There was initial confusion when emergency services first said there was no tsunami threat.

Christchurch Civil Defence Controller John Mackie said that while the earthquake was centered inland, the fault line extended offshore for a considerable distance. That meant that seismic activity could cause movement out at sea, leading to a tsunami.

(Additional reporting by Greg Stutchbury in WELLINGTON, Jame Freed, Wayne Cole and Jane Wardell in SYDNEY; Writing by Lincoln Feast and Jane Wardell; Editing by Neil Fullick and Alex Richardson)

Our Second Brain – The Gut Feels, Acts and Recalls More Than The Head

BY GOSTICA · OCTOBER 25, 2016

The key to stress, anxiety and tension is in the belly. Here, indeed, there’s a true second brain, with important functions that are reflected on the entire body ,which regulates emotions, memories and pleasure. For a long time the intestine has been considered a peripheral structure, appointed to only perform marginal functions. The truth is that nutrition influences our thoughts and our unconscious mind in a proportion up to 90%! Eventually showing a direct link with the development of almost all diseases.

We know that, as the concept can appear inadequate, the gastrointestinal system is equipped with a brain. The unpleasant bowel is more intellectual than the heart and could have a superior “emotional” capacity. It is the only organ to contain an intrinsic nervous system capable of mediating the reflections in the complete absence of input from brain or spinal cord.

Scientific basis

Michael D. Gershon

This was stated by Michael D. Gershon, an expert in anatomy and cell biology at Columbia University, author of the bestseller “The Second Brain” – “Just think that the gut, while having only a tenth of the neurons of the brain, working independently, helps to fix the memories related to emotions and plays a key role in signaling joy and pain. In short, the intestine is the site of a second brain itself. It is no coincidence the gut cells – explains the American expert – produce 95% of serotonin, the neurotransmitter of well-being ”

The source of happiness

“In the belly we find self-neuronal tissue. It is no coincidence the gut cells – adds Gershon – produce 95% of serotonin, the neurotransmitter of wellbeing. The gut releases serotonin as a result of external stimuli, such as food intake, but also sounds or colors. And internal inputs: emotions and habits. “Studies on genetically manipulated mice, but also in vitro, have demonstrated the existence of a belly-head axis. To Gershon it’s actually the first to dominate, at least in certain fields.

Serotonin

Serotonin is involved in several important biological functions: sleep-wake cycle, sexual desire, sense of hunger / satiety, mood and peristalsis. Having a low serotonin level can lead to mood disorders, sexual health problems, trouble sleeping, trouble defecating, anxiety and contribute to depression.
Serotonin is involved in appetite control and eating behavior, resulting in the early appearance of satiety, lower intake of carbohydrates in favor of protein and a reduction, typically, in the amount of food ingested. Not surprisingly, many people who complain about a drop in mood (such as a pre-menstrual depression, (see pre-menstrual syndrome) have an important need for sweets (simple carbohydrate) and chocolate (it contains and promotes the production of serotonin , because it is rich in simple sugars, as well as of psychoactive substances).

Our power is in the belly

The amount of messages that the brain sends to the central abdominal equal to 90% of total trade, says the researcher. For the most part, these unconscious messages, we perceive only when they become warning signs and trigger reactions of discomfort. “How many -says – have experienced the feeling of “butterflies” in the stomach during a stressful conversation or exam ?. It’s just one example of the belly emotions, such as nausea, fear, but also pain and anguish.

The enteric nervous system communicates with the central one. And when the intestine suffers, for example, for irritable bowel syndrome, the person also suffers psychically. “Children who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome as children, are almost sure to suffer even from great anxiety and / or depression.

Emotional Conflicts

The guts, is not only related to reactions to ingested food, but can think, make decisions, try sensations independently from the brain, as taught by the neurogastroenterology, colitis, ulcers, heartburn etc. are precisely illnesses caused by stress (strong emotions, undigested) and so causal bacteria change because the conditions of the intestinal pH of the environment have changed.

Massaging the belly, abdominal breathing and exercise

Unlike neurons contained in the cranium, the ones scattered throughout the rest of the body can be “massaged”, both with the actual massage that stimulates the tactile corpuscles and muscle fiber and tendon receptors, and with movement. Moreover, the visceral-abdominal nerve centers can be stimulated with abdominal breathing (not chest), as taught by all the Eastern disciplines.

Proper nutrition, meditation

Stress and anxiety weigh on the intestine and alter it’s function. But it ‘s also true: diet and intestinal disorders are related to mood changes. In short, in the belly there is a brain which assimilates and digests not only the food, but also information and emotions that come from the outside. And that covers a wide area: the unrolled intestinal tissue has dimensions of 200-250 square meters, and is’ inhabited by 10 trillion bacterial cells.

To treat functional disorders of the gastrointestinal tract various meditation techniques have proven useful. [See Mindfulness. Meditation-medicine of the present moment] It is therefore necessary to have a healthy diet (no dairy, lots of vegetables, lots of fruit, few animal proteins) and combine foods correctly.

Saturday, November 12, 2016

Sri Lanka Police to go before UN Committee Against Torture

Nov 12, 2016

A team of senior Sri Lankan officials including police personnel are due to appear before the United Nations Committee Against Torture next week. The hearing is to take place on November 15 after several international organizations made representations to the UN committee over police abuse in the island.

Head of the police legal division, DIG Ajith Rohana and chief of CNI Sisira Mendis were to leave for Geneva yesterday (11) to attend the hearing.

Attorney General Jayantha Jayasuriya will lead the Sri Lankan delegation that will also comprise additional solicitor general Sarath Jayamanne and deputy solicitor general Nerin Pulle.
They will be joined in Geneva by Sri Lankan representatives at the UN Rohan Perera and Ravinatha Aryasiha.

The Human Rights Watch says, “On November 15, Sri Lanka is due to appear before the United Nations Committee Against Torture and is expected to make a case about its security sector reforms – something it agreed to take on after a 2015 UN Human Rights Council review. But this will be a difficult case to make, in large part because of police abuse.”

The National Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka recently confirmed the existence of unofficial police torture centers and called for police to end these practices.
- http://srilankaedition.com-

“You Tamil Dog, I Will Kill You” Buddhist Monk Tells Grama Sevaka In Batticaloa

November 12, 2016

A Buddhist Monk from Batticaloa has threatened to kill a grama sevaka for filing several court cases against Sinhalese living in the district.

Using absolute filth in Sinhala, Ampitiye Sumana, a monk from the Batticaloa Mangalarama said, “You are a bloody tiger. My blood boils when I see you. You are a bloody dog. You are a Tamil Grama Sevaka. You have been filing case after case against our Sinhalese. Stop filing cases against the Sinhalese. Go and take action against what is happening in Wilpattu and Siripada. If you even send out one Sinhalese from their lands, I will end the rule by the Thambiyas and the Demalas. I will smash you. This is my last warning to all of you,” the monk said.

The monk said that in the past the tigers had killed the Sinhalese, now they are attacking them. He said that the only reason he was not harming the Grama Sevaka was because of the police uniform. During the incident, which occurred on a main road, several police officers including a senior police officer was also present.

Image: A Sri Lankan Muslim girl of Puttalam. Courtesy of Chulie de Silva.

By PK Balachandran .

12/11/2016

A Sri Lankan Muslim girl of Puttalam. (Photo | Chulie de Silva)

COLOMBO: A high percentage of Sri Lankan Muslim families get their girls married off before they attain 18 – the statutory age of marriage in Sri Lanka, according a new study entitled: Unequal Citizens: Muslim Women’s Struggle for Justice and Equality written by Hyshyama Hamin and Hasanah Cegu Isadeen.

The study quotes a 2015 survey conducted by FOKUS Women in collaboration with the Muslim Women’s Development Trust (MWDT) in Puttalam district involving 1000 Muslim female heads of household which says that 42% of the respondents were married below the age of 18.The reasons given for early marriage were mainly: “family tradition and customs” (55%) and “economic reasons including protection and security” (23%).

Records of Muslim marriage registration in Kattankudy, an all-Muslim town in the Eastern Province, indicated that in 2015, 22% of all marriages were with a bride below 18 years of age. This is a considerable increase from 2014 when the figure was 14%.

In Puttalam district on the Western coast, and Batticaloa district on the Eastern coast, the age of arranged marriages varied between 14 and 17. A Quazi in Colombo district said that Muslim girls get married between 15 and 17. “The value of a girl decreases after she is 17,” he reasoned.

The Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act (MMDA) of 1951 allows marriage of girls as young as 12. The only restriction is contained in Section 23 which says that registration of marriages of girls below the age of 12 has to have a prior inquiry and authorization by a Quazi.

However, in practice, the solemnization of a marriage with a girl below 12 without a Quazi’s approval is considered valid, the study by Hamin and Isadeen points out. Non-compliance with this provision amounts to a criminal offence, but the penalties are insubstantial – it is either a fine not exceeding a hundred rupees, or imprisonment not exceeding six months, or both.

Sec 363 (e) of the Sri Lankan Penal Code was amended in 1995 in such a way that the Muslim practice of allowing men to marry girls under 12 is safeguarded. The amended section re-defined “statutory rape” as sexual intercourse with any girl below the age of 16, with or without her consent “…unless the woman is his wife who is over twelve years and not judicially separated from the man”.

Early marriage may lead to early divorce, the study says. According to women volunteers who assist affected women, one of the main reasons for husbands’ seeking divorce from wives who are minors is that they are “unfit to have sex” or are “unable to do housework”.

The plight of young girls who are divorced is pitiable. Education of young women and girls who got married early was more often than not discontinued, significantly limiting their higher educational and economic opportunities. The study showed a significant difference in the educational attainment of girls who were married before 18 years and those married after 18 years. The majority of respondents who married before 18, had only studied up to grades 5 or less.

Early marriage makes Muslim girls susceptible to grave financial difficulties in the event that the husband is unable or unwilling to provide maintenance, and also in the case of his death or his decision to marry another woman.

Those who are not in favor of setting a minimum age of marriage for Muslims, often give the example of some states in the USA which have a low minimum age of marriage. But they ignore the fact that Muslim majority countries such as Algeria, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, Turkey and Lebanon have set a minimum age of marriage in keeping with international human rights standards, the study points out.

Express News Service