PM’s final warning to the IGP

I Saved Daham And His Veyangoda Underworld, President Won’t Touch Me: IGP Pujith Jayasundara

   

I Saved Daham And His Veyangoda Underworld, President Won’t Touch Me: IGP Pujith Jayasundara

Aug 20, 2017

Inspector General of Police Pujitha Senadhibandara Jayasundara was has stirred a storm of public criticism over his manhandling of a minor employee of the Police has been asked by the Prime Minister Ranil

Wickremasinghe to resign from the position with dignity at a special and a private meeting between two of them at the Temple Trees today (19th). 

The meeting surrounds the incident where the IGP manhandled a Lift Operator,a minor employee of the Police which had been videoed and made public.The Prime Minister has pointed out to the IGP that according to the Report of the United Nations Human Rights Commission on Sri Lanka, there are still instances of unlawful arrest, detention and torture in the country and among alleged Institutions the Police is ranked as No.1. And that in such a backdrop the IGP of the Sri Lanka Police himself manhandling a minor employee such as a lift operator has come in for severe criticism from International Human Rights Organizations. The Prime Minister thereafter has told the IGP that the only solution is for him to resign.

The IGP has remained silent at the accusations leveled against him by PM and at the end has requested that he may be allowed to remain in the position till September to which the Prime Minister has agreed.
A senior Minister referring to the attempt by the Police Media Spokesman to whitewash the action of the IGP said “ investigating as to how the video of the incident has leaked is like making investigation on a sword that was used to kill a person than investigation on the murder of the person”

The first video interview with the manhandled lift operator Samarakoon Banda was published by Lanka News Web and await the reply of the lift operator to the accusations leveled against him next week…….

IGP who bullyrags his subordinates and cringes to Rajapakse criminals incurs the displeasure of the staff

(Lanka-e-News - 20.Aug.2017, 11.55PM) IGP Poojitha Jayasundara (Police Koloma) who is rightly  dubbed Imbecile General of police because of his eccentricity and rowdy behavior  assaulting and insulting his innocent subordinates while himself wearing the police uniform , shamelessly slunk  and hid himself like a pavement stray  dog that has robbed something in public  when the Medamulana Rajapakse marauders , hooligans and murderers wreaked havoc and shouted threateningly , ‘ado  beware , see what we will do to you when our government comes to power’ while  surrounding his own police department .This disgraceful and shameless conduct of the IGP incurred the bitter displeasure of all law abiding officers of the police force.

This incident occurred when two Rajapakses ( the name  now best noted for their worst crimes) were recently  summoned to the police – Shiranthi Rajapakse to the CID and Rohitha Rajapakse to the  FCID  and interrogated. The Rajapakse goons and goofs brought in bus loads virtually laid siege to the police department and obstructed the investigating officers in the execution of their duties.  

The worst criminal drama was enacted when Namal Rajapakse M.P. (another Rajapakse sibling against whom too are   criminal cases pending in courts) who arrived with  his team  of hooligans began shouting and screaming ‘ Ado Bado, see what we will do to you when our government is installed in power’ thereby threatening  SI Shantha Bandara ,the officer of the FCID who was interrogating Rohitha Rajapakse (yet another Rajapakse criminal sibling).  Incidentally ,Shantha Bandara was the same officer who interrogated Namal Rajapakse  the  notorious synthetic lawyer too over his criminal activities  on an earlier date .It is IP Shantha Bandara who is investigating the colossal Rs. 700 million fraud in which Namal is the prime suspect. This sum was paid to Namal by Krrish Co. India   for development of Rugby  sport . 

Even when Shiranthi Rajapakse of the notorious corrupt Rajapakse family was summoned to the CID and was being questioned , a gang of goons and hooligans were brought in bus loads and the police was surrounded . They were shouting most violently and  comparing Shiranthi the infamous culprit with famous Vihara Maha Devi ( when in fact the contrast between the two should have been highlighted )  thereby obstructing the police officers from performing their legitimate duties. 

There had been two occasions previously when the police were surrounded by the public . On both occasions it was because the unarmed suspects arrested by  the police died while in police custody .The police officers responsible were duly arrested and punished . In fact some officers were even sentenced to death !

Otherwise than those  two occasions , if gangs and goons  are  brought to surround the police station where  a suspect or witness  is summoned to record a statement , and if the crowd that has gathered had  behaved in an unruly manner it is tantamount to obstructing the performance of duties of the police officers and inciting the public to violence . This is a very serious offence. In every such instance the cronies and goons of the unruly crowd  were  taken into custody and punished after producing them  in courts .However , shockingly  when the goons and gangs of Rajapakses surrounded the police and created mayhem that law was not enforced.  It is therefore being widely and justifiably questioned whether double standards are being practiced when it comes to law enforcement in Sri Lanka ?

Though Namal Rajapakse could have been arrested even as he threatened the police in the recent rowdy unlawful  behavior of his  , unfortunately because there was no such order given by the IGP , the victims , mind you the police officers had to seek court intervention to redress  their woes. 

The FCID submitting a report to the courts on the 18 th stated , Namal Rajapakse by abusing and threatening  the police investigator IP Shantha Lalith  ? committed an offence  , and therefore requested court to issue summons on  him.  The Colombo additional magistrate Chandana Kalansuriya  however gave an intriguing answer in response  : He said ,  a court order is not necessary , and if Namal had committed a grave wrong  the police have powers to arrest him.

By this enunciation of the judge it is very evident the IGP has not been  giving orders duly to the officers to enforce the law against Rajapakses .The police officers fearing that they would incur the displeasure  of the IGP  are forced to seek redress through courts – the only option they have when the IGP’s assistance  is not there for them .
 
It is worthy of note , in the history of the police force never had there been an IGP who degraded and insulted  the police rank and file to this extent . This IGP who is therefore rightly  dubbed  Imbecile General of police and best known for his eccentricities and gross  incompetence , became even more notorious when he threatened  the woman police officer at the inquiries counter in foul language , ‘ Beware ! I shall f….k (kelinawa) you too,’ he screamed.   Not enough ,he assaulted the lift operator too.  Owing to his sex starvation and  dementia  the subordinates are now infuriated , de-motivated and frustrated.  

Conducting raids to apprehend rogues and murderers is a very grave police operation. If the ruling government is to  permit  room to the powerful culprits and political bigwigs to flaunt their powers and challenge the law enforcement officers when executing their duties ,  it no longer deserves the name  ‘good governance’  - better it changes that to  ‘no governance’ .

---------------------------
by     (2017-08-21 00:02:24)

SRI LANKA: Video showing the IGP grabbing a Police Officer by the collar challenges the respect due to on-duty Policemen

August 21, 2017

There is a saying that “if you are bitten by a cobra there is hardly any cure”. The situation of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) violating the law and committing an act of torture appears to have the same effect. This is not because of a defect of the Law in Sri Lanka. It is because of the manner in which the Law is being enforced. A video showing the IGP holding a police officer by his collar has been seen by many people after it was shown on the Internet. As a result, the public is alarmed leading to media discussions about the incident. However, up to now no legal action has been taken against the IGP. Given the normal practice in Sri Lanka there is hardly any reason to think that any action will be taken in the future.

 

This situation raises a number of serious legal issues.

The Law in Sri Lanka is based on the fundamental premise that no one is above the Law. This fundamental tenet was established through centuries of struggle for the displacement of the Monarchy and to establish Parliamentary Democracy. That no one is above the Law is the foundation on which the whole legal system stands. Every attempt to undermine this principle is a serious threat to the legal system as whole. The Sri Lankan Police Institution is the primary institution that has been created to protect the Rule of Law. There is no other function that the Police, as an institution, have to accomplish which is outside this fundamental obligation. Every function that the Police are expected to carry out, can be justified only on the basis of its duty to protect this fundamental principle.

Thus, the very existence of the Police Institution depends on the enforcement of the Law that states that everyone is equal before the Law.

The offence that the IGP is alleged to have committed is torture. Torture was recognized as an offence in Sri Lanka by the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment Act, act No: 22 of 1994. Under this law, the punishment for the commission of an act of torture or ill-treatment is seven years imprisonment and a fine of not less than ten thousand rupees. Up to now a number of police officers have been found guilty of committing torture and have been punished under this Act. For many other officers their charges are pending in the Courts. The fact is that many police officers have been punished under the CAT Act but the highest officer, the IGP, has not even been investigated for his alleged illegal behaviour. The public revelation relating to the commission of the same offence revealed a double standard in the enforcement of the Law.

The actual question that has arisen is similar to the proverbial question of who is to bell the cat? Who has the right and duty of care to investigate the highest officer of the policing service if he is alleged to have committed a crime? There apparently is no answer forthcoming. However the responsibility for the actions of the IGP lies with the President, the Prime Minister and the Government of Sri Lanka. The Government itself exists only on the foundation of Law. If the Government fails to takes steps to enforce the Law it puts the entire legal system in jeopardy.

This issue of enforcement of the Law affects the good name of the policing service whose sole justification for its existence is the enforcement of the Law.

This issue should be of concern to everyone who wants to see that the Sri Lankan State carries out its fundamental obligation to enforce the Law. This includes punishing the alleged perpetrators and not affording them special consideration because of their higher status.

Sri Lanka’s march toward emerging sciences: A rugged road but not impossible to tread

Minister Susil Premajayantha speaking at the biotech degree launch
Northumbria University’s biotechnology degree in Sri Lanka

 Monday, 21 August 2017

At a recent event at which the UK-based Northumbria University’s BSc Honours Degree in biotechnology was launched in Sri Lanka, Minister of Science, Technology and Research Susil Premajayantha outlined the plan of his Ministry to take Sri Lanka toward emerging sciences, also known as emerging technologies.

Sri Lanka’s march toward emerging sciences A rugged road but not impossible to tread.docx by Thavam on Scribd

Will South Africa push back Israel’s charm offensive in Africa?

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attended the ECOWAS summit in Liberia in June, part of a charm offensive in Africa. (via Facebook)

Ali Abunimah-18 August 2017

South Africa will boycott an Africa-Israel summit planned for the Togolese capital Lomé in October.
Pretoria’s ambassador in Beirut reportedly said that the summit was aimed at normalizing relations between African countries and what he termed an “occupation state.”

He also pledged support for efforts to urge other African states to do the same.

If South Africa follows through, it may indicate that it is ready to exert more diplomatic muscle to counter Israel’s influence.

Togo is inviting the governments of all 54 African states to the summit, but Palestinians, Morocco and South Africa are working to oppose it, Israeli sources told The Times of Israel.

In June, Morocco’s King Muhammad VI boycotted a summit in Liberia of the West African regional grouping ECOWAS because Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was invited.

Netanyahu has described Togo’s willingness to host the upcoming summit as “the best testimony to the success of our policy, of Israel’s presence in Africa.”

Supporting Africa’s “most brutal regimes”

Israel has a long and sordid history of involvement on the continent. Once maintaining ties with several dozen countries, its relations with African states cooled significantly after the 1967 and 1973 Middle East wars.

But Israel maintained extremely close ties with apartheid South Africa. Tel Aviv was the white supremacist regime’s main weapons supplier when Pretoria was under a tightening international embargo.

Israel now markets itself to African countries as a purveyor of development technologies such as drip-irrigation – assistance it withdrew from Senegal in revenge for that country’s December vote for a UN Security Council resolution condemning Israel’s illegal settlements on occupied Palestinian land.

But Israel has continued to fuel violence and atrocities in Africa by supplying arms used in conflicts in South Sudan and Burundi and sending weapons to Rwanda before the 1994 genocide – a role Israel has sought to cover up.

According to the New African magazine, most trade between Israel and Africa has been “in the defense and military sector, exporting Israeli arms, experts and techniques to some of Africa’s most brutal regimes.”

Summit host Togo is reportedly one country where Israel provides military training.

But now in addition to military exports, the New African reports, many Israeli firms are “looking to Africa as a business playground.”

Israel also sees better relations with African states as a way of reducing the huge majorities that usually vote to condemn its violations of international law at the UN.

Secret deal

Netanyahu’s charm offensive in Africa has included some memorable moments. In a barely coherent speech during the Israeli leader’s visit to Uganda last year, President Yoweri Museveni repeatedly referred to Israel as “Palestine” and the Star of David as the “Star of Joseph.”

Museveni also referred to the fact that early Zionists had considered Uganda, instead of Palestine, as a target for their colonization. “Fortunately, the Jewish leaders rejected that nonsense,” the president said. “Those Jewish leaders were very, very clever, otherwise we would be fighting you now.”

But instead of fighting, Museveni and Netanyahu have reportedly made secret deals in which Uganda takes in African refugees and migrants expelled by Israel in exchange for favorable terms on arms deals.

The cynicism of Israel’s wooing of African states is highlighted by the unchecked racism, incitement and abuses against African migrants and refugees, led by Netanyahu and senior members of his government.

South Africa stepping up?

While there’s no doubt that there is strong and broad popular support for the Palestinian cause in South Africa, there are indications that the country’s ruling African National Congress is getting more determined about giving this solidarity real effect through the country’s policies.

Official South African policy still supports a two-state solution.

Last month, the ANC’s policy conference adopted a resolution urging the government to sharply downgrade Pretoria’s diplomatic ties with Tel Aviv.

And this month, the South African parliament rejected an audience with counterparts from Israel’s Knesset that had been proposed by the Israeli ambassador. The move by South African lawmakers has drawn strong supportfrom local grassroots groups and Palestinian parties.

Veteran South African freedom fighter and former government minister Ronnie Kasrils is also warning lawmakers that Israel lobby groups are trying to undermine their stance by inviting them to events with the Israeli officials under the umbrella of Jewish community organizations.

The ANC’s parliamentary caucus said the refusal to meet the Israeli delegation stems from “disquiet” about the Knesset’s recent law retrospectively “legalizing” settler grabs of Palestinian land.

It adds that: “The continuous killings of Palestinians by the Israeli security forces, administrative detentions, deportations and many other human rights violations also form part of the reasons why the ANC cannot allow itself to be co-opted into this charm offensive by Israel through this parliamentary visit.”


The question is how hard South Africa will push and how successful it will be in convincing other African states not to be co-opted either.

Palestinian cause not a Muslim-only problem, activists tell Malaysia

The forum panelists. Photo by Lee Lian Kong.

By Lee Lian Kong | 21st August 2017

WHILE lauding Malaysia for its record of strong support for the Palestinian cause,  foreign activists are calling upon Malaysia to lose the ‘Muslim-only’ problem label on its advocacy efforts and re-frame it as one that affects humanity as a whole.

Speaking at a forum held in Kuala Lumpur last week, European Palestinian (EuroPal) Forum chairman, Zaher Birawi said Malaysia can do more in its aid to Palestine, from its geopolitical relations to how it puts forth the Palestinian narrative at home.

“We need to reach out to all sectors regardless of their religion,” Birawi told the “Advancing the Palestinian Cause: Advocacy and Activism in the Malaysian Context” forum.

SEE ALSO: Indonesia: Is the future of terrorism female?

Efforts at home, through civil society and its education system, tend to label the struggle for Palestinian independence from Israel’s illegal occupation as a problem limited to Muslims, according to Birawi.

Malaysia is a long-time Palestine ally and does not have formal diplomatic relations with Israel. Last year, it was one of the 4 countries in the United Nations’ Security Council to put forth a resolution demanding an end to “all settlement activities” in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, which was later adopted following a surprise abstention by the United States.

While Birawi lauds this, the British-Palestinian journalist said more can be done on the geopolitical front by Malaysia, especially through its diplomatic relations with other Muslim countries. For example, its Ministry of Foreign Affairs should be playing a more active role among the Organisation of Islamic Cooperations – a coalition of 56 countries in the Muslim world – to mobilise support for the Palestinian courts in international forums.

“Malaysia can do a lot more,” Birawi said, urging locals to lobby the Malaysian government on this.

SEE ALSO: Malaysia: What’s the point of boycotting the local Starbucks?

Apart from reducing the cause to one based on religion only, another panelist, Muslim Imran who chairs the Palestinian Cultural Organization Malaysia (PCOM), argued that there are areas where Malaysian non-governmental organisations (NGO) can improve its advocacy.

Muslim Imran called for a more cohesive approach from Malaysian NGOs. Photo by Lee Lian Kong

Imran called for these NGOs to cover all bases and reach as big an audience as possible..

“We don’t want 100 NGOs in one country that do the same function and role. No, we want them to complement each other,” Imran said.

While pro-Palestine support is commonplace in Malaysian society, its campaigns to show support have sometimes missed the mark, in terms of efficacy and accuracy.

In 2014, several Malaysian Muslim organisations held a month-long ban on buying products from companies which they deemed were in support of a Zionist regime, such as McDonald’s and Coca Cola, although many of them were later found to be unverified claims.

10 sailors missing after USS John S. McCain collides with oil tanker

The guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain is seen damaged after a collision, off Johor, Malaysia, in this handout picture dated Mon., Aug. 21, 2017.

 ROYAL MALAYSIAN NAVY VIA REUTERS

Last Updated Aug 21, 2017 2:35 AM EDT

The USS John S. McCain, a guided-missile destroyer, was involved in a collision early Monday with a oil tanker east of Singapore and the Strait of Malacca resulting in damage to its port side aft (left rear), according to the U.S. Navy.

Search and rescue efforts are underway, U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet says. Officials say 10 sailors are missing and five are injured. They say that four of the injured were medically evacuated by a Republic of Singapore Navy Puma helicopter to a hospital in Singapore for non-life threatening injuries. The fifth injured sailor did not require further medical attention, according to officials.

The Singaporean Navy is sending assets to assist and the USS America is en route to help. The collision was reported at 6:24 a.m. local time, the U.S. Navy says.

The U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain is seen damaged after a collision in Singapore waters on Mon., August 21, 2017.

 REUTERS

"In addition to tug boats out of Singapore, the Republic of Singapore Navy ship RSS Gallant, RSN helicopters and Police Coast Guard vessel Basking Shark are currently in the area to render assistance," the Navy's statement read.

USS John S. McCain is sailing under her own power and is heading to port, the Navy added.

A map shows the location where the Alnic MC vessel came to a halt after a collision with the USS John S. McCain on Mon., Aug. 21, 2017.

 REUTERS

Senator John McCain sent the following message on Twitter in response: "Cindy & I are keeping America's sailors aboard the USS John S McCain in our prayers tonight."

Read More

Julian Cadman, seven, confirmed as among 13 killed in Barcelona attack

Family pays tribute to ‘energetic, funny and cheeky’ boy and thanks those who helped search for him after Thursday’s attack
 Julian Cadman. In the immediate aftermath of the attack it was unclear what had happened to him. Photograph: Supplied

Alexandra Topping-Sunday 20 August 2017 

The family of a seven-year-old boy missing since last week’s Barcelona terror attack confirmed on Sunday that he had died and paid tribute to the “energetic, funny and cheeky” schoolboy who always brought “a smile to our faces”.

Julian Cadman, who had dual British-Australian nationality, had been missing since the attack on Thursday. His family confirmed on Sunday that he was among the 13 people killed in Barcelona.

“Julian was a much loved and adored member of our family. As he was enjoying the sights of Barcelona with his mother, Julian was sadly taken from us,” they said in a statement issued through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Australia.

“He was so energetic, funny and cheeky, always bringing a smile to our faces. We are so blessed to have had him in our lives and will remember his smiles and hold his memory dear to our hearts.

“We would like to thank all those who helped us in searching for Julian. Your kindness was incredible during a difficult time.”

In the immediate aftermath of the attack it was unclear what had happened to Julian. On Friday Theresa May, the UK prime minister, said the British government was “urgently looking into reports of a child believed missing, who is a British dual national”.

Reports emerged that he had been separated from his mother, who was badly injured. It is understood that she is in a serious condition in hospital. Family members shared pictures of Julian in an attempt to locate him, while his father and grandmother travelled to Spain from Australia.

The boy’s father, Andrew Cadman, landed on Saturday afternoon to comfort his seriously injured wife, Jumarie, known as Jom. It is understood she was in the area to attend a family wedding when she and her son were struck by the terrorist’s van which killed 13 people and left more than 100 injured.

Boris Johnson, the foreign secretary said: “I send my sincerest sympathies to the family of Julian Cadman and all those who loved him. His death is a tragedy. The FCO, our Australian colleagues and the Spanish authorities continue to do all we can to support his family at this deeply distressing time.”

Malcolm Turnbull, the Australian prime minister, had earlier described the family’s ordeal as tragic.

As well as confirming Julian’s death, Catalan police said they had confirmed the identities of a Belgian and Italian victim, but did not name them. At least 14 people were killed and more than 100 injured in the terror attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils, with those affected hailing from all over the world. 

Twelve of the 14 people killed in the two attacks have been named. DNA tests are being carried out on the remaining two bodies. Once the identities are confirmed, police will inform the courts, then the families and finally the public. Of the injured, 53 are still in hospital, 13 of them in a critical condition.

Citizens of 34 countries were caught up in the atrocities, including England, Ireland, Spain, Germany, Australia, Canada, the United States, France and China. 

Authorities have identified victims of the attack in Barcelona as British-Australian, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Spanish-Argentine, Canadian, Belgian and American. The victim of the second assault in Cambrils has been identified as a Spanish woman.

Respected Wildlife Campaigner Shot Dead in Tanzania

By Julia Proctor,-Aug 20, 2017

The anti-poaching conservationist Wayne Lotter, aged just 51, was tragically murdered in events that took place on Wednesday in Dar as Salaam, Tanzania.

The activist was shot dead in a taxi travelling back from the airport to his hotel, which was apparently stopped by another vehicle. Two men are then believed to have emerged from the second vehicle, opening Wayne Lotter's taxi door before shooting him where he sat.

Wayne Lotter was a well loved and respected member of the conservationist community, dedicating his entire life to anti-poaching movements. Of his achievements, it can be said that co-founding and directing the PAMS Foundation, an organization that strives to protect elephants and giraffes, was by far one of his greatest. 
Further achievements of Lotter included raising funds for Tanzania’s National and Transnational Serious Crimes Investigation Unit (TNTSCIU). In recent years this institute has played a significant part in the arrest of illegal poachers and traffickers all around Africa.

The most prominent case tackled by the TNTSCIU to date, remains the 2015 arrest of the 'Queen of Ivory', Yang Feng Glan. The Chinese woman in question was accused of managing and operating an ivory smuggling ring worth $2.6 million. Only through the adequate funding and resources, partly funded by Lotter, was this investigation and arrest made possible. 
In his many years of campaigning, Lotter received numerous death threats as result of his quest to preserve African wildlife. Fellow conservationists have declared that Lotter's death is an unfortunate representation of the dangers activist's face in everyday life. Lotter's death in particular demonstrates the dangers of speaking out against well armed and organised crime groups that control the poaching and trafficking industry.
A census that was published only last year revealed that the African elephant population decreased by an astonishing 30% from 2007 to 2014. Tanzania was called the epicentre of this disaster; a whopping 60% of the Tanzanian elephant population declared as perished.

These shocking figures were the motivations behind Wayne Lotter's strive to end illegal activity surrounding poaching and trafficking ivory. His remarkable work in this area will forever remain his legacy.
Over the past few days Lotter has been remembered fondly by his fellow peers.

Dr Jane Goodall, leading primatologist and close colleague, shared her thoughts on Wednesday's incident. She states that Lotter's work ''made a big difference in the fight to save Tanzania's elephants from the illegal ivory trade''. Later adding that Lotter was a ''hero to many'', who worked to no end in fighting corruption.

Azzedine Downes, CEO of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), has also expressed his grievances. He says; ''Wayne was one of Africa’s leading and most committed conservationists. He had over two decades worth of experience in wildlife management and conservation, and can be credited as the driving force behind ending the unscrupulous slaughter of Tanzania’s elephants''.
Lotter's brutal murder has resulted in him leaving behind his entire family; his own parents, wife, and two daughters surviving him. An investigation has been launched by the Tanzanian police into Lotter's death.
Sources

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/wayne-lotter-shot-dead-anti-poaching-conservationist-queen-ivory-tanzania-pams-dar-es-salaam-a7900281.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/08/18/conservationist-campaigned-against-ivory-trade-shot-dead-tanzania/
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/aug/17/leading-elephant-conservationist-ivory-shot-dead-in-tanzania
Photo Sources
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/08/18/conservationist-campaigned-against-ivory-trade-shot-dead-tanzania/
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/aug/17/leading-elephant-conservationist-ivory-shot-dead-in-tanzania

German Car Companies Are Driving the Country Off a Cliff

"Made in Germany" used to mean reliability. Now it means collusion.

BY BERNHARD RIEGER-AUGUST 16, 2017

The proximate cause of Germany’s recently enhanced international clout has been the presidency of Donald Trump, but its ultimate foundation is the country’s economic strength — and, more specifically, the strength of German car companies. Germany’s unemployment rate has fallen from 7.4 percent to 3.8 percent since 2010, and its middle-class household incomes have seen marked increases in that period, in large part because Daimler, BMW, and Volkswagen, which also comprises the Audi and Porsche brands, have posted record results.

The country’s post-war identity has largely been defined by these auto manufacturers, which together symbolize the promise of excellence conveyed by the label “Made in Germany.” But the engineering and moral reliability of the German auto industry — and by extension the solidity of the entire German economy — is now being called into question. Both at home and abroad, consumers are now asking whether they can still trust German-made products. For Germany this amounts to an existential crisis.

When VW — the Federal Republic’s largest company, whose 2014 turnover of 200 billion euros equaled two-thirds of the federal budget — was revealed in September 2015 to have systematically manipulated the diesel emissions of 11.5 million of its cars, it unleashed a tsunami of anxiety. In the United States, VW has already paid a high price for its criminal dealings; court settlements and fines stand at over $21 billion. But the VW scandal has proven to be only the tip of an iceberg.

On July 22, a cover story in the investigative weekly magazine Der Spiegelclaimed that VW, BMW, Daimler, Audi, and Porsche had formed “one of the largest cartels of German industrial history.” Dating back to 2006, the “Big Five” had maintained more than 60 working groups that held over 1,000 meetings to exchange information, exert pressure on suppliers, and agree technical specifications for key components used in current and future models. They also seem to have been consistently collaborating on diesel emissions in ways that, according to Der Spiegel, suggest an intention to break existing environmental law.

In response to stricter limits on carbon dioxide due to concerns about climate change, German manufacturers pushed the development of a carbon dioxide-efficient diesel technology that happens to also produce increased levels of noxious nitrous oxides. The latter can be removed from exhaust fumes through the injection of a urea solution, so long as manufacturers are prepared to equip vehicles with sufficiently large urea tanks. But to save costs and space — and to appease sales departments, which vigorously opposed the installation of larger tanks that would have prevented the installation of powerful stereo speakers and precluded carrying golf equipment in the trunk — the Big Five agreed to fit many models with tanks that were too small to keep the exhaust within legal limits.

The Spiegel article was especially damaging because the auto industry’s cozy mutual accommodation stood in such contrast to its reputation for rigorously pursuing quality and competition — a reputation that not only helped sales, but helped shape post-war German national identity. Indeed, the Federal Republic’s national identity has been decisively shaped by the automobile.

It was in the immediate post-war period that Volkswagen, which had been founded by the Third Reich government to pursue a wholly unrealistic plan to mass-motorize Nazi Germany, turned from failed propaganda project into a leading firm. In the legendary Beetle, VW produced Germany’s equivalent to the Model T, which played the leading role in West Germany’s transformation into a car society. Beyond fulfilling the dream of individual car ownership, the Beetle became the widely revered icon of the Federal Republic’s much-vaunted “economic miracle”; its durability and robustness stood in pronounced contrast to the country’s instability in the first half of the 20th century and thus turned it into an ideal projection surface for hopes that the postwar order with its appealing affluence was here to stay. Quality, the Beetle suggested to postwar Germans, created stability and prosperity.

At the same time, the small car became an export success, helping revitalize the “made in Germany” label internationally and consolidating Germany’s reputation as a purveyor of quality products. Today, German car companies continue to leverage their reputation for quality and reliability to expand sales in new markets. In China, sales by Volkswagen group quadrupled from 1 million to 4 million between 2008 and 2016, allowing it to lay claim to the title of world’s largest auto manufacturer; meanwhile, sales by Daimler-Benz tripled from 160,000 to 488,000 between 2010 and 2016. After the difficulties of the immediate post-reunification years, the recent performance of the German car industry could be read as a sign that the country was resuming its march to prosperity through quality engineering.

But now Germans are learning that their leading industry may have always been focused on prosperity by any means necessary.

But now Germans are learning that their leading industry may have always been focused on prosperity by any means necessary.

It will be up to the courts and the European Union competition commissioner to assess the extent to which German car manufacturers breached the law during their decade-long collusion. Yet, behind this most recent scandal lurks a fundamental issue. In light of international trends toward stricter environmental regulations, it is surprising that so many German auto manufacturers put their faith almost exclusively in an old technology — diesel — to respond to the hybrids and electrical cars Japanese, American, and Chinese competitors regard as more promising. Of course, lacking access to the recorded minutes of strategic meetings we cannot know the ultimate reason for this preference.

But we do see in the German car sector the flip side of its reputation for reliability: a commitment to the tried-and-tested that appears to extend to a willingness to break the law. “What does all of this say about the state of nation?” asks a worried Der Spiegel. “A cartel that choses the wrong path and defends it prevents innovation and cannot win.” The very emblem of postwar stability — the German car — is beginning to lose cultural currency at home, as well as abroad. What this forebodes for the sector’s economic future is still unclear.

The Americans have Trump and the British have Brexit; and both threaten the political and economic order that favors Germany as an export nation. Meanwhile, Germany has dirty diesel. “Big parts of the motor industry have gambled away unbelievable trust,” Merkel said in the opening speech for her reelection campaign last weekend. Car companies, she demanded, have to clean up their act, and fast.

She was not merely worried about a disgruntled electorate and an eroding international customer base. If Merkel is to defend economic and political liberalism on the international stage, she cannot do so as the representative of a country whose most prominent industry is a synonym for self-serving dishonesty.

Photo credit: PATRIK STOLLARZ/AFP/Getty Images

'Extremely dissatisfied' China blames India for border scuffle

Reuters Staff-AUGUST 21, 2017

BEIJING (Reuters) - China laid the blame at India's door on Monday for an altercation along their border in the western Himalayas involving soldiers from both of the Asian giants.

Both countries' troops have been embroiled in an eight-week-long standoff on the Doklam plateau in another part of the remote Himalayan region near their disputed frontier.

Last week, a source in New Delhi, who had been briefed on the military situation on the border, said soldiers foiled a bid by a group of Chinese troops to enter Indian territory in Ladakh, near Pangong lake.

Some of the Chinese soldiers carried iron rods and stones, and troops on both sides suffered minor injuries in the melee, the source said.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said that last Tuesday, Chinese border forces were carrying out "normal" patrols on the Chinese side of the actual line of control in the Pangong lake are.

"During this time they were obstructed by Indian border forces and the Indian side took fierce actions, colliding with the Chinese personnel and having contact with their bodies, injuring the Chinese border personnel," Hua told a daily news briefing.

What India did went against the two countries' consensus to keep the peace on the border and it endangered the situation there, she added.

"China is extremely dissatisfied with this" and had lodged solemn representations, Hua said.

India's Foreign Ministry has confirmed the incident in Ladakh took place but has not given any details.

Indian media have shown footage taken on a mobile phone purportedly of the scuffle, originally posted by a retired army officer, with stone throwing and shoving by soldiers of both countries.

The heighten tension on both ends of the border come ahead of a summit of the BRICS group of nations in the Chinese city of Xiamen in early September, with leaders from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa due to attend.

China has repeatedly asked India to unilaterally withdraw from the Doklam area, or face the prospect of an escalation. Chinese state media have warned India of a fate worse than its crushing defeat in a brief border war in 1962.

Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Additional reporting by Doug Busvine in NEW DELHI; Editing by Robert Birsel

Why does Emmanuel Macron’s presidential approval rating keep falling?

French President Emmanuel Macron waits for a campaign debate to begin in April. Since his election by an overwelming margin in May, his approval rating has dropped sharply. (Lionel Bonaventure/AFP/Getty Images)

By James McAuley August 20 at 3:00 AM

PARIS — At home and abroad, the name Emmanuel Macron elicits vastly different reactions.
In many countries, the 39-year-old French president remains a symbol of youthful dynamism, a darling of social democrats shocked by Brexit and the ascent of Donald Trump. But in France, the man whose landslide victory in May marked the end of Europe’s populist surge is falling out of favor — and fast.

In view of the sky-high expectations for Macron, his initial slide in the polls was to be expected, political analysts say. After little more than three months in office, however, he faces a full-fledged nose-dive in public opinion. According to the latest YouGov poll, published at the beginning of August, just 36 percent of the French now approve of their president, roughly the same as the percentage of Americans who approve of President Trump. On May 7, 66 percent of French voters supported Macron.

That steep decline — especially given the relief that followed Macron’s trouncing of the far-right Marine Le Pen — has baffled political operatives and pollsters here. And although poll numbers fluctuate, the latest figures also have many wondering about the viability of the president’s newly established political party and his ambitious economic proposals.

In an interview, Antoni Minniti, a research director at YouGov France, attributed the unusual drop-off to a “convergence of elements” after Macron’s first 100 days in office. Among the frequently cited factors his team noticed, he said, were reactions to the president’s perceived lack of respect for the French military and the relative inexperience and lack of discipline shown by his party’s parliamentary deputies.

French military chief Gen. Pierre de Villiers said, July 19, in light of defense budget cuts, he is "no longer able to guarantee the robust defense force I believe is necessary to guarantee the protection of France and the French people." (Reuters)

[Nearing 100 days in office, Macron starts showing his true ambitions]

Others say the decline can be explained in part by France’s system of government, in which the president enjoys far broader powers than many of his Western peers — including the power to dissolve Parliament. As a result, he receives all the credit or all the blame whenever either is due.

“It’s a pitfall of the presidential system,” said Sudhir Hazareesingh, an expert on French politics at the University of Oxford. Hazareesingh also noted the damage done by lawmakers in Macron’s party, whom he described as “a complete set of novices.”

“They haven’t got used to parliamentary procedure,” he said, “and the group really isn’t as cohesive as might be hoped.”

Established last year, the party — République En Marche, or Republic on the Move — is a new force in French politics. While Macron made headlines for creating a diverse coalition of deputies — with as many women as men, and from a wide range of professional backgrounds — the brief summer session before Parliament’s August recess was marked by infighting and a degree of administrative chaos.

For many, though, it’s Macron’s personality that has done the most to alienate ordinary citizens.
In three months in power, the new head of state has been reluctant to grant interviews, preferring to deliver lengthy orations in the halls of Versailles, France’s historic seat of absolute monarchy, and such regal optics have not played well with the media or the public. Macron is more unpopular at the three-month point of his first term than any of his immediate predecessors — François Hollande, Nicolas Sarkozy and Jacques Chirac — were at the same point, according to Ifop, the Paris-based polling firm.

Of late, any attempt by Macron to act as the “Jupiter of the Elysee,” as he has been dubbed, has run into fierce opposition. A vague proposal to make his wife, Brigitte, an “official” first lady — a title that would have come with a separate taxpayer-funded budget — was abandoned after an online petition garnered more than 300,000 signatures. Brigitte Macron told Elle Magazine in her first public interview that she would serve only in an informal capacity.

[The subtle messages in Emmanuel Macron’s official portrait]

Macron’s treatment of the military has also helped cement his emerging image as an aloof, kinglike figure.

After his inauguration, the new president quickly set his sights on military expenditures, a not-unexpected move given his promises to slash government spending as a way to keep France in line with European Union budgetary guidelines. Although he pledged to increase military spending by next year, he plans to go ahead with previously announced cuts of almost $1 billion to the 2017 defense budget.

That amount represents a small fraction of the French military’s total annual budget of $37 billion. But against the backdrop of France’s efforts to combat terrorism at home and abroad, Macron’s decision was seen by military officials as a betrayal. In mid-July, the country’s top-ranking general, Pierre de Villiers, resigned in protest.

“The French army is in a very difficult state because of the budget cuts that have characterized the last 25 years,” said Vincent Desportes, a retired French general, in an interview. “Fundamentally, we need support. Macron said he would provide that support, but the first thing he did was to walk back on his word.”

Separately from the budget arguments, conservatives and other supporters of the military objected to what they saw as the undiplomatic way Macron conveyed and defended his decisions to the armed forces. The young president — who has never served in the military — dismissed the protests of his troops, telling them in a widely discussed public speech last month, “I am your boss” and insisting that he needed “no pressure and no commentary.”

The speech was poorly received by military families, Desportes said, adding, “He knows nothing.”
Hazareesingh, though, sees Macron’s lack of transparency as perhaps his biggest public relations problem.

“He’s adopted a very clear strategy of not talking to the press,” he said, noting that Macron has so far preferred to appear in the spotlight only alongside other world leaders or pop stars.


That can’t last, Hazareesingh said. “He’s concentrated on foreign policy and Europe — he wanted to establish his authority, and it’s worked. But if you keep doing that for too long, people will start to think you’re only interested in the glamorous things and not in the everyday problems people have.”