Wednesday, 28 May 2014

China sentences 55 people in Xinjiang stadium

Trucks carrying criminals and suspects are seen during a mass sentencing rally at a stadium in Yili, Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, 27 May 2014

Three of the defendants were handed death sentences

Fifty-five people have been sentenced for terrorism, separatism and murder at a stadium in China's north-western Xinjiang region, state media report.

The defendants, who appeared to be from the region's Muslim Uighur community, were presented at a venue holding about 7,000 spectators.

Three of the defendants were sentenced to death.

Chinese officials have blamed militant Uighur groups for a growing number of violent attacks across the country.

Photos from the open-air mass sentencing showed police trucks parked near a running track.

Prisoners wearing orange vests stood in the back of the vehicles, surrounded by armed guards, their heads bowed.

Criminals and suspects are transported to a stadium for a mass sentencing rally in Yili, Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, 27 May 2014

State media said that local officials and residents were among those who watched the proceedings

A paramilitary policeman stands guard near trucks carrying criminals and suspects during a mass sentencing rally at a stadium in Yili, Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, 27 May 2014

There were few details released about the cases of those on trial

The sentencing happened in Yili, near China's border with Kazakhstan.

Local officials and residents watched the proceedings.

Those sentenced to death had used weapons to murder a family last year "using extremely cruel methods", according to reports.

Celia Hatton, BBC News, Beijing

This kind of mass sentencing is reminiscent of China's Cultural Revolution in the 1960s and 1970s, when large groups of people would gather to denounce those who crossed the Communist Party leadership. In the 1980s and 1990s, public trials were also used during the government's widespread attempts to crack down on crime.

Startled by an increasing number of bloody attacks on civilians linked to militants within Xinjiang's ethnic Uighur community, the Chinese government is returning to this type of political theatre.

Beijing is attempting to calm the wider Chinese public, by showing a blatant display of force, while also issuing a warning to Uighurs hoping to challenge the dominance of the minority Han Chinese moving into Xinjiang.

No further details about the defendants' cases were immediately available.

The public rally seems to have been a show of force by the Chinese government, which has just launched a national anti-terrorism operation focusing on Xinjiang.

Officials last week announced a one-year campaign against militant violence in Xinjiang, banning people from conducting or supporting extremist activity.

Uighurs and Xinjiang

Uighurs are ethnically Turkic Muslims
They make up about 45% of the region's population; 40% are Han Chinese
China re-established control of the region in 1949 after crushing the short-lived state of East Turkestan
Since then, there has been large-scale immigration of Han Chinese
Uighurs fear erosion of their traditional culture

Why is there tension between China and the Uighurs?

The announcement came after 39 people were killed last week when five suicide bombers attacked a street market in Urumqi, Xinjiang's capital.

Beijing has blamed this - and other recent mass-casualty attacks - on Uighur separatists.

These include an attack in Beijing, where a car ploughed into pedestrians in Tiananmen Square, killing five people, and attacks at railway stations in Urumqi and Kunming.

China says it is pouring money into the Xinjiang region, but some Uighurs say their traditions and freedoms are being crushed.

Malaysia missing MH370 plane: Ping doubts 'speculative'

Search for Malaysia Airlines plane. Photo: April 2014

A huge multinational search operation was mounted for the missing plane

MH370 mystery

The US Navy has described as "speculative" claims that underwater pings thought linked to the missing Malaysia Airlines plane were probably not coming from the jet.

Michael Dean, the US Navy's deputy director of ocean engineering, told CNN the acoustic signals probably came from some other man-made source.

But the US Navy subsequently called Mr Dean's comments "premature".

Flight MH370 went missing on 8 March as it flew from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

Using satellite data, officials have concluded that the airliner, which had 239 people on board, ended its journey in the Indian Ocean, north-west of the Australian city of Perth.

'Another blow'

Four pings that officials believed could be from the missing plane's "black box" flight recorders were heard by search teams using specialist equipment. These pings have defined the area for the sea-floor search that is continuing.

"Our best theory at this point is that [the pings were] likely some sound produced by the ship... or within the electronics of the Towed Pinger Locator," Mr Dean said.

MH370 - Facts at a glance

8 March: Malaysia Airlines Kuala Lumpur-Beijing flight carrying 239 people disappears
Plane's transponder, which communicates with ground radar, was switched off as it left Malaysian airspace
Satellite 'pings' indicate plane was still flying seven hours after take off
24 March: Based on new calculations, Malaysian PM says "beyond reasonable doubt" that plane crashed in southern Indian Ocean with no survivors

He was referring to the pinger locator used by search teams to listen for underwater signals.

"Always your fear any time you put electronic equipment in the water is that if any water gets in and grounds or shorts something out, that you could start producing sound," Mr Dean said.

Shortly afterwards, US Navy spokesman Chris Johnson dismissed the comments.

"The US has been working co-operatively with our Malaysian, Australian and international partners for more than two months in an effort to locate MH370," Mr Johnson said in a statement.

"Mike Dean's comments today were speculative and premature, as we continue to work with our partners to more thoroughly understand the data acquired by the Towed Pinger Locator.

"As such, we would defer to the Australians, as the lead in the search effort, to make additional information known at the appropriate time."

Mr Dean's comments will be seen as another blow for the search teams that have now been scouring the southern Indian ocean for more than two months, the BBC's Jon Donnison in Sydney reports.

It begs the question as to whether search teams are looking in the right place, he adds.

The ongoing multinational search for the missing plane - shaping up to be the most expensive in aviation history - has yet to yield any concrete findings.

Pakistan stoning victim's husband condemns police

Police collect evidence near the body of Farzana Iqbal, who was killed by family members, at the site near the Lahore High Court building in Lahore May 27

Police questioned witnesses as Ms Parveen's bloodied body lay on the pavement

The husband of a Pakistani woman stoned to death in broad daylight outside a Lahore court says police stood by and did nothing to stop the attack.

Farzana Parveen, who was three months pregnant, was killed by her family on Tuesday for marrying a man she loved.

"We were shouting for help; nobody listened," her husband, Muhammad Iqbal, told the BBC.

Correspondents say there are hundreds of so-called "honour killings" of women in Pakistan each year.

UN human rights chief Navi Pillay said she was "deeply shocked" and urged Pakistan's government to take "urgent and strong measures".

"I do not even wish to use the phrase 'honour killing': there is not the faintest vestige of honour in killing a woman in this way."

Mr Iqbal described the police as "shameful" and "inhuman" for their failure to stop the attack.

"We were shouting for help, but nobody listened. One of my relatives took off his clothes to capture police attention but they didn't intervene.

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Muhammad Iqbal said police did nothing to stop the stoning

"They watched Farzana being killed and did nothing."

Arranged marriages are the norm in Pakistan and to marry against the wishes of the family is unthinkable in many deeply conservative communities.

Ms Parveen's father later surrendered to police but other relatives who took part in the attack are still free.

Mr Iqbal said they were threatening him and his family.

"Yesterday they said they would snatch the dead body," he said. "We came here with a police escort".

"We arrested a few of them and others are currently being investigated," local police chief Mujahid Hussain said.

Dragged to floor

Ms Parveen's parents had accused Mr Iqbal of kidnapping her and had filed a case against him at the High Court.

She testified to police that she had married him of her own free will.

Mr Iqbal told the BBC that when the couple arrived at the court on Tuesday to contest the case, his wife's relatives were waiting and tried to take her away.

As she struggled to free herself they dragged her to the floor, pelted her with bricks and then smashed her head. She died on the pavement.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan says 869 women were murdered in "honour killings" in the country last year, although it is believed that the real figure could be higher.

John Kerry tells fugitive Edward Snowden to 'man up' Jump media playerMedia player help

John Kerry tells fugitive Edward Snowden to 'man up'

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John Kerry: "This is a man who has betrayed his country"

US Secretary of State John Kerry has labelled intelligence leaker Edward Snowden a fugitive from justice who should "man up" and return home.

Mr Kerry added that if Mr Snowden, 30, "believes in America, he should trust the American system of justice".

His comments come in the wake of an interview with NBC in which Mr Snowden said he sought asylum in Russia because the US revoked his passport.

Mr Snowden also described himself as a trained spy, not a low-level analyst.

"A patriot would not run away," Mr Kerry said on Wednesday. "If Mr Snowden wants to come back to the United States... we'll have him on a flight today."

Mr Kerry also called the former National Security Agency contractor "confused", adding "this is a man who has done great damage to his country".

Harvesting data

The secretary of state's comments come just hours before Mr Snowden's interview with NBC anchor Brian Williams is set to air.

Portions of the interview released earlier show Mr Snowden claim he was trained as a spy who worked undercover overseas for the CIA and NSA.

But he described himself as a technical expert who did not recruit agents.

"What I do is I put systems to work for the US," he said. "And I've done that at all levels from the bottom on the ground all the way to the top. Now, the government might deny these things, they might frame it in certain ways and say, 'Oh well, you know, he's - he's a low-level analyst.'"

When Mr Snowden fled the US in May 2013, he had been working as a technician for Booz Allen, a giant government contractor for the NSA.

Last year, he fed a trove of secret NSA documents to news outlets including the Washington Post and the Guardian.

Among other things, the leaks detailed the NSA's practice of harvesting data on millions of telephone calls made in the US and around the world, and revealed the agency had snooped on foreign leaders.

The revelations have sparked a debate in the US over the appropriate role of the NSA and the extent to which it should be authorised to conduct such broad surveillance.

President Barack Obama has asked Congress to rein in the programme by barring the NSA from storing phone call data on its own and to require it to seek a court order to access telecom companies' records.

Last week, the US House passed such legislation, sending it to the US Senate.

Tuesday, 20 May 2014

Syrian refugees in Lebanon face health care crisis - Amnesty

Syrian refugees at Lebanese border town of Arsal, in eastern Bekaa Valley. March 2014

Syrian refugees face a desperate situation as they flee the fighting

Amnesty International says a shortfall in international support has left many Syrian refugees in Lebanon unable to access crucial medical care.

A new report says some refugees have resorted to returning to Syria to receive the treatment they need.

More than one million Syrians have fled to Lebanon to escape the fighting in their country.

The UN says there are now 2.7 million registered Syrian refugees and the number is still rising.

Large numbers have also been taken in by Turkey, Jordan, Iraq, Egypt and other countries, but Lebanon is bearing the biggest burden of all.

In March the Lebanese foreign minister said the crisis was "threatening the existence" of his country.

The UN has appealed to international donors for $4.2bn (£2.4bn) for Syrian refugees in 2014 but has only received 24% of that sum.

Syrian refugees in numbers

2.7 million registered Syrian refugees
More than 70,000 awaiting registration
More than one million Syrian refugees in Lebanon
743,000 refugees in Turkey
596,000 refugees in Jordan

Source: UNHCR

Amnesty's report, entitled Agonizing Choices: Syrian refugees in need of health care in Lebanon, says there are serious gaps in the level of medical services available to refugees.

It says that in some cases refugees have been turned away from hospitals, including patients requiring emergency treatment.

"Hospital treatment and more specialised care for Syrian refugees in Lebanon is woefully insufficient, with the situation exacerbated by a massive shortage of international funding," said Audrey Gaughran, Director of Global Thematic Issues at Amnesty International.

Clinic in the town of Kab Elias in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley. March 2014

Lebanon has borne the brunt of caring for the refugees

"Syrian refugees in Lebanon are suffering as a direct result of the international community's shameful failure to fully fund the UN relief programme in Lebanon."

The report says the health system in Lebanon is highly privatised and expensive, leaving many refugees reliant on care subsidised by the UN refugee agency, the UNHCR.

However, due to a shortage of funds the agency has had to introduce eligibility criteria for anyone in need of hospital treatment. The report says that even when refugees meet the tight criteria, most must pay 25% of the costs themselves.

"It's time for the international community to recognise the consequences of its failure to provide adequate assistance to refugees from the conflict in Syria," said Ms Gaughran.

"There is a desperate need for countries to fulfil the humanitarian appeal for Syria and step up efforts to offer resettlement places for the most vulnerable of refugees, including those in dire need of medical treatment."

Thailand martial law: Army chief to meet key players

Thai soldiers stand guard near a pro-government "red shirt" encampment in suburbs of Bangkok on 21 May 2014

Martial law was imposed early on Tuesday, amid political deadlock

Thailand's army chief is to hold talks with key players in the political crisis, a day after declaring martial law in the protest-hit nation.

General Prayuth Chan-Ocha has asked to meet the government, the Senate speaker and the two main protest factions.

After the talks it could become clearer whether the military will restrict itself to security or extend its powers, a BBC correspondent says.

On Tuesday, the acting prime minister appealed to the army to act peacefully.

Niwatthamrong Boonsongphaisan also said he had asked for new elections to be called for August, after a snap poll in February was annulled.

The army chief would meet the representatives of all the factions together, an army spokesman said, starting from 13:30 (06:30 GMT).

"General Prayuth has called a meeting at the Army Club with all sides to talk about ways out of the country's crisis," Winthai Suvaree told Reuters news agency.

Deadlock cycle

Thailand has seen six months of unrest since protesters began a campaign in November 2013 to oust the government. At least 28 people have been killed and hundreds injured.

Thailand's martial law - explained in 60 seconds

The army announced martial law in the early hours of Tuesday with the intention to "preserve order and bring back peacefulness".

It cited a 1914 law that allows intervention during times of crisis but insisted this was not a coup.

Soldiers have taken over TV and radio stations in Bangkok - both pro and anti-government - and have moved into the currently unoccupied government building.

Thailand has been trapped in a cycle of political deadlock since the military ousted Thaksin Shinawatra as prime minister in 2006.

He was widely admired by poor, rural voters - who have since elected Thaksin-allied governments in both post-coup elections - but despised by the urban elite, who form the core of the current protest movement.

His sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, led the current government until she was ousted by a court earlier this month.

The protesters say Shinawatra family money has corrupted Thailand's democracy and want an appointed administration to reform the political system before polls are held.

But any move to appoint a new administration would infuriate "red-shirt" government supporters, who have vowed to protest.

The army has staged at least 11 coups since the end of the absolute monarchy in 1932.

Pakistan air strikes 'kill 32'

Pakistan air strikes kill at least 32 militants in North Waziristan including "important commanders", officials say

What were described as precision air strikes hit targets near to the border with Afghanistan.

Tens of thousands of Pakistanis have died in bomb attacks since the Pakistani Taliban began its campaign against the central government in 2007.

The government has launched a number of offensives against the militants, but has now begun talks with the group.

"Before the launch of the air strikes, we had confirmed intelligence information about hideouts of the militants and their top commanders," said a senior military official in Miranshah quoted by the Reuters news agency.