What is happening about Xinjiang?

Latest sanction

 

On March 26, the spokesperson of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China announced sanctions to 9 individuals and 4 entities from UK for their comments regarding to Xinjiang. This sanction is part of sanctions launched as counter-backs to previous sanctions to China from the West. This sanction will be preventing them from entering Mainland China, Hong Kong SAR and Macau SAR. Their asset in China will be frozen and Chinese citizens and entities will not be allowed to do business with them. 

Iain Duncan Smith, Nusrat Ghani, Tom Tugendhat

 

Amount those who were sanctioned, there are five members of the Parliament: Tom Tugendhat, Iain Duncan Smith, Neil O'Brien, Tim Loughton and Nusrat Ghani. There are 2 members from the House of Lords: David Alton and Helena Kennedy. The other two individuals sanctioned are Joanne Smith Finley, a scholar, and Geoffrey Nice, a lawyer. The 4 entities sanctioned are China Research Group, Conservative Party Human Rights Commission, Uyghur Tribunal, and Essex Court Chambers. 

 

Previous Sanctions

Chen Mingguo
Sanctioned by UK

 

Recently, regarding Xinjiang, US, EU, UK and Canada governments launched sanctions to Chinese Officials. Those sanctions including travelling bans and freezing assets. Beside sanctions to UK which is mentioned previously, China also launched similar sanctions to individuals from EU.  

Cotton and Forced Labor Accusations

 

Some of individuals sanctioned by China claims that there are forced labors in Xinjiang, more specifically, in the cotton industry. Bettor Cotton Initiative (BCI), whose goal is to make cotton industry sustainable, stopped licensing cottons from Xinjiang. As they stated in their website: “Increasing media and academic attention on geopolitical issues, including the treatment of Uyghur Muslims in the Xinjiang area of China, has further demonstrated that production location and sustainability are crucially interlinked.” 

As members of BCI, H&M and Nike issued statements basically saying that they will stop use cotton from Xinjiang due to the forced labor accusations. H&M’s statement was written months ago, but recently, about 2 days ago, it was discovered and criticized on Weibo (Social media similar to Twitter). Then, some people says that they will boycott H&M, Nike and other brands agree with forced labor accusations.

There is a lack of labor for cotton industry in Xinjiang. Actually, many people from other part of China were hired to do the work during busy seasons. However, neither hiring nor forcing people to pick up cotton by hands will solve the problem. To solve the problem, techs are needed. Today, some farmers use drones and tractors to mechanize the industry and improve the efficiency.

On March 1, BCI representative form Shanghai posted "Important Statement about Xinjiang Issue". It says: according to examinations guided by BCI's principles since 2012, there is no case of forced labor found in Xinjiang. 

 

Comparison, Contrasts, and Why we hear so much human rights accusation about China?

Personally, for some part, I think these are misunderstandings caused by difference between China and the West. Some differences are physical, such as economy and geography. The others are about beliefs and ideology. 

Bad transportation cause by landforms
Le'er, Atule'er, Zhi'ermo, Liangshan, Sichuan
The government built better stairs so people can be safe until moving out

Some problems that Chinese are facing is not significant or does not exist in the west, such as overpopulation and extremely poor transportation system due to landforms (climbing cliff to go to school). So, people from the west may not understand why Chinese governments persuade people to move. 

Cooking class at Forced Drug Addiction Treatment Center
Hainan Province

Additionally, there are some Chinese approaches that west people do not understand because of beliefs. Instead of personal freedom, Chinese people values public security more. So, Chinese government sent people addicted to drugs to get forced treatments and people who believe extremism values to education center. After all, these approaches, although may be hard to understand, do make China better, and do make Xinjiang better.

https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/web/fyrbt_673021/t1864363.shtml

http://new.fmprc.gov.cn/web/fyrbt_673021/dhdw_673027/t1863102.shtml

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/03/25/china/china-uk-sanctions-xinjiang-intl-hnk/index.html

https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-usa-china-eu-sanctions-idUSKBN2BE2LF

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-56532569https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/eu-slaps-sanctions-chinese-officials-uyghur-abuses-76602377

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/7dK45gRCCYZ1RMsbkw5CoQ

https://bettercotton.org/blog/exploring-traceability-what-were-doing-to-make-better-cotton-traceable/

https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1X5411P7fT

https://www.bilibili.com

https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/25/business/hm-nike-xinjiang-cotton-boycott-intl-hnk/index.html

50th Anniversary of Bangladeshi Independence - An Insight into Indian - Bangladeshi Relations

Upon Indian independence from Britain colonial rule in 1947, the land was split as East Pakistan, India and West Pakistan. With Bengali mainly spoken in the East, this land later became known as Bangladesh. With the 50th anniversary of Bangladeshi independence, Indian Prime Minister Modi, visited Bangladesh for a two-day trip in order to commemorate the anniversary but his arrival was not unanimously welcomed. His trip includes commemorations of the birth of independence leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Modi’s visit, cloaked by Bangladeshi celebrations, has a significant political agenda for his own interests as well. Starting Saturday, voting begins in several state elections. Specifically in West Bengal, which borders Bangladesh. Modi’s Hindu-Nationalist party has increased religious polarization in India and discriminated against Muslims. Considering Bangladesh’s Muslim majority population, Modi’s trip can be seen as a political move to appeal to this majority.

As chief minister in Gujarat in 2002, Modi was publicly deemed responsible for the Hindu-Muslim riots that left more than 1,000 people dead. While he denied any role in this bloodshed, his party’s rhetoric against Muslim minorities makes this difficult for citizens to believe. 

Protestors in Bangladesh who are opposed to Modi’s visit criticized Hasina for inviting Modi, citing the controversial 2019 amendment to the citizenship law as a coherent example of his discrimination. The law used to prohibit legal migrants from becoming Indian citizens. It defines illegal immigrants and adds a provision that states a person must have lived in India or worked for the federal government for at least 11 years before they can apply for citizenship. There is an exception for six religious minorities including Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsi and Christians. For any one of these minorities who are from Pakistan, Afghanistan or Bangladesh, they only have to live/work in India for six years to become a naturalized citizen. 

The amendment is inherently exclusionary and violates the Indian constitution within itself. The constitution prohibits religious discrimination and ensures that faith can not be made a condition of citizenship. By dividing migrants into Muslims and non-Muslims, the bill is simply reinforcing the ideologies of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The anniversary of Bangladeshi independence sets an incredibly unique stage for Modi and other South Asian politicians to forward their political agenda. In the case of Modi, this is his first visit after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic; this simply furthers his attempts to show how vital Indian-Bangladesh relations are.

ABC News, ABC News Network, abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/india-pm-modi-visits-bangladesh-mark-independence-day-76698603. 

“Citizenship Amendment Bill: India's New 'Anti-Muslim' Law Explained.” BBC News, BBC, 11 Dec. 2019, www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-50670393. 

ALAM, JULHAS. “Born in War, Bangladesh Marks 50 Years of Independence.” AP NEWS, Associated Press, 24 Mar. 2021, apnews.com/article/business-dhaka-pakistan-bangladesh-india-f47a1530289745df7ed1b99516d93a98. 

The International Implications of North Korea's Ballistic Missile Launch

North Korea has been accused of firing two ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan. While the launch was just a test to identify the functionality of the missiles, North Korea is banned, under UN Security Council resolutions, from testing ballistic missiles. Given the disregard of these resolutions and the potency of these missiles, this test, along with a test of two non-ballistic missiles that occurred a few days prior, poses a threat to the international community. These two tests follow the launch of a submarine-launched ballistic missile, which North Korea described to be "the world's most powerful weapon." While the full capacity of these missiles is not yet certain, some studies attribute this missile with the ability to travel 10,000km, truly making it an intercontinental missile and thus a serious threat.  

These missile launches follow a North Korean trend of performing military tests around the time of a regime change in countries they have foreign ties with. For example, within the first four months of Barack Obama's inauguration, North Korea launched a long-range missile and performed a nuclear test. The same can be said about when Donald Trump took office in 2017 and within a month North Korea launched a mid-range missile. Similar demonstrations have taken place when South Korea has had regime changes. By showcasing their advanced military capabilities, North Korea aims to intimidate countries with which they have diplomatic relations with. This intimidation tactic seeks to scare new regimes into giving in to North Korean demands. These demands could be summed up by saying that North Korea would like to have U.S. sanctions lifted while being able to maintain its weapons capability.

The Biden Administration has not yet released its new foreign policy towards North Korea, and thus the future actions of North Korea are uncertain. However, it could be expected that if the United States and South Korea don't comply with their demands, North Korea is likely to escalate their provocations. The first two missiles fired after Joe Biden's inauguration were not considered to be serious threats, but North Korea's willingness to escalate was made evident by their latest weapons tests. The Biden Administration is yet to comment on North Korea's actions, but it is unlikely that Washington will comply with these demands after looking to strengthen their relationship with allies. Additionally, President Biden is not likely to engage with Kim Jong-Un unless he agrees to denuclearize. Given both sides' unwillingness to compromise, it is probable that the standoff will continue. This could mean that North Korea continues to test long-range ballistic missiles and possibly even turn to nuclear testing. This course of actions will likely lead the U.S. to try to implement more sanctions on North Korea, further straining the relationship. Such an outcome could quickly turn violent and dangerous. In order to avoid such a violent outcome, it is best if the Biden Administration tries to better the relationship by conceding to certain demands while turning down others in their upcoming foreign policy bill. 

References

Bicker, L. (2021, March 25). North Korea fires two ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-56518998.

BBC. (2021, January 18). North Korea's missile and nuclear programme. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-41174689.

Kim, H.-jin. (2021, March 25). EXPLAINER: What N Korean missile tests mean for US relations. AP NEWS. https://apnews.com/article/what-north-korea-missiles-tests-mean-us-relations-e27c50a6b3c61a5e524e8f81c6825276.

Allen, J. (2019, February 27). Trump dines with Kim in Vietnam just before Cohen goes on the attack. NBCNews.com. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/trump-dines-kim-vietnam-just-cohen-goes-nuclear-capitol-hill-n976566.

 

The Israeli Election, 12 Years In The Making

The current political elections in Israel may seem surprising, but it is not one that came without warning. Prime Minister Netanyahu has held his position for the past twelve years, the longest-serving Prime Minister in history. Netanyahu is an incredibly far-right politician. His father was a proponent of rejecting compromises with neighboring Arab nations. Netanyahu shares in his father’s beliefs and was able to rise as chairman of Israel’s Likud, far-right, party (Bishara). After bringing the party back into power, he was able to maintain his position as Prime Minister due to his honest opinions and fortitude against foreign powers. Prime Minister Netanyahu has been heavily criticized during his time in office and is currently facing corruption charges. Losing the election would leave him vulnerable and most likely end his political career (Al Jazeera). He could even face jail time if found guilty. The charges surround his acceptance of gifts from millionaire friends, as well as requesting favorable coverage from the media. His past success may be tied to the corruption claims, which he denies. If the charges are correct, the media and its favorable portrayal of Netanyahu may have played a large hand in his continual re-election(Heller). This past year he has been praised for his success in regard to the COVID vaccine, but still faces strong opposition from the people of Israel and Palestine (Awad).

(Reuters)

Israelis and Palestinians have been in conflict for centuries, and since Israel’s independence, Palestinian’s have faced strong opposition. Those of Arabian descent make up a small percentage of Israel’s population yet face discrimination at the hands of Israel’s government. There have been countless protests against Israeli authorities, but most claims are rejected(Al Jazeera). Netanyahu has been rejected by the Palestinian community for denying them as a Palestinian state. The issue surrounding a Palestinian state has strong opposition on both sides of the argument and is the most pressing issue in Israel. He also refuses to return to the Golan Heights of Syria and denies to comment on the future of Jerusalem. Netanyahu continues to build in Jerusalem as well as create “illegal Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian land”(Alster). These policies as well as his close ties to past President Donald Trump have garnered criticism, yet Netanyahu remains largely successful.

Benjamin Netanyahu (Reuters)

The current election results remain in a deadlock, with no clear winner. The majority of the votes have been counted, yet Netanyahu has been unable to secure a path to victory. He seems more concerned about maintaining his status and the current coalition than truly tackling Israeli issues. In order for the coalition to pass, Netanyahu may need support from Arab parties, yet it seems unlikely that he would be willing to work with them. Even if the left becomes the dominant force in Israeli politics, it is unlikely that they will govern with Arab parties (Estrin). If the first candidate chosen by the Israeli President is unable to form a coalition, Israeli lawmakers will select a new Prime Minister. If he too fails, the government will have to restart the election process. A restart in the process will mean that Israel holds elections for the fifth time in two years. This seems to be the most probable outcome. One cannot deny the impact that Netanyahu has had on Israeli politics, with both strong opposition and support, it is hard to predict where this election will go.
References:
1.Bishara, Marwan. “The Morning after the Israeli Electoral Circus.” Middle East News | Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera, 22 Mar. 2021, www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2021/3/22/the-morning-after-the-israeli-elections-circus.
2. Al Jazeera. “Israel Votes: Palestinian-Israeli Party Now a Potential Kingmaker.” Benjamin Netanyahu News | Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera, 24 Mar. 2021, www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/3/24/israel-votes-palestinian-israeli-party-now-a-potential-kingmaker.
3.Awad, Ammar. “Netanyahu's Future Unclear as Israel Election Threatens Deadlock.” Benjamin Netanyahu News | Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera, 24 Mar. 2021, www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/3/24/netanyahus-future-unclear-as-israel-election-threatens-stalemate.
4.Alster, Miriam. “Benjamin Netanyahu: Who Is Israel's Longest-Serving Leader?” Benjamin Netanyahu News | Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera, 22 Mar. 2021, www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/3/5/benjamin-netanyahu-who-is-israels-four-term-pm.
5.Heller, Jeffrey. “Netanyahu Pleads Not Guilty to Corruption as Trial Resumes.” Reuters, Thomson Reuters, 8 Feb. 2021, www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN2A80JP.
6.Estrin, Daniel. “'Continuing Deadlock' As Netanyahu Lacks Votes To Win Israeli Election.” NPR, National Public Radio (NPR), 24 Mar. 2021, 10:32 am, www.npr.org/2021/03/24/980737436/continuing-deadlock-as-netanyahu-lacks-votes-to-win-israeli-election.