'Unseen' News and Views
Poor and vulnerable communities across the world, including the forcibly displaced, struggle with the pandemic’s far-reaching consequences.
3 February 2021 (UNHCR)* — In a data visualization project entitled ‘Livelihoods, food and futures: COVID-19 and the displaced,’ UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, collated statistics from numerous sources to shed more light on the effects of the pandemic on poor and vulnerable people, including refugees.
(UN News)* — Although almost 50,000 victims of human trafficking were detected and reported in 2018 by 148 countries, the “hidden nature” of the crime means that the actual number of victims could be “far higher”, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said on Tuesday [2 February 2021].
(UN News)* — The UN Special Envoy on Myanmar appealed on Tuesday [2 February 2021] for the Security Council to unite in support of democracy in the country in the wake of the recent power grab by the military and the declaration of a one-year state of emergency.
– Yangon resident Ni Ni Aye walked to her office yesterday morning. A couple of hours before, the army had staged a coup by seizing power and declaring a state of emergency in Myanmar. Ni Aye, an employee of one of Yangon’s largest technology firms, tried to call her colleagues and family, but phone services were down. So, she decided to walk to the office and see what was happening.
Central Yangon, Myanmar (file photo). According to locals there is a high level of uneasy calm right now and the army has focused on taking control of the capital Nay Pyi Taw. Credit: Stella Paul/IPS
2 February 2021 (UN News)* — The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has voiced “deep fears” of a violent crackdown on dissenting voices in Myanmar, where the military assumed all powers and declared a state of emergency after overthrowing the civilian government and arresting top political leaders, on Monday [1 February 2021].
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Stalled Diplomatic Talks Highlight Urgent Need for Political Leadership
In this interview for Pacifica Radio’s Covid, Race and Democracy, Ajamu Baraka warned of a new era of totalitarian neoliberalism.
“Anybody who is in opposition to the hegemony of the neoliberal project is at some point over the next few years going to experience the heavy hand of the state.”
Ann Garrison: On January 20, we saw Joe Biden carry on about “unity” behind seven-foot fences topped with razor wire and 25,000 plus National Guard troops deployed . One friend of mine said that this pointed to an irony deficiency. Is there anything you’d like to say about it?
Ajamu Baraka: Well, I think it is ironic, but it’s quite understandable that the kinds of activities that the US has been involved in promoting and supporting globally—undermining democracies, subverting states, undermining and destroying any semblance of the rule of law—have basically come back to haunt them.
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Press Release from Peace People – 25 Jan 2021
… to Address the Following Requests
Dear Mr President,
Please accept my congratulations and best wishes with your work as President.
I have two urgent requests to ask of you.
Please do all you can to free Julian Assange and let him go home to his family. He has served long enough; his family hankers for his presence and for his punishment to end.
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– Responding to reports this morning that Myanmar’s military has sized control of government in a coup on the eve of the country’s opening session of its new parliament, rights group Amnesty International said it “sends a chilling message that the military authorities will not tolerate any dissent amid today’s unfolding events”.
Myanmar’s military has sized control of government and reportedly detained civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, senior members of her governing National League for Democracy (NLD) as well as human rights activists and student leaders. Courtesy: Yves Alarie on Unsplash
1 February 2021 (UN News)* — The United Nations Secretary-General has strongly condemned the detention of top political leaders and government officials, including State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint in Myanmar, by the country’s military.
In a statement issued by his spokesperson on Sunday [31 January 2021], Secretary-General António Guterres also voiced “grave concern” regarding the declaration of the transfer of all legislative, executive and judicial powers to the military.
“These developments represent a serious blow to democratic reforms in Myanmar”, the statement said.
HUMAN WRONGS WATCH 