Trial of Hong Kong media tycoon faces further delays
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Scoop
a day ago
- Scoop
Int'l Rural Movement: BBM A 'Champion Of Impunity' Like Duterte; IHL Conference A 'Sham'
An international coalition of rural groups and food sovereignty advocates slammed the Marcos Jr. administration for its 'hypocrisy' in hosting an Asia-wide conference on international humanitarian law while state-perpetrated human rights violations—especially peasant killings—continue with impunity. The Asia Pacific Regional Conference on International Humanitarian Law (IHL), hosted by the Philippines through the Department of Foreign Affairs, is happening from 11 to 14 August 2025 in Makati City, Metro Manila. It is said to be the largest regional IHL gathering to date. The People's Coalition on Food Sovereignty (PCFS) expressed skepticism about the conference, citing two key issues: the Philippine government's heightened counterinsurgency efforts under the new National Action Plan for Unity, Peace and Development (NAP-UPD) 2025-2028, and its complicity in US warmongering following its recent talks with President Donald Trump. 'How dare this government declare itself to be a champion of international humanitarian law? Rural communities in the Philippines, as direct victims of this regime's violations and impunity, would be among the first to dispute that claim,' said Gail Orduna, global coordinator of PCFS. The coalition cited human rights monitor Karapatan, which reported that halfway under the Marcos Jr. administration's term, 86 out of the 119 extrajudicially killed and seven out of 14 enforced disappearances are peasants. The group also documented 19 incidents of aerial bombings and artillery fire in the same period—14 of which happened in 2024 alone—as hamletting and de facto martial law prevail in rural areas. These bombings affected more than 48,000 people. Orduna said the situation is currently worsening, after last week's bombing in Brgy. Maguibuay, Tagkawayan, Quezon province and the military's killing of a civilian in Naibuan, San Jose, Occidental Mindoro. Ongoing fact-finding and humanitarian missions launched in these areas are facing difficulties in the face of harassment and repression. She also mentioned the judicial harassment faced by local rural people's movements, such as the trumped-up terror financing charge against PCFS member organization AMIHAN Federation of Peasant Women. This has been a tactic used to suppress critical, legitimate people's organizations. 'If Marcos Jr. truly champions international humanitarian law, rural communities should be protected and humanitarian efforts unrestricted. Instead, his counter-insurgency efforts endanger these communities on a large scale,' Orduna said. 'BBM is building the same legacy that continues to make the Philippines the deadliest country for peasants in Asia and even the world—a champion of impunity, akin to that of his dictator father Marcos Sr. and his predecessor Duterte,' she added. According to Karapatan, throughout Duterte's term, 339 out of the 422 extrajudicially killed and 15 out of 21 enforced disappearances were farmers. More than a hundred bombings and 26 massacres were also documented. Orduna also warned that human rights violations are likely to spike due to the current administration's military subservience to the US, given the regular joint Balikatan war games and reports of US military bases, facilities, and infrastructure being built in the country. These include the four additional EDCA sites, US naval repair facility in Palawan, ammunition factory in Subic, and deployment of missile systems in the country. 'If the Philippine government were sincere in upholding international humanitarian law, it should have at least condemned the war crimes of Israel against the Palestinian people, especially the recent announcement to take over Gaza City. Yet, it has continued to align its position with the US, which has been complicit in the genocidal war,' she said. PCFS challenged the Marcos Jr. administration to acknowledge its breaches of international humanitarian law to demonstrate that its IHL conference is not merely a gimmick. 'Admission is just the first step. Upholding international humanitarian law requires that perpetrators face accountability and that the root causes of armed conflict—such as hunger and poverty—are addressed. Only then can peace and justice prevail,' Orduna concluded.
RNZ News
2 days ago
- RNZ News
The Panel with Anna Dean and Ed McKnight Part 1
Professor Michael Baker Photo: Supplied / Luke Pilkinton-Ching Tonight, on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Anna Dean and Ed McKnight. First up, he government has confirmed how much it cost us to break the contract with South Korean ship builders for new ferries: $144 million. Was it worth it? then everyone is coming down with winter colds and illnesses - it feels bad this year, but is it? Public health expert Michael Baker says it's actually pretty normal.
RNZ News
2 days ago
- RNZ News
Total spend on scrapped ferries climbs to $670 million
The government has forked out over $144 milliion dollars in a final payment for breaking the contract with the Korean shipbuilders that were signed-up to make the Cook Strait ferry replacements. That brings the total costs for the scrapped iReX Cook Strait ferry project to $671 million according to Kiwi Rail. Minister for Rail, Winston Peters spoke to Lisa Owen. To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
