As unrest continues in Syria, concerns are rising over Syria’s chemical arsenal: The weapons it contains are among the world’s most dangerous, and they’re easy to transport, the Washington Post reports. Syria holds quantities of sarin, a deadly nerve agent that can be released into the air or used to…
Continue reading …How will FEMA pay for Hurricane Irene disaster assistance? By suspending payments related to the Joplin tornado, the Washington Post reports. The FEMA disaster relief fund currently has only $900 million in it, less than the preferred $1 billion minimum. President Obama has already signed emergency declarations for the District…
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The number of prosecutions under Thai lèse-majesté laws has soared as the new government promises a clampdown The new Thai government has vowed to crack down on websites deemed insulting to the royal family, alarming campaigners who had hoped it might curb a recent surge in the use of lèse-majesté laws. Cases involving the offence – which carries a sentence of up to 15 years in jail – have soared in the last five years. Thailand also blocked or suspended almost 75,000 sites between 2007 and 2010, mostly under the Computer Crimes Act in relation to lèse-majesté. Campaigners hoped the new government would ease restrictions, particularly given the complaints filed against several leaders of the “red shirt” movement whose support brought Puea Thai to power. But following pressure from the ousted Democrats, deputy prime minister Chalerm Yubamrung pledged to set up a “war room” to deal with the issue online, the Bangkok Post reported . “Websites [guilty of lèse-majesté] will not be tolerated by this government. I will take action as quickly as possible,” he said. The issue’s increasing sensitivity comes amid the ill health of the revered 83-year-old king and the bitter political conflict between Thai elites, such as the powerful military, and supporters of Thaksin Shinawatra, ousted as prime minister in a 2006 coup. His sister, Yingluck, now leads the country and Puea Thai is seen as his party. David Streckfuss, the leading expert on the issue and author of Truth on Trial in Thailand, said 30 lèse-majesté charges were sent to the lower courts in 2006, 164 in 2009 and 478 in 2010. Multiple charges are often heard in single cases. The lèse-majesté law says anyone who defames, insults or threatens the king, queen, heir apparent or regent should be punished with three to 15 years in prison, but does not define what constitutes such behaviour. “It has become conflated with any criticism of the institution,” said Streckfuss, who drew a parallel with McCarthyism. “It’s the easiest, most vague and ambiguous shot at people.” Earlier this month 22-year-old student blogger Norawase Yospiyasathien was charged. Other cases causing particular alarm include those of Somsak Jiamteerasakul, a historian who proposed reforms to the monarchy; Thai-born American citizen Joe Gordon, whose blog linked to a banned book on the king; and webmaster Chiranuch Premchaiporn, accused of not deleting user comments deemed to insult the king quickly enough. Chiranuch’s trial under the computer crimes act resumes next month, and police could yet act on a separate complaint under the lèse-majesté law. She faces up to 50 years in jail, though sentences are often reduced after conviction. “We can’t deny any more that there is a problem,” said Chiranuch, who runs the independent Prachathai news site. “There’s strong evidence that, with the political conflict, this law has been abused.” Hundreds of scholars, lawyers, writers and activists have joined calls for reform of the law. They stress they are not questioning the monarchy, but the way the lèse-majesté provision has been used. “[People] are using it as a political tool to destroy their enemies,” Worachet Pakeerut, a law professor at Thammasat University, told Associated Press last month. Proposals include reducing the maximum sentence and allowing only an official royal body to register complaints. At present, anyone can; the royal family itself has never done so. Some advocates of reform point to comments the king made in 2005, saying it would be “problematic” if people were unable to criticise him. “I said [reform] would not be as easy as a change in the government,” said Chiranuch. “It is quite clear the former government have put pressure on the new one by pushing them to promise not to amend the law.” Some believe Chalerm made the announcement so Puea Thai could concentrate on other priorities. Others hope the tough rhetoric might help it avoid tough action. “It may be that Mr Chalerm was merely being overzealous in trying to assure the Puea Thai government’s loyalty to the monarchy, but it is ironic because of the many accusations that the lèse-majesté law was used by the previous government to persecute some of the party’s loyal supporters,” the Bangkok Post noted in an editorial on Sunday. “Brutal shutdown of lèse-majesté sites by the Yingluck administration is not the right way to win the heart and mind and protect the institution,” warned the red-shirt-aligned Ratchaprasong News in a tweet. Thailand Tania Branigan guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …The number of prosecutions under Thai lèse-majesté laws has soared as the new government promises a clampdown The new Thai government has vowed to crack down on websites deemed insulting to the royal family, alarming campaigners who had hoped it might curb a recent surge in the use of lèse-majesté laws. Cases involving the offence – which carries a sentence of up to 15 years in jail – have soared in the last five years. Thailand also blocked or suspended almost 75,000 sites between 2007 and 2010, mostly under the Computer Crimes Act in relation to lèse-majesté. Campaigners hoped the new government would ease restrictions, particularly given the complaints filed against several leaders of the “red shirt” movement whose support brought Puea Thai to power. But following pressure from the ousted Democrats, deputy prime minister Chalerm Yubamrung pledged to set up a “war room” to deal with the issue online, the Bangkok Post reported . “Websites [guilty of lèse-majesté] will not be tolerated by this government. I will take action as quickly as possible,” he said. The issue’s increasing sensitivity comes amid the ill health of the revered 83-year-old king and the bitter political conflict between Thai elites, such as the powerful military, and supporters of Thaksin Shinawatra, ousted as prime minister in a 2006 coup. His sister, Yingluck, now leads the country and Puea Thai is seen as his party. David Streckfuss, the leading expert on the issue and author of Truth on Trial in Thailand, said 30 lèse-majesté charges were sent to the lower courts in 2006, 164 in 2009 and 478 in 2010. Multiple charges are often heard in single cases. The lèse-majesté law says anyone who defames, insults or threatens the king, queen, heir apparent or regent should be punished with three to 15 years in prison, but does not define what constitutes such behaviour. “It has become conflated with any criticism of the institution,” said Streckfuss, who drew a parallel with McCarthyism. “It’s the easiest, most vague and ambiguous shot at people.” Earlier this month 22-year-old student blogger Norawase Yospiyasathien was charged. Other cases causing particular alarm include those of Somsak Jiamteerasakul, a historian who proposed reforms to the monarchy; Thai-born American citizen Joe Gordon, whose blog linked to a banned book on the king; and webmaster Chiranuch Premchaiporn, accused of not deleting user comments deemed to insult the king quickly enough. Chiranuch’s trial under the computer crimes act resumes next month, and police could yet act on a separate complaint under the lèse-majesté law. She faces up to 50 years in jail, though sentences are often reduced after conviction. “We can’t deny any more that there is a problem,” said Chiranuch, who runs the independent Prachathai news site. “There’s strong evidence that, with the political conflict, this law has been abused.” Hundreds of scholars, lawyers, writers and activists have joined calls for reform of the law. They stress they are not questioning the monarchy, but the way the lèse-majesté provision has been used. “[People] are using it as a political tool to destroy their enemies,” Worachet Pakeerut, a law professor at Thammasat University, told Associated Press last month. Proposals include reducing the maximum sentence and allowing only an official royal body to register complaints. At present, anyone can; the royal family itself has never done so. Some advocates of reform point to comments the king made in 2005, saying it would be “problematic” if people were unable to criticise him. “I said [reform] would not be as easy as a change in the government,” said Chiranuch. “It is quite clear the former government have put pressure on the new one by pushing them to promise not to amend the law.” Some believe Chalerm made the announcement so Puea Thai could concentrate on other priorities. Others hope the tough rhetoric might help it avoid tough action. “It may be that Mr Chalerm was merely being overzealous in trying to assure the Puea Thai government’s loyalty to the monarchy, but it is ironic because of the many accusations that the lèse-majesté law was used by the previous government to persecute some of the party’s loyal supporters,” the Bangkok Post noted in an editorial on Sunday. “Brutal shutdown of lèse-majesté sites by the Yingluck administration is not the right way to win the heart and mind and protect the institution,” warned the red-shirt-aligned Ratchaprasong News in a tweet. Thailand Tania Branigan guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Though Rick Perry’s aides have been disavowing some of the views expressed in his nine-month-old book Fed Up! , the presidential candidate himself doesn’t seem to be doing the same. In Iowa on Saturday, Perry reiterated the opinion stated in his book that Social Security “is a Ponzi scheme for these…
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Controversy surrounds government plans over independent counselling of women considering terminations The head of the Royal College of General Practitioners has warned that government moves to shake up pre-abortion counselling for women could create new barriers and set the system back 25 years. Clare Gerada defended abortion charities, disputing accusations that they are biased in their counselling and encourage women to have abortions because they are subsequently paid to carry out the terminations. The government has announced a change in the rules to ensure that women are also offered counselling provided independently of the charity-run services, such as the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) and Marie Stopes. MPs who are backed by anti-abortion groups claim the move justifies the argument that there is a conflict of interest in the way services are run. Nadine Dorries, the Conservative MP who is leading the campaign, has confirmed she still intends to make an attempt to amend the health and social care bill when it returns to the Commons next week. She wants to guarantee that counselling is independent of the charities, even though the government insists it can change the rules without legislating. Gerada, who has previously worked in abortion clinics, told the Guardian: “There is no agenda in abortion services, there is no pressure at all to encourage women to have an abortion. They encourage women to make a decision about what they want to do. “The idea that BPAS or Marie Stopes are colluding to make a profit is wrong. “If these independent counsellors include GPs, which I suspect they will, we know what happened before when you had a service that relied on GPs signing the forms. You had delays as some are conscientious objectors. Why fix what’s not broken? It’s worked well for 25 years. “I work [as a GP] in Lambeth. I’ve never heard of abuse in this system. Anything that puts a barrier between a woman to make a choice in timely manner must be a bad thing and will simply reverse the advances of the past 25 years.” If the Speaker chooses to select the controversial amendment, MPs of every party will be given a free vote, as is the tradition with votes on abortion. Other recent attempts to change the abortion laws have been defeated. This time, though, owing to the more nuanced nature of the proposal and a widespread belief that the new intake of Tory MPs are more socially conservative, the outcome is expected to be very close. Frank Field, the Labour MP who tabled the amendments with Dorries, said he had received assurances from health minister Anne Milton that the government would propose in amendments to the bill that local authorities be advised to consider the independence of advice offered in counselling services, allowing a debate in the chamber. Field has asked Milton for assurances that if there is then a move to introduce a mandatory order to offer independent advice, there should be a debate and vote in the Commons. “It is a general principle that advice and services should be separate,” Field said. “I have no evidence of that [biased advice]. But we had no evidence of mis-selling of pensions until people investigated.” He said he was not an anti-abortionist and that he had refused meetings with known anti-abortion groups to discuss the plans. Abortion Health Women Health policy Public services policy Frank Field Polly Curtis Ben Quinn guardian.co.uk
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World-famous artist accuses officials of denying people their basic rights and describes Beijing as a ‘city of violence’ Ai Weiwei, the Chinese artist held by the authorities for almost three months earlier this year, has attacked injustice in China in a passionate article fuelled by his own experiences of detention. He accused officials of “deny[ing] us basic rights” and compared migrant workers to slaves, describing Beijing as “a city of violence” and “a constant nightmare”. But one of the most powerful passages describes how people “become like mad” as they are held in isolation and how detainees “truly believe [captors] can do anything to you”. His remarks, in an article about Beijing published on the website of Newsweek magazine , are certain to anger Chinese security officials. They come days after it emerged that China is reportedly planning to give police legal powers to hold some suspects for up to six months without telling their families. Campaigners say the move would legitimise and potentially increase the number of secret detentions. Ai’s own 81-day detention caused an international outcry. It was the most high-profile case in a sweeping crackdown that saw dozens of activists, dissidents and lawyers held earlier this year. State media said he was held for economic crimes and released in June “because of his good attitude in confessing” and a chronic illness. His family and supporters believe he was targeted due to his social and political activism. The 54-year-old artist is not able to give interviews but confirmed that he had written the article. He described it simply as “a piece about the place I live in”. Ai’s bail conditions reportedly prevent him from discussing what happened to him in detention, although a source gave Reuters a detailed account of events, which included more than 50 interrogations . The restrictions are also said to ban him from using social media – although he sent a brief flurry of angry tweets recently about friends who had been enmeshed in his case – but not from writing. “The worst thing about Beijing is that you can never trust the judicial system,” he wrote in the Newsweek article. “It’s like a sandstorm … everything is constantly changing, according to somebody else’s will, somebody else’s power.” He went on: “My ordeal made me understand that on this fabric, there are many hidden spots where they put people without identity … only your family is crying out that you’re missing. But you can’t get answers from the street communities or officials, or even at the highest levels, the court or the police or the head of the nation. My wife has been writing these kinds of petitions every day [while he was held], making phone calls to the police station every day. Where is my husband? “You’re in total isolation. And you don’t know how long you’re going to be there, but you truly believe they can do anything to you. There’s no way to even question it. You’re not protected by anything. Why am I here? Your mind is very uncertain of time. You become like mad. It’s very hard for anyone. Even for people who have strong beliefs.” The artist described the capital as two cities. The first was one of power and money, peopled by officials, coal bosses and the heads of big companies who help to keep “the restaurants and karaoke bars and saunas … very rich”. The second was a place of desperation, he wrote, calling migrant workers the city’s slaves. Ai, who helped to design the “bird’s nest” national stadium for the Olympics – but publicly turned on the games before they began – said none of his art represented the capital. He added: “The Olympics did not bring joy to the people.” He also warned: “Beijing tells foreigners that they can understand the city, that we have the same sort of buildings … “Officials who wear a suit and tie like you say we are the same and we can do business. But they deny us basic rights.” Ai described people giving him quiet support when he went out last week, for example patting him on the shoulder, but only in “a secretive way” because they were not willing to speak out. He said people told him to “either leave, or be patient and watch how they die. I really don’t know what I’m going to do.” China Ai Weiwei Olympics & the media Tania Branigan guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Goolsbee: Krueger a ‘tremendously good pick’ for top White House econ adviser
August 29, 2011 No CommentAlan Krueger, the Princeton economist who the White House plans to nominate as its next top economics adviser, is a “tremendously good pick,” according to the man he’d be replacing. The Lookout spoke with Austan Goolsbee on Monday; he also ripped the “partisan, poisonous” atmosphere in Washington. Goolsbee, who stepped down earlier this month as
Continue reading …Seasteading Institute: Billionaire backer doesn’t ‘dictate’ our island-state plans
August 29, 2011 No CommentA group that wants to create sovereign nations on oil rig-like platforms in international waters is distancing itself from the libertarianism of PayPal founder Peter Thiel after a profile of him in Details Magazine drew attention to the effort. The Details profile described billionaire Thiel’s $1.25 million donation to the Seasteading Institute, and speculated that the
Continue reading …Landslides buried homes and killed at least 23 people in an eastern district of Uganda today, says a rescue official. The landslides came after heavy rainfall in Mabono village in the Bulambuli district, 167 miles east of Kampala. The Red Cross has retrieved 15 of the 23 bodies, including those…
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