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LISA JUNG, ALICJA SZAMBELAN, DANIELA STELA MRÁZOVÁ, ROBIN DIETEREN AND HELENA PARISE SANVICENTE
Oct 17, 202210 min read

WEEKLY OVERVIEW - JUNE 6TH, 2021

AUTHOR

BY LISA JUNG, ALICJA SZAMBELAN, DANIELA STELA MRÁZOVÁ, ROBIN DIETEREN AND HELENA PARISE SANVICENTE

IN THIS WEEK'S OVERVIEW, WE'LL ZOOM IN ON THE VACCINATION OF REFUGEES IN GREECE, HOW THE MEDIA IS CONSTANTLY UNDER PRESSURE IN PAKISTAN, THE STORY OF WAR HERO ALAN TURING, THE LONG AWAITED VERDICT IN THE SHELL CASE, AND LASTLY, THE BANNED TIENANMEN PROTEST IN HONG KONG. WE HOPE YOU FIND THIS WEEK'S TOPICS INFORMATIVE!


GREEK VACCINE CAMPAIGN FOR REFUGEES WHILE EUROPEAN PEOPLE ARE IN LINE TO GET A VACCINE IN TIME FOR THE HOLIDAYS, A VERY VULNERABLE GROUP HAS ENDED UP AT THE BACK OF THE LINE: REFUGEES. GREECE HAS JUST STARTED A MASS VACCINATION CAMPAIGN ON THE ISLANDS OF LESBOS, CHIOS, AND SAMOS, MONTHS LATER THAN IT STARTED VACCINATING THE GREEK PEOPLE. THE PLAN IS TO VACCINATE ABOUT 11,000 PEOPLE. HOWEVER, ACCORDING TO THE UNHCR, THERE ARE 91,945 REFUGEES IN GREECE AT THE MOMENT. THEY WILL BE VACCINATED WITH JOHNSON & JOHNSON. THE RATE OF INTEREST AMONG REFUGEES IS RELATIVELY LOW: 15%, BUT ASYLUM SECRETARY MANO LOGOTHETIS STATED THAT THE ROAD TO REFUGEE IMMUNITY IS RELATIVELY SHORT SINCE 30% IS UNDER 18. AGAIN 30% HAS ALREADY BEEN INFECTED. HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS HAVE CRITICIZED THE GOVERNMENT SINCE MANY COVID INFECTIONS AMONG REFUGEES COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IF INCLUDED EARLIER IN THE VACCINATION STRATEGY. IN MAY, 541 INFECTIONS WERE ESTABLISHED ON LESBOS. MANY CONTROVERSIES AROSE SURROUNDING THE STATEMENT OF A GOVERNMENT SPOKESPERSON THAT MIGRANTS WERE "NOT A PRIORITY." REMARKABLY, THE MOST VULNERABLE GROUP IS BEING LAST IN LINE. THE NGO EURO-MEDITERRANEAN HUMAN RIGHTS MONITOR STATED THAT THE VACCINATION PROCESS WAS DISCRIMINATORY. IN THE SECOND HALF OF MAY, GREECE STARTED TO REOPEN FOR THE TOURIST SEASON SLOWLY. BUT WHILE OPENING UP TO VISITORS WITH MONEY, THE REFUGEES KEPT BEING LOCKED AWAY. THE ISLAND POPULATION WAS PURPOSELY VACCINATED FIRST TO ATTRACT MORE TOURISTS SINCE IT WILL BE SAFER GIVEN THAT THE POPULATION IS NOW ALMOST FULLY VACCINATED.

ATTACKS ON INDEPENDENT MEDIA IN PAKISTAN HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL, AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION OF JURISTS ISSUED A JOINT STATEMENT. THEY EXPRESS GRAVE CONCERN OVER THE GROWING NUMBER OF ATTACKS ON JOURNALISTS IN PAKISTAN. THEY CALLED ON THE AUTHORITIES TO PROSECUTE THE PERPETRATORS FAIRLY AND PROMPTLY. THE JOINT STATEMENT BY THE WATCHDOGS COMES AMID A SERIES OF ATTACKS DIRECTED AT JOURNALISTS CRITICAL OF THE PAKISTANI GOVERNMENT. THE MOST RECENT CASE WAS THE ATTACK ON ASAD ALI TOOR. ON MAY 25, TOOR WAS ATTACKED IN HIS APARTMENT IN ISLAMABAD BY THREE UNIDENTIFIED INTRUDERS. THE JOURNALIST WAS GAGGED AND SEVERELY BEATEN. TOOR SAID THE ATTACKERS IDENTIFIED THEMSELVES AS MEMBERS OF A SECURITY AGENCY AND INTERROGATED HIM ABOUT HIS FUNDING SOURCES. THEY ALSO FORCED HIM TO SHOUT OUT SLOGANS PRAISING PAKISTAN AND ITS MILITARY. THE NEXT DAY, PROTESTERS ORGANIZED A DEMONSTRATION OUTSIDE THE PRESS CLUB IN ISLAMABAD TO DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY FOR TOOR'S ASSAILANTS AND ANYONE WHO ATTACKED JOURNALISTS IN THE PAST. ONE OF PAKISTAN'S BEST-KNOWN TALK-SHOW HOSTS, HAMID MIR, GAVE AN EMOTIONAL SPEECH AGAINST THE MILITARY AND VIOLATIONS OF MEDIA INDEPENDENCE. AS A RESULT, HE WAS BANNED FROM HIS PRIME-TIME TALK SHOW. IN RECENT MONTHS THERE WERE NUMEROUS OTHER ATTACKS ON PAKISTANI JOURNALISTS CRITICAL OF THE GOVERNMENT AND ITS MILITARY. IN APRIL, A PROMINENT GOVERNMENT CRITIC ABSAR ALAM WAS SHOT AND WOUNDED BY AN UNIDENTIFIED ATTACKER. LAST JULY, AN UNKNOWN ASSAILANT ABDUCTED ANOTHER JOURNALIST, MATIULLAH JAN, WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO APPEAR BEFORE THE SUPREME COURT THE NEXT DAY FOR ALLEGEDLY "USING DEROGATORY/CONTEMPTUOUS LANGUAGE AND MALIGNING THE INSTITUTION OF JUDICIARY." JAN WAS RELEASED AFTER A FEW HOURS AND SAID HE BELIEVES THE ABDUCTION WAS AN ATTEMPT TO INTIMIDATE HIM. LAST AUGUST, A GROUP OF LEADING WOMEN JOURNALISTS SPOKE UP ABOUT COORDINATED SOCIAL MEDIA ATTACKS, INCLUDING DEATH AND RAPE THREATS AGAINST WOMEN JOURNALISTS WHO HAVE CRITICIZED THE GOVERNMENT IN THEIR REPORTING. THE AUTHORITIES ARE ALSO PRESSURING EDITORS AND MEDIA OWNERS TO SHUT DOWN CRITICAL VOICES. IN RECENT YEARS, GOVERNMENT REGULATORY AGENCIES BLOCKED SEVERAL TELEVISION CHANNELS THAT AIRED PROGRAMS CRITICAL OF THE GOVERNMENT. PAKISTAN IS CONSIDERED ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS COUNTRIES FOR MEDIA WORKERS. PERPETRATORS OF ATTACKS AGAINST JOURNALISTS ARE RARELY PROPERLY PROSECUTED OR SENTENCED. "IF THE AUTHORITIES ARE COMMITTED TO UPHOLD THEIR HUMAN RIGHTS OBLIGATIONS, THEY MUST TAKE DECISIVE STEPS AGAINST CENSORSHIP, HARASSMENT, AND VIOLENCE AGAINST JOURNALISTS (…) FOR THAT, CONTINUED IMPUNITY MUST BE DISMANTLED" SAID DINUSHIKA DISSANAYAKE, SOUTH ASIA DEPUTY REGIONAL DIRECTOR AT AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL.


WAR HERO WHO DIED BECAUSE HE WAS GAY ALAN MATHISON TURING WAS BORN ON JUNE 23, 1912. FROM AN EARLY AGE, HE DISPLAYED MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC TALENT. TURING ATTENDED THE PRESTIGIOUS BOYS' BOARDING SCHOOL SHERBORNE SCHOOL IN DORSET. HERE HE MET CHRISTOPHER MORCOM. IT WAS AT THIS TIME THAT YOUNG ALAN REALIZED HIS DIFFERENCE FROM OTHERS. HOWEVER, MORCOMEM DIED OF TUBERCULOSIS A FEW YEARS LATER. BASED ON THE LETTERS TURING SENT TO HIS MOTHER, THIS UNEXPECTED DEATH HURT HIM DEEPLY, AND HE WAS UNABLE TO RECOVER FROM IT FOR A VERY LONG TIME. AFTER GREAT BRITAIN DECLARED WAR ON GERMANY, TURING JOINED THE BLATCHLEY PARK CRYPTANALYTIC COMMAND, A BRITISH GOVERNMENT-CREATED CRYPTANALYTIC HEADQUARTERS THAT DEALT WITH CODES AND CIPHERS. MEMBERS OF THE TEAM WERE TASKED WITH DECIPHERING GERMAN RADIO MESSAGES THAT THE ENIGMA MACHINE HAD ENCRYPTED. FOR A LONG TIME, IT WAS BELIEVED THAT MESSAGES ENCRYPTED BY THIS MACHINE WERE UNBREAKABLE. TURING AND HIS TEAM WERE ABLE TO CREATE A MORE POWERFUL DEVICE THAT EVENTUALLY COULD BREAK EACH AND EVERY CRACK OF THE GERMAN ENIGMA. AFTER THE END OF THE WAR, ALL INFORMATION AND DOCUMENTS ABOUT THE GROUP WERE DESTROYED, AND THEIR MEMBERS WERE NOT ALLOWED TO TALK ABOUT THEIR WORK. ACCORDING TO HISTORIAN HARRY HINSLEY, THE WAR WOULD NOT HAVE ENDED WITHOUT THE ENIGMA BEING CRACKED UNTIL 1948. HE ALSO NOTED THAT TURING'S SERVICES IN DECIPHERING THE CODES WERE AS CRUCIAL AS THOSE OF THE MOST ESSENTIAL BRITISH FIELD MARSHALS AND ADMIRALS. AFTER THE SECOND WORLD WAR, TURING MOVED TO MANCHESTER. HERE HE BEGAN TO EXPLORE HIS SEXUAL IDENTITY. HE HAD A RELATIONSHIP WITH 19-YEAR-OLD ARNOLD MAURRAY. TURING INVITED THE YOUNG MAN TO STAY WITH HIM. A FEW DAYS LATER, HIS HOUSE WAS ROBBED. MURRNAY SUPPOSEDLY KNEW THE IDENTITY OF THE PEOPLE WHO ROBBED HIM, SO TURING DECIDED TO REPORT THE CRIME TO THE POLICE. DURING TURING'S INTERROGATION, DETECTIVES ASKED ABOUT HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE YOUNG MAN, AND HE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO CONFESS HIS SEXUAL ORIENTATION. SINCE HOMOSEXUALITY WAS PUNISHABLE AT THIS TIME, BOTH TURING AND MURRAY WERE ARRESTED IN 1952 AND CHARGED WITH "INDECENCY AND SEXUAL PERVERSION." HE WAS DENIED A SECURITY CLEARANCE, WHICH MEANT HE COULD NOT BE INVOLVED IN COVERT COLD WAR WORK DURING HIS INVESTIGATION. ACCORDING TO THE BRITISH SECURITY SERVICES, TURING POSED A THREAT BECAUSE HE HAD SEVERAL FOREIGN COLLEAGUES WORLDWIDE AND WAS FORBIDDEN TO TRAVEL. THE COURT SENTENCED HIM ON MARCH 31, 1952, AND GAVE HIM THE CHOICE OF A TWO-YEAR PRISON TERM OR PAROLE. PAROLE, HOWEVER, WAS CONDITIONAL ON CHEMICAL CASTRATION IN THE FORM OF HORMONE INJECTIONS TO HELP REDUCE LIBIDO. SINCE TURING WANTED TO AVOID IMPRISONMENT AT ALL COSTS, HE CHOSE THIS OPTION. BECAUSE OF THIS "TREATMENT," HE BECAME IMPOTENT AND DEVELOPED A MAMMARY FILAMENT. BECAUSE OF THE TREATMENT, ISOLATION, AND PERSECUTION, ALAN BECAME INCREASINGLY DEPRESSED. IN JUNE 1954, HE COMMITTED SUICIDE AFTER EATING AN APPLE HE HAD PREVIOUSLY DIPPED IN CYANIDE. HE WAS 41 YEARS OLD. HODGES TOLD THE BBC THAT "THE SILENCE ON TURING'S DEATH WAS BROKEN BY THE GAY FREEDOM FRONT WHEN, IN 1973, IT HIGHLIGHTED A CASE OF HOW THE LAW AND MEDICINE HAD HURT GAY PEOPLE". HOWEVER, THE FOLLOWING YEARS SAW NO CHANGE IN BRITAIN. THAT CHANGED IN 2009, HOWEVER, WHEN GORDON BROWN, THEN PRIME MINISTER, PUBLICLY APOLOGIZED. "WE'RE SORRY - YOU DESERVED MUCH BETTER," BROWN SAID. "ALAN, AND MANY THOUSANDS OF OTHER GAY MEN WHO HAVE BEEN SIMILARLY CONVICTED UNDER HOMOPHOBIC LAWS, WERE TREATED APPALLINGLY." FOUR YEARS LATER, ON JANUARY 24, 2013, QUEEN ELIZABETH II GRANTED HIM A POSTHUMOUS ROYAL PARDON.

CLIMATE IS A HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUE – THE SHELL VERDICT THE DISTRICT COURT OF THE HAGUE ORDERS ROYAL DUTCH SHELL (RDS) TO REDUCE CO2 EMISSIONS BY THE END OF 2030 TO NET 45% COMPARED TO 2019. THIS ORDER WAS ISSUED IN PROCEEDINGS BROUGHT BY SEVEN ASSOCIATIONS AND MORE THAN 17,000 INDIVIDUAL CLAIMANTS. ACCORDING TO THEM, RDS, AS THE SHELL GROUP'S POLICY-MAKING HEAD, IS NOT DOING ENOUGH, ACTING UNLAWFULLY, AND MUST DO MORE TO REDUCE CO2 EMISSIONS. THE COURT RULED THAT A COMPANY SUCH AS SHELL HAS AN INDEPENDENT OBLIGATION BASED ON HUMAN RIGHTS 'TO DO ITS PART TO COMBAT DANGEROUS CLIMATE CHANGE. REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THE COUNTRIES IN WHICH IT OPERATES ASPIRE TO DO SO. IT IS IMPORTANT TO MAKE A NUANCE HERE. THE COURT DOES FIND THAT HUMAN RIGHTS CANNOT BE INVOKED AS LAID DOWN IN, FOR EXAMPLE, THE EUROPEAN CONVENTION ON HUMAN RIGHTS. THIS BECAUSE THESE APPLY IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STATES AND CITIZENS. HOWEVER, THE COURT ISSUED: "BECAUSE OF THE FUNDAMENTAL IMPORTANCE OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE VALUES EMBODIED THEREIN FOR SOCIETY AS A WHOLE, HUMAN RIGHTS CAN PLAY A ROLE" IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE CLAIMANTS AND SHELL. "THE COURT UNDERSTANDS THAT THE CONSEQUENCES COULD BE BIG FOR SHELL," SAID JEANNETTE HONÉE, A SPOKESWOMAN FOR THE COURT. "BUT THE COURT BELIEVES THAT THE CONSEQUENCES OF SEVERE CLIMATE CHANGE ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN SHELL'S INTERESTS." ROGER COX — THE ATTORNEY OF THIS CASE, WHO HAPPENS TO BE THE SAME ATTORNEY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE EQUALLY GROUNDBREAKING URGENDA CASE, SAID, "THIS IS A DOUBLE WIN." THIS RULING HAS CONSEQUENCES NOT ONLY FOR SHELL BUT FOR MAJOR POLLUTERS ALL OVER THE WORLD. THE JUDGE FOUND THE ARGUMENT THAT EVEN DIRTIER COMPETITORS WOULD FILL THE GAP IF SHELL WERE TOO FAR AHEAD OF THE TROOPS: OTHER COUNTRIES AND COMPANIES HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO ACHIEVE THE PARIS CLIMATE GOALS. SHELL'S RESPONSE IS DISTANT, STATING THAT "URGENT ACTION IS NEEDED TO TACKLE CLIMATE CHANGE. THAT'S WHY WE ACCELERATED OUR EFFORTS TO BECOME A NET-ZERO ENERGY COMPANY BY 2050, MOVING WITH SOCIETY, WITH SHORT-TERM GOALS TO TRACK OUR PROGRESS." THE MOST SIGNIFICANT PART OF THE STATEMENT CONSISTS OF A SUMMARY OF THE BILLIONS SHELL HAS ALREADY INVESTED IN SUSTAINABLE PLANS: "WE WILL CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON THESE EFFORTS AND EXPECT TO APPEAL TODAY'S DISAPPOINTING COURT RULING." THE RULING IS A STEP AHEAD. BUT THE MOST VITAL ROUTE TO CHANGE IS AND CONTINUES TO BE STRICTER CLIMATE POLICY. AND THAT HAS BEEN LACKING UNTIL NOW. THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION WANTS TO TIGHTEN UP THE EMISSIONS TRADING SYSTEM (ETS). SLOWLY BUT SURELY, WE WILL GET THERE.

TIANANMEN REMEMBRANCE PROTEST BANNED IN HONG KONG POLICE IN HONG KONG HAVE BANNED A VIGIL COMMEMORATING THE VICTIMS OF THE 1989 TIANANMEN SQUARE MASSACRE. IT IS THE SECOND YEAR THAT THIS ANNUAL MEMORIAL IS FORBIDDEN. AUTHORITIES HAVE DECLARED IT UNSAFE BECAUSE OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. HOWEVER, THE POLITICAL CLIMATE IN HONG KONG SUGGESTS OTHERWISE. MANY ACTIVISTS AND RIGHT GROUPS BELIEVE THIS IS AN ATTEMPT BY THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT TO ERASE THE MEMORY OF THE EVENTS IN 1989. ON FRIDAY, JUNE 4, 2021, THOUSANDS OF POLICE OFFICERS WERE DEPLOYED THROUGHOUT THE CITY TO CONDUCT STOP-AND-SEARCH OPERATIONS, ON THE LOOKOUT FOR PEOPLE PLANNING ON ATTENDING THE EVENT. VICTORIA PARK, WHERE THE VIGIL HAS BEEN HELD FOR 30 YEARS, WAS BLOCKED OFF ENTIRELY. ON FRIDAY MORNING, AUTHORITIES ARRESTED ONE OF THE EVENT ORGANIZERS, CHOW HANG-TUNG, VICE-CHAIR OF THE HONG KONG ALLIANCE IN SUPPORT OF PATRIOTIC DEMOCRATIC MOVEMENTS OF CHINA. ANOTHER PERSON, A 20-YEAR-OLD MAN, WAS ALSO ARRESTED FOR ENCOURAGING PEOPLE THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA TO ATTEND THE VIGIL. UNLAWFUL ASSEMBLIES (AND THEIR PROMOTION) CAN COST UP TO FIVE YEARS IN JAIL IN HONG KONG. THE TIANANMEN MASSACRE MARKS THE END OF A STUDENT-LED WAVE OF PRO-DEMOCRACY DEMONSTRATIONS IN BEIJING IN 1989. ON JUNE 4 OF THAT YEAR, ARMED SOLDIERS AND TANKS ADVANCED IN THE OCCUPIED TIANANMEN SQUARE IN A BLOODY REPRESSION THAT KILLED HUNDREDS (POSSIBLY THOUSANDS) OF PEOPLE WHO TOOK PART IN THE DEMONSTRATIONS. IN MAINLAND CHINA, THE MEMORY OF THIS EVENT HAS BEEN ERASED. VIGILS AND COMMEMORATIONS ARE BANNED, AND THE GOVERNMENT HAS NEVER ACKNOWLEDGED ITS RESPONSIBILITY IN THE FACTS. ACCORDING TO OFFICIAL STATEMENTS, THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE MARTIAL LAW IMPOSED AFTER THE PROTESTS ARE ALSO THE CAUSE FOR CHINA'S ECONOMIC GROWTH AND ADVANCEMENTS IN THE LAST 30 YEARS. THE OFFICIAL NUMBER AND NAMES OF THE VICTIMS WERE NEVER RELEASED. MANY FAMILIES STILL CARRY THE SCARS OF THAT DAY AND ARE SEARCHING FOR ANSWERS. THE TIANANMEN VIGIL IN HONG KONG HAS ALWAYS BEEN A SYMBOL OF DEMOCRATIC HOPE. EVER SINCE THE IMPOSITION OF THE NEW NATIONAL SECURITY LAW BY BEIJING LAST YEAR, THE CRACKDOWNS ON PRO-DEMOCRACY ACTIVISTS HAVE ONLY INCREASED. ANYTHING THE AUTHORITIES MAY DEEM SECESSION, SUBVERSION, "TERRORISM," OR COLLUSION WITH FOREIGN FORCES MAY LEAD TO A SENTENCE OF UP TO LIFE IN PRISON. SINCE THE NEW LEGISLATION, DOZENS OF ACTIVISTS AND POLITICIANS HAVE GONE INTO EXILE OR HAVE BEEN ARRESTED AND JAILED. THE ATTEMPT BY THE AUTHORITIES TO BAN THE MEMORIALS OF JUNE 4 IS BEING SEEN AS ONE MORE ACT OF REPRESSION BY THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT, ALTHOUGH POLICE CLAIM IT TO BE A MATTER OF PUBLIC HEALTH. AS PEOPLE REFUSE TO LET THE DAY PASS WITHOUT COMMEMORATING THE MASSACRE VICTIMS, MANY HAVE DECIDED TO LIGHT CANDLES IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS OR CHURCHES. ALKAN AKAD, A CHINA RESEARCHER WITH AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL, STATED, "LIGHTING A CANDLE IS NOT A CRIME. PEACEFULLY REMEMBERING AN EVENT THAT HAPPENED 32 YEARS AGO IS NOT A CRIME."

SOURCES

GREEK VACCINE CAMPAIGN FOR REFUGEES:

ATTACKS ON INDEPENDENT MEDIA IN PAKISTAN:

WAR HERO WHO DIED BECAUSE HE WAS GAY:

  • (SOURCES MAY BE ADDED AT LATER TIME)

CLIMATE IS A HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUE – THE SHELL VERDICT

TIANANMEN REMEMBRANCE PROTEST BANNED IN HONG KONG:


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