On Uganda, Burma, the attempted coup in the USA, and from the news

On Uganda this week:

• in a major blow to the judiciary's credibility, Bobi Win has withdrawn his challenge to the election result; 
• debate on the controversial (and, IMO, unnecessary, anti-democratic and counter-productive) measure to extend Parliamentary terms continues; 
• the results of an integrity survey show police have least trust; 
• an interview with the IGAD  Executive Secretary covered the Kenya-Somalia war, Uganda's election and the desert locust infestation.

On Burma this week:

• an updated review of the Stage 9 genocide of the Rohingya;
  
• the protests, heavy handed responses and killings, funerals - and a strike - continue; 
• an examination of the leaderless nature and humour of the protests;
  
• facebook has shut down the Burmese military's page; 
• an assessment of the risk of divisions within the more than 400,000 members of the security forces - including that divisions would increase if the army used lethal force;  
• violent thugs are acting on behalf of the military;
  
• sanctions are being implemented or considered by the EU, the G7, and calls are being made for action by this company;
  
• Indonesia is attempting to mediate the situation.

On the attempted coup in the USA:

• a review of the US republican party's plans to hold on to power, despite becoming a minority party; 
• the cult-like behaviour of conspiracy fantasists (who are also targetting the wellness movement);
  
• retired police officers have revealed the incompetence in security leadership in the lead up to the attempted coup in the USA on 6th Jan;
  
• insurrectionists still want to blow up the Capitol building.
  

From the news this week:

• an article pointing out that, for climate change and other reasons, a "return to pre-COVID normal" would be a disaster for the world - and the same applies for Australia with regard to our economy; (the fact that productivity grew under the Hawke-Keating government but not the neoliberal nitwits since is very interesting). Also, UN peacekeeping MUST consider the impacts of the climate crisis. On our economy:
  
• staggering revelations that a job scheme proposed by the anti-worker national neolib nitwits could result in experienced workers being replaced by multiple inexperienced juniors and the cost difference made up by the scheme;
• nations with higher unemployment benefits have LOWER unemployment rates, as a powerful call is made by a respected expert for Australia to ditch years of suppressing wages & inflation in favour of a goal of full employment (if the neolibs are genuine about the dole just being for a transition, given the clear failure of that and today's evidence, how about at the very least making the dole time-dependent? Increase it the longer you're on it - no-one WANTS to be on it, and it's only IPOCs who think that. Maybe also link it to the CPI . . . );
  

• Genocide Watch has published articles on: the history (back to 1534) of genocide in Guatemala; the endemic violence in El Salvador (see here for an overview of the current election and situation in that nation); an overview of the ignored crisis in the Central African Republic; more details of China's genocide of the Uyghurs; cultural arrogance & enforced hegemony leading to suppression of academic freedom & Islamophobia in  France; a call for the ICC to include recent extrajudicial killings in its investigation of atrocities in Venezuela; 
• recommendations for a better US policy in West Asia; 
  
• publication of a US intelligence report identifying the Saudi crown prince as the person who approved the murder of journalist Jamal Kashoggi, and "will ban entry of foreigners who threaten dissidents and will immediately restrict 76 Saudis";  
• the Philippines has admitted its police murdered thousands of alleged drug criminals, many of whom were falsely accused; 
  
• China is expanding its missile system;
  
• exiles outside Venezuela have become a significant factor in the world's perception of and attitudes to/interactions with Venezuela (much as with Cuba since the 1950s); 
• India is trying to censor social media; 
• "at least 83 governments worldwide have used the Covid-19 pandemic to justify violating the exercise of free speech and peaceful assembly";
  
• a guide to avoiding conflict gold; and the risk of the a famine in Yemen becoming the worst the world has seen in decades;
  
• recommendations for implementing Sudan's peace agreement of last year; 
• the political crisis since Armenia lost it's ill judged war with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh last year is continuing and growing;
  
• "Political leaders must discard rusted-on ideologies and embrace compassion"; 
• the need to support independence for Chagos; 
  
• "malicious software developed by governments can boomerang against their creators";  
• "AI facial analysis is scientifically questionable. Should we be using it for border control?" (I say "no");
• an examination of power in the workplace and how to manage it - including the personality changes (e.g., the "no arseholes rule");
  
• a critique of the Australian government's response to the competition and consumer watchdog's report on the media shows sleepy regulators and uninformed (they thought Internet meant email ... ) national neolib nitwits chose to focus on one small aspect of the recommendations that benefits large established organisations, and resulting in increased power to monopolies like facebook.
  And on that, a cautionary admonishment that Sky News may do a Fox News on us . . . ; 
• in a powerful indictment of the patriarchal  culture of politics (which includes a backlash that has claimed the job of the first complainant, and a warning the ALP also has a problem), an alleged rapist/sexual assaulter now has complaints of four rapes/sexual assaults - and HUNDREDS of female students have reported sexual assaults by private school boys that feed into conservative politics . . . experts have called for an independent review.
  And, following a caution from the police to Parliament that reports must be forwarded, an allegation of a past rape against a current Minister has been forwarded for investigation; 
• "Right-wing extremist groups are drawing in new members from wellness and anti-vaxxer communities online, using the COVID pandemic and outrage over state border closures as a “recruiting tool” to swell their ranks";
  
• in an indication of the depths of white supremacism in Australia, a memorial to an Indigenous woman has been defaced, while in the USA, an admission that the murder of Malcolm X may have been arranged by the New Work Police Department and the US FBI; 
• a new "rights and freedom" media series;
• achieving a true and lasting peace is a process - it is far more than just a ceasefire and possibly laying down weapons. Divisions must be healed, and the causes of the conflict and the harm done in prosecuting the conflict must be addressed. How they are addressed is up to those involved in the process - for instance, South Africa chose Truth and Reconciliation Commissions. In my opinion, those in power tend to favour the options that are easiest / most favourable to them, but those who did the most suffering (often civilians) tend to favour some form of justice - and justice gives the next batch of would be abusers / torturers / murderers / despots pause.
  Infamously, hitler said "Who remembers the Armenians?", referring to the Armenian  genocide (that led to the word genocide) when planning the  Holocaust. If effective action had been taken on the earlier genocide, maybe the latter would not have happened.
  Colombia has been undergoing a comprehensive, but not perfect, attempt at peace after fifty years of internal conflict (and still ongoing drug problems).
  I have a recollection of reading an article about the extent of atrocities committed by FARC (one of the rebel groups), although I cannot find that link now (note the attacks on FARC members in the above link - that suggests the anger of their victims may not have been adequately addressed as yet): it is, however, very encouraging the government side is not being excluded from this process either, with a report that they were responsible fro 6,400 murders (aka "extrajudicial killings" ... ).
  Now for the next step in this process . . .
• an interesting video on how my local Parliament handles video records and programmes, and their latest Auslan bulletin.