Some human rights and other news links [Note: Content Warning - reader discretion is advised!] and thoughts - Saturday 10th December, 2022

Black Lives Matter! Be Anti-Racist, Anti-Sexist, and Actively Inclusive in ALL Areas.
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The Pandemic is Real, and Vaccinations save lives. Stay safe - wash your hands, wear a face mask in public if prudent to do so, and follow informed medical advice.

Some mostly human rights (including significant, relevant links in other fields - such as geopolitics, democracy, or authoritarianism) links (note: the source of news items [but not reference links] is in brackets after each item - normal rules around abbreviations will apply, and abbreviations are listed at the end of this post; links behind hard paywalls have a [$]; also, comments by me are in purple). 

Note: CONTENT WARNING - some of this content is about upsetting, disturbing or triggering events & attitudes. Seek competent help - including professional - if you need it. Content shown in green (which may be only part of a news story) is about what is generally considered “good news”, but personal history may still make such events triggering. Reader caution is recommended.

• an old (from the 1940s), but very relevant, article on what types of people are likely to become nazis - or neonazis, in modern terminology (Harpers magazine  archive);   a call to fix the entire Internet (TC);   “world’s poorest countries’ debt interest payments rise 35%” (TG) - see also this (UN);   a journalist who was a victim of the Pegasus software is suing the software’s creators (TG);   in an article titled “Why the Voice is an economic as well as moral issue” an explanation on how neoliberalism undid the gains of Keynes (TND);   “jailing Indonesians for shark finning in Australian waters doesn’t solve the real driver – poverty” (TC);   on the growth of protest movements even in repressive nations (FH);   a US woman arrested by Russia has been swapped (TND) for a notorious (TG) arms trafficker (the US woman made a serious mistake in travelling with drugs that were banned in Russia: she should have either not gone [that is a choice], or gone without them, but Russia's motives are looking quite suspect);   a commentary for “anyone who thinks we live in a meritocracy” (M);   MIDDLE CLASS BIAS MADE ROBODEBT POSSIBLE (SMH) - although some middle class people were afflicted by this despicable scheme, but not enough to change the majority;   a criticism of the notion known as “longtermism” (What is Emerging);  
  
• on the CLIMATE CRISIS (noting the UNFCCC) and ENVIRONMENT (noting multiple  international agreements): 
• green hydrogen in Namibia is being considered (DW);   as humanity becomes a “weapon of mass extinction” (TG) and the Amazon remains unsafe for activists (TG), “scientists create [a] Biodiversity Council in [a] desperate bid to help save Australia’s threatened animals and plants” (TG) and coal will give the Qld government A$3 billion of environmental blood money (TG);   as a proposed coal mine in Qld is scrapped, a prediction that renewables will overtake coal by 2025 (DW);   the cost of fixing flood damaged infrastructure (TND);   security leaders want a military-style (“wartime mobilisation”) response to the climate crisis (it has to be organised and adequately resourced, yes, but only the military mindset is stupid enough to see that as the answer to everything - such terminology will drive away essential activists, and misses the vital necessity of science) (TG);   inadequate housing is putting lives at risk in Australia’s top end (TG);   a renewables investment scheme in Australia aims to lower energy prices (TND);  
  
• thousands of seals have died in the Caspian Sea, in Russia (TG);   a new agency to enforce conservation laws (TG);   legal action in France against an oil exploration programme (DW);  
  
• climate / environmental issues have also occurred in:   Africa (loss of biodiversity) (ACSS),   employment (UN);
  
  
• on the COVID-19 PANDEMIC (noting WHO advice, Article 12 of the ICESCR, and public emergency provisions of the ICCPR and the ICESCR) and other health matters: 
• China’s egregiously extreme restrictions are being eased (F24) - see also here (TG) and here (R);   criticism of leadership allowing the risk of long COVID (TG);  
  
  
• on NATURAL and OTHER DISASTERS (noting Article 1(3) of the UN Charter): 
  
• a volcanic (TND) eruption (DW) in Indonesia (F24) - see also here (TG);   drought in Somalia (AN);   malaria (UN);   cholera in Haiti (UN);   record food shortages in Africa (UN);   cyclone in India (AJ);   Ebola in Uganda (NA);  
  
  
• on Rashist  Putin and his cronies’ ILLEGAL (it is contrary to Chapters VI and VII of the UN Charter  and international law [and the 1928 Pact of Paris which was successfully used in post-WW2 trials], and possibly includes conduct contrary to the "laws" of war and international humanitarian law (IHL)) INVASION of UKRAINE: 
• on military matters:   Putin is now reportedly better informed on military matters (TG);   Ukraine is continuing to use (TG) drone attacks against military targets well inside Russia (TND);   Iran’s munitions supplied to Russia do not - so far - include ballistic missiles (TG);   an assessment of the situation and actions most likely to lead to peace (ICG);  
  
• on the nuclear (weapons and power) situations:   Putin is rattling the nuclear sabre again (and, since attacks are taking place on Russian soil, it behoves us to take this seriously) (TND);  
• on human rights in the region and globally:   “a draft resolution is circulating at the United Nations in New York for a Nuremberg-style tribunal to hold the Russian leadership accountable for crimes of aggression in Ukraine amid signs that US opposition to the proposal may be softening in the face of lobbying by the Ukrainian president” (TG);  severe impacts on aged Ukrainians - who are ¼ of the population (YT - AI);  
  
• inside Russia:   an examination of what legacy Putin will leave Russia (TC);  
• internationally:   an upper limit has been imposed on prices for Russia’s oil (TND);   right wing extremist nation Hungary will continue to be Russia’s sock puppet (F24);   a Kurdish asylum seeker has been extradited by Sweden, which now may place NATO membership above human rights IMO, to notorious  human  rights  abuser  Türkiye (DW);   Russian tankers are “switching off trackers for sanctions-busting transfers” (TG);   
   
• on INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS (noting the UN Charter [particularly Chapters VI and VII] and numerous  international  treaties): 
• an opinion that “Turkey’s operation against Kurds in Syria risks reviving IS group” (DW);   as PNG positions itself towards trying to be neutral (TG), the USA has condemned “China’s ‘dangerous and coercive actions’ in region” and increased troop rotations to my nation (TG) as Taiwan warns China may try to use it as a scapegoat (TG) and a plan is launched to address China's illegal fishing practices (WotR);   an opinion that Burma’s military is in power but not in control (TG);   the USA has warned Israel against annexing the West Bank (AJ);   “Arab countries and Israel battle prejudices via education” (DW);  
  
• noting particularly Chapters VI and VII of the UN Charter, the 1928 Pact of Paris used in post-WW2 trials, the "laws" of war and IHL and Article 20 of the ICCPR on WAR / CONFLICT:   gains by Somali forces against violent extremists (AJ);   ECOWAS has agreed to establish a regional peacekeeping force, although some have doubts (VoA);  
  
• incidents / action of concern in/regarding:   South Sudan (UN);
   
• on CORRUPTION (noting international  agreements and monitoring), MISGOVERNANCE, MAL-/MIS-/NON-FEASANCE, MISCONDUCT and THREATS TO DEMOCRACY/FREEDOM: 
• a The Guardian exclusive reports that the “prosecutor alleges police ‘aligned with defence’ in Bruce Lehrmann case and claims ‘inappropriate interference’” (TG) - which the police union has denied (TG) but will be investigated (TG) ... other links below;  
  
• “Western Australian police have raided the home of an Indigenous woman campaigning to protect ancient rock art while she was giving evidence as an expert witness in a case involving climate change protesters ... in what [she] believed was a “political motivated” exercise in “intimidation tactics”” (TG);   a growing backlash (social media) to the severe sentence handed out to a climate crisis protestor (TG) under anti (TG) protest laws in NSW - see also here (TG), here (TND);   “wrongfully jailed man sues Queensland for $2.1m, alleging police officer acted with malice” (TG);   “thousands of people have joined protests in ... Greek cities to commemorate the fatal police shooting of a teenager, hours after violence erupted over a similar incident in the north of the country” (TG);   in a stunning example of victim blaming after a police car hits an Indigenous woman, a Police Minister claims pedestrians are responsible for their safety, not drivers (NIT);  
  
• “China accused of flooding social media with spam to crowd out protest news” (TG);   
• the holding of former POTUS45 to account now includes his organisation being found guilty of tax fraud (TG), which “again exposes [the] illusion of [#45} the master businessman” (TG) - and #45 also “failed to disclose a $19.8m loan from a company with historical ties to North Korea, while he was the US president” (TG);   police and relatives of slain police receiving bravery awards for the actions during the 6^th January 2020 attempted insurrection have snubbed representatives of the Republicans (TG);  
  
• Indonesia has leapt into the 1800s by now passing a law that bans sex outside of marriage and “bans on insulting the president, and expressing views counter to the national ideology, known as the Pancasila” - see here (QN), here (TND), here (SBS), here (TG), and the law also harms freedom of the press and religion (TC);  
  
• concerns around past/current/potential corruption/misgovernance also in   Australia (TND),   South Africa (People’s Gazette),   Australia (ABC);
  
  
• on DEMOCRACY AND GOVERNANCE (noting Article 25 of the ICCPR and monitoring  projects): 
• globally:   Sudan’s military junta has claimed a new deal for return to civilian rule (BBC), which the UN is viewing favourably (UN), but see also this (ST);   an incipient right wing coup in Germany (DW) has (F24) been (R) prevented (TND);   a reported attempted (TG) coup (F24) in Peru;   protests in Mongolia (AJ);   “in a country plagued by horrific violence and rampant corruption, South Sudan’s National Security Service (NSS) stands out as particularly ruthless, secretive, and well-funded. Fear of the NSS is pervasive in South Sudan, and for good reason” - report includes recommendations to address this (TS);   “how violence against journalists affects the news” (PVG);   “Tanzania scraps independence celebration, diverts funds to kids” (AJ);  
  
• in Australia:   our extremely problematic Act of the British Parliament (aka “Constitution”) (TSP);      a call for a major update of Medicare (TND);   as a simple fix is finally applied to the grossly inept MyGov app, there is a possibility that the neolib Minister at the time had a conflict of interest (TND);   a warning “of risk of ‘nasty, eugenicist’ debate about race ahead of voice referendum” (given what happened during the postal vote on Equal Marriage, I consider that warning well justified) (TG);   action to improve (TND) cyber (TG) security - see also this (TG) and this;  
  
• suppression of dissent / media in   Burkina Faso (F24),   Chad (AN);
  democracy is also at risk in   USA (TG),   Fiji (TC),   Pakistan (DW),   Chad (FP); 
  
  
• on HUMAN RIGHTS (noting the various rights and treaties summarised here, IHL, Article 5 of the Rome Statute founding the ICC): 
• on the protests in Iran:   claims Iran’s so-called “morality” police MIGHT be disbanded have raised concerns about how that might be got around by Iran (DW), but see also this more hopeful assessment (F24);   a The Guardian exclusive reports that the misogynistic security forces are shooting women in the face, breasts or genitals (TG);   one protestor has been executed (UN);  
  
• on the FIFA-supported sportswashing by Qatar of its human rights abuses:   a former Australian soccer player has been silent on Qatari abuses (TG);   a call for a national strike (F24);  
  
• “a US judge has dismissed a lawsuit against Saudi Arabia’s [Crown Prince] that claimed he conspired to kill journalist Jamal Khashoggi, saying the crown prince was entitled to sovereign immunity despite “credible allegations” that he was involved in the murder ... [but] acknowledged “uneasiness” in making the decision, [saying] that his hands were in effect tied by the Biden administration’s recent recommendation that [the Crown Prince] be given immunity” (the Biden administration’s decision is clearly and egregiously wrong - being a sovereign does NOT put you above the law - this suggests the USA considers a certain level of human rights abuses are acceptable!!! - which further damages the USA’s credibility on these matters) (TG);   resistance in the Netherlands to having the decency to apologise for the evil of slavery (TG);    the violent extremists in power in Afghanistan has been publicly whipping people - including an alleged gay couple (QN);  “lawyers representing hundreds of current and former detainees of Western Australia's notorious youth detention centre have filed a class-action lawsuit against the state government” (ABC);   the killing of a journalist by Israeli soldiers has been taken to the ICC (AJ);   after a massacre (TG) of civilians (F24) in eastern DRC, calls for sanctions (HA) have led to success (AJ);   an operation to facilitate reintegration of violent extremists causes problems for other refugees (HA);   much needed improvements in the corporate version of diversity, equity, and inclusion (Harvard Business Review);   Australia has finally used Magnitsky sanctions (TA);  
  
• human rights are at risk or abuses have also occurred in:   Tigray (GW),   El Salvador (YT - AI);   Afghanistan (UN),   Qatar (FH),   Europe (TG),   Uganda (HRW);
  
• violence in:   Afghanistan (AJ),   Cameroon (VoA);
  
  
• noting the GENOCIDE  Convention:   the genocide in Burma is continuing (GW);   an atrocity alert for DR Congo - and reminder for International Justice and Genocide Victims Day (GCR2P);
  
  
• noting Article 6 (4) (5) (6) of the ICCPR,   this, and this on the DEATH PENALTY:   the new “Australian government [has overturned a] decision [by the previous neolib regime] to cancel citizenship of man on death row in Iraq ... with almost 20 other cancellations also voided” (while better late than never, will that help him?) (TG);  
  
  
• noting the conventions and the Global Compact on REFUGEES:   an examination of public attitudes towards refugees (PVG);  
  
  
• noting the Yogyakarta Principles on LGBTIQ+ PEOPLE:   more lies from the ACL (QN);   “a need for a paradigm shift in thinking about LGBTQ equality” (M);   a NSW enquiry has been told an “average of 20 gay men bashed every day for over 40 years” (TG);   “the German Catholic Church's efforts to end discrimination against LGBTQ+ employees moves it further away from Vatican doctrine” (Op);   “a Polish court ruled that an IKEA manager who dismissed an employee for posting anti-LGBT comments was not guilty of religious discrimination” (Op);   bigots have successfully shut down an LGBTIQA+ youth event in my home state (QN);  
  more LGBTIQA+ issues:   USA’s supreme court (TG),   an open letter (Substack),   Japan (HRW),   NZ (good news) (TC);
  
  
• noting ICERD and DRIP on RACISM:   “a Chinese security camera company has been advertising ethnicity recognition features to British and other European customers, even while it faces a ban on UK operations over allegations of involvement in ethnic cleansing in” east Turkistan aka “Xinjiang” (TG);   “Victoria’s child protection system is creating ‘new stolen generation’, Aboriginal leader says” (TG) - see also this (TG), and this commitment (TG);   “a black British charity leader who was asked where she “really came from” by the late queen’s senior lady-in-waiting at a Buckingham Palace royal reception has said she has suffered “horrific abuse” on social media” (TG);   an Australian sporting team have taken a knee in a protest against racism (NIT);   after decades of struggle a historic native title consent determination has been formally handed down, recognising thousands of generations of shared history across Cape York Peninsula and the Torres Strait (NIT);   an “historic apology to Maori tribe for 'horrific and needless acts of war'” (SBS);  
  more racism issues:   UK (M),   the Netherlands (DW),   an Australian airport (NIT);
  
  
• noting CEDAW on SEXISM:    continuing issues from the discontinuation of a sexual assault case include a compensation claim from the victim (TND), a defamation case (TG) from the alleged (TND) (remember: not proven in a court of law) perpetrator against a media outlet, this critique of free speech aspects associated with such cases generally (ABC Alumni), backing from the ACT Attorney-General (TG), this (TND), and fears other victims will be silenced (TG);   action to address medical misogyny (TG);  
  more sexism issues:   Australia (TG),   Tunisia (HRW);
  
  
• noting the laws listed here, the conventions listed here, and principles discussed here, here, here, here, and here, on the RIGHTS OF ANIMALS:   “Musk’s Neuralink faces [a] federal inquiry after killing 1,500 animals in testing” (TG);   traffic noise is making some birds more aggressive by drowning out normal territorial warnings (TG);   scientists have found evidence some humans can understand animal communication (finally) (TG);   
  
  
• noting the CRPD on PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES:   calls for a sign language for Vanuatu (TG);   Qatar Airways removed a disabled passenger from a flight (TG);   battling stereotypes as well as having a disability (ABC);   “neurotypical norms that don’t work for autistics: hustle goals” (M) - see also here (M);   the invisibility of people with disabilities in Africa (DW);  
  more disability issues:   Tasmania (ABC); 
  
  
• noting Articles 6 (1), 7, and 8 (see here) of the ICESCR,   Article 5 (e) (i) (ii) (see here and here) of the ICERD,   Article 11 (1) (a - c) of the CEDAW,   and   Article 27 (1) of the CRPD on WORK and FAVOURABLE WORK CONDITIONS:   women prefer WFH, but at the cost of receiving opportunities for promotion (TC);   more than 20% of workers experience workplace violence (UN);   entry level jobs are lacking (TG);   
  
  
• noting Article 6 (1) of the ICCPR,   Article 11 of the ICESCR,   Article 5 (e) (iii) (see here and here) of the ICERD,   Article 14 (2) (h) of the CEDAW,   Article 27 (3) of the CRC,   Article 28 of the CRPD,   and   Article 20 of the DRIP on FOOD, CLOTHING, and HOUSING:    “homeless numbers have jumped since COVID housing efforts ended – and the problem is spreading beyond the big cities” (TC);   a mother of five was told to lie in order to get a rental (TG);   a call for more regulation and fewer landlords (TG);   
   
• a major tech company will finally allow self repair of its devices in Europe (NT);  
  

(Should you elect to write to your elected representatives or others on these matters, it may be useful to familiarise yourself with the links shown in blue - or to at least refer to them. Don't forget to CHECK whether your nation has RATIFIED the treaty concerned.)

Abbreviations:   Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project - ACLED;   Aeon Magazine - Aeon;   Africa Centre for Strategic Studies - ACSS;   Africa News - AN;   Al Jazeera - AJ;   Amnesty International - AI;   Associated Press - AP;   Australian Associated Press - AAP;   Australian Broadcasting Corporation - ABC;   Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility - ACCR;   Australian Independent Media Network - AIMN;   Australian Unions - AU;   Barrons;   Bellingcat (B);   Bloomberg - BB;   Brisbane Times - BT;   British Broadcasting Commission - BBC;   Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists - BAS;   Cable News Network - CNN;   Canadian Broadcasting Corporation - CBC;   Centre for Strategic and International Studies - CSIS;   Committee to Protect Journalists - CPJ;   Context - CT;   the (US) Council on Foreign Relations (CFR);   Crikey - C [$];   Dabanga Sudan - DS;   Deutsche Welle - DW;   European Union - EU;   Forbes - F;   Foreign Policy - FP;   France 24 - F24;   Freedom House - FH;   Genocide Watch - GW;   Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect - GCR2P;   Globe Echo - GE;   HumAngle - HmA;   Human Rights Law Centre - HRLC;   Human Rights Watch - HRW;   Independent Australia - IA;   International Crisis Group - ICG;   Just Equal - JE;   Lawfare Blog - LFB;   Lowy Institute - The Interpreter - Lowy;   Mail & Guardian - MG;   mainstream media - MSM;   Medium - M;   Michael West (news media platform) - MW;   Minority Rights Group - MRG;   Mirage News - MN;   Nation Africa - NA;   National Indigenous Television - NITV;   National Indigenous Times - NIT;   New York Times - NYT [$];   News24;   North Africa Post - NAP;   Openly - Op;   Out in Perth - OiP;   Pearls and Irritations - PnI;   Political Violence at a Glance - PVG;   Politico - P;   Premium Times Nigeria - PT;   Q News - QN;   Quartz - Q;   Radio France International - rfi;   Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE);   Reuters - R;   Robert Reich - RR;   (Bruce) Schneier - Sch;   Special Broadcasting Service - SBS;   Star Observer - Star;   Sudan Tribune - ST;   Sydney Morning Herald - SMH;   The Age - TA;   The Big Smoke (TBS);   The East African - TEA;   The Guardian - TG;   The (Nigerian) Guardian - TG-N;   The Monthly - TM;   The National Tribune - tNT;   The New Daily - TND;   The Saturday Paper - TSP;   The Sentry - TS;   The Shot - TS;   Union Aid Abroad - APHEDA;   United Nations - UN;   Voice of America - VoA;   Wall Street Journal - WSJ [$];   War on the Rocks - WotR;   Washington Post - WP [$];   Wikipedia - WP;   Yahoo News - Yahoo; YouTube - YT.  

Finally, remember: in general, we need to be more human being rather than human doing.