Some human rights and other news links [Note: Content Warning - reader discretion is advised!] and thoughts - Saturday 24th December, 2022

Black Lives Matter! Be Anti-Racist, Anti-Sexist, and Actively Inclusive in ALL Areas.
The Climate Crisis is real, urgent and existential!
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.

• a US State is following Nazi Germany's example by compiling lists of TGD people (M);   advice to police on how to manage conspiracy fantasists and the risk of conspiracy fantasists (TC) as one conspiracy fantasists is found guilty of planning a violent overthrow of a government (The Independent) - see also this (AJ);   “some of the ways we’re all being watched, all the time” - including loyalty schemes (TC);   “criminal charges recommended against [former POTUS45] for role in Capitol riot” (TND);   “1 in 25 Australians have been estranged from their families. True stories about this can make people feel less alone” (TC);   “police gun violence is glorified on screen. But more armed and aggressive policing doesn’t actually make us safer” (TC);   ways to stabilise the world’s population (M);   how authoritarians create a sense of emergency (M);  
  
• on the CLIMATE CRISIS (noting the UNFCCC) and ENVIRONMENT (noting multiple  international agreements): 
• the need for more trees in cities (TND);   “Vanuatu publishes draft resolution seeking climate justice at UN court” (CCN);   “clearer rules on reporting companies’ climate risks could soon put us on a path to decarbonising corporate Australia” (some companies are already taking action on this - including the one I work for) (TC);   a factory has opened in NSW to produce plant-based alternatives to meat (despite the claims, I think there is already one in my home state) (TND);   and admission that “gas is neither a transition fuel, nor low emissions” (Renew Economy);   a power company in the USA has funded those media attacking its critics (NPR);   a call to discuss how we will cope with the climate crisis (TC);   “global coal use in 2022 is reaching an all-time high, but Australia is bucking the trend” (TC);  
  
• “children born today will see literally thousands of animals disappear in their lifetime, as global food webs collapse” (TC);   a global (TG) biodiversity (TG) deal has been reached (DW) that includes Indigenous rights (CT), but the DRC is unhappy (TG);  
  
• climate / environmental issues have also occurred in:   Vic (good news) (TG),   Qld (good news) (TG);
  
  
• 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 may (TND) have a million COVID deaths in 2023 because restrictions have eased (DW) without vaccines, which may put the world back into a global emergency (TG);   people are being urged to wear masks to avoid creating superspreader events at this time of year (TND);   more details of how COVID-19 creates long term damage are being discovered (TG);  
  
  
• on NATURAL and OTHER DISASTERS (noting Article 1(3) of the UN Charter): 
  
• a building fire in France (F24);   a bushfire in WA (TND);   a fuel tanker has exploded in a tunnel in Afghanistan (TG);   a crowd crush in the UK (ABC);   ongoing problems with recovery from the floods in NSW (TG) and Vic (ABC) - promise of more support (ABC);   an earthquake in the USA (TG);   drought in the Horn of Africa (UN) and calls for more aid to prevent famine in Somalia (NT), and for Haiti (UN) and Syria (UN);   a Thai naval ship has sunk (AJ);   bird flu in Europe (DW);   a tropical low in the NT (TG);   a winter storm in the USA (F24);   “UN refugee agency urges rescue of 190 desperate people adrift in Andaman Sea” (UN);  
  
  
• 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:   Belarus is closer to playing an active role (TG);   problems in the Russian military (TG);   Russia is building (TND) more forces for possibly (F24) a winter attack (contrary to the claims in the TND article Patriot systems have been offered to and used by other nations before now);   Putin has admitted that what is happening in Ukraine is a war (CNN);  
  
• on the nuclear (weapons and power) situations:   the views of India's PM may have helped avert nuclear disaster (Times of India);  
• on human rights in the region and globally:   Russia has passed a domestic law absolving it and its military of human rights abuses - thereby largely leaving the international legal community, and leaving its military - and Parliament - still subject to legal action (HRW);  an offer of free help for rebuilding one Ukrainian city (DW);   a visual investigation into one Russian unit's links to war crimes (YT - NYT);  
  
• internationally:   Russia is cosying up to Brazil (R);   more sanctions have been imposed by the USA against Russia’s mercenaries (F24);   “US and Iran clash over Russia using Iran drones in Ukraine” ([US] ABC News);   
   
• on INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS (noting the UN Charter [particularly Chapters VI and VII] and numerous  international  treaties): 
• “how China operates illegal 'police stations' in foreign countries” (YT - DW);   “how Qatar turns its cash into foreign policy power” (DW);   an opinion that the younger generation will always be a problem for China’s president (ABC);   North Korea has launched (TND) another (ABC) ballistic missile and India has paraded a missile after border clashes with Chinese troops (ABC);   now that the national neolib nitwits are out of the way, the relationship between Australia and China is mending (TG), but see also this (TND);   China and Russia have held joint naval exercises (AJ);   Indonesia might cut back troops in West Papua (CNN);   Egypt has triggered tensions over maritime boundaries and gas reserves (VoA);   Sudan and Yemen have signed a military cooperation agreement ... (ST);  
  
• 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:   militant groups have withdrawn from peace negotiations in Mali (AJ);   300,000 people have been displaced by conflict in Sudan (ST);   the USA is rattling the air power sabre (CBS News) against North Korea which is criticising Japan’s military build up (AJ);  
   
• on CORRUPTION (noting international  agreements and monitoring), MISGOVERNANCE, MAL-/MIS-/NON-FEASANCE, MISCONDUCT and THREATS TO DEMOCRACY/FREEDOM: 
• “fake myGov profiles are being used to hack ATO accounts” (ABC);   a social media company is “to pay $1 billion settlement in Cambridge Analytica data access class action case” (ABC) and another has been fined for ad cookies (F24);  police are misusing COVID-19 technology for surveillance purposes (AP);   “Australia’s disability royal commission has faced near media silence – and left politicians unaccountable” (TG);   “Bosnians flee corruption and hopelessness” (DW);   “two NSW police officers have been stood down after a disturbing photo emerged of them appearing to point their guns at each other over social media” (TND);  
  
• concerns around past/current/potential corruption/misgovernance also in   Nigeria (The Cable),   Nigeria (PT);
  
  
• on DEMOCRACY AND GOVERNANCE (noting Article 25 of the ICCPR and monitoring  projects): 
• globally:   Peru’s political crisis - triggered when the previous president, who has strong connections to Peru’s Indigenous peoples, allegedly attempted a coup - is continuing (F24);   the EU is attempting to clean up social media (TG);  after 16 ears, Fiji might be edging back towards democracy (SBS);   “deepening a culture of military professionalism in Africa” (ACSS);  
  
• in Australia:   a violent (TG) field invasion in Australia - which will be investigated and those responsible penalised (ABC) - has set soccer's standing back (ABC);  “Australia urged to overhaul energy concessions as low-income residents forced to forgo essentials” (TG);   Israel has moved (F24) even further to the right (TG);   a major media organisation in Australia has been criticised (TG) by a media oversight body (which itself has low credibility amongst many people in the public) for allegedly (my word) breaching (TND) an editorial code but not impartiality requirements after a whinge from another media outlet - which is also suing (TND) another media organisation (TND) - it reported on (which I consider hypocritical given the extremists views the complainant portrays and their reactions to being criticised. One of the problem,s here too, is that such matters tend to be assessed as if each article exists in a vacuum - which is why MSM outlets fan anti-LGBTIQA+ hate by giving equal sides to haters who have already drowned the air waves elsewhere);   “Australia-wide firearms register on national cabinet agenda more than 30 years after first being suggested” (TG);  
  
• suppression of dissent / media in   Sudan (AJ),   Tunisia (DW),   Burkina Faso (Barrons),   Somalia (AP) - see also this (VoA),;
  democracy is also at risk in   USA (TG),   Tunisia (Middle East Eye),   DRC (lack of democratic culture amongst candidates) (DW); 
  
  
• 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:   “lack of leadership is both a strength and weakness of Iran’s protest movement” (F24);   an actor has been arrested (ABC) for criticising (TG) the death penalty;   Iran has been expelled from the UN’s Commission on the Status of Women (TND);   “Iran’s government accesses the social media accounts of those it detains. Tech companies appear ill-equipped to stop it” (CNN);   “dozens [are] facing execution while the West is distracted by Christmas” (CNN);  
  
• “Indigenous deaths in custody rises to 516 since the 1991 royal commission ... The Australian Institute of Criminology’s annual report shows 106 people died in custody between July 2021-22, with 16 of those people of Indigenous descent” (TG);   a neo-Nazi has been found guilty of recklessly causing injury and affray, with the magistrate commenting that “he was “itching for a fight”” (TG);   “aged care star ratings questioned as 91% of Australia’s homes deemed acceptable. Unions say ‘bar must be set very low’ as only 9% of facilities rated substandard despite reports of poor conditions” (TG);   “the FBI’s 2021 hate crime data is worse than meaningless” (LFB);   the extradition of a journalist to Türkiye has been blocked by a court in Sweden - which means Türkiye will continue to block Sweden from joining NATO, but also means Türkiye's attempt to silence critics and attacks Kurds outside its borders will be constrained (AJ);   concerns over Germany's surveillance software (DW) - and see this over broader surveillance concerns (CT);   an attack (TND) on the Kurdish community (DW) in France (AJ) by someone released while waiting trial for attacking refugees;   an Australian sporting team has allowed itself to be used for Saudi sportswashing (TG);  
  
• human rights are at risk or abuses have also occurred in:   UK (TG),   Malawi (UN),   Sudan (ST),   Libya (double set of abuses - the crimes, and the punishment) (NA);
  
• violence in:   Iraq (ABC),   Canada (TND),   Kenya (R),;
  
  
• noting the GENOCIDE  Convention:   a genocide is underway in Nigeria (GW);   the UN needs to go beyond the resolution on Burma and ensure follow up action (UN) - see also this, on the funding of the resistance in Burma (ICG);   
  
  
• noting the conventions and the Global Compact on REFUGEES:   “despite Labor’s promises, refugees needing urgent medical care remain on Nauru” (TG);   19,000 refugees will be allowed to stay in Australia (TG);  
  
  
• noting the Yogyakarta Principles on LGBTIQ+ PEOPLE:   the abuses committed by insecure men (M);   “we do not remove the legal sex of cisgender women who commit heinous sexual offences, we do not remove the legal sex of cisgender men who commit heinous sexual offences. Singling out transgender people for this act of legal sex revocation is in and of itself an act of discrimination and a further attempt to demonise and stigmatise transgender lives” (M) - see also this (M);   the death by suicide of a transgender activist has shown the power of hate to kill (TG);   escalating violent threats against an NYC Council member over drag shows (QN);   a streaming service is suspected of LGBTIQA-phobia over its history of cancellations (QN);  
  more LGBTIQA+ issues:   India (QN),   a supposedly progressive political party in my home state (SMH),   Scotland (M) - but also this (good news) (TG);
  
  
• noting ICERD and DRIP on RACISM:   an unusually capable budgerigar is being used to promote Indigenous languages (ABC);   “Dutch slavery apology won't be enough, descendants say” (DW), but has been made (TG) anyway (TG);   “Germany returns looted Benin Bronzes to Nigeria” (DW);   a reminder that people can choose to be racist or not (M);   “vandals destroy 22,000-year-old sacred cave art in Australia” (CNN);   “why sending police dogs to search Black students reminds us of racist past” (M);   a Nationals party MP has quit that party over its opposition to the Voice (TND);   land rights claims have been recognised for Purnululu National Park and in Bundjalung land (NIT);   “the final days of the Yoorrook Justice Commission heard experts expose the significantly higher risk Indigenous women and children face in custody” (NIT);  
  more racism issues:   France (DW),   sport (CNN) - and see also this (TG) and this (CNN);
  
  
• noting CEDAW on SEXISM:   “the four priorities for tackling medical misogyny in Australia” (TG);   further to last week's item a personal experience of the devastation caused by NDAs (TG), “a ... jury has found [a well known film producer] guilty of rape and sexual assault, five years after dozens of women spoke out against the Hollywood producer and [re]galvanized the #MeToo movement. ... “Throughout the trial, [his] lawyers used sexism, misogyny, and bullying tactics to intimidate, demean, and ridicule us survivors,” Siebel Newsom said in a statement after the verdict. “This trial was a stark reminder that we as a society have work to do”” (TG) - and an independent (TG) enquiry (TND) will be launched into how the now discontinued prosecution of a man - who is moving towards defamation actions against media outlets and possibly other actions such as unfair dismissal (TG) - for allegedly raping a woman was handled (fair legal systems are built on the basis of innocent until proven guilty, which is a vital defence against abuse of power by the powerful. This means that when people are charged they are innocent - not suspect or tainted: innocent. On the other hand, victims of sexual assaults are subject to a second rape by the way they are treated by legal systems. There are no winners here - especially when many sexual assaults could be prevented);   gendered differences in perception (TG);  
  more sexism issues:   Afghanistan (UN) - but see also this (DW);

(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;   Climate Change News - CCN;   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.