Minggu, 21 Juli 2019

Hong Kong Demonstrators Return To Streets To Protest Police Tactics - NPR

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Protesters take part in a march on a street in Hong Kong on Sunday. Thousands of Hong Kong protesters marched from a public park to call for an independent investigation into police tactics. Vincent Yu/AP hide caption

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Vincent Yu/AP

Tens of thousands of protesters returned to the streets of Hong Kong on Sunday, as opposition to an unpopular extradition bill transformed into a demand that an independent investigation be conducted into the forceful tactics used by police during previous demonstrations.

Over the past seven weeks, millions have been demonstrating against Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam, seen by protesters as allowing an erosion of freedoms independent of mainland China.

A major flashpoint in the weeks of protests has been opposition to an extradition bill that would have allowed people in Hong Kong to be sent to mainland China to face trials in courts controlled by the Communist Party, prompting fears that prosecutions would target activists critical of China.

Earlier this month, as pressure to kill the effort mounted, Lam apologized for proposing the contentious legislation and declared the bill dead, yet protesters were still not happy since Lam stopped short of formally withdrawing the bill. Lam has said she has no plans to renew a push for the bill, a move that has further dissatisfied protesters.

There have been tense moments during the protests, with riot police using tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannons to disperse crowds.

Police officials have defended their tactics, saying force has been used only when protesters became violent. Officials point to actions such as when a small group of demonstrators stormed Hong Kong's Legislative Council building, shattering glass and tearing down a metal wall, as proof that demonstrators have gotten out of hand at times.

On Saturday, tens of thousands turned out to support the police and protest violence in a demonstration organized by a pro-establishment group.

But on Sunday, masses of people critical of the establishment demanding more transparency and democracy overtook the street again. Some demonstrators carried banners that read "Independent Inquiry for Rule of Law," asking for an outside probe of what protesters see as excessive force used by police against marchers.

The protest movement has different factions and additional demands, including pro-democracy activists calling for the right to elect their own government, which is now approved by Beijing. Other demonstrators are asking that those who clashed with police have their charges dropped. And some in the crowd fed up with Lam are calling for her resignation.

Although the demonstrators were largely peaceful on Sunday, protesters extended beyond a police-ordered finish point for the rally. Thousands then headed toward the Chinese government's liaison office.

Rows of riot police assembled near the building, some protesters having pelted the office with eggs before leaving. The Chinese Communist Party emblem at the entrance was also spray-painted over. This breakaway group of protests, some wearing all black and wearing masks, are rallying around the chant, "Liberate Hong Kong, the Revolution of Our Times."

Hong Kong police used tear gas against the protesters on Sunday in an attempt to force them to disperse.

Organizers said 430,000 demonstrators came out on Sunday. Police offered a lower number, estimating that about 138,000 took part in the marches.

Police on Friday seized a large stash of explosives in a suspected bomb-making factory, where anti-extradition bill pamphlets were also found, but police said the link between the site and the protest movement against the legislation was still under investigation. Local media reported that three men have been apprehended in connection with the seizure of explosives.

NPR's Julie McCarthy contributed to this report.

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https://www.npr.org/2019/07/21/743885311/hong-kong-protests-demonstrators-demand-inquiry-into-police-tactics-amid-standof

2019-07-21 15:52:00Z
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Japan's ruling coalition scores election triumph - Politico

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has led his Liberal Democratic Party to five consecutive parliamentary election victories since 2012. | Koji Sasahara/AP Photo

Politics

By ASSOCIATED PRESS

TOKYO — Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s ruling coalition secured a majority in Japan’s upper house of parliament in elections Sunday, according to vote counts by public television and other media. Exit polls indicated Abe could even close in on the super-majority needed to propose constitutional revisions.

NHK public television said Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party and its junior partner Komeito had won 64 seats in the upper house after two hours of vote counting. The two-thirds majority needed for constitutional revision could be within reach if the ruling bloc can gain support from members of another conservative party and independents.

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Up for grabs were 124 seats in the less powerful of Japan’s two parliamentary chambers. There are 245 seats in the upper house — which does not choose the prime minister — about half of which are elected every three years.

The results appeared to match or even exceed pre-election polls that indicated Abe’s ruling bloc was to keep ground in the upper house, with most voters considering it a safer choice over an opposition with an uncertain track record. To reach the two-thirds majority, or 164 seats, Abe needs 85 more seats by his ruling bloc and supporters of a charter change.

Opposition parties have focused on concerns over household finances, such as the impact from an upcoming 10% sales tax increase and strains on the public pension system amid Japan’s aging population.

Abe has led his Liberal Democratic Party to five consecutive parliamentary election victories since 2012.

He has prioritized revitalizing Japan’s economy and has steadily bolstered the country’s defenses in the backdrop of North Korea’s missile and nuclear threats and China’s growing military presence. He also has showcased his diplomatic skills by cultivating warm ties with President Donald Trump.

Abe was hoping to gain enough upper house seats to boost his chances for constitutional revision, his long-cherished goal before his term ends in 2021. Abe needs approval by a two-thirds majority in both houses to propose a revision and seek a national referendum. His ruling bloc already has a two-thirds majority in the more powerful lower house.

But Abe and his conservative backers face challenges because voters seem more concerned about their jobs, the economy and social security.

The main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and three other liberal-leaning parties teamed up in some districts. They stressed support for gender equality and LGBT issues — areas Abe’s ultra-conservative lawmakers are reluctant to back.

At a polling station in Tokyo’s Chuo district on Sunday, voters were divided over Abe’s 6 1/2-year rule.

A voter who identified himself only as a company worker in his 40s said he chose a candidate and a party that have demonstrated an ability to get things done, suggesting he voted for Abe’s ruling party and its candidate, as “there is no point in casting my vote for a party or a politician who has no such abilities.”

Another voter, Katsunori Takeuchi, a 57-year-old fish market worker, said it was time to change the dominance of Abe and his ultra-conservative policies.

“I think the ruling party has been dominating politics for far too long and it is causing damage,” he said.

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https://www.politico.com/story/2019/07/21/japan-shinzo-abe-election-1424131

2019-07-21 15:15:00Z
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Hong Kong protests: graffiti, tear gas and riot police - BBC News

Thousands of people are marching in Hong Kong in the latest of a series of protests by pro-democracy campaigners.

Protesters ignored the designated finish line, continuing on to China's government headquarters in Hong Kong, where anti-China graffiti was sprayed.

The BBC's Stephen McDonell was amid the pro-democracy protesters as tear gas began to be fired.

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https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-asia-49062370/hong-kong-protests-graffiti-tear-gas-and-riot-police

2019-07-21 15:05:03Z
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Hong Kong protests: graffiti, tear gas and riot police - BBC News

Thousands of people are marching in Hong Kong in the latest of a series of protests by pro-democracy campaigners.

Protesters ignored the designated finish line, continuing on to China's government headquarters in Hong Kong, where anti-China graffiti was sprayed.

The BBC's Stephen McDonell was amid the pro-democracy protesters as tear gas began to be fired.

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https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-asia-49062370/hong-kong-protests-graffiti-tear-gas-and-riot-police

2019-07-21 14:14:12Z
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'Alter your course,' Iranians warned before seizing UK-flagged ship - CNN

In the radio exchange, what is believed to be an Iranian vessel can be heard telling a British Royal Navy frigate that it wants to inspect the Stena Impero for security reasons, and orders it to "alter its course."
The British side quickly reacted by warning that, under international law, the vessel's passage "must not be impaired."
The tanker captured by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Friday is now at the center of a widening row between Iran and Britain.
The possibility of sanctions has been floated in British media, suggesting that the incident could become a much broader clash between the two countries. The UK continues to maintain its priority is to de-escalate the situation.
British junior defense minister Tobias Ellwood said on Sunday that the UK is considering a range of responses to Iran's actions in the strategic Strait, when asked about the possibility of economic sanctions in an interview on Sky News.
A day earlier, Britain told the United Nations Security Council that while it doesn't want a confrontation with Iran, it considers the Islamic Republic's actions in Omani territorial waters "unacceptable" and "highly escalatory."
"International law requires that the right of transit passage shall not be impeded, and therefore the Iranian action constitutes illegal interference," the UK said in a letter seen by CNN.
UK vows 'robust' action if Iran doesn't release British-flagged oil tanker
Iran's ambassador to London, Hamid Baeidinejad, has urged the UK government to contain political forces seeking to turn the dispute into something larger.
"UK government should contain those domestic political forces who want to escalate existing tension between Iran and the UK well beyond the issue of ships," Baeidinejad said on Twitter Sunday. "This is quite dangerous and unwise at a sensitive time in the region."
The UK has convened two emergency meetings of national security officials to discuss its response, while also consulting other countries. It has warned ships connected to the UK shipping industry to "stay out of the area" in the interim.

'If you obey, you will be safe'

The audio recording, obtained by British maritime security firm Dryad Global, has now shed some light on how events unfolded in real-time leading up to the incident.
The exchange begins with an Iranian vessel telling the Stena Impero to change direction: "If you obey you will be safe, alter your course."
A British Royal Navy frigate identifies itself in the recording as HMS Montrose, and advises the Stena Impero that its passage must not be disrupted.
"As you are conducting transit passage in a recognized international strait, under international law your passage must not be impaired, impeded, obstructed or hampered."
The Iranians respond, saying they do not intend to challenge the Stena Impero and wish to inspect the tanker for "security reasons."
In the days since the Stena Impero was seized, questions have swirled over why more wasn't done to provide protection to British-flagged ships operating in the Strait -- linking the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf -- despite warnings.
Observers had expected Iran to respond in kind to the capture of an Iranian tanker by British authorities in Gibraltar two weeks ago. That ship, the Grace 1, was seized due to evidence it was attempting to transport oil to Syria in violation of European Union sanctions.
The UK raised the security level for British ships in the Persian Gulf just last week.
Speaking after a call with his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif on Saturday, UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said that Iran saw the seizing of tankers in the Strait as a "tit-for-tat situation," following the detention of Grace 1.
The Stena Impero
"Our priority continues to be to find a way to de-escalate the situation," Hunt said.
But Iran has maintained that it was simply following maritime procedure after the Stena Impero used the exit lane to enter the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, "violating maritime rules" by sailing in the wrong direction.

Iran's 'dangerous strategy'

The tanker looks set to become a pawn in the mounting stalemate between Iran and Western powers, as Tehran fights to free itself from the crippling effects of US economic sanctions.
But there could be serious consequences for the Islamic Republic's aggression toward the UK -- one of three European powers that have sought to save the 2015 Iran nuclear deal even after the United States dropped out -- and even wider repercussions for global trade.
"This is classic Iranian escalatory behavior designed to show it can also push back," Sanam Vakil, senior research fellow at Chatham House in London, told CNN.
Iran's gamble on a tanker seizure will end its credit -- even among friends
The gamble could come at a steep cost for Iran, at a time when it is looking for an opening to renew nuclear talks.
"The dangerous strategy for Iran is that this could push the UK closer to the United States and result in greater coordination between the two allies," Vakil said.
The UK has worked to safeguard the landmark nuclear agreement while appeasing Washington, a balancing act that has become increasingly difficult as Iran raises the stakes in the Gulf.
There has been some speculation that British authorities seized the Iranian tanker in Gibraltar at the request of the US, following a claim from Spain's foreign minister to that effect. This was not confirmed by American officials.
Asked about the suggested coordination, a UK Ministry of Defence spokesperson told CNN it does not comment on intelligence matters.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo briefly addressed escalating Iranian tensions in the Strait on Saturday, describing the nation's actions as "threatening."

  • Tensions in the Strait of Hormuz

  • May 8, 2018
  • November 5, 2018
  • April 8, 2019
  • June 20, 2019
    • Iran shoots down a United States military drone. Iran's Revolutionary Guard claims that the drone was shot down after it entered the country's territory, while the US claims the drone was shot down in international airspace.
  • June 24, 2019
  • July 1, 2019
  • July 4, 2019
    • The Iranian oil-carrying vessel Grace 1 is seized by British authorities near Gibralter. Gibraltar's territorial authorities had reason to believe the ship was "carrying its shipment of crude oil to the Baniyas Refinery in Syria" in violation of European Union sanctions, it said in a statement. Iran called the act "piracy."
  • July 10, 2019
  • July 14, 2019
  • July 18, 2019
    • US officials say the US Navy has destroyed an Iranian drone using electronic jamming, in a defensive action after it came too close to naval ship USS Boxer took. However, Iranian officials deny that any of their drones have been downed.
  • July 19, 2019
    • Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announces that its navy has captured the British-flagged oil tanker, Stena Impero. It accuses the British tanker of "violating international regulations."
    • A second tanker, the Liberian flagged MV Mesdar, was also seized, one US official tells CNN.

Source: CNN

"In the end, the Iranians have to ... the Iranian regime has to make a decision that it wants to behave like a normal nation," Pompeo said during a news conference in Ecuador
"If they do the things we've asked them to do on their nuclear program, their missile program, their malign behavior around the world -- I mean, you can just watch their actions. These are actions that threaten."
The ratcheting tensions in the Strait could also have dire economic and security consequences around the world.
Roughly 24% of global oil production passes through the narrow passage, and it's the only way to ship oil out of the Persian Gulf. The US Energy Information Administration calls the Strait of Hormuz one of the "world's most important strategic chokepoints by volume of oil transit."
Richard Meade, the managing editor of the influential shipping industry publication Lloyds List, said the Stena Impero's seizure is "probably the highest level security threat that we have seen in the region since the late 80s."

CNN's Hande Atay Alam and Richard Roth contributed to this report.

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https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/21/middleeast/audio-recording-british-tanker-seized-iran-intl/index.html

2019-07-21 14:00:00Z
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Radio exchanges reveal Iran-UK confrontation before oil tanker was seized - The Sun

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQi4zjyHh2I

2019-07-21 12:34:12Z
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Shinzo Abe Appears to Be Headed to Victory and Place in History as Polls Close in Japan - The New York Times

TOKYO — As polls closed in Japan on Sunday after lackluster turnout in national elections, voters appeared to have delivered a victory to the governing party of Shinzo Abe and its allies, according to the public broadcaster NHK, all but ensuring his place in history as the country’s longest-serving prime minister.

It was not yet clear whether Mr. Abe and his allies had also secured two-thirds of the seats in the Upper House of Parliament, a supermajority needed to fulfill his long-cherished ambition of revising a pacifist Constitution that has been in place since American occupiers created it in 1947.

Nevertheless, the projected result represented a striking moment for Mr. Abe, who just a dozen years ago was forced to resign in disgrace after one year as prime minister, following a humiliating defeat of his party in a parliamentary election. Now, Mr. Abe, who returned to power in 2012, is just four months shy of setting Japan’s leadership record.

During the campaign, Mr. Abe did not emphasize his desire to revise the Constitution, On Saturday night at his party’s final campaign rally in Tokyo, supporters waved Japanese flags as Mr. Abe promised to secure the country’s finances and touted his personal relationship with President Trump.

“We will firmly protect Japan,” he said.

Mr. Abe appeared headed to secure the electoral victory despite struggling to accomplish his other professed goals, including turbocharging the economy, raising the country’s sluggish birthrate or dramatically increasing the proportion of women in management and politics. In many ways, Mr. Abe’s success stems from the lack of a strong opposition rather than a public mandate for his party’s vision.

“The opposition is no good,” said Makoto Mugikura, 68, a voter who had wandered into the rally not as an ardent supporter but because he happened to be drinking in the neighborhood. “There is nothing but the Liberal Democrats.”

Image
CreditIssei Kato/Reuters

With five major opposition parties, many voters have a hard time keeping them straight. New parties crop up in each election as old parties split and reconstitute.

“The opposition’s problem comes down to marketing and identity,” said Jeffrey W. Hornung, a political scientist at the RAND Corporation who focuses on Japan. “It’s hard to be able to have any sort of consistent voice when you come and go with different elections, and Abe and the L.D.P. have been able to capitalize on that.”

Some of the opposition parties hoped to distinguish themselves by putting forward more female candidates.

Under a law enacted last year, Japan’s political parties are encouraged to strive for gender parity in their candidates. A record 28 percent of candidates in the election on Sunday are women, with the Constitutional Democratic Party fielding a slate that is almost half female.

While Mr. Abe often says he envisions a society in which “women can shine,” fewer than one in six candidates for the Liberal Democratic Party are women, and there is only one woman in his cabinet.

Mr. Abe’s agenda for women is “window dressing,” said Noriko Sakoh, the author of “Doing Too Much Housework Will Destroy Japan.” She pointed to government policies such as tax abatements for husbands whose wives do not work and persistent waiting lists for government-subsidized day care despite the low birthrate.

Image
CreditKimimasa Mayama/EPA, via Shutterstock

Ms. Sakoh said she was attracted to a new progressive party called Reiwa Shinsengumi, which is backing a range of candidates from diverse backgrounds, including a single mother and two people with physical disabilities. On Sunday evening, Kyodo News said that Yasuhiko Funago, a candidate who uses a wheelchair and has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, had won a seat.

In a country where one-fifth of the population is now 70 or older, all the major parties focused on the national pension system during the campaign.

Just under two months before the election, the Financial Services Agency, a government regulator, warned that the country’s social security system would not be able to support the living standards of the elderly through retirement. Given the long life expectancies in Japan, the agency’s report suggested that an average couple would need an additional 20 million yen, or about $185,000, to live comfortably.

Officials in the Abe administration swiftly repudiated the report, and on the campaign trail Mr. Abe promised to increase annual pensions for low-income retirees by about $560.

Such pledges rang hollow to some protesters who showed up for Mr. Abe’s final rally on Saturday, shouting “Abe quit!” and “Don’t bully poor people!”

Mr. Abe has said the government will fund the payments by encouraging more women and the elderly to work, and his party has vowed to raise the country’s consumption tax to 10 percent in the fall, as previously scheduled.

Image
CreditKimimasa Mayama/EPA, via Shutterstock

All five major opposition parties have said they would not raise the tax, although Yukio Edano, leader of the Constitutional Democrats, says the government has a responsibility to secure the retirement of its citizens.

“Isn’t it the job of the government to figure out how we can build a system that will work even if people don’t save 20 million yen?” he said last month.

In his final campaign speech on Saturday, Mr. Abe dismissed the opposition’s criticism.

“Regarding pensions and other social security benefits, the opposition parties are only fanning unease among the people without presenting alternative plans,” he said. “Without raising burdens, we cannot increase social security.”

A supporter at the rally said he did not plan to depend on the government for his retirement.

“I will take care of myself,” said Ichiro Hasumi, 65, a retired shipping company worker who said he was voting for Mr. Abe’s party because “he will best protect the national interest.”

“It’s Japan first,” he added.

Mr. Abe has worked hard to establish himself as a leader on the world stage, persistently courting Mr. Trump and working to improve ties with President Xi Jinping of China. During Mr. Trump’s visit to Japan in May, the relationship seemed to pay off when the American president said on Twitter that he would hold off on thorny trade negotiations until after the Japanese election this month.

For the opposition, it can be hard to counter such symbols of Mr. Abe’s power. It is also difficult to break through to a public that values stability or offer compelling new ideas for how to solve the country’s most difficult long-term problems, which are dictated by the demographics of a declining population and aging society.

“The challenges that Japan faces are very complicated, so there are in general not a lot of easy answers,” said Kristi Govella, assistant professor of Asian studies at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. “Opposition parties tend to get pushed into an anti-Abe or anti-status-quo position, and that can be a difficult place to build a base of new, exciting policy ideas from.”

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https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/21/world/asia/japan-elections-2019.html

2019-07-21 12:33:45Z
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