WAHINGTON, DC: Zoom said Wednesday (Jun 10) that it had temporarily closed a US account of activists who met to mark the anniversary of China's crackdown in Tiananmen Square, raising alarm over free speech on the fast-growing video-meeting service.
US-based rights campaigners turned to Zoom, which has become a way of life for many people during the coronavirus lockdown, to connect more than 250 people to remember Beijing's crushing of the pro-democracy uprising on Jun 4, 1989.
The group Humanitarian China said it had brought in numerous participants from inside China, which has tried to erase memories of the bloodshed - and that its paid Zoom account was shut down without explanation one week later.
The shutdown was first reported by news site Axios.
Zhou Fengsuo, a co-founder of the group who was number one on Beijing's most-wanted list after the Tiananmen crackdown, told AFP that the Zoom account was reactivated on Wednesday.
Zoom acknowledged that it had shut down and restored the account after the attention.
"Just like any global company, we must comply with applicable laws in the jurisdictions where we operate," a Zoom spokesperson said.
"When a meeting is held across different countries, the participants within those countries are required to comply with their respective local laws.
"We aim to limit the actions we take to those necessary to comply with local law and continuously review and improve our process on these matters."
Zhou Fengsuo, seen here in New York in 2019, was a leader of the Tiananmen Square student uprising AFP/Don Emmert
The activists voiced outrage, charging that the company may have been under direct pressure from China's communist leaders.
"If so, Zoom is complicit in erasing the memories of the Tiananmen Massacre in collaboration with an authoritarian government," Humanitarian China said in a statement.
It called Zoom an "essential" resource in reaching audiences inside China, which rigorously enforces censorship.
Zoom reported Tuesday that its earnings had soared in the quarter ending April 30 as both companies and friends, cooped up inside due to COVID-19 lockdowns, embrace the platform to meet virtually.
Its rapid growth has not been without previous problems, with the company forced to confront a rash of racists and other unwelcome gatecrashers who hack into Zoom sessions.
Beijing has developed a sophisticated "Great Firewall" that aims to keep out news that is damaging to the leadership.
Authorities go to extraordinary lengths each year to ban commemorations of the Tiananmen crackdown, in which the military killed hundreds of unarmed protesters - by some estimates, more than 1,000 - who had packed the capital to seek reform.
PEN America, the literary group that defends free speech, denounced Zoom's move.
"We wouldn't tolerate it if a phone company cut off service for someone expressing their views in a conference call; we shouldn't tolerate it in the digital space either," said the group's CEO, Suzanne Nossel.
"Zoom portends to be the platform of choice for companies, school systems and a wide range of organizations that need a virtual way to communicate, especially amid global lockdown. But it can't serve that role and act as the long arm of the Chinese government," she said.
With its alluring market, China has long been problematic for US tech giants that generally boast of allowing unfettered free speech at home.
Apple in 2017 acknowledged that it bowed to Chinese law by removing apps for VPNs, or virtual private networks, that let its users evade local controls.
A decade earlier, Yahoo faced intense criticism and conceded wrongdoing after helping Chinese officials identify pro-democracy advocates who posted on online message boards.
WASHINGTON, DC: The brother of George Floyd, whose killing by police sparked worldwide protests against racism, told the US Congress on Wednesday (Jun 10) to "stop the pain" and pass reforms that reduce police brutality.
One day after burying his brother in Houston, Philonise Floyd appeared in person before a House hearing, where he described the anguish of watching a viral video of George's death and demanded lawmakers address the systemic problems in law enforcement.
"I'm here to ask you to make it stop. Stop the pain. Stop us from being tired," the younger Floyd said, wiping his forehead and holding back tears.
"I can't tell you the kind of pain you feel when you watch ... your big brother, who you looked up to your whole entire life, die - die begging for his mom," he said.
"He didn't deserve to die, over US$20," he said, referring to his brother's alleged effort to use a counterfeit bill before his arrest.
"I'm asking you: is that what a black man is worth, US$20?" Floyd thundered. "This is 2020. Enough is enough."
Floyd described how his brother's repeated calls for help were ignored.
"Please listen to the call I'm making to you now, to the call of our family and the calls ringing out in the streets across the world," said Floyd, who wore an anti-virus mask bearing an image of his brother.
"Maybe by speaking with you today, I can make sure that his death will not be in vain."
George Floyd, 46, died in police custody in Minneapolis on May 25, when a white officer pressed his knee on his neck for nearly nine minutes.
Video of the shocking abuse went viral, and protests - some violent, most peaceful - erupted from coast to coast in some of the most serious US civil unrest in generations.
The testimony came two days after congressional Democrats unveiled a package of sweeping reforms aimed at reducing systemic racism in US law enforcement.
The legislation seeks to end police brutality in part by making it easier to prosecute officers for abuse, requiring anti-racism training and barring fired officers from working in police forces in other districts.
House Judiciary Committee chairman Jerry Nadler said that while most cops were decent and law-abiding, he acknowledged the need to address a "systemic problem" in law enforcement that requires a comprehensive solution.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) at a hearing on police brutality and racial profiling in Washington, DC. (Brendan Smialowski-Pool/Getty Images/AFP)
"If there is one thing I have taken away from the tragic events of the last month, it is that the nation demands and deserves meaningful change," Nadler said.
The panel's top Republican Jim Jordan joined in saying it was "time for a real discussion" about police treatment of African Americans, in the latest sign that Republicans also want to make changes to the system.
The House Judiciary Committee's top Republican, Jim Jordan, acknowledged that it was "time for a real discussion" about police treatment of African Americans. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images/AFP)
"It's as wrong as wrong can be," Jordan told Philonise Floyd about George Floyd's death, "and your brother's killers will face justice."
NEW DELHI - Mr Vikas Jain, 45, thought a strict countrywide lockdown, enforced since end March, bought time for the healthcare sector in India to cope with the surge in Covid-19 cases.
He was sadly mistaken.
On June 1, when his 47-year-old brother-in-law, fell ill, Mr Jain found it difficult to admit him into a hospital in Delhi mostly because of the recent explosion in the number of cases.
India is now the fifth-worst affected country in the world, with 276,583 Covid-19 cases. The capital, Delhi, which has 31,309 cases, is among the worst-affected cities in the country.
In Mr Jain's case, the first two hospitals refused to take his brother-in-law, saying there were no beds. He was admitted by a third hospital but it discharged him after he tested positive for Covid 19, saying it did not have an isolation ward.
"They had no ambulances so I had to arrange for a private ambulance. The ambulance didn't have an oxygen cylinder. I begged the hospital to give me one but they refused," said Mr Jain.
A fourth hospital also had no beds and referred him to a fifth, where he and his sister, the wife of the patient, had to physically move the sick man from the ambulance to the room because health workers were overwhelmed by other Covid 19 cases.
Tragically, Mr Jain's brother-in-law, a businessman, died on June 3 from Covid 19. Mr Jain's sister and her children, aged 21, 18 and 12, have tested positive and are now in home quarantine.
Mr Jain said: "He passed away before my eyes. The hospital said you should cremate the body yourself. At the crematorium, me and my nephew, 18, bought PPE kits, which is sold there and we had to do the last rites ourselves.
"It is just too shocking for me. I am saying, everybody, please take care of yourself, There is no arrangement. I don't have any words to express what we went through."
Delhi is among seven cities - along with Mumbai, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Indore, Pune and Kolkata - accounting for 60 per cent of Covid-19 cases in India.
Medical infrastructure has come under strain in all the cities, particularly in Delhi and Mumbai, with harrowing tales of desperate searches for admission amid a shortage of hospital beds and overworked healthcare staff.
Reports also speak of long queues at crematoriums in Delhi, with the government forced to open two additional ones.
"It is a massive, unprecedented challenge. By July 15, Delhi will need 33,000 beds... By July 31, we will need a total of 1.5 lakh (150,000) beds," said Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday (June 10).
"I will get started on this and go to stadiums, banquet halls and hotels to make arrangements. We will try everything to ensure enough hospital beds in Delhi," he added.
Delhi, which has a population of 19 million and is the seat of power of the federal government, currently has 9,000 beds. An order to reserve hospital beds only for Delhi residents was reversed amid much controversy.
Mr Narendra Jain was turned away at four hospitals before being admitted to a fifth. However, he died on June 3 from Covid-19, two days after falling ill. PHOTO: COURTESY OF VIKAS JAIN
The city's government has forecast it will have 500,000 cases by the end of next month.
Similarly, the situation is grim in the financial capital Mumbai, which now has 51,100 cases. Reports note the city has surpassed Wuhan, in China, where the first case was detected. Mumbai has 9,092 beds and practically all or 99 per cent of the beds in intensive care units (ICU) are occupied. Ventilators are also running out, with 94 per cent in use.
But World Health Organisation officials say the number of cases in India is still not alarming, given its population of 1.3 billion. The recovery rate is now 48.88 per cent, according to the health ministry, which said that the number of patients who have recovered has for the first time exceeded those battling the virus.
Fatality rates are also low compared to other countries, at 7,745 deaths.
Still, the spike in cases in the major cities is disconcerting, as it follows the easing of the stringent lockdown late last month. Offices, restaurants and malls have reopened and public transport as well as cross-country movement have resumed, triggering worries of a fresh wave of infections.
BEIJING (REUTERS, BLOOMBERG) - China said on Wednesday (June 10) it expressed grave concerns to Japan after Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Tokyo wants to take the lead among the Group of Seven (G-7) nations to issue a statement about the situation in Hong Kong.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Hua Chunying told reporters during a daily briefing that Hong Kong is "entirely China's internal affairs".
"The relevant country should abide by international laws and basic principles of international relations," she said.
Nations have expressed concerns over China's move to impose a new security law in Hong Kong, which many see as eroding the "one country, two systems" framework that underpins the administration of the former British colony.
Mr Abe said earlier Wednesday in Parliament: "Obviously, we acknowledge the G-7 has a mission to lead the global public opinion and Japan wants to take a lead in issuing a statement based on 'one nation, two systems' in Hong Kong."
Japan had already issued an statement independently expressing serious concern about Beijing's move on May 28, the day China passed the law, and called in the Chinese ambassador to convey its view.
Mr Abe has been treading an increasingly narrow path amid a deepening standoff between China – Japan’s biggest trade partner – and the US, its sole military ally.
The Japanese prime minister said in parliament that the G-7 remained significant even after the establishment of the G-20 because its members share the "universal values of freedom, democracy and the rule of law."
US President Donald Trump last month postponed the G-7 summit to the autumn, and proposed inviting the leaders of Russia, South Korea, Australia and India, alongside the usual participants.
Mr Abe, who has worked hard to build a rapport with Mr Trump, has said he plans to attend the summit if it’s held in person, even if that could mean he is forced to quarantine afterward.
Tensions are also growing between China and other members of the G-7, including the UK, where lawmakers are asking questions about whether Huawei Technologies Co should supply equipment for Britain’s 5G network.
Mr Abe said this week that Japan was not in a position to set dates for a state visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping, which was postponed from April as both countries struggled to control the virus.
The occasion had been meant to mark a return to normal for the often-fraught relationship between the two countries.
Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi told the same parliamentary committee that Japan did not have China in mind as it considers loosening its border controls.
Priority will be given to countries including Vietnam and New Zealand, where new cases have fallen to zero, he said.
HONG KONG: Hong Kong police arrested 53 people during protests on Tuesday (Jun 9) evening that saw hundreds of activists take to the streets, at times blocking roads in the heart of the global financial hub, before police fired pepper spray to disperse crowds.
The protests, called to mark a year of sometimes violent rallies in the former British colony, also came amid heightened tensions due to a proposed national security Bill backed by the central government in Beijing.
Police said on Wednesday that 36 males and 17 females were arrested for offences including unlawful assembly and participating in unauthorised assembly. Protesters had defied a ban on gatherings of more than eight people introduced by the Hong Kong government to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Demonstrators march during a protest on the first anniversary of a mass protest against the now-withdrawn extradition Bill, in Hong Kong's Central district, on Jun 9, 2020. (Photo: REUTERS/Laurel Chor)
More protests are planned in the coming days, with pro-democracy supporters fearing the proposed national security legislation will dramatically stifle freedoms in the city.
While details of the security law or how it will operate have yet to be revealed, authorities in Beijing and Hong Kong have said there is no cause for concern and the legislation will target a minority of "troublemakers".
Police raise a banner warning demonstrators near the Court of Final Appeal during a protest on the first anniversary of a mass protest against the now-withdrawn extradition Bill, in Hong Kong's Central district, on Jun 9, 2020. (Photo: REUTERS/Laurel Chor)
The standing committee of the National People's Congress, the top decision-making body of the Chinese parliament, will meet in Beijing later this month to deliberate on various draft legislation, official Chinese media reported on Wednesday.
The reports did not specify whether any laws regarding Hong Kong were included on the agenda for discussion at the Jun 18-20 meeting.
Hong Kong Security Secretary John Lee told the South China Morning Post in an interview published on Wednesday that local police were setting up a dedicated unit to enforce the law and it would have intelligence gathering, investigation and training capabilities.
Riot police stand guard outside HSBC and Bank of China (Hong Kong ) headquarters during a protest to mark the first anniversary of a mass rally against a now-withdrawn extradition Bill, in Hong Kong, on Jun 9, 2020. (Photo: REUTERS/Tyrone Siu)
Police officers charge at demonstrators during a protest on the first anniversary of a mass protest against the now-withdrawn extradition Bill, in Hong Kong's Central district, on Jun 9, 2020. (Photo: REUTERS/Laurel Chor)
Companies including HSBC and Standard Chartered have backed the security law without knowing the details of it, drawing criticism from some investors and US and British officials.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo singled out HSBC on Tuesday, saying such "corporate kowtows" got little in return from Beijing and criticising the Chinese Communist Party's "coercive bullying tactics".
Hong Kong's year of protests was sparked by a government Bill that would have allowed people to be extradited to mainland China, where courts are controlled by the Communist Party, for trial.
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam withdrew that Bill as the protests gathered pace but activists remained concerned that China is reneging on an agreement signed with Britain ahead of the 1997 handover to allow Hong Kong to retain a high level of autonomy for 50 years from that date.
