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Thousands Protest Indonesian Bills That Limit Rights and Ban Extramarital Sex

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2 weeks ago

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  • Tens of thousands of people have been protesting in Indonesia for the last few weeks over a number of proposed and existing laws.
  • One of the proposed laws is a massive penal code overhaul that, among other things, would outlaw sex outside of marriage and limit freedom of speech. 
  • Another law that has already been passed rolls back powers given to the country’s main anti-corruption body.
  • Demonstrators all over the country have clashed violently with police who have fired tear gas and water cannons at them, resulting in hundreds of injuries, arrests, and at least three civilian deaths.

Indonesian Protests Over Legislation

Thousands demonstrated outside the Indonesian Parliament Monday to protest against legislation that would undermine anti-corruption efforts and personal freedoms, among other measures.

Student-led protests have continued over the past few weeks, with Indonesians holding massive demonstrations all throughout the country.

Some of the activist’s main concerns center around two controversial pieces of legislation in particular.

The first bill, which has already been passed by Parliament, is intended to limit the power of the country’s main anti-corruption body, the Corruption Eradication Commission.

Protestors have called on Indonesian President Joko Widodo to reverse parliament’s decision, but he has largely balked at the idea.

The second bill, which has not yet been passed, is the more significant of the two. That bill would put in place an entirely new penal code, which, among other things, would criminalize both gay and premarital sex, as well significantly limit freedom of speech.

That new penal code received so much public outcry that Widodo announced last week that he would be delaying the bill until a new parliament was sworn in. Parliament on Monday agreed to push the vote on the penal code until their next session.

That decision is not at all a significant win for the protestors, because the new parliament is going to be sworn-in on Tuesday, meaning the lawmakers just pushed the bill to the next day.

However, because the penal code has not yet been passed, the protestors are calling for the bill to be withdrawn entirely.

Ongoing Protests

Last week, it was reported that tens of thousands of protestors took to the streets all over the country.

In the Indonesian capital Jakarta, demonstrators reportedly pulled down fencing, blocked traffic, and torched a police outpost. Police forces responded by firing tear gas and water cannons at demonstrators.

According to reports, hundreds of people were arrested and hundreds more were injured. A total of three deaths have been reported since the protests started.

Two of those killed were student protestors on one island, one who died after being shot, and the other after suffering severe head injuries.

Amid a new wave of protests Monday, more than 20,000 police and military personnel were deployed to maintain the protestors just in Jakarta.

Local police claimed that crowds refused to disperse and threw rocks, bottles, and fireworks at officers, who in turn responded by again firing tear gas at protestors.

Some experts have described the recent protests as the largest demonstrations in Indonesia in more than 20 years.

The last time the country saw demonstrations of this size was in 1998 when mass protests calling for the establishment of a democratic society caused an Indonesian dictator who had ruled for 32 years to step down.

Protestors Expand Demands

With the new parliament expected to be sworn in tomorrow, it’s safe to assume that these protests will continue.

Especially as the new parliament, which has a similar political composition to the last one, will likely take up the debate on the penal code, as well as other controversial bills.

The new penal code has been supported by conservative Islamic groups and lawmakers hoping to increase the number of sharia-like laws and legal systems in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country.

Opponents of the law, however, have said the new penal code represents part of a dangerous shift towards deeper religiosity and conservative Islamic policies in a country that has long had the reputation as a democracy with relatively moderate Muslims and Islamic legal systems.

Outside the proposed penal code, protestors have recently expanded their list of demands to include a number of other things, such as ending the man-made forest fires in Indonesia’s rainforest, which have reportedly created respiratory problems for nearly a million people.

The protestors also want the corporations who have started the fires to clear land for planting lucrative palm oil plantations to be held accountable.

Similarly, they are calling for lawmakers to withdraw proposed legislation that would give corporations greater power over natural resources.

Notably, the protestors are additionally calling for the government to stop military action in the province of Papua, where at least 32 people were killed last week in anti-government protests.

The demonstrators have also broadly called for wider democratic reforms, such as the freeing of political prisoners.

See what others are saying: (Reuters) (The New York Times) (Voice of America)

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Thousands Flee Syria as Turkey Launches Military Offensive

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3 days ago

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October 10, 2019

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  • Turkey formally started a military offensive in Syria Wednesday, launching airstrikes, bombs, and sending in ground troops.
  • Numerous civilian and military deaths have been reported, and an estimated 60,000 Syrians have fled the region.
  • The move comes after the Trump administration announced it would step aside to let Turkey launch a military operation against U.S.-backed Kurdish forces in Syria.
  • Many world leaders and U.S. lawmakers, including Republicans who have been staunch supporters of President Trump, condemned the move, with some arguing that Trump will be responsible for the fallout.

Turkey Launches Offensive

Turkish military forces have entered the second day of an offensive against U.S.-backed Kurdish forces in Syria.

The assault started on Wednesday with Turkish forces launching airstrikes, bombing and shelling the territory. Several hours later, Turkish troops crossed the border into Northern Syria, officially starting a ground offensive.

The move comes just days after the White House announced that the U.S. would be stepping aside to allow Turkey to go forward with the long-planned operation while also removing U.S. troops from the region.

The announcement appeared to follow a call between President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Erdogan has said that this military operation is necessary to secure Turkey’s border with Syria and clear groups Turkey believes are terrorists. The operation targets the Kurdish groups that largely control that region of Northern Syria.

Specifically, the People’s Protection Unit (YPG) which makes up most of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Turkey claims that those groups are allied with a separatist movement called the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) which has been responsible for violent attacks in Turkey.

While Turkey considers the SDF a terrorist group, the U.S. does not. U.S. forces in Syria have recruited and trained the SDF for years to fight alongside them, and the SDF has done the majority of fighting on the ground against ISIS fighters in the region.

For a while, the U.S. has discouraged Turkey from launching a military operation against the Kurdish forces who have been fighting ISIS with them. But now, many have argued that the U.S. has basically given Turkey the green light to launch a military offensive against their own key allies.

The Numbers So far

Shortly after the operation began, pictures and videos began circulating showing civilians fleeing amid smoke from the sites of the bombings.

The New York Times reported that the airstrikes on the first day alone hit in or near at least five towns along more than 150 miles of the border, while Turkey’s Defense Ministry claimed on Thursday that it has hit 181 of its “terrorist” targets.

The Defense Ministry also said Thursday that 174 militants have already been killed, but that has not been independently verified.

Others have reported lower numbers. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that at least 23 SDF fighters were killed though dozens more were injured

As for civilians, the Kurdish Red Crescent reported that at least 11 civilians have been killed so far, including two children.

The Syrian Observatory also said that more than 60,000 Syrians have already fled the immediate region.

The fact that so many are already fleeing is likely to worsen the ongoing refugee crisis in Syria. 

It also appears to complicate Erdogan’s plan to carve out a so-called safe zone at the border where he would return Syrian refugees. Now, many are saying that the military operation will just create more refugees.

World Leaders Respond

Concern over refugees and other humanitarian issues have been raised by numerous world leaders who have condemned Turkey’s actions.

European Union Foreign Affairs Chief Federica Mogherini said in a statement that the EU “calls upon Turkey to cease the unilateral military action,” continuing that the operation will “undermine the stability of the whole region, exacerbate civilian suffering and provoke further displacements.”

A spokesperson for the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres also emphasized the need for civilian protections in a statement.

“Civilians and civilian infrastructure should be protected. The secretary-general believes that there’s no military solution to the Syrian conflict,” the spokesperson said.

A number of Middle Eastern leaders have also publicly criticized the move. In a statement, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry condemned “the aggression launched by the #Turkish army.” 

“The seriousness of this aggression on northeastern Syria has negative repercussions on the security and stability of the region, especially undermining the [international] efforts in combating ISIS organization,” the statement continued.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also took to Twitter, where he said that Israel “strongly condemns the Turkish invasion of the Kurdish areas in Syria and warns against the ethnic cleansing of the Kurds by Turkey and its proxies.”

U.S. Leaders Criticize Trump

After Turkey officially launched the military operation, President Trump was swiftly met with outrage by U.S. lawmakers, including notable Republicans who have been staunch supporters of the president. 

Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) directly blamed Trump for the violence in a tweet on Wednesday.

“News from Syria is sickening,” she wrote. “Turkish troops preparing to invade Syria from the north, Russian-backed forces from the south, ISIS fighters attacking Raqqa. Impossible to understand why @realDonaldTrump is leaving America’s allies to be slaughtered and enabling the return of ISIS.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has also been very vocal in his opposition to the Trump administration’s decision.

“Pray for our Kurdish allies who have been shamelessly abandoned by the Trump Administration,” he said in a tweet. “This move ensures the reemergence of ISIS.” 

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) spoke out on the issue as well, and added that Congress could take action against Trump’s decision,

“[The Kurds] actually fought on the ground. They had people dying. To just abandon them like that so the Turks can come in and slaughter them is not just immoral, it taints our reputation all over the world,” he said.

“It’s a terrible mistake. We’ll have to think of what options there are. I’m sure the Senate will, potentially, take some vote to disagree with that decision.”

Trump Defends Decision

But Trump, for his part, has continued to defend his decision. 

In a statement to the media, Trump said that the U.S. “does not endorse this attack and has made it clear to Turkey that this operation is a bad idea,” and added that Turkey is “committed to protecting civilians, protecting religious minorities, including Christians, and ensuring no humanitarian crisis takes place—and we will hold them to this commitment.”

During a press conference on Wednesday, Trump also reiterated that he would crack down on Turkey economically if they did something he did not like in Syria.

However, several of his later remarks received some backlash.

When asked about the U.S. alliance with the Kurds, Trump said: “As somebody wrote in a very, very powerful article today, they didn’t help us in the Second World War, they didn’t help us with Normandy as an example. They mentioned names of different battles. But they’re there to help us with their land and that’s a different thing.” 

He was also asked by reporters whether he was concerned about ISIS fighters breaking free from Kurdish custody, to which he responded, “Well they’re going to be escaping to Europe. That’s where they want to go, they want to go back to their homes.” 

See what others are saying: (NPR) (BBC) (CNN)

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Mexican Mayor Dragged Through Streets After Failing to Fulfill Campaign Promise

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4 days ago

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October 10, 2019

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  • Angry residents of a small town in Southern Mexico stormed a local mayors office, pulled him out of the building, tied him to a pickup truck, and dragged him through the streets. 
  • The mob was upset with the mayor for failing to build a road into the community, which was a major promise made during his election campaign.
  • Eleven people were arrested and charged with abduction and attempted murder.

Mob Storms Mayors Office

Eleven people were arrested in Chiapas, Mexico on Tuesday after pulling the mayor of Las Margaritas out of his office, tying him the back of a pickup truck, and dragging him through the streets.

During his election campaign, Mayor Jorge Luis Escandón Hernández promised to build a road to the indigenous Tojolabal community of Santa Rita Invernadero, which is located in the municipality of Las Margaritas. 

However, locals are outraged that he has failed to follow through on that promise and have made their frustrations clear.

The angry mob stormed his office to complain about the road issue. According to the Mexican news outlet Excélsior, some municipal employees tried to stop the group who were armed with sticks and tubes, but they eventually made their way into the building.

Mayor Kidnapped 

Video taken by bystanders showed several people pulling the mayor out of his office and forcing him into a truck.

Another clip from a local surveillance camera showed the mayor being dragged from the back of the truck through the streets.

The mayor was dragged for several blocks before he was eventually rescued by state police. The incident also sparked a brawl between police and locals which ultimately resulted in 20 injuries and the 11 arrests, local reports say.

Mayor Escandón is “safe and sound,” according to a news release by the State Attorney General’s office. He was reviewed by medical experts but suffered no major injuries. 

During a press conference a few hours after the attack, the mayor said those arrested would be charged with abduction and attempted murder, according to BBC. 

Similar Attacks Against Politicians 

This was the second attack directed at Mayor Escandón this year by an angry mob of locals fighting for the construction of the road. Four months ago, a group of men trashed his office when they were unable to find him inside. 

Attacks on political figures are not uncommon in Mexico. According to The Washington Post, politicians are often targetted by criminal organizations for not complying with gang demands.

In more recent cases, however, locals have been lashing out against political figures for their empty promises. In April 2018, 200 Las Margaritas residents kidnapped 24 municipal, state and federal government employees to demand that a road be built by then-Mayor José Domingo Vázquez López, according to Mexico News Daily.

The employees were held hostage when the mob went to request a meeting with the mayor. After seeing that he was not in the office, the angry group took the employees and destroyed the building.

Months before that incident, Vázquez was held captive for days because he failed to follow through on an agreement to build a road, according to Vanguardia.

See what others are saying: (BBC) (Mexico News Daily) (The Washington Post)

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Are You At Risk? Why the “Revenge Porn” Problem Is Only Getting Worse…

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4 days ago

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October 10, 2019

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For years now Revenge Porn has been in the spotlight, popping up whenever a celebrity has their nude images leaked by an ex-partner or hacked from their phone’s cloud service. But the term “Revenge Porn” has been met with criticism, facing pushback because the term “revenge” implies the victim deserved it. Instead, researchers and activists have moved towards using the term Nonconsensual Pornography (NCP).

NCP doesn’t just include revenge porn, but also things like hacks, child pornography, and even casually sharing and showing a nude someone sent you to another third-party. Research shows that a large percentage of everyday people take part in NCP, often without realizing that what they’re doing is wrong.

Groups like the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative have pushed for new laws to be put in place to punish the spread of NCP, and it’s having effects. In the U.S., 46 states, DC, and a territory have enacted some kind of law banning NCP, or it’s various forms. Although there’s yet to be a federal law banning it specifically.

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