LONDON: Human rights groups have criticized two of the UK’s largest banks after they granted tens of millions in loans to a technology business developing a telecommunications project used by Myanmar’s military, British newspaper The Observer reported on Sunday.
HSBC and Standard Chartered loaned $60 million to Vietnamese telecoms giant Viettel over the past four years, at a time when the Myanmar military has been accused of war crimes and genocide against Rohingya Muslims.
Viettel is a major investor in Mytel, a Myanmar mobile network that has grown to service more than 10 million users since its launch in 2018. Mytel’s shareholding structure confirms its revenues partly flow to Myanmar’s military.
Star High Co. Ltd., a state-owned enterprise and subsidiary of the military-operated Myanmar Economic Corp., has a 28 percent stake in the network, while Viettel’s international investment subsidiary, Viettel Global JSC, controls 49 percent.
The information was revealed in a report by campaign group Justice For Myanmar. The human rights organization used open-source data and an accidental file leak from Viettel that uncovered how Mytel upgraded Myanmar’s military infrastructure, including a fiber-optic network.
Maj. Gen. Thaw Lwin, director of the Directorate of Signals in the Myanmar military, is also a director of Mytel.
A Viettel subsidiary is leading the construction of about 38 Mytel network towers in Myanmar military bases too.
Justice For Myanmar revealed that HSBC loaned $40 million to Viettel Global JSC over the past four years, while Standard Chartered’s UK body loaned about $20 million during the same period.
Christopher Sidoti, a former member of the UN Human Rights Council’s Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar, said: “The report sets out very well the position of Mytel in relation to the Myanmar military and the position of Viettel in relation to Mytel.”
He added: “The facts establish that Mytel plays a vital role for the military and that Viettel makes Mytel possible.”
Justice For Myanmar said businesses invested in the country have responsibilities under UN guidelines and those of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development to uphold human rights protections.
The group also warned that HSBC and Standard Chartered “could be in breach of EU restrictive measures on Myanmar.”
Sidoti said: “The report reflects where the money trail leads. Among other places, it leads to HSBC and Standard Chartered. The report does this very cautiously, conservatively, not asserting that HSBC and Standard Chartered are liable for prosecution for crimes under international law or that they are directly aiding and abetting the commission of such crimes.
“Rather, the report puts these companies into a third category of entities that have human rights due diligence responsibilities that they have breached. That is a conclusion with which I agree.”
Yadanar Maung, a Justice For Myanmar spokesman, said: “HSBC and Standard Chartered should be transparent and show exactly how they monitor and prevent their loans from financing human rights abuses.”
In response to the criticism, HSBC said: “We comply with sanctions, laws and regulations in all the jurisdictions in which we operate and strongly support observance of international human rights principles as they apply to business. We do not comment on client relationships, even to confirm or deny that a relationship exists.”
Standard Chartered declined to comment to The Observer.
UK banks face pressure over loans to Myanmar military-linked firms
https://arab.news/94epp
UK banks face pressure over loans to Myanmar military-linked firms
- Activist groups: Money trail reveals “breach of human rights responsibilities”
- The Myanmar military has been accused of war crimes and genocide against Rohingya Muslims
France asks for foreign police and military help with massive Paris Olympics security challenge
The officers are sought to help with Games security and “the spectator experience” and to “strengthen international cooperation,” the ministry said
PARIS: France says it has asked 46 countries if they would be willing to supply more than 2,000 police officers to help secure the Paris Olympics this summer, as organizers finalize security planning for the French capital’s first Games in a century while on heightened alert against potential attacks.
The Interior Ministry said Friday that the request for foreign security assistance was made in January, seeking nearly 2,185 reinforcements. The officers are sought to help with Games security and “the spectator experience” and to “strengthen international cooperation,” the ministry said.
“This is a classic approach of host countries for the organization of major international events,” the ministry added.
It noted that France sent 200 of its gendarmes to soccer’s World Cup in Qatar in 2022 and also welcomed 160 officers from other European security forces for the Rugby World Cup that France hosted last year.
Separately, the French Defense Ministry has also asked foreign nations for “small numbers” of military personnel who could help with “very specific” tasks at the Games, including sniffer dog teams, said Col. Pierre Gaudillière, spokesman for the army general staff.
Poland’s defense minister said his country will be sending soldiers to the Paris Games. The Polish armed forces delegation will include dog handlers and “its main goal will be to undertake activities related to the detection of explosives and counteracting terrorist phenomena.” the minister, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, posted on X.
Security is the biggest challenge for Paris Games organizers in a city that has been repeatedly hit by deadly attacks by Islamic extremists and which is expecting as many as 15 million visitors for the July 26-Aug. 11 Games and Paralympics that follow.
Security concerns are notably high for the opening ceremony, which will involve boats along the Seine River and huge crowds watching from the embankments.
France’s government increased its security alert posture to the highest level in the wake of the recent deadly attack at a Russian concert hall and Daesh’s claim of responsibility.
French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal announced the decision in a post on X, saying authorities were “taking into account Daesh’s claim of responsibility for the (Moscow) attack and the threats weighing on our country.″
EU parliament urged to probe Russian propaganda network
- Moscow also paid money to MEPs to promote Russian propaganda, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said
- The EU parliament’s political groups now want the assembly to probe the latest claims
BRUSSLES: The European Parliament came under pressure on Friday to investigate a Russia-financed network that wielded influence across Europe and involved EU lawmakers.
The Czech Republic said on Wednesday its spies discovered the network had been spreading Russian propaganda through the Prague-based Voice of Europe news site.
Moscow also paid money to MEPs to promote Russian propaganda, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said on Thursday.
The EU parliament’s political groups now want the assembly to probe the latest claims.
Valerie Hayer, who heads the centrist Renew grouping, wrote to parliament president Roberta Metsola to demand “a full and transparent internal investigation.”
“If sitting MEPs or candidates in the upcoming European elections have taken money from the Russian government or their proxies, they must be exposed and action taken,” she said.
The Renew group also called for an “urgent debate” in the parliament.
The Greens said there needed to be a “swift and thorough” investigation.
“This is how (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is trying to get away with his war in Ukraine.... It’s a direct attack on the very fabric of our democracy,” said Terry Reintke, one of the lead candidates for the Greens in the European elections in June.
“The politicians who have received money from Russia should be severely punished, both politically and legally,” she added in a statement.
A spokesperson for the parliament said it was “currently looking into the findings of the Czech authorities regarding outlet ‘Voice of Europe’ in coordination with its institutional partners.”
The spokesperson added that the parliament already prohibits access to the institution for media that are EU sanctions lists.
EU lawmakers face strict rules regarding independence and ethics and can face penalties — financial and otherwise — if they violate them.
The European politicians involved have not been named but the Greens and a Czech daily claimed they came from Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands and Poland.
Fasting left me in awe of discipline required to observe Ramadan
- Writer describes being left in a ‘post-hunger state’
LONDON: Ramadan holds multiple points of significance for the Muslim world. Perhaps most famous for its month-long fast, it is also believed to have been when the first verses of the Qur’an were revealed to Muhammad.
Neither Muslim, nor someone who had before — at least knowingly — fasted, the request from Arab News to do one and write about it left me with several questions.
Why? What would there be to write about besides feeling hungry and thirsty? And would I buckle and gorge on the Sainsbury’s grocery delivery I had lined up for the proposed day?
It turned out that having successfully gone from dawn to dusk without breaking the fast, I did indeed have some self-control when it came to eating.
Perhaps more importantly, it provided an opportunity to gain a greater understanding of why friends I know do it, and what it offers to the Muslim community, not to mention leaving me in awe of the physical and mental will required to fast for the full month.
Waking up a little after 3:30 a.m., I followed the instructions provided by my colleague Zaynab: “Eggs, banana, porridge.” I gave the dates a miss, mainly through forgetfulness.
At this point I should state that the absence of food or water for one 14.5-hour stretch did not leave me overly nervous. In fact, given it was to be a single day, I would say to write anything on it was, if anything, quite bizarre considering the famines gripping swathes of the world.
Speaking to a friend and Arab News colleague Tarek, I did, however, question how faithful people were when it came to missing out on any drink during daylight hours.
“No, not one drop, sir,” he said before agreeing that given a propensity for human social engagement to inform some form of consumption, this period of abstinence obviously affected social relations.
He added: “But there are other effects, including dizziness, fatigue, lethargy, lack of focus, and cravings — one day is fine but it is doing it consistently that makes it tough.”
Tarek’s reflections came about five hours into my own fast, and having followed Zaynab’s recommendations, I can confirm that I was not feeling any pangs of hunger at this stage, but by about midday I was finding my attention drawn more toward water.
I spoke to other observant Muslim friends, and one thing that came across was that while there was a general uniformity toward the observation of the fast, it was not monolithic.
For instance, one friend said that they did without food for the whole period, but abstaining from water was somewhat dependent on the time of year that Ramadan fell: if in the summer, they would do without all drinks but water.
Another friend, Nabila, said she was stricter than most of her friends and family, additionally doing without music as part of her observation of the holy month.
She added: “The way I see it is that it is one month. For the rest of the year we can do what we want, but through that one month of observation I gain a lot and I become more focused on some of the ills of society; that in turn helps me readjust my engagement with the world.”
Nabila’s focus on those undergoing forced fasts, with this year’s Ramadan coinciding with the largest assault on Gaza in a generation, was shared by others I spoke to or heard.
Speaking to the BBC, Dr. Amjad Eleiwa, the deputy director of the emergency department at Gaza’s Al-Shifa Hospital, said that Palestinians in Gaza had “already been fasting for months,” with others noting the “dark shadow” Israel’s war had cast over what Nabila said should be a joyous time.
She added: “It’s not easy, though. I have little or no energy and I struggle with work. You won’t see me out. It is not easy and anyone who says it is, well, they’ve probably not committed.”
Equally, however, Nabila noted that the breaking of the fast each day brought its own reward, describing the anticipation immediately before eating as a feeling “of excitement, that ends in a sense of euphoria … I can’t really describe it.”
As my own, solitary day of fasting came to an end, I found myself feeling, as it was suggested I might, almost in a post-hunger state. How did I break my fast? A yogurt.
London mayoral candidate condemned for ‘dismissing’ Islamophobia
- Susan Hall describes anti-Muslim tweet as ‘hurty words’ in interview
- Comments ‘demonstrate hierarchy of racism at play,’ says Muslim Council of Britain
LONDON: The Conservative mayoral candidate for London has faced condemnation after claiming that Islamophobic tweets are just “hurty words,” The Times reported on Friday.
Susan Hall, 69, has faced mounting criticism over a series of social media blunders on X, including supporting a tweet that referred to London’s Muslim mayor, Sadiq Khan, as “our nipple-height mayor of Londonistan.”
Hall responded to the tweet by Katie Hopkins, a controversial media commentator, with the words “thank you Katie.”
The mayoral candidate, a former Conservative leader of the London Assembly, was asked in an interview whether Muslims may find her response to the tweet jarring.
She said: “Jarring is the fact that poor people are having to pay £12.50 a day that they literally cannot afford. That is real. And that isn’t just hurty words.”
Hall was referring to London’s Ulez charge, an environmental tax on vehicle emissions implemented by Khan.
In response to her comments, the Muslim Council of Britain said: “Just as we would not consider antisemitic comments as ‘hurty words,’ nor should we Islamophobia.
“Susan Hall’s comments only demonstrate the hierarchy of racism at play. With a 300 percent rise in Islamophobic hate crimes, our elected representatives have a duty to ensure they are not part of the problem.
“As someone seeking to be the mayor of our capital, and the votes of the many Muslim Londoners who help make this city great, Susan Hall would do well to recognise rather than dismiss Islamophobia.”
Hall’s mayoral campaign suffered a new blow this week after she deleted an online advert that attacked Khan based on footage filmed in New York City instead of London.
Late last year, she also claimed to have been pickpocketed on the London Underground, despite her wallet later being handed in to authorities without any missing items.
In response to the condemnation, a spokesman for Hall said: “Unlike Sadiq Khan, Susan is listening to Londoners and as mayor she will put more police on the beat, ensure women feel safe, scrap the Ulez expansion and build more affordable family homes.”
North Korea rules out any meetings with Japan
- North Korea has said it had no interest in a summit with Japan and would reject any talks
- KCNA: Pyongyang has no intention to help with the issue of Japanese abductees
SEOUL: North Korea has no interest in dialogue with Japan, state media KCNA reported on Friday, citing foreign minister Choe Son Hui.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has said he wants to hold talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un “without any preconditions” and is personally overseeing efforts to realize the first such leaders’ summit in 20 years in an attempt to defuse decades of tensions.
But North Korea has said it had no interest in a summit with Japan and would reject any talks, signalling no thaw in relations between the two countries.
Choe also said Pyongyang has no intention to help with the issue of Japanese abductees, according to KCNA, adding North Korea will “respond sharply” to Japan’s interference with its sovereignty.
“I cannot understand why he persistently adheres to the issue that cannot be settled,” Choe was quoted as saying by KCNA, referring to Kishida.
North Korea admitted in 2002 to kidnapping 13 Japanese citizens decades earlier. Five abductees and their families later returned to Japan, saying the others had died.
However, Tokyo believes 17 Japanese were abducted, and continues to investigate the fate of those who did not return, according to Japanese media.
North Korea’s ambassador to China, Ri Ryong Nam, also said there would be no meeting at any level with Japan, a separate KCNA report said.
Ri made the remark in a statement, adding that an official at the Japanese embassy in Beijing proposed a contact via email to a councillor of the North Korean embassy.
“I make the stance clear once again that no meeting at any level will take place between the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and Japan’s side,” Ri was quoted as saying in the KCNA report.
Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of leader Kim, has said she would welcome talks only if Japan was ready to make a new start without “being obsessed by the past.”
Relations have been strained over disputes including the abduction of Japanese citizens by North Korea in the early 2000s, Japan’s occupation of the Korean peninsula in 1910-1945 and its use of forced labor and sexual slavery.
Japan and North Korea also have clashed over Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programs, with the North conducting a number of test launches in recent months, prompting fresh sanctions from Seoul and Washington.