COLOMBO, 29 August 2021, (TON): Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka H.E Qi Zhenhong called on Hon. Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena , August (26).

 During the meeting held at the Speaker's official residence, the Chinese Ambassador said that the Chinese Government would continue to extend its full support to the Government of Sri Lanka for.

They also discussed economic and financial cooperation between the two countries as well as the strengthening of inter-parliamentary relations.

The Speaker also expressed his gratitude to the Chinese Government for its continuous support as a long-standing friend of Sri Lanka.

NAYPYITAW, 29 August 2021, (TON): According to a neighbourhood resident and a passerby “Junta troops shot and killed a man on 121st St in Yangon’s Mingalar Taung Nyunt Township.”

The two sources said “the soldiers first arrived on the next street 122^nd at around 8pm after a man who appeared to be drunk began shouting obscenities in public.”

A woman who lives in the area said “the soldiers chased and opened fire at him, causing other people on the street to flee.”

At 11pm, a neighbourhood 42-year-old bread vendor was found dead from an apparent bullet wound to the neck.

The victim was identified as Thein Min Oo and his body was found between two apartment buildings on 121st St, one block over from his home. The local woman told media that the discovery came after his family members informed their ward administrator that they had been unable to locate him following the incident earlier in the evening, in which he was not involved.

NAYPYITAW, 29 August 2021, (TON): According to a source close to him “the chair of the Kachin National Congress (KNC), M Kawn La, was arrested by the junta in Naypyitaw on Wednesday afternoon.”

The source told media  “I heard that he was arrested on his way back from Thapyegone Hospital at around 3:00pm yesterday. It is not clear why he was arrested.”

It added that it was still unknown where M Kawn La was being detained.

“He was charged with Section 505a of the penal code for incitement” local news group reported.

KATHMANDU, 29 August 2021, (TON): The government has confirmed that all Nepalis in Afghanistan were safe.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, there were 42 Nepalis in Kabul and they were safely staying in a group.

The Ministry said in a press statement that the government was in regular contact with all the concerned authorities in Kabul and the efforts were underway to bring them back.

Furthermore, the Ministry shared that 11 Nepalis who were rescued from Afghanistan on Thursday and flown to New Delhi, India were in the process to arrive in Kathmandu.

KATHMANDU, 29 August 2021, (TON): Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher JB Rana has decided not to participate in the hearing to be conducted on the writ relating to the appointments made by the Constitutional Council. The writ petition has demanded the cancellation of the appointments made by the Constitutional Council.

After the question was raised over CJ Rana's presence in the constitutional bench comprising CJ Rana and Justices Dipak Kumar Karki, Mira Khadka, Hari Krishna Karki, and Ishwori Prasad Khatiwada while he was made defendant in the writ petition, he decided to recues the hearing.

Press expert at SC, Kishor Poudyal informed that CJ Rana would stay on leave on the days of the preliminary hearing and final hearing of the case for the facilitation.

The next hearing on the writ petition is scheduled for next Friday.

Although the Constitutional Council is formed under the leadership of Chief Justice as per the constitution, CJ Rana decided to stay away from hearing the writ petition after the question was raised.

DHAKA, 29 August 2021, (TON): Water level in Teesta River rising due to heavy rainfall in the upper streams of India. Nearly 2,000 families were stranded after their homes submerged following heavy floods which hit at least 15 villages in Rangpur’s Gangachhara upazila.

The villages, on the banks of the Teesta River, have been inundated for the third time this year due to incessant rains and rising water levels.

According to the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB), water levels in the Teesta River were 15cm below the danger level at Dahlia point on Saturday morning, but it was flowing 10cm above the danger level at Gangachara point in Rangpur.

Char Shankardah in Kolkond Union has suffered the most damage, especially Isli Mukut Village, which has left around 1,000 families marooned.

The local Union Parishad Chairman Abdul Hadi called for safe evacuation by megaphone till late on Friday to evacuate stranded people to flood shelters.

He said “many families were moving to shelter with their cattle and belongings as almost all houses in Char Ishli, and Shankar Dah villages were submerged.”

DHAKA, 29 August 2021, (TON): Foreign ministry said that they have reached the base in Qatar and are likely to fly for Dhaka on a chartered plane.

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen said “twelve Bangladesh nationals are likely to fly to Bangladesh, along with Afghan female students, on a chartered flight.”

He said “the Bangladeshis reached the US Military base along with Afghan female students.”

Earlier, Bangladesh sought effective steps to establish lasting peace in Afghanistan, ensure the safety of Afghan people and evacuate all foreign nationals, including Bangladeshis.

Bangladesh Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Dr Mohammad Javed Patwary made the call as the world's largest organisation of Muslim nations held an extraordinary session in the kingdom's Jeddah on August 22 to discuss the Afghanistan situation, with calls for it not to be turned into a hub for terrorism.

There are reports that at least 20 Bangladesh nationals got stuck in Afghanistan.

By TON Research Section

Nepal, landlocked Himalayan nation is multi-ethnic and diverse country with many indigenous communities. According to 2011 Census, the country is homeland to 125 ethnic groups, has 123 languages and 10 religious groups and out of which only 59 ethnic groups are listed as indigenous nationalities (Adivasi Janajati) by the National Foundation for Development of Indigenous Nationalities (NFDIN) Act, 2002. Total population of Nepal is 29.8 million and out of these 8.5 million, comprising 35.8 percent of the population is of indigenous people (IPs), estimated in 2011 census. However, Indigenous people organizations claim that the actual population is close to 50 percent and a number of IPs and minorities are not officially recognized.

A significant proportion of the Nepal’s population constitutes of IPs but they have faced discrimination, exploitation, racial supremacy, forced assimilation, hegemony and have been marginalized and subjugated by dominant cast throughout Nepal’s history. Moreover, the laws, plans and policies, all exclude and discriminate the IPs. These communities are deprived of basic freedom, full-fledged human rights and even does not have the right to self-determination in their own ancestral lands. IPs in Nepal have long been struggling to reclaim control over their lands and territories. Due to restructuring and other developmental initiatives by the government, lands, territories and resources of IPs remained under threat. The restructuring of the state is done without the consent of IPs.

A report “Violations in the name of conservation” published by Amnesty International and the Community Self-Reliance Centre (CSRC) says that, “Nepal’s Indigenous peoples have suffered a litany of human rights violations over the past five decades as a result of abusive conservation policies.” The report documents that the establishment of National Parks and other “protected areas” has resulted in tens of thousands of Indigenous peoples being forcibly evicted from their ancestral lands and denied access to areas they depend on for subsistence. According to the report, “National parks and other “protected areas” cover almost one fourth of Nepal. The country has 12 national parks, one wildlife reserve, one hunting reserve, six conservation areas and 13 buffer zones (areas designated by law to provide local people with facilities to use forest resources on a regular and beneficial basis). Almost all of these protected areas have been created in the ancestral homelands of Nepal’s Indigenous peoples.”

The development projects by Nepal government such as parks, protected areas, hydropower projects and other infrastructure projects which include road expansion and business complexes are threat to the lands and territories of IPs and mostly these projects are under construction without the prior and informed consent of IPs. According to the Article 5 of the constitution of Nepal “Special, Protected or Autonomous Region can be set by the Federal law” but the government does not stick to this provision, which is intended to enhance social, cultural protection or economic development of the IPs and other minorities. In other words the collective way of life of IPs have been destroyed and no fair compensation and rehabilitations have been provided to the displaced IPs from their lands and territories.

In 2011, Nepal government initiated a 999km road expansion project in Kathmandu valley to address traffic congestion, which displaced an estimated over 150,000 IPs from their lands. Authorities bulldozed houses of IPs, sacred places, and heritage sites however, in the battle of over seven years for justice against an illegal road expansion Newar Indigenous Peoples in Kathmandu achieved a victory in their legal fight against the government in June 2018, when the Supreme Court of Nepal issued a judgement directing the government to compensate the concerned landowners and conduct road widening only with the consent of the local people impacted. Moreover, the Budhi Gandaki hydropower project (1200MW) will alone displace 50,000 people from their lands and territories. The development projects at various stages of planning and execution are in the lands and territories of IPs are causing adverse impacts to their livelihood, resources, scared sites, and their houses.

IPs who have been living in these areas from time immemorial are forcefully evicted and as a result they lost their livelihoods and food security. The lands and territories of IPs are militarized in the name of security and development. Despite the protests by the concerned IPs, the government has deployed army at various places. Nepal is a signatory to the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention 169, which states that "the rights of ownership and possession of the peoples concerned over the lands which they traditionally occupy shall be recognized." Moreover, it also ratified the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), which states that, "Indigenous peoples have the right to maintain and strengthen their distinctive spiritual relationship with their traditionally owned or otherwise occupied and used lands, territories, waters…" These international laws protect indigenous people rights but despite being signatory the government of Nepal is not complying with the provisions.

Amnesty International the CSRC joint report, which unpacked the failures of the Government of Nepal to uphold the rights of these Indigenous peoples documented human rights violations such as forced evictions, unjustified restrictions on access to the forests and natural resources on which they traditionally rely, arbitrary arrests, unlawful killings, detention and torture or other ill-treatment by the Nepal Army and National Park personnel. Nepal government should stop development aggression in the indigenous sacred sites, cultural heritages, lands and territories of IPs. Moreover, government needs to recognize IPs right over their lands and territories and should ensure the protection of IPs. Government should not ignore the demands of IPs and should guarantee free, prior and informed consent of IPs prior to development projects in their lands and territories.

ABUJA, 28 August 2021, (TON):  Nearly 100 Nigerian schoolchildren kidnapped from an Islamic seminary three months ago were reunited with their parents after their gunmen captors freed them from forest hideouts.

The May 30 Tegina seminary abduction in northwest Niger State was one of the longest-running mass kidnappings at a Nigerian school since December when criminal gangs began to target students and pupils.

Dressed in fresh blue headscarves and tunics, the male and female students, some younger than 10 years old, were met by the local governor in Niger State before being reunited with their families.

One father Fasilat Jimoh Danjuma said "I have a child and I am very happy. I give God all the glory," "Thank God they are back hale and healthy and we are happy."

Head teacher Abubakar Alhassan said 92 children from the seminary were freed along with two Christian students who had been taken from a nearby village.

He said “one of the Tegina children had died in captivity.”

Officials gave no details about how the children were freed, but parents said during the captivity they had sold houses and belongings to come up with ransom money.

COLOMBO, 28 August 2021, (TON): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin announced a package of welfare measures at a cost of Rs.317.40 Crore for the welfare of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees living in special camps in the State.

Making a suo motu statement under Rule 110, the Chief Minister said his government would ensure decent and better livelihood opportunities for the Lankan Tamil refugees. The new measures follow the inspection made in their special camps, New Indian Express reported.

He said that Rs.231.54 crore would be allocated to reconstruct the 7,469 houses which were in dilapidated condition in the refugee camps. In the first phase, Rs. 108.81 crore would be allocated in the first phase to build 510 new houses.

Among the students who have been selected for engineering courses, the government would bear all educational cost of first 50 students.

Similarly in agri or agri engineering courses, the government would bear the educational cost of first five toppers from the community. For PG students, their educational and hostel fees would be paid by the government.

The scholarship for around 750 students would be hiked substantially. Polytechnic (from Rs 2500 to Rs.10,000); UG courses in arts and science (from Rs 3,000 to Rs 12,000) and undergraduate vocational courses (from Rs.5,000 to Rs.20,000). 

For each family cooking gas connection and stove free of cost would be given. For five cylinders a subsidy of Rs 400 per cylinder would be given.