BEIJING, 16 June 2022, (TON): According to state media “Chinese President Xi Jinping told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in call Wednesday that Beijing would keep backing Moscow on sovereignty and security.”

Chinese state broadcaster reported Xi as saying “China is willing to continue to support Russia on issues concerning core interests and major concerns such as sovereignty and security.”

ANKARA, 16 June 2022, (TON): Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu detailed a UN plan to create a sea corridor from Ukraine for grain exports, saying “safe routes could be formed without needing to clear the mines around Ukrainian ports.”

His comments appeared to mark a shift from an earlier proposal to de-mine Ukraine’s ports, a move that Kyiv fears would leave it far more vulnerable to Russian attack from the Black Sea.

Cavusoglu discussed the plan with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Ankara last week, but said “further discussions with Moscow and Kyiv were needed.”

Lavrov then said “the onus was on Ukraine to clear mines around its ports for commercial ships to approach.”

RIYADH, 16 June 2022, (TON): Saudi Arabia has renewed its call to ensure the safety and security of the Rohingya Muslims and to recognize their basic rights.

The Kingdom’s envoy to the UN in Geneva Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Wasel said the right to full citizenship, and to provide suitable conditions to voluntary, safe and dignified return for Rohingya refugees should be recognized.

He called for the renunciation of violence and the resolution of the crisis through dialogue.

An urgent and lasting solution that guarantees the safety and security of the Rohingya Muslims and other minorities was needed, Al-Wasel told the Human Rights Council.

DHAKA, 16 June 2022, (TON): Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen said “he will discuss all outstanding issues including water sharing and border management between Bangladesh and India during the Joint Consultation Commission meeting to be held on June 19 in New Delhi.”

He told reporters “as a neighbouring country, we always have outstanding issues with India … we will discuss on all of these.”

Dr Momen will hold the seventh foreign minister level JCC meeting between Bangladesh and India with his Indian counterpart Dr Jaishankar.

During the JCC meeting, the foreign minister said Dhaka and New Delhi will discuss water sharing issue of different transboundary rivers including Kushiwara and Feni.

DHAKA, 16 June 2022, (TON): Indian textile secretary Upendra Prasad Singh called on Textiles and Jute Minister Golam Dastagir Gazi, Birpratik today at his office.

A press release of the ministry said “Secretary of Textiles and Jute Md Abdur Rauf was also present at this time.”

The minister said "we will be trying to explore the possibilities of country's textile industry with the collaboration of both countries. Consequently, people of both countries along with the textile industry will be benefited.”

He said “textile industry of both countries will move forward with mutual cooperation and collaboration.”

He added “the barriers of the two countries facing while doing trade will be eliminated through discussion.”

NEW DELHI, 16 June 2022, (TON): Practically 10 days after India carried out a routine take a look at of its nuclear-capable Agni missile, it carried out one other take a look at of its different nuclear-capable missile, Prithvi.

The federal government mentioned in a press release “profitable coaching launch of a Quick-Vary Ballistic Missile, Prithvi-II was carried out from the Built-in Take a look at Vary, Chandipur, Odisha.”

The missile is a confirmed system and is able to hanging targets with a really excessive diploma of precision, the assertion mentioned, including that the consumer coaching launch efficiently validated all operational and technical parameters of the missile.

DHAKA, 16 June 2022, (TON): Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen welcomed the resumption of Joint Working Group talk between Bangladesh and Rohingyas regarding repatriation of the forcibly displaced people from Bangladesh to their homeland in Rakine state of Myanmar.

He told reporters "it's good news that Myanmar has started the discussion.”

Bangladesh and Myanmar held the fifth meeting of the JWG virtually on the repatriation of displaced people of Rakhine State of Myanmar temporarily sheltered in Bangladesh.

Dr Momen said “Dhaka stressed on expediting the verification process of the Rohingyas to begin their repatriation to their place of origin in Rakhine State of Myanmar.”

He said “the Bangladesh side so far handed over a list of 830,000 individuals containing biometric data but they have only verified 58,000.”

DHAKA, 16 June 2022, (TON): The government has invited World Bank president David Malpass to attend the grand inaugural ceremony of the much-awaited Padma Bridge scheduled to be held on June 25.

Bangladesh Bridge Authority has e-mailed the invitation to the chief of the multilateral lending agency, an official confirmed to UNB.

A hard copy of the invitation card will also be sent to the World Bank country office in Dhaka later.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Bridge Authority has started to send invitation cards to guests for the inaugural programme.

Invitation cards have been sent to the foreign ministry to distribute among the foreign missions stationed in Dhaka, and offices of the international development agencies to attend the inaugural function.

DHAKA, 16 June 2022, (TON): Bangladesh and Japan have discussed issues related to initiating a joint study towards concluding a free trade agreement between the two countries.

The two countries also discussed cooperation in different multilateral fora, including supporting each other’s candidatures.

Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Ito Naoki met Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen at his office and discussed issues of mutual interest.

By TON Myanmar

The People of Rakhine Villagers accused of terrorism are currently in miserable conditions in Myanmar Jails. Legal limbo in the case of two men from Ponnagyun Township in Rakhine State has taken more than two years after they were arrested on suspicion of having links with the Arakan Army (AA) in March 2020.

The villagers from Ai Tin village were arrested at the Kyauktan checkpoint in the suburbs of the state capital Sittwe on their return to the village by motorcycle. Myanmar’s military filed a charge against them under Article 52(a) of the Counter-Terrorism Law as the photos of AA fighters were found on their phones.

The concerned Court was supposed to deliver a verdict in similar cases in April last year after all the prosecution witnesses appeared but it the case is being lingered on deprived of a ruling to quit these civilians. The court has postponed the verdict again and again, which is not good for them and disturbed their families.

During a court hearing in May, the accused raised objections but the judge did not even bother to respond. In another case, villagers from Kyaukseik in Ponnagyun Township have also spent more than two years in prison after their court deferred the ruling. The five were arrested in April 2020 and charged under the Counter-Terrorism Law over their alleged connections with the Arakan Army (AA). The current judge adjourned the hearing saying that he is still studying the case.

On April 19, 2020, the regime soldiers detained 38 villagers from Kyaukseik and cases have been opened against some of them. A video of the five villagers being beaten by soldiers during interrogation on a naval vessel was shared widely on social media in May 2020.

At the time, a military spokesman said action would be taken against the soldiers who beat the five villagers. However, no actions have been taken against them. Moreover, in June 2020 six villagers from Sar Pyin and Chet Pauk in Taungup Township also have been on a terrorism trial for more than two years at the Thandwe District Court. They were imprisoned and accused of allegedly funding terrorism.

Ironically, those cases should be dropped since the Arakan Army (AA) was removed from the list of terrorist organizations. Judges and legal officers should ask for a straight answer from the central government regarding the cases.

However, the regime released relatives of the Arakan Army (AA) chief Major General and some Rakhine villagers who were impeached on suspicion of having ties with the AA but more than 30 Rakhine villagers are still on terrorism trial at courts in Sittwe, Mrauk-U, and Thandwe.

As the AA has been removed from the list of terrorist groups the accused should now be released. However, they are still locked in the circle of being brought to court and then back to prison. This has caused many predicaments for families. This is a gross human rights violation.

Earlier this month, the regime opened a case against a man and woman from Kyaukphyu Township under Article 505(a) of the Penal Code for allegedly collecting funds for the AA. It has also detained two Rakhine people and two Chin residents in Paletwa Township, Chin State, on suspicion of having links to the Arakan Army (AA).

As it is also highly condemnable that the junta troops in the prison used rubber bullets and commit extreme violence against the political prisoners in Myanmar regime jails. They used the sharp cane to stab the prisoners. They deny the water and food for the whole day to the prisoners.

They also used shots with pebbles against the inmates. It is time that the international community along with ASEAN should force the regime to free all these political prisoners along with the civilians in a bid to bring normalcy to the war-torn Myanmar,