The Caravel | Volume V, Issue II

V O LU M E 5 | I S S U E 2

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Russians Protest in Support of Jailed Opposition Leader Thousands of Russians protested in 80 cities across the country on October 7, calling for the Kremlin to release opposition leader Alexei Navalny from jail and allow him to register as a candidate in next year’s presidential elections, reported the Los Angeles Times.

Navalny himself called for the protests, which coincide with President Vladimir Putin’s sixty-fifth birthday.

The police response to these protests was restrained, according to the Moscow Times, with Russian authorities only detaining approximately 270 demonstrators. In contrast, the Los Angeles Times reported that Russian police arrested more than 1,800 people at each of two the previous protests organized by Navalny this year, which Reuters said were some of the largest demonstrations in Russia since 2012.

However, the turnout for October’s protests was much lower than that of the previous protests.

The New York Times reported that Navalny himself was unable attend the protests after being sentenced to 20 days in prison on October 2 for organizing unauthorized rallies. The Independent explained that a law passed during Putin’s first term requires that local authorities approve any mass public gatherings and that most of Navalny’s rallies have not obtained the necessary permissions. According to the Los Angeles Times, Navalny was supposed to hold an unauthorized campaign rally in St. Petersburg on October 7. After receiving his sentence, Navalny posted a video on YouTube calling for his supporters to protest against his imprisonment, as well as his ineligibility for the upcoming presidential elections.

Taiwan celebrated its 106th birthday on October 10 and commemorated the Xinhai Revolution that overthrew China’s last dynasty. Yet amidst the joy of parades and fireworks, the Taiwanese government finds itself contemplating the next move on its political agenda.

The past year has not been an easy for Taiwan. According to Zaobao, Taiwanese Premier Lai Ching-te called the Republic of China an “independent nation,” to which China dismissed by insisting that Taiwan would always remain part of the PRC. The crisis arose at a crucial time in regard to the Cross-Strait relations, right before the scheduled 19th National Congress

of the Communist Party of China on October 18. This recent quarrel leaves Taiwan in an especially vulnerable position, given the uncertainty of PRC’s political reshuffle.

To worsen the situation, Ian Easton published a new article on October 3 titled “The Chinese Invasion Threat,” revealing the People’s Liberation Army’s plan to invade Taiwan in 2020.

While the administration made no direct comment on Easton’s new book, President Tsai Ing-wen, according to VOA, stated that although Taiwan seeks no further direct conflicts with China, it will certainly not surrender under pressure to any government in her speech on October 10.

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Lauren Paysse

President Robert Mugabe and First Lady Grace Mugabe dressed in fabric featuring Mugabe’s portraits in 2013.

Zimbabwean Cabinet Reshuffle Stokes Succession Concerns Taiwan Reasseses Its Relationship with China

THE ANCHOR, 2-3

W. EUROPE & CANADA, 6-7

LATAM & THE CARIBBEAN, 8-9 Controversial Bolsonaro Tours U.S. , p. 9

E. EUROPE & RUSSIA, 4-5 Serbia Hosts U.S.-Russia Meeting over Ukraine, p. 5

INDO-ASIA-PACIFIC, 10-11

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President Trump Demands Concessions for DACA, p. 3

Catalonia Still Part of Spain , p. 6

U.S. Helicopter Crash Impacts Japanese , p. 11

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MIDDLE EAST & C.ASIA, 12-13 King Salman’s Russia Visit Brings Hope for Bilateral Relations , p. 13

N. & SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA, 14-15 Angola’s Dos Santos Retires After 38 Years, p. 15 WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

lion and included a cake weighing over 200 pounds, among other expensive delicacies. Grace Mugabe is also embroiled in controversy; since August, she has been accused by the Telegraph of fleeing South Africa after assaulting a model with an extension cord and by several Zimbabwean journalists of donating her used underwear to Zanu-PF supporters.

The first family stands accused of much worse than extravagant spending or poor personal choices, however. In 2015, NewsDay claimed that Provincial Affairs Minister Shuvai Mahofa was struck with severe food poisoning at a conference a month after publicly criticizing Grace Mugabe. Mugabe’s critics were quick to blame Zanu-PF for the incident, although responsibility for the poisoning was never confirmed.

KREMLIN

In an unexpected cabinet shuffle on October 9, President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe weakened the political power of his vice president while strengthening the possibility that his wife will succeed him. The 93-year-old president remarked at a UN summit in 2016 that he plans to run for office “until God says come,” but his failing health has led many Zimbabweans to speculate about the identity of the next president.

The ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF) party has split over the succession controversy. One faction, Team Lacoste, supports Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, while others, calling themselves Generation 40, campaign for Grace Mugabe, accord-

ing to News24. Many hoped that a third serious challenger would appear in the form of Morgan Tsvangirai, the leader of Zimbabwe’s primary opposition party, but a recent NewsDay article confirms that his longtime struggle with illness may affect his ability to run.

Although New Zimbabwe reports that over 75 political parties are registered to contest Mugabe’s 2018 run, it is likely that Grace Mugabe and Mnangagwa will be the two primary candidates for succession.

The Mugabes are not strangers to political controversy and are frequently targets of criticism for their lavish lifestyles. Although 72 percent of Zimbabwe’s population lives in poverty, according to the World Bank, DW reported that Mugabe’s ninety-third birthday party cost upwards of $2 mil-

Sarah Mathys

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THE ANCHOR

Christopher Stein On October 12, in a speech at Georgetown University sponsored by the BMW Center for German and European Studies, MSFS Program, and BSFS Program, the Chief Economist for the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Catherine L. Mann, argued that the backlash against economic globalization that currently dominates the political discourse is misdirected.

At the OECD, Mann oversees maximizing efficient production protection, collecting country-specific surveys, and developing new projects to foster economic growth.

Econometric analysis by OECD economists suggests that the loss of manufacturing jobs in advanced economies like the United States and the European Union represents an advance in technology rather than an erosion of competitiveness against developing countries. Mann referred to data that show that the main shift in U.S. manufacturing has been from

Nivu Jejurikar Tamara Evdokimova Robert Danco

low-complexity goods to more efficient production of high-complexity goods, and that the fall in the number of jobs in the high-complexity goods sector is a result of technological advances.

“We decompose [manufacturing job losses] into trade effects, technology effects, and taste effects... so the taste and technology effects... are the largest reason why we have lost manufacturing jobs,” Mann explained.

China... is not responsible for most losses due to trade competition.

The taste effect refers to the change in consumption habits as a country becomes more advanced, typically consuming fewer manufactured goods and more services. Mann then showed a graph of OECD data estimating what percentage of jobs in each country are vulnerable to automation or obsoletion. Estimates for the U.S.

Publisher Editor-in-Chief Executive Director EXECUTIVE BOARD

Carolyn Kirshe Rodrigo Mercado Jennifer Lu Sarah Mathys Josh Chang Jackie Landry Marie Merveilleux du Vignaux Sarah Bothner Christopher Stein David Lim Josh Chang Caroline Schauder Joshua Haney Molly Dunlap Kyle Tilotson Bryce Couch Preetham Chippada Tim Coan Jessica Hickle Jonathan Doernhofer Francesca Ractliffe Ga Ram Lee Julia Rhodes Gabriel Gorre

Marketing Research Finance Business Development IT Social Events EDITORIAL BOARD Copy Chief Copy Chief Indo-Asia-Pacific Editor Indo-Asia-Pacific Editor Indo-Asia-Pacific Editor Eastern Europe and Russia Editor Eastern Europe and Russia Editor Latin America and the Caribbean Editor Latin America and the Caribbean Editor Middle East and Central Asia Editor Middle East and Central Asia Editor North and Sub-Saharan Africa Editor North and Sub-Saharan Africa Editor Western Europe and Canada Editor Western Europe and Canada Editor The Anchor Editor The Anchor Editor

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OECD Chief Declares Global Trade Backlash Misplaced

President Trump promises to bring growth back home during his inaugration.

showed around 10 percent of jobs at risk of automation and 35 percent for “significant changes in task.”

Mann also said that data show that China, the bogeyman of anti-globalization activists, is not responsible for most losses due to trade competition, saying, “The competition between 2000 and 2015 by the advanced countries with each other is a much more important factor in the competition within a highcomplexity basket [of goods].”

Data also shows that the manufacturing industry has high regional concentration compared to the service industry. This means that the effects of shocks to the manufacturing industry are felt disproportionately in certain communities. Mann used

Britain as an example, arguing that the focus on the development of London has left manufacturers in the Midlands and the North of England with little support or attention from the government.

Mann also argued that, although anti-globalists misdirect their anger toward developing countries, governments in the OECD and around the world must do more to correct the negative effects of automation and shifting tastes on highly-concentrated and often undervalued manufacturing workers. She asserted that proper international policies responding to these changes will not only improve the wellbeing of citizens, but will also create stable economic growth for countries around the world.

Opportunity Iniative Sets Youths up for Success Guest Contributor Nick Shedd Throughout the morning and early afternoon of September 20, the 100,000 Opportunities Initiative hosted its flagship Opportunity Fair & Forum to the District. Taking into account the event’s participants, companies, and atmosphere, it was notably different from its analogues at Georgetown.

First, the participants: approximately 6,800 D.C. “Opportunity Youths” – those out of school and unemployed – registered to attend. More than 30 employers met with these youth and offered onthe-spot interviews and numerous resources for help along the way.

Deloitte was conspicuously absent, as was Goldman Sachs. In their place were Starbucks, Hilton, Safeway, and dozens of other employers.

Camille Hymes, a regional Starbucks Vice President, said of the fair, “It is the most inspirational day that I’ll never forget.”

Volunteers floating around the floor cheered on the young people in

attendance and offered support and advice. In the case of homeless youth, simply reaching out is a huge part of the battle. “I work with youth who just want to feel important, like they’re somebody – they want people to know they’re there,” Miles explained.

The organizers did their best to make these young people feel important. Starbucks Chief Executive Officer Howard Schultz, former Attorney General Eric Holder, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, and others mingled with attendees on the floor.

Multiple fair attendees pointed to the on-site job interviews as a highlight of the day. The 6,800 registered participants received 2,500 interviews, 1,000 on-the-spot job offers, and thousands of connections to community resources and educational organizations, per Starbucks press materials.

When asked if they could suggest any improvements to the fair, job seekers Raven Mathis and Natasha, an attending minor, gave a simple answer: “No.”

Attorney General Shapiro Stands Up to Trump Caleb Yip Georgetown University’s College Democrats awarded Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro the Alumni of the Year Award (LAW ‘02) on October 4. Born in Kansas City, Missouri, AG Shapiro attended Georgetown Law School. From 2005 to 2012, he was a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Last year, he was elected as the state’s Attorney General, defeating Republican nominee John Rafferty.

After receiving the Alumni of the Year Award, AG Shapiro spoke about his office’s priorities, especially in light of the new presidential administration.

GU College Democrats praised Shapiro’s commitment to addressing the opioid crisis, as well as his leadership investigating Equifax’s data breach, which left the sensitive information of millions of Americans vulnerable.

As Attorney General, Shapiro has focused on what he sees as unlawful acts by President Trump in key issues such as his immigration policies, the travel ban, and the repeal of protections against gender discrimination. He believes that if the federal government makes a commitment to protect citizens, every administration must honor it. In that sense, Shapiro considers President Trump’s plan to roll back the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program a violation of due process. DACA allowed immigrants to benefit from greater protection against deportation and legally secure jobs. Shapiro expressed confidence that courts would continue to protect DACA recipients. “Every time I’ve sued him, I won. Every time I stood up, he stood down.”

Finally, when asked about advice he would give to Georgetown students, Shapiro urged the audience to “be open-minded to other things that may be interesting and to follow your passion.”

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Corporations Purchase Think Tank Influence Abhinav Ketineni

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Moneyed interests are not newcomers to the landscape of American politics: lobbying, after all, is a venerable American institution.

Over the past two decades, special interests have found yet another home inside the Beltway: think tanks.

Historically regarded as bastions of independent public-policy research, think tanks have begun embracing a pay-to-play model, selling their institutional influence to the highest bidder. Examples include Microsoft and JP Morgan Chase’s financial support to the Brookings Institution in

exchange for certain benefits and the United Arab Emirates ambassador’s $20 million donation to the Middle East Institute to “counter egregious misrepresentations about the [UAE],” according to The Intercept. Moreover, Norway’s partnership with the Center for Global Development guaranteed that, for “$5 million, Norway’s partner in Washington would push top officials” on favourable legislation, according to the New York Times.

Whereas lobbyists are transparent and thus easily dismissible, the credibility and anonymity that think tanks wield allow them to peddle foreign talking

October 2012 roundtable with State Department officials at the Aspen Institute.

points with considerable ease and staying-power.

Entrepreneurial think tank fellows have also begun to independently enter into the world of lobbying.

Shielded and strengthened by their prestigious positions at various think tanks, these fellows write articles, meet with congressmen, and publish pieces within their roles at think tanks in full-fledged support of their clients’ interests. The problem is widespread: the New York Times recently reported that “an examination of 75 think tanks found an array of researchers who had simultaneously worked as registered lobbyists, members of corporate boards or outside consultants in litigation and regulatory disputes, with only intermittent disclosure of their dual roles.” Unlike traditional lobbying, the work done by these individuals, especially through newspapers and media outlets, is far more surreptitious and thus infinitely more dangerous because it shapes not only policymakers’ opinions but also those of the public.

There are two major factors that have created the unfortunate conditions under which think tanks operate and adapt to today. The first is a tremendous explosion in the

industry, which spread out already limited funding across thousands of competitors. The University of Pennsylvania estimates that there are now 6,846 think tanks operating worldwide, spreading-out already limited funding. Second, think tanks now compete with consulting firms.

Firms such as McKinsey & Company and the Eurasia Group are steadily seizing greater market share, as they perform equally rigorous analysis with greater speed and efficiency and none of the appearance of impropriety.

As the true scope of the partnerships between think tanks and corporations becomes increasingly clear, it should also become apparent that this synthesis of lobbying and academia requires some regulation.

Establishing a more stringent regulatory environment similar to that currently required of lobbyists, including donor and donation transparency and mandatory written disclosure of potential conflicts of interest by individual think tank fellows, would go a long way towards repairing the reputation of the think tank industry. It would also help, in part, to fix the wider problem of institutional corruption of American political culture.

President Trump Demands Concessions for DACA Julia Rhodes President Donald Trump sent a list of immigration priorities to Congress on October 8 in exchange for granting greater legal protections to recipients of the Obama administration’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. In 2012, former President Barack Obama signed an executive order as part of the the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act, which gave young immigrants the right to reside and work in the United States but did not provide a path to citizenship. Trump’s latest announcement may affect the 800,000 beneficiaries of DACA, also called Dreamers.

In his letter, Trump called for Congress to complete and fund the southern border wall, tighten the asylum system, hire more customs agents, stop funding sanctuary cities, and implement other restrictive immigration policies. According to White House Legislative Director

Marc Short, these priorities “fulfill the president’s promise to advance immigration reform that puts the need of American workers first.”

Trump’s latest announcement may affect 80,000 beneficiaries of DACA. On September 5, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the administration’s initial plans to phase out DACA. Sessions claimed that the program “denied jobs to hundreds of thousands of Americans by allowing those same jobs to go to illegal aliens.” However, the libertarian think tank CATO Institute calculated that rescinding DACA would cost $60 billion to the federal government and reduce economic growth by $280 billion over the next decade.

In conjunction with the president’s letter, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders has said that

Congress should “come up with a permanent solution.” Writing for NPR, Tamara Keith suggested that the latest set of demands diverges from Trump’s previous promises because his letter to Congress asks for a permanent “legislative fix for the DACA program.”

Keith views the statement as a way to avoid taking responsibility for political blowback. In early September, Trump sent mixed signals about his views on the program: he has tweeted that DACA recipients take American jobs but also promised to delay deporting them.

The letter contradicts an agreement reached in early September between House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-NY) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) “to enshrine the protections of DACA into law and to work out a package of border security, excluding the wall, that’s acceptable to both sides.” Pelosi called Trump’s most recent demands “trash” at a press event.

The president’s demands also put Republicans in a difficult political

situation. According to Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), there is “widespread bipartisan support for legislation that would provide some measure of protection to children who are brought to this country through no decision of their own.” Conservative Republicans have drafted their own policies for immigration reform. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) introduced the Succeed Act, which would allow families to obtain citizenship if they adhered to “stringent requirements,” according to Politico.

Beyond the political debate, the uncertain status of DACA puts 800,000 immigrants at risk of deportation and limits their ability to travel outside of the United States. Congress has until March 5 to pass an immigration policy before Trump will end the program, according to the Washington Post.

Georgetown University released a statement of solidarity earlier this year affirming its commitment to safeguarding students, faculty, and staff.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Gabriel Gorre Since our last print edition, the turbulent nature of the international realm has only accelerated. Change has foisted itself upon this nation and its Capitol, change that has affected our own community here at Georgetown. At the newly revamped Anchor, we dedicate ourselves to analyzing these changes and their consequences, while also reporting local news and events in the District. Our members approach visiting bureaucrats and ambassadors to pick their brain while also reporting on events hosted by the University, integrating themselves into the local community to investigate developments in the wider D.C. area. From the halls of Congress to interviews held on our campus, we break it all down, bring you what you should know, and explain how it could affect your life at Georgetown. The product of these efforts reveals itself our work.

Unsurprisingly, President Trump features heavily in this edition’s articles. Julia Rhodes covers his most recent efforts to ram immigration restrictions into any agreement aimed at protecting DACA beneficiaries.

Caleb Yip recounts Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro’s visit to campus. Shapiro, a vocal opponent of the president, came to campus to receive an award from the Georgetown Democrats.

In addition, Christopher Stein, one of our guest writers for this edition, outlines the OECD’s arguments against the recent global movement towards protectionism, including a defense of a favorite Trump punching bag, China.

Meanwhile, in non-Trump news, Abhinav Ketineni explains the troubling connection between Corporate America and the think tank industry. Finally, Nicholas Shedd, our other guest writer for this edition, describes the Opportunities Initiative, which aims to help youths in the DC area.

Thank you to my fellow members of the Anchor, including my co-editor Julia Rhodes and our two guest writers, for successfully navigating the changes to the section and producing the fantastic writing seen on this page.

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EASTERN EUROPE & RUSSIA I

t is no secret that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is a controversial figure. While Turkey remains a strategically crucial NATO ally, the country’s leader continues to push against international laws and standards of conduct.

In January, Reuters reported that Erdoğan detained of members of the journalistic community in the name of investigating the failed coup attempt. Through these attacks on free press, Erdoğan’s alleged intervention in the Syrian Civil War, reported by Cumhuriyet, and the Turkish army’s destruction of Kurdish towns, reported by Deutsche Welle, Erdoğan has proven his disregard for democratic norms.

Further, under Erdoğan’s leadership, Turkey has veered in an increasingly authoritarian direction. Earlier this year, Turkey held a referendum to switch from a parliamentary to presidential system. According to Reuters, the referendum abolished the office of prime minister and granted the president powers to remove civil servants and call for new elections.

The referendum, which passed with 51.39 percent under allegations of voter fraud and intimidation, empowers Erdoğan to continue leading his country down an antidemocratic path, Deutsche Welle said. Actions like this, particular by a NATO ally, do not reflect well upon the liberal values the U.S. claims to fight for.

The Obama administration did not condemn actions taken

by Erdoğan. In a Times interview with Fareed Zakaria, the president instead named Erdoğan a friend and cited a “bond of trust” they shared. If the U.S. does not wish to be a complacent bystander to their ally’s crimes, the new administration must take a hard stand against Erdoğan’s actions, making it clear they will not be tolerated. There is a difficult balance to be struck between applying successful diplomatic pressure and endangering alliances, but the Trump administration needs to take on the challenge and stop Erdoğan’s blatant disregard of human rights.

Ismary Guardarrama Turkish troops advanced into Syria’s Idlib province on October 8 as part of a deal with Russia and Iran to establish de-escalation zones and prevent Syrian Kurdish groups from creating a terror corridor, according to the Hurriyet Daily News. The operation in Idlib is part of Turkey’s strategy to eliminate perceived security threats and prevent them from spreading westward into the Mediterranean.

“When we don’t go to Syria, Syria comes to us,” said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to members of his AK Party. According to Reuters, Turkey’s most formidable security threat along its border with Syria comes from the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) militia, which is fighting against the Islamic State in eastern Syria as part of a U.S.-backed alliance. Turkey regards the YPG as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) that has fought a 30year insurgency in Turkey. In order to stop the establishment of a Kurdish corridor on Turkey’s southern border, Turkey plans to cut-off Syria’s IdlibAfrin corridor by establishing order in

Iblid and blockading Afrin, reported the Daily Sabah.

The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) sent reconnaissance units and drones to Idlib to ensure the safety of Turkish troops crossing over into the region and to support the advance of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), according to the Hurriyet Daily News. No permanent Turkish military unit is currently stationed there.

“When we don’t go to Syria, Syria comes to us.”

The province of Idlib is largely controlled by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), previously the al-Nusra Front that was al-Qaeda’s branch in Syria, reported Al Jazeera. Musa Khaled, the commander of the thirteenth division of the FSA, confirmed that weapons had been fired between the HTS and the Turkish Armed Forces.

“Tahrir al-Sham hit a Turkish bulldozer on the border, so Turkish troops responded with fire. But things have calmed down now,” Khaled said.

UNITED STATES ARMY

Molly Dunlap

Turkey Expands Operations in Syria

Turkish troops disembarking a helicopter during an exercise in Kosovo.

Operations in Idlib are part of Turkish, Russian, and Iranian efforts to create four de-escalation zones in Syria in accordance with the Astana peace talks aiming at ending the Syrian Civil War, according to the Hurriyet Daily News. Meanwhile, Al Jazeera reports that HTS was not part of the peace talks and has rejected the establishment of a de-escalation zone. On the other hand, residents of the Turkish village of Oğulpınar in Reyhanlı — where tanks and armored vehicles have been stationed — showed their support for the Turkish troops by marching on

October 10.

“We organized this march to show that we are on the side of our army,” claimed Oğulpınar village head Hasan Şanverdi.

According to Al Jazeera, after the reconnaissance mission ends, Turkish soldiers will be deployed into specific areas to begin the second phase of the operation. The Daily Sabah reports that this phase involves the liberation of Afrin from YPG forces and the elimination of the YPG threat to Turkey.

Russians Protest in Support of Jailed Opposition Leader, Cont’d from p.1 Lauren Paysse

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EDITOR’S NOTE:

Opposition leader Alexei Navalny leading protests in Moscow, in March 2017.

The Independent quoted Navalny’s statement to reporters regarding the latest protests: “It’s a birthday present for the old man Putin. He’s frightened of our rallies.” This emphasis on Putin’s birthday is strategic. According to the Independent, Navalny wants to draw attention to Putin’s age, which is close to the age when Boris Yeltsin appointed Putin to replace him as president and is also when Russian men can begin to receive their pension. The report from The Independent included one of Navalny’s Facebook posts from prison, in which he writes, “Let Putin go on a well deserved pension already. He has been in power for 18 years, that’s enough.”

Putin has not officially announced his candidacy for next year’s presidential election but is expected to run, according to Reuters. Navalny has expressed a desire to oppose

“It’s a birthday present for the old man Putin. He’s frightened of our rallies.”

Putin, but the New York Times reported that he is ineligible due to a “prior conviction for embezzlement in the theft of timber from a state company,” a ruling Navalny dismissed as politically-motivated. With an 80 percent approval rating, Putin would easily win the election, the Los Angeles Times opined. However, the New York Times wrote that Navalny is different from previous opposition leaders in that he has connected with Russia’s young people through social media.

Regardless of Putin’s popularity, Navalny’s latest imprisonment suggests that the Kremlin is not taking any chances.

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Medication Shortages in Russia Fuel AIDS Epidemic Bosniak Commander During Yugoslav Wars Acquitted of War Crimes Medication shortages and disorganized distribution are fueling an AIDS epidemic in Russia. In an article published on October 8, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFERL) reported on statistics released by Russia’s Federal Center for AIDS, exposing the plight of HIV/AIDS patients in Russia and examining potential grassroots solutions.

Russia is the only developed country where HIV infections and deaths from AIDS are on the rise.

According to the Russian Federal Center for AIDS, Russia witnessed over 52,000 new cases of HIV in the first half of this year. The number of AIDS deaths has risen from 1,529 in 2005 to 18,577 in 2016. This year, the death toll is expected to top 20,000.

These figures are compiled by the Russian state statistics agency Rosstat; however, activists claim the actual tally is higher. The increase in AIDS deaths is directly related to medication shortages, reported RFERL. According to RFERL, the Russian Health Ministry allocated 17 billion rubles ($296 million) in 2017 to HIV/ AIDS medicine, enough for 235,000 patients. This covers only one-third

of the demand, leaving the majority of patients with fatal gaps in their treatment.

“If they stop giving me my medicine, I will be dead in six months,” said Moscow resident Yelena to RFERL. “For those of us who are HIVpositive, antiretroviral therapy is like insulin for diabetics. We cannot live without it.”

Yelena’s fear of shortages is compounded by the fact that she can only receive treatment at a clinic in her hometown, six hours away from Moscow. According to RFERL, Russia’s medical distribution system requires patients to return home for treatment regardless of where they currently live.

For those far from home or too unwell to travel, this is an impossible task.

Patients who cannot make the long trek home are forced to take unconventional measures. Yulia from Rostov-on-Don shared on Pereboi.

RU, a networking site, that after a long search, she had finally obtained medicine from a local support group.

However, the medication had already expired by the time she received it.

Aleksei Yaskovich is the founder of the Aptechka network that works to redistribute HIV/AIDs medication

throughout Russia. Yaskovich told RFERL that he receives surplus medicine from a variety of informal sources including personal contacts with state-run clinics, families of HIV patients who have passed away, patients who have had a treatment regimen change, and sympathetic pharmaceutical production workers.

The supplies are then redistributed through the Aptechka network to patients in need.

According to RFERL, Yaskovich intends to create an online resource to further expedite the redistribution process. This site would provide a platform for drugstore managers to post which drugs they have available, allowing patients to receive medicine before it expires.

“When I was diagnosed with HIV in the early 2000s, there was no treatment at all,” Yaskovich told RFERL. “Back then, it was really scary.

But now you know that medicine exists but that you aren’t getting it because of some bureaucratic hang-ups.”

“Belgrade serves as a neutral ground for the coming round of negotiations.”

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) mediated the Minsk Protocol in September 2014. The meeting attempted to establish a ceasefire between Ukrainian and separatist forces. The ceasefire collapsed in early 2015, which led to a second agreement being negotiated by France, Germany, Russia, and Ukraine: Minsk II. The objective of this agreement is

to create a lasting ceasefire between Kiev and pro Russian forces east of Ukraine, according to Balkan Insight.

However, according to New Eastern Europe, the deal has failed to yield any breakthrough.

Russia’s UN delegation proposed a draft in the United Nations on September 5 to deploy UN peacekeepers, with the goal of protecting the unarmed OSCE officials enforcing Minsk II, RT reports.

Officials in Kiev and Washington, as found in Balkan Insight, support the idea but remain skeptical. Peacekeepers

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Kurt Volker, the U.S. special representative to Ukraine, met with Russian representative Vladislav Surkov in Belgrade on October 7 to discuss the territorial conflict between Russia and Ukraine, as Balkan Insight reports.

Volker and Surkov are already acquainted; they met in similar negotiations in Minsk throughout August, noted Balkan Insight.

Naser Orić, the former regional commander of the Bosnian Army Territorial Defense Units, was acquitted of all charges by a court in Bosnia and Herzegovina on October 9, as Balkan Insight reports. Orić allegedly executed as many as nine Bosnian-Serb civilians within the city of Srebrenica in 1992.

“Justice has won,” Orić proclaimed

lawyer was able to demonstrate that the witness had been convicted of crimes “11 times in the past.” In addition, the witness’ reported commanding officer, Alija Muskić, never served in the Bosnian Armed Forces. Furthermore, Balkan Insight’s analysis of the court transcript reveals that O-1 gave “entirely different descriptions” of the killings between the investigative stage and his testimony in court.

The case has generated controversy,

Gravestones at the genocide memorial near Srebrenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Serbia Hosts U.S.-Russia Meeting Over Ukraine Bryan Karas

Cooper Vardy

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Morgan Smith

under Moscow’s plan would patrol between the separatist territories and Ukraine but not between the breakaway regions and Russia, where they argue Russia smuggles in military equipment, said Balkan Insight.

Belgrade serves as a neutral ground for the coming round of negotiations.

As reported by Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty, “Volker had refused to meet with Surkov in Russia, and Surkov is barred from [entering] the European Union under sanctions imposed in response to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.”

Vladislav Surkov, Aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

after the presiding judge, Saban Maksumić, made a statement that the prosecution did not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Orić orchestrated the killings, according to Balkan Insight.

This comes twenty years after Srebrenica, a small border town between Serbia, Bosnia, and Herzegovina, claimed the world’s attention in July 1995. According to CNN, it played host to a “fiveday orgy of slaughter,” where up to 8,000 Bosniak men and boys were systematically massacred by the armed forces of the Republika Srpska.

“Many Bosniaks regard Orić as a national war hero…”

According to Balkan Insight, the case relied primarily on the testimony of O-1, the alias of a former soldier who attested to seeing Orić kill the three captives.” According to O-1, Orić massacred the prisoners in excessively violent manners, such as point-blank execution by automatic rifle.

However, according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFERL), the witness “lacked credibility.” Orić’s

leading to a flare in tensions, between Serbs and Bosniaks within both Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia.

As BBC reports, many Bosniaks regard Orić as a national war hero for the part he played in leading the defense of Srebrenica during the war.

Nonetheless, Al Jazeera reports that families of the Serb victims “walked out of the courtroom” in protest after the verdict. One individual asked, “Where is the justice for us?”

Milorad Dodić, the president of Republika Srpska, an autonomous region within Bosnia and Herzegovina, issued a public statement, transcribed

by RFERL, claiming that the ruling was “proof that in Bosnia there is no punishment for criminals against Serbs.” Dragan Cović, a major Croatian leader within Bosnia and Herzegovina, called the verdict a “step backwards.”

In Serbia, Defense Minister Aleksandar Vulin charged Sarajevo with “jeopardizing peace, security, trust, and reconciliation in the whole Balkans,” while Serbian President Aleksandar Vućić added “apparently Serbs’ lives are not considered to be worth as much as other lives.”

The prosecution has stated it will contest the final decision.

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WESTERN EUROPE & CANADA

Ga Ram Lee

W

estern Europe is currently overwhelmed with formative political turning points. The Catalonian secession from Spain and the reelection of Chancellor Merkel in Germany are just a few examples of the issues that are dominating the news headlines for the region.

However, United States; decision to decertify the Iran Nuclear Deal on October 13, posed a new challenge in the relationship between the EU and the U.S, a long standing ally.

President Trump has announced his disapproval towards the Iranian nuclear deal, claiming that Iran has not “lived up to the spirit of the agreement,” according to the Deutsche Welle. The failure to recertify this deal would not reset negotiations completely, but many European government officials have urged Trump to stay in the deal before tensions increase.

In September 2017, French President Emmanuel Macron tried to persuade Trump to keep the accord, and rather engage in complementary negotiations after 2025, according to Euronews.

Sigmar Gabriel, Germany’s highest diplomat, stated that Trump’s decision to decertify the nuclear agreement will drive a wedge between Europe and the United States. He claimed that “it is imperative that Europe sticks together on this issue...and [US] behavior on Iran will drive us Europeans into a common position with Russia and China against the U.S.,” according to RND newspaper group.

At a time when tensions are already high due to North Korea’s nuclear weapons and a possible disaster that could come from Iran’s decision to take an aggressive military stance without the restraint of the nuclear deal, it seems that the West, in particular Europe and U.S should make uniform decisions. However, the Western identity is being currently challenged and Europe may have to form its own strategies to negotiate with the Middle East.

Dutch Parties Agree to Long Awaited Coalition Deal Theo Symonds At a press conference on October 10 in the Hague, Netherlands, Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced the new government coalition with four parties: his centre-right People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), the Democrats 66 (D66), and the Christian Union (CU).

On the day of Rutte’s official announcement, it had been 209 days since coalition talks began after the March 15 election. This marked the longest coalition formation period in Dutch modern history since 1977 when negotiations lasted 208 days, according to Politico Europe. As the cabinet will be officially instated within the next few weeks, these coalition talks set the record for the longest time that the Netherlands has been without a government. The worldwide record for the longest time without a government belongs to the Netherlands’ southern neighbor Belgium, which spent 541 days negotiating and forming a government in 2010 and 2011.

This will be Rutte’s third ruling coalition, but it is sure to face adversity.

The Guardian reported that the new

coalition gives Rutte a margin of only one seat in the lower house of Parliament. Since there are 150 seats and the coalition holds only 76 seats, one vote of no-confidence from a government seat-holder would be enough to put the governing coalition in jeopardy.

As reported by dutchnews. nl and NL Times, the VVD faced much expected dischord during the campaign. The Socialist Party (SP) said that they would not work with VVD, and Rutte has made it clear that there would be no place for the far-right Freedom Party (PVV), ledy by Geert Wilders, in the new government.

Jesse Klaver, the leader of Groenlinks, had even taken his party out of the negotiations in the first round. During negotiations, the D66’s party leader Alexander Pechtold had announced that his party would refuse to be in coalition talks with CU. However, this coalition shows that Rutte was successful in convincing D66 and the CU to overcome their differences and work together in the coalition, at least for the time being.

The liberal D66 party supports gay marriage and euthanasia for the

Catalonia Still Part Of Spain Vivian Cox Catalonia, the autonomous region of northeastern Spain, has decided to suspend the secession procedure until further talks with the central government in Madrid as of October 12, two weeks after an illegal referendum to declare independence.

Proponents of independence, who claim that Catalonia is culturally distinct from the rest of the country, have a long history of conflict with Spain. They argue that the region pays an unfair amount of taxes due to its wealth and that the southern regions of the country are largely poor and unindustrialized.

Catalan officials claim that 90 percent of voters voted for independence but fail to mention that only about 42.3 percent of eligible voters participated in the election, according to the Independent. This is quite a small minority considering that 60 percent of those whose Spanish citizenship would be revoked

did not cast votes. Furthermore, Spanish police closed almost 200 polling stations before the October 1 referendum, meaning that many voters who wished to cast their votes did not get that chance, says Spanish newspaper El Pais.

Catalan President Carlos Puigdemont went before the regional parliament on October 11 to declare that the vote was legitimate and legally signaled that Catalonians wished to exit Spain, says El Pais. He opted to postpone formal withdraw, however, until leaders in Madrid agreed to speak with him. Some speculate that this is a move on Puigdemont’s part to avoid his own arrest. Many other high-level officials have been arrested for their part in the unconstitutional vote and for ignoring the fact that Madrid attempted to negotiate with Puigdemont before the referendum, says the Guardian. Regardless of what happens next, one can be sure that Spanish history has forever been altered by this vote.

terminally ill. The conservative CU party diverges sharply on these and other policies that the D66 back, firmly opposing euthanasia and abortion.

Despite the uncertainty throughout the negotiations, the Netherlands ‘Bureau for Economic Policy (CPB) found that the Dutch economy is growing at a strong rate of 3.3 percent this year, putting it among the top growth rates of Europe.

The members of the coalition all agreed to and compromised on many policies in a 70-page coalition plan.

The government intends to reduce the number of income tax bands from four to two, raising the rate for the

lowest band from 36.55 percent to 37 percent, and reducing the rate for the top band from 52 percent to 49.5. The government will also prevent refugees who have residency permits from claiming welfare benefits until they have been in the Netherlands for two years. Other plans include hosting a social discussion on euthanasia, cutting carbon dioxide emissions by half from 1990 levels, and increasing primary school improvements by 770 million euros.

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EDITOR’S NOTE:

Mark Rutte, the Dutch Prime Minister, led negotiations about the new Dutch coalition.

5 | O C T 23, 2017

Merkel Changes Stance on Immigration United Kingdom In a surprising move, Angela Merkel agreed on October 8 to set the migrant quota for the following year at 200,000 individuals after significant pressure from her more conservative allies in the southern state of Bavaria, Die Zeit reports. With their support, Merkel can now move on to the larger task of forming a governing coalition in the Bundestag, Germany’s federal parliament.

Though once deeply opposed to this measure due to fears that it would violate Germany’s constitution, Merkel has given in to demands from Horst Seehofer, her counterpart in her sister party (CSU), who declared that the conservative bloc (CDU/CSU) would not move on to any other issues until Merkel agreed to set an upper limit on refugee intake, Reuters reports. The issue of migrants is particularly salient for those in Germany’s south, which has been the primary point of arrival for refugees over the past three years.

To avoid alienating other potential allies, Merkel has shrewdly refused to refer to the change as a refugee cap and has assured other parties that migrants will not be turned away at the border, reported Reuters. Instead,

she considers the number of 200,000 people as an aspiration. Additionally, the number of countries of safe origin has expanded to include Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia, meaning asylum applicants can now be sent back to these states.

Merkel has shrewdly refused to refer to the change as a refugee cap.

Nonetheless, the move demonstrates what many commentators have predicted as a pivot away from the center by Merkel and her party as they attempt to erode the influence of Germany’s ascendant extreme right-wing party, the Alternative für Deutschland (AFD), which shockingly won 13 percent of the seats in Germany’s parliament in the September election, according to Der Spiegel.

Although they were Merkel’s partners in the previous government, the Social Democrats (SPD), who finished second in the recent election, have declared their intentions to avoid all conversation of joining the new government in Merkel’s favor,

reports The Guardian. This adds additional weight to the observation that Germany’s famously centrist politics may be shifting towards more politically charged poles.

The next task for Merkel will be to convince the Greens and Free Democrats (FDP) that forming the Jamaica Coalition with the CDU/ CSU bloc is in both the parties’ and their constituents’ interests, reports Die Welt. After the October 8 decision this task becomes increasingly more difficult.

For instance, the Greens are famously socially liberal and known to oppose a hard limit on the number of refugees, while the Free Democrats’ primary concerns are in ensuring free enterprise as dictated by their libertarianism. Clearly Merkel has her work cut out for her in bringing all four parties to a consensus on key issues.

As seen in the Netherlands, constructing such a difficult coalition could take weeks or even months.

Nevertheless, if Merkel wants to make the most of what is rumored to be her last term at Germany’s helm, she will have to work quickly to make the best of the hand she has been dealt.

Canadian Holocaust Memorial Sparks Controversy

Felipe Lobo Koerich

The Canadian government removed a plaque at the recently unveiled National Holocaust Monument on October 4 because it failed to explicitly mention the Jewish people.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau inaugurated the monument, Canada’s first, on September 27 in Ottawa.

The plaque says: “[it] commemorates the millions of men, women and children murdered during the Holocaust” and “honours the survivors who persevered” and reached Canada after “one of the darkest chapters in history.”

The plaque failed to mention the Jewish community or any of the other groups the Nazi regime targeted.

According to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, the Nazi regime killed up to six million Jews and hundreds of thousands of Roma, homosexuals, and individuals with disabilities.

Opposing politicians, Israeli news media, and Jewish advocates promptly called-out Trudeau’s government for the exclusion. The Times of Israel issued an edition headlined, “Canada Holocaust Memorial Omits Any

Mention of Jews, Anti-Semitism.”

Many quickly took to social media to criticize the government. Senator Linda Frum tweeted on October 3, “In Justin Trudeau’s Canada the new Holocaust Monument plaque doesn’t mention Jews, Anti-Semitism or the 6 Million.”

According to the New York Times, David Sweet, an opposition MP, asked Parliament, “How could the prime minister permit such a glaring omission of reference to antiSemitism and the fact that the millions of men, women, and children who were murdered were overwhelmingly Jewish?”

Canadaian Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly ordered the plaque to be removed and replaced in response to the criticism, the Toronto Star reported.

Canadian news reports suggest the omission was accidental.

The architecture of the monument consists of six concrete triangles depicting the stars Jews wore and that marked them for extermination in Nazi Germany. The triangles also depict the badges other minority groups wore before being killed in the concentration camps. Panels throughout the monument underscore the targeting and extermination of

Jews by the Nazi regime, The New York Times reports.

Additionally, speakers addressed the effects of the Holocaust and antiSemitism during the unveiling of the monument. Trudeau reaffirmed Canada’s “unshakable commitment to fight anti-Semitism, racism, xenophobia, and discrimination in all its forms” and paid “tribute to those who experienced the worst of humanity.”

Martin Sampson of the Center for Israel and Jewish Affairs said, “We raised our concerns with the government. They were very responsive, acknowledged the error, and agreed to correct it immediately.”

According to the Ottawa Citizen, the Canadian government is also considering plans to apologize for turning away the M.S. St. Louis in 1939. The ship carried more than 900 German Jews seeking asylum in Canada after the U.S. and Cuba denied them entry. They returned to Germany, and many died in the Holocaust.

“May this monument remind us to always open our arms and hearts to those in need,” Trudeau said in allusion to the St. Louis.

Releases Race Report

Luke Sekowski

The British government released the highly-anticipated results of the “Race Disparity Audit” on October 10. The audit was requested by Prime Minister Theresa May when she promised to address injustices in British society.

Information released in the study covered topics ranging from economics to the criminal justice system. May proclaimed that the audit is “holding up a mirror to society,” and would “reveal difficult truths.” These difficult truths have turned out to be the overall advantage of whites in British society.

In nearly all measurable indicators of success, whites outperformed minorities in the UK. According to The Guardian, only 5 percent of British whites were unemployed compared to 8 percent of minorities. As expected, police officers were very likely to be white, while blacks were more likely to be arrested. White Britons, compared to black Britons, were more likely to own homes, less likely to be permanently excluded from school, and less likely to be convicted in court.

However, the audit also yielded

Britons reported the highest, according to the Washington Post. Significantly more blacks felt that they have the power to influence local decisions compared to their white peers. Indians in the UK had the greatest sense of happiness and meaning to their life; white were in the middle.

Besides race, another surprise came out of the audit in the form of a stark regional divide in the UK. The Guardian highlighted that education and employment opportunities, as well as sentiments among the population showed significant variation depending on location.

The north displayed greater gaps in employment and schooling than the south. Southern regions with large minority populations such as Chelsea, Greenwich, and Kensington tended to boast strong performances from black children in school.

Certain hopeful statistics for minority communities do not diminish the overarching trend of unjust distribution of opportunity within British society. The audit comes in the wake of The Guardian’s Colour of Power Project, which reported that only 3 percent of the UK’s top 1,000 most powerful and influential people

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Isaac Warden

The racial diversity in the busy London was not reflected in the new racial report.

unexpected results. Among poorer children, those from minority backgrounds have better educational attainment than white children.

The Guardian reported that only about 33 percent of white British children who qualify for free school lunches reach expected educational standard in the core subjects; they are outperformed by comparable children of Chinese, Bangladeshi, Indian, African, Pakistani, and Caribbean backgrounds. Additionally, 9 percent of white 15-year-olds smoke compared to only 2 percent of black teenagers.

White Britons reported the lowest levels of political efficacy, while black

were minorities. Furthermore only 0.7 percent of the list were female minorities.

While the audit itself does not take action to address the issues at stake, it presents important and eye-opening statistics to both politicians and the public. The data is difficult to ignore and represents only the first step in a pivot toward domestic affairs following Brexit. May plans to ask for new measures in areas particularly affected by societal injustices, including increased efforts in English, math, and vocational training.

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LATIN AMERICA & CARIBBEAN

Bryce Couch

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resident Trump threatened the decertification of Colombia as an ally in its counternarcotics efforts, according to a statement released by the White House on September 13.

President Trump’s hardline rhetoric regarding the War on Drugs is emblematic of a more troubling trend in global discourse surrounding counternarcotics efforts. Leaders around the world such as Trump and Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte view drug-related issues in strictly criminal terms.

Violence and organized crime due to the narcotics trade remain critical problems throughout the Americas. However, this is a complex issue that cannot be solved by mass incarceration.

Although coca production had been steadily decreasing, according to a report conducted by the Latin American Commission on Drugs and Democracy, it has slowly increased in recent years.

During this time, incarceration has skyrocketed as drug sales declined, according to the Drug Policy Alliance, Penal Reform International, and the Thailand Institute of Justice.

Forty years of the War on Drugs and the problem remains. World leaders such as President Trump must redefine the drug issue and stop viewing it in such simplistic terms. Incarceration does not stop the demand for drugs, and neither does limiting the supply of them.

We must address the drug issue for what it is: a global health endemic. Together, as a global community, we must build upon the efforts made at the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on Drugs. We must provide rehabilitation programs and chances at reintegration rather than relying on imprisonment to solve the problem.

In his final United Nations General Assembly speech on September 19, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos captured this best in his response to President Trump’s accusation, explaining, “We all have a common and shared responsibility.”

President Trump Visits Puerto Rico Gabriela Rodriguez Two weeks after Hurricane Maria made landfall on Puerto Rico, President Donald Trump visited the island on October 3. According to El Nuevo Día, Trump stayed for approximately four-and-a-half hours.

Air Force One landed in Puerto Rico at 11:41 a.m., according to El Nuevo Día, beginning Trump’s first visit to Puerto Rico as president.

Trump is the first U.S. president to make an official visit to the island during a state of emergency.

El Nuevo Día also reported that the purpose of the trip was for Trump to see firsthand the struggles that Puerto Ricans face post-Maria and to encourage him to fight for Congress to approve relief packages. According to Puerto Rican Governor Ricardo Rosselló, Maria caused about $90 billion in damages to the island.

Considering this dire situation, former Puerto Rican Senator Kenneth McClintock saw the visit in a positive light.

“For a territory that suffers from never being on the map of the vast majority of our fellow citizens, the

visit of any president, and more in a situation like this, helps to put us on the map, not only geographically but geopolitically,” said McClintock, according to an El Nuevo Día report.

Trump began his visit with a press conference in which he compared the situation in Puerto Rico to a “real catastrophe like Katrina.” According to Politico, when asked how many deaths the hurricane had caused, Trump responded, “Sixteen versus literally thousands of people. You can be very proud.”

In an attempt at humor, the President later went on to say, as Politico reported, that Puerto Rico had thrown the budget “a little out of whack,” reported Politico.

During the whole conference, the president never mentioned the steps that he plans to take to help Puerto Rico. Instead, he focused his message on congratulating his administration and the federal agencies for their work, reported the New York Times.

“In Texas and in Florida, we get an A-plus,” said Trump. “And I’ll tell you what, I think we’ve done just as good in Puerto Rico.”

At Calvary Chapel in Guaynabo,

Ecuadorian VP Jailed Ian Woods Ecuadorian Judge Miguel Jurado ordered the country’s Vice President, Jorge Glas, into ‘preventive prison’ on October 2 in anticipation of the politician’s corruption trial, El Comercio reported. Following the order, authorities transported Glas from his home to a detention center in Quito, the Independent reported.

Glas is accused of accepting $16 million USD in bribes from Odebrecht during his tenure as Vice President and as Coordinating Minister of Strategic Sectors under ex-president Rafael Correa.

Prosecuting attorney Carlos Montúfar deemed Glas’s detention necessary, given the abundance of evidence against him, according to El Universo. Glas promised not to leave the country, stating that “Those who are innocent have no reason to flee,” according to the Independent.

Prosecutors have also targeted Glas’s uncle for alleged participation in the scandal, according to Telesur.

Glas tweeted a denial of the charges and claimed that the investigations are part of a political assault waged by President Lenín Moreno. In August, according to Deutsche Welle, Moreno stripped Glas of many of his duties after Glas indicated his loyalty to Rafael Correa, a critic of Moreno.

In light of Glas’s imprisonment, Moreno declared Glas unable to fulfill his office, El Universo reported.

This declaration has put pressure on the legislature to reach a decision regarding Glas’s position.

Some lawmakers, such as José Serrano, contend that Glas must leave office. Others maintain that there is still not enough evidence to convict Glas.

The Odebrecht scandal has shaken Latin America’s political landscape, landing scores of high-ranking leaders in prison on similar charges. Telesur reported that in Ecuador, former Odebrecht employees have admitted to paying $32 million in bribes to 18 officials although some calculate the figure to reach $50 million.

Trump proceeded to throw paper towel rolls to the crowd, drawing criticism for its similarity to a jumpshot toss, according to El Vocero.

Despite Trump not being scheduled to depart until 5:10 p.m., the president was already on a flight back to Washington by 4:05 p.m, according to El Nuevo Día.

San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz, who had previously been criticized by Trump on Twitter for her “poor leadership ability,” condemned Trump’s attitude during his visit.

“You don’t go to another place

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

EDITOR’S NOTE:

when people are in peril and are suffering and you just kind of hover around in a helicopter without having some kind words to say,” said Cruz, as reported by People.

Overall, many Puerto Ricans were displeased with the manner and timing of Trump’s visit and felt that, since he only visited the least-damaged parts of the island, not much will come of the trip.

“It’s just an example of how we’re treated like second-class citizens,” 51-year-old Marlene Martinez said to the New York Times.

President Trump visited National Guardsmen in Puerto Rico on October 3.

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Controversial Politician Bolsonaro Tours U.S. Pro-Indigenous Advocate Jair Bolsonaro, a candidate for president in Brazil’s 2018 election, began his tour of the United States on October 8. The George Washington University will host him on October 13, despite widespread criticism of his rhetoric that has been described as homophobic, misogynistic, protorture, and racist, as reported by the Intercept.

Bolsonaro is a currently member of the Brazilian Congress and has been compared to President Donald Trump for his outlandish statements and populist rhetoric. After President Trump’s election, he tweeted his congratulations, stating “In 2018, Brazil will go the same way!” The Intercept reports that he currently rests between second and third place in opinion polling for the 2018 election.

Brazilian activists have decided to protest Bolsonaro’s events in the United States due to his extreme political views. According to Quartz, he once stated, “I would rather have a dead son over a gay son.” He has also compared homosexuality to pedophilia and attributed homosexuality to drug use.

Openly gay Congressman Jean Wyllys

once spat on him during a speech to Congress. In 2013, on BBC, he stated “No father would like to have a gay son… We Brazilians don’t like homosexuals.”

He told a congresswoman that he would not rape her “because she’s ugly.”

Brazil’s LGBTQ community has made major strides in the past decades, but still faces serious challenges.

According to Groupo Gay da Bahia, almost half of the world’s anti-gay violence occurs in Brazil, where about one person is killed every day due to homophobia or transphobia, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The rise of Bolsonaro demonstrates the pushback against LGBTQ inclusion in Brazil.

Bolsonaro’s misogyny is also well documented. According to the Financial Times, in 2014 he told a congresswoman that he would not rape her “because she’s ugly and does not deserve it.”

Bolsonaro has also expressed

his admiration for torture and other tactics used by Brazil’s 19641985 dictatorship. According to the Financial Times, he dedicated his impeachment vote against former President Dilma Rouseff to a wellknown torturer.

According to Vice News, in 2011, Bolsonaro was interviewed by AfroBrazilian entertainer Preta Gil. During this, he was asked what he would do if his son began dating a black woman.

Bolsonaro responded that he refuses to discuss promiscuity. Additionally, he stated that this situation would never happen in the first place because his sons were “brought up in an educated environment.”

Bolsonaro’s trip to the United States has worried Brazilian activists who believe he is pretending to be a more moderate figure. He will be meeting with potential donors throughout his trip. According to the GW Hatchet, hundreds of professors and alumni from George Washington University have signed a letter demanding that the school cancel his appearance.

These activists fear that his appearance at George Washington will boost his credibility and obscure his past remarks.

Police Accused of Tumaco Massacre Leticia Chacon The Colombian Ombudsman’s Office confirmed that the national police—rather than dissident guerrillas—were responsible for a massacre that killed at least ten civilian protesters and injured at least 20 others in Tumaco, on Colombia’s southwest coast on October 5.

The citizens at the protest were primarily coca farmers objecting to the Colombian government’s move towards a reduction of over 100,000 hectares of coca throughout the nation, the Guardian reported. The government’s decision is part of the campaign to reduce illegal agriculture and replace it with different crops.

Tumaco has the highest concentration of coca agriculture in Colombia, and has, therefore, historically attracted organized crime and rebel groups.

Initial reports claimed that a rebel group from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) was responsible for the murders, according to Semana. According to these reports, the armed men began to shoot explosives into the crowd of protesters,

following with indiscriminate fire from machine guns and rifles.

However, numerous witnesses told Telesur that they were sure that the shots had been fired by the soldiers stationed there during the protest.

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos did not acknowledge this accusation in his initial statement to the nation about the massacre.

He said in Colombia Reports, “We will not allow any criminal organization to frustrate a policy that must be a successful policy, which we need to be successful, to recover legality throughout the national territory and to replace coca crops with licit crops.”

The National Coordination of Cultivators of Coca, Poppy, and Marijuana released a statement saying that police officials were not allowing the families of the deceased to retrieve the bodies of their relatives.

A prosecutor against the soldiers who took part in the shooting, Fernando Carrillo, considers this massacre to be the worst setback since the peace talks with FARC and the signing of the agreement in Havana

in 2016. He said, “What happened in Tumaco is a [condemnable] act and demonstrates the degradation of what can be a mismanaged postconflict, eradicating intolerance is more complex than eradicating coca plantations.

“The events reinforce our conviction at the United Nations of the necessity of giving coca farmers in affected regions all the means to escape the terrible choice between extreme poverty and illegality,” he said, according to the Guardian.

The Colombian government decided to relieve 102 members of the Tumaco police force, including 80 police, two officers, and 20 executivelevel officials. Explaining the reasoning behind the police firings, Colombian Defense Minister Luis Carlos Villegas said, “We intend that the population of Tumaco increase their confidence in the uniformed police of Colombia.”

The four soldiers who allegedly fired the deadly shots were also placed on disciplinary suspension.

According to the deputy prosecutor, the results of the investigations of the massacre will be released shortly.

Launches Zapatista Presidential Bid in Mexico

Austin Corona María de Jesús Patricio, an indigenous activist, registered on October 7 to run in Mexico’s 2018 presidential election as an independent.

Patricio, commonly known as Marichuy, is an Nahua aboriginal and spokeswoman for Mexico’s National Indigenous Congress, on whose website she announced her intentions.

“We want to make clear that our mission is different – it’s a collective mission,” stated Patricio, as reported

by El País. She later declared, “We will accept not one peso from the National Electoral Institute.”

Mexico has not seen an indigenous president in 145 years and has yet to elect a woman to office.

Patricio’s platform appeals to Mexico’s working class and indigenous communities and has garnered the public support of the Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional (EZLN), an indigenous rebel group that has remained fairly quiet since the mid90s.

“To achieve this first step was a lot of work. We want treatment like the elite, like those who govern from up top. This structure is designed for them only, and not for the people beneath them, for working people, and much less for indigenous communities,” Patricio declared, according to Telesur.

Among the other presidential hopefuls are ten first-time independents. According Reuters, the large number of candidates have made it difficult anyone to capture more than a third of Mexico’s vote in polls. Frontrunner Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador of the MORENA party claimed only

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Sean Fulmer

23 percent of voters in a September survey conducted by El Universal.

Patricio, like other independents, will have four months to gain 866,593 signatures, the equivalent of 1 percent of Mexico’s electorate, in order to qualify as an independent candidate.

Since then, Patricio has continued as an activist, promoting the rights of Mexican indigenous communities and raising awareness around their plight. She told the Guardian, “The government isn’t interested in supporting indigenous people – it sees us as people who get in the way…

The political class only sees the earth and our natural resources as means of making money, not things that benefit the community and need protecting.”

EZLN’s support marks a significant turn in the group’s recent public activity, which has remained quiet. It is best remembered for violent clashes with government forces in 1994, which left 140 people dead in the southern state of Chiapas. EZLN rebelled after an enactment of the North American Free Trade Agreement marginalized indigenous populations in the region.

Marichuy is the second woman to enter Mexico’s presidential race. Her bid reflects an avid reaction against Mexico’s majority party PRI, the party of incumbent President Enrique Peña Nieto. PRI has not named an official candidate, a potential response to election of Donald Trump.

Patricio stated before her audience, “As a woman, a mother, and a worker, I tell you that you must fight against machismo. We must organize, and end this capitalist, patriarchal, and racist system.”

Marichuy announced her candidacy for Mexico’s Presidenccy on October 7.

4 | O C T. 23, 2017

INDO-ASIA-PACIFIC David Lim

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resident Donald Trump told his supporters in Atlanta in 2016 that he would invite North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to the United States and eat hamburgers together, emphasizing the need for an open dialogue with North Korea.

That is far from the reality facing the two states today as they are engaged in unprecedented levels of dangerous rhetoric culminating in a policy of brinkmanship on both sides.

A recent study from the Center for Strategic and International Studies underscored the gravity of the recent missiles launches that only appear to dissuade either sides from reaching a compromise. It revealed that Kim instigated 80 cases of provocations from gunfire exchanges to nuclear weapons tests, compared to 68 provocations by his father Kim Il-sung. The numbers are even more disenchanting when it comes to the number of negotiations: 175 for the older Kim, but only two for his son.

Though it was debunked as a myth, Secretary of State Dean Rusk once supposedly described the Cuban Missile Crisis as an “eyeball to eyeball” moment, and Trump and Kim are currently headed in a similar direction. It is unclear whether either leader is willing to make concessions to parallel the way that Kennedy and Khrushchev recognized that a full-scale conflict was not in their best interests.

The leaders of both states are best characterized by an upsurge in cult-of-personality rhetoric. At the center is the unpredictability both leaders bring to the table.

The chances of uncertainty and misperceptions increase under such circumstances. Without proper communication channels to clearly signal intentions, the dangers of escalations amplify and increase the probability of either side making an irrational decision. While North Korean actions are reprehensible, an effort must be made to seek the chances of the open dialogue that Trump emphatically advocated for one year ago.

Myanmar Army Offensive to Prevent Rohingya Return Gordon Ahl A new report from the UN Human Rights Office contradicts Myanmar’s claims that it used military force against the Rohingya, a Muslim minority group, in self-defense. The report characterized the attacks on Rohingya villages as premeditated and stated that the military violently abused the Rohingya in the weeks prior to large-scale Rohingya resistance.

Many Rohingya have chosen to flee Myanmar for Bangladesh in a new surge following what the UN has labeled an ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya.

According to interviews with Rohingya who fled to Bangladesh in the past month, the military tortured and killed innocent children and raped pregnant mothers in addition to other human rights violations. These actions preceded armed attacks by Rohingya fighters against police posts, resulting in over 100 deaths on August 25, according to Al Jazeera. These attacks involved thousands of Rohingya militants belonging to a resistance group known as the Faith Movement (ARSA), according to the New York

Times.

The uprising took place in the state of Rakhine, Myanmar’s poorest state and home to the Rohingya minority.

The new surge of radicalization of young complicates the situation with the state military, as it has further justified more repressive measures in the name of fighting terrorism.

Refugees who fled tell a different story, though. One woman recalled hearing over a loudspeaker: “You do not belong here, go to Bangladesh.

If you do not leave, we will torch your houses and kill you,” according to the UN report. The military’s countermeasures have resulted in burned villages and destroyed crops, harming Rahkine civilians who are already overwhelmingly poor. These measures by the state have led to a mass surge in Rohingya refugees fleeing across the Myanmar border into Bangladesh. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, more than half a million Rohingya have left Myanmar.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein described the government operations as “a textbook example of ethnic cleansing” and said in a statement that

Taiwan Reasses Relationship with China, Cont’d Jia Sheng Recently, Taiwan has solidified its relations with the Holy See despite growing rumors that the Vatican plans to abandon Taiwan for a better relationship with the PRC. Pope Francis extended his blessing to Taiwan and congratulated the nation on its birthday on October 5. On the same day, Archbishop Paul Gallagher reaffirmed the friendship and cooperative spirit between the Vatican and Taiwan according to a report from Epoch Times. In response to rumors of severed diplomatic ties, Gallagher reassured skeptics that the Vatican will always remain a loyal partner with Taiwan.

Moreover, the celebration has raised domestic controversies. During the preparation for the celebration, many Kuomintang (KMT) legislators questioned the absence of promoting the Republic of China (ROC) in Taipei and on invitation letters sent to Taiwan’s embassies and representative offices in other countries. According to Radio

Free Asia, one legislator confessed that given Taiwan’s status, it is difficult to see ROC flags on the global stage.

He says that when the administration intentionally avoids using them during national celebrations, the government is belittling its own authority. Li Dawei, Taiwan’s current minister of Foreign Affairs, insists that both flags and the name “Republic of China” symbolize national authority and dignity and attributes the lack of these symbols to pressures from the PRC. In response, local groups organized flag-planting events in national cemeteries. Song Xukang, the chief organizer stated in the Epoch Times that he extended the invitation to leaders of the five branches of the government, but no one in the administration has responded.

In the wake of international challenges and domestic discontents, Tsai Ing-wen, calls for national unity and says that Taiwan will be better because of democracy, freedom, and harmony.

the actions seemed like “a cynical ploy to forcibly transfer large numbers of people without possibility of return,” according to Al Jazeera.

A Reuters report states that the EU is considering avoiding contact with Myanmar’s senior military leadership as a first step to combat the persecution detailed in the new UN report. The Myanmar government vowed to support reconstruction efforts for the Rohingya while refusing to admit the situation constitutes genocide or ethnic cleansing.

On the other hand, Al Jazeera

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EDITOR’S NOTE:

considers the Rohingya “the world’s most persecuted minority.” The recent persecution of the Rohingya fits into the larger narrative within Myanmar of the minority’s disadvantaged state due to a 1982 citizenship law restricting their access to voting, work, and education, while also rendering them essentially stateless. Current political leaders in Myanmar have remained silent about the Rohingya issue.

Al Jazeera describes the Rohingya as “the world’s most persecuted minority.”

O C T. 23, 2017 | 5

U.S. Helicopter Crash Impacts Japanese Politices Singapore’s Central A U.S. military helicopter burst into flames after landing in a village outside of the U.S. military’s Northern Training Area in Okinawa on October 11.

The U.S. military announced that the CH-53 chopper caught fire during a training flight and was forced to land.

They confirmed that none of the crew members sustained injuries.

Takeshi Onaga, the governor of Okinawa, demanded a strict investigation into the cause of the crash and a suspension of further CH-53 use. The following day, General Lawrence Nicholson of the Third Marine Expeditionary Force authorized a suspension of all CH-53 flights in Okinawa for 96 hours.

U.S. military-related accidents and crimes have often sparked political resentment and conflict over the U.S. military presence in Okinawa.

Okinawa hosts 70 percent of American military bases in Japan. This explains the number of incidents involving U.S. military in the past.

In 2004, a CH-53 crashed at Okinawa International University, severely damaging the campus.

In May 2016, the police arrested several U.S. soldiers for the rape and murder of a 20-year-old woman. More than 65,000 protesters gathered at the Okinawa prefectural rally to demand the removal of the base.

U.S. military-related accidents and crimes have often sparked political resentment and conflict.

In December 2016, a V-22 Osprey crashed into the coast of Nago. Onaga flew to Tokyo to complain about the crash to the minister of defense.

Despite the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s (LDP) effort to prevent problems with U.S. military,bases in Okinawa from becoming a point of contention in politics, Asahi newspaper contends that this incident will heavily influence the current House of Representatives election.

Four candidates of All Okinawa, a united front against the construction of U.S. military bases in Okinawa,

declared the LDP responsible for the accident because of the base expansions under the party’s rule.

Using this accident as a turning point, the opposition party intensified its criticism of the government as well. Kazuo Shii, the head of the Communist Party, made a speech in Nagoya claiming that it is no longer possible to live with the military base.

He emphasized that the government has continuously ignored the voices of the people of Okinawa.

A staff member of the LDP Federation of Okinawa Prefecture says there is a risk of this accident becoming a storm against the LDP. Despite its consecutive victories in the national election, the LDP continues to lose in Okinawa. In the lower-house election in 2013, the party lost in all four electoral districts. The current election may be another sign of distress for the LDP. While the military crash did not result in deaths, it did expose existing underlying tension between the local citizens of Okinawa and the U.S. military presence.

China’s Central Bank Cuts Requirements Johnathon Marek China’s central bank, the People’s Bank of China (PBOC), announced on October 1 that it will cut the required reserve ratio for banks that met targets on lending to agricultural enterprises and small businesses, effective starting 2018. While such a change was expected, analysts did not believe that it would be announced until next year, according to Reuters.

The PBOC will reduce the required reserve ratio by 0.5 percent for banks whose loans to small and agricultural businesses account for at least 1.5 percent of their total loan, and by 1.5 percent for banks whose loans to qualifying businesses account for 10 percent of their total loans. Analysts project that the 0.5 percent ratio cut will apply to every major bank, as well as 85 percent of small rural banks and 90% percent of small urban banks, according to research by the China International Capital Corporation.

The decision, according to the PBOC, strives to promote inclusive lending and does not reflect a broader change in their “prudent and neutral” monetary policy. A report by

Bloomberg noted that the goal of the ratio change is not to affect liquidity, but to increase efficiency and growth.

The targeted cut appears to meet China’s current goal of preventing a slowdown in the real economy while reigning-in speculative financial and real estate investments. The cut will also limit corporate debt, which has soared

The decision strives to promote inclusive lending and does not reflect a broader change in their “prudent and neutral” monetary policy. in recent years. Previous efforts to spur lending were not targeted toward small businesses and, therefore, contributed to speculative investments, especially in real estate.

The move caused a rally in the stock market on October 9, the first day of trading after the announcement, which coincided with the weeklong National

Day holiday. The CSI 300, a major Chinese stock index, rose 1.6 percent, and the Shanghai and Shenzhen indices rose 1.3 percent and 1 percent, respectively.

The Hong Kong Stock Exchange, which resumed trading on October 3, saw even greater gains. The Bank of China, the Agricultural Bank of China, and the Bank of Communications all witnessed gains of between 3 and 5 percent, while shares in the China Construction Bank rose by nearly 6 percent. The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, the world’s largest bank by total value of assets, and the China Merchants Bank saw shares increase by 8 percent. This reflects analysts’ assumptions that the reduced rate will greatly increase the profits of large and medium-sized lenders.

Stock market growth has continued at pace in the week since the announcement. It remains to be seen, however, if the policy will translate into the real economic development the central bank desires.

Bank Announces Blockchain Payment Prototypes Rohan Sahu The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the de facto central bank of the country, announced on October 5 its intention to explore three different software models of Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) as part of its ongoing research into the potential financial applications of blockchain.

The concept of blockchain in finance refers to a permanent, unchanged ledger of all cryptocurrency transactions. This is the same technology that enables bitcoin.

Essentially, it is a series of records referred to as blocks. Every time a transaction occurs, another block is added to the chain. A complete copy of all of these blocks is recorded and held by the entire network of users. As a result, if an individual actor attempts

technology.

According to a report commissioned by the MAS and produced by Deloitte, the announcement regarding the three models of DLT comes as a second phase to Project Ubin, a program intended to provide proofof-concept for a tokenized version of the Singapore dollar (SGD) or, in other words, a digital representative of the SGD that could be used for domestic interbank transfers. During this initial phase, the Singaporean central bank declared this token as SGD-on-ledger and allowed the token to settle debts between banks on a private, central bank-controlled network. The bank announced the successful conclusion to this phase on March 9.

In this most recent development, a consortium of 11 financial institutions and five technology companies, along

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Naoya Johnson

Monetary Authority of Singapore acts as the de facto central bank of the country.

to cheat the system and conduct a transaction not properly supported by records, all users on the network will know.

The development announced by the MAS aligns with the country’s goals of fostering technological innovation as a means to maintain economic growth. Singapore has recently run into problems maintaining its relative advantage as a place to do business as neighbouring countries have developed. The government’s hope is that by making Singapore the Silicon Valley of Asia, it will be able to reap the early-adopter benefits of emergent

with the MAS, claimed to develop three different software models that “implement decentralised netting of payments in a manner that preserves transactional privacy.” The same press announcement goes on to assert that “existing netting programmes used in interbank payments rely on a single payment queue visible to the operator... decentralising the queue, however, potentially exposes payment details to an unauthorised party.” The central bank asserts that the new software models allow for a combination of both privacy and decentralisation.

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MIDDLE EAST & CENTRAL ASIA

Benjamin Hebert

Tens of thousands of Yeminis converged on the capital city of Sana’a on September 21 to show support for the Houthi rebels occupying the city, reported Al Jazeera. The rally featured a flurry of Yemeni flags and speeches against the UN-backed coalition comprised of the United States, Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the UAE. The raucous gathering marked the three-year anniversary of Sana’a’s capture by the rebels and undermined the Saudi-backed coalition’s aim to remove Houthis from power, according to CNN. The rally came a day after charismatic Houthi leader Malek al-Houthi appeared on Houthicontrolled Al Masirah TV, slamming the coalition leaders for attempting to divide the Yemeni people in order to reinstate the internationallyrecognized Yemeni government.

The internationally-supported government currently retains sovereignty in the south. Al-Houthi accused the coalition of stealing

Yemeni natural gas and threatened the UAE with claims that the Houthi missile arsenal can reach Emirati soil.

The speech invigorated his political base and fostered a new excitement for the rebel cause that cumulated in a lively rally the next day.

The conflict that led to the current Houthi occupation started in 2011 with the Yemeni Revolution. Protesters and foreign pressures led President Ali Abdullah Saleh to resign, leading to the inauguration of his vice president, Abd Rabuh Mansur Hadi. Saleh and his supporters fled to the North, biding time until 2014 when Houthi rebels, backed by Saleh’s loyalists, successfully launched a campaign into inland Yemen, occupying the capital in a momentous battle remembered in Yemeni lore as the September 21 Revolution.

The country is more divided now than ever. Houthi rebels occupy the north, and political support for the provisional government is strong. Hadi and the internationallyrecognized Yemeni government control the south, while Al Qaeda

IBRAHEM QASEM, WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Houthi Rebels Glorified in a Spirited Rally

Military Exemption for Ultra-Orthodox Jews Ruled Unconstitutional Nikiforos Daniskas

Yemeni soldiers from the 1st Armoured Division in Sana’a

still lays claim to large swaths of the country’s sparsely-populated east.

An ongoing Saudi bombing campaign that has killed hundreds of Yemeni civilians is not helping the situation, though it is offering the Houthi rebels much-appreciated political capital. The situation in Yemen also reveals a sharp Sunni-Shia divide, with a majority Shia HouthiIranian alliance facing off against the Sunni majority Saudi-Hadi coalition.

The shifting nature of national sovereignty has led to sectarian violence and mass displacement while exacerbating a recent cholera

outbreak that UN humanitarian forces are having little success in suppressing, according to Al Jazeera and BBC. CNN estimates predict that the number of cholera-infected Yemenis will reach one million by the end of the year. The cholera epidemic has been difficult to address while rival Yemeni factions continue to fight for sovereignty.

This political maelstrom in Yemen does not seem to be calming anytime soon, as the most recent Houthi rally demonstrated a strong common will to continue the fight for the rebel cause.

Uzbek Prime Minister Recalls Forced Laborers

April Artrip In an effort to end the widespread use of forced labor in cotton fields, Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov of Uzbekistan ordered university students and health and education workers previously forced into labor to return from the fields. The international community has long pressured Uzbekistan to end its system of forced labor, in which approximately a million students and state workers pick cotton under the threat of penalty, such as expulsion or dismissal from a job. However, Human Rights Watch stated that Uzbekistan still needs more political will for reform because many workers remain in the fields.

Cotton, also known as white gold in Uzbekistan, contributes significantly to the Uzbek economy; Uzbekistan is the sixth-largest producer of cotton in the world, according to AzerNews. It exports predominantly to Bangladesh and China because Western countries have encouraged a boycott of Uzbek

cotton due to its forced labor system.

Although Aripov ordered a recall of forced laborers on September 21, signaling a shift in the government’s attitude towards workers’ rights, not all local officials have recalled the forced laborers in their districts.

Furthermore, some local officials have forced businesses and recalled laborers to pay replacement fees, according to Human Rights Watch.

In a step towards reform, AzerNews states that Uzbekistan plans to mechanize cotton picking and introduce more conducive varieties of cotton. Furthermore, labor-reform proposals include allocating funds to NGOs that can implement labor laws intended to improve conditions.

By 2020, Uzbekistan hopes to reduce its economic reliance on cotton by decreasing its cotton production and increasing production of grains and other foodstuff.

The Supreme Court of Israel ruled that the current government exemption of ultra-Orthodox, or Haredi, Jews from compulsory military service is unconstitutional and discriminatory on September 12. The Israeli Supreme Court’s decision has refueled domestic tensions over a particularly divisive issue—military exemptions for Haredi Jews occupied with full-time Torah study, according to the New York Times.

With a rapidly-growing ultraOrthodox Jewish population in Israel, the state faces a homegrown economic and political problem, according to the Washington Post. The percentage of adult Haredi men without jobs is nearly 50 percent. This, combined with a high birthrate, creates an impoverished community that continues to grow and depend on government support.

Many Haredi men do not work to study the Torah; however, some believe increasing conscription from the ultraOrthodox community would also teach technical skills, which would allow more Haredi men to make a living and contribute to the economy.

According to the Times of Israel, this decision struck down 2015 legislation from the Knesset intended to postpone efforts to increase the rate at which ultra-Orthodox Israeli youth are drafted into military service. The ruling on September 12 sets a oneyear deadline for implementation of a different framework to handle the ultra-Orthodox draft.

The political right-wing in Israel reacted strongly and expressed anger and opposition to the Supreme Court’s decision. Not only are opponents against the ruling itself, but some have also called for new limitations on the Supreme Court’s authority to overturn laws that have been approved by the Knesset. Just two days after the September 12 ruling, HaBayit HaYehudi Chairman Naftali Bennett and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, introduced an initiative to directly limit the Supreme Court’s power – a move that could lead to a long-standing battle between the Knesset and the Supreme Court.

O C T. 23, 2017 | 13

Emir of Qatar Jails Members of Ruling Family Michael Abi-Habib

The emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, ordered the imprisonment of 20 members of the Qatari ruling family for publicly disagreeing with government policies and displaying support for the countries boycotting Qatar: Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab

Emirates, and Bahrain, also known as the Arab Quartet. Former prisoner Jean-Pierre Marongiu told the French magazine Le Point that he met the

Marongiu described the jail cells as unhealthy, bug-infested, and dangerous.

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud during the World Travel & Tourism Council Global Summit.

detainees, who told him to relay their story to the world. According to the article, arrests of dissidents have proliferated since the Qatari boycott began four months ago.

Marongiu met an estimated 20 members of the ruling Al-Thani family while he was detained in prison. Marongiu contacted Le Point and said, “The emir of Qatar ordered members of his ruling family to be jailed.” Marongiu described the jail cells as unhealthy, bug-infested, and dangerous.

The imprisoned family members were reported to have supported the Saudi-led boycott of the country and to have publicly disagreed with the current government’s policies. Amid rising tensions in the region, the Emir directly ordered their detention.

The recent crackdown on dissent and intolerance of support for the Arab Quartet is a consequence of the Qatar-Gulf crisis. Tensions between Saudi Arabia and Qatar have been growing despite mitigation attempts, prompted by their mutual alliance with the United States.

Having withdrawn their ambassadors from Qatar in March

2014, Saudi Arabia’s relationship with Qatar reached its tipping point three years later. In May 2017, the Arab Quartet completely cut ties with Qatar. In an unprecedented shift in the region, the Gulf finds itself split between the Arab Quartet and Qatar, with Kuwait and Oman currently remaining neutral.

The recent crackdown on dissent and intolerance of support for the Arab Quartet is a consequence of the Qatar-Gulf crisis.

In an effort to counter the boycott, Qatar has reestablished ties with Iran and strengthened its relationship with Turkey. Qatar has resisted Saudi Arabian pressure, walking a fine line between the United States and Iran and angering other Arab states. The rising stakes in the region are conducive to Qatar’s recent intolerance of dissent and support for the Arab Quartet.

King Salman’s Russia Visit Brings Hope for Bilateral Relations King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud made a historic and unprecedented trip to Moscow this past week. According to Arab News, this trip, which lasted four days, marked the first time that a reigning Saudi monarch has visited Russia.

Accompanying King Salman was a delegation of senior government officials and CEOs of state companies who met with their Russian counterparts. King Salman met with President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin and signed 15 agreements over the course of the visit.

One of the deals involved a $3.5 billion purchase of the Russian S-400 missile-defense system, marking a change from Riyadh’s past of buying arms almost exclusively from western countries.

Additionally, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and SIBUR, the leading Russian gas processing company, signed a cooperation agreement with Saudi Aramco. Other deals signed included an agreement to establish a joint fund that will invest in high-tech energy companies and a deal

to invest $100 million into Russian transportation projects. According to Reuters, this Saudi investment will help the Russian economy grow after a decrease in Western investment following economic sanctions placed on Russia in 2014.

This cooperation follows a history of tense relations between Russia and Saudi Arabia. During the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia backed the Afghan rebels. According to Al-Monitor, King Salman, then a prince, personally helped raise funds to support the rebels, thus supplementing the support offered by the United States government. Relations were not renewed until after the Cold War and remained strained afterwards.

In 2012, the late King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, King Salman’s brother, hindered cooperation when he harshly criticized Russia’s stance on Syria.

Russia and Saudi Arabia then backed rival sides in the Syrian Civil War, with Russia supporting President Bashar Al-Assad and Saudi Arabia supporting the rebel forces.

Russia’s alignment with Iran, Saudi Arabia’s rival in the region, also provides an area of contention.

According to Al-Monitor, it is in Saudi Arabia’s best interest to establish itself as Russia’s primary partner in the Middle East to deprive Iran of their of their main international backer.

When King Salman took the throne in 2015, he began to focus on establishing economic ties with Russia despite political differences. In a prepared speech given at the end of his visit, he addressed these political differences and expressed hope that the two countries will be able to cooperate on regional issues in the future.

“We are determined to push these

KREMLIN

Dana Ahdab

relations to greater heights, and in this context we would like to pay tribute to the fruitful discussions with President Vladimir Putin yesterday, in which it was agreed to strengthen cooperation between our two countries in various fields,” King Salman stated in an Al Arabiya report.

Despite the fruitful nature of the talks and the progress on economic relations during the visit, King Salman has returned to Riyadh and the contentious issues between Russia and Saudi Arabia remain.

King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Tim Coan

W

hile the world prepares for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, reignited accusations of state-sponsored terrorism by Arab states have placed 2022 tournament host Qatar in the spotlight.

According to the Washington Post, tensions in the Middle East have been rising since Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt cut all diplomatic ties with Qatar in May over allegations that the gulf state has been financing terrorism and working to undermine other regional governments.

Qatar’s backing of terror groups such as the Islamic Muslim Brotherhood, the Taliban, and Al-Qaeda affiliates, in addition to a close relationship with Iran, support the claims made by Arab states. According to BBC, in April Qatar paid nearly $1 billion to an Al-Qaeda affiliate to secure the release of 26 members of the royal family.

Qatar’s human rights record also poses a moral dilemma for FIFA. Amnesty International has reported extensively on the issue, dubbing Qatar’s tournament “The World Cup of Shame.”

Qatar’s workforce is comprised of more than 1.7 million foreigners, making up 90 percent of the country’s private sector; additionally, Amnesty International reported that workers “can’t change jobs, they can’t leave the country, and they often wait months to get paid.”

Workers have their passports taken upon arrival in Qatar, preventing any exit and are threatened if they complain about working and living conditions.

FIFA’s mission statement claims that “world football’s governing body acknowledges the prominent role of sport…as a vehicle to tackle some major social issues.” By allowing the World Cup to be hosted in Qatar, FIFA validates Qatar and its appalling use of power to promote terrorism and abuse human rights. If FIFA plans to promote equality and justice, it should strip Qatar of its hosting rights.

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NORTH & SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

Angola’s Dos Santos Retires after 38 Years

Claire Hazbun Liberians visited the polls in the first round of presidential elections on October 10. The election will result in a runoff if no candidate reaches a majority of votes. Incomplete results from the National Election Commission put Senator George Weah ahead, but the winner still remains unclear.

A total of 20 candidates ran for the presidency, according to the Liberian Observer. The four main parties represented by presidential candidates were the Unity Party (UP), the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), the Alternative National Congress (ANC), and the Liberty Party (LP).

According to the Liberian Observer, Weah, a former soccer star who ran on behalf of the CDC, was considered the favorite. Current Vice President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, a member of the UP, was the other main contender.

During his campaign, Weah

often criticised the current UP-led government. He told UP supporters, “Vote George Weah for you to gain hope, for our country to have good roads, for our nurses to be paid, for our military to have logistics, for our police to have logistics and for prices to be low.”

BBC reported that partial results put Weah ahead. Although most votes have not been counted yet, Weah is ahead in 11 of the 15 counties.

George Weah, a former soccer star... was considered the favorite.

A win requires 50 percent of the total vote. A plurality of less than 50 percent will send the election into a runoff between the top two candidates in November. According to the New York Times, it is unclear if Weah will reach the 50 percent threshold. Final results are set to be announced on

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Liberians Vote in Close Election

Kate Fin

Votes are counted in Liberia’s tightly contested presidential election.

October 25.

In the 1990s, Liberia became known for its prolonged civil war, which lasted from 1989 to 2003 and killed more than 250,000 people, according to CNN’s profile of Liberia.

The war started when a violent revolt led by Charles Taylor overthrew the government and continued for years while rebel groups fought each other and the Taylor regime.

After the civil war ended, UN peacekeepers maintained security as the country recovered from years of violence. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa’s first elected female president, took office in 2005. She was reelected in 2011 but is stepping down this year in accordance with the

Liberian constitution, reported by the Washington Post.

Despite some stability following its civil war, Liberia remains extremely impoverished and lacks basic necessities. USAID statistics show that only two percent of its population has access to electricity, and one in five households is food insecure.

In the 2016 Afrobarometer, a survey of political feelings in several African states, 68 percent of Liberians said they preferred democracy to all other forms of government. Only 53 percent believe that the country is a full democracy or a democracy with minor problems. The country has not had a peaceful transfer of power in 73 years.

Zimbabwean Cabinet Shuffle, Cont-d from p. 1 Sarah Mathys Rumors were reignited, however, after the recent poisoning of Mnangagwa at a political rally.

Mnangagwa’s supporters claim that he was poisoned by eating ice cream from Grace Mugabe’s dairy farm, although Mnangagwa publically denounced these claims in a statement made to the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation. According to the Guardian, Mnangagwa’s sustained claims of poisoning go against the wishes of Grace Mugabe, who fears the potential backlash from those who will claim that she is attempting to have her political rivals executed.

Complicating the issue of succession further is Mugabe’s lastminute cabinet reshuffle. As reported in the state-run Zimbabwe Herald,

Mugabe removed Mnangagwa from his long-term role as minister of justice on October 9, seriously limiting his political influence. VOA Zimbabwe also reports that an extraordinary congress may be convened soon to further reduce his role in the Mugabe administration. Masvingobased political analyst Takavafira Zhou explained the move to New Zimbabwe, saying that “this is a Grace Mugabe reshuffle … it’s part of the succession plan and aimed at discrediting and emasculating Mnangagwa.”

For now, at least, it is clear that Mnangagwa’s support within the administration is dwindling. Time will tell what impact these maneuvers will have on next year’s presidential elections.

At the end of 38 years of rule under President José Eduardo dos Santos, João Lourenço took office as Angola’s third president on September 21.

Lourenço assumed power after his party, the People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), won 64.5 percent of the popular vote, Quartz reports.

Dos Santos, also a member of the MPLA, took office in 1979. He is Africa’s second-longest serving leader, after Teodoro Obiang of Equatorial Guinea.

In December 2016, Dos Santos said he would not run for re-election, likely because of health issues. It was welcome news to many Angolans, for whom Dos Santos represents the corruption that plagues the country.

Though Angola is Africa’s secondlargest oil producer, most of the country outside of the capital, Luanda, lacks basic infrastructure, a problem which has caused public health crises in recent years. For example, the government cut waste-collection services in some areas in March 2016, causing a deadly yellow fever outbreak that killed more than 400.

Lourenço campaigned on the promise of increased transparency and reduced corruption. He plans to open and diversify the country’s economy, with the goal of limiting dependency on volatile oil prices.

However, despite his campaign promises, many fear that Lourenço will continue many of Dos Santos’ policies due to their similar backgrounds, according to Quartz. Both are Sovieteducated and fought with the MPLA during Angola’s violent revolution.

For Dos Santos, parliament recently created the role of president-emeritus, guaranteeing him the luxuries of the presidency even after leaving office. He will also remain head of the MPLA. Still, amid the transition there are signs of progress. This year’s election, which many in the international community deemed legitimate, saw an unprecedented rise in the popularity of various opposition parties.

O C T. 23, 2017 | 5

Odinga Quits Kenya’s Repeat Election Bethania Michael

Uhuru Kenyatta was declared the winner of Kenya’s 2017 presidential election in August when the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IBEC) revealed that he received 54.3 percent of the vote.

His opponent, Raila Odinga of the National Super Alliance (NASA) won 44.74 percent. A study by the Elections Observation Group (ELOG) closely reflected the results of the IBEC, illustrating that 54 percent of the votes were cast for Kenyatta and 44.9

percent for Odinga. Over 15 million Kenyans voted, comprising 78 percent of registered voters.

According to Al Jazeera, the election was heralded by some as a success; IBEC Chairman Wafula Chebukati called the election “fair and credible.” Odinga and his party, however, contested the results, arguing that Kenya’s electronic voting system was hacked and that the results were illegitimate. Responding to Odinga’s rejection of the vote, Kenyatta said, “As with any competition, there shall always be winners, and there shall be

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Kenyan opposition candidate Raila Odinga quit the repeat presidental election.

losers. But we all belong to one great nation called Kenya. I extend a hand of friendship.”

According to the BBC, the election reached its tipping point in September when the Supreme Court annulled the results and scheduled another election within the next sixty days. Chief Justice David Maraga reasoned that the first election was not “conducted in accordance with the constitution,” rendering it “invalid, null and void.”

Later the same month, the Court would extend the delay another nine days, to October 26. In response, Kenyatta asserted that “a coup in Kenya has just been done by the four people in the Supreme Court.”

During this time, the opposition’s concerns extended beyond the subversion of the electoral system to include the violent death of election official Chris Msando, who oversaw the computerized voting system, just days before the election. Responding to the death, Chebukati said that “there was no doubt that he was tortured and murdered.”

Al Jazeera reported that Odinga announced his withdrawal from the upcoming re-run on October 10, an

unforeseen development that has since renewed discussions about the East African nation’s election law. In a written statement, the opposition leader explained NASA’s belief that the IBEC has “no intention to undertake any changes to its operations and personnel” to prevent a repeat of the poll on August 8, ultimately concluding that the October 26 election “will be worse than the previous one,” according to Daily Nation.

BBC reports that the High Court of Kenya later ruled that every candidate that was a part of the August 8 election can participate in the reelection, as opposed to an election involving only Kenyatta and Odinga. The re-run must be held by the first of November.

Although supporters of the opposition have taken to the streets of Nairobi to protest these developments, some have been optimistic about the implications of Odinga’s withdrawal. In a recent Al Jazeera op-ed, Nanjala Nyabola opined that Odinga’s withdrawal is “buying both his coalition and the IBEC more time” and that the High Court’s ruling “allows for other candidates to join the race.”

Anglophones Protest for Rights in Cameroon Russell Guertin History books are rich with examples of conflict that derives from ethnic, religious, or tribal divisions. In the case of Cameroon, language can be added to the list.

On October 1, in Cameroon’s Southwest and Northwest provinces, Anglophones protested what they feel to be linguistic discrimination in the majority Francophone country, Quartz reports.

The day also marked the independence of Anglophone Southern Cameroon from Britain in 1961. This independence was shortlived, however, as the country merged with its French-speaking neighbor later that same year.

The protests, which included a symbolic declaration of independence, turned violent as security forces cracked-down, leading to the death of at least 17 civilians, Al Jazeera reports.

Additionally, the government limited internet access and electricity in the days following the unrest as a way to stifle dissent. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights condemned the killing

of protesters and called for a swift investigation of the incident, according to VOA News.

Even as government pressure increases, protesters seem unfazed.

The protests have gone on for months and seem unlikely to relent. Quartz reported that, the protesters are agitating for the realization of a series of demands including increased access to resources from the Cameroonian government, independence from Cameroon, and recognition and advocacy from their former British colonizers.

In southwest and northwest Cameroon, Anglophones protested linguistic discrimination.

At the October 1 rallies, protesters waved the flag of Ambazonia, the proposed independent state for Anglophones. While the international community has thus far condemned

the government’s use of violence, calls for Anglophone secession have fallen on deaf ears.

The linguistic divisions are a legacy of colonialism, when most of modern Cameroon was a French colony, but today’s restive regions comprised British Cameroon. As a result, Anglophones make up 20 percent of the population of the country, and grievances linked to this minority status have been simmering since the two colonies merged at independence in 1961.

Some Anglophones blame British colonizers for their current marginalization, arguing that Britain “abandoned its responsibility” to Cameroonians, according to the Telegraph.

According to Al Jazeera, these protests are the most recent manifestations of a crisis that has continued since October 2016. At that time, Anglophone lawyers started a work boycott after the government failed to respond to the list of grievances they had submitted the previous year.

Analysts and researchers have called on international institutions

such as the UN and regional bloc ECOWAS to intervene, citing steady deterioration in the situation since the crisis began.

In the days following the protest, longtime President Paul Biya, who has previously referred to Anglophone protesters as “extremists,” called for dialogue between the protesters and the state, the East African reports.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was quick to echo the conciliatory tone.

However, with the government asserting that the unity of the country is non-negotiable, the success of dialogue seems slim. Political tensions continue to run high, with the leader of the opposition Social Democratic Front (SDF) Ni John Fru Ndi accusing Biya of escalating the violence.

In a region of Africa bedeviled by Boko Haram’s transnational terrorism to the west and continued Congolese instability and conflict to the east, Cameroon must tread carefully to keep the deep social rifts that the recent spate of violence have highlighted from growing further.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Jonathan Dörnhofer

W

hen Jose Eduardo dos Santos retired as Angolan President last month, he became another in a growing list of African presidents who have ended multi-decade terms in recent years. Since 2014, five different presidents who have served for two decades or more have been replaced.

Blaise Compaoré, who had ruled Burkina Faso since taking over in a coup d’état in 1987, was the first to go, as popular protests forced his ouster in late 2014.

Then, Mohamed Abdelaziz, who had led Western Sahara through nearly 40 years of its struggle for international recognition, died in 2016. Later that year, Manuel Pinto da Costa, the first postcolonial president of Sao Tome and Principe, gave up his reelection efforts following a spirited opposition campaign, putting an end to his 38-year rule. This year, Yahya Jammeh, who had led Gambia for over 22 years, also lost a bid for reelection.

Including Dos Santos, this means that five African countries have ridded themselves of a combined 146 years of usuallyauthoritarian rule, giving hope to those states still looking to oust long-serving presidents.

Equatorial Guinea’s Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasongo remains Africa’s longest serving president, having ruled since 1979. He has amassed immense personal wealth in the resulting four decades, while the majority of his people have seen development stagnate. Paul Biya, Cameroon’s president since 1982, has faced constant criticism for human rights violations. And then there is Robert Mugabe, the seemingly sempiternal nonagenarian who has led Zimbabwe, as prime minister or president, since 1980.

A convincing argument could be made for each of these three men that they have outstayed their welcomes and that the time is right for them to move on. The relatively peaceful transfer of power following elections in Sao Tome and Principe and The Gambia and the success of extra-electoral political pressure in Burkina Faso and Angola give hope that these remaining autocrats may also finally see their terms come to an end.

1 6 | O C T. 23, 2017

TRAVEL

This semester, many of The Caravel’s writers are studying abroad all over the globe, in regions as diverse as Europe, Southeast Asia, East Asia, and X. Check out the photos below to follow them on their journey!

Where are the Hoyas abroad?

Louisa Christen (SFS’19) is studying abroad in London, England and exploring Europe.

Isabelle Lahaussois (COL’19) is studying abroad in Japan and touring various regions of the country.

Hase dera in Kamakura, Japan.

MADDIE SHWARTZ (SFS’ 19)

LOUISA CHRISTEN (SFS’ 19)

Phi Phi Islands, Thailand.

ISABELLE LAHAUSSOIS (COL’ 19)

MADDIE SHWARTZ (SFS’ 19)

Maddie Schwartz (SFS’19) is studying abroad in Hong Kong. So far, she has visited Thailand, Mainland China, Malaysia, Singapore, and South Korea.

Firenze, Piazza Del Duomo Florence, Italy.

Elephant Jungle Sanctuary Phuket, Thailand.