With U.S.-South Africa ties in the deep freeze, it was notable to see the sheer size of the U.S. delegation sent to this week’s Mining Indaba in Cape Town – one of the most prominent industry gatherings and one of the few where the Global South gets a prominent voice.
The Trump administration’s famous Afrophobia seems (momentarily at least) tempered by its greed for minerals. It is reportedly walking ...
Category: Human Rights
China Critic Jimmy Lai Sentenced to 20 Years in Jail After Landmark Hong Kong Trial
By James Pomfret and Jessie Pang HONG KONG, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Hong Kong's most vocal China critic, media tycoon Jimmy Lai, was sentenced on Monday to 20 years in jail, ending the city's biggest national security case thathas fueled global concerns about Beijing's clampdown ...
Weighing the Value of “Values”
I was in Berlin this week for a conference on the EU’s relationship with Africa in the context of the continent’s growing ties with external actors, many of whom Europe finds acutely worrying. The conference eerily landed on the second anniversary ...
China Exiles in Thailand Lose Hope, Fearing Beijing’s Long Reach
With tears rolling down his cheeks, detained Chinese political exile Zhou Junyi struggles to make his voice heard over dozens of families visiting Bangkok's main immigration detention center. Zhou's China Democracy Party, an exile group, organized a commemoration on June 4 ...
ASEAN Parliamentarians Call for China Meeting on Rohingya
ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR), a body of current and former legislators from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), called for a conference involving the ten member countries of the bloc, Bangladesh, and China to resolve the longstanding problems facing the Rohingya ethnic minority.
Indonesia Deepens Ties With Xinjiang Despite Human Rights Concerns
When the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) opened its doors to Xinjiang’s state-linked conglomerates this month, the event was billed as a milestone in deepening trade ties. Executives from Jakarta and Urumqi spoke glowingly of “mutual respect” ...
Analysis from Cobus van Staden
New Video Surfaces of Congolese Soldiers Beating Miners at the Behest of Chinese Nationals
The Congolese human rights NGO Justicia Asbl released a shocking video on Sunday that was purportedly recorded on July 23rd, showing Congolese FARDC soldiers beating a trio of local miners with their hands bound at the behest of Chinese nationals. The incident ...
Thai Ministers Travel to Xinjiang to Visit Deported Uyghurs
Two senior Thai government ministers traveled to China's northwestern Xinjiang region on Wednesday to assess the conditions of dozens of Uyghurs deported from the kingdom last month. Thailand last month sent at least 40 Uyghurs back after they had spent years ...
Thai Ministers to Visit China to Meet Uyghur Deportees as West Condemns and Imposes Visa Sanctions
A high-level Thai delegation is set to travel to China on Tuesday to check on the condition of 40 Uyghurs deported in late February, following criticism from the United States, the European Union, and other Western nations over the repatriation. ...
Thailand Says Assured of Uyghurs’ Safety After U.S. Visa Bans
Thailand on Saturday responded to a United States visa ban on officials from the kingdom involved in deporting dozens of Uyghurs back to China, saying it had "received assurances" of their safety. The Thai government has suffered intense criticism from around ...
China Reacts to ICC Arrest of Former Philippine President
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs aimed a subtle dig at the International Criminal Court following Interpol’s arrest of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. Duterte will face charges of crimes against humanity in the Hague for numerous allegations of extrajudicial killings under his anti-drugs campaign in the late 2010s. ...
U.S. Issues Thailand Security Alert After Uyghur Deportations
The United States issued a security alert to its citizens in Thailand on Friday, warning of the possible risk of reprisal attacks after the kingdom deported dozens of Uyghurs to China. The Thai government has suffered intense criticism from around the ...
China Appears to Confirm Uyghur Deportations From Thailand
By Matthew Walsh China appeared to confirm on Thursday that dozens of Uyghurs had been deported from Thailand, despite warnings from human rights groups that they face persecution on their return. Beijing is accused of ...