Bulletins and News Discussion from July 22nd to July 28th, 2024 - Fracas in Dhaka - COTW: Bangladesh
Bulletins and News Discussion from July 22nd to July 28th, 2024 - Fracas in Dhaka - COTW: Bangladesh
Image is of vehicles set aflame by protestors near a government building.
Since July 1st, students have protested the unpopular proposal in which 30% of government jobs would be reserved for veterans of the 1971 War of Independence and their relatives. In a country with a youth unemployment rate of around 20% and a population of 170 million, a large number of otherwise eligible and competent people would have been forced out due to favouritism for veterans. As with basically every country on the planet over the last couple years, Bangladesh is suffering from inflation and an increasing cost-of-living, further exacerbating tensions.
The student protests have been met with significant violence by the government - local newspapers report that over a hundred protestors have been killed, and thousands have been injured. Guns and tear gas have been used. Additionally, the government has completely cut internet access throughout Bangladesh to prevent organizing, which has had some success in dividing protestors, but has also only further angered various parts of the country due to the massive impact to Bangladesh's online industries and various startups. And a national curfew has been in place to limit movement, with the population told to remain home if they want to be safe.
Yesterday, the Supreme Court of Bangladesh relented, stating that now, only 5% of government jobs would be reserved for veterans and their families. 2% would be allocated to members of minorities, with the remaining 93% distributed on merit. A period of tentative calm has arrived, but Hasnat Abdullah, a coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, has stated that unless the government restores the internet, removes the curfew, releases detainees, and forces certain ministers to resign within a few days, then the protests will resume.
The COTW (Country of the Week) label is designed to spur discussion and debate about a specific country every week in order to help the community gain greater understanding of the domestic situation of often-understudied nations. If you've wanted to talk about the country or share your experiences, but have never found a relevant place to do so, now is your chance! However, don't worry - this is still a general news megathread where you can post about ongoing events from any country.
The Country of the Week is Bangladesh! Feel free to chime in with books, essays, longform articles, even stories and anecdotes or rants. More detail here.
Please check out the HexAtlas!
The bulletins site is here!
The RSS feed is here.
Last week's thread is here.
Israel-Palestine Conflict
Sources on the fighting in Palestine against Israel. In general, CW for footage of battles, explosions, dead people, and so on:
UNRWA daily-ish reports on Israel's destruction and siege of Gaza and the West Bank.
English-language Palestinian Marxist-Leninist twitter account. Alt here.
English-language twitter account that collates news (and has automated posting when the person running it goes to sleep).
Arab-language twitter account with videos and images of fighting.
English-language (with some Arab retweets) Twitter account based in Lebanon. - Telegram is @IbnRiad.
English-language Palestinian Twitter account which reports on news from the Resistance Axis. - Telegram is @EyesOnSouth.
English-language Twitter account in the same group as the previous two. - Telegram here.
English-language PalestineResist telegram channel.
More telegram channels here for those interested.
Various sources that are covering the Ukraine conflict are also covering the one in Palestine, like Rybar.
Russia-Ukraine Conflict
Examples of Ukrainian Nazis and fascists
Examples of racism/euro-centrism during the Russia-Ukraine conflict
Sources:
Defense Politics Asia's youtube channel and their map. Their youtube channel has substantially diminished in quality but the map is still useful.
Moon of Alabama, which tends to have interesting analysis. Avoid the comment section.
Understanding War and the Saker: reactionary sources that have occasional insights on the war.
Alexander Mercouris, who does daily videos on the conflict. While he is a reactionary and surrounds himself with likeminded people, his daily update videos are relatively brainworm-free and good if you don't want to follow Russian telegram channels to get news. He also co-hosts The Duran, which is more explicitly conservative, racist, sexist, transphobic, anti-communist, etc when guests are invited on, but is just about tolerable when it's just the two of them if you want a little more analysis.
On the ground: Patrick Lancaster, an independent and very good journalist reporting in the warzone on the separatists' side.
Unedited videos of Russian/Ukrainian press conferences and speeches.
Pro-Russian Telegram Channels:
Again, CW for anti-LGBT and racist, sexist, etc speech, as well as combat footage.
https://t.me/aleksandr_skif ~ DPR's former Defense Minister and Colonel in the DPR's forces. Russian language.
https://t.me/Slavyangrad ~ A few different pro-Russian people gather frequent content for this channel (~100 posts per day), some socialist, but all socially reactionary. If you can only tolerate using one Russian telegram channel, I would recommend this one.
https://t.me/s/levigodman ~ Does daily update posts.
https://t.me/patricklancasternewstoday ~ Patrick Lancaster's telegram channel.
https://t.me/gonzowarr ~ A big Russian commentator.
https://t.me/rybar ~ One of, if not the, biggest Russian telegram channels focussing on the war out there. Actually quite balanced, maybe even pessimistic about Russia. Produces interesting and useful maps.
https://t.me/epoddubny ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/boris_rozhin ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/mod_russia_en ~ Russian Ministry of Defense. Does daily, if rather bland updates on the number of Ukrainians killed, etc. The figures appear to be approximately accurate; if you want, reduce all numbers by 25% as a 'propaganda tax', if you don't believe them. Does not cover everything, for obvious reasons, and virtually never details Russian losses.
https://t.me/UkraineHumanRightsAbuses ~ Pro-Russian, documents abuses that Ukraine commits.
Pro-Ukraine Telegram Channels:
Almost every Western media outlet.
https://discord.gg/projectowl ~ Pro-Ukrainian OSINT Discord.
https://t.me/ice_inii ~ Alleged Ukrainian account with a rather cynical take on the entire thing.
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Munir Al-Jaghoub, the Head of the Media Office of the Mobilization and Organization Commission of the Fatah Movement has announced the following:
🛑 المصالحة: الاتفاق في الصين على ضم كافة الفصائل للمنظمة وتشكيل حكومة
اتفقت الفصائل الوطنية خلال لقاءاتها في الصين على الوصول إلى وحدة وطنية فلسطينية شاملة تضم القوى والفصائل الفلسطينية كافة في إطار منظمة التحرير، والالتزام بقيام الدولة الفلسطينية المستقلة وعاصمتها القدس، طبقاً لقرارات الأمم المتحدة، وضمان حق العودة طبقاً لقرار 194.
كما اتفق المجتمعون على حق الشعب الفلسطيني في مقاومة الاحتلال وانهائه وفق القوانين الدولية وميثاق الأمم المتحدة، وأن يتم تشكيل حكومة وفاق وطني مؤقتة بتوافق الفصائل الفلسطينية وبقرار من الرئيس بناء على القانون الأساسي الفلسطيني، على أن تبدأ بتوحيد المؤسسات الفلسطينية كافة في أراضي الدولة الفلسطينية والمباشرة في اعادة إعمار قطاع غزة والتمهيد لإجراء انتخابات عامة بإشراف لجنة الانتخابات المركزية بأسرع وقت وفقاً لقانون الانتخابات المعتمد.
وتم التأكيد في الاجتماع على تفعيل وانتظام الإطار القيادي المؤقت الموحد للشراكة في صنع القرار السياسي وفقا لما تم الاتفاق عليه في وثيقة الوفاق الوطني الفلسطيني الموقعة في 4 أيار 2011، حتى يتم تشكيل المجلس الوطني الجديد وفقاً لقانون الانتخابات المعتمد ومن أجل تعميق الشراكة السياسية في تحمل المسئولية الوطنية.
وفيما يلي إعلان بكين لإنهاء الانقسام وتعزيز الوحدة الوطنية الفلسطينية
بدعوة كريمة وجهتها جمهورية الصين الشعبية للفصائل الفلسطينية عقدت في العاصمة بكين جولة حوارات فلسطينية هامة بهدف توحيد الموقف الفلسطيني لمواجهة حرب الابادة الجماعية والعدوان الإسرائيلي وانهاء الانقسام بما يحقق طموحات الشعب الفلسطيني في الوحدة الوطنية والحرية والاستقلال الوطني.
ويعرب المجتمعون عن تقديرهم العالي للجهود المخلصة التي تبذلها جمهورية الصين الشعبية انطلاقا من دعمها لحقوق الشعب الفلسطيني وحرصها على انهاء الانقسام وتوحيد الموقف الفلسطيني. ويؤكدون على تمكين الاشقاء العرب واصدقائنا في جمهورية الصين الشعبية وروسيا الاتحادية لمواصلة الجهود الدولية لعقد مؤتمر دولي كامل الصلاحيات لإنهاء الاحتلال الاسرائيلي وتنفيذ القرارات الدولية ذات الصلة والمنصفة لحقوق الشعب الفلسطيني تحت مظلة الامم المتحدة ورعايتها وبمشاركة دولية واقليمية واسعة بديلا عن الرعاية الأمريكية المنفردة والمنحازة.
وتؤكد الفصائل الفلسطينية في ظل ما يتعرض له شعبنا من حرب ابادة وعدوان صهيوني اجرامي على الروح الإيجابية البناءة التي سادت الاجتماع، واتفقت على الوصول الى وحدة وطنية فلسطينية شاملة تضم القوى والفصائل الفلسطينية كافة في إطار منظمة التحرير الفلسطينية الممثل الشرعي والوحيد للشعب الفلسطيني.
وتحيي الفصائل الفلسطينية صمود شعبنا ومقاومته الباسلة وملحمته البطولية التي يخوضها في مواجهة الإبادة الجماعية في قطاع غزة، والتي عززت مكانة القضية الفلسطينية وأفشلت محاولة تصفيتها. كما تحيي كل القوى والدول وحركات التضامن الطلابية والشعبية والنقابية التي تساند نضال الشعب الفلسطيني ميدانيا، وسياسيا، وقانونيا، ودبلوماسيا.
وتؤكد الفصائل على رفضها الحازم لكل اشكال الوصاية ومحاولات سلب الشعب الفلسطيني حقه في تمثيل نفسه أو مصادرة قراره الوطني المستقل.
واتفق المجتمعون على النقاط التالية:
1- توحيد الجهود الوطنية لمواجهة العدوان الصهيوني ووقف حرب الابادة الجماعية التي تنفذها دولة الاحتلال وقطعان المستوطنين بدعم ومشاركة الولايات المتحدة الامريكية، ومقاومة محاولات تهجير شعبنا من أرض وطنه فلسطين، ولإجبار الكيان الصهيوني على انهاء احتلاله لقطاع غزة وسائر الاراضي المحتلة والتمسك بوحدة الأراضي الفلسطينية بما يشمل الضفة الغربية والقدس وقطاع غزة.
2- ترحب الفصائل الفلسطينية برأي محكمة العدل الدولية الذي أكد عدم شرعية الوجود والاحتلال والاستيطان الاسرائيلي على ارض دولة فلسطين وضرورة إزالته بأسرع وقت ممكن.
3- انطلاقا من اتفاقية الوفاق الوطني التي وقعت في القاهرة بتاريخ 4/5/2011 إعلان الجزائر الذي وقع في 12/10/2022 الاستمرار في متابعة تنفيذ اتفاقيات إنهاء الانقسام بمساعدة الشقيقتين مصر والجزائر والاصدقاء في جمهورية الصين الشعبية وروسيا الاتحادية وفق ما يلي:
أ) الالتزام بقيام الدولة الفلسطينية المستقلة وعاصمتها القدس، طبقاً لقرارات الأمم المتحدة ذات الصلة وخصوصا قرارات 181، 2334 وضمان حق العودة طبقا لقرار 194.
ب) حق الشعب الفلسطيني في مقاومة الاحتلال وانهائه وفق القوانين الدولية وميثاق الامم المتحدة وحق الشعوب في تقرير مصيرها بنفسها ونضالها من أجل تحقيق ذلك بكل الأشكال المتاحة.
This the dude who was parroting human shields less than a week ago? I guess that’s what a united front means
Pretty much. If the CPC had to put up with the literal murderers of their comrades-at-arms to kick imperialist Japanese ass out of their homeland, I'm sure all the elements present at the Congress can at least put aside their differences to fight against fascist israel
ج) تشكيل حكومة وفاق وطني مؤقتة بتوافق الفصائل الفلسطينية وبقرار من الرئيس بناء على القانون الأساسي الفلسطيني المعمول به ولتمارس الحكومة المشكلة سلطاتها وصلاحياتها على الأراضي الفلسطينية كافة بما يؤكد وحدة الضفة الغربية والقدس وقطاع غزة، على أن تبدأ الحكومة بتوحيد المؤسسات الفلسطينية كافة في أراضي الدولة الفلسطينية والمباشرة في اعادة إعمار قطاع غزة والتمهيد لإجراء انتخابات عامة بإشراف لجنة الانتخابات الفلسطينية المركزية بأسرع وقت وفقا لقانون الانتخابات المعتمد.*
د) وإلى أن يتم تنفيذ الخطوات العملية لتشكيل المجلس الوطني الجديد وفقاً لقانون الانتخابات المعتمد ومن أجل تعميق الشراكة السياسية في تحمل المسئولية الوطنية ومن أجل تطوير مؤسسات منظمة التحرير الفلسطينية تم تأكيد الاتفاق على تفعيل وانتظام الإطار القيادي المؤقت الموحد للشراكة في صنع القرار السياسي وفقا لما تم الاتفاق عليه في وثيقة الوفاق الوطني الفلسطيني الموقعة في 4 أيار 2011.
4- مقاومة وإفشال محاولات تهجير شعبنا من أرض وطنه فلسطين خصوصاً من قطاع غزة أو في الضفة الغربية والقدس والتأكيد على عدم شرعية الاستيطان والتوسع الاستيطاني وفقاً لقرارات مجلس الأمن والجمعية العامة للأمم المتحدة ورأي محكمة العدل الدولية.
5- العمل على فك الحصار الهمجي عن شعبنا في قطاع غزة والضفة الغربية وإيصال المساعدات الانسانية والطبية دون قيود أو شروط.
6- دعم وإسناد الصمود البطولي لشعبنا المناضل ومقاومته الباسلة في فلسطين لتجاوز الجراح والدمار الذي سببه العدوان الإجرامي وإعمار ما دمره الاحتلال ودعم عائلات الشهداء والجرحى وكل من فقد بيته وممتلكاته ومصادر رزقه.
7- التصدي لمؤامرات الاحتلال وانتهاكاته المستمرة ضد المسجد الأقصى المبارك ومقاومة أي مس به وبمدينة القدس ومقدساتها الاسلامية والمسيحية.
8- توجيه تحية اجلال واكبار لشهداء الشعب الفلسطيني وتأكيد الاسناد الكامل للأسرى والأسيرات البواسل في السجون ومعسكرات الاحتلال الذين يتعرضون لمختلف أشكال التعذيب والقمع وأولوية بذل كل جهد ممكن من أجل تحريرهم من أسر الاحتلال.
وفي ضوء هذا الاعلان، اتفق الحضور على الية جماعية لتنفيذ بنود الاعلان من كافة جوانبه وتقرر اعتبار اجتماع الأمناء العامين نقطة انطلاق لعمل الطواقم الوطنية المشتركة بشكل عاجل كما تقرر وضع اجندة زمنية لتطبيق هذا الاعلان.
وفي ختام اللقاء عبرت الفصائل الفلسطينية مجتمعة بتحية التقدير وتثمين لجهود جمهورية الصين الشعبية وقيادتها للوصول الى هذا الاتفاق الوطني الهام.
الفصائل الفلسطينية المجتمعة في بكين هي:
حركة التحرير الوطني الفلسطيني (فتح) حركة المقاومة الفلسطينية (حماس) الجبهة الشعبية لتحرير فلسطين الجبهة الديمقراطية لتحرير فلسطين حركة الجهاد الاسلامي حزب الشعب الفلسطيني جبهة النضال الشعبي الفلسطيني حركة المبادرة الوطنية الفلسطينية الجبهة الشعبية القيادة العامة الاتحاد الديمقراطي الفلسطيني (فدا) جبهة التحرير الفلسطينيين جبهة التحرير العربية الجبهة العربية الفلسطينية طلائع حرب التحرير الشعبية (قوات الصاعقة)
Translation:
🛑 Reconciliation: Agreement in China to include all factions in the organization and form a government
The national factions agreed during their meetings in China to reach a comprehensive Palestinian national unity that includes all Palestinian forces and factions within the framework of the Liberation Organization, and to commit to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with United Nations resolutions, and to guarantee the right of return in accordance with Resolution 194.
The attendees also agreed on the right of the Palestinian people to resist the occupation and end it in accordance with international laws and the United Nations Charter, and that a temporary national reconciliation government be formed by consensus of the Palestinian factions and by a decision of the president based on the Palestinian Basic Law, provided that it begins by unifying all Palestinian institutions in the territories of the immediate Palestinian state. In reconstructing the Gaza Strip and paving the way for holding general elections under the supervision of the Central Elections Commission as soon as possible in accordance with the approved election law.
The meeting emphasized the activation and regularity of the unified temporary leadership framework for partnership in political decision-making in accordance with what was agreed upon in the Palestinian National Accord Document signed on May 4, 2011, until the new National Council is formed in accordance with the approved election law and in order to deepen the political partnership in carrying National responsibility.
The following is Beijing’s declaration to end the division and strengthen Palestinian national unity
With a generous invitation extended by the People’s Republic of China to the Palestinian factions, an important round of Palestinian dialogues was held in the capital, Beijing, with the aim of unifying the Palestinian position to confront the war of genocide and Israeli aggression and to end the division in a way that achieves the aspirations of the Palestinian people for national unity, freedom and national independence.
The attendees express their high appreciation for the sincere efforts made by the People’s Republic of China based on its support for the rights of the Palestinian people and its keenness to end the division and unify the Palestinian position. They emphasize the empowerment of our Arab brothers and our friends in the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation to continue international efforts to convene an international conference with full powers to end the Israeli occupation and implement relevant international resolutions that are fair to the rights of the Palestinian people under the umbrella and auspices of the United Nations and with broad international and regional participation as an alternative to unilateral and biased American sponsorship.
The Palestinian factions, in light of the genocidal war and criminal Zionist aggression that our people are exposed to, affirm the positive and constructive spirit that prevailed at the meeting, and agreed to reach a comprehensive Palestinian national unity that includes all Palestinian forces and factions within the framework of the Palestine Liberation Organization, the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.
The Palestinian factions salute the steadfastness of our people, their valiant resistance, and their heroic epic in the face of genocide in the Gaza Strip, which strengthened the status of the Palestinian cause and thwarted the attempt to liquidate it. It also salutes all the forces, countries, and student, popular, and trade union solidarity movements that support the struggle of the Palestinian people on the ground, politically, legally, and diplomatically.
The factions affirm their firm rejection of all forms of guardianship and attempts to rob the Palestinian people of their right to represent themselves or confiscate their independent national decision.
The participants agreed on the following points :
1- Unifying national efforts to confront the Zionist aggression and stop the genocidal war carried out by the occupying state and the herds of settlers with the support and participation of the United States of America, and to resist attempts to displace our people from the land of their homeland, Palestine, and to force the Zionist entity to end its occupation of the Gaza Strip and the rest of the occupied territories and adhere to the unity of the Palestinian territories in a manner that Includes the West Bank, Jerusalem, and Gaza Strip.
2- The Palestinian factions welcome the opinion of the International Court of Justice, which confirmed the illegality of the Israeli presence, occupation and settlement on the land of the State of Palestine and the necessity of removing them as soon as possible.
3- Based on the National Accord Agreement signed in Cairo on 5/4/2011 and the Algeria Declaration signed on 10/12/2022, continuing to follow up on the implementation of the agreements to end the division with the assistance of the two sisters, Egypt and Algeria, and friends in the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation, according to the following :
A) Commitment to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with the relevant United Nations resolutions, especially Resolutions 181 and 2334, and to guarantee the right of return in accordance with Resolution 194.
B) The right of the Palestinian people to resist the occupation and end it in accordance with international laws and the United Nations Charter, and the right of peoples to self-determination and their struggle to achieve this in all available forms.
C) Forming a temporary national consensus government with the agreement of the Palestinian factions and by decision of the President based on the applicable Palestinian Basic Law. The formed government will exercise its powers and powers over all Palestinian territories in a way that confirms the unity of the West Bank, Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, provided that the government begins unifying all Palestinian institutions in the territories of the Palestinian state. And begin the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip and prepare for holding general elections under the supervision of the Palestinian Central Elections Commission as soon as possible in accordance with the approved election law.*
d) Until the practical steps to form the new National Council are implemented in accordance with the approved election law and in order to deepen the political partnership in assuming national responsibility and in order to develop the institutions of the Palestine Liberation Organization, the agreement was confirmed to activate and organize the unified temporary leadership framework for partnership in political decision-making in accordance with what It was agreed upon in the Palestinian National Accord Document signed on May 4, 2011.
4- Resisting and thwarting attempts to displace our people from their homeland, Palestine, especially from the Gaza Strip or the West Bank and Jerusalem, and emphasizing the illegality of settlement and settlement expansion in accordance with the resolutions of the Security Council, the General Assembly of the United Nations, and the opinion of the International Court of Justice.
5- Working to lift the barbaric siege imposed on our people in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank and delivering humanitarian and medical aid without restrictions or conditions.
6- Support and support the heroic steadfastness of our struggling people and their valiant resistance in Palestine to overcome the wounds and destruction caused by the criminal aggression, rebuild what the occupation destroyed, and support the families of the martyrs and the wounded and everyone who lost their homes, property, and sources of livelihood.
7- Confronting the occupation’s conspiracies and ongoing violations against the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque and resisting any harm to it or to the city of Jerusalem and its Islamic and Christian sanctities.
8- Sending a tribute of respect and honor to the martyrs of the Palestinian people and affirming full support for the brave male and female prisoners in prisons and occupation camps who are subjected to various forms of torture and oppression, and the priority of making every possible effort to liberate them from the occupation’s captivity.
In light of this declaration, the attendees agreed on a collective mechanism to implement the provisions of the declaration in all its aspects. It was decided to consider the meeting of the Secretaries-General as a starting point for the urgent work of the joint national teams. It was also decided to set a time agenda for implementing this declaration.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the Palestinian factions collectively expressed their appreciation and appreciation for the efforts of the People’s Republic of China and its leadership to reach this important national agreement.
The Palestinian factions gathered in Beijing are :
Palestinian National Liberation Movement (Fatah)
Palestinian Resistance Movement (Hamas)
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine
Islamic Jihad Movement
Palestinian People's Party
Palestinian Popular Struggle Front
Palestinian National Initiative Movement
Popular Front General Command
Palestinian Democratic Union (Fida)
Palestinian Liberation Front
Arab Liberation Front
Palestinian Arab Front
Vanguards of the People's Liberation War (Thunderbolt Forces)
So does this mean China's sending troops?
No, as far as any of us know, but it does mean China's historically disastrous foreign policy is taking a turn for the better.