Current Affairs Newsletter

Spring 2013

WORLD UNIVERSITY SERVICE, HKUB, HKUSU

Current Affairs Newsletter SPRING 2013

Israeli–Palestinian Conflict -- Peace as a Shared Right

Nowadays, most people are living without facing the threat of showering missiles, suicidal terrorist attacks or military airstrikes. It would be hard for us to imagine that we have to fight for peace when we are already busy fighting for the many other rights we should have. A question is raised, should rights be prioritized? Are there some rights ought to be protected first before the others? Do our own rights come at a higher priority than the others? Through the analysis of Israeli–Palestinian Conflict, this commentary will put forward the ideas of what rights are really about. Recently, American President Barack Obama visited Israel and he urged Israel and Palestine to resume the long-stalled peace talks, offering a glimmer of hope for people in the area in realizing long-term peace. Obama demanded Israeli authorities to halt the East Jerusalem settlement plan which is highly controversial as it violates the international agreement about the land ownership of Israel and Palestine. The two countries are not to extend beyond the borders as agreed previously; the settlement plan is against such a regulation. Despite Obama’s effort, many argue that the impact of his visit would only be temporary and partial and would produce no tangible results to the peace process.

Jeff Chan Current Affairs Secretary Session 2013-2014

War machines – to protect or to cause harm?

Israeli–Palestinian Conflict – History’s Contribution The land of Palestine has long been a stage for countless historical events. 3,200 years ago, the Jews settled in the land of Palestine after their escape from Egypt. Israel . was established. The Israelis were attached to this soil with indestructible bond.

A map of the area: green – Israel; orange – Palestine

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Yet the country was conquered and destroyed. During the time of Roman rule, the Jews were expelled out of the after the outbreak of a riot in 135 A.D. Since then, Palestine was occupied by the Arabs and became part of their land. It was not until 1896 A.D. when the Jews from all around the world immigrate back to the land of Palestine, with a view to restore the country of their own. The increasing numbers of Jews in Palestine contributed to arise of conflicts. Escalation of violence between the Arabs and Jews inflicted major casualties thus worsened their relationship. The ongoing conflict between the neighboring countries is left with no one to repress the animosity. The Jews have been the tragic victims of Anti-Semitism throughout history. As in the Second World War, about 3,000,000 Jews were killed. The Jewish people have faced oppression and they were not protected. Israel is the only country established only for the Jews. It is understandable that Israelis are very protective towards their own country. Expanding their settlement may only be a way to show their determination not to be oppressed by any other countries or international bodies. The will to firmly protect itself is shown by the construction of the Israeli West Bank barrier. Israel protects its people from terrorist attacks with this structure. Israeli West Bank barrier separates the land governed by Israel and that of Palestine. It was built by the State of Israel and still under construction. With a length of approximately 700 kilometers, multi-layered fences and some sections of 8 meters high concrete wall, this barrier effectively keeps people from trespassing. Israeli West Bank Barrier – Whose Well-Being Should Come First? As mentioned in the beginning of this article, we have different rights. One of those is the right to be protected from harm including the terrorists’ attacks. The incentive of Israel is good in first place as the government takes up the responsibility to protect its people well. Yet the structure is highly controversial as it bears a substantial blame on the ordeal that Palestinians are facing. Page | 2 Page 2 © World University Service, HKUB, HKUSU

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Large Palestinian protest in Jerusalem in year 2000

Uneven sharing of water resource between Israel and Palestine

The wall has protected the well-being of Israelis yet sacrificed that of the Palestinians. Economic situation is harsh in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, regions in Palestine. Poverty prevails in the Palestine communities, forcing many to travel across the border to work for the wealthier Israelis. The barrier and tight closure of border put an end to such practice. Illegal Palestinian labor thus becomes a major issue. On top of this, the barrier itself partially or even completely surrounds certain areas of Palestine, restricting the freedom of Palestinians to travel, hence confining their access to daily necessities, religious sites, education and medication. The findings of “Humanitarian Impact of the West Bank Barrier on Palestinian Communities” by the United Nations can give further details on how the Barrier has significantly affected Palestinian life. Some of the trapped Palestinians out of reach of medication are killed by diseases while some others are starved to death. I believe that people’s lives are most precious and the right to access to resources necessary for living should be a fundamental and universal right of all. The idea of protecting oneself by sacrificing the well-being of another one makes no sense to me. Thirst for Water in Arid Land – Equality in Enjoying Human Rights As mentioned, enjoying resources necessary to sustain life is a universal right. Yet water, as such kind of resources, is a contributing factor to the conflict between Israel and Palestine. Water is a scarce resource in the Middle East. Nonetheless, water resource is not being equally shared. The Israelis receive 5 times the water supply per person to the Palestinians in general; in Gaza, staggeringly 7 times more. According to the U.S. Agency for International Development and the World Health Organization, the minimum quantity of water recommended by for household and urban use alone is 26.4 gallons per person per day. On average, Israelis get 92.5 gallons per person per day, while Palestinians in the West Bank get 18.5 gallons. Israel controls the underground water. The Palestinian consumption of water is capped. Page | 3

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SPRING 2013

A book on the issue of Palestine-Israeli Conflict

Artwork on Israeli West Bank Barrier

Digging of new wells is not allowed. On top of this, quotas are imposed on the amount of water being extracted from existing wells. From the statistics, we can see that water can be distributed to satisfy the needs for citizens of both countries. This act of Israel has caused the continuous exchange and deepening of contempt. No matter it is due to political reason or whatever reasons that Israel has such water control policy, I view that access to life-sustaining resources and well-being of people should never be involved in conflicts. As much as we hate wars that take away people’s lives, we do not want policies that indirectly causes suffering of people, regardless of whether those people are of the same race or not. Rights are shared equally; we can never say that our own rights come at a higher priority than the others. It would be crucial for us to reflect on whether we care much more about our own rights than those around us. Possible Solution and Conclusion From the Israeli–Palestinian Conflict, we can see that rights should be shared equally. The result of prioritizing rights of people can lead to nasty conflicts and generation of hatred. The conflict between Israel and Palestine may have a long and complex history, but neither side has made a move to lead the relationship to a brighter future. Israel is stronger economically, it can take the incentives to offer job opportunities to Palestinians and enhance its economy with this work force. Even though it is hard for either side to offer aid to another, by building an economical relationship, the relationship between the two can become cooperative and escape from the zero-sum game cycle. Step by step, with the improvement of people’s lives in Palestine and the opened door to Israel, peace could wipe out people’s discontent reducing conflicts eventually. Many have to be done before the two countries can trust one another. But there are helpful Israelis providing aids to their Palestinian neighbors. They offer job and shelter regardless of the government’s policies. We desire peaceful lives, so do the people in this land full of conflicts. Peace is a dream shared around the globe, so do the rights to live peacefully. I hope that the conflict in Middle East will cease one day and rights can be ever shared equally. Page | 4 Page 4


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Violence against Women in India -- Right Time for Women’s Rights "To call women the weaker sex is a libel; it is man's injustice to women," Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, one of the greatest social and political reformer of Indian Nationalism once said in 1930. More than 80 years have passed. Yet, the status of women has remained unchanged and violence against women is still present. On 16 December 2012, Jyoti Singh Pandey, a 23-year-old female student was gang raped and beaten in Delhi on a bus by six males. Later, medical reports suggested that Jyoti suffered serious injuries to her abdomen, intestines and genitals due to the assault. She then died from her injuries thirteen days after the attack for brain and gastrointestinal damage. This unbearable incident has aroused both local and International outcry, opposing to the gender-based violence in India. Following this outrageous attack, large-scale protests were staged all over India and the world, condemning the incident and demanding for stricter laws on crime against women. However, this case is only a tip of iceberg. In India, violence against women is reported on average every 3 minutes while a rape is reported on average every 18 hours. The number of reported rape cases rose by nearly 17 per cent between 2007 and 2011. Due to discrimination against women, only a few cases were followed up by inquiries among these reported ones. A worth noting point is that this alarming number has not

CHAN Hoi Ying, Koey Current Affairs Secretary Session 2013-2014

Protests in India after the assault

More protests were taken place after the death of girl.


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Violence against women is common in India.

The lack of right to education is one of the fundamental reasons why violence against women is present in India.

yet included those unreported cases. There are still a lot of female victims living under fear. Not only have these cases insulted females as individuals, but they have also hindered the development of India. While India has the second largest population in the world, only 35 per cent of women have been employed. According to a survey done by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India, more than 82% of Indian women claimed that due to the violence against women and the risk of being raped, they have shortened the working period so that they would not have to work at night. Among these women, some even said that they would not work because of the violence against them in India. With reference to the report conducted by World Economic Forum, the economic engagement level of Indian women was ranked almost the last in Asia. Gender-based violence has thus reduced the potential labour there, resulting in lower productivity in the country. In Indian, violence against women is probably due to the lower status of women. The reasons for this gender inequality are complex but worth discussing. Long tradition practice due to religion is probably the major source of the gender injustice. More than 90% of Indians believe in Hinduism and Islam which suppress the status of women. According to the Padma Purana, one of the major Hindu religious texts, women should rely on their husbands, emphasizing the low status and futility of women. Therefore, in India, abortion due to baby’s gender is common. Many baby girls are even killed by their parents, showing that females are undergoing violence since their birth. Number of women has hence decreased, causing the problem of gender imbalance. Due to the religious belief and stark gender imbalance, violence against women, especially rape, is ubiquitous in India.

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Apart from the prolonged Indian tradition, low female education rate has also contributed to the gender-based violence. In India, around half women population has not received any education while more than 80% of males have been educated. As the much lower women literacy rate has weaken the power of women, self-protection of women is rare as a consequence. As a matter of fact, males have treated females as concomitants. Little have women realised their basic rights, resulting in violence against females. Although the assault on 16 December 2012 was ruthless, it has seemingly helped to improve the situation. Not only were women organisations outraged, but the general public was also discontent. Protests were occurred throughout the country after the attack. Thousands of protesters clashed with the police. Among them, many females were involved. These petitions have provided females with an opportunity to fight for their safety and rights. In addition to protests in India, demonstrations have been taken place in other places such as Paris, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka. Indian government, who was afraid of the power of people, has also adopted some measures to comfort the public. The government has considered setting up a data base including the information of sexual criminals. The Karnataka state government announced the launch of a helpline to register sexual abuse complaints from women. Fast track courts may be set up to handle pending cases pertaining to crimes against women. The Jammu and Kashmir government has also planned to set up stricter laws against sexual offences and gender crimes. State and district-level committees may also be established to review the progress of all cases of violence against women.

On 31st December 2012, there is a virtual candle in memory of Jyoti on Google India's homepage.

Protests demanded stricter measures after the death of Jyoti.


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In long term, however, it is difficult to tackle this worsening problem with these measures because they cannot address the fundamental causes. They are not altering the long Indian tradition nor raising the status of women. Different from the past, the protests this time were not only carried out by female organisations but also the general public. Since this would probably threaten the stability of governance, the government has been trying to comfort the public with these simple and direct policies. It is, therefore, believed that the Indian government has adopted the aforementioned measures simply because of political consideration. To completely deal with this alarming issue, long-term measures should be adopted to alter the long Indian customs and female status. None of us would like to see the occurrence of tragedies like the one on 16 December. After this assault, Indian public have started to realise the importance of protection of women and strive for the gender equality. Nevertheless, this is only just a start. Not only are the Indians responsible in this battle, but the whole world as well. Apart from being outraged, we should also figure out its underlying causes and try to provide help for paces like India. It is the right time to fight for the basic protection and women’s rights. Despite the fact that there is still a long way to gender equality and justice in India due to its complexness, it is believed that the problem can be finally tackled with continuous efforts.

Sexual violence is particularly serious in India.

Traditional mindset in India has worsened the problem of gender-based violence.


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Your Voice! ‘Your Voice’ is where you can comment on any current affairs! If you would also like to express your special views on heated issues as what has demonstrated in the following commentaries, please feel free to contact us via our email [email protected]. Prizes will be awarded if your commentary is selected!

The global-anti-nuke movement – a human rights perspective Tiffany Suen LLB IV

The nuclear disaster in Japan two years ago was an indelibly traumatic experience to the luckless survivors in Fukushima. In the wake of one of the most destructive earthquakes which have struck the humbly-sized island country, there was a widespread awakening among Asian populations to the dangers of nuclear energy. Recently in Taiwan, more than 220,000 people protested fervently against the government’s decision to construct the land’s fourth nuclear plant. Demonstrators worried about its threats to the safety of inhabitants of island’s north coast. The vocal protests in Taiwan joined by many nonresidential activists from other countries are, I believe, highly commendable. Most anti-nuke discourse has focused on environmental protection concerns. Few have considered the issue of anti-nuke from a human rights perspective. Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Japan and many other countries are among the party, recognises individuals’ "inherent right to life" and requires its positive protection by law. It is a "supreme right" from which no derogation can be permitted even in situations of state emergencies and must be interpreted widely.

Relevant Current News Taiwan eyes referendum

nuke

plant

Taiwan's Premier Jiang Yi-hua said for the first time Monday that the government may support a referendum on the island's half-completed and hugely controversial fourth nuclear power plant. The plant, in the coastal Kungliao district near the capital Taipei, is about 90 percent completed and due to come on line in 2015, according to its owner state-run Taiwan Power Co (Taipower). But opposition to the project has been mounting after a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami ravaged a Japanese nuclear power plant in March 2011, AFP reports. (25 February 2013, The Standards)


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Taiwanese poster to urge people to protest on 9th March

Demonstration on anti-nuke and against construction of the fourth nuclear plant in Taiwan

Not only pursuant to these provisions but also as a matter of good conscience, any government’s endorsement of nuclear energy deserves vehement condemnation for their willful neglect to its people's personal security and derogation from their rights to bodily integrity and life. Despite the widely recognized quality of the management of the nuclear power plant in Japan, fallout maps suggest that Fukushima’s children may have been exposed to short-lived iodine-131 which is known to be carcinogenic. Nuclear disasters send radioactive materials into the ocean and atmosphere, contaminating food and water supply, and forced the evacuation of millions of residents. No conclusion can yet been drawn on the precise effects of the Fukushima accident on public health and beyond. Chronic illnesses, like cancer and Leukemia which are associated with radiation, take several years after exposure to appear. Many children in the proximate region of Fukushima tested by ultrasound manifest small thyroid nodules and cysts, which may be a precursor of cancer. Abnormalities has been increasing over the past two years. Clearly, the aftermath of a nuclear accident resulting from earthquakes and tsunami is beyond estimation. Any country which ignores the potential public health crises caused by one risks victimizing its country and commits a heinous crime against the humanity.

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Sex assault in India—crying out for attention Vanessa Cheng LLB I

Sexual abuse of women in India is common and some victims are even as young as seven. In March 2013, a seven-year-old little girl, alleged to have been sexually assaulted, was admitted to a Delhi hospital, leading to a protest of hundreds against the culprit. Sadly, these incidents were just the tip of the iceberg and many other similar offences probably went unreported due to the shame of rape and some complicated cultural factors such as sex inequality in India. In this essay, I shall attempt to articulate some possible reasons for the above issue and put forward some suggestions for combating such crimes.

Posters of the United Nation on anti sexual violence

Though India has become more developed in recent years, it is still a relatively conservative country. Thus, when it comes to reporting sexual offence, women tend to be passive and remain silent most of the time. This is obviously understandable as victims are the weaker ones and no one wants to be reminded of such an embarrassing and deplorable experience again. Hence, the state should shoulder the responsibility and offer more protection for women and these victims. However disappointingly, gender inequality is a deep-seated problem in India and it was said that women are still considered as second-class citizens in the country. As a result, the police are generally indifferent towards such cases because they never regard women as having a right to be protected against sex offences. Further, under Indian Law, rapists are usually not sentenced to life imprisonment and some may only be liable to fine. In light of this, there is an urgent need for reform of the legal system in India such as the imposition of stricter laws like capital punishment to act as deterrence. The author thinks that though this may seem appealing, death sentence is a highly controversial issue and it cannot be easily be introduced without a long and vigorous debate in society. While there is no easy solution, the series of sex scandals in India has at least provoked some social concern and the storms of protests in India indicate that its citizens are becoming more aware of the rights of women. Indeed, as the incidents have caught foreign media attention, this could pose some kind of pressure on the Indian government to take the issue more seriously. Page | 11 Page 11
