The Hollywood Foreign Press Association issued a statement on Instagram Saturday evening, promising “transformational change” after coming under fire in recent weeks for a lack of diversity and ethical issues surrounding the Golden Globes. Among the changes the Instagram post detailed were hiring an independent diversity and equity expert who will consult on membership policies. […]
statement
CD Projekt Red hacked, releases ransom note
CD Projekt Red released a statement on Twitter today noting that the company has been the victim of a cyber attack.Read More
China’s actions in Xinjiang ‘constitute genocide,’ US says
The U.S. State Department released a statement Tuesday denouncing the Chinese government’s treatment of the Uighurs and other ethnic and religious minority groups in the Xinjiang province as “genocide” and “crimes against humanity.”
The statement alleges that “since at least March 2017, the People’s Republic of China, under the direction and control of the Chinese Communist Party,” has committed an ongoing series of crimes including arbitrary imprisonment, separating children from their families, and forced sterilization and abortions for Uighur women. It also accuses President Xi Jinping of hiding the “atrocities” by “obfuscation, propaganda and coercion.”
According to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, these actions constitute genocide.
“We are witnessing the systematic attempt to destroy Uyghurs by the Chinese party-state,” the statement says, accusing China of being “engaged in the forced assimilation and eventual erasure of a vulnerable ethnic and religious minority group, even as they simultaneously assert their country as a global leader and attempt to remold the international system in their image.”
I have determined that the People’s Republic of China is committing genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang, China, targeting Uyghur Muslims and members of other ethnic and religious minority groups.
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) January 19, 2021
Uighur activist groups have also formally alleged that genocide is taking place, submitting documents that were at the core of ICIJ’s China Cables investigation as evidence in a complaint filed to the International Criminal Court in July.
China Cables confirmed, among other things, that Uighur camps are involuntary indoctrination centers and that Chinese officials use a sprawling mass-surveillance system to isolate Xinjiang from the rest of the world.
Pompeo’s statement also calls for China to abolish its system of internment camps, forced labor and population control measures, and to “afford Uyghurs and other persecuted minorities the freedom to travel and emigrate.”
It’s the harshest denunciation yet by the Trump administration, which has previously authorized sanctions against China over the mass detention of Uighurs, sanctioned four top Chinese officials considered the architects of the country’s internment camps, and imposed trade restrictions on dozens of Chinese companies that are believed to have a role in the crackdown against the Muslim minority.
Declaring the situation a “genocide” is a signficant final word against Beijing by the Trump administration, ending months of speculation.
“Uyghurs are set to benefit since this determination has binding implications for the U.S.,” Andrian Zenz, a researcher on China’s ethnic policy and internment campaign in Xinjiang, said on Twitter.
The statement comes the day before the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden, whose campaign denounced China’s actions as genocide in a statement in August 2020. At the time, the Biden campaign accused President Donald Trump of “condoning this horrifying treatment.”
This is the latest in a series of worldwide efforts to pressure the Chinese government over its treatment of the Uighurs. On Jan. 12, Canada announced new regulations barring exports to China of products that “could be used by Chinese authorities for surveillance, repression, arbitrary detention or forced labour.”
The same day, British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab announced measures including fines for businesses that “fail to demonstrate adequate due diligence in ensuring their supply chains are free from forced labor.” And one day later, the United States banned imports of cotton and tomato products from Xinjiang.
In December, the European Union adopted a resolution condemning China’s actions and calling for member states to “swiftly evaluate the adoption of sanctions” against Chinese officials, but stopping short of characterizing it as genocide.
China has long denied accusations of human rights abuses against Uighurs.
“The so-called ‘genocide’ is a rumor deliberately started by some anti-China forces and a farce to discredit China,” a Chinese embassy spokesperson told Reuters Thursday after the Congressional-Executive Commission on China released a report stating that “crimes against humanity – and possibly genocide – are occurring” in Xinjiang.
The post China’s actions in Xinjiang ‘constitute genocide,’ US says appeared first on ICIJ.
New York’s Governors Ball Festival Announces 2021 Dates
In an announcement that reflects Dr. Anthony Fauci’s statement that concerts may return in the fall “if all goes right,” New York’s primary rock-music festival, Governors Ball, has announced its 2021 dates for September, three months later than its traditional June dates. “New Year, New Dates,” the announcement reads, promising that the lineup is “coming […]
The Wall Street Journal: FBI weighs sedition charges after opening 160 case files tied to pro-Trump riot at U.S. Capitol
Joint Chiefs of Staff statement labels last Wednesday’s siege ‘a direct assault on the U.S. Congress, the Capitol building, and our constitutional process.’
ABC Chides First Lady’s Statement on Capitol Attack, Ignores Condolences
In a statement published Monday, First Lady Melania Trump shared her heartfelt condolences for those who lost their lives in last week’s deadly insurrection by Trump supporters at the Capitol. “With nearly every experience I have had, I found myself carrying many individual’s stories home with me in my heart,” she wrote on her time as the first lady. But ABC’s vindictive White House correspondent, Mary Bruce skipped over those parts and chose to critique another.
“Melania Trump says she was ‘Disappointed and disheartened’ by the insurrection, but that she’s been treated unfairly,” she noted on ABC’s World News Tonight. “Saying it’s ‘Shameful that surrounding these tragic events there has been salacious gossip, unwarranted personal attacks, and false misleading accusations on me.’”
“It’s unclear what she’s talking about,” Bruce sneered. “This time is solely about healing our country and its citizens. It should not be used for personal gain,” Melania added in that same paragraph, but ABC refused to note.
An important part of the statement that ABC and Bruce intentionally omitted from their reporting, was how the First Lady said she’ll carry with her the stories of those who had died at the Capitol:
As your First Lady, it has been inspiring to witness firsthand what the people of our great Nation will do for one another, especially when we are at our most vulnerable.
With nearly every experience I have had, I found myself carrying many individual’s stories home with me in my heart.
Most recently, my heart goes out to: Air Force Veteran, Ashli Babbitt, Benjamin Philips, Kevin Greeson, Roseanne Boyland, and Capitol Police Officers, Brian Sicknick and Howard Liebengood. I pray for their families comfort and strength during this difficult time.
In contrast to ABC, NBC Nightly News and White House correspondent Peter Alexander told viewers about how the First Lady denounced violence.
“First Lady Melania Trump breaking her silence, expressing her condolences to the families of those who died and calling for calm. ‘Our nation must heal in a civil manner,’ she writes. ‘Violence is never acceptable,’” he reported.
Further in her statement, she implored “people to stop the violence” and “never make assumptions based on the color of a person’s skin or use differing political ideologies as a basis for aggression and viciousness. We must listen to one another, focus on what unites us, and rise above what divides us.”
“Every day let us remember that we are one Nation under God. God bless you all and God bless the United States of America,” she concluded.
The transcripts are below:
ABC’s World News Tonight
January 11, 2021
6:37:36 p.m. Eastern
(…)
MARY BRUCE: But breaking her silence today, the First Lady. Melania Trump says she was “Disappointed and disheartened” by the insurrection, but that she’s been treated unfairly. Saying it’s “Shameful that surrounding these tragic events there has been salacious gossip, unwarranted personal attacks, and false misleading accusations on me.” It’s unclear what she’s talking about.
(…)
NBC Nightly News
January 11, 2021
7:04:04 p.m. Eastern
(…)
PETER ALEXANDER: First Lady Melania Trump breaking her silence, expressing her condolences to the families of those who died and calling for calm. “Our nation must heal in a civil manner,” she writes. “Violence is never acceptable.”
(…)
Crypto Long & Short: Traditional and Crypto Markets are Starting to Converge
The latest OCC statement, which opens the door for banks to use blockchains to validate payments, hints at more than just better services.
Petula Clark in ‘Shock’ at ‘Downtown’ Being Used by Nashville Bomber: ‘Of All the Thousands of Songs, Why This One?’
Singer Petula Clark has issued a statement conveying her dismay at her 1960s classic “Downtown” being blared from an explosives-laden recreational vehicle before it blew up in downtown Nashville Friday morning. “I feel the need to express my shock and disbelief at the Christmas Day explosion in our beloved Music City. I love Nashville and […]
The French Government Is Investigating Gucci Owner Kering for Tax Evasion
In a statement, the company has vehemently denied allegations of fraud and tax evasion.
‘Justice League’: WarnerMedia Says It’s Concluded Investigation, ‘Remedial Action’ Taken
WarnerMedia said in a statement on Friday evening that it’s concluded its investigation into the set of “Justice League.” “WarnerMedia’s investigation into the ‘Justice League’ movie has concluded and remedial action has been taken,” the statement reads. It’s unclear what the “remedial action” entails, and WarnerMedia declined to give further details when pressed by Variety. In […]
