Research, editing : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA
News (1)
Shi Zhengli's speech in Singapore on 10 December 2019
On 10 December 2019, Wuhan virologist Shi Zhengli delivered a speech at the first Nipah Virus International Conference in Singapore held at ParkRoyal Hotel on Beach Road.
Co-hosted by Duke-NUS Medical School and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Shi Zhengli called for “open and transparent international scientific collaboration on pandemic risk pathogens” at the Wuhan Institute of Viology's Biosafety Level 4 (BSL-4) lab facility.
She even presented to the audience how experts can get trained in the P4 laboratory every September.
What happened in September 2019 in the Wuhan laboratory is a concern in everyone's mind because the Wuhan Tianhe International Airport held a "novel coronavirus infection" emergency evacuation exercise in mid-September 2019. Was the laboratory involved in setting the background for the airport staff on evacuating passengers in case of a novel coronavirus outbreak?
The Nipah Virus International Conference is held from 9 to 10 December 2019, one week before the first covid outbreak in Wuhan.
There is no treatment or vaccine for Nipah virus which has epidemic potential in Southeast Asia.
News (2)
9th International Symposium on Emerging Viral Diseases in Wuhan cancelled, Panama to host similar conference in December 2021
Due to the covid pandemic, the Wuhan Institute of Viology cancelled the 9th International Symposium on Emerging Viral Diseases in Wuhan, which was originally planned to be held from 18 to 20 October 2020.
Panama will host the conference named "9th International Conference on Emerging Zoonoses". The expertise conference will take place in Panama City from 5 to 8 December 2021.
Topics that will be covered include health approach to SARS-CoV-2, Ebola virus, African swine fever virus (ASFV), classical swine fever virus (CSFV) and foot and mouth disease (FMD), transboundary infectious diseases.
News (3)
Nipah virus widespread in Bangladesh than previously thought
There are annual outbreaks of Nipah virus (NV) in Bangladesh between November and April although the virus is first discovered and identified in Malaysia in 1998. There were also NV outbreaks in Singapore and the Philippines.
Image : Fruit bat colonies in Bangladesh where NV outbreaks are identified annually. (Epstein etal.)
Of eight bat colonies studied across Bangladesh over a period from 2006 to 2012, researchers from EcoHealth Alliance and its partners found Nipah antibodies present in each location. In one bat colony studied continuously for six years, outbreaks in the bats occurred about every two years, about time it takes for bats to lose herd immunity.
News (4)
Nipah virus may ignite another epidemic in Asia
Image : CGTN Graphic by Liu Shaozhen
According to EcoHealth Alliance's report on 2 November 2020, NV infects three to four people in an instant and kills 70% of the people it infects.
Dr. Jonathan Epstein, EcoHealth Alliance Vice President for Science and Outreach says Nipah virus is circulated by fruit bats (Pteropus) throughout many parts of Asia but human outbreaks can only occur when there is a route of transmission from bats to humans. He said, "The problem is, we don’t have a good handle on where else in the world spillover may be happening, which means we’re likely missing outbreaks. Risk is not so much limited by geography as it is by human behavior. This is a virus that spreads from person to person and is lethal in three quarters of those it infects, which is why we have to pay close attention to it and do what we can to prevent outbreaks."
Dr. Epstein is one of the authors of the research article "Nipah virus dynamics in bats and implications for spillover to humans" . The article was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS). Other featured authors include Peter Daszak and Wang Linfa, the virologist of Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore.
According to EcoHealth Alliance, NV outbreaks have been linked to consumption of mangoes in Malaysia, raw date palm sap in Bangladesh and Kerala and infection through intermediate hosts such as domesticated animals like pigs.
News (5)
Nipah virus outbreak in Kerala almost became an epidemic in India
The Nipah virus (NV) outbreak in 2018 killed 17 people of the 19 infected, a death rate of 89%.
Kerala responded rapidly, and a health officer trained in Ebola outbreak protocols was brought in to ensure that the entire state isolated patients suspected of having NV. They also strengthened protocols for health workers wearing masks and for the decontamination of surfaces. Then in 2019, when Kerala saw another case in a young student. It deployed an extensive contact tracing system that was able to quickly test 329 people who had come into contact with the patient, preventing further spread. There were no deaths.
However, not all Indian states have the resources of Kerala. If the virus spreads to other parts of India and beyond, the potential for it to escalate into an epidemic, or pandemic, is high.
Even though high case-fatality rates can sometimes actually prevent diseases from spreading, it can suggest a patient dies before he has a chance to pass the virus on to others. If NV were to mutate to spread more easily between people, the outcome would likely be utterly devastating.
News (6)
The pandemic threat of Nipah virus to Southeast Asia looms
Image of fruit bat : CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=529936In many Southeast Asian countries including Singapore, the possibilities for Nipah virus (NV) to spill over from bats to other animals and to humans are endless.
In Singapore, fruit bats live in trees in agrotechnology parks, farms, in close proximity to private houses and tourist spots such as the National Botanic Gardens, Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Pulau Ubin and other offshore islands. In other Southeast Asia countries, fruit bats are found in proximity to markets, schools, places of worship, schools and tourist destinations.
Elsewhere, bat guano is used as fertilizer in fields too, meaning that farmers and agricultural workers are potentially in frequent contact with the virus.
In the ‘Nipah belt’ on the Bangladesh-India border, outbreaks happen regularly, and recent research indicates that bats across Bangladesh harbour the virus, suggesting undetected outbreaks could be occurring. Yet the awareness of where NV comes from is extremely low, even where outbreaks occur.
A survey from Cambodia indicated that 60% of people did not know that fruit bats or flying foxes, as they are sometimes called, spread the virus.
Still as 60% of the world’s population lives in the region where NV originated. Deforestation and environmental change continue to bring humans, livestock and wildlife closer to the growing risk of spill-over events grows. The disease is also so deadly that many governments classify it as a bioterrorism threat and limit the laboratories that are allowed to culture and study it.
News (7)
Most infections appear to come from patients with breathing problems
Image of Nipah virus : Shutterstock
The Nipah virus lives among the Pteropodidae family of fruit bats. It can spread to humans, often through eating or drinking products contaminated by fruit bat droppings. For instance, the bats occupy date trees and consumption of date products can lead to infection. It also easily infects a wide variety of animals – an outbreak in farmers in Malaysia in 1998 originated in pigs, who had previously been infected by bats.
NV can also spread from human to human, and the theory is that the virus can travel in respiratory secretions and saliva, such as that expelled by coughing. Most infections seem to have come from infected patients who had breathing problems, which supports this theory.
The fatality rate is between 40% to 75%.
Incubation period and symptoms of NV look similar to COVID-19
Incubation period: On average 5-14 days, but in some extreme cases up to 45 days, which can mean a lot of time for an infected person to unknowingly infect others.
Symptoms: The virus can cause acute respiratory infection and encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) that can lead to a coma or death. Symptoms include fever, headaches, myalgia (muscle pain), vomiting and sore throat. This can be followed by dizziness, drowsiness and altered consciousness. One in five people who survive can develop seizure disorders and experience personality changes.
How to diagnose NV?
The main tests used are real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) from bodily fluids and antibody detection via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Other tests used include PCR, and virus isolation by cell culture. These tests are often not well suited for use in remote and rural settings, where most outbreaks occur and where containment capabilities are lacking.
News (8)
Phase I clinical study of Nipah virus vaccine may complete by September 2021
A Phase I clinical study of a Nipah virus vaccine candidate (HeV-sG-V) started in February 2020 is expected to be completed in September 2021.
The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) invested US$ 25 million in 2018 to kickstart an initial safety study that is run by Auro Vaccines LLC and led by PATH, and conducted at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati, USA. The vaccine will be tested in healthy adults aged 18-49 years to assess the safety and how well the vaccine triggers an immune response.
Ref: https://www.gavi.org/vaccineswork/next-pandemic/nipah-virus
News (9)
Joe Biden appears to sleep during meeting with new Israeli PM
Reporter : Andrew White, National File / Image : Video Screenshot
During a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who recently admitted that the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines are “fading”, Joe Biden appeared to fall asleep. “This is why they call him Sleepy Joe, literally falling asleep during his meeting with the Prime Minister of Israel. Biden needs to go for the good of our country,” said Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene.
During the meeting on 28 August 2021, Biden also discussed booster shots. “The question raised is should it be shorter than 8 months? Should it be as little as five months? That’s being discussed, I spoke with, uh, Dr. Fauci this morning,” said Biden.
In July, Biden raised eyebrows this week after photographs revealed that he knelt before the Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and his chief-of-staff, “ultra-Orthodox” Rabbi Rebecca Ravitz. According to Israeli media, Biden then offered his “unquestionable commitment to Israel’s self-defense,” and promised that his commitment to Israel is “known and engraved in the rock.”
There have been growing calls for Kamala Harris and members of the cabinet to initiate the 25th amendment to remove Joe Biden from office due to his increasingly apparent cognitive decline. Additionally, many high-profile GOP political figures have joined the push to call for Democrat President Joe Biden’s resignation – as well as the resignation of other regime officials over the latter’s disastrous handling of the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan. A terrorist attack killed at least 12 U.S. servicemen on Thursday after Biden extended the withdrawal deadline.
Ref: https://nationalfile.com/video-joe-biden-slumps-over-appears-to-fall-asleep-during-meeting-with-israeli-pm/
News (10)
Why Fort Detrick was closed
Reporter : Denise Grady, The New York Times, 5 August 2019
Safety concerns at a prominent military germ lab have led the
government to shut down research involving dangerous microbes like the Ebola
virus.
“Research is currently on hold,” the United States Army Medical
Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, in Fort Detrick, Md., said in a
statement on Friday. The shutdown is likely to last months, Caree Vander
Linden, a spokeswoman, said in an interview.
The statement said the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention decided to issue a “cease and desist
order” last month to halt the research at Fort Detrick because the center did
not have “sufficient systems in place to decontaminate wastewater” from its
highest-security labs.
But there has been no
threat to public health, no injuries to employees and no leaks of dangerous
material outside the laboratory, Ms. Vander Linden said.
In the statement, the C.D.C. cited “national security reasons”
as the rationale for not releasing information about its decision.
The institute is a biodefense center that studies germs and
toxins that could be used to threaten the military or public health, and also
investigates disease outbreaks. It carries out research projects for government
agencies, universities and drug companies, which pay for the work. It has about
900 employees.
The shutdown affects a significant portion of the research
normally conducted there, Ms. Vander Linden said.
The suspended research
involves certain toxins, along with germs called select agents, which the government has determined have
“the potential to pose a severe threat to public, animal or plant health or to
animal or plant products.” There are 67 select agents and toxins; examples include the
organisms that cause Ebola, smallpox, anthrax and plague, and the poison ricin.
In theory, terrorists could use select agents as weapons, so the
government requires any organization that wants to handle them to pass a
background check, register, follow safety and security procedures, and undergo
inspections through a program run by the C.D.C. and the United States
Department of Agriculture. As of 2017, 263 laboratories — government, academic,
commercial or private — had registered with the program.
The institute at Fort
Detrick was part of the select agent program until its registration was
suspended last month, after the C.D.C. ordered it to stop conducting the
research.
The shutdown was first reported on Friday by the
Frederick News-Post.
The problems date back
to May 2018, when storms flooded and ruined a decades-old steam sterilization
plant that the institute had been using to treat wastewater from its labs, Ms.
Vander Linden said. The damage halted research for months, until the institute
developed a new decontamination system using chemicals.
The new system required changes in certain procedures in the
laboratories. During an inspection in June, the C.D.C. found that the new
procedures were not being followed consistently. Inspectors also found
mechanical problems with the chemical-based decontamination system, as well as leaks,
Ms. Vander Linden said, though she added that the leaks were within the lab and
not to the outside world.
“A combination of things” led to the cease and desist order, and
the loss of registration, she said.
Dr. Richard H.
Ebright, a molecular biologist and bioweapons expert at Rutgers University,
said in an email that problems with the institute’s new chemical-based
decontamination process might mean it would have to go back to a heat-based
system “which, if it requires constructing a new steam sterilization plant,
could entail very long delays and very high costs.”
Although many projects
are on hold, Ms. Vander Linden said scientists and other employees are
continuing to work, just not on select agents. She said many were worried about
not being able meet deadlines for their projects.
News (11)
African swine fever virus detected on Vietnam meat product exports
Recently, smuggled meat products containing African swine fever virus have been seized in Taiwan. Kaohsiung prosecutors have seized 14 suspicious imported meat products from Vietnam in 10 cases. Even 10.71 kilograms of chicken shreds, suspected of mixed pork, have also been tested for African swine fever virus. The police will continue to track down the follow-up flow and expand investigations.
Kaohsiung prosecutors have recently seized a total of 14 suspicious meat products in 10 cases, including beef jerky, chicken shreds, lotus leaf-wrapped meat, cooked chicken, etc., totaling 41.7 kilograms and sent them for inspection. The lotus leaf wrapped meat was tested for African swine fever virus on the 25th, becoming the first case in Kaohsiung.
On 29 August, Kaohsiung has seized 2 boxes of chicken shreds totaling 40 packs with a total weight of 10.71 kilograms. Suspected mixed pork was also found to contain African swine fever virus.
The police appealed that people who imported meat should apply for quarantine in accordance with the Regulations on the Prevention and Control of Animal Infectious Diseases. If the regulations are violated, the quarantine objects will be confiscated and destroyed in accordance with the law. In addition, according to Article 41 of the Regulations on the Prevention and Control of Animal Infectious Diseases, they can be sentenced to less than 7 years Fixed-term imprisonment and a fine of less than NT$3 million, reminding the public not to buy meat from unknown sources at will, or to bring meat from abroad into the country, so as not to violate the law.
News (12)
Sinopharm available for public vaccination in Singapore
The first batch of China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm) COVID-19 vaccine has arrived in Singapore, and some private clinics have begun to accept appointments, and the vaccine will be administered from 30 August 2021.
Two medical providers, Clearbridge Health and Singapore IHH Healthcare Group, have announced that they have obtained the Sinopharm vaccine.
News (13)
Some clinics have almost full appointments for the first two days
Mingce Group’s Medic Surgical & Laser Clinic in Tanjong Pagar has accepted appointments from now and will start to administer Sinopharm vaccines to those who have made appointments on 30 August.
The clinic staff told the "8world News" that the appointment response was good. As soon as the news came out today, the appointment slots for next Monday and Tuesday were almost fully booked, and they also received many inquiries.
IHH will open public appointments on Monday. After appointments, the public can go to Gleneagles Hospital (from 1 September), Mt Elizabeth Hospital (from 7 September) and Parkway Shenton Medical Group's Raffles Quay One ( One Raffles Quay and Duxton Clinic (from 1 September) to get vaccinated.
The Mingce Group clinic charges S$98 for two doses, while IHH prices it at S$99 for two doses, and the prices include GST.
Sinopharm vaccine will be the fourth vaccine that can be administered locally. It is an inactivated vaccine like CoronaVac, which is imported into Singapore through Special Access Route.
News (14)
WHO first distributes vaccine from China, South Africa takes the lead in rejecting it
Image : The staff on the Sinovac CoronaVac production line showed bottles filled with vaccines while working. (Alexandre Schneider/Getty Images)
The Chinese-made Covid-19 vaccine is accused of low efficacy and safety concerns. The World Health Organization (WHO) Global Access to Vaccines (COVAX) recently issued 100 million doses of Chinese vaccines for the first time, mainly for Asian, African and Latin American countries. Among them, South Africa publicly refused, and some countries are unwilling to accept it.
Reuters quoted a WHO document report on July 29 that WHO plans to distribute 100 million doses of Chinese vaccines by the end of September, of which Sinopharm and Kexing's vaccines will each account for half. The 100 million doses of vaccine have been distributed to 60 countries, most of which are in Africa, and Africa is expected to receive one-third of it. But not all African countries are willing to accept it.
South Africa is listed by COVAX as one of the largest Chinese vaccine recipients in Africa, and 2.5 million doses of Coxing vaccine have been allocated. However, South Africa’s Deputy Minister of Health, Nicholas Crisp, said that the country did not accept these vaccines because the effectiveness of Sinovac CoronaVac against the Delta variant virus cannot be confirmed, and there is no data on the use of the vaccine in HIV carriers.
News (15)
Nigeria to accept about 8 million doses of CoronaVac
Nigeria is also the main recipient of Chinese vaccines in Africa, and nearly 8 million doses of CoronaVac have been allocated. The country has approved the Sinopharm vaccine, but only listed it as a "possible" option among many vaccines.
A spokesperson for the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), which co-leads COVAX with WHO, told Reuters that some countries have not been included in this round of vaccine distribution. One reason is that some countries do not accept Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines.
News (16)
Asia the main receiver of CCP vaccines
Asia is also the main receiver of Chinese vaccines. It is estimated that more than 25 million Chinese vaccines will be obtained, of which nearly 11 million Sinovac vaccines will be shipped to Indonesia.
Most of the Indonesian medical staff have already given CoronaVac, but because of its low effectiveness, the country has decided to reinoculate the Moderna vaccine for medical staff. Other countries adopting similar policies include Brazil and Chile.
News (17)
Ukraine to receive about 160,000 doses of CoronaVac
Ukraine is the only country on the COVAX list that accepts Chinese vaccines and will receive approximately 160,000 doses of CoronaVac. Other Chinese vaccines will enter countries in Latin America and the Middle East.
Reuters reported that although some people have expressed concerns about the effectiveness of Chinese vaccines, and some countries have rejected Chinese vaccines or used them in combination with Western vaccines, the WHO's actions are still promoting the Chinese Communists' vaccine diplomacy.
News (18)
Worried soldiers flee, North Korea orders military officers to build walls on China-North Korea border
The picture shows the border between China and North Korea in January 2018. (Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images)
Korean media reported that the famine in North Korea is getting worse. To prevent people from fleeing to China, the authorities used "epidemic prevention" as an excuse to send troops to build a border wall on the border between China and North Korea. The grassroots soldiers took the opportunity to flee, and recently they began to dispatch senior officers to carry out the construction.
Daily NK, an online media operated by North Korean defectors in South Korea, quoted news on the 27th as saying that since mid-August, the North Korean authorities have used double or even triple security to block the border, and have deployed special forces and military units along the border. Seventh Legion. However, as people continue to cross the border in areas where the surveillance is relatively loose, the authorities have begun to "completely blockade" the border areas.
According to reports, in some areas, soldiers began to build makeshift walls and hang up empty bottles and cans. Soldiers are cutting down common trees to block the border.
Since last year, the authorities have begun to build barbed wire and fences in border areas such as Sansu County and Xinpu County, claiming to prevent the spread of the epidemic, but in fact to prevent defections.
According to the report, this year’s soldiers’ food shortages are worse than last year’s, and malnutrition is getting worse. Ordinary soldiers may try to defect during construction. As a result, the officers of the 10th Corps stationed in Yangjiang Province from major or higher have been mobilized to participate in the construction of the wall.
However, even the officers seem to be malnourished. Although the major, lieutenant colonel, and colonel were all mobilized to work, they were all thin. The locals ridiculed "have there ever been such a tragic army before".
While North Korea is building a border wall to prevent defections, the CCP is also building a border wall on the China-Vietnam and China-Myanmar borders thousands of kilometres south to prevent the Chinese from fleeing.
News (19) to (20) / Source : The Irrawaddy
News (19)
Army defectors: Atrocious Myanmar military at risk of splitting
Image : Captain Lin Htet Aung, one of the Myanmar army defectors (Web Screenshot)
With a record-breaking number of defections unmatched in nearly six decades and brewing discontent among the ranks against their superiors, Myanmar’s more than 300,000-strong military is now at risk of splitting, according to some ex-army officers who have deserted their units recently.
Currently, around 2,000 soldiers and police have joined the country’s Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM), a nationwide boycott by Myanmar civil servants against the regime following their takeover in February. Many more are in the pipeline and out of the current 2,000 defectors, one-third are military personnel, said the officers who have joined the CDM as they are not pleased with the country’s military regime.
“[Under the regime] people are ashamed to be soldiers, to attend the Defense Services Academy or to join the military. This is a very sad thing for the future of the military” said one of the officers, Captain Nyi Thuta.
After graduating in 2010 from the 52th Intake of the Defence Services Academy, he served at his base in Naypyitaw until the coup. When he learned about the takeover, he felt Myanmar was heading into a dark age. When the junta escalated its nationwide deadly crackdowns on peaceful protesters who were against their rule in March, the captain left his unit. He said “You can’t kill people who express their views.”
Currently, about 5 to 10 junta soldiers have been defecting from the military daily, according to the People’s Soldier group, a Facebook page co-founded by Captain Nyi Thuta to provide assistance to striking soldiers and to persuade more military personnel to leave their barracks to join the CDM.
Most of the soldiers who have joined the CDM are privates and sergeants. Officers ranking from lieutenants to majors account for around 100.
The Myanmar military has been notorious for attacking its own people rather than protecting them. Its atrocities like arbitrary killings, arrests and looting in ethnic areas are internationally well known. The coup in 2021 and follow-up atrocities have worsened its already tarnished reputation while pushing its leadership into a corner, as they are facing growing armed resistance in both urban and rural areas, forcing coup leader Min Aung Hlaing to admit he couldn’t fully control the country yet. Then they face another big blow: defections by their subordinates who detest their bosses’ actions.
Captain Nyi Thuta said the image of the military is now the worst in history, as more military personnel are realizing that the reputation of the military and soldiers have been totally shattered.
Now with defections growing like never before, Captian Nyit Thuta said the military has potential to split into two groups: those who want to inherit the bad legacy of the military and others who don’t want to do so.
“Anyone defecting said they want to be people’s soldiers—professionals who protect the people. They don’t want to hand over the institution’s bad legacy to their juniors,” he said.
Another defector, Captain Lin Htet Aung, said what his fellow soldiers did during the crackdowns were totally contradictory to the codes of conduct they were supposed to follow.
“They have changed into thugs with guns,” he said.
As a result, people detested the military so much that it demoralized the men in uniform like never before. The regime’s atrocities against protesters became an immediate push factor for some military personnel to join the CDM as they have become more aware of the true colors of the military junta, which has been committing atrocities and murdering its own people.
Captain Lin Htet Aung, also realized they were working for the coup leaders who put their personal benefits before the country or the military institution itself.
The captain, who graduated from the 54th Intake of the Defense Services Academy, left the military barracks in Shan State a few months after the February coup after seeing the regime’s atrocities against unarmed peaceful anti-coup demonstrators and civilians. Later he formed the People’s Embrace group to help military personnel who want to defect.
“We are seeing cracks in the military. There are many injustices in posting and other human rights violations that create discontent among the ranks against their superiors. So, the military could face a split,” said Captain Lin Htet Aung.
For examples, he explained, some military troops have been unfairly posted on the frontline for years while others who have good connections with people upstairs are being posted in safe areas like Naypyitaw, he added.
News (20)
A split within Myanmar military will bring radical change for the forces to become civilian military and restore the path to democracy
International and local observers are convinced that the military institution must split up in order to restore the path to democracy in Myanmar, as there is a lack of effective actions by the UN and international organizations and neither the armed resistance of the people nor the ethnic armed groups can defeat the junta.
Captian Lin Htet Aung also agreed with the point that without the split within the military, it’s unlikely democracy will be restored.
“Years-long bad habits [like corruption] and systems [like oppression] are deeply rooted in the military. We also need to fight to force those ingrained bad habits out in order to restore democracy. So, the institution needs to split up” he added.
In an attempt to encourage more defections, Myanmar’s parallel National Unity Government (NUG) on Monday issued a statement urging military personnel to join the CDM by promising to keep not only their original positions and pension allowances, but also their safety.
It also said that security forces personnel who left the military barracks can join the federal union army and police forces reformed by the NUG.
Meanwhile, people’s reception of defecting soldiers has been quite encouraging, Captain Nyi Thuta said. Both the People’s Soldiers and People’s Embrace groups are now able to support the striking soldiers due to donations made by the public.
“They now realize that people just hate soldiers who support the institution that oppresses them with guns. They know now that you will be showered with love once you are no longer affiliated with them,” he said.
For most defectors from the military, they believe that only a split within the military itself will bring about a radical change for the armed forces to become the people’s military.
Captain Lin Htet Aung said the armed forces cannot be changed even with the death of coup leader Min Aung Hlaing, as another would take his place.
“To wipe out the deeply rooted bad habits and systems of the military, reform is the only way. It can only happen when it splits,” he said.
“It could happen if we are more united.”
Ref: https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/atrocious-myanmar-military-at-risk-of-splitting-army-defectors.html
News (21) to (23) / Editor : Yue Dongqing / https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/21/8/28/n13194516.htm
News (21)
First Vice President of Afghanistan: Freedom is not dead, but injured
Image : The Vice President of Afghanistan, Amrullah Saleh. (TVBS)
The former first Vice President of Afghanistan and the current acting president of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Amrullah Saleh, conveyed the message through the Canada think tank Macdonald-Laurier Institute (MLI) from the Panjshir Valley, Afghanistan. He vowed to stay in the country and fight the Taliban. He urged Canada not to abandon Afghanistan, where so many Canadians fought, worked and died to give Afghans a better life.
News (22)
Acting President: Afghanistan is not subjugated
Saleh said that there are still many Afghans who believe in freedom and pluralism and are willing to continue striving for these values. They need Canadian support more than ever.
"Afghanistan has not been subjugated, it is just wounded," Saleh said. "Freedom has not died, it is just wounded. Afghanistan can be saved. Afghanistan has not lost its future. It just needs different tools, different strategies, and different policies. To reverse the situation."
Saleh did not prioritize the West’s continued military commitment to Afghanistan. On the contrary, he clarified the support the West can provide. Specifically, he asked Canada and allies:
Acknowledge Pakistan’s role in destabilizing Afghanistan and force Pakistan to withdraw support for the Taliban.
Provide moral, political and material support to Afghans who resist Taliban rule.
Listen to the voices of Afghans. The current failure is a political misjudgment caused by a lack of understanding of the country.
In his speech, Saleh thanked Canadians for their work, sacrifice and support for Afghanistan. He rebuked those who claimed that "Afghans are not fighting the Taliban for their country."
Saleh said, "Millions of Afghans will not flee, they want to stay. I hope that generous Canadians and kind Canadians will stand with most people."
News (23)
Canadian scholar: Taliban has no legitimacy against Afghans
Shuvaloi Majumdar, Director of the Foreign Policy Program and Senior Fellow at Munch, said: "The Taliban supported by Pakistan has no legitimacy for Afghans, and Canada or the West should not grant them legitimacy."
"The Afghan Constitution confirmed by the Afghan people through six elections provides an opportunity for Amrullah Saleh to lead."
He said Saleh called on Canadians to once again support the Afghan people to ensure that the country will not become a safe haven for terrorist networks.
Chris Alexander, the former Canadian ambassador to Afghanistan, said: "This is Saleh's message to Canadians through us to supporters of democracy and freedom everywhere: He reminds us all that he and others are still resisting the invasion. And repression-fighting for the values that brought Canadian soldiers to Afghanistan for the first time in 2001. More Afghans now deserve our support than ever before."
News (24)
Niu Tengyu's mother sent a letter requesting retrial, and the courier company was investigated by the police
Image : The picture on the left shows the receipt of the letter sent by Niu Tengyu’s mother, and the picture on the right shows a selfie of the mother and son. (Provided by interviewee)
After the verdict was upheld in the second instance of the Vicious Wiki case, the family did not give up the appeal. The mother of the "prime culprit" Niu Tengyu sent a letter to the relevant department requesting a retrial, but unexpectedly The courier company that received the mail was recently interviewed by the Jiaozuo City Criminal Police Brigade.
Niu Tengyu’s mother, Ke Ke, told reporters recently that she recently mailed a retrial application and wrote letters to the leaders. As a result, the courier company that mailed the letter was found by the local criminal police team and frightened them.
She said that the local police station called her some time ago and told her not to accept interviews with foreign media. The above (Beijing) said that the problem could be reported through legitimate channels. "I just posted a lot of letters and retrial applications according to what they said. Yesterday (27 August) the express company was threatened by the criminal police team."
A recording of a call provided by Ke Ke showed that a staff member of Tiantian Express said that the Criminal Police Brigade of the Public Security Bureau called him to cooperate with the investigation. The reporter found that the caller ID of this number was the public number of the Tiantian Express outlet in Shanyang District, Jiaozuo City, Henan Province, but the reporter dialed the number and failed to connect to the manual customer service.
On the phone, he asked Ke Ke, "(I am) express delivery every day, don’t you have an impression? You didn’t send three documents to me. What kind of documents were we sending at the time? Here the Public Security Bureau called me to inform. Let’s cooperate with the investigation.” Coco replied, “Then why does a citizen send a letter and he doesn’t let him send it? Then why? There’s nothing illegal about me.”
The courier said that because they received the parcel at the time, it was enough to tell the police clearly what was inside. Ke Ke told him that it was a letter to the leader.
The other party asked, "Can you tell me what is reflected?" Ke Ke replied, "It is an unjust case! That is to say to the leader, let him re-investigate and retrial the application. This is reasonable and legal."
Ke Ke told reporters that she sent a lot of letters to Beijing's High Court and the Procuratorate. There are also retrial applications mailed to the Guangdong Political and Legal Committee, the Secretary of the Guangdong Provincial Party Committee, and the Guangdong Provincial Court.
"Guangdong, they have received it, they forced the Jiaozuo police to (press)." She said.
Ke Ke pointed out in the retrial application letter that the sentence was too heavy, created the principal offender, tortured to extract a confession, and created an unjust case. "It is even more nonsense to define this case as a group of evil forces", and went online.
The letter stated that the court of first instance had serious violations of the law and did not provide all the files to the lawyers. One day before the trial (November 1, 2020), all the lawyers in the case were gathered to the Maoming Judicial Bureau and were not allowed to be acquitted. Defended and confiscated their electronic equipment.
The letter stated that Niu Tengyu was sentenced to 8 years for only one crime of creating quarrels and provoking troubles. One month before the trial, the public prosecution agency suddenly added two more charges, "crime of violating citizens' information" and "crime of illegal business operation", and was sentenced to 14 years. Gu, the actual controller of the website, was let go, and Niu Tengyu was labelled as the principal culprit.
As a family member, Ke Ke requested the cancellation of the first instance criminal verdict and the second instance criminal verdict of Maonan District Court in Maoming City, Guangdong Province. The case was filed for retrial, and Niu Tengyu was declared innocent based on the facts.
News (25)
Maoming court was exposed to public opinion, lawyers and family members to maintain stability
The Vulgar Wiki case has received widespread attention from the outside world because of the personal wealth of Xi Jinping's daughter and brother-in-law, and the severe sentences of 24 young people. Two years ago, on August 2, 2019, Niu Tengyu, who was only 19 years old, was arrested by Maoming police. During the same period, hundreds of young members of the vulgar Wiki website were arrested, and the final sentence was 24.
The insider sent reporters a "three-synchronization" work plan on the appeal of Niu Tengyu's case, which was sent by the Maoming Intermediate Court to the Guangdong Provincial High Court and the Maoming Municipal Law Committee. The content included "making public opinion emergency plans"; The public opinion work of the defendant’s close relatives in the original trial”; “Strengthen the tracking and control of the activities of foreign lawyers and family members during Maoming, and the Municipal Bureau of Justice strengthens the control of local lawyers”; “Strengthen the contact with network management offices at all levels for the case Inappropriate online public opinion resolutely delete posts to prevent over-the-wall and overseas information from being poured into foreign countries, and there must be no reactionary slogans."
The person in charge of the case is Zhang Shuming, a judge of the Second Criminal Division of the Intermediate Court of Maoming City, Guangdong Province, who must "ensure that the case is handled as an iron case."
The insider also sent a copy of "Zhang Shuming's report on personal third-class deeds", which is believed to be from the official website of the Intermediate People's Court of Maoming City, Guangdong Province. The article said it "takes roots in the trial and executes it for twenty years", "handles major and important cases", and "five forbidden to be honest and clean. It is obvious to all. Walking by the river means not getting wet shoes."
In fact, Zhang Shuming's handling of the case was accused of three non-styles, namely, "no verification, no judgment, and no court session." The so-called “no verification” means ignoring the evidence and expert opinions submitted by any defense; the so-called “no judgment” ignores the authenticity, validity, and legality of the materials, and unconditionally accepts any materials submitted by the prosecutor or the court of first instance; the so-called “no court” means It is a "written judgement" and does not actually hold a hearing.
Zhang Shuming was accused of creating a large number of unjust cases. According to Minghui.com, during the 20 years of the CCP’s persecution of Falun Gong, at least 32 people in Maoming have been persecuted to death, and at least 72 Falun Gong practitioners have been illegally sentenced. Sentenced. Zhang Shuming is one of the main responsible persons.
The reporter called Zhang Shuming many times, but no one answered the call.
News (27)
The mailed materials were rejected Wang Quanzhang again appealed to the Tianjin Higher People's Court
Reporters : Hong Ning and Li Shi
Image : On the fifth anniversary of the 709 case, lawyer Wang Quanzhang, who had been cruelly persecuted by the CCP for five years, launched a rights protection operation and submitted a letter of appeal and complaint to the Beijing Chaoyang District Court and other departments of the CCP by mail. (Extracted from Li Wenzu Twitter)
Wang Quanzhang, a Beijing human rights lawyer who was sentenced to four and a half years in prison by the Chinese Communist Party in the "709 Great Arrest", mailed the complaint materials to Tianjin High Court, but was rejected for no reason. A few days ago, he went to the Tianjin Higher People's Court to file a complaint, accusing the trial procedure of serious violations of the law, and demanded a retrial and the sentence of not guilty was changed.
Wang Quanzhang told the Epoch Times reporter that as early as 8 July 2020, he had already mailed the complaint and accusation letter to the procuratorate and court in Tianjin. More than a year later, on August 27, 2021, Wang Quanzhang and his attorney Cheng Hai went to the Tianjin High Court for inquiries, and found that the court had not received the appeal materials because the president of the court refused to accept them.
In desperation, Wang Quanzhang once again submitted the retrial application and other appeal materials to the Tianjin Higher People's Court on the spot. The court signed the receipt, saying that within a week, it would give a result of whether to file a case.
News (28)
Wang Quanzhang: There are many reasons for appeal, the main appeal procedure is illegal
Wang Quanzhang introduced that his conviction is very absurd, and there are many reasons for appealing, but this time he did not list all of these reasons, but only wrote some procedural issues.
"Because the procedures are visible and tangible to everyone, the courts cannot change them arbitrarily. So I emphasized that the previous first and second instances were procedurally severely illegal, according to China’s Criminal Procedure Law. , Must be reviewed."
Wang Quanzhang said that during the court trial, his right to defense was not guaranteed. When the court opened in 2018, I dismissed the lawyer (Liu Weiguo) in court. According to the law, the court must be adjourned in this case and there are 15 days to choose a lawyer. However, on December 26, 2018, the authorities actually forced the trial, and the entire trial was equivalent to no defender. In the second instance, the authorities were still restricting the choice of defenders and did not protect their rights at all.
"From a procedural point of view, it has trampled on China’s Criminal Procedure Law to the fullest. Everyone can see this. From a procedural point of view, they do not abide by the enacted laws, let alone substantively, so I will mainly put forward this reason first."
Wang Quanzhang emphasized that based on experience, one of the core problems of all unjust, false, and wrong cases is that the procedures are unfair and the basic logic of the prosecution is seriously lacking.
"I firmly believe that if my case really protects my rights from every core due process, my case basically cannot go on. It can't open a court, and it can't move forward."
News (29)
Wang Quanzhang: Public power must fight back when evil was done
Wang Quanzhang said that the accusations against him back then were called "picking and provoking trouble" for a while, and called "subversion of state power" for a while. The complaint itself is a denial of this allegation.
"We must speak out against this unjust judgment, and we must take some measures to fight and fight for it, and we will also give the public power a counterattack by doing evil and arbitrarily creating unjust, false and wrong cases."
News (30)
Cheng Hai: Acting in Falun Gong cases is within the scope of the law
Cheng Hai, Wang Quanzhang's attorney, said that the case itself was an unjust, false and wrongful case. Wang Quanzhang's so-called "subversion of state power" charges are simply false, and there is no crime.
"The alleged facts, such as cooperation with foreign countries, legal activities engaged in, and representation of Falun Gong cases, are all permitted by the law. In fact, the public prosecutors who handled the case committed crimes, and they knew that Wang Quanzhang had no criminal facts. Still sentenced."
In 2015, Wang Quanzhang was also affected in the “709 arrests” of hundreds of human rights lawyers and activists across the country by the Chinese Communist Party. On August 5 of that year, he was secretly arrested and detained by the Beijing police. On January 28, 2019, the Tianjin court sentenced Wang Quanzhang to four and a half years’ imprisonment for “subverting state power” and deprived of political rights for five years.
According to reports, Wang Quanzhang suffered torture during the interrogation, the place of custody was changed many times, and the lawyers and family members were deprived of the right to meet, know, and visit. For a long time, Wang Quanzhang had no news. It was not until June 28, 2019 that the authorities allowed Wang Quanzhang's wife Li Wenzu to visit the Linyi Prison in Shandong.
On April 5, 2020, Wang Quanzhang was released after serving his sentence. In July of that year, on the occasion of the 5th anniversary of the "709 Case", Wang Quanzhang mailed a petition and complaint letter to the Chaoyang District Court of Beijing, etc., to defend his rights, request a retrial, amend the sentence of not guilty, and pursue the criminal responsibility of the relevant interrogators of the Tianjin police. They used various methods to extract confessions by torture in the past month.
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