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Vatican City (AFP) – The Vatican has told off the biggest association of nuns in the United States for failing to obey the administrator it installed to keep the group in line and for giving an award to a controversial theologian.
German cardinal Ludwig Mueller, head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, said the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) had not implemented fully the Vatican's recommendations.
Mueller told the LCWR in a statement released by the Vatican on Tuesday that it should have submitted its list of speakers and presentations at its upcoming assembly to Archbishop Peter Sartain for final approval.
"It allows the Holy See's delegate to be involved in the discussion first of all in order to avoid difficult and embarrassing situations," Mueller said.
The cardinal said this would also "anticipate better the issues that will further complicate the relationship of the LCWR with the Holy See".
Mueller also expressed regret over the LCWR's decision to give an award at its assembly to a theologian criticised by US bishops for "doctrinal errors".
"It further alienates LCWR from the bishops," he said.
The LCWR in a short statement said that the talks with Mueller had been "respectful and engaging".
But US religion expert Ken Briggs wrote in the National Catholic Reporter that Mueller's comments were a case of "bad cop" to Pope Francis's "good cop" message.
Briggs said Francis might be "a troubadour for harmony on his own while allowing the enforcers of 'orthodoxy' to keep firing away at what they consider dissent".
A Vatican report in 2012 accused LCWR, which represents around 45,000 US nuns and is known for its social activism, of holding "radical feminist" views.
The report also accused LCWR members of "dissent" with Church teachings against complexity and the Vatican placed the conference under its direct tutelage.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
In a bid to retool its forces, the Federal Government may have ordered the return of all defence contracts to the Ministry of Defence.
The decision to return the purchase of equipment to the ministry followed complaints by security experts that the armed forces needed to be retooled in order to meet the challenges posed by terrorists in the country.
Competent source said that the return of the contracts to the defence ministry was one of the issues the current Defence Minister, Mohammed Gusau, had indicated that as a pre-condition to accepting the appointment when the Presidency tipped him for the job.
Gusau is said to have expressed worry about the state of equipment in the nation’s armed forces shortly after taking over the reins of power early this year. He had also requested the President to order the heads of the army, air force and the navy to be reporting to him as another condition for him to take the job, a request, which the service chiefs, reportedly frowned at.
Although the Presidency pleaded with Gusau not to resign his appointment over the alleged row with service chiefs, the move to return all contract awards to the defence ministry may be seen as a tacit support for the reforms being spearheaded by the minister, who is a retired army general.
It was learnt that in recent security meetings with President Goodluck Jonathan in the wake of unrelenting Boko Haram attacks in parts of the north and Abuja, had expressed disappointment at the rate and ease with which the insurgents attack military locations and public institutions and escape even in the presence of military personnel.
Some of the security experts are reported to have told the President that the government needed to take urgent steps to overhaul the personnel and properly equip the armed forces to be able to tackle the insurgents. With the latest development, the current practice of allowing each unit of the armed forces to source for its hardware directly from vendors of their choice might be discontinued.
Vanguard learnt from competent sources last night that although the Service Chiefs were in support of direct acquisition of their equipment, top officials of the Defence Ministry were opposed to the practice, which they claim had robbed the government of value for money.
A top defence source said that the ministry was unhappy that its core functions of budgeting and supervising the purchase of equipment for the armed forces through a bidding process had been hijacked for many years by the respective units of the armed forces.
– See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/05/presidency-moves-transfer-defence-contracts-ministry/#sthash.7ngBjF4d.dpuf
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
SPEECHES will be made. Workers will march, security permitting. Everything else about May 1, Labour Day, is uncertain; a reflection of the hard times and abundant disinterest of the authorities in the well-being of the people.
Every year, hundreds of thousands of workers gather at various venues across Nigeria, make fiery speeches about the dearth of jobs; sing about solidarity, the shrinking welfare of the employed and the importance of labour. They listen to placating speeches from governments – they go home, waiting for next year’s speech.
Things are getting worse. Government policies, poor security situation, and the ubiquitous challenges from electricity supply have combined to lower Nigeria’s attraction to investors. The rise on unemployment, rated as high as 50 per cent according to some statistics, is the evidence of the impact of policies that emphasise the welfare of politicians and top government officials, over the development of the infrastructure that would enhance job creation.
Many who marched at last year’s rallies are currently jobless. The statistics are worse for youth unemployment with thousands of university graduates without jobs. More join the queue with every graduation ceremony.
Four years ago, President Goodluck Jonathan won workers’ hearts when he signed the minimum wage law. The labour disputes the law spawned, with authorities refusing to pay, are among tensions around labour.
Hardly is there a part of the country without a strike over workers’ welfare. The attitude these days is to ignore the strike, whether it is by lecturers or doctors. If you expect to hear what governments have done since last year to increase employment opportunities, all you would get are phantom figures that are improvements on ones rehashed over the years.
Where are the 11 million jobs Minister of Trade and Investment, Mr. Olusegun Aganga, promised in 2011? His calculation was that each of the country’s 11 million medium and small-scale industries would create at least one job in 2012 to make up 11 million jobs.
The World Bank loans he promised and his prophecy of improved electricity, without which the capacities of these industries are doomed, did not materialise. Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, also talks about job creation in vacuous terms. Maybe she would not forget to add that her re-based economy has created millions of jobs.
Labour Day, instead of a review of the progress made since last year, would be another round of promises, and lamentations.
Strikes, agitations for better working conditions, the millions of the unemployed roaming the streets, and the links that security agencies make between unemployment and rising unrest are good reasons for government to create jobs beyond words.
Promises have run their full course. They now sound hollow.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
Today, Nigerian workers join millions of workers all over the world except the United States of America to mark 128th anniversary of May Day. This special edition of Labour Vanguard takes a look at the relationship between the average worker and the trade union. What are the challenges for the average worker? It’s a special May Day Edition. Only in Vanguard.
FOR the average worker in Nigeria, a lot has happened between the last May Day and now. Issues of insecurity of lives and property, uncertainty of jobs, unemployment, and the effects of an ailing economy are some of the issues which the Nigerian worker had to contend with in the last one year.
The challenges notwithstanding, thousands of workers will be at several venues for rallies organized by their trade unions and the labour centres. However, it would appear that some are not impressed by these rallies.
*File photo: Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos addressing workers at the Workers Day celebration.
The Campaign for Democratic and Workers Rights ( CDWR) said of the rallies, “. Unfortunately, May Day celebration is largely characterized by jamborees and partying rather than sober reflection of the appalling and worsening condition of the working class. We shall see display of company names and brands just for promotional values in addition to speeches from trade union leaders that lack a clear path to political and economic emancipation of the workers and the masses”.
Trade union movement
The views of CDWR signed by its publicity secretary, Chinedu Bosah are similar to those of Joint Action Front; another pro-labour Non- Governmental Organization, the Joint Action Front..
JAF stated “Our reflection on the state of the trade union movement in Nigeria revealed that Nigerian workers over the years have been weakened organizationally and ideologically by the anti-worker policies of global neo-liberalism. This has been responsible for the reduction in the numerical strength of the unions, attacks on jobs, indecent work conditions and environment, poor and slave wages and violations of workers’ rights as guaranteed by local and international labour instruments”.
JAF in its response to our enquiries endorsed by its chairman, Dr. Oladipo Fashina and General Secretary, Abiodun Aremu noted “ that the leadership of Nigerian trade unions across board have not lived up to the expectations of the Nigerian working people in organizing against the inimical policies of the neo-liberal policies of privatization, deregulation, casualisation, contract staffing, etc”.
CDWR on its part stated,
“ In celebrating the 2014 May Day, the Nigeria Labour Congress ( NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) should shift its focus to workplace conditions and work out clear-cut programmes on how to challenge all anti-labour practices taking place in all workplaces and establishments”
The NGO suggested, “ This should include mass mobilization and sensitization of workers and the public for a sustained struggle to win more concessions for workers. Rank and file workers have to put more pressure on the trade union leaders as a means of engaging employers of labour”.
The Joint Action Front listed critical challenges before the trade unions” and this include,
“The need for a renewed commitment to the ideological and political education development of the rank and file workers in the formal and informal sectors of the economy.
*A trade union movement that should be committed to organizing the unemployed and the informal sector workers.
*A trade union movement with an agenda for the unemployed and social security, Decent Work and living wage and that should ensure that employers and Government implement collective agreements reached with workers. *A trade union movement committed to struggle to ensure that Agreements reached with the polytechnic and colleges of education striking workers 9 ASUP, SSANIP and COEASU) and the entailments due to the pensioners are implemented soonest.
*A trade union movement that will be committed to provide leadership for a nationwide struggle against the policies of privatization and deregulation and for full industrialization drive that could ensure massive employment and expansion of infrastructure.
*A trade union movement prepared to work with its main partner in the civil society – JAF – under the platform of Labour and Civil Society Coalition (LASCO) towards the emergence of a genuine mass party of the working class and the poor as the political alternative to the political parties of the ruling class of exploiters.
The CDWR insists that “ trade union leaders are doing little or nothing at unionizing and organizing defenseless workers in many workplaces who are in dire need of a union platform to defend their interest. Cases abound of union leaders who betray workers struggle or do little to defend workers rights and interests.
A whole lot of anti-labour policies abound in workplaces that are left unchallenged. Casualisation and contract staffing is replacing secured employment in many workplaces including the public sector”.
It noted that the national minimum wage is yet to be implemented in many states and organized labour seems helpless”. Though, the tempo of labour’s activities has drastically declined, it has a history to be proud off.
Nigerian workers need to be vigilant and participate actively in the next election of the NLC scheduled to hold in February next year so as to elect leaders they can be proud off.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States warned Russia on Tuesday that Washington and its allies would stand united in their defense of Ukraine and that NATO territory was inviolable and the alliance would defend every single piece of it.
"Today Russia seeks to change the security landscape of Eastern and Central Europe," Kerry said in a speech in Washington referring to Russia's occupation of Crimea and the threat it posed to eastern Ukraine.
"Whatever path Russia chooses, the United States and our allies will stand together in our defense of Ukraine," Kerry said.
"And most important, together we have to make it absolutely clear to the Kremlin that NATO territory is inviolable. We will defend every single piece of it," he added.
In a call to NATO members, Kerry said unity was vital and members' defense budgets could not be allowed to shrink.
"Together we have to push back against those who want to change sovereign borders by force," Kerry said.
"We find ourselves in a defining moment for our trans-Atlantic alliance; Our strength will come from our unity," he said. "This moment is about more than just ourselves – the fact is that our entire model for global leadership is at stake."
Kerry said the United States and its European allies had to work together to ensure European countries were not dependent on Russian energy supplies.
"We can deliver greater energy independence if we help to diversify the energy sources available to European markets," he said in the address at a Washington think tank attended by ministers from several EU and NATO countries.
He called the crisis in Ukraine "a wakeup call" to accelerate work "to promote a stronger, more prosperous trans-Atlantic community."
(Reporting by David Brunnstrom and Doina Chiacu; Editing by Sandra Maler)
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark and Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State have incurred the wrath of the governors of Yobe and Adamawa states for asking President Goodluck Jonathan to dismantle democratic structures in the North-East to pave way for a full military takeover.
The two governors, Ibrahim Gaidam and Murtala Nyako, said Clark and Akpabio, who are supposed to be democrats, threw caution to the winds by advocating the removal of the elected representatives of the people of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa and replacement with sole administrators.
From the left, Yobe State Governor Alhaji Ibrahim Geidam; Taraba State Deputy Governor Alhaji Abubakar Danladi and others at the Aso Chambers, Presidential Villa, Abuja. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida 05/03/2012
In a joint statement released in Abuja yesterday, Gaidam and Nyako berated Clark and Akpabio, accusing them of attempting to sabotage the nation’s democratic march for their parochial political interests.
The statement was signed by Abdullahi Bego, Special Adviser (Media) to Governor Ibrahim Gaidam and Ahmad Sajoh, Director of Press and Public Affairs to Governor Murtala Nyako.
The governors described the advocacy by Clark and Akpabio as ill-advised, provocative, unfortunate, diversionary and totally out of sync with democratic norms and values.
They pointed out that the contemplation of the removal of the North East governors and replacement with ‘sole administrators’ is a ‘constitutional aberration, which cannot be found in any of the 320 sections of the 1999 Constitution’.
The statement said: “Mr. Clark’s comments (and indeed Mr. Akpabio’s) therefore smack of fascism and are clearly a veiled attempt at sabotaging our nation’s democracy which should be resisted by all and sundry.
“Curiously, both Clark and Akpabio are beneficiaries of constitutionalism and democracy in Nigeria. It is therefore mind boggling that the two would seek to put both constitutionalism and democracy in jeopardy on the altar of their personal interests.”
They said that Clark made a fundamental error by comparing the situation that led to the declaration of emergency rule in Ekiti State by the Olusegun Obasanjo administration and the current security scenario in Yobe, Borno and Adamawa states, saying that the two cases were not the same.
They noted that as a former Senator Clark should know that the meaning of the provisions of Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, which gives the President the power to declare a state of emergency in all or parts of the country, does not necessarily apply to security situations.
The two governors allege that by his suggestion, Clark did not wish the President well and was out to scuttle the nation’s democracy.
The governors noted: “That Mr. Clark would gladly and blindly ignore overriding legal opinion and historical contexts and suggest something that goes against the letter and spirit of our Constitution as a democratic nation, go to show that not only is he not wishing Mr. President well.”
The governors also said Clark demonstrated crass ignorance and insensitivity to the plight of people in the North-East by suggesting that the missing Chibok school girls would not have been kidnapped if Borno State was under a ‘total state of emergency’.
They said: “Is Clark not aware that over the past 12 months, there was all manner of security presence in the three states when we witnessed some of the most heinous and despicable terrorist attacks on our schools in Mamudo, Buni Yadi and Gujba and on our towns and villages from Izge to Baga?”
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
ABUJA — THE battle for political supremacy in the House of Representatives is set to be rekindled with the plan by 37 former members of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to present an impeachment motion against President Goodluck Jonathan.
The legislators, who are allegedly acting in concert with their governors who defected with them to All Progressives Congress, APC, are also following up their plans with a high profile sensitisation campaign against alleged misdeeds of the administration.
The plan to present the impeachment motion Vanguard learnt is, however, being seriously opposed by Speaker Aminu Tambuwal and some PDP loyalists in the House who have warned the 37 members that the plan could worsen their precarious position.
The impeachment notice, which has been articulated into 30 points according to sources in the camp of the legislators, is a narrative of alleged misdeeds of the administration including financial misappropriation, unaccountability, extra-budgetary spending, among others.
The legislators are also threatening to drag the President before the International Court of Justice at The Hague for genocide in the North-East and crime against humanity via a petition to be submitted to all embassies and international organisations.
The legislators have also lined up a series of high level consultations with some of the nation’s past leaders, including Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Mohammadu Buhari, Shehu Shagari, Atiku Abubakar and Alex Ekwueme.
“The 37 of us are going to pay visits to all former presidents and vice presidents concerning the issue and to explain why we are taking this position,” one of the legislators disclosed at the weekend.
The legislators also plan a demonstration at the ECOWAS Parliament where the lawmakers will present the list of the alleged crimes of the President and the impeachment notice.
The demonstration will then move to the United States, British, Canadian and French embassies, as well as all other European Union countries.
He said: ”Since the President does not want peace and he is going for our jugular, it’s a fight to finish this time around and he stands to lose more at the end of the day.”
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
The emergence of fake, counterfeit, unwholesome and sub-standard anti-malarial drugs is dashing the hopes of winning the war against malaria in Nigeria as well as increasing mortality from the disease. Not only are these drugs potentially harmful, they are currently promoting the emergence of drug resistance malaria parasites.
It is commonplace to buy drugs everywhere and anywhere in Nigeria. Drugs are hawked like any other article. Every Tom, Dick and Harry sells drugs in Nigeria. Hospital reports show that scores of patients are being inadequately treated, but the presence of these undesirable and illegal medications significantly raises the risk of drug resistance.
Antimalaria drug situation in Nigeria In the face of these challenges, the declaration of the African Summit on Roll Back Malaria in 2000 comes to mind. It states: “Concerted efforts would be made to ensure that by the end of 2005 at least 60 percent of the vulnerable populations in Nigeria would have access to good quality, affordable and efficacious anitmalarial medicines.”
The same target was raised to 80 percent by 2010, according the Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, in order to achieve the goal of reducing the malaria burden by 50 percent. Alas, 14 years after, Nigeria is still faced with non availability of quality drugs for malaria.
Despite the many technologies deployed by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, antimalarial drug remain one of the most faked drugs after antibiotics.
Recommendations The World Health Organization, WHO, recommended insecticidal spraying and distribution of bed nets to protect people in the developing world, where malaria is endemic but antimalarial drugs like artemisinin has been used to keep malaria under control.
Before now, chloroquine and sulphadoxine pyrimethamine (SP), are recommended to treat malaria no thanks to resistance as the once highly successful malaria treatments were replaced with artemisinin combination therapies, ACTs.
Although, the combination therapy has remained one of the strongest drugs available to fight malaria, there are fears now that flood of substandard antimalarial medicines may cut short the success already achieved. Today, millions of lives are already at risk due to the activities of these counterfeiters.
According to a research carried out by the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lagos, UNILAG, on 13 brands of Artesunate-amodiaquine combinations, also known as Artemisin Combination Therapy (ACT), bought from pharmacies in Lagos state, 84.6 per cent of anti-malarial drugs sold in the state are sub-standard,
The study en titled: “Quality survey of some brands of artesunate-amodiaquine in Lagos drug market” and published n African Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, concluded that the result raises the risk of treatment failures and resistant strains of the malaria parasite.
According to researchers, “Even though there is no case of outright counterfeiting from the results obtained in the study, the potency of the drugs vary considerably. Only 15.4 per cent of the samples studied had required amount of active ingredients for the two drugs.
“It is clear that the quality of most brands of artesunate amodiaquine combined therapy in circulation in Lagos metropolis is less than adequate. This poses a great threat to the global effort to combat the scourge of malaria.”
Also a study which examined fake and substandard anti-malarial drugs that were found on sale in 11 African countries between 2002 and 2010 discovered that some counterfeits contained a mixture of the wrong pharmaceutical ingredients which would initially alleviate the symptoms of malaria but would not cure it. Their analyses showed that some counterfeits contained a mixture of the wrong pharmaceutical ingredients, some of which may initially alleviate malaria symptoms but would not cure malaria. Worse still, these unexpected ingredients could cause potentially serious side effects, particularly if they were to interact with other drugs the patient was taking, such as antiretroviral therapies for HIV.
Health watchers are worried that the enormous investment in the development, evaluation and deployment of anti-malarials is wasted if the medicines that patients actually take are, due to criminality or carelessness, of poor quality do not cure. For these concerned observers, the failure of artemisinin treatments has profound consequences for public health in the country.
Consequences of fake drugs Director General, NAFDAC, Dr Paul Orhii noted in a report, during a sensitization workshop for medicine sellers and distributors within the Bridge-Head Drug Market, Onitsha in Anambra “Fake and counterfeit medicines pose great threat to the attainment of these goals as well as the overall public health. They cause several health problems including treatment failure, organs and system failure, economic loss, sickness, death etc.”
Experts react Former President, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, PSN, Azubuike Okwor, to be able to guarantee and sustain the quality of medicines especially anti-malaria drugs “certain imperatives are necessary and unfortunately these imperatives are the exceptions rather than the rule in Nigeria.
Dr. Austin Nweke, a General Practitioner, in a report described the situation as worrisome. “Imagine you have malaria and you are taking Artesunate, only to find out later that the medication had no effect. The fake anti-malaria drugs have taken over everywhere, therefore, people can hardly differentiate between fake and original,” he said.
A Paediatrician, Professor Olugbenga Mokuolu, said counterfeit malaria drugs had become a major threat to effective malaria treatment in Nigeria. Mokuolu, a member of WHO Anti-malaria Therapy Group in a report, stressed the need to tackle the trend urgently, adding that, “Over 70 per cent of anti-malaria drugs are faked and this poses a threat to malaria treatment. Many people have been under-treated, thereby causing a re-occurrence.”
To check the usage of these fake drugs, public health organisations must take urgent, coordinated action to prevent the circulation of counterfeit and substandard medicines and improve the quality of the medicines that patients receive. Multiple parallel strategies are needed to tackle the problem. There is need to increase investment in national medicine regulatory authorities in Nigeria and improve access to good quality, affordable
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
The entire country of South Korea, which watched a ferry filled with high school students sink on live TV and has followed the futile search for survivors with 24/7 TV coverage, appears to be have been traumatized by the tragedy.
That trauma has been compounded by a collective shame over charges of criminal negligence by much of the ship's crew, inappropriate reactions by government officials and cruel hoaxes following the sinking.
Almost all entertainment programs that include music, comedy or drama have been cancelled. Attendance at movie theaters is off by as much as 40 percent. Fashion shows, sports events, festivals for major cultural events have been put off through May.
Teen Who Gave Life Vest to Fellow Student on Sinking Ferry Is Laid to Rest
“It’s not only the victims and their families but a majority of the general public is suffering from mental shock, sadness, rage, and feeling of helplessness,” wrote an editorial from Seoul Newspaper. “In short, it’s not an exaggeration to say that this entire nation is going through post-traumatic stress disorder.”
"After those nonstop broadcasts, personally this visual of cold water rising in the cabins with trapped kids dying a slow death was haunting me for days. I still cry for them," said Yong-sub Choi, vice president of value, culture and media for an investment company. His company has invested $1 million in a regional fireworks festival planned for early May, but decided to forsake half the investment and postpone it to August in honor of the victims.
The tragedy has riveted and horrified the country from the start. Cameras rushed to the ferry sinking as soon as the news broke and the population was mesmerized as it watched the tragedy unfold with students flailing in the cold water, the boat slowly turning upside down and eventually slipping beneath the surface.
Television viewers have barely looked away since as the rescue efforts were broadcast without any break. The arrival of grief stricken families was recorded along with rough weather that hampered rescue efforts, and eventually the sad retrieval of bodies despite the prayers of a nation.
“It was so depressing, so I intentionally avoided watching TV at first,” said Jieun Kim, a mother of two children living in Seoul. “But it’s addictive. You keep wondering what happened. Gave up on the fourth day, and kept watching. My tears won’t stop. It’s uncontrollable.”
What has also taken a toll on the Korean psyche are the alleged acts of cowardice, callousness and cruel hoaxes.
Eleven of the ferry's crew, including the captain, have been taken into custody for actions that the South Korean president said were "murderous." Others would say craven. In the days after the ferry sank, families were tormented with hoax text messages claiming to be from students trapped in air pockets complaining that they were cold, but still alive. A woman posed as one of the divers trying to rescue the trapped passengers was exposed as a fraud.
A photo of a government official sitting on a chair to eat ramen while the families of the ferry victims were eating on the floor circulated on South Korean social media and criticism poured in. A second official from the ministry of security and public administration came under even more criticism for posing for a self-promoting photo in front of the list of the dead at the gymnasium where families were sheltered. That official was suspended and then allowed to resign.
The response to the sinking has forced the nation to reassess what Korea has become.
South Korea Traumatized, Shamed By Ferry Disaster
A widely shared editorial on social networks from Saturday’s Joongang Ilbo concluded with a scathing self-criticism that, “A nation’s standards and capability is tested when disaster and crisis come by. Our country’s level is a failing grade and of a third-class country.”
“Korea is now depressed," an editorial in Hankyoreh newspaper said. "But for such collective depression to be rightly cured, this atmosphere should not be quickly changed nor forgotten.”
Choi added, "As a father, this burden is deep. I feel responsible for the deaths of those innocent young kids. Our generation have marched forward only looking ahead. It was all economic growth and wealth. We neglected to take effort to mature ethically."
“Koreans are very nationalistic and they take pride in the rapid development of their country. When there’s some problem or anything that reflects poorly on the collective, on the nation or Koreans on the whole, people will get upset about it,” said Daniel Pinkson, head of International Crisis Group in Seoul.
Yellow ribbons have proliferated on Korean social media and the country has held candlelight vigils, but those gestures have gone only so far.
“Koreans want to share everything together," said Sulim Park, public relations manager of Italian shoe brand, Tod’s. The company cancelled three shows and events out of respect for the ferry victims. "My family or friends were not personally affected by this tragedy, but call it nationalism or whatever, but we try to share the grief together.”
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
Does Vladimir Putin want war with Ukraine? Given Moscow’s failure to help implement the April 17 Geneva statement and its bellicose tone, it is increasingly difficult to escape that conclusion. The United States and Europe need to apply sterner sanctions immediately if they hope to have any chance of dissuading Mr. Putin from more aggressive action.
Russia illegally occupied Crimea by force in March. The Kremlin, however, wants more than that peninsula. It seeks a weak and compliant Ukrainian neighbor, a state that will defer to Moscow and not develop a significant relationship with the European Union.
Since annexing Crimea, Moscow has done nothing to defuse tensions. It has instead sought to destabilize the interim government in Kyiv, piling on economic pressure and keeping tens of thousands of troops on Ukraine’s border. The Kremlin has supported—by all appearances, with Russian special forces personnel—armed seizures of government buildings in eastern Ukraine. In these operations, local politicians and reporters have disappeared, and at least one was murdered.
The April 17 meeting of the U.S., Russian, Ukrainian and European Union foreign ministers offered a chance for a diplomatic solution. Little appears to have come of it. One week later, Russia has done nothing to get illegal armed groups in cities such as Donetsk or Slavyansk to disarm or evacuate the buildings that they occupy. Indeed, the Kremlin’s agreement to the statement seems to have been to delay further sanctions from the West while continuing to run an insurgency in Ukraine’s east.
Mr. Putin last week denied Russian soldiers are present in the buildings. His denial must be dismissed. It came in the same telethon in which he admitted that Russian troops had seized Crimea—in contrast to his March 4 press conference, in which he attributed that seizure to “local militia” and denied the involvement of Russian soldiers.
If Moscow wanted to deescalate the crisis in Ukraine’s east, it clearly could have done so. Instead, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov threatens military action if the Ukrainian government moves to secure its own cities. It almost appears that Russia wants a pretext to use force.
A Russian military invasion of eastern Ukraine would differ greatly from the Crimea operation. The Ukrainian military may be under-resourced and out-gunned, but it would fight. Some civilians would take up arms. Recent polls show that an overwhelming number of people in eastern Ukraine do not want the Russian army. It could be ugly and bloody.
In that case, the West almost certainly would slap harsher sanctions on Russia. But they would come too late to help Ukraine or prevent a total crash in West-Russia relations.
Some U.S. and EU sanctions, focused on individual Russians and mostly applied in the aftermath of the March annexation of Crimea, are in effect. They have had some impact. According to the Russian finance minister, Russia’s economy this year may experience zero growth while capital flight in the first quarter reached $50 billion. The Russian Central Bank has burned through billions of dollars defending the ruble.
But the sanctions thus far have failed in their primary purpose. Mr. Putin’s aggression against Ukraine continues. He apparently calculates that, by creating facts on the ground “covertly,” he can ensure a weaker Western response that he can weather.
If Washington and Brussels wish to change that calculation, they must now apply additional and more meaningful sanctions.
First, the United States and European Union should greatly expand the list of individual Russians—inside and outside of government—targeted for visa and financial sanctions. Sanctions should apply to family members as well.
Second, the West should sanction key parts of the Russian economy, beginning with its financial sector. It should target at least several Russian financial institutions. The European Union, particularly Britain, must join in, with the aim of halting international credit to Russian entities. That would further stress the slowing Russian economy.
Third, the United States and European Union should block their energy companies from new investments to develop oil and gas fields in Russia. With Moscow dependent on oil and gas sales for seventy percent of its export earnings, such a measure would send shudders through the Russian energy sector.
Since coming to power in 2000, Mr. Putin has offered Russian citizens a trade-off: diminished individual political space in return for economic growth and rising living standards. The West should undermine his ability to deliver on the economic side. Mr. Putin may retaliate, but the combined economies of the United States and European Union dwarf Russia’s by a factor of well over ten to one.
This is a menu of serious actions. Mr. Putin’s continuing aggression against Ukraine calls for a serious response. A failure to act now will allow him to believe that he has a free hand regarding Ukraine. That is not in Ukraine’s interest, or the West’s.
Steven Pifer was U.S. ambassador to Ukraine from 1998 to 2000 and is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. John Herbst was U.S. ambassador to Ukraine from 2003 to 2006 and directs the Center for Complex Operations at the National Defense University. William Taylor was U.S. ambassador to Ukraine from 2003 to 2006 and is vice president for the Middle East and Africa at the United States Institute of peace.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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