VIF Information Alerts - 23 October 2019

UN mission head says risk of genocide recurring in Myanmar
Published: The Tribune

23 Oct 2019

The head of a UN fact-finding mission on Myanmar says “there is a serious risk of genocide recurring” against the country’s Rohingya Muslim minority. Marzuki Darusman told the General Assembly’s human rights committee on Tuesday that “if anything, the situation of the Rohingya in Rakhine state has worsened”.Click here to read... [2]

Mahathir Mohamad sticks to stand on Kashmir
Published: The Telegraph

23 Oct 2019

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Tuesday he would not retract his criticism of New Delhi’s actions in Kashmir even though Indian traders have urged a boycott of Malaysian palm oil. The impasse could exacerbate what Mahathir described as a trade war between the world’s second biggest producer and exporter of the commodity and its biggest buyer so far this year.Click here to read... [3]

Turkey and Russia agree on deal over buffer zone in northern Syria
Published: The Guardian

22 Oct 2019

The Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, have agreed on the parameters of a proposed Turkish “safe zone” in Syria, a development that could bring an end to Ankara’s offensive against Kurdish forces over the border by severely curtailing their control of the area.
The two leaders were locked in marathon talks for more than six hours in the Russian Black Sea city of Sochi, emerging just two hours before a five-day ceasefire brokered by the US expired at 10pm local time.Click here to read... [4]

Hafiz Saeed continues to run JuD affairs from Pakistan jail
Published: Hindustan Times

22 Oct 2019

Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed continues to run the affairs of the banned Jamat-ud-Dawah (JuD) and wield considerable influence in Pakistan’s legal and political circles despite being arrested on terror financing charges earlier this year. The latest instance of Saeed using his influence despite being behind bars is in the case of Salahuddin Ayubi, a mentally challenged man who died in police custody last month, according to a report by BBU Urdu.Click here to read... [5]

Gallantry award winner Army veteran featured among researchers who `changed the world’
Published: The Economic Times

22 Oct 2019

A retried Indian Army officer, who won the Shaurya Chakra for gallantry beyond the call of duty, has been featured among a handful of researchers by a global academic publisher in a special series that recognizes individuals who `changed the world’.
Col DPK Pillay, who was severely injured in counter insurgency operations in the North East but went on to serve in the Army as well as the National Security Council Secretariat, has been featured in a podcast series supporting by leading academic publisher Taylor & Francis Group.Click here to read... [6]