The real threat to S'pore – construction of Thai's Kra Canal financed by China

The Kra Canal or the Thai Canal refers to a proposal for a canal to cut through the southern isthmus of Thailand, connecting the Gulf of Thailand with the Andaman Sea. It would provide an alternative to transit through the Strait of Malacca and shorten transit for shipments of oil to East Asian countries like Japan and China by 1,200 km, saving much time. China refers to it as part of its 21st century maritime Silk Road.

China is keen on the Kra Canal project partly for strategic reasons. Presently, 80% of China’s oil from the Middle East and Africa passes through the Straits of Malacca. China has long recognized that in a potential conflict with other rivals, particularly with the US, the Strait of Malacca could easily be blockaded, cutting-off its oil lifeline. Former Chinese President Hu Jintao even coined a term for this, calling it China’s “Malacca Dilemma”.

History of Kra Canal

The idea to shorten shipping time and distance through the proposed Kra Canal is not new. It was proposed as early as in 1677 when Thai King Narai asked the French engineer de Lamar to survey the possibility of building a waterway to connect Songkhla with Marid (now Myanmar), but the idea was discarded as impractical with the technology of that time.

In 1793, the idea resurfaced. The younger brother of King Chakri suggested it would make it easier to protect the west coast with military ships. In the early 19th century, the British East India Company became interested in a canal. After Burma became a British colony in 1863, an exploration was undertaken with Victoria Point (Kawthaung) opposite the Kra estuary as its southernmost point, again with negative result. In 1882, the constructor of the Suez canal, Ferdinand de Lesseps, visited the area, but the Thai king did not allow him to investigate in detail.

In 1897, Thailand and the British empire agreed not to build a canal so as to maintain the importance of Singapore as a shipping hub, since by that time, Singapore was already prospering as an international hub with great importance to the British.

In the 20th century the idea resurfaced with various proposals to build the canal but did not go far due to various constraints including technology and cost constraints as well as indecisive political leadership of Thailand.

China shows Thailand the money

In the last decade, China has now become the potential game changer who can possibly turn Kra Canal proposal into reality in the 21st century. It has the money, technology and strong political leadership and will to support the project if it wants to.

Last year, news emerged that China and Thailand have signed an MOU to advance the Kra Canal project. On 15 May 2015, the MOU was signed by the China-Thailand Kra Infrastructure Investment and Development company (中泰克拉基礎設施投資開發有限公司) and Asia Union Group in Guangzhou. According to the news reports, the Kra Canal project will take a decade to complete and incur a cost of US$28 billion.

But 4 days later on 19 May, it was reported that both Chinese and Thai governments denied there was any official agreement between the 2 governments to build the canal.

A statement by the Chinese embassy in Thailand said that China has not taken part in any study or cooperation on the matter. It later clarified that the organisations who signed the MOU have no links to the Chinese government. Separately, Xinhua news agency traced the announcement of the canal project to another Chinese firm Longhao, which declined comment when contacted.

Dr Zhao Hong, an expert on China-Asean relations from the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, told the media that China would not embark on such a project lightly, given the political and bilateral implications.

“China will have to consider the feedback from countries such as Singapore, which it has friendly ties with, given the impact that the Kra canal might have,” he said at the time when news of the MOU emerged. But Dr Zhao added that China might be open to private companies studying the feasibility of such a project, but will not directly back it for now.

It was said that the the chairman of Asia Union Group, the Thai party which signed the MOU, is former Thai premier Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, a long-time supporter of the Kra Canal.

Thai PM: Kra Canal project should be looked into by future democratic governments
In Jan this year, the Thai PM reiterated again that the Kra Canal project is not on his government agenda. His announcement came after a member of the King’s Privy Council, Thanin Kraivichien, wrote an open letter to the government advocating for the canal’s construction.Thanin was the 14th PM of Thailand between October 1976 and October 1977. His call is part of a growing chorus of Kra Canal proponents in Thailand’s political and business communities that started talking openly last year after several Chinese firms expressed interest in funding and constructing the canal.

Responding to Thanin’s call for the project, the Thai PM said the Kra Canal project should be looked into by democratic governments in the future, meaning to say Thailand has not ruled out the construction of Kra Canal completely. And in the case of Thailand, changes to its government occur frequently like the changing of clothes.

China getting angry with Singapore

In the last couple of months, China is increasingly angered by PM Lee’s move to side with the US over the South China Seas issue, even though Singapore has no claims over any of the territories there.

It all started 2 months ago when PM Lee was invited to the White House and was hosted to a rare White House state dinner on 2 Aug(http://theindependent.sg/pm-lees-speech-at-white-house-state-dinner-angers-china). During his toast, PM Lee welcomed the US to adopt a strategy to “rebalance” the Asia Pacific and went on to call President Obama as the “America’s first Pacific President”.
China immediately responded through their Global Times. “Lee Hsien Loong addressed Obama as the American ‘first Pacific President’. Such flattery (‘戴高帽’) given to Obama directly does not concern us (‘倒也没啥’),” the Global Times’ article said. “The key is he praised the American strategy to ‘re-balance Asia-Pacific’ and publicised that all Southeast Asian countries welcome such American ‘balancing’. Because the ‘rebalance Asia-Pacific’ strategy is pointed at China to a large extent, Lee Hsien Loong is clearly taking side already.”

Thai Canal

The Thai Canal, also known as Kra Canal or Kra Isthmus Canal, refers to proposals for a canal that would connect the Gulf of Thailand with the Andaman Sea across southern Thailand.

Kra Isthmus

The Kra Isthmus is the narrowest part of the Malay Peninsula, in southern Thailand and Myanmar

“If Singapore completely becomes an American ‘pawn’ (‘马前卒’) and loses any of its resilience to move between US and China, its influence will be considerably reduced. Its value to the US will also be greatly discounted,” it added.

The article went on to say that China has its limit in tolerance. It said, “Singapore should not push it (‘新加坡不能太过分’). It cannot play the role of taking the initiative to help US and South East Asian countries to go against China over South China Sea matters. It cannot help American ‘rebalancing Asia-Pacific’ strategy, which is directed at China’s internal affairs, by ‘adding oil and vinegar’ (‘添油加醋’), thereby enabling US to provide an excuse to suppress China’s strategic space as well as providing support to US.”

“Singapore can go and please the Americans, but it needs to do their utmost to avoid harming China’s interests. It needs to be clear and open about its latter attitude,” it cautioned. Singapore’s balancing act should be to help China and US to avoid confrontation as its main objective, and not taking side so as to increase the mistrust between China and US, it said..

The article gave the example of Singapore allowing US to deploy its P-8 reconnaissance aircraft to Singapore, which from the view of the Chinese, increases the tension in South China Sea, and thereby, increasing the mistrust between the 2 big countries.

“Singapore needs more wisdom (‘新加坡需要更多的智慧’),” the article concluded.

PLA General: We must strike back at Singapore

And yesterday, SCMP reported that a PLA General had called for Beijing to impose sanctions and to retaliate against Singapore so as to “pay the price for seriously damaging China’s interests” (http://theindependent.sg/pla-general-we-must-strike-back-at-singapore).

Kra Canal 

The General’s remarks came after a recent spat between Global Times and Singapore Ambassador Loh. On 21 Sep, Global Times carried an article saying that Singapore had raised the issue of the disputed South China Sea at the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit held in Venezuela on 18 Sep. It added that Singapore had “insisted” to include an international tribunal’s ruling on the waterway, which was in favour of the Philippines, in the summit’s final document.

Singapore’s ambassador to China, Stanley Loh, rejected this and wrote an open letter stating that the news report was “false and unfounded”. Mr Loh said the move to include the international ruling in NAM’s final document was a collective act by the members of the ASEAN. But the editor-in-chief of Global Times came out to stand by his paper’s report.

Then, the Chinese government also came out in support of Global Times, not buying Ambassador Loh’s arguments. When a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman was asked about the tiff between Global Times and Singapore, he blamed an unspecified “individual nation” for insisting on including South China Sea issues in the NAM document.

Kra Canal Present

Xu Liping, senior researcher on Southeast Asia studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said China expected Singapore to be a neutral mediator between China and the countries of Asean, and did not want to see disputes over the South China Sea raised in a multilateral platform like the NAM Summit. And that was why China was so angry over Singapore’s active moves in broaching such a sensitive topic, he said.

“If Singapore does not adjust its policies, I am afraid the bilateral relations will deteriorate,” Xu added. “Singapore should think twice about its security cooperation especially with the United States, and strike a better balance between China and US.”

Singapore no need to worry about the Kra Canal

“2-headed snake”

On Thursday, the overseas edition of People’s Daily also published an online commentary, saying Singapore “has obviously taken sides over South China Sea issues, while emphasising it does not”. In other words, China is accusing the Singapore government of saying one thing but doing another – a hypocrite.

Online, the Chinese netizens condemned Singapore as a “2-headed snake”. One of them wrote:

(Translation: China should quickly embark on the Kra Canal project and turn Singapore back into a third world country. This is the best present to give to a “2-headed snake”.)

If the Kra Canal truly becomes a reality, ships would certainly consider by-passing the Strait of Malacca and Singapore altogether, making the Singapore’s all-important geographical location redundant. We may truly become a third world country after all.

Komagata Maru’s 103rd Anniversary and Canada's shame

Read The Statement By Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

23 May, 2017

Komagata Maru’s 103rd Anniversary: Read The Statement By Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on the 103rd anniversary of the Komagata Maru incident:

 

“More than a century ago today, a great injustice took place when most of the 376 passengers onboard the Komagata Maru steamship were denied entry into Canada and forced to return to India where some were killed and many imprisoned.

 Prime Minister Trudeau offers a formal apology for the Komagata Maru incident 

“Last year, I stood in the House of Commons to apologize on behalf of the Government of Canada to all those affected by this tragic incident. An unjust federal law ultimately led to these passengers being turned away. For that grave injustice and for the regrettable consequences that followed, we are sorry.

 

 

“The Komagata Maru passengers share much in common with the many immigrants, past and present, who have come to Canada to build a better life for themselves and their families. By offering compassion and a fair chance at success, we not only help provide more opportunities for them and their loved ones, we also build a better Canada – one that is stronger, more inclusive, and more prosperous.

 Komagata Maru incident
The Komagata Maru incident involved the Japanese steamship Komagata Maru on which a group of citizens of the British Raj attempted to immigrate to Canada in 1914 but were denied entry.
Start date: 1914

“Today, we honour the victims of the Komagata Maru tragedy and their descendants. Canadians are proud to be part of a country that respects and protects multiculturalism as a core and defining value, and we thank all those from the South Asian community who make such invaluable contributions to our society. We benefit greatly from the vibrant diversity of our country.”

The real story of the Komagata Maru

Archival photo of passengers aboard the Komagata Maru in Vancouver Harbour, where the ship was denied entry to Canada.

With the forensic scrutiny of last week’s inglorious House of Commons roughhousing incident beginning to ease, now should be a good a time to have a close look at that other incident for which Prime Minister Justin Trudeau unreservedly apologized that very same day. Indeed, the apology necessitated by his own elbowing-penalty jackassery is the main reason his main-event apology has been so overlooked.

So let’s not overlook it. Far too much about what has long been known and uniformly regretted across the political spectrum in Ottawa as the Komagata Maru Incident gets conveniently overlooked at the best of times. But more than that, the story Trudeau told about it in the House last week overlooked so much that you could say that, strictly speaking, it wasn’t even true.

To be fair, Trudeau’s account was merely a saccharine gloss of the boilerplate version the Conservatives and the New Democrats also espouse, and the apology was intended to make us all feel better about ourselves, which nowadays seems to be what quite a few Canadians seem to believe is no small part of a prime minister’s job description. To be even more fair, securing a formal apology enunciated in the House of Commons was the easiest way for the leaders of Canada’s proud Sikh community to have the “incident” at least more officially commemorated, and revisited, after Stephen Harper’s not-quite-so ritualized apology several years ago.

But Trudeau might as well have said only that there were 376 passengers aboard a converted coal carrier that dropped anchor in Vancouver Harbour a century ago, and they were told to go back to India where they came from, and Canada was bad to do that and we’re sorry.

Related

Trudeau’s historic apology for Komagata Maru injustice resonates with Indo-Canadians, a century later

“Those passengers, like millions of immigrants to Canada since, came seeking better lives for their families,” the prime minister said. “Greater opportunities. A chance to contribute to their new home. Those passengers chose Canada. And when they arrived here, they were rejected.”

Well, kind of, partly, almost. It’s true that many, if not most, of the passengers later disavowed any seditious intent, but telling the story the way Trudeau told it does a grave disservice to the memory of the brave radicals who organized the Komagata Maru enterprise, from the outset, in the cause of India’s freedom.

A quixotic propaganda-of-the-deed collaboration between the Socialist Party of Canada and the revolutionary Ghadar Movement, the explicit purpose of the effort was to mount a legal challenge to the “continuous passage” immigration regulations that India’s British overlords had persuaded Ottawa to adopt to stem the flight of pro-independence Indian militants to Canada. The larger aim was to bolster the ranks of insurrectionists plotting India’s emancipation from the relative safety of North America or, failing that, to expose the cruel hoax of equal citizenship in the British Empire, first asserted by the Empress of India, Queen Victoria herself, more than a half-century earlier.

Even before the ship weighed anchor and headed out to sea, the Socialist Party’s H.M. Fitzgerald was exhorting Vancouver’s Sikhs to heed the Ghadarite call and return to India to take up the fight

The slogan of the Komagata Maru campaign’s organizers was not: “We choose Canada, please be nice to us.” It was: “What is our name? Mutiny. What is our work? Mutiny.” This was a specific reference to the 1857 Indian insurrection known as the Sepoy Rebellion, named after the British Empire’s native soldiers in India, known as sepoys. In the Urdu language, “mutiny” is “ghadar.”

Ghadar Movement leaders saw to the organization of the ship’s voyage, led the “shore committee” activities while the ship was waylaid in Burrard Inlet, and eventually provided arms to Komagata Maru’s passengers during their stopover in Yokohama on the return journey to Kolkata. In the days after its forced departure from Vancouver Harbour, Ghadarite propaganda aimed at Vancouver’s Indian expatriates was explicit: “Go to your country and set up a rebellion at once.” Even before the ship weighed anchor and headed out to sea, the Socialist Party’s H.M. Fitzgerald was exhorting Vancouver’s Sikhs to heed the Ghadarite call and return to India to take up the fight. Within two years, half of British Columbia’s roughly 2,000 Sikhs had done just that.

The Socialist Party provided the Komagata Maru’s legal defence in Vancouver, which was no small affront to “progressive” thinking at the time. British Columbia’s labour movement and left-wing leadership had been rife with racist hooliganism ever since B.C.’s assortment of socialist leagues and union councils coalesced into the Provincial Progressive Party in 1902. Fractious and comically sectarian, the one thing the party delegates firmly agreed on at their founding convention was that Asian immigrants should be barred from Canada.

All this is not to say that the Komagata Maru passengers were not treated abysmally, or that none of the passengers intended to settle peacefully in Canada, or that they were not subjected to racist immigration rules, or that Canada has nothing to apologize for, or that the passengers were not unjustly denied permission to disembark in Vancouver. But to cast them all in the role of “victims,” as Trudeau put it, commits an indignity against the truth and dishonours the cause of Indian freedom to which the Ghadarites and their eccentric, ahead-of-their-time socialist friends were so passionately committed. Parliamentary apologies are all well and good, but a formal House of Commons’ acknowledgment of their bravery would have been a more worthy tribute.

During his apology for Canada’s role in the Komagata Maru affair last week, Trudeau said this: “When we make mistakes, we must apologize, and recommit ourselves to doing better.”

This is a fine sentiment. We might also hope that committing ourselves to being a bit more honest about Canada’s past, rather than just putting history to the purpose of making ourselves appear so much better than our forebears, should be something to strive for, too.

National Post

India Is A 'Guru' And We Are Chelas (Followers), We Are Reliable Chelas: Dalai Lama

India Is A 'Guru' And We Are Chelas (Followers), We Are Reliable Chelas: Dalai Lama
Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama today said deprivation of social justice in the name of caste was due to feudal systems that exist in our societies, and it has nothing to do with religion.

Calling himself the messenger of ancient Indian values and knowledge, the Dalai Lama said, "India is a guru and we are chelas (followers), we are reliable chelas, because we have preserved your ancient knowledge."

"I also consider myself as the son of India as every part of my brain cells are filled with ancient Indian knowledge and my body is because of Indian rice and dal."

Deprivation from social justice in the name of caste was not from religion, but it was from existing societal systems like feudal system, the Dalai Lama said speaking at the state level seminar on 'Social Justice and Dr BR Ambedkar' in Bengaluru.

He said culturally it was a negative aspect that exists in our society and it must be removed. Even in the name of religion and religious systems, there were some feudal practices and "it should not be there".

Stating that through education caste related injustice could be wiped out, the Dalai Lama said through education the sense of inferiority feeling that was present in certain sections of the people must be wiped out.

14th Dalai Lama
The 14th Dalai Lama is the current Dalai Lama. Dalai Lamas are important monks of the Gelug school, the newest school of Tibetan Buddhism which is nominally headed by the Ganden Tripas. Wikipedia
Born: July 6, 1935 (age 81), Taktser, China
Full name: Lhamo Dondrub
Residence: McLeod Ganj, India
Influenced by: Gautama Buddha, Mahatma Gandhi, More
Quotes
Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.
Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.
This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness.
"...so that there is a sense of equality, so that they  can build self confidence. Through self confidence, hard work and education once can achieve equality," he said.

On ancient Indian values and knowledge, the Dalai Lama said it must be revived in the country, as "it is not ancient, but most relevant".

He said ancient Indian knowledge and values along with modern technology can do great for the country as one can  attain mental comfort with ancient knowledge and physical  comfort through modern knowledge.

"...ancient knowledge and values side by side with  modern science is worthy for the society," he said.

Noting that everybody wants to be happy and they have that right, he said, "if we consider rest of the humanity as brothers and sisters, there is no chance for exploitation.

Buddha dharma is Indian dharma as most of its teachings and knowledge came from the country, he said pointing out that ancient Indian values like karuna and ahimsa had reached millions of people across the world with the spread of Buddhism.

Pointing out like in many other religions, Buddhism had also different philosophies originating from different schools of thought, he said, "we need different philosophical views."Wonderful people with great teachings have come form from diverse faith and philosophical backgrounds, but with a common message of love and compassion, as also good 'karma.'



"Any activity which brings happiness is a positive karma and that makes uncomfortable is negative karma," he added.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and leader of Congress party in Lok Sabha Mallikarjuna Kharge participated in the seminar organised by the Social Justice Department of Karnataka government to commemorate Ambedkar's 125th birth anniversary.

Hungry Sea Lion Drags Little Girl Into Water At Richmond, B.C., Wharf In A Dramatic Video

VANCOUVER — The man who shot heart stopping video of a sea lion snatching a little girl off a Vancouver-area wharf says at first he froze.

"I was just in shock. I didn't know what to do at first," Michael Fujiwara said a day after he shot the video on Saturday that shows the sea lion lunge up, grab the little girl's white dress and pull her down into the water at the Steveston Wharf in Richmond, B.C.

The terrifying video that Fujiwara posted online shows a man immediately leaping into the water, scooping up the child and hauling her to safety.

Fujiwara, 23, said he believes the man is the girl's grandfather, and he grabbed both of their hands to help pull them back up to the dock.

"I was just panicking, actually. I've never seen anything like that before. I just didn't know how to react," said Fujiwara who was having coffee at the wharf when he decided to pull his phone out to take some video of the sea lion swimming by the wharf moments before it snatched the girl.

"Everyone just thought it was super friendly and all, but seconds later the girl decided to sit on the side of the dock and that's when the sea lion decided to jump out and drag her into the water," Fujiwara said.

The family was visibly shaken by the incident, Fujiwara added, and immediately left the area.

Sea lion
Animal
Sea lions are sea mammals characterized by external ear flaps, long foreflippers, the ability to walk on all fours, and short, thick hair, big chest and belly. Wikipedia
Scientific name: Otariinae
Lifespan: 20 – 30 years
Rank: Subfamily
Higher classification: Eared seal
Did you know: Sea lions and seals are also capable of making extraordinarily deep dives of up to 200 metres for 20 minutes or more, then rapidly surfacing with no ill effects. arkive.org

Fujiwara posted the video online Saturday and by Sunday afternoon, the video had been viewed more than 2.6 million times on YouTube, and shared more than 700 times on Twitter.

Bob Baziuk, general manager of the Steveston Harbour Authority, said watching the video made his stomach turn.

Sea lion drags girl into Steveston waters 

"It's an unfortunate incident, first and foremost. I hope the little girl's okay," he said. "But we've been trying to get that message out for years and years — don't feed the animals. You're just asking for trouble when you do that."

California sea lions often visit the area on their migratory cycle, hoping for handouts from fisherman, but signs are posted warning people not to feed any of the animals, Baziuk said.

"It's kind of staggering and it's a really unfortunate incident. But it happened and now that video is the poster child for why you don't (feed the sea lions)," he said.

Danielle Hyson, a senior marine mammal trainer at the Vancouver Aquarium, said there has been an uptick in people feeding wildlife around the Vancouver area, from bears to birds. That behaviour leads to an increased number of dangerous close encounters.

"The more and more we feed wild animals, the more and more we're putting our selves at risk for those situations," she said.

Hyson said Fujiwara's video appears to show the sea lion getting increasingly frustrated as the feeding stops.

"You saw him kind of initially lunge out of the water and give a little huff. That's what we would call an aggressive precursor," she explained. "So he's letting the people know that he's starting to get frustrated. And in that situation, the people should have backed off right away."

Frustration can lead to aggression, Hyson added, noting that male California sea lions are powerful animals that can weigh more than 200 kilograms.

Despite their power, the marine mammals have big eyes and whiskers that can tug on human heart strings.

"They look cute and I know people have a natural fascination with them. They look like they're water dogs but they absolutely are not," Hyson said.

The trainer said she's also concerned about the little girl's health after watching the video. If the child suffered any sort of puncture or broken skin, she could be at risk of an infection that doctors could find difficult to treat.

"Seals and sea lions can carry some pretty nasty bacteria in their mouth," Hyson said.

The Vancouver Aquarium is encouraging the family to get in touch for more information on how to handle a possible infection.

Despite Manchester Attack, Britain's Impressive Record of Foiling Terror Rivals Even Israel's

Suicide bombing unlikely to change U.K.'s largely successful security policy

Anshel Pfeffer May 23, 2017

An armed police officer stands at Manchester Piccadilly railway station in Manchester, U.K., on Tuesday, the day after a suicide bombing killed at least 22 people at a pop concert in the city.  Matthew Lloyd/Bloomberg

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The suicide bombing Monday night in the heart of Manchester, which killed at least 22 people on their way out of a pop concert, is the worst terror attack in Britain in 12 years. But it shouldn’t surprise anyone. The local security forces have succeeded in preventing hundreds of similar attacks in the past decade and it was only a matter of time until one would succeed.

Manchester has a special place in the history of the terror campaign waged at the end of the last century by the Irish Republican Army against British targets. In the Arndale Shopping Center bombing in June 1996, the IRA planted a truck laden with explosives in the city’s commercial center and destroyed or severely damaged dozens of historic buildings. The bombing is remembered due to the wreckage, not the casualty list. The IRA stuck to its practice of giving prior telephone warning of bombs planted in civilian areas and nearly 80,000 people were evacuated on time. Two hundred were wounded by flying debris. Manchester center was rebuilt at the cost of over a billion pounds.


In recent years Britain is facing a very different wave of terror. Young native-born Britons, who have undergone Islamic radicalization — some, members of the local Muslim community, others, who converted to Islam — are embarking on suicide missions with a knife, vehicle or makeshift explosive device, assembled through online instruction. A terror campaign without a network of cells and set of rules that gave a semblance of order to the Irish terror.

Britain has been contending with this different brand of terror since the devastating attacks on London’s public transport system in July 2005. Despite the attackers’ occasional success the security services have been dealing with them well. The criticism raised after every major terror incident — of security policy on the European continent, on the leniency towards radical groups, the lack of coordination and intelligence-sharing between agencies and governments, and patchy electronic surveillance of potential suspects — are largely irrelevant in Britain’s case.



Britain’s intelligence and counterterrorism agencies have been on the highest terror alert now for years and have the use of the most advanced technological and legal tools which have enabled them to prevent dozens of attacks every year.

Like other Western countries, Britain is facing a new pattern of terror — “lone wolf” attacks by individuals, rather than organized networks, and so far it is doing so relatively well. And no less importantly, it has succeeded in doing this without any noticeable change to daily life — not even in central London, where an attack near parliament in March claimed five lives. Britain’s high terror prevention rate rivals Israel’s. Over the next few days, as more details emerge, it will become clearer what, if anything, the security services knew about the perpetrator of Monday night's attack. But it is unlikely that this will provide a reason for any drastic change in British counter-terror strategy.
This is the second British election campaign reaching its peak in the shadow of domestic terror. Last year, eight days before the referendum on Britain’s membership in the European Union, Member of Parliament Jo Cox was murdered by a white supremacist because of her pro­-immigration views. Cox was also a campaigner for Britain remaining in the EU but her murder didn’t seem to affect the referendum’s outcome. Early this morning, leaders of the main parties in Britain announced that they were suspending their election campaigns until further notice, but it’s hard to believe that such a tragic incident won’t have a political impact.

The general election in two and a half weeks has become, to a large degree, a personal contest between Prime Minister and Conservative party leader Theresa May, who is asking for the voters’ confidence based on her personal record in government, and Labour leader and veteran radical left activist Jeremy Corbyn. Until nine months ago, May was the Home Secretary, the minister in charge of domestic security and counter-terrorism. She held the post for five years. As details emerge regarding the circumstances of the attack and identity of the attacker, there may well be criticism of the work of the agencies May was in charge of. On the other hand, the Manchester attack is also likely to remind voters of many of Corbyn’s past statements like those blaming Western governments’ policies for previous terror incidents. They may also recall his support for the IRA cause (though in recent days, under media pressure he has condemned their bombing attacks) — and of course, his invitation to members of Hezbollah and Hamas, whom he called "our friends" to visit British parliament.

Canada Expresses Regret After India Takes Up Entry Denial To Ex-Policeman Tejinder Singh Dhillon

Darpan News Desk IANS, 23 May, 2017

Canada on Tuesday expressed regret over denial of entry to a retired Indian police officer on the ground that the Indian government engages in "terrorism, systematic or gross human rights violations, or genocide" after India took up the matter.

"We are aware of media reports that an Indian national was denied entry to Canada, despite having had a valid visa. We regret any inconvenience that may have been experienced by this individual and their family," Canada's High Commissioner to India Nadir Patel said in a statement.

"Canada's privacy laws prevent me from commenting further," he added.

Earlier in a briefing, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay said: "We have seen the news report regarding denial of entry by Canadian authorities to a senior retired Indian police officer," in response to a question.

"Such a characterisation of a reputed force like the CRPF is completely unacceptable," he said.

"We have taken up the matter with the Government of Canada."

According to a report in the Hindustan Times, Tejinder Singh Dhillon, who retired with the rank of Inspector General of Police from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in 2010, was declared inadmissible under a subsection of Canada's Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

The report cited a document given to Dhillon at the airport that stated he was a "prescribed senior official in the service of a government that, in the opinion of the Minister, engages or has engaged in terrorism, systematic or gross human rights violations, or genocide, a war crime or a crime against humanity".

"I have been travelling to Canada for the past 30 years but this is the first time he (and his wife who was with him) faced such acute humiliation, insult and hurt," Mr Dhillon told.

He was to spend a couple of days with friends in Vancouver before going to his daughter’s home in Seattle in the US and travelling back to Toronto for the main objective of the trip – to attend his niece’s wedding in the suburb of Brampton.

But his questioning in Vancouver on May 18 lasted nearly seven hours and only ceased on the intervention of a friend, who had been waiting outside the airport to pick up the Dhillons.

This isn't the first time that the Canada has refused to let officers of the Indian security establishment into the country.

The last time that a denial of visas to serving and retired security officers had cast a shadow on relations between the two countries was in 2010.

Outrage in New Delhi and the Indian community in Ottawa had prompted the Canadian foreign ministry to make a public statement on its highest regard for India's democratic institutions and processes and also respect for India's armed forces and related institutions.

In his statement, Patel, who is himself of Indian origin, noted that Canada continued to welcome record numbers of Indians for study, tourism, business, and visiting friends and family and that "from time to time, with such a large number of applications, oversights on visa applications can happen which is regrettable".

"In situations where established procedures may not have been followed, a review takes place to avoid any reoccurrence (sic)," he said, adding that form letters used by the Canadian government "include generic language taken from Canada's legislation".

"In this case, the language does not reflect the Government of Canada's policy toward India or any particular organisation, including the Central Reserve Police Force of India," he said, adding the CRPF "plays an important role in upholding law and order in India".

This is the latest incident that has put India-Canada bilateral relations under a lot of stress.

Last month the Ontario Assembly in Canada passed a motion that recognises the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in India that killed over 2,500 people, as genocide.

The motion, which was passed 35 to 5 on April 6, was moved by Harinder Malhi, an MP of Indian origin from Brampton-Springdale district.

SHOCKING INDICTMENT ON NAJIB REGIME: I AM DISAPPOINTED WITH IGP, SAYS PASTOR KOH’S WIFE

You cannot expect the fox who guards the chicken coop to catch the other foxes as it will be morally wrong among the foxes

PETALING JAYA – The wife of missing pastor Raymond Koh, Susanna Liew, has expressed her disappointment with the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar for investigating her husband’s alleged proselytising instead of solving his abduction.

Liew said her trust has been in vain after she had read a report in a Malay daily on April 6 stating that the police are investigating her husband and unnamed others for allegedly trying to convert unnamed Muslim youths in Perlis.


“According to the IGP, Raymond is now being investigated under Section 298 (A)(1) of the Penal Code for trying to disrupt the country’s harmony by using religion.

“The victim is being investigated? Why? How will this help find him or bring his abductors to justice?” she asked during a press conference at a law firm, here, today.

Also present during the press conference, were Raymond’s daughters Esther Koh, 32, Elizabeth Koh, 21, counsel Phillip Koh, Suaram executive director Sevan Doraisamy and Caged activist Thomas Fann.

Battling tears, Susanna said she specifically asked the IGP, face-to-face on March 23, to ensure the investigations into Raymond’s abduction doesn’t become an excuse to harass, investigate and prosecute him, his family, his friends and colleagues.

“What my children and I want most of all is the release of my husband safe and sound, and for his abductor and their accomplices to be brought to justice,” she said.

While Susanna remains open to meeting the police personally to follow up on her husband’s disappearance, she did not rule out the possibility that “people in power” are linked to this and may know more than they are admitting regarding the case.

“I cannot rule that out. Based on the way the authorities have behaved in the last 100 days, there is a possibility.

“This has also been expressed by so many people in public and private,” she said commenting on the lack of progress in the abduction which happened exactly 100 days, today.

Given there is no significant progress by the police in the case, Susanna said she had no recourse but to appeal to others for help.

“On May 15, Suaram through International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) submitted an urgent action to the UN’s Working Group on Enforced Disappearance, on my behalf.

“I am grateful that they have stepped up to help me on this,” she said.

Meanwhile, Esther told reporters the last time the family met with the police regarding the case was on March 23, adding that she has been calling the police for updates about once a week since then.

“But whenever I ask for updates, the police say that there are no new developments,” Esther said, adding that she last contacted the police on Thursday.

On the morning of Feb 13, the 62-year-old was abducted by a group of masked men less than 100m from a police housing complex in SS4, Kelana Jaya. Video footage from CCTVs in the area showed seven vehicles, including three black four-wheel drive vehicles, forcing his car to a stop in the middle of the road.

The drivers then used their vehicles to box in Raymond’s car and prevent him from driving off.

A few of the masked men are seen swarming Raymond’s car while their accomplices, including at least two on motorcycles, ensured no onlookers intervened.

Less than a minute later, Raymond is apparently overpowered and his car bearing registration plate ST5515D is seen being driven away, with the other abductors following hurriedly.

– Sundaily