Hungry And Desperate

Refugees Face Death While Seeking Freedom
(Footsteps In The Dark series)

(North Korea denies "death camps" yet satellite images show the camps clearly.)

Defection from North Korea is simply defined as crossing the border without expressed permission by the state. Those who are treated as second class citizens in the system are not allowed to ever leave the country. The fear that they might not return isn't really exaggerated in a country where mass starvation is a persistent threat to the underclass. Given the chance these abuses peasants would rush the borders in a heart beat. Yet the North Koreans making it out aren't from the lowest cast of North Korea's communists system. Instead the defectors are coming from the youth of all classes (with the exception of the elites). 

Young Koreans in the North have some idea of what awaits just beyond the fortified borders. The lies they have been fed all their lives cause reasonable doubts. Yet these young North Koreans compose the bulk of refugees attempting to illegally flee the country. And given the challenges that face them on the other side they are either just naive to believe freedom is possible or desperate enough to die for it. 

Regardless of what brings them out of the country that has kept them as slaves from birth, the first steps these young Korean defectors face are terrifying. In just moments they go from being disenchanted North Koreans to being stateless. The country they find themselves in, China, is hostile toward them. The people they are suddenly surrounded by can't really be trusted. And the bribes, the lies, the danger that got them out of North Korea are all just the beginning of what they now face. 

On the other side they are met by a country of wolves. Citizens of China have been bribed with rewards for spotting and turning in Korean refugees. The police in China are ruthless in their attempts to root out any North Koreans attempting to make their way to safety. This all further complicated by the presence of North Korean agents sent over into China to spot and capture North Koreans on the run.

Hiding, Starving, And Desperate.

“If these refugees are found in China, the Chinese government sends them back to North Korea, where they will face imprisonment or death,” ~ Yoon Sun Na

The only thing refugees from North Korea have is their ability to go unnoticed. Anything, any little minor detail, can out them as a defector from the dreaded North. A loose word, a misspoken statement, can raise the suspicions of an eavesdropper. Anyone and everyone they come across is therefore met with suspicion. Every smile is a mask and every handshake a possible handcuff.

When North Koreans flee they are often in search of food. Hunger is a major motivator for those who dare to cross the border into China. They take to desperate measures to find anything that they can use as food. For the nine recently returned youth who were captured in Laos this had meant digging through discarded food. They were reported to have mixed fish bones and rice into porridge just to have something to eat. Then they would consume toothpaste in an effort to help digest what food they had managed to scavenge.

These stories seem hard to believe in a world where we have a McDonalds on every block and a Starbucks in every spare corner. Food surrounds those of us in the West. And for the developing economy in China this is starting to become more normal. The constant presence food becomes a luxury for us as we take every spare moment to indulge in some form of it. So much so that we don't often pay attention to the food itself.

For the North Koreans, especially those outside Pyongyang, life is rarely defined by food in the aspect of what they recently ate. Rather food becomes a milestone that they struggle to reach as the days pass without it. Children who have been abandoned or made orphans are even worse off as they take to eating whatever they can find. Grass, tree bark, and at times clay become sources of material with which to fill their stomachs. This is in spite of the fact that North Korea claims to be prospering.

Once outside North Korea these young refugees use their life long experience with hunger to keep themselves moving. They know that the food they find is not free. There is always a price for scavenging whether it is social or physical punishment. Then there is the reality that being seen scavenging can be a red flag for the ever-prying eyes of a hostile world.

For 70-80% of the North Korean girls and women that flee the threat of hunger and forced repatriation is further complicated by human trafficking. When these desperate girls are over the border they become targets for traffickers that are more than willing to exploit the victims illegal status in China. These numbers are also added to by traffickers that lure North Korean women over the border in the first place; promising freedom, safety, food, and shelter all as ploys to enslave the would be refugee.

For those who manage to evade forced repatriation to the North, trafficking by criminals, and starvation as they run... the journey has only begun.

There is no safe harbor in China for North Koreans on the run. Once over the border these refugees must continue moving toward Mongolia, Laos, Thailand, Russia, or find ways over the border elsewhere. The path they choose is often decided shortly after fleeing North Korea or is determined by what networks they can find after arrival. This short window of deciding whether to hide where they are at or run further is the most dangerous time these refugees face. It is in this window that they risk all the dangers of being exposed, captured, or trafficked.

The Railroad System

Over the years of isolation North Koreans have endured there has been progress made in alleviating there suffering. Networks across the border have been forged as countless organizations strive to establish routes upon which to smuggle refugees out of China. These organizations play constant games of cat and mouse with authorities who remain determined to stem the flow of Korean refugees. Every move they make not only risk the safety of the refugees but also the security of the network they have forged. 

The most notable case as of recently where the system has failed was in Laos where the Laotian government agreed to forcibly repatriate 9 young Korean refugees. This illustrated to the world that China's long held agreement with the North goes well beyond it's borders. When refugees begin to feel safe they are often still well within reach of the red states' grasp. Meaning for most that they must either reach South Korea or get as far away from China as possible. 

For organizations that can manage to cart refugees out of China's reach this is an expensive endeavor. For the organization Liberty in North Korea (LiNK) this can cost 2,500 dollars to get a refugee to safety. That is a price that is almost comparable to the average cost a trafficked person is sold for in Cambodia or Thailand. And yet in this case it is the cost of freedom for these North Korean individuals.

With the help of donations and private funding LiNK is able to do amazing things for refugees that have faced a living nightmare while escaping what some call "hell on earth".

A simple donation of 100 dollars can provide shelter for refugees and refugee rescue teams along the journey to safety. 

A donation of 250 dollars can provide the basic necessities to refugees needed by North Korean refugees; including food, water, clothing, and medical attention. 

A larger donation of 500 dollars can give refugees safe transportation to countries where they can be safe from forced repatriation (including cars and buses). 

And for those who are able, a donation of 2,500 can provide all the funds needed to bring a refugee to safety and liberty. 

This is just one of the organizations helping North Koreans reach a better life and escape from a regime that has denied them so much. Through there work they contribute to an extensive underground railroad system that is bringing desperate refugees to safety. And you can help...

By visiting, promoting, and donating to LiNK you can help scream on behalf of the North Korean people. Using your voice you can help to fight the dehumanization that North Koreans have had to live with in their homeland and the prejudices they face outside it. You can echo their voices to a world that knows so very little about their struggle. And you can put your money and time to use by helping to give hope where it is most needed. 

Please visit LiNK today and watch how you can support the #BridgeToNorthKorea.

This is the second article on this subject. We will continue to highlight the struggle of North Koreans and what you can do to help them in future articles. If you would like to learn more please read our source documents, contacts us on Twitter (@alders_ledge), or follow us on Facebook (key words: Alder's Ledge). And most of all, to learn more about the organization highlighted above, visit: http://libertyinnorthkorea.org/bridge/

Source Documents

*Note: not all sources listed.

Washington Times

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/oct/1/9-north-korean-defectors-may-have-been-executed-up/

National Post
http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/09/27/we-were-slave-owners-ex-prison-guard-taught-to-view-north-korean-inmates-as-sub-human-enemies/

Pipe Dream
http://www.bupipedream.com/news/22956/n-korean-refugee-recounts-escape-seo-recalls-starvation-journey-to-america/

Daily Mail
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2440178/Did-North-Korea-execute-children-defecting.html

Telegraph UK
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/10349298/Fears-over-fate-of-young-defectors-sent-back-to-North-Korea.html

Liberty in North Korea
http://libertyinnorthkorea.org/bridge/

The Dragon, Tiger, And Elephant

Land Of The Lost 

When my family first came to America they settled in the warmth of the Virginia mountains. In those calm mountains they made a better life for their future generations. The love for those beautiful mountains flows in my veins. It is a desire for their presence that never leaves my soul as I wander the world in search of a peace I will not find out from beneath their shadows. In the hills, among the trees and cool night air, my mind finds itself a sense of being at home.

The picture above reminded me of those Virginian mountains to which I'm so often drawn. In those old forest I see the warmth that first welcomed my ancestors to this land of the free. In those blue shadows I see the gentle peace that brought my family out of Europe's callousness. But I can't help but realize that despite the beauty of that picture there is something far different than freedom nestled in those mountains above.

The picture above is of the mountains in Azad Kashmir. Just to the east of those peaks lay the line of control... a demarcation between Indian and Pakistan. It is one of the world's most militarized zones. It is a place on the planet that two armies stand and stare at one another as a war that officially ended decades ago waits for the spark to reignite it. Millions of men wait to die on both sides of the wire. Millions of innocent souls wait to be caught up in the crossfire.

Kashmir is a land of lost beauty. Despite all the wonders it has to offer the world it is caught between three nations that make life impossible. Everything and everyone that remains between the three beasts does so with the constant reminder that death isn't far away. Every flower that blooms risk being savagely crushed beneath the heels of jackboots on their way to the next massacre. This is the irony of one of the world's most neglected lands... a paradise lost.

The Dragon

China is in Kashmir as it is in Tibet, an opportunistic savage. There is no better way to describe the persistent pain that China has created in the eastern portion of Kashmir. Through aggression and refusal to cede land it never really had claim to, China has injected itself into India and Pakistan's war. 

The area of Aksai Chin was forcibly annexed when in 1956-7 the Chinese military moved their forces into Ladakh to build a road capable of moving military equipment south from Xinjiang province. The excuse that the world has accepted is that China wanted to provide better communication between Xinjiang and Tibet. However this is hard to explain outside the realization that China occupies both Tibet and Xinjiang through military might and has no real claim to either. 

The desire to annex Aksai Chin led to a short but nasty little war in which India's line of control was shifted. This once again divided up the Kashmir and placed yet again more families on opposite sides of the fence. Pakistan took the opportunity to antagonize it's rival to the south by handing over even more land claimed by India at the end of the war. This once again added another layer to the conflict ridden area. 

As for China the move to invade the region was something of an effort to create a buffer zone between it's Muslim population in Xinjiang and the Muslims of Pakistan and Afghanistan. This show of unpunished aggression allowed China the ability to make it's presence felt in the Muslim world. It showed the Uyghur Muslims that the state could and would use force to keep Xinjiang... and every last inch of it. 

This use of force is still reflected upon today as China pumps Xinjiang and Tibet full of military and security personnel. The road that launched the conflict is still utilized to maintain the buffer zone between Islamic ethnic minorities in China and the rest of the Muslim world. Even with the Internet and television weakening that physical barrier, China still maintains it's presence in Aksai Chin. 

The Tiger

Pakistan is often accused of inflaming the Muslim population of Kashmir with propaganda and anti-Indian messages. During the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan the Pakistani government was accused of providing Afghan Mujahadeen with passage into the Kashmir. This claim, mainly by India, was used to explain the influx of Kashmiri nationalism as the youth of the region became increasingly disenfranchised. Though there is a little truth to the allegations that Pakistan has provided some assistance to militant groups operating on the opposite side of the wire the reality of brutal Indian policies should be first blamed. Yet the claims still persist to this day. 

The desire to absorb the Kashmir in it's entirety and the refuse to allow the Kashmir to express it's right to self-determination has been Pakistan's main failure. Unlike China, Pakistan does not appear to want any such buffer zone left between their country and India. The desire to claim the land is further expressed through Pakistan's constant highlighting of the reality that the Kashmir is predominately Muslim. This shows Pakistan's desire to finish the bloody mess the British left behind when the Sikhs, Muslims, and Hindus were left to race toward their respective homelands (in which the Sikhs were left empty handed).

This desire to force the Kashmir into Pakistan rule is not a new one. In 1947 the hellish fighting that ensued was a direct result of Pakistan's willingness to push it's will upon the Kashmiri people. The land had been left in a standstill as the rulers decided which country they wanted to join at the end of British rule. Pakistan sent in it's guerrillas to rush along the decision making process while India offered it's military to push back the Pashtuns. The war that followed was the exact reason that India now maintains a line of control and divides the Kashmir region with it's presence. 

Another result of the war is the Azad Kashmir district on the western edge of Kashmir. This strip of land is all that the Kashmir region has to show for it's first attempt at self-determination after the fall of British occupation. A sliver of land that echoes the mistakes of long dead men. 

Pakistan continues to antagonize the Kashmir people with promises of freedom. It shows the world one face while creating excuses for India's overreactions along the militarized line of control. Playing the victim, Pakistan attempts frequently to fly one flag while preparing to run up another. 

This toying with the fate of the Kashmiri people serves only to satisfy Pakistan's desire to rule the Kashmir region. It serves to keep the region in chaos as the Indian government shifts it's weight to maintain control. In this aspect the government of Pakistan seeks to inflict a death of a thousand cuts... biting the elephant ever so often just to keep it bleeding. As a result the Kashmiri people themselves pay for the callousness of Pakistan's actions. 

The Elephant

India's presence in the Kashmir region has little to do with protecting it's territory or the Hindu minority in the Kashmir state. It has mainly to do with taking what India views is rightfully it's own. When the British left the Indian government that took over was less than willing to recognize the right of Pakistan to exist. This meant that Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) was just as much a nuisance as Pakistan was to the newly founded India. These were all areas that the new nationalist felt rightfully belonged to the Indians themselves. After all, these were all lands that had historically been included in the Hindu realm of influence. 

Kashmir fell into the conflict that originated out of Britain's two state solution through the desire of India and Pakistan to segregate the states by religion. So despite India having no real reason to claim an area that was predominately Muslim, the new government took the opportunity to do just that. Disregarding the initial reason for two states, India took the first excuse that came along. 

When the Maharaja signed over their right to self-determination the Indian military flooded the Kashmir. In a war that threatened to engulf the entire region, the Indian pushed the Pakistani guerrillas out of the Kashmir. Then in a sign of things to come, India turned their guns on the Muslim civilians who they had been asked to protect. This was the initial excuse India used to invade the Kashmir. This was the first sign that India wanted to fulfill the promise of two states for two peoples of two different religions.

An often hidden aspect of India's occupation of the Kashmir are the abuses that the Indian government inflicts upon the Kashmiri people themselves. This was best illustrated during Ramadan when the Indian government violently responded to what began as peaceful anti-Indian protest. This once again highlighted the tension felt by Kashmiri people as they coup with the back and forth between India and Pakistan. It also however demonstrated the methods used by India as it shifts it's weight to crush any opposition to it's dominance in Kashmir. 

(Indian Police Fire Tear Gas At Protesters)

On Eid (the end of Ramadan) tensions flared between Hindus and Muslims as India began to crackdown on demonstrations against the government of India. In Jammu the violence became so incredibly dramatic that it overshadowed the Indian government's abuses across the Kashmir state. Curfews came into affect as the Indian security forces rounded up Muslims for what the state officially labelled "questioning". Those who continued to show passive resistance to the police state tactics were brought "under control" with violent force by the Indian military and police forces. 

What has followed can only be described as a blood bath.

This heavy-handed response to Kashmiri challenges to Indian rule shows the world that India has no intention of allowing a peaceful path forward for Kashmiri peoples seeking independence. Though the original British mandate had indicated the right of the Kashmiri people to choose for themselves to which (if either) government they wanted to belong, India claims they made their choice. There is no room in India's resolve to admit that the Kashmiri people were forced into submission. There is no room for admitting that a bribe was all it took to crush the soul of a people.

Self-determination

 

Without a peaceful path to change...

violence devours all.

Just as with the Uyghur, whom China attempts to subdue through ethnic cleansing, the Kashmiri people will continue to seek a path toward self-determination. Without the right to decide their own fate as a people, as a nation, they will strive toward that end goal relentlessly. It is a condition in the human spirit that is undeniable and cannot be withheld from any people. It is the part of a nation's spirit that gave rise to countries such as India in the first place. And yet it is the portion of the Kashmiri story that has been withheld from the start. 

Britain, in all its mistakes, realized that it could no longer control the destiny of modern nations through military dominance. The empire that never saw the sun set fell because it refused to allow ethnic, religious, and cultural groups the right to determine their own path forward. It was for this reason that many of the areas that the Brits left behind are still in turmoil today.

For Kashmir this hunger has devoured the beauty the land has to offer the world. The culture, the food, the knowledge; all are lost to war and greed. The beauty of it's mountains, it's people, and it's heritage; all are withheld as three beasts of nations continue to rip it's people apart.

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Some of the Source Documents used:

New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/12/world/asia/curfews-imposed-in-indian-held-kashmir.html?_r=0

http://india.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/08/14/the-flames-of-kishtwar/

Huffington Post 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/10/indian-kashmir-protests_n_3737437.html

Channel News Asia

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/curfew-extended-in-indian/772624.html

Gulf Times

http://www.gulf-times.com/india/185/details/362370/kashmir-town-under-curfew-after-violence

Independent.ie

http://www.independent.ie/world-news/kashmir-protesters-take-to-streets-29486019.html

Voice Of America 

http://www.voanews.com/content/police-clash-with-protesters-in-indian-kashmir/1726504.html

Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind

China's Silent Crackdown

China has decided to increase it's heavily armed police presence across the Xinjiang region. Locals of both the Uyghur and Han ethnic groups have reported that there are more Chinese troops in the region than in any year since 2009. Riot police routinely block access to mosque and patrol Uyghur villages and neighborhoods. Freedoms that are taken for granted in the West are now alien to the oppressed peoples of Xinjiang

The official excuse for the sudden tidal wave of Chinese police in the province is the June 2009 ethnic violence in Urumqi. Yet this year things seem to have gotten out of control. While small shows of dissent around the morbid anniversary are just as much a tradition now as the increased police presence has become, this year is worse. This year is a turn for the worse.

Peaceful displays of contempt were replaced by a violent attack on police by knife wielding civilians. This violent spark was all it took to bring down the heel of the Chinese jackboots. With the excuse secured, the Chinese government decided to show it's muscle by bringing in combat ready police units. Security forces bristled as Ramadan approached. The dogs of war had come to Xinjiang over what could had been handled by local police forces.

This over reaction by China has become typical as the communist leaders continue to push a narrative of "jihad and a "war on terror" in it's far western province. The opportunistic politicians in Beijing have utilized the "unrest" of their own making to push economic growth at the expense of local citizens. This over development of Xinjiang has allowed the Chinese to shift it's growing economy off the eastern shores and out onto the mineral rich lands of Xinjiang. It has also allowed however the racism of the ruling political class to disrupt the social structure that previously existed in Xinjiang.

For decades this tinge of racism has inundated Xinjiang as government schools have pushed the idea that Han Chinese are superior to the Uyghur minorities. This is highlighted by the continued segregation of Uyghur children from Han children. Those who are placed in the same classes with Han students far too often suffer abuse at the hands of teachers and pupils alike. Yet the state does nothing to correct either the abuse or the segregation the abuse is used to justify.

Then there are the state programs that offer Han benefits for moving to Xinjiang while the state simultaneously attempts to push Uyghur citizens out. Taking Uyghur females to the East to work in what amounts to forced labor has been a long running trait of the Chinese government. This practice alone could push any good intentioned individual to the point of questioning the state's motives. It not only acts as a state sponsored method of deportations but threatens the ethnic group as a whole.

All of this has been done this year under the weight of a massive police buildup. A buildup that has allowed China to begin what some speculate is a "silent crackdown". This means that China is sweeping through Uyghur neighborhoods and mosque making mass arrest. Only this time they aren't chasing the Uyghur around the city beating their victims where everyone can see. This time China is collecting their victims in night raids and door to door arrests.

Since August 8th Uyghur have reported that the attendance at mosque has been down at least by three quarters what it was prior. This is in part due to unreasonable bans on prayer times and travel for Uyghur Muslims. It also is believed to be in part due to the silent crackdown that has been occurring for over around a week now.

Imams have reported that Uyghur youth are not able or do not dare show up for prayers after the August 7th police violence (in which the Chinese police shot a four year old girl). Some have pointed to the conclusion that many of the youth may be among the "detained". This would mean that the Chinese are collecting the youth of the Uyghur community just as they did prior to Ramadan in areas of Xinjiang.

Aykol Uyghur Suffer Mass Arrests 

After Eid Massacre

The main reason for the mass arrest in Aykol has been the police violence that occurred on August 7th. The incident began with what China's police viewed as a "routine arrest". The state official had directed police to gather two individuals on the charges of "unlawful religious practices". When the crowd at the mosque gathered to watch the arrests the inevitable happened. The police decided to antagonize the onlookers with their usual displays of force.

When the situation began to deteriorate it wasn't from lack of the officers' best efforts. The Uyghur crowd asked why the two men were not allowed to enter in and pray and simply be arrested afterward. That is when the police decided to show their force in a more profound manner... live ammunition. 

Civilians report that around one third of the crowd began to retaliate with rocks as the police popped off shot after shot. Another third of the crowd offered moral support as they backed off the battle lines that promptly formed. While the remaining third began to break and run. 

This wasn't the fire fight that China has reported. It wasn't a running battle either. This was the result of rabid police who had been encouraged to use deadly force at the drop of a hat. This was a small group of Uyghur civilians who had been pushed too far and had decided to defend themselves by any means. No, this wasn't the shoot out that the police told state media. This was savagery... state sponsored savagery. 

A young girl, only four years of age, paid in blood for the lack of self-control that the police showed that day. From their lack of integrity this young girl learned a lesson, for right or for wrong, that police in her country can't be trusted. That lesson, learned from the sting of a bullet, isn't one that goes way simply because the state tells you it is wrong either. That is a lesson that will forever be remembered in the scar it left behind. 

As for the Uyghur community in Aykol and the surrounding area, this tragic attack left at least four dead and around 50 (updated from 21) injured. It was not only a stain upon the community's Eid celebrations but was the start of a police siege of the village and surrounding area. This blood bath brought the Uyghur community only more suffering in the week that has followed it.

Sweeping through the area the police collected around 300 to 400 Uyghurs. Officially the victims of this roundup are just in for questioning. However many of the family members believe that their imprisoned relatives are on their way to long term detention. This fear is accompanied by the reality that China has recently sentenced Uyghur to death for similar alleged offenses. And since China executes (at times publicly) more civilians than any other country in the world, this fear is very real to the hundreds of Uyghur the Chinese have arrested over the past week. 

Time To Scream

In response to China's heightened police presence in Xinjiang province we would like to invite all those who read this to "scream" with Alder's Ledge. We understand that this tragedy is not as dramatic as those occurring in Syria, Egypt, and other war torn areas of the world. Yet it is our duty and the mission of Alder's Ledge to scream for all oppressed and suffering peoples of our sad little world. And for this reason we have decided to relentlessly cover the suffering of the Uyghur people. We want to bring a light into the dark reality that is the plight of the Uyghur community. And to do this we need you... we need your voice. 

Screaming is easy in this modern world. Almost too easy, yet it is essential. 

All you have to do is put your voice out there and tell the stories of the Uyghur who are suffering under China's oppressive system. You can do this by sharing articles like this one on your social media outlets. You can do this by starting the conversation in your own way on Twitter, Facebook, or better yet... in person. 

Your voice can break the silence that surrounds these tragic events. All you have to do is use it. All you have to do is scream.

Want to learn more about this issue or others covered by Alder's Ledge?

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No Shelter Here

Europe's Roma Find No Safety In West
(Roma in Europe series)

"If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich."
~JFK

"...especially Roma gypsies, have suffered harassment at home. Ever thought there might be a reason for that?" ~ Richard Littleton of the Daily Mail

If you are not prone to using radicalized hate speech then you probably don't often expose yourself to it. Yet when you do hear it, you always know what it is. Mr. Littleton's statement is exactly that. The desire to single out an ethnic minority and pin all of England's problems to their backs exposes Littleton for what he is. Racist. 

This is the one of the largest problems that Romani people face upon fleeing oppression at the hands of political parties like Jobbik back in Eastern Europe. The sudden realization that the hate from which they fled in Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, and the Czech Republic forces Roma to realize that upward mobility in the West is just as impossible as back home. With the hate filled zealots like Richard feeding fascist like the English Defense League (EDL) the Roma face homegrown radicalism in England. 

This same sense of gluttony when dealing with hate speech is not limited to swine like Richard alone however. In the American Conservative you can find the same sense of ethnocentric sludge that Mr. Littleton spews in the Daily Mail. With an American sense of bigotry, the writers at the American Conservative stop short of using N word in describing the Romani people. Instead they stick to the Romanian talking points by constantly referring to the Roma and Sinti people simply as "gypsies".

The persistent painting of the Roma people with a rather large brush is an attempt by bigots in the West to keep Roma on the outside of society. Their constant use of slurs shows an ingrained level of hatred that the Roma face in Western Europe. It is a form of bigotry that supports England's policy of keeping Roma on the road and France's policy of playing "human ping-pong".

When Roma who do suffer abuses and attacks back in Eastern Europe apply for asylum in the West they are granted little comfort in their new refuge. Children who have had swastikas carved in their skin by attackers are subjected to the new threat of being sent back to the East. As political and economic situations worsen in the West the Roma find themselves as the hot potato that nobody wants to be left holding when the economy turns back the other way.

Politicians in the West have promised to help Roma integrate into society for decades. In the Czech Republic the progress in this so called integration can be seen in the failures highlighted by Czech racism in the education process. Integration in the East can be seen by the official segregation that Roma face as Hungary and Romania enforce the existence of ghettos and unhealthy living conditions for Roma families. Yet people like Richard Littleton ignore this as they claim that absolutely no Roma actually attempts to integrate even when given the chance.

Officially all European Union countries are supposed to provide traveler stations and camp sites for all migrant communities. These are supposed to allow Roma and others the opportunity to have a place to stop along their journey out of oppressive conditions in the East. These stations are the first place that Western governments are given the opportunity to reach out to Roma families and offer paths out of an endless and painful cycle of poverty and desperation. Yet with people like Richard Littleton waiting there to slam the door shut... that never seems to really happen.

"If we could be confident that the new arrivals will contribute as much to our economy as some of their Eastern European neighbors, such as the Poles, we would have nothing to worry about."

~ Ricard Littleton's hate speech in the Daily Mail

Then on the other end of the spectrum we have people like Viktoria Mohácsi, a Roma woman who was recently an active EU politician, who have already proven Mr. Littleton wrong. By ascending to the top of her field in the EU parliament Mrs Mohácsi has shown that given the opportunity to compete with their fellow Europeans the Roma can accomplish amazing things. And yet at the same time Mrs Mohácsi shows Europe the hypocrisy in the bigoted stance that Europe takes with Romani people. For now that she has outlived her purpose in the EU government, Mrs Mohácsi faces deportation back to Hungary... where Jobbik extremist wait for her to return. 

With all this we, those of us who reject radicals like Littleton, must ask ourselves what it means to be an open society. If we can tolerate radical elements of our society keeping minority groups on the outside then we are never truly free. With the ability to decide who belongs and who must go we lose the essence of liberty. It is in this that we fail the ideals that built our sense of democracy. Through giving up even a little bit of freedom we risk losing them all. 

And as Abraham Lincoln said...

"Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves."

Source Documents
(note: not all sources listed)

The American Conservative
http://www.theamericanconservative.com/dreher/gypsies-roma-france/

Daily Mail UK
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2341253/If-think-pictures-Eastern-Europeans-camped-slums-British-towns-future-immigrants-think-again.html
-
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2336311/French-police-clear-gypsy-camp-new-crackdown-illegal-immigrants.html

Reuters
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/16/us-hungary-asylum-idUSBRE95F06O20130616?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews

Do You Talk Like A Racist?

Prejudice In Everyday Lingo

Sometimes our words get away from us in anger. Other times we are offensive without even knowing it.  Perhaps it’s ignorance, maybe one’s environment, or lack of exposure, but it paints an image of intolerance and bigotry. 

Many of such unacknowledged offensive words have been so ingrained into the everyday experience.  Words whose connotation is actually an insult or slur to a group of peoples.  It’s not always the word in and of itself that is demeaning, but the application.  Using words that would otherwise be used to describe an individual, versus allotting an individual to the description.  Example:  “He is Jewish” has a distinction from “He is a Jew.”  Application and implication of words that alone are not offensive, but in reference and intent can be damning. 

It’s not about being “PC” (politically correct).  In truth it is about being sensitive to the individual and being accountable with one’s words.  Certain terms and slang in front of someone who identifies with them (by choice or inadvertently) are simply not said.  Some words original creations have morphed and no longer have the same implications in modern slang.  Wouldn’t necessary call it an evolution, just no longer the jargon preferred or applicable in the present setting.  Though the majority may see it that way- the people/person it was once applied to may well remember and feel the wounds and scars these words inflict.  The question then arises, “why even incorporate such terms into one’s vernacular?”  If it is offensive in any circumstance- it should immediately draw one to the conclusion that such lingo should be removed entirely.

Humans are creatures of habit.  Repetition is the key to memorization and training.  Dehumanizing terms can condition the individual/community into “acceptance” and rationalizing the treatment and view of those who they believe are different.

"In dehumanizing others, we exclude them from the circle of moral obligation".  Using demeaning words is just one of the stepping stones to acts of intolerance and hate.

Credence needs to be given to the power of words.  They can instill emotions, cultivate memories, and implant perceptions.  By using racial slurs and demeaning terms, one is participating in dehumanization.  In the stages listed in genocide the importance of words acts as the fuel for the horrific result of human rights violations and death.  History has witnessed how words are manipulated and implanted in Nazi propaganda films equating Jews to rats, Rwanda radio broadcasts calling Tutsis cockroaches, and currently Rohingya being labeled kalar as reference to unclean and dark.  Words can be used to fan the flames of hate and intolerance just as they can be used to quench our need for love and hope. 

So think about how your words have the possibly to destroy or build.  Such phrases as "like a gypsy thief, Jewed them down, or that's retarded/gay" do not build a relationship and/or understanding.   They destroy the right to to be seen as a person; a human with a mind, body, and soul.  We must choose our words carefully.  The potential is there in our inner dialogue which leads to outward utterances, preceding our actions, which govern our everyday interactions and has impact whether one wants to realize it or not.

"The tongue has power over life and death; those who indulge it must eat its fruit." 
Proverbs 18:21

 Resources

1. Psychology today

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/philosophy-dispatches/201112/dehumanization-genocide-and-the-psychology-indifference-0

2. About.com

http://racerelations.about.com/od/diversitymatters/a/Five-Terms-You-Might-Not-Know-Are-Considered-Racist.htm

3. Beyond Intractability

http://www.beyondintractability.org/bi-essay/dehumanization

4. Genocide Watch

http://www.genocidewatch.org/aboutgenocide/8stagesofgenocide.htm

5. Peace & Collaborative development network

http://www.internationalpeaceandconflict.org/profiles/blogs/introduction-to-the#.UbNDcOupYXw

The Youth Of A Nation

Standing Toe-to-Toe With Fascism
(Uprising series)

~Hell To Pay

A fascist state is defined by how it treats its law abiding citizens. It is characterized by how it responds to dissenters and the voice of opposition. When a state resorts to brute force when met with peaceful resistance it crosses the line into fascism. When a state lines the streets with military like police battalions it defies the nature of a free society. Turkey is a fascist state.

For the past few days the world has been given a front row seat to a dog fight. The youth of Turkey have come out of the wood work to oppose the savage behavior of a cannibalistic regime. Pushed too far, the citizens of Istanbul have united under pressure that was meant to break them. Together they act as one. These are the youth of a nation that has grown tired of surrendering freedoms for promised security. These are Turkey's future that was are watching being beat down by a power drunk madman.

~The Spark

What began as a sit-in style demonstration to save a landmark park (Gezi Park) is now a firestorm that has spread across Turkey. Yet despite it's beginning and the reason for the fight is far from a park now. This battle is about the decade long dictorial rule of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan who has eroded individual liberties and the overall human rights of Turkish citizens. The continued march of Erdogan's regime toward an authoritarian state has left Turkish society unstable for years now. Gezi Park was just the spark that lit Turkey's youth ablaze.

The first rule of dictatorships is that you reward the indolent nature of the oppressed. You give them things like parks and the facade of liberty. If you wish to stay in power for decades on end you placate the underclass till they can't think for themselves. Erdogan simply wanted to steamroll the country as he forced his agenda upon the masses. For a decade the pompous tyrant has manipulated the media in Turkey and bullied his way through politics. Thus Erdogan was the one who lit the spark in the first place.

~The Fight

Only a few days old, Turkish police have turned peaceful protest into rolling battles that leave city streets reminiscent of the war zones just over the border in Syria. Unarmed civilians wrap cloth around their faces so as to keep the gas out of their lungs as they run for cover. Cops wielding riot gear form a phalanx before charging their prey as the rear guard lights up the street with water cannons and tear gas. The term "police brutality" seems mild when one looks at how Erdogan's dogs take the fight.

Holding signs and covering their eyes, the protesters wait to be gassed as they attempt to stand toe-to-toe with fascists. Is this what democracy looks like? Does one expect their government to sick the dogs on them when they oppose the regime's dictates? Should we bow our heads these gods on earth that rule our countries? Why should Turkish citizens be expected to remain calms as their master unleashes the hounds that lick their lips in anticipation?

~The Brave Ones

"Millions of Turkish citizens have been outraged by the violent reaction of their government to a peaceful protest aimed at saving Istanbul's Gezi Park.

Outraged, yet not surprised.

Over the course of Prime Minister Erdogan's 10-year term, we have witnessed a steady erosion of our rights and freedoms. Arrests of numerous journalists, artists, and even elected officials; restrictions on freedom of speech, women's rights, and even alcohol sales have all demonstrated that the ruling party is not serious about democracy. Time and again, the prime minister has mocked and trivialized his nation's concerns while Turkey's own media has remained shamefully silent.

The people protesting bravely throughout Turkey are the proud inheritors of Atatürk's legacy. We are not looters or extremists. We are students, teachers, workers, mothers, fathers. We represent various ethnicities and creeds, religions and ideologies. We stand united now because of our concern for Turkey's future.

We demand an end to police brutality.

We demand a free and unbiased media.

We demand an open dialogue, not the dictate of an autocrat.

We hope that you will join the conversation and stand with us in solidarity."

~ as reported on The Guardian

The people who have come out to fight back against the rule of an arrogant authoritarian aren't revolutionaries in the traditional sense. In their words, they demand to be heard without being met with police batons and tear gas canisters. The desire for freedom isn't revolutionary. The desire to be free to voice an opinion without the fear of violence isn't revolutionary. It is the natural state of man. For we are all born with the deep seeded desire for freedom. And once we have tasted even a little of it, we cannot settle for only a portion of it.

So why should the citizens of Turkey be expected to shut up and go home? Are they supposed to accept limitations to the freedoms they seek? Should they be willing to swallow the dictates of autocrats?

~Undemocratic Democracy

"Mr Erdogan says the protesters are undemocratic and have been provoked by the opposition Republican People's Party." ~ as reported by BBC News

The protest will only end when Erdogan decides he wants to start abiding by the nature of a true democracy. He must back away from the role of a dictator and reclaim his position as the prime minister of Turkey. If the people who have come out to oppose his overreaches are to continue to face violent repression then the fight will continue. Turkey cannot survive as it was if leaders like this one seek to alienate opposing political views and stifle the basic right to free speech. It is in this manner that Erdogan has created an undemocratic democracy for his own self serving purposes. 

As long as freedom is repressed the hunger for it will only continue to grow. With the advent of social media and an ever increasingly connected world, Turkey can no longer isolate it's citizens. Small samples of liberty will leak into even the most isolated societies. Like bread crumbs, these peaks at what true freedom has to offer only increase the desire for it. 

When a society reaches the breaking point... when it can no longer bear the weight of an outdated political system... even a park can become the first shot of a long and violent struggle. 

Source Documents
(Note: not all sources listed)

BBC News
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-22749750

The Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jun/05/whats-happening-in-turkey-occupy-gezi

Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/01/occupy-gezi-protest-erdogan_n_3371428.html

Ifex.org
http://www.ifex.org/turkey/2013/06/01/protests_spread/

One Mans Freedom Fighter...

-
Another Man's Terrorist.

It wasn't that long ago in the span of world history that a ragtag band of militias and bandits took what they needed from government to overthrow tyranny. Their fight was deemed in time to be righteous in the fact that it secured the liberty for millions. Yet at the time the tyrants they sought to cast off deemed them to be traitors and barbarians.

Many people today forget the horrors perpetrated upon the innocent during the American Revolution. We seem to imagine the British as professionals and proper soldiers. When yet in reality the British used mercenary thugs and scotched earth policies to put down the revolution. An untold number of American civilians were sacrificed to the cause of oppression Great Britain wanted to enforce. Innocent women and children were butchered as the men were tortured and executed.

And in spite of all this we fought on. Our flag was raised and our heads were held high in the face of a beast we could no longer tolerate. As the war raged on our will was forged in the fires of a hell we could no longer escape. This was a fight that engulfed our homes, our families, our country... yet we fought on seemingly alone.

In Syria a war much like that of our own is being waged. Innocent women and children are being sacrificed to Assad's thugs as their husbands, brothers, and fathers fight on in the face of a tyrannical beast they could no longer live under. All the while the world stands on the side lines and waits to see what will come from this fiery hell of a war. This is not a civil war... this is a fight for freedom... a battle for liberty... this is the struggle of the Syrian people to live as G-d intended.

No man should ever be made to bow to the boot of a dictator. No woman should be forced to watch her children laid to rest at the hands of a monster. And no child should have to plead not to be beaten to death by Shabiha thugs.

In recent days the UN has attempted to talk the guns out of the Syrian Free Army's hands. The UN has asked politely for Assad to step down and come to the table for peace talks. And not surprisingly the war continues even as the UN pretends to be working for peace. This seems to be a war with no end in sight.

So as you set down to your Fourth of July barbecues and watch the fireworks go up that night keep in mind that not all people get to enjoy this celebration of freedom we do. Remember for a moment those who are still dying for a chance to live free. After all, is it not our constitution that says so grandly that "All men are created equal..."? I don't recall any small print that claims "only if they live in our country".

Say a little prayer if that is all you can find in your heart to do. But if you feel a little bolder than that, share these post on your FaceBook, Twitter, or Instagram accounts. And if that doesn't help you sleep better at night, tell your congressmen or state representative that you want the United States to help save Syria and for once get rid of Assad.

 

Happy Fourth of July America. And for your in Syria... Allah Yekhaleek, our prayers are with you even if our country is not.