randomname

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/2078708

The Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide released a report in January 2025, “Eight Years On, China’s Repression of the Uyghurs Remains Dire: How China’s Policies in the Uyghur Region Have and Have Not Changed.” The report is authored by Rian Thum, Senior Lecturer in East Asian History, at the University of Manchester.

[...]

The [new] report finds that, given the available information, all of the policies that led to accusations of mass atrocities in the Uyghur region continue, and some are expanding. These findings should prompt deeper research into the nature of mass atrocities facing the Uyghur population and spark urgent, effective responses. In particular, the report recommends further research into emerging repressive strategies, including the intense network of electronic and human surveillance, curbs on religious practice, and the destruction of cultural heritage.

[...]

A list of boarding schools (pdf) newly built or expanded with new dormitories in 2023 and 2024. The sources are Chinese government construction tenders (formal requests for bids from contractors on a project) and state-approved media, with links to the sources provided in the table. Some of the sites are geolocated by comparison using details from the tender or media sources.

A list of prisons and kanshousuo (pdf), a type of internment facility, that have either been newly built or expanded from 2019 onward. Geolocation (associating names of documented facilities to exact coordinates) is based on the work and available sources on the Xinjiang Victims Database. Expansion and new construction dates are based on data satellite imagery, in most cases from Google Earth.

Using the list of kanshousuo identified by Xinjiang Victims Database from satellite imagery and government documents, this spreadsheet (pdf) provides an estimate of total kanshousuo capacity in Xinjiang at Chinese government standards. Government standards, available at Archive Today, dictate cell capacity of eight or 16 prisoners for the two standard cell sizes. Cell sizes and numbers were identified from the unroofed outdoor section that is mandated for each cell and is visible in satellite imagery. Google Earth and Apple Maps were the sources for satellite imagery.

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/2078708

The Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide released a report in January 2025, “Eight Years On, China’s Repression of the Uyghurs Remains Dire: How China’s Policies in the Uyghur Region Have and Have Not Changed.” The report is authored by Rian Thum, Senior Lecturer in East Asian History, at the University of Manchester.

[...]

The [new] report finds that, given the available information, all of the policies that led to accusations of mass atrocities in the Uyghur region continue, and some are expanding. These findings should prompt deeper research into the nature of mass atrocities facing the Uyghur population and spark urgent, effective responses. In particular, the report recommends further research into emerging repressive strategies, including the intense network of electronic and human surveillance, curbs on religious practice, and the destruction of cultural heritage.

[...]

A list of boarding schools (pdf) newly built or expanded with new dormitories in 2023 and 2024. The sources are Chinese government construction tenders (formal requests for bids from contractors on a project) and state-approved media, with links to the sources provided in the table. Some of the sites are geolocated by comparison using details from the tender or media sources.

A list of prisons and kanshousuo (pdf), a type of internment facility, that have either been newly built or expanded from 2019 onward. Geolocation (associating names of documented facilities to exact coordinates) is based on the work and available sources on the Xinjiang Victims Database. Expansion and new construction dates are based on data satellite imagery, in most cases from Google Earth.

Using the list of kanshousuo identified by Xinjiang Victims Database from satellite imagery and government documents, this spreadsheet (pdf) provides an estimate of total kanshousuo capacity in Xinjiang at Chinese government standards. Government standards, available at Archive Today, dictate cell capacity of eight or 16 prisoners for the two standard cell sizes. Cell sizes and numbers were identified from the unroofed outdoor section that is mandated for each cell and is visible in satellite imagery. Google Earth and Apple Maps were the sources for satellite imagery.

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/2078708

The Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide released a report in January 2025, “Eight Years On, China’s Repression of the Uyghurs Remains Dire: How China’s Policies in the Uyghur Region Have and Have Not Changed.” The report is authored by Rian Thum, Senior Lecturer in East Asian History, at the University of Manchester.

[...]

The [new] report finds that, given the available information, all of the policies that led to accusations of mass atrocities in the Uyghur region continue, and some are expanding. These findings should prompt deeper research into the nature of mass atrocities facing the Uyghur population and spark urgent, effective responses. In particular, the report recommends further research into emerging repressive strategies, including the intense network of electronic and human surveillance, curbs on religious practice, and the destruction of cultural heritage.

[...]

A list of boarding schools (pdf) newly built or expanded with new dormitories in 2023 and 2024. The sources are Chinese government construction tenders (formal requests for bids from contractors on a project) and state-approved media, with links to the sources provided in the table. Some of the sites are geolocated by comparison using details from the tender or media sources.

A list of prisons and kanshousuo (pdf), a type of internment facility, that have either been newly built or expanded from 2019 onward. Geolocation (associating names of documented facilities to exact coordinates) is based on the work and available sources on the Xinjiang Victims Database. Expansion and new construction dates are based on data satellite imagery, in most cases from Google Earth.

Using the list of kanshousuo identified by Xinjiang Victims Database from satellite imagery and government documents, this spreadsheet (pdf) provides an estimate of total kanshousuo capacity in Xinjiang at Chinese government standards. Government standards, available at Archive Today, dictate cell capacity of eight or 16 prisoners for the two standard cell sizes. Cell sizes and numbers were identified from the unroofed outdoor section that is mandated for each cell and is visible in satellite imagery. Google Earth and Apple Maps were the sources for satellite imagery.

The Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide released a report in January 2025, “Eight Years On, China’s Repression of the Uyghurs Remains Dire: How China’s Policies in the Uyghur Region Have and Have Not Changed.” The report is authored by Rian Thum, Senior Lecturer in East Asian History, at the University of Manchester.

[...]

The [new] report finds that, given the available information, all of the policies that led to accusations of mass atrocities in the Uyghur region continue, and some are expanding. These findings should prompt deeper research into the nature of mass atrocities facing the Uyghur population and spark urgent, effective responses. In particular, the report recommends further research into emerging repressive strategies, including the intense network of electronic and human surveillance, curbs on religious practice, and the destruction of cultural heritage.

[...]

A list of boarding schools (pdf) newly built or expanded with new dormitories in 2023 and 2024. The sources are Chinese government construction tenders (formal requests for bids from contractors on a project) and state-approved media, with links to the sources provided in the table. Some of the sites are geolocated by comparison using details from the tender or media sources.

A list of prisons and kanshousuo (pdf), a type of internment facility, that have either been newly built or expanded from 2019 onward. Geolocation (associating names of documented facilities to exact coordinates) is based on the work and available sources on the Xinjiang Victims Database. Expansion and new construction dates are based on data satellite imagery, in most cases from Google Earth.

Using the list of kanshousuo identified by Xinjiang Victims Database from satellite imagery and government documents, this spreadsheet (pdf) provides an estimate of total kanshousuo capacity in Xinjiang at Chinese government standards. Government standards, available at Archive Today, dictate cell capacity of eight or 16 prisoners for the two standard cell sizes. Cell sizes and numbers were identified from the unroofed outdoor section that is mandated for each cell and is visible in satellite imagery. Google Earth and Apple Maps were the sources for satellite imagery.

Archived

The release of Commissioner Marie-Josée Hogue's final report has sent ripples through Canada’s political and advocacy landscapes, offering both a roadmap to safeguard electoral integrity and exposing the unresolved vulnerabilities of diaspora communities. With 51 recommendations geared toward ensuring transparency in future elections, the findings underscore a critical need for the federal government to act decisively ahead of the next national vote.

Yet, amidst calls for change, concern grows over the report’s limited scope, which fails to fully confront the insidious reach of foreign regimes repressing critics on Canadian soil.

[...]

At the heart of Hogue's report is a stark acknowledgment: democracy in Canada faces persistent threats from foreign interference. The document scrutinized the impact of transnational interference during the 2019 and 2021 federal elections, with a particular focus on Beijing’s alleged efforts to sway outcomes in its favor. However, the report is not a condemnation meant to linger in the archives; rather, it is a call to action.

[...]

For NDP MP Jenny Kwan, however, the registry and Hogue’s recommendations are only part of the solution. Having been personally targeted by Chinese agents for her outspoken stance on human rights, Kwan has called attention to the darker, often overlooked dimensions of foreign interference. As she pointed out, regimes such as China’s do not merely meddle in elections—they exploit proxies to silence opposition voices abroad and intimidate diaspora communities. From veiled threats to coordinated smear campaigns, the tactics often leave those affected feeling isolated and unprotected. Kwan’s criticism of Hogue’s report zeroes in on its failure to adequately address these realities. While the commissioner aptly described transnational repression as a "genuine scourge," the issue ultimately fell outside the inquiry’s mandate, leaving critical gaps in the government’s response strategy.

Archived

"The system is leaking, and because no one has fixed it. It is leaking at an accelerating pace," says Tomi Venho, a PhD in political science with years of experience in researching election financing for the Foundation for Municipal Development (Kaks).

Venho mentions, for example, that local party organisations - unlike regional and national party organisations - have minimal requirements to account for their income and expenditures.

He says that since this money can be kept under wraps, it means that large sums can be spent on election campaigns without voters knowing where the money comes from.

In municipal elections, contributions of at least 800 euros should be declared, but Venho says many candidates fail to do so when the money comes through local party organisations.

"As an expert, at any time I can find 100,000 euros that has come into a local party organisation. This is money that is not visible in public accounts," he claims.

There are many ways to circumvent the legislation on campaign financing, and parties and candidates have learnt to exploit the loopholes, he says.

Venho stresses, however, that this does not necessarily mean illegal activity.

"There is a huge amount of hidden money. Maybe less in municipal elections and wellbeing services county elections. But in the last parliamentary elections, for example, it got out of hand. Legislation has lost its effect," Venho argues.

[...]

Archived

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth last week ordered U.S. Cyber Command to stand down from all planning against Russia, including offensive digital actions, according to three people familiar with the matter.

Hegseth gave the instruction to Cyber Command chief Gen. Timothy Haugh, who then informed the organization's outgoing director of operations, Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Ryan Heritage, of the new guidance, according to these people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the matter’s sensitivity.

The order does not apply to the National Security Agency, which Haugh also leads, or its signals intelligence work targeting Russia, the sources said.

While the full scope of Hegseth’s directive to the command remains unclear, it is more evidence of the White House’s efforts to normalize ties with Moscow after the U.S. and international allies worked to isolate the Kremlin over its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

[...]

Cross posted from https://scribe.disroot.org/post/2064725

China missed a key climate target in 2024 and emissions in the world's second-largest economy rose slightly as coal remained dominant despite record renewable additions, official data showed Friday.

The figures mean the world's biggest emitter is off-track on a key commitment under the Paris climate agreement, analysts said.

Beijing's National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said carbon intensity, which measures emissions of planet-warming carbon dioxide per unit of GDP, fell 3.4 percent in 2024—short of an official target of 3.9.

That also put the country well behind on its goal for an 18-percent reduction from 2020 to 2025.

The data showed carbon emissions rose slightly from last year, though far short of previous jumps, as experts speculate about whether China may have reached peak emissions ahead of a 2030 target.

Still, the data showed it will be "extremely hard" for China to meet a pledge to reduce carbon intensity by 65 percent of 2005 levels by 2030, said Lauri Myllyvirta, lead analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.

"Even with optimistic assumptions for 2025, carbon dioxide intensity must fall by 22 percent in (the period) 2026-2030 to meet China's key Paris target," Myllyvirta said.

"This is a key test of China's commitment to its pledges under the agreement."

[...]

[Edit typo.]

Cross posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/2064725

China missed a key climate target in 2024 and emissions in the world's second-largest economy rose slightly as coal remained dominant despite record renewable additions, official data showed Friday.

The figures mean the world's biggest emitter is off-track on a key commitment under the Paris climate agreement, analysts said.

Beijing's National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said carbon intensity, which measures emissions of planet-warming carbon dioxide per unit of GDP, fell 3.4 percent in 2024—short of an official target of 3.9.

That also put the country well behind on its goal for an 18-percent reduction from 2020 to 2025.

The data showed carbon emissions rose slightly from last year, though far short of previous jumps, as experts speculate about whether China may have reached peak emissions ahead of a 2030 target.

Still, the data showed it will be "extremely hard" for China to meet a pledge to reduce carbon intensity by 65 percent of 2005 levels by 2030, said Lauri Myllyvirta, lead analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.

"Even with optimistic assumptions for 2025, carbon dioxide intensity must fall by 22 percent in (the period) 2026-2030 to meet China's key Paris target," Myllyvirta said.

"This is a key test of China's commitment to its pledges under the agreement."

[...]

[Edit typo.]

Cross posted from https://scribe.disroot.org/post/2064725

China missed a key climate target in 2024 and emissions in the world's second-largest economy rose slightly as coal remained dominant despite record renewable additions, official data showed Friday.

The figures mean the world's biggest emitter is off-track on a key commitment under the Paris climate agreement, analysts said.

Beijing's National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said carbon intensity, which measures emissions of planet-warming carbon dioxide per unit of GDP, fell 3.4 percent in 2024—short of an official target of 3.9.

That also put the country well behind on its goal for an 18-percent reduction from 2020 to 2025.

The data showed carbon emissions rose slightly from last year, though far short of previous jumps, as experts speculate about whether China may have reached peak emissions ahead of a 2030 target.

Still, the data showed it will be "extremely hard" for China to meet a pledge to reduce carbon intensity by 65 percent of 2005 levels by 2030, said Lauri Myllyvirta, lead analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.

"Even with optimistic assumptions for 2025, carbon dioxide intensity must fall by 22 percent in (the period) 2026-2030 to meet China's key Paris target," Myllyvirta said.

"This is a key test of China's commitment to its pledges under the agreement."

[...]

[Edit typo.]

China missed a key climate target in 2024 and emissions in the world's second-largest economy rose slightly as coal remained dominant despite record renewable additions, official data showed Friday.

The figures mean the world's biggest emitter is off-track on a key commitment under the Paris climate agreement, analysts said.

Beijing's National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said carbon intensity, which measures emissions of planet-warming carbon dioxide per unit of GDP, fell 3.4 percent in 2024—short of an official target of 3.9.

That also put the country well behind on its goal for an 18-percent reduction from 2020 to 2025.

The data showed carbon emissions rose slightly from last year, though far short of previous jumps, as experts speculate about whether China may have reached peak emissions ahead of a 2030 target.

Still, the data showed it will be "extremely hard" for China to meet a pledge to reduce carbon intensity by 65 percent of 2005 levels by 2030, said Lauri Myllyvirta, lead analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.

"Even with optimistic assumptions for 2025, carbon dioxide intensity must fall by 22 percent in (the period) 2026-2030 to meet China's key Paris target," Myllyvirta said.

"This is a key test of China's commitment to its pledges under the agreement."

[...]

[...]

The Chinese platforms are taking advantage of a little-known trade rule called de minimis, which allows products worth less than $800 (€764) in the United States or €150 ($157) in the EU to be shipped duty-free with minimal customs checks.

"All these products arrive from China as individual parcels, so it's impossible for customs authorities to open and check them all," Agustin Reyna, director general of the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC), told DW.

The rise of Temu and Shein has Western regulators concerned on many fronts. First, the Chinese platforms are exploiting a loophole that was not designed for large-scale e-commerce. De minimis was created so as not to burden customs agencies with the handling of small gifts and personal items sent across borders.

Second, many of the products for sale on Chinese platforms don't meet safety or environmental standards. Toy Industries of Europe (TIE), a Brussels-based industry body, tested 19 toys bought from Temu at the end of 2023 and found that none were fully compliant with EU safety rules on toys. All but one was found to pose a real risk to children.

[...]

Brussels also wants to make the likes of Temu and Shein — rather than individual sellers — liable for the sale of dangerous products on their platforms and has suggested that checks could be made before products are shipped from China to ensure compliance.

Christoph Busch says this is necessary because "from a contract law perspective, Temu is currently not the seller, it's just an intermediary."

"The seller sits somewhere in China, and the buyer is a consumer in the US or EU," the director of the European Legal Studies Institute at Germany's University of Osnabrück, told DW.

Busch also said the Commission wants the platform operator to become the importer, so they would be obliged to pay the customs duty, which would also cut much of the new red tape facing European customs authorities.

Instead of dealing with tens of thousands of individual Chinese sellers, he added, EU customs bodies would need to liaise with just a handful of e-commerce platforms that are frankly making billions from a loophole that should never have existed.