GroundReport.com

Apology to GroundReport Community

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 18:41:02 -0500

It has recently been brought to our attention that a source was falsely cited in an article published on GroundReport. In an article titled “Swiss Ameropa’s Chairman might be involved in a bribery of Libyan Officials” published on March 14, 2013, the author stated that journalist Ghazi Gheblawi provided him with information acquired from Swiss Prosecutors.

GroundReport was contacted by Ghazi on April 3, 2013 and informed that he had nothing to do with the case and had not provided the author any information. The author was given an opportunity to present evidence that Ghazi was indeed a source, but at this time, we have not gotten any response from the author of the article.

GroundReport takes matters of Journalistic Ethics very seriously as well as maintaining the credibility of the site and our reporters. We have removed the article in question as well as suspended the account of the reporter. We sincerely apologize to the GroundReport Community for this incident and want to ensure you that our editorial team is dedicated to preserving high journalistic standards while providing an open platform for citizen reporting.

Our Editorial Policy can be found here: http://www.groundreport.com/content.php?section=terms

Our editors can be reached at: info@groundreport.com

Ground Report Recognition Awards April 5

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 10:52:16 -0500

Every week, Ground Report spotlights the best articles on the site with the Recognition Awards. The winning articles represent the highest quality journalism from across Ground Report. The winners receives a cash prize, and we will be recognizing the articles by posting them on the front page of Ground Report.

This week's winner is user Pmause44 for the article Amanda Knox Prosecution is Beginning to Emit a Strange Odor

Pmause44 takes a critical look at the recent developments in the Amanda Knox case, criticizing the moves made by the prosecution in recent weeks.

Ground Report Recognition Awards March 22

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 00:44:03 -0500

This week's winner is Vssubramaniamfor the article SONIA TO FIGHT THE BJP THE ‘SAFRON TERRORISTS” - IMPLICATIONS FOR INDIAN DEMOCRACY

Ground Report Recognition Awards March 9

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 00:32:08 -0600

This week's winner is Proloy Bagchi for his article Democratic India's Shrinking Freedoms.

The article is an opinion piece on government and democracy in India.

GroundReport Recognition Award March 1

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 23:44:15 -0600

Every week, Ground Report spotlights the best articles with the Recognition Awards. The winning articles represent the highest quality journalism from across Ground Report. The winners receives a cash prize, and we will be recognizing the articles by posting them on the front page of Ground Report.

This week's winner is user Keshavpatil55 for the article British Asian Trust Selects Mukesh Ambani as the Chair f Indian Advisory Council.

The article can be found here.

GroundReport Recognition Award Feb. 22

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 08:31:16 -0600

The GroundReport recognitinon awards will now be coming weekly highlighting the very best articles from GroundReport each week. The winning articles represent the highest quality journalism from across the site. Each winner receives a cash prize, and we will be recognizing the articles by posting them on the front page of Ground Report.

The winner this week is user Mohamedain02 for the article Al-Qaeda-Linked Groups from Mali Found Safe Haven in Darfur

Looking into the recent conflict in Northwest Africa, Mohamedain02 reports on witness accounts of Islamist militants in Darfur in South Sudan, fleeing the French military in Mali.

GroundReport Recognition Awards December 2012 | Part Five

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 09:21:22 -0600

Ground Report is continuing its Recognition Awards, highlighting the very best articles from December 2012. This is the final article this month that represents the highest quality journalism. Each winner receives a cash prize, and we will be recognizing the articles by posting them on the front page of Ground Report.

The final Recognition Award goes to Success Uchime for his article How Filipino Rebels Murdered Church Elder's Family

Mr Uchime reports on the continuing insurgency in the Philippines, and the religious violence that is unfortunately part of this protracted conflict.

How Filipino Rebels Murdered Church Elder's Family by Success Uchime

It’s disheartening to note how Filipino Christians in rebel dominated area of the island Mindanao are being persecuted daily, with the recent murder of a church elder's family and burning of homes.

This indication is contained in a news report by the Release International (www.releaseinternational.org) a United Kingdom based Christian charity adding that one bishop related how he had evacuated his village when news came of an imminent raid by rebels.

Quoting Manila Standard Today, it noted that villagers hid behind rocks by the coast as they watched 300 rebels invade by boat from other islands. On their return to the village, however, they found that a family of five, that of a church elder, had not managed to escape and had been brutally murdered, including their baby. Homes and other property had been burned.

“This is happening against a backdrop of political negotiations between the Filipino Government and rebels about the creation of a new semi-autonomous region. A preliminary peace accord was signed in October to agree the formation of the Bangsamoro region in 2016 – and Filipino media report that a final accord could be signed by the end of the year,” the report added.

It continued: “Christians fear this will only cause persecution to intensify. Rebels are operating as if Islamic law is already in force. Christians fear they will be driven out of the area altogether.”

According to the report, attacks on their property are common and several churches have been stoned or burned down and that there have even been reports of Christians being beheaded.

GroundReport Recognition Awards December 2012 | Part Four

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 10:00:35 -0600

To start off the New Year, Ground Report is continuing its Recognition Awards, highlighting the very best articles from December 2012. The results are in, and we have five articles that represent the highest quality journalism. Each winner receives a cash prize, and we will be recognizing the articles by posting them on the front page of Ground Report.

The fourth Recognition Award again goes to Shreedeep Rayamajhi for the article Fighting Against Sexual Abuse and Harassment in Nepal

Shreedeep continues his excellent coverage from Asia with a deep look at evidence of sexual abuse against women in Nepal, as well as the letter of the law that is supposed to protect against these abuses.

Fighting Against Sexual Abuse and Harassement in Nepal by Shreedeep Rayamajhi

December 27, 2012

Kathmandu Nepal: With high stacks on the table and bad politics making a deadlock situation, people of Nepal are buzzing about a new issue that is directly affecting their daily lives. These days with the international attention of the Delhi rape case, Nepal is also buzzing around with its own cases of sexual exploitation and harassment against women. The fury of people is raging so much that people have started making it obvious in their status in social networking sites. People in Nepal are seriously making a point in regulating proper rules and regulation regarding the concern issue. Like such a group of activists have teamed up to summon a petition letter to the prime minister regarding the current situation. The group has uploaded a letter petition and has requested the concerned public to sign and to submit it live this Friday, Dec 28, at Prime Minister Residence, Baluwatar, Gate#3, between 9-12 pm.

The letter highlights a case of sexually abused migrant worker Sita Nepali who was raped and later robbed off her hard earned money by a security personnel at the Tribhuvan International Airport. During her arrival she was interrogated by Somnath Khanal, an immigration official at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) and then forwarded to the Immigration headquarters in Kalikasthan for further interrogation. Later her hard-earned wages was stolen, and then she was handed over to a police where Parsuram Basnet a police constable eventually raped her. A question has been raised regarding the safety and security of women as well as their status. Likewise in a similar in 2011 an immigration official was caught live demanding a bribe of 1.5 million in case of rejection/ fraud case of Nepali citizenship.

“How can this be happening? How can we trust the people who are suppose to protect and help us? It is surely not tolerable,” said Prakriti Pandey a student.

Moving ahead on Wednesday an 18 years old girl was burnt alive in Bara district. The deceased has been identified as Dindu Thakur of Prastoka-5. According to the police her body was found burnt 50 meters away from her house at around 7 am in the morning where she was fine before going out for toilet.

Looking at the legal provisions:

Nepali law penalizes sexual abuse with three months in prison for the perpetrator and a fine of 25,000 rupees ($300) to compensate the victim on the other hand the Muluki Ain in Nepal Regarding Rape, Chapter 14 translates :

No. 1 : Having sexual intercourse with an unmarried girl, a widow or someone's wife under sixteen years of age with or without her consent and with one above sixteen years of age without her consent by using force or showing threat or even under inappropriate influence is proved to be a rape case.

No. 2 :For raping a woman within kinship, the one who rapes will get punishment mentioned in the chapter regarding sexual intercourse within kinship in addition to the punishment in accord with this chapter. As for the case of life imprisonment, the punishment for rape will not be added.

No. 3 : One who commits rape should be imprisoned for six upto ten years if the woman raped is under fourteen years of age, and for three upto five years if the woman is fourteen or above fourteen years of age.

No. 4 : One who knowingly accompanies the one who intends to commit rape, and who grabs the woman or helps in the act should be punished upto one year each. As for the case of a girl under fourteen years of age, he will be punished doubly.

No. 5 : The one who has made an attempt to rape but has not committed rape will get punished equal to half of the one's who has committed it.

No. 6 : If someone has instigated someone else to commit rape, the one who has instigated to perform the act will, in the case of rape having committed, get punishment equal to half of the rapist's, and in the case of attempted but not actually committed rape, he will get equal to half of the attempt maker's punishment.

No. 7: If someone has a sexual intercourse with prostitution without her consent, the one who commits it will either be fined an amount of Rs. five hundred or imprisoned upto one year.

“We face this every day in the buses, men try to grab us by our bum and they try to touch us everywhere at times when it’s too much, I shout but what’s the call, nothing. There is no means to curb it until and unless there is prominent and instant action. I believe that government has to seriously look into this matter but why not is my question. They have the police they have the 100 emergency why not use it as a means to report harassment case and instant action to be taken. This would certainly de-motivate the culprits,” said Prabha Amatya

Nepali women face constant sexual harassment on public transportation during their daily activities. Though rule and regulation are their but due to public humiliation women deter from reporting incidents. Laws are in place to protect women from abuse, but reports and enforcement of penalties are rare where the gap in between the law and practicability certainly makes it difficult for the public to relate to them.

According to a study of International Labour Organization(ILO), “ In this study conducted in Kathmandu, Pokhara, Dharan, Biratnagar, Birganj and Hetauda, it is evident that over half of the interviewed women had themselves experienced sexual harassment at the workplace. Yet, this subject had not been discussed openly in Nepal until a few years ago. The prevalent mental attitude in the society has been, Men are men. Women have to just tolerate this behaviour. It is their fate. As this study reflects, sexual harassment affects the victims in forms of emotional stress, humiliation, anxiety, depression, anger, powerlessness, fatigue and physical illnesses. The victim may lose her/his job or job-related experiences such as training, or feel that the only solution is to resign. The sufferings of the victim can have a direct effect on the enterprises as sexual harassment practices can create tension in the workplace, inefficiency in team work and collaboration, lowered work performance, absenteeism and decreased productivity. Moreover, if sexual harassment incidents are overlooked, the enterprises can earn a tarnished public image and face financial risks in case the victim goes forward to make the situation public and opt for court actions.”

The report adds sexual harassment at the workplace not only affects the individual in question but also the organization. Efforts have to be made in eliminating this persisting problem. The present study is intended to initiate and mobilize opinions in this regard; showing how societal perceptions, attitudinal changes and appropriate rules and regulations framed within a specific law can contribute to address the incidence of sexual harassment at the workplace.

Nepal is currently on the edge of new political change, but the issues of sexual harassment and empowerment in women is not a political issue, it’s a social issue that needs effective attentions from all sides. No matter what if women are not comfortable and independent to walk safely outside then there is no question of having effective laws and regulations. In-fact laws and regulation should be good enough to facilitate the victim and prevent the action from happening.

GroundReport Recognition Awards December 2012 | Part Three

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 13:26:32 -0600

The third recognition award goes to Shreedeep Rayamajhi for his article 75,000 Bhutanese Refugees Resettled.

Using Ground Report to tell a significant story that had otherwise flown under the radar, Mr. Rayamajhi reports on the relocation of 75,000 Bhutanese refugees, who had fled to neighboring Nepal from Bhutan during the ethnic cleansing in the 1990s. The refugees were resettled to the United States, Australia, Canada, and other countries.

75,000 Bhutanese Refugees Resettled by Shreedeep Rayamajhi

December 13 2012, Kathmandu Nepal: Claiming to have resettled around 75,000 Bhutanese refugees from Nepal, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) confirmed the number in a joint statement. Under one of the largest and successful resettlement programs, more than 63,400 refugees were resettled in United States, 3,837 in Australia, 5,296 in Canada, 724 in Denmark, 710 in New Zealand, 326 in Netherlands, 546 Norway, and 257 in United Kingdom where Yagandra Kami a six year old boy became the 75,000 refugee to be part of major resettlement program. The Program was launched in November 2007.

Stephane Jaquemet, UNHCR Representative in Nepal said, ““This is a tremendous achievement, where we have successfully placed 75,000th Bhutanese refugee from Nepal to the United States on Wednesday for the third country settlement. It has only been possible due to the incredible generosity of the resettlement countries, the resilience of the refugees, the great support of the Government of Nepal, and the exemplary partnership with IOM.”

Maurizio Busatti, Chief of Mission of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Nepal said, “Our efforts will continue unabated to prepare the last refugee to settle into his/her new life. IOM is committed to nurturing the team spirit and the model partnership that has marked this program from the start and is at the basis of today’s result.”

The Bhutanese ethnic cleansing took place in early 1990s, where hundreds of thousand Nepali origin Bhutanese were forced for exile. They were forced to be limited in overcrowded refugee camps in eastern Nepal with no progress toward a resolution of their plight. Many rounds of bilateral talks between the governments of Nepal and Bhutan could not resolve the issue.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as well as binding international treaties signed by Bhutan, ensures the right of the refugees to return to their country. During this long period of exile, however, Bhutan has not allowed a single refugee back. In midst of that the US and other supporting agencies started the resettlement program which has led in ensuring at least a quality of life for the refugee.

Ground Report Recognition Awards December 2012 | Part Two

Tue, 08 Jan 2013 12:46:14 -0600

The second Recognition Awards goes to Syed Ali Mujtaba Syed for the article "Delhi Rape Protest Can Not Be Ignored" from December 26.

Syed investigates the spontaneous protest in Delhi that erupted after the brutal rape of a woman riding the bus in December. He reports on that protest and draws apt comparisons to earlier protests in Delhi and beyond.

The origianl article can be found here: http://www.groundreport.com/Opinion/Delhi-Rape-Protest-Can-not-be-Ignored/2950260

Delhi Rape Protests Can Not Be Ignored by Syed Ali Mujtaba Syed

The gang rape in New Delhi in a moving bus on Dec 17, 2012 has stirred the consciousness of the entire nation. More incensed are the people living in the national capital who are its victim every now and then. What separates this event with other is the powerful youth protest against such horrendous crime that continues to grow without any solutions in sight. The protestors gave a strong message that they can no more tolerate such ghastly assaults on the dignity of women in near future.

It was unfortunate that some hooligans joined the peaceful protestors and indulged in the acts of vandalism that caused grave injuries to a police .constable who later succumbed to his wounds. Notwithstanding the facts, the essence of the protest cannot be ignored.

In recent memory, the presence of young brigade on the Rajpath demonstrating for a rightful cause is unprecedented. It was a sheer call of consciousness that mobilized such a large number of young people driven by a common cause. The brave hearts defied the chilling winter of the capital and were peaceful in giving vent to their pent up anger.

The youth demanded to live a peaceful life, better security, and prevention of crime, swift action and punishment, better law to handle such cases. They were deeply hurt because all such basic requirements were missing from the national capital. If that be the case, imagine the condition in rest of the country.

The angry youth while coming out for protest walked alone nursing the gruesome of the images of lowering the dignity of women in a moving bus. Each one carried their anger within but never realized were not alone. They were astonished to find that there were many who thought in the similar way. It was a rare sight to see such synchronization of aspirations convergence of people to articulate their demands.

If we ignore the few miscreants who set fire some logs and vandalized some vehicles, and hurt a policeman, the demonstration was by and large purposeful. Most of the young folks were peaceful and liked to be counted for standing up for a cause.

Their din and clatter went beyond the Raisina Hills and Malacha, the two forgotten villages of Delhi that were razed to construct the viceroy’s palace. The chivalry shown by the youth on the most high profile street in the country made the place look very ordinary where India’s might is on full display every 26 January.

These youth were not the one who believed in Facebook based protests or signing the online petition as a means of protest. They were convinced lot and had decided to raise the banner of revolt through street protest. Their message was clear that this time they will not remain a silent spectator to such growing crime in the city. Being beaten up or strewn with tear gas and water canons did not deterred their resolve. They were willing to suffer any amount of pain and sufferings and refused to be cowed down by any odd.

Their heroic efforts has reclaimed the dignity of the street protest' that’s fast being over taken by the social media these days. At a time when it is felt that social media has become one of the most favored way of youth protest, the recent street protest Delhi have preempted such assumption. In fact this was the first spontaneous protest in New Delhi after the Mandal agitation of 1990.

It would be wrong to call the jeans clad protesters as an 'urban centric,' crowd and it would be naive to dismiss them as elitist protesters as well. These middle class youth wearing T-Shirts and jeans and holding banners wanted to be counted as someone who can muster courage to defy any odds can not be dismissed lightly. These brave hearts stood for demanding greater respect and dignity for women and deserves to be applauded.

It was great sight to see some young girls demanding their right to be protected in this country. They were not merely a protest against the physical abuse but for all form of abuses; be it mental or social or about their priorities and aspirations in life. These fearless faces epitomized a whole brave new India those who no more like to tolerate such humiliation of women in the public places.

In this season of protest equally praiseworthy are the police forces of Delhi that handled the protestors with exemplary restrain and courage. Imagine the scene of the Tiananmen Square protest of 1989 and compare with those of the Rajpath on December 21-22, 2012.

It was a rare sight to watch, the police force standing up in their defence while youth force were in full mood of aggression. In fact the police was allowing the youth to have their way while taking the beating from all corners. In the process they lost one of their brave constables. Such restrain demonstrated by the security forces is never found in the annals of street protest in New Delhi. The Delhi police deserve some praise for doing so.

It’s not for the first time the incident of rape has rocked Delhi. If memory serves right, in 1978 two children, Geeta and Sanjay Chopra, were kidnapped by two criminals Ranga and Billa, for ransom. The children were kidnapped while hitching a ride from outside Gol Dak Khana near Connaught Place. The kidnappers plan went haywire when their car met with an accident with a DTC bus. The duo escaped from the city after murdering the children. Later, medical examination confirmed that Geeta Chopra was raped before murder. Delhi, at that time was seething with anger and every one wanted the culprits to be caught and punished. Subsequently, the kidnappers were arrested, tried and hanged for their crime in 1982.

Since then Delhi continues to lives up to its reputation for being the rape city of the country. The incidents of rape in the national capital are happening at regular intervals. Delhi tops the chart in the rape cases every year. According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) statistics of 2011 Delhi reported much higher rape cases then other five metros of India. Delhi had 572 rape cases, Mumbai (221), Kolkata (46), Chennai (76), Bangalore (97) and Hyderabad (59).

In contrast to all the previous rape cases, the latest rape case in Delhi is an eye opener. This can be singled out for huge mobilization of the youth in the capital. The protesters represented the public outraging against such heinous crime in the city. Their protest should not go in wane and their demands may usher in change in handling such cases in the country.

With the constitution of fast-track court to try such cases and the promise of speedy conviction and deterrent punishment to the culprits there are some ray of hope to firmly tackle the occurrence of such crime in the city. It could well be a turning point in bringing new law to handle rape cases in the country.

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Syed Ali Mujtaba is a journalist based in Chennai. He grew up in New Delhi and can be contacted at syedalimujtaba@yahoo.com