Ex-archbishop taken to hospital hours before child sex abuse trial

Jozef Wesolowski, a former archbishop accused of child sex abuse, has been hospitalized hours before a trial against him was set to open at the Vatican. The unprecedented trial is likely to be adjourned to a later date.

  

Deutsche Welle, 11 July 2015

The 66-year-old former archbishop was placed in intensive care at a Vatican hospital, Holy See officials said Saturday, just hours before a trial against him was set to begin.

The details about Jozef Wesolowski's medical condition have not been disclosed.

The former Polish archbishop and papal ambassador to the Dominican Republic was set to stand a trial on Saturday for possessing child pornographic material in Rome during 2013-14 and sexually abusing minors during his stint as Vatican ambassador between 2008 and 2013.

Wesolowski was recalled to Rome in 2013 after local media accused him of paying young boys to perform sexual acts. He was defrocked by a Church court in June last year and was then put under house arrest on the orders of Pope Francis in September. Vatican inspectors found pornographic material on his computer following his arrest.

The Vatican has long been accused of not taking action against church officials allegedly involved in child molestation, but Pope Francis vowed to clean up the church after succeeding Pope Benedict in February, 2013.

Under a new justice system redesigned by the Argentine pontiff, the judge, the defense lawyer and prosecutors are all civilians.

"The (pornography) case is based on an offence introduced to Vatican legislation by Francis in 2013. The other involves sexual abuse of minors prosecuted on the case assembled by legal authorities of Santo Domingo," the Vatican said in a statement ahead of the trial.

"These serious allegations will be scrutinized by the competent judicial body, which will be assisted by both technical appraisals of the IT systems used by the defendant and, if necessary, international legal cooperation for the evaluation of testimonial evidence from the competent authorities in Santo Domingo," it added.

If convicted, Wesolowski could face up to six years in prison.

shs/jlw (AFP, AP, Reuters)

Lagarde calls for Greek debt restructuring

The head of the IMF has called on Greece's creditors to restructure the country's debt. That - along with reform in Athens - would make Greek debt sustainable, Christine Lagarde said in Washington.

Deutsche Welle, 8 July 2015

In comments made at the Brookings Institute think-tank in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said Greece was in an "acute crisis, which needs to be addressed seriously and promptly."

Christine Lagarde said a new plan moving forward to shore up Greek finances would require reform in Athens, but it would also require concessions from the country's creditors.

"The other leg is debt restructuring, which we believe is needed in the case of Greece for it to have sustainability," she said.

Earlier on Wednesday, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras addressed members of the European Parliament and asked for a "viable" agreement that " gives us a sign that we are on a long-lasting basis exiting from the crisis, which will demonstrate that there's a light at the end of the tunnel."

Tsipras's speech came as the Greek government formally requested a three-year loan facility from the European Stability Mechanism, the eurozone's bailout fund for European banks on the brink of collapse.

Germany's conservative finance minister, Wolfgang Schäuble, has ruled out the possibility of debt relief for Athens, fearing this would set a dangerous precedent for other eurozone member states who receive aid money.

On Sunday, Greek voters rejected a proposal put forward by Greece's international creditors about continuing bailout funds in a referendum. However, that has left Greece on the brink of bankruptcy and possible ejection from the eurozone.

Greece now has five more days to reach an agreement with its creditors.

mz/jr (AFP, Reuters)

Barclays parts with CEO Antony Jenkins

The chief executive of Barclays, Antony Jenkins, is stepping down, the UK bank announced on Wednesday. The board says new leadership was necessary to take the bank forward.

Deutsche Welle, 8 July 2015

In a statement published on Wednesday, the bank said that "a new set of skills were required for the period ahead" and that the bank needed "to be much more focused on what is attractive, what we are good at, and where we are good at it."

Chairman John McFarlane would act as interim CEO until a replacement for Jenkins, who had led the bank since 2012, could be found, the bank said.

In the statement, Barclays' management stresses that the bank had to "improve revenue, costs and capital performance."

"We also need to become more externally focused and deal with the internal bureaucracy by becoming leaner and more agile," it added.

But the bank said the change of leadership would not equate to a change in strategy at the bank.

Jenkins, who succeeded Bob Diamond - himself forced to resign after the Libor rate-fixing scandal - had been trying to restore the bank's reputation after it was fined £290 million ($447 million, 391 million euros) by British and US regulators in 2012 for attempted manipulation of Libor and Euribor interbank rates in 2005 and 2009.

The bank was also embroiled in a foreign exchange rigging scheme. Six major global banks, including Barclays and British peer Royal Bank of Scotland, were fined a total of almost $6 billion.

ng/jil (Reuters, AFP)

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Italian police seize 1.6bn from Mafia family

Italian authorities have seized more than 1 billion euros from five siblings who allegedly used Mafia connections to expand their business. The group had previously testified against another Cosa Nostra family.

Deutsche Welle, 8 July 2015

A family of Italian entrepreneurs described by the local media as the "kings of concrete" have had 1.6 bilion euros (1.76 billion dollars) of their assets seized by police after they were accused of having close ties with the Sicilian Mafia, despite having previously been praised for standing up as victims of organized crime.

The sum seized from the Virga family is one of the largest ever in Mafia-related investigations. They are believed to be affiliated with the Cosa Nostra syndicate from their hometown Marineo, about 30 kilometers (18 miles) south of the Sicilian capital of Palermo.

The Marineo mafia clan is also linked to the well-known Corleone family according to Italy's anti-Mafia agency (DIA).

The authorities suspect that it was the Virgas' mob connections that help the three brothers and two sisters win lucrative public contracts in the construction business.

In 2013, the Virgas were heralded as a positive example by anti-Mafia organizations like Addiopizzo when they testified as victims of five mafiosos on trial at the time for racketeering.

In recent years, crime syndicates from Sicily and Naples have used the recession triggered by the global financial crisis to extend their reach northward from their traditional south roots. In 2014, Italy tied with Romania as the most corrupt country in the European Union in Transparency International's annual table.

es/kms (AFP, dpa, Reuters)

China emerges as potential savior for Greece

Want China Times, Staff Reporter 2015-07-06

Premier Li Keqiang speaks at the 17th China-EU Summit in Brussels,
June 29, 2015. (Photo/Xinhua)

China has emerged as a possible savior for Greece after voters rejected an international bailout offer in Sunday's referendum, says the US-based Foreign Policy magazine.

Greece has become the first developed country in history to default on a loan from the International Monetary Fund after failing to make its US$1.73 billion repayment last week. The 61% "no" vote in the referendum has only added to the uncertainty over whether Greece will leave the eurozone.

Eyes have now turned to China, with its US$4 trillion in hard currency reserves and US$21 trillion in savings, to potentially pay off Greece's debt. Foreign Policy notes that China loaned some US$22 billion to Latin America last year, more than the World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank combined.

There are many reasons why China might want to intervene to save Greece, the Foreign Policy piece said. Europe is China's largest trading partner, with overall economic interaction between the two sides reportedly totaling as much as €46 billion (US$51 billion). Coupled with a slowing Chinese economy and instability in stock markets, Beijing has plenty of incentives to bail out Athens.

Additionally, China is said to have expressed interest in having Greece serve as the Western terminus of its ambitious "Belt and Road" initiative to boost connectivity and cooperation among countries throughout Eurasia. Part of the initiative will likely be funded by the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), of which Greece is not a member but a dozen or so other European nations are.

Another reason for Chinese intervention is the largest Greek port of Pireaus, for which the countries signed a US$5 billion cooperation deal last year. Athens has put the port up for sale and Chinese logistics company Cosco, which currently manages two container piers at Pireaus, is interested in acquiring a majority stake. The port was a key staging area for the Chinese evacuation of more than 30,000 of its citizens from Libya in 2011.

China has also exhibited a willingness to lend money to countries with poor ratings, the report said, noting that the country has loaned more than US$25 billion to economically or politically unstable nations like Venezuela, Argentina and Russia.

There remain substantial financial risks Beijing in underwriting a bailout for Greece, though the potential political gains could also be substantial, Foreign Policy said. If China manages to save Greece and maintain a stable eurozone, EU countries may be more willing to relax sanctions against China, especially export controls on technology or arms, or boost China's influence in Europe.

China's Laohucaijin.com suggests that Greece could conceivably receive a bailout from the AIIB, which is close to officially commencing operation, as opposed to the IMF. At the 17th China-EU Summit in Brussels last month, Premier Li Keqiang expressed a desire for Greece to remain in the eurozone, though it remains to be seen whether China would ultimately be willing to take the chance.

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Australian heads to Greece to help crying pensioner in photo

Crying Greek pensioner: the story behind the poignant photo

Greek pensioner, Giorgos Chatzifotiadis, cries as he sits on the ground

outside a national bank branch in Thessaloniki on July 3, 2015 (AFP

Photo/Sakis Mitrolidis)

Greek voters reject austerity demands in referendum

With results in from nearly all of Greece's polling stations, more than 61 percent of voters have said "no" to more austerity demands from international creditors. Eurozone leaders are planning an emergency summit.

Deutsche Welle, 6 July 2015

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras went on television on Sunday night and said "Together we have written a bright page in modern European history." His government had called for a "No" vote in the snap referendum to reject terms of the latest offer from international creditors which imposed more pension cuts and tax increases, without any debt relief.

"This is not a mandate of rupture with Europe, but a mandate that bolsters our negotiating strength to achieve a viable deal," he remarked. Tsipras said he was willing to resume negotiations with creditors immediately.

Today we celebrate the victory of #democracy. Tomorrow, we will all continue our national effort to reach an agreement. #Greece

— Alexis Tsipras (@tsipras_eu) July 5, 2015

Thousands of people gathered in central Syntagma Square to celebrate the result on Sunday night. Results showed 61 percent voted "no," compared with 38 percent for "yes."

Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis said on Sunday: "The Greek people said 'no more' to five years of austerity."

"In 24h we COULD have an agreement", I said. But our toxic media rushed to report that I predicted an agreement within 24h. Go figure!

— Yanis Varoufakis (@yanisvaroufakis) July 5, 2015

The "no" votes carried through virtually every district in the country

#Greece referendum results with 95.49% votes reported: no (61.3%), yes (38.7%) http://t.co/DGer5xmo5Z #Grefenderum pic.twitter.com/cBnyrkbv5i

— The Guardian (@guardian) July 5, 2015

Next step

Tsipras said he would call a meeting of ministers on Monday to discuss next steps. As the last offer from the country's creditors is no longer on the table, there remains the possibility that they could walk away from negotiations and leave Greece to face default, financial collapse and expulsion from the eurozone - and, in the worst case, from the European Union.

Greece failed to meet its debt repayment date with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) last Tuesday, the same day its bailout program with the EU expired. Athens faces more debt repayments in the coming weeks.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Sunday she would travel to Paris on Monday to meet with the French president, Francois Hollande, for a "joint assessment of the situation after the Greek referendum."

The two leaders later called for a summit of eurozone leaders on Tuesday - a request rapidly granted by EU Council President Donald Tusk.

I have called a #EuroSummit Tuesday evening at 18h to discuss situation after referendum in #Greece

— Donald Tusk (@eucopresident) July 5, 2015

jm/jr (Reuters, AFP)

Heckler & Koch given negative "Closed Oyster" award for lack of transparency

A German association promoting investigative journalism has awarded arms maker Heckler & Koch with its "Closed Oyster" award. Netzwerk Recherche said the firm had attempted to have spies follow critical journalists.

Deutsche Welle, 5 July 2015

Announcing the award on Saturday, journalist Hauke Friederichs said that by awarding the "Closed Oyster" Netzwerk Recherche was sending a signal for transparency and freedom of access in media coverage.

In May, a defense ministry official was removed from his job after trying to get Germany's Military Counterintelligence Service (MAD) to cover up negative reports about H&K's G36 rifle, which is used by the Bundeswehr. The company was said to have lobbied the government to do mobilize the spies.

Friederichs said at the awards ceremony, "In the conflict zones of the world Heckler & Koch is as well known as Daimler-Benz."

The new chair of Netzwerk Recherche, Julia Stone, said, "It is well known that Heckler & Koch is reluctant to answer questions of any kind and prefers to speak through lawyers, and has even threatened journalists."

Stone claimed Heckler & Koch had taken secrecy to a "new level."

Heckler & Koch CEO Andreas Heeschen rejected the allegations and said, "I would like at this point to emphasize once again that we have at no time discussed or demanded spying on journalists by the Military Counterintelligence Service (MAD)."

Heckler & Koch is one of the world's leading manufacturers of small arms including pistols, submachine guns, assault rifles, precision rifles, and machine guns. It employs about 650 people and supplies its weapons to NATO countries and also to Egypt, Bahrain, Mexico, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The non-profit Netzwerk Recherche association was set up in 2001 by 35 journalists to promote investigative journalism in Germany. It works with journalists to aid their research, especially if officials impede the free flow of information.

It is the first time in the 13 years of awarding the "Closed Oyster" that the prize has been given to an arms manufacturer.

jm/bk (dpa, epd)

Related Article:

Defense Ministry official sought to quell reporting about the G36

Iceland MPs vote to abolish blasphemy laws

Iceland's parliament has abolished its 75-year-old laws against blasphemy, approving a bill introduced by the country's minority Pirate Party. The group says it is a step forward for freedom of expression.

Deutsche Welle, 4 July 2015

 

A photo taken on 27 October 2013 shows an exterior view of the Icelandic
Parliament building in the country's capital Reykjavik.

Parliamentarians in the Nordic country overwhelmingly passed the bill on Thursday, with 43 yes votes to just one no. Speaking to DW, Helgi Hrafn, a member of the party which proposed the bill, said it was a law he had been wanting to put forward for a long time.

"The Pirate Party in Iceland wishes to defend and expand freedom of expression. This particular article is the most glaring fault in the general criminal code, which is why we proposed it," he said. Legal protections from hate speech and incitement remain in place.

On its website the Pirate Party states its core policies are the protection of civil rights, freedom of information, transparency and direct democracy. The group brought up the legislation in January of this year, shortly after the extremist attack on French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. Hrafn acknowledged that although there was "a connection with the timing" between the two, blasphemy being against the law is a "profoundly barbaric and backwards idea."

"We're not going to be scared of freedom of expression because somebody does something bad. We can't allow that," he told DW.

"Freedom of expression is not going to bow down to threats."

The group's ratings have surged since it won three parliamentary seats in 2013, with one recent opinion poll making the Pirates Iceland's most popular party.

OSCE media freedom representative (.@OSCE_RFoM) welcomes decriminalization of blasphemy in Iceland http://t.co/Vl2t0JKwAT

— OSCE (@OSCE) July 3, 2015

A dangerous precedent

Under the previous code, accused blasphemers could face prison time if found guilty. Hrafn argued the criticism that the law was rarely or never applied was untrue, and cited a 1997 case against an Icelandic comedy group as an example of it being used to silence people. "Because of pressure from the clergy the police questioned them, and for a few months they had to wonder if they would be prosecuted," he said.

Several countries have become notorious for their hardline stance on crimes such as blasphemy. In Pakistan on Friday, a Muslim cleric was arrested for supposedly leading a mob against a Christian couple accused of desecrating the Koran. It followed death sentences for a man with a history of mental illness and a Christian woman last year. In the wake of the Charlie Hebdo massacre, France has cracked down on anyone it sees as supporting terrorism, leading to comedian Dieudonne being convicted for Facebook comments he posted in the days after the attack.

Germany too has seen calls for its blasphemy laws to be scrapped, with a member of the country's Protestant church ealier this year saying that while it may be distasteful, legally it was "an exercise of fundamental rights." Those who break the country's 144-year-old law could be handed prison terms of up to three years, at least in theory. Yet Germany has been a vocal opponent of Saudi Arabia's jailing and flogging of blogger Raif Badawi for "insulting Islam."

Freedom of speech again became a 

hotly-debated topic following the Charlie

Hebdo attack

'Practice what we preach'

Hrafn says it was "obnoxious" laws like these that undermine complaints over other nations' curbs on free speech. "If we are to honor freedom of expression it's not enough for us to point at somebody else and brag about how Western culture is supposedly much better at freedom of speech, we have to practice what we preach," he told DW. "We have to allow speech that goes no further than to offend the occasional person.

"People do not have a right to never be offended."

The Icelandic Ethical Humanist Association described Thursday's decision as sending "a vital message to the rest of the world."

"Nations which maintain blasphemy laws with serious consequences should not be able to point to Iceland and say that it has the same kind of law," a statement read.

Despite the law's abolishment, Hrafn insists that Iceland is far from perfect. "Iceland is by no means any sort of a role model when it comes to freedom of expression - not on the legal books," he said. "There are many problems here, and this is the most silly one, but there are more to be fixed."

Crying Greek pensioner: the story behind the poignant photo

Yahoo – AFP, 4 July 2015

Greek pensioner, Giorgos Chatzifotiadis, cries as he sits on the ground 

outside a national bank branch in Thessaloniki on July 3, 2015 (AFP

Photo/Sakis Mitrolidis)

Thessaloniki (Greece) (AFP) - Retiree Giorgos Chatzifotiadis had queued up at three banks in Greece's second city of Thessaloniki on Friday in the hope of withdrawing a pension on behalf of his wife, but all in vain.

When he was told at the fourth that he could not withdraw his 120 euros ($133), it was all too much and he collapsed in tears.

The 77-year-old told AFP that he had broken down because he "cannot stand to see my country in this distress".

A Greek pensioner holds 120 euros

 outside a national bank branch in 

Athens, on July 1, 2015 (AFP Photo/

Aris Messinis)

"That's why I feel so beaten, more than for my own personal problems," Chatzifotiadis said.

The image of him sitting outside the bank, openly crying in despair with his savings book and identity card on the floor, was captured by an AFP photographer illustrating how ordinary Greeks are suffering during the country's debt crisis.

Athens had imposed capital controls and shut all banks since Monday to stem a haemorrhage of cash, but on Wednesday allowed some branches to reopen for three days so retirees who have no bank cards could withdraw their pensions -- capped at 120 euros.

Recounting how he had gone from bank to bank in a futile attempt to collect his wife's pension, Chatzifotiadis said when he was told at the fourth "that I could not get the money, I just collapsed".

Both he and his wife, like many Greeks in the north of the country, had spent several years in Germany where he "worked very hard" in a coal mine and later a foundry.

And it is from Berlin, which is being blamed by many in Greece for its hardline stance in demanding the government impose more austerity measures for fresh international aid, that Chatzifotiadis is receiving his wife's pension.

"I see my fellow citizens begging for a few cents to buy bread. I see more and more suicides. I am a sensitive person. I can not stand to see my country in this situation," he said.

"Europe and Greece have made mistakes. We must find a solution," he added.

But Chatzifotiadis feels he can do little to change the situation, and he is not even sure if he would be able to vote at Sunday's referendum on whether to accept international creditors' bailout conditions.

European leaders have warned that a 'No' vote would also mean no to the eurozone.

Pointing out that the polling station is 80 kilometres (50 miles) away, Chatzifotiadis said: "I have no money to go there, unless perhaps if my children would take me in their car."

Related Article:

Across Europe, protesters call for solidarity with Greece

Dutch PM pushes for UN tribunal over Ukraine MH17 crash

Mark Rutte's government is lobbying for the creation of a UN tribunal, which would prosecute suspects in downing of the Malaysian plane, officials have said. Most of the 298 victims in last year's incident were Dutch.

Deutsche Welle, 3 July 2015

A UN tribunal would give "the best guarantee of cooperation from all countries" in seeking justice, Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Friday. The news comes only a day after Malaysia announced it would file a draft resolution calling for such a tribunal to be established.

"Based on all insights, information and advice, we say this is by far the most-preferred route. We do have a back-up plan, but a UN tribunal is our best option," said Rutte, stating the official stance of his government in the Netherlands for the first time.

Flight MH17 was likely shot down over Ukraine battlefields last year, sparking international outrage. Authorities in Kyiv and the pro-Russian rebels still trade accusations on who might have fired the alleged missile which hit the civilian plane.

The incident, which killed 298, also raised the stakes in the stand-off between Russia and the West, with each supporting a narrative compatible with their own interests.

'More questions' than answers

The MH17 crash is being investigated by a team of international experts from the Netherlands, Australia, Malaysia, Ukraine and Belgium. Although no suspects have been named yet, the team recently announced it is looking into severalpeople including potential "decision-makers as well as perpetrators."

On Thursday, a Russian aviation official criticized a draft report by the Dutch Safety Board, saying it "raises more questions than it gives answers." The confidential report was made available to representatives of Malaysia, Ukraine, the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, Australia and the Netherlands in early June.

Malaysian idea open to consideration

Russian representatives criticized the Malaysian initiative on Thursday, with Deputy Foreign Minister Gennadiy Gatilov calling it "not timely, and counterproductive." However, Russia did not raise formal objections after Malaysia presented its case in the UN Security Council.

"Our sense was that all council members, including Russia, were open to further consider the matter," said Malaysian diplomat Johan Ariff Abdul Razak.

dj/msh (AP, Reuters, AFP)

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US seeks extradition of seven FIFA officials detained in Switzerland

The United States has formally asked Switzerland to extradite seven FIFA officials arrested in May. The men are accused of money laundering and criminal mismanagement at football’s world governing body.

Deutsche Welle, 2 July 2015

Switzerland's Federal Office of Justice announced Thursday that the requests were received July 1 from the US embassy in Bern.

The request comes within the 40-day deadline since the group was detained and within the extradition request period outlined in the two countries' bilateral agreement.

The seven FIFA officials, who were arrested in May during a dawn raid on a luxury Zurich hotel, have contested the extradition demand which could see them face 20 years in prison if convicted.

The extradition requests are based on a US investigation into money laundering and criminal mismanagement worth more than $100 billion (90.5 billion euros).

The Swiss Justice Ministry said Thursday in a statement that "these crimes are thought to have been agreed and prepared in the USA, and payments were allegedly routed through US banks."

Zurich canton police are to give the seven officials a hearing on the extradition requests, the Justice office added in a statement. The officials or their lawyers will then have 14 days to respond to the request. Extradition procedures typically last several months.

The seven, which include former FIFA Vice-President Eugenio Figuerdo of Uraguay, Jeffrey Webb of the Cayman Island, Costa Rican soccer federation president Jose Maria Marin, Venezuelan football association chief Rafael Esquivel, FIFA staffer Julio Rocha and Costas Takkas from the UK and a development officer from Nicaragua.

The Swiss Federal Office of Justice gave a statement following the officials’ arrests in May which said US authorities believe the crimes were agreed upon and prepared on US soil, and that payments were made using American banks.

"The bribery suspects - representatives of sports media and sports promotion firms - are alleged to have been involved in schemes to make payments to the football functionaries (FIFA delegates) and other functionaries of FIFA sub-organizations - totaling more than $100 million [90.5 million euros]," the May statement read. "In return, it is believed that they received media, marketing, and sponsorship rights in connection with soccer tournaments in Latin America."

FIFA President Sepp Blatter told Thursday's edition of German weekly Bunte, that he is not corrupt and he has a "clear conscience" despite the corrpution probe into the organization.

US law officials have said Blatter is a target of their investigation into racketeering linked to widespread bribery, voting for international tournaments and broadcast rights.

Four days after being re-elected to the top position for a fifth term, Blatter resigned his position.

The date for a new presidential election will be decided at an emergency meeting of FIFA's executive committee on July 20 in Zurich.

jlw/kms (Reuters, AP, AFP)

Former Auschwitz sergeant begs for forgiveness at trial

A trial in the district court of a former member of the SS in Germany continues. Oskar Grönig, who served in Auschwitz, says he helped the death camp function by sorting valuables seized from Jews.

Deutsche Welle, 1 July 2015

In a pre-prepared statement, read by his lawyer, 94-year-old Oskar Gröning, also known as the Bookkeeper of Auschwitz, told the Lüneberg district court that he blindly followed the instructions of Nazi officers and his obedience to the system meant he never rebelled against the atrocities that occurred at the camp.

The former SS sergeant, who is charged with aiding in the mass murder of 300,000 victims in the Auschwitz death camp in German-occupied Poland, says his role was to sort cash and valuables taken from Jews after their arrival.

The statement read on Gröning's behalf said, "I can only ask God for my forgiveness."

The German legal system does not allow for pleas to be entered into, but at the opening of his trial in April on 300,000 counts of being an accessory to murder, Gröning said he felt a moral guilt for what he had done.

If convicted, Gröning faces a possible three to 15 years in jail.

jlw/jil (epd, AP, dpa)

Thai crackdown on rogue fishing as fears grow over EU ban

Yahoo – AFP, Preeti Jha, 1 July 2015

Migrant workers sort fish in a port in Mahachai on the outskirts of Bangkok (AFP

Photo/Nicolas Asfouri)

Mahachai (Thailand) (AFP) - A belated Thai clampdown on illegal fishing is forcing unlicensed vessels ashore, threatening to paralyse a key industry as the kingdom desperately tries to avoid a European Union ban on exports worth $1 billion a year.

Barrels of fish packed in ice are usually rolled off boats at a bustling port in Samut Sakhon, a coastal province near Bangkok, by Myanmar and Cambodia migrant workers who prop up the world's third largest seafood producer.

A migrant worker sits on a fishing boat

 in a port in Mahachai on the outskirts of

Bangkok (AFP Photo/Nicolas Asfouri)

But many will sit idle from Wednesday, say their Thai employers, who have failed to obtain necessary fishing permits under a raft of new government rules aimed at cleaning up the shadowy industry.

Next to buckets of red snapper destined to become fish balls for the local market and fishmeal to rear shrimp marked for Europe, a Thai vessel owner says there are "too many rules and too little time".

"We will have to keep paying bills with no income," said the worried 59-year-old, who withheld his name, as he prepares to cease operations until he can meet the conditions for a new permit.

The Wednesday deadline to register boats with authorities and acquire permits under revised standards, including installing equipment such as tracking devices, comes after the European Union threatened to ban fish imports from the kingdom unless it combats illegal fishing.

In April Brussels issued Thailand with a "yellow card" for inadequate fisheries monitoring, controls and punishment, warning that a "red card" and eventual import ban would follow if it failed to improve within six months.

The spectre of losing $1 billion in European sales is a shortfall the ruling military can ill-afford in an already sluggish economy.

Thailand saw only 0.3 percent growth in the first quarter and exports have been slowing in part, says the World Bank, due to an erosion in competitiveness.

Aphisit Techanitisawad, president of The Thai Overseas Fisheries Association, estimates around 3,000 fishing vessels nationwide will forsake the seas from Wednesday.

A worker checks canned fish at the 

Anusorn Group factory in Tasai, on the

 outskirts of Bangkok (AFP Photo/

Nicolas Asfouri)

"About 80 percent of all the fishermen, they're coming back to shore" to seek permits, he told AFP at his fisheries factory in Samut Sakhon.

Thailand's image battered

A recent shortage in fresh fish has already seen his workers stop processing crab sticks for French export, instead focussing on canning sardines and mackerel from frozen supplies for the Myanmar and Cambodian markets.

A labour ministry spokeswoman said around 80,000 migrants were working in Thai fisheries since the deadline for compulsory migrant registrations closed Tuesday.

Aphisit thinks the government could have imposed a more lenient timeframe for changes.

But premier Prayut Chan-O-Cha has remained adamant the industry has been left unchecked for too long.

"Don't put any more pressure on government," he said when asked about rising anger within the fishing industry.

"If we don't pass these measures a 200 billion baht ($6 billion) industry could be wiped out so everybody should cooperate," he said.

Thailand's image has been battered in recent years by a series of fishing abuse allegations from prominent rights groups of ships using slave and child labour as well as trafficking victims.

Migrant workers at work in a port in 

Mahachai, on the outskirts of Bangkok

(AFP Photo/Nicolas Asfouri)

And last year the US downgraded the kingdom to its lowest ranking on human trafficking, a designation that can trigger sanctions.

Bangkok is desperate to improve its standing, while sanctions have not yet been imposed, laying out new measures including a ban on fishing workers under 18 in the months since. The latest Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report is due for imminent publication.

Observers say that while the latest threat of an EU ban has triggered a renewed sense of urgency in authorities, rushed actions will fail to combat illegal fishing in the long-term.

Improving "monitoring, control and surveillance" will help to tackle longstanding problems of pirate fishing, slavery and trafficking in Thailand's fisheries industry, said Daniel Murphy, a Bangkok-based campaigner for the Environmental Justice Foundation.

But by rapidly regulating the neglected sector the government "risks regularising more vessels than Thailand's exhausted waters can support as well a significant number of vessels which have spent years openly flouting fishing laws", he said.

In this handout photograph released by Indonesia’s Ministry of Fishery on

 April 8, 2015, hundreds of rescued foreign fishermen mostly from Myanmar and

Thailand are gathered during an operation at the private Indonesian fishing firm

 Pusaka Benjina Resources located in remote Benjina island of Maluku

province. (AFP Photo/Ugeng Nugroho/Ministry of Fishery)

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Joko praises Minister Susi’s Work on Combating Illegal Fishing

A fisherman formerly held in slave-like conditions by a Thai-owned fishing firm in

Benjina, Maluku, shows evidence of abuse. (Antara Foto/Humas Kementerian

Kelautan)