{"id":93478,"date":"2024-11-21T16:59:38","date_gmt":"2024-11-21T14:59:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/?p=93478"},"modified":"2024-11-21T16:59:38","modified_gmt":"2024-11-21T14:59:38","slug":"the-asia-pacific-report-47","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/the-asia-pacific-report-47\/","title":{"rendered":"The Asia-Pacific Report"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sameera Casmod | sameerac@radioislam.co.za<\/a>
\n21 November 2024 | 17:00 CAT
\n3-minute read<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

M\u0101ori lawmakers protest colonial-era treaty bill <\/strong><\/p>\n

The bill, which aims to reinterpret the country\u2019s founding treaty with its Indigenous people, has raised concerns among the M\u0101ori community that it compromises the Treaty of Waitangi and limits their rights.<\/p>\n

A Te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori lawmaker led a haka in Wellington last Thursday. Parliament was temporarily suspended when Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke stood up, tore up her copy of the legislation, and started performing the M\u0101ori group dance during the proposal\u2019s first reading.<\/p>\n

Thousands of New Zealanders joined a nine-day long hikoi (peaceful march) towards the country\u2019s capital to protest the Treaty Principles Bill.<\/p>\n

By Tuesday, over 40\u00a0000 M\u0101ori and non- M\u0101ori protestors had gathered in Wellington outside Parliament buildings.<\/p>\n

The M\u0101ori, comprising nearly 19% of the country\u2019s population of 5,3 million, are objecting to the bill which places their rights at risk and aims to perpetuate colonialism in the country, Sanusha Naidu reported during this week\u2019s Asia-Pacific segment on Radio Islam International.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe response to the bill is based on the fact this colonial bill will not necessarily enhance the rights of the M\u0101ori people, but rather limit their rights and create more colonial repression,\u201d Naidu, a senior research associate based at the Institute of Global Dialogue, said.<\/p>\n

The Treaty of Waitangi was an agreement made in 1840 between representatives of the British Crown and more than 500 M\u0101ori chiefs.\u00a0The principles of the agreement underpin the relationship between the Government and M\u0101ori. It protects M\u0101ori rights to their land and rangatiratanga (M\u0101ori authority).\u00a0It includes principles around cultural responsibilities, relationships, and legislation.<\/p>\n

There are fears that the bill places M\u0101ori religious and cultural traditions at risk, highlighting the long-term effects of colonialism on New Zealand\u2019s indigenous people. During the 1300s, the M\u0101ori came to the islands of Aotearoa (now New Zealand) from East Polynesia. In 1840, British colonisers took control under the treaty. Under British rule, the M\u0101ori suffered mass extermination, territorial aggrandisement, and ethnocide before New Zealand gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1947.<\/p>\n

According to reports, it is unlikely that the bill introduced by Member of Parliament David Seymour of the ACT Party will be passed into law. It will need at least 62 votes in parliament, and with various other leaders of New Zealand\u2019s coalition government having expressed little support for the bill beyond the committee stage, it is a no-go.<\/p>\n

Putin defies US isolation efforts<\/strong><\/p>\n

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signalled his intent to visit India, underscoring a defiance of US-led efforts to isolate him on the global stage. This move reflects the enduring ties between Russia and India, despite mounting international pressure and sanctions on Moscow in light of its conflict with Ukraine.<\/p>\n

India has maintained its relationship with Russia, exemplified by ongoing oil trade despite Western sanctions. The partnership, rooted in decades of geopolitical and economic cooperation, remains vital to both nations. Analysts suggest that India\u2019s ability to navigate these challenges signals a broader resistance to Western dominance in global affairs.<\/p>\n

Putin\u2019s proposed visit to India comes against the backdrop of his recent trip to Mongolia, a nation that is a signatory to the International Criminal Court (ICC). This visit, and others like it, challenge the effectiveness of sanctions as a tool for political isolation. They also highlight a shift in international dynamics, where traditional mechanisms of accountability are being tested.<\/p>\n

The strengthening of ties between New Delhi and Moscow also bolsters Russia\u2019s global standing, despite its pariah status in the West. For India, balancing these relationships while navigating its own strategic goals remains a delicate but critical endeavour.<\/p>\n

Delhi faces pollution crisis<\/strong><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, India faces a domestic crisis of a different kind: severe pollution in its capital, Delhi. The city has been shrouded in a thick blanket of toxic smog, prompting authorities to shut down schools, halt construction projects, and ban non-essential trucks from entering the city.<\/p>\n

Residents report burning eyes and difficulty breathing as the city\u2019s air quality reaches hazardous levels. The situation is exacerbated by winter weather, which traps dust, emissions, and smoke from illegal farm fires in surrounding regions.<\/p>\n

The crisis highlights the urgency of addressing environmental policy and climate change at both national and international levels. As global leaders gather for the COP28 climate summit, the situation in Delhi serves as a stark reminder of the growing challenges posed by environmental neglect and the need for comprehensive solutions.<\/p>\n

Listen <\/strong>to the Asia-Pacific Report<\/a> on Sabaahul Muslim with Moulana Sulaimaan Ravat.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sameera Casmod | sameerac@radioislam.co.za 21 November 2024 | 17:00 CAT 3-minute read M\u0101ori lawmakers protest colonial-era treaty bill The bill, which aims to reinterpret the country\u2019s founding treaty with its Indigenous people, has raised concerns among the M\u0101ori community that it compromises the Treaty of Waitangi and limits their rights. A Te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori lawmaker […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":90718,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[28,4997],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-93478","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-news","category-world"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Asia-Pacific-Report.jpg?fit=2268%2C2268&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pc0QIf-ojI","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-19 12:08:05","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93478","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/30"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=93478"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93478\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/90718"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=93478"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=93478"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=93478"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}