dhappresscorps2017-blog

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International Olympic Committee, Xinhua - Human rights sidelined to hold major sporting events- will the IOC stand for this?

ANG YU CHIEN CONSTANCE, XINHUA

The chance to host the Olympics is an honour for any country. As a matter of fact, the opportunity to host any major international sporting event is an honour. The media coverage, the spotlight, the chance to attract tourists - anyone would jump at the opportunity.

However, there has always been an unspoken consequence to hosting such a major event. As in the case of the 2016 Rio Olympics in Brazil, the building of an Olympic Village or any large facility that requires a large amount of land and manpower can result in violations of human rights. Whether it is the unlawful eviction of residents living in the area that was designated for the building, or the abuse of migrant workers that are involved in the building’s construction, the violations often go undetected and are masked by the hype of the event itself.

The International Olympic Committee neared their final resolution submission to solve the problem of this gross abuse of human rights. Thankfully, the committee was more cooperative and amiable this time round, in comparison to the chaotic situation during the previous day’s crisis session. They quickly agreed to draft a resolution to end the issue.

Their resolution encompassed plans to protect the workers’ rights, such as working with non-government organisations like the Human Rights Watch to provide support that the voiceless workers desperately need, as well as taking measures to monitor the host country to ensure that they are not violating the basic human rights of their people.

People neglect that after the Olympics or any major sporting event, the facilities and areas specially designed for that purpose fall out of use. They are abandoned and left to crumble. So much more could be done with the land that eventually becomes obsolete. The IOC has done well in ensuring that the country basking in the glory of getting the chance to host international sporting competitions does not cruelly treat their own people in an attempt to impress the foreign visitors.

The fact that their own citizens’ well-being can be so easily tossed aside for the sake of hosting a grand event shows how badly every nation desires to show their very best to outsiders, at the expense of their people’s well-being. Hopefully the resolution will be the first step to shedding light on the unsolved problems in the host countries.

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International Olympics Committee, Borneo Bulletin - OLYMPROBLEMS: Committee addresses issues faced during the hosting of the International Olympic Games

AU YI YING BELINDA, BORNEO BULLETIN

On 2nd June 2017, the International Olympic Committee gathered to discuss the violation of human rights by host countries. The discussion specifically focused on the forced eviction of countless of civilians from their homes due to the construction of the Olympic Villages. This was evident during the 2016 Rio Olympics, when road blocks were put up in Rio de Janeiro and residents resisted eviction to make way for the Olympic Park took their protest to the streets during March 2015.

Other issues discussed included the discrimination of athletes during the Olympic games based on their gender and sexuality. This was apparent whenn the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, signed a bill banning “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations”, which incited fear in gay athletes and spectators leading up to the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. The issue of mistreatment and inadequate living conditions for labourers (especially more vulnerable migrant workers) involved in the erecting of buildings and required structures for the Olympic games was also discussed.

As usual, the delegates of China, Russia and the United States were extremely enthusiastic respondents who engaged in the heated debate for resolutions.

Eventually, the resolutions suggested by the committee included:

The International Olympic Committee having to include contracts of migrant workers being regulated more stringently. This is to prevent the exploitation of the workers, in the areas of their wages, living conditions, and recreation space, as well as in their quality of healthcare.

The collaboration with Suggests working with NGOs such as Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Amnesty International for the providence of emotional and legal support

Urges for host countries to ensure no corruption. This will be done so mainly by increasing the financial penalty of host countries which violate human rights.

Lastly, greater access to education on human right and legal assistance to migrant workers, were suggested to be implemented by the International Olympic Committee as well.

Countries were also reminded to take note of the international human rights every person has, and to avoid violation of such rights, in the event that they were the hosts for the Olympic games.

Borneo Bulletin is glad that the committee was able to put aside their various nations’ self-interests (especially their different political ideologies), and work together to reach a consensus on resolving the issues faced.

Borneo Bulletin encourages and hopes that the committee can further cooperate, so as to ensure a more effective and efficient session in the future.

Overall, great job to the International Olympic Committee!

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UN GA IV: Special Political and Decolonization Committee, Borneo Bulletin - ONGOING PALESTINIAN REFUGEE CRISIS: Will the council finally come to a consensus to resolve it?

AU YI YING BELINDA, BORNEO BULLETIN

In the light of the ongoing Palestinian refugee crisis, the council came together to discuss this critical issue and how to resolve it.  The council agreed that the main issue of concern was how they were going to relocate and resettle the affected refugees.

Currently, the living conditions in these refugee camps set up in neighboring countries, such as Jordan and Syria, are deemed to be extremely unsanitary and inadequate.  Socioeconomic conditions in the camps are generally poor, with high population density, cramped living conditions and inadequate basic infrastructure such as roads and sewers. The council, funnily enough, chose to focus on this aspect instead on their main issue of concern. They discussed how to redefine what a Palestinian refugee was, in order to minimize the amount of people taking advantage of the humanitarian aid provided by the International community. The delegate of Russia wholeheartedly stated that Russia was willing to take in the Palestinian refugees and provide the necessary resources required to resettle them.

Fortunately, the delegate of the United States rightfully (and rather harshly too) pointed out that “debate is going nowhere, like seriously.” This direct comment brought the council to light (well, mostly), and they proceeded to address their main issue of concern once again. Suggestions given by the delegates included crafting an international index where the international community can record the identities of the refugees. This allowed efficient communication and required aid could be distributed more productively and effectively.

The topic was then changed back to the need for the improvement in the refugees’ living conditions, funding and supplying resources were greatly required for this. The delegate of Syria raised a valid point about the refugees wanting to stay permanently at their camps should the living quarters be too well furnished and if there were permanent structures put in place. However, the council generally agreed that the refugee crisis would not be solved in the near future, and that long-term adequate residential housing was still required.

The delegate of China stated that the council should focus on three main areas: the living environment, land supply, and necessary resources when discussing the living conditions of the refugees. Many countries agreed on investing in financial aid to help in the crisis, due to the distance between their countries. Increased security measures must be put in place as well, to lower the high crime rate in the camps, and increase the sense of security for the refugees.

However, the delegate of the United Kingdom gave a wonderful suggestion of providing the refugees employment, so as to better their sense of purpose in life and sense of belonging to the various states.

The delegate of Egypt yelled that “this whole solution is not feasible”, and how the countries wanting to “invest, invest, and invest,” was not going to solve the root cause of the issue and help in finding a long-term solution. The council eventually decided that they wanted to evacuate the affected refugees via airplanes to safer neighbouring countries so that they would not have to risk their lives in their desperation to flee.

Regarding this, the delegate of the United States proudly stated that the United States would be willing to sponsor for the air travel for the millions of refugees to be transported. This is rather unrealistic, in our opinions, as it is not feasible to do so.

The Borneo Bulletin looks favorably upon the council coming together to fully focus and prioritize on the issue of concern first, before heading to resolve the other underlying issues faced.

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International Olympic Committee, Bangkok Post - Hurray: Gold Medal for the International Olympic Committee!

ISABEL TEO JING LIN, BANGKOK POST

“For good ideas and true innovation, you need human interaction, conflict, argument, and debate.” - Margaret Heffernan

After three days of rigorous debate, the International Olympic Committee is on the verge of passing their resolution for the final topic – “The Violation of Human Rights in Host Countries”.  Delegates from various countries brainstormed accessible solutions that were grounded in reality. In particular, the council proposed the following measures to target worker or civilian rights violations:

Among these measures, the IOC’s bid for inclusivity impressed many transgender rights activists across the globe as the IOC proposed the establishment of unisex toilets in consideration for such athletes. Additionally, the IOC had specially taken note to resolve any discrimination along fault lines of race. The work of the IOC has provided the sporting community and fans at large with a hopeful glimpse into a well-regulated 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In light of this and in order to congratulate delegates for completing the conference, journalists at Bangkok Post have crafted an acrostic poem.

Gone are the days of directives and resolutions, over are the horrors of continuous verbal contributions,

over are the funny notes, smiles, laughter and unmoderated shouting,

decorum is finally broken with bouts of free, gleeful chattering.

Just hope that you will appreciate the time left

of being the dopest and

best council.

Introducing a new motion,

On everyone’s discretion,

Clapping is now in order.

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Historical Crisis Committee, The New York Times - Betrayal!

GUO JIALU BENJAMIN, THE NEW YORK TIMES

The Confederate Rebels have sold our freedom to the vicious British and French! In their desperate attempts to win, the Confederates have called upon a large group of European soldiers to aid them in their attempt to achieve victory. A massive armada had been sighted off the coast the United States. Massive Brigades of joint British French troops had been sighted throughout Confederate States. Who would have known that in their desperation, the Confederate Rebels had forgotten the sufferings of the American people at the hands of the tyrannical British!

Brothers and Sisters, stand up to the foreign occupation of our sweet lands! These people are slavers. We should never consider our black brethren as any lesser than the rest of us, as these people proclaim to be. They should not be slaves, as the rebels want them to remain. It is time we freed all Americans.

In light of this sudden foreign interference in our domestic issue, the Union have been forced to hold back and consolidate forces for other assaults. Therefore, we send this call out to the people held hostage in Rebel lands. Do not tolerate this tyranny. You have not called to be oppressed by the wicked Europeans once again. Remember the hard-fought wars of the Revolutionary War, the surrender of the British at Yorktown. The Union needs your support in this war. America needs your support in this war. Stand up to your oppressors, revolt against them! Convince your Governors to re-join the Union. Fight for America!

Brothers and Sisters, there is no telling of the true reasons of European interference and assistance to the Confederate rebels. Taking a wider look of issues, the Europeans can pincer America from both the North and the South, consolidating control of our lands. We must not let this happen. The hard work of our forefathers will be nought, join the Union, join America!

God bless us all

New York Daily Times

10 June 1963

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United Nations General Assembly Special Political and Decolonization Committee, The Straits Times - Council Tackles The Palestinian Refugee Crisis

WONG XIN YU, THE STRAITS TIMES

The Straits Times has managed to get an exclusive insight into the protracted issue of the Palestinian Refugee Crisis, and the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (SPECPOL)’s current state of affairs and take on this complex crisis. 

With the influx of Palestinian refugees into the ASEAN region, delegates were diligently focused on drafting out a resolution that would help improve the lives of many and grant the refugees a brighter future. 

Council session started off strong with India and China’s commendable efforts in ensuring that the rights of refugees be prioritized. Suggestions to get the United Nations to enter and play a part in absolving and finding solutions were also bounced around throughout the session, which the Straits Times believes could be a plausible and effective solution for all. 

Whilst this issue has affected many individuals and established its reputation as a plague to the global community for decades, it is imperative that we should instead, choose to fill up the air with lovely and jovial feelings to negate and nullify any negative sentiments stemming from this issue.

In case you are unsure of how to carry this out, the delegate of the United States (US) has kindly provided us with an exclusive list of examples (pick-up lines) in which you can opt to use as inspiration or model after:

“Is your face Macdonalds? Cause I’m loving it!”

“Are you Russia? Cause you’re russia-ing into my heart tonight!”

“Are you meth? Cause I want to add you into my life”

The plight of the Palestinian Refugees has been a pertinent issue that has plagued the global community for decades. The Straits Times would like to make use of this opportunity to express our heartfelt sympathy to all individuals affected by this and urges for readers to contribute in any way they can to help improve the lives of these refugees currently struggling and fighting for a better future.

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ASEAN Economic Development Council, Xinhua - Economic Integration : Burden or Opportunity?

ANG YU CHIEN CONSTANCE, XINHUA

Right off the bat, the journalist from Xinhua would like to express her immense relief that the council has progressed from the energy crisis issue which has been the main problem of past two days of council session. Congratulations to the council for managing to move on to the next topic that they have to tackle: Economic Integration.

The council session began with the untimely arrest of the delegate from Cambodia due to their country’s corrupt government, stunning the council momentarily. Fortunately, the delegate of Indonesia set the ball rolling by questioning the council’s proposed solution of implementing the ASEAN Surveillance Process (ASP). The ASP’s main goal is to encourage peer-to-peer reviews of the financial state of the various member states of ASEAN and provide reports on the status of all the states. Hopefully, this will act as a stepping stone towards full economic integration, as desired by ASEAN. This will be done through the reduction of tariffs and an increase in revenue from exports within the region, which will boost the economy of all member-states. This proposal sounded great, until the delegate of Indonesia brought up the point that this might “compromise the sovereignty” of the member states in ASEAN. The delegate questioned if the ASP was “intrusive”, but this was immediately refuted by the delegate of the OECD and the delegate of Brunei. Both emphasised that the programme was meant to be unobtrusive and the countries would be given the choice of whether or not they want to accept the ASP into their country. Indonesia retorted by asking “what’s the point” of the ASP if countries could just reject the idea altogether.

The next issue stumped the council momentarily. Economic integration means the entry of multi-national companies (MNCs) into the LEDCs of ASEAN. Nations like the Phillipines, Vietnam and Indonesia expressed deep concern for the safety of the small medium enterprises (SMEs) that make up the backbone of their economy currently. The SMEs would stand no chance against MNCs, which have more resources and labour at their disposal. What will the council do to protect these fragile enterprises that require assistance to survive, but at the same time not make them reliant on external sources for business?

Unbelievably, the council seemed to unanimously agree for the first time in the three days of council sessions. Not one delegate disputed the importance of the SMEs that were present in their society. SMEs were crucial in providing jobs for the people in the LEDCs, and if they were driven out of business by the MNCs, the people’s standard of living would rapidly fall. The council then went into a 10 minute moderated caucus to discuss how to protect the SMEs while allowing them to develop economically to become more competitive in the global market. The queries from various delegates were answered satisfactorily by others, and the countries cooperated with one another to think of solutions. Among the proposed solutions were education for the workers, incentives (yet again) for the workers to increase productivity of the labour, seminars to educate the SMEs about the benefits of free trade, and the like.

At this juncture, the journalist of Xinhua is very pleased with the direction in which the council is proceeding, and would like to express her gratitude to the delegates for finally coming to a consensus about something (somewhat). She feels that the issues will soon be effectively resolved by the council.

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International Olympic Committee, Xinhua - Whose deep, dark ,dirty secret involves a toxic green gas meant to handicap athletes at the Olympics?

ANG YU CHIEN CONSTANCE, XINHUA

It is year 2064, and North Korea has finally seized the opportunity to host the Olympics. Good on them. But alas, things were perhaps not destined to go their way, for disaster struck on DPRK’s soil.

A toxic green gas, a nerve agent, was released into the stadium which held back all athletes from participating countries. The gas hindered the physical ability of athletes and put games on indefinite hiatus. This crisis has evidently extended beyond ASEAN nations, and entangled international players like Russia and DPRK. The moment council session began, the delegate of Russia openly accused the United States and the United Kingdom of being the masterminds behind the gas leak. The delegate from the UK immediately rebutted this claim, citing that they had obtained “no medals whatsoever”, and therefore had no reason to sabotage the games. He also mentioned that “[they] were victims too” and that council should not be blaming either US or UK for the gas leak. He called out the DPRK and mentioned that releasing the toxic gas was a “deep, dark, dirty secret” that they were trying to keep buried. The delegate from the Czech Republic subtly turned his own words against him and mentioned that it could be precisely because they had not won any medals that they wanted to wreck havoc on the entire Olympics.

The council was divided into two opposing camps. One believed the best thing to do would be to extract athletes from North Korea as soon as possible, even if it required brute force. They believed that this would remove any leverage North Korea had over nations involved. The other group of delegates believed that the best course of action would be to send aid and resources to North Korea to compensate for the subpar facilities that they had there and enable doctors to cure the athletes as soon as possible. The one thing both groups agreed upon was that the safety of the athletes were of utmost importance, it was just a matter of how to ensure this safety.

The council engaged circular debate for a long duration, arguing for their own stances without directly addressing those of others. The chairs, seemingly frustrated at the council’s inability to pass a directive despite the fact that the clock was ticking, provided a crucial piece of information that should have ended the circular debate on the spot: that the gas was a nerve agent, and was therefore not contagious or infectious. This strengthened the opinion of the group that believed the athletes should be taken out of North Korea’s custody, seeing as it would pose no harm to anyone if they were removed.

When the council was forced to come to a compromise and pass a directive, they still seemed to be unable to agree. Many were still assigning blame subtly, even though they had all agreed that blaming others was definitely not the ideal thing to do. Referring to the second crisis update, many delegates jumped the gun and pointed fingers at China and the DPRK for causing the gas leak. Their only evidence was that the athletes of both China and the DPRK were completely unaffected by the gas. Rumours were flying, saying that they had genetically modified their athletes to enhance their performance at the games, and this somehow made them immune to the gas as well. The delegate from China dismissed this as “wild speculation”, and indeed, the logic link between the evidence and the conclusion was lost.

Though their active participation in the council impressed the journalist from Xinhua, it was a pity that a consensus could not be arrived at between the various nations regarding the crisis at hand.

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ASEAN Transnational Security Council, The Straits Times - Did you know, South China Sea belongs to China because it contains “China” in its name?

WONG XIN YU, THE STRAITS TIMES

When China decided to carry out the provocative act of militarizing the South China Sea, she also galvanised the entire Transnational Security Council (TNSC) into gathering and discussing the controversial topic of militarization.

Below contains a compilation of noteworthy outcomes from the council session:

1. The South China Sea belongs to China because it contains “China” in its name

 Written in capital letters, bolded and underlined in the working paper, this statement reinforced the claim that China holds complete territorial control over the South China Sea. With this in mind, we believe that China can finally heave a sigh of relief after relentless engagement in fierce disputes to secure and mark the South China Sea as their own territory. It definitely helped that this statement was also recognized and approved by the other delegates present during the drafting of the paper.

2. China and Thailand may no longer be on cordial terms due to the latter’s finger-pointing at the former for militarization

Breaking the council’s silence on the focal point of China’s militarization in the South China Sea, the delegate of Thailand’s assertion resulted in the creation of a ripple effect where countries started to play the blame game with China. In an exclusive statement expressed by the delegate of the United States (US), it was evident that China will be in the bad books of other countries’ after being labeled as “belligerent”.

3. TNSC is in urgent need of a dictionary (Maybe even more than 1)

The delegate of Singapore’s initial push for a definition of militarization to be established before any discussion began gave him an edge above the rest of the delegates during the start of the council session. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for the rest of the delegates as they scrambled and panicked over the selection of words to define what militarization truly stood for and would be treated as.

A further unmoderated caucus also amplified and magnified their struggle as they managed to establish (you’ve guessed it) absolutely nothing throughout the course of their discussion. Looks like there is an urgent need for a dictionary to be delivered to their doorstep at this juncture to save them from the peril they are in for inefficiency seems to be taking its toll on the council. 

At this interval, the Straits Times would like to wish TNSC the best of luck in passing a resolution soon.

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United Nations General Assembly Special Political and Decolonization Committee, Bangkok Post - Feeling Quiz-y?: Palestinian Refugee Crisis

ISABEL TEO JING LIN, BANGKOK POST

Are you a current affairs connoisseur? Or perhaps you would like to just gain a basic understanding of this complex crisis? If you are curious about the protracted issue of the Palestinian refugee crisis, the Bangkok Post has summarised the most recent updates from the Special Political and Decolonization Committee at the United Nations into this short interactive section.

Background

1. Which was the first event by which the Palestinian Refugee Crisis sprouted from?

a. Arab-Israeli War of 1948

b. Arab Spring in 2010

c. UN resolution 181 of 1947 which split Palestine into Arab and Jewish states 

2. What is the two-state solution?

a. An independent Israel and Palestine

b. Israel merges with Gaza and the West Bank

c. Israel annexation of West Bank

Answer: A, A

Now that we are done with the basics, what are your opinions on the proposed solutions?

1. An international index to record and trace the identity of refugees

a. Yes

b. No

2. Setting up permanent facilities

a. Yes

b. No

3. Having regional countries absorb the refugees

a. Yes

b. No

Conclusion

The plight of the Palestinian Refugees has plagued the global community for decades. Cornered by the indiscriminate impacts of conflict, many innocent families, children, and the elderly have been forced into delipidated refugee camps. Many are still suffering from destitution, penury and insecurity. Now that you are armed with this knowledge towards the crisis, Bangkok Post urges all readers to contribute financially, if possible, towards improving the living standards of these refugees who are still valiantly fighting for a brighter future.

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International Olympic Committee, Al Jazeera - Disputes Surfaces amidst Scramble to Save Athletes

JOYCE LIM QIAN HUI, AL JAZEERA

In light of the recent events that unfolded during North Korea’s Olympic Games, the International Olympic Committee has found themselves faced with a crisis. Interestingly enough, Russia’s and China’s first instinct upon hearing the news about the green gas, which source has not yet been identified, was to immediately accuse the United Kingdom and United States of America of sabotaging the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). This may not come as a surprise, given that both delegates from UK and Russia have history of conflicting opinions. The United Kingdom responded by firmly denying this claim, turning the tables and blamed China and DPRK. This was bolstered by the news that the delegations from China and the DPRK were among the few 600 athletes that were not harmed by the green gas released at the Olympic Village.

However, after criticism from Jamaica and Italy that the council was not focusing on the issue of the safety of the athletes, a first attempt to submit a directive was made by the State of Qatar, alongside countries including the Czech Republic, the People’s Republic of China as well as the French Republic. The directive was neutral, and it called for medical resources to be sent to DPRK as well as for research to be conducted on the green gas released in North Korea, thereby taking the first steps in making actual progress in the resolution of the issue. The directive was passed after majority of the council voted in favour of it.

However, prior to this, there was lengthy debate between Russia and the United Kingdom on whether help should be sent in a more passive way to North Korea, or in the more aggressive form of using troops to intimidate the DPRK into returning foreign athletes. While Russia’s continuous defense of the DPRK and China and refusal to confront these countries raised questions over whether the Russians harboured an agenda, it is true that the show of force may escalate out of control into a full-blown armed conflict with the DPRK. If that were to happen, not only will the safety of the athletes be at risk, but there will also be major, possibly disastrous consequences for all countries involved. Thus it seems that the council made the right call by passing a directive that would not antagonise any nation or organisation currently embroiled in the matter.

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Historical Crisis Committee, The New York Times - Union Victory in Sight?

GUO JIALU BENJAMIN, THE NEW YORK TIMES

In a masterful stroke of military genius, the mighty Union looks set to crush the weak, unorganised rebel Confederates. The intelligent minds behind the Union offensive had cracked the weaknesses of the Confederates, and in one fell swoop, taken over the Eastern Front of the war. The consolidated Union attack managed to push Confederate troops from the Eastern front all the way to South Carolina, and the mighty Union is now in control of the Confederate “capital”.

The rebels were so weak they appeared to leave their capitol and heads of state completely defenceless as the gallant Union push went through the state. This must be the breaking point for the Confederate rebels. With their capital lost, the Confederates appeared to be in a full state of retreat, a telling sign of a rout. Confederate morale and nationalism are both at an all-time low. Let this be a watershed moment in the war, as Union now undoubtedly have a victory at hand.

It is at this moment that the American people have to be united to retain this advantage that we have. Union leaders plead to our great citizens that to be accepting of the freed slaves. There is a much greater need for our societies to integrate these members of our brethren, and take the fight to the Confederate rebels. Let this be a call to all citizens of our glorious nation, that we need to be at peace with one another, any quarrels or qualms can be discussed after the war, but for now, we have a great need to focus on the ultimate destruction of the Confederate rebels.

Hence, the Union leaves the glorious future of our nation in you, the great American public. Let us stand united and press home this victory, together. God save the Union, God save America.

New York Daily Times

20 February 1863

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International Olympic Committee, Borneo Bulletin - North Korea’s ‘DEEP, DARK, DIRTY SECRET’

AU YI YING BELINDA, BORNEO BULLETIN

2064 marked the first year North Korea managed to earn one of the highest honours offered to countries on a global scale, as they were the host country for the International Olympic Games.

It was reported that during the Opening Ceremony, when the Eternal Supreme Leader Kim Jong Mun was carrying out the torch lighting ceremony, a most unfortunate incident happened. In the midst of merrymaking, a highly suspicious green gas leaked through the gas vents of the stadium, engulfing the place. This led to tens of thousands of people (including athletes) being admitted to the hospital with symptoms of explosive diarrhea, fever and vomiting. The games were thus put on hold, in order to tackle the pressing issue on hand.

The gas, identified as a nerve agent that hinders physical ability and causes intense fatigue, was leaked into the stadium by an unknown source. A representative from North Korea denied all responsibility for this unfortunate incident, and declared that she was unaware of the gas leak prior to it.

In her fear of the symptoms spreading to the rest of the North Korean society, North Korea has decided to close the Olympic Village, effectively trapping the athletes. This cuts off their access to the outside world, leaving them stranded and stuck there. North Korea has refused to let the athletes go home despite the symptoms of the nerve agent being deemed as non-contagious.

However, one must note that though most of the nations’ athletes were susceptible to the nerve agent, the entire delegation of athletes from the nations of North Korea and China were completely immune to it.

In fact, it is speculated that athletes from China and the DPRK are genetically modified to enhance their performance at the Games, and this is supported by the medal tally of the 2064 Games. China and North Korea both refuted this claim, and reiterated that their athletes had trained hard for the games.

These were not the only speculations raised; wild accusations were thrown around during debate about the next course action that should be taken.

The delegate of the United Kingdom raised suspicions ofover North Korea being the perpetrator of this incident, and states that this was an act that was “North Korea’s deep, dark, dirty secret” - winning the Olympic Games by harming the other countries’ athletes.

China’s athletes remain unscathed amidst this chaos - this hints at a collaboration between both communist nations, in their bid to beat the other nations in the Olympics.

Other delegates from the Human Rights Association brought the focus back to prioritising the safety and health of the injured athletes, especially since North Korea was kept on lock-down. The North Korean Representative has also declined to comment about the health conditions and status of the sick athletes.

Delegates from North Korea and China strongly objected to these claims, and were deeply offended by such mistrust and suspicion from the other nations. The Chinese delegate even yelled, “get the people out of North Korea and stop the US and UK from causing further harm.”

North Korea has supported China’s pleas of innocence by stating that the lock-down was carried out to protect their society and the athletes, and was not done with the intention of sealing the athletes in for alternative purposes.

The delegate of Russia backed the claims from both communist states by instead accusing the United States and the United Kingdom of committing this heinous crime. He argues that it was their way to ‘get back’ at North Korea for spreading communist beliefs, which opposed their democratic ideology.

The council further engaged in heated debate on what would be the best way to aid these trapped athletes and ensure their safety at all costs.

Suggestions include the deployment of military troops to threaten North Korea to release the athletes (but this would most likely cause World War III). However, negotiations, sanctions and the severance of trade ties were better suggestions, as the various nations’ athletes were still in the hands and at the mercy of North Korean authorities.

Great mistrust clouds North Korea’s healthcare system and diminishes the quality of care extended to the athletes in their care.

Borneo Bulletin hopes that the council will find a way to solve this issue and bring the athletes back safely and in good health. Borneo Bulletin prays for the well-being of the affected individuals in this most unfortunate incident.

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Plenary Crisis 2, Borneo Bulletin - WORLD CHAOS: Can the nations put aside their differences and solve the issue together?

AU YI YING BELINDA, BORNEO BULLETIN

News of Rohingya Muslims being abused, with their human rights being utterly violated, spread like wildfire as a video, clearly documenting the systemic violation of human rights of the Rohingya people got leaked on Internet forums.  Besides having to face this issue, the international community also has to tackle the pertinent issues of famine and a critical virus outbreak.

Following the recent insurgence of hackers hailing from the Brunei, Ethiopia, Laos and Myanmar, that enraged major stakeholders in the region, the major powers around the world decided to cut off international relations in a fit of rage. This has resulted in the severing of trading ties with the involved countries as well, which includes our beloved country. Our greatly loved Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, who also serves as the highly respected prime minister of Brunei, has expressed his grief at such impulsive actions that have led to such detrimental impacts. The great leader, as the representative of Brunei, has expressed his deep regret and sincere apologies for the wrongdoings those Bruneians have committed on a global scale. He further reiterates the great dishonour that the local hackers have brought to our country, and prays for their repentance. The imposition of sanctions on the allied countries, including our very own country has caused much chaos to ensue.

There has been a severe shortage of food in Brunei ever since that fateful day when our international relations were critically damaged. According to a Bruneian representative, Mr Star Veng, shelves in supermarkets are being swept clean, while local markets are completely empty due to the lack of produce. “The country’s food resource bank is on the verge of being emptied out. Within a few days, there will definitely be not enough food to go around ”.

This dire situation has left the global community in shock and frenzy, but alas an even more pressing issue that thoroughly shook the world emerged - the critical outbreak of a new virus, H8N1. The countries have been plagued with a famine of catastrophic levels due to the action taken by the international community being too late. As a result of the famine, a virus outbreak has occurred, and according to unofficial figures, the virus has killed around 1481 citizens globally. It is said to have been caused by the consumption of dead animal carcasses (including insects). The World Health Organisation stated that they were working on a vaccine in order to prevent the virus from spreading drastically across the globe. However, who knows when it will be successfully created or when the virus will be restrained?

Furthermore, one must not forget the recent spate of price gouging which has plagued all ASEAN nations and has become the main reason for widespread famine to occur. The widespread famine has caused the discontented masses from the respective involved nations to go on planned a protest, named the ‘Peasants’ March’. This is a result of the masses’ unhappiness with their local government’s inability to deal with the famine crisis, which has unfortunately led to the deaths of over 200 thousand people.  The increase in the popularity of such protests further threatens the internal security of the nations.  This evidently poses as a huge threat to regional stability, as reports of plans to topple local governments are widespread among the affected nations.

With regard to the Rohingya refugee crisis, the council erupted into chaos as wild accusations were thrown at the Burmese government for their inaction or inefficient action towards the dire situation. The delegate of Myanmar rebutted that the government was not trying to discriminate against the minority population, but that they were too far out of their reach, with all of them living at a far end of Myanmar. She further emphasised that her country’s severe lack of resources, coupled with the local famine, had led to their unaligned priorities as the authorities struggled to balance and desperately solve the issues faced. However, she reassures the council that she will ensure that the authorities take action and investigate the allegations of discrimination against the Rohingya Muslims to their best ability.

The fact that many countries were unwilling or unable to come to the aid of the minority made the situation even more critical. Countries such as Malaysia have voiced their blatant rejection of and inability in taking in any Rohingya refugees, due to their previous intake of 3000 Syrian refugees, as well as the local unfavourable conditions faced. The delegate of China has also mentioned that countries should be allowed autonomy for their internal affairs, and that no countries should have any obligations to take in the refugees. Racial quotas should not be enforced as well, as they would forcibly require countries to take in refugees.

However, on the other hand, it is a relief to see countries like the United Kingdom, Thailand, and the Philippines reaching out to aid the refugees to the best of their ability by agreeing to house them temporarily. A delegate from the Philippines further stated that one should not see the Rohingya Muslims as burdens to society, but as a part of society that can contribute to their local economy.

The Borneo Bulletin hopes that the council can eventually set aside their various self-interests and eventually reach a consensus. We pray for the future of all affected nations, as well as our very own beloved nation and hope that things will improve as soon as possible. Our beloved Sultan also urges the local population not to lose faith in him.

[dhappresscorps2017-blog]

International Olympics Council (Crisis), The Straits Times - Finger-Pointing in Council: Countries Play The Blame Game

WONG XIN YU, THE STRAITS TIMES

With the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) holding their first ever Olympics, one might expect it to be a joyous and jubilant occasion. However it was the exact opposite for delegates of the International Olympics Council (IOC) as they were dragged into a crisis situation.

A suspicious green gas had started to leak through the gas vents into the stadium in the middle of the fanfare and celebration. This then resulted in the situation taking a turn for the worse as 1400 athletes hailing from different nations have been admitted into the hospital. Further updates have also confirmed that the gas had taken a toll on the athletes and hindered their physical abilities and induced fatigue. 

Wasting no time at all, the delegate of Russia jumped the gun immediately in his speech, pointing fingers at the United States (US) and United Kingdom (UK) for being the main culprits behind the gas attack. China soon followed up on this rash move, stressing on how “the UK and the US are trying to sabotage DPRK”.

These moves perhaps are neither the most tactful nor the most appropriate to make at the beginning of a council, for such impulsive accusations only resulted in tensions mounting to an all time high. Russia and China might have just shot themselves in the foot by burning down any bridges they previously had with these superpowers and severed all ties with them due to their rash words.

“How can you accuse us for being at fault? We are victims as well. DPRK has some deep dark dirty secret and it is definitely DPRK’s fault.” – Delegate of UK

With the limelight drawing in on him, the delegate of the UK then resorted to dragging DPRK through the mud, another foolish move on his part that exacerbated the tensions in the room even further. Thankfully, the delegate of Czech Republic stepped in as the saving grace for the issue, redirecting the countries back on track to address the safety of their athletes, who should have been the utmost priority of the council. Her sensibility and response to the childish behavior of the former speakers certainly garnered her praise from the Straits Times and subsequent speaking countries.

In spite of her commendable efforts, the council soon fell back into the perpetuating cycle of playing the blame game with each other once again when another update on China and DPRK’s athletes being immune to the effects of the gas was received. Feelings of suspicion and anxiety then swept over the delegates as they made the hasty decision for an unmoderated caucus in hopes of getting a directive started.

The Straits Times was then subjected to a clear view of the chaos and disorder that was rampant throughout the duration of the discussion as delegates continued to shout and point fingers at each other, clearly not learning from the incident prior. The din and commotion in the room was so painful and unbearable to the point where even the chairs had to step in to express their frustrations at the matter.

At this stage, the Straits Times can only urge readers to pray and hope that the council manages to get themselves together for a resolution seems to only be possible with a miracle.

[dhappresscorps2017-blog]

International Olympics Committee, Bangkok Post - 2064 Olympic Games: Should we ever have trusted North Korea?

ISABEL TEO JING LIN, BANGKOK POST

It seems like the recent crisis at the 2064 Olympic Games has managed to top any previous renowned scandals of doping or dishonest acts. Both the audience and the athletes have been affected by a nerve agent that triggers diarrhoea, fever and vomiting. It is presently unknown if there are any casualties or if the symptoms would progress to become more terminal in nature. However, the root cause of the widespread shock, confusion and worry is attributed particularly to the refusal of North Korea to release the affected individuals. Furthermore, news has spread that Chinese and North Korean athletes are seemingly immune to the nerve agent, leading to allegations of genetically modified advantages or even a premeditated attack by these countries in order to secure a win.

Yet, even when the imperative was to rescue the innocent, the global political community seems to be caught up in their very own Olympic blame game. The delegate of Russia and China blamed the UK and the USA, with China claiming that they had insidious motivations of spreading their democratic principles. On the other hand, the delegate of UK quickly refuted that the UK would have nothing to gain from such an act and then hinted that the DPRK’s absence was self-explanatory. The USA then went on to list the outstanding achievements of their athletes and proposed that clearly they would have had no intention to harm their own athletes. But as they raved and ranted, the well-being of the victims remains unknown.

“Blame. Is that really that big of an issue right now?”, exclaimed the delegate of the Czech Republic. Her statement effectively started to divert the council back onto the right trajectory of discourse. However, the lack of clarity and direction in understanding context also led to much confusion. This is so particularly on 3 major topics:

Whether to shift supplies into North Korea or to shift victims out

Whether to use negotiation, force or economic sanctions

But, various considerations inhibited the selection of a proper consensus for each solution had their own weaknesses. Also, countries had to keep in close consideration the possibility of provoking North Korea by violating their sovereignty. Yet, at the same time, North Korea is notorious for their tendencies to ignore human rights conventions and their inadequate healthcare capabilities. The use of force or economic sanctions could also directly affect the wellbeing of victims. As a result of this conundrum, the council struggled to draft a basic procedural plan but instead quickly got pulled back into heated discussions. Below are a few prominent quotes we took note of:

“If we are trying to ‘rescue’ those inside North Korea, are we instead harming those outside of North Korea?” – Delegate of Russia

“WHY CAN”T I USE FORCE?” – Unknown Delegate

“Okay, listen, shut up.” – Unknown Delegate

“That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard in this council” – Delegate of Czech Republic

At this juncture, Bangkok Post would like to send its support to the families and friends of captured victims, locally and internationally. Bangkok Post will work hard to keep the world updated.  

[dhappresscorps2017-blog]

Plenary Crisis 2, Al Jazeera - Pressure Mounts As Time Runs Out in Refugee and H1N8 Crisis

JOYCE LIM QIAN HUI, AL JAZEERA

The catastrophic famine that struck in Southeast Asia has left a trail of equally critical problems, leaving the combined councils of the Social and Humanitarian Council (SoCHUM) and the Economic Development Council (EDC) reeling. With an hour to spare before the situation became dire, the council discussed the pertinent issues at hand: the state of anarchy declared in Indonesia, finding the vaccine for the H8N1 virus that was spreading in ASEAN countries, and the ill-treatment of the Rohingya people in Myanmar. Priority was given to the issue of anarchy in Indonesia, where the delegate of Indonesia agreed to host military intervention from the Allied forces, specifically from the United States and the United Kingdom. Martial law was also implemented after the passing of a directive submitted by India, Singapore, Thailand and China.

At the same time, the council was facing another pressing challenge; they were to find the vaccine to the H1N8 virus that was spreading rapidly in Southeast Asia, before the situation turned dire at 2.05 p.m. All the delegates in the council did their best to resolve this issue, passing directives to channel greatereffort and funds into research for the discovery of the vaccine and to seek international cooperation in research and medical treatment. The tension in the air was palpable as each and every delegate sought to minimise the damage caused and the number of lives lost. To the delegates’ credit, the situation had not plunged into an irreparable state as of 2.05pm, though the people’s trust in their respective governments was weakening, adding another source of stress to the council’s list of problems.

However, it is the Rohingya refugee crisis that truly gave the delegates a difficult time. The revelation that the Rohingya people had been quarantined and abused in Myanmar since the discovery of the virus sparked a mass exodus of refugees to neighbouring countries, with numbers reaching up to 10,000. With each and every country having a different capacity to accept refugees, acceptance of refugees became the most prominently-featured topic in the delegates’ speeches. Relocation of the refugees became increasingly problematic as countries such as Malaysia, Singapore and Syria rejected refugees from their borders due to limitations in resources and in land. Eventually, it was decided that the United Arab Emirates, Germany and the United Kingdom would be among the countries that would open their doors to refugees. The short-term measures discussed included transportation for the refugees. In addition, long-term measures were also proposed, in order to assimilate the refugees in the host countries, such as to grant citizenship to a number of refugees such that they would not be perceived as burdens. It would be best to avoid the same poor conditions and discrimination that refugees, most notably those from Syria, are currently facing worldwide.