In the French parliament, the "Decision to ban products involving Uyghur forced labor" was approved : Mélanie Vogel and Guillaume Gontard

In the upper house of France, the Green Party's senior members of parliament, Mélanie Vogel and Guillaume Gontard, submitted to the parliament on January 16 this year, the "Decision Draft to Ban Uyghur Forced Labor Products", which was discussed and voted on June 1. The draft resolution was approved with the full support of 144 votes .

In the French Upper House, the "Decision Bill to Ban Uyghur Forced Labor Products" was passed with the full support of 144 votes.  July 1, 2023, Paris

The draft resolution states that an embargo should be imposed on Uyghur forced labor products imported into the French and European markets, and that clothes, cars and other products produced by Uyghur forced labor should not be consumed in France and Europe.

Congresswoman Melanie Vogel tweeted after the bill's passage: "We recognize that the genocide against the Uyghurs continues. "This plan must be translated into action."

Melanie Vogel said in an interview with our radio station from the scene of the adoption of the draft resolution: "I think that what happened today in the French Parliament (the adoption of the draft resolution to ban goods involving Uyghur forced labor) is a very important step on the way to protect human rights at the international level. . We have adopted a long-awaited EU-wide ban on forced labor products. We called on the French government to take effective action to ban EU products involving forced labor from entering the European market. In the draft resolution, the French government is requested to work according to the model implemented by the United States, not according to the model proposed by the European Commission.

"I can say that if you read the draft resolution, the content is really strong," he added. A very strong and clear message was given by the French government and the European Parliament. Our message is that we must implement the same mechanism as the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Law.

In the United States, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act was passed on June 24, 2021, and has been implemented since June last year. According to this law, any product imported into the United States from the Uyghur region is in violation of the United States' anti-forced labor laws until the company can prove that its goods were not made with forced labor.

According to the report on the implementation of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act released by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on March 14, 3,237 containers of forced labor products from the Uyghur region were shipped to the U.S., and 424 containers were returned. . Among these goods, electrical appliances are the most, followed by cotton and textile products, agricultural products, pharmaceutical materials, and auto parts.

The head of the European Uyghur Institute, Uyghur political activist Dr. Dilnur Rayhan, who played a key role in presenting the draft to the French parliament, explained the black draft and its impact on France and Europe.

In the end, Melanie Vogel said about her expectations from other parliaments around the world: "I hope that other national parliaments will follow our lead and emphasize that our values ​​must be adhered to in their governments that decide our trade policy within the EU." You cannot admit that there is an ongoing genocide and on the other hand import the products produced as a result of these crimes! »

In January 2022, the French parliament declared the atrocities committed by China against the Uyghurs as "genocide".

Forests in North Korea increased 3.8 times the area of ​​Seoul in 7 years : Naked Mountain in Saetmae

Trees were planted on the slope of Naked Mountain in Saetmae, Pyongyang to restore the desolated land and create a green forest.

[ North Korea known as a country of isolation and seclusion . Today, however, satellite images have made it possible to see all of North Korea in great detail . ' Zoom in North Korea ' examines changes in North Korea through satellite images and analyzes the meaning of politics , economy and society. I am with Jeong Seong-hak, a researcher at the Korean Peninsula Security Strategy Institute . Reporter Noh Jung-min is in progress .]

It has been found that North Korean forests are recovering every year while North Korean general secretary Kim Jong-un has been carrying out the '10 -year forest restoration battle ' since 2015 .

As a result of comparing and analyzing changes in North Korean forest area between 2001 and 2021 through satellite images provided by NASA, the forest area decreased by 0.8% annually until 2015 , but North Korea is fighting a '10 -year battle for forest restoration ' . Since inception, it has increased by 0.8% . It seems that Secretary General Kim's efforts to make a green mountain have achieved some results .

However, as the authorities forbid the clearing of small land in the mountains for forest restoration, residents are experiencing difficulties in livelihood and still use firewood as fuel for cooking and heating. performance is difficult to predict.  

Jeong Seong-hak Research Fellow . One of the things that come to mind when you hear ' North Korea ' is bare mountain . In fact, there are testimonies from North Korean defectors that there are no trees on the mountain because North Koreans cut down a lot of trees because they did not have firewood . So, it is known that the Kim Jong-un regime also started to restore forests . If you look at actual satellite photos, I heard North Korea's forests are increasing ?

[ Jeong Seong-hak ] Flood damage occurs in North Korea every summer . Natural disasters such as landslides and loss of farmland and homes are recurring . As you said, the reason for this can be North Korea's bare mountain . So, since 2015 , North Korean General Secretary Kim Jong-un has been carrying out the ' Battle for Forest Restoration ' for 10 years to restore North Korea's forests . For example, we restricted the reclamation of mountainous areas with a slope of more than 16 degrees . A national deforestation campaign was launched . Interim inspection with satellite images revealed that North Korea's forests actually increased over the past seven years .  

I remember that North Korean Secretary General Kim Jong- un emphasized in his New Year's address in 2015 , " Let the whole party , the whole country , and all the people vigorously wage a forest restoration battle so that the mountains of the motherland can be lush with green forests . " Since then, the forest restoration movement has begun in earnest . Specifically, what changes were identified in the satellite imagery ?

[ Jung Seong-hak ] First of all, satellite photos were taken using data (MODIS) from the Aqua and Terra satellites operated by the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) . First of all, we looked at the current state of land use in North Korea . As of 2021 , forests account for 46.9% of the country's land . Cropland accounted for 27.4%, grassland accounted for 11.7%, and shrubland accounted for 10.4% . Looking at the changes in the forest area over the past 21 years (2001 to 2021 ) in North Korea's land use data , the forest area has continued to decrease since 2001, followed by 2015 .It has rebounded from year to year and shows an increasing trend . The 10 -year battle for forest restoration, which began in 2015 , is evaluated as showing some results .  

Looking at the graph showing the change in forest area in North Korea, it has continued to decrease since 2001, but has shown an increasing trend since 2015. The 10-year battle for forest restoration, which began in 2015, is evaluated as showing results. / MODIS analysis, image- qualitative science

Now I'm looking at the graph too . The forest area in North Korea has been going down since 2001, but has been rising again since 2015 .

 

[ Jeong Seong-hak ] Yes . North Korea's forests have decreased by 0.8% every year since 2001 , but have increased by 0.8% again since 2015 . Over the past seven years, North Korea's forests have grown by the size of 125 football fields every day . More precisely, the forest area increased from 5.58 million hectares to 5.8 million hectares, about 227,000 hectares . This is an area equivalent to 3.8 times the area of ​​Seoul .

In North Korea, many North Koreans cultivate land in the mountains because of the food shortage . The North Korean authorities have taken measures to ban the clearing of small plots of land for forest protection reasons . Can you see how the forest was restored by planting trees on the actual mountain ?

 

[ Jeong Seong-hak ] There is . When you plant a young tree, this tree grows up and forms a lush forest and forest zone . You can confirm such a place by analyzing satellite images . For example, in 2015 , there was a bare mountain with an exposed dirt floor without a single tree near Saetmaeul, Pyongyang City. In 2019, satellite photos show that trees were planted on the hillside to create a green forest . In addition, in 2013 , there was a desolate slope on a mountain near the village of Chunjae-ri, Kaesong-si , and in the 2020 satellite photo, you can see that the neatly planted trees are growing green . It is also notable that the standard was 2015 , when the battle for forest restoration began . More specifically , over the past seven years, the area of ​​forests that have been planted by seedlings has increased by about 800,000 hectares , with an annual increase of 11It is analyzed that 14,000 hectares were planted with trees .      

Trees were planted neatly on the steep slope of the mountain in Chunjae-ri village behind the Kaesong Industrial Complex to restore the desolated area / Google Earth, image production – Jeong Seong-hak

 

Looking at the results so far, can North Korea's 10 -year battle for forest restoration be evaluated as having produced positive results ?

 

[ Jeong Seong-hak ] Based on a comprehensive evaluation of satellite images and various data , it is judged that the efforts of the Kim Jong-un regime to restore devastated forests and make the mountains green have achieved some success . However, since North Korea still relies heavily on firewood for cooking and heating, it seems that we should not make hasty judgments from a long-term perspective . It is also urgent to mass-produce and supply alternative fuels used for cooking and heating instead of wood , such as coal and briquettes, or develop new energy sources . Also, Korea is setting a great example of reforestation from the ashes of the Korean War after the 6.25 Korean War . I think it would be a good way for North Korea to exchange with South Korea to learn the experience, technology , and policies of reforestation .     

North Korea's land use status in 2021 analyzed by satellite image data. It is estimated that 47% of the country's land is occupied by forests and 27% by paddy fields. / MODIS analysis, image production – Jeong Seong-hak

 

In the meantime, listening to the stories of many North Korean defectors, it seems that the top priority for forest reforestation is to prevent cutting trees for cooking or heating . Are there any side effects from North Korea's coercive forest policy ?

 

[ Jeong Seong-hak ] North Korea's forest policy is not without strict crackdowns and forced implementation . According to reports from Free Asia Broadcasting and South Korea's Yonhap News, as mentioned earlier , there are, for example, measures to ban the reclamation or cultivation of hillsides , which brings great difficulties to the lives of North Koreans who lived on small plots of land in the mountains. . Prohibiting the collection or sale of firewood is a major obstacle to residents' cooking and heating . In addition, the policy of demolishing cemeteries, abolishing burial culture , and urging cremation on the grounds of protecting mountain areas is also causing great dissatisfaction from residents . The efforts of the North Korean authorities to come up with countermeasures to prevent damage to the forest should be preceded , but the forest restoration policy, which bans unconditionally and puts priority on crackdowns, is causing considerable side effects .

yes _ Today, we conducted an interim evaluation of North Korea's 10 -year forest restoration campaign . ' Zoom in North Korea ' Today's order ends here . So far, I have been with research fellow Jeong Seong-hak, an expert in satellite imagery .

The Thai government has announced that it will cut electricity to Shwekokko and Leykeko : Karen State

Karen State, where there are gambling halls, Myawati Township, In March 2023, when I saw the construction of buildings in the new city of Shwekokkol.

Myanmar's Karen State, adjacent to the Thai border, Myawati Township, An official from Thailand's Mae Sot District told Benar News, RFA's sister news agency, that the Electricity Authority of Thailand is currently sending power to the area where the casino in Shwe Kukko New Town is located and around the area of ​​Inkyin Myain KK Park, where there are gambling establishments near Myawati City, on June 5 at 12 p.m.

The people working there told RFA that they had heard the news about the power cut, and when RFA contacted the Myawati District Electricity Office under the Military Council, they confirmed that the power cut was correct.

It is also reported that the Military Council Embassy in Bangkok recently contacted the Thai Government Energy Authority and informed them that they want to cancel the two electricity agreements signed between Shwe Myint Thaung Tin and the Thai government.

A Thai official said that according to the current plan, the electricity being sent to Shwekokko new town and Laykeko village will be cut on the night of June 5th. But the current power cuts only include areas where casinos are located, not normal residential areas, a source said.

The power cuts to the area come after a court in Bangkok announced last week that it had agreed to hand over to the Chinese government a Chinese national who had taken refuge in casinos in the Shwe Kuk area.