Category Archives: Post Human

We all knew it would come to this. Artificial intelligences, superheroes and now aliens from beyond the stars? Perhaps Scarlett Johansson has simply superseded portraying regular old people in favor of the wholly digital, the post-human and, in Jonathan Glazers cool, disturbing and moving science-fiction film Under the Skin, a sometimes clothing-optional extraterrestrial.

Oh, yeah, the naked thing. Yes, Johansson goes full birthday suit. But before you nerds start the car, know that as in Her, Johansson is savvy enough to understand how the audience has come to regard her body; she and Glazer use that in ingenious, sometimes terrifying ways.

In Her, she did a terrific job acting with nothing but her voice; no physical form on screen at all. In Under the Skin, we first see her naked form in a nonsexual, surreal and scary moment. It is decidedly not a turn-on.

At first, it is quite literally hard to know what to make of Under the Skin. The opening images are abstract: A white dot on a black screen gets larger, then turns into concentric rings.

Over the terrific score by Mica Levi a sort of a cross between the choral bits of 2001 (a film recalled also by the opening visuals) and the industrial thrum of Eraserhead we hear a voice, Johansson, if one listens carefully, practicing words and vowel sounds.

The white circles image resolves into an eye. The inference is that a lifeform, eventually Johansson-shaped, is being assembled in a very blank, very bright room somewhere.

This woman-shaped alien is never given a name; much like Nicolas Roegs The Man Who Fell to Earth (another touchstone) she is definitely Not From Around Here. Methodically, sans visible emotion, the woman assembles her earthly identity some out-of-fashion clothing here, some lipstick there.

Assisted by an equally mysterious man on a motorcycle who functions as her handler (we assume the two never speak), she steals a van and drives around Glasgow, Scotland, picking up strange men, whom she then seduces (it is implied) and, uh preserves in amber, more or less.

When she is alone, the affect is impenetrable, her face impossible to read. With the men, she is personable and charming.

Most of the movies dialogue takes place in the van, when the woman, speaking in a decent British accent, chats up these anonymous guys (in apparently improvised scenes with nonactors). No wonder they go back to an abandoned house with her, which is where things turn for the obtuse.

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Scarlett Johansson surprises Under the Skin

Human Rights Watch mourns the loss of Karpal Singh, a towering fighter for justice and human rights in Malaysia and in all of Asia.

Karpal Singh Photograph: Wikipedia

He died in the early morning of 17 April 2014 in an automobile accident as he was travelling between Kuala Lumpur and Penang to attend a court hearing. He was 73 years old.

Karpal Singh used his keen mind, legal training, and passion for justice to doggedly promote respect for human rights in Malaysia, said James Ross, legal and policy director at Human Rights Watch. For decades, he was an unyielding force for the rights of all.

Known as the Tiger of Jelutong, a town he once represented in parliament, Karpals tenacity repeatedly landed him in trouble with the authorities. In October 1987, he was detained without trial, along with other opposition lawmakers and political leaders, under the infamous Internal Security Act for allegedly inciting racial dissension. He was released in 1989, and the Internal Security Act has since been revoked.

In 1998, he was denigrated for defending the opposition leader, Anwar Ibrahim, during his first sodomy trial, and again for representing Anwar in a second politically motivated sodomy case.

Karpal Singhs involvement in opposition politics and his public criticism of the government came at great personal cost. At the time of his death, he was facing a prison term and a fine for alleged sedition for publicly asserting in February 2009 that the decisions of a hereditary ruler could be questioned in court.

The court had originally thrown out the charge, but the government brought an appeal that resulted in a fine sufficiently high to force his disqualification from parliament. Just before Karpals death, the attorney general applied for a prison term to accompany the fine.

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Karpal Singh a towering fighter for justice in all of Asia: HRW

The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and Suaram have paid glowing tribute to the late Karpal Singh.

Karpal Singh Photograph: Wikipedia

The death of Karpal Singh marks a huge loss for Malaysia but his courage, determination, and achievements will serve as an inspiration for those who continue to fight for justice and democracy, said the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and its member organisation Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram).

Veteran lawyer, MP, and chairman of the opposition Democratic Action Party (DAP), Karpal Singh died in a car accident on a highway in Malaysias northern State of Perak on 17 April 2014. He was 73. His personal assistant, C Michael, was also killed in the crash. Karpal was travelling with C Michael and his son, Ramkarpal Singh, from Kuala Lumpur to Penang to attend a court hearing later in the day.

Karpal Singh will always be remembered as a civil rights champion who stood against the abuses of political and judicial powers, said FIDH President Karim Lahidji. Karpal Singhs legacy will certainly live on. When Malaysia eventually abolishes the death penalty, much of the credit will have to be given to the courageous work of Karpal Singh, he added.

Born in Penang on 28 June 1940, Karpal was the son of a poor Sikh family. As a youth, he witnessed the naked brutality of public executions by the Japanese during their occupation in Penang. Throughout his life, he rejected unprincipled power and was a staunch opponent of capital punishment. He took up numerous death penalty cases that often involved convictions on drug-related charges.

Karpal joined the opposition Democratic Action Party in 1970. In 1974, he won a seat in the Kedah state assembly. In 1978, he was elected to the Malaysian Parliament for the constituency of Jelutong in Penang. He held that seat until 1999. In 2004, he returned to Parliament after winning a seat for the Bukit Gelugor constituency in Penang.

On several occasions, the government targeted Karpal because of his political activities. In 1987, he was detained without trial for more than 15 months under the draconian Internal Security Act in a crackdown on opposition figures. In February 2014, the Kuala Lumpur High Court found Karpal guilty under the colonial-era Sedition Law as part of the governments campaign aimed at harassing and silencing key opposition figures Law. He was subsequently fined 4,000 ringgit (US$1,235), a sentence that, if upheld by the Federal Court, would have removed him from office.

Today, Malaysia has lost a great son. Karpal Singh was the countrys best known human rights lawyer. He fought in many landmark cases and contributed to many important judicial decisions in defence of human rights. In politics, he spoke fearlessly for justice and steadfastly defended democracy. We mourn the passing of the towering Karpal Singh. The Tiger of Jelutong will be forever remembered, said Suaram Executive Director Yap Swee Seng.

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Civil rights stalwart Karpal Singh dies, but his legacy lives on

IN the post 9/11 scenario in countries coping with terrorism, the police can no longer remain restricted to traditional preventive and detection roles. They must also act as combatants and protectors of human rights. Every police service requires a counterterrorism and human rights apparatus. In the developing world, human rights and policing often find themselves in conflict but in the civilised world policing and human rights are two sides of the same coin.

Policing without observing human rights is incomplete policing. Good governance requires the transformation of a coercive model of policing into a humane service. All police actions are closely linked with basic human rights, and therefore the image of the police is directly proportionate to their respect for human rights.

Accountability ensures professional policing. In times of yore, Control Yuan in China, the Tribuni Plebis in Rome, the ombudsman in Sweden and parliamentary commissions in England monitored the police.

Apart from apolitical civilian oversight, accountability requires more transparency and openness in policing. Prior to the Police Order 2002, we were policing without an institutional public safety mechanism. The police order introduced public safety commissions and a complaint authority but these bodies have yet to flex their muscles.

Unfortunately, numerous amendments were made regarding the composition and functions of public safety commissions in Pakistan. If such bodies are to be filled with those who were responsible for the current policing model, inhuman though it is, then what is the need for cosmetic arrangements?

The autonomy of such bodies will protect human rights. Funding them requires special attention. The allocation of public safety funds will improve human rights indicators. These bodies must be vested with investigative powers. Further, before assuming the membership of civilian oversight, the capacity issue of the members must be catered for.

Owing to ineffective accountability mechanisms in the police, human rights violations persist. The internal accountability of the police enjoys low public trust. Article 114 of the Order requires that the IGP draft a code of conduct. Upon contravention, the police officer can be removed or suspended from service. But despite the lapse of a decade a code of conduct is yet to be drafted and implemented by all provincial police departments.

According to Article 3 of the Police Order, every police officer is bound to behave with members of the public with due decorum and courtesy. Respect for human rights enhances the effectiveness of the police. But this protective role can only be attained by improving the work station environment, training and accountability.

Last year, human rights officers were appointed in 13 police stations of Islamabad. Such initiatives always proved cosmetic as they had no dedicated individuals and were devoid of institutional and monitoring mechanisms. Such individual-driven initiatives are often closed down with the departure of its exponents. The protection mechanism provided for in the Police Order 2002 must be implemented in letter and spirit.

The police subculture often defeats accountability. Supervisory tiers need to understand that accountability is their prime responsibility .The majority of even good officers overlook this aspect as they do not want to lose popularity with their peers. Further reduction of the discretionary powers of police officers will also improve human rights indicators.

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Two sides of one coin - DAWN.COM

lllustration: Kerrie Leishman

Australia Post chief executive Ahmed Fahour is on tenterhooks as the May 13 budget looms and the Abbott government prepares to release the Commission of Audit's report on how to make the government leaner and more efficient.

The report and the government's response to it could be a game-changer for the business that Fahour runs. What he has described as a ''win-win'' would see Australia Post's role as provider of government services expanded significantly, cutting government service delivery costs and giving Australia Post new income to offset growing losses on its mail delivery service. Australia Post lifted net profit by 11 per cent to $312 million and paid the Commonwealth government a dividend of $244 million in the year to June 2013, but the profits all came from an unregulated part of its business, express delivery services notably.

Its regulated mail business lost $218 million, and Fahour told a Senate estimates committee hearing in February that the decline in letter volumes was accelerating, and likely to push the group onto losses in the June half this year for the first time since its corporatisation in 1989.

Australia Post is already a major agent for private sector companies and government agencies, processing payments and documents for more than 750 entities, including passport applications, land title transactions and licence renewals.

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In a submission to the Commission of Audit, the group has argued, however, that its coverage could be expanded to include other government services and payments, including ones currently delivered by the Department of Human Services and its main retail ''face,'' Centrelink.

It would be radical expansion and one that would not be without execution difficulties. In appearances before the Senate estimates committee, Fahour was grilled by Labor senator Doug Cameron about Australia Post's qualifications to expand into areas that involve case management, for example.

The commission's report and the government's initial response to it will be released before the budget. The commission was asked to find ways to cut service delivery costs and end duplication, and the private sector provides a template.

Many large companies have already consolidated service functions that existed inside separate divisions into single ''shared services'' operations that each division accesses. Similar changes inside the government would be sweeping, and Australia Post is a potential services supercentre for the government because it operates Australia's largest retail network, with more than 4400 outlets, including more than 2500 in rural areas.

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Australia Post's 'win-win' in the mail

Reporting on the leaks not only sparked international debate over the limits of government surveillance but prompted President Barack Obama to introduce curbs on NSA spying powers.

"We are particularly grateful for our colleagues across the world who supported the Guardian in circumstances which threatened to stifle our reporting," Guardian Editor in Chief Alan Rusbridger said in a statement.

"And we share this honor, not only with our colleagues at The Washington Post, but also with Edward Snowden, who risked so much in the cause of the public service which has today been acknowledged by the award of this prestigious prize," he said.

Russia granted Snowden temporary asylum last year after the U.S. Justice Department charged him with violating the Espionage Act.

Read More Your apps might be spying on youor worse

In giving Reuters its first Pulitzer for text coverage, the board commended Jason Szep and Andrew R.C. Marshall for their "courageous reports" on the Rohingya, who in their efforts to flee the Southeast Asian country often fall victim to human-trafficking networks.

"For two years, Reuters reporters have tirelessly investigated terrible human-rights abuses in a forgotten corner of the Muslim world, bringing the international dimensions of the oppressed Rohingya of Myanmar to global attention," Stephen Adler, Reuters editor-in-chief, said in a statement.

Szep, from Washington, said: "What we were writing about was under-reported. I hope through this, there is greater international attention to the risks and presence of religious violence in Myanmar."

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Guardian, Washington Post win Pulitzers

Chinese authorities scrapped their human rights dialogue with the U.K. government recently, citing irresponsible and careless remarks by the United Kingdom on human rights conditions in China.

A recent report on rights in China by the U.K. government was said to have engaged in unreasonable slander and criticism.

The Human Rights and Democracy Report 2013, published by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office on April 10,identified China as a country of concern.

The reportincludes the same basic description of human rights conditions in China that is provided by international human rights groups and other Western governments, including the United States.

Chinas economic growth continues to contribute to improved economic and social rights for many Chinese citizens, the report observes in its opening lines. However, civil and political rights remain subject to significant restrictions.

The section on China then goes over the most prominent cases of human rights abuse in the past year. It even includes guarded acknowledgement of some advances in human rights in China, such as promises, made in November (though since rescinded) that China would stop using organs from executed prisoners for transplant.

Chinas foreign ministry did not specify which part of the report was irresponsible and careless.

Hua Chunying, the foreign ministry spokesperson, however, gave some insight into the Chinese regimes thinking behind cancelling the dialogue with the U.K.

When engaging in dialogue between people, and between countries, Hua said, in a question and answer with reports that was published online, the principle of equality and mutual respect should be followed. The purpose is to, through dialogue, improve understanding, increase mutual trust, and promote cooperation.

Descriptions of abuses of human rights of Chinese citizens by Communist Party security forces do not appear to be in accord with this spirit, according to the Chinese view. Hua said that reports like those by the UK use the excuse of human rights to interfere in Chinas internal politics and the sovereignty of its judicial system.

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Angry With UK, China Cancels Human Rights Dialogue

EUGENE, Ore. Local activists will rally in front of the downtown post office on Tuesday, with the message that taxes should pay for human needs, not war.

Every year, local activists rally in front of the post office on tax day. Theyre asking taxpayers where they think their tax dollars should be spent, and they set up something called a penny poll.

Organizers give each person ten pennies to drop into jars representing different budget categories. Those include human resources, physical resources, general government, military and paying down the debt.

Activists say each year, the results are consistent. About 50 percent of participants would like to see their tax dollars go toward human resources, compared to about 3 percent for the military. But the reality is the biggest chunk of your money, about 42 cents of every income tax dollar, goes to fund the military.

Activists believe that money should be redirected to local organizations like Sponsors, ShelterCare and Occupy Medical.

The rally is expected to be peaceful, with a group of about 50 activists. The penny poll begins at 11 a.m., followed by the rally at 12 p.m., where there will be music and speakers.

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Activists to Hold Tax Rally

NEW YORK The Washington Post and The Guardian won the Pulitzer Prize in public service Monday for revealing the U.S. government's sweeping surveillance efforts in a blockbuster series of stories based on secret documents supplied by NSA leaker Edward Snowden.

The prize for national reporting went to David Philipps of The Gazette in Colorado Springs for an investigation that found that the Army has discharged escalating numbers of traumatized combat veterans who commit crimes at home.

Two of the nation's biggest and most distinguished newspapers, The Washington Post and The New York Times, won two Pulitzers each, while the other awards were scattered among a variety of publications large and small.

The stories about the National Security Agency's spy programs revealed that the government systematically has collected information about millions of Americans' phone calls and e-mails.

The disclosures set off a furious debate in the United States over privacy versus security and led President Barack Obama to impose limits on the surveillance.

The NSA stories were written by Barton Gellman at The Washington Post and Glenn Greenwald, Laura Poitras and Ewan MacAskill, whose work was published by The Guardian US, the British newspaper's American operation, based in New York.

"I think this is amazing news," Poitras said. "It's a testament to Snowden's courage, a vindication of his courage and his desire to let the public know what the government is doing."

Snowden, a former contract employee at the NSA, has been charged with espionage and other offenses in the U.S. and could get 30 years in prison if convicted. In a statement issued by the Freedom of the Press Foundation, Snowden saluted "the brave reporters and their colleagues who kept working in the face of extraordinary intimidation, including the forced destruction of journalistic materials, the inappropriate use of terrorism laws, and so many other means of pressure to get them to stop."

Snowden's critics have branded him a traitor. "To be rewarding illegal conduct, to be enabling a traitor like Snowden, to me is not something that should be rewarded with a Pulitzer Prize," said Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y. "Snowden has violated his oath. He has put American lives at risk."

The Post's Gelman said the stories were the product of the "most exhilarating and frightening year of reporting."

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Snowden revelations earn Pulitzer for The Washington Post and The Guardian

Friday, April 11th, 2014 Issue 15, Volume 18.

Starting this month local businesses will have to post notices with information about organizations which seek to eliminate human trafficking and slavery as a result of a California Senate Bill that became law in January.

California Senate Bill 1193 will require certain types of business such as alcohol vendors, transit stations, airports and urgent care centers to post signage or a notice of some sort in both English and Spanish as well as one of nine other languages, depending upon what county the notice is posted.

The standardized notice that some businesses will need to start implementing encourages individuals engaged in activity that they cant opt out of to call either the Human Trafficking Resource Center or California Coalition to Abolish Slavery.

The following notice is what California businesses will Advertisement [ Casa Tiene Vista ] need to make visible:

"If you or someone you know is being forced to engage in any activity and cannot leave whether it is commercial sex, housework, farm work, construction, factory, retail, or restaurant work, or any other activity call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center at 1-888-373-7888 or the California Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (CAST) at 1-888-KEY-2-FRE(EDOM) or 1-888-539-2373 to access help and

services."

Businesses that are required to post a notice but do not post one could be subject to a $500 fine for their first offense and a $1,000 fine for each subsequent offense, according to the wording of the

bill.

For more information about the bill and its contents, visit its corresponding page on the California State Senate website: http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201120120SB1193.

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Local businesses now required to post human trafficking notices