Anti-Zionist MKs
Singapore says lethal force is disastrous • Police break up protests in Yangon, Kale
In “What kind of question is that?” (March 1), Jeff Barak praises Yair Lapid for being ready to consider the support of the Joint List of Arab parties. Moreover, according to Barak, it is a shame that such a question should even be asked. It should be self-evident “that political parties representing some 20% of the country’s citizens have the right to play a full part in the country’s political system.”
This view of the issue is one-sided. In the eyes of many Zionist Jews, the problem with the Joint List isn’t the fact that they are Arab. It is that they are anti-Zionist and often support attacks on Israel by Hamas and others, in effect disenfranchising Israeli Jews. When evaluating the position of the Zionist parties on the Joint List, it is important to take into account the position of the Joint List on Zionism.
EPHRAIM HALIVNI Jerusalem
The High Court of Justice has re-instated the Labor Party candidate Ibtisam Mara’ana in spite of the controversial statements she has made in the far past and in recent months (“High Court reinstates controversial Labor candidate,” March 1).
Okay, the high court justices are the legal experts and they have the authority to decide, so one has to accept their call. A more relevant question is why Labor Party leader Merav Michaeli dafka chose Mara’ana, who has recently called the IDF an occupation army, has accused the IDF of murdering a Palestinian child, has called Israel “ugly” and more.
Obviously Michaeli wants to attract votes from the far Left – Meretz voters and Arab voters. That’s politics and that’s okay as well. But choosing Mara’ana for the seventh Labor Party slot implies that Michaeli may have a certain empathy for these opinions. Could not Michaeli have found a more personable Arab candidate whose background did not include derogatory statements about “ugly” Israel and its IDF “child-killers?”
YIGAL HOROWITZ
Beersheba
Myanmar’s neighbors pressed its ruling military on Tuesday to release ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi and cease what Singapore called the disastrous use of lethal force against opponents of their February 1 coup and work out a solution to the crisis.
The calls from fellow members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) came as Myanmar police again opened fire to disperse crowds after weeks of demonstrations against military rule. Several people were wounded, witnesses said.
ASEAN foreign ministers held talks with a representative of the junta in a video call two days after the bloodiest day of unrest since the military overthrew Suu Kyi’s elected government.
At least 21 people have been killed since the coup, which Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in an interview with the BBC was a “tragic” step back for Myanmar.
The foreign minister of Indonesia, which has been pushing a regional diplomatic effort, urged Myanmar to “open its doors” to the ASEAN bloc to resolve the escalating tension.
Speaking to reporters in Jakarta, the minister, Retno Marsudi, called for the release of political detainees and for the restoration of democracy, while pledging that ASEAN countries would not break their pledge of not interfering in each other’s affairs.
“Restoring democracy back on track must be pursued,” Retno said.
“Indonesia underlines that the will, the interest and the voices of the people of Myanmar must be respected.”
The foreign ministers of Malaysia and the Philippines also called for the release of Suu Kyi.
But some countries were less emphatic and a statement from the group said “all parties” should refrain from instigating violence and said ASEAN stood ready to help.
ASEAN groups Myanmar, Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, Brunei and Vietnam.
The bloc’s effort to engage with Myanmar’s military has been criticized by supporters of democracy, with a committee of ousted Myanmar lawmakers declaring the junta a terrorist group and saying ASEAN’s engagement would give it legitimacy.
Sa Sa, the committee’s anointed envoy to the United Nations, said ASEAN should have no dealings with “this illegitimate military-led regime.”
The coup halted Myanmar’s tentative steps towards democracy after nearly 50 years of military rule and has drawn condemnation and sanctions from the United States and
other Western countries.
Singapore’s Lee said sanctions would not affect the junta but hurt the people and the way forward was to free Suu Kyi and work out a solution.
“To have to go back and have the military take over again ... it is an enormous tragic step back for them. Because there is no future that way,” Lee said in the interview, according to a transcript.
“To use lethal force against civilians and unarmed demonstrators, I think it is just not acceptable. That is disastrous not just internationally, but disastrous domestically.”
Malaysian Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein called for the immediate release of Suu Kyi and other detainees, adding that if the situation worsened, it would be a setback for regional peace, stability and prosperity.
‘WAR ZONE’
Hundreds of protesters, many wearing hard hats and clutching makeshift shields, gathered earlier behind barricades in different parts of Myanmar’s main city of Yangon to chant slogans before police moved in firing stun grenades.
There were no reports of injuries in Yangon but four people were wounded in the northwestern town of Kale, where police fired live ammunition to disperse a crowd after protesters threw objects at advancing police, witnesses said.
State television MRTV later said security forces used stun grenades, rubber bullets and
other non-lethal measures.
“They were acting like they were in a war zone,” a teacher at the protest said of the police.
The teacher, who declined to be identified, and other witnesses said that as well as the four wounded by live ammunition, several people were hurt by rubber bullets.
Hospitals and police in the area could not be reached for comment. Military spokesmen did not answer telephone calls.
The military justified the coup saying its complaints of fraud in a November election won by Suu Kyi’s party were ignored. The election commission said the vote was fair.
Junta leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, in remarks read on state television by a newscaster, said protest leaders and “instigators” would be punished.
Min Aung Hlaing has pledged to hold new elections and hand power to the winner but has given no time frame.
Suu Kyi, 75, appeared at a court hearing via video conferencing on Monday and looked in good health, one of her lawyers said. Two more charges were added to those filed against her after the coup, the lawyer said.
The Nobel Peace laureate has not been seen in public since the coup.
Hundreds of people have been arrested, according to activists, among them six journalists in Yangon, one of whom works for the Associated Press, said Tin Zar Oo, a lawyer for the AP journalist. (Reuters)
Across:
1 Blew, 3 Breeze, (Blueberries) 8 Magical, 9 Growl, 10 Sonar, 11 Eyesore, 12 Deepen, 14 Lawyer, 18 Deposit,
20 Thief, 22 Bouts, 23 Origami, 24 Admire, 25 Mean.
Down:
1 Bemused,
2 Egg on, 3 Belief, 4 Eagle, 5 Zoology, 6 Scarce, 7 Flee, 13 Expound, 15 Attain, 16 Ruffian, 17 Strove,
18 Debt, 19 Sushi, 21 Image.
Across 1 Arc (3) 3 Track (5) 6 Drink (3) 8 Following (5) 9 Demonic (7) 10 Affection (10) 12 Immerse (3) 15 Bound (4) 17 Snout (4) 18 Rainy (3) 22 Limited (10) 25 Greed (7) 26 Adult (5) 27 Timid (3) 28 Skinflint (5) 29 Butt (3)
Down
1 Flagrantly (8) 2 Retreat (8) 3 Menace (6) 4 Suppose (6) 5 Lengthen (6) 6 Rational (4) 7 Treaty (4) 11 Can (3) 13 Delay (8) 14 Numbed (8) 16 Through (3) 19 Monotony (6) 20 Speaks (6) 21 Dally (6) 23 Forbids (4) 24 Effortless (4)
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India is ready to offer incentives to ensure Tesla’s production costs would be less than in China if the carmaker commits to making its cars in India, transport minister Nitin Gadkari told Reuters.
Gadkari’s pitch comes weeks after billionaire Elon Musk’s Tesla registered a company in India in a step towards entering the country, possibly as soon as mid-2021. Sources familiar with the matter have said Tesla plans to start by importing and selling its Model 3 electric sedan in India.
“Rather than assembling (the cars) in India they should make the entire product in the country by hiring local vendors. Then we can give higher concessions,” Gadkari said in an interview, without giving details of what incentives would be on offer.
“The government will make sure the production cost for Tesla will be the lowest when compared with the world, even China, when they start manufacturing their cars in India. We will assure that,” he said.
India wants to boost local manufacturing of electric vehicles (EVs), batteries and other components to cut costly imports and curb pollution in its major cities.
This comes amid a global race by carmakers to jump-start EV production as countries work towards cutting carbon emissions.
But India faces a big challenge to win a production commitment from Tesla, which did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment about its plans in the country.
India’s fledgling EV market accounted for just 5,000 out of a total 2.4 million cars sold in the country last year as negligible charging infrastructure and the high cost of EVs deterred buyers.
In contrast, China, where Tesla already makes cars, sold 1.25 million new energy passenger vehicles, including EVs, in 2020 out of total sales of 20 million, and accounted for more than a third of Tesla’s global sales.
India also doesn’t have a comprehensive EV policy like China, the world’s biggest auto market, which mandates companies to invest in the sector.
Gadkari said that as well as being a big market, India could be an export hub, especially with about 80% of components for lithium-ion batteries being made locally now.
“I think it’s a win-win situation for Tesla,” Gadkari said, adding he also wanted to engage with Tesla about building an ultra high-speed hyperloop between Delhi and Mumbai.
India is drawing up a production-linked incentive scheme for auto and auto component makers as well as for setting up advanced battery manufacturing units, but the details are yet to be finalized.
Switching to cleaner sources of energy and reducing vehicle pollution are seen as essential for India to meet its Paris Accord climate commitments.
India last year introduced tougher emission rules for carmakers to bring them up to international standards. It is now looking at tightening fuel efficiency rules from April 2022, which industry executives say may compel some automakers to add electric or hybrid vehicles to their portfolios.
Battered by the COVID-19 pandemic, the industry says it needs longer to make the transition.
Gadkari said he was not directly responsible for making the decision on whether to delay, but was confident India would meet its Paris treaty commitments without disrupting economic growth.
“Development and environment will go hand in hand. We will take some time but we will soon reach the international standard norms,” he said.