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UP FRONTThursday 21 May 2015
Catholic soul-searching in Ireland over gay marriage U.S. willing to
SHAWN POGATCHNIK Friday’s constitutional refer- Catholic Church against law scholar and former le- take Rohingya
Associated Press the secular-minded gov- gal adviser to the church,
DUBLIN (AP) — Gays in Ire- endum has featured sear- ernment of Prime Minister spoke of her son’s experi- boat people
land often have faced Enda Kenny. ence of bullying and isola-
a stark choice between ing testimonies designed “A yes vote costs the rest tion as a teenager, and of M. PENNINGTON
leading secret lives or of us nothing. A no vote friends who learned that Associated Press
to make the voters of this their own sons were gay WASHINGTON (AP) The
only when they tried to kill United States is willing to
predominantly Roman themselves. take in Rohingya refugees
The government’s cam- as part of international ef-
Catholic nation look in the paign effectively began forts to cope with South-
in January with a 36-year- east Asia’s stranded boat
A gay rights mural decorates the side of a building in central Dublin, Ireland. Barely a generation old Cabinet minister, Leo people, the State Depart-
ago, Ireland listed homosexual acts as a crime and made gays lead secret lives or emigrate to Varadkar, declaring his ment said Wednesday.
more liberal lands. But on Friday, May 22, 2015, in the world’s first national referendum on the mat- homosexuality so that he Spokeswoman Marie Harf
ter, the Irish could vote to legalize same-sex marriage. The contest has pit the waning power of the could campaign for a said that the U.S. is pre-
Catholic Church against the secular-minded government of Prime Minister Enda Kenny. “yes” vote from a position pared to take a leading
of honesty. role in any multicountry ef-
(AP Photo/Shawn Pogatchnik) The public confessional has fort, organized by the Unit-
been busy ever since. A ed Nations refugee agen-
emigrating to more liberal mirror. Members of many costs our gay children ev- steady stream of entertain- cy, to resettle the most vul-
lands. This week, the Irish of Ireland’s most promi- erything,” former President ers, sports stars and political nerable refugees.
could turn that tradition on nent families have come Mary McAleese said at a and business leaders have In the past three weeks,
its head and vote to legal- out of the closet in hopes gay rights event in Dub- told their stories of coming more than 3,000 people
ize same-sex marriage in of challenging their neigh- lin this week after her only out to parents and siblings, Rohingya Muslims fleeing
the world’s first national ref- bors’ attitudes to homosex- son, a 30-year-old airline or of learning that a close persecution in Myanmar
erendum on the matter. uality. The contest has pit executive, revealed he is friend or relative was gay. and Bangladeshis trying to
The campaign ahead of the waning power of the gay. McAleese, a canon Most say they kept their escape poverty have land-
true sexual identity secret ed in overcrowded boats
to avoid ostracism, intimi- on the shores of various
dation or even criminal Southeast Asian countries.
sanction in a country that, Aid groups say thousands
until 1993, outlawed homo- more are stranded at sea
sexual acts. after human smugglers
“For too long now, people abandoned their boats
haven’t been able to be because of a crackdown
true to themselves,” said by authorities.
Conor Cusack, who is one Indonesia, Malaysia and
of the few openly gay Thailand have been reluc-
athletes in Ireland’s na- tant to let the Rohingya in
tive Gaelic sports scene. and have turned boats full
In media debates, Cusack of hungry, thirsty people
has challenged the views away, because they fear
of other well-known sports- a flood of unwanted mi-
men who say they’ll vote grants. Harf welcomed the
no.q governments’ decision “to
uphold their responsibili-
South Sudan: Casualties as UN compound is bombed ties under international law
and provide humanitarian
R. MUHUMUZA the disregard for civilian man for rebels loyal to Riek dan’s peace process. assistance and shelter to
J. PATINKIN lives, U.N. personnel and Haq said the leaders of 7,000 vulnerable migrants.”
Associated Press facilities.” Machar, the former deputy South Sudan’s warring par- The U.S. would consider re-
KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Fighting has recently inten- ties “haven’t acted in good quests from the U.N. High
Four civilians, including a sified in South Sudan’s Up- president whose dismissal in faith for quite some time.” Commissioner for Refugees
woman and a child, were per Nile and Unity states The United States con- and International Orga-
killed on Tuesday when two as government troops and July 2013 sparked political demned the attack and nization for Migration for
mortar bombs exploded rebel forces fight for control called for an end to the funds to help receive and
inside a U.N. compound of territory. unrest that later boiled over fighting and a return to screen refugees as they
in the town of Melut in At stake are the Upper Nile peace talks. come to shore.
South Sudan’s Upper Nile oil fields of Paloch, which into a full-blown rebellion. “The international com- Harf said that since Oct. 1,
state, the U.N. reported on the rebels said they were munity is footing the bill the U.S. has resettled more
Wednesday as rebel forces poised to seize on Wednes- The rebels’ claims were for President Salva Kiir’s than 1,000 Rohingya. Last
and government troops day. and opposition leader Riek year, the U.S. accepted
battled for control of a stra- As the country’s last re- immediately dismissed Machar’s shameful disre- nearly 70,000 refugees
tegic oil hub. maining functional oil fields, gard for the devastating people with a well-found-
Eight more people were they are crucial for South by South Sudanese mili- humanitarian crisis facing ed fear of persecution
injured in the blast on Tues- Sudan’s increasingly vul- the people of South Su- from around the world.
day evening, the U.N. mis- nerable economy. tary spokesman Col. Philip dan,” the U.S. ambassa- “I think the Malaysians and
sion in South Sudan said in “It’s just a matter of hours” dor to the U.N., Samantha the Indonesians have re-
a statement, adding that before Paloch falls, said Col. Aguer, who told The Asso- Power, said in a statement quested some help reset-
it is “deeply concerned by Tony Ngundeng, a spokes- Wednesday night.q tling people. We’re taking
ciated Press that the reb- a careful look at the pro-
posal,” Harf told reporters
els had been repulsed and in Washington. q
the oil fields are no longer
threatened.
The deputy spokesman for
the U.N. secretary-general,
Farhan Haq, told report-
ers Wednesday that the Se-
curity Council is consider-
ing “further steps” against
those obstructing South Su-
