Page 11 - aruba-today-20190706

A11
WORLD NEWS Saturday 6 July 2019
Mothers rally as Hong Kong's divide shows no sign of closing

By KEN MORITSUGU semi-autonomous territory.
Associated Press Lam, who disappeared
HONG KONG (AP) — Hong from public view for two
Kong's societal divide weeks as protests mounted,
showed no sign of closing pledged to do a better job
Friday as students rebuffed of listening to the voices of
an offer from city leader young people in a morning
Carrie Lam to meet and a speech on Monday, a holi-
few thousand mothers ral- day that marked the 22nd
lied in support of young anniversary of the return of
protesters who left a trail of Hong Kong from British rule
destruction in the legisla- to China.
ture's building at the start of But her invitation later in
the week. the week to meet behind
"Don't feel lonely, dad and closed doors was rebuffed
mum will support you" read by student unions at two
one of many handwritten Hong Kong universities as
messages held aloft at a insincere and a publicity
"Hong Kong Mothers" rally. gimmick.
One speaker, university Student leaders said at a
professor Sealing Cheng, news conference Friday
asked who was responsible that any meeting should be
for the destruction of the public and include a wider
legislature, implying that A man holds a card while joining a rally by mothers In Hong Kong on Friday, Jan. 5, 2019. representation than just
an arrogant government Associated Press them. They also demanded
had driven the protesters to that protesters, dozens of
break into the building and other Chinese banks. Many efit from the economic ties ment condemned the whom have been arrested,
rampage through it. young people feel left out to the mainland. violence, as did the Chi- would not be prosecuted.
"Our hearts ache for the of the China-driven econ- The Monday night assault nese government. On the "A closed-door meeting
young protesters and our omy, struggling to make on the legislature — in other side, a large swath does not have any witness-
society torn apart," she said ends meet and stuck in tiny which glass walls were of Hong Kong's popula- es to prove what was dis-
in a speech to the crowd of apartments because of shattered, slogans spray- tion expressed sympathy cussed, the public does not
mostly women. soaring real estate prices. painted over the walls and for the students, seeing know what the dialogue
The mainland's economic They think a democratically the electronic voting sys- them as having sacrificed was about," said Jordan
influence loomed large at elected government would tem destroyed — seems to for a shared cause, that of Pang from the University of
the rally, held in a square be more responsive to their have hardened positions preventing an erosion of Hong Kong Students' Union.
under the towering offices needs than one chosen by on both sides. freedoms and increased "The public has the right to
of the Bank of China and pro-Beijing elites who ben- The pro-Beijing establish- Chinese influence over the know."q

Sri Lanka's top court stays executions until Oct. 30

By BHARATHA MALLA- ed, but they have not yet caine and 1,607 kilograms
WARACHI been announced. (3,535 pounds) of marijua-
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) Sirisena has said narcotic na so far this year.
— Sri Lanka's Supreme Court drugs have become a Marijuana is the most wide-
on Friday issued a tempo- menace with 300,000 ad- ly used illegal drug in Sri
rary injunction against the dicts across the island na- Lanka, followed by heroin
execution of four people, tion, which authorities say and cocaine. Drug-related
a week after the country's is being used by dealers arrests rose 2% in 2017 from
president announced he as a transit hub. He said the previous year to 81,156.
would end the country's 60% of the country's 24,000 Last week, prison authori-
43-year moratorium on the inmates were jailed for ties recruited two new
death penalty. drug-related offenses. Sri hangmen to carry out the
The court issued the injunc- Lanka's prisons were built execution orders after the
tion until Oct. 30 in response to accommodate 11,000 two previous hangmen quit
to a petition filed by a con- people. — in 2014 and last year —
vict on death row against Drug trafficking is a capi- without executing anyone.
the move by President Mai- tal offense, but no prison- Sirisena's move is facing In this Tuesday, May 7, 2019 file photo, Sri Lankan President Mai-
thripala Sirisena to execute ers have been executed mounting criticism from thripala Sirisena speaks during an interview with the Associated
the four people convicted since 1976. Currently, 1,299 rights groups and foreign Press at his residence in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
of drug offenses. The Su- prisoners are on death row, governments, including the Associated Press
preme Court will take up including 48 convicted of European Union.
the case again on Oct. 29. drug offenses. Sirisena, who visited the slain since Duterte took of- Buddhist, a religion that ad-
Sirisena announced last In April, police publicly de- Philippines in January, fice in 2016. Rights groups vocates non-violence. Siris-
week that he has signed stroyed 770 kilograms (1,695 praised President Rodrigo have denounced what ena has said the country
death warrants for the four pounds) of drugs seized in Duterte's harsh crackdown they say are extrajudicial has had positive influences
amid alarm over drug-re- 2016 and 2017. Police have on illegal drugs as "an ex- killings. Police say most of from all religions, but tough
lated crime in the country. seized 731 kilograms (1,608 ample to the world." Thou- the suspects were killed in law enforcement is nec-
He said the dates of the ex- pounds) of heroin, 1 kilo- sands of suspects, mostly encounters with officers. essary to curb crime and
ecutions have been decid- gram (2.2 pounds) of co- urban poor, have been Sri Lanka is predominantly maintain order.q