Ambarasan Ethirajan
Appearances
Global News Podcast
Sudan fighters accused of storming famine-hit camp
According to this UN investigation, many of these violence were targeted and they were all carried out with the knowledge, coordination and direction of those in power and the security officials, basically to maim people and they were also alleged to have given directions to kill and enforce disappearances and many of these incidents happened.
Global News Podcast
Sudan fighters accused of storming famine-hit camp
And they went to Bangladesh soon after the government of Sheikh Hasina fell. And they spoke to more than 230 people, spoke to weapons experts and the victims and the families of those who were killed in this violence in Bangladesh. Now, how this happened? As you mentioned, it all started as a student protest. Then it became a widespread attack.
Global News Podcast
Sudan fighters accused of storming famine-hit camp
anti-government movement with various political parties and religious groups joining this student protest. And as a result, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, on the 5th of August, she fled to India in a helicopter after this mass uprising. And then now an interim government headed by the Nobel laureate, Muhammad Yunus, is in charge.
Global News Podcast
Sudan fighters accused of storming famine-hit camp
And they asked for this investigation to find out because we saw the television pictures of police firing into the crowd. And then there were clashes between the protesters and the security forces. And now the UN says that it could amount to crimes against humanity and then calling for criminal investigation.
Global News Podcast
Sudan fighters accused of storming famine-hit camp
I messaged him, and he responded by saying that these allegations were preposterous and no security official was given the order to shoot at civilians straightaway into the protesters. In fact, he said, Mohammad Ali Arafat, he was the minister at that time, he said he was very much involved in the meetings regarding the July protests. At any of these meetings, he was never
Global News Podcast
Sudan fighters accused of storming famine-hit camp
aware of giving them direction to the security forces to stop these protesters, disperse them at any cost. But then the U.N. report suggests otherwise. And it also talks about the supporters of the then-governing Awami League also targeting these protesters. And we spoke to several doctors at the time in hospitals where many bodies were brought and then hundreds of injured civilians were brought.
Global News Podcast
Sudan fighters accused of storming famine-hit camp
And there was a popular uprising against the government at that time. Now, what this UN report gives is a legal standing, some document by an external agency which has gone into these allegations of human rights abuses, now has come out with a fact-finding report. And that gives a chance for the government to use this for criminal investigation and also to launch legal proceedings.
Global News Podcast
Sudan fighters accused of storming famine-hit camp
But at the moment, she is in India. She is in exile. And it all depends on whether Delhi wants to extradite her back to Bangladesh to face these criminal charges.
Global News Podcast
Turkey: thousands protest against Istanbul mayor arrest
Usually, mountaineering expeditions involve local guides called Sherpas. They go with the trekkers or mountaineers to various peaks and mountains in Nepal and in other countries as well, for example, in India and Pakistan. Now, for example, in Mount Everest region, from the base camp, they take one or two Sherpas, various teams. They go all the way up to the peak.
Global News Podcast
Turkey: thousands protest against Istanbul mayor arrest
Now, these Sherpas carry a lot of weight, the luggage, as well as oxygen cylinders, the basic essentials. And sometimes when you get into trouble, you have to come all the way down. It takes hours, for example, from the base camp to camp one, it can take six to seven hours to reach. Now, what do these drones do? They have been piloting this program for the last one year.
Global News Podcast
Turkey: thousands protest against Istanbul mayor arrest
I've seen these videos as well. So it allows them to take some of the very key luggage like ladders, food or other equipment very quickly to camp one. So in 15 minutes time, they can take these equipment to camp one instead of six hours. Suppose if someone is seriously injured or or he needs some medication, or he needs some additional oxygen cylinder. So these drones make it easier.
Global News Podcast
Turkey: thousands protest against Istanbul mayor arrest
This will be very useful for Sherpas who are called as icefall doctors because I met one of them at the base camp a couple of years ago. I met the whole team.
Global News Podcast
Turkey: thousands protest against Istanbul mayor arrest
So what these people do is before a season starts, for example, this spring season will start from next month, these icefall doctors, these Sherpas go, they put all the rope, the chains, they tie them to the ground and nail them all the way up to the peak. So that allows the mountaineers who come next month to hold onto these ropes and then they keep climbing up. So this acts as a guide.
Global News Podcast
Turkey: thousands protest against Istanbul mayor arrest
But these for ice fall doctors, because they are the first ones to go before anyone can go up in the mountain, the risks are enormous. Like three Sherpas died in a few years ago when there was an avalanche, when they were fixing these chains and ropes. So they can immediately send in case if they need any equipment or any medicine. So for them, it is extremely useful.
Global News Podcast
Turkey: thousands protest against Istanbul mayor arrest
On the other hand, will it replace the Sherpas? They don't think so because, you know, we're talking about 400, 500 mountaineers coming every year to Mount Everest. They get the permit to go up. to scale the peak. So you need at least two Sherpas for each mountaineer or sometimes people take in a big group. And they cannot carry huge amount of equipment.
Global News Podcast
Turkey: thousands protest against Istanbul mayor arrest
These mountaineering expeditions involve massive amount of equipment. They need to be taken along with these Sherpas to set up camps in camp one, two, three, four, and then they go up the summit. So these drones can be providing very vital help