demonstrations across the country after an influential cleric called for a national strike at least $320.00 people have been killed since the unrest began on october the 1st and the former defense minister got to by rajapaksa has been declared the winner in the country's election his rivals. conceded as early results put rajapaksa more than 50 percent which is what's needed to avoid a 2nd count victories been welcomed by the majority but its population but has drawn concern from members of smaller ethnic groups coming up next we have talked to al jazeera for you with catalans regional president speaking to us about what spain's election means for the area's secessionist intentions that is coming up very shortly.

good mood see. catalonia is a region in the north east of spain it is partially autonomous but in recent years independent sentiments have risen among many catalans in fact karla's puts them on the former leader of the regional government challenge madrid and called for a referendum. i'm afraid of the hamid in barcelona i'm at the palau the legendarily that catalonia is executive office i came here over 2 years ago to discuss with president bush to moan his plan for independence this is what he told me that when conflict from. the police into the west of us but you know didn't get the nation on

the show to fit with us he. just sat up in compliment to us that he that the purplish unspun young as you got a ticket out the unofficial referendum went ahead on october 1st 2007 team and the conflict in the escalated. there was a violent police crackdown with battens and rubber bullets used against voters. but when the ballots were counted on claimed an overwhelming victory for secession. even though less than half of the registered voters in catalonia took part in the referendum. and formidably. then announced catalonia is independence from spain and october 27th 2017 but the declaration was suspended just 8 seconds later and instead invited madrid to open

a dialogue the invitation was rebuffed as madrid considered the referendum illegal and then spanish prime minister by the end of the hallway invoked constitutional powers and fired and his cabinet the deposed catalan president fled to belgium members of his government were taken into custody including puts demands number 2 or you'll get us he was sentenced to 13 years for sedition and misuse of public funds. in may 2018 catalonians parliament elected. a close ally of the moment as the new president. dora has continued with the pro independence agenda this banish electoral of 30 demanded to take down all separatist symbols from the government's headquarters he did so but only after court deadline had expired torah is now expected to be tried for disobedience under

18. protests continued pain held the general election last week the focal point for many candidates was the political crisis here now. but the far right vox party also made substantial gains so what does that mean for catalonia looking forward and what does the future hold for president after his upcoming appearance in court the president of the regional government. talks to al jazeera. president of the regional government of catalonia thank you for talking to thank you for being here 2 years ago i was in this same building doing an interview with

. him on and after that many things happened the referendum and all the turmoil that followed. it. could things have happened differently yes things could happen happened differently but we are where we are now we are after 2 years there are of the previous government of the government of president put them on in in jail the other house with the same president with the mourner in exile the repression continues so the situation now is very complicated i think that this grave. is something that we are putting on the table every day to the spanish government i'm trying to talk with the president scientific every day saying ok the situation is grave. people who sang because you know there was this sentence against our colleagues with 100 years of preaching for

them so we have to come back to what is. the essence of the conflict of catalonia that we have to find a political solution for these political issue that the catalans one to decide by themselves their own future many pro independence catalans i spoke to you. fully back the cause. have been telling me that they didn't understand why there was a declaration of independence that last as they say 8 seconds and then was revoked and maybe that has actually harmed your cause rather it vance it and you have to take in consideration. the repression has been very tough but always the government has been attacking every decision that the parliament of catalonia took

then. and i will fall what is important seeing back what we need 2 years ago is that all the decisions that the parliament of catalonia took in those days they took it democratically by the majority of the seats of the chambre so it was a democracy process we furthermore created solution well let's come to today you just said that you were you've been trying to speak every day to disparage prime minister pedro sanchez have you been trying to reach out to him since the elections took place on november 10th the same night of these elections i try i tried to get him to put in contact with him it was not possible the day after i tried to get him to do to phone him he was busy so if he picks up the phone announcer i'm sure you would tell him something more than let sick sit and talk you would have some sort of offer on the table or some sort of idea to put forward what would be that yes of

course i think the 1st thing that we have to put on the table is that going to be negotiation without any conditions from the couple i'm side the government side we're going to put on the table what we think that could be a solution for the conflict that is an agreed referendum internationally validated in order to give to the people to see if they want to be independent or not from. gingrich these go around the government of spain to put their solution in this table of negotiation in that way these negotiations can a start but isn't that somehow a nonstarter because he has been very clear that he won't go against the constitution that the referendum is not under table so where will be that meeting point well 1st we have to. repeat the

proposal of the government of spain. we've never heard anything about about that during this year and a half so. spain going to give to the cattle and unity to the side by the buy back by themself their own future not. but this is the question you know what these the proposal of spain for catalonia independence seems the ultimate goal and probably the most difficult to achieve also because you know you also need to know whether the majority of the catalans wanted to know are there not the moment if we look at the results of elections it's not sure what else would you accept would you accept more autonomy some sort of economic arrangement what would be acceptable for you i can tell you that because as i told you there's.

never have been a proposal from spain we don't know what spain is offering us as a starting point of these negotiations you know and that's the point in. this question you have to ask to to mr sanchez what is spain going to offer to catalonia to start these negotiations i'm not going to start a negotiation just for a photo no this has to be a serious negotiation we've. already later just to give you know a formality to these negotiations between 2 governments of all and of spain on the island of catalonia sitting together and finding. and giving a political solution to the catalan people are not up to the spanish people this is not there anymore an internal conflict of spain is a conflict of europe it's a conflict of a nation that want to give to the people the right to decide their future by

themselves you said you're still trying to have a phone conversation with the spanish prime minister pederast sense he is in a difficult position because he doesn't have a majority to former coalition so catalan parties could play a role in that couldn't. yes absolutely. i think that after these 4 months. disappeared between the the previous elections and then the last elections of last sunday. even depend more than the independent these parties than before. and what we are going to ask mr sanchez ok obviously pressure. to sit together in the. table of negotiations with no conditions that means that we are going to put on the table this referendum this right of catalonia to serve the determination and we want to ask mr. nasty. the

amnesty sorry for our colleagues in precision so you have a long list of demands and while you feel that this is a time maybe where because of his political situation. you could get more of a chance to be listened to this is nothing that he's new party he's no parting the government the most defended me that's probably the most in catalonia has defended . political prisoners should should should be free they have defend referendum for a couple onya and they have defended the amnesty for. political prisoners so if now these parties going to be part of the government of spain i think that we are very close to to the solution if you look at the results of the elections for catalonia the pro independence parties got 23 seats to 48

so not the majority. yet do you speak you feel quite confident that you are stronger then before the elections yes because we have more boat we have. more members of the chambres and if you add to this 237. members of the chambre of. march and then there's $38.00. members. of the chambre that are defending these 3 points i missed the referendum and of repression so are 30 from. much more than 23 so i think that. this is something that. and publishers they have to take in consideration i presumed.

their colleagues from catalonia not going to forget their promises in the last campaign do you feel that this is. a historical opportunity for the catalan cause absolutely not only for a couple and i think for spain as well and even for europe i think it is an historical morman to really. built all together a big consensus a consensus based it on freedom. human rights civil and social rights and what would you do with those cattle lands who are not favoring independence who could be a slight majority. while the better way to know. which

part is. to count saw using a democratic tool as a referendum letting the people knowing what they want is the best way to know if the people of catalonia want to be independent or not. and if all this doesn't work. pederast sanchez says no there will be no referendum day will be you won't get any of your demands what would you do next well we will vote no in that case i need will depend again on that it. could take mr sanchez. 4 months ago he had many opportunities to. run from oriented to one side or to another while he decided to go to elections and now after these elections we've become stronger while he will decide europe didn't

really embrace the cause that it sort of kept a little bit on the margins in the sense that you probably when mr man went to brussels he probably expected more pressure. coming from brussels on the government in madrid that didn't really happen. and it will be disappointed by the position of the european union but from the other side was was the people was the citizens of europe and we feel very close to these europe that. the you took that we feel ourselves. committed sooner power fraternity that you know of solidarity the europe that helps the. people of the world to be free they won it but it's a europe that's also having another problem with the rise of the far right which which happened also in spain and one. say that part of this rise of the vox

party was also the catalonia issue they talked about it over and over again in their campaign and they rallied an incredible amount of support for that absolutely and this is something terrible something terrible in fact this is maybe. the worst problem that spain has now the rice of the fast seam in spain and see when you see the results of the elections last sunday you see how important is vox in a spain how few important blocks in catalonia you know so who has the problem with box the rest of us spain of catalonia. we were a rich the political parties in a spain to find the solution for 4 or 4 of these these very critical issue ok

moving on there were calls from the streets coming for spain to sit and talk which is basically the mantra of this online group tsunami democratic juno who's behind it no not at all not at all is really very surprising what has happened with these. movement organisation because we don't know exactly what these tsunami democratic but what we see is that there are many many people following these these movement. they say that they are acting. using the civilians but always with the nonviolence i'm asking you this because your party didn't get alone you has also talked about digital independence and it seems that this democratic tsunami is about this digital independence so i'm just wondering. what kind of link is there no i think there's no link at all between. my

party or even though our money is doing with tsunami democratic that is something apart we don't know who is behind we don't know what they are going to do in the future as we didn't know what. they planned in the past so you're absolutely sure the democratic tsunami has no link or no backing whatsoever for. cattle and leaders because it seems you know that their protests would have start and end quite conveniently depending on a political agenda which usually when there is street protest and pressure grassroots protests usually it goes on unlimited i can tell you they have no clue of world war one to 2 what is going to be the next act of tsunami democratic no idea and i think that no one in this country knows it but

that and on the other hand could be quite dangerous i mean if you have a shadowy group online who nobody knows. who it is or how it's fun who can mobilize people on the street that could backfire as well yeah but what we are after these days weeks grieving. the statements of. their in their communication etc etc i think that the people. feeling that this is a democratic movement that there is no violence at all the want to push for this idea of a spin. always democratical involved i think that people are feeling that saw at least at this point. while.

conceding that something very close to them because we asked many of the protesters who is behind yeah and what he. said we don't know others said the same people who organize a referendum in 2017 so there is that belief on the street. really no no idea at all no idea at all because in never. told me anything about about. it now it lets you were talking about the protesters and they were nonviolent but there have been some writing and you came maybe under criticism for being a bit slow in condemning that violence why did it take you so long. because we were you know in this election process while depreciation uses these human and just to say you're. not condemning

violence i believe that all times and i repeat it the violence is not compatible with they never in this process of catalonia it doesn't represent us most of the protests have been nonviolence. especially these last few days but following the sentencing of the 9 catalan leaders which enraged a lot of people here there were scenes of violence and we spoke to people and they said you may have been a bit harsh with the police with the most was the cattle and police putting a bit of the blame on them rather than giving them the political cover that their regional president should. police all my super but obviously as we saw there were some images that really shocked

us and we what they said was that probably all these images out of the protocols that the police should should follow and what what they said and what they were strongly believe just because 2 to return the confidence of the people of catalonia to our police is that in that cases these cases should be investigated just to know exactly if we followed the protocols and the good practices that should be followed by by the police or not and would you consider declaring independence again the dependent of catalonia will come i think that is something that nobody will stop it ok but now it's time to build all the independent parties in catalonia a very strong agreement base it in the point of freedom amnesty and

how we are going to i just say this again our right of self-determination. why you know the independent is moving more money is saying we are going to do it again that is something that in the street you would hear ok we say yes of course and we are willing to adjust size the right off so that i'm a nation again but we have learned something of these previews here that to point out that that. you know maybe is not the biz way to do the thing so. i gave you a is ok let's be stronger let's build up these great consensus between all of us and live gold then with these arise i'm off our right of self-determination. president of the council of regional government thank you very much for talking to thank you very much for giving us to put you need to ready

explain what is this edition of got the money and really is a pleasure having you here.

driven by outrage and spanning generations the rohinton demonstrators gathered on the very day a widely criticised repatriation agreement between the governments of bangladesh and me and more was to begin the anger was all too apparent and the fear was palpable if you don't like was so afraid that if they send one of us back to myanmar today tomorrow they'll send back 10 and the day after tomorrow they'll send back 20 idea if we were given citizenship in myanmar then there would be no need to take us back there we would go back on our own we must remember the rancho among the most persecuted minorities in the world every war makes a devastating impact. of fries explores some of the efforts to recover what was lost from the syrian scientists safeguarding one of our most valuable resources

these are important south poles that we have to make sure there are surviving to the refugees striving to coexist with nature ok so what's going on there simulating what happens when an elephant thomas life up to conflict on al-jazeera. was taken. and i was. not in force they were say don't think he intends to make sure that group injures no longer entitled to lead to basic rights more citizenship rights one 3rd of the bird were funneled into what is now become complex where the marines are are basically your friends exiles coming soon on al-jazeera. and the differences. and the similarities of cultures of.

al-jazeera. i know i maryam namazie in london with a quick look at the headlines now police in hong kong of one delphi a live rounds of protesters don't stop using lethal weapons that car engaged in a standoff with demonstrators outside a university campus in the city this after another day of clashes during which protesters held petrol bombs at the police reports now from hong kong. a long day of fighting at this college campus has continued well into the night to most of the battling has been taking place at this junction behind me but in recent hours ball police have been arriving and they have been.