he was meant to be a landmark year in the fight against deforestation a year by which many countries had pledged to have or completely stop forest loss. but in fact, the plundering has increased here in romania. it's not too late yet. but if not now, when nick clark al jazeera copied in mountains romania. ah, hello, this is al jazeera and he is the headlines. the u. k says, threats by france to block british boats from its ports are a breach of international law, paris, as threatening sanctions. if the u. k doesn't grant more licenses to french fishermen in british waters, it is very disappointing to see the comments that came from france yesterday. we believe visa, disappointing, and disproportionate and not what we'd expect from a close ally and partner the measures being threatened did not appear to be

compatible with the trade in co operation agreement or wider international law. and if carried through will be met with an appropriate and calibrated response. went on to a shot, it's time for us to get respect. i stand by the facts. we issued threats and pursued dialogue until now, since allowed our fishermen to have a bit of a half of the fishing licenses, we have to also see the glass half full, but that's not enough and not acceptable at all. so now we need to speak the language of strength. since that seems to be the only thing the spanish government understands. sedans, military leader has sacked at least 6 ambassadors as international pressure grows against monday's crew. the african union has suspended cartoon and put and the world bank has put aide on hold the us and you and are calling for the immediate release of civilian leaders. pakistan's government has threatened to crack down on a band group after 4 police officers were killed. had a rally, neil, a whole members of the to regular bag party are demanding the release of their leader. farmers in sri lanka, protesting there against

a lack of fertilizer. as the cultivation season gets underway, the shortage follows a government decision to ban all agro chemicals. as part of a government clamped down on what it calls non essential imports during a foreign currency crisis. u. s. president joe biden is expected to announce a new framework for his social spending plan. the washington post says biden expects it to gain the support of all democrats. that package initially came with a $3.00 trillion dollar price tag, but he now says he thinks he can push through the revised deal up to $1.00 trillion cubes. economy has declined by 13 percent since the start of this pandemic, it raises crushing us sanctions, which have made it harder to quiet medical equipment in order to fight coven 19. well, those are the headlines. emily will have more news after inside story. ah,

how exactly will you plan to rule all sri lankan communities under one law effectively represent everyone? while also trying to help heal a divisions within society, the decision to appoint a buddhist monk to oversee these weeping reforms a stalking controversy. this is inside story. ah hello, welcome to the program m. hashem abala. to re lanka has a long history of ethnic and religious tensions. and with a new plan president got

a buy out as a boxer hope to hear those divisions by carrying out a series of reforms. his just appointed a task force to establish a blanket system for all communities. the so called one country, one law concept aims to an discrimination across re lanka. but the panel will be headed by a controversial buddhist monk known for his anti muslim stance. he'll be leading a 13 member committee that includes for muslims representatives, but no tamiels muslims make up almost 10 percent of sri lanka, 22000000 people who are predominantly seen hattie's buddhists got of. i was elected in 2019 with the backing of the buddhist majority. critics say the president, for most of the plan during his presidential campaign to secure their support, president got a buyer's proposal for legal reforms. gains significant momentum after this their

suicide bomb attacks in 2019 more than 250 people were killed in a series of well coordinated attacks on churches and hotels. the incident was blamed on an icy linked group. since then, there's been an arctic in mob violence against muslims in the island nation. rice groove say the muslim minorities, suffered from consistent harassment. over the years, a sentiment foreseen, holla, buddhist nationalism grew. the terminal minority has also played a part in these tensions separatists from the community of fought a violent insurgency, a gas government forces for decades until the civil war ended in 2009. we'll get to our gas shortly, but 1st men, l fernandez, reports from colombo. people are waiting to see what exactly this means. the presidential task force on one country, one law, as it's being described, ah,

is something that the president says will be required to look and review existing laws, as well as to recommend and draw off new laws that feed into this concept of one country. one law that is very much in keeping with one of the pillars of brought albert roger boxes presidential campaign to bring the entire country under one umbrella. now for minorities, obviously they're looking at this with kind of mixed feelings, waiting to see what exactly it contains and what exactly the government's plans are . one concern though, right at the outset is the leadership of that presidential task force. a controversial figure, notorious monk has been appointed as the chairperson of this task force, which is extremely boring because his monk has been a instigating violence against minorities in the country in the past. and wasn't the forefront of some of these sir turret, i mean,

racist attacks had happened around the country in the past. and the last few weeks he has come on stage media and has been talking about a new, a set of attacks that may happen in sri lanka, which is extremely boring because a person who has been delegated executed power. this looks as if the president got arbitrage epoxy has delegated his executive powers on to this notorious monks who it's very boring as a, as, as, as civilian shalaka as to what could happen in the future. so as indicated by the t n, a parliamentarian or the inclusion right at the head of this task force of a controversial, a buddhist monk, is something that has sent concerns among the minorities about the kind of exact bonafide as of what the government is trying to do now for morse to minorities what they had been asking for and calling for is that every single city and no matter what race to what religion is treated as equal before the law,

it should not depend on who he or she is connected to what religion he or she follows up or what sort of political ideology and that is the concern that the government will have to ally. now we did ask the government for a comment or a reaction to to answer some questions. but at this stage, they did say they are still sort of reviewing this new a sort of gas it and things like that they would to comment at a later stage. but for minorities, they are waiting to see now shalanda has always been a diverse of fabric of communities that have lived side by side for centuries. and this has also been its strength. so what it's hoping that this is not going to be one country, one law, where all that unique difference is forced to be sort of, you know, 2nd to a majority area and kind of law. but the government will have to lay these fears. miller fernandez inside story colombo

ah, less bringing august's in colombo van if anesco senior researcher of a center for policy alternatives in nottingham, tom mil anatomy and i again later in the international human rights law or university of nottingham. also in colombo, serene i'm the saw was also co founder of women's action network. welcome to the program. but funny, let's talk about the one country, one more concept. is it an attempt by the government or by russia boxer, in particular, to bring all the nation under one legal code irrespective of, of our religious identities and ethnic obligations. thank you for having me. so we realized a few eyes ago or that the government, the president has issued a gazette appointing this presidential task force. and one look said the

mandate of the task for his own. it's very clear, easy to take forward this policy of one country, one law. now there are a couple of issues, one needs to fact aid. this is not a neal thing. we've heard this since 2019 with the election manifesto of good javier roger boxer. and since he came in to orfis says, well, we've heard this continuous. so i rhetoric call the wine country on no policy, so it's not new. what's new is that it's now being driven through this task force. and this culture of task force is that one aspect, the other is the composition of the task force, which is headed by a very d, v. c. would you smoke? there's a whole history to i, his background and what he has done in the past, but also very serious. see,

he's been convicted for contempt of court of the highest court in sri lanka. so there's a lot of issues around this. but fundamentally, the question is, why do we need this task force? and what's the purpose of the start was at this moment. okay, i need to look stu thus vasa, really the, the question, every one is asking time and why would you need this particular law now when you have a diverse nation, such a sri lanka. thank you very much, nelson, and i'm very pleased to be here as well. i mean, to echo, i'm barney just said, the point is that roger puncture and his family and ran on this very electoral base, and they are just giving back what the electoral base wants, namely to establish a single leave legal had germany in the country in the atmosphere of majority

terrorism that is deeply entrenched to ensure longer for decades. and it's interesting enough that they are using and doing it now. and when they are at the very crossfire or with united nations, please consider and be aware that the longer has a vibrant interaction with the united nations human rights machinery and the united nations that's on different occasions in 20142017 before the un human rights treaty body, if asked to either amend or repeal personal laws like that this a bomb really law that terminal personal laws, but also the muslim loss. and, but the interesting thing now is that international human rights law is ra they use as a trojan horse introduce single leaves, legal hedge, many that is now playing, and pend us towards the electoral bass in a country serene. usually when you want to sell

a lot of the people already what you want to win the house, a mind you bring about someone who can build bridges, the choice of gal go data and cetera has been absolutely controversial from day one . why do you think there was a box that is putting the bunk to to leave this committee? her because i think i get back. shes politics this now it's about for working and the most in sentiment. and that is the only way forward for them to continue with this country right now. countries almost collapsing with regard to economy, the constituency that elected roger pasha, based on the single buddhist ideology that they talked about. because the school, the enough one country by law, you start to punch a campaign. so the president is becoming very unpopular in the context of that. we see that this is all about anti muslim rhetoric again. thank you.

bonnie: when you look at the the, the supporters of the, of the new panel, they will tell you the basically you have piss personal laws which are discriminating against women in sri lanka, failing to address domestic violence against women or the issue forced marriages. and therefore, it's about time to have one legal code that will be the fundamental law answer lanka. and for this particular reason, what alyssa boxer is doing is genuine and justified. well, i think the question to ask is, why is it being done by a task force and, and i think for those who are not aware of it, there are several committees set out by the minister for justice. the minister of justice has several committees looking at law reform and the law making process. there's a particular system of structure in sri lanka. so are we now seeing

a task force headed by a buddhist monk? is the best way forward in terms of lori forming sri lanka, any lori for it? not just about gender, but in any laws should be drafted by a task force and headed by someone who has normally go bank ground. now i think that's one question to was the other one is we also have experts that have been looking an image deanna these shoes and there are reports. so what is this new initiative going to add to lead? so there are a lot of questions i would say as a lawyer i have in terms of at task force being given these mandate. and i think that that's something that really needs to be question tom and he have the issue for universal. he or writes of the same time and you have cultural relativism, minorities, particularly the thomas of the muslims are saying that this government has to understand that our culture is to be

a respect to the government. is saying that we adhere to an international order that is more in favor of implementing universal hubel wise. i will how to respond to this well, thank you very much for this question. i mean tackle bonnie am as well here again and unravel this a little bit further. and the point of the matter is for lanka is a postcolonial country. and it has inherited many of the malays that the country had inherited from the british colonizers and the portuguese and the dutch. so there was an amalgam of culture, religion, and traditions in the country existent. but using this argument of now universalizing human rights, something that shrunk or shrunk, lawmakers have always opposed now using it for their own purpose, to further rob a legal had you money, and completely marginalizing and liquidating the identities of

a multicultural country is completely contrary to the point i am coming from a scholarship which is called the 3rd world approaches to international law. and we have to consider that many fold narrative that i existent in this, in the country, rather than abolishing them. and that is the purpose right now of this past. what is entrenching, belittle hedge many cultural hagaman, but also further expanding at the presidency of roger puncture. and that is a great threat and being someone who is ethnically tannel, we don't see any time on representation as well on the task force. and as usual, the staff forces are running on the concept of representation of the majority with some token representatives from the minority business, the usual tactic that has been employed in both glowing assurance. sharina,

the general sentiment among muslim is a. this is an attempt to implement a buddhist supremacist rule in sri lanka. what would be next? move for the muslim community in sri lanka. it's very difficult because it's coming at a time. as you pointed out, this mostly personal law, the form has been discussed and the men for the last 40 years have been fighting for, for these reform. and it's also very interesting. this particular committee can also look at the draft last act that had been drafted and some of the amendments that are being done by the justice ministry. so it's very tough for many of us who have been fighting for the men's rights children's rights in this country. equality before law and all of these, you know, convicted extreme is criminal as being brought in as the head of the committee. and it's very difficult to challenge this also to moving forward because the president has appointed the staff many of the task force. also,

he is appointed because the 20th amendment gives him that power and i don't know whether be able to go to supreme court on the guest set itself. but when the committee this particular committee, so i just think maybe probably be able to challenge those things. and i'm also thinking that this is not only the mostly personal law reform per se, but also there are other things that are on the chopping board of mother abolishing mother saw banning. no, because i love food and then scrutiny off at a big script. you know and also at a big translation and more recently, ban of co sourcing all these things and also radicalization that is, that came as a challenge and probably there is a possibility of them bringing in d, that equalization process also into these this particular committee. so it's very

complex and we need to legally more, you know, challenge these whatever possible way the same time. we have the muslim employees who have crossed over and given a job like just these 2 and the other men and them hover that piece of thing. now against muslims, so it is those mostly men piece more gusto law has to look into this. medically any brovana is in the buddhist nationalist sentiment, which has paved the way to these drastic changes that we're seeing in the society. or was it 2019 attacks? there was the moment for rosa parks or to say is my moment to implement the forms or the policies i would like to implement. so i think it's very important to look at our recent history, these to sunday taxes. i think we're to rewind music very often. 2019, but the tax against them was same. community goes back years in

a raid their kids. but the more recent contacts in the postwar period, actually you've seen a tax in 2014, 2018 specific incidence where one but t club would be monkeys linked to these incidence. now if you look at that incident and the individual that pretty clean, do a jewel now is heading up a task force. so days, particular culture that has been built on impunity, that one mean to we, julia enjoys. and at the roger pac sir, redeem. now this task force is merely ledge to my says he's royal the impunity he enjoys, but also sends a message to the minorities in this country that they're 2nd class citizens. that the majority community and particularly buddhist monks who are known and there's evidence of incitement. kenneth ghetto, we read so much, not just that,

not just seen site men and the reason. oh this is anita, do girl who has been convict turd for contempt of court. so by appointing him to this particular task force, the proceed only sending a direct message that he doesn't care about the judicial process. he doesn't care about the law making process. so he has huge implications as to what the president has done. he may have issued just a guess it, but the implications are long term and her can sir, tree lanka, back in so many ways and that needs to be recognized and taken out on interesting rosalind about chat. that's an important point to time of incidental committee has be very critical of the atrocities committees. augusta mr. the point where they were asking for the government to take a concrete steps to reach out to the term it and to heal the wounds of the civil war. now, by excluding a terminal or tamiels from this task force is

a government. what is roger pack said, inciting ethnic religious animosities? once again, indeed, i mean, the current president there was spare heading. he was the architect of the end of the war of the civil war that lasted for 26 years in 2009 and, and not including now the tamela, although the family is making as so called efforts by speaking trammel in public or pretending to care for the family issues on various from the nomination of a terminal to the task force which is just only circumventing the usual legal process. it's just on the cutting and on the mining any credibility in it's presidency from the perspective, all the channels. but also,

as we have pointed out, niana think that they will is as bare heading and muslim hate, but also anti camel hate in the country. and very task force if the symbol of division. it is a simple ating, a new legal empire that favors the majority, and that just fight lines the minorities in the country and is not leaving any way to real reconciliation. the united nation and international organizations have tried to stripe for reconciliation on many occasions. i don't want to, i don't want to go into the details of such, but the failure is evidence. we don't a reconciliation. limitation on the table is evidence sharina since 2019 these are some of the decisions made by the president and we were widely seen as anti muslims, particularly the ban on book of ban on the russ as imposing mendota reclamation

policy for the covered 19 debt and refuse thing to allow muslims to bury that dead according to the religion is this is this interpreted by muslims as an indication that the government or as a pastor in particular is adamant in his anti muslim stands. if you deeply, i mean the, i me to see that the, i know most citizen of this country, it's a, it's a form of, you know, minority communities in this country feel that they are good citizens and we have to stock one of the majority single of the some say to us, if the don't we have to get out of the whole one country by law is all about it is state. this is what president said he's in a speech. this is not a booty state that i am a president elected by single buddhist and i will serve them, but i will look after the minority as that. so this is very clearly indicated in,

you know, going to speech he's implementing that ever since he took over the office. and also very interestingly, all these tasks that he has been finding either military men or the clergyman, and also the women's presentation is missing president, not only intimidating a minority, but also the countries the men are left out in any of the legislative process, all being part of what about the consultation that he's he has been doing so it's also very interesting because at the time and the men from various minority communities have been also in the full front articulating for variously falls. and the president come up with these task force with a cons over 2 men, criminals and also the military men. and also in this particular task force, we don't know who these these things are also. so i mean, it can be one section of the muslim community. this also can divide the muslim community to be says, because if you will,

if president is giving only one section of the muslim community, one sick and the other rest of the communities being vilified in the name of following bobby some of the various kinds of thing it's very problematic because not too long ago, one assigned long toys in the public media that he did. who is the reason why that is always happening all over the world. and i just like in that con, i see we're running out of time rob bill, tammy vinton again and bonnie, for this guy really appreciate your insight. thank you. and thank you for watching . you can see the program again any time by visiting our website a dot com for further discussion goes our facebook page. that's facebook dot com, forward slash a jane. se story. you can also join the conversational and twitter. i'll 100 is add a jane size story for me. hash about about i and the entire team here in doha bye for now.

ah a with,

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inspire program making. i still don't feel like i actually know enough about what living under fascism was light. how much money did you make for here roland? deliverance i made that weird. al jazeera english proud recipient of the new york festivals broadcaster of the year award for the 5th year running. ah, hello, i'm emily anglin, in dough hon. these are the top stories on al jazeera. the u. k. has rejected threats from france to block it's boats from french ports, saying that's a breach of international law. the french government says it needs more licenses for its fisherman im u. k. waters or may impose sanctions. it is very disappointing to see the