 Hello and welcome to Daily Debrief brought to you by People's Dispatch. I'm Pragya. A severe crackdown against protesters took place in Peru on Thursday evening. Peru's new president, Dina Baluarte, has assured of what amounts to more vengeance against those who demand fresh elections. Two new reports highlight the continued persecution of the Rohingyas, severely harassed by those responsible for protecting them in Bangladesh and perishing in numbers as they attempt to flee Myanmar and Bangladesh by sea. And India has criticized the Modi question after the BBC released the first part of its documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's controversial past. A so-called takeover of Lima, protest by thousands ended in turmoil amid a severe police crackdown on Thursday in Peru. Peruvians hit the streets after the December ouster of President Pedro Castillo. They want fresh elections and Dina Baluarte's resignation. One person died and 10 were injured, adding to the toll of around 50 dead since December. Deaths which have only angered people more. Zoe Alexandra of People's Dispatch, here's what she saw. Okay, Zoe, very good to have you back on the show. Zoe, what happened in Peru yesterday in Lima in particular? Well, there was a massive mobilization. The city, there was large delegations that came from across the country from specifically the Southern Andean region, arriving to Lima to participate in the March of the Four Corners. This was really to bring the demands of the people to the seat of power, specifically the Southern region. The people in that region have been participating in national strikes, erecting road blockades, having large mobilizations. They've also been suffering the brunt of the police repression. So they decided to bring their protests to the capital where there have been some mobilizations, but really not any of a great size. So they arrived in the past couple of days. And yesterday they had the national strike, a large, large mobilization. There were tens of thousands of people in the streets of Lima, a really beautiful and impressive mobilization. Once again, bringing forth the demands of the people, which is demanding the immediate resignation of Dina Bolguarte to demand the closure of Congress for elections to be held immediately. And of course, for the writing of a new constitution and many people, especially as the death soul has now reached over 50 people that have been killed by Peruvian security forces, they're demanding an end to the violent repression and for justice to be carried out very swiftly in the cases of these victims. Right, Zoe. So what kind of justice can people expect from the government? How has it been responding so far? I mean, the response of the government essentially has been to ignore all of the protesters' demands. So at about 9pm last night, Dina Bolguarte, who is the de facto leader of the government right now, she made an address to the nation, and she essentially dismissed all of the demands of the protesters. She said that there's no social or economic demands, that these are all ridiculous political demands that she will not resign. And more concerningly, she said that the protesters who had come to the nation's capital, to Lima to participate in these massive mobilizations had received illicit funding, that they were linked to criminal groups, and other things essentially paving the way for the criminalization of these protesters and the further stigmatization by law enforcement, by the media, and by government officials. So an extremely worrying response by the state, and of course, the repression has continued. Several dozen were arrested yesterday in Lima in other regions of the country. There were, I think, one or two people who were killed once again by the police. So this is a very concerning situation, and the government has essentially not done anything to address the violence against protesters. They have not committed to really stopping this violence. Instead, they've continued to say that it's the protesters who are violent, and that the state must respond in this way because of what the protesters are doing. Zoe, can you also talk about how the media has been reporting on this crisis? Well, it's actually quite interesting on an international level. I think just because of the sheer extent of the violent repression by the proven state, I mean, again, we're talking about 50 people who have been killed in just over one month of protest. This is really unprecedented and extremely concerning. And so because of this international media, I mean, even big houses like New York Times have actually been condemning this repression, been shining light on it, and doing a number of articles going to places where people have been massacred. But if you look at the national press within Peru itself, we're seeing a much different story. First of all, they don't even talk about the people who are being killed. And second of all, they insist that anyone who's participating in these protests is a criminal, is a vandal, even calling them terrorists, and not acknowledging what the state has been doing against the protesters, not acknowledging the sheer violence that it's been carrying out against people in the streets, and further kind of giving a justification in a sense for the violence that the state is carrying out and for the imprisonment of dozens of people. So it's it's quite a juxtaposition between the two. If you look at the cover of a Peruvian newspaper, you're going to see, again, the words of terrorism, criminals, disruption. Whereas actually, in an international sense, you're seeing a bit more of a, let's say, sympathetic tone towards these protests. Are the protests likely to go on? What is your sense of the situation right now? It's always hard to see what will happen tomorrow, but still. I think the protests are definitely going to continue. People are only finding more reasons why they must continue and why they must continue demanding a new political system in the country with the, again, the unprecedented levels of violent repression of the people. It's giving kind of further justification. They're seeing that the violence carried out against people from the southern region, from the Andean region against indigenous communities, against peasant communities is just not valued the same. And that's, and that has really angered people and given them kind of more fuel for their fire. They're continuing to demand the constituent assembly. They're continuing to mend immediate elections. And they believe that the Dina Boruarte government is weak and that she must resign immediately. So I definitely think these are going to continue. I think the delegations from the regions are going to be staying in Lima for the next couple days and they'll probably return to their regions, continue the road blockades, continue the strike measures, and really attempt to put all kinds of pressure on this government. Right. Thanks very much for joining us, Zoe. Thanks so much for having me. Human Rights Watch has reported on the continued suffering of Rohingya in the Cox's Bazaar Camp in Bangladesh. It says the APB or Armed Police Battalion have worsened their persecution with demands for bribes and trumped up charges. The APB was put in charge of security for the refugees from Myanmar in 2020. And the United Nations High Commission for Refugees Report has also reported an alarming rise to nearly 350 of deaths as Rohingya's attempts to escape Myanmar and Bangladesh by sea. That is among the worst years since 2014. Abdul from People's Dispatch joins us in the studio with some more details. Abdul, what have the UN and Human Rights Watch report found? Well, we should see both the reports as complementary. What Human Rights Watch is saying that increasing corruption and the operation unleashed by the police in Bangladesh has kind of made the life of the Rohingyas, hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas who are living in a camp, cramped in various parts of Bangladesh, is basically they are making their life even worse. How police has basically started demanding more and more bribes, threatening the Rohingyas of action if they don't do it. They have charged some of the Rohingyas, arrested hundreds of them, calling them, of course, charging with different kinds of crimes, which basically kind of re-emphasizes basically the whole image of Rohingyas being involved in different kinds of petty crimes in the country, which has been a campaign by the right being in different parts of the world, particularly in South Asia. So, talking about that, it is very natural to see that a large number of Rohingyas are not willing to stay back in those camps where they are harassed every day, they are threatened every day, they are basically they are whatever limited resources they have taken away by the police and the state agencies. And therefore, wherever they can, they are trying to take risk and leave the country. And one of the ways through which they are living the country is through the sea. And hundreds of Rohingyas have died while trying to leave Bangladesh, try to leave Myanmar, to go to Malaysia or wherever they think they are much more, they think that their life would be better. So, this is what both the reports are saying. One, HRW is saying that the condition in the camps where the Rohingyas are staying is becoming worse. And because of the operation unleashed by the state authorities, by the police. And UN report is talking about this basically forcing a large number of Rohingyas to take risk and leave the country in whatever way possible, which ultimately leads to death by drowning in the sea or at other places. Abdul, do the reports also suggest what the government of Bangladesh and what the rest of the world can actually do to help resolve this crisis? Of course, the reports are very explicit about it. Both the reports are talking that the international aid which is required, Bangladesh is not a rich country. It needs a lot of backing from by the foreign donors to help take care of the hundreds of thousands of refugees in its country. So, the donors have not contributed enough. In fact, the HRW report says that half of the target money which was required to cater the needs of the Rohingyas, basic needs of the Rohingyas, only half of the quota has been met in last year. So, of course, increased donation is one of the ways suggested by both the reports. Also, HRW report talks about the status of the Rohingyas in Bangladesh. As per HRW report, the Rohingyas are not given the legal status of a refugee and that basically leads to their rights being violated. As for the international law, the refugees have certain rights and because that status is not given, that basically gives excuse to different state agencies in Bangladesh to basically do whatever they want to do with these hundreds of thousands of refugees. So, they are prescribing a legal status for the Rohingyas in Bangladesh and wherever they are. Also, they have talked about a sensitization campaign where the state authorities are sensitized about the peculiar situation in which the refugees are living and to understand why their status, what is their status and how they should behave with them. Apart from that, of course, they are also talking about more state support to Rohingyas in terms of basic service delivery in those camps, more cleanliness, more amenities which are required to make them live a little more dignified and so these are all common sensical suggestions and it has not been met primarily because of the lack of political will both of the Bangladesh government and also particularly the international donors who have not done what they should do in this particular condition. Right, Abdul and thanks a lot for that update. The first part of a BBC documentary series on Narendra Modi India's Prime Minister since 2014 has kicked up a storm in India. The film is technically unavailable for viewers in India but Modi's Bharati Ajanta Party and Foreign Ministry have called it colonial propaganda. It's on a controversial phase in Modi's political career when he was Chief Minister of Gujarat state. It examines his role or lack of it in controlling violent mobs motivated by Hindu nationalism in 2002. Over 2000 people mostly Muslims died in brutally violent attacks early that year. Let's ask Aditi Nigam, a senior journalist with NewsClick, what in the BBC film may have upset the ruling party? Aditi, thanks very much for joining us. So Aditi, what is there in this film which might have upset or could have upset the ruling party and the perhaps the Prime Minister himself? Well what would have upset is definitely Prime Minister Modi's image internationally and even in India now when in so many elections he is being projected as the face for even smaller elections even for some civic you know elections in Delhi we saw his brand Modi. So that could have upset them definitely. Also I think at a time when he is making such a big road show out of the G20 and BJP carried a you know so internationally that would hit his image at this point. I think that would have upset them. The fact that you know what they have been saying is that it's coming after 20 years and you know what is the agenda behind this film coming now and all that. But nevertheless it does serve as a reminder of Modi's, Prime Minister Modi's rise to where he is and how it came about because of those Gujarat 2002 riots and the documentary claims of a major ethnic cleansing that had happened then and what is also very damning is that the first time officially the then former UK secretary Jack Straw has been quoted as you know saying that he probably had a direct role to play which obviously the Indian government has contested now and now they also say that courts have settled the matter so why rake it up now. So that yes it definitely that's why they've called it what colonial mindset and malicious propaganda and all that which is understandable because it comes at a time where they would not want this thing to be raked up again. The other thing I feel is that people do say that you know we what's new about it this one criticism what's new about it you know we knew see you and I maybe as journalists would know but for the wider you know and for the younger generation 20 years ago what happened that I think in the documentary has been put and some of the some of the visuals are very very chilling from even me who you know I track the events I track the events that time and for example as Hanja Fri you know trying to call up and not getting any help that's a former MP former congress MP who was kind of burnt or killed by the you know Hindutva mob so all those things are there but yeah I think that's the timing would have really upset the government right and maybe the prime minister's image because that's what they're banking on the ruling party. That's right the biggest vote catcher for the ruling party. Yeah the biggest vote catcher. So Aditi how has the government actually responded to this and and this this image in a sense does this film serve to undo the sort of whitewashing of the past that the BGP the partition the party has done. Yeah yeah it I don't know whether it'll be able to really undo because they really have all the wherewithal the machinery the money and all to counter it but yes it does serve as a reminder and I would say more as a reminder to the younger generation who probably has just heard about it and so whether you say that things have been you know there is an agenda and for me one very significant thing I happen to see the film before it was kind of pulled down on the first day I happen to see most of it I know so what it's there's this thing about say 30 people refuse to speak because you know because of fear so now that is something it starts with that so since there is a criticism of a sense of fear within the media within the civil society within you know dissenters and all that in India so yeah yeah yeah and young yeah in India so I think it will serve as a reminder to the you know are what they call the democratic demographic advantage the youngsters who'll be now voting age absolutely 20 some things so yes that way it is definitely a discomfort a sign of discomfort for the government definitely for the for more for the BJP actually and it's international image which is international image at this time yeah at this time definitely so so another thing that strikes me from the BBC documentary I mean of course this is just the first part we haven't seen what the rest of the documentary will unfold but there's this whole image of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a messiah of development so to speak that you know one who believes in progress and development etc so what do you think about that role that the Prime Minister pays vis-a-vis his past yeah yeah because you know interestingly there is this short clip of an interview which he doesn't he has not given any interview after taking over as Prime Minister but it is you know he comes across as as the reporter of BBC said was menacing I mean and interestingly he says that his weak point was that he couldn't handle the media and you know fast forward and now he has I think the most of the mainstream media at least the television media in his control I mean they all you know they've totally been projecting him always and the other thing about the documentary I think it is a reminder of what actually put him on the national stage to not hardly the Gujarat development model or anything it's after that he became one of the Hindutva icons you know that strong man who could actually you know take on you know and protect the majority interests and all that so he just kind of just catapulted and that is what made him the most eligible candidates within the BJP for Prime Minister and it did work for him it did work for him so you're saying that he could not have done it if the media had not been supporting him yeah the media was not supporting him he could not have done it yeah later but that time I would say yes the media did show a lot of which his frustration comes out in that short clip where he says he could couldn't control the media but yes later definitely yes meaning that once he came to power then the media played a significant role in keeping him there and even now his entire image is entire brand what they call brand Modi which which is actually working for the BJP till now I mean and that's what they're totally banking on now right and thank you very much for joining us and that's a wrap for today thank you for watching daily debrief do come back to us tomorrow you can find our stories on peoplesdispatch.org and our social media updates on Facebook Twitter and Instagram