Child laborers toil in Thai seafood factories

CNN Website:- http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/04/24/thailand.child.labor.reut/index.html

Stories like Nampeung's are more common than you think in poverty-stricken countries. Born in Thailand to parents with little skills, Nampeung has took it upon herself to help her parents make ends meet by taking on a job at the local seafood factory peeling prawn shells. Considered one of the high-earners among the other kids at the factory, Nampeung takes home about USD$9 a day in an industry that rakes in about USD$2 billion yearly. Surprisingly, half of the exported shelled prawns go to the United States of America thru retail companies such as Walmart. It is surprising that one of most vocal nations against child labour are the ones financing it.

I suppose industries that exploit child labour are a necessary evil. Where-else would poor families be able to get extra money to feed themselves? Besides, youngsters in poor countries often resort to crimes such as theft, robberies and fraud to "earn" extra buck, at least these children working in a proper factory are acting responsibly.

Of course one might say that it is a short-time and narrow minded solution to poverty. One certainly cannot expect a child like Nampeung to go on shelling prawns for the rest of her life! Certainly not in this day and age where technology is so rampant and precise that it can even perform surgery on delicate body parts! Sooner or later, she would be replaced and rendered unnecessary by machines that shell prawns faster than she can say, "Give me work!". Therefore I think that the best thing for developing countries such as Thailand, would be to educate them in the area of labour intensive industries and heavy industries for the male. That way, students can both be studying and working for a salary almost simutaneously ensuring that he or she gets an education without having to go hungry because there is no money at home. Also, governments instead of banning child labour should actually legalise it as it would not benefit anyone if it went underground. If it is legalised, governments would be able to help these children demand a better salary. It is shameful to learn that Nampeung, a top-earner at her factory, earns only $9 a day from an industry that rakes in $2 billion a year! I believe that the main offense in child labour is not that a child is made to work but because he or she is paid peanuts for it.

Hip-hop's Simmons: Remove offensive words

CNN Website:- http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/Music/04/23/usa.hiphop.reut/index.html

In an unprecedented move to "clean-up" the language in the entertainment industry, an executive of a hip-hop record label has suggested to eliminate various curse words from the recording industry.

The hip-hop industry has all along been notorious for its gun-wielding, drug abuse and cursing culture. Intense gang-rivalry between rap stars resulted in the death of artistes Tupac and Notorious BIG. It is also widely understood that the use of swear words in songs add to a hip-hop artistes street credentials, one of the more noticeable ones would be the world-famous rap artiste Eminem. It is also no secret that songs that often objectify women and promote promiscuity are eagerly lapped up by listeners and constantly make the number one spot on music charts. So it is indeed very surprising that an executive of a top hip-hop recording label company has come out to suggest the idea of pulling the plug on curse words in songs.

I honestly do not think it is going to work out in the hip-hop scene. In a world, where it is cool to be seen as a gangster, it is hard to imagine hip-hop artistes "expressing" themselves using civilised language, after all it is definitely NOT the kind of image they want to portray in front of their fans. If they do so, they would risk losing millions of dollars in record sales and endorsement deals just to sound politically correct! I am afraid to say that the tone has been set already in the hip-hop scene and being "bad" helps you get paid, after all it is a business. Some people might say that this is a bad reason for "justifying" what hip-hop artistes are singing about and that evil prevails when good men fail to act, they forgot that evil simple prevails.

Students hide from Hitler's legacy

CNN Website:- http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/04/19/moscow.hitler.ap/index.html

A Russian university has decided to ban its foreign students from leaving their dormitories in fear that they would be victims of neo-nazi attacks and ethnic violence during and around Hitler's birthday.

It has been reported that around Hitler's birthday, neo-nazi fanatics gather in groups to taunt and attack people of foreign origin. Some have even set fire to buildings occupated by foreigners such as university dormitories. Upon locking their students in, the university has even gone as far as to cancel classes. It is indeed sad and infuriating to see these extremists hindering these students' way of life.

Although some might feel that the university has acted commendably, I feel that they could have gone one better. It is a terrible shame when we have to give in to people who terrorise us by losing our liberties, in this case, the freedom of the students. Would it not make more sense to work with the local police and clamp down on neo-nazi activities during the period surrounding Hitler's birthday? I reckon the authorities should send out a message that terrorism in this form will not be allowed to prevail. I shudder to think what would become of the United States if they banned flights every September 11th in fear that there might be another attack on the anniversary of history's bloodiest terrorist attack.

Tragedy at Virginia Tech

CNN Website:- http://www.cnn.com/2007/EDUCATION/04/16/transcript.tue/index.html

In a country whose history has already been scarred by violence many times, this act of carnage at Virginia Tech tops the list of school shootings. Still reeling from the Columbine Shootings, Sept 11th and an Iraqi war that looks far from won, Americans woke up to news of another school shooting that claimed the lives of 5 teachers and 27 students.

The perpetrator, Cho Seung-hui, was described by his family and peers as a mentally-disturbed, possibly autistic person who was subjected to abuse from school-mates because of the way he spoke.

In a package sent to the media, Cho expressed deep resentment for the "rich-kids" in school and said that the massacre happened because of them.

Upon reading this article, I struggled on whether to sympathise with Cho or to condemn him for the heinous crime he committed. It is understood that Cho was often the victim of abuse from schoolmates. He was targetted because of the way he spoke and I suspect his race was also another reason why he was often bullied. One does not have to be a rocket scientist to figure out the logic that an oppressed person might lash out one day and maybe in the case of Cho, this was what happened. While the media choose to focus on the barbarism, evil and anger in Cho, I would like to draw your attention to the cause and root of his act. I am not saying that I agree
his actions and neither am I being permissive or condescending about bully victims shooting their schoolmates. But I feel that this world, this angry angry world has to do something about educating each other about living in harmony and the severity of ostracizing and bullying people. I do not offer any excuse for Cho's actions but at the end of the day, when things are put into perspective, it's hard not to think that the real killers, the ones who put Cho in that position, possible "equipped" him with all that hate, anger and misery are the ones who taunted him for the way he spoke, left him out of things because he was not "cool" enough, spoke behind his back about his funny "asian" accent. Some of those people appeared on tv this week, speaking about what a weird little kid Cho was. Obviously, society has not learned a lesson, even after 32 innocent lives were taken away. Even Cho's grandfather condemned Cho, saying that his grandson deserved to die. Can't anyone see that all Cho wanted was to belong? To be accepted?

In the wake of this most recent school shooting, many acclaimed medical "experts" will no doubt take to the television screens and comment on Cho's mental state just like his doctor did in the past. He will be diagnosed with mental illness. But I believe that what he had was not so much chemical inbalance in his brain but a broken, wounded heart that was not given a chance to heal in an unforgiving world.

Eritrea bans female genital mutilation

CNN Website:- http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/africa/04/05/eritrea.circumcision.reut/index.html

It is indeed heartening to know that even third-world countries in Africa have finally awoken to the calls for female rights. Although it might not mean much in a struggle for female rights in Africa, the banning of female genital mutilation in Eritrea already sends a message out that females are to be respected and that even sacred traditional rituals that violate a lady have to be abolished as the region looks to catchup with the rest of the world.

Females are in third-world countries are constantly marginalised and are often seen as lower beings compared to the men. However, all that is about to change and the passing of this particular law says it all.

The struggle for sexual equality may not have been this bad in other parts of the world, but females all over the world had to endure hardship and suffering before the finally found equality with their male counterparts. With the ban on female genital mutilation being imposed, Eritrean women no longer have to worry about the dangers that this "ritual" pose. However, I still suspect that some tribes will disregard the law and continue carrying out this life-threatening ritual that many African women are subjected to. It still remains to be seen if the authorities who have passed this law will uphold it by doing the necessary follow up to make sure that no one flouts the law and force women into going through what is indeed a cruel and painful ritual.

Detained Britons say crew 'intruded' in Iran's waters

CNN Website:- http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/04/01/iran.sailors/index.html

The facts are out. British sailors did indeed intrude Iranian waters and were hence held captive. Over the past few days, many different organisations and regimes have tried to portray the Iranian government as terrorists and kidnappers after detaining the British sailors who intruded their waters but wouldn't the same authorities who criticised the Iranians have done the same thing if someone came uninvited into their waters?

If reports coming out of Iran, that the captives are treated very well, then I must say that the Iranian government have been very responsible and humane unlike its Western counterparts who have on many occasions mistreated its captives such as those in the notorious Abu Ghraib prison.

It is certainly my hope that the British and American government do not make a big deal out of this as the Iranian government are really just carrying out standard procedures! If they do, then they would be adding more fire to the political tension that is threatening to breakout into a war in the Middle-East region. If that were to happen, then all that diplomacy work the British and American government have been doing over the past few months will come to null.