Poli 360

A failed state can be defined as a state whose political or economic system has become so weak that the government is no longer in control. In relation to Mexico, a state that is currently in a state of unrest, the next upcoming months could foresee a possible turn for the worst in regards to becoming a failed state. It has been over two months since the disappearance of forty-three students in the Mexican province of Guerrero. Believed to have been murdered by a drug cartel known as Guerros Unidos at the orders of the mayor and his wife, the countries citizens has begun demanding answers as to what the government has enabled to happen to it’s students. The protests the have been occurring within the cities and provinces of Mexico have shed light on the amount of widespread corruption that has been occurring within Mexico’s borders. The disappearance of the students has ignited a trigger within the citizens of Mexico to voice their concerns over not being able to escape the large amounts of politicized violence they are exposed to. The conflict has exposed widespread crime perpetuated by the state, and if continued on to this path could possibly lead to the status of a failed state for Mexico. The international sphere needs to provide aid and force accountability on the government and its citizens or else the government could facilitate a purge of those who voice their opinion similar to how they conducted themselves with the forty-three students.

The students were placed under arrest when the mayor is Iguala heard news that their protests would place a speech his wife was giving that day, at risk of being interrupted. The mayoral couple hold close family ties with Guerros Unidos, Iguala’s local drug cartel, whom ultimately act as the government’s private forces in terms that they aren’t persecuted for the drug trafficking crimes they take part in. Handed over by the police, the drug cartel is believed to have murdered the students, had their corpses burned, and had their charred remains thrown into a river. This suspicion is subjective until bodies are identified; as of now the forty-three students whereabouts remain unknown. The possible murders of these students is especially significant because it shows how both the government conducts itself, as well as how the citizens handle corruption from their government. So long as the government continues to murder, torture, and evoke fear upon their citizens, the citizens will continue to have a driving force against its oppressors. The situation of the disappearance of the students only manifests fears that the Mexican government doesn’t take its citizens’ concerns seriously.

I find this specific case concerning to see a country whom is widely known as a major travel destination, and a neighbouring country to the United States, with such high levels of corruption, crime, and bribery. Specifically, high levels of crime perpetuated by the state, and in turn, their lack of accountability at aiding and protecting its own citizens. The state of Mexico would rather choose to protect and fund criminals, than help those students whom were going to better future generations, as teachers. The officials are dealing with the current repercussions of their handling of the disappearance in a way that should not be idolized by other governments.

To conclude, change must be sought and developed within the state of Mexico in the way the government handles situations. The state needs to veer away from protecting criminals and steer toward protecting its own citizens. As society becomes focused on fighting corruption, incentives towards the economy will be steered away from, innovation will be discouraged, and the talent of its citizens will be robbed of potential. At the expense of society, elites will continue to flourish and the citizens trapped inside the sphere of corruption will continue to suffer. States that are built up on exploitation are never destined for success. They are doomed at some point for the system to fail and those institutions and structures that in place will come down with it. However, if the international sphere condemns the government in Mexico that is committing these horrible atrocities and crimes against its citizens, and help aid the citizens that seek a different leadership, the country may still have hope for a brighter future.

Connecting to broader themes of this Security Studies course, we can view Mexico as a prime example of a country that fosters criminals, within the politicians and the drug cartels themselves. If the international community is fearful of non-state actors gaining power and conducting criminal activity they need to look to these examples first to try and aid countries like this before they foster major detrimental criminal activity far beyond just the transportation of drugs. If a mass murder does not alarm the international community then they should not be surprised in the future to witness more shocking trials of morality.

After watching both the documentary The Shadow Company, as well as witnessing Alan Bell’s guest lecture on crisis management in times of war, I have been enlightened as to how vital private security firms are in today’s context of high rates of civil conflict. The role of private security firms in contemporary conflicts is to make gains off wars, often by providing logistical or security insight on the conflicts, which can often be taken into a negative light. However, they also play an important role in conducting jobs that governments themselves don’t want to engage in. After taking both accounts into consideration, I think private security firms are vital to world order, but only if they involve the right highly trained individuals. I think the documentary was a great way to bring up a controversial subject and to assess PMC’s for pro’s and con’s of the career, but Mr. Bell’s lecture provided an even greater way to allow us, as students, to see humanized aspects to it, and how it is not just an immoral job.

The whole topic of private security companies opened my eyes to a subject that I had never separated before, the fact that there was a huge difference between a private security contractor and a military soldier. An aspect that I found intriguing from both accounts was the idea that war can’t happen without these key players because of the simple fact that war is no longer the same as history precedes it to be. Because of the fact that hiring PCM’s facilitates soldiers to focus specifically on fighting the ‘bad guys’, militaries can significantly benefit from not having to worry about security and logistical aspects of war by hiring private security companies to do so.

I value Alan Bell’s accord of private security contracting from a Canadian standpoint, as a CEO, he seemed to take into account the morality of the situations he was encountering, and wasn’t just strictly in it for the money, although who’s to argue that that isn’t an incentive. By stating he wouldn’t send in his men to any place he wouldn’t go himself, specifically places where governments are completely dysfunctional (Somalia and now Syria), as well as having a military background himself, I trusted his authoritative opinion on the nature of the business he is conducting. Although my opinion is biased in regards to having only mostly seen a Canadian PMC (plus the documentary) and the ethical way it’s conducted, I can see how other security firms could be in the business strictly for the financial benefits. By conducting a firm on the bases that they can hire anyone for the cheapest amount of money to facilitate these security relations, I think in that sense, PMC’s could become completely unethical and highly immoral.

The documentary in my opinion, show-cased strong aspects of the ‘rogue’ mercenary, one who goes into a foreign country without any feelings of morality, and gets their assigned job complete. But this, also coupled with Mr. Bell’s example of the mercenary without training (the local Burger Joint flipper who wants to simply jump into warfare in Afghanistan because the job title looks exciting), is another side of PMC’s that I believe should be avoided at all costs if PMC’s want to continue as a strong force against war.

I think where society sees PMC’s as negative, the two accounts this week shed positive light on the career of a PMC, and that because of the benefits they provide, they are justified. From the standpoint of what Alan Bell discussed, the private security contractors he employs seem to have experience either in the military or law enforcement prior to becoming employed as a contractor.

In my opinion it’s important that these PMC’s exist for a number of reasons. Alan Bell touched on the note that they exist because there are certain roles governments, and government armies simply do not want to involve themselves in. Such as protecting bases whilst armies are out. A concept of PMC’s I don’t agree with however, is the lack of transparency and low levels of accountability that exist within the sphere of private security companies. I think that in order to be successful, and become more widely accepted in the international community, more awareness needs to be made of the intentions of these companies. Alan Bell touched on the subject that he personally met with the Taliban to discuss motives of his company within the Taliban’s territory, those that turned out to be non-violent motives such as bringing crops to the region. Whereas in the documentary there are certain situations showcased where private security contractors are targeted specifically for being foreigners possibly because they are seen as over stepping their bounds within another’s territory due to a lack of communication.

As long as strict rules and precedents are created to keep PMC’s in check and not have situations such as the Blackwater scandal occur again, groups such as private security contractors will continue to thrive and their negative connotation diminished. In addition to this, companies should sway from hiring anyone that doesn’t fit prerequisites to get the job done, and establish a standard of only hiring those that are qualified for the position. These types of firms are critical in raising and maintaining levels of security in unstable but economically vital areas of the world. The inbred fear of lack of security in society fosters a demand for these services and will continue to do so as the United States specifically, counters it’s War on Terror.

The war on drugs is an increasingly international effort that the UN pushes towards every year. Driving towards putting those who traffic illegal substances away for long periods of time, the war on drugs seemingly almost always crosses borders and bounds between many different countries. Although drug trafficking can take many forms and involve a variety of different drugs not only limited to marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamines, a serious issue in the international sphere is the transferring of illegal substances using the form of a drug mule. The growing incentive of becoming a drug mule for the quick fix of cash, and the promise of safety and security should be a grave concern to world governments and leaders. As extremist powers such as ISIS are coming into power at a quick rate, the future is weary as to what incentives people could be provided with, or coerced with, into committing acts far more serious than transporting drugs. Drug trafficking can lead to a major concern of coercion into human trafficking when in regards to drug mules.

In November of 2013, a fellow high school graduate and co-track athlete of mine had his name appear across the local news headlines. The headlines read “Young Canadian Resident facing drug smuggling charges in Melbourne.” With a street value of almost five million dollars, the forty kilograms of heroin that was seized from his luggage once he touched down from China in Melbourne rocked the community as well as his family with dismay. The family assumed him to have left travelling Asia on a journey of self-growth, only to be shocked with the phone call from Australia letting them know what his situation really was. I was personally completely thrown off guard hearing the news of Tyrell. He had been a strong track athlete and I had spent time with him at house parties, on lunch breaks, as well as competing alongside him in track events. It’s astonishing to think that someone I once stood beside, now faced life imprisonment, the toughest sentence Australia offered. Further knowledge spread around my hometown about what he was offered as a drug mule, and that in exchange for the heroin he would carry from China to Australia, he would receive a free flight to Australia and a couple thousand dollars. Further looking into the topic of drug trafficking, and drug mules, it is evident that it is a global crisis in the international community that needs to be addressed as a security concern.

Many countries struggle with the enforcement of drug bans. Countries with weak criminal justice and law enforcement systems such as El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala have all seen gangs and drug cartels step into their countries and take over systems because of the lack of capacity for the government to deal with the influx of violence and crime. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has commissioned three separate conventions and treaties as part of an international effort to put a damper on the spread of drugs and the crimes that follow suite because of them. The first comes from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and is labelled the Single Convention of Narcotic Drugs. A quote taken from the website of the organization states “This Convention aims to combat drug abuse by coordinated international action. There are two forms of intervention and control that work together. First, it seeks to limit the possession, use, and trade in, distribution, import, export, manufacture and production of drugs exclusively to medical and scientific purposes. Second, it combats drug trafficking through international cooperation to deter and discourage drug traffickers.” The second treaty within the UNODC is the Convention on Psychotropic Substances which states “The Convention establishes an international control system for psychotropic substances. It responded to the diversification and expansion of the spectrum of drugs of abuse and introduced controls over a number of synthetic drugs according to their abuse potential on the one hand and their therapeutic value on the other.” The third and final UNODC treaty is the UN Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances of 1988 which defines its duties as “provides comprehensive measures against drug trafficking, including provisions against money laundering and the diversion of precursors chemicals. It provides for international cooperation through, for example, extradition of drug traffickers, controlled deliveries and transfer of proceedings.” These treaties are all part of an international effort to limit and criminalize the possession, use, trade, and distribution of drugs outside of medical and scientific purposes.

Many countries have adapted differently to the UN conventions, hence why Australia might sentence someone whom is trafficking drugs to life in prison whereas the United States might instead opt to send one to a drug rehabilitation program. The United Kingdom for instance, bases their sentencing off a classification system that sets out criminal penalties based on the classification of the drug. One substance may see a sentence to life in prison, whereas a lower class of drug may only see a maximum of fourteen years.

Although becoming a drug mule may not be a choice for everyone, those who do it for the quick cash and opportunity such as my fellow high school alumni often don’t consider the consequences that could ensue. If the drugs being trafficked with a drug mule aren’t stored within suitcases or on extremities of the body, capsules are made, and up to 80-120 capsules or 1.2kg in drugs are often swallowed into the body for the duration of the travel. Becoming a drug mule isn’t a choice for everyone though, and the UNODC offers insight into the life of the international drug mule that has either been sold into the business or was forced. Stating that drug trafficking is often linked to human trafficking, many victims are forcefully sold into the business and compelled to ferry drugs across international borders. The victims are made to swallow balloons containing illicit drugs and then are transported to their destinations. Not only is there a danger getting caught by authorities, but drug mules also face the risk of the illicit drugs breaking within their bodily system, which almost always causes immediate death. A problem that often arises is differentiating between those that are forced into human trafficking and those that choose to lead this lifestyle because of the incentive of money. Many of those who are caught as a drug mule cry wolf and claim they were forced into it. If human trafficking is not enough of a global concern already, when coupled with the capabilities drug trafficking is able to escape with every year, the UN and governments across the world need to step up their initiatives in tackling this problem.

Although I grieve at the decision my fellow student made, and the ten-year sentence he received between serving two years in Australia, and eight years back in Canada, the decision to participate in illicit activities was in his own hands. It is scary to consider that the incentive of cash and a free trip could compel someone to risk spending their life in prison, or in some cases such as in Malaysia, Singapore, or Thailand, capital punishment. Governments need to ask themselves how far people are willing to go to risk their freedom, and their lives when offered a higher price point incentive or other things they may find beneficial to add to their lives. And ultimately, when groups get a hold of people who are willing to participate in illegal activities such as how drug commissioners do, the possibilities are frightening. With the amount of terrorist extremist groups on the rise, the transport of illegal weapons, drugs, and human trafficking across borders could reach new heights in coming time if world governments don’t put a stop to it.

It has been suggested recently that although regular war is becoming less likely to occur, irregular wars involving militias and other non-state actors are becoming more common. Although nuclear nonproliferation is ongoing because of the developing Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) that has recently put a ban on all nuclear weapons explosions, the amount of nuclear weapons present in the world is hardly close to zero. What are we ultimately to do however, if one of the present nuclear weapons gets in the hands of an extremist groups, or militia? While nuclear weapons provide a great war deterrent because of the fear or threat of using them against one another, ultimately, they should not exist in today’s society. I think it is important to be educated on the current situation in regards to how many nuclear weapons are left in the world, and why states still have them.

A brief overview about one of the only nuclear weapon nonproliferation programs in the world is needed to introduce the topic of getting rid of the world’s nuclear weapons. The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty became a reality in 1996, when it banned nuclear explosions by everyone, everywhere, on any part of the earth or it’s atmosphere. When nuclear weapons were first developed in 1945, no risks as to one’s health or environment were known, other than it would ultimately cause death if used. Although the organization works on developing ways to stop nuclear testing as well as the creation of these weapons by means of the International Monitoring System (IMS) and other such usages of deterrence in forms of sanctions, it cannot go into full force until all countries that possess nuclear power reactors sign onto it. As of February 2012, China, North Korea, Egypt, India, Iran, Israel, Pakistan, and the United States of America have yet to sign and ratify the CTBT.

History is able to tell us the dangers that nuclear weapons present to society. Those that do not die from the bomb explosion itself, suffer horrendous consequences from the nuclear fallout in the forms of cancer, growth defects, and burns. Other than the health consequences from the radioactive material that nuclear weapons create, the structural, and economic damages are also factors that are targeted when one decides that dropping a nuclear bomb is necessary. Many have studied the impacts that nuclear weapons have had on the world, specifically Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and it doesn’t take a genius to realize that the consequences of using nuclear weapons extend far past the day the bomb is detonated.

Although organizes such as the CTBTo and current international pressure encourages countries to rid themselves of their weapons, many countries simply decrease their supply. The US seems to think that having over 4000 of them is a small number to keep. However, nuclear weapons are not treated with the care that they should be treated with. In 1961, an incident in the US occurred in which a plane broke apart whilst flying over North Carolina, and accidentally dropped two nuclear bombs over Goldsboro. The effects of this could have been more disastrous than Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but fortunately a series of mishaps occurred that ultimately facilitated the bombs landing on the ground fully intact. And in the time span from 1950-1968, there have been 21 declassified incidents of aircraft related nuclear weapon incidents in countries all around the world including the countries of U.S, Greenland, Spain, Morocco, England, in the middle of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and the Mediterranean Sea. Especially today’s time, if a country is not willing to get rid of these weapons, it is crucial to keep these weapons classified and have certain precautions in place to make sure mishaps like these don’t happen, and that these weapons do not enter the hands of the wrong people, while it be mistake or not.

Currently ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) is heading the media headlines as the latest violent extremist group to take rise, and the world has never been more at risk for a nuclear weapon to be taken advantage of. Already having seized billions of dollars worth in assets from energy power, to oilfields, to millions of weapons, if left unchecked, ISIS could easily secure a weapon of mass destruction. If ISIS is wanting to make an unprecedented terrorist movement in a major world hub such as London or New York, one of their only resources left to vie for that they don’t already hold, is a nuclear weapon. Obama recently struck a deal with Syrian President Bashar Assad that has led to the destruction of the 1,300 tons of chemical bombs that existed within Syria. If these chemical weapons were still in existence, ISIS would most likely already have claimed them along with their $2 billion seizures of assets they’ve already made away with. I am absolutely astounded with the close measures that ISIS have come in contact with almost obtaining a chemical weapon, and I’m sure the world would be equally as shocked if they do in time obtain a nuclear weapon. With neighbouring countries such as Russia and Pakistan that contain nuclear weapons, ISIS is just one corrupt official away from gaining a world-detonating bomb.

Another topic of contention is Iran, in which Western strategists have long debated the risk of Iran showing the power to hold nuclear weapons all of a sudden. The idea of Iran obtaining nuclear weapons is a worrying subject for world governments. What is also worrying to analysts is the fact that they believe Iran can now make enough highly enriched Uranium to build one bomb in only a few months time. Two enrichment plants were uncovered in 2002, and 2009 respectively, sparking concern about Iran’s intentions over building a nuclear weapon in the first place. Iran has taken a non-transparent stance in regards to its nuclear motives. I find it particularly interesting that Iran isn’t a huge world power, yet it seems to be quite interested in gaining a nuclear weapon, but for what reason? Why are nuclear weapons so enticing to hold?

History is able to show us how certain extremist groups can react when they want to send a message or make an impact in society. We have seen examples in the 2004 Madrid train bombings, the 2005 London Underground bombings, the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombings, as well as various car bombings that have occurred in countries such as Iraq, Hotan (China), India, and Egypt. As extremist groups become more dangerous and more at large as minority groups join them,  the consequences of them getting their hands on a nuclear weapon are unprecedented. Countries need to look at the bigger picture and realize that having nuclear weapons are strictly used as a war deterrent in today’s time, and that getting to the point of actually using one on an enemy country is unthinkable, and unjust. The horrors of the past should not be repeated, and any sane mind should see that there is no justifiable way to explain using a nuclear weapon on any type of population.

To further my opinion and conclude, all countries should sign on the CTBTO and ratify their agreement to ban nuclear weapons and their testing. With the ultimate goal of getting rid of nuclear weapons which would in turn reduce the amount of tension present in between the world’s governments, as well as decrease the threat of killing civilians in times of war, and terrorist attacks. With ISIS beginning to become a real threat to society, I think this is a good time for world powers to evaluate how safe their nuclear weapons are in the world, and what the real purpose for their existence is.

Lately, media has been sensationalizing the group ISIS for its horrendous crimes against civilians. Although the US thought it had put to rest al Qaeda in 2006, its war on terror is far from over in the middle east, as former members of al-Qaeda that now call themselves ISIS, is unstoppable. Driven by sectarianism, ISIS is ultimately on the path to destroying those that don’t support them in Syria and Iraq.

Although the history of this group is so complex, a brief overview of what ISIS exactly is, and how it came to be, is essential to understand the context of what is currently happening overseas in the middle east. Up until February of this year, the extremist group al-Qaeda was mostly confined to bounds in Iraq. They played a key role in the insurgency after America’s invasion in 2003 that toppled Saddam Hussein. The great divide between the Shia’s and the Sunni’s created a great disposition within Iraq, with the Sunni’s vying for power. Al Qaeda (made up of mostly Sunni’s) ultimately wanted to set up an Islamic state within Iraq, and took extremist ideologies to unprecedented levels as they banned smoking, music, and the showing of skin on women within the country. Iraq was greatly divided between those of the Shia’s and the Sunni’s in the early 2000’s, and because of the corruption within the government, the extremist group al Qaeda was ultimately enabled to rise through the support of the Sunni’s within the country whom felt that their interests were being neglected by the Shia led government. Although the Sunni’s, made up of formal tribal leaders and insurgents, originally supported Al Qaeda, they sided with the US as al Qaeda’s tactics became more brutal as the decade progressed. However, the birth of ISIS (formally known as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria) didn’t really become apparent until 2013, when the group of militants threatened the Iraqi forces and ultimately took control of the cities Falluja and Ramadi within Iraq. It was here, that al Qaeda cut ties and the group now known as ISIS and broke free, after they refused to comply with al Qaeda directives and vied for independent decisions.

Backtracking to late 2012, Syria began experiencing a civil war between the corrupt government and Syrian rebels who wanted to topple it. It was this event that allowed ISIS (made up of foreign fighters) to emerge as a huge power in Syria and take up stake within broken cities.

Since February of 2014, ISIS has been on an unstoppable mission to expand its realm of control over everything within reach. It has seized towns and cities near major supply routes, and has caused the Syrian government to ultimately buy back electricity that the group has taken control of. In July, the group took over one of Syria’s largest oil fields, Omar. Along with many other sources of income such as this oil field, these ports ultimately facilitate the group to be one of the wealthiest terror groups in history.

The governing style of ISIS is what needs to be feared. After seizing a city, ISIS allows for select services to stay open, but uses force to impose it’s ultimate goals of a fundamentalist state. ISIS maintains that its own police force regulate shops being closed during Muslim prayer and that women cover their faces and hair. It is when people disobey these basic rules, that they are punished with public execution or amputation. It is also worrying to note that most of ISIS’s weapons are stolen. And as the US government continues to aid the Iraqi government and the Syrian rebels to fight against this group, it is those exact people that ISIS continues to seek weapons from. By intercepting supplies en route to rebel groups sent from foreign governments such as the US, to intercepting M79 antitank rockets from Saudi Arabia heading towards Syria, it is worrying to think that our own Canadian allies are evidently supplying the enemy whether they intend to or not.

On August 7^th of 2014, Obama announced America’s plan to airstrike against the militants as they moved forth to the Kurdish capital of Erbil within Iraq, and even more concerning, as they headed towards a large group of civilians trapped within the mountains in northern Iraq. As the airstrikes began, it was on September 10^th of 2014 that Obama then again announced that America was planning on destroying ISIS in both Iraq and Syria. America’s plan includes supplying weapons to the Syrian rebels because of fears that without troops on the ground it will be difficult to push them out with airstrikes alone. And since the US doesn’t want to ally with ISIS’s other enemies, and America’s own previous enemies such al Qaeda or Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, it is difficult to know where to place trust. With the goal of driving ISIS back away from Baghdad, as well as other places the group has yet had a chance to take, the US has a list of goals it is aiming to achieve through it’s airstrikes. Similar to all war strategies the US has ever taken up, it’s goals are to destroy energy infrastructures that are funding the extremist group, as well as to destroy weaponry that the group holds in cities such as Raqqa. With the group having such a strong presence in both Syria and Iraq the airstrikes could continue for quite some time.

It is difficult to say what might evidently happen, because the current situation between the US airstrikes, and ISIS’s response to them is still ongoing. But what we do know, is that ISIS is driven to make itself known, and does not fear repercussions from it’s actions. After releasing threatening videos that can be interpreted as direct attacks on America, as well as it’s surrounding countries of Britain and France, the jihadist group is attempting to send a strong message that they will not tolerate the airstrikes from the Americans.The terrorists relish in the horror that beheading civilians and POW’s evokes on westernized countries, as well as the fear it creates for its neighbouring Kurds. It is hard to say how long the psychological warfare will continue on. The US also needs to realize that it is ultimately aiding an extremist group that it was at war with only a few years ago, al Qaeda. As America bombs al Qaeda’s enemy ISIS, al Qaeda may be strengthened in the process of those that do not want to be on ISIS’s side. Although America has been precedented to come out on top in the past, the groups it has fought have always taken extreme lengths to not go down without a fight (9/11, the Madrid bombings). It is worrying to look at this situation between America and extremist groups, as it looks like America’s options are limited for success.

Over the past weekend, I found myself encountering a protest in Vancouver held by a group of Falun Gong followers who were protesting the prosecution of their religion by the Chinese Communist Part (CCP) in China. I was intrigued by this topic and further looked into it for my blog post this week. Upon researching the Falun Gong religion, and its place in china, I’m absolutely appalled with how the international community has allowed the Chinese government to get away with the persecution of innocent individuals because of the religion they practice. More light needs to be shed on this topic of contention, and the international community needs to become more aware of the horrible things the CCP is doing to its citizens.

To summarize what Falun Gong, or Falun Dafa is, it is an international group that is meant to teach meditation techniques, but the CCP see’s these practices as harmful, and has outlawed and persecuted the group beginning in 1999. What is intriguing is the narrow crackdown on this religion alone, whilst Christianity and Buddhism are still highly popular in China. Research into the religion found ideals of meditation in ways of curing illness and promoting health, as well as disapproving of homosexuality and self-sacrifice to reach a sanctioned race in heaven. The Chinese government justifies their persecution of these practitioners as protecting their citizens against a harmful cult; however, the consequences of being found practicing this religion in China are a clear violation of human rights.

Watching the protest of these activists in Vancouver was quite disturbing, as they had displayed an array of torture victims for the crowd to experience shock value from. Actors were tied up with rope, placed under a body bag, or splattered with blood. Discussing the topic with an activist at this protest, she informed me what the controversial demonstration was all about. According to her, the Chinese government takes into custody those that practice Falun Gong, but the methods of persecution include, and are not limited to, organ harvesting, physical torture, psychiatric torture, psychological abuse, rape and sexual assault, arbitrary imprisonment and slavery, and destitution. Further research into the topic led me to an article stating “Sometime around the year 2000, prison officials and doctors started colluding to give systematic medical testing to Falun Gong detainees – testing that suspiciously ignored injuries but checked the health of vital organs. Then, when a patient needed an organ, a suitable detainee would be matched, killed, and his or her organ taken and used for a transplant operation. In a macabre innovation to lessen the change of organ rejection, their organs were extracted before they were formally declared dead. The body would be cremated to destroy evidence of their cause of death. One Chinese website boasts that it could provide matching organs in 1-4 weeks, a time frame medical experts say is impossible unless the Chinese hospitals had access to a huge stock of living organ “donors.””

I find it interesting that as part of the western hemisphere, we rarely hear of acts of torture such as these because they are beyond our sphere of influence. The media we are subjected to report acts of terror across the world, and violent crimes of the ISIS, Taliban, and Al Qaeda, but we hardly ever hear about things that happen in the confines of another country when they do not affect anyone else but the citizens that live inside those bounds. Even more, we rarely hear about events where the US specifically does not have a huge strain of influence. What I also find surprising is the fact that this is not an international outrage, even though China is a huge rising world leader. Also that the fact that the Chinese government has denied requests consistently from the United Nations Committee Against Torture for information on the sources of the organs that they seemingly have a plentiful supply of.  The fact that it is widely known that there is in fact no large public organ donation system in China, yet a bountiful supply of organs is alarming.

Although the acts of this religion may seem to be different, their ideas aren’t any more absurd than other religions present in this world. From a human rights standpoint, the people who are being persecuted and ultimately killed for their organs to be sold, have every right to practice what they believe in. I find it very interesting that there is not a greater international response to a current genocide that has been happening for almost 15 years now in the country with the worlds highest population.

Despite it being possibly the largest human rights violation happening in the world currently, little is being done to counteract these violent crimes on Chinese citizens. There needs to be more awareness in the international sphere, and the Chinese government needs to be held accountable for its crimes.