【355-358】Green, Loggerhead Turtle Numbers Grow in Cyprus

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*【355】

AS IT IS

Critics Say India Citizenship Test Unfairly Targets Muslims

August 25, 2018

People whose names were left out in the National Register of Citizens (NRC) draft stand in a queue to collect forms to file appeals near a NRC center on the outskirts of Gauhati, India, Monday, Aug. 13, 2018. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

India's government is requiring documentation from people to prove they are legal citizens. Some critics of the policy say it discriminates against a local minority Muslim population.

The policy is being carried out in India’s northeastern state of Assam. The Hindu nationalist BJP party of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi won state legislative elections in Assam in 2016.

Modi had promised to take action against illegal immigrants that some people accuse of stealing jobs and resources. The Assam government recently began expanding its work on the National Register of Citizens (NRC). People must be listed on the NRC to be considered legal citizens of India.

About four million people in Assam were left off the NRC list and are being asked to provide documents to prove their citizenship.

One of them is 33-year-old Riyazul Islam, who spoke to Reuters about his situation. He said he and his mother have no documents left to prove they are Indians. But his father and many others in his family are already listed in the NRC.

In this Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018 photo, Muslim farmer Abdul Mannan, 50, left, and Anuwar Hussain, 21, center, review the certificates of members of their family whose names were left out from the National Register of Citizens draft. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

“If my father is an Indian citizen how come I am not?” Islam said to Reuters. He spoke with the reporters in the town of Dhubri, near the border with Muslim-majority Bangladesh. “What more proof do they need?” he said.

The government has not given details about the four million people living in Assam who are not on the citizenship list. But most are believed to be minority Bengali-speaking Muslims. Most of the state’s 33 million people are Assamese-speaking Hindus.

Many of those left off the list cannot read or write and come from poor families.

Reuters examined documents from several families in Assam state. The news agency found that in some cases, people were denied citizenship because the names listed on documents they provided were spelled incorrectly. In other cases, documents contained mistakes relating to a person’s age.

Several people who spoke with Reuters said officials rejected their explanations of the mistakes.

Opposition parties say Modi’s BJP party aims to deny citizenship to Muslims through the Assam list. They say this could be used to demonstrate the party’s commitment to Hindu nationalism ahead of a planned general election set for next year.

People whose names were left out in the National Register of Citizens (NRC) draft fill their forms to file appeals near a NRC center on the outskirts of Gauhati, India, Monday, Aug. 13, 2018. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

The BJP’s spokesman in Assam rejected claims that religion had played a part in the latest citizenship drive. “(This is) being opposed for political mileage, whereas at ground zero there is absolutely no tension,” the spokesman told Reuters.

But Modi’s finance minister, Arun Jaitley, has spoken out on the citizenship list. He wrote in a Facebook post earlier this month that the NRC was necessary because growth in the Hindu population of Assam had been overtaken by that of Muslims.

It is not clear what will happen to those left off the final list of citizens. Legal experts say they face denial of citizenship rights and government assistance and could even be sent to detention camps. They could also be taken off voter lists, which could affect the outcome of the general election.

The Indian government said in 2016 that about 20 million illegal Bangladeshi migrants were living in India.

Samujjal Bhattacharya is an adviser to the All Assam Students Union, which has led a campaign against illegal immigrants. He told Reuters that for 38 years, the group has been “fighting to protect the language, culture and identity of our indigenous people in our own motherland.”

Bhattacharya denied the group discriminates against any one community. “It’s not against Muslims, it is not against Hindus, it is not against Bengalis,” he said. “It’s against illegal Bangladeshis. It is a question of citizens and non-citizens.”

I’m Bryan Lynn.

Bryan Lynn adapted this story for VOA Learning English based on a report by Reuters. was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

commitment – n. a promise to support and work toward something

absolutely – adj. completely; beyond any doubt

indigenous – adj. existing naturally or having always lived in a place

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AS IT IS

Green, Loggerhead Turtle Numbers Grow in Cyprus

August 25, 2018

A conservationist holds up a tiny sea turtle that just hatched from its nest on Cyprus’ protected Lara beach.

The Mediterranean island of Cyprus has been home to green and loggerhead sea turtles for thousands of years.

On a late afternoon in August, a group of baby turtles hatched on the island’s Lara Beach. They could be seen struggling toward the ocean, ready to begin their new lives.

Twenty to 30 years from now, many of them will be back at Lara Beach to lay their own eggs. Scientists say the turtles’ biological tracking system brings them back to lay eggs on the same beaches their ancestors chose thousands of years ago.

In the early 1900s, green and loggerhead turtles were hunted until few remained. But now, their populations are increasing in the Mediterranean Sea because of conservation efforts, marine biologists say.

Andreas Demetropoulos is the founder of a turtle conservation program under the island’s Fisheries and Marine Research Department.

People surround marine biologists Andreas Demetropoulos, and Myroula Hadjichristophorou as they try to pull out sea turtles that just hatched from a nest on Cyprus’ Lara Beach.

He said there were just 300 turtle nests on the beaches of Cyprus when these efforts began in 1978. But the numbers grew to about 1,100 nests last year.

That number may not sound like a lot, but loggerhead and green turtles may remain fertile for 30 years. So, Demetropoulos thinks the results are wonderful.

The increase is especially good news for the green turtle, which lays its eggs in only two countries: Turkey and Cyprus. There are only about 1,500 female green turtles that lay eggs in those two countries. About 6,000 loggerhead females lay eggs in places across the Mediterranean Sea.

Myroula Hadjichristophorou is a marine biologist. Along with Demetropoulos, she leads the island’s turtle conservation program. She said Cyprus has 200 to 300 green turtles who lay eggs while the number for loggerheads is more than double that.

Cyprus began its conservation program long before any country in the European Union. And that has made a huge difference, she said.

Beachgoers observe a tiny sea turtle that just hatched trying to reach the Mediterranean’s warm waters on Cyprus’ Lara Beach.

One conservation effort has been guarding the turtles against their main killer: foxes. Another was passing laws in 1989 that permitted conservationists to protect two important beaches in the island’s west and northwest.

Before the laws, local people would camp on the beach and have barbecues with little concern for the turtles. But over time, Hadjichristophorou said, the area built up a conservationist culture — from school children to adults. Now, people who find something like an injured turtle tell officials immediately.

“When people come here with their families, their children, they see the babies coming out of their nests, this is something that they will never forget,” said Hadjichristophorou.

I’m Alice Bryant.

The Associated Press reported this story. Alice Bryant adapted it for Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor.

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Words in This Story

hatched –adj. to have come out of an egg

tracking –adj. related to following or watching the path of something

conservation –n. the protection of animals, plants and natural resources

marine –adj. of or related to the sea or the plants and animals that live in it

nests –n. a place where animals such as birds or reptiles lay there eggs

barbecue –n. an outdoor meal or party at which food is cooked on a barbecue

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AS IT IS

Bouquinistes of Paris Seek UNESCO Recognition

August 26, 2018

Bouquinistes is the French word to call sellers of old books along the Seine River in Paris. The tradition has existed for over 400 years. However, modern technology like electronic book readers and sellers of books online are now hurting their profits and threatening their existence.

To save the trade, the bouquinistes are now trying to be added to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list. The list recognizes and protects traditions and living expressions passed on from family members.

Bouquiniste David Nosek is among those supporting the bid to be added to UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

David Nosek is one such bouquiniste. He is busy reading a book and rarely looks at the tourists walking by. A few stop to examine old books and artworks on his green metal stand.

"I like to read, I like old things, and there's an independence to the business," he said. "We certainly don't get into it to get rich."

Sophie Leleu supports the effort to be added to UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list. She thought it would be a good way to maintain the quality of the trade.

Bouquinistes line the left bank of the Seine River in Paris.

"If we're on the UNESCO list, we become like the Egyptian pyramids, or the Venetian gondoliers — nobody can remove us,” she added.

First, the bouquinistes need to make France's own intangible heritage list and the difficult process can take several years. France can only support one candidacy every two years for the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage bid. So far, UNESCO has only accepted 15 out of 400 that made the French list.

But not everyone, including some bouquinistes, supports this idea. Some fear they will no longer be able to sell the souvenirs that help them survive.

Francis Robert has been selling old comic books for 40 years. He said intangible cultural heritage status might seem like a good idea. But the money from souvenirs like key chains, and small Eiffel Tower statues, has allowed him to continue selling books.

Meghan Patton, a visitor from Philadelphia, said with the bouquinistes "you get the feel of Paris… They're part of what makes the city so special.

However, some travelers are not as interested in the bouquinistes.

Colorado author Mike McPhee, who has visited Paris many times, said he would not trust their books to be real, and would rather buy from a trusted dealer.

Bouquiniste Francis Robert, right, is against the UNESCO bid, fearing it will end his ability to sell the souvenirs he says he needs to survive.

Bigger challenges

Florence Berthout is mayor of Paris' 5th district. She said, "There's an urgency to defend the bouquinistes' trade.”

The district is in the center of the Latin Quarter, home to the Sorbonne, one of the world's first universities. Its town hall faces the Pantheon, where some of France's greatest writers and academics are buried. The area is also home to the majority of Parisian bookstores, publishing houses, and most of the city's bouquinistes.

"There's nothing more democratic than books," said Berthout. She is the daughter of farmers from central France, and discovered famous writers like Shakespeare and Emile Zola thanks to low-cost books her parents bought.

Berthout says that UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Status would give bouquinistes more recognition, and hopefully increase their sales. This would allow them to continue selling old books and not cheap souvenirs.

But few people believe the bouquinistes will completely disappear from Paris. There are more than 200 today, compared to less than 30 in the 17^th century.

I’m Phil Dierking.

Lisa Bryant reported this story for VOA News. Phil Dierking adapted the story for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor.

Do you think the Parisian bouquinistes should be recognized by UNESCO? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.

_________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

academic - n. a person who is a teacher in a college or university

cheap - adj. not costing a lot of money

comic - n. the part of a newspaper that has comic strips

district - n. an area established by a government for official government business

tourist - n. a person who travels to a place for pleasure

souvenir - n. something that is kept as a reminder of a place you have visited, an event you have been to, etc.

*【358】

AS IT IS

New Video Shows Amazon Tribe with No Contact to Outside World

August 26, 2018

This 2017 photo released by the National Indian Foundation (FUNAI) shows a "maloca," or long house, in Vale do Javari, Amazonas state, Brazil. (FUNAI via AP)

Video has been released for the first time showing an Amazon tribe in Brazil with no known contact to the outside world.

The video, shot by a drone, provides the first-ever images of 16 tribe members walking through their living area in the jungle.

The footage was recently released by Brazil’s government agency for indigenousaffairs, known as Funai. The agency is responsible for identifying areas where indigenous populations live, and attempting to protect their communities and land from invasion by outsiders.

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Funai said it captured the drone shots during an operation last year to observeisolated communities. The observations took place in the Javari Valley, an indigenous territory in the southwestern part of the Brazilian state of Amazonas.

The group said it waited until now to release the footage to protect its research activities.

In the footage, several members of the isolated tribe can be seen walking through a jungle camp, as well as a deforested area that seems to include crops. One of the tribe members appears to be carrying a bow and arrow.

At least 11 other isolated groups have been confirmed to live in surrounding areas - more than anywhere else in Brazil.

The agency has been studying the community seen in the new images for years, but this was the first time it was able to catch the tribe on camera.

This 2017 photo released by the National Indian Foundation (FUNAI) shows canoes on the bank of a river in Vale do Javari, Amazonas state, Brazil.The pen was placed on one of the boats by FUNAI to show the size. (FUNAI via AP)

Funai’s president Wallace Bastos says the video footage can be an important tool for teaching about such communities. “These images have the power to make society and the government reflect on the importance of protecting these groups,” he said.

Bruno Pereira helps run Funai’s research activities in the area. He said such documentations can also help researchers learn more about the cultures of indigenous populations.

While the agency has not yet identified the name of the tribe, it does have some guesses about its ethnicity and what language it speaks. “The more we know about isolated communities’ way of living, the more equipped we are to protect them,” Pereira said.

Overall, Funai has registered 107 isolated tribes in Brazil - Latin America’s largest nation. While the agency sometimes takes photos and videos, it has not been making contact with the tribes for more than 30 years.

Pereira told the Associated Press these communities know of the cities and farms around them. But they often choose to isolate themselves due to bad experiences with the outside world.

This 2017 photo released by the National Indian Foundation (FUNAI) shows an axe on the ground in Vale do Javari, Amazonas state, Brazil. The pen was placed by FUNAI to show the size. (FUNAI via AP)

Such contacts can be dangerous, sometimes resulting in deadly fighting that can destroy tribes. Last year, a group of illegal gold miners were accused of killing 10 people in an isolated community.

“If they wanted contact with the outside world, they would seek out ways to communicate with us,” Pereira said.

I’m Bryan Lynn.

Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

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