inside serving 6, he is the crime of less majesty. how do i go on you get? uh huh. i don't think people can be okay when they loved one is in now of prison, but we have just done with him. it was hard at 1st. i cried every time he went in, i couldn't stop crying when the court tonight is bail request gets crying was the question how the ruling dentist he came to power over 200 years ago. in most countries, historical debate in thailand, a criminal offense. he was one of thousands of students who protested against the governments in 20202021 cooled for the moment key to reform. in the years that followed, many of them had been charged under article 11 to the last met just a little between 2014 to 2020. and usually our organization with handle with around $30.00 to $40.00 cases per year. then came the mass for democracy movement in 2020 and suddenly the case number rose to more than 200. by the end of 2020,

and by the end of 2021 to mont, and 800 cases. more than a 100 sentences behind them. last year, they're expecting more than 400 this year. jail terms have been increasing to social media post deem defensive, carry terms of 15 years each. in january, 1, defendant was handed 50 is the full team, facebook posts thomas has made no comment about the increase use of the law. but in the years since the purchase, the royal estate is great. the moment key is a much small, visible presence. now, in bank of this area, oh, used to be open to the public zoo was over the parliament just behind it. within the last few years, toby enclosed off to the public and reclaimed by the palace. the defenders of the throne spent hours sifting through social media, looking for those who broke into a little bit more a no one's per monkey group is behind. more than a 100 less magistrate challenges,

including those against get. i found the also called for equal rights and human rights. i asked if they do these things have something to do with an institution, altamont, a key or the less about yesterday law. i'm going to be, i don't think that's true. equality in the world. i know be on testing the limits of the law himself, films here assaulting to pro democracy, activists in any paper while he walks free. most of those he's accused are in jail and serving long sentences. 1 his majesty's pleasure. tony chung out, is there a bank of all that set for me and associates? i remember you can always find to much more on our website out to 0. don't com, don't how we'll have more few here often the street, the ask like a narrative from african perspectives. you just have to keep pushing because no one

else can see. the vision is key. is you to do short documentary fine for can still make it from ivory coast and the sea turtle god. and i may in zambia, new series of africa direct on algae, sierra 6000000 have died and more than 6000000 have been displaced by a crisis. we have largely ignored democratic republic of homo has been involved in conflicts for nearly 3 decades. now. we're here today to remind you why and these forces and this is a strain the we need to talk about a silent genocide happening in congo. the expectation of companies, people is claims millions of lives and the media is not talking about 206000000

congolese people have lost their lives over the past decade. around every hour. 48 women, sexually assaulted, really in small, have been displaced. also the west of well could continue to benefit off of condos, natural resources like cobalt. the land of congress has the largest amount of cobalt which is a critical mineral used in technology west of nations like the us the u. k. and for on. so given minute treat and financial aid to groups and for wanda and uganda to invite coble rich areas. and because of these invasions kimberly's, people are the killed or in slaves and forced to mind cobalt which includes pregnant women and children. to did you know your rates could be using materials extracted by child labor or that key components in your phone could be sourced from contested minds in a conflict causing the deaths of thousands of people every day. these are the issues that people campaigning for the congo one to, to be thinking about. among them are our guests today. how did your ali, from friends of the congo?

she's joining us from washington d. c. poppy orient founder of focus. congress who fled the country as a child is joining us today from munich and to reagan, missouri, a congress. these research are and human rights activists. joining us from go my, thank you all so much for joining us here on the screen today for this very important conversation. before we begin, though, here's a clip. how did you i posted on, took talk that may help us all situate this crisis right now is modern day sleeping, going on in the tongue of province, which is down here of the d r c. because the u. s. u k, from israel, china, everybody wants the r c's resources. they want the colton, they want the cobalt, they want the gold, they want the diamonds, they want everything that's in the d r c in the east and part of the d r c as well . they want everything that is in there that they have uprooted everybody who used

to live in these communities so that they built mines. and here with the border with rhonda rebels funded by both the governments of the d r. c and wanda. how these are the columns like to in the congo has been going on for decades now? why is it important for you to bring attention back to it these days? to thank you for having me? first of the conflict and condo has been going on for decades now. since 1996 and largely the world has been either ignoring it or just hasn't been told enough about it. we need to talk about it now more than ever because a affects all of our lives. it's the one conflict in this world that is directly linked with the luxuries that we get to enjoy the mobile phones and our electric cars all and all of us today is affecting millions of people like coffee,

for example poppy. what would you say are the most pressing challenges right now? once again, we're talking about a conflict that has been going on for decades, but what are the most serious issues at the moment? yeah. all right, thank you again for having as. and i think a bit challenges humongous oh, in this conflict, right. and if you're on the ground in the eastern congress specifically and comma here, we'll see that the challenges we the of as and i would say the one side of the thing that human human that uh, i re deals at to, to nothing. randy, like we have in this display as comp one of the display as comp we have about a 100000 people. however, the people have not for their they have no, no basic need basically are people are just living like undermines. and so i would

say that would be the 1st challenges that we're facing by of cause. they cannot be all is luxuries without without piece. and as i walk around, not capable of me, it would grab us and meet with people that are doing that to our society. and i asked myself, what is going to happen to, to, to the people or tomorrow? and what is going to happen to even this kids that you have children, texting me or that a, and this comp. and i've been taken by different school. i took them into the army as i was under the impression we had to pay for the time of the skin. so to get back home by been challenged is correct and we, we don't know at this point was as soon as she is going to uh, reagan. you are in go more right now. do you agree with poppy? the challenges are enormous. yes. uh there is uh,

a lot of challenges on the ground and yes, i think the biggest, uh, as he said is protection of cdn. so uh there is a lot of display, especially around the city. uh there is also on going uh fi to right now. very close to the city notes. uh, just a few moments out from here. and uh, i bought some digesting does the 2nd because charlotte is the fact that the states is uh, each year. is that good? that date is uh, is the stock p already, you know, certain way. some place dates. so i think that is the biggest job is because it makes people know tabi annual. put a student cost is less, you have the door, it's your file. those dates less. you have on no rolls. it means

that's uh, this will be going good. oh no. so copying popular ones to way and i'm gonna, i'm gonna, i wanna bring back the whole political issue into the conversation. i will bring that on a little bit later. but poppy go ahead 1st. a. yeah. as a, just a 2nd less my brother does say, i think the, the down dangerous thing is that people are taking this as a non not because i see like there is no head. oh, we don't have it. so exactly like as our company sizing around the was. and so people on the ground that thinking this is always going to leave the rest of our lives and that's into either tomorrow or we died. uh, we're gonna die because of lack of food or local shelter basically. and so you have this children working around that thinking. uh, we don't, we don't have no future. there's no vision for the future. so that is very, very dangerous. when you'll see, when you really see that children don't think about anything as then, okay,

the best thing i can do is getting beyond me. oh, absolutely. there's no there. there are no prospect rise in the face and is more like, because this is always going to be like this. i wouldn't bring it into focus here. the, the issue of these online campaigns is quite a lot of talk going on online right now. how do use your the online movement is quite big at the moment to bring attention back to the congo. do you think he can be translated into real action on the ground though? it's absolutely it is big, but it's not as big as it should be. and why, because this country is we get so much we take so much from it and the, the level of consciousness that though that little of the people of the world have regarding that conflict is just not nearly enough. right? like i said, there's a, um, a concerted efforts by the people who benefits these other governments and

international corporate media to hide this conflict from, from, from the rest of the world. right? so that they can take that they can continue the calendar. and so all of us each and every one of us has to speak about the title to come with these people because it affects each and every one of us that exploitation that is going on in the global life in eastern calling goma. that exploitation directly benefits each and every one of us on a day to day basis. so each and every one of us really should be speaking about the conflict of the d r c. it is very interesting, right? then i will go to you in just a minute, but i want to bring up an element that we found while researching for the show online. one of the things that campaigners are pushing for is for us to rethink our consumption habits. take a listen. over 6000000 people have been lived in the past 25 years. that is a little over 714 people a day. at least 48 women are being grapes daily and don't even get me started on

the men, women and children being blown up in those mines just for us to have our dates in our carts. i'm gonna just say this knowing that has completely changed my perspective and i love my carts do, but no hit or high in the world is worth the lives of innocent people. reagan, would you agree with what the social media use or just said? yes, i think that's part of the problem, but it's not the only problem i would say um i have some issues with people who just defined the conflicts here in a correlation in relation we've, we've minds, there is, are lots of to say about these conflicts done just the link we've, we've mind of course there is a brad mind in the some places of close the minds to this conflict. of course, the people what then if they think of the uh,

of discount fees, because the big gets cheaper minds or to the minds without going through the right way. but there is no more than these end up being a more that this is much more about when we talk about the 4 digits. uh they den or issue they did or challenges, but also the extend which on his book. but i think it's important, but especially when you're outside of the country, it's important to focus on your own responsibility. and of course, the why, the way of prescription. it's a, it's one way of thinking about google is thinking about who's going to be down there about the school that i think yes. yeah. we, uh we, we, i book it for more drugs, speed on sci fi book as well. no, i put the ability for uh, both uh governments and the, and companies i think that's the right thing to do. and the civil society. i'll

said, yeah, see, can we've got the d r. so you just held election late last year and the campaign slogan for the re elected president, read unity, security prosperity. it couldn't be further from what certain colleagues people are experiencing at the moment online. we found a significant amount of criticism like this one. for example, the people of congo deserve a government, the power its sizes, their safety as well be continued collaboration with the f d o r and other melisha undermines this fundamental expectation and requires immediate corrective action. how these are you? i saw your, your, you were not doing the for your take on this whole political issue within the country and the difficult to the authorities there have in terms of just getting a grip on the situation. yes, i wanted to add on to what my brother had had just said that we cannot reduce the whole call these people or the companies conflict, all the beautiful country. and the d. r. c to mining. we cannot do that. we have to

remember that color is also home to the largest, the 2nd largest reinforced in the world. and so this the color base, it is very important in combat and climate change. and so us with our organization in terms of the congo, we work in all those areas in the, in the, in the mind as well as in the reinforcement also with governance. right? because we need to support local police communities in grass roots, organizations that are trying to combat the need to them that you know, that goes on. and so that's the sort of the companies people become the beneficiaries of the people who benefit the most from the lands natural resources and instead of the few what the top a coffee your take here. i mean, you have to clear country when you are really young and it's been going on for 30 years. why comp, politicians in the congo just get

a grip and fix this are yes cents. yeah, i'm looking back here about childhood and how i was, however, affected by these being recruited as a child surgeon and having to flee because of fear of what would happen where it happened to me and the, and on and coming back to the air, tacoma. and looking are the same as like a cycle. the same thing is still happening today. and that really, that really touches my heart. so see to look at these kids and know that they're in the same case that i wasn't being recruited and so, and then i look at the politics of the country and i'm like a, i don't know. i don't see, i don't see know how to, cuz you'll see all these colorado is in colorado to a politician and as election was going on. i was there, my says and that so i couldn't or the south cable, which is my region. we have

a 1000 the power over 1000 people contesting for, for government because they understand the magnitude of the money that the they're getting from their, from the government and eat so many young people. they're just went. they don't want to, to be in a perfect, in order to better their lives of the people. but they just want to be there to, to get that in mind. you to, okay. all right, and all these companies that are kind of multinational companies that are going to come in and that was also overlaps, was minding, giving them corrupting them with money in order to lobby for them on their own, the national level. and so they want to be able to do that. so the level of corruption is, is, is a huge and going back to our, to mining again, of course is not the, the only problem we have. but i think somebody says a huge fraud because our lives compared to the mentoring level, which is coming out of chromebooks and i've been surprised to to,

to the outside world is quite a huge and without bad, the outside world is not functioning. and so for many, much a national company about sponsoring this politician in order 100 and for them to know before the man. of course, we have some human rights activists that out now also part of their government because they're being corrupted by this government. there was speaking against it now this, this speaking pro, their government. so this is, is a huge problem. and it's the picture that you paint here. i mean, as you said, the cycle of violence in the cycle of hopelessness, that seems never ending reagan. you brought a little bit of hope earlier into terms of the organizations and, and just the way the initiatives coming up from among the people. can you tell us a little bit more about that? do you see that spreading and having a little bit more strength or like poppy,

do you think that we're going to keep watching more of the same address congo? turned up there is some cool uh and up since because of uh the people are the grounded show which um the bronze. yes. i think uh with this uh, with this graphics grounds. i lot of store rolls are of, um uh uh i can say, oh, i love that stuff for you, but for sure. i don't really uh, poppy you wanted to add something. uh and then how do you get a copy 1st if that's all right. yeah, i've definitely, i think that there are ways to help in congo, and we have been working and, and really trying to attend the narrative because that's our ad focus from the realize that, you know, the major media outlets of the one that we're not really talking about that hope of cool and what uh, chromebook this is like if this minimal is either we know telling people, okay,

don't, don't come in mind and come back this mind this mind must benefit the people of congo. of course, you know, that's why we want and we want to show the young people of color that this, why don't you have your quote and better have the it belongs to you. it doesn't belong to some force is coming from outside the audience or that. yeah, you measured very good point. how does uh you want to weigh. yeah. and then i'll, i'll go back to regular. how did you want to do what i wanted to in on the hopeful part. there is a lot of hope and now especially more than ever now, the more people, right, the world is being exposed to the long standing suffering of the companies people. just last month, december of 2023 friends of the combo was able to raise $100000.00 an average of $20.00 from $5000.00 people across the world. you see this kind of solving there. it is kind of global, solely that with these. what's the company's people need and they will get it

because it's about time that we put a focus on the d r c and what's been going on there. so there's absolutely is hope for this and an end to the conflict hopefully very soon. um, on the global solidarity aspect, and reagan, i have not forgotten about you. i will go back to you. but on the global solidarity issue, many aspects of this crisis are being talked about online as we mentioned. here's another casualty. all the conflict and the mining the d r. c that had deja has mentioned the environment. the one thing you can do right now in regards to speaking up is talk about the congo bass. get the environment on the line because a lot of smaller tech and other companies are trying to get it because what they want our resources again, the congo basis is the largest or is the continent of after a bunch of companies are buying different plots of the land to do oil is track this for us. we have a repairable climate repercussion. i'm going to do

a deep dive tomorrow, but make sure you are talking about the congo base and right now. um reagan. do you agree that environmental activist could be a good source of support here for you guys? yes, i think i think yes it end up being is one of the issue that needs to be uh, a push because off of close it, it gives the whole and also it shows that it's not only up from the complex of it towards the solution and so i think that's right steve of seeing face and know that's going to so useful. but for that to be able to do to happen, we need to support people from going well to make sure that they cannot stay. that's good for thanksgiving. this far is because it's in the interest of everyone . how does your taking, how can the world help the congo right now in the congo these people,

like reagan just mentioned, is definitely making sure that we are supporting local companies. institutions supported people, human painted efforts on the ground and combo. for example, if you have your raising funds, make sure that all of it, or most of it is going into the hands of the police, people to the beat and bolster the uh, the, the, the efforts to make sure the correction is, is 1st and foremost eradicated because corruption is very relevant. and another thing we talked about the blankets, the more costs are what people find out about the blood. that is all over the supply chain. they want to separate themselves. so let's put pressure on these companies to do the right thing. we have a lawsuit in collaboration with it's not for rise. advocates on behalf of 14 companies families to support that feeling better or support so that he might

hear and what's going on with the co mac deep. and also it was focused on going popular ryan and together we can definitely we can definitely see change. and also last the pressure on our governments and you went to the who k has been found to the supporting level groups in eastern congo. we have to stop that because millions of lives the being lost at a rate that we cannot even imagine. and this has to stop in your mind, detaining catastrophe that has to stop. and i want to give a final word here to poppy. this is obviously a conflict we all mentioned here was there so much at stake and it's a very international conflict despite the fact that we uh, the international community has largely ignored the poppy. if you have been particularly affected by this conflict, as you mentioned, you were recruited as a child soldier. can you tell us just the final word? what do you hope to see? come go, go through in the next few day in the next few years and decades. what do you hope

for the future of your country? now at the help of come the uh, the item that i hope that i would like to see is to see peace in the entire entire congo. to see a condo is todd working off in the morning and knowing that they want to be able to hear the sound of bullets. oh oh oh, being scared of of someone kidnapping them or somebody telling them to see it accommodates woman working up and working. i've got a to and if i'm not being scared of being wrapped, but i also want to see i've been international community looking at coldwell as important as an important country. you know, we know that our congo and has been forgotten, not only because not only because we our firewall, we don't know, continental platform, but also not a lot of people are the ones come going to be known by the international community

. you know, if you go to out of some of our neighbors, that would discourage you. don't come to colorado because this country is full of savages full of, of people that were with kerio. and i wanted to tell you that congo is full of amazing people. we have their inquiry ideas and lot of young mcquaid as we have. not all the young people heard. i like you can see that a one to see chromebook that is for players and friendly players and we have very hospitable as well. so i want to see us enjoying what is our as well as do we have been blessed with all the resources that we have. so we talk about this such a lot just when far as we have is i've been traveling this and really discovering it. and it was it was you guys are definitely part of the solution for the cold go. i want to thing kadijah property and reagan for joining us here on the stream for this very important conversation. and thank you for watching. as per usual,

we would love for you to parts of the show. if you have a comment and i do or a subject that you like to flag for us, you can use a hash tag or the handle a stream, and we will look into your suggestions, take care, and i'll see you soon. the in the

center. i bid is due to the latest news as it breaks. several philistines were killed as they were trying to get much needed food to survive with detailed coverage. families of captive for joined by thousands of israeli as they marched from the gauze of border to west jerusalem from the heart of the story on my left, it's a mazda that has been completely lost in the news. really they have no place to where everywhere is top, nowhere is safe. frank assessments, here's essentially the lang, the democratic process. the current government knows about being to win the index sense, say they want to buy time using fix critical debate. ok. some of them are struggling . that's give them some cash. but let's look at the reality. 80 percent of these

farming subsidies are going to the big voice informed opinions, but we don't live in a post colonial award. and you live in a neo colonial one and gaza is resisting that termination inside story on al jazeera, the, [000:00:00;00] the other and joe, and i'll good to have you with us. this is the news, our life from the and coming up in the next 60 minutes of performance to try and meet a domestic audience with elections around the corner. the you and criticizes the