Established 1961 7 International Wednesday, May 19, 2021 Shuttered Australia is becoming a ‘hermit nation’, warn experts Borders could remain closed for another year SYDNEY: Prime Minister Scott Morrison defend- Panel member Professor Marc Stears said the ed his “Fortress Australia” COVID-19 restrictions initial snap measures to keep the pandemic at bay yesterday, as experts warned that plans to keep the were understandable. “You have to remember there borders closed for another year will create a “her- really was terror,” he told AFP. “At the start of the mit nation”. “Everyone is keen to get back to a time pandemic the Australian public were inundated with that we once knew,” the conservative leader said in images from Italy and New York.” “There were the face of growing calls for international borders to strong demands for strong action, so the govern- reopen. “The reality is we’re living this year in a ment took the decision to close the border. I don’t pandemic that’s worse than last year.” think anyone really knew how effective a policy that Last March, Australia took the unprecedented would turn out to be.” But, Stears said, as much of step of closing its borders to foreign visitors and the world tentatively reopens, the costs of isolation banning its globetrotting citizens from leaving. That are mounting. “Not only have you got immediate prompted the first population decline since World economic and social costs, but you have the charac- War I, stranded tens of thousands of Australian citi- ter of the country in question here. There is a fork in zens overseas and separated hundreds of thousands the road moment for openness versus closedness.” of residents from family members. But the country now has almost no community transmission and life Vox populi for most is relatively normal. And the government’s The economic impact of border closures has recent suggestion that borders could remain closed been blunted by massive stimulus spending, but a for another year has sparked fierce debate. growing number of business leaders from hard-hit Australian Medical Association president Omar industries are also speaking out. Virgin Australia Khorshid yesterday warned: “Australia cannot keep CEO Jayne Hrdlicka led the charge Monday, arguing its international borders closed indefinitely.” He Australia needs to accept that COVID-19 will not SYDNEY: People cross a street in front of a mural of Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on a building in called for improved quarantine facilities and vacci- be eradicated and borders should gradually reopen. Sydney. — AFP nation efforts to permit borders to slowly open. “At “Some people may die, but it will be way smaller some point, it will not be possible to justify the than with the flu,” she said. Morrison called the 73 percent of Australians want travel banned until three million doses have been delivered in a coun- maintenance of border closures given their impact comments “somewhat insensitive”, insisting he at least mid-2022. Leaders in Queensland, try of 25 million people. The premier of Australia’s on lives and livelihoods,” he said. A University of would maintain the tight border regime as long as Tasmania and Western Australia who made a most populous state New South Wales yesterday Sydney task force examining how Australia can necessary. “I’m not going to take risks with virtue of banning travellers from other Australian indicated a target of around 80 percent of adults safely reopen this week went further, warning the Australians’ lives,” he said. states in response to outbreaks, have won reelec- fully vaccinated. “I don’t want us to be closed off country “cannot continue to lock itself off from the The border closures appear to have widespread tion at a canter. Slowly, officials are starting to link from the world longer than we need to,” said world as a hermit nation indefinitely”. public support. A recent Newspoll survey showed reopening borders to vaccine targets. So far only Gladys Berejiklian. —AFP tion, Islam spent five hours at the health News in brief Bangladesh ministry that has accused her of stealing documents, according to a ministry complaint seen by AFP. Austria to phase out AstraZeneca journalist Leaders of journalist unions and advocacy groups who spoke at the VIENNA: Austria will phase out faces court protests said Islam had been arrested AstraZeneca from its COVID-19 immu- because of her reports on the govern- nization program because of delivery DHAKA: The arrest of a top Bangladesh ment’s response to the pandemic. Her problems and wariness among the pop- reporter, who wrote scathing stories on stories included how urgent medical ulation following reports of the vaccine’s the country’s response to the coron- equipment has been left at Dhaka airport rare side effects, the health minister said. avirus pandemic, sparked protests by for months, bribes being offered to Austria becomes the third European hundreds of reporters yesterday. Rozina recruit doctors and alleged graft in pro- country to drop AstraZeneca, after Islam, an investigative journalist for curement at the health ministry. “Her Norway and Denmark ditched the vac- Prothom Alo newspaper, was detained reports have clearly exposed the weak- cine over rare cases of severe blood late Monday under the Official Secrets nesses of the ministry to safeguard the clots in people receiving the jab. “We Act, police said. She appeared in court health rights of the people during the will probably continue to do first shots yesterday charged with stealing health coronavirus pandemic,” the Law and DHAKA: Police escort investigative journalist Rozina Islam (center) to a court in Dhaka with AstraZeneca until early June, and ministry documents under the same act. Mediation Centre group said. yesterday, a day after being arrested on accusation of stealing documents and taking then that’s it... AstraZeneca will be dis- images by the health ministry. — AFP A new hearing was set for tomorrow. It demanded Islam’s immediate continued,” Health Minister Wolfgang Rights groups say a crackdown on release. Bangladesh has reported just Mueckstein told private TV channel Puls the media has grown during the coron- over 12,000 coronavirus deaths and security law to stifle criticism. According arrest “is an attack on journalistic free- 24 late Monday. —AFP avirus crisis and hundreds of journalists nearly 800,000 infections, but experts to Rezaur Rahman Lenin, a UN rights dom. “The authorities must drop the went to the Dhaka police station where say this grossly under reports the true consultant, at least 85 journalists have cases against the journalist and release the 42-year-old reporter was taken on toll. Activists also say the pandemic has been charged under the 2018 law during her immediately in the interest of the German police nab fugitive twin Monday. Some tried to block entrances worsened freedom of press in the pandemic. state’s international commitment at pro- to the building and the protests contin- Bangladesh, with the government Saad Hammadi, South Asia expert for tecting the right to freedom of expres- BERLIN: German police have arrested ued yesterday. Before her formal deten- increasingly using a draconian digital Amnesty International, said Islam’s sion,” he said. —AFP a twin brother from a notorious organ- ized crime family who had been on the run over the pilfering of priceless jew- tions about how he plans to handle relations with els from a top museum, prosecutors New HK bishop local and mainland authorities at his first press said yesterday. Abdul Majed Remmo, appearance since his appointment. 22, was detained on Monday evening in says religious “Religious freedom is a basic right. We hope in our Berlin, prosecutors in the city of talks to the government to remind it that it doesn’t Dresden said. The suspect’s twin forget that,” he told reporters. But he also trod care- brother was arrested in Berlin in freedom must stay fully on questions about China’s treatment of religions December over the spectacular heist and the destruction of churches in the mainland. “I on the Green Vault museum in HONG KONG: Hong Kong’s newly appointed don’t think it’s wise for me to comment on matters like Dresden’s Royal Palace on November Catholic bishop yesterday said he would need to China that I don’t quite understand, I don’t have 25, 2019. The twins had eluded German tread carefully with Beijing as it cracks down on dis- enough knowledge about,” he said. “Not that I am authorities when they carried out raids sent-but vowed to plead with authorities to defend afraid. But I believe that prudence is also a virtue.” in November and arrested three mem- religious freedoms. The Vatican announced Monday bers of the Remmo clan, an extended Balancing act that Stephen Chow, 62, would be the southern family of Arab origin notorious for its Chow said he does “not feel good” about the HONG KONG: Newly appointed Bishop of Hong Kong Rev Chinese city’s new bishop, filling a role that had ties to organized crime. —AFP destruction of churches, but caveated it with: “I do Stephen Chow (center) says a prayer after a press con- remained vacant at a tumultuous time for religious not want to use the word ‘oppression’”. His appoint- ference with Cardinal John Tong (left) and Auxiliary congregations. China’s leaders have brought their ment comes at a sensitive time for relations between Bishop Joseph Ha in Hong Kong yesterday. — AFP brand of authoritarian rule to the semi-autonomous the Holy See and Beijing. In 2018, the Vatican reached French cops arrest 4 over burglary Hong Kong after huge and often violent democracy a landmark agreement with Beijing over the appoint- against humanity and potentially genocide.