CRISIS LAIR ALPHA

MAY 2020 | O MUN THE CRISIS LAIR The official newsletter of Online Model United Nations AN INITIATIVE BY THE PRESS CORPS ONLINE MODEL UNITED NATIONS

MAY 2020 | O MUN From the Heads of Press Corps Accumulate, Assemble, Assess and Illustrate. That is the purpose and essence of the Press Corps. The last two days in the Online Model United Nations, all the members of the team of Press have remarkably exhibited that to have a committee, agenda, crisis of their own and to report for other committees is no cake-walk. From the Heads of Press, It was a privilege and an honour to work at the Online Model United Nations Conference 2020 organized by Mr Saksham, Mr Bhnavutej, Mr Naman to name a few. With a team of six members who played roles of Reporters and Media House Representatives, it was a learning experience for the team and the Executive Board. Even though most of the team members are first-timers, their work spoke of their caliber, commitment and interest towards Press. Our work as the Heads Press was made easy with a cooperating team. Memories are made, bonds was shared, learning took place; thus, Online Model UN 2020 stands as another successful conference by hosting delegates, executive board, organizing committee and press corps. The Press conferences in all the committees paved a way for a different perception in the committee and helped the committees’ progress with more debate. Our heartfelt gratitude to the Organizing Committee for this opportunity. Lastly, this conference gave us one of the best Press Teams and OC team we have ever seen or worked within the past. Signing off, Aprameya Sheshadri and Raghav Panjiary. Disclaimer: The content of this document intends no copyrights infringement and all the tweets being used are fake. They are constructed for a Model UN Crisis Simulation.

MAY 2020 | UNSC Did the Dragon conquer the seas? WRITTEN ROHIT KATTA The committee began on a legal and historic note but went on to be a very bipolar, followed by a multi-polar direction of a debate. The crisis’s at hand pulled the nations to the edges of their seats. From calling Donald Trump a Rapist and a sex trafficker to calling Osama-bin-Laden a True propagator of Sunni Islam, to use violent methods. With countries almost threatening China to resort to bilateral talks, this level of controversy in the debate surely made the sessions more interesting. The dragon(Peoples' Republic of China or PRC) remained unyielding and immovable to his word from the beginning to the end which certainly incited controversy in the committee proceedings. The commencement of the committee saw a plethora of intellectual points by every Delegate and the bar had been set high. There was a very little scope for inaccuracies and even smaller scope for questioning and clarifications. But later as the ground-breaking crisis kicked in one after the other, all delegates found it challenging to fathom, and inaccuracies started jerking in. The first few crises were happening in the arena of Atlantic seas (meaning - the members of the NATO) where the countries involved mostly were United States of America (USA), France, United Kingdom(UK) etc. However, later in the committee the wave of crisis shifted towards the East Asian part. The committee witnesses quite a few Presidential statements that were pretty controversial in nature. The statements of Chinese president seemed to indicate at retaliating conflicts, while that of Russia was supporting Xi Jinping regarding his social media statements. One statement that felt the most atrocious was calling Osama bin laden a true Muslims. This statement sparked the beginning of Islamic Debate in the committee which later escalated to the Uhiur Muslims, Shia Muslims of Iran and so forth. All the attempts to prevent the dragon’s blow were put on a hold at the end of the session. But will the countries be successful in containing PRC by pacific means; or will there be a United Nations War?

MAY 2020 | UNSC The Panch Pandavas of South China Sea The affair amongst the five men for one treasured women by Tanya Shah As we go back in time, we realize that The Panch Pandavas were fond of the same cherished lady,  So is the current case of the South China Sea dispute, where we have five gentlemen fighting over the lucrative sea which isn’t just as alluring as Draupadi was to the Pandavas but also possess abundance amount of crude oil and natural gas which indeed is an estimated US$3.37 trillion worth of global trade that passes through the South China Sea annually. But as we say love makes people do all sorts of things, just like the 5 gentlemen are so trying to claim over the South China Sea it’s their so called precious lady. This unrequited love story looks almost unparalleled to any comparison. And as we say sarcastically, say True love can be quite painful so is the current scenario with the South China Sea. Well in the end, all the Pandavas did settle for the same women. Will these 5 countries settle for the same treasured piece of land? Or will they all keep fighting for their true love? Only time will tell us if they ever want to settle for the same lady amongst them than having to fight for the rest of their lives.

MAY 2020 | UNSC IS CHINA TRYING TO COLONIZE? WRITTEN BY ROHIT KATTA The reason for China’s intention to claim sovereignty over Can this be the the sea is clear; around 3.7 trillion dollars of trade happens in beginning of Chinese the region every year, the majority of which is somehow related to China. Therefore to reduce its tariff and non-tariff Colonial Era? This barriers, China pushes for such intentions. Another reason is, answer might indeed be the bed of the sea is a mine of oil and natural gas ready to be a puzzle of the future. accessed and exploited. This will add to the Chinese economy tremendously as it would not need to buy fossil fuels for The intention of the Chinese Government seems not too energy and it might also be able to out-trade it. dissimilar when it comes to its stance over the South China Sea Dispute. The Nine-Dash Line brought into light by Chang One of the most important reasons might be to contain the Kia Shek in 1947, is the root of China’s claim over the region. United State’s influence over the region and to prevent the The nation claims that the region was supposed to be a part US from even slightest of intrusions into the affairs of the of the Chinese territory and also has its reference in the Xia South East Asian countries and other issues of china like and Han Dynasty records. China has since named about 25 Taiwan etc. islands and reefs in the region and claimed to be a part of it. The United States has been crystal clear on its stance China has seen some backlash from its neighbors and also the regarding the issue where it portrays its intent to seek its United States regarding their actions. According to the US right to navigation in the South China Sea region, which, and its regional allies around the South China Sea, the according to the USA, is a Chinese government violates the clauses of the UNCLOS part of international waters (abiding by the UNCLOS). (United Nations Convention on Laws of Seas). The USA continues to stall its navy in the region as a symbol of freedom of navigation and also as a mark of international The United States efforts are being supported by Japan and waters. The USA has sent aircraft carriers, warships and Australia. Yet as a fox, that outwits its hunters, China has not many other humungous vessels to the region in the name of subsided its intentions. Since China has been adamant about “navigation”. This sort of proactive yet forced control of USA its claim on the region and has been firm with its stance. over the region with passive support to the regional allies is indeed a word of concern for the Chinese Forces. Such differences in the stances of 2 of the world’s most powerful nations escalate the international affairs of the dependent counterparts. Yet these escalations will maintain a balance of power among the nations. But the ignorance of a decision of the International Court of Justice and Violation of UNCLOS by China puts pressure on the rest of the contributing Countries of the United Nations to enforce and impart strict steps over such Nations. Taking into consideration the present pandemic Scenario in the US and the European Union, it will not be surprising to say that this may be a golden moment for China to become the next influential nation. Can this be the beginning of Chinese Colonial Era? This answer might indeed be a puzzle of the future.

MAY 2020 | UNSC A walk in a Dark Maze WRITTEN BY ROHIT KATTA The questions asked, though very straight forward, weren’t The Russian delegate completely lost the essence, not answered by the delegates in a clear arrangement. Hence the understanding the question when asked about the delegate’s delegates indeed opened scope for interpretation. The contradictions throughout the committee proceedings, and Delegate of The Peoples' Republic of China repeated his ended up defending that the issues were not the same, standpoint; Delegate of United States of America (USA) lost whereas both the issues were of economic importance. the purpose of the question, the delegate of Russian federation was unclear about the delegate's statements and The delegate of Iran just questioned back the press instead the delegate of the Islamic Republic of Iran Smirked upon of even trying to answer the press’s query. The press economy’s Death. conference was indeed something interesting, heated but yet it was indeed a walk in The Chinese Delegate was asked about the legitimacy of their a Dark Maze. historic Claims over the South China Sea, but he nonetheless reiterated his opening statements without answering the question. The Delegate of USA was questioned about his claims to scrutinize China whereas they were found violating United Nation Convention on Law of Seas (UNCLOS) in the Pilipino waters, but the delegate spoke about UNCLOS (being a non-ratified nation) instead of answering the question.

MAY 2020 | UNSC Human Rights for South China Sea Monopoly WRITTEN BY SATVIK RK On receiving an update from the Crisis Director, “1, 50,000 Uighur Muslims moved (by ship) to Stratly Islands without basic amenities. China says, “We moved them as a precautionary measure”. A strong suspicion was raised that some of the said Muslims for the 1, 50,000 have attended the Tablighi Jamaat meeting and might be responsible for spreading the nCOVID-19 Virus. Uighur Muslims also were seen holding guns. The source is a picture captured by those who performed the sting operation on said islands, ruffled some feathers in committee. The agenda of the Committee was, “dispute in the South China Sea with special emphasis on the ongoing pandemic.” Keeping in mind all the relevant international laws, the delegates deliberated on the implications of the PRC’s (People Republic of China) alleged actions. Malaysia stated how China regarded Muslims as an annoyance for the country. To support the statement, the Head of Press Corps in the press conference stated that it is illegal for anyone to be identified with a Muslim name in the country; the PRC could not make their views on Islam unblemished to the world. As stated in the crisis update, the actions of the PRC are supposed to be a precautionary measure as some of the Uighur Muslims are suspected to have attended the Tablighi Jamaat meet conducted in India, hence also to possibly be infected with the COVID-19. Most likely, this is just another of China’s anti-Muslim measures. The actions of the PRC make it seem like their motive is to station people at the Spratly Islands, even at the expense of basic human rights, to keep the zone militarized. The fact that they selected Muslims for this purpose is frankly quite alarming and will without a doubt provoke most Muslim countries; the PRC must be prepared for the worst.

MAY 2020 | AIPPM Yogi Tweets Spicy WRITTEN BY ARUL VARMA Uttar Pradesh Chief minister Mr.Yogi Adityanath has tweeted some controversial statements on his twitter handle. Home Minister Amit Shah agreed with the statement made by Mr.Yogi and also supported the statement made by him. He further blames the Muslims for the increase in the number of COVID cases. He also defended the UP Chief-Minister's second tweet by saying that comparing to a Ramayana character was used as a metaphorical phrase and did not mean in a literal sense. The Honorable Prime-Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi also justified the statement made by Mr. Adityanath clarifying that Yogi did not mean to be offensive and also fully supported Yogi. Kerala Chief-Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was totally critical of this statement made by Mr.Yogi. Cabinet ministers Mrs.Nirmala Sitharaman and Mr.Rajnath Singh tried to explain the meaning of sleeper cells and also wanted to convey that Yogi was completely correct and he did mean to be offensive. The opposition was highly critical of the statements made by Mr.Yogi. He again blamed the Muslim and AIMIM for the spread of the COVID pandemic. He thinks that building the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya is more important than the crisis the country is facing. He has laid the foundation stone and also has given clearance to start the construction.

MAY 2020 | AIPPM Pakistan 100 times better than India ? WRITTEN BY RISHABH JAWAGAL Chowkidar stole my phone” claimed AIAMM leader Mr Asaduddin Owaisi as a political slugfest ensued at a top political meet in New Delhi in response to his claim that Pakistan was handling the Coronavirus pandemic better than India. As the social media site, Twitter was awash with tweets reacting to Mr Owaisi’s original tweet praising Pakistan, political leaders attacked Mr Owaisi for his statements. He had praised Pakistan’s efforts in comparison to work done by India in handling the Coronavirus pandemic. A delighted Pakistan PM had also lauded their friendship. The leader from the constituency of Hyderabad later backed out of the tweets by claiming his account was hacked.  The BJP came out all guns blazing at him and blasted the claim made by him in the controversial tweet. Home Minister Mr Shah set the tone by expressing his disgust at the tweet and questioning the claim about the handling of the pandemic. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath joined the debate and pointed out that Pakistan had struggled to contain its religious leaders who were throwing the social distancing norms to the wind. He exhorted Mr Owaisi to acknowledge the positive steps taken by India by supporting the country he lives in. Mr Rajnath Singh even called Mr Owaisi a “backstabber” and refuted his claims of the account being hacked. He also pointed towards deficiencies in Pakistan’s response to the pandemic including the lack of support to its students in China. PM Modi also attacked him and questioned where his loyalties lay by supporting a country which has occupied part of India. Finance Minister Ms Nirmala Sitharaman provided statistics to support India’s work and slammed Mr Owaisi’s “cowardice” and “lack of accountability” when disassociating himself from the tweets.  The sentiment of supporting India was expressed across party lines with Kerala CM P. Vijayan also questioning the claims. Mr Rahul Gandhi came out in support of Mr Owaisi, citing his previous statements supporting India against Pakistan and asked all political leaders to work integrated.Mr Owaisi claimed his phone was lost and even accused the PM of having orchestrated it. He proclaimed that he has always been loyal to the nation and would not stoop low to make such statements. The inconsistencies in his reasons for the tweets speak louder than the tweets themselves.

MAY 2020 | AIPPM UPA + NDA = Flourishing Economy? WRITTEN BY ARUL VARMA Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi have joined their hands to fight the COVID pandemic.The UPA and NDA have allied to fight the COVID-19 pandemic in the crisis AIPPM. They said that there was no use of arguing over each others' plan but forming an alliance would be more efficient. Many cabinet ministers and senior leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Indian National Congress party were kept in the dark about this alliance, thus has its intr-party reciprocations which were erupting in the committee. The tweets of Mr.Yogi Adityanath on his twitter handle were very controversial and were condemned by many. Asaduddin Owais also tweeted some controversial statements about the Prime-Minister of India and later he claimed that his twitter account was hacked and also said that a Chowkidar stole his phone.      There were even heated debates on waiving off Goods and Service Taxes for the traditional cottage industries who are struggling due to the recent ongoing pandemic. The Finance Minister of India, Mrs.Nirmala Sitharaman. The committee even discussed the Coronavirus Crisis going on in Maharashtra where the cases have increased manifold. The opposition has said that Amit Shah has not done anything on this matter but is busy in dethroning Uddhav Thackeray.There were numerous rebuttals on the brutality faced by Indians and the ideas for the economic restructuring of the country. The poverty alleviation programmes were also put forward by the parliamentarians. They also discussed the conditions of the MSMEs. The economic condition of India was discussed extensively and the ways to retrieve were also discussed.The committee sessions were very very diplomatic and matters were discussed in a very professional manner.

MAY 2020 | AIPPM Staring at the global pandemic, India fights itself! WRITTEN BY RISHABH JAWAGAL India’s attempt to face the health, social and economic challenges that the global pandemic has brought is getting mired in the intense political battle ongoing in the country. A day of intense political activity and discussion started with Congress leader Mr Rahul Gandhi tweeting about most incompetent Prime Minister ever calling him “fit for nothing”. Demanding the Prime Minister’s resignation, he accused the PM of completely mishandling the COVID-19 pandemic. He further held the Prime Minister responsible for every death in the country and accused him of indulging in petty politics.  Finance Minister Mrs Nirmala Sitharaman then addressed the topic of economy, especially the complaints about the plight of weaker sections of the society. She assured the people that there is no need to introduce any special budget as the current allocations are sufficient for the subsistence of the people in need.Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister targeted the contribution of Muslim community in the fight against the pandemic and challenged the mosque to provide their contribution to this fight, accusing the Tablighi Jamaat of being responsible for the spread of the pandemic across the nation. Continuing his tirade, he accused the community of being sleeper cells and planning the spread of the virus. Mr Owaisi’s claim of Pakistan handling the pandemic much better than India was also met with furious responses from a host of BJP leader who accused him of being disloyal to the nation and ignoring the facts and statistics.  In a late development, FM Mrs Nirmala Sitharaman announced a COVID tax on all purchases except FMCG, to shore up resources for fighting the pandemic and balancing the government’s precarious budgetary situation. However, the political instability has struck fear among multinational companies who have started to actively consider shifting their investments to other countries.An attempt mooted by PM Modi and Mr Gandhi to jointly tackle the situation by mutual co-operation among the ruling and opposition party was met with stiff resistance from the other leader in their parties leading to the failure of this promising initiative.

MAY 2020 | O MUN ACCUMULATED, ASSEMBLED, ASSESSED AND ILLUSTRATED. Head of Press Aprameya Sheshadri Head of Press Designer Editor Raghav Panjiray Reporting - Bureau Arulmozhi Varma KS, Tanya Shah, Satvik RK, Rishabh K Jawagal, Urvi Prashanth, Rohith Goud Katta THE CRISIS LAIR Team Press Corps Online Model United Nations 2020