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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityUKEnglandN. IrelandScotlandAlbaWalesCymruIsle of ManGuernseyJerseyLocal NewsArms sales to Israel: Top judges urge UK to halt weapons tradePublished28 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsIsrael-Gaza warImage source, ReutersBy Emily Atkinson & Adam DurbinBBC NewsThree former Supreme Court justices have joined more than 600 legal experts in calling for the UK government to end weapons sales to Israel. In a letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, they say arms exports must end because the UK risks breaching international law. Mr Sunak is already facing growing cross-party pressure after seven aid workers were killed by Israeli forces.On Tuesday, he said the UK has a “very careful” arms licensing regime.Who were the seven aid workers killed in Gaza? What we know about the aid convoy strikeBritish sales are lower than those of other countries, including Germany and Italy, and dwarfed by the billions supplied by its largest arms supplier, the United States.But a UK ban would add diplomatic and political pressure on Israel, at a time when its conduct in the Gaza conflict is coming under renewed international scrutiny. Former Supreme Court president Lady Hale is among more than 600 lawyers, academics and retired senior judges who have signed a 17-page letter.It says “serious action” is needed to “avoid UK complicity in grave breaches of international law, including potential violations of the Genocide Convention”.It adds that the sale of arms and weapons systems to Israel “falls significantly short” of the government’s obligations under international law and warns of a “plausible risk of genocide” in Gaza.Other signatories include former Supreme Court justices Lord Sumption and Lord Wilson, along with nine other judges and 69 senior barristers.Image source, Reuters/World Central KitchenImage caption, John Chapman, James Kirby and James Henderson were working as security and safety advisorsThe growing calls for the suspension of UK export licences comes after seven aid workers – including three British citizens – were killed in a series of air strikes in Gaza on Monday.Australian, Palestinian, American-Canadian, and Polish nationals were also killed. The group had just unloaded more than 100 tonnes of food aid. Speaking to the Sun newspaper after the incident, Mr Sunak called for an independent investigation, but stopped short of saying arms sales should end.He added that the UK had been “consistently clear” with Israel that it must follow international humanitarian law. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described the attack as unintended and “tragic”, and promised an independent investigation. It rejects the claim of genocide as “wholly unfounded”.This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, Watch: Video shows World Central Kitchen vehicles destroyed in Gaza air strikeThe UK has licenced arms to Israel worth over £574m since 2008, when official country-level data was made available, according to pressure group Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT).Business Minister Greg Hands has previously told MPs the figure for 2022 – £42m – represented 0.02% of Israel’s military imports that year.Arms export licences, which are granted by the business department, cannot be issued if there is a clear risk the weapons could be used in a serious violation of international humanitarian law.The Labour Party has not called for a suspension, but is urging the government to publish internal legal advice on whether Israel is in breach of international law.Shadow foreign secretary David Lammy said there was “precedent” for suspending sales. Former PMs Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair both took the move, in 1982 and 2002 respectively. The SNP is calling for Parliament to be recalled from its current Easter break, ending on 15 April, to debate the issue.Conservative MP Paul Bristow said the idea British-made arms could be used in action that kills innocent civilians in Gaza “turns the stomach,” adding that the deaths of British aid workers “must be a line in the sand”.But his fellow Tory MP and former home secretary Suella Braverman rejected the idea of a ban, telling the BBC “we owe it to Israel to stand with them”.Speaking during a trip to Israel, she said: “I think that it would be a tragic shame if we were to walk away from our closest ally in this region”.Much of the Gaza Strip has been devastated during the Israeli military operations that began after Hamas gunmen attacked southern Israel on 7 October, killing about 1,200 people and seizing 253 hostages.About 130 of the hostages remain in captivity, at least 34 of whom are presumed dead.More than 32,916 people have been killed in Gaza since then, the Hamas-run health ministry says.Related TopicsIsrael-Gaza warRishi SunakMore on this storyCharity boss José Andrés says Israel targeted staff ‘car by car’Published2 days agoCharity halts Gaza work after strike kills staffPublished1 day agoWhat we know about Israeli strike on aid convoyPublished18 hours agoWho were the seven aid workers killed in Gaza?Published1 minute agoTop StoriesTop judges urge UK to stop arms sales to IsraelPublished28 minutes agoIsraeli minister denies convoy strike was deliberatePublished44 minutes agoTaiwan earthquake ‘rained rocks like bullets’, survivor recallsPublished59 minutes agoFeatures‘You see skeletons’ – South Africa’s deadly borderThe Papers: PM’s warning over ECHR and Israel arms ban callsHow might Iran seek to hurt Israel after general’s killing?The unprecedented booing of an Indian cricket starWhat we know about Israeli strike on aid convoySchool shooting brings up tough questions for FinlandParents of murdered stalking victim ‘finally’ feel supportedRussia’s neighbours urge Nato allies to bring back military serviceHow AI is being used to prevent illegal fishingElsewhere on the BBCUnrolling surprising facts about wallpaperJoin Ruth Goodman as she unravels the curious history of this everyday objectAttributionSoundsMind-blowing looks for a career transforming prizeGlow Up is returning with eight aspiring make up artists – here a preview…AttributioniPlayerCould climate change lead to more volcanic eruptions?CrowdScience travels to New Zealand to search for answersAttributionSoundsWhat is a Trad Wife?Poppy and Rubina unpack the internet trend and consider if that lifestyle could be for themAttributionSoundsMost Read1PM’s warning over ECHR and Israel arms ban calls2Super Bowl champion admits role in Texas car crash3’Fake live stream scammers targeted my dad’s funeral’4DWP take woman’s inheritance over supermarket job5Airports could take extra year to lift liquids ban6Israeli minister denies convoy strike was deliberate7Taiwan quake ‘rained rocks like bullets’ – survivor8Mum’s ashes found in brown paper bag, says son9Dramatic drop in logging in key Amazon countries10’I wish our daughter had spoken to this police force’
[ad_1] Lawyers and academics write to the PM saying he risks breaching international law by continuing to allow the exports.
![BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityAsiaChinaIndiaCambodia: The ‘burning prisons’ fuelled by fast fashionPublished32 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsClimateImage source, Thomas Cristofoletti/ BBCImage caption, Researchers have documented the health impact on brick kiln workers, who toil in some of the world’s hottest conditionsBy Laura Bickerin Phnom Penh, Cambodia Chantrea drags an electric fan the size of a large door into the airless chamber where she works every day. It is her only respite from the heat inside the brick kiln that looks more like a dimly-lit tomb. “It’s like working inside a burning prison,” the 47-year-old says as she stacks the dried bricks, which will be moved to a warehouse. “I have asked the owners to provide us with more fans. But they won’t because it will cost more money.” The fan she does have slowly clunks as it starts, eventually whirring into action. It barely creates a breeze. How hot is too hot to work? It is a question researchers have found the answer to here, in Cambodia’s brick kilns, where people toil in some of the hottest working conditions in the world, fuelled in part by the scraps of fast fashion.The BBC spoke to several workers who said they sweat so much through the day that it felt like they were in a hot bath. Fainting is common too, possibly because they become dehydrated. Their names have been changed because they fear reprisals from their employers.In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers have tried to document how this sustained exposure to extreme heat is affecting workers’ health. Special sensors recorded the core temperature of 30 workers at these kilns over a week and showed that they all had heat stress, or core temperatures of more than 38C. This can cause fatigue, dizziness, nausea and headaches. A healthy body temperature usually ranges from 36.1C to 37.2C. Body temperature over 38C is symptomatic of a fever. Some workers had core temperatures of 40C, which can lead to heat stroke, resulting in convulsions, eventual loss of consciousness and even death, if not treated early. Image source, Thomas Cristofoletti/BBCImage caption, Workers say the fresh bricks often burn them through their glovesOne worker told researchers that he had suffered from heart failure due to the heat. But he eventually returned to work because this was the only way he knew to earn a living. This is only made worse by a warming climate and Cambodia’s own weather – last May it hit a new high with 41.6C during the hottest year on record. As global temperatures soar, even a small increase could mean the difference between life and death for the tens of thousands of brick kiln workers across Asia.”One of the big narratives that I hear again and again is that we’re all in this [climate change] together. But that’s absolutely not true. Some of us are a lot more in it than others,” said Laurie Parsons at Royal Holloway University, who authored the study.Fire and smoke It’s a humid afternoon outside the kiln, on the outskirts of Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh. Inside, where Chantrea is stacking bricks, it is stifling. But she is covered from head to toe in clothes that hang off her tiny frame – her only shield against the searing heat and dust. If the bricks are too hot, her skin blisters. The kilns themselves are enclosed by brick walls and sealed. Workers stay outside and feed wood though a hatch to keep the fire hot enough, usually around 1500C to set the clay bricks. Once that happens, they stop fuelling the flames and when the heat seems less unbearable, they enter the chamber.The last chance to save a mighty riverThe shadowy Chinese firms that own chunks of CambodiaThere is no data on the average temperature inside the kilns as it is hard for researchers to gain access. It’s also hard to know how many workers fall ill or worse because of the heat. Injuries from falling bricks are not uncommon, according to Chantrea. And workers told the researchers from the UK that the bricks often burn them, even through the gloves. Outside the kiln, Kosal, a father of two, scoops up a mix of fabric, plastic and rubber that he shoves into the hatch before shutting it quickly. Black smoke seeps through the cracks as children – his and other kiln workers’ – run past. Image source, Thomas Cristofoletti/ BBCImage caption, Bags bursting with clothing scraps are a cheaper source of fuel for the kilns – but they carry toxic traces”I am used to the black smoke. I don’t notice it any more,” he says. “I have to keep these fires burning for 24 hours. My wife and I split the work between us.”The children crawl over bags bulging with clothing offcuts – more fuel for the kiln from Cambodia’s $6bn garment industry.But what may initially appear a solution to the unwanted scraps of the country’s 1,300 garment factories is actually hiding its own deadly secret.According to a 2018 report – Blood Bricks – by UK academics at Royal Holloway, these scraps have traces of chlorine bleach, formaldehyde and ammonia, as well as heavy metals, PVC and resins used in the dyeing and printing processes. The report also found that brick factory workers reported regular migraines, nosebleeds and other illnesses.The country where Kissinger left a legacy of death and chaosThe record summer that scorched AsiaKosal’s three-year-old girl, her hair caked in dust, skips past a pile of Disney-labelled clothing. Most are flannel pyjamas embossed with images of Anna and Elsa from Frozen. They are made for children living in colder climates. Most Western fashion labels have strict codes of conduct to stop this from happening. A Disney spokesperson told the BBC that the company was investigating the claim and that it “did not condone the conditions alleged in this situation”.The BBC also found labels from Clarks shoes and H&M among others. Clarks called on the Cambodian ministry of environment to investigate and also invited other affected companies to join forces “in working together with the relevant authorities in Cambodia to eradicate this problem”.H&M acknowledged that traceability is still an issue in Cambodia but said they did have their own waste management guidelines to ensure that fabric waste isn’t used as a fuel source by factories, or sent to a landfill.Image caption, Scraps of Disney-labelled clothing show a sliver of Elsa, from the hit film FrozenCambodia’s brick kilns have long been accused of unsafe and unfair working conditions – and they employ some of the world’s poorest people. Now, climate change is only exacerbating those inequalities, experts say. “What we need to do is to consider how climate change impacts people through the lens of labour and inequality, and recognise that labour exploitation is a major factor in the worst impacts of climate change,” Mr Laurie said.The heat trap However toxic or difficult the job is, workers like Chantrea and Kosal can never leave. Victims of climate change, they are trapped in a cycle of heat. The majority of those who work in Cambodia’s brick kilns were farmers. Chantrea used to grow rice. But sparse rainfall in recent years has made it difficult to manage a single harvest.”We borrowed a lot of money after our crops failed. But when they kept failing, we ended up with a lot of debt,” she says. Eventually she had no choice but to migrate to Phnom Penh in the hope of finding a job to repay the loans. More than two million of Cambodia’s 10 million adults have outstanding micro-loans, according to the Cambodian Microfinance Association. On average, they each owe $3,320 (£1,955).This financial insecurity has supplied the vulnerable labour for brick kilns. Owners offer to pay off the loan but, in return, the worker is bonded to the kiln.Often whole families are bonded to the kiln. The BBC saw children helping their parents in the kiln despite efforts by the Cambodian government to prevent child labour.Image source, Thomas Cristofoletti/ BBCImage caption, Cambodia’s construction boom has come at the cost of its poorest communities”If we leave, we are afraid of being arrested and imprisoned,” Chantrea says. “So we must struggle here. If they ask us to enter the fire, we will do even that just so we can earn more money for food and to pay off our debt.”But the wages are too low for the debt to ever be repaid. Chantrea earns 10,000 Cambodian riel (£1.92; $2.45) for stacking around 500 bricks. With this she has to pay for food, electricity and water. Her home is a tin shack on the edge of the kiln and she supports a boy she found alone on the street and adopted. When they are hungry, they forage together for snails.”After several years, I have never paid the owner back,” Chantrea says. The debt, she adds, has only increased.Cambodia’s kilns have fed the capital’s construction boom. It has drawn foreign investors, including the UK, which has invested one billion pounds, according to researchers from Royal Holloway University.But as Phnom Penh reaches toward the sky, with tower after tower of air conditioned apartments, the city is leaving behind those who’ve helped to build it.Related TopicsAsiaCambodiaClimateTop StoriesNine hurt in ‘horrific’ Clapham corrosive substance attackPublished13 minutes agoLegal scammer costs vulnerable clients thousandsPublished35 minutes agoMan charged with murders of two teenage boysPublished3 hours agoFeatures’I saved £200 by doing Dry January’Sturgeon’s ‘crocodile tears’ and ‘ITV want Winkleman’Former FM returns to centre stage at Covid InquiryWho is Bushra Bibi, the mystical wife of Imran Khan?What is the new Northern Ireland trade deal?’If not Putin, then who?’ – How Russians view looming electionsN Ireland’s new dawn, led by republican first minister’I regret posting online that I was Madeleine McCann’Police officers mock bodycam video of semi-naked womanElsewhere on the BBCWar, negotiations and geopoliticsLearn about Putin’s war in Ukraine in gripping detailAttributioniPlayerIs nature better off without us?Discover the wonder of nature and meet the people determined to keep it wonderfulAttributionSoundsFrom blueprint to the Manhattan skylineJourney to the past and see the remarkable story behind the iconic Empire State BuildingAttributioniPlayerFrom the Fall to Fifty ShadesActor Jamie Dornan shares the soundtrack of his life with Lauren LaverneAttributionSoundsMost Read1Nine injured in Clapham ‘corrosive substance’ attack2Margot Robbie comments on best actress Oscar snub3Legal scammer costs vulnerable clients thousands4Man charged with murders of two teenage boys5Who is Bushra Bibi, the mystical wife of Imran Khan?6Sturgeon’s ‘crocodile tears’ and ‘ITV want Winkleman’7Zuckerberg apologises to families in fiery Senate hearing8’If not Putin, then who?’ – How Russians view looming elections9Israelis tell MPs of Hamas sexual violence evidence10Council financial crisis ‘out of control’, MPs warn](https://newsinsightplus.com/wp-content/uploads/https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/branded_news/E971/production/_132516795_cambodia_brick_kilns-013.jpg)
