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Growing Concern over Safety of AstraZeneca Vaccine; U.N. Says at Least 149 Killed since February 1 Coup in Myanmar; Interview with U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on the Myanmar Junta's Bloody Crackdown; At Least Eight Dead in Three Georgia Spa Shootings; Police Update on Atlanta Area Spa Shooting Suspect, Who Planned Further Mayhem in Florida. Aired 10-10:30a ET
Aired March 17, 2021 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What the pandemic provided Brussels with it believed was an opportunity to unite around its political leadership.
The political consensus simply wasn't there and the wait of the Brussels bureaucracy too much.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST (voice-over): This hour, the E.U. president says she trusts AstraZeneca, despite several major member states pausing the
jabs.
Then:
RAVINA SHAMDASANI, U.N. HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS SPOKESPERSON: We again call on the military to stop killing and detaining protesters.
ANDERSON (voice-over): Deeply distressing reports of torture in custody are emerging from Myanmar. We speak to the United Nations High Commissioner
for Human Rights just ahead.
And:
PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Many Cubans desperate to leave. Now the dangerous journey by boat is their only option.
ANDERSON (voice-over): Cubans are risking their lives to get to safer shores. An exclusive look at the dangerous journeys many are undertaking.
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ANDERSON: It is 2:00 pm in London. It is 3:00 in the afternoon in Rome. It is 6:00 in the evening in Abu Dhabi. I am Becky Anderson. Welcome to
CONNECT THE WORLD.
This hour, the overt politicization of Europe's vaccine rollout becoming increasingly abrasive. The European Commission president bluntly
criticizing the pharmaceutical company, AstraZeneca, for failing to deliver on its promises, even as millions of its doses of vaccine sit unused in
refrigerators across Europe.
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URSULA VAN DER LEYEN, PRESIDENT, EUROPEAN COMMISSION: But we also know that AstraZeneca has, unfortunately, underproduced and underdelivered and
this painfully, of course, reduced the speed of the vaccination campaign.
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ANDERSON: When will these doses already delivered and those yet to come actually get into people's arms?
Almost 20 European nations have paused use of the AstraZeneca vaccine after reports of potentially fatal blood clots in a few dozen people who had
taken it.
Despite criticizing AstraZeneca, Ursula van der Leyen also says she trusts that the vaccine is safe. Most medical experts agree, including the World
Health Organization, which said the benefits far outweigh risks. Experts warn widespread pauses will trigger vaccine hesitancy.
That is far more dangerous than the very small chance of side effects. And that matters greatly. Just within the past few hours, the European Union
unveiled plans to free up the continent for summer travel with a digital green certificate.
These COVID-19 passports will allow travel without quarantine for anyone who is vaccinated against COVID-19 or if they had a negative COVID test or
can prove they recovered from the disease.
Melissa Bell tracks the latest in Rome. Fred Pleitgen is in Berlin.
Melissa, let me start with you. The European Commission president saying she trusts the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine, although she is blaming what is
the European Union's slow rollout of vaccines on the company underproducing and underdelivering. There are so many narratives at play here. Please
connect the dots, if you will.
BELL: Becky, let's start with the first narrative, the narrative of the moment. The blocking, the suspension by a number of European countries over
the AstraZeneca doses. Just to be clear, it is 8 million doses of vaccine currently sitting on European shelves that are not being put into the arms
of people.
Beyond that, she talked about the problem of AstraZeneca's delivery problems. You remember the AstraZeneca vaccine has been at the heart of
such a fierce dispute with the European Union the last few months.
It underperformed in terms of what it was able to deliver to European Union as per what it signed in contracts. Then the export ban came in. What we
heard today was not so much a warning for AstraZeneca. We heard that in the past, urging it very publicly to come out and deliver on contracts.
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BELL: But much more widely to those countries that not only produced the components that go into the vaccines or the vaccines themselves, as in the
case of United Kingdom, saying it will be looking closely at those countries both in terms of whether they're respecting agreements to
continue or exporting the vaccines to the European Union.
It is important how their vaccination campaigns are going. The United States and United Kingdom are involved in terms of production of components
and Ursula van der Leyen looking closely at the figures. Their vaccination campaigns moved ahead far better than the European Union.
And especially what she's saying is that the export ban in January and February, so far, 314 requests for exports from the E.U. to the rest of the
world for vaccines, one has been blocked. Remember a couple weeks ago, Italy announced it was blocking export of 250,000 AstraZeneca vaccines.
Essentially what she said today is her warning is not so much for AstraZeneca but for countries that might be performing better than the E.U.
and might not be exporting components of the vaccines required.
With the United States, the E.U. said things are working fairly well, they have conversations going on. The U.S. lived up to its promise of exporting
components. The Europeans need to get vaccines. The United Kingdom has not. This is a pointed message at the United Kingdom.
ANDERSON: Melissa on the ground in Rome. Thank you.
Fred, the European Union has released its vaccine plan to restart travel.
What does it entail and is it the right time to do so?
We are talking about a vaccine passport effectively here.
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I think you're right. That's exactly the right word for it. It is a vaccination or some
additional free travel passport for the entire of the European Union.
One of the things that she said as she introduced the concept for it today, she said she wants all of this ready and in place for summer travel. A lot
of travel operators and people in Europe are yearning to get to European countries. The free movement of people is one of the fundamental values of
the European Union.
But there are a lot of people that want to travel and the giant industry behind this as well, about 30 million people employed in the travel
industry across Europe. The airline industry in Europe and airlines themselves saying they're very much in favor.
Essentially people are going to get a QR code that says authorities in whichever country they travel to, whether or not they received a vaccine,
in which case, they're free to travel, a negative recent PCR test or whether they had COVID-19 in the past and have antibodies with some
antibody test.
That, of course, also would allow them to travel. The E.U. wants common standards for Europe to make sure travel can come back and can come back in
a safe way. Of course, that's something that many, many Europeans would very much be looking forward to. At the same time, everybody knows travel
is always a risk as well, Becky.
ANDERSON: Vaccine passports, politics and the pandemic as Brussels takes aim at London over the AstraZeneca vaccine. Thank you both. I will be
talking live to the European home affairs commissioner, we'll get Ylva Johansson's view later this hour.
And I will speak to the Irish foreign minister about St. Patrick's Day and ask Simon Coveney about Ireland's political role in Europe, including
following his recent trip to Iran.
The European Union set to take action against the military crackdown on protesters in Myanmar. The bloc plans strong sanctions behind those behind
the coup, according to French foreign minister, who adds sanctions could come early next week.
The military, which seized control beginning of February, lost support of the top religious body, a group of high ranking Buddhist monks appointed by
the government, who says the military must end the violent arrests, torture and killing of unarmed citizens. We heard a similar plea from Pope Francis
earlier.
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POPE FRANCIS, PONTIFF, ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH (through translator): One more time and with much sadness, I feel the urgency to talk about the
dramatic situation in Myanmar, where many people, most of them young, are losing their lives in order to offer hope to their country.
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POPE FRANCIS (through translator): Even I kneel on the streets of Myanmar and say stop the violence. Even I open my arms and say, let the dialogue
prevail. Blood does not resolve anything. Dialogue must prevail.
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ANDERSON: Here's the reality on the street. In the last six weeks, the U.N. says at least 149 people have been killed. The latest is a 28-year-old
man, reportedly shot to death in Yangon on Wednesday night -- sorry, on Tuesday night. Hundreds more are missing as reports of torture trickle out.
Those numbers coming from a spokeswoman for the U.N.'s High Commission of Human Rights. Have a listen.
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SHAMDASANI: We are deeply disturbed that the crackdown continues to intensify and we again call on the military to stop killing and detaining
protesters.
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ANDERSON: The U.N. Commissioner for Human Rights and former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet joins us live from Geneva.
Good to have you on. We know that the death toll in Myanmar is likely much higher than reported.
Do you have any indication of how high it could be at this point?
MICHELLE BACHELET, U.N. COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND FORMER CHILEAN PRESIDENT: Hi, Becky.
Well, unfortunately, from yesterday to today, yesterday we were informed 149, now we can say 202 people since February 1st, including 121 since last
Friday.
It might be much higher. Many of these killings can happen in small villages and places and we don't have immediate access to information. And
when we give numbers and figures, we give cases that we have the names of people, that we verified cases.
We also have 2,400 people detained. And we have hundreds that we don't know the whereabouts. Also we have five announcements of people who died in
custody, two of them at least we can ensure their wounds were through torture they received.
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ANDERSON: The problem is this: communication lines have been largely blacked out.
What challenges are you facing on the ground in gathering and acting on information?
BACHELET: Well, through technology and because we -- I cannot reveal the sources, because I don't want reprisal against the people. But we have
contact with people on the ground in different places, so we do receive information. We have been able to verify even cases with names of people.
Fortunately we do have that.
And you know the process are wide over the country. People are protesting. We do know recent developments.
What are some recent developments?
They are developing nighttime raids and usually going into industrial and outskirts of Yangon, industrial neighborhoods, where the workers are, where
there are supporters of the National League for Democracy, Aung San Suu Kyi.
That's why they are going there, arresting arbitrarily and reports of torture in custody. We have seen in the protests from the beginning to now
that the repression has changed.
At the beginning there were targeted persons shot. But then they will use snipers. We have seen photographs of wounds in the head, in the neck or
shoulder that clearly show that they were trying to kill those people.
And we have seen now use of semi automatic and automatic rifles, shooting in the community to the crowds. Also we have seen changes, amendment of
laws restricting freedom of movement, of speech and so on, martial law in the areas. Communication blackouts as you mention, arrests of journalists,
shutdown of media outlets.
And that doesn't mean the protests have stopped, the process has continued. And they want to stop the protests before the 27th of March because that's
the Army Day. I think that's why they are putting harsher measures.
ANDERSON: Commissioner, these are deeply distressing reports of torture.
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ANDERSON: And we are hearing more torture in custody emerging. The U.N. says the military's response to peaceful protests likely meets the legal
threshold for crimes against humanity.
Your office saying Myanmar is in its hour of need, needs coordinated international response.
What specifically do you want to see?
Because we are hearing what some say are anodyne statements and platitudes from the international community; those are not working. The U.S. and
Western nations imposed sanctions, targeting the military, families, businesses, the E.U. threatening the same, that's not working. The military
is defiant.
What do you want to see happen next?
BACHELET: First of all, I want the same thing that the General Assembly, Security Council have said, to call to end of violence and killings of
protesters, to release, recover the democratic path and to end the lockdown of the internet.
What can we do?
Many of these terrible situations, there's not one single recipe for it. First of all, we have to use any leverage, any influence, diplomatic,
economic, other, to try to stop the violence and recover the democratic path, at least stop violence. I think we need to make it clear to the
dictatorship they will be held accountable.
And as you may know, the U.N. criminal investigative body, that today called for soldiers, other officials, particularly soldiers that receive
illegal orders, to call them to inform they have been ordered to shoot and kill, because those things will permit to bring those officers not only in
the chain of command and high level representatives to the national regional or international court.
And third, I think the international community and bodies like ASEAN need to speak with one voice. Business communities within Myanmar need to use
leverage and China as major player and member of Security Council and so potentially can have an important role to play.
ANDERSON: China blocked the U.N. Security Council's statement condemning the military coup. China is Myanmar's largest neighbor, has maintained good
relations with the previous junta for decades. This is a very important question.
Can the international community have a coordinated response as you want them to have, as you are calling for, without China?
BACHELET: Well, I think we need everyone on board because many of these countries, I mean, I hope China is on board. They did approve the Security
Council statement and I hope they will continue supporting the call for stop violence, liberating the detainees and try to go back to a democratic
path.
What that means, a democratic path, Becky, is something that's different. The protesters were mentioning we need you to respect the elections. But
now they're calling for a new constitution because they realized to go back to normal for 1st of February will not ensure things never happen again.
They need to make reforms that were never done in terms of the role of the military, in terms of how civilians play a major control on the military.
Otherwise, they're condemned to have these things happening again.
ANDERSON: Look, we know that China forced a watered down statement from the U.N. Let's be quite clear about that.
You have prior experience dealing with a military takeover in your role as president of Chile and before that, defense minister.
How is the role and attitude of the international community changed then and now?
BACHELET: Well, I think, I mean, as always with a military junta, there were big countries on one hand. Politically they will condemn that and
violation of human rights, on the other hand they'll serve weapons and guns. All kinds of countries, not only Asian countries but Western
countries as well.
But I think that, in certain minutes, when it is key to make a difference, being now to stop violence and the killing of the people, being it in
another political moment that is essential.
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BACHELET: It has been very important that the powerful state make clear they won't accept, for example, continuing of violence of human rights or
the nonrespect of certain path.
In Chile, there was a referendum, Chile said no to the continuation and people for many Western -- and people for many Western countries said we're
not going to accept that, so that will not be recognized.
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ANDERSON: OK.
BACHELET: And it really made a difference because then Pinochet had to recognize it.
ANDERSON: We have been talking about China's influence in Myanmar. I want to just stay with China for a moment.
Last week an independent report was released about the Chinese government's alleged actions against the Uyghur community, it found that China violated
every single provision in the United Nations genocide convention. That report, Commissioner, is damning.
Your response to the findings of that report?
And what is the way forward with regard to China and the Uyghurs at this point?
BACHELET: First of all, we already, at the beginning of the current session of the council, we describe the situation in China and the Uyghurs,
we mention that the need for comprehensive and independent assessment of the human rights situation.
We continue as an office to assess the alleged patterns of human rights violations, including reports of arbitrary detention and ill treatment and
coercive labor practices, erosion of social and country rights.
On the other hand, we understand we need to go there. We are in discussion with the Chinese government on an ongoing preparatory technical mission to
visit China, to make all of the adequate -- enable conditions a future meeting of the minds so we can have meaningful access to the places we want
to have access.
This is the usual approach in countries where we don't have physical presence, as in China.
ANDERSON: Commissioner, you have been denied that access to date, have you?
You continue to press for access?
BACHELET: We have been invited but we want to be sure that that invitation, that access is an unfettered access.
ANDERSON: With that, we will leave it there. Thank you very much for joining us on two extremely important stories. Thank you, Commissioner.
Coming up next, we will speak to the U.N. special envoy to Myanmar, Christine Schraner Burgener, about the intense violence against
protesters. We will be back, bringing you news of a tragic rampage killing in America, taking place over the course of more than an hour. Back after
this.
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ANDERSON: To a shooting rampage in the U.S. state of Georgia. Three separate shootings in the span of an hour left eight people dead. The FBI
has joined the investigation into the attacks Tuesday afternoon at two massage parlors in Atlanta and another in the suburbs.
Police believe the suspect, Robert Long, is responsible for all three. He was taken into custody a few hours later, after state troopers set up an
emergency maneuver on the highway to stop his car. Police haven't talked about motive.
Four of the people killed are of Korean ethnicity. U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken now in Seoul shared condolences with the minister and the
Korean community. "The Atlanta-Journal Constitution" newspaper reports two other victims were Asian women.
Let's get you to Ryan Young, who has been covering this since it started unfolding last night local time. He is live in Atlanta -- Ryan.
RYAN YOUNG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Some disturbing details when you think about this case. We still haven't learned a lot about victims. We know
police were taking painstaking steps to notify family members.
We can tell you there's a news conference within the next 25 minutes, where we're hoping to get new details from the police department. If you look
behind me, you can see the spa across the street. That's believed to be a location where three women were shot and killed.
And then apparently the suspect walked across the street, opened fire at another location. This is after the first shooting started around 5 o'clock
local time. That happened about a 47 minute drive outside the city of Atlanta, where apparently he walked into another location and started
shooting.
What we don't know now is if there's motive connected to the case. We don't know if police were able to, because of video surveillance, get out
information about the suspect and what his car looked like. That helped them in terms of tracking him down.
We've been told, during the investigation, that police called other massage parlors throughout the Metro Atlanta area, telling them to lock doors, to
be sure they were safe. They weren't sure where the person would target next.
Apparently they were able to track him down, use that maneuver, called a pit maneuver, to bump the back of the car, to spin him out of control and
take him into custody.
We hope in the next half hour that investigators will be able to tell us what the suspect told them in the beginning why these shootings happened.
Hopefully learn more about that -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Ryan, thank you. That news conference we will take here on CNN and, as we say, try to elicit more details from authorities there in
Atlanta, Georgia.
Also ahead, more on the E.U. tussle with the U.K. over AstraZeneca with the European home affairs commissioner, Ylva Johansson, joining me live from
Brussels.
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ANDERSON: You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson. It is 10:30 am on the East Coast of America. Any moment now, authorities there in
Atlanta, Georgia, will share more details on a shooting rampage on Tuesday.
Eight people were gunned down and killed at three different massage parlors. The victims have not been identified but "The Atlanta-Journal
Constitution" reports that six of them are women killed of Asian descent. I believe the press conference is now starting. Let's get to it.
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