Return to Transcripts main page
NEWS STREAM
Ukrainian Violence Increases With Attack Deep In Government Territory; Hong Kong Housewife Convicted of Torture; Malaysian Opposition Leader Convicted of Sodomy; Leading Women: Arundhathi Bhattacharya
Aired February 10, 2015 - 8:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KRISTIE LU STOUT, HOST: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. And welcome to News Stream where news and technology meet.
It has made me stronger: an abused maid speaks to CNN after a court convicts her employer of assault and abuse.
Plus, fears grow in Eastern Ukraine as fighting intensifies once again.
And could she still be alive? An American family tries to get answers from ISIS about the fate of their daughter.
We begin this hour with the court case that has focused international attention on the treatment of domestic workers here in Hong Kong. A 44-
year-old woman has been found guilty of inflicting months of abuse on her young Indonesian housekeeper.
Now the 23-year-old victim says she hopes the verdict will send a message and stop employers from treating migrant workers, as she puts it,
like slaves.
Our David Molko brings us up to date on the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CROWD: We are workers, we are not slaves.
DAVID MOLKO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: But that's exactly what 23-year-old Erwiana says she was to the Hong Kong housewife who hired her as her maid:
a modern-day slave.
These shocking images in her hospital bed with a fractured jaw and covered in scars caused international outrage. The abuse she suffered even
more horrifying.
On Tuesday, a judge found Erwiana's employer, Lau Wang Teng (ph) guilty of torturing and threatening her former maid. Stories of being
forced to sleep on the floor, not being given enough food, punched in the mouth, even assaulted with a vacuum cleaner tube.
Erwiana says she couldn't ask for help or run away, because her employer threatened to kill her family.
For many months, she endured. She wasn't even paid the wages she earned. And only sent home when she became too weak to work.
ERWIANA SULISTYANINGSIH, INDONESIAN MIGRANT WORKER: To employers in Hong Kong, I hope they will start treating migrant workers as workers and
human beings and stop treating us like slaves.
MOLKO: Erwiana's story sent thousands onto the streets of Hong Kong that more than 300,000 migrant domestic workers call home.
Chief among their demands, reforming a rule that says domestic workers have to live with employers and ending a policy that deports these workers
two weeks after they leave their jobs. Laws, they say, that only expose these women to being exploited.
"I became a victim because of this policy," Erwiana says. "If we were allowed to live outside the home, maybe I wouldn't have gone through this
torture."
The government in Hong Kong has made it clear that all cases of abuse will be prosecuted, but has stopped short of making other legal reforms.
One investigator on Erwiana's case says he hopes this verdict helps anyone else who was suffering quietly to step forward.
DAVID CAMERON, DETECTIVE SUPERINTENDENT, HONG KONG POLICE: If you live in a society where you're fortunate enough to be able to employ
domestic helpers, we'll still protect you by the law.
MOLKO: The judge in the case has revoked bail and says prison time for the serious crimes committed is inevitable. Sentencing has been set
for later in the month. And meanwhile, the judge has ordered Lau Wang Teng (ph) to repay the maid she so horrifically abused the wages she is due.
David Molko, CNN, Hong Kong.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: Erwiana has since become the face of a grassroots campaign fighting for better treatment of migrant domestic workers in the city.
Last year, TIME magazine named her as one of the world's 100 most influential people. Now she spoke to me earlier. And I started by asking
if she thinks justice has been served.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SULISTYANINGSIH (through translator): Almost, because my employer hasn't been sentenced yet and I haven't really received my compensation.
LU STOUT: I want to bring up a photograph. It's a photograph of you from last year. And you had suffered unspeakable abuse and torture. When
you look back at this photo and what happened to you, how do you make sense of what you went through?
SULISTYANINGSIH (through translator): This is a valuable experience for me even though I cannot forget it, because it was extremely bitter for
me.
I hope the government can open its eyes, its heart so it can protect its workers, so no one will experience the same abuse as I did.
LU STOUT: Do you still have scars, the physical scars and emotional scars of what you went through?
SULISTYANINGSIH (through translator): Yes. In my heart, those cannot be erased. In my body, I still have scars, too, and that makes it
hard for me to forgive her.
But as a human being, I can forgive her.
LU STOUT: You forgive your former employer who did this to you? How?
SULISTYANINGSIH (through translator): Yes, I can forgive her. But Hong Kong has a justice system and therefore justice must be upheld.
LU STOUT: You were working in slave-like conditions in Hong Kong. What does the Hong Kong government need to do?
SULISTYANINGSIH (through translator): I think the government has to reform its policies, policies that are disadvantages to migrant workers,
like forcing us to live with our employers. This exposes us to exploitation and abuse without other people knowing it. For example, not
giving us enough food or enough rest. Working hours are too long. Because we're humans, not robots.
Like me, I worked almost 24 hours a day. I had only four hours of sleep. And it was allowed only during the day.
LU STOUT: And what about your own government in Indonesia? Should Indonesia be doing more to protect its workers overseas or to provide more
employment opportunities at home.
SULISTYANINGSIH (through translator): My government needs to be able to provide jobs and pay adequately. If they can't, then the cycle won't
end. We'll be forced to go overseas to find jobs.
LU STOUT: What is your message for your fellow domestic workers in Hong Kong and around the world?
SULISTYANINGSIH (through translator): For all my friends I hope you can learn about your rights and be united in learning to fight for your
rights.
LU STOUT: And to employers of domestic workers, what do they need to know?
SULISTYANINGSIH (through translator): To all employers, I hope you don't torture your workers. I hope they treat us as human beings. Be
Fair. Don't treat us like slaves, because we're human too. We're equals and we all have the same rights.
LU STOUT: You suffered months of terrible abuse and torture. You fought back and your former employer is now guilty of abusing and torturing
you. How has this entire experience changed you?
SULISTYANINGSIH (through translator): This experience has really changed the way I think, the way I view things. Before this happened, I
was so naive. I didn't know and understand anything. Now, I'm aware of my rights and what I can do, so this has made me stronger.
LU STOUT: And Erwiana, what do you plan to do next?
SULISTYANINGSIH (through translator): For the future, I want to finish my studies. I also want to help my fellow migrant workers, those
who have suffered the way I did, because I understand their pain.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: A remarkable and brave young woman.
Now human rights activists say that Erwiana is a victim of a system that does little to protect people in her situation. According to Amnesty
International there are more than 300,000 migrant domestic workers here in Hong Kong. Now their organization's Hong Kong director explains why they
are vulnerable to potential abuse.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MABEL AU, DIRECTOR, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL HONG KONG: Well, Hong Kong is a very, very congested place and it is a very small city. And even us,
you know, the local people we have a very small place to live and then to - - our home is very small.
So when we have to put the domestic helper in and then they -- some of the cases that they were reported they have to sleep in the toilet, they
have to sleep on the floor with the pets, dogs and cats. And even some of them they might force into a very high risk of sexual harassment because of
a very narrow place and no space for them. And they don't have any privacy.
So we also get some reports that the domestic helper their employer will install the CCTV to, you know, to (inaudible) there. They are live
(ph), whether they're working at home.
So all these kind of things that put them in a very restrictive situation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: The director of Hong Kong Amnesty International Mabel Au there.
Now the government of Hong Kong has made it clear that all cases of abuse will be prosecuted, but it has yet to carry out any specific legal
reforms.
You're watching News Stream and still to come on the program, fresh violence rips through eastern Ukraine hours away from peace talks on the
crisis. Details right after this.
And later this hour, ISIS releases yet another video featuring the British hostage John Cantlie. But this time, chilling words raise new
questions about the captive's safety.
Plus, after a lengthy legal battle, a key Malaysian politician is found guilty of sodomy, but he says he has been set up. We'll have the
latest developments out of Malaysia.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LU STOUT: Welcome back. You're watching News Stream. And you're looking at a visual version of all the stories we've got in the show today.
Now we've already told you about the verdict in a Hong Kong court case that captured the world's attention. And later, we'll tell you about a
ruling in Malaysia that's being condemned by rights activists.
But now to fresh fighting in eastern Ukraine.
Now a series of explosions has rocked the city of Kramatorsk deep within Ukrainian held territory.
And we now have video of the attack.
You can hear just how terrified the woman behind the camera is as the explosions ring out.
Now Reuters citing the RIA news agency reports pro-Russian rebels have denied that they are behind this attack.
There are reports at least three people have been killed and 15 wounded.
Now joining us now from Donetsk in eastern Ukraine is CNN's senior international correspondent Nick Paton Walsh. And Nick, what is the latest
on the fighting there?
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, that attack on Kramatorsk, in which it's accused by the Ukrainian military, a smirch
surface-to-surface missile system may have been used, other suggestions, too. I think they're still working out exactly what caused these
explosions.
But that would be remarkable uptick in the violence today.
Kramatorsk is far inside Ukrainian lines here. It is a town, which separatists held for some months when the violence, or I think unrest it's
fair to say, first broke out in the middle of last year. But it was retaken by the Ukrainians. And it's also now the base where they have
their main military headquarters.
So there are suggestions that perhaps that was the original target, although as you say the separatists have denied being involved in this
significant escalation. And again civilians caught in the crossfire there. Three killed at this stage, 15 injured. And I think a sense, too, that
given the long range nature, potentially, of this weapon system used -- it's a lot of distance it needs to cover -- an escalation potentially as
well in the type of heavy weapons being used in this war -- Kristie.
LU STOUT: And, Nick, heavy fighting has been raging there in eastern Ukraine for more than a week. Have the rebels made significant gains
during that time?
WALSH: I think it's fair to say they are still advancing. The key issue is this town Debaltseve. Now we've just been near there, near
Ugugorsk (ph), which is the town en route to it that the separatists took, seen separatist forces rallying, trying to move on their way in towards the
key road there, which will, once it's taken, block off access to the Ukrainian military in and out.
Now I should say the separatists say they've already encircled it, already taken that road. The Ukrainian military say it's under attack.
It's clearly a very fluid situation. And I think it must be very difficult for those inside the town right now, given the sheer volume of outgoing
fire we saw that seemed to be headed in the direction of Debaltseve.
An extraordinarily violent place and nothing like the kind of atmosphere people would expect for the peace talks tomorrow in Minsk.
We're hearing from a European diplomat that potentially key separatist leaders, Alexander Zakharchenko and Denis Pushilin may not -- it is still
early stages, but may not be going to Minsk. They were supposed to be at a meeting with monitors there and also on the sidelines of this Normandy
format meeting between the French, Germans, Russians and Ukrainians. And their absence, if that is the case, though say it's still early days, if
they don't go that could of course weaken the kind of deals the separatists are willing to make at that table.
A very messy situation and one, as I say, in which the violence appears to be escalating, catching civilians in the crossfire and also
jeopardizing the potential for success tomorrow in Minsk -- Kristie.
LU STOUT: Nick Paton Walsh reporting live in Donetsk for us. Thank you, Nick.
As Nick just mentioned, the latest violence it comes just a day before that planned peace summit on ending the conflict. And for more, CNN's Fred
Pleitgen joins me now from the Ukrainian capital of Kiev.
And Fred, first, before we talk about what's going to take place tomorrow, reports say Russian troops have started military drills in
Crimea. I mean, why is that happening now during such a diplomatically sensitive time?
FRED PLEITGEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, certainly I mean the Russians wouldn't be deterred by the fact that this is a sensitive
time. And it could also be seen as possible saber rattling ahead of these negotiations that are going to take place.
I mean, one of the things, for instance, that we've heard Russian President Vladimir Putin say is that the fact that this meeting in Minsk is
going to take place is by no means a done deal yet. He said there are still major issues to be worked out.
Of course there was that meeting by the contact group that happened yesterday in Berlin where the working groups attempted to iron out a lot of
the issues. What we've heard from Ukrainian officials is that there were very tangible results at that meeting. And so certainly it seems as though
that meeting is going to take place, but it seems as though the Russians also want to keep the option of all of this possibly failing on the table,
possibly to put pressure on from their side as well, Kristie.
LU STOUT: All options on the table for these peace talks to take place in Belarus tomorrow. Will all parties be represented there,
including top rebel leaders?
PLEITGEN: Well, this is the big question. And I mean, the question is also, Kristie, how are they going to be represented? I mean, we just
heard there from Nick Paton Walsh that possibly the two top leaders of the Russian separatists will not even go to Minsk, that of course would be a
huge blow.
And then the big question is into what function would they actually be there? Certainly the actual talks of these so-called Normandy group, would
not involve the leaders of the separatist movement, because it's unthinkable -- and I got this from a top level German official -- for
someone like Angela Merkel to, for instance, sit down in the same room as these rebel leaders, or to even sign a common document for them.
What could happen is that there would be a document signed. There could be negotiations taking place between the leaders of the Normandy
group. So that would be Vladimir Putin, Petro Poroshenko, Angela Merkel as well as Francois Hollande. They would come up with some sort of document,
and then it would move into a second group called the trilateral group, which includes the rebels, Ukraine as well as the OSCE. And they could
sort of sign onto it as well.
It's still a very complicated process and certainly one judging from Nick's reporting there that is still also far from certain whether or not
that could lead to any sort of success.
So it is still very much uncertain what we're going to get out of this Minsk meeting. And certainly you can hear -- you can feel that here in
Kiev as well, Kristie.
LU STOUT: All right, CNN's Fred Pleitgen with the take from Kiev there. Many thanks indeed, Fred.
Now the fighting has brought devastation to eastern Ukraine. And one family tells our Nick Paton Walsh that shelling once forced them to hide
underground for days. You can see their story on our website.
And we have a reminder of how we got to this point from the 2013 protests in Kiev to the referendum in Crimea and several failed ceasefires.
Find it all at CNN.com.
Now you're watching News Stream. And still to come on the program, promising to fight back. The Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim
says he won't be silenced despite a court's decision to uphold his conviction of sodomy.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LU STOUT: Coming to you live from Hong Kong, you're back watching News Stream.
Now a court in Malaysia has refused to overturn the conviction and sentencing of Anwar Ibrahim. The opposition leader is charged with
sodomizing a former political aide. As Andrew Stevens reports, Ibrahim says the accusations are only politically motivated.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDREW STEVENS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Perhaps unsurprising, at least among many of Anwar Ibrahim supporters, that this
appeal has been upheld. All along, Anwar, the key opposition figure in Malaysia, has claimed this has been a politically motivated development.
He spoke to (inaudible) after that verdict was returned. And this is what he had to say, a very defiant stand from the opposition leader.
ANWAR IBRAHIM, MALAYSIAN OPPOSITION LEADER: Well, there is a price I have to pay. I thank Malaysians and all democrats. I will not be
silenced. I will continue to fight for freedom and justice. And I will never surrender.
STEVENS: Both the public prosecutor's office and the government said today that justice had been served. The government in a statement saying
that an exhaustive and comprehensive due process had been carried out over many years and it called on all parties to respect the legal process and
indeed respect the judgments.
Hundreds of supporters of Anwar were outside the court today when that verdict was handed down. It's not expected that it's going to lead to any
violence confrontations.
Anwar all along has said that he believes in peaceful demonstrations. He does not want to see what we saw in the Arab Spring of several years ago
-- violent confrontations on the street.
What is clear now, though, is that the opposition leader, the most powerful -- easily the most powerful opposition leader in Malaysia will now
be behind bars where he says he will continue to agitate for change, but his political career, at least in terms of standing for election, looks
very likely over now. He has to spend another five years before he can stand, which would mean he would be in his late 70s before he would be
allowed to contest any election.
His opposition has been making slow inroads into the overwhelming majorities that the ruling party has enjoyed since independence back in
1957. He says they will continue to push until there is a change of government.
Andrew Stevens, CNN, Kuala Lumpur.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: Now here's some background on Anwar Ibrahim. Now a 30 year veteran of Malaysian politics. Anwar is head of the People's Justice Party
and leader of the opposition. He was convicted in 1998 of sodomy and abuse of power. He served six years in jail before the sodomy conviction was
overturned in 2004.
Anwar returned to politics, but was arrested again in 2008. The second sodomy charge was initially thrown out by the court in 2012, but
that decision was appealed by the government and upheld last year.
Anwar then appealed against the turning over of the earlier verdict of acquittal and that is what he lost today.
Now, Dominique Strauss Kahn testified in a French court a short time ago once again denying that he knew prostitutes were involved in sex
parties he attended.
Now police detained three topless feminist protesters after they jumped on Strauss Kahn's car as it arrived at the courthouse.
The former chief of the International Monetary Fund is accused of aggravated pimping, which he denies.
Now prostitution is legal in France, pimping is not. If convicted, Strauss Kahn could get 10 years in prison.
Now let's go to Brazil and a prison escape that sounds as if it's something out of a movie.
Now two women seduced their way into a prison and it ended with guards handcuffed and naked and more than two dozen inmates freed. Shasta
Darlington has the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SHASTA DARLINGTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A prison break that left very little to the imagination.
Two women in these skimpy police costumes, convinced guards at a prison in western Brazil to let them in. And then, according to
investigators, seduced them.
Spiked bottles of whiskey were found next to the handcuffed guards who were found passed out the next morning, allegedly with no recollection of
the night before.
In the meantime, 26 prisoners had escaped from jail in Novo Motum (ph), taking weapons with them.
Police investigator Angelina De Andraji (ph) says the two guards and the prison director who slept through it all in another part of the
facility, have been charged with facilitating a prison break. They could face up to four years in prison.
Police have recaptured some, but a manhunt continues for the rest and the small city of Novo Motum (ph) can talk about nothing but those female
temptresses.
Shasta Darlington, CNN, Sao Paulo.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: The co-chair of Sony Pictures stepped down last week months after embarrassing emails between her and a producer were leaked by
hackers. But Amy Pascal isn't leaving Sony, she's forming a new production unit at the studio and her first producing project has just been announced
-- it was deal to share Spider-Man between Sony and Marvel.
Now Sony owns the film rights to the character, but their most recent Spider-Man movie was panned by critics. Now the new deal says that Sony
will continue to own the rights, but they will work with Marvel on the creative direction of the films, so what exactly does that mean?
Well, it means that we could see Spider-Man teaming up with the Avengers. Now the character is now part of the Marvel cinematic universe,
so he is free to appear alongside Captain America and Iron Man in future Marvel films.
And those characters are in turn free to appear in Spider-Man's next film, which is due to hit the cinemas in the middle of 2017.
You're watching News Stream. And coming right up, the president of Syria says he's getting information on coalition attacks hitting ISIS in
his war torn country. We'll hear from Bashar al-Assad on what he knows about the air strikes tearing through Syria after the break.
And on the ground in Syria there's also growing worry over the fate of two people held hostage by the radical ISIS militants. That story is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LU STOUT: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. You're watching News Stream. And these are your world headlines.
Now there have been a series of explosions in Kramatorsk deep inside Ukrainian territory. There are reports that three people have been killed,
15 wounded. It comes as world leaders continue a diplomatic push to stop the fighting ahead of Wednesday's peace talks. Several say that arming
Ukraine to fight pro-Russian rebels is a last resort.
In Hong Kong, a woman has been found guilty of starving, beating and abusing her Indonesian maid you see here. Now the case made headlines when
pictures showing the victim's severe injuries surfaced focusing global attention on the treatment of migrant domestic workers in Hong Kong.
A top Malaysian court has upheld the sodomy conviction against the popular opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim. Now human rights groups, they
call the decision politically motivated. Anwar says he will never stop fighting the conviction. He was acquitted of the charges in 2012, but the
Malaysian government appealed and won in 2014.
Now coalition forces are ramping up their airborne offensive against ISIS. The United Arab Emirates has just announced it's resumed airstrikes
against the militant group. In total, there have been more than 1,000 airstrikes against ISIS in Syria and more than 1,200 in Iraq since the
coalition strikes began. The U.S. accounts for most of them, about 80 percent.
Just this week, ISIS released a chilling new propaganda video. Now the tape features a hostage John Cantlie, a British journalist being
forced again to report for the terrorist group.
Now he's shown in the Syrian city of Aleppo, blaming the destruction there on Syria and the coalition airstrikes.
Now we've seen him before in other ISIS productions, but this time ominous words are raising new concerns.
Cantlie says this is, quote, the last film in the series.
Now there is still no word on the fate of American hostage Kayla Mueller. ISIS says that she was killed in a Jordanian airstrike last week,
but has not provided any proof that she is dead.
Now the American aid workers parents are holding out hope that she is still alive. Kyung Lah reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KYUNG LAH, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The days, months pass, for a year-and-a-half in Prescott, Arizona, Kayla Mueller's parents
forced into excruciating silence. On August 4th 2013, ISIS captures their now 26-year-old daughter. There are threats her name gets out and
ISIS will execute her. Todd Geller is a long-time family friend.
TODD GELLER, MUELLER'S FAMILY FRIEND: You have no control. So you have to abide by the rules. And it was a living hell. And it has been a living
hell for the family and it is today. LAH: Geller says, Kayla's mother and father suffered in that hell alone, telling virtually no one except U.S.
authorities. Then last May, nine months after Kayla Mueller was taken hostage, ISIS sends the family proof of life confirmation.
Two months later, in early July, a daring rescue attempt by U.S. forces to save journalist James Foley. It fails. But the military finds
strands of hair believed to be Mueller's. Just days later, on July 12th, ISIS announces it will kill Kayla in 30 days, unless the Mueller's pay
nearly $7 million in ransom. Increasingly desperate, the Mueller's begin reaching out to anyone
they know in power. Their daughter's mentor, Northern Arizona University Professor Carol Thompson, joined and trying to reach human rights lawyers
and activists. Thompson is in Zimbabwe on Sabbatical. We spoke by phone.
CAROL THOMPSON, NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR (via phone): The hundreds of people who mobilized for one month, because we were given a 30-
day notice, to try to create other options. Because the threat was, you do A or B, or she's killed. We were trying to go beyond options A or B.
LAH: As more new, the silence in this town held, amazingly, even in the internet age, Kayla's parents personally telling friends, one slip and
their daughter's life could be over. The 30 days pass and no word from ISIS on Kayla Mueller. Then last month, a terrible mistake, on ABC Sunday news
program, the White House chief of staff accidentally says her first name.
DENIS MCDONOUGH, WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: But the Kayla's family knows how strongly the president feels about this and we will continue to
work this.
LAH: The Mueller's call local Arizona reporters who had figured it out, urging no one report Kayla's name. The silence again holds. Then
Friday, this claim by ISIS, but no proof, saying Kayla Mueller died in this building.
What was Friday like?
GELLER: Friday. Friday was a dark day, punched a hole through you. A big hole. You go numb. You don't want to hear it. You don't want to believe
it.
LAH: Kyung Lah, CNN, Prescott, Arizona.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: And as we've reported, coalition forces are attacking ISIS militants from the skies over Syria and Iraq. In an interview with BBC
World that aired a short time ago, Syria's president says he regularly gets information about this U.S.-led fight against ISIS from third parties.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm curious that at a time when there are -- there's the American military in the air above Syria and your people in the
air, your air force is also in the -- the Syrian air force is the air above Syria, that there haven't been any incidents between the two. No shots
seemed to have been traded, no plans have been shot down. That suggests to me surely there's someone is talking to someone here.
BASHAR AL-ASSAD, PRESIDENT OF SYRIA: That's correct. But, again, there's no direct cooperation.
UNIDNETIFIED MALE: Direct. Is it via Iraq, that's what some people have said.
ASSAD: That's through third party, more than one party. Iraq and other countries. Sometimes they convey message, general message. But
there is nothing tactical.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So they don't tell you when we'll be bombing Raqqa at 10:00 this evening, please keep out of the way.
ASSAD: We knew about the campaign before it's started, but we didn't know about the details.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And is that a continuing dialog that you have through third parties?
ASSAD: There is no dialog, there's let's say information, but not dialog.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: Now the Syrian president went on to say that government forces have not dropped barrel bombs on civilians during the country's four
year civil war. Those bombs have killed thousands.
You're watching News Stream. We'll be back right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LU STOUT: Welcome back.
Now this week on Leading Women, we have more of our conversation with India's top anchor. Now she is the first chairwoman of the State Bank of
India. And Mallika Kapur talks to her about making the centuries' old institution relevant to India's future.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MALLIKA KAPUR, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: She's India's most powerful banker. As the chairperson of the State Bank of India Arundhati
Bhattacharya heads over one-fifth of the banking business across the sub- continent.
You've often said that your career in banking just happened.
ARUNDHATI BHATTACHARYA, DIRECTOR, STATE BANK OF INDIA: That's right.
KAPUR: How did it just happen?
BHATTACHARYA: We used to have these all-India examinations for recruiting probationary officers. And I was in a hostel. And I had a
number of friends so we sort of decided that we'd go in a group and appeal for this examine.
It was considered in those times that a banking job was, you know, safe for women.
KAPUR: The perception that banking is a safe choice might have brought Bhattacharya into the sector, but her journey has proven to be far
more adventurous.
BHATTACHARYA: The fact that we could actually do (inaudible) branches that serves as almost a miracle.
KAPUR: In her 38 years with the State Bank of India Bhattacharya held a variety of positions. She was posted to cities big and small across
India and says these changes were a necessary learning experience.
BHATTACHARYA: But really you know it keeps you very much interested once you are forever on the learning curve, you are forever trying to catch
up with whatever is the requirement of the job. So that keeps you on your toes, doesn't allow you to get bored. And really, you know, overall a very
big challenge, which is quite enjoyable.
KAPUR: And it's not just her own career moves she embraces. Bhattacharya is all about keeping up with the ever changing business
landscape in India.
BHATTACHARYA: You see, India is a very young country. If you look at the demographics, most of us citizens are below the age of 35.
KAPUR: That's a huge market.
BHATTACHARYA: Huge market. And we would not remain relevant if we are not relevant to them.
KAPUR: Yeah, you don't want to become a dinosaur.
BHATTACHARYA: Absolutely, absolutely.
So, I have to do stuff which they find interesting.
KAPUR: You stay cool.
BHATTACHARYA: Absolutely.
We are in the in touch branch of State Bank of India. In Touch, you know, is a sub-brand that we have created. And we have created the sub-
branch to get in touch with the youth.
KAPUR: There's no paper in here.
BHATTACHARYA: There is no paper. No paper. No chairs and tables.
KAPUR: Right.
BHATTACHARYA: It's all screens, all machines.
And of course if you need to talk to people, we still have people who will guide you.
KAPUR: Transforming a centuries' old bank and making it relevant to India's future generations.
For Bhattacharya, change is the only constant.
BHATTACHARYA: Today pace of change has really picked up. And therefore, you know, it's all the more incumbent on us to ensure that, you
know, that we evolve equally fast and that we remain relevant and that we prepare the bank for the times to come.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: And that is News Stream. I'm Kristie Lu Stout, but don't go anywhere. World Sport with Alex Thomas is next.
END
