Thread by @Marladukharan

What does this list of countries represent?

Afghanistan
The Bahamas
Barbados
Botswana
Cambodia
Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Ghana
Iran
Iraq
Jamaica
Mauritius
Mongolia
Myanmar
Nicaragua
Pakistan
Panama
Syria
Trinidad and Tobago
Uganda
Vanuatu
Yemen
Zimbabwe

As of today, October 1st, these countries are classified by the European Union as “High Risk”

ec.europa.eu/info/business-…

But look more closely and you will see something else:

Every single country on this list was at some point in its history, colonized or otherwise exploited by Europeans.

And every single one of these countries is predominantly NON-WHITE.

medium.com/@marladukharan…

And despite the fact that the #FinCENLeaks showed that London is the most prolific money laundering destination in the world, the UK does not appear on this list. How is that possible? bbc.com/news/amp/uk-54…

The EU has excluded certain countries because it’s criteria for inclusion go well beyond standard legal definitions of money laundering & terrorist financing. In other words, the EU makes up its own rules, & applies them selectively to certain countries:
ec.europa.eu/info/files/200…

These rules & criteria in the first place WILL NEVER apply to EU countries, despite studies which have found that, for example, €13 billion is laundered through the Netherlands each year
curacaochronicle.com/post/local/13-…

So the EU makes up its own rules on what constitutes a crime as it relates to money laundering & terrorism financing, and it then WEAPONIZES these rules by applying them selectively to countries other than its own members & their powerful allies :
ft.com/stream/03d1269…

Furthermore, the countries which fall victim to the EU’s conveniently designed methodology, are relatively small & disadvantaged. We represent less than 3% of global GDP, while the EU is the world’s largest trade bloc, the world’s largest exporter of manufactured goods & services

Meaning that even though money laundering does in fact take place in these & every country on earth, the quantum of money laundered could not be anywhere near what is laundered through the EU itself or through it’s powerful allies. Our balance of payments accounts would show this

Even though the EU is not the global authority on these matters, we are bullied by the EU into complying with their unique standards on money laundering & terrorism financing. But then they keep changing the rules! There were 2016, 2017, 2018, and now 2020 revisions for example

So any ‘compliance’ that we are able to secure, is at best temporary. We are therefore perpetually on the EU’s list of ‘high risk’ countries, which makes it much more difficult for us to trade, to conduct business, and to compete internationally. Perhaps this is the intention?

How is it that in 2020, the EU is allowed to appoint itself an authority on AML/CFT compliance, create its own rules which they change constantly as convenient, apply these rules only to small, non-white, former European colonies, and unilaterally punish us, and get away with it?

This institutionalized discrimination, bullying and economic warfare by the EU has to stop. But there is no know recourse, no mechanism for us to seek redress. The EU is the accuser, the expert witness, the judge, jury AND executioner. The system is rigged to ensure our failure.

Please can you take a look at this and render assistance @NOIweala @Lagarde @WBCaribbean @WorldBank @KGeorgieva @DavidMalpassWBG @antonioguterres @UNCTAD @TheElders @AtlanticCouncil @the_IDB @IDB_Caribbean @KevzPolitics @jacobinmag @EU_Commission @wef @DivDecEcon @TheEconomist