US: Dalai Lama 'very happy' with Obama talks By: AP, February 18, 2010 President Barack Obama welcomed the Dalai Lama for closely-watched White House talks Thursday, risking fallout in China over the get-together and Obama's statement supporting preservation of Tibet's identity and human rights. "The president commended the Dalai Lama's 'Middle Way' approach, his commitment to nonviolence and his pursuit of dialogue with the Chinese government." http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/18/dalai-lama-very-happy-wit_n_467606.html
Mexico: Esther Chavez Cano added up the devastation of gender violence By: Theresa Braine, Issues Magazine, February 16, 2010 In mid-December 2009, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights condemned Mexico’s handling of the cases of three women who had been murdered in the Mexican border city of Ciudad Juarez. The Inter-American court ruled that the families of the three women should receive hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages from the Mexican government. http://www.truthout.org/esther-chavez-cano-added-up-devastation-gender-violence56953
Mexican reporters, activists demand state protection By: Emilio Godoy, IPS, February 16, 2010 Journalists and human rights activists in Mexico are frantically seeking a mechanism to protect them from attacks related to their work, but the state has been slow to respond. The Colombian model might provide a solution. Already this year, three reporters have been murdered without any of the perpetrators being brought to justice, presaging another difficult year for Mexican media workers. http://upsidedownworld.org/main/news-briefs-archives-68/2365-mexican-reporters-activists-demand-state-protection-
AMERICAS: CENTRAL AMERICA/ CARIBBEAN
Honduras: Four campesinos wounded in land dispute By: World War 4 Report, February 16, 2010 Four campesinos were wounded, two with bullets, on Jan. 27 when police and private security guards attacked members of the Unified Campesino Movement of the Aguán (MUCA) at the Río Aguán in Trujillo municipality. The MUCA members were trying to reoccupy land which they had been forced to leave in January. http://ww4report.com/node/8339
Honduras: New president keeps military chief behind coup that ousted Zelaya By: Courant, February 16, 2010 The new president of Honduras is keeping in place military leaders who ordered his elected predecessor flown into exile in a June coup. President Porfirio Lobo, who took office last month, met with military chief Gen. Romeo Vasquez and other commanders for three hours and informed them of his decision, an armed forces spokesman said Tuesday. http://www.courant.com/news/nation-world/sns-ap-lt-honduras-coup,0,4511012.story
Cuban hunger striker's condition reportedly worse By: Juan O. Tamayo, Miami Herald, February 10, 2010 A Cuban political prisoner who has been on a hunger strike since December is ``worsening slowly'' despite a hospital's decision to feed him through intravenous tubes. Orlando Zapata is ``skin and bones, his stomach is just a hole'' and he has bedsores on his legs, said his mother. http://www.miamiherald.com/news/americas/story/1471803.html
AMERICAS: SOUTH AMERICA
Venezuela is a democracy, Lula says By: El Universal, February 19, 2010 Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva defended on Friday his government's decision to support the Venezuelan Administration headed by President Hugo Chávez and his moderate tone towards suspicions about the true goals of the Iranian nuclear program. Lula dismissed accusations against Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, who has been described as the head of an authoritarian regime. http://english.eluniversal.com/2010/02/19/en_pol_esp_venezuela-is-in-demo_19A3456491.shtml
Venezuela: Detained pro-government tycoons an embarrassment to Chavez By: Jonathan Manthorpe, Vancouver Sun, February 19, 2010 The regime of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is looking increasingly besieged as he is deserted by old revolutionary allies while he in turn strikes out at supporters who have profited from his rule. Meanwhile, the economy of Venezuela -South America's largest oil producer with some of the world's largest known reserves -is crumbling. http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/Detained+government+tycoons+embarrassment+Chavez/2585870/story.html
Colombia: Canada should put democracy before free trade By: Common Dreams, February 18, 2010 An international mission returned from Colombia this week, after spending 10 days investigating pre electoral conditions in the lead up to the congressional elections on March 14. The findings of the mission underscore the need to prevent the ratification of the proposed Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement until a full and independent human rights impact assessment can be carried out. http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2010/02/18-7
Venezuela: Shake-up at TV station worries Chavez foes By: Jack Daniel, Yahoo! News, February 17, 2010 Critics of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez worry that the main remaining TV station opposed to the socialist leader will water down criticism of the government now that its news director has quit. Alberto Ravell, a founder and director of the station credited with turning Globovision into a major player in the opposition, left the station last week. http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100217/wl_nm/us_venezuela_globovision
EUROPE
UK: Member of parliament to retrain as community organizer By: Allegra Stratton, Guardian, February 19, 2010 James Purnell, who announced he is standing down as an MP this morning, is to retrain as a community organiser. Echoing the sentiments of Tony Benn when he quit parliament, Purnell and a member of his constituency party will spend next week relearning the tools of their trade at a five day community organising course. http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/feb/19/james-purnell-retrain-community-organiser
Russian town removes 'Welcome Merry Gnome' poster for Dmitry Medvedev By: Andrew Osborn, Telegraphy, February 19, 2010 Town officials in Siberia ordered theatre bosses to remove a poster which said "We await you, merry gnome" because they feared it would offend the vertically-challenged Russian President Dmitry Medvedev during a visit. Local media said the poster was hastily removed ahead of an official visit Mr Medvedev made to the town earlier this month. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/7271651/Russian-town-removes-Welcome-Merry-Gnome-poster-for-Dmitry-Medvedev-visit.html
Russia: Bloggers remember rock legend By: Alexey Sidorenko, Global Voices, February 18, 2010 On February 4, 2010, Russian bloggers celebrated the sad date. Ilya Kormiltsev, one of Russia’s most talented and controversial poets and songwriters, died of spine cancer three years ago. Back in 2007, Kormiltsev’s death became the first and the most publicized death on RuNet (Russian Internet). http://globalvoicesonline.org/2010/02/18/russia-bloggers-remember-rock-legend/
Belarus: Democracy or desolation, warns Polish foreign ministry By: The News, February 18, 2010 In the aftermath of the Belarusian court decision to evict Poles from a centre in Ivyanets, Polish foreign ministry officials have stepped up to Lukashenko’s government. “The Belarusian government has a choice: either it accepts the democratic standards set by the European Council and the European Union, or it will see itself cut off.” http://www.thenews.pl/international/artykul125931_democracy-or-desolation--warns-polish-foreign-ministry.html
Belarus crackdown strains EU relations By: Tony Barber, Financial Times, February 18, 2010 A crackdown on ethnic Poles in Belarus is testing the credibility of the European Union's strategy for closer relations with its eastern neighbours. Up to 40 members of the Union of Poles in Belarus, a non-governmental group which represents the country's Polish minority, have been arrested in recent days after they protested against the confiscation of the UPB's offices in the town of Ivyanets. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/09bc30b2-1c2d-11df-86cb-00144feab49a.html
Belarus: Political prisoner Artsyom Dubski placed in punishment cell By: Charter 97, February 18, 2010 The political prisoner has been placed to a punishment isolation cell for demanding improvement of incarceration conditions in the colony. Alena Dubskaya, the mother of the political prisoner, has found out that her son had been placed to punishment isolation cell when she arrived to the colony to meet with her son, Radio Svaboda informs. http://www.charter97.org/en/news/2010/2/18/26530/
Rights activists dispute Russian account of Chechen killings By: RFE, February 16, 2010 Accounts by Russian officials of a counterterrorism operation in Ingushetia's Sunzha district last week differ from local reports of what happened, RFE/RL's North Caucasus Service reports. Local police and security officials initially said that between 14 and 18 Islamic militants were killed in fighting on February 11-12. The death toll was subsequently raised to 22. http://www.rferl.org/content/Rights_Activists_Dispute_Russian_Account_Of_Chechen_Killings/1959896.html
MIDDLE EAST/ NORTH AFRICA
Iran placed on money laundering blacklist By: Trade Arabia, February 19, 2010 The international body fighting money laundering and terrorist financing has blacklisted Iran, Angola, North Korea, Ecuador and Ethiopia as posing risks to the international financial system. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), comprising governments and regional organisations named the countries after a meeting in Abu Dhabi. http://www.tradearabia.com/news/newsdetails.asp?Sn=BANK&artid=175138
Ahmadinejad says Iran-Belarus relations "lasting", "friendly" By: People's Daily Online, February 19, 2010 Ahmadinejad made the remarks in a meeting with visiting Belarussian Foreign Minister Sergei Martynov. "Iran and Belarus relations are expanding and the two countries are at the beginning of a long way to the summits of progress, and there is no obstacle to increase the bilateral ties," Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying. http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/90854/6896166.html
Soviet parallels with Iran By: Trudy Rubin, Buffalo News, February 19, 2010 I felt a sense of deja vu as I watched televised scenes of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad exhorting a huge crowd last week on the 31st anniversary of the Islamic revolution. My mind flashed back to 1990, when I stood on a Moscow reviewing stand and watched Mikhail Gorbachev address a huge crowd in Red Square during May Day celebrations. http://www.buffalonews.com/248/story/961926.html
Iran: What happened, where now? By: Farhang Jahanpour, Open Democracy, February 19, 2010 Tehran’s rulers have pushed back the protest-wave that followed the fraudulent election of June 2009. But the achievement of Iran’s opposition movement is already immense - and it now faces the regime with a fundamental choice, says Farhang Jahanpour. http://www.opendemocracy.net/farhang-jahanpour/iran-what-happened-where-now
Turkey: Jurists organize demonstration to protest divisive decision By: Today's Zaman, February 19, 2010 A group of lawyers from the Law and Democracy Platform, an NGO working to strengthen the rule of law while respecting democratic values, protested against the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) decision to strip prosecutors conducting a probe into jailed Erzincan Chief Prosecutor Ilhan Cihaner of their special authorities. http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/news-201977-101-jurists-organize-demonstration-to-protest-divisive-hsyk-decision.html
Syria: Trial of top political prisoner begins By: Khaleej Times, February 19, 2010 A top political prisoner on Thursday challenged Syrian authorities’ right to try him for “weakening national morale”, the same charge he has spent his professional life as a lawyer campaigning against. The trial of Mohannad al-Hassani, who has defended leading Syrian opposition figures, began behind closed doors on Thursday. http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2010/February/middleeast_February495.xml§ion=middleeast&col
Syrian woman arrested after writing politically charged novel By: Amnesty International, February 18, 2010 Amnesty International has called for the release of a Syrian writer who was arrested last week after she wrote a novel that describes the political situation in the country during the 1990s. Raghdah Hassan has been held incommunicado since she was seized on the Syrian side of the Al ‘Arida border crossing with Lebanon on 10 February. http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/syrian-woman-arrested-after-writing-politically-charged-novel-20100218
Egypt: Top blogger found not guilty By: Joseph Mayton, Bikya Masr, February 18, 2010 One of Egypt’s top bloggers and anti-torture activist, Wael Abbas, has been found not guilty by a Cairo court on Thursday. The ruling means the blogger will avoid what could have been 6 months in prison. The Egyptian twittersphere was quick to praise the court’s decision, but were concerned that the case had gotten that far in the first place. http://bikyamasr.com/?p=8827
Egypt: Youth activists arrested By: Michael Allen, Democracy Digest, February 18, 2010 The arrest and detention of two young democracy activists is a further indication of the closing of political space in Egypt, as the World Movement for Democracy notes in this emergency alert: Ahmed Maher and Amr Ali, both leaders in the April 6th Youth Movement, were arrested in the early morning on 16 February. http://www.demdigest.net/blog/backlash/youth-activists-arrested-in-egypt.html
Egypt: Cairo protest over anti-women vote By: Al Jazeera, February 18, 2010 Dozens of Egyptian women and human rights activists have staged a protest in Cairo against a recent decision that bars women from holding judicial positions. Thursday's protest came after the Council of State's association voted by an overwhelming majority against the appointment of women as judges in the council, an influential court which advises Egypt's government. http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2010/02/201021810571229586.html
Egypt campaigner bolsters El Baradei for president By: Reuters, February 18, 2010 A main supporter of a potential bid by former U.N. nuclear watchdog Mohamed ElBaradei for Egypt's presidency said on Thursday he would work to build up support even if El Baradei's plans are not yet fully known. Abdul Rahman Yusuf, who runs a Facebook group called "ElBaradei for Presidency of Egypt 2011", said the group would work in the streets and over the Internet to build backing for ElBaradei. http://af.reuters.com/article/egyptNews/idAFLDE61H27P20100218?rpc=401&feedType=RSS&feedName=egyptNews&rpc=401
Egypt objects to recommendations on human rights issues By: Kuwait news Agency, February 18, 2010 Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmad Abul-Gheit said on Thursday his country would not agree to the recommendations made by a number of Western countries during the review of the Human Rights Council of the United Nations of human rights situation in Egypt as part of periodic review conducted by the Council for all countries of the world. http://www.kuna.net.kw/NewsAgenciesPublicSite/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=2062663&Language=en
Iranian opposition leaders meet to discuss new strategies By: Radio Zamaneh, February 18, 2010 Iranian opposition leaders, MirHosein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi met last night to discuss future strategies in the face of growing security measures and violence against protesters. Saham News reports that the two disputing candidates encouraged their supporters to remain aware and present in the political arena. http://www.zamaaneh.com/enzam/2010/02/iranian-opposition-leader-6.html
Iran sentences man to death for ties to monarchist group By: RFE, February 18, 2010 An Iranian court has sentenced Amir-Reza Arefi to death for ties to an illegal group called the Iranian Royalist Society, RFE/RL's Radio Farda reports. The revolutionary court also ruled that Arefi tried to plant bombs at polling stations during the presidential election in June. http://www.rferl.org/content/Iran_Sentences_Man_To_Death_For_Ties_To_Monarchist_Group/1961427.html
Iran: Seven members of a family were detained By: Iran Human Rights Voice, February 18, 2010 On February 10, following a summons before the Ministry of Intelligence, three Iranian family members were detained and taken to Evin Prison. According to a personal blog maintained by a family member, two days after the detention of two sisters active in the field of art, their mother and father were again summoned before the Ministry of Intelligence and placed under arrest. http://www.ihrv.org/inf/?p=3771
Iran: On city streets, another 'green' movement rolls out By: LA Times, February 18, 2010 Every day 35-year-old shopkeeper Reza Baqerpour Uskowi takes the subway from his home, gets off at the Sarsabz Metro stop and pulls out a bicycle at the bicycle house and then rides the rest of the way to work. "It's just a couple of kilometers away," said the fabric vendor, among thousands of residents in the capital who are slowly taking advantage of a new fad that shows much about the changing values of Iran's middle class. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2010/02/iran-on-city-streets-another-green-movement-begins-to-roll-out.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BabylonBeyond+%28Babylon+%26+Beyond+Blog%29
Iran may be seeking nuclear warhead, UN watchdog says By: Warren Strobel, McClatchy Newspapers, February 18, 2010 The United Nations' nuclear watchdog said Thursday that there are signs Iran is trying to develop a nuclear warhead that would fit atop a missile, its bluntest assertion to date questioning Tehran's claims to have an exclusively peaceful nuclear program. http://www.truthout.org/iran-may-be-seeking-nuclear-warhead-un-watchdog-says57004
Iran: A time to rethink By: Nazenin Ansari, Open Democracy, February 18, 2010 For the first time in thirty-one years, Iranians across the world and across the political spectrum welcomed the anniversary of the Islamic revolution in 1979 as an opportunity to assert their sovereignty. The result may not have been what most of them wished for, but their expectation was justified in one respect: 11 February 2010 has indeed turned out to be a defining moment for the Islamic Republic and the “green movement.” http://www.opendemocracy.net/nazenin-ansari/iran-time-to-rethink
Iran’s coming of age By: Nasrin Alavi, Open Democracy, February 17, 2010 What is happening in Iran cannot be reduced to a story of politics or power, nor understood only in terms of words and actions. The change that is underway is also taking place at a deeper level of sensibility and emotion - felt by many millions but only rarely expressed in ways that easily translate into the public arena. http://www.opendemocracy.net/nasrin-alavi/iran%E2%80%99s-coming-of-age
Iranian YouTube protester talks about video clip of beating By: RFE, February 17, 2010 More than 110,000 people have now watched an amateur video of a member of Iran’s security forces beating up a young man on a Tehran street on February 11, the 31st anniversary of the Iranian Revolution. RFE/RL correspondent Golnaz Esfandiari spoke with the young Iranian man who posted the video on YouTube, who says he received the video clip via Bluetooth on February 11 and immediately decided to upload it on YouTube for the world to see. http://www.rferl.org/content/I_Had_A_Very_Bad_Feeling__Iranian_YouTube_Protester_Talks_About_Clip_Of_Beating/1960458.html
Iran rejects U.N. call to free political prisoners By: Reuters, February 17, 2010 Iran rejected calls to release all political prisoners and accept an international inquiry into violence after last June's contested presidential elections, an official U.N. report said. The Islamic Republic also refused to end the death penalty and said it would not make torture as an offence under its laws, according to the report on a discussion of its rights record in the world body's Human Rights Council. http://www.iranfocus.com/en/human-rights/iran-rejects-u.n.-call-to-free-political-prisoners-19759.html
Iranians protest bill on rights of women By: Nazila Fathi, NY Times, February 17, 2010 In what appeared to be the first burst of activism in months not related to the disputed presidential election, about 1,200 Iranians signed a statement against a bill that would further curb women’s rights, the feminist web site Change for Gender Equality reported. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/18/world/middleeast/18iran.html?ref=world
Palestine: Don't deny peaceful protests in West Bank By: Bill Fletcher Jr., CNN, February 17, 2010 Whether they are engaged in armed struggle or nonviolent direct action, it does not matter: Palestinian activists are often portrayed as extremists who threaten life and property. The obvious exceptions are those Palestinians who are prepared to accept whatever terms the United States insists upon for the resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/02/16/fletcher.palestinians.protest/index.html?hpt=C2
Palestine: Bil’in protests making headway against Israeli separation wall By: Eric Stoner, Waging Nonviolence, February 17, 2010 Here is a bit of hopeful news from Palestine. Two and a half years after the Israeli Supreme Court deemed that the section of the separation wall that cuts through the village of Bil’in was illegal, the Israeli military has begun re-routing the wall to comply with the ruling. This move will return 30 percent of Bil’in’s land to the village. http://wagingnonviolence.org/2010/02/bilin-protests-making-headway-against-israeli-seperation-wall/
Egyptian activists are arrested over anti-government graffiti By: Gulf Times, February 17, 2010 Egyptian security detained two members of a protest group yesterday after they spray-painted walls in Cairo to support a potential presidential challenger to Hosni Mubarak, members of the group said. Ahmed Maher and Amr Ali, both members of Sixth of April Youth, were detained after daubing walls in Cairo with slogans backing political change and a possible presidential run by former UN nuclear agency head Mohamed ElBaradei. http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=343617&version=1&template_id=37&parent_id=17
Egypt: Police arrests April 6 coordinators ahead of ElBaradei’s popular reception By: Essam Fadl, Daily News Egypt, February 17, 2010 Egyptian police at dawn on Wednesday arrested two leaders of the April 6 Youth Movement as they sprayed political graffiti in Agouza. General Coordinator Ahmed Maher and outreach coordinator Amr Ali were caught writing political slogans in support of the presidential candidacy in 2011 of the former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency Mohamed ElBaradei, who arrives in Cairo on Friday. http://www.thedailynewsegypt.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=27907
Algerian doctors protest in front of PM's office By: Christian Lowe, Reuters, February 17, 2010 Algerian doctors on strike for better pay and conditions staged a rare protest in front of government headquarters on Wednesday in a fresh sign of social tensions in the energy exporting North African country. In the past six months, mounting public anger over rising prices, unemployment and poor housing has led to a wave of strikes and sporadic rioting. http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE61G0OU20100217?rpc=401&feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&rpc=401
Iran: No triumphs for green protests on anniversary of revolution By: Hamid Tehrani, Global Voices, February 15, 2010 Protesters of the Green Movement staged demonstrations in several Iranian cities on February 11 (the anniversary of the Iranian revolution) but were not able to mobilize as strongly as they have in the past due to the swift work of security forces and a major pro-government rally. Protesters did manage to defy security forces in some cities, including Tehran and Isfahan. http://globalvoicesonline.org/2010/02/15/iran-no-triumphs-for-green-protests-on-anniversary-of-revolution/
Iran: West must aid ‘disorganized, leaderless’ opposition By: Michael Allen, Democracy Digest, February 12, 2010 The Islamic Republic’s repressive capacity, aided by the Green movement’s tactical inflexibility, weak leadership and strategic myopia, mean that the balance of advantage has shifted to the regime in the aftermath of this week’s events. But growing tensions between Iran’s clerical establishment and the Revolutionary Guards are likely to increase the prospect of serious violence, writes Ramin Jahanbegloo. http://www.demdigest.net/blog/regions/mena/iran-west-must-aid-disorganized-leaderless-opposition-as-advantage-shifts-to-regime.html
Palestine: Video - Nonviolent leader and international activist arrested By: Jesse Bacon, The Only Democracy?, February 11, 2010 Saying that protests ‘often turn violent’ ignores how Israel is clearly trying to provoke violent reaction while suppressing nonviolent dissent. The treatment of internationals as seen in the video (night raids, dubious legal justification,) shows us how Palestinians are treated all the time, without the benefits of citizenship. http://theonlydemocracy.org/2010/02/palestinian-nonviolent-leader-and-international-arrested/
ASIA: CENTRAL ASIA
Turkmenistan to allow creation of second political party By: Mail Online, February 19, 2010 Turkmenistan is set to allow the creation of a second political party this year, it was reported today. The move will break up the one-party system that has been in place since the Central Asian nation gained independence. http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1252274/Turkmenistan-allow-creation-second-political-party.html
Azerbaijani blogger's lawyer questions judges' objectivity By: RFE, February 18, 2010 The attorney for arrested Azerbaijani blogger Adnan Hajizade has requested that new judges be named to preside over his client's appeal in a Baku court. Lawyer Isakhan Ashurov said in court on February 17 that he is "suspicious about the fairness of the judges," because the same judges "rejected our appeal about violence against the bloggers at the police station on the day of their arrest." http://www.rferl.org/content/Azerbaijani_Bloggers_Lawyer_Questions_Judges_Objectivity/1962162.html
ASIA: SOUTH ASIA
Bangladesh launches 'violent crackdown' on Rohingyas By: AFP, February 18, 2010 Bangladesh has unleashed a crackdown of unprecedented violence against Muslim refugees from neighbouring Burma, a report by humanitarian group Medecins Sans Frontieres said. Described by the United Nations as one of the most persecuted minorities on earth, thousands of Rohingyas from Burma's northern Rakhaine state stream across the border into Bangladesh every year. http://english.dvb.no/news.php?id=3327
ASIA: SOUTHEAST ASIA
Indonesia looks to block offensive internet pages By: The Manila Times, February 19, 2010 Indonesia is considering proposals to block Internet sites that are deemed to violate "public decency" and privacy, provoking a barrage of criticism from bloggers and web users. Fresh from a round of film and book bans, the government of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is now turning its sights on the Internet in what critics say is a throwback to general Suharto's "New Order" dictatorship. http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/tech-times/11724-indonesia-looks-to-block-offensive-internet-pages
UN envoy slams Myanmar Junta By: Himalayan Times, February 19, 2010 A UN envoy said Friday he "deeply regretted" that Myanmar's ruling junta had refused to let him meet democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi and called for her immediate release ahead of elections this year. Tomas Ojea Quintana criticised the military regime as he ended his latest mission to Myanmar, focused on inspecting the human rights situation ahead of the country's first polls in two decades. http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=UN+envoy+slams+Myanmar+Junta&NewsID=228593
Myanmar: Opposition says Suu Kyi release vital for elections By: Radio News Australia, February 19, 2010 The vice-chairman of Burma's opposition National League for Democracy party has told a visiting UN rights envoy that the release of the party's leader is vital before planned elections. UN special rapporteur Tomas Ojea Quintana held talks in Rangoon with Tin Oo, who was released from house arrest at the weekend. http://www.radioaustralianews.net.au/stories/201002/2824416.htm?desktop
Myanmar: Crackdown on democracy activists exposes illusions about junta By: Michael Allen, Democracy Digest, February 17, 2010 Burma’s military junta today sentenced four democracy activists to two years imprisonment with hard labor as a U.N. envoy arrived to assess the regime’s human rights record. The four women were accused of providing alms to Buddhist monks.They also held prayer services at a well-known Rangoon pagoda calling for Suu Kyi’s release from house arrest. http://www.demdigest.net/blog/regions/asia/burma-crackdown-on-democracy-activists-exposes-illusions-about-junta.html
Democracy leaflets 'distributed in Vietnam' By: Yahoo! News, February 15, 2010 Two banned political organisations say they have joined forces to distribute hundreds of pro-democracy leaflets in communist Vietnam, where observers say the human rights situation is worsening. Dissidents arrested and convicted for previous leaflet campaigns have been jailed. http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100215/wl_asia_afp/vietnamrightspolitics
Vietnam: Hardline influence rising By: Straits Times, February 14, 2010 The rising influence of political hardliners could be behind Vietnam's worsening crackdown against a small but increasingly diverse group of critics, analysts say. Communist authorities began to clamp down after Vietnam successfully hosted the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in 2006 and joined the World Trade Organization in January 2007. http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_490466.html
ASIA: EAST ASIA
China complains to US about Obama-Dalai Lama meeting By: Tania Branigan, Guardian, February 19, 2010 Beijing today summoned the US ambassador to complain about Barack Obama's meeting with the Dalai Lama, state media reported. The foreign ministry also demanded that Washington act to improve ties, warning in a statement that the US president's meeting had "grossly violated norms governing international relations". http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/feb/19/china-us-obama-dalai-lama
North Korea defector fights her way to the top By: Nam You-Sun, Yahoo! News, February 18, 2010 Teenager Choi Hyun-Mi, struggling to make a new life in South Korea after fleeing North Korea with her parents, literally fought her way to the top. Choi, who switched from amateur to professional boxing to support her family, is now the World Boxing Association (WBA) women's featherweight champion -- still deeply in love with the sport she took up in Pyongyang at age 13. http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100219/lf_afp/lifestyleskoreankoreaboxrefugee
China: Warning as unrest grows By: RFA, February 17, 2010 A top law enforcement official has called on Chinese local authorities to "keep trouble in the townships," referring to the tens of thousands of clashes that happen annually between protesters and the authorities around the country. This was a clear endorsement of recent crackdowns on petitioners seeking redress for grievances against the government at a higher level of authority. http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/warning-02172010112910.html
OCEANIA
West Papua: Pride of warriors By: Jono van Hest, Al Jazeera, February 16, 2010 With strictly limited international media access to West Papua, Australian filmmaker Jono van Hest decided that he wanted to help West Papuans tell their own stories. The four remarkable stories that ensued provide unparalleled access and a strikingly personal insight into the West Papuan resistance filmed by the West Papuans themselves. http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/witness/2010/02/2010210182855844350.html
Vanuatu Free West Papua Association By: Free West Papua, February 16, 2010 The Vanuatu Free West Papua Association (VFWPA), in collaboration with other civil society groups, is organizing a peaceful march in support of West Papuan independence in Port Vila. The purpose is to demonstrate the continued support of the people of Vanuatu for the independence of West Papua and to present a petition to the Prime Minister and the Government of Vanuatu. http://freewestpapua.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1134&Itemid=2
AFRICA
Côte d'Ivoire: Deaths in demonstration By: Al Jazeera, February 19, 2010 Police in Côte d'Ivoire have fired on hundreds of demonstrators at an anti-government rally, killing three people and wounding a dozen others in the latest protest since the president dissolved the government last week.The dissolution of the government has thrown into doubt the political reconciliation process in Côte d'Ivoire, which was about to hold elections. http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2010/02/2010219154844373741.html
South Africa: President leaves 15,000 letters blowing in the wind By: Caitlin Ross, All Africa, February 18, 2010 Tens of thousands of letters addressed to President Jacob Zuma asking him to prioritise the fight against crime, were dumped on the steps of parliament after the presidency refused to accept them on Tuesday during his response to criticism of his state of the nation adress. http://allafrica.com/stories/201002180779.html
Kenya: Thousands protest as political crisis deepens By: The Peninsula, February 18, 2010 Kenyans yesterday marched to vent their anger at a coalition government slowly falling apart over graft allegations and its inability to further key reforms pledged two years ago. Thousands of people displaced by the violence that broke out following the disputed December 2007 elections began marching from the Rift Valley to Nairobi on Tuesday but their 200km procession was aborted. http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=World_News&subsection=Rest+of+the+World&month=February2010&file=World_News201002187716.xml
Zimbabwe: WOZA activists still in custody in Mutare By: Violet Gonda, SW Radio Africa, February 18, 2010 Police in Mutare are still holding two women from the pressure group Women of Zimbabwe Arise, for allegedly participating in a WOZA demonstration that was held in the eastern border town on Tuesday. The group said their activist remain in custody at Mutare Central Police Station even though the police have admitted that they have no evidence to charge the two women with. http://www.swradioafrica.com/news180210/woza180210.htm
Bostwana: Bushmen denied right to vote By: Survival International, February 17, 2010 Over 400 Bushmen were denied the right to vote in Botswana’s 2009 general election, with five Bushman communities inside the Central Kalahari Game Reserve omitted from the electoral register. The revelations were confirmed by the District Commissioner and are the latest in a long line of assaults against the Bushmen’s rights. http://www.survivalinternational.org/news/5557
Zimbabwe: National healing elusive, as torture bases re-emerge By: Radio VOP, February 16, 2010 The signing of the Global Political Agreement (GPA) by Zanu (PF) and two formations of the MDC last February not only brought hope but relief to many Zimbabweans who had been living in fear of their lives due to political violence. http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk/2010021628826/human-rights/national-healing-elusive-as-torture-bases-re-emerge.html
ARTICLES OF INTEREST
Human rights advocates need cross-border approaches By: Michael Allen, Democracy Digest, February 18, 2010 The world’s democracy and human rights advocates need to develop genuinely global responses and new approaches to deal with the current authoritarian offensive against fundamental freedoms of association and expression, former Czech President Vaclav Havel told a Washington meeting last night. There is a compelling moral imperative for solidarity with dissidents within totalitarian and authoritarian regimes, he said. http://www.demdigest.net/blog/democracy-assistance/human-rights-advocates-need-cross-border-approaches-to-challenge-autocratic-backlash.html
Media Watchdog appeals to UN to protect journalists By: Nikola Krastev, RFE, February 17, 2010 The Committee To Protect Journalists (CPJ) says 2009 was the deadliest year for journalists across the globe and a record year for the number of reporters arrested or detained. More than 70 journalists lost their lives in 2009 while on the job. http://www.rferl.org/content/Media_Watchdog_Appeals_To_UN_To_Protect_Journalists_/1960770.html
BOOK & FILM REVIEWS
China: Amateur short film satirizes internet censorship By: Robert Woo, Global Voices, February 17, 2010 Famous amateur film-maker, Hu Ge, has recently made a new satirical piece on the Internet censorship in China. The 7-minute piece, ‘Animal World: the Home-living Animal' is styled as an animal-planet type of documentary and has attracted hundreds of thousands of views in a matter of a few days. http://globalvoicesonline.org/2010/02/17/china-amateur-short-film-satirizes-internet-censorship/
NOTICES
Call for nominations: Rights & Democracy's John Humphrey Award 2010 By: Craig Zelizer, Peace and Collaborative Development Network, February 16, 2010 Rights & Democracy (International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development) presents the John Humphrey Award each year to an organization or individual from any region of the world for outstanding achievement in the promotion of human rights and democratic development. http://www.internationalpeaceandconflict.org/forum/topic/show?id=780588%3ATopic%3A220734&xgs=1&xg_source=msg_share_topic
Take action now By: Women for Women International, February 2010 To honor the resilience of millions of women survivors of war around the world, Women for Women International is hosting a global campaign called Join me on the Bridge on International Women's Day: March 8, 2010. On that day, we will bring women from Rwanda and Congo together in peace on a bridge between their countries to demand an end to war. http://www.womenforwomen.org/bridge/
IN PAST NEWS
Morocco taps devolution to break Sahara deadlock By: Lamine Ghamni, Kuwait Times, January 28, 2010 Plans by Morocco to devolve some power to its regions appear unlikely to convince independence campaigners in Western Sahara to accept Moroccan sovereignty over the desert territory. A decades-old dispute over Western Sahara's future is fuelling tension between Morocco and neighbour Algeria that has scuppered attempts to create an EU-style political and economic union. http://www.kuwaittimes.net/read_news.php?newsid=MTQ5NzQxNDAy
Violence and democracy in Bolivia By: Carolina Gottardo and Maria Eugenia Rojas, Open Democracy, January 26, 2010 One of the gravest challenges that women are now facing as a result of their increased participation is political gender based violence against candidates and elected women politicians. Women are often subjected to threats, attacks, intimidation physical and psychological violence and harassment by men just because they dare to speak up publicly in a patriarchal society. http://www.opendemocracy.net/5050/carolina-gottardo-maria-eugenia-rojas/violence-and-democracy-in-bolivia