Zimbabwe PM says foreign reporters allowed By: Stuff NZ, May 22, 2009 Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai said Thursday that foreign journalists are free to report in the troubled southern African nation where many have previously been banned and others arrested and harassed. The veteran opposition leader who formed a coalition with longtime President Robert Mugabe in February said continuing violations of the power-sharing deal threaten the unity government, but insisted that progress has been made. http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/2432705/Zimbabwe-PM-says-foreign-reporters-allowed
Confusion over Malawi vote count By: BBC News, May 21, 2009 One of Malawi's opposition leaders has accepted that President Bingu wa Mutharika won Tuesday's elections but another has claimed widespread rigging. Ex-President Bakili Muluzi has telephoned Mr Mutharika, with whom he has fought a bitter feud in recent years, to offer his congratulations. But Mr Muluzi's ally and main opposition presidential candidate John Tembo claims there was election fraud. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8061757.stm
Botswana: Government renews assault on Bushmen By: Survival, May 20, 2009 Botswanaís government sent trucks full of police and wildlife scouts into the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR) yesterday to confiscate goats from Bushmen who have returned to their ancestral homes. The Attorney General had promised the Bushmen that they could take their goats back to their homes in the reserve, but officials have targeted the Bushmenís small herds, apparently concerned that they do not fit in with the image of the CKGR they wish to promote. http://www.survival-international.org/news/4582
Malawi: Radio shut down and staff arrested for election coverage By: Reporters Without Borders, May 20, 2009 Reporters Without Borders expressed its concern after the closure yesterday of privately owned opposition Joy Radio and the arrest of four staff, two of them journalists, accused of breaking election rules. The director of the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA), James Chimera, ruled that satirical programme, Chilungamo Chili Kuti? (Is there any justice?), broadcast at 2am after the closure of the official election campaign, had violated the law banning endorsement or ridicule of a candidate. http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=31401
Zimbabwe: Rights lawyers and WOZA activists appear in court By: Violet Gonda, SW Radio Africa, May 19, 2009 Two human rights lawyers, Tawanda Zhuwarara and Rose Hanzi, appeared in court Tuesday to stand trial for allegedly participating in a demonstration organized by the Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA). Hanzi told SW Radio Africa that she was arraigned before the courts, together with her colleague and eight WOZA activists. They were arrested on 10th February and charged under the Criminal Law Act for participating in an illegal gathering that was bent on breaching the peace. http://www.swradioafrica.com/news190509/rights190509.htm
Zimbabwe: Lawyers march in protest over harassment By: The Zimbabwe Times, May 19, 2009 Zimbabwean lawyers on Tuesday defied a police ban and marched through the streets of Harare to protest against governmentís alleged harassment of lawyers and journalists. The march was staged around lunch time in central Harare. The lawyers had earlier met in a hotel where a decision was taken to defy a police directive to ban the march. http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=16656
In Central African Republic you pay for justice By: Human Rights Tribune, May 19, 2009 "There are no exceptions, everyone has to pay [money] for justice in this country," the senior police officer tells us flatly. Our bag has been stolen from the boot of our taxi en route to Bangui airport. Our passports and money are gone, but just to get the police to register the crime, weíre being asked to hand over the 10,000 CFA francs, or 20 US dollars. http://www.humanrights-geneva.info/In-Central-African-Republic-you,4457
Nigeria: Shell on trial - After 13 years, justice for Ken Saro-Wiwa and the Ogoni? By: Han Shan, Huffington Post, May 19, 2009 In 1990, a popular nonviolent movement for human rights and environmental justice burst forth from the Ogoni region of the Niger Delta. The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People -- 'MOSOP' -- demanded an end to the exploitation and degradation of the Ogoni land and people by the Nigerian dictatorship in partnership with the multinational oil companies, particularly Anglo-Dutch giant Royal Dutch Shell. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/han-shan/shell-on-trial-after-13-y_b_205379.html
Liberia: Rural women confront hunger gap, their own way By: Rebecca Murray, IPS, May 15, 2009 Three women walk slowly, each carrying snail shells filled with indigenous rice seed to bury in the rich soil. The women belong to a local cooperative, Women and Children Development Secretariat (WOCDES). Their day is spent in hard manual labour, hunched over and digging at the soil with small spades. Between them they plant three hectares of seed under a blazing tropical sun, stopping only for a staple meal of rice and cassava leaf. http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=46859
AMERICAS
Venezuelan police raid offices of TV executive By: Simon Romero, NY Times, May 22, 2009 Agents from the intelligence police on Thursday night raided the offices of the president of a major television network that opposes the governmentís policies, marking an aggressive turn in President Hugo Ch·vezís threat this month to take punitive action against one of his most vociferous critics in the media. The raid was captured by the cameras of the GlobovisiÛn network, as well as those of state television crews accompanying the agents, as they forced their way into the property of Guillermo Zuloaga in an exclusive district here. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/22/world/americas/22venez.html?_r=1&hp
Protests target Peru's UN mission in New York: Indigenous rights over US Free Trade Agreement By:Yahoo! News, May 22, 2009 Indigenous leaders from around the world are joined by supporters in a demonstration today at 10 am outside the Peru's Mission to the United Nations (820 2nd Ave. between 43rd and 44th), urging the Alan Garcia Government to respect indigenous peoples' rights and repeal a series of new laws passed under the pretext of implementing the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United States. More than a hundred indigenous leaders in traditional dress will take part in a colorful demonstration in solidarity with some 30,000 indigenous people in Peru who have been peacefully demonstrating since April 9 http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnw/20090522/pl_usnw/protests_target_peru_s_un_mission_in_new_york__indigenous_rights_over_us_free_trade_agreement
Peru's Garcia tussles with tribes over land rights By: Terry Wade, STV News, May 21, 2009 Peruvian President Alan Garcia's push to lure foreign investors to the Amazon basin has run into homegrown opposition, with indigenous leaders saying he has disregarded a U.N. declaration that protects their rights to control land and natural resources. Thousands of indigenous people have protested in Peru's Amazon for much of the past 40 days, hoping to pressure Garcia to modify or strike down a series of laws he passed last year that encourage oil, mining and agricultural companies to invest billions of dollars in the mostly pristine region. http://news.stv.tv/environment/97968-perus-garcia-tussles-with-tribes-over-land-rights/
Mexico: National network of civil resistance against the high prices of electricity By: SIPAZ Blog, May 21, 2009 On May 16 and 17, a meeting of organizations from 7 Mexican states took place in order to organize a National Network of Civil Resistance against the High Prices of Electricity. This meeting took place in CIDECI- University of the Earth in San CristÛbal de Las Casas, Chiapas, and representatives of 20 organizations attended in order to organize a united front against the privatization and high prices of electricity. http://sipazen.wordpress.com/2009/05/20/chiapas-national-network-of-civil-resistance-against-the-high-prices-of-electricity-is-formed/
Venezuela: Disloyalty is costly for Hugo Ch·vez backers By: Phil Gunson, Miami Herald, May 21, 2009 Just six months ago, Eduardo Manuitt was governor of the Venezuelan plains state of Gu·rico. Now he is in hiding, after a court ordered his arrest on corruption charges. His case recalls that of Manuel Rosales, the opposition mayor of the country's second city, Maracaibo, who sought asylum in Peru last month, alleging political persecution. But unlike Rosales, who is also accused of corruption, Manuitt was a prominent supporter of the leftist 'revolution' led by President Hugo Ch·vez. http://www.miamiherald.com/news/americas/story/1058397.html
Anti-Chavez students protest in Venezuela By: Fabiola Sanchez, AP, May 21, 2009 Thousands of university students marched through Venezuela's capital on Wednesday demanding more state financial aid for public universities after President Hugo Chavez's government reduced funding by 6 percent. The crowd ó comprising thousands of students, professors and university workers ó chanted anti-Chavez slogans as they marched toward Venezuela's education ministry, where they raised their concerns with Higher Education Minister Luis Acuna. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hwv616w4ajbvetkkxrYWbMRXH3lQD98A8FF80
Guatemalan president accused of orchestrating murder By: Ezra Fieser and Sara Miller Llana, Miami Herald, May 21, 2009 The scandal surrounding accusations that Guatemala's president orchestrated the murder of a prominent lawyer is intensifying. Tens of thousands of Guatemalans have taken to the streets since a video emerged in which Rodrigo Rosenberg, the lawyer, accused Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom and three others of murder and corruption. On Monday, they presented a petition to Congress signed by more than 35,000 Guatemalans that calls for Congress to strip Colom of his prosecutorial immunity. http://www.miamiherald.com/news/americas/AP/story/1059061.html
Ecuador: The legacy of indigenous leader Mama Tr·nsito By: Milton Ramirez, Global Voices, May 19, 2009 Indigenous communities, civil rights activists, and other Ecuadorians are mourning the passing of one of its social leaders, Rosa Elena Tr·nsito AmaguaÒa. As a ìCreator of a new Ecuador,î she was one of the fundamental pillars of the Ecuadorian Indigenous Movement, alongside Dolores Cacuango, also known as Mama Dulu, and the writer Nela MartÌnez. http://globalvoicesonline.org/2009/05/19/ecuador-the-legacy-of-indigenous-leader-mama-transito/
Mexico: Actions strengthen against mining in Oaxaca By: Nancy Davies, Narco News Bulletin, May 19, 2009 ìMexicans are screwed,î asserted Juan Carlos Ruiz Guadalajara of the Broad Opposition Front (Frente Amplio Opositor) of San Luis Potosi. He participated, along with representatives of other organizations, at the second forum For Life We Defend Our Mother Earth, convened in Ocotl·n by the Committee for Rights of the People (CODEP), on May 16 and 17, 2009. Ruiz advised the people of Ocotl·n not to rely on the non-functional Mexican law but to go for direct action. His warning to the activists of Oaxaca did not fall on deaf ears; Oaxaca has been targeted for 13 different mining projects. http://www.narconews.com/Issue57/article3537.html
ASIA/ SOUTH ASIA
China: A turmoil triggered by t-shirt By: Bob Chen, Global Voices, May 22, 2009 Lawyer Liu Shihui's T-shirt, on which a quote is printed, seems to have the power to attract police and disturb the social order. Below is a partial translation of Liu's blog entry about his experience in Guangzhou. http://globalvoicesonline.org/2009/05/22/china-a-turmoil-triggered-by-t-shirt/
Chinese tell of Tibet failures By: John Garnaut, The Age, May 22, 2009 Last year's Tibetan uprising was caused by two decades of failed development policies that marginalised Tibetans and created a "new aristocracy" of corrupt and abusive government officials, Beijing scholars say. Their report describes how Beijing's efforts to pour rivers of money into Tibet since 1989 to ensure "stability" have been spectacularly counter-productive. http://www.theage.com.au/world/chinese-tell-of-tibet-failures-20090521-bh1x.html
US warning fails to keep Suu Kyi trial open By: The Age, May 22, 2009 Burma's military junta has put the trial of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi back behind closed doors, after allowing diplomats and journalists to attend the hearing for just one day. The regime had opened up the proceedings at Insein Prison near Rangoon on Wednesday in an apparent concession to fierce international criticism of the charges against the Nobel peace prize winner. http://www.theage.com.au/world/us-warning-fails-to-keep-suu-kyi-trial-open-20090521-bh1y.html
Diplomats barred from Burma trial By: BBC News, May 21, 2009 Burmese authorities have barred international observers from the trial of Aung San Suu Kyi, a day after allowing them to attend. The government opened proceedings to diplomats and journalists on Wednesday, in an apparent response to criticism. But a Burmese official said that the move had been "only for one day". http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8060715.stm
Burma: 'Crackling with energy', Suu Kyi finally emerges into the light By: Phoebe Kennedy, Independent UK, May 21, 2009 After nearly six years hidden from sight, suddenly yesterday Aung San Suu Kyi was back on public view ñ tranquil, composed, yet "crackling with energy." Until yesterday Burma's democracy leader was being tried in secret, somewhere deep inside Rangoon's Insein prison. Then without warning or explanation, the generals threw open the doors of the court to diplomats and even a handful of (local) journalists. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/crackling-with-energy-suu-kyi-finally-emerges-into-the-light-1688619.html
Burma junta bars media and diplomats from Aung San Suu Kyi trial again By: Matthew Weaver, Guardian UK, May 21, 2009 Burma's ruling military junta today went back to barring the media and diplomats from the trial of the opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi after she appeared in public yesterday for the first time in more than a year. Suu Kyi is accused of breaking the terms of her house arrest by allowing an American visitor, John Yettaw, to stay at her home without permission after he swam across a lake to visit her home uninvited. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/may/21/suu-kyi-trial-closed-again
China arrests eleven Tibetans By: Secret Tibet, May 21, 2009 Chinese authorities arrested eleven Tibetan villagers from eastern Tibet. Among the incarcerated were Rinchen Dorjee and Choesang, who were transported to Chamdho Town on account of their alleged involvement in a serious crime. The remaining detainees were imprisoned in Jodha County for ceasing all farming efforts in the village as a show of solidarity with the peaceful protesters called 'earth mouse and ox year's peaceful march' and escaping to the hills on the pretext of collecting a medicinal plant. http://secrettibet.rsfblog.org/archive/2009/05/21/china-arrests-eleven-tibetans-in-dege-county-eastern-tibet.html
Tiananmen now seems distant to Chinaís students By: Sharon LaFraniere, NY Times, May 21, 2009 On April 30, the cellphones of the 32,630 students at Peking University, buzzed with a text message from the school administration. It warned students to ìpay attention to your speech and behaviorî on Youth Day because of a ìparticularly complexî situation. Most students appear to accept it. For 20 years, Chinaís government has made it abundantly clear that students and professors should stick to the books and stay out of the streets. Students today describe 1989 as almost a historical blip, a moment too extreme and traumatic ever to repeat. But whether democracy still inspires them is a more complex question. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/22/world/asia/22tiananmen.html?_r=1&ref=asia
Tiananmen dissident calls for 'white China' day By: AFP, May 21, 2009 Wang Dan, a key figure in the 1989 pro-democracy protests in China, said Thursday he hoped the nation would be "covered in white" to mark the anniversary of the bloody Tiananmen crackdown. "That means we appeal to Chinese people to wear white clothes (the colour of mourning in China) on June 4 to remember June 4, and we hope that on that day, we can witness a China covered in white," he explained. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gBIqr8yg3hS0eokd-COcFKjlJcIw
Maldives: Ex-president's son submits witness statements to court By: Minivan News, May 21, 2009 Former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoomís son, Mohamed Gassan Maumoon, submitted witness statements to High Court today to support his claim that the vote in the recent parliamentary elections had been rigged against him. Gassan, a member of the main opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), filed his case in court last week, appealing for the annulment of the elections result for Thaa atoll Thimarafushi constituency, where he contested. http://www.minivannews.com/news_detail.php?id=6558
Maldives: HRCM calls on members to work for the benefit of the people By: The Maldives Chronicle, May 21, 2009 The Human Rights Commission of Maldives (HRCM) has called on the newly elected members of the Peoples Majlis to work with government for the benefit of the people and the country. HRCM made the call in a statement issued on Tuesday. Affirming its trust in the new Majlis, HRCM said that it was confident that the new members of parliament will follow the ideals of democracy and work for the welfare of the people and the interests of the country, in making important decisions and in approving new legislature, and thereby ensure the rights and freedoms set forth in the Constitution. http://www.maldiveschronicle.com/calls-members-benefit-people/
Maldives: The first free parliamentary election By: Saffah Faroog, Global Voices, May 20, 2009 The Maldives has witnessed significant political changes in the last five years: introduction of political parties in 2005; ratification of an amended constitution in August 2008; and the first multi-party election held in October 2008 which brought a democratic government. Hence, the parliamentary election held on May 9 was crucial as the new parliament will be entrusted with the task of passing key laws that will be a milestone in the countryís transition to democracy. http://globalvoicesonline.org/2009/05/20/maldives-first-free-parliamentary-election/
Thailand: Internet censorship to be followed by censorship of radio and TV By: Reporters Without Borders, May 20, 2009 Reporters Without Borders is alarmed by a government announcement on 14 May that it will introduce new regulations for community radio stations and cable and satellite TV stations aimed at controlling programme content. Broadcasters would be required to seek permission for each programme being aired, the government said. ìThe adoption of these regulations would deal a fatal blow to free expression in Thailand, which is already heavily restricted on the Internet,î Reporters Without Borders said. http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=46903
Interview: The lost voices of Tiananmen - Part one By: BBC World Service, May 20, 2009 James Miles has a unique insight into the way China works based on over 20 years' experience as a correspondent there. He was an eye-witness to the events leading up to the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989 and saw scenes of bravery and brutality. James looks at the key trigger points that led to the Beijing Spring - a flowering of the pro-democracy movement which culminated in over a million anti-government protesters gathering in Tiananmen Square. http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/documentaries/2009/05/090519_lostvoices_tiananmen_one.shtml
China: Wrongly-jailed blogger fights for justice By: Cai Ke, China Daily, May 20, 2009 A netizen was wrongly jailed for lying and slander after his online writings exposed an allegedly fraudulent village election. Shi Xizhao was later cleared and offered compensation and an apology after he drew attention to his plight through association with well-known blogger Wang Shuai, who has also falsely imprisoned for speaking out against the government. Shi, who was standing as a candidate for village committee head but lost out to a rival, said he has strong evidence that the poll was rigged. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2009-05/20/content_7793902.htm
China: Yunan web moderators' disobedient act By: Oiwan Lam, Global Voices, May 20, 2009 In order to control online content and channel public opinion, local information ministry and propaganda department give daily instructions to webmasters and moderators of forums and portal websites to promote certain news and to delete certain posts. Recently, a number of forum moderators and webmasters from Yunnan province jointly refused to carry out the instruction issued by police department to delete a post concerning a car accident on 25th of April which resulted in 22 deaths. http://advocacy.globalvoicesonline.org/2009/05/20/china-yunan-web-moderators-disobedient-act/
China: Eastern China authorities downplay student protest By: Christopher Bodeen, AP, May 20, 2009 Authorities in eastern China downplayed Wednesday a reported outbreak of university unrest just weeks ahead of a highly sensitive political anniversary. Hundreds of students are reported to have protested in the streets of the eastern city of Nanjing following an incident Monday night in which government security guards enforcing restrictions on peddling allegedly attacked classmates who set up sidewalk stalls. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g3l0pWieTFdryerROspvg8R1RuCgD989QB7O1
China: The democracy movement since 1989 By: Oiwan Lam, Global Voices, May 19, 2009 During the last mother's Day weekend on May 10th, a number of intellectuals in Beijing organized a seminar discussing 20 years of the democracy movement in China. This is a very significant event in breaking the long silence among intellectuals on the June 4th student movement, as well as in countering the official position on the incident as a ëriot.í The speeches at the conference were published online in the past few days via China in Perspective. http://globalvoicesonline.org/2009/05/19/china-the-democracy-movement-since-1989/
China releases last Tiananmen 'hooligan' By: AFP, May 19, 2009 The last known prisoner incarcerated for "hooliganism" during China's 1989 Tiananmen democracy movement has been released after nearly 20 years in jail, a US-based rights group said. But up to 30 people imprisoned as a result of the protests and the subsequent bloody crackdown remain in jail on other charges, including counter-revolutionary crimes, the Dui Hua foundation said. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jurVCriM4OXhTS-lIREWJnsPp19w
Chinese lawyers beaten in Chongqing; Colleagues protest in Beijing By: Sophie Beach, China Digital Times, May 18, 2009 A group of lawyers gathered in Beijing for a legal seminar held a protest against the beating of two of their colleagues in Chongqing, according to this report from Ming Pao. The protesting lawyers called for an investigation into the incident and for protection of lawyersí rights. Zhang Kai and Li Chunfu, lawyers for Beijing law firms, were investigating the suspicious death of a detainee at a facility in Chongqing on behalf of the family of the deceased. http://chinadigitaltimes.net/2009/05/lawyers-beaten-in-chongqing-colleagues-protest-in-beijing/
Interview: Can the internet bring democracy to China? By: Jayshree Bajoria, Council on Foreign Relations, May 18, 2009 China has the largest number of Internet users in the world--300 million, or roughly the population of the United States. China's blossoming online political dialogue, some of which includes the country's political leaders, has prompted questions about whether the Internet could lead to a political revolution. At the same time, however, Beijing continues to employ various forms of online censorship and surveillance. http://www.cfr.org/publication/19385/can_the_internet_bring_democracy_to_china.html
Vietnam: Editor fired over ësensitiveí articles By: Radio Free Asia, May 15, 2009 Deputy Editor in chief of Vietnamís Du Lich (Tourism) newspaper was fired from his job on May 12 and had his press card withdrawn for writing articles critical of Chinese influence on Vietnam. Vietnamís Ministry of Information and Communication said Nguyen Trung Dan, 53, had published the ësensitiveí articles in the publicationís Lunar New Year issue earlier this year against government directives. http://www.rfa.org/english/news/vietnam/editorfired-05152009183717.html
China: Economist speaks out again By: Radio Free Asia, May 12, 2009 A prominent economist from China's mainly Muslim Uyghur ethnic minority has called on authorities to ease curbs on free expression and foster greater economic opportunity for Uyghurs in their native Xinjiang region, where poverty and joblessness are commonplace. Ilham Tohti, an economics professor at the Central Nationalities University in Beijing, said he was interrogated repeatedly and accused of separatism after he spoke out in March against Chinese policies in Xinjiang. http://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/uyghureconomist-05122009125939.html
CENTRAL ASIA
Tajikistan's President: No photos, please By: John Wendle, Time, May 22, 2009 Across Central Asia, they are a common sight: portraits glorifying each nation's leader. Rising above the people on roadside billboards and taking pride of place on the walls of local government offices, visual tributes to the region's sitting presidents outnumber internet cafes, independent newspapers and working bank machines. But Tajikistan President Emomali Rakhmon aims to change all that. He has issued a decree that all portraits depicting him with local politicians are to be torn down immediately. http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1900448,00.html?xid=rss-world
Kazakhstan warns media over president By: Isabel Gorst, Financial Times, May 20, 2009 Kazakhstan warned on Wednesday it would prosecute local media found advertising a new publication that paints Nursultan Nazarbayev, the president of the oil-rich central Asian country, in an unflattering light. The book, entitled ìThe Godfather-in-Lawî and published in Germany last week is the work of Rakhat Aliev, the ex-husband of Mr Nazarbayevís daughter Dariga Nazarbayeva. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/64b87148-455e-11de-b6c8-00144feabdc0.html?nclick_check=1
Kyrgyz opposition leader quits presidential race By: RFE/RL, May 19, 2009 Former Defense Minister Ismail Isakov has announced that he is withdrawing from Kyrgyzstan's presidential election to improve the chances of another opposition candidate, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reports. General Isakov said in Bishkek that he decided to withdraw in order to give his support to the main opposition candidate, Almazbek Atambaev. http://www.rferl.org/content/Kyrgyz_Opposition_Leader_Quits_Presidential_Race/1735197.html
Tajik court sentences seven Hizb ut-Tahrir activists to jail By: RFE/RL, May 16, 2009 Seven activists of the Hizb ut-Tahrir religious group have been sentenced to prison in the northern Tajik region of Soghd, RFE/RL's Tajik Service reports. They are accused of belonging to an illegal group and for calling for the overthrow of the government. The court in the city of Khujand sentenced the men to prison terms ranging from three years and seven months to nine years and seven months. http://www.rferl.org/content/Tajik_Court_Sentences_Seven_Hizbut_Tahrir_Activists_To_Jail/1733104.html
Uzbeks say officials targeting relatives of Andijon witnesses with torture, killings By: RFE/RL, May 15, 2009 The leader of a group established by Uzbek refugees to focus attention on the 2005 Andijon massacre has accused Uzbek officials of the systematic use of detention, torture, and killing in an effort to silence witnesses of the bloodshed four years ago. The leader of the group Andijon -- Justice and Resurrection, Nurillo Maqsudov, told RFE/RL's Uzbek Service that four of his relatives died in Uzbek jails last year. He said their bodies showed clear signs of torture when they were returned for burial. http://www.rferl.org/content/Uzbeks_Say_Officials_Targeting_Relatives_Of_Andijon_Witnesses_With_Torture_Killings/1732500.html
EUROPE
Russia: Activist detained after urging Tatarstan's independence By: RFE/RL, May 21, 2009 An investigation has been launched against a prominent Tatar activist in the city of Chally, RFE/RL's Tatar-Bashkir Service reports. Fauzia Bayramova -- the leader of the self-proclaimed Milli Mejilis, a pan-Tatar parliament -- was brought to police on her arrival from Turkey on May 20. She told RFE/RL that police asked her to sign a written pledge not to leave the city. http://www.rferl.org/archive/Watchdog/latest/646/646.html
Russian flight attendants continue hunger strike By: RFE/RL, May 21, 2009 Flight attendants at KrasAir (Krasnoyarsk Airlines) in Siberia are continuing a hunger strike to demand their unpaid salaries, RFE/RL's Russian Service reports. KrasAir trade union chief Yury Zandarian said one of the hunger strikers was hospitalized on May 20 due to poor health. She is the second of 17 flight attendants forced to end her hunger strike due to poor health. The hunger strike began on May 14. http://www.rferl.org/content/Russian_Flight_Attendants_Continue_Hunger_Strike/1736404.html
Gurkhas allowed to settle in UK By: Al Jazeera, May 21, 2009 The British government has granted Gurkha veterans the right to settle in the UK, following a campaign by the Nepalese fighters headed by a UK actress. Gurkhas and campaigners cheered outside the UK parliament after the announcement was made by Jacqui Smith, Britain's home secretary. The British government had previously sparked outrage among camaigners by saying it would only allow 4,300 of 36,000 soldiers who served with the British Army before 1997 to settle in the UK. http://english.aljazeera.net/news/europe/2009/05/200952112196167903.html
MIDDLE EAST/ NORTH AFRICA
Palestinians protest annexation of East Jerusalem By: International Solidarity Movement, May 22, 2009 On Thursday 21st of May, a group Israeli and International activists staged a protest contesting the celebration of Jerusalem day, which marks Israelís annexation of East Jerusalem in 1967. Activists held placards showing support for the persecuted Palestinian population of occupied East Jerusalem as right-wing Israelis marched by on their route from the West to the East of the city. The protest caused anger amongst the marchers and they repeatedly attempted to take the banners and rip them. The police arrived and forced the protest back, and away from the march, by physically pushing the activists. http://palsolidarity.org/2009/05/6774
Iran: In presidential race, ex-revolutionary guard leader uses internet least By: Hamid Tehrani, Global Voices, May 21, 2009 Iran's Guardian Council on Wednesday approved four candidates for the June 12 presidential election. The four lucky finalists who were chosen from hundreds of registered candidates, are current President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, former Prime Minister Mir-Hossein Mousavi, ex-parliamentary speaker Mehdi Karroubi and the former head of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, Mohsen Rezai. Mohsen Rezai and his supporters are using the internet to promote their campaign, but their digital strategy is relatively weak compared to their three rivals, and they do not list as many supporting bloggers. http://globalvoicesonline.org/2009/05/21/iran-in-presidential-race-ex-revolutionary-guard-leader-uses-internet-least/
Iran: Yas Nou newspaper was banned after publication of first issue By: Iran Human Rights Voice, May 20, 2009 The management of the press oversight committee sent a letter to Mohammad Naimi and ordered him to shut the paper Yas Nou after the publication of its first issue last Saturday. According to the writers in the paper and the publishers of Norooz website, while the second issue of Yas Nou had been prepared and sent to printing, the oversight committee issued the order and, using a number of guards, stopped the printing of the second issue. http://www.ihrv.org/inf/?p=2336
Iran: Widespread summoning of university students before disciplinary committee after holding a tribunal ìfor freedomî By: Iran Human Rights Voice, May 20, 2009 A large student gathering and open tribunal ìFor Freedomî was held on the campus of the Polytechnic University on Monday, May 11. One day after the gathering the university disciplinary board began summoning students in large groups. Last week, more than 10 students were called to appear before the disciplinary board. http://www.ihrv.org/inf/?p=2328
Freedom House report: Iran freedom on the net By: Internet Freedom Blog, May 20, 2009 Although Iranians are active readers and producers of online content, the Iranian regime wields one of the worldís most sophisticated apparatuses for controlling the internet and other digital technologies. The governmentís censorship of the medium did not begin until 2001, but users today operate in an environment that features filtering of contentóparticularly domestically produced political news and analysisótogether with intimidation, detention, and torture of bloggers, online journalists, and cyberactivists. http://freedom4internet.blogspot.com/2009/05/iran-igif-2009.html
Dissident writer Michel Kilo freed in Syria By: BBC News, May 20, 2009 Syrian writer and pro-democracy campaigner Michel Kilo has been released from prison after serving a three-year sentence. He was convicted of weakening national sentiment and encouraging sectarian strife after he joined calls for Syria to recognise Lebanon's independence. Rights groups branded the sentence as political in order to silence dissent. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8060073.stm
Iran approves main presidential candidates By: BBC News, May 20, 2009 Iran's electoral council has approved the four main candidates for the 12 June presidential poll, reports say. They include President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who is seeking a second term in office, the semi-official Mehr news agency said. Two leading reformists have also had their qualifications approved - former Prime Minister Mir-Hossein Mousavi and ex-parliament speaker Mehdi Karoubi. Former Revolutionary Guards chief, Mohsen Rezai, can also run. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8058884.stm
Iranian filmmaker's pain over 'fiancee' Saberi's time in jail By: Mairi Mackay, CNN, May 19, 2009 As award-winning Iranian film-maker Bahman Ghobadi walked down the Cannes red carpet for the premiere of his new feature Thursday, the real star of the show was conspicuously absent. American-Iranian journalist Roxana Saberi, credited as co-writer and executive producer of the faux-documentary "No One Knows about Persian Cats," was still in Iran, having been released from jail only days earlier. http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Movies/05/18/roxana.saberi.ghobadi/index.html
When the pain hits home - Tristan Anderson shot at Palestine wall protest By: Infoshop News, May 19, 2009 Oakland, California is ground zero for many members of the Slingshot collective, but on March 13, Oakland felt like a distant outpost, really far away from Ni'ilin, in the West Bank, where our friend Tristan Anderson, who also lives in Oakland, was struck in the forehead and almost killed by a high-velocity tear gas grenade. Suddenly the Israel/Palestine conflict had new shades and hues, new depth and angles, wrought by personal connection and pain. http://news.infoshop.org/article.php?story=20090519115232251
Egypt: A blogger is behind bars because of ìexploiting the democratic climateî By: Noha Atef, Global Voices, May 17, 2009 After being detained for 15 days under investigation, the Egyptian blogger Ahmed Mohsen is to still imprisoned, as he is accused of ìExploiting the democratic climate to overthrow the governmentî Mohsen was arrested on April 29th, 2009, after a State Security force broke into his house in Fayoum govern-ate (North) and searched it. As Mohsen was already moved to Upper Egypt, a police officer summoned him to the prosecution office in Fayoum. http://advocacy.globalvoicesonline.org/2009/05/17/egypt-a-blogger-is-behind-bars-because-of-exploiting-the-democratic-climate/
OCEANIA
Fiji: Police detain, seize laptops of three suspected bloggers By: Michael Hartsell, Global Voices, May 22, 2009 Police in Fiji detained three local lawyers and seized their laptops, supposedly because of a possible connection to a popular anti-government blog. The lawyers, Richard Naidu, Jon Apted and Tevita Fa were taken into custody Tuesday, May 19, held for a few hours and then released. Police admit the three were detained, but would not provide a reason why. http://globalvoicesonline.org/2009/05/22/fiji-police-detain-seize-laptops-of-three-suspected-bloggers/
Military regime in Fiji detains leading lawyers By: Chris Merritt, The Australian, May 22, 2009 Three of Fiji's most prominent lawyers were detained by military authorities on Tuesday, accused of contributing to an anti-government blog. The lawyers are Richard Naidu, managing partner of law firm Munro Leys; John Apted, a partner at the firm; and solicitor Tevita Fa, legal adviser to ousted prime minister Laisenia Qarase. The action was taken after Mr Naidu and Mr Apted were denounced in pro-government blog Real Fiji News as suspected contributors to anti-government blog Raw Fiji News. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/business/story/0,28124,25518158-36418,00.html
ARTICLES OF INTEREST
Foreign policy: Brave new world of slacktivism By: Evgeny Morozov, NPR, May 19, 2009 "Slacktivism" is an apt term to describe feel-good online activism that has zero political or social impact. It gives those who participate in "slacktivist" campaigns an illusion of having a meaningful impact on the world without demanding anything more than joining a Facebook group. Remember that online petition that you signed and forwarded to your entire contacts list? That was probably an act of slacktivism... http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104302141&sc=fb&cc=fp
10 ways to change the world through social media By: Max Gladwell, Social Media and Green Living, May 12, 2009 For most of us, social media has changed our lives in some meaningful way. Collectively it is changing the world for good. Given the pace of innovation and adoption, change has become a constant. Every so often we find the need to stop and reflect on its most recent and noteworthy developments, hence the following list. Please note this is not a top-10 list, nor are these listed in any particular order. http://www.maxgladwell.com/2009/05/10-ways-change-world-social-media/
IN OTHER LANGUAGES
Chili: Coup de thÈ‚tre dans la course ‡ la prÈsidence By: Courrier International, May 20, 2009 La campagne Èlectorale chilienne [pour la prÈsidentielle, qui aura lieu le 11 dÈcembre prochain] a pris un tour inattendu avec líentrÈe en lice díun nouveau candidat pour la gauche, Marco EnrÌquez Ominami. Selon une enquÍte rÈalisÈe par TNS/Time, ce dÈputÈ socialiste de 35 ans, cinÈaste de profession et fils díun guÈrillero emblÈmatique assassinÈ sous la dictature díAugusto Pinochet, recueille 14 % des intentions de vote. Il Èbranlerait dÈj‡ la coalition de centre gauche [qui gouverne depuis 1990]. http://www.courrierinternational.com/article/2009/05/20/coup-de-theatre-dans-la-course-a-la-presidence
Chine: 727 morts ‡ Tianíanmen selon un ancien de l'agence Xinhua By: Courrier International, May 20, 2009 Líancien chef des informations nationales de líagence Xinhua, Zhang Wanshu, a publiÈ, le 20 mai ‡ Hong Kong, un livre sur les ÈvÈnements de Tianíanmen, s'appuyant sur les informations dont il disposait ‡ líÈpoque. AprËs les mÈmoires de líancien secrÈtaire gÈnÈral du Parti, Zhao Ziyang, cíest le deuxiËme document díimportance qui apporte des rÈvÈlations de líintÈrieur des arcanes du Parti sur les ÈvÈnements qui ont eu lieu le 4 juin 1989. http://www.courrierinternational.com/breve/2009/05/20/727-morts-a-tian-anmen-selon-un-ancien-de-l-agence-xinhua
Madagascar: Marc Ravalomanana fait sa communication sur YouTube By: Jeune Afrique, May 20, 2009 Le prÈsident ÈvincÈ de Madagascar, Marc Ravalomanana, qui vit en exil en Afrique du Sud, a choisi le site internet YouTube pour appeler ses compatriotes et la communautÈ internationale ‡ "mettre fin au rÈgime putschiste" dans son pays. "Je demande ‡ la communautÈ internationale de redoubler d'efforts et de continuer ‡ travailler avec le peuple malgache pour mettre fin ‡ ce rÈgime putschiste", dÈclare M. Ravalomanana, filmÈ en plan rapprochÈ ‡ cÙtÈ d'un drapeau malgache. http://www.jeuneafrique.com/Article/DEPAFP20090520T111006Z/-Internet-Marc-Ravalomanana-Andry-Rajoelina-YouTube-Marc-Ravalomanana-fait-sa-communication-sur-YouTube.html
NOTICES
Fellowships for threatened academics: Professors, researchers and lecturers By: Craig Zelizer, Peace and Collaborative Development Network, deadline June 15, 2009 The Institute of International Education's Scholar Rescue Fund (SRF) provides fellowships for established scholars whose lives and work are threatened in their home countries. These fellowships permit professors, researchers and other senior academics to find temporary refuge at universities and colleges anywhere in the world, enabling them to pursue their academic work and to continue to share their knowledge with students, colleagues, and the community at large. http://www.internationalpeaceandconflict.org/forum/topic/show?id=780588%3ATopic%3A143103&xgs=1
Burma: Aung San Suu Kyi on Trial - Take action today By: Margaret Howe, Clear View Project, May 20, 2009 Dear friends of Burma, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's legal situation remains critical. Her 3rd day of trial ended today, and the case continues all week. In May, Suu's doctors became seriously concerned about her health, and now she is confined in one of the world's notorious prisons. But she remains the peaceful warrior she has always been. We suggest these actions to help secure her freedom. Write to Senior General Than Shwe about Suu Kyi's arrest http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/index.aspx?c=jhKPIXPCIoE&b=2590179&template=x.ascx&action=11134&ICID=I0905A01&tr=y&auid= Follow the link to sign the petition, to ensure that Aung San Suu Kyi and all political prisoners are freed. Burmese activists will present the global petition to the media on May 26th http://www.avaaz.org/en/free_aung_san_suu_kyi/?cl=236901994&v=3318