Stories about Governance from December, 2013
The State Of Freedom Of Religion in Maldives
The Maldives ranks high on the list of governments that restrict religious freedom. Maldivian citizens have to be Muslim and cannot practice any religion other than Islam. Non-Muslim foreigners cannot vote, worship publicly, obtain citizenship, and hold public positions. Journalist Hilath Rasheed notes that Maldives perhaps will not be able...
South Korean Education Ministry Discourages Students’ Poster Movement
As South Korean university students’ ‘We Are Not Fine!’ poster movement spreads like wildfire across the country, even up to the point of motivating high, junior high and elementary students [ko] to write their own, the Ministry of Education has given notice to schools to control students’ poster-making in order...
Without Regulation, India's Domestic Workers Face Low Pay and Other Abuses
The dramatic arrest of India's deputy consul in New York Devyani Khobragade on charges of visa fraud for overstating the wages of her housekeeper has renewed concern for domestic workers.
Coup Attempt? Ethnic Conflict? Figuring Out the Crisis in South Sudan
Political strife and 500 civilians already reported dead: what, exactly, is behind the current crisis in the world's newest nation?
Photos of Mass Candlelight Rallies in South Korea
By holding candlelight rallies across the country, frustrated South Koreans have voiced flooding concerns over current political developments and series of scandals, including the snowballing election manipulation allegations. @Emfla505 tweeted [ko] this stunning photo of protest in Seoul (below) and WikiTree.com site gathered more photos of rallies on December 19. 오늘 서울시청 광장입니다! 민노총의 깃발이 빠져 나가고...
Japan's Open Data Catalog Launches Beta Version
Data.go.jp, a website that aggregates publicly available data by Ministries and Agencies of the Japanese government, launched its Beta version on December 20, 2013. Datasets by 21 governmental organizations and 567 groups are available under Creative Commons License Attribution 2.1 Japan detailed in the Terms of Use. This comes as a...
Bangladesh-Pakistan Relations Sour Over Islamist Leader's War Crimes Execution
Pakistan's lower house adopted a resolution expressing concern over the hanging of Abdul Quader Mollah, and some claimed that the real reason for his execution was his “loyalty to Pakistan”.
Ukrainian Netizens Draft A Digital #Euromaidan Manifesto
As Euromaidan protests in Ukraine enter their second month, Ukrainian social media users have started circulating a Digital Euromaidan Manifesto [uk] drafted by their fellow netizens. Below is the English translation of the full original statement: Digital Euromaidan Manifesto We, the Ukrainian Internet users united by Euromaidan principles of non-violent...
China: Online Annihilation of Dissent
China Media Project translated veteran journalist and former Southern Weekly commentator Xiao Shu's comment on the Chinese authorities’ online annihilation tactics against Chinese liberal opinion leaders: In early August this year I was abducted by state security police. Under orders to bring me in for questioning, state security from Guangzhou...
Indian Diplomat Devyani Khobragade's Arrest, Strip Search Earn Apology from US
US Secretary of State John Kerry reportedly expressed regret in a phone call to India's National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon over how the arrest of Devyani Khobragade was handled.
Mexico's Congress Approves Energy Reform Bill Ending State Oil Monopoly
Mexico's Senate approves an energy reform bill that will end a 75-year state oil monopoly and open the door to private national and international investment.
The Economics of Ukraine's #Euromaidan [INFOGRAPHIC]
A Ukrainian news portal specializing in data visualization, Newsplot.org [ru], has published an infographic [ru] outlining the costs and necessities of the Euromaidan protests in Kyiv:
Aam Admi Party Emerges As A Cleaner Option In Indian Politics
The new political party led by anti-corruption crusader Arvind Kejriwal is making waves in Indian political arena after it emerged as the second largest party in Delhi Assembly Polls.
New Website Collects Reports and Data About Bribes in Hungary
Hungary, like many other countries in the region, has an on-going corruption problem on almost every level of governance. A new project created by investigative website Átlátszó.hu and Transparency International, Fizettem.hu, has taken on the task of collecting reports from citizens about cases of bribery and corruption in the country....
With No Easy Access to Medicine, Iranians Suffer Sanctions
Even after the lifting of some sanctions, Iranians still have difficulty acquiring the medicines they need to thrive or survive.
Bulgaria Marks Six Months of Continued Protests
December 14, 2013, marked six months of anti-government protests in Bulgaria, where protesters still gather daily in Sofia and other cities, demanding the resignation of the current government, led by the Socialist Party. After the previous government stepped down after similar protests in February 2013, the new government, elected in...
Russia's Government Might Block Websites for Calls to Unsanctioned Rallies
The Russian parliament will soon vote on a law that would empower the Prosecutor General’s office to close any website that hosts content encouraging people to attend unsanctioned rallies.
Russia's Year of Pogroms
2013 has been a particularly virulent year for race violence in Russia. The most recent incident, which took place this past weekend in the city of Arzamas was no different.
Abducted a Year Ago, Sombath Somphone Case Highlights Human Rights Abuses in Laos
Sombath Somphone, an NGO leader and educator, remains missing a year after he was abducted in Laos. His case puts a spotlight on other enforced disappearances in Laos
Jakarta Hotline for Victims of Sexual Violence
Jakarta has launched an emergency hotline to help women victims of sexual violence. The initiative is linked to the website developed by the National Commission on Violence Against Women to “make it easier for authorities to protect victims and bring perpetrators to justice.” Last year, there were more than 200,000...
Citizens Complain Against Bad Roads in Brunei
Teah criticized the slow action of the Brunei government in fixing bad roads and how road repairs are usually done when foreign dignitaries are visiting the country To fix an area to impress foreigners is crucial, I think, but what's even more important is the fact that citizens who have...
