Stories about History from December, 2012
Cambodia: Major Events of 2012
Albeiro Rodas reviews the major events and issues in Cambodia in the year 2012. He mentions the passing away of King Norodom Sihanouk as the most important event in Cambodia in the past year.
Cambodia: Timeline of Human Rights Violations
Sithi provides a timeline of human rights violations in Cambodia from 1993 up to the present. This documentation project also highlights the rise of human right abuses involving land ownership.
A Memorable 2012 for Myanmar
Burma has experienced a lot of political and social turbulence throughout the past year. Like a dilapidated taxi driving in torrential rain, the country is still moving forward but things looks risky. We can only hope that 2013 sees better weather ahead. Writing for The Irrawaddy, Kyaw Zwa Moe reviews...
Looking Back at 2012 in South Asia – Part I
Armed with more smartphones than ever before, we see an increasing number of South Asians stepping across borders through social media. This year we saw the first India - Pakistan social media summit in Karachi. We also saw Indian and Bangladeshi hackers caught up in cyber wars. Here we look back at the rise of social media in 2012.
How to Say Singapore Correctly?
Is it Sing-GAH-Pore, Sing-GUH-pore, ‘sing-GUH-pawr’, ‘Singgah-pura’, Sinkapore? Blogger gdy2shoez reviews various interpretations on how to correctly pronounce the name of Singapore.
Mexico: “Mayans Didn't Predict the End of the World”
According to the Mayans, what we are about to celebrate is the beginning of b’ak’tun 14. Very similar to us about to celebrate the beginning of 2013, or as happened some years ago, when we celebrated the beginning of 21st century. Group blog Pedazos de carbono [es] weighs in and...
Zambian President Orders Killing of “Rebels” No One Can Find
It remains difficult to confirm the existence of the Barotse Liberation Army, the supposed paramilitary wing of various groups calling for the secession of Zambia’s Western Province. After President Michael Sata’s ordered the army to kill the rebel activists, some have accused the government of fabricating lies.
Macedonia Fails to Honor Victims of 1911 Terror Campaign
GV Author Filip Stojanovski blogs about Macedonia's failure to properly commemorate the victims of “the so-called ‘Donkey Assassinations'” that took place in the city of Štip in 1911: […] Several months ago, several right-wing political parties including the ruling party running the Government of RM paid respects to the organizer...
Reflections on the Croatian Generals’ Acquittal
Alan Jaksic of Balkan Anarchist posts a follow-up to his initial comments on the Nov. 16 reversal of the convictions of the Croatian generals Ante Gotovina and Mladen Markač: […] So do I still consider last month’s acquittal at the Hague a “disgraceful acquittal”, an “outrage” and an “insult to...
Kazakhstan to Switch to Latin Script
Following years of intense debates, Kazakhstan is finally set to abandon Cyrillic script in favor of the Latin alphabet by 2025. It appears that the alphabet is still a very divisive issue in the country (see, for example, hundreds of comments under this blog [ru]). Michael Hancock-Parmer writes on Registan.net: I have reservations...
Bauls – Worshiping The Great God In Man
Bauliana posts a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about Bauls, a group of mystic minstrels from Bengal. Although current day Bauls are very small in numbers, their influence in the culture of Bengal is considerable.
Tajiks and Uzbeks Disagree on Birthplace of Poet
The dispute over the birthplace of the Poet Rudaki [whom both Uzbekistan and Tajikistan claim "as one of their own"] is heating up and may soon lead to wine-throwing and fist-fights...
Football Players Protest Against the European Under-21 Championship Being Held in Israel
Pambazuka.org published a letter [fr] from players addressed to the president of FIFA, Joseph S. Blatter : Some sixty professional footballers, for the most part African, wrote a letter to UEFA in protest at the decision to entrust Israel with the organisation of the European Under-21 Football Championship (June 5-18,...
A Timeline of 50 Years of Conflict in the D.R. of Congo
The ongoing conflict between M23 rebels and the Congolese army cannot be totally understood without some historical background on the genesis of these conflicts in the great lakes region. Here is a detailed chronology of the last 50 years of confrontations in this region.
Bhutan's Journey From Monarchy To Democracy
Sabrina Soares explains how Bhutan progressed from a monarchy to a parliamentary democracy.
University in Benin Changes its Name after Equatoguinean Dictator
You can now call him Doctor Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo. MyGab.Tv reports that [fr] the Univesité internationale du Bénin UPIB is now called Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo University after the Equatoguinean dictator. Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo has been the benefactor of many schools in Benin [fr] and has received a doctorate degree Honoris...
Radio Okapi Interfered with by Authorities in Democratic Republic of Congo
The website journaldekin.com, commenting on the interference on the national Radio Okapi, a station which has been sponsored by the UN in the Democratic Republic of Congo since December 1, recalls [fr] that: Radio Okapi, which this year celebrates its tenth anniversary, is born from a partnership between the Swiss...
Netizens “Bow Farewell” to Guyanese Writer Jan Carew
Guyanese writer Jan Carew passed away at his home in Louisville, Kentucky on December 5th. One of the most prominent West Indian writers of his generation, Carew was a poet, playwright, novelist and scholar, best known for his 1958 novel “Black Midas” and his 1964 polemic “Moscow Is Not My Mecca”. Caribbean netizens pay their respects.
Vietnam: Hùng Kings Ritual Recognized by UNESCO
Le Minh Khai discusses some issues surrounding the decision of UNESCO to recognize the worship of the Hùng Kings in the Phu Tho province of Vietnam on its “List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.”
Tibet Scholars Appeal to China's President Xi Jinping
A group of international Tibetan studies scholars launched a petition addressed to China's Xi Jinping, asking the new leader to adjust its language, culture and religion policy in the Tibetan region: As specialists in the areas of Tibetan language, culture and religion, we would like to share with you, through this...
