· September, 2008

Stories about Human Rights from September, 2008

Iran: Mr. Ahmadinejad in New York

  30 September 2008

While Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinjad, addressed the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday declaring that "the American empire'' and "Zionist regime" [Israel] are nearing collapse, pro-democracy Iranians and 3,000 people mobilized by a coalition of mostly Jewish groups, protested against Ahmadinejad's threats toward Israel and Iran's human rights record.

Trinidad & Tobago: Spiraling Murder Rate

  29 September 2008

“The excuses ring hollower than ever, and no longer do we buy any of them…the Government has failed us! The Prime Minister would rather have this country citizens sink hundreds at a time into 6 feet holes of earth than admit failure”: Trinidad and Tobago girls, politics, sports, technology, carnival,...

Blogger of the Week: Sami Ben Gharbia

  28 September 2008

This week's Blogger of the Week is none other than Global Voices Advocacy Director Sami Ben Gharbia, known for his dedication to the fight against oppression and censorship. Sami is originally from Tunisia, but has been based in The Netherlands since 1998. He blogs at fikra.

China: Will a Nobel Peace Prize really hurt our feelings?

  28 September 2008

Hu Jia's nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize has raised the question: are The Chinese People easily upset by the notion of human rights? Party spokesman Liu Jianchao would have you think so, and many netizens agree. Not all do, however, judging from comments that haven't yet been deleted.

Cuba: Back to Normal?

  27 September 2008

Things appear to be getting back to normal in Cuba post-Hurricane Ike, but Generation Y questions the definition of “normalcy”: “I do not believe that a month ago we had anything resembling ‘normal.’ Furthermore, in the three decades that I have under my belt I do not think I have...

Jamaica: Child Missing

  27 September 2008

After an eleven year-old girl goes missing in Kingston, Abeng News Magazine examines the plight of Jamaica's children: “With no inclination to tackle the complexity of the issues involved and no plan in sight to deal squarely with the crime menace…the youth will remain at the top of the island's...

Bangladesh: Bangla blogs are keeping Rahela alive

  27 September 2008

On 19th August 2004, a nineteen year old garment factory worker in Savar, Dhaka Bangladesh was mugged, gang raped, viciously slashed and then left to die in the thickety Jahangir Nagar University campus. She was Rahela Lima Akhtar. There she lay amidst the thick foliage, undetected for three days. Her...

Singapore: Editor found guilty of defamation

  24 September 2008

A Singapore court has ruled that the editor of the Far Eastern Economic Review defamed Singapore officials in a July 2006 article in the magazine. A blogger comments: “Singapore's government is at it again- using their pet judges in a legal system wholly geared to punish anyone who dares to...

Cuba: Access Denied

  24 September 2008

“Won’t the Daddy-State learn how irritating children become when they rarely leave the house?” Havana-based blogger Yoani Sanchez says that she has once again been denied travel privileges.