Stories about Human Rights from September, 2008
Czech Republic: EU Presidency
Dr. Sean's Diary writes about the Czech Republic’s forthcoming Presidency of the EU.
Montenegro: Independence, 2 1/2 Years On
A Fistful of Euros re-visits the issue of Montenegrin independence: “But, you know: it’s not an economic basket case. Independence was not a disaster.”
Iran: Mr. Ahmadinejad in New York
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
“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,...
Liberia: Update from Liberia's Truth and Reconciliation Commission
An update from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Liberia: “A witness told commissioners of Liberia’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) grisly accounts of how fighters of the defunct ULIMO-K faction slaughtered and ate eight civilians in 1993 in Lofa County.”
D.R. Congo: Legislator faces rape allegations
Congolese blogger Alex Engwete [Fr] calls for a major politician to step down, amid accusations he raped a 12 year-old girl [Fr].
Blogger of the Week: Sami Ben Gharbia
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?
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.
Myanmar: Saffron Revolution a year later
Alternative Asean Network on Burma published a briefer which revealed the intensified repression in Myanmar a year after the crackdown on the monk-led Saffron Revolution.
Cuba: Back to Normal?
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
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
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...
Bosnia & Herzegovina: “Setback in the Srebrenica Survivors’ Search for Justice”
Samaha posts a detailed update on the outcome of the case brought by Srebrenica survivors against the Dutch state.
Singapore: Editor found guilty of defamation
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...
Myanmar: Veteran activist now out of jail
Veteran democracy activist Win Tin who was detained by Myanmar's junta since 1989 is now out of jail. Was he freed or evicted? Other prisoners were released as well.
China: Illegitimate Girl Deprived of the Right to Education
An illegitimate girl of primary-school age in Zhuhai, South China, was turned away by the local schools, because her mother is not able to afford the hefty fine for illegitimacy, according to sohu blogger Han Tao’s report.
Liberia: Update from Liberia's Truth and Reconciliation Commission
An update from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Liberia: “A witness told commissioners of Liberia’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) grisly accounts of how fighters of the defunct ULIMO-K faction slaughtered and ate eight civilians in 1993 in Lofa County.”
Bosnia & Herzegovina: Speak Out Against Dutch Court's Decision
Kirk Johnson of Americans For Bosnia notes that “a Dutch civil court sided with the Dutch state and dismissed the case against the Netherlands for their failure to prevent Srebrenica genocide in 1995″ and is urging readers “to contact the Dutch embassy in your country to express your dismay at...
Cuba: Access Denied
“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.
Iran: Google Earth and former jailed blogger
Mojtaba Saminejad, an Iranian blogger, who had been in jail for more than 20 months for his writings, uses Google Earth to show us his prison in Iran.
Hungary: Another Study On the “Extreme Right”
Hungarian Spectrum reviews a study of history and “prejudices” of the Hungarian “extreme right.”
