· March, 2009

Stories about Human Rights from March, 2009

Cambodia: Evidence at the Khmer Rouge Tribunal

Former Khmer Rouge rebels doubt there will be sufficient evidence to convict the five leaders waiting to stand trial at the Khmer Rouge Tribunal. Because the events occurred 30 years ago, evidence and witnesses could be hard to come by.

31 March 2009

Puerto Rico: Murder Rate

“We. Don't. Give. A. Damn. Because it isn't really ‘Us’ getting killed, it's ‘them.’ We don't see the obvious. There is no ‘them’ on an island. There's only Us”: Puerto...

31 March 2009

Palestine: Land Day

body on the line’s Palestine-based author writes about her experience with Land Day. The blogger visited towns in which Palestinians have resisted as well as the towns and villages of...

31 March 2009

Macedonia: Student Protest Ends in Violence

Recently, the Macedonian government decided to build an Orthodox church with public financing on the main square of Skopje, a decision that the citizens of the city disapproved of. On March 28, a peaceful protest against the construction of the church turned violent when a group of counter-protesters attempted to prevent it. Elena Ignatova reviews the reactions in the Macedonian blogosphere.

31 March 2009

Taiwan: Buddhist master creates controversy

Buddhist Master Hsing Yun created controversy at an international Buddhist conference when he claimed, “There are no Taiwanese in Taiwan and Taiwanese are all Chinese.” Taiwan blogs The View from...

31 March 2009

Cambodia: Trial begins for Khmer Rouge leader

The Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia began the first public hearing of Kaing Guek Eav, known as Duch. During the Khmer Rouge regime, Duch headed the infamous Tuol Sleng prison in Phnom Penh where thousands died.

31 March 2009

Estonia: Lennart and Arnold Meri

Itching for Eestimaa writes: “One Meri cousin, Lennart, just had an airport named after him to coincide with the annual foreign policy conference that bears his name. […] The other...

31 March 2009

Water: One Take International Video Contest

“Is access to clean, safe water for drinking a basic human right? Why? or Why not?”. That is the question One Take is asking for you to answer in your own language, recording it on a video no more than 2 minutes long, uploading it on their site and on DotSub and having it subtitled in at least 1 other language. Just this month, world leaders met in Istambul, Turkey at the World Water Forum to have this discussion, and although they aren't sure what the result will be, it is our chance to show what we believe about this issue, and make our voices heard.

30 March 2009

Azerbaijan: Blogger Interview

Dotcom, an online project which has participants from Armenia, Azerbaijan and the United States, has published an interview with Azerbaijani blogger Arzu Geybullayeva on blogging and citizen media. In particular,...

29 March 2009

Sudan: Chilling Account of the Arrest of an Online Activist

Sudanese Internet activist and lawyer Abdel Hakim Abdel Rahman Nasr was arrested in a raid on his house on the night of March 5 - and released March 11. Nasr was detained only a few hours after he expressed his support for the International Criminal Court arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on the online International Forum for Nubia, where he is a moderator. In this chilling post [Ar], on the forum which is now open to members only, Nasr details his arrest.

27 March 2009

Palestine: The Purpose of Checkpoints

Marcy Newman, who lives in Nablus in the West Bank, describes driving home late at night, and the difficulties she had getting into the city through the numerous Israeli checkpoints...

27 March 2009