· March, 2006

Stories about Human Rights from March, 2006

North Korea: Prison-camp musical

  28 March 2006

The Marmot Hole‘s Robert Koehler fingers North Korean apologists in the South Korean government with a look at the smash new musical Yodok Story, which portray's life in North Korea's Yodok camp for political prisoners.

Tourism, Islamic Vietnam & Blogs

IranMehr (Persian) talks about tourism industry problems in Iran. He writes despite country’s attractiveness such as historical monuments, ancient villages, ecosystems…He talks also about government’s politics to attract 20 million tourists to Iran whose share of global tourism revenue has been less that 1 percent. According to him: “How Iranian...

Arabisc: Moderate Muslim Voices

It’s not only the English language bloggers from Middle East who are continuously trying to bridge the cultural gaps, but Arabic language bloggers are facing similar tough battle at home, within the Arabic blogsphere itself. Muslim moderates are criticizing some of the taboos of their system. One of them simply...

Barbados: Friends in high places and Human Rights Treaty

  27 March 2006

Barbados Free Press reports that a friend of a government minister has been receiving lucrative contracts for consulting on dance and choreography, and is concerned that the new Human Rights Treaty being drafted by CARICOM promotes an agenda that is primarily economic.

Nepal: March in Delhi

  27 March 2006

International Nepal Solidarity Network on a march in Delhi – “31 March rally for Nepali political prisoners illegally detained in India“

The Week That Was in Bahrain

Once again the island bloggers venture away from their shores to report international and regional events in a turbulant world where freedom and human rights are challenged on a daily basis. Away from politics, they continue to delve in culture, arts and literature.

Bermuda: 436 cases of child abuse

  24 March 2006

Unlike the Bermudian government, Valentine Michael Smith thinks that 436 reported cases of child abuse in Bermuda in 2005 is “an alarming trend”, and calls for action.

Belarus: Arrests, Courts and Anti-Media Flash Mob

  24 March 2006

French journalist writing for Liberation has just been arrested in Minsk; actually so many people have been arrested that, unprecedentally, Minsk courts will be working on Saturday, reports br23 blog. Andrei Khrapavitski posts a picture from today's flash mob event that took place in Minsk to criticize the performance of...

Belarus: Post-Crackdown Belarus

  24 March 2006

Ivan Lenin – formerly of Minsk, now of New York – translates a post by LJ user lipski, a Minsk resident, on who benefits from the Oktyabrskaya Sq. crackdown, and shares his thoughts on the country's future: “If anything, the West should engage Belarus as much as possible. Isolation would...

Hong Kong: Cardinal Zen

  24 March 2006

OhmyNews! reports on the ordination as cardinal of outspoken Catholic Bishop Joseph Zen, who has been dubbed “the conscience of Hong Kong”.

China: Tibetan nun statement

  24 March 2006

China Information Center posts a statement by Tibetan nun Phuntsog Nyidron on her release from prison and arrival in the United States. “In 1993, along with 13 other political prisoners I secretly recorded songs in prison that were in praise of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and about the situation...

Belarus: Tent Camp Demolished, Protesters Arrested

  24 March 2006

Riot police began their operation at 3 am Minsk time and after 15 minutes the camp was demolished and the protesters arrested. br23 blog and Rush-Mush have updates on the aftermath: the amazingly slanted coverage on the Russian-language EuroNews; Minsk residents’ approval of the regime's actions; a sample leaflet distributed...

Belarus: Fewer Foreign Journalists at the Square

  23 March 2006

br23 blog writes about the arrests of the opposition activists and an alarming news – that the number of foreign journalists present at the square has diminished: “And protesters are concerned about it. They view this presence of foreign correspondents as a guarantee that police won’t storm and destroy the...

Nepal: Human rights

  23 March 2006

Bahas on the human rights issue in Nepal which appears to take turns for the worse, and compares to perilious circumstances elsewhere in the world.