Stories about Human Rights from May, 2006
China: June fourth buildup
Chinese authorities get a little anxious around this time every year, says Celia at China Activist Weekly, and this year is no different.
Eritera: Political prisoners
EMDHR Reads and Writes! points to an article in the UK Guardian about an Eritrean singer, Helen Berhane who has spent most of the past two years locked inside a shipping container….”Her crime? Angering the Eritrean regime by refusing to stop producing gospel music.”
Senegal: Conversations on Drowned Migrants
Senegalese blogger Seckasysteme has been keeping a close eye on thousands of migrants from Senegal who have attempted to reach Europe on clandestine rafts since the beginning of the year. Last week the blogger explained that 23 migrant hopefuls had been intercepted by Senegalese authorities on their way to the...
Arabisc: Arabic Bloggers Ken
From Egypt… Malek who was scheduled to be free few days ago is now officially free. He just made his first post, titled: Free Morning. Malek writes: الحمدلله تم الافراج عني اليوم في حوالي الساعه الرابعه والنصف من قسم ترحيلات الخليفه لحد دلؤتي مقريتش حاجه اتكتبت عني بس بجد شكرا...
Bermuda: Breaking news: gay rights amendment defeated
Bermudan MP Renee Webb's private member's bill proposing the amendment of the Human Rights Code to include sexual orientation has just been defeated in the House of Assembly, reports Christian S. Dunleavy. “The Bill was defeated in committee, therefore there was no formal vote in the House and therefore —...
Bermuda: Drag queen defies parade ban
“Local drag artist Mark Anderson joined Bermuda's Heritage Day parade [on Wednesday 24 May] despite a Government prohibition,” reports A Limey in Bermuda. “Good for him…. Mr. Anderson is a gay Bermudian and homosexuals are as much a part of Bermudian society as majorettes and the Bermuda Regiment.” Christian S....
Somalia: Appeal by Women
Marians Blog posts an appeal made by Somali women in 2004 – reminding us once again of the impact of conflict on women and the role women play in nation building but still remain disenfrancised.
DRC: Coup Attempts and More Questions on the Upcoming Elections
Free and Fair Elections? Joseph Kabila, the founder of the PPRD (the People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy), has overseen an interim administration established by the 2002 peace agreement. The Democratic Republic of the Congo's first post-conflict presidential elections are set to be held on July 30th after months of...
The garments industry riots in Bangladesh
Whether we accept it or not, we all are chained humans, there is a master above us and we are a master of someone. And the exploitation continues. The truth is no hero or revolution is going to break the chain saving us anytime soon.
China: Christians and democrats forced to take sides
A small decision in a complicated affair which sent ripples all throughout China's social activist community has now bounced back through the blogsphere (via BBS’ first, of course). The facts are being still hammered out, but when three Chinese Christians—one being prominent legal scholar and veteran blogger Wang Yi—in attendance...
Russia: Relations with Sweden
Vilhelm Konnander writes about a diplomatic dispute between Russia and Sweden, and the past and the future of the relationship between the two countries.
Honduras: Blog of Juan Almendares
Dr Juan Almendares Bonilla, executive director of the Centre for the Prevention, Rehabilitation and Treatment of Victims of Torture in Honduras now has his own weblog [ES]. Several months ago, Bolivia-based blogger Jim Shultz described “serious threats being launched against” Almendares.
Peru: Debate, Human Rights, and Food
Alvaro Ruiz-Navajas has a helpful collection of links about last weekend's presidential debate. Jorge Bazo Escudero writes [ES] that Amnesty International “has condemned the blatant ignorance of both presidential candidates with respect to human rights issues.” And, away from politics, Peru Food has fresh content with a translation of an...
Palestine: Land Grab
Olmert plans to remove the smaller settlements and puts it in such a way as if he’s doing the Palestinians a favour! Bush says he accepts the larger settlements (which are illegal under international law) since he considers them “facts on the ground”. So basically the criteria for making a...
Guyana: Report on International Day Against Homophobia
Wednesday 17 May was International Day Against Homophobia. Guyana's Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) reports on its programme of commemorative activities: a film screening, a radio discussion, and an interactive forum at the National Library.
Chile, Mexico: Valentina Palma's Letter and Video
Eduardo Arcos has posted another letter from Chilean anthropologist Valentina Palma [ES] who was detained by Mexican police in the violence that erupted outside Mexico City earlier this month. Al Giordano has posted a video of Palma being led away by police armed with firearms (contradicting earlier official claims).
Cartoon, Insecurity & Media
According to news Iran's government has suspended a state-controlled newspaper after it published a cartoon that provoked riots among the country's minority Azeri community. The cartoon shows that a cockroach says in Azeri :” Namana” which means “What?” It is very interesting to see that even Turkish speaking ( Azeri)...
Arabisc: Update on Detained Egyptian Bloggers
The following is an abbreviated translation from some of the Egyptian Arabic-language blogsphere. It's been more than two weeks since the detention of Alaa along with many other bloggers and activists. Today we came to know about some good news related to some other detained Egyptian bloggers. Two bloggers were...
China: Rights news roundup
Celia in her China Activist Weekly news roundup this week looks at Kofi Annan's recent visit to China, the media ban on coverage of the fortieth anniversary of the beginning of the Cultural Revolution, the completion of the Three Gorges Dam, another mine collapse trapping at least forty miners and...
Belarus: On Trial for Text-Messaging
Iryna of TOL's Belarus Blog writes about an unprecedented (even for Belarus) trial: “We have become used to the fact that prominent academics and journalists are being sentenced to 15 days in prison for swearing or hooliganism, but last week a student was actually tried for sending a text message...
Syrian Blogsphere in a Week
This week the Syrian blogsphere was mostly busy discussing the latest developments in Syria. Last week the Syrian security forces initiated the largest crackdown on opposition figures and dissidents since President Bashar al-Assad came to power in 2000. Ammar Abdulhamid of Amarji has an interesting analysis of this escalation from...
