Stories about Human Rights from May, 2006
Myanmar: Street Snacks and Latest Happenings
Moemoe links to the recent happenings in Myanmar along with a picture of snacks in a popular Yangoon market.
Martinique: Reaction to mtvU's “Darfur is Dying” Game
Martinique-based Le Blog de [Moi] reacts to “Darfur is Dying,” an mtvU online simulation game featuring a family attempting to flee Darfur. The game is designed to raise consciousness about the hardships in Darfur but the blogger is not pleased (Fr): “Where is the world going? I know we have...
Francophone Africa: Bloggers On Colonialism's Enduring Influence
In recent weeks, several Francophone African bloggers have grappled with their countries’ colonial legacies and the power history has to shape the present and the future. For them, independence is an illusion and in ways both psychological and material, Africa remains a colony of the old empires. All stress the...
Flying over the Iraqi Blogodrome…
…almost literally (I'm plane-blogging again). I thought about this again and again and there is no other way to describe what passes for government in Iraq. Today I give you some snapshots of a failed state. And this is the subject that dominates the Iraqi blogs. If you read only...
Ukraine: 62nd Anniversary of Deportations of Crimean Tatars
J. Otto Pohl writes about the deportations of the Crimean Tatars, which took place 62 years ago: “In the early hours of 18 May 1944 some 32,000 members of the NKVD and NKGB began the systematic round up the entire Crimean Tatar population. These armed units went from house to...
Belarus: Yury Radzivil Trial
TOL's Belarus Blog reports on the trial of Yury Radzivil: “Yury faces 6 years in prison just for actually being almost killed. The man who has shot few times in his car is now victim in this case, and Yury is accused for driving him over. Actually, “victim” is colonel...
Poland: The Da Vinci Code
The beatroot writes about the apparent sin of going to see The Da Vinci Code in Poland.
DRC: Pastor Kutino's Detention
Rvd. Kutino Fernando, founder of Sauvons le Congo [Save the Congo], was recently taken from his church by policemen and his whereabouts are unknown, says (Fr) Tony Katombe at Le Blog du Congolais. The blogger is skeptical that Kutino was stocking weapons in his church or inciting violence as alleged...
Iran: Professor in Danger?
Samimanetar writes that it seems Dr.Ahmad Naghibzadeh, Professor of Political Sciences in University of Tehran, is under pressure (by government). Blogger says recently Kayhan, a very conservative journal, talked about Naghibzadeh's relation with foreigners (Persian).
Advocacy: Help protect global bloggers
Bloggers, like others at the forefront of activities promoting freedom of speech and information, can run into trouble with the authorities. At Global Voices we have had first hand experience of this with the illegal detention of one of our editors, Hao Wu. He has now been held for three...
Mexico: Violence and Backlash in San Salvador Atenco
This much we know for sure. On May third and fourth, in the Mexican town of San Salvador Atenco, riots broke out which resulted in 200 arrests and 50 injured officers according to an official statement. We also know that a 14-year-old youth named Javier Cortés Santiago was killed in...
Zimbabwe: Destruction of homes
Today is the one year anniversary of the Murambatsvina in which the government of Zimbabwe destroyed the homes and livlihoods of thousands of people. This is Zimbabwe asks that we remember devastation. They have published some photos and information on various actions taking place in Zimbabwe and London to remember...
Bermuda: “Hate speech” complaint rejected
Bermuda's Human Rights Commission has rejected a complaint against Senator David Burch, who used an offensive racial term in a radio broadcast last year. The HRC had no choice, says the Limey; “Burch's comment was disgusting. But unfortunately not illegal.” But Sean at IMHO.bm is “enraged”, especially because the HRC...
Poland: Gay Activist and Homophobia
rod 2.0:beta writes about Krystian Legierski, “a Polish-born black gay activist. He is 27 years old and the owner of Le Madame, the influential Warsaw club that was recently shut down by the government.” The beatroot cites the U.S. State Department's annual human rights report, which places Poland as the...
Russia: Site Devoted to Victims of Racism
Daut of Ufa Blog is starting a memorial site devoted to the victims of racism in Russia. Some help is needed: “I have an incomplete list and very few photos. I have written various organizations and embassies, but so far haven’t received any replies. If anyone can help, particularly with...
Bangladesh: Guantanamo Bay and lack of information
Or how I leart to stop worrying comments on the information released on the two Bangladeshi detainees at Guantanamo Bay. “The information released by the Pentagon, on close examination, suggests that after 4 years of detention the United States Government does not have complete or accurate information on, at the...
China: No lawyer for Hao Wu
Access to a lawyer shall not be granted to illegally-detained Beijing or Bust blogger Hao Wu, as seen in a post dated May 17 on his sister Nina's blog, in which she documents her increasingly desperate drive to see some justice handed down to her little brother Haozi, ongoing translations...
Egypt: How the Egyptian police treats women?
Sandmonkey shares a video taken by a camera phone that shows how the Egyptian police interrogates females at a police station.
China: Canadian faces execution
“A program called Ultrareach is helping thousands of Chinese defy internet censorship every day,” writes Celia at China Activist Weekly, along with posts on disturbances in Tibet and the response to a letter written to the Canadian government regarding Canadian citizen Husein Celil currently in Uzbekistan “where he is being...
South Korea: Human rights campaign
Prior to tomorrow's kick-off to Project Sunshine—a two-week campaign for human rights for North Koreans—a documentary was screened and a mock funeral procession held in, says Joshua at The Korea Liberator, “what appears to be either Myongdong or Apkujeong, but in any event, one of Seoul’s tonier neighborhoods.” Photos included.
DRC Diaspora: DPLC Demonstration in Liege Yesterday
UDPS Liege posts pictures and an account (Fr) of yesterday's Debout Pour Le Congo demonstration in Liege, Belgium. The demonstration was sparked by a journalist's decision to film undocumented Congolese for remuneration. The people filmed fear consequences on behalf of Belgian authorities but also retribution by the Congolese government if...
