Stories about Human Rights from November, 2008
Japan: Revision of the Nationality Law
On the 4th of June, on the occasion of cases filed in 2003 [en] and in 2005 whose protagonists were 10 children born out of wedlock to Japanese fathers and Filipino mothers, the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional an article of the Nationality Law[en] because it infringes on Article 14 of...
Macau: Say No to Article 23 and White Terror
Macau SAR government issued a draft bill enacting Article 23 of the Macau Basic Law in October. The Law is very sensitive and it would affect every citizen's freedom and rights. Now it is supposed to be the public consultation period, but it seems that the government has been giving...
Thailand: Blast inside protest site
An anti-government protester was killed and scores were wounded in a bomb blast Thursday inside a demonstration site in Bangkok. The blast was dropped in the Government House complex. Check out the video clip showing the bomb blast site.
Vietnam/Singapore: Bridal service controversy
A Singapore newspaper published an article announcing the discount rate for Vietnam brides. This drew criticism from many Vietnamese individuals and groups: “It's horrible to see them [Vietnamese would-be brides] ‘discounted’ like they are a sack of rice or a pair of shoes.”
Egypt: Jailed for Complaining about Sexual Harassment
Egyptian Zeinobia writes about how a 31-year-old woman and her sick elderly mother spent the night in jail, after reporting to the authorities that a police officer had sexually harassed her.
Morocco: Hate Crimes on the Rise in the US Following Obama's Election
Myrtus, a Moroccan living in the U.S., is alarmed by the number of hate crimes across the U.S. following Obama's election to the presidency.
Egypt: Convicted for being a Blogger
Is blogging a serious crime? And is speaking up for others something which warrants punishment? Egyptian Marwa Rakha translates a post from Arabic which discusses bloggers and blogging in Egypt.
Cameroon: Questioning the Bakassi Freedom Fighters hostage exchange
A week after the 10 hostages (including 8 foreign nationals) kidnapped by the Bakassi Freedom Fighters were exchanged for the release of 13 prisoners, Cameroonian blogger Le blog du Prési wonders what a hostage is worth. “I don't mean ‘what does a hostage cost?'”, he writes. “Even though these would be...
Trinidad & Tobago: Effects of Flooding
Trinidad and Tobago bloggers are keeping an eye on the flood waters, here and here.
Trinidad & Tobago: Gotham City?
Trinidad and Tobago's The Liming House blogs about Baby Marisa, who died from a rare but treatable liver problem: “The death of this innocent should rest on all our minds. Who defends the defenseless? How is it that a government has basically left a child to die and faces no...
Sri Lanka: Radio Manager Detained
Free Media Sri Lanka reports that one of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) affiliates A.R. Vanna Loshan, General Manager of Vettri FM Radio was arrested under Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) in Colombo. IFJ and the leading media organizations in Sri Lanka condemned the detention of the Tamil journalist...
Israel: Ceasefire with Hamas Ends
The temporary cease-fire (tahdiya) agreement between Israel and Hamas has come to an end earlier this month with an escalation of violence in the region and a re-implementation of the Gaza blockade. Gilad Lotan highlights conversations on the Israeli blogosphere on the escalation of violence and the humanitarian conditions in Gaza.
Egypt on Fire: The Gloves and The Invisible Hand
On Thursday November 6th when Egyptians were celebrating Obama's Victory, Al Ghad Party went up in flames. You can read about the initial blogosphere reactions here and here. Today I am sharing with you Wael Nawara's statements regarding the incident.
Egypt: No Sexual Harassment Here, says the First Lady
Sexual harassment is a real threat in Egypt. A study shows that two-thirds of men harass women, and bloggers have repeatedly written about it -- but Egypt's first lady Suzanne Mubarak says it is not a phenomenon and just a few isolated incidents. Bloggers speak out again.
Jamaica: March for Peace
A recent upsurge in crime over the last few weeks has Jamaicans gravely concerned. Last week's discovery of the body of an eleven (11) year old boy was the latest in a string of attacks against the nation's children. Jamaican blogger (and mother) iriegal of A Fe Me Page Dis...
Russia: Russian March Photo by Drugoi
Scraps of Moscow and Moscow Through Brown Eyes both pick LJ user drugoi‘s photo as their favorite one from the Nov. 4 Russian March.
China: Protest and Repression at Earthquake Area, Gansu Longnan
According to mainstream news report, around 30 peasants from Wudu（武都） district Dongjiang（東江） town paid a petition visit to the Longnan（隴南） city committee yesterday (17-18 of Nov), but it ended with police repression. There is little explanation on what had exactly happened as information has been blocked. However, two videos have...
Russia: Tatars Ask UN to Condemn 1921 Famine as Genocide
Window on Eurasia reports: “Tatar nationalists have appealed to the United Nations to recognize the 1921-22 famine in the Middle Volga as a genocide organized by Bolshevik Russia to destroy the Tatar nation and its elite and reduce Tatarstan’s opportunities to develop its own national life and pursue its independence.”
Russia: “Technology's Threat to Human Rights and Free Speech”
Robert Amsterdam writes that Skype is not “safe from the wiretapping efforts of Kremlin authorities.”
Russia: Lustration
Robert Amsterdam writes that “it is time for Russia to reconsider lustration, no matter how difficult and complicated the politics of memory.”
Estonia: Citizenship
Itching for Eestimaa writes about “a renewed public interest in the criteria for obtaining Estonian citizenship”: “The news that the Russian embassy handed out more Russian passports to stateless persons than the Estonian government did last year, however, is symbolic of the challenge that faces either this Estonian government or...
