Stories about Human Rights from March, 2010
Turkmenistan: Listening to Reason?
Vlad writes about the human rights record in Turkmenistan, citing a report on the state of the country’s prisons, and the government's surprising response with reduction of the maximum pison sentence. However, the authorities still fall short on the issue of oversight, the blogger says.
China: A confession of an Internet naked runner
What would you do if you were forced to comply to the “real name registration” in order to access the Internet? And if every word that you said online would be monitored by the government? When there is no way for you to protect your privacy, probably you would also...
Vietnam: Free Thuy-Nhan-Nghien Campaign
Viet Tan is spearheading a campaign to demand the immediate freedom of Vietnamese democracy activists and women bloggers Tran Khai Thanh Thuy, Le Thi Cong Nhan and Pham Thanh Nghien.
Cuba: Gorki Re-Entry?
Repeating Islands notes that Cuban punk rocker Gorki Águila, “known for raunchy lyrics criticizing Fidel Castro says he will try to return to the island after an 11-month absence.”
Azerbaijan: Murdered journalist remembered
Flying Carpets and Broken Pipelines remembers Elmar Huseynov, an outspoken journalist in Azerbaijan who was murdered in 2005. The blog says that five years later the case remains unsolved.
China's Rule of Law is in Full Retreat
Recently a Chinese law scholar Jiang Ping had a public talk criticizing the retreat of China's rule of law. His speech is now translated at Chinese Law Prof Blog.
India: The Taslima Nasrin ‘article’ that cost two lives
Sans Serif discusses about the controversial article on the burqa by Taslima Nasrin, the exiled Bangladeshi author. After the article was published in the weekly magazine section of a Kannada daily, protests erupted and two persons had died.
Is India Intolerant To MF Hussain?
“Does MF Husain accepting Qatari citizenship mean India is intolerant?” Rabble Rousing Random Ramblings says a resounding no to that.
Bahamas: International Women's Day
“I'm sure not one civic leader, not one business leader, not one religious leader, will give IWD a thought, much less a word. Bahamian women will be silent too”: Still, Womanish Words holds out hope “that we'll hear the voices of some good writers…speaking up with me in celebration and...
Poland: Potential Internet Access Restrictions Boosting Creativity
Earlier this year, the Polish PM met with Polish bloggers to discuss the government's proposal to introduce the Registry of Banned Websites and Services. The result was the withdrawal of the above-mentioned proposal. The threat of any restrictions on the Polish web kicked off a series of creative reactions to the issue.
Costa Rica: Granting Rights for Same-Sex Couples
In Costa Rica, the issue of same-sex civil unions is being addressed in a new proposal that would give rights to same-sex partners. However, some opponents have proposed placing the issue in a nationwide referendum.
Russia: Bloggers Vs. “Patricians” on the Road
Following a recent car crash in Moscow, bloggers launched an advocacy campaign to rehabilitate the memory of the two women killed in the crash and draw attention to a pressing issue of cars with "special" license plates that constantly disobey the rules and cause traffic accidents.
Cuba: More On Tamayo
Cuban bloggers continue to discuss the recent death of Cuban political prisoner and hunger striker Orlando Zapato Tamayo.