Stories about Protest from February, 2008
Serbia, Kosovo, U.S.: Diaspora Serbs
Reluctant Dragon and Gray Falcon offer two different perspectives on what it feels like being a Serb in the United States following Kosovo's declaration of independence.
Serbia, Kosovo: Lack of Trust
Balkan Anarchist writes at length about “the utter lack of inter-ethnic dialogue between Serbs and Albanians” in Kosovo.
Serbia: Window For Slovenian Embassy
East Ethnia reposts a photo of a new window presented to the Slovenian embassy by “the students of Belgrade.”
Cameroon: Will the widespread unrest bring political change?
Cameroon was besieged this week by the worst violence in fifteen years, as a transportation strike formally ended by unions on Wednesday expanded into a more general protest against rising food and oil prices and President Biya's attempts to alter the constitution and extend his 25-year rule. Bloggers and netizens describe the situation on the ground and what it means for Cameroon's future.
Bolivia: Anti-Government Protester Beat by Supporters
El refugio del pez que fuma [es] writes about intolerance shown by supporters of President Evo Morales, who beat a protester voicing displeasure over the current administration.
Russia: Ethnically-Motivated Violence
Moscow Through Brown Eyes reviews the coverage of a recent surge in ethnically-motivated violence in Moscow: “A month ago in my relatively sleepy bedroom community, a young Tadzhik citizen was stabbed thirty-six times. He died in the courtyard that my bedroom window looks out onto. I read about his attack...
Armenia: Political Prisoners
Unzipped comments on local news reports examining the unsavory past of some former officials detained by police after switching to the opposition since last week's election. Regardless, the blog says, as they have been arrested now only because of their new allegiances, they can therefore be considered political prisoners.
Egypt: Praying against Mubarak in the Metro
From an offer to give up a seat at the metro, to an impromptu protest against Egyptian President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak. Eman Abdurahman brings us the story from Egypt.
Armenia: Absurd Revolution
Notes from Hairenik weighs in on continuing discussion of the daily protests staged by former president Levon Ter-Petrossian in Yerevan’s Liberty Square. While agreeing that electoral violations did take place, the blog says that too few people are interested in staging any revolution in Armenia. Besides, the blog argues, such...
Armenia: Dubious Election
A Fistful of Euros posts an entry on what it calls Armenia's dubious election. However, the blog says that the outcome of last week's presidential election was pretty much known well in advance, and while corruption and poverty are still facts of life, that's not to say the incumbent authorities...
Taiwan: Land Right
A Taiwanese aboriginal group, hunter motion, calls for an action on 28 of February to defend their right to preserve their hunting life style in their own land. The group has an advocacy blog for recording their activities.
Kosovo: Implications for Other States
Pestcentric believes that “Kosovar independence has really opened a can of worms, the full extent of which has yet to manifest itself.”
Armenia: Post-Election Revolution Scenario?
That there would be mass demonstrations immediately after the presidential election held last week in Armenia was known long ago. Many observers also figured on yet another attempt by the radical opposition to stage a colored revolution of the type seen in Georgia and Ukraine. However, few expected it to succeed, but a week after the 19 February vote, the situation is now gearing up for what might be serious confrontation between opposition supporters and the authorities.
India: Gandhi and Bhopal
Law and Other Things on the survivors of the Bhopal gas tragedy in India using a Gandhian method to demand justice.
Kosovo, Serbia: A Roundup
Update on Kosovo/Serbia: Belgrade 2.0 sums things up; East Ethnia discusses the possibility of partition; Csíkszereda Musings writes on the meaning of Kosovo for Romania's Székelyföld autonomy; Greater Surbiton re-posts his article on what's “at stake in the struggle for Serbia”; Steady State writes on the implications of Kosovo for...
Russia: Lev Ponomarev; Solovetskiy Stone
Robert Amsterdam reports on an investigation launched against human rights activist Lev Ponomarev, who has been “accused of committing slander against the Russian Federation, and is currently being prevented from leaving the country.” Also, Amsterdam writes about the Solovetskiy Stone memorial and the authorities’ plans to remove it from Lubyanka...
Tajikistan: Energy Crisis Is Not Enough to Lose Patience
The continuing energy crisis is, probably, the worst problem that Tajikistan ever faced since the end of civil war. Neweurasia reports that most of the population is barely surviving this winter – the harshest in several decades – against the background of constant blackouts. The situation is even more desperate...
Serbia: Anglophone Bloggers on Belgrade Rally, Riots, Kosovo
Below is a selection of the English-language posts about last week's events in Serbia and Kosovo, which appeared on Feb. 21-23.
Brazil: Human rights groups united against extermination groups
Vera Mattos [pt] publishes a statement by various human right groups denouncing the work of extermination groups, protesting against the ineffective public security and demanding that the authorities investigate the execution of young, poor black people resident of the outskirts of Salvador, capital of Bahia, Brazil.
Armenia: Women March for Ter-Petrossian
The Armenian Patchwork posts photographs of yesterday's march by female supporters of former president Levon Ter-Petrossian following last week's disputed presidential election in Armenia. Meanwhile, reporting on the same rally, my Armenia Election Monitor 2008 revisits the Babe Theory of Democratic Movements.
Armenia: Post-Election Confusion
Blogian comments on the latest post-election developments in Armenia after receiving an sms from an American friend asking what is going on in the country. In response, Simon says that he can see both positive and negative aspects to what still remains an unpredictable and confusing situation.
