Stories about Refugees from March, 2009
Palestine: Land Day
body on the line’s Palestine-based author writes about her experience with Land Day. The blogger visited towns in which Palestinians have resisted as well as the towns and villages of her friends.
Palestine: Commemorating Land Day
March 30 is Land Day, on which Palestinians everywhere, but especially those within Israel, commemorate the day in 1976 when six unarmed Palestinian citizens of Israel were killed by the Israeli army and police during protests against land expropriation. The day has become a way to mark the struggle of the Palestinians to hold onto their land, when demonstrations take place as well as other events. Palestinian and pro-Palestinian bloggers around the world have observed the occasion.
Indonesia: “Mini-Tsunami” hits village as dam collapses
Last Friday the Situ Gintung dike collapsed in Indonesia which killed almost a hundred people and injured 190 others. At least 300 houses were destroyed and 1,600 residents were displaced. The extent of the tragedy reminded many Indonesians about the deadly tsunami which hit the region five years ago.
Iraq: Six Years On
It's the sixth anniversary of the Iraq war and while bloggers remember the past, few seem to look to the future anymore. Salam Adil reviews the Iraqi blogosphere for reactions.
Serbia: Remembering NATO Bombing 10 Years Later
On March 24, 1999, NATO forces began attack on Serbia and Montenegro. The bombing went for 78 days. A few thousand people were killed, many buildings, bridges, railroads, roads and factories were destroyed. Also, many people still experience mental and psychic effects of the fear they had been through. Ten years later, Serbian bloggers are reminded of those terrible days. Below is a selection of some of their journal notes and recollections from the beginning of the war.
Haiti, U.S.A.: Temporary Protected Status
As U.S. President Obama grants Temporary Protected Status to Liberians, jmc strategies asks: “What about the Haitians?”
China: Most wanted fugitive now blogging?
Road to the most wanted fugitive As the mastermind of the largest smuggling ring ever, whose enterprise amounts to 10 billion dollars, Lai Changxing is a legendary criminal, also a controversial public figure in China. Before he fled to Canada when the central government was determined to root out his...
Palestine: Life in Shuafat Refugee Camp
Ruba Anabtawi writes about life in the Palestinian refugee camp of Shuafat – which is within the municipal boundaries of Jerusalem [Ar].
Myanmar envoy: Rohingyas “are as ugly as ogres”
beyond skin mentions some of the hilarious and racist statements issued by the Thai and Myanmar governments about the status of the Rohingya refugees. For instance, a Myanmar envoy described the Rohingyas as “ugly as ogres.”
Palestine: Carrying Rocks to Syria
Samuel Nichols, who works with the Christian Peacemaker Teams in the West Bank, tells us about a request he received from a Palestinian refugee in Damascus: “Please go to my village just outside of Haifa. Bring me back something. A rock, a handful of dirt, anything.”
