Stories about Refugees from November, 2009
USA: Conflict Cell Phones
Rima Abdelkader reports from New York about ‘conflict cell phones’ in the Democratic Republic of Congo on her CUNY University journalism blog.
Greece: Police violence against migrant woman triggers reforms
A migrant woman from Armenia was beaten by police in Athens, Greece this week, leading to renewed promises of police reform from the new socialist government. A minister responds directly to citizen complaints via Twitter for the first time.
Australia: Asylum Seekers test tough but humane approach
There has been a spike in asylum seekers coming to Australia by boat following the increasing violence in Afghanistan and the defeat of the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka. The Australian government has been heavily criticised for both its handling of the Oceanic Viking incident and refugee policy in general.
Western Sahara: Aminatou Haidar Deported
Aminatou Haidar is a leading activist for independence of the Western Sahara (from Morocco). On Friday, November 13 when, upon returning to Laayoune (a city in the Western Sahara region), she was arrested and subsequently deported. Jillian C. York rounds up the reactions of bloggers.
Papua New Guinea: Ursula Rakova Leads Relocation Efforts
Activist Ursula Rakova has been leading efforts to relocate the residents from the Cataret Islands in Papua New Guinea, where it is estimated that by 2015 all of the islands will be completely submerged because of climate change.
Bhutan: Shangri-La or Ethnic Cleanser?
What is Bhutan? One camp glorifies Bhutan as the last Shangri-la and the other claims that it is practicing ethnic cleansing. Sonam Ongmo breaks some stereotypes.
Russia: 1999 Chechen Diary, Part 4
The final part (part 4) of Polina Zherebtsova’s 1999 Chechen Diary – at Sundry Translations and Other Tangentialia. (More links: intro, part 1, part 2, part 3, Russian-language original.)
Palestine: Twitter inspiried street
Eman at AquaCool comments on the first Twitter-inspired street name, in a West Bank Palestinian refugee camp.
Denmark: Immigrants offered money to leave the country
Denmark is offering immigrants from “non-Western” countries 100,000 Danish kroners (US$20,000) if they volunteer to move “home”. A Facebook group protesting the law has been set up to collect 100,000 kroners to pay the leader of the anti-immigrant Danish People's Party to leave the country instead.
Sri Lanka: Support The IDPs
V.V. at Sepia Mutiny writes about an initiative of a Sri Lankan diaspora group in the USA who are organizing a fund raising event. The fund will support two charities which are working in the Sri Lankan IDP camps, where approximately 200,000 people are detained.
Kosovo, Hungary: More on the Tisza River Tragedy
A Fistful of Euros discusses the story of tragic death of 15 Kosovo Albanian illegal immigrants, who were trying to cross the Tisza River into Hungary and the EU. More about it – in Marietta Le's Oct. 28 GV post.
Pakistan: South Waziristan- A Different Exodus
The operation against the Taliban in South Waziristan has triggered a wave of retaliations by the Taliban and has forced over 120,000 locals to flee from their houses. Bloggers discuss the plights of these internally displaced people.
