Stories about War & Conflict from August, 2012
East Timor: Women's Network Continues Protest
Rede Feto (Women's Network) continues to protest the rejection of a woman candidate for Minister of Defense (our coverage), posting photos of women in East Timor's armed resistance on its Facebook profile and a “Declaration of Women Prisoners and Clandestine Fighters” demanding an explanation the rejection.
Myanmar: Curfew in Kyaut Taw, Rakhine State
A curfew has been imposed [my] in Kyaut Taw, Rakhine State, where another riot has occurred between the Rohingya and Rakhine ethnic groups. Myanmar government army troops were sent in to maintain security.
Palestine: Swedish Ship Attempting to Break the Blockade Sails to Gaza
Scandinavian ship SV Estella will attempt to sail to Gaza in an attempt to break the blockade on the Palestinian enclave. The ship sailed from Oslo on August 7, 2012, and is backed by mostly Swedish and Norwegian groups. Organizers hope that other ships will join them before they reach...
Bahrain: Salafists Provide Aid to Syrian Rebels
Salafist MPs from Bahrain visited Syria, where they provided assistance to the Free Syrian Army, says The Angry Arab News Service.
Egypt: “Not all the People of Sinai are Terrorists”
Sinai is making the headlines today after the Egyptian Army waged a war on militants accused of being behind a deadly attack on the Egyptian-Israeli border, in which up to 16 Egyptian officers and soldiers were killed over the weekend. From North Sinai, Ahmed Elghoul is using Twitter to tell us more about the region and its people; the discrimination they face and the lack of security in the area.
Syria: Military Intervention or Civil War?
After the International Committee of the Red Cross announcement that it considers the conflict in Syria to be a full-blown civil war, Western media sites and bloggers have been debating the issue. Rami Alhames tunes into the conversation.
Georgia: War Photography
Just before today's fourth anniversary of the August 2008 Russia-Georgia War, Georgian Photographers features a post accompanied by photos from George Tsagareli on documenting conflict in the Caucasus.
Sri Lanka: Buddhist Priest Robs Statue From Hindu Temple
D. B. S. Jeyaraj informs that a mob led by a Buddhist Priest had forcefully taken away a statue of Pillaiyar, the Elephant faced deity, from a Hindu temple in Panamai on the Eastern coastal district of Amparai in Sri Lanka.
D. R. of Congo: M23 Rebels Take Their Offensive Online
The M23 movement has made headlines by entering into open conflict with the Congolese army. But the rebel group is not stopping at armed conflicts on the ground - they have also gone on the offensive on the Internet and social networks.
Bangladesh: Citizenship Rights for Myanmar's Rohingya?
Myanmar's Rohingya are stateless, not wanted by any country. The Rakhine Nationalities Development Party in Myanmar is calling for the segregation of Rohingya Muslims from ethnic Arakanese and the Bangladesh government recently ordered three international charities to halt aid to Rohingya refugees living in camps to stop their influx from Myanmar.
Syria: “I Tweeted Prime Minister Riad Hijab's Defection First”
A Syrian Twitter user claims that he was the first to break the news that Syrian Prime Minister Riad Farid Hijab would defect a week ago. The Twitter user goes by the name @THE_47th and is also credited with announcing other defections well before mainstream media.
Georgia: Civil Society Mobilizes After Armenia-Azerbaijan Clashes
With tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan on the rise, civil society activists and journalists from both countries last month convened in a small ethnic Azeri village in neighboring Georgia.
Global: BRICS vs. NATO – Battlefield of Ideas on Interventions
China’s and Russia’s recent decision to veto the United Nations Security Council resolution against Syria -has reignited the debate over the relationship between 'new' powers Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - the BRICS - with 'old' powers - NATO - in international interventions.
Myanmar: Claims of Media Bias Towards Rohingya
Opinion is divided in Myanmar about the status of the Rohingya living in the western part of the country. Human rights groups have condemned the violence against the Rohingya and ethnic Rakhine. But some Myanmar netizens feel that international news networks have been distorting information about the situation in their country.
Mexico: Embroidering for Peace
Men and women of all ages have come together in cities like Guadalajara, Monterrey and Mexico City, to embroider the names of the victims of Mexico's Drug War onto white handkerchiefs.
Tajikistan: Legality of Government Military Operation Questioned
On his blog, Tajik journalist Salim Ayubzod questions [tj] the legality of the recent military operation launched by the government in Gorno-Badakhshan, Tajikistan's easternmost province. Ayubzod also argues that the government had failed to think through possible outcomes of the violent intervention.
