By: SW Radio Africa, May 14, 2009
The MDC is deeply disturbed by today’s unwarranted arrest of human rights lawyer Alec Muchadehama who has over the years defended MDC activists accused of trumped-up charges. Barely 24 hours after the granting of bail to senior MDC officials Gandhi Mudzingwa, Chris Dlamini and journalist Andrison Manyere, has the State once again retreated to the yester-year mode of repression, wanton arrests and intimidation.
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Zimbabwe: Women want rights violators brought to justice
By: Norest Muzvaba, ZimOnline, May 14, 2009
A women’s rights group on Wednesday called on Zimbabwe’s power-sharing government to bring to justice people who committed human rights violations including sexual abuse against women during the run-up to a controversial second round presidential ballot won by President Robert Mugabe last June.
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Zimbabwe: Three journalists arrested, held overnight then freed on bail
By: Reporters Without Borders, May 14, 2009
Reporters Without Borders condemns a police raid on the Harare headquarters of the Zimbabwe Independent newspaper on 9 May and the arrests of its director, editor and news editor two days later. The three journalists were freed on bail after being held for 24 hours. “Zimbabwean journalists continue to be the victims of police brutality and judicial abuses,” Reporters Without Borders said.
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Nigeria: Labour unions to continue protest
By: Murtala Mohamed Kamara, Africa News, May 14, 2009
The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has announced that their strike action continue for the next ten days if their requests are not met by their government. Thousands of Nigeria’s took to the street of the commercial capital Lagos in a protest action against what they describe as the rise of fuel prices. The labour congress is also protesting over low minimum wage, slow electoral reform and the low performance of government.
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Zimbabwe: Prime Minister Tsvangirai launches the government’s 100-day plan
By: The Official Website of the Prime Minister of Zimbabwe, May 14, 2009
Vice President Mujuru, Deputy Prime Minister Mutambara, Deputy Prime Minister Khupe, Honourable Ministers and Members of Parliament, Members of the Diplomatic Corps, Government Officials, Invited Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen; I would like to welcome you to this historic launch of the new Government’s 100 Day Plan. This Plan will provide the blue print for the implementation of key sector reforms and the initiation of essential development and rehabilitation programmes.
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Sudan: Storm over press law
By: IWPR, May 13, 2009
A proposed press law that would formalise strict controls over the Sudanese news media has drawn criticism from local media and parliamentarians. Under the draft, journalists and news organisations would be licensed by the media regulator, the National Press Council, which would be given the power to revoke licenses, impose stiff fines and suspend news operations. Murtada al-Ghali, editor-in chief of the Freedom Bells newspaper, described the draft law as the most “restrictive” media legislation to emerge in Sudan.
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Firms ‘fly Africa aid and arms’
By: BBC News, May 12, 2009
Some air transport firms used to fly aid to African conflict zones are also involved in arms shipments and drug trafficking, according to a study. The Swedish-based research found 90% of air carriers it identified involved in arms-trafficking were also used by aid groups and peacekeepers. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri) said the worst case was Sudan.
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AMERICAS
Venezuela targets cable station
By: Juan Forero, May 15, 2009, Washington Post The government of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez has taken actions that could shutter a private television news station, part of an offensive that has led to the seizure of foreign oil firms and a congressional effort to control the financing of nongovernmental organizations critical of the state. Authorities have accused Globovisión, an anti-government cable station, of inciting panic through its coverage of a May 4 earthquake before authorities released an official report. Read full article… Peruvian protestors’ blockade of Yanacocha may eventually halt production Cuba: Dissident journalist facing jail term on “disrespect” charge Brazil achieves press freedom milestone |
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ASIA/SOUTH ASIA
China’s Zhao details Tiananmen debate
By: John Pomfret, Washington Post, May 15, 2009 Zhao Ziyang violated one of the central tenets of Communist Party doctrine: He spoke out. But it is only now, four years after his death, that the world is hearing what he had to say. In a long-secret memoir to be published in English and Chinese next week, the former head of the Chinese Communist Party claims that the decision to impose martial law around Beijing in May 1989 was illegal and that the party’s leaders could easily have negotiated a peaceful solution to the unrest. Read full article… Body parts of protesters possibly found in Thailand China dissident Yang barred from China Vietnam acknowleges human rights “wrongdoings” China’s new newspaper |
Kazakhstan: Evaluating Astana’s democratization intentions
By: Joshua Kucera, Eurasianet, May 14, 2009
When Kazakhstan was named 2010 chair of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Astana pledged to undertake wide-ranging political reforms. But now, just over six months before Kazakhstan takes over the OSCE’s helm, US lawmakers and diplomats are voicing concern that Astana is not serious about fulfilling its commitments. Controversy has swirled around Kazakhstan’s chairmanship of the OSCE since President Nursultan Nazarbayev’s administration first expressed interest in guiding the organization.
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Azerbaijan: Baku’s flower children
By: Liz Fuller, REFRL, May 14, 2009
A new and apparently unanticipated challenge has emerged to the political status quo in the form of peaceful student protests. The catalyst for those protests was the bloodbath perpetrated on April 30 at the State Oil Academy by a young Azeri from Georgia whom the authorities have written off as a psychologically unhinged loner. The following day, some 2,000 young people staged a spontaneous march through Baku to demand that the authorities declare a period of official mourning, and, specifically, that they cancel the Flower Festival planned for May 10 — Heidar Aliyev’s birthday.
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Uzbek activists mark four years since Andijan
By: IWPR, May 14, 2009
Human rights activists in Uzbekistan and abroad commemorated the fourth anniversary of the Andijan tragedy on May 13. The date was passed over in silence by the authorities. A group of Uzbek independent human rights activists were obstructed by the security services from holding a commemorative ceremony at which they planned to lay flowers at the Monument to Courage in the capital Tashkent. The event never happened, as some activists were detained shortly beforehand while the homes of others were blocked off.
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Kazakhstan: Kazakh bloggers against online censorship
By: Askhat Yerkimbay, Global Voices, May 13, 2009
The Kazakh Internet regulation amendments which were sent to the Parliament last week have woken up the Kazakh language bloggers’ activism. A lot of posts in Kazakh language tried to analyze the influence of the draft law on the future of Kazakhstani segment of the Internet. Some are full of harsh criticism, while the other are not too surprised with the developments.
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Release of high-profile Turkmen prisoner unlikely to mean wider amnesty
By: IWPR, May 11, 2009
Analysts suspect the release of Turkmen political prisoner Muhametkuli Aymuradov is a one-off, and does not mean other dissidents will be freed in the near future. The New York-based group Human Rights Watch reports that Aymuradov was released on May 2. He had spent 14 years in prison after being convicted of terrorism charges in 1995. According to Human Rights Watch group, he was denied access to a lawyer during the pre-trial investigation and was not informed of the evidence and witness testimony to be used against him.
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Kyrgyz opposition unity crumbles
By: IWPR, May 9, 2009
Two weeks after Kyrgyzstan’s opposition closed ranks and pledged not to field multiple candidates in this summer’s presidential election, one of the parties announced it was putting its own leader forward. Analysts say these tactics have driven a wedge into what was supposed to be a united front and could fatally damage the opposition’s chances of unseating the incumbent Kurmanbek Bakiev on July 23.
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