Blogging the democratic revolution
Victor Mallet of the Financial Times seizes on Rumsfeld’s recent comments on June 4, in which he said that China needs to open up its political system. Victor argues that economic growth and western influence — one in the same in China’s case — will bring with it inevitable internal democratic reform, even as the government resists it. He applauded the global spread of democracy, expressed satisfaction that dictatorships were losing power, and suggested that China needed ???????a growth in political freedom??????? and ???????a more open and representative government???????. The Chinese response was revealing. Cui Tiankai, the senior foreign ministry…
Welcome to this week’s Carnival Of Revolutions! I’ll take a cue from Nathan and not pull out the humor. I don’t know where I’d pull it from. So let’s cut to the chase, down to this past week’s developments in democracy, elections, tyrannous acts, human rights, and pie. Apple pie. General: The World has a three part series examining pro-democracy movements, and the photos used were by none other than Veronica Khokhlova. A lot of people were pissed (and that’s just a few) that Amnesty International compared Gitmo to gulags and called the United States the greatest abuser of human…
Regime Change Iran is posting this week’s week in review, the most important roundup on Iran you can read. If there was ever any doubt that the voter turnout is going be tantamount to the aftermath of this election, get this: – Townhall.com reported that the son of the late Shah said, Boycott Iran’s Sham Election. – Iran Focus reported an Iranian survey predicts: 92 percent of voters to stay away from presidential polls. – Agence Franc Presse reports that the Iranian public is being told, voting is as important as praying. Also, if you haven’t already, please consider joining…
After weeks of so-called “clean up,” where tens of thousands of opposition supporters have had their homes and trader stalls demolished, trade unions, churches, and civil organizations are banding together to call for a nationwide working strike. A SHADOWY coalition of civil groups and opponents of President Robert Mugabe called today for mass strikes to bring Zimbabwe to a halt, while churches stepped up criticism of a government clampdown on shack dwellers and street traders. Shielding its identity and headquarters in fear of Mugabe’s draconian security legislation, an hitherto unknown organisation calling itself the “Broad Alliance” distributed leaflets and mobile…
Voting has begun in Lebanon’s southern district. Six of the South seats have already been taken by ticket members officially declared ‘winners unopposed’ in Sidon, provincial capital of the south, and in Jezzine, South Lebanon’s largest Christian city. Jezzine’s population was staying away from the polls to protest the concept of Christians being carried to parliament by overwhelming Muslim votes. Polls opened at 7 a.m. (0400 GMT) in the region that sits on Israel’s northern rim and are scheduled to close 11 hours later. About 665,000 men and women are eligible to cast ballots, but the turnout is expected by…
I’m going to take this opportunity to remind you that I’ll be hosting Monday’s Carnival of Revolutions. That means if you have a blog post or know of a blog post relating to democracy movements, tyrannical regimes, the spread of freedom — and all that sweet stuff — be sure to email it to me at robertmayerÉgmail.com. And if you don’t, go on a scavenger hunt so that I don’t have to! Meanwhile, I’m working on a post delving into the complexity of the elections in South Lebanon tomorrow. Stay tuned.
To give some short-term background: The Azeri government has, in the past few weeks, really cracked down on opposition leaders and arrested hundreds of people. With this rally, as with all, the opposition applied for approval to hold their rally but they were denied. But instead of staying home, they came out into the streets as planned, and boy, did they come out. BAKU, June 4 (AFP) – Some 10,000 anti-government protestors rallied in the capital of oil-rich Azerbaijan calling for regime change in the former Soviet republic on Saturday. In the first opposition rally not to have been crushed…
Zapatero may have given in to Al Qaeda an easy time after the Madrid train bombing, but the Spanish won’t have any negotiating with the Basque separatists. Victims, relatives, and supporters are marching in Madrid against government plans to negotiate with the ETA terrorists. Great photo here. Spain’s prime minister Jos???? Luis Rodr????guez Zapatero faces the first major demonstration against him today when tens of thousands are to march through Madrid demanding he does not negotiate with the Basque terrorist group Eta. Organisers said at least 200 coaches were due for the march, which has the backing of the main…
It is a unique blessing of the free world that its people can express a wide variety of opinions and choose how to live peacefully without being persecuted by their own governments. These are examples of real, universal human rights that need to be defended and brought to the dark corners of the world. This is why we need human rights organizations that can recognize the difference between sporadic crime in the free world and regimen genocide where the press doesn’t exist to report it. This is the problem with much of the human rights movement today. Its leadership does…
The regime is going to be starving for legitimacy if this is true, and by all accounts it looks highly probable. A nationwide survey conducted by an Iranian opposition group showed widespread voter apathy in Iran’s upcoming June 17 presidential elections. The People??????????s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI) said in a press release that a survey of 1,730 adults eligible to vote showed that 92 percent of voters intend to boycott the elections. The survey was based on interviews conducted between May 27 and May 30, 2005. READ MORE While the PMOI as an opposition group has clear interests in…
A columnist for the Lebanese publication An Nahar has been murdered in a car bombing, in which his car was rigged to explode upon ignition. Here is the report from Reporters Without Borders: Reporters Without Borders secretary-general Robert M????nard, who is currently in Lebanon, voiced dismay at the murder of columnist Samir Kassir of the An-Nahar newspaper, who was killed when his car blew up this morning in Beirut. “We are in a complete state of shock after Samir Kassir’s cowardly murder,” M????nard said. “We have lost a friend, and press freedom has lost a passionate defender. We share his…
Before anything, read Austin Bay’s fabulous piece fisking Amnesty International on their bizarre claim that Gitmo and Abu Ghraib are modern day gulags, and that the U.S. is the leader in human rights abuses in the world. Hahahahahaha. Right. Anyhow, I received an email with a really good idea: Go to Google News and search for stories about “human rights abuses xxx” where xxx is the name of a country. Let’s see the results as of this moment. United States: 2,740 Iran: 374 China: 824 Sudan: 400 Zimbabwe: 265 Belarus: 39 Russia: 483 Burma: 68 Saudi Arabia: 142 Nepal: 232…
Two weeks ago, Robert Mugabe started his “Operation: Clean-up” which has destroyed the market stalls of thousands of Zimbabweans and now left up to two million homeless. On both the human rights and geopolitics scale, the role that China plays in Africa in general and Zimbabwe in particular is especially important. They have been making inroads into the continent for years and the effects are starting to show. The opposition Sokwanele blog explains: Now let’s look at more recent developments. Riot police have just been sent into the flea markets in Harare, and been set upon street traders who ply…
Gary Metz at Regime Change Iran is looking toward the Iranian presidential elections on June 17, and he wants the people there to know the truth about what goes on in their own country. That’s why he’s organizing a blogosphere campaign to spread the news about Iran so that the people have plenty of opportunities to circumvent regime attempts to shut them out. If you support democracy in Iran, and you are a blogger, be sure to visit the link.
After years of stalled talks between the two, Georgia and Russia have signed a joint declaration pledging toward a specific plan for the pullout of Russian military bases from Georgia. The Russian and Georgian Foreign Ministries published a joint declaration, which outlines the process of withdrawal of Russian military bases from Georgia. It also deals border delimitation and conflict resolution issues. The Joint Declaration was signed by the to Ministers ???????? Sergey Lavrov and Salome Zourabichvili, after talks in Moscow on May 30. According to the declaration Russia committed itself to putting its two military bases, in Batumi and Akhalkalaki,…
Exactly two months ago, this “outpost of tyranny” was holding parliamentary elections that were inexplicably fraudulent. Many foreign journalists were inside the country, so Mugabe made sure that food was given out and gasoline made available — at least in his supporters’ strongholds. Even once he stole the election and secured enough seats to change the constitution at whim, he made conciliatory grunts to the opposition. No more. The cloak of illusion soon came off as these basic commodities have become memories of the distant past. Inflation and unemployment has skyrocketed, making it impossible to save or even to live.…
Kick back, relax, and take a moment to say a few prayers for the troops who are fighting abroad for freedom. Winds of Change has a Memorial Day roundup and Glenn Reynolds links to lots of photoblogging. As for me, I’m taking the day off, basking in the glow of Lebanon’s first round of elections. Nothing better to bask in than that. Anyhow, catch you all tomorrow and take it easy!
Nathan Hamm of Registan is hosting this week’s carnival of revolutions! Check it out to read the blogosphere’s best on democracy movements unfolding around the world.
The first round of Lebanon’s first election free of Syrian interference since, well, before I was born has started. The next rounds will take place over the next three consecutive Sunday’s, ending on June 19. Candidates will be competing for 19 seats within three districts within the Beirut region. There are 240 polling stations open and 100 observers from the EU and the UN. But it is unlikely to be much of a competition, with Saad Hariri — the successor and son of Rafik Hariri — looking to sweep every seats with nine seats automatically won unopposed. For more information…
Don’t miss Regime Change Iran, with the most important roundup of events pertaining to Iran that you will ever read.
It had to happen sooner or later. The high expectations and aspirations of the Lebanese people are slowly degrading into a state of national melancholy. Undoubtedly, Lebanon will never be the same after March’s Cedar Revolution, but that won’t stop the country’s professional politicians from pulling as many strings as possible to stay in power. Actually, it is no wonder that a sense of disillusionment has set in as May 29 nears. Now that Syria has pulled out, the precedent for a unified anti-Syria opposition has been removed as each party forms alliances and election lists with formerly hostile rivals.…
Of course, that’s rather predictable given that Lukashenko owns the parliament. Due to the spread of “velvet revolutions” in his near vicinity, and the upfront declarations of his neighbors, the EU, and the United States to promote democracy in Belarus, Lukashenko has passed a state security law which will allow the secret police practically absolute access to people and their property without any approval. New law “On Organs of State Security” has taken effect. This is the information provided by Radio Liberty. The human rights activists and the opposition have already referred to this law as “another stepping stone” to…
Glenn posted a link earlier to a report that an EU confidential document says that the elections in Ethiopia were rigged. ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) — Ethiopia’s electoral board appears to have lost control of the vote counting for the May 15 legislative polls, European Union election observers said in a report obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday. The confidential report went on to say the EU might have to make a public denunciation of developments to distance itself from “the lack of transparency, and assumed rigging” of the vote “Ten days after the polling day, the situation is…
You all may have noticed that it has been a slow couple of weeks for my posting in particular. Look forward to that coming to an end. I’m graduating tonight and I’ll be moving to Boston at the end of August. I’ll post by tomorrow afternoon, when I’ve, er, recovered.
Relations between the United States and Syria are sliding even further of late, though it seems that they may be the only party minding this. All of this revolves around intense pressure on Damascus about the insurgency in Iraq. Many of the terrorists have set up arms and drug smuggling routes along the Syrian border, and the U.S. was recently forced to launch an all out attacked called “Operation: Matador” against their positions. With it being painfully obvious where these people come from, pressure against Damascus has soared over the past few weeks. Looks like Syria can’t take the heat.…