Day 324

Democratic Republic of Congo

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, currently on a 7 nation tour of Africa, is in the DRC calling for the cessation of sexual crimes against civilians.  The estimates from the UN report that over 3,500 people have been victims of assault and is helping to spread HIV.  

Urumqui, China

Here is an interesting report by Tania Branigan from the guardian.co.uk on the protests in China:

Woman's lone protest calms tempers as Uighurs confront Chinese police

Paramilitaries in temporary retreat from elderly demonstrator amid continuing tension in Urumqi-

No one noticed her at first. She was just a lined and weary face in the angry crowd. Then slowly she emerged from the mass and moved steadily down the street.

She was a lone woman, propped on a crutch. But she forced armoured personnel carriers and massed paramilitary ranks into a slow – if temporary – retreat during a remarkable confrontation between Chinese armed police and Uighurs in Urumqi today.

Uighur residents erupted into protests during an official media tour of the riot zone, in the face of hundreds of officers. Thousands of riot and armed paramilitary police have flooded the southern part of the capital since Sunday's violence claimed more than 150 lives and injured hundreds.

Women in the market place burst into wailing and chanting as foreign reporters arrived, complaining that police had taken away Uighur men. Authorities have arrested 1,434 people in connection with Sunday's unrest.

"The policemen took away my husband last night. I don't know why and I don't know where he is," said one woman called Abdurajit. "Mine was taken too. They still have him," broke in another woman.

As they streamed out on to the main street, the crowd swelled to around 200, with Uighur men and more women joining them, shouting and waving their fists.

And then the old woman emerged from the crowd and moved slowly down the street. An Uighur police officer came forward to escort her away. She could not be persuaded.

As older residents stepped forward and attempted to calm the crowd, she advanced steadily towards the line of armoured vehicles. She halted inches in front of one. The driver started its engine. For a long moment they faced each other. Then the carrier slowly began to roll backwards and the line of officers inched away, back down the road.

She walked forward. They stepped back. She continued – while the officer pleaded with her to turn away.

Suddenly he turned to me and grabbed my notebook, ripped out a page and scribbled a note for her; apparently his name and identity number – proof of his willingness to help her. He thrust it at her. Reluctantly, she agreed to leave....

British Embassy Employees

According to a senior Iranian cleric,  the employees of the British Embassy in Tehran who were arrested after the election protests will be tried for acting against Iran's national security.  

Eight or nine employees of the embassy's political section were arrested last weekend. All but three have been released, according to Iranian state media.

European Union nations summoned Iranian ambassadors today to complain about the arrests in a coordinated response, news agencies reported.

EU nations are weighing the possibility of pulling all 27 member nations' ambassadors from Tehran and imposing a travel ban on Iranian officials to protest the arrests, but want to wait for Iran's next move regarding the embassy employees, European news media reported. 

Day 275

Neda Agha-Soltan

The protests in Iran has put social networking sites and "citizen journalism" to the forefront. Listening to NPR as I write this post, it seems like the broadcast mentions Facebook and Twitter at every program break- something I have not noticed in the past. 

The tragic shooting of Neda Agha-Soltan is a prime example of our increasing reliance on social networking sites and with Iran's restrictions on foreign media, updates on these sites are the only information we are getting.  I have a funny feeling this is going to play out in a very considerable manner- how, remains to be seen.   

Day 236

Aung San Suu Kyi

Human rights activist and Nobel Laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi, is being held in a prison near Yangoon for violation of house arrest.  She had been visited by vietnam vet, John Yettaw of Missouri.  He swam across a lake to Suu Kyi's house where he stayed overnight.  He was arrested and is being charged with illegal entrance and staying at a residence without government permission.  His trial will be held on Monday.  He faces a maximum sentence of five years. 

Suu Kyi, 63, was first detained in 1989 and has been under house arrest for 13 of the past 19 years. The latest extension of her detention was scheduled to expire May 27. 

Day 233

Roxana Saberi Released

Iranian-American journalist, Roxana Saberi, was released yesterday after being cleared of espionage charges.  A few details from the case were released including possession of a secret Iranian war document she copied out of curiosity from a her free-lance job as a translator. 

United Nations

10 countires: Australia, Canada, Germany, Israel, Italy, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Poland and the United States has boycotted the UN racism conference "for fear that it would turn into a platform for anti-Semitism."  

Day 191

International Organization for Migration

The International Organization for Migration stated today that boats carrying 300 African migrants have sunk off the coast of Libya, possibly due to strong winds and overcrowding.  Libya is used as a transit point for migrants to pass the Mediterranean to Italy.

Day 159

For the Rohingya people and to the human quest to find a place to call "home".

Rohingya People

The Rohingya people, an ethnic Muslim minority in Burma, have been fleeing persecution and poverty  in waves.  The Association of Southeast Asian Nations are meeting to discuss the flood of refugees into neighboring countries.  The Thai government has threatened deportation of any illegal immigrants who are caught.  According to the article, the Rohingya people are willing to go anywhere they will be accepted.