Aung San Suu Kyi. Photo: Burma Democratic Concern (BDC). Flickr

The spotlights of the international world are fully shining on Myanmar, or Burma, because of some major breakthroughs. The country has been under military rule for almost fifty years, but last year signalled a great change as the first nominally civilian government was installed. As recent as two weeks ago, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced that both countries will exchange ambassadors again in response to the release of hundreds of political prisoners in Myanmar, which started with the release of Nobel Peace Laureate and long time opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi in 2010. Are these the hopeful glimpses of a more democratic Myanmar? Fortsätt läsa artikeln… »

The Femen movement protests. Photo: FEMEN Women's Movement. wikimedia

How does one imagine a feminist movement? Traditionally feminist movements have been about campaigning for reproductive rights, equal pay, women’s suffrage, protesting to increase awareness of sexual harassment, domestic violence and many other issues affecting women’s lives. Yet, in Ukraine this has taken on a new form – topless protest. Fortsätt läsa artikeln… »

SOPA/PIPA protest in NYC January 18, 2012. Photo: Photo Gallery. Flickr

Dissecting the SOPA and PIPA bills.

Except for fame, what do celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift have in common? Well, alongside with the Sony Corporation, all four have officially been made targets by a hacktivist group, Anonymous, a global and loosely linked network of hackers, for approving of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) the PROTECT IP Act (PIPA). However, the hackers linked to Anonymous are far from the only ones opposing these new pieces of legislation which, if enacted, will enable American enforcement agencies to prosecute and shut down so-called rogue web sites, which are sites containing pirated material. Most importantly, and what has caused the strongest reactions, are clauses giving the US government the power to make US internet providers block access to infringing domains. In addition, the government will also be able to sue US-based search engines and directories as well as blogs and forums, forcing them to remove links to such rogue websites. In other words, the sites themselves will be held accountable for what their users upload through the use of their service, creating a delicate situation where censorship might be the only option. Fortsätt läsa artikeln… »

Prison Gates, Scheveningen, The Hague. Photo: Ted Swedenburg. flickr

Charles Taylor, Ratko Mladić and Ante Gotovina are just a few who are detained by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, the Netherlands. ICC has the authority to investigate and prosecute those accused of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes when national authorities are unable or unwilling to do so. Important to mention is that the death penalty is excluded so the Court’s highest sentence can only be imprisonment.

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Photo: P1r flickr

Thank you all for a wonderful fall together.  Thank you all readers, writers, editors and proof readers. We will be back next year with a surprise!

All the best,

Edith & Cecilia

Refugee Rights Protest in Melbourne. Photo: Takver, Flickr

Although Australia is a nation conceived and developed by immigrants, the contemporary political climate towards asylum-seekers is one of hostility—a hostility that has seeped into the Australian population. The recent failed attempt by the Australian Government to introduce a refugee swap deal with Malaysia highlights the core issue regarding Australia’s immigration policies and discussions—the debate has changed from being a humanitarian issue to a political strategy. In 2011, many asylum-seekers arrive by boat to Australia—a stable and wealthy democratic nation—full of hope, but this hope is short-lived. Their hope is replaced with despair as they are immediately, and in some cases indefinitely, placed                                                                                            in detention centres. Welcome to Australia.  Fortsätt läsa artikeln… »

Lee Teng-Hui in 2004. Photo: A-giâu. wikicommons media

Mr. Democrazy and his way of approaching Taiwan’s independence

The question of Taiwan’s independence from mainland China still remains unsolved. For centuries throughout its history, Taiwan has been occupied and oppressed by various colonial powers. In the 20^th century Japan annexed and ruled it from 1895 and until the end of the Second World War in 1945, when Taiwan officially became a part of China. In 1949, Chiang Kai-shek, the most prominent opponent of Mao Zedong, and his Kuomintang-National Party took over and transformed Taiwan into a self-governing state. The conflict regarding Taiwan’s independence from mainland China led to the Taiwan Strait crisis in 1995-1996. Still, China consistently claims that it has the right to use force to prevent Taiwan from becoming an independent country. Lee Teng-hui, the president of Taiwan from 1988-2000, sought to achieve Taiwan’s independence. Fortsätt läsa artikeln… »