On Friday 30th May, the court convicted and then released the 23 garment workers and unionists who were arrested during the violent crackdown of the wage protest in Cambodia last January. Their sentences were suspended after huge pressure from international campaign groups and unions.
Category: Asia
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Total silence from the Human Rights Commission and NGOs as hundreds of pro-democracy academics and activists arrested
Total silence from the Human Rights Commission and NGOs
as hundreds of pro-democracy academics and activists arrested
Giles Ji Ungpakorn
As hundreds of pro-democracy academics and activists are arrested by the Thai military junta, it is obvious to anyone with half a brain that this is a coup to destroy the redshirts and the democracy movement as a whole. Yellow shirts and anti-democratic mobsters who used violence to wreck the elections have been allowed to go free and have been photographing themselves in army uniforms as part of their celebrations.
There has been total silence from National Human Rights Commission and the mainstream academics, both about the coup and about these gross abuses of human rights.
I have surveyed the various declarations published on the “Prachatai” web newspaper since the coup and we can see a clear pattern.
While brave activists defy the junta by taking part in flash mobs and some mass protests in Bangkok and other cities, a number of organisations have made declarations which unconditionally condemn the coup. These organisations include The Assembly for the Defence of Democracy, The Assembly of the Poor, The 24th June Democracy Group (set up by Somyot), The 4 Regions Slum Dwellers, The Common People’s Party, The Group of 91 academics and students from the deep south, The Students Federation of Isarn, P-Move & YPD, The Community Network for Reform in Society and Politics, The Non-Violent activists around Kotom Araya and the Volunteer Graduates for the Defence of Democracy. Other groups, including left wing groups and street activists have not issued declarations but have opposed the coup by their actions.
A second group of people have criticised the coup, but have justified it at the same time. They argue that “both sides of the political divide” were responsible for the crisis and must make amends. In practical terms this implies that those who won elections and those who wanted to protect the democratic process were “as guilty” as those who used violence on the streets to wreck elections or used their illegitimate roles in the courts to frustrate democracy. This is a mealy-mouthed way of trying to look democratic while supporting the coup. This is the position of the National NGO Coordinating Committee and also 11 NGO figures from organisations such as FTA watch, Bio Thai, Women & Men Progressive Movement Foundation, Friends of the People, The Consumers Association and The Foundation for Labour and Employment Promotion. They call for a return to democracy at the “earliest opportunity”, something which General Prayut would easily agree, because no time frame is demanded. Also the National NGO Coordinating Committee seems to be more concerned to stop the junta from proposing any large scale infrastructure projects than to care about abuses of democratic rights.
A third group of people accept the coup and try to give the junta advice. This includes the Thailand Development Research Institute, Political Science academics from Thammasart and the Society to Prevent Global Warming.
After the 2006 coup a number most NGOs accepted the coup and took part in the junta’s sham “reform” committees. Some “NGO academics” even sat in the junta’s appointed parliament.
For the last decade Thai NGOs have ceased to be advocates or activists for freedom and democracy and have treated the majority of citizens with contempt. To read more detail about this, go to: “Why have most Thai NGOs sided with the conservative royalists against democracy and the poor” at http://www.scribd.com/doc/221530131/Why-have-most-Thai-NGOs-chosen-to-side-with-the-conservative-royalists-against-democracy-and-the-poor
The true activists for freedom and democracy can be found in the flash mobs and street demonstrations, in the junta’s jails, or among the red shirts. However, the UDD red shirt leadership and the top politicians from Pua Thai Party, including Yingluk, have thrown in the towel. The UDD leaders are calling for calm and they have been trying to demobilise the movement since Yingluk’s election in 2011. Pictures of Yingluk obediently going to report to the junta are in stark contrast with the actions of those who have refused to report to this illegitimate body. Chaturon Chaisang, a former Minister of Education, was arrested at the Foreign Correspondent’s Club and is now facing a military court and two years in jail. Others are trying to cross the border to seek asylum. The UDD leaders could easily have done something like this in an attempt to lead the fight for democracy from abroad or while in hiding. But they have failed. New leadership must now come from grass roots activists.
Filed under: blog, Thai politics Tagged: Coup d’état, National Human Rights Commission of Thailand, NGOs, Thai politics
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Unrest and Opposition Over Military Rule: Thailand on the Brink ….
Bangkok resists the coup.
The 3 finger salute of the Thai anti-coup flash mobs today in Bangkok… It is probably adapted from Hunger Games (!) and some interpret it to mean Liberty, Equality, Fraternity.
Filed under: Thai politics Tagged: Equality, Flash mob, Fraternity, Liberty, Thailand, The 3 finger salute of the Thai anti-coup flash mobs
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Farzina Parveen, Pakistani woman murdered by relatives.
Farzana Parveen Another victim in the war on women.
By Sean O’Torrain
Farzina Parveen, a 25 year old pregnant woman has been stoned to death in Lahore, Pakistan by her relatives. Her “crime” – having married the man she wanted to. Then we find out that this man himself had earlier murdered his first wife to be with Ms. Parveen. He had been able to get his release from his sentence for strangling his first wife by using what is known under Islamic law as “diyat”. This allows the family of the victim to forgive the murderer or to accept payment for the murder of their family member and in this way the murderer gets off. This is horrific. It is part of the war against women that is taking place worldwide. “Diyat” has similarities to so-called “canon law” in the Catholic church where that church claims that “canon law” which it makes up itself, allows it to makes its own decisions about its own full-time organizers (priest,bishops, cardinals,popes etc) and keep them out of the hands of the legal system.
Is not only the backward tribal and religious elements of Islam which use “diyat.”When it suits it the US government uses it also. In 2011 the US government used it to obtain the release of Raymond Davis, a CIA mercenary and killer who had shot two Pakistanis. To set the “diyat” process in motion in this case and set the CIA killer free, $2.34 million was paid in compensation and Davis was flown out of Pakistan in hours. The US government also paid $100,000 to the family of a third man who was killed y CIA officials who ran him down with their jeep as they rushed to Davis’ aid. The US government bails out its paid killers. It is prepared to use the most backward of anti-woman laws to protect its mercenaries. This includes “diyat,”which was used to justify the stoning to death of Ms Parveen.
The US government sends its troops abroad to fight for the interest of the US corporations. The people who make these decisions are the Bushes, the Obamas, the Cheyney’s, the owners and directors of the major US corporations. These people are war criminals. In order to keep the armed forces they send abroad intact, they have to protect them from repercussions for their actions as much as possible. As we see in this case they are even prepared to go as far as using “diyat” which allows for the murdering of women to achieve this end.
India’s Women in Pink, self defense forces I am writing this post in the USA. This issues has to be raised here and internationally. There are hundreds of thousands of Pakistani and Indian businesses and religious institutions in this country. This issue must be taken up with these businesses. Their places of business can be picketed. US corporations and the US government must get the same treatment. A fight has to be taken up against the mass rapes and murders of women. The example of the Women in Pink in India should be followed. They have organized themselves with clubs and defend themselves against rapists and murderers. They are up to 100,000 strong. Take action in our own areas and contact all the women’s groups around the world such as the Women in Pink to let them see they are not alone.
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Obama says U.S. will continue war in Afghanistan past 2014
Minneapolis, MN – President Obama announced May 27, that by 2015 the U.S. will have 9,800 troops in Afghanistan and that by the end of 2016 the U.S. will leave troops to guard the U.S. embassy in Kabul. The next day when Secretary of State John Kerry was interviewed by Chuck Todd on MSNBC, Todd pointed out that “there’s eight more years of that agreement, and the next president, without the authorization of Congress, without seeking new permission from Afghanistan, could end up sending more troops back in” and Kerry agreed that it is possible that the U.S. could send in more troops. He was quick to point out that that decision would be made under a different administration though.
While the President’s speech focused on how the U.S. is changing its operation in Afghanistan, many in the anti-war movement see the speech as a political smokescreen for the U.S. continuing its war and occupation of the country.
Sarah Martin, an activist with Women Against Military Madness reacted to the president’s speech, “Make no mistake about it, these troops will be seen as a continuation of the US/NATO occupation of Afghanistan. Life for the Afghan people especially women and girls will continue to be dangerous. The Afghans will be able to get on with their lives when there are zero troops in Afghanistan.”
Sophia Hansen-Day from the Anti-War Committee agreed, “With his declaration that almost 10,000 U.S. troops will remain on the ground in Afghanistan after 2014, President Obama yet again proves his steadfast commitment to empire building. Once again, his initial calls for change ring hollow in favor of the hypocrisy of Washington.”
Military Families Speak Out has called for protests in response to the president’s announcement. So far there have been protests in Kansas City, California and New Jersey. There will be a picket at in Minneapolis, Minnesota at Senator Amy Klobuchar’s office on Friday, May 30, at 4:30 PM to show opposition to the continuation of a U.S. presence in Afghanistan. The protest is organized by the MN Peace Action Coalition.
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Waiting on Biafra and Lanka
As May turns into June the quiet loneliness of war-torn Jaffna lies before me. For how much longer, years or decades into the future, will I look back into the past? And who will help me reflect on that past? Some, fifty years ago, the tragedy of Biafra unfolded. I grew up hearing about the […]
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China slams hacking charges, says U.S. “the biggest cyber bully”
Washington, DC – In response to U.S. espionage charges claiming five officers of China’s People’s Liberation Army were carrying out cyber spying on U.S. corporations, in a May 21 article the New China News Agency (Xinhua) stated, “It is really amazing to see that the biggest cyber bully, which has virtually no credibility left in the cyber world, could still stand at the moral high ground to accuse others.”
The article also stated, “The unfounded charge against Chinese officers amounts to the same hypocrisy as a bandit calling for justice.”
Documents released by NSA whistle blower Edward Snowden revealed that agency has carried out extensive cyber operations against corporations based in the People’s Republic of China. On March 22, the New York Times reported that an NSA operation, going by the codename “Shotgiant,” involved hacking into the servers of Huawei – a large Chinese telecommunications company.
Snowden’s revelations also show that NSA is building the capacity to monitor all internet traffic.
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South Florida commemorates Al Nakba, supports Rasmea Odeh
Miami, FL – Anti-war activists, students and Palestinian Americans gathered here to commemorate Al Nakba, which means “the catastrophe.” Al Nakba refers to the ethnic cleansing of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians when they were violently forced off their land by Zionist militia groups in May 1948.
Organizers planned three days of remembering Al Nakba. The first occurred May 15, at Saint Jude Melkite Catholic Church in downtown Miami. 40 people gathered to give personal and historical presentations, share food provided by Al-Awda ( the Palestinian Right to Return Coalition) and read stories of those who experienced forced removal from their homes and land. It was very moving. As one Palestinian speaker explained, “That night I cried too, as I tried to sleep alongside thousands on the ground. Would I ever see my home again?”
The next day, organizers posted on social media sites to defend Rasmea Odeh, an Arab American activist in Chicago being politically targeted by the U.S. government. Although Odeh is charged with immigration fraud, activists around the U.S. say she is being targeted because of her powerful activism for Palestinian liberation, especially concerning women and girls. Across the country, mobilizations are under way for her June 10 court date in Detroit. Supporters can learn more and sign the petition at www.stopfbi.net.
On May 17, Palestinian solidarity activists met again to watch the Oscar nominated documentary Five Broken Cameras. The documentary is told from the perspective of a Palestinian participating in non-violent resistance to the partition wall being built through the land. The U.S. government funds Israel with more than $3 billion per year, while Israel ignores the Obama administration calls to stop building new settlements.
Organizer Cassia Laham, from People’s Opposition to War, Imperialism, and Racism (POWIR) said, “It is important to remember that Al Nakba is not just an historical event. It is still ongoing as illegal settlements are continuously being built on Palestinian land. The U.S. government should stop sending our tax dollars to Israeli.”
Activists discussed the current struggle of the Palestinian people, including the growing international movement for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel. Muhammed Malik, local Palestinian American organizer and former member of Students for Justice in Palestine at Florida International University, said, “Although the mainstream media doesn’t cover it, activists are constantly winning victories. I am hopeful that we will see justice for the Palestinian people.”
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PFLP condemns Israeli killings at Nakba day commemoration
Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
Occupation crimes on Nakba Day at Ofer will spark increased resistance
The occupation’s crimes at Ofer on Nakba day open the door to the escalation of yet more crimes against the Palestinian people, said Comrade Khalida Jarrar, a leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. She expressed the condolences of the PFLP for the martyrs, Mohammad Odeh Abu Zaher and Nadeem Nawara, who were killed by occupation forces during a demonstration marching towards Ofer commemorating the Nakba and in support of the administrative detainees engaged in an open hunger strike.
She wished a speedy recovery for the wounded injured in the confrontation. “It is clear that the terror of the occupation is increasing and expanding against the Palestinian people. Today a demonstration at Ofer was attacked, directly targeting Palestinian boys and shooting them with live fire at close range in cold blood, assassinating them, killing these two young men and injuring more,” said Jarrar. She called for the broadest participation in the martyrs’ funeral on Friday to make it clear that the young men who fall as martyrs are not alone. “The relationship between the occupation and the Palestinian people is that the occupation is a killer tyranny, and the Palestinian people defend themselves and resist this terror,” she said.
She noted that ongoing escalation by Zionist forces is expected, but that the Palestinian people will not be silent in the face of these crimes, confirmed by the confrontations throughout the West Bank and Jerusalem, especially in Ramallah, al-Khalil and entrances to Jerusalem city. Jarrar noted that this crime reinforces the Front’s conviction of the need to build a unified national resistance front of all factions to organize the strategy of the resistance in all of its forms.
“Popular resistance is a comprehensive concept which includes resistance in all forms to the occupation. It therefore should not exclude any form of resistance, as we are facing a settler colonial military occupation. As an occupied people we struggle in multiple fronts, at the head, armed resistance, civil disobedience and protests such as those against the wall. The struggle waged by the prisoners of freedom inside the occupation prisons is a form of resistance, as is anti-normalization with the occupation, and the political and economic boycott, as well as diplomatic and legal resistance, such as going to the International Criminal Court to put the occupation on trial for its crimes against the Palestinian people,” Jarrar said.
On the anniversary of the Nakba, she emphasized that the right of the Palestinian refugees to return to their land from which they were expelled is the inalienable right of the Palestinian people and is not subject to limitation. In fact, she noted that this is at the core of the conflict between the Zionist entity and our Palestinian people, stressing the need to uphold this right and reject any initiative that could affect this right.
Jarrar noted that the occupation and the Zionist movement have a clear strategy to make Palestine “the Jewish state,” which is no new strategy yet is repeatedly posed at the negotiating table with the blessing of the United States. “We reaffirm that the right of return is the essence of the struggle and that any demand for recognition of the Jewishness of the state or a national home for the Jewish people means the abolition of the historical fact that Palestinians were removed from their land. This is an attempt to liquidate the right of return. We must remain in open struggle with this occupation until it is swept entirely from our land,” she said.
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Minneapolis protests says: “Stop the wars – ground the drones”
Minneapolis, MN – A highly visible anti-war protest was held in Minneapolis May 17, with over 120 people joining the demonstration.
The protest was called to be part of a national round of local anti-war and anti-drone protests during the months of April and May. The Minnesota Peace Action Coalition (MPAC) initiated planning for the event.
The May 17 protest was organized under the call of ‘Stop the wars – Ground the drones’, with the additional slogans of: Zero troops in Afghanistan; ground all military and surveillance drones; end drone strikes in Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia; for a full employment peace economy, not more war; no new wars – hot or cold; and U.S. hands off Syria, Ukraine, Korea, Venezuela, Palestine and everywhere.
In the final days before the protest, as the crisis in Ukraine reached a new and dangerous level, the International Action Center, United National Antiwar Coalition and other organizations issued a call for local protests May 9 – 26 against U.S. intervention in Ukraine.
MPAC, which in the initial call for the protest included the anti-intervention demand on Ukraine, endorsed the national call for anti-war actions on Ukraine and listed the May 17 event as one of the actions being held around the country to speak out against the danger of yet another war.
Signs and speakers at the protest spoke to the demand against intervention in Ukraine and against a new cold war with Russia.
The Minneapolis protest gathered at the very busy corner of Hiawatha Avenue and Lake Street. After 45 minutes of holding signs and banners, there was a march to Walker Community Church for an indoor rally.
A statement issued by organizers said in part, “Since 2004, over 2500 people have been killed by U.S. drone attacks in Pakistan. In Afghanistan, drone attacks are increasing and the U.S. government plans to keep thousands of troops and drones in Afghanistan for years to come. U.S. drone strikes are commonplace in Yemen and elsewhere.”
The statement goes on to say, “The endless series of U.S. wars and interventions continues, including increasing military aid, expanding U.S. bases around the world and internal meddling in other countries through economic pressures overseen by agencies such as International Monetary Fund and World Bank.”
At the rally a member of MPAC also warned that the U.S. was preparing military intervention in Nigeria in the name of saving kidnapped schoolgirls.
“The U.S. military does not intervene to help people, the U.S. military intervenes in the interests of corporations and profits, not people,” said the MPAC member.
The planning for the May 17 protest was initiated by MPAC and endorsed by a broad range of organizations, including, AFSCME Local 3800, Alliant Action, Anti-War Committee, Coalition for Palestinian Rights, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Mayday Books, Military Families Speak Out (MN chapter), Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee, Peace and Justice Committee of Sacred Heart Church (St. Paul), Peacemakers of Carondelet Village, PeaceMakers of Macalester Plymouth United Church, St. Joan of Arc Church, Socialist Action, Students for a Democratic Society (UMN), Twin Cities Peace Campaign, Veterans for Peace, Welfare Rights Committee, Women Against Military Madness, Workers International League and others.
