From East Timor & Indonesia Action Network, June 28: The presence in Papua of a senior Indonesian army officer indicted on crimes against humanity charges in East Timor (now Timor-Leste) endangers human rights defenders and political activists and is a… Read moreIndonesia: indicted war criminal dispatched to West Papua
The Philippine military is waging a "dirty war" against leftist activists and journalists, Human Rights Watch charged in a June 28 report, "Scared Silent: Impunity for Extrajudicial Killings in the Philippines." Based on more than 100 interviews, the report details… Read moreHRW: Manila wages “dirty war” against leftists
Raúl Reyes, secretary of the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC), issued a call June 29 for the suspension of military operations in the southwest of Colombia to allow for the transfer of the bodies of 11 lawmakers who died in… Read moreColombia: did FARC kill hostages?
In response to years of activist pressure, Congressional Democrats have proposed amendments to the Bush administration’s annual foreign aid appropriations request for Colombia. If the Democrats have their way, overall funding will be cut by 10%, while 45% of the… Read moreCongress to cut Colombia military aid?
Thousands of Chileans clashed with police, blocked roads and set fire to buses on Monday to protest Chile’s state-owned mining company Codelco. “We are going to intensify the strike,” said Cristian Cuevas, a spokesman for the newly formed Confederation of… Read moreCopper strike rocks Chile
The press is abuzz with the June 26 release of the CIA’s “family jewels,” nearly 700 pages of documents concerning domestic meddling, foreign assassinations and other real and potential violations of the Agency’s charter that then-director James Schlesinger ordered compiled… Read moreThe CIA’s “family jewels” and historical irony
Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Meles Zenawi says he is strengthening his army in preparation for an attack by regional rival Eritrea. “Our defence forces have the capacity to deter aggression and to repulse it if it occurred,” Zenawi told Ethiopian members… Read moreEthiopia: ready for war with Eritrea
Ethiopia’s Federal High Court will hand down sentences to 38 imprisoned opposition leaders and journalists on July 9, the body has announced. Following reports that members of the opposition facing charges of “genocide” and attempted coup d’etat signed a document… Read moreEthiopia won’t budge on arrested activists, journalists
The Paris-based media watchdog group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) castigated the international community June 27 for “indifference” to a media crackdown in Eritrea. “Because of the world’s indifference, we are reduced to just watching, appalled and powerless, as the authorities… Read moreEritrea: press crackdown condemned
From Reuters, June 25: Man, 80, killed after round-Japan bike tour An 80-year-old man on the verge of completing a round-Japan cycling tour was struck and killed by a truck only a few hours ride from his home, police say…. Read moreWHY WE FIGHT
ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips have opted to abandon their heavy crude oil projects in eastern Venezuela’s Orinoco Belt rather than cede majority ownership and operating control to the state-owned oil company PDVSA, Venezuelan officials announced June 26. President Hugo Chavez had… Read moreExxon quits Venezuela
The Special Investigator (Fiscalía Especial) for the Acteal massacre in Mexico’s southern state of Chiapas has announced the discovery in a cave of two AK-47 rifles which are believed to be those used in the Dec. 22, 1997 slaying of… Read moreChiapas: arms used in Acteal massacre discovered
