The Andes
Day of mining protests throughout Andean nations
In an internationall coordinated day of action, campesinos and ecologists held protests in Peru, Chile and Argentina under the banner "No to mining, yes to life."
Tag: autonomy
Southeast Asia
US troops to Philippines amid Mindanao fighting
The White House is finalizing a deal with the Philippines that will allow the US to deploy more troops—as new fighting is reported from Mindanao despite talks with Islamist rebels.
Europe
Srebrenica: 18 years later, quest for justice goes on
A jurist at The Hague warns that the acquittal of Bosnia war crimes defendants sets a precedent for the "military elite of prominent countries"—including the US and Israel.
Southeast Asia
Burma: new Shan state opium eradication plan
The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) announced a new peace initiative in Burma’s conflicted Shan State aimed at facilitating poppy eradication.
North Africa
Mali: will peace hold with Tuareg rebels?
A Malian government mission arrived in Kidal, stronghold of the separatist National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA), days after the signing of a ceasefire.
The Andes
Colombia: two dead in eradication protests
Following two weeks of escalating protests by local campesinos, two were killed as National Police troops opened fire at Ocaña in Colombia’s Norte de Santander department.
The Andes
Bolivia: how many indigenous nationalities?
Meeting with Bolivia’s jurists to hash out protocols for autonomy, traditional authorities accused the government of underestimating the number of indigenous peoples.
The Amazon
Peru: demands emerge for ‘plurinational state’
As Peru’s government continues to stall on implementation of the Prior Consultation Law, indigenous leaders have issued calls for declaration of a “plurinational state.”
The Andes
Vigilante justice in Bolivia —or autonomy?
Four killings of accused miscreants by local residents in Bolivia are being called “community justice” by the perpetrators—but “lynchings” by the government.
Southern Cone
Chile: Mapuche leaders demand autonomy
President Sebastián Piñera offered to have “consultations” with the Mapuche. Indigenous leaders responded by calling for self-government.
The Amazon
Peru: Amazon natives broach separatism
Saying justice is no longer possible within Peru, Awajún and Wampis leaders in Amazonas region announced they plan to seek independence or unite their territory with Ecuador.
Southeast Asia
Borneo stand-off: whither Sulu sultanate?
Security forces in Malaysian Borneo are in a stand-off with some 100 men they say are insurgents from the Philippine island of Sulu raising an ancestral claim to the territory.