Democracy & Civics

Sea Cow Stymies Navy’s Okinawa Plan

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The endangered dugong, a type of “sea cow” similar to Florida’s manatee, threatens to put the brakes on a huge military construction project in Japan. A federal court in San Francisco ruled that Navy plans to build a new base in Okinawa would violate the National Historic Preservation Act by threatening dugong habitat. The Christian Science Monitor reports that protecting the dugong could cut into related construction and service jobs, exacting a steep economic toll on economically depressed northern Okinawa. U.S. military facilities in Okinawa have a long and controversial history, with resentment lingering over the rape of a schoolgirl by three U.S. servicemen in 1995. Plans for the new base were approved in the late 1990s, following Tokyo’s commitment of more than $900 million in tax breaks and stimulus programs for Okinawa.

Democracy & Civics

Death After Pepper Spray Raises Questions

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A mentally ill man died not long after being pepper sprayed, the New Zealand Herald reported, prompting criticism of a “cavalier approach to using incapacitating weapons.” Henry Bailey was confronted by police responding to an emergency call by his roommate, who said that Bailey had assaulted him. The New Zealand Herald reports that Bailey fought briefly with the officers, who tried to handcuff him, then carried out a threat to use pepper spray to subdue him. A neighbor said Bailey, who was in his 40s, had been released from mental health services about a year ago, and was well- behaved. Bailey is the fourth mentally ill person to die following pepper- spray use in New Zealand in nine years, though the spray itself was not always blamed for those deaths.

Democracy & Civics

Erosion Takes a Toxic Toll in Alaska

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It has been widely reported that global warming threatens to sweep scores of coastal Alaskan towns into the sea. Now, the Anchorage Daily News reports that severe erosion is also threatening the ocean by dumping toxins from landfills and garbage dumps into the water. “A (dump) is kind of like a Pandora’s box of surprises,” said Tamar Stephens of the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation, the Daily News reported. Among the materials of concern are heavy metals and biological contaminants. The U.S. military has spent millions of dollars to try to halt the erosion at Cold War-era landfills, but funding is in short supply for many small town dumps and some former military bases.

Democracy & Civics

Uzbek Strongman Has Powerful Friends Again

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Western nations are once again making diplomatic overtures to Uzbekistan, despite the former Soviet republic’s dismal human rights record. Admiral William Fallon, of the U.S. Central Command, visited the Central Asian nation’s capital last week, and European officials have also made the trip in recent weeks. The Organization for Cooperation and Security in Europe congratulated President Islam Kamirov on his victory in last month’s elections, despite the fact that it said the vote was unfair. Uzbekistan’s location bordering Afghanistan makes it an important player in the United States’ war on terrorism, but Western nations pulled away from Kamirov’s government in 2005 after troops fired on peaceful protestors in the Uzbek city of Andijon. Hundreds of people were reportedly killed in that incident.

Democracy & Civics

Canada Acknowledges Afghan Torture

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Canada’s defense minister acknowledged that the military knew prisoners they transferred to Afghan jails were being tortured. Although the military stopped such transfers last year, the decision was kept secret, and publicly Canada’s government denied any knowledge of torture of Taliban prisoners by Afghan jailers, according to the Globe and Mail. Radio Netherlands reports that the government initially “ridiculed” allegations by the political opposition that torture was happening. One law professor in Ottowa said the revelation makes him doubt Canadians are being told the truth about prisoners and torture in Afghanistan. Amnesty International is suing to have prisoner transfers banned altogether, claiming that Canada risks violating the Geneva Conventions by handing prisoners over to potential torturers.

Democracy & Civics

California Marijuana Law Takes a Hit

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The California State Supreme Court found that employers can fire workers for using doctor-approved marijuana, despite a voter-approved state law permitting such use of the drug. Plaintiff Gary Ross, an Air Force veteran with painful back injuries from his military career, was advised to use marijuana by his doctor. He was drug tested at a telecommunications job despite having a note from his doctor, and fired not longer after. According to the Los Angeles Times, the majority in the 5-2 decision found that nothing in the law prevented employers from firing employees who use drugs. The dissenting justices said the court would have sided with Ross if he had been using legal drugs that nevertheless affect job performance, such as Valium, Vicodin or Ritalin.

Democracy & Civics

War Crimes Trial Spurs Threat Claim

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A witness in the war crimes trial of Charles Taylor, the former president of Liberia, said a group of men stormed his family compound and said they would “all be killed,” reports the BBC. The witness — Vamba Sherif, a former aide to Taylor — claims that the ex-president provided shelter in Liberia to rebels from neighboring Sierra Leone. The trial is currently underway in the Netherlands. Prosecutors say that Taylor backed rebels in Sierra Leone, provoking border-crossing violence, extrajudicial killings, sexual slavery and looting. Source:
“‘Death threats’ over Taylor trial”
BBC, January 25, 2008

Democracy & Civics

The Biodiesel Road Proves Bumpy in Southeast Asia

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It’s heralded as the clean-burning alternative to petroleum, but biodiesel’s baggage has made a smooth roll-out seem unlikely. The challenges come into focus in Southeast Asia, where economic, environmental and industrial concerns find themselves at odds. THAILAND
In Thailand, where new laws mandate the use of biodiesel, fears are emerging over the effects of increased demand for palm oil, which is a cooking staple in private and commercial kitchens across the country. Now, with prices for palm oil spiking, government ministers are pondering an export ban, and also the import of 30,000 tons of palm kernel oil to meet growing demand. A palm oil industry spokesman told the Bangkok Post that the bans would negatively affect local farmers, and called for better management of existing supplies.

Democracy & Civics

Malaysia Ban on "Muslim" Words Sparks Furor

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Long simmering religious tensions are heating up as Malaysia prepares for national elections. In recent weeks, the Muslim-led government of the Southeast Asian nation has fought over the use of Arabic words such as “Allah” by non-Muslims.
According to Hong Kong’s Asia Times, the Malaysian government has forbidden the use of “Allah” and three other Arabic words and phrases which have been in common use among the nation’s Christian, Sikh and Hindu communities for centuries. Asia Times quoted deputy minister for internal security Johari Baharumas as saying, “Only Muslims can use (the word) Allah. It’s a Muslim word. It’s from the Arabic language.

Democracy & Civics

The Dutch Ponder a Free-Speech Powder Keg

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Geert Wilders, one the Netherland’s most notorious right-wing politicians, seeks to make headlines around the world with the debut of a new film that criticizes the Koran. A Radio Netherlands report on Dutch expatriates living in Muslim nations finds widespread concerns about a backlash over the film. A majority, recalling the murder of Theo Van Gogh by a religious extremist over his film “Submission,” which criticized the status of women in Islam, also say that Wilders’ film project will put his own life in danger. And almost half of “Dutch citizens in Islamic nations” said they are already facing “problems or even danger” due to Wilders’ activities. Despite this, a majority supported Wilders’ right to free expression, and blamed the Dutch government for failing to adequately deal with pressing immigration issues at home.