Economy

Land Struggles Sour India Economic Zones

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Controversy follows the violent deaths of 21 protesters who opposed the creation of a “special economic zone” in India’s West Bengal district, reports Agence France-Presse. Activists say the deaths highlight the dangers of land seizures to create industrial areas that largely benefit multinational corporations. Such conversions are common in nations such as China, where small fishing and farming villages are transformed into economic powerhouses. The Indian villagers, from the district of Nandigram, oppose the local Marxist government’s plans to acquire 14,500 acres for an industrial park and petrochemical hub. Nearly 150 special economic zones already exist in India, employing 41,000 people.

Democracy & Civics

Tribal Loyalty May Bridge Iraq's Sectarian Divide

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Iraqi tribal chiefs from the Sunni-dominated Anbar province held talks last week with counterparts in Shia-dominated Qadissiya Province. Their goal — to find a peaceful, government-backed solution to the current sectarian violence in both provinces, according to the Azzaman newspaper. Although divided by religion, Sunnis and Shia are often members of the same tribe. Tribal leaders want to leverage this loyalty to stop the violence, oust al Qaeda forces, and support a push for “national reconciliation.” Source:
“Sunni, Shiite tribes unite to fight Qaeda”
Azzaman (Iraq), November 7, 2007

Democracy & Civics

FCC Tries to Sneak Through Looser Media Rules, Protesters Say

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Among the 200 people who signed up to speak at an FCC hearing on media consolidation in Seattle last week were many who are convinced the Republican-controlled panel has already decided to loosen existing media ownership rules. FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, who was greeted with catcalls and boos at the meeting, wants a vote on changing ownership rules next month, reports the Seattle Times. The FCC loosened some of those rules in 2003, enabling a company to own more than one type of media outlet in a local market. But the move was struck down by a federal appeals court. Proponents say restrictions on media ownership aren’t an issue anymore because the Internet has given people access to more diverse media.

Democracy & Civics

Anti-Gay Russian Churches Growing in U.S.

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The beating death of a gay man by a group of Russian-speaking men in Sacramento this summer highlighted the growing trend of anti-gay extremists in western U.S. states that hail from Slavic countries. These men, second- or third-generation immigrants from Russia and other parts of the former Soviet Union, are part of an international evangelical Christian movement known as the Watchmen of the Walls. The right-wing group has churches in Sacramento, Seattle and Portland that organize virulently anti-gay marches. Gay activists are routinely harassed during demonstrations, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. Source:
“The Latvian connection/ West Coast anti-gay movement on the march”
Intelligence Report (Southern Poverty Law Center), Fall 2007

Democracy & Civics

Thailand's Muslim Conflict

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Violent conflicts between Thai armed forces and a rebel separatist group in the three Muslim-dominated southern provinces of Thailand flared up again last week when a series of small bombs planted in restaurants and karaoke bars killed a Buddhist civil servant and wounded four others. The insurgency, and the government’s campaign to crush it, have resulted in 2,500 deaths in the past decade, according to the Jakarta Post. Although Islamic reformists say they are making progress against violent ideology, the conflict has now spread to neighboring provinces and could soon affect Bangkok as well. Thailand’s population is 95 percent Buddhist, and measures to combat the rebellion increasingly appeal to religious intolerance. Thai forces are empowered by martial law and have detained dozens of people without charge.

World

Israeli Arabs say Home is not so Sweet

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Even as Israel prepares for peace talks with Palestinians in Maryland next year, its relations with native Israeli-Arab citizens have been deteriorating. An exception to this is a court ruling — and a plot of land — won by an Arab-Israeli couple in the Galilee community of Rakefet. The court agreed with their claim of bias in a screening process all potential new residents of the community must undergo. Although the tests indicated they were both intelligent and well-suited to the community, officials rejected them due to their “social incompatibility.” In another Israeli village, hundred of Druze Arabs say they were targeted by police looking for suspects who had damaged a cellular phone antenna.

Democracy & Civics

The Persistence of Rendition

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When President Bush publicly acknowledged the existence of secret CIA jails, he also said they would be vacated — temporarily. Today, parts of the rendition program are still being debated by U.S. courts — and investigated by foreign governments. According to the Washington Post, 14 suspected Al Qaeda militants have been taken out of CIA prisons and moved to Guantanamo, but human rights groups say up to 30 other “ghost prisoners” remain unaccounted for. Some have been transferred to their home countries, such as Libya or Pakistan, and held in government jails there. Others are suspected of remaining at several CIA “black sites.”

Democracy & Civics

Whistle-Blowers Muted by Bureaucracy

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Whether speaking out about violations of national security or tainted meat, precious few government employees receive protection for their whistle-blowing from the Merit Systems Protection Board, according to an investigation by the Center for Investigative Reporting and Salon.com. An unprecedented review of 3,500 cases filed since 1994 reveals that whistle-blowers win no more than 3.5 percent of the time, and can spend years fighting for their rights amid a backlog of thousands of cases. Memos obtained by the writers show Republican judges stalling a case until a Democrat leaves the bench, while the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals in Washington, the only court of appeal for whistle-blowers, has ironclad rules about the workplace that make victory impossible. President Bush said he would veto a Senate bill to reform the system over national security concerns. Source:
“The war on whistle-blowers”
Salon.com, November 1, 2007

World

The Twin Horns of a Co-Epidemic: AIDS and TB

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Tuberculosis rates in South Africa’s Western Cape villages are among the highest in the world, due to a burgeoning co-epidemic of HIV and TB. According to a new report by international health experts, the paired diseases, which first emerged 23 years ago, now afflict nearly one-third of the 40 million people infected with HIV worldwide, and without proper treatment kill 90 percent of patients within months. In South Africa, overcrowded clinics are increasingly unable to diagnose or treat victims, a situation exacerbated by a spike in drug-resistant tuberculosis. Source:
“HIV-TB combo to shake Cape townships”
Independent Online (South Africa), November 2, 2007

World

The Taliban's Volatile Mix … of Foreign Fighters

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Foreign jihadists from Pakistan and Iran are infiltrating the ranks of the ruling Afghanis Taliban in Helmand Province, according to the Institute for War & Peace Reporting. The fighters are blamed for near-daily suicide bombings, and for terrorizing the locals, committing extra-judicial killings, and arresting Afghanis who travel into government-controlled areas. The captives are accused of spying, and beaten in jail until relatives come to pay for their release. Some Afghans say the fighters are being sent by Tehran for a political — rather than religious — purpose: to keep occupation forces “pinned down” and thus unable to attack Iran as the nuclear dispute there deepens. Source:
“Foreign Taleban rile Helmand residents”
Institute for War & Peace Reporting, October 30, 2007