There's been plenty of genocide-related news recently. Here's some links to a few of the main stories.

 

I wasn't sure what category to place this under, but CNN released an article on Friday titled "60 Years Later, Pain Still Fresh for WWII Sex Slave." This article deals with the 'comfort women' used by the Japanese. It includes a statement from both President Bush and Japan's leader Shinzo Abe. Here is a copy of the article:

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/04/27/comfort.women/index.html

 

Somalia

A member of Somalia's transitional government has accused Ethiopian troops in the capital Mogadishu of committing genocide since arriving in December. The Ethiopian government wholly denies the accusations. This sounds like something that will not make many waves in the media, but could be a growing and significant problem if the claims are true or partially true.

BBC News

 

More from Somalia. Somalia is becoming a humanitarian crisis with over 200,000 displaced. There are rumors that aid is being blocked by the transitional government from getting where it needs to go. Continual fighting between Islamists and Ethiopian troops are making it unsafe for civilians. People fleeing a recent attack on Ethiopian troops by Islamists claim that the Ethiopian troops opened fire on passing by. This incident could be connected to the issues in the BBC article above.

BBC News

 

Sudan

The ICC (International Criminal Court) has indicted two Sudanese officials for crimes against humanity (not genocide). There has been no resolution on jurisdiction, sovereignty, etc.

BBC News 

International Criminal Court

 

This article from 4/13/07 in the NYTimes talks about some very creative ways that pressure is being put on China to change its policy about Sudan. It may be creative strategies like these that will be able to work best to stop genocide in a media saturated world.

New York Times

 

BBC NEWS

More on the conflict in Sudan. The article does not address the conflict directly but describes how a British Aerospace Firm, Rolls-Royce is to pull out of Sudan because of the crisis. The article states, "The decision to gradually remove its 20 staff had been taken 'in view of increasing international humanitarian concerns about the situation in Darfur', the firm said." For 5 years, Rolls has been doing business with oil producers in Sudan but according to the firm, their withdrawal from the area is a "responsible line to adopt in the current circumstances."

 

 

Serbia

The ICJ (International Court of Justice) has determined that the country of Serbia can not be held responsible for acts of genocide committed in Bosnia in the middle of the 1990s. Serbian officials were reprimanded for not doing anything to stop the genocide of Srebrenica, but that reprimand came with no consequences.

BBC News

United Nations

Text of the official ruling

 

On 4/10 the war crimes court in Serbia (designated to try lesser crimes by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia) has convicted four members of the Serbian paramilitary group the "Scorpions" for criminal acts related to Srebrenica. Two men received sentences of 20 years in jail, while two other received lesser charges, and one man was acquitted.

BBC News

 

U.N. may send team to Kosovo in independence debate

Yahoo News

 

 

Darfur

This past Thursday (4.26), TIME magazine released an article titled "How to Prevent the Next Darfur." Here the link to the article:

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1615171,00.html?xid=site-cnn-partner

 

On April 14th, in Washington D.C. several hundred teenagers marched from the Sudanese Embassy to the Washington Monument with a call for action in Darfur. They called for the U.S. government to stop the killing in Darfur, where conflict between rebels and Sudanese government-backed militias has left hundreds of thousands dead and several million people displaced. This march was more striking because it was organized by high school students who want to make a change and only very few adults participated.

Washington Post

 

The Sudan Liberation Movement and the Sudanese government signed a peace agreement in May of 2006 to stop the genocide in the volatile area, but fighting has persisted. The most recent news is that rebel gunmen killed two African peacekeepers. The Washington Post has a great site devoted to collecting stories on the Darfur conflict.

Gunmen Kill Two

Darfur Conflict

 

The UN Human Rights Council team in Sudan this week called for the world community to act immediately and called the response to the tradgey in Darfu "Pathetic." After speaking with refugees in both Sudan and Chad they have come to the conclusion that the Sudanese Government is orchestrating and participating in the crimes in Darfur.

 

During class on April 25th we discussed China's influence within Sudan and the country's hesitation at sending forces to deal with the current crimes against humanity happening in Darfur.

After the April 24th death of nine Chinese oilmen in Ethiopia, the Bejing government may have to rethink their role in African economics.

This article discusses the dangerous role China plays in African countries with struggling communites:

Washington Post

 

Recently, China issued a harsh statement against Darfur urging them to accept a peace plan, which is uncharacteristic. China has been heavily criticized by the international community for not using its influence in Sudan more positively. Cnn had a short story about China's new statement and what this means for Sudan.

CNN

 

Sudan has signed a joint agreement with the United Nations and the African Union that defines their respective roles in Darfur.

Sudan Signs Agreement with UN

 

Sudan accepts U.N. attack copters, 3,000 troops in Darfur.

CNN

--It is good to see Sudan allowing the UN force in, but one must wonder how long it will take for the UN to actually deploy the troops.

 

Bush warns Sudan govt of 'last chance' on Darfur

Yahoo News

--Again, this sounds like good news, but will anything come to fruition from it?

 

This is just an interesting article about genocide in today's world. It also deals with protests and such about the crisis in Darfur. The article also spends a considerable amount of time discussing the ICJ.

The Seattle Times

 

The ICC issue arrest warrants for 2 Sudanese officials for war crimes and they are expected to be turned over.  I think this is pretty big news as the jurisdiction of the ICC has been in question.

CNN News

 

Guatemala

Rigoberta Menchú announced on February 22, 2007 her candidacy for President of Guatemala in the upcoming elections.

BBC News

 

In related news, Chiquita Bananas, formerly United Fruit Company, admitted to paying guerrilla fighters (deemed terrorists by the US) in Colombia. Presumably the money was for protection, or rather, to be ignored, but the news is still sketchy.

CNN Money

 

This article shows that there are still killings of women on mass scales as an aftermath of the genocide in Guatemala.

Femicide in the Guatemala

 

A group of U.S. lawmakers called on the Guatemalan government yesterday to prevent a former dictator from seeking immunity against prosecution on human rights violations.

Washington Post

 

Armenian Genocide

Recently Turkish Politicien Dogu Perincek was convicted under Switzerland antiracism law when he proclaimed the Armenian Genocide could not be labeled such. The politicien was fined in over $2,000 while the remaining fine has been suspended. The Switzerland Law has also convicted individuals for denying the Holocaust. Perincek has accused the Judge of "racist hatred" towards Turkey and has stated he will be taking the case to the Switzerland Supreme Court.

CNN World News

 

United States of America Racial Cleansing

Elliot Jaspin author of Buried in the Bitter Waters was on the Diane Rehm Show 3/15 at 11am. He is a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist who tells the hidden and horrific stories of whites in counties in the American South and Midwest who banded together to force blacks to flee their homes in the decades following the Civil War.

NPR

 

Rwanda

Paul Rusesabagina was the manager of the Hotel des Milles Collines during the Rwandan Genocide and the main character of the movie Hotel Rwanda. He is now catching flack for his portrayal of the genocide and also the history of what happened at the Hotel. He is also predicting that there could be more bloodletting in Rwanda in the near future, this time with Tutsis killing Hutus.

CNN Rwanda

 

A Rwandan man was arrested after tying a purple ribbon to his dog to commemorate his pets death during the 1994 genocide. The purple ribbon is a symbol of the genocide. He was arresting under the Rwandan law forbidding the "belittling of the genocide" and genocide denial.

BBC

 

Rwanda has asked the ICJ to not accept warrents from French courts issued against nine of Paul Kagame's associates.

BBC News

 

Former Rwandan army major Bernard Ntuyahaga denied involvement in the murder of 10 Belgian peacekeepers and the country's prime minister in the 1994 Rwandan genocide, insisting he was an innocent bystander

Washington Post

 

Although this was a very nice gesture, I feel that it is consistant with everything we have talked recently. An international body, the UN, or the United States deems some actions genocide, doesn't do much about it, then recognizes and apologizes profusely. Instead of taking action after the genocide is over, these governing bodies should be doing something as it is happening.

New York Times

 

Cambodia

The book, A History of Democratic Kampuchea, will be released Wednesday. This is the first history book written by a Cambodian about the Khmer Rouge and is a step toward educating the nation about the murderous regime. No Cambodian historian had previously written about the Khmer Rouge because of fears of reprisal.

NY Times

 

 

 

Although not dealing with any specifc genocide, this seems as though it could be a step in the right direction (if it ends up being more than just a token guesture). At least attempting to curtail and punish racism at its core could help deter future genocides...

"The documents urge E.U. nations to impose prison sentences of up to three years for individuals convicted of denying genocide, such as the mass killing of Jews during World War II or the massacres in Rwanda in 1994.The rules would require countries to prosecute offenders in connection with killings that have been recognized as genocides by the International Criminal Court in The Hague."

Washington Post

 

Argentina

On Wednesday, April 25, a court in Argentina revoked pardons for human rights violations to former military leaders Jorge Videla and Eduardo Massera. These pardons, which were granted in 1990 by President Menem were ruled unconstitutional, and it is now possible that these two men could be sent back to jail. They had previously been convicted in 1985 for murder, torture and illegal detentions and sentenced to life in prison until they were freed in 1990.

BBC News

 

Botswana

Although this country has typically been seen as a pillar of stability, could these actions be a preface to genocide? What are our thoughts on the question does the destruction of civil liberties lead to genocide?

CNN

 

Gendercide

If you decide to address gendercide in your final you may want to look at this article that discusses "comfort women" during WWII. The piece shows how sex slaves are speaking out and demanding apologies:

CNN