A man, believed to be a monk, has set himself alight in South-Western China, protesting against the Chinese government, becoming the 20th such person to do so in the past year alone. The condition of the person is unknown, but marks an increasingly violent time in the region, the likes of which have not been seen since deadly riots in 2008. Protests against Chinese authorities have been growing over the past year, along with the self immolations, through which at least 13 people have died. Reports have also indicated that China has fired three officials in the region for failing to crack down...
A minister has been charged for the role he played in a massacre that killed scores of people in the Guinean capital Conakry in 2009. Over 157 people were killed and at least 100 women were raped during an attack by Guinean troops on civilians protesting against military rule. Colonel Tiegboro Camara is the most senior official charged in coinnection with the killings. Camara, the current minister in charge of fighting drugs trafficking and organised crime, was named in a report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) as being in command of the soldiers who attacked over 50,000 protesteers. "Ensuring...
Members of the European Union and several Gulf countries have recalled their ambassadors to Syria. Germany, France, Spain and Belgium announced the move today along with the Gulf Cooperation Council, whose members are Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The Gulf Cooperation Council also expelled Syrian envoys to their member countries from Syrian Embassies. The EU will keep its head of delegation in Damascus to observe events “on the ground,” bloc spokesman Michael Mann said. Germany said it was responding to the arrest of two Syrian nationals in Berlin thought to be...
A man accused of committing war crimes, while one of the leaders of a faction during the Liberian civil war, has been ordered to leave the US. George Boley Sr. was the head of the Liberian Peace Council, which is accused of massacring dozens of villagers between 1994 and 1995 and of recruiting child soldiers. Mr Boley, 62, lived near New York with his family and worked as a school administrator. A trial in 2010-11 ruled that Mr Boley committed atrocities in Liberia and resided in the US without valid documents. An immigration tribunal held on Monday that this conviction made him inadmissible...
US officials once again reiterated their call for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down, as the city of Homs came under a fifth consecutive day of shelling by government forces. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice directed comments at President Assad, saying, "Your days are numbered. It is time and past time for you to transfer power responsibly and peacefully." Her remarks came as two senior US officials told CNN , that both the Pentagon and US Central Command had begun preliminary reviews of military capabilities, in case President Obama was to call for them. This...
Official archives unearthed years after the end of civil war in Guatemala are aiding the prosecution of war crimes suspects , including senior military officials. The evidence found within the archives is reported to be sufficient enough to start new cases, bringing yet more perpetrators to trial, even now. The archives, housed in a maze of dark rooms in a disused building, being used to store munitions, were found accidentally in 2005. Since then, the records have been digitally scanned and backed up on secure servers ourside the country by human rights groups, in order to push through...
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been summoned for questioning by members of Parliament, marking the first time since the 1979 Islamic Revolution that that a President has been summoned. Ahmadinjead’s opponents and MPs have been threatening to take similar steps for some time as Iran faces a sharp economic downturn and rise in inflation and international tension over its nuclear program. The President now has one month before he has to appear in Parliament, where he will face questioning from MPs. This means that he may appear after the country’s parliamentary elections, which are...
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have hailed India’s vote for a UN Security Council resolution calling for Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad to step down. “By supporting this resolution, South Africa, India and Pakistan rose to the occasion and sided with the Syrian people” "India has seen through (Bashar) Assad's lies, and shown itself to be an independent world leader," Human Rights Watch said. India was criticised in 2009 for preventing a resolution condemning abuses committed during the armed conflict in Sri Lanka, which killed over 40,000 Tamils in a few months. The UN has...
After the US delayed its sale of $53 million worth of arms to Bahrain, it was announced last week that a new package of weapons may be sold, without public notification. The new package would include the sale of patrol boats, communications equipment, and spare parts for helicopters and fighter jets. The US has been accused of making use of a legal loophole, which states sales of under $1 million could be made, without congressional approval. This loophole also allows for multiple sales, all under $1million. Three Senators and 18 Representatives, all Democrats, signed a letter to Hillary...
The Burmese election commission has given Aung San Suu Kyi official approval allowing her to stand for parliamentary by-elections later this year. After announcing her intention to run for elections last month, her candidacy has now been accepted, in a move that will be seen as Burma taking another step towards political openness after nearly 50 years of military rule. The new civilian government which took office in March last year, has implemented steps which included releasing political prisoners, signing a ceasefire with rebels and easing censorship in the country. The moves lead to both...