DIYARBAKIR, Turkey — Turkey on Tuesday hailed the "surrender" of Kurdish rebels in support of plans to end a 25-year conflict as thousands greeted militants released after more than 24 hours of questioning.
Rebel commanders insisted that they were not giving up arms yet and would fight on to achieve their rights a day after a 34-strong "peace group" of militants and sympathizers came in from Iraq carrying a list of proposals to end the violence.
Prosecutors initially released 25 of the group -- most of them Turkish Kurdish refugees -- pending trial on charges of links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and asked a court to put five others under formal arrest on similar charges, Muharrem Erbey, a lawyer following the proceedings, said.
The judge, however, also released them pending trial, he told AFP, adding that the four children who came with the group were not questioned.
"Welcome peace ambassadors! Kurdistan is proud of you!" chanted thousands of Kurdish demonstrators waiting outside the border area as the group, including rebels dressed in combat fatigues, climbed aboard a bus to travel to Diyarbakir, the largest city in Turkey's mainly Kurdish southeast.
The rebels made V-signs for victory as people lined along the road applauded them.
Speaking earlier in the day, Interior Minister Besir Atalay welcomed the group's arrival as a boost to Ankara's two-pronged plan to expand Kurdish freedoms and keep the PKK under military pressure.
"We expect these (surrenders) to continue. Let me underline that the (PKK) fighters in the mountains see that their way is a dead-end," Atalay was quoted by the Anatolia news agency as saying.DIYARBAKIR, Turkey — Turkey on Tuesday hailed the "surrender" of Kurdish rebels in... more
Earlier this week, Boko Haram, an Islamist group in northern Nigeria started waging war against police and military targets. Unfortunately for them, the Nigerian military was ruthless, and massacred the rebels. The attacks started in Bauchi, but ended in Maiduguri, when Mohammed Yusuf, the leader of Boko Haram, was killed. The tactics in African civil conflicts are usually not pretty, and may involve going to a mosque and killing everyone there, as happened on Friday with at least 100 dead. Almost all of the 300 dead this week from fighting have been militants.
Nigeria is a country perpetually in conflict with itself. Religion is a major flashpoint, as a variety of sects of Christianity, Islam, and traditional religions play very local, very important roles in peoples lives. Poverty is everywhere, so life is cheap. And whatever group can gain control of oilwells can find themselves unimaginably rich. The former British colony combines so many ethnic groups that the only legitimacy the government can try to claim is monopoly of force. At they try to claim this as brutally as possible.Earlier this week, Boko Haram, an Islamist group in northern Nigeria started waging... more
Urumqi is the capital and center of Han Chinese power in the province of Xinjiang (formerly East Turkestan). The indigenous Uighur ethnic group has been subjected to expropriation of land, violation of their traditional Central Asian Islamic culture, and second class citizenship since the People's Liberation Army invaded the country in 1949. Last week, tensions came to a boiling point after the murder of Uighurs in far away Guangdong province, leading to massive demonstrations across the country, er, province.
Like its more well known sister Tibet, this stepchild of the Chinese empire is restive, and when any attempts at assembly and protest happen, the Chinese police and army deliver a smackdown. The Chinese government admits to 156 dead, more than a thousand injured, and thousands more arrested.
As we all know, the world economy has been tanking, and when the economy goes down, the poorest are the hardest hit. Few places are poorer than rural China, and few in rural China have more disadvantages than the Uighur Turks. When you're poor and oppressed, getting beaten to death by the police can start to seem better than telling your wife that either she or the kids get to eat this month. Rule number 6: Economic downturns produce desperate rebellion.
Racism in China is fairly well managed by the central government. They plan the racism carefully (*cough cough forced abortions in Tibet*) to prevent any of the conquered nations in the empire from being able to organize significant resistance (*cough cough murder of thousands of Tibetan priests*). Even in the Beijing Olympics, when China tried to show off how proud it was of its "ethnic minorities," the trotted out 56 Han Chinese kids dressed up in traditional outfits of different ethnic groups. Most Westerners couldn't tell the difference, of course... but the minorities in China got the message. China is an empire that has historically been managed by lots of "foreigners," such as Mongols and Manchus, and the Communist Party is sensitive to the fierce "nationalism" this has produced. Ethnicity in China is a complicated matter.
Back in the good old days after 9/11, China managed to cut a deal with Bush - cooperation in Afghanistan and Pakistan, in exchange for considering Uighur Muslims as "terrorists." This deal produced one of the most tragic stories of Guantanamo Bay, as four Uighurs were imprisoned for years because they were associated with people on China's "terrorist" list. Though their innocence of any wrong doing was quickly established, China threatened any country that was willing to harbor these "terrorists." So the biggest countries willing to accept them after the US released them were Bermuda and Palau, islands far away from China with no significant trade links.
Xinjiang (literally, "New Frontier") has had long and strained relationship with the Chinese empire. Alternatingly conquered by China and independent, East Turkestan was allied with the Soviet Union sometimes and the Kuomintang other times during World War 2, and when the Communist Chinese had finally won the Chinese Civil War, the Soviets didn't care to oppose other Communists from invading. East Turkestan wasn't able to seriously resist the massive Communist armies, and armies headed for the hills to resist guerilla style until the mid 1950's.Urumqi is the capital and center of Han Chinese power in the province of Xinjiang... more
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) said it had blown up pipelines operated by the Anglo-Dutch giant Shell and Italian group Agip in a pre-dawn attack in the Bayelsa state.
MEND, the best equipped of a number of rebel groups operating in the restive southern oil hub, has claimed at least seven attacks since the government's amnesty offer on June 25.
The militants say are on a campaign to cripple the oil industry until their complaints of injustices and inequitable distribution of the oil wealth are answered.
Nigeria's oil unions on Wednesday urged oil workers to be more vigilant in their duty posts as militants stepped up violence in the volatile region despite a government amnesty. Both unions said they hoped a government amnesty offer to rebels in the region would "yield the desired results."
President Umaru Yar'Adua last month declared an unconditional pardon for armed groups who say they are fighting for a greater share of the country's oil wealth for the local people of the Niger Delta.
Although the amnesty offer remains open until October 4, the insurgence has persisted.
Militant attacks in the region have targeted Shell, Agip and the American group Chevron. Hundreds of workers in the oil industry and its support sectors have also been kidnapped.
This week MEND abducted six foreign workers -- two Russians, two Filipinos, a Ukranian and an Indian national -- crew members of a chemical tanker.
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) claimed Wednesday that some of the armed youths who responded to the amnesty offer, have been arrested by a special joint military and police unit deployed in the region to quell the violence.
The violence in the Niger Delta has cost Nigeria hundreds of thousands of barrels of crude each day. Coupled with global crude price fluctuations, the toll on Nigeria's economy has been substantial.
The unrest has cut Nigeria's crude output by around 30 percent from around 2.6 million barrels per day in 2006 to 1.8 million now. Africa's most populous country relies on oil for more than 90 percent of its export earnings.
Lamido Sanusi, the central bank chief of Nigeria, the world's eighth oil exporter, on Tuesday said the country's foreign exchange reserves had plummeted by about 10 billion dollars in six months to 43.19 billion dollars as of last week.The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) said it had blown up... more
From Director - Producer Othello KHANH CORRIDOS SIN ROSTRO is an exceptional documentary film shot in Mexico, about the 1994 historical uprising of the Zapatistas, the last Mayans of the state of Chiapas. This film is a reference work about the life of the "men and women without a face", these masked peasants who took on the fight for the dignity of the Indigenous people, resurrecting the fair cause of "Land and Liberty". Subcomandante Marcos, the charismatic rebel leader, narrates "the Legend of the People of Corn " and the Band of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation sing "Corridos", popular ballads honoring the heroes of the 1917 revolution, Emiliano Zapata and Pancho Villa, who more than ever inspire their struggle. CORRIDOS SIN ROSTRO received the "Award of Merit in Film" by the Latino American Studies Association, Washington D.C. in 1995. This same year, it was presented at the American Film Institute Film Festival of Los Angeles. ENGLISH TITLE: BALLADS WITHOUT A FACEFrom Director - Producer Othello KHANH CORRIDOS SIN ROSTRO is an exceptional... more
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - The army breached one of the last Tamil Tiger rebel fortifications and freed thousands of trapped civilians, some fleeing through the neck-high water of a lagoon while bleeding or carrying wounded relatives.
The government warned the rebels on Monday that they had 24 hours to surrender or face a final assault to end a crumbling 25-year insurgency that sought to create a separate homeland for ethnic Tamils on this South Asian island.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa went on Sri Lanka's national television to say that soldiers helped more than 35,000 civilians leave the battle zone in what he called the "largest-ever hostage rescue mission in history."
The Red Cross said its workers had tended to 4,000 people who crossed the front lines Monday. Spokeswoman Sarasi Wijeratne said the organization was not in a position to "confirm or deny" the large number being quoted.
A pro-rebel Web site, meanwhile, said hundreds of civilians might have been killed in the "total chaos" that prevailed when soldiers entered the zone.
It was not possible to verify any of the reports because journalists are restricted in the war zone.COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - The army breached one of the last Tamil Tiger rebel... more
Somali pirates have hijacked a British-owned cargo ship, after 48 hours of plunder at sea.
The 32,000-tonne Malaspina Castle, which flies a Panamanian flag, was taken on Monday morning in the Gulf of Aden.
She was the fifth ship snatched in two days off the Somali coast despite naval patrols along main shipping lanes.
The European Union's Horn of Africa maritime security centre, based in Northwood, north west London, said: "Few details are known at this stage, but the mixed-nationality crew are believed to be safe.”
The vessel has a crew of 24, from Russia, Ukraine, Bulgaria and the Philippines.
The Foreign Office said it was looking into the matter which is also being monitored by the London-based International Maritime Organisation.
Somalia’s pirates had been having a quiet year after their bumper haul in 2008, when they took almost 50 vessels. High seas kept their small skiffs ashore and only two attacks were reported during both January and February.Somali pirates have hijacked a British-owned cargo ship, after 48 hours of plunder at... more
COLOMBO, April 6 (Xinhua) -- The military in Sri Lanka said on Monday that 2,127 Tamil civilians fled Tamil Tiger rebels' territory to the government troops controlled area in the north on Sunday.
Officials from the Defense of Ministry said the 2,127 civilians including 919 children have fled from LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eealm) hostage and sought protection with the troops at Ampalavanpokkanai in the Mullaittivu district.
The civilian exodus triggered on Sunday hours after the troops crushed the last LTTE resistance at Puthukkudiyiruppu, the military said.
The military said the LTTE have been driven out of their last 1-sq-km stronghold in Puthukkudiyiruppu east and blamed them of mixing up with civilians in the 20-sq-km no fire zone at Puttumatalan area.
Meanwhile, a pro-rebel website said 63 civilians including scores of children were killed and 143 more were injured by shells in the new safe zones declared by the government in Puthumathalan, Mulivaaikal, Irraddaivaikal and Valaingaramadam in Mullaittivu on Saturday.
The verification of claims by both sides is impossible as no independent journalist or organization is allowed to enter the conflict zone for safety reason.
Actual number of civilians trapped in the area is being debated. The government argued that only 120,000 people lived there. But international agencies said some 230,000 people had been originally trapped.COLOMBO, April 6 (Xinhua) -- The military in Sri Lanka said on Monday that 2,127 Tamil... more
Marxist guerrillas in southwest Colombia are believed to have killed a second group of Indians the rebels accused of helping the government, a state governor said.
At least 10 Awa Indians were killed this week in Narino state, Gov. Navarro Wolff said late Wednesday. A day earlier, Wolff had reported that the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, better known as FARC, had killed at least 17 Awa last week in another remote village.
"I don't have more information than what they gave us by cell [phone], but they gave us ... a list of names," Wolff said about the latest killings.
He said in an interview on CNN affiliate Caracol TV that villagers told him they cannot be certain that the FARC committed the killings because it was dark. But the governor and others say all indications point to the guerrillas.
The killings happened in two villages about a one- to two-day walk apart, he said.
Some Awa killed this week were fleeing the FARC because of last week's assassinations, said Luis Evelis Andrade of the National Indigenous Organization of Colombia, known by its Spanish acronym ONIC.
The FARC have targeted the Awa because the Indians don't want to get involved in the armed struggle and refuse to reveal information on government troop actions, Andrade said on Caracol.Marxist guerrillas in southwest Colombia are believed to have killed a second group of... more
UN peacekeepers have said that more than 100 bodies have been discovered after a reported massacre in north-eastern Congo which is believed to have been carried out by Ugandan rebels.
The massacre sees the number of civilian deaths in the area rise to over 900 since December, when missions against the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels began.
Reports state that the attack took place on the 16th January.UN peacekeepers have said that more than 100 bodies have been discovered after a... more
Sri Lankan troops have captured the last Tamil Tiger rebel stronghold of Mullaitivu in the north-east of the island, the country's army chief says.
On Sri Lankan TV, Lt Gen Sarath Fonsek said troops had "completely captured" Mullaitivu after a month of fighting.
There has been no comment from the Tamil Tigers, who have suffered a series of reverses in recent months.
The government has vowed to crush the rebels, who have been fighting for a separate homeland for 25 years.
At least 70,000 people have been killed during the insurgency.Sri Lankan troops have captured the last Tamil Tiger rebel stronghold of Mullaitivu in... more
Tamil Tiger rebels claim they have killed 51 Sri Lankan soldiers in the town of Dharmapuram. The army denies any losses. The area was brought under government control two days ago, with 20 rebels and 7 soldiers killed. Independent journalists are prohibited from visting the conflict zone, making it impossible to verify casuality claims from either side.Tamil Tiger rebels claim they have killed 51 Sri Lankan soldiers in the town of... more
What can three guys from Chicago do about the crisis in Darfur?
Good question.
In this film, a waiter, an IT guy, and a policy wonk head to the Chad/Sudan border in an attempt to gain a better understanding of the conflict in Darfur. Featuring interviews with members of the Sudanese Liberation Movement (SLM), the International Medical Corps (IMC), the Associated Press (AP), the United States Congress, and the Genocide Intervention Network (GI Net).
So... what do you think it will take to really "Save Darfur?"What can three guys from Chicago do about the crisis in Darfur?
Good question.... more
A Colombian rebel group announced plans to release 6 hostages, including former Gov. Alan Jara and former legislator Sigifredo Lopez Tobon, according to a statement from the group on Sunday.
Jara has been held by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) since his capture in 2001, and Tobon has been held in captivity since 2002.
The other four hostages are Colombian police and soldiers.
Colombian Sen. Piedad Cordoba, an opposition party leader with close political ties to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, told CNN Sunday that an agreement had been brokered but could not confirm a time when the hostages would be released.
Cordoba has played a key role in past hostage negotiations.
Awesome...A Colombian rebel group announced plans to release 6 hostages, including former Gov.... more
Last Tuesday UN reported that Rwandan tanks fired artillery towards the Congolese troops who were fighting the Congolese rebel leader Laurent Nkunda. But now it seems to be transparent than ever that Rwanda is playing a much bigger hand than previously thought.
Rwandan government has been secretly deploying demobilized soldiers towards the rebel front in Congo to back rebel leader Nkunda. The government acknowledges that demobilized soldiers are fighting in Congo, but they are saying that the soldiers were fighting on their own and were not sent by government.
But Rwandan soldiers contradicted the statement by government officials. Some soldiers secretly revealed that that these officials were infact fully involved in deployment of Rwandan armed forces, even providing bus fares for traveling into Congo.
Rwanda which is ruled by a Tutsi majority in the government is said to be sympathizing Nkunda's effort--he himself is a former officer of the Rwandan army, and his rebel group is mostly composed of Tutsis.
But the war is not just of "brotherhood" between the Tutsis of both countries its also about influential Tutsi businessmen who are looking for a way to plunder Congo of its riches. Some Rwandan Tutsi businessmen like Modeste Makabuza Ngoga, who has a small trade empire is seeking to influence the Congo regions known for its riches.
At the end it all comes down to money.Last Tuesday UN reported that Rwandan tanks fired artillery towards the Congolese... more
I bring a damaging profile that again, the working poor have no representation in this country; other than what's given as a handout by those who write laws to control our social welfare. As if we needed structural criticism from the likes of the consciously elite. Educated or not, many know what it's like to seek public assistance, only to jump through manical hoops just to get rent paid, put food on the table and find a decent job that pays what we're worth. This is for all of us, not associated with some Cali-cliqish media mentality that exsist for the sole purpose of exploitational entertainment. This is a threat, that we will do everything within our power to expose the truth, and relate what we see. As for those who care not for our forgotten reality, then stop lying to your children and yourself. Come to my house and swap shoes for a month and tell me how you like your ramen noodles. Your EBT card to malfunction or just short of a neccesity. Your life being on hold until the next month. This is our criticism of the American dream and how one can achieve it through attrition. The album " Digital Plantation" is due in 2009. See you then.I bring a damaging profile that again, the working poor have no representation in this... more
This short pod will be a funny quirky and interesting homage/parody of Ewan McGregor's motorcycle adventure. This Pod follows the adventure of me and my friend Adam as we attempt and moped from western to eastern Europe on £150 49cc early 80's pedal mopeds with a top speed on 30mph (the ones you can cycle when you run out of petrol).
Our final destination is Warsaw. The pod not only documents the fun and exciting trials and tribulations of an unusual adventure, it will also explore the new EU countries in Eastern Europe.This short pod will be a funny quirky and interesting homage/parody of Ewan McGregor's... more
Dan Edge (real name Lee) is a British wrestler determined to make it big in the States. But this competitive 23-year-old has another battle on his hands; he has cerebral palsy and only fights able-bodied wrestlers. We follow him in August and September 2008 as he tries to break America, one match at a time.Dan Edge (real name Lee) is a British wrestler determined to make it big in the... more
It's a striking example of how a little love can overcome a whole lot of war in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Rebels and the government, who have blighted lush Nord-Kivu province with months of fighting, have cut a unique deal to allow armed park rangers back into the famed Virunga reserve to care for its long-neglected gorillas.
The deal will allow ranger Innocent Mburanumwe to be reunited with a bald blackback ape that has occupied his waking dreams for the past 15 months, ever since CNDP rebels took over the eastern gorilla sector of the park in September 2007 and forced the rangers to flee.
Cont..It's a striking example of how a little love can overcome a whole lot of war in the... more
