June 5, 2010 :: J.E. Robertson :: 2 Comments
On 4 June 1989, the Chinese military moved into Tiananmen Square to disperse a long-running student and citizen protest in favor of democratic reforms. The military were reportedly ordered to use deadly force and opened fire, killing an unknown number of unarmed civilians. The anonymous man in the above photo became known around the world as an icon of human rights, when he stopped a column of tanks by standing in their way, a moral and human challenge to the military crackdown.
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December 24, 2009 :: J.E. Robertson :: Comments Off
China has outraged political and diplomatic leaders around the world by aggressively blocking agreement on hard targets for binding emissions cuts, refusing even to agree to any accord that would include mention of other nations’ specific cuts. One observer told the BBC that he observed China, India and Saudi Arabia as the key powers working to prevent binding targets from being adopted, but China was the most immovable opponent to a binding agreement.
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December 18, 2009 :: Anjika Sridhar :: One Comment
The United States is pledging to “take the lead” on a global fund of $100 billion over ten years, designed to help developing nations transition to a zero-combustion energy economy and fend off the already mounting ravages of climate destabilization. The offer was announced yesterday by Sec. of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, and was intended in part to put added pressure on China to agree to a binding climate deal with emissions reduction verification processes built in.
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September 9, 2009 :: staff :: Comments Off
The Communist party boss for Xinjiang province was is known as one of China’s toughest remaining strongmen, according to numerous reports. But when somewhere between 1,000 and 20,000 residents of Urumqi, the regional capital, took to the streets, Beijing reacted by removing the party chief in hopes of curbing inter-ethnic unrest and growing anti-government sentiment.
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August 24, 2009 :: J.E. Robertson :: Comments Off
Outrage ensued when it was announced that Europe could extract electricity from the Grand Inga dam project, in the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo, deep in sub-Saharan Africa. At present, less than 30% of the African population has access to electricity, and in some countries, the figure is below 10%. The World Bank has found that the diversion of electricity to wealthier customers in Europe may be necessary to fund the project.
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July 29, 2009 :: J.E. Robertson :: Comments Off
The United States is working to develop closer strategic and economic relations with China. The relationship has always been tricky, due to the binary opposition of strategies, which is convenient for those who would like to disqualify the other side’s policies as “evil” or contrary to all reason. Pres. Barack Obama has been clear that he sees the US-China relationship as one of global ethical responsibility, and the driving economic and political bond in the 21st century.
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July 23, 2009 :: J.E. Robertson :: One Comment
Access to the internet must be a basic human right, across the globe, for a number of reasons. First of all, legitimate, transparent democratic processes of government require in today’s world that information flow freely and that citizens be empowered to share information and to find information, according to their choices and their needs.
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July 8, 2009 :: Denver Lessing :: One Comment
Developing nations have failed to deliver the collaborative consensus sought by US president Obama and other G8 leaders in anticipation of the Copenhagen Climate Conference scheduled for later this year. While G8 leaders agreed global climate policy should be oriented toward avoiding any increase in global average temperatures of more than 3º Fahrenheit, they did not reach agreement on how to cap or reduce emissions to set levels by 2050.
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June 18, 2009 :: J.E. Robertson :: 3 Comments
There are still skeptics who say that wind power cannot generate enough power to be useful, or that the transition to renewable sources of energy is not really of urgent necessity. Here I offer some ideas to counter that argument. First of all, the US is shamefully behind in developing wind power generation, but that doesn’t mean it will never happen, as some suggest.
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June 4, 2009 :: staff :: One Comment
On this the 20th anniversary of the massacre that ended the pro-democracy demonstrations in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, 150,000 people gathered in Hong Kong’s Victoria Park to remember the dead. Hong Kong is the only place on Chinese soil where such an event was permitted to occur, with authorities in Beijing cracking down on all media across the nation and banning public demonstrations.
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June 3, 2009 :: staff :: Comments Off
BBC reporting from 4 June 1989, day of the massacre at Tiananman Square. A BBC reporter delivers her report from among the crowd, under constant gunfire. She reports: “the air was filled with shouts of ‘fascists! stop killing!’” / “they’re shouting ‘stop the killing!’ and ‘down with the government’” / “the young man in front of me fell dead; I fell over him” / “two ambulance drivers were shot and injured” / “There was not one voice on the streets that did not express despair and rage. ‘Tell the world’ they said to us.”
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June 3, 2009 :: J.E. Robertson :: 2 Comments
The Chinese government, in Beijing, controlled by a Communist party that allows no dissent, and no opposition, continues to suppress public awareness, discussion or inquiry, regarding the events of June 1989, in which the Chinese military massacred hundreds of student demonstrators. The term Tiananmen produces filtered results in web searches, and the regime has blocked access to Twitter, Flickr, Blogger, the Huffington Post, LiveJournal, MSN’s Bing, and other sites, in an effort to prevent Chinese internauts from locating any reporting on the massacre of 4 June 1989.
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May 3, 2009 :: Riga Listin :: One Comment
Lin Zhao was a Chinese poet who hoped that the end of feudal imperialism in 20th century China would lead to real democratic rights for its people. She was executed in 1968 as the regime of Mao Zedong sought to crush all dissent and sweep away potential cultural and conceptual rivals to its rule.
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April 24, 2009 :: Riga Listin :: One Comment
North Korea is proceeding with a trial against two Korean-American journalists from California, despite witnesses claiming they were detained when North Korean border guards entered Chinese territory to seize them while their cameras were rolling. The trial will be held behind closed doors, and foreign governments have expressed concern the process will not allow the journalists a fair hearing or even a defense.
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March 30, 2009 :: J.E. Robertson :: One Comment
Investigators in several countries say they have uncovered a global “ghost net” of cyber-espionage, with major centers in three Chinese provinces and a foothold in California. Just one of the group’s alleged cyber-spies is said to have created a system that hacked into 30,000 computers per day. The investigation began with a probe into alleged hacking of computers used by the Dalai Lama in exile in India.
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March 11, 2009 :: J.E. Robertson :: 3 Comments
The best thing China’s ruling Communist party can do for itself, for its people and for the stability of the nation, is take seriously all petitions for redress of grievances, investigate all claims of official corruption, negligence or assault, give weight to collective or individual property claims by punishing officials who steal property, blaze a path toward transparency in banking, ban government cover-ups and establish a zero-tolerance policy for public officials who use their power to punish or intimidate citizens who come forward seeking justice.
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January 16, 2009 :: staff :: Comments Off
China has sentenced a would-be Olympic protester to 3 years in prison. The Beijing government set up a process whereby protests could be held only in specifically designated zones, and only with a permit; Ji Zizun appears to be victim of a deliberate strategy of using the application process to ferret out protest leaders, then jail them.
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December 16, 2008 :: J.E. Robertson :: One Comment
The Communist party government of China has resumed blocking some websites it had unblocked as a gesture of good will, after foreign reporters complained during the Olympics that certain foreign information sources were not available to them. The BBC and Reporters without Borders (RSF) report their sites being blocked, and the Chinese government says sites that contain information sympathetic to Tibetan or Taiwanese independence movements cannot be allowed to be read in China.
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December 10, 2008 :: J.E. Robertson :: One Comment
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), one of the United Nations’ founding charters, today marked 60 years since its official adoption. Promising the most sweeping raft of protections for human beings around the world, the document has long been controversial, as the major powers have each been accused of selectively enforcing the document’s provisions, according to their own governments’ ideologies or convenience.
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November 17, 2008 :: Denver Lessing :: One Comment
The cloud of soot and smog choking India and China and their neighbors is worsening. The massive brown cloud hovering over Asia now poses serious long-term health risks and environmental dangers to much of the continent, according to a new UN report. The world’s largest pollution phenomenon already drastically reduces the amount of daylight reaching ground level in many Chinese cities, and there is concern the sunlight-blocking effects could impede agricultural production.
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October 11, 2008 :: J.E. Robertson :: Comments Off
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), commonly known as North Korea, has been removed from the United States’ government’s official list of “state sponsors of terrorism”. The move comes as part of an agreement among the Six Parties involved in denuclearization talks regarding the DPRK, which will restart the dismantling of all nuclear facilities in North Korea, and will include inspections, document review, and other measures designed to prevent the further production of nuclear weapons in the secretive state.
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August 29, 2008 :: J.E. Robertson :: Comments Off
China is choking under a thick covering of contaminants produced from burning carbon-based fuels for industrial production, power-generation, and transport. Environmental degradation is so rampant that much of the northwest of the country is being lost to rapidly expanding deserts. And desertification threatens the already shaky balance between China’s available arable land and its skyrocketing demand for cheap food. Policy makers and market theorists in China and abroad should be thinking about whether that desert can produce something to help China escape the mounting environmental and public health cataclysm.
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August 11, 2008 :: J.E. Robertson :: One Comment
News reports suggest that 7 bomb suspects and at least one security guard were killed after a bombing attack on police and government facilities in China’s far western Xinjiang province. Xinjiang is one of the regions that many believe may attempt to separate from China, if there is any opportunity, political or military to do so. There are active separatist movements there, a large Muslim population that wants independence from Communist China, and they see the example of former Soviet republics of central Asia as evidence that independence is possible.
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August 10, 2008 :: J.E. Robertson :: Comments Off
The World Bank estimates that 750,000 people are killed each year by China’s impenetrable pollution problem; and 400 million people are expected to migrate to China’s already super-saturated metropoli by the year 2025. China is now burning one-third of the world’s coal for electric-power generation, and has opted to move its national transport infrastructure toward the automobile, a potentially catastrophic choice that could have a decidedly negative impact on health and economic wellbeing across the world.
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July 2, 2008 :: The Editors :: Comments Off
A 3-judge panel on the DC-circuit Court of Appeals has ruled against the evidentiary grounds on which the Pentagon has held Huzaifa Parhat, a Uighur Muslim from western China, for 6 years as an enemy combatant. The government argued it had grounds to hold Parhat because the charges they allege against him had been repeated in three secret documents; evidence supporting the claims has not been made public.
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May 16, 2008 :: jr3o :: One Comment
16 May :: At least 50,000 people are believed dead in China’s Sichuan province, as the rescue mission extends beyond 72 hours; the massive quake, which included 8 to 10 aftershocks of roughly 5.0 on the Richter scale, caught many small cities unprepared; Chinese authorities have been quick to respond, and civilians are helping to [...]
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April 23, 2008 :: staff :: Comments Off
23 April :: Zimbabwe opposition refuses coalition gov’t headed by Mugabe; Mugabe’s Zanu-PF says it is planning for runoff election, not power-sharing; Tsvangirai’s MDC says it won the vote already held and will not accept any arrangement where Mugabe remains in power… Burgeoning Asian rice crisis attributed to economic planning focusing on modernization, devoting few [...]
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April 10, 2008 :: The Editors :: One Comment
10 April :: ABC News reported yesterday that “In dozens of top-secret talks and meetings in the White House, the most senior Bush administration officials discussed and approved specific details of how high-value al Qaeda suspects would be interrogated by the Central Intelligence Agency, sources tell ABC News”; Rice chaired the meetings, as National Security [...]
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March 31, 2008 :: The Editors :: Comments Off
Demonstrations against Chinese rule in Tibet turned violent in Nepal’s capital Kathmandu, yesterday, as police wielded bamboo clubs and beat demonstrators, including Buddhist monks and nuns. The UN has said Nepal’s harsh clampdown on Tibetan demonstrators violates international human rights law, including the right to peaceful assembly, as embodied in treaties signed by Nepal.
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March 24, 2008 :: The Editors :: Comments Off
24 March :: Australia’s gov’t is contemplating increases in food aid to poor regions, nations, after study of soarng food prices, mounting scarcity; SMH reports “A steep two-year rise in global food prices, which in Australia has triggered the Federal Government’s inquiry into grocery prices, has taken a heavy toll on poorer populations, particularly in [...]
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March 22, 2008 :: The Editors :: 2 Comments
The Chinese government’s military crackdown on demonstrators in Tibet and in neighboring Chinese provinces has been intense, though foreign media have been unable to confirm reports of mounting death tolls. In Sichuan province, there are allegations of 23 killed by security forces in one incident, including a 16-year-old. Reports of mounting fear among civilians in Tibet and Sichuan have become common in recent days.
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March 16, 2008 :: The Editors :: Comments Off
Two days after peaceful demonstrations across Tibet turned violent in the capital Lhasa, the Reuters news agency has reported that the violent clashes between protesters and Chinese security forces have spread to neighboring provinces. Supporters of the Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists, say they have confirmed at least 80 deaths among demonstrators.
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March 15, 2008 :: The Editors :: Comments Off
International media reports say that sources in the Tibetan exile community, from India to New York, have confirmed that at least 30 civilian demonstrators were killed by Chinese security forces as they moved to end a demonstration in the Tibetan capital, Lhasa, on Friday. Demonstrations had begun on Monday, and for four days, reports suggest the majority of demonstrations were peaceful.
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March 13, 2008 :: The Editors :: Comments Off
13 March :: The Environmental Protection Agency plans to tighten standards for ground-level ozone pollution, reducing the maximum allowable from 84 parts-per-billion to 75 ppb over an 8-hour period; critics say “implementation could be decades away”, depending on regulatory procedure and court review; last year, an official review suggested maximum allowable ozone levels of 60 [...]
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February 2, 2008 :: The Editors :: Comments Off
2 February :: Wash. Post reports “Two mentally disabled women strapped with remote-control explosives — and possibly used as unwitting suicide bombers — brought carnage to the two pet bazaars, in attacks Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said sought to ‘turn Baghdad back to the pre-surge period’”; at least 99 people were killed in the two [...]
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January 14, 2008 :: The Editors :: Comments Off
14 January :: Israel, Palestinians have opened most extensive peace negotiations in more than 7 years, after US pres. Bush toured region in effort to accelerate talks; Reuters reports: “Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said she would keep details of her talks with former Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurie confidential, but later told parliament she [...]
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January 13, 2008 :: The Editors :: Comments Off
13 January :: IHT reports from Beijing “Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of India will arrive in Beijing on Sunday for a three-day visit to China, with each country eager to increase bilateral trade, promote mutual friendship and offer reassurances that Asia is big enough to accommodate the ambitions of both rising powers”; the two nations [...]
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January 5, 2008 :: The Editors :: Comments Off
5 January :: WSJ reporting “After a week of political stalemate and bloodshed, Kenyan president Mwai Kibaki said Saturday that he was prepared to form a government of national unity with the opposition, easing tensions between the two side and potentially setting the stage for negotiations to end violence that has so far killed at [...]
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November 13, 2007 :: The Editors :: Comments Off
13 November :: New report by Congressional Joint Economic Committee says wars in Iraq, Afghanistan have already cost taxpayers $1.5 trillion over last 6 years, including long-term cost rises related to oil, veterans’ healthcare, borrowing… Bhutto again under house arrest, calls for Musharraf to resign office, form interim “coalition of interests” to govern in run-up [...]
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November 7, 2007 :: The Editors :: Comments Off
7 November :: Benazir Bhutto has called on Pakistan pres. Musharraf to restore constitution, fix date for elections, step down as army chief, or she will lead mass demonstration in Lahore, march with thousands of supporters to Islamabad to repeat demands; police used force to put down pro-Bhutto rally outside parliament building in Islamabad… In [...]
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October 28, 2007 :: The Editors :: Comments Off
28 October :: US southeast caught up in political conflict over scarce water resources; PhysOrg reports “Hoping to guarantee no one will go thirsty, Georgia authorities want to drastically reduce the outflow from a reservoir that supplies drinking water to three million people. But neighboring Alabama claims that would have devastating economic effects on its [...]
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October 27, 2007 :: The Editors :: Comments Off
27 October :: China plans to spend $14.4 billion to clean up Lake Tai, 3rd largest fresh-water lake in country, affected by direct toxic dumping, rampant algal bloom that cut off drinking water to Wuxi, a city of 2.3 million; according to IHT “Lake Tai, known as China’s ancient “land of rice and fish,” is [...]
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October 24, 2007 :: The Editors :: Comments Off
24 October :: More than 500,000 Californians have been evacuated as wildfires blaze out of control, more than 1,000 structures destroyed; firefighters admit they cannot control the fires, can only hope at present to protect people; Gov. Schwarzenegger has warned the White House the fires are too vast to be dealth with by state agencies… [...]
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October 21, 2007 :: The Editors :: Comments Off
21 October :: Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, has stepped down, allegedly over differences with Pres. Ahmadinejad; Iran gov’t says there is no rift among leadership, diplomats, Larijani will attend meeting with UN representatives to ease transition to new negotiator’s team… At least 9 casualties reported in PKK raid on Turkish forces near Iraqi [...]
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October 16, 2007 :: The Editors :: Comments Off
16 October :: 1st official ‘baby-boomer’ begins collecting Social Security; as many as 80 million Americans from her generation will eventually collect the government pension payments… NY Times ‘The Caucus’ blog reports Hillary Clinton’s foreign policy would “Use both hard power and soft power; talk to your enemies and strengthen alliances with your friends; deal [...]
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October 15, 2007 :: The Editors :: One Comment
15 October :: Unfilled vacancies in top-level executive-branch positions in US gov’t startlingly common, leaving multi-billion-dollar agencies without leadership; interim appointees can serve for up to 210 days with full authority, while approval of nominees runs through Senate, 462 days remain in Bush term as of today; IHT quotes Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA), ranking Republican [...]
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October 11, 2007 :: The Editors :: Comments Off
11 October :: China plans to relocate some 4 million additional people to curb ecological fallout from massive reservoir, “irrational development”, ecological collapse around Three Gorges Dam; move comes after top officials, engineers at site warned gov’t the project could lead to “environmental catastrophe”; ENN reports “Environmentalists have long criticized the project, saying silt trapped [...]
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October 3, 2007 :: The Editors :: Comments Off
3 October :: Guardian newspaper reports Sarkozy campaign against immigrants has led to police “storming” private residences, people falling from balconies —at least one woman killed, one youth in coma—, new underground network of conscientious citizens hiding children to prevent parents’ deportation, estimated 20,000 have joined ‘new resistance’ to prevent rounding up of neighbors… Intense [...]
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September 28, 2007 :: The Editors :: Comments Off
28 September :: Shijiazhuang, a city of 2 million on the North China Plain has seen 11% growth, construction boom, even as irreplaceable aquifers are drying up, water tables fast dropping; as IHT reports, “China is scouring the world for oil, natural gas and minerals to keep its economic machine humming. But trade deals cannot [...]
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September 27, 2007 :: The Editors :: Comments Off
27 September :: Reports emerge from Rangoon military junta has raided monasteries in effort to end pro-democracy rallies; UN Security Council has urged regime to meet with special envoy, China says it views Burma crisis as “internal affair”; reports suggest 70 monks were abducted from one monastery alone by security forces; junta has warned demonstrators [...]
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