Full Coverage: Democracy

30.11.2007 The Central Park of the Indian capital was lit up by aspirations for peace in the region, as more than 20 organisations celebrated the South Asian Women's Day for peace, justice, human rights and democracy. This was also the spot where Anusheh Adil and her popular band BANGLA played a special piece for the day, as part of the SAARC Band Festival.

30.11.2007 President Pervez Musharraf in a televised address has said that he intends to lift the emergency on December 16 and urged all to participate in elections scheduled to take place on January 8, 2008. Some political parties in Pakistan plan to boycott the elections, fearing that they would not be fair and transparent.

29.11.2007 Finally bowing to the pressures from domestic quarters and international community, Gen Pervez Musharraf has stepped down as Pakistan’s army chief. He handed over the charge to his trusted deputy Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kavani in a ceremony held in Rawalpindi.

28.11.2007 Around 15 organisations, on November 27, held a silent protest at New Delhi’s cultural hub Mandi House in support of Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen, who has been in exile since 1994. Living in eastern Indian city of Kolkata since 2003, she had to recently move out when under pressure from Muslim fundamentalists, the West Bengal government forced her to leave at once.

26.11.2007 Pakistan has been slapped with yet another suspension under the same regime from the 53-member Commonwealth. Last time it was in 1999, when Musharraf had seized power in a coup. The recent ban has come in the wake of the imposition of emergency and is to be revoked only after democracy and the rule of law are restored.

23.11.2007 Economist and Nobel laureate Amartya Sen in an interview speaks out his mind and rejects the perceived notions on issues like Islamic terrorism, clash of civilisation, globalisation, war on terror, etc. He believes that civilisation is not just about religion and that the real objective of globalisation ought to be avoidance of inequality.

23.11.2007 Kaakkois-Aasian valtioiden yhteistyöjärjestön Aseanin äskettäin allekirjoitettu peruskirja vahvisti linjaa, etteivät muut maat puutu Burman sisäisiin kysymyksiin.

20.11.2007 Burman tilanne syyskuun mielenosoitusten väkivaltaisen tukahduttamisen jälkeen on lukkiutunut. Helsingissä järjestetyssä seminaarissa pohdittiin positiivisen kehityksen mahdollisuuksia.

19.11.2007 “Even if we do not get democracy out of this, we have proved yet again that Pakistan is a democratic society trapped in an undemocratic state. Blogs are one way in which people are finding expression. The new media and the internet have also allowed people a great opportunity to have a say,” says Adil Najam, Pakistani academic and sustainable development expert, in an interview.

19.11.2007 General Musharraf would not have thought of a political scenario that has emerged after the imposition of martial law. His hopes for a return of normality have proved evasive, as voices of resistance are gathering force in Pakistan, says Farooq Tariq.

19.11.2007 Asma Jahangir, chairperson of the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, while giving an account of the horrific tale of tortures and harassments faced by the legal community since the imposition of emergency, calls for support from the international legal fraternity.

16.11.2007 Several India-based organisations came together here in New Delhi yesterday to express their solidarity on the International Day of Action on Pakistan. They condemned the recent imposition of emergency, resulting in gagging of media, assault on justice, mass arrests and detentions.

16.11.2007 Several India-based organisations came together here in New Delhi yesterday to express their solidarity on the International Day of Action on Pakistan. They condemned the recent imposition of emergency, resulting in gagging of media, assault on justice, mass arrests and detentions.

15.11.2007 La tortura e i maltrattamenti da parte degli agenti di polizia in Spagna non sono casi isolati, secondo un rapporto diffuso ieri da Amnesty International. La riluttanza dei vari governi spagnoli ad affrontare il fenomeno sta esacerbando il clima d’impunità che favorisce il riprodursi di episodi del genere. “Le autorità spagnole devono smettere di negare l’esistenza di casi di tortura e maltrattamenti da parte della polizia. La mancanza di volontà politica nell’affrontare il problema ha dato luogo a ulteriori violazioni dei diritti umani” – dichiara Amnesty International che chiede al governo spagnolo di introdurre una serie di provvedimenti legislativi, giudiziari e amministrativi per prevenire la tortura e i maltrattamenti.

15.11.2007 “Sospendere le vendite di armi al Pakistan”. E’ la richiesta al Governo italiano della Rete Italiana Disarmo (RID) in risposta alla proclamazione dello stato di emergenza ed alla sospensione della Costituzione attuata nei giorni scorsi dal generale pakistano Pervez Musharraf. Secondo i dati ufficiali della Presidenza del Consiglio nel 2006 sono state consegnate a Islamabad armi per quasi 40 milioni di euro e sono state autorizzate vendite per 23 milioni di euro, relativi a componentistica aerea, navale e terrestre. Le esportazioni di armi italiane verso Islamabad sono in costante incremento fin dal 2000 e, con oltre 210 milioni di euro di autorizzazioni e 175 milioni di consegne, il regime del generale Musharraf è diventato uno dei dieci principali clienti dell’industria militare italiana.

15.11.2007 Arvioiden mukaan Burman juntan ja kotiarestissa pidetyn oppositiojohtajan Aung San Suu Kyin väliset neuvottelut tuskin johtavat demokratian edistymiseen Burmassa. Neuvotteluja pidetään juntan taktiikkana vaimentaa kansainvälistä painostusta.

14.11.2007 It was a shattering day for 485 victims of enforced disappearance and their families in Pakistan. The Supreme Court, in a state of disarray after the proclamation of emergency and dismissal of its Chief Justice, failed to hear the case, which was scheduled for November 13.

13.11.2007 One month after a new national policy on resettlement and rehabilitation was announced, the Indian government has to still make it public. In his scathing critique, Shripad Dharmadhikary, a coordinator of Manthan Adhyayan Kendra, finds many limitations and loopholes in the policy, saying that big industries and developers stand to benefit more than the affected people.

13.11.2007 Pemutaran dan diskusi film berjudul Menyemai Terang dalam Gelap dan Shadow Play tanggal 12 November 2007 di Gereja Kristen Indonesia dengan menghadirkan pembahas Ilham Aidit, Samsir Mohamad, dan Pendeta Albertus Patty, mendadak batal dilaksanakan. Ada apa?

12.11.2007 Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, in his first news conference since the imposition of martial law, has said elections will be held by January 9 but under the current state of emergency. Human rights activists were quick to retort that free and fair polls are not possible under such conditions.