by Alex Evans | Jul 6, 2009 | East Asia and Pacific
Many development and humanitarian NGOs already regard their human rights brethren with a degree of exasperation for their no-compromise stance on Darfur and Northern Uganda – where their successful push for International Criminal Court referrals in each case made life much harder for agencies trying to negotiate ceasefires or deliver help to people, without producing any obvious results in terms of conflict resolution or bringing baddies to justice. Having watched Human Rights Watch’s manoueverings on Burma over the weekend, I can see their point.
On Friday, HRW sallied forth for some incandescent briefing against Ban Ki-moon after Ban reportedly told General Than Shwe, the head of the ruling junta, that “I appreciate your commitment to moving your country forward”. Cue the following response from HRW in the Guardian:
“That is absolute nonsense,” said Brad Adams, a Burma specialist at Human Rights Watch. “It’s just what we implored him not to say, to make these diplomatic gaffes. Than Shwe has steadily moved his country backwards.”
Then, over the weekend, Ban toughened up his line substantially. During a speech to 500 officials, diplomats and opposition politicians in Rangoon, he castigated the regime for refusing to allow him to meet with Aung San Suu Kyi, saying it had “missed a very important opportunity” ahead of next year’s elections, in that
“allowing a visit to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi would have been an important symbol of the government’s willingness to embark on the kind of meaningful engagement that will be essential if the elections in 2010 are to be seen as credible”.
“I am deeply disappointed,” Ban concluded. So how did HRW react to the regime’s rebuff and to Ban’s tougher line? Here’s the FT this morning:
“None of it was a surprise; his disappointment was almost a foregone conclusion,” said David Mathieson, a Burma researcher for Human Rights Watch. “It’s them saying, ‘We are going ahead with what we want to do and we don’t care what you think about it. The idea that you can come here and fix everything the west wants – forget it.'”
Damned if you do, damned if you don’t, seems to be the line coming from HRW HQ – but then, it’s a pleasantly straightforward messaging strategy to sit on the sidelines and accuse anyone who tries to engage with the regime of being a sell-out (and no doubt it plays well with HRW’s members in these tough fundraising times). (more…)
by Alex Evans | Jul 5, 2009 | What we're watching
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1tnUvtjaaY[/youtube]
by Alex Evans | Jul 5, 2009 | Global system
Folk close to preparations for Italy’s G8 next week have been rolling eyes, shruggling shoulders and wringing hands for some months now about the train wreck that the summit looks likely to be: but now that L’Aquila, the venue for the shindig, has just had yet another earthquake, maybe it’s time to start biting nails as well. Still, at least the briefing pack sent to delegations has detailed instructions for what to do if disaster strikes (bet they all feel a whole lot better for that).
Security, meanwhile, is rock-solid – as two British representatives of the media discovered:
Top secret: a mobile basketball hoop specially installed for Barack Obama to enjoy during next week’s Group of Eight summit of world leaders is strictly off-limits to unauthorised personnel, the heavily armed Italian police guards warned.
Such is the chaotic state of preparations for the July 8-10 summit in a police barracks on the edge of the quake-torn city of L’Aquila that scores of reporters were kept penned for hours outside in a temporary press centre waiting for Silvio Berlusconi, prime minister and host, to speak.
Except, that is, for two frustrated correspondents of the Financial Times and The Guardian, who found an unguarded side entrance into the sprawling complex of the Ministry of Finance Police College and spent an hour mingling with workers before finally being captured at the hoop.
The FT’s Guy Dinmore reports that “digital photographs of the sensitive hoop [were] deleted” by vigilant members of the Guardia di Finanza, but the Guardian’s John Hooper showed more initiative: here’s his snap of the 5 star resort that awaits President Obama.
Nice. Incidentally, if you’re still optimistic enough about the summit to be curious about what’s actually on the agenda, Berlusconi’s modest ambitions include “the financial and economic crisis and the search for new proposals for stability and growth”; “the battle against climate change”; “the fight against terrorism and nuclear proliferation”; “development in Africa and other less advanced economies”; and “regional and global security … with special attention paid to the Middle East and Afghanistan”.
by Alex Evans | Jul 3, 2009 | North America
KTUU – ‘Alaska’s news source’ – has the [few] details:
Gov. Sarah Palin will resign her office in a few weeks, she said during a news conference at her Wasilla home Friday morning. Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell will be inaugurated at the Governor’s Picnic at Pioneer Park in Fairbanks on Saturday, July 25, Palin said.
There was no immediate word as to why she will resign, though speculation has been rampant that the former vice presidential candidate is gearing up for a run at the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.
Steve Benen’s take:
Palin is making a terrible mistake. The lure of the national spotlight is strong, and the day-to-day challenges associated with running the executive branch of a state are no doubt difficult. There are probably plenty of far-right activists and donors whispering in Palin’s ear, telling her to ignore the naysayers and realize she’s ready to lead the nation, but she’s listening to the wrong people. Walking away from the governor’s office after one term is incredibly foolish — but walking away from the governor’s office after two and a half years in office is stupefying.
But the best comment (predating today’s announcement) is from conservative blogger Reihan Salam, who according to Benen “defended Palin repeatedly over the last several months, making excuses for her shortcomings, and arguing valiantly that Palin is a credible national figure” before reluctantly giving up:
Palin’s campaign antics can be forgiven. What can’t be forgiven is the ham-handed way she’s tried to build her national profile since she returned to Alaska. She’s abandoned the bold right-left populism that won over Alaska voters — and me — in the first place in favor of an increasingly defensive and harsh partisanship…. One can’t help but get the impression that Palin is a clownish, vindictive amateur…. What I’m wondering is: Has Sarah Palin undergone some kind of secret lobotomy?
