violence

OpenDemocracy: Communal Attacks Against Indigenous People in Bangladesh

 Thousands of indigenous people were left homeless as their shanty houses were burnt to ashes on February 19th and 20th. In the attacks, committed by members of the majority Bengali speaking population in the presence of law enforcers, two people including a woman were killed and more than 50 injured, while 357 houses were set ablaze across 11 villages.

Tags: Bangladesh, bengali nationalism, communalism, homelessness, indigenous people, openDemocracy, violence

Feminism in the Air

I've been travelling in South Asia for the past week or so and have recently been discussing women's rights and situations with a female relative.  She was quite pessimistic about anything changing any time soon.  But she agreed that things have changed generation to generation and will continue to do so.

As such, I found this story about several girls (women?) taking it upon themselves to beat the %hit out of someone committing sexual assault on the plane quite good.  It's an Indigo Air flight from Bombay to Jaipur, if you're curious.

Tags: airlines, feminism, India, public safety, sexual assault, violence, women

Discipline in Violence

A few weeks back, in a meeting with a political advisor of a bilateral development organization, I discovered a new phrase ‘discipline in violence’. He used the phrase while talking about the unruliness and fundamentalism within the state security apparatus. The phrase hit me – I wasn’t sure how there can be discipline in violence; in my mind an image of a methodical violent person emerged. I also thought about well organized acts of violence, something along planned ethnic cleansing or systemic violence against women on grounds of morality.

Tags: conflict, emotions, politics, South Asia, violence, war

Tehelka Chronicles Lalgarh Violence, Offering Preview of What's To Come

Tehelka offers an in depth look with multiple perspectives on the state violence in Lalgarh, West Bengal, and its implications.  Among the most disturbing aspects of what they write about is how the release of anyone remotely accused of Maoism, whether or not there is any truth to the notion, is increasingly politically verboten.  Coming on the heels of the much belated release of Binayak Sen and the announcement of a very large escalation of the Indian government's attempts to eliminate 'Maoism', it seems to me that the silent war on the poor and disempowered has shifte

Tags: adivasi, buddadev bhattacharya, conflict, cpi(m), cpi(maoist), development, India, industry, lalgarh, manmohan singh, operation green hunt, social cohesion, state violence, violence, west bengal

This Week In Violent Racism (England Edition)

Riots in Birmingham between the English Defence League and people who don't like English fascism (h/t to Pickled Politics):

Tags: birmingham, death, england, hate crime, murder, racism, riots, violence

By: on 9 Aug 2009

There is a an international solidarity march taking place in Gaza on New Years Day, 2010.  I believe it will be a big part of what sets Gaza free, and in the long run, maybe Israelis, Tamils, Sri Lankans and others.  Be like Chomsky and others: endorse the march here and sign up to join the march here.

Date: 25 May 2009

Young and old, poor and prosperous, sick and healthy -- residents of Pakistan's Swat Valley continue to flee the violence that has erupted there as the military clashes with the Taliban.

Those who have fled tell of the whole valley being turned into a battlefield as citizens run away, many of them with no shoes and some elderly. They fall ill from sun and heat exposure -- particularly infants and those already weak and sick -- as they flee.

Author: Ingrid Formanek and Zeeshan Ali | Source: CNN | Submitted by: on 25 May 2009 | Comments: 0

Action for a Progressive Pakistan Apologises On Behalf of Pakistan to Bangladeshis For 1971

Published apology in the Daily Star.  Those of us who have national allegiances could take notes on this:

We reject the Pakistani state and army's claim that these atrocities were committed in our name.

Tags: 1971, Bangladesh, gender, genocide, pakistan, violence, war, zulfiqar bhutto

Date: 30 Apr 2009

Sri Lanka has denied reports that a proposed loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is being delayed by the US, officials say.

American officials said the move was aimed at putting pressure on Colombo to do more to help civilians caught up in the fighting in the north.

But a senior Sri Lankan official says the talks are on schedule.

Sri Lanka has been holding talks with the IMF for a loan of nearly a $2bn to weather the global economic crisis.

International concern

Author: | Source: BBC World News | Submitted by: on 30 Apr 2009 | Comments: 0
Date: 25 Apr 2009

From U.S. government funded news service:

Rebels in Sri Lanka claim some 150,000 people are on the brink of starvation in the territory held by the Tamil Tigers in the northeast. The Sri Lankan government says the rebels are to blame for the plight of the civilians in the remaining area controlled by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. The accusations come amid rising international concern over mass civilian suffering in the dwindling war zone.

Author: Steve Herman | Source: VOA News | Submitted by: on 25 Apr 2009 | Comments: 1
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