The visit by President Thein Sein of Myanmar to the White House on Monday underlines how far the Southeast Asian country has come. But while the progress in Myanmar is real, the country’s leaders have so far delivered more political than economic reforms. more
Last week, Efrain Rios Montt, the former Guatemalan dictator who ruled the country during the most violent years of its civil war, was found guilty of crimes against humanity and genocide and sentenced to 80 years in prison. more
On Tuesday, Morocco cancelled its annual joint military exercises with the United States and other international observers just as the “African Lion” war games were set to start, according to U.S. officials. more
In 2012, Foreign Policy and the Fund for Peace ranked Zimbabwe the fifth most likely country to fail. Yet, despite its numerous challenges, Zimbabwe has not collapsed, and Robert Mugabe continues to maintain his grip on power. With elections expected during 2013, all indications suggest that Mugabe will run for re-election and win. How is a country whose government is seemingly so isolated from the rest of the world able not just to survive, but to prosper? more
Amid continuing international armed conflict with nonstate actors, including the recent French intervention in Mali, questions about the treatment of terrorism suspects arrested during military operations remain unresolved. The U.S. approach has made it easier to hold terrorism suspects without the burdens of a criminal trial but has also created the problem of prolonged, open-ended imprisonment. more
Last week, violence between Buddhists and Muslims broke out in Meiktila town in central Myanmar, escalating rapidly and killing at least 32 people, according to the state news media. It took several days for the military to restore calm. more
Last Friday’s Organization of American States (OAS) General Assembly session showcased a push led by Venezuela, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Bolivia to reform the Inter-American human rights system, which they argue is biased in the service of U.S. interests. But their proposed reforms may serve at best to direct attention away from their own human rights records, and at worst to cripple the system altogether. more
Honduras is the homicide capital of the world. This is due in part to widespread and growing gang violence, but recently there have been reports that Honduran police themselves are organizing death squads. more
In advance of June elections, and in the aftermath of a critical U.N. report on Iran’s human rights practices, Iran is cracking down on dissent and arresting opponents while continuing to claim that it is the “freest” country on earth. But the regime’s denials of its human rights violations are evidence of its growing fear of public dissatisfaction as well as concerns over increasing international isolation. more
In an email interview, Christina Cerna, a former human rights specialist at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights who is currently a visiting scholar at the Georgetown University School of Law, explained the commission’s history and prospects. more
Though often dismissed as the puppet of her exiled brother, Yingluck Shinawatra has survived several challenges since become Thailand’s first female prime minister in 2011. Yet despite initial hopes for reform, the past year and a half have demonstrated that the Yingluck government’s ultimate goal is to maintain its grip on power, and that Yingluck’s successes do not necessarily mean democratic progress. more
Myanmar’s government has made some reforms, but women and ethnic minorities are still underrepresented at best, and systematically oppressed at worst. more
Since the attacks of 9/11, U.S. security intertests in East Africa have often conflicted with U.S. policy that encourages democratization and more attention to human rights. Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya and Uganda -- all central to U.S. security policy objectives in the region -- demonstrate the fine policy line that the United States is walking as it actively seeks the support of their governments, which exercise varying degrees of repression. more
In Bangladesh, daily protests over war crimes tribunals are turning deadly. As the government continues to prosecute crimes from Bangladesh’s 1971 war of independence from Pakistan, there are concerns that a process intended to deliver justice could instead lead to a dangerous settling of scores. more
A recent report by the Open Society Justice Initiative provides new insights into the “extraordinary rendition” program the United States operated after 9/11, revealing just how widely the program swept and which countries participated. The report raises important questions about both accountability for past human rights abuses and the future of U.S. counterterrorism policy under the Obama administration. more
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa began his visit to India today amid protests over recent statements he made that appeared to rule out political autonomy for Sri Lanka’s Tamil ethnic minority. more
In January, a trial court decided to send former Guatemalan dictator Efrain Rios Montt to trial, making Guatemala the first Latin American country to put a former head of state on trial for genocide. The trial is part of an overall regional trend over the past decade toward prosecution and away from amnesty laws. Compared to a decade ago, Latin America has come a long way in the fight against impunity. more
A Cameroonian court’s overturning of the conviction of two men accused of homosexuality was a rare victory for gay rights in Africa. Homosexuality is illegal in most African countries, and several are considering bills to strengthen existing anti-gay legislation. Despite the U.S. State Department’s recent statements of support for gay rights internationally, efforts to combat such legislation come with a host of risks. more
In an email interview, Vietnam expert Adam Fforde, a professor at Victoria University’s Center for Strategic Economic Studies and honorary principal fellow at University of Melbourne’s Asia Institute, discussed the significance of the convictions and how they fit into the broader state of civil liberties in Vietnam. more
In an email interview, Jia Ping, the founder and chief executive officer of the China Global Fund Watch Initiative, discussed China’s HIV/AIDS policies. more
In 2010, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave an important speech condemning government censorship, calling for greater Internet freedom and reiterating that freedom of expression was a vital U.S. value. But during the past two weeks, as issues of press censorship in China have become front-page news, the State Department has remained noticeably silent, even as that censorship has impacted the U.S. media. more