World

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s Council on the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights has published a report that finds that the Crimean referendum that served as the sole pretense of validity in Putin’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea, was falsified.

Council member Yevgeny Bobrov, human rights worker Svetlana Gannushkina and lawyer Olga Tsetlina prepared the report after visiting Simferopol and Sevastopol April 15-18. The report was published on the President Soviet website Monday.

Although many reports from various sources have found that Russia had falsified the vote, these reports were discredited by the Russian government as US propaganda.

The report finds that the turnout for the referendum in Crimea was 30-50 percent–not the reported 50-80 percent–and only 50-60 percent of those voters favored joining Russia. Voter turnout and support for Russia was higher in Sevastopol city, where, the Council reported, there was a heightened fear of “illegal armed formations.”

The Crimean referendum was held March 16 behind a blockade of armed Russian and pro-Russian forces, which prevented Ukraine from entering Crimea to enforce Ukrainian law while the referendum took place. The results of the referendum were announced to be 97 percent of an 83 percent turnout in favor of joining Russia, although the ballot only had two options: join Russia and revert to an earlier constitution to separate from Ukraine.

Separatist forces in Southeastern Ukraine are also calling for Russia to assist them in Crimea-style separatist referendums.

By Day Blakely Donaldson

Sources:

President Soviet

Kharkiv Human Rights Group

Feb. 1, 2014, an amendment to Russia’s “On Information, Information Technologies and Information Protection” law took effect.  The amendment allows the government to restrict access to websites with content that calls for riots, extremist activities, and participation in mass public events.

The bill is part of a trend in Russian law which began with President Vladimir Putin’s election to a second term in 2012.  The amendment in question allows the government to silence not only national criticism–it does this through other laws, such as its 139-FZ (2012) censorship law–but also criticism anywhere else in the world.  The measure shields Russia from political dissent.

A commonly cited example is Facebook.  During Russia’s 2012 presidential election, Facebook was used to organize protests against Putin.  Using the newly amended bill, the government’s agency responsible for monitoring such threats, Roskomnadzor (an acronym for Federal Service for Supervision in Telecommunications, Information Technology and Mass Communications), can contact Facebook when it finds such material and request Facebook remove the material.  If Facebook does not remove the material, Russia can block the site nationwide.

Roskomnadzor has had some success.  YouTube took videos, but filed a lawsuit in a Russian court to seek a finding that a video was not offensive (a video showing how to make fake cut-wounds).  Facebook removed a suicide-themed user group called “Club Suicid,” but stated that they had removed the video because it violated their terms of use, not because of the Russian legislation.  Facebook does block some content from some nations, such as Holocaust denial from Germany and France and defamation of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in Turkey.  Twitter removed posts that seemed to be related to drug deals and promoting suicidal thoughts.

The rationale for the bill was terrorism.  Child pornography, suicide encouragement, and drug information are also used to legitimize this category of legislation.  Roskomnadzor began by singling out only distressing material, such as real encouragement of suicide, child pornography and terrorism.  However, on March 13, 2014, several independent news sites were blocked.

The original internet censorship bill, officially titled “On Amendments to Federal Law On Protecting Children from Information Harmful to Their Health and the Development and Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation” (139-FZ of 2012-07-28) passed the Russian Duma in 2012.  It passed unanimously with support from all four parties.  441 out of 450 deputies voted to support the bill.  The bill had raced through the Duma, less than a week after the initial June 6 reading of the amendments and its June 11 third reading and passage.

The bill created a registry–or “blacklist.”  The registry was  a “uniform registry of domain names and (or) the universal locators to pages of sites on the Internet and network addresses of sites on the Internet that contain information prohibited to spread in the Russian Federation.”  Any site found to have information that was prohibited would be put on the registry.

The qualifications to be put on the registry were two, broadly.  First, federal executive authorities could decide to register a site if they found the site contained child pornography, almost any information relating to drugs, or almost any information about suicide.  Second, a court decision could place a site on a registry if the site had information found to be prohibited to be spread in Russia.  The federal agency appointed to monitor websites and the courts–which already have authority to ban material that violates Russian legislation–can add items to the blacklist.  Appeals to convictions can only be made within a three-month period.

The bill had originally included “extremist” online content, but the Duma removed this portion in the bill’s third reading.

Upon being found to qualify for registry, the owner of the site is to be notified within days, and must remove all content found to be prohibited within days.  If the hosting provider or the owner of the site fail to restrict access, the site’s network address is added to the government’s registry (even though the same IP can be used for thousands of sites).

Criticism of the bill was voiced this way by the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society Institutions and Human Rights:

“The bill is not aimed at combating the causes of illegal content and its distribution on the Internet and will not contribute to the effectiveness of law enforcement and prosecution of criminals, who will be able to migrate resources from illegal content in other domains and IP addresses. At the same time, many bona fide Internet resources with legal content may be affected by the mass blocking, since the system would impose severe restrictions on the basis of subjective criteria and assessments, which will make the Russian jurisdiction extremely unattractive for Internet businesses.”

By Day Blakely Donaldson

Highbeam Business

 

Day 34 of the South Sudan conflict – Doctors Without Borders has suspended activities in Malakal, capital of Upper Nile State, after their compound was looted by armed men who threatened staff.  This type of incident has happened several times in Malakal, with numerous complaints being reported already this week.

A UN spokesperson in New York stated that the rebels seemed to now be in control of Malakal, after a prolonged battle. Both the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and the rebels had claimed control of Malakal. Some reports are saying that the town remains divided still. Government Information Minister Michael Makuei denied that the rebels control Malakal.

The government still aims to fully retake the town. Bentiu was also the scene of a battle Wednesday, as the government continues its war on the rebels in Unity State. SPLA spokespeople have stated that the government is also advancing on Bor, and have ordered civilians in Bor to evacuate the area.

The South Sudanese government has welcomed Ugandan military aid. Uganda sent military aid initially to protect Ugandan civilians and interests in South Sudan. The Ugandan parliament sat this week to consider the Ugandan Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) presence in South Sudan. The parliament voted to support the UPDF’s role in South Sudan. Ugandan intervention has been warned against by the UN and other interested parties because it might fuel the crisis. The rebels have also protested foreign military intervention in what they would prefer to be kept a national conflict.

Robberies have hit aid agencies in other locations.  In Bor, Jonglei State, and Bentiu, Unity State, a combined total of 20 UN vehicles have been taken by armed men. Vehicles have been commandeered by warriors from both sides of the conflict in many areas over the past weeks. There have also been cattle raids, shop arsons and many other destructive activities in affected areas.

Hilde Johnson, the head UN official in South Sudan, has called on Dr. Riek Machar to instruct forces loyal to him to immediately return the looted items.

The government seized the entire 1500-print run of the Juba Monitor’s Thursday paper. The reason was two articles contained in that paper. One of the articles was a proposal for an interim government until the 2015 elections. This proposal was written by the Monitor’s editor-in-chief. The other article was a piece about historical tensions within the SPLA army. The papers, which are printed in Khartoum, Sudan, were seized Wednesday night on arrival at the Juba airport. The editor complained to media agencies about the revenue lost due to the seizure, explaining that the paper’s scant advertising sponsors would not pay for the confiscated papers.

Many reporters and news agencies have been threatened recently. Harrassment of print news agencies by the South Sudanese government is commonplace. Only a small portion of mostly-illiterate South Sudan gets their news from print anyway, however; most South Sudanese listen to radio. But radio has also been shut down in three areas: Bor, Bentiu, and Malakal—the three main occupation areas of the rebels.

Nearly 500 000 people are displaced and 85 000 have fled to neighboring countries since the fighting broke out December 15 as the result of a disagreement within the government ranks.  The details of this disagreement have been given by both the government and Machar-loyal forces, but the accounts conflict strongly.  Peace talks, taking place in Addis Abada, are the main hope for reconciliation in this conflict, but those peace talks have not so far achieved any tangible success.  President Kiir remains in Juba from which he directs the government.  Machar remains in hiding, and his control over the rebels in South Sudan has been questioned.

By Day Blakely Donaldson

Sources:

VOA
Gurtong
Gurtong
Sudan Tribune
Radio Tamazuj

 

The conflict in South Sudan has continued for one month since its outbreak December 15. Fighting has raged in several locations, with the most severe fighting taking place in three key areas: between Bor, Jonglei State and Juba, the capital of South Sudan; in Upper Nile State; and in Unity State. Bor is 130 miles (210 kilometers) away from Juba by road and Upper Nile and Unity State are important oil producing states. Peace talks began January 5 in Addis Abada after preliminary negotiations the week before. The talks between delegations for the South Sudanese government and Riek Machar-loyal rebels are being mediated by members of the East African IGAD trading bloc. Here is an update of recent events in the South Sudanese conflict:

Peace Talks Might Yield Progress Within Two Days

Peace talks in Addis Abada continue to be stalemated by President Kiir’s and former Vice President Riek Machar’s main disagreement: the release of the political prisoners held by Kiir in Juba. Kiir accuses the detainees of attempting a coup and is holding them as prisoners while they are processed legally; Machar holds that the prisoners committed no crime and are being held wrongfully. Neither Kiir nor Machar have been willing to agree to a cease-fire, but both have repeatedly voiced hope for a prompt cessation of hostilities.

Despite the disagreement between Kiir and Machar over the political prisoners, Dina Mufti, the Foreign Ministry spokesman for Ethiopia at the peace talks, has stated that a ceasefire may be reached within two days. Mufti also noted that there seemed to be a correlation between success on the battlefields of South Sudan and how the dialogue at the peace talks went.

Parliament to Sit on State of Emergency Monday

The Parliament of South Sudan will sit to consider a proposal by President Kiir for a declaration of emergency in South Sudan. The proposal was submitted by Kiir January 11.

Kiir declared a state of emergency in Jonglei and Unity states, the two most violently contended states, January 1. The South Sudanese constitution provides that the President must submit a declaration of emergency to the National Legislature within 15 days of the original declaration.

Ugandan Newspapers Front Pages feature Ugandan Army Activities in South Sudan

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni stated Wednesday that the Ugandan army has been fighting in South Sudan on the government side. The conflict has resulted in Ugandan Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) casualties in the battles around Bor city, Jonglei State.

The Ugandan Parliament backed Museveni’s emergency deployment of UPDF soldiers to South Sudan to protect Ugandan interests. Some Ugandan parliamentarians had voiced questions about the constitutionality of Museveni’s decision.

Previously, Ugandan officials had been denying Uganda’s direct military involvement in South Sudan, in the face of accusations of military involvement by Machar and other rebel spokespeople. When asked for comment after Museveni’s admission, the Ugandan military stated, “Well, the President has said it.”

Museveni stated that with the help of the UPDF, the South Sudanese government had defeated rebel forces and regained Jemeza town on the Juba-Bor road, Central Equatoria State.

Upper Nile State SLPA Army Defections

Two days after the rebel attack on Malakal, capital of Upper Nile State, government SPLA troops defected in two separate incidents. 180 soldiers in Wadakona and 260 in Kaka allied themselves with forces loyal to Riek Machar. SPLA in Upper Nile were dispatched to pursue the defectors. Currently, the defectors occupy one part of the area and the government forces occupy another.

Mobile phone networks in Upper Nile have been shut down by government mandate for security purposes. Government spokesperson Ateny Wek explained, “You cannot leave the network up in a place where there are rebels. You have to cut the network where they are.” All of Upper Nile’s cellphone networks have been shut down except Renk and Paloch.

AU Wants ‘Humanitarian Corridor’ in South Sudan

African Union (AU) Deputy Chairman, Erastus Mwencha, made statements that the AU is working with other international partners to create a “humanitarian corridor” in South Sudan, from which location aid agencies would be able to better provide humanitarian assistance to South Sudan.

Lootings of UN and Other Aid Agency Property

Mass lootings have continued in Unity State. Mercy Corps, which distributes water and sanitation to refugees, and Doctors Without Borders were robbed by armed men in uniform again. The World Food Program, the International Committee of the Red Corss, and various UN compounds and workers have also been robbed. Riverboats and vehicles have been commandeered. Banks have been robbed (some banks have suspended operations), ammunition stores have been exploded, shops have been burned to ashes. The armed men responsible for the thefts belong to both rebel and government armies.

The total number of new UN police so far in South Sudan is 315 after 53 additional UN police personnel arrived Wednesday. The UN is stepping up security measures at refugee compounds in South Sudan, including weapons searches, ditches and fences.

Some activist groups in South Sudan have protested against the UN. Some have accused UN head official in South Sudan Hilde Johnson of taking sides. Siding with any group would run contrary to the UN mandate in South Sudan. Some groups have called for Johnson to leave South Sudan. At a protest by such groups, one characteristic sign read, “Hilde Johnson you are destroyer of our country leave the country for our security.”

Human Rights Violations Report Next Week

The UN Mission in South Sudan has announced that it will publish a report of human rights abuses by both sides of the conflict. The report will be published in the next week or two. The UN intends to hold accountable culprits responsible for human rights abuses.

Human Rights Watch released a report Wednesday that shows humanitarian crimes in Juba, Bor and other locations based on ethnic group have taken place. The organization urged government and rebel leaders to support an independent, unbiased investigation into human rights violations.

Members of the U.S. government have repeatedly called for those responsible for humanitarian crimes to be held accountable in international or other courts. President Kiir has also warned every person doing ethnic attacks, even if they are doing so in support of Kiir, that they must stop. The government arrested an unspecified number of SPLA Thursday on suspicion of ethnically-targeted killings of civilians.

All Universities to Close in South Sudan

University studies in South Sudan have been suspended temporarily. The higher education council issued letters to teachers that the government had suspended regular classes at universities. The decision is expected to affect all universities in South Sudan.  The decision was made after a meeting in Juba between the government and the heads of South Sudan’s universities. The decision was made so that the government “could monitor the current political and security situation in the country,” according one university’s acting director, Daniel Opio Akau.

Government Calls For More Army Volunteers

South Sudan’s Vice President Wani Igga has announced that the government wants 5000 recruits from each state to join the national army and fight the rebels. The government has been calling for more volunteers to fight the rebels repeatedly in previous weeks. The government has also levied mandatory donations to fund the army, and has initiated various programs to support the SPLA.

By Day Blakely Donaldson

Sources:

VOA
VOA
Sudan Tribune
Sudan Tribune
Radio Tamazuj
Radio Tamazuj
AP