Civil Liberties

Civil Liberties

International community must support non‐military solutions in northern Myanmar

June 2011
TNI

Following new eruptions of violence in northern Myanmar, civil society organizations have issued a statement calling for urgent international engagement and dialogue to support non-military solutions. 

A Shameless Secretary General versus Freedom Flotilla 2

June 2011
Richard Falk

A year after Israel's violent attack on the first aid flotilla, it has failed to keep its promise to end the blockade of Gaza, where the humanitarian crisis continues to worsen. The second flotilla planned this year will again try to ease conditions, amid the failure of political actors to bring any real change to the situation.

Can Democracy Activists Undo US and IMF Damage?

June 2011
Patrick Bond

Obama's speech on the Middle East and North Africa missed the point of the Arab uprising, and offered little sign of conciliation or support for the Palestinians.

Euro-Med Uprising: Analysis from the frontline

May 2011

Speakers from across the Middle East and Europe discuss the wave of social unrest across the wider region; what do these struggles have in common? What opportunities are there for building solidarity between movements across the Mediterranean?

Book review - Maoist and Other Armed Conflicts.

May 2011
Achin Vanaik

The authors provide a remarkably comprehensive and lucidly written survey of the armed conflicts currently taking place within India.

Torture: Immoral, illegal, counterproductive, and un-American

May 2011
Peter Weiss

Resorting to lawlessness in 'the war against terror' only serves to undermine the very values that made American society strong in the first place.

Is the Arab Spring a Black Swan?

May 2011
Richard Falk

A recent comparison by top foreign policy thinkers in the US reveals the not so pro-democratic thinking that also goes on in Washington, referring to the emancipatory movements of the Arab Spring as a improbable "worst-case scenarios."

Who will reshape the Arab world: its people, or the US

May 2011
Tariq Ali

Phase one of the Arab spring is over. Phase two – the attempt to crush or contain genuine popular movements – has begun.

Selective vigilantism by the West

April 2011
Tariq Ali

Bombing Tripoli while shoring up other despots in the Arab world shows the UN-backed strikes to oust Gaddafi are purely cynical.

The false case for humanitarian intervention

April 2011
Mike Marqusee

The real motives behind the western intervention will shape its impact and outcome. Even if a flimsy excuse of humanitarism is used to cover up their hypocrisy and selectivism.