· November, 2008

Stories about Politics from November, 2008

Kosovo: Haradinaj's Profile; Discussion at LSE

  30 November 2008

Popkitchen posts a critique of a Vanity Fair profile of Ramush Haradinaj, a former guerrilla leader of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) and former prime minister of Kosovo, and writes about a recent discussion on Kosovo's independence held at the London School of Economics.

Thailand: Free Ride to PAD

  30 November 2008

Thailand Jumped the Shark wonders why “the foreign embassies and the international community have given the PAD a free ride, considering the PAD has broken multiple Thai and international terrorism laws and international travel treaties.” PAD, the opposition party leading the current protests in Bangkok has blockaded the main airports...

Korea: The Birth of Internet Netizen Legend

  30 November 2008

A new Hong Gil Dong [EN] emerged on the Internet of Korea! A netizen who is just known as “Minerva” started writing his economic analysis in Agora—a Netizens’ panel— in a major portal site, Daum from 2007. He predicted the collapse of Leman Brothers, sudden jump in the foreign exchange...

China: Taxi Driver Strike, Union and Street Democracy

  30 November 2008

Taxi drivers from around the country have been in strike for a month. The first protest appeared in Chongqin in November 3, then it spread to Hainan, Gansu, Yunnan, Shandong, Qingdao, Jinan, Fujian, Shantou, Wubei, Shaanxi and etc. Tomorrow (1 of December), it is likely that Guangzhou will have another...

Central & Eastern Europe: Obituaries

  30 November 2008

Edward Lucas re-posts The Economist‘s obits of Mieczyslaw Rakowski, a Polish Communist journalist and politician, who died on Nov. 8, and of Boris Fyodorov, a Russian economic reformer, who died on Nov. 20. Borut Peterlin notes the death of Vilko Filač, the “cameraman of Emir Kusturica’s best movies.”

Ukraine: Taras Kuzio on Yushchenko

  30 November 2008

Taras Kuzio analyzes “the achievements and failures and unfulfilled expectations of the last four years” in Ukraine – here and here, and also writes that president Yushchenko “had over-focused on the issue [of Holodomor] to the detriment of contemporary political and economic concerns.”

Russia, Ukraine: Party News

  30 November 2008

The Ivanov Report writes about last week's 10th Congress of the ruling United Russia party: “The victors have suddenly realized that as the ‘leading political force of the country’, it's their job to deal with the crisis and face its inevitably negative political and social consequences.” Taras Kuzio reports that...

Russia: Yevgeny Kolesov and Politkovskaya Trial

  30 November 2008

Robert Coalson of RFE/RL's The Power Vertical writes about “the open-again, closed-again, open-again trial of three men allegedly involved in the murder of investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya” and the role that former juror Yevgeny Kolesov has played in it.

Hungary, Czech Republic: Romaphobia

  30 November 2008

The Hungarian Spectrum reports on the murder of a 14-year-old girl in a Hungarian village, which led to an anti-Roma rally. The Reference Frame is unhappy with Al Jazeera's story on discrimination against the Czech Republic's Roma children in their access to education.

Pakistan: Blame Game On Mumbai Terror – The Blogosphere Speaks

  29 November 2008

Recent terror attacks in Mumbai have seriously disturbed and complicated the on-going peace dialogues between India and Pakistan. Where Indian officials are not hesitating to point fingers to Pakistan, the Pakistani officials have been denying Pakistan's involvement in the attacks. Pakistan authorities have further requested not to play the blame...

Iran: Do not Execute Farzad Kamangar

  29 November 2008

Several human rights activists and bloggers warned that Farzad Kamangar, a teacher and trade unionist may be executed in the near future in Iran. Farzad Kamangar, who is from Kurdistan province in Iran, is accused of being affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

Armenia: Chess, Karabakh and Turkish Relations

  29 November 2008

West of Igdir comments on the latest developments in Armenia including a second victory for the country in the International Chess Olympiad, speculation over negotiations to resolve the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno Karabakh and last week's visit to Istanbul by the Foreign Minister.