Six In The Morning

U.S., Russia agree to convene talks on Syria

By Sergei L. Loiko and Paul Richter

MOSCOW -- The United States and Russia have agreed to convene an international conference as soon as this month to try to end two years of bloodshed in Syria, U.S. Secretary of State John F. Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced after talks Tuesday in Moscow.

The goal is to bring together Syrian rebels and government officials to begin negotiating a transition to a new regime, following a roadmap worked out in Geneva last year that has never gotten off the ground, officials said.

The announcement appeared to reflect a softening of Russia’s support for Syrian President Bashar Assad, a source of contention with the United States which has demanded that he relinquish power.

“I would like to emphasize that we … are not interested in the fate of certain persons,” Lavrov told reporters. “We are interested in the fate of the total Syrian people.”

JIM ARMITAGE, VOICES IN DANGER

Wednesday 8 May 2013

Voices in Danger: Break-ins and family interrogation fail to silence Tanzanian reporter

The troubles started after an appearance as key witness in the trial of a powerful media owner

Tanzanian Erick Kabendera dreamed of being a journalist from his earliest childhood days.

Now, despite a campaign of harassment against him and his family, he is still determined to continue in his profession.

“It is what I do. I have worked all my life to get where I am and I will never stop,” he says.

Kabendera’s troubles started when he agreed to testify as a key witness against his former employer, the powerful Tanzanian media owner Reginald Mengi, in a libel case in the UK.

TURKEY

Kurdish PKK begins withdrawal from Turkey in peace bid

The Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, was set to start its gradual withdrawal of some 2,000 fighters from the Kurdish region of Turkey into northern Iraq. The move is part of a new peace bid with the government in Ankara.

The PKK's jailed leader, Abdullah Ocalan, called for a cease fire with Turkey in March and for the withdrawal of Kurdish fighters in southeastern Turkey. The pro-Kurdish Firat news agency reported on Tuesday that the process would begin on Wednesday as planned.

The 2,000 rebels are expected to make the journey largely on foot in the mountainous border region with Iraq. Both Turkey and the PKK have said that the process would take place quietly and without fanfare.

Blunder in Burma: Scrapping of EU Sanctions Sends Wrong Message

A Commentary by Lotte Leicht

Although Burma is shrugging off the burden of five decades of military dictatorship, its transition to democracy is still far from complete. Reform remains precarious, and ethnic violence is rife. But in its eagerness to claim a foreign policy success, Human Rights Watch believes the EU is turning a blind eye.

Over the past two years, Burma has been emerging from 50 years of brutal military rule at a breathtaking pace. The country has made some impressive and unprecedented changes, including the release of many political prisoners, the rolling back of censorship and the lifting of restrictions to allow opposition political parties, including Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy, to stand for election for a modest number of seats in the military-laden parliament.

However, it is far too early to say whether Burma will continue to make progress, stall, or even fall back into a vicious circle of ethnic and sectarian violence that derails the efforts of reformers and empowers vested interests in the army. In fact, some of the most important signs are currently pointing in a distressing direction.

Malaysia moves to post-election crackdown

May 8, 2013 - 12:41PM

Lindsay Murdoch

South-East Asia correspondent for Fairfax Media

Kuala Lumpur: Police are cracking down on social media sites that published criticism of Malaysia's long-ruling coalition that won last Sunday's national elections, and have banned a planned rally to protest the election.

Two men who posted Tweets have been arrested and bloggers are being targeted in police investigations as opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim vowed to lead a "fierce movement" to reform the country's legal system.

Argentina's judicial reform: positive step or consolidation of power?

Six new laws will move forward in Argentina's Congress tomorrow. Some rein in cronyism, while others could limit personal freedoms and threaten checks and balances.

By Jonathan Gilbert, Correspondent

BUENOS AIRES

Opponents of Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner have long decried what they view as her creeping authoritarianism, and now they have extra fuel for their fire: a controversial overhaul of the judicial system.

Congress will move forward with the passage of six new laws tomorrow that President Kirchner says will “democratize” the courts. International observers, however, have joined domestic critics in warning that her goal may be to control Argentina’s judges and weaken checks on executive power.

The reforms could “destroy the independence” of the judiciary, the United Nations said recently.