Discussion of All Things Political

We'll start with protests that are being held by minorities demanding recognition of their rights by the majority government:

BANGLADESH

Ethnic communities demand recognition of 'indigenous' in Bangladesh constitution

HUNDREDS AND thousands of ethnic minorities in Bangladesh formed human chain on Saturday (March 19) demanding constitutional recognition of their existence as “indigenous” population.

A senior parliamentarian remarked that ethnic minorities are not “indigenous” after holding series consultation with elected representatives who represents ethnic communities.

Last week a special parliamentary committee on constitutional amendment recommends the community will be known as “ethnic minorities”, short of recognizing them as “indigenous” (Adivasi in local language).

The refusal angered the ethnic leaders, social justice activists and right groups. The ethnic communities are less than one percent of the national population of 158.6 million. The struggle for constitutional recognition goes back 40 years ago, soon after Bangladesh gained independence in 1971. The political regime, civil and military bureaucracy are dominated by majoritarian Bangla-speaking Sunni Muslims known as Bangalees.

The 1991 census of the government identified 29 small ethnic groups, but the leaders claim that 46 small ethnic groups live in Bangladesh, mainly in south-east Chittagong Hill Tracts region.

The protest rally organized by Bangladesh Adivasi Forum was simultaneously held in the capital Dhaka, Rangamati, Khagrachari, Patuakhali, Sylhet and other places where the ethnic communities are visible population.MORE

KUWAIT

Heavy security succeeds in quashing bedoon protests

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GUATEMALA

Violent Development: Communities Defending Lands and Resources Face Ongoing Repression in Guatemala

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And then we hit those who want widescale change in their governmental processes:

JORDAN
Hundreds of Jordanians demonstrate despite Saturday's start of national dialogue on reform

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Loyalty and poverty: Jordan’s uprising stagnates

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MOROCCO
Thousands in Morocco march for rights

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BAHRAIN


When Petro-Dictators Unite: The Bahraini Opposition struggle for survival

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Bahrain medics claim army cover-up:Staff at a hospital in Manama say police arrest & beat-up doctors, nurses and patients.

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Bahrain's main opposition groups ease demands

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YEMEN

Human rights minister and UN ambassador quit, Clerics urge Yemen army to ignore orders

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SYRIA

Syria protesters torch buildings

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LIBYA

Interventionists Struggle to Reconcile Libyan Action with Repression Across Arab World

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Speaking of: European arms sales to Libya: Who armed Gaddafi?


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EU arms sales to Libya: fleshing out the figures

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CAMEROON

Cameroon Protest 23 Feb 2011: Police Easily Cracks Down Cameroon Protests VIDEO AT THE LINK IS DISTURBING

23 February – Cameroon’s nation-wide anti-government protests started modestly today, with calls for President Paul Biya to step down. But protesters in Douala and Yaoundé were outnumbered by police.

Since the food price riots in 2008, 23 February has been the day in the year discontent Cameroonians take to the streets; mostly being quickly dispersed by the police.

This year was to be different, according to the hopes and aspirations of the organisers of the protests. This year, they had announced during the last few weeks, 23 February would be the start of Cameroon’s Egypt-like revolt.
A gathering of protesters in Douala’s Akwa neighbourhood was dispersed.
Reports from Cameroon today – both by the protesters and the media – however indicate that the anticipated anti-government riot rather has been a bleak repetition of the minor 23 February protests during the last years.

The reason may have been that Cameroonian authorities were on a high alert over possible riots, with Communication Minister Issa Tchiroma Bakary yesterday telling the local press that organisers of the protests wanted “to destroy this nation.”

Consequently, Cameroon’s two major cities this morning were filled up with riot police. In Douala, the country’s largest city located at the coast, large groups of uniformed police and soldiers lined up at central squares, roads and in the central Akwa neighbourhood. Vehicles entering the city were stopped and checked by police.MORE

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Revolt and Revolution seem to be in the air. Newly precarious autocratic gov'ts are watching in some fear. Some of them are already dealing with protests in their own countries. Some of them are making concessions to stave off or calm down cries of democracy now!!! Here's a roundup partly based off a Firedoglake post and off a Wikipedia article



THE UNREST



OMAN

In January after the Tunisian revolt there were protests in Oman Oman protestors call for fight against corruption The headline leaves out the fact that they are also fighting against high food prices

MUSCAT - Some 200 Omanis protested on Monday against high prices and corruption, a rare phenomenon in the Arab Gulf monarchy that seems to have been touched off by the revolt in Tunisia.

"Rising prices have destroyed the dreams of ordinary citizens," read one banner carried by the crowd gathered outside the housing ministry, where police manned a security cordon but did not intervene.

The protesters, who appeared after they received emails and messages on their mobile telephones calling for the demonstration, chanted slogans against corruption and the high cost of living.

"No to corruption. No to corruption," shouted the protesters who called for "higher wages" and "fixed prices" for basic food items, the cost of which have swelled since the global financial downturn. MORE

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I like Al- Jazeera's name for the Uprising coverage Revolt on the Nile.

Here's the Al Jazeera Livestream

I've been following ontd_political> for the most part because tey've got so many people that they can put together a great list of resources for watching all this unfold. Here's a couple of items that caught my eye.

Over a million people have taken to Egypt's streets to demand Mubarak's resignation

More than a million protesters flooded into central Cairo, turning Tahrir Square in the Egyptian capital, into a sea of humanity as massive protests against President Hosni Mubarak swept across Middle East's most populous nation.

Packed shoulder to shoulder in and around the famed Tahrir Square, the mass of people on Tuesday held aloft posters denouncing the president, and chanted slogans "Go Mubarak Go" and "Leave! Leave! Leave!"


Similar demonstrations calling on Mubarak to step down were also witnessed across other cities, including Sinai, Alexandria, Suez, Mansoura, Damnhour, Arish, Tanta and El-Mahalla el-Kubra.

Tens of thousands marched in Alexandria while the number of those protesting in Sinai was estimated to be around 250,000.

Tuesday's protests were by far the biggest since street demonstrations broke out against Mubarak's rule last week.

"The crowd is very diverse - young, old, religious, men, women - and growing by the minute," Al Jazeera's online producer said from Tahrir Square.

"They're chanting the same slogans they've been chanting all week. Someone actually hung an effigy of Mubarak from a streetlight."MORE

They will not leave until he leaves.
The opposition says that there will be no talks till he leaves


As usual, Western corporations are right in the middle of the oppressive tactics used by the Egyptians against their people. The weapons that the police were using against the protesters were US made. Now comes word of:


One US company;s role in helping Egypt shut down its internet

US UK companies help shut down Egypt's Internet


As per usual, we Westerners have happily made money on oppression. Don't worry though Western populations. The programmes will be tested on those people over there...and then they will come home to us, sooner or later.

Meantime Mideast stations are circumventing Egypt's attempt to block Al-Jazeera's content

They are:

In response to the regime's persistent attempts at censorship, at least seven Arabic-language television stations throughout the region are now carrying Al-Jazeera content on the air. They are: Al-Hiwar, Al-Jadeed, Al-Karama, Suheil, NBN, Adan, Al-Aqsa, OTV, Falastin Al-Youm, and Al-Haqiqa, Al-Jazeera reportedMORE

Jordan's King took one look at these shenanigans, and proceeded to try to look like he was doing something. Jordanians had been protesting in the streets about rising food prices and wanting more reforms from the elected portion of their gov't. The King has prudently decided to at least look like he was giving in to their demands. Jordan's king sacks cabinet: Monarch asks ex-army general to form new government in the wake of streets protests over prices and reforms.

King Abdullah II of Jordan has sacked his government in the wake of street protests and has asked an ex-army general to form a new cabinet, Jordan's Royal Palace has announced.

King Abdullah's move on Tuesday comes after thousands of Jordanians took to the streets, inspired by anti-government protests in Tunisia and Egypt. Jordanians had been calling for the resignation of prime minister Samir Rifai who is blamed for a rise in fuel and food prices and slowed political reforms.

A Jordanian official said the monarch officially accepted the resignation of Rifai, a wealthy politician and former court adviser, and asked Marouf Bakhit to form a new cabinet.

"[Bakhit] is a former general and briefly ambassador to Israel who has been prime minister before. He's someone who would be seen as a safe pair of hands," Rosemary Hollis, professor of Middle East policy studies at London's City University, said.

"I wouldn't see it as a sign of liberalisation. With his previous premiership, he talked the talk of reform but little actually happened," she said.


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And there are rumors that Syria has tried to stop its people from watching whats going on, and that Syrians are planning their own protests.

For the nonce, the most complete list of options for watching and reading this moment in history are in this post on ontd_political