open Democracy News Analysis - Human Rights - Comments

najuste on "The Vyatlag Archipelago"

najuste — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:57:02 +0100

The most terrible thing is that Russians still do not face up these facts, their reality is different. Russians living in this district (oblast in russian) are saying and believing that there were NO CAMPS. People came at those places just to work. And nobody want to say the truth. In fact they were get there to die.

Intelegent people, the middle and the upper class were sent there by force.. My grandmother, trying to avoid those trains, left her home beeing pregnant and was in hidding for half a year. Familly with two small childs moved 150 km away from there home... And much more terrible stories I heard, while we, childs, were doing interviews with people who came back from there., for a history lesson.

Now, in Lithuania, a new project is launched "Misija-Sibiras" - "Mision:Siberia". Young, selected people are going there to search in history. To search graveyards, villages.. In order to respect ancestors, theyo make an order in those graveyards. They mark them. By foot youngsters are traveling through those painfull lands full of signs already overgrow with weeds, bushes and even trees..

A galery from this mission: http://www.misijasibiras.lt/2008/?/GALERIJA/

opendemocracy on "Blog for democracy, from the streets of Moldova"

opendemocracy — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 00:33:15 +0100

Please support us!!
my name is Luigi Assom I created a web site dedicated to the fact:
please sign in the petition addressing EU, European Commission and Council of Europe.

P.s. I failed to join your mailing list.
The browser got stuck.. could hyou check it?

http://www.moldovaobserver.com/petition-to-eu

Many thanks!
Multumesc!
Spasiba!

JeremyPutley on "Blog for democracy, from the streets of Moldova"

JeremyPutley — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 17:08:16 +0100

The unpleasant "Russia Today" official Russian govt propaganda channel alleges that Natalia Morari is suspected of inciting the troubles in Moldova. If RT is promoting this kind of defamatory allegation, it is for the reason that they do not like her honest brand of journalism.

Akaha on "Blog for democracy, from the streets of Moldova"

Akaha — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 00:24:45 +0100

The problem with Moldowa is that the opposition is very weak, ant afraid to take over the power. Young people wish to be in EU, but the older people want to join Russia. It is conflict of generations.

Vlad Lupan on "Blog for democracy, from the streets of Moldova"

Vlad Lupan — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 10:48:13 +0100

A friend sent me an interesting address of a photo. If it is true then the Communist provocated devastation are even more confirmed.

See below the address of the blog where a person managed to take a good picture - it seems, according to various indicators, that the picture is genuine and it indeed catches how police helps the so-called protesters to place a "foreign flag" (EU) on the parliament - an accusation brought up by the Speaker of the Parliament, suggesting foreign involvement in these protests.

Two things:
1. That much about the "democrats have orgnanised disorders". It was quite obvious that communists did.
2. The fact that the communists themselves raised the EU flag specifically and later came out with accusations of foreign involvement shows they are ready to isolate themselves from the EU. No EU cajoling will help now. I suggest EU should rethink its approach towards these elections and cooperation with Moldovan government all together.

http://savemoldova.blogspot.com/

You will be surprised how many well known experts in Moldova agree with this assessment and approach - soon their statement will come out.

Vlad Lupan
Independent expert, Moldova

ez_m on "Blog for democracy, from the streets of Moldova"

ez_m — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 08:15:27 +0100

Natalia is ok, she is not arrested. There is nothing she did wrong to be arrested. And the same thing is with all other people that organized the protest (6 April). The protest from 7th April was not planned by the same people.

Not logged in on "Undefended - Russia's migrant workers "

Not logged in — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 19:42:25 +0000

The article provides a helpful overview of exploitation of migrant workers in Russia -- not restricted to Russia by any means. Some attention to how this exploitation differs by gender would be useful: even before the economic collapse desperate economic circumstances in countries formerly part of the Soviet block made hundreds of thousands of women desperately seeking employment vulnerable to sex trafficking rings. The exploitation in these instances proceeds to another degree (rape, forced drugging, physical beatings and torture in some instances).

MUKTI MAJID on "Undefended - Russia's migrant workers "

MUKTI MAJID — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 16:42:25 +0000

Dear Open Democracy Associates,

Hello.I read this article on Russia and appreciate such subject.One we were associated (sister concern)with bangladeshi first National News Wire Service EASTERN NEWS AGENCY-ENA, which was friendly affiliated with Russian News Agency.It'd be our pleasure to recommunicate with Russian News Services and also others abroad.

Welcoming to visit our news web site.

MUKTI MAJID
editor/Publisher/President
The Monthly Muktidooth
Dacca,Bangladesh.

michaelcalder on "Undefended - Russia's migrant workers "

michaelcalder — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 15:40:36 +0000

Do we have to put up with advertising/propaganda for Microsoft everywhere?

Clear skies!

deepumon on "Undefended - Russia's migrant workers "

deepumon — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 08:16:00 +0000

I don't think that this is an isolated incident...this is rampant even in the so called developed countries. If anyone dived deep into the labour market of London where illegal immigrants work, one could see this glaring social problem. Take for example the restaurants in London including places like Eastham or Southall... (I don't know whether I am allowed to say the names of those restaurants) many are illegal workers...so the authorities are well aware that they will not file a suit. Taking advantage of this, many restaurants pay well below the prescribed hourly salary. Some even go further to reap rich profits by not paying the staff regularly. I know much more to write about this issue....but...have to restrict...if they are given marching orders...then where those illegal workers will go...as many have come under the visiting visa scheme...have overstayed in the UK...and others come as students and do not go to colleges but rather work full time.

Christopher J Ward on "Eleven hard disks"

Christopher J Ward — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 20:35:44 +0000

This is a most disturbing development. The Russian people need to know about the scale and duration of the Gulag program, along with the full history of the Terror and the purges, killings etc under Lenin, Stalin et al.

With regret, I believe that until Russia can face that past and deal with it, there is no prospect for true freedom in the country. It also facilitates the rise of a new Stalin and the inherent tragedy is that so many Russians look to the days of the vozhd with nostalgia and forget about the knock on the door at 2:00 am by the secret police.

Not logged in on "Murder, Moscow-style"

Not logged in — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 15:57:42 +0000

This is terrorism in its true and original sense - a regime of terror against the citizen. (Incidentally, it's what would have happened in America eventually had Bush been able to complete the process).
Those exposing these acts of terror deserve our admiration and commendation - one hopes that the eventual result must be popular and open support for them in Russia and the end of the present totalitarian regime.

renegade_rivers on "Murder, Moscow-style"

renegade_rivers — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 13:45:31 +0000

What a sad state of affairs. While some throughout the world would like to believe that things are better in Russia than they were decades ago, incidents like these prove just how lacking Russians are in real secruity and protection.

It is evident that throughout the area, there are those who are willing to go to what ever ends are necessary to cover up the crimes that they have commited.

Even more sad is the fact that these crimes are allowed to happen while the citizens stand by without any attempt at rescuing or interrupting the criminals and their crimes. This is akin to watching your neighbors house burn down, and doing nothing about it, because you are afraid your house will burn while you are helping your neighbor.

This is truly evidence of what degradation and fear can do to a society. The question of what can be done to create a better life for those downtrodden in Russia, Chechnya, and all other parts of the world is something that should never leave the heart and soul of the journalist.

Hopefully by revealing these stories that more will come to realize what is happening in those parts of the world. Thanks DN for the story, and its revelations.

Bendara on "Murder, Moscow-style"

Bendara — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 09:01:14 +0000

A state that supports fascist groups to do its dirty work, must be mindful that those who lead these groups can turn their sights against their sponsors. There is no honour among thieves.

N. Mayer on "The Embrace of Stalinism "

N. Mayer — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 16:56:39 +0000

The article is very thoughtful and interesting. Stalinism remains a dreadful period that is neither fully documented nor taken seriously enough. One minor point in the article I disagree with is that German Jews were not "really" part of German society, pre-Holocaust. There was a high percentage of German Jews who identified with being German, even more so than many Jews in Eastern Europe, whose countries always had a more segregated, multi-ethnic, however in most times peaceful, setup.