Siem Reap, Cambodia - It's the woman with the infant in her arms. I can't take my eyes off her. More than the other pictures of frightened children, of men with missing ears, their eyes swollen shut, or the faces reflecting sheer terror or numb acceptance, it is her face that mesmerizes me. Maybe it's that she doesn't seem to know about the torture. Landmine Victims Play Music
For nearly half a century, Indonesia has refused to let go of the resource-rich territory of West Papua. During that time, an estimated 100,000 West Papuan independence-advocates have been killed by the Indonesian military - some just for displaying the West Papuan flag.
On April 25, nine days after his election as prime minister of the Solomon Islands led to rioting in the streets of the country's capital Honiara, Snyder Rini announced his resignation. He was facing an imminent no-confidence vote after six MPs defected from his government coalition to the ranks of the opposition.
"Thaaaaaak .sin, GET OUT!" shouted thousands of demonstrators near the Parliament Building in Bangkok, Thailand. The scene was heated. Speakers rotated on and off the main stage in front of the crowd. Their speeches were broadcasted down Outer Rachadamnern Road while people attentively sat down to listen, observed the scene and read pamphlets about the country's new danger, Thaksin Shinawatr, the 23rd Prime Minister of Thailand.
The broad leaves of banana trees obscure hundreds of rows of bamboo huts set out in compact grids that reach the fringes of the forest. The intersecting pathways are neatly swept, and many huts sport fenced gardens of white and yellow roses. Outside their huts, women sit and talk while they work at their wool looms. The men play carrom, a traditional board game, or drink tea while children play or attend school. Life seems tranquil in Beldangi II Extension.
Threatened by an environment of increasing violence, harassment and intense political pressure from Maoists rebels and government security forces, thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes in rural Nepal, creating a staggering number of internally displaced people (IDPs).
Copyright Toward Freedom 2019