Search Results for Toward Freedom Journal

US Weapons Make Colombia Murder Capital
BOGOTA – A RAND Institute report, “Arms Trafficking and Colombia,” concludes that US Plan Colombia is largely responsible for making the South American nation’s murder rate the highest in the world, at 77.5 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants. The gun culture has created a cross-border refugee and drug crisis that is destabilizing the region, from Panama to Venezuela, Brazil, Peru, and Ecuador.

About 85 percent of Colombia’s murders are committed with small arms. The report, released April 23, says that most of them come from the US, either directly through Plan Colombia, or indirectly through old stockpiles of US weapons supplied to El Salvador, Honduras, and the Nicaraguan Contras during the 1980s and 90s. read more

Indigenous Promised a Stronger Voice 

NEW YORK — In less than a year, a new UN Forum on Indigenous Issues will begin providing a platform for the world’s indigenous peoples to air grievances on both old and pressing problems. Representing over 300 million people in more than 70 countries, the Forum will have 16 members, all appointed by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

According to the UN Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Populations, the Forum will enable such groups to "convey their positions on a broader spectrum of issues than is presently possible under the auspices of the Human Rights Commission." The issues to be addressed include human rights, social and sustainable development, health, the environment, education, culture, children, and gender. Currently, no UN body deals with indigenous issues in a comprehensive way. read more

Indonesia Plays the Autonomy Card

DILI – After 23 years of brutal Indonesian rule, President B.J. Habibie has offered East Timor independence if people reject autonomy in return for accepting Indonesia’s permanent sovereignty. The announcement, setting a July vote, took the international community by surprise. But rather than expressing relief, pro-independence supporters in East Timor remain skeptical.

After Habibie’s announcement, right-wing militia groups, armed by the military, led assaults on sympathizers of Falintil, the pro-independence guerrilla forces. Hundreds have died during recent attacks, and over 18,000 people have been displaced since last November. read more

Angola and Zambia Move Toward War

LUSAKA – A year ago, Zambia and Angola were whispering about war. Now theyre shouting, as Angola accuses its neighbor of helping to arm Jonas Savimbis UNITA rebel movement. In Lusaka, Zambias overcrowded capital, headlines about a possible invasion hit the streets every other day. One such story, which said Angolas military power is three times that of Zambias, led to the arrest of staff members at The Post and subsequent espionage charges. read more