‘McDonald’s theory’ for North Korea can’t work without human rights
A plan to transform North Korea into a modern economy — which one might call the “McDonald’s theory” — has a huge hole in it: It can happen only if… Read more »
Category: Human rights
Civil society fears Egypt’s crackdown signals start of a trend
The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) Democracy Index classifies four of the countries at this year’s World Cup as “authoritarian” – Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iran and Egypt. The results at the World Cup for these… Read more »
Russia – ‘change will come from grassroots’
The accepted narrative about Russia is simple: Vladimir Putin rules and a lemming-like society submits. The reality is more complicated, says Barbara von Ow-Freytag, a journalist, political scientist and adviser at the… Read more »
North Korea’s human rights abuses won’t be raised at Singapore summit
The No. 1 topic at Tuesday’s summit between President Trump and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un will undoubtedly be the reclusive regime’s nuclear weapons, the Los Angeles Times reports: That’s… Read more »
North Korea: civil society groups confront abysmal rights climate
The South Korean government should press the United States to discuss the appalling human rights situation in North Korea when US President Donald Trump meets with North Korean leader Kim… Read more »
After ‘sham election’, four steps for rebuilding Venezuela’s democracy
Electoral authorities declared President Nicolas Maduro, the Council on Foreign Relations notes, with about 68 percent of votes cast, the winner in a Sunday snap presidential election. Roughly 46 percent… Read more »
Russia: Repression, Discrimination Ahead of World Cup
The FIFA World Cup starting on June 14, 2018, will take place during the worst human rights crisis in Russia since the Soviet era. FIFA should use its leverage… Read more »
More Continuity than Change: Cuba’s ‘cosmetic’, ‘illegitimate’ dynastic succession
Miguel Diaz-Canel succeeded Raul Castro as Cuba’s president on Thursday, saying that there will be “no space for those who aspire for a restoration of capitalism, the LA Times reports… Read more »
North Korean activists endangered
Along the North Korean border, dozens of missionaries are engaged in work that puts them and their North Korean converts in danger. In recent years, 10 such front-line missionaries and… Read more »
Iran’s economic crisis a consequence of political malaise: creates options for shift in regime?
All this week panicked Iranians have gathered in throngs outside banks and other financial businesses hoping to buy dollars, as the government seeks to head off a collapse in the… Read more »