Category: Headlines

Dear Friends,

CANVAS is delighted to bring you another issue of our weekly report!

In this issue, we cover the latest updates on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, news from Belarus, and NGO shutdowns in Nicaragua.

Conflict Update:

As of May 3, 2022, the OHCHR has recorded 6,546 civilian casualties in Ukraine, including 3,193 killed and 3,353 injured. Evacuations from the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol are in progress. Russia has denied attempting to storm the plant, but Ukrainian forces inside the steelworks say that Russian attacks are continuing. At least 20 children are estimated to still be in the steelworks, amidst approximately 200 civilians, and their supplies are dwindling. The first group of civilians was evacuated from the plant on Sunday, and a third operation to evacuate civilians from Mariupol is scheduled to arrive on Friday. Mariupol is currently under the administration of the Russian-backed Donetsk People’s Republic.

On the final Friday of Ramadan, 42 Palestinians were injured by Israeli police in a raid on the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem. Police were reportedly responding to “rioters” throwing stones and fireworks, some of which were towards the Western Wall, a sacred Jewish site below Al-Aqsa. The police used tear gas and rubber bullets and arrested three people. Almost 300 Palestinians have been injured in similar incidents at the Al-Aqsa compound in the two weeks prior to this event.

Last Friday, a report was released that said the British Virgin Islands (BVI) should be effectively governed from London. Activists gathered on Monday, chanting slogans and holding signs saying “No UK rule.”  UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss justified the report by saying the recent arrest of BVI Premier Andrew Fahie shows a need for “urgent action.” BVI is currently self-governing, though an overseas territory of the UK. The UK supervises BVI’s defense and foreign policy. Anti-corruption activists have accused both the local government and London of turning a blind eye to illicit flows of foreign money through BVI.

Opposition lawmakers walked out of parliament and protesters blocked major roads in Yerevan to demand the resignation of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Protesters then gathered outside of parliament, shouting, “Armenia without Nikol!” and “Leave!”. Pashinyan has been criticized for Armenia’s loss of territory around Nagorno-Karabakh during the six-week war with Azerbaijan in 2020.

 

 

Zimbabwe:

The Zimbabwe government is going to start favoring their own currency as opposed to United States currency to salvage their economy. Taking inspiration from the Russian policy of demanding payments in rubles since they were hit by sanctions, which kept the ruble from losing all value, Zimbabwe is demanding that foreign investors use Zimbabwe dollars for investment.

 

Cuba:

On Sunday, Cubans took to the streets in celebration of Labor Day for the first time since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. The rallies were the biggest since the anti-government protests that took place in July 11 – the country’s largest protest since the 1959 revolution. President Miguel Díaz-Canel and the former revolutionary leader Raúl Castro were also present. The marches demonstrate a celebration of the 63-year-old Cuban revolution and a government-led reprimanding of the USA’s embargo on the island.

A US State Department official has stated that Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela will be excluded from the Ninth Summit of the Americas, hosted by the USA in June, as the summit will focus on the Western Hemisphere’s democracies. This statement comes just days after Cuba accused the USA of pressuring regional governments to block Cuba from participating in the summit.

 

Nicaragua:

In its latest crackdown, the Nicaraguan parliament has shut down another 50 NGOs. Since the beginning of 2022, the country has seen 144 NGOs banned. Among the ones banned on Wednesday are groups defending human rights, providing medical aid, and promoting educational projects. The country’s Interior Ministry has claimed that the organizations are being banned for having failed to submit their financial statements or disclose their directors’ names. Representatives of some of these NGOs have claimed they have attempted to submit the required documents but have been refused by the authorities. The government’s actions have been criticized by its former officials as well as the international community.

 

 

Dear Friends,

CANVAS is delighted to bring you another issue of our weekly report!

In this issue, we cover the latest updates on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, fighting in Sudan, and protests in Lebanon.

Conflict Update:

As of April 27, the OHCHR has recorded 5,939 civilian casualties in Ukraine, including 2,787 killed and 3,152 injured. Over 5 million Ukrainians have now left the country, and the UNHCR now projects that the number of refugees leaving Ukraine will reach 8.3 million. 7.7 million people are estimated to be displaced within Ukraine, and 13 million are estimated to be trapped in affected areas without an ability to leave due to security risks. 90% of the people forced to flee their homes have been women and children. UN Secretary-General António Guterres met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, ending in an agreement to arrange evacuations from the Azovstal steel complex, which is the last area of organized Ukrainian resistance in Mariupol. An estimated 2,000 soldiers and 1,000 civilians are in fortified positions underneath the wrecked structure of the steel mill. Guterres also visited Ukraine on Thursday for the first time since the invasion, touring towns around Kyiv before meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Thousands of people took to the streets in Colombo, Sri Lanka on Thursday to join nationwide mass walkouts demanding that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s government quit amidst the country’s worst financial crisis in decades. Due to the pandemic, rising oil prices, populist tax cuts, and dwindling foreign currency reserves, Sri Lanka does not have enough money to pay for vital imports of fuel, food, and medicine. If the president and government do not resign, trade union leaders have threatened an ongoing strike beginning on May 6. Two opposition parties, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya and the Tamil National Alliance have begun proceedings to bring no-confidence motions to parliament against the president and prime minister.

Osman Kavala, an activist and philanthropist, was sentenced to life in prison by a Turkish court. Kavala has already spent over four years in prison without a conviction, and was found guilty on charges relating to nationwide protests in 2013 and the failed coup attempt of 2016. Kavala denied the charges. Representatives of the United States and the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) criticized the conviction. The ECHR stated that the conviction was made to “silence him and dissuade other human rights defenders,” and that there was insufficient evidence that Kavala committed an offense.

Just Stop Oil protesters blocked access to the Kingsbury Oil Terminal in Warwickshire, England, and at least 16 people were detained. A new High Court injunction gives police in the area “enhanced powers to prevent and disrupt any unlawful activity,” and a breach of that injunction carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison. The activists demand an end to new oil and gas projects, and 200 activists have been arrested in related demonstrations over recent weeks.

Residents of the indigenous Fuerabamba community in Peru were removed from a camp they had set up in a pit owned by MMG’s Las Bambas copper mine. The camp was created in protest of the Chinese-owned company, and protesters demanded to take back their ancestral lands. The Fuerabamba community was removed from the land a decade ago to make room for Las Bambas. The Peruvian government announced a state of emergency for the area on Wednesday, which suspends the right to assembly and protest. Three people were reportedly injured as protesters were removed from the pit on Wednesday.

 

“Fighting” or attacks have erupted again in Sudan’s Darfur region. Al Jazeera reports at least 168 dead with further 98 wounded as of April 24. The Guardian reports at least 160 dead. The Janjaweed and the Rapid Support Forces, who were born out of the Janjaweed militia, are being blamed for the violence. The clashes between the government backed Rapid Support Forces and locals began on Thursday when 2 people were killed about 30 kilometers outside the capital of West Darfur. Later, in Geneina, armed forces attacked wounded people waiting for treatment outside the city’s main hospital. The International Committee of the Red Cross called on authorities to ensure the safe arrival  of wounded to treatment centers.

 

Uganda:

Rwanda’s leader visited Uganda for the first time since 2018. The border between the two nations was only reopened in January of this year after having been closed in 2019. Rwandan President Kagame arrived to attend the 48th birthday party of Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the son of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni. Kainerugaba has been instrumental in repairing nations between the two nations and has even referred to Kagame as his family on social media. Uganda has also made it a point to crack down on Rwandan rebels that live on Ugandan territory as tensions ease between the two nations.

 

Zimbabwe:

The annual independence address of the Zimbabwe leader to the people was held on Monday. However, for the first time since independence in 1980 the event was held outdoors to be accessible to the public. Zimbabwe faces many challenges, including owning up to wrongdoing and tragedy in the past and an under-performing economy. The economy is lowering morale in the young population and drug use is extremely prevalent. On February 21st a National Anti-Drug and Substance Abuse Campaign was announced but experts say that the campaign as well as the strict warnings about law catching up to drug abusers is not keeping up with trends and is thus ineffective.

 

Cuba:

On Monday, Cuba’s foreign Minister, Bruno Rodriguez, accused the USA of pressuring regional government to block Cuba from participating in the Ninth Summit of the Americas taking place in June. This comes one week after high levels in Cuba and the USA came together for talks on migration.

 

Nicaragua:

Nicaragua announced it was closing its offices of the Organization of the American States (OAS). This new comes following the continued expulsion and jailing carried out by President Ortega. The OAS, which seeks to build cooperation among states to advance a common regional agenda focused on democracy, security, and human rights, has voted to condemn the 2021 Nicaraguan elections for their lack of transparency and legitimacy. The Foreign Minister Denis Moncada called the OAS a “diabolical instrument of intervention and domination by the United States.”

 

Dear Friends,

CANVAS is delighted to bring you another issue of our weekly report!

In this issue, we cover the latest updates on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, planned Earth Day protests, IS attacks in Afghanistan, and a surge of gun-violence in the United States.

Conflict Update:

Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared a victory in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, which he claims Russian forces have “liberated.” However, Putin announced that forces would not be taking the Azovstal steel complex as planned, which some take as a sign that Russian forces have been weakened. Mariupol has seen some of the most intense violence and the worst humanitarian situations of the war, where hundreds of thousands of civilians were trapped and cut off for two months of Russian bombardment. The civilian toll in Mariupol is currently unknown, though Ukraine estimates that the number lies in the tens of thousands. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres called for a four-day humanitarian pause during the weekend of Orthodox Easter in order to allow civilians to flee and to allow humanitarian aid to be delivered. As of April 20, the OHCHR recorded 5,121 civilian casualties in Ukraine, including 2,224 killed and 2,897 injured. The actual numbers are expected to be significantly higher, as there are delays in reports and corroboration due to continued intense hostilities.

Friday, April 22, 2022 is Earth Day, a day often filled with climate demonstrations as activists raise awareness about the issues facing the planet. Some protests this Friday are planned to focus specifically on the links between climate change and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Activists in Berlin, Warsaw, Brussels, and other cities are planning to gather outside German embassies or government buildings to hand out red-stained roubles that will symbolize blood soaking a currency that is both supporting climate change and Russia’s invasion. Some activists will be joining from Lviv in Ukraine.

South Africa’s third-largest political party, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), led peaceful protests along the borders of Eswatini to raise awareness about repression against pro-democracy protests occurring in Eswatini. The largest opposition party in Eswatini, the People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) joined the EFF in the protests. Eswatini has experienced political unrest since May 2021 when Thabani Nkomonye, a 25-year-old law student, was killed by the kingdom’s police. Activists in Eswatini have since been demonstrating against the rule of King Mswati III and welcomed the show of solidarity from their South African neighbors. A 2021 Amnesty International report stated that, since Nkomonye’s death, 1,000 pro-democracy protesters have been arbitrarily jailed, 80 have been killed, and over 200 others have been hospitalized.

One man died and fourteen more people were injured in Sri Lanka when police fired live bullets at protesters. Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets as the prices of essential commodities rose sharply and caused shortages in food, medicine, and electricity. The protesters blame the policies of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and demand his resignation, though he has refused to quit. Authorities have stated that protesters were burning tires and throwing stones and other objects at police, and the Inspector General of Police C.D. Wickramaratne issued a statement claiming that protesters had been about to set fire to a truck containing 30,000 liters of fuel. Protesters and people on social media have denied the claim, pointing to a video of the incident that does not show the truck being threatened.

 

While ex-president Omar al-Bashir is on trial for the coup in 1989, his lawyers are continuing the racist culture Bashir centralized during his “reign.” The trial is being broadcasted live, and Bashir’s defense team began chatting among each other without realizing their microphones were still on. As such, one of them was heard saying “This ‘slave’ with his ugly nose irritates me.” The Arabic word for slave is used as a slur in Sudan to refer to people who are thought to be African, not Arab, or a derogatory term to refer to black people. The lawyer was referring to journalist Lukman Ahmed who has recently stepped down from the directorial position of the state-owned broadcaster. Ahmed, a former BBC correspondent from Darfur, was appointed to the role during the transition period after the ousting of Bashir. After six months staying in the post after the October military coup, he was sacked for failing to “honor” the military head of state. The broadcast reminded the public of one of the slogans used to oust Bashir in the first place: “Oh you arrogant racist, the whole country is Darfur.” Sudan has no law criminalizing racism.

Sulima Ishaq, head of the Combating Violence Against Women Unit under the Ministry of Social Affairs, was interrogated by security services and is accused of “leaking state secrets” to the United Nations (UN). The UN envoy reported to the UN Security Council that he was working with said unit and had uncovered that Sudanese government forces had raped 16 female protestors since the anti-coup protests in December. However, Ishaq says, “the information I gave to the [UN] had already been broadcasted on television channels and media outlets, but because the information was presented to the Security Council and the [coup forces] are afraid of getting sanctioned, they are [targeting] me now.” Ishaq is worried she will go to prison on false charges as experts believe the coup government is making an example out of Ishaq. The government is particularly upset that Ishaq is a civil servant, which gives her allegations more credibility on the international stage. Further, targeting Ishaq, a high profile person, points to the government’s discomfort with scrutiny as the U.S. imposed sanctions on the Central Reserve Police last month after citing excessive force against protestors. Ishaq is upset the UN envoy was not more subtle in his report and should not have mentioned her unit at the Security Council meeting, saying , “I feel that the way [the information] was stated was a little bit insensitive.” The spokesperson for the envoy responded, “the special representative to the secretary-general did not name any individual in the Security Council as a source.” However, Ishaq believes she “will be scapegoated” to remove the envoy from Sudan and will be charged with jeopardizing national security.

 

Uganda:

A government deal signed between the Finance Ministry and Uganda Vinci Coffee Company Ltd gives the company exclusive rights to buy Uganda’s coffee and is seen as unfair to local exporters. Abed Bwanika, a lawmaker, said that the deal prohibits anyone from buying the nation’s harvest until “this company gets the quota they want.” The company also determines the price of the commodity, and is exempt from all taxes. The finance ministry reports Uganda Vinci will create the first final product processing plant in Uganda worth $80 million and is key to government efforts to more than double coffee production by 2030. The ministry also reports “Uganda Vinci will pay for superior quality coffee beans at a premium price, which will be determined transparently and not lower than the price approved by Uganda Coffee Development Authority.” Also, green coffee will continue to be exported according to market forces. Before this agreement, the coffee trade in Uganda was liberalized and farmers received approximately 80% of the export price of the beans, according to the country’s coffee regulator. The ministry did not announce when the agreement will go into effect.

 

Zimbabwe:

On April 15 around 10pm local time, 35 people died after a bus carrying 106 members of a church crashed in a gorge in eastern Zimbabwe. 71 people were injured. According to official figures, road traffic crashes and fatal accidents are rising from an average of 1,836 in 2016 to an average of 2,000 fatalities per year between 2017 and 2019. The World Health Organization estimates the true number is as much as three times higher. In 2017, Zimbabwe reported the nation loses an average of 3% of its gross domestic product every year to road crashes.

 

Cuba:

 

Nicaragua:

On Monday, Daniel Ortega’s regime ordered the closure of 25 NGOs, bringing the number to at least 112 banned NGOs since December of 2018. The closed NGOs worked in different fields, including education, medical services, environmental advocacy, human rights, women’s rights, indigenous population’s rights, and free speech, as well as different universities. According to the government, the NGOs failed to register as foreign actors.

 

Dear Friends,

CANVAS is delighted to bring you another issue of our weekly report!

In this issue, we cover the latest updates on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the removal of Pakistan’s Prime Minister, and protests in Sri Lanka.

Conflict Update:

As the war in Ukraine has continued, violence against civilians has escalated. As of April 12, the UNHCR was able to confirm 4,450 civilian casualties in Ukraine, including 1,892 killed and 2,558 injured. This is considered to be a substantial underestimate. Russia has been blamed for a missile attack on a Ukrainian train station that killed at least 52 people. On Wednesday, the OSCE released a report documenting evidence that Russia has violated international human rights law.

War in Ukraine has also reawakened feelings of solidarity, passion for democracy, and condemnation of populism. In the words of Srdja Popovic, “solidarity with Ukraine makes democracy cool again.”

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan was removed in a no-confidence vote on Sunday. That night, Khan supporters, mostly youth, took to the streets in Karachi, Islamabad, and other cities to protest the prime minister’s removal. Khan’s removal came after days of the united opposition force trying to depose him. The opposition accuses Khan’s government of economic mismanagement as Pakistan struggled with high inflation and a plummeting Pakistani rupee. Khan’s relations with the powerful Pakistani military had also been tense. On Wednesday night, Khan announced a plan to continue organizing protests until new elections are held.

Tunisians took to the streets on Sunday, joined by members of parliament to protest “a failed dictatorship that is leading the country to an economic disaster,” according to activist Chaima Issa. Tunisia’s political crisis was heightened last month when President Kais Saied dissolved parliament. At Sunday’s protests, people chanted, “the people want to overthrow the coup.” They were met with a heavy presence of anti-riot police.

In Sri Lanka, protesters occupied the entrance and surroundings of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s office on Thursday and celebrated their traditional new year with milk rice and oil cakes. Thursday marked the sixth day that Sri Lankans have been camped out to demand the resignation of the president during the country’s worst economic crisis in memory. In recent months Sri Lankans have experienced fuel and food shortages, as well as daily power outages. Several Cabinet members have quit, but President Rajapaksa and his family members continue to hold power.

Extinction Rebellion’s Just Stop Oil activists in the UK have promised that they will not stop blockading oil terminals until they are jailed. The movement has reported that around 400 people have been arrested a total of 900 times. Government leaders have condemned the protests, citing disturbances and “irresponsible scaremongering.” Scientists have expressed support for the demands of a hunger striker calling for a climate change briefing for all MP’s from the government’s chief scientist, Sir Patrick Vallance. On Wednesday, protesters surrounded the buildings that house the UK headquarters of Shell and glued themselves and several XR flyers to the reception desk and to the floor.

 

April 6th marked three years since the fall of dictator al-Bashir. Civilians commemorated the day by taking to the streets in massive numbers to protest the October 2021 military coup. The ongoing protests have received criticism for not compromising with the government however the resistance responds largely the way 22 year old medical student Sajida al-Mubarak did: say “no” to the military: “No to partnership and no to recognition of the army.” She says “We will tell the army that they should go back to their barracks and leave politics to civilians.”

 

Cuba:

The Cuban government has not been accepting deportations of Cuban nationals from the US for more than 6 months. According to the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, at least 46,000 Cubans have arrived to the US asking for asylum since October 1^st, 2021, numbers similar to the 80s Mariel crisis. The Cuban government has argued that the US is to blame for the migrant surge since they “encourage illegal and irregular” migration, not fulfilling the promise to issue 20,000 annual immigrant visas to Cubans and suspending consular services in Havana since 2017.

Dear Friends,

CANVAS is delighted to bring you another issue of our weekly report!

In this issue, we cover the latest updates on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a nationwide strike in India, and Zimbabwean opposition wins majority seats in by-elections.

Conflict Update:

War in Ukraine has become one of the most pressing conflicts of today. There are several actions we can take to support the people of Ukraine and the peaceful resolution of conflict, including learning others personal and cultural values, supporting local initiatives and organizations, and expanding our media bubble.

Tuesday saw the beginning of a new round of peace talks between representatives of Ukraine and Russia. This time, negotiations are taking place in Istanbul and were opened by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. On Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine’s neutrality is now on the table, and they are willing to compromise over the status of the eastern Donbas region. Ukrainian forces have reportedly been able to reoccupy territory around Kyiv, causing Russia to reframe its goals in Ukraine amidst low morale and weapons shortages amongst Russian troops. Russia announced that it would be scaling back operations around Kyiv and Chernihiv while peace talks took place, though this statement was met with skepticism from President Zelenskyy and Western leaders, and attacks on Chernihiv reportedly did not ease. As of Tuesday, the OHCHR recorded 3,039 civilian casualties since 24 February 2022, including 1,179 killed and 1,860 injured. The actual numbers are expected to be significantly higher, as hostilities have delayed recording and corroboration in many cities. On Wednesday, UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet announced that there are credible reports indicating that Russian forces have used cluster munitions in populated areas of Ukraine at least 24 times, as well as reporting on other human rights issues currently facing Ukrainians. David Beasley, the executive director of the UN World Food Program, stated that the war in Ukraine will have an impact on food supply “beyond anything we’ve seen since World War II,” especially for countries such as Egypt and Lebanon that normally get over 80% of their grain from Ukraine.

As the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge toured Central America and the Caribbean last week, they were met with protests from locals. Protesters in Jamaica demanded apologies and reparations for slavery, actions that Jamaicans have been seeking for decades. Protests in the Bahamas focused on similar issues, as well as calling for the Duke and Duchess to bring attention to issues facing Bahamian women. Bahamian leaders released a letter, writing “They […] must acknowledge that their diverse economy was built on the backs of our ancestors […] They must pay.” Following the tour, Prince William noted that future relationships between Caribbean countries and the UK are “for the people to decide.”

Monday saw the start of a two-day nationwide strike in India. Hundreds of workers chanted anti-government slogans and marched with red labor union flags in New Delhi, protesting economic policies under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. The labor unions demanded universal social security coverage for workers in the unorganized sector, a raise in minimum wage under an employment guarantee program, the repeal of a new law that gives employers more freedom in setting wages and working hours, and a halt in plans to privatize some public-sector banks and the sale of public assets.

Haitian demonstrators burned a plane belonging to an American missionary group in protest against Prime Minister Ariel Henry’s lack of action against gang violence. Police fired tear gas at the protesters when they entered the airport in Les Cayes, but the protesters were able to push the plane onto the tarmac and set it on fire. This demonstration follows peaceful protests around the country, which are all pushing for Prime Minister Henry’s government to do more to combat gang violence and constant kidnappings. At least one person died and five were injured in the confrontation in Les Cayes.

 

Protests against the military coup in October 2021 continue even as those in power begin to fracture. Another protestor was killed on Thursday bringing the count of civilian deaths in relation to the protests to 93. The day before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine a delegation headed by Mohamad Hamdan Daglo, or Hemeti, was in Moscow under the banner of strengthening economic and security ties. After Hemeti’s trip, al-Burhan went on a trip to the UAE to strengthen “economic and military” relations. Analysts believe that both leaders are vying for international support to prop up their own individual power outside of Sudan. Al-Burhan is also reportedly consolidating military forces in Sudan.

 

Uganda:

Uganda’s military has killed 309 people in an eight-month-old operation against cattle rustling in a northeast region rich in minerals including gold, limestone and potentially oil, the armed forces said. In 2020, Uganda began conducting a mineral survey and mapping exercise in Karamoja, thought to hold substantial reserves of gold, copper, limestone, oil and other minerals. A recent increase in violence in the region though has posed threats to the exercise, including the killing of a team this month that included a veteran geologist, a student intern, an interpreter and two soldiers.

 

Zimbabwe:

The delayed parliamentary by-elections finally took place on Saturday and of the 28 seats up for grabs, the Citizens’ Coalition for Change (CCC), the opposition party won 19 seats. The Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) still holds the majority in the parliament but these elections are seen as a forecast of the presidential elections scheduled for 2023. This win comes despite accusations of ZANU-PF intimidating opposition supporters, the death of a CCC supporter while going to a CCC rally, and the arrests of 37 CCC supporters in February.

On Wednesday, the Agriculture Minister announced that Zimbabwe has begun repossessing unused land from black farmers who benefitted from controversial land reforms two decades ago. Those who own multiple farms, with unused areas will lose land. The land will then be given to farmers on the waiting list from earlier rounds of land reform. The land that is being repossessed from Black people is being allocated to Black people as well, in an effort to continue to redress the effects of British colonialism. An even more pressing issue now that the war in Ukraine is limiting Zimbabwe’s wheat imports, more than half of which comes from Russia. The increase in price of fuel is also worrying as inflation rises rapidly, eroding people’s purchasing power and putting a strain on civil society.

 

Dear Friends,

CANVAS is delighted to bring you another issue of our weekly report!

In this issue, we cover the latest updates on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a missile strike in Iraq, and developments in the persecution of human rights advocates.

Conflict Update:

As of Tuesday, 1,834 civilian casualties in Ukraine have been confirmed by the OHCHR, including 691 killed and 1,143 injured, though these numbers are considered to be a significant underestimation. Many Ukrainian areas, including Izium, Mariupol, and Volnovakha are reporting hundreds of civilian casualties in their cities alone. Approximately 3 million people have fled Ukraine, according to the UNHCR. Refugees of color, many of them students, report facing discrimination as they flee Ukraine based on their race. On Thursday, a theatre was bombed in Mariupol, where over 1,000 civilians were reported to have taken shelter. The Ukrainian foreign minister and Mariupol’s city council accused Russia’s attack of amounting to a war crime, though Russia continues to deny that it is targeting civilians. A fourth round of talks took place between Russian and Ukrainian officials this week, where slight progress was made in negotiations. Ukraine’s neutrality is reportedly being discussed, a proposition that was initially refused. On Wednesday, the International Court of Justice ruled that Russia must immediately cease military operations in Ukraine.

Protests continue in Russia in support of Ukraine. On Monday, an employee of Russia’s state TV Channel One interrupted a live news bulletin with a sign reading: “NO WAR. Stop the war. Don’t believe propaganda. They are lying to you here.” The journalist was identified as Marina Ovsyannikova, who later reported being questioned for 14 hours with no sleep for two days and no access to legal help.

Mali plans to suspend French state-funded international news outlets RFI and France24. The ruling military junta has increased restrictions on foreign media in response to what they claim to be false allegations of army abuses. This comes a month after French troops withdrew from Mali for the first time since 2013. Human Rights Watch has accused militants and Malian soldiers of executing civilians in addition to other abuses.

Human Rights Watch reported that 20 opposition political leaders had been convicted in a Cambodian court as a result of an unfair trial with no credible evidence. The trial of these 20 members of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) is expected to be only the first of many. Activists and opposition members have been fleeing Cambodia since the ruling-party-controlled Supreme Court dissolved the CNRP in 2017.

 

This week 4 villages were burned down and 17 people were killed in the Jabal Moon mountain region. This brutality was allegedly carried out by the government-linked militia known as Janajaweed or more formally the Rapid Support Forces. Among those killed by the  militia were three workers with the Human Rights Monitors who had been assessing the human rights situation in the area. All roads to Jabal Moon have been closed due to security concerns but this results in economic and security consequences. People have become internally displaced or are struggling financially. Since November hundreds of people have been killed in the seven attacks by armed forces. Racial tensions have existed since before the 2003 Darfur war between Arab and non-Arab populations in the area; much of the conflict revolves around ethnic tensions and the control of resource rich lands. 

The latest anti-coup protest on Thursday left 187 wounded. 87 protestors have been killed by security forces since the coup on October 25th. Western nations responded to the coup with more sanctions on the already economically struggling nation. The inflation has almost reached 260%.

 

Uganda:

Another wave of journalist arrests saw 9 journalists/authors arrested. Seven of them were released but author Norman Tumuhimbise who is set to release a book criticizing the president later this month and a woman journalist Farida Bikobere were charged with “offensive communication” the same charges levied against Kakwenza Rukirabashaija who has now fled to Germany. The pair who was arrested in the most recent wave of arrests are held in remand in a high security prison until 21 March and have allegedly been tortured like their counterparts were.

On March 8th, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, son of the President, announced that he had retired from the military. However, a military spokesman said “the general has not retired from the army, he is still in active service. The army promotions and the commissions board, which is the military body mandated with handling retirement requests, has not received his application.” The tweet concerned many who believe he has been groomed to succeed his father. According to Ugandan law, serving soldiers cannot participate in politics. While Kainerugaba has not stated his interest in running for president, his supporters have already begun campaigns.

 

Zimbabwe:

The struggle for a living wage for teachers continues in Zimbabwe. On February 8th the government conceded a 20% pay increase among other benefits such as a housing scheme. However, teachers are still demanded a salary equivalent to 540 U.S. dollars. They say it is impossible to pay for their children’s tuition at the rate they are given now. Inflation has increased rapidly in Zimbabwe as wages have stayed stagnant at best and decreased at worst.

 

Cuba:

Starting on Tuesday, 17 people between the ages of 18 and 49 are being tried for their participation in the July protests and face between 5 and 9 years in prison. According to human rights groups Justicia11J and Cubalex, 1,442 people have been detained for participating in the protests, with at least 756 people still detained.

On Tuesday, a delegation of Mexico’s ruling party Movimiento de Regeneración Nacional (Morena) arrived in Cuba. The delegation is set to meet with Cuban Communist Party members and government officials ahead of the visit of Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

 

Nicaragua:

On Monday, the NGO Autonomous Movement of Women released a statement that the 14 women being held as political prisoner in Nicaragua have been subjected to greater abuse than their male counterparts. Violeta Delgado, spokesperson of the Autonomous Movement of Women, stated that some of the women being held prisoners had been isolated for 9 months, had suffered severe health deterioration, and were being held alongside male prisoners as a way of disrespecting their gender status. Delgado also spoke about minors being held prisoner and not being allowed to contact their families, a severe violation of their rights and a threat to their development.

 

The United States:

On Thursday, President Joe Biden called Russian President Vladimir Putin a “murderous dictator” and a “pure thug”when he spoke at the St Patrick’s Day lunch, among other criticisms from prominent political figure. President Biden also stated that President Putin was waging an “immoral war” against the people of Ukraine. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that intentionally targeting civilians is a war crime, after Russian soldiers attacked a theater full of children in Mariupol.

 

US prosecutors have accused Chinese government agents of trying to spy and intimidate dissidents living in the US, Long Island’s candidate for Congress Yan Xiong, who was involved in the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, San Francisco lawyer and political activist Arthur Liu, and employees of an unidentified human rights non-governmental organization based in Washington. At a news conference announcing three criminal cases against the Chinese agents, Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen, the Justice Department’s top national security official, said “Authoritarian states around the world feel emboldened to reach beyond their borders to intimidate or exact reprisals against individuals who dare to speak out against repression and corruption.”

 

Benedict Rogers, who runs Hong Kong Watch, a human rights charity, has been told that he faces charges of “collusion with foreign forces” if he ever returns to Hong Kong. Rogers said that his group would not be silenced and will “continue to be a voice for the people of Hong Kong”. This is one of the first times that Hong Kong authorities have attempted to apply legislation outside the territory.

Chief Executive Leader Carrie Lam has said that the Hong Kong government is reviewing Covid-19 measures, including flight bans, return to classroom lessons, social distancing rules, and the plans for compulsory testing. Hong Kong has some of the strictest Covid regulations in the world, but financial institutions and people are growing impatient over the stringency. These regulations re triggering an exodus of people with a net outflow of 45,000 people. Lam said that she would provide a comprehensive update as soon as Sunday.

 

Indonesia:

Indonesia will host its first motorcycle grand prix in 25 years on a circuit that has faced criticism from riders and international actors. In February, riders complained that the track surface was dirty and dangerously breaking up, problems which the Mandalika Grand Prix Association said were fixed earlier this month. Environmentalists have also questioned the decision of holding the event on the island of Lombok, which is under threat from natural disasters and still recovering from a 2018 earthquake that killed 500 people. The UN has also expressed concern over practices that took place in the construction of the circuit, which involved “aggressive land grabs, forced evictions of Sasak indigenous peoples and threats against human rights defenders.”

 

Georgian President Zourabichvili said that Georgia is standing in solidarity with Ukraine and fully supports and admires the resistance against the Russian invasion, despite not joining sanctions against Russia. She said that Georgia cannot act as a NATO country as part of its territory is occupied by the Russian military and they do not have the protections of the Western alliances such as NATO and the EU. The Georgian people fear that their lands will be invaded next and the government has submitted an application for membership in the EU in hopes that it will be expedited in the face of Russian aggression. The president states that the nation is not trying to appease Russia and pointed out that there are no diplomatic relations with Russia.

Dear Friends,

CANVAS is delighted to bring you another issue of our weekly report!

In this issue, we cover the latest updates on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, International Women’s Day, and developments in the nuclear deal between Iran and the United States.

Conflict Update:

Last week, representatives of Russia and Ukraine agreed to create humanitarian corridors where fighting would cease to allow for the safe passage of civilians. Despite Russian President Vladimir Putin’s denial that Russian forces are targeting civilians, there have been reports of evacuation routes being attacked, such as the mortar shells that rained down on civilians fleeing from Irpin into Kyiv on Sunday. At least four people died in the attack, including two children. Three people died, including one child, in a Russian strike on a maternity and children’s hospital in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol on Wednesday. According to recent UN numbers, at least 474 civilians have been killed in Ukraine since February 24. On Monday, Russia announced that it would hold fire and open humanitarian corridors in several cities, though many of those corridors will lead evacuees into Russia and Russia’s ally Belarus, a move which Ukraine denounced as “completely immoral.” The invasion has now lasted two weeks. While Russian troops suffer from logistical errors and low morale, Ukrainian troops have shown unexpected force against a significantly larger opponent. Thousands of people around the world have traveled to Ukraine to join the volunteer corp after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged foreigners to fight side-by-side with Ukrainian troops against “Russian war criminals.” A meeting between foreign ministers of Russia and Ukraine in Turkey on Thursday resulted in no progress made towards a ceasefire. Many companies around the world have also severed or significantly scaled down business operations in Russia, though President Zelenskyy continues to urge stronger action from NATO countries.

On Sunday, more than 4,300 people were arrested across Russia in protests against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, bringing the total number of people arrested due to anti-war protests since February 24th up to over 10,000. Footage shows at least one protester being beaten on the ground by police. Human Rights Watch expressed concern over two laws that Russia has enacted, which criminalize independent war reporting and protesting the war, actions which could now result in up to 15 years in prison. The laws impose strict censorship over discussion of any deployment involving Russian armed forces and could be applied retroactively. Since the passage of the laws on March 4th, many foreign media outlets have pulled out of the country and many Russian independent media outlets have decided to delete their previous war-related publications. As protests in Russia persist, it is very possible that people who participate in more than one protest could be prosecuted for criminal offenses.

Demonstrations occurred around the world on Tuesday to mark International Women’s Day. Some of the demonstrations, such as the “Women stand with Ukraine” rally in Brussels, focused on support for the people of Ukraine, especially women, children, and other vulnerable groups of refugees. Russian feminists urged women’s rights activists to stand against the war, as it brought out both “the violence of bullets but also sexual violence.” Other demonstrations raised awareness for other gender-related issues, including femicide and other forms of violence.

 

The talks over the dam being built on the Blue Nile are continuing as Western nations are distracted by the invasion of Ukraine, however, instead of all three nations involved coming to the table, the talks have become bilateral. Sudanese acting Irrigation and Water Resources Minister and Ethiopian Ambassador had a meeting in Khartoum without Egyptian representatives present. Ethiopia announced the partial start of power generation from the dam on the main tributary of the Nile River, a move that Egypt and Sudan say is a violation of the Declaration of Principles Agreement signed by the three nations in 2015, which prohibits any of the nations from taking unilateral decisions with regards to the Nile’s water.

Human Rights Watch is calling for the release of two men who have been held since last year for criticizing the government. One of the men, a 69 year old clergyman, Abraham Chol Akech was arrested from his home after telling his congregation that new leadership would be coming to South Sudan. Weeks later 66 year old Professor of Economics Kuel Aguer Kuel was picked up by the secret service after publishing an online memo with other members of the People’s Coalition for Civil Action advocating for government reforms. If convicted, the two men face life imprisonment or the death penalty.

According to the Socialist Doctors Association, 54 people were injured after security forces descended on peaceful demonstrations, meant to coincide with International Women’s Day, in Khartoum. These numbers include troops from the security forces.

 

Zimbabwe:

Zimbabwe was struggling to hold healthcare systems up before the pandemic, but the increase in deaths due to Covid and a rapidly unfolding economic crisis, have caused mortuaries to become overcrowded and congested. Socioeconomic issues also create delays in bodies being claimed for sometimes up to a year or longer, as some can’t afford to pay for a funeral or others refuse to bury a daughter-in-law because the “bride-price” paid by the husband was not paid for a “dead bride.”

 

Cuba:

On Tuesday, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel took to twitter to congratulate Cuban women on International Women’s Day. Female activists took to social media to demand justice for the four women who have died as victims of femicide since the beginning of the year, as well as the 34 women who met a similar fate in 2021. Activists criticized the lack of shelters and protocols for victims of domestic violence, and demanded that femicide be included and recognized in Cuba’s penal code. The group Justicia 11J also demanded the release of 20 mothers who were detained and sentenced to up to 20 years in prison for participating in the July protests.

 

Nicaragua:

In Latin America, International Women’s Day is characterized by widespread protests. However, President Daniel Ortega has banned any protests against his government, preventing feminist groups from protesting for the fourth consecutive year. Activists took to social media to demand the release of 14 women who are being held as political prisoners. Nicaragua is the country with the highest rate of child and teenage pregnancy in Latin America, and one of the few countries that completely bans and criminalizes abortion, even when the mother is at risk of death.

 

The United States:

On Tuesday, President Joe Biden banned imports of Russian oil, gas, and coal. President Biden stated “If we do not respond to Putin’s assault on global peace and stability today, the cost of freedom and to the American people will be even greater tomorrow” and vowed to do everything possible to minimize price hikes in the US. However, oil prices are rocketing, with US consumers not paying this much for a gallon of gas since 2008.

Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to Poland to reinforce cooperative ties between the two countries after the US rejected Poland’s offer to facilitate fighter jets to Ukraine. Vice President Harris stated “I want to be very clear. The United States and Poland are united in what we have done and are prepared to help Ukraine and the people of Ukraine, full stop,” at a joint news conference with Polish President Andrzej Duda.

 

On Monday, China’s Foreign Ministry Wang Yi stated that the real goal of the U.S.’s Indo-Pacific strategy was to form Asia’s answer to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Wang stated that “The perverse actions run counter to the common aspiration of the region for peace, development, cooperation and win-win outcomes,” and “This would not only push Taiwan into a precarious situation, but will also bring unbearable consequences for the U.S. side.”

On Tuesday, President Xi Jinping met with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. During the video summit, President Xi criticized sanctions imposed on Russia and called them “harmful to all sides.”

On Monday, the Tech Transparency Project, a nonprofit watchdog group, released a report that linked Amazon Basics production to companies previously linked by journalists and think tank researchers to “labor transfer” programs in China, where minority Uyghurs in Xinjiang are forced to work.

 

Indonesia:

Over 100 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar reached Indonesia’s Aceh province by boat on Sunday. It was unclear how long the refugees had been at sea, but many of them were in need of medical treatment from their journey. Villagers in Aceh arranged food for the refugees, but did not expect them to stay for very long. Indonesia is seen as a transit country for those seeking asylum in a third country, as Indonesia is not a signatory to the 1951 U.N. Convention on Refugees.

On Thursday, Bambang Susantono was appointed head of the National Capital Authority, giving him responsibility over the preparation, development, and administration over the new capital Nusantara. Susantono is currently the vice president for Knowledge Management and Sustainable Development at the Asian Development Bank. The authority head effectively acts as a governor, and is directly appointed by the president for a five-year term with the possibility of reappointment for another five years.

 

Dear Friends,

CANVAS is delighted to bring you another issue of our weekly report!

In this issue, we cover the latest updates on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, political turmoil in the run-up to the Zimbabwe by-elections, and Bolivian government reactions to the recommendations of the Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts which criticized the judiciary system and human rights violations under previous presidents.

Conflict Update:

Since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, the United Nations estimates that 227 civilians had been killed and 525 injured, though these numbers are likely undercounts due to difficulty corroborating reports. Countries neighboring Ukraine, including Poland, Hungary, Moldova, Romania, and Slovakia, have accepted a total of over one million refugees, a number that the UN expects to reach 4 million in just a few weeks, many of them unaccompanied children. Ukrainian men ages 18 to 60 are prohibited from leaving the country due to conscription. Countries around the world have launched economic sanctions against Russia and banned Russian flights from airspace, and the UN General Assembly voted to adopt a resolution demanding that Russia immediately end military operations in Ukraine. On Monday, meetings on the Belarusian border began between representatives of Russia and Ukraine. On Thursday, officials announced an agreed plan to create humanitarian corridors to assist in the evacuation of civilians. A fire at the Russian-seized Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant following fighting on Thursday raised fears of a nuclear disaster, which Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy said could lead to “the end of Europe.”

Anti-war protests continue around the world, including Russia. More than 6,800 people have been arrested across Russia for participating in demonstrations. Jailed Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny, who has led some of the biggest protests in Russia against Putin in recent years, urged people in Belarus and Russia to protest regularly against the invasion of Ukraine, writing, “If, to prevent war, we need to fill up the jails and police vans, we will fill up the jails and police vans.”

 

On Sunday, Sudanese groups leading protests against the October military coup released a political charter. The charter includes a two-year transition plan to be carried out under a prime minister appointed by the signatories, ending when a transitional legislature ratifies a constitution. It also includes plans for special human rights courts and options of achieving transitional justice through working with international organizations.

General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, deputy head of Sudan’s sovereign council, spoke to the press after his trip to Moscow which began the day before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Sudan is in need of economic support after Western assistance has been cut off in the wake of the October military coup in Sudan; the delegation that went to Moscow was mostly economic ministers. In his statement, Hemedti says Sudan should be open to a naval base accord with Russia or other nations provided it poses no threat to national security.

 

Uganda:

Uganda has taken a loan from China to “modernize” Entebbe Airport; the terms of the agreement are more extreme than the world has seen before. The Ugandan government is required to channel all revenue from the airport into a jointly held account with the lender, according to the contract obtained and published on Monday by AidData. An executive director at AidData says that these terms limit the fiscal autonomy of the Ugandan government as “The lender is asking not just for revenues from the new projects they are funding, but also from the underlying asset-or the airport-that already exists.”  In addition, the government is required to pay back part of the loan from the revenue each year before investing in public services.

Uganda is Africa’s biggest coffee exporter and the International Coffee Organization (ICO) accounts for 98% of the coffee produced and 83% of coffee consumed in the world. Yet, the Ugandan government has pulled out of the ICO over a series of “unreasonable articles” in the new two year agreement. Ugandan coffee farmers are protesting their government’s decision over fears that instead of increasing exports this will decrease exports despite expecting an unusually high volume of harvest this year.

 

Zimbabwe:

Political unrest and violence has seen an uptick in Zimbabwe in the run up to the by-elections scheduled for March 26th 2022. Human Rights focused NGO Amnesty International, has called for Zimbabwe to investigate violence on political opposition supporters. This comes after on February 26th, Vice President Chiwenga stated that the ruling ZANU-PF party will “crush the [CCC] like lice.” CCC is the Citizens Coalition for change, founded by former leader of the Movement for Democratic change and the man who almost defeated current President Mngagwa in the disputed 2018 elections. The first set of elections since dictator Mugabe was ousted were a beacon of hope for the Zimbabwe people in 2018 when then-candidate Mngagwa and now-leader of the CCC Nelson Chamisa were running for president; however, the hope for free and fair elections collapsed after police and turned on people waiting to hear the election results. On February 26th, the police revoked permission for a CCC rally citing the lack of resources to provide security but when crowds rallied anyway, the police used force including water canons and dogs on the peaceful crowd. The next day, the CCC was holding a rally in Kwekwe at a shopping center when a “machete-wielding” gang started violently preventing people from attending the rally. As a result a 30 year old man was killed and at least 22 others were injured. During the violence, police reportedly did not step in. 16 people were arrested in connection with the violence but only 5 are being held with charges while the 11 others have been released. Mere days after political violence has increased the Embassy of the Netherlands in Zimbabwe has announced funding opportunities for Zimbabwean civil society organizations under the Human Rights Fund. The Dutch Human Rights Fund is meant to support activities in human rights.

As Zimbabwe evacuates citizens, most of which are students, from Ukraine, students struggle to get across the border to where Zimbabwean authorities can help them. Allegations of racism are widespread and drawing much criticism on social media regarding the treatment of Africans who are trying to flee Ukraine. Zimbabwe has evacuated 118 students from Ukraine and are arranging to purchase flight tickets to bring them home.

 

Cuba:

On Thursday, the Biden administration announced a plan to restore some staff at the U.S. embassy in Cuba to restore visa processing that’s largely been downsized since the Trump administration. Reinstating visa processing will likely not face as much partisan rancor as other rapprochement policies would, since the closure largely affected Cuban dissidents.

 

Nicaragua:

On Tuesday, the Independent Journalists and Communicators of Nicaragua (PCIN) demanded that President Ortega releases journalists Miguel Mendoza, Miguel Mora, Cristiana Chamorro, Jaime Arellano, Samanta Jirón and Juan Lorenzo Hollman, who were detained in the runup to the last November elections and were accused of treason. PCIN also demanded journals stop being shut down and are reinstated and allowed to operate freely. Tuesday was the Day of the Journalist in Nicaragua, and 470 journalists from around the world signed a letter to demand the implementation of urgent measures to guarantee freedom of expression.

 

The United States:

On Tuesday, President Joe Biden gave his State of the Union speech. During his speech, Biden slammed Russian President Vladimir Putin for starting a “premeditated and unprovoked war” by invading Ukraine, he laid out his domestic agenda to combat higher prices across the US, and highlighted the unity of NATO and the West, as an unprecedented level of cooperation took place to inflict economic sanctions on Russia.

 

On Monday, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi called on the U.S. to take steps to improve ties as tensions simmer over Taiwan. Wang urged Washington to view their relations “in the broader perspective, with a more inclusive attitude, and choose dialogue over confrontation, cooperation over conflict, openness over seclusion, and integration over decoupling.” Wang said that China was willing to work with the United States on a G-7-led global infrastructure plan called Build Back Better World and welcomes Washington in its Belt and Road Initiative, which has been jeopardized by Russia’s invasion.

On Wednesday, Guo Shuqing, China’s head of banking and insurance regulator, said that China opposed unilateral financial sanctions and wouldn’t join Western nations in imposing those sanctions against Russia. Guo stated that China “will continue to maintain normal economic, trade and financial exchanges with relevant parties.”

 

A pro-democracy DJ, Tam Tak-chi was convicted of seditious speech under a British colonial-era law. After massive democracy protests in 2019, the Hong Kong government has been charging activists with sedition. Tam was the first defendant since 1997 who was convicted of sedition and chose to go through a whole trial. As a result, this case sets a precedent for the number of upcoming sedition prosecutions.

Hong Kong records 53,353 Covid cases, and over a hundred deaths, just on Wednesday. According to health experts in the area, cases are expected to keep doubling every 2-3 days, and have not yet peaked. Chief executive Carrie Lam has said that there will be a restriction of movement due to this surge, but there will not be a complete lockdown that would isolate the city. Hospitals are reaching peak capacity and are having trouble admitting new patients and Hong Kong has reached out to mainland China for support.

 

Indonesia:

Last Friday, an earthquake on the island of Sumatra killed at least 10 people and injured nearly 400, as well as displacing thousands more. Over 400 houses and buildings were reported to be damaged. Tremors were also felt in neighboring Malaysia and Singapore. The earthquake was followed days later by floods in Banten Province, causing at least five deaths. The floods were caused by extreme rainfall and rising water levels of the Batang Nago river.

UN human rights experts expressed concern over the human rights situation in the Indonesian provinces of Papua and West Papua. Approximately 100,000 people have been displaced since the escalation of violence in December 2018, many fleeing to the forests and having to contend with harsh climates and lack of resources. Humanitarian aid to displaced Papuas is reported to have been obstructed by authorities, resulting in severe malnutrition. Violence has ended in the deaths of civilians, many of them children. The experts advocated for urgent action, including allowing for independent monitors and journalists to be allowed access to the region and creating plans for impartial investigations into allegations.

 

Dear Friends,

CANVAS is delighted to bring you another issue of our weekly report!

In this issue, we cover the latest updates on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, sanctions in Myanmar, and the end of the Beijing Winter Olympics.

Conflict Update:

On Thursday, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, attacks beginning just after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on television that he had approved a “special military operation.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky declared martial law and urged world leaders to impose all possible sanctions on Russia and Putin. Troops are reported to be entering by land, sea, and air. The capital city of Kyiv heard explosions, gunfire, and sirens before dawn, causing panic amongst civilians. On Friday morning, Zelensky accused Russia of targeting civilian areas with rocket attacks, though Russia denies that they are targets. Putin’s announcement came during a meeting of the UN Security Council that was meant to discuss the situation in Ukraine, days after Putin recognized the rebel-held regions of Luhansk and Donetsk as independent and announced that he would be sending “peacekeeping” troops to those regions.

Thousands of people have taken to the streets of Russia to protest the invasion of Ukraine. They were met with a high police presence, and over 1,300 people across the country have reportedly been detained. Many waved Ukrainian flags and chanted messages such as “No to war!”. Police blocked off access to Pushkinskaya Square, and video footage shows police hitting and pushing people. Many Russian public figures also spoke out against the attack, such as the rapper Oxxxymiron, who wrote, “I cannot entertain you when Russian missiles are falling on Ukraine.” Protests have erupted around the world, urging governments to take stronger measures against the invasion.

After the Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry announced minimum wage hikes earlier this week, factory workers launched a strike to demand higher wages. On Wednesday, shots were fired from inside a car with police license plates, wounding at least three people. Earlier, police had used trucks to block a main road and fired tear gas on protesters who were throwing rocks. The factory workers have organized a three-day strike amid worsening political and economic conditions.

Antigovernment protests in Wellington, New Zealand have entered their third week, as hundreds of demonstrators gather to oppose New Zealand’s Covid-19 mandate. While the police have previously been cautious in their interactions with protesters, the past few days have seen increased attempts from police to evict some protesters, causing the demonstrators to use more violent tactics. Protesters have reportedly thrown feces at police, tried to drive a car into a large group of officers, and sprayed three officers with a “stinging spray.”

On Thursday, farmers drove tractors through the province of Vojvodina in Serbia, protesting the government’s lack of response to their requests for increased subsidies, the abolishment of excise taxes on fuel, and other demands.

 

Blockades have become the common form of protest against the now military government and also “punishment” for Egypt for supporting the coup. Protestors in the North have been blockading the maid highway between Sudan and Egypt for weeks and now more blockades are being strategically planned across the country to limit the resources the military government has access to in Khartoum. Protestors and resistance committees are also seeking to “stop imports and exports through the seaports and roads…rejections of the concentration of services in the capital and the export of Sudan’s natural resources.” The UN has issued a statement urging Sudan to end the violent crackdown on protests and stop firing live ammunition and tear gas canisters directly as protestors.

Sudanese deputy chairman of the transitional Sovereignty Council, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo also known as Hemeti, is continuing with the several diplomatic trips he has taken this year. Daglo is going to Moscow, with Sudan’s finance, energy, agriculture, and mining ministers and the head of the Sudanese chambers of commerce, to discuss “ways to develop and strengthen cooperation between Sudan and Russia.” Prior to 2019 Sudan and Russia had a close relationship but since the fall of the al-Bashir regime Sudan had been removed from the United States intense sanctions and had developed a relationship with them. However, the United States has cut aid to Sudan in the wake of the coup by al-Burhan.

 

Uganda:

Uganda is planning to impose a fine of 4 million Ugandan shillings or impose a 6 month jail sentence on anyone who refuses to get vaccinated against the Covid-19 virus. Only 16 million vaccines have been administered even though the population of Uganda is 45 million.

Author Rukirabashaija has arrived in Germany seeking medical treatment. The author reports he has been diagnosed with damaged kidneys, bruised ribs and post-traumatic stress disorder. Since the time the author fled Uganda he has been tweeting and even had a twitter spat with the son of the president who is allegedly in charge of his torture. Other authors, journalists, political opposition leaders, and activists have also seen the evidence of the brutal crackdown on dissent by the Ugandan government. Author Stella Nyanzi had the same charge as Rukirabashaija placed on her in 2019; she also fled to Germany earlier this year.

 

Zimbabwe:

The High Representative has issued a statement representing the European Union, announcing the review results of the “restrictive measures” on Zimbabwe. The High Representative recalled the Council Conclusions of February 2020 and the Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the EU in February 2021, and after a review of the situation in Zimbabwe, the EU concluded that human rights violations have not decreased since and have in fact increased. The arms embargo and the targeted assets freeze against the company Zimbabwe Defense Industries will stay in place, as will the need to investigate the role of security forces in human rights violations. The High Representative notes that the measures are targeted and limited and do not affect the people of Zimbabwe, its economy, foreign direct investments, or trade.

 

Cuba:

On Tuesday, Russia’s State Duma ratified protocols that modify Russian-Cuban intergovernmental loan agreements and grants Cuba an extension in payment until 2027. Deputy Finance Minister Timur Maksimov stated that the agreement was part of a multilateral initiative to alleviate the debt burden of less developed countries and comes after both countries have created a stronger relationship.

On Monday, at least 200 cubans protested near Costa Rica’s embassy in Havana after the country announced stronger visa requirements for Cubans passing through on their way to Nicaragua. In November, Nicaragua stopped requiring visas for Cubans entering the country and the demand for flights between the two countries has skyrocketed. Since then, Costa Rica has started requiring a transit visa for Cubans travelling to Nicaragua through their territory.

 

Nicaragua:

Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega stated his support for Russia and it’s recognition of regions Donetsk and Luhansk’s independence. Ortega’s statements of supported were also echoed by Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro.

On Monday, Victor Hugo Tinoco, one of Nicaragua’s political prisoners, was sentenced to 13 years in prison for conspiracy to undermine national integrity. Tinoco, who served as Nicaragua’s ambassador to the United Nations and as deputy foreign affairs minister in 1979, was ordered to serve prison time, while other political prisoners have been ordered home detention after the death of Hugo Torres. The people ordered home detention were former Foreign Affairs Minister Francisco Aguirre Sacasa, former Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister José Pallais, and former ambassador to the United States Arturo Cruz Sequeira.

 

The United States:

On Thursday, President Biden announced economic sanctions against Russia after President Putin attacked several cities in Ukraine. The economic sanctions target all 10 of Russia’s largest financial institutions, impose export control measures that will more than halve Russia’s high-tech imports, cut off Russia’s largest bank from the US financial system, and freezes any of its assets touching the US financial system.

On Tuesday, the three men who killed Ahmaud Arbery were found guilty on all counts in their hate crime trial. The verdict comes two years after Arbery was killed while being chased and shot by three men while he was out jogging. The three men, Travis McMichael, Gregory McMichael and William Bryan were found  guilty of interference with rights and attempted kidnapping, while already convicted of murder last year.

Washington is preparing for the arrival of the USA Freedom Convoy, a truck convoy that departed Wednesday from Southern California and will participate on a 10 day cross-country protests. The trucker convoy is calling for the immediate lifting of the national emergency declared in response to the pandemic. The convoy was inspired by Canada’s Freedom Convoy. In response, DC requested National Guard presence and security preparations around the US congress.

 

On Monday, China’s envoy to the United Nations called for all parties to exercise restraint and avoid fueling tensions at a emergency UN Security Council meeting after Russia recognized the independence of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

On Sunday, the controversial Beijing Winter Olympics came to an end. Despite China’s efforts to keep the Olympics separate from politics, several scandals took place. On Monday, the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China stated that “government interference occurred regularly during the Games,” both inside and outside of the venues, and listed a number of claims of intimidation, obstruction, and harassment, despite the International Olympic Committee’s assurances.

 

Due to Hong Kong’s surge in Covid-19 cases, it has invoked emergency powers in order to get help from mainland China. Compulsory testing of the 7.4 million population is due to begin next month as part of the response towards controlling this outbreak.

In response to the spate of new security laws introduced in Hong Kong, Britain opened a new visa program that would allow over 3 million people the opportunity to apply for a five-year visa, and eventually gain citizenship. This program will allow adult children of eligible citizens to apply independent of their parents. According to Britain, this program is meant to fulfill a commitment made to Hong Kong after China broke the terms of the agreement under which Hong Kong was given back to China.

 

Indonesia:

A recent study published in the Netherlands prompted Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte to issue a formal apology for crimes committed by the Dutch against Indonesians after Indonesia declared independence. It has also begun a reexamination within Indonesia of crimes committed by the Indonesian government against Indonesians who were from the ethnic Chinese community or were suspected of being communists or leftists in the 1960s.

Earlier this year, the Indonesian government passed a law that would move the country’s capital from Jakarta to a new city called Nusantara in the jungles of East Kalimantan province. This move has caused concern amongst environmental groups, who argue that the changes made to the landscape and environment of the new city will disrupt indigenous populations of flora and fauna, including the orangutan. Government officials have claimed that steps are being taken to ensure that the forests are being taken care of.

 

Dear Friends,

CANVAS is delighted to bring you another issue of our weekly report!

In this issue, we cover the latest updates on Ukraine’s border crisis, protests at the Beijing Winter Olympics, and the death of a Nicaraguan political leader.

Conflict Update:

On Tuesday, Russia announced that some of its troops would be withdrawing to base after completing military exercises near Ukraine, though the amount of units and how far they would be going was not specified. On Wednesday, a video was published showing Russian military vehicles being transported out of Crimea, but the US and other NATO countries continue to state skepticism over the claim that Russia is truly withdrawing. In Ukraine, residents played the national anthem, posted on social media, and flew the country’s flag outside schools, hospitals, and shops to mark “Unity Day,” a holiday created by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to show unity against fears of a Russian invasion. At the same time, a cyber attack, thought to be caused by Russia, overwhelmed defense ministry online networks and two banks. On Thursday, both pro-Russia separatists in eastern Ukraine and Ukrainian government forces accused each other of opening fire along the line of contact in Donbas.

Tunisia’s President Kais Saied published a decree establishing a new provisional Supreme Judiciary Council over which he largely has control. Protesters marched on the streets of the capital Tunis on Sunday, chanting messages such as “Shut down the coup… take your hands off the judiciary” and calling the decree “the completion of the coup.” The decree also forbids the judges from striking, a tactic used just last week as a form of protest against the president’s announcement that the council would be a “thing of the past.”

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his cabinet triggered the Emergencies Act on Monday in response to protests that erupted earlier this month that caused disruptions on the US-Canada border. Demonstrations began in protest of COVID-19 mandates. The Emergencies Act is considered by many to be a last resort action, and it can only be invoked when the federal government has determined that an emergency poses a serious threat to the sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity of Canada and that responding to the threat exceeds the capacity of a province. The government has warned that it will freeze the bank accounts and suspend the vehicle insurance of protesting truckers. Banks are now able to freeze personal accounts of people linked to the protests without a court order. Protesting truckers are reported to have received a total of $8.4 million from 93,000 donations.

On Mexico’s southern border, a dozen undocumented migrants sewed their mouths shut on Tuesday to urge immigration authorities to allow them passage to the United States. For months, thousands of migrants have filled the border city of Tapachula, waiting for papers so that they can continue through the country.

 

The Sudanese military controlling the government is continuing to “arrest” protestors, often in the middle of the night, and hold them without charge. Protestors are raising their voices against the military coup in October of last year and the resistance committees are now standing in solidarity with farmers whose electricity bills were raised sharply. These protests are now barricading the “Northern Artery” which is the road-route for trade with Egypt. This blockade has resulted in approximately 1500 truck drivers stuck as of late January, unable to return to Egypt. Specifically, the export of camels has been interrupted for about three weeks.

 

Uganda:

Kakwenza Rukirabashaija, an author who has fled the country after torture by Ugandan Sepcial Forces Command (led by the President’s son), is now in Malawi seeking passage to Germany for treatment. The author plans to return to Uganda after he has received the medical treatment he requires. There has been international condemnation of Uganda’s treatment of Rukirabashaija and other human rights abuses. In the aftermath of last year’s election, thousands of people were reportedly detained and some were taken to unknown areas in unmarked vans by Ugandan security forces. Upon release, some of these detainees have physical evidence of torture on their bodies. The reports of torture continue, and the United States has announced sanctions against Uganda’s military chief.

 

Zimbabwe:

Zimbabwe teachers are protesting for a better pay and work environment, demanding that their salary is in U.S. dollars. Much of Zimbabwe’s economy runs on the black market, which utilizes U.S. currency. The Zimbabwe President has said that this concession will not be made, as a nation cannot prosper without its own currency. This dispute traces back to October 2018 when Zimbabwe stopped paying its teachers in U.S. dollars and instead started paying in its own currency the Real Time Gross Settlement Dollar, which has continued to lose value due to high inflation. The government has announced that striking teachers have been suspended without pay for three months.

A Zimbabwe journalist freelancing for the New York Times was put on trial after he was accused of “illegally procuring false accreditation” for two other  Times journalists. The trial came to a swift end after only one witness was brought to the stand. A government lawyer said that the case was “on shaky ground” before the trial had even begun and after the witness was called the government was unable to “show a crime was ever committed.” This is a strong move in Zimbabwe as freedom of the press is being challenged with many such cases with little evidence supporting the government’s stance.

 

Cuba:

Russian vice-president Yuri Borisov is in the middle of a Latin American tour to Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua to strengthen ties between Russia and these three Latin-American countries. The tour comes after the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s statement that Russia wanted to expand the strategic cooperation in all areas of the economic, cultural, educational and military-technical development with these countries.

Anamely Ramos, activist and member of the opposition group San Isidro Movement, was denied boarding to a flight to Cuba from Miami, where she was visiting, since Cuban authorities banned her from reentering the country. “Right now I have no country, nowhere to return to, no residence in any other country in the world, no visa to anywhere and here I am,” said Ramos in an interview. Other member of the opposition group San Isidro Movement have faced persecution. Artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara and rapper Maykel Castillo have been in jail since July 11 and there are concerns about their health.

 

Nicaragua:

On Saturday, Hugo Torres Jimenez, the vice president of the opposition Democratic Renovation Union (Unamos), died while detained. Torres was detained in the run up to last year’s November elections, among other dissidents and opposition figures. Calls for the political prisoners to be released mounted after Torres’ death including statements from Antonia Urrejola, the former president of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, and Peter Stano, the European Union’s external affairs spokesman, who called for an independent investigation into Torres’ death and urged for the release of all political prisoners. Other political prisoners started their trials this week, including former possible presidential contenders Juan Sebastian Chamorro, Arturo Cruz, and Felix Maradiaga, as well as the former head of Nicaragua’s business association Jose Adan Aguerri, former deputy foreing minister Jose Pallais, and activists Tamara Davila and Violeta Granera.

On Tuesday, the Nicaraguan Parliament banned six NGOs that advocate for human rights, bringing the total of banned organizations to 93. The organizations banned are the María Elena Cuadra Women’s Movement, PEN International-Nicaragua, which created literacy programs and spoke up about attempts against the freedom of the press, the Nicaraguan Association for Human Rights, the Center for the Promotion of Youth and Children, the Ibero-American Foundation for Cultures, and the Foundation for the Promotion and Development of Women and Children Blanca Arauz (Fundemuni).

 

The United States:

The United States recalled all its diplomats and staff members from Ukraine, as tensions with Russia continue to escalate. President Biden said that the possibility of a Russian invasion of Ukraine remained very high and stationed 5,000 troops in Poland to reassure NATO allies and possibly evacuate Americans. On the other hand, the Kremlin insists they’ve withdrawn troops and that the US should meet Russia’s demands or they would be “forced to respond, including through the implementation of measures of a military-technical character.”

 

Olympic officials and the Chinese government warned athletes at the Winter Olympics against staging any protests, saying they could violate Olympic rules as well as Chinese law and be subject to unspecified punishment. Activists have urged athletes to speak out about human rights abuses, and many activists from across the country and abroad have joined together in protests. Journalists have also continued to ask political questions during press conferences, asking whether Taiwan would be allowed to participate in the closing ceremony and whether they could prove their uniforms weren’t made by forced labor.

 

A singer-activist in Hong Kong has been arrested on charges of sedition. Tommy Yuen, a 41 year old singer performed a song last year with the words “Liberate Hong Kong, Revolution of our Time”, which had been found by Hong Kong courts to be a slogan capable of inciting people to violence. Yuen is well known for protesting for democracy in Hong Kong, and is being arrested for suspected sedition and money laundering.

The number of Covid cases in Hong Kong have increased by 60 times in the past month. Hospitals are being overwhelmed and some patients are left lying outside in the cold as beds become scarce. Leader Carrie Lam says that experts from mainland China are being brought in to curb the spread, and the city is planning to perform up to a million tests daily by March. Hong Kong is working with local hotel owners to free up space for people who become infected.

 

Indonesia:

A meeting of the G20 took place in Jakarta on Thursday. Topics include geopolitical risks and the economic fallout of the pandemic. The diverging rates of recovery across different countries are expected to cause challenges is effectively planning an exit strategy from the pandemic.

On Thursday, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte issued a full apology to Indonesia regarding the violence used by the Dutch to maintain control over the former colony after World War II. The apology came after a historical review found that the Dutch had engaged in systemic and excessive violence, including frequent acts of torture that could today be considered war crimes.