Thursday, August 17 06

As a September 2006 independence referendum in Moldova's breakaway Transdniesteria approaches, regional power politics and recent efforts to tighten an insecure Moldova-Ukraine border become paramount. In Chechnya, attacks by Russian armed forces on civilian areas are shocking even for this war, and usually concealed from the international spotlight. The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace has posted important video footage of the May 2005 Babur Square uprising in the major Uzbekistan city Andijan. A new book by an Indonesian diplomat and U.N. representative tells the painful story of Indonesia's brutal military occupation of East Timor (1975-1999). The U.N.'s Working Group on Minorities convened last week, and extensive working papers, recommendations and conclusions have been posted on the website of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). A new website gives letter-grades to members of the U.S. congress for action and commitment to the Darfur crisis in The Sudan.