Letter From the Grave
Last Thursday, Lasantha Wickramatunga, editor of the Sri Lankan newspaper the Sunday Leader, was assassinated on his way to work by two gunmen riding motorcycles. He knew it was only a matter of time before he would have to pay with his life for his sharp critcism of his governemnt and thier “war of [...]
Propaganda Wars and the Gaza Offensive
by Anne Holmes
Turkey’s Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, who is working to broker a cease-fire between Israel and Gaza said yesterday that slanted coverage of the war mocks world opinion. “Excuses are found for mass killings of children at schools, hospitals and mosques, especially by Jewish-backed media,” he said. “News stories saying that terrorists hide among [...]
Updated: The Cockroaches Take Over
Giles Ji Ungpakorn, professor of political science at Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, has kindly allowed us to publish his analysis of the current political crisis in Thailand. See below. (Update: Mr. Ungpakorn susequently had to flee the country due to Lese Majeste charges. This post was temporarily removed while I was still living in Thailand after [...]
EUFOR in the Chadian Theatre
by Anne Holmes
When the sun comes up in eastern Chad, the dawn of a new day brings with it a host of daunting challenges. Soon the temperatures will rise to 50 degrees Celsius. A patch of shade will be the only mercy one can find in these parts, and the quest for resources will dictate [...]
Firefight in Abeche
by Anne Holmes
In Abeche now, the day was very calm. After checking with various people about the security situation, we took a drive up north to Biltin to have a chat with the governor and get his authorization to work as journalists in the area. He spoke very highly of the army and their splendid [...]
New Multimedia Slideshow
For those of you who have been keeping up with my regular posts, thanks for stopping in. I will be taking a break from my reporting on Kenya and shall return in a month’s time. Here is the multimedia slide show summing up the events I covered:
Click to Watch
US Foreign Policy and the Kenya Peace Deal
by Anne Holmes
Before Kofi Annan enters the history books with merits on a job well done in Kenya, before you buy into the propaganda of American goodwill in this story, it would be worth it to examine the quick turn of events that led to the February 28 power sharing agreement.
President Mwai Kibaki and opposition [...]
They Are Young
By Onyango Oketch
Move over grand pa
They are young. They are angry. They are articulate and sophisticated. Nearly three quarters of them live in the sprawling slums of major Kenyan cities. These are a new generation of youths, mostly male, educated, jobless, idle and restless. It is a highly politicized generation, with nothing to loose and [...]
Open Letter by Shailja Patel
An Open Letter to SAMUEL KIVUITU, Chairman of Electoral Commission of Kenya from Shailja Patel.
Dear Mr. Kivuitu,
We’ve never met. It’s unlikely we ever will. But, like every other Kenyan, I will remember you for the rest of my life. The nausea I feel at the mention of your name may recede. The bitterness and grief [...]
Protest by Fire
by Anne Holmes
While I was in Afghanistan I met Hanifa, pictured above. I was doing a project on women who self-immolate. There is a post earlier on the blog about it, but it is only now that I am getting around to finally editing the full project. Hanifa is nine years old. She was introduced [...]
In Search of Bewaha
by Anne Holmes
While I was waiting for my Afghan visa in Delhi, a friend of mine mentioned in passing something about a widow’s village in Herat province in western Afghanistan. As soon as I arrived in Kabul I began asking around if anyone knew where it was. It took me nearly two weeks to finally [...]
Self-immolation in Afghanistan
by Anne Holmes
Amine, pictured above, is 16 years old. She was forced to marry at the age of 14 but has many problems with her husband and his family. She doused herself with oil and set herself on fire to protest her unwanted marriage but her father says that she must return to her husband [...]
Bombs of Bangkok
by Anne Holmes
Thailand was ushered into 2007 with a rather unsavory surprise this New Years Eve. Just as the sun was going down, three bombs detonated at various key points around the city, killing 2 and injuring several others. I had barely donned my end of the year threads when the phone rang with the [...]
