Twenty Years of De Facto State Studies: Progress, Problems, and Prospects Scott Pegg
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Georgia/Abkhazia
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH ARMS PROJECT HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH/HELSINKI March 1995 Vol. 7, No. 7 GEORGIA/ABKHAZIA: VIOLATIONS OF THE LAWS OF WAR AND RUSSIA'S ROLE IN THE CONFLICT CONTENTS I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY, RECOMMENDATIONS............................................................................................................5 EVOLUTION OF THE WAR.......................................................................................................................................6 The Role of the Russian Federation in the Conflict.........................................................................................7 RECOMMENDATIONS...............................................................................................................................................8 To the Government of the Republic of Georgia ..............................................................................................8 To the Commanders of the Abkhaz Forces .....................................................................................................8 To the Government of the Russian Federation................................................................................................8 To the Confederation of Mountain Peoples of the Caucasus...........................................................................9 To the United Nations .....................................................................................................................................9 To the Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe..........................................................................9 -
Is Russia a Partner to the EU in Bosnia? by Tomas Valasek
Is Russia a partner to the EU in Bosnia? By Tomas Valasek # The EU and Russia are ostensibly partners in building a viable government in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), but for much of 2007-08, Moscow publicly opposed EU-sponsored police reforms and encouraged Bosnian politicians to resist the EU proposals. # Russian policy in BiH was fundamentally opportunistic – it was not about expanding spheres of influence but about using crises in the region to weaken the credibility of the West. # Russia’s ability to undermine western policies towards BiH would be greatly reduced if the outside powers replaced the multinational consortium that oversees Bosnia with an EU-led mission. # Western ambitions for integrating BiH into the EU are failing – but this is due not to Russia but to Bosnia’s and the West’s own errors. The EU needs to pay more attention to Bosnia and make clear that it will not tolerate talk of any part of it breaking away. Where do the Balkans fit in the broader picture of EU- undermine western efforts to build a viable government Russian relations? Since the August 2008 war in in the country. But Russia’s actions were not the sole or Georgia, Eastern Europe – the borderland between the even the main cause of Bosnia’s instability and its EU and Russia – has been at the centre of attention. In failure to make greater progress towards EU 2008, President Dmitry integration; local opposition and the shortcomings of 1 Andrew Kramer, ‘Russia Medvedev declared Eastern western policy towards BiH are the chief reason. -
PEARL Factsheet
D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 8 | F A C T S H E E T TAMIL MEMORIALIZATION UNDER THREAT People for Equality and Relief in Lanka K O P P A Y T H U Y I L U M I L L A M Picture: Tamil Guardian Security forces have perpetrated several PEARL verified at least two cases filed by incidents of harassment, threats, and perhaps police in an attempt to ban events in their even physical violence in relation to Tamil entirety. Notably, the courts declined to issue memorialization efforts over the last few a blanket ban on commemorations. weeks, particularly in connection with Maaveerar Naal, the Tamil National “Despite the increased ability to remember our dead in recent years, this Maaveerar Naal we Remembrance Day observed on November were painfully reminded how much we remain at 27, in the North-East of Sri Lanka. As in recent the mercy of the state and the whim of Sinhala years, Tamils from across the North-East politicians. This year were forced to dismantle gravestones – over ten years after military organized memorial events at the sites of LTTE destroyed our cemeteries, they made us destroy cemeteries destroyed by the government of them again. Who knows what we will have to Sri Lanka. However, the government said it did go through next year.” not grant permission for the events to take – Witness, Vaaharai Maaveerar Naal event, place.[1] November 2018 [1] https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/no-permission-maaveerar-naal-commemoration-says-sri-lankan- govt Police Attempt to Ban Commemoration Events Koppay, Jaffna: police applied for a ban Except for the display of those items, ahead of the day under Penal Code §120 and Magistrate Sinnaththurai Satheestharan said PTA regulations.[1] Unknown persons the event could go ahead.[3] circulated a fake notice that the court had Kayts, Jaffna: police also requested a banned commemorations to Tamil media.[2] blanket ban on commemorations at the On November 23, the Jaffna Magistrate Court destroyed LTTE cemetery in Chatty. -
CODEBOOK for FOREIGN TV NEWS STUDY APPENDIX B – COUNTRY LIST Abkhazia – Republic of Abkhazia Afghanistan – Islamic Republi
CODEBOOK FOR FOREIGN TV NEWS STUDY APPENDIX B – COUNTRY LIST 001 Abkhazia – Republic of Abkhazia 002 Afghanistan – Islamic Republic of Afghanistan 003 Akrotiri and Dhekelia – Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia (UK) 004 Åland – Åland Islands (Autonomous province of Finland) 005 Albania – Republic of Albania 006 Algeria – People's Democratic Republic of Algeria 007 American Samoa – Territory of American Samoa (US territory) 008 Andorra – Principality of Andorra 009 Angola – Republic of Angola 010 Anguilla (UK overseas territory) 011 Antigua and Barbuda 012 Argentina – Argentine Republic 013 Armenia – Republic of Armenia 014 Aruba (Self-governing country in the Kingdom of the Netherlands) 015 Ascension Island (Dependency of the UK overseas territory of Saint Helena) 016 Australia – Commonwealth of Australia 017 Austria – Republic of Austria 018 Azerbaijan – Republic of Azerbaijan 019 Bahamas, The – Commonwealth of The Bahamas 020 Bahrain – Kingdom of Bahrain 021 Bangladesh – People's Republic of Bangladesh 022 Barbados 023 Belarus – Republic of Belarus 024 Belgium – Kingdom of Belgium 025 Belize 026 Benin – Republic of Benin 027 Bermuda (UK overseas territory) 028 Bhutan – Kingdom of Bhutan 029 Bolivia – Republic of Bolivia 030 Bosnia and Herzegovina 031 Botswana – Republic of Botswana 032 Brazil – Federative Republic of Brazil 033 Brunei – Negara Brunei Darussalam 034 Bulgaria – Republic of Bulgaria 035 Burkina Faso 036 Burundi – Republic of Burundi 037 Cambodia – Kingdom of Cambodia 038 -
Framing Interethnic Conflict in Malaysia: a Comparative Analysis of Newspaper Coverage on the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf)
International Journal of Communication 6 (2012), 166–189 1932–8036/20120166 Framing Interethnic Conflict in Malaysia: A Comparative Analysis of Newspaper Coverage on the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) LAI FONG YANG Taylor's University Malaysia MD SIDIN AHMAD ISHAK University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur Despite repeated warnings from the Malaysian government, the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) rally drew thousands of Indians protesting on the streets of Kuala Lumpur on November 25, 2007. Mistreatment of Indians and lack of press coverage of their plight had been commonplace for years. By employing framing as the theoretical framework and content analysis as the research method, this study examines what perspectives newspapers have created that influence citizens’ understanding of the Hindraf movement. Three mainstream newspapers were found to focus on the conflict frame, and their representation of Hindraf articulated a hegemonic discourse that was prejudicial to the interests of the group and contrary to a spirit of democratic inquiry. The dissimilar coverage of the same issue by the alternative newspaper denoted that publication’s varied points of view, which were rooted in different political beliefs, cultural assumptions and institutional practices. Introduction Since gaining independence in 1957, the Malaysian government has viewed interethnic relations as a real challenge to the social stability of the country (Abdul Rahman, 2000; Baharuddin, 2005; Brown, 1994). As early as 1970, Mahathir Mohamad, who was then a medical doctor and later became the fourth and longest-serving prime minister of Malaysia, claimed that there was never true racial harmony in Malaysia. In his much-debated and once-banned book, The Malay Dilemma, he argued that although there was a certain amount of tolerance and accommodation, racial harmony in Malaysia was neither real nor Lai Fong Yang: [email protected] Md Sidin Ahmadd Ishak: [email protected] Date submitted: 2011–06–03 Copyright © 2012 (Lai Fong Yang & Md Sidin Ahmad Ishak). -
"Frozen" Human Rights in Abkhazia, Transdniestria, and the Donbas: the Role of the OSCE in a Shaky System of Internati
In: IFSH (ed.), OSCE Yearbook 2017, Baden-Baden 2018, pp. 181-200. Lia Neukirch “Frozen” Human Rights in Abkhazia, Transdniestria, and the Donbas: The Role of the OSCE in a Shaky System of International Human Rights Protection Mechanisms Introduction The disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1990 and 1991 led to the formation of several new countries with little or no previous experience of statehood. The national movements in Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine combined their struggle to “escape” the Soviet Union with ambitious pro-Western agendas. At the same time, these struggles over the political direction of the newly created states – whether more towards Moscow or closer to Europe – have been accompanied by powerful secessionist movements that have challenged the territorial integrity of the young states themselves. While the latter were fighting to create their own fragile democracies, separatist military groups carved out the secessionist territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Trans- dniestria, and, most recently, the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR) and the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) in the Donbas region of Ukraine, profiting from political and socio-economic instability and augmenting their power with Russian support to create de facto entities. Both Abkhazia and Transdniestria are considered “classic” frozen con- flicts, while the recent conflict in Donbas is not yet openly referred to as such; the level of violence is still too high, and the political magnitude of the conflict is considered too great for open acceptance, with the result that it might remain unresolved for a prolonged period of time. Nonetheless, it is highly probable that Luhansk and Donetsk will follow the same path as the older frozen conflicts, becoming “another frozen conflict”,1 as President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation declared on 13 November 2015. -
Abkhazia: Deepening Dependence
ABKHAZIA: DEEPENING DEPENDENCE Europe Report N°202 – 26 February 2010 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS................................................. i I. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................. 1 II. RECOGNITION’S TANGIBLE EFFECTS ................................................................... 2 A. RUSSIA’S POST-2008 WAR MILITARY BUILD-UP IN ABKHAZIA ...................................................3 B. ECONOMIC ASPECTS ....................................................................................................................5 1. Dependence on Russian financial aid and investment .................................................................5 2. Tourism potential.........................................................................................................................6 3. The 2014 Sochi Olympics............................................................................................................7 III. LIFE IN ABKHAZIA........................................................................................................ 8 A. POPULATION AND CITIZENS .........................................................................................................8 B. THE 2009 PRESIDENTIAL POLL ..................................................................................................10 C. EXTERNAL RELATIONS ..............................................................................................................11 -
Law of Georgia on Public Service Conforms to This Law
LAW OF GEORGIA ON PUBLIC SERVICE This Law lays down legal basis for the organisation of public service in Georgia, regulates relations related to the performance of public service and determines the legal status of public employees. Chapter I - General Provisions Article 1 - Concepts of public service and public office 1. Public service ('the Service') is employment within state and local self-government public (budgetary) institutions – public authorities. 2. Public office is a primary structural unit of state government bodies that determines the place and socio-labour status of citizens in the public service system, as well as their rights and obligations. 3. A State-Political office is the political public office provided for by the Constitution of Georgia, the Constitutions of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia and the Autonomous Republic of Adjara and the election or appointment procedures which are contained in the Constitution of Georgia, the Constitutions of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia and the Autonomous Republic of Adjara, respectively. State-Political officials are: a) the President of Georgia b) Members of the Parliaments of Georgia c) the Prime Minister and other members of the Government of Georgia d) members of the Supreme Representative Bodies of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia and the Autonomous Republic of Adjara e) the Heads of the Governments of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia and the Autonomous Republic of Adjara. 4. Service in public office shall mean labour relations in elected or appointed positions at institutions that exercise legislative, executive and judicial authority, state supervision and control, as well as state defence under the legislation of Georgia. -
The Israeli-Sri Lankan Relationship
The Israeli-Sri Lankan Relationship by Punsara Amarasinghe BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 1,962, March 12, 2021 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Following Indian premier Narendra Singh Modi’s historic visit to Israel in 2017, bilateral relations between India and Israel were elevated into a strategic partnership. But this was not Israel’s first successful diplomatic venture in South Asia. India’s tiny neighbor, Sri Lanka, had a strategic alliance with Israel long before India developed one. During the Cold War era, Sri Lanka was viewed as an Israeli success story in the region. Jewish relations with Sri Lanka have a long history that dates all the way back to the biblical epoch: the Sri Lankan city of Galle is said to be the city of Tarshish, to which King Solomon sent merchant ships. Beyond the biblical legacy, the Jewish presence in the island nation thrived under British rule, as many European Jews held prominent positions in the colonial administration. In the early stage of British rule, then Chief Justice of Sri Lanka Sir Alexander Johnston proposed the establishment of a Jewish settlement on the island, an idea that was not taken up by the colonial office in London. Both Israel and Sri Lanka became independent states in 1948. At Israel’s inception, it faced diplomatic hostility from the Arab world, and many post-colonial countries—including India—refused to recognize it as an independent state. But Sri Lanka’s first PM, D.S. Senanayake, initiated the island nation’s cooperation with Israel, despite the disapproval of many Asian and African states. -
Opening the Russian–Georgian Railway Link Through Abkhazia
CORE POLICY BRIEF 05 2013 Visiting Address: Hausmanns gate 7 gate Hausmanns Address: Visiting NO Grønland, 9229 PO Box (PRIO) Oslo Institute Research Peace Opening the Russian– Georgian railway link - 0134 Oslo, Norway Oslo, 0134 through Abkhazia A challenging Georgian governance initiative [email protected] www.projectcore.eu (CORE) India and Europe in Resolution Conflict and Governance of Cultures Soon after the parliamentary elec- Key Questions tion in 2012 Georgia’s new gov- ernment declared its willingness to How important is the restoration of the railway link for Georgia and Abkha- reconstruct and reopen the former zia, and particularly for the purpose of railway communication link with conflict resolution between the two? Russia through Abkhazia, which What are the political risks involved in the railway project? ISBN: ISBN: www.prio.no was interrupted as a result of the Does the new initiative meet the in- 978 978 Georgian–Abkhaz war in 1993. terests of all countries in the Caucasus - - 82 82 - - With its confidence-building charac- 7288 7288 region? - - 515 516 ter, the initiative is part of a broader - - 0 7 (print) Georgian foreign policy strategy aimed at re-establishing political and (online) economic relations with Russia, a development that would represent a significant geopolitical challenge for the countries of the South Cauca- sus. The initiative will test Tbilisi’s ability to prevent any changes to Abkhazia’s current political status and to keep the project purely eco- nomic in nature. Nona Mikhelidze Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI) Opening the railway: A confidence- building measure The victory of Bidzina Ivanishvili’s coalition in the 2012 parliamentary elections in Georgia has brought about a fundamental change to the Georgian–Abkhaz peace process. -
Abkhazia: the Long Road to Reconciliation
Abkhazia: The Long Road to Reconciliation Europe Report N°224 | 10 April 2013 International Crisis Group Headquarters Avenue Louise 149 1050 Brussels, Belgium Tel: +32 2 502 90 38 Fax: +32 2 502 50 38 [email protected] Table of Contents Executive Summary ................................................................................................................... i Recommendations..................................................................................................................... iii I. Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1 II. Political Realities in Abkhazia .......................................................................................... 3 A. Russia’s Military Presence ......................................................................................... 3 B. Russian Financial Dependence .................................................................................. 6 C. Property and Other Disputes ..................................................................................... 8 III. Overcoming Obstacles in the Georgia-Russia Standoff and Abkhazia ........................... 12 A. Georgia-Russia Relations .......................................................................................... 12 B. The Geneva International Discussions and Humanitarian Issues ............................ 13 C. The Non-Use of Force ............................................................................................... -
(DFAT) Country Information Report on Sri Lanka of 4 November 2019
July 2020 Comments on the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s (DFAT) Country Information Report on Sri Lanka of 4 November 2019 Contents About ARC ................................................................................................................................... 2 Introductory remarks on ARC’s COI methodology ......................................................................... 3 General methodological observations on the DFAT Country report on Sri Lanka ............................ 5 Section-specific observations on the DFAT Country report on Sri Lanka ....................................... 13 Economic Overview, Economic conditions in the north and east ........................................................ 13 Security situation, Security situation in the north and east ................................................................. 14 Race/Nationality; Tamils ....................................................................................................................... 16 Tamils .................................................................................................................................................... 20 Tamils: Monitoring, harassment, arrest and detention ........................................................................ 23 Political Opinion (Actual or Imputed): Political representation of minorities, including ethnic and religious minorities ..............................................................................................................................