International Politics: May 2007 Archives

By AYE AYE WIN, Associated Press Writer YANGON, Myanmar - Myanmar's military government on Friday extended the house arrest of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi for another year, defying an outpouring of international appeals for the Nobel Peace Prize winner's freedom. The 60-year-old Suu Kyi has spent more than 11 of the past 17 years in detention. She has been continually detained for the past four years, spending most of it confined to her residence in Yangon, Myanmar's biggest city. Her current one-year detention order was due to expire Sunday and the extension had been widely expected despite calls by international groups and world leaders for Suu Kyi's freedom. Full story: Myanmar extends house arrest for Suu Kyi

"The image of a cowering group of powerful politicians hiding behind phalanxes of armed police as chanting citizens roar outside is indicative of the increasing gap between the ruling elites, their policies and the people they rule."

Draconian German government panics over anti-globalization sentiment

Unable to shake an historical reputation for draconian behavior, Germany's government is calling for the "preventative detention" of anti-globalism campaigners as the Group of Eight summit approaches. The G8 conclave is planned for June 6-8 in Heiligendamm, a resort town on the Baltic Sea near Rostock, a former East German city that is a hotbed of nationalist activism. The G8 meetings generally deal with plans to globalize the world economy and set an agenda to make uniform economic and social changes across the developed world.

German Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said that his officials may make use of a law that allows the government to jail anyone deemed politically incorrect for up to two weeks without charges. "Regional police authorities are considering taking recourse to so-called preventive detention," Schaeuble said.

Full story: Germany: Protest Verboten