By: Becca Shipler

Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, one of the most prominent human rights activists in Bahrain, recently won a retrial in civil court after previously being sentenced to life in prison for leading the opposition during the Arab Spring protests in 2011. Twenty-one other prisoners of conscience are up for retrial as well, eight of them having received life sentences.

However, human rights groups categorize the trial as extremely unfair, mainly because al-Khawaja will have to remain in custody until the retrial. Al-Khawaja is currently in the hospital due to his recent hunger strike, which greatly deteriorated his health. His wife, Khadija al-Moussawi said that he was force fed in the hospital before the retrial ruling. She also believes the retrial will be an excuse for the government to prolong his imprisonment.

Due to his status as a dual citizen of Bahrain and Denmark, Danish authorities have requested to have al-Khawaja released and sent to Denmark for treatment. However, the Bahrain authorities have denied their request. During his time in prison, Al-Khawaja says that he was abused and beaten, bringing to light the larger issue of human rights abuses in Bahrain. In fact, Human Rights Watch has accused the Bahraini police of regularly beating and torturing arrested protestors.

Protests in Bahrain began in February 2011 and continue today. The main objectives are to rewrite Bahrain’s constitution, to institute fair elections, to establish equal rights for the Shi’a majority and to end economic and human rights violations. Protestors have also called for the abdication of King Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, after his violent crackdown on protestors at the Pearl Roundabout in Manama,the nation’s capital, on Feb. 17, 2011. It is now known in Bahrain as “Bloody Thursday.”

Many people feel discontented with the Al Khalifa monarchy, which has been in power since 1970 when Bahrain gained its independence from the British. Because the monarchy has been in control of the country for so long, change in Bahrain is desired by much of its population. However, implementing change will take time to occur. As a major obstacle to this change, King Hamad does not want to lose his power. Therefore, when anti-monarchist sentiments arose, he declared a state of emergency. It was lifted on June 1, 2011, but the protestors have not given up on their goals and have continued to protest against the treatment of political prisoners, like al-Khawaja.

The largest, most recent protest was on March 9, 2012 when 100,000 to 200,000 people protested on a highway between the cities of Duraz and Muksha. This march was  assembled by Sheikh Isa Qassim, Bahrain’s most influential Shi’a cleric for the purpose of calling for an end to the monarchy and the release of political prisoners. However, the protestors were dispersed with tear gas when they tried to march on the now demolished Pearl Roundabout.

So far, the protestors have gained international attention, but have not been able to make much progress in Bahrain. Most of the opposition’s leaders are in prison, like al-Khawaja, and it is unclear how many will be given prison sentences. However, what is clear is that blatant human rights violations are taking place in Bahrain and must be addressed by the international community, with the hope of possibly putting an end to these abuses.

For more information on:
Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, click here
The protestors being tortured in Bahrain, click here 

Take the opportunity to come say goodbye and poke fun at your fellow club members as well, particularly our graduating seniors! Oriana, Stephanie, Nicole, Kaila and Megan have all been integral members to our club, and its time to honor their involvement in BUIAA!

Believe us, you won’t want to miss this fun-filled way to close the 2011-2012 BUIAA year.

By: Graciela Mariño

In the year of one of the worst economic crises the European Union has ever experienced, one of its biggest economies is about to face a very controversial election. On May 6, France will enter presidential elections with the leading candidates differing greatly in their views over the nation’s economic issues and immigration policies. The leading candidates are current president Nicholas Sarkozy, Francois Hollande, Marine Le Pen, Jean-Luc Melenchon and Francois Bayrou. Each candidate represents a different social class, and their policies thus reflect the best interests for each one. But, whoever wins the elections in May will have to present a solid approach on the economic front if they want to bring France out of the current deficit.

Elections will take place in two rounds of voting with a two-week break between both votes. The first round will be on April 22 and the second on May 6. From the ten candidates, eight will be eliminated on the first round and only two will remain for the second. This race in particular is especially interesting considering that the current president is not the leading candidate and candidates from both ends of the political spectrum appear to be gathering one third of the votes each.

The main issues that the candidates have to tackle regard the economy and immigration. Recently, France was stripped of its AAA credit rating and the nation’s public-debt levels are at 90 percent of the GDP and rising. The problem began because for the past ten years France’s economic competitivenes has declined, with its exports stagnating and its unemployement rate growing. On the immigration front, France has one of Europe’s highest percentages of foreign–born residents and has experienced problems accomodating the growing Muslim minority in the country.

At the moment the polls give socialist candidate Francois Hollande victory in both the first and second round of elections. He is an experienced political party organizer, but has never held a national government office. His affable personality is said to contrast with President Sarkozy’s rigid attitude. Hollande’s primary plans regarding the economy are to establish an annual quota for economic immigrants in consultation with employers and to have citizens earning €1 million or more pay 75 percent in income tax.

The conservative candidate Nicholas Sarkozy, elected president in 2007, is the second leading candidate. He has had to face five difficult years in the presidency, with his radical social policies, like the raising of the legal retirement age, creating a lot of controversy, mainly with the leftists. But the main hindrance Sarkozy has encountered is the downgrade of France in its credit rating by Standard and Poor’s. His main policies include raising up to €3 billion by tightening profit tax loopholes for large companies and diminishing annual legal immigration into France “from 180,000 to 100,000” immigrants.

The other leading candidates are from three different parties and different parts of the political spectrum. Marine Le Pen, daughter of the National Front founder, Jean-Marie Le Pen, represents the far right. She has extreme protectionist views and is opposed to the euro. She promises to reduce annual immigration to 5 percent of its current level and would like France to leave the euro.

Francois Bayrou stands up for the centrist party. He believes in recognizing the achievements of the immigrants and in restoring public finances by cutting €50 billion from government spending and regaining this amount in new revenue.

Representing the extreme left party—the Left Front, is Jean-Luc Melenchon, a militant socialist. He states that “immigration is not a problem” and his main economic policy focuses on keeping the euro but examining the European Union’s priorities and tightening control over the European Central Bank.

Whichever candidate gets elected will need to bring a strong set of policies to government in order to reverse the stagnant economy. The new president will also need to determine the European Union’s role in France—or France’s role in the European Union, regarding the current economic crisis. This election comes at a critical time in France’s economic situation and will define the future that awaits the nation in the following years. The candidates are now in their last days of the campaign, fighting to win the majority vote and be the one to change—or improve in Mr. Sarkozy’s case, France’s policies.

The US-Pakistan relationship is a mixture of complications and close ties. While the Indian sub-continent largely sought neutrality at the outset of the Cold War, the post-partition conflicts between Pakistan and India eventually aligned with the spread of East-West tensions to the region. India went east, Pakistan west. The collapse of the Soviet Union irrevocably changed these geopolitically induced alliances, however, and a rapprochement between India and the USA accelerated tensions in the American-Pakistani relationship, trends that began over nuclear proliferation and so called “Islamic foreign policy.”

The advent of the Global War on Terror after 9/11 brought change again, as the Bush administration pressured Pakistan to align with its international campaign, in exchange for the resumption of massive military and economic aid as well. The decade since has been a difficult one still, however, and nothing has been able to prevent conflict and tensions from appearing in this mutually recalcitrant partnership. The U.S. raid against Osama Bin Laden in Abbottabad signified the resurgence of tensions to the surface, and American-Pakistani relations have been headline news ever since. No one is sure where the future of this relationship may yet lie.

Come join the BUIAA and ALLIES on Wednesday, 4/25, at 7 pm in PHO 211 to discuss the situation with Pakistan, and to learn a few things about the status of our military alliance with them today.

BU ALLIES is a group that aims to serve as a forum for open conversation regarding civilian and military relations, as well as a place where students studying diplomacy can learn about the reality of today’s military—and vice versa.

Brief Timeline:
1947-52–Pakistan leans towards the U.S. to counter India during the Cold War; War over Kashmir; Mutual Defense Agreement signed
1962–Indo-China War
1965–Second Kashmir War
1971–Civil War breaks out between East and West Pakistan. With the help of India, Bangladesh is made an independent state; The U.S. suspends military aid causing resentment within Pakistan
1981–Under the Reagan administration, a five-year $3.2 billion economic and military aid package is offered to Islamabad. The CIA as well as Saudi intelligence help Pakistan bolster its Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in training and arming mujahideen
1985–Pressler Amendment added to the Foreign Assistance Act requiring that the U.S. ensure that Pakistan is nuclear-weapons free
1990–U.S. suspends aid once again following the provisions under the Pressler Amendment
1999–Musharraf’s coup (India-Pakistan at war again)
2001–U.S. lifts previous sanctions and Musharraf assures the U.S. that cooperation against terrorism; aid floods into Pakistan
2006–Diplomatic ties between the U.S. and Pakistan strengthen
2007–State of Emergency in Pakistan; Benazir Bhutto is killed in December
2008–The opposition wins the election and call for a reevaluation of the U.S.-Pakistani relationship
2009–Obama’s AfPak Strategy; U.S. Aid Package for $7.5 billion
2011–May, Osama bin Laden is killed in Pakistan
… and the tensions grow by the day.

*This is only a brief outline of U.S.-Pakistan relations. For a more extensive timeline, please visit the links we below (especially the CFR’s timeline)!

Political Cartoons:
-Relationship with Pakistan: http://politicalhumor.about.com/od/osamabinladen/ig/Osama-Bin-Laden-Cartoons/Relationship-With-Pakistan.htm
-http://politicalhumor.about.com/od/politicalcartoons/ig/Afghanistan-Cartoons/Pakistan-Back-Stabbing.1-ZB.htm

“Mexico at the Intersection of Politics, Society and Culture”

An Interdisciplinary Look at our Neighbor to the South

When: Thursday, April 19th
Time: 6pm
Where: 645 Commonwealth Avenue, Sargent Building, Room 102

With Esteemed Panelists:

Dr. Miguel E. Basáñez— Tufts University, The Fletcher School

Dr. Adela E. Pineda— Boston University, Romance Studies

Lilian Jaines — Boston University, Ph.D. Candidate in Political Science

Please join the IAA for this spring panel discussion. Bring friends! Coffee will be served.

President:

Sam Leone – Proposal

Vice President:

Eric Kashdan – Vice President Proposal

Treasurer:

Secretary:

Marketing Director:

IRR Editor:

Head Delegate:

Politics, Society and Culture”

An Interdisciplinary Look at our Neighbor to the South

Thursday, April 19th

6pm, Sargent Building, Room 102

 Join the International Affairs Association for an exciting panel discussing the state of our neighbor to the south. Mexico is important to the United States for a variety of reasons, including economics, the war on drugs, immigration, culture, foreign policy and much more. Panelists are from a variety of specialities, and the discussion is promising to be in-depth and analytical.

With Panelists:

Dr. Miguel E. Basáñez

Tufts University, The Fletcher School

Dr. Adela E. Pineda

Boston University, Romance Studies

Lilian Jaines

Boston University, Ph.D. Candidate in Political Science

By: Becca Shipler

On Monday, Apr. 2, Aung San Suu Kyi’s Burmese opposition party, the National League for Democracy, announced it had won at least 43 out of the 44 seats it ran for in the parliamentary by-elections in Myanmar. However, this is only the party’s estimate for the outcome of the elections; the official results will not be available until later in the week. Nevertheless, even if the NLD officially wins all the 44 seats it contested for, it will not be able to control the parliament. Yet this is still an enormous step towards democracy in Myanmar, previously known as Burma, especially when put into perspective.

The leader of the NLD, Aung San Suu Kyi herself, won a seat in parliament in the by-elections. The Nobel Peace Prize laureate has been fighting for democracy in Myanmar for decades, and after spending 15 years under house arrest to support her cause, it seems change is finally beginning to occur.

The government had previously promised the elections would be free and fair and even allowed international observation of the polling. However, the NLD said they had received over 50 reports of voting irregularities including wax being placed over the check box for the NLD, making it easy to erase the mark and annul the vote. One area also reported that ballots were already filled out. In response, Suu Kyi said her party will file a complaint about these irregularities.

Myanmar, previously Burma, was for a long time controlled by the country’s military since the coup d’état on Mar. 2,1962 until its dissolution in March 2011. Due to the government’s economic mismanagement and foreign sanctions, Burma became an impoverished country.

Throughout military rule there were many sporadic protests and most were violently suppressed by the government. For instance, in 1962, the military killed 15 student protestors at Rangoon University. This type of forceful oppression arose again from 1975-1977.

In 1988, many pro-democracy protests emerged throughout the country, known as the 8888 Uprising. This led to the 1989 coup staged by General Saw Maung, after which he declared martial law over the nation. At this time the country’s name was changed from the “Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma” to the “Republic of the Union of Myanmar.”

Under this new republic, the government held the first free elections in almost 30 years in 1990. The NLD won 392 out of the 489 seats available, which should have given them control of the parliament. However, the military junta would not give up power and continued to rule the country until 2011. It was around this time, on July 20, 1989, that the military junta first placed Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest, beginning her 15 year sentence, which would last until her release on Nov. 13, 2010.

Harsh economic times later ensued because of the increase in price of diesel and petrol, and in response there were a series of protests that turned into a campaign of civil resistance known as the Saffron Revolution, in August 2007. These protests were led by Buddhist monks who defied Suu Kyi’s house arrest by paying their respects at her home. On Sep. 26, 2007 the government violently suppressed the monks’ protests.

In 2010, the government held general elections inspired by the 2008 constitutional referendum, which promised “discipline-flourishing democracy.” While the elections were peaceful, much of the world condemned them as fraudulent. The official turnout was 77 percent and the military claimed they won 80 percent of the votes. Pro-democracy groups disputed this claim, saying that this was achieved through fraud.

Since the 2010 elections, the Burmese government has taken steps towards democracy and a mixed economy. With the release of Suu Kyi and over 200 other political prisoners, the admission of labor unions and strikes, the reduction of censorship, the procurement of a cease fire with Karen rebels, the regulation of the currency and the establishment of the Human Rights Convention, reform is progressing in Myanmar. However, there are still 1,600 unreleased political prisoners and ongoing clashes between the Burmese army and ethnic minority groups. Yet despite these obstacles the road for reform is taking shape, and Aung San Suu Kyi’s dream of a democratic Myanmar may still be achieved in the future.

For anyone with further interest in this topic, a recent film entitled The Lady depicts the story of Aung San Suu Kyi’s struggle to achieve democracy in Burma, starring Michelle Yeoh and David Thewlis.

Our delegation to ChoMUN XV won Best Small Delegation this weekend! This is the first time in BUIAA History, hooray!

The Travel Team has undergone huge changes in the last new semester, with a new elected position as Head Delegate, a standing team, and weekly training sessions (along with frequent simulations). The entire team has put in immeasurable work, and it shows! Additional congratulations to these delegates who have won awards throughout the year:

CHOMUN:

Friday, April 13th 2012

7pm – We will be meeting at the BU Pub to begin our Pub Crawl.
We will then we venturing to bars around the BU campus, including Cornwall’s, An Tua Nua, T’s Pub, Sunset Cantina, and more! If you are arriving on Friday evening and would like to join us along the way, please contact Oriana or Steph!

Saturday, April 14th 2012

12pm – Alumni Panel in Photonics 201
1pm – Networking 101 in Photonics 201

Sunday, April 15th 2012

12-3pm – Kofi Cup Simulation in the GSU room 322
6-9pm – Alumni Social at Scoozi in Kenmore Square