IPSI's Peace & Security Report (PSR) is a concise weekly e-publication intended to brief busy students, academics, advocates, and practitioners in the conflict management community on pertinent global news, events, and trends. The PSR empowers us all to take a step back from our immediate deadlines each Friday and gain a greater understanding of the week's global events.

  

 

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CHILE: Chilean workers protest for better working conditions and economic reforms

On Thursday, members of Chile's largest workers union, Central Unitaria de Trabajadores or the Central Union of Worker's (CUT), marched in the streets across the capital of Santiago demanding better working conditions and reforms to Chile's tax and pension systems. Protests were mainly peaceful for the exception of a public transit bus being set ablaze and the erection of several barricades that impeded morning traffic.  These acts of protest elicited a firm response from law enforcement resulting in at least 24 demonstrators being detained. Comment: Preliminary reports from Chile's National Association of Public Employees (ANEF) and CUT cited that between 90-95 percent of employees from the public sector joined the protest by striking and refusing to work; Interior Minister Andres Chadwick insisted that in reality only about 6-7 percent of public employees actually joined the work stoppage.  The President of the Association of Manufacturing Exporters (Asexma), Roberto Fantuzzi, believes that the national strike imposed by CUT could result in Chile losing an estimated USD 150 million.  He urged that both employer and employees need to create an open dialogue to find a resolution as Chile cannot have this "level of social unrest." (El MercurioLa Nacion, Washington Post)

 

REGIONAL: Allegations surface accusing NSA of spying on Latin American countries

Citing information leaked by Former NSA employee Edward Snowden, the Brazilian newspaper O Globo reported that the U.S. has been monitoring and collecting information on telephone calls and emails from various Latin American countries including Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and Venezuela.  The data gathered was allegedly targeting commercial information, specifically regarding Mexico's energy sector and Venezuela's oil industry.  On Wednesday, Colombia's foreign minister expressed his concerns over any secret data-gathering and has requested an explanation from the U.S. regarding its involvement in any "unauthorized data collection program."  Comment: Thomas Shannon, the U.S. ambassador to Brazil, denied any unauthorized surveillance of Brazil's communications systems.  Shannon also denied allegations that the U.S. was working with Brazilian telecommunication companies to gather the information in question.  Various other nations including Chile and Mexico, key U.S. allies in the region, have vocally condemned any form of surveillance activities.  Michael McKinley, the U.S. ambassador to Colombia, did not directly deny the surveillance allegation but instead told a local radio station that the U.S. is not the only nation that collects information on security matters.  O Globo also reported that leaked documents from 2002 indicate the NSA and CIA gathered information from foreign satellites in 65 different countries, including five in Latin America. (Huffington Post, NY Times, Washington Post, Reuters)

 

REGIONAL: Latin American countries offer Edward Snowden asylum

This past week, in an effort to protect him from prosecution by the U.S. for leaking confidential documents regarding the National Security Agency's (NSA) data gathering programs, Bolivia, Nicaragua, and Venezuela have each offered former NSA employee Edward Snowden asylum.  Snowden has reportedly applied to an estimated 20 countries for asylum and has been subsequently denied by most.  Snowden was denied entry into Russia, and is believed to be waiting in Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport. Comments: Snowden now faces the challenge of finding safe passage to an asylum granting country. Last week Bolivia's presidential airplane, believed to be carrying Snowden, was forced to land in Vienna as European countries would not allow Snowden to cross their airspace, demonstrating that not all airspace is open to him. U.S. journalist Glenn Greenwald, who is credited with publishing Snowden's leaked documents and has since remained in contact with him, believes Venezuela will be the country most able to guarantee Snowden's safety. Venezuela was the first nation to offer the former NSA employee asylum and is waiting for his response. (Al Jazeera, CNN, Reuters, TIME)  

   

CAMBODIA: Transparency watchdog to deploy observers for Cambodia's parliamentary polls

On Thursday, the Cambodian branch of Transparency International announced that it would deploy 822 nonpartisan election observers for Cambodia's fifth parliamentary election on July 28. According to the body statement, the agency will use the information collected by observers to draw accurate conclusions on the quality of the elections and will release a public report on its findings. Some 20,546 national and 41 international observers have registered to monitor the forthcoming elections. Comment: Eight parties will compete in the elections for about 9.67 million eligible voters. The two main parties are the ruling Cambodian People's Party of incumbent Prime Minister Hun Sen and the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party led by self-exiled leader Sam Rainsy. Many analysts said that Transparency International and other election monitoring organizations would help to reduce the expected high levels of corruption in the election. (Independent European Daily Express, Xinhuanet, VOA Khmer, The Cambodia Daily)

 

CHINA: Death toll rises to 18 in Southwest China landslide

A rain-triggered landslide occurred on Wednesday in Sichuan province's Dujiangyan city in southwest China, killing 18 people and toppling 11 buildings. In addition, the authorities in the city said on Thursday morning that 107 people still were missing after the disaster and added that they are "fully committed" to rescue efforts. Xinhua news agency also reported that 352 stranded tourists have been securely moved out of the city. Local authorities are continuing to verify the exact number of those missing; search and rescue work is underway. Comment: According to provincial officials, the landslide is the worst since 1998. There are 370,000 people and more than 81,000 acres of crops that are affected by the flooding, which has afflicted the mountainous region since Monday and resulted in more than USD 40 million in direct economic losses. (CNN, BBC News, Xinhuanet)

 

MYANMAR: UN pledges to lead reconciliation efforts between Buddhists and Muslims

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) announced on Tuesday that the agency would launch reconciliation efforts this month between Buddhist Rakhines and Muslim Rohingyas in hundreds of villages in western Myanmar's Rakhine state; almost 1,200 people have been arrested and 500 sentenced to jail for their involvement in two episodes of deadly riots since last year. The UNDP said the purpose of the reconciliation announcement is to foster better relations between the two communities. Comment: Violence between Myanmar's Buddhist majority and the country's Muslim minority has threatened to derail President Thein Sein's plans for national reconciliation and democracy following nearly five decades of military rule. An estimated 800,000 Muslim Rohingyas live in Rakhine state; however, most of them are denied citizenship as they are considered illegal immigrants despite having lived in Myanmar for generations. (The Irrawaddy Magazine, The Japan Times, Radio Free Asia, Eleven Myanmar)

  

CROATIA: The 28th Member of the European Union

Ten years after beginning their efforts to enter the economic bloc and 20 years since its violent birth in the Yugoslavian break-up, Croatia was officially accepted into the EU at 0000hrs local time, July 1, making it the 28th member state and the first EU expansion eastwards since 2007. This achievement marks seven years of reforms to conform to EU standards. Comment: With the fifth consecutive year of recession in Croatia, one in five Croatians unemployed and the on-going crisis in the EU member states, feelings of excitement were mixed with concern over the entry. Nonetheless, two-thirds of the population supported entering the EU in a vote last year. This support base appears numerically constant. There is also concern over corruption and organized crime voiced by other EU members. Croatia will not yet enter the single currency or the Schengen Zone that allows free passage across state borders. It is hoped that the entry will spark a positive trend in the region as more of the former Yugoslav states continue their bid to enter the EU, starting with Montenegro slated to be next. (Croatian Times, BBC News, Radio Free Europe)

 

RUSSIA: Two antigay legislations signed into law

On the June 29, Pro- and Anti-gay rights activists violently clashed in St. Petersburg resulting in arrests made by the police. On June 30, President Putin signed the first of two legislations, this one commonly referred to as the "antigay" law, which bans the propagation and promotion of "non-traditional sexual relations" to minors. On the July 3, President Putin continued by signing the same-sex couple adoption ban into law, not only banning foreign same-sex couples from adopting Russian children, but also banning any unmarried foreign residents of states that have legalized same-sex marriage. Comment: Heavily criticised by the international human rights community, the two laws are seen as a wider crackdown on homosexuals in Russia. The wording of the "antigay" law could be interpreted in extreme cases to cover instances where individuals inform minors of the existence of homosexuals. It also bans any interference to religious organizations' activities. Meanwhile, the Kremlin claims the adoption ban law is aimed at protecting children from "dictated non-traditional sexual behaviour." (Radio Free Europe, Reuters, Ria Novosti, The Moscow Times)

 

REGIONAL: TTIP Talks open in Washington despite spying tensions

Despite European misgivings about the U.S. spying on their allies, talks for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership started in Washington, D.C. this week. While the negotiations are slated to take months, with some unofficial estimates indicating three years, the first round started on schedule. Comment: The decision to commence the first round of negotiations was announced in Northern Ireland when the UK hosted the G8 meetings last month. With the average tariff between the United States and the EU already relatively low, averaging around five percent for goods entering the EU, sector specific tariffs, non-tariff barriers and red tape are expected to be the core of discussions. (BBC News, France 24, The Daily Telegraph)

  

Researched/Written by Takumi Imagawa

EGYPT: Violent clashes continue as new president struggles to form an interim government

On Tuesday, Egypt's interim president Adly Mansour named liberal economist and former finance minister Hazem el-Beblawi as the country's new prime minister and appointed Mohamed ElBaradei, a leading opposition politician and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, as Egypt's new vice president and head of foreign relations. The previous day, Mansour issued a constitutional declaration that outlined a roadmap for the transition period during which the currently suspended constitution will be amended and put to a popular referendum. According to the timetable, parliamentary and presidential election will be held in early 2014 if the constitution is adopted. Comment: On Wednesday, the Muslim Brotherhood announced that it would not accept the offer to join the interim government under prime minister el-Beblawi, leaving little hope that the chasm between the Islamist and secular factions will be redressed in the near future. Violent clashes between Morsi's supporters and opponents continue after the former president's ouster by the Egyptian military last week, following mass demonstrations demanding his resignation. The prosecutor's office ordered the arrest of Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Badie on Wednesday, accusing him of inciting violence that led to the death of at least 51 people outside the Republican Guard's army headquarters in Cairo on Monday. The Muslim Brotherhood, however, blames the army for "massacring" 50 of its members and called for an "uprising" in reaction to the killings. (Al Arabiya, Al Jazeera, Daily News Egypt, Al Jazeera)

 

IRAQ: Sectarian violence at highest level since 2008

Violence in Iraq shows no sign of abating with approximately 200 people killed in the first ten days of July. The latest incident occurred on Thursday when two suicide bombers attacked a police station in western Iraq, leaving five policemen dead. At least 45 people fell victim to car bomb explosions and shootings in mostly Shiite areas around Baghdad on July 2 alone. No group has claimed responsibility for these attacks. The UN estimates that 2,500 people were killed between April and June of this year which would constitute the highest level of violence recorded since 2008. Comment: Security forces and Shiite areas are the primary targets for Sunni insurgents that fight for more political influence within the Shiite-led government. Sunni Muslims that have turned against al-Qaeda and aligned themselves with the U.S. military have also increasingly come under attack by Sunni militias. Baghdad is currently struggling with a political gridlock that experts say is unlikely to be fixed before national elections next year. (Al Arabiya, Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera, Reuters)

 

SYRIA: New opposition leader rules out peace talks with Syrian regime

The leadership of Syria's ruling Baath party was replaced with 16 new members this week, with President Assad being the only top party official to keep his position as secretary general. Among the newly elected senior politicians are Prime Minister al-Halqi and chief of parliament al-Laham. Changes also occurred within the Syrian National Coalition (SNC), the principal opposition group. The members of the council elected former political prisoner Ahmad al-Jarba as their new president in Turkey on Saturday to supersede acting president George Sabra. In a first statement, al-Jarba described the military situation of the rebels as weak and ruled out Geneva peace talks until the balance of power is restored. Comment: Al-Jarba's proposition to stop fighting during the holy month of Ramadan is unlikely to be accepted by the Assad regime. During the weekend, government troops managed to take control of rebel-held neighborhoods in the city of Homs which constitutes a first success in their attempt to regain the strategically important city between Damascus and the coast. Russia, who backs the Syrian regime, accused the SNC of obstructing peace talks and presented evidence to the UN on Wednesday to prove that opposition fighters used the nerve agent sarin in their fight against President Assad. (Al Arabiya, Al Jazeera, Al Arabiya, Daily Star)

 

Researched/Written by Anke Rehfeld