Headines for Wednesday, August 12, 2009

One shot, several injured in massive anti-coup protests in Honduras
Today in Honduras, pro-Zelaya supporters were once again in the streets of the country’s largest cities.  Yesterday, thousands entered Tegucigalpa as the National March of Popular Resistance Against the Coup reached the capital after 6 days of marching from the interior.  But what began as a peaceful march to the Honduran capital ended in violence and repression as the demonstrators began to call it a day.  FSRN’s Tim Russo is on the ground in the capital.

Protesters hoped to end their march at Tegucigalpa’s Pedagogical University, but riot police and the military forced them to turn back.  Violence broke out after an urban bus nearly ran over people in the crowd.  One person was shot as the police tried to intervene, and protesters set the bus and a local fast food restaurant ablaze.

Approximately 40 people were detained, and many were treated for injuries.  In the aftermath, the de facto government announced a curfew for the capital.  Francisco was one protester who managed to make it into the University.  He and others spoke to a crowd, all the while trying to protect themselves form a shower of tear gas, rubber bullets and stones from the police outside.

“If they come to capture one of us then they’ll have to take all of us.  Nobody gets taken alone, we’ll all go.  We’re going to defend ourselves, but if they surround us there is nothing that we can do.  Here in this parking lot we’ll surrender but we’ll have human rights observers and international press here with us to guarantee that things stay under control.”

Today the march for dignity made its way through the capital once again.  Ousted President Manuel Zelaya is due to arrive in Brazil for talks and the Organization of American States is expected to soon announce a date for its mission to Honduras.  Tim Russo, FSRN, Tegucigalpa.

Sunni-Shia conflict heats up in Yemen
The conflict in Yemen continues to escalate as the Sunni-led government troops stepped up their fight against Shia Muslim Houthi based along the Saudi Arabian border.  The conflict has ebbed and flowed over the past five years.  Today, the Yemeni government bombed rebels based in a northern town, leaving dozens dead – but there is no clear picture of how many civilians were killed in the attack.

60th anniversary of Geneva Conventions: progress still needed
Today is the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Geneva Conventions – a series of four treaties that govern international warfare.  The treaties were negotiated and updated by the international community following the atrocities of World War II.  They establish rules for the treatment of prisoners of war, the wounded and civilians.  194 nations have ratified the Conventions.

International Committee of the Red Cross Spokesperson Anna Nelson says the Conventions don’t actually set out to end war, but instead seek to make the practice less barbarous.

“We’ve seen some progress in recent years in terms of the violations that we see no longer passing in silence or going unnoticed.  We’ve seen that increasingly those responsible are being held accountable for their actions and that’s a good sign.”

But despite this international support, critics argue that, in many cases, the Conventions are not upheld or enforced – civilian deaths are commonplace in conflicts… the most recent examples being the wars in Gaza, Iraq, Afghanistan and the Republic of Georgia.  In the past few years, the US has been cited by critics for violating the Conventions through the alleged torture of detainees in Iraq and Guantanamo.  Red Cross President, Jakob Kellenberger denounces disrespect for the conventions.

"There remain far too many violations, but I would simply like to say, it would be quite a wrong impression if one were to think such violations were the rule, and the respect of the law is the exception."

Critics also say the Geneva Conventions are not suited to the current realities of war where militant groups are not easily distinguishable from civilians.  ICRC says international humanitarian law “must continue to evolve to respond to the changing nature of armed conflict.”

Mountaintop removal mining activists arrested in West Virginia
In the latest of a series of environmental protests throughout Appalachia, activists gathered at the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection in the capital Tuesday.  Four people chained themselves to the building’s doors and were forcibly removed and arrested by police.  Reporting for FSRN from Charleston, Erica Peterson of West Virginia Public Broadcasting has more.

This protest was the twelfth this year organized by environmental groups seeking to end mountaintop removal mining.  Four activists chained themselves to the door of the DEP building, demanding that the state relinquish control of several programs to the federal Environmental Protection Agency.

The protesters argue that the Department of Environmental Protection has been incompetent in regulating mining in West Virginia.  Richard Bradford joined other activists at the protest and was wearing a custom-made T-shirt that said “West Virginia DEP sucks.”

“Well, I think the DEP is doing wrong and I think they’ve always done wrong and I think they’re taking up for the coal company and they’re rubber stamping these permits for the coal company.  They don’t care about the private individual and I think they should be done away with.”

Authorities have released the four activists on bail.  Protesters say there have been 90 people arrested for civil disobedience so far this year at mining-related protests.  Erica Peterson, FSRN, Charleston.