Friday, August 8, 2008

• American Indian Trust Ruling
• Hamdan Sentenced to Five-and-a-Half Years
• 8-8-88: Burma's Pro-Democratic Uprising and the Atrocities That Followed
• Remembering 8-8-88 in Berkeley
• Olympic Games Kick Off In Beijing
• Rewind with Pacifica Radio Archives: The Black Power Fist at the 1968 Olympic Games

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American Indian Trust Ruling

A decision was handed down on a law suit filed 12 years ago by Native Americans for unpaid money owed by the US government. The US District Judge said the US must release 455 million dollars of a trust – that's far less than the 47 billion the Native Americans requested. FSRN's Leigh Ann Caldwell reports.

Hamdan Sentenced to Five-and-a-Half Years

A military tribunal at Guantanamo Bay convicted Osama bin Laden's former driver, Salim Ahmed Hamdan, of one count of providing material support for terrorism – and sentenced to a five-and-a-half year sentence. Hamdan was acquitted of the more serious conspiracy charge. This marks the first military tribunal at the Guantanamo Bay Detention Center, which opened in 2002. The verdict is seen as a major blow to the Bush Administration, which argued for a stiffer sentence of 30 years to life. Ben Wizner works with the American Civil Liberties Union – he's been at GITMO and watched the entire public proceeding.

8-8-88: Burma's Pro-Democratic Uprising and the Atrocities That Followed

Twenty years ago today the military dictatorship which continues to rule Burma brutally crushed a pro-democracy uprising known as "8-8-88" – killing an estimated 3,000 people in 6 weeks. Leaders of that 1988 student-led uprising have been imprisoned since last summer's widespread civic disturbances along with more than 1,000 other long term political prisoners including the opposition's National League for Democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace laureate who remains under house arrest on the orders of leader General Than Shwe. On this anniversary of the Burmese Uprising, FSRN will travel to Thailand - where the largest number of Burmese refugees are located and hear from survivors of the massacre. Then we'll go to Berkeley, CA, home to many Burmese who also fled the violence. First, from Bangkok, Claudia Cragg reports.

Remembering 8-8-88 in Berkeley

Nearly one hundred activists gathered at Berkeley City Hall this morning to observe the 8-8-88 Anniversary of the uprising in Burma and to raise the Burmese flag. Many political exiles in the United States continue to struggle against the military junta in Burma. Africa Jones reports.

Olympic Games Kick Off In Beijing

The 2008 Olympics officially opened in Beijing today, but not without controversy over human rights issues. This year, a growing number of athletes are hoping China will help resolve the conflict in Darfur – through pressuring its trade relationship with Sudan. But in a country that restricts free speech, there may be little room for political statements from athletes. From Beijing, FSRN's Adelaide Chen reports.

Rewind with Pacifica Radio Archives: The Black Power Fist at the 1968 Olympic Games

Besides breaking records and shiny medals, the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City may best be remembered for the Black Power Salute. Tommie Smith and John Carlos, who both won medals in a 200 meter race at the 1968 Games, literally took a stand as they collected their medals at the stage. As the US National Anthem played, Smith and Carlos, who approached the stage shoeless, bowed their heads. In this historic interview, preserved by the Pacifica Radio Archives, Olympic Gold Medalist John Carlos talked about the 1968 action with sports sociologist Jonathan Brower.