Nobel laureates demand release of Burmese opposition leader

As reported by the AFP, Nobel peace laureates have strongly urged the European Union and the United Nations to increase pressure on Myanmar to begin to move towards democracy and respect human rights. The opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, was a Nobel peace prize winner in 1991 and has been imprisoned for the better part of the last 20 years. To read the full story and more on the subject please visit Ashin Mettacara's website.

Muchacho Enfermo

Cuba passes new Anti-Blogging law?

I was reported this morning by Claudia Cadero on her Octavo Cerco that the Cuban government has passed an anti-blogging law, check it out. Good job, yet again, on your progressive views Cuba! (please note the sarcasm in that last sentence)

Muchacho Enfermo

Free the BlogFather

I figured this is important so I put it here too...

Last week I posted about Cuban bloggers Yoani Sanchez, Reinaldo Escobar and Claudia Cadelo who were all summoned by the Ministry of the Interior to "discuss" their dissident views. A few days later I posted about the BlogFather who had been arrested in Iran after being accused of being a spy for Israel. Many other blogs reported this, including a blog by Mark Mackinnon a prominent foreign correspondent and author.

I wanted to say that for those of you who have facebook, there is a group dedicated to his release: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=37459792838&ref=ts . Our feelow blogger faces death in Iran, his home country and we might be able to help. Please join this facebook group or visit the page and see what you can do!

Muchacho Enfermo (changing my logo in honor of the BlogFather)

Western separatism? WTF people!

Alright... the redbull and the coffee have finally kicked in. Time to get serious folks the bartender has just put the Clash on the stereo and I'm feeling a little confrontational.

My good friend over at the Nexus of Assholery has posted today about how Preston Manning is trying to tell western Canadians not to separate. I think it's the first good thing this guy has done in his entire political career... I can't even begin to describe the disdain I have for good old boy Preston, but that's not the point of this post.

The point is that the West feels like they were left out of the coalition of NDP/Liberals some of them seem to think it's a giant conspiracy by Toronto to run the country. I got news for you folks. You voted conservative. The rest of us who didn't are well represented within this coalition. Don't get me wrong, I don't like the idea of a coalition any more than you do. But I would never complain, for example, that Stephen Harper doesn't represent me. Ever. The bottom line is I didn't vote for him and I don't feel he has my best interests at heart. Does that mean I want Quebec (where I live) to separate. No. Never. Ever.

People who think that the western provinces should separate should have a gigantic bbq at the nuthouse along with the Quebec separatists because it's basically the same load of crap that they are spouting. The only difference is one is saying it in English and the other is saying it in French.

You see? We have more in common then most people think. Why can't we all just get along.

Muchacho Enfermo

The world according to me (dec 12 2008)

Ecuador: Defaulting on debts owed to their own people is okay? Ecuador says that it is fighting foreign monsters as it decides to defaults on 2012 bonds... Good jobs Ecuador, how many of those bonds were bought by your own citizens?

US/CUBA: Portugal decides to take in detainees from Guantanamo. The US has hailed this as a great idea as they slowly move towards closing this Human Rights black hole, but now they are also saying the closure, set for January 20th 2009, will have to wait. It will have to wait because the US is all of a sudden concerned that the current prisoners might not be treated humanely in other countries... my question is: Were they treated humanely in Guantanamo?

Tibet: Sovereign leaders are not allowed to speak with the Dalai Lama. China has stated their discontent in the face of recent meetings between the French Prime Minister, the Polish Government and the Dalai Lama. China seems to think that meeting with the Dalai Lama as a spiritual leader also strengthens his position as a leader in exile. Good job China, just cause your big... doesn't mean you're the boss.

Cuba (as always) : Here's a kind of not really well researched but still interesting enough article on the realities of life as a counter-revolutionary in Cuba. Read it and learn people, then go check out Generation Y and all of Yoani's links on my blogroll.

Canada : I decided to google the question: Does Canada suck... here's what I found out from yahoo answers : No!

That's about it for tonight... I'm more then a little drunk sitting at the pub... so I'll probably post more when I can actually type. Have a great weekend everyone!

Muchacho Enfermo

Human rights and First Nations people in Canada

I read here on Metis Bare Facts something that I remembered reading a small blurb about a few years back, about Canada having refused to sign the UN Declaration of Human rights of Indigenous Peoples. It really didn't make headlines though and I had forgotten about it until this morning. How can Canada criticize the Human Rights records of other countries if we can even recognize the rights of our First Nations?

Muchacho Enfermo

Chavez is at it again!

Hugo Chavez is at it again... he has had the leader of the official opposition indicted on corruption charges. These charges come on the heals of the opposition leader's election as the mayor of Venezuela's second largest city.

Chavez is also planning a vote (again) to amend to constitution allowing him to remain in control after his 8 year maximum. This opposition leader is seen as the front runner in the upcoming 2012 election.

Reminds me of Russia when all the opposition leaders and party members started disappearing right before the last election and Putin made sure his puppet won the election. (I might be totally wrong on this and please correct me if I am)

Muchacho Enfermo

Speaking of Human Rights....

The Globe (yes I know... I need to read a different paper)and Mail has run a story called: Torture of Afghan detainees continues, say human rights group. Might be worth reading for all of you who are interested in this stuff...

Muchacho Enfermo

Human rights day

Today being International Human Rights Day, something we often take for granted here, I feel the need to be reminded by others of how lucky I am to live here. that being said here's some reminders that I think we all should read:

Message from a Cuban dissident
A brave monk from Burma
How China celebrates Human Rights Day
In Belarus

And that is just to name a few...

Muchacho Enfermo

Iranian-Canadian blogger arrested

Hossein Derakhshan a Iranian born Canadian citizen has been arrested while in Tehran over 30 days ago. The arrest has been confirmed by his family as reported in the Globe and Mail. He was one of Iran's first bloggers and has been one of the most vocal critics of the government. He has apparently been charged with spying on behalf of Israel. The Globe also reports that Iran might not recognized his Canadian citizenship and if this is the case they would not be obliged to inform the Canadian embassy of his arrest. Again, this is why I'm happy to live in Canada where I can do and say what I want, anytime.

Muchacho Enfermo

Screw you Bob Rae

Bob Rae has dropped out of leadership race for the Liberal Party of Canada. This guy was one of the main backers of the opposition party coalition I was complaining about a few days ago. I don't mind that he has dropped out, believe me. What I do mind however is WHEN he dropped out. He stayed long enough to help push this ridiculous idea into a reality and he leaves just in time to leave Ignatieff run for party leadership unopposed. Good job Bob Rae. You've just screwed Canada the same way you once screwed Ontario.

Muchacho Enfermo

We win!

The Liberals have a majority. That means four years of peace from the PQ's separatist agenda!
This is a fine morning indeed!

Coffee on election day...

Good morning everyone,
It is 7:46am and about -15 degrees celcius outside. I every paper that I have read this morning a majority government is projected to be won by the Provincial Liberal party of Quebec today. This is a good thing, according to me. We need a majority government in Quebec to counter the effects of all that crap going on in Ottawa. A strong vote of confidence for a provincial leader might be able to offset whatever damage is done by those clowns on the federal level.
that's it for now.... Polls open in an hour and 45 minutes!

Muchacho Enfermo

100...

There is now officially 100 Canadian soldiers dead in the current Afghanistan mission. My heart goes out to the families of the of these young men and women. While I'm not a huge fan of the mission I am a huge fan of the courage that our young people show.

Muchacho Enfermo