ISA
JOURNAL of INTERNATIONAL SOCIAL AFFAIRS
Vol. 6 No. 2
December 8, 2015
Page 2 -Seventeen Women Arrested for Miscarriages Page 4 - UN to Investigate War Crimes in Sri Lanka Page 6 - Peace Talks in Colombia After 50-Year Civil War Page 8 - Freedom of Expression Restricted in Russia Page 10 - New Election in Turkey Sparks Violence Page 11- Russian Orthodox Church Condones Airstrikes in Syria
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By Josh Amberg
Heartbreak and Handcuffs Seventeen Women Arrested For Miscarriage Based On El Savadorian Abortion Law When Carmen Guadalupe Vasquez Aldana, a maid in El Savador, complained of pain and internal bleeding, her employer refused to send her to a hospital. Vasquez went into premature labor in her room, heard her baby cry briefly, and then heard nothing. When her condition deteriorated, her employer took her to the hospital. Vasquez awoke, chained to the hospital bed. She was arrested and sentenced to 30 years in jail for aggravated homicide.1 Vasquez was 17 years-old when the neighbor raped her and she conceived. Vasquez decided not to report him, fearing retaliation. She planned to raise her baby Gabriel on her own before she miscarried and was arrested for his murder. Vasquez’s story is not unique. Take for instance, the case of Maria Teresa Rivera. She awoke in November of 2011 to intense pain and bleeding. Rivera had her mother-in-law call emergency services and eventually reached the hospital. Rivera says that was when she learned that she was pregnant and had suffered a stillbirth. Without evidence that she had knowledge of the pregnancy or somehow induced the miscarriage, the courts convicted her of murder and sentenced her to 40 years in prison. 2 Vasquez and Rivera are 2 of the 17 women prosecuted for pregnancies that have ended due to natural causes such as miscarriages, stillbirths, or other medical emergencies. Known as Las 17, these women have drawn attention to the laws of El Salvador regarding women’s reproductive health. El Salvador is one of five Latin America countries that have a total ban on abortion.3 The law originated in 1998 and contains no exceptions for cases of rape, incest, or other considerations of the mother’s health. El Salvador has also been recognized as one the most active nations with regards to implementation of this law. Opponents argue the implementation and misapplication of the law results in the prosecution of poorer women who suffer natural miscarriages with no evidence of a self-induced miscarriage or abortion. The current application of the law has several conse-
quences. First of all, the implementation has created ambiguity and confusion. The general rule of the law cannot adequately address the particular circumstances of each case. Determining intentionality of miscarriage is incredibly difficult. However, hospitals are required to report miscarriages and stillbirths. Opponents of the current law argue this creates an environment of legal confusion with a presumption of the women’s guilt. El Salvadorian lawyer Dennis Munoz, who represents one of the women currently in prison, stated the law has led to, “an air of legal uncertainty where women are presumed guilty from the start. It threatens the right to life, health, and to due process.”
“This is really criminalizing women who are from marginalized communities.”
-Erika Guevara-Ross Amnesty International Opponents also argue that the current application of the law negatively affects poorer women. Their lack of resources means women they have less access to medical information, aid, and facilities. Therefore, they are at greater risk for miscarriages and other medical problems. Given the legal uncertainty and presumption of guilt this can create a dangerous situation for poorer women. Amnesty International’s Americas Director Erika Guevara-Ross stated, “This is really criminalizing women who are from marginalized communities.” International attention has grown as activists have coalesced around the women known as “Las 17.” In July, four American activists entered the El Salvadorian Embassy in Washington to protest the treatment of the women.
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Photo Credit: DC Protests via Flickr On April 24, several activists delivered a letter to the Salvadoran embassy to petition for the release of the 17 women. Four of them stood trial on July 7 for unlawful entry into the embassy.
On Sept. 25, Secretary of State John Kerry received a letter from 55 members of the United States Congress expressing concern over the imprisonment of Las 17. El Salvadorian President, Salvador Sanchez Ceren has said over the last couple months that the situation needed, “much discussion.” The increased attention has produced some changes as two of the 17 women have been pardoned, including Vasquez. After spending seven years and three months in prison, she received her pardon when the authorities recognized procedural errors in her case. Her time in prison had both negative and positive consequences. She reports that gangsters with connections in prison have come to her house numerous times asking for her. However, she attained a high school degree while in prison and hopes to use this to improve her current condition. While she has no definite plans at the moment she remains hopeful about the future, “The lawyers helped me a lot, but they can only do so much. Now it’s up to God.” Rivera is not so lucky. She currently remains in prison fulfilling her 30 year prison sentence. Cases such as hers show a need to reevaluate the application of abortion laws
in El Salvador. In some cases the application of the law has been extended to prosecute women who have suffered natural miscarriages with little or no evidence of intentional inducement or abortion.
1. Tracey Wilkinson, “El Salvador Jails Women for Miscarriages and Stillbirths,” Los Angeles Times, April 15, 2015, accessed November 18, 2015. 2. Amanda Klasing, “Dispatches: Miscarrying Shouldn’t Be Murder in El Salvador,” Human Rights Watch, September 25, 2015, accessed November 18, 2015. 3. Ibid. 4. Katy Watson, “The Mothers Being Criminalized in El Salvador,” BBC News, April 28, 2015, accessed November 18, 2015. 5. Ibid. 6. Ibid. 7. Amanda Klasing, “Dispatches: Miscarrying Shouldn’t Be Murder in El Salvador,” Human Rights Watch, September 25, 2015, accessed November 18, 2015. 8. Katy Watson, “The Mothers Being Criminalized in El Salvador,” BBC News, April 28, 2015, accessed November 18, 2015. 9. Ibid. 10. Tracey Wilkinson, “El Salvador Jails Women for Miscarriages and Stillbirths,” Los Angeles Times, April 15, 2015, accessed November 18, 2015.
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By Giovanna Lastra
Making Up For Lost Crimes UN Calls for War Crimes Court Six Years After the Sri Lankan Civil War Six years after the ending of the Sri Lankan Civil War in 2009, the United Nations publically called for a crimes court investigation of alleged human rights crimes committed by the government during the war. The Civil War began on the small island of Sri Lanka in 1983. That year Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a sophisticated insurgency organization, killed 13 soldiers in guerilla attacks. When the Sri Lankan government retaliated, the LTTE declared war. The Tamil Tigers, fought to create an independent Tamil state, called Eelam. The Tamil and Sinhalese are the two ethnic groups that inhabit Sri Lanka. The Tamil and Sinhalese people have opposed each other since Sri Lanka (then called Ceylon) gained its independence in 1948. That was the year that the Ceylon Citizenship act virtually barred Tamils from citizenship. Eight years later, the “Sinhala Only Act” replaced English with Sinhala as the only official language of the country. Tamils were discouraged from attending college through denials of their applications and discouraged from working in the public services. Tamil resistance groups such as the LTTE rose in response to these actions. Throughout the war, the LTTE captured areas of the island and the government fought to regain them. In May 2009, government forces defeated the Tamil Tigers after 26 years of conflict. The public praised the Sri Lankan government for their defeat of the Tamil Tigers. The general public viewed the LTTE as a terrorist group because they committed many heinous acts from forcing young boys to be soldiers to assassination the prime minister. The UN Human Rights Council in Geneva also resolved to praise the government of the island nation a few months after the war. It seemed the Sri Lankan government had succeeded to stabilize the nation without huge casualty numbers or human rights abuses. However, this assessment was a farcry from the truth of what occurred in the last days of the Civil War.
“In the first few months of 2009, thousands of children were killed and maimed as Sri Lanka’s army initially besieged, and then destroyed the notorious Tamil Tiger guerillas whom it had battled for thirty years. Along with the Tigers, around 330,000 Tamil civilians had been snared in a siege of epic proportions as the insurgents fell back on a small pocket of land on the island’s northeast coast to make a final stand. While government artillery hammered at the Tiger lines, and pitched battles were fought, children died along with their families at the ragged edges of the combat.” There is also video evidence of soldiers executing Tamil Tigers and stories of raping Tamil men and women. In 2011, the UN issued a report on the alleged human rights violations and war crimes committed by the Sri Lankan security forces. The report found these allegations credible and called for Sri Lanka to investigate these crimes. The Sri Lankan government vehemently rejected the report and created a counter report to disprove the UN’s resolution. In March 2012, the UN Human Rights Council adopted a resolution finding that the government did not adequately address serious allegations of violations of international law, and called on Sri Lanka to take all necessary steps to ensure justice and accountability. Once again, Sri Lanka proved to be unresponsive and in March 2014 the Human Rights Council created a stronger resolution demanding an investigation by 2015. The Sri Lankan government did not cooperate and now the UN is calling for an independent crimes court investigation. Part of the pursuit of Sri Lanka by the UN is due to the UN’s involvement during the last phase of the war. In the last months of the war, the UN left Sri Lanka along with other international organizations. “I was so disgusted. The whole system failed. It wasn’t only the UN, but the whole international community. Tens of thousands of civilians were slaughtered by the Sri Lankan government and the world just moved on. It just passed us by,” said one UN aid worker.
5 “I was so disgusted. The whole system failed... Tens of thousands of civilians were slaughtered by the Sri Lankan government and the world just moved on. It just passed us by,” -A UN Aid Worker
Without the UN there were no international aid workers or journalists inside rebel territory to provide independent reports of the war or prevent the worst abuses. On Nov. 15 the UN published an internal review, concluding that a “grave failure” had taken place in Sri Lanka—a systemic breakdown that led to the UN failing in its responsibility to protect civilians. The UN failed to protect innocent Tamil lives at the end of the civil war, maybe through the criminal court investigation it can make up for the lost time of injustice.
1. “Sinhala Only Bill | 1956, Sri Lanka.” Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Accessed November 22, 2015. http://www.britannica.com/event/Sinhala-Only-Bill. 2. “Sri Lanka | History - Geography.” Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Accessed November 22, 2015. http://www.britannica.com/place/Sri-Lanka. 3. “Tamil Tigers | Revolutionary Organization, Sri Lanka.” Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Accessed November 22, 2015. http://www.britannica.com/topic/ Tamil-Tigers.
Photo Credit: Iouri Goussev via Flickr Commons Young Tamils join in a Tamil protest outside the Ontario Legislative Building.
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By Adam Lebbs
An End In Sight? Colombia’s Civil War May Soon See An End Colombia may soon see peace for the first time in over 50 years. The Colombian government and the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC) to establish a framework for peace negotiations. During the negotiations leading to this framework, violent activity by FARC has decreased to a point not seen since 1975 after FARC declared a unilateral ceasefire nearly two months ago. The ceasefire is an attempt by FARC to continue the peace process that began in October of 2012. However, the process has seen flare-ups in violence, including an attack by FARC earlier in June on an oil pipeline that caused the largest environment disaster in Colombian history. Colombia has historically been susceptible to violent revolutions, stretching back to the country’s founding. The country is divided into several sections by the northern end of the Andes mountain range, which comes up through the southern border with Peru and isolates many rural communities. The jungles along the southern and eastern border with Brazil have also provided refuge for rebel groups. In addition, the country’s location at the juncture of South America and Central America makes it a key location for drug smugglers headed north. Colombia’s first revolution began in 1808 when Napoleon deposed the Spanish king, leading local elites to assert their independence. However, independence was not achieved for nearly 11 years when Simon Bolivar led his troops to victory at the Battle of Boyaca in 1819. Following the revolution, Colombia’s first democracy was established. During the first republic, Colombia’s dominant political philosophies were established in the opposing Conservative and Liberal parties. The Conservatives favored a centralized system with a strong executive, which would protect the church, agrarian society, and local industry. On the other hand, the Liberals favored a decentralized state that was primarily secular and had free markets. Both parties were united in their opposition to a strong military, so armies were formed privately by elites or at the lower, departmen-
tal level of government. These armies were often used as a means to suppress business competition or as a means to resolve problems between various departments. The sharp divide between the Conservatives and the Liberals resulted in the “War of 1,000 Days” between 1899 and 1902. During this conflict, guerilla groups formed in the jungles of south and central Colombia, drawing support from the homeless and rural poor. However, the tension between the two groups was not fully resolved and resulted in the “Time of Violence” between 1948 and 1965. Triggered by the assassination of a populist Liberal leader, the conflict was Colombia’s bloodiest; estimates of casualties range between 80,000 and 400,000 killed. While much of the violence was perpetrated by politically motivated guerilla squads, many used the violence to carry out personal agendas and crime lords used it to solidify their power. The peace settlement that ended the violence directly led to the creation of FARC. In order to stop the violence, the Liberals and Conservatives came to a power-sharing agreement, called the National Front that excluded all other political parties from the process. Increasingly marginalized and excluded from participation in the political process, several rebel groups—including FARC—¬¬¬were founded in the early 1960s, drawing inspiration from the Cuban Revolution. Over the next several decades, FARC grew in strength as it drew on its rural support and cemented its image as freedom fighters against the central government. American support to the Colombian government to wipe out the Communist insurgency furthered perceptions of the government as an imperialist power and prompted Moscow to give FARC aid. By the 1980s, FARC had grown to the point where it was able to directly challenge the government in open conflict and control large swaths of territory. In order to finance their growing operations, FARC began levying taxes on various resources, such as gold, coffee, oil, and cattle. Initially they were hesitant to encourage the growth of various drug crops due to their deleterious effects.
7 However, the drug profits were a major source of income to both FARC and the rural peasants who supported it, leading it to embrace the drug trafficking trade. After the fall of the Soviet Union, the drug trade became increasingly important to FARC’s operation. By the early 2000s, FARC was estimated to control about 60 percent of the cocaine leaving Colombia. The increasing influence of FARC, combined with its deeper involvement in the drug trade, triggered a wide- Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons spread response in the 1980s from the government, drug other guerillas, one of the most disturbing events emerged cartels, and elites. Paramilitary groups, aided and trained in 2008 with the “false positives” scandal. Due to a new by the Colombian military, entered the conflict. While they incentive system that informally rewarded soldiers for the initially served alongside government troops and protected number of kills in combat, military forces began killing ciwealthy landowners, they also began to help the drug car- vilians and making it appear as if they were members of tels and to form their own independent base of power. One guerilla forces. While there had been reports of the practice of their first major actions was to wipe out members of the during the 80s and 90s, the practice appeared to pick up significantly in 2004. Since 2008 when the scandal emerged, Union Patriotica, FARC’s political party. The 1990s marked the high tide of both the guerillas and the government has cracked down on the practice, drastithe paramilitary groups, but also marked the start of their cally reducing the number of killings from the practice. The impacts of the war have not been limited to Colomdecline. In 1991, the Colombians significantly reformed the constitution to allow for greater political participation and bia. Many of the displaced Colombians have fled to nearby integration. As a result, essentially all presidents since then Venezuela, who has reportedly absorbed 30 percent of the have engaged in peace negotiations with the various milita- displaced population over the last 10 years. The crisis has rized groups. strained relations between the two countries, leading VenThe conflict between the groups has been one of the ezuela to close its border in August after several soldiers bloodiest in recent history. According to the Centro Nacio- were injured in an attack by paramilitaries. Colombian nal de Memoria Histórica, over 218,094 people died be- paramilitaries exported their tactics to other Latin America tween 1958 and 2012 as a result of the conflict, of which countries, such as Venezuela, and have often targeted poonly 40,787 or 19 percent were combatants. Over 5.7 mil- litical figures, such as the late Venezuelan president Hugo lion people have been displaced between 1985 and 2012, of Chavez. Despite the length of the bloody conflict, Colombia may which 4.7 million were displaced after 1996. Of the various killings during the war with FARC and Continued on Page 9
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By Andrew Bambrick
Putting Words In Their Mouths Russia’s restrictions of freedom of expression Russia’s internal suppression of alternative viewpoints has brought Russia more and more in conflict with international law. Russia’s pattern of stifling of civil liberties has caught the attention the United States and other international players, and has led to increased condemnation for the former communist country and concerns of what might come next. While Russia no longer holds the Iron Curtain over Europe, several watchdog groups including the Human Rights Watch, and national diplomatic groups such as the US State Department, have repeatedly condemned Russia for its human rights violations regarding the freedom of expression. In 1998 Russia ratified “The European Human Rights Convention” which declares freedom of expression to be a human right. Russia also adopted several amendments to their constitution protecting the freedom of expression, even though, as a a permanent member of the Security Council, it has the power to veto any legislation that comes to a vote. The International Declaration of Human Rights’ list of human rights includes the right to freedom of expression, association and thought as explained in Articles 19 and 20. However the world is beginning to notice the Russian actions which violate international law and their constitution regarding human rights. On February 27, 2014 the US State Department issued a report entitled, “2013 Human Rights Reports: Russia,” which cited three human rights violations committed by the Russian government. The first one being the restrictions on civil liberties saying, “The government selectively employed the law on “foreign agents,” the law against extremism, and other means to harass, pressure, discredit, and/or prosecute individuals and entities that had voiced criticism of the government, including nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), independent media outlets, and the political opposition.” A famous example of Russia’s suppression of freedom was the case of Alexei Navalny, an anti-corruption whistleblower and blogger. Navalny was arrested in 2012 on charg-
es of embezzlement and fraud, he denied these charges and was released. However, soon his brother Oleg was charged with embezzlement and jailed instead. The Russian people, and many in the international community suspected, that Navalny was arrested due to his frequent protests of the government and Russian businesses. Many claimed that Oleg’s arrest was a move to sideline Navalny without turning him into a political martyr. The Navalny case is just one of the many in which antigovernment critics have been arrested for voicing their opposition to the Russian government. In 2012, at an Orthodox church in Moscow, a week before then Prime Minister Putin was elected president, four members of the feminist, pro-LGBT, music group the “Pussy Riots,” took the stage
“I used to joke that when we got our first TV it had two channels: channel one was propaganda; channel two was a KGB officer telling you to turn back to channel one.”
-Yakov Smirnoff Russian Comedian and sang a song called ‘Punk Prayer.’ Some of the lyrics are “Holy Mother, Blessed Virgin, chase Putin out.” The group was arrested and tried for inciting religious hatred. The First Amendment Center wrote that the State of Duma, “passed a law criminalizing insulting people’s “religious feelings” in public. As a result, anyone who dares offend the sensibilities of the faithful (and this usually means Russian Orthodox believers) could face 3 years imprison-
9 ment and a stiff fine.” Freedom of expression is defined as a human right in the Russian Constitution. The intention of Russia following the fall of communism was to transform her into a new state in which the people would have the freedom to protest government actions. The nation adopted international law and ratified her own laws to secure the right to free expression. However, Yakov Smirnoff, a Russian comedian, said in editorial published in the Huffington Post that Russia is starting to resort to her old Communist ways through the strict censorship laws.
“In those days, the Soviet government wanted to control all the information that people were given because information is power. I used to joke that when we got our first TV it had two channels: channel one was propaganda; channel two was a KGB officer telling you to turn back to channel one. It’s funny but the truth. It is an old, proven formula that dictators use: divide and conquer. It gets rid of all the things that might influence people. Then you’re the sole source of information, and that’s the key part of the plan. … I see the same thing that I grew up with starting to happen again in Russia.” 1. “Russia: RIP Freedom of Speech?” - Al Jazeera English. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Oct. 2015.”2013 2. Human Rights Reports: Russia.” U.S. Department of State. U.S. Department of State, 27 Feb. 2014. Web. 02 Oct. 2015. 3. “Freedom of Expression in Russia as It Relates to Criticism of the Government | Emory University School of Law | Atlanta, GA.” Emory University School of Law. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Oct. 2015. 4. David. “Aleksei Navalny, Putin Critic, Is Spared Prison in a Fraud Case, but His Brother Is Jailed.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 30 Dec. 2014. Web. 02 Oct. 2015. 5. Haynes, Charles C. “First Amendment Center.” First Amendment Center. N.p., 6 Feb. 2014. Web. 02 Oct. 2015.
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons Alexei Navalny ran for mayor of Moscow in 2013 and
6. Smirnoff, Yakov. “How Putin’s Russia Reminds Me of When I Was Censored by the Department of Jokes.” The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 10 June 2014. Web. 02 Oct. 2015.
has remained a vocal public figure in Russia.
“End in Sight?,” Continued from Page 7 soon have the peace for the first time in almost 70 years. A 2005 law passed as part of an agreement with paramilitaries has largely succeeded in demobilizing the groups, whose numbers and influence have significantly dwindled. More importantly, FARC and Colombian leaders reached a framework for peace negotiations this last week. A peace pact is expected within six months and disarmament two months after that. However, the chances for peace should not be overstated. Even if FARC disarms, there is a substantial chance that rural FARC units will continue their criminal activities, such as drug trafficking or illegal mining, due to a
lack of economic opportunity. The deal offers a real chance not only for peace, but for a more inclusive democracy in Colombia. Many of FARC’s grievances, while cloaked in Marxist rhetoric, were an expression of Colombian frustration with the exclusionary nature of politics. Since the constitutional reforms in 1991, Colombia has moved towards a more inclusive government. The demobilization of FARC is likely to lead to its emergence as a major political force, drawing from the same base of support. The difference is that its grievances will not be expressed with violence, but at the ballot box.
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By Adam Lebbs
Turkey’s Frequent Elections Raise Tensions In the weeks leading up to the November election in Turkey, violence between Turkish security forces and the Kurdish Workers’ Party (PKK) resurged following an almost two year ceasefire. Several hundred people have already lost their lives to the violence and antiKurdish riots have broken out in Istanbul and Ankara, Turkey’s capital. The violence comes on the heels of the government announcing that it will hold new elections in November. The government is currently controlled by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP), which failed to form a governing coalition following the June elections. The elections are seen by many observers as a part of an emerging authoritarian attitude in the president. Prior Photo Credit: Colleen Morgan via Flickr Commons to assuming the presidency last August, Erdogan had served Konya, Turkey right before the elections started in 2007. as prime minister for 12 years. In a parliamentary system such as Turkey, the roles of head of state and head of govern- but shifted in June to the pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic ment are separated, such as in Britain with the prime minis- Party (HDP), along with many secular Turks. As a result, the ter and the Queen. Erdogan has done away with this distinc- AKP lacked a majority, but refused to build a coalition and tion and largely subsumed the role of prime minister into the forced the November snap elections. presidency. Shortly after the June elections, the PKK started the vioIn order to formalize this shift in power, Erdogan has lence with the murder of two policemen, breaking the unofficalled for a new constitution with more power for the presi- cial truce. Since then, Turkey’s military has hunted down the dent, a vision for the country he calls “New Turkey.” His Kurdish rebels, using many of the same resources they are agenda emerged during the 2014 presidential election, which using to fight the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). The was the first time the president was democratically elected in violence and rioting has led the AKP to run on a platform of Turkey following a 2007 constitutional amendment. Mak- stability, but the HDP and other pro-Kurdish accuse them of ing changes to Turkey’s constitution requires the votes of “deliberately creating a security crisis to continue to stay in 400 deputies, members of Turkey’s parliament. According power and to play a savior.” to Al-Monitor, Erdogan has said, “If a party had managed to Turkey’s democracy is in danger. While it is the only Issecure 400 deputies or a number that could change the con- lamic state to maintain a democracy with free and fair elecstitution, the situation today would have been very different. tions, the principles it was founded on are increasingly in To start with, this would have been very good in terms of danger. Secular Turks and Islamists disagree about the role taking a step toward the New Turkey.” of Islam, while Kurdish demands for an independent, or at The Kurds, one of the world’s largest stateless minorities, least autonomous, state are increasing and gaining support are at the heart of Turkey’s current crisis. Prior to the June from Western nations. November’s elections will be a test of elections, the Kurds largely voted for Erdogan’s AKP Party, the strength of Turkey’s democracy.
By Adam Lebbs
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Russian Orthodox Church Condones Airstrikes As Russia stepped up its support of the Assad regime in Syria this week with airstrikes, the Russian Orthodox Church supported the move. As Russia stepped up its support of the Assad regime in Syria this week with airstrikes, the Russian Orthodox Church supported the move. “The fight with terrorism is a holy battle and today our country is perhaps the most active force in the world fighting it… This decision corresponds with international law, the mentality of our people and the special role that our country has always played in the Middle East,” said Vsevolod Chaplin, the head of the Church’s public affairs department,. Analysts of Russia’s increased involvement in Syria have tended to focus on strategic factors behind Putin’s move. In direct relation to Russia, one concern is the large number of Russian citizens fighting with the Islamic State—around 2500, according to the Russian Civic Chamber. While they may not pose a threat now, they could reignite conflicts in the North Caucasus region in areas such as Chechnya, where there is a large Muslim population. In relation to the rest of the Middle East, the fall of the Assad government would weaken Russia’s position in the region, while fighting the Islamic State helps rekindle ties to Iran. On a global scale, Russia is establishing itself as a challenger to the United States, as reflected by its first target—a CIAbacked rebel group, not the Islamic State. More importantly, Syria will likely draw attention away from Ukraine, where Russia has been backing separatists. An alternate view of Putin’s foreign policy views it as an extension of his role as defender of conservative values. According to Foreign Policy, “Whereas the Soviet Union was once able to muster support from people around the globe as the world headquarters of Marxist-Leninism, Putin’s Russia offered little in the way of comparable ideological appeal….” Defending traditional values grants Russia ideologically, particularly to those who dislike the West. In establishing traditional values, Putin has primarily defined it in opposition to the modern Western project.
Photo Credit: Valerij Ledenev via Flickr Commons Vsevolod Chaplin As Brian Whitmore of Radio Free Europe wrote, “As the West becomes increasingly multicultural, less patriarchal and traditional, and more open to gay rights, Russia will be a lodestone for the multitudes who oppose this trajectory.” As such, defending traditional values gives Russia a broad transnational appeal while simultaneously allowing and encouraging nationalism. For Russia itself, its defense of traditional values garnered attention with the restriction of gay rights in late 2013. Internationally, its defense of conservatism has supported a revanchist Russian foreign policy under both the aegis of defending Russian speakers, as in Ukraine, or defending Christian believers, as in the Middle East. For example, Leon Hadar notes in The National Interest that the current Russian policy in Syria “is influenced by pressure from the Russian Orthodox Church, which fears the Christians in the former Byzantine province, including a large Orthodox community, would be persecuted if Muslim fundamentalists came to power.” The Russian Orthodox Church is an important bastion for traditional values within Russia. Giving its blessing to the Russian campaign in Syria both grants it a veneer of legitimacy within Russia and may help to boost the popularity of the campaign, which polls indicate many Russians do not support. More importantly, it helps to support the narrative of Putin as a defender of traditional values.
12 UN Condemns US-Cuban Embargo By Josh Amberg While relations between the U.S. and Cuba have thawed recently, some traditions still remain. In a largely ceremonial move the General Assembly of the UN once again voted to condemn the U.S. embargo against Cuba. 191 countries voted in favor of the resolution condemning the embargo. Only the United States and Israel voted against the resolution. The 191 total represented the most countries ever who sided with Cuba. This is the 24th year in a row that the UN has voted to condemn the embargo. The resolution, read by Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla, declares, “The blockade is a flagrant, massive and systemic violation of the human rights of all Cubans; it is contrary to International Law; it has been described as a crime of genocide.” The U.S. had hoped Cuba would abstain from submitting the resolution to condemn the economic embargo given the improvements over the past year. However, Mr. Rodriguez maintained the vote is necessary to highlight the widespread damaged caused by the embargo. Cuba estimated total losses from the embargo at 1.1 trillion over 53 years. In addition to these economic losses, Mr. Rodriguez argues the embargo has prevented medical supplies, drugs treating cancer, and chemicals that purify water from reaching Cuba. While traditionally hostile, many substantive improvements have occurred over the last year between the U.S. and Cuba. The countries reestablished diplomatic ties last December, ending a 50 year freeze. Both countries have opened embassies in the others’ capital. Additionally, President Obama has indicated he supports ending the economic embargo that has been in place since the 1960’s. However, only Congress possesses the authority to lift the embargo. Such a move is opposed by Republicans in Congress. Some speculated that the U.S. would abstain from voting against the resolution condemning the embargo this year. Abstaining from the UN vote would have isolated Congress and placed pressure on them to overturn the embargo. However, Ronald Godard, the deputy U.S. ambassador to the UN, stated that the U.S. would not abstain because Cuba had not sufficiently changed the language of the motion.
FALL 2015 STAFF WRITERS Josh Amberg Andrew Bambrick Rodney Dowty Giovanna Lastra Adam Lebbs
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Rebecca Cambron
ASSOCIATE EDITOR Lauren Bellamy
The Journal of International Social Affairs is a Patrick Henry College student publication.