Foreign Digest: Russia and China, Mozambique and Sudan

Update, Russia and China: violence against peaceful protesters

            There have continued to be protests in both the Russian Federation and Communist China in favor of freedom, with both governments reacting with violence against peaceful demonstrators. 

Russians have been taking to the streets to protest the lack of free and fair elections after tyrant and kleptocrat Vladimir Putin’s regime barred many candidates from standing for election, and to oppose corruption.  As the ex-KGB officer does not tolerate the freedom to assemble peacefully, force has been used against Russians to break up the protests and there have been massive arrests, including the opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who was also poisoned, which happens commonly to regime critics.  Protests have become more frequent in Russia since last year as the opposition has exposed government corruption amidst economic hardship for ordinary Russians as the regime has continued to become increasingly authoritarian.

In the Chinese territory of Hong Kong, residents of the city-state have continued their protests against the violations of their autonomy by Peking, which had promised self-rule and liberty to the former British territory when it reverted to mainland China in 1997.  Communist regime thugs violently attacked protesteors, as police have used force to break up the demonstrations.  The protesters have succeeded in blocking a proposed law that would have allowed extradition to mainland China, which could have been used as a tool against dissidents.

Mozambique: peace accord between the government and rebels

            A peace accord was signed last week between the Marxist government of Mozambique and the rebels who have been fighting intermittently since the Cold War to share political power.

Update, Sudan: agreement for transition to civilian rule

           An agreement was reached late last week between the Sudanese military rulers and the democratic opposition that established the details of the transition from military rule to civilian rule over the next 39 months until democratic elections.  The agreement was necessary after the military overthrew the longtime Islamist tyrant earlier this year.  An earlier deal had collapsed after a violent response by the military against opposition protesters.