Continued Protests In Tunisia:
Protesters have broken into the compound of the Tunisian prime minister’s office, as unrest continues to surge across the country. Thousands of activists travelled from the rural south of the country to camp out in front of the office overnight. Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi formed an unpopular interim government after President Ben Ali quit on January 14 due to the popular uprising. Over five cabinet ministers have resigned due to allies of Ben Ali remaining in power with the new government. Ben Ali has fled to Saudi Arabia, and the EU has announced it could freeze the former president’s vast wealth. Last Friday (January 21) saw the beginning of thee days mourning for the 78 civilians and security forces that have been killed in the unrest.
 

Yemen Arrests Anti-Government Activist:
Tawakul Karman, an activist who helped to organise a large protest in Sana‘a, has been arrested by Yemeni security forces for organising an unlicensed demonstration (no January 23). The protest, one of the largest in President Saleh’s 32-year rule, ended with security forces using water cannons to disperse protesters. Over 2,500 students were present at the first protest, chanting “Get out, Get out, Ali, Join your friend Ben Ali.” Karman’s arrest led to over 300 students protesting outside of Sana’a University. Professor Abdullah al-Faqih, a professor of political science at Sana’a University, told the Guardian: “The arrest of a woman in the middle of the night is something very uncommon here and it’s insulting to the people of Yemen… if they don’t release her soon she may become a figurehead like Mohamed Bouazizi (whose self-immolation inspired the Tunisian revolt).”
 

Wife Of Missing Human Rights Lawyer Appeals To Obama:
Geng He, the wife of missing Chinese human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng, is publicly urging President Barack Obama to raise her husband’s case (January 19). Gao has been missing since April. He has been arrested numerous times and claims to have been abducted, stripped naked and violently beaten for two days in September 2009. Geng chose to speak out in time for President Hu Jintao’s visit to the USA, where talks with President Obama were predominately focused on economics. In a statement issued through AFP, Geng told Obama, “My 17 year old daughter and my seven year old son miss their father very much. It has been so painful for them. Maybe when you missed your father, you knew where he was. But my children don’t know where their father is right now. Maybe he’s no longer alive or maybe he’s being tortured.”
 

Protests Against Power Plants In India:
Hundreds of farmers in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh have protested against the takeover of their land for two propose power plants (January 21). One farmer died during a clash with Indian security forces and over 50 farmers were arrested. The farmers claim that they have not received the full payment they were promised when the land was acquired four years ago, and they have lost income by not being able to cultivate the acquired land.

Words: Richard Lemmer
 

Photo: Flickr user Medill DC