Thailand, Zimbabwe, and the Terrorism Algorithm

By Robert Amsterdam | Published: July 18, 2010

Last week I was in Kenya, advocating on behalf of a client in a UN trial, when I had the chance to meet with a number of leading African human rights specialists. Among others, I met with the well-known human rights lawyer Evans Monari, Member of the Council of Law Society of Kenya, who drew […]

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Japan Wary over Russia’s Vostok-2010 Military Exercises

By James Kimer | Published: July 12, 2010

Japan is starting to get really pissed about these Russian military exercises on Etorofu Island, among the disputed territories of the Kuril Islands.  From The Japan Times: A Russian Foreign Ministry official told ITAR-TASS that Russia “has the right to choose the place of the exercise.” Russia’s new military doctrine adopted in early February lists […]

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The State of Human Rights in Kazakhstan

By James Kimer | Published: June 30, 2010

A new report (download here) has arrived in our mailboxes from the Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and the Rule of Law, which takes a look at the country’s human rights record during the first half of the year in which they have been appointed Chair of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in […]

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Press Release on Investigation into Bangkok Massacre

By James Kimer | Published: June 29, 2010

In case you have accidentally landed here instead of Bob’s Thailand blog, below is the press release and link to the full text of the letter sent out today to PM Abhisit, CCed to Navi Pillay of the United Nations.

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Russia, Kyrgyzstan, and the Reset

By James Kimer | Published: June 25, 2010

John Lough, an associate fellow of the Russia & Eurasia Programme at Chatham House in London, has a very insightful piece on Russia’s play in Kyrgyzstan in the Moscow Times: Rather than fighting over the long-term future of the Manas base, Russia and the United States may now need each other in this very dangerous […]

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Why Didn’t Russia Intervene in Kyrgyzstan?

By James Kimer | Published: June 23, 2010

I still haven’t heard a completely satisfactory answer to this question, but Stephen Sestanovich at CFR is getting warmer. As the killing in Kyrgyzstan escalated,  some American analysts feared that Moscow saw disorder there as a chance to throw its weight around in its own neighborhood. There can be little doubt that Russia wants to […]

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Migration of Thailand Content

By James Kimer | Published: June 22, 2010

Dear readers … this is just a quick announcement to let you know that Bob’s blogging on Thailand will now be located over here, while this main page will go back to mainly Russia content.

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Response to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand

By Robert Amsterdam | Published: June 18, 2010

Earlier this week, Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has published a second statement in response to our work, and as with the first one, I am providing a link to the full text here in order to engender an open debate on these important events. Below is a response. Response from Robert Amsterdam: I would […]

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Thailand’s Duty to Investigate Bangkok Killings under International Law

By Robert Amsterdam | Published: June 15, 2010

In the wake of the April and May violence in Bangkok, several announcements by the Thai authorities appear to mean one thing, but in fact conceal another truth. The investigatory panel proposed by the authorities earlier this month leaves a lot of open questions regarding its legal basis: What powers would the panel have, where […]

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Thailand’s Permanent State of Emergency

By James Kimer | Published: June 11, 2010

A powerful article from Shawn W. Crispin, an editor for Asia Times Online, points to the inception of a new period of military-authoritarian dictatorship in Thailand. Thailand is sliding towards de-facto military rule and it is not clear that Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has the will or power to turn back the authoritarian tide. A […]

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