North Africa: 'Arab Spring' Five-Year Anniversary - Region Remains Mired in Repression

[MowCowWhoHow III]

Source: All Africa

Five years since the fruit-seller Mohamed Bouazizi precipitated wide-ranging protests in Tunisia and the wider region after setting himself alight (on 17 December 2010) in protest at police harassment in the town of Sidi Bouzid, the region remains mired in repression and human rights abuse, said Amnesty International. In a new factsheet, Amnesty gives an overview of human rights developments in the countries in which there were uprisings five years ago. The country overviews include:

Bahrain: the authorities continue to crackdown on dissent with the use of excessive force and the arrest, detention and imprisonment of protesters along with the torture and other ill-treatment of detainees.

Egypt: harsh repression remains the order of the day, where peaceful activists and critics of the government, supporters of deposed president Mohamed Morsi and Muslim Brotherhood leaders remain in detention. Hundreds have been sentenced to death.

Libya: the country is deeply divided, with multiple armed conflicts across the country in which all sides have committed war crimes and serious human rights abuses with impunity.

Read more: http://allafrica.com/stories/201512170770.html

[merrily]

1. Thank heavens we didn't meddle in the Arab Spring!

[maxsolomon]

7. Republicans lay it at Obama's feet

because of his "Cairo Speech". You seem to agree.

Praytell, what should we have done in Libya? Let Qadaffi level Benghazi and remain in power? In retrospect, it may have been the proper course of action, like Bush the Wiser leaving Hussein in place to oppress the Shia in Iraq. Seems as if perhaps there was no good choice.

In most every other country affected, Obama kept our nose out of it, to the degree possible.

[merrily]

8. I don't agree that we kept our noses out of every country other than Libya.

However, I have less than no interest in discussing it with you. See if you guess why.

[maxsolomon]

9. Gun control?

You're an Isolationist?

sun spots?

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

2. This can't be! These were "our rebels". nt

[hibbing]

3. Hopeless

While the idiot son paints. I'm not feeling very hopeful at all. I have been watching Israel/Palesinian conflict since I can remember and I think I will be watching various degrees of turmoil in the region for the rest of my life. We supported so many despots and dictators for so long, and we just can't seem to replace them with others of our choosing that will bring stability to the region while suppressing their citizens.

Peace

[NobodyHere]

4. People seem to not realize that the Arab Spring is exactly what groups like Al-Qaeda wanted

[CJCRANE]

5. Who'd a thunk it? The War On Terror and Arab Spring just spread more extremism

rather than democracy.

It's almost like the neocon and neolib rhetoric was just a cover for something else more insidious.

[Xolodno]

6. Democracy can't grow and mature....

...among people who don't know what it is or how its supposed to be like.

They were under dictatorships and grew up for generations under it. Its what they are used to.

Democracy has to be learned, nurtured, grow, etc. over time. Its not that easy.