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1 June, on the occasion of the second anniversary of the assasination of Dr. Masuq al-Kaznawi, right, the Norwegian Council for the Rights of the Kurds (RKR) appeals to the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to put pressure on Syria to initiate an independent investigation of this murder, with a view to bring the responsible to justice. (17-JUNE-07)
 

On the occasion of Aung San Suu Kyi´s birthday 19 June, the Norwegian Burma Committee (NBC) will host a seminar for Burmese women in Norway. Instrumental in arranging this two-day event are NBC´s two interns, Naw Khin San Htwe from the Burmese Women´s Union and Lway Dang Jar from the Paulang Women´s Organisation, right. Their hope is to inspire Burmese women in Norway to take a more active political role. (15-JUNE-07)
 

Tomorrow, Wednesday 13 June, the Kurd leader Abdullah Öcalan´s lawyer Ömer Günes, right, will visit the Human Rights House. Günes is in Oslo to meet with specialists in the medical and legal professions, media and representatives of the Union of Trade Unions´ international department. To mark the occasion and draw attention to Öcalan´s plight, the Norwegian Council for the Rights of the Kurds (RKR) invites to an open meeting. (12-JUNE-07)
 

Despite some recent optimism and new talks starting on 18 June, the conflict in Western Sahara – with its heavy continuing costs on all the parties – won’t be resolved without a fundamental change in the UN Security Council’s approach.The International Crisis Group releases two reports on the conflict today. (11-JUNE-07)
 

Morocco is cracking down harder than usual on independence activists in Western Sahara raising doubts about peace talks due to start next week, the Polisario independence movement said on Monday. “Morocco´s behaviour may jeopardise the negotiations, as it could also jeopardise peace and stability in the region,” Polisario´s foreign affairs spokesman Mohamed Salem Ould Salek told a news conference in the Algerian capital. (11-JUNE-07)
 

Moroccan internet users have been unable to access YouTube since last week, amid fears that the country´s government is imposing restrictions on independent media. State authorities blame a technical glitch but bloggers suspect an attempt to stifle pro-independence protesters in Western Sahara. Latest: YouTube is back on, with Maroc Telecom representatives siting a technical problem as the cause. (30-MAY-07)
 

Despite official pledges, harassment of journalists and censorship are still prevalent, says Human Rights Watch in a fresh press release on the media situation in the People´s Republic of China ahead of next year’s Beijing olympics. -The Chinese government is backtracking on new rules that allow much greater freedom to foreign journalists, and is continuing to deny comparable freedoms to Chinese journalists, Human Rights Watch said today. (31-MAY-07)
 

A ´Say Yes´ campaign for non-discriminatory marriage laws in Norway is gaining momentum. In 2008, a new marriage law, in which same-sex relationships will be granted the right to marry, will be discussed and voted over in the Norwegian Parliament. It is far from certain, however, that a majority will vote in favour of the Bill. (29-MAY-07)
 

Over the last two weeks, Sahrawi students at colleges and universities across Morocco and Western Sahara have been subjected to serious human rights violations. On 23 May, 43 Norwegian civil society organisations signed a letter to the Moroccan government, demanding that the attacks on Sahrawi students are stopped, and that their rights are respected. (24-MAY-07)