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Citizens speak out. People across the globe continue to demand the universal recognition
of human rights along with government reforms that include greater honesty as well as citizen
participation in countries such as Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, Botswana, Cambodia, China,
Cuba, Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, Mexico, Palestine, Syria, Uganda, the US and Yemen.
As US government employees protest states reducing their wages in an effort to eliminate
budget deficits, US President Barack Obama has begun addressing their concerns by calling
for higher tax rates for the nation's most wealthy, who he says are better able to withstand
income reductions. Meanwhile, a group of supporters attending a fundraising event hosted by President
Obama on Thursday, April 21 called for the US government to respect the rights of Private
First Class Bradley Manning, a soldier accused of releasing sensitive information to the
press, by ending the harsh treatment he is receiving in prison, including being kept
in solitary confinement and forced to sleep without clothing at night.
In Africa, Ugandans protest the re-arrest of minority party leader Kizza Besigye, who
had been leading calls for walk to work day as a means of protesting higher fuel prices.
Addressing the Bilin Sixth International Conference on Wednesday, April 20, Palestinian Authority
Prime Minister Salam Fayyad spoke out against the use of violence to achieve independence
from Israel, saying that diplomacy is more effective in achieving statehood goals. The
conference is held in the village of Bilin, where weekly peaceful demonstrations also
occur to protest issues such as Israeli seizure of land for expansion of settlements. Meanwhile
in Israel, around 300 citizens gathered on Thursday to sign a petition welcoming the
declaration of an independent Palestinian state based upon the borders of Israel set
during the 1949 armistice which ended the Arab-Israeli war.
On Thursday, Azerbaijani journalists fasted to demand the release of journalist Eynulla
Fatullayev, who has been imprisoned for four years despite a European Court for Human Rights
ruling that he should be freed.
A group of five senior Bahraini clerics release a statement denouncing the destruction of
mosques being carried out by government and Saudi forces to repress peaceful protests
calling for reform.
On Friday in Syria, security forces used live ammunition against tens of thousands of peaceful
pro-democracy protesters across the nation, with witnesses and human rights groups reporting
at least 75 people being killed, including five shot by snipers from above a medical
clinic in a suburb of Damascus. US President Barack Obama and British Secretary of State
William Hague each spoke out against the violence, saying that it must end now as they urged
the government to respect the rights of the citizens to exercise freedom of speech.
Near the western town of Walut, Libya, revolutionary forces were able to assume control after around
100 government soldiers fled across the border into Tunisia. Meanwhile, Libya’s state television
reported that the government is proposing a political solution to end the conflict.
Among its suggestions are a new constitution and elections that would be held in six months
if the military intervention by the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance (NATO) is halted.
However, Libyan forces continue an intense siege on Misurata, the nation's third largest
city. Saying that half a million people have already fled the country's unrest, UN Secretary
General Ban Ki-moon stated that the United Nations' priority is a cease fire as he called
for Libyan officials to halt the killing of citizens. UN humanitarian chief Valerie Amos
also announced that there were no plans to bring troops onto the ground for delivery
of relief supplies as the UN can still access Libya via civilian routes.
However, in a talk with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
expressed his nation's concern that the mission of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
(NATO) is overreaching the original UN resolution, which called only for the introduction of
a no-fly zone to protect innocent civilians.
Meanwhile on Friday, US Senator John McCain became the highest ranking US official to
travel to Libya as he met with leaders of the Transitional National Council on Friday
and called for greater support as well as global recognition of the council as the legitimate
government of the Libyan people. Amid the nation's rising casualties, US Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton announced the government was seeking help from the African Union in
arriving at a diplomatic solution to the political and humanitarian crisis.
As we mourn the loss of precious lives, we are heartened by the glimmers of peace in
regions of turmoil, and we pray for the ceasing of all conflicts as citizens everywhere choose
to live in neighborly dignity, freedom and tranquility�