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Author Archives: Managing Committee

Solidarity and Action for MMIWG2S

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Today, May 5 is the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit People. Often abbreviated as MMIWG2S, this day is a solemn remembrance of the countless Native people who have been harmed by gender-based violence. Statistics show that four in five Native women have experienced some form of violence in their lifetimes and are murdered at a rate ten times higher than the national average. In 2021, 5,203 Indigenous women were reported as missing by the FBI National Crime Information Center. Young women are primarily targeted, but cases of missing and murdered Indigenous members of the LGBTQ+ community are often underreported.

However, the real human impact goes far beyond statistics. Every day, another Indigenous woman goes missing. Families and communities are torn apart when they lose someone they care about. It is devastating to lose a friend, relative, or community member. Countless Native women across generations have grown up with the fear that they could be assaulted, kidnapped, or murdered simply for being an Indigenous woman. Even young girls are aware of the danger they are in. For them, MMIWG2S is impossible to ignore, yet much of the rest of the country pays little attention to it.

Canada has recognized the crisis of MMIWG2S as a genocide, but the US government has yet to do so. Systemic state violence and the legacies of colonialism and gendered colonial oppression all work to perpetuate this crisis. Institutions that claim to protect the people, such as the police, the legal system, and the entire federal government, fail to do so, and often are active perpetrators of violence. Proportionately, Native people are killed by police more than any other group. They face racist, discriminatory courts when trying to get legal justice for their relatives and community-members, and MMIWG2S are given little media attention.

MMIWG2S is a continuaion of the initial genocide and settler colonialism that founded the United States centuries ago. Since the late 15th century, Indigenous people have been attacked, killed, enslaved, stripped of their lands, forcibly sterilized, sent to reservations and residential schools, and forced to abandon their culture. Today, the legacies of this injustice are ongoing. Voting rights restrictions, the building of environmentally-destructive pipelines in sacred lands, and attempts to overturn policies like the Indian Child Welfare Act all serve as extensions of colonial violence. MMIWG2S exemplifies this along multiple axes of oppression. Colonial racism and gender-based violence intersect to create this crisis. It is not simply violence against women or Native people, but specific violence targeting Native women at the intersections of these identities, along with queer, nonbinary, and Two-Spirit people who also face gender-based oppression. 

It is clear that action is needed. Here at STAND, we stand in solidarity with the Indigenous communities working to protect themselves from systemic racist violence and honor the memory of all MMIWG2S. This list of resources provides hotlines for Indigenous women and all people experiencing violence, relevant government reports and scholarly articles, and a list of organizations currently taking action. You can also attend one of the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center’s virtual events today to learn more or take action to support Indigenous women here. If you want to learn more about the work that STAND does to address atrocities against Indigenous communities, you can sign up for our United States Action Committee here.

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Grace Harris is a second-year International Development Studies major at UCLA who serves as the United States Action Committee Lead for STAND. She is also an Education and Outreach Co-Lead. This is her third year on STAND’s Managing Committee.

STAND Conflict Update: April 2023

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Northeast Africa

Sudan

On April 15, violence broke out in the cities of Khartoum and Obdurman in Sudan. The fighting is ongoing, and has killed more than 420 innocent civilians so far, with one being a United States citizen. According to a Sudanese medical group, there has been a significant amount of destruction done to the city of Khartoum. Civilians who have been affected by this fighting are still trying to flee and reach safety. There were several ceasefire attempts made three separate times, all of which have failed. 

Disagreements between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are the reason for this violent outbreak. While the leaders of the two forces united in 2019 to overthrow Omar al-Bashir, the former dictator of Sudan, there were power struggles after the fact when Sudan decided that it was going to form a new government that involved both civilians and military officials. Eventually, the goal was to create a government that was fully run by civilians. Instead, the army and RSF broke out into conflict because of disagreements over which military branch was going to lead the government. As a result of the attack, all United States military and government employees have been evacuated from the country, and there has been no breaks in the conflict since it began.

South Sudan

On April 24, approximately 10,000 civilians fleeing the escalating conflict in Sudan arrived in South Sudan. While the majority of these people were South Sudanese, many Sudanese refugees were included among them as well. This influx of people represents one of many ways South Sudan will be impacted by violence in Sudan. South Sudan’s oil industry, which is a key component of the country’s economy, relies on a pipeline that runs through Sudan. The industry is already struggling due to infrastructure challenges, and further pressure could have serious humanitarian and political consequences. In addition to this, the transitional government in place in South Sudan remains fragile, and Sudanese leaders have helped to mediate conflicts and preserve unity in the past. These leaders will likely be unable to fulfill the same role while embroiled in their own conflict, which creates new risks and challenges in South Sudan.

South Sudan continues to experience violence and challenges to governance within the country as well. In recognition of this situation, the UN Human Rights Council renewed the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan on April 3, despite protests from the government. This is meant to provide greater accountability for perpetrators of human rights violations, though it is unclear how this will happen without support from the government.

Tigray, Ethiopia

Despite an official end to the war and the commitment of both sides to the peace agreement, many Tigrayans are still reckoning with the aftermath of the conflict and atrocities they faced during it. Over the last three years, 380,000 civilians and 253,000 military forces were killed, tens of thousands of women were raped, and millions of people were cut off from food and other necessary resources due to the blockade. Countless people have come forward to share their stories about the atrocities they were subject to at the hands of Ethiopian and Eritrean soldiers. Despite these horrors, many are optimistic that change is possible.

There have been multiple important developments in Ethiopia’s peace process this month. First, schools in Tigray have begun registering students in preparation for the upcoming school year. This is the first time classes will have been held in the region in three years. Administrators plan to start classes on May 2, and are offering remedial education to help students make up for the last three years. This, alongside the reinstitution of communications, banking, and transportation, are all good signs for a lasting peace. Many prisoners of war have also been released in recent weeks.

Central Africa

Cameroon

Fighting between anglophone separatists and government forces has continued with little sign of ending. There has not been any further news about the peace talks Canada offered to help mediate at the beginning of the year, nor has there been significant progress on their business development initiative. In fact, government officials recently announced that their initiative to rebuild infrastructure destroyed by conflict over the past several years would need $100 million to be invested in addition to their original $150 million plan. While some projects have been successful, progress has been very slow, in part due to the fact that conflict is ongoing.  Officials have specifically accused separatists of seizing construction materials and attacking workers, citing this as the main cause for the delay.  Separatists have been known to justify the use of guerrilla tactics as a necessity against a more powerful army, though they have not commented on this particular situation.

At the same time as this conflict continues within the countries, civilians in Cameroon also face danger from cross-border attacks by militants, mainly members of Boko Haram, in the Central African Republic and Nigeria. In response to a spike in this violence, the government of Cameroon announced that it would redeploy troops to the border to help protect civilians.  It remains to be seen what this change in military resource allocation will mean for the course of conflict with anglophone separatists and for civilian trust in government.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Violence continues to be prevalent and tensions still remain high between rebel groups and the government of the DRC. In one week, the Allied Democratic Forces, an Islamic militant group, killed over 30 people in one attack and killed 22 people in another. This cycle of never-ending violence continues to traumatize the people of the DRC. Recently, reports have shown that at least 60 people have been killed by the M23 rebel group. This makes it all the more imperative to have these groups withdraw in order to fully investigate the atrocities they have committed and to provide aid to those who have been in the crossfire of this conflict.       

Southwest Asia 

Yemen

Yemen is currently at a crucial point in the peace process. Although the truce between warring sides in the conflict expired six months ago, critical progress is still being made. This is the longest period of peace in the nation since the war began eight years ago. Airports have reopened, food and fuel continue to flow into ports, and recently, 900 prisoners on all sides were released following a series of negotiations. There is still a lot that needs to be done to help the people of Yemen, who continue to suffer from the effects of years of war and a humanitarian crisis, but many remain optimistic that lasting peace is possible.

In Yemen’s capital, Sana’a, at least 78 people were killed and dozens more were injured in a crowd surge on April 19. This occurred during the holy Islamic month of Ramadan as people were receiving charity handouts from local merchants because someone was shooting in the air, causing panic among the people. A bullet hit an electrical wire, which fell on the ground and caused electroshocks. The tragedy was Yemen’s deadliest in years, even though it wasn’t directly correlated with the conflict in Yemen. Due to a lack of basic necessities, such as water, healthcare and education, the people of Sana’a found themselves desperate for a small amount of money, making violence and chaos occur. 

Syria

On April 25, Turkish, Russian, Iranian, and Syrian defense ministers and intelligence chiefs met in Moscow to discuss potential peace talks to rebuild relationships after years of war. While no definitive actions came from these talks, they were considered constructive and were an important first step for later action. All four countries reiterated their desire to preserve Syria’s original territory and the need to intensify efforts for the speedy return of Syrian refugees to their country. Syrian officials have reiterated that peace talks between Ankara and Damascus can only come after the removal of Turkish troops along northwest Syria.

Palestine

 On April 24, thousands of Israelis and Palestinians came together in a joint memorial ceremony to honor and remember the victims of the conflict. This was a powerful show of solidarity despite opposition from right-wing counter-protestors. While the Israeli government attempted to ban Palestinians from joining this memorial ceremony, this was overturned by the Supreme Court.

This show of peace comes at the same time as escalating violence in Jerusalem, a significant Muslim, Jewish, and Christian holy city. At the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam, Israeli authorities made overnight worship illegal and banned many Palestinians from entering to pray. While people were praying inside the mosque earlier this month, police forces attacked them, injuring 12 people, arresting 400 others, and using violent force to stop further people from worshiping. Since then, retaliatory violence has erupted, with armed groups in Gaza and Lebanon sending rockets towards Israel and Israel carrying out airstrikes in both regions. In response to this, the UN has reaffirmed its calls for peace, declaring that the international community needs to strengthen Palestinian institutions and work towards a two-state solution.

East and South Asia

Burma

On Tuesday, April 11, the military junta bombed the Kant Balu township in the Sagaing region, killing around 100 people. The Nation Unity Government’s Ministry of Labour described the attack as a war crime. The military junta has not commented on the attack. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, in a statement responding to the attacks, condemned the junta’s actions and reassured that the United States would continue to support Burma through the UN Security Council, other UN member states, and other partners like ASEAN.

Violence between the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and the junta has increased this month as the KNLA attacked military outposts and more than 80 people have died in Shwe Kokko. Some 10,000 Burmese people have fled to Thailand to escape fighting between the military and KNLA since the start of increased conflict at the beginning of this month. A singular monastery holds almost 500 refugees as the humanitarian crisis worsens, and is now reported that 1 in 3 Burmese persons are in need of humanitarian aid.  

East Turkistan (Xinjiang, China)

Since June of last year, the Uyghur Forced Labor Protection Act (UFLPA) has been in effect in order to ensure that products imported by the US are not made using forced labor in East Turkistan. However, a recent review by Reuters shows that the crackdown on imports from East Turkistan has harmed manufacturing in Vietnam, which depends on China for imported materials to make apparel and footwear. Due to Vietnam’s reliance on cotton textile materials from China, this could lead to difficulties in complying with the UFLPA affecting the nation’s trade with the US.

As a way to promote tourism in East Turkistan, a Chinese advertisement featured a Uyghur woman dancing in a mosque. Many Uyghurs in the diaspora have condemned this as an act of desecration. It is particularly noteworthy that this video took place during the holy month of Ramadan for Muslims, who have been persecuted by the Chinese government for their religion in the region. This is seen as a way for the Chinese government to erase and diminish their culture and language, turning important cultural and religious traditions into ads with no understanding of their history and importance.

Kashmir

A court in the Pakistan controlled region of Kashmir has recently removed a local leader and protégé of Imran Khan, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan from office because he made public remarks insulting judges. Another one of his allies was elected to this post as a replacement. Since his removal from power last April, Khan has remained outspoken about the current government.

While these internal disputes have been going on, violence has surged in Kashmir as five Indian soldiers were killed in an ambush near the Line of Control that separates the Indian and Pakistani controlled regions of Kashmir. They were killed in an ambush by a rebel group opposed to Indian control and oppression. At the moment, tensions remain high.

North America

United States 

Gun violence continues to run rampant in the United States, with a recent spree of shootings of people who accidentally walked up to the wrong house, made a U-turn in the wrong driveway, got in the wrong car, lost a ball in the wrong yard, argued with the wrong neighbor, and brought an instacart delivery to the wrong address. Very little change has been made to address this culture of violence in the name of self-defense.

Despite this, there have been some recent positive developments in the US legal system. First, neither Nebraska nor South Carolina was able pass a statewide abortion ban due to the abstention of a single vote in Nebraska and the efforts of five women to filibuster in South Carolina. Both states have a Republican majority, yet were unable to garner enough votes for an abortion ban. Despite the ongoing destruction of reproductive rights in the United States following the overturning of Roe V. Wade, this is an important move that will protect the rights of countless women and all people who can become pregnant. Additionally, Tennessee– a state that recently banned gender-affirming care for transgender youth– is currently being sued by the US Justice Department for this law. The Justice Department has declared that no person should be denied medical care for being transgender, and that this policy violates the equal protection clause of the US Constitution. If the lawsuit goes through, this could be a landmark case amidst the hundreds of proposed laws aimed at the destruction of trans rights.

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Alishba Waqar is a junior at Westfield High School. She contributed to the Yemen portion of this update.

Allison Weiner is a sophomore at DePauw University majoring in Global Health, and minoring in Peace and Conflict Studies. She contributed to the Sudan portion of this update. 

Grace Harris is a sophomore at UCLA majoring in International Development Studies. She contributed to the Tigray, Palestine, and United States portions of this update.

Jerry Harris is a recent graduate at George Mason University with a BA in Psychology. He contributed to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, East Turkistan, and Kashmir portions of this update.

Mira Mehta is a sophomore at Brown University. She contributed to the South Sudan and Cameroon portions of this update.

Seng Hkawn Myitung is a sophomore at Albemarle High School. They contributed to the Burma and Syria portions of this update.

April 2023 Lesson Plan: East Turkistan

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STAND’s Education team, with the help of the East Turkistan Action Committee, has put together a lesson plan that includes resources and activities designed to introduce students to key concepts relating to the East Turkistan priority area and the ongoing atrocities against Uyghurs and other Muslim ethnic groups there. STAND encourages advisors and chapter leaders to adapt the plans to your own context, and do what works best for their members.

Download the lesson plan here

April 2023 East Turkistan Lesson PlanApril 2023 East Turkistan Lesson PlanApril 2023 East Turkistan Lesson PlanApril 2023 East Turkistan Lesson PlanApril 2023 East Turkistan Lesson Plan

STAND Conflict Update: March 2023

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Northeast Africa

Sudan

On March 11th, Sudan’s military leader, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, along with the Rapid Support Forces leader, Mohamad Hamda Dagalo, met in Khartoum. There has been tension between the two groups, as the army is trying to gain authority over all of Sudan’s military forces, while the Rapid Support Forces are aiming for independence. 

This month, talks began about military reforms, which are a major aspect of the democratic transition. General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan came out with a statement saying that the army will be run under a new civilian-led government. He also stated that it is time to end the dictatorship form of government that has been in place for so long and shift to a democracy. Additionally, he stated that part of the reform will include creating a military force that will remain separate from politics and that civilians can rely on for completing the shift to a more democratic state. 

South Sudan

The government of South Sudan resumed peace talks with holdout rebel groups before quickly adjourning to resolve differences on the structure of the negotiations. Rebel groups have asked for a conference that includes all relevant stakeholders, while the government would prefer to focus on only the issues they see as most relevant, picking up where they left off from the most recent round of negotiations. Talks are set to resume on May 8th.

At the same time, the government is facing its own rifts, which threaten a fragile peace agreement.  On March 8, President Salva Kiir dismissed the country’s foreign minister without any apparent reason. This came less than a week after he did the same to the country’s ministers of defense and interior, the former of whom is Vice President Riek Machar’s wife.  While Machar condemned the move, he has remained committed to the peace agreement that guides his and Kiir’s unity government. However, these developments indicate potentially fragility in the arrangement.

Tigray, Ethiopia

The US State Department, in its annual global human rights report, has determined that all sides of the conflict in Tigray, Ethiopia committed crimes against humanity, including murder, rape and sexual violence, persecution, civilian starvation, deportation, and the ethnic cleansing of Tigrayans. It is estimated that 500,000 civilians were killed in Tigray alone over the course of the two-year war. While important steps are being taken towards peace, it is necessary to reckon with the impact these atrocities have had on the people of Ethiopia.

On a more positive note, Ethiopia has established a new interim government in the region of Tigray. Getachew Reda, appointed by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) was chosen as the head of this new administration on March 23, and this collaboration is an important part of the November 2022 peace agreement. The TPLF has also been removed from Ethiopia’s list of terrorist organizations, signaling an improvement in the relationship between both sides of the conflict and a hope for lasting peace.

Central Africa

Cameroon

Violence has continued with no signs of progress towards peace in the last month. Although there has been little news about Canada’s proposed peace agreement for Cameroon, the two countries have partnered for other purposes. They have begun an initiative in which Canada will support local business development in Cameroon, which could signal greater cooperation and a potential future plan for peace negotiations. Cameroon has also experienced significant political developments domestically. On March 12, President Paul Biya’s party won all Senate seats up for election. This sets the majority party up for continued rule, while minority parties, including anglophones, remain unrepresented in formal government.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Tensions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have been heating up for the past month despite efforts to end the ongoing violence between the government and other rebel forces. While the UN has called for rebel groups, including the M23 group, to honor a ceasefire agreement early in the month, acts of violence continue to surge, breaking the agreement. Islamist militant groups have committed multiple violent attacks, killing 40 people in one attack and 19 people in another, as well as destroying a medical facility. These events have prompted neighboring countries like Angola to send troops to quell the violence in the eastern part of the country. As a result, 300,000 people have had to leave their homes in the last month, joining a total of 800,000 who have been displaced since last year. The humanitarian crisis will likely not end until lasting peace can be ensured for the region. 

Southwest Asia 

Yemen

After years of continuous hostilities, hopes have been elevated that the Saudi Arabian–led intervention in Yemen might finally come to an end due to an unexpected deal between Saudi Arabia and Iran this month. Nevertheless, analysts caution that if Saudi Arabia were to decide to cease military activities, the conflict there would still be far from over and may potentially get more violent. The long-standing animosity between the Houthis and their rivals, as well as the conflicts and strains that rule the anti-Houthi camp, cannot be resolved by Iran and Saudi Arabia uniting.

Syria

As Syria continues to recover from the devastating earthquake that struck in February, the nation has become more and more vulnerable to internal conflict. Last month, the UN reported that the humanitarian crisis has been at the highest level since the start of the conflict. Since the defeat of ISIS in 2019, over 65,000 detainees have been held in northwestern Syria. As ISIS starts to regain power in Syria, they have also made moves to free their captured fighters, along with allied women and children. There have been calls from humanitarian organizations for the removal and rehabilitation of those detained in these camps.

Despite the lull in conflict for much of the month due to earthquake recovery, air strikes and bombings from all sides have recently begun to re-escalate last week. Israel carried out an airstrike on Aleppo International Airport, where much of the recent humanitarian aid has come in. Following a Syrian militia drone attack that killed a U.S. contractor and injured six other Americans, the US killed 19 in retaliatory air strikes. After that, the Iran-backed militias involved struck multiple US coalition bases in a further attack. The ongoing humanitarian crisis is only worsened by this violence and destruction.

Palestine

Last week, Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich caused outrage by denying the existence of Palestine and Palestinians. Earlier this month, he also stated that a Palestinian village in the West Bank should be wiped out. This reflects a destructive colonial mentality that only serves to worsen the conflict.

The United Nations has also expressed concern over the ongoing conflict in Palestine. Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, has reported that the occupation must end in order for the violence to end. The death toll has risen alongside escalating violence, and 2022 was the deadliest year in the past 17 years for Palestinians and in the past 6 years for Israelis. Over half a century of occupation, oppression, and human rights violations have deeply impacted the people of Palestine, creating lasting legacies of harm. Change is needed.

East and South Asia

Burma

The U.S. Treasury Department has recently imposed sanctions on Tun Min Latt and his wife, Win Min Soe and the companies they run under their names, Sia Sun Group, Asia Sun Trading Co Ltd, and Cargo Link Petroleum Logistics Co Ltd, along with three other firms involved in importing weapons and military equipment, such as drones and aircraft parts. This is important because the Burmese military has increasingly used airstrikes to attack villages and other countries have imposed sanctions on jet fuel suppliers. These actions align with the United Kingdom, Canada, and the European Union’s decision to impose more sanctions on Burmese companies that are giving direct aid to the Junta.

On Armed Forces Day, greeted by lavish parades and thousands of perfectly placed troops, General Min Aung Hlaing vowed to crush acts of terror by armed resistance groups. In the same speech, he continued to blame former leader Aung San Suu Kyi and the democratic party for the alleged election fraud in November 2020. He promised an eventual return to democracy where he promised that the winning group would be able to peacefully rule, but his promises of democracy seem to be shallow as support from China and Russia sat side-by-side with the General as he gave his speech.

East Turkistan (Xinjiang, China)

As tensions rise between the United States and China as Xi Jinping enters his third term as China’s president, the issues surrounding East Turkistan still remain at the forefront of this contentious relationship between both countries.This month, the United States convened a committee in the House dealing with competition with China. This drew bipartisan support, although some fear it could escalate tensions with the ruling Chinese government. At a recent hearing, two Uyghur and Uzbek women, both oppressed minority groups in China, spoke of the horrors of being placed in internment camps that they described as being like a war zone. As the month of Ramadan has come, celebrated by Muslims around the world including the ethnic minorities that live in East Turkistan, President Biden has expressed his solidarity with the Uyghur population as they struggle with the oppression that the Chinese government has inflicted upon them. With this clear message from the US, it is imperative that change will come as a result of these hearings.

Kashmir

The UN has urged India to immediately stop its repression of Kashmiri activists. The government must be held accountable for the violation of human rights that they are responsible for upholding. This call comes from the arrest and ongoing detainment of prominent Kashmiri activist Khurram Parvez and the manipulation of laws used by the government to detain the activists. He was charged with financing terrorism for his investigation into India’s human rights abuses in Jammu and Kashmir, an arrest that has been widely criticized by the international community.

North America

United States

This year, a record number of bills targeting transgender people and all members of the LGBTQ+ community have been introduced in numerous State governments. The ACLU is currently tracking 435 anti-LBGTQ bills in the United States, many of which revolve around removing access to gender affirming healthcare, censoring education, and banning trans people from playing on the sports team and using the bathroom that aligns with their gender. At the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), right-wing political commentator Michael Knowles called for the eradication of trans people. This is just one instance of the transphobic rhetoric that is becoming increasingly mainstream and is a warning sign of the early steps of genocide.

Gun violence also continues to run rampant in the United States. This month, 38 mass shootings have killed 57 people and injured another 133. Six people, including three children, were just killed this Monday on March 27. It is clear that change is needed to end this epidemic of gun violence. 

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Alishba Waqar is a junior at Westfield High School. She contributed to the Yemen portion of this update.

Allison Weiner is a sophomore at DePauw University majoring in Global Health, and minoring in Peace and Conflict Studies. She contributed to the Sudan portion of this update. 

Grace Harris is a sophomore at UCLA majoring in International Development Studies. She contributed to the Tigray, Palestine, and United States portions of this update.

Jerry Harris is a recent graduate of George Mason University with a BA in Psychology. He contributed to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and East Turkistan portions of this update.

Mira Mehta is a sophomore at Brown University. She contributed to the Cameroon and South Sudan portions of this update.

Seng Hkawn Myitung is a sophomore at Albemarle High School. They contributed to the Burma, Kashmir, and Syria portions of this update.

 

March 2023 Lesson Plan: Yemen

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STAND’s Education team, with the help of the Yemen Action Committee, has put together a lesson plan that includes resources and activities designed to introduce students to key concepts relating to the Yemen priority area and the ongoing conflict and atrocities there. Since the Yemeni Civil War really escalated in March 2015, eight years ago, we thought this would be a timely theme for the month! STAND encourages advisors and chapter leaders to adapt the plans to your own context, and do what works best for their members.

Download the lesson plan here

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STAND Conflict Update: February 2023

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Northeast Africa

Sudan

This month, the need for humanitarian assistance for the people of Sudan has reached an all time high. The four risks that are the most significant at the moment for the Sudanese people are conflict, disease outbreak, an extremely poor economic state, and natural disasters. Additionally, many Sudanese people are experiencing a lack of access to water, along with food insecurities that are causing starvation and malnutrition. Humanitarian organizations plan to provide food, healthcare, and basic necessities, but there is still a lot of uncertainty, and the situation continues to deteriorate.

Likewise, a disease outbreak is sweeping the nation. Some people have contracted malaria while others have contracted dengue fever. While most people thought they had malaria due to the malaria-like symptoms, it turns out that they had actually contracted the dengue fever virus. One of the biggest factors contributing to the disease spike in the nation is the poor public health system, along with a lack of access to health care. 

South Sudan

On February 3, the Pope arrived in South Sudan and encouraged leaders and civilians to support meaningful peace. Ahead of his visit, President Salva Kiir announced that the government would resume participation in peace talks with holdout opposition groups. The announcement was cautiously welcomed by opposition leaders, but it is unclear what progress in the peace process has been made since then.

Some progress has been made in achieving transition goals, as the government continues to work on a new constitution. It was announced this month that a law allowing arrests without warrants would be removed, indicating room for compromise and more democratic governance. Leaders have also said that they plan to have elections next December, with a formal transition of power in early 2025. This could force more action towards comprehensive peace in the coming year.

Tigray, Ethiopia

On February 3, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and senior leaders of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) met in person for the first time since the peace deal was signed to discuss progress in the restoration of communications, disarming of armed groups, withdrawal of Eritrean troops and access to humanitarian aid. However, many Tigrayans have reported that attacks on civilians, especially sexual assault, are still ongoing. One woman recounted how she was raped by a soldier on the same day of this meeting. Progress cannot be made if the people of Tigray are still suffering.

On this note, the Ethiopian government has called for an end to investigations into its human rights abuses during the war. The UN has ordered an inquiry into the massacres, rapes, and arbitrary detentions that took place in Ethiopia, but the government is opposed to this. Ethiopia has claimed that this is a politically motivated stunt to block funding, but these crimes have been widely documented. Ending the investigation would set a bad precedent and not hold Ethiopia accountable, but continuing it may result in diplomatic conflicts.

Central Africa

Cameroon

The Cameroonian government has refused to participate in peace talks proposed by Canada and conflict has continued to escalate, especially due to controversy over the upcoming Senate elections. Anglophone separatists vowed in January to disrupt this process and killed two election officials. Clashes have continued over the past month, with both sides claiming to have killed scores of opposing soldiers. The government has refused to release exact numbers of troops who have been killed, but touted their successes in detaining separatist soldiers who have surrendered. They plan to continue with elections as scheduled.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Despite the recent visit of the Pope last month, tensions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) still remain high as the government clashes with rebel forces. The government has also blamed rebel forces, especially the M23 group, for violence, including the death of an UN peacekeeper. However, many civilians have been expressing anti-UN sentiments since last year, claiming they were not being protected by these UN peacekeepers.

Conflict has continued, and eight civilians were killed in clashes after protestors blocked an UN convoy. In addition to this, Amnesty International has reported that the M23 group was involved in numerous killings and mass rapes on a large scale since Novemeber of last year. While things may be looking up as people in the DRC have registered to vote in this year’s election in December, it remains to be seen if any lasting change will happen in this ongoing crisis.     

Southwest Asia 

Yemen

During a national conference on Monday to contribute to humanitarian assistance funding for the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, international donors donated roughly $1.2 billion. The amount is much less than the $4.3 billion goal established by the UN to avert the humanitarian disasters in Yemen. The United Nations, Sweden, and Switzerland jointly sponsored the national conference in the Palais des Nations in Geneva. Yemen needs the funds to cover food expenses and medical services as more than 21 million people are in desperate need of humanitarian aid.  The ongoing armed conflict has resulted in violence, displacement, and food shortages, but there is hope that peace will improve the conditions for Yemenis.

Syria

On February 6th, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck northern and western Syria, along with southern and central Turkey. Tens of thousands of people were killed and just as many people were injured as a result of the earthquake. Millions of Syrians have been left homeless and in need of humanitarian aid because of the earthquake. This is especially concerning because the humanitarian crisis in this region was already at the highest level since the start of conflict in Syria in 2011. Over 4 million people were already in need of aid before the earthquake occurred, and hundreds of thousands more will need help because of it.

On a more positive note, in the Netherlands, the first case trying the Syrian armed group Daesh for crimes against humanity has begun. Daesh has targeted Yazidi and Christian religious minorities with genocide, committing murder, enslavement, forced displacement, sexual violence, and other atrocities. Twelve women rescued from a prison camp have spoken out against the abuse they faced in these hearings. This is an important step for justice and accountability.

Palestine

Israeli and Palestinian officials held a summit in Jordan for the first time in a number of years in an effort to improve relations before the holy month of Ramadan, which many worry might serve as the ignition for a larger escalation. At this meeting, representatives from Israel and Palestine pledged to start working right away to stop additional conflict.

This comes at a time of conflict and high tensions. Late last month, the Israeli military killed nine Palestinians in the occupied West Bank in the deadliest raid in decades. There is hope for peace and reconciliation, but Israel’s plans to build more housing in and fully annex the West Bank negate that. The participants agreed to meet again in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt next month for additional discussion.

East and South Asia

Burma

February 1 marked the second anniversary of the military coup in Burma, and life in Burma has not changed much since then. Around 3,000 people have been killed, 17,000 detained, and 1.5 million displaced. The international response has been strong, with both the United States and the European Union (EU) imposing sanctions on the military government. The EU recently placed a sixth round of sanctions on Burma, targeting 9 high ranking officials and 7 companies. It placed restrictive measures on private companies involved in supplying fuel, weapons, and funding to the military and travel bans on certain individuals who have sentenced protesters to death, overseen air strikes, ordered massacres, and committed other atrocities. 

East Turkistan (Xinjiang, China)

A major data leak from Chinese police documents has been released, revealing mass systems of surveillance and enabling people to search for files on their missing family members. Tens of thousands of people were listed as detained, mainly between 2016-2018, and there are around 750,000 total people in the files. The Chinese government has not yet spoken on this, but previously claimed that similar reports were misinformation and propaganda. Through these documents, multiple Uyghurs who have fled the country have found that their family members were targeted because of them and arrested for arbitrary reasons such as taking a vacation in a so-called suspicious country and associating with political dissidents. 

Canada has also recently voted to take in 10,000 Uyghur refugees over the next two years, a strong show of support following their recognition of the genocide in 2021. While this is a non-binding measure, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his cabinet have stated that they intend to make this happen. 

Kashmir

The Rawalpindi Arts Council in Pakistan held a photography exhibit early this month highlighting Indian atrocities in Kashmir. At this event, speakers called for Kashmiri freedom and self-determination and declared that Pakistan stands with Kashmir. This was just one of many events, protests, and other demonstrations held on Kashmir Solidarity Day on February 5. At the main state ceremony, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called for India to end its occupation of Kashmir and honor previous agreements.

There was also diplomatic conflict between India and Pakistan at a recent United Nations assembly. Pakistan reiterated a call for India to end its occupation of Kashmir and brought up the recent death of a young Kashmiri boy after being tortured by Indian forces. India responded, declaring that Kashmir is an integral part of the nation and criticizing Pakistan for harboring hatred towards India. Tensions continue to rise between these two countries over Kashmir.

North America

United States

There have been multiple proposed bills in the United States Congress relating to genocide and atrocity issues. On International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Congressman Josh Gottheimer and three others introduced the Holocaust Education and Antisemitism Lessons (HEAL) Act. This House bill follows a startling rise in antisemitic incidents and Holocaust misinformation over recent years. The HEAL Act would direct the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum to evaluate state-level Holocaust education and report its findings to Congress. Late last month, Senator Tammy Duckworth re-introduced the Korematsu-Takai Civil Liberties Protection Act. During the Second World War, the United States forcibly removed over 120,000 Japanese Americans and incarcerated them in camps. This Senate bill would clearly prohibit the incarceration of individuals based on their identity and rectify the loophole created by the Non-Detention Act of 1971, which does not specify this. 

In other news, Judge Susan Eagen sentenced the domestic terrorist who killed ten people and injured three at a Tops Friendly Market in Buffalo, New York, to life in prison without parole. The gunman was convicted of one act of domestic terrorism motivated by hate and ten counts of first-degree murder after he targeted a supermarket within a predominantly Black neighborhood last year. 

Additionally, this month marks one year since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war. Vice President Kamala Harris declared at the Munich Security Conference that Russia is committing crimes against humanity in Ukraine. The United States Department of State released a press statement reporting summary executions, mass rape, and child deportations. Furthermore, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution imploring Russia to withdraw from Ukraine.

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Alishba Waqar is a junior at Westfield High School.  She contributed to the Yemen and Palestine portion of this update.

Allison Weiner is a sophomore at DePauw University majoring in Global Health, and minoring in Peace and Conflict Studies. She contributed to the Sudan portion of this update. 

Anne-Sophie Hellman is a junior at Buffalo State University majoring in History. She contributed to the United States portion of this update. 

Grace Harris is a sophomore at UCLA majoring in International Development Studies. She contributed to the Tigray and East Turkistan portions of this update.

Jerry Harris is a recent graduate of George Mason University with a BA in Psychology. He contributed to the Democratic Republic of the Congo portion of this update.

Mira Mehta is a sophomore at Brown University. She contributed to the Cameroon and South Sudan portions of this update.

Seng Hkawn Myitung is a sophomore at Albemarle High School. She contributed to the Burma, Kashmir, and Syria portions of this update.

February 2023 Lesson Plan: Burma

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STAND’s Education team, with the help of the Burma Action Committee, has put together a lesson plan that includes resources and activities designed to introduce students to key concepts relating to Burma, one of STAND’s priority areas, and the atrocities committed there. Since February 1, 2023 was the second anniversary of the military coup, we decided to release these materials to chapters this month. STAND encourages advisors and chapter leaders to adapt the plans to your own context (high school vs. college, member knowledge base, meeting time limit, etc.)!

Download the lesson plan here

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STAND Conflict Update: January 2023

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Northeast Africa

Sudan

On January 10, Egypt proposed an initiative to help Sudan settle its ongoing crisis and further unity in Sudan. The Egyptian government plans to create tactics that will lead to a peace settlement, aiming to provide aid to the Sudanese government and restore the former civilian-led transitional government. They also want to ensure that the Democratic Unionist Party is involved in the post-transitional government, as they have historically been allied. Sudanese military and government officials are currently in the process of restoring this civilian government, and Egypt plans to be involved.

South Sudan

President Salva Kiir reaffirmed in his New Year Address that the government would not participate in peace talks until rebel groups genuinely commit to peace. However, it is unclear what the threshold is for the government to resume talks. For the time being, some rebel groups have been reportedly preparing for war, and violent clashes have continued. In addition, three humanitarian aid workers have been killed in the past month.

However, there have also been some attempts to build peace and stability. On January 24, South Sudan welcomed the Pope’s advance team in preparation for his visit to the country in February. For the country’s Catholic population, the visit is expected to help promote peace and reduce intercommunal violence. The government also began another attempt to write a new constitution in January, which will be necessary to maintain stability as they move out of the transitional period. Political infighting has limited progress on the constitution, so it remains to be seen what the final product will be.

Tigray, Ethiopia

Following the November 2nd peace treaty signed by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front and the Ethiopian government, significant efforts have been made towards peace. The remaining presence of Eritrean troops in Tigray has been an issue due to the country’s involvement in human rights abuses during the war, but forces are now being withdrawn. Ethiopia has stated that there are no more Eritrean troops remaining in the country, but the US claims that they have moved to the border but have not left yet. There is no clear proof on either side, but Tigray has also reported that thousands of troops are still there. On a positive note, Tigrayan forces have been in the process of handing over weapons such as tanks and rockets, a sign that they believe the peace deal will last. 

Central Africa

Cameroon

On January 20, Canada announced that it would host talks to begin a peace process in Cameroon and address some of the technical issues that have caused conflict. Several separatist groups, including the Ambazonia Governing Council and the Ambazonia Defence Force, have agreed to participate in the talks, unlike past attempts at peace processes. However, on January 23, the government of Cameroon denied having asked any other country for assistance in resolving the crisis. This came after months of its representatives attending talks in Canada to begin the process. It remains to be seen what the future of these talks will be, or if the change in stance indicates further fragmentation within the government.

Democratic Republic of Congo 

Despite the recent ceasefire called last month, the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s government remains suspicious about rebel troops, notably the M23 group. A recent report from the UN details suspected M23 troop movements in areas they were supposed to be withdrawn from. They have also seized new territory in other areas, and have been involved in multiple military clashes.

On January 15, at least 10 people were killed in a church bombing carried out by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan rebel group that has pledged allegiance to ISIS. Both Uganda and the DRC forces have launched a campaign against them, but attacks have been increasing with no sign of letting up. Recently, the same group attacked a bar, killing 23 people and burning several shops and homes. UN peacekeepers have also made a grisly discovery as bodies were found in mass graves after reports of attacks from local militia groups. A total of 42 victims and six children were found among them, and CODECO militants are suspected of involvement in the killings. These events have left countless people, including children, traumatized and trying to desperately figure out how to rebuild their lives.

 

Southwest Asia 

Yemen

Since the end of the six-month truce in Yemen in October 2022, there has been an uneasy ceasefire. In the past few weeks, Saudi Arabia and the Houthi rebels have revived back-channel talks in efforts to strengthen the current ceasefire and pave the way towards a more sustainable peace agreement. However, the situation on the ground in Yemen is by no means stable or without violence; military and Houthi activity across the country have continued to result in the deaths of civilians. Additionally, the U.S. Navy reportedly seized over 2,000 assault rifles bound for Houthi rebels in Yemen from Iran. However, in a briefing to the UN Security Council on January 16, UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg has urged that parties should take advantage of the lack of major escalation and focus their efforts on holistic peace efforts rather than short-term measures that focus on individual issues. As Yemen remains ravaged by the ongoing humanitarian crisis, it is vital for all parties to meaningfully engage with UN Peacebuilding mechanisms, and that those mechanisms are inclusive and Yemeni-led.

Syria

Early this month, the Israeli military launched a missile strike at an airport in Damascus, killing two soldiers and putting the airport out of service. While tensions have remained high between Israel and Syria, they have also risen between Turkey and Syria. Due to the threatening presence of Kurdish forces in northern Syria, Turkey has threatened a military offensive to stop them. Russia also has a presence in the region and had talks with Turkey to expand troop patrols to bring better security to the region. While some Syrians in the area have protested against the renewed contacts between Turkey and Syria, the effects of the civil war that has been brewing since 2011 have taken a toll, displacing countless people and sending many to Turkey as refugees. The UN has unanimously voted on a resolution to bring cross-border aid from Turkey to the northern part of Syria for another six months, while Amnesty International has called on the Syrian government to lift its siege on civilians in Aleppo. Hopefully, with these measures being implemented, the region can see a sign of reprieve from the horrors of ongoing civil war.    

Palestine

Following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s return to power in December and the swearing in of his new government, human rights defenders and policy experts began warning against the actions the extremist, far right government would begin to take. So far this year, the government is looking to be as bad as people feared. The government is moving to continue and expand illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank, has banned the flying of the Palestinian flag in public, and is actively working to weaken the power of the Israeli Supreme Court to reverse or strike down legislation. Furthermore, violence against Palestinians is on the rise. On the heels of the deadliest year for Palestinians since 2005, 2023 has already seen the deaths of at least 23 Palestinians by the Israeli military in the West Bank alone, including several children. At least one of the individuals killed occurred during a raid on the Qalandia refugee camp. According to the IMEU, Palestinian children have begun carrying goodbye letters on their person just in case, for fear of being killed by Israeli soldiers. The ongoing apartheid in Israel cannot be allowed to continue and is a violation of international law. The international community is obligated to take action to hold the government of Israel responsible for the decades of atrocities.

East and South Asia

Burma

Earlier this month, Burma’s military government held meetings with three different armed groups in the nation about holding elections in the regions they control. However, the military justified their initial takeover by claiming that there was fraud in the 2020 elections, and have spent the last two years suppressing opposition parties and taking control of the entire voting process. Because of this, many see this move as an attempt to legitimize the coup through a vote that may be unfair. 

At the same time, opponents of the military government plan to protest the second anniversary of the coup on February 1. They urge the entire country to participate in a silent strike within their homes to show mass discontent. Previously, the military has responded violently to protests, attacking and killing countless civilians. An estimated 2,890 people have been killed and 17,400 have been detained since the 2021 coup.

East Turkistan (Xinjiang, China)

China hosted a delegation of 30 Muslim scholars from the World Muslim Communities Council earlier this month to claim that their treatment of the Uyghurs in East Turkistan is an anti-terrorism measure, not a genocide. Following the visit, the organization has repeated this idea in a press statement, a move that has been heavily criticized by the World Uyghur Congress. The trip has been described as a propaganda visit to gloss over China’s atrocities by getting Muslims to deny the criminalization of Islam among the Uyghurs.

The World Uyghur Congress also recently challenged the British government in court for not investigating cotton imported from East Turkistan that may have been produced with forced labor. Unfortunately, they lost the case, as the court decided that they did not have a clear link to forced labor from specific products. 

Kashmir

On January 1, two gunmen broke into homes, killing four civilians and injuring six others. Those shot were part of the Hindu community, reflecting the bitter divide between Hindus and Muslims in India and Pakistan fighting over Kashmir. The next morning on the 2nd, an explosion occurred in one of the homes that was attacked, resulting in the deaths of two children and injuring four others. It is still unclear if the attackers from the first incident played a role in the explosion.

In responding to these two incidents, blame has shifted between both India and Pakistan’s role in the Kashmir region, as local residents have protested these events. While India’s government has blamed Pakistani militants for the attacks, political parties in the Kashmir region have blamed security lapses of the ruling lieutenant governor from policies that have resulted in more attacks in the region. Despite this, all sides have condemned the two attacks and security has been increased in the region.

North America

United States

January has been a tumultuous month as gun violence has continued to run rampant across the U.S. in the new year. Just in the last week, in California there have been two shootings in three days killing 18 people; the first at a Lunar New Year gathering in Monterey Park targeting Asian-Americans, and the second in Half Moon Bay. Unfortunately, the U.S. is no stranger to these horrific acts this year. According to the Gun Violence Archives, while we are only 24 days into 2023 at the time of writing this piece, there have been 39 mass shootings recorded across the country. Following these tragedies, President Joe Biden called, again, for a congressional bill banning assault weapons. Unfortunately, congress continues to be divided on this issue; last year House Democrats passed a bill banning assault weapons, but the bill stalled out in the Senate with little to no chance of reaching the White House for signature. The absence of gun control policy remains unacceptable in a country where mass shootings outnumber the days in the year, and the leading cause of death among children and youth under 24 is gun violence. As we move into February and beyond, we cannot continue to operate in the familiar cycle of witnessing these tragedies, calling for change, and meeting inaction. It is urgent that U.S. policymakers protect lives over weapons and take swift and concrete actions to prevent further loss of lives.

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Allison Weiner is a sophomore at DePauw University. She contributed to the Sudan portion of this update.

Alonna Despain is a recent graduate of New York University with a MS in Human Rights and International Law. She contributed to the Palestine, United States, and Yemen portions of this update. 

Grace Harris is a sophomore at UCLA studying International Development Studies. She contributed to the Tigray, Burma, and East Turkistan portions of this update.

Jerry Harris is a recent graduate of George Mason University with a BA in Psychology. He contributed to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Syria, and Kashmir portion of this update. 

Mira Mehta is a sophomore at Brown University. She contributed to the Cameroon and South Sudan portions of this update.