Flight attendants on hunger strike

by Annie Scott on

It’s hard for most of us to imagine a situation so dire it would inspire us to go on hunger strike. Sadly, that is not the case for the Russian flight attendants who were not paid for eight months of work when their airline folded.

According to United Press International:
“KrasAir ceased operations last October when it ran out of cash, the news service said. Part of the AirUnion alliance, the carrier had about 2,500 employees and folded owing an estimated $10 million in back wages to its employees.”

RFERL reports that not nine (as state by UPI), but seventeen flight attendants stopped eating on May 14. Six of the flight attendants have been hospitalized.

In this economy, I think we all know the fear that we’d lose our jobs — but to not be paid for eight months of work? And have absolutely no power to demand it? Maybe I’d go on hunger strike, too. Well stated on Wikipedia: “A hunger strike cannot be effective if the fact that it is being undertaken is not publicized so as to be known by the people who are to be impressed, concerned or embarrassed by it.” So here I am, publicizing it. Pay your employees, KrasAir!

Former KrasAir flight attendants not participating in the strike are reportedly planning to rally today near the KrasAir offices in Krasnoyarsk.

Obama’s closure of Guantanamo already in sight

by Brenda Yun on

The Castro brothers in Cuba extended a warm welcome to Obama into the political limelight. This message was relayed through Argentina‘s President, Cristina Kirchner, who recently returned to Buenos Aires after a brief visit to Havana.

Within 24 hours, Obama has already halted proceedings involving two Guantanamo detainees and intended to close Guantanamo by the end of the year — and likely much earlier.
While most would like to see Gitmo gone as soon as possible, it appears there is a slew of red tape that could slow this process:

  • the decision must be made at the Cabinet level, and Clinton has been reluctant to conform to Obama’s views of Guantanamo in particular
  • the prisoners will be displaced and moved to several other prisons around the world, which still remains a logistical question mark
  • legal actions on all 200+ detainees must first be issued before official closure can occur

Amid the increased attention on Obama, Fidel and Raúl Castro, and Guantanamo, there still remains an awkward silent treatment among all parties. Obama has yet to open talks with Castro (or vice versa) and Gitmo prisoners are showing their displeasure through hunger strikes and complaints of harsh mistreatment.

Right now, Gitmo and relations between America and Cuba as a whole remains a “wait-and-see” endeavor, but with Obama comes a dramatic changing of the guard that could soften the strained emotions all are feeling right now.

[via the New York Times and AFP]

A wrap-up of Cuba news and stories

by Brenda Yun on

As my plans to travel there solidify, Cuba has been on my mind — and luckily quite present in the news! Here’s a wrap-up of some of the interesting stories coming from Castro country.

  • Taxis and transportation: Unlike his brother, Raúl Castro is encouraging independent drivers to apply for taxi licenses to improve transportation in major cities in Cuba.
  • Guantanamo hunger strikes reach a two-year high: Despite the looming closure of the Guantanamo prison, close to 50 prisoners are refusing to eat.
  • Fidel is lost but not gone: Venezuelan President and close friend of ailing Fidel Castro says the former Cuban leader, who has not been seen in public since July 2006, will likely stay behind closed doors.
  • Over 10,000 artifacts from Hemingway’s Cuban farm are being digitized: To literary historians’ delight, 2,000 documents, 900 maps, 3,000 photographs, and 9,000 books are being preserved for the Ernest Hemingway Museum in Cuba.
  • Dateline Havana on NPR: I heard a great program on NPR yesterday based on Reese Erlich’s book, Dateline Havana: The Real Story of U.S. Policy and the Future of Cuba, which touches on such ripe topics as organic farming and traveling musicians.

Death, hunger strike, and execution reveal mounting tension between Taiwan and China

by Brenda Yun on

The father of a family friend of mine recently passed away in Taiwan. He was a well-respected Taiwanese dignitary, and mourning his death will continue until his burial next week. In the meantime, family members leave the front door of their home open and people stop by to express their condolences.

There’s a lot of crying going on in Taiwan these days. Former Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian ended his two-week hunger strike that was an effort in protesting his recent arrest. He has been accused of bribing and money-laundering – the proof of which has been uncovered in three Swiss bank accounts. Despite this proof, he wrote a poem that was published in the Liberty Times on November 25th, saying he would die for Taiwan’s independence from China. He continues to accuse Taiwan’s current administration of pandering to its communist neighbor. To be certain, if Chen had been arrested in China he would be executed immediately (none of this hunger strike business!), as was the case of Wo Weihan, a biomedical researcher and businessman who was accused of spying for Taiwan. Wo was executed Friday, leaving no final words and saying no goodbyes. The E.U. and U.S. contend that Wo did not receive a fair trial.

Tension is mounting between these two Asian neighbors. Death, hunger strikes, and executions certainly cannot resolve the deeper issues that will surface in the months to come.