It’s the news with Kandy Korrespondent!

Yesterday saw a climactic end to the democratic presidential race. Superdelegates rushed to throw their support behind Obama which in addition to his victory in Montana placed him solidly past the requisite delegate count with 2,152. He claimed the nomination in his victory speech to supporters in Minnesota.

Although Clinton failed to concede the nomination, a growing number of moves by her campaign seem to indicate that she is preparing to withdraw from the contest. Most notably, on Tuesday she reportedly told supporters that she would be open to being Obama’s running mate.

In Other News:

Senator Kennedy is recovering well following brain surgery on Monday to remove a malignant brain tumor. He is expected to begin chemotherapy and radiation treatment in the near future. His cancer diagnosis has rekindled talk of the so-called “Kennedy Curse”. Read More »

In several previous posts I discussed the intense controversy surrounding the upcoming Beijing Olympics. In recent weeks the traditional international journey of the Olympic Torch has served as a flash point for clashes between supporters and protesters.

Ironically, this torch relay was supposed to be the largest in Olympic history—a showcase of international cooperation and sport. Instead, it has become a testament to international outrage over China’s human rights abuses, especially over Tibet.

March 31: A huge carefully scripted ceremony at Beijing’s Tiananmen Square sent the torch off across the globe

April 3: In Istanbul, Turkey, the Uighur expat community staged demonstrations against Chinese persecution of their “brother” expats in Xinjiang. In February 2007, for example, an Uigur activist named Ismail Semed, was executed on the shaky grounds of attempting to “split the motherland” and possessing explosives.

April 6: Massive clashes occurred between Free Tibet protesters and police during the London relay. Thirty-seven protesters were arrested including a man who tried to snatch the torch away from one of the runners. Another tried to put out the torch with a fire extinguisher. Read More »

In my last two articles, I have been examining China’s Human Rights record. In the first, I discussed China’s human rights abuses leading up to July 14, 2001, when the Olympic Committee agreed to have Beijing be the sight for the 2008 Summer Olympics. In the second, I detailed the negative impact that this decision is having upon the already stringent human rights of the Chinese populace.

Steven Spielberg withdrew from his position as an artistic adviser at the Beijing Olympics citing China’s record on Darfur. His decision received both praise and criticism.

In reaction to the resignation, Milan Zever, sports minister of Slovenia, the current presiding country of the European Union stated,

“Sports is too important. It is too important to use it as a political instrument.”

Really now? More important than a genocide? Read More »

In my last article I discussed China’s legacy of human rights abuses up to on July 14, 2001, when the Olympic Committee agreed to have Beijing be the sight for the 2008 Summer Olympics

Following that decision, German Interior Minister Otto Schily stated, “I am convinced that the Olympic games will have a positive effect on China’s democratic development.”

My dearest Otto, sorry to disappoint you, if anything, preparations for the Olympics are only increasing human rights violations in China.

In my last article, I introduced Freedom House’s measures of democratic freedom as a tool of comparative politics. (based on a 7 point scale with 7 being totalitarian and 1 signifying fully democratic) This measure is also a helpful tool when looking at a single state’s record over the course of several years.

China’s Freedom House ranking in 2001, was 7 for Political Rights and 6 for Civil Liberties, in 2008 it remains the same.

In 2007, moreover, in an effort to stabilize Chinese society, the country’s restrictions against media were tightened and human rights activists, civil rights lawyers, and other dissidents were detained. Read More »