The Fickle Scribble

A recent article on the BBC website has accused the Bangladesh government of "ignoring" Burmese refugees and denying them aide. Starvation has become a growing concern among the refugees and human rights groups fear for the well-being of these people who were forced out of their country only to arrive, unwanted, in another. International media attention has highlighted the issue while also painting the Bangladesh government as a cold, corrupt government. The people who have fled Burma, the Rohingya, are among the most unwanted in their homeland, unable to marry or own land without permission, they have fled their own corrupt country in hopes of finding peace and perhaps a home in Bangladesh. However, Bangladesh is the poorest Asian country and one of the poorest countries in the world. Abdul Momen, the UN representative for Bangladesh, has denied the accusations of ill-treatment stating that the Bangladesh government must be certain aide is not coming from terrorist groups. ...

International human rights law was set in motion by the Charter of the United Nations. The purpose supporting the Charter is to achieve “international co-operation in…promoting and encouraging respect for human rights for the fundamental freedoms without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion.” [1] Tibet has endured some of the worst political oppression and human rights violations in the twentieth century. Prior to the Chinese Cultural Revolution, the Tibetan government made an effort not to partake in global affairs. The peaceful Buddhist nation became known for its isolation and its apparent Shangri-La status. The people of Tibet enjoyed their lives away from the formalities of global society and politics practicing their religion and staying ever-faithful to their religious leader, the Dalai Lama. When the United Nations was first instated in 1945, Tibet , although eligible, made the fatal error of declining the invitation, a decision that has had devastating reper...

There isn’t much to say. Scratch that. There isn’t much to say out loud. Have you ever been at a loss for words? I mean a total loss for words where even the slightest sigh wouldn’t suffice. Where there are so many thoughts and emotions running through your body that not one could escape in the entirely neat little comprehensive package our society so reveres? I won’t try to describe where I am right now but I will tell you. I’m on the roof of Jokung Monastery looking at the Dalai Lama’s winter palace, The Potala. Five months ago, I didn’t know what The Potala was and my best guess would have been some Asian breed of potato. My mind is swimming in its own confusion even after months of study, reading, and research, how is that I still cannot understand how cultures can clash so extensively? The Tibetans, the “most peaceful” race are undergoing a silent “genocide” as they term it. Their Buddhist roots dictate their means of dealing with the Chinese occupation which imposes religious a...

Cheat sheet [MERGE Edition] Morning Call - Allentown , Pa. Author: Courtney Page Date: Apr 4, 2007 Start Page: M.7 Section: MERGE Text Word Count: 159 Document Text Sure, you've heard of Wasabi. It's the stuff next to your sushi that singes sinuses in a bite. But what is it? Americans like to think of this spicy spread as Japanese horseradish, but that's not the case in Japan . Japanese wasabi is derived from a plant of the same name that's indigenous to Japan . The wasabi that people daintily dot on their maki roll is actually just the powder of the plant. In Japan there is no horseradish, gelatin or coloring involved . The grated powder get its pasty consistency after sitting for some time. Meanwhile, we think we've tasted wasabi but the majority of sushi joints in the States serve an imitation made up of horseradish, mustard seed, and gre...