Protests Escalate in Belarus Over Disputed Election
Protesters held what might have been the largest demonstration in Belarus’s history (NYT) as pressure mounts for President Alexander Lukashenko to step down following the country’s disputed elections. Lukashenko rejected opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya’s call for a new election but signaled he could be willing to share power (RFE/RL). Meanwhile, many Belarusians, including state television and factory workers, have gone on strike (Euronews).
Belarus’s election and the government’s subsequent crackdown on protesters have drawn international criticism. The United States and the United Kingdom have rejected the election results, and European Union leaders will meet again Wednesday after agreeing to prepare sanctions (BBC) on Belarusian officials. Still, Lukashenko retains support from Russia, which is prepared to send military help (RFE/FL).
Analysis
“Reminiscent of the violent protests in 2014 in Kiev, it is a moment when a relatively localized moment of dissent could plunge Europe into crisis,” CNN’s Nick Paton Walsh writes.
“Maybe the final straw was his cavalier attitude toward the coronavirus. Maybe it has to do with an energy dispute with Russia that has crippled the country’s economy. Or maybe Lukashenko has simply overstayed his welcome after 26 years. No matter the reason, it appears that Belarus has reached a tipping point,” Joshua Keating writes for Slate.
Where the Candidates Stand
The 2020 election season begins in earnest with this week’s Democratic National Convention. CFR’s position tracker covers the candidates’ views on the most pressing foreign policy issues.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern delayed New Zealand’s general election, originally set for September 19, until October 17 due to concerns about voter participation and election fairness amid the coronavirus pandemic. An outbreak of the virus has hindered campaigning (Stuff) in the city of Auckland.
Thailand: More than twenty thousand people protested in Bangkok (FT), according to organizers, in Thailand’s largest demonstration since its 2014 military coup. Protesters’ demands included dissolving Thailand’s parliament and rewriting its constitution.
South and Central Asia
Parts of Kashmir to Regain Internet Access
Indian authorities will restore high-speed 4G internet (Al Jazeera) to two districts in the disputed region of Kashmir on a trial basis, according to a government statement. India’s decision to cut off internet access in India-administered Kashmir more than a year ago was criticized by human rights groups, and India’s Supreme Court ruled an indefinite suspension would be illegal.
Afghanistan: France’s Foreign Ministry said it requested that Afghan officials not free Taliban members (TOLO) convicted of killing French citizens as part of a recent prisoner release deal.
Middle East and North Africa
UAE Summons Iranian Diplomat
The United Arab Emirates delivered a “strongly worded memo” to Iran’s charge d’affaires in Abu Dhabi after Iranian President Hassan Rouhani condemned the UAE’s deal to normalize relations with Israel, according to Emirati state media. The UAE’s foreign ministry said (Reuters) Rouhani’s rebuke will have repercussions for regional security and stability.
Syria: At least one Syrian soldier was killed (CBS News) and two others wounded in a clash between regime and U.S. forces in northern Syria, according to the Syrian regime and a UK-based war monitoring organization. Local media reported a U.S. soldier was also injured.
Sub-Saharan Africa
Mogadishu Attack Kills Sixteen, Wounds Dozens
An attack on a high-end hotel in Mogadishu, Somalia, killed at least sixteen people and injured dozens more. The assault, claimed by the terrorist group al-Shabab, involved a suicide car bombing (Al Jazeera) and three-hour shoot-out between militants and government forces.
Burundi: The country is assessing the damages (DW) it suffered under Belgian and German rule and will seek over $42 billion in reparations from its colonizers. Burundi will also demand the return of stolen artifacts and archive material.
Europe
United Kingdom to Fight U.S. Tariffs
UK trade secretary Liz Truss condemned U.S. tariffs (Reuters) on Scotch whisky as “unacceptable and unfair” and vowed to fight them as the United States and Britain seek to hammer out a post-Brexit trade deal. Truss expects to raise the issue with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer in the coming weeks.
Americas
Indigenous Families Flee After Attack in Guatemala
An attack by unidentified assailants prompted forty families belonging to the Q’eqchi’ indigenous group to flee the Guatemalan farm they have occupied in protest for fifteen years (Reuters), according to a land rights group. The families are reportedly seeking land as compensation for a labor dispute, which the farm denies being involved in.
Brazil: President Jair Bolsonaro is enjoying record-high popularity ratings, and nearly one-half of Brazilians say he is not responsible (MercoPress) for Brazil’s coronavirus deaths, according to a new poll. Bolsonaro has sought to downplay Brazil’s coronavirus outbreak, the second-worst in the world.
Pelosi Recalls Lawmakers Over Postal Service Concerns
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi recalled adjourned representatives (WaPo) in a bid to pass legislation that would force the U.S. Postal Service to maintain its delivery standards through December. Democrats say recent policy changes by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy have slowed deliveries and could impede mail-in votes in the November election.
