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karasmith3

Myanmar Army: Ethnic Rebels Kill 7 Gov't Troops - ABC News - 1 views

  • Ethnic rebels attacked an army outpost in northeast Myanmar, killing seven government troops and wounding 20 others
  • dozen ethnic rebel groups that have been fighting for decades for greater autonomy
  • The army's offensive was part of an effort to force ethnic groups to incorporate their militias into a government border guard force, a move most resisted
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    Myanmar is a region of high ethnic conflict because there are about a dozen ethnic groups who all want more power in the government.  How would ethnic conflict in Myanmar effect religious tension?
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    Kara- I liked how you chose an article that dealt with ethnic conflict. In Myanmar, the ethnic groups struggling to gain power are a great example of how ethnicity effects the way people live and what their culture is like. This situation shows that ethnic conflicts are more common than people seem to notice.
adukkipati

To Quell Unrest, Beijing Moves to Scatter Uighurs Across China - NYTimes.com - 3 views

  • As a winter chill settled across China’s far northwest, 489 people boarded a chartered train in the city of Urumqi for the 50-hour ride to the country’s opposite corner, in semitropical Guangdong Province, to take up new factory jobs.
  • With violence upending the social order in sections of Xinjiang, where resistance to Beijing’s rule has been growing among ethnic Uighurs, officials there and elsewhere in China are pushing new measures — like chartering entire trains — to bring Uighurs and members of other ethnic minorities to parts of the country where the Han, the nation’s ruling ethnicity, are the majority.
  • Assimilation is only one element of the party’s strategy to quell ethnic unrest in Xinjiang. Security forces there have arrested large numbers of Uighurs, saying some are terrorists, and courts have issued death sentences.
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  • “people have a bias against Xinjiang people,” Mr. Cheng said. “We need to establish a new image.”
  • “The gap between the Han and Uighur communities has widened significantly since 2009,” he said, “and it’s hard to imagine these sort of state-orchestrated cohesion-building projects narrowing it.”
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    Since the Communist takeover of the region in 1949, the Uyghurs, a Muslim minority in China, have gotten a lot of religious and cultural persecution by Han Chinese. Similar to convicted communists during The Red Scare, Uyghurs have been prosecuted under false circumstances for separatist activities. While this isn't necessarily a dispute over territory, it's certainly an ethnic conflict and because of these hostilities, Uyghurs have a hard time finding migrant work within China. How does this relate to other ethnic conflicts like in Russia or Palestine?
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    It is interesting how all of the people of China are viewed as being Chinese by outsiders, but are viewed much differently by the Chinese themselves. China seems to encompass more than what we believe is Chinese, including smaller ethnic groups like the Uyghurs. This seems to be reminiscent of the view of Native Americans in the United States today, who also have trouble finding work and live in relative poverty.
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    I never knew this was happening in China. Like Alex said, I did not know China had smaller ethnic groups. I thought the culture was relatively homogeneous. In the documentary we watched in class, I did not see any discrimination to different ethnic groups, either. It is interesting that the events taking place are very similar to The Red Scare in the United States. I wonder how China is going to resolve this conflict?
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    This is similar to the conflict in Palestine because of the persecution of a group of people resulting in hostilities such as protests, riots, etc. It is sad yet interesting that there are so many instances of such similar conflicts happening all over the world. It seems like if one was to be solved, the rest would be able to find similar solutions.
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    I agree with Alexander about the similarity to Native Americans. Not only is China helping these people with jobs, but they are also making them go through the training programs which includes learning Mandarin, to the point where the minorities are in fear of losing their own identities. The Native Americans were forced to go through similar programs in order to "help them".
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    One of the cities that we will be traveling to in China is Xian. This city has a large Muslim minority. Do ethnic groups form enclaves as a refuge?
jbasom

Ethnic minorities under-represented and under-paid | Scoop News - 3 views

  • Public servants from ethnic minorities continue to be under-represented in the senior management of government departments and they continue to be paid significantly below the average public service salary according to Multicultural New Zealand.
  • But Maori, Pacific and Asian public servants are mainly clustered in lower paid occupations and thus suffer from an “ethnic pay gap”
  • But Maori, Pacific and Asian public servants are mainly clustered in lower paid occupations and thus suffer from an “ethnic pay gap”.
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  • “While one might not expect the ethnic pay gap to reduce substantially from one year to the next, the almost total lack of progress (and actual regression) over five years is disappointing to say the least” said Multicultural New Zealand.
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    In this article, ethnic groups, such as the Maori, which are found in New Zealand, are getting paid lower wages and they are not considered equal to the other non-ethnic groups. Even though this has not escalated to a full out war (yet), what would happen if the Maori stopped putting up with being "inferior" to the other groups? Would a territorial conflict arise? I think the answers to these questions are obvious because land equals money, which equals power. So, for these Maori people to get the equality they deserve, maybe all they need is a territorial war to gain back power?
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    But is it a good idea to start a war? The Muslims and Jews have been fighting for 2,000 years which proves that maybe that's not the best idea. If they want the power back so bad, I feel like there has to be another way to go, especially since wars can go on for long periods of time.
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    Jocy and Catherine- I think that something definitely has to be done to try to fix this problem, but I also don't think that a war would be the best idea in resolving this issue. There does have to be some other way to solve this, but at the same time, a peaceful agreement most likely won't be effective either. Neither several territorial wars or a peaceful agreement worked for the Arab-Israeli conflict over territory, so what makes you think a territorial war would work for them?
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    I agree that a war for territory isn't a good idea, but at the same time, they don't have the rights they deserve. Right now there isn't a war going on, so a "peace agreement" isn't really possible, because there is nothing upsetting the peace. I think the Maori people are taking baby steps to getting the privileges they deserve but they aren't making the progress that they want to, yet.
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    I don't think war is a good idea, it seems that if the people want equal pay, they have to do something about it. As seen in the Arab-Israeli conflict, it may not be the best idea to go to war, but perhaps the people need to do something else.
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    I agree with Brooke. Despite the fact that land equals money and money equals power, does a war guarantee that the minority group will gain land and thereby power to be paid the same amount? In addition, a war requires political power and money in order to gain access to resources. If the minority group has little power to begin with, how are they to obtain the resources necessary to win a war? There must be a better solution to this issue than to go to war.
jlandis3

Gov't plan to select Syrian refugees by religion criticized | Ottawa Citizen - 0 views

  • UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres has not commented on the Conservative government’s push to prioritize religious minorities as a condition for resettling thousands more Syrian refugees over the next two years.
  • UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres has not commented on the Conservative government’s push to prioritize religious minorities as a condition for resettling thousands more Syrian refugees over the next two years.
  • Instead, the UN has been quietly resisting Canada’s request, as its policy is to help the most vulnerable, no matter their religious background.
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  • In his letter to Guterres, NDP foreign affairs critic Paul Dewar notes the UN urges countries not to select refugees with “discriminatory selection criteria” such as ethnicity or religion.
  • In his letter, Dewar says the NDP agrees with the UN that “refugee applications should be assessed on the basis of need, not on the basis of religion, ethnicity, or any other characteristic.”
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    The article specifically relates to why territorial conflicts arise among religious, ethnic, or national groups, in this instance it is more focused on religious groups, because it shows that these conflicts sometimes come from feelings that certain religions attract conflict, so there is a desire for a country to separate themselves from religions associated with conflict. Will any countries place sanctions on Canada, if they feel that Canada is being discriminatory?  This current event connects to a main APHUG concept of asking the why of where.  Why is Canada discriminating against certain groups with certain religions from Syria?
Mr. Reidy

Past peacekeeping operations. United Nations Peacekeeping - 1 views

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    To what extent are these conflicts rooted in ethnic competition or dividing ethnicities?   Choose one peacekeeping operation and examine if the conflict involved ethnic cleansing or genocide. 
smarikunte

EU parliament backs Palestinian state 'in principle' | World news | The Guardian - 3 views

  • Israel has been hammered by a series of diplomatic rebuffs across Europe after the European parliament voted overwhelmingly for qualified recognition of the Palestinian state.
  • The rare international meeting in Switzerland of the high contracting parties to the Geneva conventions was boycotted by Israel, the US, Canada and Australia.
  • Palestinian statehood and call for an end to Israeli occupation.
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  • 498 votes to 88, stated: “The European parliament supports in principle recognition of Palestinian statehood and the two-state solution, and believes these should go hand in hand with the development of peace talks, which should be advanced.”
  • The Jordanian-backed draft, which the US is almost certain to veto, sets a November 2016 deadline for an Israeli withdrawal.
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    To achieve peace in the Middle East, the European Union voted on a bill presented by Jordan. The bill states that Palestine should be recognized as a 'principle state'. The US and Israel both strongly oppose this bill. The conflict has escalated in the past years. This territorial conflict is occurring because two religious groups want the same sacred holy land. How is the bill going to affect Israel and Palestine in the future?
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    This is a fascinating conflict. Why do you think that the two opposing religious groups cannot agree to share the Holy Land and thereby resolve the conflict? Will there ever be a solution to this?
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    Sadhana and Jenna - I don't think there will ever be an end to this. If one side gets control, the other will never be happy and they won't stop until they get it, and so on. I don't think they can ever agree because they both feel that it should be their own and don't want the other to get the land. I almost feel like because its been going on for so long, there will never be an end since they are both so determined to control it.
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    Jenna, I think that the two opposing religious groups cannot agree to share the Holy Land and create a resolution because both have significant holy sites that are close to one another (e.g. The Dome of the Rock is close to the Western/Wailing Wall). I think that there could be a solution to this because if some Palestinian areas could see the need for Israel to have the land that it does currently and its right to exist, then the problem could be resolved.
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    Jenna, Since both religions have holy spots in this area, what do you think the best way to solve this issue would be? Is the U.N at a place to solve this conflict or should people who are more directly involved with the conflict be the ones who have more of a say in the peace talks?
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    I only see two possible solutions, both flawed. Somehow, I believe that the two religious groups could find a way to coexist, allowing them both to have access to their holy sites, but this would mean accepting the fact that the other is there. This seems unlikely to happen. Another option is to not let either group have it, and that way neither could be angry that the other possesses it. This, however, is also unlikely seeing how each group strongly refuses to give up its sites. They would fight until death for access. I really don't see this conflict ending any time soon.
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    Interesting solutions to the conflict. Why do you think the United States government has been pro-Israel since the creation of the state in the 1940s?
bbaker2

Sectarian tensions high, say Australian Muslim leaders - CNN.com - 0 views

  • Muslim community leaders in Australia say sectarian tensions are soaring, as radicalized Sunni youth, inspired by ISIS, seek to import the religious conflicts wracking the Middle East.
  • a 47-year old Shia leader was shot in the shoulder early Monday morning, as worshipers observed the Shia ritual of Ashura.
  • Shia community focused around the Islamic center in Greenacre, south-west Sydney
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  • "Anyone who speaks against the fighting in Syria and advocating the government to take action against people in Iraq and Syria -- they are threatened and attacked."
  • brutal Syrian conflict, and the appeal of ISIS to radicalized Sunni youth in Australia.
  • Sunni extremist group, which controls large swathes of Syria and Iraq.
  • Sectarian tensions were a new phenomenon for Australia's Muslim community
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    Sunni extremists, who are supporting ISIS, have launched attacks against Shia Muslims in Australia to bring religious conflict from the Middle East. Why are they launching attacks on groups within the same religion as them? Why do Sunni extremists feel the need to get Australia involved in the religious conflicts from the Middle East after they've managed to avoid conflict for a long time?
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    The Shiites and Sunnis have been fighting ever since the death of Mohommad over who would be Mohommad's sucessor.
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    I think that Sunni extremists and Shia Muslims, even though they are both Islamic, have different beliefs, and they each believe that they are correct. The Sunni extremists, are exactly what they say they are...extremists; AKA people who will go to extreme measures to fight for what they believe. If something the Shia Muslims are saying or doing is counteracting what the Sunni extremists believe, they will quickly result to violent action to try to put an end to it. Also, if they can "take over" Australia and make it Islamic, more specifically Sunni, then they will have more money and power...which is the reason this is such a large territorial conflict.
kharlacher

BBC News - The Russians fighting a 'holy war' in Ukraine - 1 views

  • Even when the morning sun catches the gold domes of its Orthodox churches, the Ukrainian city of Donetsk, stronghold of the pro-Russian rebels, doesn't look much like Jerusalem.
  • And the defenceless, for him, are the citizens of eastern Ukraine, mainly Russian-speaking, who are under attack, as he sees it, by a ruthless Ukrainian government intent on wiping them out culturally, or even physically.
  • Why do I say Donetsk is Jerusalem? Because what's happening here is a holy war of the Russian people for its own future, for its own ideals, for its children and its great country that 25 years ago was divided into pieces," Pavel says.
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    This article is an example of territorial conflicts and religion, because the Russians believe the reason they are fighting is for religious purposes, and that their war in Ukraine is a holy war. How do the Ukrainians view the conflict and it's involvement in religion?
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    The Orthodox population of Ukraine is fighting for their churches and religion. These people are fighting against the Ukrainian government which is looking to overtake any religious land in order to wipe out the culture of eastern Ukrainians. The people of Ukraine are comparing their fight to the Crusades, so will they manage to take over their holy land like the Christians did?
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    I really liked the way that Katie described the crusades and how they are really involved in the conflicts in Ukraine and Russia. Why do Ukraine and Russia have bad history together?
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    Ukraine has been part of Russia several times and has fought for their freedom from Russia in several wars. Currently, they have only been independent since 1991.
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    Adam brings up a good point, the history of the Ukraine and Russian conflict must be deeply rooted in historical conflict over the centuries. It would be neat to dig into the history, particularly how the ethnicity differs between the two countries.
Mr. Reidy

U.N.: South Sudan rebels split residents by ethnicity, kill hundreds - CNN.com - 3 views

  • In one mosque alone, more than 200 civilians were reportedly killed and 400 others wounded, according to the United Nations.
  • This is exactly the violence and suffering the South Sudanese people fought for decades to escape."
  • The Nuer community backs rebel leader Riek Machar while his rival, President Salva Kiir, is a Dinka.
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  • Two rivals, a lot of violence
    • Mr. Reidy
       
      Could ethnicity be a centripetal or centrifugal force for a nation?
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    A loss of power by the Nuer people has lead to conflict between them and the Dinka people due to a difference in ethnic and religious beliefs. Is peace possible in a place where one ethnic group rules over the other?
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    Emily- This is an interesting topic. When it talked about the different rivals I thought that was very interesting as well. In answer to your question. I don't think that in a place that has so many other problems along with this one that peace will a viable situation. The article shows a good example of forced migration.
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    This is quiet the tragedy. Merciless killing for, what appears to me, no logical reason. They did not deserve their fate, and while this is an interesting topic, it made me quiet sad to read this article. To answer the thoughtful question you asked, I believe it is possible, but only when both ethnic groups are willing to accept each other and share the area in which they live in a fair way, if they are not willing to accept each other and share, then peace is not yet attainable.
rdeveney

'Infidels are our enemy': Afghan fighters cherish old American schoolbooks | Al Jazeera... - 2 views

  • More alarmingly for U.S. and international forces still in the country, the textbooks describe all nonbelievers as the enemy. “Our religion is Islam. Muhammad is our leader. All the Russians and infidels are our enemy.”
  • That built resentment toward foreigners and Kabul in some villages passed over for such support. “If people perceive that their enemy is getting more of those services, then that could contribute to the underlying conditions for conflict,
  • “When you have a school not set up in a government structure but in a home or a mosque, in the village, protected by the village and supported by the villagers, the likelihood of the school being attacked is reduced,” she said. “And you don't have construction, so you don't have problems with contracts.”
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    There was conflict between the Taliban and the Westerns and those who support the western views, because of the different religious and ethnic views. For example westerns believe women should be educated just like men, but the Taliban is against women education. Why is a school in a home that teaches the same thing that a governmentally funded school less likely to be attacked, since the Taliban is still against those ideas?
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    I think that as long as the Taliban are in control there will always be violence between the Taliban and the Westerners. Women should be educated just like men, but as long as the Taliban have power, I do not think that will happen. The Taliban showed just how much they are against women getting an education when they shot Malala Yousafzai in the head on her way home from school. Schools in homes are less likely to be attacked than schools run by the government because they have the protection and support of the village and villagers. The Taliban might also target government run schools because they oppose the government.
Mr. Reidy

10 Wars to Watch in 2015 - International Crisis Group - 0 views

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    What stages of genocide are present within each conflict? How might each conflict be resolved?
Mr. Reidy

Freakonomics » The Violent Legacy of Africa's Arbitrary Borders - 0 views

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    How did the "scramble for Africa" cause ethnic conflict in Africa?
Mr. Reidy

Rwanda: A Brief History of the Country - Outreach Programme on the Rwanda Genocide and ... - 0 views

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    Why does ethnic conflict occur?
anonymous

PressTV - Indigenous people protest in Brazil over land bill - 1 views

  • Nearly 300 native Brazilians, armed with bows and arrows, have demonstrated against a bill which calls for allocation of land to indigenous people.
  • Many native people are worried that legislators permit food and agribusiness industry to employ lands which previously belonged to Indians’ ancestors. 
  • Brazil’s indigenous people’s concern cannot be considered groundless as a number of congressmen have allegedly expressed support for the change.
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    According to this article, the land reserved specifically for the indigenous people of Brazil is being threatened to be taken away from them for industrial uses. Apparently, the reserves have been a source of multiple conflicts concerning who the land should belong to. While reading this article all I could think about was how this is similar to the depleting reserves of the Native Americans in the United States.
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    This does not seem to be so much a conflict of religions themselves but rather the conflict of beliefs of one with the modernizing world. Perhaps, in the case of the natives of Brazil and Native Americans as you mentioned, the conflicts are needed to protect the environment and almost play devil's advocate in order to keep some of the world alive for future generations.
pekeefer

Taliban Suicide Bombers Strike at Bank in Southern Afghanistan - NYTimes.com - 3 views

  • Suicide bombers attacked a bank in a provincial capital in southern Afghanistan on Wednesday, killing at least 10 people, officials said
  • The last attacker’s suicide vest did not explode, and he was shot dead.Given the number of staff members and customers present on the second floor, the police said that the number of dead would have been far higher had the attackers succeeded in getting there.
  • A Taliban spokesman, Qari Yousuf Ahmadi, said that the group claimed responsibility for the attack and that the targets were government officials who were at the bank collecting their wages.
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    The Taliban attack on this local bank has to do with religious values because they are willing to go to extreme measures,much like suicide bombings, as they are considered extremists. One question I have is why would a spokesman for the Taliban admit to the attack?
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    The Taliban attack on this local bank has to do with religious values because they are willing to go to extreme measures,much like suicide bombings, as they are considered extremists. One question I have is why would a spokesman for the Taliban admit to the attack?
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    I think your question was very good and sensible, because who would do something like that. He's risking so much! This article was very interesting and related strongly to class. Great job!
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    I have the same question! Why would they admit to the attack and put a target back on themselves? If they want to go kill people and people gave their lives to the attack, why would their organization admit to it? It was a waste of the bombers' lives.
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    I agree with all of you! Why would they admit to the attack? That just seems stupid on their part. It's just going to hurt them more. I like what Kyra said about how it's a waist of bombers lives and I totally agree. Great article, it really related to religious conflicts!
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    This article connects to the APHUG vocabulary term of monotheistic/monotheism, because the Taliban practices the Islamic religion, which worships one God, Allah, and a monotheistic religion is one that believes in only one God. This article could also connect with a past world event, regarding religious conflict, when the Crusades occurred, and Christians tried to conform others to Christianity.
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    Pretty sure they admitted to the attack because the Taliban is all about terror and it will actually help their organization not hurt it. They do this to let people know the extremes they'll go to to get their way. So any one, or thing, they don't agree with, they feel that the only solution is to blow them up, because of course that is the solution that gets the most results since they don't have the power of a large group of people. Everybody knows they are terrorists so it's not like anything has changed in peoples viewpoint of the Taliban. Meaning not much has changed in the military or political actions against them.
Mr. Reidy

Sochi Games: Can Russia's public enemy No. 1 strike the Sochi Olympics? | Toronto Star - 0 views

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    What sort of conflict is brewing around the Sochi Olympic Games? How does it relate to human geography?
mholbert

Inside the Kachin War Against Burma | TIME - 1 views

  • On Nov. 19, a heavy artillery attack by the Burmese army overwhelmed another KIA training camp in Laiza, killing 23 officers in training
  • The Burmese want to steal all our land
  • the hills surrounding Laiza, and spreading across Kachin, are some of the most bountiful on earth. There is jade, gold, timber and hydropower.
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  • in the mountains of northern Burma, soldiers in the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) face off against Burmese positions
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    Territorial conflicts arose between the Burmese and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) because the Burmese want the KIA's land which is abundant in resources such as timber and hydropower. Is it possible for there to be peace between the two groups after all the violence and fighting that took place?
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    After reading your article, it doesn't seem like there will be peace between the two groups anytime soon. The Burmese are determined to steal the KIA's land, and it doesn't sound like the KIA is going to give up very easily in protecting their territory. As long as the Burmese continue to want the KIA's land and resources, then violence and wars are going to keep breaking out until one of them succeeds in stealing or protecting their territory.
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    I agree, I do not see peace between the two groups happening soon. The Burmese won't give up until they get the KIA's land, but the KIA will most definitely put up a fight. In my opinion, the Burmese don't have any right to the land. The KIA own it and therefore they should not have to share their resources.
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