Middle East protests: what do you think?
| 09:57 UK time, Monday, 28 February 2011
Protests are continuing across the Middle East. On Saturday, the UN imposed sanctions on Libya and agreed to refer Colonel Gaddafi to the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity.
Tunisia's Prime Minister resigned on Sunday after more protests resulted in the deaths of three people.
Two people were killed in after police opened fire on protesters in the town of Sohar, 200km northwest of Muscat.
Protests in are growing with opposition parties announcing on Sunday that they will join protesters to bring down President Saleh.
18 opposition Mps have submitted letters of resignation in as thousands of protesters marched in Manama on Sunday.
Aid agencies are warning of a growing humanitarian crisis on the Libyan Tunisian border as tens of thousands flee Libya.
But as the world's attention remains fixed on the Middle East and North Africa, how are people in other countries reacting?
Shaggy in Ghana posted on our Facebook page:
The West will fail against Gaddafi who is fighting for African unity, I wish i was there to fight to defend his regime.
Ebenezer in Canada posted on the blog
How many innocent people does the international community want to see dead in Libya before they intervene?
Tatwam Asi posted on the blog
The last thing the Libyan people need is a foreign military intervention. Such an occupation could in fact offer oxygen for Ghadaffis camp. Only the Libyan people themselves can achieve their freedom.
This in the Vancouver Sun says deciding on what to do about Colonel Gaddafi is part of the global responsibility dilemma that countries around the world are facing.
To be sure, global governance is a tricky and complicated affair. No better evidence of this can be found than the fact that Libya just a few years ago -- in 2008-2009 -- was picked to sit on the UN Security Council as a non permanent member. And in May 2010 it was elected its first three-year seat on the UN's Human Rights Council. This doesn't say much for the world's exsting global governance mechanisms.
This outlines the implications for governments across Asia. Attempted protests in China are being strictly controlled and the internet restricted.
For some Asian governments, the immediate concern is whether the movement could leap across continents through the media and Internet. Ripples will be strongest where there is no democracy, and there is corruption and unemployment or rising food prices.
Writing in South Africa's Mail and Guardian, says these protests mark the beginning of the African Century.
One by one, the dictatorships that have been synonymous with Africa's miserable identity since the end of colonialism, are in the process of being swept aside. If this is not an indication that such a century has indeed dawned upon us, we have much reason to despair of a rosy future that always seems to be approaching but never really has a change of arriving.
This says fears over whether the protests will take hold in India are unfounded for now but the authorities there need to be careful.
If India wants to maintain the tag of being the world's largest democracy, it will have to deal with the basic needs and problems of the people as soon as possible. Otherwise, the winds of change start blowing anywhere anytime.
This says that supporters of Colonel Gaddafi should walk away now or risk 'judicial retribution' later on.
Where are you in the world and what do you think of what is going on? Do you support the protesters or does the unrest worry you? What do you think your government should be doing?
