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Multiple news outlets have reported that Russia has passed a law allowing Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to be banned if undesirable.
According to the story on Euronews:
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed into law a bill which will allow foreign organisations to be banned from operating in the country.
The new law will give authorities the right to prosecute non-governmental organisations if considered "undesirable" or a threat to national security.
From the CNN story:
Tanya Lokshina, Russia program director for Human Rights Watch, said the new law had "the potential to severely damage our work in Russia," and was a cause for grave concern for all international groups operating in the country.
Nevertheless, she said she did not believe the law was aimed at international organizations like hers. Instead, she said, it was aimed at Russians who might cooperate with, or support, international organizations.
NGOs are not always beloved around the world and have been accused of doing more harm than good. What is the correct role for NGOs in the world?
(Score: 2, Interesting) by Geotti on Tuesday May 26 2015, @01:22AM
I'm seriously concerned with recent events in Russia, gay laws, political assassintations, now this.
You what? What do you know about life in Russia, seriously? I'm not aiming to be offensive to you, but I'm sick of hearing these arguments over and over.
The "gay laws" you are referring to are (currently) little more than a populistic PR gag: you're forbidden to "promote homosexuality" to minors. Just as you're forbidden to promote heterosexual intercourse to them. Yes, there's a difference, and yes it is a bit disturbing viewing this from the liberal "western" position, but this is nothing like it's painted in the media.
Let me get this straight: I've got quite a few gay friends in Moscow and St. Petersburg (around a dozen to be more specific) and nothing changed for them there. There are just as many gay parties as before and they are behaving in the same way they always did. (This, unfortunately, is not as open as in Amsterdam or Berlin, but that would require a shift in the mentality of the general population, which is more conservative regarding such things.)
Regarding political assassinations, you must be referring to Politkovskaya? Well that's how the FSB deals with whistleblowers over there. Not a whole lot worse than incarcerating them or chasing them all over the world, ain't it?
If you're referring to Nemtsov, then you should look closer at his biography: there's several reasons why he could have been murdered and few of them would be political. His murder was a prime opportunity for the media to jump on, however.
Also the opposition is generally weak in Russia, he certainly was not dangerous to the establishment.
Litvinenko... Not sure about that one.
Now, regarding NGOs, hmm.. Let's see, how about responding to the (uni-lateral) sanction policy of the US & EU, how about averting attempts at instigating a color revolution like what happened in Georgia, Ukraine, Macedonia, ...? Oh, and please, think of national security (again, as VLM pointed out)!
So nothing all that different from Europe and the US all the same fucking scary as everywhere else unfortunately. Rights being trampled on and curtailed, corporate influence expanding, corruption...
Really, nothing new. Now stop being "seriously concerned with recent events in Russia" and start being seriously concerned with the whole world. Think of the children dammit! [Insert a recent caricature seen on 9gag, where an agent comes in a store and is offered to have his rights-limiting legislation wrapped in anti-terror or children gift wrap.]
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Tuesday May 26 2015, @01:58AM
Given that the chase is expected to be expensive, one may say the Russian govt has better care of their citizens' taxes. But, besides being cynical to the extreme (aren't all politicians so, spin-doctoring and what not?) that would be streching the reality quite a lot in the context of the endemic corruption in Russia.
(you know? You may be right, except that in other parts of the world they may be doing a better job in covering their tracks... or justifying their corruption by legislation).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 1) by Refugee from beyond on Tuesday May 26 2015, @08:38PM
This is just another law with selective enforcement. Which is still a bad thing even if on a grand scheme of things it doesn't seem that large.
Instantly better soylentnews: replace background on article and comment titles with #973131.
(Score: 2) by Geotti on Tuesday May 26 2015, @08:55PM
This is just another law with selective enforcement. Which is still a bad thing
True. My point was that this is sadly happening everywhere...