Best of Dispatches: Top News Posts This Week

Dialogue on North Korea's abuses is increasing - and so is talk of action; are President Paul Kagame's admirers ignoring the dark side of his leadership in Rwanda?; and a statement on Burma's stalled reform process sends a clear message - these were among the most popular posts to Dispatches, our daily forum for breaking human rights news and commentary. You can find all our Dispatches here.

Dispatches: The Moment of Truth in North Korea

Param-Preet Singh
“Rule #1 in the camp: you should never ask why you were there. Many of those who asked were publicly executed.”...

Dispatches: Lifting the Lid on Rwandan Repression

David Mepham
Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame, who is giving a speech at London’s Chatham House today, is viewed by his admirers as the man who saved the nation – who brought stability and rapid economic development to a country devastated by genocide now 20 years ago...But these admirers – and others – seem to be willfully ignoring the darker side of Kagame’s record in office...

Dispatches: A Scathing Verdict on Burma's Stalled Reforms

John Sifton
A remarkable set of meetings took place this week in Rangoon, with more than 650 representatives from Burmese civil society groups gathering to discuss the status of the country’s reform process...

Dispatches: Abortion and the 'Conscience Clause' in Poland

Hillary Margolis
Poland is one of a select few countries in Europe where access to abortion remains extremely limited: it’s a crime to terminate a pregnancy except in cases of risk to the mother’s life or health, severe fetal abnormality, or rape. In Europe, only Ireland and Malta have more restrictive laws...

Dispatches: Caught on film - Excessive Use of Force by Hong Kong Police

Maya Wang
It's dark in the some of the grainy video clips, but clear enough to expose an alarming development in the ongoing protests in Hong Kong: police in four different incidents at Lung Wo Road beating, kicking, or pepper spraying protesters who appear to offer no resistance or present no clear threat...