A group of schoolchildren marked the lead-up to International Children's Day in Erbil June 9 with a protest against Iranian shelling of Iraqi Kurdistan. The children gathered outside the city's Iranian consulate to chant "No, no to war. Yes, yes to peace" and "Stop the shelling of Iraqi Kurdistan." They then handed in a letter to the consular officials, reading: "We as the children of Kurdistan want the immediate cessation of the Iranian artillery shelling of Kurdish villages of South Kurdistan. The artillery shelling kills people, scars children, displaces villagers. That is why we urge the Iranian regime to stop the bombardment of South Kurdistan border areas. In solidarity with the children, affected by this bombardment of Iranian artillery shelling, we, the Children of Erbil will not be going to celebrate the 'Children's International Day'." (Kurdish Media, June 9)

The Bolivian National Congress on June 8 advanced legislation that would create an independent justice system for indigenous communities. The Law of Judicial Authority, passed by the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of Congress, would create a system of "communal justice" that would expedite the settlement of disputes and end the "colonization of justice," according to supporters.

Hunt Oil of Texas inaugurated its new $3.8 billion liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant at Melchorita Pampa on the Peruvian coast just south of Lima June 10, with President Alan Garcia attending the ceremony. The first shipments of LNG from the plant are scheduled to take place within the next few days, when a specially equipped tanker will set sail for a regasification plant in Baja California, Mexico. Ray Hunt, Hunt Oil's chief executive, told Dow Jones: "This project will serve as an example to the world that Peru is a very attractive place for foreign investment. Capital can go anywhere in the world with the push of a computer button, but investment capital only goes where it is appreciated."

In a 24-hour paro (protest campaign) jointly called by the Cusco Irrigation Board and the Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Agrarian Federation (FARCTAC), campesinos blocked roads across Peru's Cusco region June 8 to demand the reconstruction of irrigation infrastructure that was destroyed in the heavy rainfalls and floods that devastated the region in January. Access was blocked to the neighboring regions of Apurímac, Puno and Madre de Dios.

Retired Colombian army colonel Alfonso Plazas Vega was sentenced to 30 years in prison June 9 for his role in the forced disappearance of 11 civilians in the 1985 army siege of the Palace of Justice, which had been taken over by M-19 guerrillas. The Bogotá judge stated that although Vega did not directly commit the crimes, he was the commander of the military during the raid and was therefore responsible for the actions of his men. Vega was found to have ordered the 11 civilians who escaped from the besieged building to a nearby military school, after which they disappeared.

Some 40 were killed in a suicide attack on a wedding party in Nagahan village in Arghandab district of Afghanistan's Kandahar province, June 9. The groom and 17 of the guests were members of an anti-Taliban arbeki, or self-defense militia, organized by US Special Operations forces. Official say the aim of the attack was to be to undermine support for the group. (NYT, Bloomberg, June 10)

From Amnesty International, June 10:

Millions of Pakistanis in the northwest tribal areas live in a human rights free zone where they have no legal protection by the government and are subject to abuses by the Taleban, Amnesty International said in a major report released on Thursday.

A Chinese farmer has resorted to the use of improvised rockets to fend off demolition crews sent to evict him from his lands to make way for the construction of commercial buildings. Since February, Yang Youde, a 56-year-old farmer on the outskirts of Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei province, has resisted two attempts to flatten his hut by using his homemade rocket system. "I shot only over their heads to frighten them, " said Yang. "I didn't want to cause any injuries."