Keeping an eye on the silent war
Yemen
Thousands of pro-democracy protesters have taken to the streets in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, to demand an end to the 32-year autocratic rule of President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
Hundreds of students poured out from Sanaa University for the fourth straight day and marched towards the presidential palace in the city center on Tuesday, AFP reported.
"The people want to oust the regime," chanted the protesters.
A heavy police force, along with about 2,000 pro-government supporters, are reported to be waiting for the protesters in the city center.
Police have used tear gas and batons to disperse the pro-democracy demonstrators.
Clashes between police and thousands of protesters broke out on Monday in the city of Taez, south of Sanaa, leaving eight people injured, witnesses said.
At least 17 protesters sustained injuries and up to 165 others were arrested during clashes in Sanaa and Taez on Monday.
Inspired by the revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia, massive groups of Yemeni protesters took to the streets recently in Sanaa and other major cities, demanding the ouster of their president.
Bahrain
The United Nations human rights chief has slammed Bahrain's use of "disproportionate force" against peaceful demonstrators, urging an immediate end to any violent crackdown.
"I urge the authorities to immediately cease the use of disproportionate force against peaceful protestors and to release all peaceful demonstrators who have been arrested," UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said in a statement.
On Tuesday, large crowds of Bahraini protesters poured into the streets of the capital, demanding a regime change in the Persian Gulf kingdom.
The call inspired by the recent revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia came after two protesters were killed in clashes with police.
Fadel Salman Matrouk was gunned down in front of a hospital on Tuesday where mourners assembled for the funeral of the 20-year-old Ali Msheymah, who died of his wounds after police resorted to violence to disperse a protest in a village east of Manama the day before.
Pillay noted that both victims were killed by members of Bahrain's security forces.
“Too many peaceful protestors have recently been killed across the Middle East and North Africa,” the UN rights chief regretted.
"Authorities everywhere must scrupulously avoid excessive use of force, which is strictly forbidden in international law," said Pillay, calling for “prompt, impartial and transparent investigations where there have been breaches of this obligation."
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