Democracy Lab Weekly Brief, June 17, 2013

Sophia Jones explains how the Turkish government’s policies on the Syrian civil war have helped to inflame the protests against Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Nazila Fathi reports on the complexities of Iran’s presidential election. Marya Hannun examines the motivations of Iranian absentee voters.

Anna Nemtsova reports on the arrest of a senior politician in Russia’s restive province of Dagestan — and why it doesn’t solve the deeper problems that plague the region.

Colin Snider offers some cautionary tales from Latin America to Egyptians who see the military as an attractive alternative to revolutionary turmoil.

Mohamed Eljarh analyzes Libyan citizens’ growing frustration with the militias two years after the fall of the Qaddafi regime.

Neha Paliwal looks at a historical lesson from India about the advantages of federalism.

And Christian Caryl sees how America’s National Security Agency measures up against the world’s most encompassing surveillance state.

And now for this week’s recommended reads:

New York University’s Center on International Cooperation offers recommendations on how to fight organized crime in developing countries.

Radio Free Asia’s Kyaw Kyaw Aung interviews Burma’s parliamentary speaker Shwe Mann — and reveals his plans for the 2015 presidential race. Johanna Morden, writing for Devex, reports on Burma’s struggle to manage the flood of assistance from donors. In the New York Times, Thomas Fuller explains how the old elite from Burma’s years of military rule are leading its transitioning government today.

Robin Wright serves up a penetrating analysis of the Muslim Brotherhood and its efforts to consolidate power in Egypt.

William J. Dobson, writing for Slate, examines the impact of Turkey’s civil unrest on the power of Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan. Daniel Ksleman, in a guest post for The Monkey Cage, argues that Turkey will continue to face demonstrations until it makes its electoral process more inclusive and democratic.

The International Crisis Group looks at paths forward for the Central African Republic after the March 2013 coup. The ICG also reports on the recently concluded ceasefire agreement between the Burmese government and Kachin rebels.

In The Telegraph, Boris Johnson argues that we should not arm the Syrian rebels because their war has become a religious one.

As shown in the photo above, The Star reports on Kenya’s Occupy Parliament movement, and says that Kenya should expect more drama until the issue of lawmakers’ salaries is resolved.

Democracy Digest tells the story of a Bahraini dissident forced to recant his views by the government as part of its efforts to suppress the simmering protest movement.