Democracy Lab Weekly Brief, July 21, 2014

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Alexander Motyl examines a terrorist how-to guide compiled by a pro-Russian separatist in Ukraine.

Vibhanshu Shekhar argues that Indonesia’s hotly contested presidential election actually reveals the resilience of the country’s democratic institutions.

Ram Mashru looks at the Indian government’s new attack on nongovernmental organizations.

Robert Looney explains the seeming contradiction between Nigeria’s economic success and the plague of homegrown terrorism.

Juan Nagel assesses the deep divides within Venezuela’s opposition.

And now for this week’s recommended reads:

In the latest Journal of Democracy, Anton Shekhovtsov and Andreas Umland explain how Ukraine’s radical nationalists got involved in a movement advocating European integration; Nadia Diuk asks how Euromaidan has reshaped Ukraine’s cultural identity; and Omar G. Encarnación argues that democracy is an apparent prerequisite for gay rights.

Democracy Digest maps out the implications of the shoot-down of Malaysia Airlines 17 for European and world politics.

Human Rights Watch berates the Thai military junta for carrying out forced evictions and arbitrary arrests in the countryside.

Syria Justice and Accountability Center tells the grim story of a Syrian groom whose bus went astray on the way to his wedding, ultimately landing him in government prisons. (In the photo above, residents of Aleppo walk through dusty streets shortly after a government air strike.)

The Irrawaddy reports on the five journalists who have just received 10-year prison sentences for revealing an alleged chemical weapons factory in central Burma.

Ben Bland, writing for the Financial Times, explains how techies have used crowdsourcing to determine the true winner of Indonesia’s disputed presidential.

Writing for Time, Hannah Beech questions whether China’s new corruption investigation will do any good.

Lawrence Ezrow and Timothy Hellwig, writing for the Monkey Cage, find that politicians are torn between reacting to the market and acting on the behalf of voters.