In a context where feminism is demonised for transgressing a series of socially ingrained values, there is little prospect for the Pussy Riot case to be used to enhance women’s rights in Russia.
The persecution of Pussy Riot was meant to delineate the acceptable boundaries of behavior to the Russian population. And thus the system drags itself forward, looking more and more absurd every week.
The real test will be what happens after APEC 2012 passes. Will Russia accept economic and cultural globalization as part of the Asia-Pacific integration process, or will it continue to take a state-centric approach?
The 2012 APEC summit at Vladivostok has become the stage on which Russia is announcing its presence in the Asia-Pacific as a modern, dynamic country, which should be welcomed into the region.
The Pussy Riot case may serve as an example of Putin’s campaign to intimidate political opposition. It may also highlight a leader encircled by urban, secular, and liberal Russians, a conservative hinterland, the Russian Orthodox Church, and an unreconstructed security apparatus.
Liberal Orthodoxy freed of Patriarchy’s control could appeal to many free-spirited believers, and can become a powerful tool in the hands of the new generation of equality-seekers in Russia.
The trial of Pussy Riot and its larger issues are an indication of extreme repression. Yet, the tentacles of that repression extend across the globe – reaching far beyond Putin’s Russia.
The conviction of three members of Pussy Riot is only the most visible manifestation of new developments in Russia. Putin wants to use the scrim of Russia’s legal system to show how completely he has eclipsed it.
Uzbekistan’s decision to suspend its CSTO membership reflects the changing geostrategic landscape of Central Asia. It should also lead the region to reflect on its current collective security arrangements.
Russia is intent on proving itself relevant on the global stage. In an age when attention is shifting to the East and the South, Russia is positioning itself as a central, non-Western, power.
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