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Putin supports proposals paving the way for his continued rule · Global Voices
Maxim Edwards

Putin gives a speech at the State Duma on March 10, 2020.  Screenshot from TV Rain's YouTube video: “Путин навсегда? Спецэфир Дождя: обсуждаем поправки в Конституцию и обнуление президентских сроков“
For Vladimir Putin's ambitions, the stars truly are the limit.
On Tuesday, one of the longest standing questions in Russian politics — how long Putin will stay in office — seemed to be answered when amendments were proposed in parliament allowing him to serve as president for a further 16 years. During the second reading of a package of constitutional amendments by the State Duma, Valentina Tereshkova, a lawmaker from the ruling United Russia party better known for being the first woman in space, proposed “resetting” the count of Russia's presidential terms.
At present a Russian president can only serve to two consecutive terms, obliging Putin to leave office in 2024. If Putin does end up staying in office until 2036, he will be the longest serving Russian ruler since Peter the Great.
Read more: ‘Volodya, aren't you tired?': Russia's youth on Putin's 20 years in power
After Tereshkova's proposal, the Duma adjourned “for consultations with the president.” Putin then made a rare address before the legislature in which he accepted the proposals on one condition: that they are endorsed by Russia's Constitutional Court. Putin also suggested that these changes be voted on by the public in a referendum on April 24, along with a package of other reforms.
Many observers describe these moves as choreographed, and certainly expect no surprises from the referendum. But the “zeroing” (from the Russian word “обнуление”) of presidential terms was by no means foretold. This is because the major preoccupation in Russian politics of late has been the identity of Putin's eventual successor. The new constitutional changes, designed to significantly empower the parliament, were often understood by analysts as an elaborate attempt to prepare for that transition, allowing Putin to retain an informal hold over the levers of power while overseeing his successor's rule from day one.
There have been good grounds for that interpretation. In past years, Putin has made numerous vague statements about change and continuity. In January, he voiced concern about a repeat of the late Soviet period when leaders “stayed in power for decades,” a statement which he “corrected” on Tuesday by declaring that the situation in modern Russia was completely different as leaders were selected in elections, and not by “agreements inside the party.”
Resetting the counter on presidential terms was seen as a wildly unlikely scenario. On February 11, the co-chair of the working group on the amendments Andrey Klishas dismissed all talk of doing so as “conspiracy theories.” But the option had been raised by Vladislav Surkov in an interview given in February upon leaving his post as a presidential advisor. It may have been considered in government circles even earlier; last December, political scientist Tatyana Stanovaya recalled that in 2012, Putin supported an initiative by the Communist Party to remove the words “consecutively” from the constitutional provision limiting presidential terms. Importantly, at the time he suggested that this would “not have a retroactive effect,” thereby allowing him to start the counter anew.
Predictably, Russia's opposition is incensed. Activists of the PutinIsForever.One website have simply posted the Russian constitution and replaced every mention of the word “President” with the name “Vladimir Putin.” Some RuNet users are using graphic design tools to depict a geriatric Putin at the end of his final term in 2036.
Russian graphic designer Yevgeny Tonkonogy writes that he drew the following image ten years ago, “but it hasn't lost its relevance”:
Рисовал почти 10 лет назад. Актуальность не теряет.
Geplaatst door Evgeny Tonkonogy op Woensdag 11 maart 2020
Alexey Navalny's press officer Kira Yarmysh made the following comment:
Путин с обнулившейся Конституцией – это как новый сезон "Доктора Кто": персонажу дали лишний жизненный цикл из 13 регенераций, и проблема решена, сериал можно показывать вечно
— Кира Ярмыш (@Kira_Yarmysh) March 10, 2020
Putin and the “reset” constitution is like a new season of Doctor Who. The character was given a limited lifecycle of 13 regenerations, but now the problem has been solved and the series can be shown eternally.
This user sarcastically drew on the rising threat of the coronavirus:
Из-за карантина Путину запретят покидать президентский пост
— Dave Frenkel (@merr1k) March 10, 2020
Due to quarantine, they're forbidding Putin from leaving the presidential post
While Tereshkova bears the brunt of much of their ire:
Валентина Терешкова – первая женщина, которая смело отправилась в космический мрак и холод, а затем вывела туда всю страну
— Русские летописи (@letopisi_rus) March 10, 2020
Valentina Tereshkova is the first woman to boldly venture into the cold darkness of space, and then brought the whole country along with her
But behind this black humour is concern among many commentators that this represents an even more worrying precedent for undermining constitutional rule. If similar worries were raised over the package of constitutional amendments, they are even stronger now.
Political scientist Maria Snegovaya sees this as a formalisation of dictatorship:
В принципе, насколько я помню из литературы, как раз просто убрать ограничение на количество сроков (или обнулить их,…
Geplaatst door Maria Snegovaya op Dinsdag 10 maart 2020
In principle, as far as I remember the literature, simply removing limits on the number of terms (or “zeroing” them as in this case) is dictators’ favourite option for remaining in power. Here, apparently, several factors play a role:
- It's simpler, it works by inertia. There's no need to change the distribution of powers or system of governance – that's already set up.
– Complete deinstitutionalisation. There's no threat from other branches of government.
– Well, and apparently Russians don't present any serious electoral risk. They'll vote, somehow.
Yan Shenkman, a correspondent for Novaya Gazeta, wrote on Facebook that political freedom would remain in the doldrums, referring to the young men imprisoned earlier this year at protests and defendants in the controversial “Network Case.”
Я за обнуление срока  Путину, мне не жалко. Только пусть  тогда обнулят срок Котову, Пчелинцеву, Беглецу и другим политзэкам.
Geplaatst door Yan  Shenkman op Dinsdag 10 maart 2020
I'm all for “resetting” Putin's [presidential] terms, I don't mind. But just let them “reset” the sentences of [Konstantin] Kotov, [Dmitry] Pchelintsev, [Daniil] Beglets, and other political prisoners.
After years of tightening the screws, this is another blow to Russia's tough opposition. On her Telegram channel, Stanovaya compared the mood to that of September 2011, when Dmitry Medvedev proposed that Russia's ruling party nominate Putin as his successor.
Various opposition groups have announced protests in the run-up to the April 24 “national consultation” on the constitutional changes. Once again, wrote columnist Alexander Pluschev for the Russian service of Deutsche Welle on March 11, the opposition are faced with a dilemma: do they boycott the vote, or make a stand and say no at the polls?
Although elections have a habit of turnout out favourably for them, turnout still matters to the Russian authorities. A healthy turnout confers legitimacy. In Denis Volkov's article about Putin's declining approval ratings for Riddle, a website about Russian politics, he suggested that the authorities had hoped to sugar coat the new constitutional changes by focusing on greater social welfare. After these developments, it is highly likely that the referendum will be “personalised” around Putin. Will that help the opposition mobilise against it?
Whatever they do, perhaps the Kremlin has run circles around its critics. This is the grudging conclusion of Stanovaya's widely read March 11 column for the Carnegie Moscow Centre. Initially, she writes, the constitutional reform was portrayed as Putin's attempt to solidify his legacy before leaving office. That impression, while distasteful to the opposition, may not have been enough to gain crucial momentum against the changes:
Мы имели дело с одной из самых изощренных двухходовок, одной из самых впечатляющих спецопераций за все время путинского правления. На первом ходу Путин добился максимальной легитимности конституционной реформы, дискуссия вокруг которой должна была вестись о чем угодно – о боге, суверенитете, детях, пенсиях, Госсовете, но только не о перекраивании Основного закона под себя. […] Путинская полуправда лишила инициативы и оппозицию, которая просто не могла выводить народ на улицу против социальной Конституции. Упомяни Путин об обнулении в своем ежегодном послании 15 января, это тут же девальвировало бы все разговоры про социальные подарки и дало бы мощнейший повод для протестной мобилизации, не говоря уже о времени для подготовки к срыву референдума. Сейчас это время сокращено до минимума.
We have just witnessed one of the most sophisticated acts of chicanery, one of the most impressive special operations of the entirety of Putin's rule. In the first stage, Putin achieved maximum legitimacy for constitutional reform, discussion of which was to be held about anything whatsoever: about God, sovereignty, children, pensions, the State Council, just not about redrafting the basic law to his personal advantage. […] Putin's half-truth took the initiative away from the opposition, which simply wasn't able to bring the people out onto the streets against a socially-oriented constitution. If Putin had mentioned “zeroing” the constitution in his yearly speech on February 15, it would have devalued all discussions about social benefits for the public then and there, providing the most powerful impulse for a protest mobilisation, without even mentioning the extra time they would have had to prepare to disrupt the referendum. Now this time has been cut to a minimum.
However, the sociologist Konstantin Gaaze, in a March 12 column for Vedomosti, argues that Putin's move was not a cunning gambit at all. Russia's ruling elite, he argues, have simply decided to stick with what they know:
В январе Путин ставил не на спецоперацию, а на свое знание о тех, кем он ежедневно командует. На пороки и страхи 1% владеющих всем в стране и одновременно управляющих страной через инструменты государственной власти. В результате, напугавшись неизвестностью, они сами пришли слезно просить президента об обнулении сроков и продлении его власти. А он лишь удовлетворил их просьбу. В его новой Конституции есть много призов для элиты. К бюрократической вертикали власти он готов публично пристроить еще несколько. И здесь и сейчас разделить с желающими некоторые привилегии. Новая Конституция, сделав премьера, судей и министров де-факто сотрудниками Кремля, позволяет назначать и менять их с необыкновенной легкостью, по капризу или чьей-то личной просьбе.
In January, Putin did not rely on a special operation, but simply on what he knew about those whom he rules every day. For all their vices and fears, the one percent who own everything in the country at the same time govern it through instruments of state power. Therefore, fearing the unknown, they came to the president in tears to ask him to reset the counter and extend his rule. And he granted their request. And so this new constitution has many prizes for the elite. [Putin] is ready to add a few more rungs to the power vertical, and to give a few handouts to those who want more privileges in the here and now. The new constitution, having made the prime minister, judges, and cabinet ministers de facto employees of the Kremlin, makes their appointment or reappointment extraordinarily easy, at a personal whim.
Meanwhile, the fabled cosmonaut Tereshkova insists that “ordinary people,” not politicians, asked her to make her historic proposal. And as the “zeroing” of Putin's term limits is unlikely to meet resistance from the country's politicised constitutional court, any change may now depend on those same “ordinary people,” and them alone.


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Women successfully stage ‘Aurat March’ in Pakistan despite threats · Global Voices
R Umaima Ahmed

Image via Aurat March Lahore. Used with permission.
For the third time since 2018, a collective of Pakistani feminist organizations called Hum Aurtein (We are Women) organized the Aurat March (women's march) to mark International Women’s Day on Sunday, March 8, 2020. Despite threats by ultra-conservative religious groups to disrupt the proceedings, marches took place this year in the cities of Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, Multan, Quetta, Peshawar and Sukkur, albeit under strict security cover.
Several thousands of women, transgender people, children and men turned out to show their support and highlight the plight of women, who in Pakistan are subject to torture and injustice and lack socio-political and economical rights. Participants carried placards with slogans demanding the basic rights they have been denied for so long.
One of the Aurat March organizers, Leena Ghani, tweeted:
I am in awe and still unable to take it all in. Thank you Lahore for making @auratmarchlahore herstorical! This is what happens when womxn come together! You can’t stop us!!
It’s time you join us, as we march into a brave new world! Upwards and onwards! ❤✊?#AuratMarch2020 pic.twitter.com/cNsfkaCkos
— Leena #AuratMarch2020 (@Leena_Ghani) March 8, 2020
Sahar Tariq shared a picture of her father participating in Islamabad holding a placard reading: “My daughter, her choice”:
That’s my dad! #AuratMarch2020 #AuratAzadiMarch https://t.co/U3GoojZ6sW
— Sehar Tariq (@sehartariq) March 8, 2020
Pakistan is a patriarchal society where women are generally not allowed to speak up. For many, the Aurat March is a safe space where they can voice their apprehensions; even the transgender community feels free to share their experiences and demand a decent living.
Today I marched for all the victims of sexual violence and abuse. I stand with you. I remember you.
This shirt is handmade with markers to highlight the age range of the victims. #AuratMarch2020 #AuratMarchLahore pic.twitter.com/WS0uC4yiTr
— Javaria (@JavariaWaseem) March 8, 2020
This year, religious groups went to great lengths to try to disrupt the march and have it banned forever. Petitions were filed in the Lahore, Sindh and Islamabad High Courts seeking an injunction against the march and related activities. None of the petitions was allowed by the respective courts. Maulana Fazl ur Rehman, president of a faction of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Council of Islamic Scholars), went so far as to threaten to stop the march by force.
Tooba Syed, an organiser in Islamabad, tweeted:
I have protested and demonstrated countless times in this city but never have I seen so many people from the city coming out for a cause. The women of Islamabad you were wonderful yesterday. Anyone who wants to continue building & organising. Get in touch! pic.twitter.com/kzKymnRiz8
— Tooba Syed AWP ☭ (@Tooba_Sd) March 9, 2020
Syed also reported on an attack on the Islamabad procession by member of a right-wing religious party:
This is how the attacked us. Before this point they were sending “laanat” on us and then made signs of wanting to inflict sexual violence on us. They already had stones & lathis on them! pic.twitter.com/mfQAy4tGEK
— Tooba Syed AWP ☭ (@Tooba_Sd) March 8, 2020
Syed continued:
Tell us again how Aurat March is a threat to this country. The threat comes from these rabid mullahs who are willing to injure and kill those who stand up peacefully for their rights. The attack on the Aurat March today in Islamabad is an affirmation of that threat. https://t.co/TcAGLyI6U9
— Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir (@ImaanZHazir) March 8, 2020
Present at the Karachi march was Dua Mangi, a 20-year-old law student who was kidnapped in November 2020. Haris Fatah Soomro, the male friend who was with Mangi at the time of the incident, was shot and wounded, and Mangi was subsequently slut-shamed for having been with a male companion.
I was so happy! #DuaMangi and #Harris at #AuratAzadiMarch pic.twitter.com/4UJg7nSgJf
— Pooja what is this behavior? (@Obaid_Atique) March 8, 2020
Aurat March Sukkur. Image via Aurat March Lahore. Used with Permission.
Women in Sukkur organized a gathering a day earlier in defiance of religious parties’ threats, and then held the city's first Aurat March on 8 March.
Sukkur is located in northern Sindh, which is usually heavily influenced by conservative religious communities. Women in this area wear burkas and chaddars to cover themselves. The Aurat March was the first of its kind to be held in Sukkur, where there is a high prevalence of gender-based violence.
Global Voices talked to Arfana Mallah, a professor and activist from Sindh, who said that “religious factions had threatened women of Sukkur, due to which many were not willing to be a part of this gathering. But after assurance from the police and management, women took part in Aurat March. Women in this region have been suppressed and killed in the name of patriarchy for so long that now it's a must that women should come out for their rights.”
Aurat March Sukkur giving us life with their joy ?????@g5UtON7MKYcxgBU pic.twitter.com/vNJUwTgQZa
— Aurat March – عورت مارچ (@AuratMarchKHI) March 7, 2020
Multan, a historic city in Southern Punjab, also held its first Aurat March. Despite being a conservative and religiously-oriented city, a large number of women took part in the march and celebrated the day with zeal, carrying placards to give voice to feelings which have been long ignored. A minor clash occurred when a man addressed participants with abusive language, resulting in an argument that was defused by the law enforcers.
So we were enjoying our march, didn’t abuse anyone, respected and followed all the rules devised by administration of multan but this man had the audacity to come and say that these women are “bayghairat” andhttps://t.co/KAh16OOTNa
— Laiba Jobless (@Laiba_Zainab) March 8, 2020
To counter the Aurat March, some religious groups organized Haya (Modesty) Rallies in Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad and Islamabad, in order to promote the idea that Islam has already empowered women and brand the Aurat March a foreign-funded activity designed to to malign Pakistan and brainwash women.
One group of people staged a Mard March (Men's March), and tried to enter the venue of the Aurat March carrying banners in support of playwright Khalil ur Rehman Qamar, who in early March  had an ugly spat on TV with the well-known feminist analyst Marvi Simid.
Security officers, however, stopped the men from disrupting the gathering. In 2019 there were also plans for a Mard March, but it did not materialize.
After Aurat March, Mard March happened in Karachi.#Pakistan #AuratMarch #MardMarch #Karachi pic.twitter.com/tYc9Va9onI
— News99 (@News99P) March 12, 2019

source: news-globalvoices

license: Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

author: R Umaima Ahmed


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‘Being an activist is just a side-effect of being an artist’: An interview with Chinese-Australian cartoonist Badiucao · Global Voices
Filip Noubel

Chinese-Australian artist Badiucao visiting Prague for the One World Human rights film festival. Photo by Filip Noubel, used with permission.
The Chinese-Australian artist Badiucao made world headlines in June 2019 when he revealed his long-concealed identity in a documentary called “China's artful dissident” released on the 30th anniversary of the Tiananmen Massacre.
Badiucao is one of the most outspoken critics of the Chinese government's restrictions on freedom of expression. The former Shanghai-based law student switched careers to become a visual artist and political cartoonist, eventually emigrating to Australia ten years ago to protect himself and his family. His work is censored in China, and increasingly so in Hong Kong and Australia.
I interviewed Badiucao in Prague where he was visiting to take part in One World, Central Europe's largest human rights film festival, which ended up being disrupted by the Czech Republic's declaration of special measures due to COVID-19 on March 10. The interview has been edited for brevity.
Filip Noubel: As a person of Chinese origin living in Australia, and openly critical of the Chinese government, you probably find yourself also subjected to anti-Chinese sentiment due to COVID-19. How do you cope with such pressure?
Badiucao (BDC) When I arrived in Australia, I thought I had the chance of not being Chinese. I wanted to get rid of that identity to be free. I actually feel very frustrated that I cannot be proud of my identity. I can see how Aboriginal artists are proud of their identity in Australia. But for me, I really had to think about my identity: would denying it help preserve myself? Is that healthy? Possible? Now I know there is nothing wrong with my culture or identity. The problem is that the Chinese government is hijacking this identity and pretending to represent Chinese culture. I need to fight to get it back; I should be the one defining and recreating it. I don't believe the Chinese government will always be in power. So we have to become immune to their propaganda, as overseas Chinese. But it has to be played out careful to avoid xenophobic, anti-Chinese mainlander sentiment, that I have experienced with some people in Hong Kong and Taiwan. It's important to have an open mind.
I worked as a school teacher in Australia and have seen how China is perceived through the lens of the Australian education system. There is no discussion about nuances about China, as institutions like the Confucius Institute dominate the narrative. A few years ago, the Revolutionary Opera the Red Detachment of Women (红色娘子军) was selected to represent Chinese culture. It is actually offensive to the victims of the Cultural Revolution, as it represents censorship [From 1966 to 1976 only eight pieces were allowed to be performed across China]. There is also little in-depth coverage of China, and cuts in funding for public media, including for programs in Chinese.
FN: How do you describe yourself and the kind of art you create?
BDC: People see me as a cartoonist because that's the only part of my work people see, mostly online. I also do performances, installations, paintings, but I can't seem to get access to art galleries for shows. I initially studied cultural events managements, which was part of the Law curriculum in China, because of the issue of copyright. But art is about delivering a message. I want to extend the definition of art. I see myself as an artist; being an activist is just a side-effect of being an artist in China.
Portrait of Dr. Li Wenliang by Badiucao. Image used with permission
FN: What motivated you to reveal your identity very publicly recently?
BDC: I revealed my identity in the documentary. When the police visited my family back in China in 2018 to harass them, they didn't make my identity public, though they could have. Initially I covered my face, knowing that if I became well-known enough as an artist, the day would come when I would get support. So from day one, this was a time race against the Chinese government. I had no illusion of being a sort of Banksy forever. But after that police visit, I realized I still had the upper hand. In order to reach the largest possible audience, I decided to reveal my identity in the documentary, as the police, happy with my show being canceled in Hong Kong, told my family “He is a good boy now”. Of course, I could have abandoned my work then, but that would have been a betrayal of my art and the things I care the most for. I did retreat from social media then, as I was preparing the documentary and decided to protect it to avoid pressure on the filmmaker and the Australian media that would show it. It was a form of self-quarantine. Since I have revealed my identity, there have been consequences: I was followed, my phone was hacked, there is a possible case of home invasion still under investigation. My film director got harrased as well. I think they are waiting for a chance to get their revenge once there is less media attention.
FN: What do you think of the Chinese dissident community?
BDC: Totally useless and corrupt. Some collaborate with Trump, because they say we have a common enemy. But your friends should be the people who share the same values, not your enemy's enemy. This community is aging and that's also a problem with Chinese culture, a sort of ‘Confucian tumour': you have to respect them because they have authority as they grow old. And if you criticize them, you are labeled as a pro-Beijing Chinese spy. That's a very toxic attitude towards criticism. It seems the Chinese expression 有则改之，无则加勉 : “correct mistakes if you have done any and guard yourself against them”, doesn't apply to them. That's also why young people do not join them.
FN: How do you see COVID-19 influencing the political system in China?
BDC: Some people said this was perhaps China's ‘Chernobyl moment’. But this is not because this is not as harmful economically as this was the case for the Soviet Union. Xi Jinping is gambling, by saying ‘the problem is solved, go back to work’. There is a possibly of change, only if this situation of economic slowdown continues, people can bend more but will eventually break. But China is changing the narrative and the government is now depicting itself as the leader of fighting the virus. But the so-called Chinese model is just the scientific model, in a situation where the government can afford to ignore the personal lives of people. People suffered because if you quarantine, you need two things: supplies and transparency of information. But the latter one is not happening in China; they don't know what is going on, what to expect, and live in anxiety. This part is not being seen globally.
FN: What brought you to Prague this time?
BDC: I came here to be part of two human rights film festivals, in Geneva and Prague. Geneva got cancelled, and the one in Prague was initially going on. This city means a lot to people in China for those who love freedom and democracy. Václav Havel is an inspiration, so I romanticized it. But I discovered he has been forgotten for a long time, this is a huge shock. But this was being naive, in fact history repeats itself when people forget. I want my art to be a form of recording against the official record of history, to avoid repeating mistakes.
During his stay in Prague, Badiucao also staged a street art project, displaying posters with his work on walls across the city, including on the famous John Lennon Wall that was referenced by Hong Kong protesters.
Finally，my art is on the #LennonWall in #Prague！
May #Havel never b forgotten，
May #LiuXiaobo never b forgotten
May #LiWenliang never b forgotten
终于来到 #哈维尔 的布拉格，在连侬墙贴画！愿有日风起丝绒飘在天安门。#COVID19 pic.twitter.com/NLlv8EZqoe
— 巴丢草  Badiucao (@badiucao) March 13, 2020

author: Filip Noubel


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China government spokesperson suggests on Twitter that COVID-19 may have originated in the United States · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Image from the Stand News
Check out Global Voices’ special coverage of the global impact of COVID-19.
In a tweet posted on Friday, March 13, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian implied that the United States Army might have brought the novel coronavirus to China. His comment has escalated into a online conspiracy theory being circulated widely on Chinese social media, and even being repeated by Chinese diplomats.
The theory that the US is responsible for spreading the novel coronavirus to China began circulating on Chinese social media in late February, after a paper titled “Decoding evolution and transmissions of novel pneumonia coronavirus using the whole genomic” was uploaded to ChinaXiv, a platform for submitting papers to the Chinese Academy of Sciences, on February 21. The paper suggested that the genomes found in the US (H35) and Guangdong (H13) were the ancestral haplotypes of the coronavirus, which was interpreted by some as pointing to the US as the origin of the novel coronavirus. By the next day, the theory had been reported on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)-affiliated media outlet Global Times and was picked up by a Taiwanese television program. The theory also quickly went viral on WeChat and Weibo.
Taiwan FactCheck Center pointed out, however, that the paper has yet to go through peer review. The Center also interviewed a number of experts and reported that the “median-joining networks” (MJ) methodology used in the paper could not reflect the complexity in genetic mutation, and should not be used to determine the “ancestor-descendant” relation. Previous research also argued that the method is “theoretically untenable for evolutionary inference”. The use of the bat genome (bat-RaTG13) as the novel coronavirus “ancestral” reference has also come into question.
As the pandemic has taken different routes to various countries, the coronavirus genome would necessarily have mutations not seen in early sequences from China. Reading news reports referencing the nature of the virus in other countries, some social media users have interpreted this to mean that China has no connection with the outbreaks in other countries.
One of the overseas reports that went viral on Chinese social media originated in Japan. A Japanese TV station suggested in a news report that some of the Americans who had died of influenza since September 2019 might have been unknowingly infected with the coronavirus. The Japanese news report, together with the “ChinaXiv” paper, have been used to bolster a number of other conspiracy theories, such as the one claiming that US delegates brought the virus to Wuhan during the Military World Games in October 2019.
These kinds of conspiracy theories gained even more traction after Chinese Central Television aired a February 27 press conference in which pulmonologist Dr. Zhong Nanshan stated that “while COVID-19 has emerged in China, it doesn’t mean that the virus definitely originated in China.”
Chinese epidemiologist Zhang Wenhong quickly rebuked the claim that the virus came from outside China, asserting that the genome sequence indicated that the version of the virus seen in Shanghai had indeed originated in Wuhan, but his interview was censored.
Zhong’s statement, meanwhile, was repackaged by numerous social media outlets and which used information from “overseas media sources” to support their claim that the coronavirus had originated in the US. One such story headlined “Research indicates that the novel coronavirus found in Italy has no connection with China. Zhong Nanshan’s statement is verified true” (研究成果公布: 意大利境内新冠病毒与中国无关, 钟南山的话被证实) was circulated via the mobile news app UC headline. The story quoted an article from O-Lian News (EU News Agency – 歐聯通訊), a news outlet registered in Italy and owned by an investment company in China’s Zhejiang province, which reported that Italian health expert Massimo Galli had declared that the genome sequence of the coronavirus in Italy did not originate in China.
It is unsurprising to see this kind of misinformation circulating on social media. But newly-appointed Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian—who is no stranger to controversy—took the conspiracy theory to a new level with his March 13 tweet.
1/2 CDC Director Robert Redfield admitted some Americans who seemingly died from influenza were tested positive for novel #coronavirus in the posthumous diagnosis, during the House Oversight Committee Wednesday. #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/vYNZRFPWo3
— Lijian Zhao 赵立坚 (@zlj517) March 12, 2020
2/2 CDC was caught on the spot. When did patient zero begin in US? How many people are infected? What are the names of the hospitals? It might be US army who brought the epidemic to Wuhan. Be transparent! Make public your data! US owe us an explanation! pic.twitter.com/vYNZRFPWo3
— Lijian Zhao 赵立坚 (@zlj517) March 12, 2020
China has not yet identified its patient zero, but the South China Morning Post has reportedly seen Chinese government data tracing the first case back to a 55-year-old male patient on November 17, 2019. A research study published in January 2020 also showed that a number of cases in early December had no connection to Wuhan fresh food market which has been widely considered the origin of the outbreak.
In early February, rumors and unverified claims from Weibo and WeChat suggested that the outbreak might have caused by “lab leakage” as the Wuhan Institute of Virology was a major center for the study of viruses, including Ebola, MERS and SARS, and also engaged in animal testing. The lab leakage conspiracy was censored, giving way to this new conspiracy about the US that is being propagated by CCP-affiliated media and by numerous social media posts by Chinese government spokespeople on Twitter.
As anticipated, Zhao’s remark has attracted a slew of angry comments:
Thank you ever so much to your so-called government for lying to the world and spreading this disease. Whatever would we do without wealthy Chinese consuming the flesh of endangered species, depleting wildlife populations while putting human health at risk?
— Kerfuffle Actual? (@shoshido) March 12, 2020
And mockery:
pic.twitter.com/3SGIOAaJRz
— BrownBrown (@BrownBrown5200) March 13, 2020
But some did concur with Zhao:
Amercia should give a truth to the whole world.
— Echo (@Echo47577647) March 13, 2020
In their report on the incident, Global Times framed it as part of the US information war against China.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Does Singapore’s ‘top-down approach’ to handling COVID-19 deserve all the praise it’s been getting? · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong addresing the public about COVID-19. Source: YouTube
Check out Global Voices’ special coverage of the global impact of COVID-19.
Singapore’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak has been widely praised around the world for its efficiency and is often cited as a model for other countries. But some netizens have raised questions about its sustainability, and even its effectiveness.
The country’s comprehensive health system is mainly credited for containing the spread of COVID-19. Widespread testing, rapid tracing of those suspected of having been infected with the coronavirus, medical treatment and hospitalization of individuals with serious symptoms, and an aggressive information drive are among the measures adopted in the country's “all-government approach” to dealing with the crisis.
As of the time of writing, Singapore has 178 COVID-19 cases out of a population of more than 5 million.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has also been applauded for his public addresses providing clear information about the virus and disease, and the steps taken by the government to deal with it. His March 12 televised address underscored the government’s early preparation in the event the health situation deteriorates:
We are not locking down our city like the Chinese, South Koreans or Italians have done. What we are doing now is to plan ahead for some of these more stringent measures, try them out, and prepare Singaporeans for when we actually need to implement them.
But some social media users commenting on news reports have raised questions about the government’s approach.
For example, some netizens have rejected the claim by Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat that the government has been entirely transparent in dealing with the health crisis.
Additionally, the Minister for Trade and Industry, Chan Chun Sing, has been criticized for certain actions perceived as delayed or knee-jerk reactions that have almost undermined the campaign against the disease. It didn’t help that an audio recording of the minister insulting and poking fun at panic-buying shoppers was leaked to the public.
Terry Xu, editor of the independent news website The Online Citizen, commented on the initial confusion surrounding the availability of masks in the country:
If the government does not have enough masks for everyone to wear daily, then just be frank with it. It is simply irresponsible to be telling people that there is no need to wear a mask so as not to incite a situation where people would be clamouring to get masks.
He also mentioned some of the knee-jerk reactions of authorities raised by netizens such as the alleged belated decision to issue a travel ban for flights coming from China, the distribution of face masks after people complained that they cannot buy these goods anymore in stores, and enhancing the restrictions on Leave of Absence after finding that people are still moving around despite on LOA.
As more COVID-19 cases get reported, the government has attributed the increase to “socially irresponsible” individuals. For Taiwan-based Singaporean activist and blogger Roy Yi Ling Ngerng, this attitude reflects the government's tendency “to shame people and victim-blame to get people to conform to [its] strategy.” (Roy was sued by Singapore’s prime minister for defamation in 2014.)
In his statements about the crisis, Roy did recognize Singapore’s outstanding public health infrastructure but warned about “loopholes in the system. He noted that “people on short-term visits aren't covered under the low-cost/free regime for the coronavirus, which means some people might not want to be tested and fall out of the system.”
As Roy wrote on Facebook:
Singapore's coronavirus strategy cannot be just a top-down approach that does not account for the feelings of people on the ground. It cannot be a do-what-I-say-because-I-have-everything-put-in-place approach. It doesn't work that way because in times of crisis, people do react, whether in a rich or poor country, democracy or authoritarian. People are the same no matter how much you control them or if they run free.
In another Facebook post, Roy reminded officials to be sensitive to the reasons for the initial panic buying in the country, hinting that the country’s political system is also in need of democratic reform:
It would require the government to take immediate steps to be transparent and to engage citizens in helping out in the management of the crisis. You need to trust citizens, instead of accuse them of being idiots, stupid or an embarrassment. When people are trusted, they will come together to support not only the government, but one another. The question is whether, the government, which has operated on a system that has denied Singapore's participation, would be able to do so, and change its approach.
Overall, Singapore is succeeding in its efforts to contain COVID-19. But some of the alternative perspectives being expressed on social media are also helpful in understanding the complexity of addressing the COVID-19 outbreak at state level.

author: Mong Palatino


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Groundswell of support to free Julian Assange around February extradition hearing · Global Voices
Kevin Rennie

Event in support of Julian Assange (Barcelona, 24 February 2020) – Photo courtesy of Assemblea Nacional Catalana Flickr account (CC BY-NC 2.0)
Wikileaks’ founder Julian Assange’s hearing for extradition to the United States on February 24, 2020 led many people, both on the streets and online, to rally support for his release. Twitter user Bean summed up the attitude of many people across the globe:
Don’t be fooled: Julian Assange is a journalist, not a hacker, and the US wants to make his work—national security journalism—a crime. #DontExtraditeAssange #AssangeCase pic.twitter.com/bnnoDrqmeh
— Bean? (@SomersetBean) February 23, 2020
Assange also has significant backing among mainstream journalists:
1200 journals from 98 countries: We urge all journos to speak up in defense of J Assange at this critical time. Dangerous times call for fearless journalism.#JournalistsSpeakUpForAssange.
World-wide journalists condemn court action against Julian Assange https://t.co/2SnV50TwVY
— ?Mary Kostakidis (@MaryKostakidis) February 20, 2020
It is nearly eight years since Assange sought asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, and a year since his imprisonment in the United Kingdom’s Belmarsh Prison for breaching bail.
In 2006 he launched the Wikileaks website, which has published leaked and classified information from the U.S. government and other sources. Major instances include the Afghanistan and Iraq War Logs, and Cablegate. Assange collaborated with US Army whistleblower Chelsea Manning on these leaks.The extradition case relates to indictments for conspiracy to commit computer intrusion and espionage. Assange faces up to 175 years imprisonment if convicted of all charges. He has been accused by the American government of putting lives at risk.
Assange is a controversial figure for a number of other reasons. In 2010, Sweden issued an international arrest warrant for him in relation to sexual assault allegations; the charge has now expired. In 2016, the publication of Hillary Clinton’s private email archive blotted his copybook in the eyes of many progressives, who accused him of doing Russian President Putin’s dirty work and of helping to elect Donald Trump. Assange denies these accusations.
But many netizens dismiss attacks on Assange and Wikileaks. Some believe that what is paramount are the principles involved, not Assange’s character:
“Everyone has a view on Assange. But, frankly, our views should be irrelevant. We, the public, are not in the know. We’re easily manipulated. We can be wrong.” #FreeAssange #DontExtraditeAssange #auspol https://t.co/QGVr2YBuE9
— ?fladdle (@fladdle) February 29, 2020
Others refuse to support him for a range of reasons:
Assange deserves no respect, he lost it when he helped Trump get elected.
— Nathan Lewandowski (@NamerElodin) March 6, 2020
Assange is no Saint. He's put lives at risk with his actions. Due process is important, 100%, but let's not ignore the bad shit wikileaks has done putting entire families at risk in places like Iraq. Unforgivable.
— Rantomon (@Rantomon) March 5, 2020
Former Australian ambassador to Israel and now government backbencher, Dave Sharma, has joined numerous politicians who have little time for Assange. Greg Barns, a human rights advocate and advisor to the Assange team, recently took Sharma to task:
@DaveSharma This is not an either/or proposition. #Assange must be supported as must other Australians detained overseas @AssangeCampaign Imprisoned academic deserves more sympathy than Assange, Sharma says https://t.co/SdF9rZATHW
— Greg Barns (@BarnsGreg) March 2, 2020
There is a small group of pro-Assange members in Australia’s federal parliament. Opposition backbencher Julian Hill backed the ‘other Julian’ in a House of Representatives speech:
They imprison and torture Julian Assange to silence him. I spoke up for his rights today … and the lights in Parliament literally go out…? pic.twitter.com/5T2zehSarU
— Julian Hill MP (@JulianHillMP) February 26, 2020
There has been a worldwide resurgence of protest meetings and demonstrations. New Zealand academic Alex Hill is an activist who coordinates Candles4Assange:
120 events being held this week for @DEAcampaign
with 35+ ONGOING weekly or fortnightly events worldwide
(25 cities in Germany!) @Candles4Assange
?????????????????????????????
???????????? ???????(=Catalonia)
24 FEB 2020 (37 cities in 22 countries)
? @Pamariki + @GreenweaverArch pic.twitter.com/QtGPesJXei
— Antiwar☮AlexHills?? (@GreenweaverArch) February 27, 2020
Catalan separatists, Assemblea Nacional Catalana, posted the photo at the top of the story on Flickr. It depits a protest in Barcelona on February 24. Part of the caption reads: “L’Assange va donar suport a l’autodeterminació de Catalunya: ara som nosaltres qui li’n donem!” (“Assange supported the self-determination of Catalonia: now we give it to you!”).
Guatemalan lawyer Renata Avila (a member of the Global Voices community) reported from the fourth day of the hearing about the latest issue involving Assange’s treatment in the judicial system:
Summary of #Assange extradition case today: the accused cannot “hear” the arguments and the Judge refuses to fix it: he just wants to sit next to his lawyers. Globally reasonable. She refused. She even threatened to extend the process. Due process? Or punishment by process?
— Renata Avila (@avilarenata) February 27, 2020
This follows earlier claims by the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Nils Melzer, that Assange “has been tortured & continues to be tortured” in Belmarsh Prison.
There are numerous Facebook pages such as Free Julian Assange and tens of thousands of Instagram posts petitioning for his release.
Meanwhile, Chelsea Manning was reported to have attempted suicide in the US prison where she is being held, after refusing to answer questions before a grand jury about Assange:
This is devastating news. Chelsea Manning should be freed immediately! #FreeChelseaManning #FreeAssangeNOW https://t.co/P2c8QWghPa
— Ayrton Evans ⏳? (@AyrtonEvans_) March 12, 2020
In a later development, a court has ordered her release as the grand jury has been disbanded. Wikileaks has responded:
The WikiLeaks Grand Jury running 10+ years has been disbanded. Chelsea Manning and Jeremy Hammond have been released from its coercive machinations. Now drop all charges against #julianassange and release him. pic.twitter.com/qoHuUvvFcg
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) March 13, 2020
Phillip Adams from Brisbane started an online petition in 2018 which has over 365,000 signatures. It calls on Australia’s Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Prime Minister Scott Morrison to defend Assange: ‘Julian Assange is an Australian Citizen and as such it is the fundamental responsibility of the Australian Government to protect and ensure his human rights are not violated and to this end the Australian Government has failed.’
The radio broadcaster and media personality of the same name is also in Assange’s corner urging everyone to do more:
In The Weekend Australian Magazine today by @PhillipAdams_1
“It is we who are guilty of treason, treason against our principles. Not Julian Assange “#FreeAssangeNOW #DontExtraditeAssange pic.twitter.com/zRjxPtBqSA
— People For Assange (@people4assange) February 28, 2020
The extradition hearing resumes in May.

author: Kevin Rennie


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Guyana general elections hang in the balance as regional vote count ruled ‘invalid’ · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Screenshot of a portion of the Election Return from Guyana's Region 4, available on the Guyana Elections Commission's website.
After the polls closed in Guyana's general election, which took place on March 2, 2020, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) began to tally the votes from each of the country's 10 regions. However, in Region 4 — a stronghold of the ruling governing coalition, A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change( APNU+AFC) — the results were contentious. Guyana's High Court has now declared them null and void.
First, inconsistencies with a spreadsheet arose — by law, results must be verified according to the official Statements of Poll. Then, a data entry clerk was found with an unauthorised laptop and flash drive. This prompted the government's strongest challenger — the opposition People's Progressive Party (PPP) — to apply for a court injunction blocking Clairmont Mingo, the Region 4 returning officer, from declaring results until they could be properly verified.
On March 8, Guyana's Acting Chief Justice, Roxane George-Wiltshire, said that the court did have jurisdiction to hear the Region 4 verification suit. She heard arguments on March 10, and by March 11, ruled that the results indicated for Region 4 were “unlawful” as they did not fall in line with the requirements laid out in Section 84 of Guyana's Representation of the People Act, which refers to the counting of votes polled.
Justice George-Wiltshire's nullification of Region 4's declaration, coupled with her order for GECOM to conform with the law, means that the final results of the country's general elections hang in the balance until the recount is properly conducted.
Prior to Region 4's initial declaration, the PPP had been in the lead by more than 50,000 votes.
On March 11, President David Granger and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo jointly met with a contingent of Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders, and where they committed to transparency and agreed to uphold the law.
Today, March 13, marks the recommencement of the Region 4 verification process, after there were objections to having the contents of Returning Officer Mingo's disputatious spreadsheet included. GECOM will therefore conduct a fresh vote count, though the approach it will use is still unclear.
The process aims to clarify which political party will assume leadership of the country as it stands at the threshold of an economic uptick. Guyana has been poised for massive growth ever since its recent discovery of oil and gas reserves, which have the potential, according to The Economist, to increase per person income in the country by a staggering 380 percent.
Update: March 13, 2020 — Just after publication of this post, news broke that the Organization of American States‘ (OAS) observer mission had pulled out of Guyana after issuing a statement which noted, “The process being conducted by the Returning Officer for Region 4 to ascertain the results of the national and regional elections held on March 2 does not meet the required standard of fairness and transparency.”
Envoys of the Canada, the European Union, the United Kingdom and the United States also issued a joint release which warned that the country would be isolated by the international community if it did not adhere to proper process. Around 6 p.m. Guyana time, a joint statement was put out by the Commonwealth, the European Union, and the highly regarded Carter Center, which said the international election observation missions in Guyana are “deeply concerned about the continued lack of transparency in the ascertainment of results for Region 4.” The release also reasserted the Chief Justice's instructions that Statements of Poll are to be the benchmark that guides the tabulation process: “Unless and until this is done in Region 4, the election results cannot be considered credible.”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Islamabad’s Women’s Day march was met with violent opposition from conservative agitators · Global Voices
Annam Lodhi

Part of the 3,000-strong crowd that attended Islamabad's Aurat Azadi March on Sunday, March 8. Image via Aurat Azadi March. Used with permission.
Staged for the first time in Karachi in 2018, the Aurat March (Women's March) in Pakistan on International Women's Day (March 8) has gained in popularity over the last three years. The march is organised in several Pakistani cities by Hum Aurtein (We are Women), a women's collective that highlights the plight of Pakistani women who are subject to torture, injustice and deprived of socio-political and economical rights.
The Aurat Azadi March, or Women's Freedom March (AAM) in Islamabad attracted the largest crowd this year, with over 3,000 supporters marching to raise their collective voice against all forms of patriarchal, capitalist and imperialist oppression in the country. They represented a diverse cross-section of society — from political workers and students to human rights activists and concerned citizens.
The peaceful protest, however, took a hazardous turn when a group of right-wing operatives opposed to the march launched a physical assault on march participants.
The right-wing agitators pelted the marchers with stones, bricks and shoes, beat them with sticks and threw chilli powder into their eyes. The sudden attack caused panic, but AAM volunteers and organisers quickly moved march participants away from the area where police were trying to contain the instigators of the violence.
Look at this video. This is what happened, the stones were thrown at us and people were trying to hold them off from coming to this side so more people can get hurt. The police is witness to this and I’m shocked that this wasn’t mentioned in the FIR. #AuratAzadiMarch2020 pic.twitter.com/UUzlOVFSZf
— Tooba Syed AWP ☭ (@Tooba_Sd) March 9, 2020
Some marchers and journalists were seriously injured. A female marcher was repeatedly beaten with a stick, while others shared pictures of bruises on social media.
One of the participants of the march who was hit by stones on their head and neck fell to the ground but the FIR has no mention of this! #AuratAzadiMarch2020
pic.twitter.com/MVzLjKifAo
— Tooba Syed AWP ☭ (@Tooba_Sd) March 9, 2020
I was with my kids in march and coming back to my car when a man sprinkled chilli powder on my face. How he brought chilli with him. Did no body check him @dcislamabad @AuratAzadiMarch @Tooba_Sd
— Irfana Yasser (@irfanacheema) March 8, 2020
This was not the only hurdle faced by the marchers. The procession was also halted by the Islamabad Police, even though all permissions had been acquired. Barriers were erected as the crowd ran for cover from the attacks.
After some debate, the barriers were removed and the marchers proceeded toward D Chowk (Democracy Chowk), a large town square located near the Parliament building, chanting slogans. The march ended with powerful theatre performances, including a short play, and the singing of the Aurat Anthem.
The play was a commentary on the challenges women face both within and outside the home, the harassment they face in both spheres, and how the trans community is treated in Pakistani society. The Aurat Anthem recounted how many different aspects of society and the state are complicit in the sexual violence women face.
To counter the Aurat March, participants from the right-wing groups Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F), Sunni Ittihad, and Jamia Hafsa organised their own march called the Haya March (Modesty March). Haya March participants chanted slogans condemning the AAM and spouted hate-filled rhetoric against the organisers, but the event attracted a much smaller crowd than the AAM. The crowd became aggressive, however, as women started marching toward D Chowk, and a tent was torn down by the agitators.
The AAM was also marred by harassers who infiltrated the crowd, and during and after the march numerous complaints were voiced about unsolicited photos being taken and pushing and indecent exposure by men from within the crowd. While some incidents were handled on the spot by security personnel and the ICT police, many went under the radar.
A first information report (FIR) was launched and the police had at the time of writing booked over 400 people, including 11 religious scholars, for violating section 144 (unlawful assembly). The report said that the accused allegedly intervened in the operations of police and misbehaved with officials.
On March 10, AAM organisers held a press conference to discuss the attack. Why were the opposers allowed to preach at a location across the road from the marchers when they are known to be prone to violence? asked members of the panel, which consisted of AAM organiser and President of of the Women's Democratic Front (WDF), Ismat Shahjahan, WFD member Dr. Farzana Bari, and AAM Organisers Tooba Syed and Anam Rathore.
“Were they declaring war against women and children at the march?” asked Tooba Syed during the press conference. “They were using our religion against us. I ask the government and city administration this question. This was in board daylight, they declared war against women, charged and chanted slogans against us. Who is responsible for all of this?”
Calling for an independent judicial inquiry into the attacks, the panel reiterated the demands of AAM, raised the issue of the lack of security provided by the administration and vowed that the struggle would continue.
Later, an AAM organiser told Global Voices that they also questioned Islamabad's Deputy Police Commissioner as to why the pelting of stones and other aspects of the attack were not included in the FIR. The Deputy Commissioner asked them to send him a letter stating their concerns so that an official inquiry could be made on their behalf.
As Mosharraf Zaidi noted in a March 11 op-ed in The News:
The large turnout and relatively safe conduct of the Aurat March is a single-moment. But the real story will be lost in the moment. The real story is the crisis of masculinity that the assertion of basic, fundamental rights has exposed across the spectrum of class, gender and consumption. The real story is the cultural wars that have emerged in an already Digital Pakistan – for which neither the state nor society are prepared.

author: Annam Lodhi


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‘Linguistics is in everything’ from astronomy to everyday life, says this linguist from Trinidad & Tobago · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Dr. Jo-Anne Ferreira at a reading at Paper Based bookstore in Port of Spain, Trinidad. Photo courtesy Ferreira, used with permission.
This is the second instalment of an interview with linguist Jo-Anne Ferreira, who won the Trinidad and Tobago segment of a worldwide competition aimed at finding a pair of names for an exoworld, hosted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in honour of its 100th anniversary.
Graphic summarising the winning entry from Trinidad and Tobago in the NameExoWorlds competition. Image courtesy Jo-Anne Ferreira.
The names Ferreira put forward for the new star and its co-relating exoplanet, are Dingolay and Ramajay, the linguistic significance of which was explored in Part 1 of this series, in which Ferreira notes that the name selection was also a triumph for Patois. (If you want to stargaze and find the exoworld, Universe Guide offers detailed directions.)
As our conversation continues, Ferreira talks about the importance of language itself, and how linguistics is — in her words — “in everything … it's like maths and physics.”
JMF: Why do you think your win was significant for Patois, and what type of resources does the language need?
JAF: Patois has been here at least since 1783, for over 235 years. The year 2019 was significant for Patois — it was the 150th anniversary of John Jacob Thomas‘ “The Practice and Theory of Creole Grammar”, republished on its 100th anniversary and available in print and on archive.org; Patois pioneer professor emeritus Lawrence D. Carrington, professor of Creole linguistics, educational research and development, won the Chaconia Medal Gold for language and development; and Patois made it to the stars — all great for a language that has had little recognition and respect.
Patois absolutely needs resources — print, digital and more. We have a language documentation project afoot, and [language teacher] Nnamdi Hodge and I trek across the country interviewing as many Patois-speaking elders as possible, and filming, transcribing, translating and archiving. We have a Facebook page and Nnamdi has a YouTube channel. We can’t do it alone though. We hope to embark on community-based language development, with “The Guide for Planning the Future of Our Language”.
Based on the work of professors Carrington and Jean Bernabé, and colleagues of CRILLASH, Université des Antilles in Martinique and the Folk Research Centre of St Lucia, we've also developed a project about the Patois alphabet that's now in its pre-final version. We hope that the author, Gertrud Aub-Buscher, will finish her dictionary soon.
Image of The Patois Alphabet project, courtesy linguist Jo-Anne Ferreira, used with permission.
JMF: What is the state of Patois in Trinidad and Tobago and the wider region — and why do you always insist on capitalising the word?
JAF: Antillean or Atlantic French-lexicon Creole is alive and well in many countries of the Caribbean, and it is the Number 2 language of the region, after Spanish. Thanks to Haiti, it is also the Number 1 language of CARICOM, even with 13 English-official countries.
Patois was once spoken by every creed and race in this country. It belongs to no one and everyone. Unfortunately, it is dying in Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada and Venezuela, since it is no longer a first language.
Here, however, it is so interwoven into our everyday speech that most of us don’t even recognise that some things we say are Patois or due to Patois. We haven’t truly grasped the impact of Patois on what and how we speak: calques, vocabulary in the areas of flora, fauna, foods, folklore and festivals, music, place names, our syntax, pronunciation, and intonation. Patois itself has borrowed from many other languages in our space, sharing a symbiotic relationship with them. It's time for a return to roots to explain the present, and to understand our uniqueness.
With 12,200 entries, Patois may constitute only 10 percent of Lise Winer's edited “Dictionary of the English/Creole of Trinidad and Tobago”, but it’s deep in our marrow and linguistic DNA. Everyone needs to get this dictionary and get it now.
I insist on capitalising my name, my language, my nationality. We just mentioned that words change, and change they must, if they are around long enough or if they change location. Those who happen to know that a patois in France is a non-standardised regional variety of French don’t seem to know that that common noun changed and became a proper noun here, regardless of any stigma attached to the French meaning. Any negative word can undergo amelioration, because of the will of the speakers and their power to determine the course, the meaning, the status, definition and even the connotation of any word. In English, all proper nouns are capitalised. French stopped being a reference point for English a long time ago.
The spirit of Patois has triumphed in the face of adversity and it will not be put down or humiliated any longer.
JMF: You believe that linguists should be all about equality. Why?
JAF: Because no language can possibly be superior to another. We describe, not prescribe or proscribe. Why tell a silk fig that it is a bad lacatan? We are who we are. So it's equal language rights for all. We have declarations, charters, codes, etc.
JMF: You also believe that our attitude toward language has ripple effects.
JAF: Crime is linked to lack of jobs, [which] is linked to lack of education, [which] is linked to lack of language access. Is nobody seeing the link twixt crime and language?
Language policy and language planning fall right under sociolinguistics — you can plan for people to acquire a language; legally and socially raise the status of a language, and add vocabulary by creating dictionaries and grammars. We currently have no national language policy. CARICOM and the Association of Caribbean States don't have language policies either.
If I could get statistics of how many nationals go to university here and how many can't, see where they came from, their home language, I think the connections would be clear. We continue to demotivate the monolingual Creole/Dialect speakers. We need to stop that.
It's not like English is totally foreign here, but it's like a second language for too many. I have no problem with English as our national official language — it's part of us — but I do have a problem with the minoritising of the majority and their language. Bilingualism and multilingualism are normal around the world. The problem is we like to think of bilingualism as good only if it includes a language with status.
Lack of language access slows people down: in education, in getting the right job […] so if it's English needed, then teach it as a skill, using students’ backgrounds as bridges — not barriers.
JMF: In a society as diverse as Trinidad and Tobago, doesn't language have the power to connect us?
JAF: We have operated exonormatively for such a long time, but more and more, as any nation should, we are coming into our own. Individual words, like dingolay and pelau [a rice dish], belair/bèlè, [a dance], have more than one origin. All of our languages, past and present, have gone into making us who we are. One of my students is investigating linguocultural rich points, and it’s fascinating. Trinbagonians are connected through a shared linguocultural history and present — we don’t have to constantly define or explain or substitute our words in our conversations.
JMF: How do you notice Caribbean languages — indigenous and inherited — evolving?
JAF: Intangible cultural heritage is being recognised more and more. Language reclamation is happening. Long live endonormativity — we will dictate our own pace.


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New call for the release of Kurdish poet İlhan Sami Çomak jailed in Turkey for 26 years · Global Voices
John Lubbock

Photo of İlhan Sami Çomak by İpek Özel, used with permission
Turkey counts so many political prisoners (there are currently up to 70,000 students in jail) that it can be easy to get human rights fatigue when reporting on the country. Yet recently, a new campaign has been gaining ground to draw attention to one of the country’s longest-serving political prisoners, the Kurdish poet İlhan Sami Çomak.
Çomak has been in prison in Turkey for 26 years – four more years than Nâzım Hikmet, one of Turkey’s most famous poets served. Born in 1973, he was arrested while studying Geography at the University of Istanbul in 1994. According to a recent letter published in the Guardian:
He was charged with starting a forest fire and of being associated with the banned Kurdistan Workers’ party, charges he denied and to which he confessed only under torture.
Nurcan Baysal, a journalist based in the city of Diyarbakır (known as Amed in Kurdish), told Global Voices that Çomak was sentenced by a State Security Court (called Devlet Güvenlik Mahkemeleri in Turkish), presided over by a military judge, when he was tried in 1994. During the Turkish state’s conflict with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in the 1990s, these military courts tried cases of people considered to be a threat to national security, and usually gave harsh prison sentences.
His life sentence was re-approved in 2013, and again in 2016, meaning that he should be released in 2024. When asked about his defence by the court he replied “I am not going to say anything because you are not fair.”
Çomak’s case is currently being championed by Norwegian PEN, who organised an event to raise awareness about the case at the Poetry Cafe in London in February 2020. Following this, a letter was written to the British newspaper The Guardian, while the British-Hungarian writer George Szirtes published an article in The Guardian about Çomak’s case.
Caroline Stockford of Norwegian PEN spoke to Global Voices, saying that she is currently translating Çomak’s poetry, and hoping to find a publisher in English. Meanwhile, Norwegian PEN is also planning a campaign in Norway with a public event scheduled in the summer.
Stockford also hopes to meet with the Turkish Ambassador to Norway about the case, and to get an expert legal opinion on the case to submit to the Constitutional Court in Turkey. In a statement, Stockford commented on the case, saying:
“Ilhan is innocent. He is the forgotten case, a mild man who collects bird feathers and writes the poetry of nature, the outside world, of folk traditions and of the suffering of those other unjustly imprisoned men he has come into contact with over 27 years. We ask the Foreign Ministers not only of the UK but of Europe as a whole to intercede on his behalf, to raise his unjust case and demand the freedom of İlhan Çomak.”
Global Voices also spoke to İpek Özel, who regularly visits Çomak in prison. She said that Çomak wants the outside world to know that he is innocent of the crime he was convicted for. She said that he has not been given the chance of a fair trial, even after the European Court of Human Rights ruled his conviction unlawful. She adds:
“There was no military judge at the court this second time but the mentality of the military court and judge was there. They didn't listen to him, to his lawyers and to the witnesses at all. It was such a lousy court, that even the prosecutor was watching a webpage selling watches on his computer during the trials openly. We, in the observer seats saw that.”
Özel added that Çomak would also like people to read his poetry, to share it with others, and by doing so help him raise his voice while in prison.
“His poetry only talks about love and innocence and life with all its beauty, so he thinks that if he is read, liked and understood as a poet, then his voice will be pass through all the boundaries and prison walls, and he will be unstoppable. This will free him, even though his body is still kept in a prison. His verse, thoughts, feelings, ideology will be independent. If you would like to write to Ilhan in prison, his address is as follows: İlhan Çomak, Silivri L Tipi Cezaevi, F9 Alt Silivri Istanbul, Turkey”
In his poem ‘Life is seeing the flight of a butterfly’, Çomak tells the reader:  “No cage can contain the colours of my heart”. Through his poetry, he makes a powerful case that the strength of his imagination is greater than the power of the Turkish state to keep him in jail. Here is what he says in his own words about his life and hopes:
“The contentment of my childhood years and my imagination was enough to ensure that I lived my whole life in happiness. When that peace was lost, the happiness too was taken with it. The only thing I have left now is the power of my imagination… I have many reasons, of course, for writing poetry. However, I should like to emphasise most strongly that I am in search of the life that was stolen from me; I am seeking my lost happiness and contentment. I was a lovely child. I really miss and love the little child that I was. That is why I write poetry. For him.”

author: John Lubbock


text:
Women’s march in Istanbul marked by police violence and detentions on March 8 · Global Voices
Sevgi Yagmur Bulut

Protestors of the Feminist Night March gather in central Istanbul in Beşiktaş. Photo by Sevgi Yağmur Bulut, used with permission.
Since March 2003, Turkish women rights activists have established a tradition of holding a Feminist Night March every March 8 in Istanbul to mark international women's day. This year, the event, which traditionally takes places at the landmark central Taksim Square ended with several women being detained, as the city government refused to allow the demonstration.
On the evening of March 8, the city government of Istanbul stated that all roads leading to Taksim Square and nearby İstiklal Avenue would be closed due to ‘unauthorized demonstrations and calls for a march’. Ignoring the warning, women activists nevertheless maintained their decision to walk to Taksim, and started gathering in different locations.
The first meeting point was in Beşiktaş in central Istanbul, where supporters of the local organization We Will Stop The Femicide Platform met. They were carrying pictures of women killed by men, and banners with different messages such as  ‘Stop the femicide’, ‘You will never walk alone’. Some also displayed the sentence ‘I don't want to die’, which were the last words of Emine Bulut, a woman who was killed by her husband in front of her daughter, and became an emblem of the movement. As members of families in which a woman had died in the hands of men spoke, the crowd supported them with the slogan ‘You will never walk alone':
?#8M20
During the day, women in Istanbul first held a gathering in Beşiktaş for #InternationalWomensDay prior to Feminist Night March in Taksim.#dokuz8/@syagmurbulutpic.twitter.com/YeiPqCXyre
— dokuz8NEWS (@dokuz8news) March 8, 2020
On the Asian side of Istanbul, in Kadıköy, another group of women met to sing songs and dance. As one netizen wrote:
Kadınlara bir bakın. Dil, din, yönelim, siyasi görüş ayırt etmeden, rengarenk, neşeli, bir arada.
Şimdiden yolları tutmaya başlayıp Taksim’de yürütmemeye and içtiğiniz, muhtemelen de birkaç saat sonra gaza boğacağınız kadınlar bunlar.
İlişmeseniz öyle güzeliz ki. #8Mart pic.twitter.com/B55I4PrnhK
— Ayşen Şahin (@temcikterelelli) March 8, 2020
Look at those women. No matter what their language, religion, orientation is, they are colorful and cheerful. You have already closed roads and pledged not to let them go to Taksim. These are the women you will drown in tear gas in a few hours. We are so beautiful without you.
By 6 PM on March 8, demonstrators started to walk towards Taksim Square.
Taksim’de 8 Mart ablukası: Her yer bariyerlerle çevrildihttps://t.co/t6mxwJUQBd pic.twitter.com/XerTA7sQJV
— Tele1 TV (@tele1comtr) March 8, 2020
Blockade of March 8 in Taksim: Everywhere we are surrounded by barriers
As they tried to reach İstiklal Avenue which leads to the square, the police took action and sprayed them with tear gas, using their shields to push the group out of the streets.
#8Mart için Taksim'e yürümek isteyenlere kalkanlarla, tekmelerle müdahale!
Feminist Gece Yürüyüşü için Taksim'e çıkmak isteyen kadınlara polis böyle müdahale etti #8MartDünyaKadınlarGünü #8M2020 pic.twitter.com/QyJL8ro6hn
— Yol TV (@YolTV) March 8, 2020
Shields and kicks for those who want to walk to Taksim for #March8! The police intervened against women who wanted to go to Taksim for the Feminist Night Walk
Given that access was denied, groups of demonstrators changed direction, shouting ‘ So we are scattering all over Istanbul’ and went to nearby Karaköy square.
#FeministGeceYürüyüşü‘ne İstiklal Caddesi'nde izin verilmeyince, binlerce kadın “O halde İstanbul'un her yerine dağılıyoruz” diyerek yürüyüşe geçti.
Karaköy'e doğru yürüyen kadınlar araç yolunu trafiğe kapattı.#8M2020 pic.twitter.com/RXxMTZUFGt
— KarşıMahalle (@KarsiMahalleOrg) March 8, 2020
When the Feminist Night Walk was not allowed on İstiklal Avenue, thousands of women said “So we are scattering all over İstanbul instead.” Women walking towards Karaköy blocked the road.
#8m ’ta Karaköy’de kaç kişiydik diye soran olursa fotoğrafları gösterirsiniz :) #FeministGeceYürüyüşü pic.twitter.com/3gaXV9HxJD
— 8MartFeministYürüyüş (@8MartYuruyus) March 8, 2020
If you have been asked how many people were in Karaköy, you can show those photos
Since some women insisted on getting access to Taksim Square, the police made arrests, and a total of 34 women were detained.
#FeministGeceYürüyüşü #8M2020 #8martdunyakadinlargunu ? @kemal_aslan pic.twitter.com/EZ8qcR8Mjo
— Kemal ASLAN (@kemal_aslan) March 8, 2020
Some of the arrests were violent, as can be seen on images showing them being dragged by their hair:
Kadınlar polisin gaz bombalı saldırısına rağmen dağılmıyorhttps://t.co/fjex0RzBI6 pic.twitter.com/ryEo3ieJtK
— Tele1 TV (@tele1comtr) March 8, 2020
Women are not leaving despite the police using tear gas
Taksim'deki 8 Mart #FeministGeceYürüyüşü‘ne polis müdahalesinde 34 kişi gözaltına alındı
Filmmor'un paylaşıma göre, polisin müdahalesinin ardından gözaltına alınan 34 kişinin, ifadelerinin alınmak üzere Vatan Emniyet Müdürlüğü'ne götürüldüğü belirtildi. (?@muratbuyukyilmz) pic.twitter.com/m5XDubbxfg
— Yol TV (@YolTV) March 8, 2020
34 people were detained in Taksim on 8 March # FeministNightWalk. According to Filmmor [ a media organization for women], 34 people were detained after the intervention of the police, and were taken to the police headquarters to provide their testimony.
Taksim'de kadınlar saçlarından sürüklenerek gözaltına alınıyor! pic.twitter.com/MQ0nx2FK3S
— zülâl koçer (@zulalkocr) March 8, 2020
Women are detained and being dragged by their hair in Taksim
On March 9, the demonstrators were informed that all had been released.
8 Mart’ta gözaltına alınan kadınlar serbest bırakıldıhttps://t.co/bvvZP7BuXE#8Mart #FeministGeceYürüyüşü #kadın #gözaltı #pazartesi pic.twitter.com/WUAqHGX6a7
— A3 Haber (@A3Haber) March 9, 2020
Women detained on 8 March were released
One of the most popular banners of March 8 read “Remember this crowd if you sink into despair, because you will never walk alone”, which emphasis solidarity among women and the hope for a better future. It also circulated on social media among women:
Umutsuzluğa kapılırsan, bu kalabalığı hatırla?#FeministGeceYürüyüşü pic.twitter.com/q58jxvNcM5
— Toplumsal Eşitlik Platformu (@TEPlatformu) March 8, 2020
8 mart 2020’yi asla unutmuycam, “umutsuzluğa kapılırsam bu kalabalığı hatırlıycam.” pic.twitter.com/JbaxvD92wc
— Bahar Çuhadar (@baharca) March 9, 2020
I will never forget March 8, 2020, “I will remember this crowd if I sink into despair.
The government, meanwhile, conducted its official ceremony of marking women's international day. While women were fighting the police on the streets, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan distributed flowers to selected women during ‘Turkey's Hero Women’ Program, saying:
?Erdoğan: Kadını insan değil meta olarak gören, sırf cinsiyeti yüzünden eziyet eden hiçbir toplumun geleceği aydınlık olamaz!
? #FeministGeceYürüyüşü‘ne polis saldırdı. En az 30 kadın gözaltına alındı. Kadınlar gözaltına alınırken yerlerde sürüklendi! #8M2020 pic.twitter.com/OtiULcVKlT
— Hergele Postası (@HergelePostasi) March 8, 2020
Erdoğan: The future of a society that sees women as commodities cannot be bright. We do not want to experience a mentality of ignorance that buries girls alive. Yet some societies still act so.
Police attacked #FeministNightWalk. At least 30 women were detained. Women pushed to the ground floor while detained

author: Sevgi Yagmur Bulut


text:
COVID-19 in Africa: ‘Unprecedented levels of mobilization’ as nations brace for pandemic · Global Voices
Amanda Lichtenstein

At Kigoma airport, in Tanzania, a health official registers details of passengers coming and going, March 14, 2020. Photo by Pernille Bærendtsen, used with permission.
Check out Global Voices’ special coverage of the global impact of COVID-19.
With at least 19 African countries now facing COVID-19, several governments have taken critical steps toward mitigation and management, including travel restrictions, health screenings at ports of entry, rapid testing and social distancing measures.
COVID-19, a previously unknown disease caused by the potentially deadly coronavirus, was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11. It has claimed the lives of 4,955 people globally as of March 13, 2020, according to WHO.
As of March 14, WHO reports 215 total cases across Africa and five reported deaths.
The following nations have reported more than 15 cases of COVID-19: Algeria (37), Egypt (93), Senegal (19), South Africa (24), and Tunisia (16). These nations have less than 15 cases: Burkina Faso (2), Cameroon (2), Côte d'Ivoire (1), Democratic Republic of Congo (2), Ethiopia (1), Gabon (1), Guinea (1), Kenya (1), Mauritania (1), Morocco (7), Namibia (2), Nigeria (2), Sudan (1), and Togo (1).
Nearly every single case of the virus in Africa can be traced back to travel through Europe, which has now become the epicenter of the pandemic. This has prompted several African nations to make the historic decision to place travel restrictions on travelers coming from nations with high numbers of COVID-19 cases.
For example, Uganda took the unprecedented measure to restrict travel from 16 countries with high numbers of cases of COVID-19, including China, France, Germany, Italy, Iran, South Korea, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Uganda has suspended flights from high risk Coronavirus hit countries including USA, UK, China, France, Germany, Iran, Italy, South Korea, Spain, The Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Austria, and Malaysia.
— Africa Facts Zone (@AfricaFactsZone) March 12, 2020
Meanwhile, the semi-autonomous island of Zanzibar, part of the United Republic of Tanzania, reportedly announced that it would restrict charter flights from Italy, where COVID-19 cases are soaring. But these restrictions did not apply to China, a country that does major trade and business with Tanzania. Kenya has also halted direct flights from Italy to coastal resorts in Mombasa.
Nigeria has not imposed any travel restrictions but strongly advised against trips to countries with high levels of COVID-19 transmission such as  China, Iran, Italy, Japan, and South Korea. In addition, the West African country has suggested a 14-day self-isolation measure for travelers from these countries.
Liberia, with no known COVID-19 cases but with extensive experience with the highly infectious Ebola disease, has imposed a compulsory 14-day quarantine in an observation center for anyone coming from Germany, where COVID-19 cases are rapidly on the rise. Similarly, Democratic Republic of Congo is implementing a 14-day self-quarantine regimen for anyone flying in from France, Germany, Italy and China.
“The Ebola epidemic in 2014 led to flight shutdowns, visa bans and quarantine regimes that affected thousands of travelers from the three West African countries at the heart of the outbreak,” according to The Globe and Mail.
One netizen called this moment — when African governments are now in the position to ban travelers from Europe, the United States and the United Kingdom — “a turning point in history”:
The turning point of history has arrived pic.twitter.com/lrZ5vepP8U
— Karl Sharro (@KarlreMarks) March 13, 2020
As the coronavirus continues to spread throughout Africa, citizens and governments alike have debated African nations’ abilities to handle the crisis in terms of health care, disaster preparedness, communication, and response.
But “many African health officials bristle at the suggestion that they are not adequately addressing the crisis, saying there has been an unprecedented level of mobilization for COVID-19, as well as a growing reserve of experience to draw on,” according to the BBC.
Once the first cases were reported in Ethiopia and Kenya, both of which have capital cities that serve as major transport hubs, these nations immediately banned large gatherings and urged citizens to practice “social distancing” — a term used to describe minimizing contact with other people and maintaining a distance of at least six feet if you must interact — to slow the spread of the virus.
When Nigeria alerted the world to the existence of its index COVID-19 case, WHO's director-general, Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, praised the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) for its transparency and swiftness in sharing the information:
Thank you @NCDCgov & the Government of #Nigeria for the swift & transparent way you have shared the #COVID19 sequence from the country's first case. This a true act of solidarity and an important step in stopping the #coronavirus from spreading further. https://t.co/6fv15oMDTm
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) March 7, 2020
In Tanzania, also with no reported cases as of March 14, President John Magufuli still made it a point to encourage social distancing — a major challenge in a region known for its social norms of close, communal contact.
When President Magufuli met with longtime opposition leader Malim Seif Sharif, they set the example by acknowledging each other with a “toe-tap” — a new salutation in a country accustomed to strong, firm handshakes:
Tz President Magufuli (R) exchanges foot greeting with opposition pol Seif Sharif Hamad to promote “no handshake” in these #Coronavirus times. A critic says “anti-democratic Magufuli must have thanked COVID-19, ‘cos it gives him the perfect excuse NOT to shake Opposition hands” pic.twitter.com/0qLsNIgXlB
— Charles Onyango-Obbo (@cobbo3) March 5, 2020
Announcement from Ummy Mwalimu, from the Tanzanian Ministry of Health, Development, Gender, Elderly and Youth.
It is also being reported that Tanzania has preemptively identified three “isolation centers” in the north, east and west regions, in case of a COVID-19 outbreak. “Thermometers have been stockpiled and more than 2,000 health workers trained,” according to the BBC. However, it remains unclear exactly where the centers are located.
Tanzanian health minister Ummy Mwalimu sent out an official statement on March 14 that six travelers from Denmark and Norway en route from Kenya to Tanzania were screened at the Kilimanjaro airport in Arusha, Tanzania. One had a high fever, cough, and exhaustion — all symptoms of COVID-19. Authorities decided to move the group of six into isolation and then they were taken to Rufaa Hospital for testing as a group. All tested negative for COVID-19 and were free to carry on with their activities.
Meanwhile, in Rwanda, with zero reported cases, the government has instituted preemptive public handwashing measures in public transport hubs in Kigali:
LEADERSHIP ???
Rwanda keeping coronavirus at bay with campaign of public handwashing https://t.co/8rT7wk4uwL
— David Toovey (@DavidToovey) March 12, 2020
There is some speculation that COVID-19 numbers are low in Africa (as well as in some other parts of the world) because there is not yet adequate testing available.
However, 33 of 47 sub-Saharan African countries currently have testing facilities — a dramatic increase from January 2020, when only South Africa and Senegal had testing capabilities.
Senegal, with just one reported case so far, is reportedly able to test citizens in less than four hours, whereas in some countries, like the United States, it can reportedly take up to a week to get results.
According to the African Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), in early February, Senegal also trained 16 African laboratories in how to diagnose COVID-19. The training sessions took place in Dakar, the capital; additional training for 12 more African laboratories was held in South Africa.
Nigeria's NCDC is publishing daily reports with COVID-19 contact-tracing updates, and also has a free landline and WhatsApp number for citizens to ask COVID-19 related questions.
The Southern African Development Community also held an “extraordinary” session on March 9 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to discuss COVID-19 preparedness and response, urging members to be prepared to put their national emergency plans into action.
Despite such measures, many African nations struggle with adequate health care for all.
Everjoice Win of Zimbabwe tweeted some serious questions about those who may get left behind in this crisis:
How do you self-quarantine in an informal-settlement? Or in a household full of people? How do you ‘stock-up’, when you live from hand to mouth? What will business closures mean for daily/hourly waged workers? Asking for a continent.
— Everjoice Win (@EverjoiceWin) March 14, 2020
In Tanzania, for instance, 25 million people still lack access to clean water — essential for hand-washing, in order to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Yet, the various, coordinated responses in instances where COVID-19 has appeared across the continent, proves that experience and determination go hand in hand.
Editor's note: An earlier version of this post included a screenshot of Everjoice Win's tweet because her Twitter account was temporarily unavailable.

author: Amanda Lichtenstein


text:
With no officially confirmed cases, El Salvador locks itself down to prevent COVID-19 · Global Voices
Melissa Vida

Screenshot of Nayib Bukele's press conference on March 11, 2020. Source: El Diario de Hoy.
Check out Global Voices’ special coverage of the global impact of COVID-19.
On March 11, El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele declared a nationwide quarantine of 21 days, which could be extended, to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the small Central American country. There are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in El Salvador, although journalists have put into question the veracity of official numbers.
All schools were immediately suspended and it is unclear how parents and caregivers will adapt to the education system's lockdown. On the other hand, international trade will continue. The government announced that it will open centers to collect food and supplies for quarantined people.
Bukele referred to Italy in his speech, which has also gone into lockdown to prevent the spread outside of its borders. To date, there are 17,660 people infected with the virus and 1,266 deaths in Italy.
"Hermanos salvadoreños, como les dije, esta decisión va a ser criticada por muchos, pero reitero: ¿qué daría Italia por estar en nuestra posición?", Presidente @nayibbukele. pic.twitter.com/4YisWhF1ag
— Casa Presidencial (@PresidenciaSV) March 11, 2020
“Salvadoran brothers, like I said, this decision will be criticized by many, but I repeat: What would Italy give to be in our position?” President Nayib Bukele said.
He continued: “Our health system is not at Italy's level, it's not at South Korea's level.”
El Salvador's health system has frequently been reported in the press for its lack of medicine, funding, and medical staff.
Today, in El Salvador, only nationals, residents, and diplomats can enter the country. If the traveler comes from a country considered at risk, they must spend 30 days in quarantine. On March 12, confusion reigned at the international airport of San Salvador as people have reportedly tried to enter the country by force.
On March 13, the government presented two decrees to the Legislative Assembly, which, if passed, would implement a national state of emergency and an exceptional regime in El Salvador, limiting freedom of assembly and freedom of movement.
Salvadoran YouTube commentator José Valladares, as well as many other Salvadorans on Twitter, supported the president's decision.
Pues excelente decisión del gobierno.
?? Ahora, nos toca acatar medidas sanitarias y que no cunda el pánico.
Oremos para que todo se normalice.
— José Valladares (@soyjoseyoutuber) March 12, 2020
Well, excellent governmental decision.
Now, it's up to us to heed to hygienic measures and not panic.
Let's pray so that everything normalizes.
Analyst Tiziano Breda from the International Crisis group highlights how dependent Central American economies are on trade, yet believes that El Salvador's decision was the best solution.
Now that #Coronavid19 is almost inevitably starting to hit #CentralAmerica, countries in the region are responding in different ways, struggling between maintaining a lifeline for their fragile economies and the need to prevent the spread of the disease [THREAD]
— Tiziano Breda (@TizBreda) March 11, 2020
Award-winning Nicaraguan journalist hails Nayib Bukele's decision and compares it to Nicaragua's alleged inaction in preventing the spread. She also criticized how Nicaragua's Health Ministry denied care to anti-government demonstrators in 2018.
La medidas adoptadas por @nayibbukele en #ElSalvador ante coronavirus son acertadas, prevenir antes que lamentar una muerte. En #Nicaragua parece que régimen tienen un gran letrero "BIENVENIDO CORONAVIRUS". Ya el sistena de salud dejó morir a heridos x represión en 2018 y ahora?
— Lucia100%Noticias (@LuciaPinedaU) March 12, 2020
Nayib Bukele's measures in El Salvador are reasonable, it's better to prevent rather than lament a death. In Nicaragua, it seems like the government has a huge sign saying “WELCOME CORONAVIRUS.” The health system already let wounded people die during the repression in 2018, and now?
On the other hand, Salvadoran youth ask how to comply with health instructions if they do not have access to running, clean water. El Salvador has been going through a public water crisis for the past years and worsened in January 2020.
They want me to wash my hands often but they don't even give us running water in my neighborhood.
Lecturer and research associate at Dartmouth University, Jorge Cuéllar, however, sees a populist move in Bukele's immediate decision:
Still thinking about Bukele’s alarmist 21-day decree yesterday that ‘immediately’ quarantined El Salvador. It only ‘immediately’ induced panic. The emergency session was not the best way to address this. Most of it was populist theater.
— Jorge Cuéllar (@infrapolitics) March 12, 2020
Deportations of migrants and asylum seekers from the U.S. and Mexico will continue, causing concern among advocates and officials.
“An official at the Salvadoran Institute of Migration called for a suspension of deportations while the government prepares for the virus”, reported Latin America News Dispatch.
Advocates and officials are concerned that the steady arrival of deportees from the U.S. and Mexico to Central America could complicate the region’s ability to contain the coronavirus. #TodayInLatinAmerica https://t.co/EAFhDhi6hM
— Latin Dispatch (@LatAmDispatch) March 13, 2020
Other Salvadorans responded with humor.
Gracias por protegernos presi @nayibbukele ??
A post shared by  Humor Guanaco (@humorguanaco) on
El Salvador right now.

author: Melissa Vida


text:
New COVID-19 disaster area order places a Jamaican community under quarantine, but ‘not under curfew’ · Global Voices
Emma Lewis

Screenshot of the livestream of Jamaica's Prime Minister Andrew Holness’ most recent press briefing related to COVID-19, which took place at his office, Jamaica House, on the evening of March 13, 2020
Check out Global Voices’ special coverage of the global impact of COVID-19.
“The whole of Jamaica is hereby declared to be a disaster area.” So said Jamaica's solemn-faced prime minister, Andrew Holness, at an evening press briefing at Jamaica House on March 13, 2020. The event was livestreamed on Minister of Health and Wellness Christopher Tufton’s Facebook page.
After six new confirmed cases of COVID-19 were announced earlier that day, bringing Jamaica's current total to eight, Holness cited the move under the Disaster Risk Management Declaration of Disaster Area Order 2020. The legislation, found under Section 26/2 of Jamaica's Disaster Risk Management Act 2015, was triggered by a notice from Desmond McKenzie, the minister responsible for disaster management, because of the COVID-19 threat.
The government has activated the 2015 Disaster Risk Management Act, the Emergency Powers Act and the Public Health Act. This means we can do whatever is required to control the spread of this disease. #COVID #COVID19JAMAICA #covid19containment
— Andrew Holness (@AndrewHolnessJM) March 13, 2020
The government now has additional legal powers at its disposal to help control and contain the virus, including the ability to quarantine entire communities. Even before Prime Minister Holness’ briefing, the towns of Seven Miles and Eight Miles in Bull Bay, St. Andrew, a few miles to the east of Jamaica's capital Kingston, had already been placed under a 14-day quarantine, as the first confirmed case of COVID-19 had been located in the area. These semi-rural communities comprising around 6,000 homes and businesses, lie along the main coastal road.
“Patient Zero”, a woman who had travelled to Jamaica from the United Kingdom on March 4 to attend a family funeral, was hospitalised several days later. Minister Tufton said that health officials had been tracing contacts for this first COVID-19 case as well as the second, and conducting risk assessments. Two of the island's six new cases were contacts of “Patient Zero”, including her father.
According to Chief Medical Officer Jacqueline Bisasor-McKenzie, the tracing also revealed that more than 30 residents of Bull Bay had contact with the woman, eight of whom were already symptomatic. The Ministry of Health is therefore trying to raise awareness of the illness within the community and educate people, especially the elderly and those with chronic illnesses, about prevention measures.
Residents in the quarantined area will have their movements restricted over the next two weeks, overseen by the country's protective services. The prime minister stressed that the measure did not constitute a curfew, a situation with which many deprived communities are all too familiar — despite its popular public beaches and surf spots, the community suffered a violent crime wave in 2019, due in part to high unemployment rates. The head of the Jamaica Defence Force announced, however, that manned checkpoints were in place, not unlike those used in states of emergency and zones of special operations usually imposed to curb criminal activity in specific areas. The Commissioner of Police urged residents to cooperate, insisting that the measures are in place “to protect” residents and slow the disease’s spread.
Countering concerns about the authorities’ newly expanded powers, Attorney General (AG) Marlene Malahoo Forte noted that Section 20 of the country's Constitution, which empowers the Governor General (Jamaica’s Head of State) to declare a state of disaster, had not been activated. Under the Emergency Powers Act and Public Health Act, she said, the minister of health had “broad investigative powers” and could “do whatever is necessary” to prevent the disease from spreading.
Jamaica's Public Health Act gives officials the right of entry to private premises without residents’ permission or a search warrant. Under “additional regulations” that are being drafted, authorities also have the right to disinfect or even destroy buildings. Food handlers, barbers and hairdressers must be disease-free and submit to medical examination if necessary.
“The powers are very large. Essentially the Minister can do whatever is required to contain the disease,” said the attorney general, adding that residents must answer questions, report illness and refrain from “public mischief.” Under Section 12 of the Quarantine Act, even force can be used if necessary.
While some approved of the strong tone of the AG's presentation, one young human rights activist observed:
The authorities can now enter your private dwelling without warrant, use force if necessary and mash up any facility if they reasonably determine a situation to be a risk to public health. Things getting serious bruh.
— Christopher E. Harper (@chrisxharper) March 13, 2020
It was also announced that the United Kingdom would be added to Jamaica's list of countries on which travel restrictions:
Travel restrictions now applicable to the UK as Jamaica moves aggressively to derail transmission of #COVID19. Here PS Bryan (c) explains what that means. @Petchary @kayraynor pic.twitter.com/y3PuMI9jMA
— Petre WilliamsRaynor (@WillieRaynor) March 14, 2020
The prime minister has invited retired nurses to assist with the crisis and the country and 21 nurses from Cuba will soon join the cadre of Cuban health professionals already working at medical facilities in Jamaica. The government is reportedly seeking to bring in as many as 100 more, news that was largely welcomed.
Meanwhile, most Jamaicans are concerned about basic necessities such as water, which will be trucked to areas currently receiving none, and electricity. Generally, however, the mood seems to be “so far, so good.” One business leader urged:
Government is so organized rn
At the very least as Jamaicans we should feel proud of this level of leadership in this time of crisis
People please, save your energy to support the efforts to ensure we have quality life after #COVID19JAMAICA
That’s the mission
— Word for 2020 is Time (@yaneekpage) March 14, 2020
In a similar vein, the prime minister concluded the press briefing by saying:
“We are using law to create order by ensuring that the state functions […] We are well aware of the legal framework in which we are operating…because there will be life after COVID.”
Meanwhile, Jamaicans, including the residents of Bull Bay, are hunkering down for life under COVID-19, in a country that has been officially declared a disaster area.

author: Emma Lewis