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Russia: Fukushima Plant Disaster Triggers Nuclear Power Debate · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

This post is part of our special coverage Japan Earthquake 2011.
The natural disaster unfolding in Japan after the 8.9 magnitude earthquake on Friday 11 March, 2011, is currently the one of the most widely discussed topics in the Russian blogosphere. One of the most worrying impacts of the quake and related tsunami has been at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, where it is still unclear if engineers have managed to avoid a major meltdown.
Aside from sharing shocking videos of the quake-induced tsunami levelling streets in Japanese coastal cities and lending an attentive ear to Japan-based tweeps, Russian bloggers have been discussing the question of nuclear energy as the Fukushima disaster plays out hour by hour.
Earthquake and tsunami damaged-Fukushima Dai Ichi Power Plant, Japan. Image by www.digitalglobe.com.
Soviet nuclear legacy
The Soviet Union, Russia's political predecessor, was the first country in the world to develop a nuclear power reactor in 1954. In 1986, the Soviet Union experienced the most powerful nuclear explosion and meltdown in human history in the city of Chernobyl, now located in the Ukraine, resulting in more than 4,000 deaths and the resettlement of 336,000 people.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the heritage of the Chernobyl disaster became shared by Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus, the latter being the most affected (around 25 percent of the territory).
Following Chernobyl, development of new nuclear plants in Russia slowed down, up until mid-2000s when the government decided to increase the share of nuclear energy in the country's energy balance.
In 2010, nuclear plants accounted for 17 percent [ru] of Russia's total energy production, and in March 2010, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin announced the intention [ru] to raise this to 20-30 percent.
Reactions to Fukushima
The Fukushima disaster (see timeline) has not led to any change of heart in Russian nuclear policy. A recent statement by Putin said [ru] that, “Russia will not change its nuclear energy plans due to the disaster in Japan.”
Map of nuclear pollution (Caesium-137) in Europe, 1996 (ten years after the Chernobyl disaster). Map courtesy of Chernobyl.in.ua
After the first Fukushima explosion on March 12, 2011, Vladimir Milov, an energy expert and opposition politician, wrote [ru]:
“Атомщики привычно щеголяют цифрами про вероятность крупной аварии как “десять в минус седьмой” или хотя бы в минус пятой степени. Но вероятность – это математическая величина, а реальные аварии в реальной жизни происходят чаще, чем в математических расчетах. Оно может 100 лет быть безопасным, но потом как обанет один раз – будет достаточно. Убежден, что человечество в ближайшей перспективе ждет как минимум одна крупная атомная авария. С последствиями.”
Это цитата из моего поста, написанного два с половиной года назад.
[…] Для справки: порядка 20% атомных реакторов в мире работают в сейсмически опасных зонах.
[…] В общем, делайте выводы, господа. Да, специально для атомных хомячков, которые сейчас сюда неизбежно прибегут: не надо здесь ля-ля про “обратно в пещеру” и “альтернативная энергетика дорогая”. Пещера и альтернативная энергетика здесь ни при чем. Газ, газ и еще раз газ. Его запасов в мире будет достаточно для покрытия потребления, даже если газом полностью заместить такой маргинальный (менее 6% мирового потребления первичных энергоресурсов) и опасный источник энергии, как “мирный атом”.
“Nuclear energy experts usually show off the data that the probability of a big accident is 0.0000001 or at least 0.000001 to one. But probability is a mathematical value, whereas real accidents happen more often than the calculations predict. It [nuclear energy] can be secure for 100 years but then it will hit once – and once will be enough. I'm convinced, humanity will face at least one big nuclear disaster in the near future. And it will have consequences.”
This is from my post written two and a half years ago.
[…] And for the record: 20 percent of nuclear reactors now work in the seismic active zones.
[…] So, make your conclusions, readers. Especially pro-nuclear trolls who will immediately react: don't bla-bla-bla about “going back to the cave” and “alternative energy is expensive.” Cave [life] and alternative energy have nothing to do with that. Natural gas, gas, and once more – gas. There's enough gas in the world to cover energy consumption and substitute such a marginal (less than 6 percent of world consumption of primary energy resources) and dangerous energy source as the “peaceful atom” [nuclear energy].
Firewind8220 opposes this opinion [ru]:
[…] Сколько можно считать – КПД ядерной реакции и химической отличаются в ТЫСЯЧИ раз. Атомная энергетика выгодна, безопасна, перспективна. Если бы взорвался газовоз с жидким газом, который везет 300К жидкого газа, Хиросима бы позавидовала последствиям. После сегодняшней аварии резервные дизель генераторы перенесут в более защищенные герметичные боксы. А вот куда вы перенесете емкости с газом в сотни тысяч кубометров, это еще вопрос. […] Да, кстати, а вы представляете каковы бы были последствия, если на месте атомных станций там бы стояли газовые или нефтяные? Пример мексиканского залива и 1 млн тонн нефти в океане ни чему не учит? Сколько тысяч людей от последствий такого разлива умрут не скажите? А с газом не намного все проще и безопаснее. Так что нее надо паники – учимся на ошибках своих и чужих. Атомной промышленности быть.
Oleg Kozyrev, who once visited radiation polluted territories close to Chernobyl, wrote:
Япония — из тех стран, которым действительно трудно или даже невозможно было обойтись без ядерной энергии. Но недавние события показали, что угроза от атомных станций может быть сравнимой с угрозой от цунами и землетрясений. Если японцы смогут развязать эту энергетическую удавку на своей шее, то может быть их решения помогут и всему человечеству.
Я не являюсь противником ядерной энергии. Но в то же время понимаю, что бесконечно закрывать глаза на угрозы, от этого вида электроэнергетики исходящие, больше нельзя. Задайте себе один простой вопрос – насколько мы уверены в безопасности наших, российских электростанций. Еще раз, говорю не в мантрах российских атомщиков, а именно о реальном положении дел.
Japan is one of those countries that can't go without nuclear energy. But the latest events have shown that the danger from the nuclear plants can be comparable to those from tsunamis or earthquakes. If Japanese can loosen this energy noose around their neck, then maybe their solutions will help humanity in general.
I'm not against nuclear energy. But at the same time I think that it's impossible anymore to close our eyes on the threats that exist from using this type of power. Ask yourself a simple question – how secure do we feel about our Russian [nuclear] electricity plants? One more time, I'm not speaking about the mantras of Russian nuclear experts but about the real situation.
Bquark commented:
А как обойтись при нынешнем адском уровне потребления энергии без ядерных станций? Если от них отказаться, но уровень потребления будет тот же, то придется задействовать угольную и гидроэнергетику в такой степени, что последствия будут печальными (они уже печальные).
Проблема в потреблении, а не виде энергии.
А еще в том, что большинство думает, что каждая станция это потенциальный Чернобыль.
Но это ведь не так? Водо-водяные реакторы в принципе не могут так взрываться как Чернобыль.
How would you avoid using nuclear power stations given such a demanding level of energy consumption? If you refrain from using nuclear energy, the level of consumption would be the same, so you would have to use coal-powered and hydroelectric energy to such a degree that the consequences would be bad (they're bad already).
The problem is the level of consumption and not the type of energy.
And also, the problem is that the majority think that every station is a potential Chernobyl. But isn't it different? Boiling Water Reactors (BWR) can't explode the same way Chernobyl did.
Finally, Igor Podgorny, famous photo-blogger and Greenpeace activist, has pointed out [ru] a different aspect of the problem: Russia's plans to build floating nuclear plants (the first was finished in July 2010) in its seismic- and tsunami-prone Pacific coastal zone. At the same time, the country's Kamchatka region, where the floating nuclear station is planned to be built, actually boasts the best conditions for geo-thermal energy production.
Monitoring the situation
Now Russians, together with the rest of the world, are closely watching the situation around Fukushima power station. Unlike Moscow-based bloggers, people in the east of the country are mostly focused on whether a ‘nuclear fallout cloud’ exists, and if yes, whether it will reach them or not.
Internet users in Vladivostok, the biggest Russian city close to Japan, have written almost 2,000 comments [ru] in answer to a single article about the Fukushima explosion, posting online radiation data captured by personal radiation dosimeter equipment in differents parts of the city. Members of the Kamchatka and Sakhalin online forums have done the same. For the time being one observation has been shared: the radiation level is normal.
Whether any impact from Fukushima reaches Russian territory or not, the issue of nuclear energy remains wide open. The topic is complex with no simple solution, yet bloggers, journalists and scientists are eager to spend hours discussing it.
But is the Russian government and parliament as enthusiastic to join the debate?
This post is part of our special coverage Japan Earthquake 2011.

author: Alexey Sidorenko


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Russia: Will Prosecutor’s Office Use Crowdsourced Data To Fight Illegal Gambling? · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

While discussing the issue of illegal gambling with the Prosecutor General, President Medvedev has stated that the Prosecutor's office can use crowdsourced data of gdecasino.ru, a mapping portal offering users the ability to map illegal gambling sites, interfax.ru reported [RUS]. Right after the news broke, the site went down, though. Previously, the Prosecutor's office have never used online projects to empower its functions. Will it now?

source: news-globalvoices

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


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St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Heroes Day  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Today is National Heroes Day; Abeni explains why “the challenge…is to play our part in educating others on [Carib Chief] Chatoyer and why he is important to our sense of self.”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Traditional Clothing from Lusophone Countries · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

ePORTUGUESe blog illustrates and writes about the traditional clothing from Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde and Guinea Bissau, to Mozambique, Portugal, Sao Tome and Principe and East Timor [pt].

author: Sara Moreira


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Trinidad & Tobago: The Meaning of Equality  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Coffeewallah thinks that women “the latest trend in female performers, to debase themselves or perform lyrics that are denigrating to women” does nothing for gender equality.


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Turkey: Still Considering Bid on Nuclear Plant from Japan? · Global Voices
Solana Larsen

Earthquake-prone Turkey is currently considering a bid on a nuclear power plant tender from a Japanese energy company. Selene Verri from Turkish Diary asks: “So, Turkey is going nuclear. Is it wise, knowing what just happened in Japan, a conscientious and prepared country?”

author: Solana Larsen


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Yemen: A Life-Threatening Message to Blogger Afrah Nasser · Global Voices
Afef Abrougui

This post is part of our Yemen Protests 2011 special coverage.
When protests first started in Yemen in January, President Ali Abdullah Saleh promised not to run for re-election in 2013 as an attempt to quiet angry protesters. However, this concession did not please anti-government protestors who have been asking for the immediate resignation of Ali-Abdullah Saleh and the fall of his 32-year regime. The government then turned to force, deploying thugs, live bullets, and possibly nerve gas to bring an end to a series of mass protests that have swept the country.
Afrah Nasser
Yemeni blogger, Afrah Nasser, lives near the anti-government protest area in the capital Sana’a and has been uploading photos and posts calling for revolution. Nasser is also a journalist at the Yemen Observer Newspaper.
She received the following life-threatening message on Facebook on March 13 and decided to post it on her blog the next day, “so the entire world reads it“. The original message was in Arabic and she translated to English:
يبدوبان بانالكلام والتعامل معك بالطيب لا ينفع , رغم الجلسات التي تمت بينك وبين الــــ ؟؟؟؟!! كانت توحي بطيبه واحترام وذوق الطرف الاخر لكن مايتضح هو بانك لاترغبين بالعيش في امن وامان مع امك المسكينه التي تعبت وضحت من اجلكي انتي واختكي المغتربه ,قدمت كل التنازلات الشخصيه من اجل الحفاظ على ابنتيها الوحيدتان وتربيتهن وتعليمهن حتى اصبح كل من حولها يحسدونها على هذا الشي ,لكن يبدو بان المقوله المشهوره لاتريد ان تفارقكي(العرق دساس “نـ….. ر” ) اتمني بان تكون الاستاذه القديرة/ @#$% هي قدوتكي في الحياه فلا تخالفيها واسمعي كل كلامها فهيا اعلم منكي بالتعامل مع الاخرين ولااضن بان هناك شخص اخر يعرف مصلحتك ويخاف عليكي اكثر من امك… كم اتمنى بان تكون هذة الام هي امي فسوف احاول اسعادها ولو بعمري …….
على العموم سيتم تجاهل كل الماضي ليس لاجل شي وانما لاجل تلك الام المسكينه المناظله التي لايتم مكافاتها بمثل هذة المكافه وهي حرمانها من احد افراد اسرتها بكل هذة السهوله مقابل طيشكي لانريد ان نفقدها كل تعب السنين الماضيه.
اتمنى بان رسالتي قد وصلت اليكي يابنت اليمن …..
اصحي اصحييييييييييييييييييييييييي فلا تكوني وامكي واختكي ضحيت طيشكي يامتعلمه
The Message received by Afrah Nasser, a Yemni Journalist.
Anyways, the past will be forgotten, not for the sake of anything but only for the sake of your poor mother who fought a lot for you and you awarded her with this award; that’s to deprive her easily of one of her family member because of your irresponsibility and recklessness. We don’t want her to lose all what she earned for the past years.
I wish you receive my message…..
Wake up, waaaaaaaaaaake up! Don’t make your mother and your sister pay the price of your recklessness, you educated lady!
Afrah's followers on both twitter and her blog were shocked and they expressed their support and solidarity.
WomanfromYemen tweets:
@Afrahnasser oh my God!!!! they are trying to use fear tactics to scare you. we are with you to support you.
Muna (@ArabsUnite) tweets:
@Afrahnasser OMG. We are with u, supporting u hope u stay safe, strong and make sure u keep proof as @WomanfromYemen said..
Amal says:
من انتم؟؟ من انتم ؟ يا من تهددون حاملي الاخبار !
هذا هو الجبن بعينه .. ومن ارسل هذه الرسالة سيجر خيبته ورائة عندما يسقط الطاغية وسيسقط اعوانه تباعاً!!
يالي فاكر نفسك رجال وبترسل هذه الرسالة .. شوف الرجال الحقيقيين في ساحات التغير !
Mohammed Al_Shaheri posted this comment on Afrah's blog:
الشعب كله مهدد لكن والله لن يزيدنا هذا إلا إصرار وأصبري يا أختي فما هي إلا أيام معدودة فالنظام يلفظ أنفاسه الأخيرة
He ends his comment with a piece of advice for Afrah:
ونصيحة يا أختي أبقي قريبة من مظمات المجتمع المدني حتى إذا ما حاول أي شخص أن يمسك بسوء فلن يستطيع وسيردعه الخوف فهم لن يقوموا بأي شيء يهيج الشارع في ظل الأوضاع الراهنة
Afrah (@Afrahnasser) tweets:
الحقيقة تزعج الكثير من المواليين .. سحقا لهم .. لن يسكت صوت الحق ابدا
This post is part of our Yemen Protests 2011 special coverage.

author: Afef Abrougui


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Angola: Celma Ribas new album · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Celma Ribas is an Angolan musician who's based in Germany. Celma has been busy promoting her upcoming album which has singles like One love, Commando, Gangsta love, etc.

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Argentina: After 35 years, long live carnival! · Global Voices
Laura Schneider

Image from Flickr by Government of the city of Buenos Aires (CC BY 2.0)
Talking about carnival in other Latin American countries is as ordinary as discussing politics, salsa and rumba, but in Argentina for many years carnival belonged to the past. In June 1976, during the military dictatorship, carnival  as a holiday was removed from the schedule of non-working days by law no.  21329. The law was modified last year, and this year Argentina celebrated carnival with March 7 and 8 as holidays.
Due to the 1976 prohibition, many traditions were lost: Gone were the holidays, neighborhood parades, throwing water at those who  passed by on the street or the famous water balloons and the buckets full of water. Nevertheless, many cities around the country held carnival celebrations such as Gualeguaychú [es], Corrientes [es], Salta and Humahuaca [es], among others. Buenos Aires did not lose the tradition and continued the “murgas,” or what is commonly known as “comparsas” (carnival street bands) in other countries. But Argentina still did not have a date –official non-working days– to immortalize the festivities.
In 1983, with the return of democracy to Argentina, the famous Argentine murgas [es] began to reappear, but the carnival holidays remained largely unimplemented.
In November 2010, President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner amended law 21,329 and the the joy returned, especially to those who fought for the restoration of the carnival festivities, like the  MURGAS Association [es] which achieved their goal after fourteen protests:
Después de 27 años en democracia y tras 14  multitudinarias marchas carnavaleras que las murgas realizamos año tras  año en reclamo de la restitución del feriado nacional de lunes y martes  de carnaval, logramos un hecho histórico, sin precedentes y de una  profunda y enorme alegría: volver a tener los feriados de carnaval
Blogs like La república de las palabras [es] (The Republic of words) expressed their joy about the return of the Carnival holidays. Many newspapers in Latin America, like Ecuador's El Comercio [es], Guatemala's Prensa Libre [es], and Bolivia's El Deber announced the comeback.
If we consider that 35 years had passed since the elimination of the Carnival holidays, this means that many generations do not know the meaning of the festivity, or the cause of such joy and celebration. Or maybe they thought that to experience the carnival you have to go to Brazil. Perla A. in her personal blog writes about the generational experiences where the youth learn about the festivity through stories told by their parents or grandparents:
Todos lo que tenemos entre 30 y 40 años hemos crecido con  los relatos de los carnavales de nuestros padres, de los disfraces que  usaban y de la atmósfera festiva que se vivía, no en vano una canción  dice: por esos cuatro días locos que vamos a vivir, en clara referencia a  este festividad.
That is why during the long weekend many people took the opportunity to travel. The hotel capacity was filled up by more than 80% by national tourists enjoying a short vacation. Now there will surely be evaluations of whether the decision to have this new holiday was a good or bad idea, especially because this is an election year; but at first glance, considering the traffic of tourists during the holiday, there are not negative opinions. The Argentine Carnival is once again an official holiday.

author: Laura Schneider


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Barbados: Girl Power  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“That’s not to say that there aren’t some things that need changing or work, but it’s good to see international recognition and confirmation that Bajan girls and women have every opportunity to be the best that they can be”: Barbados Free Press is pleased with a report that says the country is “one of the best places to be a girl.”


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Belarus: Presidential candidate disappears · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Bloggers in Belarus discuss the disappearance of former presidential candidate Ales Mikhalevich. LJ user illdoctor fears [RUS] that he is the latest victim of the Lukashenko regime, and LJ user senseisekai thinks [RUS] he is either on the run from the KGB or has fled abroad.

author: Vilhelm Konnander


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Bermuda: Dr. Ball Passes On  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“She was one of the greatest Bermudians of our modern era, and her achievements and work are truly inspiring”: Catch a fire blogs about “[his] own memories and reflections” of “Bermuda's Lady of Labour”.


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Bahrain: State of National Security Called · Global Voices
Yacoub Al-Slaise

This post is part of our special coverage of Bahrain Protests 2011.
On Tuesday March 15, 2011, one month after protests started on the February 14 in Bahraini capital Manama, His Highness King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa announced a State of National Security, giving full power to the army to protect national security.
Recently demonstrations have escalated, with clashes between protesters, police and thugs occurring at the Bahrain Financial Harbour and University of Bahrain.
Tweeps have reacted with much confusion as to what the announcement means, with many considering it martial law. It comes after forces from the Gulf Cooperation Council's ‘Peninsula Shield Force‘ entered Bahrain on Monday 14.
@WafflesBahraini: GCC Troops picture #2 #Bahrain http://twitpic.com/49g8mn
GCC Troops
@ehsankooheji: To confirm the previous tweet is from official statement on BTV, a state of “National Safety” or Martial Law under BDF starting today.
@FetoonBintAhmed says [ar]:
@EbtisamBahar: Martial law! Now I can sleep with no fear! Thank Allah, shukran your Majesty
Note: Shukran means thank you in Arabic
@SiconianGirl: It is not called Martial Laws it is actually Declaration of National Security Status for 3months #Baharin #lulu #feb14
@LailaAlMoughani says [ar]:
@BHR14N says [ar]:
@IsaMohamed says [ar]
@MDaaysi: Whose martial law I may ask? if the King has no longer “got the power” … and Saudi troops are in #Bahrain
@Ausamah_Alabsi: Clarification: “State of National Safety” is NOT “Martial Law”, its a degree lower, the constitution differentiates between them
@Ausamah_Alabsi: The Difference between “State of National Safety” and “Martial Law” is that in “State of National Safety” CONSTITUTION IS NOT SUSPENDED
@Hrmsless says [ar]:
This post is part of our special coverage of Bahrain Protests 2011.

author: Yacoub Al-Slaise


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Chile: Promoting ‘Recycled Art’ · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Contenidos Locales [es] highlights the blog Arte Reciclado (Recycled Art) by artist Bernardita Novoa [es] from the coastal city Algarrobo. Bernardita uses recycled materials in her artwork and teaches schoolchildren about her environmentally friendly technique.

author: Silvia Viñas


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China: Controversial Speeches from Party Members · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

The Fourth Session of the 11th National People's Congress (NPC) and Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) closed yesterday (March 14 2011) in Beijing. Against the background of the “Jasmine Revolution” in the Arab world, the Chinese government has stressed more innovative social management, and the Chairman of the standing committee of NPC Wu Bangguo openly ruled out the possibility of a political system that allows multiple parties holding office in rotation.
One-Party leadership thus was not a subject up for deliberation at the Two Congresses. People then turned their attention to the speeches and proposals made by the so-called “people's representatives”.
China's rulers in the Great Hall of the People at the beginning of the National People's Congress 2011 in Beijing, China. Image by Flickr user Remko Tanis (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0).
Managing the rural population
Policy discrimination against rural population is a major source of social discontent. Against such a background, CPPCC member and Head of the China Ethnic Museum Wang Ping's opinion that the government should not encourage rural youth to attend university, in order to stop the brain drain problem, provoked a strong response from netizens.
Sina microblog user Neptune Knows Not Love:
强烈谴责中国政协伪员，王平，要求为它的愚蠢的言论负责，希望社会给农村大学生以支持！既然说农村孩子上大学困难，为何不提案降低农村大学生学费，而是抹杀农民孩子的未来！我作为农村大学生唾弃她！
Microblog-a-log2010:
全国政协委员王平：“不要鼓励农村孩子上大学。”人说，往上查三代估计都是农民的后代，全国政协委员王平当年是怎么进的城市？什么问题都不要绝对！“不要 鼓励农村孩子上大学。”这不是“王侯将相宁有种乎”的现代版吗？希望政协委员们如果自己实在提不出好的议案就不要提好了！我们不需要雷人提案！
CPPCC member Gong Biyang meanwhile made a suggestion that rural farmers should be required to get work permits. Weibo user yhc_001 comments on Weibo delicious‘s [zh] collection of Gong Biyang's “thunder-striking” (shocking) speeches:
【雷人雷语】农民也要持证上岗，没有证件不得从事务农工作。农民也分5个等级：无证农民、初级农民、中级农民、高级农民、特级农民。填补国际空白。（政协委员龚碧阳）
yhc__001 龚碧阳委员明年的提案，俺已经猜到：流浪汉也要持证流浪，可分为5个等级：无证流浪汉、初级流浪汉、中级流浪汉、高级流浪汉、特级流浪汉！后年的提案是： 流浪狗也要持证流浪，可分为5个等级：无证流浪狗、初级流浪狗、中级流浪狗、高级流浪狗、特级流浪狗！(3月13日 16:20)
[Thunder-striking person and speech] “Farmers should get work permits. Without them they should not be allowed to cultivate their land. We should divide farmers into five categories: farmers without work permits; novice farmers; beginner farmers; advanced farmers; and expert farmers. To fill the gap.” (CPPCC member Gong Biyang)
yhc_001: I know what Gong Biyang will propose next year: homeless people must get a permit to wander the streets. They will be divided in five categories: homeless without permits; novice homeles;, beginner homeless; advanced homeless; and expert homeless. The year after next, the proposal will be: street dogs need permits. They will be divided into five categories: street dogs without permits; novice street dogs; beginner street dogs; advanced street dogs; expert street dogs. (March 13, 16:20)
CPPCC member and Vice Principle of South China Agricultural University Wen Simei, suggested that in order to discourage the use of chemical fertilizers, the government should mark up the price to the extent that farmers cannot afford them.
Here are some responses in a Sina Weibo forum discussion thread:
华南农业大学副校长温思美在民盟5组政协委员分组讨论中说，农民现在都不愿费力气使用畜禽粪便等农家肥了，“要大幅提高农药、化肥的价格，让他们(农民)用不起。”（3月9日《华商报》）——评：副校长先生，你以为现在的农民很有钱吗？！你还嫌贫富差距不大啊？！
此刻即永恒 据我所知，现在的农药化肥的价格比4年前已经翻倍了！但是农副产品价格上涨幅度不大，可能只有20%。(3月11日 23:08)
有一说一V 中国如果失去了农民这个群体，那些所谓的官员们连饭都不知道去哪里吃。农民不是不愿意费力气使用农家肥，而是政府对农民的关注太少了，放农家肥都挣不回来体力费。(3月11日 23:04)
王诗旺 好呀，提就提呗，我们就提高粮价，让他吃不起，(3月11日 23:04)
Wang Shiwang: Great, let's raise the price. Let's raise the price of grain too while we're at it, so that they cannot afford to eat. (March 11 23:04)
Income disparity? Not a problem!
While the social consensus is to combat the disparity between rich and poor, Kunming region CPPCC member Hu Kailin decided to go against the grain. Weibo delicious [zh] quotes his speech in the Weibo online forum:
【贫富差距就是要大】昆明市政协委员胡开林在昆明市“两会”上的发言：别说目前的基尼系数是4，就是40都没问题，社会贫富差距就是要大。尧舜讲财富平 等，所以连个子都没留下；考古挖出殷商多少财宝，都是巨大贫富差距形成的。面对这番言论，网友表示被“雷”得不轻，感叹“没文化，真可怕”
Blogger Bright moon tries to explain [zh] why Hu could have made such a stupid statement:
这些人民的代表和参政议政的委员因何越来越这样大胆？就是在两会这样严肃的会议上也敢于胡说八道，说话如同放屁？
答案很简单，因为这帮人身后有一个越来越强大的越来越走向劳动人民对立面的腐朽而反动的既得利益阶层在为他们撑腰，因为这个阶层的撑腰，这些人大放厥词，胡说八道，不仅不会被查处、究责，相反还会借机大肆谋利，大出风头。
Why are all these people representatives and CPPCC members daring to make such stupid statements in the solemn gathering of the Two Congresses?
The answer is simple. These people are supported by a corrupt and privileged class which stands in opposition to the working class. With the support of the privileged, this group of people can talk any bullshit without any consequences. On the contrary, they can probably win a better reputation.
Another appalling speech came from Beijing PCC member Liang Pai who suggests cross-generation marriage to deal with the rocketing property market. Zenious quotes [zh] Liang Pai's speech in a forum post:
上海是全世界的上海，上海的房价应该和国际接轨，不应该以80后的承受能力为标准。 我觉得80后男孩子如果买不起房子，80后女孩子可以嫁给40岁的男人。80后的男人如果有条件了，到40岁再娶20岁的女孩子也是不错的选择。
Zenious then imagines:
我作为80后的一员，看着大学的漂亮女生都嫁给了70后也就忍了，毕竟那会刚毕业的80后都还只是愣头青，而70后已经成功上位，身强力壮，是社会的中坚力量……
然而梁大教授竟说80后的女孩得嫁40岁的老男淫，你说现如今40岁的男同志有多少还没娶？这80后女生一股脑过去，得多少家庭家破人亡，多少孩子变孤儿，多少80女孩变小三，多少官员需腐败，多少老男人得阳痿……
不愤愤不平了，再说说80男生，原来我40岁后还得去残害如今才10岁以下的祖国花骨朵，辣手摧花是人渣，原来娶老婆真要从娃娃抓起，看来以后得经常去幼儿园蹲点，对着美人胚子目露淫光……
我不禁想到，如果梁教授的建议被采纳了，若干年我我结婚了，见到丈母娘的时候，我不禁内牛满面：我的丈母娘竟然是陪伴我大学四年的女友。真是何等的悲剧。
As a member of the post-80s generation, I can accept that beautiful university girls get married to post-70s men. Freshly graduated post-80s are still young without much experience, while post-70s men are on their way to success and they are still strong in their bodies. They support the society…
However, Professor Liang said post-80s girls should get married to 40 year-old men, tell me how many 40-year-old men remain single now? These girls would have to destroy others’ families in order to do that. Or, they have to become someone's mistress: so many corrupted government officials, so many impotent old men…
Let's stay calm and talk about post-80s boys. When I reach my 40s, I'll have to go ruin precious little things that aren't even 10 years old now. What kind of scum will I be? Should I go to a kindergarten to pick up my future wife and look at her with a lusty gaze…
If Professor Liang's suggestion is accepted, many years later, I'll get married and when I meet my future mother-in-law, tears will spring from my eyes: My future mother-in-law is my girlfriend from back in my university days. What a tragedy.
Women should stay at home
Liang's suggestion also implied that a young woman's career path is to become some wealthy 40-year-old man's wife. Her idea has been explicitly spelled out by another woman CPPCC member Zhang Xiaomei, who made a proposal that the government should encourage some women to stay home [zh] in order to raise the happiness index.
Many microbloggers have criticized the proposal in a discussion thread [zh] Weibo ran on the main page:
Vita_Bella 这提议就是性别歧视，在美国她早下课了。(3月9日 11:56)
Vita_Bella: This is a discriminatory proposal. She would lose her teaching job if she was in the U.S. (March 9, 11:56)
殇无玥 女性没有自立的能力，那不是只能依靠男人？那不就又回到万恶的旧社会了？(3月9日 08:36)
丹妮fr 女性凭什么回归家庭、又拿什么回归家庭？在人类的历史长河中女人做出了巨大的牺牲，为社会的发展也做出了无法替代贡献，为什么在当今社会发生巨变时又要她 们让位，让位后她们的社会地位和生活保障从何而来？人性永远是弱肉强食的，当男人在社会完全占主导地位时，女性就只能哭泣甚至流血！(3月8日 22:38)
Professor Li Yinhe from Beijing University also reacts [zh] in her Weibo:
看到张晓梅的提案，非常诧异。几年前，有一帮男社会学家呼吁让妇女回家，简直像捅了马蜂窝，女界全体愤怒声讨，吓得他们马上收了声。现在居然有位女代表提女性回家的提案！这个提案最大的问题是：要抹杀妇女解放的最重要成果：妇女走出家庭，参加社会生产劳动。
These and other damaging speeches and proposals seem to show that the so-called “people's representatives” are moving away from the revolution and socialist tradition, which makes it no wonder that one CPPCC member Li Yuxiang, even suggested changing the lyrics of the national anthem.
Lawyer Yin Zhiming comments [zh] on his Weibo:
惊闻有政协委员提议改国歌，理由是国歌已经过时，如今已不需冒着敌人的炮火前进了。心想难道国歌也要与时俱进，莫非要唱《好日子》、《越来越好》。其实委 员也知是不可能的，也许仅仅把参加会议当成一年一度的旅游，没有什么准备，到开会奏国歌，灵光一现就来了，说不定暗地里为自己的思维敏捷窃喜呢。
Predictably, his microblog attracted a few comments:
朕-黄界平 就因为国歌里敏感词太多，容易煽动被压迫人民 (3月14 09:16)
_虚竹_ 转发此微博:冒着脑残的炮火，前进…前进…前进进！(3月14 09:22)
_虚竹_ Retweet: Under the gunfire of the brain damaged, march on! March on!  March on! (March 14 09:22)

author: Oiwan Lam


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Cuba: A Call to Action  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Diaspora bloggers note that newly-released political prisoner, Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet, is calling on Cubans to act.


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Cuba: “I miss Bloggers Cuba” · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

Blogger and journalist Elaine Díaz reflects on the disappearance [es] of the collective Bloggers Cuba, of which she was a member.

author: Firuzeh Shokooh Valle


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Cuba: The Need to Blog  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Writing online is not easy for Cubans.  A challenge.   And we have to be brave to face it”: Laritza's Laws explains why blogging is important to her.


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Dominican Republic: Violence is not love · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

Blogger María Isabel Soldevila writes about the high rates of violence against women [es] in the Dominican Republic, and warns that love can never be expressed through violence.


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Eritrea: How we celebrate “Meskel” · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

A holiday in my country, Eritrea: “I’m from Eritrea which is in the horn of East Africa. We have a religious holiday called “Meskel” which means “cross”. The holiday is about how our ancestors find the holy cross. It is in September.”


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Ethiopia: Prime Minister Needs to Wake Up · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Teodros Kiros says that the Ethiopian Prime Minister has to wake up: “The Prime Minister is indeed blind to the lives of most Ethiopians who are swimming in the murky waters of poverty, political darkness and civil boredom. The Ethiopian youth are marred in a vicious cycle of poverty, which the “revolutionary democracy” of EPRDF twenty years ago promised to eradicate…”


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Fox News Foxes Its Readers On Pakistan · Global Voices
Rezwan

Kalsoom at CHUP-Changing Up Pakistan reports that Fox News misreported on a news on Pakistan sourcing from a satirical site.

author: Rezwan


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Haiti: “Literary Foremother” Dies  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Writer Paulette Poujol Oriol recently died of a heart attack at her home in Port-au-Prince; Tande pays her tribute.


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Hungary: Protest against media law · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Marietta Le of Remainder of Budapest shares her impressions from a protest against the new media law in Hungary.


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Iran: Four Park Rangers Mourned by Environmental Bloggers · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

The recent death of four park rangers in Iran has stirred Iranian environmental bloggers. The four men were shot dead in a village in Sanandaj in Iran's Kuridstan. Bloggers were invited by a leading pro-environment website, Green Wave (photo above) to write about the topic: “Iran's nature, a place where park rangers are sacrificed. Why?” from March 6-13.
In Lor‘s blog we read [fa]:
What are the reasons for the death of six park rangers in one year? The responsibility of all pro-environment activists is clear. We should support these park rangers in order to prevent such events in future.
Rifr blog says  [fa]
What happened that these four park rangers should deserve to die? Their guns were not ready and it shows they did not expect such an attack. We should remember that in the last 30 years, 110 park rangers were killed and 450 others were handicapped.
Avaye Mohitezit Iran writes [fa]:
One of the victims was Kamal Hussein Panahi, a student of natural resources. He shared his experience with other students. Is it right that a nature and environment lover and keeper should become a target of bullets?
Tabiatbakhtiari writes [fa]:
Has the moral foundation of our society collapsed so much that people get killed for protecting our environment.
Khbarnationalpark writes that Iranian park pangers are denied the basic human rights.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Japan: Earthquake Crisis Mapping on Ushahidi  · Global Voices
Tomomi Sasaki

OpenStreetMap Foundation Japan is using Ushahidi to map crisis information. Volunteers can submit reports through a form or by tweeting location information along with the hashtags #jishin (earthquake), #j_j_helpme (call for help), #hinan (evacuation), #anpi (safety status), or #311care (medical support). The hashtag for people working on the service is #osmjp.

author: Tomomi Sasaki


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Japan: Frustrations from the Overlooked · Global Voices
Hanako Tokita

This post is part of our special coverage Japan Earthquake 2011.
While the eyes of the media and the rest of Japan have been glued to developments in the Tohoku region, cries for help from other disaster areas have not received as much attention. The coasts of northeastern Kanto were hit hard by the massive earthquake and subsequent tsunami. Ibaraki Prefecture, where the tsunami swallowed up several of its coastal towns, has had 19 earthquake related casualties. The Kashima industrial complex, one of the largest industrial areas in Japan, was severely affected. 16 deaths have been confirmed in Chiba Prefecture, 11 of which were tsunami victims in the northeastern coast, and 7 people are still missing. 11,332 people in Ibaraki and 806 people in Chiba are taking shelter in evacuation centers.
Katsuta Station, Hitachinaka, Ibaraki Prefecture. Photo: Courtesy of Twitter user yu_u1163
On Twitter, many people are starting to express their frustration about the lack of coverage and information from these areas.
@daniel_ktg 【お願い】茨城・千葉・栃木・長野・新潟の状況が全然入ってきていません。被害状況・安否情報・避難所・給水所・物資支援状況等もっと報道して下さい！視聴率稼ぎの報道ではなく、伝えるべきことを伝えて下さい。本当にお願いします。#nhk #ntv #tvasahi #tbs #fujitv
@an_y27 津波、原発も大事です。でもほとんど報道されてない被災地域もあるんだよ。茨城の状況とか千葉の断水とか全然聞かないのはどうして？
@deeploveP 千葉、茨城は被災地なのに、東北程に目を向けられてない。メディアもドキュメントだったり 助かったやったー的な報道、それからどの局も原発。それよりも現地の炊き出しの状況や空いてる避難所などの情報を流すべきなんじゃないだろうか。でも今のこの状況で、どうやったらこの意見は届く…？
A giant whirlpool created by tsunami off the coast of Oarai, Ibaraki
Some also raised their concerns about the blackout planned for March 14, which would affect the disaster-hit areas.
@masalogs 【お願い】計画停電の対象から被災地の茨城県を外して下さい。特に、茨城の県北地区は、いまだ停電・断水が続いており、配給物資も乏しく、危険な状態です。至急、展開願います。#ibaraki #jishin #nhk #ntv #tbs #fujitv #tvasahi #tvtokyo
@micron052 東京電力さん。銚子、旭市は被災地です。ライフイン全滅の地区もあります。停電する地域を考えて下さい。NHKさんも報道お願い致します。#nhk
@yorumiya 避難もできずにいる南三陸町を故郷と呼ぶ僕は、やっぱ り我がままだと解りつつそちらの救助を優先して貰いたい。切実に。でも、栃木や茨城を無視しろとは絶対に言わない。その辺の地域は停電の対象から外すべき だ。被災地を停電させるくらいなら23区を30分単位で停電させろよ。
Footage of tsunami-hit Asahi, Chiba Prefecture
As the major source of electricity for the Kanto region was lost in the earthquake and the production of electricity significantly decreased, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) announced that rolling blackouts would be implemented in the Kanto and surrounding region in order to suppress electricity supply.
After much confusion, at 17:00 on March 14, electricity was cut off in selected areas. TEPCO initially announced that the power outage would be carried out only in parts of Ibaraki and Shizuoka. But in fact, other areas in the Kanto regions, including those hit by the earthquake and tsunami, such as Asahi, where 11 people died and a few are still missing, were also included.
@ecconeko 今、旭市の親戚宅。17時ちょうどから停電始まってます。 被災地なのに電気止められちゃうの？って感じ。 水道も復旧してないのに･･･(´･ω･｀)
@reyrey551 NHKだと茨城と静岡の一部って言ってたが今千葉テレビ見ると香取市は停電で旭市と銚子市も停電みたいだが
@kabu_frog kabu 茨城県鹿嶋で停電してる！潮来市も神栖市もだ！ここは報道されてないけど被害結構あったから止めてくれ！
@no9_halu 【公式RT希望】都心を停電させないために、津波の被災地であり未だ余震の続く茨城県や千葉県の沿岸地域（鹿嶋や銚子など）が計画停電中。何か矛盾していませんか？
TEPCO later officially apologized for including disaster centers in the blackout areas, stating that it had not taken into consideration the disaster situation. Another rolling power outage was implemented on March 15, but the disaster areas were excluded this time.
This post is part of our special coverage Japan Earthquake 2011.
Tweets were translated by Tomoko Tsuchiya and Chris Salzberg.

author: Hanako Tokita


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Japan: How Can I Donate · Global Voices
Tomomi Sasaki

Rick Martin is maintaining a list of ways to donate to Japan.


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Japan: Radiation levels and the human body · Global Voices
Tomomi Sasaki

To “put the radiation levels at Fukushima into perspective”, @gakuranman translated an infographic of radiation levels and their effects to the human body. He has also been updating his website with ongoing announcements.


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Japan: Tell the World to Help · Global Voices
Chris Salzberg

This post is part of our special coverage Japan Earthquake 2011.
A simple search for pictures posted on Twitter can bring up amazing things.
Search the characters “宮城” (Miyagi) and a handful of different pictures come up from the prefecture, one of the hardest-hit in Japan by the recent tsunami. Scroll down, and one picture stands out, a blob of brown and blue until you click it…
Picture from Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, one of the areas hardest hit by the tsunami.
… to reveal a wasteland. This is what remains of Kesennuma, a small town, once with tens of thousands of inhabitants.
Read the caption, and a story emerges of a person who lived in the city. This person sent the picture to a friend, Cherie, in Sydney, who posted the picture and email to the Internet. The message reads:
なんとか家族みな無事でいます。家は半分なくなりました
家の前の風景で家も駅も商店街も何にも無くなりました…
宮城県気仙沼市の被害をネットで配信したいのですが、私には出来ません 助けが必要です。出来るだけ色んな国へ知らせたいと思います。このメールも電波が入る所まで車でやっときて打ってます。これから生き残った人達が生きるために少しでも援助お願いします
Cherie adds a few words to the end of the caption:
I love u,pls dont lose hope.we can meet again, Pray for you.

author: Chris Salzberg


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Japan: Waiting for the Right Moment to Help · Global Voices
Tomomi Sasaki

This post is part of our special coverage Japan Earthquake 2011.
In the days following the disastrous earthquake that struck Japan on March 11th, many are asking, “What can I do?”.
Chodo, who works as a geographic information systems technician in Osaka, calls for people to quell the instinctive and emotional reaction to head towards the disaster area. In “To the kindhearted young, who want to help the afflicted -My shallow-minded experience- ” (被災者の役に立ちたいと考えている優しい若者たちへ～僕の浅はかな経験談～), he shares a personal story of what he learned from volunteering during the Hanshin Earthquake in 1995. Published on March 14th three days after the earthquake hit, the post received over 300 comments in two days, most of which thank the blogger for his calm, thought-provoking words.
This post was translated in its entirety with permission from the author. All links were added by Tomomi Sasaki for reference.
An ominous sound woke me from my dreams, like many trucks driving towards my way from afar. The next thing I knew, the entire house was shaking. I was routed out of bed by my father, opened the front door, shut the gas valve and switched on the TV. The Hanshin Expressway had collapsed. I still remember the fear of the way the house shook, the way the images from the TV didn’t seem real, and the quietness of the city.
On that day, I was supposed to go to school to mark my own exams and be interviewed for the second-stage exams. I hesitated but got on my bicycle and left for school. Water was overflowing from the moats of Osaka Castle.
Damage from the Great Hanshin Earthquake Photo: Coursey of Flickr user PapiGiulio, taken January 17th, 1995 (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
When school ended, our physics teacher started to speak in a deliberate manner. “Many teachers and students from this school were the victims of the earthquake and some couldn’t make it to school today. Some of you may think that completing today’s exams signals the end of your role as a jukensei [a student taking entrance examinations]. Some of you, seized by a sense of justice and chivalry, may be thinking about charging into the disaster sites. I am not saying that this is the wrong thing to do, but in all honestly, you will not be of any help. Now, if you still wish to help, please listen carefully to what I am going to say.
First of all, take food with you, and come back when it runs out. Do not touch the food that’s intended for the afflicted people. Take a sleeping bag and a tent. The dry floors belong to the afflicted. It is not for you to sleep on.
Once you’ve registered as a worker, don’t ever refuse a job regardless of what it involves. In group work, there’s no greater disruption than someone leaving the job midway. If you can promise what I have just described, then perhaps you can make a difference because you are young, bright, and strong, even if you may not have any particular skills.
However, I would rather if you didn’t go there and and instead, focused on your examinations. Go to university to acquire specialized knowledge and skills, and grow to become somebody that can prevent disasters in 10 or 20 years time.”
His exact words are gone from my memory but even now, I remember his message with great clarity.
As our teacher said, we ended up being absolutely useless.
We distributed rationed bread, helped the elderly get around, cleaned the shelters, and did other various chores but the food that we had brought ran out in five days. We didn’t take baths, but we slept in the shelters because we were told that sleeping elsewhere just created additional security problems. Issues related to infrastructure for daily living and removing debris were solved with incredible force and speed by the fire crews and self defense forces. Our existence there was as if suspended in mid-air, and we were treated as kids who came to ‘play’ at being volunteers. There were other young people who came to the diaster areas with no provisions and who refused to do dirty jobs. I don’t think we were that different from them in terms of how useful we were.
What we learned on site was that having people who “wished for people to do something” and people who “wanted to do something for them” did not mean that there would be progress. For people to take action, there needs to be someone who can “manage people”. We did not have that piece of knowledge, which anyone with work experience would take for granted.
Crushed by reality, we left. I studied another year for the exams and enrolled in a university in Kyoto. My passion towards the disaster area had faded away by then. As it turned out, our sense of justice had well intentions but were fleeting. I will be honest in confessing it. Our feelings for Kobe couldn’t last for even a year.
Following this earthquake [on March 11th], I’m sure there are many young people who feel they want to be of help to the victims, that they want to do something for the afflicted areas. However, I plead that you don’t act in haste. There is nothing that you can currently do in the afflicted areas. There, your presence itself will be a nuisance. The only things you can do at the moment is to donate money and blood. That is still a wonderful form of contribution, and I would like for everyone to take these actions with pride.
And I would like you to retain that motivation for one year. If that passion still remains with you at that point, then you are on the road to make a real impact. Many severe problems will bubble up even more so than immediately after the quake: caring for temporary housing, psychological distress of the afflicted people, helping with everyday life problems, and more. NPOs will be established to solve such problems. It’s at that point that afflicted areas will need people who “can’t do anything but kindheartedly want to help”. It might end up being a catalyst that changes the course of your life.
After many twists and turns, I became a geographic information systems technician. The field of specialization may be different, but I’m finally in a position where I can contribute to disaster prevention in some ways. I think… that I am a little bit more helpful to people than I was back then.
American Red Cross volunteers at Yokota Air Base Photo: Courtesy of Flickr user Official U.S. Air Force, taken March 11th, 2011 (CC BY-NC 2.0)
Thank you so much for the overwhelming response. I’m glad to read that there are others who have had similar experiences: it’s belatedly soothing the solitude that I felt back then.
I wrote that you should wait for a year but it seems you don’t have to wait that long. Some NGOs and support organizations are already acting towards accepting volunteers. Although of course, the beginning of volunteer work will have to wait for a bit longer.
It is my hope that people who are healthy, strong and passionate work hand in hand with “people who manage people”, making full use of their abilities. Also, to think about supporting reconstruction from along term perspective, in terms of years rather than months, is very important.
The blogger would like to stress that the post is a personal opinion that conveys the importance of volunteering in the right place and the right time.
For those that can help with donations, please refer to these lists in Japanese and English.
This post is part of our special coverage Japan Earthquake 2011.


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Macedonia: Holocaust Memorial Center Opens in Skopje · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Balkanalysis.com writes about the Holocaust Memorial Center opening ceremony, held in the capital of Macedonia on March 11: “Even though things will never be as they once were in a country where little more than 200 Jews survive, at least for a moment one could feel something of what the culturally richer Skopje of old must have been like.” The Center, located “on the site of Skopje’s former Jewish quarter,” is a “$23-million complex” that houses “an impressive three floors of exhibits, multi-media presentations and historical information […].”

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Nepal: Photo blog of Americans in Kathmandu · Global Voices
Bhumika Ghimire

Ralph and Irene, photo blog of two Americans living in Kathmandu, profiles Nepal's holiest shrine-Pashupatinath Temple. The pictures present a different side of Kathmandu, far from the usual tourist attractions and the ubiquitous mountains.

author: Bhumika Ghimire


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Pakistan: Are Buildings Structurally Sound? · Global Voices
Rezwan

Deadpan Thoughts wonders in the wake of the recent earthquakes in japan whether most of the buildings in Karachi, Pakistan are structurally sound.


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Pakistan: What Individual privacy? · Global Voices
Rezwan

Jehan ara writes citing examples that there is an increasing trend in Pakistan to undermine the privacy of the individuals.


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Peru: Presidential Candidates on Internet Access · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Antonio Rodriguez Lobatón at Blawyer [es] summarizes what several presidential candidates have presented as their plans for information technology and telecommunications. Most focus on giving Internet access to more citizens.


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Racism in Latin America · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

Although the United Nations has proclaimed 2011 as the International Year for People of African descent, recently two videos have been shared through social network that show some cases of racism in Latin American countries. The first one comes from Chile, where an Ecuadorian citizen was arrested by the police. They handcuffed him in his hands and feet just because he crossed the street when the light was red, triggering the outrage of many people since the very moment that it happened. User Tornecino2010 uploaded the video to YouTube.
Most of the YouTube comments condemn what happened:
pacos [policías] racistas, ojala fueran tan eficientes para atrapar a  los lanzas [carteristas] q andan por ahi, en ves de a un hermano inmigrante q solo  cruza la calle.
garo1513 hace 2 días
Esto es horrible ,racismo total …pero esto no tiene nada  que ver con nazis ni piñera esto es algo que viene hace muchos años …  esto es culpa a la falta de cultura en nuestro pais . no fomenten la  ignoracia , esto es algo cultural y nada de politica.
EscudoAgressor hace 2 días
“…y veras como quieren en Chile al amigo cuando es forastero” Esa cancion se escribio definitivamente en otra epoca!!!
nprny hace 1 día
el tipo camina sin polera y cruza sin luz roja, obvio que lo van a detener.
abers109 hace 1 día
@aavillav “quizás ese mismo wn anda robando por ahí y nunca lo pillaron y  aprovecharon de agarrarlo por otra cosa…” Entonces ¿es mejor hablar  desde el prejuicio que desde la ignorancia?
The28111958 hace 1 día
Aca en  Chillan la semana pasada un conductor paso con luz roja y hablando por  telefono a vista y paciencia de un carabinero en plena plaza de armas y no hizo absolutamente nada. QUE VERGUENZA.
robinhot70 hace 1 día
In El Quinto Poder, Francisco Gonzáles analyses this situation [es] from the legal perspective of the police's prerogative to act in similar situations, and he concludes that the treatment constitutes abuse:
Veamos. Carabineros de Chile a través de su cuenta oficial de Twitter señalo lo siguiente: “Respuesta  oficial al video: Ante la resistencia y negación de identidad del señor  Quiñones, legalmente correspondió el traslado a una unidad”
Guiándonos entonces por el seudo comunicado de Carabineros, el señor  Quiñones se habría negado a otorgar su identidad, por lo que según la  ley corresponde conducirlo a la unidad policial más cercana con la  finalidad de identificarlo. Pues bien. Cabe preguntarse entonces ¿en  que parte de nuestro ordenamiento jurídico se señala que el control de  identidad podrá realizarse mediante tratos crueles y degradantes para el  controlado? La respuesta es clara: en ninguna.
Let’s see. The Chilean cops’ Twitter account asserted: “Official answer to the video. Due to the reluctance and the denial of identity of Mr. Quiñones, it was necessary to move him to another police station as it is stated in our law”
According to this message from the police, Mr. Quiñones had refused to reveal his identity so, as the law states, he has to be taken to the closest police station in order to identify him. Fair enough. If it is so, then the question is: in which article of our legal ordinance is it established that identity check is carried out through cruel and humiliating means that used on the person under arrest? There is a clear answer: none.
Then he talks about the use of handcuffs:
De suma importancia es que el procedimiento de control de identidad  se haga de la manera más expedita posible según lo preceptuado por el  articulo 85 inciso 6. ¿Es posible que mantener esposado de una mano y en  el otro extremo de una pierna, en el suelo, rodeado de 3 Carabineros,  en la vía publica y rodeado de transeúntes que se percatan de la  situación pueda enmarcarse dentro del significado de “expedito”? La respuesta es a todas luces negativa.
The other video comes from Colombia. This video shows Yenny Castro's story, a young girl who was shot by other young boys with pneumatic weapons in the San Diego de Cartagena suburbs. The video was uploaded to YouTube by user elplanetatv.
This video was also uploaded to Facebook by user Pedro Romero Vive Aqui [es], where we can see comments like these:
Pedro Romero Vive Aqui: Condenamos  para Siempre todo acto de Violencia Racista, Clasista, Sexista, de  Genero y Tu? Compartirlo ampliamente es una manera de actuar Ya.
William Jose Gonzales Suarez: eso no es justo lo q le paso a esa persona por ser de color la tienen q maltratar de esa no manera no estoy de acuerdo con eso
Danna Paola Kortina Alvarado: orgullosamente  negra..orgullosamente provinciana… y sobre todo orgullosamente  costeña… no podemos aceptar este tipo de comportamientos y menos en  una cuidad donde los negros somos mayoria..!!! en nuestras diferencias  esta la IGUALDAD…
Teo Linda B: Al  atacar a una persona de esta manera  lo único que intentan es querer  destruir su justo orgullo de pertenencia a su propio pueblo (a mi pueblo  )a su propia raza (a mi raza)…no quedarse callado es la mejor manera  de exigirle a gritos a el mundo que termine la vulgar e irrespetuosa  proyección racista- clasista- política- socialista por la que estamos  rodeados y de la que estamos hartos!!!!
Months ago, Colombian newspaper El Tiempo wrote about [es] a campaign against racism in the Colombian city of Cartagena, where “36% of the population consider themselves of African descendant, according to the information provided by the population census, but according to the Red Afro, the figures could be doubled if we take into consideration the number of people who deny who they are.”
In addition to that, there is a group on Facebook called “Contra el racismo en Cartagena,” [es] (Against racism in Cartagena), that points out: “Cartagena is a totally racist city. All the people here seem to distinguish themselves through skin color or through hair texture. Pejorative and racist phrases can be heard all over the place. THAT IS ENOUGH. We won’t accept any other sign of racism. This will be a group for denouncing those situations.”
In Peru, in the Defensoría del Pueblo blog, Martín Soto Florián posted an article  called “Afro-descendants in Peru: reasons for equality“ [es]:
la Encuesta Nacional Continua 2006 revela que el 70% de la población afroperuana que presentó alguna  enfermedad o malestar, no acudió a los establecimientos de salud para  recibir atención médica o realizar una consulta debido a múltiples  factores, como la falta de disponibilidad, accesibilidad, la calidad del  servicio y, en algunos casos, al trato discriminatorio que reciben. Respecto al derecho a la educación, solo 2% de la población  afroperuana que accede a los estudios universitarios (6,2%) logra  concluir dicha etapa, mientras que más del 50% de estudiantes  afroperuanos no concluye sus estudios secundarios y el 13,8% no accede a  la primaria.
The 2006 National Continuous survey [es] reveals that 70% of the afro Peruvian population that was sick at that moment did not go to hospitals to get a medical treatment or a medical consultation due to several factors, such as: poor quality in medical service, unavailability, poor access and, in some cases, due to the racist treatment they receive. Regarding the right for education, just 2% of the afro Peruvian population that study in university (6,2%) can finish it, whereas more than 50% of afro Peruvian students did not end high school and 13,8% cannot go to primary school.
It is clear that there is a lot to do regarding the issues of equality and social inclusion of the African descendant population in all Latin American countries.

author: Juan Arellano


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Russia: Election monitors harassed · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Putin Watcher reports on the threats, harassment, arrests, and beatings election monitors from the organization Golos have received while monitoring the recent regional elections in Russia.


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Russia: Police Requests IP Data of a Designer For Drawing Political Posters · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

Mr Edisonic writes [ru] about a graphic designer known as “Isabelle.” After Isabelle drew a series of political posters (most of the mock the ruling party “United Russia”) [ru] and posted them at NevinkaOnline.ru, police have requested [ru] her IP-address. The discussion of the case here [ru].

author: Alexey Sidorenko


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Senegal:Online Movement of Discontent: WadeDegage2012 · Global Voices
Pascal Gibert

Senegalese youth expresses its displeasure with corruption and nepotism under the administration of President Abdoulaye Wade  on blogs and other social networks. The twitter hashtags for the call for change are #WadeDegage2012 and #Kebetu and a dedicated twitter account @WadeDegage2012.  Two Facebook pages were also created: WadeDegage2012 and Senegalese Revolution.

author: Pascal Gibert


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South Africa: Acacia Africa to host tweet-up · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Acacia Africa partners with AfricaFreak.com to host tweet-up in South Africa: “Not just an event directed at consumers, Acacia Africa believes their forthcoming tweet up, scheduled for Saturday 19 March, will also be helpful to its trade representatives.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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South Sudan: The UN and civilian protection · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Maggie discusses the UN and civilian protection in South Sudan: “As the Southern Sudanese army’s fight continues against rebel forces it claims are backed by the Khartoum government, the question of how everyday southerners caught in the crossfire can and should be protected is becoming increasingly urgent.”


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USA: Science Bloggers Explain Fukushima · Global Voices
David Wescott

This post is part of our special coverage Japan Earthquake 2011.
UPDATE (March 17): Josef Oehmen's original post (linked below) has been removed by Jason Morgan, apparently at the author's request. The post has been edited significantly and republished at the Nuclear Science and Engineering Blog at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr. Oehmen's original post reflected the situation at the time – when only one of the Fukushima reactors was experiencing problems. His comments about the potential release of radioactivity have been removed in the revised post. Jason Morgan's original post now conveys a message from Dr. Oehmen directing readers to the MIT blog:
The version on mitnse.com is the most accurate, and as you can tell in many parts different to the version that appeared here on Jason’s blog. This post is not keeping track of or explaining events after Mar 12. Events kept developing, and many people keep sharing their discovery with me that one is always smarter after the fact.
Science bloggers at nature.com's The Great Beyond continue to monitor the situation very closely, including Geoff Brumfiel, who has provided periodic updates on radiation levels both near the damaged reactor and at various distances from it.  His March 17 post includes the following:
NHK also reports elevated radiation levels around Fukushima prefecture. At Fukushima City, 65 km northwest of the plant and well outside the evacuation zone, authorities reported levels as high as 13.9 μSv/hr (0.0139 mSv/hr), according to the broadcaster. That is well above the background, and equivalent to 120 mSv/yr in rough terms, but it will only pose a threat to human health if it continues for a long period of time (see this post for more about the numbers).
There has unquestionably been a high demand for quick and accurate information – both about specific radiation levels and how to put those levels in their appropriate context. On March 16, Brumfiel tried to assess what the levels of radiation meant for the public:
NHK television was reporting .08 mSv/hr at 25 kilometres west-northwest of the site today. A back-of-the-envelope calculations makes that 700 mSv per year (simply: .08 mSv x 24 hours x 365 days).That is a serious dose, but not as bad as it initially sounds. For one thing, the radiation coming from Fukushima seems to be sporadic, so it won't stay at .08 mSv/hr for a long time. Additionally, you would only see the effects of that radiation if you were standing outside for a whole year.
More realistically, people will take cover to the greatest degree possible, reducing their exposure considerably. On top of that, iodine tablets and simple precautions for those outside (such as covering up, and removing clothing when moving indoors) will help a great deal. In this context .08 mSv/hr probably isn't much to worry about, though it may become an issue for rescue workers outside for long periods.
As I mentioned, in Tokyo, Japan's science ministry reported average rates of .000144 mSv/hr yesterday afternoon. That's double the background rate, but should residents of the capital be worried? No.
[original post begins below.]
The horror of Friday 11 March's earthquake and resulting tsunami near the east coast of Honshu, Japan, soon gave way to widespread panic as explosions rocked the Fukushima nuclear power plant. However, one community in the blogosphere seemed to be more measured in response to events unfolding at Fukushima – science bloggers.
Barry Brooks of bravenewclimate republished a lengthy post written by Josef Oehmen, a researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and originally published by Jason Morgan. Brooks and Morgan are supporters of nuclear power, and consider the mainstream coverage of the nuclear power plant “partial meltdown” to be overblown and full of errors. Oehmen gives his thoughts based only on what he has read in the media, but immediately seeks to put people at ease:
There was and will *not* be any significant release of radioactivity.
By “significant” I mean a level of radiation of more than what you would receive on – say – a long distance flight, or drinking a glass of beer that comes from certain areas with high levels of natural background radiation.
Comparisons have been drawn between Fukushima and Chernobyl already, although science bloggers have advised restraint. Image by Osakabe Yasuo, copyright Demotix (04/06/2009).
Serious, but overhyped
Echoing Dr. Oehmen's concerns that the situation at Fukushima is serious but still overhyped, David Ropeik writes a post at the Scientific American Guest Blog. He notes that the situation at the nuclear plant in Fukushima has been compared in the media not only to Chernobyl (in the Ukraine), but also the World War Two atomic blasts at Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan:
We know from studying the survivors of those bombings, who were bathed in horrific doses of high level radiation – far worse than anything that could come from the Daiichi plant (or that came out of Chernobyl) – that ionizing radiation from nuclear energy is a carcinogen, but a relatively weak one.
Ropeik lists nuclear power interests among his clients, and disclosed this fact in the post.
Also at the Scientific American Guest Blog, Rita King provides a valuable primer on what a “nuclear meltdown” really is and explains some of the differences between this incident and Chernobyl.  She also notes the often intractable views between nuclear power's supporters and its critics:
Opinions around nuclear energy tend to be binary, with industry proponents acting as if nothing could possibly go wrong while critics, terrified of nuclear apocalypse, remain convinced that old nuclear plants are time bombs.
Sharon Astyk of ScienceBlogs.com's Causabon's Book notes this attitude and suggests that this incident should have been foreseen and that contingency planning must play a greater role in our decisions:
I keep thinking about the word “inconceivable” in relationship to the terrible events in Japan – the earthquake, now upgraded to a 9, the subsequent tsunami and the nuclear events. As Nicole Foss's work has made clear, the Fukushima nuclear disaster is not a black swan – it follows on the heels of long warnings about the danger of building plants in such seismically sensitive places, and also after safety concerns within the plant itself. We know that the plant was not designed to handle such a major earthquake.
Nuanced conversation
Science bloggers continue to have a nuanced conversation about the merits of nuclear power. Leading the discussion are Scienceblogs.com's Mike the Mad Biologist and James Hrynyshyn. Both bloggers step away from the hyperbole in the current coverage and try to compare the benefits of nuclear power to other steps societies could take to increase energy supply and decrease demand.
Mike the Mad Biologist suggests the nuclear industry move to develop an alternative form of nuclear power that uses thorium instead of uranium -while thorium creates several scientific challenges, it leaves less nuclear waste and is more abundant.  He also notes that people in the United States need to make some radical changes in the way they live their lives to make large-scale energy conservation possible:
One of the best ways to reduce the amount of stuff we have to light on fire is to move from single detached housing in areas with no efficient mass transit to apartments with access to mass transit (keep in mind that residential use and transporation account for about two-thirds of total energy consumption). In other words, we have to massively ‘desuburbanize’ and simultaneously ‘reurbanize.’
Since this scenario seems highly unlikely, Mike the Mad Biologist calls nuclear power “a second best option.”
Hrynyshyn suggests it's more appropriate to compare nuclear power with other “alternative” power options:
I'd rather we compared nuclear's risk and benefits against those of clean renewables. What's the worst-case scenario for a thermal solar power plant? Even a wind farm engineer's most terrifying nightmare seems like a powder compared with nuclear technology.
This post is part of our special coverage Japan Earthquake 2011.

author: David Wescott


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USA: Student Blogs Seeks Middle East Voices · Global Voices
Solana Larsen

Students from Middlebury College in Vermont (former exchange students in the Middle East) manage the blog Mideast Reports which features audio, video, and links about ongoing protests.

author: Solana Larsen


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Bahamas: Energy Reform · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“So here we are, two years after the last oil shock, and prices are over $100 per barrel again, with some forecasters saying they could pass the 2008 high of $147 a barrel that sent everyone scrambling to cut energy costs”: Bahama Pundit‘s Larry Smith looks at alternatives for the country's energy sector.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Bahrain: A Full-Scale Attack · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage of Bahrain Protests 2011.
Protesters at Bahrain's Pearl (Lulu) Roundabout were dispersed early this morning, as military and police have waged a full-scale attack on them.
Netizens reported that tanks, choppers and army patrols on foot fired tear gas and shotguns at protesters, chasing them to nearby alleys and villages. Roads leading to the roundabout were also blocked and reports and photographs allege that the main hospital, Salmaniya Medical Complex, is being blocked by riot police – preventing the treatment of those injured. So far, reports say that two people have been killed and an unconfirmed number injured.
Saudi Arabia has deployed 1,000 troops, and the United Arab Emirates a further 500 to support Bahrain's government in “maintaining peace and order.” It is not known whether those troops were involved in this morning's clampdown on protesters. Information is difficult to assert as netizens at the scene claim that telecommunications have been cut and Bahrain Television is showing patriotic dancing and song clips while an army of pro-government netizens continue to deny anything happening in Bahrain.
This video is from Bahrain today, specific location unknown.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1az5lg289iw
Here's the latest buzz from Twitter:
@khokhz: Lulu cleared #Bahrain #Feb14 #Lulu http://twitpic.com/49xjjg
@acarvin: Two dead account for so far: Jaffar Mohd Abd Ali from Karana (age 41) and Abdulla Hassan from Hamad Town (age 23) #Bahrain #Feb14
@VladDuthiersCNN: @JamjoomCNN is on-air live reporting from Manama #Bahrain, on @cnni , at least two dead when troops fired on protesters…
@acarvin: hearing both “no casualties” and “two dead.” Can't believe the former, given @angryarabiya's report about her father's birdshot wound.
@sate3: Al Alam TV sources: Saudi & Bahraini forces attack the Int'l Hospital w tear gas & rubber bullets. Two killed #Bah http://twitpic.com/49y0db
@RshRsho: My wish for the day PEACE ! Pls don't resist don't face riot police or army pls go home we'll solve this somehow #Bahrain #Prayforbahrain
@BahrainRights: Eyewitness on AJE: Security forces prevent doctors and nurses frm reaching Sulmaniya hospital. Same reports by tweeps #Bahrain”
@Kawtheri retweets [ar]:
@Nabeelrajab says [ar]:
@FreedomPrayers: Celebrations of deaths already started on #Bahrain tv
@Nadawish: Twitter being our only news source is not good. #lulu are under attack& there is no network there to get to them. Please don't spread lies.
@Ali_Najar: http://yfrog.com/hs1d60j Helicopter roaming at low level on skies of some villages #bahrain #14feb #pearl #lulu #massacre
@zaidamr12: http://yfrog.com/h228s8j Blood all over seats in a cars been attacked by live ammunition today #Bahrain #lulu #massacre #14feb
@JustAmira: Is this true? RT @Sahwan: TRA #Bahrain orders all telecom companies in #Bahrain to barred called to #Lebanon #Iraq and #Iran.
Stay tuned for more coverage from Bahrain.
This post is part of our special coverage of Bahrain Protests 2011.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Bahrain: Bloody Crackdowns on Villages · Global Voices
Yacoub Al-Slaise

This post is part of our special coverage of Bahrain Protests 2011.
On Tuesday, before King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa announced a State of National Security giving powers to the army and other forces to secure the country, police carried out crackdowns across a number of villages in the central area in Bahrain.
@LiveBahrain: @ahmedalsairafi: Ambulances shot http://t.co/xq1nxJS #feb14 #bahrain”
@emoodz: Sign by protester in #lulu, #Bahrain http://yfrog.com/gzspqhsj
protest in lulu
@bqassab (Ar):
@IbnAlfardan: http://youtu.be/nG0unp8GVvI Eker near Sitra #Bahrain @almanarnews @alalam_news @cnnbrk @bbcarabic @AJEnglish @France24_ar #SOS #twitteroff
Police have entered villages in civilian clothes and police vests, shooting at villagers for reasons unknown at this moment of time. The following video is from the city of Sitra as police shoot at citizens.
Uploaded by YouTube user Saloooh97
Very graphic images of young man from the city of Sitra being shot at the back of the head have surfaced.
@FawazSaad يا حكومات الخليج وياعقلاء الشيعة نتوسل إليكم فالدماء لن تجلب الحلول http://twitpic.com/49rfmu #Bahrain (Very graphic image)
Due to the bloody events, a number of reports have surfaced on Twitter that several members of the Shura Council have handed in their resignations. These have yet to be officially confirmed.
@abdulemam Confirmed shura council members resigned:mohammed radhi,mohammed alhalwachi,nasir almubarak,nada hafad,abdulhussain a.ghaffar #bahrain #lulu
@nice_n_blue @abdulemam According to official sources and Shura Council's Chairman, no body filed a resignation.
This post is part of our special coverage of Bahrain Protests 2011.

author: Yacoub Al-Slaise


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Bahrain: Curfew Announced and An Officer’s Funeral · Global Voices
Yacoub Al-Slaise

This post is part of our special coverage of Bahrain Protests 2011.
Wednesday was a day marked by violence and gunfire in Bahrain as policy and army cracked down on protests. A State of National Security was called Tuesday, as troops of the Gulf Cooperation Council from Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates entered the country. On Wednesday afternoon, the Bahrain Defense Force announced in their 4th statement that a curfew will be imposed until further notice (via Bahrain News Agency):
A curfew is imposed starting Wednesday 16 March 2011, and until further notice, between 4 pm and 4 am in the area extending from the Saif Flyover until the traffic lights before the Shaikh Isa bin Salman Bridge, including 400 metres on either side of the highway. The residents of this area should coordinate with the checkpoints to facilitate officially their movement. Gatherings, rallies, demonstrations and sit-ins are not allowed anywhere in the Kingdom of Bahrain until the situation is back to normal.
All citizens and residents must cooperate fully with the checkpoints for the sake of their safety. Anyone who violates these measures will face the appropriate legal action
Peace and God’s mercy and blessing be upon you
@WeLoveKingHamad http://yfrog.com/h3h4wjuj curfew map
The Curfew area spans from Seef Area to the Shaikh Isa Bridge to Muharraq
Also on Wednesday, the funeral of a police officer, Ahmed Al-Muraisi, killed whilst on duty during Tuesday's crackdown was held in Riffa in the Southern Governate. In the last 48 hours it has been said that there have been five deaths of officers on duty.
@BahrainiBullet الشرطة قدمت 5 شهداء للوطن
And on the Facebook Page 14th February: The Bahraini Day of Happiness:
Officer Al-Muraisi who was killed on duty
يوم الفرح البحريني 14 فبراير
إعلان لجميع اهالي وأبناء الرفاع الكرام انه سيتم دفن المغفو له بإذن الله الشهيد البطل ( أحمد بن أحمد راشد المريسي ) بعد صلاة عصر يومنا هذا في مقبرة الحنينية وعليه ينوه شيوخ وكبار عائلة المريسي انه سيتم تقبل التعازي في مصابها بشهيد الواجب في صالة شيخان الفارسي بالقرب من مجمع عبدالله في منطقة البحير رحم الله شهيد الوطن واسكنه فسيح …جناته وانا لله وانا اليه راجعون .
Tweep @ifowzan attended the funeral and paid his respects:
@ifowzan الآن وصول الجثمان الطاهر لشهيد الواجب أحمد المريسي #Bahrain http://yfrog.com/h7dezunj
Ambulance brings the body for burial
@ifowzan بداية تشييع الجثمان الطاهر لشهيد الوجب أحمد المريسي http://yfrog.com/h89qxotj
Beginning of the funeral procession inside the cemetery
@ifowzan الآن: التشييع المهيب لشهيد الواجب أحمد المريسي بمقبرة الحنينية #Bahrain http://yfrog.com/h4cegudj
Large turnout to pay their respects for the fallen officer
This post is part of our special coverage of Bahrain Protests 2011.


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Bahrain: Police and Military Clear Protesters in Manama (Videos) · Global Voices
Yacoub Al-Slaise

This post is part of our special coverage of Bahrain Protests 2011.
On Wednesday March 16th, a day after the King of Bahrain announced a State of National Security, police forces dispersed protesters from Pearl (Lulu) Roundabout by tear gas. Military forces were also on the scene in Manama but it is still unclear if they are Bahrain's National Guard or members of the Gulf Peninsula's Shield who entered Bahrain on Monday.
YouTube user hyya999 uploaded this video showing riot police dispersing the crowds at Pearl Roundabout with tear gas and dark smoke rising.
This video uploaded by YouTube user altan9o shows a man injured by bullets shot in the leg in the town of Qadam which is in the Northern Governate a few kilometres from the capital Manama. The YouTube user claims that the fire was from Saudi forces but this is unclear from the actual video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNIFWUg4vlI
Also in Qadam, this video by YouTube user Ahmedaino clearly shows helicopters and military vehicles around Budaiya (or locally know as “Burgerland”) roundabout which is a few hundred metres from the entrance of Qadam village.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3Yp3FOreRA
At Razi Health centre, a few hundred metres away from Pearl (Lulu) Roundabout, YouTube user ALKOOFIPHOTO manages to shoot some images of military personnel firing bullets.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEihLJSWQNs
Another video by YouTube user EncryptedReality2 surfaced showing bullets holes damaging a Ministry of Health ambulance.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6kDoT56Vqs
On Bahrain national TV, the 3rd statement by the Bahrain Defense Force was aired (uploaded by PureFacts2011)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYMYvrtlRkk
“The General Command of Bahrain Defence Force announces that on Wednesday 16 March 2011, forces from the Public Security and the National Guard, with the support of the Bahrain Defence Force, launched an operation to cleanse the Gulf Cooperation Council Roundabout, the Bahrain Financial Harbour, the Salmaniya Medical Complex and the areas surrounding them.
The operation aimed to evacuate all the outlaws who had terrorized citizens and residents and harmed the national economy.
The operation was carried out according to plan with high standards of competence and professionalism while ensuring the safety of all.
Bahrain Defence Force General Command congratulates all citizens on the start to regain of normalcy and stresses that it will take all necessary procedures and measures to assert security and public order and safeguard the country and the people.
The General Command also requests all citizens and residents to avoid gatherings in vital areas of the capital for their own safety”.
Meanwhile, Omanis showed solidarity with the Bahraini protesters at holding a rally in front of the Bahraini embassy in Muscat. Video uploaded by YouTube user OmanProtests
This post is part of our special coverage of Bahrain Protests 2011.


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Brazil: International Women’s Day and Amnesty · Global Voices
Raphael Tsavkko Garcia

As part of the celebrations of the International Women's Day, on March 8, six former political prisioners received the offical amnesty by the Brazilian Government, says [pt] Rogério Tomaz Jr, from the blog Conexão Brasília-Maranhão. These six women were  honoured for the persecution they suffered during the Military Dictatorship (1964-1985)

author: Raphael Tsavkko Garcia


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Brazil: Two more cyclists get hit in Porto Alegre · Global Voices
Raphael Tsavkko Garcia

Two cyclists were run over on March 13 in Porto Alegre, informs the blog Massa Crítica (Critical Mass) [pt]. Just a few days before, Global Voices had reported on a controversial “accident or attempted murder”  of 12 to 20 cyclists in a bicycle event in the same city.


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China and Japan: Complicated Relationship · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Jottings from the Granite Studio has two posts looking into the the Sino-Japanese relation. The first post depicts a mixture of envy and empathy; the second post looks into the historical base for this complicated structure of feelings.

author: Oiwan Lam


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China: Netizens Admire Japan’s Post-Earthquake Behavior · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Fauna from ChinaSMACK translates Chinese netizens comments on the orderly reaction of Japanese people to the earthquake.


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China: Rap on Chinese Price · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Ministry of Tofu translates a parody rap on the soaring consumer prices in China.


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China: Salt Radiation Rumors Fuel Widespread Panic Buying · Global Voices
John Kennedy

This post is part of our special coverage Japan Earthquake 2011.
Reactions in China to the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accidents in Japan have been both ugly and humane, and feelings toward the country remain complex.
The devastation has also been seen by some as an opportunity to make a statement about the future. The most visible impact of Japan's earthquake in China, however, came Wednesday night after state media addressed the possibility not of radiation being China through the air, but rumors that China's salt supply will soon be exposed to radiation along the east coast.
The fact that state media were used to tell China not to worry about the safety of the future salt supply seems to have had the opposite effect, and led to mass panic buying of salt in several cities, which spread as rumors went unabated. The spectacle, particularly the silliness of it, dominated [zh] discussion on Weibo and most other online spaces all of Wednesday night, and Weibo staff began deleting most salt panic tweets as soon as they appeared, apparently fueling the frenzy. Sina Weibo's own official account tasked with refuting online rumors had yet to mention the salt panic by midnight Wednesday.
Here are a few rescued tweets:
http://t.sina.com.cn/1294943994/zF4kmXyau9
罪化：浙江各地今天下午到晚上突然出现了抢购食盐的风潮…要紧急辟谣了。
http://t.sina.com.cn/1939028627/wr4kmXwDNn
华文传播：小市民疯狂抢购盐，恐怕日后的海盐受到核辐射。希望大家理智些，不要加入愚蠢的抢购队伍。今晚９时35分拍于西湾东益佰百货。
http://t.sina.com.cn/1939028627/wr4kmXyTIL
小市民疯狂抢购盐，恐怕日后的海盐受到核辐射。呼吁大家理智些，不要加入愚蠢的抢购队伍，不要人为制造恐慌和混乱。今晚9时拍于广州西村好又多，食盐在瞬间被抢购一空。
上海JC：晚上9点多出门抢购盐，竟然没个地方有盐卖，上海进入无盐状态。图为家乐福盐架，10余个品种的盐被抢购一空，杯具了
http://t.sina.com.cn/1926486363/wr4kmXp3ak
宁波的抢盐现场，妈的，要多夸张有多夸张，
https://profiles.google.com/Toefool/posts/TtTdMe7uHHN
Toefool: 大伯在深圳开了家超市，打电话说深圳开始抢盐了，十块钱一包，让我们在家乡也赶紧去买。家乡的几家亲戚听到后马上去抢购了二十几包。
http://t.sina.com.cn/1747250202/wr4kmXyMgE&Refer=STopic_resultother
Happy葇：现在大家疯狂的抢购盐，不是说是谣言吗？怎么大家都相信盐会被污染，刚刚家乡的亲戚打电话来说，家乡的盐现在卖18元一包，还有人买十箱回家，这边的商店一些也不卖盐了，Oh my god……
Wenzhou microblogger thalorfield, retweeted by the official China International Relief and Rescue Squad (CIRRS) microblog account:
http://t.sina.com.cn/1701600025/zF4kmXvVvG
中国国际救援队:
今天浙江地区普遍出现的抢购食用盐及调味品现象是由于谣传海边受辐射不能再晒盐了。清醒的人都知道我们吃的都不是杭州湾自产的海盐了！！！为了让谣言平息下去，请一定帮忙转发！！拜托了！ ——管理员：没听说我国受到日本核辐射，新闻说一切监测正常！
Also from the CIRRS account:
http://t.sina.com.cn/1701600025/zF4kmXyKnG
日本人都不抢食盐，我们开始抢了？日本离宁波多远啊，不用这样吧，青海的盐，海了去了。呼吁志愿者们赶紧帮忙灭火，谢谢了。
This photo comes from Sina's Finance News channel, which quotes one netizen:
新浪财经
【杭州食盐遭疯狂抢购 网友称价格翻倍都买不到】网友向记者爆料称，“大家都在抢盐，盐的价格翻了一倍，想买都买不到。她一个朋友家里开超市的，刚进了4箱盐，一下子被抢光了”。记者随后在杭州的几家大超市了解到，世纪联华、华润万家、欧尚等几家大超市的食盐也全部卖光了。
This post is part of our special coverage Japan Earthquake 2011.

author: John Kennedy


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Cuba: Being Gay  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Havana Times interviews a young gay man on the realities of homosexuality in Cuba.


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Cuba: Citizen-Generated Info · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Generation Y is watching TV “when suddenly there’s the familiar face of Dagoberto Valdés accompanied by a description of a ‘counterrevolutionary element'”, noting that citizen media has afforded him “the capacity to disseminate ideas which — in the face of an attack like this — becomes his principal sin and his only protection.”


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Curacao: Attorneys’ Image · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Karel's Legal Blog looks at the image of lawyers.


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East Timor: Konis Santana, a Humble Guerrilla Hero · Global Voices
Janet Gunter

Like any country born out of a protracted armed resistance, stories in East Timor of division from within the resistance are various, and quite potent. But one guerrilla figure who appears to have a powerful and unifying appeal is Konis Santana, who never lived to see his people gain independence.
Santana in his underground shelter. By José Sequeira, Arquivo Museu da Resistência Timorense.
On the anniversary of his death this week, Timorese newspaper Tempo  Semanal reported [Tet]
Ema lubun bo'ot ida halibur aan iha  Mertutu dezde hodiseik (10/03) hodi  hanoin hikas loron 11/03/1998 iha  ne'ebe rezistencia Timor nian ba Ukun  rasik aan lakon ninia lider di'ak  ida saudozu Nino Konis Santana.  Saudozu Nino Konis Santana mate iha  ninia abrigu fatin iha Mertutu iha  loron ne'eba no hakoi iha kalan hodi  subar husi atensaun indonseia  ninian.
His Tetum wikipedia entry states
Tan Xanana TNI sira kaer nia iha fulan Novembro 1992, Ma'huno  Bulerek Karathayano sa'e nudar komandante FALINTIL. Konis  Santana tama nudar membru Komite Politika Militar. Iha fulan Abril 1993 Ma'huno mos TNI kaer  no hadadur nia tan nee Konis Santana sa'e nudar komandante foun FALINTIL  nian.
Santana led the armed resistance until his premature death, mostly basing himself in a small village in the western district of Ermera. He himself was an easterner from near the island's eastern tip, where the language and culture is quite different.
Since independence, Santana has been recognized by East Timor's political elite and by foreigners as an important figure. The first government of East Timor named its first national park, in pristine rainforest where he grew up, after him.
Recently Tempo Semanal newspaper published a piece of video footage of Santana on its blog, previously unavailable to a wider audience. The video shows Santana meeting with a Japanese solidarity activist who repeatedly made his way to visit FALINTIL in the jungle.
This video tribute (with many views given in 2009 Timor had the last internet access in the world), gives a little flavor for how some Timorese continue to celebrate him:
Perhaps what is most fascinating about Santana is the way in which he  has become a part of folk mythology, and is quite important to at  least one quasi-religious group in rural East Timor. Some have  begun to refer to his possible reappearance, in a kind of messianic way.
While officially Santana is thought to have fallen and hurt himself, which along with existing health problems, is believed to have later led to his death in hiding, there is a feeling of “mystery” surrounding his death especially due to his night-time burial. This continues to trouble some, like this commenter “Darwin” in Bradford, UK:
well i don't really know what is going on right now, but i would like to  ask those guys in the government, Who killed Konis? Is he really dead?  Why? Where? Who going to answer all these question? well, i got to tell  you guys, there is a mistery [sic] behind it.
That question received 29 responses from all over the world. Keibere in Sydney responds:
I am not going to ask anybody who killed him, it is all part of the plan  of the big man, upstairs who made all of us, that is GOD, one dead is  the same , as the other one, there is no difference between Kony Santana,  and another Timorese.
Part of Santana's continued appeal is in fact a recognition of his humility. By living in amongst the people in an occupied mountain village, he was perceived as a servant-leader. So quite probably, Santana would have agreed with Keibere and been quite surprised with the cult of personality that has developed around him after his death.
Santana typing in a shelter. By Comissão para os Direitos do Povo Maubere, Arquivo Museu da Resistência Timorense.
Two books have been published about Santana in recent years.  Well-respected Portuguese historian José Mattoso published his biography  a couple of years ago, based on documental sources and interviews in  East Timor. And just a couple of months ago, reknowned journalist Jill  Jolliffe published her  account Finding Santana, which blogger Patrick  Allington describes as
a terrifically blunt but often quite lyrical recounting  of her  clandestine 1994 trips to East Timor to interview then East  Timor  guerilla commander, Nino Konis Santana. I commend the book: it’s   uncomfortable reading but it’s also a genuine page-turner […]
A new generation, that never lived through the Indonesian occupation, can come to know Santana through these books and the through Archives lovingly restored by a team coordinated by Mattoso [Pt] and from the video archives of Max Stahl.

author: Janet Gunter


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East Timor: Why is Transparency Important? · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

Curt Hopkins, from the blog ReadWriteWeb, comments on the Timor Leste Transparency Portal [en, pt, tet], recently launched by the Timorese Government. Hopkins raises some questions on the relevance of financial transparency in Timor's context, and calls on readers to discuss it.

author: Sara Moreira


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Haiti: To Vote or Not To Vote · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Throwing Down the Water says that the outcome of the Haitian election will be decided by which sections of the population vote and which stay home.


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Indonesia: Bomb package exploded while being defused · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Three bomb packages were sent to three targets in Jakarta, Indonesia. One bomb exploded while being defused by the police.

author: Mong Palatino


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Japan: Earthquakes Moving South? Anxiety Builds in Kansai · Global Voices
Matt Holland

This post is part of our special coverage Japan Earthquake 2011.
Just days after the massive earthquake which struck northeastern Japan, further geological tremors are taking place elsewhere on the island of Honshu. As a brief glance at the Yomiuri Shimbun's earthquake info log shows, a magnitude 6 earthquake hit Shizuoka Prefecture (located between Metropolitan Tokyo and the Kansai region) at just after 10:30PM local time on March 15. In addition, at roughly 3:30AM on the 16th, a magnitude 4 earthquake struck the Hida-Takayama area of Gifu Prefecture, a location northwest of Shizuoka. This series of quakes naturally has people living west of said areas feeling a bit nervous about what is to come.
At this point there are no tsunami warnings or issues are nuclear reactors outside of the Tohoku region, but Twitter users in Kansai, the southern-central region of Japan's main island Honshū, seem to be a bit spooked. Here are a selection of tweets from the morning of March 16th.
@wakakei76: 昨夜の静岡地震の時に配偶者はさらりと「富士山噴火するかもねー」などと激しく俺だけを不安にさせたが、「このまま関西に移動していくかな？」と聞いたら「糸魚川あたりでとまるんでねーの。もしくはフォッサマグナで日本が分かれて海ができる」と結論が出たあたりで俺は猫さんで遊ぶことにした。
@althis_asuka: 食料品とか買い込みする人がいなきゃ今まで通りが可能。それが関東や関西です(茨城さんだけちょっと凄い大変そうですが）。そもそも水道ひねって→飲める水が出る　って事そのものが世界的に恵まれてる→この大地震後でも世界的に恵まれてますからね。自覚すれば余裕が有ります
@toshiwo: 今回の地震、宮城県沖から南下して東京湾の次は静岡かー。関西の方も用心しておくべきなのかも？
@axexlll: 今度は岐阜県か…だんだん地震南下してきてる？ 余震が続いてる所もそうだけど、きてない関西とかもいつ来るかわからないから寝れないなぁ
‘Pray for Japan’ image from Instagram, in a list compiled by Naver user Jorker
@hirock_arnett: 正直、関西にも大地震が来たらと考えると、胸が破裂しそうなくらい怖い。西の空が赤いとか、月が接近してるとか、そんな科学的根拠のない予兆にさえ怯えてしまう始末。でも、そんなんじゃダメだって思うから、なるたけポジティブでいたいと思う。こんな不安な春は初めてだ…。
In reading tweets out of that area, despite there being no substantiated data with regard to any risks in Kansai, one can't help but feel a little uneasy. Fortunately, a number of users are thinking clearly and seeking others do the same.
@toki____onohara: 私は地震について思う事は｢ＲＴしない｣事だと。こういう時は冷静に冷静に。拡散した誤ツイで、酷いようですが千羽鶴や写真がどうなるんですか？関西は東京の友人達を見ましょう。
@b_sk063: テレビだけが情報源の幼馴染から「静岡まで地震来てる…関西も危ないよね…？もう心配で寝れない…原発もアレ危ないんでしょ？」ってメールきた。メディアの影響って大きいんだなやっぱり。ツイッターだと付属の情報も入ってくるからやっぱ必要なんだな。
Beyond that, some reassurance can be found in Kansai as Makoto Yagi, president of Kansai Electric Power Company (KEPCO), announced his desire to take a proactive stance considering the possibility of similar nuclear accidents arising in Kansai:
@RepublicOfOsaka: [関西]関西電力　原発の地震・津波対策を強化へ: 　東日本大震災による東京電力・福島第一原発の事故を受けて、関西電力は、原発の地震・津波対策を強化する考えを明らかにしました。http://bit.ly/g7Z2hS
This post is part of our special coverage Japan Earthquake 2011.

author: Matt Holland


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Japan: Social Art and Design for Earthquake Relief · Global Voices
Tomomi Sasaki

This post is part of our special coverage Japan Earthquake 2011.
Three design-related projects have emerged out of the destruction of the earthquake and tsunami that hit the northeast coast of Japan last Friday 11 March, 2011.
#prayforjapan logo
The creators of the #prayforjapan initiative that encourages well-wishers across the world to send messages of support via microblogging site Twitter and make online donations, have made a number of logos available in multiple sizes for print, animated banners, and social media icons.
Pray for Japan donation box logo
This project is being led by blogger and advertising expert Naoyuki Sato, better known as Satonao. He explains [jp] how the project began after he received a tweet by Mikihiko Sawahata (@hossib), the owner of a Japanese restaurant Bissoh in Beaune, France:
さとなおさん、店で義援金を募集したいのですが募金箱のデザインをして下さる方はいらっしゃいませんか？　PDFファイルにして上げていただければ全世界でDLして印刷し、色々な場所におけます。
すぐに友人の石川淳哉さん（@junyaishikawa）にツイッターで相談し、「すぐ動こう」となり、あっという間に超多忙なデザイナー森本千絵さん（@morimotochie）にアプローチ。快諾をいただいて約１日、こんなデザインのマークが完成した。想いが詰まっていて、温かいいいマークだと思う。松永有子さん（@ebiita）、押井猛さん（@gatyaping2）のご協力も得て出来上がった。
The project is also calling on people to provide localized versions at @prayjp.
#setsudencopy
"Turn off the light. Let's go to sleep early". Image by @laughsketch.
#setsudencopy is the hashtag being used for a crowd-sourced project to create graphic posters with the message to conserve electricity. The upbeat site explains its mission in this way:
いまTwitter#setsudencopyで温かい節電コピーが生まれている。人が人を思う気持ちに感動だ。Twitterの中だけに留めておくのはMOTTAINAI!
そこで！
節電コピーのポスターを募集するぜ。印刷して、街中に貼ってくれ。（もちろん許可は取るんだよ。）
「アタシ家にプリンターなんて無いもの！」って子！なんと、セブンイレブンで印刷できちゃうんだぜ。各ポスターの下にある「ネットプリント」の番号をコピー機に入力するだけ！
「俺もポスターつくった！」って人は、下の [節電ポスターを投稿する] ボタンをクリック！インターネット歴1年未満の子は、メールで送ってね！
Heart-warming taglines appealing for energy saving are coming into the world on Twitter with the hash-tag #setsudencopy. It was inspired by the concern people have shown for each other. It’s a shame to keep this just to Twitter!
That’s why we’re asking for energy saving POSTERS! Print them, and cover the walls of your city (well, don’t forget to ask for permission ok?) You don’t have a printer? No problem. Did you know Seven-Eleven has printers? You just have to enter the “net print” number at the bottom of each poster into the photocopier at the store!
If you’ve made a poster, then click on “post this energy saving poster”! If you’re new to the Internet, just send it to us by email!
Graphics are being submitted to the project's Tumblr blog, with the first one posted on March 12, 2011.
"Save Power and Carry On". Image by @HN_feedbot.
"Let's unplug". Image by @daitocreative.
The images are available to the public:
このサイトにあるポスターはデザイナーたちの心意気によって、パブリックドメインドメインになっている。つまり、誰に許可を取ることなく、印刷、編集、転載など、自由かつ無制限に使っていいんだ。これらのポスターが少しでも早く、たくさんの人の行動に結びつくことを願っている。
#newday_GEISAI
Art contribution by Takehiko Inoue.
GEISAI is a gigantic art/design event founded by contemporary artist Takashi Murakami in 2001. The 15th installment was to be held on March 13, 2011, at the Tokyo Big Sight convention center.
In a statement announcing the cancellation, Murakami made a suggestion:
With the theme of providing encouragement to the victims and those who have despaired in the quake's aftermath, will you join me in uploading artwork to Twitter's affiliated image posting sites?
As an art festival, GEISAI should be on the front lines of this movement and it is with that in mind that we have selected the theme below and ask everyone to begin submitting their images!
The hashtag will be #newday_GEISAI
Tomorrow will always arrive.
The sun will always rise again.
A new day,
This is our theme.
This post is part of our special coverage Japan Earthquake 2011.

author: Tomomi Sasaki


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Japan: Tokyo’s Crowded Metro · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

@MIG22K (RUS) is tweeting from Tokyo's extremely crowded metro – here, here and here (a few pictures and short video).

author: Veronica Khokhlova