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Egypt: My Name Was Khaled and I Was Not a Terrorist · Global Voices
Marwa Rakha

Photo by Mourid Barghouti
Demonstrations and rage continued in Egypt following the death of a young Egyptian, allegedly at the hands of police. The anger on the street is evident online, where citizen journalists speak out.
My Name was Khaled and I was not a Terrorist is the name of a new Facebook page condemning police torture and the use of the Emergency Law to terrorize citizens. “The emergency law is a tool in the hands of the executive power to storm many basic rights and freedom guaranteed by the Egyptian Constitution,” explains the International Federation for Human Rights. Khaled Said's death enraged many Egyptians, who went out on demonstrations protesting his brutal murder; Amnesty International urged the Egyptian government to investigate the killing of this young man; and the government claimed he was a criminal.
Khaled's murder is summarized again on the Facebook English page:
The story began on 7th June 2010 when Khaled Saeed went to his usual Internet cafe in Sidigaber – Alexandria Egypt.
Then two wild detective cops – Mahmoud Alfallah and Awaad Elmokhber/the detective – ambushed that cafe asking people for their IDs which is totally out of their authority and without legal permission He – Khaled – did reject that way of inhumane treatment and conequently was attacked so viciously, was kicked in his chest and belly severely, and his skull was smashed with the marble bar before all people and witnesses in the cafe while khaled was bleeding. Then savage cops abducted khaled and put him inside the police vehicle to continue torturing him to death in the police station. Finally, they had thrown his corpse in the street to claim that he was attacked by some strangers in order to avoid responsibility.
All of this is a result for the oppression system that Mubarak control Egypt under emergency law which gives the police the upper hands to treat the residents as slaves.
Shadowy added:
Eyewitnesses –cyber café clients and street pedestrians- asserted that the whole beat thing had carried on constantly for 20 minutes, and had been executed in full view of everyone, accompanied by Khaled´s screams, tears, and cries for help.
Another witness, Mahmoud Ali, reported that the two policemen had taken the victim´s body to “Seidy Gaber” police station, and brought it back 15 minutes later to the crime scene, and called an ambulance in order for them to get away with their crime.
Khaled´s brother certified to “Shorouk Newspaper” that Khaled had never been detained that particular night in any police station or elsewhere, and that he was very well-behaved, well-liked, and admired by his neighbors and friends. He also mentioned that he´s from a virtuous family, whose sons aren´t prison birds. “As soon as I had heard the police station´s conviction of my brother, I headed straight for the American Embassy and informed them of the incident, since I´m American citizen; I thought my American passport would safeguard me, in lieu of the Egyptian one, which is the main reason for his holder´s dishonor” He added.
The victim´s attorney, Waleed Saeed, had filed a complaint to the public prosecutor, accusing the two policemen of beating and torturing Khaled to death, and dragging his corpse all the way to the police station.
Who could have ever thought that the price Khaled would pay for asking “why” his basic rights were violated was going to be his life?! Well, as it turns out, this is the case under emergency law; every Egyptian should think twice, before he goes too far and decides stand up for his civil rights, assuming he is Martin Luther King of his age.
Traveller Within highlighted how the police handled the crime scene:
Policemen subsequently returned to the scene in search of any recording devices  or phones that could’ve reported the incident. They failed however to prevent  the news from being covered and widely shared via Twitter and other social media  tools, which detailed accounts of the events, shared photos of the deceased  before and after his death, and began to organize for demonstrations and civil  actions to bring the alleged perpetrators to justice and to protest the use of  Emergency law, in place since 1981 and extended  just last month for a further 2 years, with the explicit declaration by the  state that it would only be used “in cases of terrorism and drug  trafficking”.
Photo by Sarah Carr
Will E. went to the June 13th demonstration and gave the following account
The Traveller Within posted videos, photos, live clips, and wrote:
There were several demonstrations across Cairo  yesterday, demanding justice for Khaled Mohamed Said and for his assassins to be  judged – all the way up to the Minister of Interior, Habib El Adly. As one of  the slogans chanted said–
“If that were  Israel (or anywhere else, for that matter), El Adly's head  would be gone”
Not in Egypt. Not when, as, once again, people  chanted, the main purpose of the Police's existence is to protect the regime  from the people.
On the protest, Zeinobia wrote:
The best photo I found for the protest was this photo from Assad.
Also here  is another photo from Affet
I do not know how the regime dares and opens its mouth in front of the photos  showing the brutality of the police against peaceful protesters.Just see the  videos and slide shows below to understand what I mean.
Blogger and journalist Sarah Carr was also a witness to the Rule of Boars [detailed pictures]
More blundering, crass stupidity from the police yesterday, as they responded to  demonstrators protesting police violence with violence, again.
Some 150 people assembled in Lazoghly Square – home of a state security  headquarters – at 5 p.m. This number quickly grew as protestors prevented from  gathering outside the main gate of the Interior Ministry – as had originally  been planned – converged on the square. They managed to circle the square twice  before the police were able to get their shit together. The usual black cordon  of cannon fodder was quickly formed and we were hermetically sealed in.
We were  well and truly kettled.
Amr Salama posted more pictures of the protests HERE
Kareem El Beheiry posted videos of the police crackdown and assaults on protesters HERE
So why did Khaled really die? Tabula Gaza answered:
Over the past few months I have been working on a video project about torture, so when I heard about the public beating and murder of 28-year old Khaled Sayed Thursday night it came as no surprise. According to blogger Mfatta7, Khaled had either filmed or obtained a video that reveals a number of police officers involved in a drug deal. This is the video provided by his sister [exposing police corruption and a drug dealing incident]
Amr Salama wrote down the conversation in the video
Sandmonkey wrote:
When the story went out, and people saw the pictures, they were of course  enraged. About a 1000 people gathered after the  Friday prayers to protest in front of the police stations, and there are  plans to do sit ins and demos this entire week, demanding that people take  action, before they become the next Khaled. The Ministery of Interior swiftly  responded, by stating that Khaled was a criminal and a womanizer and a drug  dealer and responsible for 9/11, and that he died from Asphysxiation, and  the picture is simply after his body was diagnosed by the Coroner. And that  really, really, we should be glad that such a menace to society at large is not  with us anymore.
On the 12th of June 2010 the department of  media and public relations of the Egyptian ministry of interior issued a  statement denying the content of the testimonies of eyewitnesses as well as  reports by human rights organizations regarding the killing of Khaled Said in  Alexandria, accusing those statement of inaccuracy, flagrant falsification, and  crossing the line in dissemination of lies etc. and Tabula Gaza shared Al Nadeem Center‘s official statement [full statement here]
The MOI [Ministry Of Interior] statement then concluded that it will  not “back down no matter how much the allegations”. Nor shall we, no matter how  much MOI spread their lies and terror. We shall continue to expose crimes of  torture, reach out for the victims, provide legal, psychological and media  support as well as all other forms of support until the torturers are brought to  justice.. As long as there is no public apology.. as long as there is torture..  as long as the perpetrators are not brought to justice.. we shall not back  down
Clearing up Khaled's image, Zeinobia wrote
The people are very angry in Alex especially in Sidi Gaber with the false reports about Khalid that led his friend and journalist Bahaa El-Tawil to write an Op-ed about late Khalid , the other Khalid the MOI did not know who refused to leave this county because he loves this country !! The other Khalid who did not escape from his military service as the MOI has claimed , the other Khalid who did not smoke a cigarette.
She also posted videos of his neighbors defending him and the owner of the internet cafe's testimonial
And even if Khaled was a “pot-head”, a sexual offender, or a terrorist as the Ministry of Interior claimed, Zeinobia wonders
Do the police plain clothed agents have the right to search other citizens !!?? If No – which is the answer – then why they were searching the people !!??
Was there an official investigation warrant issued to search anyone in that street!!??
How did those agents know that Khalid was a dangerous con !!??
If we believe the MOI statement, shall we wonder how Khalid knew that the two men walking in the street in plain clothes were actually police agents !!??
Sandmonkey concluded his post saying:
Egypt likes to refer to itself as the land of Security and Safety. Please note that we always put the word Security first. We like to think we are safe, that we are better than those evil western countries, where a woman is raped every 48 seconds or whatever, but we are not. We are not Safe. None of us is. Not n this country, not in this world. Any one of us could lose that spark of life at any minute, and the lucky ones get it quickly and painlessly. The unlucky ones suffer. The really unlucky ones end up like Khaled.

author: Marwa Rakha


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Fiji: Tackling the land tenure issue · Global Voices
Michael Hartsell

Because of its ties to ethnicity, culture and a growing import food bill, land tenure is one of Fiji’s most pressing problems. The country’s military-backed government will soon attempt to reform the country’s land tenure system, which has largely remained untouched since the mid-1970s, shortly after independence from Great Britain.
By law and through very complicated traditional arrangements, indigenous Fijians own roughly 87 percent of the land on Fiji’s 300 islands. The government owns six percent and the remaining portions can be bought and sold by people of any ethnicity.  This has left the Indo-Fijians, who make up around 40 percent of the population and are descendants of the country’s indentured servants brought over by the British to work in sugar and copra plantations, largely landless.
Fiji’s post-independence government thought it had brought stability to the land tenure issue in 1976 when it created a system for 30-year leases and a secure rental structure.  However, Fijian landowners long complained their rents were meager, especially when the government negotiated those rates. When the majority of leases came due between 1997 and 2001, landowners only renewed about one quarter of the contracts.  Half of the land was rented to other tenants and the remaining 30 percent was never re-allocated.
This forced farmers of both ethnicities streaming into the cities looking for work. The lost leases also helped bring the downfall of Fiji’s sugar industry, which once amounted to 12 percent of the country’s GDP and employed nearly one-third of the population. Today, it has fallen to around three percent of GDP. At the same time, Fiji’s food import bill has increased dramatically. Fiji’s government has attempted to become more self sufficient by funding projectsto grow crops for domestic use.
Crosbie Walsh says the government needs to tread lightly and summon as many stakeholders as possible before passing any reform, especially if it is thinking about allowing international investment in land-based businesses.
“The need to make better commercial use of native land is irrefutable,” he writes in Fiji: The Way It Was, Is and Can Be:
But (and it is a big But) with these important provisos: The  native landowners and their land must be protected from fiscal and environmental abuse; the grassroots (mataqali) owners must benefit substantially from the arrangements and be included in the land management; current farmers on leasehold land should have opportunities to participate, as must local investors.
And the foreign owners must be minority owners; their venture must bring obvious benefit to Fiji; they must employ and train local people as much as possible; their venture should have provisions for the sale of shares leading to ultimate local majority ownership — and they must pay taxes. A large bond to ensure these conditions are not breached is a must.
Even after acknowledging the urgent need for action on land and a number of other important issues, I think most proposed legislation benefits from prior wide public consultations. It will be interesting to see how the new rules “shape up.”
The blogger Corruption Fighter, writing in Fiji Democracy Now, says the government’s plan will most likely fail because leaders don’t understand the real problems tied to the land tenure issue and Fiji’s sugar industry.
What Frank [Bainimarama, Fiji’s self-imposed leader] doesn’t understand is that ALTA [1976 law setting 30-year leases and rents] rent setting arrangements provide little incentive for landowners. Unless rents are indexed regularly, they drop in real value….
Under ALTA, indexation is made according to a formula that requires the unimproved capital value of the land to be recalculated. It’s slow and has generous appeal provisions which have allowed many tenants to escape with very low rents, at least until the NLTB did its job and reviewed them.
In 2001 Padma Lal of the Australian National University and Mahendra Reddy of the USP estimated the average rent for a hectare of land was $66.63. This was a small component of the average cost of production cost which they estimated to be $2188 per hectare. Since then, production costs have risen steeply, especially the cost of fuel and fertiliser after the devaluation last year. But have rents increased to keep pace with the costs of everything else? No, because under ALTA this cannot happen.
What the sugar industry needs to survive is large farms, with farmers who can afford to use machinery and the optimal amount of fertiliser. Such farmers with higher productivity would be able to afford to pay significantly more in rent for the the land they use.
The blog Fiji Today posted rumors of some of the proposed changes the government would like to make. They title the piece:
We hope the land rumors are wrong as it would be a recipe for disaster.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Michael Hartsell


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Guatemala: Beauty Pageant Includes “Foot Bool” Float · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

San Pedro de Las Huertas, Guatemala is recovering from storm Agatha; they recently celebrated their annual beauty pageant with a float dedicated to football. AntiaguaDailyPhoto includes photos of the event and writes: “Foot Bool with the African spelling is how the people of San Pedro Las Huertas want to let everyone know that the World Cup of Foot Ball (not the U.S. meaning) brings borders and people together.”

author: Silvia Viñas


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Guinea: Alliance Guinea, a Citizen Reporting Project to Monitor Upcoming Elections · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

Alliance Guinea is a new citizen reporting project that will monitor the upcoming Guinean Elections in two weeks [fr]. The website will use the Ushahidi platform to aggregate reports and is currently looking for volunteers.

author: Lova Rakotomalala


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India: Bhopal Gas Tragedy Tweets · Global Voices
Rezwan

Offstumped  lists some important 1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy related tweets.

author: Rezwan


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India: Desipundit Is No More · Global Voices
Rezwan

Über Desi informs that the favorite Desi blog aggregator Desipundit has shut down today. “This is a sad day in the desi blogosphere and for blogs in general”, reacts the blog.


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India: Economic Blockade In Manipur State · Global Voices
Rezwan

The northeastern state of Manipur in India is facing a humanitarian crisis with the price of necessities soaring up as it has been subjected to a blockade of the National Highway 39 (NH-39) connecting Imphal (Manipur) with Kohima (Nagaland). Since April 12, 2010 the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) and the All Naga Students’ Association Manipur (ANSAM) had launched the blockade to protest holding of elections to six autonomous district councils in the tribal dominated hills. The blockade was intensified after the state refused entry to the NSCN (IM) leaders on May 3. The stocks of the necessary and life saving commodities have almost dried up.
Here is a video showing how the fuel crisis has hit Manipur. Shops are even offering free petrol for buying television sets, washing machines and refrigerators.
The territorial disputes between the Meiteis (Meeteis), the primary ethnic group who live in the state's valley region, and the Nagas who live in the hills of the state are cited as the root of this problem. Namrata Goswami at the Institute For Defense Studies and Analysis provides the background of the conflict and highlights the consequences:
When the rest of India and the world are marching ahead in an interactive and inclusive way despite numerous odds, the people of Manipur and Nagaland are marching backward: towards nostalgia, territorial exclusivity, xenophobia and ‘ghetto like’ tendencies which are out of sync with the modern world. [..]
The consequences of this blockade are manifold.
First, it has rekindled ethnic hatred and divides between Nagas and Meiteis so much so that the President of the Naga civil society body, the Naga Hoho (Naga Apex Tribal Council), Keviletuo Kiewhuo stated on May 22, 2010 in Kohima that “we want the total separation of the people, that is the Nagas and the Meiteis. We have to live as different identities, we cannot co-exist anymore.”
Second, the divide has become intensely politicized.
Third, Manipur is facing a humanitarian tragedy of sorts. One kilogram of rice now costs Rs. 30; a litre of petrol is priced between Rs. 150 and Rs. 200. Diesel is not available in gas stations and a LPG cylinder is priced between Rs. 1000 and Rs. 1500. The Public Distribution System (PDS) is closed.
Teresa Rahman at The Hoot explains how the ethnic prejudice also crept into the local media and the mainstream media reports fuelled the divisions further.
Chitra Ahanthem writes from Manipur in a guest post in The Spaniard In The Works:
What makes Manipur particularly linked to Economic blockades, one may ask. The answer lies in the topography and manner of inhabitancy of a small land locked state that depends on its two National Highways through which essential commodities like food supplies, medicine, fuel products (petrol, diesel, LPG) come in. The majority, Meiteis live in the plains while various other minority tribal groups live along the hilly regions through which highways pass. Every time the Highways are blocked, life not only gets affected but the economics of it play into the picture since several people depend on the traffic on the roads: drivers, transporters, bus passengers doing inter state and inter district travel.
[..] The blockade became a subtle political play: one community against the other. Trucks carrying goods got attacked and burnt and vehicle drivers and transporters refused to drive on the highways.
So, not only are commodities being over priced and in short supply, but you would consider yourself lucky if you managed to get through to someone using a mobile connection: with no diesel to operate the mobile towers, network connections often go for a toss. Electricity? Well, that is what we get on a constantly irregular basis: at most, 5 hours out of a 24 hour cycle and we consider ourselves fortunate that blockades do not mean more power cuts. Just last night, my son’s school authorities sent a notification that the school would be closed since the vehicles would have to stay in line to get their fuel ration.
This is not the first time such blockade happened. Chitra informs:
There was a 52 day economic blockade on the highways in 2005, which was imposed by a Student Association that demanded for a separate Tribal University.
landscape in Manipur. By Flickr user Brajeshwar. CC BY-NC-SA
Kapil Arambam at My Manipur confirms that the situation is not uncommon to the Manipuris and they have shown much resilience. But there is a limit to all that and it is a matter of time public unrest will be spreading.
The central government has been accused of showing neglect to resolve the situation.  Khumanthem Seilesh says:
The ongoing situation and the crisis faced by the people of Manipur are all because of the step-motherly treatment meted out to Manipur by the Center. [..] Why can’t the Center lift the highway blockade imposed for more than 2 months by some students union when the people in the other state are dying and starving because of the blockade of their lifeline?
Can’t the Center provide security forces to ensure that the goods-laden trucks reach Manipur safely, or can’t they use paramilitary or state force to crush a tiny warring students union?
A Joint Statement issued by Human Rights Alert and the Asian Human Rights Commission accuses:
The government of India has the singular responsibility of allowing the issue to escalate to this proportion. The current situation is the predictable result of the government of India’s flawed policies of brokering with criminal elements operating in the region, like Muivah and Ibobi.
Perhaps a little too late, after 65 days of the blockade the state government had finally decided  to send troops to remove the Manipur blockade. According to latest reports the tribal student group announced that they are temporarily suspending the economic blockade from 6 p.m. today (Tuesday) following personal requests by the prime minister and the home minister.
The group has asserted that they will resume their blockade if their primary demands are not met which includes better facilities for the nearly 500,000 Naga settlers in Manipur. And the question remains how long these kinds of blockades will continue to hamper the lives and livelihoods of more than a million people?


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Jamaica: Art & Ammo · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Art has a place in the search for ‘Dudus”; Annie Paul explains.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Jamaica: Waiting for ‘Dudus’ · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

As ‘Dudus’ remains at large, bloggers comment on the upset the search for him has caused…Chez Hsia: “Someone needs to step in and provide the social services that Dudus was providing, or else the cycle will just begin anew…”; Active Voice: “The problem is that even in times of uneasy peace the human rights of the poor were routinely violated. How can we assure that they are not victimized in this so-called war on crime?”


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Kazakhstan: “Leader of the Nation” Mission Complete · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

As was reported, on May 13, the parliament of Kazakhstan adopted a set of amendments labeled as The Law on Leader of the Nation, as they were meant to attach such title to the incumbent president.
Nursultan Nazarbayev, 69, rules the country for more than 20 years, since Kazakhstan was a part of the Soviet Union. The amendments included also immunity from any kind of criminal and administrative responsiblity for the president and his family members, while imposing pretty heavy criminal liability (high fines, terms in the correction facilities or even imprisonment) for “distortion of the president's biography” and “damage of the president's images”. The law applies only for Nazarbayev, the first leader of Kazakhstan after gaining independence in 1991.
However, the president did not sign the law into force. He said in his address to the citizens, parliament and his party (which occupies all seats in the parliament) that “the status of Leader of the Nation can not be gained by a law or decree”. He thanked the deputies, but made it clear that he refuses to assume this status: “I ask you to get me right”, he said.
Bloggers were quick to celebrate, yet noting the orchestrated character of the whole play:
“Marasmus is not that bad. […] However, the logic is pretty clear: a lot of people are now filled with respect to him. Even the opposition would praise him tomorrow, while the proponents would canonize his unlimited wisdom”, pulemetchizza wrote [ru]. Il-pirato added in comments [ru]: “It's easy to be a superman if you are surrounded by morons. It doesn't matter what Nazarbayev did or will do. He dismissed the greatest bullshit, and therefore he will be deemed a hero”.
Count-asylum said [ru]:
There is an ancient formula how to make people happy: you should first make them unhappy, and then turn everything back. Taking into account that the president has grown that high in our eyes, I vote to declare him a Leader of the Whole Free Mankind.
By the way, it would be fun if the parliament convened a special session and overcome the presidential veto.
The blogger could not even imagine how close he was to the truth. The thing is that Nazarbayev publicly rejected the law, but… didn't veto it! The opposition leader Zharmakhan Tuyakbai, former general prosecutor, had warned [ru] after the presidential speech that the legal loophole allows the law to come into force without the Nazarbayev's signature.
On June 15 it got official. The law came into force, signed by the speakers of two-chamber (yet one-party) parliament and by the prime-minister. These officials ensure legal propriety of the law and bear responsibility for its legality. Adam-Kesher says [ru]:
Such a silly show. […] First, he unambigously says that he doesn't want it. He perfectly knows – from his 20-year experience – what he has to do next in order to avoid the things he publicly and politically rejected. But he doesn't. […] There are two possible reasons.
One is that he has forgotten. Then the question comes up – whether a man having memory losses (which are quite normal in his age) can be a leader of the nation? This question is rhetoric, because we are now not allowed to discuss personal life of the leader.
The second option is that he simply changed his mind. And no comments are required in this case. […] The law violates the constitutional principle of equality of all citizens before the law.
M-kaa howls in despair [ru]:
Why sometimes I am so deeply ashamed of the country I live in, the country I love? You know what I am dreaming of? I want my country to acknowledge that it is a monarchy. Not a parliamentary one or whatever else – simply a monarchy. Officially. No more hypocritical games with democracy, multi-party system or free speech.

author: Adil Nurmakov


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Kenya: Bloggers react to Uhuru Park bomb blast · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Six people were killed and 75 injured in an explosion at a political rally in Nairobi on Sunday. The rally was organized by the “No” team, which opposes the passing of the new constitution. Church leaders in Kenya have blamed the government for the explosion. President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga are in the “YES” camp, which supports the constitution. The proposed new constitution will be put to vote in August this year.
The question most Kenyans online are trying to answer is who is behind the explosion? Ken Opalo does not rule out Somalia connection:
This is a worrying occurrence, given the goings on in Somalia. I hope the blasts were isolated freak accidents and not organized acts of terror designed to intimidate those opposed to the draft constitution.
Kenya Political says that the incident brings to the fore issues of insecurity, religious intolerance and political violence in Kenya:
It shows how fragile Kenya is irregardless of the post election violence that rocked the country after the disputed 2007 election. The referendum campaigns are bringing out pent up emotions in the Kenya populace that shows that Kenya as a country is still not far from the precipice that it slid into in 2008 despite the smokescreen that the grand coalition government is.
He also points out that this is the second security incident this year:
This is the second security incident this year in Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya. In January this year, Nairobi was the scene of demonstrations organized to push the government to release radical Jamaican Islamic preacher Abdulla al-Faisal. Scores were injured and several people died. A General Service Unit police officer was shot and injured by demonstrators who were armed. Demonstrators shouted slogans and donned flags associated with contraversial Somali Islamist al-shabaab militia.
Onyango Oloo introduces himself as “an expert with a valid opinion on who was behind the bombing at Uhuru Park”:
And that is how I want to introduce myself, Onyango Oloo, as an expert with a valid opinion on who was behind the bombing at Uhuru Park. Everyone knows that you do not have to go to Kiganjo Police College, Scotland Yard or wherever those FBI guys earn their right to flash their IDs to know who dunnit, ama?
On a more serious, sober and political note, if one wants to find out who is behind the criminal outrage, one needs to apply one of the lessons from all the great detectives I have come across.
The best ones always asked themselves a very simple question:
Who stands to gain from this murder, this robbery, this forgery, this arson? (fill in the blankety blanks)
The flip side of the same question is this:
Who stands to lose?
Since these grenade attacks and the subsequent deaths and injuries took place at a packed NO rally, one must immediately answer these questions within the context of the increasingly fractious campaign for and against the proposed new constitution.
It immediately becomes a POLITICAL question swirling around STATE POWER, ECONOMIC and CLASS DYNAMICS and the OUTCOME OF THE REFERENDUM CAMPAIGN.
So let us, like all good private detectives, start by asking the RIGHT QUESTIONS in order to get the RIGHT ANSWERS.
Here we go:
1. POLITICALLY, which social forces in Kenya stand to gain from this latest terrorist attack? 2. POLITICALLY and ECONOMICALLY, who stands to lose if the proposed Kenyan constitution is ratified at the August 4th Referendum?
He rules out the “YES” team from the list of suspects:
I say that politically, the YES side has NOTHING to gain from hurling three hand grenades to kill some innocent civilians attending a peaceful rally, exercise their constitutional rights to assemble, associate and express themselves. After all, proponents of the YES side are particularly enthusiastic about the expanded Bill of Rights in the proposed draft constitution.
So let us RULE OUT the Yes side from the list of suspects.
He also rules the Church:
Let us also immediately rule out the Church and its leaders from this atrocity. Much as I detest the hypocrisy and the fake prosperity gospel bling bling of the Bishop Wanjirus and Pastor Lais, I seriously do NOT THINK that they could have organized to kill of those thousands of Kenyan worshippers who gather every Sunday to make sure that these men and women of the cloth continue living large and lavishly while their flock toil to raise those tithes and sadaka. That would be like using a sharp panga to scoop out their own intestines.
Tome Francis of Kenya Young Voters Alliance has his own theories:
Curiously, some individuals in the No Team have remotely been alluding to the emergence of religious intolerance should the draft constitution be passed in its current form. Is this chilling incident a fulfillment of their “prophecy?” Could it be that these latter day prophets of doom elected to use a more dramatic, spectacular, bloody and destructive act of violence to engender the much hyped religious war? If I someone asked me whether what was witnessed at Uhuru Park was a subterfuge by the No Camp, my answer would of course be in the affirmative for the simple reason that the political wing of the No camp has been desperate to obtain the sympathy, leverage and influence in the August plebiscite. The temptation to such subterfuge is great among the political wing of the No Team since they have all along been foisting religious intolerance since this is the only way that can make them succeed in swaying public opinion against the draft constitution. After several unsuccessful attempts at perpetuating hate speech coupled with empty rhetoric on religious intolerance among the Christians and the Muslims, desperation seems to have taken toll on them, and with this desperation, these people must have resorted to desperate measures. Such desperate measures may include the bombing subterfuge at the Uhuru Park rally in a bid to turn back the constitutional clock. As for the clergy, they must examine the mediocrity and narrowness in a section of the politicians that purport to walk with them. All they want is to use Christianity as a veil to achieving their selfish goals.
Kumekucha believes that we can figure out who was responsible by asking ourselves the following questions:
1. ALWAYS ALWAYS in every crime the first thing to look for is a motive. The bombing was obviously political because this was a political meeting to drum up support amongst Kenyans to vote NO against a new constitution. And so we need to ask ourselves who has the most to gain from such a horrible incident (as long as they remain hidden behind the shadows that is).
2. We need to look at history and ask ourselves if this kind of thing has happened before and get as many facts as possible on previous “political bombings” because that will give us important clues to answer the question I have posed at the beginning of this post.
3. Thirdly we need to examine events that have happened over the last 48 hours or so and try to establish if the bombings were carefully timed (as is usually the case with these kind of politically stage managed events.)
Kenyan Entrepreneur believes that the attack is a result of a historical power struggle between the Kikuyu and the Kalenjin:
Once again, I feel like I am going to start sounding like a broken record.  Having to repeat here what I’ve been saying for the last two years, which has been this:  There is a power struggle between the Kikuyu and the Kalenjin.  The two tribes that have ruled Kenya since independence and because they are the one’s that have ruled the country, they have the most power, but more importantly, the most money.
I said two years ago that the Kalenjins were very dangerous.  They have a lot of money and Moi put many of them in the army.  Kibaki, to my great dismay, doesn’t seem to have been in a rush about reducing their numbers in the army.  So, because Kibaki appears to be half asleep, Mungiki has taken over and if there is trouble (like there was in 1991, 1992 & 2007) – they are the one’s who will defend their own people.
“If the constitution belongs to Kenyans, why are six Kenyans right now lying dead over their views on the same?,” asks Kenya My Land:
If the constitution belongs to Kenyans, why are six Kenyans right now lying dead over their views on the same? If it really belongs to Kenyans, then please for Kenyans sake Stop! and evaluate what it is you are forcing down Kenyans throat, Stop! and see how you can reconcile the two sides, giving us a constitution with real consensus, so that we can all feel Kenyan, accommodated and included in the new constitutional dispensation. Stop! and come up with a constitution for Kenyans, without bias, oppression, or undue influence.
Will we never learn, my beloved Kenyans?…
Below are reactions from Kenyans on Twitter (#UhuruBlast):
Rombokins: police have announced a ksh 500,000 award for leads on the uhuru park blasts. #uhurublast
about 3 hours ago via web
chardgn: Watching the Uncut version #uhurublast @KTNKenya. Those grenade are fcukn loud. #mwathani
about 8 hours ago via Snaptu
UjenziBora: What if the blast and prayers were an extension of politics by other means? #ThisIsKenya #UhuruBlast |
about 19 hours ago via Snaptu
victoriaambre: RT @chardgn: Why are shoes the main remnants on any unfortunate incident. #uhurublast #onyancha~i thot i was the only 1 who noticed.
SWMaina: It is painfully simplistic to assume that only government has access to grenades. And am not defending them #uhurublast
1 day ago via web
solocheruiyot: #whywouldyou address the press @ the blast scene barely minutes after blast? U wouldn't unless u knew no more undetonated bombs #uhuruBlast
1 day ago via web
passionmango: RT @larrymadowo: Morning tworld. Have a peaceful day. Somebody lost a brother, sister, father or friend at #uhurublast. Can't we all just get along?
Gordie88: Morning tweeps.. My condolences 2 those who lost their loved one in #uhurublast God bless Kenya n may we love each other
ally

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Kyrgyzstan: “The Prince” is Caught? · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

murzaki reports that the son of the ousted Kyrgyzstan President was detained by UK Border Agency, after he landed in Farnborough Airport.  He was accused of embezzlement and abuse of authority and put on the “wanted” list of INTERPOL.


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Kyrgyzstan: Info Wrangling on Osh Unrest · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Christian Bleuer reviews press and expert opinions on the dramatic developments in southern Kyrgyzstan, focusing on the conflict roots and


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Kyrgyzstan: Mixed news for KG sovereignty · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Averroes analyzes the current Interim Government's ability to stabilize the situation in Kyrgyzstan autonomously and thinks which forces from abroad may be of help.


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Lebanon: Outrage over Blocking of VoIP  · Global Voices
Katharine Ganly

So, since the end of May I’ve had issues using Gizmo5, the SIP calling program that I was so ecstatic about some time ago. For some reason I can’t get the program to connect, all it does is spin around and tease me…until I get tired of it and force-quit the app. I’ve submitted my second support ticket to Gizmo5/Google and haven’t heard anything…
writes Kahlil at From Bumpass to Beirut. He continues:
…Part of me thinks that the issue with with Lebanon’s internet and phone regulations
His suspicions are right: Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is illegal in Lebanon according to the Telecoms Act of 2002. Until recently this law has not been enforced – however, last week the Lebanese Telecoms Ministry activated equipment which prevents the use of VoIP communications, such as Gizmo5 and Magic Jack. Skype is as of yet unblocked, though it is thought to be next on the list.
This move not only affects individuals’ communications but will also have a profound affect on businesses.
Bloggers are outraged by the move, which has led to much online discussion regarding its effect.
Mafiose13 initiated a discussion in the forum tayyar.org last week, which led to lively discussion around the subject:
As of yesterday May31 Ogero is blocking all Voice Over IP ports. Meaning any device using VOIP such as MagicJack, Linksys or Cisco VOIP boxes are all being blocked, as well as some SoftPhone VOIP services such as RingCentral and many others.
I personally verified this because I run a tech support company from Lebanon and we work with foreign clients through a variety of systems but mainly: Linksys, MagicJack and Ringcentral.
My company employs 8 LEBANESE PEOPLE and brings income and money to the country. I know many other people in the same IT Support/Customer support field and everyone is affected, besides the regular effect this will have on the Lebanese households communicating with their sons/daughters/sister/brother/mom/dad working overseas to bring money to this country.
Qifa Nabki in the post Missed Call Nation, appears annoyed, though unsurprised by the move. Amongst general dissatisfaction about the quality of internet service and telecoms in in Lebanon – a sector described in the post as a “national embarrassment,” he asks:
If I’m not wrong, telecommunications alone provides the single largest revenue stream for the government. Is it any wonder, therefore, that efforts are now being made to curtail the inroads of VoIP alternatives to exorbitant calling rates?
Le Colleague posting at Of Bar Stools and Med School shares in the dissatisfaction with Lebanon's internet services in general and outrage at this move in particular, stating in a post entitled The Farce that is Lebanese Telecom:
One would think that these broad daylight thieves would get enough revenue to thrive from the RIDICULOUSLY low quality (understatement) service they provide for such RIDICULOUSLY OUTRAGEOUS prices! But no. IT seems that they want to plug every escape route by which we can bypass their fat bank accounts, in order to make sure that we continue to happily pay for their crappy service.
While at Human Development in Lebanon it is asked:
So, who benefits from this law, anyway? Why, it's none other than Alfa and MTC, which have a virtual monopoly on the telecoms market! And don't forget the government can collect all of those taxes that wouldn't be collected when people use VoIP for free or reduced rates!
Despite the assumed profit motive behind the enforcement of this law,  postulated to be motivated by Lebanon's imminent fibre-optic upgrades, which will enhance internet speed thus making VoIP services more stable and reducing telecoms revenue, many are still baffled by the move.
Qifa Nabki questions the logic of the move:
I have to wonder, though: what’s the angle? Even by the standards of this lousy government, doing away with services like Skype will be a deeply unpopular move. As Atalla attests in his piece for the Daily Star, the proposed ban has already enraged business people and entrepreneurs who are trying to compete in an increasingly global market. Students and other young professionals (who generally provide the energy and muscle for any political movement in Lebanon) are up in arms. And, most importantly, this has the potential to further alienate the most important constituency of all: Lebanese expatriates living abroad.
Note: The Daily Star article referred to can be viewed here.
While  Kahlil at From Bumpass to Beirut, after discovering the reason for Gizmo5 not working, raises the following question:
My question to those regulating the communication infrastructure here in Lebanon, why block the ports when you can surely deploy your own services to provide competition to companies and services such as Skype, Gizmo5, and so on? Innovation and tech doesn’t progress when it is overly regulated, eliminating the competition and forcing people to make expensive phone calls won’t win you any love, awards, or loyalty; people will just find ways around your ban.
It appears that this move is linked to the The ESSA (Electronic Signatures and Services Law) , a restrictive internet law to be discussed on 15th June in Parliament. A draft copy of this law can be viewed here [AR].
The passing of this law, which is also causing much discussion, as could put an end to Lebanon's internet freedoms.
SMEX Beirut  are campaigning actively to prevent the implementation of this law.
More information regarding this can be found on the “Stop this Law” Facebook page or by following the #stopthislaw hashtag on Twitter.

author: Katharine Ganly


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Mexico: 10,000 Orphans   · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

10,000 children have become orphans in Mexico as a result of organized crime in the last year. The blog Vivir México [es] reports on an initiative called “Programa Oportunidades” (Program Opportunities), which seeks to, “provide education and health as well as ‘protection from violence, exploitation, trade, unlawful jobs, and provide an opportunity to function with optimal development.'”


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Russia: New Websites to Promote Modernist Islam · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

Paul Goble writes [EN] about the launch of two websites islam-portal.ru and soyuzmusulmanok.ru, that promote modernist Islam. Two websites, Goble suggests, illustrate both attempts to seek connections with younger Muslim population, while competing with fundamentalist Islamists, and to prove Tatars as “intellectual leaders of the Muslim umma of Russia”.

author: Alexey Sidorenko


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Russia: Online Media Exempt From Comments Responsibility · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

Russian Supreme Court finally approved the decision concerning responsibility of online news media for the comments published on their forums, lenta.ru reported [RUS]. The court exempt the news websites from any responsibility for comments left by the users. However, Roskomnadzor [RUS], Internet regulatory body, has the authority to oblige site owners to delete or edit comments.


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Rwanda, Burundi: What to Make of Grenades Explosions  · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

Jina Moore tries to sort out the causes of the sudden flurry of grenades attacks  in Kigali, Rwanda and Bujumbura, Burundi. Moore also reports that opposition in Burundi has claimed massive fraud during the recent elections.


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St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Viva the Vuvuzela · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Abeni remembers when the ICC Cricket World Cup came to the Caribbean: “The conch shells, bugles, horns, drums etc which were integral to the Caribbean cricketing experience [were no longer] allowed” – which is why she declares, “Viva the vuvuzela!”


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Tajikistan: US Opens Military’s Black Mountain Facility · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Christian Bleuer is disappointed with the US Department of Defense’s chosen location for a new training facility in Tajikistan.


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The Idea Of Pakistan And The Sects · Global Voices
Rezwan

Pakistan Historian discusses about Pakistan as an idea, which appealed to all sections of Muslim society in India in the 1940s.


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Trinidad & Tobago: In Through the Out Door  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Outlish Magazine is a new, weekly, online magazine targeted at young adult Trinbagonians.  It showcases people who are going after their dreams and features fresh perspectives on issues that readers obviously relate to, because its popularity is soaring.  I decided to find out what makes Outlish the newest “in” thing by talking with its founder and Editor-in-Chief, Karel Mc Intosh…
Janine Mendes-Franco: You were blogging intermittently at Caribbean Public Relations, contributing occasional posts to Global Voices Online and working for “The Man” in a marketing job when you decided to follow through with creating this online magazine you'd had your heart set on for a while. How did you make the move and why did you feel there was room for it in a largely traditional market?
Karel Mc Intosh:  I started blogging in June 2006 at CPR and maintained it for quite a bit until things started to get very hectic as I moved up in the corporate world.  When I left my job, I was holding a managerial position, which for some is a big deal.  I don’t care much for titles; I’m more concerned about doing things that I enjoy and which push me to be constantly creating.  I was feeling stifled and frustrated, so I left.  Just before that, the vision for Outlish started cementing itself in my mind, and I decided since I now had the free time, I’d start the magazine.
I’ve been blogging for the past few years, I’m a total Internet junkie, and I love magazines. Being a digital native, online was the obvious choice for me, so I went with it. Not to mention the start-up costs are incredibly low.
Karel Mc Intosh, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Outlish Magazine.  Photo by Mark Lyndersay, used with permission.
When I started Outlish I didn’t care about competition and whether there was space for it in the market.  This was more a project of passion and love than trying to find a way to make money.  Most of my favourite magazines and websites are foreign-based, and I know it’s like that for many Trinbagonians.  I wanted to see something that dealt with issues that I was interested in, without getting too intellectual.  The number of people using the Internet in Trinidad and Tobago alone is growing every single year.  Look at Facebook.  You’re seeing people online every day, posting links to articles they like and discussing various issues, so I knew there were tons of people who would be interested in what Outlish would be offering.  Besides, once you’re online, your audience is literally the world.  I’ve started out by focusing on T&T.  The ultimate goal is to eventually widen our scope [of content] to the wider Caribbean.
JMF: What went into the mag's creation technically and creatively?  And why the name?
KMI:  I wanted something that represented the idea of being different and operating outside of the box.  Popular media tends to focus on what’s in, and there are people out there who don’t care about what’s in or what the trends are and prefer to ascribe to their own individual path. So that’s what I wanted the name to represent.  I went through a slew of names.  The thing about being online though, is so many people have parked domains or have taken up names, so it’s hard to get the domain name you want.  I wanted something short and sweet. I’d seen the name online sometime before and liked it, and it kind of always stayed with me.  When I checked to see if the name was available and it was, I registered it immediately.
There was a lot of fine-tuning that went into solidifying Outlish’s vision.  I wanted to ensure that what I had set out to achieve was sustainable, so I’m very much conscious of how ideas impact work flows; what’s achievable and manageable.  I got help with creating the brand.  My friend Jeunanne Alkins designed the logo and was a great sounding board.  Other people's support and interest in what I was doing [like that of Assistant Editor, Quilin Achat] was also very encouraging, especially when I’d stop and ask myself, “Karel what yuh really doing?”  I had also started a Coming Soon page that gave an overview of Outlish, a Twitter account, and the Facebook fan page very early on so that people could start engaging with the brand and give feedback on what they wanted to see before we even published it.  Readers were regularly emailing to say how much they loved what Outlish represented, so this provided a lot of encouragement and told me that my intuition was strong.
On the technical side, a fellow blogger, Ndelamiko Lord designed the website. She’s also known as Sun Goddess for her blog.  Funnily enough, Ndelamiko helped lay the seed for my desire to start a magazine years ago!  She had a digital magazine called Sunhead Magazine, which I read religiously and thought was so cool.  We’d been chatting on Facebook, and so when plans with the original website designer fell through, Ndelamiko was a saviour.  It’s funny, the Caribbean blogosphere and tech community has so many talented people, and I’m just glad for the support I’ve been getting. I have to give a special shoutout to the #WITArmy (West Indian Twitter Army).  They’re an especially feisty and supportive group.  I swear we have some of the coolest people on Twitter.  Our Chief Photographer Mark Lyndersay is the man responsible for the amazing photos you see of all our interviewees and a real tech geek.  He’s also on Twitter.  So we’ve got some true techies on board the Outlish train.
Teen Rockers – Bangaseed.  Photo by Mark Lyndersay, used with permission.
JMF:  Do you think Outlish is changing the landscape of social media locally?  How do you measure effectiveness?
KMI:  Well, I think it’s important to keep the fun in it, although I do plan to monetise Outlish Magazine.  However, I think it’s important to keep the essence of it strong, which is to provide a space where young Trinis can see themselves and their peers going after and achieving their dreams, with no fear of what others may think about them.  I’m a big believer in the ability to achieve anything you set your mind to as long as you plan well and pray hard.
So far, I’ve been getting really great feedback.  People tell me they check the site several times a week, and they especially love the interviews we do.  I wouldn’t try to give Outlish kudos for changing the social media landscape locally, though I’ve seen it mentioned in social media discussions on traditional media talk shows.  I think what it does is show people, hey if you have a great grasp of social media, you can create an online community, really forge relationships and create something that’s dynamic.
I keep listening to the feedback that we get on Facebook, Twitter, blog mentions, emails, and conversations with people I meet.  That helps keep me clued into what people like.  I’m also very open to suggestions.  I know what I want Outlish to be, and a part of that is ensuring that readers and contributors have a hand in helping to shape it.  Outlish is a forum for expression, and we rely on our readers to help guide the conversation.  At Outlish, we’re focusing on the up n’ coming, under the radar folks, who are really interesting personas.  Sometimes the guy living next door is way more interesting than a celebrity.  We think it’s way more fun to find out what’s out there instead of getting caught up with what’s ‘in’. So we’re going to keep featuring people 40 and under who have interesting viewpoints and are going after their destiny.  Basically, our measurement criteria rest on how much we inspire and empower people through the content we feature.  We’re not just a magazine.  Outlish is a movement.  As long as people are being inspired, Outlish is being true to what it has set out to accomplish.
JMF:  How do you choose which stories to feature?
KMI:  There isn’t really any scientific method.  We celebrate individuality, so we feature people who represent that and who, in their own ways, are inspirations to others.  We look for people with an entrepreneurial, adventurous spirit.  Whether it’s an artist, entrepreneur or activist, there’s a thread running through all of our features – these people know what they want to do, what they love to do, and they’re trying to accomplish it despite the odds.
James Hackett, Illustrator, Folklore Lover and Fashion Student.  Photo by Mark Lyndersay, used with permission.
We keep looking for people, asking readers for suggestions, and people email us asking for interviews.  If people are sending suggestions, we ask them to send links where we can find more info on the person, and we take it from there.  Typically we feature one person a week, sometimes two.  We’ve got a vault of people to still feature.  We try to plan pretty far in advance.  The great thing about having Outlish is that I get to meet so many talented, cool, inspiring young people, and that keeps me motivated to do what I’m doing.  Regarding issue-based stories, we look at what’s going on, what sort of aspirations our readers have, the issues that affect them and just things that are interesting in general.  Or I might hear someone say something, and may like a phrase they use and I get inspiration from that.  People have varied interests, and sometimes they just like to go to a site and be able to pull from a wide range of topics.  It’s sort of having a mashup of things you like.  So we try to mash it up.  We really don’t have any rules or a set formula.  It’s all spontaneous for the most part too.  So we might plan an issue in advance, and switch it around at the last minute.  I love the organised chaos.
JMF: Advertising is obviously one route to help keep this thing going.  Do you think corporate T&T understands the potential of citizen media and online social media in general?
KMI:  I think that some companies are slowly understanding the role it plays.  Due to the fact that traditional media is still very strong in T&T, some may feel that it isn’t all that important.  However, I think the power has certainly shifted to the people.  If we don’t like a brand, we can create a community page or blast them on a blog or Facebook.  People are certainly becoming more vocal online.  You can see that they’re serious about social media as a communications channel.  Some merely advertise or they create a page and use it purely as a news release system.  Companies still have a fear of being chastised online or receiving negative feedback.  But in the digital world, people trust you more when you can “take talk” too. I think they understand that social media is here to stay; it isn’t a fad.  Whether they understand the true potential?  I don’t think so.
The worst thing is to underestimate what people can accomplish through social media.  In 2009, Outlish wasn’t something people may have anticipated.  I was able to mobilise it in mere months.  As users become more savvy, it’s going to totally open up how we communicate and the various media we pull information from.  We’re already seeing it.  What I would tell companies is that social media is not just about numbers.  You’ve got to look at influencers, and the type of people who are engaging with brands or sites.  Outlish is fortunate in that it has the support of online influencers.  Maybe that’s because I come from the first batch of Caribbean bloggers, and so I have genuine relationships with people.  It’s not just about putting an ad on a daily newspaper’s website now.  You’ve got to find the spaces where people congregate and hang out online to have discussions and offer their views.  That’s where you’ve got to go to engage people.
Aarti Gosine, Publisher of Primary School Books.  Photo by Mark Lyndersay, used with permission.
JMF:  How have you been using more established social media platforms to raise awareness of the existence of Outlish?
KMI:  Social media has played a key role in developing the Outlish community.  I haven’t done any sort of promotion in traditional media. Facebook, Twitter, our coming soon page, which was very much linked into our social networking, and word of mouth played a key role.  Through social media, I also was able to meet new people and discover new things.  I did very little Facebook advertising.  Spent maybe TT$120 on that to promote the website early on.  When we actively launched the site, we didn’t do any advertising.  It was purely based on sending info out through news feeds and depending on the anticipation people had. I t paid off.  So far, word of mouse (clickety click) has been the real driver of traffic to the site.  Obviously, traffic is a huge consideration, but I’m also very much interested in a loyal readership and ensuring that the magazine really excites people about their own lives.  I don’t set out to promote the brand per se, but more specifically I set out to form relationships, and to help promote all the talented peeps we don’t hear about.  For example, I hardly use Twitter to promote Outlish.  I’m on there every day, chatting with people, supporting other people’s projects and just having a blast.  Call it the outgoing part of Outlish in me, but we use social media to engage people and to discover what’s out there, so we can share what we’ve found with our readers.


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Trinidad & Tobago: R.I.P. “Bookmann” · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Artzpub acknowledges the passing of artist, bookbinder and blogger Richard Bolai, who “had written on and photographed…aspects of Trinidad and Tobago's art culture.”


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Uzbekistan: Aral Gas · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Michael Hancock writes that the international consortium consisting of state-run Uzbekneftegaz, LUKoil Overseas, Petronas, Korea National Oil Corporation, and China National Petroleum Corporation found gas in the Uzbek part of the Aral Sea!


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Bangladesh: The Toll Of Eve teasing · Global Voices
Rezwan

Pinky wrote this note before taking her own life: “when [my tormentor] pulled my scarf and harassed me physically in front of the house, onlookers at the scene laughed. Nobody protested.” Blank Noise blog highlights the eve teasing menace prevailing in Bangladesh.


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Belarus: Photos from Minsk, Gomel, Bobruisk, etc. · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

A great collection of photos from Belarus – new and old buildings, stencil graffiti, Minsk, Gomel, Bobruisk, etc. – by LJ user darriuss (RUS, BEL).

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Cuba, U.S.V.I.: Oil Spill Effects  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

As Cuba readies itself to face the effects of the BP oil spill, News of St. John wonders whether the Virgin Islands will be next and Pancier's Photo Blog declares: “Enough talk folks. Fix it and clean it up. 58 days is much too long…”


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Guyana: Free to Criticize · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Diaspora blogger Stella Ramsaroop republishes a column she wrote for a Guyanese newspaper in which she says: “If the people of Guyana want to continue down the road of true democracy, then it is time to tell your government to back off the nation’s free press.”


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Hong Kong: Blocked by government free wifi? · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Daai Tou Laam, a blogger who is very critical of the Hong Kong government, complains that his blog has become inaccessible via the SAR government free wifi service.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Indians And Racism · Global Voices
Rezwan

“Are Indians the most racist in the world?” Supidta Chatterjee answers the question.


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Jamaica: On Tivoli · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Active Voice blogs about the man shortage in Tivoli Gardens following the crackdown on the area in the search for ‘Dudus': “The female population is getting antsy because of the sudden disappearance of their menfolk, go-getting women are hitting on JDF soldiers…”; Barbados Underground, meanwhile, says: “The Tivoli Dudus Coke Affair has given cause for deep introspection by its neighbouring islands…”


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Jamaica: Thanks, Dad · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

In honour of Father's Day this Sunday, Irie Diva is “taking a small moment to say thanks dad, good fathers are few and far in between and I am blessed to have you in my life…”


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Japan: A World Cup without Nakamura? · Global Voices
Scilla Alecci

Gaki_tsutomu comments  [ja] on the absence of midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura from the match [en] that saw Japanese team win 1-0 over Cameroon. The blogger wonders if the player will be relegated to the bench also in the next matches and analyzes coach Okada's strategy.

author: Scilla Alecci


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Old Revolutionaries on the Present Upsurge of Worker Action in China · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

China Study Group translated a petition statement jointly signed by a number of old revolutionaries on the recent labour strikes in China. The statement addresses to the CCP, People's Congress, the State Council, compatriots throughout China, and all Media Outlets.


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Pakistan: Global Political Economy · Global Voices
Rezwan

Anas Muhammad at Pakistan Foreign Policy blog discusses about Pakistan's global political economy.


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Russia: Bloggers Discuss the Case of a Cop-Killing Gang  · Global Voices
Maryna Reshetnyak

"This is Primorye!" – a Primorye Partisans poster by LJ user eurotat
Russian bloggers are currently having a heated discussion of the recent detention of a criminal group that carried out a series of attacks on police in Primorsky region [EN] in Russia’s Far East. The attacks took place between May 27 and June 8, leaving one policeman dead, three wounded, as well as one damaged police department and one shot-up car.
The attacks on police could be linked to the so-called ‘Appeal of the Primorye Partisans‘ [RUS], a letter that demanded that the authorities dismiss current heads of the police and prosecution, stop violence by law enforcement officials, and start a fight against corruption in government institutions. If the demands were not fulfilled, the authors were going to start a “guerrilla war” against the police, Radio Liberty [RUS] reported. The letter was published online and was sent to a number of Primorye police stations, prosecutor's offices, courts and local newspapers.
On June 11, as a result of a special police operation involving armed vehicles and thousands of policemen, the group was detained. Four “partisans” were arrested; two, according to official sources, committed suicide. Investigators said the group was led by a 32-year-old man with criminal past. The age of other ‘rebels’ ranged from 18 to 22.
Surprisingly, the Russian public warmly sympathized with the gang’s members. According to the Ekho Moskvy telephone opinion poll, 71 percent of respondents considered the actions of “Primorye Guerrillas” as ‘Robin-Hood-like deeds’ and 76 percent said [RUS] they would have assisted members of the gang had they been asked for help. Online, numerous voices in support of the ‘rebels’ were heard. High level of corruption combined with low level of public trust in the law enforcement were the main reasons for such widespread popular support.
The police, however, saw the Russian society's problems as the main reason for support. Mikhail Konstantinov, a Primorye police officer, explained in a Komsomolskaya Pravda interview [RUS] that popular support for the criminals was an indicator of serious problems faced by the Russian people. User Zarazalenka commented on this:
конечно, убийство это всегда страшно, кого бы ни убили, убийство – это прежде всего лишение жизни чьего нибудь сына, отца, мужа, но то, что люди поддерживают бандитов, это не значит, что общество больное, это значит, что оно устало от беспредела, царящего в рядах милиции и во власти, которые в свою очередь являются по большей части еще большими бандитами, чем все банды Приморья вместе взятые. Милиция – это самая большая и опасная преступная группировка в нашей стране. конечно, есть честные люди, исполняющие свой долг со всей ответственностью и в милиции. просто не каждый силен характером, чтобы пойти против укоренившейся системы поборов, коррупции и прочего беспредела.
To understand better why the local population supports the “guerrilla gang,” LJ user fritzmorgen, a popular Russian blogger, analyzed [RUS] the recent cases where people suffered from the police or authorities. One of the reasons why Primorye people could be angry with the government was the ban on the Japanese car import, which put an end to the welfare of many local families.
During one of the operations, the police beat up heavily one of the classmates of the suspected ‘partisans’. This fact also contributed to the online public opinion. LJ user fritzmorgen wrote [RUS]:
Спрашивается, чего добиваются омоновцы, избивая мирных жителей? Они, может быть, хотят, чтобы в леса к партизанам начали уходить новые и новые люди?… Не надо быть Вангой, чтобы предсказать: в конфликте партизан с сотрудниками милиции симпатии россиян, однозначно, будут на стороне партизан…
Many sources reported that some members had joined the guerrilla group because they had suffered from unlawful actions of the police in the past. Partizany.org [RUS], a website focused on the coverage of the story, published biographies of some of the ‘rebels’. Below are two of them:
Савченко Роман Владимирович, 18 лет. Его старшый брат при невыясненных обстоятельствах был убит ментами. Наказание за это преступление никто не понес… Кроме того накануне убийств Романа обвинили в том, что он ограбил дачу. Как говорят друзья парня, признания в милиции из него выбивали. Как мы видим, менты сами создали для себя карателей.
Владимир Илютиков. …Владимир жил с мамой, в семье был достаток. Но случилась трагедия: как рассказывают знакомые семьи, при невыясненных обстоятельствах его отца убили милиционеры. Наказание за это преступление никто не понес…
Vladimir Ilyutikov. …Vladimir lived with his mother in a well-off family. But a tragic incident happened: as fiends of the family reported, under unclear circumstances his farther was killed by the cops. Nobody was punished for this…
Another aspect of the story, which is being actively discussed by bloggers, is the affiliation of one of the members with the NBP – the National Bolshevik Party [EN]. LJ user eduardmedved described [RUS] Andrey Sukhorada, a party-affiliated ‘rebel’, who was killed during the detainment operation:
Andrey Sukhorada during an NBP protest action, 2004, photo by LJ user eduardmedved
он с сестрой приехал в москву в 2003, делать революцию. Революцию тогда делало нбп. Ему было 16, сестре 12. В бункере нбп объяснили, что революция это листовки, газета и митинги с либералами. Он не поверил. Нашёл скинов, им тоже не поверил…
Через шесть лет он ушёл в партизаны…
The Russian Internet community didn't believe much of the official information about the detention of the gang. LJ user golishev posted a collection of posts [RUS] from one of the Primorye discussion boards. Below is [RUS] the reaction of local forum users to the official media report claiming that two gang members committed a suicide during the police assault:
Больше похоже на убийство!
Девушке Андрея Сухорада в момент, когда начался штурм, позвонил Александр Ковтун и сказал, что Андрея убили. Якобы он вышел с поднятыми руками, и по нему открыли огонь. Девушка, рыдая, сказала, что никто не предлагал членам банды сдаться, хотя у каждого из них есть мобильный и они на связи. !
а почему родителей не привезли на переговоры, чтоб без стрельбы и шума?
как то все безграмотно, с террористами по два дня переговоры ведут, а тут…
In the overwhelming stream of often contradictory information, some bloggers were trying to sort out all the facts and clarify what exactly happened. LJ user eurotat created a timeline of all the “partisan”-related events and put them on a map, discovering many inconsistencies in the official information. He wrote:
A map of crimes committed by the "Primorye partisans" – by LJ user eurotat
Каковы мотивы нападать на милиционеров из других районов, а не из своего (где творящийся милицейский беспредел, казалось бы, непосредственно касался участников отряда)? …Пусть есть мент-злодей, который тебе серьезно насолил, и никакой управы на него нет. Не вытерпел, решил взять отомстить. И что, попрешься за 175 км в другой город и убьешь первого попавшегося милиционера? Это уже не месть и партизанская война … Это маразм.
Впрочем, нас и пытаются убедить в том, что эти ребята отморозки и действовали чисто из ненависти к милиции как таковой. А ненавидят они милиционеров потому, что националисты-экстремисты…
However, they are trying to convince us that these guys were dolts and just acted out of hatred against the police in general. And they hate the police because they are nationalists and extremists…
LJ user eurotat doubts whether the suspects really committed the crimes they were accused of. He concluded:
Итак, как видно, история крайне запутанная. Возможно, разные происшествия с разными мотивами в разных местах с участием разных групп лиц хотят склеить в одну версию… Не исключено, что ребятам стало известно, что им хотят понавесить за какие-нибудь мелочи “всего и вся” плюс убийство Кеннеди, поэтому и подались в бега…
The gang has been arrested. But is this the end of the story or just the beginning of an armed civil unrest against law enforcers? Will Primorye guerrillas have their successors and followers? During the last two days, the Russian media reported new acts of violence against the police in other regions of Russia. Many would believe that this means that the Primorye partisans’ story is not over…
The case of the ‘Primorye partizans’ indicates several things. First of all, that Russian netizens in their majority considered crimes against the police officers as deeds of some kind of civic justice. Second, the lack of the details and the overall excitement expressed by some bloggers, multiplied by the number of comments on this case, shows how easily manipulated Russian blogs are.

author: Maryna Reshetnyak


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South Africa: Tonight, it’s not just a game · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Bafana Bafana take on Uruguay tonight in their second Group A clash in FIFA 2010 World Cup. Bloggers as well as South African citizens are saying that the clash tonight is not just a game. June 16 is a special day for South Africa. It is Youth Day, which commemorates the Soweto Uprising that took place in 1976. It is also Zakumi‘s birthday.
The Soweto uprising grew out of protests by black youths against the apartheid regime, which forced all black schools to use Afrikaans a medium of instruction.
Bafana Bafana captain Aaron Mokoena is quoted by Safa explaining the importance of June 16:
The match will be played on a special day for South Africa – Youth Day – and it will be very good to win on the day. This is a day which all South Africans remember and playing this match on this day means a lot to us as players and some of us would not have been here were it not for the sacrifices of many who came before us.
One Man and His Football says that the significance of the match lies on the fact that it is being played in one of the biggest holidays in South Africa:
What is more significant is the day that this match is being played on. June 16th is Youth Day, one of the biggest public holidays in South Africa. It commemorates the Soweto Uprising on the same day in 1976 when over 20,000 students in the now-famous township protested against the use of Afrikaans (seen as the language of the oppressor) as the medium of instruction in schools. Clashes with police and the ensuing violence during the following few weeks saw approximately 700 hundred people killed. The image of a mortally wounded young boy named Hector Pietersen being carried in the arms of another man. became internationally recognisable as  the world woke up to the horrors of apartheid. The uprising is often heralded as the catalyst for change that set South Africa on the road to democracy. Star player Steven Pienaar has said that Bafana squad feel “the weight of responsibility resting on them”. If Bafana, who are ranked 83rd in the world can beat 16th-ranked Uruguay, there will be massive celebrations nationwide, even with temperatures expected to hit -3C!
Is this match a mere coincidence or a set up to boost national pride?:
It can't be a coincidence that Bafana are playing today. As hosts, they were automatically team A1 in the draw. Perhaps it was set up like this by the organising committee in an attempt to foster national pride? Or maybe I'm just being cynical.
Leonard Thomas says, “Tonight, it's not just a game”:
How fitting then that Soccer City Stadium is a stone's throw away from Soweto, where the famous uprising of 1976 unleashed a black consciousness that would eventually lead to the destruction of the colour-based class system of the country.
How fitting that the foundations of the magnificent football arena will reverberate to a wall of sound tonight when the majority of the 96,000 fans in the stadium raise a vuvuzela call – the prospect is so threatening it has sent many journalists here scurrying for ear plugs – so loud to remind those that perished in the massacre of 1976 their sacrifice was not in vain.
This is really a special day. Nelson Mandela is expected to be at the stadium:
I wonder what will go through Nelson Mandela's mind when he makes a brief appearance at the stadium tonight.
Fans of Bafana Bafana are praying he inspires the team, just like he did 15 years ago when the Springboks stunningly claimed the rugby World Cup on home soil.
Soweto: from blood to flags, notes David Smith:
The streets that once ran with blood are now bedecked with the flags of competing nations. A generation after students joined the Soweto uprising, today’s young people are wearing Bafana Bafana shirts and playing football in the park. Pekwa All Stars are a young team in Soweto’s thriving amateur leagues, where teams enjoy unlikely names such as Pimville Cameroon, Woodpeckers and Emdeni Naughty Boys. Some of their members are so poor they go to school on an empty stomach. None can afford a match ticket for Africa’s first World Cup. But don’t try telling them it is a bad idea.
He goes on to describe how football is becoming the soul of the nation:
South Africa has described the World Cup as its most important national moment since the end of apartheid and the election of Nelson Mandela as its first black president. Soweto was at the heart of the liberation struggle that made possible the country’s return from global pariah status – and ultimately its place this year at the centre of the sporting world.
Football was a political weapon against the apartheid regime. In the 50s, South Africans of all races formed the South African Soccer Federation and mounted a campaign to force the expulsion of the South African FA from Fifa. The pressure for boycotts, with the mantra “No normal sports for an abnormal society,” probably helped turn white public opinion.
34 years after Soweto Uprising, it's make or break for South Africa, writes another blogger:
Can the Bafana Bafana reach for the stars on their home turf? 34 years after the Soweto uprising, Carlos Alberto Parreira and his boys cross swords with Uruguay. World Cup hosts should have a clearer idea of their destinies after what promises to be a hotly contested encounter in the heartland of Pretoria.
Today is Zakumi's birthday. Zakumi (age 16)) is the official mascot for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Happy Birthday Zakumi!:
Did you know that Youth Day is also the official mascot of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, ZAKUMI's 16th birthday?
Nor did I.


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Africa: The world needs Africa · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Graham Knight explains why the world needs Africa.


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Algeria: The Provisional Government of Kabylia – A Threat to National Unity? · Global Voices
Mohamed Benderouiche

On June 1st, the announcement of the creation of a provisional government of Kabylia (GPK) [fr] by the Kabyle singer Ferhat Mehenni in Paris,  has caused a great deal of controversy in Algeria. While some see the GPK as merely a part of the struggle for the autonomy of Kabylia that  began 9 years ago called the Movement for Autonomy of Kabylia (MAK), others believe that the GPK is a threat to the territorial unity of Algeria. Bloggers wonder what are the objectives and implications of this new development for the country.
Blogger Nado writes [fr]:
Ferhat Mehenni veut seulement provoquer un déclic sachant très bien que l’unité du pays est une constante et que le peuple algérien n’en est pas prêt à sacrifier
Agreeing with this sentiment, Mohand argues  in the comment section of a blog post about this issue [fr]:
Les Kabyles, s’ils voulaient avoir leur autonomie, l’auraient obtenue du temps de la colonisation ! C’est une dérision de vouloir aujourd’hui, après qu’ils aient payé un prix fort pour leur liberté et combattu pour revendiquer pour toute l’Aglérie (…) et de les faire cantonner dans les montagnes…
“
In the same forum, Sifax expressed a different point of view [fr]:
Les jeunes kabyles sont très ravis d’avoir enfin une existence politique et sociale à part entière dans l’ordre mondial, portée courageusement et fièrement par le MAK et le GPK
Meanwhile, Makhlouf. B questions the composition of the GPK.
Nous constatons que tous les membres du GPK sont issus des connaissances personnelles de Ferhat Mehenni. Soit d’anciens camarades de parti, des transfuges, soit des militants du MAK (…) Un autre fait criard: tous les membres de l’équipe «gouvernementale» sont issus de l’émigration, aucune place n’ayant été laissée aux militants de ce mouvement activant en Kabylie, en Algérie.
A MAK activist blogging at Kabylie Autonomie,  denounces the treatment of the announcement of the creation of GPK by the Algerian press  [fr]:
El Watan, le  journal des services (tout comme l'ensemble de la presse privée dite “indépendante”) a réservé un traitement des plus misérables à la proclamation du GPK. (…) Ce journal est allé même jusqu'à reprocher la proclamation du GPK à partir de Paris alors que les responsables du même journal s'y ont établis avec leur progénitures. En fait, El Watan n'a même pas rappelé qu'un mandat d'amener est lancé contre le vieil opposant Ferhat Mehenni
However, others hypothesize that this maneuver could be part of a game of smokes and mirrors.  Suspecting the hand of the Algerian government behind the creation of the GPK, a journalist  blogged the following commentary  [fr]:
Il semble que les laboratoires de la police politique préparent un nouveau scénario pour notre chère Kabylie après l’avoir clochardisée et fortement militarisée avec l’aide très précieuse de certains aventuriers politiques de la région

author: Mohamed Benderouiche


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Argentina: Children of the Dictatorship speak out in Interactive French Documentary · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

The Blogtrotters are a collaborative video blog from France who in their 9th project are travelling to Argentina to make Hijos, a collective documentary on the missing children of the dictatorship, trying to trace back their origins to their disappeared parents.
Disappeared detainees CC-BY Ha+
On the project website, an introductory video explains what they intend to do with their online documentary:
During their journey to Argentina they've been updating constantly through their twitter account, facebook page, pictures on flickr and website video posts. As they investigate, capture images and videos or interview people, they are receiving real time comments, suggestions and are generating conversations which in turn determines what course the documentary will take.
As they explain on their site, this interaction with online citizens will extend their initiative and broaden the topic:
Les internautes pourront influencer le processus éditorial. Ils  pourront nous suggérer des personnes à voir, des lieux à visiter, ou  nous posez des questions. A charge pour nous d’hierachiser ces apports  et d’intégrer cette participation sans nuire à la ligne éditoriale  générale.
They also visited  the offices of a scientific NGO which is dedicated to identifying remains that have been found in order to give peace of mind to families who have waited decades to know the whereabouts of their disappeared children and siblings. So far, 100 of the 500 newborns who disappeared while the parents were kidnapped have been reunited with their families.  Here is their video interview, this time held in English:
And in this other heartwrenching interview [fr], they speak with Ana Maria Careaga, who herself was kidnapped when she was only 16, then she was released and left the country in exile. Her mother,  a member of the Mothers  of the Plaza de Mayo group, remained in Argentina and was killed as she was leaving Mass in the Church of Santa Cruz.

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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Bangladesh: First Digital Voting System · Global Voices
Rezwan

GuruMia.com informs that digital voting system is being introduced in Bangladesh for the first time in the Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) polls.


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Bangladesh: Save Dhaka Now · Global Voices
Rezwan

Anwarul Kabir at Mukto Mona blog analyzes Dhaka's unplanned growth which is causing many dire consequences like water-logging, pollution, changes in hydro-geological system, and building collapse.


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Barbados: Trafficking Rating  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Keltruth Corp says: “It seems that the human trafficking situation in Barbados is getting worse, and that the Government of Barbados is doing little to remedy the situation”, while Barbados Free Press adds: “This is the worst abuse because it makes powerless and vulnerable people victims…”


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Bolivia: Public Transportation Prices Go Up · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Mario R. DURAN CHUQUIMIA shares his opinion on the recent increase in the price of public transportation in a podcast in the blog Palabras Libres [es].


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Cambodia: Reactions to the 2010 World Cup Season · Global Voices
Sopheap Chak

Cambodians are also celebrating the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Moto-taxi drivers, students, businesspeople, netizens, and even the Prime Minister are cheering for the Asian teams which are playing in the World Cup.
To attract more customers, bars have set-up big TV screens so that guests can enjoy watching the World Cup games. This is similar to how local business establishments often organize boxing matches to generate profit from sports fans.
“We have five screens and we hope to show every game. For every Tiger beer purchased we give a coupon, and five coupons gets you a commemorative World Cup shirt,” said Walkabout bar owner reported by the Phnom Penh Post.
At the same time, the World Cup also influenced much online coverage among Cambodian football fans. With the 2010 World Cup logo on his facebook profile picture, Sokhom Chheang keeps posting the match results and is happily cheering for winning Asian teams like South Korea and Japan.
Piseth Mao provided a subtitle to the video of the World Cup song for the benefit of his readers and other football fans. He also uploaded a picture of himself holding the World Cup ball. He has been following all match sessions regardless of his busy schedule and in one of his facebook status updates, he wrote:
“After the second Match:Argentina vs Nigeria,  tonight, I have to finish my assignment then watch another match: USA VS  England at 1:30am. Hope it won't be too much sleepy in class tomorrow.”
Female facebookers in Cambodia are also big fans of the World Cup. Aside from following up match results, Sophary Noy posted the world cup song, “Waving Flag”, in both English and Spanish versions and also the song by Akon and Keri titled “Oh Africa.” Similarly, Ramana Sorn, another female facebooker, became a fan of the Mexico team.
At the International University of Japan, Cambodian students also joined the celebration with Japanese friends who organized a gathering where students wore blue shirt dress representing the Japan national team to cheer together for the match between Japan vs Cameroon.
Acknowledging this frenzy event that previously attracted much betting activities, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen earlier warned people against betting on the World Cup. The Prime Minister said that he did not want to see “other countries win the football, but Cambodian people lose money.” Those who violate this order would face legal consequences. A few days ago, nine people were arrested for illegal gambling on the World Cup.
This order is similar to what Hun Sen issued during the 2009 crackdown on all football bookmakers whose gambling activities caused family disputes, domestic violence and robbery incidences. This was recalled by the Son of Khmer Empire who wrote that the Prime Minister also warned people during the 2006 World Cup that betting would make people lose their properties including cows, land and homes. The Son of Khmer Empire is impressed by the Prime Minister's order but also suggested that the government should also oversee the mushrooming of casinos around the country.
This anti-gambling ban has also alerted Cambodia's neighboring country, Thailand, where gambling is illegal. Thai Police are on high alert by setting up special 24-centers to crack down on betting ahead of the World Cup 2010. During this world cup season, crackdown on illegal football gambling reportedly has netted police over Bt500,000 and resulted in over 200 arrests.

author: Sopheap Chak


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Cape Verde: “Blog Joint” on Prostitution · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

In a Blog Joint Project, netcitizens from Cape Verde are reflecting about prostitution in the country: Emilio gives law background and quotes statements from public figures; Edy, who defends it should be legalized, points it as one of the main social problems in the country; Wilson agrees with him and talks about male prostitution; Rony harshly criticizes the stigma. [all links in PT]

author: Sara Moreira


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Chile: Curicó Celebrates Triumph Against Honduras · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Vivimos la Noticia [es], a local blog from Curicó, Chile, posted photos of Chilean fans celebrating their team's debut in the 2010 FIFA World Cup against Honduras, winning 1-0.


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Critical Election Year Across French Speaking Africa · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

2010 is a busy election year for many francophone African nations.  As highlighted by the Mo Ibrahim foundation decision not to  award the 2010 Ibrahim prize for African Leadership, the political progress  in the region has been disappointing for the past two years. Here is a review of how bloggers have reacted to the elections proceedings so far.
Burundi
Burundi has had contested communal elections on May 24 and is getting prepared for presidential elections on June 28. Jina Moore is in the region  and reflects on the elections  in her post ” Whither Democracy in Burundi?“:
Everyone was excited about Burundi's elections. Though there was some violence and intimidation leading up to the first poll in May, it wasn't as bad as it could have been, or even as some of the bigger pessimists thought. And on May 24, when Burundians cast votes in local polls, I am told by multiple people (and in similar language) that there were “some irregularities” but there didn't seem to be “massive fraud.”
That's not what the opposition says. One opposition leader told me the government had cheated the opposition out of poll observers. Another opposition guy told IPS that ballot boxes were switched during a sudden power outage at the end of polling day. [..] Now, the opposition is doing a kind of reverse campaigning — going to the countryside and urging people to boycott what they say will be a sham election. Or at least, that's what they're trying to do. But they keep getting intercepted by government forces.
Côte d'Ivoire
Voters lists in Cote d'Ivoire via UNDP on Flickr-Creative Commons License
There is a recrudescence of tension in Côte d'Ivoire as the country is preparing for presidential elections in December 2010, an election that has already been delayed several times.  Roger Bongos laments the fact that politicians cannot seem to find a common ground [fr]:
Les armes se sont, certes, tues mais le risque est grand que les discours vénéneux que débitent les uns et les autres ravivent des tensions aux quatre coins du pays [..]  Les protagonistes de la scène ont fait le choix de compromettre à nouveau la tenue de l’élection et la sortie définitive de crise avec cette guerre des listes qui commence à gagner toutes les villes, depuis qu’à la mi-janvier le camp présidentiel, Laurent Gbagbo en tête, a accusé la Commission électorale indépendante (CEI), de tentatives de fraude  [..] mais pourquoi tant de retard pour organiser ce scrutin qui aurait dû se tenir depuis bien des années ? Si par miracle cette élection a lieu, elle serait la plus coûteuse de l’histoire
Guinea
Hope is the dominating theme of the historical elections in Guinea where for the first time in their history, Guineans will have democratic elections. Another historical first will be the candidature of Saran Daraba Kaba after years of fighting for women advocacy. The bloggers at Guinee50 are collecting questions that their readers would like to ask the candidate [fr].
Hadja Saran Daraba Guinean 2010 presidential candidate
Bah at Konakry Express explains that measures were taken to make sure that voting ballots are legitimate. He reports what a member of the electoral commission has said [fr]:
Cette fois-ci, aucun militant ne dira qu’il est venu trouver que le bulletin de son candidat est terminé. Nous avons connu ça par le passé. Si on choisi un bulletin de vote, c’est qu’on a choisi le bulletin de tous les candidats. Je crois que c’est une des innovations de ces élections
Madagascar
Like in Côte d'Ivoire, elections have been announced several times in Madagascar to only be delayed until the new projected date of October 2010. The delay was caused by many disagreements on who would be allowed to run  and who would oversee the proceedings. Ndimby argues that  elections will only be legitimate if some basic democratic values are respected beforehand [fr]:
Car comment la HAT peut-elle prétendre rechercher l’apaisement et la sortie de crise, alors que de l’autre côté, intimidations, emprisonnements et tabassage en règle d’opposants et de journalistes continuent. Et il est risible de voir les arguties juridiques sorties par les griots à la solde du régime pour aboyer sur les opposants qui font des rassemblement interdits, ou les militaires qui font des mutineries.
Rwanda
Elections are scheduled for August 9, 2010 in Rwanda. An update on voters registration begins this week. Concerns and tensions have been mounting for a while in anticipation of the elections as several grenade attacks were reported in the past few months.  Associazione Umoja posts a report in which Rwandan opposition asks the US to help defuse tension:
Rights groups say the government and the ruling Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) have become increasingly intolerant of dissent and criticism in the run-up to the vote, which President Paul Kagame is widely expected to win.
Senegal
In Senegal, although the next elections are scheduled in 2012, the opposition has been increasingly vocal in their allegations of corruption under the Wade regime. Souleymane Jules Diop reflects on the legitimacy of future elections in Senegal [fr]:
Le caractère délinquant du pouvoir d’Abdoulaye Wade, son entêtement et son aveuglement sont tels qu’il m’est impossible de voir cet homme organiser des élections transparentes à l’issue desquelles il accepterait sa défaite et partirait de lui-même. [..] Les scandales se répètent, les preuves d’un dérèglement du Sopi s’accumulent. Mais Abdoulaye Wade n’a jamais varié dans son intention de couvrir les crimes de ses proches [..] la protection du clan est au-dessus de toutes les morales.
The delinquent nature of the Abdoulaye Wade regime and his stubbornness are such that it is impossible for me to see this man organize transparent elections that may lead to his defeat and departure [..] Scandals keep coming and the evidence of dysfunction at Sopi are accumulating. But Abdoulaye Wade never strayed from his willingness to cover for his acquaintances’ crimes [..]  the protection of the clan is above all moral requirements.


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Cuba: Breathing the World Cup · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“In Cuba, with a lack of good sporting events, we eagerly await the Cup”: Iván's File Cabinet blogs about his World Cup picks.


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India: Surat Science Centre · Global Voices
Rezwan

Rajesh Jain visited the Surat Science Center and opines that every Indian city should have one such science center.


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Jamaica, Barbados, U.S.A.: Unstoppable Spill? · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Jamaican diaspora blogger Labrish doubts that President Obama “is getting good advice when so much information is out there about grave concerns from scientists about whether this oil leak can be stopped”, while from Barbados, B.C. Pires observes: “If the calamity had occurred at the other end of the Caribbean Basin…nobody would be taking it as seriously as everyone is now.”


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Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago: The Hunt for ‘Dudus’ · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Trinidadian blogger This Beach Called Life comments on the situation in Jamaica as the search for alleged drug trafficker ‘Dudus’ continues: “Once there is a market for drugs and arms there will always be those who are willing to fill that need. A plaster on the sore always feels good and looks better because it hides the rot underneath.”


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Lithuania-Russia: Swastikas on Baltic products · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Alan Hendrixson of With a Grain of Druska draws attention to Lithuanian dairy products being labelled with swastikas in Russia, according to his translation of a Delfi.lt article.

author: Vilhelm Konnander