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Featured Editor: Onnik Krikorian · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Onnik Krikorian is a British blogger, journalist, and photographer of Armenian decent who has been living in Yerevan, one of the world's oldest continuously-inhabited cities, for the past 11 years. He is the Caucasus Editor for Global Voices where he amplifies the latest discussions taking place among bloggers in Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia. Most recently he has focused his efforts on covering the case against two Azeri bloggers who were sentenced to two and two and a half years in jail.
In addition to his own blog, he also writes at Frontline Club and tracks his photojournalism on Lightstalkers and on his website.
Transcript:
My name is Onnik Krikorian. I'm the Caucasus Editor for Global Voices Online. I actually can't remember how long I've been working for Global Voices which maybe is a good sign … I think maybe two years. But I've been aware of it since it started pretty much. I went to the London conference but I don't think I was officially working for Global Voices then. I am based in Armenia, though I am from England, and I cover Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia.
Usually it is whatever is happening Unfortunately, with the region, it tends to be political and especially around elections or arrests or violence after elections. Stuff like that. I mean, I have tried to do more cultural things but generally, because of the environment in the region, most of the active, well-known bloggers tend to write about politics.
David: Most recently I see that you've been writing a lot about two Azeri bloggers who I think were just sentenced to prison today. Can you describe a little about that?
Onnik: Yeah, actually, it's one of the delights, strangely enough, has been to encounter the use of new media by youth activists in Azerbaijan. Totally unprecedented for the region and also exemplary for other countries such as Armenia and Georgia. Of course, their use was so effective that they showed up on the government radar screen in Azerbaijan. And, as a result, they ended up being detained after they were attacked. When they went to make a complaint at the police station the government/police/whoever turned it around and used the charge of hooliganism against them even though they were the victims. And it was pretty much a clear signal to youth activists in Azerbaijan: be silent. And, yes, they were sentenced today to two and two and a half years respectively.
David: What got you so involved in that case?
Onnik: I guess as someone who has lived in the region for 11 years, and as someone who works for Global Voices Online, who is monitoring the use of new media, who uses new media himself and who believes in it as a potential medium for change …  after being disappointed in Armenia where the blogs became very politicized, I suddenly saw a really impressive, mature, intelligent use of new media in Azerbaijan. So I was following their activities anyway, and then when they were attacked, and when they were detained, it was just like, this needs to be covered. And, of course, it would need to be covered anyway. But the point is that I was always aware of them anyway.
As for me, it was an example to the whole region of how new media could be used by civil society to try to promote change in authoritarian countries of which actually all of the states in the South Caucasus are.
David: What do you see as some similarities and differences in the region that you cover on Global Voices and other regions that are covered on Global Voices?
Onnik: I guess I might get kinda jealous of the other regions. Mainly because usually the internet penetration is higher. The use of blogs is higher. The number of blogs is higher. Even, if you consider that most of the countries of the South Caucasus have very tiny populations – like Armenia is not more than three million Georgia is about five, Azerbaijan is seven. So, already you have a small population in the region. And internet penetration is very low as well so it means that there are less blogs. Also, I would like to see some more mature use. I did say that I did see that happening in the region, but the blogosphere is not as developed as in other regions.
The other difference is because of the nature of the South Caucasus the key events – and it's not just blogs, it's also the media unfortunately – the main areas of interest in the South Caucasus usually relate to falsified elections, war, and that's it really.
David: Give us a story that you've covered in the South Caucasus that doesn't have to do with politics.
Onnik: OK, one of my favorite Global Voices posts in fact was, actually again, from Azerbaijan and it was about Novruz which is the Zoroastrian new year The Iranians celebrate it, in Turkey they celebrate it and in Azerbaijan. And there are actually some cultural blogs which have been very refreshing for me to see based in Azerbaijan. And one of the blogs, “Sheki, Azerbaijan” is a wonderful wonderful blog which really sums up the culture, customs, and traditions of Azerbaijan. And there were many others as well dealing with Novruz, and that was one of my favorite favorite posts. It was nice. It wasn't violence, it wasn't elections it wasn't war, it was just a really nice post that summed up the richness of the culture of the South Caucasus.
David: We've talked a little bit about the use of social media to bring people who are from different communities or different countries together. Do you have some examples or thoughts about that?
Onnik: Actually, Global Voices has been a good example of that because, for example, I am based in Armenia, I am half Armenian. And Armenia and Azerbaijan are at war with each other over a disputed territory situated within Azerbaijan. Communication links are closed, borders are closed, it's impossible even for me as a British citizen to visit Azerbaijan because of my surname, which is an Armenian surname.
However, writing about some of these blog entries on Global Voices has actually got me emails from people in Azerbaijan thanking me. And that was actually kind of unprecedented and was such a pleasant surprise. Even most recently because of the coverage of the Adnan Hajizade and Emin Milli case I even received an email – again, a reader message from my Global Voices page – from a 24-year-old Azeri refugee from Armenia who was forced to leave Armenia at the age of four when the war started.
Again, just thanking me. And now we're in communication. Now we're Facebook friends. Those sorts of things have happened because of new media and because of Global Voices. I mean, nothing can replace that. That has been one of the best highlights of this year.

author: David Sasaki


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India: Equality · Global Voices
Rezwan

“About 15 percent population consisting of political leaders and government servants have, through their corrupt practices, amassed 85 percent of the total wealth of India, leaving only 15 percent of it to the balanced 85 percent population of the country,” comments Ram Bansal at India in Peril.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Rezwan


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Japan: U.S. President Obama on Asian Policies · Global Voices
Tomomi Sasaki

Teddy Jimbo has posted both English and Japanese videos of U.S. President Obama's speech on Asian policies, given in Tokyo today.

author: Tomomi Sasaki


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Jordan: Letter to MBC · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Jordanian Ola Eliwat, from Cinnamon Zone, pens an open letter to MBC television group. In it, she writes:

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Myanmar: Detained for complaining · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

A man was imprisoned in Myanmar for complaining too much about electricity problems

author: Mong Palatino


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Palestine: Twitter inspiried street  · Global Voices
Katharine Ganly

Eman at AquaCool comments on the first Twitter-inspired street name, in a West Bank Palestinian refugee camp.

author: Katharine Ganly


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Singapore: Diminishing power of mainstream media · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

flaneurose notes that cable TV and the internet are now viable alternatives to mainstream media. The blogger ponders the impact of the diminishing power of mainstream media in Singapore.


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Singapore: Documentary on Myanmar Human Rights · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Yawning Bread from Singapore narrates how their group was able to present an award-winning documentary on Myanmar's human rights situation.


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Singapore: Housing prices · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Urbanrant warns against new policies and trends which contradict the promotion of “affordable housing” in Singapore.


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Singapore: Monitoring New Media · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

It has been reported in Singapore that “government ministries and agencies have been seeking social media intelligence services for monitoring online sentiments related to their scope of work.”


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Bangladesh: Return Of Nepotism · Global Voices
Rezwan

Shada Kalo tells the sad tale of nepotism and indulgence of corruption in Bangladesh. Recently the son of a ruling party presidium member who was jailed for 18 years on charges of corruption was pardoned by the president.


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Bhutan: Independence Day · Global Voices
Rezwan

“Is Bhutan a free country or an Indian protectorate as claimed by an edition of the oxford dictionary?” -asks Freedom in Bhutan while discussing why Bhutan does not celebrate its Independence Day.


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Blogger Profiles: Caribé, an incurable idealist and cyberactivist in Brazil · Global Voices
Diego Casaes

Global Voices Online is very active when it comes to covering the way freedom of speech is being threatened in Brazil. Of these threats, the Digital Crimes Bill, known as the Azeredo Bill, and the discussions over the Electoral Reform Law are considered by the blogosphere as ways of trying to restrict the rights of ordinary citizens on the web. In this post, we meet one of the most influential cyberactivist bloggers in Brazil, the man responsible for the most successful campaign to fight censorship on the Brazilian web, the Mega Não movement [pt].
João Carlos Caribé, popularly known just by his last name, is a born activist [pt]. In his own words: “Activism is part of my DNA—I'm an incurable idealist. The deeper we dig, the more we learn and the angrier we become; sometimes ignorance is bliss.”
Caribé, with the colors of the national flag in the background. The logo represents the Mega Não movement, and was designed by Mario Amaya.
Caribé dreamed of being a superhero and protecting the weak and oppressed since he was a boy, and this childhood ideal has matured over time. He has found various outlets for it, whether in the fight for freedom of speech on the internet, through voluntary teaching, or in his relentless criticism of social media; he says it is impossible to stay still when there are so many distractions. And he is irreverent, as we can see from his Twitter profile:
Procura no Google! Eu falo palavrão, sacanagem e xingo politicos, siga por conta e risco.
Who is Caribé?
My inner scientist leads me to deconstruct established social, economic and cultural frameworks and simulate their obsolescence in order to answer the question “what comes next?” Right now I work in advertising, but in the past I've been a DJ and worked in engineering, systems analysis and O&M. I've always enjoyed a challenge. I'm an incurable idealist!
How long have you been blogging, and how many blogs do you take part in?
Despite working with the internet since 1996, I only created a blog at the end of 2002. It was called Ex-Gordo [pt]. In 2005 I started my personal blog, Entropia! [pt]. By the beginning of 2006, I had created the group blog Propaganda & Marketing [pt] and at the end of the same year I created another group blog when I first heard about the Digital AI5 and the Azeredo Bill; the blog was called Xô Censura [pt]. We might consider this blog the beginning of my involvement with Brazilian cyberactivism. In 2007 I created the group blog Perspectiva [pt], which is a network for providing and publicizing projects to create opportunities for children and teenagers, and soon after that, in 2008, I created the Blog Cidadão [pt] and the Ciberactivism Network [pt] on Ning. At the beginning of 2009 I was invited by Sérgio Amadeu (who also supports the Mega Não campaign) to be part of the group blog Trezentos (300) [pt], after which I created Mega Não [pt], which aims at being a meta-manifesto, and has far exceeded my expectations.
Between 1996 and 2002 I was involved with other internet projects. In 1996 I started a personal website where I published many posts about management and technology. In the following year I started Flash Brasil [pt], a community that worked with Macromedia Flash. Unawares, I was creating a business model that would lead us to become one of the top 5 resellers of the product, capturing the attention of the Macromedia Marketing vice-president, who began citing Flash Brasil as a successful case study. This got me an invitation to give a speech to an audience of over one hundred network leaders from all over the world in NYC in 2001. Apart from that, 2001 was a kind of baptism of fire, because towards the end of the year internet usage expanded and seriously affected my business. Nevertheless, Flash Brasil still gets a considerable number of visits, with more than 500,000 hits per month.
How did you become a cyberactivist? And what form does this take? (question by Conceição Oliveira on Twitter)
It was more of a natural evolution than a complete transformation. Activism is in my DNA. I'm an incurable idealist. The deeper we dig, the more we learn and the angrier we become; sometimes ignorance is bliss. I felt that I was really making a difference when I devoted myself to volunteering. Currently I don't have enough time to carry on volunteering, but I miss it, since it’s so rewarding; it’s great therapy, and a foil for depression.
In 2006 I heard of the Digital AI5 through Omar Kaminski —a Brazilian lawyer renowned for matters relating to new technology and the law—in the cyberculture community in Orkut. The bill was proceeding through the Senate and was going to be voted in on November 8th, 2006. I jumped in and we did what we called a protest-o-matic, which was a kind of form that anyone could fill in to send a message to all the senators. More than 3000 emails were sent in less than 24 hours, the bill was not passed and the senators decided to hand it over to other committees.
Since then, I literally taught myself about politics, and through studying I started to recognize clear political strategies. I now saw a world that I had never come into contact with before, one that I could never even have imagined. In the process, I met other cyberactivists and I noticed that the internet is a world of new horizons, where I could live out all those fantastic theories like collective intelligence, crowdsourcing, the cluetrain manifesto, and many others.
I have almost never participated in activism outside the world wide web. I believe that cyberactivism— what many critics call “armchair activism”—is much more powerful, rapid and efficient. It just needs to be consolidated with face-to-face activism so that the “analog critics” are able to understand it. Besides a spot of anarchist activism in my college days, the only public demonstrations I have taken part in were the Mega Não in Rio de Janeiro and (via Skype) in Rio Grande do Sul.
Caribé gives a speech about the Mega Não and censorship on the internet during a public demonstration in Rio de Janeiro. Henrique Antoun is on his left. On his right are Federal Deputy Jorge Bittar and Deputy Alessandro Molon.
Please talk about the Mega Não. How did the idea behind the movement come about?
The Mega Não symbol by Mario Amaya.
Mega Não was a case in which I targeted the rabbit, but ended up hitting the elephant. Digital AI5 was being processed rapidly and gaining momentum within the Chamber of Deputies. We felt the urge to do something broader, something ‘mega’, and I came up with the idea of creating the Mega Não. The initial proposal was to create a sequence of online and offline events that would direct people and audience to the Mega Não movement. I discussed the idea with Daniel Pádua, who contributed lots of interesting ideas, and it really took off. Nevertheless, it took a great deal of dedication to bring the project to fruition. After we came up with the idea of the public demonstration in São Paulo, I decided we would make this our grand finale. Time was not on our side, so the blog was made in a hurry and isn’t as we originally envisaged it. Throughout this process, we were greatly helped by Antonio Arles and Myris Silva.
The name “Mega Não” was perfect, and rapidly became synonymous with cyberactivism against the Digital AI5. The idea of transforming it into a meta-manifesto was crucial for making it a source of information about activism. It was made in a hurry by those involved, but it turned out to be rather good. It spread rapidly via social media, and the blog now receives a decent number of visits, and it is cited on other blogs.
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Developed by several Brazilian activists alongside João Carlos Caribé, the movement has already reached the ears of the EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation), with a blog post on the Brazilian President Lula's recent statement about the Azeredo Bill and its impact on Brazilian politics.
You’re heavily involved in Brazilian cyberactivism. What motivates you to fight for freedom on the internet? (Question by Antonio Arles on Twitter)
"Caribbean Pirate". Photo by @_thebest_
One reason is my incurable idealism. I suppose the other is my passion for this cause. I was born and raised under the aegis of censorship, but nowadays we have a bit more freedom. The internet allows the voice of the ordinary citizen to be heard. Anyone can produce anything on the Internet, because it has put an end to the economy of scarcity, it has democratized knowledge, it allows people to relate to one another through ideology or other affinities, and it gets rid of the middleman.
As it says in the Free Culture Manifesto, the internet is a window of opportunity for society to bring about a great revolution at all levels. We are paving the way for “social capitalism”, a system based on both wealth and sharing, and that scares the establishment.
There is a covert war against this social movement, provoked by the big oligopolies, corrupt and repressive governments, banks, cultural industries, deceptive mainstream media, and others who are interested in keeping the status quo. My struggle, my passionate motivation is to maintain the benefits that the internet has already provided, and to extend them.
What do you think of the Brazilian blogosphere?
Caribé's Twitter bio: "Just google me! I swear, use dirty words and curse politicians. Follow me at your own risk."
“Brazilian blogosphere” is a complex term. For most of the media outlets and publicity agencies, the national blogosphere boils down to a dozen well-visited blogs. For me, it is a complex network of prosumers and their views, and a very diverse one at that.
In our cyberactivism against the Digital AI5 we had a hard time trying to find out what motivated other bloggers to join the cause. We believed that few of them would stick with it. One of our ideas was a collective blogging exercise, with many participants blogging on the same subject, and I was surprised to see that it had resulted in more than 180 blog posts on wildly differing types of blog. Even the most narcissistic bloggers have stuck with the cause. That actually changed my way of seeing blogs, and I became more respectful and understanding towards the reasons that people blog, even the “cry-baby” types.
What changes can really be brought about by promoting cyberactivism?
Lots of changes are already taking place; many are openly obvious, while others are more subtle. For instance, we could mention the increasing politicization of web-savvy people, as I remarked in this blog post [pt] in Trezentos:
[..] Estamos pensando e agindo coletivamente, estamos nos “alfabetizando politicamente”, estamos reconhecendo nossos direitos, aprendendo a valorizar o próximo e, estamos aprendendo, como diz Dalai Lama que: uma enorme jornada começa com um pequeno passo. Podemos não perceber isto agora, mas nunca mais seremos os mesmos, estamos reconstruindo a história da democracia no Brasil, somos os agentes de mudança, dificilmente seremos enganados novamente, somos os revolucionários digitais, estamos fazendo a revolução mediada por computador, a revolução da era da participação […]
In addition to this “political literacy”, we can see real change. Our cyberactivism against the Digital AI5 convinced thousands of skeptics that the Azeredo Bill was a wolf in sheep's clothing and would not solve the cybercrimes issue, but would turn the internet into an inhospitable environment. Barely a single Brazilian media outlet covered the demonstrations against the Digital AI5, which is clear proof that the facts are being manipulated. They cover cybercrime stories almost every day, in addition to their soap operas, while contain propaganda in favor of the Digital AI5.
Even without mainstream media coverage, we reached around 15 million Brazilians and hundreds of thousands of foreigners. With our cyberactivism we provided a platform for politicians who were sympathetic to the cause to defend our interests in Parliament. Our online petition [pt] with more than 150,000 signatures has become a symbol of cyberactivism against the Digital AI5. I believe that our movement accelerated the adoption of social media by our politicians, and we are now seeing a version of the “Emperor's New Clothes” in our Senate. The ignorance of parliamentarians towards the internet and its usage makes them look ridiculous, stark naked in front of connected society.
I’d say that we did more than simply change the content of the bill and its course through the committees. We helped to expose the “nudity” of Parliament. This will eventually help us get rid of political dinosaurs, to be replaced by far more audacious and committed politicians who are committed to society and a better future for our nation. The political dinosaurs have already realized their weaknesses, and that’s why they are insisting on mild censorship for the 2010 elections. But they won’t succeed. The window of opportunity is already open, and it’s can’t be slammed shut once again.
How do you picture the Brazilian internet in 10 years?
João Carlos Caribé at the Campus Party 2008 in São Paulo. Photo by Alexandre Fugita.
This is a good exercise for the imagination. It’s impossible to predict only one scenario, though; we need several. I'll stick to two: one in which freedom of speech prevails, and the other in which vigilantism takes root.
In general terms, I believe that in 10 years we won't have the same internet as we do today. There will be free access to the world wide web through any technological device, and interconnected networks will increase the density and scope of the internet. We will live inside it. Our cars, refrigerators, cookers, toilets, shoes, lamps, electronic devices; everything will be connected. We will carry data in our bodies that will be available to any surface provided with a virtual interface. A chopping board, for instance, will be able to be used as a computer, as will our car windshields.
As everything will be integrated, we’ll know what type of maintenance our cars need before a problem occurs, or be able to check the refrigerator from anywhere we are to see whether there’s enough cheese and wine to invite our friends to dinner. If there’s not enough food, the refrigerator computer will make a list and send it to the supermarket with the best value. We will only need to authorize the purchase.
Secure open source mechanisms will ensure that these transactions between devices and humans will be safe and inviolable. Those who have bet on the semantic web, the “uniqueness” of the internet, will be disappointed. The semantic web, where scripts would connect and produce content from existing content that has proved too mechanized, will exist, but it won't exclude other creative processes. Creativity and the importance of the human touch on the internet will continue. People will still want to talk to each other—remember the old Cluetrain Manifesto.
If vigilantism prevails, however, it will be on the peripheries of the internet. And since the internet is so wide-reaching, this censorship will be recognized as harmful and will be destroyed with the help of those who instigate the backlash. There will be a harmless struggle between connected society and vigilantism, and the former is bound to come out on top. I think it unlikely that vigilantism will prevail; in countries where people are not reacting to the censorship of the Internet they will eventually react even more explosively. Total control of the internet is impossible in China; the rest of the world will be no different.
In this way, connected society will exercise greater discernment when electing its representatives, dismantle the frameworks that benefit from censorship, and wake up from this nightmare, in which companies, coup-mongering media outlets, corrupt politicians and others who backed this status quo tried to keep society alienated and under their control. The establishment will gradually be superseded by a utopia, and we will have succeeded in creating a better world.
What would you say to convince someone who does not believe in the “power” of blogging?
I think it’s more appropriate to talk about the power of a connected society. Some people still believe that computers are alienating, that they affect people's relationships and “damage little children”. People are free to believe anything they want. Many believe in the “good intentions” of the Digital AI5, in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and in neoliberalism. To deal with those beliefs means not only showing that there are other options, but also picking apart the arguments of the person you want to convince. The more conservative the person is, the harder this will be.
For instance, Senator Eduardo Azeredo still says that the criticism of the Digital AI5 is foolish, and the result of misinterpretation. He even seems to believe in a vertical intelligence system, and it’s obvious that he doesn’t have a clue about collective intelligence, or other distributed or horizontal intellectual systems. How would I go about convincing someone like this of the power of connected society? Actually, I think that we’ve already convinced him, but he hasn’t realized it yet, and maybe he never will. Maybe the 2010 elections will change his mind?
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As an influential figure in Brazilian cyberactivism, Caribé is an inspiration for many new bloggers in Brazil. Many bills, laws and judicial decisions that try to censor the internet are proliferating in this country, and people like him are more than welcome. They are necessary to defend the spirit of democracy on the internet as a basic right, not a fallacy sponsored by controversial politicians and deceptive media outlets.

author: Diego Casaes


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China’s Perspective on Xinjiang · Global Voices
Don Weinland

TrueXinjiang.com is a Web site that appeals instantly to the western eye.  The site, designed specifically to disseminate a Han-Chinese version of life in the remote autonomous region of Xinjiang, China, is free of many of the displeasing characteristics, such as clutter and endless pop-up ads, found on Chinese Web sites.  This English-only site, a subsidiary of Global Times, which is in turn a subsidiary of the Communist Party-sponsored People’s daily, lacks even a Chinese Language version, leading Western viewers to the conclusion that the site is exclusively maintained for them.
TrueXinjiang.com, launched Jul. 13, 2009, less than a week after unrest left 197 dead in the region’s capital Urumqi, features articles about the recent unrest and ensuing judicial aftermath, as well as opinion pieces by unnamed Han residents, glorifying their homeland.
Creators of the Web site describe it in the “about us” feature on the True Xinjiang homepage:
The site is the largest portal on Xinjiang in English language and aims to present everyone a true picture of this autonomous region in Northwest China.  Through this portal, aspects of Xinjiang rarely known to the outside world have a chance to highlight their charms. It covers culture, religion, travel and latest developments in Xinjiang with voices from both authorities and individuals.
Information on the “July 5 incident”, in which Xinjiang’s most populace minority, the Uighur, killed 197 Urumqi residents, is in abundance.  A column dedicated to news on the unrest sits at the top of the homepage.  There’s no lack of information on Rebiya Kadeer either.  Kadeer, chairwoman of both the World Uighur Congress and the Uighur American Association, is accused by the Chinese government of orchestrating the violence on Jul. 5 via her home in the Washington, D.C. area.  Kadeer denies the charges.
Keeping in line with all other Chinese media, debate as to the nature of Kadeer’s intentions is non-existent in articles at True Xinjiang:
[Kadeer] was colluding with leaders of terrorist, secessionist, extremist, and criminal organizations. She was organizing and plotting activities that aim to split China.
In response to Kadeer’s claim that the Uighur’s situation resembled that of African-Americans before 1955, an article titled “Piercing Through Rabiya’s Veil” seeks to paint a picture of harmony among ethnic minorities:
…in no way have the Uygurs experienced these kinds of things, or any similar discrimination. Anyone who does not believe this can just go around China and will see the Hans and the Uygurs rubbing shoulders with each other, especially in Xinjiang.
Many of the articles at truexinjiang.com, all of which give no credit of authorship, give the reader the sense that Xinjiang is not the region of ethnic tension that Western media have made it out to be.  The term ‘Han’ refers to Chinese largest ethnic group.  The Han, who make up 92% of the population, dominate most aspects of Chinese society.  Often compared to the situation in Tibet, ethnic tension in Xinjiang is commonly attributed to the influx of Han into the region since its formal incorporation into the People’s Republic of China in 1955.  Han now compose 40% of the population in Xinjiang, up from less than 10% before 1949.
A shuffling photo display on the True Xinjiang homepage shows China premier Wen Jiabao embracing an elderly Uighur farmer who lost family in an earthquake in 2003.  Another photo demonstrates the leisurely demeanor of weekends in Urumqi: two Uighur women pedal a buggy down a park lane.
One columns featured on the site sheds the formal drape of newsworthy information and gives readers a sense of what life in Xinjiang is really like—for Han Chinese, that is.  Xinjiang: My Hometown provides a few quick opinion pieces about Han residents’ sense of home in the region—again lacking authorship:
I come from Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. But when I told it to my new friends, most of them was very surprising, ‘what? You are from Xinjiang. But you didn't look like a girl who comes from Xinjiang.’ Yes, it is true. Of course, I'm a Han nationality. However, I cannot understand why I must look like a Xinjiang's girl?
Another column, Xinjiang in My Eyes, depicts the region as a safe destination for travel and business in the eyes of foreigners.  In this article titled “Japanese Bar Owner: Bar example of Ethnic Unity”, a Japanese bar owners explains how his kitchen is a kettle of inter-ethnic harmony:
‘Our kitchen is a good example of unity. Our Han chefs are learning from Uygur colleagues how to make Uygur dishes while the Han chef is teaching our Uygur staff how to cook Sichuan food. We call that very beneficial,’ said [the bar owner], who said he was attracted by the mixed culture in Urumqi and he is learning the Uygur language.
One feature not to be taken as blatant propaganda is the addressing some hot issues on the minds of Xinjiang residents.  The Internet blackout, enacted by the government since the unrest in July, has taken heavy tolls on business in the region.  Truexinjiang.com gives voice to the issue, and not necessarily at the behest of the government.  Two businessmen describe the inconveniences of running a business without internet access in an article titled “Missing Link”:
‘To carry on my business, I had no choice but to set up a new office in Dunhuang, which is the closest town to Urumqi in Gansu province and has added to my costs. No Internet means no income for me,’ said Li Nan, who sells dried fruit online. ‘Dunhuang has become a holy place for businessmen like me, although it takes 14 hours to get here from Urumqi by train.’
“‘Xinjiang needs the Internet. The region is already less developed (than other parts of the country) and cutting off the Net only make things worse. Imagine how many businesses could be lost because of the ban,’ said Jurat Hamiti, a 30-year-old businessman. ‘The region's economic development is just as important as stopping terrorists.’
An interview with Jiang Zhaoyong, a current affairs commentator based in Beijing, sheds some light on Han-Uighur ethnic tensions:
Undoubtedly, tensions and grudges exist between the two ethnic groups. Each has its own internal identity, and there is an division between the two ethnic groups… In recent decades, the sense of frustration, deprivation and hatred among Uygur is actually caused by China’s development mode, characterized by an overly rapid modernization process and pace of social change.
Yet for a site that claims to represent the reality of the autonomous region, one would expect some editorializing from the native ethnicities’ perspective.  Unfortunately truexinjiang.com hasn’t given a voice to the Uighur population, or any other of the 13 native ethnic groups who call the province home.  These voices are inseparable from a clear representation of the region.

author: Don Weinland


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Egypt: German Justice for Marwa El Sherbini · Global Voices
Tarek Amr

Finally, justice has been served in the case of Marwa El-Sherbini, the Egyptian woman who was stabbed to death inside a German courthouse by a Russian-German immigrant. After nearly four and a half months, Alex Wiens has been sentenced to life imprisonment, without a possibility for early release.
Bikya Misr, wrote about the case:
After nearly four and a half months, the Marwa el-Sherbini saga has come to a conclusion of sorts after a German court sentenced the man who stabbed the “veiled martyr” 17 times inside the court in July to life in prison without possibility of early release. Egyptians, Arabs and Germans alike have welcomed the verdict and hope Europe and the Middle East can begin to heal the wounds of the killing and move “toward a better future.”
Hicham Maged wrote about how glad he is for the ruling, and that he has real trust in the German justice system:
The judge was aware about various tricks from the killer's defence team and here I quote the words according to this article: “ He killed … not out of fear but out of revenge. He consciously exploited her innocence and defencelessness. ” I agree with this and do not forget that he also tried to kill her husband.
I am glad that the courtroom where betrayal took place has been washed up physically and morally by applying justice. Consequently, my trust in the German justice system was needless to mention because this crime was shocking for all of us not only Germans. For that matter, only today Marwa and her unborn baby can rest in peace after compensating from the killer.
Zeinobia was happy with the verdict, and she also wrote in response to those who believed that it is a political verdict, and that the German court ruled in favour of Marwa in order to please the Egyptians, and Arabs:
Now I want to say something, some racists “and they are not few in the world now”, will say that this is a political verdict ; the court had to take to win the hearts and minds of Muslims around the world and to save the German interests is the Islamic world.
Well with my all respect I said it before and will say it again; do not think of Marwa as a Muslim woman; think of her as a Pregnant woman and a mother who was brutally stabbed 18 times in front of her little boy. He killed two souls, innocent souls because of blind hate and racism. He deserves to be behind bars for the rest of his life for taking the life of innocent souls and take the life of a mother from her child
Aam Mina on the other hand wrote a post, making fun of those who believe in conspiracy theories and were expecting the Germans to rule in favour of the murderer:
He then wrote about many the lessons we are supposed to learn from this incident:
Finally, Hicham Maged wrote:
What happened to Marwa should be a ‘wake-up’ call that make people work for achieving this both by criticising extreme actions taken against people because of their faith or race and understanding our differences and this simply means to quite stereotyping from whoever against whoever.

author: Tarek Amr


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Egypt vs. Algeria: The Twitter Match · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

In much of the world, nothing is more unifying – or in some instances, more polarizing – than a football match.  Fans of Egypt and Algeria, across the Arab world and beyond, proved that this Saturday as their teams went head to head to qualify for the World Cup finals in South Africa.  While tensions ran highest in Cairo, they were also alive and well in the virtual sphere, including on Twitter, where many users reported their screen was filled with football sentiment.  Twitter user mbaa sent a capture of his screen, which was flooded with talk of the match:
A tweet from Egyptian embee demonstrated the fanaticism of some fans:
Some reports claim that tickets are now entirely sold out!  At the same time, Egyptian NoraYounis expressed disbelief at the unifying power of football for Egyptians:
Egyptian NohaAtef‘s tweet, on the other hand, showed the uplifting properties of football:
In many instances, the football matched unearthed national rivalries.  Algerians and Egyptians went head to head on Twitter as the game was taking place.  Egyptian Sandmonkey quipped:
Algerian-American themoornextdoor fought back, joking:
Finally, Algerian reemba reminded us that it ain't over till it's over:

author: Jillian C. York


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France: Does Prestigious Literary Award Entail a “Duty of Restraint” ?  · Global Voices
Suzanne Lehn

The start of this year's French literary season saw French-Senegalese novelist and playwright Marie N'Diaye awarded a much-awaited Prix Goncourt.  However, N'Diaye and her family move to Berlin to years ago, in large part because of French president Nicolas Sarkozy's politics.  Last year, the panel of this prestigious award created a sensation when it chose Afghan writer Atiq Rahimi, for his French language novel, Syngué Sabour.  Will this be another opportunity to celebrate diversity in a changing French society? Or will the moment be spoiled by controversy?
Explains DW-World :
In an interview with “Inrockuptibles” magazine last summer, N'Diaye said she had decided to leave France and move to Berlin in 2007 “in great part because of Sarkozy.”
The controversy began after Eric Raoult, a lawmaker and member of Sarkozy's ruling UMP party, wrote to the culture minister last week recommending that NDiaye be reminded of the “duty of restraint” that comes with the Goncourt.
In response, France's cultural establishment has thrown accusations of censorship into the debate. Bernard Pivot, a Goncourt jury member, accused Raoult of knowing nothing about the literary scene.
N'Diaye, born in 1967 to a French mother and a Senegalese father, won the Goncourt prize for her novel, “Trois femmes puissantes” (“Three Powerful Women”), a story about three women caught between France and Senegal and the hellish ordeal of illegal migration from Africa.
“The story of these migrants has been told many times before, but if this can help people understand their fate a bit better, I will be happy,” said NDiaye.
What was it that stirred Eric Raoult's ire? No less than an interview of the woman novelist, when she answered magazine Les Inrocks‘s question : “Do you feel well in Sarkozy's France?” saying [fr]:
« Je trouve cette France-là monstrueuse. Le fait que nous (avec son compagnon l’écrivain Jean-Yves Cendrey, et leurs trois enfants – ndlr) ayons choisi de vivre à Berlin n’est pas étranger à ça. (…) Je trouve détestable cette atmosphère de flicage, de vulgarité… »
Renowned law blogger Maître Eolas demolishes Mr. Raoult's claim in an ironically well-argued post [Fr], finally awarding him the “Prix Busiris” (“buse” may be translated by “dolt”).
First, he rectifies a grammatical mistake :
Tout d’abord, et le ministre de la culture et de la communication aura rectifié de lui-même, le devoir de réserve ne peut en tout état de cause être dû aux lauréats mais dû par les lauréats : cette erreur de préposition fait du lauréat le créancier alors que dans  la tête du député, il en serait évidemment le débiteur.
And legally ? Among the texts, the blogger quotes of course the 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen along with the European Convention on Human Rights. And the “duty of restraint”, traditionally asked from civil servants ?
Le devoir de réserve est souvent invoqué à tort et à travers par des gens qui n’y ont rien compris comme interdisant à un fonctionnaire de s’exprimer, y compris parfois sur des affaires purement privées.
The lawyer concludes on the M.P.'s dishonesty, before dealing the finishing blow :
Ajoutons à cela qu’en 2005, en tant que maire du Raincy, lors des émeutes de l’automne, il fut le premier à proclamer l’état d’urgence dans sa commune pourtant épargnée par les actes de violence afin de griller la politesse au premier ministre, ce qui montre une certaine tendance à la gesticulation inutile pour attirer l’attention sur lui.
Ce qui établit en même temps le mobile d’opportunité politique, et emporte la décision.
Which at the same time proves the motive of political opportunism, and carries the decision along.
Other bloggers also had scathing words.
On Art contemporain, la peau de l'ours, Philippe Rillon writes [fr]:
Nous comprenons fort bien que le devoir de réserve s’impose à tout serviteur de l’Etat; mais depuis quand la littérature et les auteurs sont ils assimilés aux fonctionnaires avec leurs droits et devoirs?
Nous avions déjà une “Culture administrée”,  nous voici maintenant “artistes fonctionnaires” comme si Paris était Berlin-est d’avant la chute du mur…
(…)
Il serait quand même étonnant qu’au lendemain d’une hyper-médiatique commémoration de la chute du mur, ce godillot vienne gâcher le spectacle idylique des dominos qui tombent.
Meanwhile, Marie Ndiaye, after an attempt at toning down her words in an interview with radio station Europe 1, which in the midst of the turmoil went unnoticed, appealed to French Minister of Culture Frédéric Mitterrand. The latter deems the controversy “trivial” and “ridiculous” [fr], and the main players stick to their guns [fr].

author: Suzanne Lehn


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Geocodes for Bangkok sub-districts · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

New geocodes were updated for Bangkok's new sub-districts.


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Georgia: Reaction to lack of media attention on Azerbaijan bloggers’ trial  · Global Voices
Dodka

Following last week's sentence on two video bloggers in Azerbaijan, some blogs in neighboring Georgia have posted critical entries condemning the arrest, trial and imprisonment of Adnan Hajizade and Emin Milli. This also extends to the relative lack of coverage on the case in the local mainstream media as Dv0rsky notes angrily.
ქართული ჟურნალისტიკა და მედია საბოლოოდ ჩაიძირა.
ჩაისვარეს. და არც კი სცხვენიათ.
სიტყვის თავისუფლებაზე რამდენს ბჭობენ, როგორ ”იბრძვიან” – და ამხელა ამბავი გამოეპარათ.
აზერბაიჯანელი ბლოგერები ემინ მილი და ადნან ჰაჯიზადე ორი თვის წინ დაიჭიარეს და დღეს საბოლოოდ გაასამართლეს მხოლოდ იმ ბრალდებით, რომ ისინი მთავრობას აკრიტიკებდნენ, აშარჟებდნენ და დასცინოდნენ. ოფიციალური ბრალდება – ხულიგნობა.
2 წელიწადი იმისათვის, რომ ვირს ჩამოართვა ინტერვიუ – ბევრია თუ ცოტა?
ქართველ ჟურნალისტებს რა უჭირთ, სულ ვირებს არ ართმევენ ინტერვიუებს? სულ თავისუფლად თანაც…
So much talk about freedom of speech, how they “fight” for it – and they missed such a huge story.
Azeri bloggers Emin milli and Adnan Hadjizade were sentenced today only for making fun of government. Official accusation – hooliganism.
Two years for interviewing a donkey – is it too much or isn't it?
Georgian journalists have nothing to say – they always interview donkeys. And very freely.
A comment from სულხანი agreed.
სამაგიეროდ ჩვენი ტელევიზიები ძალიან ოპერატიულად (თანაც საღამოს საინფორმაციოს პირველ სიუჟეტად) აშუქებენ პენელოპა კრუსის სავარაუდო ჩამოსვლას ჩვენთან)
ტფუი..
Another comment, this time from Natosha, remembers that sensitivities surrounding Azerbaijan in Georgia even extend to monuments.
ეს ამბავი რომ გავიგე ერთი რაღაც გამახსენდა.
უხსოვარ დროს ფოტოჟურნალისტიკას ვსწავლობდით და დავალებით გაგვიშვეს ალიევის ბაღის გახსნის გადასაღებად (თბილისში, აბანოებთან რომ არის). ხოდა, იმ ბაღში ძეგლიც დგას.. და პრინციპულად არ შეგვიშვეს ფოტოების გადასაღებად, მანამ სანამ ალაგებდნენ ტერიტორიას. და მერე აღარ მახსოვს ლექციაზე ითქვა, თუ ვიღაცამ თქვა (ძალიან ბუნდოვნად მახსოვს ეგ მომენტი), რომ არ შეიძლებოდა ისეთი კადრების დაფიქსირება, სადაც ვთქვათ, ასფლატს გვიან და ფონზე ძეგლია.. ან მსგავსი კადრები, რომლის სხვანაირად “ინტერპრეტირება” შეიძლებაო. ვოტ.
After one online site criticized the lack of attention in the local media, I commented on the report after posting it on Facebook.
Nevertheless, some online journalists such as თავისუფალი სიტყვის ბლოგი made entries on their blogs about the case, pointing out why Georgian bloggers should be concerned. It was also republished in the local press.
აღსანიშანავია, რომ საქართველოში ჯერჯერობით ბლოგერებს სიტყვის თავისუფლების მხრივ სერიოზული პრობლემები აქამდე ჯერ არ ჰქონიათ.  მიუხედავად ამისა, რამდენიმე კვირის წინ იუტუბის რამდენიმე მომხმარებელს მცირე პრობლემები მაინც შეექმნათ. გასულ თვეში ვიდეოპორტალზე გავრცელდა პატრიარქის გაშარჟებული ვიდეოები, რასაც საზოგადოების მხრიდან უარყოფითი რეაქცია მოჰყვა. დაიწყო გამოძიება. შინაგან საქმეთა სამინისტრომ ვიდეოების გავრცელებაში ბრალდებული ორი ახალგაზრდა დაკითხა და ნივთმტკიცების სახით მათ კომპიუტერები და ფოტოაპარატები ჩამოართვა, აგრეთვე გაჩხრიკეს მათი სახოვრებელი სახლები.
Meanwhile, despite the criticism, Social Blurbs, a new English-language Georgian blog on social media, suggests readers acquaint themselves with the Hajizade and Milli case on Global Voices Online as well as on a support site. It also notes how some Georgian bloggers and journalists were covering the case.
Although the trial was not the hottest topic for absolute majority of the Georgian social media contributors, still having couple bloggers (Dodka and Cyxymi) representing Georgia at the WBF2009, helped to interest few others in here.
All day Dodka was tweeting from WBF about the case. Later Giga Paichadze aka Dv0rsky retweeted and posted about it also blaming Georgian media “that is fighting for freedom of expression and does not notice” such a big event next door, however some links in comments indicated that media has covered the trial and arrest of Azeri bloggers.
Meanwhile, full coverage of the detention, trial and imprisonment of Adnan Hajizade and Emin Milli is available in the Azerbaijan section of Global Voices Online and on the OL! Blog (in English and Azeri). The hashtag #EminAdnan is also used on Twitter.

author: Dodka


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Japan as a Recycling Society in the Edo Period · Global Voices
Tomomi Sasaki

Ed Jacob posted an English translation of an article “about how there was pretty much no garbage in Japan’s Edo Period because almost everything got recycled“.


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Laos: Finswimming part of ASEAN games · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

In next month's Southeast Asian Games, there will be no sporting events for basketball, gymnastics and track cycling. But finswimming is included in the competition.


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Azerbaijan: More reaction to video blogger trial verdict · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Days after the sentencing of two video blogging youth activists in Azerbaijan, other bloggers are starting to speak out about the imprisonment of Adnan Hajizade and Emin Milli. The two online activists will spend 2 and 2.5 years in jail after a trial which most consider to be politically motivated and an attempt to silence dissent in the country.
They join others such as the Presidency of the European Union, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and Reporters Without Borders as well as many others in condemning the verdict.
Amnesty International has also declared the two men to be prisoners of conscience. Interesting Times, an “online initiative monitoring attempts throughout the world to censor and restrict free access to the Internet,” puts the trial in context.
The latest show of repression by state forces in Azerbaijan leaves no doubt that both journalists and bloggers exercise their right to express themselves freely at their own risk.
[…]
Thanks to international pressure such as the WPFC letter and several others, the Azeri government has been compelled to release journalists from prison.
But this latest act of repression against two bloggers leaves no doubt that, if left alone, public officials in Azerbaijan will continue their abusive ways.
Notes from Abroad is also not surprised by the verdict.
On Tuesday, two young bloggers were sentenced to prison — one for two-and-a-half years, the other for two years — on the ridiculous charge of hooliganism. The whole thing is a sham — driven by political motives, but it is not surprising.
[…]
Since Azerbaijan is an oil-rich fiefdom, the West has treaded carefully in responding to this very undemocratic behavior by the Azeri government.
The Azeri government must be strongly condemned by the democracies of the world that this kind of behavior is unacceptable.
The Blogar, however, is nearly speechless.
So the verdict is in.
Emin and Adnan are officially hooligans.
At a loss here on what to say.
Supposedly social media had a role in putting them behind bars, a role in getting the word out on the street about the injustice but was unable to change the minds of the corrupt Azerbaijan legal system.
Dont mess with Ilham.
[…] My thoughts are with their families and them.
However, with an appeal due to be lodged and possible action in the European Court of Human Rights, L4L, a new English-language Azeri blog, says that this is just the beginning.
What to do next? First of all we should not stop. We should continue working towards liberty of our friends and towards freedom of all Azerbaijan. […] Adnan and Emin showed no fear and we should not be anything less than courageous and inspiring.
[…]
This is hardly end. It all begins now.
Parvana Persiani and Global Voices Online's David Sasaki, World Blogging Forum, Bucharest, Romania © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia 2009
Meanwhile, on the sidelines of the World Blogging Forum in Bucharest, Romania, Global Voices Online held a first aborted interview with Parvana Persiani, an Executive Board Member of the OL! Azerbaijani youth movement which her boyfriend, the imprisoned Adnan Hajizade, co-founded.
More updates will be posted as of when. Meanwhile, full coverage of the detention, trial and imprisonment of Adnan Hajizade and Emin Milli is available in the Azerbaijan section of Global Voices Online and on the OL! Blog (in English and Azeri). The hashtag #EminAdnan is also used on Twitter.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Nepal: The Peaceful Protests Of The Maoists · Global Voices
Rezwan

Ujjwal Acharya at The Radiant Star praises the Maoists for ending their recent protests in Nepal peacefully. The blogger comments: “I hope that both sides – ruling coalition and the Maoists should somehow agree on a few basic things including two hot issues”.


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Peru: Blind Lawyer Strives to Be Judge · Global Voices
Gabriela García Calderón

Edwin Béjar Rojas is a 30 year-old lawyer, and resident of the city of Cusco, Perú. Since the age of 17, Mr. Béjar has been dealing with visual impairment, yet that has not been an obstacle for him to achieve important goals in his professional life.
He graduated first of his class from San Antonio Abad University Law School [es]. He has also successfully completed a Master's Degree in Civil and Procedural Civil Law, a Master's Degree in Criminal and Procedural Criminal Law, a Doctorate Degree in Law and Investigation, as well as additional specialized studies in Human Rights, Constitutional Law, Administrative Law, Municipal Law, Tax Law, Labor Law, and Procedural Constitutional Law. In addition, he has worked as college professor.
As the blog Discapacidad en Acción [es] points out:
Cabe indicar, que el Abog. Edwin Bejar Rojas, es un profesional conocido en la ciudad del Cusco, por ser ejemplo de superación y su trabajo a favor de las personas con discapacidad visual, como profesor y especialista en nuevas tecnologías para personas con discapacidad visual (proyecto REDSOCIAL); y por su constante apoyo a las Organizaciones de Personas con Discapacidad.
Last July, he attempted to run for a post as Deputy Provincial Prosecutor in Cusco, but the National Council of the Magistracy (CNM of its initials in Spanish) rejected his nomination because of his disability, as  reported by the blog of Law School Federated Center of the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru [SP]:
El 12 de junio, postuló a la plaza de Fiscal Adjunto Provincial en la ciudad de Cusco, cumpliendo con los requisitos establecidos por ley e indicando su discapacidad. Inicialmente, fue declarado postulante apto para dar el examen escrito el 19 de julio. No obstante, por decisión del Pleno del CNM, fue excluido de la postulación por motivo de su discapacidad visual e impedido de rendir su examen, [aunque] hoy no existe impedimento [legal] para que personas con discapacidad sean magistrados.
In July 2009, the National Council for the Integration of People with Disabilities (CONADIS for its initials in Spanish), which is part of the Ministry of Women and Social Development, weighed in and asked for an explanation for the rejection of the candidacy of Mr. Béjar. The National Coordinating Committee for Human Rights (CNDDHH for its initials in Spanish), interceded [es] as amicus curiae before the Third Civil Court of Cusco, where Mr. Béjar filed a appeal for legal protection lawsuit.
Finally, on November 13th, 2009, a court in Cusco ruled [es] in favour of Mr Béjar ordering the CNM to give him the test with the “same degree of complexity” as any other applicant. In addition, the ruling also orders the CNM to guarantee the technical facilities that Mr. Béjar may require in order to take the test. The CNM has filed an appeal to the court's decision.

author: Gabriela García Calderón


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Russia: Videos of Ulyanovsk Arms Depot Blasts · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

LJ user oleg_kozyrev posts six YouTube videos of Ulyanovsk arms depot blasts, shot by Russian video bloggers.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Taiwan: Foreigners face discrimination from banks · Global Voices
David Reid

Patrick Cowsill writes about the difficulties foreigners face in getting a credit card in Taiwan.

author: David Reid


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Thailand-Cambodia word war continues · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Cambodia accuses Thailand of provoking a war when the latter sent troops in the disputed Preah Vihear territory last year. Thailand accuses Cambodia of interfering on its internal affairs when Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen appointed former Thailand Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra as his special economic adviser. Some scholars would argue that the ongoing diplomatic row between Thailand and Cambodia reflects the long history that the two neighbors share together.
Thaksin was ousted in a 2006 coup. To escape serving a prison term for corruption, Thaksin has been living in many countries around the world. The billionaire politician believes he could not get a fair trial in Thailand. He is accusing the present government of being illegitimate and repressive.
The quarrel intensified last week when Thaksin arrived in Phonom Penh to give a lecture on the global economic crisis. Angered by this development, Thailand recalled its ambassador to Cambodia. This was reciprocated by Cambodia. Thailand Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has warned that he might decide to close the Thailand-Cambodia borders. Thai authorities are preparing to evacuate its citizens in Cambodia in case a war erupts between the two nations.
In the previous post, I featured the reactions of Cambodian bloggers. In this post, I will highlight the views of Thailand-based bloggers.
Bangkok Dazed believes the citizens of the two countries would suffer from the continuing diplomatic row:
Once again, politics rears its ugly head and the victims will be the citizens of both countries, most of whom could care less if Thaksin is appointed economic advisor by Hun Sen. In an ideal world someone would vaporize both “leaders” and let more intelligent people make the decisions … but that’s only wishful thinking.
A Bangkok University poll was conducted last November 11-12 about the sentiments of the people on the issue. The poll showed interesting results
Your feelings now about Thaksin?
a- no real feeling, passive: 29.3%
b- dislike, dissatisfied with: 26.6%
c- feel sympathy for: 18%
d- disappointed in: 15%
e- admire: 6.7%
f- others: 3.7%
What should be the position of the Abhisit government on relations between Thailand and Cambodia?
a- soft approach by negotiating: 61.5%
b- aggressive approach – do whatever it takes for the honour and dignity of the country: 21%
c- unsure, no opinion: 17.8%
Should Thailand stop its assistance projects to Cambodia?
a- no: 41.4%
b- yes: 40.4%
c- unsure: 18.%
Should Thailand close the Thai-Cambodian Border?
a- yes: 19.8%
b- no: 68.6%
c- unsure: 11.6%
Thaksin has been called a traitor for accepting a post in Cambodia.  Bangkok Pundit reminds Thai officials that there were former Thai leaders who worked for international and foreign organizations in the past
Is Dr. Supachai as UNCTAD Sec-Gen (and before WTO Sec-Gen) a traitor working for an international organization? What about Surin Pitsuwan, former Foreign Minister under the Democrats, becoming ASEAN Secretary-General?
Bangkok Pundit sees plenty of extreme nationalist rhetoric from the Democrats, but little criticism of this. Thaksin is labeled a traitor or evil person as if he is no longer human.
Thailand Crisis criticizes the incumbent Prime Minister for using a cheap propaganda trick in order to deflect attention from real problems
Abhisit is not ashamed to use a very cheap propaganda trick, in order to deflect attention from real problems and real issues. It’s the eternal “scapegoat” principle, mixed with the good old : “let’s go after foreigners”. Unfortunately, It works very well
Siam Report tries to understand the decision of Thaksin to accept the offer of Cambodian leader Hun Sen to serve as adviser
The Abhisit government was botching Cambodia policy on its own accord, but by accepting the position as an economic advisor to Hun Sen, Thaksin has given the government and its backers more ammunition to portray him as a real traitor. It’s now quite easy for the government to hide their own policy failures with Cambodia and blame everything on Thaksin and Hun Sen. Perhaps Thaksin is trying to bait the government into a massive overreaction, so that bilateral relations completely crash and burn. This might just be what happens, but it’s unclear whether Thaksin will gain from this outcome. Besides, Thaksin can win this game other ways with far less risk to himself and his supporters
Talen couldn’t believe that Thaksin agreed to be Cambodia’s adviser:
I really didn’t think Thaksin would stoop so low as to take this job offer. Obviously he wants to be as close to Thailand as he can as he plans ways to get back into his native country but by doing so through Cambodia he weakens his already tenuous  position. His own backers and political allies see Cambodia as a threat and becoming a friend of your enemy is never a good way to endear your people.
It’s hard to imagine what Thaksin might be thinking but thinking clearly he is not. What seems more plausible is that Cambodia is using Thaksin to antagonize Thailand further, seemingly instigating Thailand towards a conflict.
Twitter reactions from Bangkok
photo_journ: RT @BangkokDan: Why doesn't Cambodia appoint Thaksin as ambassador to Bangkok with diplomatic immunity and such. Like to see that LOL
speculates: My dad asked me if we have a war with Cambodia, what side Laos and Myanmar will support, us or Cambodia? Interesting question…
MartinPerry: Thai government have proven they really don't want Thaksin back, they denied his private jets flight plan through Thai airspace…
Patee122: Hunsen will not be there forever but Cambodia and Thailand will. If Asean is not strong we will never be strong together.
somaaewong: RT @Patee122: Everytime there is an international summit. All the news that are reported are of Mr Thaksin and conflicts<


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Thailand: “Demon” statues at airport bring bad luck · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Airport officials in Bangkok will remove 12 “demon’ statues because they believe the statues cause bad luck to shopkeepers.


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Thailand: Google logos · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Thai 101 uploads custom logos of Google Thailand


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Thailand: House of Museums · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

My Unseen Thailand is impressed with a Bangkok museum called House of Museums. The said museum displays everyday items of the 1950s and 1960s.


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Azerbaijan: Prison Diary · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

AdnanEmin's Blog, Prison Diary, a new blog from Azerbaijan, has been set up to republish letters sent from prison in the oil-rich former Soviet republic by Adnan Hajizade and Emin Milli, two detained video blogging youth activists sentenced last week and considered by Amnesty International to be prisoners of conscience. The first post carries a message from Milli after his sentence.


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Barbados: Police Officer Found Dead · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“it is most regrettable when an officer or former officer of the law becomes a crime victim”: Keltruth Corp. is saddned to learn of the death of Barbados’ oldest surviving police officer.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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CEE: Recycling & Bicycles, Energy Consumption, and More · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

At Th!nk About It, a climate change blogging competition, Adela reports on the construction of a highway in Romania, which will go through a national park, endangering “the only virgin forest on our good old continent”, and also writes about the Recicleta project in Bucharest, and one Romanian man's roof garden; Sinisa Boljanovic writes on what a difference it would make if Serbia switched from 100W light bulbs to “environmental friendly bulbs of 20W”; Eamonn Fitzgerald posts a note on “a free ride Russia gets from environmentalists.”


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CEE: The Berlin Wall · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

The 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall: How To Marry a Bulgarian hosts a series of readers’ personal reflections: Biliana Velkova, Alexandra Grashkina-Hristova, Maria Vassileva; Hungarian Spectrum writes that “for Hungary and the Hungarians the whole thing started much earlier”; Belgraded writes about the upcoming and much-awaited fall of the “visa wall” for Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia; CAFÉ TURCO writes about the anniversaries of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Kristallnacht, and the destruction of Mostar’s Old Bridge;


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China: Obama and Chinese Netizens · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

C. Custer from ChinaGeeks translated Chang Ping's blog post on Obama's visit and Chinese netizens’ aspiration for free speech and information.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Finland: The Language Issue · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Nordic Voices writes about Finland's “language issue.”


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India: Corruption Of Rural Teachers · Global Voices
Rezwan

Lekhni at The Imagined Universe talks about an ingenious method of corruption by some teachers from rural areas of India – they bribe to get themselves suspended from their jobs so that “they would keep receiving 50 per cent of the monthly salary (without working) and pursue other lucrative jobs.”

author: Rezwan


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India: Time To Reclaim The Swastika · Global Voices
Rezwan

Runa at Uber Desi comments on the outrage on the Hindu religious symbol swastika printed on gift papers: “Isn’t it time people broadened their horizons a little to recognize that the swastika (in the Hindu form) is not the same as the horrible symbol of the unforgivable atrocities of the Holocaust?”


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Iran: Art in Protest · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Mir Hussein Mousavi, one of Iran's opposition leaders, recently mentioned in a video interview that the artistic creativity of the ‘green’ protest movement since the June 12 presidential election has been unique in Iran's history. Iranian artists and even non-Iranian have been inspired by the resistance movement of Iranians and have used their talent to create designs, posters, animations and video clips to express their hope and anger.
Here is a collection of “green” movement paintings created by Soheil Tavakoli, an Iranian artist based in the United States:
Hamed Pourabedin created another piece of art on his Facebook page: Oxygen for Iran
As Iranian protesters prepare for  yet another demonstration on December 4, the Day of University Students (16th of Azar), they have created dozens of posters.
“On green 16th of Azar, we get our Iran back”
Also see previous Global Voices stories:
Iran: Art for Protest's Sake
Iran: Protest Movement Inspires Art

author: Fred Petrossian


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Jamaica: Passport Rush  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

An increase in fees has Jamaicans rushing to renew their passports – Stunner is caught in the melee.


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Japan: In a World with Automatic Translation · Global Voices
Tomomi Sasaki

In a post titled I especially want to read ‘trivial information’ (“くだらない情報”こそ読んでみたい), Japanese blogger Chikirin gives a fresh perspective on what's important or not and why.
Note: The post was translated in its entirety with permission from the blogger. All links were added by Tomomi Sasaki for reference.
You know how the online community is sometimes wowed with the emergence of services with new technologies and ideas like Google Maps, Google Earth, and YouTube? The one that I'm looking forward to the most is “Automatic Translation”.
Right now, if an English site comes up while you're searching (in Japanese), there's a little button that says [Translate this page]. Yes, the translation is still very underdeveloped. I'm not asking for it to be perfect, but wouldn't it be exciting if the translation was just “a little bit better” AND automatic?
‘Tower of Babel’ by flickr user ThomasThomas (Tower of Babel By Pieter Bruegel the Elder, 16th century.)
It would be fantastic if whenever I did a search for something in Japanese, Google would retrieve results from all of the languages of the world. For example, a search for “鶏肉 トマト レシピ (chicken tomato recipe)” would retrieve chicken and tomato recipes from all over the world with all of the results being displayed in Japanese. Recipes from French  Italian, Chinese, Arabic cuisine, originally written in that language would show up in Japanese on the Google results page.
Then, let's say there was a blog by an Italian farmer's wife with a post called “Family recipe for tomato chicken pasta”. And the translation might not be perfect but it would be readable and have photos so I could nod along as I read the post, and perhaps I could even try cooking that dish.
And then and then! If the pasta was really good, I might comment on her blog saying, “I'm Chikirin from Japan, nice to meet you! I REALLY loved your pasta recipe <3 !!!”. And she'd be able to read it in Italian. Remember, it'd just BE in Italian, since it was automatically translated for her.
I want to live in that world of automatic translation.
It would be so much fun. A search for “wife mother-in-law troubles” might let you learn how the problem manifests itself in other countries. Or a blog about erotic games (エロゲー eroge) might attract a comment from a faraway land like Honduras, saying “What's an EROGE?” Or if you searched for “pirates”, you might accidentally stumble upon an underground Somalian pirate recruitment site… hey, anything could happen!
Of course, negative comments would be translated as well. And everything would be open for rating. Wouldn't this be exciting? How about a site called “Negative comments around the world” Obviously, 2channel would receive a flood of comments from around the world.
What if there was a Chinese junior high school student asking “Who is higher ranked, Hu Jintao or Wen Jiabao?” on a Chinese Q&A site. And then people from all over the would say “You're Chinese and you don't know the answer?” or “Join the communist party!”.
An oblivious American might interrupt with “What? The president and premier aren't the same person?”. And a Bulgarian might chime in with “Where's China? I couldn't find it on Google Earth… is it this island?” and someone might reply with “Nah, that's Taiwan!” and the conversation would veer off. That's the kind of thing I want to read!
Low employment rates among young people is a common issue throughout the world, right? A search with those keywords might connect us with angry Lost Generation youth from other countries. And it would be interesting to learn how youth in different countries expressed their anger.
A Korean student studying in Japan might post on her blog, “On the train today, I saw a woman do her make up routine perfectly during her commute. Japan is so incrediblimnida!”
These days, only important or relevant information gets translated. What I'm looking forward to is a world where even the most trivial and useless information is translated and available to anyone!
TV stations and newspapers broadcast news about other countries but they only cover “important news”: earthquakes, floods, forest fires, or political news. Personally though, I'm much more interested in the kind of information that I've given examples above, more than any forest fire.
In every country, there must be blogs that most people don't care about. (Well, I can't be certain but it's probably the case!) I believe that if everyone, everywhere could read all of the trivial information that's out there, we would truly be able to live together in a more peaceful world.
While it may be paradoxical, “What is truly important is to translate the unimportant.” and a world where only so-called important information gets translated is a boring one.

author: Tomomi Sasaki


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Japan: Obama’s eagerly awaited visit  · Global Voices
Scilla Alecci

Ingmar, at Demotix, uploaded some pictures he took on Friday, when President Obama arrived to Tokyo to meet the Emperor and PM Hatoyama. The photos show the arrival of Obama at Suntory Hall.

author: Scilla Alecci


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Japan: “Obamu”, Verb Form of “Obama”? · Global Voices
Tomomi Sasaki

Anpontan‘s post about the word “obamu” (オバむ) , a Japanese word play that's a verb form of “Obama”, was picked up by James Fallows at the Atlantic and is making its way across the blogosphere, although very few Japanese people actually seem to have heard of the word, as Daniel Krieger at cnngo reports.


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Japan: When an Employee Catches H1N1 · Global Voices
Tomomi Sasaki

The Kirai blog describes what happened at his company after an employee caught a case of H1N1: “Notice that from his perspective, he is NOT a victim, he is the culprit of having caused so much trouble to the company: because he couldn’t work for one week and we had to wear a mask and worry about our health.“


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Nepal: Minister Mentality · Global Voices
Rezwan

A deputy minister of Nepal had beaten a top government employee for not providing a vehicle of her taste. Xnepali Blog has details.


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Pakistan: Insurgency And IT · Global Voices
Rezwan

“It's true that Pakistan faces some serious challenges, but if, as a nation, it can keep providing a service for outsourcing IT skills internationally even while bullets are flying, that's a good sign for the future,” comments Alamzeb Khan.


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Russia: 1999 Chechen Diary, Part 4 · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

The final part (part 4) of Polina Zherebtsova’s 1999 Chechen Diary – at Sundry Translations and Other Tangentialia. (More links: intro, part 1, part 2, part 3, Russian-language original.)


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Russia: Luzhkov vs NYTimes; “Destruction of Old Moscow” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

IZO posts a translation of an open letter to president Medvedev “about the destruction of old Moscow under Mayor Luzhkov,” written by urbanism scholar Yuri Bocharov. Russia! reports on the defamation lawsuit against the New York Times, filed and won by the Moscow mayor.


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Russia: Quarantine in Yekaterinburg · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Russian Blog reports that Yekaterinburg authorities have announced a flu-related quarantine from Nov. 13 to Nov. 20.


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Seychelles: Turning bling eye to pirates · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Cuhnelbad comments on the claims that Seychelles is turning a blind eye to pirates: “This was troubling news indeed, to hear that the Government of my beloved country would be courting the very criminals who, since 2008, are posing a serious threat to our sovereignty, security and the two principal pillars of our economy- Fishing and Tourism!”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Sierra Leone: Do you want to chat with Sierra Leonean students? · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Do you want to chat with students from Sierra Leone?: “Sierra Leonean kids want to communicate but don’t have computer access. If you would like to chat with a student in the City of Bo, Sierra Leone let me know at pjfishing@yahoo.com and I’ll hook you up through Local Government officer Sheka Kamara.”


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South Africa: It was good food and wine · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Travelwires’ post about Good Food and Wine show in South Africa: “According to Cashmore, record crowds thronged through the entrances to see, taste, participate and buy. Many of the visitors came back for a second and even a third time.”


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Sri Lanka: Militarization And Politicization · Global Voices
Rezwan

In Sri Lanka, the former army chief is poised to wage an electoral battle against his former commander in chief, the incumbent president. D.B.S. Jeyaraj comments that: “the current situation is (also) the culmination of a long process of militarization of Sri Lankan society and a gradual politicization of the military.”


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Sudan: Should South Sudan separate? · Global Voices
hj barraza

John responds to a statement by South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit that Southerners should form an independent state. President Mayardit said, “If South Sudanese want to remain as second class citizens, let them vote for unity in the referendum in 2011. And if they want to be free, they should vote for separation.”

author: hj barraza


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U.S., Europe: Immigrant Writing; Diaspora Mentality · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Maud Newton writes about a newly-published anthology of immigrant writing, “Becoming Americans.” Sublime Oblivion examines the views of “Russian political analyst & nationalist Konstantin Krylov” on “international diasporas” and “the diaspora mentality.”


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U.S.: Redesign Of Vladimir Nabokov’s Book Covers · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

At Design Observer, John Gall writes about the redesign of Vladimir Nabokov's book covers: “All twenty-one of them.” (Link via Maud Newton.)


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Ukraine: Updates on the Flu Epidemic · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Last weeks’ posts on the flu epidemic: Tetyana Vysotska of What's up, Ukraine? falls ill (doctor tells her it's “impossible to have a test on whether it may be a swine flu”) and recovers; Foreign Notes writes that “there is no reason to expect the medical profession in [Ukraine] to be any less corrupt or uphold ethical standards better than other members of Ukrainian society”; MoldovAnn hopes the quarantine does end on Nov. 22 as scheduled; Ukrainiana reports on flu-related “roadshows” of Victor Yanukovych and Yulia Tymoshenko; Greetings from Kyiv writes on day 11 and day 16 of the epidemic; Chernobyl and Eastern Europe reports that medical certificates and masks are now required for Chernobyl trips.


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Africa: Allah is not obliged · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Sokari reviews Ahmadou Kourouma's novel, Allah is not obliged: “There are three sets of interwoven stories. The story of Birahima and his many wanderings with different militias across the region which makes a mockery of the artificial boundaries created by colonial rulers – only tribes not countries have meaning in this chaos and madness.”


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Bahrain: Three Kingfishers  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

From Bahrain, bird watcher Howard King shares his find: three kingfishers.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Barbados: Another Downgrade  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Barbados’ debt may be headed for the dread ‘junk’ status if it is downgraded another notch,” says Living in Barbados, adding: “To change things needs more than a shift in confidence. It needs policies that attack rapidly the size of the debt.”


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Barbados, Jamaica: The Politics of Homosexuality  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“In Barbados we have a long way to go regarding how as a country we want to deal with the issue of homosexuality”: Barbados Underground says “it would be unfortunate for some if we wait until the next general election” to start discussing…the societal changes to accept this group of people who continue to be marginalized.”


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Bermuda: Crossing the Rubicon  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Following news of a gang-related shooting in Bermuda, Vexed Bermoothes says: “The public lawlessness is so depressing that I am at a loss for words.”


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Bhutan: Shangri-La or Ethnic Cleanser? · Global Voices
Sonam Ongmo

A few years ago when the Fourth King of Bhutan voluntarily stepped down to make way for democracy, there was a spate of articles in the media about Bhutan. Almost all these articles – with a few exceptions – could be grouped into two camps: one glorified Bhutan as the last Shangri-la, the others claimed that it practiced ethnic cleansing.
The National Geographic aired a documentary which named Bhutan, the tiny Buddhist kingdom as  the world's last Shangri-La. It celebrated its mountains, glacial walls, alpine highlands and misty forests and mentioned “Bhutan is a Living Eden where respect for life, in all its many incarnations, endures like the land itself”.
Landscape of Bhutan. Image by Flickr user Jmhullot, used under a creative commons license
Swaminathan S. Anklesaria Aiyar at Real clear World said:
Bhutan has done many things to deserve its Shangri-La reputation. Its forest cover is a very high 72%, and it has pledged to keep this above 60 % for eternity.
Meanwhile, Nanda Gautam at Ex Ponto countered:
A new trend in the sphere of human rights violations is flourishing! In contrast to Bhutan’s development philosophy called ‘Gross National Happiness,’ which many delegations visiting Bhutan are proclaiming a ‘good lesson’, Bhutan also offers a bad lesson: strategic violence in the form of ethnic cleansing, a lesson the world powers will find difficult to deal with. The ordeal of Tel Nath Rizal reflects how the state’s violation of one person’s rights spilled over to affect an entire minority. The minority population has already been reduced dramatically.
Most of these writers, if not all, were not Bhutanese. So how is it that they came to view this small country – the size of Switzerland and a population of 600,000 – in such extremes?
The first group, the admirers, usually came from the west where capitalism has led to a way of life that may have equipped them with material contents, but left many with a gaping spiritual void. They are people seeking for things they do not find in their own cultures; yet find it elsewhere. Often in places like Bhutan – largely mysterious, exotic and peaceful. So when they find it, they tend to see only the things they want to see and find only the things they want to find.
But this also applies to the second camp, the ones who hate Bhutan. They have little or no understanding of the country’s geo-political situation. They don’t understand the history or the complex nature of the refugee problem; and they are either sympathizing with the cause, or they just need a cause.
For the first camp, the search for Shangri-la didn’t just happen; it has been ongoing since 1933 when James Hilton depicted a Shangri-la in his novel, Lost Horizon based on an article by Joseph Rock about his travels to the Tibetan borderlands.  But more often than not, it is Hilton’s version that they are after thus refusing to see Bhutan as a country like any other – inhabited by human beings, with its share of problems.
Bhutan is far from being the Utopia despite its largely tranquil history. As a poor country Bhutan has its share of social problems and challenges and the biggest blight to its good reputation so far has been the issue of the refugees.
A nation-wide census in the 80’s found thousands of illegal settlers along the country’s southern borders. Most of these people were Nepalese people from Nepal and India who came to Bhutan seeking economic opportunities and utilize the large tracts of free agricultural land along porous borders. Free health and educational facilities were also an added attraction. At around this time, some Lhotsampas (Ethnic Nepali-speaking Bhutanese) who were educated by the Bhutanese government in overseas universities like Harvard and Cambridge returned to Bhutan nursing their own political ambitions.
Bhutanese refugees in Nepal. Image by Sudeshna Sarkar, ISN Security Watch
The problem came to a head when the Bhutanese government demanded all illegal settlers, leave the country. This decision was opposed by the ambitious Lhotsampa leaders who sympathized with the settlers and so mobilized protests against the Bhutanese government demanding democracy and overthrow of the monarch. The environment to nurse their political ambitions was extremely favorable. They galvanized the southern people’s discontent with violent protests in which they decapitated heads of two Bhutanese and planted them at a government office. The Bhutanese government who had never experienced anything like this cracked down and arrested many of the leaders while some escaped to Nepal.
What resulted was a situation where both sides accused the other of what unfolded. Lhotsampas claim that anybody who was Nepali-speaking was forced out of the country. As the Bhutanese Community of South Australia blog mentions:
From 1988, the human rights situation aggravated, when Royal Government enacted discriminatory policies to depopulate the Lhotshampas – Southern Bhutanese of Nepalese origin, predominantly Hindus.
The Royal government treats Lhotsampas as second class citizens. They are persecuted, discriminated and denied the most basics like access to education and health facilities. They are deprived of their cultural rights and are forced to adopt the cultural tradition, costume and language of the ruling elite. In the late eighties, the Royal Government adopted retroactive citizenship legislation and started to disenfranchise and depopulate the Lhotshampas. Tens and thousands of them were forcibly evicted, who ended up in the United Nations established refugees camps in Nepal. [..]
Having failed to see the possibility of repatriation, a vast number of Bhutanese refugees have accepted the offer given by Australia, Canada, Denmark, Netherland, New Zealand, Norway and United States for third country resettlement.
The Bhutanese government claimed that while some were asked to leave, many citizens left voluntarily under threats from their own leaders. Bhutan’s first democratically elected Prime Minister Jigme Y. Thinley wrote at Bhutannica:
The situation in the south is not a simple problem. Its causes are complex and perplexing as the resultant human drama that is unfolding before us.  Just who is the victim or villain is a valid question. The answer must be sought with a deeper understanding of the problem. [..]
Among the villagers in’ the south, every day is a nightmare. But their voice is not heard by the media, and their human rights appear not to be of any importance. Explanations by the Government are dismissed as propaganda and plain untruths. Even concrete evidence is seen as fabrications.
The Bhutanese feel that they have been betrayed by a people they had welcomed, in whom they had placed their trust and with whom they were willing to share a common destiny. But the general attitude of the Bhutanese toward their southern compatriots do not indicate any rancour.
The adoption of human rights is a convenient banner that the dissidents and the Nepalese supporters have raised before the international community.  But their greater aim is to generate international sympathy for the dissident cause, which is to grab political power.
The story got complicated as the refugees arrived in Nepal. UNHCR set up camps for the Bhutanse refugees in which free food and stipend was given and in a few years the numbers rose from 5000 (1991) to 100,000. The handouts attracted many people other than Bhutanese to those camps as more than half of Nepal's population live on less than a dollar a day.
Ethnic cleansing is a very serious charge. People who make that accusation about Bhutan should visit the country and see that thousands of Nepali-speaking people still live and work there; that even before the crisis the Fourth King encouraged integration of the ethnic groups through inter marriage with special cash incentives. Many even hold very senior positions in the government.
So what is Bhutan? A ‘Shangri-La’ or ‘ethnic cleanser'? Neither, is the answer. And it would be nice if people really stopped imposing their dreams of an Eden, or their disillusionment of failed political causes and ambitions, on this little Country.

author: Sonam Ongmo


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Cameroon: On Catholicism, abortion and homosexuality · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Rosemary Ekosso discusses the politics of abortion and homosexuality in Cameroon: “As a woman, I have learnt by trial and error (mostly error) not to believe automatically what large groups of men tell me. When the group is as large and exclusive of females (don’t give me that guff about nuns – can a nun be a cardinal?) as the Catholic Church, I am very, very, wary.”


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Cameroon: Southern Cameroon vs. La Republique du Cameroun · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Cameroonian blogger Dibussi Tande discusses the ruling of the African Commission on Human Rights in Southern Cameroons vs. La Republique du Cameroun.


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China: Obama as a big supporter of non-censorship · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Adam Minter is disappointed by Obama's comment in the Shanghai Town Hall meeting with students, in particular, his expression that “I'm a big supporter of non-censorship”.


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China: Obama’s Q & A session · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Alice Poon from Asia Sentinel translated a blog post written by Lipuman regarding Obama's comment on Twitter and Firewall.


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Colombia: Video interview of 12 year old drug dealer · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

Giovanni Lopera interviews Jorman, a 12 year old in a Colombian working class neighborhood who tells how he deals drugs to help at home with money, giving half his earnings (6 USD for 6 hours) to his mother. He was kicked out of school when they discovered his illicit activities and he is planning to enroll in night-school to finish his studies, although he would have to quit his work.

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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Czech Republic, Slovakia: Velvet Revolution, 20 Years On · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

On Nov. 17, the Czech Republic and Slovakia are celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution, and The Czech Daily Word lists “most frequent stupid arguments and errors” of those who believe that “the era of communism was better than the post-revolution times.”


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Denmark: The Climate Debt Agents are Coming · Global Voices
Solana Larsen

If you are among the thousands of people heading to Copenhagen this December for the United Nations Climate Change Summit, chances are you will encounter a group of men and women from Denmark, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe, and Zambia, dressed in red suits.
They are the Climate Debt Agents, and their job is to get the  industrialized countries, including Denmark, to pay their “climate debt” to the developing world. If you are in Denmark, and would like to don a suit and join them, you can apply here. You can also visit them on their blog or on Facebook.
Who pays the price?
When rich countries make decisions that have negative affects on the environment, people living in poverty pay the highest price. Drought, hunger, and death caused by climate change could be prevented in many places with technology like water storage facilities that can help communities adapt to new climate conditions.
But that costs money.
“Who should pay the climate debt?” [PDF] is the title of a short report by the international anti-poverty organization ActionAid that calculates the monetary value of the debt at €135 billion per year until 2020, and proposes how the bill should be divided between countries.
Over the past 3 months, MS ActionAid Denmark has educated a team of online and offline activists to help deliver their message, by sending them on research missions to Kenya, Brussels and Denmark, and pairing them up with Global Voices bloggers who mentored them virtually for 6 weeks on blogging.
On their website, the mentees-turned-debt-agents explain: “We want a world with climate justice and global justice. In order to get that the attitude of decision makers has to be changed so that they recognize and realize to pay off their climate debt.”

author: Solana Larsen


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Dominica: Billboards Galore · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“There are rules. Unfortunately the guardians of those rules are afraid of their paymasters, and the other service providers have no respect for them”: Caribbean Man takes issue with illegal billboards in Dominica.


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Egypt: What do women want?  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

What do women in Egypt want? The Arabist takes a closer look.


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Guyana: Autobiographical · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“I've always thought of autobiography as an attempt to leave behind–forever in memoriam–something more or less truthful about one's existence”: Signifyin’ Guyana wonders what the first lines of your autobiography would be.


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Guyana: Vampire Snacks · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Guyana-Gyal comes up with an innovative marketing plan to sell mosquitoes…


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Hungary: More on Imre Kertész’s Interview · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

More on the Hungarian reactions to Imre Kertész's Die Welt interview – at Hungarian Spectrum. (Marietta Le's GV post about it is here.)


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Impact of ICT on Indigenous Cultures: Rejuvenation or Colonization? · Global Voices
Aparna Ray

The 2003, the Geneva Declaration of the Global Forum of Indigenous Peoples and the Information Society stated that
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) should be used to support and encourage cultural diversity and to preserve and promote the language, distinct identities and traditional knowledge of Indigenous peoples, nations and tribes in a manner which they determine best advances these goals.  The evolution of the information and communication societies must be founded on the respect and promotion of the rights of Indigenous peoples, nations and tribes and our distinctive and diverse cultures, as outlined in international conventions.  We have fundamental and collective rights to protect, preserve and strengthen our own languages, cultures and identities.
But can ICT truly preserve and protect distinct identities and culture? Does ICT by its very intervention introduce an element of westernization amidst the indigenous culture that it purports to preserve and protect? What is the optimum balance between preserving traditional knowledge and embracing remix culture? The cultural debate surrounding deployment of ICT in the field of indigenous/ knowledge and culture simply refuses to die down.
According to Mark Oppenneer, “the implementation of ICTs in service to indigenous peoples in development settings is a double-edged sword”, as both the critics and proponents of ICT4D have seemingly irreconcilable perspectives.
Questioning the cultural neutrality of the ICT medium, Charles Ess, in his paper “Questioning the Obvious? Ethical and Cultural Dimensions of CMC and ICTs” states that
[..]. Far from serving as value-free or morally-neutral tools, CMC (Computer mediated Communication) technologies themselves appear to embed and foster the cultural values and communicative preferences of their Western designers. As a first example: South Africa has attempted to establish Learning Centres intended to empower indigenous peoples by helping them take advantage of the multiple potentials and capacities of ICTs. A series of observers have noted, however, that these Centres repeatedly fail – in part, because of basic cultural conflicts. Briefly, the Centres reflect their designer’s Western emphasis on individual and silent learning – in contrast with indigenous preferences for learning in collaborative and often noisy, performative ways (Postma 2001). This conflict is also captured in Edward T. Hall’s distinction between high and low context cultures (1976). In this schema, contemporary societies such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Germanic countries show a preference for literate (i.e., textual), high content (but low context) information transfer – while societies such as Arabic cultures, indigenous peoples, and many Asian cultures prefer instead more oral, low content (but   high context) modes of communication.
[…] Similarly, Western Group Support Systems (GSS) that favor anonymity as a feature intended to encourage open and direct communication proved disastrous in the Confucian cultures of South Asia, as this indeed succeeded in encouraging subordinates to make comments that were culturally interpreted – and condemned – as attacks on one’s “face” (Abdat and Pervan 2000). These and multiple other examples make clear that CMC technologies carry and further a specific set of cultural values and communicative preferences – ones that, far from being universally shared, are indeed limited to specific cultural domains.
Secondly, because these technologies thus clearly embed and foster specific cultural values and communicative preferences – the initial enthusiasm for these technologies inadvertently but powerfully only aids and abets a form of “computer-mediated colonization” that threatens to override diverse cultural values and communicative preferences with those defining the dominant economic and political powers of the West.
While Ess, worried about the medium defeating the intended purpose of preservation, calls for a more culturally-aware framework, others have pointed out that such concerns are not entirely correct.
In response to a query by David Sasaki, director of Global Voices’ Rising Voices section, as to whether or not helping under-represented communities join the online global conversation inevitably leads to their westernization/Americanization,  Álvaro Ramírez and Diego Gomez, co-founders of the HiperBarrio project, spoke of the community adapting Western culture to their own needs, infusion of new knowledge and broadening horizons.
Citing the example of hip-hop music, Alvaro pointed out that for the community, while there was definitely some US influence, the issue was not so much Americanization as adapting something western to their own needs.  So it was not only about getting influenced but exerting influence as well, giving birth to something new, new knowledge or culture. Diego noted that the project had also opened up other doors of communication beyond westernization.
I think that in this project especially they have been influenced not just by Americans they now begin to think about India, Dubai, and other cultures that they didn't know existed before. Or they didn't have much reference.
Projects such as the E-Bario project in Malaysia, Community project of the indigenous Ngalia  and Badimaya people of Western Australia, the Alan – Gluban project in Taiwan are a few cases in point.
In the final analysis, as Mark Oppenneer points out
…the critics are right: misguided ICT4D implementation that doesn’t take into consideration a wide range of cultural factors and explicitly or implicitly imposes Western processes or structures upon indigenous recipients does constitute a new form of computer-mediated colonialism. And yes, the proponents of ICT4D are right: ICTs, when implemented thoughtfully and respectfully – keeping the needs of the recipients at the fore – can be powerful agents of change in the fight to reduce poverty and improve the lives of marginalized peoples in developing nations.
In his 2008 presentation, UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples – The Role of ICTs, Jesse Fidler listed various possibilities for ICT to actively engage the indigenous communities and realize their visions.
And as far as preserving the pristine, isolated local culture is concerned, Professor Amartya Sen perhaps summed it up best in his talk at the 3rd IDRC/ Harvard Forum on the future of information and communication technology for development (ICT4D) when he said that there is “no such thing as ‘unaided culture”, or ”culture that exists in isolation”.

author: Aparna Ray


text:
India, Pakistan: The Sky Below  · Global Voices
Rezwan

Kamla Bhatt reviews a documentary of Sarah Singh (New York), The Sky Below, which looks at the partition of the Indian sub-continent in 1947 and “how it impacted the people and communities on both sides of the border: India and Pakistan.”