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Latin America after Chávez: Change and Continuity · Global Voices
Pablo Andres Rivero

This post is part of our International Relations & Security coverage.
Hugo Chavez mural in Caracas, Venezuela. Photo by mwausk on flickr (CC BY 2.0)
As a staunch critic of the United States and a leading figure of the left-wing revival across Latin America, Hugo Chávez Frías has undoubtedly left a remarkable footprint on contemporary international politics. But what will come of his legacy?
As Venezuela mourns and a new election campaign commences, many are asking questions about the future of political relations in Latin America, a region where Chávez is credited with strong leadership.
Antonio J. Vázquez from Passim blog writes:
As for foreign relations, with Maduro as president it does not appear that regional and transoceanic relationships will change. The influence in the [Latin America] region will be maintained at the same level, as long as there is oil and money. Venezuela will continue to export barrels [of oil] to Cuba at gift prices, and will continue trading at preferential prices with countries of its natural [political] environment, beyond the geographical.
This is likely to be welcomed beyond Havana. Currently, twenty Latin American and Caribbean countries continue to benefit from Venezuela’s Petrocaribe [es] program of energy subsidies and preferential oil prices. These include the economically devastated Haiti.
Along with his “anti-American” discourse, Chávez also attempted to boost integration processes across Latin America. The Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and The Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA) are, perhaps, the two leading examples of Chavez’s attempts to use regional organizations to circumvent the power and influence of the United States. The question now is whether Maduro or another politician will lead the region according to Chavez’s legacy, or more moderately.
Manu García, a supporter of the so-called ‘Bolivarian’ process led by Chávez over the last 14 years, appears to want continuity and change:
However, the excessive personalization of ‘the process of change’ is concerning. The Bolivarian process should consolidate a collective leadership if it does not wish to perish in the struggle for the legacy of the deceased. The challenge is to be a real process and ‘Bolivarian’ rather than merely a facade and “chavism”.
Others doubt that this could happen. Carlos Malamud, a researcher from the Real Instituto Elcano, concludes:
A new continental myth may have emerged after the death of Hugo Chávez, even comparable to that of Che Guevara or Simón Bolívar. That is not the issue at this stage. What is clear is that beyond his remembrance, Chávez’s continental leadership is non-transferable and currently there is no one in Latin America with the charisma, the resources, and the favorable agenda to take his place.
This post and its translations to Spanish, Arabic and French were commissioned by the International Security Network (ISN) as part of a partnership to seek out citizen voices on international relations and security issues worldwide. This post was first published on the ISN blog, see similar stories here.

author: Pablo Andres Rivero


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Saudi Royal Advisor to Sue Twitter User · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

On Riyadh Bureau, Ahmed Al Omran writes:
A member of the Saudi Shoura Council said today that he is going to sue a conservative writer for attacking him on Twitter. Shoura member Issa al-Ghaith said that “due to the escalation of offenses on Twitter and the necessity of legal action” he is going to sue Abdullah al-Dawood, a Saudi conservative writer based in Riyadh, for accusing him of “demanding secularism” after al-Ghaith spoke in positive terms about lifting the ban on women driving.
The Shura council is a 150-member advisory body, appointed by the king, which cannot pass or impose laws and women are not allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Saudi Arabia Threatens to Block Skype and WhatsApp  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Saudi Arabia, an Enemy of the Internet, is threatening to block a number of popular communication tools, such as Skype and mobile messaging service WhatsApp, unless the operating companies agree to infringe on the privacy of users and monitor them.
According to Brian Whitaker, who blogs at Al-bab, the Saudi authorities:
are threatening to block popular communication services such as Skype, WhatsApp and Viber unless the operating companies agree to monitoring of messages and calls.
Al-Arabiya reports that the Saudi Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC) has given companies until the end of this week to respond.
If the companies do not comply with the Saudi request, the commission may take action and block these services.
Saudi Arabia, an Enemy of the Internet according to Reporters without Borders, threatens to block popular sites such as Skype and WhatsApp, unless it can monitor them
Whitaker adds:
The Saudi authorities are threatening to block popular communication services such as Skype, WhatsApp and Viber unless the operating companies agree to monitoring of messages and calls.
Al-Arabiya reports that the Saudi Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC) has given companies until the end of this week to respond.
“In case they say it is impossible to monitor the applications, the commission said it will consider procedures to block them altogether in the kingdom.”
The Jeddah-based Arab News says the authorities are concerned because the applications use encrypted connections:
“According to two informed sources who work at local telecommunication companies, this issue has been at the top of the agenda of discussions during meetings between heads of telecom companies and the CITC over the past 20 days. The meetings have finally concluded with the CITC demanding that it be allowed to monitor the encrypted applications.”
Predictably, the authorities justify their demand for monitoring on the grounds that it will help prevent crime and terrorism. But, as Ahram Online points out, conservatives in the kingdom are worried about the growth of internet-based social networks which are outside their control and which “have enlarged the severely restricted scale of freedom of expression”.
Whitaker reminds us:
The question now is whether the companies concerned will agree to the CITC's demands. There was a similar issue three years ago when the CITC threatened to shut down the BlackBerry Messenger service unless it was given access to codes that would allow monitoring of messages.
The matter was later resolved, though it is not clear how. The CITC said it was dropping the ban after Research in Motion, the Canadian company behind BlackBerry, met “part” of its regulatory requirements. Some reports suggested the company had caved in and agreed to put a BlackBerry server in the country so that the Saudis could directly access customer data.
On Riyadh Bureau, Ahmed Al Omran reports that Saudi Arabia's grand mufti Abdulaziz Al Sheikh has described Twitter as a place where youth waste their time and a “gathering place for every clown and corrupter who post tweets that are illegitimate, false and wrong.”
Al Omran adds:
The Grand Mufti has become increasingly critical of Twitter users recently. In January 2012 he said the social network “has become a platform for trading accusations and for promoting lies used by some just for the sake of fame.” Then in October he called people who use the site “fools” and accused them of lacking modesty and faith.
He also offers statistics on Twitter users in Saudi Arabia saying:
Twitter has become a major platform for Saudi to exchange ideas and debate political issues in the country. A recent survey said 51% of internet users in Saudi Arabia are active Twitter users, putting it in first place worldwide. A Saudi official admitted last month that the government is struggling to monitor and censor the site due to the huge volume of messages posted by users inside the country.
As Saudis make their voices heard online, thanks to the wide reach of social media, Saudi authorities seem to be working even harder at muzzling their voices.


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Shades of Communism in New Russian Registration Law · Global Voices
Aleksandra

On the evening of March 18, 2013 group of around 12 people [ru] unveiled a long black-and-white poster in the Red Square, reading “Go f*ck yourself with your registration”. They set off flares and shouted slogans, among which were “Down with the Chekist government!” and “Putin will be executed!” The protest [ru] lasted for a few minutes before it was harshly broken up by Moscow police, who arrested the demonstrators in their usual brutal manner [ru], dragging some away by their hair.
Protesters holding a banner in the Red Square. Banner reads “Go f*ck yourself with your registration.” YouTube screenshot. March 25, 2013
The action was in response to legislation currently under consideration [ru] in the Russian parliament, which if adopted would create harsh penalties for any Russian citizen not registered at their current address.
“Inflatable Flats”
Currently, Russians are already required to register with the authorities within 90 days of changing address. The new bill would increase fines for failing to register from 2,000 rubles to 3,000 rubles  and up to 5,000 rubles in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Landlords or tenants who sub-let are also liable for fines of up to 7,000 rubles, while legal entities face fines of up to 800,000 rubles. Furthermore, intentionally misleading the authorities by registering a person who, in fact, doesn't reside at the property (so called “fake registration”) becomes a criminal offence carrying large fines and punishable up to 3 years in jail.
The new registration rules were first conceived in line with Putin's election promises to fight the notorious practice of registering dozens of foreign migrants in a single apartment. According to statistics cited [ru] by Duma deputies, in 2011 some 300,000 people were found to be registered at 6,400 addresses — hence the curious name of the proposed legislation, the “Inflatable Flats Law”. In Russia today there are about 10 -15 million migrant workers, many of them from poor Central Asian republics. The vibrant economies of Moscow and St. Petersburg make these cities especially popular destinations for these laborers, and their large numbers are seen as placing a serious strain on social services and provoking ethnic and cultural tensions.
The proposed legislation has been harshly criticized by Russia's online community, many of whom feel that it breaches the freedom of movement clause of the Russian Constitution. For many Russians it invokes memories of “propiska” – a Soviet-era registration permit used by Soviet authorities to control internal migration by effectively binding citizens to their place of residence. While propiska is still remembered as a painful example of limited civil liberties under communism, it was not universally disliked, as many perceived it as a way to limit economic migration.
The proposed legislation also has potential unintended consequences. According to a report in Niezavisimaya Gazeta [ru], about 7 million Russians currently reside in properties whose landlords, for various reasons, are refusing to provide them with necessary registration paperwork. Oleg Shein, an Astrakhan based politician from the “Just Russia” party, voiced a popular criticism by pointing out [ru] in a blog post that rather than foreigners, it’s ordinary Russians, homeowners and occupiers, who will be most affected by the increased penalties:
Реально закон касается вовсе не мифических “таджикских иммигрантов”, а примерно 25-30 миллионов русских, татар, калмыков, евреев, осетин и т.д., живущих не там, где написано в паспорте. В Астрахани я оцениваю число таких людей примерно в сто тысяч. […] Причины могут быть разные: аварийный дом, трудовая иммиграция из села в город, конфликт с родственниками и т.д.
In reality the law affect not “migrants from Tajikistan”, but approximately 25-30 million [ethnic] Russians, Tatars, Kalmyks, Jews, Ossetians, etc. who do not live at the address stamped in their passports. In Astrakhan I would estimate there are around 100,000 people in this situation. […] There may be various reasons for this: emergency housing, labor migration from villages to the city, a family conflict, etc.
Muscovites face inspections
Despite the fact that the legislation is not yet in effect, Moscow City Government has already begun to actively monitor registration of people living in housing association flats. It has introduced guidelines on its website which advise inhabitants that a district policeman with the representatives of the housing association will be visiting flats twice a month to verify registration. Communal flats have been plastered with notices asking neighbors to notify housing authorities if they suspect that large numbers of strangers may have moved into a flat in their building. Bloggers [ru] and the media [ru] report that these “raids” have already started in many districts of Moscow.
The revelations have provoked strong online reactions, as citizens are outraged about the violation of their privacy. The new rules are also seen as a bribe-seeking opportunity for corrupt law enforcement officers — people will be incentivised to pay them off rather than face fines or court procedures. An online petition [ru] against the legislation has been set up by the activist movement “No to Propiska” and already boasts 91,621 signatures (by law, upon collection of 100,000 signatures it has to be debated by the Duma). Bloggers and online communities are now issuing advice [ru] to the public about what to do should the police knock on their door and demand entry for inspection.
Putin against Putin
Many opponents of the tougher registration rules are convinced that the law is just another symptom of the ongoing crackdown on civil liberties during Putin’s third presidential term.
Popular liberal blogger Oleg Kozyrev made it clear [ru] he has no doubts about the motivation behind the bill.
Мое мнение – смысл этого закона конечно не в том, чтобы кормить участковых, а в том, чтобы повысить репрессивный характер контроля над гражданами, это шаг к тоталитарному характеру власти. Закон абсолютно в логике законов о митингах, об интернете и т.д.
In my opinion – the logic behind introducing this legislation is, of course, not to feed local police officers [through corruption], but to increase the repressive means of control over citizens, a step towards totalitarian government. This law follows the same logic as ones restricting public gatherings, censoring the Internet etc.
Blogger Sapojnik voiced [ru] similar sentiment:
Все-таки несчастная Россия – это какой-то дурной сон, поставленный на вечный “повтор”. Когда уж, наконец, клеймо “регистрации” начнут ставить всем прямо на лбу, чтоб не перетруждать ответственных работников ДэЗов?? Позор, конечно. Людей в собственной стране ходят и проверяют, как скот – есть клеймо или нет. Дожили! В 1991, когда казалось, что в страну пришла СВОБОДА – разве я думал, что опять доживу до такого маразма??
Poor Russia is like some kind of bad dream, put on eternal “replay”. When will they start putting a registration brand right on your forehead, so as not to trouble responsible government officials?? A total shame. People in their own country are being inspected like a cattle, checked if they are branded of not! This is what we've lived to see! In 1991, when it seemed that the FREEDOM came to the country, did it ever occur to me that I’d witness such madness again?
Oleg Kozlovsky reminded  [ru] his readers that since the abolition of Soviet-era propiska in 1993, various restrictions and limits to freedom of movement were gradually lifted as legislators aimed to make life easier for the citizens, first allowing to remain without registration for 90 days, then allowing to register over the Internet. Now:
[…] больше государственного контроля, больше запретов, больше наказаний. […] Так Путин отменяет то немногое, что при нем было сделано хорошего.
[…] more government control, more restrictions and more punishments. […] Thus Putin reverses the little good that was done during his time.
It is hard not to sympathize with such pessimistic reactions. While the legislation does try to address the specific problem of large numbers of migrants registering in one flat, police inspections of people’s homes are rightly seen as unacceptable. By encouraging neighbors and district police officers to keep a close eye on residents and identify any “illegals”, the law fosters a culture of invigilation and mistrust. At the same time it fails to distinguish between foreigners and Russian citizens, and fails to address broader problems with large numbers of foreign migrants.
According to [ru] the Presidential Human Rights Council many foreign laborers are simply unable to legally obtain residency permits. President Putin is said [ru] to acknowledge that there are problems with the legislation in its current form, and recognizes that improvements have to be made before it is signed into law. Nevertheless, most politicians in the ruling “United Russia” party seem content [ru] with the bill in its current form, and so any hope for substantial change seems forlorn.

author: Aleksandra


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Nine Street Kids Die in Senegal Quran School Fire · Global Voices
Anna Gueye

At least nine children died in a raging fire on the night of Sunday 3 March, 2013 in the Medina district of Dakar, Senegal. It was reported that a fire broke out while the children were sleeping in a crowded room at an Islamic school in the capital, and at least seven of the dead are thought to be ‘talibs’ (Quran students).
Following the tragedy, several politicians reacted [fr] to the news, and in doing so, have highlighted just how tough the living conditions can be for talibs.
Hady Ba [fr] explains, on his blog, what being a talib [fr] entails:
Traditionnellement au Sénégal, les parents confiaient leurs enfants à des érudits pour qu’ils leur apprennent d’abord à mémoriser le Coran puis, au fur et à mesure qu’ils grandissent, les sciences religieuses. Durant les premières années de cet apprentissage, ces enfants ne sont pas nourris par le marabout auquel ils sont confiés mais par la communauté toute entière. Chacun de ces enfants a une écuelle et, trois fois par jour, ces élèves qui sont appelés talibés (oui, c’est la même racine arabe que taliban J) font le tour des maisons de la ville ou du village et reçoivent des poignées de nourritures qu’ils recueillent dans ces écuelles et mangent …  Cette éducation était faite pour former des hommes stoïques se contentant de ce qu’ils ont, résistant à la faim et indifférents aux plaisirs de ce bas monde. Elle s’inscrivait dans une certaine vision du monde et dans un réseau social tel que toute la communauté se sentait responsable des enfants errants.
In Senegal, parents would traditionally entrust the care of their children to scholars who would teach them to memorize the Quran and then, as the children grew older, theology. During the first few years of their studies, these children would not be fed by the marabout [translator's note: Quran teacher] to which they were assigned, but by the entire community. Each of these children had a bowl and, three times a day, these students – which are know as ‘talibs’ (yes, the word comes from the same Arabic root as ‘Taliban’) – would go from door to door among the houses of the town or the village, receiving handfuls of food that they would gather in their bowls to eat … The tradition was meant to be educational – it was intended to form stoic men who, content with what they have, would resist hunger and be indifferent to the pleasures of this base world. The tradition was based on a particular world-view and on social networks through which the the whole community felt responsible for the wandering children.
Over the course of the last few decades, however, the hardships faced by the talibs have started to become excessive. In its article ‘La détresse des enfants talibés‘ [fr; translator's note: the plight of  talib children], Sentinelles, a Swiss NGO, explains:
Les talibés survivent dans des daaras (écoles coraniques), souvent des habitations de fortune, inachevées, sans eau ni électricité, où les enfants, en surnombre, privés d'hygiène et de soins, s'entassent pour dormir, généralement à même le sol ou parfois sur des nattes, les uns collés aux autres. Beaucoup de daaras fleurissent ainsi, avec à leur tête des marabouts recherchant plus des profits personnels que le bien-être des talibés, devenus pour eux une source de revenus. Ils sont à la merci de leur «maître» qui a tous les droits sur eux. Le sévices corporels violents sont courant durant l'enseignement religieux. Au Sénégal, à peu près n’importe quel musulman peut se dire marabout, et il n’existe aucune loi régissant les daaras, contrairement aux établissements scolaires. Les marabouts sont vénérés et jouissent d’un véritable pouvoir sur la population.
The talib survive in the daaras (Quran schools) – often unfinished, makeshift shelters, without water or electricity, where children, deprived of hygiene and basic care, crowd together to sleep, usually on the floor or sometimes on mats, each child pressed up against the next. Many daaras thrive in this way – under the management of marabouts who are more concerned with their own profits than the talibs’ welfare, the students having become a source of income for their teachers. The talibs are at the mercy of these “masters”, who may do with them what they please – violent beatings are common during a talib's religious education. In Senegal, nearly any Muslim can become a marabout, and – in contrast to other types of schools – there is no law governing the daaras. The marabouts are revered and enjoy very real power over the population.
In response to this tragedy, the government has given instructions on the immediate banning of the practice of begging, believing that at the heart of the problem lies the exploitation of children by organized begging. Leral.net has quoted [fr] Abdoul Mbaye, Prime Minister of Senegal, as follows:
Selon Abdoul Mbaye, cette « mendicité organisée et cette exploitation des enfants en leur faisant vivre des conditions terribles et des risques doivent cesser ». À l’en croire, « c’est parce que les ressortissants sénégalais ne sont pas dupes que certains marabouts vont aller [chercher des enfants] jusque dans les pays limitrophes en Gambie, en Guinée Bissau et au Mali. Le Président de la République a donné des instructions fermes : de telles pratiques doivent cesser. Les marabouts véreux seront chassés et punis… »
According to Abdoul Mbaye, this “organized begging and this exploitation of children by making them live in risk and in terrible conditions must stop.” According to him, “it is because Senegalese nationals are not gullible that some marabouts go [looking for children] in the neighboring countries of Gambia, Guinea Bissau and Mali. The President has given clear instructions on this issue: such practices must stop. Corrupt marabouts will be sought out and punished …
However, as the columnist Dom Bochel Guégan [fr] has pointed out, this is not the first time that the Senegalese government has taken such measures. She would like to believe that the prohibition on begging by children will be effective, however [fr]:
Il est tentant pour certains parents, tentant ou seule issue possible, de confier leur enfant en espérant qu'ainsi, il aura de quoi manger…
Sans compter tous les gamins venus de l'étranger, de Guinée ou d'ailleurs et qu'il faudra rendre à leurs familles, si on les trouve…
En 2010 déjà, Abdoulaye Wade, alors président de la République avait lui aussi annoncé la fin de la mendicité de ces mêmes talibés, poussé par la pression internationale des bailleurs de fond qui avaient posé ce préalable à toute autre aide financière.
La promesse n'aura pas tenu longtemps. Durant quoi ? deux, trois semaines nous avons effectivement constaté la disparition de ces gamins des rues, avant qu'ils ne reviennent, tous, et que les choses reprennent comme avant.
It is tempting for some parents to entrust their children [to a marabout] in the hope that this way, they will not starve. Indeed, this may sometimes be the only possible solution…
Not to mention all the children who have come from abroad – from Guinea or elsewhere – that would need to be returned to their families once they are found…
Already in 2010, Abdoulaye Wade, then President of the Republic, had announced an end to talibé begging. He had been driven by pressure from international donors who had set this as a precondition to further financial aid.
The promise did not last long. How long? We saw the streets kids disappear for two or three weeks and then they came back, all of them, and things once again became as they had been before.
These are not the only difficulties facing the government. As Hady Ba and Dom Bochel Guégan have pointed out, there was also swift backlash from religious leaders. They cite two instances of such opposition:
Quran teachers from Touba, Darou Moukhty and Diourbel have been reported [fr] as stating:
« Aucun daara ne sera fermé… Nous refusons le diktat de l’Etat… L’Etat est dans une logique de règlements de comptes… Le talibé est un petit mendiant et l’Etat un grand mendiant … Nous sommes prêts à regrouper 6.666 daaras pour des prières destructrices … ».
“Not a single daara (ed's note: school in wolof) will be closed … We reject the government's diktat … The government is out to settle scores  … While the talibé is a small beggar, the government is a bigger beggar … We are ready to bring together 6,666 daaras to pray for its destruction … “.
The Rufisque daara Quran teachers’ regional collective was reported [fr] to have held a press conference in which they threatened mystical combat against the President.
Some commentators have suggested that the government might introduce religious instruction into the general school curriculum. Serigne Mansour Sy Djamil [fr], a member of parliament and a religious leader, has argued that the government is responsible for the Medina fire. He has accused the government of abandoning Quran schools, leaving them to face poverty so that it can fund its republican [secular] education agenda.
Photograph of a child in a Senegal street taken Dom Bochel Guégan. (reproduced with her permission)
One netizen has reacted [fr] as follows on Facebook:
Ce matin [12 mars]  encore j'ai croisé des enfants, nus pieds, vêtus d'un simple tee-shirt trop grand, l'interdiction n'est bien évidemment pas respectée. Le premier ministre a dit hier que les lois étaient déjà existantes (vrai) et qu'il suffisait de les appliquer. Yako, fokon, espérons.
Still this morning [March 12], I bumped into children, barefoot, wearing nothing but an oversized T-shirt – the prohibition is clearly not being respected. The Prime Minister said yesterday that the necessary laws were already in place (true) and that these need only to be applied. Yako fokon which means let's hope.

author: Anna Gueye


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String of Killings Leaves Five Guatemalan Activists Dead · Global Voices
Renata Avila

While Guatemala attempts to bring former dictator Efraín Ríos Montt to justice in a landmark genocide trial, deadly violence elsewhere in the country continues unpunished. In less than one month, five activists and human right defenders struggling against mining companies and fighting for land and labor rights have been murdered in rural areas.
Tomas Quej, a young indigenous leader from Baja Verapaz, was found dead with a gunshot wound to the heart on February 26, 2013, as Comunicarte [es] reported. Quej had just won a long struggle in court for the lands of his community. He had seven children, including a newborn.
Right after Quej's murder, indigenous union and campesino leader Carlos Hernández Medoza was murdered on his way back from Honduras on March 8. Hernández was a prominent leader who rallied various sectors in his community and region. Frontline Defenders reported:
Carlos Hernández Mendoza was a leader in the Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de Salud de Guatemala – SNTSG (National Health Workers Union of Guatemala), as well as a member of the social revolutionary movement Frente Nacional de Lucha – FNL (National Struggle Front), Coordinadora de Organizaciones Populares, Indígenas, Iglesia, Sindicales, Campesinas de Oriente – COPIISCO (Coordinator of Popular, Indigenous, Religious, Workers and Farmer Organisations of the Oriente) and Asociación Campesina Camoteca (Camotán Campesino Organisation).
Xinca mourning by Rodrigo Baires Quezada for Plaza Publica, under a Creative Commons Attribution license.
On March 13, 68-year-old indigenous Tzutuhil leader Gerónimo Sol Ajcot was brutally murdered by masked men on his way to work.
Four days later, Encarnación López Ucelo, an outspoken leader from the minority Xinca indigenous group, was murdered and three of his colleagues were kidnapped, beaten and then released. The group was demonstrating against mining operations by Canadian company Tahoe Resources and the murdered leader was also involved in land disputes, another possible cause of the criminal act. There are still concerns for the safety of the surviving leaders, as an urgent action appeal by Amnesty International explained:
On 17 March, four Xinca leaders – Encarnación Marcos, Rigoberto Aguilar, Rodolfo López and Roberto González – participated in a public event held in the El Volcancito hamlet, San Rafael Las Flores, where they acted as observers at a community-organized consultation on mining in the area. Following the event, the four men left El Volcancito at 8.30pm. At approximately 9.15pm, as they were approaching Mataquescuintla, approximately 12 men in two trucks stopped their vehicle. The heavily armed men, who were wearing balaclavas, forced them into the trucks. Rigoberto Aguílar and Rodolfo López were released at different times during the night. Rigoberto Aguílar had reportedly been beaten.  In the early morning of 18 March, Encarnación Marcos was found dead. His body had been thrown into a ditch and his hands were tied. One of the pickup trucks had been left near the corpse.
An appeal was also launched on Causes calling to stop violence against mining activists in Guatemala.
The most recent victim, as reported by Albedrio [es], was union leader Santa Alvarado, who was fighting for the rights of health sector workers. She was kidnapped and found strangled. Alvadro leaves two little children behind and adds to the outrageous number of women killed in Guatemala.
As the report of the Guatemalan Truth Commission concluded and the genocide trial against former dictator Rios Montt et al confirms, Guatemala has a long and painful history of repression of peasants, social leaders, unionists, women, and children.
In fact, as No a la Mina (No to the mine) pointed out [es], the recent repression resembles the death squad operations that once left thousands of leaders killed in Guatemala. If social conflicts are going to be solved with a gun and left in absolute impunity, Guatemala's future looks just like its grim past.

author: Renata Avila


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The Highest Money Transfer Fees in the World Are in Sub-Saharan Africa · Global Voices
Abdoulaye Bah

Babylas Serge de Souza wrote [fr] on his blog:
Sub-Saharan Africa is the most expensive destination in the world for money transfer: the average cost of transfer from abroad reached 12.4% in 2012. The average cost of money transfers to Africa as a whole is around 12%, which is higher than the world average (8.96%), and almost two times higher than the cost of remittances to South Asia, which has the lowest rates in the world (6.54%).

author: Abdoulaye Bah


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Trinidad & Tobago: Falling Apart?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The Eternal Pantomime sees disturbing parallels between the late Chinua Achebe's famous novel ‘Things Fall Apart’ and the political and social climate in Trinidad and Tobago.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Tunisia: “No to IMF Loan”  · Global Voices
Afef Abrougui

As Tunisia works to secure a US$1.78 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to cover next year's budget, the government has ignited anger across the country raising taxes and cutting subsidies at a time when the economy is struggling to recover from the country's Arab Spring uprising.
The country has relied on foreign assistance to finance its budget since the revolution two years ago that toppled the rule of Zeine el Abidin Ben Ali. In addition to the IMF money, the country has recently benefited from two US$500 million loans from the World Bank as well as grants and loans from Qatar, the African Development Bank, the US government, the EU, Turkey and the French Development Agency.
Tunisia's economy is stalled thanks to the impact of its 2010 uprising. Unemployment is estimated at 17 percent, but in the poor regions of the country's interior, the rate ranges from 30 to 40 percent. The tourism industry, which accounts for a sixth of the workforce, has been badly hit by the unrest which followed the assassination of opposition leader Chokri Belaid.
Meanwhile, the inflation rate has recently reached 6 percent, the highest figure in seven years.
On March 14, the Inner City Press quoted William Murray, the deputy spokesman for the IMF, saying:
Negotiations for a precautionary Stand-By Arrangement are ongoing at a technical level with the Tunisian authorities. As you noted, a new government has been formed and staff is now inquiring about its intentions and mandate. In any case, the IMF continues to stand ready to help Tunisia in any way deemed necessary during this difficult political transition process.
A number of Tunisian netizens feared that the IMF loan will result in painful reforms, making the country's economy worse. Mariem Ben Abid, founder of the Arab Governance Institute, is one of them. She argued:
In order to secure the loan payment, the IMF suggests their classical set of “structural reforms,” which certain experts call “painful reforms” due to their negative impact on the economy and the standard of living in Tunisia(…)There is a need for a gradual reduction of subsidies that constitute five percent of the gross domestic product (GDP). This will result in an increase of fuel prices and consequently, transportation costs. This will ultimately lead to a general increase of market prices… Because of a potential increase in the taxes on the value added tax (VAT), this could result in an increase in the market prices and eventually undermine Tunisians’ standard of living, since salaries will not see the same increase, especially given that the inflation rate is already about nine percent.
Ben Abid believed there are other measures the Tunisian government could take to avoid borrowing from the IMF:
Control of tax evasion and tax audit for businessmen who have a reputation of corruption associated with the Ben Ali clan.
More transparency in expenditure and state revenue, including national and international calls for bids and energy revenues.
Substantive reform to limit corruption, which has increased according to several national and international studies, as well as the implementation of good governance measures.
Initiate an audit to find the money borrowed during the Ben Ali era. This will help trace back the destination of misappropriated funds and maybe recover a part of them.
Creation of new trade agreements with Africa and the Maghreb to reduce dependence on Europe (eighty percent of our foreign trade exchange) and to soften the impact of the European Union crisis on our economy, while accelerating the reform of the customs which has become, according to the testimony of several exporters, a serious economic constraint since the revolution.
Strengthening security in order to rebuild the tourism sector.
In order to raise awareness about these “painful reforms”, award-winning blog Nawaat, made the following video:
In it, the video has the following message [fr]:
La Tunisie va emprunter 1.78 milliard de dollars au FMI
Le FMI exige une réforme douloureuse pour assurer le remboursement de son crédit
Nous passerons 40 ans de notre vie à travailler pour payer l’ensemble de ces dettes
Non à l’hypothèque de deux générations
Non à la suppression des subventions (pain, farine, médicaments, livres, transport …)
Non aux privatisations sauvages.
Non a l’endettement auprès du FMI
Non à l’augmentation des prix, de la TVA sur les produits et services
Oui à l’audit quant à l’argent emprunté sous Ben Ali.
Oui à l’étude et a l’audit par l’ANC des l’emprunts passés et à venir.
L’enseignement et la santé doivent rester accessibles à tous
Défendons, ensemble, la Tunisie, ses richesses et son avenir !
Tunisia will borrow a $1.78 billion loan from the IMF.
The IMF requires a set of painful reforms to ensure the reimbursement of its loan.
We will spend 40 years of our lives working to pay these debts.
No to the mortgaging of two generations.
No to the suppression of subsidies (bread, flour, medications, books, transportation…)
No to ferocious privatization.
No to borrowing from the IMF.
Yes to an audit into the money borrowed under the Ben Ali rule.
Yes to reviewing and examining past and future loans by the NCA [National Constituent Assembly].
Education and healthcare should remain accessible to everyone.
Let's together defend Tunisia, its wealth and future!

author: Afef Abrougui


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INFOGRAPHIC: More Money for Ukraine’s Bloated Police Force  · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Some pictures are worth a thousand words – and so are some infographics.
The visualized data on Ukraine's law enforcement that many Ukrainian Facebook users have been sharing this month tells us that the country's police force is huge and has been receiving more and more state funding over the past few years.
According to the first infographic, which has been shared by 1,160 Facebook users, Ukraine has 644 police officers per 100,000 people. Ahead of Ukraine are Belarus with 1,441 police officers, Russia with 975, and Kazakhstan with 713. Canada ranks the last, with only 193 police officers per 100,000 of its citizens.
Police officers per 100,000 of population. Source: censor.net.ua
Below are some of the most typical responses from Facebook users.
Wladislav Stromecki [ru]:
A typically [sovok] approach – quantity over quality…
Alexander Goosecow [ru]:
The regime is so scared of its citizens. Very telling.
Nikolay Chupashkin [ru]:
Looks like the first four countries can easily succeed in creating not [the Customs Union], but the Police Union! Everything is ready!!!
Volodymyr Bury [uk]:
One of the possible ways of interpreting the notion of job creation.
The next infographic looks at the funding of Ukraine's Prosecutor General Office, the Ministry of the Interior, and the Security Service. The agency responsible for policing (the figure in the middle) got 15 billion hryvnias for 2013 (approx. $1.8 billion), which is 3.2 billion hryvnias (nearly $400 million) more than it received in 2010.
Victor Yanukovych's Police State: how funding for law enforcement agencies has been growing in 2010-2013, in billions of hryvnias.
User Anatoliy Kostyukh wrote [uk]:
A police state – they are calming us down and intimidating us with the help of the Interior Ministry, and they are also guarding their loot this way… […]
The third graph, which was shared 402 times on Facebook, shows that science, with its 3.1 billion hryvnias (approx. $100 million) from the state budget in 2012, isn't a priority in Ukraine – unlike the police, which got nearly five times that amount last year.
Ukraine: state funding of police vs. state funding of science in 2010-2012. Source: RFE/RL
User Mamay Kozak wrote [uk]:
The level of funding of science shows the Ukrainian government's colonial nature.
Violeta Magarit wrote [uk]:
We'll get the dinosaurs: strong, aggressive, and with pea-sized brains.
To put things in perspective some more, here is a short video infographic [ru] about the Ukrainian police, produced in January 2012 by “Prostyye Chisla” (“The Simple Numbers”; ru; on Facebook; on VKontakte):
The video starts with the “quantity” part already covered above – but also addresses the “quality” aspect:

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Arrest Warrant Issued for Egyptian Blogger Alaa Abd El Fattah for a Twitter Mention · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Egyptian blogger Alaa Abd El Fattah surrendered himself to the public prosecution today (March 26) after an arrest warrant was issued for him last night. The investigation, tweets Abd El Fattah, revolved around his relationship with Princess Joumana and her mention of him on Twitter. In other words, an arrest warrant was issued for Abd El Fattah, for a mention on Twitter.
Arrest warrants were also issued for political activists Ahmed Douma, Karim Al Shaer, Hazem Abdel Azeem and Ahmed Al Sahafi.
The Public Prosecution didn't seem to know what to do when Abd El Fattah showed up there. After an initial delay, Abd El Fattah tweets [ar]:
البلاغ مسخرة مكسوف للنيابة الصراحة
@alaa: The complaints is ridiculous. I am really embarrassed for the Public Prosecution.
Abd El Fattah holds his son Khaled outside the Public Prosecution earlier today. Photograph shared by @AymanAmalak on Twitter
Adding:
بقى اتسأل ما علاقتك بالاميرة جومانة و ما تفسير التعليقات الواردة على صفحتك في تويتر؟ بتحاكم على منشن يا بشر
@alaa:So I am asked about my relationship with Princess Joumana and how I should explain her mentions to me on Twitter. I am being investigated for a mention!
And he adds:
عموما رفضت الاجابة على كل الاسئلة لعدم حياد النائب العام ورغم تهافت التدعائات طلبت قاضي تحقيق. مفيش في الورق حاجة لو اتحبست تبقى قمة المسخرة
@alaa:I have refused to answer all the questions because of the lack of neutrality of the Public Prosecutor and despite the ridiculousness of the charges, I have asked for an investigation judge. There is nothing against me in the charges and if I am jailed, it would be a farce.
The charges, if this is all the Public Prosecution had to issue an arrest warning, attracted massive ridicule from netizens.
Lawyer Ragia Omran asks:
لماذا دار القضاء العالي تحول الي سكنة امنية من الامن المركزي خارج و بالداخل؟ للدرجة دي خايفين من علاء و رفاقة؟ @alaa
@rago_legal: Why has the court turned into a security barrack from the inside and out? Are they afraid of Alaa and his friends to this extent?
Ezbai quips:
كل واحد يخلي باله من منشناته
@ezabi:Everyone should now take care of his mentions
And Ahmed Abd El-Fatah (not Alaa's brother) jokes:
بعد موضوع جومانة علاء هو الي هيطلب من النيابة تسجنه.. هيخاغ يرجع البيت
@AhmedFatah: After Joumana's story is out, Alaa is the one who will ask the Public Prosecution to arrest him. He would be too afraid to return home.
Nelly Ali asks the authorities to get real:
@nellyali: a completely ludicrous government, @alaa gets arrested for being included in a mention… keep up with the times #MB…come out of ur caves!
Cairo67Unedited concludes:
@Cairo76Unedited: More comic this regime gets the more tragic it is 4 #Egyptians @alaa being prosecuted because of a mention not because of something he said


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Barbados: Shutting People Out?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Has Barbadian society become more exclusionary?  Code Red cites a report that suggests it might have.


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Chinese Mom Buys NYC Apartment for Toddler · Global Voices
Abby Liu

China's state media CCTV News ran a video report on a Chinese mom who bought a USD $6.5 million apartment in Manhattan for her two-year daughter, in preparation for her daughter's college life in NYC. Offbeat China has translated the report.

author: Abby Liu


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Xi Jinping’s ‘Shoe’ Metaphor Lights Up Web · Global Voices
Abby Liu

While discussing the paths that nations take towards development in a speech delivered at Moscow State Institute of International Relations, Chinese president Xi Jinping said, “Only the wearer knows if the shoe fits his foot.”  Xi’s metaphor triggered Chinese netizens’ comments. CHINA DIGITAL TIMES has translated some comments, including Blogger and commentator Wuyue Sanren‘s comment.


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Crisis in Sabah After Malaysia’s Standoff with Armed Filipinos · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

This post is part of our International Relations & Security coverage.
Map of Sabah and the standoff in Lahad Datu. Via Cmglee on Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0)
On February 9, 2013, some 200 armed Filipinos belonging to the so-called Royal Sulu Army occupied parts of Lahad Datu in Sabah (North Borneo) and declared ownership of the whole territory in the name of the Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III.
Sabah has been part of the Malaysian Federation since 1963. But the Sulu Sultanate, which is located in southern Philippines, has continued to assert its historical and proprietary claims over the territory. Moreover, the Philippines has yet to officially drop its claim that Sabah is part of its territory.
For three weeks, the Malaysian government asked the armed Filipinos in Lahad Datu to surrender. But finally on March 5, the military attacked the group and ended the occupation. The clash and subsequent military operations reportedly led to the killing of more than 60 individuals, including 8 members of the Malaysian police.
The Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs was quick to brand the armed Filipinos as terrorists. The Philippine government – which is currently finalizing a peace agreement with Muslim separatists in the southern part of the country – also condemned the occupation. President Benigno S. Aquino III accused “persons of interest” associated with his predecessor’s administration of “conspiring” to spark trouble in Sabah:
We are aware that there are those who conspired to bring us to this situation — a situation that has no immediate solutions. Some of their identities are clear to us, while others continue to skulk in the shadows.
To the people who are behind this, even now, I tell you: you will not succeed. All those who have wronged our country will be held accountable.
Interestingly, the Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has yet to dismiss the theory that Malaysian opposition politicians have conspired with the Sulu Sultan in order to destabilize the country and bring down the ruling coalition ahead of this year’s general elections.
Filipino activists protest the alleged human rights abuses suffered by Filipino residents in Sabah. Photo shared by Bayan
Humanitarian Crisis
The Lahad Datu standoff also sparked a humanitarian crisis after scores of Sabah residents with Filipino ancestry were arrested and more than 1,500 migrant Filipinos sought refuge in the Philippines. There are also allegations of human rights abuses committed by the Malaysian security forces, a claim that was strongly denied by the Kuala Lumpur government. The Sabah Coalition of Human Rights Organisations raised additional concerns about the impact of the military operation on Sabah’s residents:
Militarisation and the presence of security forces have created many roadblocks restricting the movements of the indigenous peoples in their foraging for food, harvesting, hunting and fishing.
The limitations on travel will result on food shortages for them.
Indeed, the Sabah question is likely to pose problems for both Malaysia and the Philippines for the foreseeable future. For instance, Carol Araullo of the left-leaning Bayan coalition accuses Aquino of abandoning the Philippines’ claims over the territory:
Many are beginning to surmise that the Aquino regime is not all convinced that the Sabah claim has merit and his description of it as a “hopeless cause” is not just a slip of the tongue indicating “ignorance or incompetence” as Sultan Jamalul Kiram III suspects, but his regime’s point of view and even policy on the matter.
R Kengadharan raises these questions for the Malaysian government:
How did the armed intruders enter our shores without the knowledge of our navy?
What has happened to our domestic and regional intelligence services?
Who has been providing the self-proclaimed sultan of Sulu arms?
Who is providing guerrilla training for the armed intruders in Sulu?
To avert a similar crisis in the future, perhaps the time has come for the leaders of Malaysia and the Philippines to settle once and for all the Sabah issue.
This post and its translations to Spanish, Arabic and French were commissioned by the International Security Network (ISN) as part of a partnership to seek out citizen voices on international relations and security issues worldwide. This post was first published on the ISN blog, see similar stories here.

author: Mong Palatino


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Drones and Drug Politics in China and Myanmar · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

This post is part of our International Relations & Security coverage.
Naw Kham before execution. Screenshot from China Central Television News video.
Burmese drug lord Naw Kham and fellow gang members Hsang Kham from Thailand, Yi Lai, and Zha Xika from Laos were executed by China  on March 1, 2013 after being found guilty of killing 13 Chinese sailors on the Mekong River in 2011.
The execution grabbed the world’s attention for two reasons. First, Chinese state-run TV networks aired the execution parade, a decision which enraged many people in Myanmar and even in China. Second, the Chinese government admitted that it considered the use of drones in 2012 to capture Naw Kham who was then hiding in a rural village in Laos. It was the first time that China publicly acknowledged that it had acquired drones.
Naw Kham’s execution triggered widespread discussion about his criminal activities. Known as the ‘Godfather of the Golden Triangle’, Naw Kham led the 100-strong Hawngleuk Militia in the Shan State border town of Tachilek in Myanmar which engaged in drug trafficking, kidnapping and hijacking. With Myanmar as its heartland, the notorious Golden Triangle in mainland Southeast Asia is the world’s second largest producer of opium after Afghanistan.
Naw Kham’s gang also extorted protection money from cargo ships along the Mekong River. He became the most wanted man in China after his group killed 13 Chinese sailors who refused to pay in 2011. The ‘Mekong Tragedy’ prompted China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand to launch joint patrols along the river and coordinate attempts to capture Naw Kham. His arrest drew comparisons to the successful operation by US forces to kill al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.
How did Naw Kham elude arrest for so many years? It seems he was protected by high-ranking Burmese officials and apparently even by some villagers, says Myanmar’s Mizzima News:
He managed for nearly a decade to avoid efforts by the region’s law enforcement agencies to capture him because of the “protection and blessings” of both villagers and Burma’s military in the Tachilek and Kentung area of Shan State, officials said. He was looked upon as a “Robin Hood”, for the doling out of money he extorted from Mekong shipping.
Naw Kham’s tragic life also reminds us about the complexity of narco-politics in Myanmar. Shan Herald explains the link between the war on drugs and the raging civil war in north Myanmar:
No one is innocent in the war on drugs in Burma:
The people because of their desperate need for survival
The rebels to buy arms for the struggle against a tyrannical government
The government and its armed forces for encouraging allies to be involved in the drug trade to fight against the resistance and for allowing their units to be involved so they could feed, clothe and equip themselves
The circle becomes complete when greedy financiers take advantage of the state of affairs to invest, produce and trade in drugs
Khuensai Jaiyen of the Shan Drug Watch believes that a “political solution with armed ethnic groups” is the key to addressing the drug menace:
It’s time to end the vicious cycle of new drug lords emerging and being scapegoated over and again. The political root causes of the drug problem must be tackled
News about China’s possession of drones prompted a discussion about whether the Chinese government will authorize their use to protect state investments in Myanmar, in particular its gas pipeline project. Mizzima weighs on this matter:
Perhaps, but perhaps not. However the fact that China is making its southwestern neighbor aware of its military capabilities sends a message [that is] hard to ignore.
It is highly likely that Chinese patience and its committed policy of respecting sovereignty will be put to the test in the coming months—not only in containing the Kachin conflict, but also in protecting a vital pipeline from sabotage.
With regard to the live showing of the execution march, most Burmese and Chinese internet users have criticized the “unnecessary spectacle”. Nicholas Bequelin of Human Rights Watch described it as an ‘affront to human dignity’:
There is no reason to turn an execution into this grotesque show and it actually detracts from the effective dispensation of justice … no matter what they have done, they are not animals in a zoo.
This post and its translations to Spanish, Arabic and French were commissioned by the International Security Network (ISN) as part of a partnership to seek out citizen voices on international relations and security issues worldwide. This post was first published on the ISN blog, see similar stories here.


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Global Dialogues Seeks Stories for Short Films · Global Voices
Mário Lopes

Global Dialogues is promoting an international contest that challenges all young people worldwide (under 25 by April 10, 2013) to pitch an idea for a short film about HIV/AIDS and sexuality or about violence. Besides the prizes listed in the rules of the contest, Global Dialogues promises that “the best ideas will be turned into films by some of world's greatest directors and young cinema talents.”
Banner from Global Dialogues Lusófonos: “Does your story make a movie?” [pt]

author: Mário Lopes


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How Will St. Lucia’s Civil Servant Strike Turn Out?  · Global Voices
Matthew Hunte

Earlier this month, the Civil Service Association (CSA) in Saint Lucia rejected the government's offer of a 4.5% increase in salaries, along with benefits. The CSA members put forward a 9.5% increase and have threatened industrial action if their demands are not met. The various unions representing the police, nurses and teachers accepted the government's offer, even though they, along with the CSA, are part of the Trade Union Federation (TUF). Just about a week ago, the CSA began strike action – and the impasse has dominated online conversation in the country as netizens discuss issues like the size of the public service, St. Lucia's debt burden and the state of the trade union movement.
Patricia LaForce criticized the public servants who have been showing up at work, for their lack of solidarity:
I do not think it is right for members of a union to not go on strike when there is a legal strike. You cannot remain a member of the union and cross the picket line. My work is important to me but so is the communal responsibility as a member of a trade union; I expect support from my trade union and so I feel it as a duty to provide them with the support through this strike.
Nyla Mondesir, on the other hand, felt that individuals should make their own choices:
Not every union member stands in solidarity with the union. It is also their right to not strike if they don't support the reason for it.
Julian Williams countered that some who refuse to take part in the strike would also be beneficiaries of the action:
Patricia, what about that. You are a member of a union that is demanding a 9% wage increase and its assumed that you also need or deserve a 9% wage increase. Part of the legal bargaining process is a resort to strike action to strengthen the union demands for that wage increase. You didn't attend union meeting[s] and didn't vote for strike action that will lead to an increase. Therefore you don't have to strike because you did not vote for strike action. If the wage increase is implemented, Patricia would definitely be entitled to a 9% monthly salary increase. Question: Assuming that the salary increase is implemented, would you be that sincere and subtract the 9% increase from your salary every month and return it to the treasury since you never voted to strike?
There was also a response to a government press release which included a reminder to the CSA that the government was not obligated to pay persons who did not show up for work – but Rosie Martha Gaspard wondered why the union considered this a threat and didn't just use its own funds to compensate the workers:
Where di money gone? whereeee? I have been paying my union dues now for 20 plus years so you mean if I do not get paid by my employer the union has no money to pay me not even a cobo? that is the question to be asked now! in the event that the GOSL just decides not to pay what is going to happen?
Ruth Albert responded:
Thank you, God that I'm not a member of any union. Praise Jah!
Jadia Jn. Pierre-Emmanuel , the government press secretary, was careful not to take a position on the matter but felt it was wrong to downplay the importance of unions:
I think it is unfair to simply dismiss the union, it's (sic) role and importance because of their handling of the current impasse. There needs to be, in my mind a review of how WE do things. I am careful not to offer any opinion pieces given the current situation, but I beg you, do not lose faith in the union or any agency who's (sic) role is to protect the rights of the worker, based on the current situation.
Augustin Charles sought to the correct the perception of those who claimed it would be unprecedented for a government to withhold payment from striking workers:
In 1979, I was a young public servant who took part in the historic 59-day strike.I didn't get any pay during the strike period and I fully understood that Gov't was under no obligation to pay. Thanks to the largesse of Allan Louisy/SLP Administration who won the elections and went in to fulfill a campaign promise to reimburse us. We welcomed it.
Peter Thomas felt that the union should have known that the government wasn't obligated to pay workers during the strike:
Any trade unionist worth his or her salt would have studied the labor code to be in a position to better counsel their membership and also to challenge the employer when elements of the code are being violated. The government has the prerogative to invoke the ‘no work no pay’ policy but hopefully prudence will be the government's watchword and decide against it. The government should not appear to be excessively punitive and send a message that a legal, though ill-advised, industrial action by a trade union must be met with a heavy hand.
He added that it may be time for the union to reconsider its position:
On the other hand, the union having overplayed it's (sic) hand, with this strike should not expect to stay away from work for an indeterminate amount of time and expect that courtesy from the government. While it would be hard for the union to capitulate at this stage they need not make a bad situation worse by foolish intransigence.
Caron Tobiere wasn't sure that the union was strong enough to force the government's hand on the issue of paying striking workers:
Historically striking workers have been paid because the union was able to negotiate that as a condition of workers returning to work. That was possible because the union was strong enough to do that …. I am not convinced that this time around the same position holds.
She continued:
When have you ever heard a union leader in St Lucia say ‘workers are on strike’ – and not have a plan in place, something that continues to galvanize workers – picketing etc; usually the phrase is ‘industrial action’. There has always been hesitancy in saying ‘strike’ because leaders are aware that once you confirm that, the ‘no work, no pay’ policy can come into play.
Amatus Edward suggested a solution:
IS THIS A GOOD COMPROMISE? Government goes ahead and award[s] the increase but amortizes the payment of the backpay over the next trienium (sic) with the first payment falling due before Christmas this year.
The strike is now entering its second week and the discussions continue.

author: Matthew Hunte


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Maldives Rape Victim’s Flogging Sentence Touches Off Anti-Tourism Campaign · Global Voices
Saffah Faroog

Global outrage is growing against a Maldives court's verdict announced on February 26, 2013 to flog a 15-year-old girl who was originally a victim of rape and sexual abuse. She now faces 100 lashes in public which will be administered when she turns 18.
More than one million people have signed a petition created by the campaign website Avaaz.org, urging Maldivian authorities to protect the girl and end the practice of flogging of women and children for sex outside marriage. The petition also threatens to hit at the country's tourism industry until President Mohamed Waheed acts.
The girl has been a victim of sexual abuse dating back to 2009 and consecutive governments have failed to protect her, according to a report by Minivan News.
The court sentenced her to 100 lashes and 8 months of house arrest for confessing to a separate case – not related to the rape – of consensual sex with a man. She was first taken for questioning in 2012 when a dead baby was found buried inside her family compound. Her stepfather has been charged with murdering her baby and child sexual abuse while her mother has been charged with concealing the sexual abuse.
Capital of Maldives, Male. Image by Ahmed Shuau. Copyright Demotix (30/10/2009)
The police are under fire for a rushed investigation without providing adequate counselling for the girl and obtaining a confession out of her for prosecution. The Prosecutor General's Office claimed that a confession of fornication left no choice for them but to press ahead with prosecution under Maldives’ laws. In January 2013, when charges were pressed against the girl, the government said it will review and correct laws that victimize minors and women who suffered sexual abuse.
Amnesty International immediately condemned the charges. Abbas Faiz, Amnesty International’s Maldives Researcher, argued that suspected victims of rape and sexual abuse required counselling and support rather than facing prosecution.
When the Juvenile Court sentenced the girl in February, the news was covered by mainstream media outlets including BBC and CNN. Faced with prospect of international condemnation, the government pledged to review the case and appeal it in a superior court. The conservative religious Adhaalath Party supported the court's verdict.
The Prosecutor General's decision to use the confession of the girl as evidence against her in the prosecution has been heavily criticized.
#OperationEndherima
Following the sentence, Maldivian activists started using the hashtag #OperationEndherima on social media to mount a campaign to protect the girl and voice out against the injustices she was facing.
Twitter user AdduHaanee (@AdduHaanee) wrote:
@AdduHaanee: little girls shud be smiling, laughing & making lego brick houses. Not getting punished for crimes they did not commit #OperationEndherima
Ismail (@Ismaar1) encouraged others to stand up for the girl:
@Ismaar1: You don't have to be superhero to standup against injustice. Join #OperationEndherima Seeking justice is not a crime
Azaf Riza (@azaf_riza) lamented the situation:
@azaf_riza: We live in a patriarchal society run by morons..victim is further victimised and she will forever be labelled #OperationEndherima
Avaaz Petition
The issue has gained worldwide attention after the petition started on Avaaz on March 20, 2013 received one million signatures within three days.
Meanwhile, Maldivians are reacting online to Avaaz's petition and are continuing the local campaign #OperationEndherima as well.
On Twitter, Hamid Shafeeu (@shafeeu) wrote:
@shafeeu (Hamid Shafeeu): In three days One million people expressed their outrage at a raped child being flogged. One million people. #Shame #OperationEndherima
Nuvana (@Nuvana) called the girl's punishment “insane”:
@Nuvana: Any sane Maldivian would have to agree that punishing a rape victim in lieu of protection is inhumane and insane #OperationEndherima
xiena saeed (@dorinbakedbeans) tweets:
@dorinbakedbeans: hey @DrWaheedH the avaaz petition just reached 1 million mark. thats more than the 2012 tourists #operationendherima pic.twitter.com/hEUhTq7i4K
Avaaz is planning to run ads on travel magazines to pressure the government of Maldives to abolish flogging as a form of punishment. In a country that aimed for one million tourists in 2012 and narrowly missed that mark, the implications of a global campaign that could damage the tourism industry are huge. The Avaaz petition reads:
Tourism is the big earner for the Maldives elite, including government ministers. Let's build a million-strong petition to President Waheed this week, then threaten the islands’ reputation through hard-hitting ads in travel magazines and online until he steps in to save her and abolish this outrageous law.
Maleeh Jamal, the deputy minister of tourism, has said such a negative campaign will damage not only the tourism industry of Maldives but the country as a whole. Jamal's concerns are echoed by some Twitter users who feel opposition activists are using this issue to attack the government.
asoa (@asoa) wrote:
@asoa: @Nuvana 14 y/o Rihana, Sh. Bilehfahi was flogged during @MohamedNasheed office and @Velezinee at Judicial Service. #FuckOperationEndherimaa
#OperationEndherima has also been criticized for failing to highlight the issue of “Hoara” Ibrahim Rasheed, a senior official of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), who is accused of having consensual sex with an underage girl and then later claiming to have married her.
asoa (@asoa) was critical on this point:
@asoa: @kudanai #OperationEndherima silent on Hoara Ibbe issue cos he is MDP. #FuckOperationEndherimaa
There are mixed reactions, both from Maldivians and foreigners, about Avaaz's plan on targeting the tourism industry. The publisher of tourism news website eTurboNews  supports boycotting Maldives tourism.
Farah Faizal (@FarahDidi) wrote about the country's priorities:
@FarahDidi: #Maldives Tourism Ministry worried about negative effect of @Avaaz petition. But not worried about #flogging minors? http://sun.mv/english/10890
Some Maldivians feel that targeting the tourism industry is the only option left to force the authorities to review the gross injustices associated with the Maldives’ criminal justice system. However, there are others who feel that a negative tourism campaign will impact not only the politicians as Avaaz believes but the ordinary people of the Maldives who depend on the tourism industry for their livelihood. An estimated 30,000 Maldivians are employed by the tourism industry while thousands of others benefit indirectly from tourism through support services such as the supply of fish and vegetables, transport services and sales of souvenirs.
anonymous (@AnonQC), believed to be a Twitter handle of supporters based in Quebec of the hacker collective Anonymous, wrote that the campaign should specifically target certain tourism spots:
@AnonQC: @Avaaz A better idea would be to only boycott tycoon pro-#mvcoup resorts and promote ethical ones run by honest folks. #Maldives
The account added:
@AnonQC: @Avaaz, general boycott campaign against #Maldives tourism is a dumbfuck idea. Will hurt local folks who are already struggling w/ #mvcoup.
Some Maldivians are against the Avaaz campaign because they believe flogging is a punishment prescribed by Islamic Sharia.
Whistle Blower (@Whistleblovir) defended Sharia law:
@Whistleblovir: @avaaz @FarahDidi Don't spread bogus stories 4 yr political gain. Maldives implement law on those who actually commit adultery as per sharia
Ibrahim Mustafa (@imustho) wrote:
@imustho: Tomorrow if 1 million people make a petition on Avaaz do we have to change our constitution also to allow other religions in Maldives.

author: Saffah Faroog


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Nigeria’s Chinua Achebe Remembered as ‘Trailblazer’ for African Literature · Global Voices
Nwachukwu Egbunike

Nigerian author Albert Chínụ̀álụmọ̀gụ̀ Àchèbé, better known as Chinua Achebe whose internationally praised writing gave Africans a voice by destroying the mold cast by colonialism, died on March 22, 2013. He was 82.
Achebe's seminal novel, “Things Fall Apart“, was one of the first African novels written in English to achieve worldwide success. The novel, which was published in 1958, has been translated into more than 50 languages.
In a testament to the profound impact of his body of work, Achebe's death has been mourned around the world.
Chinua Achebe (1930-2013). Image released under Creative Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) by Stuart C. Shapiro
Two literary contemporaries of Achebe – Wole Soyinka and J. P. Clark – mourned the loss of their “brother” on African entertainment website Bella Naija:
For us, the loss of Chinua Achebe is, above all else, intensely personal. We have lost a brother, a colleague, a trailblazer and a doughty fighter. Of the ‘pioneer quartet’ of contemporary Nigerian literature, two voices have been silenced – one, of the poet Christopher Okigbo, and now, the novelist Chinua Achebe.
It is perhaps difficult for outsiders of that intimate circle to appreciate this sense of depletion, but we take consolation in the young generation of writers to whom the baton has been passed, those who have already creatively ensured that there is no break in the continuum of the literary vocation. We need to stress this at a critical time of Nigerian history, where the forces of darkness appear to overshadow the illumination of existence that literature represents.
For New York Times book critic Dwight Garner, Achebe deserves to be called the father of modern African literature:
Mr. Achebe was a mentor and role model to a generation of African writers — he’s often referred to as the father of modern African writing. But like many novelists who find success with an early book, Mr. Achebe found himself almost solely defined by “Things Fall Apart.”
It’s been more than 50 years since the publication of Mr. Achebe’s pioneering and canonical novel; it no longer seems to stand, to a Western audience at any rate, for African writing as a whole. His talent and success have helped spawn an array of postcolonial writing from across the continent. Among the talented young Nigerian writers alone who cite him as an influence are Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani and Lola Shoneyin.
Author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie wrote a moving eulogy for Achebe in the Igbo language on Farafina Books blog:
Ife mee. Nnukwu ife mee. Chinua Achebe anabago. Onye edemede nke di egwu, onye nnukwu uche, onye obi oma. Keduzi onye anyi ga-eji eme onu? Keduzi onye anyi ga-eji jee mba? Keduzi onye ga-akwado anyi? Ebenebe egbu o! Anya mmili julu m anya. Chinua Achebe, naba no ndokwa. O ga-adili gi mma. Naba na ndokwa.
A tree has fallen. A mighty tree has fallen! Chinua Achebe is gone. The inimitable wordsmith, the sage, the kind man. Now who is there for us to boast about? Who will be our rampart? How are the mighty fallen! My eyes are in flood with tears. Chinua Achebe may your soul rest in peace. It is well with you. Rest in peace. [Translation done by Mazi Nnamdi Nwigwe]
Nigerian authors have lost a friend and mentor, Remi Raji, president of the Association of Nigerian Authors, lamented on the organization's website:
Eagle on Iroko, the master-artist, the compelling stylist of the English language has left the world of the flesh, he left in the middle of a revived discourse of the fate of our Nigerian nation. And it was a symbolic day. In the commemoration of the UNESCO World Poetry Day, things fell apart in the firmament of Nigerian and African Literature. A bleak day indeed, the devastating reality, the ending of a huge chapter in the history of African Literature. Adieu Chinua Achebe, adieu irreplaceable son of Africa.
Poet and essayist Niyi Osundare celebrated this worthy son of Africa on news website Citizens Platform:
But if the sheer force and range of Achebe’s fiction gave Africa a voice, the fearless truth of his critical interventions challenged so many myths and deliberate falsehoods about the most misrepresented and recklessly abused continent in the world.
Achebe knew, and he tried to get us to know, that Africans will remain mere objects of the stories told by others, until they, Africans, have started to tell their own story their own way – without shutting out the rest of the world. Achebe challenged the 20th century philosophy of fiction as a pretty object d’art, arriving with works which foregrounded the human condition and told the wondering world that the clotheless Emperor was, indeed, naked! He entered a plea for the urgent necessity of an entity called ‘applied art’ and emboldened us to look triumphalist Formalism in the face and demand to see its passport. Yes, Achebe told a world sold to the art-for-art’s-sake mystique that it is, indeed, possible to be an accomplished novelist who is also a teacher.
Richard Dowen wrote on the website African Arguments that Achebe bore a lot of similarities to Nelson Mandela:
A conversation with Chinua Achebe was a deep, slow and gracious matter. He was exceedingly courteous and always listened and reflected before answering. In his later years he talked even more slowly and softly, savouring the paradoxes of life and history. He spoke in long, clear, simple sentences which often ended in a profound and sad paradox. Then those extraordinary eyes twinkled, his usually very solemn face would break into a huge smile and he would chuckle.
He had a look of Nelson Mandela about him. Both have that ability to look very stern and solemn and then break into a huge smile. It happened when they met each other in South Africa, his daughter, Nwando, told me. At first the two men just looked at each other and then burst out laughing as if recognizing their brotherhood. Both romantic about Africa’s traditions, they talked and talked. Mandela had read Things Fall Apart when he was in prison on Robben Island and he said of Achebe: “The writer in whose company the prison walls fell down.”
The University of Nigeria has declared a period of mourning for Achebe, who worked as a professor there. Achebe, according to the university's vice-chancellor, gave a voice not only to Africa but also to human civilization:
Prof Achebe was one of the academic titans whose presence on the faculty served as a beacon of light that drew the world to the University of Nigeria. He taught in the Department of English as well as carried out research at the Institute of African Studies.

author: Nwachukwu Egbunike


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Pakistan Drone Deaths Visualized  · Global Voices
Sahar Habib Ghazi

Screenshot of “Out of Sight, Out of Mind” Drone strikes and deaths since 2004 in Pakistan by Pitch Interactive
Since 2004, drone strikes under a secret war by the U.S. [pdf] have killed an estimated 3,105 people in Pakistan according to data collected by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism. Less than 2% of the victims are high-profile targets. The rest are civilians, children and alleged combatants. This visualization created by Pitch Interactive brings these startling numbers together, and has been shared widely on social media sites.

author: Sahar Habib Ghazi


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South Koreans Blast Authorities Over Hack Attack Handling · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

Questions remain over the origin of the massive cyber attack against major websites in South Korea last week.
After a suspected hack attack struck South Korean banks and media companies on March 20, 2013 and damaged 32,000 computers, South Korean authorities were quick to jump to the conclusion that the attack originated from North Korea. Initial reports claimed the attackers’ IP address seems to be coming from China, but a few days later officials contradicted their previous claims, saying that an internal IP address from one of the banks was infected by the malicious code.
Nearly a week after the attack, the identity of the attackers remains unknown. Frustrated South Koreans have slammed authorities in their comments online for their incompetence in blocking such attacks and for taking political advantage of the situation by blaming North Korea.
Many Twitter users, while not denying the existence of a North Korean hacker army, were suspicious of the attack's timing. South Korean authorities have accused the North of cyber attacks before, including similar attacks back in 2009, 2011, and 2012. Some speculated this most recent attack might be a convenient way to distract the public from allegations against the country's top intelligence agency, called the National Intelligence Service, of improper political involvement:
Image by Flickr user José Goulão, Color Altered by Author (CC-BY-SA 2.0)
@onsaemiro3: 국정원 정치 개입이 실체화되자.. 절묘한 타이밍에 후이즈의 해킹 기습! 극우파와 메이저 언론은 북한 소행이라고 일제히 대서특필! 아~ 국민들 병신 만들기 능력은 정말 세계최고!
@ifkorea: 해킹을 북한이 했다고 하면 국정원의 인터넷 감시활동이 일정 정도 당위성이 생겨 박근혜 지지자들의 옹호여론을 만들 수 있다. IP가 중국에 있으니 북한소행으로 추정된다는 요상한 드립을 했으나 거짓으로 드러남.이러니 무슨 말을 해도 안믿는 것이다.
@woohyung: “북한 소행일 가능성 높다”등의 공격주체에 집착하는 이른바 “전문가”는 사실은 비전문가 임을 증명하는 셈이고, 언론도 이를 강조하면 잘못된 보도. 한국에만 꼭 이런 사고가 일어나는게 북한때문이라고 믿는것은 거의 사이비광신종교 수준이 아닐까 생각.
Some Web users, such as @eungu, analyzed what made South Korea particularly prone to hacking attacks:
@eungu: 한국처럼 해킹하기 좋은 나라도 없을겁니다. 액티브X를 설치하는걸 습관처럼 여기는 나라니 뭐가 떠서 설치하라고 하면 습관처럼 ‘Yes'를 누를테고, 해킹을 해도 무조건 북한 소행이라고 하니 잡히지도 않고…#해커들의_놀이터_한국
Many worry the habit of blaming North Korea for every cyber attack could have consequences later on. Net user ID:Ssuda on the TodayHumor site employed [ko] the fable of the boy who cried “wolf!” to describe the possible aftermath:
요즘 북한 김정은돼지가 미쳐서 안보가 위협적인상황인건 알지만 어제 해킹사건과 오늘 공습경보 속보를 보면서 양치기 소년 이야기가 떠오르는건 저뿐인가요 거짓말로 안보안보 외치다가 진짜로 북한이 일을 터쳣을때 우리가 너무 무감각해지지않을지[…]

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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Tajikistan: Opposition Leader Kidnapped? · Global Voices
Chris Rickleton

Concern is mounting among members of the Tajik online community that strongman president Emomali Rahmon is attempting to steamroller all signs of political opposition ahead of the 2013 presidential elections. The latest suspected victim of a far-reaching purge is Umarali Quvvatov, a charismatic and digitally active opposition leader, who “disappeared” from a Dubai-based detention centre on March 17. Internet users believe he is the subject of an audacious international kidnapping by Tajik security services.
The hunt on opponents of Rahmon, who has ruled the Central Asian country for nearly two decades, went into overdrive with an alarming military operation in Tajikistan's Gorno-Badakhshan province (GBAO) in July 2012, which evoked memories of the country's torrid civil war for inhabitants of the region. More recently, an attempt on the life of a Tajik journalist, Bakhtiyor Sattori, in Moscow in February, and a request during the same month to extradite former Tajik Prime Minister Abdumalik Abdullojonov, currently being detained in Ukraine, pointed to an intensification of the crackdown.
Umarali Quvvatov at a rally in Moscow, 2012. Image courtesy of Ahliddin Sobir.
Disappearance
Of this year's attacks, Umarali Quvvatov's case has prompted most discussion among internet users. A former business mogul in the republic, he fled from what he claimed was an imminent arrest by the Tajik authorities in summer 2012 and lived in Moscow for about four months. During this period, Quvvatov founded an opposition political movement, announced his intention to take part in presidential elections, and mounted harsh criticism at Rahmon and his family. His vociferous criticism of the Central Asian country's veteran ruler has earned him a significant digital following on video-sharing sites such as YouTube, as well as Platforma, the largest Tajik-moderated public page on Facebook.
In December 2012, Quvvatov was arrested at the Dubai airport at the request of the Tajik authorities. He is accused by the government of involvement in large scale financial fraud. Over the last several months, Dushanbe sought to secure Quvvatov's extradition to Tajikistan. But on March 19, his lawyer Nikolay Nikolaev posted [ru] on Twitter:
@NikoDN От сокамерников Кувватова стало известно, что 2 дня назад Кувватова ночью увезли из камеры в неизвестном направлении. Связи больше нет.
@NikoDN From Quvvatov`s cellmates it was found out that two days ago Quvvatov was taken from his cell in an unknown direction. All connections with him have been lost.
The alleged incident has provoked a lot of suspicion among followers of his bright, but apparently short political career. Many observers suggest Quvvatov's harsh criticism of the regime of Emomali Rahmon may be the real cause of his problems. In one speech made in Moscow and uploaded on YouTube on December 16, 2012, Quvvatov referred [ru] to Rahmon as “the real Satan”, who treated Tajikistan as a “family clan business” and was driving the country back towards the “middle ages”.
Such pointed attacks on the ruling family have earned Quvvatov a reputation as a particularly bold member of the opposition. In a comment under one of the videos, user Ilhom Safarov notes [ru]:
Ну он действительно молодец и достоин уважения, пока никто не осмелился так упорно выступать. говорит он действительно правду, ведь на самом деле президент заполонил полностью всю нашу страну, его семья распоряжатся нашим гасударством как своей собственостью, но мы не собственность, мы тоже люди и тоже хотим жить нормально. сколько можно терпеть этого правителя?
Well, he is a really decent guy and deserving of respect; no one else has dared to speak out this way yet. He actually says the truth because you know really that the president has ensnared all our country, his family treats our state as their private property. But we are not his property, we are human beings and we also want to live well. How long can we stand this ruler?
Umarali Quvvatov (third from left) meeting with members of the European Parliament. (Image from Group 24's website, 2012).
Skepticism at home
Despite commanding some support, Quvvatov, as a once-successful businessmen, also has his doubters in the country. Before appearing as an ardent opponent of Rahmon, Umarali Quvvatov was a successful entrepreneur, the head and founder of two private companies that transported oil products to Afghanistan through Tajikistan. Quvvatov claims that his share in these businesses was taken by force by Shamsullo Sohibov, the son-in-law of the president. The politician has made his conversation with a person who he claims is Sohibov available on YouTube (Part One, Part Two) [ru, tj]. On these videos, the person insists that Quvvatov abandon his share of the joint business in return for ‘personal protection’.
Under one article about Quvvatov on news.tj (portal run by the independent media group Asia Plus), a user under the nickname of sergey comments [ru]:
Еще один бред АП….из обыкновенного барыги….сделали якобы политика….Кувватов кинул на деньги компанионов..на эти деньги купил пару передачь на ТВ К+ еще должен млн.долларов…купил за 500.000 рублей выступленя на митинге в Москве..вот и политик…
Yet more nonsense from AP [Asia Plus]… they have made a politician out of an ordinary profiteer… Quvvatov ripped off his companions money… and bought a few appearances on K+ TV and still owes them a million dollars… he also bought his performance at the meeting in Moscow for 500,000 rubles… and that's how you have a politician.
However, the majority of internet users in Tajikistan seem to support him. Quvvatov has also attracted some followers due to his religious views. In one of the interviews that he gave [ru] to RFE/RL's Tajik service, Quvvatov described himself as a “Sufi”, practicing the tradition that focuses on the “esoteric” dimension of Islam. In Tajikistan, Sufis are popularly known as “pure Muslims”, which partly explains the support for Quvvatov among some religious people. Under one article about Quvvatov, Olim commented [tj]:
Умарали Куватов шахси мусулмон буд доимо намози чумаро дар масчиди прс -мир Москва омада мехонд. худованд нигахбонаш бошад.
Umarali Quvvatov has always been true Muslim. He always came to Friday prayers at the Prospect Mira Mosque in Moscow. God be with him.
Currently, the fate of Quvvatov remains unknown. The spokesperson of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Tajikistan claims [ru] that Umarali Quvvatov “has not disappeared anywhere”. His representative, Nikolayev, responded [ru] to that statement via his Facebook page:
…То, что с Кувватовым прекратилась связь более 4 суток, тоже объективный факт. После ежедневных звонков семье, мне, разговоров с адвокатом было бы нелогично со стороны мужа, отца, задержанного- игнорировать возможность общения с близкими… Мы не знаем , что случилось с Умарали Кувватовым, однако МВД Таджикистана- знает. Такое уже было, когда тот же орган скрывал похищение лидеров таджикской оппозиции, которые спустя несколько месяцев обнаруживались в застенках МВД Таджикистана, а затем стыдливо лишь констатировали факт такого события.
…That there has been no connection with Quvvatov for more than 4 days is also an objective fact. After daily calls to his family, me, and his lawyer, it would be illogical for a detained husband and father to ignore the opportunity to talk to his close relatives… We don't know what has happened to Umarali Quvvatov, however the Ministry of Internal Affairs does. This has happened before, when the same ministry concealed the kidnapping of other leaders of the Tajik opposition, who after a few months re-emerged inside the walls of the Ministry, which then shyly confirmed the fact.
Many supporters of Quvvatov offer up similarly dismal sentiments. On Platforma, Rustamboi Safarov commented [ru] under a post concerning Quvvatov's disappearance:
ZHalj!! Naverno uzhe sidit s chernim meshkom na golove v podvale GKNB((
What a pity! He is probably sitting with black bag over his head in the basement of the GKNB [State Committee for National Security]((

author: Chris Rickleton


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Trinidad & Tobago: The Golden Globe  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

It’s another piece of our history that may disappear from our landscape because we lack the interest in preserving things of value.
Tillah Willah thinks that the Globe cinema is worth preserving for another generation of Trinbagonians, adding: “I would pay good money to go and see that and make plenty noise for heroes and sheroes who look, sound, act and feel like me.”


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Crowdmapping Ukraine’s Snow Volunteers · Global Voices
Tetyana Bohdanova

Watcher.com.ua reports [uk] that Kyiv-based netizens have set up an online volunteer coordination map [uk, ru] and a website [uk, ru] to offer help to those affected by the unprecedented snowfall in Ukraine's capital [see this GV text]. The map indicates the location of volunteers who can offer hot drinks and a place to warm up, or help dig the car out of the snow. The map also indicates locations where help is needed.

author: Tetyana Bohdanova


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Venezuela: New Wave of Online Threats · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Several Venezuelan cartoonists, journalists, writers and artists have been the target of a series of threats through Twitter, telephone and text messages, according to news portal Noticias 24. They began after a number of anonymous users spread the victims’ personal contact information, said the Press and Society Institute in Venezuela (Ipys in Spanish).
Alejandro Martínez from The Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas Blog reports on a new wave of threats against journalists and media workers.
Martinez adds that this year Ipys Venezuela has registered “25 violations against the integrity of journalists and eight cyber-attacks.”

author: Silvia Viñas


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Why China’s Real-Name Microblog Rules Fail · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

The real-name registration regulation of micro-blogs in China has been implemented for more than a year, but a majority of netizens just ignore the regulation. David Caragliano from Tea Leaf Nation explains why the regulation has failed.

author: Oiwan Lam


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China’s Dead Pigs Expose Illegal Farms · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Barry van Wyk from DANWEI highlights a local report that shed lights on the floating dead pigs in Shanghai river by investigating into the problem of illegal pig farms in Hubei province.


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No Ghost Cities in China · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

China Law Blog has a guest post by Dirk Chilcote who had lived in Zhenzhou for 3 years. He is skeptical of western media's report on China's ghost cities:
In my three years living and working in the neighborhood 60 Minutes decided to use for its doomsday exemplar, the most enduring memory I have is not of desolation, but rather of lightening fast development followed shortly thereafter by burgeoning numbers of new residents.


text:
Dear Xenophobic Policeman, Fancy a Drink? · Global Voices
Rezwan

Blogger Mizohican from Mizoram, India has invited a Mumbai police officer who mistook him for a Nepali and used a xenophobic slur at him for drinks to talk things out.

author: Rezwan


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Despite Bans, China’s Uyghurs Wear their Identity with Pride · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Every year ethnic minorities clad in their traditional clothes are showcased during the national broadcast of the National People's Congress meetings and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, creating a facade of celebrated diversity in China.
However, that is far from the truth. This was recently demonstrated in Urumqi city within northwestern China in the Muslim majority region Xinjiang, where ethnic Uyghurs students are banned and punished for sporting their culture in some schools and some public institutions.
Viral image
On March 5, 2013 a photo went viral showing a group of Uyghur students from Xinjiang Experimental School standing in the playground, with the caption: “these students are being punished for wearing the Taqiyah [Muslim prayer cap]”.
The viral photo circulated online on March 5. Photo from Uighurbiz.net.
The next day, the Education Bureau issued a statement explaining that the students had not been punished and that the teachers were just persuading a dozen students to take off their Taqiyah during a sports class. The Xinjiang police went on to claim that the incident was a plot by outside forces.
Sign on Urumqi city's Kashgar Library front door: Readers wearing the hijab or the veil are prohibited from entering the building. Photo from uighurbiz.net
However, images uploaded by netizens [zh] show that this is not an isolated incident. Some schools and libraries in Urumqi city have explicit bans prohibiting students wearing the Taqiyah and the veil from entering their premises.
To stand up for their cultural rights, some Uyghur youths uploaded photos of themselves wearing ethnic clothing. For example Zuo Kara (@佐克拉) uploaded [zh] this profile picture on March 6 and explained:
我觉得戴花帽是每个Uyghur的梦想，因为那代表着我们的民族，象征着我们的文化。看到上高中初中的很多男生女生戴花帽我很高兴很自豪很舒服，因为戴着花帽的他们一个比一个帅，漂亮，多抢眼。￼我戴花帽并不是装也不是学别人，我只是在尊重我们民族的文化和特色，我爱花帽，我为uygur 和新疆代言。
Zuo Kara puts on her Taqiyah.
Wearing Taqiyah is every Uyghur's dream because it represents our ethnicity and symbolizes our culture. When I see high school and middle school boys and girls wear Taqiyah to school, I feel proud. They look more handsome and pretty in their Taqiyah. Here I wear my Taqiyah, not to imitate others. I just want to show respect for our ethnic culture and character. I love Taqiyah and I speak for Uyghur and Xinjiang.
Many show their support in the comment thread:
苏昱：我是汉人，但我支持你们！天朝对你们所做的，无异于蒙元满清对我们汉人所做的，完全就是反人类暴行！
Rainer Su: I am Han Chinese but I support you. What the Kingdom (Chinese government) does to you is similar to what had been done to us by the Mongolian Yuan Dynasty and what the Manju Qing Dynasty did to the Han People. It is violence against humanity.
浪迹98：你真的很漂亮,由內而外的美麗.我覺得你說的很對,維吾爾族的文明是很燦爛的.不要像漢人一樣把什麼都丟棄掉
Liang Ji 98: You are beautiful, inside out. What you have said is so right. The civilization of Uyghur is so rich. Don't copy Han Chinese and give up your culture.
高墩营艺术节：好看！支持！￼这是人家的服饰文化和习俗，宪法明文规定”各民族都有保持和改革本民族风俗习惯的自由＂，任何个人和组织不得干涉！
Gao Dunying Art Festival: Good looking! Support! This is your custom clothing and culture. According to the Constitution, every ethnic groups should enjoy their freedom to maintain and reform their own culture and tradition. No individual or organization can intervene into people's culture.
Uighurbiz.net published several reports and commentaries on the incident. Anostaf quoted Ilham Tohti's comment [zh] on March 7:
公开倡导维吾尔族权益的学者伊力哈木·土赫提(Ilham Tohti)表示，“这（花帽事件）不是一个孤立的事件！限制维吾尔人的传统，习惯，穿着打扮意在弱化民族性，使维吾尔人逐步失去文化特性。事件再次提醒我们，保护民族文化及民族性（Identity)是摆在维吾尔民族面前最紧迫的问题。”
伊力哈木·土赫提还强调称，“有些事可以忍受比如身体疼痛，贫穷等等。但作为一个人的尊严被剥夺–最基本的人权被这样被糟蹋不应该忍受！作为一个民族的成员应该保护本民族的各项权益！再说，新疆当局的很多做法已经严重违反中国自己的法律，法规和宪法！”
Uyghur scholar Ilham Tohti who advocated for Uyghur's right said: “this is not a single incident. The restriction on Uyghur tradition, habit and clothing will erode Uyghur nationality and cultural identity. The incident reminds us again that the most urgent issue for Uyghur is to protect our ethnic culture and identity.
Ilham Tohti also stressed: “We can tolerate bodily pain and poverty. But we can't be deprived of our dignity. We should not tolerate our basic human right being stepped upon like this. Every member of our ethnic group should protect our rights. The Xinjiang government have violated China's own laws, regulations and constitution.”
On March 16 the website ran another commentary [zh] criticizing the Xinjiang authorities lack of culture respect in handling the Taqiyah incident:
新疆当局在处理“花帽事件”时一如既往的使用了“境外势力”这一“灵丹妙药”。至此，绝大多数维吾尔人已不敢再对“花帽事件”发表看法并陷入了沉默，因为对此发表任何看法都会被当做“分裂分子”来处理。
但是，“花帽事件”并不会因为新疆当局的“辟谣”以及与“境外势力”联系在一起而结束。新疆当局长期以来限制和不尊重维吾尔文化，这一问题已经越来越严重，并持续引发维吾尔人的不满。
Xinjiang authorities once again use “outside forces” to explain away the Taqiyah incident. Because of this, Uyghur people have to stop discussing this or else they would be labelled “separatists”.
However, the conflict will not end with the labeling of “rumor” and “outside forces”. For a long time, Xinjiang authorities have been showing little respect of Uyghur culture and the problem is getting more and more serious. Uyghur people are unhappy.
For some background on Uyghurs, China's Muslim minority read this.


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Exploring New Approaches For Poverty Reduction · Global Voices
Julie Owono

Global Voices bloggers have been commissioned to liveblog the OECD Global Forum on Development in Paris on April 4-5, 2013. Leading up to the meeting, our team is submitting posts about development issues that help serve as weekly online discussion topics on their website (#OECDgfd)
Cloth for sale in Makola Market in Accra, Ghana. Photo by Caroline Beaumont shared by Transaid on flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0)
The quest is on for solutions to poverty reduction with the approach of the 2015 deadline for the UN Millenium Development Goals (MDG). Many organizations are exploring new avenues for answers hoping it can lead to fresh ideas. Among the goals agreed to by the international community more than a decade ago was to halve the number of people suffering from hunger, and for the world's poorest citizens to gain productive employment. Most of the targets are far from being met in most countries, but progress has been made, for instance in Sub Saharan Africa where the proportion of people living on less than $1.25 a day, poverty declined from 58% to 51% between 1990 and 2005 [pdf].
Ideas exchange on the internet
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) will hold their annual Global Forum on Development in Paris on April 4-5, 2013. This year, the OECD is exploring more inclusive approaches to tackle the poverty issue by inviting to an open pre-forum discussion online with OECD scholars. All the main conversation topics on the agenda are laid out for everyone to see and contribute.
Another interesting approach to online ideas exchange is hosted by Concerned African Scholars, an organization of scholars and students of Africa. Among the many issues explored is the impact of the hundreds of billions of dollars flowing illicitly out of Africa on the slow progress of poverty reduction. The author, Janvier D. Nkurunziza, suggests one key to bringing down poverty would be “the repatriation of the resources which are currently held abroad and not benefiting the continent.”
Had Africa had not lost so much resources in the form of illicit financial transfers, it is likely that poverty would have been less acute. The logic is that keeping these resources in Africa would have produced higher rates of investment, allowing African countries to invest in productivity enhancing sectors such as infrastructure, creating jobs, and raising incomes, resulting in lower levels of poverty.
In a TEDx talk in UlaanBataar, Mongolia on “Social Media and Poverty Reduction” in September 2012, Robert Reid, the Resident Country Director of the Millennium Challenge Corporation in Mongolia, highlighted the necessity of a broad public participation in poverty reduction projects, stressing the importance of private sector involvement for sustainable development. “It's important that the involvment of the private sector be considered at the beginning of discussions on how to reduce poverty,” he says.
This multistakeholder approach is also a key tenet of the open data movement, which is progressively penetrating the development sphere.
The Uganda Open Development Partnership Platform, a civil society organization-led public initiative, is an example of what open data could bring to the debate on poverty reduction:
Open development is where organisations are using information technologies, among other information sharing channels, to provide and share information. Open development enhances transparency and accountability about resources that are available to be invested in development, how those resources are invested and what results they achieve. In the end, all the stakeholders involved in this information sharing chain; the data owners and users benefit from this mutually reinforcing ecosystem

author: Julie Owono


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Global Voices at OECD Global Forum on Development · Global Voices
Solana Larsen

Global Voices bloggers have been commissioned to liveblog the OECD Global Forum on Development in Paris on April 4-5, 2013. Leading up to the meeting, our team is submitting posts about development issues that help serve as weekly online discussion topics on their website.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an international economic organisation of 34 countries that supports democracy and world trade. The Global Forum on Development is focussed on poverty reduction and social cohesion and attracts a wide range of participants from governments and civil society to help discuss solutions.
Lova Rakotomalala, Julie Owono, and Rayna St of Global Voices will be attending and blogging the meeting in Paris in their own personal capacity.
The hashtag for the meeting is #OECDgfd.
Tweets about “#oecdgfd”

author: Solana Larsen