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Bahrain: A Friday of Rage Dispersed with Tear Gas  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage of Bahrain Protests 2011.
Protesters around Bahrain defied a gatherings law and turned out in masses for rallies around the kingdom dubbed as The Friday of Rage. Protesters, who chanted for the overthrow of the regime in some instances,  were attacked by tear gas – and some say rubber bullets. Here's a round up of reactions from social networking sites.
On YouTube, alhejairy posts  this video showing a group of protesters in Bouri, a village near A'ali, where protesters were pelted with tear gas:
This video shows part of the protests in Sitra. It was uploaded by ahrarbh today:
Towards the end of the video, after the security forces start shooting tear gas cannisters on the protesters, you catch a conversation in Arabic, where demonstrators are convincing another protester to move from “the line of fire” as “there are no hospitals open to treat the wounded.”
On Twitter, users continued to tweet and post photographs on the protests as they became available. Here is part of the conversation today:
@ru4peace2: @cnnireport 1 confirmed death in #bahrain today http://twitpic.com/4d4vr2
@MhamadHasan: protesters at #sitra after being attacked with CS gas, buckshots, grenade stuns #bahrain #feb14 http://twitpic.com/4d4t7b
@ProudBahraini1: another picture of clashes between riot forces and youth in sitra #Bahrain http://twitpic.com/4d4tmx
@MhamadHasan: #sitra pro-democracy rally about 3 PM today before attack #bahrain #feb14 http://twitpic.com/4d4rje
@badriya_1990: i just saw with my own eyes … police smashing a car on the street in aali #bahrain #feb14
@Bahrainiac: ReportsTear Gas near Pottery Roundabout in Aali right now time 06.13pm. #Bahrain #Aali #feb14
@AlJallabi14: Sounds of explosions in Aali, don't know what it is but it's loud.
@Sedrees: heavy attack by police with tear gas, buckshots, stun grenades #sitra #bahrain #feb14 #UK #UN #SOS #USA
@MOE_AlMajed: #chopperguy flying realy low in BaniJamra/Duraz, & sounds of few riot police cars heading to Sar #Bahrain
@Fatema_Habib89: @NoorAlHaji in Duraz and Bani Jamra, I still hear the shooting and smell the tear gas!
@FatimaY90: Bani Jamra, Duraz, Sitra, Ma'ameer, Nuwaidrat, Al Ekr, Dair & Samaheej still under attack as its people remain deifant! #Bahrain
@bhrabroad: Protestors in #Bahrain r armed with ‘allah akber’ – ‘god is great’- & they are being fired upon. #lulu #feb14
@FroozyO: First it was a sectarian uprising, then a terrorist plot, then they blamed Iran and now…Hizbullah. Whose next? #Bahrain
@Ahmed_Mansoor_: #bahrain Education Ministry Suspends Scholarships of students who participated in #protests against regime crimes bna.bh/portal/en/news… #hrw
@Hitteen48: Are rights abuses by govts of #Syria & #Bahrain under protection of #Qatar's ‘No-Airtime-Zone’ on @AJArabic ? #fb #ArabRevolution
@iLandBahrain: It's all just so tragic. The mess to be cleaned up later keeps getting bigger. I pray for the safety of all. #Bahrain
@iLandBahrain: There is no way out except a political solution, maybe with outside mediation. Just worried how many lives we'll lose before this is reached
@iLandBahrain: What worries me now we're beyond the concept of law “enforcement”. The very legitimacy of laws is questioned and that's risky #Bahrain
@Bahraini83: I'm really disappointed #Bahrain we have 2 b more rational &start thnking! &just get on with the solution already #EnoughIsEnough #WeWantCP
@Nadawish: @iLandBahrain I hope people find a way to move on.but the sectarianism gap is so big to be healed anytime soon.It's sad for what's happening
@iBAllERiNA: @iLandBahrain What is sad is that political resolution will take place sooner or later. More deaths are unnecessary & will deepen the wound.
Also, mourners today buried Hani Abdulaziz in Bilad Al Qadeem, 33, who was killed near his home and left in a pool of blood. Here is the coverage of his burial procession from Twitter:
@MajidJaffar: Latest martyr Hani Abdulaziz,from bilad alqadeem was shot and left bleeding for one hour n the street http://bit.ly/fKlZ64 #bahrain #lulu
@emoodz: Prayers on the coffin of Hani A.Aziz in Bilad earlier.. #bahrain #lulu http://yfrog.com/hsvjcjtj
@mohdashoor: Burial procession of the martyr Hani in Bilad Al Qadeem http://plixi.com/p/86716950 #Bahrain.
@MazenMahdi: Bilad Qadem funeral march about to end. Thousands marched peaceful even gave right of way for anti-riot police car to pass through #bahrain
@MazenMahdi: Bilad al Qadem funeral march now in #bahrain #feb14 http://plixi.com/p/86718210
Meanwhile, netizens calling for dialogue and an end to the violence in Bahrain are continuing to appeal to Bahrain Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa to intervene to find a peaceful solution to the protests which started on February 14. Here's a video featuring some of the tweets made by Twitter users:
This post is part of our special coverage of Bahrain Protests 2011.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Bangladesh: Supporting Pakistan Cricket Team · Global Voices
Rezwan

Although many Bangladeshi spectators at a quarter-final match of the Cricket world Cup 2011 in Dhaka cheered for Pakistan during their encounter with West Indies, Mezba asks “can a Bangladeshi support the Pakistan cricket team”? Find out why.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Rezwan


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Barbados, Jamaica: Improper Search? · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Barbados Free Press is livid about an incident in which a Jamaican traveler was subjected to a cavity search and then deported, saying: “Even if [the visitor] was suspected and then deported for good reason such as gang affiliation or crimes committed in Jamaica, she deserves to be treated with human dignity.”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Bermuda: Government Admits Error · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

politics.bm is fascinated by the fact that “the PLP realizes that the PLP's policies have been bad for Bermuda” and wonders about the resulting challenges and opportunities.


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Brazil: Racism against Federal Judge · Global Voices
Raphael Tsavkko Garcia

Blogger Renato Rovai regrets [pt] that Júlio Campos [pt] – a Federal Deputy from the Brazilian Democratas right wing party- has referred to the Minister of the Supreme Federal Court, Joaquim Barbosa, as the “dark brown of the Supreme”. Campos later apologized [pt] for what were considered racist words.

author: Raphael Tsavkko Garcia


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Brazil/Argentina: LGBT advocates repudiate death threats · Global Voices
Raphael Tsavkko Garcia

The Federación Argentina LGBT (Lesbian Gay Transexual and Transgender Federation of Argentina) repudiates [es] the death threats addressed to the federal deputy Jean Wyllys – the first assumed homossexual to enter the Brazilian Parliament.


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Cameroon: Government Interferes With Internet Service · Global Voices
Julie Owono

Ingenieris.net [fr], a Cameroonian information website focused on ICT news, announced [fr] on March 24, 2011, that the Cameroonian government intends to request Internet Service Providers (ISP) in the country to register the IP (Internet Protocol) addresses of their users. G. Izane, the author of the article, explains that the same type of registration has also been done with mobile phone users in order to prevent public order troubles [fr]. This news follows the ten day government ban of the SMS-to-Tweet service provided by MTN Cameroon, which was restored on March 8, 2011.

author: Julie Owono


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Cuba: Ex-Prisoner’s Travel Restricted · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Pedazos de La Isla reports that one prisoner of conscience who was freed on condition of exile to Spain expected “his new life in Spain…to be full of freedoms and opportunities, but his case has proven otherwise.”


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Egypt: The Constitutional Amendments  · Global Voices
Tarek Amr

This post is part of our special coverage for Egypt Protests 2011.
About one month after the fall of Hosni Mubarak, Egyptians went to vote on constitutional amendments, on Saturday, March 19. The referendum is on a group of articles in the constitution that discuss the Presidency and Parliamentary elections and the requirements for candidates.
Shady Shahin and his friends showing their pink fingers as proof that they voted
The Egyptian blogger, Raafatology, wrote here about the first referendum his generation has witnessed without knowing its results in advance:
During the week or two that preceded the referendum, there were huge debates all over Egypt as to whether those amendments should be accepted or not. Some people found some of the amended articles confusing [Ar], while others refused them. Some people wanted to vote “yes” despite their disagreement with all of the articles,as this would help in speeding up the election process so that parliamentary contests can be held before September, followed soon after by a presidential race.  The result would be to reach a political and economical stability state as soon as possible. While some others believed this is the best chance to write a new constitution from scratch, and had some fears that an early parliamentary elections might also end up with a parliament consisting only from the two only ready political forces in Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood and Mubarak's National Democratic Party. Some decided to vote with the amendments because they had reasonable fears that any delays might result in the Army jumping on the wagon and stay in charge forever.
Alaa Abdel Fattah wrote here about the division that took place within the revolts regarding the referendum:
A parallel debate took place away from the blogosphere, where dirty tactics were sometimes used.
A series of video advertisements were made that portrayed the amendments to the constitutions as some kind of deception. One or two of them compared it to not-so-valuable goods being sold to a client without him noticing. Another one, however, was criticized for the inappropriate use of women's sexuality in it. Fatma Emam wrote about that ad here:
Some of the Islamists who were in favor of a yes vote relied heavily on religion to persuade people. Some of the religious claims used weren't even accurate, but were just used for the sake of the debate. A printed advertisement [Ar] was published in the newspapers telling people that according to Islam they are obliged to vote with yes. On the other hand, some Christians were also reported to have used religion in persuading people. Hend Sallam wrote about the use of religion here.
Conversely, many Coptic Christians called for a ‘no’ vote because they want an entirely new constitution, feeling they are not equal citizens under the current constitution.
The Islamic Anti-Christianity Observatory categorized those who are with and those who are against the constitution amendments according to their point of view:
Till the day the referendum results were announced, it was hard to predict the exact percentage of those who were with or against it. On Twitter and Facebook the number of people on both sides were almost even. The profile pictures using red logos with “Vote No” on them, were even seen more than the green ones. Many prominent figures such as El Baradei, Amr Moussa, Wael Ghonim (the administrator of We Are All Khaled Said Facebook page), and many other writers and artists declared that they were going to refuse the amendments. Ursula Lindsey wrote here about the poll that took place on “We Are All Khaled Said” Facebook page and its results:
The We Are All Khaled Said group has carried out an opinion poll, with 18,000 participants (I love that we have polls now, no matter how unscientific!) and the results are: 49% against; 36% for; 13% undecided; 2% won't vote.
After the invasion of #VoteYes and #VoteNo logos on users profile pictures and avatars, fingers dipped in pink ink replaced those logos after the referendum
Yet offline, and in the streets, it was clear that a majority of the voters were going to accept the amendments. Then came the referendum day, and later on the results came out as follows, showing a great victory to those who agreed on the amendments:
Here is the breakdown of the vote throughout the governorates of Egypt in the official referendum. Cairo and Alexandria had the highest voting turnout while South Sinai had the lowest turn out.
Such a huge difference between referendum results and the speculations built using the online scene made many people question the real effect of Internet and social media on the masses in the streets.
Sandmonkey wrote down his reasons behind such huge gap, and here is a quick summary of his blog:
Zeinobia on the other hand expressed her anger and disagreement with those who claim that  those who voted with the amendments were either being brainwashed by the Muslim-Brotherhood/Salafis or were against the revolution from the beginning:
Finally Lastodri wrote how voting in such a democratic atmosphere made her proud to be Egyptian.
And Zeinobia added that even after this referendum, the revolution is still not over yet:
This post is part of our special coverage for Egypt Protests 2011.

author: Tarek Amr


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El Salvador: Citizen Reactions to Obama’s Visit · Global Voices
Omar Nieto

The visit of the President of the United States, Barack Obama, has sparked comments in favor and against his trip among Salvadoreans.
Some see it as something positive and applaud it, while others see it as a form of “imperialist intervention” on the fate of Central American nations.
The visit has also stirred up a heated debate on the Salvadoran blogosphere.
President Barack Obama during a press conference President Mauricio Funes of El Salvador. Rene Figueroa. Copyright Demotix.
¿Por qué no podemos decir una palabra digna al genocida en potencia que viene a nuestra casa? Tenemos miedo, está clarísimo. Nuestro miedo es el mismo de aquel a quien le han secuestrado un familiar, el del chantaje que puebla nuestras pesadillas: “Tú me dejas poner unas bases y yo no expulso a tu padre, a tu hermana, a tu primo…”
In the blog Salvadoreans in the world  [es], Edgardo Quintanilla published similar ideas in a post titled “Country invaded, on Obama's visit to El Salvador,” [es] where he also criticizes the allowances given to the left-wing party Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN).
Lo que viene para el gobierno de Funes a cambio son mayores prestaciones monetarias de los EEUU que producirán altos dividendos administrativos pero en realidad pocas obras concretas que beneficien a la población salvadoreña. Funes y el FMLN quedan ahora en paz, con el visto bueno que significa la visita de Obama.
In the op-ed site Mediolleno [es], Santiago Imberton says in his post “Libya, Japan and Obama's visit to El Salvador” [es] that Obama's visit is a sign of support for the administration of President Mauricio Funes for departing from the policies of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, despite being a left-leaning government.
Se puede esperar también algún beneficio importante para nuestros compatriotas que residen en aquel país.  Sobretodo, manda un mensaje tranquilizador para todos aquellos que soñamos con tener un gobierno apegado a la democracia, independientemente del partido político que esté en gobierno. La receta esta dada: Estados Unidos ve con ojos buenos a un gobierno regido bajo estándares democráticos, apertura económica y proyección social.  El Presidente Funes ha sabido manejar al país de esta forma y está siendo reconocido, ojalá podamos mantener este status en los años venideros.
The digital newspaper WebGuerrillero [es] reflects on the enthusiasm that Obama's visit produces in the governmental, business and media sectors compared to the indifference from popular sectors, joining the chorus of criticism of U.S. policy in Libya and Cuba.
Protest during Obama's visit. Rene Figueroa. Demotix Copyright.
Victor, from the blog Alta Hora de la noche [es], in his post “Visiting Monsignor Romero's grave” [es], reflects on the false symbolism that this act represents from a president of a country that directly or indirectly was involved in the priest’s murder.
No se honra a Monseñor Romero porque lo visite el supuesto  hombre “más poderoso del mundo”. Se honra cuando en una misa conmemorativa, una pareja de ancianos de un cantón pobrísimo de Morazán me contestan sonrientes que valió la pena el dolor de canillas por la caminata y el largo viaje desde su casa. Al fin pudieron venir a la tumba de Monseñor, su Monseñor.
Juan Jose Martel (Jjmar) of Hunnapuh Comentarios [es] analyzes the possible reasons why El Salvador was chosen [es] among the other Central American countries as the regional headquarters for the Obama's tour. Juan Jose says it is an opportunity not to be missed.
Hay sectores que todavía no salen de su asombro. No conciben que un Presidente de EUA visite el país en el momento en que hay un gobierno de izquierda moderada que se define de unidad nacional. Otros ven la visita como la llegada de Santa Claus y especulan sobre lo que traerá y lo que hay que pedirle. Algunos ultra derechistas trasnochados dijeron que Obama venía a regañar a Funes por el fracaso en su política de seguridad y otros ultra izquierdistas interpretan la visita de Obama como la entrega de Funes al imperialismo yanqui.
Dagoberto Gutierrez from the newly founded left-wing Participatory Democracy Movement [es], posts a letter to President Obama [es] in which he says that the cause of socio-economic problems that El Salvador suffers are due to the policies his country implemented by means of the previous governments managed by the Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA) party.
El Salvador, Señor Presidente, necesita y busca relaciones amistosas y de mutua conveniencia con su gobierno, esperando que las y los salvadoreños emigrantes reciban un trato justo y legal de parte de su gobierno, correspondiente al aporte hecho a la economía y a la riqueza de los Estados Unidos.
Herman Di from Love & Politics [es], Tim from Tim's El Salvador Blog, Rachel from Ocurrente Irreverente [es] and Katia V from ¡Qué Cosas No! [es] also blogged about Obama's visit.
On Twitter, the visit was kept under constant review and it unleashed a barrage of comments, some humorous and others serious, under the hashtags #Obamasv, #visitaObama and #Obama. Claudia Granados (@clales) shared a cartoon and Adri Escobar (@adriescobar1) re-tweeted images from @elsalvadorcom.
Mario Miguel Melendez (@SugaBearMelendz), meanwhile, writes:
#Obamasv no es presidente de mi país y ya mandó a recarpetear calles,recuperó el centro histórico y subió la seguridad. #Obamaparapresidente
While Carlos Alberto (@zafado72), with a similar tone, declares:
Este tio #ObamaSV deberia de venir todos los domingos a misa pa q San Salvador sea una ciudad segura todas las semanas http://myloc.me/iKLXk

author: Omar Nieto


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Ethiopia: Meet the First Lady of Ethiopian Music · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Meet the First Lady of Ethiopian music: “Today, 78-year-old and in frail health, Asnaketch Worku remains a living music legend, undoubtedly one of the most important singers in the history of Ethiopian music.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Global Voices’ translator: Jean Saint-Dizier · Global Voices
Claire Ulrich

At Global Voices in French, volunteer translators choose to translate because they love news, because they are interested in the world at large, because they enjoy translating. They take this opportunity  to “visit” as many different countries as they can by translating posts into French. But one volunteer among our francophone community hoards jealously any and every post about Brazil (a single exception: Iraq!): meet  Jean, aka “Juan”, who translates out of love for Brazil.
A traditional question: how did you discover Global Voices in French and decide to become a volunteer?
Jean Saint-Dizier: It's probably something to do with the way I was brought up, somehow hippie and a little utopian.  I'm still convinced that everyone is beautiful and kind. So, in this light, the Web is an extraordinary tool to connect people. This way, they get to know each other and may become a little better? I love people. That's all. That's why, when I found Global Voices in French while surfing the Web, I immediately thought: “There. I've found my home”.
Why Brazil? Why this passion for translations from Portuguese to French?
JSD: I discovered this country by pure chance, on Christmas Day, in 1984. What a shock! In France, I was a totally disoriented young adult, I had no goal in life, zero…And here I was, discovering a country where people were like me:  human relationships first, gregarious, multicultural. Happiness, whatever the odds, comes first…Of course, I've moderated this first impression later on, but at the time, I immediately thought: “I'm not going anywhere else”. You also have to know that this is where I met a person who saved my life, in all senses, my brother, my soul mate, with the beauty of knowing that someone like him existed on earth (even if he was fundamentally different from me) and that he was Brazilian has certainly helped me survive during a very rough patch of my life. So I went ahead, burnt all my bridges, and became Brazilian. My greatest regret in life will always be not to have applied for Brazilian citizenship at the time.
What did you do in Brazil?
JSD: I spent two years in  Fortaleza, in Céarà,  where I taught French at the Alliance Française, then I moved to Itaparica, Salvador de Bahia, where I made an attempt at being an entrepreneur and opened a pousada (a small hotel-restaurant on an island) but I was hopeless!
Three years later, I came back to Fortaleza, my town, my country, where the sun never dies. Ten years went by, I came back in France. In the meantime, I had met my guardian angel, who is French – so you see, you never chose! – and had two gorgeous children.
But Brazil is a chance for the world and I want to spread awareness of that. It's a real-life lab, it must be taken seriously, and I am extremely happy to see that it's on its way to being taken seriously. Thanks to President Lula, sure, but not only him, thanks to all the others, all the Brazilians that make their country “The Possibility of an Island” for me, a safe-haven in case of personal or collective disaster.
Did you discover something about Brazil while translating for Global Voices that you did not know?
JSD: Yes, I discovered something I had no clue of (and it is something that I blamed Brazilians for a little): the vitality of the grass root movements which picked up so much momentum on the Net during the 2010 elections campaign. For instance, the initiative launched by  Diego Casaes, Paula Goes and their gang, the elections and candidates monitoring site Eleitor2010.
In your second French life, what do you do?
JSD: I've merged my passion for linguistics and languages with my passion for people and I am a teacher of French as a foreign language for foreigners. I currently work as a trainer in the South of France, with migrants who have to justify a minimum command of French to be able to apply for residence in France. I do all I can to train them well for their exam, so that they are left in peace on this matter at least. And to think that the concept of borders is for me totally virtual…
Is there one place in Brazil that is particularly dear to you?
JSD: The Mucuripe beach, in Fortaleza, because that's where everything started for me. Under a favella, stuck between the yacht club and bourgeois buildings, the fish market and the estaleiros, who build and maintain saveiros (boats) and jangadas. I still get goose bumps just thinking about it.

author: Claire Ulrich


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India: A Brief History Of Cricket · Global Voices
Rezwan

Vadakkus provides the history of the game of Cricket from an Indian's perspective.


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India: Daughters Are Not For Killing · Global Voices
Rezwan

Ratna Raman at Ultra Violet describes how many women in India are subject to some form of punishment, torture or cruelty in their lives beginning with getting rid of the female fetus from mother's womb.


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Jordan: #March24 Protest Camp in Amman · Global Voices
Nadine Toukan

Hundreds of pro-democracy Jordanians, mostly students and young people, gathered to protest at the Dakhliyeh Circle (Ministry of Interior Circle) in Amman on March 24, 2011.
Demands from the protestors [ar] included the dissolution of parliament, a new representative election law, the dismantling of the General Intelligence Department, and the removal of Prime Minister Marouf Al Bakhit in exchange for a democratically elected prime minister instead of one appointed by the King. Calls also came for public freedom, as well as an end to corruption and autocracy.
@tarawnah: It is ALL about who is more patriotic right now. The music and Dabkeh competition is amazing to watch. #march24 #jo
Protesting through the night
Under heavy and peacefully controlled police and security, the youth of March 24 movement stayed up throughout Thursday night and set up a protest camp, a livestream [ar] of the event, and a clean up crew.
They have been met by a smaller group of counter-demonstrators holding up pictures of King Abdullah, chanting aggressively at the pro-democracy protesters that the King is their leader. The counter-demonstrators also blared music at the March 24 youths while they were performing their dawn prayer.
AmmanNet [ar] reported that one of the March 24 youths, Abdallah AlRamahi, was arrested and later released. Meanwhile, stone throwing has resulted in some injuries.
Nearby hospitals reported treating at least 50 injuries, according to AmmanNet [ar], other than the injuries treated at the on site camp clinic.
Injured March 24 protestor. Image by Yfrog user @JournalistErsan.
Twitter reactions
Here are some of the reactions to the protest on Twitter:
@lina18: كيف يعني هدول اللي بفكروا حالهم “موالين” شايفين إنهم عم بخدموا البلد والملك بإنهم يرموا حجار على المعتصمين ويسبوا عليهم؟؟
@Dima_Alashram: the baltajeyye [counter-demonstrator thugs] are holding a picture of the king, and passing it to everyone to kiss it #march24. as if the other party is not pro the king!
@Dinablues: This cannot turn pro/anti king or urduni [Jordanian]/falasteeni [Palestinian] or pro/anti reform. we are all so much better than this.
@SaeedOmar: الله يقوي اللي قاعدين ومعتصمين على دوار الداخليه. قلوبنا معكم ودعاءنا الكم
@Qwaider: Today, is one of the very few moments in my life that I'm PROUD TO BE JORDANIAN #Mar24 الله يحيي الشباب… اسقطوا جدار الخوف
@MohannedA: أفكر بالعودة جديا..عيوني تدمع على بلدي..الله يحمي الأردن
Dakhliyeh Circle protest camp. Image by Twitpic user @fhilal, posted March 25, 2011.
@MohannedA: I'm seriously considering returning to Jordan… my eyes tear for my country, God bless Jordan.
@theMJ_92: just left interior circle, shocked to see two sides and police in between
@Zaidababneh: اتمنى لو انني لم اذهب الى دوار الداخليةواشاهد مناهضين الاعتصام،لانني ما كنت لاصدق المستوى الهابط من الهتافات لولا اني سمعت
@farahghniem: To anti-reformists & status-quo-lovers, think about this: If u love ur country so much, why do u settle for mediocrity?
@tarawnah: just asked by loyalist whose side I was on. Said I was just a citizen. Told me “ma binfa3″ [that doesn't work]. Threatened 2have me beaten if I took pix. #mar24
@7ammoud: The government is still less than a couple of months old. For God's sake give them a chance before judging them!!
@odoudin: its sad to read some of the comments @ #mar24 facebook page. Enough with the divide, we shud unite to help
@jamal_bat: #ReformJO ppl saying #Mar24 is wrong coz its causing traffic jams, why didn't we hear abt [about] it when they were closed for Kings bday [birthday] parade?
@tarawnah: #mar24 ppl fairly diverse. Saw a mother holding up photo of her Jordanian son who was a #jo policeman that died in line of duty.
@AmmanNet: مسيرة الحسيني غدا تتضامن وتغير مخطط سيرها للداخلية حسب معتصمون
As day breaks into Friday morning, follow on Twitter, hashtags #March24 and #Mar24 and the livestream here.

author: Nadine Toukan


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Kenya: Vote for Nairobi Nights Blog · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Vote for me: “I have been nominated for The Deutsche Welle International Best Of Blogs Awards. Deutsche Welle is Germany's international broadcaster. As they say on their website : The Deutsche Welle International Blog Awards – The BOBs – honors websites in 11 languages that champion the open exchange of ideas and freedom of expression… Too much for freedom pf expression.”


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Kuwait: Massive Sandstorm Turns Day into Night · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

A massive sandstorm has engulfed Kuwait in minutes this afternoon. Armed with cameras, Kuwaiti netizens gave us a glimpse of their experience as day turned into night.
Alkulaib shares this ‘unbelievable’ video with us:
Here's another video by iGhaZy, showing the impact of the storm on Jahra:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYPf69K89Pc
User adua110 shares this video, showing the Kuwait skyline as the sandstorm closed in:
On Facebook, users shared this video showing drivers in traffic as the storm descended on them.
For more dust footage, check this recording, shared by Faisal Al Fadhel on Twitter.
A bigger selection of the videos uploaded on the Kuwait sandstorm can be found here.
On Twitter, users from Kuwait shared many pictures of the storm. Here's a selection:
@stinni: Dust storm rolling into kuwait. http://t.co/gQafkwk
@malook_alm: @andriianagc see what's happen in kuwait ;( #prayforkuwait http://yfrog.com/h3nh1waj
@Nawaf_Madridi:  @wheezywaiter Wheezy check this out !! .. Dust in kuwait now ! http://yfrog.com/h7zyntuj
@bose3da: The dust had no mercy on Kuwait from 5 pm till now but God overwhelmed us with all mercies http://t.co/W87KY2l
@Alialrayes: Kuwait airport covered with dust http://yfrog.com/gylv5ckj
@Mp3_Q8: Kuwait Airport Now!! http://yfrog.com/hsw9xapj
@Nowchi: OMG !!! Huge sand Storm In Kuwait .. ( That's Scary ) ;O =S http://yfrog.com/h0pwleij
@SanaaQureshi_: Sandstorm in #Kuwait. Prayers for the people, may Allah keep them all safe iA. http://twitpic.com/4d6kpz
@Asraathelady: Big sand storm in kuwait for the first time .. Friday 25th 2011 .. We won't forget http://yfrog.com/h2mjwrkj
@carbon77: Kuwait suffering the sand storm! http://yfrog.com/hsomciej
@LAYLA_HN: OH MY!!!!!! .. Where's this?!!! Kuwait?!! http://plixi.com/p/86775874


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Libya: Is Khamis Gaddafi Really Dead?  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage Libya Uprising 2011.
Rumours have been circulating online and in mainstream media for about two weeks that Khamis Al Gaddafi, son of Muammar Gaddafi, has been killed. Tonight, the rumours are making the rounds again, with a new twist. They say the 27-year-old militia leader, who runs a brigade which carries his name, was killed during an air raid on Bab Al Aziziya Compound, where the Gaddafis reside in Tripoli. Unconfirmed reports add that his brother Muattasim was killed by Gaddafi for ‘refusing to follow’ orders.
Al Arabiya (Ar) confirms news of Khamis’ death, quoting unnamed sources while the Libyan authorities deny it.
Protests calling for the toppling of the Gaddafi regime started in Libya on February 16, one day ahead of the February 17 date scheduled for the revolution to kick off on social networking sites.
Here are the latest comments from Twitter on Khamis’ alleged death:
@jenanmoussa: Khamis Al #Gaddafi, son of #Gaddafi, confirmed dead according to Media reports. #Libya
@najibs: Gaddafi’ son,Khamis, has been killed during an air raid on Bab Al Aziziya compound in Tripoli. He was leading a militia that bore his name.
@RRowleyTucson: Now 2 sources in #Libya confirms death of #Khamis in #BabAzizia attack. Unconfirmed that #Muattasim killed by father for refusing orders.
@RRowleyTucson: Reliable source in #Libya confirms death of #Khamis in #BabAzizia attack. Unconfirmed that #Muattasim killed by father for refusing orders.
@youssefsan: Many rumours: Saif (said 48 hr victry on Bngzi), #Khamis dead? #Saadi (injured)? #Muttasim killed for not obeying? Have u more news? #libya
@bnnNEWSLIVE: Al Arabiya source added that Khamis Gaddafi was killed in a raid in Bab al-Aziziyah,Tripoli. But we repeat that we are unable to confirm it
@bnnNEWSLIVE: Al-Arabiya quoted on Friday an unnamed source as saying reports that Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi’s son, Khamis, was killed are true.
@samyrra25: It's going down…. Death of #Ghaddafi’s son Khamis confirmed | Ya Libnan | World News Live from Lebanon: http://bit.ly/fa166D
@freedom4libya: The news of the death of Khamis #Gadhafi is spreading in Tripoli. #Libya
@Weaver2World: @gfry @acarvin Hasn't Khamis been dead, and therefore out of fashion, for a good three or four days?
@iyad_elbaghdadi: @carolv27 Can you link this again? Re confirmation of Khamis Gaddafi's death?
@youssefsan: Is it just me or #Khamis is barely quoted today in English media? #Libya
@H9a: #AlArabiya confirmed the death of #Gadaffi's son Khamis
@rockin4god: @nolesfan2011 Over the past week Khamis has been reported to of died in many different ways, so…is this rumour or confirmed and by who?
@nolesfan2011: it appears #khamis #gaddafi one of #gaddafis sons and the leader of the #khamis brigade was killed in an #airstrike #nato #nfz #bombing
@alihabibi1: Al-ArabiyaTV confirms #Qaddafi's son (Khamis) was killed in NATO's raid on Bab AlAzizya (#Tripoli) http://on.fb.me/i6BgFm
@libyaWatan: So #Khamis is dead? is he or is he not? #Libya #Feb17
@LOVE2LIBYA: hamdilla khamis is dead, confirmed on al arabiya….khamis is dead khamis is dead…never was so happy to report someone's death…
@nusibab: As much as I want to believe Khamis is dead, I still have my doubts. Alarabiya isn't exactly the most reliable source… #Libya #Feb17
@Perfectsliders: Daily Mail is actually still only reporting Khamis death as “claimed”. Which means they, like Clinton, have been unable to confirm.
@N_Benghazi: A reason to smile today: Khamis Gaddafi is dead. One less #Gaddafi in the world means cleaner air for all. Ahhh. #feb17 #libya
@sooopergoof: Boy o boy the stories about #Khamis just won't…die.
@Qahtani: It seems that #Saif Zaif #Gaddafi is mourning his beloved brother #Khamis. I have not seen much of him on TV lately. #Feb17
@BentBenghazi: Alarabiya confirming #Khamis death? I almost don't wanna believe it, too good to be true! #libya
@acarvin: @carolv27 I don't doubt Al Arabiya reported it. It's just that rumors of Khamis dying have been going on for 2+ weeks now.
This post is part of our special coverage Libya Uprising 2011.


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Myanmar: Photos of Earthquake Disaster · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

A 6.8 earthquake hit northeast Myanmar on the evening of  Thursday 24 March, 2011, which was felt in nearby Thailand and as far away as Vietnam and China. The quake killed at least 70 people and destroyed more than 240 buildings in Myanmar alone. Strong tremors were also recorded in the cities of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai in Thailand.
The number of casualties could be higher. According to reports, more than 80 coffins were sold out in Tachilek on the morning of Friday 25 March. Observers described the earthquake as the third biggest natural disaster that struck Burma after the 2008 Cyclone Nargis and the 2010 Cyclone Giri.
Independent paper The Irrawaddy interviews residents of Mae Sai in Thailand. In a letter published by Shan Herald, Jai Noi narrated the impact of the quake on residents
Dear All there
we have been alert the whole night,  sometimes napping while trying to stay alert. The Phone is not working properly, both mobile and home phone. There is no damage done to the house so far. We stayed in and out of the house all night. I hope this mail will be able to pass through. There is big damage in Taler, 40 km north and the  bridge was destroyed. Heard most of the town was flattened and as there is only one doctor there, the injured were sent to Tachileik  more than it can accept. About 80 casualties at least. No detail yet. There are sure to be damaged. The centre is around Merng Lain, 59 km north of Maesai as the new has said. There are still after shocks up to now.
The blog akm-kuntha uploads pictures showing the damage on roads in Tarle, a city 20 miles away from Tarchileik.
Democratic Voice of Burma also uploaded pictures of the quake disaster. Here are some twitter reactions from Yangon
@ascmmr: Dear Fans, We wish you well and safe from earthquake. If you feel the earthquake on 24 Mar 2011 8:25 pm
@minnyoonthit: earthquake cause great damage in Northern Shan, Tachileik area (over 100 ppl dead, several ppl are wounded.
@blacksumo: shitttt the earthquake was real?? i thought my aunt was being delusional …

author: Mong Palatino


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Nigeria: Blogger Arrested for Allegedly Blackmailing a Politician · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

This post is part of our special coverage Nigeria Elections 2011.
The Nigerian federal security enforcement agency, State Security Service (SSS), recently arrested Ikenna Ellis Ezenekwe, a Nigerian blogger who runs 247 Ureports, for allegedly attempting to blackmail Mrs. Uche Ekwunife, a member of the House of Representatives for Aniocha, Njikoka and Dunukofa Constituency in Anambra State.
The Administrator of Huhuonline explains how the whole story started:
On Saturday, March 12 2011, we published a story captioned Reps Member, Dr. (Mrs.) Uche Ekwunife Caught with Pants Down…. See Video” .Minutes after our story aired, our phones were inundated with calls, and one of such callers was Ikenna Ezenekwe publisher of Ukpaka reports.com, he said he was calling on behalf of his sister (Hon.Uche Ekwenife).
In the words of Mr.Ezenekwe, he was part  of Dr. Mrs. Uche Ekwenife`s campaign train which was in Awka on Saturday march 12, 2011, and she had commissioned him to help resolve her media “nightmare” (video of her having sex), which was published on youtube and republished on huhuonline.com and pointblanknews.com.
Mr. Ezenekwe requested that huhuonline.com pull down the video, saying that the woman was ready to pay any amount, but his plea was rebuffed, and was asked to tell the embattled Uche Ekwenife, who allegedly allowed herself to be videotaped, while having sex to “perish with her money”.
Blogger Ikenna Ezenekwe in handcuffs. Photo courtesy of SaharaReporters
SaharaReporters investigated the matter:
According to our sources, Mr. Ezenekwe had gone to the home of Ekwunife to demand N6 million naira to stop a scandalous story about Mrs. Ekwunife that was published on Pointblanknews.com and Huhuonline.com. The story about how Mrs. Ekwunife was jumping from one political party into another was illustrated with a sex tape purported to be of Mrs. Ekwunife and some lovers.
Mr. Ezenekwe, who runs Ukpakareports.com, had contacted Mrs. Ekwunife’s aide, Emeka Igwilo demanding the House of Representatives member’s contact. When asked why, he said he was in possession of indecent pictures of Mrs. Ekwunife with male and female lovers.
The investigation further revealed:
Investigation by Saharareporters revealed that Ikenna Ezenekwe and the owners of Pointblanknews.com and Huhuonline were having constant phone conversations as the blackmail was taking place. The SSS is looking at Ikenna Ezenekwe’s phone records and his laptop to determine the nature of the involvement of the owners of the two online sites.
The two websites have since pulled the story from their sites. They did not provide any explanation as to why they did that.
In separate statements published on their sites, Pointblanknews and Huhuonline denied being accomplices in the alleged crime. They claimed that Ikenna Ezenekwe approached them to take down the story and the video for a fee and they both rebuffed him. Pointblanknews called Ikenna Ezenekwe an impersonator.
Below are messages from Ikenna Ezenekwe and his fans on his Facebook page about his arrest:
Udenze Desire Ude needs clarity on the issue from Ikenna Ellis Ezenekwe:
IKENNA I HEARD ABOUT YOUR ARREST AND FILES LEVELED AGAINST YOU.. WE YOUR FANS NEED SOME CLARITY ON THIS ISSUE..
Ikenna says that his arrest is the greatest blackmail in the modern world:
This is the greatest blackmail in our modern world, Am still with the SSS in Awka over a video publised on huhuonline.com and pointblanknews.com on Hon. (Dr.) Uche Ekwunife i simply asked them to remove…. the truth will soon come out!
On March 21, 2011, Chike Okonkwo questioned the continued detention of Ikenna:
How can the PDP led government explain the continued detention of Ikenna ,for more than a week by the DSS, without charging him to court???? Even military regimes detained people based on decree two. On what basis is Ikenna being held for this long?? The detained Okey Ndibe,now it is Ikenna!
Okey Ifeachor thinks the case is politically motivated:
It will be naive to think that Ikenna's detention has no political undertone.
Ikenna thanks God because all his charges have been cleared:
I thank God for clearing me of all charges and for freeing me. I am glad for God's grace. God will forgive all the people involved. I am happy God has helped vindicate me. I was never arrested at the home of Ekwunife as alleged. I was arrested at Parktonian Hotel when Ekwunife came to collect contact information of the Publishers of the video tape. I NEVER CAME TO COLLECT 6 Million Naira. God bless SSS [State Security Service].
John Ahonsi writes:
Forget what they did to u,all I know is that it made u better and stronger.I think this country needs a revolution
In October 2008 Nigerian blogger, Jonathan Elendu, was arrested by the State Security Service (SSS) for allegedly sponsoring a “guerilla news agency”.
This post is part of our special coverage Nigeria Elections 2011.


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Portugal: Esoteric analysis to Prime Minister’s resignation · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

The astrologer and author of the blog Cova do Urso (Bear's Cave), Antonio Rosa, frames the political crisis in Portugal – triggered by the resignation of Prime Minister Jose Socrates on March 24 – through the analysis of his astrological chart [pt].

author: Sara Moreira


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Russia: Unexpected Results of Radiation Mapping · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

Radiation symbol, photo by Michael Hicks
The crowdsourcing project of mapping radiation levels in Russia measured by private dosimeters not only became  an interesting case of digital activism, but also showed some effects its creators didn’t even think of.
Disaster Triggers Online Activity
While writing the article on nuclear debate provoked by the series of explosions at “Fukushima 1″ nuclear plant, I’ve noticed that in the comments section of news articles, as well as at the local message boards, Internet users were exchanging the data on radiation levels in their cities. Excited by the observation, I offered to Gregory Asmolov, a RuNet Echo contributing editor, to create a crowdsourcing map that would structure these chaotic data and provide comprehensive information on  radiation levels in the regions surrounding Japan.
It took one night for Gregory to create this map (later called “Radiation Map”) at Crowdmap.com, online Ushahidi service. And unlike in our previous project, we didn’t have to go through the painful process of bug-fixing and editing Russian translations of Ushahidi installation. We were also able to make a multi-lingual platform offering opportunities to map radiation for English-speakers. After sending a few links to the interested parties (like Russian Greenpeace, which helped a lot in spreading the news about the project), we started inviting moderators. Five out of six moderators that joined Radiation Map came from the Help Map project. This proves the point of Gregory Asmolov that crowdsourcing initiatives from one emergency case to another form a core of activists willing to participate in the next projects.
In the United States, a similar map-based project rdtn.org had been launched several days later. Almost simultaneous appearance of several projects doing basically the same thing illustrated that mapping became a somewhat “conditioned reflex” of the bloggers all over the world. If radio gave each event a sound, TV – an image, then this relatively new ‘mapping reflex’ gave each event a geographical location.
Unplanned Usage
The initial idea of Radiation Map was to organize the chaotic data from the personal dosimeters in the Russian regions neighboring Japan. Most personal readings have proven (and keep proving) that there’s no increase in the radiation level on the Russian side, and thus all rumors about the “nuclear plume” are highly exaggerated by the conventional media.
Then, the users started to report reading and ask to measure radiation levels in their own areas. The requests were made from the cities on the other side of the globe – in the European Russia, some eight-nine thousand kilometers from Japan. What’s even more interesting, other users started to reply to the requests, providing dosimeter data and supporting it with the photos of dosimeters.
The Radiation Map not only helped organize information and lower the panic around Fukushima, but also assisted in re-discovering Russian territories heavily contaminated with radiation. The following message [ru] represents one – and so far, the only – case of such “re-discovery”:
Автомагистраль Челябинск-Екатеринбург. Возле моста фон – 340 мкР/час. В 20 метрах от моста 310 мкР/час. Замерено радиометром “Нейва”.
Комментарий Дениса Куландина:
При мощности экспозиционной дозы естественного фона (5-30) мкР/ч, показания на индикаторе должны быть в пределах 5 – 30 мкР/ч. Опасной считается доза в 50 микрорентген. Тут речь идет об опасном для жизни уровне! Необходимо проверить показания! Я отправил письмо, ожидаю ответа.
Highway somewhere between Chelyabinsk and Yekaterinburg. Next to the bridge [over Techa river] – 340 microroentgen per hour. In 20 meters from the bridge – 310 microroentgen per hour. Measured with “Neiva” [Russian brand – GV] dosimeter.
Denis Kulandin [one of the Radiation Map moderators – GV] commented:
Considering that the exposure dose of the natural radiation level is about 5-30 microroentgen per hour, the data on the [dosimeter – GV] indicator should be within these values. The radiation level is considered dangerous starting from the level of 50 microroentgen per hour. Now, that is the dangerous level! We need to check this data! I've sent a letter, waiting for the answer.
Techa river is a famous case of radioactive contamination for physicians all over the world (as one article re-phrased a famous meme: “In Soviet Russia, Lake Contaminates You”). Back in 1957, a Kyshtym disaster happened (the second most destructive nuclear disaster in the human history after Chernobyl). For many Russians, however, the story is still either unknown or the radioactive contamination is perceived not dangerous.
Commenter named Pavel (in his e-mail he wrote that he's a local journalist) explained [ru] the nature of unusually high level of the radiation:
[…] Это последствия сброса жидких радиоактивных отходов ПО “Маяк” в каскад Теченских водоемов. Странно что на этом сайте это не было отмечено ранее… Выше по течению (как можно видеть на карте) и располагается этот каскад. Там фон, я думаю, в тысячи раз выше того, что я намерил на этом мосту.[…]
When the Radiation Map was created, the both cases of self-help in spreading radiation data and re-discovery of contaminated places were not planned . This unusual usage illustrates how people inhabitate digital spaces and use platform functionality in the ways limited only by their creativity.

author: Alexey Sidorenko


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South Korea: Controversial Memoir Mixes Art, Sex and Politics · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

An art curator who shocked South Korea with her fake Yale diploma and government connections released a memoir on March 22, 2011, rocking the nation once again with her revelations.
Shin Jeong-ah, a Korean art history professor and chief curator at the Sungkok Art Museum was convicted of forging a Yale doctorate degree and embezzling funds from corporate sponsorship in an art gallery in 2007 and sentenced to an 18-month prison term.
Called the ‘art world Cinderella‘, Shin's alleged relationships with high-profile political and social figures along with the nude photos of her that have been leaked on the internet and published in local newspaper, have made her something of a celebrity.
Cover of Shin's scandalous book '4001'.
Tell-all tale
In the tell-all book entitled ‘4001’, which refers to Shin’s identification number while in jail, she describes inappropriate acts with powerful figures in full detail and revealing real names. The first print run has already sold out and orders keep pouring in, as do the criticisms heaped on Shin's motives for publishing the memoir.
In the memoir, Shin claims that former prime minister and president of Seoul National University, Chung Un-chan, offered her a job at the university's art gallery in exchange for sex, a claim Chung immediately dismissed.
Meanwhile, people have evaluated a description of her intimate relationship with Byeon Yang-kyoon, a former presidential aide, as the stuff of a third-rate gooey romance novel.
The mysterious Mr. C, a journalist-turned-politician who Shin claims sexually harassed her in a taxi, has been the subject of frenzied web searches in a quest to reveal the man's identity.
People's immediate response was that of curiosity, but soon it was replaced with scepticism, concern and even a boycott. Many Twitter users, recalling Shin's criminal records and scandals, felt offended by the way she gaining fame and financial profit from her immorality, and a book that has little positive impact on Korean society.
Sung Ryu (@DaveRyu) tweeted on March 24 [ko]:
@DaveRyu: 정작 진짜 박사학위를 가진 분들도 비정규직 시간강사로 지내면서 언제 정규직이 될지 모르는 판에 가짜 학위로 출세가도를 달렸던 신정아,,,대단하다,이젠 자서전으로 전국민 상대로 한판 벌일 모양이다.
Rampant voyeurism?
Aspiring teacher Hamir Park (@HamirPark) analyzed on March 23 that the unprecedented attention given to the book reflected rampant voyeurism in South Korean society [ko]:
@HamirPark: 신정아 출판 책이 왜이렇게 팔리는지 이해가 안간다. 안봐도 내용이 뻔하지 않나? 우리사회 관음증적 성격과 수준을 보여준다 생각한다.
Kwon Hyuk-ju (@aamyyn), a Korean cartoonist, approached Shin's book from performance angle. Kwon saw the whole situation as something an art curator who often organized promotional events would have easily pulled off (March 24) [ko]:
@aamyyn: 신정아씨가 전직 큐레이터였다는 것을 감안하면 그녀는 이번 출판행사를 통해서 예술가로 전업선언을 한 것 같다. 세상을 향해 도발하고 있다. 이건 분명 퍼포먼스다.
Pastor Jung-hoon Yoon (@JunghoonYoon) responded to a tweet pledging not to buy the book on March 24:
@JunghoonYoon: 만4천원에 고위 정치인 벌거 벗길 수 있으면 싼편일지도 ㅋ RT @patriamea: 시민의 잠재적 관음증을 자극하여 장사를 하려는 신정아와 출판사의 의도가 분명하기에 절대 이 책을 사보지 않겠다.
The book has received massive publicity, whether good or bad. Its poor quality has had ‘real’ novelists tut-tutting over the furore. South Korean best-selling author, Gong Ji-young (@congjee) tweeted on March 24 [ko]:
@congjee: 신정아씨 책을 읽는데 생각보다 지루하다. (저는 취재대신 비 문학인의 수필을 거의 다 읽어요) 그냥 기자들이 호들갑 떨며 전해주는 이슈들만 찾아보는 것이 더 나을 듯. 글고 서문과 본문의 문장이 너무달라, 대필의혹이 상당히…논문 리포트도 대필이라는데
Gong’s tweet immediately fired controversy and the possibility of ghostwriting made several headlines. Later on same day Gong tweeted back [ko]:
@congjee: 문제 많은 대한민국에서 신정아가 그렇게 중요한 뉴스인가? 어이가 없다.정말 기자들이 이렇게 하는 한 트윗하기 싫어진다. 나는 간단한 독후감을 썼고 그녀가 한 죄에 비해 과도한 마녀사냥에 시달린다고 생각했던 사람이다. 일이 이렇게까지 번지다니.
Another unexpected turnaround happened to Naver.com, South Korea's most visited website. Korea's blogger/citizen news website Wiki Tree posted [ko] a story revealing that Naver had taken the rare move of erasing possible real names of Mr. C from its search word list, even before anyone requested.
Naver claimed that this measure was taken to prevent libel cases, but it led net users to assume behind the scenes connections with the power figures mentioned on the book had influenced the move.

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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Syria: ‘Friday of Dignity’ Protests Erupt Countrywide · Global Voices
Anas Qtiesh

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011.
Massive protests broke in several cities in Syria today in response to calls for a “Friday of Dignity” after a brutal governmental crackdown left dozens of protesters dead in the southern city of Daraa and nearby villages.
Today the world was mesmerized by videos of Syrian protests many though would never happen, especially after an earlier call for protest on 5 February failed to bring anyone to the streets. The following video was taken in Hama–where in 1982 the Syrian Army massacred around 10,000 people to squash a Muslim Brotherhood uprising–and you can hear protesters chanting “Freedom!” and “we sacrifice our souls and blood for Daraa.”
Daraa in turn saw its largest protests to date. Protesters chanted “a traitor attacks his own people.”
Eyewitness reported and uploaded extremely graphic videos of a massacre in As Sanamayn, a town near Daraa, as people marched in an attempt to break the siege security forces had set up around Daraa entrances. At least 20 are reported dead.
Thousands protested in the main square in Homs declaring that there will be “no fear after today.”
Twitter user @AnonymousSyria ventured into the Grand Mosque in Aleppo where he managed to record security forces violently dispersing a protest attempt:
Meanwhile in Damascus, several protests took place in different locations in the city as well as nearby by suburbs and towns. In the video below, crowds gathering by Al-Rifai Mosque in Damascus chanted “God, Syria, Freedom only!” and demanded the government lifts the Daraa siege.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NB-zMMFcEA
Damascus and a few other locations also witnessed pro-government protests and car processions. Government officials haven't commented publicly on today's protest yet and the Minister of Information assured the media that the situation is calm around the country. Several people were reportedly killed in Daraa, Latakia, Zabadani among others.
This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011.

author: Anas Qtiesh


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U.S. Embassy in Uganda Gets Social · Global Voices
Mark Jordahl

The Unites States Misson in Uganda is tapping into the power of social media with a new Facebook page, Twitter feed and YouTube channel.
In a speech launching the new initiative, Ambassador Jerry Lanier recognized that social media is more than a way to stay in touch with friends. It is one of the new battlefields where the war for free speech is being fought:
What is clear…is that internet Freedom is no different from the freedom of religion or the freedom of speech.  Internet freedom is becoming the freedom of assembly for the 21st century.  Blogs, emails, social networks, and text messages have opened up new forums for exchanging ideas, and created new targets for censorship.
Efforts of some governments to deny their citizens unfettered internet access is no different than the construction of the Berlin Wall.  Virtual walls are replacing visible walls.  Some governments have erected electronic barriers to prevent their people from accessing portions of the world’s networks and have expunged words, names, and phrases from search-engine results that they didn’t like.
These actions violate the privacy of citizens who engage in nonviolent political speech. They contravene the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which tells us that all people have the right to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of borders.
Hopefully these new venues will increase the flow of information from the embassy, as well as providing an opportunity for Ugandans to ask questions about the actions and policies of the United States in Uganda.
And hey – if an institution as dowdy as the U.S. State Department has gotten on board with social media, you know it is a force to be reckoned with.

author: Mark Jordahl


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Uganda: Anti-Gay Bill Finally Dead?  · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

David Badash wonders whether Uganda's “Kill the Gays” bill, internationally-denounced legislation that would have prescribed all Ugandan gays to be put in jail for life, would have required reporting to the government anyone suspected of being homosexual within 24 hour, is finally dead.


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Uganda: Is the Anti-Homosexuality Bill Dead?  · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Mixed news is coming from Uganda on the Anti-Homosexuality Bill [AHB]: “On the one hand its been said the Bill is dead and on the other it will still be debated in Parliament.”


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Ukraine: Myroslava Gongadze on Media Freedom · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Viktor Kovalenko writes about the views of Myroslava Gongadze – who is the widow of the slain Ukrainian journalist Georgiy Gongadze – on the freedom of the press and other issues in Ukraine.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Yemen: Crowds Call for Saleh to Step Down in Sanaa  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage Yemen Protests 2011.
Thousands of protesters have gathered in Change Square, in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, to call on President Ali Abdulla Saleh to step down. The protests are going strong in what is being described as The Friday of Departure and the army has reportedly fired gunshots in the air to stop pro-regime protesters from clashing with pro-democracy demonstrators.
Thousands of Yemenis in Change Square in Sanaa
Last Friday was the bloodiest since anti-Saleh protests started in Yemen more than two months ago.
Here are the latest reactions from Twitter:
@lcmarshal: #Protesters enter Sanaa's “Change Square” in #Yemen Capital http://ping.fm/p4Tel
@Nefermaat: shots by the army are not at Change Sq, but at the periphery of the protest area… #Sanaa #Yemen #yf so far, just warning, nothing happened
@fbess: Army draws the line. Instead of bashing heads (option 1) the Yemeni army has chosen to stand by the people in the interest of #Yemen.
@fbess: In comes the army! Yemeni armed forces are preventing regime loyalists from attacking the people. #Yemen
@fbess: The hour of conceding is too late. President Saleh's own tribe calls on him to resign echoing the people's demand: STEP DOWN. #Yemen
@fbess: Sweet. I see protesters in Sanaa took a pg out of the Tahrir Sq book, citizens set up checkpoints for demonstrators. #Yemen
@khadijapatel: Saleh is taking a leaf out of Gaddafi's book, alleging the opposition are drug dealers. #Yemen
@sunnysingh_sw6: #Yemen's Saleh trying to stay on: says opposition are small minority, criminals, drug dealers http://goo.gl/XRRYY What no nescafe drinkers?
@Dory_Eryani: president Saleh accused the protesters of being drug dealers..sounds familiar? #yemen #libya #egypt #freedom #world @nytimes #25jan
@AhmadHKh: Regime in #Yemen is saying the protesters are Hothi supporters & drug dealers .. Rightttttt can't you even be creative?
@youssefsalah: Come on #Yemen ! You are 4,000 years old and you deserve something better than Ali Abdullah Saleh
@fbess: Constitution is suspended, arrests are arbitrary, and protests are banned under the state of emergency. #Yemen
@Dory_Eryani: WE Don't want #WAR we dont want SALEH we want #peace and #democracy!!!!!we want a better #YEMEN ! #freedom
@alguneid: Last Friday (Dignity) #Saleh was happy trigger.This Friday (Departure),he is happy spender. #Yemen #yf
@befroggled: Last Friday of March, and we're waiting for a dictator to fall this month. They have a history of leaving on Fridays #Yemen? #Libya
@kxsar: is ununstalling of #Yemen president coming to an succesfull end after his speech today? when Gaddafi will step down from #Libya?
This post is part of our special coverage Yemen Protests 2011.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Argentina: 35 Years After the Coup d’état · Global Voices
Laura Schneider

35 years after the coup d'état in Argentina, on March 24, 1976, various activities took place across the country. One of the celebrated phrases that summarizes the events that occurred was that of Public Prosecutor Strassera, voiced during the proceedings with the military juntas: “Nunca Mas” [es] (Never again):
Señores jueces: quiero renunciar expresamente a toda pretensión de originalidad para cerrar esta requisitoria. Quiero utilizar una frase que no me pertenece, porque pertenece ya a todo el pueblo argentino. Señores jueces: ¡nunca más!
Argentinians march to Plaza de Mayo, commemorating the victims of the 1976 coup that brought the military junta to power. Buenos Aires, Argentina. Image by Ezequiel Kopel, copyright Demotix (24/03/2011).
In 2006, when a national public holiday was declared, extreme controversies were sparked, since the words “national holiday” are associated with a festive day. In his blog, David Rey11 [es] commented with respect to this:
Lo que va en contra de toda norma del castellano y, asimismo, del sentido común, es que se erija como feriado (repito, “día festivo”) una jornada cuyo saldo histórico sea, supuestamente (según los mismos impulsores), para lamentar, repudiar, marchar, atacar, denostar… El claro ejemplo de esto lo resume el “feriado” del 24 de Marzo
When ex-President Néstor Kirchner presented the project, there was a lot of resistance to passing the law, as Luis Maria Mariano's [es] blog informs us:
Varias organizaciones defensoras de los derechos humanos, habían planteado su resistencia porque consideraban que “feriado” es sinónimo de día festivo y en cuando al golpe militar, hay que recordarlo con “dolor, reflexión y lucha”.
In 2006, Ruben Kotler [es] also shared his reaction to the recently decreed public holiday:
Cuando la semana pasada el gobierno nacional decretó que el 24 se convertiría en un día feriado, cierto escalofrío recorrió mi cuerpo.
Madres de Plaza de Mayo – photo: Laura Schneider
Five years have already gone by since the declaration of the national holiday, and this year, along with Thursday, March 24, 2011, they've added on the following day, Friday the 25th, as an extension of the holiday. This has caused the controversy to resurface. Blogger Tucumano in London [es] voices his opinion:
Esta fecha que debería recordarnos lo que “nunca más debería pasar en Argentina”, hoy se ve totalmente desdibujado con un fin de semana largo no laboral para favorecer el turismo.
Nevertheless, not all bloggers agree. In her blog, Agustina Trinidad [es] tells us:
Hoy para muchos es un día que nadie puede olvidar y que cada persona que nace se va enterar, porque como me dijo ayer alguien, “Quien olvida su memoria, esta condenado a repetirla”
The same occurs with Maria Claudia Cambi [es], who in her blog tells the story of Manuel, the son of a missing man who finally discovered his true identity:
Es día de reflexionar sobre la Memoria, la Verdad y la Justicia, sobre las historias épicas y sobre la grandeza de las historias mínimas, individuales.
In Buenos Aires, huge crowds reunited to remember the day in different ways, as shown in the photos of Ezequiel Kopel, Alejo Costa and Patricio Murphy in Demotix. Outside of the capital, other acts took place as well, as in the city of Rosario, for example. On the street of Scalabrini Ortiz, in the presence of the governor of Sante Fe and the mayor of Rosario, the traditional tree planting ceremony was held where the delegation of Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo [es] once took place.
March 24 holiday. Planting trees in Rosario – photo: Laura Schneider
In the afternoon, a multitudinous march started from the San Martin Plaza, in front of the Muesum of Memory [es], and lasted until the National Flag Memorial, bringing together massive groups of people in which different generations intermingled, merging those who lived through the Argentinean military dictatorship with those who know it solely through Argentinean history books.
March in the city of Rosario – photo: Laura Schneider

author: Laura Schneider


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Bhutan: A Blog On Arts And Poetry · Global Voices
Rezwan

Aurora at Writers Association of Bhutan introduces Bhutan Artography, a site dedicated to providing a platform to aspiring Bhutanese artists and photographers. Aurora is a female ethnic Bhutanese writer and a photographer who blogs at WordsWorthMillions.

author: Rezwan


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Brazil: Critical Mass, a month later · Global Voices
Raphael Tsavkko Garcia

One month after “a reckless madman ran over a group of cyclists in Porto Alegre”, during the Critical Mass event, Brazilian blogger and journalist Cristina Rodrigues writes [pt] about some concrete developments in the city, as a result of the social movement that has been created.

author: Raphael Tsavkko Garcia


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Brazil: The Cost of Financing Culture · Global Voices
Eduardo Liron

Recent news that the Brazilian Ministry of Culture has authorized famous singer Maria Bethânia to raise R$ 1.3 million tax free (Brazilian reais – approximately US$ 777,000) to create a poetry blog, has aroused the anger of bloggers, Twitter users and other cultural activists.
The financing of the project would fall under the so-called Lei Rouanet (Rouanet Law) [pt], which is designed as an incentive to promote Brazilian culture. The law allows companies and individuals to invest part of their income tax in cultural projects.
Brazilian singer Maria Bethânia. Image by João Milet Meirelles, under Creative Commons 2.0 license.
According [pt] to the website Comunique-se, singer Bethânia will record 365 videos for the blog O Mundo Precisa de Poesia (The World Needs Poetry), in which she will recite poems of her own, or from other authors:
Os 365 vídeos, um para cada dia do ano, serão dirigidos por Andrucha Waddington, famoso cineasta. O valor do blog e a escolha do cineasta para dirigir os vídeos causaram polêmica. Muitos internautas questionam se Maria Bethânia não conhece o WordPress, Blogspot e YouTube, ferramentas gratuitas.
Cultural survival
The main criticisms of bloggers and Twitter users has focused on the project's cost and the fact that a well-known artist like Bethânia can rely on such a process to get sponsored, while hundreds of other minor artists cannot find ways to survive.
Poster of the protest "We want to be Maria Bethania". By Leon Prado on Facebook.
On Twitter, the reactions have been of outrage:
@M_Caleiro: Bethãnia é uma grande artista, não se contesta. Mas não precisa de dinheiro público para montar blog, enquanto muitos, com talento, precisam
@M_Caleiro: Bethânia is a great artist, one cannot dispute. But she doesn't need public money to build a blog, while many, with talent, need it
@bete_davis: @M_Caleiro tb acho que ela e o andrucha não precisam disso, verba pra cultura devia ir pra quem ñ consegue captar
On Facebook, lawyer Maria Carolina Campos comments [pt]:
depois dos outros 3 milhões que ela conseguiu pra turnê que aqui em BH custava quase R$ 200,00 o ingresso!
The Ministry of Culture's authorization for the project means that the state will give up of thousands of reais in taxes:
@viniciusduarte: Autorizar a Bethânia a captar R$ 1,3 mi corresponde ao governo ABRIR MÃO de R$ 520 mil em impostos, no mínimo.
@viniciusduarte: No mínimo, porque ela pode captar 100% do valor com pessoas físicas (há mercado pra isso) e o valor sobe pra R$ 1,04 mi.
Pablo Villaça, from the blog Cinema em Cena estimates that, taking out the amount that would go to the collectors, around R$ 1.17 million would go toward the blog's production. Each video will cost about R$ 3,200. He says [pt]:
A pergunta, então, deveria ser: três mil reais por vídeo é um valor tão absurdo assim? Impulso inicial de quem sabe como é caro produzir audiovisual: não, não é.
But he adds that this cost would not be compatible with videos of 3-5 minutes length consisting of just one person reciting poetry, and adds:
Claro que, para ser completamente justo, eu (na verdade, qualquer um) só poderia bater o martelo nesta acusação depois de estudar a planilha de custos apresentada pelos proponentes ao Ministério da Cultura. Mas ainda assim, considerando a logística da produção e uma experiência básica em audiovisual, a conta ainda soa exageradamente salgada e fora de propósito.
Tiago Agostino released [pt] via Twitter the original project sent by Maria Bethânia to the Ministry of Culture. The blog Implicante promptly smashed [pt] the predicted costs and pointed out indignantly:
A própria Maria Bethânia é a DIRETORA ARTÍSTICA (R$ 600 mil) e também ocupa os cargos destinado à “pesquisa” (R$ 36 mil).
The Ministry of Culture however, released a statement [pt] affirming the legality of the process and reiterating that the approval has strictly followed the rules:
Os critérios da CNIC são técnicos e jurídicos; assim, rejeitar um proponente pelo fato de ser famoso, ou não, configuraria óbvia e insustentável discriminação;
Antônio Mello, in his blog, responds [pt] to the question of whether the funding is legal:
Está. É a lei.
O que se deve discutir é se o governo deve abrir mão do poder de escolha de onde deve investir integralmente o dinheiro dos impostos.
It is. That's the law.
What we should discuss is whether the government should give up the power to choose where to invest tax money in full.
What then, is the big question that generated this controversy, which prompted the term “Maria Bethânia” to spend days in the Brazilian Twitter trending topics? The blog Imprença explains [pt] that:
[..] é preciso esclarecer que a questão não é o blog, nem a Bethânia. O problema maior é a “Lei Rouanet”.
Para quem não está familiarizado com a lei Rouanet, eu explico e é algo bastante simples. Todo ser humano {{ou empresa}} que tenha intenções culturais pode mandar um projeto para a lei Rouanet. Você (…) preenche os formulários (… e) o projeto é aprovado {ou volta para você corrigir, repetir o processo até que seja aprovado}. Lindo! E aí?!
Aí você pega o orçamento aprovado, vai até alguma empresa e diz: “Oi, eu sou Fulano, tenho um projeto cultural aprovado pela lei Rouanet e gostaria do seu patrocínio”.
[..] one need to clarify that the issue is not the blog or Bethânia. The biggest problem is the “Rouanet Law”.
For those not familiar with the Rouanet Law, I will explain, it's something quite simple. Every human being (or company) that has cultural intentions can apply a project for the Rouanet Law. You […] fill out the forms [and] the project is approved (or goes back to you to correct, and you repeat the process until it is approved). Beautiful! Well, so?!
Then you get the budget approved, go to some company and says “Hi, I'm so-and-so, I have a cultural project approved by the Rouanet Law and would like your sponsorship”.
Screenshot of the satyrical blog, "Blog da Bethânia, 1 milhão de motivos para você acessar" (Blog of Bethânia, 1 million reasons for you to access).
This process, appropriated by the interests of big names and governed by the market, has suffered from great distortions over the years, favoring respected names over beginners, explains [pt] blogger, journalist and filmmaker Mauricio Caleiro:
(…) o imbroglio envolvendo a cantora baiana pôs a nu as vicissitudes da “Lei Rouanet”, instrumento que, logo após ser criado, desempenhou papel fundamental na sobrevivência de determinados setores artísticos durante o outono neoliberal, mas que, como o episódio em questão evidencia, acabou por gerar graves distorções nas relações entre economia, ideologia e produção cultural.
Alfredo Manevy, in an interview with the website A Rede, illustrates [pt] the problem:
O Minc aprova 10 mil projetos por ano. Desses 10 mil, 20% captam recursos e 80% batem nas portas das estatais e de empresas privadas sem sucesso.
Conceição Oliveira, in her blog, adds [pt]:
Os artistas que já estão inseridos na indústria cultural e que têm, devido a sua fama e visibilidade, muito mais chances de conseguir recursos que possibilitem desenvolver um produto profissional.
It is worth noting that the Ministry of Culture, headed by Minister Ana de Hollanda, has been bombarded by criticism since the beginning of the year, after removing the Creative Commons licence from the Ministry's website, as reported by Global Voices in January 2011. It has also taken various measures considered setbacks by a wide range of cultural and political activists.
To mock this whole issue, the satirical Blog of Bethania: 1 million reasons for you to access [pt] has been created by blogger Raphael Quatroci.

author: Eduardo Liron


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India: All About Tamil Nadu Politics · Global Voices
Rezwan

Harini Calamur introduces podcasts of Puram the Body Politic, which describe all you wanted to know about Tamil Nadu politics.


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India: Arms Yes, Bread No · Global Voices
Rezwan

Dheera Sujan at South Asia Wired comments on the news that India has become the world’s largest arms importer: “yes arms by all means, more arms. So we can have a few more millionaires and a few million more poor people.”


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Iran: Syrians Protest “Neither Iran Nor Hezbollah!” · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011.
Several Iranian bloggers reacted to a slogan of Syrian protesters during Wednesday's march where people chanted  “Neither Iran, nor Hezbollah!” Syria is an ally of Iran and is also friendly with the militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon.
While Iranian state media continue their silence on Syria, Iranian bloggers have raised their voices about the persistent protest movement there.
On the popular link-sharing site Balatarin, several people posted links to a film of Syrian protesters chanting against the Iranian regime.
Referring to news that Iran had issued a statement “in support of the Bahraini” people calling on Saudi Arabian troops to leave the country, and internet rumors [we have no evidence of this] that Iran would send its own troops to support the Syrian regime, Iranian blogger Iranesabz writes [fa]:
I was surprised. Iran complains about Saudi forces of repression in Bahrain but it sends its own forces to repress people in Syria.
The Islamic regime has also voiced support for protests in Libya and elsewhere. Irancnn says  [fa]:
The Islamic Republic considers it good when people around the world go to the streets and protest, except when it comes to Iranians, Lebanese, Syrians and Venezuelans. Yesterday Iranian protesters were considered rioters, today it is the turn of Syrians.
The Siah o Sefid blog (means white and black)  asks [fa] why the official television channels of the Islamic Republic do not report any news about the Syrian protest movement and the people who were killed.
Dolatemeli writes [fa] that if the dictator is overthrown in Syria, the Islamic Republic's foreign policy will be in very serious trouble. The Iranian regime will do all it can to help keep the Syrian regime in power.
This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Kenya: Zingua Kingozi: Political Search Engine · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Zindua Kiongozi is a political search engine in Kenya: “Aspiring politicians-young and old- now have a platform from which they can shape their message to an online audience of supporters. Kenyan citizens in turn have a location to which they can turn their curiosity and inquisition.”


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Libya: Gaddafi’s Crimes Mount in Misrata · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage Libya Uprising 2011.
Amid the stories of destruction and the mounting death toll, Libyan netizens are waking up this morning to news of a liberated Zintan and the pushing back of Gaddafi's forces from Ajdabiya. Meanwhile, the world continues to watch as more evidence of horror and atrocities come out from Misrata, which was continuously pounded throughout the night by Gaddafi's forces.
Here's a round up of reactions from Twitter. On Zintan:
@theriverfed: It looks like Zintan has been liberated. Also seems (confirmed) good news will be coming from Misrata soon, & advantage gained in Ajdabiya.
@ChangeInLibya: God bless the brave people of Zintan. With the help of coalition strikes they managed to free their city again. Misrata is next inshallah.
@Tripoli17Feb: #Zintan has been liberated again! #Gaddafi goons have fled andleft behind tanks and other heavy artillary http://bit.ly/esP9oW #Libya
@4libya: @osamasolieman: Injured guys from Zintan told me they were offered 250,000 each to fight for #Gaddafi. They refused #feb17 #Libya
@Liberty4Libya: #Zintan Inured #Libya n youth arriving in #Tunis says, #Gadafi militia has an ammo dump near #Zintan needs to be targeted to save civilians.
On Misrata:
@FreeLibyanman: #Gaddafi forces are commiting massacre in #Misrata.. coalition force need to do something PLZ PLZ
@NohaZayed: The Massacre in Misrata continues, very soon there will be no one left #feb17 #libya
@NohaZayed: Reports Misrata is still under attack & being shelled by G forces,the massacre continues & Humanitarian Conditions r horrific #feb17 #libya
@FreeLibyanman: #Alzzawia city almost wiped out , no body cared..Now #Misrata is facing same fate, #Erdogan is enjoying it.
@Tripolitanian: LPC: People in #Misrata have tried emailing coalition forces grid coordinates of targets in Misrata – no reply || #Libya
@Almisryyy: If #Khamis the son of the BUTCHER was killed, #Gaddafi will do something VERY STUPID in #Libya to revenge, Lets Focus on #MISRATA MASSACRE
@Tripolitanian: Coalition should be able to target #Gaddafi tanks, they are just outside of #Misrata's residential area.
@nighbee: **Snipers of #Misrata, there is no Amount which would be able to buy peace for you on earth or in heaven ! #libya #misrata #curses
@feb17voices: LPC #Misrata: We're trying to wear snipers down by keeping them awake at night. It's a simple solution. #libya
@feb17voices: Previous LPC (English) http://bit.ly/glvi8F describes several locations of #Gaddafi forces within #Misrata #Libya
@pyramidmedicine: News: Doctors operating without anesthesia in Misrata hospital. http://bit.ly/gcffFF Reports no pain meds #humanrights, #medicalethics
@Tripolitanian: Anyone know if #Misrata's hospital has been retaken by revolutionaries?
@kasanmulyono: 90 days enough? “@NickKristof: With Ajdabiya n Misrata, the tide in #Libya seems to be turning. Give the rebels time. Kosovo took 10 weeks.”
@Almisryyy: Libya is a Prey from everyone,The Dirty Deal is to divide #Libya East & West & #Misrata is preventing it from happening, REMEMBER MY WORDS
On Ajdabiya:
@feb17voices: AJA: reports revolutionaries have entered #Ajdabiya via Eastern approach. #Libya
@Air_Links: Libyan rebels enter Ajdabiya town: The gain followed air strikes by coalition forces against Gaddafi's forces.-AJE
@acarvin: Via @Benghazidoc: Ajdabiya looks like a ghost town attacked by tanks and mortars. http://t.co/IOUYZCz
@LiberateTunisia: March 25 2011 Footage showing allied forces destroying Libyan tanks on the outskirts of #Ajdabiya. #Libya #Feb17 http://goo.gl/qp5Gz
This post is part of our special coverage Libya Uprising 2011.


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Libya: Where is Eman Al Obeidy?  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage Libya Uprising 2011.
“Where is Eman Al Obeidy?” has become a pressing question, after a distraught Libyan woman burst into a Tripoli hotel full of foreign journalists, telling then that scars and bruises on her face and body has been inflicted by 15 Muammar Gaddafi's militia, who arrested her at a checkpoint for two days, where they gang raped her.
The harrowing details of the story and Al Obeidy cry for help have been covered by the Press  and are being tweeted, as the world awaits to hear where the woman is, after security bundled her out of the hotel, into a car, which took her to an undisclosed location.
The Telegraph posts a video here and on Twitter, CNN‘s Nic Robertson shares the details of what happened this morning.
Twitter user @finali curates Robertson's tweets here:
— 8 tweets from Nic below: –
NicRobertsonCNN Nic Robertson
Sm journalists tried to protect her, challenging officials about where they taking her but they drove off with her in white car.
6 minutes ago
NicRobertsonCNN Nic Robertson
Clarify'g earlier tweet: bag/cloth thrown over her head, they took her into back garden, then bundled out hotel front door w/out bag/cloth
8 minutes ago
NicRobertsonCNN Nic Robertson
Govt officls claimd she was “mentally ill” & being taken to “a hospital.” She managed to shout out they were taking her to jail.
23 minutes ago
NicRobertsonCNN Nic Robertson
Govt offcls threw bag/cloth over woman's head, bundled her, kicking & screaming, out of hotel and into van.
24 minutes ago
NicRobertsonCNN Nic Robertson
CNN camera violently snatchd, systemtclly smashd to pieces & video footage stolen. Some journlsts beaten in blatant disply of regime thuggry
26 minutes ago
NicRobertsonCNN Nic Robertson
Waitress threatnd her w/knife, calling her “traitor.” Govt offcls began beating journlsts trying to interview her.
29 minutes ago
NicRobertsonCNN Nic Robertson
CNN cameraman on scene said she showed journalsts bruises, scratches on thighs, bruised face, rope burns on wrists & ankles
37 minutes ago
NicRobertsonCNN Nic Robertson
Within mins of beginning to tell her story, govt officls and hotel staff moved in to shut her up.
41 minutes ago
NicRobertsonCNN Nic Robertson
Woman came into restaurant of journalists’ hotel today claiming she’d been detained at govt chkpt, held 2 days, tied up, beaten and raped.
42 minutes ago
Robertson continues that the CNN‘s camera was also smashed – and the footage taken; that journalists who demanded to see her were told by officials that they did not know who took her or where she was; and that a Libyan official said they would investigate the incident and let the Press know about her.
Here are some more reactions from Twitter:
@SultanAlQassemi: Gaddafi thugs drag woman who cried for help in Tripoli hotel live in front of cameras http://bit.ly/igK9hs Video via @NicRobertsonCNN #Libya
@FromJoanne: The only journalist able to speak with #Libya woman at lenght (held 2days Raped By 15 men)was MichaelGeorgy&Reuters http://t.co/fjpA77F”
@hindhassan: NYT article: FT reporter Charles Clover deported afterwards for trying 2 protect #Eman Al-Obeidi &'inaccurate’ reports http://nyti.ms/eMdoxl
@RuwaydaMustafah: Let's get #WhereisEmanAlObeidy to be TT. cc @mouita @monaeltahawy @Sarahngb @3arabawy @JustAmira @SultanAlQassemi
@UnitedLibya: I wonder if there is a connection between eman al obeidi and abdulfateh younis al obeidi #gaddafi former no 2 and now with opposition
@SamSeyffert: @hrw Has HRW issued a formal request to the Gaddafi regime for the release of Eman Al Obaidi?
@libyafidammi: @hrw @amnesty Pls help us keep Eman #AlObaidi alive, keep her name on your watch list otherwise #Gaddafi regime will execute her #Libya
@niiRjaraA: Where r the Arab intellectual, societal leaders(?), common man-they took Eman's dignity stand up and demand her immmediate releasse #Libya
@thisisfifi: Shame on whoever silently watched #Eman ElObaidi crying 4 help and 4 her story 2 B heard…Thnk God 4 western journalist in #Libya
This post is part of our special coverage Libya Uprising 2011.


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Myanmar: Post-Earthquake Stories from Aid Workers · Global Voices
tan

A 6.8 magnitude earthquake hit the northern Shan State in Myanmar on Thursday, and according to a state-run TV report, the death toll has increased to 74 people, and the number of injured has climbed past 100 people.
According to an updated report from Weekly Eleven, several aftershocks have been recorded in areas near the eastern Shan State spreading fear among the residents. One resident in Oak Kyin village said on March 26, around 12pm:
There was another earthquake last night and one this morning also. I don't dare to stay in my house anymore. The shaking is felt more because my house is ground-based. Nothing can be predicted because it is a nature event. I will let fate decide.
Residents also said that because of the earthquake, the death toll in Tarchileik, Tarle, Nar Yaung village, Mine Lin village, and Mine Koe village is estimated to be more than a hundred, with Mine Lin village having the most number of casualties.
Earthquake damage in Myanmar. Photo from blog of akm-kunta
In the same report by Weekly Eleven, an aid worker described the situation in Tarle:
Wounded people have been sent to Tarchileik Hospital and Mine Phyat Hospital. Aid groups from Tarchileik and Kyaing Tong have based their camps in Tarle. I can say that the situation has calmed down a little. Reconstructions have begun. Rehabilitation camps have been opened in Tarle and Nar Yaung village.
An aid worker who went to Tarle, one of the worst-hit areas, was interviewed by The Irrawaddy:
I arrived in Tarle around 10am. Most of the 3-storey buildings on the side of the road only has 2 stories now. Many 2-storey buildings have also collapsed. Monasteries were also included in those collapsed buildings. Some of these buildings are more than 20 years old, so it made things worse.
Not only residents of Tarle, but also the residents in Tarchileik had to sleep on tarpaulins. When I arrived in Tarle, I saw that some people were clearing the things at their house by themselves. Some were crying in front of relative's houses. I also saw some crying because they lost their relatives. I couldn't ask them anything. I should say some were lucky to be alive.
The government hasn't done anything yet. Some were sent to hospitals. But I didn't go to the hospital so I don't know what's happening there. As far as I see, I see that there are about 60 deaths in Tachileik. There were about 20-30 deaths there (in Tarle). Death toll would be above that.
I donated some materials, instant noodles and water. I gave all of them to residential officials. I don't know what they will do with these things. They have opened temporary shelters. Those who have relatives go and live at their house.
Now, the highway has been closed temporarily. They said that it will be going under maintenance.
Another aid worker from Tarchileik said:
The earthquake happened on March 24, 8:25pm. Some hours after, officials from Tarchileik came and asked me to volunteer so I went with them. I arrived in Tarle at midnight.
On the road to Tarle, there is one big bridge. When we reached that place, our car cannot go forward anymore. So we had to cross the bridge on foot and continue on to Tarle. The road at the edge of the bridge had moved down about 5 feet. There was a great deal of destruction. With some houses, only the roof was visible and the whole house has went down into the ground.
What I had to do there was to send wounded people to Tarchileik hospital. There is a hospital at Tarle, but that hospital had also collapsed. So at first, we had to place the patients at the empty yard in front of the hospital and give them treatment. Afterwards, they were carried by stretchers to the car at the other side of the bridge. The walk there takes about 15 minutes.
When we get to the other side of the bridge, we can't immediately send the patients to the hospital. Because we didn't have many available stretchers, we had to take that stretcher back to the hospital and carry another patient. There wasn't enough cars so we couldn't send one patient to Tarchileik hospital with one car. Therefore, the patient who was sent first to the car had to wait for other patients to arrive.
Another thing is we had to wait for many levels of officials’ approval for clearance in order for the car to leave to the hospital. That wastes a lot of valuable time. In the car I had to drive, one patient died when we were about to reach Tarchileik Hospital. There were people who had survived the earthquake, but died when they shouldn't have because they were not treated in time for their sustained injuries. It really makes me sad.
U Win Swe, president of Myanmar Geological Society, said to Weekly Eleven:
In the past, strong earthquakes have occured in areas around Shan State. But it has been awhile since that has happened. Earthquakes usually reoccur in areas that were previously hit before. It was only a matter of how frequent. In areas among the quake fault line, there is a tendency for after shocks to follow after a big earthquake has hit.
He also warned that because the Indian plate keeps pushing into Asia, Myanmar should be on alert for earthquakes in the future.

author: tan


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Pakistan: License To Kill · Global Voices
Rezwan

Talkhaba interviews Robert Anderson, an ex-undercover CIA operative, who opines that “the release of Davis in my opinion is just a green light for more killings and assassinations by the US government and the CIA in your country.”


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Puerto Rico: 2010 Census figures · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

Doctoral student and blogger Deepak Lamba-Nieves is starting to analyze the latest release of 2010 Census figures for Puerto Rico:  “Although the main story has been the population loss registered from 2000 to 2010 in the island as a whole (- 2.2%), the municipal-level figures provide a more complex landscape of the current population dynamics.”

author: Firuzeh Shokooh Valle


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Puerto Rico: Controversial Supreme Court decision · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

Blogger and Law scholar Erika Fontánez Torres [es] analyzes the recent decision [es] of the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico that denies “adulterous” women the protections guaranteed under the Law against Domestic Violence.


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Puerto Rico: Unique traditions  · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

The team of #EnProfundo have posted their 41st podcast titled: “Unique and Innovative Traditions” [es]. They talk about a recently launched political candidate, the earthquake in Japan, and a new culinary product in Puerto Rico, among other topics.


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Russia: Life With Autism · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

At OpenDemocracy.net, Dmitry Golubovsky and Svetlana Reiter write about the lives of autistic people in Russia.


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Sudan: “Because I am a free Sudanese, I will go out and say no” · Global Voices
Mahid (Sudanese Guardian)

On March 21, 2011 Sudan's Youth Movement day was born. Youths from universities across Sudan linked and shared information on Facebook and Twitter as a way of setting up a new stage for a new round of protests against the government of Omar al-Bashir.
Now in March 21, Together we can light the present to change the future. Photo source:Youth for change Facebook Page
The campaign on Facebook that has brought together many young Sudanese students is run under the slogan, “Because I am a free Sudanese, I will go out and say NO”. The campaign is lead by a Facebook group called “The Spark” or  “Youth for Change Movement”.
Below are some tweets from the different voices inside and outside Sudan about the March 21 protests.
@BSonblast:
@PerledeNubia nothing happened. some little protests popped off in some universities, but quickly shut down. #Sudan #March21
@drsonnet:
Breaking news: national University students in #protest could break security siege & go to city market in #Sudan. via Adel Abdelaty #March21
@kabaros:
Demonstrations in Madani and electricity outage in the whole city #march21 #sudan
@SudanProtests:
Photos: #Sudanese Students Union in #Pakistan join #March21 protests. http://bit.ly/f2mTks — #Sudan #Jan30
@kabaros:
in Khartoum, only confrontations around universities especially Nilein, Ahliyya #sudan #march21
@SudanProtests:
Protests break out in #Khartoum market, youth vow to continue after 21 arrests yesterday. #March21 #Jan30 #Sudan
Sudan's cyber-activists are changing the world around them. As much as they want to be connected to the world through the Internet, they also want to be part of the local movement for change in Sudan. The coming of fiber optic cables in many Sub-Saharan African countries will certainly empower young people in the region to voice their opinions and contribute to political change.
Following online campaigns such as The Spark, Sudan's ruling National Congress Party has warned that its “cyber jihadists” will crush online campaigns against the government.
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author: Mahid (Sudanese Guardian)


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Syria: Egyptian-American Tweep Accused of Spying  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011.
UPDATE: Muhammed Radwan was released on April 1. Here's his interview with Democracy Now! after his release.
Egyptian-American Twitter user Muhammed Radwan (@battuta) was arrested in Syria and paraded on Syrian Television as a spy who is accused of allegedly visiting “Israel in secret and confessed to receiving money from abroad in exchange for sending photos and videos about Syria.”
According to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) Radwan is accused of receiving “emails from abroad inquiring about the possibility of sending photos and videos about Syria.”
It adds:
“He received an email asking if he was prepared to assist a Spanish-speaking person from Columbia who communicated with him via email in preparation for a meeting and sending photos and videos.
He said that he was selected because he lived in Syria and carries a camera-equipped mobile phone and can benefit from this opportunity.”
Radwan is an engineer, working with a private firm. His arrest and accusation have sparked a flurry of reactions from netizens across the region, with many predicting that Syria's arrest of an Egyptian tweep would turn the entire Egyptian cybersphere against the Assad regime.
Here are some reactions to Radwan's arrest from Twitter:
@deena_adel: Egyptian activist @battutta was arrested in #Syria on claims that he is a spy. NOT TRUE. Media attention is needed. Plz spread the word.
@3arabawy: The Syrian regime has arrested my friend @battutta and is accusing him of being a spy! http://bit.ly/gkNikY What a load of horseshit!
@weddady: #Syria TV showing an Egyptian with US citizenship, says he's visited israel secretly, and was asked to provide videos and pix
@weddady: Oh it gets better, said Egyptian-American was asked via a colombian to provide pix & videos via internet. sounds like a Hugho chavez idea
@cairowire: syria arrests egyptian american for espionage (essentially due to owning a camera-phone): http://is.gd/IAXtel #mar15 (via @SheriefFarouk)
@norashalaby: My cousin @battutta's last tweet was yesterday morning when he was at the Umayyed mosque and wrote something about the clashes!
@norashalaby: His phone has been off since yesterday and friends went to his place, but no one is there @battutta #syria
@weddady: Tactical mistake by #syria regime: by arresting @Battutta they've effectively rallied the egyptian cyber community against em.. #Egypt
@SultanAlQassemi: Not just the Egyptians. MT @weddady (Syria) by arresting @Battutta effectively rallied the egyptian cyber community against em..
It is understood that the Egyptian Embassy in Damascus has been informed about his arrest.
Also on Twitter, a #FreeRadwan hashtag is gathering support.
This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011.


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Syria: Protesters Demolish Symbols of Regime · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011.
In Syria, the faces of President Bashar al-Assad and his father, former President Hafez al-Assad, are regularly seen on billboards, buildings, and in the form of statues. Visitors to the country are often surprised by the prevalence of such images, while Syrians have grown used to them as a daily feature of life.  Yesterday, a number of videos surfaced in which protesters tear down the symbols of the regime: posters and statues of the ruling Assad family.
This image of Bashar al-Assad, which I took on a visit to Tartous in 2009, shows the years of future presidential referendum.
This video, from user 42Maher, comes from Daraa and shows protesters demolishing a statue of Hafez al-Assad:
This video, also from Daraa, comes from 42Maher as well and shows a single man tearing down a large poster of current President Bashar al-Assad, while onlookers cheer him on:
The protests have now spread far beyond Daraa to other parts of the country.  In Homs, protesters tear down a poster of former President Hafez al-Assad (video courtesy of thehawkofsyria):
And in Arihah, close to the middle of the country, protesters chant: “Down with Bashar al-Assad” (video from sailor999999990):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiUOuLcpw4A&feature=player_embedded#at=61
This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011.

author: Jillian C. York


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Uganda: State House Website Hacked · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

The website of the State House in Uganda has been hacked, Lisa reports.

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Algeria: “Facebookers’ Rally” Commemorating the Anniversary of Cease-fire Prohibited  · Global Voices
Mohamed Benderouiche

A rally instigated by anonymous Facebook users [ fr] to commemorate the 49th anniversary of the  March 19, 1962 cease-fire in Algeria did not take place. The demonstration calling for “an end to the dictatorial system in place for almost 50 years” was initially planned to occur in front of the main post office of Algiers; an impressive security detail prohibited the gathering. Three unemployed young people were arrested by the police before being released two hours later.

author: Mohamed Benderouiche


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Brazil: More Poetry, Less Money · Global Voices
Raphael Tsavkko Garcia

Following the discussion on The Cost of Financing Culture in Brazil, blogger Paulo Rená introduces [pt] a new project – “More Poetry, Less Money” (@maispoesia) – where “any person can pick up a poem, record it for a video platform” and post it using the hashtag #MaisPoesiaMenosDinheiro.


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Côte d’Ivoire: Where Are the African Personalities When They Are Needed?  · Global Voices
Anna Gueye

A few months ago,  Marième Jamme asked Bono and Bob Geldof to take less prominent roles as speakers for Africa in the media and leave space for Africans to speak for themselves. Today on the Africa Rising blog,  bloggers  wonder where have the African personalities gone when they are actually needed to get the world's attention on the crisis in Côte d’Ivoire ?

author: Anna Gueye


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Georgia: Men in Black · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Scary Azeri comments on photographs taken by Global Voices’ Caucasus editor at last week's Novruz celebrations held by the local ethnic Azeri community in Marneuli, Georgia. The blog is particularly alarmed by the large number of men dressed in black, a common style in the three South Caucasus countries, at what is otherwise a colorful event welcoming the arrival of Spring.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Hungary: Childhood Memories of the Holocaust in Pécs · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Eva S. Balogh of Hungarian Spectrum shares her memories of the summer of 1944 in Pécs, when the city's Jewish population – and most of her neighbors and kindergarten classmates – lost their lives: “I heard that just last year the Jewish community in Pécs erected a memorial specifically for the children who perished in the holocaust. This is my modest memorial for some of them.”