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VIDEO: Serbian Child Prodigy’s Drawings Stun the Art World  · Global Voices
Danica Radisic

Dušan Krtolica is an 11-year-old artist from Belgrade that has taken the local and regional art world by storm with his exquisitely detailed pen and pencil drawings of complex animals, dinosaurs, knights, and people.
Mainstream media in Serbia, and now other countries, discovered Dušan in February of 2014, but the young artist has been practicing his craft for several years and has even had three exhibitions so far. More experienced artists and those with a well-trained eye for recognizing talent have been stunned by the child's intense knowledge of the anatomy of the animals he draws and his almost unbelievable artistic ability. Many experts say they see a long and successful career for him in the art world, some even saying he will bring refreshing change, but Dušan has yet to decide whether he is more interested in art or zoology as a career choice.
Dušan sometimes posts videos of how he draws the detailed hand-crafted pictures on YouTube, as his technique and style develop.

author: Danica Radisic


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When Will Impunity End for Slave Traders in Mauritania ? · Global Voices
Abdoulaye Bah

A protest coordinated by several Mauritanian civil society organizations and political parties was held on April 29, 2014 in Nouakchott. The protest was initiatied by members of Haratin tribe who demand more rights and the enforcement of existing laws. This protest marks the first anniversary of the Haratin Manifesto [fr].  The Adrar Info website published a photo report of the protest signs that were displayed during the march [fr] :
On April 29, thousands of Mauritanian responded to the march organized by the initiator of the “Manifesto for the political, economic and social rights of Haratin tribe.” The march began at the new YMCA in Nouakchott at 6 PM and ended near the Ibn Abbas mosque. Some protests signs were displayed by demonstrators who were also draped with national flags :
“The land belongs to those who work it”, “No to the ongoing exclusion..” “when will the impunity end for the perpetrators of slave trading ?” “We want quantitative and qualitative studies that evaluate slavery [in Mauritania]”

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Abdoulaye Bah


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Anger Over Toddler’s Public Wee in Hong Kong Runs Deeper Than ‘Good’ Manners · Global Voices
Gloria Wong

One mainland Chinese couple's decision to allow their toddler to pee on a busy Hong Kong street became a hot topic of debate on social media last week, underscoring rising tensions between China and Hong Kong.
The photos of the mother holding a napkin to her 2-year-old son's bottom while he urinated went viral overnight. Well-known news reporter for Hong Kong-based Phoenix Media Luqiu Luwei brought the news to light on Twitter-like Sina Weibo first and received more than 100,000 retweets.
Footage recorded by a passerby captured a scuffle break out between the child's parents and an angry crowd that had gathered. In the video, the mother repeated many times that she took her son to the public toilet, but the queue was so long that her son couldn't hold it. “What can I do?” she asked.
According to local media report, the child was not just urinating but also defecating. Hong Kong’s Public Cleansing and Prevention of Nuisances Regulation prohibits parents or guardians from allowing a child under 12 “to obey the call of nature” in any public street without reasonable excuses, or else face a 2,000 Hong Kong dollar fine (about 258 dollars).
Below is the video of the scene. The mother is seen at 1:02 trying to grab the camera of a photographer who took a snapshot of the child as he did his business:
The incident aroused a huge debate online over the standards of social behavior in mainland China and Hong Kong, which has been a Special Administrative Region of China since 1997.
Many discussed whether it is tolerable for young children to urinate in public. Some netizens pointed to examples of toddlers urinating on streets in the United States or France and the kind smiles of understanding that those parents receive from passersby.
Still, a large number of people online argued that pissing in public is uncivilized.
@wutengfei wrote:
我一直觉得助长包容的土壤是规制的遵守，一个自由多元化社会的运行需建立在一整套完善机制的确立和执行之上，无论如何放任孩子随地大小便是不可助长的行为，虽然事件中香港人显得紧追不放，但这是对自己城市的爱使然，我们真需要反思一下自己的言行
I always believe that the baseline for discussing tolerance is to obey the rules. A free and dynamic society is based on the establishment and execution of a set of comprehensive mechanisms. By no means it is tolerable to allow children to piss in the street whenever they want. Although Hong Kongers appeared to be aggressive over this incident, it is because they love their city. The mainlanders should reflect on our own behavior.
In Hong Kong, some newspaper columnists and netizens have raged that “piss-gate” is actually a “war on civilization” and claimed that if Hong Kongers tolerate such behavior, they would be downgraded to animal status.
Other Chinese web users called out the hypocrisy of Hong Kongers, pointing out that taking photos of a 2-year-old child as he urinated and posting it online is uncivilized in itself.
A Weibo post written by an anonymous user has been quoted and circulated widely, even in mainstream media:
文明的意义除了不当街便溺，还有善意与宽容，前者是表象，后者才是根本。真正的文明，是碰到这样的情况，走过去善意咨询那位母亲是否需要帮忙，或者指引她找到厕所，而不是冷漠地拍照当成渲染大陆人素质低下的又一个证据。
Good manners don’t only mean not peeing in public, but also includes kindness and tolerance. A truly well-mannered man would kindly ask the mom whether she needs the help or guide her to find the toilet in such circumstances, instead of taking pictures of the kid as more proof of mainland tourists’ bad manners.
Popular Weibo account “pretending in New York” (@假装在纽约) commented:
大陆香港的任何小摩擦最终都会演变成互相对骂的大风暴。大家都盯着对方的错误却对自己的问题视而不见。其实双方只要多点客观和宽容，分歧即可轻易化解。很多大陆人的确欠缺文明，但香港人更要反省愈发严重的偏见岐视。否则就象纽约时报说的，中港富人联手捞钱而两地穷人频频对骂，这才是最让人唏嘘的。
Any friction between Hong Kong and mainland China escalated to worse tension, with both sides being blind to their own problems while picky about the other’s. If both sides try to be objective and tolerant, the disagreements can be easily solved. There is no denying that some mainlanders lack civilized manners, but Hong Kongers should realize their prejudice and discrimination. Otherwise, it echoes with what The New York Times says: “Rich people between Hong Kong and the mainland make money hand in hand while poor people call each other names”, which is really sad.
On the famous mainland forum Tianya, netizens called for boycotting Hong Kong beginning June 1:
当我们大陆人完完全全的一个月两个月三个月都不去香港的时候，你看香港人会是怎么样的感觉。他们真的就要求爷爷告奶奶地要求我们过来了。现在我们就用我们的行动，表示我们的不满。
When mainland Chinese stop going to Hong Kong for one to three months, then we can wait and see how Hong Kongers feel about it. They will beg us to go there. We should express our dissatisfaction through our actions.
It was not the first time instance of conflict between mainland China and Hong Kong. Similar incidents have been brought to light time and again in recent years. Hong Kong locals are angry about what they perceive as the encroachment on their space and lifestyle by the influx of mainland tourists. A total of 40.7 million Chinese tourists flooded into Hong Kong last year, and residents complain about the crowded sidewalks, skyrocketing rent and “misbehavior” of the visitors.
Meanwhile, mainland Chinese complain that they are not welcomed and respected by these people from their own country, despite their contribution to the economy via tourism in Hong Kong.
Yeung Zi Wah, a Hong Kong blogger, believed the best solution is to enforce the existing laws and regulations concerning public hygiene:
要解決遊客隨地大小便的問題，歸根究底還是需要港府嚴厲執法，發揮阻嚇力才有用[…] 就比在網上互相謾罵為好，否則港人拍攝再多的「便溺特寫」也無補於事。 可恨的是，向來代表中國政府官方立場的喉舌報章與香港官員就此事件，都同聲同氣批評港人不夠「包容」，反正道而行，當真是反智到極點，無疑是深化中港矛盾的罪魁禍首。
To solve the problem of tourists pissing or defecating in public, the solution is for the Hong Kong government to enforce the law so that people would not dare to behave like that. […] Cursing online or taking “public toilet feature photos” won't solve the problem. However, both the Chinese official mouthpiece newspapers and the Hong Kong government officials keep on criticizing Hong Kong people for not being “tolerant”. They take the wrong track against common sense. These are the people accountable for the escalating Hong Kong and China conflict.

author: Gloria Wong


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Bangladesh’s LGBT Community Steps Out in Rainbow Colors for New Year’s · Global Voices
Rezwan

Members of Bangladesh's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community marched alongside the country's recent New Year's festivities, a bold step for the oft-vilified minority.
Roopbaan, a magazine aimed at gay Bangladeshis, arranged the colorful march, which they maintained wasn't a gay pride parade but a celebration of diversity and friendship. In Muslim-majority Bangladesh, homosexuality is considered to be unacceptable socially and religiously. Gay sex is illegal, according to the country's penal code.
On April 14, the Bengali New Year, the traditional colorful procession “Mongol Shobhajatra” set off from Dhaka University's Faculty of Fine Art building. Immediately following them were a group of people dress in rainbow colors representing the underground gay community. The people around them did not understand what was going on, but later realized from the media reports that the rally was for the same-sex community. Online portal Priyo.com reported (the translation of the article is here):
র‍্যালিতে সাতটি লাইনে বেগুনি, নীল, আসমানি, সবুজ, হলুদ, কমলা এবং লাল রঙের পাঞ্জাবি পরিহিত সমকামীরা কাগজের ফুল, পাখি আর বেলুন। র‍্যালি শেষে তারা হাতের বেলুন আকাশে উড়িয়ে দেয়। ভিন্ন আয়োজনের ওই র‍্যালিটি উপস্থিত জনসাধারণের মধ্যে আগ্রহের সৃষ্ঠি করে।
The rally contained seven parallel rows of activists clad in punjabi [a type of shirt] in each of the rainbow colors. They had balloons, flowers and birds made of paper. They released the helium balloons to the sky after completing the rally. This diversity rally created interest among the crowd.
Spread love, not hatred. Image courtesy Roopbaan Facebook group
LGBT rights blog The Muslim Outcast noted:
Whether you are pro or anti LGBT, you cannot help but be in awe. For a group of demonised individuals to remain firm and march out onto the streets of Dhaka, knowing that it is not without risk, I believe, is an act of commendable bravery. They have begun the long road to acceptance and these incredible individuals will be remembered by the following generations of LGBT individuals as those that laid the foundations for acceptance within the nation's society.
The parade drew much reaction on social media, mainly on Facebook. The majority of commentary was negative, though some did laud the effort. Facebook group Gay For Girls listed some of them and observed:
The only reason I wasted my time taking screenshots of the comments and putting them up here is to prove a point. People will say shit just to hurt others. They will say terrible things to people they don't even know. They will hate us without even knowing our stories.
Rainer Ebert, a US activist based in Dhaka, wrote on Twitter of the threats that followed the march:
#Roopbaan FB page down, violent threats against #LGBT people & allies after #Bangladesh‘s first pride parade http://t.co/YhYmKEcajG #shame
— Rainer Ebert (@rainer_ebert) April 16, 2014
Bangladeshi diaspora LGBT blog “Coming out” as a bisexual Bangladeshi compiled some of the reactions. One user wrote, “they were lucky a handful knew.. neyxt [sic] one should surely be announced sooner and get bombed.”
Other comments included threats of violence, comparisons with animals, addiction, peadophilia and incest, mentions of religious taboos and blame towards the government.
However, there were rays of hopes in some comments:
Who are we to judge whether this is good or bad, and why does it concern everyone so much.
Why are you personally so hostile towards them?
The blogger concluded:
Most of the comments are negative. Let's face it, we knew this was going to be the case. Besides the banging collection above, there are a lot of negative comments with no likes that I haven't posted here. But interspersed within those are a few good comments, and then there are the few good comments with lots of likes. And this is what gives me hope.

author: Rezwan


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Caribbean: Commonwealth Short Story Shortlist Announced · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The writers shortlisted for the 2014 Commonwealth Short Story Prize have been announced. Repeating Islands shares the list.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Colombia: Collapse of a Mine Causes Death and Destruction · Global Voices
Gabriela García Calderón Orbe

At least three people died people and between 25 and 30 got trapped after the collapse of an illegally operated mine in the department of Cauca, Soutwest of Colombia, as reported [es] local media on Thursday, May 1.
HSBNoticias informed on Twitter:
[FOTOS] [+18] Se lleva a cabo el rescate de 25 a 30 mineros atrapados en una mina del #Cauca ➜http://t.co/Cm0XpWdYFq pic.twitter.com/6xpfKFDLS4
— HSBNOTICIAS (@HSBNOTICIAS) Mayo 1, 2014
[PHOTOS] Rescuing efforts for finding 25 to 30 miners trapped in a mine in Cauca.

author: Gabriela García Calderón Orbe


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Cooking Under Siege in Homs, Syria · Global Voices
Syria Untold

This post was previously published on Syria Untold.
Homsi hamburgers, besieged sweets, tenacious pizza… This is how the people of Homs are referring to their meals these days, 24 months into a siege that has forced them to eat whatever they can find. From the grass that grows on the roadside to turtles, birds and insects, Homsis have taken their renowned creativity and lightheartedness to another level.
Traditional Syrian manaqish, cooked in the besieged city of Homs. Source: Meals Under Siege Facebook page
Meals under the siege
On April 2014, a Facebook page was created under the name “Meals under the siege”, as a discussion forum on how to deal with the regime’s attempts to starve the population into submission. Flour, rice, wheat, and all basic products traditionally present in every Syrian kitchen, were blocked for hundreds of thousands of residents in the besieged areas. In anticipation of the siege, some residents had stored some basic products, but they are quickly running out of them as well.
“They say necessity is the mother of invention,” a man living in the old city of Homs said to Syria Untold. “So here we are, trying to make manaqish with whatever we can find, including these seeds that we found but we can’t seem to agree on whether they are spices or henna”. “Anyway, you put a pinch of salt, and… it’s edible!”, he adds.
Necessity has also pushed the residents of besieged areas into eating whatever source of protein they could find. This includes turtles, birds and insects, which have never been part of the Syrian gastronomy.
A stew made of figs and medlar. Source: Meals Under Siege Facebook page
“You boil the turtle meat, and then add a side of medler and figs, or prepare it as a soup. Actually, turtle meat is very good given the circumstances.”
The expertise that Homsis have acquired in the field of creative cooking under siege has turned out to be useful for residents of other areas facing similar situations. The meals prepared are photographed and shared on Facebook on a daily basis, so that others can take inspiration and use the scarce ingredients at their disposal.
True to their renowned sense of humor, residents of Homs reflect on their situation with comments such as “I just prepared this bird that was so small that I’m not sure if it was an animal or a spice”, and “A friend just told me that his grapevine has talked to him and says the leafs are scared to come out, after seeing what happened to its neighbors.”
Overcoming every barrier
To an outside observer, the psychological barrier that needs to be broken in order to eat something one never thought could be eaten seems hard to overcome. But Syrians under siege are far past that point. “When you are hungry, there is no psychological barrier regarding anything that can be eaten.”
Creativity and wit are helping the people under siege to resist the policy of starvation that the regime is imposing on them. But even the scarce ingredients they have managed to find are running out. When asked about this, our source answers:
“We really can’t think beyond the present. What will happen tomorrow, we don’t know, but we have noticed that whenever we think there are no resources left, we find something else that can be eaten. We hope that God will continue to provide.”
Meal made of grasshoppers. Source: Meals Under Siege Facebook page
Along the same line, the Facebook page where the meals are posted includes comments which highlight the fact that “a human being can be happy even in the most adverse circumstances. What matters is that he is at peace with himself, and with God.”
From the first demonstration that took hundreds to the streets in March 2011, until today, the people of Homs continue to teach the world the meaning of dignity, resistance and creativity in the face of adversity.
This post was previously published on Syria Untold.

author: Syria Untold


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Is Federalism a Solution to South-East Ukraine’s Identity Crisis? · Global Voices
Valentina Lukin

“Is Donbass Ukraine?” mixed by Valentina Lukin.
Recent polls conducted by the Kiev International Sociology Institute reveal that the majority of the Ukrainian South-East does not want to join Russia. However, if a referendum is held about secession from Ukraine, it might show different results.
Last week the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic used the Facebook account of its “People's Governor” Pavel Gubarev to announce the formation of a Novorossya Federation of Donetsk and other Donbass regions in Eastern Ukraine. Gubarev has been detained by Ukraine's law enforcement authorities for the past month. The post, widely liked and shared, urged people to vote in a May 11 referendum for secession from Ukraine and unification with Russia and Belarus.
The Dobass region (comprising parts of Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, and Luhansk) has always had separatist tendencies, even before the most recent regime change in Kiev. The coal mining and energy center is one of the most densely populated and the most economically developed region in Ukraine. Many here feel that they feed the rest of Ukraine, a mood that has been fomented by the separatists.
So far, the separatists have been successful. In the second week of April, the Donetsk city hall was occupied, and an independent Luhansk’s republic was established soon after. Dnepropetrovsk is the only regional center whose leadership has successfully defied the separatists. Borys Filatov, who works in the Dnepropetrovsk governor's office, is followed by 30 thousand people on Facebook, and uses his account as a press platform. Recently he traveled to the eastern parts of Dnepropetrovsk Region to meet with coal miners and managers. Filatov says that the most important thing is “to preserve the integrity of my country, its sovereignty and independence. The rest is irrelevant.”
Due to inability of Donetsk’s officials to control the separatists, some Ukrainians there are turning to Dnepropetrovsk for leadership. In an ironic twist, pro-Ukrainian activists disseminate flyers in the Donetsk urging people to call for a referendum on joining the Dnepropetrovsk Region.
According to the study cited in the begging of this article, more than 80% of Dnepropetrovsk’s population is against secession from Ukraine and unification with Russia. Only 27.5 % of Donetsk and 30.3% of Luhansk support secession. Some bloggers, however, noticed that in the study questions of secession from Ukraine and unification with Russia were combined into one. There was also no question on Ukrainian federalization. Elena Balabanova, who works in the Donetsk City Youth Center, sees the Donbass population being divided into four categories: pro-“Unified Ukraine,” pro-“Federalized Ukraine,” pro-Russia, and pro-independence. She says that “due to an incorrect formulation of the questions” the study is missing some of these categories, including the “federalists.”
Ukrainian federalists propose a federal republic, with two state languages — Russian and Ukrainian — which seems to be a crucial issue for many separatists in the Donbass region. One of these federalist activists, Da Dzi stresses that a united Ukraine, the way it existed for the past twenty years, is no longer possible. The only way to avoid bloodshed and keep Ukraine around at least in some form? “Constitutional reform, the formation of a Ukrainian Federation, and the transformation of the South-East into the Federative Republic of Novorossia.”
A Belorussian website offers a questionnaire that seems to do a better job in distinguishing between different opinion groups. This survey is conducted online in eight South-East Ukrainian regions. The organizers claim to check each IP address before allowing participants to choose between a united Ukraine, Russia, an independent republic, and Ukrainian federalization. This questionnaire attracts fewer residents from Dnepropetrovsk and the other five Novorossiya regions (about 10 thousand votes in each), but it is very popular in Donetsk (about 70 thousand votes) and Luhansk (about 30 thousand votes). There might be some selection bias inherent in this poll however – the plurality of online voters chose joining Russia. But federalization runs a distant third.

author: Valentina Lukin


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Lebanese and Migrant Activists target the Kafala system · Global Voices
Elia J. Ayoub

The Migrant Workers Task Force (MWTF), a Lebanese NGO comprising of Lebanese and international activists, including Migrant Workers, has launched a campaign aiming at tackling the notorious Kafala (or “Sponsorship”) System with the hashtag #StopKafala. The campaign features students (migrants) and teachers (migrants, Lebanese and international activists) holding a sign in English, French or Arabic with their message. The photoshoot was hosted at AltCity Hamra where the MWTF gives free weekly English and French classes to migrant workers on Sundays (their day off).
On their Facebook page, they wrote:
In support of the 4th Annual Workers’ Day Celebration and the Fi Shi Ghalat [There's Something Wrong] campaign, our students and teachers prepared their own banners for the Parade that will take place on the 4th of May. They are all taking a stand against the sponsorship (Kafala) system that is responsible for all the human rights abuse that faces migrant workers every day.
The Annual Workers’ Day Celebration (Event Link) mentioned above is an annual event celebrating Labor Day and hosted by four well-known Lebanese NGOs and supported by the MWTF. The four organizations are Fi Shi Ghalat (“There's Something Wrong”), KAFA (Enough), the Anti-Racism Movement (ARM), and the Caritas Lebanon Migrant Center.
The message is followed by a call for action:
Join us by posting your own opinion with your own message about the Kafala system or the Migrant Workers rights’ abuse happening in Lebanon on daily basis and #StopKafala in your photos and posts.
Here are a few examples. You can view the whole campaign here.
Olga from Cameroon: “No matter what we say nothing will change because they don't care about our feelings”
“I am tired of the fact that the color of one's skin is correlated with quality of work one can attain in Lebanon”
“They treat us like animals . We are not prisoners. Some workers are locked in and are not allowed to leave the house for years”
“Dogs get to go out every day, why can't we go out every week? Going out doesn't mean necessarily escaping, it means freedom. “
“The Kafala system kills one domestic worker every week. “

author: Elia J. Ayoub


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More about Heartbleed · Global Voices
Gabriela García Calderón Orbe

Mariano Amartino, from the blog Denken Über [es], explains on a detailed and graphic post the OpenSSL software vulnerability known as Heartbleed and notes that:
Speaking clearly, the ONLY way of fixing this problem is that vulnerable sites (more than tens of thousands) carry out an OpenSSL update and issue their security certificates again.
What does this mean for me? Basically, that even though you change the password, if the certificate hasn't been updated, it is still vulnerable (you can check site by site using this Heartbleed vulnerability tool on Lastpass) and by using the same password, almost all your online presence is compromised :)


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Online Tools And Resources For Learning Bangla Language · Global Voices
Rezwan

Kolkata based British expat blog My Bangla Diary posts an interview with Steve Capell, the creator of Bangla Tangla. This resourceful website by Capell contains useful tools and contents for learning Bangla (Bengali) language online.


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Protecting Journalists’ Sources: Don’t Take Your Smart Phone · Global Voices
Kevin Rennie

Mark Pearson of Journlaw.com interviews Cameron Stewart, National security reporter and associate editor at The Australian newspaper. They discuss the challenges facing investigative journalists in the era of technological surveillance. Among other gems of advice: leave your smartphones back at your office when you are meeting confidential sources. More at: Journalists revert to age-old methods to protect sources, says @camstewarttheoz

author: Kevin Rennie


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The Bengali Tradition of Halkhata, New Accounts Ledger · Global Voices
Rezwan

The centuries old Bengali new years celebrations include an important tradition, opening the Halkhata, a new ledger book for the year for the businesses. Blog Amader Kotha explains what Halkhata is. The traditional red color ledger book signifies the marking of a new beginning and the festivities, rituals, hopes and uncertainties that come along with it.


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Train Station Blast Kills 3, Injures Dozens in China · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Explosion at Urumqi train station killed three. Screen capture from NTD China News.
An explosion at Urumqi train station on Wednesday in the far western region of Xinjiang in China killed three people and left another 79 injured, highlighting the grim challenges of security and simmering ethnic tensions in the resource-rich province the size of Iran.
Passengers usually fill train stations this time of the year as a three-day national holiday kicks off on May 1.
State-run media Xinhua News Agency labeled the explosion a terrorist plot and said mobs stabbed civilians with knives and denoted the explosives.
The blast came on the heels of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to the region where he vowed “decisive action” against “terrorists”, underscoring efforts by the leadership to prevent isolated attacks from snowballing into a wider crusade to separate Xinjiang, mainly home to the minority Uighurs, who speak a different language.
Urumqi, the capital city of Xinjiang, was the scene of violent ethnic clashes in 2009 that claimed the lives of nearly 200. The majority ethnic Han have been flocking to the region and now accounts for nearly half of the population. Beijing says it has brought prosperity to Xinjiang and treated all ethnicities as equals, but Uighur rights groups fault authorities for stifling religious freedom and imposing discrimination.
In response to the train station blast, President Xi said, “We have to realize that the fight against terrorism is long-term, complicated and acute. The fight against terrorism allows no slackness, and decisive measures should be taken to resolutely suppress terrorists’ aggression”.
Train services in Urumqi were suspended for about two hours before they were reopened.
Censors have moved quickly to scrub photos of the blast on Sina Weibo, China’s most popular microblogging service, with some state media only posting photos of police standing guard at the scene.
Below are some less politically sensitive discussions remained in Sina Weibo. Luda Cici wrote:
对少数民族国家其实做的还不错，我也觉得少数民族没什么，恐怖分子之所以活跃在少数民族聚集地就是为了让我们觉得有少数民族的地方就是恐怖主义然后要求少数民族分离出去。
China has treated ethnic minorities relatively well, and I think it’s not the ethnic minorities who are wrong, the reason why terrorists are active in places where ethnic groups live is because they want to let us feel that wherever there are ethnic groups there is terrorism, and by doing so, they hope to separate the ethnic regions.
Xiaoshidai Dafangke, who lives in Xinjiang, urged:
我在新疆，而且现在在基层，普通维族群众都是朴素善良的，只是那些受宗教极端思想和民族分裂主义势力影响的一小撮人干的，希望每个人正确看待问题，不要把对一小撮的愤怒放大到整个民族身上
I am in Xinjiang and now I live in a small community, Uighur folks are very kind and have good heart, [the attack] was carried out by some religious extremists and those who are affected by separatism. I hope everyone can see the problem in the right way and do not overgeneralize it by blaming the whole ethnic group.
On Twitter, Jan Henryk Dabrowski commented on the ethnic policy:
正如前苏联推行的错误民族政策所造成的恶果正在乌克兰显现一样,中共推行的错误民族政策现在和将来也将招致恶果.新疆的汉人和维吾尔人矛盾总有一天会以战争的形式爆发.
— 拓跋Taugast d'Hôtan (@novaniemi) April 26, 2014
Like the wrong ethnic policies of the Soviet Union, which caused the Ukraine crisis, the wrong ethnic policies that the Communist Party of China has maintained will also cause bad results. One day, there will be a war between the Han and Uighurs.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Trinidad & Tobago: From One Government to Another  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Our country cannot continue exporting our jobs, capital and skilled people in favour of unexamined and undisclosed foreign policies.
Afra Raymond says that the current Government to Government arrangements are a direct threat to Trinidad and Tobago’s fundamental interests.


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A Galaxy Far, Far Away · Global Voices
Gabriela García Calderón Orbe

The website Chileno notes [en] that a Chilean-led team of astronomers has shed new light on the evolution of galaxies by observing young star formations in outer regions of the interacting galaxy NGC 92. As lead author Dr Sergio Torres from Universidad de La Serena explains, there is something special about interacting galaxies like NGC 92. They are as he says, “perfect laboratories to study galaxy evolution”:
The unassumingly titled NGC 92 galaxy isn’t a close one. On the contrary, it’s quite far away, 160 million light years away to be precise, or roughly 940 quintillion miles. That’s a lot of noughts.


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Bocas Literary Festival Showcases Caribbean Literature · Global Voices
Matthew Hunte

The NGC Bocas Literary Festival, which was hosted in Trinidad and Tobago from Wednesday April 23 to Sunday, April 27, 2014, attracted writers and readers alike to the event's many workshops and award presentations. Robert Antoni won the OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature for his novel “As Flies To Whatless Boys”, Kei Miller copped the non-fiction prize for his essay collection “Writing Down The Vision: Essays and Prophesies”, while Lorna Goodison took home the poetry prize for her collection “Oracabessa”.  Bocas attracted a lot of attention on social media, spurred on in part by the active new media presence of the festival itself.
Robert Antoni, Winner of the OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature, reading from his novel. Photo by Marlon James, used with permission.
Kwame Slusher followed the entire programme online from his home in Barbados and was inspired to write about the gap between Caribbean writers and readers:
When Trinidadian author Earl Lovelace was asked in an interview whether he asked readers what they wanted, Lovelace said that he was a reader too and did not think of readers as external to himself. So the trick is for his ‘writing self’ not to ‘shortchange’ his ‘reading self’. However he had to admit that Caribbean literature needs more readers.
One of the problems I had as a young reader, is that I read to escape. I would bury myself deep in whimsical passages of magical universities, parallel worlds and distant planets. I read anything that didn’t remind me of anything familiar. What I knew about Caribbean literature then, which was very little, was that it was uncomfortably real. So a lot of the authors that I read were American or British. It took me years to learn to appreciate Caribbean literature.
I remember being a teenager in Maryland, and my Dad was so concerned that I was losing touch with my ‘Caribbean Identity’ that he  encouraged me, enthusiastically, to readNo Pain Like This Body by Harold Sonny Ladoo. It was a story about the struggles of a poor Indo-Trinidadian rice-growing family.
It is the most depressing book I have ever read.
To get back to Poynting’s point about the disconnect between Caribbean writers and Caribbean readers, there obviously needs to be some kind of dialogue between both parties. This is probably why literary festivals like Bocas Lit Fest, BIM Lit Fest and Calabash International Literary Festival, to be held in Jamaica from May 30th to June 1st, are so important. Literary Festivals bring together authors and readers and hopefully both can connect with one another.
Diane Brown, a writer and editor from Jamaica, wrote about the Burt Award for Caribbean Literature, which is targeted at writing for young adults:
Obviously the big news for children’s writers is the result of the inaugural Burt Award for Young Adult literature in the Caribbean, announced at the Bocas Lit Fest in Trinidad and Tobago. The winner of the first prize is A-dZiko Simba  Gegele (Jamaica),  for her book All Over Again, published by the young publisher, Tanya Batson-Savage of Blue Moon Publishing/Blouse and Skirt Books.  As I have said in previous posts, I love A-dZiko’s style. It is wonderfully lyrical. She is also a storyteller and a poet, so that she actually seems to perform her stories.  Congratulations to both A-dZiko  and Tanya.
A cross-section of the crowd at one of the Bocas LitFest 2014 readings. Photo by Marlon James, used with permission.
Antiguan writer, Joanne C. Hillhouse, who was the runner-up for the Burt Award, wrote about her truncated, hectic Bocas experience:
I didn’t get to stay for much else at my first Bocas (of which my biggest regret is probably the Lovelace film A Writer in His Place, which ran concurrent with my panel), as I was scheduled to leave the following morning ahead of the PEN World Voices Festival. I had run ins with old mentors Carolyn Cooper and Mervyn Morris, and drive bys with a few other new and familiar faces, like Earl Lovelace and Velma Pollard, whom I met for the first time last year in Guadeloupe, Bernadine Evaristo who I met in Antigua while she was still researching her now acclaimed book Mr. Loverman, Kei Miller who had just fed me in Scotland and had since been as far as Iraq, and yet here he was reading from his much anticipated forthcoming poetry collection and signing my copy of his Writing Down the Vision, non fiction winner of the Bocas prize (I’d heard him read from it at Aye Write! and had to have it). Plus there were the new people that I met and hopefully will remember the next time we meet again.
Kei Miller, reading from his work “Writing Down the Vision”. Photo my Marlon James, used with permission.
Hillhouse also reflected on her journey, not only from Trinidad to New York but over the course of her writing career:
In the end, I felt somewhat melancholy as I taxied to the airport at that time of early morning when there’s not much else on the road and not much else to think about but the journey you’re on, the one you’re taking literally and the bigger journey, of life, of which it is a part. I felt strangely peaceful, peaceful, and thankful (my Burt trophy heavy in my Bocas bag, the first award of its kind for this bookworm-cum-writer from Ottos, Antigua who’s been paying and paying her dues). So yeah, thankful for this moment – I don’t suck. I am sleepy though. That’s the thing all of this journeying will do to you, totally tilt you off kilter, time wise. But it’s a small thing really, when you consider the reward, and I’m not just talking about the trophy, and all it represents, I’m talking about the nerves and the awkwardness and the connections and the poetry and the stories and the engagements and the travels and the conversations and the new places and faces, and the familiar places and faces, all of that and so many other memories to keep.
An event featuring former juvenile delinquents and their English teacher brought Akosua Edwards to tears:
I spent some time on Saturday at the NGC Bocas Literary Festival in Port of Spain Trinidad. The festival brings together literary works from all over the Caribbean and the diaspora with a number of world renowned writers and poets. What struck me at this event was the honest and open stories of a few young men who were incarcerated from the age of 15 for an average of ten years at the Youth Training Centre (YTC). They along with their English teacher, a woman who volunteered to teach them English Literature whilst at the institution, decided to tell their story in this open, honest and wonderful piece of work called Wishing for Wings. I found myself literally weeping listening to their story! And there and then I vowed to do something! We have young people from the age of 11 being incarcerated and locked inside for 23 hours a day, we have a rehabilitation system that instead of rehabilitating it creates more prisoners and resentment! And the thing that made me weep more is that it is so easy to play a part in making where I live a better place! I want to thank those young men for being open and honest, for deciding that they want to live a different life. That was the other thing that I learnt from them, it all starts with a decision! There is nothing more powerful than a made up mind. No wavering, no doubt, just a firm decision and things fall into place after that, not without its challenges but that power overrides them!
Jamaica-based blogger Annie Paul who attended the festival, collated a series of tweets related to Bocas:
A taste of Bocas Litfest 2014–my curated tweets and images https://t.co/viTK4aUjgV @nplaughlin #BocasLitFest2014
— anniepaul (@anniepaul) May 1, 2014
Other attendees also took to Twitter to talk about their experience:
The excellent @BocasLitFest is over till next year. Had a great time here in Port Of Spain, my first time in the Caribbean.
— Allan Guthrie (@allanguthrie) April 28, 2014
@bocaslitfest biggest thanks to bocas. You're doing something great for Caribbean lir
— Vladimir Lucien (@Vladimirlucien) April 29, 2014

author: Matthew Hunte


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#BringBackOurGirls: Nigerians Demand Release of 200 Abducted Girls · Global Voices
Nwachukwu Egbunike

Protesters took to the streets in Abuja to demand urgent action from the government in finding the 200 school girls kidnapped in Chibok. Despite the heavy rain, they marched along. Photo by Ayemoba Godswill. Copyright Demotix (4/30/2014)
Nigerians marched through the streets on April 30, 2014 demanding accelerated government action in the release of more than 200 girls abducted by jihadist group Boko Haram.
A few weeks ago, armed men abducted the girls, who are between 15 and 18 years old, from the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, about 130 kilometres west of Maiduguri in northeast Nigeria. Some have reportedly been forced into marriage with their abductors.
The angst over the horrid abduction and the seeming lack of firm commitment to secure their release has resulted in citizen action. Twitter users are mobilizing and tweeting in support of the protests across the nation, using the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls.
Our Mothers..#Sad #BringBackOurGirls pic.twitter.com/rhPKnfuQ1p
— SporTAINment.. (@PoojaBlog) April 30, 2014
Oby Ezekwesili spoke of a mother's agony:
Every REAL MOTHER KNOWS SOMETHING ABOUT THIS SIRING AGONY FOR HER CHILD. #BringBackOurGirls pic.twitter.com/MeYGB8VWd7
— oby ezekwesili (@obyezeks) April 29, 2014
Soliat Tobi bolaji tweeted a photo of the victims’ families:
RT@NewsBytesNow: Photo: A weeping father of one of the kidnapped #ChibokGirls. #BringBackOurGirls @Gidi_Traffic pic.twitter.com/6oCbUZIVEB”
— Soliat Tobi bolaji (@tobysunlight) April 27, 2014
HH Mustapha Abu Bakr argued for compassion:
Have some compassion. Have some empathy & let your soul (if you still have one) show its humanity #BringBackOurGirls pic.twitter.com/lUnTklMs9W
— HH Mustapha Abu Bakr (@Mustyblax) April 30, 2014
HBD Abiola Olatunji and others urged people to care:
As you get set for today #OurDaughters are yet to be found after 2weeks. Pls lend a voice #BringBackOurGirls @omojuwa pic.twitter.com/cpRs8N00l5
— HBD Abiola Olatunji (@BabajideFadoju) April 30, 2014
The least you can do is to pray for the girls and there family, they are seriously traumatized. #BringBackOurGirls pic.twitter.com/cir461v1l2
— Godman Akinlabi (@PGeeman) April 30, 201
RT @ayoadaniel: If this doesn't prick your conscience, I don't know what will. #BringBackOurGirls #ChibokGirls pic.twitter.com/BT5k1Bc9Sn
— ᴹʸ ᶰᵃᵐᵉ ᶥˢ (@WilsonIsTalking) April 30, 2014
Nkem Ifejika tweeted a photo of protesters:
Some of the women who'd gathered (7hrs) early at Unity Fountain for the rally. #Bringbackourgirls #Nigeria #Abuja pic.twitter.com/PFQN2FnFDv
— Nkem Ifejika (@nkemifejika) April 30, 2014
Onye Nkuzi blamed the government:
This govt has itself to blame – its communication (or lack of it) during these trying times implies that: It simply does not care.
— Onye Nkuzi (@cchukudebelu) April 30, 2014
Some showed solidarity:
My students decided 2 show solidarity 4 d missin #Chibok girls in der own lil way #BringBackOurGirls @mishalhusainbbc pic.twitter.com/jVycMzqB8D
— Adetola Adekunle (@mrpirazzy) April 30, 2014
Prior to the protests, Nigerian bloggers have been venting their anguish using fiction as their tool of protest. For instance, Yougeecash in “For Chibok 1“:
I was sitting peacefully in class listening to the teacher that day when we heard them come. Several guns went off in the air and I was really frightened. The men came into our classroom and kept shooting in the air. Everyone was screaming and crying, including our teacher. I was very scared. Mallam Haruna is a tough man and always has a scary look. It is because of his look that I am afraid of Mathematics. So if Mallam Haruna, my tough Mathematics teacher was scared and crying, that meant things were really bad. My English teacher would say such a situation is a ‘dire’ situation. I always prayed I would never experience one.
The men ordered all the girls to line up and march out of the class. Mallam Haruna tried to beg them to leave us alone but one of the men shot him. I think he died immediately. There was a lot of blood and I was really very scared.
They bundled us into their trucks. So many of us. I could see Amira and Khadija my two best friends. They were put in a separate truck and they looked frightened too. I cried so much, my eyes hurt. I wondered where they were taking us.
Chika Ezeanya paints a chilling tale in this short story, “Deep Inside Sambisa Forest“:
Several loud gunshots came from the vicinity of the school gate, followed by piercing cries from my schoolmates. Boko Haram. It was time to say our last prayers.  I took what I intended to be one last look at the bed of my best friend and neighbour. Her eyes locked into mine and reminded me of our pact, our agreement of less than a week earlier. Our mates in the dormitory were screaming and running in search of a place to hide from death; under the beds, behind the wardrobe, inside the huge plastic bucket that stored water. I saw the youngest girl among us hide inside a Corn Flakes box and cover herself with clothes, shoes and exercise books. The box was slightly torn at the side and I could see the wooliness of her hair. Two JS II girls hit the iron burglary proof of a window with the rickety wooden chair we use to play hot seat on birthdays. We had always felt protected by the burglary bars, that day it imprisoned us.  About seven brave students hit at the locked door with an iron bed. Our matron usually locked the doors and took the keys away at 9:00 p.m. Only a gunshot would have brought that door down. My best friend and I ran towards each other, to hold ourselves and await the bullet or the knife, or both.
The Nigerian military is caught between two grim positions – forceful attack and losing the girls or slow negotiations. Journalist, Alkasim Abdulkadir (@alkayy) explained in this post:
Generals and students of warfare will tell you that fighting an unseen enemy is the hardest battle. But freeing abducted girls from the clutches of the insurgents is one that must be done with deft and circumspection. The lives of the girls are at stake here and all avenues must be explored to bring them back. This is a moment for rational thoughts over the irrational sense and brazen ideologies that give insurgents the conviction that they are fighting a just war.
[…]
Let us not forget that an outright military operation puts the girls at risk, as they can be used as human shields, this has happened before in Baga when insurgents threw mortars from amongst non-combatants.
Abdulkadir concludes thus with this advice to the government of Nigeria:
The federal government of Nigeria must explore all avenues that will lead to the release of the girls of Chibok. The Nigerian nation has woken up from the slumber of tragedy fatigue it was slipping into. Parents and the entire world are asking bring back the girls safely. This is the test before, Nigeria.

author: Nwachukwu Egbunike


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Cuban Music Legend of “Los Van Van” Juan Formell Dies · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

Juan Formell. Photo from On Cuba.
The founder and director of the legendary Cuban ensemble Los Van Van, the bassist Juan Formell, died in Havana, Cuba, on May 1st. He was 71 years-old. For the last 45 years, Formell and Los Van Van have been inspiring people to dance with their Cuban rhythm. Los Van Van, and Formell, are some of the most beloved Cuban musicians in the world. Blogger, journalist and Global Voices author, Rafael González Escalona, says in an article for “On Cuba”:
There are bad, mediocre and magnificent musicians. And there's a tiny club of musicians destined to radically change the soundscape of a country. And if anyone in Cuba is a member of the VIP club, that is Juan Formell.
Perhaps the best way to celebrate the life and legacy of Juan Formell is dancing. With this in mind, let's see if you can remain seated during the 2004 Los Van Van concert in the Karl Marx theater in Havana:
http://youtu.be/KLtPC5miVbc

author: Firuzeh Shokooh Valle


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Germans Counter Right-Wing Extremists With Their Own Protests on May Day · Global Voices
Anne Hemeda

German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) May Day Rally in Essen, photo by Anne Hemeda, 1 May 2014.
In Germany as in many other countries, May Day is “International Workers’ Day”, a public holiday that often sees demonstrations in support of labour rights. On this day, however, it's not only trade unions and employee representatives who hold events. Right-wing extremists hijack the holiday to hold rallies in support of racist propaganda.
In the German region of Ruhr, coalitions such as “Essen stellt sich quer” (Essen will not tolerate this) fought back this year. They organised protests against the “exploitation of May Day” by the “right-wing populist, racist and xenophobic Pro NRW party” and the extreme right-wing National Democratic Party of Germany (NPD) and led resistance to the “hate campaigns against refugees”.
Extreme-right parties such as the NPD or Die Rechte represent nationalistic, revanchist, and völkisch ideologies and their party programs are similar to the one of the former fascist Nazi Party NSDAP. But empirical studies conducted by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation reveal that radical-right thinking is no longer just a problem of extremist parts of society, but resonates within society and is widespread throughout the German population. Right-wing populist “Pro” parties — such as Pro NRW or Pro Köln — which stir up hatred against Muslim migrants serve as an example for this alarming trend.
The “Duisburg stellt sich quer” (Duisburg will not tolerate this) coalition explained why people should take to the streets against right-wing extremism on May Day in particular:
Traditionell ist der 1. Mai der Tag, an dem weltweit Millionen Menschen auf die Straße gehen, um für eine solidarische Gesellschaft, für internationale Solidarität, gleiche Rechte für Alle und gegen Krieg zu demonstrieren – unabhängig von ihrer Herkunft, ihrem Geschlecht, der Hautfarbe oder der Religion. Gerade an diesem Tag sind die rechten Aufmärsche eine ganz besondere Provokation. Unter dem Nazi-Regime wurde die organisierte Arbeiterbewegung zerschlagen, zehntausende GewerkschafterInnen, SozialdemokratInnen und KommunistInnen in Konzentrationslager verschleppt, gefoltert und ermordet.
Traditionally speaking, May Day is the day on which millions of people across the world take to the streets to demonstrate for a cohesive society, for international solidarity and against war, regardless of their origins, their sex, the colour of their skin or their religion. For this reason, right-wing demonstrations on this day are intended as a particular provocation. Under the Nazi regime, the organised labour movement was crushed, while tens of thousands of trade unionists, social democrats and communists were deported to concentration camps, tortured and murdered.
In the Ruhr region, Facebook pages, Twitter users and blogs such as Braun Raus collected information on counter-demonstrations. A live feed for the Dortmund Twitter account BlockaDo, the weekly newspaper for the University of Duisburg-Essen student union akduell and the Ruhrbarone blog kept all those interested up to date using the hashtag #1MaiNazifrei (1 May without Nazis).
#Essen: Der Protest gegen Pro NRW dauert an. #1MaiNazifrei pic.twitter.com/SEV9BbBcvg
— akduell Redaktion (@akduell) 1. Mai 2014
Essen: The protest against Pro NRW is ongoing.
When an attempt by protesters to inhibit right-wing demonstrators from finishing their march descended into violent clashes with the police in Dortmund, a number of photos appeared on Twitter. The protesters wanted to break through to the right-wing demonstrators to set up a blockade. Though the police used batons and teargas, no serious injuries were reported.
Hier greift die Polizei schon an. #blockado #nonazisdo pic.twitter.com/5HmAItcv9k
— BlockaDO (@blocka_do) 1. Mai 2014
The police on the attack by now.
Social media was not only used in the Ruhr region to report on the course and ultimately the success of counter-demonstrations, but in other cities as well. In Rostock, a festival organized by a pro-democracy coalition was prohibited in the beginning and only when the coalition filed a suit against the ban, the festival was approved. Counter-demonstrations in Rostock turned out to be successful in the end:
1. Mai in #Rostock war zahlenmäßig ein Erfolg: 300 Nazis zu 2.000 Demonstranten; Verhalten der Stadt bleibt jedoch ein großes Problem #1mHRO
— Amadeu Antonio St. (@AmadeuAntonio) 1. Mai 2014
May Day in #Rostock was a success in terms of numbers: 300 Nazis against 2,000 demonstrators; the city's behaviour, however, remains an important issue.
May Day has had a wealth of meanings throughout Germany's history. Under Hitler it was declared the “Holiday of National Labour,” and during the era of the Third Reich, May Day was the backdrop for marches and parades. At the same time, trade unions were banned in Germany, while trade union offices were ransacked and officials were arrested.
The first mass demonstration on May Day took place in Australia in 1856. Following the “Haymarket Riot” of 1886, a strike that took place over several days in Chicago, which had been organised by the trade unions and ended in bloody conflict with the police, the International Workers’ Movement declared May Day as the “Day of Action” for the working class. More specifically, German May Day traditions can be traced back to the International Workers Congress, which took place in Paris in 1889 and at which it was agreed to campaign for an eight hour working day.
On 1 May 2014 in Germany, particular attention was paid to demands for a minimum wage:
Keine Ausnahmen beim Mindestlohn. #1Mai #Jusos pic.twitter.com/0prNpzqdCZ
— Jusos Essen (@jusosessen) 1. Mai 2014
No exceptions to a minimum wage.
With European elections due at the end of May, positive cooperation across a social Europe was another popular theme, including the creation of apprenticeships:
The Association of Young Socialist and Socialist Youth in the Social Democratic Party of Germany (Jusos) hands out “Apprenticeship cookies” at the May Day rally in Essen, photo by Anne Hemeda on 1 May 2014.
In many cities, May Day ended with an upbeat, colourful and family-friendly atmosphere and featured street festivals, as it did here in Essen at the International Culture Festival:
International Culture Festival at the Carl Coal Mine Centre, photo by Anne Hemeda on 1 May 2014.

author: Anne Hemeda


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High Presence of Walmart and Walgreens in Puerto Rico · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

Photo by Joel Colón Arbasetti. From the CPI website and republished under a CC License.
The Center of Investigative Journalism of Puerto Rico (CPIPR) has recently published an article [es] on the high presence of the Walmart and Walgreens stores on the Island, an expansion that has not been able to be controlled by the state agency that regulates monopolistic entrepreneurial practices. The author of the article, Joel Colón Arbasetti, explains that although the two chains have different data, his investigation reveals that:
…even taking as true the data offered by the two companies, the implication would be that Puerto Rico is currently the jurisdiction of the United States with the highest concentration of Walmart and Walgreens per square mile.


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Inspired by FC Barcelona’s Dani Alves, Germans Say No to Racism With #BananaSelfies · Global Voices
Anne Hemeda

Photo by Justus Blümer via Flickr. CC BY 2.0
People from around the world, including Germany, are posting photos of themselves with bananas on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to protest racism following an incident during a football match in Spain in which someone in the crowd threw a banana at FC Barcelona player Dani Alves.
The Brazilian footballer responded by picking up the fruit and eating it. The banana thrower was banned from the stadium for life.
This heralded an international wave of solidarity and a new selfie trend using the hashtags #WeAreAllMonkeys, #SayNoToRacism and #BananaSelfie. It began in the world of sport, as here in a photo of young players for the football club 1. FC Köln with player Mišo Brečko:
Anti-Rassismus Workshop des #effzeh KidsClub mit Miso #Brecko #weareallmonkeys #SayNoToRacism pic.twitter.com/m3wjQ7r4df
— 1. FC Köln (@fckoeln) 30. April 2014
Anti-racism workshop at #effzeh Kids Club with Miso #Brecko. #Weareallmonkeys #SayNoToRacism
The trend then took off in the world of politics, seen here in a photo of politician Kai Gehring and his fellow party members from the 90/Die Grünen coalition, who at the same time called for protests against right-wing extremism on May Day in Germany:
love bananas, hate #rasism – heute Flagge zeigen für ein vereintes weltoffenes Europa! #1MaiNazifrei #bananaselfies pic.twitter.com/YrhHJysB5z
— Kai Gehring (@KaiGehring) 1. Mai 2014
love bananas, hate #racism – fly your flags today for a united, open-minded Europe!
Protesters also took up the selfie trend during May Day anti-racism protests:
Wir sind in #Altenessen. #weareallmonkeys #spd #essen pic.twitter.com/yu8yo2diPn
— SPD Essen (@SPD_Essen) 1. Mai 2014
We're in #Altenessen. #weareallmonkeys #spd #essen


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Laundering the Russian Invasion of Ukraine · Global Voices
Kevin Rothrock

“We are coming to the southeast,” declares a Crimean militia. May 2, 2014, YouTube.
Earlier today, a YouTube video appeared featuring a large group of heavily armed men wearing various military and police uniforms in Crimea. The group's apparent leader declares that two battalions of Crimean militiamen will come to the aid of combatants in Slaviansk, where Ukraine’s national army is fighting against pro-Russia separatists, who have occupied parts of the city.
According to the Russian newspaper Moskovskii Komsomolets, Crimea’s militia fighting force includes over two thousand men. The paper reports that Russia’s May holidays (culminating on May 9, the 69th anniversary of the USSR’s victory in World War II) have brought Crimean locals into the streets for celebrations, helping facilitate the gathering of men willing to go fight in Ukraine’s southeast.
Irregular militia marching on Slaviansk and other southeastern cities in Ukraine could present Kiev with a tricky legal situation. Though Moscow exercises de facto control over Crimea, the national government refuses to recognize Russia’s annexation, complicating Kiev’s classification of any combatants marching into the Ukrainian mainland from Crimea, which formally remains a part of Ukraine. Would these soldiers be Russian troops? Or are they more Ukrainian “terrorists,” as Kiev now identifies combatants throughout the southeast?
In other words, the Kremlin might project its power into Ukraine’s mainland by encouraging, and perhaps arming, Crimean militia, who in turn would advance on Slaviansk. In theory, Moscow might succeed, if only semantically, in “laundering” an armed intervention in this way.
What follows is the video and a full translation of the public address by the supposed Crimean militia leader, which was published on YouTube today.
Сегодня 2 мая 2014 года. Мы – ополченцы Крыма. Обращаемся к народу юго-востока. Братья! Сегодня в составе двух батальонов крымское ополчение выдвигается на юго-восток. Мы услышали, как регулярная армия и правый сектор бомбят Славянск и другие города юго-востока. Я обращаюсь к матерям и женам правого сектора. Уберите своих детей оттуда. Наша задача не брать ни пленных, никого. Мы идем на уничтожение. Теперь обращаюсь к народу юго-востока. Выдвигаемся туда и будем сносить все что у нас на пути, все то, что противоречит и противостоит простому народу. Держитесь, мы с вами!”
The date is May 2, 2014. We are the militia of Crimea. We appeal to the people of [Ukraine’s] southeast. Brothers! Today, the Crimean militia, consisting of two battalions, advances on the southeast. We have heard how [Ukraine’s] Army and Right Sector are bombing Slaviansk and other cities of the southeast. I would like to address all the mothers and wives of the men in Right Sector: get yours boys out of there. Our mission won’t be to take anyone prisoner. We intend to destroy the enemy. Now I’d like to address the people of the southeast: we are coming and we will demolish everything standing in our way—anything that contradicts or stands against the common people. Hold strong! We’re with you!

author: Kevin Rothrock


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Who’s a “Mirrey”? Spotting Glamour and Excess in Mexico · Global Voices
J. Tadeo

(All links are in Spanish, otherwise noted [en] for English)
A lobuki's perfection (A “lobuki” is the female counterpart of the “mirrey”). Taken from Facebook page Yo soy un mirrey [es] [I'm a mirrey].
The term “mirrey”, referring to a personal and easily identifiable lifestyle, has reached its peak in Mexico during the last few months.
Mexico is a country that shows evidence of social and economic inequality where Carlos Slim [en] not only lives, but prospers. He is the well-known telecommunications tycoon and is one of the richest men in the world. Meanwhile, practically half of the population (45%) find themselves living poverty. The official report shows 11.5 million people living in extreme poverty [en].
But none of this appears to hinder the “mirreyes” from existing and multiplying. The “mirrey” lifestyle can probably be compared to that of Western pop culture celebrities. This is based on glamour, consumerism, excess (or a disproportionate aspiration towards it), and despotism. Perhaps it has to do with advocating classism, which is deeply rooted in the country. Investigator Beatriz Urías alludes to this:
Racial discrimination in Mexico goes beyond that of the indigenous question. Within ordinary social life, stereotypes are formed and circulated. They encompass a variety of phenotypical possibilities that are associated with marginalization phenomena, poverty, and lack of opportunities.
Very diverse groups are stigmatized for not only being more indigenous mestizos versus Spanish ones, but also by being on the sidelines of the dominate culture. That is to say, besides skin color or facial features, exclusion calls into question one's manner of speaking, education level, and dealing with cultural codes. In Mexico, racism and classism go hand-in-hand.
The “mirrey” style even appeared on the big screen in the 2013 film, “Nosotros los nobles” [en] [We the Nobles]. It became the biggest box office earner in Mexican cinematography. The character, Javier “Javi” Noble, portrays the “mirrey” persona.
To hold the “mirrey” style, or aspire to it, is something that has filled countless blogs and entertainment web sites. Such is case with El Deforma, which took upon itself to provide a list of recommendations as to how to become one:
If you find integration into Mexico's upper-class difficult, follow these simple steps:
1.- Always use a shirt, regardless if you're in a bathing suit or pajamas, and make sure to have at least three buttons undone (the weather shouldn't concern you). It's important that your shirt has more of a neckline than that of your girlfriend (a.k.a lobuki).
2.- When you talk about your parents in front of others, say “mi ma y mi pa” [‘ma’ is short for “mamá”, mom, and ‘pa’ is short for “papá”, dad].
3.- Constantly point out how much money you have and how good it feels to have it (even if you don't have any).
4.- Refer to your friends as: Papaloy, Mirrey, Mirrey Midas, Milord, Papagallo, Papawh, etc.
5.- When in quiet places, such as the cinema, speak in a loud tone of voice (showing that you can do anything).
6.- Say you play golf even though you don't know how.
7.- Call the waiters “capi” [captain] and waitresses “reina” [queen].
8.- Add the suffix, “uki” or “irri”, to as many words possible. (ex. playeruki, lobuki, peluki, fiestirri, besirri, onduki, fotirri, etc.).
Sopitas recenty shared a polemic video showing the “mirrey” excessive lifestyle. It makes the following comment:
So we stumble upon a video from the Instituto Cumbres [Cumbres Institution] announcing the class of 2014's up-coming and elegant graduation. We watched it and still don't know how to feel. In the pictures we see several “mirrey” students from Cumbres living the luxurious and glitzy life along with preparing themselves to be the big “papalords” for the end-of-the-year party.
The Cumbers Institute is an exclusive, all-boys religious institution. Their students belong to the upper and upper-middle classes.
Abuses and classism of “mirrey” life is not exclusive to the younger generation. Several incidents have appeared and been commented on social media. Examples of this can be found via Twitter hashtags: #LadyProfeco [“Profeco” stands for “Office of the Federal Prosecutor for the Consumer” in English] #LadySenadora [Senator] and #Sacal (the latter refers to the Moisés Sacal assault case).
Political scientist Ricardo Raphael alludes to Mexican “mirreys” in this manner:
The country they were born into attributes little value towards sacrifice and money is practically everything. The Mexican elite is dominated by symptoms of intellectual poverty that cannot be hidden.
Continuing on the subject, Ricardo Raphael questions:
Why are children of the Mexican elite allowed to have everything? Why are they arrogant and indifferent? Why do they distance themselves from the rest? Why are they mediocre?
(…)
Of all the inequalities that prevail in Mexico, why is it that the inequality expressed by the behavior of these young people turns out to be the most offensive? Answering this question is not easy, but it is worth a try. First hypothesis: to the rest of Mexicans, this asymmetry embarrass us – hurts us. In contrast, for the elite living in the national penthouse, there is no shame. They suppose that they obtained their wealth in their own right (a vice during Feudalism known as divine right).
A few Twitter users show-off their “mirrey” style, such as Luis Fernando, (@SoyFernie), who shared that he was instructing his chauffeur on the “mirrey” language.
Teaching the chauffeur how to speak #Mirrey, hahaha.
— Luis Fernando (@SoyFernie) April 29, 2014
Teaching the chauffeur how to speak #Mirrey, hahaha.
La moda del Joven Caballero Actual: Camisa Cerrada=#Hipster / Camisa Abierta=Común / Camisa Abierta Dos Botones=#Mirrey #fb
— Diego Cárcamo (@egocarcamo) abril 23, 2014
Current young gentleman's fashion: buttoned shirt = hipster
Unbuttoned shirt = casual
Shirt with two buttons undone = mirrey
To enjoy or feign the “mirrey” lifestyle in Mexico (a nation not characterized for its financial wealth) is therefore a type of behavior worthy of analysis. It generates a variety of reactions within the community and displays evidence of societal classism.

author: J. Tadeo


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Nigeria: A Campaign to #Bringourgirlsback · Global Voices
Abdoulaye Bah

Poster of the campaign. 234 girls between the ages of 16-18 yrs were abducted almost 2 weeks ago in Nigeria:  #bringourgirlsback.  Source: The Facebook page #bringourgirlsback – Public Domain
In mid-april, over 200 school girls were abducted from a secondary school, in Chibok, Nigeria by Boko Haram, a terrorist group based in the northern region. Although some 57 of the girls have managed to escape, there are still many others at the hands of the kidnappers. On April 30, Nigerian women have organized demonstrations in cities across the country to demand that the government intensifies its efforts to rescue the girls. The Sahara Reporters news site published a photo coverage from Kaduna, Nigeria. Nigerian bloggers have also created a Facebook page with the hashtag #bringourgirlsback, asking to spread the outrage on Internet against this criminal action by extremist rebels.


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Protest against Goods and Services Tax Became Malaysia’s Biggest May Day Rally  · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Tens of thousands in Malaysia joined the May Day rally organized by 90 NGOs to oppose the Goods and Services Tax (GST) which the government will start collecting next year.
Sea of people came to support the anti-GST rally on Labour Day in Kuala Lumpur. Photo by Danny Chan, Copyright @Demotix (5/1/2014)
The main rally was held in Dataran Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur, the nation’s capital. Organizers claimed it was the biggest ever Labor Day rally in Malaysia.
The GST was approved by Parliament last month. The government said the new tax, which is a standard in more than 150 countries, is necessary to solve the country’s fiscal woes.
But protesters believe the GST would worsen the poverty situation in the country. Rodney reported why organizers chose the Labor Day to register their opposition to the GST:
The demonstration themed “Anti GST – Until it is dropped” was held to coincide with International Labour Day as people gathered to show their displeasure for the suffering faced due to the rising cost of living and their worry over the impending GST.
Rani Rasiah of the Parti Sosialis Malaysia warned that the GST will shift the tax burden from the rich to the poor:
The GST is a tax on consumers, rich and poor, employed and unemployed. The philosophy behind it is that it is only fair that all citizens pay taxes – even if the playing field is not level.
The passing of the GST is a step backwards in the lives of ordinary Malaysians simply because it will further diminish household income. As a policy, it is regressive as it shifts the burden of tax from the haves to the have-nots. Company taxes will be lowered and the GST will be introduced to make up for the drop in revenue.
But Salleh Said Keruak said the bigger challenge is how to make GST more equitable:
The issue, therefore, is not to oppose the GST or try to block its implementation. What we need to do is to make sure the GST is fair or fairer so that we distribute the task of paying tax in a more equitable manner.
Because Malaysians are so focused on opposing the GST, no one is bothering to look at how to make it fair or fairer and not become a burden to the lower income Malaysians. This, I believe, is what politicians should be looking at because there is no way the government is not going to implement the GST unless we want to see Malaysia going broke 10 years or so from now.
The heart of the matter joined the rally but is not entirely opposed to the idea of the GST
There must be an effective minimal wage policy. Otherwise, those who have no money already, made worse by GST next year, cannot survive. What do you think they will do, when there is no bread on the table and no clothes for their kids to go to school. What do you think they will do? They will have to rob, steal and do whatever is necessary for survival. That puts you and I in great danger. Greater danger than now.
There were various estimates about the size of the crowd but it is definitely not 500 as reported by state-run papers.
Independent news website Malaysiakini criticized the inaccurate reporting of some media stations:
Government-run Bernama caps its series of negative reports with ‘Anti-GST rally ends earlier, as some violate Peaceful Assembly Act’ claiming the presence of children as a violation.
The report continues to highlight complaints of traffic jams, foiled travel plans and shopping for the day's holiday over the tens of thousands who have protested against what is called an unfair tax in the face of unimpeded government overspending and wastage.
Ng Kee Seng also hit the coverage of government-backed papers:
How else would one see the pathetic situation of the government media in reporting that only 500 people turned up for the rally?
Are Malaysians and the world blind? Or is the government media claiming that the pictures in news portals and social media are doctored to project the mammoth crowd?
Disgrace is not even the appropriate word to describe the government media. Pariah should be more like it.
The Twitter hashtag #antiGST was used by many to monitor the protest. Below are some photos.
#May1Rally: The large crowd of protesters gathering at Dataran Merdeka for the anti-GST rally. http://t.co/xFMUqUI61H pic.twitter.com/pJADwzkRKq
— The Star (@staronline) May 1, 2014
#May1Rally: An aerial view of demonstrators gathering in front of Dataran Merdeka during the anti-GST rally. pic.twitter.com/sDSQb8f64X
— The Star (@staronline) May 1, 2014
This placard reminds protesters and the public why workers around the world are celebrating the May 1 Labor Day:
All those who question what workers day has to do with them, give back your weekends pic.twitter.com/AqoZSu38GC
— BERSIH 2.0 (@bersih2) May 1, 2014
The government first introduced a GST bill in 2009 but it was shelved when it ignited a series of large protests. After embarking on an aggressive information drive in recent years, the government is confident the people are ready to accept the rationale of implementing the new tax.

author: Mong Palatino


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Russian Internet on the Way to Pyongyang  · Global Voices
Andrey Tselikov

Global social network and search giants might have to haul their servers physically into Russia. Based on Ilya Repin's seminal “Volga Boatmen.” Images remixed by Andrey Tselikov.
Earlier this month RuNet Echo reported [Global Voices report] on a Moscow municipal deputy who wanted to require all major social networks to store Russian user data on Russian soil. It seems that his request has been heard, or, at the very least, that Russian legislators think alike. As part of a series of revisions of a bill that has recently passed Russia's lower house of parliament, starting on August 1, 2014 all distributors of online content will be required to store 6 months worth of user data in Russia.
These regulations [ru] are part of a package of “anti-terrorist” laws which exert greater government control over the Russian Internet — the law requiring [Global Voices report] that bloggers with 3,000 unique visitors register as mass media is part of the same package. The reason for the 6 months storage clause is simple: to force foreign internet companies to obey the Russian government's requests for information. Under the new regulations any website has to comply with law enforcement requests to produce any information on its users. Unless the data is physically in Russia, however, giants like Facebook and Twitter aren't likely to comply with Russian data subpoenas.
Non-compliance carries administrative fines of 50,000 to 300,000 rubles for the first offence, for organizations and companies. While this might seem like small change (around 8,500 USD) to entities like Google, further noncompliance can be punished with website shutdowns and filtering.
President Putin approves of the new law — on April 24, he spoke [ru] at a public forum on the media, where he directly said that foreign data servers containing Russian information should be moved to Russia. This might be partly due to security fears. During the same press conference he famously noted that the web was developed by the CIA and is still controlled by the agency (perhaps meaning to cite DARPA's involvement with the creation of the Internet).
With the new law the outlook for RuNet is especially dour, at least according to some Russian bloggers. The requirements are essentially impossible to comply with when considering the global nature of the Internet, writes [ru] Egor Kotkin. This is why he is afraid that its implementation may be just a preparatory step in closing off RuNet from the rest of the world – a new Iron Curtain of sorts. Russian Internet guru Anton Nosik is on the same page. In a recent interview to TV Rain he spoke about the harshness of the new laws:
В России устанавливается северо-корейская модель. Это не китайская, эта другая модель. Мы сейчас едем на полном ходу в Пхеньян, мы в Пекин не заезжаем по дороге.
Russia is implementing a North Korean model. This isn't a Chinese model, it's a different model. Right now we are full speed ahead to Pyongyang, and there is no stop in Beijing on the way.

author: Andrey Tselikov


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GV Face: Too “Asian” to Evacuate? South Korea’s Ferry Tragedy and Culture Blaming · Global Voices
Solana Larsen

Join this video hangout live at UTC 2:30 PM on Google Plus.
Stubborn stereotypes about South Koreans prevail in much of the reporting on a capsized ferry that led to the deaths of more than 200 people, most of them teenagers on a school trip. Were they too “obedient” to evacuate? On today's #GVFace we talk to Global Voices Korean editor Yoo Eun Lee about Korean reactions to the international media, what the tragedy means at home, and who is really blame.
Also read: South Koreans Accuse Government of Botching Ferry Response

author: Solana Larsen


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4 Ways You Can Join the #FreeZone9Bloggers Campaign · Global Voices
Advox

Zone 9 Tumblr Collage. Images selected from zoneniner.tumblr.com.
Befeqadu Hailu, Abel Wabela, Atnaf Berahane, Mahlet Fantahun, Zelalem Kibret, and Natnael Feleke (all members of the Zone 9 blogging collective) and journalists Asmamaw Hailegeorgis, Tesfalem Waldyes and Edom Kassaye were arrested on April 25 and 26, 2014 in Addis Ababa. They have since been held in Maekelawi detention center with no access to legal counsel. They have not been allowed to see their families.
Since 2012, the Zone 9 blogging collective has worked to foster civic engagement and critical commentary about social and political issues in Ethiopia, alongside fellow journalists seeking similar results through newspaper work. Their arrest and detention constitute a violation of their universal human right to free expression, and their right not to be arbitrarily detained, as protected by Article 6 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
The Global Voices community and our network of friends and allies are demanding the release of the nine men and women.

author: Advox


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Aftermath of an Oil Spill  · Global Voices
Merisa Thompson

La Brea, Trinidad: “Walking alongside members of the La Brea Fishing Association, it was clear that many of the fish had washed up that very day, their skin glistening and eyes still sparkling.” Photo by Merisa Thompson. Used with permission.
Walking along the beaches of La Brea, Trinidad, three months after the cleanup of an oil spill that sent 7,000 barrels of oil floating towards the shoreline, the sight of hundreds of dead fish scattered as far as the eye can see is astonishing.
La Brea is a small town situated on the southwestern peninsula of Trinidad, the heartland of the Caribbean island's burgeoning oil and gas sector. As the site of the world’s largest natural pitch (asphalt) lake, the history of La Brea—which means “tar” in Spanish—has long been entwined with natural resource extraction. Its coastline looks out onto the Gulf of Paria, a sheltered inland sea of brackish waters that separates the mangrove coasts of Trinidad and Venezuela.
The story that has unfolded since the oil spill in December 2013 is not an unfamiliar one. Local communities and fisherfolk feel let down by the government, the national Environmental Management Authority (EMA) and the actions of the state-owned oil company, Petrotrin. Anybody familiar with BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 will recognize a narrative full of suspicion, a perceived abdication of responsibility, lack of transparency, environmental destruction and loss of livelihoods.
Just as in the US, here in Trinidad there have been accusations of misinformation and cover-up, and controversy over the use of the oil dispersant Corexit 9500, a chemical agent that has been linked to increased toxicity in water, and other negative impacts on human and marine health, so much so that it was banned in the UK as long ago as 1988. Consequently, questions abound regarding the long-term impact on local communities, environments and livelihoods, and the high risks taken by extractive industries.
In March 2014, in the aftermath of the cleanup, the local community and media started to report that dead fish were washing up on the beaches of La Brea and surrounding areas. Initial official attempts at denial soon gave way to accusations that the fishermen were dumping the fish themselves. Then, it was argued that only certain fish populations, such as mullets, were affected, and that the cause was not, in fact, the oil spill. Local fishermen, however, are convinced that the use of Corexit 9500 is to blame.
Despite avidly following media debates about the “fish kill”, I was still not prepared for the horrifying sight of hundreds of dead fish that I saw washed up on the beach three months after the spill.
Walking alongside members of the La Brea Fishing Association, it was clear that many of the fish had washed up that very day, their skin glistening and eyes still sparkling. Although there were many mullet, in just a couple of hours we counted no fewer than nine different species, including blinch, catfish, crapo, butter fish, bouchet, crab and even an eel. A few weeks ago, a 1,000-plus-pound dolphin washed ashore.
From the piles of dead rotting fish, the oil lines on the trees, the small patches of oil shimmering in the sand, and a small tributary still collecting oil at high tide, it was evident that the effects of the spill and cleanup are still being felt. Residents worry that the area at the back of the beach where oil was buried in the cleanup will eventually resurface as the sea erodes the sand. For communities such as these, the impacts of such disasters can be felt for years.
Aftermath of the spill: oil line on the mangrove trees lining the beach at La Brea, Trinidad. Photo by Merisa Thompson. Used with permission.
Despite extensive national media coverage, a sense that not all sides of the story are being covered pervades. Official pronouncements appear to take precedence over the voices of marginalized people far away from the consciousness of the capital, Port of Spain. The communities in and around La Brea feel let down and neglected, and they nurse an inescapable feeling of injustice. For them, it remains imperative to get to the bottom of why these fish are dying, and investigate the implications for their health, safety and livelihoods, not to mention the wider implications for the food system in a country in which the oil and gas sector plays such a dominant role.
The impact of the oil spill on life in La Brea cannot be overstated. The oil company banned local residents in the Coffee Beach area from cooking with open flames, and therefore had to provide them with breakfast, lunch and dinner. The water has not been cleared as safe for swimming; in the absence of official warning signs, people have simply installed their own. The fishermen suggest that compensation was paid to local boat owners, but not extended to fishermen without boats, to cover equipment lost, or to vendors who have witnessed their supply chain collapse. The fishermen are dependent on the Environmental Management Authority: until it announces publicly that fish from the area are safe to eat, the boats of La Brea will remain moored.
The local perception is that because Petrotrin is state-owned, it is inextricably linked to the activities of both the EMA and the government. So there's a degree of tension between the needs of the local community on the one hand, and those of the state and the national oil company on the other.
The fishing community in La Brea is relatively small compared to others across the island, with around 28 boats spread across the three beaches, and about 50-60 active members. Somewhat uniquely for Trinidad, they practice distinctly sustainable fishing methods such as diving and spearfishing, having learned these skills from a childhood spent diving and fishing from the jetty at Coffee Beach. Some of the fishermen have a complex relationship with the energy sector: those who are certified divers are often contracted to fix pipelines and other underwater equipment.
Three months after the oil spill, the beach at La Brea, Trinidad is still strewn with dead fish. Photo by Merisa Thompson. Used with permission.
This is not the first time an incident like this has taken place. In late 2009, thousands of dead fish, mostly sardines, washed up along these same beaches. The ongoing use of seismic surveys and the practice of blasting for natural gas under the seabed are also believed to have a negative impact on sea life.
Despite affecting what appears to be a microcosm community, this latest disaster raises much broader questions of global significance about the responsibility—or rather, irresponsibility—that oil and gas companies are taking for the environment.
It also forces us to question the transparency and culpability of energy sector operations in Trinidad and Tobago's waters. In the case of the Deepwater Horizon tragedy, BP admitted in court that they knowingly misled the public and US Congress about the number of barrels of oil that escaped into the sea. The company also pleaded guilty to fourteen criminal charges related to the explosion that led to the oil, leading to the largest corporate fine in history.
In a small country like Trinidad, whose development has been predicated on both advanced industrialization and rural livelihoods, and whose communities have a clear stake in the oil and gas sector, whether positive or negative, a way to reconcile these competing tensions should not only be easier, but is desperately overdue.

author: Merisa Thompson


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China’s Anti-Pornography Crackdown Nets Much More Than Porn · Global Voices
Abby Liu

Chinese authorities have shut down more than 100 websites and thousands of social media accounts said to contain pornographic content since the country launched a campaign to crack down on online pornography in April.
According to state press agency Xinhua, the “Cleaning the Web 2014”, which will run until November, will conduct thorough check-ups on websites, search engines, mobile application stores, Internet TV USB sticks, and set-top boxes. All online texts, pictures, videos and advertisements with pornographic content will be deleted, and websites will be shut down or have their administrative license revoked if they are found to produce or spread pornographic information.
During the campaign, more than 20 literary websites have been unexpectedly closed. Offbeat China reports that book-sharing sites hosting “slash fiction” material have been shut down, including one of the country’s most popular self-publishing sites, jjwxc.net.
Slash fiction is fan-written literature that focuses on sexual encounters between characters of the same sex. In China, the genre is usually written by young, straight women who call themselves “rotten women.” Their stories usually focus on sexual relationships between men. About 20 female slash fiction writers have reportedly been detained by police.
China shut down over 100 websites as part of Internet clean-up drive. Image from letscorp.net
Chinese web portal Sina.com, owned by media giant Sina Corp, has been suspended from publishing on the Internet and disseminating audio and video for allegedly hosting pornographic content online. Sina posted an apology to netizens and the public in a statement that says the company will carefully observe the authorities’ decision and will more strictly supervise its content:
Sina is willing to work with other website operators to make vigorous efforts in the country's anti-porn campaign and create a clean Internet environment.
The campaign has trigged lots of skepticism. Many suspect that it is just another excuse to crack down on Internet speech. Many of those born in the 1980s and '90s, who were the “protected subject” of the campaign, are joking that they are “finally experiencing the Cultural Revolution.”
Chinese blogger Zhang Jialong wrote that the campaign is more “about going after rumors” using the anti-pornography campaign as a front:
In other words, it’s about ensuring that party organs, and not the Chinese grassroots, have the loudest voice on the country’s internet.
According CEO Zhang Yi from Aimei consulting company as quoted by paopao.com, the crackdown is not only related to online porn; some websites that “distorted mainstream values in the society” have been shut down. The definition of “distorting mainstream values” is vague, which has helped expand the target. For example, a popular question and answer platform on Sina's site, called “iasksina”, was shut down.
Chinese women's rights activist Ye Haiyan commented:
此类“误伤“无疑反映了中国式运动的简单粗暴，作为执法者，在运动中总显得无能与懒惰，同时亦体现了中国法治精神的虚空。
Such “friendly fire” undoubtedly reflects the crudeness of Chinese-style movement and incompetence and laziness of law enforcement, but also embodies the emptiness of the rule of law in China.
Chinese sex researchers led by Dr. Chen Yaya and Fang Gang published a proposal on their blog on Sina Weibo, the popular microblogging platform, that says:
我国曾多次进行“网络扫黄”，投入大量人力物力，但令人失望的是，这些成本高昂的工作收效甚微，网络色情资讯从未减少而是越来越多。在某个时间段加大网络扫黄力度，确能在短期内减少网民可接触到的色情资讯，但从长远来看功效甚微。此外，还可能出现因为判断失误，过当处罚的情况，甚至与性的自由表达权相冲突。
Our country has conducted an “online crackdown” several times and has invested a lot of manpower and resources into it, but it is disappointing that this costly work has little success, online pornography has not shrunk but has increased. In a short time, it can indeed reduce users’ exposure to pornography, but in the long run the effect is minimal. Due to errors of judgment and improper punishment, it may even be in conflict with the right of freedom of expression.
The proposal urges a more reasonable model:
修订相关法律法规中关于“淫秽、色情”的定义，实行电影、出版物分级制度，避免“扫黄”范围扩大化，保障性的自由表达权；完善青少年性教育。
To amend the definition of “obscenity, pornography ” in relevant laws and regulations, the implementation of films, a publication classification system, to avoid  the expansion of “porn crackdowns” to protect freedom of expression; to improve sex education among youth.

author: Abby Liu


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Infographic: Who Are China’s Rural Migrant Workers? · Global Voices
Abby Liu

“Rural migrant worker”, a unique term in China,refers to a class of citizens no longer employed in the agricultural sector who nevertheless retain their legal status as peasants. ChinaFile published an interesting infographic explaining their situations and the problems rural migrant workers are facing in today's society.


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LGBT Conference in Cuba Surrounded by Expectations and Controversy  · Global Voices
Sandra Abd'Allah-Alvarez Ramírez

Expectations are looming over the Sixth Regional Conference of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association for Latin America and the Caribbean (ILGALAC) (@ilgalac [es]), which will take place in Cuba from May 6 to 10, 2014.
The event is being organized by the state-run National Center for Sex Education (CENESEX) [es], which has worked for years in the field of sexual and reproductive rights for the Cuban people, where activist networks are beginning to emerge. The choice of the Caribbean island as the site of the event has been met with both praise and criticism.
In an interview with blogger Paquito el de Cuba [es], Gloria Careaga, Co-Secretary General of ILGA, states:
Cuba había manifestado interés en realizar la Conferencia de ILGA desde el 2006. Si bien en las Conferencias Regionales no había habido una clara manifestación recientemente, se consideró retomar la propuesta manifiesta. Cuba está mostrando pasos claros hacia la protección de los derechos LGBTI y creo que es importante conocer al detalle el trabajo que allá se está haciendo.
Cuba has shown interest in hosting the ILGA Conference since 2006. Although there had not been a clear manifestation in the Regional Conferences recently, the proposal was taken into consideration. Cuba is showing clear progress towards the protection of LGBTI rights and I believe that it is important to have a detailed understanding of the work that is being done there.
Activist and journalist Maykel González Vibero, member of the independent anti-capitalist project Arcoiris [es], recently said:
Aprecio que ILGALAC haya optado por mi país, y cuento con que Cuba, además de exhibir sus discretos adelantos, esté dispuesta a sopesar las estrategias más avezadas que también expondrá la conferencia.
I appreciate the fact that ILGALAC has chosen my country, and I count on Cuba to not only display its modest progress, but also to consider the more advanced strategies that the conference will present.
In an interview [es] with CENESEX, Pedro Paradiso Sottile, Regional Secretary of ILGALAC, acknowledges:
La realización de la Conferencia en Cuba es un hecho histórico y sin dudas fortalecerá el proceso que están desarrollando para la promoción y protección de los derechos LGBTI en el país, como en toda la región.
The Conference taking place in Cuba is a historic event and, without a doubt, will reinforce the process of promotion and protection of LGBTI rights in the country, as in the entire region.
He continues:
Además, para nuestra organización, el Caribe es una prioridad, donde debemos aunar nuestros mayores esfuerzos para luchar contra la discriminación por orientación sexual e identidad de género y sus expresiones, ya que es una de las regiones de mayor vulneración de derechos hacia las personas LGTBI, existiendo aún diversas leyes que penalizan la homosexualidad, asociándola a prácticas sodomitas o a través de la interpretación de las leyes desde un enfoque que refuerza la normalidad de la práctica sexual heterosexual y estigmatiza la diversidad sexual.
Furthermore, for our organization, the Caribbean is a priority. We must join forces to fight against discrimination by sexual orientation and gender identity and expression. The Caribbean region is one of the worst violators of LGBTI rights, whether through various laws penalizing homosexuality and associating it with sodomy, or through the interpretation of laws through a lens that reinforces the normalcy of heterosexuality and stigmatizes sexual diversity.
Controversy
On its website, ILGALAC published an international open invitation to participate in the conference, but a controversy has arisen on social networks about the cost of attending the event. The registration fee has been called excessive, garnering criticism mainly from Cuban activists who do not belong to the community networks of CENESEX. The situation is aggravated by the fact that ILGALAC rejected requests for scholarships to make the registration fee affordable for attendees who are not related to the institution.
On the Facebook page of the Conference [es], Carlos Alejandro Rodriguez Martínez said:
Me encantaría participar en ILGALAC, pero ni uniendo todos mis estipendios de la Universidad con el salario de mis padres puedo pagar la cuota de inscripción, alimentación y hospedaje. A los cubanos —no asociados al Cenesex— les resulta imposible asistir con los costos de la Conferencia, semejantes para extranjeros y nacionales.
I would love to participate in ILGALAC, but even if I combined my university stipend with my parents’ salaries, I still wouldn't be able to pay the registration fee and room and board. For Cubans not associated with CENESEX, it is impossible to attend because of the costs of the Conference, which are the same for foreigners and Cuban citizens.
This comment received a response from CENESEX staff member Yasmany Díaz Figueroa, who is in charge of the institution's Youth Network and member of the local organization committee:
Me hablan de los 300 cuc, y parece no estar claro que es ILGALAC quien convoca la Conferencia, CENESEX es solo el organizador en Cuba, pero el evento es de ILGALAC. ¿Si esta cita hubiese sido en otro país, hubiesemos protestado porque la inscripción hubiese costado 300 o inlcuso más?
You're talking about the 300 CUC, and it seems to be unclear that it's ILGALAC who is convening the Conference. CENESEX is only the organizer in CUBA, but it's an ILGALAC event. If this event had taken place in another country, would we have complained about the registration fee being 300 or even more?
It should be noted that the median monthly salary in Cuba is approximately 500 pesos, which is equivalent to about 20 CUC, in comparison with the ILGALAC Conference registration fee of 300 CUC. This essentially means that only CENESEX activists can participate in the conference, as their expenses are covered by the institution. In general, when an international event is organized in Cuba, there is a quota for special registration in pesos in order to enable the participation of island residents. However, no such policy was implemented for this conference.
The blogger Yasmin Silvia Portales Machado tweeted at ILGALAC with a question, which has not yet received a response:
¿Sabe @ILGALAC que 300 cuc = MUCHO $ en #Cuba? @lrpbyzard @paquitoeldecuba @Isbel_oc @ProyectArcoiris @negracubana — Yasmin S Portales (@nimlothdecuba) abril 29, 2014
Does ILGALAC know that 300 CUC = A LOT OF $ in Cuba?
The conference has also led people to consider the diversity of positions on LGBTI rights in Cuba – where CENESEX is the only government-authorized gay rights group – and the lack of recognition of any discourse other than that of the so-called center. Perspectives do not always coincide with those of CENESEX, but that does not mean they are an attack against unity. González Vivero says:
Lamentablemente, la noción de un activismo ceñido a las estrategias institucionales no ha favorecido el empoderamiento de todas las personas LGBTI en el país. Asumir que sólo hay una ruta para promover y reclamar el ejercicio de derechos con implicaciones políticas deteriora la credibilidad de ese activismo institucional. Cuba, digámoslo sin la sutileza de las propuestas “respetuosas”, se ha quedado a la zaga con respecto a varias naciones latinoamericanas con atavismos semejantes a los nuestros. En Argentina, Uruguay, etc., la diferencia la hizo una sociedad civil saludable y heterogénea, capaz de establecer alianzas con los movimientos políticos progresistas para erigirse en entidad dialogante con los poderes.
Unfortunately, the notion of activism bound to institutional strategies has not worked in favor of LGBTI empowerment in the country. The credibility of this institutional activism is undermined by the assumption that there is only one right way to promote and demand the exercise of civil rights. Cuba – let's say it without the subtlety of the “respectful” proposals – is lagging behind the various other Latin American countries whose atavisms are similar to ours. In Argentina, Uruguay, etc., the difference has created a diverse and healthy civil society, capable of forming alliances with progressive political movements in order to establish itself as an entity in dialogue with the authorities.
On his blog, journalist Yuris Nórido posted a micropost called Justicia, where he says:
Algunos amigos me animan a que escriba sobre la próxima conferencia de la Asociación Internacional de Lesbianas, Gays, Bisexuales, Trans e Intersex (ILGA, según sus siglas en inglés), el próximo mes en Varadero. El hecho de que la organización escoja a Cuba es un gesto. Puede ser, incluso, un reconocimiento a los (insuficientes) avances de la isla en la materia. Pero lo cierto es que Cuba tiene todavía mucho camino por recorrer. Yo celebro el trabajo de Cenesex, pero insisto en que no basta. El Cenesex es una entidad estatal, tiene su campo. Pero nos hace falta también organizaciones no gubernamentales que luchen por el reconocimiento de derechos ignorados. Algunos dicen: poco a poco. Yo respondo: los derechos de las personas LGBT son los derechos de todos. Obviarlos, minimizarlos es una injusticia flagrante.
Some friends are encouraging me to write about the upcoming conference of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA), to be held next month in Varadero. The fact that the organization chose Cuba is a gesture. It could even be a recognition of the island's (insufficient) progress in the area. But the truth is that Cuba still has a long way to go. I applaud the work of CENESEX, but I insist that it is not enough. CENESEX is a state institution, it has its place. But we also need non-governmental organizations that fight for the recognition of ignored rights. Some say: little by little. I respond: the rights of LGBT people are the rights of all. To bypass them, to minimize them is a blatant injustice.
The press conference on the Sixth Regional Conference of ILGALAC will take place at CENESEX, on Monday, May 5, at 10:00 am.
*Cover photo montage from Radio Gourmet.

author: Sandra Abd'Allah-Alvarez Ramírez