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Serbia: Bloggers Discuss Plans to Erect Monument to Late Azeri President · Global Voices
Viktor Markovic

One of Belgrade's nicest parks, the Tasmajdan Park, has recently got renovated – thanks, partially, to a donation of 2 million euros by the Azerbaijani government. The news that has been stirring controversy these past few weeks among Serbian bloggers and on-line community is the condition for this gift from Azerbaijan: in return for the generous donation, Belgrade will erect a monument to Heydar Aliyev, the former president of Azerbaijan, in the park.
The story of Heydar Aliyev's controversial rule has caused some bloggers to ask the question of whether the donation was worth putting up a statue to someone like him.
Vlada Dulovic of Living in Belgrade blog writes [en]:
…putting no less than a 3m tall statue of a single person who died just a few years ago would in any case be highly questionable. And what a person that was!
Until his death in 2003 Aliyev ruled his oil-rich republic for more then 30 years, first as a communist and then as the first democratic president, but with little change in his strong-arm attitude. He left his office to his son Ilham who praises his fathers and his own rule by donations with a catch in poor countries, such as Romania, where recently Bucharest accepted the same arrangement.
Blogger Mahlat also refers to Aliyev's rule as the “worst kind of a dictatorship” and adds [sr]:
But, none of this really matters, because [Jovan Krkobabić, deputy PM in charge of social affairs] stated that we “shouldn't behave like police officers and investigate what's been done in the past. Because we don't have time for such things…” – in other words – never mind the dictatorship, it's two million euros, for god's sake, and that “all this will serve the city and the citizens well.”
Nebojša Krivokuća on his blog wonders [sr] why almost nobody in the media mentions anything from Aliyev's biography – and concludes:
Two million euros obviously allow a significant degree of freedom to the donor.
So now – if among the rich folks we find some with a more twisted sense of humour or different views on things – there could soon be another one who would offer to renovate part of [Kalemegdan], for example, with the condition of putting up a statue of Stalin! We hail to him, occasionally, from time to time anyway. And perhaps there would be someone even richer, who would offer to redecorate the [Ušće] park, with the condition of putting up a 30-meter monument to, ok, let's not say Hitler, he already has [a room in a Belgrade hotel named after him], but let's say Kim Jong Ill would do – his rule is far enough from us geographically that it doesn't really matter how he ruled, right?

author: Viktor Markovic


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Syria: The Revolution Continues (Video)  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011.
It's the Friday of Rage in Syria, with tens of thousands of people taking to the streets of different cities to call for the overthrow of the Al Assad regime, and show solidarity with Daraa, which is facing a ruthless crackdown for being the nucleus the Syrian protests.
Daraa, a city in southwestern Syria, and close to the Jordanian border, got the brunt of the security crackdown, with electricity, water and communications cuts.
The capital, Damascus, today joined the protests too, with videos showing thousands protesting popping online. This video, by mohamed82k, shows Syrians protesting outside the Zaid and Al Hassan mosque:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rE-jW8dhgsE
Another YouTube user, fnnsyria, posts this video, saying it shows the protests of the people from the city of Tal:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHh4glYqdAM
Protests also broke out in the southern Syrian two Jassem, near Daraa. fnnsyria shares a video here, showing crowds chanting: “The people want to overthrow the regime.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgoWL5quLdw
In Baniyas, a city in northwestern Syria, protesters too took to the streets en masse. miliananet shares this video of the protests there:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBy2VzhyPHQ
Rojdar2 posts this video of protests in Dayr az-Zawr, 450km to the northeast of Damascus, where protesters are seen chanting “Syria! Freedom!”
And in nearby Jordan, people too gathered to show support and solidarity with the besieged people of Daraa. miliananet shares this video to show part of the protest:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hk5tGfL5aJs
For more on the Syrian revolution, please follow the hashtags #Daraa or #Syria on Twitter.
This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Uganda: Citizens Outraged by Violent Re-Arrest of Opposition Leader  · Global Voices
Rosebell Kagumire

This post is part of our special coverage Uganda: Walk to Work Protests.
Uganda opposition leader Dr.Kiiza Besigye was re-arrested in the capital Kampala for participating in the Walk to Work Campaign one night after he was granted bail.
Besigye had been granted bail on the condition that he would not engage in the campaign that has put the Ugandan regime in the headlines for three weeks now. The protests led by the opposition are aimed at high fuel prices which have led to high food prices and President Museveni is defiant that he will not intervene to reduce prices. The protests have so far left five people dead and dozens injured with bullets.
Today was the fourth time Besigye was arrested, this time with more show of force by the military and police. Besigye’s car windows were smashed with gun butts and teargas and pepper spray were sprayed in the car before her was thrown on a police truck. President Musveni's main challenger was later taken to Kasangati Magistrates Court where he was released on a non-cash court bond of Ushs. 5 million (aprox. US $2,100).
Protests broke out again today against the violent arrest of Besigye, and more than 100 people have been injured by police. Unconfirmed reports indicate that 3 people may have died.
Ugandans online have been reporting diligently on the Walk to Work campaign. Twitter and Facebook users were enraged by the manner in which Besigye was arrested.
On Facebook
Facebook users expressed worry about the increasing police brutality.
Don Wanyama said:
Seen the pictures of Besigye's arrest. I have never seen this kind of mistreatment. Break a guy's car and spray him with over 5 cans of teargas?? It is worse than the rape and treason and all other things slapped on him. It is troubling. For how long will Besigye take the pain for people who seem comfortable in their misery, who are cowed?
Asiim Blessed Bryans reported on Facebook:
Police is dispassing rioters in kibuli and the place seem to coming normal bt all shops are close its police in control
According to Nicholas Lukyamuzi Radio stations are not mentioning the riots:
Radio stations scared of being closed and thus normal programing nutin with riots z mentioned.
Godgfrey Holidays asked, “What will happen if we run to work?“:
New idea no more walking but running to work i wana c if this police guys can handle really . . . .
On Twitter
The twitter hashtag #walk2work has been used to report on the campaign and from the time of his arrest in the morning, tweets were coming with different updates and opinions.
@joydoreenbiira: How Besigye was arrested for the fourth time – http://t.co/vJuyGLX VIA @ugandatalks My mood today is totally shattered,I'm SPEECHLESS
@RedPepperUG: UPDATE: Besigye before he was arrested: “Am not setting out to be a martyr, I'm simply asserting my citizen's rights.” #walk2work
@Snottyganda: Why would anyone push a Leader of the opposition Man who was candidate for president under the chairs of pickup like a criminal#walk2work
@RedPepperUG: WITNESS: Mukwanor Road, and nearby industrial streets full of people running from city Center #walk2work #ugandanews
@SMSMediaUganda: Reports that Kisekka Mkt traders are demonstrating and shops have been closed. MORE DETAILS COMING UP. Type SUBNEWS & send to 8198.
@dispatchug: Video of Besigye's arrest by police and plain-clothed security operatives. http://bit.ly/mmkO1T #walk2work
@SMSMediaUganda:
Besigye released: FDC leader Dr Kiiza Besigye has been released on a non cash court bond of 5m. No http://tinyurl.com/3o7ozm8
@RedPepperUg: UPDATE: MTN confirms ‘general call failure’ says technical team working to resolve situation #walk2work #ugandanews via @MTNUGANDACARE
Besigye’s lawyer David Mpanga has also been tweeting updates on the situation. Follow live updates here.
This post is part of our special coverage Uganda: Walk to Work Protests.

author: Rosebell Kagumire


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Zambia: President’s Son Threatens Journalist · Global Voices
Gershom Ndhlovu

A senior Zambia journalist recently received threats from the son of the Zambian president Rupiah Banda, James, following a story that appeared on the Zambian Watchdog, a leading investigative journalism website, alleging that James was a thief and was involved in major government deals and also State House officials are drunks and start drinking as early as 15.00 hours during working days. The story was titled “President Banda’s thieving son and corrupt drunkards who run Zambia’ State House.”
The story was quite descriptive of what deals James is involved in, the pubs that the officials patronise and what type of drinks they take.
The journalist, Anthony Mukwita, editor of the Bulletin and the Record and Bloomberg Zambian correspondent apparently received a phone call from James, accusing him of authoring the story which did not carry a by-line. Lately, there have been anonymous documents and stories turning up on the Internet and this one is no different. It is, however, not clear why James picked on Mukwita.
Mukwita is himself no stranger to controversy. One day in 2004, during a live phone-in programme he presented on a private commercial radio station, he “ripped and read” a fax message which was termed as seditious by government at the time. He fled persecution and turned up in Australia where he took up further studies in journalism before returning to Zambia in late 2009. The Zambia Watchdog is also no stranger to controversy or court cases.
Last year, a ruling MMD politician was jailed for assaulting journalists but whether the Zambian police will do anything about the threat by James Banda against Mukwita is difficult to say as at the time the story was being written for Zambian Watchdog, the police officers at the police station where the matter was reported were still consulting their superiors.
Although the original story has since been pulled out of the Zambian Watchdog and Zedleaks websites, the story of the threat which was posted on the same website has attracted a number of responses [Note: the website does not have permanent link feature for individual comments]:
Punta wrote on 27 April, 2011, 19:41:
My advice to you James is that fight another category of people to fight. Journalists will finish you like nothing you know. Wait
Chi…h Chobe (name abridged for being too vulgar) wrote on 27 April, 2011, 20:21:
I hope the threats reported on Mukwita are not real. I find them if true a bit worrying to RB [President Rupiah Banda] and the MMD. The time for intimidating people who hold different opinions to yours is long gone. I had doubts over the Drunken Master and the Chines Bar story, however this has just been confirmed by the reaction of JIMBO (James Banda) and BLING BLING DICK (Dickson Jere, presidential aide in charge of public relations) head. There reaction is nothing but a confirmation of the story. Like they say the truth Hurts and we look forward to hurt those that peddle them. This Duo thinks they run Zambia and can do as they wish. Let me warn them that life has a tendency of catching up with crooks. You may run and hide some time but indeed not all the time. To the police and all those that like keeping quite when the MMD is involved in shoddy things time will come when your time of reckoning will present itself. Keeping quiet and ignoring an evil deed is the same as committing it yourself. Charles Taylor did not lift a gun to kill people in Sera Leon but is being prosecuted for crimes committed by those below him. Now I understand the frequent visits to Libya, i bet Jimbo was always on those trips and a bit of Gadhafi’s sons behavior has rubbed on him. If the duo feel they have been unjustly represented let them go to court is that what they have advising other to do. But this cant be ,for they know there is some truth to the story. Bravo to the writer of that article “Tujili jili ( a form of local spirit)Drinkers running state house” it really hit them below the b.a.l.s.
Yambayamba wrote on 27 April, 2011, 22:51:
Hope Jimbo and his ilk have stolen enough to support themselves outside of Zambia once their “Mambala” father leaves States House. I don’t understand why you can’t just build legitimate businesses that would survive beyond your Dad’s presidency. You are busy wasting time and opportunity building sand castles which will crumble the minute your father looses an election.
Is it an Africa thing to behave so stupidly just because your dad is the Head of state?
This is the time for you Jimbo to learn from other African sons and daughters whose fathers have been Presidents—-corruption has not brought them any lasting fame or joy, but a lot of problems. So be careful what you do. Achieve something legal and concrete before it is too late. Whatever you have gotten illegitimately has the potential to be investigated and taken away from you once your father leaves office. It is amazing how people can’t learn from mistakes of others!!!!!!!!!!
Mulongoti wrote on 27 April, 2011, 22:59:
Proof please!! Just a lot of rubbish. Jimbo is not president. RB is president. If your child has been in a fight at school, it does not mean the father should lose his job. Kaponya behaviour iyo (that is ruffian behaviour). So pliz lets focus on jimbo instead of RB. If you have any proof then take it to the police/ACC/DEC or lets see it. Dont just use your influence as a journalist to bring down pipo you envy. Dont believe everything the press says.
viva rb wrote on 27 April, 2011, 23:13:
SORRY BUT THIS IS BULLS..T LEAVE THE FAMILY ALONE MAN OBVIOUSLY THIS IS THE OPPOSITION DOING THIS. SORRY BUT F..K ZAMBIAN MEDIA
On the Zedleaks website, these were the reactions.
zed said:
Where is Mubarak’s son…Gbagbo’s son..soon Gadaffi’s son..soon Banda’s sons…only time will tell…
Sola said:
Both Jimbo and anthony are fools. However, anthony has too much hatred. One can actually feel it from his articles. Its too much. Just state the facts, and we can do the maths.
In every election year, journalists from both the state and the private sector do not have it easy. Journalists in state media organisations are either attacked by the opposition for allegedly writing negatively about them, or those perceived to be sympathetic to the opposition are harassed. Those in the private sector are accused of being anti-establishment and are usually targeted by ruling party cadres and the state security apparatus.
Mukwita’s case is just but one of the many of this nature but what is worrying is if James Banda carries out the threat.

author: Gershom Ndhlovu


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Argentina: Writer Ernesto Sabato Dies at Age 99 · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Argentine writer Ernesto Sabato passed away on April 30 at age 99. Buenos Aires Herald describes him as “one of the most influential writers in Argentine literature and author  of the trilogy of novels, ‘The Tunnel’ (1948), ‘Of Heroes and Graves’  (1961) and ‘Abadon, the Exterminator’ (1974).” His readers are reacting to the news of his death on Twitter [es].

author: Silvia Viñas


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Brunei: Health Promotion Blueprint · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

During the launching of the Health Promotion campaign in Brunei, a walkathon was organized which was participated by 6,000 people.

author: Mong Palatino


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Canada: Indigenous Teens Share their Values on Video Contest · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

Indigenous teens in four different Canadian communities share their hopes, stories and dreams in a series of short videos in “My Space. My Story” where they speak about things that matter to them as indigenous youth. The workshop was organized by the imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival, a yearly international festival in Toronto, Canada where Indigenous people show the different artistic ways they create art reflecting the diversity of Indigenous nations in the world.
One of the ten teens will win an opportunity to travel to and have their short screened at the imagineNATIVE festival. The winner will be selected by online votes on the website before May 1st.
Keelan Keeshig of Cape Croker is a senior in the Parry Sound High School and in his video he shares  how he dealt with bullying growing up:  in his case, it was due to his long hair, a mark of his traditional culture which he didn't know how to explain to his short-haired peers.
Laura Gagnon is  Ojibway and her bright future seemed to be full of promise, but bad choices led her to drug addiction and alcoholism. It was through rediscovering her spiritual and cultural roots that she was able to come clean and now she is back in high school, and hopes to go on to college and become an addictions counselor to help others.
Sequin D. Williams of Fort Albany First Nation explains how when he goes hunting for geese with his father he is repeating a pattern: his father was taught to hunt by his father in turn, so for Sequin, hunting is how he connects to his ancestors and indigenous tradition.
You can see the other 7 videos on the imagineNATIVE site, and vote for your favorite one: the winner will have the chance to show his short film to other artists and actors in the Indigenous art community at the Toronto Film And Media Arts festival.

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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Chad: White Gold Opens Income Stream For Women · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Franseca writes about white gold in Chad: “Shea nuts are indigenous to southern Chad, and have been traditionally pressed into a black oil to add to foods.  While nutritious, it has an odor that many find unpleasant.  Processing the Shea nuts into a white butter  gives it all kinds of household and commercial applications, opening up new income streams for local women.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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East Timor: Tourism potential  · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

EngageMedia uploads a video which features the tourism potential of Dili, East Timor and the problems of the tourism sector in the country.


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Ecuador: Twitter Campaign Gives President Correa ‘the Finger’ · Global Voices
Paulina Aguilera Muñoz

It's nothing new that in Ecuador Twitter and other social networks have been the main mediums of criticism and support for President Rafael Correa. Now, a campaign dubbed #undedoparacorrea (a finger for Correa) has appeared on Twitter and other social networks. On the campaign's webpage, people are shown in photographs with their middle fingers raised in protest against the idea that you could be arrested for something as silly as raising your finger [es]”.
UN DEDO PARA CORREA ES PROTESTA, NO PROPUESTA: Sería  absurdo que hacer  dedo fuera una propuesta. Una protesta tampoco tiene  por qué ser  profunda, ideal, dogmática, masiva, intelectual,  ideológica, etc. Puede  ser tan simple como mostrar el dedo como  elemental señal de  inconformidad. Teniendo en cuenta además la  coyuntura actual (un  presidente que usa recursos públicos para  perseguir e injuriar) es una  protesta válida. Ni más ni menos.  Simplemente válida.
A FINGER FOR CORREA IS A PROTEST, NOT A PROPOSAL: It would be absurd to think that giving someone the finger would be a proposition. Nor does a protest need to be profound, ideal, dogmatic, massive, intellectual, ideological, etc. It can be as simple as raising a finger as an elemental sign of nonconformity. Moreover, taking into account the current situation (a president who uses public resources to pursue or insult) is a valid protest. Nothing more, nothing less. Simply valid.
President of Ecuador Rafael Correa, from Flickr user Presidency of the Republic of Ecuador (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
The story of the finger and its campaign starts with the detention of Irma Parra on April 13; she was driving past the presidential delegation in her car when she raised the index finger of her left hand and made “NO” signs referring to a constitutional referendum. The government says that Irma Parra not only manifested her opposition to the government, but that she also raised her middle finger and made an obscene gesture to the Head of State. The polarised Ecuadorian media gave only superficial coverage of the woman's arrest saying she supported a “No” in the referendum and repeating the accusations of aggression against the President.
The woman was detained and accused of misdemeanours against the administration, under the Rebellion and Attempts against Public Servants Act (Art. 230, Penal Code).
Accusations like these, the number of people arrested during Correa's national tours, freedom of speech and public order, and other topics have been brought up in the campaign on social networks.
Henry Raad [es] wrote sarcastically in his blog on the “finger”:
Parecería ser un miembro  inofensivo e insignificante del  cuerpo humano, casi un simple apéndice  al final de cada mano. No le  hemos dado su debida importancia y tan es  así, que la flamante  Constitución de Montecristi no le dedica un párrafo  siquiera. Creo que  es un error ya que ha cobrado trascendencia en el  léxico penal  ecuatoriano y ya amerita legislar debidamente.
María Rosa Pólit A. explains the campaign in an opinion piece [es] in El Teléfrago:
surgió de manera espontánea una acción de protesta  ciudadana que se  promueve en la red social Twitter, la cual desafía   abierta y categóricamente la criminalización de una conducta que no   representa peligro para los ciudadanos
Columnist Carlos Andres Vera in his blog Polificcion [es] (Polifiction), adds this to the criticism:
Como señalaba Belén Proaño en twiter, es curioso que el  Gobierno se  dirija siempre “a sus mandantes”. Notas la contradicción?  Puedes ver el  peligro en concebir el poder de esa manera? Simplemente  no me cuadra ese  discurso del “me respetan porque me respetan”. Lo  rechazo,  tajantemente. En ese sentido, no estamos cayendo en su juego.  Si lo hiciera,  demandaría que cada persona que me ha insultado, (son  muchísimas) se  vayan detenidas. Podría empezar con todos los insultos  en mi blog,  twitter y facebook. Pero simplemente los ignoro. Esa es la  mejor  respuesta.
Carlos Jijón (@carlosjijon) writes:
Todo el poder del Estado contra Irma Parra. SRI, el  ministerio d  Trabajo,los 3 canales del Estado persiguen a una mujer que  levantó un  dedo.
Jose Jalil Perez (@j_jalil_perez) compares this “finger” with the Book Fair controversy in Buenos Aires for the “El Gran Hermano” [es] (The Big/Great/Elder Brother) book that speaks of the scandal of million dollar contracts linked to Fabricio  Correa, the elder brother of President Correa. A public servant by the name of Jose Torres came to withdraw the book from the fair and when he was confronted by journalists and attendees at the fair he also raised “the finger” [es]. Perez comments:
@janethinostroza en lo del dedazo de Irma Parra sólo lo han visto los testigos y el de Torres es invento lo que refleja la cámara
Liliana Cordova (lilaladiva) replied:
@restevesd: @mashiroberto @cruzcelta @AuzFabian #undedoparacorrea es hecho por cobardes q no pueden debatir con argumentos y recurren a eso
Roberto Wohlgemuth (@MashiRoberto) indicates:
@eduardovarcar @rafaelugon @roosjs @Polificcion a esta campaña no lo veo como aporte. Como ofensa sí.
Martín Pallares en Desde la Tranquera [es] affirms:
Indudablemente que tener un Presidente incapaz de tolerar  lo que un  ciudadano le diga, así sea mediante la más obscena de las  señas, es  indigno para una sociedad que pretenda vivir con normas  democráticas.
On the proposition Alfredo Paulsen comments [es]:
Merece difusión (aportaré con mis seguidores de twitter y amigos de Facebook, aparte de los de la vida real
In the blog YucaJurídica [es] they have gone from the protest to the proposal:
En días pasados, el hashtag twitero #undedoparacorrea y   la web  www.undedoparacorrea.com no solo generaron adhesión o rechazo,   sino el  interés de algunos usuarios de esa red social para que la   PROTESTA no  muera solo en un “yucazo” sino que evolucione a una   PROPUESTA que  defienda elementales principios democráticos y de   libertad de expresión,  desde lo jurídico.

author: Paulina Aguilera Muñoz


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India: Kerala’s Debate On Endosulfan  · Global Voices
Inji Pennu

As the debate on the pesticide EndoSulfan is gaining momentum in the Stockholm Convention in Geneva;  Kerala, the southern state of India is up in arms online and on the streets for pressurizing the Indian Government to favor the ban.
Kasargod, a district in the state of Kerala is living in a nightmare with a certain population of brutal victims attributed to the misuse of this pesticide. Online forums are buzzing with Ban Endosulfan posters and live discussions.
The End. Image by Thulasi Kakkat. Used with permission
Thulasi Kakkat, a photo blogger, posted an evocative picture aptly title ‘End’. He refers to another 10 year old victim who died recently from the after effects of using this pesticide in the cashew plantations in Kasargod.
Harish Madiyan, a citizen journalist, who has been in the forefront supporting the ban for Endosulfan, is live updating on his Google Buzz the events of the Stockholm convention:
കേരളത്തില് എന്‍ഡോസല്ഫാന് നിരോധിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു , അതില് ഇടപെടില്ല എന്ന് കേന്ദ്രം.
അപ്പോള്, കൊച്ചിയില് പ്രതിവര്‍ഷം 1600 മെട്രിക് ടണ് ഉണ്ടാക്കുന്നതോ? അതിന്റെ വേസ്റ്റ് കുഴിക്കണ്ടം തോട്ടിലേക്ക് തൊറന്നു വിടുന്നതോ?അവിടത്തെ ആളുകളെ കൊല്ലാക്കൊല ചെയ്യുന്നതോ?അകെ അറുപതു തൊഴിലാളികള് ,കഴിഞ്ഞ പത്തു വര്‍ഷത്തിനിടെ മലിനീകരണ നിയന്ത്രണ ബോര്‍ഡ് വക 22 ക്ലോഷര് നോട്ടീസ്…
എന്‍ഡോസല്ഫാന് നിരോധനത്തോട് ലോക രാഷ്ട്രങ്ങള് എല്ലാം അടുക്കുമ്പോഴും ഇന്ത്യ ശക്തമായി എതിര്‍ക്….എക്സല് കമ്പനിയുടെ രണ്ട് മുതലാളിമാര് ജനീവയില് ചെന്ന് സമ്മേളനത്തില് നിരോധനത്തെ എതിര്‍ക്കുന്നു… ഇന്ത്യന് സംഘത്തിനു നിര്‍ദ്ദേശങ്ങള് നല്‍കുന്നതായി വിവരം…സ്…
The debate on endosulfan is a very emotional one, as one sees the horrifying  pictures of handicapped victims which reminds of a nuclear attack and as most of the affected are children. But there are a few other voices who are trying to put things in a different perspective.
Physel Pollil, another blogger writes why the Indian Government is hesitant towards banning this pesticide.
1980 മുതൽ ഇന്ത്യയിലുടനീളം വ്യാപകമായി ഉപയോഗിക്കുന്ന എൻഡോസൾഫാന് കാസർകോട്ട് കാരോട് മാത്രം എന്തിത്ര കോപം എന്നാണ് തിരിച്ചഉള്ള ചോദ്യം. ഇന്ത്യയിൽ മറ്റൊരു പ്രദേശത്തു നിന്നും ഇത്രയും വ്യാപകമായ ദുരനുഭവങ്ങൾ റിപ്പോർട്ട് ചെയ്യപ്പെടാത്തത് കൊണ്ട് കാസർഗോഡിന്റെ കാര്യത്തിൽ കുറെക്കൂടേ വിശദമായ പഠനം ആവശ്യമാണെന്ന് കേന്ദ്രസർക്കാർ വിലയിരുത്തുന്നു. പക്ഷേ…….. വീണ്ടും ആ വലിയ പക്ഷേ! ജനീവയിൽ കൂടുതൽ കൂടുതൽ ഒറ്റപ്പെട്ട് പോവുന്ന ഇന്ത്യൻ ഭരണകൂടം, ഏറ്റവും മിതമായ ഭാഷയിൽ പറഞ്ഞാൽ, ചെകുത്താനും കടലിനും നടുക്കാണ് അന്തം വിട്ട് നിൽക്കുന്നതെന്നതാകുന് നു പരമമായ യാഥാർത്ത്യം!!!!
To the victims of Endosulfan in Kasargod district, Indian government has only one question. Endosulfan is used in many areas in India for agricultural purposes since 1980. Why then  there has been a proportion of victims only in a particular area? A proper study needs to be done to verify the claims of the victims. But, as a lone supporter of Endosulfan in Geneva, the Indian Government appears to be between the sea and the devil.
K.P Sukumaran, another blogger chips in:
യുറോപ്യന് യൂനിയന്റെ ഫണ്ട് കൈപ്പറ്റുന്ന ഒരു സന്നദ്ധ സംഘടന മാത്രമാണ് കാസര്‍ഗോട്ടെ പ്രശ്നത്തിന് കാരണം എന്‍ഡോസല്‍ഫാന് ആണെന്ന് പറഞ്ഞിട്ടുള്ളത്. സര്‍ക്കാ‍ര് നിയമിച്ച ഒരു കമ്മറ്റിയും അങ്ങനെ പറഞ്ഞിട്ടില്ല. കാസര്‍ഗോട്ടെ രോഗബാധിതരുടെ ദൈന്യാവസ്ഥ യൂറോപ്യന് യൂനിയനിലെ മള്‍ട്ടിനേഷനല് പെസ്റ്റിസൈഡ് കമ്പനികള്‍ക്ക് വേണ്ടി അധാര്‍മ്മികമായി ഉപയോഗപ്പെടുത്തുകയാണ് എന്‍ഡോസല്‍ഫാന് വിരുദ്ധര് ചെയ്യുന്നത്. യഥാര്‍ത്ഥത്തില് കാസര്‍ഗോട്ടെ രോഗകാരണം കണ്ടെത്തുകയാണ് വേണ്ടത്. അത്തരം ഒരു ആലോചന പോലും ആരും നടത്തുന്നില്ല എന്നത് ആ രോഗബാധിതരോടുള്ള കടുത്ത ചതിയാണെന്നാണ് എനിക്ക് പറയാനുള്ളത്.
As recently as last week, Keralas’ current chief minister V.S Achuthandan (member of the Communist Party of India) led a big team of volunteers in a one day fasting protest for supporting the ban. Kerala witnessed a hartal organized by the same party on April 29th 2011 to pressurize the Indian Government.
As this article is written, the pesticide has come under a global ban as a conclusion from the Stockholm Convention, even though experts say it will take another five years to take effect. These are not answers however to the current victims and the poison that seeped into Kasargod, for generations to come.

author: Inji Pennu


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Italy: Initiative in Support of Ai Weiwei · Global Voices
Giorgio Guzzetta

While the event itself initially seemed to have passed without comment [it] by traditional media and bloggers in Italy, something is finally happening [it] to call for the release of the Chinese artist, Ai Weiwei [it], who has been presumed imprisoned by the Chinese authorities since April 3. The Pulitzer Association has issued an appeal [it] to both the Italian president, Napolitano, and the Chinese premier Hu Jintao, the  text of which is circulating online [it]. For its part, the Associazione Italia-Tibet relaunched the petition for the release of Ai Weiwei [it] supported by the Guggenheim Foundation. And while the accusation that Chinese authorities have violated human rights does not appear to be unfounded [it], the China Media Project has translated a video where noted Chinese activist Zhao Lianhai, calls for the release of Ai Weiwei and of other dissidents arrested in recent months.

author: Giorgio Guzzetta


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Nigeria: Nigerian Governor on Twitter · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Nigerian Governor Kayode Fayemi is on Twitter, Nigerian blogger Lord Banks reports.


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South Sudan: Prose/Poetry Magazine for South Sudan · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

TORE is a poetry/prose magazine for South Sudan: “There are some great stories & poems in here as well as a few opinion peices on Sudan.  There is also some excellent layout and design if I don’t say so myself.”


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Zambia: Live Updates of FAZ AGM · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Follow live updates of the long awaited Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) Annual General Meeting:”Kalusha [FAZ President] is calling for security now as Livingstone based Mr Kasoka is leading the petitioners. Its total confusion…. Zambia Police officers are now in.”


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Argentina: Indigenous Protests in Downtown Buenos Aires · Global Voices
Fanny Rahmouni

Since Monday April 25, activists from the Qom community, an indigenous group from the province of Formosa, started a roadblock on the 9 de Julio Avenue in the very center of Buenos Aires.
Some members of the group, led by Felix Díaz, also started a hunger strike, arguing that they have been left with no other choice, as reported by Tiempo Argentino [es].
The protests aim to draw public attention to the alleged police abuses committed during the dismantlement of the roadblock of Route 86 by the Qom Community last November. The dismantlement ended up with the death of one police officer and one indigenous man, Roberto López. The clarification of the case is another of Qom’s claims.
During protests in Buenos Aires the Qom put up a sign of a house burning, referring to police repression in Formosa during November 2010. Image by Patricio Murphy, Copyright Demotix
Mariana Espinosa, in the blog Red Latina Sin Fronteras [es], expressed her concern over the repression the indigenous people suffered in Formosa:
Los pueblos originarios, existen y necesitan de todos nosotros, no queremos un muerto más, un dolor más, una tristeza más, un enferma mas, queremos justicia para Roberto Lopez…
In their blog [es], Qom community members proclaim their determination to go on with the protest whatever happens:
Muy errados están los que piensan que golpeándonos, matándonos, deteniéndonos, quemando nuestras casas e inventándonos causas penales nos detendrán.
The conflict has its origins in a land dispute. The Qoms denounce the usurpation of 1300 hectares of land by the government of Gildo Insfrán, governor of the province of Formosa, a province that is home to 180 indigenous communities.
In the blog Un alumno Diferente [es], Jésus David gives a quick summary of the land dispute:
El conflicto por la posesión de tierras se inició a mediados de 2010, cuando el gobernador formoseño Gildo Insfrán cedió a la Universidad Nacional de Formosa los terrenos en los que vive la comunidad Qom, que posee los títulos de propiedad otorgados por el Gobierno nacional en 1940. Tras ser desalojados, los habitantes cortaron durante poco más de tres meses el tránsito en la ruta nacional 86.
Daniel Gaguine, in his blog El Caleidoscopio de Lucy [es], explains why the land theme is so important for the indigenous people:
Muchas de las tierras fueron adquiridas por empresas y particulares de fuerte poderío económico, causando graves dificultades en lo que sería uno de los “pulmones” del norte del país, con lo que sería la poda de árboles y demás.
He also interviewed Pablo Gramajo, one of the demonstrators of 9 de Julio in Buenos Aires, who highlights the clash between the official and indigenous point of view :
El problema de la expulsión de la tierra no es solo en Formosa sino de todo el norte argentine… Lo que ustedes llaman “desarrollo”, nosotros le decimos “forma de vida” y el desarrollo no va con nuestra forma de vida.
"Members of the QOM indigenous community seen here as they block a road demanding the restitution of their lands." Image by Patricio Murphy, Copyright Demoti
On December 30 of last year, provincial government officials and the Qom reached a basic agreement on healthcare and security, opening the way to a peaceful resolution to the conflict. But the Qom say that the government failed to fulfill its promises, forcing them to intensify their protests again.
The blog Lalacnaqom [es] explains how Qom activists began the hunger strike and roadblock again:
Los manifestantes, pertenecientes en su totalidad a las comunidades Qom, iniciaron esta medida de fuerza con el propósito de acceder a un diálogo con los representantes del gobierno, a fin de hacer un seguimiento de las promesas firmadas en noviembre pasado. Dichas promesas … consisten en la construcción de viviendas para la comunidad Qom.
In their blog [es], Qom community activists also lament that the federal government pays so little attention to them:
Cuándo se va a reconocer la situación crítica en que nos ponen? Negar la realidad es la peor alternativa.
In his blog Señales [es], Claudio Andrés de Luca criticizes the way official media discredits the indigenous movement by not reporting their demands:
Los medios oficiales CN23, la Televisión Pública, TelAm y El Argentino decidieron darle aire al reclamo que llevan, desde hace más de 5 meses, hermanos de la comunidad Qom en Buenos Aires. Y lo hacen de la peor manera llaman a Formosa para que el ministro de Gobierno pida desde allá el levantamiento de la protesta y dialoguen, algo a lo que el Gobernador Gildo Insfrán siempre se negó. En ninguna de sus crónicas dan voz a los pedidos del los acampantes.
Many associations are supporting the Qom's struggle, including the Madres de la Plaza de Mayo, Amnesty International and the NGO of the Nobel Peace Price Adolfo Pérez Esquivel. On April 26, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) expressed its concerns about the Qom's situation in Argentina. The Center for Legal and Social Studies (CELS), which brought the case to the IACHR, reacts to the case on its website:
La Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos (CIDH) solicit al Estado argentino que “adoptar las medidas necesarias para garantizar la vida y la integridad física” de la comunidad qom (toba) “La Primavera”… el Estado argentine debe proteger a los indigenous “contra posibles amenazas, agresiones u hostigamientos por miembros de la policía, de la fuerza pública u otros agentes estatales”.
The Inter-American Commission of Human Rights asks the Argentine state to “adopt the measures required to safeguard the life and physical integrity of the qom (toba) community “La Primavera”… the Argentine state should protect indigenous people against every possible threats, aggressions or hostilities from members of the police, public force of other official agents.

author: Fanny Rahmouni


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China: A New Generation Nationalistic Website · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Andy Yee translated an article by Kai Wen at Radio France International about the group of young people behind April Web, labelled as China’s new generation of nationalists. (via ChinaGeek)

author: Oiwan Lam


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Cuba: Governmental Decentralization · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

Blogger Luis Alejandro Yero comments [es] on one of the most important issues discussed at the VI Congress of the Communist Party: the decentralization of the government.

author: Firuzeh Shokooh Valle


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India, Bangladesh: A Statistical Look At Media · Global Voices
Rezwan

The New Horizon takes a statistical look at the Indian and Bangladeshi media and finds out interesting outcomes.

author: Rezwan


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India: The Poor And Their Poverty · Global Voices
Rezwan

Atanu Dey opines that the people who are best equipped to address poverty are those who are not just good academically but have tons of empathy — the ability to imagine how it must feel to be very poor. What do you think?


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Maldives: Crackdown On Anti-government Protests · Global Voices
Rezwan

Khaulath Mohamed at Haumaldives reports that security forces have cracked down on recent anti-government protests in the Maldives and 80 protesters were arrested.


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Puerto Rico: Art on the Web · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

The beautiful website Puerto Rican Posters presents a collection of 316 silk screened posters of some of the maestros and maestras of Puerto Rican art: “These images are snapshots of significant cultural, social and political events that occurred on the island from 1952 to 1985.”


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Puerto Rico: Borderlands · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

Poet, artist and blogger Yarisa Colón Torres reflects on belonging here, there, everywhere and nowhere [es], and her life as a Puerto Rican living within the borders of Puerto Rico and New York.


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Puerto Rico: In Honor of Torres Martinó · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

In the digital magazine 80 Grados [es], journalists Manolo Coss [es] and Mario Roche [es] honor the life and legacy of the recently deceased artist, art critic and journalist Jose Antonio Torres Martinó.


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Puerto Rico: No photos in Old San Juan · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

Photographer and blogger Sylvia Colón comments on the recent decision [es] of the Department of Tourism of enforcing a 1994 ordinance that prohibits taking professional photos in Old San Juan.


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Puerto Rico: Remembering Sábato · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

Rima Brusi reflects [es] on the significance and importance in her life of the work of Argentinian novelist Ernest Sábato, who recently died (1911-2011): “Sábato-candle in the dark city, Sábato-window of the abandoned mansion, Sábato- shy park bench, my Sábato, thanks.”


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Puerto Rico: The Festival of Words · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

The second edition of Festival de la Palabra [es] (The Festival of Words), a literary festival with invited writers from Latin America, the Caribbean and Spain, will be held this year from May 4-8 in Puerto Rico and from May 10-12 in New York City, uniting the longstanding bridge from the Island to the diaspora.


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Singapore: Social Media, Youth, and Elections · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Singapore’s youth sector will be a significant source of votes in the coming General Elections. This explains why political parties are also actively campaigning in the internet.  The People's Action Party (PAP), which has been in power since 1959, is expected to face touch competition from several opposition parties. The last general elections were held in 2006.  Below is a google map of rally venues created by ahmad:
Aaron Koh explains why ‘Foursqaure check in’ is important in election rallies
The Workers’ Party (WP) saw the most Foursquare check ins at its rally on the first day of campaigning.  Why is Foursqaure check in important? This is because those that check in are definitely smartphone users with mobile data connection. This means that they also make use of their smartphone as one of their key source of information.  With the younger generation expected to be the “swing votes” for this year’s elections and with 82 out of 87 seats contested, it is important that the political parties planned their online strategies to get the message to these voters, even for the next General Elections five years down the road.  By then, it will no longer be where they get the news, the question is how they get the news.
Yawning Bread analyzes how mainstream newspapers are covering the election campaign
…in the present era with the ubiquitous cellphone camera and rapid distribution channels that are well beyond blogs, such as twittering and Facebook, the old editorial policy is no longer viable.  If the newspaper does not publish such pictures, others will, and its credibility can only suffer.  Digital natives tend to dismiss the mainstream media. This is misplaced neglect.  The days may be over when newspapers can be used to blatantly twist stories or allocate coverage to benefit the PAP, but there are subtle ways nonetheless to set an agenda favourable to the ruling party.  That’s why it is still important to have a truly unbiased mainstream media, and why it is important to keep an eye on what they do.
Flaneurose uses census data to determine the importance of the youth vote
I am no pundit, and I lack mystical powers that allow me to read the sentiment on the ground. What I have however, is census data, and a belief that younger folks are more likely to want change, while older folks would prefer the status quo.  Those Singapore citizens who were aged 40 and above back in year 2000 are now aged 50 and above. In every single region, they comprise a smaller percentage of that region's population today due to the effects of mortality. In contrast, those Singapore citizens who were aged 10-19 in year 2000 are now aged 20 – 29 and of eligible voting age.  …in most geographical regions, they now do constitute a larger percentage of the population than in year 2000.
Aaron Ng sees the young generation as unpredictable and harder to please
Gen-Y Singaporeans, however, are a different breed. Politically, they are likely to be much harder to please. Gen-Y Singaporeans, by virtue of the fact that they are more educated, are more independent-minded and demand more from the government than their parents. Economic prosperity is not enough, and Gen-Y Singaporeans probably have a very different idea of economic prosperity compared to their parents.  Socially and politically, Gen-Y Singaporeans, unlike their parents, are no longer contented to leaving things in the hands of the PAP, which has ruled Singapore since it achieved self-government from the British in 1959. Their voices are loud and clear on online platforms, their natural playground as they grew up with the Internet.  Gen-Y Singaporeans are probably a lot more unpredictable than their parents, and political players need to start figuring out what makes the Gen-Y tick, how to connect with them and more importantly, how to get their vote because there will be even more of them in the next elections.
Ow Shi Hong is concerned about the political education of the young
I wonder if many Singaporean children and teenagers are politically uninitiated or ill-informed. More pointedly and plainly, I question if the typical Singaporean child and teenager is politically ‘neglected’ and left to learn politics informally through conversations, newspapers, blogs and so on. I say this because I shudder to imagine some Singaporean primary school student’s response – or lack thereof – to the question of “What is democracy?”
The Satay Club provides a rally roundup during the first week of campaigning
The election campaign kicked off in earnest with five parties holding rallies. The WP’s Hougang rally drew the biggest crowd, with an estimated 60,000 to 70,000 people turning up.  Meanwhile, the newly-formed Reform Party held its first-ever election rally in West Coast GRC, and attracted a modest but respectable crowd that was estimated at being between 5,000 to 8,000.  The ruling PAP kicked off its campaign at Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC – the stronghold of Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, while the NSP and SDP held their rallies in Marine Parade GRC and Holland-Bukit Timah GRC respectively.
The opposition Workers’ Party gathered the biggest crowd but it does not guarantee more votes for them. Singapore Election Watch explains why
Here's my experience when I went down to the WP rally April 29. I talked to folks who were rooting for the WP. But what they said was troubling: Of the 6 people, 2 will vote for the PAP, 3 undecided, the last one wanted to spoil his vote. Amazing but true.
In the Beginning was the Logos… reacts to the speeches of opposition candidates
I guess what impressed me the most was the emphasis on providing housing, economic and environmental conditions suited for the raising of children. If housing and economic costs were too high, and working conditions too long to make possible the care and raising of children, then this country is pretty much doomed.
Pictures and videos of election campaigning are available in the websites of The Online Citizen, Singapore Politics, and Darren Soh.  Global Voices recommends these election websites: Singapore General Election Portal, The Singapore Daily, Singapore Surf and GE 2011 Media


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Thailand, Cambodia: Fighting continues despite ceasefire · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The border clashes between soldiers of Cambodia and Thailand continue despite the ceasefire signed by the two countries.


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USA: Digital Migrant Voices · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

The innovative digital project Mobile Voices (VozMob), based in Los Angeles, California (USA) “is a platform for immigrant and/or low-wage workers in Los Angeles to create stories about their lives and communities directly from cell phones.” Their mission is to appropriate technology to empower the community.


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Afghanistan: The massive cost of the war · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Nick Fielding is reviewing a report from the Congressional Research Service concerning the US government spending on Afghanistan and other war on terror operations, and says it makes daunting reading.

author: Adil Nurmakov


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Africa: African Atheists and Freethinkers · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Graham writes a post highlighting Africa atheists and freethinkers:”There are many individuals in Africa who break the mould and challenge our traditional stereotypes. These people challenge our view that every African holds religious beliefs.”


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Angola: Lack of Coverage on the Exclave of Cabinda · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

“Nowadays speaking of Cabinda is something that displeases the political powers of Angola and Portugal”, says [pt] journalist Orlando Castro on his blog Alto Hama. Cabinda, with some of the largest offshore oil fields in the world, was integrated into Angola as its exclave and province in 1975, despite the rejection by all Cabindan political organizations.

author: Sara Moreira


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Arab World: Where Some Are Mourning Osama Bin Laden  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage The Death of Osama Bin Laden.
A tweet in Arabic saying that a million Bin Ladens will now rise
The end of Al Qaeda's Saudi leader Osama Bin Laden was met with tributes and remembrance by many users on Twitter from across the Arab world. Here is a sample of tweets from users in Bahrain and Kuwait, who say that Bin Laden may have died but his ideology will live on.
These reactions express the views of the people I quote and are not representative of the entire Arab world, where views cover a wide spectrum, from joy to disbelief.
Kuwaiti Mubarak Al Bathaali tweets [ar]:
Still in Kuwait, Dr Sajed Al Abadli adds [ar]:
And Nabil Al Awadhy adds [ar]:
Moving on to Bahrain, Fatima Buhassan notes [ar]:
Fellow Bahraini Mubarak Mattar adds [ar]:
and he continues [ar]:
Still in Bahrain, Dr Adel Abdulla notes [ar]:
Screen shot of the 'We are all Osama bin Laden' page on Facebook.
Meanwhile on Facebook, pages of support like We are all Osama bin Laden have popped up.
Stay tuned for more reactions on this story from across the Middle East and North Africa.
This post is part of our special coverage The Death of Osama Bin Laden.


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Argentina: Reactions to Mario Vargas Llosa’s Keynote Address at the Book Fair · Global Voices
Laura Schneider

Photo of Mario Vargas Llosa: MTKR  CC BY-NC 2.0
The 37th International Book Fair [es] opened on April 20, 2011 in Buenos Aires — designated by the UNESCO as the 2011 World Book Capital [es] — and will continue through May 9 at the Royal Society in Palermo [es]. This year's fair merits some mentions and highlights.
Like other years, the fair included special guest speakers. 2011 welcomed Nobel Laureate Mario Vargas Llosa, which brought both favorable reactions as well as opposition, as published previously on Global Voices.
The speculations surrounding Vargas Llosa's keynote address were ultimately quelled when he took the podium on April 21, as reported in Fernando Mires‘ [es] blog:
Pocas veces un discurso ha sido esperado con más  expectación como aquel pronunciado por el Premio Nobel de Literatura  Mario Vargas Llosa con motivo de la inauguración de la Feria del Libro  en Buenos Aires el 21 de Abril de 2011. Las razones de la expectación,  como es sabido, no fueron de índole literaria sino política, y esas  razones –también es sabido- no las impuso Vargas Llosa. Las impuso un  grupo de intelectuales argentinos – más gobiernero que gobiernista- cuyo  propósito no era otro que clausurar la voz del brillante intelectual  peruano.
There was no delay in reactions from various Argentinian intellectuals, such as, for example, the opinions published on the blog Desde la Platea [es]:
Está muy bien que haya hablado en la Feria del Libro de  nuestra ciudad. Debió quedarse en el campo de la literatura y no  insistir sobre el destino de los argentinos, que sigue siendo cosa  nuestra, salvo que Vargas Llosa sepa algo que no nos cuenta y ya no  seamos más argentinos y nadie nos avisó.
The blog for La Marea [es] magazine believes,
Desde nuestra actividad como intelectuales y trabajadores  de la cultura en su más amplio sentido, comprometidos con la lucha de  los pueblos por su liberación, consideramos necesario someter a  discusión todas las políticas culturales, oficiales y privadas, que  profundizan la dependencia económica y cultural argentina. No solo las  declaraciones de Vargas Llosa lesionan la dignidad de nuestro pueblo,  también aquellas acciones que atentan contra su producción cultural y su  identidad.
Contrarily, Domizio Vilma Beatriz made the following comment in the book fair blog [es]:
La presencia de Mario Vargas Llosa produjo una fuerte  sacudida en mi espíritu latinamericano. Me recordó quienes somos los  argentinos y quienes fuimos. Me replanteó interrogantes y pude darme  respuestas que me aliviaron y me crearon esperanzas. La mirada de un  hermano latinoamericano comprometido con nuestra realidad siempre nos es  útil y enriquecedora. Me hizo revivir, con muchísimo placer el tono  fuerte y divertido de sus libros y sentir nuevamente mi orgullo juvenil  por la Educación Publica que tuvimos. Sé que su discurso vibró a lo  largo y a lo ancho de nuestras fronteras y el mundo. Su perspectiva se  abrió en mil dimensiones y pude ver que este presente histórico y social  es relativo si nosotros nos lo proponemos. Gracias a la Feria del libro  por haberlo convocado!!!.
Fernando Mires‘ [es] blog provides a brief analysis of the Nobel laureate's speech and visit:
No, estimados escritores nacionalistas, izquierdistas,  derechistas, populistas y acomodaticios. A Mario Vargas Llosa nadie le  regaló el Premio Nobel. Lo ganó con una constancia, con un talento y con  una integridad personal, que ustedes, aunque lo lapiden, nunca, ni en  sueños, alcanzarán.
Mario Vargas Llosa, together with the mayor of Buenos Aires and Maria Kodama Photo: Government of the city of Buenos Aires  CC BY-NC 2.0
The complete keynote address was published in the newspaper El Dia [es], with the following as one of the speaker's notable excerpts:
Agradezco a los organizadores de este certamen haber  resistido las presiones de algunos colegas y adversarios de mis ideas  políticas para desinvitarme. Y extiendo mi agradecimiento a la  Presidenta, señora Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, cuya oportuna  intervención atajó aquel intento de veto. Ojalá esta toma de posición en  favor de la libertad de expresión de la mandataria argentina se  contagie a todos sus partidarios y guíe su propia conducta de  gobernante.
What did Mario Vargas Llosa's visit leave us? La Voz del Interior [es] summarizes:
El Premio Nobel de Literatura Mario Vargas Llosa llegó en absoluta tranquilidad a la Feria del Libro, pronunció su discurso sin sobresaltos y se retiró sin abucheos ni nada parecido.

author: Laura Schneider


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Australia: Asylum Seekers Inflame Detention Debate · Global Voices
Kevin Rennie

This post is part of our special coverage on Refugees.
Debate about asylum seekers policies in Australia was ignited yet again by recent events in detention centres:
A rooftop protest at the Villawood detention centre in Sydney's west has ended after lasting for 11 days.
…The protest started when 100 detainees set fire to furniture and confronted guards.
Nine buildings destroyed by fire, with 22 people now in Silverwater jail awaiting questioning over their part in the disturbance.
Villawood rooftop protest ends after 11 days (ABC Online 30 April 2011)
The Refugee Action Collective organise a march and protest on Saturday 2 April, 2011, against children in immigration detention outside the Melbourne Immigration Transit Accommodation at Camp Road, Broadmeadows. Image by Flickr user Takver (CC BY-SA 2.0).
Jack the Insider who blogs for The Australian daily newspaper sees the Gillard Labor government caught between those who want to see a get tough policy on so-called ‘boat people’ refugees and those who would like to see a more compassionate approach. The Liberal National Party opposition coalition wants a return to the Howard government’s Pacific solution on Nauru. Labor is sticking to mandatory detention while it clings to its fading idea of a regional processing centre in East Timor:
What we’re left with is a form of political stasis, a debate that cannot move on; mired as it is in some of the uglier elements of the Australian character. But it’s the government who has it all to lose.
Government fights for a no-win on asylum-seekers
One Nation Riverina is a regional blog ‘of Australia's only true nationalist political party’. Craig Hesketh puts the minority party’s view, which has often been attacked as part of the ‘uglier’ side:
The Australian people have had enough. We need strong government not gross political correctness and weak kneed policy aimed to appease imported terrorists and delusional refugee advocates.
Villawood Riots
Dave Bath at Balneus appeals to rationality, a quality often in short supply with regard to immigration issues:
Checking out the latest UNHCR statistics on applications for asylum, I’m having a problem understanding hairy-chested pronouncements from Canberra, the failure of the mainstream media to inform the public, and the majority opinion.
The problem with asylum seekers
At group blog Larvatus Prodeo, Kim bemoans the get-tough, knee-jerk reaction of the government:
‘Doing something’ is supposed to break the cycle of what is thought to be negative publicity for the government. Yet every time they ‘do something’, all they do is reinforce the framing of the story, and set the scene for escalating demands for further policy shifts on the run. The end point is Howard era policy, but even then, that would be unlikely to satisfy the hungry wolves.
So, we have something that is wrong, politically futile, and bad policy.
The endless cycle of asylum seeker politics
The 120+ comments on this post indicate the depth of feeling surrounding the asylum seeker controversy. These comments capture some of this:
Greg Clancy, at the Australian Conservative, has his own solution that he believes targets the real culprits – people smugglers:
…any unauthorised boat arrival …will be treated precisely as others have in the past – with two exceptions. Should passengers claim refugee status, this process will be undertaken, not by Australian immigration officials, but by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). In the event of a successful claim, the country of destination for that refugee will be determined by consultation between Australian and UNHCR officials – but it will not be Australia. The cost of removing both successful and unsuccessful refugee claimants will be supported by the Australian government.
How to stop the boats
Clancy and the Green Left Weekly’s Jay Fletcher are poles apart:
It’s not a crime to resist injustice — the refugees who have taken it on themselves to revolt inside Australia’s mandatory detention system must be defended and supported for their stand.
It’s not a crime to seek asylum. Every single person with a well-founded fear for their safety that comes to Australia and requests asylum, even if they have the wrong identity papers or no papers at all, has a legal right to do so.
On the other hand, detaining people without charge, trial or sentence is criminal.
It is an outrageous crime to carry out large-scale state violence against people who, under international law, are entitled to government protection.
Mandatory detention is the real crime
It is a very messy and complex issue. Mandatory detention, offshore processing, temporary protection visas, and character tests are just some of the contentious aspects.
The government seem to be caught in the middle – a very uncomfortable position that their supporters would like them to vacate.
This post is part of our special coverage on Refugees.

author: Kevin Rennie


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Barbados: Illogical Headlines  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Barbados Underground says that “the logic as to why why Donald got the airplay he did [and] the logic as to why the British government would outlay such a significant sum at a time when people are being sent home…explain the illogic of many things…wrong with the world.”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Caribbean: Reactions to News of Bin Laden’s Death  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Diaspora bloggers comment on the news of Osama Bin Laden's death.


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Cuba: Indoctrination of Children  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Without Evasion says that by teaching ideological doctrine to children, “we thus prolong…the saga of slavery of thought, of pretense, and of corruption of spirit of which we were victims, and which we so condemn.”


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Haiti: The Church’s Role  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Wadner Pierre would like to see the Catholic Church be “the first to stand for peaceful resolution where there is war and violence.”


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Iran: Bloggers React to the Death of Bin Laden · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

This post is part of our special coverage The Death of Osama Bin Laden.
Several Iranian bloggers have reacted to the death of Osama Bin Laden. Some with serious remarks, a few with questions and some with irony.
Iranian blogger Machin Hesab asks [fa] why they shot him in the head.
Mohmmad Moini writes [fa] that Bin Laden symbolizes a thought, and that the death of Osama does not mean his ideas are dead. An idea that does not like human beings, and uses religion as an instrument. For Bin Laden only his own reading (interpretation) of religion was legitimate, but he should have doubted his ideas before getting killed.
Several bloggers such as Azarkhan published Osama's photo (above) with his family in Sweden in 1971, showing a different, younger Osama (circled in red).
A user of Balatarin, a popular Iranian link sharing site, published a [fake] photo and said as a joke, “Now the municipality in Tehran will rename Ladan street to Martyr Bin Ladan.”
Ladan street, Tehran, Iran.
Floret, another Balatarin user, writes [fa] that it is time for Iranian people to celebrate Osama's death in the streets of Iran.
Uniirani  writes [fa] that now that Bin Laden has died the world has one less evil person in it. He calls him a “real terrorist”.
This post is part of our special coverage The Death of Osama Bin Laden.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Macedonia: The Roma – Inside or Outside the Circle? · Global Voices
Filip Stojanovski

The Roma in the Republic of Macedonia (RM) have political representation, including a Member of Parliament, a Mayor, and a Government Minister. Their legal and ethnic rights are institutionally protected, and the media do not use ethnic slurs. However, most of the Roma suffer the oppression of poverty, compounded with the consequences of negative stereotyping based on skin color and perpetuation of traditional prejudices by their fellow-citizens.
Various contrasts in Šuto Orizari, Roma suburb of Skopje. Photo by Kostas Kallergis, used with permission of the author.
Srki, a young Roma man from Skopje, wrote [mk] on his blog Moe i tvoe mislenje [Opinion – Mine and Yours]:
The Republic of Macedonia enjoys high reputation because it provides special treatment for the Roma, compared to other Central and Eastern European states. Many researchers and human rights activists who worked in Macedonia claim that the Roma do not suffer open racism and racist violence, open discrimination, etc., the way they do in the rest of Europe.
Macedonia is a multi-ethnic country, and home to a number of ethnic groups, including: Macedonians, Albanians, Turks, Serbs, Bosniaks, Roma and Vlachs. The Constitution of RM and the laws provide protection of the cultural, language and religious rights to all minority entities. The Constitution also recognizes the right to use native (mother) languages within the public education system.
According to the 2002 Census, there are 53,979 Roma in Macedonia, while some Roma NGOs claim there are around 132,000 members of this ethnic group, based on their surveys.* The Roma are the poorest of all minority groups in RM. They live in all cities, usually on the periphery. These suburb represent ghettos, inhabited by Roma only under very bad conditions of low-quality housing. Even though the Government and the current [Roma Decade] invested large efforts to redeem the situation, the Roma are still at the lowest social level, with the highest number of illiterate persons and the lowest percentage of employment. The majority of the Roma live in illegally constructed houses and substandard dwellings without the basic infrastructure: without legal connections to water supply and sewage, without access roads, etc. These bad environmental conditions affect the already bad economic situation, and, together with discrimination and marginalization, are the main reasons for limiting the access of the Roma to the educational process. For these reasons, the Roma also have low access to social and health services. In order to truly aid the Roma, leaders must envision long-term actions and priority measures based on improving these conditions.
Many people accept the view that the Roma enjoy a relatively better treatment in Macedonia, when compared to other Balkan and European states. However, the questions remain:
– What does a “relatively better treatment” mean?
– Does the Universal Declaration of Human Rights include terms such as “relatively recognized rights,” “relative protection of a certain right,” and the like?
In conversations with the non-Roma, with my acquaintances, colleagues, associates and intellectuals… I often hear: “You lack nothing, you've got everything here, you make music, dance, you are a joyful people, good for song and dance… Enjoy life and do not push to enter were you do not belong…”
In spite all the research results that show that the Roma live integrated in Macedonia, that they are included in social circles… I still suffocate, from the looks full of prejudice I encounter when I go out in the street, from the stereotypes exposed by public personas, political figures, and regular citizens, from their weird looks and behavior when I sit in a coffee house, in a restaurant or at a disco…
The “magic circles” of discrimination continue to exist…
Over the years, NGOs have reacted to cases of discrimination, such as denial of entry to Roma children in public pools, or police brutality toward the Roma, which usually remain without official closure. Ethnic Macedonian bloggers also tackle this issue from time to time. For instance, in 2009 Bi wrote [mk] about a “shameful” protest against building of a center for street children on the premises of a kindergarten in Bitola. In 2010, Global Voices covered the incident involving the use of overwhelming police force in a Roma-majority Skopje suburb of Šuto Orizari (aka Šutka).
An alley in the more affluent part of Šuto Orizari. Photo: Filip Stojanovski, CC-BY-NC.
* The discrepancy between census results and the “actual” estimated numbers may stem from the cases of people who adopt the identity of a larger, more powerful ethnic group, allegedly due to hope that it would provide them material or other benefits. This affects various ethnic groups, leading to controversies about the “true” identity of portions of the population in various combinations: Roma “turned” into Turks or Albanians, Muslim ethnic Macedonians or Albanians “turned” into Turks, Christian Macedonians “turned” into Bulgarians… On the other hand, representatives of the small ethnic Egyptian community vehemently deny any relation to the more numerous Roma. The state's response on such issues is that all citizens have the right to self-determination in regard to ethnic identity and nobody should influence their choices.

author: Filip Stojanovski


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Morocco: Bloggers React to Marrakech Attack · Global Voices
Hisham Almiraat

This post is part of our special coverage Morocco Protests 2011.
Morocco's tourist hub of Marrakech was hit on Thursday by a bomb blast that ripped through a popular restaurant at lunchtime, the Argana, overlooking Jamaa Lefna Square. The blast, according to officials killed 16 people most of whom were foreigners. The attack occurred as the country witnesses a wave of peaceful demonstrations calling for democratic change.
Many have expressed fear of a downturn following the attack. Some have warned from the harmful effects of a security approach that would encroach on civil liberties at the very moment the country is poised to begin a series of reforms. In a visit to the site of the bombing, the King of Morocco, Mohammed VI, promised that the reform process would not be curtailed.
Bloggers and netizens have been quick to react sending instant eyewitness accounts. Statements of solidarity and condemnation of the violent attack are still pouring in on blogs and social networks. Here is a roundup of what has been posted so far.
On Twitter, news from Marrakech have been followed under the hashtags #Marrakech and #Argana.
Shortly after the blast this pictures was shared from the scene by Mehdi El Baroudi (@melbaroudi) one of the first to tweet the news:
#maroc #Marrakech #EXPLOSION @ cafe Argana place Jamaa El Fna 17 death … No additional details for now @zarchix @Fanajeen @AmoonaE
Picture posted on Twitpic by Mehdi El Baroudi (@melbaroudi)
This photo was viewed more than 12,000 times.
Tweeter Analitikis, also shared this video, taken moments after the explosion, showing victims being pulled out of the restaurant and rescued by passersby as the first ambulances arrived to the scene (Some pictures are graphic in nature. Viewer discretion is advised):
In the few moments following the blast, Ismail Erahhali (@ismailerahhali) tweeted:
Une pensée pour les victimes de ce crime odieux. Condoléances aux familles des victimes. #Marrakech
More reactions are still pouring in from across the globe:
Rolande Johnson (@Ro1y) tweets:
Gutted about the #bombing in #Marrakech. We spent loads of time in Djemaa el-Fna square when we where there only 2 months ago. Very sad.
Ali Salim (@AliSalim_Es) a Moroccan based in Spain tweets:
No se llega a sentir dolor e inquietud de verdad por culpa de un atentado hasta que se vive uno contra su propia patria.#Argana #Marrakech
Writer Jennifer Leo (@jenleo) who was visiting Marrakech at the time of the attack tweets:
Thinking more about #Marrakech explosion than the #royalwedding. Total mind bender. We were right there (pic #6): http://bbc.in/j89DEO
SCasillas (@SegundoCasillas) from Spain tweets:
Impresionado y triste. #marrakech atentado. Una plaza y un cafe en los que he estado y disfrutado tantas veces ahora ya simbolos del dolor.
Dominique de Roo (@DominiquedeRoo) from The Netherlands tweets:
Zie beelden van #Marrakech #Argana onwerkelijk en weer gevoel van machteloosheid tegen dit soort verschrikkingen.
Doudiss (@Nonewzz) from Morocco tweets:
#Marrakech is bleeding tonight but like a rose in the desert will soon bloom anew. RIP
Moroccan blogger Eladlouni M. Amine (@eladlouni) tweets:
Aujourd'hui je suis marrakchi plus que jamais #argana #Marrakech
He later adds:
On va les retrouver ces terroristes dar dar byte byte fard fard zenga zenga #Marrakech #argana
Kerstin is an expat living in Marrakech. She shares her initial reaction on her blog, Maid in Marrakech. She writes:
I still don't quite understand why someone would do this and what they are trying to achieve? The annoying thing is if it was a suicide bomber as the foreign press have started saying then this person is now no longer alive and we will never be able to find out what his reasoning for it was. Tourism, political, what? For sure all eyes are now on Marrakech. Sadly for all the wrong reasons.
Authorities have since rejected the possibility of a suicide bomber and say that the blast was triggered by a remote control device.
Moroccan blogger Reda Chraïbi says Moroccans won't be deterred by the Marrakech attack and urges for reforms which, he says, are the only safeguard against terrorism. He writes [Fr]:
Enfin, notre printemps ne saurait être gâché par cet orage passager. Bien au contraire, cet acte provient certainement de ceux qui ne souhaitent pas que la liberté et la démocratie adviennent au Maroc. Il n’est donc pas meilleure attitude à adopter, aujourd’hui plus que jamais, que de s’engager plus avant vers l’instauration d’une société équitable, juste et libre. En attendant, on retournera à Jemaa elfna, encore plus qu’avant, profitant de ses plaisirs et narguant les crapuleux, car nous ne sommes pas terrorisés.
This post is part of our special coverage Morocco Protests 2011.

author: Hisham Almiraat


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Morocco: “I Love Kech!” · Global Voices
Hisham Almiraat

Marrakech, the main tourist attraction in Morocco, was hit on Thursday by a bomb attack that ripped through a popular restaurant located in one of the busiest squares in the world, Djemaa el Fna, killing 16 people and wounding dozens others, most of whom tourists. The government has described the bombing as a terrorist attack and explained that the blast resulted from the explosion of a remote control device. The bombing came as a shock in a country that takes pride in its stability.
To express their solidarity with the victims of the bombing and show their support for the city dwellers, bloggers Samia (@samedda_), Bouchra (@princessa82), bizmaroc , Ghali (@ghalito91) and Lady Zee decided to launch a Tumblr blog calling for photo contributions in support of the mourning city. “I Love Kech!” (Kech means Marrakech) is the campaign they launched on Twitter to gather support. Following is a selection of the pictures the blog has been receiving from around the globe.
All pictures published here are shared with the blog's authors kind permission.
From Beirut, Lebanon:
Lebanon Loves Marrakech (30th April 2011)
From Beyrouth – Lebanon (30th April 2011)
From Beyrouth – Lebanon (30th April 2011)
“I love Marrakeck! (a lot, a lot, a lot)”
From Karim & Aida –  Casablanca, Morocco (Picture taken in Lebanon – May 1st 2011)
Beyrouth – Lebanon (May, 1st 2011)
From Saudi Arabia:
From Jeddah – Saudi Arabia
From Miami, USA:
Itay, From Miami – USA (April 29th, 2011)
From Paris, France:
From Forrest – Paris, France (May 1st, 2011)
From Lamia – Paris, France (May, 1st 2011)
“We love Marrakech!”
From Mehdi & Houssam – Paris (May, 1st, 2011)
Mehdi & Houssam – Paris, France (May, 1st 2011)
From Hisham – Paris, France (May, 1st 2011)
From Rio de Janeiro, Brazil:
From Rio (May 1st 2011)
“I'm crazy in love with Marrakech”
From Chalon sur Saône, France:
Myriam from Chalon sur Saône – France (May, 1st, 2011)
Sabrina from Chalon sur Saône – France (May, 1st, 2011)
From Greenwich, USA:
From Gaetan D. – Greeenwich, United States (May 1st, 2011) — Marrakech Forever
From Cairo, Egypt:
From Hedi – Cairo, Egypt (May 1st, 2011) — I Love Marrakech, From Cairo
From San Fransisco, USA:
From Moustapha, San Francisco – United States (May 1st 2011)
From El Salvador:
From Gisela, Salvador (May 1st 2011)
From Marrakech:
From Zynaly, Marrakech – Morocco (May, 1st 2011)
For more pictures, please visit ilovemarrakech.tumblr.com.
Contributions can be sent to ilovekech[at]gmail[dot]com.


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Nepal: A Debate On Piracy And Copyright · Global Voices
Rezwan

On Saturday, April 30th, a group of Nepali Twitter users discussed piracy, digital rights and copyright. Bhumika Ghimire summarized the debate using Storify.


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Pakistan: Live-Tweeting Osama Bin Laden’s Death from Abbottabad · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage The Death of Osama Bin Laden.
Saudi terror mastermind Osama Bin Laden's life was snuffed out when a CIA-led team attacked a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. One Twitter user, Sohaib Athar, who tweets as @ReallyVirtual, reportedly tweeted the raid, and his reactions so far.
Athar describes himself as “an IT consultant taking a break from the rat-race by hiding in the mountains with his laptops.”
Here is his timeline:
@ReallyVirtual: Helicopter hovering above Abbottabad at 1AM (is a rare event).
@ReallyVirtual: Go away helicopter – before I take out my giant swatter :-/
@ReallyVirtual: A huge window shaking bang here in Abbottabad Cantt. I hope its not the start of something nasty :-S
@ReallyVirtual: @m0hcin all silent after the blast, but a friend heard it 6 km away too… the helicopter is gone too.
@ReallyVirtual: @m0hcin http://bit.ly/ljB6p6 seems like my giant swatter worked !
@ReallyVirtual: @m0hcin the few people online at this time of the night are saying one of the copters was not Pakistani…
@han3yy: OMG :S Bomb Blasts in Abbottabad.. I hope everyone is fine :(
@ReallyVirtual: Since taliban (probably) don't have helicpoters, and since they're saying it was not “ours”, so must be a complicated situation #abbottabad
@ReallyVirtual: @kashaziz technically, it is unidentified until identified, and it is a flying object, so year, why the hell not, we have seen weirder stuff
@ReallyVirtual: The abbottabad helicopter/UFO was shot down near the Bilal Town area, and there's report of a flash. People saying it could be a drone.
@ReallyVirtual: @smedica people are saying it was not a technical fault and it was shot down. I heard it CIRCLE 3-4 times above, sounded purposeful.
@ReallyVirtual: @tahirakram very likely – but it was too noisy to be a spy craft, or, a very poor spy craft it was.
@ReallyVirtual: @smedica It must have been more, I started noticing the helicpoter when the noise got irritating – which part of Abbottabd are you in?
@ReallyVirtual: Here's the location of the Abbottabad crash according to some people >>> http://on.fb.me/khjf34
@ReallyVirtual: Two helicpoters, one down, could actually be the training accident scenario they're saying it was >> http://bit.ly/ioGE6O
@terminalxpk: A Major of the #Pakistan #Army's 19 FF, Platoon CO says incident at #Abbottabad where #helicopter crashed is accidental and not an “attack”
@terminalxpk: The Major also says no “missiles” were fired and all such exaggerated reports are nothing but rumours #Pakistan
@ReallyVirtual: and now I feel I must apologize to the pilot about the swatter tweets :-/
@ReallyVirtual: And now, a plane flying over Abbottabad…
@ReallyVirtual: Interesting rumors in the otherwise uneventful Abbottabad air today
@naqvi: I think the helicopter crash in Abbottabad, Pakistan and the President Obama breaking news address are connected.
@ReallyVirtual: Report from a taxi driver: The army has cordoned off the crash area and is conducting door-to-door search in the surrounding
@ReallyVirtual: @kursed What really happened doesn't matter if there is an official story behind it that 99.999% of the world would believe
@ReallyVirtual: @kursed Another rumor: two copters that followed the crashed one were foreign Cobras – and got away
@ReallyVirtual: Report from a sweeper: A family also died in the crash, and one of the helicopter riders got away and is now being searched for.
@ReallyVirtual: @kursed Well, there were at least two copters last night, I heard one but a friend heard two, for 15-20 minutes.
@ReallyVirtual: RT @ISuckBigTime: Osama Bin Laden killed in Abbottabad, Pakistan.: ISI has confirmed it < < Uh oh, there goes the neighborhood :-/
@ReallyVirtual: I guess I should unsubscribe from the #abbottabad search on twitter before it kills my machine. Leave Abbottabad alone, Osama and Obama…
@ReallyVirtual: Damn its getting hard to RT some funny Abbottabad tweets, they're scrolling so fast :-(
@ReallyVirtual: Uh oh, now I'm the guy who liveblogged the Osama raid without knowing it.
@ReallyVirtual: and here come the mails from the mainstream media… *sigh*
@ReallyVirtual: For the curious, here is life in abbottabad two minutes ago http://twitpic.com/4s8nfq
Life in Abbottabad
@ReallyVirtual: The shopping plaza I'm in is almost entirely closed, probably mainly because the traffic is blocked in a few places
@ReallyVirtual: And the big question is – now that OBL does not live in Abbottabad, is it open to terrorist attacks too?
@DVNJr: Read @ReallyVirtual's stream. He unwittingly tweeted the helicopters’ raid on Osama bin Laden's compound.
@CClonts: He tweeted this live! Tweets begin at 9-hour indicator. RT @ReallyVirtual: Helicopter hovering above Abbottabad at 1AM (is a rare event).
This post is part of our special coverage The Death of Osama Bin Laden.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Pakistan: Reactions on the Death of Osama Bin Laden · Global Voices
Sana Saleem

This post is part of our special coverage The Death of Osama Bin Laden.
On May 1, 2011, around 10 p.m. EST it was announced that President Obama would hold a press conference on an important issue. While the world was waiting for Obama to appear, Twitter was flooded with thousands of tweets guessing about what he was going to say.
A few minutes later Keith Urbahn, the chief of staff for Donald Rumsfeld, tweeted that the chief of Al Qaeda, top terrorist Osama Bin Laden had been killed and news media started to jump on the story. Soon the Twittersphere started to explode with tweets from all over the world.
Image Courtesy Google Maps
Early tweets from Pakistan
But earlier in the day a Pakistani tweep from Abbottabad, @ReallyVirtual, had captured some moments during the raid in his tweets.
@Reallyvirtual: Helicopter hovering above Abbottabad at 1AM (is a rare event).
In an intelligence driven operation, earlier this morning on May 2, Osama Bin Ladin was killed in the city of Abbotabad, 80 kilometers from the Pakistani capital Islamabad. According to a statement released by Pakistan's Foreign Office:
This operation was conducted by the US [United States] forces in accordance with declared US policy that Osama bin Ladin will be eliminated in a direct action by the US forces, wherever found in the world.
Reports state that Osama was shot in the head while US military choppers took part in the operation on a hideout in Abottabad. Initial reactions from Pakistanis on Twitter started pouring in when the raid was ongoing.
News channels began reporting that a helicopter had crashed near the Kakol military academy on what they called an empty plot. Twitter users exclaim:
@Mosharrafzaidi: Helicopter crashes near PMA Kakul. What was a low-flying heli doing flying around Abottabad Cantt at 0130 hrs?
@Reallyvirtual:  Here's the location of the Abbottabad crash according to some people >>> http://on.fb.me/khjf34
As the news broke out news channels began broadcasting reports and analysis on Bin Laden’s death and its implications.
@kursed: Accd to Pakistani officials Shuja Pasha visited US on April 11, for finalizing op details for #OBL raid.
@kursed: Again, according to Pakistani sources, choppers came from Ghazi AB (Tarbela). Total of 6 helicopters.
@Mahamali05: woah. Journalist Javed Ch just used the word ‘Shaheed’ for Laden. you have got to be kidding me
@sharmeenochinoy: #pakistan news channels should be taken off air if they really think #OsamaBinLaden is a martyr- he is a terrorist call a spade a spade
@akchisti: anyone calling #OBL a martyr should be charged with article 6, “high treason” in #Pakistan
Till now there has been no official statement from Pakistan's Inter Services Pubilc Relations (ISPR) or the government on the details of the operation. Whereas President Obama was quick to respond and had already declared that a US military-led operation was successful in achieving its target. Osama Bin Laden’s death or capture has been one of the top priorities of the US Government in the last decade.
@Kursed: I can't fathom why hasn't either ISPR or the Gov. of Pakistan come up with a response to this incident as yet. This is plain idiocy now.
@Zalmay Zia: ISPR directed all parties, media, analyst not to comment on #obl arrest till ISPR breifing
@Mustafa_Qadri: Pakistan forces keeping relatively quiet about their pivotal role in Osama assassination for fear of reprisal
Ahsan Butt at Five Rupees shared his immediate thoughts on the death of Bin laden, answering some vital questions and possible repercussions.
For Pakistanis, it likely means more suicide bombings. Every time there is a so-called “success” in this war, from “liberating” Lal Masjid to killing Baitullah Mehsud, there is increased violence, as militant groups try to remind everyone they’re still around and not going anywhere. I have no reason to expect that that pattern will change.
@sharmeenochinoy: Just got off phone with my #madrassa contact great mourning planned according to him #Pakistan will pay a high price for this.
(Google map of Bin Laden's hideout via thepunit)
Kalsoom at CHUP- Changing Up Pakistan has these questions:
It was also located near a Pakistani military academy, which begs the question, was bin Laden hiding in the area because he was an ISI asset? Or did the Pakistani military know he was there and was helping U.S. forces monitor his presence? Did Pakistan know that the U.S. knew that they knew? The questions are endless and speculation is infinite.
Possible backlash
The death of Bin Laden is being a considered a huge victory in the war on terror but its implications and possible backlash in Pakistan is fearful. Some analysts in Pakistan have gone as far as stating that the US should now wrap up its war against terror. Overlooking the fact that Al-Qaeda was never a one-man led army and many more factions of the militant group have now been formed and functioning. Therefore claims that the war on terror is over reflect lack of foresight.
As Ahsan & Chinoy rightly points out more Pakistanis will have to bear the consequences as militant groups react to the news. There are far too many questions that need to be answered. From details of the operation to the future of the war on terror, but one thing is for certain the fears of repercussions after Bin Laden’s death are a reality for people not only in abbotabad but across Pakistan.
@Mehreenkasana: Does this change anything? For Afghanistan, Pakistan? Will this stop the unprecedented gore caused by drone attacks? No, no and no.
This post is part of our special coverage The Death of Osama Bin Laden.

author: Sana Saleem


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Philippines: ‘Goodbye Friendster’ · Global Voices
Julius Rocas

The news that pioneer social networking site Friendster.com is headed towards a major overhaul in a few months’ time grabbed headlines and became a trending topic amongst Filipino netizens.
And it shouldn't be a surprise as the Philippines once became famous for being a Friendster.com nation. Well that was back in 2003 to 2007 and before Facebook, Twitter and other more popular social networking sites today came to the scene.
Instead of shock, disbelief and even resistance to the news that their once favorite social networking site was about to suffer some sort of demise, virtually all Filipinos bloggers and netizens simply re-echoed the message from the Friendster team that users who value their content or data on the site should begin exporting it before everything else is wiped out after May 31.
However, there's still a hint of sadness and nostalgia amongst them.
Roy had the impression that Friendster has given up against the reigning king of social networking media Facebook:
So, do you think Friendster has accepted its fate and would no longer want to go head-to-head with Facebook?
Oh well, thank you very much Friendster. We do have good memories together.
Carlo Dimaandal had a bittersweet moment upon learning of the news that Friendster is about to do a reboot:
Friendster is ditching some of its social media functionalities in favor of a more entertainment-based platform. Some people really don't care. But for the nostalgia freak like me, there is an option to download user data (tulad nung mga testi na ipinagmakaawa mo pa! :) ) or export them to other services. This is where I saw what I think was a “tampo” moment.
Pinoy Social Media gave a brief history of how Friendster struck it big with Filipinos back in its hey day with some statistics saying that the Philippines was the number one on the list of top 15 countries accessing Friendster back in 2008. However, all that changed when in just a year, the country converted to Facebook.
So it's time to logon one last time to Friendster (assuming you still remember your password), reminisce using this social network, look at your photos, testimonials and comments from several years ago, download everything for archive and bid farewell for now to our Social Media friend, Friendster.
For Grace Abonillo, the nostalgia wasn't just because of socializing online via Friendster, it was the origins of her addiction to social networking sites:
Few days ago, I read this news that Friendster will come to an end. I didn’t mind at all, for I am no longer using it since 2007.
But I came to a realization that it is where it all began, my addiction to social networking sites. First it was friendster.com, then multiply.com and then came facebook. I started using FS(Friendster) when I was in college, circa 2002. Became an addicted user with lots of updates everyday.
Suddenly, I just get tired of it, and started using multiply and facebook in the early 2003 or 2004. But facebook was so complicated to use then, that’s why I stuck with multiply.
Pepe Alas sums up the nostalgia in an upbeat mood where he succinctly describes why the news of Friendster's reboot:
Many Friendster-turned-Facebook addicts (like me!) have been expecting this for a long time. But this news is still a shocker, for Friendster is already a part of Filipino pop culture. Other than that, the Philippines is Friendster’s largest market.
It was good while it lasted.
Rico at Technograph already looks ahead and wonders what the future holds for Friendster:
What exactly does Friendster mean by “social entertainment”? When I accidentally visited the Friendster login page while writing about the Friendster profile downloader, I noticed that the login was surrounded by advertisements for Friendster’s different games. Does this mean that the original social network will now present itself as an online gaming portal?
So here it is, the passing of another era in Philippine Internet history, the demise of Friendster, once the only social networking site Filipinos knew.

author: Julius Rocas


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Russia: Security Service Allegedly Exposed Data on Anti-Corruption Contributors · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

Andrei Malgin publishes [ru] stories and recordings of the bloggers who contributed via Yandex.Money (Russian analogue of PayPal) to Alexey Navalny's project “Rospil.info.” The contributors were contacted by the representatives of “Nashi” youth movement who knew all the details about their transfers. The blogger suggests that the Federal Security Service (FSB) requested private data on Navalny's contributors and then leaked it to “Nashi” in order to intimidate contributors.

author: Alexey Sidorenko


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South Korea: Surprising Election, as Twitter Draws Youth to Polls · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

South Korea's ruling Grand National Party suffered a crushing defeat in by-elections on April 27, demonstrating a widespread yearning for change, and to many also heralding the power of Twitter in the political landscape. Throughout the election, many young, progressive Twitter users uploaded so-called “vote confirmation photos” from the polls to prove they have cast a ballot, and encourage others to vote.
Image by Twitter user @mizry, Posted on Wiki Tree site (CC).
It was neither a presidential nor major parliamentary election, which means that young voters were not expected to make an impact. The average voting rates for by-elections are usually only about 30 percent, and in some regions even less. Young voters in their early 20s to late 30s usually vote least of all. But this year it was different.
University student, Lee Boo-hyun (@Bohyun422) also uploaded a vote confirmation photo.
A celebration of the right to vote
On April 27, starting from the early morning, young people queued at the polls braving the rain, while the Twittersphere buzzed with links to photos of people holding their official voter registration paper or voting receipt.
A photograph in front of a billboard telling the direction to the voting booth was another way of taking the photo. Other popular shots were to take a picture of the special national election voting stamp mark on thumbs or palms. Some overly enthusiastic people went a little too far, photographing the ballot inside the voting booth, which is illegal and carries a fine.
Power Tweeters in South Korea have played a tremendous role in encouraging young people to vote. South Korea's best-selling author and one of the country's most influential Twitter users, Lee Oi-soo with 739,469 followers, also  shared  his vote confirmation photo.
Vote Confirmation Photo of @oisoo by the voting room. Posted on Wiki Tree site (CC)
The Twitter voting campaign was not in support of any particular party or individual, but rather encouraged people, especially the youngest voters, to participate in the election. As a result, the election on April 27 experienced a higher than expected voter turnout of near 40 percent, a surge of approximately a 7 percent from the average since 2000.
One reason the voting rates for by-elections are usually extra low, is that people do not get the day off to vote. One local news report estimated [ko] that in order for an average office worker to cast a vote in a by-election, they have to get up at around 5:30 am in order to arrive at the poll by 6:30 am and get to work, which begins at 7 am.
Defeat for the ruling party
One candidate from the ruling conservative Grand National Party, suffered particular defeat in the election: Ohm Ki-young, a former news anchor president of network TV channel, MBC. Ohm has been harshly criticized for entering the conservative party, since many South Koreans remember his progressive opinions from his news program, and see the political shift as an opportunist move.
Sun Dae-in (@kennedian3), another power Tweeter with 37,500 followers, and assistant dean of the Kim Kwang-su Economic Research Institute, tweeted victoriously on the morning of April 28:
이번 선거에서 트위터 등 SNS의 위력을 다시 실감. 엄기영 후보의 부실한 실체는 SNS 타고 급속히 확산됐고, 높은 투표율도 트위터의 투표 독려 운동이 상당히 영향 미친 듯. 흩어진 물방울이 강물과 바다가 되게 하는 SNS
Sun commented further [ko] on Ohm's defeat:
최문순 지사 승리보다 엄기영 후보 패배가 매우 큰 의미 지닌다고 봅니다. 언론장악 시도에 맥없이 굴종한 기회주의자 심판, 불법부정선거에 대한 심판, 이미지 뒤에 숨은 부실한 실체 심판… 무엇보다 이를 SNS 주도로 해냈다는 점 말입니다.
Sun later added [ko] that more than 100 people have sent him their vote confirmation photo.
Lee Mi-ah (@miaendless) commented on Twitter [ko] that this by-election is a milestone case which showed an ever-widening gap between the traditional media and social media coverage.
신문과 티비뉴스 내용과 소셜미디어 유저들 사이에서 유통되는 콘텐츠의 시각차와 시차가 이처럼 극명하고도 빠르게 엇갈리는 선거판을 못봤다.주류언론에서 ‘엄숙한’ 분위기로 물타기에 축소가 난무하는 사이 소셜미디어에선 ‘투표소 인증샷'으로 세상이 바뀌었다.
This relatively new concept of a Twitter campaign has drawn serious warnings from the National Election Commission, which is not familiar with people's voluntary movements on Twitter.
Freelance journalist and the owner of a malguli (rice liquor) store, Lee Yo-yong (@yiyoyong) with nearly 5,000 Twitter followers tweeted [ko] that she was contacted by confused officials:
투표독려 이벤트 했다고, 무슨 의도냐고, 중앙선거관리위원회(선관위)에서 전화왔네요. 무슨 의도냐고. 특정 정당과 관계있냐고. 월향당은 도대체 뭐냐고[…]
Wol-hyang is the name of the liquor store owned by Lee, which helps to show the depth of the National Election Commission's confusion. In Korean Twittersphere, the word ‘party’ as in Democratic party or conservative party, has lost its political connotation and is being widely used to refer any gathering of like-minded people with similar interests. Many responded to Lee on Twitter, that this really shows that their social media guidelines are in need of an update [ko].

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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Sri Lanka: Its All About Accountability · Global Voices
Rezwan

Electra is unhappy that the Sri Lankan government has rejected the UN panel report on War Crimes and comments: “the issue that the Report focuses on, the very heart of it, is the question of accountability.”


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The Balkans: Most Influential ex-Yu Twitter Users · Global Voices
Filip Stojanovski

Dragan Varagić published his analysis of the most influential Twitter users [sr]  from Serbia, Croatia, Macedonia, Slovenia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Montenegro, done through manual selection and consulting ratings services.


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Trinidad & Tobago: “Bocas” a Success · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Bocas left me replete, yet hungry for more”: Lisa Allen-Agostini shares some of the highlights of the recently-concluded Bocas Lit Fest.


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A Blog on Music in Portuguese and Lusophone Artists · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

To learn about music in Portuguese or by Lusophone artists, visit Caipirinha Lounge [en, pt], a bilingual blog “born out of a sincere belief that Lusophone music should reach a much larger audience”.


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Arab World: “2011 is a Year That Will Be Marked in History” · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage The Death of Osama Bin Laden and Libya Uprising 2011.
It may only be May but a lot has happened in the last few months across the Arab world. After news of the operation in which Saudi terror mastermind Osama Bin Laden was killed in Pakistan by the US was announced yesterday, tweeps are left reflecting on the year that was.
Egyptian Wael Ghonim quips:
2011 is a year that will be marked in history. Its just May and all of this is happening! #Tunisia #Egypt #Libya #Yemen #Syria and now #OBL
Hanan Yousef, also from Egypt, appeals:
Dear 2011 please slow down! We can barely breathe
From Libya, Ibn Omar notes:
with the death of BinLadin… is this the year of the #ArabSpring or the #EvilArabFall?
And Ahmed Shihab-Eldin adds:
Just a hunch but I feel like looking back at 2011 will be the year that the world changed. #Obama #Binladen #OBL
Last but not least, Ali Al Saeed, from Bahrain notes:
Events have been escalating so relentlessly the past few months. Where is the world heading? At times it feels like being in a whirlwind.
This post is part of our special coverage The Death of Osama Bin Laden and Libya Uprising 2011.