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VIDEO: Guinea-Bissau Community Radio Serves People, Not Politics · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

Guinea-Bissau's community radio does much more than fill local airwaves with music, a recent documentary reveals.
Stations have saved lives during a cholera outbreak, fought against illegal logging, and pushed back against gender discrimination, all the while uniting local communities around the rich musicality of Guinea-Bissau, according to the 26-minute film “Voice of the Population” filmed in 2012 and released in February 2013.
The Dutch documentary, directed by Polish filmmaker Andrzej Kowalski and written by Lucia van den Bergh, aims to present “the path followed by the community radios in Guinea-Bissau, the challenges that have been raised throughout their development, their appropriation by the communities and the principles they follow”.
The full documentary is available on YouTube as well as in Portuguese and French:
Several leading figures from some of the 30 radio stations found throughout the country – even in the most isolated regions – are interviewed in the film. According to the documentary, today they represent the most popular media in Guinea-Bissau, and that is partly due to the boost that they have been given by Carlos Schwarz, director of the non-governmental organization Acção para o Desenvolvimento (Action for Development).
Screenshot of the documentary “The Voice of the Population”
In the film, Schwarz declares that community radios are a “fait accompli, they are a popular force”:
Estas rádios têm o apoio, têm as costas, vivem nas costas da população. E isso faz com que o poder tenha muitas dúvidas, muitas reservas em contestar ou querer silenciar estas rádios. E sobretudo porque estas rádios têm-se comportado com uma dignidade, com um profissionalismo, com um rigor político que ninguém pode dizer que estão ao serviço de partidos ou de interesses económicos. Mas de facto representam exclusivamente as preocupações das populações locais.
E isso é a grande força destas rádios e faz com que o governo muitas vezes – não as apoiando – também não as combata. A independência em relação aos interesses políticos e económicos é a pedra de toque das nossas rádios comunitárias. No dia em que elas abdicarem deste princípio, estão a condenar-se a si próprias e estão em vias de desaparecer.
These radios have the support, the backing of the population. And that gives government serious doubts and reservations about opposing or silencing these radios. Moreover, these radios have conducted themselves with the greatest dignity, professionalism, and political exactness, so that no one can say that they are serving [political] parties or economic interests. In fact the radios are the sole representatives of the concerns of local people.
That is the greatest force of these radios and because of it – even though the government may not support the radios – it will not attack them. Independence from political and economical vested interests is the key stone of our community radios. The day they wave that principle they will be condemning themselves to extinction.
“Voice of the Population” also shows the important role of community radios in promoting culture and strengthening democracy and citizenship. But radio broadcasters often go beyond this, reporting on or working on social, environmental or public health issues.
Such was the case of pioneering Rádio Voz Quelelé (Voice of Quelelé Radio), which during its debut year in 1994 alerted the population “in the several languages of the [Quelelé] neighborhood ethnicities” about preventative measures for a cholera outbreak. “The neighborhood became the least affected by this disease in Bissau, with only six confirmed cases”, explains the radio's blog:
O maior sucesso da rádio Voz de Quelele foi sem dúvida o combate à cólera, uma actividade que se baseou em duas vertentes: a) Organização da população para limpeza do bairro, remoção do lixo desinfecção do poços, evacuação dos doentes para o hospital (a AD teve um veículo sempre à disposição), desinfecção em casa dos doentes, visitas diárias dos membros do comité dos moradores a cada residência a fim de detectar casos de cólera; b) Sensibilização da população para uma maior higiene doméstica, para um maior e reforçado acompanhamento das crianças, para a explicação da origem e formas de propagação da doença.
“For the girls, it is harder”, says Elisa Gomes from the Voice of Quelelé in the documentary, referring to the domestic and family labor that prevent Guinean women from getting further involved in community radio. However, community radio makes efforts to encourage feminine participation, such as the creation of a group of “women radio broadcasters within the National Network of Community Radios (Rede Nacional das Rádios Comunitárias, RENARC).
With the title “Community radios: a tool for fighting against poverty and social exclusion in Guinea-Bissau” (pdf, 2010), an article by Adão Nhaga, former radio broadcaster and coordinator of several radio broadcasters in the country, calls for women to “actively get involved in the internal functioning of community radios”:
As mulheres têm que utilizar as Rádios Comunitárias enquanto processos populares, educativos, livres, participativos, interactivos, mostrando a diversidade e a riqueza dos diferentes movimentos associativos de mulheres, das diversas opções e práticas de desenvolvimento, das culturas próprias das mulheres de cada etnia enquanto elementos fundamentais da cidadania guineense e não da superioridade ou inferioridade de alguma delas em relação às outras. Daí que o desafio seja o de promover o acesso das mulheres à palavra para democratizar a sociedade.
According to an article published by AngolaPress, the documentary's writer Lucia van den Bergh has said that since a military coup in April 2012 resulted in the arrest of the country's president and presidential candidates, “self-censorship” in community radios programs has escalated:
“Mas não os fez desistir e eles continuam a divulgar o que está a acontecer”, realça, contando que “a população local, que quase não tem nada, apoia com algumas pilhas”.
Nevertheless, the documentary makes clear that “Guinea-Bissau is not only about coup d'etat, it is also people and good ideas”, as director Andrzej Kowalski stated.

author: Sara Moreira


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Hardline Buddhists Rise in Sri Lanka · Global Voices
Rezwan

Sri Lankan blogger Indi Samarajiva explains why Bodu Bala Sena, a hardline Buddhist organization, is gaining popularity in Sri Lanka.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Rezwan


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Bhutan on the Road to Becoming Fully Organic · Global Voices
Elia J. Ayoub

The Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan, famous for its “Gross National Happiness” Index instead of Gross Domestic Product, has set itself the task of becoming the first country in the world to become completely organic.
Jessica Carter, an Australian media and international development professional, shares the news in her blog “Red Shoes and Cobblestones”:
The small kingdom of 1.2 million people made an announcement that they would become the first wholly organic country in the world by banning the sale of chemical pesticides and fertilisers.
It’s not the first time that Bhutan’s approach has raised eyebrows, and that’s probably because it’s not the first time they’ve chosen a solution that bucks the trends being followed by the rest of the world.
Explaining that decision, the minister of agriculture and forests, a farmer himself, was quoted as saying quite simply that:
“We like to see plants happy and insects happy”
Agriculture in Bhutan contributes to 35.9% of GDP of the nation. Image from Flickr by Michael Foley. CC BY-NC-ND
Indian activist Aarthi Parthasarathy (@aarthipartha) tweeted:
@aarthipartha (Aarthi Parthasarathy): What is procedure to move to Bhutan? | Bhutan set to plough lone furrow as world's first wholly organic country http://gu.com/p/3dkfv/tw
Bhutan's online news site BBS has reported that the Buddhist Kingdom is putting in place a Bhutan Organic Certification System (BOCS) in order to “ensure that vegetables are 100 percent organic”. BBS interviewed a consultant with Bhutan's Agriculture and Food Regulatory Authority explaining how the BOCS works:
“We have developed a simple farmer’s diary which can be written in using Dzongkha …The farmers can note down their farm activities, where their seeds/manure are from, the type of bio-pesticides used. Every aspect of farming is documented…and verified by trained BAFRA inspectors by visiting the farms”, says a consultant with BAFRA, Dr.A Thimmaiah.”
BHT (@BHTFLASHNEWS) also announced that decision on Twitter:
@BHTFLASHNEWS (BHT Flashnews): News: A Bhutan Organic Certification System (BOCS) is being put in place to ensure that vegetables are 100 percent organic.
But as Singapore's Nanyang Technological University's Journalism Blog “Go Far Bhutan” reminded us that the challenges are great:
Many Bhutanese farmers live in remote villages, while others find that their crops do not thrive without pesticides and fertilizers. The country only produces 60 per cent of the crops it needs, never mind whether they are organic or not.
This weed grows wild in Bhutan and they feed it to pigs. Image by Flickr user Hockadilly. CC BY-NC
On the other hand, it is worth noting that according to news site “The Bhutanese”, Pema Gyamtsho, Bhutan's Minister of Agriculture and Forests, denied making such announcement officially in the first place after concerns raised by Opposition Leader Tshering Tobgay who was quoted as saying:
“It worries me because it’s a national pledge which can have huge impact on our farmers who are dependent on income from agricultural activities”
He further stated that while phasing out chemicals is a good idea, the reality on the ground makes its realization a hard task for the same reasons mentioned above.
“Some farmers can hardly produce sufficient food for personal consumption, let alone cash crops”
It is also worth noting that going fully organic is already being attempted in other parts of the world. Indeed, TreeHugger reported that the Indian State of Sikkim is already one-third of the way of being completely organic by 2015.
Sikkim's state agricultural minister was quoted in Calcutta's “The Telegraph” explaining how their process works:
The organic certification is a three-year process. Three agencies accredited to the APEDA issued C-1 certificates to 12,456 registered farmers who own 18,453 hectares in four districts of the state. The land gets the C-1 tag in the first year, followed by a C-2 in the second, and C-3 in the following years. The C-3 tag denotes that any crop produced on a particular plot is organic.
That being said, the very idea of Bhutan turning completely organic was received with enthusiasm among the world's netizens.
School Administrator Judith Renaud (@JudithRenaud) tweets that:
@JudithRenaud (Judith Renaud): Bhutan will show the world that we can defend our land, our food and ourselves against those who wish to poison us. http://bit.ly/YroO4m
Citizens Action Network members also announced their excitement on Facebook.
As to the Bhutanese reaction, “Go Far Bhutan” released this video report.

author: Elia J. Ayoub


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FIFA Vetoes Brazil’s Stadium Name · Global Voices
Raphael Tsavkko Garcia

Brazilian journalist Fernando Rodrigues complains [pt] about FIFA's veto of the name of a “Brazilian public stadium in Brasília, built with the money of tax payers”. The stadium is named after the famous 50's-60's football player “Mané” Garrincha. FIFA does not allow that name to be used during the 2014 World Cup, claiming that it is inadequate for an international audience.

author: Raphael Tsavkko Garcia


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Bird Flu is Not News on China’s State TV · Global Voices
Abby Liu

While Chinese social media is brimming with discussion of bird flu, Chinese state media CCTV news failed to mention anything about it, which has triggered sharp criticism online. CHINA DIGITAL TIMES has more details.

author: Abby Liu


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Traveling in Pre-Modern Southeast Asia  · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Southeast Asia Visions is a collection of historical travel narratives of pre-modern Southeast Asia from Cornell University Library's John M. Echols Collection. The digital collection includes 10,000 images, drawings, photographs, prints and maps.

author: Mong Palatino


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Podcast: China’s Apple Attack  · Global Voices
Abby Liu

Sinica discusses and analyzes the Chinese state media's two-week attack on Apple's service policy as part of a campaign for Chinese consumers.


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Russia’s Regional NGOs “Audited” by Prosecutor · Global Voices
Andrey Tselikov

DemVybor activists in the regional city of Voronezh reported on the DemVybor blog [ru] that local NGOs are being audited by the city prosecutor's office. The four organizations being targeted are all members of the Human Rights House of Voronezh [ru]: they are the Youth Human Rights Movement, the Inter-regional Human Rights Group, the ECOSOCIS Fund, and the Center for the Development of Public Initiatives. Article20.org [ru], a human rights news network has published [ru] a PDF scan of the prosecutor's request for information from ECOSOCIS. The request reads:
Прокуратурой области по заданию Генеральной прокуратуры Российской Федерации проводится проверка исполнения законодательства о некоммерческих организациях и противодействии экстремистской деятельности.
The regional prosecutor's office, at the request of the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation, is conducting an audit of efforts to abide by legislation on NGOs and countering extremism.
Voronezh Prosecutor's Office letterhead. Screenshot, April 7, 2013.
The type of information requested is essentially all financial and administrative documents, including, of course, the money received by the organization from abroad. The new legislation is ostensibly designed to make such foreign funding more transparent. Some say, however, that it is aimed at stopping the flow of foreign money to Russian NGOs altogether.
More interestingly, the prosecutor is asking for specific information regarding the group's public activities, a generic question that seems to be aimed at the “anti-extremist” portion of the law, but at the same time reads like the instructions for a grantee undergoing performance review by its fund:
15) информацию об организованных и произведенных организацией массовых публичных мероприятиях (митинги, демонстрации, шествия, пикетирования, собрания), а также о массовых мероприятиях, в которых организацией принято участие. Дайте краткий анализ массовых мероприятий, цели и результаты их проведения.
15) information on mass public events (rallies, demonstrations, marches, pickets, meetings) organized and conducted by the organization, as well as mass events that the organization has taken part in. Give a brief analysis of the mass events, their goals, and the results of holding them.
Perhaps the Voronezh prosecutor's office simply wants to get local NGOs to review how well they are addressing their mission statements! It's likely that after submitting all the required documents, the NGOs in question will have a much better idea of their own cost-effectiveness. That's, of course, if they don't get shut down first.

author: Andrey Tselikov


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Will Malaysian General Elections Bring Change?  · Global Voices
Jerrenn Lam

The Malaysian Parliament was  dissolved by Prime Minister Najib Razak on April 3, 2013 paving the way for the 13th general election in the country.
In his blog, the Prime Minister wrote about his vision for Malaysia, and talked about his government’s track record. Barisan Nasional, the ruling coalition, has been in power for many decades already:
I want to share with you my vision for Malaysia. It is a vision of a confident nation: one that celebrates its differences, and draws strength from its diversity; where economic growth brings more profitable businesses, more employment, and better lives; where political reform brings greater security and freedom; and where national unity brings stability and prosperity.
Our track record shows that we are a government that delivers and keeps its promises. I want us to be proud of what we have achieved, and ignore those who try and talk Malaysia down. There is still much work to be done. But our country has made great progress over the past four years and we should be proud of that. We expect to become a high-income nation by 2018 – two years ahead of schedule – which is a remarkable achievement.
This is real change. But our national transformation is still only a story half told. With a strong mandate at this election, we can finish the job. This election is not about the past, it is about the future. It is about the country we want to be. The choice before you is between competing pictures of our future. One is pessimistic and divided, the other clear and optimistic. One is unprepared and full of uncosted and empty promises, the other methodical and fully tested.
An election banner by the ruling party during the 2008 elections. Photo from Flickr page of angshah, used under CC License
However, many Malaysians do not share that view, and Vincent Loy was one of them:
Time for change. I have mentioned it a lot of time. The current ruling coalition had been given 56 years of mandate to govern the country. Yes, the country observed steady economic progress (but not as good as many others) but with corruption and ‘dark’ political plays behind plus with inefficiency of the government, there has to be a ‘stop’ for all that. It’s seriously the time to at least give the opposition a chance, for a term of five years to try, for a fresh new change to the country. If the opposition can’t perform also, then we will bring them down too.
Financial Sith Lord, however, was also doubtful about the opposition pact Pakatan Rakyat’s (PR) ability to deliver on its promises:
The questions in my mind are these.. Can BN continue to bring positive and total changes to the country? Can Pakatan rule effectively if they were given the chance? Put aside all political promises, lies and bullshits.. When the shovel comes to shove, can Pakatan deliver? We have seen BN deliver and fail, but have we seen Pakatan deliver?
What say you?
The Rambling Trio also offered a neutral stance:
Let's start with PR, what if they win? My prediction is that the country will be in the state of chaos. To what extent, I am not sure but I would place my bet that riots will be a common story in the news. This is because things isn't easy when a government that has been in power for more than 50 years goes down… Will they leave peacefully? How much things have been hidden and kept secret may be dug again. Aside from that, the government coalition at that time, the PR isn't solid enough that issues which are currently still unsolved might crack the coalition, perhaps. Processes for businesses will get tougher as things are based on merit which is good but I am sure some business owner will not be happy.
Some reacted to the news on Twitter using the hashtag #ge13:
An election polling place in Malaysia in 2008. Photo from Flickr page of owaief89, used under CC License
@nikicheong: Good luck to all candidates. My wish is for free and fair elections, and may the people's choice win. Bring it on. #GE13
@hafizhamidun: For me, Pas or umno or keadilan or whatsoever parties for #GE13 , as long as they are playing clean, they will win. Wait, dirts everywhere!
@Al_Apun Hope 4 this coming #ge13 is the govt will be change. Enough is enough. So long @NajibRazak and gang. #jomubah
@hannahyeoh From prison to 3 April 2013 @anwaribrahim is one step closer to becoming our new PM!
The chairman of the Election Commission of Malaysia said that a general election must be held on May 28, 2013.

author: Jerrenn Lam


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An Iranian Blogger’s Hunger Strike in Question · Global Voices
Farid

Mehdi Khazali source: doostaranedrkhazali.blogspot.com
350 Iranian bloggers, political and civil society activists co-signed a letter last week warning that the life of publisher, physicist and blogger, Mehdi Khazali is in grave danger after he has been on hunger strike for more than 90 days.
But while some bloggers warn that Mehdi Khazali’s life is danger, there are also those who question whether he is really on hunger strike.
Khazali is the son of a leading right-wing cleric and former Counsel of Guardians member, Ayatollah Khazali. He was arrested together with several participants of a writer's association called Saraye Ghalam.
Iranian blogger Freedomseeker [fa] explains the rumours:
… one of main reasons that people do not believe in Khazali’s hunger strike is that more than a year ago, it was announced that he had been on hunger strike for 67 days. Shortly after he was released by order of Ayatholah Ali Khamenei, the Islamic Republic’s Leader, Khazali started his weekly mountain hiking and urged people to take part in parliamentary elections. In the photos published from his mountain hiking, there was no visible sign of a long hunger strike and he appeared in good shape… His past activities with the regime made some people suspect the regime is in the process of creating fake opposition.
Not everyone shares this belief. An online petition calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Mehdi Khazali:
Mehdi Khazali renews hunger strike. Mehdi Khazali, a jailed Iranian physician and blogger, has begun his sixth round of a hunger strike in Evin Prison. Mehdi Khazali was last arrested in November of 2012 after security forces attacked a writer’s gathering. Kaleme reports that Khazali had broken his earlier strike when prison authorities promised to meet his demands. However, a lack of commitment to those promises and the persistent “illegal treatment of prisoners by the interrogators and judiciary officials” have led Khazali into another hunger strike.
Irane Azad writes[fa] that the same people who make fun of  Mehdi Khazali’s hunger strike, if he dies tomorrow, will call him martyr. These people boycotted the presidential election in 2009 but after the Green Movement [protest movement] erupted, they became supporters on the frontline.
Meanwhile, blogger 666Sabz warns[fa],”People! A person is dying in prison.”

author: Farid


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China: Death of a News Censor · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

David Bandurski from China Media Project blogs about the life of Zeng Li, a “content examiner” at Southern Weekly, who had recently passed away. Before his retirement, he wrote a farewell letter to his colleagues with remorse about his role as news censor.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Chinese Lawyer Detained After Defending Falun Gong Member · Global Voices
Abby Liu

The Chinese law community is up in arms after prominent human rights lawyer Wang Quanzhang was detained at Jinjiang court in eastern Jiangsu province after defending the case of a Falun Gong practitioner.
Wang was ordered to remain in judicial custody on April 4, 2013 for 10 days for “disrupting court order” during the trial. He was released two days later.
The Falun Gong spiritual discipline, which has been persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party since 1999, is one of the most sensitive topics in China. Wang is known for daring to take on difficult cases such as these. Last year, he was dragged out of a court in China after he tried to defend a Falun Gong practitioner.
News of Wang’s detention spread quickly on China’s most popular microblogging site Sina Weibo, with many lawyers calling his arrest an abuse of the court's power and a move to suppress lawyers.
Lawyers demonstrate for Wang's immediate release in front of Jinjiang court. Photo from Sina Weibo.
The next day, a group of lawyers travelled to the court to demand an explanation for Wang's detention. They signed a letter [zh] to the court that reads:
如果不立即纠正，将会在国内国际造成极其严重的负面影响，严重损害中国司法形象，并将极大的打击甚至摧毁人们建设法治国家的信心。
If this case is not immediately set right, it will have a very negative impact nationally and internationally, It will harm the image of the Chinese judiciary, it will undermine or destroy the people’s trust in the nation under the rule of law.
After Wang was released, the Jingjiang court explained in online statement posted on its website that it had cut the 10-day sentence short because the detention had already served its purpose as a punishment.
But many lawyers believed the court released him because of public pressure. Wang announced [zh] on his Weibo account that he had asked for a judicial review of his detention. He also wrote:
本人在正常履行职务的过程中，遭遇司法拘留，这不仅是个人权利和自由遭受的侵害，更是中国执业律师环境恶化的一个缩影。
While peforming my duty legally as a lawyer, I suffered judicial custody, this is not only a violation of individual rights and freedom, but also a microcosm of the degradation of the working environment for Chinese lawyers.
Wang’s release didn't stop many lawyers from worrying about the country's legal reality. Lawyer Yang Xuelin commented [zh] on Weibo:
王全章律师被释放，我感到欣慰，但无法欢呼。因为从抓人到放人的两天多时间，法治途径已被堵死。为何抓人？为何放人？都是法律之外的因素。特别是放人，官方竟然说是“已起到惩戒作用，无继续拘留的必要”，这玩笑开大了。没有汹涌澎湃的民间死磕，鬼才相信你会主动放人。
I was relieved after Wang's release, but I'm not happy. From Wang's arrest to his release, the rule-of-law approach has been blocked. Why arrest him? Why release him? All because of factors other than the law. Especially the official release says “[It] has served its purpose as a punishment without the need for further detention. This is such a big joke. Without the public pressure and lawyers’ protest, who believes that they would have taken the initiative to release Wang?
Law professor Zhang Yibin confirmed [zh] Yang's thoughts:
律师没有胜利，法治没有胜利。自始至终法院不敢公开事实真相，从未承认错误。如此蒙混过关，难保以后变本加厉打击报复。这次事件全凭律师自发救援，网友自发声援，自始至终未见律师主管部门司法部和律协发挥应有的作用，如此现状，令广大律师寒心，难道每次维权都要采取这样的方式吗?
Lawyers have no victory, the rule of law has no victory. From the beginning to the end, the court did not dare release the truth or admit its mistake. If they get away with it this time, there is no guarantee that this not going to intensify retaliation in the future. This incident solely relied on the lawyers’ and netizens’ spontaneous rescue. Neither the Department of Justice nor the Lawyers’ Association played its due role. Such a situation makes lawyers chill, do we have to defend our rights this way every time?


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Colombians to March for Peace  · Global Voices
Cati Restrepo

Former senator Piedad Córdoba has called [es] for a march in favor of peace for April 9, 2013. The event seeks to ask the Colombian government to continue carrying out peace talks with FARC until they agree to a cease fire. There are several hashtags dedicated to the march [es] on Twitter: #9deAbrilporlaPaz [April 9 for peace], #Ahorasílapaz [Peace now], and #SomosGeneracióndePaz [We are a generation of peace].

author: Cati Restrepo


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Japan’s First Non-Profit Radio Turns 10 · Global Voices
Keiko Tanaka

The first non-profit community radio station to be licensed for broadcast in Japan made its debut a decade ago out of a small corner cafe in Kyoto city. Kyoto Sanjo Radio Cafe [ja], FM 79.7 on the dial, celebrated its 10-year anniversary on March 31, 2013. They aired a program to talk about how things have been in the community since the first broadcast.
FM79.7 Kyoto Sanjo Radio Cafe celebrates 10 year anniversary on March 31, 2013

author: Keiko Tanaka


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Hong Kong’s Malaysians Go Home to Vote · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

A group of Malaysians in Hong Kong set up a Facebook page to urge fellow Malaysians to return home to vote for the general election.


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Outbreak of New Avian Flu Kills Six in China · Global Voices
Owen Guo

In China, a strain of avian flu never before seen in humans has so far infected 21 people, with six deaths, putting health authorities on high alert and prompting fears among many Chinese of the disease spreading.
The first reported death associated with the H7N9 virus was an 87-year-old man who died March 4, 2013 in the commercial hub of Shanghai, a city of some 20 million residents. More cases were soon diagnosed in the neighbouring Zhejiang, Anhui, and Jiangsu provinces, sparking speculation that nearly 15,000 dead pigs found in a Shanghai river last month might have contributed to the outbreak.
The Chinese government has so far rebuffed [zh] any correlation. An official investigation is underway to pinpoint the source of the virus and exactly how humans have contracted it.
In Shanghai, officials ordered the slaughter of more than 20,000 birds at a local food market on March 5, 2013 where the H7N9 virus was detected in samples taken from pigeon a day earlier. The city also suspended live poultry trade to prevent further spread of the virus.
Two days later in Nanjing, the capital city of Jiangsu where six human cases of H7N9 were detected, authorities followed suit by shutting down all live poultry trade markets in the city.
Sina Weibo, China's equivalent of Twitter, has been abuzz as users speculated about the origin of the virus, criticized mainland media's coverage of the outbreak, and drew comparisons between H7N9 and the country's SARS outbreak a decade ago. The topic has generated some four million comments so far and was among the top 3 trending topic on April 7, 2013.
Yiyi Chuang Jianghu from Henan wondered on the microblogging service about the relationship between the dead pigs and the virus:
好想知道死猪与H7N9有无关系。。
I very much want to know if the dead pigs were related to H7N9…
Shanghai top headlines, a Weibo account dedicated to updates of H7N9 information, questioned:
#H7N9#@施力勤: 江苏南通一例，在救护车上已死亡（@任伟NICKY），H7N9重灾区同时也是发现大量死猪区域，没有联系吗？
#H7N9# @ShiLiqin: There was once case in Nantong of Jiangsu, [the patient] died in the ambulance (@RenweiNICKY), the hardest hit areas of H7N9 are the areas where lots of dead pigs were found, is there no correlation?
The discovery of human cases of H7N9 invoked memories of the outbreak severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003, which emerged from China and was initially covered up before it spiraled into a global health crisis that claimed some 800 lives worldwide.
Traditional Chinese media this time have responded with relatively more transparency and openness to the avian influenza than it did with SARS. Newspapers have run articles updating infection numbers and calling on people to avoid live poultry.
But the country's state-run media CCTV was one notable exception. The broadcaster's widely watched 7 p.m. Xinwen Lianbo news program on April 5, 2013 made no mention of the H7N9 avian influenza, drawing criticism online for its silence.
Prominent Chinese writer Li Chengpeng offered his mixed feelings on Weibo about the media coverage:
禽流感各国都有，时时也爆发，全球医界也没神药。可别人信息透明，这里却总辟谣+捂盖子。说实话这次透明度超过 10年前非典，但仍不够，因面对重大疫情，你除了解决疫情本身还要缓解惶惶民心。这才是常态治国。呼吁去亚马逊看雨林的央视今晚多报道疫情。别老伸话筒 问：你幸福吗。我只好答：我幸……存。
Avain influenza happens in every country, and every now and then, the medical circles still don't have effective medicines. But information is transparent in other countries whereas here what we do is refute rumors and cover things up. To be frank, information transparency has surpassed that of ten years ago, but it is still not enough, in the face of a major epidemic, you need to calm a jittery public apart from solving the epidemic itself. This is what a country needs to do. I pledge that CCTV should report on the epidemic instead of broadcasting rainforests in the Amazon. Don't stick out your mic and ask, “Are you happy?” I can only answer: “I …. survived.”
Guan Qingyou commented on the parallels between SARS and H7N9 avian influenza:
经历过SARS，因而我们对H7N9充 满恐惧。十年轮回，经济都处于新周期的起点。目前尚不知H7N9是否会广泛传播，故很难量化经济影响。首先冲击心理。节前港股暴跌即与此有关；其次影响消 费。人们会减少外出就餐、出行、旅游，消费本已羸弱，此次雪上加霜。再次影响工业。中间会有时滞，也要视H7N9传播程度。
We are very fearful of H7N9 because we've gone through SARS[ten years’ ago]. Ten years’ later, China's economy has taken on a new starting point. It's now unclear if H7N9 will spread widely, so it's hard to quantify its impact on the economy. First, psychological impact will take effect. The plunging of Hong Kong stocks before the holiday had something to do with this. Second, consumption will be affected. People will cut back on eating outside and travelling, consumption is already very weak, [the avian influenza] adds insult to the injury. Then industrial output will be affected. There might be suspensions now and then, all dependent on the intensity of H7N9's spread.

author: Owen Guo


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Papoleto Meléndez: ‘Poetry Enters You Because It Is Looking for a Voice’ · Global Voices
Yarisa Colon

*This interview is reproduced the way it was done, in “Spanglish,” a mix of Spanish and English. The Spanish portions have been translated into English for this article.
Studying the Nuyorican movement is essential, as is well known to those who search for freedom through writing [Nuyorican is the name given to Puerto Ricans from/in New York]. For this very reason we celebrate the extraordinary career of poet Jesús “Papoleto” Meléndez, one of the fathers of the Nuyorican literary movement, who just released the poetic collection entitled Hey Yo!, Yo Soy! 40 Years of Nuyorican Street Poetry.
Thanks to the work of 2Leaf Press and translations by Adam Wier, Carolina Fung Feng and Marjorie González, Meléndez's first three books of poems  –Casting Long Shadows (1970), Have You Seen Liberation (1971), and Street Poetry & Other Poems (1972)– are now available in English and Spanish.
This book will travel from the Spanish Harlem “El Barrio”, New York, to Latin America, Africa, Europe, and the entire world to “create a more free world through the rebellion that brews even in the smallest acts,” explains Myrna Nieves, Puerto Rican writer and editor based in New York.
Below we share portions of a conversation with Jesús “Papoleto” Meléndez where we can appreciate not only his linguistic freedom, but also his poetic, aesthetic and even spiritual vision in the most human sense of the word.
Global Voices (GV): Let's talk about your poetry.
Jesús Papoleto Meléndez (JPM):  Yo la llamo still life poetry porque son como las pinturas still life. Mis poemas son así…Es como si la vida se quedará quieta para el momento del poema.
Jesús Papoleto Meléndez (JPM): I call it still life poetry because they are like still life paintings. My poems are like that…It is as if life will remain quiet at the moment of the poem.
GV:  What do you call the poetic/visual technique that you have developed through out the years?
JPM: Cascadance.
GV: In one of the first poems in the book you talk about sitting in front of an open window.
JPM: Ese es el primer poema que yo escribí en mi vida.
JPM: That is the first poem that I wrote in my life.
GV: How old were you?
JPM: Let me see we had moved to the Bronx when I wrote that. I was about 15.
GV: Did you print and bind your poems at the printer in the school where you studied?
JPM: By the time I graduated from Morris High Shcool, I had printed the three books. I remember it was a crazy summer. Escribí los tres libros, uno detrás del otro.  I was very productive, and then all hell broke loose; and I stopped being productive because life got in the way, that is what I say…
JPM: By the time I graduated from Morris High Shcool, I had printed the three books. I remember it was a crazy summer. I wrote the three books, one after the other.  I was very productive, and then all hell broke loose; and I stopped being productive because life got in the way, that is what I say…
GV: Do you hear a voice when you write?
JPM: Yeah, I do hear a voice, and I hear the placement. It’s not play time…
Yo voy entonando los poemas mientras van saliendo de mí…pero el poema está controlando todo. Yo lo estoy tratando de oir.  Yo no estoy creando la voz del poema, estoy dejando que el poema haga eso.
La poesía entra en tí porque está buscando voz. Vuela por el cosmos buscándola. Tiene propósito, pero no tiene voz.
JPM: Yeah, I do hear a voice, and I hear the placement. It's not play time…
I set the tone for the poems as they come out of me…but the poem is controlling everything. I am trying to hear it. I am not creating the voice of the poem, I am letting the poem do that.
Poetry enters you because it is looking for a voice. It flies through the cosmos looking for it. It has a purpose, but it does not have a voice.
GV: So poetry is closely related to your spirituality.
JPM: When people make statements like: “oh, it's easy to write poetry,” [I say] it might be easy to write poetry for you right now, but if you keep writing poetry is going to get harder.  The reason why it's easy for you is because you haven’t dug deep into that hole. You know, the more you know the harder it is to express it.
I think that we are spiritual beings having a human experience. You see, so we came here specifically to have a human experience. Now, where we came from?  We came from whatever the hell the cosmos is about; we are all part of that…Now, we have two mandates. There are two rules to our existence. One is live as long as you can. You see, stay alive, don’t get hurt. Why? So that you can meet the mission.  The mission is to gather as much information as possible…
GV: How do you associate these ideas into our daily life?
JPM: You have to think outside of the box, and you are the box. The reason why we have a body is so that we can interact, otherwise we be going right through each other like we normally do…We need to ground our spirit so it can interact…
GV:  The poems that you wrote in the 60s and 70s continue to be relevant. Sometimes one wonders how much the situation has changed, particularly in New York.
JPM: En esa época nosotros no teníamos mucho apoyo. Básicamente acabábamos de llegar, so we had to defend ourselves and we had to create. There was no favoritism, a ellos [the system] no le gustaba ciertos latinos más que otros. They hated everybody.
The only way to survive is by [creating] community.  So when we wrote and created art we did it to preserve our culture, enrich ourselves, fortify ourselves to go against the system.
Nowadays, people don’t have that struggle.  We have the benefits of everything that happened…They are writing for themselves, but they say they are writing for the people.
JPM: At that time we did not have much support. Basically we had just arrived, so we had to defend ourselves and we had to create. There was no favoritism, they [the system] did not like certain Latinos more than others. They hated everybody.
The only way to survive is by [creating] community.  So when we wrote and created art we did it to preserve our culture, enrich ourselves, strengthen ourselves to go against the system.
Nowadays, people don’t have that struggle.  We have the benefits of everything that happened…They are writing for themselves, but they say they are writing for the people.
GV: Although you are one of the founders of the Nuyorican movement, you see poetry beyond categories, labels.
JPM: La poesía siempre es más de lo que se supone que sea…Poetry had to be an initial form of communication because it is brief and concise.  But now in modern society it becomes the bastard of literature. It becomes this stepping stone.
JPM: Poetry is always more than what it is thought to be…Poetry had to be an initial form of communication because it is brief and concise.  But now in modern society it becomes the bastard of literature. It becomes this stepping stone.
GV: Circling back to the anthology, Hey Yo!, Yo Soy! 40 Years of Nuyorican Street Poetry, what was its translation process like?
JPM: Fue challenging y exciting.  Cuando nosotros planificamos [la publicación de] este libro no pensábamos traducirlo al español.  Inicialmente, the publisher Gabrielle David, solo pensó en publicar mi primer libro. She deserves a lot of credit, not only for the vision but for her drive and her knowledge.
JPM: It was challenging and exciting.  When we planned [the publication of] this book we did not think to translate it to Spanish. Initially, the publisher Gabrielle David, only thought to publish my first book. She deserves a lot of credit, not only for the vision but for her drive and her knowledge.
We invite you to watch Jesús “Papoleto” Meléndez in the following video, and call 1-630-4-A-Rhyme (“Dial-A-Rhyme”), where you can listen to him read his poems.

author: Yarisa Colon


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Students of Northeast India Protest Imposition of Hindi Language · Global Voices
Lakshmi Sarah

In India, language politics have a long history. According to The Economist, the number of languages spoken in India is 438. However, the constitution recognizes only 22 scheduled languages.
Controversy arose as Delhi University has recently made it compulsory for students to study one paper in Hindi or any Modern Indian Language listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution (Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam and Manipuri). Mandatory Hindi or any “Modern Indian language“ (MIL) would be difficult for the students who speak neither Hindi nor any of the modern Indian languages.
Islamabad based Indian journalist Rezaul Hasan Laskar @Rezhasan says on Twitter:
@Rezhasan (Rezaul Hasan Laskar): @rakeshmani Still no reason for folks in North India to impose Hindi on a lot of us who don't speak the language. @MrSamratX
Students protest the imposition of Hindi and Modern Indian Languages, Image courtesy NEFIS Delhi Facebook Page
The North-East Forum for International Solidarity (NEFIS) organized a protest of around 200 people against the imposition of Hindi/Modern Indian languages upon the students of the North-East. It was reported in the Manipur news and Sanhati:
No one from the administration came out to meet us despite our constant appeal to discuss the issue. We were manhandled by the security outside the office and sexist abuses were hurled at women students.
NEFIS Coordinator Chinglen Khumukcham told Business Standard that the University is ill-equipped to teach the MILs so Hindi would be the automatic choice:
There would be problems even for the communities that speak MILs like Manipuri, Assamese etc because the infrastructure and faculty strength for these languages is too small to be able to cover the whole of university.
The Asian Centre for Human Rights has reportedly filed a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) against the introduction of Hindi as a mandatory subject in Delhi University.
The NEFIS has submitted a memorandum to the vice chancellor of DU saying the imposition of Hindi or MILs upon the students of the North-East is unfair as most of these languages are alien to them. Protests on the issue have been held on March 22 and March 25. Khumukcham also said:
This gross neglect of the special needs of the students of the North-East is not a new thing. It is our observation that in the framing of university polices the interests of the students from the North-East is always neglected. It is for this reason that we made this fresh instance of bias an occasion for us to rise above community lines and put forward a united protest to safeguard our common interests.
North Eastern States Of India. Image courtesy NEFIS Delhi Facebook page
A Tamil blog commented:
Its Good to see youth from North-East actively voicing against Hindi imposition… Hopefully youth from various linguistic groups could start networking with each other, towards our common goal of bringing constitutional amendment that no single language is sole official language of union, all 8th Schedule Languages are official language of union and the lethargy of updating 8th schedule list must be condemned and be updated regularly.
Students are now gearing up for additional protests on the 10 of April, according to Time for Change India and the Facebook Page Stop Discriminating People From the North-East India.

author: Lakshmi Sarah


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Tactical Tech’s Info-Activism Camp: Apply! · Global Voices
Solana Larsen

Tactical Tech's 2013 Info Activism Camp in northern Italy (23-30 June) will explore how digital technologies, data and visuals can be used to influence society. Only 80 spots available, apply before April 15.

author: Solana Larsen


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King of Spain’s Swiss Bank Accounts No Longer a Secret · Global Voices
Lourdes Sada

In the last few months, numerous scandals have been uncovered in Spain that reveal the extent to which its business and political elite have been pillaging the country's assets and moving the profits to tax havens in which this ill-gotten money remains hidden and idle. At the same time, several scandals [es] have hit the monarchy, causing people to look askance at an institution that until the start of the crisis was mostly well respected in the country.
The latest of these scandals, which El Mundo made public on March 31, has exposed the existence of various Swiss bank accounts under the names of the king of Spain and other members of the royal family [es], with a total balance of more than 728 million pesetas, or over 4 million euros.
Don Juan and Doña María de Borbón with their four children: Alfonso, Juan Carlos, Margarita and Pilar. Photo from the blog lareinadecorazones.com
According to the paper, these accounts are part of the inheritance that the king's father, Don Juan de Borbón, left to his children, which he would have in part inherited from his father, King Alfonso XIII, who was expelled from Spain in 1931. From then until General Franco's death, the Spanish royal family lived in exile (in France, Italy, Switzerland and Portugal), so in principle it should not be surprising that their assets were held overseas.
What still seems unclear to many Spaniards is why after so many years (Don Juan returned to Spain in 1981 and died in 1993) these accounts remain in Switzerland, when no member of the royal family lives there. Another crumbling story is the supposed “poverty” that the Bourbons lived through during their years in exile, as all historians until now have agreed that Don Juan and his family lived practically on the largess of wealthy monarchists, even encountering financial hardship. As Rogelio Delgado recounts on his blog Otras esquinas [es],
Ricardo Mateos, autor del libro “Estoril, los años dorados”, recibió el testimonio de muchos de los personajes más cercanos al entorno de don Juan y de doña María, todos ellos coincidentes en una afirmación rotunda: “No tenían un duro”
Ricardo Mateos, author of the book “Estoril, The Golden Years,” interviewed many of the people closest to Don Juan and Doña María's circle, all of whom categorically agreed: “They didn't have a cent”
Palace of La Magdalena, in Santander (Spain). Photo from the blog laspain.com
We now know that Don Juan, in his capacity as Prince of Asturias (heir to the Spanish throne), received cash, jewelry, stocks and properties like the island of Cortegada [es], and the palaces of Miramar [es] and La Magdalena [es] after his father's death. According to several authors, these properties should never have been passed to Don Juan because they were given to Alfonso XIII in his capacity as king and not as an individual, and thus belonged to the National Patrimony.
Also unclear to Spaniards is whether the Swiss accounts that are now the property of the king and his sisters have been filed with the Spanish authorities and taxed accordingly. Several political parties have requested information about these accounts from Parliament [es], although the Department of Finance asserted that:
(…) el Ministerio de Hacienda está sujeto a la ley general tributaria, que no permite difundir datos de obligados tributarios, y una pregunta parlamentaria tampoco permitiría saltarse esto.
… the Department of Finance is subject to the tax code, which does not allow the dissemination of taxpayer data, and even a parliamentary request would not permit us to bypass that.
The opacity surrounding the royal family's finances and the fact that the monarchy falls outside of the future transparency law put forth by the government seems to be increasingly irritating the Spanish people and doing great damage to the institution, which neither the government nor the royal family seem able to perceive, and the consequences of which are difficult to predict.
The people's anger can be seen in the comments left under this story in various news sources. In La república [es], Sento comments:
¿Alguien esperaba otra cosa de esta tropa?
Did anyone expect anything different from this bunch?
In El mundo [es], BENITOPITO says:
“monarquía corrupta e insensible con los dramas sociales de los ciudadanos” ___ esta frase resume muy bien lo que está pasando desde hace bastantes años. La jugada de la democracia fue muy oportuna y muy oportunista, pero cuando se vio el blindaje económico, político y de responsabilidad penal de la familia real, entonces caímos en la cuenta de cómo habían jugado con nosotros, que somos más de 40 millones, y durante casi 40 años. (…)
“a corrupt monarchy that is numb to the social catastrophes of its citizens” ___ this sentence summarizes well what has been happening for many years. The move toward democracy was very opportune and very opportunistic, but when the shield surrounding the economic, political and criminal liability of the royal family became clear, then we realized how they had played us, we who are more than 40 million strong, for almost 40 years….
In the same paper, parmenides64 says:
Pues no esta tan mal la herencia para una persona a quien no se le conoce haber tenido un empleo en su vida.
Well not such a bad inheritance for someone who is not known to have ever held a job in his life.
On Twitter, Miquel A Soler Neira writes:
@MASolerNeira: Si el dinero en Suiza es de una herencia y en 20a [años] no has reparado en traerlo al país del que eres Rey, no pasa nada, no?
@MASolerNeira: If the money in Switzerland is from an inheritance and in 20 years you haven't brought it into the country in which you are King, no big deal, right?
Francisco Guerra Caballero and Felipe J. González commented on elplural.com [es]:
Republican flags waved during a protest against banks. Photo from Facebook page «Alternativas a la banca tradicional.»
Francisco Guerra Caballero:
Y todo eso sin tributar en españa ni un solo centimo, pero para eso estamos los currantes de este pais para levantar un imperio en nombre de los borbones.
Francisco Guerra Caballero:
And all this without paying even a single cent in taxes to Spain, but for that we are this country's workers who have raised an empire on behalf of the bourbons.
Felipe J González:
Conducta ejemplar, preconizaba aquí el Juan Car en el palique de fin de año.. Hay que tener mucho temple, que diría Watson.
Felipe J González:
Exemplary conduct, Juan Car called for here in his end of year chat.. One must have mettle, as Watson would say.
In the light of these developments, more people are calling for the abdication of King Juan Carlos, whom some already consider obsolete. Of these voices, the monarchists support abdication in favor of his son Felipe, but the number of Spaniards who claim the right to elect their head of state through a democratic system is growing. As has been the case at various points in Spain's history, at times the future of the monarchy seems dim.

author: Lourdes Sada


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65 Years After the Deir Yassin Massacre  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Israel blogger Elizabeth Tsurkov tweets:
@Elizrael: Today is the 65th anniversary of the Deir Yassin Massacre, one of the worst crimes ever committed by armed Israelis

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Protesting Electricity and Water Cuts in Yemen  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Anger march to protest electricity and water cuts in Yemen. Photograph shared on Twitter by @Alaalsam
Yemeni blogger Alaa Isam shares this photograph of a protest in Malla, in Aden, against water and electricity cuts. He adds:
@alaaIsam: 27 hours the #water off and 8 hours #power off in #aden – what?s going on ?


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Bahrain Anti-Government Protests for Equality  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

From Bahrain, where the ongoing anti-government protests are portrayed in mainstream media as a Sunni/Shia sectarian clash, blogger Nader AbdulEman writes [ar]:
أنا الطائفي الذي اريد حكومة منتخبة أنا الطائفي الذي ارفض التمييز وأطلب العدل والمساواة أنا الطائفي أطلب برلمان كامل الصلاحيات
@NaderAbdulEmam: I am the sectarian who wants an elected government. I am the sectarian who refuses discrimination and calls for justice and equality. I am the sectarian who demands a fully empowered parliament.


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Bermuda: Is Thatcherism the Living Dead?   · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The politics and economics of neoliberalism have been shown to…have failed.  And yet neoliberalism continues, zombie-like.  A living-dead socio-economic system.
In one of the few Caribbean blog posts acknowledging the death of former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher, Catch-a-fire sympathizes with her loved ones, but maintains that Thatcher's politics were “very much in opposition to [his] entire worldview.”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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China Sings the Iron Lady’s Praises · Global Voices
Abby Liu

Chinese state media and social media are brimming with admiration for former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. She died on April 8, 2013 at the age of 87 after a stroke.
Thatcher, who took office in 1979, was Britain's first female leader and the first woman to lead a major western power. During her 11 years as prime minister, the conservative politician ordered dramatic deregulation of Britain's stagnant economy, weakened the power of labor unions, and oversaw British victory over Argentina in Falklands War.
Her legacy is divisive, however. While supporters credit her with reestablishing Britain as a world power and taming inflation, critics point to high unemployment during her tenure and accuse her free market reforms of widening the gap between rich and poor.
While her death has instigating divided feelings in most of the world, China's state media dedicated time and space exclusively to sing Thatcher's praises.
Beijing News called [zh] Thatcher the “uncompromising Iron Lady.” Southern Metropolis Daily quoted zh] Thatcher: “Where there is discord, may we bring harmony. Where there is error, may we bring truth. Global Times pointed out her significant role in the handover of Hong Kong in 1984:
China praised Thatcher for agreeing on the 1997 return of Hong Kong to China. Image by Flickr user @dcmaster (CC BY-SA 2.0).
Thatcher managed to understand that China is not Argentina and Hong Kong is not the Falklands. She signed the joint declaration, which set the foundation for Hong Kong's return….We have reasons to show respect to this woman that signed the Sino-British Joint Declaration.
On China's most popular microblogging Sina Weibo, Thatcher's death [zh] became the second-most talked about topic on April 9 with more than 449,155 discussions. The overwhelmingly positive comments show that most web users’ knowledge about Thatcher doesn't go beyond the British semi-biographical film based on her life The Iron Lady and her role on HK's return to China.
Zhang Xin, CEO of Chinese Internet Company SOHO, wrote [zh] on Weibo:
刚看到英国前首相撒切尔夫人去世的消息。当年我在英国上大学的时候，最爱看的电视就是撒切尔夫人在议会(parliament)辩论。真正的铁娘子.
Just heard the news about former prime minister Ms Thatcher's death. When I studied in college in England, my favorite TV show was Thatcher's debate at the parliament. [She's] a real iron lady.
Famous poet Chen Zhaohua praised [zh] Thatcher's dedication to the free market approach that has transformed the economy in England:
具有＂铁娘子＂之称的她于1979年执政，启动了大规模私有化与放松管制等市场化改革，从而使英国从二战后的欧洲病夫变为仅次于德国的欧洲最有活力的主要国家。
Nicknamed “Iron Lady,” she came to power in 1979 and launched large-scale market-oriented reforms on privatization and deregulation, through which the United Kingdom rose from being “a sick man” in Europe after World War II to the most dynamic country in Europe after Germany.
Writer Lian Peng's comment [zh] seemed neutral:
有人说，里根、撒切尔们埋葬了战后资本主义反思，埋下了苦果。也有人夸她强硬务实，为国家利益敢 担当。评价两极很正常，立场角度不同。古人说：“一将功成万骨枯。”优秀政治家荣耀的背后，也有着无数的恶。不能因其恶抹掉其功，也不能因其功而掩盖其 恶。关键是能反思什么，学到什么。
Some people think that [Ronald] Reagan and Thatcher buried the reflection of post-war capitalism and planted a bitter seed. Some admire her tough and pragmatic approach in pursuing the best interest for her country. It is very normal to have different opinions about her from different angles and standpoints. As the ancient saying goes: “What millions died that Caesar might be great.” Behind the success of an outstanding politician, there are a mix of evil deeds. Don't erase their success because of the evil deeds, and their success can not cover up their evil deeds, either. The key is to reflect on what we can learn from it.
Web user “Yingzi” echoed:
说的太有哲理了。她一直是我敬佩的女性之一，很少的女人能够达到她这个高度。她拒绝向中国人民英雄纪念碑献花，表现了铁娘子的一面。但在香港回归中国的问题上，低下了她高傲的头。
Very philosophical. She has been one of the women I admire, few woman can reach her level. She refused to present flowers to the Monument to the People's Heroes, which shows her toughness as the Iron Lady. However, on the issue of the handover of Hong Kong to China, she bowed her proud head.
However, some web users thought Thatcher's popularity in China comes from nothing more but her handover of Hong Kong to China. Chairman of China's financial Museum Wang Wei wrote [zh]:
与荷兰、法国的几个老外提到撒切尔夫人去世，他们很淡然地反应。问你们中国人为什么这么大反应？我想了想，她把香港还给中国了。
I talked with some foreigners from the Netherlands and France about Thatcher's death, they seemed indifferent. They asked why there's such a big reaction among Chinese. I think it is because she handed over Hong Kong to China.
The chief editor of the Wall Street Journal's China edition, Yuan Li, concluded [zh]:
撒切尔夫人去世了。一个时代终结了。这么多没有节制的政府，她肯定伤心透了。
Margaret Thatcher died. The end of an era. With so many governments not being deregulated, she certainly was heartbroken.


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Chinese Colonel: Avian Flu is an American Conspiracy · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Amid demand in China for more transparency about the avian flu outbreak that has already killed seven people, a People's Liberation Army colonel has claimed that the virus is an American conspiracy. Dai Xu, a PLA air force commander, also suggested the Chinese government should not concern itself too much in tackling the problem as the death toll will be low.
Dai made the comment in his micro-blog on April 6, 2013:
對於最近風靡的禽流感，國家高層部門一定不要高調！否則就會像2003年的非典那樣上當！當時M國為了打伊拉克，怕中國趁機採取其他行動，所以對中國使用了生物心理武器，中國舉國亂作一團，正中M國下懷。現在M國故技重施。中國這次要吸取教訓，從容應對即可﹣﹣死不了幾個，連中國車禍千分之一都不到。
Dai Xu appears in China Central Television occasionally to comment on international relations. Screen Capture Image.
In dealing with the avian flu which has been widely discussed online, the central authorities should not be too concerned. Else we will fall into the trap like we did back in 2003 during SARS! At that time Country M [USA] wanted to attack Iraq and was worried that China would take action, so they adopted bio-psychological weapons and China fell into chaos as Country M had anticipated. Now Country M uses the same old tactic and China has to learn lessons from the past. Take it easy — no so many people will die, the death toll will not exceed one thousandth of the deaths from car accidents in China.
His remark drew much criticism and he closed the comment section on the post the next day. He then explained away the criticisms with the same conspiracy theory:
在我昨天发微博希望国人冷静应对禽流感，不要恐慌，避免2003非典教训之后，中国一群被美国早已注射了思想毒素的所谓公知，和一群网络上真假不辨的东西，犬流感也一齐发作，对着我狂吠不已！再一次让中国人看到这些丑类的嘴脸，同时也凸显中国网络乌烟瘴气、正气不彰的现实
I expressed yesterday my wish that people should deal with the avian flu with a cool mind and should not fall into panic like what happened back in 2003. The so-called public intellectuals in China fed with toxic American thinking and the group of unidentifiable accounts kept barking at me like a rabies outbreak! It lets Chinese people see the bad eggs clearly and reflects the dark and misty atmosphere of the Chinese internet public sphere.
Below is a selection of the so-called rabies outbreak of comments:
@纯真狼图腾：现役军人戴旭就禽流感公开发布的血腥言论引起愤慨，其行为令人深为忧虑，作为军官的戴旭公开发表反人类言论，是对人性和社会底线的挑战，对民众安危和公众智商的嘲弄。对人民负责就不能容忍如此丑类担任要职，对此事处理可以检验到底是新政还是旧政！作为现役大校，戴某必须引咎辞职并向逝者家属道歉！
@Innocent Wolf Totem: Soldier Dai Xu's comment on avian flu is outraging. Such behavior is also distressing. The fact that as an air commander he can openly say something belittling human life challenges what we consider a baseline of humanity. He also ridicules people's security and public intelligence. How can a responsible government allow such a bad sort to take up an important position? How the matter is handled will be a test to the new government. Dai should resigned from his position and apologize to the victims of the avian flu.
@鹤鸣居-清风：中国从来不缺像这个小戴旭式的人物：他们口口声声爱国家、坚决保护捍卫国家利益、自视国家栋梁，他们享受国家优厚俸禄待遇过着衣食无忧甚至花天酒地奢侈淫逸的生活，他们眼里心里只有给他们俸禄待遇的上级领导和组织，打着国家的幌子为其上级领导和组织卖命，无视人民利益无视民生民权。实质是国家败类
@Crane Hut Breeze: China is full of nobodies like Dai Xu: They claim that they love the country and defend the country's interests. They see themselves as the pillars of the country and enjoy all the benefits and a luxurious lifestyle with good wine and clothes. They only work for their supervisors and [the Party] organization which gives them good lives in the name of the nation. But they disregard people's interests and rights in their acts. They are the country's scumbags.
@通州府尹￼：没有微博的时候，@戴旭 被神化成了神。有了微博，戴旭自我暴露成了一个渣。
@Magistrate Of Ancient Tongzhou city: @Dai Xu would be turned into God if there were no Weibo.
@所罗门圣徒￼：如@戴旭 这样的人成为军人真是让人毛骨悚然，死亡难道对你来说只是数字吗？你连军人起码的素质都没有。真要打仗了，你绝对就是个屠夫。如果你真的觉得死几个人没问题那就请你和你全家先死，对你来说的生命只是数字，但对于失去亲人的家庭，他们失去的是他们的全部。
@Disciple Of Solomon: Soldiers like Dai Xu make people feel creeped out. To you death has been reduced to number? You are not qualified to be solider. If there is war, you will be a slaughterer. If you really feel that it is okay for a few people to die, you and your family should die first. Life is just a number to you, but for those who have lost their family members, they lost everything.
Hu Xijin, the chief editor of Global Times, the CCP's mouthpiece tried to cool people's anger by taking a more neutral position:
一，我不同意@戴旭 对H7N9禽流感的评论，我认为他说的过于片面，我也不能相信他的分析。二，戴旭是一名军人学者，他参与公共话题的讨论应被鼓励。军人学者这些年参与尖锐话题讨论，总体上促进了中国的信息开放。三，戴旭观点不对时，自有舆论批评他，他的形象和信誉会付出代价。四，官方不应干预此事。
One, I don't agree with Dai Xu's comment on H7N9 Avian flu. He is too impartial and I can't trust his analysis. Two, Dai Xu is a solider and a scholar. He should be encouraged to participate in current affairs discussion. Their participation will help China to be more transparent. Three, when Dai Xu is wrong, the public will criticize him and he will lose his credibility. Four, the government authority should not intervene in this.
In Hu's comment thread, some adopt the liberal position and agree that Dai's rights should be defended, but some point out that as a PLA soldier, Dai's opinion does not only represent his own:
天涯流浪007：“我虽然不同意你的观点，但我誓死捍卫你说话的权利！”这是民主政治的要义。坚决反对以言获罪的做法！人人都有发表自己意见的权利，对不同意见动辄挥以大棒，以“罢官”、“开除军籍”相威胁，是封建专制制度的作法。我们受害了几千年，惨痛教训不应忘记。难道我们还愿意生活在一个没有言论自由的时代？
World Wanderer 007: “I disagree with what you say, but I will defend to death your right to say it” is the basic principle of democratic politics. Against free speech prosecution! Everyone should have the right to express their opinion. It is feudal behavior to threaten people by demanding the authorities “sack” those who you disagree with. We should not forget our historical lessons. Can we live in an era when we don't have freedom of speech?
putianzhixia110：要是老百姓这么说官方不应干预，但是国家公职人员说出这话，官方就得干预，胡总老是对自己人特别宽容
@putianzhixia110: The government should not intervene if ordinary people say such a thing. But Dai is a government official and the government should intervene. Chief editor Hu is being very lenient to his own kind.
skymedia3：解放军的性质决定一点：必须听党中央指挥。一个现役军人，不管是学者还是指挥官，公开的一言一行不得玩个性，这是铁的纪律。因此，几位将军的话，就有可能被认为是党中央的决策。真心建议几位闭嘴为好，起码不要为自己找麻烦。
skymedia3: The nature of PLA makes a difference: They have to obey the central Party authority. As a solider, no matter if he is a scholar or a commander, public speech should not be personal. This is strict discipline. If a number of commanders echo each other in their posts, people may think that the decision comes from the central Party. I suggest to them to keep their mouths shut and don't get themselves into trouble.


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Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s Cuba Getaway Offends Diaspora Bloggers · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

You might not think that political bloggers would be particularly interested in the whereabouts of celebrities, but the minute that the musical power couple, Beyoncé and Jay-Z, touched down in Cuba, an anniversary getaway suddenly became the business of the Cuban diaspora in the United States. While the Cuban embargo doesn't limit travel by U.S. citizens to the island in and of itself (Cuban-Americans are allowed to visit, even under the travel ban), it is illegal for them to spend money in Cuba, at least without special dispensation. This of course, makes travel to Cuba impossible for most Americans: how do you visit a country and not spend money there? Even though Havana Times, an on-island blog, claimed yesterday that the couple reportedly did receive permission from the U.S. Treasury Department to make the trip, for most diaspora bloggers, the offense is way more than the simple bending of a travel rule. To them, it's all in the principle.
El Cafe Cubano wondered why the couple would want to spend “their 5th wedding aniversary in a communist, dictatorship country of Cuba” and in a follow-up post, asked, tongue firmly in cheek:
So what's the big deal that Beyonce are in Jay-Z In Cuba?
Alberto de la Cruz, blogging at Babalú, was happy to explain:
Reading through the news coverage these past few days of Beyonce and Jay-Z's ill-advised and thoroughly offensive vacation in Cuba as guests of the apartheid Castro dictatorship, much of the concern centers around the legality of their trip to the communist island. That is certainly an important point since it is illegal for American citizens to visit Cuba as tourists, even if you are personal friends of President Obama. But what I personally find most troubling about this scandalous act by American music's most prominent couple is their complete and utter insensitivity to the repression and brutality suffered by the Cuban people — the majority of them black — at the hands of the tyrannical Castro dictatorship. By ‘vacationing'…as if they were just visiting any other destination, Beyonce and Jay-Z are in effect telling America, the world, and most cruelly, Cuba's enslaved people, that they tacitly approve of the island's brutal and racist regime.
He also took issue with the public relations mileage that the Cuban government seems to be getting from the visit:
Naturally, the Castro dictatorship sees Beyonce and Jay-Z's visit as a propaganda opportunity to portray themselves as something other than a repressive tyranny…releasing photos of the power couple enjoying the sights and luxuries of Cuba, but making sure they leave out the fact that those amenities are denied to typical Cubans. All the public sees is two very rich and very powerful Americans enjoying a Caribbean getaway. The beatings of dissidents, the stoning of families opposed to the Castro dictatorship, and their violent arrests and imprisonment is conveniently left out of the press releases and news reports.
He concluded:
While you are busy watching Beyonce dancing salsa in Cuba, the Castro dictatorship knows you will not be watching or thinking about the reality of life in Castro's Cuba. You will not be thinking about the hundreds of political arrests that take place every month, or the tens of thousands of political prisoners rotting in Cuban gulags…you are not thinking about Sonia Garro, a black woman and dissident who has been unjustly imprisoned for over a year. While your eyes are focused on Beyonce and Jay-Z partying on the forbidden island of Cuba, the Castro dictatorship knows your eyes are not focused on the defenseless Ladies in White being mercilessly pummeled and beaten by the Castro dictatorship's State Security and hired thugs. That, my friends, is what bothers me the most about Beyonce and Jay-Z's vacation to Cuba: They have helped the Castro dictatorship hide its atrocities and racist repression.
Uncommon Sense, meanwhile, was focusing the spotlight on continuing injustices in Cuba – in this case, quite fittingly, the plight of a Cuban rapper who has undertaken a hunger strike to demand his freedom:
The same week American hip-hop superpunk Jay-Z and his wife Beyonce celebrated their wedding anniversary in Havana, Cuban rapper Angel Yunier Remon Arzuaga sat in a Cuban jail cell, on hunger strike after the secret police broke into his mother's home and beat and arrested him.
Jay-Z may have 99 problems, but it's safe to say that letting Remon's suffering– the suffering of a fellow musician, the suffering of a fellow black man, the suffering of any Cuban — infringe on his and Beyonce's partying in Cuba ain't one.
Capitol Hill Cubans also wondered if the couple would intercede for the imprisoned rapper and others.
Jorge Ponce, also blogging at Babalú, posted a photo of Jay-Z wearing a T-shirt with an image of Che Guevara, which he used as a jumping-off point from which to discuss the issue of race in Cuba:
The famous revolutionary Guevara was not a friend of African-Americans. Thus, Jay-Z demonstrates immense ignorance about Guevara’s past history and comments, or his only concern is to show his cool side in front of the cameras.
Following are two quotes attributed to “El Che” with regards to African-Americans:
‘We’re going to do for blacks exactly what blacks did for the revolution. By which I mean: nothing.’
And,
‘The Negro is indolent and lazy, and spends his money on frivolities, whereas the European is forward-looking, organized and intelligent.’
And now we find out that the Cuban authorities have demoted Afro-Cuban Roberto Zurbano for penning a recent article in the New York Times that was highly critical of racism in the Cuban Revolution and its leaders.
Which brings us back to Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s Cuban vacation. Will they meet with human-rights dissidents in Cuba – most of which are Afro Cubans, like Dr. Oscar Biscet – and advocate on behalf of Roberto Zurbano, or will they concentrate on just having fun?
He added:
Between you and me, the Cuban authorities hoped that Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s Cuban excursion would end the articles and coverage by the American and world media outlets on Yoani Sánchez. Well, kudos to Yoani and the powerful message that she’s aired about the lack of human rights and civil liberties in Cuba.
Capitol Hill Cubans agreed that there was merit to that argument, referring to a Reuters news story in support:
Castro's state media was the first to post pictures of the trip and to tip off foreign news bureaus on the island about the star's presence and whereabouts.
Why?
Because the foreign media has been focusing too much on critical Cuban blogger Yoani Sanchez and pro-democracy leaders Rosa Maria Paya and Berta Soler.
The blog also noted one of Beyoncé's past transgressions, referring to her 2009 agreement with one of the sons of the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, to sing at a New Years Eve party in St. Barts. (She reportedly later donated her $2 million fee to Haiti earthquake relief):
Beyonce corrected her controversial action then with a noble deed after — can she do the same now?
Just give 5 minutes to Berta [Soler, leader of the Ladies in White], who will be visiting the U.S. later this month.
Is that too much to ask?


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Egyptian Comedian Accused of Pakistan Insult · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Satirist Bassem Youssef tweets:
A new investigation started against me accusing me of: insulting Islam(again), spreading atheism & insulting Pakistan #LOL
He was recently accused of insulting Islam and Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi in his TV programme El Bernameg [The Programme]. The court rejected the lawsuit.


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Iran: Earthquake Struck near Nuclear Plant · Global Voices
Farid

Thirty people have been killed after a 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck near Bushehr in Iran. Several bloggers worry about the safety of Bushehr plant.


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Iran Quake Aftershocks Reach Qatar, Bahrain · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Doha News charts reactions from Qatar residents following the aftershocks of an earthquake which hit southern Iran today. The aftershocks were also felt in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, where offices in high rise buildings were evacuated.


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Iran’s Anesthetics Shortage Reaches Alarming Levels · Global Voices
Hooman Askary

Panic struck in Iranian hospitals as the country's medical officials confirmed a serious national shortage of anesthetics on March 15, 2013 hindering life-saving operations on patients in Iran.
Firoozeh Mozafari's cartoon for Iranian news website khabaronline, Translation of the words: [Doctor to Patient]: “Sir, please cooperate and get unconscious. We need to do our job!”
Kheirollah Gholami, a pharmacist in Tehran, has been widely quoted as saying, “If the situation stays like this, we don't really know what to do. Patients cannot be knocked unconscious with a hammer.”
Iranian netizens and bloggers have reacted. Mana Neyestani, a renowned dissident cartoonist has created the following for Mardomak website:
Iranian blogger, Dara, slams the Islamic Republic for having failed people in every possible way:
Cartoon by Mana Neyestani. Translation from right to left 1) “The aesthetician is doing his best…” 2) “Once upon a time there was a lion that lived in a jungle….” 3) [the patient] “Damn you with your sanctions!” — [words on the newspaper] “Head of Anesthetics Association: “Anesthetics have become rare.”
Operating rooms in some hospitals across the country have been closed due to the shortage of anaesthetics, fake penicillin imported from China claims the lives of our compatriots, the American dollar value is still at a whopping 35,000 rials and high prices strain people to an extent that it seems this [Nowruz] new year's shopping will be among the dullest in recent years. And at such times, some still talk of participating in elections. Seriously, what do you expect us to elect while all has already been taken care of by the Leader? […] Whom should I vote for when I cannot even receive anaesthetic in the operating room?
Mohsen Sazgara tweeted:
According to a high ranking official in the medical faculty of the University of Tehran, if this situation continues, we will be forced to shut down operation rooms.

author: Hooman Askary


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Jamaica: Twitter 101 · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

2012 was the year a handful of name-brand Jamaican journalists decided it was time to start using Twitter. That was pretty late in the day already. The majority however are still holding back…
Active Voice explains why they shouldn't.


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Peace Demonstrations Kick Off in Colombia · Global Voices
Lully

Photo shared by Twitter user @CrisferMartin: “Here people get up early for PEACE #AhoraSiLaPaz”
Colombians are participating in demonstrations scheduled for today, April 9, in support of the peace talks between the government and FARC. They are also remembering the murder of presidential candidate Jorge Eliecer Gaitán, whose killing -65 years ago today- kicked off a wave of violence that has not ceased. You can follow reports and reactions under FARC, Gaitán, #9deAbrilporlaPaz [April 9 for peace], #Ahorasílapaz [Now peace], and #SomosGeneracióndePaz [We are a generation of peace] on Twitter.

author: Lully


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Portugal’s Constitutional Court Blocks Bailout Measures  · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

This post is part of our special coverage Europe in Crisis.
Portugal's Constitutional Court has struck down [pt] austerity measures considered necessary by the government to meet the conditions of its 78-billion-euro (101 billion US dollars) bailout program, opening a gap of 1.3 billion euros in the country's 2013 budget.
The court, which reviewed the constitutionality of the measures at the request in early January 2013 of President Cavaco Silva and all opposition parties, announced that it had rejected four of this year's budget's nine contested measures on April 5, 2013. It ruled that wage and pension cuts as well as reductions to sick leave and unemployment benefits violated the country's constitutional principles of equality and fair distribution of fiscal burden.
Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho warned that the government will now have to find spending cuts elsewhere to make up the deficit.
Portugal opened its doors for the “troika”, formed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), European Central Bank, and the European Commission (EC), on April 6, 2011 to bailout the country's public debt. The Portuguese people, after nearly two years scraping by with austerity and economic recession, reacted to the court's ruling harshly.
Days before the Constitutional Court blocked austerity measures, Portugal's government survived a no-confidence motion brought against it by the opposition. Photo by Thomas Meyer copyright Demotix (03/04/2013)
In light of the year's now dysfunctional state budget, having had parts of it struck down in April, Max writing on the blog Informação Incorrecta claimed [pt] that the government has two options: asking the troika for “more time to meet budget deficit targets” which should reach this year 5.5 percent of the GDP, or asking for one more bailout tranche:
o chumbo do Tribunal representa talvez a única possibilidade para chamar em causa responsabilidades alheias e invocar uma nova ajuda do FMI-BCE-UE.
Que fique claro: um segundo resgate seria uma tragédia e a esperança é que a troika aceite conceder mais tempo para que Portugal consiga alcançar os objectivos orçamentais. Pessoalmente espero estar enganado. Mas não podemos esquecer que o País tem uma economia em recessão, um desemprego que não baixa (e que aumentará nos próximos tempos), enormes juros que têm de ser pagos, receitas fiscais em queda. E nos cofres não há um tostão.
the Court's admonishment perhaps represents the only possibility [for the government] to call into question someone else's responsibilities and to invoke a new aid from IMF-EU-ECB.
Let it be clear: a second bailout would be a tragedy and the hope is that the troika agrees to concede more time for Portugal to achieve the budgetary targets. Personally I hope to be wrong. But we must not forget that the country has an economy in recession, an unemployment [rate] that doesn't get any better (and it wont in the near future), huge interest rates that must be paid, falling tax revenues. And in the coffers there is not a penny.
On blog Aventar, Jorge “Fliscorno” argued [pt] that the prime minister “knew from the outset that the budget would not be constitutional” but used it as a strategy to achieve a goal:
Passos Coelho anunciou que precisa de  ir buscar a outro lado o dinheiro que previa sacar ilegalmente aos portugueses. (…) Ficou com um pretexto para prosseguir a política que tem levado a cabo desde que foi eleito e completamente em oposição ao que prometeu enquanto oposição e em campanha eleitoral. (…)
O Primeiro-ministro deste país faltou novamente à palavra e anunciou mais cortes na  segurança social, saúde, educação e empresas públicas.
Passos Coelho announced that he needs look elsewhere for money that he expected to take illegally from the Portuguese. (…) He has the excuse to go on with the policy that he has undertaken since being elected and in complete opposition to what he promised while in opposition and in electoral campaign. (…)
The prime minister of this country has once again gone against his word and announced more cuts in social welfare, health, education, and public companies.
It was “the D week for Portuguese politics”, wrote journalist Tiago Carrasco on The Crisis Republic blog. In fact, in the days before the Constitutional Court's decision became known, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Miguel Relvas, who is the prime minister's controversial right-hand man, resigned, and the main opposition Socialist Party presented a motion of no-confidence against the government in the Parliament, which ultimately failed.
But as Carrasco said, “the real motion of no confidence [would] come at the end of the week” with the analysis of the 2013′s annual budget. He predicted that “the coalition government will probably fall”, an idea already shared by many, including labor unions, opposition party politicians, and citizens:
First because it’s the second time [the government] would deal with a Constitutional error. Second, they would face an [sic] huge popular protest. And finally (and the most important one) the internal coalition is already rotten with centrists PP’s [People's Party] deputies disagreeing often with liberal’s measures and many discussions about the minister’s recasting.
So Portugal calmly waits for the announced political collapse.
This post is part of our special coverage Europe in Crisis.

author: Sara Moreira


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Rare, Live Glimpse into Pakistan’s Progressive Fashion Industry · Global Voices
Faisal Kapadia

As religious violence and American drone strikes continue to plague Pakistan, the country's latest fashion week promises some respite from the turmoil.
Fashion Pakistan Week is being live-streamed on April 9-10, 2013 from Karachi and is showcasing lines by 27 Pakistani designers.
Unknown to most of the world, fashion plays a huge role in Pakistani life.
Pakistan's Fashion Weeks
Since 2009, Pakistan has hosted dozens of fashion weeks. These ‘Fashion Weeks’ offer the world a rare glimpse into a blossoming and professional industry that illustrates cultural norms in Pakistan aren't as rigid or conservative as most believe.
This Spring/Summer 2013 edition of Fashion Pakistan Week will be followed by two more fashion events in April –  the Bridal Couture Week in Karachi which will focus on wedding wear and then Lahore will host another Fashion Week.
Global Voices interviewed three designers ahead of the event, who explained that despite their nation's circumstances, they are constantly innovating and creating:
Fashionably yours -Zari Faisal from Faisal Kapadia on Vimeo.
Fashionably yours – Hasina Khanani from Faisal Kapadia on Vimeo.
Fashionably yours – MONA IMRAN from Faisal Kapadia on Vimeo.
Designers are also coming up with high tech ways to reach their market. A great example is this E Store which will be carrying these collections hours after they walk the ramp, for anyone to purchase locally or internationally.
Fashion Pakistan Week is set to break social media boundaries in the country, as well. Not only will the event be livestreamed, but fashion bloggers like Nida Moughal  and some Twitterati will be covering the event. The Internet is a big worry though; the whole region is plagued by broadband issues because two out of the four submarine cables that link Pakistan to the web have been damaged.
Fashionistas Against Taliban
Security concerns and Taliban threats at the first Pakistan Fashion Week in 2009 also marked the beginning of the Fashionistas Against Taliban (#FAT) movement. The event pulled war correspondents from neighboring countries into Pakistan to cover fashion and has been the source of satire-loaded tweets, memes and this Facebook Group which has developed cult-like status amongst the country's social media users.
Pakistani fashion designer Deepak Perwani. Image used with permission.
Sabahat Zakariya (@sabizak_) whose Twitter profile says she is a ‘reverse snob and tweeter about life’ remarks:
@sabizak_ (Sabahat Zakariya): #FAT “@tammyhaq: Thank goodness for fashion week season. Back to back fashion weeks will provide some respite from all the election griping”
On more than one occasion though #FAT is poked a little bit for fun on Pakistani social media.
Mosharraf Zaidi (@mosharrafzaidi) A recovering bureaucrat and columnist known for his dry wit quips:
@mosharrafzaidi (Mosharraf Zaidi): That's so Taliban! RT @holland_tom: “Fine dining and an obsession with fashion are marks of sickness in a state.” – Seneca. #FAT
Investigative blogger and Twitter user Shahid Saeed (@shahidsaeed) tweets a picture of a Pakistani politician who's known for sporting punk-like hair colour:
@shahidsaeed (Shahid Saeed): Shireen Mazari’s hair be so #FAT twitter.com/afi_alikhan/st…
Meme for Fashion Pakistan Week – used with permission
Samra Muslim (@samramuslim), a self-described lover of shoes, marketing, and media tweeted about the social media hype surrounding Fashion Pakistan Week:
@samramuslim: Looking forward to #FPW now – strongly feel it will be a great #socialmedia #casestudy from #Pakistan! Good luck @fashionpakistan @dperwani
Umair Mirza (@Umairmirza) celebrated the fashion week joining the “digital age”:
@Umairmirza: the most interactive #FPW ever ! u'll feel like you are there at the venue ! thanks @fashionpakistan. its a DIGITAL AGE love !
This event, which may offer a peek to a different side of Pakistan, will be available to watch here:

author: Faisal Kapadia


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Syria: Tweeting from the Frontline in Aleppo  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Journalist Jenan Moussa is back in Aleppo, Syria, tweeting her experiences as the war between pro- and anti-government forces intensifies. Moussa's tweets are raw and personal, giving readers a snippet of what life is like for those caught in the crossfire.
Moussa, who is a roving reporter for Arabic Al Aan TV, Dubai, UAE, observes:
@jenanmoussa: Its great to be back in #Aleppo & meet all my friends. City seems much better than last time I was here. People adapted to war.
Dinner, in Aleppo, is accompanied by the sounds of mortars falling in the distance:
@jenanmoussa: It's dinner time here in #Aleppo. We are having Mexicana chicken as sound of mortars echoes at a distance.
After a night in the city, Moussa wonders:
@jenanmoussa: Morning from #Aleppo. I couldn't sleep till 6 am. Everytime I closed my eyes I imagined bombs falling. God, how do ppl stay sane?
In Aleppo, she visits the site where a Scud missile fell some 45 days earlier. She tweets:
@jenanmoussa: Earlier today I went to site where SCUD missile fell 45 days ago in #Aleppo. 6 bodies are still missing under rubble
Jenan Moussa in Aleppo, at the site where a Scud missile fell 45 days earlier. Photograph shared by @jenanmoussa on Twitter
@jenanmoussa: In #Aleppo I saw a father sitting on rubble, tears in his eyes. He's still looking for bodies of his 2 beautiful daughters & wife
@jenanmoussa: While I was w/ him, father found slippers of a child & handful of hair ( woman's hair) under rubble. ‘Maybe it's my wife’ he told me
Despite the stressful situation, Moussa maintains her humour:
@jenanmoussa: Activists here in #Aleppo laugh at me. I am sometimes only one wearing my flak jacket in house. They are used to the sounds of war.
And then goes to sleep without dinner:
@jenanmoussa: We didn't have dinner tonight. Also no shower. Not a necessity in a city like #Aleppo. Good night you all.


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Masked Protest Against Thai Royal Insult Law · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Activists entered Thailand's National Book Fair wearing masks with the face of Somyot Prueksakasemsuk, a magazine editor who was sentenced to ten years for publishing articles which were deemed to insult the monarch. They distributed flyers asserting the ‘Freedom to Read, Write, Publish and Disseminate’ to highlight the negative impact of the lèse majesté law.

author: Mong Palatino


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The Role of Monarchy in Modern Thailand · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Cod Satrusayang explains the significance of the monarchy in establishing and strengthening the modern state of Thailand:
We have created a state in which it is necessary to have a King for without him we are doomed to the mass of military arrogance, political corruption and moral decay. Even today, Thailand needs its King.


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Wikipedia’s Suicide Mission Against Russian Censors · Global Voices
Kevin Rothrock

Smoking cannabis is dangerous business for people the world over. In Russia, just writing about it online is apparently enough to run afoul of federal anti-drug police, as that nation’s Wikipedians learned last Friday, April 5, 2013. It was then that state officials first informed Wikimedia Russia, the Wikimedia Foundation’s local chapter, that the government has placed its “Cannabis Smoking” article [ru] on its blacklist of illegal websites.
“The Free Encyclopedia”’s troubles multipled when Vladimir Pikov, spokesman for Roskomnadzor (the agency charged with managing the blacklist), went on national radio [ru] and revealed that 15 different Wikipedia articles are now among the URLs banned in Russia. “[Wikipedia] has been on the list for a long time,” Pikov later told [ru] Interfax.ru, adding, “Why people are suddenly realizing this now, I don’t know.”
Responsibility for the confusion seems to lie with the government, however, as it turns out that officials neglected to inform Wikimedia Russia about any of its blacklisting decisions until last week. (Pikov says Roskomnadzor was unable to reach Wikipedia’s nonvolunteer administrators.) Only aggravating the mess, the documents ultimately transmitted to Wikimedia are full of chronological holes. According to the actual [ru] “united registry” directory, for instance, the “Cannabis” article landed on the blacklist back in mid-December 2012. The paperwork [ru] sent on April 5, however, reports that anti-drug police came to their decision on March 26, 2013.
As it turns out, since last year there have been at least seven redundant decisions by state regulators and police to add Wikipedia’s “Cannabis” article to the RuNet blacklist. In a blog post [ru] published yesterday, April 8, Wikimedia Russia revealed that a total of ten Wikipedia articles (not fifteen, as Pikov told RSN radio) are technically banned in Russia as of this moment. These encyclopedia entries relate to narcotics (cannabis smoking, LSD, etc.) and suicide (self-immolation, “suicide methods,” and so on), include both Russian and English articles, and were selected by officials from three different agencies: Roskomnadzor, FSKN (the anti-drugs police), and Rospotrebnadzor (consumer rights regulators).
Russian Wikipedia’s Twitter account announced [ru] the discovery with a nod to fellow prey of the federal blacklist:
Вот оно наконец и случилось: нас внесли в чёрный список (дважды?) за статью «Курение каннабиса». Привет @ru_pirateparty и @lurkmore_ru.
Well at last it’s finally happened: they’ve put us on the blacklist (twice?) for the article “Smoking Cannabis.” Hello to @ru_pirateparty and @lurkmore_ru.
Since the news broke last Friday, Russian Wikipedians have been feverishly revising and refining [ru] the “Cannabis” article, though not with any express aim to reconcile its content with Russia’s Internet censorship laws. The “Cannabis” article is almost six years old (first created in December 2006), and it has endured more than five hundred edits in that lifespan. Indeed, the latest wave of revisions addresses Wikipedia’s own quite stringent standards of objectivity and citation. On several Wikipedia discussion boards [ru], editors voiced their opinions about Russian officials’ decisions to ban several of their articles. While some users expressed concerns that the articles in question are poorly written, commenters are unsurprisingly and overwhelmingly opposed to deleting or altering the site’s material to accommodate the RuNet blacklist.
Editor Dmitry Rozhkov writes [ru] plainly:
Пусть закрывают, чё. Реакция на блокировку Википедии уже известна. Сами себя заблокируют.
Let them close [the site], hell. The reaction to blocking Wikipedia is already known. They’re [only] blocking off themselves.
Another user named Tucha (“stormcloud”) muses [ru]:
Пусть закрывают. Это может быть забавно, такая классная реклама для одной статьи.
Let them close it. It could be funny, such a classic advertisement for one article.
This, of course, was a reference to the Streisand Effect, “the phenomenon whereby an attempt to hide or remove a piece of information has the unintended consequence of publicizing the information more widely.” The Effect operated in force over the weekend, propelling Russian Wikipedia’s “Cannabis” article to roughly 13,000% its normal traffic, jumping from 431 views on Thursday, April 4, to over 56,000 views the next day. In the past week, the “Cannabis” article has attracted over 125 thousand views, fewer only than the site’s entries for Odnoklassniki (a RuNet social network) and Margaret Thatcher (who died on April 8).
In a news post [ru] on ru.wikinews.org, Wikimedia Russia’s executive director, Stanislav Kozlovsky, complained that the RuNet blacklist’s vague prerogative threatens an absurdly broad spectrum of online content:
Даже название статьи «Курение каннабиса» можно подвести под его формулировку, так как законом запрещено упоминать о способах употребления наркотиков. […] По самоубийствам аналогично: фразы «Есенин повесился», «Маяковскийзастрелился», «Ромео и Джульетта отравились» — уже повод для блокировки сайта, так как всё это способы совершения самоубийств.
Even the name of the article, “Cannabis Smoking,” might subject it to the [blacklist’s] formula, since it makes it illegal even to mention the means of drug use. […] It’s the same for suicide: the phrases “Yesenin hanged himself,” “Mayakovsky shot himself,” and “Romeo and Juliet poisoned themselves” are also excuses to block the site, since they all concern means of committing suicide.
Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia, 12 July 2008, photo by Joi Ito, CC 2.0.
Earlier today, April 9, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales responded [ru] to Ain92, a Russia-based Wikipedian, who notified Wales on his user page that “two articles of English Wikipedia is forbidden (blacklisted) by Roskomnadzor [sic].” Wales’ answer was unambiguously defiant:
For me, being blocked is always preferable to collaborating with censors. It's important to understand that the fear of site-wide blocking is based in concerns that some (smaller, presumably) ISPs may lack sufficient technical resources to block individual pages, forcing them to block the entire site to comply with the law. Believe me, if those ISPs block the entire site, while other ISPs only block specific pages, the ones which block all of Wikipedia will lose customers very very quickly. We are not weak, we are very powerful. Catering to the demands of weak and cowardly politicians – the kind who fear the spread of knowledge – is not the Wikipedia way.
Wales, though, will not be the one to decide how Wikipedia’s drug- and suicide-related content develops in response to the Russian authorities. That honor lies with Wikipedia’s volunteer editors, who were responsible for the articles in the first place. That said, all indications are that neither Russia’s officials nor her Wikipedians are likely to budge. That means “Cannabis Smoking” and its subversive neighbors are probably on the RuNet blacklist to stay.

author: Kevin Rothrock


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Yemen Court Summons Investigative Reporter · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“Yemen’s Press and Publications Court (YPPC) has issued a summon statement against prominent investigative journalist, Mohammed Abdo Alabsi, to appear before court and interrogate him for his investigative reports,” writes Yemeni Afrah Nasser.
According to Nasser, Alabsi is being interrogated for a report involving corruption in the treatment of those wounded in the Yemeni uprising.