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Censored in 2018: Protest videos, court verdicts, real news — and Peppa Pig · Global Voices
Ellery Roberts Biddle

Image via Pixabay by user dimitrisvetsikas1969 | CC0
As 2018 draws to a close, we’re going back to our roots here at Advox. While our story topics run the gamut from controversial cybercrime laws to journalist arrests to fake news on Facebook, there is one issue that underlies all our work — the protection of online speech in the public interest.
When it affects people’s fundamental right to access information about their political, cultural or economic realities, censorship matters to us. Here are just a few examples of censorship stories covered by Advox in 2018.
Photos of protesters killed in Nicaragua, confirmed by independent news site Confidencial. Photo compilation by Confidencial. Individual photos via various social media channels.
When protests mounted in a public outcry against the administration of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, multiple TV networks were taken off the air. One radio station was set on fire.
Online, two independent local news sites, La Prensa and Confidencial, suffered what appeared to be distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks. Both had been reporting the most up-to-date accounts from the ground, including dispatches on violent confrontations between civilians, police and security forces in which dozens of protesters were killed.
Maria Ressa, editor-in-chief of Rappler. Photo by Joshua Lim via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0 Philippines)
The Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) revoked the business license of Rappler, one of the country's leading independent news sites in January 2018 on baseless allegations that the company accepted illegal foreign funding.  Rappler has aggressively covered extrajudicial drug killings in the Philippines and has been a frequent target of attacks by president Rodrigo Duterte, who accused Rappler of being a “fake news outlet” the day after the SEC ruling.
In December 2018, Rappler co-owner and editor-in-chief Maria Ressa was charged with tax fraud and a warrant was issued for her arrest, but she was released after posting bail. The Philippine National Union of Journalists said her arrest signaled that the Duterte administration “will go to ridiculous lengths to muzzle all those it does not agree with.”
Screen capture from CCTV.
Reporter Liang Xiangyi became the talk of the Chinese internet after she rolled her eyes at another reporter, Zhang Huijun, who had posed a long-winded and deferential question about China’s One Belt One Road project at a congressional press conference. After it aired on China’s Central Television, video of Liang's skeptical expression spread like wildfire — until internet censorship authorities banned all discussions of the eye roll.
Among many “pro-eye roll” phrases censored on Weibo was this gem: “Deprived of free speech, ancient people blink their eyes as secret codes. In the new era, we have the freedom to roll our eyes.”
A Moscow court announced a ban on Telegram, the privacy-friendly mobile messaging service, after Telegram’s CEO repeatedly refused to comply with demands to give law enforcement agents access to the app’s encryption keys.
But instituting the ban was easier said than done. In an effort to carry out the order, the country’s federal media regulator began banning millions of IP addresses in the attempt to shut down the service, which runs on through decentralized network. This led to the blocking of countless other business sites and communications platforms including Viber, Slack, and Evernote.
Later that month, the Iranian judiciary issued an order to block Telegram, citing national security reasons. Telegram also was temporarily censored during anti-government protests in December 2017 and January 2018.
Jamii Forum founder Maxence Melo. Photo via Facebook.
Tanzania's most popular independent news and user comment site, Jamii Forum, shut itself down in June, in anticipation of the country's “blogger tax.” The law requires Tanzanian bloggers to register and pay over $900 USD per year to publish online. Blogs and other types of online content operating without a license can be punished by a fine “not less than five million Tanzanian shillings” (around $2,500 USD), or imprisonment for “not less than 12 months or both.” Jamii has since resumed operations online.
Australian Cardinal George Pell, the Vatican's third-highest ranking official, was convicted of sexual assault by a Victoria court on December 12, 2018. But Australian media didn't report on the trial or its outcome thanks to a blanket suppression order imposed by the court, on grounds that it might prejudice a subsequent trial being held in March.
Catholic and international media outlets nevertheless ran with the story, risking censorship and prosecution in Australia, and fueling a firestorm of commentary and criticism of the gag order on social media. If anything, the suppression order elevated public knowledge about the case online.
Friendship between Peppa and Suzy has been interpreted as plastic or ingenuine by some Chinese netizens. Screen capture from Peppa Pig's derivative video.
In May, the Chinese video platform Douyin removed more than 30,000 videos of the British cartoon sensation Peppa Pig  — many of which had been re-dubbed with adult language and themes. In tandem, the popular porker was denounced by Chinese Communist Party media mouthpieces, in response to an internet subculture connecting Peppa Pig with “Shehuiren”, a term that refers to organized crime syndicates and is more generally used to describe “immoral” behavior.
A commenter on Sina Tech explained that Peppa has become a symbol of “a person who follows their heart regardless of social norms.”
The fledgling independent online magazine El Estornudo (“The Sneeze”), which includes critical essays and feature articles on social issues and cultural change, joined the ranks of media outlets in the country that are or have been temporarily censored by state authorities. In a response to the blockage, the site’s editors wrote a letter to state authorities in which they said:
In a country where print publications cannot circulate outside the margins of the state, where internet is very limited, and where they block the URL to your outlet so people cannot even read you through that very limited access, we should remember that this magazine exists also for Cubans to find out tomorrow what was happening to them today.
Raila Odinga being “sworn in” as Kenya's People's President [Screen shot taken on February 1, 2018].
When Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga was symbolically — if not legally — sworn in as the “people's president” on January 30, three major broadcasting networks were unplugged by the government of Kenya. Although incumbent president Uhuru Kenyatta officially won the controversial October 2017 re-run election (after the country's Supreme Court annulled the results of the initial August 2017 vote, having found “irregularities and illegalities”), supporters of Raila Odinga remained committed to his campaign and cause. Three journalists at NTV media house, which aired the ceremony, were threatened with arrest.
In a critique of the move for Al Jazeera, Nanjala Nyabola wrote: “Switching off three media houses, just because you can, is the definition of swatting a fly on your head with a hammer – painful, self-destructive and counterproductive.”
One day before a major rally against an unpopular pension reform was planned in Russia, Google informed rally organizers of its plans to take down YouTube videos promoting the rally, citing legal requirements for a “day of silence” on the day before an election. The rally was organized by the Anti-Corruption Foundation, which is led by prominent opposition figure Alexey Navalny. Leonid Volkov, an ally of Navalny and fellow organizer, took Google to task in a Facebook post:
The corporations — including Google — should face the reality. In authoritarian regimes these are the governments who most frequently abuse the law. Not every request signed by a government authority should be automatically considered as a lawful one. A good portion of criticism is necessary to protect the users and their rights.
Alongside these and other blocks on internet content, sites and services, Access Now counted 188 internet shutdowns documented by activists and researchers around the world. The Software Freedom Law Centre counted 133 regional internet shutdowns in India, 64 of which took place in the northeastern state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Here’s hoping that 2019 brings greater protections for independent voices around the world!
This roundup includes research, writing and editing by Afef Abrougui, Mahsa Alimardani, Nwachukwu Egbunike, Janine Mendes Franco, Alexey Kovalev, Oiwan Lam, Amanda Lichtenstein, Karlo Mongaya, Diphus N'geny, Melissa Vida, Laura Vidal and Njeri Wangari Wanjohi.

author: Ellery Roberts Biddle


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Exploring Indo identity with Dutch photographer Armando Ello · Global Voices
Juke Carolina

Hoezo Indo project explores the identity of people with Indonesian-European mixed heritage. Photo by Armando Ello. Used with permission.
Photographer Armando Ello is among the two million Indos in the Netherlands who grew up with little knowledge about their Indo identity.
An Indo is a person with Indonesian and European (notably Dutch) roots. Around two million Indos live in the Netherlands, a country which colonized Indonesia (formerly known as Dutch East Indies) from the 1600s up to 1945. There are also Indos in other countries such as Australia, the United States, and many others.
Ello's mother is Indonesian from Kupang, West Timor, while his father is an Indo. In the 1970s, his parents immigrated to the northern part of the Netherlands where he was born and raised.
His passion for history and photography inspired him to explore and promote awareness about Indo heritage and identity through a book project called Twijfelindo (meaning “doubtfully Indo” in Dutch), which was published in 2016 and featured by National Geographic Netherlands. ‘Twijfelindo’ featured photos and interviews of 277 Indos.
Inspired by the feedback he received about this book, he is embarking on a new photography project called Hoezo Indo, which aims to feature Indos living in various parts of the world.
Global Voices interviewed Ello via email about this project and his explorations of Indo identity.
Global Voices (GV): What does Hoezo Indo mean and what does it represent?
Armando Ello (AE): Hoezo Indo project is about exploring further what it means to be Indo. The project name literally means: ‘What do you mean when you say Indo?’ It is the question that young people have regarding their so-called roots. Very often they say they are only partially Indonesian, which is true in a sense, but the word Indo itself signifies descendants of European and indigenous people who live in the Dutch East Indies (how Indonesia was previously known). With this in mind, nobody can claim one part of his mixed heritage but deny the other, because that is not possible. Second of all, Indo is a term that predates Indonesia as a nation; it's the term for the people who were born from European and non-European (indigenous) parents. My project title may sound odd because [it] also serves as a question. Being an Indo is often interpreted as being Indonesian, but this notion is incorrect, at least not for the first generation Indo-Europeans who came to the Netherlands. When we worked on the project's website 10 years ago, we heard a debate about what being Indo is all about. I think people and the younger generations of Indo find it refreshing to question the meaning of Indo as the word was increasingly becoming the status quo.
Self-portrait by Armando Ello. Used with permission.
GV: Indo, métis, créole, etc.. What do you think of these terms commonly used in society?
Here in the Netherlands, almost everyone has Indo connections, but most people do not know anything about where they come from, including among the Indos themselves.
I have first-hand experiences throughout my whole life. We live in a society that is still centered around colonial perspectives on history: our school curriculum does not elaborate on decolonization and how colonization of Indonesia affected both Indonesia and the Netherlands.
That’s why I see more and more people trying to discover and doing research on this issue nowadays, mostly based on their own family history. The younger generations of Indo are more aware and critical in debates. They're becoming advocates of issues surrounding colonization and decolonization thanks to work of historians, veterans, and others.
Not only that we need to decolonize our education system, but more importantly we need a shift in our own mindset. Because of the growing awareness, we need to change our own mindset.
We can not expect society to know what terms like Indo mean, so we have to explain and educate it ourselves. Here in the Netherlands, we live in society that pivots around European-centric history and school curriculum with a narrow view on colonial history, often to preserve the Dutch reputation. So we discover and research it ourselves through our own family history. Today, we can see the trend of younger generation being critical about decolonization debates and advocate for more awareness within the society in regards of decolonized mindsets and way of life.
GV:
AE: My next project is about spreading the idea of being of individuals of mixed blood who live in different countries and societies. Share the stories about where you come from, so people learn to better understand. That is why I’m now photographing Indo-European people all over the world that share the same history.
GV:
AE: I hope that this project will raise awareness about our roots. Someone once told me that roots of humanity are like the roots of a tree — without them, the tree will fall. Yes, we should focus on building our future, but we cannot ignore the past. Our present and future are built upon our past. We should let others see who we are and that we have interesting histories to share. I’m taking this project to the next level by photographing and interviewing various Indos that live all over the world. I have started a crowdfunding campaign this December that runs until the end of the year. At the moment, we've raised more than 3,400 Euros out of the 10,000 Euros expected. This will fund my upcoming book and photography trips to meet the individuals who will be featured in the book.
The project will feature portraits accompanied by short stories. Other than that, I'm planning a traveling photo exposition and made a documentary that centers around this upcoming project. I really hope to find more Indo-Europeans, preferably in countries where I least expect it.
Here are some profiles from Ello's 2016 photography project:
Hoezo Indo project explores the identity of people with Indonesian-European mixed heritage. Photo by Armando Ello, used with permission
Hoezo Indo project explores the identity of people with Indonesian-European mixed heritage. Photo by Armando Ello, used with permission
Twijfelindo photography book was published in 2016. Photo by Armando Ello, used with permission.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Juke Carolina


text:
Latin America’s year of political struggle and unexpected displays of solidarity · Global Voices
Laura Vidal

Quechua people in Bolivia. Picture released free of copyrights under Creative Commons CC0.
With large exoduses, deadly protests and changes of government, 2018 was anything but ordinary for Latin America and Spanish-speaking communities worldwide.
As witnesses and interpreters of such events, Global Voices’ contributors have helped us sift through the noise and untangle their complexity. From the protests in Nicaragua to the Venezuelan crisis, we have told stories of resilience, of unexpected solidarity, and unusual forms of resistance.
By now, millions of Venezuelans have fled their country and many are using online platforms to help others who want to do the same.
Online stories of the Venezuelan exodus
Once in their destination, the growing diaspora faces discrimination by the local population — as well as other limitations that aren't limited to language or culture.
I, Xenophobe: Chronicle of a migratory displacement
Sorry, I don't speak English. I speak Photography.
Meanwhile, the crisis inside Venezuela worsens. The food shortage, along with soaring levels of urban violence, disproportionally affect women. Expanding forms of state control increasingly resembles George Orwell's Big Brother — and government links to China's big tech suggests surveillance will keep on growing.
It is women who bear the brunt of the Venezuelan crisis
Why do Venezuelans see their country reflected in George Orwell's “1984”?
Venezuelans shudder at news of biometric ID deal with Chinese tech giant
Up north, a “migrant caravan” fleeing the violence in Central America makes it to Mexico and awakens anti-immigrant sentiments. The media follows closely what goes on by the border with the United States, but doesn't always take the time to explain what it is that Central Americans are running away from.
Arrival of the ‘migrant caravan’ lays bare Mexico's own anti-immigration side
Guatemala's democracy was shaken by President Jimmy Morales’ refusal to renew the mandate of the United Nations-backed International Commission against Impunity. The country's top court ruled in favor of the commissioner's return, giving hope to those who support legal institutions in the struggle against impunity. The Commissioner Iván Velázquez hasn't been back to Guatemala, however, and in recent interviews he has denounced further efforts from the government to shut down the commission. Among them, the recent withdrawal of diplomatic immunity from 11 workers of the Commission.
In a blow against impunity, Guatemala's top court rules in favor of the return of UN anti-corruption commissioner
In Nicaragua, demonstrations against social security reforms have transformed into a national outcry against corruption and censorship. The crackdown was swift and brutal. More than 300 people have been killed since the beginning of the protests in April. Journalists have also suffered violent attacks. Human rights organizations point to Daniel Ortega's government as the main perpetrator.
Amid continuing crackdown on anti-government protests, Nicaraguans pay homage to those killed
Nicaraguan protesters and journalists face violent attacks on the streets and online
Cuban citizens debated the Constitutional changes that will regulate internet use in the island.
Cubans can now join public debates on new Constitution through digital platforms
Another Constitutional amendment opened the possibility of legalizing gay marriage, leading to heated debates in Cuban society.
Michel Gonzalez Nuñez: “I imagine it is shocking to approve a ‘homosexual’ law in a ‘revolution’ so pumped with testosterone.”
Mexico commemorated the 50-year anniversary of the Mexican Movement of 1968. Months later, it elected a leftist president after decades of right-wing government. Still, people did not keep quiet when the pacifist AMLO announced the creation of a militarised police force that will fight urban crime. Many difficulties lie ahead for the new president, but hopefully citizen-led initiatives will provide a helping hand.
Interactive maps become a tool to fight crime in Mexico
Mexico’s was not the only election that shook the region. Costa Rica’s presidential hopeful Fabricio Alvarado, a Christian conservative, alarmed many human rights organizations, especially those devoted to LGBTQ rights. However, the winner was progressive Carlos Alvarado and with him, Costa Rica's first black female vice-president, Epsy Campbell Barr.
The importance of having an Afro-feminist activist in Costa Rica's government
Colombians have spoken up against the scores of murdered social activists. In a period of only the first half of the year, over a hundred activists were killed. With the peace deals and the subsequent developments of the country’s internal conflict, a battle for land control has ensued.
As Colombia's peace process falters, scores of social activists are being killed
Finally, Argentina was the closest it's ever been of legalizing abortion. The Senate ended up voting against it, but the movement in the streets and online was massive and evoked memorable displays of solidarity in Latin America and beyond.
The abortion legalization movement in Argentina gets a boost of global solidarity

author: Laura Vidal


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Native artist from the Ramapough Lenape Nation exposes erased histories · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Photo provided by the artist Ótaés and used with permission.
Indigenous lives often go unnoticed by the mainstream United States. Ótaés, an artist from the Ramapough Lenape Nation, is determined to change that.
Using a combination of oil markers and wheat pastings, their work can be seen across the country and “centers around discussing injustices the Indigenous community faces and exposing erased or manipulated history in the Midwest and Appalachian region,” they told Rising Voices.
The Ramapough Lenape Nation spans lands in what's known today as New York and New Jersey. The artist gathers their research from a variety of sources ranging from archaeological records to oral history told by elders.
Through Instagram (@ndn.o), Ótaés has published more than 110 pieces of artwork. For example, this one calls attention to the fact that one-third of Native American children live in poverty:
Native Americans experience the highest rate of poverty, nearly double the national average (and triple in areas).
A post shared by  Òtaès (@ndn.o) on
Through their art, Ótaés addresses inequalities in the justice system, violence against women, mental health issues, and racism facing Native American peoples.
Some of their messages focus on the recent history of Ramapough Lenape Nation's lawsuit against the Ford Motor Company. The Rampapough Lenape Nation accused the company of dumping hazardous waste down abandoned mines in New Jersey affecting their lands, causing serious health issues for residents:
Happy birthday, mom
A post shared by  Òtaès (@ndn.o) on
Ótaés often throws harrowing statistics about Native American life into their work to raise awareness of the injustices faced by their people.
A post shared by Òtaès (@ndn.o) on
Invading and murdering nations then wearing a disrespectful parody of the culture you tried to erase is unacceptable. We will not allow you to profit off our indigenous identity.
A post shared by  Òtaès (@ndn.o) on
Only 47 of the nation’s 570+ federally recognized tribes are part of DOJ’s crime statistic/occurrence exchange. Virtually no information is being collected by the US government on missing people, murders, abuse. Why? Because the tribes must PAY (!!!) to be involved and meet other very rigorous guidelines that Nations struggling to stretch budgets can not afford. Again, most crime committed against natives is by non-natives (70-90%) and the US government feels no need to ensure they know how much crime is being caused by their own citizens… #mmiw
A post shared by  Òtaès (@ndn.o) on
To see the full set, please visit the @ndn.o Instagram account.

author: Eduardo Avila


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The Yellow Vest movement in France: What’s at stake? · Global Voices
Rakotomalala

Yellow Vest protests on Place de la Bastille in Paris on December  8, 2018, by Actualitte on Flickr -CC-NC-20.
The Yellow Vest movement (in French, Gilets Jaunes) started in October 2018, way before the call to mobilize on November 17. What many thought would be a simple protest has continued for two months. Frustration over fuel prices sparked the protest, but it has extended to protests against inequality in French society. Recently, French officials wondered if Russian political groups targeted the movement with a surge of disinformation, intent on weakening Europe.
Global Voices asked Yannick Sourigues and Juke Carolina to speak on the meaning of the Yellow Vest movement. Sourigues, a laboratory engineer in Paris, has been an active participant in the movement since October.  Juke, a consultant in Ardennes (northeast of France) and a Global Voices collaborator, has been following the movement closely since the beginning.
Carolina Juke (CJ): Since the beginning, despite their claim, I feel that the Gilet Jaunes movement is prone to a certain political lenience. The inclination is inevitable to a movement that brands itself “popular” or “of the people”. Having to live in a small French town, in a region often called “region sinistrée,” I could sincerely feel a genuine despair of the population. For example, the hard working farming community and blue collar families have been traditionally under-represented and misrepresented. They have been fending themselves without the interference of … the central government … up to the point that they're bursting at the seam. Lack of opportunities and proper attention have shoved the community into bankruptcy, unemployment, suicides.
Yannick Sourigues (YS): Ce mouvement a démarré suite aux augmentations successives des prix des carburants. Des citoyens (Priscillia Ludosky, Eric Drouet, Jacline Mouraud…) ont appelé à manifester et à signer des pétitions sur les réseaux sociaux, et les gilets jaunes (GJ) sont maintenant dans la rue depuis le 17 novembre. Mais les revendications de beaucoup vont bien au-delà du simple problème du pouvoir d’achat. Le mouvement est bien plus profond que ça. Les GJ veulent que les inégalités sociales qui durent depuis des décennies (et même plus) cessent, et avoir plus de contrôle sur leur vie, en mettant en place notamment un référendum d’initiative populaire.
Yannick Sourigues (YS): This protest movement began because of the successive rise of fuel prices. Some citizens (Priscillia Ludosky, Eric Drouet, Jacline Mouraud …) made a call to protest and sign petitions on social networks, and since November 17, the Yellow Vests have been on the streets. But the claims go way beyond the issue of purchasing power. The movement is much deeper than that. They want the social inequalities of the last decades (and more) to cease, and gain more control over their life, by putting in place a referendum based on popular initiative.
Protest of the Yellow Vests around a roundabout in the town of Vesoul, France. Picture by Obier – CC-BY-4.0.
GV: What do you think is the main reason behind the frustration? Do you think the government's position is justified?
CJ: I keep hearing that people said that the movement was triggered by the ras-le-bol (tiredness) in general, how people are fed up being the cash cows for the government while being a part of lower-middle class — the government favors the rich in every way. The reason is very vague, but I believe that, in general, the current administration has failed to deliver its campaign promises. On the environment, for example. To be able to count on an idealist such as Nicolas Hulot, who has been rejecting ministerial positions in the past, is quite an accomplishment for the administration, but for some reason, Hulot and a few others resigned from their posts, leaving us to question what kind of dynamics are happening in the Elysée [Palace]. Undelivered campaign promises aren't something new in France, we see also [it] in previous administrations. However, today's populism, regardless of left or right leanings, detonated the ticking social bomb. When the president addressed the nation after the waves of protests, it was a ‘much adoed’ thing. His address managed to pacify slightly the movement who needed to be acknowledged by the head of state. However, I don't believe that the movement will stop.
YS: En fait, les gens en ont marre de devoir travailler toute leur vie pour une misère, alors qu’ils voient une élite gagner des millions ou des milliards si facilement et être exemptée d’impôts par les gouvernements. Mais la plupart des Français ne sont pas fainéants, ne sont absolument pas jaloux et ne veulent pas être milliardaires.  Ils veulent tout simplement vivre, et non survivre. Nous vivons malheureusement dans un monde fou où l’argent est roi, et où on nous a toujours appris qu’il fallait avoir un emploi pour vivre, quitte à justifier les pires actes. La position du gouvernement n’est pas justifiable du tout pour moi. Un président méprisant, qui refuse de parler à son peuple, qui propose aux forces de l’ordre une prime de fin d’année pour contrôler ses citoyens, ou qui ose opposer GJ et écologie (alors que son bilan actuel sur l'écologie est loin d'être favorable), est clairement totalement déconnecté de son peuple. Même dans son discours du 11 décembre, on aurait dit que le président était une machine sans émotion. Comme beaucoup d’autres GJ, je pense qu’il est indispensable de changer le système actuel qui nous conduit à détruire la Nature, et donc nous conduit à notre perte.
YS: Basically, people are tired of working their whole life in misery, while seeing an elite win millions or billions so easily and being exempt from taxes by the government. But most French people are not lazy, are absolutely not jealous and don't even want to be billionaires. They only want to live, not survive. Unfortunately we live in a crazy world where money rules, and where we have always been taught that we need a job to live, even if that means committing the worst actions. The government's position cannot be justified at all. A despising president, who refuses to talk to his people, and who offers an end-of-year bonus to the police forces in order to control his citizens, or who dares to oppose to the Yellow Vests and the ecology (even if his current end-of-year ecological impact statement is clearly far from being healthy) is clearly totally disconnected from his people. Even during his speech on December 11, he seemed like a machine emptied of any emotions. Like many other Yellow Vests, I think it is urgent to change the current system that leads us to destroy nature, and thus leads us to our fall.
GV: The movement has been going on for a few weeks; right now, what would be an acceptable solution for the Yellow Vests and the government?
CJ: We're now at the fifth week of street protests and the government is holding a meeting with representatives of the movement. This is a good start. Last Monday, the president spoke about how the administration wants to remedy the “economic and social emergency.” The question now is the deliverables and timeline. Only time will tell.
YS: Honnêtement, je ne sais pas. Une augmentation significative du pouvoir d’achat sera peut-être suffisante pour certains, mais d’autres, dont moi, veulent surtout que le peuple reprenne la main sur son destin. Un changement radical du système est nécessaire. J’ai participé au rassemblement pour la VI République en mars 2017, et nous étions nombreux à vouloir par exemple un renversement de la V République, ce qui est demandé par une partie des GJ.
YS: Honestly, I don't know. A significant increase of the purchasing power could be enough for some, but others, including me, want that the French people to take their destiny into their own hands. A radical change of the system is needed. I participated in the rally for the sixth Republic in March 2017, and a lot of us wanted to see, for example, the downfall of the fifth Republic, also a request by some Yellow Vests.
GV: There was violence, and some were hurt. What is your take on these events?
CJ: [Is] the government justified in containing protests [using] full urban warfare style? No. Tear gas is inhumane and violent. I am personally anti-tear gas anywhere, [especially] in a peaceful protest. Tear gas is being used too much, too often. In a small town like Charleville-Mezieres, tear gas was launched against the trouble makers who deliberately smashed public property. However, there are always a few people who get caught in the mess without the intention to destruct. I also noticed that in Paris, the authorities are using the stop-and-frisk method, one I believe is a better method of containment.
YS: Il y a eu des centaines de blessés et huit morts depuis le 17 novembre et c’est très triste. Les moyens mis en œuvre par les forces de l’ordre ont été exagérés  et, sur de nombreuses vidéos prises par les manifestants, on peut voir que ceux sont les forces de l'ordre qui ont commencé les agressions. On sait aussi que certains agents se sont fondé parmi les GJ. A voir. Sinon, je ne suis pas violent, mais je comprends tout à fait que certains s’en soient pris à des symboles de l’oligarchie financière comme Starbucks ou des banques
YS: There were hundreds of casualties and eight deaths since the November 17, and it is very sad. The methods taken by the police have been extreme, and you can see in many videos taken by the protesters that it was the police who provoked aggression. We also know that some agents infiltrated among the Yellow Vests. Let's see. I am not violent, but I completely understand that some [protesters] targeted symbols of the financial oligarchy like Starbucks or banks.
CJ: This is the problem of Yellow Vest movement. Since it's riding on social and economic issues, it can't be apolitical and has become a honeypot for populist politicians. This movement became something of free publicity to them, an unabridged opportunity to stay relevant until the next election. The extreme and ultra left as well as right wanted so badly to hijack the movement and its narratives and peddled false information on local Yellow Vest Facebook groups. And when people are angry, nobody cares to fact-check and debunk. I find this rather sad. A movement that could've been a true cry out that unites people turned into something so divisive.
YS: Ces personnes ne m’intéressent pas du tout. Le mouvement des GJ ne souhaite être associé à aucun parti politique.
YS: I am not interested in these people at all. The Yellow Vest movement does not wish to be associated with any political party.
CJ: In general, I don't engage in forums, I consider it a time waste to argue with angry people. But I have the habit to share links of verified news to debunk fake ones.
YS: Il est en effet très difficile de trier les informations, notamment sur Internet. J’ai évité de partager plusieurs informations d’amis sur Facebook par exemple car, après vérification, elles s’avéraient fausses. Pour se rapprocher de la vérité, il faut comparer plusieurs sources d’informations : les médias officiels (que vous n’avez pas à croire sur parole je rappelle), les médias alternatifs, les sites officiels des gouvernements, des institutions européennes ou mondiales… Suivant le domaine d’investigation (scientifique, historique…), il m’arrive de me tourner vers des sites universitaires, des MOOC, des chaînes Youtube… Lire les commentaires de certains internautes peut également s’avérer très enrichissant. Bref, ça demande parfois énormément de temps, mais c’est le prix à payer.
YS: It is indeed very difficult to filter information, especially coming from the Internet. For instance, I have avoided sharing some of my friends’ posts on Facebook because after checking, they turned out to be wrong. To get closer to the truth, you need to compare multiple sources of information: official media (I remind you that you don't have to believe every word of it), alternative media, official government websites, European or international institutions … Depending on the topic (scientific, historical …). I sometimes check university websites, MOOCs, Youtube channels … Reading people's comments can sometimes be very fruitful. Anyway, it … needs a lot of time, but it is the price [we] pay.
GV: How do you foresee the coming weeks and the resolution of this conflict in the long term?
CJ: I think things will be quieter now, especially with  … Christmas and terrorist shooting in the Christmas Market of Strasbourg [December 11]. The movement will fizzle off the streets but it won't die down. It will manifest in other forms through different protests. The Yellow Vest is now an emblem that unites those who protest.
YS: Franchement, personne ne peut vraiment prévoir ce qu’il va se passer. Il y a des chances que le mouvement se calme pendant les vacances de Noël, mais ça ne changera rien à la motivation des GJ. Les gens reviendront en début d’année si nécessaire. Je souhaite personnellement un éveil des citoyens du monde entier.
YS: Honestly, no one can really know what will happen next. Chances are, the movement slows down during the Christmas holidays, but nothing will change the Yellow Vests’ motivations. People will come back next year if needed. I personally hope for an awakening of the citizens of the world.
CJ: Whenever I read the news about the Yellow Vest movement on non-French media, I get the impression that the media is missing many details and nuances. I see articles saying that the movement is part of an anti-green tax. That it's an anti-Macron protest. It's really not that simple. It's much more nuanced than what the media say. It's about the French people, their daily problems and their future. There are more peaceful protests than violent ones portrayed on TV and captured on cameras.
YS: N’ayez pas peur de ce mouvement, qui se veut pacifiste avant tout. Les GJ sont de simples humains comme vous qui veulent que tous nous puissions vivre enfin sereinement. Le chemin est encore long mais nous sommes de plus en plus nombreux à vouloir un monde meilleur, que ce soit chez les GJ18 ou dans d’autres mouvements comme celui des Indignés. Le mouvement des GJ (ou quel que soit son nom) devrait être mondial. Prenez le temps de vous faire votre propre opinion.
YS: Don't be scared of the movement, it aims to be pacifist above all. The Yellow Vests are simple human beings like you who wish that we could all finally live in peace. There is still a long way to go but there is more and more of us who want a better world, whether it is at the Yellow Vests in 2018 or in other movements like the Occupy movement (Indignés in French). The Yellow Vest movement (or whatever its name) should be worldwide. Take the time to form your own opinions.
(Feature image: Paris, 08/12/18 – Gilets Jaunes “acte 4″ by Olivier Ortepla (CC BY 2.0)

author: Rakotomalala


text:
Why Chinese netizens believe a commodity index can predict global affairs · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

A “Gilet Jaunes” (Yellow Vests) protests in the French province of Haute-Saone in November 2018. Photo by Obier via Wikimedia Commons. CC: AT-NC.
A rumor about the spread of French “yellow vest” protests to other European countries went viral on Chinese social media before Christmas.
The story emerged after French president Emmanuel Macron announced a number of concessions to address protesters’ grievances over economic policies. While Macron expected calm and order be restored, the Chinese-fabricated rumor predicted the opposite.
Multiple versions of the story were spread via a number of micro-blogging accounts on Weibo and Wechat, quoting sources from a commodity wholesaler in Yiwu—a city well known as a wholesaling center—who stated that their entire stock of yellow vests in stock was sold out and more orders had been coming in from European nations such as Sweden, Prague, Switzerland, etc. The story implied that the “yellow vest” protests were spreading throughout the continent.
Here is one version of the story that circulated on Weibo and WeChat:
【义乌指数】中国义乌的服装调研报告指出,现在来自欧洲的“黄背心”订单继续暴涨,现在黄背心制作工作已经在加班加点地进行,更有不少跨境电商卖家将此视为一次绝佳的销售机会。不少网友说,根据义乌商品市场的大数据,可以预测,未来黄背心运动的的浪潮还有可能蔓延到瑞典、捷克、瑞士、西班牙等国。早前就有外媒发文指出,义乌具有一股神秘力量,可以通过市场行情来预测国际政治大事件的走向。在义乌,接受的海外订单数量更被视为民意的风向标,可以惊人地对将要发生的事件做出准确预测。早在2016年美国大选的时候,义乌制造商就通过美国订购的旗帜和衣衫的数量提前5个月预测出特朗普将会成为总统。据了解,目前义乌的一些纺织厂已经开始陆续接受到美国订单,开始生产特朗普2020年竞选时的旗帜和支持者所穿的衬衫,由于订单量已经比民主党竞选所开出的需求高出数倍,因此也有人通过这点来预测特朗普很有可能连任美国总统。这是中国制造的大数据威力
[Yiwu Index] Yiwu’s research report on clothing showed that orders of “yellow vests” from Europe has continued to surge. Manufacturers worked overtime to meet the demand and many traders from overseas e-commerce platforms see the movement as an excellent sales opportunity. Chinese netizens believed that based on the Yiwu commodity index and its big data, the yellow vest movement would spread to Sweden, Czech Republic, Switzerland and Spain. Foreign media outlets pointed out that the Yiwu Index could accurately predict international political trends. Commodity orders from overseas market could serve as indicators of public opinion and hence could accurately predict the results of political events. Back in 2016, based on the orders of election related t-shirts and flags, manufacturers from Yiwu had predicted Donald Trump would win the U.S. presidency five months in advance. Observers say that textile factories in Yiwu have started receiving orders from the U.S and have begun manufacturing flags and T-shirts for Trump supporters for the 2020 presidential election. The demand is now several times larger than orders from supporters of the Democratic Party. Some have started to predict that Trump would be re-elected. This shows the power of China’s big data.
Many retweeted the news with comments such as “Yiwu has become a base for predicting global trends”, and “take a look at Yiwu’s export data and you can become an analyst of global affairs.”
The myth of the Yiwu index
Located in Zhejiang Province, Yiwu is the world's biggest small commodities trading hub, and one of the most popular small commodities wholesale markets in China. Yiwu's international trade city has an Index called the Yiwu China commodity index that reflects market trends.
During the US election in 2016, the Yiwu Index became a hot topic on Chinese social media, as discussions about election-related merchandise order records in Yiwu seemed to indicate that Donald Trump was more popular than Hillary Clinton. After the election, even state-affiliated media reported that commodity order records from Yiwu and Alibaba had predictive power, and many Chinese netizens believed that the Yiwu Index was more accurate than the U.S election polls. Some media observers were quick to point out that this interpretation was problematic, as Clinton, in fact, received more votes than Trump, but this analysis was ignored.
This time, state-affiliated media outlet Global Times fact-checked the online story and reported that yellow vests were not out of stock in the trading city and that the sales volume in recent months was not higher than last year's. The Global Times report, however, has done nothing to stop the spread of the Yiwu Index myth. In fact, new commentary emerged after the Christmas reasserting the predictive power of Yiwu Index. The story, republished on various online media platforms, did acknowledge the erroneous sales figures for yellow vests, but continued to insist that the Yiwu Index had successfully predicted the results of both the 2016 U.S presidential election and the 2018 World Cup.
The writer echoed Chinese president Xi Jinping's December 18 speech on the 40th anniversary of the country's “reform and opening-up”, which cited Yiwu as a successful example of that shift. The commentary concluded that the predictive power of the Yiwu Index reflects the glorious history of the country's transformation:
实际上，义乌之所以能够一次次“精准预测“国际重大事件的走向，究其原因是义乌人通过几十年的奋力拼搏，将小商品产业在世界范围内做的了独树一帜、傲视群雄，成为世界多国所依赖的小商品产地。
在改革开放的历史浪潮中，就是无数个义乌这样曾经名不见经传的无名小城，在国家政策的鼓励扶持下，刻苦攻坚、努力拼搏、敢为天下先，使中国在短短40年里，实现了史无前例的惊天巨变。
The reason Yiwu can “accurately predict” the trend of global affairs again and again is due to the Yiwu people’s contributions in the past few decades. They have walked a distinctive path in the world’s commodity markets and established the city’s leading status as the manufacturing hub of world’s daily necessities.
Open door and reform policy has helped numerous cities like Yiwu to take courageous steps and strike out for success. Their efforts have brought about the great transformation of China in just 40 years.
This intertwining of the predictive power of the Yiwu Index with China's economic transformation has made the myth even more difficult to debunk.

author: Oiwan Lam


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New Year’s Eve 2018 marked the end of an era in Japan · Global Voices
Nevin Thompson

Emperor Akihito and his family makes their final public appearance of 2018 on December 23. Screencap from The PAGE official YouTube channel.
December 31, 2018, marked the end of an era in Japan as the country celebrated the final New Year's Eve of Emperor Akihito's reign.
The Japanese emperor had announced in 2016 that he would abdicate the throne on April 30, 2019, succeeded by his son Crown Prince Naruhito, bringing Japan's 30-year Heisei era to a close. For Japanese people, 2018 was the year of Heisei saigo (平成最後), “the last time we'll do this in the Heisei era” — especially year-end New Year's events.
The Emperor made his final public address of 2018 on his birthday, December 23, where he reflected on his hopes for peace for Japan in the future. He also remarked on the price Okinawa people continued to pay in 2018 for the disastrous Pacific War that ended in defeat in 1945, a common theme of his 30-year long reign.
きょうは天皇陛下の８５歳の誕生日。天皇として迎える最後の誕生日です。
事前の記者会見では「支え続けてくれた多くの国民に衷心より感謝する」と涙声で語りました。そして、時間をかけて話されたのが、平和への思いでした。　 　　　　https://t.co/r48GAJbsYK pic.twitter.com/CMPK4s2ey6
— 朝日新聞(asahi shimbun） (@asahi) December 22, 2018
Today (December 23, 2018) is Emperor Akihito's 85th birthday. This will be his last birthday as Emperor of Japan. ‘I would like to thank from the bottom of my heart the many people who accepted and continued to support me,’ stated the Emperor in a teary voice, who then continued his birthday greeting by expressing hopes for peace (in the future).
— Asahi Shimbun
“It gives me deep comfort that the Heisei Era is coming to an end, free of war in Japan,” the Emperor said in his remarks.
It is important not to forget that countless lives were lost in the second world war and that the peace and prosperity of postwar Japan was built upon the numerous sacrifices and tireless efforts made by the Japanese people, and to pass on this history accurately to those born after the war.
Japan's Heisei era began on January 8, 1989, when Emperor Akihito was officially enthroned the day after the death of his father, Emperor Hirohito, known posthumously in Japan as the Showa Emperor (昭和天皇).
Japan's Heisei era is known as a difficult yet peaceful time for the country. The previous Shōwa era witnessed a criminal regime that led Japan to complete defeat during World War II after experiencing firebombings, atomic attacks, and mass starvation, all followed an economic miracle and prosperity after the war. In contrast, the Heisei era was peaceful, if sometimes economically troubled following the collapse of the 80's Bubble economy.
Imperial eras still play an important role in Japanese culture. While the Gregorian calendar is used in Japan, most official documents such as bank statements, utility bills and passports identify the year in terms of the Imperial era. For example, 1989 is usually referred to as “Heisei 1″ in Japan, while 2018 is referred to as “Heisei 30.”
To mark the bittersweet end of an era, the Twitter hashtag #Heisei saigo (#平成最後, roughly, “the last time we'll do this in the Heisei era”, was used throughout 2018.
Earlier in the year the hashtag #平成最後の夏 (the final Heisei summer) was fairly common on Twitter:
平成最後の夏に彼氏ができ、平成の次の時代まで交際を続けるのをやりたい。これを「時代を超へた愛」と云ふ。
— 女學生 (@aikawai_kyosu) May 31, 2018
In my final summer of the Heisei era I got a boyfriend. I hope we can make the relationship last into the start of the next one. We'll call it ‘a love that transcends history.’
Toward the end of 2018, most people reflected on how December 31st would mark the final New Year's Eve, one of the most important holidays of the year in Japan — New Year's celebrations last from December 31 to January 3.
The country shuts down as families return to the family home from the bigger cities to spend time with relatives. For many, the month of December means frantic attempts to get ready for the holiday by cooking, cleaning and getting everything squared away by December 31 to make a clean start to the New Year on January 1.
As a result, in December the hashtag “last big clean of the Heisei era” (#平成最後の大掃除) trended on Twitter:
only 6 days this year. #平成最後の大掃除 (last cleaning in the Heisei period) is trending. it means last checking of to-dos for 2018 and asks “tell us what u don't wanna leave undone or what u wanna get done”. i wanna eat yakiniku at least 1 more time. morning. it's Dec 26 (Wed).
— Yuuki ? (@ore_english) December 25, 2018
New Year's Eve is known as Omisoka (大みそか) in Japanese. Choukanne, the official mascot of Tokyo Shimbun newspaper, explained the origins of the term:
皆さま、おはようございます。
今日で2018年も終わり。平成最後の大みそかね。「みそか」はもともと漢字で「三十日」と書き、実際の日付に関係なく、月の終わりを意味するそうよ。 pic.twitter.com/rr7RSuUO2D
— チョウカンヌ (@choukanne) December 30, 2018
Today (December 31, 2018) is the final day of 2018. It is also the final Omisoka (New Year's Eve) of the Heisei era. The Chinese characters for misoka were originally written as “三十日” (mi-so-ka, 3-10-day), but it actually has nothing to do with the date, and simply means it's the end of the month.
Once the cleaning and cooking are complete and relatives arrive, many families spend New Year's Eve watching the annual Red and White Song Competition (紅白歌合戦), known as the Kohaku. While the popularity of the program has waned in recent years, the final Kohaku broadcast of the Heisei period persuaded stars such as Keisuke Kuwata, frontman of Boomer-era mega group Southern All Stars, who normally holds his own New Year's Eve concert in Yokohama, to appear on the show.
紅白歌合戦、桑田佳祐(サザンオールスターズ)とユーミン(松任谷由実)の共演 pic.twitter.com/himQehU8Kr
— (๑ˇεˇ๑)•*¨*•.¸¸♪ (@mDmiKyuvmsf2Rwf) December 31, 2018
During the Kohaku, Kuwata Keisuke of the Southern All Stars sings a duet with Matsutoya Yumi.
The final Kohaku program of the Heisei era seems to have rung out 2018 in style:
The final #Kouhaku #紅白歌合戦 of the Heisei era has been the best one in years. Matsutoya Yumi (who sang the songs in Kiki’s Delivery Service) and Kuwata Keisuke (the guy who wrote Elly My Love for Ray Charles) both made performances. pic.twitter.com/do6bHcjFG3
— Peter Payne (@JListPeter) December 31, 2018

author: Nevin Thompson


text:
China persecutes independent leftists in the name of Marxism · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

China Central Television's program “Marx was right.” Screenshot from Youtube.
On December 28, Beijing police arrested a group of Peking University students for protesting against the takeover of the campus’ Marxist society in yet another testament of the chasm between Marxism and Marxism “with Chinese characteristics.”
The action followed the detention of the society's president Qiu Zhanxuan for celebrating former China's Communist Party (CPP) leader Mao Zedong's birthday on December 26.
The arrests are only the most recent episode of CPP's repression of independent Chinese leftists. In August, 50 people, among students and workers, who had attempted to establish a trade union at a Jasic Technology factory in Southern China were arrested.
Among the detainees is Yue Xin, a Peking University graduate who has publicly adhered to President Xi Jinping’s thought. Instead of pursuing study abroad, she became a blue-collar worker in the Jasic factory. She has been missing since the police raid in August. The Peking University Marxist group had been campaigning for the release of the detained activists.
This new generation of young leftists who put their values into practice has been accused by pro-government commentators of reading Marx at the covert direction of foreign powers.
On Weibo, CCP ideologue and Global Times’ chief editor Hu Xijin justified the repression on Peking University's Marxist group, whose core team members have since been replaced with the university's picks.
老胡想对邱同学说，只有中国才能救社会主义，中国是马克思主义学说在未来发扬光大的唯一希望。而中国面临着内外种种挑战，所有支持人类拥抱社会主义理想的中国人，都应该支持国家走稳中国特色社会主义道路，支持在改革开放的现实环境下发展马克思主义。社会主义是极其复杂的社会实践运动，而非理想主义的教条主义追求。可以肯定地说，中国好了社会主义才能好。
老胡希望所有年轻人都能意识到，对中国极不友好的力量一直在寻找各种各样的机会攻击我们。我们都应该尽量避免给那些力量提供这样的机会。
I want to tell student Qiu that only China can save socialism. China is the only hope for the future of Marxism. China is now facing a lot of challenges inside and outside the country. All Chinese people who embrace socialist ideals should support the state to go steady in the path of socialism with Chinese character and support the development of Marxism under the circumstances of reform and open doors. Socialism is a very complicated praxis, it is not an dogmatic and idealistic pursue. It is definite that the fate of socialism depends on the fate of China. I hope all young people can realize this. Unfriendly forces have been taking all sort of opportunities to attack us. We have to prevent providing such opportunities for these forces.
Hu's statement reflects China's recent appropriation of Marxism as an ideological tool that helps legitimize President Xi Jinping’s governance strategy that is based on authoritarianism and economic progress.
Throughout 2018, the CPP spectacularly celebrated the 200th anniversary of Karl Marx, the father of communist thought. It organized an international academic conference in Bejing, a grand gathering of the Party, funded a giant statue at Marx’s birthplace in Germany, produced a youth-targeted TV series titled “Marx was Right,” and, most recently, released an animated series called “The Leader” based on Marx's life.
The 5-episode series “Marx was right“, broadcast this year in China's main state-run TV channel, argues that China's market economy is a “tool to realize the values and goals of socialism” and an antidote to crises such as those faced by Western democracies in the past decade, from the 2008 global financial crises to the Brexit referendum in the UK.
As Xi put it at the grand Marx's 200th birthday celebration in Beijing in May:
It is perfectly right for history and the people to choose Marxism, as well as for the CPC to write Marxism on its own flag, to adhere to the principle of combining the fundamental principles of Marxism with China's reality, and continuously adapt Marxism to the Chinese context and the times.
More than 30 prominent scholars have decided to boycott Beijing’s 2019 World Congress on Marxism, including leftist professor Noam Chomsky, who said he didn't want to be “complicit in the Chinese government’s game.”
China is the world’s largest manufacturing economy and international investor, and its economy is highly exploitative of the working class.
The CCP's practice to suppress independent labor movements and workers’ organizations go back decades. While many Marxists believe in workers’ struggle as the driving force for social and political transformation, Chinese ideologues consider young leftist students’ who stand by workers’ rights simply troublemakers.
Following the takeover of Peking University's Marxist society, Twitter user @luli398 snarkily tweeted:
如果马克思活着的话，他也会被中国共产党抓起来，判终生监禁。因为他也主张思想、言论自由和新闻自由。
— luli398 (@luli398) December 26, 2018
If Marx was still alive, he would be arrested by the CCP and sentenced to life because he advocates for freedom of press, speech and thought.
What exactly is Marxism with Chinese characteristics? You may have a glimpse into it by watching this propaganda cartoon called “The Leader.”


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A plane carrying seven indigenous people disappeared in the Amazon rainforest, but few in Brazil are talking about it · Global Voices
Global Voices Lusofonia

Area where the plane disappeared in Amapá, northern Brazil | Image: Reproduction/Google Maps
On December 2nd, a small plane took off around Matawaré village, deep in the Amazon rainforest, in the northern state of Amapá. On board was an indigenous woman of the Akuriyó group, her son-in-law, and a family of the Tiriyó group – a teacher, his wife, and three small children. The pilot was Jeziel Barbosa de Moura, 61, who is experienced in the region.
The region's indigenous people frequently fly from remote villages to the town of Laranjal do Jari, located 265 km away from the state capital, Macapá (the journey by car from one to the other takes around four hours). A one-hour chartered flight costs around 3000 Brazilian reais (around 770 USD).
Twenty-five minutes after takeoff, Jeziel sent a radio message saying that he needed to make an emergency landing. Radar contact with the plane was lost after that. According to information from the news outlet G1, he was flying clandestinely without having previously disclosed a flight plan.
Fifteen days after the plane went missing, the Brazilian Air Force announced they were suspending searches for survivors. The mission amounted to 128 hours of flight in total. Two planes and a helicopter have searched an area of 12,000 km, roughly equivalent to 12,000 football pitches. However, the thick forest made the work difficult.
According to state news agency Agência Brasil, friends of the pilot and indigenous people from four groups – Apalai, Akuriyó, Tiriyó and Waiana – continued the search on their own, on the ground, for a month since the planed has vanished. The Association of Indigenous Peoples and Organizations of Amapá State and Northern Pará published a message condemning the Air Force's decision to suspend the search.
The group says that the precarious state of landing strips for indigenous communities is a longstanding issue. G1 reports that there are 49 landing strips yet to be brought up to official standards in indigenous territories in Brazil, according to the Federal Prosecution's Office. In Amapá state alone, “there are 17 irregular strips, which are used for transporting health and education professionals and indigenous people themselves”.
This case, although noted by some national websites and newspapers, has not made to the main headlines in Brazil. Eight people disappeared in the world’s largest rainforest and most of the country has not even heard about it.
G1, a large mainstream online news site in Brazil that has been following the case, talked to relatives of passengers and the pilot. All of them said they were “in despair” and that they were waiting for help from the Army to search for the disappeared in the thick forest. The fear is heightened because it is a race against time.
The pilot's daughter, Flávia Moura, said:
Meu pai conhece a região, já voa há bastante tempo, então a gente sabe que ele deu o jeito dele de pousar em algum lugar, só que na selva é difícil encontrar. A gente sabe a dificuldade no resgate aéreo, mas queremos encontrá-lo, por isso a gente reuniu alguns garimpeiros e índios amigos do meu pai, que estão na mata. Só que a gente quer ajuda do Exército que tem preparo pra isso.
My father knows the region, he has been flying for a long time, so we know that he tried to land somewhere, but in the forest it is difficult to find. We know the difficulty of air rescue, but we want to find him, and so we gathered some miners and indigenous friends of my father, who are in the forest. But we want help from the Army which is prepared for this.
Sataraki Akuriyó, the son of the oldest passenger on board, told the website:
Minha mãe não vou ver mais, por isso queria encontrar ao menos o avião ou o corpo falecido. Desde que eles caíram estou sofrendo muito.
My mother I won’t see again, and so I wanted to find at least the plane or her body. Since they fell I have been suffering a lot.
The same day the Air Forced announced the end of the searches, then president-elect Jair Bolsonaro, who took office on January 1st, declared his intention to revise the demarcation of the indigenous reserve Raposa Terra do Sol, so that it can be exploited it in a “rational way”.
Within the reserve’s 1.7 million hectares, there are around 17,000 indigenous people from five groups – Macuxi, Wapixana, Ingarikó, Taurepang and Patamona. In an article, lawyer Lucio Augusto Villela da Costa said the area is “known for being rich in minerals such as tin, diamonds, gold, niobium, zinc, caulim, amethyst, copper, diatomite, barytes, molybdenum, titanium, limestone, as well as having the second largest reserve of uranium on the planet.”
Economic exploitation of indigenous lands, according to specialists, is “unconstitutional” under Brazilian law. His plan would go against Brazil's 1988 Constitution, which provides for the right for indigenous people to “maintain lands, way of life, and traditions”.
The website De Olho nos Ruralistas (“eye on the ruralists”, in English), which reports on land conflicts in Brazil, interviewed anthropologist Denise Fajardo, researcher at the Institute for Research and Training in Indigenous Education, about the case of the disappeared plane. For her, the current political climate and the way that the case has been reported are not isolated:
Não se fala sobre o assunto porque a vida dos indígenas não importa nesse momento, vivemos um período anti-indígena e eles são considerados um obstáculo para o desenvolvimento do país. Podemos traçar paralelos até com os meninos perdidos em uma caverna na Tailândia, que teve mais a atenção da imprensa.
The matter is not being discussed because the lives of indigenous people is not important at the moment, we are living an anti-indigenous time and they are considered to be an obstacle to the country’s development. We can draw parallels even with the children lost in a cave in Thailand, which has had more attention from the press.
She added that indigenous people from the region often leave their villages to deal with personal matters and that they feel isolated.
O Parque Nacional Montanhas do Tumucumaque é uma pequena área que pertence a eles e foi onde o Estado os colocou, ou melhor, onde o Estado os isolou. A região é de difícil acesso e não se fornecem meios de locomoção a essa população, que fica confinada lá na Aldeia.
The Tumucumaque National Park is a small area which belongs to them and was where the state put them, or rather where the state isolated them. The region is difficult to access and no means of transport are provided to this population, who stay confined there to the village.
The village Mataware, from where the disappeared plane left off, is only accessible by water or air. On the night of December 17, another plane carrying indigenous passengers had an accident in the Amazon, this time near the border with Peru. The three passengers were rescued alive by the Air Force.

author: Global Voices Lusofonia


text:
How preserving folktales and legends help raise environment awareness in the Mekong · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The Mekong Basin. Photo from the website of The People's Stories project. Used with permission
In 2014, several indigenous communities in the Mekong started recording their stories and legends with the help of a group of researchers who are exploring how these narratives can help exposing the destructive impact of large-scale projects in the region.
The Mekong is one of Asia’s great river systems which flows through six countries: China, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. It is rich in biodiversity and a vital source of livelihood for millions of farmers and fisherfolk.
In recent years, several large-scale projects such as hydropower dams have displaced residents while threatening the river basin's ecosystem. Despite protests, the construction of dams has continued, especially in Laos and Thailand.
In partnership with Mekong Watch, a Japan-based group advocating sustainable development in the region, several community elders in the Mekong began recording some of their stories and legends in 2014 that revolve around nature. Mekong Watch believes that these stories “have played an important role in protecting nature by avoiding the over-exploitation of natural resources.”
Mekong Watch asserts that part of the commons that need to be protected are not just natural resources but also “intangible heritages” that can be shared and accessed by the local community. Toshiyuki Doi, senior adviser of Mekong watch, adds:
People’s stories should be regarded, recognized, and respected as Mekong’s commons, especially these days when they are losing their place in local communities to more modern media, and are not passed on to next generations.
Areas in the Mekong where researchers conducted fieldwork. 1. Kmhmu’ in northern and central Laos; 2. Siphandon in southern Laos; 3. Akha in northern Thailand; 4. Thai So and Isan in northeastern Thailand; 5. Bunong in northeastern Cambodia. Used with permission.
The group was able to collect a total of 102 stories in Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand. Stories were recorded, transcribed, and translated into the national languages of Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia before an English version was made. Mekong Watch published these stories as pamphlets in both printed and digital formats, and used them during environment workshops they conducted at the communities.
Since late 2016, we have used people’s stories to provide environmental education to children in rural Laos and Thailand. We have hosted workshops in schools and local communities to guide children, and sometimes adults, to collect stories from elderly people, learn from the stories, and turn them into reading materials.
An example of a workshop involves the retelling of the story of ‘The Owl and the Deer’ from Kmhmu’ people in central and northern Laos. The story is about an owl who lost his ability to see during the day after cheating a deer.
During a workshop, young participants are asked: “What kinds of animals appear in the story?”, “Can you see these animals in your village?”, and “If there are fewer of these animals in your village than before, why do you think this has happened?”
After this, participants are encouraged to connect the story to the deterioration of the environment in their communities.
In Champasak Province, south Laos, the legend of the endangered Irrawaddy dolphin and the Sida bird is used to highlight how a dam project is disrupting the seasonal migration of Mekong River fisheries.
Another story also from southern Laos is instructive on the value of resource management:
The story about the Rhino Head was recorded on November 16, 2014, at the Songkram River bank in northeast Thailand. The narrator was Mun Kimprasert, aged 68. Photo by Mekong Watch, used with permission.
Once, a soldier stepped into a spirit forest. He discovered a lot of tobacco leaves there and collected them. However, when trying to leave the forest, he could not find an exit. It was because he took more tobacco leaves than he could possibly consume for himself. No matter how hard he searched, he could not find a way out of the forest. Realizing what might have been the problem, he finally decided to return the tobacco leaves to the forest. The moment he dropped them on the ground, he was able to see an exit in front of him.
In northern Thailand, a story by the Akha people about the origin of the swing teaches self-sacrifice through a heroic episode of a brother and a sister who put the world in order.
In northeast Thailand, a folktale about Ta Sorn narrated by Tongsin Tanakanya promotes unity among neighbors in a farming community. Another story recalls how the hunting of a rhinoceros led to the formation of salt trading in this part of the country.
In Bunong, located in northeast Cambodia, there are stories about rituals to fix bad marriages and planting and harvest ceremonies narrated by Khoeuk Keosineam. There is also the legend of the elephant as retold by Chhot Pich which reveals how villagers who once poisoned a river were punished by the gods and turned into elephants. It explains why elephants were comfortable living with humans but, after several generations, they forgot their origins and went to live in the forest.
Hea Phoeun from the Laoka Village, Senmonorom, Mondulkiri Province in Cambodia shares a village ritual on how to fix an ‘unfit’ marriage. Photo by Mekong Watch, used with permission.
For Mekong Watch and the threatened communities in the region, preserving these stories is integral in the campaign to resist projects that would displace thousands of people living in the Mekong:
These stories can help form their identity as a community member and identify with the environment. By means of stories, the communities search for ways to accommodate and/or resist changes that are taking place in the Mekong river basin.

author: Mong Palatino


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After a fire destroys Jamaica’s LGBT headquarters, 2019 deemed ‘year of rebuilding’ · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Rainbow flag photo b torbakhopper, CC BY-ND 2.0
On the night of December 30, 2018, a fire “of yet unknown origin” leveled the Kingston offices of the Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All-Sexuals and Gays, which goes by its acronym, J-FLAG. The organisation, which began its work in 2012, defines itself as “the foremost human rights and social justice organisation which works for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Jamaica”.
In a statement following the incident, J-FLAG was careful not to jump to conclusions regarding possible causes of the fire. It acknowledged the “damage and destruction to the building”, thanked first responders for their professionalism and expressed gratitude that there were no casualties.
Three days later, on January 3, 2019, the group posted a Facebook update which noted that while the authorities are “further along” in their investigations, they still have not been able to determine the cause of the blaze:
The police have assured us that they are treating the issue as a priority and will ensure the investigation is done thoroughly and [in a] timely manner.
The building that J-FLAG occupied was an older property, leaving some netizens to wonder whether outdated electrical wiring may have been a contributing factor. In the context of Jamaica's baggage around the issue of gay rights, many social media users reacted to the news by expressing their solidarity.
There was a high incidence of speculation, conspiracy theories, and distasteful or intolerant commentary regarding the incident. As a conservative and heavily Christian society, Jamaica has a history of colouring equal rights issues like gay marriage with a religious lens. Suggestions of the J-FLAG fire being an act of God were fairly commonplace, and prompted a pushback:
If burning down JFLAG was a fish fry would setting fire to the houses of homophobes, rapist and misogynists be considered a dumpster fire then? Or is that form of arson not festive enough for you?
— beacon of black excellence ?? (@briebisasor) January 2, 2019
Many called out what they saw as religious hypocrisy:
Christians dense enuh… dense bad. How can you laugh at comments re JFLAG Fire and think that’s ok??? That’s effed all the way up.
— Annissa (@onenewsound) January 2, 2019
I just saw a “former” lesbian turned married Christian post one of the most distasteful comments on the burning down of the JFLAG fire. And said it was her fave. Oh how quickly we forget where we come from. This is why Christianity will continue to lose people.
— Azuri (@zuribellaella) January 2, 2019
This ugly side of the Jamaican blogosphere prompted Twitter user Annissa to suggest:
The importance of safe spaces cannot be understated. Jamaicans have really showed their ass in response to the JFLAG Fire.
— Annissa (@onenewsound) January 2, 2019
Unspursingly, the recent homecoming of dancehall superstar Buju Banton, who served time in a United States prison on drug charges, made its way into the mix thanks to “Boom Bye Bye”, his decades-old song that advocated killing homosexuals, but such insinuations were quickly dismissed. Tongue in cheek, Garvey Marcus posted on Facebook:
I can bet JFlag[‘s] head office was set on fire by a jealous gay man out of revenge, or maybe they're saying it [was] Buju Banton.
On Twitter, Glenda the Good Witch added:
Me just love how the comments about the fire have implicated Buju, assumed arson, blamed JFLAG for starting it for attention and assumed a major aggressive response all in one sweep.
Jamaicans create problems then get mad about them.
— Glenda the Good Witch (@GlenDivo) January 2, 2019
The absence of facts has not stopped online speculation. Yet, when it comes to equality for LGBTQIA+ citizens, the Caribbean as a whole made great strides in 2018.
In April 2018, Trinidadian gay rights activist Jason Jones won his suit against the state, in which he contended that Sections 13 and 16 of the country's Sexual Offences Act Chapter 11:28, which criminalise anal sex between consenting adults, are “unconstitutional”.
J-FLAG was one of the organisations that celebrated the Trinidad and Tobago judgment, hoping that it might help spark change in Jamaica. Jamaican netizens’ reaction to that ruling was quite mixed, however — somewhat surprising considering that Jamaica successfully hosted its first-ever gay pride parade in 2015. Three years later, several regional territories — some of which still deem anal sex a crime — followed suit: Guyana staged a pride parade in June 2018, and Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados in July 2018.
The fire at J-FLAG's headquarters represents a setback for Jamaica's main LGBT rights advocacy organisation. The group lost significant assets — including computers, files and other equipment — all crucial to their work.
J-FLAG has promised, however, to communicate with supporters about the ways in which the displacement may affect the delivery of its programmes, as well as to advise on the kind of support the organisation will need to continue operations going forward.
A large portion of J-FLAG's financial resources comes from foreign and diaspora organisations, so there is hope that this network will help the group get back on its feet. In the meantime, staff plan to work virtually until J-FLAG finds another home.
As of this writing, investigations are continuing. Regardless of the outcome, J-FLAG surmised:
2019 is the year of rebuilding. Rebuilding partnerships, programmes and strategies. […]
Looking forward to the support of the LGBT community at home and in the diaspora as we rebuild.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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As international factory safety group ordered to leave Bangladesh, garment workers fear return to deadly work conditions · Global Voices
Rezwan

Image via the Instagram account of activist Kalpona Akter. Used with permission
In April 2013, a garments factory collapse at the Rana Plaza building in Savar, Bangladesh, left 1,134 people dead. The tragedy exposed the lack of safety of Bangladesh's garment industry, the country's biggest employer and leading export business, whose clientele includes huge European and US fashion brands. In its wake, over 180 international retailers, importers, and local and global trade unions signed a five-year pact to ensure safer garment factories in Bangladesh.
Since its establishment, the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh (known as “the Accord”) carried out inspections of 1,620 garment factories, assured public disclosure of safety reports and corrective action plans, and provided safety training for workers.
Now, Bangladesh is seeking to push the group out of the country and hand over its monitoring activities to the state regulatory body, the Remediation Co-Ordination Cell (RCC), established in 2017.
Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed told the press in June 2018: “Now Bangladesh has achieved the efficiency to look after the security and work-friendliness of its RMG [ready-made garments] machinery.” He added: “No accidents have yet happened after the unexpected Rana Plaza incident. From now on the Remediation Co-Ordination Cell (RCC) will look after these things regularly.”
The RCC was established through the collaboration of government bodies and factory owners’ associations. It does not have representatives from any garment workers’ unions. Many such unions believe the RCC does not have enough capacity to undertake inspections and improvements of the entirety of Bangladesh's garment industry, which, according to one study, could amount to around 8,000 factories when considering small ventures and sub-contractors.
Over the years, many factory owners have complained that The Accord has made too-costly demands for safety improvements. When they don't comply, they risk losing valuable European and US costumers.
Although the Accord was set to expire in May 2018, its signatories agreed, in 2017, to extend it until to 2021 as only 174 out of 1,620 factories that it monitored have so far completed all recommended safety repairs.
However, in April 2018, a high court in Bangladesh instructed the government not to renew the Accord's jurisdiction beyond May 31 after a local garment factory filed a petition against the group.
The group appealed, and a decision by Bangladesh's Supreme Court ended up extending its tenure for six more months under a “transitional agreement.” The Supreme Court should make a final decision at a hearing scheduled for January 21.
The Accord is one of three similar initiatives set up in Bangladesh following Rana Plaza. The smaller Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety, comprised of 28 global retailers, terminated its five-year mandate on December 31, 2018 (they haven't sought to extend it).
The Alliance has provided basic fire safety training to more than one million workers in on 655 garments factories. Four hundred factories have completed their recommended remediation works.
A third enterprise, the state-run National Initiative, monitors 745 factories. They will all be handed over to the RCC starting in 2019.
In an interview via email, Global Voices discussed the issue with labor activist Kalpona Akter, who is the founder and executive director of the Bangladesh Centre for Worker Solidarity, a labor rights group.
Akter began working at a garment factory when she was 12 years old. At 15, she became the president of her union. She has been arrested, faced threats, and received international awards as a result of her union activism.
Kalpona Akter (@kalponaakter). Used with permission.
Global Voices: What are the main hazards garments workers face in Bangladesh?
Kalpona Akter (KA): The main problem has been structural. When the industry was growing rapidly, the country wasn't ready with all the infrastructures. So many of these factories had been established in former residential buildings, which later were expanded illegally without an approved structural plan (to support heavy machinery etc.). The electric wiring system in these factories was poor and lack of emergency exits or firefighting system were common.
GV: What are the main achievements of the Accord when it comes to improving workplace safety in the garments industry in Bangladesh?
(KA): They found thousands of life-threatening hazards during their inspection in over 1600 factories which resulted in fixing over 90% of those hazards in subsequent times.
They included workers participation in the inspections in order to get first-hand information on safety – to know how workers are feeling about the working environment in the factory. They followed up with the workers sharing their follow-up reports and corrective action plan; giving a belief to the workers that their lives matter in the supply chain.
At the top of that the overall transparency that the Accord created was huge; sitting anywhere in the globe anyone could see the factory inspection report, the suggested corrective action plan of all those factories in the Accord website, that was phenomenal. Before 2013, hundreds of garments workers gave their lives succumbing to factory fires or many other work-related injuries. After Accord started work in Bangladesh the death tally is zero!
This is the main issue we are trying to address in the past years that, if there is an industry there will be industrial disasters but there is no point for the workers to die for lack of safety. The work of Accord showed us that, there can be a disaster or a freak accident but workers lives will be still safe if measures are in place!
GV: Why does the industry need a longer tenure of the Accord?
(KA): The government is NOT yet ready with resources and expertise to sustain the change that Accord has made. The government and the manufacturers are saying that RCC (Remediation Co-Ordination Cell) is ready to take over all the work that Accord is doing but this is not true. The RCC is not ready yet to take all the job & responsibilities that Accord in doing in order to make these factories safer. Accord really needs to complete its current extension (up to 2021) and if still needed it should go beyond as well.
GV: Who is against the Accord's presence in Bangladesh?
(KA): The government and the Manufacturer Associations are against to the Accord since the beginning of its work. One of the reasons can be that they have not been included in the mainstream of the Accord's decision-making process regarding factory inspections, so they are not in the steering board. There are also rumors that the Accord has been imposed on the manufacturers by powerful foreign nations or that the Accord is a colonialism program.
GV: What will happen to the hundreds of thousands of garment workers and the industry if the Accord leaves Bangladesh?
(KA): Then the factories will reverse back to the Rana Plaza situation. The problems in the RMG industry in Bangladesh are not new. If the government and the manufacturers would really care about the workers first before their profit then they would not have experienced all those horrified fire accidents and building collapses. If workers lives would really matter, then we wouldn't witness all these workers die in the last three decades. The bottom line is, the Accord leaving the country prematurely would mean an unsafe industry once again.

author: Rezwan


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China’s push for ‘one country, two systems’ in Taiwan meets vigorous opposition · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Image from Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen's facebook.
Chinese President Xi Jinping said that Taiwan's unification with China is crucial for China's grand political project of “rejuvenation“, stressing that while peaceful unification is ideal, Beijing will not rule out the use of military force.
Speaking at the commemoration gathering of the 40th anniversary of cross-strait dialogue on January 3, Xi went on to say unification should mirror Hong Kong's model of “one country, two systems,” in alignment with the 1992 consensus. He added that the Taiwan problem “could not keep passing on from generation to generation”.
Taiwan has been a de-facto self-ruling state since 1949 when the Kuomintang (KMT) was defeated in the Chinese Civil War and subsequently relocated to the island. In 1992, the KMT signed a “One China” consensus with Beijing, in which both parties have agreed that both mainland China and Taiwan constitute a single country — but interpretations of what that consensus entails are very disputed.
Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen reacted immediately to Xi's declarations with a statement that was published, among other channels, on her Facebook page:
We have never accepted the “1992 Consensus.” The fundamental reason is that Beijing authorities’ definition of the “1992 Consensus” is “one China” and “one country, two systems.” I want to reiterate that Taiwan absolutely will not accept “one country, two systems.” The vast majority of Taiwanese also resolutely oppose “one country, two systems,” and this opposition is also a “Taiwan consensus.”
Taiwan’s Mainland Affair Office, the government body that handles communication with mainland China, has also issued a statement decrying the “one country, two systems” model:
The result of the implementation of ‘One Country, Two Systems’ in Hong Kong is the loss of freedom, rule of law and human rights of Hong Kong people – this is unacceptable to the Taiwanese people.
Many in Hong Kong believe that the principle of the “One Country, Two Systems,” written on the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration and Basic Law, has failed to protect Hong Kong citizens’ rights and freedoms.
In recent years, Beijing has harshly interfered in Hong Kong's internal affairs. In 2014, it decided to confine the election framework to Hong Kong's Chief Executive. In 2015, five Hong Kong booksellers disappeared in what is widely believed to be extrajudicial detentions by China's security forces. Between 2016 and 2018, six pro-democracy lawmakers were unseated under Beijing's auspices.
Debate ensued on Twitter, where users tried to find out what’s is actually new in Xi’s words. Twitter user @tangyongtao copied a comment that circulated on a group chat:
今天习近平有关台湾问题的讲话，标志中共台湾问题策略发生了根本性改变。之前中共台湾问题基本策略是坚持“九二共识”。“九二共识”模糊了谁主导未来的“统一”，强调两岸对等谈判。而习近平最新台湾问题策略提出“一国两制”，中共毫不掩饰地声明两岸统一就是中共掌控台湾主权尽管“允许”台湾保留现行制度。摘 pic.twitter.com/BBEFkMzvul
— 活着 (@tangyongtao1) January 2, 2019
Xi's speech indicates that the CCP has fundamentally changed its policy towards Taiwan. In the past, it had sticked with the “1992 consensus”, the consensus is rather ambivalent on who would lead the unification. It stresses equality in cross-strait talks. This time, Xi refers to “one country, two systems” as reunification strategy, this is an open declaration that the CCP will control Taiwan’s sovereignty, while Taiwan will be allowed to retain its own system. Excerpt of an article.
比较胡锦涛在纪念《告台湾同胞书》发表30周年的讲话，习近平昨天的讲话有三大变化：1）习近平强调不放弃武力攻台，而胡锦涛没有提武力攻台。2）习近平把“一国两制”作为“和平统一”的路径，而胡锦涛强调两岸协商未来。3）习近平不再提两岸互信，而胡锦涛强调政治、军事互信。 https://t.co/IhuhsBsXDc
— LIFETIME 视界 (@lifetimeuscn) January 2, 2019
When compared with the speech delivered by Hu Jintao [former Chinese President] at the 30th anniversary [of cross strait dialogue], Xi Jinping’s speech presents three major changes: 1. Xi stresses that China would not abandon the use of military force, Hu did not mention any military means; 2. Xi refers to “one country, two systems” as a reunification model, Hu stressed cross-strait negotiation; 3. Xi does not mention mutual trust, Hu stressed the building of trust in different arenas, including political and military.
Among Chinese dissidents, opinions about reunification are divided. Political economist He Qinglian said:
统一了，就没什么可谈了，无自由，无民主，经济上也只有慢慢与大陆接近。近七十年台湾独立发展的成就将一无所有。
— He Qinglian (@HeQinglian) January 2, 2019
As soon as Taiwan and China are unified, [there will be] no space for negotiation, no freedom, no democracy. Taiwan’s economy could only be integrated with China. The 70 years of Taiwan’s efforts for independent development would come to an end.
However, @Zhiyongxu, founder of New Citizen’s Movement in mainland China, believed that Taiwan could facilitate a democratic unification with China:
蔡英文只知防守，偏安一隅，其实换不来安全。台湾如果有政治家，每年应发布不止一个告大陆同胞书，宣告民主宪政统一中国，就人权、重大公共事件等议题，坚决批评建议，干涉大陆内政。易守为攻，争取大陆民众，不仅台湾安全，更有历史意义。
— 许志永 (@zhiyongxu) January 3, 2019
Tsai Ing-wen is too defensive. Although Taiwan is now in a safe corner, it can’t be secured in the long run. A more powerful Taiwan politician should issue regular letters to mainland Chinese advocating for democratic constitution for the unification of China. This can provide space for Taiwan to intervene in domestic affairs in China, as well as give suggestions and make criticisms to the public agenda regarding issues such as respect for human rights in China. Instead of being defensive, it can be more proactive in winning the support of mainland Chinese people. This can ensure Taiwan’s security and will help make history that could change the world.
Xu’s comment was retweeted more than 350 times, receiving both support and disagreement. One popular reaction said:
如果民进党这么干，就是原来的国民党了。这种办法并不新鲜，但是解释不了为什么地区会产生独立的问题。一个地区一旦选择独立，就意味着这个地区已经不想跟原来的地区产生联系。跟婚姻一样，感情破裂最后的双方的关系不是爱也不是恨，而是感情淡漠。
If Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party follows your suggestion, it would become KMT in the old days. There is nothing new in your suggestion, but it fails to address why Taiwan has a pro-independence movement in the first place. The fact that [Taiwan] made the choice to walk the path towards independence means that it wants to cut linkage with its origin. Like marriage, when the bond is broken, the relation is no longer directed by love nor hate, it is indifferent.
Many responded to Xi's reunification agenda with humor. For example, @guoshouzhu said:
【必须统一台湾】必须让台湾人也能吃上猪瘟肉、地沟油、毒食品，吸上毒雾霾，取消台湾人的高福利，让他们也看不起病，上不起学，买不起房，让台湾也执行双轨制，让台湾干部也能享受特权，让台湾民众能够享受做猪狗不如的奴才的骄傲，让台湾民众拥有不能批评，只会歌颂的SB思维…
— 黑暗骑士（求关注） (@guoshouzhu) January 3, 2019
[We must unify Taiwan] Taiwanese must eat pork with African swine flu, poisonous food, gutter oil; they must breathe in poisonous air. Their welfare must be abolished so that they cannot afford to be sick, to have education and to buy a home. Let Taiwan adopts the parallel political system (party and government), let their government and party officials have privilege while people live like dogs and pigs. Brainwash the Taiwanese so that they cannot criticise and only capable of praising the idiots.
@gowKE4HReZ7ZBc5 cited a typical Hong Kong person's response:
香港網友
作為香港人 奉勸台灣??人一句 千其唔好相信共匪嘅一國兩制 共匪只會以一國兩制為名 將佢嘅勢力慢慢滲入台灣 到時你哋肉隨砧板上 任人宰割 ！97後所有嘅政治事件 已經講明一切 ！你哋依家嘅民主 喺用千千萬萬嘅國軍嘅血/白骨砌成嘅 ！ 請守護中華民族最後那一些些民主 ??
— 程樂樂 (@gowKE4HReZ7ZBc5) January 2, 2019
Hong Kong netizen: As a Hongkonger, I urge Taiwanese people to never believe in CCP’s “one country, two systems”, it is a means to penetrate Taiwan, once they take control, they can do whatever they want and will cut you into pieces. All the political incidents that have happened after Hong Kong's handover to China in 1997 have showed the consequences. The democracy that you are enjoying now was paid with the lives of KMT’s soldiers during the civil war. Please protect the only Chinese democratic space in this world.


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Trump unleashed a collective facepalm in Afghanistan with account of 1979 Soviet invasion · Global Voices
Samea Shanori

Photo of the statue “Caïn venant de tuer son frère Abel,” Henri Vidal, by Alex E. Proimos, shared under a Creative Commons 2.0 license.
US President Donald Trump's unique brand of historical analysis — whether referring to events that happened yesterday or decades ago — is often understood as part of his post-truth appeal to the political base that supported his 2016 election campaign.
But whoever he was attempting to impress with his now infamously inaccurate take on the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan at the beginning of the year, the comments went down a stink in the South Asian country.
In 1978, the communist factions Khalq and Parcham, backed by the Soviets, conducted a coup in Afghanistan, assassinated then-president Sardar Daud Khan, and massacred his family.
The country was renamed the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan (DRA). The coup set in motion a cycle of violence from which Afghanistan has arguably never recovered.
Trump, however, had a different take. At a January 2 cabinet meeting he described the invasion as follows:
Russia used to be the Soviet Union. Afghanistan made it Russia, because they went bankrupt fighting in Afghanistan. Russia. … The reason Russia was in Afghanistan was because terrorists were going into Russia. (The Soviet Union) was right to be there. The problem is, it was a tough fight. And literally they went bankrupt; they went into being called Russia again, as opposed to the Soviet Union. You know, a lot of these places you’re reading about now are no longer part of Russia, because of Afghanistan.
The statement earned scathing responses from Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani, and former national intelligence chief Rahmatullah Nabil, as well as several informed retorts from Afghan ambassadors.
One of the best of these came from Waheed Omar, the country's Ambassador to Italy, who offered a short history of foreign meddling in Afghanistan via neighbouring Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), an institution that many Afghans blame for the emergence and sustained presence of the Taliban.
No, we didn't send terrorists to USSR in 79. USSR invaded us. US funded ISI to give them a bloody nose. Then ISI helped terrorists to attack US. Then US invaded us to kill them. Now, Russia is in bed with ISI to give US a bloody nose. We're caught in the middle. End of story.
— Waheed Omer (@Waheed_Omer) January 3, 2019
The USSR's Cold War ambitions in Afghanistan set the stage for nearly two decades of internecine fighting and the emergence of the Taliban. Map by Matthew White.
Afghanistan has been invaded repeatedly throughout its history, most recently in 2001 by US-led coalition forces that Trump is now keen to pull out of the country completely.
In an article for Mangal Media, Mohammed Harun Arsalai, co-founder of Documenting Afghanistan, explained why the expansion of Soviet-backed communism into Afghanistan marked perhaps the most cataclysmic of all foreign interventions in the country.
Once these (communist) factions were in control they began summarily killing just about anyone they remotely suspected of being in opposition. Going to the Masjid too often was enough for them. They were also killing each other. The mass, violent repression and extrajudicial killings that the communists were carrying out pushed Islamic groups in Afghanistan into militancy. But it wasn’t until the wanton killings starting in 1978 that the Mujahideen went from being an underground resistance movement to a popular resistance movement.
In December 1979, the Soviet Politburo's inner circle, fearing then-president Hafizullah Amin's potential disloyalty, decided to invade Afghanistan. After a week of heavy fighting, the Soviets killed Amin, took over Afghanistan, and installed Babrak Karmal as the DRA's new Soviet-backed leader. Karmal would eventually resign in 1986, by which point over a million Afghans had been killed and more than six million were estimated displaced by the fighting.
Finally, in 1988, the DRA, USSR, US and Pakistan signed accords to end the war in Afghanistan, and the Soviet troops’ withdrawal began. In 1989 all Soviet troops withdrew from Afghanistan, effectively conceding defeat.
Soviet troops returning home from Afghanistan. Photo from RIAN archive. Featured on Wikimedia Commons.
President Trump's statement, “the reason Russia was in Afghanistan was because terrorists were going into Russia” is simply wrong.
In a 1980 speech, US President Ronald Reagan — a man Trump uses as a benchmark to measure himself against — called the invasion an extremely serious threat to peace, given the threat of further Soviet expansion in Southwest Asia.
Afghanistan's ambassador to Sri Lanka, M. Ashraf Haidari, noted after Trump's comments that “even Russia” would not support his left-field interpretation of the invasion.
The chaos unleashed by the Soviet invasion — and the flow of weapons from both Moscow and the West into the country —  laid the ground for decades of violence and the arrival in power of the Taliban in 1996.
Anyone who has followed the history of Afghanistan knows @realDonaldTrump got the causality exactly backwards–we have terrorism because of the Communist coup and the Soviet invasion.
— Francis Fukuyama (@FukuyamaFrancis) January 3, 2019.
…and partially because the U.S. felt no responsibility for a clean-up effort – caring little for where the tremendous amount of guns and money (and the steroids of ideology) it had pumped in to defeat the Soviets went after that defeat… https://t.co/MUgDucSryk
— Mujib Mashal (@MujMash) January 4, 2019
The legacy of the US's own invasion of Afghanistan, meanwhile, is a giant, bleak-looking question mark.
The conflict has become more complicated and intense as the Taliban insurgency grows in strength and fighters nominally loyal to ISIS have ramped up attacks on civilian targets in parallel.
Since airstrikes first began in October 2001, Afghanistan has never been as insecure as it is now.
Eighteen years, trillions of dollars, and thousands of lives later, the US government is now rushing to leave a war that it cannot win, while Trump is blustering bigly.

author: Samea Shanori