text:
Umida Ahmedova оn the Burden of Censorship and Being a Female Artist in Uzbekistan · Global Voices
Nevena Borisova

Many see her film The Burden of Virginity as shining a light on women's issues the world over, not just in the Central Asian state of Uzbekistan, where it was made.
Umida Ahmedova, a filmmaker and photographer, prefers to describe herself not as a dissident living in one of the region's most repressive states, but as an artist with 20 years of creative success to her name.
Umida is among few women involved in documentary filmmaking and photography in today's Uzbekistan, a landlocked republic of 30 million people that gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
She graduated from the Institute of Cinematography in Russia in 1986, marking the beginning of a long but increasingly troubled artistic career.
Photo by Umida Ahmedova. Used with permission.
Umida’s problems with the Uzbek state began following two documentaries and the release of a book of photos in 2007, which formed the basis for criminal proceedings against her.
In early 2010, she was charged with Defamation and Insult, Articles 139 and 140 of Uzbekistan's Criminal Code. An expert panel subsequently ruled that she and her husband and co-creator Oleg Karpov had discredited the traditions and values of the Uzbek people, presenting “negative information, which may negatively affect the moral and psychological state of youth.”
The commission accused Umida of defamation and disrespecting national traditions.
On February 11, 2010, Umida was convicted and received a sentence of six months imprisonment or two to three years in a labor camp. Protests against the sentence sprang up in Moscow and Paris immediately.
Photo by Umida Ahmedova. Used with permission.
She was later granted amnesty on Uzbekistan's independence day in late August, but life is still far from easy for Umida. Most recently, her husband was removed from his role as director of the Museum of Cinema of Uzbekistan for signing a petition in support of the Maidan protest movement in Ukraine last year.
Global Voices talked to Umida about her ongoing artistic and personal struggles, all of which are experienced through the prism of deeply conservative Uzbekistan.
Global Voices (GV): How was the idea for The Burden of Virginity conceived and what was your experience during the filming?
Идея создания фильма о том как в мусульманских странах проверяют на девственность, была у меня давно.
Даже не столько проверка столько жертвы. В то время , почти 10 лет назад люди не боялись говорить свое мнение, сьемки шли спокойно. Но режиссер Олег Карпов тогда не хотел писать фамилии людей кто говрил в фильме. Потом мы поняли, что он сделал правильно.
Umida Akhmedova (UA): For a long time I had the idea to make a movie on how in Muslim countries they verify [women's] virginity.
It is not a film about the inspection itself, but about the people who fall victim to the ritual. At the start of shooting, almost 10 years ago, people were not afraid to express themselves, and filming took place calmly.
But Oleg did not want the names of the people who spoke in the movie to appear. [Author's note: in the second part of the movie, the filmmakers talk to anonymous individuals on issues related to social disgrace and conservatism].
Later we realized that he was right.
GV: What do you think would have happened to these people if they had not been anonymous?
В любом случае, это хорошо, что было анонимно.
UA: It was good that they were anonymous.
Photo by Umida Ahmedova. Used with permission.
GV: In which areas were you filming? Can we talk about your trips to rural parts of Uzbekistan?
UA: Я всегда много снимаю народные обряды и ритуалы. В фильме использованы эпизоды из свадеб, которые снимались в основном Ташкентской области в регионе, где я родилась. Свадьбы здесь больше как фон и не имеют отношения к реальным героям. Кроме того как в начале фильма история
рассказывает реальный человек-женщина, мать девушки, которая подвергалась проверке и потом ее выгнали.Есть интересный эпизод, где я наблюдала в Андижане за купающимся детьми, где одна девочка долго не может прыгнуть с моста на воду. Это получилось как образ. Женщины, которые продают головные уборы, это снято в Самарканде. Поверка на девственность не факт, что это происходить только в деревнях. В фильме есть две простые женщины, которые говорят об этом, одна из них, живет в отдаленном регионе в одной из южных областей Узбекистана, она говорить, что такого обычая проверять на
девтсвенность у них нет. На самом деле, в ряде кишлаков нет такого обычая. Так что, проверка это не факт, что именно в кишлаках.Люди могут сделать вполне цивилизованную свадьбу, очень похожую на европейскую и при этом обязательно устроить проверку на девственность.
UA: I have always photographed folk rituals. In the film there are segments from weddings that were shot mostly in the Tashkent Region, where I was born.
Weddings are mostly in the background and have no connection to the characters [in the film]. In the beginning we hear the story of the mother of a real girl who has been subjected to verification and after that expelled by the relatives of the groom.
There was one interesting moment, when we observed in the region of Andijan how children were bathing. There was a girl there who did not want to jump from a bridge into the water. We used this image as a metaphor.
Verification of virginity does not only happen in the villages. In the film there are two ordinary women talking about it. One of them lives in a remote area in southern Uzbekistan and says this custom of virginity checks does not exist.
And indeed, in some kishlatsi (villages) there is no such custom. So, the check does not happen just in the kishlatsi. People can have a fully civilized wedding very similar to a European one, and at the same time again they can organize an inspection of virginity.
Photo by Umida Ahmedova. Used with permission.
GV: A panel of experts decided that your work presented Uzbekistan in a negative light and undermined its spiritual values. What do you think it was that this panel didn’t like?
Так называемая “экспертная комиссия” ничего не делает самостоятельно. Есть группа людей, которые “выполняют” “заказ” . Официально у нас нет цензуры, но когда если что-то не нравится есть такие “комиссия” и
УЗАСИ(Узбекское агентство информации) агентство это “получает” “заказ”
и проводить мониторинг. “Эксперты” эти “карманные”, когда нужно их
“вытаскивают”. Уголовное дело-не они возбуждают.
UA: The so-called “expert commission” does not do anything on its own. This is a group of people “carrying out orders.”
Officially, we have no censorship, but when something is not approved here “commissions” and UZASI (Uzbek news agency) get an “order” and begin monitoring.
These “pocket experts” are plucked whenever they are needed. The criminal case is not initiated by them.
Umida Ahmedova. Personal archive. Used with permission.
GV: What gives you and your husband relief from everyday problems? Do you feel you are under observation and control in your daily life?
К сожалению, мы сейчас мало делаем фильмы, у моего мужа отобрали его киноклуб “Музей кино”, мешали, когда он проводил фестивали видеоарта за свои же деньги. Какой еще контроль, когда у моего мужа отобрали все! Особенно после узбекского “майдана”, когда мы, группа людей пришли в посольство Украины в Ташкенте с петицией. Потом фотографировались у памятника Тараса Шевченко в Ташкенте. Мой муж подписал петицию, но не был у посольства. Были я и мой сын. Но “там” решили, что нужно наказать моего мужа, отобрали у него последнее…Мы не можем здесь показывать свое творчество, куда еще хуже.
Unfortunately, we do not make many films anymore. They took away my husband's “Museum of Cinema” club. They harassed him when he held video art festivals with his own money. What greater control can be spoken of when they have already taken everything from my husband?
Especially after the “Uzbek Maidan” when we, a group of people, went to the Embassy of Ukraine in Tashkent with a petition [of support for the Ukraine protesters]. Then we made a picture of ourselves at the monument to [Ukrainian wordsmith] Taras Shevchenko in Tashkent. My husband signed the petition, but did not come to the embassy. I was accompanied by my son.
But they decided that a punishment should be made for my husband as well and they took everything from him….We cannot show our work here now — what is worse than that? They control us….Although they do not sit day and night under our windows…
GV: Do you think you are popular in your country?
Я в своей стране была известна прежде всего как первая женщина фото-кино документалист, первая женщина кто получил профессиональное
образование в Москве(ВГИК) . До того как открыли на меня уголовное
дело , много раз выступала по узбекскому телевидению. Получали призы
даже в Узбекистане-) . Сейчас известна на Родине как художник-диссидент-) Большинсто людей кто был в хороших отношениях со мной боятся общаться-) Особенно после узбекского “майдана”.
UA: I am known primarily as the first woman photographer in my country. The first woman [photographer and filmmaker] who received a professional education in Moscow.
Before they opened a criminal case against me I had appeared many times on Uzbek TV. I even received awards in Uzbekistan. I am now known in my homeland as a dissident artist.
The majority of people who had a good relationship with me before are now afraid to communicate with me. Especially after the “Uzbek Maidan” incident.
Photo by Umida Ahmedova. Used with permission.
GV: You have been accused of depicting Uzbekistan as a medieval state. How would you answer such accusations?
Коротко- это у людей , которые возбудили уголовное дело против моего творчества-мозги средневековые!
UA: In short – the people who initiated the criminal case against my work possess medieval brains!
GV: How big is the community of creative people like you in Uzbekistan? How do they manage to express their views?
В реальном Узбекистане я уже не вхожу ни в какую общность после того как Президент Академии Художеств Узбекистана приказал убрать часть работ моих учеников, потом узбекский “майдан” и большинство моего фотоклуба “отвернулись” от меня , я окончательно поняла, что паутина
страха сильно окутала людей и работать или общаться с такими людьми нет =смысла. Мне с коллегами здесь неинтересно и не вижу никакого развития. Есть очень
маленькое количество людей с кем общаюсь, но они “погоду” не делают.
Слава Богу! Есть интернет, социальные сети, группы, Мы с мужем сотрудничаем с художниками из Кыргызстана и Казахстана. Участвуем на разных фестивалях вне Узбекистана.
UA: In Uzbekistan I am no longer in any community, after the chairman of the Academy of Arts of Uzbekistan ordered the works of my students to be removed.
Then, after the “Uzbek Maidan” most of the participants in my photo club turned against me and I finally realized that people have been so strongly entangled in a web of fear that there is no sense in me working and communicating with these people.
It is not interesting for me to work with colleagues here and I do not envision any development. There are a small number of people I communicate with, but they do not influence the times.
And thank God there is the Internet, social networks, groups. My husband and I collaborate with artists from Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. We participate in various festivals outside Uzbekistan.
GV: Have you thought about emigrating and, if so, why do you stay?
Об эмиграции никогда не думала. и не думаю, но не Дай Бог, будет очень опасно жить здесь(угроза жизни моих родных) конечно нужноэмигрировать. Но я оптимист, очень надеюсь, ч то в моей стране будет Мир!
UA: I have never thought of emigration, and I do not plan this, but, if it becomes very dangerous to live here (if there is a threat to the life of my family) of course I would have to emigrate. But I am optimistic, and I hope very much that my country will have Peace!
Photo by Umida Ahmedova. Used with permission.

author: Nevena Borisova


text:
In Northern Thailand, Massage Training Gives Female Prisoners a Second Chance · Global Voices
PRI/PRX's The World

Prisoners apply makeup ahead of the day's massage customers. Credit: Anne Bailey. Used with PRI's permission
This article and radio report by Anne Bailey for The World originally appeared on PRI.org on September 8, 2015, and is republished here as part of a content-sharing agreement.
Ponnipa Chanpeng says she didn't have any other options. When she was 22, both her parents died, leaving her to take care of a younger brother — and her father's debt. Family couldn't help. Creditors harassed her daily. Banks wouldn't give her a loan. So she made a desperate choice. One that landed her in prison.
Throughout Thailand, rates of female imprisonment are on the rise. Between 2006 and 2012, the number of women in prison in Thailand increased almost 50 percent, with the vast majority of sentences stemming from using, producing or dealing drugs — mostly meth. Although prison officials wouldn't let me ask about the details of Chanpeng's crime (or photograph her), she said she planned to do “it” only once or twice. Just enough to get the money she needed to pay back her father's debt. But then she got caught.
In the quiet courtyard at the Women's Vocational Training Center in Chiang Mai, the women sweeping and cleaning don’t look like hardened criminals. They don’t even look like women who would cut you off in traffic. But they’re all inmates at the nearby Women’s Correctional Institution and more than 85 percent of them are doing time, like Chanpeng, for drugs.
Chiang Mai Women's Correctional Institution director Arirat Thiamthong. Credit: Anne Bailey. Used with PRI's permission
Correctional Institution director Arirat Thiamthong says Chanpeng's case isn't unusual. Women from the hill tribe region — a term loosely used to describe ethnic minority communities living in the north — face particular cultural obligations that can play a part in why many end up here.
These women have “a higher responsibility for their families when compared to those of men,” Thiamthong says. “They have to take care of the children and everything else in the family, and when they can’t feed the stomachs in the family, it’s very easy to sway them to do this kind of thing.”
Inmate Chanpeng says officials need to start looking at the reasons why so many women like her are ending up in prison.
“Some girls are coerced to do that. And some girls might not be coerced, but they might be forced,” she says.
Laundry hangs at the Women's Vocational Training Center in Chiang Mai. Credit: Anne Bailey. Used with PRI's permission
Regardless, the recidivism rate at the Chiang Mai Correctional Institution is quite low. That’s thanks in large part to Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol. The member of Thailand’s royal family has been a huge advocate for women prisoners’ rights since 2006, when she launched an initiative called “Inspire.” It’s meant to improve conditions for mothers in prison and help reintegrate female prisoners into society after their release. The Vocational Training Program in Chiang Mai is a direct result of her efforts.
Every day, a line of customers, mostly tourists, wait patiently to book massage appointments at the Vocational Training Center. Slots fill up quickly, and many people are told to try again tomorrow.
In addition to massage, prisoners also learn seamstressing, cooking, embroidery and other trades. Credit: Anne Bailey. Used with PRI's permission
Director Thiamthong says before their convictions, the prisoners here made good money. If they can’t find another job to pay the bills after their release, they’re likely to end up back in prison. After they complete massage training, the women can make up to 30,000 Thai baht a month (about $870), which is a decent salary in Chiang Mai.
Massage shops in Chiang Mai know the women get quality training and they actively recruit graduates. They even have official agreements with the center to assure both parties that they’re hiring prison graduates on the up and up.
All of this is good for Chanpeng, who’s in the last three years of her prison sentence and training to become a massage therapist. But talking with her, I still feel sad. This is a woman who’s spent the past 17 years in prison for, essentially, trying to help her family. She was 22; her parents had just died; and she made a bad choice. Would I have done any differently in the same circumstances?
Now 40, Chanpeng says she sees herself in the new arrivals who come every week to the prison.
Inmates take care of the Center grounds each morning before customers begin arriving. Credit: Anne Bailey. Used with permission
“I feel sorry for them, and also for myself because I just threw away my future,” she says. But now at least, Chanpang says she knows what she’ll be doing next.
“It gives me more confidence to go further in life,” she says. “I don’t want to do drugs like the last time. I think I’ll find my own way.”

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: PRI/PRX's The World


text:
Multi-Billion Construction Work Kills 107 Pilgrims in Mecca Just Weeks Before Hajj · Global Voices
Nour Al Ali

Photo of the collapsed crane in Mecca's Grand Mosque. Image from @haythamabokhal1 on Twitter.
When a red and white construction crane collapsed into Mecca's Grand Mosque on Friday, it killed 107 people and injured 238 others as of 12:40 a.m. local time, the Saudi Civil Defence reported on social media.
جانب من مباشرة الفرق لحادثة سقوط الرافعة في الحرم المكي. pic.twitter.com/8S8AtdPumY
— الدفاع المدني (@KSA_998) September 11, 2015
Tweets from Saudi Civil Defence with first news of the collapse.
Graphic photos showing streams of blood trickling down the steps of the mosque and crushed bodies piled on top of green prayer mats quickly spread through social networks. The video below, taken by a worshipper during the collapse, shows people attempting to escape.
لحظة #سقوط_رافعة_في_الحرم، صوت ومشهد السقوط مخيفين جداً آخر مكان يتخيّل الإنسان انه تحدث فيه فاجعة مثل هذي pic.twitter.com/R3B0k4yWIj
— Mohammed Al-Mulhim (@MohamedLegandry) September 11, 2015
According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) at 11:28 p.m. local time, the Official Spokesman of the Presidency of the Grand Mosque said that the collapse was “due to strong sandstorm, winds and torrential rains” earlier on Friday.
Another video, taken from a distance, shows the aftermath, and angles at a guard smiling:
لحظة دخول العاصفة الرعدية التي أدت إلى #سقوط_رافعه_في_الحرم .. اللهم ارحم واغفر لمن ماتوا واشفي المصابين .. pic.twitter.com/ptqSkO2XSz — صور متحركة (@TheArabGIF) September 11, 2015
However, this is not the first time such an incident has occurred. Several local news outlets reported two other incidents involving deaths and fires since work on the Grand Mosque expansion plans began in July.
With the approach of the Hajj season, an obligatory pilgrimage pillar of Islam that is only performed once a year during the week of Eid Al Adha, many questioned the Saudi government's decision to keep construction cranes in place as pilgrims began to multiply by the thousands.
Jamal Shogdar, a Saudi construction consultant, said in a widely-circulated tweet that he asked authorities to revise their strategy and consider stronger safety measures a few months ago. “But no one responded,” he added.
طالبت قبل شهور من #سقوط_رافعه_في_الحرم بمراجعة أعمال السلامة لمقاول #وزارة_المالية بعد ظهور مؤشرات تقصيره لكن لا مجيب pic.twitter.com/MkYqJKq83P
— جمال شقدار (@shogdar) September 11, 2015
I asked authorities to revise their strategy and consider stronger safety measures a few months ago, but no one responded.
The following chart compiled using data from Saudi's Central Department of Statistics and Information shows that the number of pilgrims during Hajj season alone has been constantly exceeding two million worshippers for the past decade.
The total number of pilgrims performing Hajj topped two million in 2014. (Source: CDSI)
The Saudi Gazette reported in June that “Deputy Minister of Hajj Essa Ruwas said the ministry had issued 5.4 million Umrah visas this season.” The Ministry of Hajj currently says in a banner on its website that the number of worshippers till August was 5,715,051 people.
In a report announcing the expansions earlier this year, the Ministry of Finance said the aim is to expand the mosque's capacity to hold 1,850,000 worshippers in total.
King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud announced in July he intended to complete the Grand Mosque's current expansion plan, dubbed as “The Saudi Third Expansion” by SPA, following the footsteps of his predecessor King Abdullah, who first ordered those expansions during his reign.
Historically, King Abdulaziz himself had initiated expansions of the mosque to encompass the increasing numbers of pilgrims every year, said SPA. Work and construction to expand the mosque continue to date.
The current expansion plan is considered the largest in history. [Source: Jabal Omar Development]
The following table shows a timeline of the mosque's various expansion plans since King Khalid took office in 1975 till King Abdullah's ten-year rule that ended this year, according to information from SPA.
-
While work on the circumambulation passage and path expansions have been underway since King Abdullah, the current plan introduced five new projects, including “the holy mosque's main expansion building, the external parks, pedestrian-use tunnels, central services building and first ring road,” SPA reported in July, quoting a report by the Ministry of Finance. Expansions also include the following sectors:
The external parks, flyovers, stairs, complex of central services building, services tunnel, security buildings, the hospital, pedestrian-use tunnels, transportation stations, bridges leading to the mosque, first ring road surrounding the holy mosque area, and the infrastructure which includes power stations, water reservoirs and flood drainage system.
The Ministry of Finance said that this is the largest expansion plan in history. The breakdown is as follows:
The report said the total building area amounts to 1,470,000 sq.m., the area of the expansions will reach 320,00 sq.m. to accommodate 300,000 worshippers while the area of the premises amounts to 175,000 sq.m. to make room for 280,000 worshippers.
The bridges and flyovers’ area amounts to 45,000 sq.m. to carry 50,000 worshippers, the area of the services building is 550,000 sq.m. which will accommodate 310,000 worshippers. The area of the eastern stairs will be 263,000 sq. m. that is enough for 150,000 worshippers.
The Masaa area [circumambulation passage and path] was increased by 57,000 sq.m. to accommodate 70,000 worshippers, with the capacity of the mosque increasing from 44,000 person/hour at the circumambulation path to 118,000 person/hour.
Some Twitter users mourned the deaths after the crane collapse with prayer, Quran verses, and poetry. Others remarked that their death, although tragic, is a blessing as it occurred on a Friday while praying in the holiest spot on Earth.
A Saudi scholar said in a YouTube video that God has “chosen … the martyrs of the collapse,” in his sacred home, an hour before Maghrib prayer (considered to be a holy hour), on a Friday.
He also said that the incident is not related the 9/11 attacks, as many conspiracy theorists claimed, and that the authorities in charge of Hajj have committed no error.
Others, however, disagree. Twitter user Jamal, who has almost 70 thousand followers, said that now is the time to hand over the role of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to a parliament that represents all Muslim countries as the current command has “proven its failure.”
بات من الضروري تسليم إدارة الحرمين لبرلمان يمثل كافة الدول المسلمة وإنهاء الإحتلال الزهايمري الذي أثبت فشله الفاحش!!! #سقوط_رافعه_في_الحرم — جمال بن (@Jamal_Bean) September 11, 2015
It is necessary to hand over role of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to a parliament that represents all Muslim countries and end the Al Zahemeeri that has proven to be an obscene failure
Another user also agreed that the authorities should be held accountable for their decision to keep the grandiose construction work going.
A true tragedy , Saudi authorities must held accountable . There is no excuse to have cranes hovering over pilgrims over people
— Safa’ Al Jayoussi (@Safaaljayoussi) September 11, 2015

author: Nour Al Ali


text:
Sudden, Massive Flooding Near Tokyo Catches Japan Off-Guard · Global Voices
Nevin Thompson

Caption: “Miyagi, Tochigi, Ibaraki: 4 Dead, 15 Missing; 12,000 households affected by flooding.” Screencap from ANN official YouTube Channel.
Last week Tokyo and the Kanto region endured days of torrential rain caused by Typhoon Etau. Bedroom communities and prefectures to the northeast of Tokyo were hit hard by massive, unexpected flooding.
At least 12,000 households were affected by the flooding that left at least four dead and at least fifteen people missing.
The sheer scale of the flooding was surprising, and was reminiscent of the devastation caused by the massive tsunami that struck northeastern Japan in March, 2011.
While Typhoon Etau affected a large geographic region northeast of Tokyo, one of the hardest-hit cities was Joso, Ibaraki Prefecture, about 60 kilometers northeast of central Tokyo.
Heavy rains breached and destroyed the Kinugawa River levee.
大規模な水害に見舞われた #鬼怒川 周辺の衛星写真を Google 災害情報マップ https://t.co/g3B8PVs2uN で公開しました。被災された皆さまの安全と一日も早い復旧を心から願っています。 pic.twitter.com/DW4484QzIG
— Google Japan (@googlejapan) September 12, 2015
Google Crisis Response Map showing [before-and-after] satellite image of large-scale flooding affecting #Kinugawa area: http://www.google.org/crisisresponse/japan We hope and pray from the bottom of our hearts that everyone remains safe and can start rebuilding their lives as soon as possible.
News reports also showed the scale of the flooding:
News networks provided non-stop live coverage of the calamity. Users shared some of the images on Twitter:
鬼怒川堤防が決壊した地区の生中継ずっと観てました！放送画面で私が確認した人達は自衛隊の活躍によって全員救助されたと思います！自衛隊もスピードと確実性を要求される中よく頑張った！他の地区の人も頼んだぞ！(º_º)ゞ敬礼 pic.twitter.com/IdShgLzu6v
— アルパパ@愛媛 (@EHIMEnoNOBU) September 10, 2015
Here's live coverage from where the levee broke on the Kinugawa [River]. Thanks to the JSDF (Japan Self-Defense Forces), everyone stranded on the rooftop was saved. The JSDF was really able to work quickly to save them once alerted of the situation. Hopefully people stranded in other flood-hit areas can be saved! They're in our prayers!
The operation to rescue a couple and their dogs was one of the most shared news items on Twitter:
これおじいちゃんが抱えてるの犬やんな一切吠えずに救助されるのをじっと待ってるとか正直涙出てきた#鬼怒川 #台風 pic.twitter.com/gRxxfTLDn0
— Tokky(ときふさ) (@tokkinaitospide) September 10, 2015
I couldn't stop watching television coverage of the eldery man being rescued holding his dog (who didn't bark or anything). When they were finally safe I started to cry.
Here's the entire rescue:
@tokkinaitospide おばあちゃんと犬一匹助かったおじいちゃんと犬もう一匹もう少しです#鬼怒川 #台風 pic.twitter.com/Oe4A6Smn2u
— Tokky(ときふさ) (@tokkinaitospide) September 10, 2015
The woman and her dog have been saved; next up is the man and the remaining dog.
Other viewers noticed that the television helicopter that captured images of the rescue may have been in the way:
救助されたは本当に良かったけれども、この家その10分後には流されてて、あと少し遅れてたらと思うとゾッとする。とりあえず、救助活動妨害してたこのヘリの乗組員は雁首そろえて謝罪するべき。#鬼怒川 #マスゴミ pic.twitter.com/1x3YcdlEYd
— 二郎丸 (@godon0318) September 10, 2015
While I think it's great that they were saved, just ten minutes later the whole house was washed away. I shuddered when I realized how close things were. Anyway, the crew of the helicopter here getting in the way of rescue operations should line up and publicly hang their heads in shame.
The Japan Self Defense Forces (JSDF, Japan's military) have been widely lauded for their efforts to quickly and efficiently help people affected by the flooding.
The JSDF themselves have been active on Twitter and in other media, promoting their rescue and recovery efforts.
関東地方から北日本にかけての大雨に係る災害派遣についての状況です。茨城県では引き続き、孤立者の救助、ボートによる避難支援及び土嚢による水防活動等に係る活動を実施しております。#災害派遣 #自衛隊 #茨城県 #大雨 #鬼怒川 pic.twitter.com/hllANUIzwU
— 陸上自衛隊 (@JGSDF_pr) September 12, 2015
Here is the situation from Kanto to northern Japan after we were deployed to assist following torrential rains. In Ibaraki our efforts continue, helping those stranded by the flooding, and deploying boats deliver people to safety.
A house that proved to be remarkably resilient to the flooding has become a meme on social media:
一夜が明けたヘーベルハウスの様子#鬼怒川　#堤防決壊 pic.twitter.com/biDPcStqmS
— ゆる系速報・ぽん太くん (@JPNG5) September 10, 2015
The Hebel House survived a night of flooding.
Hebel House is a brand of prefabricated housing in Japan. Prefabricated homes are fairly common in suburban Japan; components are manufactured in a factory and then shipped to a building site to be assembled by contractors.
Online news site Livedoor reported on the social media phenomenon surrounding the Hebel House. According to Livedoor, one commenter on the internet said:
「さすがへーベルハウス！」
「家建てる時はヘーベルハウスにしたい」
Of course Hebel House would survive the flood. When I build a house, I'm going with them!
Traditionally, typhoons move from west to east across the main Japanese island of Honshu, and some of their power is blocked by mountains bordering Tokyo's western outskirts.
Traditionally, typhoons move from west to east across the main Japanese island of Honshu, and some of their power is blocked by mountains bordering Tokyo's western outskirts. Image remixed by Nevin Thompson, from Wikipedia.
In recent years changes in jet stream patterns due to climate change have also changed typhoon landfall patterns in the Tokyo area.
Typhoons now typically arrive from the south and the open Pacific Ocean. With no mountain ranges to disrupt the power of the typhoon weather front, hot, humid, and intensely wet air flows northward over Tokyo and the flat Kanto Plain before being blocked by the wall of mountains that ring Tokyo to the north.
Because of climate change and changes to the jet stream, intensely wet weather patterns converge on Tokyo and the Kanto Plain directly from the south and the open Pacific. Image remixed by Nevin Thompson, from Wikipedia.
As a result, typhoons, which have become larger and more powerful in recent years, tend to cause more serious flooding than in past decades.
Last week's typhoon was a disaster for many, but also a learning opportunity for some. A Twitter user noted that someone on 2ch (“ni-chan”), Japan's answer to Reddit and 4chan, had carefully documented every variety of helicopter shown on television during the disaster recovery efforts.
2chで拾った誰かの労作だけど、今回常総水害に出動したヘリの画像。 pic.twitter.com/PyVflfODQw
— sf324929 (@sf324929) September 12, 2015
This was compiled by somebody on 2ch, but here are all the helicopters that helped out in the flooding at Joso, Ibaraki.

author: Nevin Thompson


text:
The Parents of Mexico’s Missing Ayotzinapa Students Haven’t Given Up the Fight for Justice · Global Voices
Sin Embargo

The parents of the 43 carrying out a public meeting at the Zocalo in Mexico City.  Photo: Francisco Cañedo, SinEmbargo
This article was written by Mayela Sánchez and was originally published on Sin Embargo on August 26, 2015. It is translated and republished here as part of a content-sharing agreement.
At the end of a recent march in Mexico City demonstrating against the forced disappearance of 43 student teachers last year, some of the parents and classmates of the victims addressed the crowd that had walked with them from the Angel of Independence monument. The parents, speaking from a pavilion placed outside the country's Supreme Court of Justice, said they were sick of the government's stance — it hasn't fulfilled its commitments and has tried to divide and demob them.
On September 26, 2014, a convoy of buses carrying the students, who were on their way back from protests for rural teachers in the city of Iguala, was shot at by local police and members of an organized crime group. Six people were killed at the scene, and many of the students were seen being loaded into police vehicles and driven away.
The 43 student teachers have been missing ever since.
At the march, Emiliano Navarrete, father of missing student teacher José Ángel Navarrete González, said Secretary of Interior Miguel Ángel Osorio Chong promised them on August 15 that he would give more time and access to the Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to continue their review of the official investigation even after submitting their final report — but only depending on their findings. The expert group’s involvement was the result of an agreement between the Mexican government and the representatives of the missing students.
He also added that a commission of family members of the 43 missing will meet in Philadelphia with Pope Francis during his visit to the United States next month.
The parents of the 43 blame the federal government for trying to demob them. Photo: Francisco Cañedo, SinEmbargo
In these last 11 months, the parents of the missing students have gone from pain to anger, as the mother of Jorge Álvarez explained:
“Aquí estoy recordándole a este Gobierno corrupto que queremos que nos entregue a nuestros hijos, que ya basta de mentira, porque el dolor que traemos no nos lo merecemos nosotros”, espetó. “Cómo madre yo le exijo que nos diga la verdad […] Si pensaba que nos íbamos a quedar callados, pues se equivocó porque jamás lo vamos a hacer. Siempre lucharemos con todo el corazón, porque no andamos luchando por quincenas, ni por aguinaldos, andamos luchando por vidas, vidas de nuestros hijos”.
Here I am to remind this corrupt government that we want it to give us back our sons; that we've had enough of so many lies because we don't deserve the pain that we're bearing,” she said. “As a mother, I demand the truth […] If officials thought that we wouldn't speak up, they are mistaken because we're never going to keep silent. We will always fight with our hearts because we are not fighting neither for biweekly payment, nor a bonus, we're fighting for lives, the lives of our children.
Melitón Ortega is also the father of one of the missing students. He said that in these 11 months, the relatives of the disappeared students have been harassed and intimidated in an effort to silence them. Nevertheless, the movement will continue, he said:
“Aún con esa amenaza del Gobierno vamos a seguir porque nuestro movimiento es digno, es pacifico, lo hemos demostrado que este movimiento va por la vida de los 43 jóvenes y no nos cansaremos […] mientras no regresan a esos jóvenes de la Normal de Ayotzinapa seguiremos recorriendo en las calles, en todo el país”, expresó.
“Even with the government's threat, we will carry on because our movement is honorable, peaceful, and we have demonstrated that this movement intends to get those 43 young people back alive, and we shall not rest until then […] as long as those young people from Ayotzinapa Rural Teachers’ College remain missing, we'll keep taking to the streets throughout the country,” he said.
Parents of the 43 students teachers lead the protest after 11 months of the students’ disappearance. Photo: Francisco Cañedo, SinEmbargo
Vidulfo Rosales, attorney for the Tlachinollan Mountain Center for Human Rights who is working on the case, called on all those present at the march, which was part of the 15th Global Action for Ayotzinapa, to join the large demonstration planned for September 26, the anniversary of the forced disappearance.
Rosales also said on August 31 and September 1, they will perform a “counter-report” at the Revolution Monument to contrast with the government annual report describing the government's activities and operations during the year that Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto will present on the first day of September. In addition, he also invited on participants to attend the popular national assembly at the Ayotzinapa Rural Teachers’ College on September 12, when the actions to be taken on the anniversary will be decided.
In his message, the attorney and advocate for human rights talked about other social movements in the country that the parents of the 43 missing have supported, such as that of the Yaqui Tribe; shareholders of communal lands from San Salvador Atenco who reject the new Mexico city airport; the dissident teachers of the National Coordination of Education Workers; and the San Francisco Xochicuautla comuneros (people who share the ownership of lands) who reject the construction of a highway.
The march departed from the Angel of Independence. Photo: Francisco Cañedo, SinEmbargo
Before the march began, spokesman for the students teachers’ families Felipe de la Cruz said, “Here, we are more determined than ever in the center of the capital only to remind you that in Guerrero and in Mexico there are 43 missing.”
“Hoy los padres de familia ya no lloran, tampoco piden que el gobierno les cumpla. Hoy le exigen a Enrique Peña Nieto una respuesta pronta porque así se comprometió él en esa ocasión que nos reunimos en la residencia oficial de Los Pinos. Diez puntos que para él quedaron en el olvidó pero que para nosotros están en la memoria porque nos faltan 43″, expresó.
“Today, the parents are no longer crying nor asking the government for a response, but are demanding that [President] Enrique Peña Nieto give them a quick answer because that's what he promised that day when we had the meeting at the Los Pinos official residence. Ten points [of a security plan that Peña Nieto announced in 2014 in response to the Ayotzinapa kidnappings] that he's already forgotten, but for us, they're still in our minds because we're missing 43,” he said.
Thousands of people march in Mexico City to demand justice for the 43 students teachers of Ayotzinapa. Photo: Francisco Cañedo, SinEmbargo
In his message, de la Cruz said that the movement hasn't lost its path or become divided, despite the government's attempts to demobilize them. Even though it's been already 11 months, to the families of the 43, today feels just like the day of the disappearances. “We won't rest until we get justice,” he said.
Hundreds of people of all ages and organizations joined the march. Participants included the Community Front in Defense of Land from San Salvador Atenco, as well as various universities groups like the Instituto Politécnico Nacional, the Autonomous University of Chapingo, the Autonomous University of Mexico City, and personnel from the Mexican Social Security Institute.
Groups of several universities joined this afternoon's mobilization.  Photo: Francisco Cañedo, SinEmbargo
The march passed in front of an “anti-monument” (erected by the parents, not the authorities) on Reforma Street at the intersection of Juárez Avenue dedicated to the missing that says, “Because they took them alive we want them back alive.” The protesters read a roll call of the missing student teachers.
Traffic officers of the Distrito Federal Public Security took up positions throughout the demonstration, something that hasn't happened during previous mobilizations.
Some hours earlier, two groups of families and classmates of the 43 protested outside the embassies of several countries in Mexico City to ask for their support to the cause. “We're going through the embassies to deliver a request of diplomatic support,” Felipe de la Cruz told news agency dpa.
The groups went to the embassies of Vietnam, Hungary and Portugal, amongst others, at the start of their march.
The protest departed from the Angel of Independence. Photo: Francisco Cañedo, SinEmbargo
The main pieces of evidence that could clear up the case have been lost, and the attorney general's office, the state prosecutor's office of Guerrero and the supreme court are the ones to blame, according to Rosales, the attorney from the Tlachinollan Mountain Center for Human Rights.
Rosales mentioned the loss of videos taken from the security cameras at the Iguala courthouse, which is located at the exit of the city towards Chilpancingo and therefore must have recorded the exact moment when half of the 43 students from the Ayotzinapa Rural Teachers’ College were kidnapped from their bus.
“The police of Iguala and Guerreros Unidos stopped the students, and the cameras recorded everything because it was almost in front of the courthouse where everything happened. All the events,” he said.
Rosales said the videos were sent to the chairmanship of the supreme court, and there they disappeared.
“The state prosecutor's office should have requested those videos from the court, and the court should have made the evidence officially available,” he said.
To Rosales, if the videos are not returned, then irreparable evidence will be lost — along with the opportunity to solve the case.
The last Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts report on the matter revealed the existence of the videos:
El GIEI ve con preocupación la pérdida de pruebas en el caso. Específicamente ha informado a las autoridades competentes de la PGR, la existencia en su momento de una videograbación de la escena de la intervención policial que dio lugar a la desaparición de un grupo de normalistas en el escenario de la salida de Iguala cerca del Palacio de Justicia. Según testimonios proporcionados al Grupo, dichos videos existieron y fueron enviados a la presidencia del tribunal. Sin embargo, parece que tales registros videográficos fueron destruidos. Si esto se confirma se habrían perdido para la investigación de los hechos. Esta cuestión debe ser investigada de inmediato por la PGR”
The Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts is concerned about the loss of pieces of evidence. It has specifically informed the proper authorities of the attorney general's office about the existence of a video of the scene showing the police intervention that led to the disappearance of a group of students teachers at the exit of Iguala, near the courthouse. According to testimonies that were provided to the group, such videos existed and were sent to the court's chairmanship. Nevertheless, it seems that the videos were destroyed. If this is confirmed, then they would be lost for the investigation of the facts. This matter must be immediately investigated by the attorney general's office.
In its report, the Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts also stated that the attorney general's office did not inform the families and their lawyers about the discovery of the 43 students’ clothes on September 27, 2014. Claudia Paz, of the Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts, reported that in June, the group noticed that the finding of 19 pieces of garments was not processed:
Dicha situación no era conocida por los familiares ni sus representantes, y tampoco existía un registro específico ni procesamiento de la misma. En opinión del Grupo, este hecho es grave, tanto desde el punto de vista de la investigación como de la importancia que tiene para los familiares. El Grupo pidió ese mismo día a la PGR que se identificara el lugar donde se encontró la ropa y fuese examinada por peritos de la PGR y del EAFF para procesarla, fotografiarla y tomar las muestras genéticas correspondientes, y resguardarla de forma adecuada. Dicha diligencia se realizó los días 29 y 30 julio, y las muestras tomadas de forma conjunta por los peritos de ambas partes serán enviadas al laboratorio de Innsbruck para su análisis genético
The families and their representatives did not know about the situation and there wasn't any specific record or process of it either. In the opinion of the group, this matter is very serious, from the point of view of both the investigation and the families. The group asked the attorney general's office that very same day that the place where the garments were found be identified and examined by the attorney general's office experts and the Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team in order to process it, take photographs and the corresponding genetic samples and keep them properly. Such a procedure took place on July 29 and 30, and the samples were taken by the experts of both parties and will be sent to the laboratory in Innsbruck for their genetic analysis.
Rosales stated that the clothing was not only hidden from the investigation, but it wasn't properly attached to the file either.
“This is a serious matter because those garments had stains, and we don't know what kind they are. If they had been attached from the start of the investigation, it would have been easier to perform the genetic tests to identify whose garments they were,” he said.

author: Sin Embargo


text:
China’s State-Run Central Television Slammed for Plagiarizing a Photographer’s Work · Global Voices
Patrick Wong

One of the shots taken from Wang Yuanzhong's Starry Tibet in CCTV's program. Screenshot from Wang's Weibo post.
China Central Television (CCTV) has been slammed for plagiarism of a freelance photographer's work and for its arrogant response to criticism. This isn't the first time that the state-run CCTV has plagiarized ideas or others’ work in its programs. Instead of looking into the allegations, CCTV has told the police to investigate the photographer for scams, and domestic reports on the plagiarism dispute have been censored and taken offline.
On September 10, Wang Yuanzong, a freelance photographer in Wuhan, Hubei province, claimed on Weibo (the Chinese equivalent of Twitter) that his time-lapse photography work had been plagiarized by CCTV’s program The Beautiful Villages in China, “without his authorization.”
Wang quickly reached out to CCTV, but was frustrated with their response. Someone who claimed to be a “CCTV intern” beat about the bush on the phone, avoiding a direct response to his demand to reach the person in charge of the program. The “intern” even rebutted with “So what if CCTV uses your work [without your authorization], do you think that's wrong?”
Wang recorded the phone conversation and embedded it in a blog post, explaining to the readers that the CCTV program plagiarized his time-lapse photography work, Starry Tibet, which was filmed in four different locations in Tibet in 2013. The challenging photos, which took him many days to shoot, were taken in adverse weather conditions and at an altitude of 5,000 meters.
According to Wang's own description:
但是我想说的是，我的素材都是拼了命吃了苦拍来的。而且在西藏一年时间，身体已经被搞垮了。最后却得到中国官方中央电视台这样的回应。我非常的伤心难过。
What I want to say is that my work cost me a lot of effort. My health was damaged during the year in Tibet. And now, China’s official CCTV has given me such a response, which makes me extremely sad.
After Wang’s phone negotiations, CCTV changed its contact details from a phone number to an e-mail address on the program's official website.
Later on the same day, Wang said on his Weibo that he was being intimidated by CCTV staff, who claimed they would go to the Hubei police and ask them to investigate him for a suspected “scam.” His demand for compensation of 250,000 yuan was also rejected.
更新一下进展。今天上午，我和栏目通话，要求他们赔偿我素材使用费25000元，但是他们不是很愿意，并劝我不要把事情闹大，不然以后没法继续和央视合作了，但是他们不愿意而且告知会通知我湖北襄阳当地公安局调查我，是不是诈骗。。。。。
Update on the development. This morning, I talked to the program staff and demanded RMB25,000 yuan (approximately US$3920 dollars) as a copyright fee. But they were not willing to do so and persuaded me not to publicize the dispute or else I could no longer work with CCTV in the future. They refused to settle and told me that Hubei police would investigate me for scamming…
As a search on Google news shows, some domestic media have reported on Wang’s troubles and unjust treatment, but all the reports seem to have been deleted without any explanations, returning “404 not found” on previously existing webpages.
The CCTV program’s official Weibo account later published a clarification, in which they admitted that the time-lapse photography they used in the show had actually been bought on Taobao, the world’s largest online shopping website. The statement referred Wang, but did not mention how much compensation they would like to pay for him.
One Weibo user provided a constructive opinion that called for CCTV to cooperate with Taobao to improve the copyright situation in China:
如果真的是淘宝买的，那是不是有必要联合淘宝，把售卖此作品的人找出来，确认此人是不是王源宗授权的，如果不是，是不是应该彻查到底，给著作者一个完整的答复，把版权环境净化好，作为一个带头老大，起好模范作用。
If it [time-lapse photography work] was indeed bought on Taobao, should [CCTV] cooperate with Taobao to locate the person who sells these works, and to confirm if Wang Zongyuan had authorized this seller? If not, should [CCTV] take a thorough inspection, give a complete reply to [the photographer], and improve the copyright environment? As the number one in the industry, [CCTV] should set an example.
Despite an absence of further responses from CCTV, Wang still holds a principled stance on protecting his copyright. The day after the incident, he claimed that his copyright had been violated four times within the last month. Violators included Youku [one of the China’s largest online video websites], Liaoning and Hunan television stations, and a wedding photography company, who had all used his photography work without his permission. Wang said he plans to file lawsuits against these four organisations for violating copyright.
From academic to educational and to art circles in China, plagiarism has become a prevalent phenomenon and has been eroding the original creators’ enthusiasm. This creates additional woes for China as a country that is struggling to transform itself from a copycat state into a creative one.
Although China National People’s Congress passed the copyright law back in 1990, safeguarding their copyright is usually quite costly for an individual. Plagiarism victims usually get minute compensation, while most of them cannot afford the expensive lawsuit fees. Wang’s story is evidence that the individual, whose copyright has been violated by the authorities, is more often than not at a disadvantage.
In his post, Wang calls for CCTV to raise its copyright awareness and accept the burden of responsibility for using other people's content:
国内最大的电视台，最有权威的电视台。这样不尊重版权意识，这样不尊重原创者。那让我们这些努力摄影师，原创者哪里还能看到希望。那中国以后的原创者会越来越少。因为大家都失望透顶了。
As the largest and most authoritative television station, if [CCTV] does not respect copyright awareness and original creators, how could it make our conscientious photographers see hope? The number of content producers may diminish significantly because everyone feels completely disappointed.

author: Patrick Wong


text:
Haze Returns to Southeast Asia as Indonesia’s Forest Fires Reach Critical Level · Global Voices
Juke Carolina

Malaysia's Petronas Twin Towers and surrounding buildings are seen shrouded in a thick haze in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from forest fires in the region. Photo by Muhammad Shafiq Mohd Zain, Copyright @Demotix (9/12/2015)
Forest fires in Indonesia brought haze to the country's skies, and the smoke has also affected Malaysia and Singapore. This has been an annual problem in the Southeast Asian region, typically blamed on drought and land clearings by palm oil companies in the western part of Indonesia.
This year's forest fire was confirmed by Indonesian President Jokowi Widodo on Twitter:
Pagi ini saya meninjau langsung penanganan kebakaran hutan di Banyuasin, Sumsel. Semua harus bergerak -Jkw
— Joko Widodo (@jokowi) September 6, 2015
This morning, I'm supervising directly the forest fire handling in Banyuasin, S. Sumatra. All hands on deck – Jkw
Following his visit to South Sumatra, the president ordered the arrest of those who are responsible for the recent case of burning forests. In addition, he instructed government agencies to revoke the permits of the palm oil companies which had destroyed the forest in the area. President Widodo elaborated further on his Facebook page:
Tadi saya memantau bencana asap. Titik api terbanyak di Sumatera Selatan. Tapi hari ini jumlahnya menurun dari 321 menjadi 129 titik. Katanya tahun lalu 8.000 ha hutan yang terbakar, sekarang 1.000 ha lebih sedikit.
Kebakaran hutan tidak bisa ditolerir lagi. Penyebab dan solusinya sudah diketahui. Perusahaan yang lakukan pembakaran harus dicabut izinnya, dan dipidanakan.
Ke depan tindakan pencegahan jauh lebih penting. Harus dibuat sistem di mana pemilik lahan memiliki kewajiban untuk mencegah, supaya kebakaran tidak terus berulang.
I supervised the haze disaster. South Sumatra had the biggest number of hotspots. But today the number was reduced from 321 to 129 hotspots. Last year, forest fires destroyed 8,000 hectares; this year it's down by 1,000 hectares.
Forest burning can't be tolerated anymore. We've discovered the cause and solutions. Companies which commissioned the forest clearing should be stripped of their licenses and brought to justice.
In the future, prevention measures should be the priority.
According to the Center for International Forest Research, forest fires in Indonesia are caused mainly by human activities. The slash and burn practice is recognized as the easiest and most economical way for palm oil companies to clear the land. But based on the Indonesian Forestry Law No. 41/1999 Paragraph 50 verse 3d, an individual who caused a forest fire can be jailed for up to 15 years. This is the provision in the law which the president wants to implement strictly.
Commercial flights have been cancelled in Pekanbaru, the capital of Riau province, where the ‘ground zero’ of the forest fires is located. Meanwhile, the number of hotspots continues to increase in Kalimantan (the Indonesian territory in Borneo Island).
Kebakaran Hutan Meluas, Kalimantan Dikepung 1.247 Titik Api http://t.co/e7cb0fjeVj
— METRO TV (@Metro_TV) September 8, 2015
Forest fire expands, Kalimantan is surrounded by 1,274 hotspots.
Titik kebakaran hutan hari ini terbanyak di kalimantan. Cek info selanjutnya di http://t.co/I7UcDJxguU @infobencana pic.twitter.com/K3LQ4GntfB
— Melek Bencana (@melek_bencana) September 6, 2015
Most hotspots today were spotted in Kalimantan.
Asap dari kebakaran hutan lahan di Rengat Inhu Riau. Sebelumnya sudah padam. Tapi dibakar lagi. pic.twitter.com/BKJOC9azw6
— Sutopo Purwo Nugroho (@Sutopo_BNPB) September 12, 2015
Smoke from forest fire in Rengat Inhu Riau. The fire was already contained recently but someone reignited the fire.
On its Facebook page, Greenpeace Indonesia announced the death of a 12-year old girl due to respiratory complications from the smoke. The girl had been treated in a hospital for one week before her passing. Greenpeace called for a firm and sustainable solution to the Indonesian haze problem.
Haze Reaches Malaysia and Singapore
Singaporeans and Malaysians have been complaining in the past few days about the return of the haze from the Indonesian fires. Some used humor to describe the impact of the smoke in their cities.
165 | The PM2.5 haze level in SOUTH Singapore is now Unhealthy. #sghaze #sgnews
— Hourly Haze Alerts (@SGHazeAlert) September 12, 2015
Singapore version of haagen daz is haze n dust. 😷😊🙊pic.twitter.com/Wdye7w2h9y
— Ionic_cong (@yicong1) September 12, 2015
#haze #singapore unstoppable sneeze and itchy nose. Indonesia, please stop burning the forrest. Shame… https://t.co/rKInvNRpql
— Ranggani Puspandya (@rangganipb) September 12, 2015
Haze Runner: The Scorch Trials (Malaysia) 😷😓pic.twitter.com/UVg0c1MWLW
— JEFF (@itshazeem) September 11, 2015
How to make smoked salmon in SG: place a slice of salmon outside your window. Wait for 10mins. #sghaze — Xavier Lur (@xavierlur) September 7, 2015
While the smoke came from Indonesia, some of the palm oil companies that destroyed the forests were financed by companies from Malaysia and Singapore. This makes the annual haze from forest fires not just an Indonesian problem, but a broader regional issue.

author: Juke Carolina


text:
Hungarian Journalist Kicking Syrian Refugees Rouses Disapproval and Outrage Worldwide · Global Voices
Lourdes Sada

Petra Laszlo, the woman behind this deplorable incident Image from RVF website with CC BY-NC 4.0 license
Hungarian journalist Petra Laszlo has become one of the most hated people on social media, following the release of a video showing her tripping up and kicking several Syrian refugees who were running away from the police in Röszke, Hungary.
The refugee crisis, to put it gently, has taken Europeans by surprise. And, while politicians are lost in never-ending debates without coming to any agreements, citizens are divided. Many citizens support the efforts that are being made to grant asylum to families now fleeing the war and some are even offering their own homes to shelter them. Many others, however, remain suspicious and see this “invasion” as a threat to their societies, their cultures, and their religions. Conservative governments in some European countries have also encouraged various phobias about refugees, including Hungarian President Viktor Orbán, who recently accused Muslim refugees of endangering Christianity in Europe.
Syrian refugees are arriving in Europe from Turkey via the “Balkan route,” which passes through Greece, Macedonia, and Serbia. Upon entering Hungary, they are held in the Röszke refugee camp, which is tightly guarded by the Hungarian police. The majority of refugees hope to reach Germany, not only because it is the country with the most opportunities in Europe, but also because many of them have family or friends there already.
Many on their way to Germany now fear the application of the Dublin Regulation, which forces refugees to ask for asylum in whatever European country they first arrive. Although Germany has agreed to suspend the application of this protocol, the refugees don't trust the authorities and are trying to reach Germany as quickly as possible, without being identified en route.
Journalist Petra Laszlo found herself filming one of these mass refugee arrivals, when her controversial actions were caught on video. The footage went viral within a few hours of being recorded. In the video, Laszlo can clearly be seen kicking two children who were running with their parent. Later, she trips up a refugee carrying a child in his arms, causing him to drop the child:
Petra Laszlo, who works for the TV N1 news channel, has connections with the far-right and is a supporter of the Hungarian nationalist party, Jobbik. The television network fired Laszlo immediately after the video was released online. Internet users, meanwhile, have supplied many more reactions, expressing their outrage from all over the world:
From Turkey, Eyüp Gökhan Özekin writes:
— Eyüp Gökhan Özekin (@eyupgokhan) September 9, 2015
#PetraLaszlo What an inhumane, repulsive “woman”(!) you are. I'm saddened to share my planet with you. I hope you pay for what you have done.
In Brussels, Marcel Sel reminds Laszlo of Hungary's own turbulent history:
Remember, #PetraLaszlo, your parents could have been among these Hungarian refugees. #1956 https://t.co/IUOS20dG59 — Marcel Sel (@marcelsel) September 8, 2015
The popular Spanish Twitter user Señorita Puri jokes sarcastically about the other people in the news:
Journalist Petra László fired for attacking Syrian refugees. Donald Trump is signing up Petra László.
— Señorita Puri (@SenoritaPuri) September 8, 2015
Journalist Petra László fired for attacking Syrian refugees. Donald Trump is signing up Petra László.
— Señorita Puri (@SenoritaPuri) September 8, 2015
In Greece, dimbit is emphatic:
I wish you a slow and painful death #PetraLászló
— dimbit (@dimbit) September 8, 2015
The Hungarian journalist Szabolcs Panyi puts a face to the man that dropped his child who was in his arms, thanks to Laszio:
— Szabolcs Panyi (@panyiszabolcs) September 9, 2015
The man kicked by #PetraLaszlo. Turned out he was tortured under Assad & escaped from ISIS. http://t.co/AqYgEGDZDg pic.twitter.com/10rxonkT0i.
On Facebook, the tone wasn't any less aggressive. Numerous posts published about the incident by news websites on social network pages received thousands of angry comments:
Belle Lindsay
Me alegro de que ya no tenga trabajo. Ahora debería quedarse sin casa, entonces quizás conocería la vida a la que se enfrentan muchas de esas personas
I'm pleased she is now unemployed, she needs to be homeless as well. Then maybe she may know the life that many of these people are facing.
Maxine Millner
No puedo creer que una mujer haga daño intencionadamente a la gente de esa forma… una persona enferma y perturbada sin empatía, humanidad ni compasión. ¡Podemos pasar sin gente como ella en el mundo!
I can't believe a woman would intentionally hurt young people like that…a sick disturbed individual with no empathy, sympathy or compassion. We could do without people like her in the world!
Rafael Eduardo Rodriguez
Que inhumana esa mujer periodista, deja mucho que desear como periodista y como persona…. Quisiera verla en la posición de esos pobres sirios y que alguien le hiciera lo mismo a ella.
What an inhumane woman and journalist. She leaves a lot to be desired as a journalist and as a person …. I would like to see her in the same position as these poor Syrians and see someone do the same to her”
Angeles Alvarez Menendez
Menos mal….ahora mandenla a Siria…a ver que le parece vivir bajo los bombardeos, o que le corten la cabeza porque es cristiana!
Thank heavens … now send her to Syria to see if she likes living under attacks or to see them cut off her head because she is Christian!
Amidst such voices criticizing this woman, there are also those who defend her, albeit with poorly documented comments:
Tito Nochez
Si la personas estas sufren y todo pero ¿alguien se a dado cuenta de los destrozos que están haciendo en cada lugar que llegan? ¿Y el comportamiento tan basura que demuestran ellos ante la ayuda que la EU les ofrece? Sinceramente estas “personas” no son dignas de la ayuda que se les esta dando hasta cierto punto
Yes, people are suffering and all, but does nobody realise the damage that they are causing to the places in which they are arriving? And what about the terrible behaviour they are showing towards the help that the EU is offering them? Frankly, to a certain extent these “people” don't deserve the help that they are being given.”
This incident has also made more visible Europe suspicions about the new wave of refugees. One read of the online French newspaper 20minutes.fr left this comment:
Il va falloir que l'UE explique sérieusement à ces pays de l'ex bloc de l'est que nous avons des valeurs en occident. Je pense à la Hongrie et à la Pologne, par exemple qui n'acceptent aucun réfugiés par contre ils acceptent tout à fait les subventions européennes. A partir d'aujourd'hui ce devrait être réfugiés et subventions ou pas de réfugiés et pas de subventions.
The EU will seriously have to explain to these countries of the old Eastern bloc that in the West we have values. I think that in Hungary and Poland, for example, they don't accept any refugees, but they gladly accept European subsidies. From today onwards, it should be refugees as well as subsidies or no refugees no subsidies.
Laszlo has apologized in an open letter.

author: Lourdes Sada


text:
Macedonian Activists ‘Fence Out’ Government in Protest · Global Voices
Adrijana Selmani

Photo by Vanco Dzambaski, used with permission.
Activists from the Macedonian citizen platform Ajde-Hajde reacted to the government's decision to erect an iron fence around the main government building in Skopje, as well as all other walls erected by decision-makers in Macedonia, by inaugurating a wall of their own.
Today, through a spectacular grand opening, reminiscent of the usual red-ribbon cutting activities of Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski throughout the towns and villages of Macedonia, a giant cardboard sign was posted in front of the government by activists, with the message “We are fencing you out too!”
Photo by Vanco Dzambaski, used with permission.
The sign contains a play on words, using the word “fencing” to mean “distancing”. As a reminder, activists also carried messages featuring quotes from the several illegal wiretap recordings leaked by opposition leaders in recent months, colloquially called “bombs” in Macedonia. The leaked recordings have caught several Macedonian top officials and politicians abusing power, discussing cover-ups of major crimes and election fraud, as well as making a variety of corrupt deals in telephone conversations.
More pictures are available here.

author: Adrijana Selmani


text:
#NoVatOnEducation Student Movement Is on the Rise in Bangladesh · Global Voices
Pantha Rahman Reza

Private university students are protesting against the imposition of VAT on tuition fees. Dhaka, Bangladesh. Images by Reza Sumon. Copyright Demotix (10.09.2015)
Should there be value-added tax on education? This is the talk of the country in Bangladesh these days. On Thursday, September 10, 2015, agitating students of private universities staged rallies across the capital Dhaka, protesting the police action on an earlier student demonstration in Rampura. Following the protest rallies on Thursday, a huge traffic jam was created across the capital and several other cities in the country, triggering untold troubles for the commuters.
On September 9, hundreds of university students blocked the capital’s Badda Link Road near Aftabnagar, demanding the withdrawal of the 7.5 percent value-added tax (VAT) imposed on private university tuition fees. Twenty three students and a deputy registrar of East West University were injured when the police opened fire and used charged truncheons.
East West Students report disproportionate use of force by police #NoVatOnEducation protests #Bangladesh @Saimum12 pic.twitter.com/OGa9wyvUwx
— Chaumtoli Huq (@lawatmargins) September 10, 2015
The government initially proposed a 10 percent VAT on private universities in the budget plan for 2015-16. The students immediately protested, and in July the VAT was reduced to 7.5 percent upon the request of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Since then, students of private universities have kept up their protest activities and came up with the slogan “No VAT on Education,” which has gained momentum and even turned into a hashtag on social media.
According to the University Grants Commission of Bangladesh, the regulatory and granting authority to public sector universities, currently there are 84 private universities in the country. The number of students enrolled in private schools is 314,640.
Generally, the cost of tuition in private universities is significantly higher than in public schools. Students pay roughly around BDT 700,000 ($9,000) for a four-year degree and diploma from a private university. The fee for students of private medical schools is almost twice the amount, hovering around BDT 1,400,000 ($18,000). The VAT on such fees can reach around BDT 52,500 ($675), which is roughly equal to an average fee for one trimester. The new tax levied would be an additional burden to the students and their families’ education expenses.
Osama Bin Noor tweeted:
My father is not an ATM booth! We demand “NO VAT ON EDUCATION”. #education #vat #Bangladesh #protest pic.twitter.com/q879mBIBAZ
— Osama Bin Noor (@OsamaBinNoor) July 6, 2015
Raisul reminded the government that education is a basic right of any Bangladeshi citizen:
Applying 7.5% Vat on Education Is a foolish action. Education is basic right not a Product !! #NoVatOnEducation pic.twitter.com/3Hax6DRFCi
— Ràí Sùl (@sul_rai) September 10, 2015
Not only students took issue with the new tax. People from all walks of life criticized the government's decision and had strong words for the authorities on Twitter:
#Bangladesh Constitution requires free universal education, but #govt proposes tax on education #NoVatOnEducation pic.twitter.com/ZWfKcLYPsZ
— Chaumtoli Huq (@lawatmargins) September 10, 2015
“Education is an investment, not a kg of roshogollas” #NoVatOnEducation
— Imran Rahman (@imran_r) September 10, 2015
Nazim Farhan Chowdhury questioned how much money the government would make by imposing VAT on tuition fees of private universities:
A question to ask is how much actually is the government hoping to earn from this levy? Could we not get that from somewhere else? Like if we stopped pavement beautification work, or not buying fancy SUVs for ministers, or even deciding we rather have a educated nation opposed to a warship?
Anu Muhammad, a professor of economics from Jahangirnagar University, wrote on Facebook:
ব্যক্তি বা গোষ্ঠী মালিকানাধীন বাণিজ্যিক বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ে বেতন ফি অনেক বেশি। তার মানে এটা নয় যে, এখানে যে শিক্ষার্থীরা পড়ে তারা সবাই স্বচ্ছল বা বিত্তবান পরিবারের সন্তান। বরং অধিকাংশই মধ্যবিত্ত নিম্ন মধবিত্ত পরিবার থেকে আগত। সর্বজন বা পাবলিক শিক্ষা প্রতিষ্ঠানে স্থান সংকুলানের অভাবে এসব প্রতিষ্ঠানেই ভর্তি হচ্ছে তারা, বাজার বুঝে এ ধরনের বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ের সংখ্যাও অনেক বেড়েছে। ধারদেনা করে, জমিজমা বেচে, বাড়তি কাজ করে অভিভাবকেরা সন্তানকে পড়াচ্ছেন যাতে সন্তানের অবস্থা বদলায়, তাদের মতো না থাকে।
Tuition fees of private universities are too high. But that does not mean that students who are studying in them come from wealthy families. Most are coming from middle and lower middle class families. They resort to private universities because the seats of public universities are limited. Considering the market demand, the number of such universities has increased in recent times. The families of the students have to stretch far to fund the tuition fees by working extra times or selling properties. They do it with the hope that their kids will do better than them in the future and won't have to struggle like them.
Students of a private university blocked the road at Banani on Thursday, September 10, demanding withdrawal of VAT imposed on tuition fees. Image by Sourav Lasker. Copyright Demotix (10/9/2015)
The students were also angered by some statements from the country's finance minister Abul Mal Abdul Muhith, who argued in favor of imposing the VAT. According to him, every student spends on average around TK 1000 per day, and the tax would only be TK 75 of that for them. But Nazia Manzoor, a teacher from East West University of Bangladesh, argued on her Facebook page that not all students of private universities came from rich families:
I have students who struggle to pay the tuition fee—after giving tuitions, working two jobs and working the graveyard shift at call centers. I have had kids beg me or another faculty member for that A because without it they'd miss that scholarship and will just not be able to continue their education. I have seen kids walk around the corridors of our office rooms with an application in hand asking for financial assistance from us. Kids drop out. Often enough. The university doesn't officially allow students to sit for exams unless they've paid their dues. […]
In the face of mass student protests, the National Board of Revenue (NBR) issued a press release, where they stressed that it would not be the students, but the private universities who would pay the 7.5 percent VAT imposed on the tuition fees, and that the universities would not raise the fee to compensate for additional expenses.
Fahim Mashroor pointed out a controversy in NBR's statement: if VAT should be paid by the university authorities, it would require a change in the current VAT law:
কেউ যদি বলে যে ‘ভ্যাট’ শিক্ষার্থীরা দিবে না বিশ্ববিদ্যালয় দিবে, তাদের আর যাই হোক ‘ভ্যাট’ সম্পর্কে বিন্দুমাত্র ‘তাত্বিক’ বা ‘ব্যবহারিক’ জ্ঞান নেইI যদি বিশ্ববিদ্যালয় কোনো টাকা সরকারকে দেয় সেটি কোনভাবেই ‘ভ্যাট’ নয় – সেটি ‘আয়কর’ (যেটি ‘মুনাফা’ বা ‘লাভের’ উপর হয়)I এটি করতে হলে প্রাইভেট বিশ্ববিদ্যালয় আইন পরিবর্তন করতে হবে – ‘অলাভজনক’ থেকে ‘লাভজনক’ করতে হবেI আর যদি এটিকে ‘ভ্যাট’ বলা হয় – তাহলে সেটি যেই দেকনা কেন সেটি ছাত্রদের উপরেই বর্তাবে I
If someone says that university authorities will pay Value Added Tax (VAT), not the students, they have neither a “theoretical,” nor a “practical” idea about it (Editor's note: A VAT is like a sales tax in that ultimately only the end consumer is taxed – source: Wikipedia). If universities pay any amount of money to the government, it will be tax, not VAT. To do that, you need to change the law (on the status) of private universities—from non-profit to profitable organizations. And if we call it VAT, then it should only be imposed on the students.
Rajesh Karmakar opposed the imposition of VAT on education. He also questioned the commercial nature of private universities, which he said often find a variety of excuses to earn money:
কিন্তু কিছু প্রশ্ন থেকে যায় এরপরও;
# বিশ্ববিদ্যালয় প্রশাসন যখন প্রতি বছর ১০ থেকে ২০ পারসেন্ট হারে কোর্স ফী বাড়ায় তখন কেন চুপ থাকি আমরা?
# এই ফী, সেই ফী, এটা সেটার নামে টাকা আদায় করে তখন কেন রাস্তা আটকাই না?
# চার বছরের কোর্সে বিশ্ববিদ্যালয় ভেদে চার লাখ থেকে পনের লাখ টাকা পর্যন্ত লাগে। এত বিরাট ফারাক নিয়ে কোন কথা তুলিনা কেন? এটা কি একটা যৌক্তিক জায়গায় থাকতে পারেনা?
But still some questions remain (about these protests);
While the university administration increases course fees from 10 to 20 percent each year, why do we remain silent?
When they cite a variety of excuses to earn money, why do we not block the roads in protest?
For a four-year long course some universities charge BDT 400,000 taka (US$5,000), some university take 1500,000 taka (US$19,000). Why do we not question such a big gap? It cannot be logical.
Students of private universities in Sylhet participate in an ongoing protest, demanding the withdrawal of 7.5 percent VAT on education. Image by H.M. Shahidul Islam. Copyright Demotix (12/9/2015)
According to the latest reports, the students of private universities have announced a three-day general strike at all private campuses across the country, demanding to withdraw the VAT. Students have also called upon the University Grants Commission to formulate a timely and student-friendly policy on tuition fees immediately to end the prevailing crisis. The Association of Private Universities of Bangladesh (APUB) has also called upon the government to review its decision to impose VAT on the universities.
#NoVatOnEducation Protest of All Private University Students for Removing 7.5% Vat on Dhaka from Tomorrow 10 A.M Onwards!!
— Manik Farhan (@Manik_Farhan) September 12, 2015
In 2010, the government had already attempted to impose a 4.5 percent value-added tax on private universities in Bangladesh, but was forced to withdraw the decision in the face of severe student unrest and mass protests.
Update: In the face of continuous student protests in Dhaka and other cities, the government withdrew the 7.5 percent VAT imposed on the fees of private universities. On 14 September 2015, the finance ministry issued a statement announcing the decision. After that, the protesting students ended their blockades.

author: Pantha Rahman Reza


text:
Remembering the Great Fire of Smyrna, 93 Years Ago · Global Voices
Veroniki Bacharidi-Krikoni

Once upon a time, there was a mythical city on the Asia Minor coast—the great city of Smyrna, one of the world’s richest, most cosmopolitan and ethnically diverse metropolises. But on September 13 1922, victorious Turkish soldiers set fire to Smyrna’s Armenian and Greek quarters and went on a rampage of rape, pillage, and mass murder.
USS Litchfield (DD-336) at Smyrna on 13 September, 1922: The ship helped evacuate refugees from the fire that started raging that day. Image by International Newsreel [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.
The Great Fire occurred four days after the Turkish forces entered into Izmir on 9 September 1922, effectively ending the Greco-Turkish War in the field. The subsequent fire completely destroyed the Greek and Armenian quarters of the city, with various historical accounts still debating who exactly was responsible for the fire. Greek and Armenian refugees crammed the waterfront trying to escape from the fire, while Turkish troops and irregulars committed massacres against them.
The Asia Minor Expedition and Catastrophe, as well as the ethnic cleansing of the Greek population living there for thousands of years, had an enormous impact on the Greek psyche. The Smyrna Catastrophe (the term Greeks generally use to refer to the massacre and the fire) is considered the worst incident in modern Greek history, and the plight of the refugees halted the Greco-Turkish relations for many decades. For the Turks, it's known as the Kurtuluş Savaşı, the War of Independence.
The Greek Genocide Resource Center, aiming to raise awareness of the extermination of Greeks in the Ottoman Empire during 1914-1923, tweeted the following famous video capturing the fire:
Kemal's ultimate triumph: the burning of Smyrna (#Izmir) to ashes https://t.co/O3U3ben8pz
— Greek Genocide RCen (@greek_genocide) September 11, 2015
The New York Times, at the time of the incident in 1922, had reported:
Excerpt from the NYT, Sep 15, 1922. Screenshot from New York Times archive
News and lifestyle portal LiFO marked the day with a special coverage section in Greek of the Smyrna Catastrophe, which it described as causing “the biggest migration wave in Greek history.”
Thousands of refugees fled mainly to Greece, trying to start a new life amidst prejudice, insults, and harsh living conditions, as reported in personal testimonies of the refugees’ family members:
Η μητέρα μου, ο πατέρας μου, ο παππούς μου, η γιαγιά μου ήρθαν κυνηγημένοι από τη Μικρά Ασία. Έφυγαν κουρασμένοι και ταλαιπωρημένοι. Άφησαν τα καλά τους, τις περιουσίες τους. Η μητέρα μου ήταν νιόπαντρη και ήρθε με μία σακούλα ρούχα. Όλος ο κόσμος τους κυνηγούσε. Τους αντιπαθούσαν και τους αποκαλούσαν τουρκόσπορους. Πίστευαν πως θα τους πάρουν τις περιουσίες. Τους έδωσαν έναν συνοικισμό όπου έμειναν 80 οικογένειες. Πάμφτωχες. Επειδή όμως ήταν εργατικοί, τακτοποιήθηκαν όλοι. Όσοι είχαν έρθει από τη Μικρά Ασία, ήταν καλοί άνθρωποι. Αξιοπρεπείς. Στην Ελλάδα δεν τους χώνεψαν. Η Μικρά Ασία ήταν ο πολιτισμός της Ελλάδας, αλλά τους κυνήγησαν”, θυμάται.
My mother, my father, and my grandparents arrived in Greece, hunted from Asia Minor. They left tired and shagged. They left their fortune behind, all their goods. My mother was newlywed and came with just a bag of clothes. Everybody [in Greece] chased them. They disliked them and called them tourkosporoi [“Turkish offspring”, considered a slur]. People believed [refugees] were going to steal their property. The refugees were given a small camp for 80 families. Dirt-poor. But they were hard-working people, so they all settled. Whoever came from Asia Minor, he was a good person. Decent. In Greece, they didn't like them. Asia Minor was Greece's civilization, but they hunted them.
Population density during the years 1922-23 was very high and the responsible state services were inadequate. Soon, there were incidents of typhus, measles, scarlet fever, meningitis, smallpox, dysentery and cholera. Athens’ and Piraeus's faces changed. On November 15th, the newspaper Protevousa [“Capital”] noted: “The two Municipalities, never familiar with hygiene, don't have adequate water and public baths are non-existent. The two cities are built on top of thousands of overflowing cesspits. Sewage waters flow in the streets […] Never before has life in Athens been more difficult and health more endangered. Tuberculosis is rampant, along with other killing diseases. What should we do? […]”
Greek refugees from Asia Minor in the 1920s stay in the galleries of Athens’ Municipal Theatre. On each balcony, a family.
Refugees from Anatolia went as far as Middle-Eastern countries, in order to save their lives. It seems that migration routes remained the same throughout the centuries, regardless of whether their direction was eastbound or westbound.
Greek refugees in Aleppo, Syria. Source: Library of Congress.
Greece has a unique way of “forgetting” its past. The rise of far-right movements and racist hate speech and behavior has been quite visible during the last several years.
This anti-racist and pro-refugee motto has been widely seen as graffiti on the walls in Athens and other Greek cities:
During the last months, with the refugee crisis mainly affecting the Greek islands in the Eastern Aegean Sea, many people have tried to highlight to those complaining about the influx of refugees crowding island ports and streets that their ancestors had once been in the same position.
“Our grandfathers [were] refugees.
Our parents [were] immigrants.
[Are] we racists?”
Widely spread graffiti on the walls of Athens.
Έλληνα θυμήσου… pic.twitter.com/0N542Tit2a
— Alexandros Tziolis (@alex_tziolis) September 11, 2015
Greek man, remember… [picture reads: Smyrna 1922, Syria 2015] pic.twitter.com/0N542Tit2a
Μου έλεγε η γιαγιά μου η Σμυρνιά οτι κρατούσε το χέρι του αδερφού της το '22 τρία μερόνυχτα μέχρι που μελάνιασε pic.twitter.com/zhMn9EcY32
— ☤ Fotios Daglis ☭ (@FotiosDaglis) August 24, 2015
My grandmother from Smyrna told me that she was holding her brother's hand for 3 nights back in 1922, till it got bruised.

author: Veroniki Bacharidi-Krikoni


text:
The Promise of Justice Is Receding, Nicaraguan Women Say · Global Voices
PRI/PRX's The World

Exania Obregón. Credit: Sara Van Note. Used with PRI's permission
This article and radio report by Sara Van Note for The World originally appeared on PRI.org on September 10, 2015, and is republished here as part of a content-sharing agreement.
About a third of women in Nicaragua experience partner violence, and more than 15 percent have experienced sexual violence, according to the Pan American Health Organization. So in 2012, Nicaraguan lawmakers passed a law to strengthen women’s legal protection from a range of gender-specific crimes. It’s known as Law 779, and it earned international praise.
But advocates for women say the law has since been weakened, and the experiences of many women who’ve sought its protection bear that out.
Exania Obregón, 25, tried to use Law 779. She comes from the rural northern state of Matagalpa and had her daughter when she was just 14, after leaving home with a man 10 years older. Later they divorced.
Obregón and her daughter came home one night last year to find the power out. She says she had just gone to sleep when someone jumped on her and started choking her. As she struggled to escaped, she realized it was her ex-husband, she says.
Exania Obregon is a single mom who sought help under Law 779 after being attacked by her ex-husband. She says the police didn’t take her case seriously, and her ex-husband was never arrested or even charged. Credit: Sara Van Note. Used with PRI's permission
“He had his hand shoved into my mouth, and the more I tried to scream the more he pushed his hand down,” she says.
Her 10-year-old daughter helped Obregón fight him off, and they escaped to a neighbor’s. At dawn the next day, she went to the police station. There she waited for hours to file a report.
“I repeated, ‘He came to kill me,’” she says, “And the officer just took a form and filled it out and said, ‘mediation.’”
In Nicaragua, many cases, even criminal ones, are resolved through mediation. Law 779 was originally written to exclude mediation in these specific cases, but that has since been changed. Women’s advocates say it puts women in abusive relationships at a great disadvantage.
Lucia Rodriguez is the chief of the Matagalpa Police Commission on Women and Children, the state agency where women report violence. She says “it’s also the woman’s job” to solve conflicts. The government has instituted a new campaign on the topic called “A Home is Built with Love.”
“I think it’s very important to strengthen the family, so fewer cases are brought to the courts, and so problems are resolved within the family,” says Yader Morazan, a lawyer and secretary to Matagalpa’s specialized court on gender violence, which was created by Law 779.
A young activist marches on International Women’s Day in 2012 with a sign that reads, “This body will not be touched, will not be raped, will not be murdered.” Since Law 779 was passed in 2012, it has been modified to allow mediation. Credit: Sara Van Note. Used with PRI's permission
But women’s advocate Ruth Matamoros says girls are most often victims of sexual violence by family members or others they know.
“The home is where crimes are committed because of the trust in the protection of the family,” Matamoros says.
Obregón says her ex-husband repeatedly threatened her in the days before the attack. But she was exhausted when she spoke to police, and agreed to mediation because she didn’t know what it was.
“Now I know what happened to me isn’t something to mediate,” she says. “How am I going to negotiate for my life when in a matter of seconds he would have killed me?”
And then there’s the critical lack of resources to enforce the law. After women file a claim under Law 779, they have to do most of the evidence gathering. Police commissioner Rodriguez says her office processes around 150 cases a month, and refers another 200 for mediation. There are only six people on staff, and “the ideal number is double that,” she says.
In Nicaragua, police commonly detain only those who have committed the most violent of crimes, or drug offenders, so many remain free while on trial. Obregón says her ex-husband continued to call and threaten her, and she and her daughter slept with the lights on.
In a march for International Women’s Day in 2012, activists highlighted the growing number of femicides. Since the passage of Law 779 in 2012, it has been rewritten so fewer murders are counted as femicides. Credit: Sara Van Note. Used with PRI's permission
“If I filed a report, why haven’t they helped me yet?” she wondered. “I feel like they didn’t take my case seriously.”
Even if Obregón’s case made it to one of Nicaragua’s new specialized courts, state lawyer Morazan says it might not come to a resolution. “It’s no secret that the process is often suspended because of orders for the capture of defendants.”
It’s hard to judge the success of the law to date — the government hasn’t provided comprehensive country-wide data about claims or trials under Law 779. And the Matagalpa public prosecutor’s office didn’t respond to requests for an interview.
Advocate Matamoros calls the government’s modifications to Law 779 illegal. “We feel that women’s rights are actually being negotiated by politicians with the churches,” she says.
Matamoros says she and other advocates will fight to defend Law 779. “But we’re not going to deceive women,” she says. “Many women escape violence by another route.”
That’s what Obregón chose to do — she quit her job and moved with her daughter to another city. And for now, she’s abandoned her case under Law 779. Instead, she says, she’s working to finish her high school degree, and to do what she needs to move forward with her life.


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What President Nazarbayev’s Foie Gras Faux Pas Tells Us About Kazakhstan · Global Voices
Akhal-Tech Collective

Moulard duck foie gras with pickled pear. Wikipedia image.
It was his Marie Antoinette moment; the throwaway comment that revealed him to be painfully out of touch with the economic reality and growing inequality inside his oil-rich country. And the Internet duly fish-slapped him for it.
Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev, 75, commands considerable popularity in the 17 million-strong ex-Soviet state he has ruled over since before independence in 1991.
But there is also a growing demographic in the Central Asian country that wants change.
This mostly consists of young people tired of a system burdened by inefficiency and corruption and an economy that hinges on the global price for oil. Many of them live on Facebook and Twitter.
It was this same demographic that exploded when Nazarbayev said on September 7 during a working visit to the Akmola region in central Kazakhstan:
Самое главное, что покушать у нас есть…Все остальное, к примеру, западная одежда – можно прожить и без этого. Правда? Без фуа-гра, бананов, вредных вообще для нас…Без самых лучших, огромных Ленд Крузеров тоже можно прожить.
The most important thing is we have food. Everything else — Western clothes — we can live without. Correct? Without foie gras, bananas, which are harmful for us […] we can also live without the best, hugest Land Cruisers.
Назарбаев призвал народ понять рост цен на бензин и отказаться от фуа-гра http://t.co/XBI5IpNy0V pic.twitter.com/0n4sKZCinv
— Агентство Рейтер (@reuters_russia) September 7, 2015
Nazarbayev called on the people to understand the rise in fuel prices and not eat foie gras.
The context for Nazarbayev's comments is bottom-of-the-barrel prices for Kazakhstan's main export: crude oil.
The collapse in the global oil price, as well as the economic meltdown in neighbouring Russia, has ushered in an era of austerity in Kazakhstan, which recorded impressive GDP growth in the first decade after the millennium.
Yet even during times of peak oil, not all Kazakhs had been getting foie gras takeaways in their Land Cruisers. Many had never even heard of the duck or goose liver speciality.
They were quick to let him know:
Тот самый случай когда ты не разу не пробовал фуа-гра, а тебе уже запрещают её есть. pic.twitter.com/yp1HYXoUYC
— Nikolay (@Nikolay_ll) September 9, 2015
[In the picture: Our version of foie-gras] That time when you had never tried foie gras and they banned you from eating it.
Фуагра точно не сможем уже покупать 😛😅😅 https://t.co/NcG6axx2jh
— Бек (@beshtash) September 9, 2015
[Title of the tweeted article: After parliamentary elections, prices will go up by 15%] Now we really won't be able to afford foie-gras!
In a bizarre defence of the president's bizarre comments, Nazarbayev's press-secretary Dauren Abaev said that his “figurative expression” had allowed Kazakhs to “let off steam”.
Abaev noted Nazarbayev was working “without rest” for the country's benefit, but did not comment on why he thought bananas were harmful.
As always, the regime was indebted to an army of online supporters (or perhaps just one person writing something very similar again and again) who spammed the comments section on Tengri News, the independent media outlet where the foie gras quotes first appeared:
народ конечно понимает, что это образное выражение. мы с Елбасы, мы за единство Казахстана! Народ всегда вместе с Лидером!
Of course the people understand that this was a figurative expression. We are with Elbasy [Nazarbayev's ‘Leader of the Nation’ title], we are for the unity of Kazakhstan! The people are always with their leader!
After nearly three decades in the hotseat, Nazarbayev is not about to lose his political mojo over one slip of the tongue. But what lessons, if any, can he and his communications team draw from this episode?
Writing on Facebook Rinat Balgabaev had some hard-to-hear but useful advice for the people at the top:
В кризисный период, если нет пока пряников для раздачи, PR должен работать точечно, и очень тонко, чтобы не усугубить ситуацию. Когда субъект пиара любит импровизировать, причем опираясь на свой жизненный опыт, очень важно, чтобы этот опыт был актуальным в текущий момент.
При всем его алармизме в предыдущих выступлениях, он себя уже давно не может оценить объективно, и не принимает свою роль в создании этого кризиса.
При чем, при таких сложных субъектах пиара, как президент, который одновременно является и объектом пиара, т.е. его потребителем, трудно спрогнозировать и тем более регулировать процесс импровизации.
Можно конечно, но, трудно. Например, не вкладывать ему в уста Ленд Крузеры, которые могут обрасти фуа-гра, или, прости, Господи бананами.
In times of crisis, if there are no cakes to hand out, PR should work punctually, and very subtly, so as not to aggravate the situation. When the subject of PR loves to improvise, speaking from his own life experience, it is important that that experience speaks to the present moment.
In the case of such difficult subjects of PR like the President, who is at the same time also the main object of PR (i.e. its main consumer), it is difficult to predict — let alone regulate — the process of improvisation. It is certainly possible, but difficult.
After all, for all [Nazarbayev's] alarmism in previous speeches, he has long been unable to assess himself objectively, or accept his own role in creating this crisis.
But you can start by not putting Land Cruisers into his mouth, which might grow into foie gras or, forgive me God, bananas.

author: Akhal-Tech Collective


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A Joke About Refrigerators Mocks China’s Trend Toward Extreme Patriotism · Global Voices
Jack Hu

A Cultural Revolution propaganda poster. Public domain.
Last week, popular American-Taiwanese singer Christine Fan received an avalanche of online bullying after she uploaded a photo of her baby twins’ during China's World War II military parade. Her crime, according to the trolls, was not being patriotic enough, even though Fan's nationality is American and China is not her homeland.
Fan ended up deleting the photo and apologizing. The outpouring of hate in the name of love of country was disturbing to many Chinese, especially on the occasion of a parade meant to showcase China's determination in fighting against fascism of the era, which itself promoted a virulent form of nationalism.
For some, it also was reminiscent of a popular pattern of speech used during the Cultural Revolution, a violent political movement in the 1960s and 70s that sought to reassert the Chinese Communist Party's power and purge any undesirables from society. This meant even the most mundane topics of conversation began with a lofty declaration of an individual's patriotism.
After Fan came under attack, well-known writer Li Haiping parodied that form of speaking on popular Chinese social media site Weibo:
祖国万岁，谁知道，什么牌子有又宽又扁的冰箱？
Long live the motherland, who knows which company sells refrigerators that are broad and flat?
The question attracted thousands of responses written in the same style. Unfortunately, the post was scrubbed by censors quickly for being politically incorrect. In addition to the filtering of sensitive terms, reports from individuals such as the “civilization volunteers” on politically sensitive contents can easily bring down a post. Some comments were backed up on China Digital Times and selectively translated below:
支持国货抵制日货，全民一起看阅兵！冰箱我觉得还是松下的好……
Support domestic goods and avoid Japanese products, everyone should watch the military parade! I still feel Panasonic refrigerators are better……
共产党最好！海尔BCD-521WDPW大概65公分厚的对开门冰箱，基本是最薄了
The communist party is the best! The Haier BCD-521WDPW refrigerator is about 65 centimeters high, basically the flattest
一切帝国主义都是纸老虎。中国制造不要买。
All the imperialists are paper tigers. Don’t buy Chinese-made products [refrigerators included].
阶级斗争一抓就灵。海信有一款，不过门关不紧？
Class struggle always works. Hisense has one, but it's doors don't close firmly?
On Weibo, Beijing University professor Hu Xingdou explained that the trend toward extreme patriotism was a historically risky one:
记者问艺人被网友围攻事件，我（胡星斗）说由于愚昧无知，极端的爱国主义如义和团、希特勒纳粹具有极大的破坏力，往往走向极端民族主义、法西斯主义。极端爱国主义、民族主义是当前中国最大的危险。有责任感的政治家应制止其蔓延，回归人类文明的普世价值，防止国家再次走上义和团、文革的邪路。
When asked about the issue of the singer being assaulted by netizens online, I answered that extreme patriotism out of ignorance like that of the Boxers and Nazis has great destructive power and always lead to extreme nationalism and fascism. Extreme patriotism and nationalism are the biggest dangers to China now. Responsible politicians should stop its spread and lead people to return to the universal values of humankind, preventing the country from going the evil way of the Boxers or Cultural Revolution.
The Boxer Rebellion (1899 and 1901) was an anti-imperialist uprising attempting to drive all foreigners from China through violence. The Boxers, called the Yihequan which means “Righteous and Harmonious Fists” in Chinese, were organized as a religious secret society, and they launched attack against foreigners at night in major cities to express their anger against foreign invasion.
Hu's opinion was echoed by many, like the Financial Times China columnist “Rabbit Old Fool”:
法西斯分子在亢奋之余歇斯底里地逼人爱国——爱他们主子的国家。在中国，不爱国竟然是一桩罪。
Fascists hysterically force others to love the country — love their master’s country. Being unpatriotic surprisingly becomes a crime in China.
In China, some fear that the patriotism promoted by the millions of online “civilization volunteers” under the coordination of the Communist Youth League could promote the rampant growth of extreme left-wing powers and lead to a resurrection of the Cultural Revolution. By mirroring their aggressive patriotism, Li Haipeng is inviting these individuals to look at their own ridiculous reflections. Here's hoping they have a sense of history — and humor.

author: Jack Hu