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Bolivia: Tweeting with Senator Centa Rek · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Bolivian blogger Pablo Andrés Rivero recently wrote a post [es] that analyzed how social media may help public officials be more responsive to the needs of citizens. He asked “whether Twitter is a tool that helps bring politicians closer to citizens or an elitist and restrictive trend?” Little did he know that two weeks later, a real-life scenario of interaction between a Bolivian Senator and hundreds of members of the Bolivian Twitter community would help demonstrate that many public officials have a long way to go in understanding how social media works.
It started with a tweet on May 30 from Senator Centa Rek of the political organization Plan Progreso Para Bolivia – Convergencia Nacional (PPB-APB) representing the Department of Santa Cruz. Rek was criticizing a recent decision by the Bolivian Congress to approve full amnesty for unregistered cars, many of which would enter from neighboring Chile. She tweeted:
Oficialismo promueve legalizacion de autos ingresados de contrabando y lavado del narcotrafico. Donde iremos a parar??
The tweet led to a response by blogger Mario Durán (@mrduranch), who was not about to let such an accusation go without a request for clarification. He asked:
@rcenta que evidencia tiene sobre el “lavado del narcotrafico” ?
His tweet led to an unfavorable reaction from Senator Rek, who  responded to Durán:
@mrduranch las que usted tambien tiene, me va a amenazar ahora??? Muy masista la estrategia. Matonaje.
It was here that Rek started to link any criticism of her accusation with being a supporter of the government. Durán then asked when and where did he threaten her [es], and once again asked for evidence to back up her claims. Rek then followed with a string of insults calling Durán a “repressor” and “harrasser,” repeating her claim that Durán was threatening her. It was that short exchange and her use of the word “matoncito” [es] (little bully) in reference to Durán that led to an outpouring of support for Durán by many in the Bolivian Twitter community, who said that Rek was overreacting and should not resort to insults.
In addition, many Twitter users joined in the debate when Rek tweeted that she was responding to government “intelligence services” in reference to Duran's question about her claims of money laundering and drug trafficking. This led many to start internet memes, cartoons, photoshopped images, and even a sub-titled Adolf Hitler clip [es] as a way to mock Rek's misread of the situation. The hashtag #holarcenta (hello, rcenta) soon experienced heavy activity during the two days of back-and-forth, in which Rek claimed she was being a victim of relentless persecution [es]. All of which, as Andrea Guzmán of the blog Lo Digo Yo [es] wrote Rek “was unable to understand, and led her to becoming more defensive.”
Fake movie poster. "A film by @rcenta and Robert Rodríguez. Mario Durán in Little Bully" Artwork by Alvaro Guzmán @alvarocker
However, it was not all fun and games, as some Twitterers attempted to reason with Rek and provide a thoughtful explanation of why so many had turned against her and why her accusations were out of line. A collaborative open-letter [es] was drafted, and sent to Rek:
Creemos que es necesario que la Senadora Reck entienda que no son agentes infiltrados del gobierno boliviano quienes le responden sino ciudadanos bolivianos con acceso a internet,  personas independientes y libres, que respetamos la libertad de expresion pero sancionamos el insulto, la falta de valoración de la ciudadanía por parte de una representante nacional electa y las difamaciones y calumnias que usted ha realizado contra varios ciudadanos.
Even one of her supporters came out to say that she was overreacting. Luis Sergio (@luissergioCB) wrote that he voted for Rek and shares her ideology, but that she should take a look back at what had happened [es]. He also mentioned that even though Rek was certain that those attacking her were members of the MAS party or government agents, that most Bolivian Twitterers are actually in opposition [es] to the government, as well.
Hugo Miranda of the blog Angel Caido [es] wonders how it got to this point and what it says about Rek's role as an elected representative:
Uno se pregunta con tanto asesor que hay por ahi, por que la Senadora no investigo bien que estaba pasando, por que las reacciones, que es lo que hizo mal, el Twitter es una minimicrocomunidad en Bolivia era facil desentrañar que estaba pasando.. pero no lo hizo… y pues.. empezo a cometer error tras error.. y bueno yo me pregunto si no escucha a solo solo menos de 200 twitteros.. como es que es representante de casi un millon de Bolivianos….
Some thought the jokes went too far and that the opportunity could have been used more positively. Enrique of the blog Voz Boliviana [es] left a comment on the blog post by Dog Punto Cero [es].
Seamos más maduros dejemos los dramas novelescos a la televisión y la falta de ideas a nuestra clase política y hagamos de las redes sociales verdaderos instrumentos de información y no de simple chismoseo.
Finally, Rivero returns after the start of the interaction between the Bolivian Twitter community and Senator Rek with some hopes that something positive can come from the series of events. He reflects [es]:
Espero, finalmente, que el evento protagonizado por la senadora Rek (desafortunado quizá para ella, pero aleccionador para muchos) no desincentive el uso de la herramienta en la política, sino más bien aliente un empleo con mensajes mejor elaborados, así sean estos espontáneos, pero sin perder de vista el criterio táctico

author: Eduardo Avila


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Brazil: Transport Price Increase Leads to Protest · Global Voices
João Miguel Lima

Brazilian students have demonstrated [pt] against the increase on the price of public bus tickets and have blocked the streets in the centre of the city of Vitoria. Outraged with police repression on protesters, many college students have joined the movement, which has spread through the city and also on Twitter, using the hashtag #protestoemvitoria.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: João Miguel Lima


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Burkina Faso: Bobo Dioulasso Under Curfew · Global Voices
Claire Ulrich

Jonas, on Fasopresse, gives  his account of the lootings and unrest [fr] in Bobo Dioulasso, the economic capital of Burkina Faso. The city is now also affected by the ongoing conflict between  the government and mutinous militaries that begun back in February.

author: Claire Ulrich


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Caribbean: Artistic Images · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

ARC posts some “inspiring” images and videos from Caribbean artists.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Chile: Ideas to Fight Air Pollution in Santiago · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Blogger Daniel Arellano suggests [es] several measures that could be implemented in Santiago to fight severe air pollution: reforestation, relocating companies to other parts of the country and educating people to build awareness are some of Daniel’s ideas to improve air quality in the Chilean capital.

author: Silvia Viñas


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China: Anhui teenager sells kidney for an iPad 2 · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

A 17-year-old boy in Anhui had his kidney removed for 22,000RMB in order to buy an iPad 2. (more from Shanghaiist)

author: Oiwan Lam


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Côte d’Ivoire: The New Cabinet Line-up · Global Voices
Claire Ulrich

Suy on  la Côte d'Ivoire au jour le jour – Ivory Coast day by day posted an audio recording [fr] of the Secretary General of the Ivorian presidency announcing the line-up of  the new government, noting also that some already consider as ”overmanning” a line-up of 36 ministers.


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Does Malaysia Need a Youth Parliament? · Global Voices
Syafique Shuib

During the recent “One Million Youth Gathering” which took place on May 27-29, 2011, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak outlined six new initiatives, which includes the formation of a Parliament of Youths. The said parliament would be a venue for the government to solicit the views of the youth about politics, governance, and other national issues.
What are the reactions of bloggers?
Point Blank Rambler says youths should have more say towards the direction of the country:
Dan aku sangat berharap bahawasanya Parlimen Belia ini tidak bias – dikuasai oleh kerajaan sepenuhnya. Sebab, sebagai negara yang mengamalkan Demokrasi, setiap rakyat adalah berhak menentukan hala tuju sesebuah negara dan benda ni termasuklah golongan belia sendiri, betul tak?
Kalau dah tujuan asal pembentukan Parlimen Belia ni adalah untuk melatih generasi belia dalam menentukan halatuju negara, maka mereka perlu menghormati hak kita dalam membuat keputusan tanpa sekatan.
I hope the youth Parliament will not be biased; to be fully controlled by the government. As a country that practices democracy, each citizen has his/her rights to decide the direction of the country, and this include the youths, right?
If the aim of the youth Parliament is to allow the young generation to decide the country's direction, then they have to respect that right without any restrictions.
The Flying Kick says the opposition will have more control of the youth parliament:
Bila Najib Abdul Razak memutuskan untuk mewujudkan Parlimen Belia bagi mendedahkan belia-belia negara ini kepada proses demokrasi yang sebenar, ramai yang menyambut baik. Dan sudah tentulah yang paling gembira dengan penubuhan Parlimen Belia itu adalah pemimpin Pakatan Rakyat.
Sedangkan UMNO pula sekadar boleh berbangga kerana telah mewujudkan Parlimen Belia. Pengisian dalam Parlimen Belia tidak akan ke mana-mana, seperti mana yang berlaku dalam agensi-agensi lain seperti KEDA, KESEDAR, KETENGAH dan sebagainya. UMNO hanya menubuhkan tetapi akhirnya yang menguasai adalah puak-puak Pakatan Rakyat.
Parlimen Belia juga bakal menerima nasib yang sama. Kebanyakan pemimpin UMNO hanya aktif apabila mereka hendak meminta jawatan tetapi untuk mengisi tanggungjawab jawatan yang diminta, biasanya mereka tidak ada masa. Masa mereka banyak dihabiskan untuk perkara-perkara lain termasuklah untuk golf!
When Najib Abdul Razak announced the creation of a youth Parliament as a way to introduce young Malaysians to the democratic process, many applauded the idea. And the happiest group would be the Opposition.
UMNO (the leading political coalition) can only be proud for creating the Youth Parliament. It won't go anywhere just like other agencies such as KEDA, KESEDAR, KETENGAH, etc. UMNO creates it but the people from the Opposition will control it.
The youth Parliament will receive the same fate. UMNO leaders will be active when they want to hold the posts but they will not have time to fulfill their duties. They will spend more time doing something else, including golf.
Followers of motivationmy.com share their thoughts:
@Azziskandar a great idea as long as it isn't too politicized. Hope the youths work out actual needs rather than “personal” agendas
@shusshshussh: A youth parliament is a good idea to exchange/debate laws/opinions to decrease generation gap. But not for legislation.
Abdul Rahim (via Facebook): Good idea…so that in future parliamentrians are more responsible, attend all sessions, dont make it into a circus and argue with facts, not emotions….
Dhallan (via Faceboook): I believe it's just a hype for publicity. By now that proposal is already shelved. Dont think it's gonna happen
@sherylhosulynn: I think it's a good idea, but they should let us say what we have in our minds, and not limit us if they do make this happen!
@JFJuhari: my first motion is please remove censorship act. Thank you
Ilhan Hikaru (via Facebook): It will be a success as long as they refer to Islamic Law
@zulfadly (from Brunei): Wow. Your government proposed that? Amazing. Hope it happens. Will be a momentous achievement if it happens. #YouthPower
As of now, there are no official updates on the Youth Parliament.

author: Syafique Shuib


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Egypt: V for Verifiying Virginity · Global Voices
Nermeen Edrees

This post is part of our special coverage Egypt Revolution 2011.
Following the  appalling confirmation  that virginity tests were conducted for female protesters who were detained during the Egyptian revolution, rage took over not only Egyptian females but also males who couldn't believe that those who fought for dignity and freedom had been attacked in such a humiliating way.
When the testimonies came out in March 2011, the Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF) denied the action. However, the general who lately admitted that virginity test were conducted justified that the female detainees were not ‘normal’ Egyptian girls, and that SCAF conducted the tests to avoid sexual harassment accusations.
This video, from Tahrir Diaries, features a testimony from one of the girls tested:
The claim that the position taken to avoid sexual harassment accusations by sexually and emotionally harassing peaceful female protesters was actually met by a tornado of rage and disdain.
Michelle Gonzalez wrote:
Any individual can be raped, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender, sex, sexual history, religion, etc.  The arguments being made by this anonymous government official are factually incorrect and morally reprehensible.
While Zeinobia said:
I love the fact that whenever I speak about #VirginityChecks with anyone it considers it as a violation for humanity without discussion
Confirming the fact that violating a woman's privacy is an act of harassment Michelle says in the same post:
Requiring a woman to share personal details about her sexuality with government officials is a violation of her right to privacy.  Information about one’s own sex life should not be subject to sanctioning by the state nor should it be used to manipulate an individual’s credibility.
A banner from a stand against SCAF which reads: "Our Daughters are a Red Line".
In a post that addresses the roots of sexual harassment in Egypt, Ayman Ashour elaborates the objective of the virginity tests from his point of view:
The objective was the sexual humiliation and ultimately the shame of these women. Those who conducted this shameful operation were well aware of Egyptian hymen obsession. the term counter revolution has been used a lot in Egypt recently, rarely have I seen such a clear example of blatant criminal counter revolutionary behavior, a cruel and violent attempt to take back Tahrir from these brave honorable women.
Hymens have always been a debatable subject in Egypt..the accusations and action taken is not only a slap in the face of the Egyptian people's better half, but also a setback for two of the revolution's principles  – dignity and freedom.
This post is part of our special coverage Egypt Revolution 2011.

author: Nermeen Edrees


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India: Six More Official Languages For West Bengal · Global Voices
Rezwan

Raja Basu at Potpourri comments on the revolutionary decision of Mamata Banerjee-led TMC-Congress government of West Bengal to add six more official languages: “There are some loopholes in the government’s logic, which I cannot ignore.”

author: Rezwan


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Iran:”Anonymous steals 10,000 Iranian government emails”  · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Anonymous says it has hacked into Iranian government servers and procured over 10,000 email messages from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Jamaica, Bahamas: Wikileaks Revelations  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Jamaican and Bahamian bloggers weigh in on Wikileaks cables about their respective countries.


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Jamaica, U.S.A.: Garvey’s Crime  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

In his effort to have Marcus Garvey's name cleared through an online petition to US President Barack Obama, diaspora blogger Geoffrey Philp explains Garvey's crime: “[His] arrest and eventual conviction on charges of mail fraud had less to do with a criminal enterprise and more to do with J. Edgar Hoover's desire to crush the growing popularity of Garvey's movement.”


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Japan: Original photos of Fukushima Daiichi · Global Voices
Scilla Alecci

Flickr user hige-darumaひげだるまattractive woman published photos of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant taken during a tour of the facilities in June 1999. Tepco employees’ faces have been blurred but it is possible to see what's inside the plant.

author: Scilla Alecci


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Latin America: An Overview of E-Government in the Region · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Global Voices author and Spanish Translation Manager Juan Arellano looks [es] at e-government in Latin America, giving a short overview of specific initiatives that are currently being implemented in several countries in the region.


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Lebanon: Story of a Migrant House Keeper, Georgette · Global Voices
Thalia Rahme

To mark Labor Day, the non-governmental organisation Migrant Workers Task Force has published a video, in which Georgette, a house keeper from Benin working in Lebanon, relates her experiences and speaks of the changes she would like to see in migrants’ working conditions.

author: Thalia Rahme


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Morocco: Pro-Democracy Movement Faces State Repression · Global Voices
Hisham Almiraat

This post is part of our special coverage Morocco Protests 2011.
When earlier this year a small group of Moroccan activists launched a Facebook campaign asking people to demonstrate on February 20, 2011, no one could predict that the call would drive a nationwide movement for change. Three months and a dozen marches, sit-ins and rallies later, the Moroccan blogosphere is asking where should the movement go from here and what new strategies to adopt in face of mounting police repression.
For many, the movement has achieved what political parties have failed to do in several decades: breathe new life into the political system in Morocco and force the monarchy to concede reforms. But as the movement vows to keep up pressure on the regime by calling for weekly, nonviolent demonstrations across the country, the authorities seem increasingly determined to repress protests in the streets, while at the same time launch a campaign to discredit the movement.
Casablanca Protests – Pictures published on Flickr under a CC BY 2.0 licence
Some bloggers are suggesting the “February 20″ youth movement should consider a strategic turn. Others are warning that the repressive attitude adopted by the regime could ultimately lead to a radicalization of a protest movement that has so far been careful not to attack the regime head on.
Blogger Mullionel believes that the escalation in police violence could radicalize the protesters and lead to a situation where authorities could lose control. He writes:
There is an ever increasing danger of serious slippage with the current policy of repression. It may provide a fortuitous spark to radicalize the majority of protesters who are, so far, calling for democratic reforms and not an end to the regime as in Libya and Syria.
Last week's reports have shown officers clubbing a woman holding a child. Such scenes showcase how easy it is for events to go out of control and for a seminal and powerful scene to happen and to be instantly transmitted for everyone, which will lead to an increased radicalization, and a larger dissent among the public.
Recent development in neighbouring countries has shown that increased repression often leads to bigger opposition because the wall of fear has crumbled across the region.
Chana Nawfel is concerned about the polarization of opinions around the pro-democracy movement, especially, he says, after the violent police crackdown of last Sunday's (May 29) protests. He writes [fr]:
On parle de plus en plus de radicalisation de la rue après les effusions de sang du dimanche dernier. Ce n’est pas faux, mais la radicalisation est bipartite : Il y a une partie des manifestants qui souhaite désormais élever le seuil des revendications et commence à pointer du doigt la monarchie, mais il y a une autre radicalisation tout aussi grave : une partie des citoyens, non hostile au changement à la base, se radicalise en refusant désormais d’y contribuer, à cause de certains préjugés sur le mouvement du 20 février ou quelques un de ses membres. Les deux radicalisations se nourrissent l’une de l’autre : la surenchère des revendications irrite les conservateurs, et la sclérose des royalistes enrage les progressistes; et chacun campe dans son ghetto. Cela ne fait que fragiliser la cohésion sociale, indispensable à la création d’un contre-pouvoir, seul garant d’une réelle avancée démocratique.
Ahmed T.B. warns that if the repressive approach adopted by the Moroccan police continues, the worst may yet to come. He writes:
The more the government uses violence to suppress demonstrations, the more the people will take to the streets to voice their dissatisfaction. We are not far from the day when young demonstrators will stop running, and instead clench their fists on the throats of those uniformed brutes and their walkie-talkie totting commanders. The odds for a peaceful transition are slim. I fear the worst is yet to come.
Nadir Bouhmouch is a Moroccan filmmaker and activist. He fears the repressive attitude of the state is plunging the “February 20″ movement into a monotonous stalemate. He believes the image projected by the movement is just as important as the message it intends to convey. He writes:
Recently, the state upped it's efforts to block the people from protesting by utilizing violence. Consequently, the people themselves have begun to take a different, less coherent and sometimes more belligerent approach. This change in attitudes is perceptible: the aesthetic appeal of the protests has been significantly compromised. We no longer see the poetry circles and freeze flash mobs, we no longer see a significant number of women, we barely even see any banners or flags! A protest without something to visually designate it's message is a failed protest. The aesthetic appeal of a protest is what makes it attractive to the media. The revolution in Egypt, for example, provided the cameras of the world with spectacular images of diversity in the crowd, creative banners and innumerable flags. It had an appeal.
Nadir goes on suggesting a few steps which, he says, could add some color to the movement:
1. Women must be encouraged to join.
2. Carry a banner or a flag.
3. Create an art piece; sing, dance, write, film or paint for the movement.
4. Hold an independent film screening.
5. Hold an art show.
Younes Benmoumen writing on Capdéma shares his fears about the crisis he thinks the Moroccan society is now embroiled in. He writes:
J’ai peur de ce peuple que notre gouvernement est en train de nous forger. Il est fait de trop de serveurs, de femmes de chambres et de désœuvrés débrouillards. Voila pour leurs conditions économiques. Il est fait de trop de soumis et de trop de révoltés. Voila pour leurs conditions politiques. Ces deux ensembles préparent un avenir inquiétant. Ce n’est pas là une société pacifiée que je vois, mais un ensemble décousu, où une part que l’on voudra toujours majoritaire, sera satisfaite par peur du pire, et l’autre révoltée parce que le vivant.
Younes continue saying:
A ces inconscients qui ordonnent la matraque : vous transformez le besoin de réformes en envie de révolution. Les humiliations peuvent être ravalées, mais point trop n’en faut. Elles se vomissent aussi.
This post is part of our special coverage Morocco Protests 2011.

author: Hisham Almiraat


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Pakistan: The Baloch Noam Chomsky Silenced · Global Voices
Rezwan

Beena Sarwar at Journeys To Democracy reports that Dr. Saba Dashtiyari, a professor of Islamic studies at the University of Balochistan and an activist for freedom of expression, was assassinated in Quetta.


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Philippines: Debate on Divorce Bill · Global Voices
Julius Rocas

Just before the intense debate on the Reproductive Health bill, Filipinos are once more at odds with each other in considering another controversial piece of legislation: the Divorce bill.
The debate on legalizing divorce took a kick-start when news of Maltese referendum favoring divorce reached the Philippines a few days ago. This has prompted progressive groups to make a bolder call for the country to follow in Malta's steps and legalize divorce in a predominantly Catholic nation.
The debate on divorce is nothing new, see here AttyatWork's round-up of talking points on the issue from last year.
Filipino Thinkers has a great digest of how the debate was settled and how the referendum unfolded in Malta. More importantly, it provides a side by side comparison of the issue between the Philippines and Malta:
Aside from the happy ending, which left the Philippines the only country without divorce1, the story of Malta’s divorce referendum shares similarities with our own reproductive health (RH) debates:
both countries are last bastions of Catholicism: Malta in Europe, the Philippines in Asia; both countries are predominantly Catholic: 95% in Malta, 80% in the Philippines; and both battles are primarily between progressive Catholics and conservative bishops. And in both cases, the conservative bishops use fear mongering to keep their flock in line.
For a quick refresher on the differences between divorce, annulment and legal separation, Lyle R. Santos has a quick guide in layman's terms.
With Malta's approval of divorce, the Philippines is now the lone country in the world that prohibits it. For Blue Dela Kanluran, the debate on divorce should not be framed on this fact alone:
As i had stated earlier my stand is against divorce however, I will not begrudge a sovereign nation of their right to decide whats best for their country and themselves as Malta has displayed here. (See, that is an example of the separation of Church and State).
Which leads me to wonder, what effects will the stigma of the only country which outlaws divorce have on the Philippines?
Personally, I think this will make pro-divorce legislation in the future more difficult not only because of the meddling of the Church but with the stigma earlier stated as well (Which is not how legislation should be argued).
Cocoy views the near-approval of the Reproductive Health and now the Divorce bill as a ‘reboot‘ of the Philippines, moving from a predominantly religious state in a secular one:
If the Reproductive Health bill becomes law, and it is followed by a divorce bill? That would be one continuity reboot for the Philippines. It signals that the nation is slowly becoming secular and less under the thrall of the Vatican.
As a Catholic, for me, it presents an opportunity for the Church to focus on the spiritual. I want sermons and direction that make me a better person. I don’t need the Church to tell me what is wrong with government. Filipinos everywhere already know what’s wrong with our nation. It is that time in history that we fix it. I need my church to help guide that poor maid who is always beaten up by her husband. I need a Church that guides street children away from the streets, and into education. I need this church to be relevant.
Dreamwalker takes delight in the fact that this proposed laws, no matter how dividing and controversial, sparks debate among society, thus encouraging everyone to take part in the national discourse:
I continue to be amazed by how Filipinos seem to be more aware of what is happening in the country and how we seek to be more informed about our laws – both proposed and existing. In my opinion, this can only lead to more good. Never mind that there will always b
Maju brings forward a valid point in cautioning that our lawmakers should take up the divorce law with a keener eye:
We should also get onto considerations on how good or bad are existing divorce laws. In many countries, notably those under the Sharia, the rights of women and men in divorce are not the same.
Lastly, here's a good discussion by a lawyer, Connie Veneracion, about annulment, legal separation under current Philippine laws and how divorce could plug the holes in the current Family Code:
Later on, however, it became clear that despite the leeway allowed by the concept of psychological incapacity, there was a huge gaping hole in the law. Annulment is a very expensive legal procedure beyond the financial capacity of majority of the Filipinos. The laundrywoman living in the slums who is physically abused by the drunken jobless husband could not afford it. In addition to the expense, the process was a long and tedious one. Eventually, the divorce advocates started making noise again. As expected, the Catholic church is getting more imaginative in coming up with arguments against divorce.
It is sad that most Filipinos cannot view marriage independently from its religious context. It is even more sad that most Filipinos do not consider themselves validly married unless married in church. Very sad indeed.
So, will the passage of a divorce law patch the loopholes in the Family Code? It depends on what the law will allow as valid grounds for divorce and what the required procedure will be. It has happened before that a law is passed as some sort of pacifier. Congress can pass a “divorce” law which such narrow grounds and complex process that it will effectively negate the very purpose of a divorce. You know, just so it can be said that a divorce law has been passed. I doubt if that will satisfy the progressives and the divorce advocates.

author: Julius Rocas


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Russia: Apocalyptic Video of Ammunition Blast Near Izhevsk City · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

YouTube user Malsagoff publishes a shocking video [ru] of ammunition blast on Pugachevo military base near Izhevsk city. So far 48 people hospitalized, unofficial sources report [ru] 18 dead.

author: Alexey Sidorenko


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Russia: Towards a gas spot market? · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Streetwise Professor discusses a Bloomberg article claiming that Russia and its state gas company Gazprom are feeling an increased pressure to admit a spot market on gas instead of pegging the price to that of oil.

author: Vilhelm Konnander


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Syria: Protesting for the Future of Children  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011 and Global Development 2011.
Syria's youngest victims are speaking out in a series of heart wrenching videos which are surfacing on YouTube, detailing the horrors they and their family members have faced in days and nights of their country's revolution against Bashar Al Assad's regime. Today's Friday protests are dedicated to Syrian children and their future.
On Twitter, @RevolutionSyria notes:
Even the kids in #Syria are not afraid of #Bashars tanks. It takes more than courage or bravery to do such a… http://fb.me/12T47y0Ml
The link to the video , by fnnsyria, shows children in Baniyas standing in front of armoured vehicles, Shots can be heard in the background:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taeS_UX_PsY
This video, uploaded by Syriaandsyria, shows children talking about their tragedies and suffering during the revolution. English subtitles are available:
In this video, by kurdishsyrian, many children are seen in a protest chanting: “Syria! Freedom!” They also urge Syrians to stand up for them and protest against Assad's regime:
This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011 and Global Development 2011.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Syria: Reports of Internet Blackout  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011.
Reports are continuing to pour in on Twitter of a possible Internet blackout in Syria today (Friday), as Syrians continue to protest against the Al Assad regime and atrocities committed against Syrians. This Friday's protests are to condemn the attacks on Syrian children. While some report a total internet shutdown, others note that the Internet is out in some places.
The Internet has been used by netizens around the Arab world, including Syria, to show the rest of the world atrocities being committed by governments against people who dared speak up and call for democratic reforms and freedom, during this wave of popular protests against dictatorship and corruption.
Protest in Damascus, Syria (31/05/11). Image by Flickr user syriana2011 (CC BY 2.0).
If the Syrian regime did cut off the Internet today, it would be pulling a Mubarak, who shut down the Internet ahead of the January 28, 2011, protests across Egypt, prompting more people to take to the streets to see what was happening in their country. The ousted Egyptian president, who is facing trial for his role in killing protesters, has since been fined by an Egyptian court for disconnecting the Internet and mobile phone services during the revolution.
One of the first reports on the Internet cuts in Syria was around seven hours ago on Twitter by Alexander Page, a freelance journalist currently in Damascus, who writes:
Internet cut off in #Damascus at 3am, not surprising given its Friday #Syria
An hour ago, Maisa Akbik tweets:
Internet is down in most areas around #Syria in a day of rage dedicated for children martyrs who was killed by thugs of regime.
Maha adds:
Internet services has been shut down in most cities in #Syria today
Malath Aumran's tweet on the Internet shutdown in Syria
Malath Aumran tweets:
#Syria: It appears that internet is completely shutdown in Syria
In a follow up tweet, he notes:
#Syria: there is now one report of internet working in an internet cafe in Abu Romani, Damascus 20 minutes ago.
Razaniyat confirms:
Syrian regime shuts down the internet in #Syria today Friday of Free Children June the 3rd.
She adds:
Guys, internet is completely shut down in #Syria. It's the first time ever since revolution started.
In a follow up tweet, Razaniyat continues:
Syrian regime blocked areas protesting, mostly slowing the speed, but it is the first time that internet is completely down in #Syria.
And Khalad Karim quips:
So they've pulled a #Mubarak?
The Syrians disappearance has left many asking questions. Omniyya Souriyya asks:
the internet is scary today, no sign of anyone around … where are you Syrians? #Syria
This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011.


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Yemen: Confusion in Sanaa Amid Conflicting News on Saleh  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage Yemen Protests 2011.
The Yemeni capital Sanaa plunged into chaos this afternoon, with conflicting reports circulating about Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh. While some reports say he had fled the presidential palace in Sanaa, others are reporting that he was injured in clashes. Some even went to announce his death.
Here's a round up of reactions from Twitter in the previous hour.
Mohamed Abdel Daymen tweets:
#Saleh “light injuries” now confirmed by multiple reliable sources. So at least that much is true.
An anti-government protester outside Sana'a University shows the words 'Go Out' to Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Image by Flickr user AJTalkEng (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0).
Al Jazeera English confirms:
Officials: #Yemeni President Ali Abdullah #Saleh is wounded but alive. Read more on our live blog: http://aje.me/mPUHeO
And Ali Hashem, Al Jazeera's Arabic correspondent, adds:
Yemeni official: President Ali Saleh will talk to the public soon
And quips:
Saleh is confirmed to have escaped death, lucky him
Andy Carvin attempts to summarize the situation saying:
So to summarize, Yemeni pres Saleh is/isn't/could be/perhaps is/supposedly/according to twitter/according to Reuters/sort of/who knows dead.
News of Saleh's injuries, and possible death, raised hope in the Twittersphere, that the Arab world will soon have one less dictator.
Egyptian Mona Eltahawy tweets:
We are long overdue a Friday of Departure of Despised Dictator. #Yemen's Ali Abdulla #Saleh: could you be next? Yalla, Yemen!
Back in Yemen, the confusion continues. Ibrahim Mothana writes:
I am LOST in Translation!! A lot of conflicting news and report coming from #Sanaa NOW. #Yemen #Saleh
Amel tweets:
Sanaa is chaos. Shooting everywhere. We're headed to american embassy #Yemen #yf
This post is part of our special coverage Yemen Protests 2011.


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Yemen: Reasons Saleh is Late! · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage Yemen Protests 2011.
Tweeps are having fun with the hashtag #ReasonsSalehIsLate while waiting for a speech by Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh, following reports that he may have been injured when the Presidential Palace in Sanaa was attacked earlier today.
Tweeps toyed with a similar hashtag when ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's speech was delayed –  #ReasonsMubarakIsLate
Ibn Adem writes:
#ReasonsSalehIsLate his makeup artist is still working on his face injury.
Marwa_G_H quips:
President of Yemen Ali Abdullah Saleh. Image by US Government, available in public domain.
Qat is a stimulant drug, which many people in Yemen, particularly in the North, are addicted to. Studies show that in Yemen, 80 per cent of the males and 45pc of the females were found to be qat users, who had chewed daily for long periods of their life.
In another tweet, she notes:
#ReasonsSalehIsLate he's dead…. waiting for the duplicate to arrive #Yemen
She continues:
@Logicker picks up the line of reasoning saying:
#ReasonsSalehIsLate emulating #Mubarak, in real life and in terms of Twitter hashtags ;)
And adds:
#ReasonsSalehIsLate playing hard-to-get like most other #Arab dictators.
This post is part of our special coverage Yemen Protests 2011.


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Bahamas: Advice for Election Season  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

As the Bahamas “prepare[s]…for silly season”, Rick Lowe turns to the wise words of a Nobel laureate and hopes that “the political class will listen.”


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Bahamas: Legalize It?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Blogworld sees some merit in the recommendation to legalize certain drugs.


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Brunei: Largest solar power cells in Southeast Asia · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Jan Shim blogs about the installation of solar panels in the Seria Power Station at Tenaga Suria in Brunei. The equipment is said to be the largest photovoltaic system of its kind in Southeast Asia

author: Mong Palatino


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Cuba: Hunger Strike for “The Student”  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Uncommon Sense reports that Guillermo Farinas has begun his 24th hunger strike against the Cuban government, this time “demanding…an independent, international investigation of the police beating death last month of Juan Wilfredo Soto Garcia.”


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Featured Blogger: Sabrina Sultana – Blogging With Her Heart · Global Voices
Bijoy

Sabrina Sultana blogs from Bangladesh and she loves to write. She is one of the millions of bloggers in this world who express themselves using the Internet. But Sabrina is not like many others; she blogs with her heart.
You might wonder, how can that be true! The reality is that her hands are not active as ours, she can only strike the keys with her two functioning fingers. But her heart is always beating to express herself through writing.
If you want to know about Sabrina and her blog, then let us start the Journey from Chittagong, the port city of Bangladesh where Sabrina was born and currently resides.
Blogger Sabrina Sultana
From her childhood Sabrina loved to write. An article [bn] in the Daily Azadi, a local Chittagong newspaper reveals:
সাবরিনার লেখালেখি শুরু হয়েছিল ১৯৯৮ সালে দৈনিক আজাদীর জনপ্রিয় ফিচার পাতা আজমিশালীতে। প্রথম প্রকাশিত লেখার শিরোনাম ছিল ‘স্বপ্ন কখনো সত্যি হয় না।’
But disaster held her back:
বেণী ঝুলিয়ে দুরন্তপনায় সারা বাড়ি মাতিয়ে রাখা সাবরিনা সাত বছর বয়সে মাসকুলার ডিসট্রফি নামে এক রোগে আক্রান্ত হয়ে চলৎশক্তি হারান। এই রোগ ধীরে ধীরে ক্ষয় করে দিচ্ছে তার শরীরের প্রতিটি অঙ্গ-প্রত্যঙ্গের শক্তি।
She started to face new challenges as she eventually lost her mobility. She left school and was forced to confine herself within the four corners of a room. But her mind was still awake. When the Internet arrived Sabrina saw an opportunity to look beyond the walls and she started writing again.
Now nobody can stop Sabrina. She is a prolific writer and contributes in different blogs, newspapers, and via social media such as Facebook etc. Sabrina writes on different Bangla blogging platforms like Amar blog, Sachalayatan, Prothom-Alo blog, Choturmatrik, and Shobdoneer [all bn].
You may ask, when her muscles cannot work properly, how can she write?
Blogger Md. Jakir hosain explains [bn] in a post titled name “Let Sabrina be an example”:
ব্লগিং করতে গেলে ভাবনার সাথে সাথে, শারীরিকভাবে কোমরের জোর যেমন থাকতে হয়। ঠিক তেমনি থাকতে হয় চোখের জোর। সাথে সাথে থাকতে হয় দুটি হাত এবং এর আঙ্গুলগুলোর নাচন, শক্ত এবং নিরেট কিবোর্ড এর সারাটা অংশ জুড়ে। সেখানেই সাবরিনার কষ্ট সবচেয়ে বেশি হয়। জিজ্ঞেস করেছিলাম- কি সমস্যা হয়? উনার উত্তর- তেমন কিছু না। হাতের আঙ্গুলগুলো একটু টাইপ করলেই টনটন করে সাথে প্রচণ্ড ব্যথা হয়। অনেক প্রচণ্ড ব্যথা হয়। থেমে পরি একটু টাইপ করেই।আবারও একটু পর শুরু করি। তখনও অবশ্য ব্যাথাটা যায় নি। তবুও লিখতে হয়। এমনও হয় মাথায় ঘুরছে একটি বিষয় নিয়ে লিখা। তা প্রকাশ করতে করতে হয়ত পনেরদিনও লেগে যায়। নিজের সবল আঙ্গুলগুলোর দিকে তাকিয়ে পালটা প্রশ্ন ছুড়ে দেই বিনীতভাবেই- আপনি মুখে বললেন আর অন্য কাউকে দিয়ে লিখিয়ে নিলেই তো হল। উনার উত্তর- এই কাজটুকুন না হয় আমি নিজেই করি।
A blogger needs sufficient physical fitness along with the inflow of a stream of thoughts. The power of the eyes is also key. Combined with the strength of the hand and the dancing power of the finger, these human tools create words on the keyboard.  Sabrina feels pain when she uses her fingers. I asked her: “what problems do you face while writing?” She answered humbly: “Not much. But after typing a while pain engulfs the writing fingers.  Sometimes I cannot bear the pain. Then I stop for a while, then start again. I still feel the pain but I get used to it and I don't stop. For example, an idea resides in my head but it may take 15 days to publish the story”.
I look at my healthy fingers and ask her; “Isn't it more convenient that you speak, and someone else  writes?” She answers: “it's better for me if I do this simple task myself”.
Bangladesh, a populous country of 150 million people do not have proper infrastructures, accessibility and support for people with disability. Public and private offices, educational institutions, public transportation, utility infrastructures, recreation and tourist spots, market places – almost all are inaccessible to persons with disabilities. Sabrina devotes herself to writing for those people who need support.
Sabrina's blog
She speaks for those who are deprived of their rights to lead a normal life. She expresses concern about the rights for the disabled and raises her voice for those who may not express their pains to the world. Sabrina also writes about her own feelings with simple but magical words.
In her profile [bn] she describes things about herself:
আমার কতো দাবি! কতো চাহিদা! কিছুই পাইনা। যেদিকে হাত বাড়াই সেদিকে অন্ধকার। সব জায়গায় নিয়ন্ত্রণ। সামাজিক নিয়ন্ত্রণ। রাষ্ট্রীয় নিয়ন্ত্রণ। প্রাকৃতিক নিয়ন্ত্রণ। সব নিয়ন্ত্রণে আমি বাঁধা আর গুমরে গুমরে কাঁদে আমার আশা আকাঙ্খা। ভালোবাসা!”
Sabrina’s dream for now is to do something for the disabled people in Bangladesh. She wrote to her readers [bn] in Choturmatrik blog:
আপনি কি জানেন, আমি কেমন আছি? জানতে কি চান?
আমি ভালো আছি। বরাবরই আমি ভালো থাকারি চেষ্টা করি, ভালো না থাকার এ পৃথিবীতে! শুধু ভালো থাকতে হয় বলে। এই তো, বেশ হাসি মুখেই পার করে দিচ্ছি আমার দিন-রাত্তিরগুলো। কিন্তু ভালো থাকার এবং ভালো রাখার চেষ্টারত এই “আমি”র ভেতরে যার বসবাস আপনি কি জানেন, সে “আমি”টা দিনে দিনে কেমোন যেনো শুকিয়ে যাচ্ছে!?
Do you know, how I am doing? Do you want to know?
I am well. I try to be positive always, in this cruel world, only because I have to be well to live. Don't worry I am living my days and nights with a smile in my face. But do you know that inside this positive mind of mine the real “me” is dying?
Sabrina discovered that “no” is a very active word in her society:
সমাজের হয়েও যেনো ভিন্ন এক জগতের বাসিন্দা আমি। আমারি কোন লক্ষ্য নেই, সমুজ্জল ভবিষ্যতের স্বপ্ন নেই। এমন কোন জায়গা নেই যাবার, যেখানে অন্তত খানিকটা সময় স্বস্থির শ্বাস ফেলা যায়। আমার অধিকারের জায়গাগুলোতে সিলমোহর এঁটে দিয়েছে ছোট্ট একটি শব্দ ‘না’G স্কুল-কলেজ-বিশ্ববিদ্যালয় ‘না’। সাংস্কৃতিক কিংবা সামাজিক অনুষ্ঠান ‘না’। বিনোদন কেন্দ্র বা খেলার মাঠ ‘না’। যাতায়াত ব্যবস্থা ‘না’। না, না, না-শুধু ‘না’! আপনি কি অনুভব করতে পারছেন, ‘না’ শুনতে শুনতে হাঁপিয়ে উঠেছি আমি, আমরা? এতটুকু ভাবার চেষ্টা করেছেন কি কখনো- আপনিও হতে পারতেন আমাদের মত একজন কিংবা হয়তো আপনারই কোনো আপনজন। প্রতিবন্ধিতা বুঝি অভিশাপ! তাই যদি না হয়, তবে এদেশের নাগরিক হয়েও যা আপনার অধিকার তা থেকে আমি কেন বঞ্চিত হবো?
She also wrote an open letter [bn] to the prime minister of Bangladesh in one of her blog posts urging:
আমাদের জন্য এমন কিছু করুন যাতে আমার মতো প্রতিবন্ধীরা আবারো স্বপ্ন দেখার সাহস অর্জন করে। কিছু একটা অবলম্বন করে বাঁচার সুযোগ পায়। যে ভয়াবহ যন্ত্রণার মধ্যে দিয়ে এখন আমাকে দিন যাপন করতে হয় আমি চাই না আর কোন প্রতিবন্ধী মানুষ বা তার পরিবার সে যন্ত্রণা ভোগ করুক।
In 2009, with the help of some friends, Sabrina initiated a campaign for physically disabled people. Bangladesh Systems Change Advocacy Network (B-Scan) started as a Facebook group believing that a little initiative can achieve big things. Now this organization has its own web site and is working for the disabled people in Bangladesh and their rights.
B-scan has also some offline activities – helping poor and disabled people with money, wheel chair, or whatever the needs are and in most cases members from the Bangla blogosphere donate or help raise fund.
With all of these activities Sabrina never stopped her writing. Writing is her true love, Blogging is her passion. Her passion touches her readers and her efforts did not remain unnoticed. This year in Deutsche Welle BOBS competition Sabrina's blog was nominated in the world's best blog category. Members from the Bangla blogosphere rallied behind her with more than 150 posts to encourage readers to vote for her. In the end she did not win in the user vote category (ranked 2nd highest) or the jury award, but this competition helped her get noticed by local media which have published a number of features on her.
Sabrina is grateful [bn] to everyone for their supports and she finds it useful to voice about the rights of the disabled people in Bangladesh to a growing number of people. In her words:
আমাদের বিশ্বাসের ভিত্তি আরো মজবুত হচ্ছে……আমাদের স্বপ্নের বাংলাদেশ একদিন অবশ্যই প্রতিবন্ধি মানুষের বাস যোগ্য দেশ হিসেবে গড়ে উঠবে।

author: Bijoy


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India: In search Of An Ideal Anti-Corruption Crusader · Global Voices
Rezwan

In India, anti-corruption activism has gained momentum but mostly without direction. Amreekandesi  wonders who can be an ideal Anti-Corruption crusader in India.


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Peru: 2011 Elections: Reactions to Presidential Debate · Global Voices
Isabel Guerra

Candidates Ollanta Humala and Keiko Fujimori. Photos: TVCultura (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)  and Congreso of the Republic (CC BY 2.0)
The televised debate [es] between the two candidates for the Peruvian presidency, Keiko Fujimori and Ollanta Humala was closely followed by social network users during and after: it even created (after many proposals and discussions) the hashtag #dp2011 to follow related tweets, although there were other parallel hashtags such as #DebatePresidencial, #Debate2011 or #DebatePeru.
Such was the interest of local Twitter users that even the Peruvian press dealt with what they said, while simultaneously journalists issued their own analysis of the debate.
During the debate, which had four defined sections, users actively tweeted, and a selection has been published in Storify [es] by Juan Arellano under the Twitter user name @Cyberjuan. The reactions were varied, and were as divided as the voting preferences of the Peruvian people, but no shortage of postings disappointed. Such as that of Raziel Eziel Nigromante Black [es] on Facebook:
el debate me aburre la hija de alguien que tiene sobre su conciencia crimenes como el de la cantuta,barrios altos etc y un muñeco de chavez que solo intenta destruir la democracia… ya se cago el peru prefiero una conciencia limpia en vez de mandar a la m… a mi pais viciado….
Others commented on the candidates’ proposals, like Brian Tejeda (@signsofbrian):
Keiko se apoya en los pobres y Ollanta en beneficiar a todo el país, se nota quién quiere hacer la diferencia #debateperu #ganaperu
Along the same lines Eric Iriarte Ahón [es] notes:
Acusaciones cruzadas, el gobierno que se nos viene requerira que la Sociedad Civil se organice para ser oposicion democratica #dp2011
Many commented that the debate had not been particularly instrumental in changing their voting intentions, such as Milan (@Mylanta):
Una mierda de debate, ínfimo nivel de ambos candidatos, ni siquiera creen en algo. Máscaras e intereses nomás #dp2011
Some bloggers have concerned themselves with selecting the tweets that they considered the most relevant, such as Dinorider[es]. Other blogs did a more detailed analysis such as La Diáspora Peruana [es] and Grupo Perú Futuro [es], the latter highlighting that,
El debate del último domingo terminó sin mayores sorpresas, sin grandes contrastes entre los candidatos, ni la sensación de que vaya a tener una repercusión significativa en el voto indeciso. Como es costumbre en las polémicas de nuestro medio, las referencias personales estuvieron a la orden del día y las propuestas fundamentadas brillaron por su ausencia, lo que no habla solo de los candidatos sino de lo que las personas demandan: el espectáculo.
Some days after the debate, there are still reactions on the social networks [es], but more about the second round of elections, which will be held on Sunday June 5, like Ricardo Marapi's (@ricardomarapi) tweet:
No importa quien ganó el debate. Para los q ya tenían decidido su voto, su candidato ganó. Los dos debatieronhasta el perno [“pésimo” en jerga peruana]
But there are more optimistic comments, such as that of Noel Martin Sevilla Siero [es] on Facebook, who sees a positive balance.
Concluyó el debate Fujimori-Humala en el Perú.En un ambiente de respeto, se debatieron las propuestas de ambos. Muchos se lamentan que el pueblo escoja entre dos candidatos, de cuestionables credenciales democráticas. No obstante, hay que confiar en la sabiduría de los peruanos, que en la última elección escogieron a Alan García, de mala gestión en su primera presidencia,pero quien mejoró en su segunda presidencia.

author: Isabel Guerra


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Philippines: Blog action to save Philippine seas · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

A blog action day was set on June 8 to show the concern of Filipino bloggers about the destruction of Philippine marine resources. Coral reefs twice the size of Manila were destroyed by smugglers.


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Russia: Continuing demographic decline · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Anatoly Karlin of Sublime Oblivion comments on Russia's continuing demographic decline and posts statistics to substantiate it.


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South Korea: Battle to Protect Natural Reserve from Naval Base Construction · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

As one of South Korea's Natural Heritage sites is on the verge of being replaced by a pile of cement from naval base construction work, local residents and civic activists are waging a fierce battle to rescue the site.
The opposition stress that the naval base construction will not only turn one of the nation's most treasured site into a cement tomb, but the launching of a naval base on the island also could jeopardize the Korean peninsula's peace. More and more South Korean Tweeters and bloggers are joining the movement.
Jeju Island is the country's largest, most visited island, situated at the southwest of the Korean Peninsula. It was named a Natural World Heritage Site because of its volcanic islets and its lava tubes which are worth preserving.
GangJeong Village, Jeju Island. Image by Cafe Peacekj (cafe.daum.net/peacekj), used with permission.
The island is well-preserved, free of contamination and disease from the mainland. Jeju is a designated Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. It is also a Marine  Reserve zone selected by the Korean Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries.
Local residents and activists are particularly concerned about the Gureombi Rock in the Jeju island's GangJeong village. The Gureombi is a collection of broad lava-formed rocks and stones spread over the seashore, a geographically important structure and home to numerous endangered species.
The ongoing conflict, between the protesters on one side and the Navy and the concerned government departments on the other, goes back three years. Starting from May 2007 when the final decision was made to select GangJeong as the construction site for a naval base, local residents started protests and activists have arrived on the island to help them fight a lonely battle. On December 2010, 32 protesters and two local residents were arrested for attempting to disrupt the Navy's ground-breaking ceremony for the naval base.
Activists Protesting against Naval Base Construction. Image by Cafe Peacekj(cafe.daum.net/peacekj), used with permission.
International support
More activists and citizens started joining the protest from March 2011 and it has gathered strength in the Twittersphere.
Apart from the Protect GangJeong homepage [ko], the Protect GangJeong Facebook page [ko] was set up and two Tweeters (@kimseriiii and @thinkunit) are live-tweeting about the protest from Jeju. The project even has a Protect GangJeong Facebook badge [ko] where Facebook users can get a GangJeong badge to attach to their profile image.
In late May, celebrated American linguist and activist Noam Chomsky, responding to an email  sent by a Jeju activist group, wrote that he found it “very disturbing to hear” about the “ominous plans for  the huge naval base”. (Full content of Chomsky's email).
On June 1, a national scale coalition was formed to preserve GangJeong. Jeju's civic activist, Kim Ah-hyun (@eyedaho) tweeted [ko] this welcoming news:
전국 44개단체, 제주해군기지 반대기구 결성 http://j.mp/jqbz0F 두 팔 벌려 환영합니다. #gangjung
Protect the wnvironment and PEACE
An assistant movie director, Kim Se-ri (@kimseriiii) who is spearheading the movement, explained more on the GangJeong Village and the construction scale in a web page named The Gangjeong is Alive [ko]:
Coral Reef in GangJeong Sea. Image by Kim Se-ri, used with permission.
구럼비해안과 범섬 사이에는 세계적으로도 몇 안되는 색색가지 연산호  군락지여서 유네스코가 생물권보전지역으로 지정한 곳입니다. 제주 해군기지 예정지내에는 제주특별자치도 조례로 절대보전지역으로  설정되었으며 육상은 대규모 역사유물 산포지로 둘러싸여 있으며 멸종위기 동물[…] 등이 대규모로 서식하는 곳입니다.국방부,해군이 강정마을 해안에 건설하겠다고 한 해군기지의 규모는 총 12만평 면적을 매립하는 것으로 이는 […]  제주역사(役事)이래의 최대 해안 매립공사입니다.
GangJeong construction site. Image by Cafe Peacekj (cafe.daum.net/peacekj), used with permission.
An anti-war and anti-nuke American activist, Bruce K. Gagnon from the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space wrote in his blog:
It is important to remember that the U.S. Navy will be porting Aegis destroyers (outfitted with “missile defense” systems) at this base. The proximity of the base on Jeju Island to China's shipping lanes, that they use to import 80% of their oil, is no coincidence. It is beyond obvious that this base is absolutely going to contribute to further militarization of the Asian-Pacific region and will in fact be a dangerous trigger for war.
Live-tweeting the movement.
Kim Se-ri has been tweeting [ko] about the ongoing protest for over a month now.  Kim tweeted [ko]:
Under the Gangjeong Sea. Video taken by filmmaker Yang Dong-Kyu, uploaded by Luciaschoi to YouTube.
[바닷속 촬영 동영상] http://bit.ly/k5bur2 유네스코지정 생물권보전지역, 환경부지정 절대보전지역인.. 강정마을 중덕 바닷속 모습.. 궁금하시죠?^^ #gangjung
Kim tweeted the link [ko] to another video:
[실제 촬영동영상] 돌고래떼가 춤추는 제주 강정마을 중덕바다 http://bit.ly/j3vqOQ 시멘트로 매립되지 않게 도와주세요. 서명하기 http://bit.ly/l2f5Hr
Yang Interview with English subtitles. Uploaded by LandofStone to YouTube.
To explain why this means so much to some people, Kim tweeted [ko] an interview video with English subtitles. The interviewee, Yang Yoon-mo is a former Korean Association of Film Critics Chairman. Yang was arrested two months ago for trying to block a construction truck from entering the site and he waged a hunger strike for about two months in jail. Yang was finally released from jail [ko] on June 1:
[동영상] 단식57일째, 영화평론가 양윤모가 전하는 제주 해군기지 핵심 내용 *제목:<Island of stone> http://youtu.be/TD8zk0HN83w
A sticker which reads "Go GangJeong!". Image by @ilgangjeong, posted on Cafe Peacekj, used with permission.
Kim also tweeted [ko] about how to get a ‘Protect GangJeong’ banner and stickers:
[함께 지켜요! 강정마을!] 직권취소 서명은 @kimseriiii 에게! 현수막 주문은 @thinkunit 에게! 자동차스티커는 @ilgangjeong 에게 문의하세요~♬ #gangjung http://twitpic.com/52xslv
There are a few local residents actually siding with the construction of the naval base. South Korea's progressive newspaper, Hankyoreh pointed out [ko] that some residents are too tired of the continuing conflicts which have almost ruined their daily lives.
Another key member of the movement @thinkunit admitted in a tweet [ko] that some local taxi drivers were positive towards the construction plan for the financial benefit the naval base will bring.
Banners at the entrance of construction site, Gangjeong, Jeju Island. Image by Cafe PeaceKJ (cafe.daum.net/peacekj), used with permission.
The  Ministry of National Defense stressed that Gangjeong village of  Jeju is a strategically perfect spot for the Navy to secure the nation's  economic efficiency. However, activists, such as a movie director  Park Sung-mi (@sungmi1), stressed in her tweet [ko] that the Defense Ministry had publicly withdrawn their “Ocean Navy  Strategy” which has served as justification for pressing through the construction plan against the resident's wishes in the first place.

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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Sri Lanka: Moral Cleansing And The Government · Global Voices
Rezwan

Sri Lankan blogger Sayanthan asks  whether moral cleansing should be any government's responsibility.


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Thailand: GMO-free Thai rice · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

As Thailand celebrates Rice and Farmers’ week, Natwipha Ewasakul writes about the “little known and un-publicized Thai agricultural policy that protects Thai rice from the risks of genetically-modified organisms.”


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World: Blatter’s Back But FIFA’s Future is Shaky · Global Voices
Richard Wanjohi

The past two weeks have seen some highs and lows for the game of football. The highs were a delightful UEFA Champions League Final which ended up being a resounding endorsement of Spain’s and Barcelona’s supremacy in the football world.
However, on the eve of the same final the English Football Association  decided to abstain from the vote for the presidency of FIFA. Following the allegations made by Lord David Triesman and the suspension of FIFA presidency contender Mohammed bin Hammamm and CONCACAF’s and FIFA’s former VP Jack Warner, FIFA's electoral process was about to collapse.
Joseph ‘Sepp’ Blatter succeeded to win his fourth (and hopefully final) term at the helm of the most powerful and lucrative sports organization in the world. Here are some of the reactions online:
Ghana’s soccer blog quoted Blatter saying:
I thank you for your trust and confidence from the bottom of my heart,” said Blatter, who was applauded back into the auditorium by the rest of Fifa congress after his unchallenged victory in Zurich. “Our pyramid is intact, the base, the foundation is strong and together we have four years to continue on our path and do our job. “We will put Fifa’s ship back on the right course in clear, transparent waters. We need some time to do it, but we shall do it.
The Zimbabwe Review wondered if Blatter is practicing to be Zimbabwe's next president:
Zimbabwe is a troubled nation just beginning to tentatively try to work itself out of a decade of political turmoil and economic decline. It's only president for its 31 years of independence, Robert Mugabe, says he will be a candidate in the next election, expected within the next year. If he does indeed stand it can be confidently predicted that he will officially ‘win.’ Even if so, it seems fairly obvious that in a few years Zimbabwe will be shopping for a new president, Mugabe already being 87 years old.
The coincidence of pending events in Blatter's career and those in Zimbabwe could provide an interesting match-making opportunity.
Mugabe says he must present himself as a candidate in the upcoming election at his advanced age out of  of a sense of duty to his party and to the country. There is no one he believes is presently up to the task of succeeding him, you see.
So, could Sepp Blatter not be the ideal person to continue the legacy of the Zimbabwean incumbent?
The conclusion is:
There are many parallels between FIFA's and Zimbabwe's processes of conducting elections and wielding power.
Daniel Feuerstein argued that political infighting paved way for Blatter's re-election:
This past Monday FIFA President Sepp Blatter stepped up to the podium at the house of FIFA and did his best song and dance routine with the athletic legs of a boxer bobbing and weaving away the questions from reporters and his opening statements. He said “There is no crisis within FIFA.” How could the president of the world’s governing body of football stand there in front of so many media and talk garbage?
He hopes that one day an honest man that will replace Blatter:
What do we expect now from these members of FIFA, CONCACAF and the AFC? Business as usual. Never oppose the President for life and allow the same underhandedness to continue on ’til someone else will take over the reins. Until that day comes and we hope it’s an honest man that will replace Blatter, just get ready for the 2014 World Cup Qualifying Draw on Saturday, July 30th.
Socca Critics blog quoted the English Football Association President David Bernstein:
…after listening to the speech of Joseph Blatter, believe that the calls that we have made for greater transparency and better governance have been worthwhile.
It was positive to join other 16 Nations, while a 17 more Nations abstaining clearly demonstrates that we are not alone or isolated in our points of view.
The election process was flawed:
We have an unsatisfactory situation. We are subject to universal criticism of Governments, sponsors, media and the rest of the world…
A Coronation without an opponent provides a flawed mandate.
All in all, we know that the lovely game of football will continue to entertain and bring the world together.

author: Richard Wanjohi


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Afghanistan: Assessing recent negotiations with Taliban · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Nick Fielding opines on the state of negotiations between the Taliban and the Afghan government, reviewing a report by the New America Foundation.

author: Adil Nurmakov


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Afghanistan: Border War Expands · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Joshua Foust says that Pakistan and Afghanistan are engaged in a low-level border conflict with militants crossing the border to attack both militaries as well.


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Afghanistan: Contractor Mistreatment · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Joshua Foust writes about the workers, employed in Afghanistan to different service businesses, and the bad conditions they face, including food riots, sexual abuse, appalling living conditions, and recruitment fraud.


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China: Chengdu Zoo Rehearses Escaped “Tiger” Response · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Fauna from ChinaSMACK translates a local news story and netizens’ responses on the escaped “Tiger” rehearsal of Chengdu Zoo. The rehearsal is quite entertaining.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Cuba: Backlash? · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

Blogger and gay activist Francisco Cruz Rodríguez questions whether recent op-eds [es] defining marriage as uniquely between a man and a woman, published in the two state-run nationally distributed newspapers Granma [es] and Juventud Rebelde [es], might be in reaction to the IV Cuban Conference Against Homophobia recently held in the Island.

author: Firuzeh Shokooh Valle


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Cuba: New Podcast About Movies · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

Rafa of the blog El Microwave [es] announces the launching [es] of the podcast Cinefilia [es], in which he will explore the world of cinema with fellow blogger Javier [es].


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Dominican Republic: “Selective Intolerance” · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

Journalist and blogger María Isabel Soldevila is outraged [es] by how people have reacted to a photo of a newlywed gay couple kissing, published in the front page of the newspaper Listín Diario [es], while they remain apathetic to issues that  are seriously troubling the country.


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Georgia: Sharon Stone Seducing the Nation · Global Voices
Ana Keshelashvili

The most popular topic for discussion on social networks, as well as by the online and traditional media, this weekend was the premiere of Renny Harlin's movie about the 2008 Georgia-Russia war, called “5 Days of August.”
Not only was the director himself in town for the event, but so were the film's actors Andy Garcia, Dean Cain and others. However, the most important guest invited for the premiere was Hollywood actress Sharon Stone.
Flying in from Moscow where she attended the Muz.TV Awards, Stone arrived a day before the film crew who flew all the way from Los Angeles. Preparation and media coverage days before her arrival fed the online commentary [ka]:
უკვე რამდენიმე დღეა, რაც თბილისი შერონის ქალაქად ან “შერონსთაუნად” (“Sharon’s town“) არის ქცეული. ჩვენ შერონით ვსუნთქავთ, შერონით ვხედავთ, შერონით გვესმის და შერონით განვიცდით.
Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili even hosted the actress on her first night, introducing her to night views of Tbilisi from the Presidential Palace. The tour of his official residence also turned out to be fun for the host as well as the guest. Footage was widely aired on Georgian television and shared on social networks.
Before attending the premiere of Harlin's movie today, Stone even met with the country's spiritual leader, the Patriarch of Georgia, and was also spotted on the streets of old Tbilisi by many people.
@bicyclemark: right after she walked passed me some old american couple greeted her, shook her hand and side bye. hmm could have done that.
@lakobukia: I am gonna see Sharon Stone tonight, OMG I AM SOOOO EXCITED
@mziakupunia: Crowds gathered at Rustaveli cinema greeted Sharon Stone and Andy Garcia with loud cheers and applauds.
Meanwhile, a group of students gathered in front of the Radisson Blue hotel where the Hollywood stars were staying, protesting what they considered to be pompous arrangements for the premiere, holding posters reading “Basic instincts against basic values”, “Enough, give money to refugees,” and “Cheap propaganda is not art” in a less than veiled reference to criticism of Harlin's movie by some film critics. News agencies reported and Forum.ge picked the topic up with further discussion.
Doin.ge, whose extended post criticizes local media coverage [ka], also predicts that it will get worse after the Hollywood actress leaves Tbilisi:
“შერონის პირველი დღე თბილისში”, “შერონის მეორე დღე თბილისში”, “შერონი ქართულ რესტორანში”, “შერონმა წაუცეკვა”, “ჰოლივუდის ვარსკვლავს მშვიდობის ხიდი მოეწონა”, “შერონი მხარს უჭერს საქართველოს სუვერენიტეტს და ტერიტორიულ მთლიანობას”, “შერონი გმობს პუტინის ოკუპანტურ რეჟიმს”, “შერონი ჩაფრინდა და იწერება – კარგად ვარო”, “შერონს ქართული სუფრა ენატრება” და მრავალი.
Sharon Stone leaves Georgia on Monday.

author: Ana Keshelashvili


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Ghana: 5 Reasons Why Ghana is the Next African App Powerhouse · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Andrew explains why Ghana is the next African app powerhouse: “Ghanian developers seem to be bucking the trend by producing a stream of apps that are not to be sustained by aid but by paying clients or paid downloads.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Hong Kong and China: The 22nd Anniversary of June 4th Massacre · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Charles Mok posts a set of photos on the candle vigil in Victoria Park, Hong Kong for commemorating the 22nd Anniversary of the June 4th Massacre in Beijing.


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Kuwait: Egyptian Student Dismissed for Asking About the Revolution · Global Voices
Mona Kareem

This Friday, Kuwaitis had to read with shock the news of a 10-year-old Egyptian student called Bassim Mohammed Fathi, who was dismissed from all schools in Kuwait for asking one simple question “Why don't you have a revolution?”
The shocking part of the story was in the fact that his teacher reported him to the Ministry of Education, which took the decision to dismiss him. The child's father complained to the legal authority of the Ministry, which made a counter-decision to reinstate the child in the school, just 24 hours after the news spread through Kuwaiti newspapers.
Schoolboy in Kuwait. Image by Flickr user Steve & Jemma Copley (CC BY-SA 2.0).
Decision condemned
Kuwaiti tweeps reacted against this decision and appealed to the Minister of Education to interfere to get Bassim back to school. Parliamentary members have also interfered and the minister Ahmad Al-Mulaifi said the child had made negative remarks against Kuwait.
Kuwaiti tweep, Dr. Fawaz Al-Farhan (@FawazFarhan), was one of the first to condemn this unfair decision of the ministry saying:
على الوزير المليفي أن يرد اعتبار الطفل المصري عن طريق استقباله وإجابته بنفسه عن تساؤل الطفل ، يجب أن ننتزع من قلوب أطفالنا الخوف من السؤال
A Twitter user, nicknamed Zeus (@Zeus_K) wrote that the case of this Egyptian student should be taken seriously and needed public action:
اذا لم يرجع الطفل المصري المفصول الى مقاعد الدراسة ومحاسبة كل من ساهم باعتماد فصله ، وجب علينا الاعتصام أمام مبنى وزارة التربية
Famous Kuwaiti nicknamed blogger and tweep called nEo (@Om9edda) has warned the minister about his statement saying:
الى الوزير المليفي: تصريحك اليوم بالجرايد حول الطفل المصري المفصول قد يكلفك سياسيا الكثير لانه دليل على عدم علمك بما يجري في وزارتك
Another Kuwaiti tweep Mohammed Alqattan (@MJQ_KWT) criticized the action taken against the Egyptian student saying:
قصة الطفل المصري المفصول يجب أن تنحل بطرق تربوية راقية وفاعلة تتمثل في تقييم الفكر ومعالجته. فلا يجب التعسّف مع قاصر ألقى كلمات بريئة.
A Kuwaiti lawyer called Nasser Najaf (@NasserNajaf) made a comment on how this action explains the level of education in Kuwait today referring to a previous incident of a university teacher who lodged a case against her students because they have criticized her online:
دور المُعلم بدأ يأخذ منعطف خطير، فبالأمس دكتورة تحيل طالباتها للتحقيق، واليوم يتم فصل طالب في مرحلة الابتدائية لتوجيهه سؤال إلى معلمته.
Also, Kuwaiti women activist Nabila Alanjari (@Nalanjari) was the last to write a comment on this issue expressing how ridiculous the way the ministry acted towards the incident:
قضية الطفل المصري هل تستحق كل ذلك اشخلينا للأنظمة العربية المتسلطة

author: Mona Kareem


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Macedonia: Online Guide to Parliamentary Elections 2011 · Global Voices
Filip Stojanovski

Early parliamentary elections in the Republic of Macedonia are being held today, on June 5, 2011. The leading candidates for the office of prime minister are the incumbent Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski of the right-wing VMRO-DPMNE party and Radmila Šekerinska of the social-democratic SDSM. Gruevski has held the top executive office since 2006.
The most popular election-related Twitter hashtags in Macedonian seem to be #izbori, #izborimk, #ferizbori, #mojotizbor (“elections,” “electionmk,” “fair election,” “my choice”), and #zgjedhje (“elections”) in Albanian.
Global Voices has already covered Macedonia's tortuous road to the early elections of 2011: here, here, here, and here. A novelty in this round of the elections is expanding the voter base to the diaspora.However,  only several thousand out of hundreds of thousands of Macedonian citizens living abroad have managed to register to vote during during the hasty preparation season.
This has led to controversies over the legitimacy of additional members of parliament (MPs), who can win a post with just a few hundred diaspora votes, as opposed to tens of thousands in Macedonia proper.
Electoral constituencies in Macedonia. Source: Wikipedia.
The State Electoral Commission [mk] is the main institution in charge of the elections. It is chaired by a representative of the opposition, but is stacked with government supporters who have so far directed the internal decision-making by out-voting.
Logo of State Electoral Commission Macedonia
Monitoring missions and incident reporting
Voter Education
Free and Fair Elections Logo
A number of civil society organizations run informational and educational campaigns about citizen's rights and the offers of political actors.
“What mark will we leave?” – the Campaign for Free and Fair Elections [mk, sq] run by NDI Macedonia, Metamorphosis, MOST, Macedonian Women's Lobby, and IPD. This campaign got the political party leaders to sign in to the Code of Conduct, in order to provide role models for diffusing tensions at the national and local levels, paired with a caravan of events and social media activities, inviting citizens to learn more about their rights and support democratic values during the pre-election campaign and beyond.
As part of the regional cooperation with NGOs from Bosnia and Serbia, Macedonian citizens have two new media tools for making more informed choices:
Albanian logo for Votemeter
“My choice 2011″ [mk] by MCIC, MIM and IDSCS is a comprehensive resource website with analyses of the candidates’ programs, their campaigns, media presence, and analysis of other analyses, such as pre-election ratings, etc. This website provides a directory of websites, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and YouTube outlets of the Macedonian political parties.
“I vote” [mk] – a campaign by FOSIM and Youth Educational Forum for inciting higher voter turnout as a prevention mechanism against fraud. They run a very successful Facebook competition for promotional posters and videos, creating a feedback loop of “Likes” among youth.
Winner of the I Vote poster competition: "Vote for your rights/better future… which the animals do not have. Vote or stay silent." The cow says, "I am not a hamburger… I would vote if I were human."
Political parties and coalitions
Like before, most political parties closed their websites 24 hours prior to the election day as part of an informal agreement to extend electoral silence online. However, most of their social media profiles remain active.
An influential Twitter user, Boris Ristovski, published an analysis of the online presence of political parties [mk] on “My Choice” last week, and has kindly provided the following list of their outlets for Global Voices:

author: Filip Stojanovski


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Philippines: Netizens Follow Telecom Merger Deal Issue · Global Voices
Karlo Mongaya

Netizens in the Philippines are closely following the developments of a merger deal between two of the country’s largest telecommunications companies. The Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) announced last March that it has bought off the Digital Telecommunications with P74.1 billion (US$1.7 billion).
If approved by government regulators, there would be two mobile carriers in the country left with PLDT’s Smart, Talk N’Text, Red Mobile and Digitel’s Sun controlling 70 percent of the market and Globe Telecom and TM controlling the remaining 30 percent.
Edzee’s Net Logs asks if the merger will translate to improved broadband services:
With the merger, PLDT said it hopes to make available to Digitel subscribers better service offerings more specifically 3G or third generation cellular technology and broadband Internet. The question now is . . . will the merger bring about improved broadband service? Will their remaining competitors in providing Internet service to the public try to outdo them?
Roysville does not see anything wrong with the merger.
The PLDT-Digitel deal could be beneficial to the consumers, as long as the other players are able to hold their own, offer better services and more affordable rates and not follow PLDT’s lead should it decide to dictate prices.
Consumers are still the judge… and given a choice, consumers will definitely choose the better service provider without regards to size of the company’s assets.
New Mawe’s Adobo gives 3 reasons why the merger would be bad for Filipinos, namely product inefficiency, restriction of choice, and exploitation of consumers:
Controlling the prices, charges, and other costs of their telecommunications services would be the first on that list. Remember, if this deal goes through, PLDT will control around 70% of the total market. So who’s gonna stop them from hiking up the charges?
The Scribbler worries that the merger would bring back the old days when the country’s telecommunications was in a dismal state with the PLDT monopolizing the industry for decades.
Remember those days when applying for a landline would take you a gazillion years before it gets approved? Okay, not exactly the time span from the Paleolithic to the Neolithic eras, but you get the picture? I recall an acquaintance of mine lamenting that it took 10 years for PLDT to approve their landline application. Ten frickin years! Imagine that!
Here are some reactions from Twitter:
@dalekins: I dont get the reason why people are against pldt-digitel merger specially if youre a smart or sun user. Youll have a bigger unli coverage.
@guiengarma: Is the PLDT-DIGITEL deal pro-consumer? IDK. Is the deal economically friendly following econ. principles? No.
@Olidex: With the pldt-digitel merger, ud think globe would improve its customer service… Nope.
@kim_and_jackie: People forgot that PNoy's uncle & largest campaign donor, Mr Tony Boy Cojuangco, used to call the shots for PLDT when it was a monopoly.
Yugatech meanwhile points out the possible benefits of the merger alongside its more detrimental effects to the consumers.
• Wider network coverage for existing Sun subscribers, especially with 3G mobile internet.
• Smart can increase its network capacity if it is able to use Sun’s assigned frequency (same way Smart expanded with the purchase of CURE’s 3G frequency). That could translate to a less congested network and improved wireless connectivity (I hope).
For BongV of Antipinoy.com, the Filipino consumer is the ultimate loser merger or no merger.
Your choice is still limited between bad and worst – and you pay more for nonexistent service.  But you are used to this situation – after all that’s what’s going on with your water bill, your electric bill, your tollway bill – what’s another higher telecom bill?
Tonyo Cruz of TXTpower calls for more safeguards against the pitfalls of a private monopoly in the telecommunications sector.
The least the public expects is for PLDT and Digitel, moving forward, to push the telcos self-imposed limits on internet and mobile phone services, whether in pricing, speed and quality of service. He could boast about the fortified big-ness of PLDT, but if it does not improve service in a big way, it would be wasting its investment and disappoint Filipinos further. It is an open secret that the Philippines, which PLDT dominates, has the slowest internet speeds in this part of the world.
The TXTpower, a cellphone subscribers’ consumer group, recently filed a pleading against the PLDT-Digitel merger with the National Telecommunications Commission.

author: Karlo Mongaya


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Slovakia: The People Vs. the Census · Global Voices
Tibor Blazko

The Slovak government has been trying to avoid situations when one state office asks citizens for information already available to another state office.
Despite these efforts, however, the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic [sk] has recently failed to follow Switzerland's 2010 population census example of using “data in existing population registers” and ended up asking as many questions as possible again in Slovakia's 2011 Population and Housing Census [sk] that was held on May 21, 2011.
Bloggers’ response
This, as well as people's unwillingness to fill out complex forms and the reportedly high cost of the census (more than 5 euro per citizen), has inspired various bloggers to share ways of entering misleading information on their census forms.
Some blogs and articles warned [sk] against giving out information that is too personal, because “organizations with even bigger budgets ended up at Wikileaks,” and even “a combination of [complete] date of birth, sex and place of residence” [sk] could be enough for identification.
The situation became more serious when, together with paper forms, people also received temporary “personal IDs,” designed by the Statistical Office to avoid counting the same people twice – on paper and online. However, it was revealed that lists of citizens and their IDs existed and were available to census takers.
Some people decided to exchange their IDs with others to avoid easy identification, but the Bureau described it as illegal [sk] and insisted that the census data would remain anonymous [sk].
An anonymous blogger whose contact information is available to SME newspaper wrote [sk]:
I work as a census taker now… During the training we took before the census, our city mayor mentioned that they would search for tax evaders using census results…
In a comment to another SME article [sk], user prášil wrote:
Yesterday, a census taker brought forms without identification codes. To the question of where they were she replied that they were at the village office and once they've collected all the forms, they'd would paste them there.
Below is a popular census-related meme, which appears on many sites and blogs, including this one [sk]:
Census How-To:
1. in the morning go to [the supermarket]
2. at the vegetable department print the code for, say, banana (I printed tomato)
3. stick that code on the census form
4. give the form to the census taker
This procedure will guarantee your anonymity.
Maybe they will wonder at the Statistical Office about why so many tomatoes and bananas live in Slovakia, but we also wonder why so many pumpkins are managing this country.
One of the biggest mistakes of the census law is that it does not contain sanctions. So some people decided they would exchange IDs anyway, some did not attach their IDs to paper forms (thus creating an extra piece of work for census takers, who had to supply this information manually [sk]), some refused to fill out every field required or returned empty forms [sk].
And some did not allow census takers to enter their houses at all. That's why in the capital city alone more than 100 census takers withdrew [sk].
Sesquideus wrote [sk] at a SME blog:
I wrote what was clearly findable. The rest is total nonsense but trustworthy and hardly verifiable independently. To make them happy.
maro_ba wrote [sk]:
They did not come to me. And even if they had, I would not have kicked them out … but I would have said, Thank you, I'm not interested.
charon:
Filling out five forms took me about five minutes…
martin33_again (in reply):
Kicking out census takers took me about one minute…
madimiel:
For such a big show, there are just a few trivial questions.
zvejkal (in reply):
[…] Questions about nothing and 30 million gone.
When someone's mother dies at the hospital … because of the missing 2,000 euros, then maybe someone will understand.
Polyno:
Some people, feeling good about having kept their personal information private, will then go and put it on their Facebook profiles, and they will not forget to add some pictures of family or from the holidays there, along with some info on where they are going for the next holidays…

author: Tibor Blazko


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South Africa: The Ideology of the Democratic Alliance · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Sean posts a piece on the politics of the South African opposition party, the Democratic Alliance written by Jane Duncan (a journalism professor at Rhodes University): “The DA under the leadership of Helen Zille is a political phenomenon. It is winning more hearts and minds, including in working class communities that had previously shunned the party. Many people are desperate for an electoral alternative to the ANC.”


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Tanzania: Opposition MP Tweets His Arrest · Global Voices
J. Nambiza Tungaraza

Zitto Kabwe, a Tanzanian Member of Parliament from the opposition party Chadema was arrested on June 4, 2011, in Central Tanzania soon after holding a public rally. The rally was one of the series of big rallies across the country that Chadema has organised since the beginning of 2011 and sometimes at risk of violence from the police.
Tanzanian Member of Parliament, Zitto Kabwe. Photo source: bongocelebrity.com
As he was taken into police custody, the MP used his mobile phone to tweet the arrest to his 1,640 followers who retweeted, sympathised and tweeted back messages of encouragement. Here are some of Zitto's tweets following his arrest:
@zittokabwe: Have just been arrested by police in Singida for ‘ holding a rally after 6pm’ @JamiiForums @Udadisi @Semkae @MariaSTsehai @jjmnyika
@zittokabwe: I finished a rally exactly at 6pm, police came with 2 defenders full of FFU [anti-riot police] ready for chaos. Sensed and call off the meeting. Arrested @ htl
@zittokabwe: I think there is a plan to frustrate our participation during budget session. My arrest is so awkward that these police can't even explain
@zittokabwe: I have been arrested at the Hotel Acqua around 6.35, police ordered the meeting end, heeded. Asked if they hv Clerk's clearance, hawana! [They don't have]
@zittokabwe: I am being locked up
Twitter user @SwahiliStreet asked:
@SwahiliStreet: @zittokabwe pole sana [I sympathise]. do cops need permission of the clerk to arrest an MP?
@zittokabwe: @SwahiliStreet according to PPPA, no 3 of 1988 they must get clearance from the Clerk
The MP was soon released:
@zittokabwe: RCO just got an order from his RPC [Regional Police Commander] to let me off and report tomorrow. Self-bail.
Still shocked after being released, Zitto tweeted:
@zittokabwe: I am still shocked of the arrest, questioning and release! No justification. This is to a legislator, normal citizens must be suffering
A string of tweets sympathising with Zitto followed:
Nathan Chiume wrote:
@chiume: @zittokabwe Dah, pole sana kaka![Oh, I sympathise with you brother] I hope cool heads prevail & all is resolved sooner than later
George Ruhago also wrote:
@GRuhago: @zittokabwe, dont give up “long walk to freedom”
And Pernille Bærendtsen tweeted a link to her blog offering her thoughts on the arrest and how instant communication will affect Tanzanian politics in a longer term:
Back to my interest in how social media is applied in Tanzania, and how this is perceived in i.e. Europe, I have to conclude that to me this is no longer about the fascination of the raw facts that a Tanzanian MP tweets and facebooks straight from custody.
That is in fact the surprisingly easy part.
To me the real challenge lies in adressing the issues of why he ended up there, what will happen after and how the instant communication affects politics in a longer term perspective. Another, may be to keep focus on how the government goes about its cyberspace policies in the long term.
If interested in the Tanzanian government's take on the Internet, read along here.
Zitto Kabwe is a Tanzanian MP from the opposition party Chadema [sw], a blogger and an active Twitter user. He usually tweets about political and economic issues that he encounters in parliament and on his political tours around the country. He often uses twitter for conversations with his followers.
Last year Danish blogger Pernille Bærendtsen looked at the use of traditional elements and social media in Tanzania election campaigns focusing on Zitto Kabwe.

author: J. Nambiza Tungaraza


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Tunisia: Official Arrested for Criticizing Interior Ministry · Global Voices
Afef Abrougui

This post is part of our special coverage Tunisia Revolution 2011.
Samir Feriani, a senior official in the Interior Ministry, was forcibly arrested by the police and taken into a military barracks in the capital Tunis on May 29. Days earlier, he had published in “Al-Khabeer” magazine two letters addressed to the Tunisian people, in which he criticized the recruitment policy of the ministry.
In his letters, he allegedly wrote that those who are now holding key positions in the interior ministry are responsible for crimes committed in the province of Kasserine, where more than 60 protesters lost their lives during the revolution. He also claims that classified documents involving the ousted president with the Israeli Mossad, were intentionally destroyed by officials in the ministry.
Samir Feriani
The move came as a shock for Tunisian bloggers who thought for a while that arresting people for speaking their mind and expressing themselves, came to an end with the fall of the former regime. Here is a run down of some the reactions on the micro-blogging site:
@riadheh:ça se passe en Tunisie post ZABA
@walidsa3d:#SamirFeriani is the Bradley Manning of Tunisia, we must support his cause.
@Anis_BenHamida: Début de la révolution à l'intérieur du #MI ? #Tunisie
@MehdiAyadiCorra: Samir Feriani,haut fonctionnaire de police,kidnappé pour avoir dénoncé les pratiques du #MI.Il va croupir dans les geôles #Tunisie
@emnamejri:Liberté pour Samir feriani http ye5i winhom nos journalistes, wini la société civile, les partis politikes #Tunisie
Blogger Yessine Ayari (@yassayari), interviewed Mr Feriani's wife – Leila Friani, who claimed that her husband left home on Sunday morning but never returned, and that she was only informed about his arrest on Monday. Ayari asked her about the circumstances of his arrest. She answered “he was in his car and two other cars were following him. […]He was arrested in a horrible way, as if it was abduction.” She also says that he has been charged with “leaking classified information.”
On Facebook, activists rushed to create pages to show their support for Feriani and call for his immediate release. Among these pages are Libérez Samir Feriani’ [Fr] “Free Samir Feriani” in English, and Tous Unis avec Samir Feriani[Fr] “All United with Samir Feriani” in English.
This post is part of our special coverage Tunisia Revolution 2011.

author: Afef Abrougui


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Turkmenistan: Facebook group plotting the overthrow of government · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Annasoltan has discovered a Facebook group openly calling for the overthrow of the Turkmen government via Arab Spring-style tactics.


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Uzbekistan: A clothing manufacturer boycotts Uzbek practice of child labor · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Avicenna reports that following a campaign against the use of forced child labor in Uzbekistan's cotton fields, Gymboree, the children’s clothing manufacturer, became the latest company to take a stand by refusing to buy cotton from this Central Asian country.


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Uzbekistan: A Dissident Poet Released · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Noah Tucker writes that the Uzbekistan authorities released Yusuf Juma, the poet and activist who was jailed for slander in 2008 after publishing a series of poems related to the 2005 Andijon protests.


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Uzbekistan: Human rights activist sentenced to 5 year in prison  · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Avicenna reports that Uzbek human rights activist and journalist Tursunbek Turazoda has been sentenced to five years of prison term after he had been charged with swindling and turned in to police by his close friend.


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Uzbekistan: Presidential daughter’s suit against journalists backfires · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Nathan Hamm informs his readers that the effort of Lola Karimova, daughter of the Uzbekistan president, to punish an online French magazine for calling her father a dictator is now playing against her image.


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Uzbekistan: Tashkent undergoes a dismantling pandemia · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

One of the most discussed topics in Tashkent, the capital city of Uzbekistan, is the local authorities’ decision to “dismantle” large portions of the city without providing any explanations to the residents. Samira reports with exclusive on-the-ground photographs.


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Belarus: Security Services Arrest Administrators of Major Opposition Vkontakte Groups · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

Several administrators of opposition groups at Vkontakte network were detained, Nasha Niva reported [by]. Sergey Pavlukevich [by], administrator of “We Stand for Great Belarus” [by] (123,000 members, functional although some reported its closure) was detained on June 4, 2011. Dmitry Nefedov [ru], administrator of “Movement for the Future” [ru/by] group (more than 211,000 members) was arrested [by] on June 5. Ivan Stasyuk, another social network leader was captured on June 5 at the Polish-Belarus border but later released [ru].

author: Alexey Sidorenko


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Burkina Faso: Netizens Debate Political Turmoil on Facebook Group  · Global Voices
Claire Ulrich

The 2,000 member strong opposition Facebook group “Blaise Compaoré doit partir” ([President] Blaise Compaoré must go) is one of the platforms netizens are turning to to share news, updates and opinions [fr] about the tense situation in Burkina Faso, where mutinous militaries and presidential forces clashed last week in the town of  Bobo Dioulasso.

author: Claire Ulrich


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Colombia: No to Cell Phones With Blood · Global Voices
Cati Restrepo

“Como estaba configurado mi Facebook, la cuenta de correo y un amplio  grupo de contactos del chat BlackBerry, el ladrón utilizó mi equipo y  comenzó a enviar mensajes, lo que me llevó no sólo a la tarea de poner  el denuncio sino que además enviar mails masivos informando del hurto y  que no se tuviera en cuenta lo que enviara mientras me cancelaban el  plan”.
Víctima de robo de celular referenciada en el blog 24 horas noticias
“Since I had been setting up my Facebook, e-mail account and an ample group of contacts on BlackBerry chat, the thief used my phone and began sending messages, which led me not only to file a report but also send massive e-mails informing everyone of the stolen property and asking them to ignore what was sent while I canceled my plan.”
Victim of a cell phone robbery referenced [es] in blog 24 horas noticias [24 hour news.]
Public problem
Image by Flickr user JonJon2k8 (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0).
Cell phone theft and its subsequent illegal commercialization have represented a problem of public order for Colombia, so much so that this year the national government has decided to tackle it through Decree 1630  of 2011, which as website Geek the planet describes [es], establishes that:
La venta de terminales móviles  nuevos y usados en el país solo la podrán adelantar las personas  autorizadas entre ellas los proveedores de redes y servicios; cualquier  persona que los proveedores de redes y servicios autoricen, y las que el  Ministerio TIC igualmente autorice.
With respect to this, the person heading the ICT Ministry in Colombia, Diego Molano Vega [es] (cited [es] in blog Bacalaoconpapa.com), affirms that:
Con esta medida no queremos restringir el libre mercado sino proteger  la  vida de los colombianos y frenar el derramamiento de sangre que se  ha generado a  través de los robos de los celulares. Quiero hacerle un  llamado a los  colombianos a que denuncien los robos porque a partir de  ahí podemos enfrentar a  los delincuentes.
In the future, the government expects to construct a base of negative statistics, composed of information from reportedly stolen cell phones [es], for their definite deactivation after the month of July. Additionally, cell phone vendors will have to deliver a certificate from the Commission of Communications Regulation of Colombia (CRC) to the buyer.
As expected, the decree's implementation generates a wide range of opinions and on May 25, in certain cities such as Neiva, traders protested arguing that “this goes against the right to employment and only provides incentives to large monopolies.” [es]
On Twitter, under the hashtag #nomascelularesconsangre (no more cellphones with blood), you can find publications like that of Alexander Vásquez (@alexgreencode):
Yo soy sobreviviente, hace un año en la 90 con 11 me apuñalaron en la pierna
Or this one from ICT Minister, Diego Molano Vega (@DiegoMolanoVega):
A mi duele como colombiano que maten colombianos por robarles el celular
Links of interest:
- On Lanación.com you can find citizen commentary regarding the traders’ protests in the city of Neiva [es].
- On Facebook there are photos from the traders’ march in  Medellín [es] against the implementation of the Decree (from local daily El Colombiano.)

author: Cati Restrepo


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Colombia: The ‘Bride of Barranquilla’ Dies · Global Voices
Cati Restrepo

Singer and composer Esther Forero [es] passed away on June 3 after being admitted to the hospital on May 11 [es]. She was known as the “bride of Barranquilla” because of her contribution to the city's carnival. Twitter users quickly reacted to the news and shared their condolences with the hashtags #Esthercita and #esthercitaforero.


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Cuba: Striking for “The Student”  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Uncommon Sense blogs about the Cuban government's response to Guillermo Farinas’ hunger strike to demand an investigation into the death of dissident Juan Wilfredo Soto Garcia, while Mario Barosso says: “I have no doubt that the Regime will start to look for arguments to shake the death of Juan Wilfredo from its shoulders, but this death is an error more of the system and of the Cuban Government; and the sum of these errors grows every day.”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Cuba: The Younger Castro’s Legacy · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“In the pantheon of history Fidel Castro will have a place” – but what about Raul Castro?  Iván García considers his legacy.


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Dominica: Existing Sodomy Law · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Either accept it is part of the belief system the country wants to communicate to the world, or consider that controlling sexuality through a combination of religious thought systems and laws is dangerous and repeal the [sodomy] law”: For Caribbean Man, it's all a question of consistency.