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Macedonia: Law on Electronic Communications Invades Citizens’ Privacy · Global Voices
Elena Ignatova

On June 16, 2010, the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia adopted changes to the Law of Electronic Communications, which now violates the privacy of the citizens. With these changes, the Ministry of Interior Affairs will have constant and direct access to the electronic communications networks, which is against the fundamental postulates of the Constitution of the Republic of Macedonia. You can read more on the negative aspects of this law in the “Call for protection of citizens’ privacy in the Republic of Macedonia,” published by Metamorphosis: Foundation for Sustainable ICT Solutions.
BoingBoing published an article titled Macedonia introduces universal, deep telco/Internet wiretapping; hardly any MPs bother to vote, stating this:
A reader writes, “Today the Law of Electronic Communications was amended in the Macedonian parliament with 55 for and 9 votes against (of 120 total, 91 were present, the remainder abstained). In a very Orwellian manner, the law grants the government constant and direct access to electronic communication networks (mainly telcos and internet providers) and obliges the providers of these services to enable the government (Ministry of Interior) to download of traffic data without oversight, through equipment which provides an interface to logs for phone-calls, TCP/UDP/IP traffic and every other means of transferring data to and from machines. The provided link is from an NGO that started to raise awareness for the law, but sadly as the government here doesn't pay much attention to independent thinking, they ignored the whole initiative.”
GV author Filip Stojanovski, who blogs at ;) Razvigor, in his post “Amendment 1984 of the Constitution of the Republic of Macedonia” [MKD], shares an excerpt from the Constitution:
As a reminder, Article 17 from the Constitution:
(1) The freedom and confidentiality of correspondence and other forms of communication is guaranteed.
(2) Only a court decision may authorize non-application of the principle of the inviolability of the confidentiality of correspondence and other forms of communication, in cases where it is indispensable to a criminal investigation or required in the interests of the defense of the Republic.
He continues, giving his opinion on the Law:
The negative aspects of this step by the government are tremendous: for the people who now can be “legally” eavesdropped on without court order, and without any possibility to prevent potential abuse, but also for Macedonia's international reputation.
At the end of his post, he calls for action:
It is necessary for the public to see the consequences from this act and to declare its opinion. If you care about your privacy, and the privacy of your loved ones, get them to be active on the subject. Share information, and join the future activities for protection of personal data.
[…]
Is there a way to know which Parliament member voted for and against these changes? It would be great if you write them an email or on their Facebook profiles what your opinions on this act are. And, of course, remind those of them who can read to read the Constitution, at least once. […]
“Withdrawal of the undemocratic changes of the Law on Electronic Communications” [MKD] is a “cause” on Facebook for those who want to support the initiative.
For further discussion on the topic you can follow hashtag #privatnost on Twitter [MKD].

author: Elena Ignatova


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Mexico: Ready to Play France · Global Voices
Andrea Arzaba

The Mexican team is currently playing in Group A against Uruguay, France and South Africa in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. In the opening game it was Mexico who played against the host, South Africa. Even if the game ended 1-1, it surely left a good impression and a ray of hope for fans of the Mexican team. On Thursday July 17, France will be Mexico’s rival. Mexicans are using Twitter to express their expectations about the next game. These are a few examples that represent what the Mexican people, specially the youth, think will happen:
@NetLeon @jakchiva si #mex Mexico le gana a #fra France no twitteo una semana aunque me muera en el proceso.
Others make humorous comments, like @ManzanitaGrunge, as she refers to Mexican cinema and TV actress, Carmen Salinas.
@ManzanitaGrunge si #mex Mexico le gana a #fra France , me chuto todas las películas de Carmelita Salinas que existan. #Hedicho
@torrewhite A dos días del juego!!! Ya quiero ver el #mex Mexico contra #fra France
There are also jokes, like one by @Ruta2010:
@Ruta2010 que hace un mexicano cuando México #mex Mexico gana la copa del mundo? R: apaga el playstation jajajaja
Finally, a few words from the main actors: the Mexican football players:
@mexicoworldcup Carlos Vela: “There's no option: we kill or get killed.” Guardado: Mexico will “play until death.” Morbid. #WorldCup What’s happening? bit.ly/aH2taj
Some of the tweets are funny and some optimistic. Tomorrow, when the match is over, Mexican Twitter users will reflect the country's reaction to the outcome of this challenging, but surely exciting match.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Andrea Arzaba


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Netherlands: Two women arrested at World Cup for promoting wrong beer · Global Voices
Percy Balemans

Two Dutch women working for Netherlands beer company Bavaria were arrested for promoting a beer that is not an official World Cup sponsor during the World Cup Netherlands-Denmark match in South Africa on Monday. The women were part of a group of about 30 models wearing orange dresses, the so-called “Dutch Dress”, which are also sold as part of a gift pack by the Dutch beer brand (you can see many photos on the Bavaria flickr page).
A screen shot of a Twitter account to 'Free the Babes'
A screen shot of a Twitter account to 'Free the Babes'
All the women were ejected from the stadium during the match on Monday. The two Dutch women, who were considered the “leaders” of the campaign, were arrested early Wednesday morning and charged with merchandising offenses. They were released on a 10,000 Rand (around 1000 Euro) bail on Wednesday afternoon; and their case will be heard on 22 June. According to several news reports, they risk a six-month prison sentence for violating a law that prohibits unauthorised marketing activities in or near the World Cup stadiums.
The Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maxime Verhagen, commented on the case [nl] on his Twitter feed in reply to questions by Dutch Twitter users:
NL ambassade heeft Z-A om opheldering gevraagd, celstraf vanwege het dragen van oranje jurkjes is onzinnig @willemboele
He also suggested that FIFA battle it out in court [nl]:
Als FIFA een probleem heeft met oranje jurkjes kunnen ze dat juridisch uitvechten met het bedrijf, arrestatie is buiten proportie @edwinv73
Twitter user @edwinv73 replied [nl]:
@MaximeVerhagen  het is wel goed voor de economie. Bavaria gaat wel nu wereld veroveren. Succes met het vrij krijgen
Some Twitter users, such as @SportKnowhowXL, ridiculed [nl] the whole situation:
Op verzoek van hoofdsponsor Hyundai heeft de #fifa besloten dat de Japanse ster Keisuke Honda niet meer aan het #wk2010 mag meedoen #bavaria
A special Twitter account has been set up to support the women and to post the latest news about their case: @freethebabes [nl].

author: Percy Balemans


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Pakistan: Millat Facebook · Global Voices
Rezwan

Simbsi at  Lawanai Sparashawe reviews Millatfacebook, Pakistan's answer to Facebook. An excerpt: “Millatfacebook was a very pathetic attempt to cash in on the anti-Facebook sentiment.”

author: Rezwan


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Poland-Norway: EEA & Norway Grants · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Polandian comments on how Norway supports various socio-economic projects in Poland and other Eastern and Central European states by its EEA & Norway Grants.

author: Vilhelm Konnander


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São Tomé & Principe: Continents United Through Art · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

René Tavares, an artist from São Tomé & Principe, describes the nature of his work as creoule in a video interview [pt] for Sao Tome Blog, claiming that art can represent a marriage between Africa and Europe.

author: Sara Moreira


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South Africa: Bafana Bafana owes us an explanation · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Common Dialogue discusses Bafana Bafana's 3-0 loss to Uruguay in FIFA World Cup: “The fact of the matter is South Africa played like they had just dsicovered the game of football – take nothing away from Uruguay though.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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South Africa: Don’t forget Mbeki and De Klerk · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Mike Trapido argues that two men who made FIFA 2010 World Cup in South Africa possible have been largely overlooked:”They are two of our former presidents, Thabo Mbeki and Frederik Willem de Klerk.”


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South Korea: Tensions Went Under World Cup Anesthestia · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

The sharp tension between two Koreas which had been escalating ever since the sinking of a South Korean warship by a supposed North Korean torpedo attack have momentarily numbed by high emotion that only World Cup can bring. South Korean blogs are now inundating with heartful comments on North Korea's soccer match against Brazil and lauds to a North Korean star player, Jong Tae Se, shoving politics aside for a moment.
Yesterday's match between North Korea and Brazil was an unpredictable twist, where North Korean soccer team, who numbered as 105 in FIFA rank scored a goal against the World's number one Brazil team, losing the match only by 2-1.
South Korean blog space were filled with lavish praises on North Korean team whom fought unexpectedly well against any one's odd. Koreans, who fully understands how overwhelming for Asian players to compete against relatively taller and experienced European or African players who came from traditionally soccer-strong countries, have expressed their sympathy and support toward North Korean team. According to the Asiatoday newspaper, even South Korean President Lee Myung-bak reportedly said that he wished North Korean team to win.
A bloger named Duizilland commented on his blog that he was moved by North Korean players, whom despite their unfavorable physical structure and lack of World cup experience, summoned every strength they have to fight against a truly formidable opponent.
북한은 전 세계의 축구팬들에게 약팀이 보여줄 수 있는 모든 것을 보여주었다…소위 축구 강대국들 입장에서야 따분하기 짝이 없는 결과이겠지만 우리 입장에선 아무리 축구 외적인 문제에서 정치, 역사적 불협화음을 빚어도 결국 같은 Korea 라는 대승적 차원에서 상당히 고무적인 현실이다…난 오늘 남북간 정치적 관계를 떠나 축구팬으로서 피파랭킹 105위의 북한 선수들이 피파랭킹 1위의 브라질을 상대로 펼치는 투혼에 너무나도 감명받았기 때문에.
A photo of Jong Tae-Se, North Korean team's ace uncontrolably sobbing just before the start of the match had been breifly posted on a front page of the FIFA official homepage and is now circulating over numerous South Korean blogs.  Jong told later local media that he was so overwhelemed by the fact he is finally standing at the World Cup stadium with World's best soccer team.
Jong Tae-se, spelled as Jeong Dae-se in South Korea and Chong Tese in Japan, is an outstanding football player from North Korean national soccer team. Jong is often called as ‘People's Rooney’, his nickname made from the combination of Rooney as in the famous English football player Wayne Rooney and ‘People’ from North Korea's official name, the Democratic ‘People’ Republic of Korea.
A Naver blogger Zzub 33 commented on his blog that he was deeply moved by Jong's tears.
궁극적으로 한민족이라는 까닭에 북한의 선전을 기원했지만, 객관적인 실력과 주변의 평가에 너무 긴장되기도 했습니다.그러다가 브라질과 북한의 국가가 흘러나오고 양국 선수들이 경기를 시작하려고 할 쯔음에 뭔가 찡-해지는 느낌을 어떻게 할 수가 없더군요. 보는 이마저 찡하게 만든 정대세 선수의 눈물은…인상이 깊더군요.
Even though, Jong Tae-se was born in Japan and played in Japanese soccer league, he had the South Korean citizenship which he inherited from his parents. Jong later discarded his South Korean citizenship to join North Korean soccer team.
A blogger ‘Tweewg’ wrote on his blog that soccer transcends the nationality.
이 경기의 포인트는 여러가지가 있다.그중에서도 단연 한 가지만 꼽으라면 인민 루니, 정대세 선수이다…외국인이 아닌 우리의 눈에는 그가 광장히 독특한 이력을 가진 선수다. 간단히 말해 정대세는 한국 국적이다. 그러나 일본에 살고 있으며, 북한 국가대표로 월드컵에 나서고 있다. 전세계에 전무후무한 국적을 떠나 사는 곳을 떠나 그는 소속팀을 정한 것이다. 그의 정치적 입장도 사상도 나는 잘 알지 못한다…축구는 스포츠다.
There are highlights from this match…To name one, it is the People's Rooney, Jong Tae-se…To us Koreans, his resume is quite perculiar. His nationality is South Korea, but he lives in Japan and playing as a North Korean national soccer player. This is unprecedent case on global level for a guy to choose his team regardless of his nationality and residency. I dont know well on his political stance or ideology…The soccer is just sports.
There are extreme hardliners from the other side expressing their repulsions on people's friendly attitude toward North Korea, South Korea's official state enemy. But as the World Cup came to momentarily embraces the politics, purely soccer-wise encouraging comments on North Korean players will likely to continue throughout June.

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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Vietnam: Law requiring surveillance app in Internet Cafes · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Xeni Jardin over at boingboing has written a new post about new legal requirements for surveillance in Vietnam's internet cafes. Citing a recent PC Mag article and a recent entry at Google's Public Policy blog, she states that “a new law in Vietnam law requires all “retail Internet locations” to install a government-approved, server-side filtering and surveillance application by 2011.”

author: Mong Palatino


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Zimbabwe: Women not getting attention because of World Cup · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Women in Zimbabwe are complaining that men don’t want to watch FIFA World Cup games at home where there is not much noise and support, let alone beer.


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Bangladesh: Turnaround In Mayor Election · Global Voices
Rezwan

Shada Kalo analyzes the reasons for the surprise win of the BNP supported Monzur Alam over the Awami League candidate ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury in the Chittagong City Corporation mayor election.


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Bermuda: Free & Fair  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“The Parliamentary Registrar estimates that 2,000 Bermudian voters are registered in the incorrect constituency”: Vexed Bermoothes thinks the figure is alarming, noting that “inaccurate voter rolls lead to inaccurate elections.”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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China: Online map service policy · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

China Hush translated a blog post from sina forum explaining China government's policy towards online map services to address national security issue.

author: Oiwan Lam


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China: Southern Media Group bid on Newsweek rejected · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Following the recent news of a the failed bid led by Southern Media Group to purchase the American magazine Newsweek, the Hefei Evening News in Anhui province seems to be the only media outlet so far that has been able to get a quote from a top editor at Southern.
After contacting executive editor in chief of Southern Weekly Xiang Xi, Hefei Evening News was actually able to get answers to a number of questions which were then syndicated by most mainstream online media in China as well as posted to a number of forums.
One possible question for discussion: with several flagship commercial newspapers considered by many to be among the best in China in Southern Media Group's portfolio, and considering its role in leading the attempted buyout, should the move be considered part of China's official ‘soft power’ push?
记者：近日网络上有关于成都博瑞、南方集团等中国机构赴美收购《新闻周刊》(《Newsweek》)受挫的消息，并说你在操盘此项目，请问这些是不是事实？
向熹：我今天也看到了网络上的消息，是事实。这些信息是公开信息，境外媒体前几天已经有报道了。
记者：你能谈谈此次收购的细节吗？
向熹：我们各方及中介机构对此项目都有保密义务，我无权公开过程的细节，更无权公开收购文件中的细节。
记者：博瑞、南方为何会联手赴美收购《新闻周刊》(《Newsweek》)？
向熹：就我的理解，我认为此次收购是有理想的中国传媒人、有理想的中国传媒机构的一次自发的举动。我了解，拥有全球传播的平台，是大家一直以来的追求。
记者：赴美收购的财团还有其他成员，你能不能介绍一下？
向熹：这是一些战略性股东，如果竞拍进入第二轮，他们自然会浮出水面，但现在没能入围第二轮，按协议，他们不需披露。我只能说这是认同中国传媒人、传媒机构走向世界平台愿望的机构，是纯粹的财务投资者。
记者：网上消息说美方拒绝中国财团的理由不是价格原因，到底是什么原因呢？
向熹：没有明确的原因，按规则卖方有权决定哪些买家可以进入第二轮，无需解释理由，不是价格原因，是境外媒体根据情势的判断。我个人觉得原因较复杂，但有一点，卖方不真正了解中国有理想的媒体人、媒体机构的愿望。
Front page of Southern Weekly newspaper November 19, 2009 edition, via treasuresthouhast's Flickr account.
记者：下一步有何打算？
向熹：就这个收购项目而言，我们还将密切关注进展和结果。
更重要的是，经过这个项目，有共同理想的机构得以觉醒，即使收购《新闻周刊》(《Newsweek》)项目失败，也将继续物色投资对象。有国际影响的传媒机构(包括港澳媒体)，不论媒介形态，凡有引入中国大陆股东意愿的皆可与我们联系，我公布一个邮箱：xiangxi100[->]hotmail.com。
Comments on the interview left on the Sina.com piece linked to above include:
中国有理想的媒体人、媒体机构…除了南方报系，别的中国媒体人脸皮再厚怕是也不好意思说出来，
不是说这些境外媒体都是惯于反华，喜欢撒谎么？买它做甚，用来说瞎话？
看来金钱和威权是无法屈服那些敢说真话的媒体！
老美怎么可能让你进入
还是和银联一样，中国的新闻集团都不能让外国进入，外国当然也不让中国进去了。
还是不要吧………..要是成功了这个世界上又少了一家有良知的媒体了哈…………..
The sole comment on a NetEase Media page carrying the interview:
想把搞舆论自由的周刊收购过来搞舆论导向？笑了
Many more interesting comments on the Xiang Xi interview can be found at Tianya and HoopChina.

author: John Kennedy


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Comoros: A blog about development in Comoros · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

AlKomor is a blog “venturing a fresh perspective on new developments in Comoros.”


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Cuba: Cameras & Memory · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Generation Y says that the “dozens, hundreds of cameras scattered throughout the city” are creating content that “will be stored in the visual memory of this country.”


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Guinea: Presidential Election 2010 on Twitter · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Guinea's general election is taking place on Sunday 27th of June 2010 to elect a president. For election news, follow Guinea Elections 2010 on Twitter (Fr).


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Hong Kong and China: Local languages · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Wangbo discusses the relation between language and identity in China and Hong Kong by referring to a blog post written by Luqui Luwei.


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Jamaica: Charges to be Laid · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

YardFlex.com cites a news report that claims Jamaican police are “reportedly making arrangements to lay charges against Ochoa Ogilvie, son of Justin Ogilvie, a top associate of Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke.”


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Japan: The première of “The Cove” will be online · Global Voices
Scilla Alecci

The Japanese video sharing website Niko Niko Doga [en] announced that, on June 18 at 8 p.m. (Japan time), it will show online the documentary “The Cove”  [ja] to the first 2000 users who access the website.
The users will also be able to live-comment on the film.
At present, three cinemas have canceled the screening of the controversial documentary after threatening calls [en] and protests by right-wing groups.

author: Scilla Alecci


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Lebanon’s Sex Industry · Global Voices
Layal Al Khatib

“We all know it exists but one reporter actually went into the trouble of  investigating how ‘super night clubs’ work,” Lebanese blogger Mustapha at Beirut Spring writes in this post.

author: Layal Al Khatib


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Lebanon: E-transactions Draft Law Postponed · Global Voices
Layal Al Khatib

Graphic Designer Naeema's(@naeema) call to action visual
The Lebanese online community celebrated on June 15 the temporary victory of postponing a vote in parliament on the new proposed E-transactions law for an extra month.
The outrage online started when Gabriel Deek(Secretary General of the Professional Computer Association of Lebanon) posted the draft of the law(Ar) online (Some articles were translated to English). He explained the major “pain points” in the law:
The ESSA (Electronic Signatures and Services Authority) was established under this law with discretionary, selective, subjective and very broad and unjustified powers, beyond the objectives of the law and its functions.   Its   prerogatives are almost repressive for all “service providers” of   electronic   services and economic sectors at large.
ESSA staff are given the powers of law enforcement (ضابطة   العدلية),   without any judicial oversight.
A number of relevant ministries such as Ministry of Economy,   Telecommunications and Finance are marginalized with a clear conflict of   powers   with the ESSA.
[…]
ESSA is given regulatory powers, and operational powers meaning that   it can   regulate and operate at the same time.
[…]
This will result in a negative impact on the economic activity and   investment   panorama
The law passed Common Committees in the Lebanese Parliament and the   private   sector wasn't allowed to comment. Deek called for action:
Shame on you Lebanese Parliament.
Lebanese People I call on you to react. They are pushing us back   to the   middle ages. On-line community this is against you I am counting on your   help to   oppose stupidity and ignorance …
Responding to the call, Social Media Exchange (SMEX) held an emergency   meeting to discuss the law and prepared to block the vote on Tuesday (June 15). The   following day,   a public call   to actionwas published online and the blogosphere responded.   Below   are some of the reactions from the blogs:
Lebanese blogger Mir wrote about The “New” Lebanon law:
This law, if passed, will take us backward in time and will drive all   foreign   investments away (Can you think of any sane tech company willing to   operate   under the following conditions? Google, Facebook offices in Lebanon –   dream on   !). This is simply like looking up to a light at the end of a very dark   long   tunnel only to find out that the source of this light is a burning fire   that you   can’t even avoid.
Imad Bazzi who blogs at Trella was   furious with the law. He wrote(Ar):
الأجدر بالدولة اللبنانية تقديم خدمة الإنترنت قبل محاولتها تنظيمها،   قدموا لنا   الإنترنت أولاً ثم نظموه، او في اتعس الأحوال نظموه وقدموا لنا خدمة إنترنت   عادية،   اما ان تحتكروه وتحرقوا دينه ولا تعطونا شيئاً فهو محض غباء وإستعباد لن   نستطيع   السكوت عنه بعد الآن.
The Lebanese government should work on the internet service itself   before   trying to regulate it. Give us Internet first and then regulate it. Or   in worst   cases, regulate it and give us the average internet service. But to   monopolize   and give us nothing is simply stupid; And we will not be silent about   it.
Qifa Nabki wondered about the reason of passing such a   law. He wrote   in his post “Missed Call   Nation“:
The only thing I can think of as a possible explanation for this move   is the   notion that Nahhas1 is trying to circumvent the likely loss   of   telephone revenue once Lebanon receives fiber optic upgrades in the next   couple   of months. The upgrades will enhance internet speeds, making it easier   for   people to Skype their Teta to get her recipe for koosa   mi7sheh (stuffed zucchini) 2… unless Skype is banned.
Dany Awad called for action too to defend the only free air   left in   Lebanon. He wrote(Ar):
وكأن لم يعد لديهم شئ يفعلونه غير الانترنت، انتهت ازمه الكهرباء.   واصبحنا   نصدرها لقبرص. جسورنا اصبحت تضاهي جسور اوروبا.. اصبحنا البلد الاقل   تلوثاً..   زعمائنا حصلوا علي نوبل للسلام ونعم نحن اصحاب اكبر صحن حمص وياااه نسيت ان   اخبركم   ان رئيسنا لديه صفحه على الفيس بوك
لم يعد لدينا هواء حريه نتنفسه سوى   هنا، بهذا   الفضاء.. لنفعل شيئاً للحفاظ على آخر ما نملك من فتات حريه
As if they had nothing else to do but the internet. The electricity   crisis is   over, we're even now exporting it to Cyprus. Our bridges are competing  with Europe's. We're now one of the least polluted countries. Our leaders have received Nobel Peace prizes. And yes, we have the largest Hummus plate in the world. And I forgot to tell you that our president has a Facebook page.
We don't have a free air to breath but this one, in this cyberspace..Let's   do   something about it to preserve what we have left of Freedom.
More reactions were published online and are aggregated here.   Blogger nightS also saved the related links online to her Delicious account under the tag essa.
The response to the call of action payed off on June 15 when the vote on the law was postponed for a month, giving the private sector and civil society a chance to work on making it a law that's actually good for the country.
Jessice at Social Media Exchange wrote about the whole process   of stopping the law. She also added quick statistics about the immediate campaign and its effect:
Here’s what we’ve counted so far:
And to waste no more time, Mohamad (at SMEX too) posted a thank you letter and an invitation to the meeting   that is going to be held today (June 18) to discuss the next steps regarding the e-transactions law.
Stay tuned to the Facebook page and the Twitter hashtag #stopthislaw for more information and updates.
Author's Notes:
1 The Lebanese Minister of Telecommunications
2 A Lebanese Food


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Nigeria: New Nigerian food blog · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

The Avartsy Kitchen Chronicles is a new Nigerian food blog:”I was inspired to start this mainly because I noticed a dearth online for Nigerian food recipes and pictures.”


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Peru: Shining Path at the University of San Marcos? · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

A video [es] uploaded to YouTube of a rally in favor of the movement Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso), which took place at the San Marcos University (UNMSM), earned a front-page article in the newspaper Perú 21 on June 16. The newspaper wrote [es]:  “The scenes recorded last Monday night at the university campus resembled scenes from the long dark history lived by the oldest university of the Americas when, at the end of the 80s, terrorists strolled by as if [the university] was their home…about 50 people rallied to request amnesty for the former terrorist leader Abimael Guzmán and of other convicted Shining Path members…  demonstrators moved freely carrying red flags and giving speeches in favor of the release of the so-called political prisoners.”
The issue was also covered by other media in Lima. The newspaper La  República wrote [es] that “authorities of the Ministry of Interior and the Public Ministry will begin an investigation together with the university administration.” On RPP the president of UNMSM, Luiz Izquierdo said [es] that “the discussion of the student rally has been exaggerated … there were only 30 people involved, and in the university there are 30 thousand students.” Meanwhile Perú 21 collects declarations by the former president of UNMSM Manuel Burga, who said [es] that “there are radical sectors that are gaining more and more space … to attract young people to its preaching.”
CPN   Radio quotes the Student Fedearation of Peru who indicated [es] that “the media has began a ‘discredit campaign’ against the University of San Marcos.”
The media coverage points to a resurgence of the Shining Path movement, but one has to wonder if this is truly the case. San Marcos is going through a difficult time [es] with several internal elections being denounced for irregularities. The video, published by YouTube user periodismope and titled “The last straw: San Marcos students marched demanding the freedom of Abimael Guzman and Shining Path members” (“El colmo. Estudiantes de San Marcos marchan pidiendo la libertad de Abimael Guzmán y senderistas”) can be watched here [es].
The video's Comment section reflects not only a rejection of the Shining Path reappearance, but also a discussion with various opinions:
andres6kx el colmo??esos depende de cada opersona  que tipo d epénsamiento  tenga y que ideologia seguir!!..son libres de  hacer eso no estoy afavor  de ellos ni en contra…eso es libre la ley  lo ampara..
PISKOMAN30 Aqui esta una de las causas por las  que estos muchachos gritan por  Abimael… existe gente que defiende a  los terroristas desde youtube. Lo minimo que podemos hacer es demostrar  toda nuestra indignacion contra  los que quieres manipular a los  jovenes.
jaimevl no olvidemos que el terrorismo no es un problema, es la consecuencia de un problema: la exclusión extrema. Mientras el país esté tan dividido (p.ej. la economía crece mientras en Apurímac lo que aumenta es la pobreza, que ya alcanza el 70 %), siempre habrá gente rabiosa, dispuesta a seguir al primer loco que les prometa cambio y revancha, sea Abimael o cualquier otro.
rammstein122 Uhmmm.. La solucion es un cierra  puertas y un peloton con sus AKM para hacer desaparecer esta lacra..
NaPaMoCa a mi me parece poca seriedad colgar un  video asi sin mayor información! como sabes q son sanmarquinos, como  sabes q son de letras, o  sociales, es un tema q hay q tocar con mucho  cuidado…  te haz dado cuenta de los comentarios!! q hay!!!
ongasidme DE PRONTO ESTUVE EN CLASES Y SE OYO  ESTOS GRITOS, MUCHOS SALIERON  DE SUS AULAS, ALGUNOS NO…
aldanagustavo De algo estoy seguro, sembrar opinion con 1.27 minutos es muy facil. Sobre todo con un tema tan delicado. … Empecemos con averiguar qué pasó ese día. Que las redes sociales no sean alacahuetes de oscuros augurios
luffyisaac algunos no eran alumnos mas eran viejos terrucos solo eran unos 15 inveciles que andaban gritando mas les gritaban terrucos, basura de la sociedad, de nuevo joden ??…
ongasidme [es] I WAS IN CLASS AND SUDDENLY I HEARD THESE SCREAMS, A LOT OF PEOPLE LEFT THEIR CLASSROOMS, SOME DIDN'T…
luffyisaac [es] some were not students but were old terrorists [,] there were only about 15 imbeciles screaming, scum of society, they are bothering us again?
aldanagustavo [es] Of one thing I'm sure, planting an opinion with 1.27 minutes is very easy. Especially about such a delicate issue… Let's begin by finding out what happened that day. Social Networks should not be snitchers of dark omens
The opinions registered on blogs are somewhat more elaborate, and they include questions regarding the way the government and the media have handled the issue. For example, Jorge Moreno from El Reportero de la Historia (The Historic Reporter) remembers his own experience and reflects on it [es]:
Pertenezco a una generación que estudió en San  Marcos  cuando las aulas estaban saturadas de pintas rojas y negras dando  vivas  a la lucha armada y al presidente Gonzalo … Una  generación que tuvo  el privilegio, o la dudosa suerte, de tener de  compañero de carpeta de  al lado a un soplón de la policía o a un ‘saco’,  como llamábamos  entonces a los senderistas … No me avergüenza  decir que nunca tuve un  gesto heroico contra ellos como si lo tuvieron  algunos de mis  compañeros o amigos, algunos de los cuales tuvieron que  abandonar sus  estudios o marcharse al extranjero (a otros los metieron  presos o los  mataron en alguna cárcel). Y no lo tuve por una sola razón: miedo.
El mismo miedo que ahora me invade al ver cómo este grupo de estudiantes le está dando a las autoridades el pretexto ideal y perfecto para terminar de liquidar a San Marcos y a la universidad pública. ¿Acaso no recuerdan que fue el mismo partido que hoy gobierna que no respetó la entonces inviolabilidad del campus universitario e ingresó a San Marcos en 1987   como un ladrón en la noche y detuvo a cientos de estudiantes so pretexto de la lucha antiterrorista?
I belong to a generation who studied in San Marcos when the classrooms were saturated with red and black paint cheering the armed struggle and President Gonzalo … A generation that had the privilege, or the dubious luck, of having a classmate who was a police informant or a ‘bag’ as we called the Shining Path members back then … I am not ashamed to say I never had a heroic gesture against them as some of my colleagues or friends had, some of whom had to leave school or go abroad (others were imprisoned or killed in a prison.) And I didn't show heroism for one reason: fear.
Herberth Castro  from Herberthcastroinfantas’s Blog blaims [es] the president of the university for everything that is happening:
El y solo él es el responsable de  todo lo que pasó. Las autoridades policiales poco tienen que ver en este pleito. Si existe una infiltración en San Marcos es el rector quien tiene la obligación de evitar que esto ocurra aplicando el reglamento o sentar la denuncia ante las autoridades policiales y no lavarse tan fácilmente las manos. … La cosa es que este lío no debió salir de la ciudad universitaria. Ni  siquiera debió ser objeto de primeras planas. … Ya imagino las carcajadas que habrá soltado Abimael en su celda mofándose de todos los intonsos y lo feliz que se habrá puesto por el favor que le han hecho a sus seguidores con semejante publicidad gratuita. No solo se ha mostrado la revista sino el libro que escribió “De puño y letra” dándose a conocer hasta los lugares de venta. Eso se llama estar en el ojo de la tormenta, es decir en Vórtice
The blog AID UNMSM – Facultad de Derecho  y Ciencias Políticas from the Department of Law and Political Science of UNMSM posted this release [es]:
Ante los videos propalados en algunos medios de comunicación que denuncian la infiltración y proliferación del grupo radical Sendero Luminoso en algunas facultades de la Universidad Nacional Mayor de San  Marcos … El tercio  estudiantil de Derecho y Ciencia Política hace de manifiesto su total rechazo y repudio y que la comunidad estudiantil se siente indignada por estas manifestaciones políticas, y que la Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos no es un nido y nunca  ha sido un nido de terroristas.
Finally, Globalizado finishes a post on the incidents with the hope [es] that this incident will not affect the university.
Esperemos que no se siga alarmando en demasía al público en general con este tema, hay mucha gente en San Marcos que no está para nada ligada al terrorismo y que sabe que estas cosas no vienen de ahora. Que se debe tener un ojo sobre ese pequeño grupúsculo que persiste en seguir con la doctrina del  “Presidente Gonzalo” es algo con lo que no sólo hay que estar de acuerdo  sino esperar que realmente se esté haciendo, pero de ahí a tomar esto como pretexto para cosas mayores… realmente tendría consecuencias funestas para la Universidad.

author: Juan Arellano


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Portugal: A Tribute in Unison to Nobel Prize Winner Jose Saramago · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

Fundação Jose Saramago; reprinted from Flickr under a CC license
Today the Portuguese writer and only Portuguese language Nobel Prize Winner in Literature José Saramago died at age 87 in his residence in Lanzarote victim of old age and prolonged illness leaving us with a rich body of fiction filled with philosophic reflection through which he created situations improbable and impossible as they were critical  including the bestsellers Blindness that describes a country where everybody loses their sight and Death with Interruptions that explores social conflicts in a country where people stop dying.
@LuisMonteiro José Saramago marcou-me pela integridade, desapego à fama, postura leal perante os seus ideais, por muito q possamos n os partilhar. Homem.
His atheist and militantly communist convictions set apart a revolutionary soul one not always accepted or understood: he moved to Spain in the 1990s after having been barred from participating in literary competitions with the polemic work “The Gospel according to Jesus Christ“.
@tuliovianna Se o inferno cristão existe, neste momento Saramago está sendo recebido com honras de chefe de Estado; Darwin faz um discurso de boas-vindas
Only a few minutes after the announcement of Saramago's death netcitizens around the world began paying tribute to Saramago who became one of the most commented topics on Twitter even in spite of the irony that this represents as his opposition to this communication tool was quite well known.
@marionel A Saramago no le gustaba Twitter ni creía mucho en Internet, aun así ya es homenajeado al ser TrendTopic [5] http://tweetphoto.com/27811330
Saramago on Twitter: "Those 140 characters reflect something that we already know: the tendency towards the monosyllable as a form of communication. Step by step, we are descending to the grunt." Photo by Liquidslave on Flickr, CC Licensed
Saramago's writing style was challenging in translation and particularly in the original Portuguese as some noted
@chonnye My favorite novelist, Jose Saramago passed away. His books had a rhythm that no other writer could come close to duplicating. RIP.
@diegomaia E se todo mundo escrevesse sem pontuação hoje em homenagem a Saramago #saramagoday
@joaomhenrique Vamos todos deitar fora a tecla da vírgula do teclado em sua homenagem. RIP José Saramago
José Saramago 1922 – 2010, Foto de Fundação José Saramago.
@maria_fro Tô muito triste, #Saramago além de um ótimo escritor era admirável em sua coerência e princípios: http://migre.me/Q28O #luto
Maria Frô also gives some reading suggestions on Saramago on her blog particularly the last interviews that he did with El País where the writer said Don't talk to me about death, because I already know it.
The last text published on Saramago's blog called “Think, Think” leaves us to ponder the intellectual and ideological value of a personality that will live on through words.
Acho que na sociedade actual nos falta filosofia. Filosofia como espaço, lugar, método de refexão, que pode não ter um objectivo determinado, como a ciência, que avança para satisfazer objectivos. Falta-nos reflexão, pensar, precisamos do trabalho de pensar, e parece-me que, sem ideias, nao vamos a parte nenhuma.


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Puerto Rico: Strike Over · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Thousands of students at the University of Puerto Rico who went on strike two months ago to oppose severe budget cuts declared a historic victory after reaching an agreement with administrators”: Repeating Islands has the details.


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Russia: Anti-Corruption Cartoon Competition · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

S-pravdoi.ru, civil society portal, launched [EN] an anti-corruption cartoon competition. After one day of work the competition gathered more than 100 works from all over the country.

author: Alexey Sidorenko


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Russia: Famous Blogger and Civil Rights Activist Gives Interview · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

Marina Litvinovich, one of the top Russian bloggers and a civil rights activist, shares [RUS] her perspectives on online campaigns, civil society, and politics in Russia.


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Russia: Novaya Gazeta, An Opposition Newspaper Under Internet Attack · Global Voices
Gregory Asmolov

Novaya Gazeta [ENG] is considered to be the most liberal opposition newspaper in Russia. It is known for its famous investigations and independent coverage of major Russian news. After several of its journalists had been killed, the newspaper attracted attention far beyond Russia's borders. It continues to receive various threats regularly.
Sergey Sokolov, deputy executive editor of Novaya Gazeta, one of the newspaper's founders and head of its investigations department, shared with GV his perspectives on information security at an opposition newspaper, online democracy initiatives in Russia, and the latest news about the ongoing investigations into the journalists’ murders.
What kind of Internet attacks does Novaya Gazeta have to deal with?
The most unpleasant incident that Novaya Gazeta experienced was a powerful DDoS attack that took place in February 2010. Our website had to stop working for a week and a half. It started at 9 AM and, at first, we had a few hundred requests per second. We managed to solve this problem in 24 hours, and the website was restored. However, one hour later, our website crashed again, since we started to get more than one million requests per second. It made clear for us that we were not just an accidental target, but that it was an attack well prepared in advance. As we discovered, at the beginning the attacker used a relatively small [botnet, a network of robots or virus-infected computers]. When we neutralized the first attack, the attacker used another botnet, which was much bigger. As we know now, the source of the big botnet was in South Korea. Our official request to the police to investigate the attack had no results. Police officials asked us if we knew who the attacker was. When we said that we didn’t, they responded that in this case they had nothing to do with it. Only some time later, when a few other media organizations that experienced DDoS attacks, including Vedomosti, Kommersant and Moskovskiy Komsomolets newspapers, submitted a letter with a request to investigate these attacks to the president during his meeting with executive editors, the Federal Security Service (FSB) launched an investigation. As far as I know, it continues still and the investigators are trying to find something.
Do you know who was behind these attacks?
As far as I know, using a powerful botnet is pretty expensive. I don’t think that these were the people from businesses companies, since we had no stories at that time that could threaten commercial interests. So we can make a conclusion that this was a political action, due to the general position of our newspaper and due to the fact that this attack was one in a series of DDoS attacks against the Russian liberal media. Since some Kremlin-backed youth organizations, already known for their involvement in this kind of attacks, e.g. [the DDoS attack against Estonia], we assume that our intruders were from the same place. Since we were not the first target, I think that there is some general plan as to how to use the budget that the youth organization receives for these purposes, within the general plan of struggle against the so-called “orange threat” [a threat of a so-called Orange Revolution].
What was the impact of this attack on the newspaper, and how did you manage the situation during the attack?
Obviously, it caused us some problems, not only in regard to content publishing but also to other resources.  We used LiveJournal to publish our main articles. Our media partners also helped us by publishing some of our content and also by linking to our blog. Generally, the attack had no impact on the number of visitors, since we have a very stable readership. Plus, our newspaper is not a commercial organization, and we don’t have much advertising, so the financial loss wasn't significant. Moreover, it did not hurt out image. Quite the opposite, the attack probably raised our rating among our audience. But it was an unpleasant situation that cost us lots of nerves, time and effort.
What are the other Internet and electronic threats that your newspaper experienced?
The first incident took place in 1999. Someone deleted the whole newspaper issue via remote access and, consequently, we couldn’t print the newspaper on time. About a year ago, our website was contaminated by a virus and everyone who visited our website automatically got infected. This type of provocation is much more painful for us and our audience than a DDoS attack, and we certainly will do anything to avoid it in the future.
Our major problem is spyware that compromises our editorial process. I can’t be sure it is taking place, but we had a few situations when the subjects of our investigations received information about upcoming articles and called us in this regard. Another problem is security of e-mail exchange. We have an internal e-mail service and we almost trust it. But when journalists conduct external communication and use e-mail platforms (e.g. Yandex), we can't be sure these e-mails aren't read by someone else. We recommend to use Gmail, or Skype, or [PGP] for communication.
What is you prognosis about future threats?
Technology is developing and the risks are increasing. We should be prepared for it. As we get closer to the parliamentary and presidential elections, the number of incidents not only with our newspaper, but with the other mass media, increases. Opposition websites are likely to be blocked. I wouldn’t say there is going to be a cyber war, but in the time of political escalation, the motivation to block independent information sources will be higher.
Some people say that the Russian security organizations don't have enough capabilities to make this kind of online operations. Is it true?
As far as I know, there are enough people with serious IT capabilities, primarily in the FSB and FSO [an analogue of the U.S. Secret Service]. Russian police are still in a stone age in this field. But when we talk about the Russian security services, we should take into account that there is a huge difference between their capabilities and what they actually do. The main duty of these services is to earn money on the side, therefore they won’t initiate anything against the mass media since it won't bring money. They primarily do commercial espionage for different organizations. But if they have a concrete order to do something, they might be very efficient.
Do you see any other types of threats for Internet journalism in Russia besides the technical ones? For instance, new legal initiatives?
The Russian government has a very “efficient” policy. It has decided it shouldn’t be spending money on expensive filtering solutions as a way to restrict the online media. In the Russian case, it's not about fighting the content, but rather about fighting those who create this content. The Russian law already has some updates for this purpose. A standard scenario involves prosecution of a blogger for some ‘extremist’ comment against a particular social group (a true story – police officers are also recognized as a social group).
Unlike bloggers, the mass media have an experience of being prosecuted. This is why they control what they publish. In this situation, the most vulnerable point of any online medium is its forum, where any kind of comment can appear, including “unlawful” comments. This vulnerable point has been discovered by the authorities and [the parliament] is now working on a draft bill that would make the online media responsible for third-party comments. Even some of the liberal media experts support this law, but no one has made an analysis of its potential economic impact. If big newspapers can afford additional forum moderators, the regional media probably won’t have the resources for it. In this case, the rising popularity of a particular online media outlet will lead to an increase of the risks of immediate closure and an increase in financial spendings. And if, according to the law, the media are responsible, no one will look for a commenter, which gives freedom for all sorts of [trolls] and Internet hooligans. It’s clear that this bill is a part of the pre-election preparations.
Just this week, the Russian Supreme Court has approved [ENG] a decision that exempts online media of any responsibility for third-party comments. It said that the authorities could require the removal of a particular comment, but the Russian media wouldn't be responsible just for the fact of its publication. Is it a progress that could actually neutralize the threat that you have described?
It's a very good decision of the Supreme Court, and it may cause the reconsideration of the legislators’ plans. However, there is one sensitive point here. The decision of the Supreme Court was made according to the current law, but if the new amendments for the law pass, it will create a new situation. In this case, the law will be changed and, consequently, the decision of the court will lose its power.
Let me ask you a few general questions. First, what is, in your opinion, the role of the Internet in Russia? Can it contribute to the empowerment of the liberal forces?
The social portrait of an Internet user in Russia is different from a European or an American Internet user. The Russian Internet community includes young people and professionals up to the age of 40-45 with income higher than average. In most of the cases, it is the most active segment of society, although very often these people might imagine that they live in a parallel state. The high degree of their independence means that they don’t expect any help from the state, but also don’t consider that they owe anything to the state. We can see that most oppositional activities move from the streets to the Internet space, where online communities emerge that share the same worldview and the same interpretations of events. It makes possible to organize initiatives that can’t be influenced neither by the government, nor by the opposition. The most powerful protest actions were initiated by the Internet audience, and politicians had just to “catch the leaving train.” These network communities have no formal leaders. They are able to lead a lot of active people out into the streets, and these people are not revolutionaries or marginals, but real people who fight for their rights. If we see the emergence of civic society in Russia, it will be based on Internet communication and online communities (e.g., automobile communities, movement against car emergency lighting, etc.).
I can’t finish our interview without asking something that is not related to the Internet. Novaya gazeta has experienced a few big tragedies over the past years. What is the current state of investigations into the murders of the newspaper’s journalists?
Let me address all the investigations one by one. On July 16, it will be ten years since the murder of [Igor Domnikov]. The killers are in prison and they got life sentences. But we are still struggling to launch an investigation into those who ordered this murder and those who mediated between the killers and those who ordered it. The second case – [Yuri Shchekochikhin]. The case was closed, despite a very serious investigation. In our opinion, it was closed due to formal justification, and we have all the reasons to demand the re-opening of this case, and we will do it this summer. The case of [Anna Politkovskaya] – the investigators, as far as I understand, are going to submit the case to the court. We can’t support it, since, in our opinion, many circumstances, including the main figures of this case, have not been exposed yet.
The case of [Stanislav Markelov] and [Anastasia Baburova]. I think that closer to the fall of 2010 the case will be submitted to the court, and there are the real defendants here. We still don’t know if there is anyone else who was responsible for this murder in addition to the two persons arrested, and if anyone had ordered this murder. I assume that part of this case will turn into an independent process. [Natalya Estemirova]'s case – looks like it's solved. But I think that de jure it will be very difficult to bring this case to court, since the murderers are unattainable for the Russian judicial system due to political reasons.
And what's your assessment of journalists’ safety in Russia?
Safety of journalists got significantly worse. It is a major problem for us now. The fact that murders and attacks of journalists remain unpunished creates an understanding among certain people that they can beat or kill journalists without taking responsibility. Therefore, now we have to prepare our journalists for any trip related to the authorities-related investigation as if they are going to a war zone.
Do you get threats through the Internet?
Definitely, the Internet is now being used as a medium for threats. We get them both through e-mails and forum comments. For instance, after the murder of Markelov and Baburova, we got an e-mail that claimed responsibility for this murder. We also recommend our journalists, especially those who are dealing with investigations, to reduce their activity in social networks and on other platforms, and make their accounts as closed as possible. We explain to them that it’s not only about their own security, but also about their families, friends and people they love.

author: Gregory Asmolov


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Rwanda: Kigali Restaurant Reviews · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

If you are planning on visiting Kigali, Rwanda then you should visit a blog by Jiffler called Kigali Restaurant Reviews.


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Sierra Leone: Social clubs  in Freetown · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Sweet Sierra Leone writes about social clubs in Freetown, Sierra Leone: “We took Mountain Cot and there was killer traffic; but it soon turned into a worthwhile experience when i noticed that every couple blocks had a colorful, wall sign promoting one of the social clubs in the area. Of the ones i was able to snap…Action Guyz was my favorite.”


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Uganda: The axis of paternalism in Uganda’s politics · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

ForGodandmyAfrica discusses the dangers of paternalism in Uganda's politics: “The culture of paternalism has saddled our fledgling democracy with the overextended rule of one of one man that renders our country to an innovation and synergy deficit from complementary leadership diversity.”


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USA: Soldier Homecomings on YouTube · Global Voices
Hoa Quach

After months for some; and years of battle for others – the moment when a soldier returns from duty abroad can capture human emotion like no other. On YouTube, videos of soldiers coming home have multiplied over the past several years.
In this video, a mother cries when she finds her son at home after a six month stint in Afghanistan. Apparently, according to his mom, he got “Bigger.”
Surprising mothers is a trend, at least for some soldiers. This soldier gives his mother the best present she could ever receive on her birthday.
Another soldier caught his son off guard when he visited his school. There isn't much dialogue in the video but the words “Daddy” should say enough for most viewers.
Children aren't the only ones who see their loved ones take off to serve the country. In this final video, the homecoming was sweeter than sweet. A solider receives a warm greeting from his dog.

author: Hoa Quach


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Zimbabwe: MPs key suppliers of fuel on black market · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Dydimus reports that government officials in Zimbabwe and Members of Parliament are key suppliers of fuel on the black market


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Africa: Selling African Knowledge · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Scribbles from the Den republishes an article that argues for the need to raise awareness about the value of Intellectual Property (IP) in Africa.


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Bangladesh: Law Makers Guilty Of Not Paying Phone Bills · Global Voices
Rezwan

Abu Saeed Khan at LIRNEasia informs that there are almost US$10 million phone bill dues from present and previous lawmakers of Bangladesh parliament.


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Bangladesh: Netizens Surprised By Bandwidth Export Move · Global Voices
Rezwan

SEA-ME-WE-4 submarine cable network. Image Courtesy Wikimedia Commons
Bangladesh is one of the countries of the world which have been lacking behind in providing adequate and cost effective internet service to its citizen. Bangladesh has missed the bus in the 1990s to be connected to the information superhighway via a submarine cable network and finally was connected in 2006. The SEA-ME-WE-4 cable initially had a bandwidth capacity of 12 gigabytes per second which was later extended to 44.6 gigabytes.
It took sometime to prepare the infrastructure to use the initial capacity which was 68 times than what was available in Bangladesh via numerous VSats which mostly provided snail paced dial-up internet service. By the end of 2008 Internet penetration jumped to 4 percent (5 million users), by ten times from 0.4 percent in 2004.
The initial costs were very high, which went down gradually. In 2009 the cost of bandwidth for an ISP was reduced by further 33% to Taka 18,000 ($260) per one mbps, which was still four times higher than other countries in the region. The government  has been cracking down on VOIP usage by ISPs declaring them illegal and has delayed the licensing process of the approved VOIP providers. The charge of high speed internet was still high and most people resorted to cost effective slow speed internet according to their purchasing power and high priced International Direct Dialing (IDD). These actions reduced the use of bandwidth and left a lot of capacity unused.
Mamun at Techtunes was furious [bn] after a report was published in local newspaper that out of approx. 45 gigabytes bandwidth available only about 10 gigabytes was being used by the country and the government is thinking of exporting the excess bandwidth:
যে দেশে ঢাকার বাইরে ইন্টারনেটের একমাত্র ভরসা মোবাইল ইন্টারনেট মানে গ্রামীনফোন। ইন্টারনেটের স্পিড নাই স্পিড পেতে হাজার টাকা দিতে হয়। ইন্টারনেটের সমস্যার কারনে অনেক আইটি প্রতিষ্টান বন্ধ হবার জোগাড়। ব্যান্ডউইথ এর দাম পার Mbps ১৮০০০ হাজার টাকা, আরও হাজার হাজার সমস্যা। সেই দেশের একজন আইটি সাংবাদিক ব্যান্ডউইথ রপ্তানি করার দালালি করে।
According to a recent report [bn] published in the Daily Samakal, Bangladesh was seriously considering exporting bandwidth as only 23% of the capacity is being utilized. The report quoted Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company Limited (SBCCL) to inform that  the usage of Bandwidth will grow upto maximum 40 gigabyte per second in next five years. BSCCL also thinks that by that time the capacity will be increased by four times.
However Bangladesh has to plan a higher target as the country is ranked at the bottom of the International internet bandwidth index (per capita) by country.
In a blog post by SBCCL MD Engr. Md. Monwar Hossain the upgrade #3 of SEA-ME-WE-4 cable was advocated as the investment will be cheap. Mr. Hossain also said:
BSCCL is planning to provide bandwidth to the rural areas through digital access networks. This endeavour should facilitate Internet access widely and thereby establishment of Digital Bangladesh would expedite. [..]
We can understand that Submarine Cable network would be main infrastructure for “Digital Bangladesh” as planned to be achieved by the year 2021.
The upgrade #3 to the existing capacity of SEA-ME-WE-4 cable can increase the bandwidth capacity to 85 gigabytes.
Ami Modon at Somewhereinblog.net lists these grievances:
-যেখানে বিশ্বের সর্ব উচ্চ ব্যান্ডউইথ মূল্যের জন্য বাংলাদেশের আইএসপিগুলোকে প্রতি ইউজার ৫ কিলোবাইট হারে ব্যান্ডউইথ ডিস্ট্রিবিউশন প্লান করতে হয়।
-যেখানে সরকার বিশ্বের সর্বচ্চ দামে ব্যান্ডউইথ বিক্রি করে ব্যবহারকারীর সর্বনিম্ন গতি নিশ্চিত করে।
-যেখানে ২০০৭ সাল থেকে দেশের সর্বপ্রথম সাবমেরিন ক্যাবল তার মাত্র (?) ৪৫মেগাবিট ব্যান্ডউইথের ৮০ ভাগ অব্যবহৃত রাখার উদ্দেশে প্রতি মেগাবিট ব্যান্ডউইথের মূল্য তখন এক লাখ (প্রায়) টাকার উপরে রাখে। [..]
এরা আপনাকে কতটা মক্কেল ভাবে যে আপনাকে আবার ডিজিটাল বাংলাদেশের স্বপ্ন দেখায় ?
How stupid you are they think to make you believe their digital Bangladesh dream?
The blogger is also surprised that an international tender has been floated for exporting bandwidth and nobody is protesting:
আমাদের দেশের মানুষের চেতনার লেভেল দেখে অত্যাশ্চর্য না হয়ে পারছি না। এরা সব আদিম অন্ধকার যুগেই বসবাস করছে। আজ যদি দেখা যেত বাংলাদেশের বর্তমান উত্তলিত হতে থাকা গ্যাসের আশি ভাগ রফতানী করার টেন্ডার ঘোষনা করল। তখন নানা কমিটি দেশে একটিভেট হয়ে পুরো দেশ অচল করে দিত। অথচ বাংলাদেশ ইন্টরনেট ব্যান্ডউইথ রপ্তানী করতেছে। আন্তর্জাতিক দরপত্র আহবান করা হয়েছে। দরপত্র জমা দেয়ার শেষ তারিখ ২০শে জুন, ২০১০।
এইটা এদের চেতনার এন্টেনার আশেপাশেও আসলো না। কোথাও কারো টু শব্দটাও শুনলাম। ইলেক্ট্রনিক বা প্রীন্ট মিডিয়ার তো প্রশ্নই ওঠে না ব্লগেও দেখলাম না।
It did not catch the attention of the people. Nobody even faintly protested. Not in electronic and print media and even in Blogs.
Being a populous country Bangladesh's internet penetration is very low and there is a potential to expand in local market. So the question remains that whether the decision to export without exploring domestic market covers only the profit making interest of the company. BSCCL is a profitable company and it can take measures to reduce the bandwidth charge for the greater interest of the nation by investing in the third upgrade of the submarine cable or trying to connect to a second cost effective submarine cable [bn]. As the infrastructure (cable network etc.) is not ready for the bandwidth to be distributed in the rural areas, they can sell the rest of the bandwidth to the mobile operators who will be able to cover the country with their existing networks.
Optical fiber web in a pole in Dhaka. Image Courtesy Wireless Bangladesh
Hamidur at Wireless Bangladesh shows how the optical fiber network deployment in the city is creating hazards and the mobile operators can be used to distribute bandwidth:
If Digital Bangladesh is a dream, Digital Dhaka is already a reality. Mobile operators have excellent coverage in terms of Voice and Data. Numbers of Telecom towers are significant. ISPs operating with wired and wireless connection have dense city wide coverage. So it is relatively straightforward for Telecom operators and ISPs to provide any type of connectivity as a last mile solution according to user’s convenience. But wired network, particularly spider web of overhead optical fiber based network has converted the roads of Dhaka to a living hazard.
Arild Klokkerhaug, the head of the largest Bangla blogging platform Somewhereinblog.net comments:
“Can the govt of Bangladesh please ensure that all decisions makers are informed about the thing called internet? I am afraid that somehow, some top people are still stuck in the past century. We are having one of the least available, least stable and most expensive internet connections in the world, and now the govt has issued an international tender to lease out a big chunk of the little bandwidth we have??? To develop the nation, the country should get 20 times more bandwidth, and sell it for 20 times less the price today, to people and businesses in Bangladesh only. then the economy could boom through digital Bangladesh.”


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Blogger Compares Russian Army to American Prison · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

Blogger mr_bison analyses [RUS] Russian military statistics. The results are shocking: Russian army is more dangerous environment for a human being than a prison in the US. Plus, almost every fifth death in the army is a suicide, another sad military fact says.


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El Salvador: One Laptop per Child · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

The Education Ministry of El Salvador has started giving out XO laptop computers –from One Laptop per Child– to low-income students. Tim's El Salvador Blog says 400 children from 5 schools have received their laptops: “A year from now, the goal is to have the computers in the hands of 78,000 students in 411 schools, and 800,000 students within 4 years.”

author: Silvia Viñas


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Ethiopia: Musician receives honorary degree · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Arefe writes about Ali Birra who is one of the premiere artists of his generation, dominating the national Oromo music scene in Ethiopia.


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Gambia: The Gambia Blog · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

The Gambia Blog is written by Matt Smith and Kathy Burrington who share their 20 years of experience in the Gambia.


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India: Groundbreaking Verdict On Maternal Mortality · Global Voices
Rezwan

Chhaya Path informs about two groundbreaking court cases on maternal mortality which will have immense health policy implications in India.


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Malawi: On fake gays  · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Victor discusses the issue of fake gays in Malawi: “I had argued that while I acknowledge there are gays and lesbians in Malawi, the noise underway involved players whose genuineness I doubted.”


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Mali: World Cup Fans React to Referee’s Controversial Call · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

It would not be a world cup of football  if there was not a controversy about referees’ decisions. The one that has marked the 2010 edition so far is the decision by Malian referee Koman Coulibaly to disallow a goal by US player Edu that would have capped a furious comeback from two goals down by the US national team against Slovenia. As the final whistle was blown, bloggers were expressing their outrage either on forums, or  by creating 127 facebook pages calling for banning the referee from further participating in the world cup or defacing Coulibaly's wikipedia page.  The outrage was not only limited to bloggers but also journalists who were quick to point out that  this was not the first controversy in which Coulibaly was involved. Even famed Sports Illustrated writer Peter King weighed in instantly by posting the following update on his twitter feed:
“Putting a ref from a small African country in charge of a vital WC game is like a Mid-American Conference ref doing the Super Bowl.”
and explains his tweet in more details in an article blaming FIFA for allowing  “incompetent officiating to skate free”.
Photo of a Facebook page requesting Coulibaly to be banned
Nevertheless, before his sub-par performance, Coulibaly was the pride of his country [fr]  as the lone Malian participating in the world cup but also as one of the only four referees from the African continent at the world cup. In the comment section of the article in Maliweb about Coulibaly written before the game, many bloggers posted words of encouragement and wished him well. Bass Junior writes [Fr]:
C'est un honneur pour le Mali.Bonne suite pour vous,petit coulibaly!
Dahico adds [fr]:
La reussite est au bout de l'effort personnel. Si le travail bien fait annobli l'homme, alors je dirai que Komas l'est deja. Bonne chance cher compatriote et que Dieu t'assiste dans tes actions et surtout soit impartiel comme toujours.
Malian referee Koman Coulibaly
After the game, African bloggers were also at loss trying to understand Coulibaly's call. On  Seneweb forum, Auteur  thinks that referring is already an issue at the World Cup [fr]:
les arbitres commencent à gacher le tournoi avec des cartons stupides,but refusé et des décisions contestables. Je doute fort que les huitièmes de finale soient d'un niveau élevé car beaucoup de joueurs seront suspendus
Another commenter adds [Fr]:
Ce type d'erreur ne se commet a pareil.  Que la bourde de l'arbitre soit aux depends des US, de la Grece Antique, ou du zimbabwe, n'est pas le cas. Le probleme c'est qu'on est en coupe du monde et cet arbitre torpille les chances de toute une equipe. Imaginez la frustation de ces joueurs americains qui font tout pour faire reconnaitre le football par leurs compatriotes.
Loic wonders why  these types of call are still not reviewed  right away [Fr]:
A quand la vidéo? Le seul argument qu'on nous oppose est un insuportable droit a l'erreur, un facteur humain qui entraine des “faits de jeux” d'autant plus iniques qu'ils sanctionnent ici une équipe méritante.
As one readers writes that it is a pity that the referee who made the biggest mistake is African, another one reacts [fr]:
Comme si les africains n'avaient pas droit à l'erreur!
Others believed that there is a bit of an overreaction to one  bad call. Daanii N tries to explain the decision in the comment section of Le Monde [fr]:
Je trouve que tout le monde exagère en ce qui concerne la décision de l'arbitre. Au moment où il a sifflé, plusieurs joueurs slovènes et américains se bousculaient et se tenaient les uns les autres. Souvent, dans des situations comme celle-là, l'arbitres siffle pour l'équipe qui se défend. Le seul hic ici c'était, qu'une seconde après, les Américains ont marqué le but
Although the anger from the US viewers is understandable and likely justified, African bloggers were not fond of the portayal of Coulibaly in the media. Sean Murphy at Africafeed  took offense to Peter King's assessment of Coulibaly and his country:
“And putting @SI_PeterKing at the helm of a twitter account is like erm, putting 2 Black Hawk helicopters into downtown Mogadishu, or was that an “unfortunate” analogy?

author: Lova Rakotomalala


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Mexico: Visiting a Trotilleria · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Carlos Hernández visited a small tortilla factory (“tortilleria” in Spanish) and reported on his experience on his blog Mas alla de Conoce México [es], where he includes images of the tortilla-making process.


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Myanmar: Birthday Wish for Aung San Su Kyi · Global Voices
tan

Breathe.Dream.Write wishes a happy birthday to Aung San Su Kyi, who will be celebrating her 65th birthday under house arrest on June 19. The birthday celebrant is Myanmar's major opposition leader.

author: tan


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Myanmar blog stats · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Htoo Tay Zar links to a technorati stat on the number of blogs and blog posts in Myanmar


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Myanmar: Landslide Kills 46 People in Rakhine State · Global Voices
tan

Floods and landslides claimed the lives 46 people in Buthidaung and Maungdaw Townships in Northern Rakhine State in Myanmar.


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Myanmar: Opposition website hacked · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The Irrawaddy reports that photayokeking.org, an opposition website in Myanmar was attacked by hackers. The website provides alternative information about the Myanmar military


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Peru: Southern Peru on Strike Reclaiming Gas · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

On June 17, a 24-hour strike took place in the southern region of Peru, protesting the recent sale of Camisea Gas to Mexico. The protesters claim that there is a great need for that gas in the cities of the region, where children in rural areas and even in the cities are dying because of the cold weather. This event was organized by the Frentes de Defensa (Defense Fronts) of the “Macrorregión Sur” (the Arequipa, Tacna, Cusco, Puno, Apurímac and Madre de Dios departments). Ten days ago, while President Alan Garcia inaugurated [es] a plant for liquefied natural gas in Mechorita, in the province of Cañete, the inhabitants of La Convención, Cusco, expressed their decision to extend the strike to 48 hours.
Newspaper La República informs [es] about other points that make up the protesters’ platform: “In Puno, organizations are opposing the construction of the hydroelectric plant Inambari. In Canchis they reject the hydrolectric project Salcca Pucara [es]; in Espinar they oppose the irrigation and water diversion project Majes Siguas II [es]; and in La Convention, in addition to demanding the cancellation of the gas export contracts [es] (in Camisea), they object to the construction of a second TGP duct [es] because it affects communal lands [es].”
¨For gas and dignity, land and liberty" Image by user markopunk (Marco Moscoso) from Tweetphoto, used with photographer's permission.
Here is a summary of the information about the strike, organized by department, as seen on Twitter:
Apurímac. Public offices were closed and public transportation was scarce. The blog Huaccataqui [es] includes several photos of the strike in the city of Abancay. The author of the blog, @Apu_Rimak [es], also tweeted the following:
Llegando a Abancay y  el Paro se siente más en el  centro y en las principales avenidas                     hace cerca de 3 horas via TweetDeck
mercados cerrados, I.Educativas y Gob. Regional y   Direcciones Regionales no atienden. principales tiendascerradas en   Abancay                    hace cerca de 3 horas via TweetDeck
anuncían  q la  marcha en Abancay en apoyo al Paro Macroregional saldrá a las  2pm. No hubo servicio de transporte urbano tampoco hacia Cusco                  hace cerca de 3 horas via TweetDeck Retwitteado por 1  persona
Arequipa. Things were a little livelier in Arequipa. Public offices were also closed and there was little public transportation, but heavy police involvement was reported. There was also a march which included some aggression. This is what Twitter users wrote:
@ossoval Un grupo de  desadaptados obreros de construcción  civil arrancan un arbol de raíz  para bloquear via en av. Goyeneche esto  por #paro en AQP                     hace cerca de 7 horas via TweetDeck
@ossoval Suspenden salida de buses interprovinciales desde   terminal terrestre en Aqp por temor a desmanes x parte de manifestantes   en #paroaqp  hace cerca de 7 horas via TweetDeck
@ossoval como era previsible el motivo de la movilizacion o #paroaqp se distorsiona   por la postura siempre  violenta de algunos frentes y dirigentes                    hace cerca de 6 horas via TweetDeck
@rsumaria Gobernador de Arequipa confirma que las  empresas  del parque industrial trabajan con normalidad, pese al paro #paro  hace cerca de 7 horas via Chromed  Bird
@rsumaria Víctor Medina, del frente de defensa del gas,   reconoce problemas de convocatoria en el paro de Arequipa #paroaqp  hace cerca de 5 horas via Chromed  Bird
@gicoal #paroaqp con palos en mano  construccion civil  obliga a cerrar negocios del centro historico                     hace cerca de 8 horas via web
@gicoal 60% de transporte en Arequipa trabaja con   normalidad #paroaqp (via 960AM)                    hace cerca de 9 horas via web
@zulmaroque AL FINAL esto fue paro ó no lo fue? en mi casa  los  micros, colectivos  andaron normal,menos pero habia…yo me fuí en  taxi  xq es +rapido                    hace cerca de 8 horas via TweetDeck
Cusco. In the imperial city and neighboring localities, attempts were made to stop the strike. Photos of the events in Cusco can be seen on @markopunk's Tweetphoto account  and in a set of pictures on flickr by littonoma.
@markopunk Hoy todos al paro!  Por nuestro gas!                    hace cerca de 14 horas via Twitter for iPhone
@mobeca Paro regional por el gas en Cusco es total y   pacífico a estas horas.                    hace cerca de 13 horas via Gravity
@mobeca  Vehículos transitan casi con normalidad,no hay   transporte público,comercios cerrados en un 90%. #cusco  about 5 hours ago via Gravity
@3riking  LINDO DIA DE SOL!! realmente pienso que #CUSCO aun  sigue siendo la tierra del sol! (como  quema) dias de #PARO y todos   a pie, #CHAQUI-PURI                    hace cerca de 11 horas via TweetDeck
@markopunk  Mientras regresaba a casa caminando vi que varios   automoviles ya estàn circulando a pesar de las piedras en las pistas.                     about 8 hours ago via TweetDeck
@sicuaninoticias Jefe de la División Policial de  Canchis destacó  desarrollo pacífico del paro en Canchis Cusco. http://goo.gl/fb/QkSxs  hace cerca de 2 horas via Google
@voxurubamba  La prensa de Lima se olvidó que hay una gran   paralización en el sur en defensa de nuestro gas http://bit.ly/a3vATG BUENAS NOCHES                     hace 41 minutos via web
Puno. The strike in Puno was peaceful but convincing. There were also marches, pickets and slower traffic. Twitter users from Puno wrote the following:
@geniosnet Puno acata paro  macrorregional con relativa  contundencia http://www.radioondaazul.com/?c=noticia&id=7489  hace cerca de 16 horas via web
@geniosnet Puno: sepa cómo se desarrolló el primer día del   paro http://www.radioondaazul.com/?c=noticia&id=7520  hace cerca de 3 horas via web
Tacna. In Tacna the main event was a march organized by the Confederación General de Trabajadores del Perú (CGTP [es]) (Workers Confederation of Peru) and Construcción Civil (the association for construction workers).
@el_cesar21 Según Radio Uno sólo el sindicato de  Construccion  Civil está movilizándose. Mercados. mercadillos y  transportistas están  trabajando. #Tacna  hace cerca de 14 horas via Seesmic
@titodolores  Paro en rechazo a la exportación del gas no fue   acatado en Tacna: Sólo hubo movilización http://bit.ly/aCSvmo  hace cerca de 7 horas via HootSuite


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Philippines: Report on 2010 elections · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The People's International Observers Mission 2010 published its findings and observations on the recently concluded presidential elections in the Philippines


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Puerto Rico: Students Clean University Campus as a way of Celebrating Victory · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

University of Puerto Rico students’ campaign to clean up the campus and start community vegetable garden projects with the neighboring Rio Piedras kicked off earlier this week, days before they declared victory after successfully negotiating the conditions to end their two month strike.

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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Remembering the 1969 Singapore great flood · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

As parts of Singapore were submerged in floodwaters a few days ago, The Long and Winding Road recalls the great flood of 1969 in Singapore.


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Singapore: Town Council report questioned · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Gerald Giam from Singapore questions the accuracy of a local Town Council report approved by the government.


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Singapore: Youth Olympic Games · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The first Youth Olympic Games will take place in Singapore on August. Young athletes – aged between 14 and 18 years – will compete in 26 sports events.


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Sri Lanka: Forgetting Those Killed  · Global Voices
Rezwan

Sanjana Hattotuwa at ICT for Peacebuilding (ICT4Peace) points out that “post-war Sri Lanka is very far from a just peace, or meaningful reconciliation” as the celebrations of the victory over the LTTE did not include commemoration of the loved ones killed during the war.

author: Rezwan


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Sri Lanka: Reflections On The Problems In Gaza · Global Voices
Rezwan

Sri Lankan MP and blogger Rajiva Wijesinha reflects on the adjournment of resolution on the problems in Gaza: “the world is desperately in need of consensus based on universally accepted principles of justice, rather than continuing indulgence to old victims by old victimizers.”


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Algeria: Still Hoping with a Lucky Dove on their Side · Global Voices
Mohamed Benderouiche

After the defeat against Slovenia, the Algerians have regained some strength on June 18th against the English team that was fairly positive about getting a win.  By drawing a tie against a great team, the Algerian team have given hope again to millions of fans who hope to see the green team go through the first round:
An Algerian blogger comments in the post titled  Un nul équitable (a fair draw) [fr]:
L’Algérie et l'Angleterre se quittent dos à dos après 90 minutes où  les Verts ont produit une prestation honorable, en faisant jeu égal avec les Anglais, en tous les cas, rien à avoir avec celle contre la Slovénie.
He then adds:
Alors qu'une défaite contre les Anglais lui aurait coûté une élimination du Mondial, l'équipe d'Algérie prolonge son  sursis et, pour prétendre à une qualification historique au 8e, ce qui est  jouable, doit arracher une victoire contre les USA lors de sa troisième rencontre  (…).
Rachida, an Algerian living in France, express her admiration for the Algerian team  [fr]:
Tenir tête durant plus de 90 minutes, non pas à la meilleure équipe, mais aux meilleurs joueurs au monde, relève d'un défi et ils l'ont fait. Chapeau  bas à l'équipe algérienne!!!
Commenting on the results of the match, Espérance writes on  a chatting forum  [fr] :
Ils  ont bien joué contre la Slovénie mais là c'était mieux, beaucoup mieux. Il n'y avait pas d'erreurs  fatales heureusement et je suis sûre qu'il peuvent faire encore mieux.
While recognizing that she is no expert in football, Espérance offers this advice:
le joueur Abdounne devrait pas remplacer Ziani, certes blessé, lors du  prochain match.
screen shot of the broadcast during the game
The  image of a dove perched above the Algerian goal post has put a lasting imprint on the game and was the subject of many discussions in Algeria. The scene was commented sarcastically by Djamel on Facebook:
Le pigeon porteur de message de guerre pour l'Algérie était en fait un  grigri concocté par le duo Defoe-Heskey. C'était là la tactique de Capello !  Les Anglais nous ont pris pour des pigeons. Mboulhi (gardien algérien)  volait plus haut que ce Columba et s'est avéré plus puissant que ce dopage aérien.
The Algerians have not given up hope and strongly believe that their team will beat the American team. The question is, will the dove be there as well ?

author: Mohamed Benderouiche


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Brazil: Fire in Rio de Janeiro Mobilizes Online Campaign · Global Voices
Debora Baldelli

Photo by Gustavo Martini. Used with permission.
One of Rio de Janeiro city’s postcards, the Lagoa neighborhood, was victim of a huge fire at Morro dos Cabritos, between Rua Sacopã and Parque da Catacumba, an area of Atlantic Rainforest filled with animals, mainly micos. Morro dos Cabritos (which can be seen in this Google map), spreads to nearby Copacabana – where the Cabritos Slum is also located – which was endangered by the fire, smoke and heat.
See a video of this fire:
Since the beginning of the fire, around 10pm Saturday 19th, warnings, photos and videos began to appear on Twitter and Facebook. While there was no news from traditional media on the subject, the #lagoa (pond), #incêndio (fire) and #cabritos were among the trending topics of Twitter Brazil.
@mjcoffeeholick pega a vuvuzela pra acordar esse povo ! – RT @alerocha: Você, jornalista carioca que está dormindo. Acorda, pô. Tá pegando fogo lá.
Nina Lemos calls attention to the fact that a web TV arrived at the spot before any other traditional media emphasizing the swiftness of citizen media and of the web as a news channel:
@ninalemos Acho o máximo o @gematv furar a Globo. Amores, o jornalismo morreu. E isso é ótimo.
Other Twitter users seem to agree:
@drido o #fogo comendo o parque da catacumba e a globo news mostrando uma cerimônia de cachorros se convertendo ao budismo…
@rosana RT @JJoselita: @rosana é pq tá rolando um mega incêndio na zona sul do RJ…várias pessoas indignadas com a falta de cobertura da imprensa.
See the news report by @gematv here.
Balloon – flickr photo by @youcoulilou, under Creative Commons license
The suspicion that the fire was provoked by a hot air balloon, raised once again the question of how danger hot air balloons can be at this time of the year during the June celebrations, a popular cultural tradition in Brazil, which takes place during the months of June and July.
The Junina Celebrations [pt] are not exclusively Brazilian and diverse versions of the same celebration are found in various countries and are historically related to the pagan celebrations of the Summer solstice, celebrated on June 24th according to the Julian calendar (pre-Gregorian) and Christianized in the Middle Ages as St John’s Celebration.
The balloon is one of the symbols of the Brazilian Junina Celebrations and it has been opposed for decades for the dangers it represents, as a fire starter, as well as air accidents, since they can go up to 15.000 feet altitude. The greatest danger posed by balloons is the highly inflammable materials used to make them, such as fibers, paraffin and kerosene. Because they are taken by wind you never know where the balloon will land and how far it can spread, put people, homes and the woods at risk of fire.
With the serious incident at Morro dos Cabritos, a campaign against balloon launching started on twitter, including to criticize the recent phenomenon of the trending topic CALA BOCA GALVAO:
@adribittencourt #soltarbalaoecrime Vamos bombar essa campanha! Muito mais importante q a Cala a boca Galvao!
@claudiamello RT @guisan: Vamos fazer o seguinte? Ao invés de incentivar o “Cala boca Galvão”, twittem “NÃO SOLTEM BALÃO”. #campanha
As quickly as the event, the campaign was launched via hashtag #soltarbalaoecrime (loosing balloons is a crime), spread through social media:
@gematv RT @brunoastuto: e acabaram de criar o twitter#soltarbalaoecrime, que já está me seguindo @naosoltebaloes
@DiogoFenSo Meu Deus, o Rio tá caótico… o morro tá parecendo o Eyjafjallajokull #soltarbalãoécrime
@fe_crf #soltarbalãoécrime precisa falar mais alguma coisa?
Launching balloons is an environmental crime according to the law (Lei nº 9.605/98) that says “To manufacture, sell, transport or loose balloons, because of the risk of fire in forests and urban áreas, subjecting the law breaker to prison and fines. Penalty – 1 to 3 year detention, fine or the two punishments.”
Photo available at @cronai’s twittpics
In the beginning of july, the environmental police of São Paulo state, started a campaign against launching balloons called “Soltar Balões não é Legal! É Crime Ambiental” [Launching Balloons is not legal! It is an environmental crime, pt], which extends into August. The proposal is to intensify the inspection and conduct workshops in public and private schools about the danger of this practice. Disque Denúncia [Dial Complaint, pt] also started a Dial Balloon program, so that people can denounce by phone anyone continuing this illegal practice. Nevertheless, others are calling for the defense of this long tradition claiming the motto “Balão é Eterno, Proibir é crime, Regulamentar é Preciso” [Balloons are Eternal, To Ban is a crime, Regulation is Needed, pt].
No information was found on the Internet about the same campaign in the state of Rio de Janeiro, which is hoped to be nothing but a web failure. Until the closing of this article, 14 hours after the beginning of the fire, the firemen were still fighting the fire, even though it was said to be “under control”.

author: Debora Baldelli


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Hungary: Sinning with Impunity · Global Voices
Marietta Le

Twenty years after the transition, Hungary is discussing whether those who had committed crimes against citizens during the communist era should be called to account. Most recently, the topic came up again following the release of Guilt and Impunity, a documentary about Béla Biszku, who had been the minister of the interior after the revolution of 1956. From 1957 to 1961, he was one of the officials involved in the retributions against the participants of the uprising against the socialist government.
According to some explanations, the question of responsibility derives from the way Hungary arranged its transition to democracy in 1989. The country was unique in the region with its “velvet revolution,” the change of the political system was smooth, and, in the name of continuity and peace, nobody was called to account.
Véleményvezér wrote (HUN) after the premiere screening of the documentary:
[…] They say the price of the peaceful transition was that these people were not troubled. They didn't even get amnesty or impunity—since these would imply their guilt. They were never even forced to face their sins. So they practically got a moral excuse. And as the example of Béla Biszku shows, they know very well what they did, but they still deny it. And of course they don't regret anything.
The elite co-ordinating the transition committed a big fault. The 1991 Zétényi-Takács draft law on justice would have eliminated the regulation that made punishment in politics-related murder, fatal physical assault and treason cases that happened between December 21, 1944, and May 2, 1990, unenforceable due to the lapse of time.
The draft was accepted with a voting by name by the right-wing parliamentary majority, against SZDSZ's abstinence, and Fidesz and MSZP voting “no”: Árpád Göncz [the then president] sent it to the Constitutional Court, and the board led by László Sólyom nullified the law. […]
The directors of the documentary – Fruzsina Skrabski and Tamás Novák – are journalists and bloggers with Mandiner (former Reakció blog). According to the film, their story of looking for the living “communist criminals” began with this (HUN) post of Lelkylola (Fruzsina Skrabski) in 2008, in which readers were asked to send e-mails with the names of communists “who have something to tell”:
[…] By the way I am not threatening our communists. I couldn't even do that since I don't have a black car, nor a law enforcement organization, a weapon or a dog. I just want to know about them. It would be good if their conscience hove a little bit. If sometimes someone asked them – a grandchild, for instance, or a neighbour – about what happened then, uncle Józsi? Why did you do what you did? What was it like to look in the eyes of a friend who was being arrested because of your report? What was it like to hit political prisoners? What was it like to put a seal on the paper of a little girl that she was X-class? What was it like to interrogate? What was it like to shout “counter-revolutionaries be afraid”? What was it like to laugh at the kulak whom you had robbed? […]
Not long before the premiere screening of the documentary on Béla Biszku, one of his daughters banned the release of the film. This caused an overwhelming debate on whether it was possible to “censor” a documentary on someone who had been a public person decades ago and should have been called to account for his acts.
The filmmakers shared the news about this on Mandiner (HUN) and on a Facebook page (HUN). Since the movie theater where they first wanted to screen the film chose not to risk subjecting itself to legal action, Ms. Skrabski and Mr. Novák organized an “illegal screening” (HUN) at Menta Terasz last Wednesday. Not long before the premiere, the daughters of Béla Biszku watched the film and decided to give their consent. This PR, coming with the illegality and the extremely important topic, gathered a lot of people at Menta Terasz; politicians and public persons also felt it was important to attend the event.
The film was continuously being screened in three rooms from 7 PM till late night. In this video, Mr. Novák is telling the public to wait for their turn:
Ms. Skrabski and Mr. Novák found contact with Béla Biszku, “responsible for the death of 300 and proceedings against 20,000″ after 1956. The documentary shows how they told him they were from his native village, Márokpapi, preparing an almanac with the famous people born there, and how Biszku was open to express his thoughts. The interview pieces in the film are showing him still thinking the same way as in the socialist era, not feeling guilty at all. His scenes are interspersed with comments from historians and stories from people who were sentenced to death after the revolution and were detained on death row. Ms. Skrabski told journalists they wanted to make a film for the young people in their twenties, a humorous film which still reminds people, for example, which party's successor the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) is.
The first minutes of Guilt and Impunity:
Meanwhile, this film contains a complex message to Hungarians, raising questions about how to deal with this part of the past. The directors were criticized for the method of making the film, revealing to Béla Biszku that they were journalists only by their last interview with him, when they were actually finished. Some are asking if they had the right to judge Béla Biszku, while others after seeing the film wondered why they hadn't put up more relevant questions to the former minister of the interior, instead of just asking their interviewee boldly to apologize for what he had done.
Ukridge objected (HUN) to the statements in the news sometimes calling the filmmakers “journalists” and sometimes “documentalists.” According to him, the trick used by Ms. Skrabski and Mr. Novák was against journalistic ethics, they didn't have the right to judge, nor to decide who had the right to tell which story must be published by all means.
[…] No, neither Fruzsina, nor Tamás has been commissioned by the constitution a) to pronounce a judgment, b) to set punishment on those who they consider commie genociders (cf. we are screening the film anyway, a murderer cannot tell us what we can put on screen).
No, undercover journalism it is not; it's either (now pay attention!) infiltrating into a community to collect information on things hidden to outsiders but concerning the community, or writing/presenting this. […]
In opposition to this, Márton Baranyi of Konzervatórium blog emphasized (HUN) how the film was objective:
[…] Fruzsi and Tamás are not setting any sentence, they are simply creating a memorial in remembrance of the victims of communism. They are not straining after more. Those who want to catch the filmmakers with claptrap shall be disappointed, because the film contains numerous tragicomic and comic episodes, too. […]
Manfréd Huba Weisz of Kettős Mérce blog (HUN) framed the relativity of justice depending on the historical situation in his post (HUN) written in response to Márton Baranyi:
[…] The film tried in vain to get on Biszku that he was justifying his sins, because he really doesn't consider himself guilty, he with his unauthentic, historically inaccurate sentences is defending the legitimacy of the system. Because he believed in his principles and even if it's terrible to write this down, from a certain point of view, he is right. It's not in my stance, but in his. History is not a constant thing and he has a notion generated by how he lived it, the same way you have a notion too. Which one is more right we all know. But now the young intellectuals are proceeding from an inconstant justice, they want to blur Gyurcsány, Apró and Biszku together to gain legitimacy for their campaign against this democracy after the transition. And right now you are also legitimizing your system, carrying on a revenge campaign. […]

author: Marietta Le


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India: A Special Day for the Son-In-Law · Global Voices
Aparna Ray

A typical jamai shashthi spread – photograph by Tapas Sen Gupta (www.creativeiris.net), used here with his permission.
Nowadays, it is quite common in many parts of the world to celebrate particular days for special people in our lives. So we have the Mother's Day, Father's day and suchlike. However, In India, Bengali mothers-in-law have traditionally celebrated, with great fanfare, an occasion/social custom called jamai shashthi – a special day for their jamai [son(s)-in-law].
On this auspicious day, the married daughter and the the son-in-law are invited by the girl's parents and the son-in-law is honored, treated to a scrumptious meal and pampered with gifts by his mother-in-law. Sons-in-law look forward to this day and if you happened to visit Kolkata on 17th June this year (which is when jamai shashthi was celebrated this year), chances are you would have seen a significant number of married men rushing off early from office so as not to miss the occasion when he would be treated like a king by his mother-in-law.
Blogger Poo recalls jamai shashthi as being a ‘day of fun’. She writes:
Moms-in-law fast and pray for their son-in-laws. This day earlier meant a  lavish lunch at Dida's (maternal grandmother) place where not only dad but all of us got gifts  by the truckload…  We'd wear new clothes and eat yummy food. It was a day of fun
In a light-hearted post, Kamalika points out the ‘real reason’ why this day was traditionally celebrated by the in-laws. She says:
It used to be a kind of bribe given to Jamais by their in-laws for keeping their daughters happy.
Aritra offers a humorous take on the day's proceedings and notes how it is sometimes easy to guess whether the son-in-law is ‘brand new’ or has been around for sometime. According to him:
its this very interesting custom followed amongst bengali mother in laws where they pamper, feed, gift their son in laws – all in a day! … jamais do fare well in this custom but all depends which model are they – as in a brand new one or the one people often mistakes as the son. brand new ones are less on talking and show some restriction in movements except a constant bowing down to elders to touch their feet and being introduced to whole new faces. they get the same reaction from the people they meet – biyete dekhechilam ..tarpor ei kotah holo (i last saw you in the marriage ceremony…and now we get to talk) . with a sheepish smile he escapes all these and makes his way to the plate and the platter. advice for new ones, do avoid second helpings as the options are too many ! advice for old ones, you know what to avoid already!
then there are gifts! from both the sides. often getting restricted to clothes! but innovations are always welcome! for this one day, your mother in law , if she is the kind, restricts her daughter from interfering and its like the husband (WOW) becomes really important !the rest of the 364 days its always the other way round (ya ya we know)!
Nowadays, life is getting busy and children often live far away from their parents. That notwithstanding, the celebration of jamai shoshthi continues to survive, having undergone some mutation [bn] in these cases.  Long distance calls are made to wish the son-in-law living in distant lands, restaurants in the city lay out lavish jamai shashthi spreads for the busy Bengalis who no longer have the time or patience to whip up traditional delicacies, and parents use the webcam to consult with their children regarding gift purchases.
Nowadays, married men should also work towards deserving a jamai shashthi,  quips Kamalika and offers some advice to men who hope to be feted by their shashuri (mother-in-law):
so to all my guy friends who are married… learn to earn the treat and  gifts for Jamai Shoshti, otherwise…. your day might not turn out the  way you imagined it in your head! You could say good bye to second  helpings, sumptuous food and any respect given to you for that matter!  Coz in this world nothing comes for free… So to earn the platter learn  to flatter your shashuri and your wife all year long…!
It is interesting to note that Jamai Shashthi was also the name of the first Bengali talkie released in 1931. Aritra jokes,
so the son in law added the dimension  of sound to an otherwise silent era!
Image Credit: Tapas Sen Gupta – Creative IRIS, on Flickr

author: Aparna Ray


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India: Fallacy Of English Medium Education · Global Voices
Rezwan

Ram Bansal at India in Peril criticizes some Indian English medium educational institutions which forbid Hindi and have no provision of Hindi to English translations or vice-versa in the curriculum.


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Iran: “9 file sharing sites got filtered” · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Conservative Fars News site reported 9 “file sharing sites” including  sharingmatrix،rapidshare،megaupload got filtered in one day in Iran.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Iran: A leading weblog service got filtered · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Several Iranian bloggers including Persianweblog reported that Blogfa, a leading free Persian weblog service got filtered.


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Israel: A Woman’s Power to Name Herself · Global Voices
Maya Norton

“I’ve noticed that whenever a woman defends having taken her husband’s name… it’s invariably stated, ‘After all, feminism is about choice.’ Well I’m not pleased with having women who choose tradition, or patriarchy, telling me what feminism ‘is about,'” writes Israeli Yam Erez at Stand By Your Name.

author: Maya Norton


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Israel: Dubious Thanks to USAID · Global Voices
Maya Norton

JoeSettler posts a photo of a sign he often passes that reads, “This [road] is a gift from the American people to the Palestinian people.” “What I think that USAID overlooked,” he comments, “Is that Jews also use this road regularly.” According to their website, USAID has donated $1 billion in aid to projects in Gaza and the West Bank since 1993.


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Israel: Storing Water for Emergencies · Global Voices
Maya Norton

When you live in the Middle East, water is essential to your daily survival. Israeli Kitchen recommends ways to store water in preparation for an emergency and what water sources you can use if your standard stores dry up.