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Japan: The Penalty of Death · Global Voices
Hanako Tokita

On August 23, three inmates, in Tokyo and Nagoya, all convicted of murder, were put to death by hanging. The executions brought the number of hangings administered under then-justice minister Nagase Jinen, who was removed from the position shortly later in the recent reshuffle, to 10 during his 11-month term.  With over 100 inmates on death row, Japan is one of the very few so-called industrialized nations, along with the United States, in which the death penalty is still in practice and is supported by a large portion of the population. In a report issued earlier in 2007,  the UN Committee agaist Torture pointed to the fact that death-row inmates are not told of their execution until the last minutes and condemned the process as amounting to torture.
Asia Death Penalty has a comprehensive summary of the recent event and the issues concerning Japan's practice of death penalty in English.
Despite criticism from outside Japan, the issue does not get much attention inside the country. Following last week's executions, a handful of bloggers responded to the news.
An overwhelming number of bloggers are supportive of the executions. Blogger enterprise presents a typical view expressed by them:
まぁ・・・
各人それぞれ言いたい事はあろうかと思いますが、個人的な意見としては
死刑は必要な制度
だと思っております。
死刑廃止にして、受刑者を誰が面倒見るの？
税金で養ってやるの？？
その税金に被害者や遺族の税金も使われるって事だよね？
自分の愛する家族殺された挙句犯人の面倒もみなきゃいけないってどうかと思います。
それ以前に、死刑反対してる方々って命の尊厳云々を仰っての事だと思いますが、 犯人に殺された命はどのようにすれば報われるの？？
Well, i guess people have different things to say, but in my personal opinion,
the death penalty is a necessary system, I think.
If the death penalty were abolished, then who would take care of the imprisoned criminals?
Would they be fed by tax money?
This means that the money which the victim's family pays would be used as well, doesn't it?
Somebody kills his/her family, and then they are taken care of — I have to question this.
I guess those people who are agaist the death penalty oppose it based on the sanctity of life or whatever,
but then how will the life of the murdered person be requited??
Blogger Yakuni writes:
死刑に値するような罪を犯したのなら、減刑なしの無期懲役にして、７年や１５年で出てこられないばかりか、重労働を課して生きてることのほうが辛いと思わせるべきだ。罪を償うということはそういうことだ。死は単に魂の開放であることを知るべき。
Blogger retsureppu was one of the few bloggers who expressed a strong criticism agaist the death penalty:
ギロチン法相長勢は８／２３またまた３人の死刑を執行した。これでわずか１０ヶ月の在任期間中に１０人の死刑を執行したことになる。８／２７日の内閣改造で法相に再任される可能性がほとんど無いのに今回の死刑執行命令は「イタチのさいごっぺ」じゃあるまいし許せん。以前にも書いたと思うが死刑執行の現場に死刑の判決をした裁判官と死刑執行命令にサインした法相も立ち会うべきだ。１０人の死刑執行に立ち会って正常な精神でいられたら法相のそれなりの信念は認めても良い。死刑執行に立ち会う刑務所長で１０ヶ月に１０人もの死刑に立ち会った方はいないと思うが、多分精神に異常をきたすことだろう。絞首刑で死ぬまでには人にもよるが１０数分もかかりのたうち回るとのこと。立ち会った刑務官はその日は寝られないという話が以前読んだ死刑に関する本で読んだことがある。死刑は国家による残虐な殺人である。
While many bloggers discuss pros and cons of the death penalty, some bloggers also discuss other aspects of the system.
One blogger writes:
家は、東京拘置所の近くなのだが。。。
一昨日は、２人死刑執行されたようだ
ワンコなどの保護センターなどでは。。。
毒ガス室での安楽死のようだけれども
人間の場合は首つりの様で。。。
ボタンを押すと床が抜けるみたいだけれども
執行の為とは言え、ボタンを押す刑務官の方は
自らの手で人を殺してしまう事になってしまう。
どんな気持ちでボタンを押されるのかなぁ？と
一瞬考えてしまった。
Another blogger discusses the issue from both sides of the debate:
今週、法務大臣が3人の受刑者の死刑執行を言い渡した。これで、現法務大臣の任期中では合計10人の処刑を下したことになる。しかし、まだ死刑判決で執行の順番を待っている者は百数人ど言う。1993年以降、複数の者が法務大臣に任命されたが、だれも死刑執行命令に印鑑を打つものは居なかったと言う。
この課題は報知新聞ではあまり取り上げられないようだ。加害者が犯罪を起こした当時は、話題となり、毎日報道される。そして、殺人事件、特に残酷な事件では、誰でもが被告の死刑判決を望むであろう。しかし、その死刑が執行される時には、一人の人間として、同じ人類の「死」を望むものは居ないだろう。
This week, the justice minister ordered the execution of three inmates. The present justice minister has given permission for 10 executions in total during his appointed term. However, there are over 100 inmates who have been sentenced to death and are now waiting on death row. Since 1993, several individuals have been appointed justice minister, but no one stamped an order of execution.
It seems that this issue is never covered in the Hochi Shimbun. When a perpetrator commits a crime, it gets talked about and reported everyday. And, in murders, especially grim cases,  everyone hopes that the defendant will be sentenced to death. However, at the time when the death order is carried out, no one would hope for a “death” of a fellow human being, as an individual human.
そこで、いくつかの課題が浮かび上がる。「人間は相手を裁く権利があるだろうか？」「殺人犯罪者を死刑にすることは、同じく殺人を起こす事にはならないだろうか？」「残酷な形で人を殺した者は生き続ける権利があるだろうか？」「被害者の遺族の心の傷はどうなる？」「死刑で起こした罪の償いになるだろうか？」、と言うような課題である。
死刑に反対する者、又は、賛成する者はどの社会でも存在する。反対する者は対外そんな事件に対して、第三者の立場に居る者である。そして、いざとなって、自分の家族が被害者の立場に侵されたら、多分意見が変わると思う。一方、賛成者も、死刑執行の現場に立たされたら、多分意見が変わるであろう。何故かと言ったら、一人の「死」は相手の「死」で償えない、つまり、被害者の命を再び取り戻すことは不可能であるからである。
この課題は人類が生きている限り、永久に議論し続けられるであろう。そして、最終結論には到達しないであろう。
This poses a few issues. “Do humans have the right to judge others?” “Isn't punishing someone by death the same as committing a murder?” “Does an individual who killed a person in a brutal way have the right to continue living?” “What about the pain of the victim's family?” “Can the crime commited be compensated by capital punishment?” and other issues like these.
In any society, there exist both those people who oppose the death penalty and those who support it. Those who oppose it are usually people who are directly involved in the these cases. And then, when something happens and their own family is put in the victim's position, they I think they might change their opinion. On the other hand, people who are in favour [of the dealth penalty] probably would also change their opinion if they were forced to be where the execution takes place. This is because a person's death cannot be compensated by the death of his or her opponent: to put it another way, it is because it is impossible to bring the victim back to life.
As long as humankind exists, this issue will be discussed. It will also never reach a final conclusion.

author: Hanako Tokita


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Kuwait: The Blogging Monster · Global Voices
Abdullatif AlOmar

Are bloggers swimming against the tide? Are officials losing sleep over what is appearing online everyday? Should blogging be controlled? Or is controlling what appears on blogs another form of repression and another way of brushing corruption under the carpet?
Kuwaiti blogger AseeL, from bara7atmbarak (Mubarak's Square), introduces us to the blogging monster in this post (Ar), which discusses some of the questions raised above.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Abdullatif AlOmar


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Lebanon: Army Ends “Fateh el Islam” · Global Voices
Moussa Bashir

The siege of Nahr el Bared refugee camp is finally over. The Lebanese Army ended the warfare with the so called “Fateh el Islam” militants after 105 days by killing and capturing its remaining members. It is reported that among the dead is their leader Shaker el Absi. Thousands of Lebanese took to the streets, around the country and especially in the North, to celebrate the army’s victory. It should be noted that the original inhabitants of this refugee camp, around 30,000 Palestinian, were mostly evacuated during the early days of the siege. The militants/terrorists had taken refuge and built bases in the refugee camp before ambushing and killing a number of Lebanese soldiers. Details were mentioned in previous posts at Global Voices. The end of the clashes was the subject for many blog posts. Here are a few of them:
Harryzzz went to the North of Lebanon to check out the celebrations that were taking place in the streets near the camps. He posted many photos and mentioned the shootings taking place because of the jubilation:
And Lebanon wouldn't be Lebanon if many civilians didn't run around with their private Kalashnikovs. Sooooo much shooting going on. This time not because of war, but because of celebrations. Man, my ears still hurt from all this firing in the air. That, by the way, doesn't only proof that the mainly Sunni population in Tripoli knows how to throw a party, it also shows that Shi'a Lebanese aren't the only ones owning guns in this country.
Jamal’s Propaganda looks (sarcastically) at how opposing political parties will be using the army’s successful campaign to continue their “childish” bickering:
Finally, the military operations stage of the Naher El Bared ordeal is finally over. The politicians are all calling for uncovering the truth behind Fatah El Islam as they all think it will provide them with ammo against their foes. Of course, nothing will come out of these calls as we are in Lebanon where investigations are avoided because they endanger national unity. The only way we can find out who really was behind the funding and nurturing of Fatah El Islam is to resort to Maury Povich. Here I’m picturing Saad, 34, high-fiving the audience and being held back from Wiam, 40 some: “Told you @#$%^ I ain’t their @#$%^ sugar daddy, HO, HO, you @#%%# @$%#^ HO!!”
The army’s victory came at a heavy price according to Ibn Bint Jbeil, namely the death and destruction of the homes of thousands among other things. He also raises the question about who was behind this group which he calls “Fath el Shaytan” which is Arabic for “Fath of the devil”:
The victory of the Lebanese army over the thugs in the Nahr elBared Refugee camp is being celebrated as the most wonderful of victories, because it is seen as a victory that has united the Lebanese. It seems that this victory has brought to the Lebanese and to the Lebanese army a much need boost of confidence and pride. But at what price?
The Devastation of Nahr elBared can only be described as “shock and awe” that makes the hyper-militarist George Bush & Israeli Army look like schoolyard bullies. Some Lebanese would say that it is un-Lebanese or un-patriotic to complain about the destruction, that the army had to do what it had to do. While it was necessary to deal with Fath-el-Shaytan, it was not necessary to destroy the homes of thousands. It is peculiar that the army was cornered into this fight while the truth about the origins of Fath-el-Shaytan and their backers remains undisclosed.
Marxist from Lebanon has articles and updates about the last minutes of the conflict and about the organization of the leader of Fateh el Islam.
Blacksmiths of Lebanon posted two videos of the Nahr el Bared camp today and the celebrations in the streets.
The Nahr el Bared refugee camp will be rebuilt as promised by Prime Minister Fouad Saniora. But Abu Moqawama sees problems on the way to the rebuilding of the camp considering that part of it was built on private land:
The interesting thing now will be how — or if — they rebuild. First off, a lot of what is called “New” Nahr al-Bared was basically built on private land by squatters. Whenever things get destroyed in Lebanon, age-old property deeds start coming out. Abu Muqawama's guess is that none of that sprawl around the camp is getting rebuilt anytime soon.
The camp proper is another matter. Abu Muqawama wonders what's going to happen there. It's basically Stalingrad at the moment. Will the Lebanese government rebuild? If not them, who? Abu Muqawama is thinking of tens of thousands of homeless Palestinians at the moment — with the Lebanese winter three months away. Pity them.
SMS service on mobile phones was used to spread updates of the news as it happened according to Lebanon Update:
The SMS alerts were telling in this respect: first, on Sunday at 9:57 AM a message came through saying that the terrorists were escaping the camp. Later, at 5:27 PM, an SMS stated that the Lebanese army has taken full control of the camp…
And finally Body on the Line reviews what the international and local press had to say about the end of the hostilities.

author: Moussa Bashir


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Maldives: Inhumane Treatment of Migrant Workers · Global Voices
Nihan Zafar

The Maldivian government was able to prevent Bangladeshi migrant workers’ community in the capital Malé from holding a demonstration on Friday, by using the threat of deportation. The Bangladeshi community, consisting of mainly unskilled workers, was trying to protest against the rise of xenophobia in the Maldives, and increasing attacks targeted at Bangladeshis.
In August organized gangs in Malé repeatedly attacked some Bangladeshi workers in their living quarters while in the northern island of Kulhudhuffushi a male worker was castrated and brutally murdered. Police claim that the murder was sexually motivated and has arrested a fellow Bangladeshi worker of the victim. In two separate incidents two Bangladeshi workers were found chained in two houses in Malé. One of them was chained to a tree.
The Bangladeshi High Commissioner to Maldives was so alarmed by the developments that he cautioned that he might have to pull out Bangladeshi workers from the Maldives.
Malé, which is a small island of about two square kilometers, has a population of over 30,000 migrant workers. Most of them come from the neighbouring countries of Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh. Majority of them are unskilled workers, who find the wage of US$100 attractive enough to work in the Maldives. In most cases families back home are dependent on the income the workers earn.
The high population of Malé and the scarcity of land have created a high demand for housing. It has also made rent in Malé comparatively one of the highest in the world. A construction boom during the last 15 years had created a high demand for migrant workers.
While there are several foreign professional workers such as doctors, accountants and teachers, the increase in xenophobia is mainly directed towards unskilled workers. Recently there was a report of attacks against foreign workers in the country’s tourist resorts, self-contained islands where Europeans spend their holidays, ignorant of what happens in this ‘paradise’.
The increase in xenophobia could also be related to the rise in organized crime and the proliferation of gangs in Malé. A large percentage of youth in the Maldives are brown sugar addicts.
Apart from the rise of xenophobia, an issue of equal concern is how the foreign workers are treated by their employees. Normally migrant workers work long hours while they are offered a very low wage. In most cases, their accommodation is pathetic as well. It is hardly surprising as the Maldives does not have a labour law and even the Maldivian workers are not enjoying workers’ rights. There is no minimum wage.
The inhumane treatment of the foreign workers in Maldives had been documented in the past. However, the problems persist. The cruel treatment of South Asian migrant workers in the Persian Gulf region has been publicised by international human rights organisations. However, few people outside Maldives are aware that South Asian migrant workers are subjected to inhumane treatment in another South Asian country.
Blogger Jaa criticizes the Maldivian society for the increase in xenophobia and details the extent of the inhumane treatment of expatriate workers.
We (supposedly) once were a tolerant country, welcoming all sorts of people and treated them with due respect. But things have changed and for the worse. Notions of equality and humanity has been devalued to such an extent that xenophobia seems almost universal in the country and racism is building up like never before. As such, mistreatment of and disrespect for expats is a truth many are well aware of. People often treat the many unskilled/semi-skilled workers as “subhuman”. I might be tempted to go as far as summarising the prevalent attitude as being a combination of viewing workers as non-tiring machines, incapable and devoid of emotion and feelings and their lives worth no more than a pet cat! They are given accommodation in tiny enclosures made of tin roofing and little ventilation with more workers packed into such places than sardines in a box. They are harassed on the streets and harassed at work. Too many a time do you see workers beg and cry themselves wet over salaries unpaid. Sometimes months would go by without the employer paying the workers their full wage (if at all!) – which the workers often send to their starving families back in their home country. Few regulations keep employers in check – facilitating them to overwork their employers through day and night and give little consideration to the health and safety of the employees. What more, when their “official” work ends, the workers are often made run personal errands and chores for their employer – they really are slaves to the whims and desires of their “master”. I was shocked to find the word “owner” used in the popular local newspaper Haveeru, in reference to the employer of the recently murdered Bangladesh worker in Kulhudhuffushi! (Owner? Isn't that slave mentality??)
Threat of deportation was enough to coerce the Bangladeshi community from organizing their demonstration. It is not surprising as the government of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who has been the President of Maldives for over 28 years, utilizes similar tactics to silence even Maldivian demonstrators. However, beneath the silence the expatriate community, especially Bangladeshis, are still living in fear.

author: Nihan Zafar


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Mexico: Calderon Report Online · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

The Felipe Calderon presidency will complete one year at the beginning of December.  To mark the occasion, his office published a site with a report about the accomplishments of the first year in office.  Blog.com.mx [ES] writes, “I don't remember a document being available to the citizens like this before, or am I wrong?“

author: Eduardo Avila


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Peru: Pisco To Receive OLPC Laptops · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Desde El Tercer Piso [ES] is pleased with the announcement that the One Laptop Per Child project in Peru will be distributed as a priority to the rebuilt city of Pisco.


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Peru: Pisco Wins Awards · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Peru Food sings the praises of the national drink of Pisco, in which certain brands were recently awarded medals in European competitions.


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Romania: Rompetrol Takeover · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Transatlantic Politics posts an interview on “the recent takeover of the Romanian oil company Rompetrol by the Kazakh state company KazMunayGaz.”

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Russia: Ethinic Map of St. Pete · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Window on Euarasia writes on the production of a secret “ethnic” map of St. Petersburg.


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Russia: More on Ethnicity and Religion · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Window on Eurasia writes on ethnic relations in Moscow and the Russian media's coverage of ethnicity and religion.


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Russia: Orthodox View on Intermarriages · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Window on Eurasia writes that one Russian Orthodox cleric believes that intermarriages are “a form of genocide of the Russian people.”


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Russia: Ramzan Kadyrov’s Use of Islam · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Window on Eurasia writes about Ramzan Kadyrov's “pretensions to serve as a spokesman and defender for Chechens and Muslims throughout the Russian Federation.”


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Russia: RBN’s Cybercrime · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

The Economist's Edward Lucas writes about RBN (Russian Business Network), a St. Petersburg-based internet company that “hosts cybercriminals, ranging from spammers to phishers, bot-herders and all manner of other fraudsters and wrongdoers from the venal to the vicious.”


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St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Cuba: One Region  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Abeni reminds the Caribbean media that Cuba is part of the region too…

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Trinidad and Tobago: Port of Spain under water · Global Voices
Nicholas Laughlin

On the night of Friday 31 August/Saturday 1 September, 2007, “Tropical Depression Six” passed from the open Atlantic over the southern Caribbean, dumping heavy rain on the islands of Grenada, Tobago, and Trinidad. The result: flooding, landslides, trees blown down, and some damage to buildings. (On Friday Francomenz posted regular updates on the depression’s progress: 1, 2, 3.)
Blogger Attillah Springer of Four Fingers and a Thumb — who posts photos at Flickr under the name tillahwillah — was in Port of Spain (the capital of Trinidad and Tobago) very early on Saturday morning, and took a series of photos of the downtown area under several inches of water.
St. Vincent Street, Port of Spain, just outside the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago; before dawn, Saturday 1 September, 2007.
The southern side of Independence Square, Port of Spain; 1 September, 2007. Springer notes that this used to be called Marine Square — “maybe they should call it that again”.
“Caution, Work in Progress” reads this sign knocked over by floodwater; 1 September, 2007. Springer’s caption: “Yes, Port of Spain is a work in progress. Or regress?”
Later Saturday morning, the weather phenomenon was reclassified as a tropical storm, and on 2 September was upgraded to hurricane status. Hurricane Felix, the second hurricane of the 2007 season, having passed just north of the islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao, is now heading for Belize and Honduras.

author: Nicholas Laughlin


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Trinidad & Tobago: Devil’s Advocate  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Might we not see some serious citizen reporting this upcoming election season? Might some ordinary person not happen to capture some priceless image or bit of footage on a cell phone camera that the jaded media practitioners have missed?” asks Caribbean Free Radio as she plays the (optimistic) devil's advocate.


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Trinidad & Tobago: Geographically Swapped?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

This Beach Called Life is surprised that the islands of Trinidad and Tobago have been geographically repositioned, courtesy “the high-paid map designer at an international news agency.”


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Afghanistan: CNN Youtube debate · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

Afghanistanica is unhappy that out of the 1,400 questions collected for the presidential CNN-Youtube debate, only two deal with Afghanistan. He asks his readers to help him change this dismal record.

author: Ben Paarmann


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Afghanistan: Herat · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

Safrang is in Herat and writes down four reasons why he loves this Western Afghan city.


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Armenia: School year starts · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

Observer reports of the new academic year starting in Armenia. There are less children starting school each year, but there are still traffic jams around schools because of proud parents driving their kids to school.


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Armenia: World Bank corruption update · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

Onnik Krikorian finds it scandalous that the World Bank's own watchdog “Department of Institutional Integrity” has not yet sent an investigation commission to Armenia following serious allegations of corruption in the Bank's public utility lending.


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Bahamas: Education Reform?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Surely society should expect no less than school leavers who can read, write, and have a basic grasp of maths.” Rick Lowe at WeblogBahamas.com is concerned about the island's education system.


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Bahrain: Meet more bloggers! · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

On 1st September Bahraini bloggers held their monthly get-together, but this time with a new time and day, and a change of venue. There were nine people present, some of whom were introduced in the report of the last meeting: Mahmood, H., Butterfly, Tariq Khonji, and Bint Battuta (that's me). But there are four more bloggers you should be introduced to, two of them attending a meeting for the first time.
Ammar first had a website in 1996, which had information about Bahrain, and pictures of friends. He then started a blog at MySpace, where he posted jokes and ‘random things’. He wasn't satisfied with that, so in 2006 he began blogging about more serious issues on his current blog. Having been away from Bahrain, when he came back in 2007 he became more involved in blogging, especially when he saw what was going on with other Bahraini blogs. Ammar writes frequently, and keeps things quite general and not too political. However he cares about the state of Bahraini society, and the way that rapid developments are changing it, so he often has posts that offer advice to people for particular problems (such as getting out of debt). He has some pages on his blog dedicated to life in the eighties and nineties that he recommends people check out.
Redha Haji, or Concerned Citizen X, says that in Bahrain there are a lot of issues bothering him that ultimately he has no say in. He thinks decisions are being made by the few for the masses. Therefore although his real name is on his blog, and he is not hiding his identity, he chose the title Concerned Citizen X as a symbolic protest against the average person's inability to speak and be heard, and against taboos in the political arena. He doesn't believe in belittling or insulting people; he just believes he should be able to participate more in the political process.
Redha wanted to start a blog three years ago, but didn't have the courage at that point, because of what he wanted to say. Eventually he realised he didn't have to express everything that was on his mind, and started his blog in April of this year. He didn't want to attract attention to himself, so was planning to avoid writing about politics, but he says he has now learned to write in a controlled manner, so covers political matters amongst other things. His main purpose in blogging is to get things off his chest – whether people read it or not. His blog also has another purpose; Redha would like to write a book one day, and is ‘finetuning’ his thoughts through blogging.
Mohammed AlMaskati writes at emoodz.com, the name referring to ‘electronic moods’. He started blogging two years ago, and initially had two blogs, one in English and one in Arabic, but recently he combined them. He writes mainly about politics; previously he wrote more about international matters, but now he covers more Bahraini issues, because he feels Bahrainis have developed a kind of ‘acceptance’ and need to be provoked. He writes a lot in Arabic, because he is discussing local politics and addressing Bahrainis rather than anyone else. If he writes about more general Bahraini subjects then he does so in English. Mohammed ran a weekly series of podcasts some months ago, and intends to start making them again soon.
Yagoob (Yacoub) started his blog, Yagoob's Dome, in April 2007, at the suggestion of a friend. The name Yagoob's Dome is a play on words: in the local dialect of Arabic the word دبة (dabba) means ‘belly’, and if you change one letter you get قبة (qubba) which means ‘dome’. For Yagoob the first image refers to his thoughts and his humour, and the second with its religious reference indicates that his blog is a place where he can talk about more serious matters. He writes in English, because he has friends and family in the UK and US, and he also wants a wider audience to know about Bahrain. He hopes that with his blog he can help destroy people's misconceptions and prejudices about the country.
Coincidentally the day of the meeting was also my birthday, and a surprise was in store for me…
So it was a very special day for me – thanks to Bahrain's great bunch of bloggers!

author: Ayesha Saldanha


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Bahrain: South African Film Maker Jailed · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Busac from Bahrain writes about the terrifying experience of a South African film maker, who recruited in Bahrain, duped out of her equipment, jailed and later on deported in this post.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Bangladesh: Ex-Prime Ministers behind bars · Global Voices
Rezwan

People say that there is never a dull day in Bangladesh politics. Today (September 3, 2007)early in the morning the military-backed (care-taker) interim government in Bangladesh had arrested former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia on corruption charges. His son was also arrested on the same charge. Or How I Learned To Stop Worrying has detailed timeline of the events leading to her arrest. It was surprisingly a televised event as the news of the arrest was leaked and the media people were trailing the security forces convoy rolling to her house.
Earlier in midnight a case was filed against her where she was accused of favoring her son misusing her power by awarding contracts to a local company, when she was in power. Her elder son is already behind bars and also facing corruption charges. She will share a makeshift detention center in the parliament compound with her longtime political rival another ex Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina who was also detained on charges of corruption.
Dozens of high profile Bangladeshi politicians and businessmen are behind the bar because of the governments ongoing battle against corruption and cleansing of the politics in Bangladesh. Bangladesh is under a state of emergency since January 11, 2007, when this interim government was formed.
The Bangladeshi blogosphere has mixed feelings over this issue. Shafiur of imperfect|world|2007 is delighted to hear this news and is distributing misti (sweets) on the net.
She and her son Koko have not been upfront about their various financial activities, and so it is hoped they will be helped to become more transparent in special quarters set aside for them.
People were discussing since the arrest of Sheikh Hasina about one and a half months ago why no charges were being brought against Khaleda Zia. There are also speculations that a certain quarter is trying to get rid of these political icons and use the space to clinch power. The Voice of Bangladeshi Bloggers comments:
Finally, the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, the mother of all corruption, has been arrested by the army backed care taker government. They're now trying to balance their action by arresting Khaleda Zia.
Khaleda Zia told in an exclusive interview with bdnews24.com hours before the arrest:
“I'm not afraid of arrest. People are with me. The case against me is false.”
Dhaka blog comments on Khaleda Zia's remarks:
I just don't like politicians from every party crying out “the cases against me are false” and “conspiracy” every time they suffer political intimidation. If there were really these many “conspiracies” in Bangladesh, our GDP would have shot up a bit more!
But the question still remains whether this will pave the way towards restoring democracy in Bangladesh. Rumi writes in Drishtipat Blog ironically:
A significant number of people have been blaming two main political leaders for all the vice of Bangladesh. Now as both the causes of the all the evil are effectively contained in jail cells, so a sun of eternal lasting peace is supposed to rise in the horizon today. People should start living in immense joy, peace and happiness. No more there should be any chaos, corruption, poverty, lawlessness, hunger, crime in this country. There would be everlasting peace.
People commenting on this post also had mixed reactions. While some were gleeful and lauded the government one questioned:
Interesting to see that we, Bangladeshis, judge situation by heart; not by brain. None of the allegations are proved against KZ or SH, though some bloggers are ready to hang them till death!
The country is suffering from high inflation and recent unrest after riot broke out with students and police over withdrawing an army camp from a university campus led to declaration of curfew. The care-taker government promised holding of election by end of 2008 after completing a massive new voter ID project.

author: Rezwan


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Barbados: Fire! Fire!   · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Barbados Underground reports on a major fire at a manufacturing plant.


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Bolivia: Government Minister Questions US Aid · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

The Minister of the Presidency, Juan Ramón Quintana publicly questioned the nature of aid provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). In addition, the accusations portray some of the non-governmental organizations and their staff, which receives funds from USAID, as destabilizers of the government and others as traitors to the country. Quintana went as far as providing names of those accused of receiving these funds for ulterior purposes. This caused some bloggers to come to the defense of those singled out by the minister, while others investigated the background of the minister, who made these public accusations.
One of those named was Carlos Hugo Molina, former Prefect of Santa Cruz. He happens to have his own blog called Ágora [ES], where he took the opportunity to address the minister. The comments sections demonstrates the support that he has from the blogger community. He recently also addressed the Bloguivianos blogger conference [ES].
El Ministro de la Presidencia, con Cédula de identidad: 2663228 L.P., nacido el 3 de diciembre de 1959, en la ciudad de Cochabamba – Bolivia, ha tenido a bien, junto con otros ciudadanos bolivianos, mi hermano Roberto Barbery Anaya entre otros, de calificarme de “vendepatria”.
Muchas gracias. Me ha permitido reencontrarme con muchos amigos y amigas que no sabía de su existencia hace algunos años. Y de abrazarme con los de siempre.
Carlos Hugo Molina, ciudadano en ejercicio.
The Minister of the Presidency, with the I.D. card: 2663228 L.P. born December 3, 1959, in the city of Cochabamba – Bolivia, labeled me, along with other Bolivian citizens, such as my brother Roberto Barbery Anaya among others, as a “traitor.” Thank you. This has allowed me to be reunited with many friends, many of which I have not heard from for many years and hug those that have been with me always. Carlos Hugo Molina, active citizen.
In response to the minister's claims, Rosa Jiménez Cano wonders [ES]:
¿Por qué cuándo alguien reclama algo mejor para su país y lo critica abiertamente lo tachan de vende-patrias?
Why is it when someone fights for something better for one's country that they criticize them and label them as traitors?
Miguel Centellas of Pronto*, a political science professor, takes a look at the claim of Quintana and how it might compare with the aid provided by other countries.
A day after a regionalist opposition-led strike, Bolivia’s government shot back. It has frequently attacked the opposition for its ties to the US & other international NGOs (such ties do exist, of course), specifically singling out the US for its “political” aid. Of course, isn’t all aid “political”? Or does Venezuela’s millions in military & other aid not serve a “political” purpose? But today’s attacks resembled a witch hunt.
Many NGOs receive their funding from abroad and some bloggers wonder why the U.S. was singled out. In fact, some took a look at Minister Quintana's resume that has been posted on the government's website and found that he has linked with foreign NGOs. Rubens Barbery of the blog Metafora [ES] writes:
Sorprende el cinismo del Ministro de la Presidencia Quintana al acusar a instituciones como desestabilizadores de la democracia por el hecho de trabajar con la “cooperación imperialista” en proyectos de desarrollo, siendo él, fundador y principal responsable del “Observatorio de Democracia y Seguridad”, institución que recibe financiamiento de la Cooperación Inglesa (interesante criterio para definir que cooperación es o no es “imperialista”).
I am surprised at the cynicism of the Minister of the Presidency Quintana to accuse institutions of being destabilizers of democracy only for the fact of working with “imperialist cooperation” in development projects, because he, as founder and the one responsible for “the Democracy and Security Observatory”, which is an institution that receives funding from the English Cooperation (it would be interesting to find out what defines aid as “imperialist” or not).
Finally, Centellas reacts to an editorial that delves deeper into the minister's past and publishes his post titled, “Who is Juan Ramon Quintana?”
Juan Ramón Quintana himself once participated in the Banzer regime (he was aide to Fernado Keiffer, Banzer’s defense minister). None of this is secret; you can view his online vita. Like many other Bolivian social scientists, his work ties him to such NGOs as USAID, ILDIS, PIEB, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, and others. What was that about people in glass houses?


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Cambodia: Garbage Pickers of West Bank and Phnom Penh · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Global Voices author Geoffery Cain compares a New York Times report on garbage pickers of West Bank with his research in a garbage dump in Cambodian capital Phnom Penh. Geoffery finds government apathy in both the places.

author: Preetam Rai


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Chile: Troops to Darfur · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

“If the government has declared that it wants to position Chile as a country worried about human rights, then sending troops to Darfur would be an action more revealing than entering into the International Crimes Tribunal or winning a seat on the Human Rights Council of the UN,” writes El Archivo Mera [ES] in response to the possibility of Chilean troops joining a “peacemaking” force in the Sudan.


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China: Getting Lazy in Blogday · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Yee tried to explain why bloggers in China, Taiwan and Hongkong seemed to be lazy to celebrate blogday 2007.

author: Oiwan Lam


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China: Internet Censorship Goes Crazy · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

William Long reports on the situation of Internet censorship before the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.


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China: Model Worker Award (English Division) · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

DANWEI's editors have chosen a list of model workers (websites) which provide and translate  most significant news, comments and informations on China.


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D. R. of Congo: Trouble in the Kivus · Global Voices
Fred

This month's round-up from the Democratic Republic of Congo will focus on bloggers in North and South Kivu. Bordering Rwanda and Burundi, these two provinces represent the troubled epicenter of Central Africa’s picturesque Great Lakes region.
For many months now, tension has been inexorably rising, as a dissident general named Laurent Nkunda has refused to integrate his forces into the national army and prepared for war instead. He has positioned himself as the protector of a Tutsi minority threatened by the continued presence of a large group of Rwandan Hutu rebels (the FDLR/Interahamwe, many of whom were implicated in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda). Until now, the Congolese army has lacked the resolve and the capacity to take on either group militarily. But clashes have begun, leading to emergency talks between Rwanda and the D R Congo.
On 3 September, Stood in the Congo reported that Nkunda was destroying local power and communication facilities (possibly his people have an independent radio network):
Last night General Nkunda's men destroyed all communication antennas for radios and mobile phones in the Rutshuru and Bunagana area. They also destroyed the hydro-electric station at Rutshuru, taking out the electricity. The towns of Kiwanja and Rutshuru are now cut off from the outside world.
Unfortunately, the rebels have also attacked a rangers’ patrol post in Virunga National Park, taking control of the area, which straddles the border with Rwanda and Uganda.
All three armed groups have long indulged in a variety of criminal pursuits at the expense of the local population, ranging from rape and pillage to trafficking minerals and contraband, including cannabis: (Debout Congolais [Fr] reveals how the FDLR encourages cannabis cultivation by pillaging all the other crops, and both rebels and national army soldiers are involved in trading cannabis for cash or livestock.)
As Cedric Kalonji [Fr]asks :
Plus de dix ans depuis que le Congo a plongé dans une sanglante guerre. Les innocentes victimes se comptent par millions. La plupart de ceux qui ont fait cette guerre jouissent aujourd’hui d’une totale impunité et ont même été récompensés… Où va le Congo mon pays ? Toutes ces tueries s’arrêteront-elles un jour ?
It's than ten years since the Congo was plunged into a bloody war. The innocent victims numbered in the millions. Most of those who fought enjoy today a total impunity and have even been rewarded… Where is the Congo, my country, going? Will all these killings stop one day?
In July, South Kivu mourned the assassination of Serge Maheshe, a reporter for UN-backed Radio Okapi. Now, to make matters worse, a military court in Bukavu has convicted two of his friends of the murder. The author of Kivu Express [Fr] worked with one of them and is plainly convinced of his innocence:
Je ne pourrai jamais croire à sa culpabilité dans cette affaire… La version des faits présentée en cour semble tellement improbable et sans preuves réelles que tout le procès apparaît comme une véritable mascarade. Il semble qu’on veuille trouver rapidement des coupables pour ne pas pointer du doigt les vrais responsables de ce drame.
The troubles of the Kivus seem not to be over for the time being. After a slow build-up, events could unfold rapidly now, with an immediate and long-term impact on politics and livelihoods across the Great Lakes region.

author: Fred


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Dominica: Rebuilding After Dean  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Living Dominica is inspired to see the island rebuilding after Hurricane Dean.


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D.R of Congo: Knowing the password will keep you alive · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

According to Stood in the Congo, the situation is getting worse in the D.R of Congo: “Yes, I am sorry Mother, but that does mean that I am now back in Rumangabo. Where each man must know the secret password if he wants to wake up the next morning. Just so that you know, last night the password was fish, with the response being clean.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Dubai: Smoking Ban Won’t Work · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

A smoking ban will soon be implemented in Dubai – but Seabee doesn't think it will work.


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El Salvador: Views About Hurricane Felix · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

From El Salvador, Hunnapuh [ES] gives its assessment of the impending arrival of Hurricane Felix.


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Estonia: Marju Lauristin’s Piece · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Itching for Eestimaa translates and comments on an opinion piece about Estonia's Russians by a Tartu professor Marju Lauristin.


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Estonia: Nashi-in-Estonia Interview · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Itching for Eestimaa translates an interview with a “Nashi-in-Estonia Kommisar.”


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Estonia: Setumaa; Kevade · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Itching for Eestimaa visits the border region of Setumaa and watches Kevade, a 1969 Estonian film.


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Gambia: Islamic revival among Diaspora Gambians · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Ginny's reaction to an article about Islamic revival among Diaspora Gambians: “And the insinuation was somehow made that Gambians were not religious before, and now, all of a sudden, they are starting to be. And of course, the words “terrorism” and “jihaidst” were thrown in for good measure.”


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Guatemala: How to Act When Witnessing a Crime · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Luis Figueroa of Carpe Diem [ES] describes a crime that he witnessed in Guatemala City and asks “what should one do when one sees a criminal act?“


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Guatemala: Lack of Creativity in Campaigns · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Julio Serrano of Guate 360 [ES] finds very little creativity in the campaign strategies of Guatemalan candidates and lists examples of the recycled attempts.


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Honduras: Hurricane Felix Creates a Blogstorm · Global Voices
Aaron Ortiz

Image by Fecke and used under a Creative Commons license.
A storm of blog entries has appeared as Hurricane Felix approaches the Nicaraguan shore. The most recent computer models show Felix hitting the north shore of Nicaragua, its eye moving inland across the mountainous north of Honduras.
Fearful of disaster, the Honduran government evacuated tourists from Roatan, in the Bay Islands, which this morning seemed to be the likeliest target of the hurricane's wrath. Natalie Grace, of Travel Blog , reports on Felix:
The powerful, Category 4 storm spurred Grupo Taca Airlines to provide special free flights to the mainland. Planes were quickly touching down and taking off again to scoop up more tourists. Some 1,000 people were evacuated from the Honduran island of Roatan, popular for its pristine reefs and diving resorts. Another 1,000 were removed from low-lying coastal areas and smaller islands.
The last major hurricane to make landfall in Honduras was Mitch in 1998. An enormous category 5 storm, Mitch parked itself mercilessly over Guanaja for 3 entire days. Miraculously only 10 people died on the island. Nevertheless the images of devastation in the island were terrible. All the trees were stripped of branches and leaves, leaving only bare trunks, like silent totems.
After leaving Guanaja, Mitch raced inland where more than seven thousand people were killed in flash floods and mudslides. Honduras had never experienced a hurricane so far inland. Since Mitch had been so close to Honduras for almost a week, the ground was already saturated with water. No one in living memory could remember a Hurricane striking as far inland as Tegucigalpa, for instance.
Katherine Marrow, who lives in a relatively safe mountain town, wrote about Felix in her blog, Life in Honduras :
Yes …. there is a hurricane heading to Honduras….and yes…I am in Honduras!! Good news is that it will most likely miss us here. Siguatepeque is right in the centre of Honduras and the safest place to be as it is so central and in the mountains. We are expecting it to be a bit windy(!?) with heavy rains, flooded roads, mudslides etc. But nothing as dramatic as the coast is going to be.
La gringa, of La Gringa's Blogicito, says in her blog, “We are taking Felix seriously now.” She tells her readers: “Believe me, opening my email and reading about ‘catastrophic’ hurricanes every few hours is more than a little disconcerting − especially for someone who has never been anywhere near a hurricane before.” She adds some comforting words “don't assume the worst if you can't get through” because everyone will be trying to call friends and relatives at once.
Trish, of Sowers for Pastors currently is hosting a mission team, that given their remote location in the mountains of Honduras, might become stranded by mudslides and poor road conditions. She says:
Our greatest concern is that the roads between us and the major cities may be significantly damaged, through road washouts, landslides, floods, and destroyed bridges. If the infrastructure of Honduras is severely damaged, this will certainly affect us.
In an earlier post, she reminisced of her time in Guanaja when that island was recovering after the ravages of Hurricane Mitch. “The island of Guanaja, and the people there, will always be close to our hearts.”, she wrote.
Bob Barbanes, who writes in Helicopter Pilot, moved back to the United States after living and flying his helicopter for a while in the Bay Islands. He details some of Mitch's antics, and volunteers to help in the aftermath. “And if you folks need a helicopter pilot after the storm passes, I'm ready to come back and help.” he wrote.
By the way, who would name a storm Felix? Felix means “happy” in Latin. My fingers clamp when I type its name, wanting to spell “Feliz” instead.
For my fellow Hondurans, please be safe and prepare. Hopefully this storm will quickly pass, and no lives will be lost.

author: Aaron Ortiz


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India: The IT Sector · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Gaurav comments on the high attrition rates in the IT industry in India, and why the sector needs to innovate.

author: Neha Viswanathan


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Iran:Reading “The Dispossessed” · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Freekeyboard says [Fa]when you leave Iran,you can enjoy visting bookstores and reading many books that you can not find them in Iran.The blogger says he found,”The Dispossessed” in Dubai.The book is a science fiction, written by Ursula le Guin.

author: Fred Petrossian


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It’s time for non-Western IMF leadership · Global Voices
Jennifer Brea

Convention Pour Une Nouvelle Guadeloupe criticizes the probable selection of a European (Fr) as the next head of the IMF, writing that it's time for someone from Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean or Africa to take the helm; global governance needs to be reformed so that it “takes into account the interests of all the civilizations that compose it.”

author: Jennifer Brea


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Jamaica: Election “too close to call”? · Global Voices
Nicholas Laughlin

Jamaicans went to the polls yesterday in a general election remarkable for its long campaign season — seven weeks, further prolonged by the untimely intervention of Hurricane Dean. For most of that time, opinion polls showed the governing party, the People's National Party (PNP), under Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller, running neck-and-neck with the opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), under Bruce Golding. But in the final days before the election, polls showed the JLP nudging ahead.
At stake were the sixty seats in Jamaica's House of Representatives. MPs are elected by the first-past-the-post system, and the party with a majority forms the government, with the party leader appointed prime minister.
Elections in Jamaica have historically been marked by violence. On Monday 2 September, as polling stations opened across the island, many citizens — bloggers included — were anxious. “Finally the day is upon us and I am so happy it is coming and going,” wrote Jamaican Lifestyle. “Please pray for peace on election day.” “I was hoping I wouldn't be in Jamaica for elections, I wanted to be somewhere else,” said Stunner's Afflictions. Meanwhile, Yamfoot took a look into her political crystal ball and suggested three plausible results.
As the day unfolded, the Jamaican Elections 2007 Blog, set up by the Jamaica Gleaner, posted news from polling stations across the island: an early start to voting in Manchester, long lines in St. Andrew, reports of a stolen ballot box in St. Ann. Jamaica Elections also posted a video interview with Danville Walker, the country's senior elections official, and examined the contents of the “goody bags” distributed to the press by the JLP at its media centre in Kingston.
As polls closed and the counting began, Jamaica Elections posted regular updates on the results. The first seat called was the constituency of North West St. Andrew, where JLP candidate Derrick Smith won nearly 60 per cent of the votes. As results were declared seat by seat, it was clear neither party had won by a landslide. “PNP and JLP all square: eight seats left” ran one stark post late last night.
But when the final ballots were counted, it was the JLP that had emerged with the slimmest of majorities: 31 seats to the PNP's 29. Jamaican Lifestyle gave a full breakdown of the new House of Representatives, but noted that Prime Minister Simpson-Miller “has not conceded victory”. With razor-thin majorities in several key constituencies, recounts were scheduled for today. “This is where politics gets really interesting,” wrote johnbret at his MySpace blog. He went on to offer a detailed analysis of the parties’ campaigns.
Simpson-Miller's refusal to concede defeat, and her comments about possible voting irregularities, irked hetairai. “Instead [of] awaiting the recount, our lovely Prime Minister is stirring s***,” she wrote, in a strongly worded post. “Really, is this the time?” Yamfoot, on the other hand, wanted to know what happened to the JLP landslide party leader Bruce Golding had predicted. “This is the first of the many promises that will not materialize.”
Jamaica House, pleased with the results, said they showed Jamaicans wanted a change, which Simpson-Miller did not seem to offer.
I, like many other Jamaicans placed all of our hopes for a brighter and better Jamaica on her and we were let down which is why people started looking at Mr. Golding. It was ironic that she was the embodiment of change for our country but the message from her campaign was “not change course.”
Bloggers elsewhere in the Caribbean were also keeping an eye on events in Jamaica. From Barbados, Notes from the Margin commented:
While legally there may be no constitutional crisis, in a country that is famous for electoral violence, Mrs. Simpson Miller’s refusal to concede could have the potential to lead to civil instability in Jamaica.
And Caribbean Lionesse thought the situation was “Not good. Not good at all. A result this close can only bring more political tension.” Later she noted the fact that Golding was seen as the prime ministerial candidate of Jamaica's elite, while Simpson-Miller was always portrayed as a grassroots woman of the people:
Call me shadist, I have an issue with people like Golding and those who support him so fanatically. We in the Caribbean too love our great half-white hopes – those men born of high colour and purportedly high birth, who went to the right schools and were raised in the right communities and think they are entitled to power.
With the recount underway and the JLP already celebrating victory, Jamaica Elections asked its readers, “Is Jamaica changing course?” Among the comments left in response:
Portia has done nothing to make Jamaica any better …. Give Bruce his chance….
The closeness of the election in both seat count and popular votes, shows a country split right down the middle….
As a jamaican living in connecticut and watch the economic situation in jamaica, I think that it is time to “try a new ting” with Bruce….
Now its time to work…. to get our nation back to prominence and prosperity. It is also time for this new JLP government to unit ALL Jamaicans across party-lines and across indeference….


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Japan and China: Smog  · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

JP from Japundit discusses the problem of smog in Japan in relation to China: Though China is suspected as the source of the smog, there is no accurate measurement of what percent of Japanese air pollution comes from the continent and how much is home-generated.


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Japan: Salaryman Quiz · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Englishman invites you to guess which one of the salarymen in the photo is dead. It is a difficult question as everyone would look the same after a 20-hours working day…


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Kazakhstan: Political soap opera · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

KZBlog has the latest developments in Kazakhstan's political soap opera, including new rumours why president Nazarbayev rushed to change key personnel and the fate of his son-in-law.


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Kenya: Blogging the Kenyan Parliament · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

An eye of the Kenyan Parliament: “During the week, election fever continued to paralyze Parliament sessions with questions being dropped for lack of MPs to float them and ministers to respond. For instance on Wednesday August 29, 2007, during the morning session, no question listed in the Order Paper was tackled as either the questioners were absent or ministers.”


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Kyrgyzstan: Music · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

Mirsulzhan takes his readers on a tour of Kyrgyz-language music videos (KYR).


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Latvia: Economic Problems · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Latvian Abroad argues – here and here – that it is unlikely that Latvia would experience an economic crisis similar to the one in East Asia a decade ago.


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Latvia, Russia: Language Issue · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Marginalia writes on the “language issue” in Latvia – and in Russia: “Over at the corner store, after years of learning to shop in Russian, I finally asked whether the cashier ever planned to learn the word for milk in Latvian (it being emblazoned in large letters on every carton in the cooler). No — that would be diskriminatsiya, she said.”


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Latvia: Snapshots of Everyday Life · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Latvian Abroad links to snapshots of everyday life in Latvia – now and 20 years ago.


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Macau: Gone with Development · Global Voices
Leonard Chien

The world's largest casino, $2.4 billion Venetian Macau Resort, opened on August 28th.  Along with numerous development projects, Macao is just like a huge construction site now.  Some people are worried that natural and cultural beauty will be sacrificed for the sake of urban development.  Manfaiw laments(zh): “In the future, the prospect of Macau will be limited by casinos’ neon lights, … Macau has become a place for working, but not for living.  Our home is not home anymore.”

author: Leonard Chien


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Malaysia: Former Prime Minister Undergoing Heart Surgery · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

MarinaM, the daughter of former Malaysian prime minister Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad has an update on her father's condition. Dr. Mahatir is undergoing heart surgery in Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur.


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Moroccan Kitchen Launched · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Moroccan chefs Samira and Sabah have started a new blog – Moroccan Kitchen, in which they provide recipes for Moroccan cuisine.


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Nepal: Blasts in Kathmandu · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Kathmandu is hit by bomb blasts. United We Blog! has more on the tragedy.


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Niger: Civilians targeted by government forces, says rebel group · Global Voices
Jennifer Brea

The blog of Mouvement des Nigeriens pour la justice, a tuareg rebel group in Niger, writes that the retreating government army killed several civilians (Fr) during a recent fight.  MNJ calls the government's actions “vengeance upon the innocent.”


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Nigeria: Investing in mobile Internet access · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Yomi writes about investing in mobile Internet access in Nigeria: “I can tell you from years of experience that investing in mobile internet access here in Nigeria can be a very expensive adventure. The infrastructure is so fragile that their are issues almost in whatever direction one turns.”


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Pakistan: Getting used to it all · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Metroblogging Islamabad on what appeared to be not too much movement or panic because of the blasts in Rawalpindi.


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Pakistan: War and Extremists · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

All Things Pakistan reflects on the recent bomb blasts in Rawalpindi, commenting that the country is at war with extremists.


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Peru: Who is the Most Powerful in Peru? · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Juan Sheput of Mate Pastor [ES] takes a look at the latest survey that ranks Peruvians of different fields in terms of who holds the most power.

author: Eduardo Avila


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Philippines: An Encounter with Scientology · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Lauren blogs about her close encounter with the Church of Scientology.


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Philippines: Better English Compared to the Indians · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

The Perpetual Malcontent disputes the statement of the officer-in-charge of the Philippines National Economic and Development Authority that Indians are better English speakers compared to the Filipinos.


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South Africa: Bigotry of women’s groups · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

J.S reacts to the statement by the spokesperson for the Commission on Gender Equity in South Africa about men being out of control: “The thing that got me was this blatant attack on men in general. I am sick of these bigoted men-hating women’s groups that feel that every single little thing that goes wrong is due to men.”


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St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Jamaica: Two Prime Ministers · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Blogging from St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Abeni compares her ailing Prime Minister with Jamaica's Portia Simpson-Miller: “They say the mark of a man or woman is the way they deal with adversity.”


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Tanzania: Musician to play as himself in Bongoland II · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Latest information for the blog covering the making of the film, Bongoland II: “One of the upcoming young musician from Tanzania popularly known as Bushoke will play as himself in the upcoming movie Bongoland II.”


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Thailand: the first victim of the Computer Crime Act · Global Voices
sami ben gharbia

It seems that the Thai authorities have used the recently passed Computer Crime Act to arrest two Thais for alleged offensive comments posted on the Internet about the country’s revered monarch. “At least one person being detained in Bangkok Remand Prison for crimes against the new Computer Crime Act which came into effect on July 18, 2007,” Prachatai reported today.

author: sami ben gharbia


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The Baltics: KGB Documents Online · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

For those interested in “the darkest pages of the history of the Soviet occupation of the Baltic states,” some of the relevant KGB documents are now available online, Lituanica reports.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Trinidad & Tobago: Wedding Tradition  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Thebookmann examines a Trinidad and Tobago tradition: “As long as people get married in Port-of-Spain and environs, there is the mandatory stop at the Botanical Gardens.”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Tunisia: Fish Museum a Let Down · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Subzero Blue from Tunisia visits the Aquarium in Carthage and writes: “I was expecting a really cool aquarium, but I was somewhat let down, as it turned out to be pretty mediocre.”


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Tunisian society “drifting toward the extremes” · Global Voices
Jennifer Brea

Mouwaten Tounsi (Fr) reads two articles, one on a man who married his wife, twice, and took a second in a religious marriage, the another, the popularity of hymenoplasty, and concludes Tunisian society is “drifting toward the extremes” and is in the process of “losing its moderate middle class.”


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Ukraine: The Way We Dress · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Natalia Antonova writes about one “young, seemingly sane, New York intellectual” who seemed deeply traumatized by the way Ukrainian women dress.


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Uruguay: Election Watch Two Years Out · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

With approximately two years before the elections in Uruguay, a new blog called Elecciones Uruguayas 2009 [ES] has been opened to gather answers and opinions from readers.  The blog will be updated weekly.


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Uzbekistan: Arsenal shareholder · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

Craig Murray is willing to testify in front of the Premier League to block a rich Uzbek investor from buying himself into Arsenal FC. Meanwhile, Jamiyat says that the children of the businessman are among Russia's richest heirs.

author: Ben Paarmann


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Uzbekistan: Not much has changed · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

Jamiyat finds that after sixteen years of independence, things in Uzbekistan are very similar to the final days of the USSR.


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Uzbekistan: Samarkand anniversary · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

Central Asian Borders writes about the former Silk Road capital Samarkand's 2750th anniversary. Uzbek president Karimov came on a visit, and his entourage made sure that every major street was blocked for the event, causing lots of hassle for the inhabitants.


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Yemen: Fires and Flares · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Omar Barsawad from Yemen writes about two types of fires – the one in Greece and flaring.


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Zimbabwe: Dusty empty shelves · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Dennis wanted to buy only a few bottles of water: “However following the recent price controls basic commodities have disappeared from supermarkets leaving the staff with nothing to do except dust and clean the shelves.”


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Serbia: Women’s Beauty · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Belgrade 2.0 writes about the beauty of the majority of Serbian women – a stereotype, perhaps, but a good one.


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Anguilla: The Impact of Blogging    · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Corruption-free Anguilla rates the usefulness of his blog by measuring how it has (and has not) influenced change.


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Arabeyes: Countdown to Ramadhan · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Ramadhan is a holy month in the Muslim calendar and it is celebrated in all Muslim countries, culminating with a feast or Eid after four weeks of fasting. Muslims are expected to stop eating and drinking, as well as refrain from sex and any ‘impure’ thoughts, from sunrise to sunset during this month.
How are bloggers preparing for this month?
Jordan:
In Jordan, Naseem Tarawnah  takes a look at  the sanctity of Ramadhan, after reading a news article about the banning of the sale of liquor in bars, liquor stores, nightclubs and restaurants during the Holy Month and the closure of restaurants and coffee shops during the day in his country.
“By the way, I don’t have a particular stance on the issue. Obviously I’d prefer to see this kind of stuff restricted to some extent but I’m a realistic person and I know that will never happen. Which is why I could care less if they close them or open them. Because I also know that Ramadan will be full of alcohol consumption, as Arabs (not tourists) scour the city in search of a drop to drink. The reality is that most people who drink in Jordan are in fact Jordanians and would by any other definition be considered drunks if not borderline-alcoholics. The ‘casual drink’ is non-existent. Liquor cabinets are probably being filled.
As for Ramadan, well what can I say…
Nothing is sacred anymore.
That doesn’t surprise me,” he notes.
Morocco:
Lady Macleod, who lives in Morocco, is looking forward for the month but is dismayed at the way some women carry themselves around in Rabat.
“As I strolled through the Medina (town) on Saturday in search of drugs (the prescription kind) and yogurt (the Greek kind) walking side by side through the crowded streets were politics and nipples…I do not find this sexy. Perhaps the chaps do? That being said it is not appropriate for a Saturday walk in the Rabat Medina two weeks before Ramadan. Get a grip. Look at a map. Think where you are. I am neither Moroccan nor Muslim and it offended ME,” she notes.
Though not a Muslim, Lady Macleod also intends to fast the month.
“The nice woman at the apothecary tells me it is two weeks to Ramadan. I must check my calendar as I intend to fast again this year. I found it a very spiritual experience last year. The comradely of the entire country honoring the spirit of Ramadan is uplifting. In spite of this effect, our friend Rebecca, who is a Muslim, had her wallet stolen during Ramadan last year. I loved her reaction, she yelled after the thief, “I’m a Muslim you bastard, and it’s Ramadan!” So not everyone perhaps is feeling the spirit, but for me it serves as an excellent reminder of my beliefs. There are no Buddhist Temples here, but I have my altar, and love and compassion are the same no matter the religion yes?,” she explains.
Syria:
From Syria, Mustafa Hamido  explains what Ramadhan means for him. He says:
“Ramadan is next week. It is something special for us as Muslims and even for Christians who are living with us in Syria and the Middle East. You can say that it is a celebration and waiting for biggest one at the end of its 30 days. It is not an only fasting from the sunset to the sunrise. It is another way of life totally different from what we used to live during a year.”
Bahrain:
From Bahrain, Silly Bahraini Girl fast forwards the month and talks about her experiences celebrating Eid, which like the beginning of Ramadhan doesn't start on the same day across all Muslim countries because of differences between the religious sects in the sighting of the new moon.
“When we were growing up, having Eid start over a few days depending on which turban you followed was great. It gave us the opportunity to meet up with non-observant friends on the first day (which is usually the official one declared by Bahrain), then have lunch at one family house on the second and lunch in another house on the third! The problem actually happens when everyone observes Eid on the first day and you have to cram a million and one visits in the short span of a day .. and then make time to see friends and relax in a non-stress environment.
Let's toss a coin and see what happens this year. Will it be a united Sunni-Shia Eid .. or an Eid spread over a few days while the long beards and turbans battle it out?
Sigh..
Either way, I will celebrate Eid on the day I think it is appropriate!” she writes.


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Bahrain: Electricity Cuts · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Bahraini blogger eMoodz is having his daily exercise routine interrupted by unannounced electricity cuts.


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Belize: State of Emergency Lifted  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Belizean reports that the government has lifted the state of emergency that had been declared in anticipation of the arrival of Hurricane Felix.


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Bloggers Discuss Africa’s Informal Economies · Global Voices
Benin Mwangi

Africa's informal economies have for long generated intense research and debates, primarily within academic and professional circles, i.e., university professors, students, economists, and economic development professionals.  A most welcomed development is the recent foray of Africa's blogosphere into this discussion.  Just as a side note, I guess it doesn't hurt to mention that the business section of Africa's blogosphere shares a similar line with the academic and professional circles mentioned above.
However, this is not what makes this story so fascinating. But, perhaps something which is fascinating is that the bloggers have done something which the academic and professional communities have not been able to do: expand the discussion outside of academic circles and into real world settings.
So with that said, let's move to the actual bloggers who are discussing informal economies in Africa.
Let's start with the grandmaster of Africa's economic development blogosphere, Emeka Okafor who talks about the “go ahead” spirit of the informal markets:
“The Made in Africa Exhibition stated that:
In Mali and Senegal, those who have work in what we call the formal sector of the economy are almost wholly limited to the urban elite…The informal economy includes much of the trade that takes place in the markets and that offers possibilities for those who are inventive and possess sufficient “go-ahead” spirit”
From there we move on to IBM, via their Global Innovation Outlook blog, as they discuss the roadblocks that Africa's informal entrepreneurs face:
“The existence of informal economies is not inherently a bad thing. In fact, many in the room saw these businesses as emblematic of ’s burgeoning entrepreneurial spirit. And it serves as a means to put food on the table for millions of Africans.
The problem is that these businesses have trouble growing, employing more people, and creating more wealth, because they have to continue to operate under the radar of regulatory bodies. They also have no access to financing, or the basic business training and skills that could help them improve the business.”
Loomnie, who blogs from Germany and originally hails from Lagos, Nigeria makes the connection between rural and informal economies in Africa:
“Think about this: most of Africans are rural dwellers… then wonder about how much government and the formal economy ever penetrated into rural Africa. People have been, and still are, involved in economic activities that are not captured by the official economic figures of the government. Even researchers into the informal economy in African countries, who have devoted much time to studying the informal sector in urban areas, have not paid sufficient attention to the livelihood of rural dwellers.”
Next we go back to Nigeria again with Imnakoya, who writes an insightful piece about the bottom of Nigeria's economic pyramid:
“As I mulled over the Robert’s documentary, the question that kept popping in my mind was what can be done to assist the several micro businesses operating in the slum? This is the “true bottom of the Nigerian pyramid” – and believe me you, none of the government economic policies have much meanings here, in fact majority of those not been designed to empower the folks here at all. What can be done beyond the mere “policy statements of micro-financing or micro-lending”
Here is someone who is  taking a brilliant idea regarding informal economies and putting it to work in Africa, Nii Simmonds  who lives  in the United States but has  his family ties in Ghana tells us how to grow Africa's informal sector:
Most workers who work in the informal sector have close ties to agriculture; picking fruit, tilting land, tending cattle, milking cows, and etc. Also, there are the craft industries; making mask, beads, bracelets, clothing, and etc. What if we instituted cooperatives (co-ops) for different industries in Africa that would act as a corporation on behalf of the workers in the informal sector?
Now here is a post that I have been mentally revisiting since my first read.  It is about a term, which Ethan Zuckerman wrote about recently “incremental infrastructure.” It reminds me of something that I learned about during Carol Pineau's documentary, whereby  an entrepreneur community becomes involved in building infrastructure for their benefit but as a byproduct others benefit from that infrastructure as well.  Here is what Ethan had to say:
My friend and colleague Mike Best has challenged me on the idea of whether the examples I’m offering are really “micro” enough. By that definition, he’s most interested in “picoinfrastructure”, ways that small communities can build data infrastructure for a few thousands of dollars, not the single-digit millions I’ve pointed to in my examples from the mobile phone business. The examples Mike is offering mostly outline a model of “self-provisioning”, one where you’re building a network to meet your own needs because no one else has built that infrastructure. Where self-provisioning meets incremental infrastructure, I think, is where you overbuild for your personal needs with the goal of selling that capacity to your neighbors. Mining and oil companies self-provision infrastructure all over the African continent. Visit a gold mining center in  and you’ll find infrastructure that outpaces that in many secondary cities. But that infrastructure isn’t shared and resold – it might be vastly more cost-effective if it were, and would likely address some community concerns about the impact of extractive industries. That said, I can imagine incremental infrastructure being built at mini, micro and pico-levels. A farmer investing in water pumping equipment that could irrigate both his fields and neighboring fields might be builting pico-level incremental infrastructure, while a mobile phone company that built power plants to provide energy to mobile phone base stations, and used excess capacity to run irrigation pumps might be working on a micro or mini scale.
So far you have heard from bloggers who are either entrepreneurs or at one time were full time business persons, but now  let's hear from someone who writes on a similar topic but from a very unique perspective: Sokwanele.  Sokwanele is a Zimbabwean civic action support group that aims to address the needs of the  everyday Zimbabwean.  This post looks at the rise of Zimbabwe's informal gold mining sector:
“The then Mines Minister, Chris Anderson, said it was high time the panners were recognised as part of the informal sector. Instead of hunting them down, he said they should be encouraged to sell their gold to the reserve bank. He even suggested that small-scale miners should be paid a higher price than the market rate to prevent them from selling to the black market. Prospective panners were able to apply for permits to exploit the gold deposits from their respective councils.
The gap in production left by the near collapse of formal mining was replaced by the precious metal being brought in from the informal sector, with the Reserve Bank buying much of its gold from illegal panners.
However, the panners today sell their gold on the black market as the Reserve Bank pay well under the true market value.”
Next we visit another blog from Zimbabwe, this time we visit a timeless piece that the  Zimbabwe Pundit did explaining why Zimbabwe will never get rid of the informal economy that its current government tries to forbid:
Enter Hernando De Soto the Peruvian economist whose lifelong research and work chronicle this strange phenomenon. His research substantiates the case against developing countries shunning the informal market to their own undoing as the informal market has solutions for many of the problems where the formal market is failing. Check out his two books, The Other Path and The Mystery of Capital.
The root of the problem is in the laws of the land. It's not enough to clamor for the protection of property rights; we need to hold our governments responsible for crafting laws that are accomodative of everyone and laws that make the formal market place easily accessible to all people. How do informals do that? They operate in their own market (which formals and the governmnent call “black) which has laws that are reasonable and negotiable by the informals. Don't worry , the “black” market will be back. You can't destroy it by demoliting infrustructure, it is precipitated in the mind that's where it resides.
Finally, here is the post that started it all.  It is from South Africa's Gavin Chait or Whythawk, as he is also known.  This post echoes what was written by the Zimbabwe Pundit, but it goes into deeper detail into not only the causes behind the informal markets but it also goes into what Gavin describes as the only cure too.  It's a very good read.  Here is an excerpt:
A centralised state exists largely to protect contract and the enforcement of property rights. Individual rights and the welfare state are a relatively recent development. And you can't have these without taxes. And taxes don't exist without businesses and incomes to tax. And those incomes and businesses require contract protection and the enforcement of their property rights.
When individuals believe that the cost of supporting the state is less than the benefits they derive from that state then a central government is stable. When the state starts intervening in the economy and property rights are under threat then investors and business owners withdraw their support.
If they are capable of flight they will travel to other nations where they feel safer. If they are not they remove their investments to the informal market.
Informal vs Formal is subjective; technically we're discussing third-party property rights. An informal market is really a fragmented localised market where only people who trust one another directly are prepared to trade with each other.

author: Benin Mwangi


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China: Barcamp Beijing 2007 · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Andrew Lih writes a brief report on the Barcamp 2007 unconference in Beijing last Sunday: The grassroots, unpredictible nature of these plan-on-the-spot unconferences make them uncomfortable for the authorities here, but perhaps they’ll see these do much more good than harm.


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China: Net Nanny Goes Crazy · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Jeremy Goldkorn from DANWEI translated and collected more comments and news on the recent harmonizing act by the net nanny because of the up-coming 17th party congress.


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China: Song on GFW · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Calon from bullog changed the lyrics of “I bet you they won’t play this song on the radio” into a song on Great Fire Wall: I bet you they won’t stop the G-F-W, I bet you they won’t show the (bleep) to you, It’s not that it’s (bleep) or (bleep) controversial, It’s just that the (bleep) words are disharmonious…


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China: Violent BBQ crackdown backfires · Global Voices
John Kennedy

A city on a hill, south-central China's Chongqing municipality seems to stand above many other places in the the country when it comes to using affordable technology to document things like crime and clashes, and getting it on the internet.
On the evening of September 4, a squadron of urban and economic law enforcers there attacked a man selling barbecued meats on the side of one street and one bystander put the photos she took of subsequent public backlash and torching of the authorities’ work vehicle up on one of China's largest internet forums. That post, it seems, was deleted, but not before another Chongqing resident and brief witness to the mass incident reposted the reporting—notice the timestamps—onto a smaller forum website. Except where noted, the words below come from the photographer herself:
昨天11点多晚上回家，我目睹了下面的情形，当时我没下车观看，出租车被警察档着，我远远的看了一会，那一刻我只遗憾我的手机像素太低，但凭我的职业经历判断，不是车辆自燃，车辆自燃车不会侧翻，也不是恐怖袭击，恐怖分子会选择人多热闹的的时候作案，我判断可能是一起刑事案件，但是今天早上我仔细看报纸，发现没有相关报道，于是我意识到，这不是一起普通案件，打开天涯重庆版，果然，就看到了以下的帖子和图片！
[转帖]『重庆』 9月4日石桥铺暴动（有照片和视频。。。）
9月4日晚石桥铺科园三街路口暴动，城管蓄意殴打小摊贩，引起群众不满后更连市民一起暴打，事件上升至焚烧城管汽车，上千市民围观。暴力与冲突不断恶化升级。
也不晓得着删不？不管了，传了再说。。。
想看视频，楼主快发～
事情大概就是：
石桥铺科园三街入口处，有一家摆烧烤的小摊。晚上大概7点左右，城管带了黑多人，把人家摊摊全部砸了，好象是蓄意的。于是有些过路的人看不下去了，就说了几句，结果城管些连同过路的群众一起暴打，结果激起民愤，不断有群众围观，导致石桥铺到陈家坪交通一度中断。
。。。
后来110来了，天天630来了，110的要带别个烤烧烤的人走，群众肯定不干塞，城管打了人想跑，群众肯定不依塞，于是警察和群众僵持发生冲突，警察又打人，结果事件进一步恶化，暴力不断升级。。这时围观群众已千多2千人，导致交通完全中断。
到11点左右，城管想开车走，被老百姓围起走不掉，下车后，也不晓得哪个点燃了城管的车，于是一声爆炸后，现场一片混乱，极度失控
。。。
At the entrance to the Shiqiiaopu Science and Technology Park there is a small barbecue vendor stall. At around seven pm, the Urban Administration showed up with a bunch of people and began completely smashing the barbecue stall, as though this were premeditated. Then some by-passers couldn't stand to see this, so they said a few words, the result of which was that the Urban Administrators began fighting violently with the crowd of by-passers, inflaming the public's fury. Crowds of people kept stopping to watch, resulting in traffic being cut off all the way from Shiqiaopu to Chenjiaping.
…
Then the police showed up, and the local daily news TT630 showed up, and the police wanted to take the barbecue roaster away, the crowd wasn't about to try stop them. But then after the Urban Administration (UA) beat the guy, they wanted to run off, and the crowd wasn't about to let that happen, which led to a deadlock between the police and the crowd, which turned into a clash. The police began hitting people, and the incident then got even worse, with violence continuing to escalate…at this time there were about more than two thousand people crowded around, cutting off all traffic.
At around eleven, the UA tried to drive off, and were then surrounded by the masses, stopped from leaving. After they got out of the van, I don't know who it was who lit the UA van on fire, but with a bang it exploded and the scene turned to chaos and spun highly out of control
…
作者：巫巫格大人  回复日期：2007-9-5 03:05:00
没有拍到城管打人的照片。。。
这个确实可惜了，不然让全中国的老百姓看看城管究竟是法制的执法者还是凶狠的土匪
主要是：当时晓得是城管在砸别人小摊，对于这个，我相信重庆人早就已经见怪不怪了，当时也没觉得事情会不断升级扩大，城管不仅砸人饭碗，还连人一块端。。。。不让人吃饭，更不让人活命。。。
从晚上7点多一直到凌晨12点，上面那些当官的才姗姗来迟，确实不晓得他们干啥子切鸟。。。如果有一点点的预见性，有一点点的公正公平，有一点点对事情正确的处理和对待。。。我想也不至于让警察和群众针锋相对暴力相向。。。也不会让这个老百姓早已司空见惯的事情升级为焚车中断交通要道。。。激起千人愤慨。。。
我是在11点听到外面砰的一声时，以为是警察鸣枪示警了也，才拿出相机，结果外面一片火光、烟雾和混乱的人群。。。已经看不见哪个是警察，哪个是老百姓了。。。
From just after seven straight until midnight, the “upstairs” officials took their sweet time getting there, I really don't know what good they thought dawdling around would do…if they had any foresight at all, even just the least bit sense of justice, an inkling of the correct way to handle and deal with things…I think it's unlikely that they'd have let the police and the crowd face off and get violent with each other…nor would they have let things escalate from what this citizen has seen time and time again into the torching of a car and the blocking of traffic…or the infuriation of over a thousand people…
It was around eleven when I heard the first bang, and I thought the police had fired a warning shot, so I took out my camera; but then a flame shot out, then smoke, and the crowd went chaotic…you couldn't see anymore who was a cop and who was a civilian…
不一会儿，消防车来了。。。防暴队来了。。。封锁了马路中间。。。
图片点击可在新窗口打开查看
这个是最边边上的人。。。
都等着看官官些浪个办啊浪个办
这个时候。。。从照片日期看。。。已经凌晨过了
By this time…you can see from the date in the picture…it was already early morning
作者：巫巫格大人  回复日期：2007-9-5 03:15:00
消防车。。。。呜拉。。呜拉。。。
作者：巫巫格大人  回复日期：2007-9-5 03:18:00
被焚烧的城管的车车。。。终于熄火了，，，
只是曾经开得飞XX神气活现耀武扬威的车车。。。变成了如今一堆散发着恶臭的废铁
One reader asks:
作者：左正  回复日期：2007-9-5 03:18:00
还在继续没得？
作者：巫巫格大人  回复日期：2007-9-5 03:21:00
马路2边的人行道~~~~~全是人啊全是人~~~全是和那位被殴打被砸掉饭碗的烧烤主 一样的~~~~劳动人~~~普通老百姓~~~普通市民~~~
作者：巫巫格大人  回复日期：2007-9-5 03:23:00
汽车。。。。
是哪个把你变成一堆废铁？？？？
真的是在场的广大老百姓？？？
作者：巫巫格大人  回复日期：2007-9-5 03:28:00
火熄灭鸟~~~~~防暴队开始打算驱散人群。。。
带白帽子的斗室防暴队的~~~当时太混乱~~~照花了~~~
One reader writes:
作者：005TZ醉七少  回复日期：2007-9-5 03:43:00
六四之后不谈政治,这就是中国所谓的民主!!!!
作者：巫巫格大人  回复日期：2007-9-5 03:55:00
天涯可以发视频不哦？？
作者：巫巫格大人  回复日期：2007-9-5 03:58:00
手机照的。。不是黑清楚~~~
车爆炸哒
The van exploding
作者：巫巫格大人  回复日期：2007-9-5 04:04:00
那些白点点~~~全部都是防暴队的~~~
手机照的~~~数码没电了。。。
作者：巫巫格大人  回复日期：2007-9-5 04:09:00
市民还在围观~~~都没打算离开~~~
A reader writes:
作者：坏喜鹊啊  回复日期：2007-9-5 04:15:00
这是我去深圳出差时拍到深圳城管欺负一个卖红苕的照片，一群走狗
作者：巫巫格大人  回复日期：2007-9-5 04:27:00
当时在现场~~~~我旁边有个大妈在说~~天天630来了的~~~明天看电视~~看看放出来~~其他人怎么说~~~
呵呵~~~那让我们大家拭目以待嘛~~~看明天630播不播嘛~~~
天天630在11点前~~~便离开了~~~那个时候~~现场冲突恶化才刚刚开始~~~
没照到630那标志性的车车~~~他们跑得太快鸟~~~
那就让我们这些不是记者的小市民先让大家看到今晚所发生的事情吧~~~
远处那些白色的小点点~~~全部都是防暴队的~~~
照得不清楚~~~将就看~~~毕竟我也不是专业摄影~~~只是想让重庆人都知道自己身边到底都再发生什么事情~~~只是对那家靠自己双手吃饭不偷不抢的烧烤主~~~感到惋惜和同情~~~
如果哪天~~~我们也遭遇被人野蛮无理粗暴砸掉饭碗~~会是怎样的心情呢？？
Hehe…we'll all have to just wait and see then…see if they report on it tomorrow at 6:30
By 11:30…TT6:30 had already been made to leave…at that time…the worsening of the conflict had just begun…
I didn't get a shot of the TT630 car….they left too quickly…
So then it's just up to us non-journalist little citizens to show everyone the things that happened this evening…
Those white dots in the distance…they're all the riot squad…
My pictures aren't clear…you'll just have to deal with it…then again, I'm not a professional photographer…I just want to let Chongqingers all know what exactly has happened this time…I just feel sorry and sympathetic…to that BBQer who makes his money honestly, doesn't steal and doesn't rob…
If, one day…we ourselves see our “rice bowls” barbarically, senselessly and cruelly smashed by someone…how will we feel?

author: John Kennedy


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Cuba: Castro and Change  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Child of the Revolution thinks that Fidel Castro's most recent reflexion “is a clear sign to those waiting in the wings inside and outside Cuba (does that include Raul Castro?), that while Castro I is alive, there will be no change on the island of any type.”


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Egypt: The Cairo Social Circus · Global Voices
D B Shobrawy

After last week's “is Mubarak Dead Scare/Celebration” that swept the Egyptian blogosphere things have gone back to normal with the usual mélange of social issues, some of them a result of the scare/controversy itself.
It's often too easy to convince Egyptians of some conspiracy or gossip but equally impossible to convince them it's not true. Zeinobia  recounts Egyptians skepticism on the Mubarak issue.
The Egyptian people are still disbelieving that Mubarak is fine , ok they know that he is alive and in Egypt but they do not believe that he is fine easily
On Saturday , Dream TV II popular TV Show “10 PM” discussed these rumors concerning the president's health and life , how the people received it with great worry and the reason behind the spread of these rumors and the ultimate question who spread them – they were speaking as they are rumors not a reality
As the rumors of his death have been swirling, Mubarak's wife Suzan has been pandering for peace, much to the dismay of Egyptians. To preach peace in a country where your husband persecutes religious minorities and opposing voices is hypocrisy in motion, they said. The crew at Free Kareem.org have the rest of the story.
Suzan Mubarak, Egypt’s first lady and core member/sponsor of the Women’s International Peace Movement, shares her insight with the young and diverse delegates:
“Peace is not a far-fetched idea. Youth is the most solid resource base,” Mubarak said in her opening speech. “Listening is a great start, but acting upon what you hear is more important.”
Unfortunately, acting upon what he heard is precisely what Kareem did, and he is facing prison time for it. We believe that with Kareem still in prison many youth writers, human rights activists, and even just mere students interested in free speech will take this message as a threat. Kareem is an example of a grand error which we hope to see corrected by the Egyptian government.
Societal issues facing Egyptians who live in the belly of the beast itself have out reaching hands that touch Egyptians all over the diaspora. Arima at Ha Ana Za is questioning the issue of class.
“If you work hard enough, you can get anywhere” I was told. To some extent that is true, I doubt that my forefathers would ever have believed it possible that their offspring would one day be living in the UK and studying at Oxford but then circumstances change with time and I have always said that I owe my mere existence to Nasser's revolution.
However, looking at a friend's engagement photos I was distinctly reminded that there is still such a thing as class. While I inspected her dress, and the lavish party and many guests, it dawned on me that as a ‘westerner’ one is allowed to transcend some divisions in the Arab social system. Living here means that one mixes freely with anyone who happens to call themselves ‘Arab’ and the massive differences in currency mean that places that would ordinarily be inaccessible to anyone other than the privileged classes, hold their doors open.
Most people raised outside of the Middle Eastern culture may be surprised to know that stereotypes and national rivalries are common place in the so called “Arab World”. Everyone dislikes everyone else and the only thing they have in common is that they share 20 something common enemies. It's a big barrel of hateful fun! These rivalries are cultivated in the home and broadcasted in national newspapers, the most recent being a Kuwaiti article. Ahmad Ghareeb has the rest…
Kuwaiti journalist Fouad Al-Hashim wrote an article published on Al-Watan newspaper attacking the Egyptian nation using sever derogatory terms!
“The Kuwaiti journalist described the Egyptians as “priced equally to a Korean washing machine”!
Ramadan is around the corner. For some preparation is a little more than gathering groceries for the month. Moon Light Shadow gives his personal opinion…
Ramadan is knocking on the doors, and all are getting ready.. each in his own way..
Government is making sure that all kinds of food are available.. People are buying Ramadan yameesh (dried fruits and nuts).. children getting their fawanees (lanterns).. T.V. channels are getting ready with their shows and ads.. charity channels are getting ready preparing shonat Ramadan.. people are collecting money for mwa2d el ra7man.. mosques are getting decorated and prepared for tarawee7 prayers.. and this list goes on..
I wonder, where am I from all this?!
I remember myself years ago.. how I used to have plans and a will to carry them out, though I never fulfilled these plans fully, but at least I had the plans.. I had it in mind..
Things have been different for couple of years.. the gap is increasing, and I'm doing nothing about it.. I'm just watching.. at times it's really painful.. other times I try to let it go.. but I can't stand myself anymore.. a step should be taken.. however, whenever I just think of trying, I find something increasing the gap.. day by day my will is fading..
Well that just about covers it. As usual catch me here every week.

author: D B Shobrawy


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India: Madras Week · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Metroblogging Chennai on the recent Madras Week, celebrating the city and its history.


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India: On buying condoms · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Learning by Living on the rather delicate issue of buying female condoms in India.


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India: Theatre and higher-ed · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

pretty blue salwar documents her experience teaching theatre in India, comparing her experience on an American campus with an Indian one.


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Iraq: Not so Depressing Blog · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Iraqi blogger Layla Anwar did not take criticism lightly from an American reader that her blog, which deals with the war on Iraq, was “depressing” and “distressing.”

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Jamaica: Strong Writers  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Far from being “soft”, Jamaican Geoffrey Philp believes that “the more I read the blogs of my fellow Caribbean writers…the more I know that these writers have the hearts of warriors.”


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Japan: Discrimination At Well-known Gym Chain · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Debito blogged a letter written by Jim Dunlop which complained about various forms of discrimination in their policy: Be aware, that if you are either a foreigner, or have any sort of physical disability, you may be discriminated against, or even prevented from joining.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Jordan: Arab Women on TV · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Jordanian blogger Naseem Tarawnah discusses the roles given to women in Arab television programmes in this post.


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Korea: After the Release – Abductees in Afghanistan · Global Voices
Hyejin Kim

Finally, the 21 Korean abductees returned to Korea. While people are pleased to see them in good condition, there are numerous criticisms about them. It seems that their attitudes and the church’s reaction after their release have brought out more arguments. In addition, how to deal with the amount of money that the Korean government allegedly gave the Taliban, despite the government’s denial, has been one of the biggest arguments. The release was not the end of the story of this incident for Korean society.
Last weekend, blogs displayed photos that were taken when the abductees came out of Incheon Airport in Korea. Some of them carried duty freeshop bags while they bowed and apologized for the trouble they made. The photos gave rise to the question of whether they went to duty free shops. Whether it is true or not, another criticism was added toward them. In addition, a priest’s  and other abductees’ interviews have resulted in more attention and criticism.
Many bloggers tried to track down their shopping bags.
고국으로 돌아오는 비행기..비지니스 석에 두바이 면세점에서 쇼핑까지..
쇼핑한 선글라스가 참 눈에 확 띄네요..선글라스 챙길 정신은 있었나 봅니다.
이분들 때문에 아프간에서 일을 하시던 교민 2000여분까지 일자리 몽땅 잃고..
(증거) 두바이 쇼핑몰 로고가 피랍자들이 손에 든 쇼핑백 로고와 일치합니다.
Many bloggers disagree with it, but criticize their attitudes.
아프간 피랍자들 고국에 돌아왔죠. 역시 예상했던 데로 욕이란 욕은 다먹고 오만소리 다 나오더군요. 저도 기독교인입니다. 하지만 이 이들이 잘한일이라고는 생각하지 않습니다. 풀려나니까 차 안에서 웃고 있는 장면들까지…오히려 화가 나더군요. 근데, 어이없게 근거없는 소리들로 욕은 안했으면 좋겠습니다.
대표적인게 쇼핑백… 초등학생도 생각하면 알 수 있습니다. 상식적으로 40일 넘게 잡혀있다가 풀려났는데 쇼핑이 가능하다고 보십니까? 탈레박에게 당연히 모든 소지품은 다 뺐겼겠죠. 잡혀있을 동안 한 벌만 입고 지냈던 사람들이 어디서 돈이 갑자기 생겨서 기분좋다고 쇼핑을 합니까. 저들이 한 일들이 절대 잘했다고는 말 못하지만 잘했고 잘못했다를 따지기 전에 한국의 국민이고 사람입니다. 한 달이 넘도록 편안하게 생활했던  것도 아니고 호텔에서 머무는 정도는 저 개인적으로 괜찮다고 생각합니다.
선글라스 걸고 나오고, 풀려났다고 실실 웃다가 귀국할때 휠체어 타고 나오고 .. 이런건 저도 너무 어이 없어서 웃음이 났습니다. 누가 어떤 사람이 욕을 하든 아무도 말리진 않지만 근거없이 무작정 욕은 하지않았으면 좋겠고, 또 어차피 저들은 조금만 지나면 또 아무일 없었다는 듯이 교회 다니고 직장다니면서 살겠죠. 욕해봐야 아무 소용없었습니다. 그냥 무시하고 우리는 웃으면서 사는게 맘 편하다는 뜻이죠.
There were netizens who were happy about their safe return.
어제까지만 해도 피랍자건  개신교건 다 짜증이 났는데 막상 저들이 머리숙여 죄송하다고 하는 말에 측은지심이 생기는것은  그들도 미우나 고우나 대한민국 국민이구나 하는 생각이 드네요. 머리숙여 죄송하다고 하고 나중에 소상히 기자회견에서 말해준다고 하니 그 기자회견을 기다려보죠. 솔직히 저들보단 가장 짜증났던것이 개신교단체들이죠.   선교활동을 계속 하곘다는 투덜거림도 짜증이 나구요. 일단 몸 다 추스리고  정신적 충격인 트라우마가 있을테니  안정된 시간들 어여 갖기를 바랍니다. 40일간의 공포 다 씯고  지난 일에 대한 반성과 성찰이 함꼐 하길 바랍니다.
And here is more.
이 사람들, 나의 이웃이었다면 좋은 이웃이 살아 돌아 온 것에 기쁘다고 생각했을지도 모른다는 생각을 했다. 40여일 동안 사지에서 평생 해도 모자랄 인간적 고뇌를 했을 것이며, 서로의 친구였음에 분명한 두 사람의 죽음을 맞닥뜨린 사람들의 마음엔 어떤 상처가 남아 있을지 생각하니 내 마음이 다 무겁다. 부디 두 사람의 몫까지 다들 건강하게 살아주시길.
The current arguments are focusing on the question of how the government solved this problem and on how those abductees, their families, and the church behave after their release.
아프간 선교여행단들의 귀환소식과 협상비용소식,,
그리고 협상비용을 소방대원의 구조활동과 비교하여 지불할 수 없다던 가족들의 행태를 보고
실소를 금치 못한다.
시종일관 거짓말로 선교여행을 봉사활동으로 허위보도하는 언론의 모습과
그 와중에도 책임은 회피하며 수천의 배형규목사가 나와야 한다는 샘물교회목사..
정부상대로 고소까지 생각하고 있다는 피랍자가족의 인터뷰..
하나하나 다 스트레스다.
정부는 여전히 협상과정에서 돈을 주고 받지 않았다지만,,
탈레반측에서는 200억원을 받았다며 재정난해소에 감사를 표하고 있고,,
외신에서의 총비용 300억설은 신빙성을 갖는다.
연신 거짓말로 일관하던 정부의 석방비용제로라는 말에 신뢰를 갖는 이가 과연 몇명이나 있을까?!
대외적으로도 테러단체 무기구입비를 원조해준 한국에 비난의 목소리가 커져가고 있고, 21인의 생환에 곱지않은 시선을 보내는 이도 많다.
이제 당신들이 살아돌아와서 말하겠다..
나는 솔직히 위험지역 출국을 만류하는 정부의 경고를 뿌리치고
7일짜리 예수를 찬양하는 중동여행에서 잡힌 당신들이
정부의 테러단체와의 협상으로 구출되지 않기를 바랐다.
비단 악한마음에서 바란것이 아니라 협상과정에서의 국익을 저해함과 향후 테러단체의 위협증가 및
21인의 목숨값때문에 탈레반에서 죽어갈 수천의 어린생명이 걱정되어서였다.
21인의 생환자들은 억류중에도 단식기도를 하며 성경글귀와 함께 피랍일지를 기록 했다고 자랑한다.
그렇다면 그곳에서 순교는 왜 못하는가?!
당신들의 예수찬양여행이 자신들의 신념에 부합한다면 기꺼이 죽을 수도 있지 않은가?
왜 테러단체에 자금을 원조하고, 봉사단체를 철수하게 만들며, 테러군사정부의 힘을 실어주는일을
야기시키는가?!
당신들이 죽었으면 탈레반 테러단체에 돈도 건네지 않았을 것이고 아프간 어린생명들의 목숨도 살아날 가능성이 많다. 당신들의 7일짜리 중동여행때문에 진짜 봉사마저 길이 막혔으며 탈레반은 더 많은 인질극을 벌이겠다고 세상에 공표까지 한다.
당신들이 잡혀있을때는 행여나 저주의 말이 될까봐 못했던 말 이제 살아왔으니 쓴소리를 달게 받아들여라.
미안하지만 나는 테러단체와의 협상과 굴복에 의해당신들이 살아돌아오는 것을 진심으로 바라지 않았다.
A blogger made lists which parts should be considered through this missionary activity.
일단 피랍자분들의 생환을 진심으로 축하드리고고인이 되신 두 분께는 심심한 위로의 말씀을 드립니다.
거의 모든 네티즌들이 이야기했다시피, 일단 사람은 살리고 본 다음에 나중에 ‘결산하자'고 했으니, 이제 결산의 때가 오고 있군요. 이에 관련된 보도들을 근거로 이들과 샘물교회가 철없이 저지른 잘못의 댓가가 얼마나 될런지, 아니 얼마가 되어야 마땅한지 산수한번 해봐야 할 것입니다.
1. 피랍자 21인의 귀국관련 직접비용
다행히도, 정부는 이들의 귀국에 관련된 비용을 교회와 개인에게 청구하겠다고 했습니다. 그러나 이 기사에서 나타나는 교회측의 어처구니없는 발언은 아직도 정신을 못차렸다는 생각밖에 들지 않는군요. 이번 사태와 관련, 샘물교회의 대언론 창구 역할을 맡고 있는 권혁수 장로는 연합뉴스와 전화통화에서 “석방자들의 귀국 항공료와 희생자 2명의 운구비를 교회에서 전액 부담하기로 했다”며 “석방자들의 국내에서의 병원 치료비 문제에 대해서는 내부에서 논의 중”이라고 밝혔다. 권장로는 “배형규 목사, 심성민씨 시신 운구와 김경자.김지나씨의 귀국 및 입원치료와 관련해 외교부에서 항공료와 치료비는 가족들이 부담해야 한다고 알려왔다”며 “그러나 교회에서 최선을 다하는 의미에서 일단 항공료는 전액 지불키로 했다”고 설명했다.
그러니까 정부에서 내라는 돈도 못내겠다는 심뽀라는 얘긴데, 이러다 뭇매 맞지 싶습니다.
샘물교회측은 당연한 비용인 귀국항공료와 함께 현지 호텔에서의 체재비용은 두바이-카불-델리를 모두 거쳐야 하는 4일간의 여정이므로 이때의 모든 비용이 포함되어야 합니다. 이 글을 쓰는 동안에 ‘치료비는 생각해보겠다'에서 ‘치료비도 내겠다'로 바뀌었군요.
2. 정부와 협상단 비용
이번에 파견된 정부와 협상단, 미국과 방글라데시, 사우디아라비아 등 이슬람국가와의
협상비용은 물론이거니와 이들 관리들의 항공료와 체재비 등도 변제해야 합니다.
애초 출발시에 정부의 방침에 반해서 ‘우리가 책임지겠다'고 한 만큼 약속은 지켜야겠죠.
협상단은 주로 고위관리들이라 일등석에 특급호텔이었을테니 부담 만만치 않을듯합니다.
몸값에 대해서는 이견이 있지만 만약 있다면 정부는 떳떳이 밝히고 정당히 구상권을
청구하는 것이 옳다고 봅니다. 일본의 전례를 참조해야겠지요.
3. 교민과 NGO단체, 기업의 피해보상
이번 사태로 인해 본의아니게 피해롤 본 현지 교민들과 현지봉사단체의 직접손해배상도
당연히 샘물교회가 책임져야 할 부분입니다. 개신교도의 폭력적인 선교 탓에 졸지에 삶의 터전을 잃은 이들 교민은 샘물교회측에
소송을 통해서라도 피해입은 부분을 보상받는 것이 올바른 방법이라고 생각합니다.
4. 사망자에 관련한 책임
이번 사태로 목숨을 잃은 두분께는 원인이야 어찌되었든 안타깝기 그지없습니다.
그러나 고귀한 목숨을 잃은 책임은 엄연히 샘물교회측에 있는 바, 유족의 소송은
당연한 결과라고 할 수 있겠습니다. 이 기사가 나고나서 샘물교회측은 부랴부랴 심씨가족에게 연락을 취한다 방문한다 하고
있지만 이미 아들을 잃은 유족의 슬픔은 달래지지 않을 것입니다.
샘물교회측은 인지상정으로 덮으려 하지 말고 솔직하게 잘못을 인정하고 적절한 배상을 해야
‘하나님의 공평하심'을 실천하는 것이라고 생각합니다…
뱀발 – 이제야 언론이 눈치를 조금 덜 보는군요.
그간 국민의 정서는 깡그리 무시한 채 교회측의 입장만 전달하던 언론이 석방이 되고 난
후부터 조금씩 본연의 모습을 찾아가기 시작하는 것 같아 그나마 다행으로 생각합니다.
관련기사 – “피랍사태 관련 비용, 정부가 물을 이유 없다”
내용은 같더라도 헤드라인을 어떻게 뽑느냐에 따라 사설만큼의 여론조정이 있다는 것을
아주아주 잘 아시는 언론인들께서 뽑은 제목이니만큼 이후의 보도를 지켜봐야 할 듯합니다.
그러나, 석방이 알려지자마자 가족대표와 교회측은 ‘정부와 언론에 감사한다'고 한 것으로
보아 이들이 언론에 특별한 부탁을 했고 그것을 잘 들어주신 언론에 감사할수밖에 없다는
것은 그대로 표가 날 수밖에 없는 상황이 되었군요. 언론에 감사해야죠. 당연히…
정말, 다시는 이런 물의를 일으키지 않는,
정말로 선교보다 봉사가 목적인 교회가 되기 바랍니다.
진정한 선교란, ‘예수님처럼'이라 말하며 ‘착하고 올바른’ 삶을 사는 신자들의 모습에
감화되어 그것이 ‘예수님을 따르는 삶'인줄 알고 하나님을 믿게 하는 것이라고 생각합니다.
폭력적이고 강압적인, 또는 협박과 꼬드김으로 하는 선교가 아니라
몸소 봉사를 실천하고 선행을 보여주는 일관된 삶을 사는 것 자체가 ‘하나님의 뜻'이요
‘예수님의 삶'이라는 것을 전파하는 것이 옳지 않겠습니까?

author: Hyejin Kim


text:
Lebanon: Celebrating the Return of Soldiers · Global Voices
Moussa Bashir

My Beloved Lebanon and Blacksmiths of Lebanon posted many photos of the jubilant crowds welcoming the returning soldiers their months long battle with Fateh el Islam in the Naher el Bared Camp (North Lebanon).

author: Moussa Bashir