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Violence Takes Over a Classic Rivalry in Uruguayan Football · Global Voices
Guillermo Vidal

Photo published by Jimmy Baikovicius on Flickr, under a Creative Commons license (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Peñarol fans were responsible for a violent incident in the Amsterdam stands at the Centenario Stadium during the classic rivalry game against Nacional for the Opening Tournament, resulting in nine injured police officers and several arrests. The match had to be suspended momentarily due to the altercations during the second half.
The reason for the riots were said to have been, according to statements from Peñarol fans, the robbing of a flag that honored Rodrigo Aguirre, a Peñarol fan who was assassinated by Nacional supporters in 2011 [es], and Nacional fans showing it in the Olympic stands for several minutes as demonstrated in a photograph that appeared in an article in El Observador entitled “The flag of discord“. [es]
Amsterdam después del clásico (@ObservadorUY) y bandera Rodrigo en la barra tricolor, cosas que se deben desterrar pic.twitter.com/6eTdn1uriz
— Roberto Moar (@Roberto_Moar) noviembre 25, 2013
Amsterdam [stands] after the classic rivalry game (@ObservadorUY) and the Rodrigo flag on the ‘ticolor barra’ [where Nacional fans were located], things that should be banished
Peñarol's vice president, Edgard Welker, confirmed the fans’ version of the events to Radio Universal, according to the aforementioned article in El Observador, which also stated that Peñarol fans reacted to the robbery with aggression and other excesses.
The injured police officers walked away with varying injuries, cuts on upper and lower limbs, and lost teeth, as the Interior Ministry's Communications Unit stated for newspaper El País [es]. Police officers have also filed a report in the Ninth Precinct.
The rivalry between Nacional and Peñarol dates back to the founding of both teams, the most popular and important in Uruguay, which even fight over which is the oldest club in the country. This classic head-to-head in Uruguayan football is the second oldest in the world, following the classic rivalry between England's Manchester United and Liverpool, and it tends to attract the attention of the fans that attend the matches in mass.
In the ten minutes that the suspension lasted, some 200 Peñarol fans took to destroy the fence and equipment in the Amsterdam stand, trying to reach the Olympic stand where Nacional fans were located. Police forces intervened trying to control the skirmishes, coming face to face with reactions from Peñarol fans in a confrontation that left several police officers injured.
Journalist Sergio Gorzi (@camaraceleste) expressed his dissatisfaction with the police force's actions on Twitter.
Siempre el mismo error! La policia en lugar de estar adentro está afuera para le tiren de todo. Lo de esos hinchas incalificable.
— Sergio Gorzy (@camaraceleste) noviembre 24, 2013
It's always the same mistake! Instead of being inside, the police are outside to receive every blow. This whole thing with the fans is unspeakable.
On the other hand, the presiding judge, Juan Carols Fernández Lecchini, in charge of the incidents surrounding the Ninth Precinct, told Ovación Digital [es] that: “the four people arrested were released. I did not have 20 detainees after the classic rivalry game.”
According to the Interior Ministry's press release, outlined in Ovación Digital's cited article, there would have been twenty arrests, “fifteen for disorderly conduct, two for assault against police personnel, and three for theft”.
Additionally, according to Ovación Digital, the damage done to the Amsterdam and Colombes stands are such that repairs might not be completed by the date of the the next championship match on Saturday, November 30.

author: Guillermo Vidal


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A Durian Village In Sri Lanka · Global Voices
Rezwan

Image of Durian. Image via Wikimedia Commons. CC BY-SA 3.0
In Southern parts of Sri Lanka the cultivation of Durian, regarded by many in southeast Asia as the “king of fruits”, is becoming popular as it has export demands. The Sri Lanka Ministry of Agriculture has taken steps to commercially cultivate Durian, reports Ajith Parakum Jayasinghe. A 30-acre Durian village in Minuwangoda Divisional Secretariat in Gampaha district will be established.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Rezwan


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Campaign to Nominate Saudi Activist For Nobel Peace Prize · Global Voices
Anas Soliman

A campaign to nominate imprisoned Saudi human rights defender Dr Abdullah al-Hamid for the Nobel Peace Prize 2014 was launched and received large attention within the Saudi Twittersphere.
The campaign describes its aim as follows:
In addition to expanding the international support for our candidate, we aim to distribute his vocation to the world to be remembered as one of those who lived for the good of their nation disregarding their prosperity, quiet life and even their freedom.
al-Hamid is one of the most recognized reformist figures. Working within the absolute Saudi kingdom, he spent 20 years peacefully advocating for public participation in the political process and condemning human rights violations by the Interior Ministry. Since 1994, he has been arrested seven times and had three prison sentences for charges such as inciting the public opinion, the last of which was ًan 11-year sentence issued on March 9, 2013. He has been in prison since then.
Tawakkul Karman, the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has participated in the nomination. Activist Waleed Abulkhair tweeted [ar]:
#الحامد_نوبل_للسلام توكل كرمان مشكورة توافق على ترشيح د.عبدالله الحامد لجائزة نوبل السلام
— وليد أبوالخير (@WaleedAbulkhair) November 28, 2013
Thanks to Tawakkul Karman who agreed to nominate Dr. Abdullah al-Hamid for the Nobel Peace Prize.
al-Hamid's lawyer Abuzlaziz al-Hussan tweeted:
العنف الحكومي لم يجعله يتخذ طريق العنف … بل التزم بالسلم ضد الاستبداد … وانتصر وهو في زنزانته … #الحامد_نوبل_للسلام
— عبدالعزيز الحصان (@AHussan) November 27, 2013
The governmental violence did not make him turn to violence. He insisted on peaceful struggle against totalitarianism. He achieved victory in his prion cell.
Saudi women's rights activist Manal al-Sharif declared her support:
أنا أدعم هذا الهاشتاق #الحامد_نوبل_للسلام
— منال مسعود الشريف (@manal_alsharif) November 22, 2013
I support his hashtag: al-Hamid for Nobel Peace [Prize]
Writer Waleed al-Khodhairi tweeted about the importance of the nomination:
أهمية الجائزة في كيف نستطيع كمجتمع نقدم للعالم رمز ضحى بسنوات من عمره في السجون لأجل العدالة والمساواة.. #الحامد_نوبل_للسلام #alhamid4nobel
— وليد الخضيري (@AlKhodhairi) November 27, 2013
The importance of the prize is for us as a society to present to the world an icon who sacrificed many years in prison for justice and equality.
Author Abdullah al-Malki tweeted about al-Hamid's activism:
د. الحامد أصبح لدى جيل الشباب، إيقونة ورمز النضال السلمي المدني البريء من كل أشكال العنف .. #الحامد_نوبل_للسلام pic.twitter.com/dU6WSBgDvb
— عبدالله المالكي (@iAbuhesham) November 27, 2013
Dr. al-Hamid became an icon for the younger generation for peaceful civic struggle that is innocent of all forms of violence.

author: Anas Soliman


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China: Ai Weiwei’s Flower Protest · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

The Chinese government has restricted artist-activist Ai Weiwei from traveling outside the country since 2011 when he was prosecuted with Tax evasion. To express his discontent, he decided to put flowers on his bike outside his studio. @dgatterdam retweeted @aiww's picture with a brief note.
Every day @aiww will put flowers in his bike outside his studio 258 until he is free to travel http://t.co/VACuJmQZ5i pic.twitter.com/8TbNdGL8Zs
— dgatterdam (@dgatterdam) November 30, 2013

author: Oiwan Lam


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Dubai Wins the Expo 2020!  · Global Voices
Noon Arabia

People around the Arab world, especially in the United Arab Emirates were glued to their screens on Wednesday, November 27th, anticipating to hear the final results of voting which will determine the winner among rival bids from Brazil, Turkey and Russia to host the World Expo trade convention in 2020.
Many were wondering why Dubai was competing for the Expo. Karl Sharro tweeted:
I don't know why Dubai wants #Expo2020 every day in Dubai is an Expo.
— Karl Sharro (@KarlreMarks) November 27, 2013
He sarcastically added:
Dubai deserves to win this. It will allow it to break away from its traditional subtlety and do something outlandish for a change. #Expo2020
— Karl Sharro (@KarlreMarks) November 27, 2013
Almost everyone was betting on Dubai, knowing what the exceptional city had to offer with its Expo 2020 “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future” theme which was vivid in their video posted on YouTube.
The results of the first round of 165 votes were, Dubai 77, Russia's Ekaterinburg 39, Turkey's İzmir 33 and Brazil's São Paulo 13.
First round results
Then came the results of the second round of voting, Dubai had 87 votes, Russia's Ekaterinburg got 52 and Turkey's İzmir was out.
Second round results
The results of the third and final round between Dubai and Russia's Ekaterinburg was out at 8:30 pm UAE time announcing Dubai as the ultimate winner with a tally of 116 out of 165 votes, turning win into triumph.
The UAE delegation in Paris proudly celebrated the DubaiExpo2020 victory.
Pic: Moment of victory as #Expo2020 hosting bid results announced in favour of #UAE #Expo2020 #DubaiExpo2020 pic.twitter.com/JpuxztZGX0
— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) November 28, 2013
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai proudly tweeted acknowledging everyone who contributed the DubaiExpo 2020 success, he added:
Dubai #Expo2020 will breathe new life into the ancient role of the Middle East as a melting pot for cultures and creativity
— HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) November 27, 2013
The Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashed Center for Cultural Understanding (SMCCU) blog post DUBAI Gets EXPO 2020 highlighted what its theme meant:
Dubai’s theme Connecting Minds, Creating the Future, lies at the heart of who Dubai is. It is not a new story, but a continuing story, of a village in the desert, at a crossroads connecting peoples and cultures, exchanging not limited to material goods but ideas, cultures and philosophies. From the first Bedouin tribes to arrive in the region, to our recent migration of people from all over the globe who truly call Dubai home, our city is, through its visionary leadership a portrait of what the future can be in this region.
Celebrations were in full swing in the winning city as Dubai was announced the winner to host Expo 2020 and the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world and Dubai's landmark, was spectacularly lit up with fireworks.
Muath Al Wari proudly tweeted:
No biggie, just my hometown partying #DubaiExpo2020 pic.twitter.com/6xcEVQ66WU
— Muath Al Wari (@MuathAlWari) November 27, 2013
While Dubai residents celebrated the deserved victory many worried of the increase in the cost of living as a result of the Expo2020 win, as Bahraini Ammar Al Aradi tweeted:
#Expo2020, 20% increase in rent, 20 extra minutes stuck in traffic per trip, 20 new Salik gates, 20 dirham increase in your salary. #Dubai
— ammaro (@ammar456) November 27, 2013
The joy in the UAE was doubled by the win as it coincides with the celebrations of the 42nd National Day, on December 2nd.
Even Google's doodle celebrated the win!
Google celebrates the win #DubaiExpo2020 pic.twitter.com/aaywc7QMi5
— Latifa MR Al Maktoum (@LatifaMRM) November 27, 2013
Every Expo is brilliant….but Dubai will certainly be the most astonishing!

author: Noon Arabia


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Economic Challenges For The New Nepali Government · Global Voices
Rezwan

Economic blogger Chandan Sapkota lists major economic issues the newly elected Constituent Assembly members will be facing as they commence their work.


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#StopPrawlerPlan: Activists Against Destruction of Palestinian Villages Arrested in Israel · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“Prawer shall not pass”, yelled hundreds of Palestinian and Israeli activists at a Day of Rage protest outside the Bedouin town of Hura, in the Negev desert. The protest was met with police force and activists were arrested, according to citizen media reports.
The Prawer-Begin plan, approved by the Israeli Knesset, could result in the destruction of more than 35 “unrecognised” villages and the forced expulsion of more than 70,000 Palestinian Bedouins in Al Naqab – or the Negev desert.
Other protests were held around the world in solidarity. However, protests in Gaza were banned, says Palestinian blogger Ola Anan [ar]:
على سبيل الغلاسة، حماس منعت اقامة اي فعالية في غزة ضمن فعاليات #برافر_لن_يمر. #اصلا_عادي
— Ola Anan -علا من غزة (@olanan) November 30, 2013
Hamas has banned any activities in Gaza as part of the Prawer shall not pass events
A Day of Rage was organised today to protest the Prawer Plan, which if implemented would displace thousands of Palestinian Bedouins living in Al Naqab
Mariam Barghouti explains:
Israel wants to ethnically cleanse 1000s of Palestinians in #Naqab & when we protested we were met with violence & arrests. #StopPrawerPlan
— Mariam Barghouti (@MariamBarghouti) November 30, 2013
Israeli Elizabeth Tsurkov adds:
Activists who were at the protest in Hura (Naqab) report experiencing unprecedented levels of violence from policemen. #StopPrawerPlan
— Elizabeth Tsurkov (@Elizrael) November 30, 2013
Tweet-Palestine claims a seven-year-old boy was arrested:
Israeli army arrest a 7 year old child in #Naqab #StopPrawerPlan pic.twitter.com/KXLHgTgeZn“
— Tweet_Palestine (@Tweet_Palestine) November 30, 2013
And, on YouTube, Muath Hamed shares this video showing the arrest of two protesters, near the settlement of BeitEal, north of Ramullah:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2AaNMCho2o
Among the activists arrested today is Maath Musleh. Omar Robert Hamilton shares this photograph of him smiling while being arrested:
My friend and colleague @MaathMusleh being arrested at #StopPrawerPlan demo in Jerusalem earlier today: pic.twitter.com/p4qWGVa7c5
— Omar Robert Hamilton (@ORHamilton) November 30, 2013
Israeli journalist Joseph Dana doesn't anticipate international coverage of today's events. He tweets:
#StopPrawerPlan protests all over Twitter & Facebook tonight. Who wants to bet me a beer that the story doesn't make Buzzfeed?”
— joseph dana (@ibnezra) November 30, 2013
While Abir Kopty sees hope on the horizon:
Today the “invisible” became visible, and the Israeli police couldn't stand it. We will win! #StopPrawerPlan
— Abir Kopty (@AbirKopty) November 30, 2013

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Ukraine: Understanding the #Euromaidan Protests · Global Voices
Danica Radisic

It may seem to many that the #Euromaidan protests in Ukraine grew out of nowhere and overnight, but this is not the case. There is a long history behind the protests and the government's decision to back out of what was supposed to be a historical and significant move toward EU integration was only the last straw for the citizens of Ukraine.
A blogger based in Lviv, Ukraine, wrote a comprehensive explanation of the several elements involved in inciting the protests that started in Kyiv on November 21, 2013 and are now in their second week. In the post titled “Who is behind the Ukrainian protest? A letter from Lviv”, he summarizes:
So, what you should know .
1. Ukrainian market in depended of Russia and Russia wants to absorb such depended markets. So, to save sovereignty of Ukraine (at least more or less) we need to diversify this dependence. And this automatically means more collaboration with EU.
2. The protests are so massive because of real support and euphoria (people didn’t know they still can protest). But that time the opposition wants to use the protests to achieve its own profit.
3. Not all Ukrainians support EU-integration. Those who don’t support don’t know any truth about situation in Greece or in Spain; they just like Russia or they are afraid of homosexuals (Russian propaganda like to intimidate that EU means legal homosexual marriage etc). But frankly speaking those who support EU mostly don’t know much more (I mean about Greece etc).
4. This data: 44% for European Union; 33% for Custom Union.
5. The main interest of both Yanukovych and opposition leaders is victory on 2015 presidential elections.

author: Danica Radisic


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VIDEOS: Ukraine’s Police Brutally Beat #Euromaidan Protesters to “Clear” Square · Global Voices
Tetyana Bohdanova

In the early hours of Saturday, riot police surrounded and beat hundreds of camped Ukrainian protesters, many of whom were asleep, at Independence Square in the capital Kyiv, the site of week-long peaceful “Euromaidan” rallies, in support of Ukraine's integration with Europe.
According to citizen photos and videos, on November 30, 2013, the police tried to intimidate and forcefully remove protesters from the square, by beating them with batons, chasing unarmed protesters, and even kicking and beating protesters who fell to the ground [photos, videos] while trying to escape. Witnesses say police did not discriminate, beating young women and journalists, including a Reuters photographer Gleb Garanich [photo].
Journalist and blogger Mustafa Nayem shared a video shot from the center of the riot police crackdown. The videо below [warning: graphic content] shows police encircling protesters at the base of the Independence monument, beating everyone indiscriminately. Screams can be heard and people shouting “What are you doing?!” and “Shame on you!”. The video ends with the videographer escaping the monument site, which is completely filled with riot police, while more screams are heard in the background.
Many have circulated another video [ru] shot by Danish journalist Johannes Wamberg Andersen. As he speaks to an injured journalist from Ukraine, riot police is shown in the back, dragging and kicking unarmed protesters.
Radio Svoboda (RFE/RL), posted this video from security cameras on its YouTube account. The cameras recorded riot police chasing and beating unarmed people in the center of Kyiv.
Night before the brutal police attack
After the Ukrainian government failed to fulfill demands of protesters and sign the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement in Vilnius on November 29, coordinators of the protests called on people to regroup and gather again on Sunday, December 1.
While some protesters went back to their homes after the announcement on Friday, others remained through the night at the main protest site in Kyiv, Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square).Reports say that the majority of those attacked by police were students, some of whom had traveled from other regions to participate in the Euromaidan rallies.
A call to a nation-wide protest circulated online. The text reads: “Defend your children against [Riot police] and your country – against the dictatorship! December 1 at 12:00″
“Square needed to be cleared for Christmas tree”
According to city officials, police needed to disperse protesters so that the square could be prepared for installing the traditional Christmas tree on the square. According to media reports and eye-witness accounts, however, the brutal force used by police was uncalled for and unjustified.
Shock and anger spreads
Ukrainian singer and 2004 Eurovision contest winner, Ruslana, who has spent several days with the protesters in Independence Square, posted this statement [uk] on her Facebook page:
Ми сховалися в Михайлівському Соборі… Нас тут біля ста чоловік… Є поранені.
Майдан захоплений. Потрапити на нього неможливо! Я намагалася. Сказала, що там залишилися мої особисті речі, на що мені відповіли, що всі речі вже викинули.
Ми чекаємо світові медіа і представників Посольств іноземних держав.
We have taken cover at Mykhailivsky Cathedral… There are about a hundred of us… There are injured [among us].
Maidan [Square] is taken. It is impossible to enter it! I tried. Told them I left my personal belongings there, to which [they] replied that everything has been thrown away already.
We are waiting for the representatives of international media and embassies of foreign states.
An opposition MP, Andriy Shevchenko, who later aided in the release detained protesters, tweeted:
Майдан по-звірячому зачистили. Десятка поранених. Десятки затриманих. Такого Україна ще не бачила
— Andriy Shevchenko (@ashevch) November 30, 2013
Maidan [Square] was brutally cleared. Dozens are injured. Dozens are detained. Ukraine has seen nothing like this before.
Many social media users circulated photos that corroborated accounts of eyewitnesses. A new media analyst and blogger, Vitaliy Moroz, said:
(photo) The evidence of police using brutal force against protesters in Ukraine #euromaidan, #ukraine #євромайдан pic.twitter.com/HFSeNBBBTC
— Vitalii Moroz (@vitaliymoroz) November 30, 2013
A foreign freelance journalist in Kyiv, Just Hovens Greve, tweeted:
#Ukraine‘s opposition leader Yatsenyuk:”This morning we woke up in Belarus” (via http://t.co/p7SBSQqO0R) #Євромайдан pic.twitter.com/jPElxGom5i
— Just Hovens Greve (@JustHovensGreve) November 30, 2013
As shock from the morning's horrendous events subsided, many began to express anger both online and offline. Throughout the day, people gathered to protest  police brutality in Kyiv and other cities.The pictures of these spontaneous protests were circulated widely on social media. Radio Svoboda (RFE/RL) shared this photo on Twitter:
Молодь на Майдані незалежності, сидить під йолкою в знак протесту. #євромайдан pic.twitter.com/mF5sqI3hEu
— Радіо Свобода (@radiosvoboda) November 30, 2013
Youth on the Independence Square, sitting under the [Christmas tree] to express their protest
Ukrainian daily Ukrainska Pravda, shared a photo of police protecting what was until recently the main protest site, on its Twitter account. The inscription next to the policemen reads “Happy Bloody New Year!”[uk]:
Майдан після силового розгону. 30.11.2013 Фото: Михайло Петях #євромайдан pic.twitter.com/EdFwjS9WNa
— Українська правда (@ukrpravda_news) November 30, 2013
Maidan [Square] after the police break up. 30.11.2013. Photo by Mykhailo Petyakh
Opposition party Svoboda posted this photo of a girl with a sign that reads “Choke on your Christmas tree!” [ru], which immediately went viral on social networks.
#євромайдан pic.twitter.com/roVuWjIEc6
— ВО Свобода (@vo_svoboda) November 30, 2013
An online citizen activism hub, Maidanua.Org, shared a photo of Mykhailivska square in Kyiv, where people began to gather during the afternoon of November 30:
Михайлівська: На стовпах розвішали статті Конституції України, статуту ООН, та вірші біблії #євромайдан pic.twitter.com/l9IAe2CnCv
— Site Maidan.Org.Ua (@sitemaidan) November 30, 2013
Mykhailivska: Articles from Ukraine's Constitution, UN Statute, and Bible verses are posted on the stanchions
At the time of writing this post, people continue to gather on Mykhailivska Square in Kyiv, with rallies also taking place in Lviv and other cities. Ustream user Myhajlivska has made live stream broadcast of protests from Kyiv available through her account.
A nation-wide protest is called for Sunday, December 1, at noon.

author: Tetyana Bohdanova


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Awareness Helps You Clean Indian Streets… Guaranteed! · Global Voices
Rezwan

Blogger Atanu Dey argues that to keep the locally produced garbage out of Indian streets you have got to make it culturally unacceptable to throw trash everywhere. Combined with efforts like assigning places to deposit garbage, ensuring regular garbage collection and some punitive actions for littering, the authorities can make sure that the Indian streets will remain clean.


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Croatian Citizens Vote Whether to Block Same Sex Marriage · Global Voices
Danica Radisic

A referendum was held in Croatia on Sunday, 1 December 2013, in which Croatian citizens voted on whether or not marriage should be defined as a legal union between a man and a woman in the country's Constitution. Rallies were held on Saturday, November 30, and previous days in Zagreb and on social networks to oppose this definition.
An image by an anonymous author that was widely circulated on social networks throughout the month of November 2013, prior to the referendum; “December 1, 1955. Rosa Parks refused to stand up from a bus seat reserved for whites. What will you do on December 1?”
This referendum is Croatia's third since the country gained its independence and has been a hot topic in media, on social networks, as well as among the country's politicians for several weeks prior to the vote. The proposition was brought forth by a citizens’ association dubbed “In the Name of Family” (“U ime obitelji”), who gathered 700,000 petition signatures for this proposition, and was supported by conservative political parties and the Catholic Church in Croatia.
The association, conservatives, and the Church continuously promoted their campaign for citizens to vote in favor and recent polls showed that most Croatians support introducing this definition of marriage officially into Croatia's Constitution. Some users and media reported that, on the morning of the referendum, Catholic churches across the country were telling church goers that it is their duty to go out and vote in favor of the change. Almost 90% of of Croatia's 4.4 million population are Roman Catholics. James Ker-Lindsay, a senior research fellow in Southeast European politics at the London School of Economics, tweeted:
In churches across #Croatia this morning people being told it is their religious duty to oppose same sex marriage http://t.co/5JTizBlYN3
— James Ker-Lindsay (@JamesKerLindsay) December 1, 2013
However, the conservatives’ proposition seems to have flushed out a movement of citizens against this proposition, as social media, online media and several protests by gay or equal rights supporters have flooded the Internet in recent weeks and, in particular, over the weekend of the referendum. Some readers may misunderstand the hashtag #protiv (#against) often associated with gay marriage and LGBT rights in Twitter and Facebook messages from Croatian users these days, but they are in fact expressing their stance against introducing this definition of marriage into the country's Constitution. Among politicians, this liberal side of the vote was led publicly with both Croatia's President Ivo Josipović, Prime Minister Zoran Milanović, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Vesna Pusić calling on citizens to vote against the proposal at the referendum.
Ivo Špigel, a serial entrepreneur from Zagreb and columnist for Forbes Croatia, said:
Mornin'! A beautiful, sunny day – just right to go and vote against the referendum, and *for* human rights of our gay sisters and brothers
— Ivo Spigel (@ivospigel) December 1, 2013
Twitter user @kristinapod, originally from Split, Croatia, now living in Toronto and working as a human rights advocate, commented:
No country,city,community or village is exempt from same sex love. I cannot comprehend a referendum 2 ban same sex marriage.#protiv #Croatia
— Kristina (@KristinaPod) December 1, 2013
After the polls closed on Sunday evening, local media reported that the headquarters of the “Protiv” (“Against”) movement were quoted as saying:
'Nadamo se da smo mobilizirali sve koji drže do ljudskih prava' #referendum #protiv http://t.co/covOy2KGj8
— 24sata (@24sata_HR) December 1, 2013
'We hope that we mobilized everyone who supports human rights' #referendum #protiv http://t.co/covOy2KGj8
— 24sata (@24sata_HR) December 1, 2013
The day before the referendum, the association “In the name of Family” denied media accreditation [sr] to their headquarters on the day of the vote to some media who had provided coverage of the “Protiv” movement. Namely, Croatian dailies Večernji list and 24 sata, as well as RTL television were denied access to report from the association's headquarters. Following this decision, most Croatian media decided to support their colleagues and boycott the association's headquarters and media statements on the day of the referendum. Twitter user @markopadovan commented on the matter after the polls closed:
Inicijativa #protiv vjerojatno isto nije pozivala novinare. Što ćeš pozivati sam sebe.
— Super Varijanta (@markopadovan) December 1, 2013
The movement #protiv probably didn't invite journalists either. You can't very well invite yourself.
— Super Varijanta (@markopadovan) December 1, 2013
The #Protiv movement seems to have received plenty of support from Croatia's diaspora as well but, with the vast majority of Croatian members of Parliament and citizens allegedly supporting the change to the country's constitution, it is difficult, if not impossible, to predict what the results will be. Helena Kos, a young Croatian expat living in Berlin, tweeted hopefully:
Guzva u konzularnom uredu, dosta mladih glasaca :) #referendum #protiv
— Helena Kos (@helenakos) December 1, 2013
Crowded at the [Croatian] consular office, plenty of young voters :) #referendum #protiv
— Helena Kos (@helenakos) December 1, 2013
If the results of the referendum are positive and Croatian citizens decide to define marriage exclusively as a legal union between a man and a woman, Croatia will de facto be the first European country to officially ban the possibility of gay marriage in the long-term.
Preliminary results of the polls are expected after 10 pm CET on Sunday, December 1, or the following day. At the time of writing this post, some 40% of ballots have been counted, with the majority in most cities showing over 60% of voters voting in favor of the amendment to the Constitution. One user, Hamide Morina, tweeted:
nesluzbeno: ZA – 64,84% POTIV – 34,56 @musicfan1158 -.—- #PROTIV
— Hamide Morina (@Haamideee) December 1, 2013
unofficially: FOR – 64,84% AGAINST – 34,56 @musicfan1158 -.—- #PROTIV
— Hamide Morina (@Haamideee) December 1, 2013


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High-Profile Editor Tarun Tejpal Accused of Sexually Assaulting Young Reporter  · Global Voices
Rezwan

The celebrated editor-in-chief of Indian magazine Tehelka, known for its groundbreaking investigative journalism and coverage of issues such as corruption and sexual violence, has been arrested on charges that he sexually assaulted a female colleague.
The allegations against Tarun Tejpal, an iconic figure of Indian journalism who led his media organization Tehelka to popularity, first came to light when an email from the victim, a Tehelka reporter and friend of Tejpal's daughter, written to the magazine's managing editor describing the alleged assault was leaked. The victim later resigned from her post, saying that she was “deeply traumatized” by the magazine's lack of support.
Initially, Tehelka Managing Editor Shoma Chaudhury, who has since quit in the wake of the scandal, seemed to defend him and said the organization would undertake internal inquiries. As penance, Tejpal sent an “apology” letter on 20 November 2013 to Tehelka management announcing that he would be stepping down for six months in light of allegations. In the letter, he defended himself, saying that “a bad lapse of judgment, an awful misreading of the situation, have led to an unfortunate incident.”
The accusations have created uproar in mainstream media as well as social media, especially among the Twitterati. His fall from grace has been termed “The Fall Of India's Conscience“, and the constant conversation in social media has acted as a catalyst in escalating the debate.
Editor-In-Chief of Tehelka Magazine Tarun J. Tejpal during a session of the Literary Festival in Lalitpur. Image by Sunil Sharma. Copyright Demotix (17/9/2011)
Nayanathara, an India Today Reporter, wrote on Google Plus [malayalam]:
“എത്ര നാള് ഒരു ബിംബം പോലെ മനസ്സിലിട്ടു നടന്നിരുന്നതാണ് ഒരു കൗമാരക്കാരി ഈ മനുഷ്യനെ എന്നോര്‍ക്കുമ്പോള് ലജ്ജ തോന്നുന്നു. മദ്യപിച്ച ശേഷമുള്ള ഒരു നേരമ്പോക്ക് ആയിരുന്നത്രേ അയാള്‍ക്കത്- മകളുടെ പ്രായമുള്ള ഒരു പെണ്‍കുട്ടിക്കു മേല് നടത്തിയ ലൈംഗികാക്രമണം. അതിനു നല്‍കിയ ഓക്കാനം വരുത്തുന്നത്ര വിചിത്രമായ ന്യായീകരണങ്ങള്. ദല്‍ഹി ബലാത്സംഗ കേസിനു ശേഷം ആര്‍ജ്ജവമുള്ള കുറേയേറെ കവര് സ്റ്റോറികള് ആ വിഷയത്തില് പ്രസിദ്ധീകരിച്ച തെഹല്‍ക്കയുടെ എഡിറ്ററുടെ ഓറിയന്റേഷന് എന്തായിരുന്നു… എവിടെയായിരുന്നു എന്നത് ഞെട്ടിക്കുന്നതാണ്. ഒപ്പം ഈ ഭൂമുഖത്ത് വിശ്വാസമര്‍പ്പിക്കാവുന്ന വ്യക്തിത്വങ്ങള് ഇല്ലാതാകുന്നു എന്ന നിസ്സഹായതയും.”
Feel ashamed how that young girl would have idealized Tarun Tejpal. For him, it seems like fun after a couple of drinks. After assaulting a woman half his age and then coming up with excuses is nauseating to say the least. After the Delhi rape case, Tehelka had published excellent stories, now I wonder what exactly was Tehelka's editorial orientation regarding women's rights. Also shocking is the fact that there are less people on this earth whom one can trust.
IT professional KrishnaKumar was worried about the way the matter was hushed up inside Tehelka:
സ്ത്രീകളോടുള്ള അതിക്രമങ്ങൾ സംബന്ധിച്ചിട്ടുള്ള വിഷയങ്ങളോട് സമൂഹത്തിൽ പുരോഗമന കംബളം പുതച്ചു നില്ക്കുന്ന വ്യക്തികളും പ്രസ്ഥാനങ്ങളും എടുക്കുന്ന പ്രതിലോമപരമായ നിലപാടുകൾ അങ്ങേയറ്റം നിരാശാജനകമാണ് … ഈ വിഷയങ്ങളിൽ മറ്റുള്ളവർക്ക് മാതൃക ആവേണ്ട നടപടികൾ കൈകൊള്ളുന്നതിന് പകരം… അതിനെ ന്യായീകരിക്കുകയും അതിൽ ഇടപെടുന്നവരെ സംരക്ഷിക്കുകയും അത് ഒതുക്കിത്തീർക്കുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നവർ … അവരിൽ പ്രത്യാശ അർപ്പിക്കുന്നവരെ വഞ്ചിക്കുക മാത്രമല്ല … ഇത്തരത്തിലുള്ള ക്രിമിനലുകൾക്ക് പ്രോത്സാഹനം നല്കുക കൂടിയാണ് ചെയ്യുന്നത് … തരുണ് തെജ്പാലിന്റെ കാര്യത്തിൽ വ്യക്തമായ ലൈംഗീകാക്രമണം ആണ് നടന്നിരിക്കുന്നത് … അത് ഗുരുതരമായി കാണേണ്ട കാര്യമാണ് .. ഒരു പരാതിക്കും കാത്തിരിക്കാതെ നിയമപരമായ നടപടികളിലേക്ക് കടക്കേണ്ട വിഷയം …. തങ്ങളുടെ കൂടെയുള്ളവരെ പലരെയും ലീവ് കൊടുത്തും പേരിനു മാത്രം ഇന്റെർണൽ ആയി “നടപടി” എടുത്തും സംരക്ഷിച്ചു പാരമ്പര്യം ഉള്ളവരുടെ ഈ വിഷയത്തിലുള്ള മൌനം അർത്ഥഗർഭമാണ് ….
It's despicable and disappointing how sexual harassment towards women is treated among the so-called liberal media and elite. Instead of being a modal in such issues, they are trying to shift the blame. It is a big blow to the public's faith in the fourth estate. Tarun Tejpal has clearly assaulted the woman, it should be treated with all the seriousness of a sexual crime. This is not something which should be dealt with internally in Tehelka.
The larger issue to this debate relates to how safe Indian women are in their workplaces. The Tejpal case has prompted some women to come forward. A former female employee of MY FM has filed a sexual harassment case against the company's CEO Harish Bhatia. Former judge of the Supreme Court, A K Ganguly, have been accused by a law intern of sexual harassment. And these are just the tip of the iceberg.
Nivedita Menon wrote at Kafila blog:
The silence around the normalizing of a range of behaviour from the apparently casual to the outrightly violent. The laughing sexual innuendo; the misogynist jokes; the well-known ‘displaced squeeze’ of the upper arm, the shoulders; the repeated, relentless expression of romantic or sexual interest despite clear NO’s; the grabbing of the breast, the unwanted kiss, the out-of-town work trip ending in physical assault, presented as flattering interest; and through it all, the clear invocation of the power relationship.
A young woman journalist is told to ‘seduce’ someone to come to a high profile event by her female boss. When she protests at this terminology, the boss tells her not to be so sensitive. To have a sense of humour.
And these are just the upper class professionals. The routine sexual violence faced by women on construction sites and inside middle class homes where they work as domestic servants, and in every other kind of working class location is of course, even more normalized.
The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 was promulgated earlier this year by the Indian parliament providing much hope. But the law is not operational as the concerned ministry failed to notify the legislation, a required step before a law is considered to be in effect.
Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor), Minister of State for Human Resource Development, wrote that he is against the public vilification of the accused:
A few truisms: Silence is not support. Outrage&concern don't have2be public. All accused are entitled to due process. Justice must be done.
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) November 24, 2013
Blogger Shivam Vij (@DilliDurAst) tweeted:
Pakistani columnist Ayesha Siddiqa (@iamthedrifter) withdraws her fortnightly column in @tehelka to protest their handling of Tejpal case
— Shivam Vij (@DilliDurAst) November 23, 2013
Sri Lankan blogger Indrajit Samarajeeva noted that such abuses are natural for men in powerful positions. Commenting on the accusations on Tejpal, the blogger wrote:
What’s sad is this is perfectly normal behavior for a lot of powerful people. I don’t necessarily think a man should be destroyed for abuse like this, but it needs to be punished, they need to be rehabilitated and other men have to know that it’s not OK. The urge and ability are there, but until God-AI makes it an immediate smiting, this type of public condemnation is necessary and far too infrequent.
Shivam VJ noted that despite having strict laws at their disposal, women are afraid of these men in power. Maybe one day cases like these will inspire victims to speak up.


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Jamaicans Boycott Trinidadian Products After Deportation Fiasco  · Global Voices
Matthew Hunte

Just over week ago, thirteen Jamaican citizens were refused entry to Trinidad. According to the Jamaica Gleaner, the passengers were sent back on the plane carrying the Jamaican National Football team back home after a game in Trinidad. The report claimed that:
The Jamaicans said that they were not allowed to contact anybody nor were they even allowed to use their cellular phones to contact the persons who were waiting outside the Piarco Airport to receive them. They also claimed they were threatened that their phones would be seized if they attempted to use them.
The story continued:
Among those turned away from her fellow Caribbean Community (Caricom) state was Anne Gordon, who was given the task of chaperoning an 11-year-old girl to see her father who resides in that country with his Trinidadian wife. However, both Gordon and the girl were denied entry, despite carrying Caricom passports.
Many Jamaicans – including Jamaican businessman William Mahfood, who happened to have been on the same flight as the deportees – were outraged by the actions of the Trinidad and Tobago Immigration Department and called for an immediate response by the Jamaican government:
@emilynationwide @djmillerJA so if we are supposed to be a common market Trinidad products can come to Jamaica but our people can't go there
— William Mahfood (@Williamwisynco) November 20, 2013
He added:
Honorable PM the Trinidadians feel that Caricom means single direction market, please show them the real definition is single market
— William Mahfood (@Williamwisynco) November 22, 2013
In a recent ruling in the landmark case involving Shanique Myrie against the Barbadian Government, the Caribbean Court of Justice ruled that where a Caricom national is refused entry into a member state, that national should be given the opportunity to consult an attorney or a consular official of his or her country, or to contact a family member. The Jamaicans maintained that they were not granted either of these rights.
Many Jamaicans were outraged by the actions of the Trinidadian immigration and called for a an immediate response by the Jamaican government.  In an interview posted on Facebook, Trinidad & Tobago's National Security Minister Gary Griffith said that the reason that the persons were not allowed entry was because they did not fulfill the stipulated requirements. He also had that some had given false information to the officers:
Griffith says in the case of the 13 Jamaicans last week, they also failed to convince immigration authorities that they were bona fide visitors. In fact, Griffith said in some cases, the Jamaicans lied on their immigration forms. On the weekend, Trinidadian officials released figures indicating that in the past three years, more 1,000 Jamaicans have been denied entry to the twin island republic.
However, Griffith maintains that his immigration officers only admit visitors who meet all the immigration requirements. In the meantime, he has admitted that Trinidad and Tobago needs to make changes to its immigration systems consistent with the recent ruling in the Shanique Myrie case.
Renz Pee felt that while the incident was unfortunate, the refusal of entry was justified:
The point of an immigration department is to control who enters the borders of a sovereign nation.. The Caricom legislation is to facilitate easier movement between Caricom countries.. but this does NOT mean that people who have no plan or direction on entering the shores of Trinidad and Tobago AND also providing dubious stories should be allowed to enter… If a Guyanese is entering Jamaica and gives the immigration officers the story that he's going to work for Tastee patty and upon further investigation it is found that Tastee Patty has NO knowledge of this person nor has extended any offer of employment to them.. then now the motives of the person are called into question and this person could potentially become a ward of the state as they may never return to their place of origin.. Immigration has a duty to know where all foreigners who enter their shores are, or else that is pandemonium. This situation was unfortunate but seems justified.
In the context of the Caribbean Court of Justice's ruling in favor of Shanique Myrie, issues surrounding CARICOM and the free movement of people throughout the region have been brought to the fore. Some in Jamaica have decided that the best response to this latest incident would be a boycott of Trinidadian products sold in Jamaica. Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago have long been economic rivals and this boycott would be merely the latest chapter of a long standing trade war between the two most populous territories of the English-speaking Caribbean.
Jamaica's Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister A.J. Nicholson rejected the idea of boycott stating that it would constitute a breach of the Treaty of Chaguaramas:
The Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas establishes a regime where goods that are classified as being of Caricom origin are entitled to duty-free treatment on entry into each Caricom member state, unless a member state has invoked a particular exception under the treaty. It would be a breach of Jamaica’s obligations under the treaty to block the entry of goods from Trinidad and Tobago, which qualify as being of Caricom origin, as a result of the allegations of unjustified denials of entry.
One of the leaders of the boycott movement, primary school teacher Kesreen Green Dillon, was interviewed by the Jamaica Gleaner.
Poster encouraging Jamaicans to boycott Trinidadian import in favor of local products.
In the Facebook group “Real Change For Jamaica”, Green Dillon expressed concern over the way Jamaica supported Trinidadian products:
What bothers me is how much we buy their things and ignore ours. We do not buy things like Excelsior products but when I went to get snacks for my daughter this morning, all I saw on on the shelves and in trolleys were SUNSHINE SNACKS. It appears that Jamaicans support them more than they support themselves. To what benefit do we do that? Are they doing their part according to the Treaty of Chaguaramus (sic)?
However, Garnett Weir pointed out that Excelsior was now owned by a Trinidadian company:
Excelsior is now a Trinidadian brand. The company Jamaica biscuit co. Ltd was sold to a Trinidadian company. http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/19990312/business/b1.html
Wayne John felt that Trinidad & Tobago has been treating Jamaica unfairly for a long time:
Trinidad has consistently been treating us with disdain. They gave us a hard time when we [were] trying to export our patties there yet our supermarket is full of their products.
When they took over Air Jamaica they promised they would retain our pilots and after a while they laid them off and the last straw was last week when they detain (sic) 12 Jamaican passengers and denied them entry for no good reasons and had them in some unpleasant holding area with substandard meal. One of the passenger[s] was a little girl who was going to see her dad for the 1st time and a man who was visiting his wife for their anniversary they didn't even allow them to contact the people who were at the airport to meet them.
I say enough is enough, we don't need them nor their product.
Boycott their products and services.
Pump Cahryl Stilletos, a Jamaican living abroad, decided to join the boycott:
We need a list of all the products imported from T and T and all the companies they own or operate in Jamaica, while the subject is still hot… I have already thrown my curry in the trash, it doesn't say T and T but it look look like it should be from there so one down….Although I am not in Jamaica and would NEVER visit T and T ( far more beautiful places to see )….I want to support the campaign….After this success we going to launch a campaign to get back our blue book (is what color unu passport is now)
In contrast, Rupert Francis remembered travelling throughout the Caribbean years ago and feeling welcome everywhere:
Jamaican blog Veritas wrote that the calls to boycott Trinidadian products were misguided and showed a lack of understanding:
Let us not forget that CARICOM is not a federal state, you are not entitled to anything outside of Jamaica. Our sense of entitlement is appalling. You are a foreigner when you land at a port in Trinidad and Tobago. In my opinion, the ‘CARICOM passport’ functions like any other visa. As far as I understand visas, they authorize you to land at the port; admittance has to be a discretionary matter. It simply has to be. I am defending the right of Trinidad to refuse any person it deems ineligible because I reserve the very same right for Jamaica.
He also added that Jamaican pride may be a big cause for the controversy:
Trinidad’s exercise of its sovereign authority hurt that pride and so we are now reacting. If we are honest with ourselves, we have always harboured the unhealthy sentiment that Jamaica is the best of the Caribbean, a capital of sorts, and therefore we have behaved accordingly entitled.  That is the source of our pride. Many of us are incredulous because we deem Trinidad a ‘spec in the sea’ and ‘two likkle fi even be a country’, an ‘insignificant’ country should never seek to disrespect Jamaica, right?
Carlton Stewart did not support the boycott either:
I do not agree with a boycott of TRINIDAD AND OR BARBADOS products or services. Within the REVISED TREATY OF CHAGUARAMAS ..there are facilities to deal with issues of this nature. When we engage in a boycott we will be hurting our fellow brothers and sisters within these territories who are really not responsible for the actions of their Government or Government Departments. THE HEADS of our CARICOM COMMUNITY , they are responsible, but they move like molasses in winter on important matters. They must see us in their faces when they leave their homes demonstrating for action. It is lack of action on the part of THE HEADS. If we respond with boycotts then where will it stop, it is the HEADS, who are responsible and must be strongly urged to move using the facilities within the agreements that set up CARICOM. Christ told his disciples that they should forgive their neighbors seventy times seven, we don't even gone five times yet and we ready to throw away the baby with the bath water. CALL UPON THE HEADS TO STOP SLEEPING ON THE JOB AND DO THE WORK THEY ARE BEING PAID TO DO.
Reaction to the proposed boycott on Twitter was mixed, with many enthusiastic about the effort…
No them turning back all those Jamaicans is NOT a coincidence. But if you believe so, I have a bridge in Laventille to sell you Cheap cheap!
— Half Blood (@CindysDaughter) November 21, 2013
OK Guys!!! We can enact the Trinidad boycott, they no longer own @WNWOverproofRum so it's safe… Boycott to ur heart & pocket's content…
— #HelpRachie (@marlonmusique) November 24, 2013
…and others feeling that it was futile, given how how much Jamaica depended on Trinidadian imports:
Suggest a boycott of goods from Trinidad! impose some tax on the importation of goods if that's how they plan to treat our nationals.
— LHS | | Qweng (@LifeAsLloyd) November 23, 2013
Boycott Trinidad and guh hungry !?!!??!
— EST13 ADRIAN ®™²º¹² (@_VecTHunder__) November 24, 2013
Yes Jamaica. Boycott Trinidad products. Have fun only eating patties lol. Seriously…you have bigger, national issues to address. Like DEBT
— Nyssa Pierre (@kneezurr) November 25, 2013
@PjFray Trinidad own everything a Ja but Bob Marley & Usain Bolt
— #Socialize (@chubbzdaceo) November 24, 2013
Honey roasted peanuta too RT @bnchino: Excelsior crackers is from Trinidad? … Nah dawg….dat nah get boycott. Sorry.
— bumyb (@Blaximus_Thor) November 25, 2013

author: Matthew Hunte


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Open Letter to President Obama Calling for the Release of Oscar López Rivera Goes Viral · Global Voices
Ángel Carrión

Sociologist, poet, and blogger Guillermo Rebollo-Gil wrote an open letter on his blog to U.S. President Barack Obama in which he calls for the release of Oscar López Rivera, one of the longest-held political prisoners ever. The letter has quickly gone viral over the past two days.
Oscar López Rivera has been in prison for 32 years already, convicted of “seditious conspiracy”, even though it was never proven that he was involved in any violent activity, nor was he convicted of crimes that resulted in death or injury to anyone. After expressing great disillusionment with President Obama's administration, Rebollo-Gil writes:
Over the last three plus decades, five different Presidents have been sworn into office. I wonder if it would be possible for you to consider standing out amongst them. I wonder if you would be interested in imbuing your presidency with historical significance in the form of a direct action to assuage this injustice perpetrated by the American government. I wonder if you would be interested in affirming the fundamental American principle of freedom and grant a pardon to Mr. López Rivera. I really hope so. At all times.
Guillermo Rebollo-Gil's letter has been widely shared on social media and was republished on the online journal 80 grados [es].

author: Ángel Carrión


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Thailand Anti-Government Protesters Aim for ‘Day of Victory’ · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The anti-government movement in Bangkok is called the “Whistle Revolution” as protesters whistle to show their discontentment. Photo by Camille Gazeau, Copyright @Demotix (11/29/2013)
Thailand’s anti-government protesters are aiming to occupy the Government House today and nine other government buildings in order to bring down the administration of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. This developed after a protester was killed and several others were injured during a clash between government supporters and protesters.
Protesters have occupied several buildings in the government complex but today many of them have dispersed in order to occupy other government offices and media stations. The Twitter hashtag #bangkokprotests is useful to monitor the protests.
Yingluck may have survived a no-confidence vote in parliament but the tension in the capital is far from over. Protesters wanted her removed from power because she is accused of being a puppet of her elder brother, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Thaksin was ousted by a coup in 2006. He is in exile after being found guilty of plunder by a local court.
The intensity of protests today is reminiscent of the 2008 crisis when protesters occupied the airport, and other key facilities of Bangkok.
A barbed wire was placed by the police to prevent the entry of protesters in government-owned buildings and media stations
หน้าช่อง 5 อีก_าพ เมื่อเวลา 11.54น. วันนี้ จากเฟซอี๊ด pic.twitter.com/0hAjMx3lwO
— Nalinee Siriked (@Nalinee_PLE) December 1, 2013
From channel 5, another photo at 11:54pm from Face-Eid
A student protester was hurt by a grenade fragment
จะจะ!นักศึกษาโดนาะเก็ดระเบิด เข้าหน้าเมื่อเช้า pic.twitter.com/i3ChFPxzFQ
— เอกชัย ผดุงเกียรติ (@tumtv9) December 1, 2013
Up close! A student hurt by a bomb blast in his face this morning
Tear gas was fired by the police against protesters during the Sunday morning protest:
ภาพตำรวจยิงแก๊สน้ำตา โดยชยานนท์ ปรานีต #NationTV http://t.co/7PdSWcglcM
— chalieo khongtug (@man_Rw) December 1, 2013
Photo of a police firing tear gas by Chayanond Praneet
Protestors preparing buckets of water at gov house in preparation for tear gas. Police have warned them this morning that gas will be used
— George Thaivisa (@georgebkk) December 1, 2013
This water has some chemicals in it, it burns the eyes and the skin like tear gas. Just tried myself, argh
— Alessandro Ursic (@aleursic) December 1, 2013
Many were relieved to hear that Red Shirt government supporters have decided to call off a rally this Sunday which would help in avoiding further clashes between them and the protesters. Red Shirts were gathered at the Rajamangala Stadium.
http://t.co/0jgxg8Flk1 view away from stage 2hrs ago @ #Redshirts rally @ stadium #TEPCam
— John Le Fevre (@photo_journ) November 30, 2013
In the Rajamangala Stadium after dispersal of the red shirts via @Phop_NTV: 08.33 ราชมังคลา หลังมวลชนเสื้อแดงทยอยกลับ pic.twitter.com/QiHuaMo3EU
— Aim_The Nation (@Aim_NT) December 1, 2013
Geez they “called off” the red shirt rally like 15 minutes ago and the stadium is already empty….that's fast!
— Dave Oliver (@daveoli) December 1, 2013
Protesters have criticized the bias of mainstream media which they used as a justification in trying to overtake media stations:
A rare development: Complaints by anti-govt. supporters that the mainstream TV channels are biased.
— Piriyathep K (@PKinbangkok) December 1, 2013
All this fighting over ‘ideology’ sprouted by a bunch of raving hypocrites. Not even ORIGINAL and masses fall for it.
— Nikky (@Nikky_Bangkok) December 1, 2013
For those that keep asking why anti-government protesters are “storming” Dusit Zoo in #Bangkok, it is because police are stationed there
— Richard Barrow (@RichardBarrow) December 1, 2013
Further reports this morning tho from Ramkhamhaeng Uni saying shots being fired. #Thailand
— Zoe Daniel (@seacorro) December 1, 2013
With a large and very loud crowd headig to Labour Ministry. Sea of Thai flags. Protesters heading in several directions.
— Jonathan Head (@pakhead) December 1, 2013
The government admitted that the protests have affected the delivery of public services in the country:
While the Government has dealt with the protests with utmost restraint to avoid casualties, it has also been able to ensure continuity in the administration of the state and law enforcement.
Although the provision of public services by some agencies has been affected, the Government has contingency plans to ensure that there is sufficient and comprehensive provision of public services.

author: Mong Palatino


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The Line of Freedom And The Brief IMDb ban in Pakistan · Global Voices
Rezwan

Screenshot from the Short-film The Line of Freedom.
On November 19, 2013 Internet movie Database IMDb was banned in Pakistan until the 22nd of November, when the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) ordered ISPs to unblock the website. It is being alleged that ‘The Line Of Freedom‘, a short-film on the ongoing human rights crisis in Balochistan, is the reason why IMDb got banned in the first place. Pak Votes reports that most of the movies Google results, its theatrical trailers on major video hosting websites even its reviews are banned from viewership within the country.


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BBC, Guardian, Play Cricket With Facts: The Real Tendulkar-Taliban Story · Global Voices
Sana Jamil

Screenshot of Pakistani Taliban Spokesman Shahidullah Shahid speaking about Tendulkar to a reporter, from Vimeo uploaded by user “TalibanMediaWatch”
Record-breaking batsman Tendulkar recently played his last cricket game ending a legendary 24-year career. The “news” about his retirement and flood of tributes across South Asia, UK and Australia were soon trumped by an alleged “warning” from the Pakistani Taliban.
“Stop praising Indian Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, Taliban warn Pakistani media“: variations of this sensational headline were circulated by dozens of reputed international news sites. The “news” also went viral on social media and made its way to credible Pakistani newspapers.
But the Taliban say they gave no such warning and are very upset that they were misquoted so far and wide since November 28, 2013. Pakistani Twitter users and independent journalists @desmukh and @hyzaidi, debunked the “source” of the news as a quote taken out of context almost immediately, but the false headlines continue to make its way across the world without corrections.
Independent Pakistani journalist Fahad Desmukh (@desmukh) tweeted:
Just amazing how far and wide this totally incorrect Tendulkar-Taliban story has spread. No one checks facts? https://t.co/RI48BykcyF
— Fahad Desmukh (@desmukh) November 28, 2013
The wrong story has been “reported” by the BBC, the Telegraph, the Guardian, the Sydney Morning Herald, Gulf News; in India by Times of India, NDTV, IBNLive and in Pakistan by Daily Times, Nation and Dawn. Only Pakistani publications Dawn and The News published “revised” versions of the real story.
A spokesman for the banned organization Pakistani Taliban did speak about the cricket legend, but his words were completely taken out of context – first by the international news wire AFP, but also by credible news outlets across the UK and many former British colonies, where the game continues to be popular.
So AFP took the TTP Tendulkar quote totally out of context. Full video. Starts around 9.30 http://t.co/t2zgboxE5R
— Fahad Desmukh (@desmukh) November 28, 2013
The Real Tendulkar-Taliban story
The Taliban warning in media outlets is sourced to a 50-second video clip uploaded to Daily Motion and other sites, in which Pakistani Taliban spokesman Shahidullah Shahid talks about the cricket legend and seems to be urging the Pakistani media to stop praising Sachin Tendulkar. But watching 30 seconds before and after the clip reveal a much different story.
The clip originates from the 17-minute long video linked in Desmukh's tweet above, uploaded to Vimeo by an account called Taliban Media Watch, and is actually a “Q and A” session with a spokesman from the banned Pakistani Taliban Shahidullah Shahid during which he talks to a “local reporter”, with two imposing gun-carrying masked soldiers behind him. He replies to questions about peace talks with Pakistan, US drone strikes, and politics in Pakistan.
Six minutes into the video, the Taliban spokesman is asked about a controversial comment made by Pakistani Islamist politician Munawar Hassan that enraged people across Pakistan.
The Islamist politician called former Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud, who was killed in a US drone strike month ago, an Islamic martyr. His comment was highly criticized across Pakistani media because the Taliban leader was an “enemy of the state”, and thus an “enemy of Islam” too, so he couldn't possibly be an Islamic martyr. (See more about this in an earlier Global Voices report. )
The spokesman gives a rather convoluted philosophical reply in the next five minutes using Tendulkar as an example, and at one point essentially says that if someone were to say don't praise him because praising him is unpatriotic, it doesn't take away from the reality that he is a great cricketer.
Here is a translation by Global Voices Urdu translator Rai Azlan of the clip from 9:15-11:30. (Media outlets that wrongly reported the news only quoted the second paragraph in bold below, which does send the wrong message, if reported out of context):
False news spreads far and wide
Independent Pakistani journalist Fahad Desmukh (@desmukh) tweeted:
Nice. Even BBC gets it wrong on the false Taliban-Tendulkar story. Demonstrates the lack of fact-checking in media http://t.co/giDAPfiBet
— Fahad Desmukh (@desmukh) November 28, 2013
An Indian journalist working in Pakistan for the Press Trust of India, Snehesh Alex Philip (@sneheshphilip), also tweeted about the story and said:
TTP has not criticised Sachin #Tendulkar. shorter video showing them criticising Tendulkar is doing rounds. Full video gives right picture
— snehesh alex philip (@sneheshphilip) November 28, 2013
Fahad Desmukh explained:
@aysharalam The statement was taken out of context. Taliban spox was saying the exact opposite using it as an analogy for Munawwar Hasan
— Fahad Desmukh (@desmukh) November 29, 2013
Pakistani filmmaker, journalist and media critic Hasan Zaidi (@hyzaidi), who had been tweeting and tagging @AFP on Twitter about the real story, felt surprised when Dawn, a leading English daily in Pakistan, published the wrong story:
Now Dawn has carried the totally rubbish Taliban-Tendulkar @AFP story on its back page, a full day of debunking later. I give up. — Hasan Zaidi (@hyzaidi) November 29, 2013
Dawn's Corrected Version of the Tendulkar-Taliban Story (29-11-2013)
Dawn published a revised story on the back pages of its November 29 edition based on the complete video.
AFP clearly got hold of the wrong video and took the spokesman's original quote out of context. But others followed the newswire without checking the authenticity of the source, quote or video.
@titojourno Will I be counted as a “responsible journalist” for going out of my way have the misquote corrected? Somehow doubt it.
— Hasan Zaidi (@hyzaidi) November 30, 2013

author: Sana Jamil


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Ukraine: Hackers Disable Government Websites in Protest of Police Brutality · Global Voices
Tetyana Bohdanova

There has been a series of cyber attacks on Ukrainian government websites after police brutally dispersed peaceful Euromaidan protests in Kyiv in support of Ukraine's European integration on November 30. On December 1, many of the government websites in Ukraine were hacked and blocked [uk], including the official website of the President of Ukraine, Ministry of Interior of Ukraine and the official Government portal. As of 10:00 am CET, December 1, the Presidential website and the website of the Ministry of Interior's were still down, while the Government portal is accessible again.
As Global Voices reported, this is not the first time tech-savvy Ukrainian citizens have demonstrated their dissatisfaction with the Ukrainian government by disabling its websites or leaking government information.


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Year One of Mexico’s Peña Nieto Administration  · Global Voices
J. Tadeo

Inauguration of Enrique Peña Nieto, December 1, 2012. Photo shared by Ecuador's Foreign Ministry on Flickr, under a Creative Commons license (CC BY-SA 2.0)
[Links are to Spanish-language pages unless otherwise indicated.]
December 1, 2013, marks the first year since Mexico's PRI, the Institutional Revolutionary Party [en], regained executive power in the person of its candidate Enrique Peña Nieto [en]. The PRI was favoured in the elections of June 2012 ending two six-year terms by the National Action Party (PAN) [en], headed first by Vicente Fox and then Felipe Calderón.
It was during the second of these presidencies that a ‘war’ on organized crime was declared and an upsurge in violence occurred, a story which was covered extensively [en] by Global Voices.
After 365 days, the balance sheet of Enrique Peña Nieto government is reflected in the comments of journalists and citizens. Ciro Gómez Leyva referred to it in the following way:
El gobierno de Enrique Peña Nieto ha sido incapaz de mejorar los dos temas más sensibles para los ciudadanos. No hay más empleos bien pagados. No hay más seguridad y tranquilidad. La economía sigue empantanada. La actividad criminal sigue incontenible.
The government of Enrique Peña Nieto has been unable to improve the two most pressing issues for citizens. There are no new well-paid jobs. We are not at peace nor any safer. The economy is stagnating. Criminal activity continues unabated.
With respect to the disagreements generated by reforms proposed—and in some cases enacted—by the PRI, the journalist points out that:
Ni el país político, pues, es tan terso, ni se ha podido acreditar la imagen de un gobierno eficaz, resuelto, tolerante.
El balance tiene que ser desilusionante. Sobre todo por la expectativa que el propio gobierno supo producir en el empiece.
The political landscape isn't any smoother, nor has the government been able to portray itself as efficient, determined, tolerant.
The assessment remains disappointing. Most of all because of the expectation that the government created at the outset.
J. Jesús Esquivel, in the weekly publication Proceso, emphasized the missive from the regional director of Human Rights Watch to Enrique Peña Nieto, in which the latter admonished that the violation of human rights remains a constant problem on Mexican soil:
El director para las Américas de Human Rights Watch, José Miguel Vivanco, envió una carta al presidente Enrique Peña Nieto en la que le dice que en su primer año de gobierno no ha mostrado avances significativos “en la investigación de abusos del pasado” y sí, por el contrario, se han detectado “nuevas violaciones graves de derechos humanos con impunidad”.
Con un lenguaje claro y conciso, Vivanco agrega en la misiva:
“A casi un año de gobierno, el cambio en su estrategia de derechos humanos continúa siendo, en gran medida, exclusivamente retórico”.
Además, recuerda a Peña Nieto que cuando asumió la presidencia, el país estaba sumido en una crisis de derechos humanos, con un ambiente de impunidad “casi absoluto” en esta materia.
The director of Human Rights Watch's Americas Division, José Miguel Vivanco, sent a letter to President Peña Nieto in which he says that in his first year in office, he has not “demonstrated meaningful progress in investigating past abuses,” and, on the contrary, “serious new violations continue to take place with impunity.”
In clear and precise terms, Vivanco adds:
“One year on, the shift in your approach to human rights remains largely confined to rhetoric.”
In addition, he reminds Peña Nieto that when he assumed the presidency, the country was experiencing a human rights crisis in an atmosphere of “almost absolute” impunity.
Rafael Cabrera writing for Animal Político signaled civil society's dissatisfaction with Peña Nieto's governance with respect to public security:
Photo shared by Alex Torres on Flickr, under a Creative Commons license (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
El Gobierno de Enrique Peña Nieto no tiene ningún éxito que presentar a los ciudadanos en materia de seguridad, a unos días de cumplir su primer año, señalaron ayer representantes de la sociedad civil.
Al presentar el miércoles 26 de noviembre el reporte mensual del Observatorio Nacional Ciudadano (ONC), organismo que analiza la información del Secretariado Ejecutivo del Sistema Nacional de Seguridad Pública (SESNSP), Alejandro Martí, Edna Jaime, Isabel Miranda de Wallace y Francisco Rivas, entre otros, señalaron que las cifras que da el Gobierno no son del todo confiables y tampoco hay una política clara en cuanto a seguridad.
Only days from marking its first year, the government of Enrique Peña Nieto has no success to boast of to his citizens in the matter of public security, representatives of civil society noted yesterday.
On November 26, Alejandro Martí, Edna Jaime, Isabel Miranda de Wallace, Francisco Rivas and other members of the National Citizens’ Observatory (ONC), an organization that analyzes information from the System of National Public Security, a division of Mexico's Department of the Interior, presented a report indicating that the figures provided by the government are not at all reliable and that there is no clear policy regarding security.
Cabrera took up the expression used by the activist Alejandro Martí (@Alejandro_Marti), who argued that public security should be the central theme of the administration to prevent the current level of violence from persisting until the end of Peña Nieto's mandate:
Para Alejandro Martí, en el primer año de Peña Nieto aún no se pueden dar respuestas contundentes: “Esperemos que el próximo año se le dé a la seguridad la misma importancia que otras reformas, y que sea el tema de Estado. Si el próximo año la seguridad no es el tema central, vamos a acabar el sexenio igual”.
For Alejandro Martí, at the end of Peña Nieto's first year, there are still no concrete answers. “We hope that next year public security will be given the same order of importance as other reforms, and that it will be the focus of the government. If next year, security is not the central theme, this term will end exactly where it began.”
In addition to the issue of violence and insecurity not being adequately addressed, Peña Nieto's PRI administration has shown iself to be, until now, in favour of proposing (and even approving) controversial reforms, such as those in education and energy, as well as one not as commented on but no less important: the reform of the articles of the constitution in respect of transparency and access to information.
Opinions about Peña Nieto's first year were also visible on Twitter; user eduardoernesto (@huchimgamboa) referred to the economic approach:
Gobierno de #EPN reprueba en #economía en 1er año: crecimiento menor q el esperado (#OCDE: de 3.4 a 1.2 %) y #Banxico anuncia enorme déficit
— eduardoernesto (@huchimgamboa) November 26, 2013
#EPN government fails 1st year in #economics; lower than expected growth (#OECD: from 3.4 to 1.2%) and #Banxico announces a huge deficit
Alejandro Rodríguez (@alexdom1) referred to the “Pact for Mexico” launched by Peña Nieto at the start of his mandate. Said pact was promoted by the President among the three main political parties in order to foster the appearance of unity, in contrast to the rampant animosity that had characterized the political scene. It is within the framework of the pact, that some of the major reform proposals were raised.
El “mayor logro” de #EPN, del #PactoPorMéxico, tuvo vigencia de un año. Es el claro ejemplo de la ineficacia de su gestión como dirigente.
— Alejandro Domínguez (@alexdom1) November 24, 2013
The “big achievement” by #EPN, on the #PactoPorMéxico, was in effect for one year. This is a clear example of how inefficient he is as a leader.
As is to be expected, not all comments were critical of Peña Nieto's administration. Claudia Martínez (@ClauMart_) referred to the President's team this way:
El Equipo de trabajo del Presidente #EPN tiene el gran compromiso de trabajar por los mexicanos, es un buen cambio para empezar.
— Claudia Martínez (@ClauMart_) May 29, 2013
The team of President #EPN is committed to working for Mexicans, this is a nice change to begin with.
In the same way Raúl Garduño (@kiffuri) showed his goodwill towards the executive branch, regarding the proposed reforms:
@EPN mi reconocimiento a tu capacidad de convencimiento, tienes la posibilidad de cambiar la historia para bien, éxito!
— Raul Garduño (@kiffuri) November 27, 2013
@EPN I recognize your powers of persuasion, you have the chance to change history for the better, success!
Unchecked violence, social unrest, and cuestionable legal reforms seem to be the results of the first year of Enrique Peña Nieto's government, judging from the comments by Mexico's electorate. It is not surprising in a country whose social fabric has been torn apart with impunity by the corruption and abuses of the political class that there should be so much work left to do.

author: J. Tadeo


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20 Bitter Voices Rise From Fukushima After Japan’s 2011 Nuclear Disaster  · Global Voices
Keiko Tanaka

Right after the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, Japanese Buddhist priest Daiki Nakashita visited [ja] the disaster-stricken region, and provided emotional support to victims, as a part of his larger work on preventing suicide in Japan. Recently, the priest wrote a blog post [ja], in which he quotes 20 residents affected by the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
While Daiki humbly writes in the post [ja], which recently hit more than 2,400 likes on Facebook, that the commentary represents only a fraction of Fukushima Prefecture's two million residents, the post has been widely circulated on social media. Many of the people quoted in the post are described as living in provisional housing, temporary housing units that were set up post-disaster.
When and how these quotes were collected is not clear, nor can Global Voices track down or fact-check these quotes. Nevertheless, they offer a powerful glimpse into what life has been like since the nuclear accident more than two years ago.
福島市の仮設・80代の女性「除染なんて、私達が若いころ（戦時中）、強制的に竹やりを持たされて鬼畜米兵と言わされていたのと本質的には同じ。小手先だけの対応で、何の意味もないことは皆、分かっている。でもそれを声に出すと、非難される。同調圧力だよ」
A woman in her 80s, Fukushima city provisional housing: “Decontamination? That’s just like when we were young (during the war) and we were made to carry bamboo spears and call the American soldiers brutes. Everyone knows it’s just a clever response that doesn’t have any meaning whatsoever. But if you say as much, you’ll get criticized. It’s peer pressure.”
南相馬市６０代男性「自宅一軒、竹中工務店に５６０万円で除染を依頼し、現場の下請けはピンハネされまくって、７０万円で作業をする。末端の作業員は日当約８千円。除染が終了したら仕事がなくなるから、皆、いい加減な仕事しかしない。それで雇用が確保され、経済が回る。それが除染ビジネスの実態」
A man in his 60s, Minamisoma city: “A request for decontamination of one home with the Takenaka Firm will cost 5,600,000 JPY. At the actual scene the subcontractor has lots of bribes and kickbacks pilfered from him and it costs 700,000 JPY to do the job. It’s about 8,000 JPY per day for the final workers. Because the jobs disappear when the decontamination is finished, everyone’s doing real sloppy work. By doing that, they’re guaranteed long-term employment, and the economy turns. That’s the real state of the decontamination business.”
Google Earth Image of Japan and Korea. Fukushima's power plant is marked as ‘A’.
原発で３０年働いてきた。でも今は被曝して働けない体。人は目の前の現実が辛いと、現実逃避するんだ。将来の事なんて、意図的に考えないようにしている。酒を飲んでカラオケを歌って気晴らしをするけど、いい年したオヤジが何やっているんだろう？と思って、情けなくなる」
A man in his 60s, Iwaki city provisional housing: “I worked at the nuclear power plant for 30 years. But now my body has been exposed to radiation, and I can’t work. People are avoiding the bitter reality right before their eyes. I make it a point of intentionally not thinking about things like the future. I drink alcohol; I sing karaoke; I kick back and relax. But when I think about what the younger folks are gonna do, it makes me miserable.”
いわき市仮設６０代男性「どうしたら原発が止められるかって？そんなこと簡単だ。もう一回どっかの原発が爆発して土地が汚染され、人が住めなくならないと原発を止めることは無理じゃないのか？アメリカ・財界・官僚が政治家に圧力をかけている構造も問題だがな」
A man in his 60s, Iwaki city provisional housing: “How do we stop using nuclear power? Well that’s simple. If there isn’t another explosion at another power plant somewhere, and the ground doesn’t get polluted, and people don’t have to leave their homes then there’s absolutely no way we’ll stop using nuclear power, is there? But America, the financial world and bureaucrats putting pressure on politicians for construction is also a problem.”
大熊出身・福島の仮設入っている７０代Ａさんが言う「冬に出稼ぎに行かずに、安定した暮らしを得る為、子供や孫と同じ場所でずっと暮らすために、俺たちは原発を受け入れた。豊かな暮らし、安定成長を求めて原発を受け入れた。そしてそこで俺はずっと働いてきた。それがこんな事になるなんて・・・・」
A-san, originally from Okuma and entered into Fukushima’s provisional housing in his 70s, has the following to say: “So that we could make a stable income without having to work away from home in the winter, so we could be with our children and grandchildren the whole time, we accepted the power plant. We accepted the power plant in the hope that it would provide stable growth and a good livelihood. And that’s how I came to work there. That it would come to something like this, was just…
いわき市仮設７０代男性「被災者と言っても、状況は皆、違う。家族が死んだ・家族が生きている人、仕事を失った人・仕事がある人、家を流された人・家がある人、帰る場所がある人・帰る場所がない人、カネがある人・カネがない人・・。確かな事は、震災前からあった格差が今、露呈しているという事」
A man in his 70s, Iwaki city provisional housing: “Even though they are all called victims, the situation is different for everyone. There are those whose families died, and those whose families are alive; those who lost their jobs, and those who have jobs; those whose houses washed away, and those who have houses; those who have a place to go back to, and those who have no place to go back to; those who have money, and those who don’t… What’s for certain is that the disparities that existed before the earthquake are now laid bare.
南相馬市５０代女性「私は最近、放射能より、人間の方が怖いと思う時がたくさんあります。ここ福島では、放射能の話をするだけで、圧力がかかる雰囲気が一部に蔓延しています。命がけで、放射能の問題を意図的に考えないようにしている人がいっぱいいる。一種の思考停止状態。それは自分を守るため？」
A woman in her 50s, Minamisoma city: “Lately there have been many times in which I’ve come to think that human beings are scarier than radiation. Here in Fukushima, just by talking about the radiation there’s a social atmosphere that exerts a sort of pressure that is spreading. There are lots of people desperately trying to deliberately not think about the radiation problem. It’s a sort of blank-minded condition. Do they do that to protect themselves?”
Photo of provisional housing in Fukushima, taken by Flickr user selena lynn on July 2013. (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
福島の仮設・７０代男性「原発でずっと働いてきた。しかし、危険な仕事は下請けに回していた。山谷や釜ヶ崎のような寄せ場から労働者が連れてこられていることを、俺達は知っていながら、見て見ぬふりをしていた。事故が起こった今、改めて考えると、俺も東電と一緒で、加害者なのかもしれない」
A man in his 70s, Fukushima provisional housing: “I worked at the power plant from the start. However, dangerous work was being passed on to subcontractors. Even though we knew they were bringing in day laborers from gathering places like Sanya and Kamagasaki, we turned a blind eye. And now, after the accident, thinking back on it, the Tokyo Electric Power Co. and I are both probably at fault.”
福島・中通り６０代男性「ラジオを聞いてひっくり返ったよ。放射能に負けない子供になろう！って福島県教育委員会がラジオで呼びかけているんだもの。中通りの住民は、被害者という意識が薄い。だから教育委員会は、県外に避難した人を非難するんだ。もうマスクをしている人も、ほとんどいないよ」
A man in his 60s, Fukushima, Nakadori: “We heard it repeated on the radio: Be a kid who won’t be defeated by radiation! The Fukushima Board of Education is spouting that on the radio. There’s only this faint awareness that the people of Nakadori are victims. It’s for that reason that the Board of Education criticized those who evacuated from the prefecture. People don’t even really wear masks anymore.”
南相馬市・２０代女性「今まで原発の勉強とかしたことない。でも、東電の下請け会社で働いている旦那が被曝して、入院してから、やっと目が覚めた。３１１以降＜誰かが何とかしてくれるだろう・安全だ＞と、放射能を浴びまくっても他人事のように考えていた。無関心は身を滅ぼすことにやっと気がついた」
A woman in her 20s, Minamisoma city: “Up until now, I haven’t really researched nuclear power at all. But my eyes were really opened after my husband was exposed to radiation while working at a sub-contracting company of Tokyo Electric Power and had to be hospitalized. Since 3/11, even getting bathed in radiation I treated as someone else’s problem, thinking ‘I’m sure someone will do something. I’m sure it’s safe.’ I realized, it was apathy that brought about our ruin.”
いわき市仮設・４０代女性「仮設で中高年の男性の自殺が起きた。明日は我が身・・・。でも、生きていればいいことがあるなんて、口が裂けても子供達には言えない。明るい未来なんて、ここ福島では絶対にありえない。普通に生きて、当たり前に暮らせることが、こんなにも難しいことなんて思わなかった」
A woman in her 40s, Iwaki city provisional housing: “A middle-aged man killed himself in the provisional housing. Tomorrow it might be one of us… But I can’t go and tell the kids that as long as you’re alive they’ll be good things. A bright future here in Fukushima is unimaginable. To live an ordinary life, to just get by, I never expected it would be this hard.”
南相馬市・２０代女性「友達の女の子が中絶をしたという話を聞くたびに、私も子供はムリって思ってしまう。旦那や姑は子供が欲しいみたいだけど、もう福島では子供を育てられない。線量計で自宅周辺を図ると、ビックリするよ。子供を産んでも、どうせ外で遊ばせられないから、子供も可哀想だよね」
A woman in her 20s, Minamisoma city: “Every time I hear about how a girlfriend of mine had an abortion, I think that it would be unreasonable for me to have kids as well. It seems as though both my husband and my mother-in-law want kids, but you can’t raise children in Fukushima any longer. We were really surprised when we measured the area around our house with a radiation dosimeter. Even if we had kids, I’d feel bad for them because we couldn’t let them play outside.”
南相馬市・２０代女性「原発事故以来、国・政治・東電は最悪と、ずっと他者を批判してきた。でも良く考えてみると、私は選挙に一度も行った事はないし、新聞も読まないし、テレビはお笑いだけしか見ないし。原発近くに住んでいながら原発の事なんて全く知ろうとも思わなかった。今思うと恥ずかしい」
A woman in her 20s, Minamisoma city: “Since the nuclear accident I’ve come to criticize others as being evil: the country, the government, the Tokyo Electric Power Co. But when I really think about it, I’ve not once participated in an election, I don’t read the newspaper, and as for TV, I only watch comedies. Even though I was living next to the power plant, I didn’t even try to learn anything about nuclear power. When I think about it now, I’m embarrassed.”
（大熊出身）会津若松仮設住宅・６０代男性「さあ考えてみて。仕事もカネも産業も何もないただの田舎町が、原発を誘致することによって、莫大な恩恵が手に入るんだよ。目の前にニンジンをぶら下げられて、それを断れる人がどれだけいると思う？カネで動かない人間もいると思うけど、全体の中の一握りだろ」
A man in his 60s, originally from Okuma, now Aizuwakamatsu provisional housing: “Now I want you to think about it. This ordinary country town—without jobs, or money, or industry—was drawn in by the allure that a nuclear power plant would be a great blessing. A carrot was dangled in front of everyone’s eyes. Exactly how many people do you think there are that could turn down that offer? Of course, I think there are also people who can’t be swayed by money, but that’s probably just a small portion of the whole.”
福島の仮設住宅・５０代男性「仙台に行った。全国から建築関係者が集まり、復興バブルのような状態になっている。儲かってしょうがないって飲み屋で言っている経営者のような人がいたけど、心ではそう思っていても、言葉に出してほしくないね。だって、ここ東北では相当な数の人間が死んでいるんだよ。」
A man in his 50s, Fukushima provisional housing: “I went to Sendai. Construction personnel from all over the country had gathered, and it’s sort of like a recovery bubble had formed. At a bar one time, this guy who seemed like a manager said ‘There’s no way around it, this is going to be profitable.’ Even if you
think that in your head, nobody wants you to say that out loud. After all, so many people lost their lives.”
福島の仮設・５０代男性「知人の男性が２名、ここ数カ月で自殺したよ。男は仕事や家族を失うと、本当に弱い。今まで名刺の肩書きだけで勝負してきたのに、３１１を機にゼロになってしまった。俺も今は無職。仮設の集会所でサロンとかをやっているけど、大の男が一人で参加できると思うか？」
A man in his 50s, Fukushima provisional housing: “Two of my male acquaintances committed suicide here over the course of a few months. Men are really weak, once they lose their families and their jobs. Up until now, you competed purely with what was written on the title line of your business card, but on 3/11 everything went back to zero. I’m also unemployed right now. They’re running a salon and such at the assembly hall of the provisional housing. But I wonder, will a single grown man be able to join in?”
福島の仮設・２０代女性「子どもがいるので被ばくについて勉強したいと思い、県内の講演会等に行くようにしている。しかし偉い先生の講演会は、「放射線量はほとんどゼロ」「内部被ばくなどない」「福島は大丈夫」ばかり。正確な情報が、手に入らない。それを声に出すと、さらに非難される」
A woman in her 20s, Fukushima provisional housing: “Because I have children I think I’d like to learn about radiation exposure, so I’m making a point of going to lectures within the prefecture. However, a lecture of an esteemed professor was all ‘The radiation level is nearly zero,’ ‘there is no such internal radiation exposure,’ and ‘Fukushima is perfectly fine.’ I can’t get any accurate information. If you raise your voice about that, you’ll get criticized all the more.”
（大熊出身）会津の仮設・６０代男性「もう覚悟はできている。瓦礫の処分場は、原発周辺の地域にするしかないだろ。だって、もう人が住めないんだから。除染なんかする金があるんだったら、原発周辺の土地を買い上げて、そこに瓦礫処分場を作ったらいい。地元住民は、誰も大熊に帰れると思っていないもの」
A man in his 60s, originally from Okuma, now Aizu provisional housing: “I've made my peace. For the garbage dump site, it’ll have to be in the area around the power plant. The reason is people no longer live there. If they have the money for decontamination, it would be best to buy up the land surrounding the power plant and create a garbage dump site. As for the locals from that area, no one is considering moving back to Okuma.”
南相馬市・５０代男性「東電や国のやり方は最低だ。人を人とも思っていない。でも、俺も今までずっと東電にぶら下がり、国に依存して生きてきた。一番悪いのは、俺の主体性のない生き方だ。思考停止に陥り、今さえ良ければいい、自分さえ儲かればそれでいいと、臭いものには蓋をしてずっと生きてきた」
A woman in her 50s, Minamisoma city: “The methods of this country and the Tokyo Electric Power Co. are abysmal. They don’t consider people to be people. But I too, up until now, have depended on the Tokyo Electric Power Co. and lived by relying on the country. The greatest evil is my dependant lifestyle. I fell into a sort of stupor. If things are alright for the moment, then it’s ok. As long as I’m making money, it’ll be alright. I put a lid on my suspicions, and lived my life.”
福島の仮設・７０代男性「若い世代にとっては、福島から逃げるのが一番の選択肢じゃないか？未来のある若者には、是非逃げてほしい。しかし、俺達のような年寄りは、今更逃げてもねぇ。生まれ育った故郷で死ぬまで暮らしたい。でも、それは自分で決めたこと。どうなっても覚悟を決めているよ」
A man in his 70s, Fukushima provisional housing: “For the younger generation, isn’t the best choice for them to flee Fukushima? I want the young people, those who have a future, to run away. However, older folks like us, there’s no running at this point. I want to live in the town that I was born in and raised in until I die. But, this is something I decided for myself. No matter what happens, I’ve made my decision.”

author: Keiko Tanaka


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Blogging the Simple and Impossible Task of Literary Translation · Global Voices
Paula Góes

British writer, editor and translator Daniel Hahn is blogging his progress as he translates Blue Flowers, a novel by Brazilian writer Carola Saavedra, from Portuguese into English, a process that “is both simple and impossible”:
So over these next couple of months I’m going to try to articulate what for me are the delights and frustrations of the work of translating a novel. I’m going to try to give an insight into the processes that go into that work. I’m going to try to convey what it actually feels like to live inside someone else’s writing so completely and so attentively that in time you feel capable of faking it yourself, and faking it so well – with all its joys and idiosyncrasies – that your writing voice ends up seeming somehow identical to your author’s, and that you seem to be performing a magical transformation whose magic lies in the very fact that nothing is changed at all. (Except – yes, of course – along the way every individual word has been removed and replaced.)
The book opens with a love letter to an unnamed recipient, and the simple start of a letter presents a multitude of unexpected choices. See the whole series to date here.

author: Paula Góes


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China: Father’s Role · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Offbeat China introduced a new popular TV program called “Where Are We Going, Dad?”. The show arranges five celebrity dads and their young kids to fulfill various outdoor tasks in the form of competition without the presence of moms. Below is one of the netizens’ comment quoted by the blogger:
‘Where Are We Going, Dad?’ becomes a hit show not only because it’s based on a new and interesting idea, but more importantly because it echoes our society’s thirst and expectations of more care and love from dads.


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#Euromaidan Protests: ‘We Fight to Remain Ukraine’ · Global Voices
Tetyana Bohdanova

After police brutally beat and dispersed protesters in Kyiv on the eight day of #Euromaidan protests and Ukrainian authorities banned peaceful protests and citizen gatherings until January 8, 2014, protesters regrouped and gathered again, this time in larger numbers, to protest in Kyiv and several other Ukrainian cities.
Many of the protests were peaceful, but a smaller group of more aggressive demonstrators clashed with police, launching chains, fire, and smoke bombs at officers, who responded with tear gas and light and sound grenades.
After the police brutality ordered by Ukrainian authorities “to clear Independence Square for mounting the traditional Christmas tree”, the protest movement began calling online for citizens to mobilize again nationwide on December 1, 2013. The reactions of police and Ukrainian officials to the week-long protests against the government's decision to put a halt to a historic agreement that would bring Ukraine one step closer to the European Union seems only to have angered citizens and encouraged more protests.
More than one million Ukrainians from around the country came into the streets of Ukraine's capital on December 1 to express their disagreement with the government's actions. The Twitter account of Euromaidan organizers summarized the protesters’ feelings with the following phrase [uk]:
#Євромайдан #Ukraine #ЄС #Європа #Україна pic.twitter.com/lXFUwsZfLN
— Євромайдан (@Dbnmjr) December 1, 2013
“And today we no longer fight to become Europe, we fight to remain Ukraine” #Євромайдан #Ukraine #ЄС #Європа #Україна
People began gathering early on Sunday morning in Mykhailivska Square and in Shevchenko Park, forming organized rows and proceeding to march to Maidan Nezaleshnosti [Independence Square], which had been the main protest site until it was cleared by police the previous morning.
Youth advancing to Maidan Nezalezhnosti on Dec. 1, 2013. Placards read “Strike! Love! Don't give your rights away!”, “NO To police violence!”, “Disperse special forces or they will bury us!” and more. Photo by Sasha Burlaka. Used with permission.
It seems the few police officers present at Independence Square did not attempt to stop protesters this time, choosing to run away instead. Soon after the citizens marched to Maidan, social media users reported that the square including the Christmas tree—the alleged cause for the riot police crack down on protesters on the early morning of Saturday, November 30—had been “taken” by protesters . YouTube user Video About uploaded this moment as it was captured on video:
Simultaneously, protesters also moved onto to the Kyiv City Administration building, located nearby. After a few broken windows and some initial nudging with the guards, the building was also taken by protesters. Later in the day, Ukraine's political opposition decided to locate its headquarters there. A protester, Maksym Savanevsky, reported [uk] from Kyiv:
Захопили Майдан, КМДА і Йолку #євромайдан
— Maksym Savanevsky (@maksm) December 1, 2013
We have taken over Maidan, [the Christmas tree] and [Kyiv City Administration].
A group of more aggressive protesters, however, did not stop at Maidan, but moved on to the Presidential Administration building. Soon the protesters were face-to-face with riot police again, who were tasked with protecting the institution. Several people found an abandoned bulldozer, brought it to the site and tried to use it to penetrate the police lines . Russia Today captured this incident:
Some protesters also used chains, fire, and smoke bombs against the police. The situation that ensued has been the most tense moment of the protests to date. Initially, police used tear gas, light and sound grenades in an attempt to fight off the protesters. Upon realizing that serious violence may ensue, many have started calling on opposition leaders to try to prevent the protesters from provoking authorities to call on special forces.
At the time, the opposition was holding a press conference in the Kyiv City Administration building. Several activists including singer Sashko Polozhynsky and activist Oleksandr Solontai reached the venue before members of parliament. Polozhynski claimed the bulldozer and tried to appeal to the protesters to keep the protests peaceful. The now official Євромайдан [Euromaidan] Twitter account described [ru] the scene:
Положинский как Ленин на бульдозере! Призывает всех тормозить и включить мозг, не слушают. #євромайдан #евромайдан pic.twitter.com/jNNo0uQHyW
— Євромайдан (@Dbnmjr) December 1, 2013
Polozhynski is like Lenin atop a buldozer! Calls on everyone to stop and use their brains, but [they] do not listen. #євромайдан #евромайдан
The attempts of activists and MPs to calm protesters were only somewhat successful. Eventually, riot police responded and launched at the protesters. They chased people down the streets, beating anyone they could indiscriminately. Among the victims of these events are over twenty local and international journalists, whom police continued to beat  even after media representatives clearly identified themselves. Public online television Hromadske.tv shared this photo [uk] of an injured reporter:
Побитий журналіст програми “Гроші” Денис Данько #євромайдан pic.twitter.com/rB2fQe6Nuu
— Hromadske.TV (@HromadskeTV) December 1, 2013
Beaten “Groshi” program reporter, Denys Dan'ko
After the conflicts of protesters with police, the opposition publicly condemned the violence, calling aggressive protesters “provocators” and stressing the peaceful nature of protests. MPs were seen convincing people to stop the aggression near Presidential Administration and return to Maidan for peaceful protests. Twitter user Andriy Bilash shared the following photo:
Кличко закликає не ходити на Банкову. #євромайдан pic.twitter.com/oXJ46X4993
— Zzzz… (@Andriy Bilash) December 1, 2013
Klitchko calls in people not to go to Bankova [street, where Presidential Administration is located] #євромайдан.
After the clashes with police near the Presidential Administration building, another violent incident took place next to the Lenin monument in downtown Kyiv. Clashes with riot police took place when unidentified radical protesters attempted to destroy the monument. The violence was soon tamed with the help of more moderate protesters who interfered and took control of the situation.
In the meantime, protests on Independence Square were mostly peaceful throughout the day. Protesters hung banners and signs, sang songs and decorated the unfinished Christmas tree frame with Euromaidan signs and posters.
A protester on Maidan Nezalezhnosti holds a sign on Dec. 1, 2013. Photo by Alexandra Gnatoush. Used with permission.
Twitter user Коржик shared the photos of banners from Kyiv's main street, Khreshchatyk. The top banner reads “We are against a police state” [uk]:
Новый дизайн Крещатика. #євромайдан pic.twitter.com/nnCKOOwAHN
— Коржик (@kulybyshev) December 1, 2013
New design of Khreshchatyk.
Maksym Savanevsky from Kyiv added [uk]:
Цього року найкраща за 22 роки незалежності ялинка #євромайдан pic.twitter.com/Gquenf6mM8
— Maksym Savanevsky (@maksm) December 1, 2013
This year we have a best Christmas three in 22 years of independence #євромайдан
In the evening, user Коржик shared this photo [ru] of protesters still at Independence Square:
Сейчас на Майдане поменьше людей, чем днём, но всё равно минимум 150 тысяч есть. #євромайдан pic.twitter.com/ndAh3kc9Lu
— Коржик (@kulybyshev) December 1, 2013
Right now there are fewer people on Maidan than during the day, but still at least 150,000.
As of the end of the day on December 1, 2013, protesters in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities are standing their ground. The opposition has announced that on Monday, December 2, they will call on protesters to block the Cabinet building, their main demand being that the government resigns.
#Euromaidan protesters fill central Kyiv on Dec. 1, 2013. Photo by Alexandra Gnatoush. Used with permission.


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Hong Kong: Action to Preserve the Tai Long Sai Country Park · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Members from Save our country park standing in a heart shape in the Tai Long Sai Wan Beach in their protect country park action. Photo from the House News. Non-commercial use.
Facebook campaign group, Save our Country Park, organized a hiking trip to Tai Long Sai Wan on December 1 to show their support to the government's plan to expand the country park protection zone to a local village so as to prevent large private development project destroying the park.