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Azerbaijan: Investigative Journalist Defiant After Blackmail Threat · Global Voices
Pervin Muradli

This post is part of our special coverage Eurovision Azerbaijan 2012.
According to Freedom House, the situation with freedom of expression in Azerbaijan remains “dire,” with the authorities continuing “to imprison journalists and bloggers who express dissenting opinions.” However, as one outspoken critic of the government again discovered this month, there are also other ways to silence journalists and investigative reporters.
Khadija Ismailova, a journalist with Radio Free Europe's Baku Bureau who has frequently exposed high-level corruption in the oil-rich former Soviet republic, received a letter from an unknown person. Inside, a note, accompanied by photographs taken with a hidden camera, warned her to cease her journalistic activities by threatening to release a video of an intimate and personal nature.
Rather than succumb to the blackmail threat, however, Ismailova responded openly to the blackmail attempt on Facebook in a note written in Azerbaijani and English:
It says if I don’t stop working I will be hugely embarrassed. This threat is not a surprise for me. I have been doing investigative journalism for a long time. My investigation included the secret business of president Ilham Aliyev’s family and documented the facts of corruption on the highest level, disclosed the offshore businesses of members of the ruling family.
Currently I am working on several investigative reports. I have sent inquires to the Government offices about businesses of ruling family.
[…]
I would like to repeat that this is not the first time that these acts of blackmail have been used against fellow journalists. The motives of these acts are very well known to public. It is done to silence people who are outspoken. There are a serious crimes behind these acts.
Ismailova also spoke openly on an independent alternative television station available only on the Internet. “This practice [of intimidating journalists] needs to be stopped,” RFE/RL quoted her as saying. “[…] And I think the least I can do is to continue and fight back.”
Nevertheless, the video was released, and support for the embattled journalist increased. As European Parliament members voiced their support, so too did others such as renowned Azerbaijani photojournalist Rena Effendi:
[…] Here is a disturbing piece of news I got from one of my colleagues, an investigative reporter Khadija Ismayil, who was blackmailed by the authorities today. Khadija Ismayil is a journalist of very high caliber, professional and uncompromising in her integrity! For years, she has been investigating the subject of government corruption in Azerbaijan, a subject that nobody else dares to address in such thorough manner as she has done so far. Please see her statement below, as well as links to her articles. To be honest, given the gruesome state of affairs with civil society in Azerbaijan, I worry for Khadija's safety. I hope that she will stay safe and continue her important work. Please help spread the word […]
Emin Milli, one of the two ‘donkey bloggers’ conditionally released from prison after receiving sentences that international organizations considered politically motivated, did just that:
Khadija Ismayil, one of the most professional and bravest journalists in Azerbaijan has been blackmailed by authoritarian system in Azerbaijan. For last several years she has conducted the investigations on shady business deals of the President's family. It is a taboo topic in Azerbaijan which many journalists and citizens are even afraid to talk about openly.
[…] In one of wikileaks cables she is called “ENEMY OF THE STATE” by the president of Azerbaijan during one of the meetings with American diplomats. It is important that international community, journalists around the world support her at this moment, condemn this disgraceful attempt of blackmailing and demand personally from the President Ilham Aliyev to guarantee her safety in Azerbaijan.
Yet, while the Azerbaijani government denied any hand in the blackmail attempt, others such as the South Caucasus Diary were not convinced:
The current case does not come by surprise. On February 23, 2012 CNBC's popular “Filthy Rich” program showed an episode about the filthy rich President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and his family. Khadija Ismayil was among the journalists who assisted in preparing the episode and bringing in the evidence.
[…]
Still wonder who ordered the video?
One Azerbaijani youth group even responded by warning tourists visiting Baku for this year's Eurovision Song Contest not to have sex in hotel rooms or rented apartments [RU] because they might be filmed clandestinely, and controversial Azerbaijani author Ali Akper [AZ] commented too, refering to a similar incident with another journalist.
İqtidar yenə öz sevimli məşğuliyyətinə qayıdıb. Çoxdandır bizə porno göstərmirdilər. Səhv etmirəmsə axırıncı dəfə oteldə masturbasiyaya tamaşa etmişdik. İndi də Xədicə İsmayılovanın yataq otağını çəkib yayıblar. Xədicənin atılan dırnağı belə ola bilməyəcək adamlar, bu video ilə onu nüfuzdan sala biləcəklərini düşünürlər. Zırt!
[…]
[…] biz tabuları qırmadıqca, mentalitetin dalından yağlı bir təpik ilişdirmədikcə, əxlaqçılığa yox demədikcə, bu psevdodəyərlərlə möhtəkirlik edən rejimə məğlub olacağıq. […] zırrama paradiqmalarla yaşayan millət, əsla və əsla azad ola bilməz. Nə qədər çox “eyibdür” desək, bir o qədər əziləcəyik, çünki vuayerist rejim hamımıza bir ağızdan “eyibdür” dedirdəcək […]
The government has returned to its favorite job. It has been a long time since we have been shown porn. If I am not mistaken last time we were watching masturbation at a hotel. And now, they taped the bedroom of Khadija Ismayilova. People who are not worth Khadija's finger nail think that they will belittle her this way. Never!
[…]
[…] until we break taboos, get rid of this mentality, say no to this morale, we will yield to a regime which speculates with pseudo-values. […] a nation which lives with slushy paradigms will never ever be free. As much as we say “it is shameful” we will be defeated that much because this voyeuristic regime will make us say “it is shameful” all together.
Blogger Turkhan [AZ] also weighed in, sarcastically seeming to refer to wearing the image of an untouchable local political figure.
Hər kəsi bir cür şəxsi intim həyatı var. İntim həyatın olması ayıb deyil. Amma bu intim həyatı gizlincə çəkib yaymaq şərəfsizlikdi. Camaatın yatağına girmək düzgün deyil!
Mən bilirəm ki, mənim də videom adiyyatı qurumlarda var. Amma bu videonu heç zaman yaya bilməyəcəklər. Çünki məlum hadisə zamanı T-shirt-imin qabağında və arxasında bir nəfərin şəkili gülümsəyir
Everyone has their own intimate private life. It is not shameful to have an intimate private life. It is dishonorable to tape an intimate private life secretly and to spread it. It is not correct to sneak into people's bedrooms!
I know relevant institutions have my videos too. But they will never be able to spread that video. Because during the notorious process there is an image of someone on the front and back of my T-shirt with a smile on his face.
The Azerbaijani government has promised to find those responsible for the video and bring them to justice, but critics point out that the undertaking to find those guilty of the March 2005 murder of journalist Elmar Huseynov has so far failed to yield any results. “This is a despicable attempt to discredit a journalist in the process of investigating of government corruption at the highest level,” said John Dalhuisen, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for Europe and Central Asia.
“The participation of state-owned press in this disgraceful smear campaign amounts to officially sanctioned extortion and brings disrepute on national leaders who claim to welcome journalists from more than 40 countries for the Eurovision Song Contest,” added the Committee to Protect Journalists on 14 March. Meanwhile, a petition to support Khadija Ismailova has been launched here.
This post is part of our special coverage Eurovision Azerbaijan 2012.

author: Pervin Muradli


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Bahrain: Save Bahraini Children From the Regime  · Global Voices
Mona Kareem

This post is part of our special coverage of Bahrain Protests 2011/12.
“The regime's crimes are done against all of us”, this is the message Bahraini netizens have tried to highlight with their daily hashtags on Twitter. The Bahrain Twittersphere can by itself be a case study in social media as they organize well, put all the information they have on this particular platform and try to raise awareness for human rights organizations and activists to take note and confront the regime with its crimes.
Last week, Bahraini activist in exile Maryam Al-Khawaja, posted a tweet to encourage tweeps in taking part in the hashtag #savebhkids created to highlight crimes committed against children in Bahrain, whether by death, arrests, suffocation from tear gas, or by making them witness violations against their families.
Al Khawaja tweets:
@MARYAMALKHAWAJA: Use hashtag #saveBHkids to write about what children in #bahrain have had to endure for the past year bcz of regime violence
Children of AbdulRidha Buhamid who was killed by army on Feb 18, 2011. No investigation in his case and no compensation to his family. Photo credit: Bahrain Human Rights Centre
Twitter user Ba7rainiDXB adds:
@ba7rainiDXB: Did u know that members of #Bahrain police are either bribing, threatening, or blackmailing kids to work as informants!!
And Sawsan Sultan drives the message home:
@SaWsan_SuLtaN: My Brother was arrested yesterday, Beaten uP brutally & thrown on the street, i dont want that to haPpen again so .. #SavebhKids #Bahrain
Another Bahraini Twitter user posted this [Warning: Graphic] video of crimes against Bahraini children:
@AmyBH2: 1st crime committed by the regime against children was the army attack2lulu while they were there
And yet another Twitter user shared a long detailed report done by Bahrain Center for Human Rights on the violation against Bahraini children:
@zh0r: 16 y/o child was kept as a hostage so that his father give himself up to the security forces #SaveBHKids #Bahrain http://t.co/P3Uk1Iz7
@AmyBH2: My 16 yrs old czn was beaten & covered by sand by mercenaries,he didn't document it 2 HRC bcz he thought it was normal
@Zzzzah: [GRAPHIC PICTURE] yfrog.com/go3nvp 15 year old Ali Khamis was hit on Oct 7th, 2011 with a rubber bullet in the head by Hamad mercenaries
Another Bahraini Twitter user posted several pictures of Bahraini children suffocating from tear gas, which is fired at villages and towns where protests take place daily:
@ahmed_12: they are suffocating http://yfrog.com/mmbo1tzj  http://yfrog.com/es7ioxcj http://yfrog.com/nvuydpuj
This post is part of our special coverage of Bahrain Protests 2011/12.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Mona Kareem


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Barbados: Chattel House Garden  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

my rustic bajan garden discovers “a gem of a garden” belonging to the owner of a Barbadian chattel house.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Brazil: Ministry Silences Report on Human Rights in Belo Monte · Global Voices
Raphael Tsavkko Garcia

Brazilian journalist Leonardo Sakamoto comments [pt] on a news [pt] about a report he wrote for the government that denounces human rights abuses [pt] in the region affected by the Belo Monte Dam. The news points that almost one year after the visit, the report hasn't been formally discussed by the Ministry of the Special Secretariat of Human Rights.

author: Raphael Tsavkko Garcia


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China: End of Chongqin Model Upon the Removal of Bo Xilai? · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

The former Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader of Chongqing, Bo Xilai, has been removed from his post and replaced by Vice Premier Zhang Dejiang, state media Xinhua news reported today (March 15, 2012).
Since former Chongqing Police Chief Wang Lijun's secretive meeting at the United States consulate in Chengdu in February, the future of Bo Xilai's political career has become a key to revealing the ongoing power struggle in Beijing. The final removal of Bo from his post may signify the end of the Chongqing model, which adopts a Maoist populist approach to justify a hard-fist crackdown on organized crime but gives immense power to the government and police which overrides the judicial system.
Bo Xilai. Photo from Sound of Hope
Premier Wen Jiabao's farewell address on March 14, in which he called for political reform and warned against the upheaval of “cultural revolution” can serve as an explanation for Bo's downfall. However, does it mean that China will be more open now to initiating political reform?
Below are some immediate reactions from Sina Weibo. Si Weijiang, a lawyer from Shanghai, started off a conversation [zh] on his account with:
薄下了，倒也不必心灾乐祸，要想想为什么？人家在山城能搞出那么大一动静！这背后是什么体制？以及，左派诉诸于的那些符号，有些，其实是民众真实需求的！
His comment instantly attracted a lot of discussion:
北野的理想国：说的好，现在是真正反思文革，及薄书记为什么可以在重庆为所欲为的时候了。这是必要的启蒙和防止未来权力失控造成灾难的基础工作。理性， 比任何情绪及抱怨都重要。
官员财产公示：权力斗争的结果，而并不是人民或者法制的胜利，仅此而已。
智慧城邦：有两条路，一条就是政治改革，可以让很多问题迎刃而解。一条就是唱红打黑，可以解决些问题，但是这条路是饮鸩止渴，人民只关心问题有没有得到解决。所以之所以可以唱打这么久，关键是因为第一条路没人去走。
倚苍天屠巨龙：如果选举，必有信息和新闻自由！有了新闻自由，薄西来的那些罪行、腐败、黑打，也就会暴露在光天化日之下！它的谎言就会被戳穿，怎么可能被选上？
Guo Fengfeng, also from Shanghai depicts Bo as a tragic figure [zh] under the current political system:
薄固然有其僭越之心，但他充其量是一个棋子，是一个时代一些人期待的符号。他个人断然无法在西南一隅造出那么大的动静，而且曾几何时，打开电视多地都是红色歌曲和电影。他在代人趟路，有人在用他来尝试汇聚一种力量。他同时也是一种体制悲剧的写照：即使一个封疆大吏，功劳苦劳忠心也难免被弃的命运。
Below are some of the conversations triggered by Guo's remark:
常见常乐：先把这个棋子拿掉也好，可以让棋局的另一方的玩家明白，想逆转改革开放，想阻挡人民追求民主自由是死路一条。党为了自己的颜面，有的人可能不会被赶下台，表面体面的退休，但他在人民心中已是狗屎一堆。
笨笨爱唠叨：薄现在一定在想要是自由选举该多好，死也死个明白！现在这样说拿下就那下。呵呵！！！
Indeed, Bo does have his supporters. Many Chongqing netizens reacted strongly to reformist lawyer Chen Youxi's comment [zh] on Bo's removal, for example:
接到不少重庆电话．我为重庆人民感到高兴，为他们祝福．虽然一些被小恩小惠蒙住双眼，不明全局，希望二次土改的底层唱红百姓会迷茫一阵子，但随着重庆基础经济被严重破坏的真相逐渐曝光，虚假宣传被揭穿，他们也会明白薄倒底是在造福人民还是满足个人野心．这次调整的重大意义会日益显示出来
Below are some of the strong reactions to Chen's comments:
胡浥尘：丫有胆到重庆百姓中去这么说不？别妈逼的躲屋子里打几个字来证明自己英明神武！
阿瑾zj：我觉得现在的人动不动代表别人，你有什么资格替重庆人开心，好不好重庆人才知道。
无米巧妇：请问重庆经济怎么被破坏？小恩小惠总好过一穷二白！还能比薄来之前坏吗？
四海为家东方傲：恭喜你，拥护影帝的五毛，
身在地狱–心在天堂：的确，我们需要看到薄给重庆市经济到来的一些负面影响，这是必然的。打黑，黑这个东西它本来就代表着一个庞大的经济体，很多东西短期来看确实会对基础经济有很大的损害，但我们有没有往长远一些看看，在除恶惩奸的过程中，薄书记也为重庆打造了更好的经济土壤，这是功在千秋的事情！！！

author: Oiwan Lam


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China: Secret Arrest Law Passed · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Samuel Wade from the China Digital Times translated some initial reactions from Twitter on the passing of  a controversial amendment to China’s Criminal Procedure Law which provides legal ground to secret arrest and detention.


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Colombia: A “Football for All” Bill Proposed in Congress · Global Voices
Julián Ortega Martínez

Since the biggest TV cable operators could not reach a deal with the Colombian football administration for the rights of the domestic tournament matches until 2016, a Senator proposed a bill in order to break the “monopoly,” so the matches can be broadcast on over-the-air channels (only one of the nine matches every week is broadcast on national TV). Both Mache at Falta contra el balón [es] and Alejandro Pino Calad on Gotas de veneno [es] explain why this bill is a bad copy of a bill implemented in Argentina, why taxes should not be spent on this, and why there is no such ‘monopoly.’

author: Julián Ortega Martínez


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Colombia: New Pension System ‘Colpensiones’ Sparks Protests · Global Voices
Lully

After the government announced the transfer of the Social Security Institute [es] (ISS), a public pension fund, to Colpensiones  [es], the new state entity that will administer the pension system starting April 2, the Central Union of Workers (CUT) called for protests [es] that were carried [es] in different cities. This has generated controversy on Twitter [es], blogs [es] and mainstream media [es].

author: Lully


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Colombia Orders Arrest of Colombian Ambassador to Peru Jorge Visbal   · Global Voices
Lully

Colombia's Attorney General ordered the arrest [es] of Colombian ambassador to Peru, Jorge Visbal Martelo, for alleged links with paramilitary groups. After the order Visbal resigned [es] and is expected to return to the country, as confirmed by his lawyer. Twitter users [es] are connecting him [es] with former President Alvaro Uribe, and  ‘Jorge Visbal’ became a local Trending Topic on Twitter.


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Cuba: Antúnez Released · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Uncommon Sense reports that “Cuban human rights activist Jorge Luis García Pérez Antúnez was released from jail Wednesday, three days after he was arrested.”  Pedazos de la Isla supplies more details.


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Dominica: Architectural Heritage  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Dominica Weekly takes us on a virtual tour of the island's historic buildings.


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Hong Kong: Everyday Misery Unaddressed in Small Circle Mayoral Election · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

A small circle election will be held on 25 March, 2012, to decide on the Chief Executive of Hong Kong. Only 1,200 election committee members can participate in the so-called election of the city mayor and a majority of the votes are controlled by the pro-China political and social groups.
Under such an undemocratic system, the vision and policy plan of the candidates are not the keys to their success. The full blessing of the Beijing government, on the other hand, is most crucial to the match.
So far, among the three candidates, only Henry Tang and Leung Chun Ying have been endorsed by the Beijing government, Albert Ho, nominated by the pan-democratic alliance is just a token candidate in the election.
Instead of engaging in policy debate, the two blessed candidates and their supporters are busy attacking each others with scandals; the mainstream media in the past few weeks have been flooded with all kinds of scandals, from Henry Tang's secret mistress, illegitimate son and illegal dungeon to CY Leung's avested interest in the West Kowloon project and his supporters’ campaign dinner with a triad member.
Fed up with the situation, YouTube user shuiliuyun (with the assistance of Derrick Tao) produced a short video to present some issues facing average Hong Kong residents and urge the governing elites to address the real problems:
Most people think of Hong Kong as an international financial center or a shopping paradise. Little do they know of the daily life of local people. The video presents the miserable life of those who have to compete for their survival even before they are born.
Below is the translation of the video script and the slide content (in parentheses).
Have you ever thought about being a Hongkong-er?
(Hong Kong people have to spend their whole live competing.)
How should you equip yourself for winning the competitions?
(Unborn baby has to compete for maternity bed.)
You are not yet being born, your parents have to compete for a maternity bed.
(Among 95,337 newborn babies, half of them are offsprings of mainland pregnant women.)
Then they have to compete for infant formula milk, newborn healthcare service, kindergarten.
(Newborn Hong Kong babies have to compete for infant formula milk, newborn health care service, kindergarten – the city's 14 newborn day care centers can only serve 482 babies. Only 80% of  kindergartens accept government childcare coupons.)
It is not easy to get into renowned schools which receive direct subsidies from the government.
(Hong Kong students have to compete for entering renowned schools with direct subsidies from the government and to compete for entering university. There are 51,123 students in direct subsidy secondary schools [11% of the total number of secondary students in Hong Kong] 12,589 pupils in direct subsidy primary schools [4% of the total number of primary pupils in Hong Kong]; 45.5% of the primary school kids successfully enter the secondary schools that they choose.)
Very quickly you will be among one of the university examination takers among 70,000 others and compete for the 15,000 university degrees.
(70,000 Hong Kong high school students compete for 15,000 local university degrees.)
After you have graduated, what kind of occupations can you choose from except from the finance sector?
(Graduate students compete for jobs. Apart from the finance sector, every other sectors are vanishing.)
If we want to start up our own business, how are we going to tackle the most expensive rent in the world?
(Hong Kong business people have to compete for offices and retail spaces. Grade A office space (per square ft annual rent: Singapore USD 87.00; London USD 150.20; Hong Kong USD 213.70.)
The increase in property prices is always faster than one's salary. The construction of public housing is a lot slower than our needs. Our living spaces are getting smaller and smaller, while more and more expensive.
(Shell-less snails compete for homes. There are more than 150,000 public housing applicants. The government only builds 15,000 public housing units every year. The price of private housing is back to the 1997 level.)
Our GDP does keep on rising. But rich and poor disparity is getting extremely serious.
Average per capita GDP has increased 64% from 1998-2011; the median of family income has seen a zero increase in the past 13 years. The disparity between rich and poor is the highest in the world. The Gini co-effecience figure is 0.53.)
The fate of 7 million people should be decided by the 1,200 electoral committee members?
(Hong Kong power elites compete for the top seat in the Chief Executive electoral committee. More than 7 million citizens are represented by 1,200 electoral committee members in the election of the city mayor.)
This is all too wrong. But even if I am sick, the doctors and nurses are too busy to take care of me.
(Hong Kong people compete for medical services. The nurse and patient ratio in public hospital at the night shift is 1:24; international standard is 1:6.)
Time passes very quickly and many decades passed by, we have to compete for beds again.
(Hong Kong elderly compete for elderly care centers. In 20 years, the number of elderly in Hong Kong will be 2,500,000 while we only have 27,000 beds in elderly care centers.)
Even when we die, we have to compete. It is not easy to rest in peace.
(The dead in Hong Kong have to compete for a position in cemeteries. In the next 20 years, 1,000,000 people will pass away, but we only have 123,400 urns available in our cemeteries. We don't have a space to bury ourselves after we die?)
Hong Kong people, is this what we want?
(Hold on, we need a responsible Chief Executive with guts. We need new thinking, real reform, and a long-term blue print for our future.)
Chief Executive, it's time to work.
(Chief Executive, it's time to work.)


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Lebanon: Picture An Arab Man · Global Voices
Claire Ulrich

Rania Massoud repost on her personal blog [fr] her article published by Lebanese daily L'orient-Le jour about a photography project undertaken by Tamara Abdul Hadi. “Picture an Arab man” wishes to update the image of today's Arab men by photographing men from every Arab country in the nude.

author: Claire Ulrich


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Macedonia: Fuel Prices Continue to Rise · Global Voices
Filip Stojanovski

Continuous increase of fuel prices is a cause of much concern for citizens of Macedonia, and some vent the tension through humor. The prices are set by a regulatory body, and more and more social media users object to the fact that the lion's share of the revenue in fact goes to the government, stymieing the growth of the business sector.
On his blog, Zoriv published comparisons of the prices of oil derivatives in Macedonia, the USA and the EU [mk], and also calculated how much fuel one can buy on an average salary in various countries [mk]. (Both posts are in Macedonian, but the tables with country comparisons are in English and easily comprehensible.)
So, according to Zoriv, Latvia has the lowest price of gasoline in Europe (EUR 1.20), while Norway has the highest (EUR 1.94). Consumers in Macedonia have to pay EUR 1.4. While the official explanation for rising fuel prices is always the change of price of crude oil, Zoriv points out that a major factor in forming the end price are the excise taxes that go directly to the state budgets in countries with the highest prices (Norway, Holland, Italy, the UK, and Greece). He adds:
In Macedonia, for instance, the total taxation together with the profit margin for the merchants form around 70% of the price (Official Gazette of Republic of Macedonia, no. 138/09 and 52/11). The difference between Macedonia and the EU countries, alongside the salary levels which are incomparable, is the tragic fact that even the slightest increase of oil derivative prices affects the personal material existence of every citizen of Macedonia. The latest data show that fuel consumption has decreased by 30% [mk]. The increase of fuel prices leads to a spiral of the increase of all other living expenses, while family budgets drastically decrease.
The Macedonian government temporarily abolished the excise before the June 2011 elections, but returned it later, raising the prices [mk] in August.
By calculating how much fuel a citizen can buy with an average salary, Zoriv tried to shed light on income disparities: in the United States, one can buy 4,296 liters of gasoline on an average monthly salary. In Europe, the top spots go to Switzerland (3,441 l), Luxemburg (3,439 l), and Germany (3.075 l). The lowest on the list are Macedonia (243 l) and Albania (194 l), with a “disastrous ratio of 1:14″ compared to the leading “rich” countries.
According to the 2010 edition of the annual publication 200 Largest Companies in Macedonia, prepared and published by the Euro Business Center – Skopje, the two largest companies in the country are: the sole oil refinery OKTA (owned by the Greek interests, privatized while the current PM Gruevski served as the Minister of Finance) and the biggest oil derivatives distributor Makpetrol, with the total revenues of EUR 512 million and EUR 350 million, respectively.
The prospects for the future seem bleak. According to the UNDP report “Assessing the Economic Impact of Climate Change,” Macedonia also faces numerous other challenges in the energy sector.
Social media users shared various kinds of data related to the fuel price increase, such as the table [mk] showing the elements that form the prices of fuel, originally from an Radio Free Europe article [mk] by Srgjan Stojanchov:
Elements of fuel prices in Macedonian Denars.
They also posted various reactions to ongoing developments with the fuel prices, and the most shared were the humorous responses, such as this joke: “Would you like to take your girlfriend someplace expensive? – Take her to a gas station!” The latest chuckle is a demotivation-style meme featuring the late Yugoslav leader Josip Broz Tito and a supposed laconic quote in Croatian:
Photo of Tito and a supposed quote: You say the gasoline got more expensive? Well, why don't you make a deal with the Non-Aligned countries?
During the Cold War, Tito was famous for striking a balance between Eastern and Western blocs, with Yugoslavia serving as a kind of a buffer, to the commercial benefit of its people. In 1961, he co-founded the Non-Aligned Movement, which included many oil-producing nations, resulting in favorable trade relations. A famous political-economic quote attributed to him (in the Lexicon of Yugoslav Mythology) is this: “The grain that we received from the Americans is much superior in quality to the grain the Soviets did not deliver.”

author: Filip Stojanovski


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Macedonia: “Who Wants War in Macedonia?” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

At civil4tolerance (tolerance-mk) blog, Xhabir Deralla explains why the Macedonian government is responsible for the current rise of interethnic violence.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Morocco: Girl Forced to Marry Her Rapist Commits Suicide · Global Voices
Afef Abrougui

Amina, a 16-year-old girl from Larache in northern Morocco, who was forced to marry her rapist, chose to put an end to her life by swallowing rat poison last Saturday. According to al-Masa'a [ar], Amina was raped by a man ten years older than her when she was barely 15. And to preserve what is called “family honour”, Amina's marriage to her rapist, was arranged. A judge approved the marriage.
According to the same newspaper, Amina took the rat poison while she was in her husband's (rapist's) house. When he noticed that her health was deteriorating, he rushed her to her family's home. On the way he did not stop beating her, said Amina to her family, a few hours before her death.
Amina's story deeply touched and outraged Moroccan netizens, who have been using the Twitter has tag #RIPAmina to mourn the young girl. Here are some reactions:
@marihaep: @Un_Marocain Ne prenons pas nos rêves pour D réalités, personne ne sera jugé, personne ne payera pour son viol, encore – pr sa vie #RIPAmina
@Un_Marocain: En tant que marocain, je me sens plus coupable que triste pour ce qui est arrivé à cette petite fille. #RIPAmina #Maroc
@nadalouis: I don't wanna live in a world were a girl has to choose between marrying her rapist or taking her own life #RIPAmina
@mahamiou: How many Amina's are out there ? Forced to marry their rapist ? #Morocco #RIPAmina
 @mahi_elbarrad: عندما ينظر العالم العربى للمراة على انها مخلوق مثل الرجل له كافة الحقوق وكامل الاحترام هنا فقط تنجح ثورته #RIPAMINA
@citizenkayen: La famille, la société et la justice ont donné au violeur un véritable RIP: Rape In Peace :( #RIPAmina
@Tindars: Et puis comme d'habitude nos Tweets ne changeront absolument rien dans cette histoire. #RipAmina
‘Amina is my Bouazizi’
In homage to Amina, Moroccan blogger Mehdi B. Idrissi wrote a post entitled Amina is my Bouazizi. His reference is Mohammed Bouazizi, the street vendor from Sidi Bouzid, Tunisia, who set himself alight in protest against police abuse, triggering a massive wave of protests that led to the Tunisian revolution and the fall of the Ben Ali regime.
Bouazizi's desperate act of self immolation brought change to Tunisia, but will Amina's suicide bring change to the male dominated culture in Morocco, and in the Arab region?
Mehdi writes:
Bouazizi might’ve started a political revolution; But Amina has triggered the awakening of the long sleeping humanitarian in me. Thousands of girls like her are spread above our ground, most of them silenced by force and threat. While you guys are centered in finding Joseph Kony in the deep forests of Uganda, your kids are being stolen from you in your own land. I can sit here all day haranguing my despair, sobbing the death of what one day could be my daughter or my friend, it won’t change much. If we don’t do this together, if we don’t strife hard to change this Moroccan mentality we’re being trapped in we won’t reach far.
For more citizen media reactions in English, French, and Arabic check out this Storify created by Global Voices author Hisham Almiraat.

author: Afef Abrougui


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Myanmar: Suu Kyi Speech Leaked on YouTube · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The election campaign speech of Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi was leaked on the internet before its scheduled broadcast on state media. Suu Kyi criticized the negative legacy of military rule in her country.

author: Mong Palatino


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South Korea: Major Network TV Journalists and Producers Joined Forces in Protest For Fair Journalism · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

Following MBC workers’ indefinite strike against the company president and his censorship of news contents, journalists, producers and union workers of other major TV networks have joined the protest calling for fair journalism. One well-known journalist appeared on this video clip [ko] that encourages people to attend a rally planned on Friday.

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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South Korea: Protests Erupted against the Free Trade Deal with United States · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

A controversial free trade agreement between the United States and South Korea took effect starting March 15, 2012, prompting protests in downtown Seoul, South Korea. The nation's citizen media, Wiki Tree consolidated tweet photos of the protest.


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Syria: Crackdown Against Journalists Continues · Global Voices
Leila Nachawati Rego

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011/12.
With thousands killed, tortured, arrested and disappeared, the Syrian struggle continues amid unprecedented brutality. In its attempt to silence activists, the regime has stepped up its crackdown against journalists, bloggers and video activists.  Salma Yafi, a student of journalism and member of the National Development Party, is one of the regime's latest victims.
Yafi was arrested after becoming a member of the National Development Party, a new party officially and legally registered in line with the government's new “multi-party reforms”. On February 15, the Syrian government announced that the Parties Affairs’ Committee would license a new party called the National Development Party, raising the number of parties accepted in Syria to six. According to a member of this party, activists from the group share the core demands of protesters but have opted for political and legal means to achieve those demands.
Activists have highlighted the contradiction between announcing reforms and arresting citizens who vow to take part in them. @Gab tweeted:
@Gab: Hold #Assad responsible: Young Salma Yafi registered with government as part of reforms, now she´s arrested. Please use #SalmaYafi to raise awareness.
Announcing reforms while continuing the crackdown on activists has been a trend since the Syrian uprisings started, exactly a year ago today, and more and more journalists have become the target of the regime. Turkish journalists Adem Ozkose and Hamit Koskun have also disappeared in Syria, which has prompted a huge reaction online, particularly among Turkish netizens.
Journalist Jamal ElShayyal tweeted:
@jamalAljazeera: I shared a cell with #AdemOzkose when #Israel detained us after the flotilla attack. He was 1 of 2 journos to smuggle pictures out #Syria
Source: facebook.com/UniteforSyria
While the crackdown continues, international political representatives do not seem to agree on how to put an end to the massacre. Syrians, however, are not alone. The Syrian struggle has garnered support from citizens all over the world and a big global campaign is planned for today (March 15), Unite for Syria, to stop one year of bloodshed.
This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011/12.

author: Leila Nachawati Rego


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Syria: “The Day We Knew What It Meant to Be Syrian” · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protest 2011/12.
Today, March 15, 2012, marks the first anniversary since the start of the Syrian uprising. One year after protests began in Damascus and Daraa, the Syrian opposition's fight against the Assad regime continues amidst global ambivalence toward the conflict.
On Twitter, Syrians and their allies utilized the #Syria and #March15 hashtags to commemorate the day, remember the country's martyrs, and reflect on the year behind them.
@SYRIAslyJana: Its #March15 in #Syria…1 year ago the struggle for a dignified and free #Syria began, the promises we made still hold today.
@AmalHanano: #March15, the day we finally knew what it meant to be Syrian. Next year, you'll be an official holiday: Eid Thawrat al-Karameh. #Syria
@JudieHOMS: #Mar15 and the we are still fighting for our basic human rights as Syrians inside of #syria. May our 10K martyrs rest in peace.
@RaghdaSalama: One year ago, Syrians have begun paving their road to freedom. Over 10000 lives have been lost. And we are all watching. #Syria
@Maysaloon: I remember the first anti-regime protest I ever went to in London. I had never felt more alive and happier in my life.
@DarthNader: What started as hope turned into somber realism as more and more ppl realized the lengths the regime would go to to crush dissent. #Mar15
@abuhatem: A year ago I was very optimistic for Syria, a year later I have mixed feelings and am aware of the deep challenges but support the rev still
@RazanSpeaks: I can't even bring myself to say anything ‘poetic’ because the reality is far from that. #Syria
This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protest 2011/12.

author: Jillian C. York


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Trinidad & Tobago: Political Fiction  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The Eternal Pantomime says that it is becoming “very hard…to keep up with the many stories and angles to this new scandal with the PM’s travel assistant”, adding: “This govt is a fiction machine and churns them out faster than the Sweet Valley High series.”


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Uganda: Yes We Kony! · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

This post is part of our special coverage Kony 2012.
A social media campaign to raise support for the arrest of Ugandan guerrilla leader and wanted war criminal Joseph Kony has taken a new twist. In a blog post titled “#Kony2012 is a Parody,” Sean Jacobs looks at online parody videos about the viral campaign.
The Australian “rap news agency” has come up with Kony parody titled “Yes We Kony”:
YES WE KONY. It's March, and the Internet delivers 2012's first globe-consuming meme: the unstoppable, Stop-Kony 2012 video, which has highlighted the plight of African child soldiering like never before. But is it really good? Is it really bad? Or is the world really more complex than ‘good guys’ and ‘bad guys'? Whatevers; one thing's for sure, this is momentous: never had a 27-minute video devoid of both cats and boobs ever achieved such virality. Is this a demonstration of the internet's ability to instantly inform and engage tens of millions; and a hopeful sign that there is a willingness among those millions, to engage passionately with something more meaningful? Or does Kony2012 just mark the dawn of a rapacious new era of viral humanitarian marketing? Join your charitable host Robert Foster – and our special guest, General Baxter, direct from AFRICOM – as we delve into the dark heart of the matter.
Tony 2012 t-shirt. Image courtesy of http://www.districtlines.com/.
A comedy group called Bath Boys Comedy has initiated a campaign called Tony 2012: Stop The Tiger. Tony the Tiger is the advertising cartoon mascot for Kellogg's Frosted Flakes breakfast cereal, appearing on its packaging and advertising.
Apparently, Adolph Hitler has reacted to Kony 2012 video campaign:
YouTube user StabOfMyVenom has compiled some of the best Joseph Kony 2012 jokes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=jJIPl17csfw
The Kony 2012 campaign has been criticized by many Ugandans who argue that the video oversimplifies the conflict in Northern Uganda. In order to counter the negative portrayal of Africa in the video, African netizens are tweeting about “what they love about Africa” with the hash tag #WhatILoveAboutAfrica.
This post is part of our special coverage Kony 2012.

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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United States: Errors During the Republican Campaign · Global Voices
Robert Valencia

Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney are not only competing to become the Republican candidate who will face Barack Obama this coming November, but also to be the one who commits the most factual errors and blunders in a speech or interview, a competition that also includes their teams. One of the most commented blunders was made by Romney’s advisor, Eric Fehrnstrom, who stated that during the general election Romney’s campaign will be like an “Etch A Sketch”, that is, “You can kind of shake it up and we start all over again,” something his critics, particularly Santorum, have used to question his campaign promises. This joins a comment, made about two months ago, about the lack of concern that Romney said he feels toward the poor.
Santorum hasn’t managed to avoid errors either, however. On the 20th of March, Santorum stated “I don’t care [about] the unemployment rate”, when the subject of the economy will clearly be a decisive factor in the presidential elections. Some of these mistakes will come with a high price at the time of voting, as happened to Santorum in Puerto Rico on March 18th. Romney won all 20 of the Puerto Rican delegates, thanks to Santorum’s declaration that speaking English is a requirement for the island to become the United States’ 51st state – something that hit a raw nerve for the people that live there.
This feeling is reflected in the blog Cuando quise ser escritor [es]:
¡Por favor, pero si el gobierno federal nunca ha aprobado legislación alguna que establezca que el inglés es el idioma oficial de la federación! Nuestra legislación reconoce la oficialidad de ambos idiomas, pero aun así esto no parece importarle a Santorum contestando: “sí y no”.
The blog of Pablo A. Jiménez in the Puerto Rican newspaper El Nuevo Día used his bilingualism in a diatribe against Santorum:
The question is why you made these unfortunate remarks. Did you know your premises are false? If you didn't know, then you spoke out of ignorance. If you did now, then you twisted the truth. One way or the other, your remarks are not worthy of a presidential candidate. / La pregunta es por qué hizo usted estas expresiones tan desafortunadas. ¿Sabía usted que eran falsas? Si no lo sabía, hablo motivado por la ignorancia. Si lo sabía, tergiversó la verdad. De cualquier manera, sus expresiones no son dignas de un candidato presidencial.
Rick Santorum has committed a series of verbal mistakes that have made a certain dent on his presidential campaign. Photo of Gage Skidmore (CC BY-SA 2.0)
In addition, Santorum’s slip-ups started a firestorm on Twitter. Ana Navarro (@ananavarro) said that Santorum got something else besides Puerto Rican delegates:
Ok. So Santorum got 0 delegates in Puerto Rico after spending 2 days there. But Hey! He got a tan.
Ana Kerman (@proyturma) [es] asserted that Santorum insulted Puerto Rico:
Santorum ataca sin asco a la cultura de Puerto Rico http://www.impre.com/la-gente-dice/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474978953910#.T2qTiUY-hnE.twitter vía @AddThis
For his part, Joe Farahnak (@joefarahnamone) [es] alleged that Santorum’s comment was a strange move:
English Only: Extraña estrategia de Santorum en Puerto Rico – http://Terra.com
Finally, Etch A Sketch became one of the principal trends of the 22nd of March on Twitter, while ABC News channel (@abc) stated that Romney could use an “Etch A Sketch ‘Restart’” with some minorities:
Romney Could Use Etch A Sketch “Restart” With Latinos, Women, the Poor http://abcn.ws/GHQ4hi

author: Robert Valencia


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Africa: A Dumping Ground for Energy-related Waste? · Global Voices
Abdoulaye Bah

Dr Yves Ekoué Amaïzo, International Finance Consultant, wrote [fr] the following on the website Amaizo Info: “The year 2012 has been chosen as the International Year of Sustainable Energy. Nevertheless, many rich countries dump their nuclear, chemical and electronic waste in Africa in exchange for sums of money that are not recorded in the budgets of African Countries.”

author: Abdoulaye Bah


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Arab World: Hands Off Clooney! · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

George Clooney handcuffed. Photo by Sasha Lezhnev, shared by ENOUGH project on Flickr (CC-BY-NC-ND)
The United States has arrested actor George Clooney and his father Nick at a protest outside the Sudanese Embassy in Washington DC. Arab Twitter users register their protest on their arrest on Twitter.
The protest was organised to to draw attention to a looming humanitarian crisis in the Nuba mountains areas, on the border between Sudan and South Sudan. Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir is accused of blocking food and aid from reaching the region.
The Big Pharaoh, from Egypt, tweets [Ar]:
Syrian Save Our Syria reacts:
@freeppl: Actor Clooney arrested outside Sudanese Embassy..I am glad someone from hollywood now know how reality action feels like
Tunisian Tounsia Hourra (Free Tunisian) jokes [Ar]:
#FreeClooney trending worldwide on Twitter
Malek, from Egypt, adds [Ar]:
Egyptian Marwan Qoutb chimes in [Ar]:
While Egyptian Alyaa Gad jokes:
@AlyaaGad: Don't #FreeClooney. Can't stand him. lol
And J Berry draws parallels to some of the atrocities committed against Arab protesters during the Arab revolutions saying [Ar}:
For other reactions on Clooney's arrest, check out the Twitter hash tag #FreeClooney, which is now trending worldwide

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Armenia: Parliamentary elections · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Writing on Ararat Magazine, Global Voices’ Caucasus Regional Editor interviews analyst Richard Giragosian and examines the political situation in Armenia ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for 6 May 2012. Following the disputed 2008 presidential election which left 10 people dead, Giragosian argues that the authorities must learn to govern and not rule the country, warning that failure to do so will lead to an ‘explosive situation.’

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Brazil: Demonstration Demands President Veto on Forestry Code · Global Voices
João Miguel Lima

On March 7, Brazilian activists organized an act (#vetadilma) urging President Dilma to veto changes on the new Forestry Code. Biologist Pablo Pessoa published photos and videos of the act, and wrote [pt] about his participation, claiming it was difficult to ensure “preservation or conservation of ecological processes without the recognition by landowners of the importance of these elements”.

author: João Miguel Lima


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Cameroon: UN Drinking Water Data under Question · Global Voices
Abdoulaye Bah

Oriane Alix in Cameroon reacts to the joint press release from UNICEF and WHO that states that  89% of the world has access to drinking water today. She  writes [fr] the following on the collaborative blog of the West Africa WASH Journalists Network: “To announce having reached these United Nations Millennium Development Goals while at the same time acknowledging “the persistent delay in the field of sanitation”, makes one wonder about the validity of the figures.”


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Chile: Photos of the First Student Protest of the Year · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Brittany Peterson and Kena Lorenzini [es] share photos of the first student protest of the school year in Santiago, Chile.

author: Silvia Viñas


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DR of Congo: Videos Helped Convict Thomas Lubanga of War Crimes · Global Voices
WITNESS

This post is based on content originally posted on WITNESS.
On March 14, 2012, the International Criminal Court found Thomas Lubanga, a former rebel leader in the eastern Congo, guilty of using children in armed conflict – a war crime. This is a major milestone for international justice, for victims in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and for video for change.
In the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where civil war has taken more than four million lives, children as young as six are routinely recruited by militias and taught to kill. It is estimated that children, most between 8 and 16 years old, make up 60% of combatants in the region.
A 5-minute video by WITNESS called “A Duty to Protect” was screened early on in the court proceedings, and was credited by the judge for having played a role in the outcome along with other visual evidence. It tells the story of Mafille and January, two young girls who were recruited into the military. The video looks at the effects of child recruitment on families and the broader community.
WITNESS staff member, Bukeni Waruzi, originally from the eastern DRC and a long-time human rights advocate, was in The Hague to hear the verdict. He appeared in a Q&A with journalists following the verdict on March 14 explaining among other things the importance of video in the trial.
In the video below, uploaded by WITNESS to YouTube on March 13, the day before, Bukeni speaks with Madeleine, a former child soldier of the eastern DRC who he demobilized when she was 15 and then adopted. In 2007, she testified at the UN to share her experiences as a child soldier.
Bukeni and Madeleine discuss their hopes for the outcome of the Lubanga trial and hopes justice will be served for child soldiers everywhere.

author: WITNESS


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East Timor: Notes on the Presidential Elections · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The election campaign in East Timor lasted for 15 days and the voters are now ready to elect a new president. What happened during the campaign period? NGO La'o Hamutuk sent questionnaires to candidates but didn’t receive a reply:
Nearly two weeks ago, La’o Hamutuk circulated a questionnaire to all the Presidential candidates and their campaigns, asking for their views on issues important to the future of Timor-Leste. Although several candidates told us they would respond, in the end, we did not get any answer other than printed campaign brochures.
We had planned to tabulate the candidates’ responses to inform the voters, but the lack of response makes this impossible.
Below are some of the issues which the NGO wanted the candidates to address:
- Today, Timor-Leste depends on imports. How do you think we can increase local production to reduce import dependency?
– Nearly 80% of Timorese people live by agriculture. What can be done to strengthen the agricultural economy?
– Perpetrators of crimes against humanity during the Indonesian occupation live freely with impunity. What do you think about this?
– How can Timor-Leste find the balance between diplomacy with Indonesia and the legal obligation to achieve accountability for 1975-1999 crimes? What is the President’s responsibility for truth, justice and accountability? How will you use your power to grant pardons and clemency?
– Timor-Leste plans to borrow money from international lenders. What do you think about this?
Election rally. Photo from Facebook page of Nurima Ribeiro Alkatiri
Campaign violations were reported after only five days of campaigning, according to the election body:
- Violation of freedom of propaganda
– Use of State owned vehicles during campaigns
– Involvement of public servants in the campaign
– Racist language, threats, and attacks against other candidate’s private life
– Use of religious symbols during campaign
– Use of sample ballot papers in campaigns
– Mobilisation/involvement of children in the campaign.
Most of these violations were resolved as witnessed by the peaceful atmosphere in which the electoral campaigns took place. In some cases, the candidates themselves intervened directly in order to maintain the peaceful environment
Election boat parade. Photo from Facebook page of Rui Araújo
Di'ak Ka Lae? writes about the campaign rally of Dr Lu Olo, one of the presidential candidates:
If the size of these rallies matters, then Dr Lu Olo's closing campaign in Tasi Tolu today provides the clearest indication yet as to who will be moving into the Palacio in Aitarak Laran comes 20th of May 2012, where Timor-Leste will also celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Restoration of the Democratic Republic. Dr Lu Olo's rally today eclipsed that of his closest competitor, former army chief, Taur Matan Ruak, where he also counted on Xanana's somewhat “unplanned” appearance to publicly endorse him.
Some are not comfortable with the military symbolism used by candidate Taur Matan Ruak:
Taur Matan Ruak's choice of military camouflage as his trademark appears to be drawing a lot of controversy, even suspicion from some quarters. The military camouflage is definitely a good campaign strategy, which serves to remind people of Taur's past contribution as commander of the guerrilla force and chief of F-FDTL
However, although the use of military symbolism appear innocent, I fear that this is not the best way to do things. Glorifying militarism in a society with a long history of violence, committed by the (Indonesian) military cannot be good. Look around Timor-Leste and you see the military everywhere, guns, uniforms, and facilities.
The Prime Minister appeared in the rally of candidate Taur Matan Ruak. Photo from Facebook page of Jose Antonio Belo
What did the candidates promise to voters? Translation provided by Di'ak Ka Lae?
Manuel Tilman (number 1 on the ballot) has promised the people of Same that if elected, he would build a seaport and an airport in Same. He also promised to establish Timor-Leste's first air force as F-FDTL's commander in chief.
Incumbent Dr Jose Ramos-Horta cancelled his door-to-door campaign in Dili to pay his respect to the late Xavier do Amaral.
Francisco Gomes of Partidu Liberta Povu Aileba carried out his door-to-door campaign in Ailok Laran, distributing his campaign paraphernalia in the process.
José Luis Guterres “Lugu” campaigned in Gleno, Ermera where he talked about development in science and technology. He appealed to the people not to elect a head of state who is a flip-flopper, and who would rather defend the interests of other countries.
Fernando Araujo ‘Lasama’ was in Manufahi where he promised to strengthen relationship with other countries, specially the near neighbours.


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Egypt: The Plight of Rural Women  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Egyptian blogger Ahmed Awadalla writes about rural women in Egypt in this eye-opening post. Such women, he says, suffer the “highest rates of illiteracy; bear the heavy burden of utmost poverty; lack essential healthcare greatly jeopardizing their lives; and is not represented in our new parliament.”


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France: The Human Rights Film Festival Awards · Global Voices
Claire Ulrich

Youphil [fr] published the full list of the recent 2012 Human Rights Film Festival awards in France [fr]. This year, the jury award went  to an investigation documentary, Affaire Chebeya: un meurtre d'Etat? [fr] (The Chebeya case: murdered by the State?) by Belgium director Thierry Michel on the murder of human rights activist Floribert Chebeya in 2010, in the Democratic Republic of Congo.


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Guinea: Journalist Assaulted by Police Officers · Global Voices
Abdoulaye Bah

An assault on a journalist by Guinean police officers has shocked many people in the country, especially among media professionals. Kounkou Mara was assaulted by police officers on security detail for the Central Bank of Guinea in Conakry on February 27, 2012. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Ms. Mara, a reporter for the privately owned paper Le Lynx, was denied entry even though she had presented her press credentials and explained to the officers that she had come to interview the bank's governor.
The CPJ clarified the details of the assault, saying:
Officials told her she posed a security threat to the bank employees, then a commanding officer ordered her to be ejected, the journalist told a local newspaper. Mara told CPJ that the officials pushed her and shoved her outside. She said she hit her head on a parked car and suffered multiple bruises on her body and had to go to the hospital for treatment.
Journalist Kounkou Mara, one day after the attack, photo published with the permission of the journalist.
Journalist Fatoumata Kéita of Guinean news website Kaloum Press reported on [fr] the police response following this assault:
Au cours d’une cérémonie qui s’est déroulée aujourd’hui au Conseil National de la Communication, la gendarmerie nationale a reconnu le tort commis par ses agents. « Dès que le Haut Commandant de la Gendarmerie nationale, Directeur de la Justice militaire a été saisi de cet incident qui est de nature à saper la liberté de la presse, des instructions fermes ont été données et les éléments mis en cause ont été aussitôt mis à la disposition de la Direction des investigations judiciaires pour des fins d'enquête. »….« Le Haut Commandement de la gendarmerie nationale réaffirme sa volonté de garantir la liberté de la presse en Guinée sans compter celles des libertés individuelles. »
Using playful language similar to that used by the satirical Le Lynx, Oumar Kateb Yacine reported [fr]:
Le vendredi 9 mars 2012, un gotha d’officiers de la gendarmerie nationale était devant les journalistes de tout secteur confondu. Pas pour une conférence de presse.  Mais pour une séance d’excuse.
Les pandores étaient venus demander pardon aux scribouillards, suite à une bavure commise par certains de leurs qui étaient en exercice de leur fonction au siège de la Banque centrale de la République de Guinée sur une consœur de la presse écrite privée, en l’occurrence Kounkou Mara du Groupe de presse le Lynx-la Lance qui, elle aussi, était en exercice de sa fonction.
On Friday, March 9, 2012, an elite group of National Gendarmerie officers stood before reporters from all sectors of the media. But not for a press conference. This was for an apology session.
The cops had come to ask for forgiveness from the pen pushers, following a blunder committed by some of them who were on duty at the headquarters of the Central Bank of the Republic of Guinea against a sister of the private press, in this case Kounkou Mara of the media group Le Lynx-La Lance, who was also just doing her duty.
Guinea achieved independence from France in 1958, since which time security guards and state representatives have tended to act with impunity and arrogance, until now. Journalist Boubacar Sanso Barry expressed the following [fr] in a post published on the Guinée Conakry Info website:
Ce n’est pas tous les jours qu’entre gendarmes guinéens et professionnels des médias de ce pays, le courant passe. Et c’est pourquoi la cérémonie de ce vendredi au CNC avait quelque chose de particulier. Parce que, pour une fois, la gendarmerie et les journalistes voyaient dans la même direction.
The victim, Kounkou Mara, is a journalist known in her country for her seriousness and appreciated for her skill. She has worked for many years in the media group Lynx-Lance, considered to be one of the most respected in the field of Guinean media. Le Lynx, one of the premier satirical papers in Africa, uses a distinctive writing style and spares no one. Ms. Mara, one of the country's best reporters, won the Hadiatou Sow Award [fr] for female journalists, which has been awarded to the best reporters in the field since 2010.
This assault aroused intense indignation among journalists and Guinean and African bloggers. The blog africabusiness.com published a piece quoting Mohamed Keita, the advocacy coordinator for the CPJ's Africa Program:
What happened to Kounkou Mara constitutes an assault, and authorities have an obligation to conduct a criminal investigation and bring appropriate charges. Guinea’s new democratically elected government has an opportunity to turn the page on years of abuse and impunity in security forces’ attacks on journalists.
On the blog Guinée Conakry Info, reporter Salematou Diallo added [fr]:
Et c’est justement la nature gratuite et totalement infondée de l’agression qui a conduit l’ensemble des professionnels des médias guinéens, à sortir de leur silence pour condamner cette attitude qui procède certainement d’un excès de zèle et d'un déficit de formation au sein des forces de défense et de sécurité nationales.
Salematou Diallo quoted [fr] Martine Condé, president of the CNC, who expressed her indignation while pointing out the limits of freedom of the press in Guinea:
« Les journalistes ne sont pas des ennemis à abattre ». Elle a saisi l’occasion pour rappeler que « les sources non accessibles sont celles relatives à la sécurité intérieure et extérieure de l’Etat, à la protection de l’honneur et de la dignité du citoyen et au respect de l’instruction judiciaire ». Hormis ces dernières, précise-t-elle, la carte professionnelle donne au détenteur le droit d’accès à toutes les sources non protégées. Condamnant l’agression contre Kounkou Mara, Martine dit souhaiter de la part des autorités de la gendarmerie « des mesures disciplinaires à l’encontre des auteurs de ladite agression ».
This event took place not long after the adoption by the United Nations of a resolution on human rights in Guinea. Addressing this resolution, Aboubacar Cissé wrote [fr] in a post published on the site guineenews.org:
Si dans son rapport, la haut commissaire [Navanethem Pillay] indexe l’impunité sur les événements du 28 septembre 2009, elle reconnait cependant que “la discipline commence à revenir au sein des forces armées et que le secteur de la justice commence également à mettre en œuvre les recommandations faites au cours de ses états généraux, avec la nomination de nouveaux juges pour revitaliser le système judiciaire en Guinée”. Le document souligne d’autre part les efforts fournis pour l’établissement d’une institution nationale indépendante des droits de l’homme et en faveur de la commission nationale de réconciliation.
More than a year after the election of Alpha Condé to the presidency in November, 2010, and the formation of a civil government, there were still many human rights violations occurring, including occasional excessive violence and the murder of innocent people. In his post, Oumar Kateb Yacine, after remembering those who had seen the security forces use violence against citizens, wrote [fr]:
Certes, on nous apprend que pour tous ces cas cités ci-haut, les auteurs ont été radiés de l’effectif et mis à la disposition de la justice. Reste à savoir ce que fera cette dernière. Une tâche qui, en principe ne devrait pas être ardue dans la mesure où le Général Baldé, chef du Haut Commandant de la gendarmerie nationale est celui qui dirige la justice militaire. Une occasion pour lui d’extirper l’épine de ses pieds en sanctionnant ces malfrats à la hauteur de leur forfaiture.
In this audio file, Kounkou Mara recounts [fr] her unfortunate tale on the airwaves of Radio Espace, a radio station in Conakry, followed by a debate among journalists.
This post was sub-edited by Jane Ellis.


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Iran: A Nowruz New Year Without Goldfish? · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Traditional table decoration of Persian New Year, by Greg Dunlap on Flickr (CC-BY)
Goldfish have a special place in the Iranian New Year, Nowruz, celebrating the first day of Spring (March 20). But every year animal rights defenders and bloggers launch campaigns to encourage people not to buy them. The fish are often kept in poor conditions and millions die every year.
The centerpiece of Nowruz observances is the “Haft Sīn” table setting of seven symbolic foods all starting with the letter ‘S’ (سین in Persian). The  table is also decorated with candles, mirrors, colored eggs… and live goldfish (called red fish). Many Iranians disagree on this issue.
Jadid Online filmed a short documentary (with English subtitles) in 2008 showing how Nowruz fish are bought, sold and industrially farmed.
Red fishes for Nowruz, by Parmida Rahimi on Flickr (CC-BY)
Iranian blogger Nasim Saba writes [fa]:
Please do not buy goldfish. In the last few years animal rights activists have launched online campaigns to discourage people from buying goldfish to save this beautiful animal. Every year their campaign become more successful. As people shop for the new year celebration, goldfish reappear in shops. Campaigners began to boycott this deadly trade. Goldfish are not an Iranian tradition, it comes from a Chinese tradition. Five millon goldfish die in Iran each year during Nowruz period.
Fish for sale in Tehran by Mahtab on Flickr (CC-BY-NC-ND)
Greenblog does not share same idea. The blogger writes [fa]:
We should not boycott buying goldfish. Instead creating an environment hostile to animals we should teach and educate people how to treat goldfish, from the transporters to the buyers… instead of all the negative propaganda against goldfish, we should improve monitoring of goldfish suppliers… Influenced by the negative campaigns, some Iranians have replaced goldfish with turtles in recent years.
The blogger adds that while some people say the goldfish tradition comes from China, he checked learned via Google that Chinese it comes from Iran!

author: Fred Petrossian


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Morocco: A Protest to End Forced Marriage After Rape · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Moroccans are taking a stand tomorrow (March 17) in protest against the plight of 16-year-old Amina Filali, who committed suicide after being forced to marry the man who raped her. Amina's marriage to her rapist was approved by a judge. Her suicide has raised a storm of reactions both on social networks and on the ground.
Moroccans are planning to take their protest to the Parliament at noon tomorrow, in order to draw attention to the plight of women like Amina who are forced to marry their rapists, who also get to escape punishment.
The Facebook page in support of Amina – a rape victim who committed suicde after being forced to marry her rapist
A Facebook page, entitled No to Rape, with the Complicity of the State, states [ar]:
The page also lists the details of tomorrow's sit-in as follows:
1. Meeting point will be in front of the Parliament at noon. This is not a march so we will not move from in front of the parliament.
2. The sit-in is a citizen action organized by independents, they will be identifiable with their T-Shirts (we’ll have additional t-shirts for those who want to acquire them)
3. Posters and flyers with the demands (the demands are available in the about section of this page) will be distributed to participants. You may also bring your signs if you want to.
4. Several prominent civil society activists, NGOs and artists will be participating.
This is our cause, all of us, men and women of Morocco, so be there!
Meanwhile, netizens continue to interact with Amina's story. Rafik Ayoub, from Rabat, blogs [ar]:


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Nepal: Why Nepal Is Poor · Global Voices
Rezwan

Chandan Sapkota argues that extractive political and economic institutions are the reasons why Nepal is poor.

author: Rezwan


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Pakistan: Mir Zafar Ali was the first Pakistani to win an Oscar award · Global Voices
Rezwan

Pakistan Blogzine informs that contrary to popular belief Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy is not the first Pakistani to win an Oscar. Award winning Pakistani visual effects specialist and artist Mir Zafar Ali was the Technical Director of the team that won the Oscar award for best visual effects in 2007, for the movie The Golden Compass.


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Portugal: Visualising Economic and Social Indicators on the Crisis · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

Conhecer a Crise (Meet the Crisis) [pt] is the name of a recently launched website with info-graphics and visualisations on the main economic and social indicators that describe the current crisis in Portugal. The website has a customisable section [pt] – “The crisis as I see it” – where users can build their own page using existing data.

author: Sara Moreira


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Saudi Arabia: Tweets for Jailed Saudi Activist Draw Global Attention · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Saudi Twitter users have joined forces to highlight the plight of a political prisoner Shaikh Yusuf Al-Ahmad on the micro-blogging site. Their effort has made the Islamic scholar's name become a worldwide trend, raising awareness about his imprisonment without charges and access to a fair trial.
Essam Al Zamil quips [Ar]:
Foreign Policy editor Blake Hounshell shares a similar observation, which is acknowledged by Saudi blogger Ahmed Al Omran:
@ahmed: They did it RT @blakehounshell: Watershed moment? Saudi tweeters get al-Ahmad, a detainee, to trend.
Al-Ahmad trending worldwide on Twitter
According to Human Rights Watch, Al-Ahmad was arrested for his comments on a video he posted on YouTube, on July 7, 2011, criticising the long-term detention of security suspects without charge or trial.
Ironically, Saudi authorities have not announced any charges against Al-Ahmad, who was jailed eight months ago and who had taught at Imam Muhammad bin Sa'ud University in Riyadh.
Tonight's Twitter campaign to raise awareness about his imprisonment has resulted in an out pour of reactions both under his name Al-Ahmad and the hash tag #justice4YA.
The campaign is being spearheaded by @SaudiDetainees, following the success of their first Twitter campaign to draw attention to another political prisoner  – 34-yrear-old Mohammed Albajady, who has been behind bars for almost a year, also without charges or access to a fair trial.
Al Zamil writes:
@essamz: He said NO in the face of Injustice. We say YES for his freedom #justice4YA
Khaled Al Naser adds [ar]:
And renowed Saudi blogger Fuad Al Farhan, who was himself arrested for writing on his blog, lends his voice to the campaign. He writes:
Al-Ahmad also maintains a Twitter account here – @yusufalahmed. The account is now managed by a supporter, who tweets updates on Al-Ahmad, his imprisonment conditions and how his elderly mother, who is sick with cancer, is faring.
Reporters without Borders lists Saudi Arabia as an Enemy of the Internet in its 2012 list of countries that censor the Internet and stifle free speech. It is only a matter of time before we find out how long the outspokenness of Saudi netizens online will continue for.


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Sri Lanka: War On Twitter Between Celebrities · Global Voices
Rezwan

DBS Jeyaraj informs that the Channel 4 Film “Killing Fields” based on Sri Lankan civil war caused an war of tweets between celebrity Sri Lankan born singer MIA and journalist Anderson Cooper.


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Switzerland: Greetings from the “Greeks” of the French Cantons · Global Voices
Pauline Ratzé

Switzerland is often held up as an example of successful coexistence, as this curious multilingual, multicultural country manages to maintain a national identity which unites its citizens and normally makes them proud. Despite this, it is not unusual for German-speaking Swiss (germanophones) and French-speaking Swiss (francophones) to poke fun at each other.
The differences which characterise inhabitants on each side of the French-German language border, jokingly called the Röstigraben, are often felt in politics and particularly during voting. It also happens that from time to time dubious jokes are made at the neighbours’ expense.
The latest provocation comes from an article published on March 1, 2012 by the Swiss German newspaper  Weltwoche [fr]. In it the author pokes fun at the French-speaking Swiss, considered the “Greeks of Switzerland”, layabouts, and lovers of alcohol and good food. In the accompanying photo an unshaven office worker poses with his feet on his desk, a glass of wine in his hand and a discarded piece of lingerie peeking out between files.
The photo from "Weltwoche" which has cut French-speaking Swiss to the quick – from Facebook group Welschwoching
French-speaking Swiss have not been slow to respond, with Genevese politician Antonio Hodgers setting the tone. As reported in 20min.ch [fr], he has been photographed in the same pose and contradicts these allegations, saying [fr]:
A l’adresse des Weltwocho-udécistes, nous précisons que l’évolution du PIB romand est supérieure à la moyenne suisse depuis des années, que l’Arc lémanique est l’une des régions économiques les plus dynamiques et que des cantons comme Genève et Vaud sont des contributeurs nets à la péréquation inter-cantonale. Tout cela en glandant… pas mal, non ? »
This was all that was needed to create a bandwagon effect. On Facebook, the group Welschwoching [fr] published photos of Swiss French internet users taking up the pose, feet on desk, with bottles scattered around, to pay tribute to the lifestyle of which Weltwoche accuses them. Many pictures and comments can also be seen on Twitter. The Twitter account @welschwoching, created for this new cause, brought a serious matter to people's attention with this tweet concerning aperitifs at exactly 5pm :
Screen printers Graphein [fr] have already prepared a special T-shirt bearing the slogan Tuschur rigol, shamè travaï (“Toujours rigole, jamais travaille”, French for “Always having fun, never working”, as pronounced with a German accent).
But, several days later, the administrators of the Weschwoching Facebook group complained of numerous attacks against them, and of people sending particulars to Facebook for “copyright infringements”, which seemed to result in some photos being taken down [fr]. However, national unity has perhaps not been completely jeopardised as these Swiss Germans show solidarity with their French-speaking neighbours in the following video [fr]:

author: Pauline Ratzé


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Syria: Friday’s Demonstrations on Video  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Saudi blogger Ahmed Al Omran complies a Storify collection of videos allegedly leaked from Syria today. Many show protests which happened this Friday. [Warning: Some of the videos contain graphic material)


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United States: Case of Colombian Student Revives Immigration Debate · Global Voices
Robert Valencia

Daniela Peláez is a Colombian student based in Miami who made headlines recently as yet another case of students who have an extremely bright future but no legal status in the United States.  Currently 18 years old and the first in her class at North Miami High School, Peláez arrived in the United States at the age of four, a time in which her parents came to this country on tourist visas, for which Daniela would later received a deportation order.
Nevertheless, Peláez counted with the immediate support of the public, from the principal and students at her school to local congresspeople like Marco Rubio and Ileano Ros-Lehtinen.  She, so much as her sister, Dayana, received a pardon from the Department of National Security on March 6, reopening the debate regarding the migratory status of thousands of young people that arrived in the United States at an early age, where they grew up and now face difficulties upon entering institutions of higher education.
Peláez's case does not only hinge on the already questionable immigration system, but also offers a new opportunity to consider solutions that bills in Congress can provide, like the DREAM Act, which would have given conditional permanent residency to high school graduates born in the United States to undocumented parents who have shown “good moral character” and have lived here for five years before the bill's passage.  Additionally, a draft of the bill that Peláez herself helped craft, the STARS Act, which, unlike the DREAM Act, would grant a grace period of six months after finishing high school to then enter college.
The immigration debate is revived with Daniela Pelaez's case.  Photo from longislandwins (CC BY-2.0)
Blog El Tercer Riel [es] calls for revisiting the topic of immigration as a result of Peláez's case:
El caso de la joven Daniela Peláez debe servir para concientizarnos sobre la necesidad de traer un tono serio a la discusión del tema migratorio.  El primer paso necesario en esta discusión es separar la nobleza de la idea tras el DREAM Act de la ridiculez de las recientes propuestas legislativas que han mancillado ese nombre.
The blog Eucario y su comentario [es] notes that students like Peláez should be compensated for their intelligence and effort independent of their migratory status:
Un acto de justicia que una vez más demuestra la perentoria necesidad de que se legisle con prontitud para que en lo sucesivo no se frustren las ilusiones, el esfuerzo, la dedicación de estudiantes como Daniela cuyo propósito ha sido y será ser conseguir una educación adecuada mediante la cual pueda aportar su inteligencia y conocimientos al servicio del país en el que se ha educado.
The tweets do not solely reference Peláez but also the necessity to revisit the DREAM Act, as Arne Duncan (@arneduncan), U.S. Secretary of Education, mentions:
We've got to pass the DREAM Act. It's the right thing to do, & we can't afford to deny education to talented, hard-working students.
Veronique M (@VMblogger) considers that students like Peláez represent the future of the United States:
RT @VoxxiNews: DREAM Act is priority b/c kids like the Miami valedictorian facing deportation are our future http://j.mp/AbRbl1#latism
Senator Harry Reid (@SenatorReid) promised to approve the DREAM Act after meeting Peláez:
I spoke with Daniela Pelaez, an inspiring #Miami#DREAMER, and I told her that I am fully committed to #DreamActhttp://yfrog.com/g0ltwxrj
Jose Dante Parra (@jdparraSenate) highlights what he considers Senator Marco Rubio's double standard [es]:
Rubio c reune con Daniela Pelaez. Dice q’ la apoya. Despues dice a WTVJ-Miami q c opone al #DREAMACT? Double personalidad? #latism
Finally, Carlos Mendoza III (@EducatorMusing)  expressed his happiness over the extension granted to Peláez:
Happy for you. Best wishes #edchat#in H.S. Valedictorian Daniela Pelaez Granted Temporary Two-Year Stay Of Deportation http://j.mp/w4huqU


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Barbados: Could Bus Accident have been Prevented?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Why are we so cynical and critical when it comes to mass-casualty bus accidents? We’ve learned to be because there are never any satisfactory answers as to cause or remedial actions taken afterwards”: Barbados Free Press blogs about the country's latest road accident.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Belarus: The 2011 Minsk Metro Explosion – A ‘Hall of Mirrors’ · Global Voices
Donna Welles

Unconfirmed reports suggest that Vladislav Kovalev and Dmitry Konovalov – the men convicted and sentenced to death for their actions surrounding the April 2011 explosion in a Minsk subway station (GV coverage here and here) – have been executed despite international appeals to Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko for clemency.
Writing for The Telegraph, Andrew Osborn referred to Belarus as ‘Europe's last dictatorship’ when he provided details of the explosion, which claimed the lives of 15 people and injured hundreds.
Controversy surrounding the prosecution of Mr. Kovalev and Mr. Konovalov takes on two major themes – 1) The existence of the death penalty, as Belarus is the only European nation that still executes prisoners, and 2) the integrity of the prosecution of these men.
Flowers at the entrance to the Minsk metro station where the blast occurred on April 11, 2011. Photo by IVAN URALSKY, copyright © Demotix (12/04/11).
Just days after the explosion, The Economist posted in its blog a variety of theories about who could have been responsible:
In other countries, the finger of suspicion for the latest bomb would point immediately to Islamist terrorists. But they seem a highly unlikely culprit. Belarus has stayed clear of Russia's war in Chechnya, so attracts no jihadist ire for that. […]
It is hard to see why anyone in the mainstream opposition would be behind the outrage. It does not destabilise the regime. It would carry huge risks to the perpetrators. And it would be completely out of character. […]
A slighly more plausible candidate would be an extremist movement. Belarus has no real tradition of political radicalism. Russia has skinheads, persecutors of ethnic minorities and even neo-Nazis (puzzling: do they think they are übermenschen or untermenschen?). Such groups have minor offshoots in Belarus. Perhaps one such is showing off its abilities, for purposes of its own.
A Belarusian outfit called the “White Legion” was linked to the 2008 bombings and may have had a hand in two earlier explosions in 2005. But nobody knows much about it. Some even doubt it exists. […]
Splits within the regime are a possibility. The arrest in December 2010 of Igor Azarenok, the air-force chief, remains a mystery, and may be resented by his friends. Some analysts posit the existence of rival factions of “young wolves” and “old wolves” (the former friends of Mr Lukashenka's son Viktar, the others old KGB men).
Another analysis involves a hardline faction determined to push Belarus further towards autocracy and away from the West. […]
Such secret internal machinations can of course explain almost anything. But it would be nice to have some evidence. In this case little exists.
The post concluded by emphasizing that no real evidence had been produced, as it likened the case to a ‘hall of mirrors':
The result is a hall of mirrors: did the authorities let off a bomb hoping to discredit the opposition? Or did the opposition do it in the belief that the authorities would take the blame? Or was it the Russians, for some conspiracy theorists the all-purpose malefactors? Did the regime do it in order to highlight the threat from “extremists”, or in the hope of pinning blame on outsiders? Or was it NATO: after all, the wicked Westerners have bombed Libya, so why not Belarus? The explanations become steadily more absurd and inconclusive.
The only hard fact so far is that the bombing was a professional job, callously executed. Mr Lukashenka took his usual fatherly line, attending the scene of the blast with his six-year-old son (his companion in almost all public appearances).
In November 2011, Death Penalty Blog quoted an article found in the Independent, which illuminated the controversy surrounding the investigation into Mr. Konovalov and Mr. Kovalyov:
Police quickly arrested Konovalov and Kovalyov, however, and the former confessed to making the bomb and detonating it, while the latter admitted he knew his friend's plans and did nothing to stop him. The pair also admitted to a number of smaller attacks. Konovalov said that he carried out the attacks “to destabilise the situation in the Republic of Belarus” and because he disagreed with Mr Lukashenko's policies, but the bizarrely stilted admission, which mirrors an official legal definition, left many suspicious, as did the fact that Konovalov appeared to be entirely apolitical.
During the two-month trial, Kovalyov has said he only implicated his friend after being pressured by investigators, and Konovalov has said nothing. Besides the confessions, the prosecutors have offered little substantial evidence against the two men.
Although the verdict has not yet been delivered, Mr Lukashenko has already publicly rewarded officials for solving the case, and state-controlled media have frequently referred to the two men on trial as “terrorists”.
Mr. Kovalyov's mother took an active role in public efforts to exonerate her son. Through Change.org, she set up a multi-lingual online form enabling netizens to petition a variety of European foreign affairs officials:
I am writing you on behalf of Lyubou Kavalyova, a mother of Uladzislau Kavalyou. On November 30th, her son together with Dzmitry Kanavalau was convicted to the death penalty by the Supreme Court of the Republic of Belarus. […]
I joined this campaign, because I believe the two men cannot be sent to death, until they are proven guilty. […]
I am writing you also on behalf of Belarusian and international human rights groups and many victims of the attack, who say the trial is unjust and that the Supreme Court has made a mistake sentencing the two men to death. […]
Thus, I am writing to you to ask only two things: please take a stand on this issue publicly, please condemn the death penalty in Belarus. Please write to the Belarusian authorities and demand not to execute Uladzislau Kavalyou and Dzmitry Kanavalau, but instead to start a new investigation! […]
Petitioners left comments explaining why they felt moved to take action in defense of these young men.
Olga Nikonova [ru]:
They aren't guilty!!!! The presumption of innocence states – a man is innocent until proven guilty in a court. The court hasn't provided evidence!!!! […]
Iryna Lysenko [ru]:
I'm against the death penalty. History is full of situations where innocent people were executed. This case might be one of them. It must not be allowed to happen!
Dzmitry Shymkin [en]:
Everybody knows that this process is farce and everybody knows who is real organizator of that murder.
Voice of America Blog announced on November 30 that the death penalty had been handed down and that international human rights groups continued to call into question the legitimacy of the investigation:
The judge said Wednesday that Dmitry Konovalov and Vladislav Kovalyov present an extreme danger to society and thus require the ultimate punishment — death by execution. […]
Rights activists had called on authorities in the former Soviet republic not to impose the death sentence. An Amnesty International researcher expressed shock at, in her words, the “cynicism” of the judgment.
Amnesty says it has concerns about the investigation, namely the speed with which the case was announced resolved and that the two suspects confessed to not only masterminding the April metro bombing but others as well.
Voices of Russia Blog published a letter to the editor a few days later entitled “Apparently, the West is Against Terrorism Only When it Suits its Own Agenda,” which supported the prosecution of Mr. Konovalov and Mr. Kovalyov:
Apparently, the West’s against terrorism only when it suits its own agenda. Despite the overwhelming physical and circumstantial evidence against the Minsk Metro Bombers, including a video tape of one of the perps planting the bomb, the Western media’s already screaming that the trial was unfair. They’re even stating that the Byelorussian government planted the bomb in order to create a situation of fear. At this point, I believe it’s a waste of time even answering the anti-Belarus and anti-Lukashenko ravings in the West. No matter what we say, no matter what evidence we present, they’ll continue to demonise Belarus and President Lukashenko. […]
In recent days there have been unverified reports that one or both men have already been executed. RT.com reported that Mr. Kovalev’s family received a letter signed by the Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Court stating that their son had been shot on March 15. What is certain is that if these men have been executed, their families received no advance warning.

author: Donna Welles


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Cuba: Aggression Against Women  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Pedazos de la Isla blogs about the wives of two dissidents who maintain that they suffered miscarriages as a result of “violent operations carried out against them by the Cuban political police.”


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Cuba: Bloggers Respond to Archbishop’s Action  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Bloggers are reaching boiling point over the political/religious acts of repression that have been taking place in Cuba – and the Pope hasn't even arrived yet. The latest controversy concerns bloggers even more so, as the request to remove protesters from a church reportedly came from Cardinal Jaime Ortega, the Archbishop of Havana, who “described their occupation as ‘illegitimate'”. The protesters were, among other things, demanding freedom for political prisoners and an end to the persecution of opponents of the regime.
Uncommon Sense linked to mainstream media coverage of the story, making sure to add his own commentary:
At the request of Cardinal Jaime Ortega, Cuban police…evicted 13 dissidents who had occupied a Havana church demanding Pope Benedict XVI hear their grievances during his visit to the island last week.
That's right — instead of meeting with them and providing them with his stature and his voice, Cardinal Ortega dropped a dime and had the police remove the protesters.
The main concern of the online community was summed up in this post by Dariela Aquique, in which she describes the elaborate preparations being made for the pontiff's visit and the resulting impact on citizens:
The Pope’s visit has already meant sacrifices on our part. He, the shepherd of good faith, is coming to share his grace and to request spiritual peace for all Cubans. He is coming to bless the virgin but he doesn’t know what that this has to do with energy manipulations and those other ‘manipulations’ of power.
This church protest and the many attempts by Las Damas de Blanco [es] and other dissident groups to meet with the pope have cumulatively been part of a struggle to give the Vatican a clearer picture of life in Cuba, starting with the human rights situation – which made babalu “scratch [his] head” over the fact that:
The Vatican continues its refusal to commit to a meeting with Cuban dissidents due to the Pope's incredibly busy schedule and time constraints. However, the very busy Vatican, which cannot seem to find the time to meet with the Ladies in White who are attacked and repressed every week when they try to attend mass, does have time to bid an official farewell to the pet crocodile given to the pope as a gift by the Castro dictatorship.
In another post, he made a connection between the church and state, emphasized by this captioned image that he republished and translated:
The partnership between the Castro dictatorship and the hierarchy of the Cuban Catholic Church became painfully obvious yesterday for thirteen dissidents occupying a church in Havana. Cardinal Jaime Ortega enlisted the help of the Cuban regime and used its security forces to evict the occupiers.
Babalu also translated the Havana Archdiocese's press release about the incident, and added:
The one thing that jumps out at you is the choice of language. The occupiers at the church were not ‘asked’ to leave, they were not ‘ordered’ to leave, and neither did they ‘plead’ with them to leave. In a classic example of Orwellian newspeak, the protesting occupiers were “invited” to leave the sanctuary.
Capitol Hill Cubans were just as outspoken about the politics that they saw seeping into the religious arena:
In response to the dissidents that have occupied a Havana church asking for Pope Benedict XVI to intercede on behalf of the human rights for the Cuban people, the Archdiocese of Havana said in a statement:
‘Nobody has the right to turn temples into political trenches.’
Yet, just last week, Cuban Cardinal Jaime Ortega held a Mass in support of Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez.
So perhaps the Archdiocese should consider clarifying its statement:
‘Only the Cardinal has a right to use the temple for his politics.’
The online conversation was also taking place on Twitter; Translating Cuba did a thorough job of translating the tweets of one of the country's most recognized bloggers, Yoani Sanchez, who posted an online petition to the pope and summed up her reaction to the incident in this tweet:
@yoanisanchez: #cuba Aunque tengo muchas criticas sobre acto de ocupar Iglesia, tengo peor opinion de la nota del Arzobispado publicada en Granma #PapaCuba
The Cuban Triangle, in stark contrast, said:
I have no idea if this Cuban ‘occupy’ movement and its day of protests was hatched in Miami or by activists in Cuba. But my bet is that opponents of the Cuban government will continue to distance themselves from it. The protesters have every right to request of the Vatican whatever they wish. But the Pope, Cuba’s church, and Cuba’s Catholic laity are also entitled to celebrate a pastoral visit as they wish. The protests accentuate the image of a movement focused more on actors outside Cuba than within, and they do the cause of opposition to the Cuban government no favors.
The blogger also seemed reassured by “the Archdiocese[‘s] statement explaining the end of the saga” and by the fact that “government authorities gave the assurance that no charges would be brought against any of the protesters.” Judging by the online commentary on the topic, he may be one of the few.


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Ecuador: ‘March for Life’ Says ‘No’ to Large-Scale Mining · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

The decision of Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa to drive the growth [es] of large-scale mining in his country began to materialize last Monday, 5 March, 2012, with the signing of the contract [es] with Chinese funded company Ecuacorriente (Ecsa) [es] to mine the copper deposits in El Mirador, located in the Amazonian region of Zamora Chinchipe.
However, in spite of the promised economic benefits [es] that this contract is expected to bring to the country, indigenous Ecuadorian communities and other civil organizations are against these types of projects.
The day after the contract was signed, an activist group entered [es] the Chinese embassy in Quito to show their objection. Although the occupation of the site was peaceful, the police forcibly removed the women who resisted exiting the embassy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWWQ9_ZAW4k
In light of these events, the blog Elpescuezo republished [es] an article that was published by Ballenita si [es] magazine, that informs that after physically mistreating the activists, there is an effort on the part of the public prosecutor to accuse them of having been caught in the act, despite the fact that the embassy does not wish to press charges. The charge the prosecutor would bring would be for “Breaking and entering”. They also report:
Que el gobierno ecuatoriano ha decidido firmar el contrato minero sin que se haya aprobado el Estudio de Impacto Ambiental ni la Licencia Ambiental y sin el Consentimiento de las Comunidades y Pueblos Indígenas, requisitos indispensables para toda empresa minera.
The El Mirador mining deposit zone is part of the territory that belongs to the indigenous community  Shuar, in the Condor Mountain Range [es], which is shared with Peru. It stands out as one of the most biologically rich and diverse regions on the planet, for which reason a mining operation such as the one proposed could have devastating ecological effects.
One major protest movement against large-scale mining in Ecuador that currently is taking place is called ‘Marcha por la Vida’ (March for Life) [es], organized by the Confederación de Nacionalidades Indígenas del Ecuador (The Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador — Conaie) [es], the Confederación Kichwa del Ecuador (Kichwa Confederation of Ecuador — Ecuarinari) [es], the Federación Única Nacional de Afiliados al Seguro Social Campesino (United National Federation of Affiliates for the Social Security of Rural People — Feunassc) [es], the Unión Nacional de Educadores (National Union of Educators — Une) [es], the Frente Popular Zamora Chinchipe (The Popular Front of Zamora Chinchipe) and the Asamblea de los Pueblos del Sur (Assembly of the Peoples of the South).
As a part of the call to action that that has been issued, of which the above video (as well as other  videos [es]) are part, an open letter [es] was also written to the musical artists Manu Chao and Calle 13, where they detail their protests:
El mes de marzo será el mes de la Resistencia en Ecuador. Los pueblos indígenas, campesinos, realizaremos la “Gran Marcha Plurinacional por el Agua, la Tierra, la Vida y la Dignidad de los Pueblos” […] Partiremos en una caminata el 8 de marzo desde el corazón de la Cordillera del Cóndor en Zamora, donde se pretende abrir la puerta por primera vez en Ecuador de la Mega Minería. Esta caminata recorrerá las zonas donde las trasnacionales mineras ya se encuentran desplazando, expropiando y criminalizando a los pueblos; pasará por las comunidades campesinas del Centro del país y llegaremos el 22 de marzo a la capital de Ecuador Quito donde exigiremos al gobierno el respeto a la Pachamama, al agua y a la vida y el respeto para el Art. 3 del Mandato Minero, emitido por la Asamblea Constituyente, que decretó la eliminación de las concesiones mineras en fuentes de agua y en zona protegidas.
"March for water, life and the dignity of the people"
The march began on 8 March from El Pangui [es] (see two videos of that day in this article [es]), and is expected to arrive on the 22nd in the capital city of Quito. The Ecuadorian newspaper El Comercio published [es] a map with the itinerary of the march that is being updated daily as the march progresses.
President Correa, for his part declared [es] the beginning of the march a failure since only 500 people attended, while a pro-mining rally in Quito garnered thousands of attendants, and he encouraged [es] his supporters to remain committed to fighting the march.
Meanwhile the march continues on its route [es] and on 14 March could be seen [es] departing the town of Zhud and making its way towards Chunchi. It was estimated [es] that in Cuenca there were already some 2000 participants. On the website Marcha por la Vida [es] there are reports from the various places that have been visited thus far: Pangui, Cuenca, Loja, Saraguro, Nabón, Tarqui, Cañar y Azogues [all es].
Below are two videos of the march, the first in Cuenca the second in Saraguro [es]:
There are also other videos of the march in Azuay [es], Cuenca [es] and Tarqui [es]; some declarations [es] from Humberto Cholango, the leader of Conaie; and clips (1 and 2) [es] of the press conference at the beginning of the march.
On the website informatEcuador, reporters Alberto Acosta and William Sacher published a general report [es] on mining, but paid special attention the the future consequences for Ecuador. They note:
Para producir un total de 208.800 toneladas de concentrado de cobre, el proyecto minero a cielo abierto Mirador de la empresa ECSA (de capitales chinos) en la Cordillera del Cóndor producirá al menos 326 millones de toneladas de desechos durante la vida de la mina. Esta cantidad representa un volumen correspondiente a más de 4 Panecillos [*], ¡y es comparable a la recolección de basura de la ciudad de Cuenca por casi 5000 años!
They go on to comment on the gold mines in Quimsacocha:
La zona del proyecto minero se encuentra precisamente en una de las principales fuentes de agua de la ciudad de Cuenca y de muchas otras poblaciones aledañas, cuyos habitantes, con justa razón, protestan en contra de esta actividad.
Lastly, they touch on the issue of the real economic benefits for Ecuador:
las minas ecuatorianas producirán el metal en forma gruesa, es decir con impurezas. Por ejemplo, el concentrado de cobre producido en Mirador tendrá aproximadamente 30% de cobre, 60% de otros minerales y 10% de agua. Debido a que el Ecuador no tiene refinerías de metales, el proceso de refinamiento se hará en el exterior, en donde quedará la mayor parte de las ganancias. A lo anterior habría que incorporar los llamados costos ocultos -ambientales y sociales-, por ejemplo el valor económico de la contaminación.
"We are water: we will flood Quito"
In the blog Ambiente Ecuador, Gustavo Morejón states his belief that there is much misinformation on the subject of mining in general. He believes that other factors, such as poor livestock rearing and bad agricultural practices, have a more negative impact on the forests and moors in the Quismacocha region.  He adds [es]:
no puedo menos que preocuparme porque se ha prestado tanta propaganda al caso de las mineras, que las verdaderas causas de la pérdida de biodiversidad, han quedado relegadas. No existe persona alguna dentro de ese grupo que hable sobre aquello que ya está ocurriendo y que está terminando con los páramos y bosques andinos. No es necesario mentir para proteger las cuencas hidrográficas. ¿Porqué no dicen la verdad? No lo hacen porque “eso no produce réditos políticos”, eso no les va a dar votos en las próximas elecciones.
While the protests, the controversy, and the political stirrings continue, the Ecuadorian government is already making headway [es] with its second contract of this type; in this case for the minebeds that have been named Fruta del Norte [es], also in the zone Zamora Chinchipe.
Images obtained via the website Marcha por la Vida [es].
Original post published on the personal blog  [es] of Juan Arellano.

author: Juan Arellano