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Laos Joins Southeast Asian Neighbors in Imposing Stricter Internet Controls · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

An Internet cafe in Laos. Photo from Flickr user Jon Rawlinson. CC License
Laos Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong has signed a new decree imposing stricter Internet control in the country. Signed last September 16, 2014, the new regulation promotes responsible and “constructive” use of the Internet among Lao netizens.
A few months ago, Lao officials announced that they were studying the experience of other Southeast Asian nations as a guide in drafting an Internet law which they plan to implement this year. They chose the restrictive cyber laws of Myanmar and Vietnam as models in formulating the framework of Laos’ Internet law. Laos officials also reportedly looked at the approach used by China in regulating the Web.
As expected, the result is a law that claims to support the growth of the Internet but actually contains numerous contradictory provisions that undermine free speech and other citizen rights.
Provisions that recognize the privacy rights of Internet users, the protection of intellectual property, and prohibitions on pornography may be less controversial for Laotians. But the law also prohibits sharing photos that “contradict Lao traditions and culture.” The question is this, who will decide whether an obscene image insults Laotian heritage?
The same decree also identified several so-called “cybercrimes” whose definitions are unclear and very broad. They include:
- Disseminating false information against the Lao People's Revolutionary Party;
– Circulating information that encourages citizens to be involved in terrorism, murder, and social disorder;
– Supporting online campaigns that seek to divide solidarity among ethnic groups and between countries;
– Spreading information that distorts truth or tarnishes the dignity and rights of individuals, sectors, institutions and organizations;
– Sharing of comments whose contents are in line with the abovementioned prohibitions.
Internet service providers are ordered not to provide service to individuals, legal entities or organizations whose movement seeks to undermine the Party and government policies.
From this week’s top stories: #Laos government issues decree to control internet activity http://t.co/ebCfH4Xd6r pic.twitter.com/0Fas8PoP2A
— LaosInvestmentReview (@laosinvest) September 23, 2014
Based on these guidelines, it seems that legitimate criticism of government programs and policies can be interpreted as a criminal act if it creates division, confusion, or “disorder” among the public. It is easy to see how authorities could use the law to prosecute journalists, activists, and other critics of the government.
The law also prohibits the creation of anonymous or pseudonymous accounts online, purportedly in an effort “to ease the efforts of authorities in regulating the Internet.” This is a big blow to citizens who seek to expose wrongdoings in the government through the Internet.
The government believes that this kind of Internet regulation is necessary to prevent abuse and misuse of the Internet as a space for communication and connection. While acknowledging the positive contributions of the Internet to the local economy, Lao officials also warned that it can be used to cause panic in society. They cited the spread of inaccurate information about the Lao Airlines crash and a recently online rumor of human organ trafficking in Attapeu province. In both cases, the Laos government was forced to make official statements to clarify the wrong information.
Despite these excesses, however, the Laos government previously vowed not to block the Internet, believing that it is essential to the “modernization and industrialization” of the country. But the new Internet law will undermine the commitment of Laos officials to keep the Internet open and free. It will discourage netizens from maximizing online spaces to engage public officials and challenge public policies.
The law could also impede the growth of the IT sector. In 2011 there were only 60,000 Facebook users in Laos. Today, more than half a million Lao citizens use the popular social networking site. According to news reports, there are now five telecommunications companies, seven Internet service providers and about 900 computer shops in the country. At this time, what Laos needs is a law that will boost this industry and not something that will unfairly penalize critics, activists, and even ordinary Internet users.
It is unfortunate that Laos has aligned itself with its neighbors in the region that are implementing repressive Internet laws to stifle dissent, intimidate the opposition, and even punish critical citizens. Laos should strive to distinguish itself in the region by adopting a human rights-based framework in regulating the Internet.

author: Mong Palatino


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Second Hunger Strike Over Highway May Leave Trinidad & Tobago Fighting For Its Soul · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Environmentalist Dr. Wayne Kublalsingh during his 2012 hunger strike. Photo by Jolynna Sinanan, used with permission.
Two years ago, Trinidadian environmental activist Dr. Wayne Kublalsingh embarked on a 21-day hunger strike that ended only when the government gave assurances that there would be an independent review of the section of proposed highway that his lobby group, the Highway Re-Route Movement (HRM), was against. The HRM contends that the Debe to Mon Desir stretch of highway intended to link San Fernando to Point Fortin, two major hubs in south Trinidad, would displace many homes and damage the environment.
Kublalsingh's dissent quickly became symbolic of growing public dissatisfaction about matters of transparency and good governance and the cavalier manner in which the electorate's concerns are often managed by those in public office. The Highway Re-Route Movement has even accused some politicians, now in government, of previously supporting their cause. The precursor to the HRM was the Debe to San Francique Highway Action Committee, which formed in 2006, a lobby group in which Minister of Parliament Dr. Roodal Moonilal was involved.
Ten days ago, Kublalsingh restarted his hunger strike on the grounds that the government has not abided by the findings of the Armstrong report, which reviewed the records relating to the highway's construction. The Certificate of Environmental Clearance, for instance, contains “an extensive list of conditions” intended to address the lack of detail presented to the Environmental Management Authority. Because “a significant amount of work” still needs to be done to get the necessary approvals, the report suggested that “no further work be undertaken on the Highway site until all of the conditions contained in the CEC have been fulfilled.” All plans specified in the Environmental Impact Assessment must be submitted to the EMA for approval by the relevant bodies, including the Storm Water Management Plan and the Water Management Plan. This no-work recommendation is also in accordance with the Town and Country Planning Act. The Armstrong report also found it “imperative” that a proper Social Impact Assessment be undertaken before a decision is made whether or not to continue with the Debe to Mon Desir segment of the Highway, “given the potential for severe adverse impacts on the resident population and other stakeholders.”
Despite these suggestions, which the government promised they would consider back in 2012, construction on the highway has not halted and the prime minister has refused to meet with Dr. Kublalsingh to discuss an alternative to the contentious route.
Afra Raymond, a blogger and president of the
Joint Consultative Council for the Construction Industry, which proffered the idea for the independent review, gave a factual and measured response to the controversy:
Some of the issues now emerging offer disturbing echoes from Kublalsingh’s first hunger-strike in November 2012, but […] these are the very reasons we need to think again so as to find a different way to speak about our country’s large-scale development.
His post began by providing valuable context to the current impasse: The San Fernando – Point Fortin Highway has been proposed for over 40 years; Kublalsingh undertook his initial hunger strike to press for an urgent review of the Debe/Mon Desir section of the highway; civil society's proposal of the independent audit, which was spearheaded by the Joint Consultative Council, eventually brought the strike to an end. The audit was completed and its findings published “after a review process in which the State’s concerns were addressed.” Finally, the National Infrastructure Development Company paid the JCC for costs associated with the review, since that was the body through which funds were disbursed to members of the review team.
Contrary to what some believe — especially those forced to sit in heavy traffic — the Highway Re-Route Movement is not against the highway itself, just the portion it considers a threat. The fact that construction continues on the Debe to MonDesir section is contentious: supporters of the highway just want to see it completed.
According to Raymond, “an alternative view is that the commitment of Public Money to complete a disputed link while it was under study is itself questionable,” but he also called the HRM's stance calling on the government to stick to the Armstrong report's findings “unrealistic”.
There is good news to be had, he maintained:
The Armstrong Report is an historic achievement, to my knowledge being the first review of a State-sponsored project ever undertaken by a Civil Society group in the Caribbean. The Report represents an attempt to review the competing claims on the evidence and therefore promotes the ideal of fact-based decision-making in public policy.
Those are the positives we have to take from this turbid situation and we need to act soberly so as to ensure that those gains are not lost in the heat of this moment. Kublalsingh’s sacrifice opened the way for the Civil Society proposal to be accepted and the Armstrong Report is now a reality.
Many people have been asking whether there is a legal obligation on the State to consider the Armstrong Report and it is clear to me that such an obligation does exist.
Roman Catholic priest Fr. Clyde Harvey, who ministered to Kublalsingh during his first fast, said that the hunger striker was challenging citizens to find “the soul of the nation”. Kublalsingh told Harvey that the heart of the matter could be summed up in three words: truth, transparency, trust. Harvey maintained that:
The Armstrong Report, which is at the centre of all this, is not about the Honourable Prime Minister, it's not even about Wayne Kublalsingh. It's about whether or not we as a people can develop principles and processes which allow us to believe in ourselves, to always stand for truth and to try to be transparent in all that we do.
Popular blog Wired 868 called the situation “an environmental tipping point in the fight to save endangered wetlands” and criticised what it saw as the prime minister's hypocrisy:
Even as Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar was boasting to the United Nations General Assembly on Monday that her Government emphasizes human development and not ‘concrete, steel and buildings’, her Government was proving otherwise in the eyes of certain groups back at home.
Dr Kublalsingh has made it clear that all the Highway Reroute Movement is asking is that the Prime Minister stick to her word when, following the first hunger strike and multiple layers of action by members of the HRM, she agreed to halt work on the disputed area and review the work on the development of that section of the highway.
The post highlighted some of Kublalsingh's concerns, including the questionable procurement process for the highway's construction, the fact that there were issues with the project's feasibility, and the report's findings that the Environmental Impact Assessment for the project was flawed. The post concluded that “Dr Kublalsingh may be facing his toughest battle yet”:
He and the communities from Debe to Mon Desir are committed to a fight to the end even as they acknowledge their slingshots and arrows may not be enough to stop the might of the bulldozer as it erases their history and threatens to tip this ecologically diverse and rich country into a land of concrete jungles, contributing to the global warming and climate change that it has promised to fight against at the United Nations Climate Summit.
Raymond questioned whether Trinidad and Tobago had the resolve to surmount this hurdle:
We need to summon the will to turn this corner, the State needs to exercise its powers in a reasonable fashion and that means that the Armstrong Report must be properly considered. The public needs to be advised of that consideration and its outcomes. […]
In years to come it will seem literally unbelievable that the State routinely carried out large-scale developments without this kind of study and consideration. The future is an inescapable part of reality, it is waiting for all of us.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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How a ‘Small Dream to Be the Change’ Grew Into a Charity With the Best Social Media Campaign in Uganda · Global Voices
Tumusiime Patrick

The founder of 40 Days Over 40 Smiles Esther Kalenzi holding a baby during #BeSanta campaign. Photo used with her permission.
40 Days Over 40 Smiles Foundation is a Kampala-based, youth-led charity organisation committed to helping vulnerable children and communities to access quality, all-round education support and entrepreneurial training aimed at self-sustainability. The organisation relies on the use of social media as a platform for raising awareness and find solutions.
40 Days Over 40 Smiles started on 27 February, 2012, when Esther Kalenzi opened a Facebook page and then asked her friends to donate anything they had such as food, clothes, books, toys, money and join her during the Easter weekend to deliver the items and celebrate with the kids in two orphanages.
On Easter weekend, they visited two orphanages where they played with the children, ate, danced and made merry. They created over 40 Smiles.
I recently caught up with Esther Kalenzi to talk to her about 40 Days Over 40 Smiles.
Tumusiime Patrick (TP): Can your give a little background about yourself?
Esther Kalenzi (EK): I am a Ugandan woman who is passionate about positive change within my community. I use my friends, skills and networks to involve as many Ugandans especially the youth in improving the society which they live in.
TP: 40 Days Over 40 Smiles has been in the news both in the local and international media. Please share with us what it’s all about and why the name “40 Days Over 40 Smiles”?
EK: It is a confluence of youth who use fun events and social media to raise funds which support vulnerable children.
It is a registered organization that simply started as a small dream I had to ‘be the change’ I wanted to see.
The name came about in 2012 during the lent period (40 days of fasting) when I opened a Facebook group and encouraged friends and family to donate material towards those who were less privileged and would not have family over Easter. Over 40 smiles meant I was targeting 40 children or more. That Easter weekend, we visited and distributed items to 150 children.
TP: Last year, 40 Days Over 40 Smiles emerged as the best social media campaign in Uganda, beating other companies like MTN and Airtel which are prominent telecom companies in Uganda. How did you manage to pull it off?
EK: How did we pull it off? I have no idea. People voted us and we won! I think one of the things that stands out about us is that we are not commercial, we are driven by the need to help others. We have invested our time, energy and resources in this relentlessly. We didn’t think we could beat such household names but I guess we must have done something right.
TP: There are many ways to raise funds for charity, but 40 Days Over 40 Smiles mainly uses social media to raise funds. Why did you choose this option?
EK: Like I said before, the organization started as a Facebook group and did quite well. I thought we should continue with this winning formula. Additionally, it is cheaper, close to our target group who are the youth and it is also accessible.
TP: From all the social media campaigns 40 days Over 40 Smiles has been running for the past two years, which one has been the most successful and why?
EK: It is undeniably #BuyABrick. We raised 8,000,000 Ugandan shillings (US$3,024) in 10 days online as we raised money to build a dormitory. The team did a good job, we had a great plan that we executed and of course the support from the cyber world overwhelmed us.
TP: How do you manage to balance your personal social media activities and those of 40 days over 40 smiles?
EK: Hmm, that is a tricky one. To be honest the times I am most active on social media are when I am rallying people for a cause I believe in; whether it is 40-40, the cancer run or the story of a woman who succeeded against all odds.
TP: Please describe a typical process you go through to run a social media campaign, for example the ‘Buy a Brick’ campaign.
EK: Buy a brick for example had us think what the smallest component of a building is. Of course there are things smaller than a brick but it is easy to relate to. Once we had that, we came up with the hash tag and then discussed how to execute it using the available resources.
We can’t claim responsibility for all the success, we got so much support that we did not expect.
TP: Do you think Ugandans and Africans as a whole look at social media as a major tool for positive social influence?
EK: Yes. We are living proof that it works and shall continue to work.
TP: Many social media campaigns have not successfully lasted for more than a year. How has 40 Days Over 40 Smiles survived for two years now?
EK: To be honest we are overwhelmed by this. I strongly believe that the dedicated team I have and the fact that we are in it because we are passionate about the cause helps. We did not set out to gain popularity and leave, we shall still be here even when (God forbid) we have only one loyal supporter.
TP: What are the main challenges you’ve had to deal with in using social media as a tool to raise funds for 40 Days Over 40 Smiles?
EK: Social media is not always ‘honest.’ Some people might seem like they are interested in helping yet it is just ‘for show’ because they have an audience that they are trying to impress.
Additionally, there is audience fatigue, sometimes a lot is going on and people will not take interest unless they see a benefit for them.
TP: Do you plan on expanding the reach of the 40 Days Over 40 Smiles social media campaigns beyond the main social media platforms you currently use?
EK: Yes, we are already in the process. We realize the constant need of innovativeness and versatility. We would like to reach as many people as possible but above all, we need them to realize that this isn’t a onetime project; it is a way of life.
TP: Are there any particular people that you look up to for inspiration as you run the activities of 40 Days Over 40 Smiles?
EK: There are several leaders from our time or before our time who have relentlessly followed their dreams and managed to garner support even when it was not the most popular thought. Mahatma Ghandi and Nelson Mandela come to mind.
TP: What advice would you give to people out there that may want to do something similar to what 40 Days Over Smiles is doing?
EK: I would love for as many people as possible to follow their dreams, especially young people. Uganda is ripe with potential and we need to maximize the use of our very young population.
It does not have to be exactly what 40-40 is doing but I would love for us to inspire positive agents and dreamers whether in the arts, music or whatever. They simply need to get started. It always does seem it is impossible until it is done but if you believe in yourself and persist, you will see it come to fruition.

author: Tumusiime Patrick


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Art & Education in Suriname · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Referring to English art critic Sir Herbert Read‘s book Education Through Art, Carmen Dragman, via Srananart's Blog, looks at the value of art in education, suggesting that the current Caribbean model is shortchanging students by not recognising the power of art as a creative outlet and learning tool:
Teachers and policy makers often actually know that art education is important for each individual, but don’t actually realize as yet how important the subject is. These lessons are mostly seen as ‘means of relaxation’ but not as  means of support. Surely not before tests and examinations…
Dragman believes in learning through doing – movement, games, modeling, play – and gives several examples from her own teaching experience that are testaments to the success of this approach. She explains:
If expressive education is given correctly, the cognitive, socio-emotional, sensitive, motoric, affective and creative development of the child will be stimulated. It is therefore very important that this subject be not only presented as an isolated subject, but be also integrated in the other school subjects.


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Colombia: No to Sex Tourism in Medellín · Global Voices
Cati Restrepo

“No to sex tourist”. Screenshot from video posted on YouTube.
By mid July 2014, the Facebook page No to sex tourist was created, with the purpose of create awareness about sex tourism in Colombia. Wikipedia lo define como:
… una forma de turismo con el propósito de mantener relaciones sexuales, normalmente de varones con prostitutas hembras, pero también, aunque menos, hay mujeres turistas sexuales y turismo sexual homosexual masculino.
Sex tourism is travel to engage in sexual activity, particularly with prostitutes. The World Tourism Organization, a specialized agency of the United Nations, defines sex tourism as “trips organized from within the tourism sector, or from outside this sector but using its structures and networks, with the primary purpose of effecting a commercial sexual relationship by the tourist with residents at the destination”.
Recently, the fan page posted this video, as part of a campaign by Pazamanos Foundation with the intention to reject sex tourists who mainly visit the city of Medellín.

author: Cati Restrepo


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‘Love Jihad’ in India: Reality, Myth or Simply a Case of Political Rabble-Rousing? · Global Voices
Nickhil Sharma

Activists of United Hindu Front protesting against Love Jihad in New Delhi, India. Image by Anil Kumar Shakya. Copyright Demotix (23/9/2014)
A section of India's ruling party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and some right-wing, Hindu activists in India have recently been in the news for their vociferous, public protests against ‘Love Jihad‘, an alleged phenomenon in which young Muslim men reportedly target and “lure” young non-Muslim girls by feigning love and then forcibly convert them to Islam at the time of marriage. There are some who even say that post-conversion, the women are sometimes dumped and the men move on to conquer new targets.
However, the question that a large section of Indians are asking is whether ‘Love Jihad’ really exists or is it a myth that is being purposely propagated for religion-based political gains.
The complaint against ‘Love Jihad’ is not new and neither is it confined to India alone. However, while allegations keep emerging out of India, Pakistan and even the United Kingdom, the majority of the Indian media continue to regard it as a conspiracy theory and political propaganda by right-wing activists and politicians.
Anand Ranganathan, (@ARangarajan1972) contributing editor at Newslaundry.com, conveyed this sentiment:
An overwhelming majority of Indian journalists have termed Love Jihad (aka Grooming) as statistically insignificant and a hoax.
— Anand Ranganathan (@ARangarajan1972) September 19, 2014
In India, the outcry over ‘Love Jihad’ first hit national headlines in 2009, based on reported cases from coastal Kerala and Karnataka. However, the issue then lost steam and reports became a rarity until this year, when championship-winning Indian shooter Tara Shahdeo claimed that her husband Ranjit Kohli (alias Rakibul Hassan Khan) posed as a Hindu to get married to her and that she only found out about his religion a couple of months later. Tara filed an FIR (police report) alleging that she was assaulted by her husband for refusing to convert to Islam.
Close on the heels of this story came reports of other similar incidents, including a case in which a girl alleged that she had been gang-raped and then forcibly converted. These cases sprung into the limelight, bringing the issue of ‘Love Jihad’ out of the closet once more, triggering fierce debates — both online and offline.
Many felt that the ruling BJP was focusing on the issue to garner Hindu votes in an upcoming by-elections. However, the results, which were declared on September 16, 2014, showed that the BJP had in fact lost some of the landslide advantage (and seats) that it had won just four months ago in the national elections.
Seemi Pasha (@seemi_pasha), an editor and anchor at a well-known mainstream news channel, tweeted:
What the BJP & RSS forgot while pushing #LoveJihad rhetoric is that people essentially don't like venom & hate in relationships #ModiTest
— seemi pasha (@seemi_pasha) September 16, 2014
But does ‘Love Jihad’ exist and is it in reality the social problem that some make it out to be? Or is it a hype, a myth even? The opinion seems to be divided among the masses, with stances often reflecting the person's religious and political leanings.
For example, Anil Kumar (@AnilAarush), who describes himself as an iconoclast from Bihar and is a supporter of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, tweeted his belief that ‘Love Jihad’ exists. According to him:
All potential tara Shahdev need to be warned in advance; whoever is spreading awareness is doing great service, #LoveJihad is reality
— Anil Kumar (@AnilAarush) September 10, 2014
On the other hand, Rachana Raj (@integrated_me) rubbished the idea. She wrote:
I don't believe in Love Jihad and all the rubbish … your girls and boys shouldn't be so gullible , if they are , fault in your upbringing
— Rachanasm (@Integrated_me) August 25, 2014
Her sentiments were seconded by Deepak Mehta, a young executive assistant living in Mumbai, who commented on Quora:
With high confidence, we can say it does not (exist). As in, there is no such centralized activity happening anywhere in India. There might be some delusional individuals doing so, but there is no large-scale, collaborated effort. There have been numerous investigations by the Kerala and Karnataka state police and CID (Crime Investigating Department), all of which failed to unearth any evidence or proof…The issue is being given a communal flavor by extremist organizations who have nothing better to do.
There are still others who are either unsure about whether to believe that ‘Love Jihad’ exists or not. For example, Shikha S (@shikha_shrivas), who is a computer engineer, appeared confused. She mentioned:
I am confused. Some say it is false, some believe it is overblown, some argue it is a local menace. Another case? http://t.co/E0veglzek3
— Shikha S (@shikha_shrivas) August 30, 2014
In order to understand how the youth felt about the issue, Global Voices spoke to a few young Indians.
Sidharth Kini, a member of the BJP’s Youth Wing in Bangalore, appeared to be a firm believer that ‘Love Jihad’ is a reality. He said:
Love Jihad’ is a very old concept but the terminology is new. The Arab rulers waged wars in the name of Islam and forced people to either convert to Islam or give up their lives. Further, during Mughal rule [in the 16th and 17th centuries] conversion of Hindus was very severe; they demolished Hindu temples, destroyed statues, and burnt Vedic scripts
According to Kini, teenage girls are not only lured into marriage but also often ensnared for trafficking:
Teenage Hindu girls are (their) main target as in that age their thinking won’t be mature enough and they will easily fall for money and the rich image created by Muslim boys. Even though these guys are poor, they are financially aided by various organizations so that they can buy branded attire and costly bikes. These boys are instructed to build friendship and then a strong relationship so that the girl will become ready to come with them leaving behind her family.
Nidhi Raina, a 23-year-old employee of Mercedes-Benz India in Bangalore, said she does not find it difficult to believe Love Jihad exists. She said:
I think young women could fall for it. The entire process is so well crafted that it doesn’t give the real intention away very easily. It’s just like how terrorists are recruited by brainwashing
Mandeep Chawla, a 22-year-old mechanical engineer originally from Ranchi and now working in Bangalore, felt the same, though he admitted that not all conversions were forced:
Every religion has some good in it and many people see the good part of the Muslim religion, which leads them to accept. This is mainly because other religions generally teach them the good knowledge there already is in their own religions. But to certain extent Muslims are praised when other people come to their religion, because according to their teachings they will get a reward from God from converting a disbeliever into a believer. I think that it (Love Jihad) is definitely possible. History stands as evidence here. I just feel that some Muslims have misunderstood what the Qur’an teaches and stands for by indulging in forced conversions. However, one cannot neglect that many Hindus and Christians convert to Islam by free will and not all conversions are forced.
Shruthi Nadig, a 22-year-old engineer also from Bangalore, however, disagreed. She refused to accept that girls could be so gullible:
If you're asking my personal opinion, I would definitely disagree. Considering the fact that I am an independent person aware of the stuff happening around me, I don’t think i could be lured, I believe I am not that naïve. But sometimes you fail to notice a person's real intentions, mostly because the time you spend with this person is too long and you believe in this relationship for the way it has turned out so far. So, I guess it's possible depending on the seriousness of the relationship.
Mohammad Aaqib Jameel, an employee at Tata Consultancy Services in Bangalore, felt that jihad was a pious term in Islam, and using it for such trivial purposes did not go down well with him:
Jihad is probably the most misunderstood term in today’s world. It’s saddening that parties use it for all such non-sense. I just don’t understand how just love would be sufficient to convert a person’s religion, something they have followed from their childhood!
Even as the nation debates the reality of this phenomenon, some Hindu right-wing organizations have started a campaign called “Love Trishul” —  “to save young Hindu girls trapped in the clutches of ‘Love Jihad'”. Some other communities have gone to the extreme of preventing young girls from using cellphones in order to “protect” them from ‘Love Jihad’. Religion aside, this has sparked a debate around gender and personal freedom.
R. Jagannathan (@TheJaggi), editor at Firstpost & Firstbiz, reacted to this news:
@radharaju18 The problem with Love Jihad is, even if partly true, accepting it will result in further curbs on Hindu women Not worth it.
— R Jagannathan (@TheJaggi) September 23, 2014
Only time will tell what the reality of ‘Love Jihad’ is. For now, one thing is for sure: ‘Love Jihad’ could fan communal tensions in a diverse India, as it already seems to have polarized its population.

author: Nickhil Sharma


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Pro-Democracy Protesters Have Turned Central Hong Kong Into a Colorful Sea of Umbrellas · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Protesters use umbrellas to shield themselves tear gas. Photo taken by PH Yang.
Can an umbrella be used as a tool to fight for democracy? Absolutely. In Hong Kong, peaceful demonstrators demanding genuine democratic elections are using umbrellas to shield themselves from pepper spray and tear gas and to to keep them from getting wet if the police deploys water cannons.
A striking image taken during the massive sit-in near government headquarters on September 28 showed crowds upon crowds of protesters holding umbrellas in a variety of colors, contrasting sharply with the police's riot gear.
Carol Chan designed the poster for the “umbrella movement” in Hong Kong. It said “Taiwan has sun flower movement, Hong Kong has sunshade movement”.
Foreign media have dubbed the peaceful protest the “umbrella revolution”. The Facebook group “Hong Kong Democracy Now” rectified the title to “Umbrella Movement” and wrote a explanatory note on it:
Foreign media has titled this movement the “Umbrella Revolution.” This is hardly a revolution. “Umbrella Movement” is a more suitable title in this context.
The only “weapons” we have, at most, are the umbrellas we always carry in our bags for the unpredictable weather. Hongkongers wish for nothing but stability. However, as much as we cannot see through the cloudy skies, we do not wish to be stormed upon.
“Umbrella Movement” represents a mellow but determined campaign: In the face of gale and storm, we will never back down!
The sit-in, called Occupy Central, demands that Beijing withdraw the framework it has imposed on the election of Hong Kong's top leader, called the chief executive, which requires those who want to run for the office to get majority support from a nominating committee stacked with pro-Beijing (and therefore pro-Chinese Communist Party) members. The sit-in protests spread from the financial district in Admiralty to the commercial district in Causeway Bay and Mongkok. Traffic in Hong Kong Island has remained paralyzed throughout the day of September 29.
Beijing mouthpiece Global Times ran an opinion piece on Occupy Central, which began on September 28, accusing the movement of ruining Hong Kong's image. Are umbrellas really more damaging to the city's image than armed police holding huge tear gas cannons?
Screen capture from local Television – TVB.
Follow our in-depth coverage: Hong Kong's Umbrella Revolution

author: Oiwan Lam


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New Document Leak Reveals Scope of Collaboration Between Moscow and Donetsk  · Global Voices
Aric Toler

Image mixed by Kevin Rothrock.
Anonymous Ukrainian hackers have leaked a cache of documents revealing the interactions between separatists in eastern Ukrainian and a Russian far-right political party. Among the seemingly endless bureaucratic documents, a few hidden gems reveal plans for a fuel delivery network between Russia and the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DNR), as well as an elaborate political campaign.
On September 23, a group of Ukrainian hackers claimed to have stolen a large cache of files (nearly 2.4-gigabytes-worth) from the servers of the far-right Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR), headed by the notorious Vladimir Zhirinovsky. On September 26, someone leaked 11 files from the cache on the ex.ua torrent tracker. The data spread from there.
This is just a fraction of the hundreds of files leaked by anonymous hackers who allege these came from a server belonging to LDPR. Screenshot by Aric Toler.
Neither the DNR nor LDPR has commented on the information leak, but even a cursory glance at the documents suggests that they're genuine. Unsurprisingly, most of the leaked files are incredibly mundane: scans of officials’ passports, receipts, records of TV ad purchases—but there are at least 19 files that concern the Donetsk rebels directly. These documents offer fascinating insights into the relationship between the Russian Far Right and the separatists now active in eastern Ukraine.
Here are just a few items RuNet Echo has turned up, while investigating the data leak. (A note to readers: no, that last item isn't a joke.)
Ukrainian media outlets say Pushilin’s scanned passport is a smoking gun—proof that Russia is working with the separatists. The image, however, is only circumstantial evidence. A scanned passport photo doesn't necessarily prove anything, though a reverse Google image search reveals that the image taken from the LDPR servers did not appear online until two days ago.
The memo about a top-secret fuel delivery to the rebels, on the other hand, suggests the collaboration between Moscow and Donetsk is on a larger scale than either side lets on.
According to the leaked memo, Russia and the DNR agreed to prices and transit routes for diesel fuel deliveries as early as August 20. A report dated September 4 indicates that the transaction was completed “at the highest levels” in Moscow. The memo isn't addressed to anyone in LDPR, however, so it's impossible to say to what degree the party was actually involved in Russia's fuel negotiations with the Donetsk separatists.
от «20» августа 2014 г. Совершенно секретно
По состоянию на 20.08.2014 г. мы имеем все необходимые договоренности, чтобы осуществить импорт дизельного топлива на территорию Донецкой Народной Республики с территории Российской Федерации.
Механизм осуществления импорта будет проходить по такой схеме:
1. Группа лиц имеющая на руках необходимую сумму в российских рублях, должна прибыть в г. Новошахтинск, для взаиморасчета с поставщиками ДТ. В присутствии этой группы купленный объем ДТ будет слит в схему скрытых и хорошо законспирированных подземных коммуникаций, которые проходят под границе Украины и РФ.
August 20, 2014. Top secret
As of 8/20/2014, we have all of the necessary arrangements to carry out the import of diesel fuel from the territory of the Russian Federation to the territory of the Donetsk People’s Republic.
The import procedure will occur according to the following plan:
1) A group of individuals, having on hand the necessary amount in Russian rubles, is to arrive in the city of Novoshakhtinsk for settlement of accounts with the suppliers of diesel fuel. In the presence of this group, the purchased quantity of diesel fuel will be emptied into the system of hidden and well-concealed underground pipelines, which passes underneath the border between Ukraine and Russia.
The leaked data also includes a proposed plan (which apparently never got off the ground) to create a viral political campaign to be juxtaposed against the wildly popular campaign of Darth Vader for mayor in Kyiv and Odessa. In the proposed “Political Project Buratino,” someone (likely an LDPR official) explains a plan to create a viral campaign for Buratino, a beloved character from a fairy tale by Aleksey Tolstoy loosely based on the Italian novel The Adventures of Pinocchio.
According to the plan, one of the most effective ways to generate interest—and potentially curry political favor—is through humor (as the Darth Vader campaigns demonstrated). The Buratino campaign was supposed to appeal to the “against-all” electorate, offering them a comical, fictional candidate to support in protest against the real contenders. This scheme gave rise to Buratino.
Дарт-Вейдер на прошлых выборах позиционировал себя как представитель – темной стороны силы. Буратино же, займет – светлую сторону. Таким образом, эти два персонажа, столкнутся в политической битве в своем – «стебном» сегменте. […] Буратино, как и Дарт-Вейдер будут вести предвыборную гонку используя лозунги и агитационную риторику «на грани фола». […] голосуя, за шуточного кандидата, электорат мстит всем надоевшим депутатам и власти, но подсознательно надеется, что хоть и шуточная, но приближенная к реальности программа и лозунги могут быть реализованы Буратино в случае прохождения в парламент.
In the previous elections, Darth Vader positioned himself as a representative of the dark side of the force. Buratino will work the same way—but from the side of the light. Thus, these two characters will face off in political battle in their own, “ironic” segment. […] Buratino, just like Darth Vader, will conduct his political race by using slogans and propagandizing rhetoric just on the verge of taking things almost “too far”. […] voting for the comic candidate, the electorate will take revenge against all of the boring deputies and authorities, but subconsciously hope that, even though it’s all a joke, the programs and slogans are realistic enough to be implemented by Buratino in the event of his winning a seat in parliament.
The political technologists responsible for this Pinocchio-inspired plot hoped to field a puppet candidate by exploiting a loophole in Ukrainian election law.
В случае принятия на этой неделе закона о система выборов с мажоритарными округами, кандидат в депутаты – Буратино (фамилия и имя меняются в паспортном столе, как это было с Дартом Алексеевичем Вейдером) выставляется на один из мажоритарных округов с большой плотностью студенческого электората.
In the event of the adoption this week of the law on the system of elections with majority districts, the parliamentary candidate Buratino (the first and last name would be changed in the passport office, as it was with Darth Alekseevich Vader) will be nominated into one of the majority districts with a high density of students in the electorate.
Looking at these documents, how certain can we be that they honestly belong to LDPR? There are at least three reasons this data leak is legitimate.
The first and most convincing reason is that most of the leaked information directly relates to LDPR or its officials. If someone falsified these documents, it was nothing short of a Herculean effort, as many of these items date back years. In fact, some of the information found in the leak contains bank-transaction records and internal memos that were never available to the public.
Second, it is already public knowledge that LDPR provides material support to the separatists. On May 6, LDPR leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky sent a “Tiger” jeep to separatists in Luhansk, and on July 11 Denis Pushilin met publicly with Zhirinovsky in Moscow.
Finally, there are no bombshell documents in this collection. There are a few scans that lead us to believe LDPR and the separatists are closer than many once thought, but a conscious effort to incriminate either the DNR or LDPR would likely have called for uncovering, or fabricating if necessary, something quite incendiary. Instead, we're treated to reams of bureaucratic paperwork and a smattering of political campaign strategy. It's hard to believe that someone went to the effort to falsify 2.4 gigabytes of LDPR archival records.

author: Aric Toler


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Taiwanese See in Hong Kong’s Pro-Democracy Protests What a Future With China Might Be Like  · Global Voices
I-fan Lin

The supporters from the Black Island Youth.’ Photo by the Black Island Youth. CC BY-NC 2.0.
If Beijing had its way, the democratic island of Taiwan would be reunified with mainland China under the same political set-up known as “one country, two systems” that gives Hong Kong a certain amount of autonomy from the central government (or at least is supposed to).
But as thousands continue to protest in Hong Kong for genuine democratic elections and are met with tear gas and pepper spray, some Taiwanese think the “one country, two systems” idea has failed and the autonomy “enjoyed” by Hong Kong is a sham.
Taiwanese student activists expressed their support to Hong Kong students’ class boycott on 22 September 2014 in the hopes of raising awareness in Taiwan of Beijing's manipulation of Hong Kong's election reform.
In response to the violent clashes between the student protesters and the Hong Kong police on 27 September and the debut of a massive sit-in dubbed Occupy Central the following day, more than a thousand people gathered in the Freedom Square in Taiwan to express their solidarity with Hong Kong protesters.
Beijing will allow former British colony Hong Kong a direct vote for its next top leader, but requires candidates to receive majority support from a largely pro-Beijing nominating committee before being put on the ballot. Protesters argue that this election framework, presented by the Standing Committee of the National Congress of People Committee, goes against the universal suffrage that Hong Kong was promised.
Black Island Youth, an activist group active in the Sunflower Movement in Taiwan explained why they support the protest in Hong Kong in their Facebook page:
黑色島國青年陣線過去一年來，在臺灣反對同樣罔顧人民聲音的中國國民黨，並抵抗其背後日益鮮明的「中國因素」。我們對於香港青年在香港抵抗中國共產黨的勇氣與努力非常敬佩。
The Black Island Youth has protested against the [pro-unification ruling party] Kuomintang, which keeps ignoring Taiwanese citizens’ voices, and has resisted the ‘China factor’, which has more and more influence over the Kuomintang. As a result, we highly respect the courage and effort of the young people in Hong Kong shown in your protest against the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Beijing rejects Taiwan's independence and considers the island a wayward territory.
A Taiwanese blogger, shophist4ever, pointed out that the election framework imposed on Hong Kong by Beijing reflected the failure of “one country, two systems”:
其實中國政府可以不用作的這麼難看，畢竟一國兩制有示範給台灣看的目的存在。結果現在中國端出來的所謂「政改框架」，根本就是由北京來欽定特首的設計，真正看過民主國家普選制度的人，一定是無法接受的。
The Chinese government does not need to make things so ugly. The ‘one country, two systems’ in Hong Kong is also a demo for Taiwan. However, the so-called ‘electoral reform framework’ proposed by China's government is actually designed for a [Hong Kong] chief executive selected by Beijing. For a person who has seen a real election in a democratic country, they will not accept this proposal.
Kuo-Chang Huang, one of the leaders of the Sunflower Movement, which occupied Taiwan's legislative building for three weeks to protest a secretly negotiated trade deal with China, pointed out that the Chinese Communist Party's infiltration in Hong Kong has eroded the rule of law in the city and warned Taiwan not to follow in Hong Kong's footsteps:
如果你要看中共滲透一個社會的方式，你去看香港。他們已經到讓人難以理解的程度，本來香港不該容許這種事，以前英國殖民時，香港沒有民主，但有法治；但現在香港法治的實際實踐，會讓你覺得香港沒有民主，連法制也逐漸在流失當中。
If you want to observe how the CCP infiltrates a society, you should observe Hong Kong. Things have been changed to an extent that is difficult to be understood. Such things should not be tolerated in Hong Kong. When Hong Kong was governed by Britain, there was no democracy, but there was legal system. Now based on the practice of legal institutions in Hong Kong, you may feel that there is no democracy, and its legal system is degraded.
香港之前一國兩制、選特首、五十年不變的承諾，中國可以說翻臉就翻臉，他當然知道這樣翻臉有政治代價，你就是說話不算話的政權，自己作的承諾都可以公然毀棄，但他為何敢做？因為香港已經是中國的囊中物了，我已經把你放在口袋裡了－－香港人，你們放棄反抗，我已經把你緊緊握在手上，你奈我何？
The CCP promised Hong Kong ‘one country, two systems,’ the right to elect their chief executive, and no change in 50 years. Nevertheless, the CCP changed their mind overnight. The CCP surely knows the political cost of their treachery—it becomes a deceitful party that publicly breaks its promise. Why does the CCP dare to do it? Because Hong Kong is in the pocket of China—Hong Kongers, you are in my pocket. Give up your resistance. Since you are in my hand, what can you do?
從中國角度來看是這樣的，對台灣也一樣，中共希望台灣在經濟上不斷依存中國市場，這樣他就可以慢慢把台灣收入口袋中，之後在政治上，他有太多籌碼，讓台灣人認知現實，「你已經逃不出我的手掌心，你還要跟我談什麼？」這是兩岸關係的最後結果，是把台灣慢慢配合中共統戰策略、放到中共口袋中
From the point of view of China, Taiwan is in the same position as Hong Kong. The CCP plans to make Taiwan economically rely on the market in China so that it can put Taiwan in its pocket slowly. Afterwards, the CCP will have a lot of chips in the political negotiation. The CCP will let Taiwanese see the reality. ‘You cannot escape from my hand, so what do you want to negotiate with me?’ The end game of the cross-strait relationship is to unify Taiwan and put Taiwan in the CCP’s pocket.
The supporters in the Freedom Square.’ Photo by the United Social Press. CC BY-NC 2.0.
Nevertheless, the protests in Hong Kong have inspired Taiwanese activists. A retired professor, Chin-Hsing Liu, talked about what he observed in his trip to Hong Kong this June when an unofficial referendum on voting rights, which earned hundreds of thousands of signatures, was taking place:
這次香港行，給我很大的震撼，過去我以為香港既已回歸，土地相連，人民都自認是中國人，怎麼可能脫離「祖國」的魔掌？[…]我錯了。已經孵化的小雞，不可能再塞回蛋殼去。曾經擁有自由的人，也不會放棄自由的。香港的民主運動起步雖遲，卻方向堅定，力道十足。
This trip to Hong Kong was a big shock to me. Previously I thought since the sovereignty of Hong Kong has been transferred to China, Hong Kong is geologically connected to China, and Hong Kongers used to consider themselves as Chinese, how can they escape from the hand of China? […] I was wrong. You cannot force a chicken back into an egg. A person who used to have freedom will not give up freedom. Although the democracy movement in Hong Kong started late, they have a firm direction and full power.

author: I-fan Lin


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Telling Puerto Rican Stories on the Web · Global Voices
Ángel Carrión

Esta Vida Boricua [This Boricua Life] is a digital storytelling project which explores the past and present of Puerto Rico through the collection of experiences of people from all walks of life and all ages. At its most basic level, it is “a place to share stories,” as explained in their “About” section. Elaborating on that thought, they write:
Thus, the stories herein are a journey. They offer splashes of color and texture, shades of shadow and light as well as fragments of shape and depth to the existing Puerto Rican mosaic. They unravel the stereotypes and biased images of Puerto Rico and Puerto Rican culture presented in the media and beyond. They speak of a generation of young people struggling under the uncertainty of colonialism —and a backlash from the slow cultural genocide that has taken place since US occupation after the Spanish-American War and the advent of modernism.
The content, which can take the form of writing (in either Spanish or English), video or audio recordings, is entirely produced by volunteers, most of whom are students from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, on the western coast of the main island. Poets, musicians and writers are also welcome to contribute original content.

author: Ángel Carrión


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How to Go Trainspotting in China Without Being Charged With Espionage · Global Voices
Nevin Thompson

If you go trainspotting in China you have to be careful, or you may be charged with industrial espionage, according to prolific trainspotter and YouTube vlogger RailKingJP.
This is because in China, unlike in Japan, hunting down trains in order to take and share pictures and videos online, is not a widely known hobby. However, China, with its still-working steam trains, is an irresistible destination for Japanese rail enthusiasts.
To help them out, RailKingJP annotes his adventures in China with tips and tricks for tracking down trains and staying on the right side of the law (many of his YouTube videos have English captions):
Besides explaining how not to appear suspicious, RailKingJP also explains how trainspotters can find a hotel room in China, in this case in Chengdu.
The challenge? Finding a hotel room with a working Internet connection that also is permitted to accept foreigners.
He documents his encounter with a roadside tout:
The lesson for trainspotters? Make sure your hotel has an Internet connection, and don’t be afraid top check the room out before parting with your money.
Another video documents his attempts to see steam locomotives dump fly ash from a power plant. Apparently the “mushroom cloud” is quite something to see:
On his trips to China, RailKingJP often goes to great extremes to get the perfect shot. In this video, he awakens early and walks in the dark to find a spot to observe the Shinbanxi narrow-gauge railroad. His video provides a unique glimpse into rural Chinese culture and transportation:
Essentially, if you like trains, RailKingJP has uploaded some fantastic footage, such as this video pairing steam locomotives with China’s state-of-the-art high-speed rail line:
RailKingJP appears to be based near Tokyo. He travels a lot on business, and manages to fit in trainspotting wherever he goes. So, RailKingJP has also posted dozens of videos of Japanese trains (although not all of them have English captions).
In some of his Japanese videos, he provides useful advice that helps trainspotters up their game when attempting to photograph their favorite train.
For example, here is, according to RailKingJP, one of the best spots to watch the Shinkansen bullet train (for railfans and photographers, the bullet train presents special challenges because its elevated tracks essentially hide the train except for a few spots):
In this video, RailKingJP demonstrates a useful wireless gadget he bought in Akihabara that lets trainspotters know when a train is approaching:
Like many trainspotters, RailKingJP is driven to track down and document rare trains, often from “classic” trainspotting locations around Japan. He also has uploaded a few videos in a classic format of the genre called ‘front view” (前面展望, zenmen toubou). “Front view” uploads by railfans are the perfect way to explore Japan's rail system via YouTube.
Here is RailKingJP's recent trip from Shinjuku in Tokyo to the hot spring resort of Hakone, as seen from the front window of the beautiful Odakyu Romance Car:

author: Nevin Thompson


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6 English-Language Blogs to Help You Better Understand Japan · Global Voices
Nevin Thompson

Photo by Flickr user Taro Yamamoto. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Compared to a decade ago, before Facebook, Twitter and other social media took over, there aren't as many Japan blogs are there used to be.
A few gems still remain. If you're interested in developing a more in-depth understanding of Japan, these blogs, many written by expert expats, are a great place to start.
More than a blog, Shingetsu is an independent news agency that has frequent updates and analysis about current events in Japan. Headed by journalist Michael Penn, a frequent contributor to Al-Jazeera, the SNA Twitter feed is a good way to stay on top of breaking news in Japan.
If you want to truly get a good understanding of Japanese politics, Shisaku is a good place to start.
Written by scholar and commentator Michael Cucek, a resident of the Tokyo Metropolitan District since 1994, the Shisaku blog tries to identify the personalities and factions that power Japanese politics, and often provides an informed, sardonic take on current events.
A great place to start is this blog post describing the absurdities behind Japan's pro-whaling stance.
Taking up where the late, great (and now-banned) Tokyo Confidential left off, Tokyo Reporter provides a regular round-up of the sleazy, sensational stories of Japan's tawdry weekly tabloids.
Filled with a lot of sex, and a little bit of violence, this sometimes-NSFW blog also has interesting stories otherwise missed by foreign media reporting on Japan, such as the man inside the Godzilla costume.
Run by Jake Adelstein, an investigative reporter who covered the Tokyo crime beat for Japanese-language dailies, Japan Subculture Research is where you want to go to get the latest gossip and insider notes on the mafia, vice, corrupt politics and the “dark side of the Rising Sun.”
Adelstein's book Tokyo Vice is well worth-reading, with rumors it will soon be made into a motion picture.
A rising star in Japan's English-language blogosphere, Tofugu features beautiful design and compelling commentary about Japanese pop culture.
One of the more interesting Tofugu stories recently is a follow-up interview with YouTube and social media sensation Medama-sensei.
Now studying in a Zen monastery, Medama-sensei sparked equal parts praise and condemnation for his YouTube expose of discrimination during his sojourn as a high school English teacher in Okinawa.
In the world of Japan blogs, this influential site has been around for a long time. What Japan Thinks investigates and translates how Japanese people respond to opinion polls and surveys. If you like data, this blog is for you.
Have an addition to this list? Let us know in the comments!


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Exit Hamid Karzai, Afghan Legend · Global Voices
Samea Shanori

A depiction of Hamid Karzai by Thierry Ehrmann. Sourced from Flickr, labelled for reuse.
When national unity is at stake, Afghans can be a forgiving bunch. Having criticized and regretted ex-President Hamid Karzai and his inner circle for the last thirteen years, many citizens had misty eyes as he formally left the domestic political scene.
Karzai — whose rule was famous for sky high corruption and political intrigue — stepped down as head of the Afghan government September 29 and handed his mandate over to President Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, marking the first democratic transition of power in Afghanistan since the Taliban was overthrown in 2001. President Ghani was sworn in as the new president of Afghanistan with his rival Abdullah Abdullah ascending to the newly created role of Chief Executive.
Karzai addressing diplomats during his last days in office. Image taken from ARG official Facebook page (9/27/2014)
While the beginning of a new presidency after a bitter electoral contest between Ghani and Abdullah is a moment of extreme relief for society at large, feelings about Karzai's departure from the presidential palace were inevitably mixed. As Helena Malikyar, an Afghan historian noted, it was a “bitter-sweet day for most Afghans.”
Undoubtedly, Hamid Karzai will be missed by many. He was crafty and charismatic, blunt in his approach towards his western allies, and strangely suited to the art of governing a country in chaos.
Despite his mistakes, he will be remembered and respected. Hashmat Ghani, President Ghani's brother, tweeted:
We criticized Mr. Karzai and fought with him every step of the way over national issues but now as a friend he will have nothing but respect
— Hashmat Ghani (@GhaniHashmat) September 29, 2014
In a TOLO News op-ed piece “Karzai's Imperfect Legacy”, journalist Mariam Awizha Hotaki wrote:
With all our faults, we are a democracy in the making. And we have to give president Karzai credit for that.
Janan Mosazai, the Afghan Ambassador to Pakistan, quoted Afghanistan's new leader Ashraf Ghani:
President #AshrafGhani: Today we've institutionalized the Constitution & peaceful transfer of power, for which credit goes to Pres #Karzai.
— Janan Mosazai (@JananMosazai) September 29, 2014
Ramin Anwari highlighted the fact that the former president will be missed for his good and bad sides.
Big round of applauds in the hall, as #Karzai enters the inauguration ceremony. He'll be remembered for so many good and bad. #Afghanistan
— Ramin Anwari (@raminanwari) September 29, 2014
Samira Hamidi's tweet contained a similar message:
Historic moment:President #Karzai goodbye event with #gov employees-Despite all my criticism on him I will miss him! pic.twitter.com/wBURZM6Z3U
— Samira Hamidi (@HuriaSamira) September 23, 2014
Typically, Karzai managed to make Ghani's big moment all about him. Arif Ammar observed that people were more interested in Karzai leaving the Arg (palace and house of government) than Ghani entering it.
Eyes are more stared on leaving of Prez. #Karzai from Arg rather than entering the new president-elect!
— Arif Ammar (@Arif123ammar) September 27, 2014
For all his flaws, Karzai's skill as a political operator was never in doubt:
Honestly, I'm gonna be missing Karzai. He was helluva politician. A real one. (I do remember his mistakes too. Don't remind me please).
— Mustafa Kazemi (@combatjourno) September 29, 2014
But Karzai's greatest gift to the Afghan people is his departure. Some believe that without him Afghanistan might never have seen a peaceful transition of power:
Long live the outgoing president Hamid Karzai for making this historic transfer of power possible. #Afghanistan #AfghanElections
— Spogmay Waziri Kakar (@Spogmayy) September 29, 2014
Sentiment was everywhere as Ghani took office:
Never felt emotional during #AfghanElections until I saw Karzai forcing Ghani into his office chair. Never felt more proud either.
— Hameed Shuja (@hameedshuja) September 29, 2014
While Karzai's policies were the target of criticism both at home and abroad, his supporters such as Masood Shneezai believe that his thirteen years in charge have cemented his place in Afghan history forever.
People talk about President #Karzai‘s legacy these days. Let me tell you he doesn't have a legacy – he has legacies, he is a legend. #AFG
— Masood Shneezai (@MrWardak) September 28, 2014
Manoochehr Tahirian, referring to a book written by Bette Dam called A Man and a Motorcycle: How Hamid Karzai Came to Power could not hide his sadness:
it's time to say good by for #A_Man_and_a_Motorcycle. but it's really depressing :( #president #Karzai @AFG
— Manoochehr tahirian (@mtahirian) September 23, 2014
Yet as Karzai departs the Arg, he has left Ghani and his unformed government many challenges to resolve: a stunted economy, poor security, an irascible Taliban and the unsigned Bilateral Security Agreement with the United States, to name a few.
In his first address to the nation, Ghani asked the Afghan people to hold him accountable when he makes mistakes. He also emphasized:
politics will no longer be an instrument of instability, but of improvement.
That might be difficult for many Afghans to believe at the moment, but after months of tension following a disputed vote, democracy seems to be back on the agenda in the country. As for Karzai, few expect him to quietly and happily fade into history.
After all, a true Afghan politician never really retires.

author: Samea Shanori


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Fears of a Tiananmen-Style Crackdown Swirl in Hong Kong as Pro-Democracy Protests Continue · Global Voices
inmediahk.net

Thousands of protesters light up Admiralty, a business and commercial district in the city center in the evening of September 29.
This round-up about the protests in Hong Kong demanding genuine democratic elections from the city's government and from Beijing was written by Oiwan Lam and originally published in Chinese on 29 September 2014 on citizen media platform inmediahk.net. It was translated by Stan Moon, a member of translator collective HKDemoNow on Facebook, and republished on Global Voices as part of a content-sharing agreement.
After witnessing Hong Kong police’s abusive use of tear gas to suppress pro-democracy peaceful demonstrators, more Hong Kong people have stood up and joined the sit-in in major commercial districts, including Admiralty, Causeway Bay and Mongkok. The city's transportation has been paralyzed for two days, but those affected have expressed their support for the protesters with a belief that a temporary inconvenience is far better than being ruled by a “bad chief executive” in future.
Chan Kin-man, one of the organizers of the massive sit-in, dubbed Occupy Central, believes that the only way to resolve the current crisis is the resignation of Hong Kong's top leader, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying. It is necessary for the political reform process to start anew, Chan stressed in a press conference. Pan-democratic lawmakers also pressed the Chairman of the Legislative Council Jasper Tsang to hold a special meeting to impeach the chief executive.
In the aftermath of the violent crackdown, Fanny Law, a member of the Executive Council, admitted on a radio program that the police’s action has outraged the public and that they should explain their decision to the Executive Council.
Fear of a mini-Tiananmen Square crackdown
Another Executive Council member, Regina Ip, expressed her full support for the police’s operation during another radio talk show. She was confident that the police's decision was “based on assessment” with an intention to “bring about a deterrent effect.” In an earlier interview with the English-language newspaper South China Morning Post, she revealed that the government of Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China, was worried that a class boycott that has accompanied the protests would instigate a “mini-Tiananmen incident”, resulting in a bloody military crackdown just like what happened in Beijing during the 1989 pro-democracy protests there.
In the past few months, the idea of a repeat of the Tiananmen Square massacre has spread amongst both pro-establishment and opposition camps, especially after Chen Zuo-er, a Beijing official who is a high level consultant on Hong Kong and Macau affairs, claimed to employ “thunderbolt tactics” to clamp down Occupy Central protests. Reports and photos have also circulated showing that armored vehicles from the People’s Liberation Army (as China's military is called) have appeared in downtown streets late at night in the past months. On September 29, the Chinese Communist Party mouthpiece The Global Times ran an opinion piece proposing that the Hong Kong government seek the help of the mainland’s armed police to help end the “insurgency”.
Regina Ip's explanation revealed that the police crackdown had been authorized by the Hong Kong government to prevent military intervention from Beijing. While some pro-government politicians blamed the organizers of Occupy Central protests for setting the stage for the “mini Tiananmen Square crackdown”, they know that violent intervention comes from forces outside Hong Kong, but everyone is too afraid to name who is really behind the planning of this “Mini Tiananmen Square crackdown”.
Politics enter the classroom
After the Hong Kong Federation of Students and the Hong Kong Professional Teachers’ Union (HKPTU) launched class boycotts and teaching strikes, almost all the tertiary institutions had class boycott assemblies on September 29. More than a dozen secondary schools responded by holding student assemblies on campus, which students documented with photos uploaded to social media. (inmediahk.net has collected a set of secondary school class boycott and school assembly photos on Facebook.)
The Hong Kong Chinese Women's Club College has always been known as conservative with strict school rules. Although the students did not have class boycott today, they wore black T-Shirts while holding rallies to raise the awareness of the students in the playground during class break, recess and lunch break. Photo submitted by student to inmediahk.net's Facebook.
The Department of Education issued a statement expressing regret over HKPTU’s call for a strike; the pro-Beijing Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers (HKFEW) urged teachers to stick to their duties and avoid politicizing the campus.
Some high schools with pro-Beijing management took action to stop students from holding assemblies in open areas. For example, the Wong Cho Bau Secondary School, a school directly under the HKPTU, prohibited the students from entering the snack bar and the school playground. The news about the school repression spread quickly through social media and some graduates decided to go back to school and show their support for the junior students outside the school gate. The repression inside the school campus has successfully brought politics into the classroom.
Occupy Central protests spread to other districts
Connaught Road, Yee Wo Street, and Nathan Road in Mongkok had been occupied for more than 48 hours by September 30. New participants continually arrived at the sites to take part in the sit-in action. Inmediahk.net's reporter interviewed a night-shift security guard who joined the Mongkok Occupation on 29 September after he finished his night duty. He indignantly stated: “I also carry a gun, but I will never point it to people!” Some students have chosen to return to the protest zones after class, with a belief that “You can't kill us all!” — a slogan which has been used frequently in recent protests.
Follow our in-depth coverage: Hong Kong's Umbrella Revolution


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Gay Rights in Trinidad & Tobago Once Again Out of Reach as Prime Minister Backpedals · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Photo of the front page of the Trinidad Guardian by FREEPRIDE. Used under a CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 license.
Trinidad and Tobago's Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar struck a sour note with citizens last week when, after making the feature address at the Trinidad and Tobago Investment Conference in New York, she told the media that her government would not seek to decriminalise homosexuality as “it would not be prudent […] to proceed in that direction at this time”.
Persad-Bissessar cited the draft National Gender Policy, explaining that feedback on the document was still “very divided”. Her position comes despite her promise, back in 2012, to end discrimination against the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community via the very same gender policy. Two years later, it seems that equal rights is no longer a priority of her government.
In Trinidad and Tobago, Section 13 of the Sexual Offences Act (1986), criminalises “buggery”. If anal sex is carried out between adults, the imprisonment term can be as much as 25 years. While the law is not generally enforced, the fact that it remains on the books means that it theoretically can be. Religious fervour contributes to the general lack of social tolerance.
To underscore the point of the prime minister's reneging on her promise, the Trinidad Guardian newspaper published portions of a letter which she sent to Lance Price, founder of The Kaleidoscope Trust, a UK-based non-profit that advocates for gay rights worldwide. Her 2012 correspondence was in reply to Price's concerns about the way in which Trinidad and Tobago's Immigration Act and Sexual Offences Act were discriminatory against the LGBT community. Persad-Bissessar wrote:
I wish to assure you that due consideration is being given to these issues by my Government.
I do not support discrimination in any form against any individual, regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation.
I share your view that the stigmatisation of homosexuality in T&T is a matter which must be addressed on the grounds of human rights and dignity to which every individual is entitled under international law.
I have mandated my Minister of Gender, Youth and Child Development […] to prepare and present a national gender policy to Cabinet over the coming months.
It is expected that once adopted, this policy will forge the way forward for T&T as my Government seeks to put an end to all discrimination based on gender or sexual orientation.
On Facebook, reaction was swift, with one user noting that when it came to equal rights, the prime minister passed the buck onto the citizenry, suggesting that the issue “may require a referendum to get the views of the people”, yet her government was more than happy to proceed with constitutional reform without public consensus.
Blogger and university lecturer Rhoda Bharath took issue with the prime minister's short memory, saying:
Remember the promise of the national gender policy?
Remember that Kamla promised to review gay rights?
Neither does Kamla….
Can't wait to have folks in Gender studies tell me about all the hard work they doing on the national gender agenda….
An interesting angle to the controversy was the reaction of the country's Roman Catholic Archbishop, who retaliated against the prime minister's blame game. Persad-Bissessar had pointed fingers at the church, saying that a “Roman Catholic group” was up in arms about the draft gender policy; Archbishop Joseph Harris called the accusation “untrue” and “reckless”, saying that it insinuated the Catholic Church was supportive of the discrimination against the LGBT community. The Archbishop maintained that the church was just one of several religious groups that had reservations about some aspects of the gender policy.
On Facebook, Vernon O'Reilly Ramesar quipped:
I dunno but when you have the Catholic church saying you are backward this country's politicians better start reassessing their policies. That's like the Taliban saying you are too conservative.
He also posted a photo quote from American TV host and political commentator Rachel Maddow saying, “But here's the thing about human rights. They're not actually supposed to be voted on. That's why they're called rights.” Ramesar added:
Can we get Rachel to fly down and explain this to T&T politicians? They really don't seem to grasp the concept.
Diaspora blogger Jumbie's Watch called the prime minister's stance “political cowardice”:
Obviously, with elections due next year, the PM is wary of her political survival, and is unwilling to tackle any contentious issue, including this one.
But, as a ‘senior counsel’, the PM ought to be aware that the laws against the LGBT community are illegal. Not might be, but actually are. Given that the Constitution is granting equal rights to all, those laws that ban homosexuality etc are ultra vires… Outside of the Constitution.
The blogger also noted, however, that “these laws have not been challenged by the LGBT community in court” — a point that Rhoda Bharath also picked up on. Her perception was that gays in Trinidad and Tobago are not very vocal about advocating for their own rights as a community. She asked on Facebook:
Is the gay community willing and ready to step up, step forward and lead a mature discussion sexuality, identity and what they want?
She added, in a comment on the thread:
Trinis are generally insensitive and naive about gender and sexuality issues. We inadvertently oppress people with our ideas of normal and acceptable when it comes to those areas. However, if the community wants to be taken seriously… Beyond the news cycle… It needs to seize the opportunity to start and sustain the discussion. No movement for human rights was won on the sidelines.
The local gay community might argue that it hasn't been on the sidelines. The executive director of the Coalition Advocating for Inclusion of Sexual Orientation (CAISO) criticised the prime minister's stance, saying that her “human rights by referendum” approach was an embarrassment to the nation. The timeline of CAISO's Facebook page is full of links and reader comments about the prime minister's faux pas. The page encourages people, whether gay or not, to “raise voice, raise children, raise funds and raise consciousness” so Trinidad and Tobago can become a more compassionate country when it comes to differences in sexual orientation and gender expression.
The gspott blog is also used as a means of disseminating information about any progress CAISO and other advocacy groups have made when it comes to LGBT equality as a human rights issue, putting the onus on changing the country's laws not just on the LGBT community but on others who value human rights.


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Peruvian Amazon Faces Cold Temperatures: Consequences of Climate Change · Global Voices
María Romina Mascareño

Image on flickr by usuario @Christianhold (CC BY 2.0).
Peruvian journalist and writer Paco Bardales, comments with other colleagues the waves of cold weather, or friajes, that recently affected usually hot Iquitos. These weather phenomena have gone from sporadic, as the group remembers from their childhood, to more frequent and longer lasting, so much that the state agency Meteorology and Hydrology Service (Senahmi, according to its name in Spanish) has decided to issue cold weather alerts for the cities located in Peruvian Amazonic regions. On the conversation, the group reflects that these frsots are due to climate change. Is this so? No doubt about it. Man has influenced in this change, and even Andean and Amazon communities are not to blame, they suffer from floodings, diseases, and all other consequence affecting their health and environment.
El impacto de la contaminación y los daños al ambiente sin duda han ido afectando las temperaturas. El Perú es considerado como uno de los países más vulnerables ante los impactos del cambio climático. Según estimaciones del MEF, los posibles daños económicos causados por este aspecto podrían llegar hasta los diez mil millones de dólares de aquí al año 2025.
The impact on contamination and damages to environment have undoubtedly been affecting temperatures. Peru is considered one of the most vulnerables countries to the impact of climate change. According to tne Ministry of Economy estimates, potential economic damages caused due to these changes could reach ten thousand million US dollars from now to year 2025.
National and international entites aim to create awareness and inform. One of the main actions are workshops about Conference of the Parties about about Climate Change (COP-20). And as Paco says:
La preocupación resulta importante, pues, al fin y al cabo, la Amazonía será fundamental en la mitigación del cambio climático. Ojalá no sea tarde para nosotros mismos.
Concern becomes important, as, after all, the Amazon region will be fundamental on mitigating climate change. Hopefully, it's not too late for ourselves.

author: María Romina Mascareño


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Pope Francis will Visit the “Ground Zero’ of Typhoon Haiyan Disaster in the Philippines · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The official logo and website related to the Philippine visit of Pope Francis in January 2015 have been unveiled already. Pope Francis will visit Manila and Tacloban. Tacloban is the “ground zero” of the Typhoon Haiyan disaster which claimed the lives of more than 6,000 people in the Eastern Visayas region. Aside from Timor Leste, the Philippine is the only Catholic-dominated nation in Asia.
Official logo for the papal visit to the Philippines in 2015


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Surviving Sierra Leone’s Three-Day Ebola Lockdown · Global Voices
Abdoulaye Bah

Ebola in Sierra Leone, West Africa, June 20, 2014, by Tommy Trenchard, Demotix.
When the government of Sierra Leone declared its intention to confine six million people to their homes for 72 hours, many criticized the measure as excessive or downright impossible. The international medical charity Medicine Without Borders warned that the measure could help spread the disease further, if it led to new cases being concealed.
The government, however, says the exercise was a success. During the lockdown, no one was allowed to leave their homes from September 19 to 21, to allow health workers and volunteers to go door-to-door educating people about the disease.
For those three days, nearly 30,000 volunteers helped educate families, hand out soap, and identify the infected and deceased. By the end of the lockdown, the government had collected mountains of data to use in the fight against this scourge. Officials estimate that more than a million households were surveyed and 130 new cases discovered.
Sierra Leone has recorded almost 600 deaths from Ebola, making it one of the worst-hit countries. The World Health Organisation (WHO) calculates that 3,083 fatalities of 6,553 total cases of infection have occurred in Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea.
Umaru Fofana, a journalist and free-speech advocate in Sierra Leone, posted the following message on Facebook describing the discovery of new Ebola cases:
BREAKING NEWS: The three-day nationwide Ebola lockdown recorded 130 confirmed cases of the disease with 39 test results being awaited. Stephen Gaojia says the first day recorded 22, second day 56 and final day 52 cases.
A couple of days before the confinement started, Sierra Leonean President Enerst Bai Koroma addressed the nation, asking every citizen to do their part to contain the disease, stressing how important it is to know how to avoid contaminating oneself and others.
The president pointed out that the disease that came from a neighboring country, infecting people engaged in activities like attending funerals, visiting hospitals, and caring for the sick.
Commenting on a heart-breaking photograph of a likely Ebola patient praying over her sick family members outside a treatment center, Albert Mackoty wrote:
What makes the Ebola virus so terrifying is not its kill rate, its exponential growth, the gruesome way in which it kills, the ease of transmission, or the threat of mutation, but rather that people who care can do almost nothing but sit on the sidelines and watch.
This is Finda, a suspected Ebola patient praying over her sick family members before being admitted to the Doctors Without Borders Ebola treatment center. As a parent what else can you do? This is heartwrenching.
Illiteracy, which stands at 35.1% in Sierra Leone, and certain cultural norms common in West Africa, such as washing, touching, and kissing the remains of the deceased, have exacerbated the Ebola problem in the region.
Writing on Facebook, Umaru Fofana gave an example of the disease's economic consequences in one town:
An entire town whose economy depends entirely on people who pass through it and stop by to buy fruits, veggies and tuber crops has been quarantined for 21 days. Moyamba Junction has suffered many Ebola-related deaths since a health worker was infected by a patient both of whom died. No vehicles are allowed to stop there nor anyone allowed to leave.
Apart from the fear and stigma associated with Ebola, there are also cases of violence committed against the sick. Isaac Osman Kargbo shared a message from Victor Sawyerr on the subject:
Being A Suspect Is Not A Death Sentence!!!I can’t help but shed tears as I saw suspected Ebola patients being treated with cruelty and violence. As it would happen, I came across three (3) different cases where suspects were maltreated and physically assaulted. Some of the security personnel at the various locations were loudly heard lambasting the suspects that it was their wicked ways that had caught up with them. The scenes were very pathetic and I couldn’t help myself but shed tears.
At this point I want to ask these questions:
i. Are Ebola patients now criminals?
ii. Are they not our families, friends and loved ones anymore?
iii. What crime have they committed?
iv. Do you know how many suspected cases have turned out to be negative?
There’s another account in the East End of Freetown where a health official molested a father whose child was dead and told him that it was Ebola that has killed his child and that he too should be prepared to die because he is also currently carrying the virus. Interestingly, all this happened at a time when the child’s cause of death has not yet been ascertained. These and many other issues linger in my mind as I continue to find the answers to them. I’m not saying that they should be touched and contacted bodily, but what I’m saying is that they should be counselled, as being a suspect is not a death sentence. These are some of the reasons why people refused to come out when they are ill
In an effort to combat discrimination against Ebola patients in Sierra Leone, Health and Sanitation Minister Dr. Abu Bakarr Fofanah declared a war against stigmatization and presented an aid package to five survivors being discharged from Connaught hospital. Each was sent home Le1,500,000 (about $340 USD), courtesy of the government, to assist with basic needs and discourage broader stigmatization.
Without citing the lockdown in Sierra Leone, the WHO is quoted in a French publication L'Express urging the states concerned by Ebola virus to take measures that are “proportionate and based on facts”. However, many observers consider this exercice as a success as it may had enabled health workers to contact three quarters of households and identify a lot of people who might have been infected.
On September 21, the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in the Health and Sanitation Ministry announced that it had achieved more than 75 percent of its outreach target, visiting roughly 1.5 million households across the country with educational materials about Ebola.
Similar mobilization exercises will continue in Sierra Leone's other hot spots. More recently, President Koroma announced that the Ebola lockdown will continue in the Port Loko and Bombali districts in the north, as well as the Moyamba district in the south, affecting 1.2 million people for a still-unspecified amount of time.
Follow our in-depth coverage: The Struggle to #StopEbola in West Africa

author: Abdoulaye Bah


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The First Edition of the Africa Web Festival Will Kick Off in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire   · Global Voices
Claire Ulrich

The first Africa Web Festival will take place in Abidjan, Côte D'Ivoire (November 24-26).  The festival will give the opportunity to any designers in Africa to participate in a contest (registrations are open until October 12)
Are you a journalist, a web developer, a web tv or podcast producer? Are you creative, innovative and have an idea or a project in mind? Join the first Web Africa Festival in one of the six competition categories: documentary, tourism, fiction, entertainment, education, advertising and tourism. The Africa Festival Web is a platform for exchanges between experts, web enthusiasts and novices from around the world, where the current state of the affairs in the field of web development will be discussed. It will also be the place to debate on the hopes and challenges of internet in Africa,  so that the continent can take its rightful place in the digital world.

author: Claire Ulrich


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Twitter Users Proclaim the Death of Indonesia’s Democracy as Lawmakers Scrap Direct Voting of Regional Assemblies · Global Voices
Juke Carolina

A stencil art by @nobodycorp rejecting indirect regional elections
In a move that has provoked public outrage, the Indonesian House of Representatives has voted to scrap direct elections of the head of regional assemblies, instead opting for the Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) to lead the selection process.
After the fall of authoritarian ruler Suharto in 1998, Indonesia has been struggling to become a fully democratic country. Suharto was Indonesia's president for more than three decades. The post-Suharto era was supposed to be the country's transition towards democracy, but it was continually hampered by those who sympathized with the “old ways”. Nevertheless, there were some reforms in governance like the direct election process, which was hailed for upholding transparency and promoting citizen participation in politics.
One of the leaders produced under this mechanism was Jokowi, a furniture entrepreneur who became mayor of Solo City, governor of Jakarta, and now president of Indonesia.
But regional lawmakers argued that direct election is costly. If Indonesia will revert back to DPRD election, they claimed that it will generate savings of up to 2.9 billion US dollars. What they forgot to mention is that this institution is also notorious for being a den of corruption. According to the government agency Corruption Eradication Committee (KPK), there are 3,600 regional house members who are currently linked to various corruption cases. KPK fears that the DPRD election will create a systematic corruption mechanism.
It was reported that direct elections won't be annulled in four special regions, namely Aceh, Jakarta, Yogyakarta, and Papua.
News of the legislative plenary debate and voting immediately enraged many citizens who are supportive of direct election mechanism. Since nearly all Indonesian provinces are rich in natural resources, selecting the right leaders who will be able to protect the interest of the population is deemed crucial by many.
There are also suspicions that the partymates of defeated presidential candidate Prabowo, who control the majority of seats in parliament, maneuvered to push the voting in favor of the bill. Prabowo has contested the results of the presidential elections.
Twitter users popularized the hashtags #RIPDemokrasi and #ShameOnYouSBY to express displeasure over the decision of the House and against outgoing President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY):
Mr @SBYudhoyono kills democracy on his way out. A tragic epilog of his 10-Year presidency. pic.twitter.com/g58JMEF3IE #ShameOnYouSBY
— ANDRE(opa)SUMUAL (@andreOPA) September 26, 2014
Indonesian people protest against indirect election is a good proof that there's no people's representative
— Gandrasta Bangko (@gandrasta) septiembre 26, 2014
When the plea of a sitting president and party leader is ignored by his own party members, what is he good for? #RIPDemokrasi
— Alice Budisatrijo (@alicebudi) September 26, 2014
Pagi yang sangat emosional, demokrasi di perkosa gaya gangbang #RIPDemokrasi
— GabrielBkk (@Gmontadaro) September 26, 2014
Such an emotional morning, democracy has been gangbanged.
Worldwide Trending Picture! pic.twitter.com/euPQ08HatP
— Triawan Munaf (@Triawan) September 28, 2014
My deepest condolences for the death of Indonesian Democracy and we all know who the killers are. @SBYudhoyono #ShameYouSBY #RIPDemokrasi
— Evan Stedy (@evanstedy) September 26, 2014
We are heading back to the past time era again. Welcome to the old Indonesia. #RIPDemokrasi #ShameOnYouSBY
— Brownies Kukus ✌ (@irfanyusnizar1) September 28, 2014
Facebook was also filled with protest messages against the House decision. Facebook user Bhimanto Suwastoyo appealed to voters to reject politicians who supported the scrapping of the direct election process:
THIS IS IT. Remember those lawmakers and parties voting for indirect elections and don't vote for them next time!
The matter will be forwarded to the Supreme Court for judicial review. Related to this, a petition was drafted urging the Supreme Court to annul the lawmakers’ decision.
Democratic Party politician Sutan Bhatoegana claimed that SBY requested for his party members to be “all out” in defending the people's right; however, the message was misunderstood as a command to “walk out” ahead of the vote counting. It was the walk out of members of the ruling party that swayed the vote in favor of the scrapping of direct elections.
Twiter user Idetopia poked fun at the party's choice to blame an autocorrect failure:
Hasil investigasi internal partai: yang salah Swiftkey, mau ngetik “all-out” jadi “walk-out.” :)
— Idetopia (@idetopia) September 29, 2014
(Democratic) Party's internal investigation: faulty Shiftkey, intended to type “all-out” but instead typed “walk-out”
Clarifying the allegation of misreading SBY's text, Democratic Party's Executive Director Syarief Hasan said there was no error in SBY's message.
Idetopia concludes:
Gak penting siapa yg salah dlm walkout itu. Kenyataannya, dia dan partainya sdh membuat demokrasi kita mundur 10 th.
— Idetopia (@idetopia) September 29, 2014
It didn't matter who triggered the walkout. The fact is that he (SBY) and his party has caused our democracy to revert 10 years (into the past).

author: Juke Carolina


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Will Trinidad & Tobago’s Government “Listen, Learn & Lead”? · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Blogger and public relations professional Dennise Demming is disillusioned with Trinidad and Tobago's Prime Minister, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who claims to “listen, learn and lead”, but then takes action to the contrary. Demming first cited the example of the country's recent Constitutional Amendment Bill, with which, “despite popular objection, the Government manoeuvred their way and got the Independent bench to support this unpopular change to the constitution.”
Now, she wonders why the government has not listened, learned and led when it comes to the Highway Re-Route Movement. Environmentalist Dr. Wayne Kublalsingh has undertaken a second hunger strike in protest over a portion of proposed highway that will displace a community and could also have a negative environmental impact. Amidst ongoing construction work on the highway, the Prime Minister has, thus far, refused to meet with Kublalsingh to discuss alternative routes. Demming says:
Re-routing the highway is a reasonable request by a credible group of activists which has come together under the leadership of the PM’s one time friend Dr. Wayne Khublalsingh.  I salute this man who is prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice in defence of the environment.  No matter how this hunger strike ends, his blood is staining the hands of each member of the PP [People's Partnership] Government.


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Bahrain’s Prominent Human Rights Activist Arrested for Criticizing Police Defectors Who Joined ISIS · Global Voices
Noor Mattar

Bahrain today arrested human rights defender Nabeel Rajab, seen in this photograph speaking at gathering in Bahrain in May 2012. Photograph by: Ahmed Al-Fardan. Copyright: Demotix
Bahrain has once again arrested the country's leading human rights defender Nabeel Rajab — for his tweets.
Rajab, who arrived in Bahrain last night after a whirlwind tour to present the country's deteriorating human rights situation to lawmakers in the UK and Europe, was summoned by authorities today for a tweet in which he alleged that Bahrain's security apparatus was an “incubator” for ISIS fighters.
Before the electronic crimes unit at the Criminal Investigation Department, Rajab was interrogated on charges of “insulting a public institution” over Twitter. He was then placed under arrest and detained, pending an appearance before the public prosecutor, scheduled to take place on October 2, 2014.
In May 2014, Rajab was released from prison after serving two years for taking part in protests and accused of “disturbing public order.” Massive protests rocked the tiny island kingdom, which neighbours Saudi Arabia, starting on February 14, 2011.  In 2012, the Bahraini government made illegal all forms of public rally and demonstration, citing concerns of national security and public unrest.
Rajab, who heads the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, which was dissolved by the government and declared an illegal entity, was previously sentenced to three months in prison in May 2012 over tweets he had published about the Ministry of Interior. The following month, in June 2012, Rajab was also handed a three-month sentence for different tweets he had written about the country's Prime Minister, who has been in power for 43 years. This sentence was later on overturned on appeal, when Rajab started serving the two-year term for taking part in illegal protests.
Earlier today, the Ministry of Interior announced:
The General Directorate of Anti-corruption and Economic and Electronic Security summoned Nabeel Ahmed Abdulrasool Rajab on Wednesday to interview him regarding Tweets posted on his Twitter account that denigrated government institutions.
Mr. Rajab acknowledged the charges and the case was referred to the Public Prosecutor.
The tweet in question here concerns a Global Voices article about ISIS‘s Bahraini recruits who appeared in a video threatening the ruling regime in Bahrain. While there is no figure to confirm the exact number of Bahrainis who have joined the ranks of the violent extremist organisation, which has occupied large areas of Iraq and Syria, killing countless of innocent people in its path, four Bahrainis from a family closely affiliated with the ruling regime appear in the footage. The video calls upon Bahrain's Sunni population to take up arms against the government, and the country's Shia population.
In response to the video, which featured Lieutenant Mohamed Isa Al-Binali, who had defected from the army, Rajab commented:
many #Bahrain men who joined #terrorism & #ISIS came from security institutions and those institutions were the first ideological incubator
— Nabeel Rajab (@NABEELRAJAB) September 28, 2014
This is the third time that Rajab, who commands 239K followers on Twitter, has been nabbed by authorities for his tweets.
Rajab has been very vocal in criticizing the expansion of ISIS's terrorist ideology after reports surfaced of Bahrainis joining the ranks of the group. He also criticized government officials who characterized the occupation of Mosul as a “popular revolution”. In this regard he tweeted:
مفتي #السعودية يعتبر داعش والقاعدة الخطر الأول على الإسلام لكن هناك سياسيون في #البحرين والخليج يعتبرون احتلال داعش للموصل ثورة شعبية
— Nabeel Rajab (@NABEELRAJAB) August 20, 2014
The highest cleric in Saudi describes ISIS and Al Qaeda as the greatest danger facing Islam, but there are politicians in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf who consider ISIS's occupation of Mosul a popular revolution
Rajab also tweeted that the attacks on ISIS should not be used as an excuse for the deteriorating human rights conditions in the Gulf countries:
international community has to watch how states like #Bahrain used war in #terrorism to target reformists and #HumanRights defenders #UK #US
— Nabeel Rajab (@NABEELRAJAB) September 30, 2014
Anticipating his arrest earlier today, Nabeel sent a tweet to his followers saying:
انني لن اتألم لو تم سجني او قتلي لكن سيؤلمني كثيرا لو ان أحد تنازل عن حقوق الناس أو انحنى للظالم وانكسر
— Nabeel Rajab (@NABEELRAJAB) October 1, 2014
I will feel no agony if I'm jailed or killed but I will suffer a lot if someone gave up on the rights of people or if anyone yielded to the tyrants
Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB), the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR), and the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD) have jointly expressed concern for Rajab and are calling for his release.

author: Noor Mattar