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Puerto Rico: Debate on Domestic Violence Continues · Global Voices
César Santiago

In Puerto Rico, the public debate on domestic violence has reached a boiling point.  A couple of blogs have been following up on Puerto Rico's Supreme Court's decision that victims of violence in adulterous relationships cannot be protected by Law 54 against Domestic Violence. And recently, the Court of Appeals of San Juan (the capital city) decided that another female victim of domestic violence could not receive the protection offered by Law 54 [es] because her relationship with the aggressor was allegedly only sexual.
The feminist coalition Movimiento Amplio de Mujeres de Puerto Rico [es] has been at the forefront in denouncing the recent attacks of a law (Law 54 of 1989 [es]) considered to be one of the most advanced pieces of legislation against domestic violence in Latin America.  Recently, the Movimiento Amplio also published a post asking the head of the Office of the Women's Advocate and the Legislature [es] to support the inclusion of all women, notwithstanding their sexual orientation, under the provisions of  Law 54. This was in response to a recently solved case where it was determined that a woman was murdered by her same sex partner.
A las personas y políticos que repiten los disparates de los fundamentalistas religiosos, les tenemos que aclarar que si dos personas del mismo sexo inician una relación sexo-afectiva, del tipo que sea, mantienen una relación de pareja tal y como la define la Ley 54… y si es así, tienen derecho a recibir la protección de esa ley cuando esa relación se torna en una violenta
In another post [es] the coalition condemns the decision once more and warns the people responsible that they will be judged harshly by history:
Aquellas personas que siguen pensando en destruir la Ley 54 a base de prejuicios moralistas o religiosos, serán juzgadas por la historia como lo que son: enemigos de la humanidad y de los derechos humanos de las mujeres.
The Movimiento Amplio convened, along with other organizations, a protest/performance during Holy Week in front of the Capitol to denounce the government's "religious fundamentalism." Photo courtesy MAMPR.
Photo courtesy of the MAMPR.
Law scholar and blogger Hiram Meléndez Juarbe published in the digital magazine 80 Grados [es] that the Supreme Court has been inconsistent in its decisions, contrasting their rulings on Law 7 (a law that authorized massive layoffs in government agencies), police escorts for ex-governors, and Law 54 [es]:
Entonces, la deferencia a las ramas políticas que figura prominentemente cuando se cuestiona la Ley 7, se desvanece cuando se cuestionan las escoltas (al punto de inventarse nuevos derechos económicos) y desaparece completamente cuando se enfrenta a la protección de víctimas en relaciones extramatrimoniales bajo el texto claro de la Ley 54.
Meléndez Juarbe  feels that the new conservative makeup of the Supreme Court explains these decisions and feels that the following description of the current United States’ Supreme Court given by Ronald Dworkin applies to Puerto Rico's:
It would be a mistake to suppose that this right-wing phalanx is guided in its zeal by some very conservative judicial or political ideology of principle. It seems guided by no judicial or political principle at all, but only by partisan, cultural, and perhaps religious allegiance. It urges judicial restraint and deference to legislatures when these bodies pass measures that political conservatives favor… But the right wing coalition abandons restraint when it strikes down legislation that conservatives oppose…Ronald Dworkin, The Supreme Court Phalanx 47-48 (2008)
Meléndez Juarbe adds:
Y es que, con este Tribunal, como señala Dworkin, cuando sea relevante, cuando la ideología económica, religiosa y política esté en juego, emergerán transparentemente esas visiones. Simple y sencillamente. Así es que debemos leer al Nuevo Tribunal Supremo.
*Firuzeh Shokooh Valle contributed to this post.

author: César Santiago


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Russia: “Navalny’s Nationalism” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

A Good Treaty went through the archives of Alexey Navalny's blog and other RuNet sources and wrote about this prominent Russian anti-corruption activist's nationalism.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Russia: Photos of Moscow, Circa 1931 · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

LJ-user nikolas11 shares [ru] rare photos of 1931′ Moscow made by Branson DeCou, XX century traveler and photographer. Hand-colored photos depict Russian capital 2 years after the “Great Turn” and before many Moscow churches had been destroyed by the Bolsheviks.

author: Alexey Sidorenko


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Russia: “Power of the Families,” Wikipedia of Nepotism · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

Marina Litvinovich, Global Voices contributing editor and profound investigative journalist, launches “Power of the Families,” [ru] a Wikipedia-like report on corruption and nepotism among the top-ranking Russian officials.


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Syria: The People Want to Overthrow the Regime · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011.
Syria is heating up this Friday, with news of fresh protests in many provinces, and more violence as the regime tries to crackdown on the unrest, which started on March 15.
From the ground, Razaniyat tweets:
Syrian tweep @Kinaniyat confirms the death of Mohammad Kahil few minutes ago in Homs. We will never forget our martyrs. #Syria #fb
Doha-based Abdurahman Warsame shares news from a wire service:
Reuters: at least 3 protesters are injured in #Duma, #Syria
And CNN's Arwa Damon reports:
#douma eyewitness: 3 dead, 7 wounded when anti-riot & secret police open fire on around 50,000 demonstrators #syria
Damon notes:
demonstrations erupt across #syria, many reports of gunfire being used in a number of cities & towns
And another tweet confirms Razaniyat's tip:
eyewitness #homs: 1 dead, shot in neck, 24 wounded when plainclothes police opened fire on demonstrators trying 2 reach clock square #syria
As footage of the protests is aired live on some television stations, Samar Dahmash Jarrah is beyond belief. She tweets:
The thought that i can switch on TV and see Syrians chanting Freedom Freedom by the 10's of thousands seemed illusive but not any more!
Al Jazeera's Cal Perry is on site. His time-line is dotted with tweets outlining today's action. He writes:
Thousands in #Banias calling for overthrow of government. Thousands also in #Deraa, chanting the same. #Syria
UAE tweep Sultan Al Qassemi continues:
Now: thousands of protesters in Baniyas shouting “Jazeera Jazeera” after the person with the mic told them a caller cursed the channel live
Dubai-based Iyad El-Baghdadi is also following today's developments in Syria closely. He tweets:
BTW, there are many news about protesters tearing down a statue of Hafez al Asad, here or there… #Syria
He further adds:
Keep in mind that it's not very difficult to come across a statue or picture of al-Asad in #Syria. They're everywhere.
And he continues:
Aljazeera Arabic is now airing live from Banias for the first time since the revolution. #Syria
On Twitter, Wissan Tarif, shares this video which he says is from:
Zabadani #Damascus suburb #Syria Demo statring in Al Jesr area old part of town video
The short clip, taken today, shows hundreds of protesters.
Videos of protesters killed today have also made it online. (GRAPHIC WARNING: Viewer discretion is advised) This video shows two victims, said to be killed in the suburbs of Damascus.
And this video, from Al Haska, shows what are thought to be government-backed thugs, attacking protesters:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6Xk7IWK-5A
And here is footage from Daraa, where protesters are calling for the overthrow of the regime:
Meanwhile, appeals for help and calls for doctors continue to be made. FreeSyria just tweeted:
El-Bar hospital in #Hama needs surgeons urgently #Syria
Stay tuned for more coverage from Syria.
This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Ukraine: Politicians As “Folklore Characters” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Good Girl Gone Ukrainian writes that by now many Ukrainians perceive the country's politicians as “some sort of folklore characters,” and offers examples of “jokes, user-generated videos and photo collages circulated on- and offline.”


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Yemen: Millions Protest on Last Chance Friday · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage Yemen Protests 2011.
Millions of protesters have reportedly thronged the squares of Sanaa and Taiz, calling for the end of Ali Abdulla Saleh's regime. Dubbed Last Chance Friday, protesters are keen to boot out Saleh, who has ruled Yemen for 32 years.
The whole week saw support pumped up for today's massive protests, which didn't fail the expectations of observers. Some estimates put those who took to the streets in protest against the regime at hundreds of thousands.
From Yemen, @al3ini shares this photograph which shows thousands of people in the capital Sanaa:
Millions at 60th Street in the capital Sanaa
He tweets:
Have a look! This is the last chance Friday in #Sanaa #YEMEN #YF http://t.co/d7KxNZA
In Dubai, Iyad El-Baghdadi adds:
Wow – Taiz protests in #Yemen are now “about a million” in size!
And Muna, from @ArabsUnite, shares this photograph of women protesters in Yemen and writes:
Sanaa's Women — Young and old out. #Yemen wants #Saleh to LEAVE http://twitpic.com/4o13ak
Journalist Iona Craig, who reports from Yemen, tweeted:
Protesters left Change Sq. for “Last chance Friday” prayers & took to 60m road, spreading for more than a mile: http://bit.ly/e7DfFE #yemen
And on her blog, she posts a selection of photographs from today and comments:
For the first time anti-government protesters left the tented sit-in for “Last chance Friday” prayers and took to the major six-lane highway of 60 meter road, spreading for more than a mile.
Down the road President Saleh once again addressed thousands of his supporters in the now regular rival protests in the capital.
And then comes news of casualties, as expected every time there are protests. Yemen Revolution tweets:
From Sanaa, alymene1 shares this video, from today's Friday prayers:
And on Twitter, Hamoud Saleh links to the same video and comments (Ar):
From Al Baida, in Yemen, Albaidanews shares this clip of Friday prayers, showing countless protesters today:
Meanwhile, egyps shares a video from Al Jazeera, from 70th Street in Sanaa, showing Saleh speaking to supporters there, welcoming a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) plan for a three-month transition of power. The plan gives Saleh, his family and aides, immunity from prosecution.
The GCC is made up of Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and the United Arab Emirates.
This post is part of our special coverage Yemen Protests 2011.


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Africa: How France Robs Africa · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

This is how France robs Africa: “It is the colonial pact that set up the common currency for the Francophone countries, the CFA franc, which demands that each of the 14 CFA member countries must deposit 65% (plus another 20% for financial liabilities, making the dizzying total of 85%) of their foreign exchange reserves in an “Operations Account” at the French Treasury in Paris.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Arab World: On Revolutions and Capitalism  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Screen shot of @_Capitalism_ Twitter page
For days, my tweeps have been retweeting thought nuggets from the Twitter account @_Capitalism_. Here, I will select a handful of reactions to the on-going Arab revolutions.
On April 6, Capitalism confesses:
I am capitalism and your intellectuals are well paid, well rewarded, well groomed to the point where the revolution disgusts them too.
On April 9, it admits:
I am capitalism and the Arab Revolutions are dangerous because they alter the common perception that hungry people can be fed rhetoric.
On April 13, Capitalism tweets:
The Arab Revolutions are dangerous because they have successfully integrated the populace and technology as an uncapitalist body.
The next day, it adds:
I am capitalism and the Arab Revolutions are dangerous because they are proving that there is more to life than capital accumulation.
On April 21, it explains:
The Arab Revolutions are dangerous because they prove that there's no such thing as a backward country when it comes to revolution.
and continues:
I am capitalism and I have spent the last 40 years labeling Arabs as fanatics in order to get their oil for cheap.
and confesses:
I am capitalism and please you must understand that we must keep our cheap energy dictators in the Middle East in power!
On the same day, Capitalism further shows some remorse:
I am capitalism and I'm sorry for giving Mubarak and his good friends a few billion dollars a year so that they may torture their citizens
and adds:
I am capitalism and the Arab Revolutions are proving that countries with borders and armies and rulers are an outmoded, stupid, concept.
and reminds us:
I am capitalism and I make the tear gas canisters they use on protesters, because I like to watch protesters cry! Now get back to work.
On April 22, it was back to business with a new confession:
I have made a deal with every Middle Eastern Dictator, they guarantee me cheap oil and I guarantee them a lifetime of torturing their people
followed by:
I am capitalism and sure you can have your Egypt but you've got to leave those lovely pools of oil in the gulf for me and only me!
Today, Capitalism admits a reality check noting:
The Arab Revolutions are dangerous because they are forcing capitalists all over the world to think less of money and more of survival.
For more doses on the inner thoughts of capitalism, check out the Twitter account noted above.


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Bangladesh: Fighting Malaria Successfully · Global Voices
Rezwan

Professor Benazir Ahmed at E-Bangladesh reports that Bangladesh has done well in combating Malaria and the annual death toll due to Malaria has been reduced to 37 in 2010.

author: Rezwan


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Belarus, Ukraine: “Chernobyl: The First Month” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

At OpenDemocracy.net, Barys Piatrovich, a Belarusian writer and journalist, recalls the first month after the Chernobyl catastrophe of April 26, 1986: “It was difficult for me to write this text. I've been working up to it for over twenty years. More than once I have started to write but given up after the first few lines. […] All that is left is perhaps the hope that mentioning those events will stir some people's memories and they will recall that scorching, rainless May and its hot winds, the decontamination and the resettled ‘Chernobylites'…”


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Brazil: LGBT Scene Under Discussion · Global Voices
Raphael Tsavkko Garcia

With recent legal advances and a proposed bill that criminalises homophobia in the Brazilian Senate, cases of violence against LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) groups and expressions of prejudice and heterosexism have come under focus. The online arena has been used to expose many reflections on the right to sexual orientation in the country.
Homophobic crimes in crescendo
In Brazil, sexual practices that differ from heterosexuality are often attacked with prejudice and violence. Homophobia, according to the LGBT Youth Association [pt], is “the fear and resulting contempt that some individuals feel towards homosexuals”, which leads them to repudiate homosexuals.
A tribute to LGBTs murdered in Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, 10/11/2010. Photo by Flickr user André Gomes de Melo (SEASDH) (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0).
In early 2011, several attacks on homosexuals [pt] on Avenida Paulista, the main avenue of São Paulo, were reported. Groups of gay men were attacked [pt] and beaten with fluorescent lamps because of their sexual orientation and, in some cases, for walking hand in hand.
According to data from the Federal Government and non-governmental organisations that advocate for LGBT rights, each year homophobic crimes have been increasing in a frightening way. Over the past five years, the number of murders motivated by hatred of this minority grew by 113% [pt].
In 2009, 198 homicides with homophobic motivation were reported, according to [pt] the journalist Renato Rovai, who cites the Brazilian Association of Lesbians, Gay, Bisexuals and Transexuals.
In 2010 at least 260 gays, lesbians and transvestites, died as a result of such motivations. The Bahia Gay Group (GGB), one of the biggest organizations that advocates for LGBT rights, denounces the numbers [pt]:
Dentre  os mortos, 140 gays (54%), 110 travestis (42%) e 10 lésbicas   (4%). O Brasil  confirma sua posição de  campeão  mundial de   assassinatos de homossexuais: nos  Estados Unidos, com 100 milhões a   mais de habitantes que nosso país, foram  registrados 14 assassinatos de   travestis em 2010, enquanto no Brasil, foram 110  homicídios.O risco   de um homossexual ser assassinado no Brasil é  785% maior que nos   Estados Unidos.
The figures of homophobic violence, however, are likely to be larger [pt], as many victims of abuse keep silent and never tell the police about what happened.
“Some prejudices only end with law”
"Some prejudices only end with law" – an act repudiating homophobic crimes in São Paulo
Some of the major rights claims by LGBT groups in Brazil have seen considerable advances in recent years.
Recently, the National Insurance Institute recognized the right of homosexuals to include their stable partners as dependents and enjoy social security benefits, such as the death pension.
In February this year, federal deputy Jean Wyllys [pt] – the first openly homosexual member of the Brazilian parliament – said [pt] in his inaugural speech that he would present a Constitutional Amendment Proposal (PEC) guaranteeing the right of civil marriage to same-sex couples. Currently, in Brazil marriage between persons of the same sex does not legally exist, even if done in a country that recognizes it.
In the National Congress agenda from 2006, it is Bill 122 (PLC 122) that criminalizes homphobia. The PLC 122's proposal, according to the website Não Homofobia (No Homophobia) [pt], is to amend “Law no 7.716, from the 5th of January, 1989, defining prejudice or discrimination against gender, sex, sexual orientation and gender equality as a crime”:
Isto  quer    dizer que todo cidadão ou cidadã que sofrer  discriminação por causa  de   sua  orientação sexual e identidade de  gênero poderá prestar  queixa   formal na  delegacia.
Concerning the history of PLC 122, blogger Felipe Shikama comments [pt]:
Aprovado por unanimidade pela Câmara Federal em setembro de 2006, o PLC  que está no Senado desde fevereiro de 2007, com nº122, determina  “sanções às práticas discriminatórias em razão da orientação sexual das  pessoas”. No entanto, o projeto foi retirado para “reexame”, diante das  pressões promovidas por representações dos segmentos mais conservadores.
The increasing focus on LGBT issues, as well as the advances in the legislation, has shed light on homophobia cases since the beginning of the year, says Nilton Luz, the coordinator of Rede Nacional de Negras e  Negros  LGBT, who believes that the attacks on Avenida Paulista in early 2011 were not merely a coincidence. Luz explains [pt]:
O crescimento da  pauta LGBT na agenda pública brasileira    teve o efeito  colateral de  organizar a oposição reacionária aos    direitos dessa  parcela da  sociedade. Tornou-se a principal bandeira da    bancada  evangélica, obrigou  um retrocesso na campanha de 2010 e tem    tomado o  espaço midiático que  tiveram as cotas raciais na década    passada.
Image from the blog of the project Eu Sou Gay (I am Gay)
On one hand, some religious groups [pt] and others of the far right [pt] have opposed the the advances in the legislation regarding homosexuality in general, and to PLC 122 in particular, claiming Brazil is seeing the start of a “Gay Dictatorship”.
On the other hand, at the same time that the homophobic violence is increasing in the country, opposition to the attacks has been instant. The campaign #EuSouGay (I am gay) [pt] arose in reaction to the case of a girl who was murdered by the family of her girlfriend in São Paulo. Civil society has mobilised and pushed for the approval of PLC 122 so that the LGBT community does not have to live with fear forever.
These and other cases shedding light on the reality of LGBT groups and the right to sexual orientation in Brazil will be further discussed in a series of posts on Global Voices. We will report on several netizens’ perspectives, ranging from LGBT prejudice to acceptance, and how they are represented and manifested online.

author: Raphael Tsavkko Garcia


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Cambodia, Thailand: Border troops clash anew  · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Thai and Cambodian soldiers clashed anew in the disputed border territory of the two neighbouring countries. For live updates, follow Thai Report and Khmerization.

author: Mong Palatino


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Cuba: Reflection before the Congress of the Communist Party · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

Blogger, journalist and LGBT activist Francisco Rodríguez Cruz reflects on his political trajectory [es] before participating in the VI Congress of the Cuban Communist Party.

author: Firuzeh Shokooh Valle


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Equatorial Guinea: SOS Malabo · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

The team behind S.O.S Malabo has a mission: to promote “visibility, awareness, mobilization, collaboration for the people of Equatorial Guinea using social media.”


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Ghana: Film Review: Adams Apples · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Jemila reviews Adams Apples, a 10-chapter movie series created and directed by Shirley Frimpong Manso, which follows the lives of the Adams women – four 21st century cosmopolitan Ghanaian women.


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India: Corruption In Mizoram · Global Voices
Rezwan

Paritosh Chakma discusses why fighting corruption in Mizoram, one of the Seven Sister States in North Eastern India, is difficult.


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Malaysian-ASEAN Regional Bloggers Conference · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The 1st Malaysian-ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Regional Bloggers Conference starts today in Kuala Lumpur.


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Puerto Rico: Art for a Cause · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

The digital artist collective UNDOdigital has opened a virtual art gallery [es] for a cause: the proceeds will be donated to the family of Yamil Emanuel, who was born with cancer.


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Puerto Rico: Music on the Street · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

The series Música Realenga, which shows live recordings of independent bands improvising on the street, continues to engage us through the website Frecuencias Alternas [es] . Enjoy the music of rock band Campo-Formio playing at the corner of the Loíza and Santa Cecilia Streets in Santurce, Puerto Rico.


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Syria: Blog Interview with Opposition Activist Ammar Abdulhamid · Global Voices
Antoun Issa

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011.
American blogger and Syria expert, Joshua Landis, conducted a video interview with exiled leading opposition activist Ammar Abdulhamid on the Syrian unrest.
Speaking on Landis’ blog, Syria Comment, Abdulhamid was questioned on a variety of topics concerning the Syrian revolution, from the dangers of a sectarian breakdown, to the regional implications of a potential collapse in regime.
It is a must-see interview that not only airs an opposition perspective into the protests, but also challenges the faceless opposition to provide answers to the questions many Syrians are asking.
One important question is that of sectarianism, and whether the opposition can safeguard Syria from descending into Lebanon and Iraq-like sectarian conflicts.
Abdulhamid appeared to brush off the threat of sectarianism, not entirely reassuring for concerned viewers on Syria Comment.
Mina:
Sorry Ammar, you are a little bit naive by tryig to explain  that sectarianism is not an issue, the MB are not an issue, things won’t  go as in Iraq. You say: the regime has been manipulating the people  into sectarianism, this is their line, though you admit that there are  corrupt elites from all grounds: Alawites, Sunnites, Christian and  Druzes. My first point is corruption is a world problem.
To come back to sectarianism. Didn’t you know that it’s after victory  that problems start, with the fight for power? Do you think everybody is  as young and politically naive as you are? Why don’t you try to learn  from what is going on in Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya?
why-discuss:
Ammar Abdulhamid talks about ‘reconciliation’ a la Mandela but  who is the Syrian Mandela? and ‘no revenge’, he expects that the army  will ‘hopefully’ adhere to the revolution and turn their back to their  previous leaders.
He talks like this is going happen in a click of the finger,  the  transitional period will be short…then after  everything will be slow  but great. It sound like Syria will become Brigadoon
“We are not naive…”  Really?
norman:
any violent transfer of power is going to lead to  sectarian violence and war, Ammar knows that and that is why he is  trying hard to say that it will be different , (( IT WIL BE NOT)), civil  war is at the door, The only chance is for the Baath party and the  regime is to offer passage to free multiparty elections while the army  maintaining civil order and preventing ethnic and religious war.
What i fear is that the opposition goal has changed to getting rid of the regime not free election to See who can win,
Farouk qaddour:
The so-called secular opposition in Syria will be  the first victim of any swift regime change and those people will find  themselves in the streets with no friends except a hypocritical west  that is too busy fighting more important wars or trying to solve their  own domestic,mostly economic problems.the vacuum in Syria following 50  years of albaath domination left the country with no organized  leadership and that opens the door to fundamental groups which will  claim to be the only viable solution to Syria’s problem. The regime is  directly responsible for this horrible situation that can only benefit  organized religion.
One commenter questioned Abdulhamid's commitment to regaining the  occupied Golan Heights from Israel, captured in the 1967 Six Day War:
Sophia:
Golan back but no war with Israel. 12000 druzes and 4 villages dismissed.   Let’s do business with Israel.
No visible emotions on his face during the whole interview but the  only time his eyes get animated was around the question about Iran and  Israel (around minute 46).  No comment on this because I cannot read his  mind but one explanation could be his personal ideological commitment  to this as all people in Arab countries who identify with the west, they  usually don’t want to embrace the what has been a classical Arab cause  (Palestine and occupied Arab land by Israel).  Or his opinion on this is  determined by his sponsorship and he doesn’t want to lose his  financing.  it could also be both.
Lebanese blogger and political analyst, Qifa Nabki, criticised Abdulhamid's claim of a “Syrian exceptionalism” in preventing the country from lapsing into civil sectarian conflict, as opposed to its neighbours:
(1) Joshua Landis & Ammar Abdulhamid at Blogging Heads: This interview is highly worth  watching in its entirety. Landis asks all the relevant questions, and  Abdulhamid — a Syrian dissident exiled in Washington and a leading  opposition activist –provides a very interesting take on several issues,  including: (1) the origins of the protests; (2) the multi-faceted  character of the opposition; (3) what happens the day after the regime  falls; (4) the future of Syria’s relationship with Iran and Israel.
On the question of Syrian sectarianism, Landis challenges Abdulhamid to respond to those who fear that Syria could disintegrate into a  sectarian civil war, like Lebanon during the 70′s and 80′s, or Iraq  after the US invasion. Abdulhamid’s response, to my mind, is not  particularly convincing. He argues that Syria is exceptional; it is  unlike Lebanon and Iraq, and will find a way to withstand a sectarian  conflagration because it is “a country of minorities”. Furthermore, this  exceptionalism is something that the regime itself has always touted.
The logic is easy to pick apart. Lebanon is even more diverse,  minority-wise, than Syria and this did not prevent a sectarian civil  war. Furthermore, it strikes me as problematic to use regime propaganda  to bolster a claim of Syrian exceptionalism. Note that I am not arguing  that Syria is actually a sectarian powder-keg; I just don’t think that Abdulhamid’s argument is very convincing.
As the violence in Syria continues to spread, many uneasy questions remain unanswered. One point that brings all parties in accordance is that Syria has most certainly passed the threshold of no return. The road ahead, however, remains obscure.
This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011.

author: Antoun Issa


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The Genetic Origin Of Indians · Global Voices
Rezwan

Ever wondered about the genetic origins of Indians? Razib Khan at Sepia Mutiny analyzes in details about the genetics of Indians and the South Asians in general.


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Uganda: On African Presidents · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Ken Opalo writes his first installment on African presidents and the elites around them: “First on the list is Yoweri Museveni of Uganda. Mr. Museveni has been in power since 1986 and  has just won another 5-year term in office.”


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Argentina: Croatian Community Reacts to Sentence of General Ante Gotovina · Global Voices
Laura Schneider

On April 15, 2011, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) handed down the sentence for three Croatian Generals: for Ante Gotovina, 24 years in prison; Mladen Markač, 18 years of prison; and Ivan Čermak who was immediately released.
Gotovina and Markac were accused on charges of “crimes against humanity and violations of the laws and customs of war” committed in 1995 by the forces of their country during “Operation Storm“.
In Argentina, where the Croatian community is estimated as the country's third largest, various reactions have been published, like that of Javier Santich, Humberto Kisic and Mirko Vodanovic [es] in “Bar Croata” on Facebook:
Hay que manifestarse Internacionalmente contra esta Sentencia de La Haya dónde se le faltó el respeto a la Nación, al Estado Croata y a sus Héroes de la Independencia.
Pero no solo con papeles ó declaraciones, hay que MOVILIZAR A LA DIÁSPORA DE TODO EL MUNDO, salir a repudiar (Pacificamente) pero con movilización de masas en las calles, con PRESENCIA PERSONAL EN LAS INSTITUCIONES, hacerles sentir que hoy el CROATA ES UN LEÓN HERIDO !!!!!!!!!!
We must protest internationally against this sentence from The Hague which lacks respect for the nation, for the Croatian state and its independence heroes.
But not only with papers and declaration, we must MOBILIZE THE DIASPORA OF THE ENTIRE WORLD we must repudiate (peacefully) but with mobilization of the masses in the streets, with PERSONAL PRESENCE IN INSTITUTIONS, we must make them feel that today CROATIA IS AN INJURED LION!!!!!!!!!!
On Twitter, from Santa Fe, Argentina, Dailna (@Dalina_bz) writes:
@Dalina_bz: #gotovina Hero not criminal #croatia // #Gotovina Heroe no Criminal #Croatia
Croatian collective of Argentina in action on the Avenida de Mayo. Photo: Laura Schneider.
To place readers in a historical context, blogger Mislataman [es] looks back at what led to the military operation:
Después de que Croacia proclamara su independencia en un referendum democrático e inequivoco, los serbios (12% de la población) que habían vivido durante siglos en lo que ahora era un país independiente tenían varias opciones para encontrar un marco en el que sentirse cómodos y diversos modelos políticos posibles para acomodar sus especificidades.
En cambio optaron por la peor vía posible, la secesión armada. Ayudados por el Ejército Yugoslavo, dominado por los serbios, se levantaron en armas contra las autoridades croatas demasiado débiles para hacerles frente, y proclamaron la República Serbia de Krajina, que ocupaba las zonas en las que los serbios eran mayoría.
After Croatia had proclaimed its independence in a democratic and unequivocal referendum, Serbians (12% of the population) that had lived for centuries in what what was now an independent country had various options to find a framework in which to feel comfortable and various possible political models to accommodate their specific needs.
Instead, they opted for the worse route possible, armed secession. Assisted by the Yugoslavian Army, dominated by Serbians, they raised arms again the Croatian authorities who were too weak to face them and proclaimed the Serbian Republic of Krajina, that occupied the zones where Serbians were the majority.
When Operation Storm was launched, the president of the Serbian Republic of Krajina, Mile Martic, asked that Serbians in Krajina abandon the zone with which Croatia recuperated the territory designated as the Serbian Republic of Krajina.
In 2000, Ante Gotovina refused to cooperate with the International Criminal Court and retired at the order of the Croatian President Stjepan Mesic. Since then his whereabouts have been unknown and in 2003, Gotovina gave statements to a Croatian newspaper in which he asked to be tried in the Croatian capital, Zagreb. The site La hora del taxi [es] writes about these events:
Gotovina fue uno de los principales comandantes de la ‘Operación Tormenta’, razón por la cual está considerado un héroe entre los sectores más nacionalistas de su país. Pese a ello, en 2000 fue apartado del Ejército por el presidente Stjepan Mesic por oponerse a cooperar con el TPIY [Tribunal Penal Internacional de la ex Yugoeslavia].
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En 2003, Gotovina exigió que se le interrogase en primera instancia en Zagreb como condición para entregarse al TPIY. Mesic le apoyó, pero el tribunal insistió en su entrega incondicional.
It was not until December 8, 2005, that he was captured in Tenerife, Spain in a restaurant. The blog of Libardo Buitrago [es] comments on the moment of capture:
Ante Gotovina, el criminal de guerra más buscado de Croacia, ha sido detenido en Tenerife, según ha anunciado la fiscal del Tribunal Penal Internacional para la ex Yugoslavia (TPIY), Carla del Ponte. Gotovina supervisó la matanza de al menos 150 civiles serbios y la deportación forzosa de unos 200.000. Nueve agentes de la Policía Nacional lo detuvieron anoche en el hotel ‘Bitácora’ de Playa de Las Américas, mientras estaba cenando.
Once captured and taken into custody in The Netherlands, Gotovina declared himself innocent and joined his cause with that of Marcak and Cermak within Operation Storm. It was not until March 2008 that the judgment against the Croatian generals started, according to the website of the International Tribunal.
During the search for General Gotovina, Croatia initiated the process to become a member of the European Union. The blog Columna Crítica [es], comments that cooperation in the search for Gotovina was one of the requirements that they had to complete in order to enter the European Union.
After almost 3 years, the Tribunal handed down their sentence that has caused much reaction not only among Croatians in their country but also among those that live abroad. Croatians meeting in the Zagreb square showed their anger and deception. The Independent comments on what took place in Zagreb soon after learning of the sentence:
Hasta 30.000 croatas salieron a las calles de la capital Zagreb el fin de semana para protestar contra el encarcelamiento de dos generales por crímenes de guerra en las guerras de los Balcanes el viernes.
Los manifestantes llevaban pancartas que decían “Amo a Croacia, no en la UE”, y “¡Fuera UE!”. También escupieron y quemaron la bandera de la UE en la céntrica Plaza Bana Jelacica.
Up to 30,000 Croatians went into the streets of the capital Zagreb this weekend to protest against the imprisonment of two generals for war crimes in Balkan wars on Friday.
The protesters carried banners that said “I love Croatia, not the EU”, and “Get out EU!” Also they spat on and burned the EU flag in the center of the Bana Jelacica square.
Protest in Zagreb square against The Hague verdict. Photo: Jadran Perkovic, used with permission.
The post [es] by Spanish journalist Ramon Lobo, titled “Criminal heroes in Croatia”, has generated reactions against it on the part of Argentine Croatians, and other nationalities are situated in favor of The Hague's sentence. Javier [es], in response to the post and explaining the distinct immigration streams to Argentina, writes:
La inmigración Croata a la Argentina se divide en tres grandes corrientes: las dos primeras (Y MAYORITARIAS POR ABRUMADORA CANTIDAD) son anteriores a la IIº Guerra Mundial (como el caso de mis abuelos), la tercer corriente es posterior a la IIº Guerra como tu dices (pero no todos los que vinieron en esa epoca apoyaron al régimen de Pavelic´, muchos fueron civiles PERSEGUIDOS POR LOS COMUNISTAS DE TITO POR SU CONDICIÓN DE CROATAS – los cuales estaban proscriptos, ser Croata o Católico durante el Comunismo era motivo de persecución – ADÓNDE ESTABA TU EUROPA Y LA HAYA EN ESOS TIEMPOS ??? – SABÉS DE LAS FOSAS COMUNES DEL COMUNISMO QUE SE ENCONTRARON NO HACE TANTO TIEMPO CON MILES Y MILES DE CADÁVERES DE CROATAS ??? ).
Alene [es], another Argentine Croatian commenter that reacted on this blog, illustrating the Croatian Catholic faith, responds:
Dios nos protege a los croatas siempre y nos envía a Su Madre para dar tantos mensajes de Paz, que Ud no debe tener…Gotovina no será un santo, pero de seguro Ud tampoco!
However, the Spaniard Dani [es] does not express the same view:
Los croatas tenéis que confrontar los crímenes que vuestro ejército hizo en nombre de la independencia. Es obvio que no estáis preparados, pero ya os acostumbraréis. Muchos años los croatas jugaron tal y como están jugando ahora, haciéndose víctimas….
The blog of the organization Studia Croatica [es], an entity created in and with its headquarters in Argentina, published a declaration:
Repudiamos sin ambages la sentencia, especialmente en cuanto cuestiona los fundamentos del Estado Croata y su propia existencia. La sentencia trastoca perversamente toda la cuestión: el agredido es culpable por defenderse. Pretende re-escribir la historia.Rechazamos de plano todas las tendencias y acciones yugonostálgicas y balcanizantes, provengan de donde provengan.
Meanwhile, the Croatians worldwide are seeking support for the prosecuted general by sending letters, as published by the blog of one of the radii of the Croatian community in Argentina, Bar Croata [es]:
Les escribo este mail con la intención de que Uds le envíen una carta de apoyo a los patriotas croatas Ante Gotovina y Mladen Markac……Espero que al menos un millón de cartas lleguen a ellos en La Haya
On the other hand, the Spanish blog of Miguel Angel de Uña [es] provides his vision of the sentence:
Tan cansado de la justicia española, de vez en cuando la justicia en La Haya me devuelve la esperanza. Krajina, el apéndice de Jasenovac no ha quedado del todo impune..
The tribunal concluded its verdict and the defense and the accused have the right to an appeal.

author: Laura Schneider


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Bangladesh: Rolling Blackouts and Life · Global Voices
Rezwan

Aminul Islam Sajib describes how the energy crisis and the load-shedding (rolling blackouts) are affecting the lives of ordinary Bangladeshis in the scorching heat of summer.


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Dominican Republic: Advice for the President · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

Journalist and blogger María Isabel Soldevila advises [es] President Leonel Fernández to focus on three issues during his last year as head of state:  violence and arms; the right to life; and road fatalities.


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Examining Africa’s Growth   · Global Voices
Mejasoa Razafimihary

This post is part of our special coverage Global Development 2011.
While the African Development Bank announced three days ago that it will downgrade its forecast for growth in Africa as a result of the turmoil in various regions of the continent, the rate of return on foreign investment is higher in Africa than in any other developing regions.
Still, the perception hold by many investors is that doing business in Africa is a risky proposition and that the continent has yet to reach the status of a land of opportunities.
Many endeavors have proven that perception to be inaccurate. In this video by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Donald Kaberuka and others discuss Africa as a a new emerging markets frontier:
Eric Kacou in Kigali opines that what is needed to succeed on the continent is a new brand of entrepreneurs; the ones he calls the “Archimedes Entrepreneurs”. Kacou explains what he means by that:
besides the unusual spark in [their] eyes, combine obsession to succeed and moral purpose so his heart will drive him to the right direction, wherever it is.
Telephone entrepreneur on the streets around Church Square, Pretoria, South Africa. Image by Flickr user The Wandering Angel (CC BY 2.0).
Beside the recognition of real potentials, many African entrepreneurs are just fighting the general perception of gloom and doom for the continent. For instance,  Donald Bobiash, Director-General of Africa at Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, wrote the following about the “Africa Rising” conference held in Toronto on March 14-15, 2011:
while the media likes to talk about what is wrong with Africa, we are here to talk about what is right in Africa.
Indeed, as an analysis in The Economist pointed out earlier this year:
over the ten years to 2010, six of the world’s ten fastest-growing economies were in sub-Saharan Africa
The reason for this rapid growth in the region are not straightforward though.  In a Mckinsey Global Institute report, Acha Leke et al unpack the various reasons behind Africa's growth:
…yet the commodity boom explains only part of Africa’s broader growth story. Natural resources, and the related government spending they financed, generated just 32 percent of Africa’s GDP growth from 2000 through 2008.The remaining two-thirds came from other sectors, including wholesale and retail, transportation, telecommunications, and manufacturing.
Entrepreneurs epitomize this growing trend of seizing the opportunities that the continent presents. Tal Dehtiar from Oliberté Shoes – a shoe manufacturing company with operations in Ethiopia and Liberia- is one of them. He writes in a blog entitled Oliberté, This is Africa the reason for investing on the continent:
we never have and still don't see an Africa that's categorised by negative generalizations. Oliberté believes that with the right partners, each country within Africa has the means to grow and support its people.
Many African entrepreneurs believe that although the triple bottom line  -financial, social, environmental- is the new buzz word for companies investing in developing countries, one fact that need to be made clear is that Africa will not able to sustain the growth if the funding are only  about “micro-finance”, and financing a woman with “50 US dollars”.
Difference in average transaction size between private equity and international development funds. Diagram to be credited to the author of the article
African Entrepreneur explains:
Development, social and micro-finance are not evil. They have their role and do help keep millions out of poverty. But Africa cannot develop by simply trying to not be poor. We need real multi-million dollar financing for African innovation. Is there risk? Of course there is, but no more than funding an online pet shopping site in Silicon Valley.
She goes on quoting Mfonobong Nsehe in a Forbes article:
Africa has its own Mark Zuckerbergs, Andrew Masons, Mark Pincuses, Larry Pages and Sergey Brins. But it lacks its own Yuri Milners,John Doerrs, Vinod Khoslas and Y Combinators. […] Africans can create hugely successful tech products that will sweep the world off its feet. There are several entrepreneurs out there waiting to break through, but their ideas might never see the light of day because of a lack of seed finance.
The Africa Rising Conference concluded on the following remarks by Dr John Preece:
The overall feeling was one of great positivity and potential, with the general perceptions of Africa not matched by the reality of strong economic growth and exceptional creativity (I was often reminded of a Hans RoslingTEDtalk: Let my dataset change your mindset)”.
This post is part of our special coverage Global Development 2011.

author: Mejasoa Razafimihary


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Hungary: For Gyöngyöspata’s Roma, Evacuation – or an Easter Excursion? · Global Voices
Marietta Le

Northern Hungary has recently become the center of rising conflicts between the Roma and the Hungarian communities. In the community of Gyöngyöspata, for example, paramilitary organizations marched a month ago, claiming they were members of a neighborhood watch, even though their far-right stance was obvious.
A village without a mayor
On April 19, 2011, this video [hu] was posted by a Roma news site So Si? [hu], covering the rumors spreading in the Roma community of Gyöngyöspata about a paramilitary organization's plans to hold a training camp in the village. On the same day came the news of the resignation of the local mayor.
Roma in the Hungarian village of Gyöngyöspata. Still from video uploaded to YouTube by sosinet1.
Piroslap blog, referring to a news agency, wrote [hu] that the mayor had explained his decision to resign by health reasons. About the training camp, Piroslap wrote this:
[…] Now the group Véderő wants to hold a military camp at the settlement. On their website they define themselves as [a group] operating far from politics but on the national side, and after the elimination of conscription they would like to offer martial type of training to those who like this kind of education but wouldn't want to be professional soldiers. […]
The Roma have left
By Friday, April 22, some 300 Roma had left Gyöngyöspata, allegedly because they were afraid of the vigilante group arriving at the village for training. According to news reports, the departure of the Roma women and children was organized by the Hungarian Red Cross and Richard Field, an American businessman who had already expressed his concerns about the situation of the Roma in Hungary and even started a non-governmental organisation to support them.
The Hungarian media used the word ‘evacuation’ for what happened, whereas government officials claimed this wasn't an evacuation: according to them, the Roma had been taken on an Easter holiday trip for the weekend.
Both Péter Szijjártó, the spokesman for the Prime Minister, and Minister of the Interior Sándor Pintér have offered an explanation for what happened. This video [hu] shows Pintér at a press conference held in Gyöngyöspata on Friday. He said:
They [the members of the paramilitary group] took away the happiness which was offered by the charitable organization Red Cross. The national board of the Red Cross invited the women and children from the Gyöngyöspata families for an Easter excursion.
Gellért Rajcsányi of Mandiner wrote [hu]:
[…] Because of the threats, the Roma are afraid of atrocities. A leader for the action said the [Roma] men all stayed in the village trying to protect their valuables left at home. They are expecting members of the Parliament, representatives of embassies and international human right activists to arrive by Friday afternoon. According to János Farkas, the deputy of the Roma Hungarian Civil Rights Movement, the Red Cross contributed in moving out the people who were accommodated in different camps. A representative of the Red Cross told dpa [a German press agency] that this was the first time since World War II when the organization evacuated citizens threatened by a paramilitary group in Hungary. […]
Also on Friday, the Minister of the Interior announced that the government had designed a “decree to penalise civil guard activities conducted without prior approval by the police or feigning a right to act as a keeper of public order.”
By Friday afternoon, the police dismissed the paramilitary training of Véderő. According to news reports, the leader of the group Tamás Eszes was detained. Far-right news site Kuruc.info re-published [hu] these reports, adding an important piece of information: Tamás Eszes is a man who was disqualified from the Hungarian Guard. (Other sources wrote that Mr. Eszes would run for the mayor position now that Gyöngyöspata has no mayor.)
Gellért Rajcsányi wrote that the biggest responsibility is that of the government:
[…] We've been keeping the state for millennia to maintain the outside and inside security. The improvident promise [hu] of making order in two weeks in those points of the country that looked hopeless was unavailing. We know it's impossible to meet close-to-perfect public security even in two-years time but at least there would be signs if we were heading that way! But today, on Good Friday, we have reached another touch bottom. Hungarian citizens fearing for their property and going about in bodily fear are longing for the presence of paramilitary organizations; [meanwhile] other citizens fearing for their property and going about in bodily fear are expecting the solution from leaders of civil rights movements and the Red Cross. The devil is raised in Gyöngyspata. In the international news [broadcasts] there will, hopefully, be good footage with crying children and vigilantes wearing uniforms among the news about Libya and Cote d'Ivoire. […]
Political action?
Photographer Levente Hernádi expressed his doubts [hu] over whether there was no interest in motivating the events. He pointed out that the result of the events have been articles like this one on a Hungarian news site [hu], illustrated with photos about the Roma leaving the village, members of Véderő, the Roma who stayed in the village and a Roma child. The article is a full report about the Roma who left Gyöngyöspata for the weekend and who applied for refugee status in the United States and Canada because of their threatened situation:
[… ] I think Gyöngyöspata was an extremely well-prepared play taking advantage of the always crying and ambiguously speaking Roma and of the national front that always acts nationalistic. It just had to be started and the rest went by itself.
Maximum respect to the one who [does stories] like this one […].
By Sunday, the Roma women and children were back in the village.

author: Marietta Le


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India: Media Hyperbole And The Bengal Assembly Elections · Global Voices
Rezwan

Shuvo at Words From Solitude warns the supporters of the apparently leading contender of the West Bengal State Assembly elections not to get carried away by the media hyperbole.


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India: Who Is Going To Be The Chief Minister Of West Bengal? · Global Voices
Rezwan

The elections in the West Bengal state of India are going on and Mamata Banerjee, leader of Trinamool Congress, is a favorite to become the Chief Minister of West Bengal in a few weeks. Monobina Gupta at Kafila describes in details about the the rise of Mamata Banerjee.


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Japan: Tohoku Earthquake as seen through Twitter · Global Voices
Scilla Alecci

A video by Rio Akasaka shows how the news of the earthquake spread on Twitter on March 11.

author: Scilla Alecci


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Pakistan: The Fight Against the Taliban and the Drones · Global Voices
Jehan Naseem

Imagine how it is to live in Pakistan; a place where a day without any suicide bombing or drone attack can make the news, where citizens have to deal with emotions such as shock, rage, discomfort and a deep sense of helplessness on a daily basis.
On a recent morning, the first tweet that caught my eye, was one by a Pakistani columnist, Fasi Zaka (@fasi_zaka):
@fasi_zaka: The last moments of a suicide bomber who didn’t die from the blast immediately https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=201156813237903
One of Zaka's Twitter followers’ replied to this tweet:
@Suprah_: The kid is still alive! He is recovering at a local hospital and even did an interview for BBC later http://bbc.in/gFbx1r.
Victims of the explosion at Rummy Club, Karachi are put in a morgue. Image by Syed Yasir Kazmi, copyright Demotix (21/04/2011).
On an average day many Pakistanis re-tweet or share via Facebook news of suicide bombers, NATO drone attacks and the Taliban’s retaliation to them.
Ali Chishti at Pakistanpal's blog writes:
There have been a total of 234 drone attacks in Pakistan since 2004, according to the New America Foundation, including 22 in 2011. The estimated casualties are between 1,439 and 2,290 – of which 1,149 to 1,819 were described as militants in reliable press accounts. [..]
The Pakistani response has been full of confusion and contradictions. The military, after having come to an understanding with the United States in 2006, has allowed limited use of force inside Pakistan because of tough conditions in FATA purely for cost-benefit reasons. At the same time, it has constantly used Pakistani public opinion on the issue to pressure the US.
Acceptance of these drone attacks in Pakistan has made the country's people an unwilling ally.  However, regardless of whatever one-sided alliance is created, the people will still suffer, either as a result of the drone attacks or from attacks by the Tehrik-i-Taliban.
Kathy Gannon, a former American correspondent of  Afghan-Pakistani affairs during 1986-2005, states something similar in her article published in The Journal Gazette:
Pakistan is frustrated by stepped up drone attacks and accusations it is weak against Islamic militants despite nearly 3,000 dead soldiers, a five-year war in its tribal areas and dozens of arrests of suspected al-Qaida operatives or affiliates.
The Harfang is a reconnaissance drone, guided from a distance by experienced fighter pilots, transport pilots or a navigator. It is used by by the US army in Afghanistan on the Afghan – Pakistan border. Image by DigVID, copyright Demotix (11/03/2010).
In my own blog I have shared opinions of people I have come across, describing how lives in their cities have radically changed out of fear and frustrations.
Fahd Dar, a student  from Lahore, says:
Life's going on but it's definitely not the same.  People have restricted their outings. Although the famous hang out spots still remain crowded, but the fear of the unknown is still there. With scanning apparatuses installed at almost every corner of the city, even at educational institutes, it naturally gives you a feeling of hesitancy and vulnerability. Lahore doesn't feel that safe now, to eat your favorite eatables late at night, or watch a nifty play at Al-Hamra.  Still, our hopes are high, things would get better.
Haris Hameed, a manager at an advertising agency in Islamabad:
A drive from one end of Islamabad to the other meant you had two options. Take the scenic route running parallel to the majestic Margalla Hills or the one that ran through the heart of the business district, fondly dubbed Blue Area.  However, that was then. Now, when planning out your route, only one thing is considered:  ‘Which route has the least amount of security check posts?’ […]
Understanding that these security measures resembling an obstacle course for mice in a science experiment are a necessity in recent turbulent times, the people of Islamabad have taken everything in their stride.  There is always remorse and empathy for victims when there is a bomb blast or terror attack in the city, but with a day or two of caution, the local venture back into their routines.  I believe the common thread between the people of the capital (regardless of what section of society they belong to), is that they keep on living.  To cower at home in fear and stop leading normal lives is exactly what the terrorists’ want us to do.  If we were to do that, it would mean that the terrorists would be successful in their goals, and that they have won.  We certainly can’t let that happen. So we live, one day at a time.
We can only hope that soon things will normalize in Pakistan, but hope seems to be far away.

author: Jehan Naseem


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Puerto Rico: Petition against Violence · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

Blogger Verónica RT posts the call to sign the petition [es] of the Movimiento Amplio de Mujeres de Puerto Rico  [es] against the dismantlement of the Law against Domestic Violence.


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Russia: Grigoriy Golosov, Political Analyst and a Blogger, Assaulted  · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

Grigoriy Golosov, professor at the European University at Saint-Petersburg and a political blogger at Slon.ru [ru], had been assaulted at the street. According to his blogpost [ru], on April 23, 2011 two persons followed him to his home, called his name, and after receiving a positive reply one of them hit Golosov. Golosov claims neither he didn't have any domestic conflicts nor was it an accidental crime.


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Thailand: Outrage Over Topless Teen Dancing · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The buzz in Thailand in the past week (before the renewed border fighting with Cambodian troops) was the scandal caused by the topless teen dancers during the Songkran Water Festival (Thai New Year).
The photos and videos of the three girls dancing bare breasted in Silom, Bangkok immediately went viral and generated intense debates on Thai culture and morality. The girls were slapped with a 500 Baht ($17) fine while the person who uploaded the video received a 100,000 Baht ($3,320) fine and a possible prison term for up to five years in violation of the Computer Crimes Act.
The Thai Ministry of Culture condemned the girls for “destroying the image” of Thailand and because of this issue, the Ministry will be issuing handbooks to educate the country's youth about Thai culture:
The Ministry of Culture is preparing to issue handbooks campaigning for greater awareness of youngsters on the genuine value of Songkran Festival after inappropriate behaviors were spotted during the Thai New Year celebration.
But netizens reminded the Ministry that topless women were featured on its website and was only mysteriously removed immediately after the Songkran topless dancing incident.
Screenshot images of the Ministry website from Richard Barrow
Catherine urges the Ministry to restore the removed image of the Nang Songkran (Thai Goddesses of Songkran) painting on its website.
Anyway, I just wanted to have my very brief say about keeping Thai culture real. And to please ask Thailand to put the bare breasted ladies of Songkran back on the Thai Ministry of Culture’s website where they belong. That’s all.
Sompop Budtarad was the artist who depicted the legend of Nang Songkran.
Thai Connoisseur observes that the three teenagers were merely “embracing the more traditional, and somewhat forgotten aspects of Songkran”:
…three young Thai ladies embracing the more traditional, and somewhat forgotten aspects of Songkran, by dancing in much the same way as their great grandmothers would have done back in the days of Siam. In other words, bare breasted! Who can blame them? I think it is a good thing for the young people to revive forgotten traditions of one's ancestors.
Saksith interviews Kaewmala who described the Ministry of Culture as “Thai Cultural Talibans”:
Many Thais and non-Thais do know that not a century ago, Thai women were still walking around bare breasted. So where did this make-believe puritan “model” of Thai Culture come from? It sure didn’t come from the old, ordinary Thai ways
Harrison George, writing for Prachatai, comments on the hypocrisy of the authorities:
Where the young women went wrong was doing it for free. Theirs was an economic sin, not a moral one. If they had done the same thing in a bar a few hundred yards away (and lied about their age, which sort of comes with the turf), they would never have been bothered by the law. And got paid for it.
Isaan Style points to other activities and behavior which bring more damage to the image of Thailand:
This image hurts the image of Thailand! Please! What about the hundreds of bars that house prostitutes, the live sex shows, blow job bars, massages with happy endings, karaoke bars that have topless girl with rooms out the back, sweat shops and on and on we could go.
What about the murderous protests, the continuing deaths of innocent people in the south, the ridiculous road tolls, the blatant corruption and so on. Don’t these hurt Thailand?
Foreigners will think that Songkran is just a water fight! I would confidently say that 90% of them already do, that come here for it.
This all to me is bewildering as the culture ministry and other authorities cry foul, but they tolerate all the real seedy side of Thailand, the sale of paedophilia out in the open and by touts, the pretence that Thailand does not have prostitutes but only girls who agree to go with men and if they have sex and the man wants to pay them, this is fine.
The girls were apprehended by the police and presented to the media. Maja Cubarrubia appeals for the protection of privacy and rights of the teenagers:
Instead of attempting to disguise the girls’ identities, could the police have afforded not to hold the press conference to avoid the risk of violating the girls rights to privacy and dignity – the rights stated in an international convention on child rights that Thailand has ratified and the country’s own child protection law.
The Lost Boy raises more questions about the incident:
The whole incident is, of course, farcical, but what troubles me is that people appear to be getting worked up about the wrong things. Nobody is asking why three teen girls were there in the first place, nor the dangers they may have been in. Thailand's Twitter-based observers did not appear bothered about three near-naked school girls dancing in front of a huge crowd of drunk men. The girls could quite easily have found themselves in a situation where they were prone to sexual assault, surely.
Political Prisoners in Thailand criticizes the “lack of morality among the elite”:
A few young women getting their tops off gets the elite upset. Killing red shirts around Songkhran (in 2009 and 2010) seems to bring cheers and joy for the elite. Where was the outrage from the elite when the army killed protesters? Perhaps this event will serve as a reminder of the lack of morality amongst the royalist elite….
Here are some twitter reactions in Bangkok:
@freakingcat: While Thailand is outraged about 3 girls dancing topless on Songkran, Child Porn DVD continued to be sold on Sukhumvit [Road] & nobody gives a damn
@qandrew: Not surprised to hear 3 Songkran dancers linked to illegal pub/casino owned by politician & police where thy wur lured into dancing topless.
@weirdwern: “Thais need someone to blame. It's easier than fixing problems in the country.” – Prof.Chalidaporn,regarding to three topless girls incident


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Brazil: An e-Book to Understand Social Media · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

“Aiming to stimulate discussion and sharing of best practices related to the universe of social networks”, Brazilian journalist Ana Brambilla has launched the e-book “Para Entender as Mídias Sociais” (To Understand Social Media) [pt] free for download on the blog with the same name.

author: Sara Moreira


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Chile: Poet Gonzalo Rojas Dies at Age 93 · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Julio Suarez Anturi blogs [es] about the passing of Chilean poet Gonzalo Rojas and shares 4 of his poems.

author: Silvia Viñas


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China: Changing Pork into Beef · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Fauna from ChinaSMACK looks into the latest food security scandal on beef extract addictive which can turn pork into beef.

author: Oiwan Lam


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China: Come-and-go of Confucius · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Jing Gao from the Ministry of Tofu explains the political implications of the appearance and disappearance of the sculpture of Confucius in Tiananmen Square.


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Citizen Journalism from Tibet · Global Voices
Dechen Pemba

“The Story Behind the Story” on Radio Free Asia looks at recent video footage that was taken by a Tibetan citizen journalist. The footage, smuggled out of Tibet, appears to have been taken using an iPhone and was received by RFA in QuickTime format. It refutes China's state media pronouncements that the situation in Ngaba, Eastern Tibet, is “normal”.

author: Dechen Pemba


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Cote d’Ivoire: The Music of Espoir 2000 · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Abena writes about the Ivorian music group Espoir 2000: “I've been listening to one of my favorite Ivorian music groups Espoir 2000 (Hope 2000). Their 2006 album Gloire et Dieu (God and Glory) is not only laden with infectious ‘zouglou’ tracks but with lyrics full of wisdom and a little prescience.”


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Ghana: Accra Hustling in Photos · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Photos of Accra hustling by Ghanaian blogger and photographer Nana Kofi Acquah. Accra is the capital city of Ghana.


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India: Bloggers Social Responsibility · Global Voices
Rezwan

Blogadda had introduced the concept of ‘Bloggers Social Responsibility’ and now it is asking its reader to show the responsibility by 1) reading about an NGO, 2) Blogging about it and 3) sharing the news with others.


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India: Corruption Of The Middle Class · Global Voices
Rezwan

Manju categorizes the typical corruptions of the Indian Middle class people in which they engage in their lifetime willingly, for their own benefit.


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India: Gay Community Shown Support after Video Screening · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

Citizen video's power to promote change has been proven in Raipur, India.  A screening of a video showing the hardships faced by the gay community enabled audience members from diverse backgrounds to relate to the discrimination and show their support by organizing a peaceful demonstration.
India Unheard logo
Video Volunteer and India Unheard citizen journalist Sarwat Naqvi screened in Raipur his video on the search for identity in the gay community of Chhattisgarh. The video showed how discrimination, sexual abuse and lack of identity are only some of the problems faced by homosexual and eunuchs, who some consider to be India's ‘third gender‘.
Sarwat organized the screening with local women's union Samata Mayla Mandal, and in total about 45 people showed up, including homosexual and transgender audience members as well as locals who just wanted to be informed.
The results were positive: community members learned about issues affecting this traditionally invisible group and were moved to act, and homosexuals who watched the video were empowered to become part of the efforts to advocate for their rights and work on a more inclusive community.
IndiaUnheard is a community news service initiative of video volunteers whereby a network of community correspondents are trained to tell the stories about their own communities which are usually not told by other media.
Community correspondent for India Unheard. Image by Flickr user Video Volunteers(VV) (CC BY-SA 2.0).

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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Mexico: Northern States Hit by Wildfires · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Alejandro Ortiz Sotomayor in Vivir México [es] shares a photo by Jorge Alberto Mendoza Mariscal which shows the work of Mexican firefighters as they try to control a “Spring” wildfire in northern Mexico.


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Nigeria: On “You Must Be Rich” Gospel · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Fariku discusses the “you must be rich gospel” in Nigeria: “In glorifying money and the pursuit of wealth, many clergy lead their congregations astray. Church becomes a competition, who looks best, who is wearing the fanciest clothes, who is driving the most expensive cars. The materialism apparent in these churches is abhorrent. I bet you if Jesus were living today, He would say, “why have you turned my father’s house into a den of thieves?””


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Peru: Analyzing Alternative Energy Sources · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

In Grupo Futuro Perú [es], Araceli Pinto Corrales looks at Peru's “energy future” and discusses wind energy and biofuels as options to meet Peru's growing energy needs.


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Puerto Rico: ‘Speak Your Mind’ Online · Global Voices
César Santiago

Running out of subjects and opinions is not something you can accuse Qiibo [es] of. The online magazine , whose slogan is “Speak your Mind”, covers everyday Puerto Rican politics, local news, and the latest entertainment and technology news. Of course, their authors often have an opinionated view on each of these subjects.
It is only fitting that the staff is as varied as the themes they cover; they are led by founder Xavier Montalvo (@xaviimon) and fellow founding members Gabriel Rodríguez (@gabrielrodz), Orlando Alberto Jesús Vélez (@oajvelez) and Aimee Ortiz (@aor01).
The team is rounded up by fellow collaborators WKAQ Radio [es] journalist Jonathan Lebrón Ayala (@jlebronWKAQiiBo), their very own international correspondent, from Spain and currently living in Australia, Daniel Cerejido (@dcerejido), and Yara Cardona.
We interviewed the staff and talked about Qiibo's interests, their place within Puerto Rico's online media, their relation with traditional media in the Island, and the Puerto Rican blogosphere.
Global Voices (GV): What is Qiibo and how was it conceived?
Qiibo was something we felt we personally needed as constant Internet users. A 100% local Puerto Rican blog/site/magazine, that could mix both the latest on everything from new technologies and the film industry, with a little touch of opinion on local and international events. We try to blend in the day to day news that we are constantly following on the Internet, with deep, opinionated analysis of current important issues. As we say, we let our minds speak. In a sentence, Qiibo is the result of what's lacking on the Puerto Rican traditional media today.
GV: How has Qiibo been received? What has been the feedback?
Since the moment we put the site out there on the Internet (more than a year from now), the reception has been not only positive, but has also exceeded our expectations. People read our daily posts on technology and movies to be up to date (way more than by reading traditional media) on what's happening out there. Also, our hard news analysis pieces have created long lasting and very interesting debates and have been shared in many, many sites and blogs through the web. People expect our opinion on things, and we work hard to let our voice be heard on every subject we consider worthy.
GV: To what extent is Qiibo an alternative online media and news outlet?
It is interesting. We normally don't cover live events (although we have been able to give live coverage to such events as the general strike of 2010 and the strike in the University of Puerto Rico (UPR), and have done as well live and exclusive interviews), but for some reason, we usually talk about things that regular online media and news outlet won’t talk about, or they do it later than we do. A good example was a post we did early in 2010 about a letter written by a local Senator to the US Congress. The letter, which asked the members of the Congress to consider giving statehood to Puerto Rico, was filled with mistakes and wrongly constructed sentences. Well, we were probably one of the very few to not only post it, but actually mention and expose the errors . The letter was accessible to everyone, yet very few media outlets (not including any of the main printed media) covered it. In that case, as well as many others, Qiibo has acted as a news alternative that people have definitively relied on. The same was the case with our coverage of the documents regarding Puerto Rico that were leaked by Wikileaks. Although that was afterwards covered in massive media, Qiibo was one of the first (if not the very first) to publish, and analyze them.
GV: How would you describe the relationships of alternative and mainstream media in Puerto Rico? Is there space for potential collaborations of alternative and mainstream media?
So far local mainstream media doesn't see alternative media, blogs specially, as competition. We think they're wrong about that, but fortunately for us, it has provoked a good, collaborative relation with the blogosphere. It is our opinion that eventual mergers, further collaborations or even joint ventures, will be happening in the local scene, as it is already happening between international mainstream media and alternative media, such as the current collaboration between the Newsweek Magazine and the Daily Beast website. That's the future for Qiibo, in our opinion.
GV: Any big local story (or stories) that Qiibo has its eye on this year?
We are following closely a few issues that we have been constantly given attention to, such as:
GV: What do you think of the Puerto Rican blogosphere and the social media networks in Puerto Rico? Any favorite blogs/sites you would like to mention?
Both the local blogosphere, as well as the use of new social media platforms, are currently growing and will only become more relevant, influential and important in society. As more people have access to the web, more people will discover the many choices they have in order to be informed. In social media we already have interesting characters who have more influence that one would think. Guys like @Macetaminofen, @Nerdote or @Sorprendeme are an example of local ‘Internet Celebrities’. On the other hand, journalists and commentators like @JayFonsecaPR or @LeninPR give people a more personal touch to the news.
Our list of outstanding blogs are: the ones that cover technology like tecnetico.com, dgtallika.com, blackberrypr.net, iphonefanatic.net, yosoyandroid.com, miwindowsphone.net; satire websites like elñame.com; the ones that cover politics and current events like prensailegal.com and nuestropensar.com. We also have UNDOdigital.com and elfaktor.com that are helping to put together the Puerto Rican art scene in Puerto Rico and the blogosphere.

author: César Santiago


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Sri Lanka: Another Lanka-E-News Journalist Arrested · Global Voices
Rezwan

Freedom Of Expression Sri Lanka reports that Shantha Wijesuriya, another journalist working for Lankaenews.com has been arrested by Sri Lankan authorities.


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Afghanistan: Opium production for 2011 set to rise · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Nick Fielding reports that opium production in Afghanistan for 2011 is likely to increase, although overall cultivation for the entire country is expected to decrease slightly.

author: Adil Nurmakov


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Argentina: Bloggers Discuss Inflation · Global Voices
Fanny Rahmouni

High inflation is an old scourge of the Argentine economy. Since the economic crisis (1999-2002) and the peso's devaluation, inflation has been back on the scene in spite of President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner‘s program of social inclusion [es] launched after she succeeded her husband in 2007.
Inflation has long been a subject of controversy in Argentina. An  important political issue, it is expected to be one of the main themes  debated during the presidential race next October.
According to the national statistics agency Indec [es], inflation rose 10.9% in March 2011 from a year previous for consumer goods. Yet it is commonly said that the Indec is a part of the government's efforts to hide soaring inflation figures. Independent estimations, including one of the former Indec official Graciela Bevacqua [es], says annual inflation has reached between 25 and 35%.
An advertisement indicating that candies are submitted to the anti-inflation sugar prices agreement (see note at bottom of post for more on price controls). By Flickr user J. Villamota (CC BY 2.0)
In The Argentine Post, blogger and Wall Street Journal's contributor, Tao Turner, denounces with bitter irony the way the government refuses to handle the high inflation problem:
In just about any other country, an inflation rate of 10% would raise red flags and cause politicians to panic over ways to curb rising prices. Moreover, government officials in those countries would use the word “inflation” to describe what was happening to prices. But Argentina has never been “any other country” and its idiosyncrasies are sometimes so frequent that they cease to surprise.
In a similar fashion, the antigovernment blog BlogBis [es] came up with ten ironic recommendations for the government's web partisans in a post called ‘Manuel para el Twitero K’ (Textbook for the pro-Kichner twitter user):
Algunos conceptos que debe incluir en el tuit que lo convierten en irrefutable:
Si hablan de inflación o pobreza, recuérdele que todo era peor en el 2001.
Several blogs try to demonstrate that food and basic products prices have soared since Kirchner accessed to the presidency. Fernando Satillan from the blog 7:50 a Retiro [es] shows how the price of the Argentine specialty ‘milanesa‘ (breaded meat filet) sandwich has gone up in six months :
A un par de cuadras de la oficina de la Fundación, un buen señor vende sandwiches de milanesa a $10. Hace unos seis meses estaban a $7. A pesar del “milanga management” del gobierno, el sanguche de milanga se me dispersó 43% en 6 meses. Es la inflación, Amado.
He also quotes a comment left under one of his posts suggesting the creation of a citizen website dedicated to inflation:
Mi amigo Steven hizo un excelente comentario al post “Dispersión” que publiqué esta mañana: “En la era del celular con cámara, ¿para cuando el sitio www.eslainflacionamado.com.ar con detalles como éste?”
The controversy over inflation data has been growing, especially since the government fined several independent economists –such as Estudio Bein & Asociados, Finsoport, MyS Consultores or GRA Consultoras– for challenging official inflation. The government used article 9 of a law [es] on deceptive commercial practices that forbids the “presentation, advertisement of propaganda that, through approximations of concealment, could mislead, deceive or confuse about … the price and conditions of commercialization of goods, properties or services” to silence the dissident economists.
A wad of hundred peso bills. The peso is the Argentine currency. By Flicker user Alex E. Proimos (CC BY 2.0)
Such an initiative triggered many indignant reactions from the Twitter and blogger community.
Miguel A. Kiguel (@kiguel) says the law is threatening freedom of speech:
Llegó la multa por decir en los medios q la infación es 25%. Chau libertad de expresión. Sólo se acepta la inflación trucha del INDEC.
Answering to a tweet posted by the official Twitter account of the Minister of Economics Armado Boudou, Taos Turner (@taos) writes:
Ministro, abogados dicen que las multas a economistas violan la constitucion. Que dice usted?
The blog Perspectias Criticas [es] explains how the government slows down the inflation debate by accusing newspapers of spreading manipulated figures:
En los sectores K dicen que este es un tema de los medios de comunicación y que a la gente esto no le llega , pero la realidad es que el kilo de pan , por ejemplo, hace 2 años esta $ 5 y ahora está $10.
Yet the pro-Kirchner bloggers give a completely different point of view. For instance, the blog Que Venga el día [es] posts an article by Raul Dellatorre in Página12 [es] which explains the mechanism of prices formation to its readers. According to Dellatorre, criticisms about inflation figures obstructs the debate about economics:
Durante años, la oposición ha convertido a la inflación en una muletilla para atacar la política económica del Gobierno… La reacción opositora, lejos de recoger el guante y abrir la discusión, optó por la salida más simplista: insistir en que el Gobierno sigue “negando la inflación”.
In their blog  INDEC que trabaja [es], INDEC workers defend their methods of calculation, drawing on the International Monetary Fund's predictions for 2011:
La verdad … es que la inflación es un invento mediático que intentan constantemente trasladarlo a la vida real. ¿Se acuerdan del “tomate a $18″ o de “la papa más cara que en París” que titulaba TeleNoche? Bueno, la inflación de la economía está mucho más cerca de las estadísticas del INDEC (similares a las del FMI) que a las mentiras sin un mínimo de rigor científico que muestra Clarin.

author: Fanny Rahmouni


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Armenia-Turkey: Suffering on both sides · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Journalist in Turkey comments on the anniversary of the 1915 massacre and deportation of ethnic Armenians in Ottoman Turkey and says that it was commemorated for the second time in Istanbul this year. It also criticizes the approach taken by activists in the Armenian Diaspora towards the WWI events which many historians consider to be genocide.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Australia: Crusading Christian Lanced by Own Tweets · Global Voices
Kevin Rennie

It’s not easy being an ‘expert’ commentator about both Christianity and all things military. Former commander of Australia’s SAS (Special Air Services) and the current managing director of the Australian Christian Lobby  discovered the pitfalls this week. His tweet during the 25 April national ANZAC Day commemoration is certainly causing a storm:
(Thanks to @MariekeHardy for the screen shot.)
The original tweet, ‘Just hope that as we remember Servicemen and women today we remember the Australia they fought for – wasn’t gay marriage and Islamic!‘, has been deleted.
At North Coast Voices Peter Time posted the contentious tweet and a Seven Sunrise video of Jim defending his remarks.
John Richardson at Your Democracy, ‘democracy is not a spectator sport’, couldn’t resist the religious pun in his post title when attacking Wallace for using his father in his explanation:
What kind of low-life, mealy-mouthed hypocrite would seek to justify his behaviour by dragging his 96 year-old father into the situation …. Wallace may be a former member of the SAS but my Uncles, both of whom fought in Tobruk & on the Kokoda Trail, would view his actions as an act of cowardice.
One thing that Wallace senior would be familiar with, that has never gone away, is our propensity for racism & bigotry. That people like his ‘christian son’ think that this is what they fought for simply demonstrates what a senseless waste war really is.
christian soldiers …..
Ross's Right Angle sees no need for the backdown:
Aussies should be grateful for that guy who’s getting abused by all the worst elements in Australia. Just a pity he didn’t stick to his guns. He has nothing to say sorry for.
… He should never have apologised. He told the truth about how those who sacrificed so much would feel.
ANZAC Day, NOT ANZAC ‘GAY!’ Keep Australia Worth Fighting For!
Senthorun Raj, Senior Policy Advisor for the Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby (NSW) and NSW Vice-President of Amnesty International Australia, posted at The Punch. He takes issue with Wallace’s reference to gay marriage:
As we commemorate ANZAC Day, we not only reflect upon the events of World War I, we also remember what it means to be Australian. An Australia built on mateship, equality and fairness should not allow for any one group of people to be discriminated or marginalised on the basis of their identity.
So why does equality for all, regardless of sex, sexuality or gender identity still cause great anxiety for some?
Christian lobby chief violates the true Anzac spirit
A common defence to twitter indiscretions is that the writer is new to the medium. Wallace claims that he has only a week’s real experience with twitter. However, many tweeters claim otherwise:
GrogsGamut Greg Jericho
Jim Wallace says he's been on Twitter “seriously” for “one week”. When was his first tweet? 2 Feb 2010… http://bit.ly/eWuxsv
Sophist In Training, ‘Thoughts of a Melbourne law student’, ponders where conservatives stand on the issue of gay marriage:
Sparked by @JimWallaceACL ‘s little Twitter fail today and the inevitable cyber-lynching by the ‘gaystapo’ (cheers to Bill Muehlenberg for that gem ) which followed, I started to wonder whether the divide between ‘pro’ and ‘anti’ gay marriage has been wrongly perceived as a left/right issue.
… I’m struggling to think why a self-declared ‘right-winger’ would (in light of modern politics) would necessarily have an opinion on gay marriage in Australia.
Are Australia’s Right Against Gay Marriage?
At Culture Watch, Bill Muehlenberg is not afraid of what he sees as PC:
Jim Wallace, who now heads up the Australian Christian Lobby, was 100 per cent correct in making his remarks.
Instead of living in a democracy where various points of view can be freely heard, we are instead living in a PC state where it is becoming increasingly risky to dare say anything that will rock the PC agendas. The homosexual lobby is clearly the most Stalinist in this regard. They will tolerate absolutely no dissent from their radical agenda.
Anzacs and Political Correctness
The Conscience Vote, ‘Politics for the Human’, is unimpressed by Wallace’s apology:
Notice that Wallace is not apologising for the sentiment, only the timing. So, on any other day, Wallace thinks it would be perfectly fine for him to link Australian deaths in war to his organisation’s ongoing campaign against same-sex marriage (and queer people in general) – not to mention his preoccupation with some imagined creeping ‘Arab menace’. Just not today.
Lest we forget – Anzac Day’s not for politics
The blogosphere and twitterati have been exceptionally active with their comments. Please click any of the above links or search twitter at JimWallace for strong comments from both sides.
This seems to have been another example of that viral cyber disease: not thinking before you tweet.
(Personal note: I have been known to take issue with Jim Wallace about similar issues through my blogs and on twitter.)

author: Kevin Rennie


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Azerbaijan: Talysh socks · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

The Labors of Other Men posts photographs of Talysh socks, traditional woolen footwear that can be ordered online in order to support community development in and around the southern Azerbaijani city of Lankaran.


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Bahrain: Khobiz United  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Bahraini blogger Mahmood Al Yousif shares a video showing how khobiz – a local bread – unites Bahrainis.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Bahrain: Mobile Phone Paranoia  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Bahraini blogger Mahmood Al Yousif writes about paranoia and mobile phones. Is the worry about mobile phone invading privacy warranted? Read the post to find out more.


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China: The Rich Are Fleeing · Global Voices
John Kennedy

The 2011 China Private Wealth Study, released last week by China Merchants Bank and consulting firm Bain & Company has been generating a lot of buzz on Sina Weibo and elsewhere.
Among the more controversial findings of the study is that 27% of the more than 20,000 Chinese multimillionaires with more than US dollar (USD) 15,000,000 in individual assets have already emigrated abroad, and around 60% of those with more than USD 1,500,000 in assets, 960,000 people, have already or are planning to do so. Reportedly, this ‘rich exodus’ began in 2009.
Get your immivestment here!
Micro-opinion on the study results from Sina Weibo:
http://weibo.com/1951154643/24F22nQ49
曹长修
有人说让一部分人先富起来，然后帮助其他人，我在等。可是先富起来的人办投资移民走了，我去找谁帮助？
http://weibo.com/1237851545/ez76nZTDl3k
南宫冷枫
中国社会需要“富翁”带领大家建设国家，创造美好的未来。但如今中国社会更需要的是能为中华民族道德水准之提升献计献策而身体力行者。但是选择投资移民者，人家不乐意为中华民族做这样的事情。既如此，我们又何必要自找没趣而强留或者指责人家呢?
http://weibo.com/1672396517/ez76FS0y9RR
随按而遇
某朋友自己只有一套住房，却热切的希望房价飞涨涨，问他：你只有一套住房只能自己住，房价涨多高对你来说也没用，而且房价涨了会带动无价也上涨，你为什么不盼望着房价跌呢？这个朋友回答：房价只要涨到了够移民的费用，就会马上卖掉房子去办理投资移民，那时候物价再涨也跟他没有关系了。
http://weibo.com/1251083160/ez6vIaD2yWU
田方萌
有记者问我对投资移民的看法，我答：“移民是一部分中国人解决不安全感的方式，但中国人口规模实在太大，我们不可能通过移民别国解决每个人的问题。我期待，有责任感的中国精英不只解决自己的问题，也致力于解决大多数中国人的问题。更一进步，通过解决大多数人的问题，解决自己的问题。”
http://weibo.com/2104282290/ez6vyrGazLY
yin6qcsqf1a
值得关注的富人外逃：据美国国务院公布的资料显示：2008年10月－2009年9月的上一联邦财政年度获批的EB-5类签证移民（投资移民）总数，已从2008财年的1443人升至4218人，其中七成左右来自中国。而加拿大移民局的数据显示：2009年，加国投资移民全球目标人数为2055人，中国大陆的名额就占了1000名左右。
http://weibo.com/1883776764/ez4nXXIb3S4
移民专家凯文
《以开放心态恭送投资移民者离开》 这类人为中国的经济建设做出了重大贡献，然与此同时，他们也获得了巨大的经济利益，成为中国改革开放的最大受益群体。而今该类人选择了投资移民，就一定意义而言，确实会让中国社会的总体财富下降，但笔者认为我们当恭送投资移民者离开中国。 http://t.cn/hdWhv0
The study has also given way to many discussions here and there; this one started by Sina Weibo user ‘Christopher Gold’, is one of the more active, and starts off:
按理说，中国经济崛起，应该留得住财富和人才。错了，从世界各地涌入中国的人多是投机寻宝，而中国60%的千万富翁已经或正在投资移民。2009年来美投资的中国移民比2008年增加了45%。是猪肥了怕被宰，腐败了转移财富，环境污染不得不走，还是预感中国衰退来临，用避险方式实施“中国大逃亡”？匪夷所思！
Oh, but China is in the money now, and 60% of a million millionaires means nothing. There's more where those came from and no need to make any comparisons with the mass emigration tide seen in post-1989 Hong Kong, because, to give the last word to Twitter-based China affairs expert Bill Bishop:
rich r fleeing meme total overblown

author: John Kennedy


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Cuba, U.S.A.: Tamayo to Leave with Son’s Remains  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Bloggers are monitoring the impending departure from Cuba of Reina Luisa Tamayo, who is reported to be going into exile, but not without the remains of her son, “murdered Cuban prisoner of conscience Orlando Zapata Tamayo.”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Egypt: Protesting for Syria  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011.
A protester in front of the Syrian Embassy today. Photograph by Hossam El Hamalawy
Scores of Egyptians joined Syrian students who gathered outside the Syrian Embassy in Cairo in protest against the killing of demonstrators, and called for the overthrow of the Syrian regime of Bashar Al Assad. Protesters chanted in solidarity with the Syrian demonstrators and also prayed for those who lost their lives in the protests.
Lilian Wagdy, who attended the protests, tweets:
Just got back home. Loved the spirit of today's demo @ the #Syrian Embassy. It was fearless, and the atmosphere of solidarity reigned
In another tweet, she notes:
there are 300 people here equally syrians and egyptians i would say #syrian embassy #egypt
Zeinobia, who was also outside the Syrian Embassy, shares this clip showing Syrian students in Cairo chanting (Ar): “Leave! Leave! Bashar!”
Protesters in front of the Syrian Embassy in Cairo today. Photograph by Hossam El Hamalawy
On Twitter, Zeinobia adds:
I am so happy with today's Syria protest in Cairo
Meena Mohy, who was also there, adds (Ar):
And 3arabawy, aka Hossam El Hamalawy shares a collection of photographs he took at the protest here.
On mobile live streaming service, Bambuser, Sherif Boraie shares a clip from the protest by the Syrian Embassy. The protesters are chanting (Ar): “House by house, Syria is all free people.”
Also today, Sarrah tweets:
Protest at #libya embassy in cairo. Libyan Egyptian and Syrian flags. Military police cordone , roads diverted.
This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011.


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Ghana: The Day I Detonated My Twitter Account · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Ghana based blogger Fiona Leonard writes about the day she detonated her Twitter account: “I signed up for a trial of one of those automatic follower programs. Despite my trial lapsing somehow the autofollow lingered and I ended up with 7,500 followers, the majority of whom were pure spam.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Guyana, St. Lucia, T&T: Literary Achievements  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Lots of literature in the regional blogosphere today – Signifyin’ Guyana asks, “You going Trinidad for Bocas?”, while Caribbean Book Blog notes that Trinidadian author Earl Lovelace “has been awarded the first Grand Prize for Caribbean Literature by the Regional Council of Guadeloupe for his new book, Is Just a Movie.”


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Haiti: Amnesty or Justice?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Toussaint on Haiti shares his thoughts about the possible granting of amnesty to Jean-Claude Duvalier and Jean-Bertrand Aristide by the new President-elect.


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India: Challenges Of A Single Working Woman · Global Voices
Rezwan

Neha Saxena at YouthKiAwaaz, a citizen journalism platform for the Indian youth, describes the challenges of a single working Indian woman nearing 30, who have a lot of pressure from the family and society to marry and settle down.

author: Rezwan


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India: Deabating The Draft Internet Control Rules · Global Voices
Rezwan

Nikhil Pahwa at Medianama debates the changes in the cyber law in India which is waiting to be passed soon. In his opinion “these rules give the Indian government the ability to gag free speech, and block any website it deems fit, without publicly disclosing” who did it or why it was done.


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Macedonia: New Laws to Have an Adverse Impact on Cultural Heritage · Global Voices
Filip Stojanovski

New laws in Macedonia are set to have an adverse impact on the country's cultural heritage. Vasilka Dimitrovska, author of the acclaimed blog Archaeological Diary, has reacted [mk] to the fast-track lawmaking from a professional perspective:
The state adopted the Draft-Law on Treatment of Illegally Constructed Objects [mk], popularly known as the Law for Legalization of Illegal Constructions, which will probably deal the final blow to the cultural heritage in the Republic of Macedonia (RM). It is common knowledge that most of archaeological sites remain in rural areas, but there are many in urban environments – in the midst of cities. Most of these sites also house illegal buildings which forever destroyed the ancient towns underneath. According to the Archaeological Map of RM (Volume 2, published by the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts in 1995), just on the territory of the city of Skopje there are over 150 registered archaeological sites. These areas overlap with well-known tumors of illegal constructions in [the villages/suburbs of] Volkovo, Zlokukjani, Pripor…
For instance, the villas of the rich elite in Zlokukjani have encroached well within the 40 hectares covering the remains of the ancient Roman town of Scupi, forever destroying the history that belongs to the citizens of Macedonia and the whole world.
I wanted to write a longer, more documented post about this, but there’s no point in delaying. By legalizing illegal construction around or within the areas of archaeological sites, we will lose a large portion of the Macedonian cultural heritage. This includes some important ancient cities, such as Scupi, Heraclea [mk], Lychnidos, etc. This administration has invested enormous amounts of money in archaeological digs, which, however, failed to produce a single [scientific peer-reviewed] publication, even after all these years. This current law on legalization of illegal construction will destroy the effects of all their investments in archeology.
Roman tombstones and sarcophagi from Scupi in front of the Skopje City Museum, exposed to the elements and airborne pollution. Photo: Filip Stojanovski, available under CC-BY license
As an archaeologist, Ms. Dimitrovska stated that she’s obliged to care about the entire cultural heritage, regardless of the time period of its making. The first step, in her opinion, would be to update and implement the defunct Law on the Cultural Heritage.
A reader nicknamed Aleksandar commented on this post:
It is obvious that those who wrote the Law haven’t consulted anyone – an old and well-known problem in Macedonia. The view from the Cabinet is somewhat limited… It is sad to say it, but the people did not stir about many other things that affect their lives more directly, so it will remain numb about this too. And again we return to the problem of education, and et cetera, and round and round…
Global Voices recently covered complaints by another blogger, who objected to the construction of new state buildings over probable archeological sites in the center of the Macedonian capital.
With the new Law on Treatment of Illegally Constructed Objects, the owners of illegal construction sites are invited to pay EUR 1 per square meter of property to be legalized. As usual, the government started a costly advertising campaign to popularize the law, based on videos played on regime-friendly TV stations. This attempt to replenish the depleted state budget is presented as a way for the urban [mk] and rural [mk] lower classes, who invested in building homes without permits or all the required papers, to cheaply gain real ownership. It also comes in handy to the local power-mongers who have built mansions in nominally protected areas, such as national parks.
Tombstone of Vitalis, an ancient Roman cavalry officer, displayed in front of the Skopje City Museum. Photo: Filip Stojanovski, CC-BY.
To increase the cultural benefit, here’s a bit more information about the archaeological sites from Macedonia mentioned in this post, with links to appropriate Wikipedia articles:

author: Filip Stojanovski