text:
Maldives: Marred by Violence · Global Voices
Saffah Faroog

The political crisis in the Maldives took an ugly turn on Wednesday 8 February, 2012, when police brutally beat and injured supporters of the ousted President Mohamed Nasheed as they protested against what they claimed to be a coup that removed the island nation's first democratically elected president from power.
In the riots that followed, Nasheed's supporters torched and destroyed a number of police stations, courts, local council offices and other public buildings. Scores of police officers were hurt in the violence too.
Earlier in the day, in a meeting of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), the party which won the first multiparty election of the Maldives in 2008 and brought Nasheed to presidency, the deposed President announced that his resignation on Tuesday was coerced.
“We will come to power again,” Nasheed said. “We will never step back. I will not accept this coup and will bring justice to the Maldivians.”
Police charge teargas on protesters. Image by anonymous photographer, used with permission.
Nasheed and his supporters then marched through the capital Malé and faced a line of police behind shields near the island's main square, just next to military and police headquarters. The protesters threw bottles and stones at the police while the police fired teargas canisters into the crowd. The confrontation between the two sides ended in a brutal crackdown by police, leading to blood-soaked protesters being rushed to hospitals. Among those hurt were members of parliament and senior leaders of Nasheed's party.
FreedomWatchMV has posted this video of the confrontation between the security forces and protesters.
Another video shows police dragging an MP and Nasheed out of a shop after dispersing the crowd. Nasheed was released after a debate between the policemen about whether he should be arrested or not. This video shows a blood-soaked man narrating how the police beat him up.
Yameen blogs about the events that took place in Malé:
There is a brutal, concerted effort by the runaway police department to crush protests by supporters of President Nasheed, following his release today.
I have personally witnessed the heavy handed tactics employed to combat MDP activists, energized by the release of President Nasheed earlier today after yesterday's coup d'etat that forced him to resign.
Tear gas was used indiscriminately on Orchid magu near the Supreme court building. Two people were beaten up and lay motionless on the street for a long time before they were dragged and shoved into an ambulance.
Then I saw a police jeep speeding into a crowd of protesters. A police jeep. Absolutely reprehensible.
Police brutality on protesters. Image by anonymous. used with permission.
Muju Naeem ponders if the Maldives has turned into a military dictatorship:
So if President Waheed did not give the order, then we can safely assume that the security forces were acting on their own. What this means is that we have incidentally slipped into a military/police dictatorship where the executive is there only in name only.
Maldives has become a police state.
Maldivian Twitter users have started using 3 hashtags to tell their story. Please follow;
1. #maldivespolicestate
2. #mvprotest
3. #mvcoup
Following the events in the capital, Nasheed's supporters responded by rioting in outer islands, setting police stations on fire, throwing stones at policemen on duty and burning down courts and several other public buildings. In a number of islands they drove the police out and seized the police stations.
Maldivians and foreigners are tweeting about the new wave of violence that has gripped the holiday haven.
foram divrania tweets:
@divrania: Peace to Maldives..ur too beautiful for politics and violence.
Nattu tweets:
@reallynattu: “@hisherm: I don't support any political parties. I support Maldives.” Including Me!
There is an eerie calm in the islands and the capital on Thursday as people remain tense about what could happen next. In a press conference, the commanders of the police and military assured that order will be restored and promised to investigate the previous day's violence.
Speaking to journalists at his residence, Nasheed said he was forced to resign by some military personnel as the country's police force mutinied against his rule. Calling for fresh elections, he vowed to come back to power and reassured that he has no intention of grabbing power through street riots. He also condemned the acts of violence his supporters had committed in various islands.

author: Saffah Faroog


text:
Mexico, USA: Journalist and Author Sam Quinones Starts Blogging · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Author and journalist Sam Quinones has started a blog about “Los Angeles, Mexico, migrants, culture, drugs, neighborhoods, border, and good storytelling.” You can also follow him on Twitter: @samquinones7.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Silvia Viñas


text:
Panama: Government and Indigenous Peoples Reach Agreement After Clashes Over Mining   · Global Voices
Ariel Moreno

Panama went to bed on Saturday February 4, 2012, with the uncertainty as to what would happen on the Panamericana road, where for the fifth day indigenous peoples were spending the night in the middle of the highway and preventing the circulation of vehicles. The latest news stated that mobile phone networks had been shut down in the area of the conflict, leaving protesters and detainees cut off.
La Prensa [es] reported:
Luego de múltiples quejas de los usuarios que han intentado comunicarse con personas en la zona del oriente chiricano en donde está cerrada la vía Interamericana las telefónicas comunicaron que el servicio está suspendido por orden de las autoridades competentes.
Previous experience and the apparent inability of the government to negotiate prompted fears of an inevitable confrontation. On Sunday, the Twitter account of the National Police of Panama (@protegeryservir) [es] reported that it had successfully obtained the release of the “kidnapped” and therefore the re-opening of the Panamericana road.
COMUNICADO N.1: Informamos a la ciudadanía que en 1hora30minutos se logró rescate de todos los secuestrados en Vía Panamericana…
The lack of communication by mobile phone meant that news of the events spread slowly and somewhat strangely. Many rumours surrounding the time and the means taken to open the road spread on social networks. Later on the police confirmed on their Twitter [es] account that a man had died in circumstances which remain unclear:
COMUNICADO N.2: Se confirma el fallecimiento de ciudadano identificado preliminarmente como Jerónimo Montezuma, se investigan las causas…
The opening of the road by force did not bring an end to the problem, but instead unleashed chaos not only on the Panamericana but also in other areas of the country where different groups and unions grouped together to show support for the indigenous people. The violence with which events unfolded was criticised and social networks were filled with photos and videos showing images of the police intervention.
YouTube user hjuonnieful uploaded the following video showing police repression in a hospital on February 5:
On Monday, February 6, streets were closed at various points around the country. The indigenous people also became violent and burnt [es] at least two police stations. Soon a propaganda war began in which the police denied what was being shown in the media and the security minister Raúl Molino criticised the lies which were being told.
The Panamanian blogger “Puppetmaster” complains about this in his blog Oye-pty [es]:
¿Cuál es el afán de la Polícia Nacional, nuestra principal institución de “seguridad”, de desmentir los enfrentamientos entre indígenas y unidades ARMADAS mediante su cuenta de Twitter @ProtegeryServir cuando en realidad si están ocurriendo?  Gracias a Dios la histeria “inncecesaria” que quieren hacer ver que la población crea queda evidenciada en imágenes captadas por los reporteros gráficos, en este caso el excelente trabajo de Eliezer Oses del diario La Estrella en las que se puede ver a un uniformado haciendo uso de su arma de reglamento, aún cuando la Policía lo niega.
In the same way, Joao Q. in his blog Mediocerrado [es] criticises the way in which the security minister has communicated events, and in passing, makes reference to a scandal over the purchase of “overpriced” speed cameras:
Un hombre muere en las protestas. Testigos dicen que de un tiro. Otros tienen evidencias de casquillos de 9mm. Las enseñan en las pantallas. Frente a cámaras de televisión. Ministro niega todo uso de armas de fuego en protestas. Alega que las 9mm no son armas de reglamento policial. Llama mentirosos a los que han hablado de casquillos de este tipo de armas de guerra. Ministro sostiene cara de sarcasmo burlesco mientras dice todo esto en cadena nacional. Su grotesco peinado –black-and-white-pepelepú-style– lo sostiene un fijador muy caro que compró en Italia con dinero de cuestionables fuentes. Uno puede imaginar cosas entre tanta incertidumbre. Pero hay radares que lo indican.
However, there are also those who condemn the behaviour of the indigenous people, as is the case of Luis Felipe Manfredo (@luismanfredo) [es] who suggests that if mining doesn't destroy Panama, the indigenous will:
creo antes ke tal vez lo haga la mineria la destruccion, los mismos indigenas desean destruir a Panama.
Some have also shown their support for the actions of the National Police. For example Clemente Yoell (@CYoell07) [es] thanks the police for fulfilling their constitutional duty:
@protegeryservir ESTAN HACIENDO LO QUE POR LEY LO DEBEN HACER! Felicidades!
On Tuesday, February 7, feelings were still running high although the negotiations which the Panamanians hoped would bring peace had begun.
The indigenous leader Silvia Carrera (@CaciqueGeneral) [es] reported on the beginning of the dialogue with the mediation of the Catholic church on her Twitter account.
Estamos iniciando dialogo con el gobierno en compañía de Monseñor Lacunza y el Padre Adonaí
C. Bernal (@cacike1976) [es], who describes himself in his biography as “A ngäbe father, husband, and someone who is proud of where he comes from”, comments in two Tweets (1 [es], 2 [es]) which forgive the president and ministers for the damage done but which state that it must never be forgotten.
Pueblo ngäbe perdona y no le desea mal a RM (Ricardo Martinelli), su equipo d ministros, unidades policias q asesinaron a nuestros hermanos y a los miles q …
The ngäbe people forgive and wish no harm to RM (Ricardo Martinelli), his team of ministers, the police units who assessinated our brothers and the thousands who…
Nos odian,menosprecian x reclamar lo justo y x el solo hecho d ser ngäbes,perdonados, pero QUEDA PROHIBIDO IGNORAR Y OLVIDAR las injusticias.
They hate us and look down on us for reclaiming what is just and just for being ngäbes, we forgive them, but IT IS FORBIDDEN TO IGNORE AND FORGET the injustices done.
By the February 7, a second death was added to the total, a young man of 16 years old, although at the time of writing this post the causes of death are unknown, as La Prensa [es] reports:
Juan José Ibarra, padre de crianza del menor de edad que murió en un incidente confuso en el corregimiento de Las Lomas, provincia de Chiriquí la noche de ayer, pidió este martes, 7 de febrero, que se investigue la muerte de este menor de 16 años.
Finally, at 6pm on Tuesday, February 7, the government gave in to the demands [es] of the Ngäbe Buglé, prohibiting the use of the region for the exploitation of minerals or water. The Panamanians now ask themselves if such doubt and death were necessary in order to reach this agreement. Karla Acedo (@karla_acedo) [es] remains hopeful that a lesson has been learnt:
Ven? eso es sentarse a dialogar, ahora tomen nota y apliquenlo siempre

author: Ariel Moreno


text:
Puerto Rico: Extraordinary Decisions  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“What do you say when you meet someone you think is extraordinary? You should say ‘Hi!’ and then start a conversation,” says Gil the Jenius, who profiles the extraordinary Andrea Pérez, a speaker at the recently held TEDx San Juan.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


text:
Russia: DDoS Attack Puts Down Several Political Websites As Cyberwar Escalates · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

On February 9, 2012, following the widely-discussed leaks of pro-Kremlin mailboxes, LiveJournal, where the leaks were published, became temporarily unavailable, Lenta.ru reported [ru]. Russian representative of Anonymous group @OP_Russia, suggested [ru] that it was a DDoS attack to hide the evidence of massive wrongdoings (including corruption, thievery, political provocations, and cybercrime) [ru] by Nashi youth movement. Later that day @OP_Russia took responsibility for taking down 3 websites of United Russia party: mos-partya.ru, er-region.ru, and er-kaluga.ru.

author: Alexey Sidorenko


text:
Russia: Three Conversations With Parents of Young Neo-Nazis · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

At OpenDemocracy.net, Olesya Gerasimenko talks to the parents of three young neo-Nazi men who were convicted of race murders: “One has adopted the views of their only child and says that violence is necessary. One blames the politicians that have incited adolescents to street fighting. One cries, convinced of the innocence of his son. They are all different, but they have all asked themselves one and the same question: ‘am I to blame for what happened?’”

author: Veronica Khokhlova


text:
Sahel Region: 1.6 Million Children at Risk of Malnutrition  · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

Afrik.com reports that [fr]: ” because of the low harvest and an increase of 60 to 80 % in cereal pricing, 10 millions people across Niger, Mali, Mauritania, Burkina Faso and Chad will be affected by food security issues, including 1.6 million children.”

author: Lova Rakotomalala


text:
South Africa: Virgin Active Caught in Racism Row · Global Voices
Ismail Dhorat

South African newspapers ran a story recently about a South African woman who was racially abused in public at the Virgin Active gym in Morningside, Johannesburg. The story has caused a public outcry on social media which resulted in Virgin Active re-opening the investigation into the incident.
Memeburn reported:
The Virgin Active franchise of gyms has reopened an investigation into a racist incident which allegedly occurred during a class at one of its clubs, following pressure on social media.
The incident in question reportedly occurred late last year. During a spinning class one member allegedly took offence to another’s enthusiasm calling her a “bloody k*****, a cockroach and a selfish bitch”.
The woman had reportedly been shouting “Yebo” (meaning “yes” in a number of South Africa’s indigenous languages) as the instructor put them through the various exercises.The two parties were then supposed to meet up, with the man being ordered to apologise to the woman. He then reportedly said that he would not be able to make the arranged meeting.
According to the woman, however, the man saw her at the club on the day in question but refused to speak to her.
Speaking to national newspaper The Star, the woman said that Virgin Active’s disciplinary committee had repeatedly questioned her account as her alleged attacker was a lawyer and that if she was found to be lying her gym contract would be terminated.
Virgin Active’s Karen Gordon, meanwhile, told The Star that “the member that allegedly misbehaved also received formal correspondence…which included a final warning”.
That, it seems, is where Virgin Active would have left the matter had it not received national media attention.
@ComicalTshepo at a Virgin Active Gym in South Africa Virgin Active waiting for the moment to shout ‘YEBO’ (a Zulu word meaing Yes). Photo courtesy of @ComicalTshepo.
Media reports resulted in an outcry on social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook, Virgin Active backtracked and decided to re-open the issue. This also resulted in other people coming forward about similar incidents.
Even Virgin Head, Richard Branson decided to respond:
We do not condone any form of discrimination at Virgin – especially racism. We are taking this incident extremely seriously and intend to look at all the facts to reach the right outcome for all parties concerned. Ross Faragher-Thomas, Virgin Active South Africa’s Managing Director, is investigating the whole incident personally and is meeting the two members next week to make sure we look at the facts and are fair to everyone who is involved. A meeting was also conducted with both members on Saturday, and the member apologised to the other.
However, we do not condone members or anybody else abusing each other in any way and intend to reinvestigate this incident fully.
I have been to South Africa on many occasions and been inspired by the many wonderful people I have met there. As Jonathan Jansen said: “My South Africa is…often unseen, yet powered by the remarkable lives of ordinary people. It is the citizens who keep the country together through millions of acts of daily kindness.”
We intend to get to the bottom of this incident and I want to repeat that we will not tolerate any form of prejudice.
Facebook users commented on Virgin Active Facebook page following Richard Branson statement. Anne Barker responded:
I don't think your response is strong enough Mr Branson. Your MD here should have spoken up straight away, suspended the manager of the Sunninghill and blocked the membership of the person who spoke so shockingly to a woman. The millions of acts of kindness become nullified by one racist bigot.
Khanyisa Vuyokazi Mbassa felt that:
Apartheid still lives in this country, all the that the democracy did was to give Black south africans freedom to retaliate without fear of being incarcerated.
The South African blogosphere was not behind. Kaloo5 note that:
So Virgin Active were rather inactive in their response and handling of the matter, possibly hoping that it would simply go away. Kudos to Liz Hleza for insisting her story be told, and not taking the abuse lying down.
Tarryn observed that the incident was not about race:
The fact remains. This was about inappropriate behaviour, not about race. It’s sad how easy it is to start a racial war in this country. More tolerance, people. It’s the only way we’ll survive.
Pierre De Vos looked at the incident from a legal and constitutional perspective:
However, regardless of whether one follows the stricter definition of discrimination provided in the definitions section of PEPUDA or whether one follows the provisions of section 7, the Virgin Active gym might well be found guilty of unfair discrimination.
Meanwhile we await word from Virgin Active to see whether the publicity might have shamed it into taking this reported incident as seriously as it deserves. If it does not, Hleza might well want to take both the abuser and Virgin Active to the Equality Court.
On Twitter @PabiMoloi said:
@PabiMoloi: I'm proud that the Mama spoke up about the racist attack at Virgin Active. There is still deep racism in South Africa. Don't be fooled.
@Eusebius felt that:
@Eusebius: The acid test of whether you TRULY ‘get race’ is whether you got angry as you read that article about the racism incident at Virgin Active
@KimSchulze urged virgin active members to protest:
@KimSchulze: I would like to urge every virgin active class-taker tonight, to yell out “YEBO!” in protest against the forty other Spinners who failed to
Some users such as @ComicalTshepo took up the challenge and decided to yell “Yebo” in protest:
At a spin class at Virgin Active waiting for my big moment to shout ‘YEBO’. Wish me luck
@anele wanted to know the culprit's name:
@anele: Dear Virgin Active, as a kaffir I would like to know this guys name just so us kaffirs know to not make the mistake of dealing with him

author: Ismail Dhorat


text:
South Korea: Activist Indicted for Retweeting North Korean Messages · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

South Korean prosecutors indicted a photographer and freedom-of-speech activist last week on charges of violating national security law, for retweeting messages posted by an official North Korean government Twitter account. Despite the international media's widespread coverage, the case went seriously under-reported in South Korean media.
This case has sparked another round of debate on the controversial national security law, which prohibits “acts benefiting the enemy” without specifying what constitutes such acts.
Controversial tweets
Park Jung-geun, 23, was detained last month, but the incident actually goes back to September 2010, when police raided his photo studio in Seoul. According to one news report [ko], Park, from 2010 March to January 2011, with his two Twitter accounts (@seouldecadence, @dprkdecadence), retweeted about 102 messages originally tweeted by North Korean Twitter account @uriminzok. He also tweeted 30 links that led to North Korean video content.
Twitter profile image of user @windburial, the user switched to this image created by Park in order to show his support to Park.
The overall number of Park's “problematic” tweets is 384, which is only about 0.5 per cent of his entire tweets. In his trial, these tweets were depicted as “an expression of an agreement with the enemy's (referring to North Korea) propaganda” and were accused of “promoting the enemy's messages”.
Park claimed his retweets were a joke made to lampoon the North Korean regime and explained that the misunderstanding rose from reading his tweets out of context.
For instance, Park tweeted a tweaked image of a North Korean poster (see right). Using a typically North Korean poster, which are usually aggressive, warmongering and whose major color is red, Park replaced the soldier's face with his own face and the rifle with a bottle of whisky.
In another example, Park compared himself to North Korea's new heir, Kim Jong-un, since like Kim, he had ‘inherited’ something from his father, which in Park's case is a photo studio.
South Korean media silence
What has baffled South Koreans however, is that although the police raided Park's studio last year and there has been quite strong opposition against the case online (including the creation of Internet photo memes of Park), recent updates have mostly come from the international media. Until local media reported about this unusual flow of information, Park's indictment was fairly new to the South Korean general public.
Hong Sung-soo (@sungsooh) tweeted [ko]:
“北 풍자한 박정근이 이적행위?”…외신 일제히 비판 : bit.ly/yK0WtI 뉴욕타임스, 워싱턴포스트, AP, AFP, UPI, CBS, MSNBC, 더 오스트레일리안, BBC… 외신보도 슈퍼 그랜드슬램 달성!!
A journalist from progressive newspaper, Huh Jae-yeon (@welovehani) tweeted [ko]:
우리만 보도안하고 있음
A Twitter account has been set up to support Park (@freepark_bot), summarizing[ko] in just one sentence what his real charge is:
박정근의 죄목: 트위터로 이것저것 한 거
Internet photo meme
Here are some of the meme photos produced back in September 2011, consolidated by Wiki Tree: firstly, starting with Park's original Twitter profile photo:
Park's original Twitter profile image, Image from his account @seouldecadence
Profile image of Twitter user @blu_pn. Posted on Wiki Tree site, CC
The image above shows Park's image with him holding a large blue pen. The tweet [ko] read:
Some of the messages from the Wiki Tree link [ko] read…
Twitter user @yawoori [ko]:
우리 모두는 박정근이다!
Twitter user @Chocoberryp [ko]:
프로필 제 사진 아닙니다. ‘국가보안법 위반'이라는 이유로 박정근님에 대한 압수수색에 항의하는 의미에서 수많은 사람들이 프로필에 박정근을 자처하고 있습니다.
Various Internet meme photos of Park Jung-geun, Posted in the Wiki Tree site, CC
Twitter user @Solidaritat [ko]:
이토록 많은 박정근을 죄다 가두지는 못할 것이며, 또 이토록 많은 박정근으로 인해 그 한 명의 박정근은 반드시 자유로워질 것이다. 필시 그리될 것이다.
Rights advocates, including Amnesty International, released a statement to voice worries that the law “has a chilling effect on freedom of expression in South Korea” and “is used not to address threats to national security, but instead to intimidate people and limit their rights to free speech”.
Park's socialist party filed an online petition [ko] denouncing such decision as “an abuse of the national security law which is an icon of the military, authoritarian regime era”.
The remaining problem is that still a considerable number of Korean public are in support of this controversial law under which a considerable number of innocent citizens have been arrested and detained. Kim Nakho (@capcold), who has a Twitter profile photo that tweaked Park's profile image, tweeted [ko]:
어처구니없는 박정근 구속…보다 그에 관한 외신보도 때문에 급 조명받는 시대착오 국보법. 이왕 관심 가진 김에, 왜 그게 지금껏 살아있는지에 대해도 관심을. 국보법 없으면 국가보안 망한다 믿는 평범한 많은 이들의 학습능력 결여된 지지 말이다.

author: Lee Yoo Eun


text:
Spain: The Rebel Grandparents of the 15M · Global Voices
Lali Sandiumenge

This post is part of our special coverage Europe in Crisis.
They call themselves “the children” of 15M despite the fact that the majority of them far exceed the age of 60, they are retired, they are “iaios” (grandparents, in Catalan) and they are veterans of long-term activism.
Celestino Sánchez, Antonia Jover, Adrián Rísquez, and Rosario Cunillera are some of the members of the the “Iaioflautas,” a collective that emerged in Barcelona last October alongside the camping grounds in Plaza Catalunya.  Its objective is to support the youth in their own way. But the fight, they assert, is the same: “for a dignified democracy by name and social justice against conspiratorial bankers and politicians.”
The “iaioflautas,” whose name was invented in solidarity with the “perroflautas” (gutter punks) — a derrogatory term with which the president of Madrid used to refer to the young occupiers — combine some of the methods they used in the anti-Franco, labor union, local or leftist fights with their learning about new technologies. To summarize, they organize a “direct action” in the street once a month, almost in secret, and do not announce it on their Twitter account, @iaioflautas, or blog [es] until it has already begun. That way, they avoid problems with the police.
The first event took place in November, when they occupied a Santander Bank office in Barcelona.  The most recent one, called “Operation #RebelionBus,” occurred on Wednesday, February 1. Some 70 “yayos” (grandparents) arranged to meet in the very center of the Catalan capital and “hijacked” a bus in protest of the abusive increase in public transportation fares.
They chose Line 47, in reference to the missing bus driver and syndicalist Manuel Vital [es] that hijacked a bus on this line in May of 1978 to demonstrate that he could get to his neighborhood. The following is part of a series of tweets that they started writing a few days before with the help of young activists:
January 30:
@iaioflautas: #eldía1F los @iaioflautas vamos a hacer algo muy loco. (puenting…como que no). Filosofía #occupy 99% ¿Le dais un meneito? Gracias!
@iaioflautas: #Feb1 the @iaioflautas are going to do something really crazy. (bungee jumping… but of course).  #occupy 99% Philosophy.  Will you give it a little shake?  Thank you!
@celescolorado: Miércoles 1 por la mañana nueva travesura de @iaioflautas, síguenos
January 31:
@iaioflautas: Tic-tac, tic-tac…cuenta atrás para una travesura más. Será #eldia1f ¡especuladores, os vais a enterar! Somos el 99%. No olvidamos.
February 1:
@iaioflautas:  En marcha! Hoy será un día largo. No olvidéis el bocadillo, medicaciones varias… Hoy entramos en acción. ¡Atentos!
@iaioflautas: Calentando motores, q frío que hace!
@iaioflautas: Hemos ocupado un autobús, el 47, en pl. Catalunya. Somos más de 70 @iaioflautas, la acción ha empezado, seguidnos en #rebelionbus
@iaioflautas: [Calle] Industria con Sardenya. Que se escuche: rechazamos las reducciones de tarifas y el plan de recortes salariales #rebelionbus
@iaioflautas: Aquí podéis ver algunas fotos de #rebelionbus. Vamos por Ronda Guineueta. Estamos ocupando el bus 47 http://www.iaioflautas.org/2012/02/operacio-rebelionbus/
@iaioflautas: Bueno, el trayecto de ida ha acabado. Ahora, volviendo para la Plaza Catalunya. Sobre las 12:30 haremos una asamblea allí #rebelionbus
@iaioflautas: Final del trayecto mañanero de la #rebelionbus. La lucha continúa con #yonopago esta tarde. pic.twitter.com/8GaRmzSw
@celescolorado: En la asamblea final en pz. Catalunya @iaioflautas hemos cantado el cumpleaños feliz a un compañero, Manolo González cumplía 80 años
@celescolorado: At the final assembly in Pl. Catalunya @iaioflautas We sang Happy Birthday to a friend, Manolo González, who turned 80
And here is the video that @15Mbc_tv recorded and edited:
The #RebeliónBus operation had been prepared a week before, during a meeting I attended.  I had been following the Iaioflautas for some time online, and I wanted to get to know them.  There they finalized the details of the action and began planning the “prank” that they will carry out in March.  This is part of what some of them told me:
Celestino Sánchez, 61 years old:
Celestino. (Screen shot taken by the author)
El 15M representó para gente como nosotros una especie de aire fresco. La situación ha cambiado y hay un nuevo escenario y tenemos que volver a aprender. Eso no quiere decir que nuestro pasado no sirva, pero las cosas son diferentes. Por ejemplo, hace diez años era impensable que se convocara a través de las redes sociales la ocupación de la plaza Catalunya. Se decía que la gente joven no hacía nada, y hace, hace mucho. La gente de las generaciones futuras vivirá peor que la del pasado, ese es otro cambio. Lo que creo que no ha cambiado son los objetivos: una sociedad en las que las personas podamos vivir libremente, que tengamos vivienda, transporte, que estudiemos. Eso lo queríamos hace treinta años y ahora también, sigue siendo vigente.
Antonia Jover, 72 years old:
Antonia. (Screen shot taken by the author)
Me gusta mucho esta forma de lucha, porque pienso que es una forma directa y, además, responde a la concepción que siempre he tenido de la democracia. La democracia es poder del pueblo, ningún gobierno puede ser democrático, porque los gobiernos son represivos. La verdadera democracia está en el pueblo y en la vigilancia del pueblo de que los gobiernos cumplan lo que prometen. Los iaioflautas podemos aprovechar las experiencias que teníamos del franquismo. Entonces los que queríamos una sociedad democrática teníamos un enemigo común, el franquismo, un sistema bárbaro y represivo. Y ahora, ¿por qué no hacer una misma experiencia de la unidad contra los especuladores y los financieros? Nos afecta al 99% de la población y sólo es el 1% el que se beneficia. Ésta es la idea.”
Adrián Rísquez, 77 years old:
Adrián. (Screen shot taken by the author)
En los iaioflautas me siento muy bien. Llevo cinco años encerrado en la Federación de Asociaciones de vecinos hablando de la sanidad sin salir a la calle y como nuestra trayectoria fue en la calle, dentro de los locales no me aguantaba. Con los iaios hacemos lo que me gusta, en la calle, porque lo hicimos en aquellos tiempos y lo estábamos echando en falta. Decíamos que era necesario que la juventud saliera a la calle, pues ya está en la calle y ahora lo que tenemos que hacer es estar con ellos, que ellos aprendan de nosotros y nosotros de ellos. No se puede estar en casa porque las cosas que tenemos no las hemos conseguido en casa. La sanidad pública se consiguió en la calle y tenemos que conseguir en la calle para que no nos la quiten.
Rosario Cunillera, 66 years old:
Rosario. (Screen shot taken by the author)
Todo empezó cuando fuimos a la plaza Catalunya a ver a los jóvenes y saber qué pensaban. No entramos en su lucha, porque, para mí, era totalmente diferente a cuando vine a Barcelona, a los 18 años, a luchar contra Franco. Pero fue un impulso nuevo. Ellos van a encontrar su forma de luchar, pensé, con el Twitter y todo esto. Y me apunté a los iaioflautas y cada vez que hay algo de los jóvenes, procuramos ir. Los jóvenes del 15M nos han dado un poco de ilusión y eso es algo que nos faltaba a la gente mayor.
This post is part of our special coverage Europe in Crisis.

author: Lali Sandiumenge


text:
Sri Lanka: Social Media Success Stories · Global Voices
Rezwan

Amitha Amarasinghe discusses the use of social media by the corporates in Sri Lanka and ponders whether there are any social media success stories in Sri Lanka.

author: Rezwan


text:
Trinidad & Tobago: Cocoyea Craftiness · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The cocoyea (pronounced Ko-ki-ye) is “the mid rib of the coconut leaf that is stripped with a knife” and has many uses, from bird-catching to kite-flying; in this post, Simply Trini Cooking explains how to make a broom out of it, which he calls “an integral part of our culture.”


text:
Trinidad & Tobago: Seeing Siparia  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

MEP Publishers visits Siparia, a vibrant community that has had a fascinating part to play in the island's history.


text:
Africa: 2012 Cup Semi-Finals Put West Africa in the Spotlight · Global Voices
Francois-Xavier Ada-Affana

Three of the four teams remaining in the 2012 Cup of Nations at the time of writing [Tuesday 7 February, 2012] are from West Africa: Côte d'Ivoire, Mali and Ghana are set to play in the tournament semi-finals on Wednesday 8, 2012. Games will be played in Bata, Equatorial Guinea (Ghana) and at Libreville, Gabon (Mali vs Côte d'Ivoire). They are joined by Zambia, participating in their first semi-finals for 16 years.
The 3-0 quarter-final victory of Zambia against Sudan revived the hopes of supporters. A goal from defender Stopilla Sunzu in the fifteenth minute, followed by a second after 66 minutes from Captain Chris Katongo and another four minutes from the end by James Chamanga, clinched Zambia's first semi-final place since 1996.
eggwinedu commented on www.fifa.com:
Congratulations Zambia. You deserve it :) It may have occurred at the dismay of Sudan (another well improved team), but Zambia has now really set the world stage with great finesse. Good job
silvanorsa7 in South Africa added:
We are with you all the way Zambia…. the only Southern African country still in the competition! Viva Chris Katongo
Vicente Vizo Ngobeni tweeted:
@Mahuntsu: People are undermining Zambia. #Afcon2012
And Sipho Mazibuko replied:
@msiphola: They'so focused, they got a chance. Ghana is not convincing
Meanwhile, the Elephants of Côte d'Ivoire secured their seventh semi-final place since 1970, beating Equatorial Guinea, one of the host countries, 3-0.
Equatorial Guinea fan in tears by @Noella_ELLOH
The Eagles of Mali overcame the Panthers of Gabon with a 5-4 penalty shootout victory following a full time 1-1 draw:
http://youtu.be/JXg6e2E4Bac
The Black Stars of Ghana confirmed their place in the semis with goals from John Mensah and André Ayew giving a 2-1 victory over Tunisia. Tunisia held the score at 1-1 until injury time before bowing out after a 101st minute blunder from their goalkeeper, Aymen Mathlouthi, gave Ghana their second goal.
There is a great atmosphere of celebration and interest surrounding this tournament. From Mali to Zambia, fans have shared their excitement as well as their predictions regarding the 28th Africa Cup of Nations Final, scheduled to take place on Sunday 12 February, in Stade de l'Amitié, Libreville, Gabon.
Fans of Ivory Coast by @Ceschod
Fans shared reactions on Twitter [fr]:
@Monsieur__K: Moi je dis la finale c'est Ghana/Cote d'ivoire #can2012
@Ceschod: Football Africain: qui s'attend comme moi à une finale #GhanaVS #CôtedIvoire, #can2012 ? #afcon
@aliounedia: #can2012 ça sent 1 finale Ghana Côte d'Ivoire … heureusement que yayah est la @miezanezo
Swithin Swaray went further on Facebook, giving his opinion of some weak points of the Ghana team:
The Black Star has not got what it takes to win CAN2012….30 years down the line, we are still counting. Lacking ideas up front, no fire power, no man daring enough to shoot from around the 18.
Ghana and Mali each got the better of their respective opponents after long matches of more than 120 minutes. Will they have the necessary energy and stamina to face Zambia and the Côte d'Ivoire?
The semi-finals of Wednesday 8 February will reveal the answer.

author: Francois-Xavier Ada-Affana


text:
Barbados: “Insultingly Low” Sentence  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Barbados Free Press publishes a letter from a reader, expressing outrage at the minimun sentence for a man that claimed self-defense in his ex-girlfriend's murder: “At the same time we are all discussing Raul Garcia who got 15 years for his offense. So if this murderer had weed in his possession at the time, he would get more time for the weed than for killing this woman?”


text:
Brazil: “We Are All Pinheirinho” Spreads Around the World · Global Voices
Raphael Tsavkko Garcia

[All the links lead to Portuguese language pages except when otherwise noted.]
Brazilians all over the world, as well as citizens from different countries, have mobilized online and organized protests in various cities like Paris, Madrid, Berlin, Buenos Aires, among others, in support of the community of Pinheirinho. The settlement was recently evicted with extreme violence by the Military Police of São Paulo and the Civil Guard in the city of Sao Jose dos Campos, in what became known as the “Massacre of Pinheirinho.”
Teacher Lúcio Flávio de Almeida comments:
Os lutadores e lutadoras do Pinheirinho foram desalojados e vivem uma situação muito difícil, extremamente difícil. No entanto, sua luta, que é nossa luta, continua. Sob certos aspectos, cresce e deve crescer ainda mais.
The citizens were organized under the motto “We are all Pinheirinho” on Facebook, in blogs and on the streets. The movement, in a letter released by the blog Vi o Mundo, explains:
Pessoas em várias cidades do mundo estão agindo em rede para mostrar sua indignação pelos acontencimentos no Brasil. São brasileiros e pessoas de várias nacionalidades buscando pressionar para que a situação das famílias em Pinheirinho não caia no esquecimento facilmente.
Activist Erick Cristiano produced a video with pictures of various events around the world and posted it on YouTube:
“Eu sou do país dos Pinheirinhenses” (I am of the country of the Pinheirinese) is the motto of a group of activists who put out the Tumblr “What is your country?”, which now has dozens of videos of people declaring their solidarity with the people expelled from Pinheirinho like the following uploaded by user engenhoso:
On January 27, a group of Brazilians protested in front of the Brazilian Embassy in Madrid, capital of Spain, with a great banner and a flag of Brazil.
"Solidarity with Pinheirinho. Brazilians in Madrid". Protest in Madrid. Photo by Fábio TQrz, used with permission
The group also released a letter of complaint, in Portuguese and Spanish, questioning the President of Brazil, Dilma Rousseff, and Minister of the Special Secretariat of Human Rights, Maria do Rosário, requesting action regarding the homeless of Pinheirinho.
Protesters talk to the secretary of the embassy after the ambassador refused to receive them. Photo by Fábio TQrz, used with permission
Protest in Lisbon. Photo by Soraya Barret, used with permission
Protest in Lisbon. Photo by Soraya Barret, used with permission
"We are all Pinheirinho". Photo by Christian Russau, used with permission
"São Paulo: Stop the politics of sanitation". Photo by Christian Russau, used with permission
Protest in Paris. Photo by Dudas Bastos, used with permission
A Facebook group was created where one can read in French, a manifesto in solidarity with Pinheirinho. Daniel Ybarra, on Facebook, announced that the letter sent by the group to the Brazilian Embassy would be sent to the Brazilian government.
Protest in Paris. Photo by Maite Weill, used with permission
Another protest was also held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where at least 30 people engaged in the march from the “Obelisco”, singing all the way.
Protest in Buenos Aires. Photo by Victoria Vajda, used with permission
In Santiago, Chile, at least 20 people concentrated in the Plaza de Los Heroes, where the embassy of Brazil is located. The protest also gathered some Chileans.
In Natal, in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, a demonstration took place on January 31 and in Curitiba, a banner of protest was exposed during a football game of the Paranaense Championship.
Photo by Rodrigo Tomazini, used with permission
Filmmaker Pedro Rios Leão ended his hunger strike after 11 days. The activist Alysson Bordi joined him but had to suspend the strike after being referred for medical care in a health clinic on February 7. The activist, however, wrote a manifesto in which he gives the reasons for the end of the strike and asks for support for the cause.
On Sunday the municipal guard of the city of Rio de Janeiro tried to remove the strikers and other activists who were with Pedro:
Pessoal, ontem a guarda municipal gentilmente atendeu a pedidos e chegou para nos remover. Depois de puxar cacetete, ameaçar muito nos agredir, resolveram só nos deixar ao relento. […] Na confusão perdi meu celular e algumas outras coisas. O acampamento ficou desbaratado e os ânimos devastados. No sol, e no pior ponto da greve, eu comecei a passar muito mal.
Firefighters and military police officers on the eve of going on strike in the city supported the hunger strike of Pedro, that completed 11 days on Wednesday, February 8, when it came to an end:
11 dias sem sentir gosto nenhum, 12 quilos a menos no meu corpo. Espero que sirva para alguma coisa. Não peço desculpas pelo transtorno. Isso foi só uma tentativa.
Activists support the hunger strike of Pedro Leão. Photo by Pedro Leão, free use.
On February 2, a great act took more than 5,000 people to the streets of São José dos Campos to protest and show solidarity with the residents of Pinheirinho.
Meanwhile, fundraising campaigns are oganized and it is immense the pressure on politicians to take a stand in relation to the disproportionate violence and on the help the evicted families need.

author: Raphael Tsavkko Garcia


text:
Cuba: Prisoner of 18 Years Released  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“After almost 18 years as a captive in the Castro gulag, Rafael Ibarra Roque on Thursday was released from jail“: Uncommon Sense says that “his release represents a victory for Ibarra, his family and the Cuban opposition.”


text:
France: A Drone Campaigning… for President · Global Voices
Suzanne Lehn

Dédé l'Abeillaud (another name for a drone – a male bee in a colony of social bees, which inspires his costume) is the self-proclaimed candidate of biodiversity for the French presidential election of 2012. He boasts of winning over 300 promised votes for local officials, as much as the National Front candidate Marine Le Pen. He humorously details his commitments, particularly the defense of bees, and his political agenda on his blog [fr], where his press representative is said to be “responsible for the clearing of the conscience”.

author: Suzanne Lehn


text:
France: How Are PACS and Marriage Different? · Global Voices
Abdoulaye Bah

Pierre Vicari [fr] had this to say about the results of a survey [fr] which appeared on the site Lefigaro.fr, “To the ignoramuses who say that PACS and marriage are the same thing: No! A PACS does not provide any of the same rights as marriage! In addition, you intolerant people who do not want equality for all human beings, please tell us why because so far, despite the years that this debate has been going on, nobody has been able to put forth any real arguments.”

author: Abdoulaye Bah


text:
Georgia: Allegations made online against billionaire opposition politician · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

As parliamentary elections approach this year in Georgia, to be followed by a presidential vote in 2013, allegations against Bidzina Ivanishvili, a billionaire opposition politician, have appeared on the Internet. The alleged exposé of life in the Ivanishvili household by American teacher Patrick Downey, formerly employed by the businessman turned politician, have been met with skepticism from other expatriates in the former Soviet republic, and not least because of claims also made against Georgia in general, the U.S., and [his ancestral homeland of] Ireland. Downey had sought asylum or residency in the latter, according to a video blog, “[…] in light of recent uncontrolled and willfully ill-advised policies concerning the mass emigration of non-Irish persons to Ireland […].” Ivanishvili has responded by saying that Downey “is suffering from psychological problems.”

author: Onnik Krikorian


text:
Germany, France: Disparities in Policies Regarding the Integration of Foreign Students · Global Voices
Abdoulaye Bah

Elsa Doladille writes  [fr] on the Educators Without Borders blog : ” While the Guéant Bill in France aims at toughening the conditions for foreign students to obtain a work permit,  Germany encourages the integration of students from abroad in their workforce.”


text:
Jamaica: Go Easy on the Guns  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The United States is sending “a donation that comes with a message” to Jamaica, supplying the island's police force with “batons, handcuffs, pepper sprays and equipment belts for approximately 6,500 frontline officers” – which prompts Jamaica Salt to ask: “With a culture of impunity within the police…and in a country which is awash with guns – mainly shipped in boats from – guess where – oh, yes, that’s right the USA, then you tell me what are a few batons going to do?”


text:
Jamaica: Journalist “Mutty” Perkins Dies  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Girl With a Purpose mourns the death of controversial Jamaican journalist and radio talk show host, Wilmott ‘Mutty’ Perkins, who passed away this morning, saying: “We hope, ‘Mutty’, that Jamaicans will truly be free to understand that Jamaica is for Jamaicans and those who love her and not for those who would abuse politics to destroy her.”


text:
Macedonia: Coping With Ice and Snow in Skopje · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

GV Author Filip Stojanovski posts pictures of Skopje's snowy and icy streets and reports on his blog: “[…] the pavements and the side streets in the municipality of Centar remain icy. Some are covered by layers of ice or re-frozen slush, by old frozen snow, or an unevenly hardened mash of snow and ‘salt.’ Fokus daily claimed that the authorities avoid declaring nationwide state of emergency in order to ‘prove’ that they were prepared for the snow.”


text:
Puerto Rico: Life One Photo a Day · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

The artist and producer Jose Marti (@Jose_Marti) has shot one picture a day for the past two years as part of his online project “Fotos de Hoy” (Photos of Today).
He explains:
Dentro de los temas que publico en su mayoría son fotos casuales donde la foto me encuentra a mí en vez de yo buscarla y bien pueden ser fotos de la ciudad, de mi casa o donde quiera que me encuentre por que en realidad lo importante es expresar algo sobre el momento, donde estoy, que estoy haciendo, etc. Ese es el elemento que me ha llevado ha constantemente publicar en Fotos de Hoy, el poder visualmente resumir semanas y diversas experiencias en un compilado accesible por internet.
I have selected some of his pictures of Old San Juan, the colonial city of the capital of San Juan, Puerto Rico (all photos are republished with his permission). You can follow his visual life daily at Fotos de Hoy.
City with a View.
San José Church.
The window.
Beach El Escambrón.
Fort El Morro.
Bar El Batey.
Luna Street.

author: Firuzeh Shokooh Valle


text:
Russia: “Anti-Gay Propaganda Bill” Passes Second Reading · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

St. Petersburg is getting closer to signing into law the notorious “anti-gay propaganda bill” [ru]. On February 8, 2012, lawmakers approved it on its delayed second reading, and, according to AllOut.com's Russia action page, the vote on the third – and final – reading is to take place next week.
Coming Out, a St. Petersburg-based LGBT rights NGO, wrote this about the possible consequences of the law's adoption:
[…] If this law is passed, Russian LGBT will live in fear of punishment just for being open about sexual orientation in their social environment. It paves the way to legalized discrimination, justifies violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. Moreover, under the pretense of protecting minors, this law in fact will lead to further isolation and greater number of suicides by homosexual adolescents in a country that is already leading in the numbers of teenage suicides. […]
The article cited above also has photos and video from a mini-protest that took place in front of St. Petersburg's Legislative Assembly building on Feb. 8. One protester, who ended up being detained by police, held a poster that said, “Hitler started with anti-gay laws”:
British author and actor Stephen Fry (@stephenfry) posted this comment on Twitter, referring to the Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, who was homosexual, and linking to AllOut.com's appeal, “TELL RUSSIA: NO GAY GAG ORDER”:
Hell's teeth. Something must be done to stop these fantastical monsters. Will talking about Tchaikovsky be banned? http://www.allout.org/en/actions/russia_call
LJ user arzamaskaya ended her post about the lawmakers’ initiative with this serious-sounding mock appeal [ru]:
[…] Somebody, do introduce sanctions against us [Russia] at last.
A protest sign outside the Russian consulate in London reads: "Council of Europe Must Defend Russian Gay Rights. Suspend the Russian Vote." Photo by MELPRESSMEN MELPRESSMEN, copyright © Demotix (1/07/11).
LJ user mc-leesnick linked to a Russian-language news item about Stephen Fry's reaction, adding [ru] that Russia, among other things, is also a country where “concrete facts of election fraud are declared ‘speculation’ before an investigation begins” and where “stealing from the state budget isn't punished but encouraged.”
In the comments section, a rather typical exchange took place between the author of the blog and a reader:
plurlife: There are, of course, many other problems that no one is taking care of. But here we are talking about propaganda and underaged [kids], so to me everything seems logical enough. If you want to love someone of your own gender, do so, but don't make noise about it in the streets and don't hold gay parades. This, however, has to be in the subconscious, not in the legislation.
mc_leesnick: Listen, what's the problem with gay parades? Seriously: what is the problem?
plurlife: The problem is that children see it, they live with it and learn from it, and it becomes normal for them. And the problem is also that after gay parades, mass beatings of such “fun guys” takes place, which is also not very normal – people shouldn't be beaten up because of their orientation. I'm not a homophobe, or whatever you call it, I just don't understand why it is necessary to loudly announce that you're a homosexual, a transsexual, a lesbian, a drag queen? Do not try to convince people that it's normal – no matter how much they want it, it's never going to be normal. […] I don't call it a disorder and I don't think they should be locked and re-made, […], it's just that I don't see a point in such demonstrations – only problems. If even just [a Muslim prayer performed in public causes people to overreact], then what do you expect from homosexuals with their parades.
Another reader, LJ user kuzyabuster, echoed Stephen Fry's irony – and mentioned the lack of adequate response from the city authorities to the truly serious and often life-threatening problem that St. Petersburg's residents have to face every winter:
I can imagine trucks taking out of St. Petersburg the works of [Yukio Mishima], Stephen Fry, biographies of [Alexander the Great], Tchaikovsky, Oscar Wilde […]… Would be better if they were taking snow and icicles out…
Russian journalist Yelena Kostyuchenko is not new to explaining the LGBT community's legal demands to her less knowledgeable compatriots. In May 2011, she wrote a powerful and popular post [ru] about her reasons to attend Moscow Pride 2011, and Global Voices translated parts of it in this text about yet another annual attempt to hold the event.
On February 8, following the St. Petersburg vote, Kostyuchenko (@mirrorsbreath) had a quick – and also quite typical – Twitter conversation with user @vakurov (Aleksandr Vakurov, who describes himself as a “psychoanalyst” and “business consultant”), parts of which are translated from Russian below:
@vakurov: […] What's wrong with it? It's the propaganda that's getting banned, not homosexuality.
@mirrorsbreath: […] Propaganda of homosexuality doesn't exist. In reality, the law stops the work of LGBT organizations, introduces censorship into the mass media and culture.
@vakurov: […] Obviously, I'm not getting something. Don't I have the right to protect my children from the harmful homosexual ideology?
@mirrorsbreath: […] Homosexuality doesn't have an ideology. It's a trait that 5-7% of the population are born with. Relax.
@vakurov: […] No problem. Just don't spoil my appetite. Many people have bad breath – and they aren't demanding special rights.
@mirrorsbreath: […] You are very spiritual, I can see it right away. We do not need special rights – we need equal rights. Do you feel the difference?
@vakurov: […] What inequality are you talking about? Then how about the rights of pedophiles, drug traffickers, rapers, drug addicts? о_0
LJ user vg36 believes [ru] that the new law, if adopted, might affect not just the local LGBT community, but members of the opposition in general:
Until the Russian Federation has learned how to block internet access, the law banning [“gay propaganda”] is ridiculous. But does anyone seriously think that it only targets the Russian LGBT community? […]
They used to send [people dressed up/posing as gays] with rainbow flags to opposition rallies in order to discredit the protesters. Now it turns out that most protesters do not mind rainbow flags – so this will be done [fake gays will be sent in] in order to detain and fine [the protesters]. […]
But the opposition has been asleep, as usual, and/or didn't realize that this was another weapon against them. Or they were afraid to oppose a law that might possibly be very popular with the masses, afraid to defend the freedom of speech of an unpopular group. Well. With the opposition like that, [it's not surprising] we get laws like this and the situation in the country is the way it is.


text:
South Korea: American Missionary Sue North Korea for Sexual Torture · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

Robert Park, a Korean-American missionary and human rights activist who went to North Korea on 2009, sued North Korea for sexual torture. Park crossed into the country in protest of North Korea's human rights atrocity. However, as Marmot's Hole blogger wrote, the new has drawn some cynical reactions.


text:
Trinidad & Tobago: Implementation Key in DNA Bill  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The TnT River says of the amended DNA Bill, which was recently passed “after a 14 hour sitting of the Senate”: “It is a positive step in the right direction, but this action definitely needs proper planning and stringent execution for continued success.”


text:
Argentina: Stand Up Comedian on Women and Catcalls · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

Argentinean stand up comedian Malena Pichot, best known for her webshow “La Loca de Mierda” has a new series, Cualca! and on this first episode[es], she shares her perspective on how women really feel when they receive unwanted attention from strange males like catcalls and genital exposure on the street.

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


text:
China: Half of the journalists imprisoned are Tibetan or Uyghur · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

The Committee to Protect Journalist (CPJ) reports that more than half of the 27 journalists imprisoned in China are ethnic Tibetan or Uyghur.

author: Oiwan Lam


text:
China: The Political Drama of Wang Lijun’s “Stress Leave” · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Over the past few days, Chinese netizens have been following the story of former Chongqing police chief Wang Lijun's secretive meeting at the U.S. Consulate closely. Many believe that Wang tried to seek asylum in the U.S. in order to protect himself from becoming the scapegoat of Chongqing Chinese Communist Party Secretary Bo Xilai's power struggle in Beijing.
Wang Lijun has been portrayed as a role model of the Chinese police since 2000 after his successful crackdown on a triad network in Liaoning province in 1999. In June 2008, the anti-triad hero was appointed as the head of police bureau in Chongqing city. Working side-by-side with Bo Xilai, he arrested a large number of former government officials in Chongqing on charges of corruption, including former head of the Justice Bureau Wen Qiang and former deputy chief of the Police Bureau Pang Changjian. In May 2011, Wang was elected as deputy mayor of Chongqing.
A dramatic turn took place on February 2, 2012, when the Information Office of Chongqing municipality posted a message via Weibo stating that [zh]:
据悉，近日市委决定，王立军同志不再兼任市公安局局长、党委书记，以副市长身份分管联系经济领域工作。
While Wang still attended a public function in February 6 2012, two days later on February 8, the information office announced [zh] in Sina Weibo again:
据悉，王立军副市长因长期超负荷工作，精神高度紧张，身体严重不适，经同意，现正在接受休假式的治疗。
On the same day, the U.S. State Department confirmed that Wang had had a meeting at the consulate in Chengdu, from which he departed “of his own volition”.
Political analysts with mainstream media [zh] believe that the incident reflects the internal struggle within the Chinese Communist Party and that President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao have joined hands to sideline Bo Xilai before they step down in the upcoming 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. The word in Chongqing, it seems, is that Wang's power play was successful and he is now in the custody of Party Central. Meanwhile on Twitter, netizens have their own speculation about what took place.
Bo Xilai left in the lurch: Corruption fighter Wang hops away, leaving Chongqing mayor and deputy Party Secretary Huang Qifan ("red songs") behind; Image by Rebel Pepper.
Tufuwugan, for one, believes [zh] that Wang Lijun has been made Bo Xilai's scapegoat:
估计有人要搞薄都督，想阻止他进常委分赃，先卸了都督的左右膀，都督当然为了自保要牺牲王立军，在文革时连自己老爹都能把他肋骨踹断几根的人，牺牲王立军算什么，王立军估计看到处境不行，也知道都督会把他出卖，所以为了自保，做出跑到美使馆的事，精彩大戏正在上演。
Alan Huang feels that Wang has been too naive in his political career:
蒙古族人王立军从小练得一身好武术，如果领导内蒙古独立，估计能成民族英雄，丫非走蒙奸的道路，最终身败名裂。在这个拼爹的年代，出生于铁路工人家庭的王立军，竟然幻想和太子党党魁薄熙来鱼死网破。连店是谁开的还没搞清楚就敢来砸场子，相当naïve啊。
Qiumazha on the other hand feels [zh] that Wang has made a good move:
我忽然觉得，王立军不傻。闯美领馆避难只是寻求轰动效应，以防被蒸发。另外，他声称他已经将内幕证据等放在了安全的地方，杀他就会自动解密。谁知道这个安全的地方就不是美领馆呢？这个老侦查出身的人，应该比好莱坞谍战片编辑更有想象力。嘲笑王立军闯关之举恐怕是不智的。
Since Wang Lijun has been very harsh in cracking down on political activists, dissidents in Twitter are happy to see him seeking help from the “enemy forces”.
Gongmingyaoyao mocks [zh] Wang:
王立军教育我们，不管怎么当五毛，关键时刻还是美国人才是亲爹啊
Wuyuesanren echoes [zh] Gongmingyaoyao's comment on Sina Weibo:
早就说咱们官员最信任的政府是美国政府，中美关系那不是一般的好，好多人还不信。王立军跑美领馆这事儿再次确证了这种说法吧？我们这帮你们嘴里的美分带路党最多是看好美国的制度，认为值得我们学习，他们才是真把身家性命押在美国那边。五毛们，你们醒醒吧。
Shang Guangluan reports [zh] on what he heard from the street:
晕啊，刚刚在小店吃面，听见几个民工都在谈王立军的事，这事儿成了全民娱乐了。但他们集体得出的结论是：王立军肯定被以叛国罪枪毙。这个……
Political dissident Ye du points out [zh] that:
【网络热点观察】全民网络热炒王立军。王捕头事件深刻反映了在一个互害型社会里，即使是体制中人，也没有一个人是安全的。今天加害于人的，明天也随时因为站队、利益等问题而被害。这就是为什么我们说一个民主社会的来临才是全体公民福泽的原因，这样才可避免互相恐惧、互相伤害。
Writer Ye Kuangzheng believes [zh] that Wang Lijun's move signifies a turn in China history:
王立军进入美国使领馆，已被证实。这是1949年以来，高层官员第一次做出这种令人震惊的举动。林彪那次属出走未遂。由此可想象，王所置身的政治环境，没有巨大恐惧，极难迈出这一步。王立军的这一步，王立军的未来，会对中国未来的政治生态和官员心理有重大影响。王立军引发的政坛地震，也只是刚刚开始


text:
Hong Kong, China: Cross-border Self-drive Tour Instigates Fear and Anger · Global Voices
Ronald Yick

Tension between Hong Kong and mainland China has mushroomed in recent months. While small conflicts, such as a train scuffle, have ignited fury, the recent introduction of a cross-border self-drive tour scheme, signed by the Hong Kong and Guangdong governments without public consultation, has instigated a new round of social panic and anger among Hong Kong people. Some netizens even compare the situation of Hong Kong to Tibet and Xinjiang, where ethnic conflicts have developed into separatism and repression.
The image below, which has been shared more than 130 times via Facebook, is a re-creation of a photo taken recently in Tibet. The slogan on the military vehicle was originally “Han Chinese and Tibetan are one family” (漢藏一家親. It has been widely circulate via micro-blogs to mock the central government's policy in Tibet that the “family” is united by military force. The Hong Kong version of the photo was produced a famous blogger, Kay Lam & Fokguy remix team. The background of the photo is the busiest commercial district in Hong Kong, Causeway Bay and the slogan on the military vehicle has changed into “China and Hong Kong are  one family” (中港一家親).
The photo's subtitle states [zh]:

2015 年 SOGO 門口．自駕遊 X 中港一家親幻想圖（來自 2012 年駐西藏的解放軍車）
The image is a mockery of the newly announced “Self-Drive Tour” scheme, which allows private cars from mainland China to enter Hong Kong without having a local license. User, Bay area, posts [zh] an article at inmediahk explaining the background of the scheme:
近日驚見到沒有港人看的左報新聞，原來林瑞麟及鄭汝樺已在毫無諮詢的情況下私自與大陸簽訂了「私家車自由行」的條款，未來三月內地私家車就可直入市區，橫衝直撞每個角落，意象可怖。我們可以預視到，深圳廣州現時的交通文化，將會嚴重衝擊全港的交通系統：我們香港第一個小悅悅亦將會很快誕生。
Dictionary of Politically Incorrect Hong Kong Cantonese has translated some discussions among Facebook users:
Chan: Individual visit scheme isn’t enough and there will even be self-drive tour… Don’t fool me! Mainlander drivers don’t follow rules. When I was in China, I dared not to cross roads. Their driving skill and unfamiliarity with the roads of Hong Kong, I really afraid that the no. of traffic accidents are going to surge.
Cest la Vie: Population density, usage of road, parking, driving attitude, environmental problem, law enforcement problem, life risking problem…There are so many problems. Why do self-drive tour have to be implemented? Crazy?
Everybody should protect the remaining freedom of Hong Kong. Left handed drive and right handed drive will harm many innocent citizens. Besides, reckless Mainland Chinese drivers really make people shivering. Hong Kong citizen have to object that. Put everybody’s safety to the first priority. Please!
Apart from road safety, air pollution and traffic jams, people are angry about the under-table arrangement of cross-border policy. As by Land Justice League, a civic group advocating social justice and democracy, pointed out :
中港跨境政策一直是本地政治團體和社會運動鞭長莫及的「黑洞」，整套操作完全排斥市民﹝其實是兩地人民﹞，甚至是立法會的參與。由議題設定、研究、制訂政策，市民全不知情，無從過問，每次都是見到曾蔭權或唐英年或林瑞麟與國內官員排排企簽約，市民才透過愈來愈麻木的主流記者得悉，「阿爺又俾著數啦/中央又挺港啦」。
我們每次都是看人家在簽我們的條約，我們從來沒有一次屬於香港人的、可以引以自豪的「簽約儀式」。香港這個不斷「被簽約」的命運共同體要自主，第一步是要離開、違背、拒絕、撕毀綑綁着我們的條約、協議和遊戲規則…

author: Ronald Yick


text:
Iran: No Access to Email · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Several bloggers reported for last two days they have had no access to emails including gmail, hotmail and yahoo.
Hese Penhan says [fa] dictators attacked internet again. Even Tor and Psiphone3 do not work.

author: Fred Petrossian


text:
Peru: The Water March Approaches Lima · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

The Water March that set off from Cajamarca on February 1, 2012, continues on. After a warm welcome [es] in La Libertad region and more support [es] from farmers, fishermen and ecologists [es] on passing through Ancash, the March is now approaching Lima.
Meanwhile, various independent journalists and foreign websites are talking about and giving their opinions about the March. For example, El Ciudadano [es], PiensaChile [es] and Mapu Express [es] of Chile, the Agencia Latinoamericana de Información [es], Rebelión [es], Infolatam [es] are all reporting on the March. In Lima, however, some media are revealing [es] alleged political reports that denounce the March organisers as “reds and extremists” and “experts in the mobilisation of masses”.
The following video, uploaded to YouTube by noenhucal on February 5, captures the beginning of the March in the village of Santa, a little before Chimbote.
In the previous post we left the March on its fifth day, leaving [es] Chimbote and headed for [es] the city of Casma and then on to Huarmey. From there they continued on [es] to Paramonga, which now belongs to the Lima region, where they spent the night. On the Chungo y Batán blog they repost photos [es] of the march through Trujillo and Chimbote, as well as the arrival in Casma on Sunday night.
Al promediar las 8 de la noche, llegaron a la provincia de Casma, conocida como la ciudad del eterno sol, hasta cerca de la media noche realizamos una manifestación cultural, también agradeciendo al alcalde que recibió a los marchantes. Al cierre de la presente edición, nos preparamos para salir marchando hasta Paramonga.
At around 8 o'clock in the evening, they arrived in the province of Casma, known as the city of eternal sun. Until about midnight we held a cultural protest and thanked the Mayor for receiving the marchers. On ending this post we are preparing our march to Paramonga.
The Water March in Santa
The Water March in Chimbote
The Water March in Casma
La Misión de Observación (The Observation Mission) issued [es] their report on the fifth day in which they announced, among other things, the motives of the various Ancash collectives that have supported the March:
Almenzor Gómez y Javier Castro, representando a cientos de pescadores de la provincia de Chimbote, explicaron que ven amenazado su trabajo y la biodiversidad de su costa por la inminente presencia de la petrolera Savia Perú (ex –Petrotech) que pretende levantar una plataforma a 20 millas de Chimbote. […] Por su parte, Javier Castro, […] se refirió al gran riesgo que correría el zócalo marino de Áncash, rico en nutrientes y pesca, si se produjera un derrame de petróleo. Los ancashinos concretaron 4 reivindicaciones centrales por las que se unen a la Marcha: intangibilidad de cabeceras de cuenca, prohibición de la minería con cianuro y mercurio, derecho a la consulta de los pueblos y declarar el agua un derecho constitucional.
After staying overnight [es] in Paramonga, the March set off for Pativilca, Barranca and Supe, where the day ended [es]. In the blog Frente de Defensa Ambiental de Cajamarca (Cajamarca Environmental Defence Front) there is a report [es] with photos.
The Water March in Paramonga
The Water March in Pativilca
The Observation Mission issued its report of the day in which it identifies [es] certain problems related to the March that we have mentioned in previous posts.
En torno al rosario de problemas sociales y ambientales, con sus correspondientes conflictos, que van federándose en torno a la Marcha del Agua, la Misión de Observación toma nota de la denuncia de una campaña de descrédito, según los organizadores, con acusaciones de “politización interesada de la Marcha” e incluso “connivencia terrorista de sus dirigentes”; recientemente viene apareciendo la acusación de que “Chile financia la Marcha”, para que las empresas se vayan allá … Los portavoces de la Marcha insistieron en que su objetivo es poner en la agenda nacional la prioridad del derecho al agua desde la movilización no violenta.
From Supe the marchers headed for Huaura and then [es] to Huacho, the city where they spent the night. Holding [es] a meeting the next day and spreading its proposals through the city streets. Earlier, in the city of Barranca, the members of the Observation Mission and the Water March met. The Mission's report [es] on the day talks about this meeting, highlighting the motives for the March as explained by its organisers:
Jorge Spelucín, maestro, e integrante de la Comisión Nacional del Agua, suscitó la denuncia del largo proceso de criminalización que los distintos dirigentes sufren, “no queremos que continúe la criminalización de la protesta que impuso el anterior gobierno, los pobres hemos soportado por 20 años la violencia política y social de Yanacocha”, dijo.
On February 8 DLOOCHI uploaded the following YouTube video about the Water March in Huacho:
Meanwhile in Lima the March's sympathisers are already preparing to receive them on Thursday, February 9. The organisers that live in the city are meeting to prepare different activities like “Foro Hídrico: Agua, Minería y Desarrollo en el Perú” [es] (Water Forum: Water, Mining and Development in Perú) that begun on February 8 (here you can access its programme [es]) and the Tribunal Nacional de Justicia Hídrica [es] (National Water Justice Tribunal). “Voluntary work for reception, food, adjustment and National Great Water March marcher registration logistics” have also been announced [es] and organised [es] for their arrival in Lima. The Great Water March blog posts [es]the marching route for Lima and on the Seamos Un Río blog they ask for [es] donations:
Este esfuerzo [la marcha] se está realizando de manera autogestionada y autofinanciada, por lo que nos vemos en la necesidad de apelar a su solidaridad y animo de lucha para ayudarnos a cumplir con las metas trazadas durante los 3 días que nuestros compañeros caminantes de la Gran Marcha Nacional del Agua permanecerán en la ciudad de Lima.
El presupuesto que estamos manejando son para la realizacion de las siguientes actividades: **Albergue y Tribunal Hídrico**, **Foro Hídrico**, **Acto Político Cultural**, **Marcha**, **Comunicación, movilidad**
This effort [the March] is self-managed and self-financed. We see the need to call on your solidarity and to encourage the struggle to help us to achieve the goals that were drawn up during the three days that our fellow marchers on the National Great Water March stayed in the city of Lima.
The proposal that we are managing is for the execution of the follwoing activites: **Hostal and Water Tribunal**, **Water Forum**, **Political Culture Act**, **March**, **Communication mobility**
Freddy Otárola, the Nationalists congressman, has recently issued a controversial statement. He said [es]: “We hope that the ‘Water March’ will be a failure”. The Prime-minister, Óscar Valdés, hopes [es] that the “March for water” will show a techincal stance rather than a political one. In the meantime from the city of Puno they have announced [es] that the representatives of the struggle committes and the defence fronts of the regions of Puno, Cusco, Arequipa, Madre de Dios, Moquegua and Tacna, will carry out a march and a protest in support of the Water March.
Finally, in this video filmed in the Fórum Social Mundial [pt] (World Social Forum), held in Porto Alegre, Brazil, between January 24 and 29, they have put together some testimonies and messages from participants expressing their support and solidarity with the Water March.

author: Juan Arellano


text:
Reporter Found Dead in West Papua · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Reporters Without Borders condemns the killing of a journalist in West Papua and the attack on local reporters in Indonesia.

author: Mong Palatino


text:
Saudi Journalist Detained in Malaysia for ‘Offensive’ Tweet · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Saudi journalist Hamza Kashgari was stopped at Malaysia's airport after Saudi Arabia ordered his arrest. The journalist is accused of sending a twitter message that ‘insulted’ Prophet Mohammad


text:
Southeast Asia: Climate Change and Smallholder Farmers  · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The World Agroforestry Centre has released a study on the climate change adaptation options for small farmers in Southeast Asia.


text:
Southeast Asia: Restoring Historic Towns · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Dr. Apiwat Ratanawaraha writes about several projects in Southeast Asia that seek to restore historic towns and promote cultural tourism. Some of the ongoing projects are located in Singapore’s Boat Quay, Malaysia’s Georgetown, and Thailand’s Chiang Mai


text:
Tunisia: Spoiling the Revolution  · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

Jolanare is weary of where the Tunisian revolution is heading to in terms of women's rights [fr]. She writes:  “A young man verbally attacked me because I was wearing red lipstick. He shouted at me : “these are the so-called women of the democracy.”  I replied that it is thanks to the democracy he makes fun of that he can open his big mouth.”

author: Lova Rakotomalala


text:
Uganda: Netizens React To President’s Address On Oil  · Global Voices
James Propa

The president of Uganda Yoweeri Kaguta Museveni appeared before parliament on February 10, 2012 to brief the nation about the power shortages and oil exploration in Lake Albert. Museveni announced the discovery of oil in 2006 after many years of exploration.
Museveni defended the government decision to sign oil agreements and grant a further license to Tullow oil despite a Parliamentary resolution against any more oil licenses. He said that the oil agreements are to benefit Uganda. He added that the two licenses given to Tullow Oil Exploration Company were to compensate for the time lost in the oil debate.
Map of oil fields in Lake Albert area in Uganda. Photo courtesy of tullowoil.com.
Immediately after his address, Ugandan netizens started discussing it on various social media platoforms. On Twitter, tweeps used hashtags #Museveni, #OilDebate, #Uganda among others.
@Haggae advised:
@Haggae: Becoz oil prices will soon drop Ugandans shld not delay & miss an opportunity of sellin @ a higher price, really Mr.#Museveni?? #oildebate
He added:
@Haggae: #Museveni's speech was as hollow as only convincing #MPs to avoid what he thinks is a ‘mistake of delayin #oilproductn‘#oildebate, #Uganda
@Loyce09 was pessimistic:
@Loyce09: #Uganda is already a sold property, in a few years citizens will also be sold#oildebate
@RosebellK thought that Uganda as a country will not benefit:
@RosebellK: So Oil co.s will take 74 % + of 26 remaining Kaguta and company will take about 90 % #Uganda will b left with nothing. #oildebate
She told Museveni that 2012 is not 1985 when he was about to take power:
@RosebellK: Kwonka #Museveni Kaguta of #Ugandahas no shame!! #Uganda don't need to hear yo rhetoric of feeling like yo back in 1985. Its 2012 dude!!!
Yoweri Museveni with Ugandan MPS at Parliament. Photo courtesy of ugpulse.com.
@andykristian wanted to know if the oil agreements are valid:
@andykristian: Any lawyers in the house? Did #Museveniand Government break the law in signing oil agreements? Are the signed agreements valid? #OilDebate
He warned of oil curse:
@andykristian: #Museveni, stop manipulating us – #Ugandans. You will bring the Oil Curse on US! Just Leave Government, We Beg You Please!!!#OilDebate
@pmagelah argued that Museveni should have consulted MPs before signing the agreements:
@pmagelah: I find it so problematic the the president ignored parliament, then came 2inform them why, instead of 1st consulting them#OilDebate
@DavidTumusiime asked:
@DavidTumusiime: SO…there was a rush to sign #Tullow oil deal quickly bse…? #oildebate12
@gothrockstar80 urged the government to develop the agricultural sector first:
@gothrockstar80: 80% of Ugandans R in the agricultural industry.We should develop that sector and leave this oil BS #oildebate12#Uganda#oildebate#Tullow
On Facebook, Tugumenawe Athanazius wrote:
Uganda sucks.How cn a prezdent present a report full of mistakes to th nation in parliament n he lso confesses????!!!!!!!!!!

author: James Propa


text:
Afghanistan: Civilian conflict deaths continue to rise  · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Nick Fielding reports that, according to figures from the United Nations – in contrast to the figures issued by the US military – the number of Afghan civilians killed and injured rose for the fifth consecutive year in a row.

author: Adil Nurmakov


text:
Bulgaria: Thousands Take Part in Anti-ACTA Protests · Global Voices
Rayna St.

Hundreds of anti-ACTA protests were scheduled all over Europe for Saturday, February 11, 2012. Bulgaria was no exception. On Friday, a video [bg] calling for people to stand up against the controversial treaty was posted in the Facebook group Ние казваме “НЕ” на ACTA! / Bulgaria says “NO” to ACTA!.
On Saturday morning, the demonstrations in Bulgaria began, with hundreds gathering in front of the National Cultural Centre in the capital city of Sofia. The crowd rapidly grew, as people were marching towards the political navel of the country. (Indeed, in Sofia, the Cabinet's building, the Parliament and the Presidential palace face each other in the very centre of the capital.)
A huge crowd walking towards the Parliament in Sofia, Bulgaria, during the February 11 anti-ACTA protest. Photo by Ruslan Trad (CC-by-SA 3.0)
Global Voices author Ruslan Trad was live-streaming the protests, along with netizen Asen Genov. A video of the protesters marching ahead, by YouTube user selin4eto, is here.
People were in a great mood, despite the cold (-6°C in Sofia and streets covered with snow). User @kislorot (Anton Georgiev) tweeted [bg]:
Полицията е задържала мъж с 0,5 грама торенти.
A nice poster in the middle of the anti-ACTA rally in Sofia. Photo by Ruslan Trad (CC-by-SA 3.0)
According to one of the protesters (@reguligence, Emil A. Georgiev), there were between 5,000 and 10,000 people only in Sofia:
The anti-#ACTA protest in #Sofia went well and peacefull, for the first time in years a number between 5000-10000 gathered. #stopacta
Bulgarian blogger Eneya Worodecky distributed books she could not keep at home due to lack of space. She announced this great initiative – Дарете книга, спрете ACTA/Stop ACTA, share a book [bg] – on her blog:
Можете да дарите книги. Идеята на много компании е, че вие по-скоро сте заели за временно ползване музиката/филмите/сериалите/програмите, които използвате, че не са ваши и не можете да правите с тях каквото прецените. Само че книгите са си ваши. Вие може да ги подарите на когото решите, независимо че според идеите на АСТА това може да се погледне като нарушаване на авторските права.
Затова това, което можете да направите е, съберете книги и ги раздайте. Единственото условие е да напишете на първата страница или да сложите листче защо го правите.
According to Worodecky, she offered ten books to people in the streets during this morning's demonstration in Sofia, and people were greatly astonished but very happy. She is currently searching for those who got the books offered, to post pictures of them, and she is inviting other people to offer, be it books or anything else they wish to offer.
Sofia was not the only city to see protests spreading: they took place in 14 other cities and towns in Bulgaria. Plovdiv, the second largest city, saw 400-500 people marching to say “No” to ACTA.
User @ivaylovs reported [bg]:
В Пловдив беше супер. Една жена попита, това протеста за #ACTA ли е? Аз казах – май този е ПРОТИВ. Може да не бяхме 4 хл., а 400, но бяхме.
(In the end, it seems there was more like a thousand of them, rather than 400.)
Varna (photos by Valentin Stoykov are here), Pernik, and Burgas also witnessed the demonstrations, despite the cold. A famous Bulgarian writer, screenwriter and politician Lyuben Dilov, Jr. [bg] was one of those who joined the protests in Burgas, stating that the ACTA was harmful for creators, for culture in general and for the society as a whole.
As the demonstrations were taking place, many people – such as @Plamy [bg] – complained about silence in the mainstream media:
Не мога да повярвам, че хората се вдигат да протестират срещу нещо, което има толкова голямо значение за всички, а “МЕДИИТЕ” мълчат като РИБИ
Indeed, only three online editions talked about the anti-ACTA mobilization. Furthermore, one of the principal TV channels, bTV (formerly owned by Rupert Murdoch), dedicated very little time to the ongoing protest – and were duly criticised and mocked by netizens, such as @LuboAlamanov [bg]:
Хехе, бТВ дават за хурки, но само споменаха, че “в 15 града има протести”. Фън! :)))
In front of the People's Assembly. The writing on the building reads: "Unity makes strength". Photo by Ruslan Trad (CC-by-SA 3.0)
In the end, people were even more motivated to stand against the treaty.
User @yradunchev (Yordan Radunchev) wrote [bg]:
прибрах се. краката ми са ледени, но ми е топло от вътре. толкова много хора не съм очаквал. #ACTA няма да я бъде, ако действаме все така.
User @yovko (Yovko Lambrev) added [bg]:
Има надежда! Никога не съм си представял, че толкова много хора в този кучи студ ще излязат в защита на Интернет! #ACTA #fb
On his blog Tabakoff.eu, Dimitar Tabakov swiftly uploaded his pictures [bg] from Sofia. At the end of the posting, he pointed out:
Добре щеше да е някой народен представител да излезне и да каже нещо, но уви, толкова им е достойнството.
Indeed, no official declaration has been issued so far. Will the government take into account the people's “NO” – or will they pass over and adopt the unpopular regulation anyway?
And even though much remains to be done, Saturday's mobilization has definitely showed a breach in the Bulgarians’ apathy wall.

author: Rayna St.


text:
Iran: MP blames internet filtering as ‘annoying’ · Global Voices
Hadi Nili

Iranian lawmaker, Ahmad Tavakoli blames [fa] increased Internet censorship in Iran as ‘annoying for people’. He adds it ‘would cost heavy for the establishment’. He believes severe filtering would encourage citizens to use anti-filter and circumvention tools. Several Iranian users have reported in last few days they have had no access to emails including gmail, hotmail and yahoo.

author: Hadi Nili


text:
Jordan: The Gay Husband  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

The Arab Observer, from Jordan, posts a letter he got from a reader who discovered that her husband was gay.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


text:
Kazakhstan: Uzbek labor migrants survival · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Camilla tells the story of Uzbek labor migrants in Kazakhstan, who were illegally trafficked – apparently, via channels, supervised by the officials – to work as slaves.


text:
Kyrgyzstan: Street art in Bishkek · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Schwartz takes a walk around Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, offering photographs of graffiti, taken in March 2011.


text:
Macedonia: British MEP Tweets His Emergency Landing at Skopje Airport · Global Voices
Filip Stojanovski

A drama in the air over the Skopje airport received an immediate reflection via Twitter, after a successful emergency landing.
On the night between February 10 and 11, an airplane of the Czech airline CSA first circled for 40 minutes trying to get the dysfunctional flaps to work, and then performed an emergency landing. The pilot managed to stop the plane at the end of the recently extended runway.
Among the passengers were the British Member of the European Parliament Richard Howitt, and the Macedonian Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikola Popovski. Within the EP Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr. Howitt serves as the Rapporteur on Macedonia – and he is also an avid Twitterer. He tweeted immediately after the incident:
All now fine but just had emergency landing at Skopje on aircraft whose flaps failed. Told take brace position. Thought could be the end.
Richard Howitt MEP tweeted immediately after touching ground.
…and added some more details:
Emergency landing. Snow on runway. Fire engines lined up. Stewardess said: “pray, pray, pray.” #Czech Airline staff heroes. All OK now.
A report by MIA (a Macedonian state news agency) provided more details:
As the plane was landing, smoke appeared from the tires and the captain managed to stop the aircraft right at the end of the runway.
Howitt later commented:
…I didn't know at time about smoke. Told Foreign Minister: give pilot medal for stopping plane
Quite a few people re-tweeted Howitt's info and wrote to express support and relief. Mallen Baker wrote:
Glad it ended well – nightmare situation that anyone flying would prefer to avoid! Great that everyone safe
Extension of the runway was a part of the deal with the Turkish company TAV, which renovated and manages the airports in Macedonia through a 20-year lease contract.
While the cited flaps malfunction might have nothing to do with the weather, the ongoing Balkan snow storm does affect the air traffic in the region. A few days ago, the Macedonian Army helicopters that were supposed to carry supplies to the cut-off mountain villages could not take off [mk] due to continuous snowfall.

author: Filip Stojanovski


text:
Myanmar: Banknotes of Burma · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Min Sun Min writes about the modern history of Myanmar by documenting the banknotes issued for Burma.


text:
Palestine: Rare Photographs of the Palestinian Nakba of 1948 · Global Voices
محمد عادل

Blogger Iqbal Tamimi posts rare photographs of the Palestinian Nakba of 1948.

author: محمد عادل


text:
Panama: The Indigenous Leader Who Took on the Government · Global Voices
Ariel Moreno

This post is part of our special coverage Indigenous Rights.
Panama went through one of the biggest crises it has seen since democracy was restored in 1989 when the indigenous people of Ngobe Bugle decided to take over the highway on January 31, 2012, protesting mining and construction of hydroelectric facilities in their district. They stayed there until February 5, when national police removed them by force.
The crisis has been alleviated for the moment with an agreement between the indigenous group and the government. Even so, the uncertainty of what could happen if there is hydroelectric construction or mining in these districts is still on the minds of Panamanians.
President Martinelli (@rmartinelli) [es] threatened via his Twitter account that without hydroelectric power, things would become more expensive and the country would become even more impoverished:
El problema con los indigenas es que NO quieren que haya mas hidroelectricas en Panamá. Esto encarece todo y nos emprobrece aun mas
In the midst of all of this crisis, one name has emerged as the standard bearer for the indigenous fight. The cacique [Taíno word meaning tribal leader or chief] Silvia Carrera who, after becoming the first woman to be elected to this position, has risen up in opposition to the current government's mining plans.
The following video by Orgun Wagua, uploaded to YouTube by laoruguitaecoloca [es] on February 4, shows the cacique spearheading attempts to start a dialog during the conflict:
UNICEF Panamá dedicated a section on its website [es] when Carrera was campaigning for the position which tells us a little about this woman:
Silvia Carrera Concepción nació, fue criada y vive en Alto Laguna, en el corregimiento Cerro Pelado, en el distrito Ñurum  de la comarca Ngäbe Buglé, comarca que tiene el mayor índice de mortalidad infantil (55.4%) en el país. A los 12 años se integró al movimiento que lideraba Camilo Ortega, que luchaba porque los ngäbe y los buglé tuvieran su comarca. A sus 13 años alumbró su primer hijo, Bernardo Jiménez Carrera, y a los 18 años dio a luz a Sixto Jiménez Carrera. A los 19 años, se separó de su marido.
La resolución de Silvia Carrera fue trabajar la tierra. Sembraba yuca, ñame, otoe, arroz, frijoles, maíz, para alimentar a sus hijos. Y no dejó de militar en el grupo indígena de Ortega, a sus compromisos ella cargaba con sus hijos. Para esta madre fue prioridad enseñarle a sus muchachos que “es importante luchar por nuestros derechos, pedir que nos respeten”. En aquellas reuniones, dice, su hijo mayor aprendió a ser un joven líder. Bernardo Jiménez Carrera, de 27 años, es comisionado de derechos humanos indígenas y está en segundo año de la licenciatura en derecho y ciencias políticas.
Silvia Carrera Concepción was born, raised and lives in Alto Laguna, municipality of Cerro Pelado, Ñurum district of the Ngäbe Buglé region. This region has the highest infant mortality rate (55.4%) in the country. At the age of 12, she joined the movement led by Camilo Ortega, who was fighting for the ngabe and bugle to have their region [recognized]. At the age of 13, she gave birth to her first son, Bernardo Jiménez Carrera, and at 18 she gave birth to Sixto Jiménez Carrera. At 19, she left her husband.
Silvia Carrera's goal was to work the land. She grew yucca, yam, otoe [root vegetable], rice, beans, and corn to feed her children. And she didn't stop fighting with Ortega's indigenous group, even with the commitments she had to her children. This mother's priority was to teach her boys that “it's important to fight for our rights, insist that they respect us.” It is said that during those meetings, her older son learned to be a youth leader. Bernardo Jiménez Carrera, 27 years old, is an indigenous human rights commissioner and is in his second year working on a degree in law and political science.
The cacique recently opened a Twitter account and continues the fight begun on the highway, through social networks. [all Twitter accounts are in Spanish]. From her account (@CaciqueGeneral) she has sharply criticized Ricardo Martinelli's current leadership with messages in which she calls him a liar:
@rmartinelli es mentiroso nosotros NO queremos Minería, por favor de la cara y no se esconda del pueblo que le dio el voto.
The sympathy of Panamanians seems to have turned in favor of the cacique who has shown herself to be a woman of courage. Vladimir K. Polo (@kendriv) even took an informal poll on the web, putting the cacique up against the president and one of the main presidential candidates. The cacique won:
En la encuesta de hoy ganó la Silvia Carrera Cacique General GB para presidente de la Rep. de Panamá.
Joel Jonas (@joeljonas16) tweets his applause for the cacique, and his appreciation for the clarity with which she expressed herself compared to Minister of Security Raul Mulino, who has been harshly criticized for his handling of the recent crisis.
APLAUDO a la cacique general #Ngöbe por sus palabras, en 3 minutos se expreso mas claro y directo de lo que lo hizo #Mulino en 3 días
Enrique Sosa T. (@esosatribaldos) thinks, on the other hand, that the cacique is exaggerating things a little by saying that they are not taken into account, and for him the proof is that the cacique is able to get free internet access provided by the state.
En cuantos países una cacique general tiene acceso a internet gratis? Piensen 2 veces antes d decir q no son tomados n cuenta #PANAMA
On February 8, the cacique gave a speech to the legislative assembly where she lashed out at the president and warned them that if he didn't keep his promises, they would return to the streets. The speech, which was broadcast on the assembly's channel, was seen and admired by a large number of Panamanians.
Luis Carlos Chacon (@lcchacon) devotes a few words of praise for the leader:
Que ejemplo de dignidad, honorabilidad y valentía nos esta dando La Cacique General Silvia Carrera @CaciqueGeneral
Along the same lines, Evelyn Castrejon (@ECastrejonC) comments that the cacique is a real leader:
La Cacique General: Verdadera Líder! Primera vez que pongo el canal de la asamblea!
Paco Gómez Nadal, a Spanish journalist who was repatriated by the current government for his alleged participation in indigenous protests, comments in the blog Otramerica [es] about the importance of this woman's fight:
Carrera no se ha ocultado en ningún momento de los amargos días de represión y hostigamiento. La historia sigue y las mujeres Ngäbe han demostrado en las manifestaciones y en las protestas que han protagonizado desde hace años, en el río Tabasará, en Changuinola, en ciudad de Panamá, que la dignidad es una palabra de género femenino.
This post is part of our special coverage Indigenous Rights.

author: Ariel Moreno


text:
Portugal: Protests Against ACTA · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

On 11 February, 2012, more than 200 cities around the world joined the global protests against ACTA – the proposed multi-national Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement that aims to establish international standards for intellectual property rights enforcement. In Portugal, around 300 people demonstrated on the streets of Lisbon, Porto, Coimbra, Viseu and Braga, following the calls that had been organized via Facebook.
Kris Haamer summed up the Lisbon event:
ACTA is censorship, a return to dictatorship” was what the group, many in Guy Fawkes masks, were shouting in an Anti-ACTA march in Lisbon center. I would describe it as small and unorganized (perhaps 200 people) with little structure and focus on coherent messaging. Very few people with laptops or iPads, iPhones, etc to share the message and only 1 tv station takin an interest..
"ACTA seems to be a marginal concern in Portugal. Few people mostly the youth". Photo by Kris Haamer on Foursquare (used with permission).
In Porto, although more than one thousand netizens had confirmed on Facebook their intention to participate in the protest, only a few dozen actually concentrated in the Aliados Avenue, in front of the City Hall. Some of the demonstrators came from Braga, as they decided to join forces in just one city in the North, due to low participation there.
Protest in Porto. Photo by Nuno Gomes on G+ (used with permission).
The protest, which was livestreamed on the blog of #AnonymousPortugal, then moved to the entrance of the newspaper Jornal de Notícias, in order to capture the attention of mainstream media, with success.
Protest in Porto. Photo by Nuno Gomes on G+ (used with permission).
In Coimbra, out of 154 confirmations on Facebook, only 21 people joined the demonstration.
Protest in Coimbra. Photo sent by an anonymous (used with permission).
"I had a motto but it was censored." Photo from Coimbra sent by an anonymous (used with permission).
In Viseu only 7 people joined. A new demonstration is scheduled for February 18 in Évora.
Activist on intellectual property issues Maria João Nogueira, wrote on her blog an open letter [pt] to the Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho where she mentions some of the countries that have stepped back from signing the agreement, recalling that:
o Embaixador Português no Japão já assinou a ACTA em nome de Portugal (e ainda não vi o pedido de desculpas), embora, curiosamente, não haja notícia desta assinatura, nem da posição do Governo Português acerca deste “tratado”.
On a different post she mentions a statement from 2010 that was signed by some of the members of the Parliament who “had reservations about the transparency of the process and have expressed doubts regarding the contents of this treaty”. Nogueira shares [pt] a list of the representatives, as well as their emails addresses, and invites readers “to ask the ones who signed if they have already clarified their doubts, and to those who didn't sign it, why they didn't do it, and what's their opinion/position about the subject”.
While the treaty is open for signature until March 31, 2012, Avaaz's world wide petition has already gathered more than 2.1 million signatures in just two weeks.

author: Sara Moreira


text:
Saudi Arabia: Fate of Journalist Hamza Kashgari Hangs in the Balance · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

Saudi journalist Hamza Kashgari set off a social media firestorm last week when he tweeted an imaginary conversation with the Prophet Mohammed.  In his tweets, which have since been deleted, he wrote to the Prophet: “I have loved the rebel in you” but “I do not like the halos of divinity around you. I shall not pray for you.” He also wrote, “I shall shake [your hand] as equals do … I shall speak to you as a friend, no more.”
Not long after publishing the tweets, Kashgari began to receive death threats.  His address was posted on a social media site, and clerics began calling for him to be executed, or tried for apostasy.  On February 8, he fled the country, headed for New Zealand…but was caught in transit in Malaysia by local authorities, who detained him; shortly after, news emerged that Saudi Arabia had issued an extradition order.
Malaysian Home Minister Hishammudin Hussein was quoted as saying that Malaysia would repatriate Kashgari to Saudi Arabia. A Facebook page in solidarity with Kashgari that emerged mid-week has more than 1,500 members.
As of the time of publication, an interim order had been issued to stop Malaysian authorities from deporting Kashgari:
@FadiahNadwa: Justice Rohana Yusuf jz gave interim order 2stop Govt fr deporting #HamzaKashgari to Saudi Arabia.On our way to serve court order to police.
There were, nonetheless, conflicting reports that Kashgari had been extradited.
A battle of opinions
A battle of opinions is being waged on social networks, with many of Kashgari's fellow Saudi citizens continuing to argue for him to be tried. Their calls seem to be outnumbered by calls from members of the international community, as well as citizens of Saudi Arabia and Malaysia, for Malaysia not to extradite Kashgari.
Saudi blogger Ahmed Al Omran believes that there's more to the case than meets the eye:
While I understand how many Muslims would take offense at anything that touches the prophet, I don’t think it explains the whole story. Yes, many feel strongly about such matters and therefore they reacted accordingly. However, it is clear that many on the right decided to take advantage of the incident to score points and make political gains. It was a low hanging fruit.
While some may perceive religious conservatives defending the Prophet’s honor simply as piety, others say there is more behind it, that this is actually part of a long-term plan.
Mariam, a writer for Arab News, is dismayed by the potential charges:
@onlymytweets: I don't recall an Ayah or Hadith saying God has transferred authority to mankind to judge. Or is it just me? #HamzaKashgari @SalmaanTaseer
Self-described Saudi-American poet Bint Talal has been tweeting her concern for Kashgari's safety. She tweets:
@majda72: I want to go to sleep but I'm consumed with fear for #HamzaKashgari I keep checking twitter & fear the worst.
@RFatani is angered by the reactions on social media, tweeting:
@RFatani: 1000's of tweeps calling for #HamzaKashgari head to roll! They should be banned from entering countries that have ‘inciting hate’ laws
Writer Khaled Almaeena‘s [ar] tweets expressed the widespread sentiment that the threatened punishments do not fit the crime:
@khaledalmaeena: ان الله غفور رحيم ولو كان حبيبنا سيدنا محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم بيننا وسمع اعتداره وشهادته لسامحه #hamzakashgari #saudi #ksa
Among those in Saudi Arabia who were happy to hear that Kashgari might be extradited was @AboTamem, who tweeted:
@AboTamem: @nsurendrann Our brother HAMZA in the way to his home…he is not under your law!! #hamzakashgari
@mkabmr also felt that Kashgari went too far:
@mkambr: Personally anyone who ridiculed prophet Muhammad PBUH is a persona non grata #HamzaKashgari
But @ArabRevolution's tweet was more representative of the general sentiment on Twitter:
@ArabRevolution: Just putting this out there, neither I or millions of other Muslims agree to what Saudi decides to do with #HamzaKashgari #freehamza

author: Jillian C. York


text:
Saudi Arabia: Qatif Protestor Shot · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

On Twitter, Arab Revolution shares a link to a video allegedly showing a Saudi protester in Qatif getting shot. The video is dated February 9.