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The Boston Bombings Come Home to Russians · Global Voices
Andrey Tselikov

Initially a distant story of bombs and American blood, the Boston Marathon bombings came home to Russians today. The RuNet had been following the investigation into the attacks with great interest, even before the news that the two suspects turned out to be ethnic Chechens. Now that Russia is directly involved, passions run hot.
Russians can already relate to urban terrorism, but this connection to a formerly separatist republic with a history of violent extremism was destined to appeal to many preexisting narratives. It doesn't particularly matter that the two brothers, Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, are probably not purely Chechen or Russian in any real sense — they apparently grew up in Kyrgyzstan, and briefly went to school in Dagestan (another North Caucasian republic), before moving to the United States, where they spent more than a decade. Their ethnicity links them to a number of memes that can be exploited by all parties involved in Russia's political discourse — be they liberal, nationalist, or pro-Kremlin.
A photograph of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev from his VKontakte page, turned into a meme darkly hinting at the fact that the next Winter Olympics will be held very close to Chechnya. Anonymous image freely distributed online.
Chechen Leader Ramzan Kadyrov (whose father, the former Chechen President Akhmat Kadyrov, was killed in a terrorist attack), for example, was quick to distance himself from the Tsarnaevs, Instagramming [ru]:
Любые попытки провести связь между Чечней и Царнаевыми, если они и виноваты, тщетны. Они выросли в США, их взгляды и убеждения формировались там. Нужно корни зла искать в Америке. С терроризмом нужно всем миром бороться. Это мы знаем лучше, чем кто-либо.
Any attempts to link Chechnya and the Tsarnaevs, even if they are guilty, are futile. They grew up in the USA, their view and convictions were formed there. We should look for the root of this evil in America. The entire world should fight terrorism. We know this better than anyone.
Kadyrov was referring in part to his own success in combating homegrown terrorism in Chechnya.
In a similar vein, but without citing the Tsarnaevs’ American upbringing, Aram Gabrelyanov (the pro-government editor of the tabloid “Life”) blamed [ru] America's supposed support of Chechen separatism:
Обычное дело для американцев- сначала вербуют, пестуют , опекают своих террористов. Потом они выходят у них из под контроля.
Usual business for the Americans – first they recruit, nurture, care for their terrorists. Then they lose control over them.
The liberals also looked to the past, but from a different angle. Journalist Oleg Kozyrev argued that it was Russia's wars to pacify Chechnya that were ultimately responsible for radicalizing the brothers. Kozyrev tweeted [ru]:
Ну что мы как дети “турецкие граждане”, “жили в Киргизии” и т.п. Ясно же что история так или иначе корнями уходит в нашу войну
We are like children, [entertaining excuses that the brothers are] “Turkish citizens,” [that they] “lived in Kyrgyzstan,” and so on. It's clear that this story has its roots in our [Russian-Chechen] war
Echo Moskvy's Vladimir Varfolomeev also claimed Russian responsibility [ru]:
Простите, американцы, что мы тут вырастили и отправили к вам тех, кто, судя по всему, оказался террористами. Было бы нечестно, стыдливо открещиваясь, называть их просто кавказцами. Они наши, российские.
We are sorry, Americans, that we raised and sent you those, who look to have turned out to be terrorists. It would be unfair to bashfully disown them and call them simply denizens of the Caucasus. They are ours, Russian.
According to some, however, Chechnya is at this point so autonomous that it might as well not be Russia any longer. Journalist Natalia Oss wrote [ru] in response to a similar soul-searching Facebook post:
Проблема в том, что паспорт российский в данном случае – чистая формальность. Чечня де-факто – не Россия
The problem is that a Russian passport in this case is a pure formality. Chechnya is de facto not Russia
Some went beyond taking collective responsibility and wondered about the direct involvement of the Kremlin's “bloody regime,” exploiting the meme of FSB-sponsored domestic terrorism. For example, one Facebook user mused [ru]:
У меня сразу ассоциации с делом Навального и терактом в Бостоне как отводящем внимание западных СМИ от репрессий в России. Подобный теракт выгоден Путину сразу по многим причинам. Не исключаю, что за этим взрывом стоит ФСБ России.
I immediately linked the Navalny case and the Boston act of terror as something to distract western mass media from repressions in Russia. Such a terrorist act is advantageous for Putin for several reasons. I don't exclude the possibility that the FSB is behind the explosion.
Curiously, some people were talking about the potential of Russian involvement even before the news about the Tasarnaevs. Carnegie Center's Aleksey Malashenko pointed out [ru] back on April 16:
Обратите внимание: взрыв был двойной, то есть, «кавказского стиля» — мы такого насмотрелись и в Дагестане, и в Ингушетии, да и не только там.
Note that it was a double explosion, that is, in the “Caucasian style” — we've seen plenty of this in Dagestan and Ingushetia, and not only there.
At around the same time, conspiracy-enthusiast Igor Borisov tweeted with typical excitement [ru]:
Взрывы в Бостоне: трое погибших, 144 раненых … Асимметричный ответ Кремля на “Список Магнитского”?
Explosions in Boston: three dead, 144 wounded … An asymmetrical response by the Kremlin for the “Magnitsky List”?
Such paranoia dovetails nicely with a more recent Facebook comment [ru] by Ilya Markman:
13 апреля Рамзан Кадыров “сдаёт билет в США из-за списка Магнитского”, а через три дня два молодых чеченца взрывают Бостонский марафон.
On April 13 Ramzan Kadyrov “returns his ticket to the USA because of the Magnitsky list,” and in three days two young Chechens explode the Boston marathon.
More mainstream RuNet users in nationalist circles also took stabs at appropriating the tragedy. While Russian nationalists generally dislike all people from the North Caucasus, their “aversion” to Chechens is particularly virulent, which is perhaps why many nationalists reacted with glee upon learning of Chechen involvement in the Boston bombing. For example, one Twitter user ironically alluded [ru] to Putin's policy of “appeasing” the Chechens with supposedly lavish subsidies:
Американцы такие тупые, что ловят чеченца большими силами. Не проще ли раздать ему и его друзьям золотых кайенов, оружия и бояться их?
Americans are so stupid, trying to catch a Chechen with overwhelming forces. Isn't it easier to give him and his friends golden [Porsche] Cayennes, weapons, and be afraid of them?
The nationalist publication Sputnik&Pogrom also made a cynical joke [ru], comparing the still-at-large Dzhokhar to the Dagestani MMA fighter Rasul Mirzoev, who recently received a suspended sentence in a manslaughter case, after punching a man who fell to the floor, hit his head, and died (nationalists used the case to claim preferential treatment for minorities in Russian courts):
ФБР уже заявило, что за теракт в Бостоне Джохару Царнаеву грозит 2 года ограничения свободы максимум. Экспертиза показала, что американцы оскорбили девушку Джохара и его реакция была справедливой, он всего лишь нажал на кнопку детонатора, а бомбы взорвал электрический разряд!
The FBI already announced that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is faced with 2 years maximum jail time for the act of terror in Boston. Experts have shown that the Americans insulted Dzhokhar's girl and his reaction was justified, he only pushed the detonator button, the bombs were exploded by an electrical charge!
Sputnik&Pogrom also tweeted [ru], probably hinting at the American habit of invading countries and remaking them:
Этот твит посвящен памяти Чеченской республики. Чеченцы, вы навсегда останетесь в наших сердцах, какой народ был, какой народ…
This tweet is dedicated to the memory of the Chechen Republic. Chechens, you will always be in our hearts, what a people you were, what a people…
“Grozny Airport – Soon” Anonymous image freely distributed online.
Of course, the real gems of nationalist rhetoric are on Dzhokhar's sparse profile [ru] on the Russian language social network VKontakte. (He appears to have published only two posts on his wall, in addition to updating his profile picture.) Of the thousands of comments now left on the page, most are racist in nature. For example [ru]:
СКОРО АМЕРИКА СБРОСИТ НЕСКОЛЬКО ТОНН ДЕМОКРАТИИ НА ТВОЙ АУЛ, ГРЯЗНЫЙ ОВЦЕЁБ. РУССКИЕ ВПЕРЁД!
SOON AMERICA WILL DROP SEVERAL TONS OF DEMOCRACY ON YOUR AUL [village], DIRTY SHEEPF*CKER. RUSSIANS FORWARD! [the last bit is a typical nationalist slogan]
and [ru]:
Ты зачем Америку взрываешь, гнида черножопая?
Why are you exploding America, you black-assed louse?
In the end, however, most Russians are probably concerned with the practical implications of Chechen (and thus Russian) involvement in the case. What are these implications? One Russian Twitter user ventures a guess [ru]:
Сейчас вообще хрен кто американскую визу получит. И так плохо давали последние месяцы(
Now who the hell knows who'll get an American visa. They've not been lavish with them already during the last months :(

author: Andrey Tselikov


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A ‘Good Food Revolution’ in Trinidad & Tobago · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Saying no to bad food will benefit the economy and the happiness index of the country.
aka_lol explains.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Article 19 Mexico Threatened · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

An anonymous threatening message [es] was delivered to the Article 19 Mexico offices on April 19, 2013, as reported [es] by the pro-human rights and freedom of expression organization. As a result, its director, Darío Ramírez, has published a video [es]. You can follow the hashtag #articulo19 to stay informed, and you can also show solidarity through their Twitter account: @article19mex.

author: Juan Arellano


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Boston Bombings Opens Debate on Rights · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

After the explosions at the Boston Marathon on Monday April 15, Twitter became a primary source of breaking news, and also of misinformation. Conversations were curated around the hashtags #bostonmarathon and #bostonexplosions the first days. On Thursday night, one of the suspects, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, was killed during a police persecution in Cambridge, and the city of Boston and close communities were on lockdown on Friday during the search (#manhunt) of Tamerlan's younger brother, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19.  Dzhokhar was found wounded Friday evening in Watertown (#watertown). A debate has ensued after it was announced that he will be questioned without being Mirandized (#mirandarights). Many are also worried about how this will affect immigrants in the U.S. due to the Chechen ethnic origin of the Tsarnaev brothers.

author: Firuzeh Shokooh Valle


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Monsanto Nominated for Puerto Rico’s Agricultural Hall of Fame · Global Voices
Yarisa Colon

As soon as the non-profit organization Acción y Reforma Agrícola (ARA) (Agricultural Action and Reform) [es] announced that it had nominated the controversial agricultural biotechnology corporation Monsanto to the Hall of Fame of Puerto Rican Agriculture [es], activist group started demonstrating their fierce opposition.
Through a press release, the Puerto Rican Organization of Eco-Organic Agriculture, the Agriculture Rescue Front, the Latin America Scientific Society of Agroecology, the Yabucoeño Committee for Quality of Life and the Association of Agriculture Students expressed:
Exigimos que se revierta la decisión y en su lugar se seleccione a un agricultor local utilizando criterios de sustentabilidad y justicia social. Este reconocimiento a Monsanto, una compañía dedicada a la producción de plaguicidas y cultivos transgénicos, resulta oneroso en demasía para una corporación con credenciales tan nefastas a nivel internacional.
We demand that the decision be changed and that in its place a local farm is chosen, using the criteria of sustainability and social justice. This recognition of Monsanto, a company dedicated to the production of pesticides and genetically modified crops, is just too much for a corporation with such terrible credentials on an international level.
Also, under the slogan ¡Nada Santo sobre Monsanto! (There is Nothing Saintly about Monsanto!) [es], an online petition, which is getting close to its goal of 2,000 signatures, was directed at the ARA, whose headquarters are at the School of Agronomists. The petition explains some of the repercussions of Monsanto's presence on the island:
Puerto Rico es un país que depende alrededor de un 90% en productos extranjeros para alimentarse. Nuestras tierras fértiles están siendo arrendadas a Monsanto para crear sus semillas que hacen daño a la salud y al ambiente en vez de utilizarse para tener una agricultura sostenible que nos brinde más seguridad alimentaria.
Puerto Rico is a country that depends on around 90% in foreign products to feed itself. Our fertile land is being rented out to Monsanto so they can create their seeds which hurt health and the environment, instead of being used for sustainable agriculture which would offer us more food security.
On his blog Proyecto Bioseguridad de Puerto Rico (Biosecurity Project of Puerto Rico) [es], environmental educator Carmelo Ruiz Marrero points out that:
…en el candente debate global en torno a los organismos y alimentos genéticamente modificados, o transgénicos, el rol poco conocido de la isla caribeña de Puerto Rico ha pasado mayormente inadvertido y hasta ahora ha evadido escrutinio crítico.”
…in the hot global debate over genetically modified organisms and food, the little known role of the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico has gone mostly unnoticed and until now it has avoided critical scrutiny.
The expert also makes it clear that Puerto Rico's colonial relationship with the United States is an undeniable obstacle.  This is seen, for example, at the time of signing international agreements relevant to the “cross-border movement of genetically modified food.
Nevertheless, many politicians, agro-entrepreneurs, and academic and scientific institutions support the development of agricultural biotechnology in the country.  The special series “El experimento caribeño de Monsanto” (“Monsanto's Caribbean Experiment”) [es], written in 2011 by the journalist Eliván Martínez for the Center of Investigative Journalism of Puerto Rico, points to the active role of the Puerto Rican government:
Acá se cocina una realidad que el Gobierno oculta y auspicia: la Isla es un importante centro para ocho empresas, siete de ellas multinacionales, que desarrollan las primeras generaciones de semillas modificadas genéticamente para distribuirlas a Estados Unidos y alrededor del mundo. Los dominios de estas corporaciones se expanden en fincas públicas y privadas, sobre todo en las mejores tierras cultivables del sur de la Isla, donde en el siglo pasado mandaba el imperio de su majestad la caña, aupada por grandes terratenientes que buscaban acaparar la tierra.
La mayoría de estas semilleras ocupa más del límite de 500 acres que permite la Constitución de Puerto Rico, mientras reciben jugosos beneficios del Gobierno y gozan de la Ley de Promoción y Desarrollo de Empresas de Biotecnología Agrícola de 2009, hecha a la medida para favorecerlas.
There is a situation in the works here that the government is hiding and supporting: the island is an important center for eight companies, seven of them multinationals, who develop the first generations of genetically modified seeds to distribute to the United States and around the world. The possessions of these corporations include public and private farms, mostly on the best cultivable lands on the south of the island, where in the last century the empire of his majesty, the sugarcane, was in charge, held up by great landowners who wanted the land for themselves.
The majority of these lands take up more than the limit of 500 acres, which is the maximum permitted by the Constitution of Puerto Rico, while they receive attractive benefits from the government and they enjoy the Ley de Promoción y Desarrollo de Empresas de Biotecnología Agrícola de 2009 (Law for the Promotion and Development of Agricultural Biotechnology Companies, 2009) [es], custom-made to favor them.
In the face of this murky scene, a diverse movement on the island which has been fighting for food sovereignty for years has confirmed its participation in the next global march against Monsanto, planned for May 25 at 2:00pm, Eastern U.S. time.  Among them are the Puerto Rican Organization of Eco-Organic Agriculture [es], who just created an alliance with Vía Campesina/Coordinadora Latinoamericana de Organizaciones de Campo (Latin American Coordinator of Field Organizations) [es], which will make possible the participation of Puerto Ricans in international debates.
This is a call to the whole world. The meetings in Puerto Rico are taking place at The Department of Food [es], a multifaceted initiative dedicated to ecological agriculture.  Demonstrations are expected in more than twenty countries and 100 cities in the United States.

author: Yarisa Colon


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Indonesia: Relief Still Needed for Rokatenda Refugees · Global Voices
Carolina

The impact of the Rokatenda volcanic eruption in Flores Island in East Nusa Tenggara in Indonesia is still felt by some 3,000 refugees from Sikka District.
Rokatenda erupted last February and following the natural disaster, residents are still hesitant and afraid to return to their houses.
Rokatenda artwork by @jamduapagi, used with permission
Through a text message sent to Global Voices, Father Hilde Tanga, from Maumere Diocese said that residents living near Mount Rokatenda are still living in shelters in Palu'e Island. Although the volcanic activity has receded, ash spew and small eruptions followed by tremors are still occurring.
Once again several Indonesian online network coordinated with each other to make sure the effectiveness of humanitarian response coming from all corners of the archipelago.
Communities of bloggers and social media users were actively and responsively passing on news about the eruption  through Twitter and Facebook. On Twitter they used hashtags #Rokatenda and #KupangBagarak. Some of them also broadcast news through the popular Blackberry Messenger service.
Flobamora, East Nusa Tenggara bloggers community, dedicated their time and energy to report new developments from the field as well as continuously dispatching provisions badly needed by the refugees. Latest updates on  Rokatenda can be read on Flobamora's Twitter timeline or their Facebook page.
Christian Dicky Senda in his blog Naked Timur reflected on the social media users’ contribution in the wake of the disaster:
Bencana yang memicu terjadinya gelombang pengungsi ke kota Maumere dan Kec. Maurole di Kabupaten Ende ini memang harus membutuhkan perhatian kita, ketika pemerintah daerah sendiri terkesan abai dalam hal tanggap darurat, maka kelahiran gerakan baru di media sosial seperti Twitter, Blog dan Facebook saya rasa adalah sebuah keniscayaan baru yang baik. Ini terkait nyawa ribuan orang, tak bisa juga kita berlama-lama atau berdiam diri saja.
[…]
Siapa sangka bahwa dari status Facebook, Twitter, BBM atau menulis kisahnya secara lengkap di blog, orang-orang secara sukarela menyodorkan bantuannya. Di beberapa kota seperti Ambon, Kupang, Soe dan khususnya Ende sebagai kota dengan member Komunitas Blogger NTT terbanyak kemudian mencetuskan aksi-aksi solidaritasnya.
The situation of refugees in the city of Maumere and Maurole Sub-District in Ende requires our attention, (when) administrative government seems ignorant about humanitarian response, I think the new Social Media movements such as those on Twitter, blogs, and Facebook  are of great importance. Thousands of lives are involved, we can't be sluggish or remain idle.
[…]
Who knew that from Facebook statuses, Twitter, BBM (Blackberry Messaging), or by writing stories on blogs, people would be inspired to volunteer or offer their help? In cities like Ambon, Kupang, Soe and especially Ende where most of the Flobamora's community members are based, solidarity actions began.
On their blog, Flobamora community said scores of residents have been moving out of their villages since November 2012, long before the big eruption on February 3, 2013.
Gunung Rokatenda terletak di sebuah pulau kecil bernama Pulau Palu’e. Pulau ini masuk dalam wilayah administratif Kabupaten Sikka tapi letaknya justru di depan pantai di wilayah Maurole, Kabupaten Ende.
[…]
Ada sekitar 11.000 penduduk di sana dan pengungsi yang tercatat baru 2.000 jiwa saja.
Kenapa ada penduduk yang memilih tidak meninggalkan Palu’e? Karena terikat perasaan dan tradisi.
Mount Rokatenda situated in a small island called Palu'e. The island is listed as part of Sikka District, however its location is exactly facing the beach of Maurole area in Ende District.
[…]
There are 11,000 residents living there and only 2,000 people listed as displaced. Why many choose to stay in Palu'e? Because they're attached with the place and bound to traditions.
Malnutrition, respiratory infection, Malaria, and Diarrhea are haunting those living in the emergency shelters. Faced with trouble in accessing humanitarian aid from the administrative government, some of the refugees held a protest action last January. The protest didn't end well since it led to the arrest of some protesters.
The mainstream media reported that refugees are experiencing logistics problem due to the preparation of the local election and limited stock of clean water and food reserve.
Information on logistics and donation for refugees are available by using the Twitter hashtags #Geser #Rokatenda, #1mugberas and #Kupangbagarak.

author: Carolina


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Iran: 60% of Population Online · Global Voices
Hadi Nili

An organization affiliated with Iran’s government says 60 percent of Iranians are connected to the internet, 40 percent of them are young people in their 20s.
Iran’s “Center For Managing National Development Of Internet”, MATMA, says more than 45 millions are connected to the internet,almost 2.5 millions of them through their mobile devices.

author: Hadi Nili


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Myanmar: Suu Kyi Beats Lady Gaga in Time Magazine Poll · Global Voices
Juan Cebu

Aung San Suu Kyi, photo by Htoo Tay Zar, taken from Wikipedia
Aung San Suu Kyi was voted as the Time Magazine's most influential person of the decade on 17 April, 2013. She won against Lady Gaga by 61 percent of the total votes. It came as a proud moment for Myanmar people who untiringly voted for her to show their utmost support for ‘The Lady.’ It is also regarded as a New Year present for Aung San Suu Kyi from her people as April 16 is the first day in the Myanmar calender.
Following her victory after the voting closed, many people shared their joy and enthusiasm on Facebook. Here are some of the posts:
Helen Ayekyaw wrote that the ‘gift’ is fruit of unity in the country:
your children has given a present for Mom, which is a fruit of our unity. Wish you are happy.
Taw Win Daund complimented the voters:
Say it who is the winner and say it loud….!!!.. :)
Give yourselves a big hand coz u worth it..
Hmuu Zaw also congratulated her and wrote about the significance of the poll victory:
Daw Suu is an icon of Myanmar. Our president is also a symbol of Myanmar's reformation. In any case, we have voted to present our country; our people's pride can be seen here. Lady Gaga's fans are also mobilizing people to vote for her in various fan pages. There is a stark difference in number of followers, internet users and the internet speed. I don't want to say anything about TIME's matching two people of different areas (I mean an Icon and a Pop-star; it would be better if she is matched with Obama or Hilary Clinton). There might be different opinions on the style of voting. But we can see the TIME's intention of allowing us to vote multiple times. Some people might think this is not necessary but this means a lot to us who recently have been able to look outside of a closed-society. Lady Gaga's fans and people from TIME magazine might be surprised (if they check IP, they will know who are voting). For Myanmar people who are living here or abroad, we have come to a cross-point. The word Myanmar that had been neglected always, now comes into recognition. We have started a new year with good news.
He also mentioned some of the other challenges facing Myanmar:
I fully hope that in the future we will be united as well for nation, peace, development and putting Myanmar in the right place. TIME's voting has finished but we still have Nation Building, and State Building has been only 2 years old. As the President said we have to walk ahead taking lessons and challenges from the past years.
Here are also some of the voters’ sentiments the day and night before the match was closed
Photo of a family voting for Aung San Suu Kyi, shared by Taw Win Daund
Freedom News Group was regularly updating the voting results:
Lady Gaga 46% and Aung San Suu Kyi 54%. Only two hours left to vote for Aung San Suu Kyi
Demo Fatty wrote in behalf of other Burmese who can't access the internet:
We, 2 million people are voting also on behalf of 40 million people who also wanted to vote for Daw Suu but do not have internet. So what? Let's vote, everybody!
Michael Z Chu also expressed his concern:
Lady Gaga vs our Beloved Leader Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi is getting close plz everyone vote vote vote n tell all ur friends n family also
Photo of a child voting for Aung San Suu Kyi, shared by Zaw Min Tun
One of the voters, Tin Ko Ko Oo wrote:
Don't give up! respect those who voted all night long.
Kaung Thant asserts that Suu Kyi will remain a beloved figure even if she loses in the poll:
Whatever the result will be, Mother Suu is always going to be in the heart of her people.

author: Juan Cebu


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Netizens Tell Red Cross China to Get Lost · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

A 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit Lushan county of Ya'an city in southwest China's Sichuan Province at 8:02 AM local time today. The Red Cross Society in China posted in its official micro-blog [zh] expressing its concern over the disaster. However, many Chinese netizens who still remember the organization's corruption scandal reacted in the comment section with the word “get lost” （滾） and a thumb down gesture. Screen capture by Sun Affair in Facebook.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Philippine Education Directory · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Filipino student leader Cleve Arguelles has listed a comprehensive matrix of Philippine education-related social media accounts. The directory features the country's leading universities, student councils and publications, government agencies and education officials

author: Mong Palatino


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Malaysian 2013 Elections Alphabet · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Art Harun gives a primer on Malaysia's 13th General Elections by listing and explaining some keywords that define Malaysian politics. For example, letter A refers to Anwar Ibrahim, the leader of the Opposition; while letter N refers to Najib Razak, the incumbent Prime Minister


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The Russian Opposition “Snake Pit” · Global Voices
Kevin Rothrock

The Russian opposition is at war with itself, and it’s thanks to more than the usual ideological tectonics. The various fault lines that infamously allow the Kremlin to “divide and conquer” Russia’s would-be saviors are indeed political, but the divisions are every bit as much about idiosyncrasies and shady dealings. Take the case [ru] surrounding Konstantin Lebedev and his leftist comrades, Sergey Udaltsov and Leonid Razvozzhaev. The trio has been under criminal investigation since October 2012, following a program aired on Russian television network NTV, which featured footage [ru] of their meeting with Georgian politicians, allegedly involving a plot to facilitate riots in Russia, with the aim of destabilizing the Putin regime.
Background
Initially, the case against Lebedev, Udaltsov, and Razvozzhaev galvanized the opposition, rallying disparate factions in support of men accused on the basis of an apparently spurious NTV documentary film. (Bloggers have noted certain technical clues indicating that the video could be a recut montage.) Nationalist democrats like Vladimir Milov encouraged [ru] the public to support Lebedev, perhaps out of solidarity with Milov’s Democratic Choice ally Stanislav Yakovlev, who once worked alongside Lebedev in the movement “Smena” [ru] (“Change”). Alexey Navalny, another nationalist liberal, also hit the streets [ru] to call for Lebedev’s release, evidently to seize the opportunity to criticize Investigative Committee head Alexandr Bastrykin, against whom Navalny has personally crusaded [ru] since July 2012 [ru].
There were several broader reasons to band together over this case, as well: investigators tied it to the constantly expanding “Bolotnoe Delo” investigation into “rioting” at the May 6, 2012, “million man march”; Razvozzhaev claims [ru] that the police kidnapped and tortured [ru] him while in custody; and oppositionists are generally eager to believe that its putative leaders don’t plot their actions secretly with foreign conspirators.
Rude Awakenings
Konstantin Lebedev in pretrial detention, 18 October 2012, screen capture from YouTube.
Earlier this month, on April 5, 2013, Lebedev’s presumed heroism abruptly ended, when state prosecutors announced [ru] that he had confessed to all charges of organizing mass unrest in May 2012 and violent acts elsewhere in Russia. In the aftermath of this news, the opposition’s political prisoner activists reshuffled their allegiances, producing a medley of censure and justification in the media and on the pages of Facebook and Twitter. The disillusionment of Lebedev’s detractors is matched only by the indignation of his defenders.
For those who believe that Lebedev betrayed Udaltsov and Razvozzhaev, the nature of his confession is fairly straightforward. Oleg Kashin’s April 8, 2013, article [ru] in Colta.ru is a good example of this attitude. In that piece, Kashin argues that oppositionists should have known better than to put their faith in Lebedev’s innocence. He alludes to Lebedev’s checkered past, which includes serving as the press secretary for a pro-Kremlin movement at the same time as when he entered leftist protest politics. While this blemish on Lebedev’s life story is well known, Kashin also entertains rumors that Lebedev enjoyed special luxuries (like Internet access and unguarded yard access) when in pretrial detention, that he owned a polo shirt with a spy camera sewn into the fabric, and that—before the Bolotnaya investigation—he always seemed to be a man of extraordinary means, who sometimes transported whole suitcases full of cash across international borders.
Less than a week later, on April 15, 2013, Kommersant’s Olesia Gerasimenko published an extensive profile [ru] of Lebedev, regurgitating—as Kashin had—many of the tawdriest details of his life, such as his pro-Kremlin affiliations, his unusual surveillance-embedded clothing, and many rumors long circulating among Lebedev’s closest friends. The article also includes the details of Lebedev’s confession, as conveyed by his girlfriend, Polina Starodubtseva. In a Facebook post [ru] later that day, Gerasimenko congratulated herself on a “job well done,” revealing that she had conducted roughly sixty-four hours worth of interviews with thirty-two different people in researching Lebedev’s story. “This is probably how people pan for gold,” she declared triumphantly. Among the 118 people to “like” Gerasimenko’s Facebook post were fellow journalists Yuri Saprykin, Yevgenia Albats, Ilya Azar, and Michael Idov.
Albats offered her own thoughts in a separate tweet [ru], indicating clearly that Gerasimenko’s work had soured her sympathy for Lebedev:
Читаю сопли по поводу Лебедева. Дети малые, стукачи были, есть и будут. В СССР до 30% взрослого населения сотрудничало с КГБ.
I’m reading all this sniveling about Lebedev. Kids, informers were, are, and [always] will be. In the USSR, as many as 30% of the adult population cooperated with the KGB.
Sticking By Friends
Of course, not everyone embraces the idea that Lebedev has sold out. Stanislav Yakovlev (mentioned above), whom Gerasimenko’s article implicates in a Kremlin plot to replace the unruly grassroots protest leadership with an astroturf doppelgänger, has lashed out [ru] on multiple occasions [ru] at the growing ranks of Lebedev-disparagers. On April 10, 2013, for instance, Yakovlev posted to Facebook the following quotation from Lebedev, taken from wiretapped Skype conversations [ru] between Lededev and his Georgian financier, Givi Targamadze (who denies the recordings’ authenticity):
Тут еще надо понимать, что наша оппозиция не монолит и уж точно не джентльменский клуб, а скорее террариум единомышленников.
Here we need to understand that [Russia’s] opposition is not a monolith, and it’s certainly no gentlemen’s club, but closer to a snake pit.
In that conversation, Lebedev was trying to convince Targamadze of the need for secrecy in their planning, given the fact that even fellow oppositionists could be expected to rat them out to the authorities if they learned of their conversations. Yakovlev presumably reproduced this excerpt to connote that the members of the protest movement are overeager to accuse one another of treachery, and that someone else might just as easily have betrayed Lebedev and forced him into confessing.
Maria Baronova, one of the many suspects accused of inciting (though not “organizing”) the violence at Bolotnaia last May, elected to push back [ru] against Yakovlev, arguing that the opposition’s rush to support Lebedev debunks the notion that it’s every man for himself:
Почему только вот террариум о нем беспокоился, когда он сдавал все идя на сделку с подонками?
Tell me then—why was “the snake pit” concerned with his wellbeing, while he was giving up everything to cut a deal with those [Investigative Committee] lowlifes?
This launched a long and heated argument that later attracted the mother of Lebedev’s girlfriend, Irina Starodubtseva, who called [ru] Baronova “a fool” and “a hysterical woman.” (Starodubtseva was exploiting—rather ironically, given their shared gender—a sexist trope often peddled in attacks on Baronova, i.e., that her “emotionality” distorts her judgment.) On her own Facebook page, Irina Starodubtseva also posted several condemnations [ru] of Oleg Kashin, following his April 8 piece (discussed above).
No one, however, has so passionately defended Lebedev as his longtime friend, Kommersant journalist, and former activist Anastasia Karimova, whose Twitter and Facebook accounts are a trove of sympathetic outpourings for the man she describes [ru] as her “mentor,” “older brother,” and “fulcrum.” Days after the authorities took Lebedev into custody and placed him in pretrial detention, Karimova wrote [ru] on Facebook a fervid appeal to Investigative Committee officials Alexandr Bastrykin and Vladimir Markin (whom she calls “miserable f**king clowns”), imploring them to “end this circus” and release Lebedev.
After Kashin’s critical piece on Lebedev, Karimova tweeted [ru] angrily:
Сегодня Олег Кашин умер для меня, как журналист. RIP.
Today, as far as I’m concerned, Oleg Kashin died as a journalist. RIP.
The announcement was rather surprising given Karimova’s longtime friendship with Kashin, to whom she in part owes her opposition credentials, following his coverage [ru] of her January 2005 political stunt, where she delivered mandarin oranges to the FSB’s headquarters at the height of Ukraine’s Orange Revolution. Karimova and Kashin soon reconciled [ru], but her irritation [ru] with Lebedev’s critics survives unabated. Indeed, as recently as April 16, 2013, she complained [ru] on Twitter about “hypocrites’ double standards,” alluding to the opposition’s soured feelings about Lebedev, but its enduring rapport with Vkontakte.ru founder Pavel Durov, who’s been suspected of collaborating with Russian police against the protest movement. (Karimova seems not to have read or not to have accepted Anton Nossik’s interpretation [ru] of the recent “leaks” incriminating Vkontakte.ru, which he argues are part of a campaign to economically weaken the actually quite independently-minded social network.)
The Odd Man Out
The most interesting thing to emerge from Karimova's April tweets is that she believes Lebedev’s underling Yuri Aimaletdinov played a key role in turning public opinion against him. Aimaletdinov, known simply as “Alimych” in their circle of friends, is varyingly described [ru] as Lebedev’s “unavoidable accessory,” his “valet,” and even his “slave.”
Aimaletdinov is the odd man out in the case. He appears in the NTV film that underpins the entire investigation against Lebedev, Udaltsov, and Razvozzhaev, and yet investigators consider him a witness and not an accessory. This could be because, as Aimaletdinov himself maintains, he’s simply not important enough to have played an organizing role in any revolutionary plot. In a November 2012 interview [ru] with Openspace.ru, he was overwhelmingly evasive when questioned about his unique status in the case. Earlier this week, on April 17, 2013, Aimaletdinov indicated on Facebook [ru] that he’s limited by a nondisclosure agreement with state prosecutors. (That same day, it was revealed [ru] that Lebedev, too, is forbidden from discussing the full details of his settlement.)
Also on April 17, Novaya Gazeta’s Yulia Polukhina published a summary [ru] of her conversation with Aimaletdinov, concluding that he is likely more involved in the case than he lets on. For instance, Aimaletdinov apparently knows certain details about investigators that would be impossible to know, if he wasn’t assisting their work. (For instance, Polukhina explains, he is fond of naming individual case officers and describing the interior of their offices.)
Karimova and Aimaletdinov, on the road, 4 August 2012, posted to Twitter.
And then there is Aimaletdinov's connection to Karimova and Lebedev—a friendship rigorously cataloged in tweets and Instagram photos dating back years. There are photos of Karimova embracing Aimaletdinov, Aimaletdinov kissing Lebedev, and their various travels [ru] to Georgia and throughout Russia. Read over the jokes constantly made at Aimaletdinov’s expense, and you start to wonder if Lebedev and Karimova didn’t have it coming. For instance, on April 26, 2012, Karimova tweeted [ru]:
Какой ад. Я знакома с Алимычем уже 7 лет и только что узнала, что его зовут ЮРИЙ. И у него, помимо имени, даже есть фамилия!!!
What a disgrace. I’ve known Alimych for 7 years already and only now have I realized that his name is YURI. And not only that, but he even has a surname!!!
Aimaletdinov again with Karimova, posted 17 November 2012 to Twitter.
Aimaletdinov, however, is hardly [ru] some charming, but under-appreciated, protagonist in this story. While he told Polukhina that he was first introduced to Lebedev through a communist labor organization (RKRP, which disowned [ru] Lebedev upon learning of his confession), in his November interview with Openspace.ru, Aimaletdinov had said that they met in a pro-Kremlin youth group, where Aimaletdinov’s friend of a friend (a prostitute) had offered her services. (Aimaletdinov said he had only joined in search of free meals and t-shirts.)
Aimaletdinov embraces Lebedev, 4 August 2012, posted to Twitter.
Karimova’s falling out with Aimaletdinov seems to have occurred sometime in late October, around the time that he was interrogated by police but never arrested. In a November 2, 2012, Facebook post [ru], she alludes to his “insane” behavior on a recent trip to Kostroma. In an April 8, 2013, tweet, Karimova accused [ru] Aimaletdinov of being responsible [ru] for spreading rumors to make Lebedev look like a traitor—rumors that appeared in Kashin’s and Gerasimenko’s articles about Lebedev’s special treatment in pretrial detention. Aimaletdinov has since responded [ru] on Facebook and in a number of obscene messages [ru] to Karimova, denying her allegations, and going so far as to insult her “short legs” and “fat” ex-husband.
Schisms Today & Tomorrow
If there is a snitch in the snake pit, who is it? Is it Aimaletdinov, the slave who broke his chains, as it were, or was it Lebedev all along? Could they be working together to scapegoat Udaltsov and Razvozzhaev? Or maybe Yakovlev’s suspicions are correct, and the real defector is Ilya Ponomarev, whose name appears (along with Karimova’s) in Lebedev’s conversations with Targamadze. Ponomarev, after all, is widely suspected of collaborating with the authorities in various initiatives. Though his former aid Maria Baronova is reluctant to speak out against her former boss, the two did come into conflict earlier this year, when Ponomarev visited federal investigators in relation to her case. Did he go to defend her, as he says [ru], or was the aim something sinister? If the former, why did he claim to have warned Baronova about it in advance, when she says [ru] he didn't?
If journalist Alexandr Podrabinek’s reaction [ru] is any indication, the effect of the Lebedev confession will be to aggravate relations between the protest movement’s two biggest camps: the liberals and the leftists. Podrabinek, a liberal, is convinced that May 6 was such a disaster for the movement because the liberals allowed radical leftists to hijack the process and turn off the masses with appeals to violence:
В целом наша страна, надо признать, иммунитета к коммунизму и его разновидностям не приобрела.
Generally, we need to acknowledge that our country has not acquired an immunity to communism and its variations.
Consider this perspective alongside Left Front member Alexey Sakhnin’s comments [ru] to Kasparov.ru following the news of Lebedev’s confession. Sakhnin points out that Lebedev was never a member of Left Front (unlike Udaltsov, Razvozzhaev, and Ponomarev), and argues that Lebedev is likely a provocateur sent to disrupt the organization. Unsurprisingly, he doesn't see May 6 as proof of the Left’s unpopularity, but as evidence of its superior political weight relative to the “liberal elite”—as demonstrated by the authorities’ decision to stage provocations:
А эта демонстрация, в отличие от остальных, не была связана с элитной фрондой, с теми, кого называют системными либералами. Это большая угроза для власти. В таких условиях не с кем договариваться.
But this demonstration, unlike the others [in December 2011 and February 2012], wasn't tied to the elite Fronde, to those who call themselves establishment liberals. It [the May 6 rally] was a big threat for the authorities. In such conditions, there’s nobody with whom to strike a deal.
Disputes and scandals like these are endless in the Russian opposition. Whether you denigrate it as a “tusovka” (clique) politics or a snake pit, or celebrate it as Russia’s “creative class,” it’s hard to avoid the simple truth that these people operate in a turbulent free-for-all, where friends at one moment are at each other’s throats the next. It all begs the question: what conflicts will tomorrow bring?

author: Kevin Rothrock


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Bosnia & Herzegovina: “Dark Times, Black Humor” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

A Sarajevo-based Boston native writes on Notes from Sarajevo Tumblr blog that “the last few days [since the Boston Marathon bombings] have served as a reminder of Bosnia’s particularly dark brand of humor”:
[…] To be sure, friends and colleagues here have been kind and considerate, asking if everyone I know is OK (they are.) But some also wasted no time joking about the situation. […] one said, “Who would want to bomb a marathon? Must have been a smoker.” I’m not one to get prickly about a joke I can’t appreciate, and in fact I respect the instinct to use humor to cope with tragedy, but it did strike me how very badly that would go over in the States right now. […]

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Chinese President Xi Jinping’s ‘Fake’ Taxi Ride Fools State Media · Global Voices
Owen Guo

Calling the piece “fake news”, China's state news agency is backpedaling on a report, which appeared in Beijing-backed Hong Kong newspaper and the agency originally endorsed, about Chinese President Xi Jinping hailing a taxi last month in order to chat with the cabby about the issues of the day.
Ta Kung Pao [zh] newspaper published on April 18, 2013 an interview with taxi driver Guo Lixin who claimed to have driven Xi, who supposedly wanted to experience rush-hour traffic in Beijing. The ride, reminiscent of the undercover trek many Chinese emperors made to meet common folks, known as Weifusifang, appeared to be a media stunt to boost the communist leader's image.
With news outlets rushing to repost the juicy scoop and online discussion about the Xi's taxi ride gaining steam, state news agency Xinhua announced on popular Chinese microblogging site Sina Weibo in the early afternoon on the same day that it had confirmed the story with transportation authorities.
However, a few hours later Xinhua announced in a terse news bulletin [zh] that the report was untrue.
In response, Ta Kung Pao newspaper scrubbed the original report from their website and issued an apology [zh]:
《大公报》4月18日刊发了《北京“的哥”：习近平总书记坐上了我的车》一文。经核，此为虚假消息，对此我们深感不安和万分遗憾。由于我们的工作失误，出现如此重大虚假消息是极不应该的。对此我们诚恳地向读者致歉。我们将以此为鉴，用准确严谨的新闻报道回馈公众。
The Ta Kung Pao ran an article on April 18 called “Beijing cabby: General Secretary Xi took my cab”. We feel deeply upset and extremely regretful about this. Such a major case of false news absolutely should never have happened. We sincerely apologize to our readers. We will take this as a lesson and give readers our accurate news reporting.
Following the move by the newspaper, a number of news portals have retracted the repost. A man claiming [zh] to have fooled the taxi driver in Beijing then appeared online posting photos to prove his likeness to Xi.
A man turned himself in online, claiming to be the fake Xi in the cab.(from Sina Weibo)
Tao Kung Pao’s interview with the 46-year-old cabby Guo, which many later labeled as a hoax, portrayed Xi as a leader with common touch. During the alleded 26-minute drive [zh] through the city, Xi was said to chat with Guo over the city’s chronic air pollution and pay for cabbies. The deleted report also said Xi was accompanied by another man whom it didn't identify.
Chinese media reports commonly cast state leaders in a positive light. Since taking the helm of China in mid-March 2013 as the country’s president, Xi has established a reputation of humbleness thanks to a torrent of media eulogy.
But this time, government-supported newspaper Ta Kung Pao’s attempt to burnish Xi’s image seemed to have backfired, with many netizens crying out in frustration.
Siwen Pizi from Henan wrote [zh] on the Weibo:
官方又证明习大大打车是假新闻，不就是打个车么？有什么不妥的么？一会儿说是真的，一会儿又说是假的！这是闹哪样啊？
There is official confirmation that Xi Boss taxi ride was fake news, wasn't it just taking a taxi? Anything wrong? One moment real, another moment fake! What is going on?
Genni Jiedian Xinfu, also from Henan, raged [zh] on his Weibo account:
彻底无语，不再想多说费话了！太让人失望了，本以为习总真是暗访，却如此结果让人心寒！看到《大公报、合肥晚班》煽自己脸的道歉，忍不住问:新闻报道不需要你们先确认真假吗？还头版头条。
I was speechless completely, I don't want to say anymore! This was very disappointing, I though boss Xi was on an undercover inspection, but the result was so chilly! Ta Kung Pao and He Fei Evening News slapped their faces for issuing apologies, I couldn't help asking: Don't you need to confirm the authenticity of the news before you report it? You guys even treated it as headline news.
Aizai Ye Hehua, a Weibo user from China's eastern Zhejiang province, was in a state of shock and doubt [zh]:
为什么要作假……但是内容为何又是贴近百姓生活……从细节分析……不是一个简单得假……明显排练过……编版过……考虑过……为啥这样……为什么呢？？
Why fabricate……when the content was so close to common people's life……To analyze it in detail…..this is not just simply about fabrication…. Apparently it was rehearsed….orchestrated… pre-arranged… Why so… Why???
In reference to the avalanche of media outlets that republished the story as true, American TV network ABC's Beijing producer Karson Yiu joked on Twitter:
Seems like Xi Jinping cab ride story is the Chinese messing with the foreign media. Payback for all those Onion articles they fell for.
Wall Street Journal China Wealth and Luxury editor Wei Gu wrote on Twitter:
The fake Xi turn himself in now. Sadly, most Chinese media fell for the joke.

author: Owen Guo


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Detained and Desperate – Undocumented Migrants in Greece · Global Voices
Maria Sidiropoulou

This post is part of our special coverage Europe in Crisis.
Stories of despair were transmitted through Twitter, when politicians, journalists and anti-racism activists visited a detention facility within the Drapetsona police station in Piraeus city, where more than 100 unauthorized migrants are living in cramped, dark and deplorable conditions.
One detainee said he hadn't seen the sun for months. Another had attempted suicide.
I was part of the group that visited the detention facility outside capital city Athens on April 6, 2013. In this post, I describe the conditions of the migrants through my tweets and include testimonies from other people who also visited the facility or #GreekGuantanamo, as it was referred to on Twitter.
Protest against inhuman immigrant detention conditions in Drapetsona. Photo by author
More than 60,000 migrants have been detained in police stations ever since sweep operations, under the name of “Xenios Zeus” (ironically, the name of the Greek god of hospitality) were initiated in August 2012. Only 4,000 have been formally arrested.
Since the 1990s, Greece has become a popular entry and transit point into the EU, for hundreds of thousands of unauthorized immigrants from Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.
Anti-immigration, fascist groups, including the neo-Nazi “Golden Dawn” party, have increasingly become vocal in a country with a weakened economy and few jobs. According to some statistics, illegal immigrants currently make up 10% of the Greek population.
For the second time in two months, a delegation visited this particular police station to record the conditions under which unauthorized migrants that fail to meet Greece's legal living  requirements are forced to endure.
Most members of the visiting delegation were motivated by a detailed letter [el] from George Karystinos, a member of the Antifascist Front of Piraeus, who was a part of the first delegation that visited the police station and witnessed the conditions there. What he described was utterly shocking. About 100 migrants were detained in a 70 meter-square space, some of them for more than 9 months.
Some migrants were on hunger strike after a fellow 28-year-old Palestinian detainee, had tried to commit suicide because of the conditions there, and they were allegedly beaten by police officers to end their strike.
During the first visit, one of the detainees started injuring himself in front of the committee as a way to show his despair. George Karystinos writes [el]:
The police department commander announced that the detainee who injured himself, as well as the Palestinian who had tried to commit suicide, would be set free. What was his message? You will have to attempt suicide in order to be released, and if you get lucky, you'll survive in a hospital.
Recent photo from the Drapetsona precinct detention. No windows, no outdoors. Photo posted by @eleniamorgos on Twitter
Our visit coincided with a protest outside the facility. Twitter users present at the protest reported the extensive presence of police forces outside the police station [el]:
@Cyberela: Εχουν κλείσει τα ρολά του ΑΤ. 3 σειρές απο ματ. #greekGuantanamo
I was also outside the police station, about to enter as a member of the committee, and tried to report what was happening on Twitter through my account @WonderMaS:
@WonderMaS: Outside the police station of Drapetsona with the Antifascist Front of Piraeus, Amnesty International, and two members of Parliament, Dritsas and Lafazanis who are just coming out of the police station.
After MP Dritsas, of the Syriza party negotiated the number of people that would be allowed inside, with the precinct commander, we entered and I tweeted:
@WonderMaS: Just came out of police station in Drapetsona, Pireaus. Immigrants there living like animals, eating twice a day, first meal at 16.00 #rbnews
@WonderMaS: One immigrant told me he hasn't seen the sun for months #rbnews
A member of the Antifascist Front of Piraeus tweeted [el]:
@eleniamorgos: Δεν σταματάει η κράτησή τους όταν περάσει ο νόμιμος χρονος, λόγω γραφειοκρατίας του αλλοδαπών
@eleniamorgos: 2. Δεν παρέχεται ιατρική περίθαλψη όταν νοσούν ή κάνουν απεργία πείνας
The precinct chief also made clear that they are trying their best to improve holding conditions, with little or no help from the Ministry. Teseris told us that he has to bring medicine from home to cover the department's deficiencies.
@WonderMaS: commander of police dept, Teseris says this isnt a proper place to detain ppl for months, only for 2-3 days detentions #rbnews
Some of the detainees told me there are no proper health facilities, and sometimes they don't have soap. Others told me that not all police officers are civil to them, even though they don't beat them. Most of them don't have any lawyers or contacts outside, and the ones that do have legal help, told me there hasn't been any progress in their situation.
The majority seemed desperate, and were looking at me as if I were their only hope.
As I tried to have a look inside their cells, I noticed some washing hanging from clotheslines. With all their inconvenient conditions, they still try to keep their prison proper, a fact which only reminded me that these people are coming from homes and families that taught them how to be civilized and cherish dignity. For some maybe their quest for dignity, brought them to these living conditions.
Their attendant psychologist was firm on the desperation these detainees were experiencing:
Abatzidi Dionusia is a psychologist at Drapetsona police dep, said those ppl are desperate
Some of the detainees told the delegates that there was no physical violence; this time, at least, as an activist pointed out [el]:
@Cyberela: Το ότι δεν διαπιστώθηκαν ξυλοδαρμοί στους κρατούμενους στη σημερινή επίσκεψη δεν σημαίνει ότι ξαχάσαμε τους προηγούμενους. #greekGuantanamo
One of the detainees also told us that since the first protest and outside visit, some things had changed, “they fixed our lights, the lamps had been off for days”. Other visitors concurred:
@Cyberela: Δριτσας: οι κινητοποιήσεις έχουν βοηθήσει την κατάσταση των συνθηκών. Οι χώροι αυτοί είναι για κράτηση το πολυ 48ωρου #greekGuantanamo
A few days after the visit, Mr. Dritsas announced [el] a parliamentary inquiry, demanding from the Citizen Protection Minister to call off the “Xenios Zeus” program of immigrant sweeps, that clearly results in a series of human rights violations.
Photographer Stefanos Koufopoulos published a photoset of the Drapetsona protest on the Dromografos blog. Global Voices author Asteris Masouras collaborated in editing this report and curated resources on Storify.
This post is part of our special coverage Europe in Crisis.

author: Maria Sidiropoulou


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The Future of a Community Library in Puerto Rico is Threatened · Global Voices
Ángel Carrión

The San Juan Community Library is a rarity in Puerto Rico. The island lacks a culture of public and community libraries, as most are specialized catering to the needs of members of parent institutions such as universities.
Of the existing libraries that serve the general public, few allow users to borrow books. The importance of the San Juan Community Library is underscored by the almost complete lack of public discourse from the government on the subject of cultural policies, and even less about how lending libraries could form the cornerstone of a solid strategy for cultural development within the country.
San Juan Community Library. Photo taken form its Facebook page.
The San Juan Community Library is a local institution that started out with two folding tables and a couple of chairs. It gradually grew into a full-fledged library with more than 26,000 books on a variety of topics, offering services such as free Internet access (including Wi-Fi), programs for young children, teenagers and adults, and borrowing privileges for both print and e-books. The library maintains close ties to its users through its Facebook page, and a good deal of its offering depends on private donations and volunteers. At a time when there is economic hardship in Puerto Rico, a place that can provide these kinds of resources to the public is without a doubt of vital importance.
That is why many were saddened to discover, ironically in the middle of Library week [es], that this community library would be closed until further notice because it lacked sufficient funds to repair its roof. The situation is dire, as the whole roof has to be removed, and any rainfall could damage both the collection of books and the electronic equipment.
The library is exploring possible sources of financial assistance in order to meet immediate needs and protect its collection. Meanwhile, donations are being accepted through its website here.

author: Ángel Carrión


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Venezuela: Post-Election Suspicion and Uncertainty Spark Violence · Global Voices
Laura Vidal

[Links are to Spanish-language pages except where indicated.]
Public discussion [en] about the results of the elections held on April 14 continue in the streets and on the Internet.
A number of clashes have occurred in some Venezuelan cities, and social networks are overflowing with accusations and angry messages on both sides of the line that, now more than ever, separates followers of Chavismo from opponents of the government. The latter are demanding [en] a recount now that Nicolás Maduro has been declared president-elect of the Republic.
As a lead-up to the confrontations, several protests took place outside the different headquarters of the National Electoral Council (CNE in Spanish), which can be seen in the photographs shared by Carlos Bauza on Facebook. He also published images from Caracas of tire burning and pot banging [en] by the opposition while the director of the CNE, Tibisay Lucena, addressed the country through the public media.
CNE Valencia, 15/04/13. Photo by Flickr user Marco Hernández, under Creative Commons license (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
Many pictures taken in prior years of soldiers throwing out paper ballots were also shared on the Internet in order to prove the irregularities being denounced. The photographs made a big impact online, which provoked heated arguments and the arrest [en] of one of the users who published the “destabilizing” photos.
Meanwhile, Henrique Capriles is accused of inciting the violence that occurred in various parts of the country.  Pedro Carreño (@PedroCarreno_e), a member of the National Assembly and leader of the parliamentary faction of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), wrote on Twitter:
@PedroCarreno_e: Eso de responsabilizar a CAPriles es pura paja. Donde esta el ministerio publico para que lo mande a detener y que asuma su responsabilidad
@PedroCarreno_e: This holding CAPriles responsible is a complete lie. Where is the Public Prosecutor so an arrest warrant can be issued and he can take responsibility
These accusations are reflected in the tweets of the followers of Chavismo, who see Capriles as the intellectual author of the confrontations and the victims of the alleged attacks on diagnostic centers (CDI). Sonia Quishpe (@SoniaQuishpe) echoed these accusations:
@SoniaQuishpe: @hcapriles ya van 12 CDI quemados, 2 casas del PSUV, carros, 2 dirigentes del PSUV muertos q mas quieres fascista? Ese era el camino?”
@SoniaQuishpe: @hcapriles 12 CDI have been burned, 2 PSUV offices, cars, 2 directors of the PSUV dead what more do you want fascist? Was this the way?”
At the same time user @joseanton1990 responded:
@joseanton1990: Sí alguien tiene las fotos de los 20 CDI quemados q las muestre y con gente de la oposición generando el incendio más rápido para q las suba
@joseanton1990: If anyone has photos of the 20 burned CDI they should show them with people from the opposition starting the fire uploading them as soon as possible
In the following days, however, a few photographs of the diagnostic centers were shared to refute attack claims.
For his part, Héctor Ruribarri published a video on his Facebook channel in which he maintains that pro-government groups “attacked a peaceful demonstration in the CNE headquarters in Maracaibo.”
User Illdiego published a video on YouTube in which he points out that groups belonging to the Communist Party of Venezuela and the Communist Youth Party “recovered” one of the headquarters of the National Electoral Council, which had been “taken by Caprilistas”.
The opposition also published videos and photos with which they accuse police and armed groups who support the government of using firearms against opposition supporters.
As the hours pass, tension is increasing and, although there is an effort to maintain calm in the streets, order is being eroded. In social networks, arguments grow more intense, confusing, and widespread. Nevertheless, online space has fostered some sober reflection that opens the door to new dialogue, standing in contrast to physical attacks and confrontations. The outcome still remains open and ambiguous.

author: Laura Vidal


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What Malaysians Expect in the General Elections · Global Voices
Jerrenn Lam

With the 13th General Elections drawing closer, many Malaysians have turned to the Internet for news and other information, as well as posting their thoughts on the election. Malaysiakini, a popular online news portal, has abolished its paywall for the time being, at least until after the election.
Online, it appears that majority of Malaysians are in favour of the opposing Pakatan Rakyat (PR) alliance rather than the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, which has been in power since the country’s independence in 1957.
JoyBlee is certain that the country needs a change in government:
Our menial salary cannot  sustained our daily expenditure as the prices for even a necessity item has been increased in monthly basis. We cannot afford to save any to our life saving. So we really need to change the leader who only think for their deep pockets instead their rakyat(people) life.
We need to change! WE HAVE TO CHANGE! This is it!
A poster reminding Malaysian citizens to vote. Photo from Flickr page of niezam sandakan
This sentiment was shared by Crankster:
Malaysians have had enough. In the last 5 years, the crime rate has increased drastically. So has national debt. Meanwhile, the quality of life has steadily declined.
When things were going well, people turned a blind eye to corruption, racist practices, cronyism and nepotism. But life has stepped up the pace (all over the world, not just in Malaysia) and people are just not willing to accept old practices anymore.
Shankaran Nambiar, wrote on the East Asia Forum about his opinion on how he thinks the election would affect the economy:
Ideologically speaking, the Malaysian opposition coalition is similar to the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN), as both coalitions subscribe to market-oriented economic policies. Both the BN and the opposition accept the value of FDI, the role of multinational corporations and the importance of trade.
While the UMNO has to take care of its constituency, protectionist policies will need to be addressed if the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement and the EU–Malaysia free trade agreement are signed. The government no longer has the sort of free hand it once had to extend preferential treatment to promote the growth of bumiputera business.
Will the opposition act like the BN if it comes to power? Perhaps not. One of the opposition’s key policy platforms is transparency. The other platform is the eradication of wastage and leakages from the system. The opposition also speaks about improving the economy as a whole, rather than just the economic wellbeing of particular racial groups — like the bumiputera.
Nuraina A Samad called this election the ‘social media election’:
The PM said social media had the ability to include more voices into one issue, including political debates.
He predicted that this would be practised in the coming months as people went to social media to discuss issues related to teh general election.
Now..that's a long way from where everyone came from in 2008 when blogs and bloggers were despised, feared, whatever by the then leadership. Paranoid even.
Bakri Musa reminded readers that they need to think wisely:
The first and only question voters must ask before casting their votes in this next election is whether the current Barisan government is deserving of another term. All other matters, as whether other parties are capable of taking over, are irrelevant and besides, conjectural.
Consider three critical areas:  economy, education, and level of corruption. Barisan’s economic leadership is passable. It is exemplary only when compared to that of Zimbabwe. Granted, by the figures Malaysia outperforms America and Western Europe (and even Singapore), but remember those countries are already cruising at high altitude. We are still ascending. We need faster growth. We should compare ourselves to China and Panama. Even Ghana and Laos surpassed us last year.
Anil Netto offered interesting observations he made from conversations with Malaysians:
It is amazing what you can learn by talking to people at a hawker centre in Penang.
Here’s what I found out this morning:
University students are wary about expressing their views if they are critical of the ruling coalition or supportive of opposition parties for fear of reprisals. You can’t be too careful; you never know who is going to snitch on you.
Apart from spam messages urging people to vote for BN, a couple of people have received SMS birthday greetings apparently from a local BN candidate (in mainland Penang and in Sabah). I saw an SMS text birthday greeting that had the recipient’s full name, age and the name of the sender, the BN candidate from mainland Penang who allegedly sent it, and his parliamentary constituency.
From these reactions, it appears that Malaysians are mostly concerned about the economy, the rising cost of living, as well as more government transparency. It also seems to indicate that many are anxious for the day to come to find out the result.

author: Jerrenn Lam


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Bhutan’s Alcohol Problem · Global Voices
Rezwan

Rikku Dhan Subba is concerned about the growing alcoholism in Bhutan, which is creating problems in many families and societies.

author: Rezwan


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Chinese Earthquake as Seen on Weibo · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Offbeat China looks into the distribution and discussion on China's social media on the recent 7.0 earthquake in Sichuan Ya'an:
Unlike many of China’s typical disaster reporting from traditional media that focuses more on government officials’ whereabouts and works, these netizens who are at the front line of disaster relief are reporting on what’s needed and what’s not in real time.


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Attempted Coup d’Etat in Comoros  · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

Comoros police forces state that they have arrested Congolese and Chadian mercenaries in an attempted coup over the week-end. Linfo.re adds that [fr]:
Army commanders did not want to engage in an open conflict with the mercenaries. They believe that “any Comoran casualties over protecting an elite cast is itself a act of betrayal towards Comoros”.

author: Lova Rakotomalala


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Barbados: The Economy & Crime  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

This is not the Bimshire I moved to six years ago…there was no gun culture. The problem is still one we could control if we had leadership who put resources into fixing the problem rather than denying its existence.
Notes From A Small Rock sees trouble in paradise.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Brazilians Accuse FIFA of Stamping Out Local Culture · Global Voices
Thiana Biondo

Anger in Brazil is on the rise as World Cup authorities refuses to allow street vendors in the northeastern city of Salvador, one of 12 cities hosting the 2014 football competition, from selling a typical local food known as “acarajé” during the Cup.
The women in the Brazilian state of Bahia who prepare and sell the acarajé, made from fried black-eyed peas stuffed with a spicy filling, will not be allowed to sell the dish at the Fonte Nova stadium since only a bid winner will have the right to sell food during the competition, International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) officials announced [pt] in October last year.
With African origins, acarajé has become a symbol of Brazilian culture and traditionally is sold in and around stadiums during football matches in Bahia's capital city of Salvador.
The move gained the headlines again after the Fonte Nova Stadium, in the city of Salvador, was reopened after renovations on April 5. In the same day, FIFA removed the name of famous Brazilian football player Mané Garrincha [pt] from the National Stadium name in central Brasília, arguing that the inclusion of his name was not appropriate for an international event such as the World Cup.
FIFA's decisions have provoked outrage in Brazil, with some journalists and bloggers accusing the football organization of trying to snuff out Brazilian culture from World Cup branding.
The “baianas do acarajé”, as the street vendors are known, have taken to the streets in their typical all-white cotton dresses, headscarves, and caps to demand their right to sell the dish. Those belonging to the Association of Baianas de Acarajé and Porridge Sellers (ABAM) demonstrated in front of the Fonte Nova stadium during its reopening and handed in a  petition to José Vermohler [pt], who is an advisor to the Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff.
The association demands that the vendors be free to sell during the World Cup just as they used to around the stadium area before FIFA's construction began.
The conflict between the street vendors and FIFA has gone on since last year, and has lead ABAM to launch a petition online that is still asking for signatures through the website Change.org [pt]. The association explains:
Uma resolução da FIFA proíbe qualquer comércio ambulante num raio de 2 km de todos os estádios da Copa do Mundo. Isso exclui vendedores de comidas tradicionais do Brasil. Eles ‘permitem’ os acarajés dentro dos estádios, mas não as baianas.
A FIFA resolution forbids any street trading within a two kilometer radius of all World Cup stadiums. This excludes Brazilian traditional food sellers. They ‘allow’ the acarajé inside the stadiums, but not the ‘baianas de acarajé’.
Fora do Eixo/André Costa (CC BY-SA 2.0)
The Facebook page Frases de Baiano [pt] (Phrases said by people from Bahia), which has more than 260,000 likes, republished the photo above. The photograph was also published on Flickr with the words #NãoQueroMcDonalds #QueroAcarajé (I don't want McDonalds, I want acarajé) which has been shared by nearly 2,000. Those hashtags have also been used on Twitter.
On his blog about Brazilian popular cordel literature, poet and lecturer Antonio Barreto published [pt] a poem entitled “World Cup's Cordel: Will FIFA relegate the acarajé from Bahia?”
(CC BY-SA 2.0) Elói Corrêa/SECOM
— O presidente da FIFA
Deve estar desinformado
Pois o nosso acarajé
Há muito foi registrado
Como Patrimônio Histórico
Pelo IPHAN aqui no Estado
Eu soube que a MacDonald
Essa empresa invasora
É quem vai mandar na Copa
Como patrocinadora…
— Eu não quero fast food
De quinta categoria.
Sanduíche importado
Não tem a menor valia…
- The president of FIFA
Might be misinformed
As our acarajé
Since many years ago has been registered
As a national heritage
By the National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage here in this federal state
I've heard that MacDonald
That invasive company
Is the one who will command the Cup
As a sponsor …
– I don't want fast food
Of lower quality
An imported sandwich
is worthless …
“Cultural terrorism”
The removal of Mané Garrincha, a famous player who played for Brazil's national team from 1955 to 1966, from the National Stadium in Brasília has also stoked the ire of many Brazilians. FIFA has defended the decision, saying that the World Cup is an event of “international interest” so the names of game sites should be consistent.
Brazilian football fans took the decision as an insult.
On Twitter, professor Cesar Oliveira (@CesarOliveira10) [pt] wrote:
Não pode botar nome de Mané Garrincha, nem vender acarajé! Pra que porcaria uma Copa do Mundo da Fifa se não podemos nem ser o que somos?
One can't put the name Mané Garrincha, nor sell acarajé! What is the point of having a crap FIFA's World Cup if we can't even be who we are?
On the Mundo Botafogo [pt] blog, dedicated to Garrincha's former team Botafogo, Rui Moura highlighted:
Garrincha foi um craque de prestígio mundial, o melhor jogador de sempre, segundo muitas opiniões. Desde quando a FIFA manda num país? Desde quando interfere na designação de estádios de um país? Se o estádio se chamasse Pelé já estaria tudo bem? E os deputados vão aceitar essa redução de soberania do seu país dando o dito pelo não dito?
É absurdo e revoltante!
Garrincha was an ace with worldwide prestige, the best player ever, according to many opinions. Since when does FIFA rule a country? Since when does it intervene in a country's stadium denominations? If the stadium was called Pelé [considered by many the best player of all time, Pelé, who won the World Cup of 1958, 1962 and 1970, promotes football worldwide together with FIFA], would it be okay? And the Members of Congress will accept that reduction of the country's sovereignty by accepting something stated as not stated?
This is absurd and revolting!
Journalist Zé Reinaldo [pt], who writes about social and cultural resistance movements, criticized on his blog:
Os burocratas da Fifa, em sua sacrossanta ignorância, acham que nomes como Mané Garrincha, Maracanã, Mineirão, Itaquerão e outros inventados pelo povão são de difícil compreensão para quem não fala o vernáculo e muito menos conhece os jargões da patuleia….Desde o começo do século 20, quando o futebol começou a ser jogado aqui com exóticas palavras britânicas, o brasileiro foi capaz de naturalizar vocábulos e sem cerimônia compreendeu que Foot-ball é “Futebol”, goleiro é “golquíper”, defensor recuado é “beque”, meio-campista é “centerralfe”, escanteio é “córner”, penalidade máxima é “pênalti”, e assim por diante.
The FIFA bureaucrats, in their Holly ignorance, think names like Mané Garrincha, Maracanã, Mineirão, Itaquerão, and others created by the populace are difficult to understand for those who do not speak the vernacular and don't know the rabble's jargon….Since the early 20th century, when football started being played here with exotic British words, Brazilians was able to “localize” vocabularies and without formalities understood that Foot-ball is “Futebol”, goleiro is “goalkeeper”, defensor recuado is “beque” [defensive back], meio-campista is “center half”, escanteio is “corner”, penalidade máxima is “penalty”, and so on.
Journalist Xico Sá [pt] recalled in his column in the newspaper Folha de São Paulo that Garrincha was the hero of the first two world titles won by the Brazilian National Team, an icon who made the country overcome the mongrel complex [pt] on the pitch. He has condemned FIFA's attitude towards the baianas de acarajé and Garrincha's memory as “cultural terrorism”.
For those who have never heard of Garrincha, rare images of the football star can be seen on YouTube here:

author: Thiana Biondo


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Chronicles of the Unemployed in Greece  · Global Voices
Asteris Masouras

Journalist and author Christoforos Kasdaglis started The Diary of an Unemployed [el], a project to collect stories [el] and data [el] on Greek unemployment, consistently driven to record figures for years on end by the debt and austerity crisis. 27% of Greeks were jobless in January, a rate that has tripled since the crisis began in 2009, while youth unemployment is reaching 60%. More than 120,000 Greeks are estimated to have left the country since the crisis began.
Yannis Mouzakis blogged about the Greek labor market, austerity’s biggest casualty last January, while Spyros Gkelis put the unemployment data in perspective:
@northaura: So, by the time you need to read this tweet and my previous two tweets for unemployment in #Greece 2 people will have lost their jobs

author: Asteris Masouras


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Migrant Workers Shooting in Greece Sets Off #BloodStrawberries Boycott  · Global Voices
Jasmina Babic

This post is part of our special coverage Europe in Crisis.
Supervisors shot and injured dozens of undocumented migrant workers from Bangladesh in the strawberry farms of southwestern Nea Manolada for demanding months of owed wages, the latest incident in a country where antipathy toward immigrants is on the rise.
The horrific show of violence on April 17, 2013 sparked uproar throughout Greece, prompting netizens to launch a boycott of the “blood” strawberries that originate at the scene of the crime.
Following national and international outcry, Greek police arrested three suspects in connection with the shooting, and charged them with attempted murder on April 19, 2013. The country's citizen protection minister promised that none of the victims would be deported from Greece, and the ministry announced that it is considering granting them residency permits on humanitarian grounds.
This grainy mobile phone video, posted on YouTube by Kathimerini journalist Kostas Onisenko, shows the injured migrant workers laying on the ground a few minutes after they were shot:
Racism and ethnic nationalism on the rise in the economically devastated country, with extremists, such as the neo-Nazi “Golden Dawn” party, thriving on racist rhetoric, systematic violations of human rights, and the ill-treatment of immigrants.
Just three days before the Manolada incident, Citizen Protection Minister Nikos Dendias, as well as Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, were criticized in a report issued by the Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights for rhetoric stigmatising migrant. Dedalos (@dedalos_gl) commented on Twitter:
@dedalos_gl: What was the greek government's answer to the late report for the human rights in greece #Manolada? #Dendias_resignation
Initially, mainstream TV channels barely — if at all — mentioned events in Manolada. It was Twitter users from Greece and those responding from abroad that drew public attention to the incident, as Craig Wherlock (@teacherdude) pointed out:
@teacherdude: Greek TV news shamed into covering #Manolada shooting. This afternoon, it was 6th item on NET and not reported at all on Star. See my TL
As news of the shooting spread, Twitter erupted in shock and outrage. User @MavriMelani shared a photograph of the wounded workers:
@MavriMelani: Φωτογραφια με τραυματισμενους μεταναστες μετα τη δολοφονικη επιθεση που δέχθηκαν#Manolada
Giorgio (@Zorzinio) commented on the violent scene in the photograph, referencing the bombings that killed three and injured hundreds in Boston that same day:
@Zorzinio: Οταν είδα την φωτο νόμιζα ότι ήταν απο Βοστώνη!! #Manolada #rbnews
Cyberella (@Cyberela) invoked the American far-right white supremacist group the Klu Klux Klan:
@Cyberela: Reviving the KKK at #manolada. Migrants being shot because they demanded their 6 months owed fees. #bloodstrawberries
Questioning how something so terrible could happen, Katerina Kanelidou (@KatKanelidou) wrote:
@KatKanelidou: How do we allow such things to happen? Do we still call ourselves ‘civilized'? #manolada #Greece
Harris (@hchrono) saw the tragedy as a step backwards for Greece:
@hchrono: Slavery and barbarity. Greece welcomes the Middle Ages #manolada
Combining the titles of the famous song by The Beatles and a film about the Cambodian genocide, Bilibidon (@bilibidon) quipped:
@bilibidon: Strawberry Killing Fields Forever… #manolada
Graphic urging a boycott of Manolada, tweeted by @giannisg_
Citizen media boycott
A citizen media campaign [el] was launched to urge consumers and businesses worldwide to boycott the #bloodstrawberries, as protesters are calling them, from the Nea Manolada farm:
@moumouris: #greece #manolada field workers are paid with bullets. don't buy #bloodstrawberries
@IrateGreek: My mum was at the fruit stand in the supermarket. An old man behind her whispered: “Don't buy strawberries.” #manolada #bloodstrawberries
@alepouda: 2 supermarkets in #greece are banning #bloodstrawberries of #manolada after emails send by people http://goo.gl/ax96L #boycott
@myScarletCarpet: Do you like strawberries? What about #BloodStrawberries? http://scarletcarpet.blogspot.com/2013/04/too-many-strawberries-will-kill-you.html …
International response to the campaign prompted an official reaction from the EU Home Affairs Commissioner on Twitter:
@MalmstromEU: Shocking news about shooting of migrant workers in Greece. I expect full investigation by the Greek authorities/CM bbc.co.uk/news/world-eur…
“My little sister is boycotting #bloodstrawberries”. Photo tweeted by Maria Sidiropoulou
A form of modern slavery
Although the severity of the incident is unprecedented, it's not isolated. Efforts have been made in the past to draw the attention of authorities to this form of modern slavery, such as a 2008 investigative report by journalists Dina Daskalopoulou and Makis Nodaros for which an English translation is available here.
There have been similar incidents before in the same area, with scant coverage in mainstream media, as the writer and activist collective The Multicultural Politic wrote:
[…] Activists from Greek Communist Party [initiated] a campaign in 2008 for a daily wage increase from 22 Euros to 25. The workers and campaigners were met with a violent confrontation in which many workers were beaten suffering serious injury. [..] Further investigations by journalists revealed how local municipal officials were selling fake documentation to migrant workers, and police prosecutions meant that employers in the town became very hostile to “Athenian” journalists which might partly explain the limited information that has been reported about the most recent violence.
In August 2012, an Egyptian worker was dragged with a car through the streets of Nea Manolada town, but the incident didn't trigger a closer look at the working and living conditions of farm workers in the area by authorities. One of three foremen awaiting trial for the latest shooting was the suspected perpetrator of the car dragging.
Journalist Yannis Baboulias explained the reasons for the continuing impunity:
The farmers of Manolada, praised many a times for their entrepreneurial spirit from government and media alike, have enjoyed this impunity for years. Nodaros’ report speaks of shacks in which the workers are forced to live and pay rent for to their bosses, illegal supermarkets among them selling expired products at two and three times their price, and a shocking tolerance from the authorities who have done nothing to stop this despite the 150 plus cases on file against them.
@Cyberela: In conclusion it seems that #Greece‘s officials knew about the conditions & celebrated @ European forums the “red gold” innovation #Manolada
At the time of writing this article, a dedicated blog has been set up to promote the boycott call in seven languages [en, de, es, fr, it, pl, pt], and cancellations for standing orders of strawberries from Nea Manolada are continuing.
The incident was storified by journalist Nikos Moumouris and by GV author Asteris Masouras, who contributed to this report, while BeatriceDeDante collected the imagery of the incident.
This post is part of our special coverage Europe in Crisis.

author: Jasmina Babic


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Hong Kong Man Arrested for Cursing China’s President with Graffiti · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Hong Kong netizens are outraged by the abuse of police force in the arrest of a 46-year-old man for writing “Go to Hell, Xi Jinping” (習近平去死) on the stairwell of a residential building in Hong Kong's Ma On Shan district. Xi Jinping is the President of China.
According to a local news report [zh], the district police station in Sha Tin sent police officers from the Regional Crime Unit, which normally handles more serious criminal cases, to investigate the graffiti, which appeared three times in the same building between April 7 and April 17, 2013. The police officers monitored the “crime scene” overnight and caught a man holding a ballpoint pen at 8 a.m. on April 18, 2013.
Graffiti by Tsang Tsou Choi. Photo by William Lau (CC: BY-NC)
Many Hong Kong residents believe that the case is a form of political prosecution aimed at intimidating citizens. Hong Kong police have traditionally seldom investigated minor cases like graffiti. Kay Lam, a Facebook user, reminded [zh] people of Tsang Tsou Choi, a man who called himself the “King of Kowloon” who was famous for writing calligraphic graffiti during his lifetime, including phrases like “Down with the Queen of England!” Tsang was never arrested.
In reaction to the police arrest, many expressed their frustration with the erosion of freedom in Hong Kong in the comment section of Kay Lam's post:
Nelson Ho 曾灶才如果在生，重唔畀人告謀反？
Green-man Lam 香港公安不如話塗鴉行為系煽動顛覆國家政權呀!
Simon Man Ho Wong放個屁都會被告恐怖襲擊！
Nelson Ho: If Tsang Tsou Choi were still alive, wouldn't he be prosecuted under the charge of subversion?
Green-man Lam: Hong Kong police may as well claim that graffiti is inciting subversion of state power.
Simon Man Ho Wong: Farting would become terrorist attack here!
In HKGolden, one of the most popular online forums in Hong Kong,  some netizens highlighted [zh] the selective nature of the police action and proposed to report to police whenever people discover graffiti on any public or private property. For example, Ha Ding Kei (下頂機) said [zh] (April 19 3:58 p.m.):
由而家開始， 一發現任何牆壁， 燈柱等等之類有任何塗鴉， 後加文字（包括原子筆）， 即刻報警， 要求重案組徹查。
公廁好多字
做個好巿民， 人人有責，
有人報警， 警察一定要開file嫁。
From now on, whenever we find graffiti or writing on any wall, street lamps, etc., we should report it to the police and demand the Crime Units follow up on the investigation.
Be a good citizen and serve our duty.
The police has to open a file once you report to them.
Other HK golden users commented on the news by repeating the phrase, “Go to Hell, Xi Jinping” and challenged the police to arrest them. “Laugh Till I Die” (笑能死人的) posted (April 19 4:59 p.m.) an animated gif of “Go to Hell, Xi Jinping” on the forum:
The curse, “Go to hell Xi Jinping” plays on loop. By HKGolden user “Laugh till I die”.
Christina Walter also wrote Xi Jinping's name on “Death Note“, a Japanese manga series about killing someone by writing their name in a magical book. She shared it on Facebook and invited the Crime Unit to arrest her:
Christina Walter wrote Xi Jinping's name in “Death Note”.
“Macau Over”（馬交完鳥）from HK Golden commented (April 20 12:19 a.m.) [zh] with irony on HK Golden that:
原本冇人乜留意既幾隻字，相信好快全香港四周圍都係，香港政府可能就係想借呢次“小事大行動”將“習近平去死”呢幾隻字攪到周圍都係
A few words that no one would have noticed are now spread everywhere across Hong Kong. Or perhaps that's the very intention of Hong Kong government – to create a big case out of a minor incident so as to spread the message of “Go to Hell, Xi Jinping”


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Horacio Cartes Elected President of Paraguay · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Horacio Cartes is Paraguay's new president, winning 46% against Efrain Alegre's 37%. Cartes faces major issues from the past: the legacy of Colorado Party rule, the ongoing challenges related to Lugo's impeachment and removal from regional groups, and questions about his own background.
Boz from Bloggings by boz lists five points on Paraguay's new president.

author: Silvia Viñas


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Indonesia: Reflections on Women’s Emancipation Day · Global Voices
Juke Carolina

Every year, Indonesians celebrate the birthday of Raden Ajeng Kartini on April 21, who is popularly known for championing women's rights.
Kartini was born into an intellectual noble family, her father was a Regency Chief of Jepara, a post available only to the nobility. Her maternal grandfather was an Islamic teacher. Being the daughter of a regent, Kartini was allowed to attend a European lower school in the Dutch East Indies until the time her family decided to marry her off.
At a time when women's education is inaccessible to most Javanese, Kartini taught herself Dutch and wrote letters to her Dutch friends who introduced her to feminist ideas.
Women making batik pieces together in celebration of Kartini Day. Photo by Robertus Pudyanto, copyright @Demotix 4/20/2012
Kartini fought for the improvement of the rights of Javanese women. However, until this day her visions have yet to be realized completely.
Twitter hashtags #Kartini and #Emansipasi were used to discuss what the day means to many Indonesians:
@e_christmas  Emansipasi mnrt saya berarti perempuan punya hak utk tidak ditindas. Tp bukan berarti kesetaraan gender yg keblinger #Kartini
@e_christmas: To me, emancipation means that women have the right not to be oppressed. But it doesn't mean overwhelming gender equality.
@dhana_ard Emansipasi sih udah dipegang,tp solidaritas sesama perempuan kpn dong. Selamat hari kartini perempuan indonesia =]
@dhana_ard: Emancipation is now present. But when will we have women's solidarity? Happy Kartini Day to Indonesian women!
@fajarwidd Emansipasi tdk melulu protes ttg kesetaraan gender. Tapi lebih pd kemandirian perempuan. Happy Kartini's day
@fajarwidd: Emancipation is not always about demanding gender equality. It's more about women's independence.
On Facebook:
Kazhiem Afif Shalihi: Kata Mamah Dedeh di acara ceramahnya di ANTV (liat iklannya) dalam rangka hari Kartini, dia bilang, “Buat perempuan gak perlu ribut soal persamaan gender, kita cukup kembali saja pada al-Qur'an”
Makanya jadi begini deh perempuan-perempuan di Indonesia, pada manggut2 dijualin atas nama agama.
Penjualan Santriwati oleh Guru Pesantren Marak di Garut
http://news.okezone.com/read/2012/12/06/337/728398/penjualan-santriwati-oleh-guru-pesantren-marak-di-garut
Kazhiem Afif Shalihi: According to Mamah Dedeh (a popular female Islamic televangelist) in her sermon in ANTV celebrating the Kartini Day, she said “women shouldn't make a fuss about gender equality, we only need to return to Koran”
That's why many women in Indonesia are submissive even when they are sold in the name of religion.
Female Islamic school students in Garut sold by their teachers
http://news.okezone.com/read/2012/12/06/337/728398/penjualan-santriwati-oleh-guru-pesantren-marak-di-garut
Kaisar Victorio : hari kartini sepertinya sekedar ceremonial dan pameran kebaya aja Mestinya Menteri peranan wanita pada moment ini blusukan kedesa desa sejauh mana kondisi wanita disana sat ini….
Kaisar Victorio: Kartini Day seems ceremonial and exhibition of Kebaya (traditional costume). Minister for Women's Affairs should use this moment to visit villages to see the actual state of women
Meydi Meidyawati Banyak Kartini-Kartini jaman sekarang d perdaya dan nggak berdaya..baik oleh kaum adam ataupun oleh negara/pemerintah sendiri..salah satu bukti ƴƍ aq lihat d sini….sejauh mataku memandang..ada air mata jatuh melihat putri2 bangsa ƴƍ besar d perbudak oleh bangsa ƴƍ kecil..seperti hongkong..taiwan..arab..dll..tetapi tak ada jln lain untuk mereka dapat d negri sendiri…emansipasi ƴƍ d perjuangkan Ibu kita Kartini nggak ada maknanya lagi..sekedar sejarah belaka..
Meydi Meidyawati: Many modern “Kartinis” are fooled and marginalized .. by men or by the state/government. One of the evidence I see is that tears are shed by daughters of Indonesia slaved by smaller countries such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, Arab, etc, but there's no other way for them to do something in their own country. Emancipation fought by our Dame Kartini no longer has meaning, it's only history.
Abdul Khaliq Ahmad Kartini adalah tokoh emansipasi bangsa, bukan sekedar tokoh emansipasi perempuan..
Abdul Khaliq Ahmad: Kartini is the nation's emancipation figure, not only women's emancipation figure
In general the reactions of Indonesian netizens show how the nations's Emancipation Day is seen differently by the population.
@ayaslarass Jgn krn hari kartini, trus perempuan jd sok emansipasi seenak-enaknya yah, ingat lelaki tetap Imam kita :))
@ayaslarass: (It's) not because it's Kartini Day, (us) women could ostentatiously be emancipating at will, remember, men are our religious leaders
@pergijauh Selamat hari Kartini, mari minimaliskan budaya ‘ladies first’, biar gak dibilang lemah.
@pergijauh: Happy Kartini Day, let's minimize the “Ladies First” custom, so you won't be called weak.
@ajuNna_njun Emansipasi tanpa melupakan kodratnya sebagai perempuan #HariKartini
@ajuNna_njun: Emancipation without forgetting our qualities as women
@IhsanMDe Slh 1 bntuk emansipasi? “@VIVAnews: Ketua KPU: Banyak Partai Gagal karena Perempuan http://goo.gl/b7e6g ”
@IhsanMDe: One of the forms of emancipation? “@VIVAnews: General Elections Committee Chairman: Many political parties failed because of women http://goo.gl/b7e6g”
An anonymous blogger known as m3d14ku's wrote a post about the relevance of Kartini today:
“Banyak orang mengeluhkan bahwa perempuan masa kini salah mengartikan emansipasi.”
[…]Tampaknya ada sepenggal perjuangan yang selama ini luput dari kita. Mayoritas dari kita hanya mengenal emansipasi yang diperjuangkan R. A Kartini hanya dalam bidang pendidikan dan pekerjaan, tetapi bagian untuk menjadi pendidik dalam keluarga justru terlupakan.
[…]Tetapi sebagai tonggak generasi bangsa, kebaya saja tak cukup, karena Andalah sang pendidik utama bagi generasi bangsa ini.
Many people complain that modern women misrepresent emancipation.
[…]It seems that there was a fight that we've forgotten. Most of us know emancipation that was fought by R.A. Kartini is only valid in the fields of education and job, but many of us forgot the part where we're supposed to be the educators of the family.
[…]Despite so, as the pillar of this generation, wearing Kebaya is not enough, because you are the main educator of the current generation in this country.

author: Juke Carolina


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“Manipulative” Coverage of Macedonia’s Media Law · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

“Practice indicates that responsible and ethical journalism is never the result of state legislation and regulations, but of the voluntary compliance with the code created by the media community itself.”
This statement from the Guide on Ethics in Journalism [mk] opens Žarko Trajanoski's analysis [en] of the “manipulations” by Macedonia's “pro-government journalists” who “fanatically support and promote [the proposed Media Law].” The English-language version of Trajanovski's text was published by Metamorphosis: Foundation for Internet and Society (@fmeta), and it is also available in Macedonian and in Albanian. One of Trajanoski's conclusions is that “the most vigorous advocates for the adoption of a new Media Law since 2011 are exactly the journalists and editors flagrantly violating the ethical norms of the journalist code.”


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Saudis Debate 1,000-Mile Yemen Border Fence · Global Voices
Anas Soliman

Earlier this month, BBC reported that Saudi Arabia is building a 1,000-mile fence on its border with Yemen.  The news was barely reported in Saudi national press, but it was widely and critically reported in Yemeni press.
The development was debated tensely in the Saudi Twittersphere.  Supporters cited its absolute necessity for the safety of the kingdom while opponents spoke about the tighter siege it will impose on the Yemeni people.
The US-Mexico border fence was one example that the supporters cited.  Fahad al-Rsheed tweeted [ar]:
من حق أي دولة حماية نفسها من عصابات المخدرات وتهريب السلاح والمتسللين ،وأمريكا على سبيل المثال أقامت سياجاً مع المكسيك
@fahadccx: It is the right of any state to protect itself from drug and arm trafficking gangs.  America, for example, has built a fence on its borders with Mexico.
On the other hand, some opponents said that the money could be better spent.  Lawyer and activist Abdullah al-Nasri tweeted:
بتكلفة هذا السياج لنوظف العاطلين في الجنوب وعلى الحدود في حراسة الحدود ولندعم كل أعمال التنمية في اليمن لتعزيز الأخوة .
@alnasri1: With the same costs, we can hire the citizens of the Southern [Saudi] region to guard the borders, and fund development projects in Yemen to strengthen our brotherhood.
Others emphasized on the unity of the Arab nation.  Abu Faisal tweeted:
سيكون مصيره كمصير”جدار برلين” إحفظوها جيدًا والأيام بيننا.!!
@Abuufaisal_1: It will have the same destiny as the Berlin Wall.  Remember this!
Others had a humanistic perspective:
بهذا الفعل سنتجرّد من بقايا انسانيتنا.
@Mnor_: By doing this, we abandon what is left of our humanity.
هذا الفعل يعطي انطباع عن العقلية والمعالجة الأمنية البحتة لقضايا ذات عمق اجتماعي واقتصادي ألا يوجد مفكرين غيرالأمني ؟
@__Husam__: That is an example of a police mentality in dealing with issues that have significant social and economical effects.  Do we have a non-police mentality?

author: Anas Soliman


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South Korean Spy Agency’s Political Meddling · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

The latest police investigation found that at least two agents from the South Korean National Intelligence Service have illegally posted online comments to influence the presidential election. An online petition was posted [ko] on Daum Agora site in support of one police woman who bravely revealed that she has been pressured to remain silent on this illegal electioneering case.

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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Torture Victims March in Hong Kong · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Hong Wrong blogs about an upcoming protest on April 27 among refugees, tortured survivors and NGOs against the government’s treatment of torture victims and to call for an urgent review of the screening system for assessing protection claims.

author: Oiwan Lam