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Arabeyes: Here Comes the One-Eye Veil  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

From a veil which covers the face but allows women to show their two eyes, an Islamic scholar from Saudi Arabia is now calling for a veil which shows one eye only. Bloggers from the Arab world react.
Writing in Mideast Youth, Bahraini Esra'a notes:
In order to remedy his disturbing temptations, Saudi cleric Muhammad al-Habadan proposes a highly convenient solution for women: one-eyed veil.
She continues:
Great! I’ll start drilling a hole in my bed sheets right away.
But in all seriousness, such disturbing calls only further objectifies women, inviting “religious” clerics to harass and disrespect them in ways that are no longer acceptable.
I have a more fitting proposal for clerics in favor of this bogus call; gouge your eyes out with a tack hammer if you wish to refrain from being seduced. Women should no longer pay the price of your disturbing and sickening mentalities.
From Morocco, Myrtus is fuming, describing the ruling as an ‘Islamically incorrect fatwa.’ She also asks:
I wonder how many women would like to poke Sheikh Mohamed's other eye out for his asinine fatwa.
Palestinian Haitham Sabbah describes the one-eye veil as ‘ridiculous.’
He says:
This is just getting out of hand. Ridiculous…
He continues:
Why don’t they enforce full-face cover and kill the issue? What do you call this? Religion and Islam? No Way!
Oh… by the way… anyone knows which eye should be covered? Left of right? (I assumed left because they keep on telling us to do things with our RIGHT thing… Ah… now I’m getting the rule. “Do the Right things with the RIGHT things only.” This is where the Human “Rights” came from and here we see it in action.
Long live “One-Eye Veil.”
Sabbah also posts pictures of how women wearing the one-eyed veil would look like here.


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Armenia: Secular State? · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Unzipped comments on an idea from a parliamentary deputy to build a church to bring the Armenian Apostolic Church closer to the country's legislature. Mentioning the situation in neighboring Georgia, where concerns have already been raised about the involvement of the church in local politics, the blog says that such a move does not bode well for the future.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Bahrain: Published Papers  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Bahraini Mohammed Al-Ubaydli announces: “A proud day for me: not only is my brother’s new paper published, but it is also the first time that we have published in the same journal. (My own paper was from 2005.)”

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Bahrain: Teleconference with US Students  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Mideast Youth will be hosting a Skype teleconference call with American students in a US high school, writes Bahraini Esra'a.


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Bahrain: Unwelcome Company in Japan  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Bahraini Yagoob is in Japan – with some unwelcome company.


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Bangladesh: An IT feat · Global Voices
Rezwan

Back to Bangladesh reports that the Custom House Automation Project of Chittagong port, the largest port in Bangladesh was successfully completed with local skills (no foreign consultants or companies were involved).

author: Rezwan


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Bermuda: The Gift of Nature · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Vexed Bermoothes says a heartfelt “thank you” to the Vesey family, who has donated seven and a half acres of land for a new biodiversity Nature Reserve with public walking trails: “That is a remarkable gift to the future generations of Bermuda!”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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China and U.S: Mischievous dubs · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Inside-Out China compares the culture of mischievous dubbing in the U.S and China.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Environment: South African Bloggers herald SA’s First Electric Car · Global Voices
Juliana Rotich

South African bloggers were among the first to report on South Africa's first electric car. On the blog Urbasprout, Glen was among the first people to post pictures of the car and detail on the company that made the car, the designer, design specifications and expected availability dates.
Battery range has previously been the biggest limiting factor with electric cars, but that looks set to change. The Joule will sport two lithium ion battery packs that will ensure the car has a range of 400km. The recharge time will be approximately 7 hours so it can be charged over night. Regenerative braking, where the battery is charged by the energy generated in braking, will add to the car's range.
As for where the car will be manufactured, Glen notes that:
Predictions are that 50 percent of the Joule's materials will be local and that it should be available towards the end of 2010 at a cost of R200 000. It is likely to be manufactured in Gauteng, but will also be available in Durban and Cape Town.
Laura of the Treevolution blog points to the  IOL story, highlighting the description of the car by Edwin Naidu
a compact six-seater that looks like an uncluttered mix of a Renault Scenic and a Citroen Picasso
She notes that the general public will have to wait until the Paris Motor show in October to see the electric car.
Carl of Greencars.za.net adds more detail on the Joule, answering important questions regarding the availability of electricity to power electric cars in South Africa.
Independent analysis of Eskom, the country’s sole electricity provider, has confirmed that the South African grid has enough capacity to supply electrical energy to millions of cars without affecting its customer base or requiring any additional infrastructure. Eskom has vast amounts of excess energy between 11 PM and 6 AM (GMT +2); this will be the recommended recharging time. Electric cars only require about 20 percent of the energy that conventional cars require; this means that the total emissions are much less, even if Eskom’s coal dominated electricity is used. With the global trend of electricity generation becoming more renewable and cleaner, total emissions caused by electric cars will continue to shrink.
He also includes more information regarding the cars’ battery, brakes, body, chassis, integrated vehicle computer, propulsion system, performance styling and suspension.
Last but not least, Rory of Carbon smart reminds readers that the factors that ‘killed the electric car decades ago’ are still in play. He wonders how far this local initiative can get. He considers the recent article by wired magazine about Shai Agassi's model of selling electric cars. Rory points out that this model deals with the power storage problem that prevents wider adoption of electric cars.
Power storage is the biggest technical issue preventing rapid adoption of electric vehicles – primarily the weight of batteries, and the recharge time – and that's what this proposal addresses. The gist of it is that companies could be set up to sell electricity along with the cars. Buy yourself a contract that allows you to recharge your vehicle from a grid of power points, or simply by swapping batteries. The batteries are owned by the power supplier, making a battery swap an easy way to eliminate recharge time if you need to extend your travel range over one day, thereby eliminating the need for a costly backup internal combustion engine. And if you are not travelling far, you can keep fewer batteries on board to reduce weight. The car itself could even be free with a five-year contract for people who travel a lot, while others might buy the car and get electricity on a pay-as-you-go arrangement. Sound familiar? Yep, it's the cellphone contract model.

author: Juliana Rotich


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Ecuador: Facing the Global Economic Crisis · Global Voices
Milton Ramirez

In Ecuador the reports of the National Institute of Statistical and Census (INEC) released today, show hopeful indexes, inflation decreased compared with last year's value for the same month of September (0.66% vs 071%). It seems President Correa doesn't have too much to worry about on this area, although nobody knows for sure how is he going to implement the changes approved in the recently passed Constitution. Other countries, however, haven't been as lucky. Today, even Sao Paulo, the largest financial center in Latin America, had to suspend its meetings twice, falling first by 10% and then 15%, closing to a  lower 5.43%, Mexico lost 5.40%, Buenos Aires dropped 5.90%, Santiago -6.02% -4.86% Bogota and Lima sank (-9.27%).
Galo Chiriboga (Ecuador Mines and Oil Secretary) is concerned that oil prices are falling below 90 dollars and this could affect Ecuador and its plans to finance their all time waited reform. So far, the Constitutional reform is budgeted at 3.700 millions of dollars, though getting to that ammount will be far more difficult  if oil prices fall below the  $ 85 per barrel, which is the  price set as a reference to estimate the 2009  Ecuadorian budget.
Looking outside of their borders,  some bloggers in Ecuador are in doubt that the $700 million bailout will solve the global economical crisis the U.S.A has started.  Joselias Sánchez Ramos of Dialogo con Joselias [es] (Talking to Joselias) jumps in and agrees that American crisis affects the whole world and particularly Latin America.  He believes that there are some who will certainly benefit from this:
La crisis del mercado financiero estadoundiense pronto dominado por cuatro titanes que ofrecerán toda la gama de servicios financieros: Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup y Bank of America.
Omar Vargas of Cambiemos Ecuador [es] (Changing Ecuador)  asks himself how different this intervention of the Federal Reserve in the U.S. is to the reactions under similar circumstances that took place in Ecuador back in 1999 and finds that it is no different.  He also criticizes the bailout, stating that it will just strengthen the idea that no matter what financial obligations are acquired, how business is handled or money is invested, Uncle Sam will come and save the American's day. He concludes:
El salvataje hecho a AIG no debió haberse dado, pero la situación política (elecciones)  los estándares morales y éticos equivocados y una ideología paternalista de los gringos a la larga producirán una crisis mayor en los EEUU y se extenderá a nivel global.
Another Ecuadorian blogger (also journalist and writer) , Rubén Dario Buitrón translates into Spanish and publishes in his blog the open letter written by Michael Moore.  The heading he picked for re-publishing this letter, says it all:  El salvaje salvataje en EE.UU [es] (The savage bailout in the U.S.)

author: Milton Ramirez


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Guyana, U.S.A.: Remittances  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Living Guyana says that his countrymen should not feel smug over the US financial crisis “for a simple reason: The great pillar of this economy is not sugar, rice or gold. It's remittances…”


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Hungary: Budapest’s Colbert Bridge · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Central Europe Activ writes about the urban development, environment and the Megyeri Bridge (aka Stephen Colbert Bridge) in Budapest.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Hungary: Views on Minorities and Immigrants · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Central Europe Activ writes about a poll on Hungarians’ attitudes towards immigrants and ethnic minorities: “The least-prejudiced Hungarians live in Southern Hungary, or, interestingly, do not have a job.”


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India: Attacks on Christians a challenge to the secular state · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

In the last two months, radical Hindu nationalist mobs have rioted and attacked Christians in a number of Indian states, claiming that lower-caste Hindus and tribal peoples are being forcibly converted to Christianity. More than 30 people have been killed, and thousands have taken shelter in government camps or in forests. Churches, prayer halls and Christian institutions have been vandalised, and nuns and priests have been attacked and beaten; one nun was stripped naked and gang-raped. It has been described as the most serious violence against the Christian community in India in the last 50 years.
There are approximately 24 million Christians in India, 2.3% of the population, belonging to diverse denominations. Indian Christians include Roman Catholics (approximately 70% of the total Christian community), Protestants, Orthodox Christians, and today, a growing number of evangelicals. Christianity has a long history in India (it is supposed to have been introduced by St Thomas the Apostle), and is visible because of numerous Christian educational institutions, social services, and hospitals. Nevertheless, in recent times it has come to be viewed by hard-line Hindu nationalists as a foreign influence and a threat to the Hindu nature of India.
The recent attacks on Christians began in the eastern state of Orissa, after a Hindu religious leader, Swami Laxamananda Saraswati, was murdered. He was associated with the right-wing Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP). Hindu nationalists accused Christians of killing him, even though a Maoist rebel faction (whose members include Christian tribal people) claimed responsibility for his death; they say they killed Saraswati because he was forcing tribal people to convert to Hinduism. Right-wing Hindu groups, such as the VHP, its youth wing, the Bajrang Dal, and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) accuse Christian groups of converting Hindus, particularly from lower castes and tribal groups. It is alleged that Hindu activists in Orissa have tried to intimidate Christians to reconvert to Hinduism.
Blogger Raj in Chennai is disgusted by recent events:
In recent months, there is a new plague spreading like wildfire in different parts of India. This vile disease threatens to destroy the very spirit of India, its soul of tolerance. […] The greatest threat that India faces today is the curse of religious fascism.
First, it was savage violence unleashed on thousands of Christians in Orissa by mobs of disgusting thugs. […] Then the violence spread to other states in India like Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand. All these states have governments run by the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). […] The government in Orissa is a coalition government in which the BJP is the junior partner. The scum […] are emboldened to carry out attacks on Christians in states ruled by the BJP because they believe the administration will be deliberately slow to respond in containing the violence. In some places in Mangalore, the police even beat up Christians who were protesting against the violent attacks with lathis (long wooden batons).
Christian leaders accuse Hindu nationalist groups of engineering the attacks to increase support for the BJP, the main opposition party, in next year’s national elections. The BJP became a major party through pro-Hindu policies and exacerbating communal divisions, and analysts expect anti-Christian violence to increase. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has called the violence a ‘national shame’, but has not suspended state governments for failing to stop the violence.
The radical Hindu groups accuse Christians of bribing tribal peoples and low-caste Hindus to convert, while Christians argue that if people convert, they do so willingly, and wish to escape the Hindu caste system. Catholics deny attempting to convert Hindus, but evangelical Protestant groups such as the New Life Church are doing so openly, and there are television evangelists who attack other religions and present converts from Hinduism.
Kim, writing at Desicritics, can't believe what is going on:
What the hell is wrong with our country and its people? […] Today morning between 9am and 10am, Bajrang Dal activists attacked and destroyed 4 churches in Mangalore City. Why? Because New Life members distributed pamphlets which said “Do not Worship Hindu Gods”. While I admit that this could be an incendiary statement, does this justify attacking people and churches who do not even agree with the methods used by the New Life preachers?
Then she protests official apathy:
Why are Christians being given the short end of the stick? Religious Christian institutions have a large role to play in education, medicine, caring for the orphans, abandoned, old and dying in India. Christians have been one of the most tolerant minorities in India (imagine what would have happened by now if by chance the Bajrang Dal hooligans had desecrated a mosque this morning) who have contributed immensely to the growth of the country. […] Do they deserve a government that is apathetic to their religious sensibilities being trampled upon? […] Why are these atrocities against Christians being downplayed in the media?
However, there are many bloggers who are unhappy with the privileges they believe Christians receive in India. Pseudo-secularism says:
The church is behaving as if it has a divine right to proselytise. As if it is part and parcel of the special minority rights. […] Do the minorities believe that they are super citizens? […] The Christians are on an offensive. […] This is politics, not religion. The provocation came from evangelists. The blasphemous literature they distributed was reported widely in the press. […] These actions strike at the idea of India and harm the country immensely. […] India is the only country that has always protected the minorities. But the definition of minorities in India is strangely distorted. Here the minorities are better off than Hindus and were the ruling class for centuries.
Sandeep B can see why things have reached this point:
The literature that is being used to propagate Christianity is repulsive: Denigrating Hindu gods and goddesses has become the standard practice of preachers flush with foreign funds. […] The following are excerpts from New Life’s Satya Darshani (View of Truth): “Urvashi — the daughter of Narayan — is a prostitute. Vashishtha is the son of this prostitute. He in turn married his own mother. Such a degraded person is the guru of the Hindu god Ram.” … “It was Brahma himself who kidnapped Sita. Since Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva were themselves the victims of lust, it is a sin to consider them as gods.” […] That said, the proper response to defamatory literature is certainly not violence. But, more fundamentally, the correct question to ask is why indulge in wilful defamation of other religions? […] The gruesome murder of Swami Lakshmanananda Saraswati in Orissa and now the events in Karnataka are but logical consequences, and neither will they be the last unless concrete steps are taken to stop religious conversions.
Catholic writer George Menezes, who controversially was once a member of the BJP, believes that Indian Christians need to come together and create a strategy:
When I was a member of the BJP’s National Executive Council, I found it difficult to convince friends in the RSS and the BJP that no conversions were taking place. […] Disassociating myself from fringe Christian activity did not help. Let it be clearly said that the present violence against us and our institutions and Churches by the VHP and Bajrang Dal is no different from the bombs of terrorists in our cities. Both are expressions of anger, humiliation, discrimination and hurt. Some real, some perceived. It should lead us to wake up to the reality of a changing India. A shared vision, […] political savvy, and fresh strategies and goals to deal with a horrific situation is the need of the hour. We must do this without conceding our rights as citizens of this country.
Blogger kochuthresiamma p.j. in Kerala says that the ‘truth’ should be handled carefully:
I got many forwards after the attack on Christians began in Orissa [that] talked about how tolerant and secular Hindu India is, how tolerant India is ‘cos Indian culture is Hindu culture. They pointed out that India has had Muslim Presidents, Christian Defence Ministers, a Muslim on the board of trustees of a Hindu temple, Muslim chief ministers.[…] I agree with every claim and am proud to belong to a model secular state. But I did not forward these forwards as requested. I deleted them instantly.
And then another set of forwards [that] listed the number of Christian Churches destroyed, details of people who lost lives and property in the anti-Christian riots, [and] highlighted how 15 million students of all castes and creeds pass thru Christian educational institutions every year – but the percentage of conversion is nil. […] I agree with every claim and am proud to belong to the Christian community. But I did not forward these forwards as requested. I deleted them instantly.
For I believe that the net should not be used to polarize the nation. […] Speaking the truth but not the whole truth, then interpreting it to inflame passions – that’s mischievous. I do not want to be a party to this virtual propaganda which is doing no good to this beautiful nation that is mine.

author: Ayesha Saldanha


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India: Violence in Assam · Global Voices
Rezwan

Nagalim.co.uk, a community site for the Naga indigenous people, has news and backgrounds on the recent violence in Assam, India which led to the death of 47 persons and eviction of many people.


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Iran: Golshifteh Farahani, Iranian top actress in NewYork · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Several Iranian bloggers such as Karaa reported [fa] about Iranian actress,Golshifte Farahani's interview for her new film, Ridley Scott's “Body of Lies” in New York. Watch her photos here. Many were surprised that she had no veil.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Iran: Two Leading HIV/Aids physicians remain in prison · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Global Voices reported  in August that Drs. Arash and Kamyar Alaei, two internationally renowned Iranian HIV/Aids specialists have been jailed in Tehran since June.
Unfortunately, they are still in prison and have had no legal representation. The Alaei brothers stand accused of planning to overthrow the Iranian government.
Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) organized a demonstration in support of freeing the brothers while Mahmoud Ahmadinejad attended UN General Assembly in New York last week.
Susannah Sirkin, PHR’s Deputy Director of International Policy and Advocacy, said during this meeting:
Today, our colleagues, Drs. Kamiar and Arash Alaei, are sitting in a prison cell in Tehran. These young physicians have helped organize clinics for injecting drug users and sex workers, and have developed, supported and promoted an enlightened public health approach to the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS within these most vulnerable and stigmatized groups in their home province of Kermanshah.  They advised the Iranian Ministry of Health, helped secure funds for the government’s HIV/AIDS programs, trained health workers in Iran, and neighboring countries — areas with the highest rates of injecting drug addicts in the world.
Iranian blogger, Ahvaz, says , “These two brothers have been at the forefront of AIDS awareness in Iran and the region.” The blogger adds, “Please watch this video of Dr. Kamyar Alaei to get an idea about what they have done for Iran.” In this video, Kamyar explains what interested him in fighting against Aids.
An Iranian in Exile writes that the two brothers present no threat to the Iranian government and that they have collaborated with both the religious and political government.
Trout, an American friend of the Alaies, has created a support group for the brothers on Facebook, where nearly 600 people have become members.


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Israel: UK Trip and More  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

From Israel, Yael travels to the UK and tells us about her experiences there.


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Israel: Violence Against Women  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

The Philistine links to news articles which speak of violence being committed against women in Israel.


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Israel: Yom Kippur Headache Pill Available  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Israellycool reports: “The Jerusalem Post reports on a test drug that could be the answer to preventing Yom Kippur headaches.”


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Israel: Yom Kippur Reminder  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

From Israel, YMedad posts a Yom Kippur reminder in this video post.


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Jamaica: Complicity  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“How did we get here? Where have these savages come from? Where is the Jamaica we once knew?”: Kadene Porter at Abeng News Magazine not only has the answers, she has a few solutions.


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Japan and South Korea: Cross Media Ownership · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Niphonese translated some bloggers discussion about the change of regulation on cross media ownership in Japan and its implication on freedom of press by looking into the experience in South Korea.


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Japan: Children and mobile phones · Global Voices
Chris Salzberg

A Japanese parent blogs about their daughter's experience getting her first mobile phone [ja], and the problems involved: the dangers of dating and porn sites, misunderstandings in communication, and constant interruptions during study time. The blogger relates the social distance created by these phones to the shift from traditional sushi restaurants to conveyor-belt sushi, where orders can be made without talking to the sushi chef. “NTT Docomo develops amazing products,” the blogger writes, “and I thank them for that. But I wish they would take a bit of responsibility for how these products are used.”

author: Chris Salzberg


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Japan: Nikkei drops below 10,000 yen · Global Voices
Chris Salzberg

mojix at Zope Junky Nikki picks up news that the Nikkei stock average has slumped below 10,000 yen for the first time in nearly five years [ja], featuring a PDF of a print article from Nikkei Keizai shimbun announcing the drop. mojix writes: “There are good sides to a strong yen, and [the price of] resources and commodities has dropped, so for Japan this could perhaps be a kind of chance.”


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Japan: Street View and Public Space · Global Voices
Chris Salzberg

The debate about Google's new Street View service in Japan, which sparked criticisms following its launch over a perceived lack of cultural sensitivity, has come back into the spotlight with the recent visit to Tokyo by Google vice president Kent Walker [ja].  At a press conference on September 29th, Walker was bombarded with questions about the service [ja], spending nearly all of the 30 minutes alloted for a question and answer period to answering them.
Responses at the press conference about how to request that images be removed from Street View in particular raised some eyebrows. An ITmedia article [ja] reported that Google Japan director Kōichirō Tsujino [辻野晃一郎] had stated that people who could not check Street View themselves and confirm whether there were problems (i.e. people who do not have Internet access) should contact their regional administration office or consumer center. (Lack of Internet access is common among Japan's older generation, who may have only heard from friends that their home appears in Street View but never actually used the service themselves.)
One blogger who has been investigating Street View in great depth, security researcher Hiromitsu Takagi [ja], found it hard to believe that such a statement could actually have been made. He wrote on September 29th:
これには目が点になった。こんな発言がされたとはにわかに信じ難い。どうしてグーグル社の勝手な写真に対して行政が対応しなければならないのか。
Takagi took the step to call Google Japan directly and find out whether Tsujino had actually made the statement, and what exactly was meant by the “regional administration contact point” [地域の行政窓口] to which people were apparently supposed to go for assistance. According to the person who answered the phone, as recorded in the transcript posted at Takagi's blog [ja],  Tsujino had indeed made the statement. When probed further, however, the Google representative was not able to specify in concrete terms where to go (beyond “commercial centers” and “regional administration offices”). ITmedia later appended a note apologizing and claiming that Tsujino had never in fact made the statement in question, leaving some with doubts about what had happened behind the scenes [ja], and the underlying question still left unresolved.
This debate had only just ended, however, when another started. In a follow-up entry [ja], Takagi reported that someone had contacted him about their experience bumping into a driver of one of the Google cars back when the photographs were originally being taken:
情報提供者によると、集合住宅でグーグルの撮影車が駐車していたため、運転手に「公道私道の区別はついているのか」と問い質したところ、答えずに図1の文書を手渡され、会社に問い合わせるよう言われたのだそうだ。その際、運転手は逃げようとして急発進し、あやうく轢かれそうになったとか。
The letter explains that the Google car is driving along public streets taking photographs of the scene that ordinary people can see from the road, and informs the reader that if they have further questions they can contact Google directly. According to Takagi, this person later called Google twice, first on August 28th and next on September 3rd, to find out if Google had in fact distinguished at all between public and private roads. It was during the second call that the caller got their answer:
情: 法律関係の人間に答えを聞きますという返答を頂いて、それで電話したんですけども、
グ: あー、そうですか、あの、公道私道というのもとくに法律で定められているものではないかと存じますので、とくにその必要もないかと思うんですけども。
情: 法律で定められてますよ。
グ: あはは、そうなんですか。あは。はい。
The apparent lack of distinction between private and public roads seems to line up with the company's position in the U.S., but as in cases elsewhere, it didn't go down well with many who heard about it. Hiroyuki Fujishiro [藤代裕之] at Gatonews,  in an entry called “Google, the anti-social corporation“, traced the problem to the attitude of Google as a corporation [ja]:
通常企業の広報は話題になっている案件について情報共有を行い、回答について対策を行っています。この問い合わせは8月末のようですが、Googleは8 月5日の会見でストリートビューのプライバシー問題については問われているので、認識していないはずがありません。にもかかわらずこのような回答をするというのは、カスタマーサポートや広報・法務部、対応した個人の問題ではなく、Googleが企業としての姿勢がそうであるということを示しています。日本での問い合わせにまともに対応する気などないのでしょう。
A blogger at Hatena's AnonymousDiary, on the other hand, came to exactly the opposite conclusion, arguing that Google should not be criticized as a company for breaking the law “somewhat”:
法律守んないとか何とか言ってるけど、じゃあP2Pはどうなんだと。
批判してる人の中には、自動車の速度の上限が制限速度を大幅に超えてるから、winnyで金子氏を逮捕するなら、
自動車メーカーも取り締まれって言ってた人もいるんじゃないかな？
どうして、googleのストリートビューが法律を多少破ってるからって、google事態が批判されないといけないのかな？
.)
Hatena user id:test600 expressed disappointment over Google's attitude after reading in Takagi's blog entry:
こんなん読んじゃうと、Googleっていい加減な会社ぽいなって思っちゃうよね。
応対もあんまりだし。
でもトリートビュー自体は面白いと思うんだよね。
実際に近所とか良く知ってる場所の道路が青くなってると、ちょっと嬉しい。
見切り発進だったかな。Googleさん。
Although Hiromitsu Takagi has written a great deal about Street View in Japan, he is not a lawyer, as some have pointed out. There are lawyers, however, have been reading Takagi's posts. At the Hanamizuki Law Office blog of lawyers Masahiro Kobayashi [小林正啓] and Miyuki Sakurai [櫻井美幸], for example, the following comment was made on earlier cases Takagi has raised about license plates [ja] and camera height [ja]:
もちろん，プライバシーの問題は間違いなくある。グーグルは自動的にぼかされているというが，容貌に限らず人物を特定する画像や，人家の内部がたまたま撮影された場合は，プライバシーの侵害になりうる。ただ，この問題は本質的な問題とはいえないのではないか。高木浩光氏は，「ストリートビューに写った自動車ナンバーは機械判読され得るレベル」であるとか，撮影用のカメラの目線が高すぎて，通常の歩行者には見えない高みからの映像になっているとか主張している。これらの指摘はそれぞれもっともな点を含む。法的に反論しうる点もある。しかし，何となく，この不気味感の本質とは違うような気がするから，高木氏の主張の当否を論じても，ポイントからずれていってしまうような気がする。もし，高木氏が指摘するプライバシー上の問題が全て解決されたとしたなら，この不気味感は解消されるのだろうか？
Another law blog that has discussed the street view debate is KSTK, which has featured a detailed multi-part series (part 1 [ja], part 2 [ja], part 3 [ja]) on different legal aspects of the case. In part two of the series, the following comment is made about the protection of personal information:
私の価値判断からすると，塀に囲まれた（注）個人の住宅・邸宅内部（敷地を含む）の写真は，通常，本人が,自己が欲しない他者にはみだりにこれを開示されたくないと考えることは自然なことであり,そのことへの期待は保護されるべき情報であると思います。特にGSVの場合，ただ画像のみが公開されているのではなく，その住所も併せて公開されていることに留意すべきでしょう。
Finally, in a postscript to an entry about criticism leveled at him, Takagi posted the following remark about his motivations in blogging about Street View, arguing that what he is doing is really the job of journalists:
日記に書いたことは、私が発見したのではありません。2ちゃんねる等に既にたくさん指摘が出ていたことです。表に出てこないから表に出す作業をやっただけです。この種の問題がやっかいなのは、困っている人が声をあげるとその人自身が不利益を被る構造であるため、匿名掲示板でしか不満の声が出ないことです。本来、ジャーナリズムがこれを適切に表に取り上げて、世間に知らしめることですが、日本にジャーナリズムはありません。しかたがないので、覚悟を決めて嫌々私が目白地域の家を訪ねて実態を表に出しました。私道に入っているという件も同じです。本来はジャーナリストの仕事でしょう。私の仕事ではありません。
今必要なのは、グーグルの日本法人が日本向けの適切なローカライズをさぼったことに対する非難と改善交渉です。プライバシーとは何かなどという一般論を議論している場合ではありません。
Update (10/8/2008):
Earlier entries about Street View in Japan:
Thanks to Gen Kanai for the suggestion that led to this entry.


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Jordan: On Madrassas  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Jordanian MommaBean is in distress. Her daughter goes to a Madrassa – which translates to school in Arabic.


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Jordan: Secret Love  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

From Jordan, A Different Perspective takes a walk down memory lane, and describes how she fell in love.


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Korea: How the President can have communications with the people.  · Global Voices
Hyejin Kim

On the first of October, former President Roh Moo Hyun, who settled down in the countryside after his term and who has been more popular and received more attention from people than during the time of his governance, came to Seoul. In order to mark the first anniversary of the Oct.4, 2007 Inter-Korean Summit Declaration, he had a lecture and commented on the current politics and criticized stiff policies toward North Korea of the current government in public for the first time. Many netizens are still focusing on the former President’s activities.
While his appearance into the public and his political opinions are criticized by current politicians, Internet is used for the other side.
노무현 전 대통령이 어제 10.4 남북선언을 기념하는 식장에서 현정부의 대북정책을 비판한 것을 두고 여야 정치권은 설왕설래 말들이 많은 모양이다. 박희태 한나라당 대표는 ‘노무현 대통령의 말에 지난 5년간 시달린 것으로 충분하다’, ‘전직 대통령은 정치 초월적 발언을 해야한다, 현실정치에 뛰어들어 오는 것을 국민들은 싫어한다'며 직접 공세에 나섰고, 이회창 선진당 대표도 ‘노무현 정권은 전형적 친북좌파정권이라며, 그런 대통령하에서 대한민국을 보존했다는 것이 다행'이라며 불편한 심기를 감추지 않았다.
그러고 보니 지난 5년간 노무현 대통령은 그의 직설적이고 독설적 발언으로 인해 꽤나 많은 비난을 받았었다. ‘대통령 답지 못한 발언이다.’, ‘대통령이 그렇게 말하면 안된다’, ‘대통령이 현안에 대해 직접적으로 관여하면 여지가 없어진다’, ‘대통령은….’, ‘어떻게 대통령이…’ 등등등. 그의 발언을 까는 대부분의 요지는 그의 언행이 ‘대통령 답지 못하다'는 데에 촛점이 가 있었다. 그러다보니, 그의 발언은 그 유효성이나 가치여부에 대한 평가를 받기도 전에 매도당하고 실제 논의의제로 조차 오르지 못한적이 많았다. 워낙 발언 초기부터 말투나 뉘앙스에 트집이 잡혀버린 경우가 많았던 탓이다. 어제 그의 발언에 대한 반응도 지난 시절과 많이 다르지 않다. 박희태 대표가 얘기했듯이 그들은 ‘이제 더이상 노무현식 발언에 시달리기 싫다'고 말하고 있다. 대놓고 ‘노정권은 친북좌파'로 정의해 버렸으니, 어제의 그의 발언에 대한 평가는 이미 물건너 갔다. 그들은 아에 취급을 하지 않으려 하는 것이다. 내놓고 말은 하지 않지만, 반쯤 정신나간 사람으로 치부해버리고 싶을지도 모른다.그러면 그들이 말하는 ‘대통령 다운, 그리고 전직 대통령 다운’ 행동과 발언은 어떤것일까? 구체적 잘잘못을 지적하기 보다는 뜨뜻미지근하게 좋은게 좋다는 식으로 두리뭉실 넘어가는 것? 아래 사람들이 그 발언의 진위를 파악하기 위해 진땀을 흘려가며 다들 모여 소설을 써야할 정도로 애매모호한 언급? 자신의 속내는 드러내지 않고 이사람이 와도 허허, 저사람이 와도 허허 하면서 ‘국가의 융성을 위해 정파를 떠나 모두가 협력해야 한다는 부처님 말씀? 뭐 이런식의 발언을 해야만 대통령 답고, 전직 대통령 다운 것인가? 거듭하여 말하거니와 많이 생각하지 않고 많이 공부하지 않고, 역지사지의 경험이 없는 사람들은 자신이 가지고 있는 가치판단의 틀이 만고불변하는 진리인 양 믿고 행동한다. 좋게 보면 굳건한 신념의 소유자이지만 우리는 그런 사람들을 꼴통이라 부른다. 이 땅위에 군림했던 정권들..박정희, 전두환, 노태우, 김영삼이 지배했던 그 시절이 좋았던 사람들이 많이 있다. 그들에겐 그 시절 팽배했던 모든 사회가치는 절대善이요 불변의 진리이다.[…] 그들 주류는 이사회의 여론을 통제한다. 조중동이라는 효과적 무기를 앞장세워서…그렇게 효과적으로 통제된 언론은 그들의 목소리가 마치 이사회의 보편적 상식인 것처럼 부풀려서 확대 재생산한다. ‘대통령 답지 못하다'는 아무런 근거나 부가설명이 필요없는 이 한마디로 ‘노무현'은 쉽게 정의내려져 버렸었다. 그렇게 5년을 시달렸던 그는 ‘민주주의 2.0'을 들고 다시 돌아왔고, 예의 그들은 돌아온 노무현을 ‘전직 대통령 답지 못하다'는 말 한마디로 씹어내리고 있다.
Looking back, the last 5 years President Roh Moo Hyun was criticized due to his direct speeches and his stinging tongue. ‘It was not like a speech as the President,’ ‘The President should speak like that,’ ‘The President should not be directly involved with pending problems because it doesn’t give any room,’ ‘The President….,’ ‘How could the President…’ and so on. The main point to criticize his speaking was ‘He doesn’t behave like the President.’ Therefore, before we judge whether his speaking is effective or worth, it was denounced and some of them were not raised as agendas as a matter of fact. Reactions about his speech yesterday were not so much different from the past. As the representative Park Hui Tae said, they say ‘We don’t want to be afflicted by Roh’s speaking.’ They even designated that ‘Roh party is the pro-North Korea and left-wing.’ Therefore, we even lost a chance to valuate his speech. They are not willing to disregard it. They might treat his speaking as what a psycho blurted out. Then what do attitudes and speaking ‘as the President, as the former President’ mean? Does that mean ambiguous attitudes, such as not checking which is right or wrong? Or speaking not to show what he thinks and accept all opinions like the Buddhist ‘for the wealth of the nation, we should not think about factions and should concern about cooperation’? Is this what they think of attitudes and speaking as the President and the former President? I would like to mention that people who don’t ponder over, don’t study so much, and don’t think about when the shoe is on the other foot behave like their thought is absolute and it is the universe truth. It could be interpreted as a person having a firm belief, but as a dangerous person on the other hand. I know that some people miss the times of Park Jung Hui, Chun Doo Hwan, Roh Tae Woo, and Kim Young Sam. To those people, the main value of society is the absolute truth and virtue.[…] The mainstream control media backing up with Cho-Joong-Dong (three major conservative media-editor). The media that has been controlled effectively for their own sakes expand and re-generate that their voices are common sense. Roh Moo Hyun was judged by such a controlled media as ‘the person who is not like the President.’ He came back with ‘Democracy 2.0’ after being afflicted by the main media for five years and as expected those main media chew him ‘as one who is unworthy of the former President.’
Comparisons between the former President Roh Moo Hyun and the current President Lee Myung Bak in many aspects are easy to find in posts and blogs. Basilica talks about how they communicate with the people.
전 현직 두 대통령의 국민 소통법
전 현직 두 대통령이 미디어를 통한 국민들과의 직접 소통에 나섰다. 국가의 큰 정치 지도자들이 국민들과 직접 소통을 나누겠다는 의지를 보이는 것은 반가운 일이다. 그런데 흥미롭게도 전 현직 두 대통령의 스타일만큼이나 국민 소통법에서도 꽤나 큰 차이가 엿보인다. 노무현 전 대통령이 선택한 미디어는 역시 인터넷이다. 지난 9월 18일 ‘민주주의 2.0’이란 토론 사이트를 오픈했다. 이미 수많은 네티즌들이 이 사이트에 방문해 각종 사회 이슈들에 대한 의견과 토론을 거침없이 쏟아내고 있다. 노무현 전 대통령 본인도 ‘노공이산’(盧公移山)이란 필명으로 직접 게시글과 댓글을 올리며 열심히 활동 중이다. 때로는 네티즌 논객과 한판 논쟁을 펼치기고 하고, 또 때로는 정치권을 향해 쓴 소리를 날려 논란을 불러일으키기도 했다. 흥행성 측면에서 보면 지금까지는 아주 성공적이다. 반면 이명박 대통령은 촛불집회 이후 계속 제기되어 왔던 정부의 대국민 소통 문제를 라디오를 통해 해결하려는 모양이다. 최근 청와대가 월 1~2회, 15분 정도 분량의 라디오 프로그램을 통해 대통령이 직접 현안에 대한 정책 설명을 하겠다는 구상을 발표했다. 1930년대 미국 프랭클린 루즈벨트 대통령이 뉴딜정책에 대한 국민 지지를 호소하기 위해 시도했던 라디오 프로그램 ‘노변담화’(爐邊談話 • Fireside chat)를 모델로 삼았다고 한다.
노무현 전 대통령이 택한 인터넷과 이명박 현 대통령이 택한 라디오는 꽤나 대조적인 미디어이다. 세계적인 미디어 학자 마샬 맥루한은 미디어를 크게 두 가지 유형으로 분류한 바 있다. 메시지의 충실도는 높지만 수용자의 참여도는 낮은 미디어를 ‘핫(Hot) 미디어’, 반대로 메시지의 충실도는 낮지만 수용자의 참여도가 높은 미디어를 ‘쿨(Cool) 미디어’라고 명명했다. 맥루한의 방식을 따른다면 라디오는 핫 미디어, 인터넷은 쿨 미디어에 가깝다. 일방향적 정보제공에 강조점을 둔다면 핫 미디어인 라디오가, 그리고 쌍방향 소통에 초점을 맞춘다면 쿨 미디어인 인터넷이 더 적합한 미디어라 하겠다. […]하지만 이명박 정부는 성공적인 대국민 소통을 위해 어떤 미디어 채널을 선택하는가보다 훨씬 더 중요한 문제가 있음을 알아야 한다. 바로 소통에 대한 올바른 자세이다. 국민들에게 메시지를 전달하려 하기보다는 국민들의 메시지를 먼저 들으려는 자세, 그리고 쓴 소리조차도 기꺼이 달게 들으려는 겸허한 자세 말이다. 이것이 없다면 노변담화 역시 결국엔 부질없는 정책 홍보 이벤트에 그칠 뿐이다.
The former and current Presidents will start having conversations with the people through media. It is a good news that the biggest political leaders are willing to talk with the people. An interesting part is different styles for how they deal with that. Media chosen by the former President Roh Moo Hyun is the Internet. On the 18th of September, he opened a debate Internet website, ‘Democracy 2.0.’ Many netizens already visited the website and pull out opinions and debates about various social issues. Roh Moo Hyun with a penname ‘Roh gong yi san’ also expresses his opinions on the Internet. Sometimes, he has hot debates with netizens and expresses what he thinks about current politics. In terms of a commercial part, it has been very successful. On the other hand, Lee Myung Bak seems to use radio. Since a series of candlelight vigils, the way he takes the people’s opinions has been regarded as a problem. Recently, the Blue House announced that for 15 minutes every one or two times per month the President will explain policies about current issues through a radio program. In the 1930s, the American President Franklin Roosevelt had a radio program, Fireside Chat, in order to appeal supports from the people about the New Deal Policy.
The choices that they had, the Internet and radio are very different media. Marshal Mcroohan, media scholar, distinguished media in two types. The first is ‘hot media,’ which fidelity of messages is good, but users’ participation is low. The second is ‘cool media,’ which fidelity of messages is low, but users’ participation is high. According to his interpretation, radio is hot media and Internet is cool media. If you focus on conveying information, radio is more appropriate. If you concentrate on mutual communications, the Internet is more fit.[…] The important problem is a right attitude about communication. Rather than conveying messages to the people, listening to messages from the people is more important even though they are sometimes harsh comments. Without it, what the current government plans is like a PR event.

author: Hyejin Kim


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Kuwait: Vacation Time  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Cat-Eyez, from Kuwait, starts her vacation – and tells us about what she will be doing.


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Lebanon: Falafel War Goes to Court  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Arabs and Globalisation reports: ‘Just like the Greeks did, when they sued French dairy farms (and won) for using the word “Feta” to describe the cheese they sold, Lebanon is gearing up its own litigation forces to sue Israeli companies over marketing Hummus, Falafel, and Babaghanouj as “Israeli products.”‘


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Lebanon: Ministerial Meetings fit for Reality TV  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Arab Democracy, from Lebanon, reckons that if the Lebanese Council of Ministers meetings were aired in a reality TV show format, they will be a compromise between Big Brother and talent show Star Academy.


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Macedonia: More on the Name Scandal · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Central Europe Activ posts an update on Macedonia's name controversy.


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Moldova: Notes on Foreign and Domestic Issues · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

The 8th Circle and Central Europe Activ write about domestic and international issues that Moldova is dealing with.


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Nepal: Populist measures · Global Voices
Rezwan

ABC -Voices Sans Borders critiques the Nepali government's measures like resisting Miss Nepal Pageant competition and clamping down on sex and liquor in night bars as populist.


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Pakistan: Negotiation with the Talibans · Global Voices
Rezwan

Pro Pakistan opines: “NATO and Americans have always objected on Pakistan for negotiating with the Talibans but the irony of the matter is that today they are themselves calling for negotiations with the Talibans including Mullah Omer.”


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Palestine: If Animals Could Speak · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Iman's Constant Cravings, from Palestine, asks: “If animals could speak.. I wonder what they'll have to say about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.”


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Palestine: Rafah Tunnel Collapse  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Palestine Free Voice reports about a tunnel collapse outside Rafah.


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Paraguay: Explaining the Global Economic Crisis with Monkeys · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

Muna posts an anonymous parable she says is the perfect analogy for the stock market nowadays. It explains the Wall Street Crisis with monkeys, and can be found both in Spanish and in English.

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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Russia: “Alice in Wonderland” in Swahili · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

LJ user tapirr (RUS) compares illustrations in the original Alice in Wonderland to those in a Swahili-language edition.


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Russia: Bishop/Monk Diomid · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Svetlana Gladkova of Profy writes about Diomid, no longer a Russian Orthodox bishop: “Yesterday one of Russian bishops Diomid was degraded to a usual monk for a number of wrongdoings, including prohibiting churchgoers from using cell phones and internet.” More about Diomid's case – at Window on Eurasia.


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Russia, Iran: Obama’s Stance · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

“If elected president of the US, senator Barack Obama would not trade eastern European security for Russian help on Iran,” reports Transatlantic Politics.


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Russia: Remembering Anna Politkovskaya · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Oct. 7 marks two years since the assassination of journalist Anna Politkovskaya. No one has been jailed for the crime so far, but three men are expected to go to trial soon for their suspected involvement in the murder.
Below is a selection of today's commemorative posts from the Russophone blogosphere.
LJ user emarinicheva wrote (RUS):
Anna Politkovskaya was killed two years ago. I remember that the day of the funeral was just like today – rainy. Many, many people came to the cemetery. Familiar faces, recognizable. To some extent, it was comforting to be next to them… Why was it so painful? People like Anna stood against trouble, lies and hypocrisy that were coming upon us (and which have eventually prevailed). She didn't fit into the “new world order” in this one country STYLISTICALLY. Now we live just like that, without Anna, without her existence on the earth. It is tough. […]
LJ user viking-nord wrote (RUS):
Two years ago Anna Politkovskaya was murdered. A true Journalist and a real Citizen, a Patriot of Russia.
In general, we have an extremely perverted and, I'd say, a wild notion of what patriotism is. Many people consider it patriotic to beat up a Caucasus native in the street, to bomb Georgia, to show [their] behinds to the USA. No, that's not patriotism, that's husk, which will be causing nothing but shame in our offspring.
What Anna Politkovskaya was doing was patriotic. It is patriotic to tell the truth, to expose the liars among officials, to fight for world peace, to walk alone through a mob of crazed thugs who have small and great power, and, the main thing, not to be scared of them. The bullet was the only thing that they could stop her with. Because she didn't need to make a career, nor did she need the regime's favors, the status of a courtier or a pocket [tamed] journalist, all she needed was just to tell the truth. And it was impossible to ask her to be silent, impossible to bribe or intimidate her.
I didn't agree with her on everything, but I respected her as a Journalist, and as a Patriot. The best thing we can do to honor the memory of Anna Politkovskaya is to win the fight for freedom of speech, for the priority of human rights, for the democratic state. This is the only way to honor the memory of this person.
We remember…
LJ user gengri posted an announcement of a memorial rally to take place at 7 PM in St. Petersburg today – and pointed out (RUS) the reason why the event has not been approved by city officials:
[…] It appears that from 7 to 9 PM some maintenance work will be taking place in the park at Troitskaya Square. The city administration's Committee on the Issues of Legality offered to hold the event not by the [Solovki] Stone, but in the 50th Anniversary of October Park at Prospekt Metallistov. What kind of people are these…
According to LJ user shoorman, the St. Petersburg rally was expected to take place by the Solovki Stone despite the official ban – the blogger cited a local politician (RUS) who had made a media statement about the upcoming rally:
[…] Nevertheless, the memorial for Anna Politkovskaya will take place at the traditional spot – by the Solovki Stone at Troitskaya Square. “Anyone can come up to the stone whenever he or she wishes to. Despite the blatant cynicism present in the actions of the city authorities, we will still come at this time and on this day to the Solovki Stone to honor Anna Politkovskaya's memory. It's not just our right, but it's also our duty to her. And it does not require approval of any committees. Everything will be quiet and peaceful, the way it has to be during minutes of grief,” commented one of the event's organizers, the leader of St. Petersburg branch of Yabloko Party, Maksim Reznik. […]
LJ user tupikin wrote (RUS) about his expectations for the rally on Pushkin Square in Moscow – and for the outcome of the investigation into Politkovskaya's murder:
Today, Oct. 7, 2008, marks two years since the murder of journalist Anna Politkovskaya, who was writing articles that made someone in the North Caucasus and (possibly) in Moscow uncomfortable. The investigation should determine exactly who [they were making uncomfortable]. But it is unlikely that it will. Not in this country, not at this time.
If a million people showed up for today's rally in her memory in Moscow, maybe the truth would be told, who knows. Or perhaps two million are needed for that, or three? What kind of rally should gather for the regime in the country to change?
A meeting is actually starting in memory of Politkovskaya in Moscow, at this very moment at Pushkin Square. How many people will take part? I don't think there'll be more than 500. And since it's raining heavily – maybe the total of 300.
Some of those who are late, by the way, will probably still be able to make it there. Maybe I'll make it there, too. We'll see.
LJ user pesnyasolveig wrote (RUS) that this year she did not want to attend the memorial rally in Moscow. Here is why:
I don't know whether I'll go to the rally in memory of Anna Stepanovna [Politkovskaya]. Up until now, I have been attending all the events. But today I don't feel like it. Last time, at the end of August, on [Politkovskaya's] birthday – I was listening to [Garry Kasparov] – and it hurt a lot. It hurt because they've started to trade in memory. They made a show where there shouldn't have been one, it wasn't proper, wasn't human. I just remember. And I want everyone to remember. Today is October 7. The day to remember Anna Politkovskaya. Two years without…
LJ user aleshru, who did attend the Moscow rally, posted (RUS) a photo of smiling Mikhail Kasyanov, ex-member of the opposition coalition “The Other Russia.”
LJ user posmixator posted two pictures (UKR) from a tiny memorial event at Kyiv's Independence Square.
LJ markgrigorian wrote about (RUS) and posted pictures from the RAW in WAR Anna Politkovskaya Awards 2008 event, held at the Frontline Club in London on Oct. 6:
The annual Anna Politkovskaya Awards ceremony has taken place at the Frontline Club in London.
This is the second event of this kind already. This time the award went to the Afghan activist Malalai Joya. A totally amazing woman – fearless and clever. Just think of it, she has been courageous enough to stand up against corruption in Karzai's government and against the Taleban movement.
After that, even though she has become a parliament member, she is receiving threats and is forced to constantly hide, change her location. She has been chased out of parliament.
Malalai is not tall, but full of energy and fearless.
She burst into tears when she received the award, and then delivered a passionate speech against the U.S. and Britain.
[…]
[photo of Joya]
Natasha Estemirova, a journalist from [Chechnya's capital] Grozny, was there, too. She received the award last year. This time, she talked about the events in Ingushetia. Very briefly, but very passionately.
[photo of Estemirova]
It is indeed very difficult in Ingushetia now. Some politicians and experts are equating the situation there with civil war. They are talking about power gap there, chaos, constant murders, blood feud…
Anna Politkovskaya's sister, Yelena Kudimova, was there as well.
[photo of Kudimova]
And, finally, Marianna Katsarova, the organizer and the inspiration behind both the award and the annual meeting, a human rights activist and a feminist. She is the head of the RAW in WAR (Reach All Women in War) organization.
[photo of Katsarova]
It turned out to be a very emotional evening. Kudos to Marianna!
LJ user tapirr posted a selection of links to Russian-language resources on Anna Politkovskaya – including Masha Novikova's documentary about Anna Politkovskaya: “Anna, Seven Years on the Frontline” (in Russian, with English subtitles).
LJ user l-dream posted a Feb. 2006 photo of Politkovskaya and wrote (RUS):
This is what she looked like the last time I saw her.


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Serbia: Fighting Organized Crime With EU Neighbors · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Central Europa Activ writes about a trilateral agreement signed by Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia to combat organized crime and improve border patrol: “I believe that instead of making great political gestures that make Serbian and European voters suspect of hidden agreements, this kind of pragmatic, goal-focused co-operation is the best way to bring Serbia into the European camp.”


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Serbia: Progressive Party · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Cafe Turco writes about Vojislav Nikolic's newest project, a Progressive Party.


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South Korea: School Violence · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Korean Beat translated two survey news reports concerning school violence in South Korea: 80% Jump in school violence and parents survey on school violence.


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Sri Lanka: Another political assassination · Global Voices
Rezwan

Lanka Rising writes on the politics behind the recent assassination of Major General Janaka Perera in Sri Lanka.


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Syria: Selma Hayek – Lebanese or Lesbian?  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Syrian Dubai Jazz links to news sources in which Mexican actress Salma Hayek's Lebanese descent is confused with being a lesbian.


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Tajikistan: Dissident Flees Russia · Global Voices
Ian Chesley

In 2003, Georgia had its Rose Revolution. In 2004, Ukraine had its Orange Revolution. And in 2005 Kyrgyzstan had its Tulip Revolution.
These “revolutions” managed to shift the politics of their respective countries, and many democracy activists believed the pattern might be extended to other countries in the Caucasus and Central Asia. In the end, the new political forces fell into familiar tracks, and the rest of the Central Asian leaders took the lesson that they should crack down on democracy movements before they start (the worst example being the massacre in Andijon, Uzbekistan.)
That didn't stop Dodojon Atovulloev/Atoullo, a Tajik journalist who has published a Tajik-language newspaper in Russia since the 1990s, from declaring in 2007 that he was forming a new movement called “Vatandor” (“Patriot”) which he hoped would would eventually result in a “Violet Revolution.” He claimed he would be able to challenge the Rahmon government by appealing to the thousands of Tajiks living and working in Russia. Those expat Tajiks contribute a significant portion of the economy of Tajikistan through their remittances.
The state prosecutor of Tajikistan recently announced charges of slander and “destabilizing the country,” and there was speculation that the charges would become a pretext to request Atovulloev's extradition from Russia.
Atovolloev, who had resided in Moscow but possessed a residency permit for Germany, fled Moscow on a plane to Paris. In an interview with Darius at A Dervish [tj], he explains that he chose a flight to Paris because he thought that the Russian government might be expecting him to fly to Germany. Western press agencies were also invited to videotape his departure, in the hope that their presence would prevent his arrest or detention.
The journalist has had his ups and downs with the government of Tajikistan. In 1992, the government sought to prosecute him for meetings with the opposition coalition that fought against Rahmon in the Tajik civil war of the 1990s. In 1998, the prosecutor charged him with libeling the president. In 2001, Atovulloev was arrested at the airport in Moscow, although he was later released.
Then, in 2002, as part of a general amnesty, the Tajik government pardoned Atovulloev and invited him back to Tajikistan as part of an effort to promote reconciliation and garner international credibility. He cut his first visit back to Tajikistan short, claiming that he had been followed and threatened. He returned to Moscow and continued to publish his newspaper, “Charogh-i Ruz” (“Daily Beacon”).
In his most recent interview, Atovulloev says that the Tajik government tried to woo him back to Tajikistan, but that he refused:
Atovullo revealed that representatives of the Rahmon administration approached him in 2007 to explore a political deal. “Last year, Rahmon’s closest aids negotiated with me almost for six months,” he said. “They tried to convince me to return to Tajikistan, to get a portfolio or pocket a huge sum of money in exchange for my silence. After I gave them cold shoulder they resumed my criminal case.”
Also in his interview with Darius, he asserts that democratic voices are the only thing that can restrain a religious backlash:
Another misfortune is that if the remaining democratic forces in Tajikistan are defeated, there's a 100% chance of a Tajik Taliban entering the political arena, or that they would win a victory. Today we see that the youth of Tajikistan don't have anywhere to go but to the mosque to sit at the foot of demagogic mullahs. This is a lost generation.
As of today, there is little evidence of a wide-scale Islamic political movement in Tajikistan, mostly because of the strict measures the Rahmon regime has applied to the religious establishment. How accurate Atovulloev's assessment is, and how influential his voice is, is hard to gauge. But the Rahmon government clearly sees him as a large enough threat to direct so much public attention at him.

author: Ian Chesley


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Thailand: Protesters clash with police · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Bangkok protesters clashed with police in front of the Parliament building. Twitter user jeremyfanclub gives an update: “Bangkok is going political unrest PAD and police is fighting now at front of parliament from morning til now.”

author: Mong Palatino


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The Balkans, Russia: Veljko Kadijevic · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Greater Surbiton writes about general Veljko Kadijevic's new Russian citizenship and the unlikely prospects of delivering justice to genocide victims.


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The Blogging Revolution: from Iran to Cuba · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Antony Loewenstein, a Sydney-based freelance journalist and blogger, has recently published his new book: The Blogging Revolution. This book talks about the impact of blogging on six countries: Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, China and Cuba.
He says:
I chose the six countries in the book because they are routinely referred to in the West as “enemies” or “allies” of Washington and we were rarely gaining true insights into life for average citizens, away from stories about “terrorism”. I wanted to talk to bloggers, writers, dissidents, politicians and citizens and hear their stories, removed from “official” perspectives.
Antony attended the Global Voices Summit 2008 in Budapest as a panelist. You can find several references to Global Voices in his book.
Here, Antony presents his book on You Tube:
I interviewed him about the book:
Q: Before starting your trip to Iran, you wrote that you were skeptical that the internet on its own can bring real revolutionary change to this country. What do you mean by revolutionary change? And what do you think now?
The concept of revolution is a fluid term. I met few people in my travels that wanted great shifts in their country. My book profiles a number of dissidents and bloggers across the globe who are striving for political, social and moral change – including Saudi Arabia’s most famous blogger, Fouad Al-Farhan, recently released from prison for challenging his nation’s nepotistic rule – but they recognize that only a tiny minority of citizens would join them in massive upheavals.
The internet cannot on its own bring large change, but it can facilitate and empower people to find their voice and campaign openly. No technology has existed before the web to do this. I don’t idealise the internet, nor believe Western-style democracy is the goal of people in the countries I visited. Foreign meddling is largely resented, though opening up the lines of communication with Westerners is welcomed.
In Iran, after nearly thirty years of revolution, most young people I met were exhausted; what they don’t want is to be bombed by the US or Israel.
Q: You quoted an Iranian journalist who worked with international news agencies, and said that foreign media in Iran are only interested in nuclear issues and Al–Qaida. Don't you think it is the same in other countries? After all, Iranians are more interested in the US elections than the American health care system. How do you see the role of blogs in covering the less “hot” issues in Iran?
Western media is currently in a massive crisis of confidence. Resources are declining, fewer journalists are being employed and localism is being celebrated. It’s therefore not surprising, though regrettable, that so many stories in our press about a place such as Iran is obsessed with Ahmadinejad, terrorism, Iraq or human rights. These are all vitally important issues, but they don’t define the place.
My book reveals a side of Iran that is rarely seen in our terrorism-obsessed media.
Living in Sydney, Australia, I see daily the obsession with the US election, as if we all have real influence over Barack Obama or John McCain’s campaigns.
Blogs in so-called repressive regimes cover issues that time-constrained and narrow Western journalists usually do not. For this reason alone, they should be discussed and promoted.
Q: Are there any real commonalities between the Iranian, Egyptian, Syrian and Saudi Arabian blogospheres, or any radical differences?
The Iranian and Egyptian blogospheres are large and growing, and influencing the political process. The regimes, recognizing this, are increasingly imprisoning bloggers and activists to try and silence them. International solidarity, from other bloggers and certain governments, is making the job of repressive regimes more difficult. Imprisoned bloggers won’t be forgotten.
I was impressed with the depth and diversity of the voices in both Egypt and Iran, something I feature extensively in the book, from the left to the right, women, activists and Islamists. Frankly, this scene is far more engaged than in many Western nations.
In Saudi Arabia, the blogosphere is less developed though still remains active. Censorship of “pornographic” sites is limited, though the regime is starting to fear the power of activists. Reading female bloggers – as a gender they’re actively marginalized in society – is refreshing if we want to understand this previously “silenced” group.
Q: What were the biggest challenges you faced writing this book and doing your research?
Gaining full access to some of the countries was challenging. Investigating the role of Google, Yahoo, Microsoft and other Western multinational firms and their collusion in web censorship in a state such as China. Protecting my sources was equally important. I took precautions before I contacted bloggers in most countries and when I arrived there.
A key aim of the book was to move away from the traditional role of Western journalist as a filter of quality. In every featured country, my perspective is unavoidable, of course, but I was determined to redefine my position in relation to the people I was interviewing. Their voices were far more important than mine.
Q: What do you think about the role of Global Voices in helping people learn about unheard voices? Any ideas for how to make Global Voices more efficient?
The strength of Global Voices is its ability to educate readers across the world about different countries and cultures, often issues and perspectives ignored by the myopic Western media. Language remains a key problem, however. More effort should be placed into finding connections between the West and the rest because the internet is currently a space where these two worlds rarely interact.


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Trinidad & Tobago: In a Vacuum · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

This Beach Called Life writes an entertaining post about the fact that “the largest appliance parts store in Trinidad and Tobago discriminates against vacuum cleaners.”


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Trinidad & Tobago: Making Connections  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Trinidad and Tobago-based blogger Ramblings and Reason takes the “best taxi ride ever”.


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Ukraine, Romania: More on Snake Island Conflict · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

The 8th Circle posts some more on the Romanian-Ukrainian conflict over Snake Island.


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Azerbaijan: Bullying and Violence in the Army · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Unzipped posts a video from YouTube allegedly showing new conscripts in the Azerbaijani army being beaten and kicked by other soldiers. The blog warns the Armenian army that videos of similar scenes might also be uploaded and disseminated online unless steps are taken to stop similar violence against conscripts.


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Bahrain: The ‘blogfather’ retires · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

Mahmood, the ‘blogfather’ of Bahraini blogging, has decided to quit.


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Barbados, U.S.A.: Sorry, I Misspoke  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Living in Barbados has a chuckle at the incorrect grammar being used in the media in recent weeks.


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Bermuda: Hidden Agenda?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Vexed Bermoothes suspects that the reason Bermuda was involved in last year's World Tourism Summit “was that the event was just a ploy to make sure the Premier was distant and unavailable as the Privy Council met to debate Government’s failed gag order on the ‘Son of the Soil’ papers.”


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Cameroon: Do You Know the Bloggeroonians? · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Ourma blogs about “Bloggeroonians”: “While most of the bloggers listed on this site are foreigners living here in Cameroon, Dibussi Tande and Global Voices have highlighted a number of Cameroonians doing the blog thing from overseas.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Cameroon: Three Blogs to Watch · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

You should pay attention to these three Cameroonian blogs: “In my continuing series on Cameroonian blogs, I will take a quick look at three English language blogs that are steadily carving a place for themselves on the African blogosphere.”


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China: 40 Missing Children’s Parents Petition Journey to Beijing · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

The news of 40 parents petitioning in Beijing for their missing children has been censored by the mainstream media and major internet news portals in China. Blogger Beifeng re-posts a first-person account from one of the petitioning parents in his blog, and urges readers to spread the news.
25日，我在北京的酒店里。一大早，彭先生来找我，早前我推荐过他的寻人博客因此而认识。他来北京上访，屡屡碰壁，很无助，但我帮不了他什么。八点半我们在大堂聊事情的时候，有人在旁监视。
我把刘晓原律师的电话给了他，我想他或许用得着。一个小时后，他被抓走了。
以下是他写的经历。我对各位网友的请求是，尽可能转贴吧。
I gave the phone number of Liu Xiao-yuan, a human rights lawyer, to Mr. Pang hoping that Liu could give him more advice. However, within an hour, Mr. Pang was arrested.
Below is what he had written to me, an account of their petition experience in Beijing. I hope readers can help to spread the news on the Internet.
The report was first published at blog.163, but was unpublished. Mr. Pang created a blog about his missing son Pang Wen-le.
家长们寻子无果，无奈进京上访
近年来，全国各地的儿童接连被偷甚至被抢，不计其数。犯罪份子的作案手段已向暴力化、集团化、职业化、国际化发展。我们为了找到孩子差不多走遍全国，我们每个人都债台高筑、倾家荡产，我们每个家中的亲人都有因为思念孩子死的、疯的、病的，其余的人也都是个个心力交瘁。当然很多的案件是可以很及时的破获的。但是由于。。。。。种种的人为因素，（在这里，我也不想在说关于我攻击我们的公安部门的过激言论）失去了解救孩子的宝贵时间。孩子失踪 24小时才可以立案，我却认为是我们的法律提供了人贩子做案的时间。提醒人贩子必须在24小时转移我们的孩子。我们无奈，逐步向上反应，没有线索的案子一拖在拖。半年过去了，一年过去了。。。。。。家长们每天都生活在极度的痛苦中，心里时刻在滴血，有的家长由于家庭的实际种种因素，不得已，只有选择放弃。在我寻找孩子的过程中，通过到处张贴的寻人启示，电视，报纸，网络结识了很多和我有着共同命运的人，大家一谈到找孩子，都有一段很辛酸的故事。一个偶然的机会我们在网络上看到了一篇关于河南孩子被解救的报道。这个案子也是久久不能破。不知道他们是通过什么渠道让我们的总理知道了。经温总理批示，8个月没有破的案子。8天全部告破。这篇报道让我们看到了希望。重新点燃了我们寻找孩子的激情。我们坚信，只要我们的仁慈的总理知道了我们的事情。一定会帮我们找到孩子的。带着这唯一的希望，我们决定集体进京向我们的总理请愿。为了不影响国家的形象，我们把时间定在了奥运会，残奥会结束后的9月22号。
In recent years, there have been countless numbers of child kidnapping cases all over the country. Criminals are becoming more violent, organized, professional and international. In order to find our missing children, we traveled across the country and many of us are now in debt in addition to the tremendous emotional stress we have been suffering. Some of the parents have turned crazy and sick… Due to man-made factors (here, I don't want to attack our public security department), we have lost much time for saving our dear children. We could only file our case when our children had been lost for 24 hours. Such regulations have provided the human traffickers time for their crime, reminding them to smuggle our children away within 24 hours. We have no choice but to seek help from higher authorities.
Six months passed, and now it has been one year, parents are living in agony. Some parents were forced to give up due to all kinds of reason. In the process of searching for our children, parents with similar fates have come together, and share our bitter story. By chance, we came across an article about rescuing kidnapped children from Henan. We wonder how our Premier Wen got to know the case, and with his instruction, an 8-month hanging case was resolved within 8 days.
The article gives us hope in seeking for our children. We believe that if Premier Wen knows about our situation, he can definitely help us to find our children. With this hope, we decided to visit Beijing together and hand in our petition to Premier Wen. In order to avoid having negative impact on our national image, we decided to petition on Sep 22, after the end of Olympic and Paralympic Games.
鸟巢展示寻人启事
9月22号，全国各地的失踪儿童家长陆续来到了北京。我们找到了一家廉价的旅馆（地下室）住下。还有一些特别困难的家庭，他们舍不得住旅馆只有在北京火车站露宿。后来经过我们平摊。让他们也住近了旅馆。记过大家商量，决定等二天在鸟巢展示我们的寻人启事。经过统计全国失踪家长来自10个省 40余人。33号一早我们40余家长很早就赶到了所有中国人都引以为豪的宏伟建筑——鸟巢。但是我们确没有看鸟巢的心情。我们来到了鸟巢的东大门，找了个人多的地方，依次排队站开，展示我们的寻子海报。想让更多的人知道我们的遭遇，也提醒更多的人注意自己身边的孩子，保护好自己的孩子，不要让人贩子有作案的机会。很多的人对我们投来了同情的目光，由于太阳很大，还有好心的人给我们买来了矿泉水。有些家长的情绪很不稳定，大家都拿着自己孩子的寻子海报哭诉着向行人介绍孩子是怎么被偷，被抢的。有一个很有正义的大学生看到了我们的遭遇，非常的同情，也对拐卖儿童的现象非常的愤怒。愿意帮助我们做些宣传活动。后来来了一家美国的记者要采访我们。我们拒绝了，因为中国的事情还是要我们的中国政府解决的。我们也不想把事情弄到国际上去。于是我们收起了寻子海报。准备去找我们中国的权威媒体。中央电视台，能够得到他们的帮助，我们寻找孩子就有希望了。
On Sep 22, missing children's parents from all over the country arrived in Beijing. We found a cheap hostel (a dungeon) to settle down. Some of them were sleeping in the Beijing railway station as they couldn't afford the cost of the hostel. Later we decided to share the cost and let them stay in the hostel as well. We discussed and decided to display our missing person posters outside the Birdnest stadium. There were in total more than 40 parents coming from 10 provinces. On the day, all of us gathered outside the magnificent building which all Chinese people are so proud of. However, we didn't have the mood to take a good look of this Birdnest. We walked to the east gate where there were more people around and displayed our missing children posters on the spot. We wanted more people to know what happened to us and remind people to protect their children from traffickers.
Many people felt sympathy with us, some even bought us water. Some parents became emotional and voiced their grievances to pedestrians. A university student approached us and wanted to help us to spread the news. An American reporter proposed to interview us, but we rejected the interview as we felt that this is a Chinese matter and should be dealt with by Chinese government. Moreover, we didn't want to internationalize the issue. We decided to collect our posters and seek help from Chinese media — CCTV.
求助央视 遭到拒绝
好心的大学生义务当了我们的向导，北京我们不熟悉，40位苦命的家长在大学生的带领下展转好运来到了中央电视台，在来的路上，我们觉察到了有3个人在交替的跟踪我们。我估计是国安局的。防止我们有什么过激的行为。在央室的门口。有一个很小的窗口，上面写着一个小小的几个字。“焦点访谈今日说法群众接待处”大概是下午4点半种，我们来反映情况，但是窗门紧闭，门口出来了一个武警，问我们是做什么的，可能看到我们40人，他也很紧张，我们和他说明了我们的来意。讲述了我们都是全国各地丢失孩子的家长。他说要向领导汇报，过了一会，央视大楼里出来了一个人，不知道是不是领导。我详细的给他讲述了我们寻子的事情。他说他也做不了主，这个事情有点大，需要国家广电批准才可以做的，这个节目要是做会影响国家现在“和谐社会”的口号，我听明白了意思，就是婉言谢绝了我们的请求。家长们的情绪当时就失控了。大家纷纷拿出来孩子的大幅寻子海报，把央视大门堵住了。还有人说，央视只报好的，不报社会阴暗面，这样社会怎么会进步，这样的社会怎么能够和谐，怎么多的儿童被拐，这么严重的社会现象，央视不报，那还报什么呀。局面混乱了，央视的保安拨打了110报警。不到 2分种就来了3辆警车。为了方便我们下面要做的事情，不想和警察正面发生冲突，警察对我们经过问讯，最后大学生说叫我们都先回去，他来和警察交涉。于是我们大家就回到了旅馆。最后他们把大学生带走了。记过电话我和大学生取得了联系。他们问了些我们的情况，要求他们学校的领导来把他接回去。到晚上10点多才把他放出来。对于大学生为哦了我们的事情被关到现在。所有的家长都很感激他。同时对公安的行为更加的气愤。公安不帮助我们。一个正义的大学生为了帮我们受到了这样的待遇。我们明显的感觉多北京也是个是非之地。
The good-hearted university student became our tourist guide as we were not familiar with Beijing. The 40 parents felt lucky to find their way to CCTV. However, we were being followed and watched by 3 strangers. I think they were from the national security bureau to prevent us from extreme action.
Outside the gate of CCTV, there was a small window which is supposed to be the reception of the participants of the program “Today focus”. We arrived there at 4 p.m. and wanted to present our situation. However, the window was closed and there came an armed security guard asking what we were there for. Probably because we had 40 people, he looked rather tense. We explained our intention and told him that we are parents of missing children from all over the country. He replied that he couldn't make decision and for this kind of issue they need to seek approval from SARFT. He also explained that if CCTV took up the issue, it would have negative impact on the “harmonious society”. The implication was clear, CCTV had rejected our request politely.
Of course, the parents lost their emotional control. They took out their missing children posters and blocked the main gate of CCTV. Some of the parents complained that the CCTV only reported the good side and ignored the bad side of the society and wondered how the society would be improved and harmonious. They couldn't understand how CCTV could decide to ignore such a serious social problem. As the situation turned chaotic, the security staff called 110 for the police. In 2 minutes, 3 police vehicles arrived. In order to carry on our petition, we didn't want to be in conflict with the police, the university student volunteered to negotiate with the police and asked us to leave the scene. We returned to the hostel while the student was detained until 10 p.m until the university leader came to the police station to pick him up. We were so grateful to the student and furious at the police. They didn't help us at all and on the contrary harassed the university student. The issue was getting more complicated in Beijing.
迫于无奈 接受境外媒体采访
23号，今天北京下起了小雨，气温急距下降，这次来北京的家长大部分都是南方来的。没有办法室外活动。早早的我还是抱着一线微妙的希望，希望我们的真诚能感动央视，能帮我们做一期节目，我们3个代表再一次的来到了央视，接待我们的是个老大爷。听说了我们的遭遇，只能给予同情。说尽力帮我们反映上去。老大爷实话告诉我们。央视是国家的窗口。像这样的事情，报道的希望很渺小的。你们还是想想其他的办法吧。隐约的暗示我们。央视报道都是舆论到了压不住的时候，才会报道。如：瓮安事件。扬佳时间。三鹿事件。我想我们还要加大力度的宣传，让更多的人来关注我们这样的一个特殊群体。后来我们准备去王俯井去展示。公安不知道是通过什么渠道知道了我们住的旅馆。也就拦截了我们。我们被控制在旅馆了。说想办法帮助我们反映情况。这个时候美国广播电视台，和加泰罗尼亚国际广播电视台给我们来电话，希望采访我们。我不知道他们是怎么知道我们的电话的，也许是我们在鸟巢他们看到了我们寻人启事上的电话。征求了所有家长的意思，最后我们决定接受采访。国内的最权威的中央电视台给我们报道，难道我们还有拒绝境外媒体采访的理由吗？不过采访也不是很顺利。北京的警察百般阻止。但是我们有被采访的权利，外国记者也有采访的权利。警察又给旅馆老板施加压力。目的还是组织我们采访。这个时候的家长情绪都激动了。拿着寻子海报就往旅馆外面冲。旅馆不能采访，我们可以在我们接受采访吧。最后北京警察妥协了。让我们在旅馆采访。我们依次排开。拿着自己孩子的寻子照片，各自和记者讲述着自己的寻子路。所有的人哭了。记者也哭了。我们都在承受着人世间最痛苦的煎熬。记者告诉我们，尽量把我们的事情向中方高层反映。
It was rainy in Beijing on the 23rd and the temperature dropped suddenly. Most of the parents are from the south and it was very difficult for us to stay outdoors. At first, we hoped that our sincerity could move CCTV and help us by reporting the issue. On the next day, we sent three representatives to CCTV again. This time, an old man was at the reception. He could only show his sympathy to us and said he would help to reflect our condition to the leader. However, he also told us that CCTV is the window of the nation, it is very unlikely that they would report on this. He advised us to seek other ways. It seems that CCTV won't report on a social problem until they cannot cover it up anymore. There are many such examples, including Weng'an incident, Yang Jia court case and the Sanlu milk scandal. We had to give more pressure by raising concern from the public and decided to go to Wang Fujing to display our posters.
We didn't know how the police got to know where we stayed but they managed to block us from our action. We were detained in the hostel. However, probably the reporters got our contact number from our display posters at Birdnest stadium. Reporters from ABC and Catalonia television called us for interviews. Upon consulting all the parents’ opinions, we decided to accept the interview. As CCTV rejected to report on our case, we had no reason to reject foreign media anymore. However, the interview arrangement was not smooth. Beijing police tried very hard to stop us. But we have the right to be interviewed and foreign reporters also have the right to report news. The police then pressured the owner of the hostel. The parents were outraged and pushed them out of the hostel with their posters in their hands. In the end, the Beijing police compromised and allowed us to do the interview inside the hostel. With posters in our hands, we took turns telling our stories in seeking for our children. All of us cried, the reporters also shed tears. We had suffered from the greatest pain in life. The reporters told us that they would try hard to reflect our story to higher rank officials in China.
北京西单商场暴力被截
24号因为我们怕在次被控制，大家很早就离开了旅馆，我们准备去国家最高信访单位去正常上访。我们一出旅馆，就发现了有一辆警车跟着我们，一路上警车不停的在增加。最后发展到我们在前面走，后面有8辆警车跟在我们的后面。我们发觉不对，他们可能要对我们动手了。在我们走到长安街北路西单商场的门口的时候，下来了4个警察拦住了我们，问我们是干什么的。查看我们的身份证，很明显要对我们动手了。他们准备就绪了。我往后看了下，没个警车上有 10个警察，8个车就是有80个警察。孙卓的爸爸情绪失控了。说我们是来找孩子的，刚准备把寻子海报上的人贩子照片从包里拿出来给他们看，一切来的太突然了。迅速来了10多名警察，暴力的卡住了他的脖子，2个手被警察反扭着。还有的人抓着他的头发。无数双手抓住了他的衣服，所有的家长看到了这样的情况都围上来。80个警察全部下车围过来。将所有的家长拉开。就这样孙卓的爸爸被8个警察像制服杀人犯（只有在电视上看过，太可怕了，所有的家长都吓傻了）连拉带拖的关进了一个囚车。看到这样的情景，我上去和他们理论，我们又没有犯什么法。也没有闹事，你们为什么要抓我们的人，我就说了这么一句话，我也受到了和孙卓的爸爸同样的待遇。我只听到有一个像狗一样的警察抓我的头发，拼命的把我拉上车嘴里不停的说：“你敢质问政府，你敢要挟政府。”我们绝望了，这是什么社会呀。我们只怨我们不该生活在怎么一个“和谐的社会”和谐的太可怕了。人民的警察，对失踪儿童的家长动用了如此残酷的暴行。而我们还无处说理。家长们看到了我们两的待遇。都陆续上了囚车，最后把我们拉到了西长安街派出所设立一个“上访人员临时安置点”通俗点就是囚室。用铁门把我们关起来的。收了我们身份证，室内到处张贴者非正当上访的处理决定，意思就是要我们学习。我看到一个上访专业户，高达429次上访，劝说无果，拘留15天。里面没有水喝，没有饭吃。不过到是有个小买部。方便面和矿泉水和火车上的一样贵，我也真真的佩服那些人民警察，赚钱想到了赚上饭人的钱（题外话）我们想在这个特殊的囚室合个影做为纪念，原来囚室里四面都装有监视器。马上来了4个耀武扬威的警察。强行夺走了我们的相机，把相机里记录的警察打人，和我们活动资料的照片全部删除了。总之，借用他们的一句话：“到了这个，我们说了算”黑暗！黑暗！黑暗！
On Sep 24, we left the hostel very early in order to avoid police detainment. We planned to pay a petition visit to the highest authority. However, once we stepped out of the hostel, a police vehicle started to follow us and the number of police vehicles kept increasing. In the end, there were 8 police vehicles behind us. When we reached northern Changan street near the gate of Xidan Market, 4 police blocked us and asked what we were doing there. They checked our ID and it was quite obvious that they planned to take action. I turned around and noticed that there were about 10 police in each vehicle, which meant a total of 80 police in the 8 vehicles.
Xun Zhou's father lost his emotional control and cried out that we were here to look for our children. He tried to take out the posters from his bag, but more than 10 police came and grabbed his neck, twisting his arms and pulling his hair and clothes. Other parents rushed forward and they were immediately surrounded by the 80 police. Xun Zhou's father was treated like a murderer by 8 other police and locked into a vehicle for prisoners. (It was so horrible, such a scene could only be viewed in TV dramas and all the parents were terrified.) I tried to argue with the police: we have done nothing against the law and public security, why do you arrest our people? Then the police gave me Xun Zhou's father's treatment.
A police roared like a dog pulled my hair and dragged me to the vehicle. He kept saying: “you dare to question the government? Dare to blackmail the government?” We were in despair. We could only blame our fate for living in such a “harmonious society”. This is such a horrible harmony. How can the people's police be so violent to parents who lost their children? And we could not even reason with them. Upon seeing what had happened to two of us, other parents got into the vehicle by themselves. In the end, we were sent to a “temporary petitioners’ point” at the western Changan Street police station. The place was in fact a prison. We were locked with an iron door and the police confiscated our IDs.
On the wall, there were posters about regulation dealing with non-legitimate petitions. They probably expected us to learn the regulation. I met an expert petitioner who has visited the higher authorities 429 times. He was to be detained for 15 days for his stubbornness. In the site, they didn't give us any water nor food. However, there was a snack bar, and the prices for instant noodles and water were as expensive as those on the train. I really admired our people's police, they could make money out of petitioners (outside the topic). We wanted to take some photos and found that the site was monitored by CCTV. 4 police rushed in and seized my camera, deleting all photos related to this petition and the brutal actions of the police. As the police said, “What we say is the law here”. It is so damn dark!
强制扭送公安部信访处
下午，西长安街派出所派了2辆囚车把我们40个家长送到了公安部信访处。公安部信访领导一看，怎么多的人呀。让我们下车排对站好。派几个代表进去和他们谈。家长们寻子心切。都抢着要进去说自己的情况。还有一些家长原来来北京公安部上过访的，就不愿意进去。知道你们的一些程序。具说这里接访只会向下通报。不会向上通报的。进去了10个家长，还有30个家长不愿意进去。我们都走开了。决定去国家信访局，还有国务院信访。后来里面的10个家长给我打电话。说必须让我们都进去写材料。不让他们10个人出不来。我们说好了的不能丢下一个人。没有办法我回去看看。我进去了也出不来了。警察答应我，说给我们做了材料，你们才可以走。去那里都可以。我轻信了。叫他们都回来了。所有的家长都写了材料。几个信访干部随便问了问我们的情况。后来陆续来了好多的警察。写完材料，把我们统一送上了一辆大巴车。大巴车在4个警察护送下向北京的郊区驶去。大家心里都没有底。到底会送我们到那里。
In the afternoon, the Western Changan Street police station sent us to the petition reception section of the police department with two vehicles. The leader was surprised to find so many of us there. He asked us to line up and sent some representative to present the case in a meeting. Some parents were eager while others who had more experience refused to attend the meeting as the police department petition reception section would only refer the case to lower authorities rather than higher authorities. In the end, 10 parents attended the meeting. The rest refused and prepared to visit the petition reception bodies at the national and state council level. Later, the 10 parents called us to join the meeting or else they could not leave the room. As the police promised they would let us go after they finished documenting our cases, I called up the rest of the parents and asked them to return to the police petition reception section. However, after we had finished filling in the documents, we were sent to a bus which drove us to the outskirts of Beijing. We had no idea where we were heading toward.
强制扭送久敬庄接济服务中心
大巴车大概行驶了半小时，我们进了一个大院。大院的门口写着久敬庄接济服务中心，我们不知道这是个干什么的地方，我们被带到一个用铁皮做的个超级大的房子。有很多的保安。我们陆续接受安检。我的照相机也不许带进去。安检通过以后我们被分隔开来。根据身份证户籍所在地分开，我们按照保安的指路方向，进入里面的大房子。你们分布很详细，有各个省的牌子。保安吆喝着，走找到自己省的房间进去，我问，把我们带来这里做什么。保安说，所有进京上访的人最后都会来这里。不管你是正当上访还是非正当上访的。来到了这里就等你们户口所在地的政府来接你们出去。这里里面的人真多呀。估计上万人，那里有这么多的冤呀。真的希望我们的国家领导人不要去下面体察民情了，来这里是最好的地方。年长的有70多岁的老人，也有很年轻的小伙子。我们40个家长就这样按照地域分开了。我的老家是湖北的。但是我的孩子是在深圳被抢的。我就呆在了广东省的房间里。四面都是铁壁。有一个小窗户透气。墙上写着上访信访条例。我问了一个老者，他说他上访40年了，为的还是文化大革命平反的事情。还有好多的上访者都是这里的熟客了。我们在这里完全失去了自由。这里也是个惨不忍睹的地方。陆续就有尖叫声，哭喊声。原来很多的上访者，问题没有解决，不愿意出去。那些当地政府的人来了就强制性的连拉带拖的拽出去。派专人强制遣返。我亲眼看到了一个70岁的老大娘，就这样在地下被硬拖走了。据说“前不久，奥运会期间杀了一个美国人后跳楼自杀了的那个人，也是一个上访者，但是久久问题得不到解决，而且每次都会到这里来。他绝望了，他走上了极端。”这个事情我只是在这里面听说。也不知道是不是谣传。我们40余失踪孩子的家长陆续被各地的政府人员带回去了。4个小时我们家里的政府找到了我。说带我出去，我说我的事情和我们家乡的政府没有关系，我的事情是在深圳发生的，要接也该他们来接。家乡的政府给我做工作，什么事情我们出去了在说。原来这里不管这些的，只要是来到这里的人，必须是户口所在地的政府来接人。我被带到了家乡政府住京办事处。软禁在招待所。没收了我的身份证，24小时派人跟着我。等待家乡来人接我回去。在办事处禁闭了3天，家乡的居委会主任来接我。并且写好保证书。后来主任给我买了一张回深圳的火车票送我上了火车。
The bus drove for half an hour and we entered a courtyard. The place was called the “Jiu Jing-zhuang service center”. We didn't know why we were there. We were put into a super large room made of steel sheets. There were a lot of security guards and we had to go through security check. We couldn't bring our cameras and were forced to be separated according to our household registration regions. We entered the room according to the security guards’ instructions, everyone of us got a province tag. I asked them why we were sent to the center. They said all petitioners would end up in the center no matter whether they were doing a legitimate or non-legitimate petition visit. They have to wait for their local government to pick them up.
There were thousands of people here and you could imagine how much injustice must be happening all around the country. I really wish that our national leaders could come here to listen to the people. This is the best place, the petitioners varied from people in their 70s to very young people. All 40 of us were divided according to our region of origin. My hometown is in Hubei, but my children were kidnapped in Shenzhen, therefore I waited in the room of Guangzhou province. All the walls are made of steel sheets and there is only a tiny ventilation window. Regulations on petition were posted around on the walls.
Here I met an old man, who had been petitioning for 40 years for vindication of the Cultural Revolution. Many of the petitioners in the center were very experienced. We lost our freedom here. The place was horrible, from time to time we heard people crying and screaming as many petitioners refused to go because their problem hadn't been dealt with. However, local government would drag them away and send them back to their hometown. I witnessed a 70 year-old lady being dragged away like that.
Some said that the person who killed an American during the Olympics was also a petitioner. He was sent here many times but his problem remained unsolved. He probably felt desperate and turned extreme. The story was a hearsay in the center and I didn't know whether it was a rumor or not.
The 40 parents were picked up by local government one by one. Within 4 hours, my hometown government found me and wanted to take me away. I told them that my problem had nothing to do with the hometown government, the kidnapping happened in Shenzhen. My hometown government people said that all petitioners were to be taken care of by their hometown government regardless of their reason. Then they took me to their Beijing office. I was detained in a hotel and my ID was confiscated. I was tailed 24 hours a day and detained in the office for three days while waiting for my hometown official to pick me up. In the end, the manager of the resident committee in my hometown came. He wrote a guarantee document and later bought me a train ticket to Shenzhen.
北京之行，令我震撼
北京过去就是皇帝住的地方，天子脚下。这次的北京之行无疑给我们上了很重要的一课。北京警察可以说是全国最辛苦的警察，到处都可以看到警察，到处是警车。所有的警察都是高度戒备的。北京对进京上访群众可是有一套很严密，很完善的截访机制。这个是我们没有想到的。我没有想到的天天电视上宣传的北京警察是多么的文明执法。我更没有想到的是，像我们这样的失踪儿童的家长，一个生活在人世间最心碎的特殊的群体，手不寸铁的百姓，没有得到北京警察的任何同情更不要说帮助，反而得到了北京警察大打出手。我不知道北京警察于心何忍呀。你们有没有想到你们的孩子丢了会是这样的心情。在次引用北京警察的一句话“你敢质问政府，你敢要挟政府。”我们什么时候质问政府了，更不要说是要挟政府了，我们是来寻求政府帮助的．我们是来恳请政府帮住我们寻找孩子的．我想说这个话的狗警察，不是父母生的，真的希望扬佳当时杀的警察就是他这样的警察．我看他也带表不了政府．打着政府的名誉，做些伤害政府的事情．所有的家长绝望了，满怀信心的来到北京，原来北京也是个没有地方讲理的地方。那里才是个真真可以讲理的地方。难道是天堂。。。。。。
In the past, Beijing was where the emperor lived. The city is at the foot of the Son of Heaven. The trip to Beijing has given us an important lesson. The Beijing police are the most hardworking police in the whole country. The police vehicles are everywhere and all the police are on high alert. The Beijing authorities have a very effective mechanism to block petitions. We didn't anticipate this as the TV keeps promoting the civilized image of the Beijing police force. I couldn't imagine that Beijing police could treat this group of desperate parents who lost their children with such brutal action. Don't they have hearts? Couldn't they imagine how they could have suffered if they lost their children? Here I quote from the Beijing police: “How dare you question the government? How dare you blackmail the government?” We went there to ask for government's help and beg our government to help us to find our children, this is not questioning and far from blackmailing. The police who said so is a son of a bitch. I wish Yang Jia had killed some of such kind. I don't think such police can represent the government, he ruined the government's reputation by talking in the name of the government. All the parents are desperate. They came to Beijing with hope, but it is not a place where you can spell out your reason. Where else can we go?


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China: Great Depression? · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Ruan Yifeng notices that back in 2004 an economist has predicted the economic situation in China as various figures showed that China was caught in a condition similar to the U.S in 1929, the eve before the great depression [zh].


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Colombia: Judiciary power strike not having an impact · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

Colombian blogger Jaime Ruiz posts in Atrabilioso [es] how the Judiciary power employee strike hasn't really affected the country, to the extent that the President has told them that they can continue the strike until the end of his mandate if they wish. Ruiz criticizes them stating that their only function seems to see how they can earn more money, while those workers who keep the country running smoothly doing hand labour still have to support themselves on their low salaries.


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Bangladesh: Rescuing the ruins of Dhaka  · Global Voices
Rezwan

D is for Dhaka discusses the history of Dhaka city's architectures and is appalled by the lack of government initiatives to rescue the ruins.


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Dominica: Reaping What You Sow? · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Chris at Dominica Weekly says that young people on the island “are already pleading guilty to some shocking crimes.”


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Tanzania: When  Eid ul-Fitr came with tears · Global Voices
J. Nambiza Tungaraza

What do Tanzania Swahili bloggers think about the tragedy that hit Tanzania recently? 20 people died in a stampede while celebrating Eid El Fitr at a special disco for young people in Tabora, central Tanzania. Approximately 400 young people aged between 7 – 18, twice the recommended number for the hall, gathered for the celebrations.
Newspapers have described the tragedy as “the biggest in Tanzania's history” and “the worst-ever disaster during Eid al-Fitr”.
Organisers of the young people's disco popularly known in Tanzania as ‘Toto disco’ have been arrested for investigation.
Blogger Faustine's Baraza posts photos of the disco hall and bodies in a mortuary and so does Issa Michuzi.
Some of the readers have called for better safety practices:
TUWEKE MBELE HEALTH AND SAFETY PRACTICES. TOTALLY UNNECESSARY AND AVOIDABLE DEATHS. SIJUI LINI TUTAJIFUNZA!!
And in the same post another reader says:
Tukio kama hili linahitaji Rais Jakaya kwenda kutoa pole, hasa inapozingatiwa kwamba huwa anahudhuria ajali za watu ambao huwa wanamajina pale Muhimbili. Hili ni swala kubwa na sio kumtuma Mh. Kapuya.
Anatakiwa kuwasili katika eneo la tukio na kukagua , kutoa pole na pia kuhutubia wananchi.
Pia ni wakati wa TZ, hasa Fire marshal kuanza kuangalia uwezo wa sehemu za disco kuchukua kiasi fulani cha watu na njia za tahadhari (Exit)kama hali kama hii ikitikoea.Ikiwa ni pamoja na kuwa na Genereta, na wasaidiza wa haraka.
Msimbe of Lukwangule Entertainment writes that two people have been arrested for questioning including the manager of One Ten Disco and the manager of Bubbles Night Club in addition to the two directors of the two discos who were arrested earlier.
Issa Michuzi, in one of the series of posts about the incident has a post by a special correspondent stating that the Tanzanian President has ordered a full investigation about the causes of deaths.
Local government in Tabora has already set up an investigating commission. Some readers think that the local government is one of the culprits that caused to the tragedy and place the blame on the local governments in the first place:
Maeneo ya Wazi ya wapi mjini Tabora?Je,kuna uwanja wa mabembea na michezo ya watoto japo mmoja tu katika mji mzima wa Tabora?Kosa la nani?Asitafutwe mchawi hapa au kurushiana lawama.Poor Leadership in Government Institutions is the cause of all this. Mpaka watoto zetu wafe ndipo viongozi wakurupuke na kujifanya wanahusika kwelikweli kumbe usanii tu!What a Pity?Viwanja vyao vya michezo vingekuwepo mtoto gani angefikiria aende disco aache mabembea?too much politicking!Nothing Doing,eti tuna Doctorate Degrees!Za kubandika ukutani?
While sympathising with the families of the victims many of the comments have been directed at the local government and the need for better risk management:
Nawapa pole wafiwa na wanatabora wote kwa janga hili la kitaifa. Tunajifunza nini kwa hili?
1. Maafa na ajali zinazomaliza maelfu ya watanzania ni vitu vya mpito tu na serikali haitilii maanani kuyapunguza. Ripoti za chang'ombe, Kisutu, muhimbili zimefanya nini kupunguza majanga haya?
2. Tutaunda tume 100 lakini hazisaidii kumaliza majanga kwa sababu ya kutokuwa makini na kujali maisha ya watu wa kawaida.
3. Kama watoto hawatakiwi kwenda disco, je serikali mkoani tabora hawakuona hilo?
4. Kama wanaruhusiwa kwa masharti, basi NSSF (mmiliki), Mpiga Disco (mkaribishaji)na Manispaa (dhamana ya ukaguzi) wawajibishwe kikamilifu.
Watanzania mliopo nyumbani wakumbusheni viongozi majukumu yao kwa kupinga haya mambo. Wanasheria wasaidieni waathirika na hakikisheni wanapata “fair and adequate compensation” na iwe fundisho kwa wengine.

author: J. Nambiza Tungaraza


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Georgia: Journalist’s Blog · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Following in the footsteps of Matthew Collin's This is Tbilisi Calling, another Western journalist resident in the country has set up a blog from Georgia. Dan Catchpole's Dateline Tbilisi is at http://datelinetbilisi.blogspot.com.

author: Onnik Krikorian