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Brazil: The country’s largest university becomes a battlefield  · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Quando chegamos na altura do gramado, havia uma multidão de centenas de pessoas, a maioria estudantes correndo e a tropa de choque avançando e lançando bombas de concusão (falsamente chamadas de “efeito moral” porque soltam estilhaços e machucam bastante) e de gás lacrimogêneo. A multidão subiu correndo até o prédio da História/ Geografia, onde a assembléia havia sido interrompida e começou a chover bombas no estacionamento e entrada do prédio (mais ou menos em frente à lanchonete e entrada das rampas). Sentimos um cheiro forte de gás lacrimogêneo e dezenas de nossos colegas começaram a passar mal devido aos efeitos do gás – lembro da professora Graziela, do professor Thomás, do professor Alessandro Soares, do professor Cogiolla, do professor Jorge Machado e da professora Lizete todos com os olhos inchados e vermelhos e tontos pelo efeito do gás. A multidão de cerca de 400 ou 500 pessoas ficou acuada neste edifício cercada pela polícia e 4 helicópteros. O clima era de pânico. Durante cerca de uma hora, pelo menos, se ouviu a explosão de bombas e o cheiro de gás invadia o prédio.
The above lines are an excerpt from a testimonial by Prof. Dr. Pablo Ortellado, published on the Letras em Greve [Languages on Strike, pt] blog, about a peaceful demonstration in the University of São Paulo (USP), Brazil's largest university, which ended in a violent confrontation with Police on Tuesday, June 9th. Many demonstrators were hurt, some jailed. Another professor, Marcos Ferreira Santos [pt], posted the picture below and his own account:
Professor Marcos Ferreira, when he was sprayed with gas during a protest on the USP campus.
Esta é a maneira de “dialogar” da PM e da Reitoria.
Na tentativa de conversar com o comandante da unidade de choque, o despreparo, má formação e autoritarismo de PMs na ação, levaram a me agredir com gás de pimenta, de maneira gratuita, violenta e sem nenhuma necessidade. Atingiram também minha esposa, Solange Francisco, funcionária. Ao falar com o comandante, Ten Cel Longo, me desrespeitou e ao me identificar como professor da USP, ameaçou me “prender”, com a mesma prepotência que somente havia visto com o Cel. Erasmo Dias, na invasão da PUC em 1977, quando eu era ainda estudante secundarista. O comando da PM no local também é despreparado. Depois com os professores Lisete Arelaro, Chico Miraglia e outros, tentamos novamente conversar para evitar o confronto, mas a resposta foi com bombas de gás lacrimogênio.
O mesmo despreparo, má formação e autoritarismo da Reitora Suely Vilela, demonstrando sua incompetência em gerir conflitos na USP.
The video below, edited by an independent group of students, shows the peaceful beginning and ugly end of Tuesday 9th of June:
Pablo Ortellado [pt] explains the background of the situation in a letter signed by a group of professors seeking the support of the international scientific and academic community:
Conflicts started after a one month strike of university workers whose employment status is being disputed due to a legal controversy over university autonomy to hire its workers without approval of state representatives. Over one thousand workers might loose their jobs. Workers started a strike on May 5 demanding the preservation of their jobs and other labor demands. On May 27, workers started to block the entrance of four university buildings because, according to them, university management was threatening workers who were using their legal right to strike. On June 1, administration called the military police to intervene. On June 4 professors joined the strike protesting police occupation of campus. on June 5, professors had a two hours meeting with management asking for a non-military solution to the labor conflict. However, common sense did not prevail and military police attacked a peaceful demonstration of students and workers yesterday (June 9). 120 professors were discussing the crisis when the meeting was interrupted by news of a police attack. A few minutes later teargas and concussion bombs exploded inside the building. Several of our colleagues and students were hurt. The academic community is shocked.
On that Tuesday, the riot police came into confrontation with students, staff and teachers during a demonstration whose goal was exactly the removal of the police currently on the campus. The event has been well documented and many accounts can be found online. Roque [pt], a USP student, records his personal account and recalls the history of repression that the USP used often to see:
Segundo informações do Sindicato dos Trabalhadores da USP, o Sintusp, a última vez em que houve uma intervenção policial no campus da Cidade Universitária foi em 1979, há exatamente 30 anos atrás, nos tenebrosos tempos da ditadura militar, e contando com um efetivo de 10 ou 15 policiais desarmados.
Os erros, excessos ou táticas reprováveis do movimento universitário são uma coisa. O envio do batalhão de choque da Polícia Militar, o espancamento de estudantes e o uso dos cassetetes e das bombas de gás lacrimogêneo são crimes, são acontecimentos de dimensão completamente distinta. São responsabilidade direta da Polícia subordinada ao governador. Ele tem obrigação de responder por ela. São atrocidades perpetradas pelo poder público.
Photo from CMI Brasil's website
According to the police version of events, the confrontation began when a group of five or six students provoked police officials on motorbikes. Pablo Pamplona [pt] responds sarcastically to the commander of the operation Col. Cláudio Longo's claims during a radio interview:
Segundo o coronel, estudantes PEGARAM os policiais de suas motocicletas (que os pobres coitados não tiveram tempo de fugir ou se proteger, afinal todo seu equipamento não era páreo para os livro e mochilas mortais dos estudantes terroristas) e os fizeram de REFÉNS.
Tá.
Esse mesmo senhor coronel, durante a mesma entrevista, discute com uma garota que lhe aparece aos gritos argumentando algo sobre os absurdos cometidos pela PM. Ele ameaça prendê-la. Ela quer saber a razão. Desacato à autoridade, ele diz.
O repórter finaliza falando que ainda há tensão no local, com “estudantes que agridem policiais e policiais queeee… retiram estudantes”.
Onde quero chegar: está claro que as razões apresentadas pelos representantes da polícia são falsas. Não preciso explicar isso. As grandes mídias (ou seja, aquelas nas quais você não consegue expor a sua voz) dão sempre atenção especial às versões dos policiais. Tanto que na manifestação, os repórteres seguiram atrás do próprio batalhão da polícia, como a segunda fila de combate em um campo de guerra. Eles não querem as versões dos manifestantes, não lhes interessa. E essa mídia é a maior formadora de opinião da população. Façamos as contas.
OK.
This very same colonel, during the same interview, argues with a girl who shouts something about the absurd action of the police at him. He threatens her with arrest. She wants to know the reason. “Contempt of authority”, he says.
The reporter finishes off by saying that there is still tension there, with “students who hitting police and police … just dispersing  students.”
My point: it is clear that the reasons given by the representatives of the police are false. I don't need to explain it. Mainstream media (i.e., those where you can not have your say) always give special attention to the police's side of the story. So much so that in the event, the reporters followed the riot police closely, like the secondline of troops in a war zone. They do not want the protesters’ versions of events, these do not interest them. And the media is the largest opinion maker for the population. Let's do the math.
An armed police officer steps on flowers offered by students. From the  USP's Teachers Union gallery
Many agree with the point that the media is a partner with the government and the dean, thus accusing the protesters of belonging to a minority group of dissidants. Watching the events unfold on TV and live blogging them, Raphael Garcia [pt] makes an analysis of the press coverage, which according to him backed the police 100%:
1. Confronto entre Polícia e estudantes: Que confronto? Os estudantes protestavam pacificamente e foram atacados e em momento algum reagiram!
2. Provocação dos estudantes: Que provocação? O próprio repórter da rede afirmou que estavam distribuindo flores e haviam bloqueado uma rua! Bloquear uma rua em um protesto legítimo é suficiente para apanhar da PM?
E para fechar ainda falam “vejam como eram poucos policiais contra centenas de estudantes!” Só esqueceram de avisar que os estudantes estavam “armados” com rosas e a polícia com armas e balas!
Simplesmente um absurdo esta imprensa marrom, vendida, golpista!
2. Student provocation: What provocation? The TV's own reporter said they were distributing flowers and had blocked a street! Is blocking a street in protest a legitimate enough reason to get beaten by the police?
And to finish off they say: “see how few police against hundreds of students!”. They only forgot to explain that students were “armed” with roses and police with guns and bullets!
This media is simply absurd this dirty, sold, coup media!
Vinicius Justo [pt] says it is time to react and calls for action:
Se enganam aqueles que dizem que foi algo “justo”. Não pode ser justo uma força da polícia perseguir pessoas por 500 metros adentro da universidade. Não pode ser justo todos os policiais presentes estarem sem a devida identificação. Não pode ser justo o comandante da polícia dizer que interviu porque policiais “tinham sido feito reféns”. Com quem este homem está brincando? É assim que ele pretende se sair da acusação de força desproporcional? É assim que pedem para que confiemos na polícia?
Não é mais possível permanecer neutro, como eu disse acima. É preciso mostrar que não se pode tratar deste modo pessoas que protestam pacificamente contra um governo que impõe decisões, abstém-se do diálogo e pretende garantir o monopólio da razão. Havia os manifestantes que buscavam confronto direto com a polícia? Claro que havia. Estes são uma minoria. E não devem servir de base para fazer centenas de pessoas de bem passarem momentos de medo. Os vídeos estão na internet.
It is no longer possible to remain neutral, as I said above. We must show that they can not treat people who were peacefully protesting against a government that imposes decisions this way, that refuses to engage in dialogue and wishes to ensure the monopoly of reason. Were there demonstrators who sought direct confrontation with the police? Of course there were. These were in a minority. And it should not be the basis for making hundreds of good people go through moments of fear. The videos are on the Internet.
Photo from the USP's Teachers Union gallery
It is clear from the above blog post that not everyone in the USP community thinks the police intervention was wrong. Rafael Sola [pt] believes it is high time that the stance of some of the strikers was condemned, for example the invasion of the university buildings which started it all:
Quem acompanha de perto vê barricadas, cerceamento da liberdade, patrulhamento ideológico que chega até o limite da agressão física e de ameaças de sequestro. É preciso ir bem perto para ver como uma parte podre desse movimento grevista age de forma mafiosa e criminosa. Eu tenho amigos que sofreram ameaças de morte por protestarem contra os piquetes. Uma garota foi agredida na História por querer passar pelas barricadas e usar as salas de aula.
Catia P. [pt] tells of abuse by students who support the strike against those who want to attend classes. Some students from her translation class have issued the following manifesto:
Ninguém queria ver esse tipo de coisa dentro do campus. O recurso à ilegalidade por parte desse pessoal é de longa data: fechamento de portões, barricadas, violência e destruição do patrimônio público, invasões de prédios, são coisas que já fazem parte do cotidiano da USP já faz muito tempo. A ação pela recuperação da legalidade foi muito protelada, por medo de que a sociedade interpretasse mal imagino.
Nós sabemos que ao optar por fazer a prova estávamos, inevitavelmente, nos posicionando contra esta greve, mas não tínhamos sido avisados que a mobilização em favor de uma determinada ideologia é compulsória. Preferimos acreditar na autonomia da escolha do indivíduo. Nós lamentamos a truculência da polícia com os estudantes e nos posicionamos, também, contra isso. Porém, não admitimos que o nosso direito de escolha seja desrespeitado. Quando se tira o direito de escolha de alguém, tira-se sua alma. E não aceitamos que ninguém, nem mesmo os estudantes da Universidade de São Paulo, faça isso conosco.
We knew that by choosing to sit the exam we were, inevitably, positioning ourselves against the strike, but we had not been told that mobilization in favor of a particular ideology was compulsory. We prefer to believe in the autonomy of the individual's choice. We regret the truculence of the police against students and we also stand against it. But we do not accept that our right of choice is violated. When you take away someone's right to choose, you take their soul. And we do not accept that anybody, not even students of the University of São Paulo, do this to us.
Photo: CMI Brasil
On the other hand, Mariana [pt], who also disagrees with some of the student and strikers’ behavior, says that even though we should always advocate for people's right to fight for whatever they believe is fair and important – without being assaulted:
Mas apoiar tal ato ditadorial? Achar que vale tudo para preservar a “ordem”? Que é válido utilizar sprays de pimenta e bombas de efeito moral como instrumentos políticos?
É cuspir em cima de toda forma de liberdade que existe – ou que deveria existir. Não é “apenas” um crime, não é só porque faz todos aqueles que um dia já lutaram e/ou morreram pelo direito de se manifestar se revirarem nos caixões – ou cemitérios clandestinos.
É você, ser humano (?), achar que tudo bem um outro ser humano APANHAR e ser PERSEGUIDO porque ele defende algo com o qual você não concorda e de alguma forma fez com que você se sentisse prejudicado. APANHAR e ser PERSEGUIDO. Daí pra ser assassinado/torturado porque discorda é um passo. Pequeno, eu diria.
Que mundo é esse, gente? Que tipo de pessoas são essas?
It is like spitting on the top of every form of freedom that exists – or should exist. It is not “just” a crime, it is not only because it makes those who one day fought  and/or died for the right of free expression turn in their graves – or clandestine cemeteries.
It is you, human being (?) who thinks it is okay for another human to be BEATEN and PERSECUTED because they advocate something that you do not agree with and that in some way makes you feel undermined. BEATEN and PERSECUTED. From there for them to be murdered/tortured because they disagree is just one step. A small one, I would say.
What world is this, people? What kind of people are these?
Students, staff and professors have been meeting in general assemblies to discuss further actions and other mass demonstrations, and as of now the strike continues. A few other demonstrations both, pro and against the strike, also ended in violence last week. The University of São Paulo is one of the largest institutions of higher education in Latin America, offering 600 courses to 75,000 students.
- "They are armed with rulers and notebooks! Shit! We'd better call for reinforcements!" One of the many ironic photo-cartoons from Tudo de Bom blog

author: Paula Góes


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India, Bangladesh: East Or West, Bengal Is The Best · Global Voices
Rezwan

Painter, photographer and blogger Ujwala Prabhu published a photo book titled East or West, Bengal is the best! based on photographs taken over a 3 week period in India and Bangladesh.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Rezwan


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India: RIP Sarod maestro Ali Akbar Khan · Global Voices
Rezwan

“Thank you Khan sahib for sharing your wonderful music and gift with so many people,” with these words of appreciation mourns Kamla Bhatt the internationally renowned Sarod Maestro Ali Akbar Khan, who passed away on the 18th of June. Here is an interview with Ali Akbar Khan by Kamla Bhatt.


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Iran: Mousavi’s wife invites people to demonstrate · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Zahra Rahnavard, Mir Hussein Mousavi‘s wife, invited [fa] people on his FaceBook to continue the demonstrations today. She asked her 21000 FaceBook's fans to spread the message.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Iran: Protesters break a taboo and defy Khamenei · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

One day after Islamic Republic Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei denounced protests and warned reformist leaders against taking to the streets, thousands of people demonstrated in Tehran. They were joined by others in several cities across Iran in ignoring Khamenei's order and voicing their anger against the June 12 presidential election results. They clashed with Iranian police who used tear gas and water cannons to disperse them.
At least 19 people were killed in Tehran.
Here is a film showing people trying to stop security forces in Tehran:
and a demonstration in Tehran:
Mousavi: I am ready for Martyrdom
Green Vote tweeted that Mahmoud Ahmedinejad's main opponent Mir Hussein Mousavi was among protesters in Inghlab (meaning Revolution) Square, where he announced : “I am ready for martyrdom”.
Green Vote adds that Mousavi Mir Hossein said told the people: “We have learned from our fathers that the blood of the innocent shall fall upon the guilty.”
Whoshang tweeted that Tehran is imploding; that protesters are being hurt/killed and that Mousavi says he's ready for martyrdom. He added that several embassies were opened to receive those injured.
Iranriggedelect tweeted  that protests seem to have become distributed across the city after police did everything they could to prevent one large crowd from amassing in one place.
Tehran Bureau reports that the chanting/slogans were directly aimed at the supreme leader.
Shooresh provides  a minute by minute report on the protest movement in Tehran and has published several photos (one is above).
At the same time,  Iraneema tweeted that arrested political activists are under pressure.
A video is also available online, showing a protester allegedly being killed at the hands of security forces. Global Voices Online has the link to the footage but will not publish it because of its graphic nature.


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Iran: Security Forces attacked people · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Hadinili tweeted from Tehran :”They are beating “people” in Enghelab St., not only the protesters.”


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Iran: Women demand change · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Ianyan, an Armenian blog, comments on the changing role of women in Iran and their hopes for change in the Islamic republic.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Japan: Iran from a Japanese viewpoint · Global Voices
Scilla Alecci

Gompagompagompa tells about his last trip in Iran, before the elections. The blogger describes Iranians as an extremely kind and hospitable people and explains how he decided to write this post to let Japanese people know that “Iran” is not equal to “terrorism”.

author: Scilla Alecci


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Kazakhstan: Defence minister fired · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Slavasay informs the readers of resignation of the Kazakhstan's defence minister after a series of corruption scandals in his office.

author: Adil Nurmakov


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Kazakhstan: Graduate Test Results · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Zara reports on the results and statistics of the Unified National Test of high scholl graduates in Kazakhstan.


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Kazakhstan: Nuclear Scandal Deepens · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Sorge writes about new developments in the criminal case against the former leadership of Kazakhstan's state-owned nuclear holding.


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Kazakhstan: The road ahead is murky for “Astana” cycling team · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Dina says that the latest news about “Astana” cycling team – the pride of Kazakhstan's elite – are still about its financial problems, which have been haunting the team since April.


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Kyrgyzstan: Japanese music comes to Bishkek · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Samat reports (with photographs) on the concert of traditional Japanese folk music that has taken place in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan.


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Kyrgyzstan: Presidential race starts · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Elena provides a list of candidates for the presidential post in Kyrgyzstan with brief, yet smart, comments to each of them.


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Palestine: Water Contamination In Gaza · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

In Gaza reports on the problem of access to water and the contamination of existing water resources in the Gaza Strip due to the destruction of infrastructure during Israel's attacks earlier this year.

author: Ayesha Saldanha


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China: Mass incident sparked by a dead body · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

A Chinese google document has been set up to collect the most up-to-date information about the Shishou riot. Here is a translated summary of the blog posts via the google doc.
Background (by Subei via google doc)
On June 17th around 7:30, Xu Yuangao's body was found outside Yong Long hotel in Shishou city, Hubei province. Xu, 24, was the hotel's chef. Police investigated the scene and said that Xu had committed suicide. Xu's family, however, believed that he was murdered because there were no blood stains on the ground, but there were some obvious injuries in his body. Moreover, a similar incident had taken place two years prior. Rumor spread that local police and government officials had shares in the hotel.
The following day, the hotel told Xu's family that if they could agree with a report that Xu committed suicide, they could get 35,000 yuan in compensation. Instead, Xu's family insisted on finding out the truth and refused to hand over Xu's body. Xu's father then brought a gas container to the hotel to protect the body from being taking away.
[photo: father protecting the son's body]
At 1am on June 19, police and funeral cars arrived at the hotel, wanting to take the body away. 2,000 Shishou residents blocked the hotel entrance to protect Xu's corpse. The first confrontation between local residents and the police took place at 8am, during which some residents were arrested, while more joined in.  At 1pm, several thousand local residents fought back with stones and bottles and the police line broke down. At 3pm, police failed again in seizing the dead body and the city government had to seek help from armed police. Eventually, Jingzhou sent a clan of armed police to back up. However, the number of local residents had reached more than 40,000 at its peak and the armed police had to retreat.
At night, there were still more than 10,000 residents blocking the hotel entrance and main roads leading to the hotel. At 2am on June 20, 500 police took action again and there was another confrontation. Dozens of local residents and polices were injured.
The city government began to cut Internet connections on the early morning of June 20. Another round of confrontation took place around 7am. This time police were equipped with 8 anti-riot vehicles and six fire engines. Thousands of local residents fought back with stone and bricks. Below are some video showing the confrontation scene:
The most update news from twitter via freemoren at around 10am on June 21 says that police had finally seized the dead body and transported it to the crematorium. Torrent from twitter has set up a twitter account @shishou for translating updates in English.
While overseas media such as Reuters and AFP have reported on the riot, Xinhua Chinese has a news story describing the confrontation and riot as an inter-departmental fire drill. The English-language xinhua.net has another version more sympathetic towards the protesters.
Below are some comments from twitter (via twitter search – shishou):
After tens of thousands of cops robbed people in #Shishou of a corpse, welcome to China ruled by Zombies.
Please help to spread the news of the riot in Shishou. Their lives are in danger, Chinese people need your help! #ShishouRiot #Shishou
FUCK! Shishou riots reported in Chinese media as “bus fire extinguishing exercises”. How low can those in power go?

author: Oiwan Lam


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Maghreb: Views on Iran  · Global Voices
Hisham Almiraat

As the world watches events unfolding in Iran, Maghreb blogs have been following  and commenting on the rapidly developing crisis there. Some questioned the motives behind the way western media covered the events; others criticized Mir Houssain Moussavi's reaction, but it seems that the majority are supporting protesters.
Untitled picture of an Iranian protester by SIR on Flickr
Moroccan blogger Badr al Hamry  [Ar] writing on Aghora, praises the role played by microbloggers and citizen media in covering the situation inside Iran, circumventing government restrictions and efforts to block access to main online platforms. He writes:
The central role new information technology seems to be playing in the Iranian crisis is apparently recognized even by the media run by governments who have a poor record as far as freedom of the Press is concerned. This double standard is what Tunisian blogger Khannouff is denouncing in this post [Fr]:
Dans son édition d’aujourd’hui la Pravda Tunisienne se permet comme toujours de parler (ou plutôt de copier coller intégralement les dépêches étrangères de presse), donc de s’étaler à propos des restrictions imposées aux ”autres”, ailleurs sans piper mot du quotidien sous haute surveillance qui est le notre.
Another Tunisian blogger The Overman [Ar], expresses his support for protesters and explained why he thinks allegations of electoral fraud are credible:
On the other side of the argument, Moroccan blogger Farid [Fr], writing on La croisée des chemins, rejects what he considers canards disseminated for political reasons against the Islamic Republic of Iran. Farid corroborates his position quoting international analysts and some mainstream media editorials:
L’analyse des résultats de l’élection présidentielle iranienne, au vu des votes précédents et des sondages commandés sur place par les États-Unis, ne laisse pas de doute : Mahmoud Ahmadinejad est largement réélu. Ceci n’est guère surprenant, observe le professeur James Petras : le peuple a voté pour un national-populiste, tandis que seules les élites occidentalisées ont voté pour le candidat libéral, chouchou des médias occidentaux. Le même phénomène a déjà été observé dans d’autres pays.
Unimpressed by the events unfolding in Iran, Massinissa [Fr] from Algeria, criticizes what he sees as a self deluded western discourse trying to portray Moussavi supporters as pro-democratic. He writes:
Le monde occidental a les yeux rivés sur l'Iran croyant naïvement qu'une révolution est en train de se produire et qui pourrait emporter le régime despotique en place depuis la chute du Chah. Mais à y bien regarder Ahmadinejad et Moussavi sont les deux faces d'une même pièce. Ils sont tous les deux inféodés au clergé qui décide de tout.
Tunisian blogger Citoyen du Monde (world citizen), blogging on Intras-Muros [Fr], explains how, regardless of whether the elections were rigged or not, he was captivated by the role microblogging played in the crisis. He warns though, about the dangers of what he calls “Infobesity”:
L’afflux permanent d’informations parfois non vérifiées[…] laisse à désirer, il serait dés lors difficile de vérifier leur véracité ainsi que la crédibilité de la source. De plus, il y a un risque de glisser dans l’infobésité, du fait qu’on est submergé par des flux informationnels dénichés à gauche et à droite et tweeter à la hâte. Sans oublier que ca peut être une redoutable armes propagandiste.
Sarah [Fr], a French blogger (Un Oeil sur la Planète) who follows Maghreb affairs, criticizes the Moussavi camp and explains that unless evidence of massive fraud is brought against the victors, losers should accept the will of the people of Iran. She writes:
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a été réélu avec 63%. Au lieu de le féliciter comme tout opposant se revendiquant démocrate, Monsieur Hossein Moussavi, candidat favori des pays occidentaux, arrivé deuxième avec 33% réclame l'annulation du scrutin.
Désolée pour lui, mais ce sont les citoyens iraniens qui ont voté, et non les politiques et les médias étrangers, et les citoyens iraniens ont fait leur choix, c'est Ahmadinejad. C'est un coup dur pour lui, qui se croyait vainqueur car il avait le soutien des pays étrangers, et bien justement si les citoyens iraniens ne veulent pas de sa politique, qu'ils aiment bien avoir de la dignité contre un monde contrôlé par les plus forts, il n'a qu'à respecter leur choix.
Finally, Tunisian blogger Overman, wonders [Ar] whether there is any chance the Arab street would be contaminated by the winds of revolution that seem to be blowing from Tehran. he writes:
I personally think that those events should be linked to what has been happening in the world during the last two decades or so; i.e. the sheer desire for the emancipation of peoples living under oppressive regimes. Those people have been suffering for so long from a state of crispation at all levels (politically, economically, intellectually and culturally).
The question that remains at the moment for me is: will the winds of change reach the Arab countries, at least at the people's level?

author: Hisham Almiraat


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Nigeria: Government launches attack against bloggers · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Sokari Ekine writes about the plan by the Nigerian government to launch attacks against bloggers and online news media such as Sahara Reporter.

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Philippines: Culture and tourism · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

John Ryan Recabar shares his thoughts on reviving Philippine tourism and the importance of reliving old traditions.

author: Mong Palatino


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Vietnam: Growth of Saigon   · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Michael Sieburg writes about the economic expansion of Saigon and enumerates some of the notable construction projects in the city.


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Azerbaijan: All hail Iranian women · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Following a post from Armenian blogger Ianyan in praise of women in Iran comes a similar response from Azerbaijan, another country that borders the Islamic republic. Re-posting an earlier video interview on the changing role of women in Iran, Baku-based Global Voices Online author Ali S. Novruzov also pays homage.


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Bahrain: Female Lifeguards? · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

Following a tragedy in which a child drowned, Bahrain Taxi has concluded that the fact that family groups prefer not to use male lifeguards means that Bahraini women should train as lifeguards.


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Bahrain: Making Changes · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

This week two Bahraini bloggers announced their intention to make some changes in their life: Flymenian has a new routine, and Mahmood wants to lose weight.


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Barbados, Antigua: Stanford Similarities  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Barbados Free Press sees striking similarities between Allen Stanford's alleged Ponzi scheme and the CLICO Barbados scandal, with one notable exception: “Antigua has integrity legislation.”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Belarus: A game of pointed questions · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

LJ user Devushka iz vostoka [RUS] asks for directions for this summer's first game of “Tochka”. The question may seem as a paradox, as directions is really what this game is all about. Two opposing teams are set to the task of finding a specific place, and in the process are given various tasks, clues, and questions to reach their final destination – and victory. Needless to say, the game – involving also many leading figures of Belarus’ society – may involve extensive betting with large sums involved.

author: Vilhelm Konnander


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Bermuda: “No Confidence” Motion Thwarted  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Part of the backlash against Bermudian Premier Ewart Brown‘s decision to accept four former Guantanamo detainees into the island has been the opposition party‘s tabling of a “No Confidence” vote against him in Parliament – a motion that bloggers are reporting has been defeated.
Vexed Bermoothes was following the parliamentary proceedings closely:
They have started debating the motion of no confidence in Dr. Brown.
The Speaker tried to change the motion to: “That this house has no confidence in the Government and deplores the actions of the Premier in relation to the Uighurs matter” or something like that.
It finally ended up as “That this honourable house has no confidence in the Government led by the Premier” after the UBP resisted.
Dr. Brown has corrected his earlier statements regarding the Uighur risk assessment, saying that he erred rather than knowingly mislead in his statement to the House and subsequent radio broadcasts. Sayeth he “To err is human, to forgive divine.”
Please give me some novocaine!
As he awaited the results of the debate, the blogger noted:
If Dr. Brown survives this upheaval and there is no change to the political status quo, let me promise you that it will not be business as usual on Monday.  It will have been proven that there is no consequence to violating the Bermuda Constitution.  From a political risk perspective, that makes us an unstable country.
It is important for countries to have a reliable Rule of Law. But there are weaknesses in laws even, because laws are made by politicians.  And that’s why the Constitution is so important.  It must be passed by public referendum.  All politicians and laws must toe to the Constitution.
Ergo, a politician who flaunts the Constitution is effectively saying ‘I am beholden to no law’.
As news broke that the motion had been defeated following a 14-hour debate, Breezeblog commented:
I’m disappointed and depressed but not surprised at the spinelessness of those who blindly follow Dr. Brown. Maybe there’ll be a leadershp challenge at the PLP conference in the Fall but I doubt it. I suspect Dr. Brown will emerge stronger than ever from this.
The UBP, though, are finished as a credible Opposition.
Vexed Bermoothes, meanwhile, called the result “a catastrophe for Bermuda”:
The motion in the House of Assembly failed by 22-11 (two UBP MPs failing to vote).
I have lost all faith in our political system. I think we are governed by crooks and fools for their own benefit.
We have retained a leader who during the debates yesterday free admitted that he violated the law and the Constitution, and kept his own Government in the dark as to his actions and motives. Half the debate was about race and independence, rather than the simple task of reprimanding a leader who apparently will not comply with the law, nor represent the people.
I am ashamed for Bermuda. The consequences for this will be terrible for our community.
21 Square has not been able to get over the Premier's defense of his actions by calling them “an act of God”:
An act of God?  This is the same kind of thing terrorists say before blowing up buildings full of innocent people.
…while Breezeblog seemed more interested in Dr. Brown's next move:
So what will an emboldened and empowered Dr. Brown do next?
Independence is the big fear for many people but maybe there’s another option up his sleeve. I’m not normally in the business of publishing rumours but I have now heard this one from  credible non-UBP sources so I’ll put it up here and see who salutes. I’m genuinely interested to hear what people think, not stir up anything.
I understand that the PLP has been exploring the option of Bermuda becoming a US territory like Puerto Rico as an alternative to independence from Britain.
But if – and I stress ‘if’ – it is true, it might explain many of the unashamedly pro-American Dr. Brown’s recent actions…
According to Breezeblog, the U.K. is still very much a part of this political debacle:
A petition has been posted on the UK Prime Minister’s web site calling for the resignation of Dr. Ewart Brown.
UPDATE: Organisers of the recent local protests are urging people not to sign this petition. In an e-mail circulated June 20, they state:
RE: Advise that you do NOT sign the UK petition calling for Ewart Brown’s resignation
Advise that you do NOT sign the UK petition calling for Ewart Brown’s resignation
Avoid ‘knee jerk’ reactions. We should not throw a petition out to the public in haste.  As we know, wording is critical.  We have to get it right and take the time to get it right.
Finally, Catch a fire weighed in after “a long night”:
After reading over the transcripts of the debate and looking at the end vote, I think one thing is definitely clear. Dr. Brown won the battle, but he has lost the war.
While on the surface it may appear that Dr. Brown’s hand has been strengthened, from my reading any such strength now is more illussionary that real. The Party, at least in the form of its MPs, have clearly expressed that business as usual a la Dr. Brown cannot continue. He must now either build bridges or accept it is time to go gracefully as per internal Party procedures.
The demonstrators will feel disillussioned after these events. That is unfortunate, and I advise them to carry on their energy of political and community activism in other areas. There are a lot of issues of concern in our society, and if people can mobilise as they did last week, there is no reason why this momentum cannot be carried forward for the betterment of our people on other issues.
While those in power may cry that control is being lost, in fact it is our democracy and political consciousness that is being strengthened.


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Cambodia: Report outlines Khmer Rouge Tribunal’s latest troubles · Global Voices
Chhunny Chhean

A report by the Open Society Justice Initiative details the latest issues to plague the Khmer Rouge Tribunal.  The report, released in late May 2009, states the Tribunal's legitimacy is threatened by charges of corruption and political interference.  The report states:
The government of Cambodia and the United Nations have failed as yet to agree on a credible process for addressing complaints of corruption. This leaves staff who may be victims of corrupt practices bereft of a viable remedy or complaint mechanism that they can pursue without fear of putting their jobs or safety at risk.
In addition to discussing the charges of corruption and political interference, the report provides an update of events at the Extraordinary Chambers of the Courts in Cambodia.  The full text of the report is available here.
But the Tribunal could also fail on a technicality.  KI Media posted a story from VOA Khmer revealing that the jailed senior leaders may be released from detention before their trials start because the Tribunal has proceeded at such a slow pace.
Four of the senior-most leaders of the failed regime—Nuon Chea, Khieu Samphan, Ieng Sary, Ieng Thirith—have reached the midway points of their provisional detentions, and yet none has seen trial. Some observers worry about a release of those four in early 2010, but others argue that authorities will have to find ways to keep them detained.
The corruption charges were discussed in a prior GV post.  The Cambodian government has denied interfering with the Tribunal, including preventing judges of the court from interviewing witnesses who are current government employees.
Tribunal support sticker

author: Chhunny Chhean


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Caribbean: Following the path of the Caribs  · Global Voices
Fabienne Flessel

Since the beginning of 2009, French West Indians have questioned their identity, their national heritage and their present-day situation in different ways. Kintamingo Ema, a Martinican blog, presents an initiative which mixes a social insertion, historical and archeological project with an identity quest.  Dubbed “Kintamingo Ema, sur le chemin de nos ancêtres” (Kintamingo Ema, following the path of our ancestors), the project was launched by Association Karisko , an association focusing on social integration, as explained here [Fr]:
Ce sont les jeunes du foyer d'insertion de Sainte-Marie qui ont bénéficié de cette formation.
They benefited from the knowledge and experience of the Caribs, by learning to build a canoe and then ride it from Martinique to Antigua.  But before reaching to all these islands from le Prêcheur in Martinique, many young adults in search of a professional project and practical training participated in the creation of the Kanawa (the native name for a canoe).  The social integration building site quickly became a genuine shipyard, where the traditional skills of the native inhabitants were used to create this massive canoe. A comment on CocoNews post gives us more details concerning the measures of the canoe [Fr]:
Le kanawa pèse plus d'une tonne ( à vide !) , 18 mètres de long et 27 rameurs.
One of the team members has posted pictures of the construction site and lists the 4 steps involved in the making of the Kanawa: cutting the tree, transporting the trunk, preparing the top of the trunk and finally digging it up.  Here is a diaporama describing all the different steps of the making.
CocoNews Guadeloupe introduces the project to its readers and reveals the itinerary of the ride [Fr].
@ CocoNews Guadeloupe
The journey was scheduled as follows: leave le Prêcheur in Martinique on May 21st and go back to le Prêcheur on June 1st, after stops in the Caribbean islands of Dominica, les Saintes, Guadeloupe (Basse-Terre then Grande-Terre) and Antigua.  The trip included about thirty people, including historians, athletes, sociologists and writers, but it was also open to anyone else who had an interest in the project. This post lists all the participants.
Quite apart from its social integration and historical aspects, this project has had an important impact at the level of memory and conscience. To  understand this better, CocoNews quotes one of the objectives of the project [Fr]:
L'objectif de KYTANGOMINGO EMA est la réouverture symbolique et matérielle de la route de navigation maritime des temps anciens,…
But the best way to understand the motivation behind the project is to read about the experiences of the passengers and rowers [Fr]:
L'aventure Martinique-Antigua a été pour moi une expérience très valorisante humainement parlant. Découvrir les îles des Caraïbes comme nos ancêtres amérindiens et pouvoir ressentir les moments forts de leur arrivée sur une terre inconnue
The general success of the initiative has gone a long way to inspire the team in its plan for next year: reaching Puerto Rico by kanawa.

author: Fabienne Flessel


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China:  Chinese netizen reactions to CCTV attacking Google  · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Fauna from ChinaSMACK translated a blogger's letter to Gao Ye, the CCTV intern who attacked Google.cn under the identity of university student for poisoning youth's spirit by their overseas links to pornsites.


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Greece: Bloggers interview Iranian protesters · Global Voices
Asteris Masouras

With the clampdown on journalism and communications in Iran, most Greek mainstream media have resorted to conveying reports from social media, second or third-hand, through western news organizations. Some Greek bloggers have helped bridge gaps in reporting by interviewing Iranian protesters contacted on Twitter themselves, or by posting news from acquaintances in Iran and abroad.
Greek journalist and blogger Panagiotis Papachatzis published two interviews with Iranian protesters on his blog, πρόχειρο τετράδιο.
In the first interview, on Tuesday, Iranian activist and blogger Jadi commented on the role Twitter played in reporting during the first few days of the election protests, and why he has chosen to blog under his real name.
γράφω επώνυμα και αυτό το κάνω γιατί είναι πολύ σημαντικό για μένα να πω ” Είμαι αυτό το συγκεκριμένο άτομο και ζω στο Ιράν και πιστεύω στα ανθρώπινα δικαιώματα.” Αν γράφω ανώνυμα θα είναι σαν να αποδέχομαι ότι αυτό που κάνω είναι περίεργο. Δεν είμαι αντάρτης και δεν χρειάζεται να κρύβομαι. Και αν συλληφθώ…. και τι με αυτό; Χρησιμοποιώ τα βασικά μου ανθρώπινα δικαιώματα, δεν είμαι εγκληματίας. [..]Ο ψηφιακός κόσμος δεν έχει σύνορα και δεν υπάρχει διαφορά μεταξύ μας, και ας είμαι εγώ στο Ιράν και εσύ στην Ελλάδα. Τις τελευταίες μέρες μας έκοψαν όλες τις επικοινωνίες, όχι sms, όχι κινητά τηλέφωνα σε συγκεκριμένες περιοχές. Κάτω από αυτές τις συνθήκες, το γυρίσαμε στο Twitter και ευτυχώς δουλεύει.
In the second interview, a 20 year-old student protester who asked to remain anonymous, talks about why he feels obliged to protest and report on what is happening in his country. He describes how protesters are facing their fears and how recent events in Iran have helped shape his dreams for the future.
Θέλω να πιστεύω ότι είναι υποχρέωση μου, εκτός από το να βγαίνω στους δρόμους και να διαδηλώνω, να ενημερώνω τον κόσμο για το τι συμβαίνει στο Ιράν.[..]
Η πρώτη μέρα ήταν δύσκολη. Ο φόβος του αγνώστου. Όσο περνάνε οι μέρες τόσο πιο γενναίοι γινόμαστε να διαδηλώνουμε. Έχουμε συνηθίσει την βία της αστυνομίας [..]. Δεν μπορούν να μας κάνουν να μην σκεφτόμαστε, να μην θέλουμε.[..]
[Πάντα ήθελα να σπουδάσω στις ΗΠΑ] Αλλά όταν είδα την κλοπή των ψήφων μας, την εξαπάτηση, είπα στον εαυτό μου ” Θα κάνω τα πάντα, για να δω ένα ελεύθερο και δημοκρατικό Ιράν, πριν φύγω”. Έτσι πια, ονειρεύομαι ένα καλύτερο μέλλον για το Ιράν.
Greek blogger and journalist ttallou posted her correspondence with an Iranian expatriate using Facebook to publish photos from Tuesday's demonstration:
Government started to block most web sites, disconnected sms, mobiles, and people were not able to communicate yesterday, so far they arrested and injured many people and killed some. we (those who live outside), we started to send info from here and distribute among our fellows, also had demonstration all around the world. It’s really sad. We want our votes.
Mousavi himself is not important, what I do believe is that people decided to vote, so voted, decided to have this person as president, to have better situation, what hurts us is that government betrayed us
Blogger Sotiris Koukios published a letter from Tehran, from a young woman dreaming of freedom and equality, with a plea to Greeks for help and solidarity:
Αγαπητοί φίλοι στην Ελλάδα,
έχω κλείσει 5 μέρες στους δρόμους…. κάθε μέρα σε μια συνεχή πορεία διαμαρτυρίας… μια πορεία εναντίον ενός καθεστώτος που έζησα από την μέρα που γεννήθηκα. Είμαι 25 χρονών, την Τεχεράνη πριν από τους Αγιατολλάχ δεν τους έζησα. [..]
Η χώρα μου είναι βαθιά ρατσιστική για την γυναίκα, άδικη για τους περισσότερους πολίτες της και επικίνδυνη για όλους τους γείτονες μας. Δεν θέλω να ζω σε μια ατέλειωτη κηδεία…. Δεν θέλω το διαβατήριο μου να με κάνει ύποπτη σαν πιθανό τρομοκράτη. Και θέλω να ταξιδέψω, να ζήσω ελεύθερη και ισότιμα με όλους σας.
Αγαπητοί μου έλληνες φίλοι, βοηθήστε με και συμπαρασταθείτε. Η χώρα σας είναι αγαπητή στην χώρα μου. Είμαστε λαοί με αρχαίο πολιτισμό και ιστορικές παραδόσεις. Και πάντα με πολιτιστικούς και πολιτικούς δεσμούς. Τώρα σας έχουμε ανάγκη. Και θέλουμε από εσάς να διαδώστε το μήνυμα της ελευθερίας για εμάς. Αυτό πάντα σκεφτόμουνα για τους Έλληνες για το μπαράκι που πηγαίνω στην πόλη μου και καπνίζω κρυφά, πίνω καμμιά μπύρα κρυφά και μιλάω για την ελευθερία κρυφά. Και όλα αυτά με την υπόκρουση του Θεοδωράκη!!!
I've been out on the streets for 5 days.. protesting every day in a continuous rally… a rally against a regime I've lived under since the day I was born. I'm 25 years old, I have never seen Tehran before the Ayatollahs. […]
My country is deeply discriminatory towards women, unfair to most of it's citizens, and dangerous to all our neighbors. I don't want to live in an endless funeral… I don't want my passport to brand me as a potential terrorist suspect. And I want to travel, to live free, as an equal to all of you.
My dear Greek friends, help me and support me. Your country is dear to mine. We are peoples with ancient cultures and historical traditions, always with cultural and political bonds. We need you now. And we want you to transmit the message of freedom for us. That's what I always thought about Greeks at the bar in my city, where I go to smoke secretly, drink beer secretly, and talk about freedom, secretly. And all that while listening to Theodorakis!
As in countless other countries, a wave of green avatars swept over the Greek “Twittersphere” last week, as Greek bloggers sought to express their solidarity with Iranian protesters in the aftermath of the June presidential elections.

author: Asteris Masouras


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

Signifyin’ Guyana agrees with the Human Services Minister's response to reports that the US Department of State has placed Guyana on a watch list for human trafficking.


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Haiti: Run-off Elections  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Repeating Islands says that “despite government efforts to lure voters to the polls in the Senate run-off elections held yesterday in Haiti, voters stayed away in protest against what they see as failed leadership and growing despair.”


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India: When Diplomats Show Arrogance · Global Voices
Rezwan

The New Horizon criticizes the comments of Pinak Chakravarty, the Indian ambassador to Bangladesh, on the Tipaimukh Dam. The Indian blogger opines: “I think it is part (of) Indian policy to show arrogance against neighbors”.


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Iran: Protest Continues · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Iraneema tweeted that anti-riot police attacks a crowd of people holding candles in Tehran’s 7 Tir Sq., attempting to disperse them.


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Iran: Protesters in Tehran · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

We can watch a film on Iranian protesters in Tehran on Monday despite a warning by Iran's Revolutionary Guard against the kind of street demonstrations that have roiled Iran for more than a week.


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Iran: Revolution 2.0? · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Security, in the Caucasus and beyond…. comments on the recent election in Iran and its aftermath. However, the analytical blog focusing on a region which directly borders the Islamic republic says that both the governmental and opposition candidates in the disputed vote were products of the same system. The blog also says that it believes the protests are not a popular uprising, but a struggle for power between members of the establishment and ruling elite.


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Iran: Videos of protests and vigils · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

A disputed June 12 election in Iran that returned President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to power, has sparked the most violent unrest since the Islamic Revolution in 1979. Protesters and the opposition leader, Mir Hussein Mousavi are calling for an annulment of the election. Security forces killed at least 10 people in Tehran on Saturday, but protests have continued in different Iranian cities.
Tehran, Sunday: Protesters chanted the following slogans: “Don't be scared, don't be scared, we are all together. Down with the dictator.”
Tehran, Thursday: Iranians in remembrance of the ‘martyrs’ of Tehran light up candles near the University of Tehran.
Tehran: Iranians shout ‘Allaho Akbar’ (God is Great) on their rooftops as a sign of protest against the election results. A beautiful poem is recited by a girl sitting on a roof in Tehran.
Isfahan: Protesters confront security forces


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Jamaica: Can the IMF Change?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“There is talk of the possibility of the current Jamaican administration returning to do business with the International Monetary Fund“: Abeng News Magazine wonders whether the IMF leopard can change its spots.


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Jordan: Poet Accused of Apostasy · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

The Jordanian blogger behind Jad's Thoughts notes that a young Jordanian poet has been accused of apostasy by Jordan's Grand Mufti.  The accused poet included Qur'anic verses in romantic poetry.

author: Jillian C. York


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Launch of communist victims website · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

A Step At A Time draws attention to the launch of a website dedicated to the victims of communism worldwide, by the Global Museum on Communism.


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Lithuania: Oslo mayor in gay protest · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Lituanica reports how Norwegian capital's, Oslo, mayor brought his same sex spouse to an international mayors’ conference in Vilnius – in practical protest against Lithuania's increasingly homophobic policies.


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Pakistan: Thanking Angelina Jolie · Global Voices
Rezwan

Adil Najam at All Things Pakistan thanks Hollywood actress and international celebrity Angelina Jolie who announced a US$ 1 million donation to help the internally displaced Pakistanis.


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Palestine: Child’s Eye View Of Life In Gaza · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

In Gaza, Ayman Quader interviews nine-year-old Ali Aqran, whose family is living in poverty: “As a child what did I do wrong to be treated so cruelly?”


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Palestine: Discussing The Arabic Blogosphere · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

Palestinian blogger Laila El-Haddad recently took part in a panel discussing the Berkman Center's report Mapping the Arabic Blogosphere: “Palestinian blogs signalled relatively low on the radar; it appears bridge bloggers and social networking sites or online forums figure more prominently.”


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Palestine: Sweet Success In The Record Books? · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

Hazem Afana reports that a Palestinian company has received permission [Ar] from Guinness World Records to attempt to make the world's largest kunafa (a traditional sweet).


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Russia: Carbon dioxide emissions up 30% till 2020 · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

The reference frame discusses Russia's plans to increase its greenhouse gas emissions by 30% until 2020, in contrast to international trends and the goals of the Kyoto accords.


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South Korea: Old city is gone · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Matt from Gust of popular feeling showed how a large part of the old Seoul city, Pimatgol/Cheongjin-dong area north of Jongno between Gwanghwamun and Jonggak Station, has been shrouded by steel and blanket fences in preparation for demolition.


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Sri Lanka: State of The Civilians In Vanni · Global Voices
Rezwan

Rohini Hensman from Sri Lanka asks “why are the Vanni civilians still being held hostage?”


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Trinidad & Tobago: H1N1 · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

This Beach Called Life: “Swine Flu, A(H1N1), has now hit Trinidad and Tobago with the number of cases increasing daily causing facemaks to become as popular as condoms  at Carnival.”


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Venezuela: The Relationship With Iran · Global Voices
Laura Vidal

The Venezuelan blogosphere has been both touched, and moved by the latest development in Iran. There have been blogger opinions that try to make comparisons with similar events in Venezuelan recent history, as well viewpoints on the support given by President Hugo Chavez to Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Statue of South American liberator Simón Bolívar in Tehran. Photo by Eshare and used under a Creative Commons license: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rshoraka/1244078060/
In his blog Venezuela’s News and Views, Daniel criticizes this support and puts the light on the analysis made by the foreign media regarding the alliance with Iran:
(…) Chavez to Ahmadinejerk does not mean Venezuela to Iran (…)
But Center Left major paper Le Monde did take notice that not only Chavez is about the only Western leader in the word to come strongly on Ahmadinejad side (well, he has been cheating electorally since at least 2003) but that this support should not be surprising and should be considered ominous. That for sure will play nice among the French leftist intelligentsia (and among the wuss right too). It never ceases to amaze me how Chavez has an ability to stick his foot in mouth at the very worst moment. But thanks to oil until now he was able to make limited come backs. Let's see how that works out now.
Meanwhile, Juan Cristobal in his blog Caracas Chronicles makes an “iran-alogy” in this comparison of scenarios and whether lessons could be learned from what Venezuela experienced in the 2006 Presidential election. He writes that there is “no happy ending”:
Sadly, if anything, Venezuela's experience does not provide much hope for Iran's Mousavi backers. I'm no Iran expert, but judging by what we've gone through, this slow kabuki dance will be long on drama and short on substance. We learned long ago that not to underestimate a petro-dictatorship's ability to ignore what happens on the streets. Marcha no mata mullah, chamo, y Twitter no mata dictadura (Marches don't kill the mullah and Twitter does not kill dictatorship). Just ask the Burmese monks.
(…)
The other lesson is in the power of alternative media as a way of overcoming official censorship. As we see the last independent TV station in Venezuela gasping for air, it's easy to think of its demise as the end of the possibility of regime change.
But the world is changing, and old media is not the only media out there. The role of alternative media sites such as Facebook or Twitter or (hell, why not) blogs in the current crisis should be carefully analyzed, specially by Venezuela's hapless opposition.
In the article Venezuela, Iran’s best friend? posted by Alex Holland takes a look at the relationship between the two countries, including the fact that Venezuela was one of the only countries that cast a vote against putting Iran in front of the United Nations Security Council in regards to its nuclear activities. However, the relationship also includes cooperation in the petroleum industry. Iran is helping Venezuela develop some of its natural resources through these agreements. However, Holland points out that there have been some claims by the media that do not accurately portray this relationship:
A recent article from the conservative US newspaper, the Washington Times with the title, “Venezuela Seeks Nuclear Technology”, gave the impression that Venezuela was about to take delivery of Nuclear Weapons from Iran to use against the US.
General James Hill, the head of the U.S. Southern Command claimed Venezuela was supporting “Islamic terror groups” in one of its major tourist resorts, Margarita Island. This was immediately and easily disproved by journalists visiting the alleged sites.
Despite some of these outlandish US claims, Venezuela’s reasons for having an alliance with Iran is motivated by other things than wanting to be part of an “Islamo-bloc” of nations against the US.
(…)
The two countries do not share all the same foreign policy aims either. Venezuela is more than happy to do business with a country the Iranian President recently said should be, “wiped off the map.”
Israel has received millions of dollars from Venezuela in recent years. This money was to pay for weapons such as anti-aircraft missiles. Israel would have gotten another $100 million last year to repair Venezuela’s F16 fighter aircraft if the US government had not stopped the deal.
Chavez also sent his best wishes to the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon when he became seriously ill in January. The Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s comments for Sharon were less generous.

author: Laura Vidal


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Albania: Female Solo Singers · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

A post on “some of the most important Albanian female solo singer artists of the last century” – at The Balkan Crew.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Armenia: Opposition detainees released · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Photo: former foreign minister Alexander Arzumanian (left) with former president and extra-parliamentary opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrossian (right), Yerevan, Republic of Armenia © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia
Following a general amnesty agreed upon by the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia on 19 June, several senior opposition figures on trial and in detention for over a year since the 1 March post-election unrest in the country were finally pardoned and released. Many observers believe the trials were politically motivated.
Although The Armenian Observer [EN/AM] reports that the politically polarized blogosphere in the country was divided on the matter, opposition bloggers were naturally elated albeit with some concerns. Unzipped, perhaps the most thought-provoking if unashamedly pro-opposition of local blogs, says that the amnesty does not go far enough.
Unfortunately, it is not clear how (if at all) this amnesty will apply to those opposition activists/supporters who are on the run and in hiding now. Also, it became clear from the terms of declared amnesty that it will not apply to some political prisoners.
It is always welcome to see numbers of those detained on a politically motivated charges reduced. However, I will only truly welcome this news if Armenian authorities free all of them.
[…] Having even one political prisoner is shameful for Armenia, deplorable and should not be tolerated.
Nazarian also comments on how long the men were in detention and posts a video.
I can't believe how the political prisoners have aged. I hope the others are freed soon. The most immoral thing a government can do is jail innocent people. It simply undermines the whole notion of justice as we understand it.
Tzitzernak2, however, is elated by the news, but still confused. The pro-opposition blog also implies that the move was made only to appease the Council of Europe.
Sirunyan, Hakobyan, Malkhasyan and Arzumanyan are OUT!
Mikaelyan has been kept, he was given eight years, and therefore was not eligible….
It is still not clear what the exact criteria for the Amnesty were, and who else is eligible, but at this point confusion and lack of clarity are nothing new…
[…]
I still dont know what will happen to Ashot Manukyan, Jhangiryan, and others…
But, as we all knew, PACE is satisfied…
Meanwhile, on my Frontline Club blog, I describe stumbling upon a gathering where four of those detained were met by hundreds of supporters in a Yerevan park.
When you see things like that in Armenia it usually means something political is happening — and it was. Earlier in the day a Yerevan court had found four senior opposition figures guilty of organizing the 1 March 2008 post-election disturbances which left 10 people dead.
The Council of Europe and others, however, consider the case against the four men, including two MPs and a former foreign minister, to be politically motivated. After a year of international pressure an amnesty was announced last week and the still convicted men walked free. The former president and extra-parliamentary opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrossian was there to greet them. […]
The accidental encounter also provided an opportunity to stream 20 seconds of live video from mobile of the first and former president, now extra-parliamentary opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrossian, standing by his former foreign minister released earlier the same day.


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Bahrain: A Plea For Less Drama · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

Bahraini blogger Hala is tired with the commenters on her blog When it Beeps: “I’m beginning to feel that I encounter more Drama in the blogosphere than in my real life, and since I’m doing a great job of blocking the drama out of my real life, maybe I should consider blocking the drama from my blogosphere interactions.”


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Bahrain: Newspaper Suspended For A Day · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

On Monday, 22 June, Bahrain's oldest newspaper in circulation Akhbar Al Khaleej was suspended for the day after printing an article [Ar] critical of certain Iranian leaders and making reference to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's alleged Jewish origins. The move would seem to have been made to avoid provoking unrest amongst the Shi'a majority in Bahrain.
Yagoob was not pleased:
This comes as another blow to freedom of speech in Bahrain, after seeing a wide spread of web censorship with the aim of ‘a clean web’ which conveniently blocked everything from opposition websites, pornography, gambling, anti Islamic websites, web proxies and Google Translate, it seems that the ever enlongating arm of censorship has hit the mainstream media!
The strangest and most shocking thing about this ban is that it is Akhbar Al-Khaleej, a newspaper which is predominately pro-government. […] So what has this clawless kitten of a newspaper done to ruffle a few feathers in government?? Only time will tell but for now this is a very sad day in Bahrain history and its attempt in becoming a democratic country…
Mahmood also disagreed with the decision:
Not that I love Akhbar Al-Khaleej, nothing could be more remote from the truth, but my feeling for this decrepit paper, its publisher or some of its so called journalists is completely immaterial, but it should not have been banned under whatever reason given or withheld by whatever organ of government dictating this latest ban on freedom of speech. […] My sources tell me that the paper was banned due to a rather cutting article by the infamous Shura Council MP Ms. Sameera Rajab who is no stranger to controversy. She is loathed by a great swathe of people in Bahrain due to her background and rather critical writings especially about the Shi’a and their beliefs. It is also no secret that she detests the regime in Iran and has been very sympathetic to the Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussain.
Regardless, banning a paper because of a column is a slap in the face of the freedom of information that the Ministry has been at pains to promote – rather paradoxically, especially that it has made it their professional hobby to block websites.
However, not all bloggers were unhappy with the suspension; Green Oasis was pleased:
Update: For Yagoob's perspective on how the suspension was lifted, see here.


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Bahrain: Should “Native Speakers” Be Given Preference? · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

Bahraini blogger Cradle of Humanity was angry about a recruitment advertisement at a college which stated that native speakers of English would be given preference, so she wrote to complain: “I don’t know if my email would mean anything, but I hope they get the message that, despite English being my second language, I can articulate how I feel about their advertisement.”


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Bahrain: Train And Hire Bahrainis, Please   · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

Bassam Noor is pleased that a Bahraini has been hired in a senior position in major investment firm Investcorp for the first time, but says: “It’s unfair that Investcorp benefits from Bahrain’s tax-free environment, and geographical proximity to cash-rich regions, but it yet refuses arrogantly to provide further training to talented Bahrainis.”


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Belarus: Signs of change? · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

A Fistful of Euros thinks that something may be stirring in Belarus, and even believes it to be signs of an improvement in the regime's relations with the West.


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Breezeblog: Valuing a Free Press · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

As Breezeblog links to a story which reports that 24 journalists have been arrested in Iran, he reminds “all Bermudians to value their right and access to a free press more than ever.”


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China: July 1 Operation: Jump the Great Fire Wall · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Wenyunchao called for a joint operation to demonstrate against the Green Dam on July 1 via twitter: Operation July 1: Oppose Green Dam, unite and jump the Great FireWall (translated by goldkorn)


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China: More corpses found in Shishou hotel; disputes continue. · Global Voices
Bob Chen

Shishou, Hubei.
The death of a chef triggered a mass protest that finally brought over ten thousand armed police into the town for crackdown. The dead’s families along with thousands of people resisted the police and protected the corpse, because they know once the body was taken away, the death would be identified as a suicide and the truth will be lost forever.
Rumor said that the chef, named Tu Yuangao (涂远高），was killed because he threatened to expose the drug dealings in the hotel after he failed to get his pay. Now, as more injectors were found inside the burned hotel, Shishou people’s suspicion grows. It seems to confirm the rumor that Yong Long hotel has long been used as a den for drug dealers protected by local officials.
A newspaper said
当地还有人士称，事发酒店有公安人员入股。坊间流传最多的是，永隆酒店分别是由三个部门的副职负责人入股，其中有公安局，工商局，还有电力局的负责人。但记者未能证实该消息的真伪。
The update was reported by a domestic newspaper, which is the first time that Chinese public media gave so complete a coverage, though it still mentioned nothing about the crackdown.
The reporter also said:
21日晚上11时许，本报记者在出事酒店背面的沙堆上发现一些使用过的注射器以及其包装纸。这些注射器的外形与通常医院做皮试的注射器无异。
22日，记者再次探访酒店时，这些注射器依然未做清理。此时，一些围观的群众也对此进行议论，有几个小孩正拿着手机拍摄，一名家住附近的中年女子认为，“这些都是酒店内部吸毒品所用的工具。”
在场的几名市民都对此表示同感，在他们看来，附近没有医院，不可能是医院把这些注射器丢弃在这里，
On 21, I have found some used injectors and wrappers on the dunes at the back of the hotel. They were the same as those seen in hospital.
On 22, when I revisited the hotel the injectors remained there. People standing by were talking about it, and some kids were filming with their cell phones. A woman said, ‘these are all devices for drug abuse.’
Several people around agreed. In their view, there is no hospital around the hotel so it can’t be medical waste.
Moreover, on 22 June, it was said that people were stunned to find 6 more (3 by some source) corpses in the sewage within the hotel, only with bones left. Hearing the news, a few thousands of people gathered again outside the hotel after tens of thousand people were dispelled last night by armed police.
The updates first appeared on twitter:
ChangshaNotes: RT @yuzhiquan: 石首新情况：隆酒店周围又围上了四五千人。永隆酒店又发现三具尸体！（消息来源以为当地的网友，前2天提供了不少实时信息，可信度还不错）现在只能半信半疑。 #石首#shishou#
It soon turned into two versions:
First, someone saw two corpses in the sewage, and they were later dragged out.
Second, a skeleton was seen inside the hotel.
It was publicly denied by local TV station. The government asked people not to be instigated by a small group of agitators, but revealed no details about the latest development and has given no explanation.
On 21, more than ten thousand armed police have reached the corpse and dispelled the crowd. The corpse was taken away for autopsy and the result will be revealed in 20 days. The dead’s families were asked to go talking with the local officials for an agreement of cremation as soon as possible. It was said that some of his families have agreed.
Another disputable issue is the dead’s last words written on a payment note.
The ‘testament’, which was a crucial evidence for the police to identify the death as suicide, states:
亲爱的爸爸妈妈：儿子在这里对你们说声不孝了，我也不知道我是怎么了好像有个阴影一直缠着我不放，可能这是我的命吧，我存的那点钱您们拿出用，就当是我对 您二老的一点小小补偿吧，儿子欠您们养育之恩再能来世再报了。还有哥，我们只能来世做兄弟了，爸爸妈妈就交给你们了，请原谅弟弟这样不辞而别。希望你好好 把事业做大。好了就这样吧。不孝儿子。。叩头。
But the testament was doubted to be faked. Blogger Chai Jing（十年砍柴）questioned that a man who has not even finished grade school has no way to write such a testament.
短短两百来字的遗书，不但字迹流利顺畅，且行文层次分明，逻辑谨严。有如一 件衙门公文，起承转合皆有。一个准文盲，快要自杀前还如此从容写出这样高水准的遗书？
But some of his families agreed that it was indeed his handwriting, though they suggested he might be forced to write down the note.
The battle and resistance has gone far beyond the Shishou town. The Chinese internet has been put in blackout. On Fnafou, the ‘Chinese twitter’, if you search for Shishou there returns no result. But the authority cannot take control of everything. The official website of Shishou government has been hacked soon after the crackdown, and the hackers even put up a bulletin board on the webpage that everyone can leave a comment there. The page has been screenshot.
According to the latest update, the twon has been quite again. But how long will it last is yet unknown.

author: Bob Chen


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China: The incomprehensible China and its difficult problems · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

ESWN translated Lipuman's blog post in response to FT's reader comment: Please try to understand China better. The blogger pointed out that it is difficult to comprehend China, even among Chinese.


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Ecuador: Everything Ready for BarCamp in Guayaquil · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Everything is ready for the next BarCamp in Guayaquil, Ecuador [es] that will take place on June 27. So far, there are more than 270 people registered for the event, writes Milton Ramírez.

author: Eduardo Avila


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Egypt: Play and put an end to Torture · Global Voices
Marwa Rakha

Against Torture in Egypt posted this game - designed by IRCT (The International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims) – on the occasion of the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture (June 26).

author: Marwa Rakha


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Egyptian Rap Song in support of Iran · Global Voices
Marwa Rakha

Urging Egyptian youth to fight against corruption, Wa7da Masreya posted an Egyptian rap song [EN & AR] in support of Iran.


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India Bans Maoist Organisation · Global Voices
Rezwan

Aaman Lamba at Desicritics reports that “India brought the CPI-Maoist, an extremist left wing group into the list of terrorist outfits banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act”.

author: Rezwan


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India: Queer Pride 2009 · Global Voices
Rezwan

Sanjukta at This Is My Truth informs that “India prepares for a never before celebration of Queer Pride with events and pride marches being planned in all of the 5 metros.”


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Indonesia: Disappointing Election Debate · Global Voices
Juke Carolina

Last Thursday June 18, 2009 some millions of Indonesian TV viewers fixed their eyes on their TV set for the nation's first ever presidential election debate. It was the only moment so far where the three Indonesian chief of state hopefuls — Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), Megawati Sokarnoputri (Mega), and Jusuf Kalla (JK) are reunited all in one forum.
The citizens applauded the idea of the political show which was aired by several TV stations, but many booed the program's execution.
Online, bloggers are in unison saying that the debate was a full blown disappointment.  Some believe that it was a key moment for the three candidates and their running mates, but unfortunately the candidates weren't seen to carry themselves well enough or to send out the proper messages that could increase their odds to become the president of the world's largest Muslim populated country.
Herman Saksono wrote an opinion about the debate in Politikana, an online community for politically-savvy Indonesians, saying that:
Walaupun saya berniat mereview konten debat capres tadi malam, tapi dengan segala maaf saya bener-benar tidak tahu berkata apa untuk Mega. Argumentasinya yang sama sekali tidak jelas, memunculkan keraguan apakah Ibu yang satu ini memiliki visi untuk negara ini.
SBY dan JK muncul sebagai pemenang malam itu, walaupun penampilan mereka tidak spektakuler. SBY menunjukkan kapabilitasnya sebagai seorang pemimpin yang melihat permasalahan secara makro, tetapi kurang mengeri permasalahan pada skala mikro. JK justru sebaliknya, ia seperti tidak paham konsep-konsep bernegara, tetapi juara ketika membahas isu-isu yang dekat dengan keseharian kita.
Keduanya memang seperti kombinasi yang ideal dan saling melengkapi. Tapi kita semua tahu kombinasi SBY-JK tidak akan bisa jalan mulus.
Eventhough I have no intention to review the content of the debate, but with all due respect I have no clue what to say about Mega. Her arguments are unclear, making us wondering whether the lady actually has a vision for this county.
SBY and JK were the winners of the night, despite their less than spectacular performances. SBY showed his capacities as a leader that oversee problems in macroscopic way, but he failed to show comprehension to solve the micro issues. JK on the other hand, knows so little about governance concepts, but he aced when it comes to the people's daily issues.
They're both are an ideal combination that compliments one another. But we all know that SBY-JK combination will not be smooth.
RJ Sulistyo wrote a post on Kompasiana, stating his disappointment about the highly anticipated debate.
Awalnya sangat ditunggu, tapi akhirnya mengecewakan. inilah komentar singkat tentang debat calon presiden putaran pertama tadi malam. Normatif, miskin gagasan segar, seragam dan tidak ada saling serang. Menjemukan.
[…]
Agar debat berlangsung menarik pertama-tama semua pihak harus punya gagasan yang berbeda. Tidak akan terjadi debat jika idenya sama dan seragam. Jika gagasannya sudah berbeda ketiganya harus saling serang. Ini penting untuk menguji sebuah gagasan apakah didasarkan pada argumen atau fakta yang menunjang atau tidak. Jika dilakuan ini bisa menguji kecerdasan dan juga mental calon presiden kita.
Ketika masalah alusista dan lumpur lapindo diangkat, Mega dan JK tidak menggunakan isue ini untuk menyerang SBY. JK kita maklum saja, posisinya sebagai wakil presiden dalam pemerintahan SBY tidak akan membuat dirinya mampu secara frontal menyerang gagasan SBY. Mega sesungguhnya punya peluang besar untuk menjatuhkan SBY. Peluang ini tidak dimanfaatkan secara optimal. Maka debat menjadi tidak seru, sekaligus tidak bermutu.
[…]
Kita maklum debat ini adalah tradisi baru. Para calon agaknya masih ragu-ragu untuk saling serang secara berhadap-hadapan dalam forum terbuka. Selama ini mereka sebenarnya sudah saling serang secara sengit tetapi tidak secara berhadap-hadapan. Pada posisi ini saya menilai semua calon telah menjadi pecundang tadi malam. Di depan orangnya bersikap manis-manis, tetapi diluar saling serang dengan pedas.
(The debate was) highly anticipated, but the result was disappointing. here are some short comment about the presidential candidates’ first round of debate. Normative, lacking fresh ideas, monotonous and they didn't attack one another. Boring.
[…]
To have an interesting debate, first of all they need to have different perspectives. There won't be any debate if they all have the same perspective. When their visions are different, then they should start criticizing each other. This is crucial to see if the idea is based on (a good) argument or strong facts or not. This way we can test the intelligence and mentality of our future president.
On Indonesia's main weapon  defense system (Alutsista) and Lapindo Mud flow (writer's note: read here for more info), Mega and JK didn't use these two issues to criticize SBY. If JK remained silent, we understood why, his position as Vice President in SBY's administration enables him to frontally criticize SBY's ideas. Mega had a huge opportunity to bring down SBY. The opportunity was not used well. That's why the debate was not at all exciting or even good in terms of quality.
[…]
We understand that the debate is a new tradition. The candidates are still hesitating to criticize frontally in front of an open forum. All these times they've been criticizing one another harshly but never face to face. In this position, I think everybody was a loser last night.  In front of the person (they  criticized), they're behaving nicely, but out there they criticize each other sharply.
Seno on his Life is too short to drink bad coffee blog said:
Saya berpikir debat capres putaran pertama akan berlangsung sengit karena dalam kampanye mereka selalu saling sindir, dan membuat suasana politik makin memanas. Ternyata tidak, Megawatiyang dalam pidato kampanye selalu menjadi oposisi, kali ini selalu mengiyakan apa yang dikatakan SBY dan JK.
[…]
Saya seperti mencari ketiak ular. Tidak ada perbedaan prinsip dan visi misi serta perbedaan cara mengatasi masalah-masalah yang dipertanyakan oleh moderator.
I though that the first round presidential debate will be very sharp because during their campaigns [id], they're mocking each other, heating up the political arena. But in fact no, Megawati [id] in her campaign speeches  always placed herself as the opposition, this time agreed to things that was said by SBY and JK.
[…]
I feel like I was searching the armpit of a snake. There were no principle differences,  objectives,  or alternative problem solving answers to questions asked by the moderator.
Teenlit author Sitta Karina Rachmidiharja express her opinion through twitter, saying:
The first presidential candidates’ last night was not “hot”…
Despite the poor review of the program, as Sitta Karina said, it was a good start for Indonesia, one of the world's youngest democratic countries.

author: Juke Carolina


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Iran: Suffering in Iran · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

An Iranian blogger writes in Namnam blog, how he was arrested in Shiraz when he participated in a protest demonstration. The blogger says he was beaten up and humilated by security forces for more than one hour.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Japan: On How to Perceive the Japanese Web (Part One) · Global Voices
Tomomi Sasaki

Reporter Yuka Okada from the Japanese tech news site ITmedia brandished her well-regarded interviewing skills for a one-on-one session with Mochio Umeda. The result was “The Japanese web is ‘disappointing': An interview with Mr. Mochio Umeda” Part One and Part Two [ja]. In reaction, the Japanese blogosphere had to give their two cents about Umeda, Hatena, and the Japanese web.
Part One of this article offers a summary of the interview with translated excerpts, focusing on the parts that were more heavily-referred to by bloggers. [Note: Due to copyright issues, the original Japanese text from the interview is not included.] Part Two will highlight some of the discussions in the blogosphere and Twittersphere.
Okada starts off by noting that Umeda hasn't written about the Japanese web recently, and asks if his interests have moved onto shogi, Japanese chess. Umeda replies that he is currently taking a sabbatical, having published seven books after “Web Shinkaron” (”Theory of Web Evolution”).
I'm not really a critic, even though some people think I am. I'm involved in the business operations of Hatena, and I'm the type of person that thinks as he acts. It might seem as though I look at things objectively, but my personal hopes and expectations are included in my writing. Suppose that the web has become a negative thing; I don't have the motivation to analyze it in the first place.
Asked how the two are different and what he means by ‘negative’, Umeda brings up a passage from the book “Webu wa baka to himajin no mono ウェブはバカと暇人のもの” (which literally translates to ‘The web belongs to idiots and people with too much time on their hands’) by Junichiro Nakagawa, editor of Ameba News. Nakagawa claims that Umeda interprets what the web is like for smart people and that his book is for regular people and idiots. Umeda states that this categorization is not unreasonable.
Okada asks if the English web is ‘better’ than the Japanese web or if it's a matter of like/dislike. Umeda concedes that personal preference does influence his stance, but objectively speaking, there is no question that there is a difference between the two. The Japanese web has not become part of the infrastructure for life or for self-improvement.
There is a fifteen second silence as Okada asks for examples on the ‘bad things’ about the Japanese web.
Umeda is in a complicated position because he's a board member of Hatena Co., Ltd, which runs a Japanese bookmarking and blogging service with over a million users. Broadcasting negative opinions about the Japanese web invites comments like “Are you criticizing your own users?”.
Readers will say “People talk like that because Hatena's system is structured that way” and to fix things first.
I understand that. I'm working with Kondo (founder and CEO of Hatena) and everyone at the company to improve Hatena. I understand now that I just can't say what I think because I really like Hatena.
The topic moves onto the ‘good’ parts of the web and what the Japanese web should strive for. Umeda brings up a concept that he covered in Web Shinkaron; so-hyogen shakai (総表現社会), which describes a society where self-expression is not restricted to the intellectuals and artistic elite but encouraged from all.
For the most part, there isn't much incentive for people like this in the Japanese Internet space. The lineup of ‘alpha bloggers’ hasn't really changed beyond the group of people that came into prominence in the initial stages, has it? We haven't had the kind of progress where the talent pool multiplies by the thousands to create a solid wall of talent. The Japanese web hasn't been able to fully leverage its skills.
Umeda refers to the open-sourced translation projects of his shogi book as one example of online collaborative work with exciting possibilities. Okada brings up Nico Nico Douga, where users contribute music and video to each other's works.
There's a part of me that's disappointed at the reality in Japan: the Internet, which amplifies outstanding skills, is hardly used beyond subculture and the ‘higher ups’ are in hiding. There is a very large difference with the English web in this area, and it's highlighted to my eyes.
On Hatena founder and CEO Junya Kondo, who, against Umeda's advice, started a subsidiary for Hatena in Silicon Valley in 2006. Kondo returned to Japan after a few years, having failed to build a user base.
I can usually tell [how it is] with people, which is why I don't feel that they need my support. However, Kondo is different. He's the only one that can surprise me on a constant basis. I can't say anything outrageous because he hasn't had a breakthrough yet, but he requires time to throughly accept things and this is the reason that I believe he is the kind of person who will achieves breakthroughs.
Umeda talks about how his readiness to ‘jump onto’ anything that sparks his interest is his first priority in life, which led to his foray into the world of shogi. He runs his consulting company, Muse Associates, in a way that it can be closed within a year if necessary, which might have happened if Kondo had, against his expectations, achieved great success in Silicon Valley.
The web is and always will be a cutting-edge tool for self-experimentation for me. I will keep writing with the web as my theme, but I'm not sure whether it will turn out to be something that can be called a critique.
Part Two will be posted next week. Meanwhile, here are some previous posts that offer insights to Umeda and the influence that he has on the Japanese web:
[Note: This is an unauthorized translation of the original interview in Japanese, reproduced under the terms of fair use. The article will be removed if the publisher so requests.]

author: Tomomi Sasaki


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Jordan: MPs Drafting a Law which requires Website Passwords  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

A new electronic sites law is being reviewed and drafted by the Jordanian Parliament which requires website administrators to provide their site's passwords to the government's Printing and Publication Directorate. In case the admins refuse, says the draft, the sites will be closed down by the concerned authorities. Blogger Osama Romoh reacts to the news in this post [Ar].
Exasperated with the news, Romoh sarcastically writes:
Using logic, he argues:
Turning to readers and commentators, Romoh notes:
The blogger adds:
Romoh then appeals to the MPs to guard his country's reputation in the eyes of the international community and spare Jordan further embarrassment:

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Kazakhstan: Bureaucracy, diplomacy and personality cult · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Bloggers keep on commenting political situation in Kazakhstan. megakhuimyak reports that according to the new presidential decree, the Financial Police has got extra authority, informers against corrupt officials will be awarded, the civil servants’ property and income will be monitored [ru]:
The bad thing is that now officials will stop working and making decisions at all, being too scared.
Dojdlivoe-leto informs that the largest coal mining enterprise, which forms the city economy in Ekibastuz (Eastern Kazakhstan), will be closed until autumn, and more than one thousand men and women will be left without work and salary for several months. Pribaltkz from the neighboring city of Karaganda continues studying reports of state purchases and finding oddities [ru]:
Gynaecologist center buys petrol saw and axes. I also remember how a tender for holding of Ukrainian Culture Days in Kazakhstan was won by the Tatar culture center!
Neruad is indignant at inertness of the authorities concerning the detention of Kazakh citizens in Uzbekistan [ru]:
Only two months after arrest our authorities showed interest in the fate of 27 citizens of Kazakhstan. Foreign Ministry makes lame attempts to look into the case, official media veil the incident, while relatives of the detained are almost nervously exhausted due to inactivity of the state bodies.
Katelka is surprised by her own increased politization [ru]:
I read Kazakhstani news. Earlier I could do that only twice a year. Now I do it on a daily basis, but still, I trust more to bloggers.
Meanwhile, thousand-pa reflects on a new turn in the personality cult building. The ruling party “Nur-Otan” will suggest naming the international airport of Astana after Nursultan Nazarbayev [ru]:
I think it's a bit early to name an airport after the incumbent president. They provide a number of examples of “nominative” airports – but they all were named after late personalities…
Also posted on neweurasia.net

author: Adil Nurmakov


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Malawi: Reactions to Madonna’s adoption of Chifundo · Global Voices
Victor Kaonga

For some who never knew Malawi, they have gotten to hear about the country in Africa purely because of Madonna whose full name is not known to many.
It appears that the generally many Malawians are happy that the Madonna is able to adopt needy children from Malawi in spite of the fears of what this trend may create.
When she first appeared in Malawi to adopt David Banda in 2006, there were mixed reactions. When the debate over her adoption finally died down, rumors started appearing that the pop star was actually dating Malawi to pick another child: this time a girl Chifundo (Mercy) James.
Blogger Rex Chikoko reported that however the journey seemed a bit tough this time as the High Court Judge Esme Chombo said that according to Malawi's intercountry adoption laws, Madonna could not take the child as she had not resided in Malawi for about 18 months. However, an appeal to Supreme Court saw Chifundo get mercy on the basis that residence in modern day world can be anywhere and someone can have more than one residence.
Reactions have been many and many continue debating and discussing what will become of Malawi with such a Supreme Court ruling.
Meanwhile Chifundo has arrived in London.
Madonna's new daughter has flown out of her native Malawi on a private jet headed for London, an airport employee and a person familiar with Madonna's adoption proceedings in this southern African country said Saturday.
The airport employee, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter, said 3-year-old Chifundo “Mercy” James left late Friday headed to London, with a stop in neighboring South Africa. The girl, the second child Madonna has adopted from Malawi, was reportedly accompanied on the flight by a nanny, a child nurse and a third aide.
A jounalist and regular blogger Kondwani Munthali while writing about the Madonna, was angered by an article in The Gurdian by one Jacques Peretti , which mocks Malawi and another in the Mirror which claims Madonna bribed Malawians with US$19 million to get the child. Sick and very sick reports.
Mr. Peretti when he comes back to Malawi we will take him back to our schools of Journalism that he can learn to report “facts” and not his own creations as he has done. He claims there is a mass grave in Malawi which we bury three babies everyday, my foot.
Munthali says that he wrote his post merely to put the record straight about Madonna's latest adoption.
Given the context of the debate, another blogger, Ndagha stated that he could not understand why Madonna was granted the second child.
Some Malawians have equate Madonna to ‘Ma Donor’ meaning she is a donor of funds to the Malawian people especially the lucky few children are under her Malawi Raising Project.
It has to be pointed out that there are more reactions that are not documented in Malawi on Madonna's adoption of children.
While reactions are many, what remains in the mind of Malawians is whether Madonna or other celebrities will not get to Malawi to adopt more children based on the precedent set by the Supreme Court of Malawi ruling.

author: Victor Kaonga


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Martinique, Guadeloupe: Sarkozy Visit · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Repeating Islands notes that French President Nicolas Sarkozy is scheduled to make a trip to Martinique and Guadeloupe later this week “to address overseas ‘issues’ after the general strikes” that took place in the French Overseas Territories earlier this year.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Metropolis TV and Hivos: Independent People Videos · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

Metropolis TV is a Hivos and VPRO TV project based in the Netherlands, which brings together film-makers and civil video journalists from all over the world to record and transmit different aspects of life and culture in their homeland. Following, a few videos selected and played on the Netherlands TV station VPRO forWorld Humanist Day around a specific subject: to recognize individuals who live under the ideal of independence and being in control of their own lives.
This first video is about Sopiato, a young woman in Kenya who is currently an outcast because she decided to refuse going under the knife for female genital cutting. Correspondent Makena visits her and get the story:
This next video shows Bercam, a 15 year old Kurdish activist in Turkey who stands up for the rights or the Kurdish minority, supporting their freedom, equality,  brotherhood and freedom of religion. He explains how Kurdish people in Turkey are rejected for speaking or listening to music in their language.
This video shows Jiang, a Chinese activist who tries to raise awareness regarding pollution and the environment. He tells of how he saw a documentary on a 100 year old turtle who died from eating plastic bags: he sold his restaurant and started on his tour around the country to protest contamination. He goes from town to town telling people to take care of the environment. Some people believe he is crazy for doing this, others believe that it is a worthy cause; in spite of his loneliness, he continues to travel around, putting environmental protection before his own wants and needs.
Watch more of their selected videos for the World Humanism Day on the Metropolis TV site . Their videos are separated by monthly episodes composed of videos from around the world responding to a specific theme.  You can also collaborate with them: They have a way for people to produce videos to appear on their site,  if they are featured or it makes it to the TV programming, you will get paid for your work.

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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Nepal: The Future Of The Madhesi Movement · Global Voices
Rezwan

Democracy For Nepal discusses the future of the Madhesi movement in Nepal.


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Pakistan: Cricket On Twitter Trending · Global Voices
Rezwan

Teeth Maestro reports that some Pakistani bloggers launched an e-rally using Twitter in support of  their national Team in the Twenty20 World Cup Final. The result was evident as #PakCricket appeared at no. 8 on Twitter trending as Pakistanis followed the game and celebrated their victory over Sri Lanka.


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Palestine: Ten Reasons Settlers Should Go · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

Joy in Palestine continues her list of why the illegal settlers of the Havot Ma’on outpost and Ma’on settlement in the West Bank south of Hebron must leave; in this post she gives reason number three.

author: Ayesha Saldanha