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Hong Kongers Snap Protest Selfies With Government’s Palace Museum Project ‘Exhibition’ · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Protesters mimicked the 1989 student democracy protests in Beijing in front of the Palace Museum Exhibition. Photo by Hong Kong Free Press's Melissa Maize. Permission to use.
If you are in Hong Kong now, you will see some huge posters at the central metro station displaying an image of the “Forbidden City,” home to the Beijing Palace Museum. You may consider taking a selfie in front of it. Some Hong Kongers did over the past weekend, but theirs weren't just any ordinary selfies — they included small gestures of protest against the message behind the advertisement.
The campaign, or “exhibition”, as it is referred to by the Hong Kong government, is aimed at convincing the public that they should be proud of the Palace Museum construction project in Hong Kong's West Kowloon Cultural District, which has cost the government HK $1,580,000, or US $200,000.
The controversial project, which did not go through a process of public consultation, was announced by the government’s Chief Secretary, Carrie Lam, on December 23, 2016. Lam disclosed that the idea came from a “chat” with related authorities in Beijing (Hong Kong is a special administrative region of the mainland) back in September 2015.
To make sure the construction would not be disrupted, rather than go through the Legislative Council for approval of the new project budget, Lam, who is also the chairperson of the Board of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority (WKCDA), successfully secured a HK $3.5 billion donation from the Hong Kong Jockey Club.
Things came to a head when an investigative platform discovered that the WKCDA had engaged Rocco Yim, a well-known architect, for drawing initial museum designs as early as June 2016, without going through public tender. Lam only delivered project briefings to other WKCDA board members months later, in October and November 2016.
The concept of the West Kowloon Cultural District came about in 1998; since then, decisions about the development of the district have been conducted in an open and transparent manner through public calls for proposal, design competitions and public consultations. The WKCDA is a government-funded authority, established in 2008 under the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority Ordinance, which clearly states that:
…the Authority shall, in relation to matters concerning the development or operation of arts and cultural facilities, related facilities, ancillary facilities and any other matters as the Authority considers fit, consult the public at such time and in such manner as it considers appropriate.
While Carrie Lam argued the project involves “sensitive information” and hence could not be disclosed to the public, concerned citizens decided to bring the case to the court for judicial review.
Amidst controversy, the government continued to promote the project by spending HK $3.8 million on a weekend television series, “In Touch with Palace Museum”, and HK $1.58 million on a huge poster advertisement in the central metro station to promote the series. The government later argued that the posters in the metro station were ‘exhibitions’ rather than advertisements.
Since Carrie Lam is a potential candidate running in the election for chief executive (the city's top leader) this May, the Palace Project is considered part of her election campaign, through which she demonstrates her patriotism and ability to govern the city.
As the poster display has literally brought “The Forbidden City” — a place that symbolizes China’s imperial ruling style and reminds people of the crackdown on student-led pro-democracy protests of 1989 — to Hong Kong, some Hong Kongers decided to create mini acts of resistance in front of the exhibition, and shared their selfies on social media.
In the past few days, inside Hong Kong's Facebook circle, you can see a tank running through “The Forbidden City”:
Viral photo on Facebook: Tank running through “The Forbidden City” at Hong Kong's central metro station.
Some protesters displayed slogans:
“Vindicate the 1989 democratic movement, hold those who ordered the massacre accountable.” Via Facebook user Wai Hung Chow.
Other held replicas of the Statue of Democracy in front of “The Forbidden City”:
Image via Facebook user Wai Hung Chow
The political group Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements picked up the citizenry's initiative and further hacked the exhibition. On January 9, 2017, it mimicked the protest scene back in 1989 by shouting slogans calling for the release of political prisoners, including Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Liu Xiaobo:
In a rather typical reaction to the protest, one reader on the Hong Kong Free Press's report comment thread noted:
Oops, what [was] originally meant to be a platform for the CE [Chief Executive] throne is now turned into a new venue for protests. What a creative piece of crap! A new mess to clean up for lame Lam.

author: Oiwan Lam


text:
In Niger and Worldwide, a Legendary Surgeon and Humanitarian Is Mourned · Global Voices
Rakotomalala

Professeur Jean-Marie Servant, photo courtesy of Adel Laoufi via Facebook.
Professor Jean-Marie Servant, a specialist in reconstructive plastic surgery, lost his long fight against leukemia on Dec. 29, 2016. Servant was regarded worldwide as an expert in his field, however his humanitarian work in Africa in collaboration with Doctors of the World was just as important, if less well known. A celebration of his life and commemoration of his work was held on Jan. 5 in Père-Lachaise's dome hall crematorium.
Reconstructive surgery makes up a large part of public health in Niger, where children often fall victim to complications caused by poor sanitary conditions and unsafe surroundings, sometimes requiring quite drastic plastic surgery:
Les enfants gravement brûlés sont malheureusement nombreux. Les «cuisines» des familles se composent généralement d’un simple feu de bois, où est posé le chaudron qui va servir de récipient pour préparer le repas familial. Souvent les enfants jouent autour du feu sans surveillance. Un coup de vent, un enfant trop près du feu, le pagne qui s'enflamme
The number of children who are seriously burned is unfortunately high. Family “kitchens” generally consist of a stack of firewood with a pot on top that is used to prepare and serve family meals. Children are often left near the fire unattended, meaning the slightest incident, a slight gust of wind for instance, can lead to the child's clothes catching on fire.
Servant came to the Niamey National Hospital not only to provide care to children suffering from serious burns, but also to train resident medical students in reconstructive surgery techniques. And his humanitarian work didn't stop there.
Servant with a patient in Niger. Photo courtesy of Issa Hamady via Facebook.
In an interview with the magazine Pharmaceutiques, a French language pharmaceuticals magazine, Servant explained his work in Niger in detail:
Nous essayons d’opérer essentiellement des enfants souffrant de malformations faciales (le Noma, notamment) pouvant être congénitales (bec de lièvre…) et laissant des séquelles esthétiques et fonctionnelles majeures. Les patients sont triés sur place, soit par des chirurgiens de Niamey. En général, nous recevons les photos via Internet, en France, une semaine avant le début de la mission. Si 80 % de nos interventions concernent des malformations faciales, nous opérons aussi les brûlés et les personnes atteintes de tumeurs. Par ailleurs, nous formons aussi des chirurgiens africains afin qu’ils puissent prendre le relais. Médecins du monde mène des actions au Niger, à Madagascar et au Vietnam. C’est elle qui finance, grâce aux donc, toutes les missions humanitaires de chirurgie réparatrice.  Nous nous rendons à l’hôpital national de Niamey de deux à quatre fois par an. Un chirurgien bien entraîné peut opérer une trentaine de personnes. Lorsque nous sommes deux sur place, nous pouvons en opérer une cinquantaine.
We essentially try to operate on children suffering from facial malformations (Noma gangrene, in particular) and congenital conditions, such as cleft palate. Our aim is to reconstruct the affected area and to reintroduce the mouth's major functions. The patients are usually diagnosed and categorised on location, normally by the surgeons at Niamey. We generally receive photos of the patients in France one week before we are scheduled to start work in Africa. While roughly 80 percent of our cases, we do also treat burn patients and patients with tumors. We also train the local surgeons, so that they are able to treat patients in these cases independently. Doctors of the World works in Niger, Madagascar, and Vietnam. It is thanks to funding from the organization that all of this humanitarian work is possible. We work at Niamey National Hospital between two and four times per year. A well trained surgeon can treat roughly 30 patients. Since there are always two of us on site, we can treat roughly fifty.
Servant took on a number of students as part of his work, one of whom was Nigerien surgeon Issa Hamady, who learned how to treat Noma gangrene effectively by working at Servant's side. Hamady recently reflected on what the late professor and his work means to him:
Un grand maître, un père aimant et attentionné pour moi, un homme au cœur énorme nous a quitté.
On ne pourra jamais dire assez les mérites, les prouesses de ce monsieur, son amour pour le travail bien fait.
Les centaines de patients atteints de Noma notamment, dont la vie a radicalement changé grâce à lui, tous ceux à qui il a transmis la fibre de la chirurgie réparatrice n'oublierons jamais.
Que son âme repose en paix
A great mentor, a loving and attentive father figure, and a man with an enormous heart has left us.
Enough could never be said about this great man's achievements, prowess, and passion for his work.
Neither his hundreds of Noma patients, whose lives have changed dramatically thanks to him, nor those he taught the essence and complexities of reconstructive surgery, will ever forget him.
May his soul Rest in Peace.
Colleagues and close friends from around the world remember an exceptional surgeon and a brilliant man with integrity, whose generosity and kindness were unparalleled. Born in 1947, Jean-Marie Servant became the head of reconstructive plastic surgery at Saint Louis hospital in Paris in November 1995, where he worked for 15 years. In the early years of his career, he completed his internship at various hospitals around Paris, and then began his residency in Showa hospital in Tokyo, where he later became clinic director.
Dr. Adel Laoufi worked with Servant as clinic director during Servant's time at Saint Louis hospital. This is Laoufi's written homage to the late professor:
2016 a emporté beaucoup d'étoiles . Mais c'est ce 29 décembre que j'apprends ce qui est pour moi la plus triste disparition.  Difficile de décrire en quelques lignes ces heures passées ensemble au bloc opératoire. Je garde l'image de cette patiente de 80 ans , “inopérable” que nous avions opérés ensemble, en urgence , à cette même période de l'année , entre Noël et le jour de l'An d'une tumeur complexe et étendue de la face , avec reconstruction complète de la paupière . Des heures de travail complexe et minutieux où il m'a guidé et qui ont permis à cette patiente de profiter des années de plus de ses enfants et petits enfants. Jean Marie avait cette attitude paternelle qui faisait de lui un homme touchant et attachant , en même temps qu'il inspirait un immense respect par son génie chirurgical. J'ai eu la chance de le revoir il y a quelques mois avec mes amis et collègues Gregory Staub et Christelle Santini , autour d'un café , où il nous évoquait sa passion pour l'Art Africain.
2016 has taken many stars from us. However, for me Dec. 29 marks the saddest of these losses. It's difficult to describe in so few lines all those hours we spent together in the operating room. I will always remember the image of the supposedly “inoperable” 80-year-old patient, on whom we operated together for countless hours between Christmas and the New Year to remove a complex facial tumor, and subsequently to reconstruct the patient's entire eyelid. The hours and hours of complex and meticulous work were what allowed the patient to spend a few more years with their children and grandchildren. Jean Marie had a very nurturing personality, which made him a personable and caring man. You also had to respect his surgical genius immensely. I was lucky enough to be able to see him again a few months ago with my friends and colleagues Gregory Staub and Christelle Santini in a café, where he told us of his passion for African art.
Dr. Bachir Athmani also shared his thoughts and feelings:
Jean Marie
tu étais un homme de bien
• Un homme droit et juste, mais non raide et inflexible ; tu savais te plier mais pas te courber.
• Tu aimais les hommes et tu savais les connaître.
• grâce à la mémoire de tes élèves tu es rentré dans la longévité
Jean Marie You were a good man;
• An honorable and fair man, but not inflexible. You knew how to bend but not break;
• You loved people;
• and you will always be remembered by your loving students.
In an open letter, Malagasy doctor M. Rakotomalala offered a final farewell to his old friend:
Je pense que tu n'aurais pas aimé ce que je m'apprête à faire. Parler de toi, te rendre hommage, dire que je suis déraisonnablement triste, après l'annonce de ta mort que tu m'avais pourtant maintes fois prédite.
Mais je vais le faire quand même  parce que tout au long de nos 20 d'amitié, je n'ai pas toujours fait selon tes  indications.
Comme ce jour où après m'avoir ôté une tumeur qui s'annonçait maligne, tu me vois quitter ton service pour un voyage outre atlantique pour assister à la remise de diplômes de mes enfants.Le projet était fou, mais j'étais libre, de prendre ce risque inconsidéré , libre de vivre, libre de mourir.  “Tu fais comme tu veux” m'avais-tu dit. Il n'y avait déjà plus de colère dans ta voix.
En fait, tu respectais dans mon geste, ce qui a dirigé ta vie: le libre arbitre, l'oubli de soi, la passion des autres. Et la force monstrueuse d'en supporter les conséquences.
Les longues missions de chirurgie réparatrice au Niger après avoir survécu à un pontage coronarien. Participer au baptême de ma petite fille aidé d'une cane, fragilisé par une convalescence incertaine, dans le vacarme et l'euphorie de nos reunions familiales. Venir nous rendre visite après son accident une semaine après, alors que tu pouvais à peine parler ni marcher.
Il y avait aussi ce coq au vin du bistrot Mazarine, après l'annonce de ta leucémie. Ces cigarettes fumées et ces cafés très serrés, contre toute indication. Je te disais d'arrêter et tu me répondais avec un petit sourire, qui en disait long sur le souci que tu te faisais de ta propre personne.
Lorsque nous nous sommes rencontrés au Niger en 91, tu te disais sursitaire depuis 6 ans. Et d'accident grave en opération miraculeuse, tu nous as donné 20 ans d'une amitié solide comme un roc, réparé avec tes mains d'orfèvre nos corps accidentées et baladé ton cœur immense dans nos vies piteuses et héroïques.
Surdoué, désintéressé, libre. Un géant.
Adieu, mon ami.
Au revoir, Jean-Marie.
I know you wouldn't have wanted me to write this letter: to speak of you, to pay you homage, to say that I am inconsolably sad after the announcement of your death that you predicted countless times. But I'm going to do so anyway because, throughout our 20 years of friendship, I haven't always done what you told me to.
Just like the day when, right after you'd removed my malign tumor, you watched me travel across the Atlantic to attend my students’ graduation ceremony. The idea was crazy, but I was free. Free to take such an inconsiderate risk, free of life, free of death. “Do what you want.” These were the words you said to me, but there was no hint of anger in your voice. In fact, you actually respected my choice.
This was the driving force of your life: not to judge others, forgetting your own wants and needs, and the passion of others. More importantly, you always knew that it was important to accept the consequences of your actions. The long reconstructive surgery missions in Niger after you'd undergone a coronary bypass. Attending my daughter's baptism, supported only by a cane and facing an uncertain recovery, amidst the row and euphoria of our family gathering. Coming to visit us after her accident a week later, even though you could hardly walk or speak.
There was also Bistrot Mazarine's coq au vin, after you'd just found out that you had leukaemia. All those cigarettes and coffees your drank, against all advice. I told you to stop and you replied with a little smile, which told of how little consideration you had for your own well being.
When we first met in Niger in 1991, you'd already been working there for six years. And by either accident or a miracle, you gave us 20 years of beautiful friendship, fixed our broken bodies with your hands of a master craftsman, and brought your immense heart into our pitiable and heroic lives.
Gifted, selfless, free. You were a giant among men. Farewell, my friend. Goodbye, Jean-Marie.
Writing on Facebook in fewer but no less poignant words, Borhane Belkhiria summarized the memory that will remain with Jean-Marie Servant's family and loved ones: “Geniuses are comets, destined to burn in order to make our generation a little brighter.”

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Rakotomalala


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In Venezuela, a Conductor’s Lack of Political Opinion Hits a Sour Note in Some Circles · Global Voices
Laura Vidal

Gustavo Dudamel. Image taken from Wikimedia Commons, of the Public Domain.
Can art really be apolitical? Many from Venezuelan social media claim that these two elements cannot be divided. The political conflict in Venezuela also branches out into the world of the arts and its representatives. Among the discussions surrounding what is democratic, moral and civil, a vision about the duties of the artists within the division that defines contemporary Venezuela has also crept in. And it is from this discussion that Gustavo Dudamel, the internationally renowned orchestra conductor, has received criticism from those who oppose Chavism.
Dudamel rose to fame and appreciation inside and outside of the country not only for his artistic reputation, but also for the social project known as El Sistema. This project, which has inspired several replicas in a number of countries, seeks to give young people and disadvantaged children the growth opportunities that music studies afford.
However, the support that the main representatives of El Sistema and its orchestras have exchanged with the government of Chávez and Nicolás Maduro have made him the target of harsh attacks from the public and other artists. That is what pianist Gabriela Montero, herself an international success, expressed; she has made declarations, been involved in concerts and composed pieces that highlight human rights violations in Venezuela, and the economic and social crisis that has worsened in recent years.
This dispute is not new, but has been reignited on social media over the last few days. Gabriela Montero had already written an open letter condemning Dudamel's links with Nicolás Maduro's government in 2014. However, it is because of the end-of-year concert in Vienna that posts have been shared on Venezuelan social media in recent days strongly condemning the “apolitical” position that Dudamel insists on when he is asked about the situation in his country. Toto Aguerreve responded to this through the local newspaper, “El Impulso”:
Nadie puede realmente levantar una batuta de esperanza cuando su música es escuchada en cadena nacional y creer que eso es libertad. Nadie que produzca una nota tan espectacular puede pretender que su silencio sea opacado. ‘No confundan mi falta de postura política con falta de compasión o ideales’, dice al final de su texto. No creo que sea falta de compasión o ideales. Con toda sinceridad, yo creo que más bien es falta de bolas.
No one can really raise a baton of hope when his music is being listened to on national television and believe that this is freedom. No one who produces such a spectacular score can expect his silence to be overshadowed. ‘Do not confuse my lack of a political stance with a lack of compassion or ideals’, he says at the end of his text. I don't think that it is a lack of compassion or ideals. With all sincerity, I think it's more likely a lack of guts.
And in the same way, these were added on social media:
Mientras @GustavoDudamel prefiera no hablar de Venezuela, yo optaré por no oír a Dudamel. A este joven la fama lo está llevando al infierno. pic.twitter.com/eGCEkSxdho
— Pedro Mario Burelli (@pburelli) January 4, 2017
In the image: The child says, ‘There's no medicine, no food.’ Dudamel says, ‘This music is not letting me hear anything.’ In the tweet: Gustavo Dudamel prefers not to talk about Venezuela, I'll choose not to listen to Dudamel. Fame is leading this young man to damnation.
Cientos de presos por opinar y Dudamel dice que no tiene opinión sobre quienes están presos por opinión
— Roman Duque (@romanjoseduque) January 5, 2017
Hundreds of prisoners for expressing an opinion and Dudamel says that he doesn't have an opinion about those who are prisoners for having an opinion.
Other impressions have been shared trying to analyse the criticism and the situation. From the website Prodavinci, Fernando Mires takes a trip through other historic scenarios in which intellectuals and artists took a stance in situations of political division, and underlined the background of much of the debate and criticism against Dudamel:
Adonde vaya Dudamel será visto como embajador artístico, no de un gobierno, sino de una nación. Gracias a Dudamel muchos amantes de la música se han enterado de que Venezuela no solo produce petróleo, reinas de belleza y militares corruptos. Quieran o no, los venezolanos, no solo los chavistas, tienen una deuda con Gustavo Dudamel.
Wherever Dudamel goes, he will be seen as an artistic ambassador, not of a government, but of a nation. Thanks to Dudamel many music lovers have learned that Venezuela does not only produce oil, beauty queens and corrupt servicemen. Whether they like it or not, the Venezuelans, not just Chávez supporters, are indebted to Gustavo Dudamel.
He continues:
[…] Hay también grandes músicos que como ciudadanos toman opciones políticas y en algunas ocasiones ponen sus talentos al servicio de una causa […] Es su derecho, pero no es su obligación. Del mismo modo, la venezolana Gabriela Montero, pianista de reconocimiento internacional, ha llegado a componer piezas musicales a favor de una Venezuela democrática. […] Y mientras alguien cumpla con las leyes y normas de un derecho universal que garantiza tanto la libertad de opinión como la libertad de no opinar, ni Montero ni Dudamel pueden ser objetados.
El autor de estas líneas comparte la opción política de Montero y a la vez acepta la opción de Dudamel. Pues compartir y aceptar son cosas diferentes. No hay ley moral o jurídica que obligue a los artistas a tomar o a no tomar decisiones políticas. Gracias a Dios. De ahí mi absoluta incomprensión frente a esos sectores afiebrados de la opinión pública venezolana que, al enjuiciar a Dudamel, se dejan regir por el lema totalitario: ‘O estás a favor o en contra de nosotros.’ En nombre de su oposición al chavismo esos sectores han hecho suya la lógica del chavismo.
[…] There are also great musicians who as citizens take political stances and in certain cases put their talents to the service of a cause […] It is his right, but not his obligation. In the same way, the Venezuelan Gabriela Montero, internationally recognised pianist, has come to compose musical pieces in favour of a democratic Venezuela . […] And while someone abides by laws and regulations of a universal right that guarantees the freedom of expressing an opinion just as much as the freedom of not expressing an opinion, neither Montero nor Dudamel can be contested.
The author of these lines shares the political stance of Montero and at the same time accepts the stance of Dudamel. For sharing and accepting are two different things. There is no moral law or legislation that compels artists to make or not to make political decisions. Thank the Lord. Hence my absolute lack of understanding faced with these feverish sectors of Venezuelan public opinion that, by prosecuting Dudamel, let themselves be governed by the totalitarian motto: ‘You're either with us or against us.’ For the sake of their opposition to Chavism, these sectors have aligned themselves with Chavism logic.

author: Laura Vidal


text:
‘Most Efficient Trial in History’ Fines Serbian Magazine for Defamation of Interior Minister · Global Voices
Filip Stojanovski

An illustration from a tweet by anti-corruption initiative “Don't Drown Belgrade” sums up the case of defamation verdict against NIN magazine. “Verdict: NIN to pay 300,000 dinars to Stefanović: The revenge of the Phantoms. For eight months, the prosecutors keep silent about the demolition and the cover-up in Savamala, while the journalists writing about accountability of competent authorities receive a sentence in record time of only 30 days.”
A Belgrade court has ordered respected news magazine NIN to pay a fine for “defaming” the country's Interior Minister Nebojša Stefanović when it accused him of having a hand in a local demolition scandal.
NIN, an acronym for “Nedeljne informativne novine” (Weekly Informative Newspaper), gained a reputation as one of the most influential news magazines in Yugoslavia during the 1970s and 1980s. It presents commentary and opinion pieces by leading intellectuals, combined with news reporting and other articles.
The trial against NIN consisted of only one hearing, on November 29, 2016, and the court ruled in favor of Stefanović on December 30. Regional news broadcaster N1 TV was one of the first to provide a report on the decision, editorializing that the trial was “the most efficient in history”:
Suđenje po tužbi ministra Nebojše Stefanovića protiv NIN-a jedno je od najefikasnijih jer je trajalo svega jedan dan. Viši sud u Beogradu odlučio je da su urednik tog nedeljnika Milan Ćulibrk i novinarka Sandra Petrušić povredili profesionalni ugled i čast ministra policije, a prvostepenom presudom kažnjeni su novčanom kaznom od 300.000 dinara.
The trial resulting from the lawsuit by Government Minister Nebojša Stefanović against NIN was one of the most efficient trials, because it lasted only one day. The Belgrade Higher Court decided that the magazine's editor, Milan Ćulibrk, and journalist Sandra Petrušić hurt the professional reputation and the honor of the interior minister, and the first instance verdict imposed a fine of 300,000 dinars [2,559 US dollars].
The lawsuit stemmed from a NIN story about Stefanović's alleged complicity in the so-called Savamala affair. In April 2016, a group of masked persons used heavy machinery to illegally demolish several buildings in Belgrade's historic district of Savamala, in what the claimant argued was an effort to enable construction of the controversial government “Belgrade Waterfront” project. Police failed to intervene at the time, and as of January 2017, Serbian authorities have not solved the case.
The perpetrators of the Savamala demolition wore balaclava ski masks, which in Serbian are known as “fantomke” (phantom masks), related to the masked comic strip character The Phantom, which is popular across former Yugoslav states. Since the news of the illegal demolition broke, the media in Serbia have referred to those who were involved in the affair and its aftermath as “the Phantoms.”
In May 2016, a witness in the case — a night guard who had been held captive by the perpetrators while they carried out the demolition and was then released — died from heart failure. In June, Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić made an unfulfilled promise that “in seven to ten days the truth will come out,” placing the blame on local government.
Urađeno je nešto loše, što je kriminalno i što ne bi smelo da se ponovi i iza toga stoje najviši organi gradske vlasti u Beogradu i oni će snositi i krivično pravnu i prekršajnu i svaku drugu vrstu odgovornosti.
Something bad was done, a criminal act which must not be repeated. The highest organs of Belgrade city government are behind it, and they will bear all kinds of legal responsibility for it.
On June 16, NIN magazine published a cover story by journalist Sandra Petrušić with the title “Nebojša Stefanović, the chief phantom of Savamala.” The accompanying text read:
Рушење у Савамали укључивало је више различитих структура: државне и недржавне и више нивоа власти по вертикали. Отуда је одговорност градског врха неспорна. Једино што није довољна. Јер такав посао није био могућ без знања и помоћи министра полиције.
The demolition in Savamala included a number of different entities: state and non-state actors, and several levels of government moving upward. Therefore the responsibility of top city officials is undeniable. However, that is not enough. Such a job was not possible without the knowledge and the assistance of the interior minister.
In reaction to the ruling against NIN, former journalist and current lawyer Ivan Ninić commented:
U svojoj kratkoj praksi nisam video, a ni čuo, da je neko dobio astronomsku odštetu od 300.000 rsd zbog povrede ugleda i časti u medijima! https://t.co/Nvn7ppMseJ
— Ivan Ninić (@INinic) January 4, 2017
During my short practice I haven't seen or heard someone getting awarded astronomical damages of 300,000 dinars for violation of reputation and honor in the media!
In his tweet, Ninić linked to an editorial by NIN editor-in-chief Milan Ćulibrk titled, “In the Name of the People: Karić Released, NIN Sentenced,” which criticized the Serbian judiciary by contrasting the defamation verdict with the canceling of an investigation into the allegedly corrupt dealings of Serbian business tycoon Milan Karić. Ćulibrk vowed that NIN will continue to seek the truth about the Savamala case and demand accountability from all responsible parties.
Film director Srdjan Dragojević made an ironic comment via Twitter, which made him a target of “bots” that promote the opinions of the ruling party:
Vidis ti kako Sudstvo moze da radi – kad mu se naredi.
— Srdjan Dragojevic (@srdjandrago) January 4, 2017
You see how the judiciary can work – when they get the order.
According to the European Union's 2016 country report for Serbia, a candidate country since 2012, the “quality and efficiency of the judiciary and access to justice remain undermined by an uneven distribution of workload, a burdensome case backlog and the lack of a free legal aid system.”
Dragojević also offered concrete help to the magazine, tweeting, “I want to contribute 10,000 dinars [85 dollars] for NIN's fine. Where should I do so? NIN is important to me, like all free media.” NIN's editorial staff responded to his tweet:
Veliko Hvala na velikodušnoj ponudi ali ovo je samo početak i tek slede žalbe na presudu. Vaš NIN https://t.co/T42FswOwLF
— NIN (@NedeljnikNIN) January 4, 2017
Much obliged with your generous offer, but this is just the beginning. We'll appeal the verdict.
Sincerely yours, NIN
NUNS, the Independent Association of Journalists of Serbia, announced that the journalism and media community they represent fully support NIN. Eight leading NGOs also signed a joint statement about the “confusing” and “contradictory” verdict:
Obaveza da državni funkcioneri trpe javnu kritiku nije propisana sa ciljem da se ograniči njihov rad, već da se proširi prostor za slobodu javne reči i javni dijalog. Presuda Višeg suda u Beogradu predstavlja zabrinjavajuću poruku medijima šta može da im se dogodi ako negativno pišu o državnim funkcionerima.
Zaprepašćeni smo tvrdnjom sudije Slobodana Keranovića da novinarski stav o političkoj odgovornosti jednog ministra u Vladi Srbije spada u “nedopuštene”, “neistinite” i “nedozvoljene informacije”. Zabrinuti smo za slobodu izražavanja u Srbiji ako se oštra kritika rada ministra, obrazložena u rečenicama u kojim novinarka Sandra Petrušić pravi jasnu razliku između izričitih tvrdnji i pretpostavki, na sudu proglašava za “nedozvoljenu informaciju”. Kako novinaru može biti “nedozvoljeno” ono što mu je posao: da prikuplja informacije i da na osnovu prikupljene građe sugeriše moguće zaključke?
The obligation of public functionaries to endure public criticism has not been prescribed in order to hamper them in their work, but to extend the space for freedom of expression and public dialogue. The verdict of the Higher Court in Belgrade represents a worrying message to the media about what can happen to them if they write about state functionaries.
We are astonished by judge Slobodana Keranović's claim that journalists’ position on accountability of a minister of the government of Serbia should be classified as “unacceptable,” “untruthful,” and “unauthorized information.” We are concerned for freedom of expression in Serbia, if a sharp critique of the work of a government minister, reasoned through sentences in which journalist Sandra Petrušić makes a clear distinction between factual claims and assumptions, can be deemed as “unauthorized information” by the court of law. How can a journalist be “unauthorised” to do their job: gathering information and suggesting conclusions based on the gathered evidence?
One Twitter user quoted Serbian writer Ljubomir Simović commenting on the wider implications of the affair:
Savamala je paradigma naše stvarnosti – Ljubomir Simović, akademik
— Dušan Stanković (@DusanStankovic4) January 2, 2017
“Savamala is a paradigm of our reality.” – Ljubomir Simović, member of the Serbian Academy of Arts and Sciences.

author: Filip Stojanovski


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Will 2017 Be a Year of Political Change in Angola? Most Think Not. · Global Voices
Dércio Tsandzana

National Assembly in Luanda, capital of Angola. Photo: David Stanley from Nanaimo, Canada. CC BY 2.0,
After 37 years in power Angolan president José Eduardo dos Santos (JES) appeared to announce he would not stand in general elections scheduled for late 2017. According to public radio (RNA), the country's current defence minister and the vice president of the ruling Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola (MPLA), João Lourenço, would then become the party's candidate in the coming elections.
In March 2016, as Global Voices reported, dos Santos announced political reforms to the public slated for 2018. Many Angolans  adopted a “seeing is believing” approach towards the promised reforms. The same applies for any leadership transition, since dos Santos will remain leader of the MPLA after leaving the presidency and the MPLA failed to confirm Lourenço's candidacy as expected on December 10.
Facebook user Graciano Celebridade is one of many who favours not only the departure of JES but the whole corruption-prone MPLA power structure that has ruled the country since independence from Portugal in 1975.
O mais importante não [é] a nomeação do João Lourenço, [mas] sim a saída do partido dos amigos de Salazar…o MPLA mostrou que já não tem competência de governar esse país, praticamente fazem [da governação] um meio de enriquecer as [suas] riquezas. Alguém me [indique] um membro central do MPLA que não [seja] rico? Esquecem-se dos verdadeiros motivos pelo qual governam esse país…já fui da JMPLA, só vi muita sacanagem. [O] MPLA só precisa do povo quando quer votos…
The most important thing is not João Lourenço's nomination, but the departure of the party of Salazar's friends*… the MPLA already showed they are not competent to run this country, they practically make [government] a way of increasing [their] wealth. Someone [show] me a central member of the MPLA who is not rich? They forget the true purpose for which they govern this country… I already left JMPLA [MPLA youth], I only saw a lot of dodgy dealings. [The] MPLA only needs the people when it wants votes…
Dorivaldoy Doy thought similarly:
Eu sou apologista em dizer que o MPLA precisa de ser substituído, não se precisa outro homem do M. Para ser presidente de Angola, sim. Precisa-se um Homem de um outro Partido não importa qual, mas [pelo] menos alguém que seja do M. O MPLA, tem que ser, ou seja deve experimentar ser opositor, ou seja tem que ser um partido da oposição e não no poder… Chega de governar!… Queremos novas experiências…
I am inclined to say that the MPLA needs to be replaced; we do not need another MPLA man. To be president of Angola, yes, it needs to be someone from another party, it doesn't matter which, but just not someone from MPLA. The MPLA has to be, or has to try being, in opposition, a party of opposition and not of power… enough governing! … We want new experiences…
Nelson Tavares supported the departure of José Eduardo dos Santos:
É tempo do presidente ir descansar, e gozar um pouco a vida, e dar oportunidade a outros, para que exista novas ideias e quem sabe uma nova força para continuar a reconstruir o País.
It is time for the president to go and relax, and enjoy life a bit, and give opportunities to others, so that there are new ideas and, who knows, a new force to continue reconstructing the country.
Some believe that João Lourenço's nomination is just a way of José Eduardo dos Santos to maintain power.
According to Mariza Lopez Aziram:
João Lourenço pode até ser Presidente, mas o kota Zé e todo o elenco do MPLA vão continuar a dar ordens no kota João Lourenço. Por isso mesmo que mudem de Presidente as coisas [continuarão] na mesma.
João Lourenço can even be president, but old Zé [aka General Zé Maria — powerful military politician] and the whole cast of MPLA Will continue giving orders to old João Lourenço. So even if the president changes, things will stay the same.
One of Angola's most prominent activists, Rafael Marques, doubted that there would be any transition from MPLA rule. He highlighted that the president has previously announced plans for retirement several times, with ultimately little change.
José Severino, president of the Industrial Association of Angola (AIA), who is familiar with the workings of politicians in the executive branch, also doubted that any major changes were imminent.
Acho que com os recursos do país bem geridos pode, se calhar, haver um crescimento superior ao atual, mas as linhas mestras estão traçadas no Plano Nacional de Desenvolvimento (PND) com o qual o partido no poder se regula numa perspetiva de eleições para o próximo ano.
I think that with the country's resources well-managed there could be a growth rate higher than currently, but the fundamental direction is outlined by the National Development Plan (PND), which the ruling party uses to guide itself in view of the coming elections.
Economist and university professor Faustino Mumbica likewise concluded that a change at the top would not lead to a new political system:
Tratam-se de mudanças que eventualmente não trarão grandes resultados, tendo em conta que as pessoas que vão substituir já se encontram comprometidas com o mesmo circuito, os seus nomes também estão envolvidos em escândalos e eventualmente não tenham moral para fazer grandes roturas com as práticas do passado.
These are changes which ultimately will not bring significant results, taking into account that the people who will come in are already committed to the same system, their names are also involved in scandals and ultimately they do not have the conviction to make a big break with the practices of the past.

author: Dércio Tsandzana


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Digital Activists Are Disappearing in Pakistan · Global Voices
Qurratulain (Annie) Zaman

Ahmad Waqass Goraya, with his wife and son. Goraya went missing in Lahore on January 4 , 2017. Photo shared on Facebook by Mescha Saeed.
In a troubling start to the new year, reports are emerging from families and civil rights organizations that as many as nine Pakistani bloggers went missing within the first week of 2017. Four of the missing activists are known for their secular and left-leaning views.
Ahmad Waqass Goraya and Asim Saeed — both of whom were visiting Pakistan from abroad — were reportedly abducted on January 4 from the city of Lahore, according to Goraya's wife who spoke with Global Voices from the Netherlands. Goraya, a medical anthropologist and resident of Netherlands, was picked up along with his cousin Abdur Rahman Cheema.
Asim Saeed is an IT specialist who lives in Singapore. In an interview, his father told Global Voices: “Asim was carrying his two smart phones and laptop when they abducted him. These people were plain cloth [sic] and the car was new, without a registration number.”
Pakistani bloggers Ahmad Waqas Goraya, Asim Saeed and Ahmad Raza Naseer missing for 4-5 days — police have registered a case for 1 of them pic.twitter.com/aCKKunJd6C
— omar r quraishi (@omar_quraishi) January 9, 2017
Three of the bloggers went missing apparently after they were asked to appear before the FIA cyber crime wing office
— omar r quraishi (@omar_quraishi) January 8, 2017
Waqass’ wife Mescha shared an emotional message on Facebook:
An ordinary man with an ordinary story….
Ahmad Waqass Goraya… my husband, my companion, my best friend and the father of my child. I know him from last 13 years, out of which I am married to him for 9 years. Never, did he stop loving me… he is a person made from sentiments and yet very strong and opinionated. He was known among his peers for strong liberal views but I saw him as a progressive man with ideas that can flourish our son. That harmless man… went MISSING in thin air on January 4th 2017.. what a start of new year for our tiny family. I had so many thoughts for this year, so much to share with him when he returned from a family trip that he was making with our son. Due to my work commitments I had to return earlier while they fully enjoyed their stay in Pakistan… the land he was mad about… the land he always wished to prosper.
What did he do worng? What was his mistake? I can't sleep, I cant stop thinking… so amny questions… what could Waqass have done wrong… a man that I married, a man so full of energy, vibrance and patriotism, a man who saw and believed that he could raise his voice and have some freedom of speech. .. was that wrong? I don't know what could have been so threatening for the people who took him away. I only want him back… asap!
We both are alone without you and we miss you papa… please come home soon to make it feel like home. And please come alive and healthy, so full of energy and passion and that brightness in your eyes. miss you and ili pili…
#RecoverAhmadWaqassGoraya
Two days after Saeed and Goraya's disappearances, Salman Haider, a social media activist, renowned poet, lecturer of Fatima Jinnah University and editor of independent magazine Tanqeed was abducted on January 6 in Islamabad.
Also a known poet and social media activist, Haider's profile rose in 2014, when his poem ‘Main bhi Kafir’ (‘I am an infidel’) went viral. The poem reflected on the multiple attacks on Shia-Hazaras of Balochistan. Haider is also a theater activist, known for his critiques of the military, and writings about enforced disappearances in Balochistan.
Following Haider's disappearance, Tanqeed magazine issued a call to help #RecoverSalmanHaider:
Haider, affectionately known as Sallu Bhai, has been missing since roughly 10pm last night when his wife received an anonymous text message notifying her that Sallu Bhai’s car could be picked up from Koral Chowk, Islamabad. Since then, there has been no word of Haider’s whereabouts (…) The Tanqeed team calls on journalists, artists, activists and the literati to help us #RecoverSalmanHaider. We also hope that authorities move quickly to find Sallu Bhai and that he returns home safely and speedily.
Shayan Hussain claims that in addition to activists, Twitter and Facebook accounts were also targeted:
There is a massive crackdown on sane voices and blogs. Salman Haider, Ahmad Waqass Goraya and Aasim Saeed, who were critical of the State's policies, have gone missing in the last few days along with facebook pages and twitter accounts of Bol platoon, Bhensaa, Roshni.
Something's not right…
.@ahmedshaheed secular bloggers going missing in Pakistan, can you help? https://t.co/6MNTOD1BJO #RecoverBhensa
— Atheist Ireland (@atheistie) January 8, 2017
What's going on in #Pakistan?In past 4 days, one after another, bloggers & human right activists have gone missing.
(Via- @Ali_Abbas_Zaidi) pic.twitter.com/WaRCkan88o
— Shoaib Iqbal (@IqShoaib) January 9, 2017
On January 9, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), a local NGO, made a statement on the disappearances:
Pakistan has never been a particularly safe country for rights activists. Many have been killed, injured, abducted and threatened for their work. Unfortunately, these actions have not always come from non-state quarters. The events of the last week demonstrate that the dangers already extend to digital spaces. We cannot be sure if the four cases are connected but expect that would be looking into as well.
Pakistan ranks 147 out of 180 in the world rankings of Reporters Without Borders’ 2016 World Press Freedom Index. “Journalists are targeted by extremist groups, Islamist organizations and Pakistan’s feared intelligence organizations,” stated the RSF.
Image being shared by Pakistani activists
Despite being a serious human rights issue, the number of people who have been abducted and are missing in the country is unknown. In 2015, the country's highest court sought a report on the number of missing people. According to Amnesty International, an amendment to the 2015 Pakistan Army Act gave retrospective legal cover to arrests by the armed forces and law enforcement agencies.
In a case separate from those mentioned above, on January 1, multiple citizen journalists were arrested in the city of Multan. Reports suggest that the journalists were summoned to Federal Investigation Authority's (FIA) office and never returned. No one has yet come forth with substantive information about their whereabouts.
According to media reports, the FIA summoned the citizens because they had allegedly uploaded what authorities described as a “fake” picture of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif with the Chief Justice Saqib Nasir on December 28, 2016, following the Prime Minister's nomination of the Chief Justice. The Attorney General of Pakistan, Ashtar Ausaf Ali,  complained about the “fake” image circulating on social media in a letter to the Ministry of Interior.
Afterward, FIA traced the identities of people who shared these pictures through their IP addresses and sent them a legal notice through WhatsApp, instructing them to appear before FIA in Islamabad on December 31, 2016.
It is yet not clear how many other people were arrested. According to tech blog Pro Pakistani, at least three bloggers have been arrested. According to a source at Geo News, there were as many as 9 bloggers who were summoned by FIA and were in their custody.
As per one report, the number of missing bloggers has gone up to nine. 1 from Islamabad, 3 Lahore, 1 Nankana Sahib and 4 from Multan.
— Marvi Sirmed (@marvisirmed) January 8, 2017
Urdu language daily newspaper Jang reported that the duty judge of lower court sent at least two people on a five-day judicial remand, in order to arrest others.
The Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2015, commonly known as Pakistan's “Cybercrime Law” has five chapters detailing offences like interference with critical infrastructure, cyber terrorism, electronic forgery/fraud, identity theft, sexual harassment, virus spreading, spamming, spoofing and prosecution formalities. While it is not clear if PECA is being used to prosecute these individuals, there is speculation that PECA Section 20 may be invoked:
20: Offences against the dignity of a natural person: Whoever intentionally or publicly exhibits or displays or transmits any information through any information system which he knows to be false and intimidates or harms the reputation or privacy of a natural person shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years or with fine which may extend up to 10 million rupees or both.
Many questions remain unanswered. It took almost a week to present the detainees before the court and warrants were not secured to seize their devices.
To demand recovery of 4 missing bloggers, protest o/side #Lahore Press Club, Jan 12, 3pm. Come all. #Recoverallbloggers #RecoverSalmanHaider
— Rabia Mehmood (@Rabail26) January 9, 2017
Nazzia Shafiq Momina appealed to authorities on Facebook:
Stop the persecution of hapless citizens while banned terrorist organisations roam free and win by elections under the patronage of the government. Indians, Pakistanis, Hindus Muslims, Atheists, Shias, Sunnis, all secondary. Humans before anything else.
A petition has been circulated demanding release of the detained bloggers. Protests have been planned across Pakistan and in the UK:
#BringBackOurActivists protests planned so far:
Karachi | Tues 10 Jan @ 4pm, Karachi Press Club
Islamabad | Tues 10 Jan @ 4pm, National Press Club, Islamabad
London | Friday 13 Jan @ 4pm, High Commission of Pakistan, London
Spread the word.
#RecoverMissingActivists #RecoverSalmanHaiderakdkd
As families of the missing appeal for more information regarding the whereabouts of their loved ones, there is a significant false information being spread against the missing persons. Pakistan Defence, a pro-military establishment Facebook page with 7 million followers shared a post accusing three of the missing bloggers of alleged blasphemy and being associated with a controversial Facebook page Bhensa.
“Defeat to atheists who were running blasphemous page, Bhensa, on Facebook. So-called secular and atheist elements are active in giving this a political angle through media”
Mohammad Jibran Nasir, a Pakistani civil liberty activist, lawyer and bloggers said that this is false propaganda by Defence.pk (Pakistan Defence Page). He also shared this in a video message with his followers.
Propaganda by Defence.pk accusing missing activists of blasphemy and endangering their lives #RecoverSalmanHaider https://t.co/b1CYkalJ2X
— Jibran Nasir (@MJibranNasir) January 9, 2017
As families, civil rights groups and media organisations demand answers on the whereabouts of the missing activists, fear for their lives runs deep.
UPDATE (JANUARY 12, 2017, 16:32 EST): The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of expression, David Kaye, on January 11 called on the Pakistani authorities to make it a matter of the highest priority to locate, protect and return home four disappeared human rights and social media campaigners. Read Kaye's statement.

author: Qurratulain (Annie) Zaman


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Kenyans Fear a Possible Internet Shutdown During 2017 Presidential Election · Global Voices
Njeri Wangari

Kenyans using the Internet in the capital Nairobi. Creative Commons image by Flickr user krosinsky.
Kenyans online have started expressing fears of a possible shutdown of social media by the government in the run up to the 2017 presidential elections, set to take place in the month of August.
I'm not a sadist but I can bet on 3 things in 2017: Internet shutdown and PEV in Kenya and world war 3.
— Mister H (@githaka_) January 3, 2017
In June last year, Kenyan photo activist Boniface Mwangi shared a tweet with his followers with details of an article appearing in a Kenyan daily. The article purported that the government was preparing a bill seeking to regulate the use of social media in Kenya. This followed similar comments made by the State House Director of Digital Communications Dennis Itumbi.
The Internet shutdown in Kenya is coming sooner https://t.co/mhjiL20VyO pic.twitter.com/9yIcr8xIbh
— #BMUnBounded (@bonifacemwangi) June 7, 2016
When Itumbi was asked about the bill on the Press Pass show on National TV, he denied the existence of such a bill. However he also criticised the Bloggers Association of Kenya for failing to ‘rein in’ bloggers. (Editor's note: the author appeared on the same program, as part of a panel discussion with Itumbi.)
In mid-December 2016, security personnel shut down the Internet as well as all telecommunication equipment around Kenya's parliament building as opposition and pro-government MPs clashed over the amendment of the laws regarding the upcoming elections.
In 2016 alone, there were 60 arrests of Kenyan citizens and journalists, many of which were due to posts on social media that were classified as “hate speech” or that contravened sections of the law that touch on undermining the authority of a public official and misuse of telecom equipment.
On December 12, 2016, a journalist working with one of Kenya's local newspaper publications tweeted the following:
This is the reason you will get social media being shut down. Too much irresponsible postings.
— Oliver Mathenge (@OliverMathenge) December 12, 2016
The journalist was justifying the government's shutdown of social media due to ‘too much irresponsible postings’. The backlash by Kenyans on Twitter was immediate:
Irresponsible is saying “irresponsible postings” is cause for internet shutdown instead of arrest of anyone engaged in illegal activity. https://t.co/kff9k19e2d
— I am (@mackio_) December 12, 2016
Osman was shocked by the call for an Internet shutdown by a journalist whose very job exists due to free speech and freedom of the press:
A journalist advocating for Internet shutdown and mass censorship. Only in Kenya.
— Osman Muqtar (@OsmanWeli) December 12, 2016
Kenya would be not the first or only country in Africa to try and shut down its internet during elections, countries such as Uganda and The Gambia have blocked social media and even full Internet access during elections.
In an article appearing in Democracy Works, William Gumede notes that African governments are increasingly clamping down on the Internet, especially social media, as well as messaging applications, in what often amounts to an effort to silence democratic opposition, civil society and activists mobilising against poor governance.
In his article, William documents cases of Internet shutdowns in countries such as Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Egypt, Uganda, Mozambique and Sudan. There has also been attempts in Nigeria and South Africa to curtail free speech online by introducing new new legislation in form of Cybercrime Act and content regulation which was opposed by the civil society in the two countries.
Kenyans are among the most active users of social media in Sub-Saharan Africa, only second to South Africans. The collective of Kenyans online is often referred to as Kenyans On Twitter (KOT) due to their rallying behind a particular hashtag to express thoughts and opinions on topics touching on social, political and cultural issues.
The question of whether the Kenyan government should actively monitor or/and regulate the social media space has been a very controversial one. This is more so due to the rise of fake news – a challenge that has inspired many a headline since the US elections.
Just recently, a fake news item linking Raila Odinga – a long time presidential aspirant and a formidable contender in the upcoming Kenyan Elections – to the South Sudan conflict became a trending topic on Kenya's social media until the identity of website's owner was revealed and the article exposed as fake.
Kenyans online are split on the moral and legal aspects and repercussions of an Internet regulated by the government.
But Kenyans are not wholly united on this matter. There are those like AnnShelly Peters who would not mind a shutdown to curb hatred:
I wouldn't mind a shut down considering hatred, false rumors and tribalism agenda is nowadays pushed though social media @bonifacemwangi
— annshelly peters (@akannkey) May 26, 2016
James Thagana thinks that Kenyans have gone beyond the limit of freedom of speech, and that a shutdown by the government is thus long overdue:
@bonifacemwangi @mutuku1969 that's a must Kenyans have gone beyond the limit of their freedom
— James Thagana (@JamesThagana) May 26, 2016
During the 2007 elections, the Kenyan government ordered the shutdown of all media houses’ transmission signals during vote tallying in an election whose results became highly disputed leading to post election violence that cost thousands of Kenyan lives. But social media and Internet-based communication have come a long way since then. It remains to be seen what impacts a shutdown of this magnitude would have today.

author: Njeri Wangari


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Nickelodeon Won’t Get Its Underwater Theme Park in the Philippines, If Environmentalists Have Their Say · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Image from the online petition created by environmentalist Anna Oposa
The children's entertainment company Nickelodeon wants to build a theme park in Palawan, the Philippines’ last ecological frontier. Local environmentalists are not amused.
Around the world, Nickelodeon is known for producing popular television shows like SpongeBob SquarePants, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Dora the Explorer. The network's parent company, the media giant Viacom, announced its plans for Palawan on Monday, Jan. 9. Viacom says it's partnering with Coral World Park Undersea Resorts to build the park and an accompanying resort.
Dubbed the world’s first undersea attraction, the project features a 400-hectare (988-acre) resort located within a cluster of 16 white sand islands in Coron, Palawan. Coron, a popular tourist destination known for its white sand beaches, hidden lagoons, and pristine coral reefs, is part of Palawan province and home to various endangered species, which are threatened by unregulated commercial extractive activities.
After plans for the resort and theme park were announced, environmentalist Anna Oposa launched an online petition against the development plans. At the time of this writing, less than two days after the petition went live, there are more than 189,000 signatures.
Contrary to the press statement that the underwater theme park would “advocate ocean protection,” it will accomplish the exact opposite. By building artificial structures, you will undeniably damage and disrupt Palawan's marine ecosystems — our Last Frontier.
For a channel that targets children, Nickelodeon is setting a terrible example to the younger generation by taking away their right to enjoy our natural resources. We don't need an underwater theme park — our underwater life is fascinating, entertaining, and educational on its own.
Coron is a popular tourism destination known for its white sand beaches and hidden lagoons. Photo from the Facebook page of Save Philippine Seas
Developers have responded to criticism by saying that the theme park is actually land-based, featuring only a floating infrastructure. This contradicts a press statement from Viacom, however, where the company described “underwater restaurants and lounges, which will be located about 20 feet below sea level with vivid views of the world beneath the ocean.”
The “Save Philippine Seas” network has dismissed developers’ efforts to walk back Viacom's description:
Their statements attempt to downplay the possible irreversible environmental impacts of the proposed project to the marine environment, violating the constitutional rights of the community to a healthy and balanced ecology. Though they claim to build on private property, the Philippines’ waters cannot be privatized. Their statements also make no recognition of or respect to the rights of the indigenous peoples of Calamianes.
The environmental group is urging the resort developer to invest its funds in the support of existing marine protected areas:
…we still stand by our position for them not to proceed with their project and to re-channel their budget to support existing marine protected areas and sustainable livelihood programs for communities.
Image from the Facebook page of Nilad
The government’s environment secretary, meanwhile, says she will oppose the construction of any underwater theme parks in Palawan:
Lopez says she won't allow the underwater theme park in Palawan. #environment2017
— DENR (@DENR_Official) January 11, 2017

author: Mong Palatino


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Tajik President’s 29-Year-Old Son Becomes Mayor of the Capital · Global Voices
Akhal-Tech Collective

Presidential palace in Dushanbe. Creative commons.
Rustam Emomali, the 29-year-old son of ex-Soviet Tajikistan's autocrat president Emomali Rakhmon continues to hit new heights in his dizzying career trajectory: he has now become the mayor of the capital Dushanbe.
СРОЧНО: Всё выше и выше… Рустам Эмомали стал мэром Душанбе – https://t.co/5DC47ychcl
— Tajinfo Org (@Tajinfo_Org) January 12, 2017
BREAKING: Ever higher and higher, Rustam Emomali becomes Dushanbe's mayor.
Rustam, who was previously in charge of the country's anti-corruption service — Tajikistan is ranked 136 out of 168 countries in Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index — replaced Mahmadsaid Ubaidulloev in the position on January 12.
Many Tajiks that regularly comment on domestic politics on social media have refrained from reacting to the news.
That is probably because of an ever-increasing political repression in the Central Asian country that applies in particular to criticisms of the ruling family, who enjoy lifelong immunity from prosecution thanks to constitutional changes passed in a referendum last year.
Another change passed in the same referendum seemed designed to benefit Rustam specifically; the age limit for presidential candidates was lowered to 30 from 35.
Dogged by unverified reports that he shot his uncle in the neck in a struggle over a local bank, Rustam is also a major noise in the local football world. He is still the local football federation's chairman, and sometimes takes to playing, typically scoring a lot of goals whenever he does.
Рустам Эмомали забил пять голов в матче за кубок «Истиклола» https://t.co/2pQHfAlxaF
— Новости (@news_ussr) August 10, 2016
Rustam Emomali scored five goals in the game for the independence cup.
That Rustam is climbing the ranks of the political tree is of little surprise in a republic where the same family has ruled for 25 years, going from strength to strength after a five-year civil war that concluded in 1997.
But some have expressed shock that he has taken up this particular position, as Mahmadsaid Ubaidulloev had been Dushanbe's mayor for two decades and was regarded as one of the most influential domestic politicians outside of the Rakhmon family.
With seven daughters and two sons, perhaps we will see a Rahmon heading every state agency
— Edward Lemon (@EdwardLemon3) January 12, 2017
Tajik-American journalist for RFE/RL Farangis Najeebullah shared a useful Rakhmon family tree, including state and business positions occupied, on Twitter. [Click on picture to see full size tree]
Few young people in Tajikistan enjoy Rustam-like success. The country is mired in poverty and over half of all working age males go to Russia and other countries to work.
Eldiyar Arykbaev, the editor-in-chief of the Kloop news agency in neighbouring Kyrgyzstan asked a question that many young Tajiks might be asking themselves in irony:
29-летний генерал, борец с коррупцией, сын Основателя мира и национального единства, сын лидера нации и президента Таджикистана Эмомали Рахмона стал мэром Душанбе. А чего добился ты?
A 29-year-old general, a fighter of corruption, the son of the the Leader of the Nation, Founder of Peace and National Unity, President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, just became the mayor of Dushanbe. And what have you achieved?

author: Akhal-Tech Collective


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The Chilean Podcast Putting the Stars Within Everyone’s Reach · Global Voices
Laura Vidal

Screenshot of the episode “San Pedro de Atacama, what nobody sees”, available in Spanish on Youtube.
Chile has a long tradition of astronomical observation, accompanied by a penchant for talking about it. This is the starting point for film and TV producer Ricardo García Soto's AstroBlog and its English counterpart, Astronomy Et Al. A science communicator and astronomy scholar, García Soto seeks to make the fascination with space accessible to all types of audiences. His mission is to build a bridge connecting and engaging people with scientific discoveries, as well as awakening in them the spirit of curiosity and research which characterizes the world of science.
Mi gran deseo para todos es que recuperemos el niño interno y nos sorprendamos con las maravillas de nuestros COSMOS.
My great wish for us all is that we find our inner child and surprise ourselves with the wonders of our cosmos.
The podcast is available in Spanish on iTunes and Ivoox (with an English version also available). It is complemented by a YouTube channel devoted to taking a closer look at the different forms of observing and studying astronomy. The video post “How to study astronomy” is one example in which we follow García Soto as he chats with students and researchers in the academic spaces dedicated to the study of space. It not only brings us nearer to the science itself, but allows us a peek into the daily lives of those who practise science.
Part of what's interesting about these videos lies in their demystification of the world of astronomy, depicting it instead as a scientific discipline in which genius is not required but dedication, effort and cooperation are.
Other experiences, such as an excursion to the Atacama Desert, record explorations and share tricks for observing the skies from Chile… and there are also some tips for those who are interested in making video blogs:


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Ukraine Bans Russia’s One Independent TV Station · Global Voices
Isaac Webb

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in Dozhd's studios. Source: Kremlin.ru
On Thursday, Ukraine's National Council on Television and Radio Broadcasting voted unanimously to remove Russian independent TV station Dozhd from its list of approved foreign broadcasters, giving television providers one month to remove the station from their networks.
According to a press release posted on the council's website, the decision to ban Dozhd, the last remaining Russian TV station licensed to be broadcast in Ukraine, was made after the channel aired two films on December 31, “Faster than Rabbits” and “What Else Do Men Talk About?”, which popularized “the law enforcement agencies of the aggressor-state [Russia].”
Sergei Kostnitsny, a member of the National Council, said that Dozhd's depictions of Crimea as a Russian republic had spurred the decision, but that the station had also violated Ukrainian advertising laws throughout 2016.
Речь в том, что на протяжении всего 2016 года мы неоднократно фиксировали нарушения государственного законодательства Украины со стороны «Дождя». Они транслировали российскую рекламу. Мы сделали шаг навстречу телеканалу и обратились к ним с просьбой устранить нарушения. Нам обещали прекратить это и через два месяца появилась украинская версия «Дождя» без рекламы. Но она так и не поступила в Нацраду.
We recorded repeated violations of Ukrainian law by “Dozhd” throughout 2016. They aired Russian advertisements. We approached the television with a request to stop violating the law prohibiting this. They promised to stop doing so and to air a version of “Dozhd” without advertisements within two months. But such a version never made it to the National Council.
Dozhd's General Director Nataliya Sindeeva, however, told The Moscow Times that Ukrainian authorities had given her station no such warning.
Since the Russian annexation of Crimea in the spring of 2014, the Ukrainian government has banned not only Russian news stations, but also Russian channels broadcasting sports, movies, and entertainment shows. In addition to being the last Russian-operated TV channel in Ukraine, Dozhd airs some of the only Russian-language programming; there is no exclusively Russian-language TV station in Ukraine, despite the fact that less than 60 percent of Ukrainians say they prefer to use Ukrainian in their everyday communication.
The decision to ban Dozhd came as a surprise to many in part because the station reached such a small number of viewers: after hearing the news, Dozhd's Editor-In-Chief, Roman Badanin, revealed that only 500,000 households in Ukraine have access to the channel.
As Facebook user Evgeniy Chursin wrote, “Logic. Ban the Russian TV station Dozhd, which no one in Ukraine ever watched.”
Source: Evgeniy Chursin, Facebook.
Still, the station has a strong online presence, and Badanin has said that he hopes subscribers will continue to be able to watch all of its programming at tvrain.ru.
The ban is also surprising because many of the channel's presenters actively supported the 2014 EuroMaidan Revolution—which brought the current government in Kyiv to power. What's more, Dozhd broadcasters have been highly critical of both the Russian annexation of Crimea and the Kremlin's support for separatist movements in eastern Ukraine—something few other Russian media outlets have done.
And the affection, until recently, seemed to be mutual. When Dozhd came under fire from Russian regulators in February 2014, for publishing a poll that asked readers whether it would have saved hundreds of thousands of lives if the Soviets had given up Leningrad to the Nazis during the Second World War, Ukrainian protesters marched through Kyiv carrying umbrellas in support of the channel (Dozhd means “rain” in Russian).
The Kremlin, despite having pressured Dozhd for years to curtail its criticism of the Russian government, has used the ban as an opportunity to condemn Ukraine's leadership. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reacted to the news, saying that “The destructive approach of the Ukrainian side continues.” Maria Zakharova, the spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry, wrote on Facebook that while she hoped Ukrainian censors would not follow through with their decision, the Russian government would have no choice but to report the ban to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) if they do.
Russians and Ukrainians alike called attention to the Kremlin's hypocrisy. Vitaliy Kaschirniy, whose Twitter biography identifies him as a member of Ukraine's “Information Troops,” a project of Ukraine's Ministry of Information Policy, posted screenshots of news articles detailing the Kremlin's attempts to crack down on Dozhd at home alongside a headline about Peskov's statement.
По этим подлецам можно учебник по применению двойных стандартов писать! Они довели этот метод до совершенства! pic.twitter.com/TWX2hyy1AQ
— Vitaliy Kaschirniy (@Vit_Kaschirniy) January 12, 2017
A tutorial on double standards for these scoundrels. They've perfected the method!
@RomanDmitrich Позиция Кремля: россиянам смотреть российский телеканал “Дождь” нельзя, а украинцам – “нужно”!
— Roman Davydenko (@RomanDmitrich) January 12, 2017
The Kremlin's position: Russians must never watch the Russian TV channel “Dozhd,” but Ukrainians absolutely must.
Благодаря запрету Украины, телеканал “Дождь” @tvrain получил второе дыхание. Чиновники сразу вспомнили про забытую ими “свободу слова”.
— Tema Izgagin (@itema_Tv) January 12, 2017
Thanks to the ban in Ukraine, Dozhd has received a second wind. Officials are suddenly remembering the forgotten “freedom of speech.”
But in this case, hypocrisy cuts both ways: Dozhd was able to dig up a video of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko endorsing the channel earlier in his presidency. He told reporters that “Anyone who doesn't comply with the law will be held responsible. This is also my function as the guarantor of the constitution. Watch Dozhd, don't watch any other Russian channels.”
А вот Петру Алексеевичу нравится! pic.twitter.com/GRWaKoLCZs
— Телеканал Дождь (@tvrain) January 12, 2017
And here Petro Alekseevich [Poroshenko] likes it!
Although some Ukrainians opposed the ban, many quickly came to their government's defense, questioning Dozhd's status as an opposition outlet in Russia.
@KevinRothrock If this channel is broadcast in Russia, then he is not a anti-Kremlin. Am I right??
— Іван Соболь (@Sob762) January 12, 2017
@maxseddon @KevinRothrock be carefull with calling names: rain channel is pseudo-opposition and not independent.It plays role of opposition
— Mykola Kanyuk (@Mykola_Kanyuk) January 12, 2017

author: Isaac Webb


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A Year of Living Strategically · Global Voices
Ivan Sigal

The Global Voices core team in Coyoacán, Mexico City, with Mexico contributor Juan Tadeo and digital security expert GIllo Cutrupi. Photo: Jeremy Clarke.
Last month the Global Voices core team met in Mexico City for a four-day retreat. We usually manage to meet once a year, but the last time we were able to get everyone together was January 2015, after the GV Summit in Cebu, Philippines. While we've become quite efficient at working as a virtual team, nothing beats a couple of days of face time to hash out difficult problems, come up with new ideas, and work out plans for projects.
What planning session is complete without a cloud of sticky notes on a wall?
Our Mexico City meeting was especially important for dreaming and strategic planning, as 2017 promises to be a vital year in the future of Global Voices. We face metastasizing threats to the idea of truth in news and information in many countries around the world. This is an accelerating trend that we've been observing and working to combat since our founding over a decade ago. At the same time, online conversations are now predominantly on social media platforms ordered by algorithmic filtering of stories and voices, creating filters for our realities that can feel totalizing. It is disheartening, but not surprising to know, for instance, that the Internet in Myanmar is now mostly on Facebook, and that in many communities the application layer is the only part of the internet that people experience.
Of course, the idea that online space was ever free and open has always been suspect for communities used to comprehensive government filtering and surveillance. This is true where many of us live and work, such as China, Bahrain, or more recently aggressive governments, such as Turkey.
The challenges we faced when we formed as a community remain as large as ever, but their nature has shifted. We have less visibility and perhaps less insight into the digital media companies that mediate of our thoughts. We can see this change in how readers engage with us. For instance, spikes in traffic on Global Voices used to be driven by events in real life. When an earthquake hit China’s Sichuan Province in 2008, we knew that interest in our stories was connected to the in-person documentation that Chinese citizens were sharing online, and that we were translating and analyzing. In 2011 our growth in traffic was directly connected to our reporting on the Arab uprisings and the Japanese earthquake and tsunami, and throughout that time we could see periodic spikes in traffic tied to world events – natural disasters, political uprisings and transitions, protests and conflicts.
Over the past few years, however, we've seen a shift in attention and engagement. Now traffic spikes will also accord with online phenomena that are disconnected or heavily mediated by online phenomena. They are attention events rather than actual events – driven and influenced by algorithms. An example is the effect of an inflammatory Donald Trump Tweet, which is given more time and attention by media outlets than other, more important issues that might be occurring at the same time. These key occurrences may not penetrate the consciousness of many publics because stories about them do not receive the algorithmic love given to more facile, sensational reporting, either intentionally or by chance.
Global Voices web traffic 2008-2011. The spikes correlate with current events.
We at Global Voices have never found the cyber-skeptic v. cyber-utopian debate to be interesting or helpful. We focus first on the often messy arena of human interaction and discourse, and recognize that technologies are tools designed and built with affordances that can serve or damage human interests. It is, of course, difficult to predict the moral effects of most technologies. While it is possible to design technologies on the basis of principles such as openness, bridging, or empathy, that intent, of course, is never sufficient in itself to guarantee benefit to individuals, communities or publics. The simple reason for this is that we do not all agree on which values should underpin our societies.
That said, we are acutely aware that values aligned with markets and governmental control increasingly dominate the internet and mobile networks. Some believe those values to be drivers of human progress; the interests of markets and governments are not necessarily the same. However, their interests are intertwined in the desire to understand, catalogue and order human activities, with the result that much of our online lives are continuously surveilled and monitored, by social media companies, by third-party applications and advertisers, and by government agencies. Governments in too many countries are aware of and seek to control online discourse, in an effort to manage, control and govern their populations, whether as part of a strategy of managed authoritarianism, or to keep track of populations they mistrust. They too often see the whole idea of citizen media – of the digital layer of conversation that accompanies and augments our lives – as a threat to order, and as a threat to the many levers of power controlled by governments, ruling oligarchies, regimes or ethnic, sectarian, or economic majorities.
As a consequence, it is now more challenging, more risky, and sometimes simply dangerous to produce the kinds of stories we do. Global Voices contributors in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Syria, Bahrain, Macedonia, Morocco, Venezuela, Cuba, and numerous other countries faced personal threats in 2016. In some cases those individuals have chosen to stop writing or contributing to Global Voices and other online platforms out of fear for their safety. Others have chosen to self-censor, or in some cases, to relocate to other countries.
We expect these kinds of threats to continue in the future. We have no illusions that the range of tactics available to suppress speech in too many countries is varied and effective—from campaigns of disinformation that distort and confuse, such as the current hysteria over fake news; to threats to systems such as DDOS attacks; to more direct forms of pressure such as doxing, hacking, and theft of personal information; to repressive laws used to silence or imprison, to physical violence and killing.
Entering and participating in the increasingly adversarial, hostile arena of public speech now feels daunting, even threatening for many. And we know that even those who attack could themselves become targets in the next round of viciousness. The Chinese model of the human flesh search engine is available to us all, and the idea of the mob is shifting once again, back to the more atavistic definition employed in the 19th and 20th centuries, to describe our darker, more violent selves subsumed within group dynamics. In this context, communities of support and practice that advocate for principles and norms for online speech feel more vital than ever.
That thought takes me back to our conversations in Mexico City. We spent a great deal of time talking about language—about words that might capture the essence of Global Voices’ reason for being. After many attempts, we came up with a simple, forceful draft statement of principle that is, I hope, the starting point for any strategy, and maybe in some way, is a strategy in itself. It goes like this:
We acknowledge and celebrate that individual attention and human connection are central to building bridges across countries and languages, regardless of origin, standing, or access to power.

author: Ivan Sigal


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Israel Advances New ‘Facebook Bill’, Threatening Free Speech · Global Voices
Marwa Fatafta

“Hate speech” by Carlos Latuff. Image via Wikimedia, released to public domain.
The Israeli Knesset passed last week a first reading of a controversial new bill that would allow Israeli courts to order social media companies to remove online content it deems “inciting”.
The “removal of criminally offensive content from the internet”, colloquially known as the “Facebook bill”, allows Israeli administrative courts, at the request of government, to issue orders demanding social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter remove online content considered as incitement to violence. The bill has to go through two more rounds of approval by the Israeli Knesset before it becomes a law.
Facebook's Community Standards already explicitly prohibit incitement to violence, although there is evidence that the company struggles to enforce this policy evenly across the globe. In addition, the Israeli government has indicated that it already works with Facebook to monitor “inciting” posts. In 2016, a delegation from the US-based social media giant met with representatives from the Israeli government, and both parties agreed to work together to monitor “incitement” on the platform. It remains unclear whether or how a change in Israeli legislation would affect Facebook's processes regarding content in Israel.
The bill is sponsored by Israeli Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked and Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan, both of whom have previously attacked social media giants for fueling what they describe as Palestinian incitement against Israel, following a surge in violence in October 2015. The mounting frustration due to a failed peace process while Israel continues to occupy Palestinian territories and violate Palestinians’ human rights have exploded into a wave of violence in Jerusalem and the West Bank, leaving at least 220 Palestinians and 30 Israelis dead. Despite the earlier agreement with Facebook, Shaked said it is “important this cooperation will become obligatory.”
According to Israeli media, the new bill defines online incitement as content which “the very posting of is a criminal offense, and whose public visibility has a real potential to put personal, public and national security at risk.”
It is worth noting that Palestinians who are citizens and residents of Israel fall under the jurisdiction of Israeli civil law, while Palestinians who are living in the occupied Palestinian territories fall under a military rule. The legal territorial jurisdiction of the bill remains unclear.
Even though the bill should apply to all citizens of Israel, Palestinians fear that they will continue to be the primary target for arrests and investigations in relation to what they post online. Ironically, Shaked herself, who is driving this bill now, used Facebook in the past to explicitly call for war against Palestinian people and advocate even for the mothers of slain Palestinians to be killed. She was nonetheless appointed as Minister of Justice, despite her post (which has since been deleted, but is accessible at the Internet Archive), which some observers argue is a call for what the the UN defines as genocide.
While the introduction of the bill assures that there will be “instructions and limitations in order to prevent damage to freedom of speech,” the vague definition of what constitutes a threat to public and national security gives an unprecedented green light to state online censorship and surveillance.
Many Palestinians have turned to social media as a non-violent means of expressing criticism and anger over human rights violations, and as a way to simply show the everyday realities of occupation. If passed, the bill could be used to silence this type of speech and thus extend the occupation into the online world.
One prominent case is the detention of Dareen Tantour, a 35-year-old Palestinian poet, for posting a poem on Facebook protesting the murder of three Palestinian children. On 11 October 2015, Israeli police stormed her home in the predawn hours and later charged her with “incitement to violence” and placed under house arrest. In the poem, entitled “resist, my people, resist them,” Tantour writes:
In Jerusalem, I dressed my wounds and breathed my sorrows
And carried the soul in my palm
For an Arab Palestine.
I will not succumb to the “peaceful solution,”
Never lower my flags
Until I evict them from my land.
I cast them aside for a coming time.
Resist, my people, resist them.
Resist the settler’s robbery
And follow the caravan of martyrs.
In a solidarity campaign with Dareen, Salil Tripathi, chair of PEN International’s Writers in Prison Committee, said:
The charges leveled against Dareen Tatour are serious, and the Israeli state wants to make the case that her words have directly led to specific violent incidents. But Israel has shown no such direct linkage. All Dareen Tatour has done is to have written a poem. She should never have been under house arrest…
Dareen is not alone. Between October 2015 and January 2016 alone, Israel arrested 150 Palestinians on the grounds of ‘incitement through social media,’ according to a report by 7amleh, the Arab Center for Advancement of Social Media.
The Defence for Children International-Palestine also reported that Israel has illegally put dozens of Palestinian children under administrative detention, because of what they posted on Facebook. They were interrogated and imprisoned for months without the presence of a parent or a lawyer.
In September 2016, Palestinian activists documented numerous suspensions of personal Facebook accounts of Palestinian journalists and media pages. Four editors at the Palestinian Shehab News Agency and three journalists from Al Quds News Network, which both have millions of followers, had their personal accounts closed. Supporters responded, protesting online under the hashtag #FBCensorsPalestine. Facebook later apologized for the suspension explaining that it was mistake.
Israelis too are concerned about the bill. Tehilla Shwartz Altshuler, head of the Israel Democracy Institute’s Center for Democratic Values and Institutions, told Bloomberg that the bill is “an assault on freedom of expression on an international scale,” and needs to be substantially revised. In an interview with the Jersualem Post, MeyTal Greiver-Schwartz from the Israel Internet Association warned that the bill would “enable the removal of legitimate content, as they only include vague and general terms – such as ‘danger to the public or nation’ – that can be interpreted very broadly.”
It is also unclear what impact the bill will have for political figures and parties in Palestine. A few days after the passing of the first reading of the bill on 3 January, Palestinian activists reported that Facebook had shut down around 30 personal accounts and 90 other Facebook pages, which are believed to be affiliated with the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas. Hamas recently commemorated the 21st anniversary of the assassination of its fighter Yaha Ayyash, the first bomb engineer of Hamas’ military wing, who was assassinated by Israel in 1996. Celebrated widely in Palestine as a hero, Hamas supporters posted “Be Like Ayyash” on Facebook in his memory.
The shutdowns may have resulted from Facebook's Community Standards, which prohibit the presence of what it calls ‘dangerous organizations’ that are engaged in terrorist or organized crime activities. Both the Israeli and the US governments list Hamas as a terrorist organization.

author: Marwa Fatafta


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Miniature Superhero Models Boost Jakarta Governor’s Re-election Campaign in Indonesia · Global Voices
Juke Carolina

Miniature model of Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, more popularly known as “Ahok.” Photo by Dennys Wang, used with permission.
A series of pictures showing a miniature model of Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, more popularly known as “Ahok,” has gone viral on social media.
The Ahok miniature models were created by artist Dennys Wang, a miniaturist who specializes in making superhero action figures. This time he chose to create a miniature model of his personal superhero, the governor of Indonesia's capital.
Giving the photos their real vital appeal, Wang then took pictures of the miniature governor campaigning and greeting constituents in various public places in the city. He posted the photos on Facebook and named it the “Miniature Campaign” (Kampanye Miniatur).
Ahok, who is running for re-election this year, has been at the center of a blasphemy scandal since last year that even required him to appear in court.
In Indonesia, the most populous Muslim-dominated country in the world, Islamic militants often condemn Ahok for his religious beliefs and ethnicity. Last year, hundreds of thousands of people gathered in the streets, calling for Ahok's ouster because of claims that he insulted Islam.
Also groups also criticize Ahok's leadership style, saying he panders to the middle class at the expense of the poor.
Though his popularity took a hit with the blasphemy allegations, Ahok remains the gubernatorial race's frontrunner, according to early surveys.
Speaking to Global Voices, Dennys shared his reasons for creating the Ahok miniature models:
Di US dan luar negeri lainnya udah banyak action figure seperti Barrack Obama, Abraham Lincoln. Winston Churchill, mereka semua orang hebat. Jadi Saya rasa Ahok cocok untuk dibikin Action figurenya dari Indonesia
In the U.S. and abroad, there are many [political] action figures, such as Barack Obama, Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, and all of them are great men. I believe Ahok deserves his own action figure, to represent Indonesia.
Dennys said that many Jakartans are enthusiastic to see the miniature governor greeting them in the streets. Below are some photos from the “Miniature Campaign” project:
Governor Ahok's miniature. Photo by Dennys Wang, used with permission.
Miniature Ahok greeting residents of Jakarta. Photo by Dennys Wang, used with permission.
‘Ahok’ greets his constituents. Photo by Dennys Wang, used with permission.
Miniature Ahok greets a supporter. Photo by Dennys Wang, used with permission.

author: Juke Carolina