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Macedonia: More on Discrimination Against Gamers · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Filip Stojanovski of Razvigor :-) thinks discrimination against Macedonian gamers is part of a bigger problem: “[…] Regardless if a person considers oneself a gamer or not, I think they should become concerned by the pattern of discrimination labeling group by group as abnormal, wasteful, and dangerous even. And this does not concern the various breeds of geeks only, it’s not just about technophobia. […] Instead of becoming united, Macedonian society becomes segmented into ever smaller, isolated groups which can be easily branded as freaks and dealt with as part of some final solution scheme.” (Filip's earlier GV post on the same subject – Macedonia: Traditional Media Demonize Gamers – is here.)


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Morocco: Another perspective on Faiza Silmi · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

Last week, Global Voices covered the story of Faiza Silmi, the Moroccan woman denied French citizenship for her beliefs and actions (which included, among other things, wearing the niqaab or full facial veil).  Today, Moroccan blogger …xoussef [FR] chimes in with another perspective on the issue:
Pour moi c'est limpide, la société française est majoritairement contre le Niqaab, le voile, la barbe et les convictions religieuses et politiques dont ce sont les signes extérieurs (qu'importe qu'ils aient tort ou raison c'est un autre débat). La société Française estime que ces convictions religieuses et politiques sont incompatibles avec les valeurs de leur république. Bref, si les français étaient consultés par référendum sur l'octroi de la nationalité française à cette Lalla Faiza et ses semblables, je parie ce que vous voulez que le non l'emporterait…
The blogger then explains:
…Dans le cas de cette dame,qui n'est pas née en France et dont les parents ne sont pas français, l'octroi de la nationalité est un privilège et non un droit. D'ailleurs, qu'elle veuille devenir française tout en niant le droit de vote aux femmes par exemple me dépasse, et qu'elle ait espéré une réponse positive avec de telles réponses et un tel comportement encore plus.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Jillian C. York


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Poland: A Land of Earthquakes? · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Polandian accounts for Polish earhquake zones and points to the fact that Poland in the last two weeks has had 17 earthquakes, whereas California none.

author: Vilhelm Konnander


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Russia, US: A Cuba Crisis in the Making · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Der Spiegelfechter (GER) comments on rumours in Moscow, according to which Russia might station strategic bombers on Cuba in reply to deployment of the US missile defence system to Poland and the Czech Republic. Is it a new Cuba crisis in the making?


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Serbia: Anglophone Bloggers Continue Discussion of Karadžić’s Arrest · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

From one of the world’s most wanted fugitives, Radovan Karadžić – aka Dr. Dragan David Dabić – has turned into one of the world's most talked about detainees. Below are snippets of some of the discussions that have taken place in Anglophone blogs in the past few days.
Serbian author and activist Jasmina Tešanović was not surprised to find out that Karadžić had been living his life on the run in Belgrade. On BoingBoing, she wrote:
[…] To judge by the chatter on my B92 blog and the phone messages I get from my friends: as I long suspected, “Europe's Osama bin Laden” and I have been neighbors. We shared the same food, saw the same beggars in downtown Belgrade where he had been hiding all these years, a genocidal butcher disguised as a New Age quack.
[…] As we all suspected, or as some of us surely knew: Karadzic was hiding from justice behind our names and our daily lives, using the Serbian population as his living shields. […]
In another post on BoingBoing, Tešanović wrote more about “the street of war criminals”:
[…] We lived with Dabic for 13 years, he was one of us, among us, in the shadow half-life of Serbia.
Two war criminals lived in my own street. Biljana Plavsic, the former leader of Republika Srpska, took power after Radovan Karadzic left in 1996. She pled guilty in the Hague and is now serving her sentence in Sweden. General Pavkovic was in charge during the pogrom of Albanians in Kosovo. He is sick of cancer.
[…]
Dabic spent his time in one of the coolest cafes in Belgrade, where you have free Internet and free books. I go there often. He also used to eat in a very good and cheap restaurant where I went often with my friends. We all spent long nights drinking and talking; us, about his crimes and our suffering; him, about selling alternative medicine and how to improve his website. […]
Viktor Marković of Belgrade 2.0 reviewed some of the most immediate questions about Karadžić's resurfacing. Owen, a UK-based reader, noted in the comments section that the focus of the discussion should instead be on the crimes that Karadžić was being charged with:
[…] We’ve had extraordinary coverage in UK reminding us of what Karadzic actually did. Of course we occasionally wonder how he got away with it that long but I think we got the message that he had a friend or two. Is it really still that impossible for people to look at the elephant instead of the coffee table?
Victor responded:
You might get that impression as we all forgot what this man is charged of, but I don’t think that is the case.
For us here it’s not so important to cover what he did, because everyone knows what he did, and those who do not know it, simply refuse to accept it, and there’s no help with that.
Sorry, but right now I’m more occupied about how he managed to live right next to me so to say without any trouble in the world. This turns the whole idea about Mladic hiding in-some-woods-god-knows-where upside down.
Another Belgrade resident and Karadžić's former neighbor, Jelena Marković, wrote this on her blog, Invisible Sights:
[…] The idea of Karadzic enjoying his time in my city quarter, Vracar, was giving me creeps all night, wouldn’t let me sleep: the monster was just by my side, in a way, doesn’t even metter for how long! And I, his enemy, who have made large efforts to denounce him to local nationalists, to moderate democrats, and to the world, as my obligation by simply being a Serbian citizen, I who have been publicly requesting Karadzic’s capture and delivery to the Hague, I still cannot celebrate. Yes, I shead a tear of joy on the big news. Yes, a little bit of justice has just taken place by the arrest. Yes, I think of a piece of relief most probably felt by Karadzic’s victims, and some I met in person, and I share their feeling. Yet, celebrate – I cannot! For, what has changed in the minds of my neighbours, of my parents, of most Serbian citizens, same ones I named just some lines above? I would say, by protests all around town, and outside the Special court (again the place I put trust in, again place I am familiar with), nothing changed in their minds! They are just furious, feeling betrayed! […]
Samaha – “Bosnian American Muslim in the Chicago Area” – examined the media and public reactions to Karadžić's arrest in Serbia and elsewhere:
[…] This past weeks news of Karadzic’s arrest in Serbia has news stories full of reactions of Bosnian Muslims along with the contrasting reactions of Bosnian Serbs (and yes there are few exceptions). […]
A few stories have come out of Serbia regarding Serbian reaction which range from a couple of hundred to several hundred protestors outside of the Belgrade court where Karadzic is being held and their violence against the press.  It would so seem that Serbs in Serbia are more enamored of Karadzic’s transformation into a health guru hiding out in the open, writting articles, public appearances and speeches at conferences, his frequenting a local pub with his picture on the wall and his alleged mistress than they are about the arrest.
It still struck me as strange that Serbs weren’t a little more elated about the capture of Karadzic, after all, this is a significant step towards EU integration and this is what they wanted (so be it that it was a slim majority) they did afterall vote in the government that made this all possible.  I decided today that I wanted to see the Serbian reaction to the news that Mladic handed over Karadzic.
Talk about denial.  The overwhelming comments to the article referencing the Telegraph were full of conspiracy theories and anti-American sentiment is rather scary – I think I’d be safer traveling through RS or Serbia with a Bosnian passport.  Get passed all the conspiracy theories though and one begins to realize that these men are really heros to many Serbs and one has to ask where is the debate? […]
On Srebrenica Genocide Blog, a reader calling him/herself “Dr Dragan Dabic” posted this comment on the post about Karadžić's capture:
I want to draw your attention to the fact that Dr Radovan Karadzic has only been ACCUSED of crimes.
Everyone has the right to be considered innocent until they are found guilty by a proper court of law. […]
Another reader, Vincent Jappi, responded:
The presumption of innocence is a rule which only applies to criminal courts.
Others who know the truth have the right, and indeed the duty, to call a mass murderer a mass murderer whether he has been convicted or not.
U.S.-based Nebojsa Malic of Gray Falcon wrote that Karadžić's arrest has “occasioned an orgy of Serbophobia in the Western press”:
[…] I've actually survived the war in Bosnia, inside Sarajevo no less. It was terrible enough without presstitutes, pseudo-diplomats and NGO scum making up preposterous stories, as they have for the past 16 years. Everyone claims to be championing the “victims,” but they don't; they use the victims to achieve their own ends, be that greater circulation/ratings/awards, conquest and domination, or simply money. […]
Eric Gordy of East Ethnia caught a media mention of the “good things Karadžić has done”:
Ummm …. made Dutch people feel less guilty?
The link in this laconic item is to an article in International Justice, an online publication of Radio Netherlands Worldwide.
Guy La Roche of A Fistful of Euros wrote more on the subject:
It seems self-proclaimed guru Dragan Dabic aka Radovan Karadzic may possess some healing powers after all. At least, that is what some Dutch Srebrenica veterans hope […]:
Former Dutchbat soldier Johan de Jonge is elated about Mr Karadzic’ arrest. He hopes there will be less focus on the former Dutchbat soldiers now that one of the lead actors of the period has been brought to justice.
    “I hope that people’s eyes will be opened now. That they will know we were not to blame. But that there are people who had preconceived plans to exterminate certain population groups”.
As we all know the Dutch government at the time resigned over the Dutch peacekeeping troops’ failure to prevent the massacre of Srebrenica and both Dutchbat, the Dutch military in charge of protecting the Bosnian muslims in the enclave, and the UN were dealt a heavy public relations blow. To say the least. […]
Kirk Johnson of Americans For Bosnia noted that “Russian Foreign Ministry needs better maps”:
Today, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that the Karadzic arrest is an internal Serbian matter. Considering that ALL of the indictments against Karadzic concern events in Bosnia, which–despite the best efforts of Greater Serb nationalists–is not part of Serbia, this is a very strange position to take.
Of course, I know why the Russian Government is saying such a thing, I just wonder if they have even bothered working out the tortured logic it would take to justify this assertion.
Fedja of Rants of a Hyphenated Researcher linked to a YouTube video of Karadžić giving a guided tour to one of Russia's opposition leaders Eduard Limonov during the siege of Sarajevo:
[…] In fact, he seemed to reach almost orgasmic levels of pleasure in boasting about the horror his troops were visiting upon the city of Sarajevo. In this Youtube clip, Karadzics hosts the Russian ultra-nationalist poet Limonov on the hills above Sarajevo, recites his “Sarajevo” poem from the 1980s in which he had “predicted” the massacre, and even invites the poet to shoot the sniper at the civilians in the city. […]
Limonov (who is known better for his prose, not poetry) said in a recent interview (RUS) that he “wasn't sure Karadžić would have been safer in Moscow than in his motherland” and that “he had all the reasons” to fear the current Russian regime.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Serbia: New Instructions and Law Regulations on Online Privacy · Global Voices
Danica Radovanovic

On July 21, RATEL, Serbia’s Republican Agency for Telecommunications, posted a Document of Instructions for Technical Requirements for Subsystems, Devices, Hardware and Installation of Internet Networks on their official web site. This news didn’t go unnoticed yesterday in Serbian blogosphere and internet community, as many bloggers expressed various opinions as well as disapproval because of the potential abuse of users’ privacy.
This document of instructions defines technical requirements for authorized monitoring of some specific telecommunications and provides a list of duties for telecommunication operators, which are obligated to act according to the Constitution Law of Republic of Serbia as well as elements of it.
According to element 55 (Law of Telecommunications), subpart 3, these Instructions were issued by RATEL in cooperation with public telecommunication operators and the governmental body responsible for immediate conduct of electronic monitoring.
This means implementation of massive tracking and archiving in all forms of electronic communications for the purposes of the national agency for the security.
Internet Service Providers (ISP) are obligated to enable governmental bodies to access updated databases with personal data on users, contracts, maximum speed of data transfer, identification addresses as well as access to database about email users. ISPs are also obligated to provide hardware and software for passive monitoring in real time, collecting and analysing Internet activities, statistics, interception of email, attachments, web mail, IP video traffic, phone traffic, interception of IM traffic, peer-to-peer networks, service of email and forwarding the email content towards the center of governmental bodies for supervision. Technical requirements (hardware and software) should enable reconstruction of traffic interception up to the level of application and filtering within these criteria: username, user phone number, email address, IP address, MAC address, IM identification.
All those technical requirements are active and they will be used if there is request or need of the governmental bodies or police to monitor in cases of serious security violation or crime act. This Instruction does not define the privacy of the data as violation of the citizens’ privacy (in telecommunication terms it is forbidden). The privacy is protected by the Law of Telecommunication, as well as by the Serbian Constitution.
Similar cyber laws and technical instructions already exist in other countries. Formally, at least, it's good to have such regulation on one side where privacy is protected – formally, but, on the other hand, I am wondering if the Republican Agency for Telecommunications in Serbia, national security and ISP will (or will not) violate and abuse privacy of citizens in the internet community in practice.
***
Here are some of the reactions in the Serbian blogosphere, as well as possible solutions for protecting your privacy on the Web.
Tamburix, in a blog post titled “Big brother is watching, monitoring and recording you” (SRP), contemplates the invasion of privacy and compares it to Big Brother:
The latest technical requirements of the Republican Agency for Telecommunications and installation of the equipment for internet networks in Serbia, brings elements of Big Brother where the state has permission to get and use all the information regarding our online presence.
Milan posts a link to the document, saying (SRP) that there is also some positive aspects in this document:
I don't know what to think about this. It can be a good thing… great thing, to finally put a law in action on Serbian Internet. On the other hand, the possibilities of misuse are there. If someone misuses it, then it's really bad. Censorship, espionage, call it whatever you want.
Rehash blog writes (SRP):
[…] I read a lot of negative comments on this document, with which I fully agree. I can't say that I didn't expect this to come at some point. Regulations in the USA, in some countries of the EU and the UK are restricting their citizens with similar practices. Will our protests solve this problem? I'm almost sure they won't. For quite some time, our citizens have been apathetic, and they'll tolerate whatever repression methods our pseudo-democratic government is using (in the first year of my studies, professors told me that democracy doesn't exist). […] Fine, lots of bloggers, geeks, or users of the Internet will write and protest for some time. After this, silence will come again. And what to do then?
Vesic Tehnology blog comments (SRP) on the new instructions:
Balkan Spy*, the RATEL/BIA way
It is almost impossible how some “agencies” (read: BIA and similar) through their puppet organizations (read: RATEL) try to put in use the most terrifying “technical” documents, which have only one purpose: to get complete control over your e-life.
Constitution? Law? Justice?
We'll get there probably when we make independent agencies from “independent” agencies, and when justice system and police start doing their job, and when politicians […] start thinking of “irrelevant” things, like the well-being of those who have put them where they are now.
You still think that the most important news is the Karadzic's arrest? Think again. He's one person, and we're getting here the whole Balkan spy over all of us.
*Author's note: there is a movie named “Balkan Spy”.
Jazzva, a computer science student, critically comments on this (SRP):
Maybe the instruction defines “random user” in order not to get in the situation where only data on some users is being kept. And the Constitution defines the access to that data, so someone can get them only by the warrant issued by the Court, or in the case of violated security of Republic of Serbia.
Personalmag blog writes (SRP) about Serbia as a country of Big Brother:
What was probably expected in the totalitarian regimes is happening to us today, paradoxically in the time of “democratic” and pro-European government.  RATEL, a government body for regulations of telecommunications, […] by issuing some technical document, innocently named “Technical requirements for subsystems, devices, hardware and installation of Internet networks” […] is bringing a totalitarian monitoring of all electronic communications by “responsible government body.
Two interesting comments on this post:
It is totally out of mind, and so expected. I knew something like this would happen, and that it would be put into use, as you said, on the small door. I'll start to crypt my thoughts, not just e-mails. This needs a reaction! It is intolerable and violation of basic human rights.
Another comment:
This is a catastrophe. The commenter who said it's the same as in Western countries – it is, but only when there is a court-issued warrant [to monitor]. Over there, the providers would be the first to react if they had to forward traffic and mails on their own expenses. And how do they think to get VoIP traffic, which is crypted, like Skype? Do they [responsible government body] expect from provider to decrypt it and provide it to them on a silver plate? We also need to protest to international organizations that protect freedom of speech and freedom of the Internet.
Sasa Bodiroza, a student of Computer Science at the University of Belgrade, writes on his blog:
Serbia’s Republic Agency for Telecommunications (RATEL), has passed a new law regulation  (text in Serbian) on Internet traffic interception and redirection. Basically, it allows Serbian government to read each and every bit of our communication, including HTTP, VoIP, e-mail and IM protocol. It’s not that I have something to hide; it’s just that it’s a serious violation of my privacy. And I don’t really like that.
Update: I think I overreacted a bit in my comment. This legal act is not supposed to talk about violation of privacy. Violation of privacy is forbidden by the Serbian Telecommunication Law, and the Serbian Constitution. The whole purpose of this legal act, as I see it, is to amend article 55. of Telecommunication Law.
And he further on suggests how to protect your privacy:
Since we can’t change the law immediately, the least we can do is to protect our privacy. We can use encryption methods to encrypt our communication. Here are few advices.
Aleksandar Urosevic finishes his blog post (SRP) in a humorous manner, using irony:
From Urke's cookbook: tomorrow, you too, my dear readers, will know which toilet paper I prefer, and which finger I use to pluck my nose. Why should the government be the only privileged to this crucial information about me, I know that “the people should know”!
***
A question to Global Voices readers: What are the regulations in your country and do you feel like being watched/monitored?

author: Danica Radovanovic


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Sudan: Who’s Next After Al Bashir on the US Hit List?  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

The International Criminal Court Prosecutor has requested an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir for his “criminal responsibility in relation to 10 counts of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.”  A Sudanese blogger writing in Arabic wonders who will be next on the United States’ hit list which targets Arab leaders.
Writing on Sudanese forum Brbr Net, Abu Al Derdiri [Ar] says that Al Basheer's arrest warrant fulfils Libyan leader Muammar Al Gaddafi‘s prediction that the US will hunt down Arab rulers to fulfil its expansionist plans in the region. He says:
يبدو أن تحذير الزعيم الليبي معمر القذافي خلال القمة العربية الأخيرة في دمشق من أن أمريكا ستطارد الزعماء العرب واحدا تلو الآخر بعد إعدام الرئيس العراقي الراحل صدام حسين، بدأ يجد آذانا صاغية على أرض الواقع ، حيث فوجيء العرب والعالم في 14 يوليو 2008 باتهام المدعي العام للمحكمة الجنائية الدولية لويس مورينو أوكامبو للرئيس السوداني عمر البشير بارتكاب جرائم حرب وجرائم ضد الإنسانية وإبادة جماعية في دارفور ، مطالبا المحكمة باعتقاله .
هذا القرار اعتبره كثيرون بأنه سياسي مائة بالمائة ويؤكد أن الولايات المتحدة قررت استخدام سلاح المحكمة الجنائية الدولية لإسقاط نظام البشير الذي طالما حال دون تحقيق مخططات المحافظين الجدد وإسرائيل في تقسيم السودان والاستيلاء على ثرواته الهائلة وخاصة المعدنية والغذائية والمائية منها .
It seems that Libyan Leader Muammer Al Gaddafi's warning during the last Arab League Summit in Damascus that the United States will be hunting down Arab leaders one after the other after the hanging of the late Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein is ringing true. Arabs and the world were surprised on July 14, 2008, of an accusation by the International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo against Sudanese president Omar Al Bashir of committing war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in Darfur, and called upon the court to arrest him. A lot considered this ruling as political, stressing that the United States has decided to use the weapon of the ICC to overthrow Al Bashir's rule, which has so far not been achieved despite the plotting of the Neo-cons and Israel, who want to carve up Sudan and steal its extensive resources, especially minerals, food and water.
Al Derdiri goes on to say that the ICC has no jurisdiction on Sudan, which does not recognise the ICC and insists that singling out Al Bashir is a ploy to pave the way for the trial of other Arab leaders. He adds:
ولذا سرعان ما ركزت واشنطن على استخدام صلاحيات المحكمة لتأديب “الحكام المارقين” بعيدا عن الحروب وفيتو مجلس الأمن ، وهو ما ظهر بوضوح في حالة الرئيس السوداني ، وهنا يتساءل البعض : هل يشكل القرار سابقة لمحاكمة مسئولين عرب آخرين ، وماذا يفعل السودان لمواجهته؟ .
Washington is concentrating its efforts on using the powers of the court to discipline ‘rogue rulers’ away from wars and the Security Council's Veto. This is evident in the case against the Sudanese president. Some of you may ask: Will this ruling set a precedence for the trial of other Arab officials and what will Sudan do to confront it?
Al Derdiri then draws parallels between Sudan and Iraq, and writes:
ورغم أنه بات من المؤكد أن واشنطن تسير قدما في مخطط تقسيم السودان سواء كان ذلك عبر اتفاقية السلام التي تضمن انفصال الجنوب أو من خلال إشعال أزمة دارفور، إلا أن العرب لم يقوموا حتى الآن بخطوات جدية لإنقاذ السودان من المصير الذي وصل إليه العراق.
It has become evident that Washington is continuing with its plans to divide Sudan, whether this is achieved through a peace agreement which guarantees the separation of the South or through fanning the flames over the Darfur crisis. However, Arabs are yet to take serious steps to save Sudan from Iraq's destiny.
He further calls on Arabs and the African Union to move fast – and push the international community to protect the immunity of presidents and the sovereignty of states:
فالرئيس السوداني بات في قبضة المحكمة الجنائية الدولية لأن قراراتها غير قابلة للإلغاء ولا تسقط بالتقادم ، ويبدو أن هذا هو الثمن الذي كان لابد أن يدفعه العرب من وجهة نظر بوش للتغطية على فشله في العراق وأفغانستان ولبنان ولرفع أسهم المرشح الجمهوري جون ماكين في انتخابات الرئاسة الأمريكية المقبلة .
ولذا لا مناص من تكثيف التحرك العربي والإفريقي في الأمم المتحدة لدفع مجلس الأمن لمطالبة المحكمة بتأجيل تنفيذ قرار اعتقال البشير ، بالإضافة إلى ضرورة تحرك الجامعة العربية والاتحاد الإفريقي سريعا لإصدار فتوى من المحكمة الجنائية الدولية حول حصانة الرؤساء لضمان عدم استخدامها كسلاح سياسي لخدمة مخططات واشنطن ، وباعتبار هذا الأمر يضر بمبدأ أساسي في القانون الدولي وهو مبدأ السيادة.
The Sudanese President is now in the clasp of the ICC, whose decisions are irrevocable and this seems to be the price Arabs have to pay, in the opinion of Bush, to cover for his failures in Iraq, Afghanistan and Lebanon, and improve the fortunes of the Republican nominee John McCain in the upcoming US elections. Arabs and Africans should now intensify their pressure at the United Nations, to force the Security Council to demand from the Court to delay the decision to arrest Al Bashir. The Arab League and the African Union should also move fast and extract an order from the ICC on the immunity of Presidents, in order for this tactic not to be used as a political weapon in the hands of Washington. Such decisions harm a fundamental clause in international law – and that is the issue of sovereignty.
In conclusion, he asks:
وبعد ذلك ، يبقى التساؤل الملح ” أي من الحكام العرب ستستهدفه واشنطن بعد صدام والبشير ؟ ” ، هذا ما ستجيب عنه الأيام المقبلة .
And after all this, there remains a pressing questions: Who of the Arab leaders will be targeted by Washington after Saddam and Al Bashir? We will know the answer to this question in the near future.
Also on Global Voices Online:
Bahrain: Omar Al Bashir and the Cross-Eyed Justice

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Taiwan: Bloggers Discuss Marketing Post · Global Voices
Pipper Lee

Taiwan blogosphere recently resumed the hot discussion about bloggers’ advertising / marketing post — but the topic goes hotter this time.
richyli[zh] started the debate with a blog post “How to insert product ads more effectively via bloggers / journalists : using Junket“[zh]. He highlights Weblogs Inc.'s rejection of “junket” practice. (Junkets are free trips that PR firms and the companies they represent provide to journalists in the hopes of getting favorable reviews for their products.) However, he wonders if such “noble” stand really works as junket is really attractive and effective:
其次，拿人手短乃人之常情，人家招待你去外地旅遊，現在很多招待部落客的 Junket 甚至還有「車馬費」，你能不寫嗎？通常答應參加的同時就已經默認稿子會被處理了。如果參加了 Junket 之後不乖乖寫稿，除非真的夠屌，夠大牌，媒體夠響亮，否則下次絕對不讓你參加。這對於旅遊線的記者沒什麼，但一般線的記者，或者部落客，「損失」就很大 了。還有，人家的好意，你再怎麼「平衡」，老實說都是騙自己的。
It is quite normal that you would say something good about a person if that person is good to you. When they offer you an opportunity to go traveling for free, or even give you subsidy in the junket package, it is highly unlikely that you won't blog about it. Let alone if you promise to go for the trip they treat, you also tacitly promise to write something. Suppose if you join a junket and don't blog for them, they will not let you join again unless you are a A-list blogger or famous enough. This may be not so attractive for travel journalists. But for other journalists or bloggers, it is too good an opportunity to be missed. Besides, when people treat you nicely, even though you keep reminding yourself to be “balanced”, eventually you are just cheating yourself.
DearJohn[zh] holds a different opinion. In a post entitled “Other bloggers’ articles are advertorials, is it your business at all?“, he argues that the ethical regulations of bloggers should not be the same as that of journalists. Moreover, readers do not pay for reading blog posts. In this sense, bloggers have the right to select what they want to say and write. It does not matter whether the posts are PR ads as long as the contents are compelling:
我的結論就是，有沒有利用部落格來寫廣告文章、部落客有沒有做置入性行銷，根本就一點也不是重點！重點是那個人的文章寫的夠不夠精采，具不具可讀性？如果一個人的文章寫的很爛、照片拍的很醜，就算勉強想做行銷，大概也根本沒人想上來看吧？換句話說，有人就算是接受了招待、拿了稿酬寫了某篇產品試用推薦文，如果寫的很棒，大家都很愛看，那又如何？根本就沒什麼騙不騙的事，一個願打、一個願挨，不曉得旁邊的人在不爽什麼？
My conclusion is that it is not the point at all whether bloggers take advantage of the blog to write advertisement or whether blogs insert product promotion! What really matters is whether these blog posts are well written and compelling. If the articles are poorly written or the photos are poorly taken, no one will be interested in reading them, even though the blogger tries hard to promote the product, right? In other words, even if some bloggers accept the treat or the remuneration for writing a product ads, as long as the article is well written and received, what's wrong with that? There is no fraud at all. If the writer and reader are fine with it, why others should be mad at it?
For the debates regarding sharing / marketing and disclosure / conceal, Portnoy used a two-dimensional diagram[zh] to “disclose” his position, with one axis from “complete disclosure” to “complete conceal”, and another one from “personal sharing” to “pure marketing”. Then, wenli writes a similar post entitled “Dear friends of blogger, I am here“[zh] to mark his position.
Apart from the discussions about the issue, some debates are directing to individuals. In the post “So many coincidences in the world[zh],” SpinalCord mentions that Tina[zh] is not just a blogger who “shares good things with her good friends,” but also a Yahoo! auction seller with more than 1,000 ratings[zh]. In response[zh], Tina and her supporters emphasize the point is, “the blogger shares good things and orders them for us.”
SpinalCord also talks about another famous blogger in Taiwan in another post[zh]. He questions it's really unusual that amarylliss[zh] has so many bottles of yoghourt drink[zh] in her fridge. He assumes the post is advertising, not sharing. TSUBASA[zh], her husband, writes a post[zh] with a list of grocery stock at home, including 15 kgs of flour, two boxes of coffee, and dozens of red wine.
In the end，Fred shares the article, why I am not good at writing advertising posts?[zh]:
也許是同樣的事情、同樣的邀請和「利用」，但這樣的重視讓我覺得自己能以專業評論者的身分寫文章，而不是背負著人情或利益壓力寫宣傳文的部落客；對於這家公關公司和他們的客戶而言，我相信多少也得到了一些金錢買不到的東西。
It may be the same situation, same invitation and the same ”utilization”, but the respect they showed made me feel that I can write articles as a professional commentator, not as a blogger who writes advertising articles under the pressure of returning a favor or making a profit. As for this PR firm and its clients, I think they got something that money cannot buy.
This post is co-translated from Chinese by GV chinese team, the author would like to thank the help from Leonard, H. Y., and abstract.

author: Pipper Lee


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Ukraine: Manoeuvres for Presidential Power · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Foreign Notes comments on allegations on the Ukrainian presidential website that Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko is conspiring with Party of Regions's chairman Viktor Yanukovich to succeed Viktor Yushchenko as President of Ukraine in 2010.


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Ukraine: Music, Language, History · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

A discussion of Ukrainian music, language and history – at Vasyl's uaMuzik.


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Ukraine: Olechko’s New Paintings · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Lots of new, Ukraine-related, work – at Olechko's blog.


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Ukraine: “Package Experience” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Michelle Knisley of Greetings from Kyiv writes about the fate of the packages sent to her by other people to Ukraine.


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Ukraine: The King Who Never Was · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Kiev Ukraine News Blog posts a Seattle Times review of a biography about Vasyl Vyshyvani, a former Habsburg archduke, who in the interwar years aspired for the throne of Ukraine.


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Ukraine: The Mystery of Political Technologists · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Taraz Kuzio ponders upon the mystery of political technologists and the bemusement with them despite their often inferior analyses.


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AFRICOM is a “back door” · Global Voices
Jennifer Brea

Parole de Democrate [Fr] thinks AFRICOM is a backdoor for expanding US influence in Africa  and says that American troops are already conducting anti-terrorist activities on Algerian soil, according to an unnamed source.

author: Jennifer Brea


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Angola: Eight people murdered in Sambila  · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Eugênio Costa Almeida [pt] comments on a crime that shocked Sambizanga, in Angola. “People from the popular neighborhood of Santa Rosa in Sambila city said there were 8 (eight!) people killed – read it is as executed! Their names are Dadão, Lito, Terenso, Santinho (which was an assistant for the Sao Paulo parish), Mano Velho, André, Johnson e Nandinho – while the authorities counted 7 victims.”

author: Paula Góes


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Bahrain: Missing India · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

Many Bahrainis study at universities and colleges in India, and one of them is blogger MuJtAbA AlMoAmEn. He recently wrote about his feelings of missing Bahrain when in India – and his desire to go back to India after a long break in Bahrain.
MuJtAbA describes how the time has passed since he came back to Bahrain for a break [Ar]:
ها قد شارف الشهر الثالث على الإنقضاء ، بل انقضى ، كنت أتمنى أن أتأخر قليلاً ، إلا أني سئمت الجلوس في الوطن ، سئمت الحياة في البحرين ، كنت أتشوق للحظة دخولي مطار البحرين الدولي ، وها أنا أعيش السأم والمزاجية المفرطة ، والعصبية التي فارقتني أشهر طويلة في الهند .
He then explains why he was thinking about Bahrain so much earlier in the year – and how he coped:
حينها صار ملتقى البحرين صديق السفر ، كان به الكثير من المبالغات ، إلا أنه كان يحمل الكثير من الأخبار أيضاً .
Now his break is over, and he is returning to India for two more years of study – and he tells us what he is returning to:
He mentions some aspects of life in India that he appreciates, as well as the things he is not looking forward to:
…أعود لفوضى من الإجراءات البيروقراطية المملة في الكلية والداخلية ….الخ .
أعود لعالمي الذي رأيت فيه الهدوء ، والفرصة للقراءة والإطلاع .

author: Ayesha Saldanha


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Bahrain: Omar Al Bashir and the Cross-Eyed Justice · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Reacting to the news of the International Criminal Court's (ICC) arrest warrant against Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir, Bahraini blogger Hayat [Ar] describes the decision as ‘cross-eyed justice.’ Will the ruling save Darfur and its people or is it another ploy to allow the United States direct control over the region and its rich resources?
Hayat briefs us about what happened and says:
اتهم مدعي عام المحكمة الجنائية الدولية الرئيس السوداني عمر البشير بارتكاب جرائم حرب وجرائم ضد الانسانية والابادة الجماعية في دارفور وطالب باعتقاله .. و طلب الإعتقال و المحاكمة غير الزامي فهو بمثابة اتهام و اقتراح لن يدخل حيز التنفيذ .. لأنه يحتاج إلى ادانه دولية و تأييد دولي .. فلكي تتشكل قوة عسكرية دولية لتتدخل عسكريا في السودان و تعتقل البشير و تحيله للمحاكمة يتطلب ذلك موافقة من مجلس الأمن الدولي .. و هذه الموافقة لن تتحقق في ظل عدم توافق الصين و اوربا و روسيا مع امريكا و تضارب المصالح بينهم و اختلافهم في الكثير من القضايا و الملفات .. ..و ايضا سبب آخر و هو بإن هذه المحكمة لا تعترف بها الكثير من الدول .. بالإضافه إلى ان امريكا مقبله على رئاسة جديدة .. و في نهاية عهد بوش لن تتمكن من اعادة سيناريو العراق في السودان
The International Court of Justice Prosecutor has accused the Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir of committing war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in Darfur and has asked for his arrest. The court's decision is not mandatory and is only a request which will never be implemented because it needs an international condemnation and support. The United Nation's Security Council should pass a resolution for an international force to be formed and intervene military in Sudan to arrest Al Bashir and put him on trial and this will not happen as China, Europe, Russia and the United States are not in agreement, and their interests conflict. They also disagree on a lot of issues. Another reason is that a number of countries do not recognise this court. Add to this, the US is entering new elections, and at the end of Bush's era, it will not be able to repeat the Iraqi scenario in Sudan.
Why is Darfur such a prized territory? According to Hayat:
دارفور غنية بالمواد الخام كالبترول ويعتقد أن هنالك احتياطي نفط يبلغ 7 مليارات برميل .. و يوجد فيها اليورانيوم و تنعم بثروة حيوانية كبيرة .. مما ادى إلى صراع القبائل فيها على الموارد الطبيعية الشحيحةالمتوفره لهم .. و اتسع الصراع ليشمل حكومات دول عدة منها السودان و التشاد و كلا منهما يدعم قبيلة ..لإستغلال هذه الثروة و لتبسط سيطرتها و نفوذها على دارفورد ..و السؤال هنا ..كيف ستتمكن الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية من التدخل في هذا الصراع كي تحمي مصالحها في هذه المنطقة و تتفوق على فرنسا التي تزاحمها و تتصارع معها على هذه الثروة ؟
Darfur is rich in raw material, such as oil, and it is believed that the oil reserves alone exceed seven billion barrels. It is also rich in uranium and a substantial animal wealth and this has led to a conflict between tribes on natural resources which they lacked. This conflict has expanded to include governments of a number of countries, including Sudan and Chad, each of which supports a tribe, in order for them to exploit those resources and control the area and Darfur. The question here is: how will the US be able to enter this conflict and protect its interests in this region and beat France, which is competing against it for this treasure?
Hayat asks if the ICC's real motive was charging a rogue leader, why aren't the leaders of other countries on trial. She says:
ساهمت امريكا بزيادة وتيرة الصراع في اقليم دارفور و ذلك من خلال دعم المتمردين على الحكومة .. و قرار المحكمة الجنائية الدولية يعتبر غطاء انساني و و سيلة و ذريعة ستمكن امريكا من التدخل في الشؤون الداخلية لهذا الأقليم بشكل مباشر ..
و يعتبر هذا القرار انتقائيه و ازدواجية ومزاجية من المحكمة الجنائية الدولية .. تحركها المصالح السياسية و الإقتصادية .. و ليس مبادىء و قيم الإنسانية .. و إلا فاين هذه العدالة العوراء عن الجرائم التي يرتكبها زعماء امريكا و اسرائيل و مصر و البحرين و الخ .. اين هم عن ما يحدث في العراق و فلسطين ؟؟ .. انا مع هذا القرار و لكن ضد العدالة العوراء التي تحركها المصالح السياسية و الإقتصادية ..
The United States has been able to increase the intensity of this conflict in Darfur by supporting the rebels against the government.. and the ICC ruling gives a humanitarian cover and an excuse for the US to directly interfere in the internal affairs of this region. This ruling is considered hypocritical and selective on part of the ICC, and is moved by political and economic interests and not principles and humanitarian values. Otherwise, where is this cross-eyed justice from the crimes being committed by the leaders of America, Israel, Egypt, Bahrain and others? Where are they from what is happening in Iraq and Palestine? I am with this decision but against the cross-eyed justice, which is manipulated by political and economical interests.
She further notes:
اعتقد بإن قرار المحكمة الجنائية الدولية سابقة خطيرة و ورقة جديدة تضاف إلى ورقة التهديد بالعقوبات .. و اللتان بهما ستتمكن امريكا و غيرها من السيطرة و حماية المصالح و تحقيق الأهداف و الأجندات الإستراتيجية ..
هل سيرى العالم عمر البشير في السجن الدولي كما حدث مع تشارلز تايلور الليبيري وميلوسيفتش الصربي؟ .. ام انه سيرضخ لهذه الضغوط و سيلعب لعبة المساومة و الصفقات لكي ينجو بنفسة ام انه سيواجه امريكا بسلاح اتفاق أبوجا للسلام و بالقوة التي يتمتع بها في البيت السوداني ؟ و هل هناك صدام جديد و بشير آخر ؟ .. نترك الإجابة للأيام القادمة
I believe that the ICC decision sets a dangerous precedence, and is a new page in the series of threats for sanctions. They will enable America and others to control the region, protect their interests there, and fulfil their strategic agendas and goals. Will the world see Omar Al Bashir in jail just like they have seen the Liberian Charles Taylor and the Serbian Milosevic? Or will he cave in to pressure and play the game of compromises and deals to save himself? Or will he confront America with the Abuja Agreement and the power that the Sudanese house enjoys? Or is there a new Saddam and another Bashir? We will leave the answers for the next few days.
Also on Global Voices Online:
Sudan: Who's Next After Al Bashir on the US Hit List?


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Brazil: Controversial nuclear project is given green light · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Controversial Angra 3 reactor for Brazil's Nuclear Power Plant was given a pre-licence [pt] by  the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA) last July 23, not before a series of environmental terms were imposed by Environment Minister Carlos Minc – 60 all together ranging from permanent solutions for waste treatment, monitoring of radiation levels to investments in educational initiatives and environmental protection. Should these conditions signed by IBAMA and Eletronuclear in a pre-licence for completing Angra 3  be met, works may be resumed as soon as September this year.
Photo credit: Wilson Dias/ABr
Some bloggers were perplexed by the decision, considering that the Minister Carlos Minc, a founder member of the Brazilian Green Party who became Environment Minister last May after the resignation of Marina Silva, is well known for this fight against nuclear power. He has said that he is meeting an agenda defined before his term, and it also seems that Minc and President Lula, who has spoken of his commitment to nuclear power, don't quite agree when it comes to the subject. It hasn't always been the case, as Jorge Henrique Cordeiro [pt] shows, publishing a picture of the pair in 1989, during a protest against the construction of the same Angra 3. The blogger believes the country should invest in its great, rich potential for clean energy instead:
Energeticamente o Brasil tem imenso potencial hídrico, solar e eólico a ser explorado. Só os ventos do Nordeste oferecem 75 gigawatts de energia ao país. O que me leva a fazer uma continha básica: levando-se em conta que Angra 3 tem potencial para 1.350 megawatts (1 gigawatt = 1.000 megawatts, só pra constar) e custo estimado de R$ 8 bilhões para ser construída, seriam necessárias 56 usinas iguais à ela, ao incrível preço de R$ 450 bilhões, para gerar esse mesmo total de energia com reatores nucleares. E ainda têm a cara-de-pau de dizer que as fontes renováveis de energia são caras…
When it comes to energy, Brazil has a huge hydro, solar and wind energy potential to be tapped. The winds from the Northeast alone provide 75 gigawatt of energy to the country. This leads me to make a basic count: taking into account that Angra 3 has potential for 1,350 megawatts (1 gigawatt = 1,000 megawatts, to make it clear) and an estimated building cost of US$ 8 billion [approximately US$ 5.08 billion], it would be necessary 56 power plants like it, at the incredible cost of R$ 450 billion [US$ 285.8 billion], to generate the same total in energy with nuclear reactors. And they still are cheeky enough to say that renewable energy sources are expensive…
On the other hand, Alon Feuerwerker [pt] believes that the requirements for the license show the “premature obsolescence of Brazilian environmentalists” and thinks that, nevertheless, giving the green light to the project was a good step in the right direction:
De todo modo, a decisão é positiva para o país, desde que o radicalismo ambiental enxertado por Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva na Esplanada dos Ministérios não consiga interromper o andamento da obra, negando-lhe a licença de instalação. Aliás, é só do que se fala em Brasília: que o Ibama teria cedido agora para endurecer depois. Será?
In any case, the decision is a positive one for the country, as long as the environmental radicalism grafted by Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on the House of Ministers doesn't manage to stop the works progress, denying it the installation licence. Actually, everyone is talking about it in Brasilia: that the IBAMA has given in now to toughen up later. Will they?
Projeto Jogo Limpo [Fair Game Project, pt] has organized a poll to find out what their readership thinks about the matter. Some other bloggers are re-publising the message below, sent through e-mail by Greenpeace Brazil, urging people to complain directly to the IBAMA's president:
Não deixe isso passar em branco! Você pode enviar um SMS (torpedo) e reclamar diretamente com Roberto Messias, presidente do Ibama, através do número: 061 9982-4409. Exerça o seu papel de cidadão, mostre sua indignação e cobre explicações do Governo Lula!
Do not let this go unnoticed! You can send an SMS (message) and complain directly to Roberto Messias,  IBAMA's president, through the number: 061 9982-4409. Exercise your role as citizens, show your indignation and demand explanations from the government of Lula!
The campaign above is called  “The Messiah has arrived and brought bad news” and protests have taken the streets of Brasilia, the capital city, and Rio de Janeiro. Ricardo Baitelo, from Greenpeace Brasil's energy campaign, laments[pt]:
“Aprovar o projeto de construção de Angra 3 é um retrocesso para o país e uma vergonha para o Ibama. Roberto Messias entra para a história como o homem que assinou a licença de um elefante branco radioativo, e Minc, opositor da energia nuclear, como o ministro que lavou as mãos para o fato”
“The approval the Angra 3 construction project is a setback for the country and a disgrace for the IBAMA. Roberto Messias is to enter history as the man who signed the license of a white elephant radioactive plant, and Minc, opponent of nuclear energy, as the minister who washed their hands to this fact”
Photo credit: Wilson Dias/ABr
The photos that illustrate this article are from the protest against the construction of Angra 3 organized by Greenpeace Brazil on July 23, when the deal was being signed. They have been taken by a photographer from Agência Brasil and are reproduced here under a Creative Commons licence.
The construction of a third reactor completing the last phase of the Brazil's sole nuclear power plant began in 1984 but was halted 22 years ago due to the country's economic problems. Its major components were purchased in 1995 and have since been stored, consuming 50 million dollars a year in maintenance costs. The project also faces strong opposition from environmentalists and the public in general.


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Brazil: Corruption doesn’t need captions · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Vejo Tudo e Não Morro [I see everything and I don't die, pt] publishes a cartoon that doesn't need captions: corruption is universal.


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Cambodia: Election day · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Today is election day in Cambodia. Workers got a 72-hour break in order to vote in the provinces. Motorcycle diaries and John Vink posted election-related photos.

author: Mong Palatino


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Cambodia: List of unsolved attacks against journalists · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Details are Sketchy provides a list of unsolved attacks against journalists in Cambodia.


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Czech Republic, China: Pre-Olympics Scandal · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

The Czech Daily Word reports on the problems in relationship between the Czech Republic and China on the eve of the Olympics.


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D.R. Congo: Audit reveals US$1.3 billion diverted by government agencies · Global Voices
Jennifer Brea

In Congo, the Office of the Prime Minister has accused ten government agencies, including those responsible for collecting taxes and customs revenue, and the national water, electricity, and insurance authorities of embezzling US$ 1.3 billion, reports Forum Realisance [Fr] via Le Potential.


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Ecuador: Guayaquil Celebrates its Past and Present · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

“Cheers, Guayaquil on your Anniversary!” writes Alex Anazco of Cambiemos Ecuador [es].  He writes about its past, but also about its present, which boasts the best airport in Latin America according to an international business magazine.

author: Eduardo Avila


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Indonesia: Oil company endorses improper use of motorcycles? · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

My Busy Brain criticizes an oil company for distributing pamphlets which indirectly encouraged improper use of motorcycles in Indonesia


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Japan: Toyota’s Just-In-Time System and the Akihabara Killings (Part 1) · Global Voices
Chris Salzberg

(Note: the translation in this post was a collaborative effort by blogger and translator nofrills, blogger and GV author Taku Nakajima, user Saifis, and GV editor Chris Salzberg.)
(See also Part 2.)
When Tomohiro Kato killed 7 people and injured many more in Tokyo's Akihabara district last month, the details of his life became the talk not only of the mainstream media world, but also of the blogging world. Within Japan, the murder sparked a large number of conversations on the country's temp worker industry, as Kato himself had worked at an automobile factory of Kanto Auto Works (関東自動車) under Toyota, contracted through temp agency Nikken Sogyo Co. [ja] (日研総業).
While many bloggers discussed the temp worker connection, no single blog entry attracted as much attention as did a post by blogger boiledema, published two days after the incident and bookmarked on Hatena by a staggering 1366 users [ja]. The blogger himself was taken aback by the sudden surge of attention [ja], never having experienced in the past anything more than a few bookmarks or comments at his blog.
In the June 10th blog entry, boiledema presented a very personal perspective on the connection between Kato's working life and the inventory strategy employed at the Toyota Motor Corporation known as Just-In-Time (or in Japanese, “Kanban Hoshiki”/カンバン方式).　（See also this video.) These views resonated so strongly with readers of the blog that comments immediately began appearing suggesting that the entry itself be translated, to let the outside world know more about the situation of temp workers in Japan.
In the first comment on the entry, for example, user guldeen wrote:
はてブにも書きましたが、これはぜひ『英語に訳して』発信すべきエントリかと思われます。
海外では日本車はそれなりに信頼があるのはご存知でしょうが、それを作って（作らされて？）いる日本の工員達の処遇がこのザマでは、世界から批判されるのも已む無しと思えてきます。
I mentioned this as well in my note on the Hatena bookmarks page [for this post], but this seems like an entry that should really be translated and distributed in English.
As you probably know, Japanese cars enjoy a certain level of confidence overseas, but there would be no stopping the criticism if people overseas saw the conditions of Japanese factory workers who make (or are forced to make?) these cars.
In the notes to the Hatena bookmarks page for the blog entry, there were many similar comments [ja]. guldeen's bookmark comment hit a chord with other readers, scoring 100 Hatena stars. In the comment, guldeen tagged the post with the words (among others) “amazingly insightful” (すばらしい洞察), explaining that:
最後のこのタグは皮肉でもなんでもない。日本はおろか世界では、トヨタやその他日本の自動車産業のこんな現状を知らない。海外から“焚きつける”ためにも、ぜひとも英語に訳し発信すべきエントリ
User popolonlon3965 got 35 stars for this comment:
報道だけでは分からなかった部分がいくつか見えてきた。なるほど。/マスコミが掘り下げるべきなのはこういうところだよね。アニメ好きだとかはどうだっていい。
This comment by user poppo-x got 21 stars:
三河出身の私からすれば、トヨタの工員を人とも思わぬ扱いは、もう30年近く前から変わっていないように思う。＜同級生の中に、父親がトヨタやその系列企業勤務という子が何人も居て、その手の話を聞かされた。
Many other comments mentioned the importance of translating boiledema's entry. m_yanagisawa for example got 7 stars with this comment:
珍しくコメント欄が機能しているw/こんだけブクマされりゃ日本語のわかる特派員の一人や二人は読むだろう。
Due to to the length of the original post, we are presenting the translation in two parts. In this first part, boiledema describes his personal connection to Toyota, through his father's factory work:
Toyota's Kanban System, Applied to Humans (Part 1)
(Japanese title: 人間までカンバン方式)
なんか激しく放置プレイなんだけど、秋葉の事件について、犯人が働いていた工場は、父が正社員として長く勤めている会社のことなので、知っていることを書いておきます。
[…]
関東自動車はトヨタの関連会社で、下請けではなく、トヨタ車の生産ラインそのものを請け負っている。自動車部品工場という表現をするマスコミもあったけれど、それは正しくない。
トヨタ車として売られている自動車のプレスをし、組み立てをし、塗装をする。
トヨタ本体の一部だと思っても間違いではない。
The blogger then quotes from a Mainichi article [original article is no longer available online]:
工場での担当は塗装ライン。月曜から金曜の週５日勤務で１週間交代で日勤と夜勤についていたが、勤務態度はまじめで、公休以外は休まなかった。時給１３００円で月約２０万円の収入があった。契約期間は今年３月３１日までだったが、１年間更新されていた。
派遣社員を６月末で２００人から５０人に減らす計画があったが、加藤容疑者は、自分が対象ではないことを派遣会社から知らされていたという。
Kato was on the auto paint line at the factory. He worked five days a week, from Monday to Friday, alternating every week between day and night shifts. He was a hard worker there, and took no time off other than for legal holidays. He received an hourly wage of 1,300 yen; that is about 200,000 yen per month [approx. 2,000 USD]. His contract was to end on March 31st of this year, but it was renewed for one more year.
The company has planned to cut the temporary workforce from 200 to 50. But it is believed that Kato was told by the temp staff agency that his place was safe.
boiledema then continues:
この部分、私が電話で父親から聞いていた話と食い違う。
少なくとも工場の正社員は６月３０日付けで派遣はすべてクビと認識していたようだ。
期間工は契約更新しない形で順次数を減らすということ。
最終的には、正社員以外はすべて解雇する。
理由は、原油高による材料費高騰。しかも国内需要も伸びないので、引き続き好調な海外需要については、人件費コストの安い海外工場で生産する。
なんというか、これがトヨタのやり方か。トヨタの経営方針、在庫を抱えず、下請けからすぐに必要な分だけ部品を取り寄せるカンバン方式というのが有名だけど、
まさに、人間までカンバン方式なのだ。
Well, what can I say? This is the way that Toyota does things. They are famous for their effective management policies — their “Just-In-Time system” [or in Japanese, “Kanban” system]. Rather than stockpiling a large number of parts, they just place an order to subcontractors for the parts they need at the moment.
What they have done here, though, is nothing other than to [apply the] Kanban system to human beings.
自分たちが、労働者を買い叩いたせいで、若年層を中心に収入が減り、国内需要が減ってしまったら、海外市場は好調なのでとっとと生産拠点を海外に移転してしまう。
しかも、東富士工場は非常に広く、人の配置もまばら。親父いわく、「隣の人と100ｍは離れている」ウチの親父はいつだって大げさなので、そんなに離れちゃいないだろうけど、数十メートル単位で離れていると見ていいだろう。
休憩時間や出入りの時間などに意識しなければ人と会話をすることも無いそうだ。
しかも、ハケンは出入りが激しすぎていちいち顔も覚えていない。親父いわく、ハケンのことだから知らないだそうだ。まったく（怒）
犯行前に、ツナギがロッカーから消えていたことで、解雇されると思い込み激怒したとの報道があった。字面だけ追えばそんな小さなことで解雇なんて、と思う。
だが、彼の状況を鑑みるに、まともにコミュニケーションが成立していないので、ちょっとしたことにも過敏になってしまうだろう。
しかも、派遣会社の言ってることと現場の言われていることに食い違いがあり、
クビにはならないと派遣会社が言ったところで、会社側が希望する日まで働いてもらうための方便に見えてしまうだろう。
クビにすると言ってしまえば、本人がバックレたり、やる気がなくなったりして生産性が落ちてしまう。
そもそも、数ヶ月で人が入れ替わってしまうので、職に対するこだわりや企業に対する忠誠心が薄くなる。
ウチの父親によると４本閉じなければいけないボルトを、面倒になったある派遣労働者が２本しか閉めないで出荷してしまい、大騒ぎになったこともあったらしい。
また、多少契約期間が伸びたところで、経営方針として最終的に派遣を切るという方向性に変わりはない。
モチベーションの上がらない労働をさせられる時間が増えるだけであり、それはそれで苦痛である。
そういう状況下でツナギが無くなったとしたら、極めて非人間的な方法で、陰湿に解雇を告げてきたと勘違いしてもむべなるかな、だとは思う。
その上、派遣会社の日研や関自がマスコミに言っていることは本当なのか。犯人のクビは決定していたが、保身のために嘘をついている可能性はないか
だからと言って、無差別殺人に飛躍するのは、ムチャクチャである。許しがたい行為である。
だが、一方で企業側のその非人間的な扱いに愕然とする。
この記事のはてブコメントに「圧倒的に他者がいねぇ。完全にひとり芝居じゃないか。舞台の上には役者だけ、ほんとに怖い。」というのがある。だが、そもそも犯人の環境は、他者と関われないシステムとして存在している。
見知らぬ土地に連れて来られ、社員からは顔を覚えてもらえず、あたかも部品の一部として明日の生活を奪われる。俺はボルトじゃねえ。
派遣同士のつながりというのはどれほどあったのかは分からないが、（ニュースを見ていると同僚同士多少はコミュニケーションがあったようだが）希薄だったのではないか。
他者と関わりと持てず、漫然とモチベーションの上がらない仕事をしながら明日の生活に怯える。
他者のいない生活の中で、自分ばかりが肥大してしまう。ツッコミすら入らないのだから。
彼女がいない、ということに対して相当の劣等感を持っていたようだけど、承認の象徴が「彼女」だったのではないか。
無論、背景には恋愛至上主義もあるだろうし、若い男なのでそれ相当に性欲もあるだろうが、友達でも親でも、頼れる上司でも、あるいは猫だろうが、代替は可能だったのではないか。少なくとも道を踏み外すほどにはならなかったのではないか。
犯人は他人を巻き込まず、一人で勝手に死ねばよかった、そう言う人は多い。裾野市なので富士の樹海は近い。だが、犯人があのまま秋葉に行かず、一人樹海に向かったとしても、誰も探しに行かなかっただろう。
派遣会社も、派遣社員の同僚も良くあるバックレとしか思わず、社員はいなくなったことも知らない。
Many people say that it would have been better that he had just killed himself, without involving other [innocent] people. Well, the city he lived in, Susono of Shizuoka, is near to the Mount Fuji's black forest [widely known as a popular place for committing suicide]. But even if he had gone by himself into the forest, instead of to Akihabara [Tokyo], nobody would have gone looking for him.
The temp agency as well as his co-workers would most likely have thought that he had just run away, and regular employees would not even have noticed that he was gone.
そのことを思いついたとき私は全身が寒くなった。
身震いするほどの孤独がそこには存在する。
人間としてみなされていない人は、他の人も人間としてみなさない。凶行の背景には、凍えるほどの孤独が生み出す負のスパイラルがある。
繰り返すが、だからと言って、無関係な人を殺したことの言い訳にはならない。
(The remainder of boiledema's post will be translated in Part 2.)
Saifis, nofrills, and Taku Nakajima contributed to the above translation. The author (Chris Salzberg) however takes full responsibility for the contents of this article.

author: Chris Salzberg


text:
D.R. Congo: Kinshasa’s “baroque” style · Global Voices
Jennifer Brea

Du Cabiau à Kinshasa writes about Kinshasa's love of excess in a recent post titled “Kinshasa is baroque” [Fr].
« Le baroque est un style qui se caractérise par l’exagération du mouvement, la surcharge décorative, les effets dramatiques, l’exubérance et de la grandeur parfois pompeuse.»
Alors, Kinshasa est incontestablement baroque. La simplicité est rarement du goût des kinois. A la sobriété, ils préfèrent la surabondance. De l’architecture à la musique, de la danse à l’habillement. Ici, on force le trait. En particulier quand il s'agit de frimer, on aime l’excès.
“Baroque is a style characterized by exaggeration of movement, decorative excess, dramatic effects, exuberance and a grandeur that is at times pompous.”
So, Kinshasa is undeniably baroque.  Kinois [people of Kinshasa] rarely have a taste for simplicity.  They prefer overabundance to sobriety.  From architecture to music, from dance to dress.  Here, they go overboard.  In particular when it comes to showing off, they love excess.
Ndombolo is a prime example. “The music in Kinshasa today,”  Cabiau writes, Ndombolo was born in Kinshasa but “makes the girls move all the way to Dakar and Abidjan.  It is the pride of all Congolese.”
Généralement, les (très) longs morceaux de ndombolo commencent doucement pour évoluer vers le «sebene», la partie déjantée de la chanson, ces quelques minutes où la piste de danse entre en ébullition. Les riffs de guitares sont alors ininterrompus et le rythme ultracadencé. Là dessus se greffent les chanteurs et les ambianceurs qui donnent de la voix… en même temps! Pour le profane, cette partie est presque inaudible tant le style est chargé. C'est pourtant le coeur de l'ambiance kinoise.
A French aid worker in Congo, Cabiau admits that he has trouble telling Werrason apart from Wazekwa, but that he's “developed a taste for this joyous cacaphony.”:
Lorsque les décibels s'affolent, impossible de rester assis. Si l’on se donne la peine de s’aventurer sur la piste, au milieu des miroirs et des déhanchements endiablés, on ne peut que succomber. On est alors entraîné dans des chorégraphies délirantes que tout bon kinois connaît sur le bout des doigts. C’est le feu. De la folie furieuse. C’est Kinshasa.
Cabiau also writes about the phenomenon of “libanga.”  Libanga is to Congolese music what product placement is to American film and television.  For a few thousand dollars, “a company, a brand of beer, a politicians, or an officer in the army” can see his name placed in a song.  Several dozen such paid shoutouts might be in a single song.  “Curiously, that doesn't seem to bother many people,” Cabiau writes.
Comme la «sape» et bien d’autres phénomènes sociaux ou musicaux, le «libanga» est né à Kin pour se répandre par la suite à travers continent. Kinshasa, c’est l’Afrique de l’Afrique. C’en est à la fois le cœur et la caricature. Comme un aimant, le noyau attire à lui ce qui l’entoure. Les éléments convergent vers Kinshasa. Une fois au cœur du cyclone, ils se mélangent, se transforment, renaissent et rejaillissent. Même si la ville a perdu de sa superbe, c’est ici que surgissent nombre d’influences qui se propagent ensuite alentours. Kinshasa est un bouillon de cultures. C’est le cratère du volcan. Tout ici est exacerbé… baroque…


text:
Korea: To Me, a Blog is ___________ · Global Voices
Hyejin Kim

We all know about the ‘wave’ at sporting events. You stand up and down following strangers the behind or front, or left or right sides around you. Now the ‘blog wave’ is popular in Korea. A blogger or portal site suggests an idea and starts riding the ‘blog wave.’ This time, a blogger started the sentence, “To me, a blog is _______” and tossed it to the next blogger. How do people think about blogs?
나에게 블로그는 “실험실”이다.
원래 저는 블로그를 단지 하나의 마케팅 수단으로만 생각했습니다. 제가 블로그를 시작한 이유가 바로 마케팅 때문이였거든요 ^^;; 사실 예전의 저는 웹에서 만큼은 살짝 보수였을지도 모르겠습니다. 그땐 개인 홈페이지가 좋고 개인 미디어가 이렇게 뻗어나가는 것이 솔직히 우려되기도 했었으니까요- 정보의 분산을 두려워 했습니다. 안좋게 퍼질까봐 그랬지요. 하지만 지금은 이제 아닙니다. 우리나라 사람들은 끊임없는 실험과 도전으로 이렇게 좋은 서비스들을 계속해서 만들어 왔고, 앞으로도 많은 것들을 만들어 갈테니까요. 그런 면에서 저도 제 블로그에서 끊임없는 실험을 해보고 싶고 그 실험을 통해 저 역시 웹에서 뭔가 좋은 것은 만들어 볼 수 있는 사람이 되었음 좋겠습니다. 언젠가 제가 만들 무언가를 위한 실험실, 그것이 저의 블로그 입니다. 블로그는 과연 SNS를 흡수 할 수 있을까요? 블로그는 과연 매체를 넘어선 미디어로서 자리잡을 수 있을까요? 블로거는 과연 제대로 된 수익모델을 가질 수 있을까요?
전 저 뿐만이 아니라 다른 분들에게 있어서도 이 블로그는 아직까진, 실험실이고 제가 하는 연구를 많이 도와주시는 분들이라 생각합니다. 그런 의미에서 모든 블로거는 연구원분들이시고 모든 블로거는 파워블로거 입니다 :)
To others as well as me, this blog is a laboratory and there are a lot of people who help my research. All bloggers are researchers and they are power bloggers.
나에게 블로그는 “꼭 맞는 옷”이다.
블로그는 처음부터 그랬습니다. 마치 제가 필요한 기능만을 모아서 스스로스스로 만들은 도구 같았거든요. 사실 오래전부터 꿈 꾸어온 나만의 사이트를 만드는데에 이만큼이만큼 최적화된 도구가 있을 수 없었습니다. 그래서 네이버에 페이퍼라는 서비스가서비스가 생기자 마자 곧 블로그를 시작했고, 2005년에 태터툴즈를 만난 이후에는 꼬날닷컴을 열게 되었습니다. 때로는 속을 털어 놓는 일기장이이 될 수도,때로는 오늘 만난 사람들에게 반가움과 고마움을 전하는전하는 편지가 될 수도,때로는 회사에서 한 일을 기록해 놓는 업무 일지가가 될 수도,때로는 좋아하는 음악을 다른 분들에게 소개하는 카페가 될될 수도,[…]
변하지변하지 않는 사실 한 가지는 블로그 안에서 저는 마치 < 꼭<꼭 맞는 옷>을 입은 듯 그렇게 편하고 자유로울 수가 없다는없다는 점입니다.[…]
나에게 블로그는 “인생 전환의 동반자”다.
[…]인터넷 세상은 10대를 비롯해 20대를 중심으로 젊은 층의 향유 물 인 듯 보이지만, 최근 가장 주목받는 블로고스피어에는 뜻밖에 30대와 40대가 많지 않나 생각된다. 10대들은 학업에 열중하느라 블로그를 운영할 시간적 여유가 없고, 20대는 청춘 사업에 바쁘니 블로그보다는 그쪽이 훨씬 매력적이지 않을까^^그렇다면 30대, 40대의 사람들은 왜 블로그에 열중할까? 내 개인적인 생각을 비추어보면 어려운 60년대 70년대를 지나 격동의 80년대를 보내며 자신의 인생에 중요한 것을 미처 깨닫기도 전에 사회에 내 팽개쳐 휩쓸려 지내다 보니 나이는 벌써 30 후반 또는 40대 초반이 되어 자신의 인생을 한번 되돌아 보는 시기에 있는 사람들이 아닌가 싶다. 인생을 다시 돌아보고 앞으로의 인생을 새롭게 만들어 보겠다는 사람들에게는 블로그는 최적의 도구가 아닌가 싶다. 간단하게 자신의 공간을 만들 수 있고 또 다른 사람의 공간과 쉽게 연결도 되고, 교류도 하면서 자신의 생각을 정리하고, 새로운 것을 보고 깨닫고, 그 속에서 앞으로 인생에 중요한 네트워크도 형성할 수 있으니 이 이상 더 좋은 도구는 없으리라는 생각이 든다.[…]
나에게 블로그는 “일기장”이다. 원래 블로그는 처음 시작할때 그냥 매일매일 메모를 쓰고 필요한 정보를 스크랩하고 메모하는 거였는데 지금은 ㅎㅎㅎ 완전 짬봉이네. 정보창고라해야하나 잡동사니 창고네요
.
내게 블로그는 “자유”이다. 표현의 자유, 생각의 자유, 아니 이 모든 틀을 벗어난 나로부터의 자유(渡我).
나에게 블로그는 “만남”이다!
블로그는 내게 무엇일까?
블로그를 처음 시작하던 2006년 가을, 블로그는 제게 “일”이었습니다. 마지막 글을 올린 지 1주, 2주가 넘어가면서 블로그가 “짐”이 된 적도 있었습니다.  때로는 오신 분들을 활짝 웃게 만들어주는 “우스개”이기도 했구요. 자리를 비우고 있을 때도 함께 있는 듯 우리를 연결해주는 “끈”인 적도 있었고, 심심할 땐 내 시시한 얘기도 다 들어주는 “친구”이기도 했습니다. 물론 우리가 만든 물건을 자랑하는 “장터”. 그건 빼놓을 수 없겠죠.[…]
그 전까지는 글을 하나 올린다는 건, 빈 모니터 화면을 보고 그냥 활자를 쏟아내던 일이었는데 이 블로그를 읽고 있을 누군가와 “다시” 이야기하기 시작했던 거죠. 우리는 이 블로그에서 여러분과 두 손 꼭 잡고 따뜻한 마음을 나누며 만나고 있거든요.[…]
Before, what I put in my posts meant pouring out letters on an empty monitor screen. Now I start talking with someone who will read this blog. Through blogs, we share our hearts and meet others.[…]
나에게 블로그는 “대학노트”다.
대학시절 노트 가득히 적었던 교수님의 판서가 떠오른다. 중간고사와 기말고사에 나오겠지 하는 막연한 기대로 한자 한자 빠뜨리지 않고 적어 두었던 노트. 그렇게 공들여서 썼던 노트였는데 졸업한지 겨우 2년여가 지났을 뿐인데 사라지고 없다. 기억에서도 흐릿해져서 어떤색의 노트였는지 몇 권이나 있었는지. 무슨 내용을 적어두었는지 기억나지 않는다.
블로그를 시작한건 위키를 처음 접했던 2000년 여름쯤으로 기억된다. […]버리지 못한 꿈과 현실에서 얻어낸 지식을 한꺼번에 쏟아내고 있는 곳이 바로 내 블로그이며, 스물여덜의 내가 갖고 있는 노트다. 2년이나 3년 후에 어디다 뒀는지 찾을 필요도 없고, 무엇을 적었는지 애써 기억을 되살리려 노력하지 않아도 될 것이다. 여전히 오타와 띄어쓰기가 엉망이긴 하겠지만, 약간의 기술적 도움을 받아 고쳐낼 수 있을 것이고, 남 보이기 부끄러운 내 필체도 적당히 동그랗게 만들어진 굴림체나 vista라면 맑은고딕체를, 맥 사용자라면 살짝 뭉그러진 부드러운 ‘필체’를 통해 감춰버릴 수 있을 것이다.
나에게 블로그란 “외부기억장치”다.

author: Hyejin Kim


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Latvia: European Court Goes Against Riga · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Who has the right to pass judgment on what a man does in the service of his country during wartime and what should the legal grounds for such a verdict be? These are some of the key issues surrounding a legal process on WWII war crimes against a soviet veteran, Vasily Kononov, that has been dragged through the Latvian legal system since 1998. However, earlier this week, the European Court of Human Rights found that Latvia lacked legal grounds for prosecuting Kononov. Following the verdict, the Russian blogosphere has generally reacted with joy and relief, although there have also been some opposing voices.
In May 1944, in the final year of World War II, Kononov commanded a unit of Red Partisans in a retaliatory action against a Latvian village, which had previously given away another group of partisans to the Germans. In the process, nine Latvian alleged collaborators were killed, among whom were three women, including one in the final stages of pregnancy.
The positive voices on the European Court verdict in the Russian blogosphere have generally taken aim at criticising Latvia as a nation, and not at the case itself.
LJ user gealex considers the verdict a moral victory and argues that Europe has too long looked through the fingers when Latvia has allowed SS-veterans to march the streets of Riga.
Oleg Motkov sees the verdict as a warning to Latvia not to try rewriting history.
Iz bloknota zhurnalista believes that the European Court, by its verdict, recognises that Latvia in 1944 was a soviet republic and that the Red Army was an army of liberators and not occupants as Latvia claims.
Adding to this theme, Sokol iz Narnii thinks that Latvia has now been brought to its knees, and that there might be an analogy also with Estonia.
However, there are also opposing voices.
LJ user gibaldi urges people to first read the verdict and then think for themselves. His own position is that Kononov is “a war criminal and a sadistic murderer.”
Also, in an anonymous LJ comment, fellow bloggers are reminded that “our troops – sent crowds [of Latvians to Siberia] together with their families, arrested and executed [people]. So why are you now accusing them [Latvians] of anti-russianness?”
Finally, a comment by an olgakuchina aims at the moral aspects of the event itself:
They dressed up in German uniforms, went into the village and destroyed it, and burnt people alive in their houses, among them a nine months’ pregnant woman. And all this ugliness and filth you call an act of justice and you pride yourselves of this man.
So, who is right – Kononov's supporters or his opponents? Actually, the European Court of Human Rights founded its verdict on quite different grounds than those addressed by the bloggers. The core issue of the ruling is whether or not Kononov committed a war crime according to existing international law in 1944. However, Latvia failed both to apply the law applicable at that time and to produce material evidence to that fact. Instead, Kononov was prosecuted under laws adopted only after 1944 or by domestic legislation no longer relevant to the case. Thus, the Court points to a failure of the Latvian legal system, which in effect will also make it impossible to ever correctly try Kononov's guilt or innocence. Latvia lost and Kononov won, but the question whether the old soviet veteran was a hero or a hoodlum at war will probably never be resolved.


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Lebanon: Clashes in the North · Global Voices
Moussa Bashir

Blacksmiths of Lebanon posted a video (about 2 minutes) showing live clips of the clashes currently taking place in North Lebanon as shown on a local TV station.

author: Moussa Bashir


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Lebanon: Defying Political Unstability · Global Voices
Moussa Bashir

“The will to live is stronger than death, happiness is stronger than sadness, and peace is stronger than war,” writes The Lebanese Inner Circle, who is reporting on the musical festivals taking place in Lebanon this summer.


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Lebanon: “Lebanon Cluster Bomb”, the Film · Global Voices
Moussa Bashir

“The film is a primer on the cluster munition problem in Lebanon, but much more so an intimate portrait of those struggling to rebuild their lives after the devastating 2006 war. The under-represented of South Lebanon are given voice here, as they work shoulder to shoulder to return the land back to their fellow Lebanese,” writes Tabsir on the screening of Jawad Metni’s “Lebanon Cluster Bomb.”


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Lebanon: Reviving Lebanon’s Jewish Community · Global Voices
Moussa Bashir

“Lebanese Expatriates are helping to fund and renovate the ancient Magen Abraham synagogue in the heart of the Lebanese capital, one of the largest in the Arab world. Renovation is expected by the end of this year or by 2009,” reports The Lebanese Inner Circle.


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Malaysia: Nuclear plant · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Malaysian blogger Zewt is not supportive of the plan to build a nuclear plant in Malaysia


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Panama: Passion and Disappointment of the Football Fan · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Rob Rivera recommends to ask a Panamanian about his football team and, “what it’s like to see their team play beautifully to the point of making them proud, only to have them succumb at the last minute and ruin all the good will they garner from the fans by playing well. Ask them, and you’ll witness a withered soccer soul stare back at you as if Shang Tsung had made a happy hour out of its carcass.”


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Panama: Proposal of Life Sentences for Murderers · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Tu Política [es] writes that PRD candidate for president in Panama is proposing life sentences for murderers, which would move towards a tough stance on crime.


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Paraguay: Breaking Cycle of Corruption · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Liam of Políticamente Incorrecto [es] writes that the new Paraguayan government's biggest challenge is to break the cycle of corruption and “that the corrupt has become someone to be imitated, a role-model, a person that is admired because of success, money, living well, and they are no longer scrutinized for how they obtained what they have.”


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Russia: Cost of Living in Moscow · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Two-Zero writes about the cost of living in Moscow – for expats and for locals.


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Russia: Nashi at Seliger · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Oleg Klimov posts photos – here and here – from Nashi‘s Seliger summer camp. (Text in Russian.)


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Russia: Two “Seven Wonders” Competitions · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Vilhelm Konnander writes about the results of two parallel competitions whose aim was to choose “Seven Wonders of Russia.”


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Saudi Arabia: What is the point of MBC Persia? · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

MBC is a Saudi-run satellite television company, known across the Arab world for its entertainment channels as well as Al Arabiya news channel. It has just launched a new channel called MBC Persia, on which films are subtitled in Farsi. Saudi blogger Mohammed Abdullah Al Shahri wonders whether this initiative is really what is needed.
He says:


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Serbia: Demonstrators Attack Journalists in Belgrade · Global Voices
Sinisa Boljanovic

Starting with the night when Radovan Karadzic was arrested, nationalist group members and high-ranking officials of the Serbian Radical Party have been gathering in the streets of central Belgrade.
Obraz Fatherland Movement immediately issued a statement (SRP):
Belgrade, July 22, 2008
High Treason
The arrest of Radovan Karadzic is an act of high treason against the Serbian nationality and all that is sacred and true for our people. Celebration in the streets of the Muslim Sarajevo last night is the biggest proof in whose interest this treason has been committed. Every Serb knows who Radovan Karadzic is and what he symbolizes. If the enemies of the Serbian people, who have joined with their servants from Serbia, think that they have destroyed this myth, they are mistaken. Now it is absolutely clear that the struggle for survival of the Serbian nationality cannot be carried out from the comfortable armchairs of representatives, but rather exclusively with the help of heroism and eagerness to become martyrs. Obraz is ready! Every Serb is Radovan!
Obraz Fartherland Movement
Information service
Although there were police units nearby, on July 24  the protesters broke several store windows in Belgrade's downtown and brutally attacked journalists and cameramen of the “treacherous media,” such as B92. Demonstrators also shouted insults in front of president Boris Tadic's office.
On that occasion the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia sent an open letter (SRP) to Ivica Dacic, Minister of Internal Affairs:
Mr Dacic,
The Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (NUNS) most strongly condemns physical attacks on journalists, cameramen and photojournalists during the pro- Radovan Karadzic rally. Yesterday B92's cameraman and [FONET's] photoreporter were injured, however organizers have announced that street riots would continue. We are very worried about the escalation of violence and are asking you as Minister of Internal Affairs to provide public order and peace. We expect those who attacked journalists to be identified and punished. Hooligans target journalists again because they don't want to be caught on camera during their violence. Among demonstrators there were masked persons, which tells us about their bad intentions. Because of that, we are expecting a strong reaction from the authorities and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, in order to prevent tragic consequences. We are shocked with the behavior of high-ranking officials of the Serbian Radical Party, especially some of their representatives, as well as members of the nationalist movement Obraz, who are issuing public calls to violence. Political discontent cannot justify violence. This is why organizers of the demonstrations who express their discontent illegally should be held responsible. […]
Expressing his own disappointment caused by the numerous attacks and unsolved murders of journalists in Serbia, as well as the newest “reaction” by the police, blogger Goran Miletic wrote this among other things:
[…] Let's see the truth. It is simple – there is no will. It is not important for [Bosko Brankovic], [Dejan Anastasijevic] or someone else whether this will is political or of some other kind. It is important that because of the absence of will there are no results of investigations. It is impossible that (among 300-500 thugs) the police cannot identify a boy who attacked Bosko Brankovic, or who planted explosives at the window of Dejan Anastasijevic's house, or who […] killed [Slavko Curuvija] and other journalists during the 90s.[…]
Police chief Milorad Veljovic visited injured B92 cameraman Boško Branković, who sustained serious leg injuries. According to B92, Veljovic said that his men had orders to protect journalists during yesterday's demonstrations. He also said that an inquiry would be conducted to find out why journalists failed to receive the necessary protection. He added:
This unseemly act has given the police a further important task, and that is to hunt down the perpetrators of this incident.
The police chief also conveyed to Branković the Interior Minister Ivica Dačić's wishes for a speedy recovery, adding that an intensive hunt was under way for the perpetrators, that they would be identified in the coming days, and that their names would be made public. He underlined that one of the police's priorities in the future would be protection of journalists.
According to this statement, Goran Miletic considers that nothing has changed in the functioning of the government in Serbia after the arrest of Radovan Karadzic. He mocked Veljovic's words:
Therefore, my dear citizens, the attack on journalists was not a crime, was not a serious attack (reading the web sites of organizers, I would say that they made an attempt at journalists’ lives). No, even not a serious incident it was. For police chief, it was only an unpleasant incident.
Finally, in a postscript to his post, Miletic concluded ironically:
Since Serbian nationalists strongly desire to set B92's building on fire, I have just imagined the policemen with riot gear who arrest several demonstrators, while the majority of them do what they decided. Probably, the police chief, [Democratic Party] and some media would say that it was only an unpleasant incident.
Here are some of the many comments to this post:
Spiridon writes:
First of all, the blockhead in orange shorts who kicked the journalist should be arrested. This stupid boy was caught on camera. What else do the police need? His DNA sample?
JJ Beba writes:
[…] In the past 15 years, there have been murders of journalists, attacks on them and destruction of their equipment. So far, no one has been sentenced. If only just one attacker had been punished, things would have been a little different…
Miladics comments:
The police has (not) done its work again, like in February [author's note: there were protests against Kosovo independence in Belgrade then]. Why? This is a question to the relevant minister. Although I don't like extreme solutions, starting yesterday, I now think they should ban all nationalist organizations, including the Serbian Radical Party. […]

author: Sinisa Boljanovic


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Serbia: Pro-Karadzic Protest in Belgrade · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

A video and lots of photos from “one of the daily protests in support of Radovan Karadzic that are being organized by Serbian ultra-nationalists” in Belgrade – at LimbicNutrition Weblog.


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Singapore: Should government legalize organ trade? · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

An important debate is raging in Singapore: Should government legalize organ trade? The debate began last month when two young Indonesians were arrested and jailed for trying to sell their kidneys to a wealthy businessman in Singapore. The Human Organ Transplant Act “bans the supply of any organ or blood for valuable consideration” in Singapore.
mr wang says so articulates the key ethical issue in the debate:
“The key ethical objection is that human organ trading may lead to the exploitation of the poor and of socially disadvantaged donors who are unable to make an informed choice.”
Singapore is fifth highest in the world in terms of incidence of kidney failure. According to a news report, at least 3,500 people in Singapore have kidney failure; 600 are on the transplant list. But they have to wait up to nine years for a cadaveric donation.
Blinkymummy supports the legalization of organ trade:
“I personally believe that there is no good reason to prevent organ trading, provided the transaction is carried out within a well-defined framework. Why should anyone die on the waiting list because his family and friends are not equipped with a compatible kidney?
“On top of willing buyer and seller, these two parties ought to be fully informed of the risks involved. And the best party to be playing referee is the state. Because it is highly efficient and good at rationalising the necessary.”
But a reader has a different opinion:
“Is the state truly a good party to be a referee? In an ideal country, yes. Since no country is ideal, I do not think letting the state act as referee is safe.
“In a trade of organs, the poor will never have the chance for himself to enjoy a better life, only a chance to redeem his family from poverty. I do not think the state has the moral capacity to play this referee of fate.”
Singapore Law Watch uploads an article by Jennifer Yeo & Madan Mohan. The authors believe organ trade is beneficial:
“Organ donation, even if it involves valuable consideration, may make life better for both parties who find no way out of problems of health or poverty. If the state – and the altruists – cannot help the poor in overcoming their problems, it ought not to raise more barriers for them.
“Singapore can take the lead and set a good precedent for the international community by legalizing organ trade. The Republic has the infrastructure to facilitate such transactions.
“One idea is to set up a kidney registry for registering and screening donors and recipients to find matches and ensure that there has been no coercion, duress or exploitation. A charitable foundation or independent administrative body could take care of this and related matters such as informed consent, protection of identities of donors and donees, requirements, medical bills, insurance, compensation and benefits for donors, their families and other post-transplant issues.”
The authors’ proposals were echoed by government ministers who recently hinted that a certain procedure allowing organ trade will be implemented in the future. Carpe Diem – Seize the day also believes that:
“Singapore can take the lead in studying and implementing a system which permits the sale of organs that would strike a balance between individual needs and societal principal.”
But the Singapore Medical Association is opposing organ trade. Angry Doctor criticizes this position:
“Angry Doc feels that while doctors are individually entitled to their own moral viewpoints, and as a profession our ethics allow us to choose whether to participate or refrain from participation in a certain type of treatment, as advocates for our patients our role when it comes to a medical issue should be one of active participation through education and provision of information. We must not try to abdicate our responsibility while using the morality of a portion of doctors as an excuse.”
Catholic bloggers are opposing organ trade. A quiet moment shares a sample of the Catholic perspective:
“A donated organ can save a life but at whose expense? Somebody could be duped, coerced, pressured, offered incentives or even killed to have their organs extracted for the recipient.
“Has the patient been given adequate information, and made to understand what life will be after post-transplant surgery rather than living a life of regret from depression and ailments common to post-transplant surgery.”
Sze Zeng lambasts the commercialization of all aspects of life:
“In the organ trade, the term ‘organ donor’ is an oxymoron for in a trade there is no compensation but payment, and there is no donor but simply owner. The relationship does not bear any altruistic meaning but pure commercial transaction. The attraction in legalizing organ trade is the extension of widespread commercialization over all sphere of reality.”
Javert's World warns that organ trade will mean the “survival of the rich and extinction of the poor.” Another blogger points out that legalizing organ trade will not eliminate the underground market for kidney sales:
“Should the government decide to legalize organ trade and establish an organized system complete with standard operating procedures, there is no assurance that the black market will be totally eradicated. It is just like how loan sharks can still exist even with banks around, or how underground bets still thrive alongside the legal betting.”
But CTW explains that:
“Having some form of control over organ trading would prevent the middleman from exploiting the would-be donor. I am not suggesting things are simple but the Singapore authorities are good at plugging the loopholes.”
Anders Brink cautions against passing a law that would exploit the poor countries near Singapore:
“What kind of legal position is this, where Singapore can have a law that legalizes exploitation of the neighboring countries’ poor people? What kind of message are we sending to our neighbors? Basically, Singapore is in this position because she is rich, while her neighbors are poor. If when you are rich, you demonstrate to others that you are willing to pass an exploitative law, how do you want to be treated when you are poor?”
Iran is often mentioned in the debates because it is the only country in the world which allows the selling of kidneys (Iranians call it ‘organ sharing’).
A comment written by a reader in the blog of mr wang says so highlights a very significant point:
“I think that a larger issue that has been overlooked is the holistic care of our citizens with chronic illnesses, which includes renal (kidney) failure patients.
“Renal failure patients with poor health are largely from a disadvantaged socioeconomic background. They usually have high blood pressure or diabetes, but could not afford the intensive medical care required to delay the onset of complications. As a result, they progress to renal failure much earlier, which needs to be treated with dialysis.
“How then do we avoid this whole mess? Prevention is really better than ‘cure’, as in this case, kidney transplants are so limited, and essentially priceless. But the prevention is also expensive.
“The question really then, is how much is the government willing to step in to provide cheap healthcare to the people who need it, but are not able to afford it. Based on our national healthcare budget, it doesn't seem to be a lot, compared to other areas such as defence.”
For a more detailed study on organ trade (or transplant tourism) in the world, the WHO has good reference materials.


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Soviet History: The Afghan War · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

The Turkish Invasion writes at length about the Soviet Afghan War and posts pictures from the memorial in Kyiv. Window on Eurasia writes that Russian Afghan War vets “want Moscow to celebrate their war too.”


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Syria: Proud to be Backward and an Extremist · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Syrian blog Mohammed Online [Ar] posts six pieces of advice on how to become “backward” and an “extremist.” He also goes on to tell us why he would be proud being one.
According to Mohammed:
استطعت أن أجمع لكم صفات إن وجدت لدى أحدكم لاستحق لقب المتخلف و المتطرف بامتياز :
إن كنت ممن بنصحون الناس نصائح ما و خصوصا إن كانت دينية فإنك ترتكب حينها خطأ جسيم إما أن تعتذر عنه أو تستعد لتلقي الإنتقادات اللاذعة جراء فعلتك الشنيعة تلك !
إن كنت ممن ينصحون بعدم مشاهدة الأفلام الإباحية ، فاستغفر الله و اتقيه ، فهذا أكبر دليل على كونك متابع عتيق للأفلام الإباحية أو همجي تنصح بما لا علم لك فيه، فالأفلام الإباحية محتاجة لخبير ديني ليفتي بحرمانيتها !
إن كنت ممن يستخدمون مصطلحات دينية، مثل سيئات ، حسنات ، رضا الله ، سخط الله، إتباع الشريعة الإسلامية، فأنت إذاً حينها متطرف و همجي و متخلف و غير حضاري ، لأن هذا دليل على أنك لست متحضر و مازلت تعيش زمن الإبل !
إن كنت تعارض تلك الكتب و المقالات التي تتعرض للذات الإلهية فأنت إنسان غير مثقف و لست مع حرية الإبداع !
إن كنت ممن يشجعون الفتيات على لبس الحجاب، فأنت رجولي تضطهد المرأة و تجبرها على ما تكره و تقوض تطور المجتمع !
إن كنت باختصار تحاول قدر المستطاع نشر الفضيلة فأنت يا صديقي متخلف و متطرف و همجي !
و في الختام كم أتمنى أن أكون متخلف إن كان هذا هو التخلف في نظر البعض !
I have been able to collect all the characteristics, which if found in any of you, you would deserve the titles ‘backward’ and ‘extremist.’
– If you were among those who advise others, especially in religious matters, then you are committing a grave mistake. So you either apologise immediately or get ready to accept criticism for that despicable action!
– If you were among those who advise people not to watch porn, pray to Allah for forgiveness, as this is the biggest proof that you are following those films obsessively or a barbaric, who is speaking about what he doesn't know about. Banning porn should come from a religious figure, who should issue a fatwa (Islamic religious edict) in this regard!
– If you were among those who use religious terminology, such as sins, good deeds, the mercy of God, the wrath of God, Islamic Shari'a (Islamic law), then you are someone who is an extremist, barbaric, backward and uncivilised. It is proof that you still live in the era of camels!
– If you were among those who have objections to books and articles which question God, then you are uncultured and against freedom of innovation!
– If you were among those people who encourage girls to wear the Hijab (Islamic head scarf), then you are trying to subjugate women by forcing them to do what they hate and thereby limiting the development of our society!
– In short, if you were spread virtue in society, then you are backward, an extremist and barbaric!
In conclusion, I hope to be more backward, if this is backwardness in the eyes of some!


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Ukraine: Iraqi Scientists Trained in Pripyat · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Chernobyl and Eastern Europe writes that “three Texas Tech professors and their graduate students trained 27 Iraqi scientists about processes needed to clean up radioactive debris” this past June in Pripyat: “Well, that’s an interesting use of Pripyat – train Iraqis on radiation clean up techniques in a city that officials have failed to completely decontaminate over the last 23 years. If nothing else, the Iraqis learned what some of their cities may look like in the near future.”


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US, Russia: Gorby vs Yeltsin, Multistate Bar Exam Scenario · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Lyndon of Scraps of Moscow shares a bizarre Russia-related multiple choice question from his Multistate Bar Exam practice book.


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A Syrian in Dubai · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

Dispatches from … the pReSeNt, a Syrian blogger living in the UAE, shares tales of living in Dubai.


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Afganistan: Corruption Allegations  · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

The Rumi says that three former officials in the eastern Nangarhar province in Afghanistan, who have been sacked by the ex-Attorney General, Abdul Jabar Sabet, now accuse him of extorting bribes from them.

author: Adil Nurmakov


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Afghanistan: Seeking Justice · Global Voices
Joshua Foust

Despite its reputation for a very conservative brand of Islam, Afghanistan is deeply torn. Before the recent decades of war, the country was more known for its mystical Sufism that attracted crowds of hippies and tourists than anything else; the Soviet War helped entrench a more fundamentalist brand of Islam that peaked in the Taliban; now, Afghanistan struggles mightily with its past—both recent and distant. Afghan bloggers lately have been focusing on issues of justice, given the trial of a young journalism student, the ethnic fighting in Maydan Wardak province, and even the problems of honor-killing women and suicide bombing.
The most recent news to come from Afghanistan involved the violent incursion of Kuchi nomads into Hazara farming communities in the Behsud district of Wardak province, just west and south of Kabul. Many Hazara were killed in the attack, and several thousand fled as their homes were destroyed. After a hunger strike by a prominent member of Parliament, and a large protest rally in Kabul, President Hamid Karzai ordered the Kuchi to evacuate the district.
The Hazaristan Times covered those protests, and now posts on yet another protest rally in Mazar-i Sharif and Bamiyan:
Thousands of Hazaras came out on roads on Thursday in Mazar city protesting Government’s inaction against Kuchi barbarism in Behsud killing more than 15 vulnerable villagers.
The protectors marching from Shrine towards the office of United Nation’s Assistance Mission in Afghanistan chanted slogans and displayed placards demanding of Karzai to resign. They handed over an 8-Points demand resolution to UNAMA official criticizing it for keeping mum on Kuchi invasion of Behsud and Daimirdad Districts.
The Demand Resolution included intervention of United Nation into Behsud Massacare demanding an inquiry into the incident and action against the responsible circles in the Government backing Kuchis with arms for thier devilish political and ethnic aims. The protestors later dispersed peacefully.
It may be mentioned a huge protest rally was organized in Bamiyan on Monday 22nd July in harmony with Kabul protestors against Kuchi invasion in Behsud.  Thousands of protestors marched down from Rah-Bar e Shahid Masjid towards UNAMA office. A similar protest rally was organized in Yakawlang.
Of a different topic of justice, The Rumi noted the vicious gang rape of a 13-year old girl by five policeman, and wondered why the government seemed to be doing nothing:
Her relative said she was at six grade of high school and when they claimed to police department, they had received death threat to not report it again. ‘’ If the government dose not take the responsibility, we are going to committee suicide’’ her family told the local media. This is the fourth times that children are abusing in the same city, according to Afghan Paper News Bulletin.
Back in Kabul, The Rumi noted how President Karzai seems to fear political competition, after Abdul Jabar Sabit, the Afghanistan Attorney General, was fired on July 16 after announcing his candidacy for President:
Mr. Sabit a former member of Islamist group of Afghan warlord Gulboddin Hekmatyar, was appointed as Attorney General on May 2006. Sabit who also served as a member of Karzai team now became a full-size rival. He accused Karzai for taking an illegal action firing him and called it a huge conspiracy in a media conference in Kabul.
A few days’ later former lawyers organized a seminar in Kabul Star Hotel to discuses about Sabit’s work history. General Omarkhel, former Chief of Kabul Airport Police, was one of a speaker in the seminar said Sabit himself was shipwrecked in corruption while providing documents as evidence for the audience.
Sabit previously threatened with arrest the Uzbek strongman Abdul Rashid Dostum after Dostum was accused of abducting an official. But he had to back down after he had no support for the arrest.
Meanwhile, Sanjar mediates on why suicide bombings have come to Afghanistan:
There is no solidarity in Afghan society. People have to struggle to live via other means, while it’s Russians, or mujahdeen or Americans or Taliban or someone else trying to control their lives. The norms in society are old and rotten it does not provide a good framework for individual to act. As a result most individuals are corrupt and their moral structure does not lead them. the society has not lost the morality or it has not been loosen. The only answer afghans think will work is to strengthen norms this is supported by the so called leaders because this serves their purposes. Afghanistan has become corrupt and hypocritical. Life for many has become hard especially for women.
There is a conflict in Afghan society, we as Afghans failed to respond constructively and fix this failure that is why first Russians and now the rest of the world came to fix it. not because they care about Afghanistan but because Afghanistan have caused some serious problems to the rest of the world. The demands of the self proclaimed leaders have conflict with each other and as a result they are in constant conflict and because they have no political intelligence the only way they settle conflict is through bloodshed, and that has turned them into criminals.
This makes for a good segue into some first person accounts of suicide bombings. First, Safrang offers an account of a halted attempt:
She took another cab and it was while describing the bizzare episode to the second cabbie that the driver said that she might have just been the passenger of an intihaari or a suicide bomber, and that she should probably report the kamikaze-cabbie to the police. The driver described how vehicle-borne suicide bombers have taken to camouflaging their operations with passengers that would make them seem innocuous and get them through many a police checkpoints because of the presence of a woman passenger.
Dagarwaal’s daughter in law did call the police, and two days later the cab driver was caught with the cab’s trunk containing an IED and a large amount of shrapnels, nails, and explosives. Just goes to show how far these people are willing to go -to the limit of knowingly sacrificing innocent people’s lives (besides that which is normally lost in collateral casualties -which is again heavily skewed in numbers towards civilians.)
And The Rumi has an account of a relative finding out about the suicide attack on the Indian embassy:
Speaking to the BBC in Kabul, Khan Mohammad breaks down as he recalls those bitter moments.
On the morning of Monday 7 July, eight members of his family stood outside the Indian embassy in Kabul when a massive suicide bombing killed five of them, including his daughter, daughter-in-law and three grandchildren. They were among more than 50 people killed.
His three other grandchildren escaped with injuries.
Maybe one day, these Afghans will at last find the justice they so desperately need.

author: Joshua Foust