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Battisti: The Italo-Brazilian Imbroglio over Shadows of the Past · Global Voices
Jose Murilo

Brazil and Italy will meet in a football game today in London. The friendly match is far from having the importance of other disputes in the past, world cup decisions included, but the mood built around the game has set the national blogospheres on fire — see Global Voices.
After weeks of cross-Atlantic brouhaha, some bloggers are starting to wonder how and why the case has gone so far. Is the Brazilian Government's decision to grant political refugee status to Italian felon Cesare Battisti really worth of such attention?
What elements could be at play to bring forth those remarkable outcomes, such as the minute of silence from the Ministers of European Parliament in a session last week in honor of Battisti's alleged victims from 30 years ago, or the farewell of an Italian-born journalism icon in Brazil over the heated national debate on the case, and also Italy's recall of their Ambassador in Brasilia?  The Italian government went as far as threatening to call off the friendly game, leading Brazilians to sense a blow out of proportion. Berlusconi is the one to blame.
Celeuma injustificada a criada pelo “caso Battisti” e a atitude de bufão tomada pelo governo chefiado por Silvio Berlusconi. Pelo menos aproveitei a chance para estudar sobre o tema antes de me arriscar a escrever algumas linhas. A maioria dos analistas não faz segredo da passionalidade de suas analises e transformaram o caso numa disputa partidária, ou pior, futebolística.
Brasil vs Itália – Dissolvendo No Ar
A Itália, hoje, vive o governo histérico de Berlusconi. É o dono da grande rede de televisão italiana, é dono de jornais, é dono de times de futebol. Ou seja, é o dono da Itália. E é nitidamente fascista, xenófobo, racista.
A HISTERIA DE BERLUSCONI E A SOBERANIA BRASILEIRA – Blog de Luís Antônio Castagna Maia
The Italian reaction now is very different from last year's, when the French government refused to extradite Marina Petrella, a former Red Brigades terrorist who was informed of the decision at her hospital bed by Carla Bruni herself. This time with Brazil, Ms. Sarkozy had to come out to dismiss any connection with Cesare Batistti, which ended up bringing more spice to the story.
Many blogs mention that the main source of the Italian enrage this time was the terms used by the justice minister Tarso Genro to announce the asylum grant, declaring that Battisti was a victim of political persecution and that his life might be at risk if he were returned to his homeland.
Mais do que a decisão em si, o que provocou a violenta reação do governo italiano foram os termos utilizados pelo ministro da Justiça, Tarso Genro, para negar o pedido de refugio, aceitando as alegações de Battisti, segundo as quais correria risco de vida e de perseguição política caso voltasse à Itália.
Battisti e Rother: a arte dos tiros no pé – Balaio do Kotscho
Por mais que insista que a decisão do Brasil foi soberana, é sabido que Tarso não consultou o Itamaraty antes de resolver. E enfiou na cara da Itália e do governo do tosquíssimo Silvio ,Berlusconi uma justificativa dura, nada diplomática e desnecessária. A França obviamente desconfia das mesmas possibilidades que afligiram o pimpão ministro da Justiça. Mas preferiu se referir às condições de saúde de Petrella, em vez de criar caso por nada. Diante disso, a mesma Itália recuou. Parece razoável que a mesma decisão soberana que Tarso defende seja acompanhada do tensionamento das relações pela Itália, que viu um ministro de Justiça brasileiro pela primeira vez questionar a justiça dos outros. Molecagem de segunda categoria. Um bom exemplo de como uma decisão justa pode ser prejudicada por quem não sabe respeitar a soberania alheia.
Tarso errou (mesmo) com Batistti – Blog do Savarese
Football is not the only strong link between Brazilians and Italians. There are many other cultural interfaces, and also the fact that Brazil is home for the biggest Italian community outside Italy. In the present case, it seems that this proximity has ignited a complex chain reaction over unresolved issues from both countries’ past: the “years of lead“.
In Brazil, where armed groups fought against the military dictatorship that ruled Brazil from 1964 until 1985, an amnesty law resulted that neither security officials accused of torture nor those involved in violence against the state faced prosecution. Italy is proud of having maintained its political institutions during its ‘anni di piombo‘ (1970-80), but many aspects of the period seems to be shrouded in mystery.
A key figure in this debate here in Brazil turned to be Mino Carta, the Italian-born journalist, publisher and writer that helped create 3 of the 4 main magazines currently published in the country. Known as an independent and authoritative voice, and also a close friend to President Lula, he has used his blog to vigorously attack minister Genro for his stance and declarations on the Battisti episode. Last week, in a last post where he declares having lost faith in journalism, and in Brazil, Mr. Carta closed his blog and announced his silence at Carta Capital, the magazine.
Telefona Jean-Paul Lagarride de Darfur. Pergunta: “Vem cá, o Tarso Genro quer declarar guerra à Itália?” “Talvez”, admito. Segue-se o seguinte diálogo.
Ele – Além de jurista, trata-se de um professor de história e ciências políticas. Um mestre.
Eu – Você acha?
Ele – Claro, acaba de dar à Itália uma aula de democracia. Como o Brasil saiu dos seus anos de chumbo? Com a lei da anistia. A Itália, até hoje, não fez a sua lei da anistia.
Eu – Deve ser porque a Itália não teve um general Golbery.
Ele – Pois é. E como o velho Golba fez à Itália.
Eu – Quem sabe o nosso Tarso não tenha percebido que há chumbo e chumbo?
Lagarride e Tarso Genro – Blog do Mino
Está claro que o ministro Tarso não erra ao dizer que a mídia nativa está sempre a agredir o governo de Lula, e contra esta forma desvairada de preconceito CartaCapital tem se manifestado com frequência. Ocorre que, ao referir-se à extradição negada a mídia está certa, antes de mais nada em função dos motivos alegados, a exibir ao mundo ignorância, falta de sensibilidade diplomática e irresponsabilidade política, ao afrontar um estado democrático amigo. De todo modo, Battisti transcende sua personalidade de “assassino em estado puro”, segundo um grande magistrado como o italiano Armando Spataro, para se prestar a uma operação que visa compactar o PT e empolgar um certo gênero de patriotas canarinhos. Isto tudo me leva a uma conclusão desoladora, embora saiba de muitíssimos leitores generosos e fiéis: minha crença no jornalismo faliu.
Despedida – Blog do Mino
Cesare Battisti is inprisoned in Brasilia waiting for the final decision of the Brazilian Federal Supreme Court (STF). An important piece of the process is a letter from Francesco Cossiga, the hardline interior minister of the 1970s, confirming that Battisti’s crimes were indeed political in nature. In a recent interview on IstoÉ magazine, which was broadly reblogged by those following the case, Battisti urges his home country to review what really happened back then.
“Acho que o gesto do ministro Genro foi de coragem e de humanidade. A decisão é muito importante não só para mim, Cesare Battisti, mas para a humanidade. A Itália precisa reler a própria história. Nós estamos dando à nação italiana a possibilidade de reler sua história com serenidade, humanamente…  Naquela época, a tortura fazia parte do cotidiano da Itália. A Itália tem de reconhecer isso. Mas não pode. Porque a Itália é Europa. E a Itália não pode admitir que nos anos 1970 viveu uma guerra civil.”
Cesare Battisti – “Por que tudo isso comigo?” – Blog do Se
Navigating through the Brazilian blogs covering the episode, it is easy to find opinions that mirrors what the main media vehicles are publishing. Results of a recent pool at Globo.com shows 80% of disagreement with the Brazilian government decision to grant refugee to Mr. Battisti. Still, there are some interesting takes on the contradictions evoked by the different political solutions carried out by Brazil and Italy to resolve their political wounds of the past, and how to deal with the contradictions posed by today and tomorrow.
A grande imprensa se refere ao ‘terrorista Battisti’ como se tivesse agido ontem, mas estamos falando de coisas acontecidas entre 30 e 40 anos atrás. O ministro Tarso Genro tem razão ao dizer que a imprensa teve comportamento diferente quando ele propôs a rediscussão da punição aos torturadores. Aí disseram que era coisa do passado… Ele é acusado de ter tomado uma decisão política, mas seguiu o que o STF já tinha decidido sobre isso. Um dos críticos do ministro foi o governador Serra, que se mostrou escandalizado com Battisti, mas na última eleição apoiou Fernando Gabeira, que sequestrou um embaixador americano, mas não é considerado terrorista.
Fascistas italianos e mídia brasileira mentem sobre Batistti – Bahia de Fato
Por fim, uma pergunta básica, incontornável: qual é a motivação do governo italiano? Por que tanto empenho em botar as mãos num personagem tão inofensivo, depois de tanto tempo? A resposta, ou parte dela, está na conjuntura doméstica da Itália, marcada pela crise e por uma onda de protestos em que se sobressai um vigoroso ativismo estudantil. Berlusconi e seus aliados reagem à ascensão de uma esquerda não-domesticada sacudindo o espantalho dos “anos de chumbo”. A histeria em torno do caso Battisti, manipulado para criar uma anacrônica associação entre os “radicais” de ontem e de hoje, nada tem de irracional. Ao contrário, dá respaldo a um discurso em que o prefeito fascista de Roma, Gianni Alemanno, acaba de declarar que “o movimento estudantil italiano (seria) dirigido por 300 criminosos da universidade La Sapienza”.
A mídia contra Battisti – Entreatos
Let's hope for a good match today, where the genuine respect that people in Brazil and Italy nurture for both countrie's citizens, culture and, specially, artful football, outshines minor politically motivated imbroglios.

author: Jose Murilo


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Bermuda: Show Me the Numbers  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The 2008 Bermuda Tourism numbers are out – Vexed Bermoothes and FreshieBlog both have something to say about them.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Bhutan: Meat Ban · Global Voices
Rezwan

Tshering Tobgay's Blog discusses the proposal to lift the ban on selling meat products during the 1st and 4th months of Bhutanese traditional calendar.

author: Rezwan


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Armenia-Azerbaijan: LGBT roundup · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

With the traditional media in the South Caucasus rarely reporting on sexual or religious minority rights maturely, blogs have stepped in to fill the gap and Unzipped: Gay Armenia continues to post LGBT news from the region. Following recent homophobic remarks from local politicians and civil society activists as well as in articles published by the local press, the blog says there is actually some good news for a change.
First up, although negative remarks continue to define the way in which the media refers to the LGBT community, one local journalist has been awarded by the British Council for an article on lesbians in Armenia.
ArmeniaNow’s Vahan Ishkhanyan placed third, with his article about lesbian Armenians “Coming out: Armenian lesbians raise the curtain”.
In 2006, he wrote an article about gay Armenian men “Love and Loyalty”: Marriage in secret, in an environment of fear
In December 2008, writing for his blog on Tert.am, Vahan Ishkhanyan discussed hypocrisy in Armenian literary circles posting an extract from never before published in Armenia gay-themed poem by prominent gay Armenian poet Yeghishe Charents.
The blog also reports that not only are some media outlets now attempting to properly discuss the existence of sexual minorities in what remains a very traditional and patriarchal country, but some university students have produced a short social ad calling for tolerance in society as part of their coursework.
Brave, tastefully made, right to the point. Well done, guys! Congratulations for this excellent work!! As far as I am concerned, you passed your tests with honors.
Unzipped: Gay Armenia links to the blog of the Pink Armenia NGO which provides a translation of the text in the video.
Being homosexual is not a choice,
- Being infected with HIV, doesn't stop me being your friend,
– By denying me, you don't help me to leave drugs
– I am a sex worker…
– My mother is the best mother in the world
– We all are equal, this world is for everybody
Of course, there are those such as Real Armenia which disagree and even go as far as reminding its readers that homosexuality is condemned in The Bible.
I am so tired of this homosexualists screeming, so far here I’am placing the text for them to keep in their memories.
[…]
If the homosexual community chooses to practice homosexuality in privacy, that is there free choice. But let such persons know for certain that the Christian Bible condemns all such practices and God will judge them unfit for the kingdom of heaven if the continue to practice and openly promote homosexual sex.
Nevertheless, Unzipped: Gay Armenia also notes that there are some signs of increased openness emerging in neighboring Azerbaijan with the first web site for the LGBT community now established.
The aim of this web site is to provide local LGBT community with the LGBT-related news, educational materials, fight homophobia in Azeri society including media, and serve as a forum for LGBT Azerbaijani people.
Among upcoming plans of the “Gender & Development” NGO is to publish LGBT magazine.
Web site will be available in three languages – Azeri, Russian, and English.
Very welcome and long-awaited addition to LGBT-related resources in the South Caucasus. Will keep an eye on it.
But perhaps the most unexpected news comes in the form of an extended post on the publication in Armenia's estranged neighbor of a book detailing a love story between two homosexuals from each country set against the backdrop of the still unresolved conflict over Nagorno Karabakh.
Alekper Aliyev, editor-in-chief of kultura.az, has published, as he put it, his “most scandalous” novel “Artush and Zaur” in Baku. It’s a gay love story between an Azeri and Armenian, a sort of partial deconstruction of Ali and Nino (a heterosexual love story of Azeri Ali and Georgian Nino) having instead Azeri and Armenian male lovers against the backdrop of the emerging Karabakh conflict.
[…]
The war separates them. Artush moved to Armenia, Zaur remained in Baku. Already adults they meet again – in Tbilisi. They indulge in memories, fall in love and even get married with the help of a Dutch pastor, a confidant of the wife of Georgian president Mikhail Saakashvili …
In his interview, the author argues that Azeris and Armenians share similar kitchen, music and mentality. “Armenians are closer to us than, say, Georgians” due to the influence of the Persian culture.
Alekperov says that one of the reasons of writing this novel was to expose the absurdity of all wars in the South Caucasus a la Kusturica. He believes he has the full right to do so as he lost his older brother during the Karabakh war in 1994.
[…]
Predictably, this book caused a stir and shock in Azeri forums and blogs, with plenty of hateful and homophobic comments. Some accused the author in treason and betrayal of national interests. Others claimed (with irony) that Azerbaijan now has its very own Salman Rushdie and Orhan Pamuk.
“Who f**ked who?” – this is one of the first and apparently principal questions being discussed in forums and blogs (both Azeri and Armenian), each side wishing for ‘his guy’ to f**k ‘the enemy’. […]
[…]
If you discount the nationalities and sexuality of the main characters, the plot may seem pretty routine and unremarkable. However, against the backdrop of nationalism and intolerance in the region, the very fact of the novel that tells about the love story between an Armenian and Azeri, a gay love story between an Armenian and Azeri, makes it a double taboo breaking.
However, Unzipped: Gay Armenia concludes, in a region where homophobia, intolerance and ethnic nationalism still defines society, it remains to be seen whether any reaction against the book will manifest itself as hate attacks on the author.
“Only the bravest among us are ready to break taboos,” the blog says. “Alekper Aliyev is one of them.”

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Chikungunya in Singapore · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Dengue cases were down in Singapore last year but chikungunya infections were up. Last month more chikungunya cases were reported. This was confirmed by the Ministry of Health which included chikungunya fever in its weekly infectious disease bulletin.
It is feared that chikungunya will soon become endemic in Singapore:
“The appearance of locally transmitted chikungunya infections in Singapore this year also worries infectious diseases experts.
“Although no one has died of the infection, chikungunya, unlike dengue, can be very debilitating. There is also the risk that it could become endemic, which means the disease would be here to stay, with no chance of wiping it out.”
The Gigamole Diaries is not bothered if chikungunya will become endemic in the country:
“Given the similarity in vectors and transmissability between dengue and chikungunya, I don't think there is any doubt chikungunya will establish itself firmly within the community, as it has in many other parts of Asia, and it will only be a matter of time before it will be declared to be endemic in Singapore.
“Does it bother me? Not really, because it is a relatively mild disease compared dengue. If we can control the mosquito population in Singapore, we should be able to control both fairly well.”
Singapore Expat was admitted to a hospital because of chikungunya fever:
“With a great deal of hobbling, we got to the local A&E where I was admitted immediately with a suspected mosquito transmitted viral disease; either Dengue or Chikungunya.  Not that either one is really better than the other, but I am still glad it was Chikungunya as at least I am now immune of one of them.  The fever went lasted only 3-4 days, but the swollen joints and rash remained for a few days more, and I may be hobbling around for a week or two more until the joints go back to normal.”
Chikungunya cases were reported too in Malaysia. Chikungunya is endemic in Southeast Asia. The World Health Organization reports:
“In recent years, countries in the South-East Asia Region have been severely affected by the outbreaks of chikungunya fever…Chikungunya has established endemicity in several parts of South-East Asia Region. The socio-economic factors and public health inadequacies that facilitated the spread of this infection continue to exist. There is an urgent need to strengthen national surveillance and response capacity through multisectoral approach and active participation of the communities to prevent and contain this emerging infectious disease.”
Picture on front page taken from the Flickr page of James Jordan

author: Mong Palatino


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China: Can Paper Wrap the Fire? · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Last night CCTV's new building's extension caught fire because of nearby fireworks celebrating the Chinese Lantern Festival (元宵). Blogger Anlei recorded the whole process with a series of photos. Even though the fire is an accident, the propaganda department still decided to harmonize / censor the news. A notice has been given to major portal websites (via twitter):
各网：“中央电视台新大楼北配楼发生火灾”相关报道，请各网站只用新华社通稿，不发图片、视频，不作深度报道；只放国内新闻区，关闭跟帖，自然滚动，论坛博客不置顶，不推荐。
Can such measure stop people from talking about the fire? Wang Xiaofeng puts it rhetorically: Can paper wrap the fire?
新央视办公楼附楼在元宵节晚上因为燃放焰火不慎起火，目击者最先通过手机短信将消息传出去，然后是网站，通过各种方式将消息发布出去。很多门户网站以最快速度做成专题。但时间不长，这些专题都被撤掉了。很显然，用裤衩思考都知道这些网站接到了主管部门的命令，对于这类重大新闻事件，要以新华社的消息为主，不能乱报道。新华社记者都在过节，好像当时没有在场等待起火的记者吧？如果这有这样的记者，该把这个记者抓起来问问是不是同谋。即便新华社记者恰好在场，他还要核实消息的真实性，然后把稿子写完，交给领导审查，领导对于这类重大新闻事件估计还做不了主，还要报上级领导批示，等上级领导批示完了，全世界都知道了。
这里大概有个尺度问题，比如火灾的程度，是严重还是轻微，报道口径问题，比如有关领导是否到场，领导在现场说了什么话，要体现出来，中国的重大新闻报道里缺少领导怎么能成为新闻呢？领导一定比火还要火才行。所以说，要以新华社为主，你就是在楼下目睹了全部着火过程，你就是亲自点的火，你报道出来都不真实。都火烧眉毛了，还遮遮掩掩。
这不是一个垄断媒体的时代了，每个人手上都有手机、照相机、笔记本电脑，可以随时上网，发布新闻的渠道已经不是唯一了。这也挺难为新华社了，也难为媒体主管部门了，这种纸里包不住火的事情，该怎么处理啊？我都替他们发愁。
最要命的是，着火的地方恰恰是外媒、使馆集中的地区，这些外国记者估计只要在办公室把摄像机架起来就可以现场直播了，连出门都免了，百分百的现场直播。而我们着火单位主频道此时还在欢度元宵节，另一个新闻频道也是在一个小时后才有横飞字幕，看来真是火烧眉毛都不着急。佩服佩服。还好，这栋楼还没有投入使用，人员伤亡几率比较低，但他妈的那也是那钱造出来的，怎么就那么沉着呢？难道只有把大裤衩烧成了红烧鸡巴你才觉得疼吗？
在这次突发事件中，中国所有官方媒体都输给了民间媒体。
Below are some citizen video clip on the incident from youtube:
More on the CCTV fire:
CCTV on fire  Sun Bin
Beijing CCTV Building On Fire, News Censored  ChinaSMACK
Mandarin Oriental Fire Photos from Sina (before they get harmonized)  Elliott Ng, CN Reviews
CCTV Fire Photos – Twitter breaks the news again  David Feng, CN Reviews
Reporting on the CCTV complex fire  Joel Martinsen, DANWEI

author: Oiwan Lam


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China: CCTV Fire News Censored  · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Fauna from ChinaSMACK reported about the CCTV building fire and how the news got censored in major internet portal, like Sina and NetEase.


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China:  CCTV Fire Photos – Twitter breaks the news again · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

David Feng from CNreviews tells the story on how twitter breaks the news on the fire in CCTV building last night in Beijing.


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Colombia: The Latest Hostage Release and Opportunism · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

With the latest hostage release by the FARC in Colombia, Marsares of equinoXio writes that “opportunism also was present” and that each hostage “sought to be the centre of the attention and, of course, their own personal profits.”

author: Eduardo Avila


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Corruption in the Philippines · Global Voices
Karlo Mongaya

Rebelmind  comments on the recent scuffle between World Bank officials and the Philippine government on the issue of corruption. “Whom to believe… is a no-brainer. It’s not that the World Bank is a bastion of integrity (usurers are not saints, right?); it’s just that the dollars used for the projects are its own.”

author: Karlo Mongaya


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Cote d’Ivoire: The Little Sack Dress · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Emeka posts a video of Ms Camara from Ivory Coast discussing her dress making business.

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Cuba: Human Rights  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Diaspora blogger Child of the Revolution calls “shameless” the Cuban justice minister's suggestion that all is well when it comes to human rights, while Uncommon Sense links to the trailer of a new documentary about Cuban political prisoner Oscar Biscet.


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Ecuador: Correa Stops in Loja · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

President of Ecuador Rafael Correa made a stop in the region of Loja as part of the traveling cabinet meeting.  Voces Lojanas [es] wrote about the visit.


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Egypt: More activists and bloggers arrested · Global Voices
Eman AbdElRahman

Egyptian bloggers continue to be targeted by the police and authorities. In less than a week, two more bloggers have been arrested. Our first story began when a group of 14 activists from Egypt, the US, the UK, Spain, Poland and France marched “to Gaza” in solidarity with Palestinians. State security cracked down on the march, abducted the activists as well as the foreign reporters, taking them on a ride around Cairo then leaving them, either in the desert or at the police stations.
All the activists were released except for Egyptian-German activist and blogger Philip Rizk. He was “kidnapped” by the authorities without a charge, without letting anyone know his whereabouts and without allowing him to see or speak with his lawyer, family and friends.
It was not long before police tried to take Magdy Rizk, Philip's father; and after he refused going with them, the state security actually broke into Philip's house.
Above is an update posted by Droubi on Jaiku yesterday.
You can read the detailed account of Rizk's kidnapping by an eyewitness, Sara Carr. Also, for continuous updates about Rizk's status and other related news, follow Delicious bookmarks, Benwhite, Free Philip website and Facebook group. More updates in Rizk are also found on Twitter here.
Palestinian blogger Laila El Hadad,  comments on Rizk's arrest saying:
Here it is worth noting of course that Philip is not alone in his arrest. Every day dozens of Egyptian activists are arrest, taken to undisclosed locations, and tortured by the Egyptian secret police. As recent as last week, more than 50 members of the Muslim Brotherhood organization were also detained after a recent Gaza rally, and more than 500 in the past month.
The second arrest, according to Kareem Atef [Ar] and The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information and Global Voices Advocacy, targeted Diaa Gad, who was detained from in front of his house on February 6:
Egyptian police attack and kidnap blogger
The officers were in a car owned by central security before they broke into his house. Dia’ Eddin Gad is author of the blog Sawt Ghadib or An Angry Voice http://soutgadeb.blogspot.com. The police did not reveal the reason behind his arrest or where he was being detained.
Egyptian activists and bloggers are calling for the release of Rizk and Gad, as well as other bloggers behind bars,  through new and innovative ways. However, the situation stays the same and the crackdown on bloggers continues.

author: Eman AbdElRahman


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Egypt: Philip Rizk ‘Kidnapped · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

From Egypt, blogger Sarah Carr narrates the events of the To Gaza campaign march and the events leading to the disappearance of journalist/masters student/filmmaker/blogger Philip Rizk, who was grabbed by State Security and taken to an undisclosed location.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Egypt: Time to lift the Gaza blockade · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Rantings of a Sandmonkey, from Egypt, says its time to lift the Gaza blockade and explains his reasons here.


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Eritrea: Ministry of Information: Explain Please! · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Why does the Eritrean blogger, Sam B, demands an explanation from the Eritrean Ministry of Information? Follow his post at African Path.


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Haiti: Fanmi Lavalas and the next elections · Global Voices
Fabienne Flessel

Last weekend, the Haitian blogosphere was buzzing about the exclusion of political parties from the April 2009 Senatorial elections by the Conseil Electoral Provisoire or Temporary Electoral Council – and on Friday January 6th, the CEP published a list of the candidates for the next democratic parliamentary elections in Haiti.  Vario Sérant presents in Alterpresse [Fr] a list of the rejected candidates:
Autre candidat évincé : le PDG de Cœurs Unis David Chéry qui était en lice sous le parapluie de l’Alliance pour l’avancement d’Haïti (ALAH).
Fin de course également pour le dirigeant du Front pour la reconstruction nationale (FRN), Guy Philippe.
It is also over for the leader of the “Front pour la reconstruction nationale” (the National Reconstruction Front), Guy Philippe.
In the list published by the Temporary Electoral Council, only two thirds of the candidates enlisted were accepted into the competition, but the most surprising thing has been the rejection of all the candidates of Fanmi Lavalas. The famous Radiokiskeya talks about this decision here [Fr]:
Le Conseil Electoral Provisoire (CEP) a publié dans la nuit de jeudi à vendredi la liste des 65 candidats, sur un total de 105, admis à participer aux sénatoriales partielles du 19 avril 2009.
Aucun des candidats des deux listes de Fanmi lavalas (parti de l’ancien président Jean Bertrand Aristide) n’a été retenu. Les deux listes avaient été soumises par deux factions rivales de Lavalas.
None of the candidates from any of the two Fanmi Lavalas (party of the former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide) lists were kept in. Both lists were presented by two rival branches from Lavalas.
Many reasons have been put forward to explain this total rejection, like this one from radiokiskeya:
La plupart des candidats évincés par l’institution électorale ont dû faire face à des allégations d’implication dans des activités criminelles et dans le trafic illicite de la drogue, formulées par le Réseau National des Organisations de Défense des droits humains (RNDDH), la Police Nationale d’Haïti (PNH) et la Justice.
In HaitiRectoVerso, Decky Lakyel reports on the statement of Frantz Verret, president of the Electoral Council, as he explained the decision to reject all Lavalas candidates [Fr]:
‘On a tenu compte des dossiers soumis par chaque candidat’, ajoute t-il. ‘Les candidats de Fanmi Lavalas n'avaient pas l'attestation de leur parti’, explique t-il refusant de faire des commentaires sur les problèmes internes du parti d'Aristide.
But it is in the last part of this same post that one of the most controversial explanations can be found [Fr]:
‘Nous avons appliqué la loi électorale et la constitution’, assure M. Verret pour qui tous les acteurs doivent faire des efforts pour respecter la première loi électorale d'Haïti. Par ailleurs, le président du CEP souligne que le chef de l'état n'a, en aucune manière, influencé la décision de l'organisme électoral.
The fact that Verret denies the influence of the President is not coincidental, since many think that it was done against former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
The rejection of the 40 candidates (among which 11 are from Lavalas) has triggered several reactions – and quite important ones at that – as we can read from this thread on Forum Haiti [Fr/Creole].  According to radiokiskeya, who was quoted many times, both the USA and Canada [Fr] have expressed their discontent at the supposedly biased rejection of some candidates:
Janet Ann Sanderson Ambassadeur USA en Haiti […] souligne que dans les Etats démocratiques ‘les élections honnêtes et démocratiques sont inclusives et non exclusives’ et doivent aider à ‘l’unification de la démocratie’ à travers l’implication de tous les principaux partis politiques.
Probably strengthened by this external support, Lavalas has decided to appeal the Electoral Council decision, even though the Council has announced that its decision is final:
Le porte-parole de l’institution électorale, Frantz Bernadin, a cependant fait savoir vendredi à des journalistes que le CEP, étant le contentieux électoral par excellence, sa décision concernant les candidats admis est sans appel.

author: Fabienne Flessel


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Hong Kong: Twestival · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Daisy blogs about the upcoming (Feb 12) Twestival in Hong Kong.


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Jordan: Clothes, Logos and Traffic Violators  · Global Voices
Mohammad Azraq

Do the colours you wear reflect your personality? The Arab Observer brings up this issue in a rather interesting post:
I usually wear a trendy jeans with a colorful shirt. A couple of years before, at college time, my choice of shirts colors was limited in few dull colors. At that time, grey, black, and blue were the only common colors for men. Later on, when Bossini, Pull n Bear and Zara brought colors to our wardrobes, a lot of young men of my age were reluctant of picking up on the new found colors for dark dull ones were still part of the norms and perceived to be part of their masculinity. Men shouldn't wear red or pink, this is still alive in the perception of many of us. For those of the new generation, the rebellious ones, who wanted to say that they don't really stick to the norms of our society and follow the traditional intake of what we wear, colorful shirts became a trend.
Our style and fashion communicates where do we want to belong to the world, some people develop a sweet addiction to the latest trends of fashion around the globe. Styloholic is a new fashion blog for style fans. Glamour seems to be the styloholic writer statement of belonging. I am usually not a fan of fashion blogs, but this one is quite interesting. Check it out here.
Lass brings up the Amman city logo, which Global Voices reported on when it was still in its development stages, now that it has been selected:
The city logo is something that is linked to a city like a name to a person, it is a signature, an identity, and most importantly it should represent a mega entity, not a singular perception. It is something that shouldn't be put together haphazardly, fortuitously or without deep thought and consideration. It certainly is not an art work assignment, or a graphic design contest. A city logo is official, formal, or at least that's how it is known to be.
Changing the logo of the city is an effort that GAM should be applauded for for sure. But decisions are responsibilities, and that responsibility should be handled with ultra proficiency. I hope that they can be more sensitive towards creating a life-long legacy, rather than the flashy temporary brain storming oddities, that we seem to adore in Amman nowadays!
And kinzi brings up an important issue for Jordan, and that is traffic violations, which yields many deaths annually:
Am I missing something here? An important detail? Some cultural cue? Some tradition that went under my radar?
Traffic violators cause trouble for everyone on the roads. They should have to pay for it.
But of course, I guess we wouldn’t want anyone having to own responsibility for their own bad behaviour, it might be shameful.

author: Mohammad Azraq


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Jordan: Why I Love Gmail · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

And Far Away, from Jordan, writes about what she loves about emailing service – Gmail.


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Kazakhstan: Devaluation and Blogospghere · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

On February 4, the National Bank of Kazakhstan ceased maintenance of the national currency tenge (KZT). The measures on retention of the overestimated exchange rate during the last 6 months has cost nearly $6 billion, while national currencies in the neighboring countries have dropped down significantly. The new exchange rate fixed by the National Bank is KZТ150 to $1, which marks a 25% devaluation. Although the need for devaluation was quite obvious, the population's major dissatisfaction is caused by the fact that a couple of weeks before abrupt collapse of the exchange rate, the government had officially announced its intention to run a 10% – and gradual! – devaluation.
Thу bloggers reacted in different ways. Dubanoze is happy that he had not had considerable savings [ru]:
It’s good I have almost no money… so I don’t have a headache as my colleagues do.
Pulemetchizza, as many others, remembers that it was not the first default for Kazakhstan [ru]:
I have a déjà vu: the same thing happened in 1999. Didn't we survive then? So we shall survive this time too. However, frankly speaking, I'm a bit distressed.
nashingyou reflects on the suddenness of devaluation [ru]:
I am not sure what would be better: if the exchange rate gradually grew up to the current index, or if it jumped – as it actually did. I think, the second option was selected for one good reason – it is better that people are thunderstruck once, rather they would have undergone this stress during a month or two.
Meanwhile, 4uni-muni is surprised at the people's reaction: [ru]:
Our people are amazing. They watched news, noticed that ruble went down, and they still thought that it would not happen to us.  “Of course it’s because Russians are stupid!  Our government is smarter. This will never happen to us”…
Now, after devaluation, the citizens are anxiously expecting new upsurge of inflation. Pari-from-kz writes [ru]:
I am nervous because of the situation with the currency. I don’t want to discuss it, I am just angry, because it is clear that despite anything that politicians say, the prices will jump ubiquitously.
And this is already happening – the shops that sell electronics and home appliances were the first ones that were immediately closed for price change:
“I just don't understand why they did so.  They had bought their stuff before the rate went up. Sure, now they will have more costs, and nobody in the West, Europe or China is going to make a special discount for them in future. But why do they change prices now?”, temza8 asks in perplexity [ru].
The next in a row were pharmacies and supermarkets:
“I understand why devaluation is necessary, but I am not that emotionally strong to watch what happens near pharmacies, where elderly people find new prices that are almost unaffordable for them! The price for bread from some bakeries grew by 20 KZT [30%]”, aslili wrote [ru].
In this regard eev rhetorically exclaims [ru]:
Everyone says that devaluation has a positive effect on the economy. But, taking into account that stores have immediately increased their prices by 25%, what is positive for our economy? I would not believe that only imported goods would grow in price. I bet that local goods will become more expensive too. So, what's the advantage?
The signs of panic, such as: agiotage purchases and artificial deficit, were already, though not massively, noticed in Kazakhstan:
In the morning [of the first day of devaluation] my colleague stopped by a shop.  There was nothing except for bread, vodka and canned food. The salesman said that they had hidden the rest of the goods until the exchange rate settles”,
pinkpanter-vs writes from Karaganda [ru]
We became 25% poorer.  Lately the salaries of budget-paid employees and pensions were increased by 25%, and now this raise is eaten up. I have friends who get paid in KZT, but their mortgage is in dollars… Many shops change their price-lists. In large food supermarkets people were running around with trolleys and sweeping away everything: cereals-butter-pasta, katelka informs [ru].
Megakhuimyak shares his opinion [ru]…:
If our people start living within their means and won't borrow money, then crisis will not be as bad as it seems to be now. Though, only in case if the people already don't have debts in dollars…
… and anaeza recollects the main pride of Kazakh government [ru]:
There is a huge billboard near my office with the President's words on it: “Stability is all the people of Kazakhstan need”.  I would say: “No comments”.
However, not all of the bloggers are pessimistic. Dojdlivoe-leto remembers the times of even worse crisis in Kazakhstan in 1990s [ru]:
There were times when all we had to eat were boiled macaroni and convenience soup from the grocery? This time, the worst thing that can happen is that we would have to abstain from shopping. It is not worth of panic.
Hackuna hopes that the new fiscal policy would not only be helpful to the local exporters of raw materials (by the way, their shares on stock markets grew up significantly after devaluation), but also [ru]:
make it possible to involve foreign investors …, since the production costs in the country with devaluated currency can be called at least adequate, if not low.
And a-strekoza suggests having cost-effective parties from now on [ru]:
It is time to declare myself the adept of anti-crisis vodka&pickles parties on a kitchen!
Also posted on neweurasia

author: Adil Nurmakov


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Lebanon: Cell Phone Prices to Drop · Global Voices
Antoun Issa

The Lebanese blogosphere has had a lukewarm response to a Government announcement that cell prices are due to fall.
Telecommunications Minister Gibran Bassil revealed that new short-term contracts signed with network operators Orascom and Zain will commence in March, despite continued promises to privatise the state-owned networks and provide a third provider.
Bassil expects the call rates to drop by 10 per cent in coming months, whilst Orascom and Zain have pledged to boost mobile subscriptions to 400,000 by the end of April.
Lebanon's cell rates are currently among the highest in the world, and have long been a cause of political friction and social discontent. Consequently, Lebanon's mobile subscription numbers are among the lowest in the Middle East with 1.3million subscribers out of a population of 4m.
Liliane has cautiously welcomed the new deal, but laments the lack of new mobile technology available in the country and believes the new contracts still fall short of expectations:
They are still not great, and don't include any new services (3G?), but definitely better than what we have now.
I was hoping they would also come up with charging by the second instead of the minute (for example, if you make a call of 1 minute and 10 seconds, you get charged for 2 minutes). Fingers crossed, maybe in the next decade.
The deal received sharp criticism from Rami who has condemned the functionality of the telecommunications sector and believes the Lebanese will continue to be “robbed” with no rate relief in sight:
Well, let me tell you something Mr. Bassil, what we have in the mobile telephony sector right now is a duopoly, it’s actually a monopoly since the two operators are controlled by the government, but let’s assume it’s a duopoly. Do you know what kind of pricing strategies are followed in such cases? ANYTHING but price wars!
Seriously, come to think of it! They both have almost the same prices, and they’re sharing the market almost equally. Why would they want to go into price wars and risk lowering their profits? In case there will be a price decrease, they will BOTH agree on it. No marketer will ever work against the good of their firm. I doubt there will be a significant decrease in price by the way, we will never reach what’s set in Egypt and other Arab countries for example.
So, Mr. Bassil, you seem to be just like all the previous ministers (until time proves me wrong), you promised us the stars and delivered nothing until now. We’re being robbed and we will always be robbed!
Ya3neh [This means] we’re getting raped and might as well like it! Otherwise we get no phone line!
Meanwhile, Jamal's Propaganda highlights the political irony and/or hypocrisy of rewarding the contract to Egypt's Orascom. Orascom's major shareholder is  Naguib Sawiris, the largest Arab investor in Israel. Lebanon's Telecommunications Minister Gibran Bassil is affiliated with the Free Patriotic Movement, a key Hezbollah ally:
1. Hezbollah is allied with the Free Patriotic Movement
2. FPM counts Gibran Bassil as a senior member
3. Gibran Bassil is the minister of telecom in Lebanon's schizophrenic national unity government
4. The ministry of telecom awarded a mobile network operation contract to Egyptian Orascom
5. Orascom is majority owned by Naguib Sawiris
6. Naguib Sawiris, through Orascom,  is the biggest investor from an Arab country in Israel
P.S. This deal was signed by the “pro-resistance axis” during the Israeli massacres in Gaza.
Friday Lunch Club made point of an Oxford Business Group report that revealed Bassil also added new stipulations to any proposed privatisation that would guarantee Lebanese majority share:
There has been some opposition to the privatisation of the two networks, with critics asking why the state would sell off such profitable assets. Last year, before becoming part of the national unity government, the Islamist Hizbollah bloc opposed the privatisation, on the grounds that much-needed revenue would be lost and a strategic asset would be transferred out of Lebanese hands. By mandating majority local ownership, at least some of this opposition may be quelled.

author: Antoun Issa


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Morocco: It’s Raining in Marrakesh  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

It's raining in Marrakesh, and Moroccan Maryam has the story, with pictures in this post.


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Morocco: The Cinema Scene  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

The cinema scene in Morocco resembles that in Gaza, says Moroccan blogger Allal El Alaoui, who remarks: “Poor cinema in Morocco.It is targetted by everyone and eveywhere.First,and sadly speaking;majority of cinema-theatres are closed because of the mediocrity of films introduced..”


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Nigeria: Nigerians abroad have the right to vote  · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Akin discusses the ruling by a Nigerian court that Nigerian abroad be allowed to vote in Nigerian elections without the need to return home.


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Nigeria: Why is Nigeria’s Connectivity Scorecard very low? · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Loy analyses the Connectivity Scorecard 2009, which shows that Nigeria has the lowest ICT penetration, usage, potential and accessiblity out of 50 countries of the world.


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Pakistan: Karafilm Festival · Global Voices
Rezwan

Yawar Herekar at CHUP! – Changing Up Pakistan reviews Karachi's Karafilm Festival, an international film fest that showcases a range of movies from around the world.


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Paraguay: Immigrants Tell Their Stories · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

It is a common story across Latin America, where emigrants set off to find greener pastures in neighboring or distant countries.  It is no different for Paraguayans, who leave behind friends and family for other opportunities, whether in other South American countries or across the ocean in Europe.  Some of these stories are now being told using citizen media. A blog called Somos Paraguayos [es] (We Are Paraguayans) invites immigrants across the globe to submit their firsthand stories about their experiences and the response from other Paraguayans in the comments sections add to the conversation.
Many of the stories are filled with heartache about trying to adapt to a new land, and other stories are ones of success. The common theme among many of these stories is a search for better economic opportunities.  Gabriela writes about her 30 years in Argentina having left Paraguay behind in order to help her parents earn money.  However, leaving behind her country was not an easy task [es]:
Este dolor por la distancia y la angustia de no ver y escuchar a mis seres mas queridos, de no ver el cielo tan azúl ni los árboles mas verdes y frondozos, la tierra colorada, la polca y el dulce idioma guaraní despertaron en mí la curiosidad por saber mas de mi tierra, y también para defenderme de los interrogatorios a los que me sometían todos quienes se daban cuenta de mi acento
The pain due to the distance and the anguish for not being able to see or hear my loved ones, to not be able to see the bluest sky or the greenest and lushest trees and the colored earth, the polka, the sweet Guaraní language awakened my curiosity to know more about my land, and also defend myself from the questions by those who noticed and asked about my accent.
Leaving behind one's homeland is often easier than entering a new country due to immigration restrictions.  Not all who attempt to gain access to a foreign country are successful.  Olinda was offered a job by a couple living in England and writes about being denied entry after arriving a London's Heathrow airport [es]:
Finalmente llegue al mostrador y me atendió una que me hablaba todo en ingles, no le entendía nada, después de una rato trajeron un traductor y me pregunto para que venia y otras cosas mas. Me llevaron a una oficina para preguntarme mas cosas, y ahí ya me asuste. Me preguntaron cuanto pague por el pasaje, cosa que yo no sabia, también me preguntaron de que nacionalidad era mi amiga y su marido (los señores que me contrataron), yo le dije paraguayos pero había sido ella era de nacionalidad argentina y el señor tenia nacionalidad italiana por medio de su papa, ellos antes vivían en Paraguay, pero no sabia todos esos otros detalles. Hasta llamaron a la señora y le preguntaron cosas mías y ella tampoco sabia mucho… y así se dieron cuenta que yo venia a trabajar y me denegaron la entrada al país.
Me dijeron que el vuelo salía al día siguiente recién, por lo que me iba a quedar retenida en el aeropuerto hasta que ellos me embarquen mañana. Y así me llevaron a una habitación con cama, baño y televisión. Donde descanse y espere el día siguiente. La verdad me trataron muy bien los ingleses, y no me puedo quejar, fue mi inocencia y la de los patrones que pensaron que era fácil entrar y cuando no era. Inclusive ellos me dijeron que si algún día quería volver a Inglaterra era bienvenida porque no arme escándalo ni llore como algunos hacen. La verdad no entendí porque me dijeron eso, me hubiesen dejado entrar nomás, no?
Después volví a Asunción al día siguiente, y unos meses después me anime a intentar otra vez, pero esa vez a España. Preste plata para pagar el pasaje esta vez, pero tampoco pude entrar… por tercera y última vez, preste una vez más plata y compre otro pasaje a España y esta vez si pude entrar.
Finally I arrived to the counter and was attended to by someone who only spoke English, and I didn't understand anything, later they brought a translator and they asked me why did I come and other things.  They took me to an office to ask me even more things, and there I became scared. They asked me how much I paid for the ticket, something that I didn't know, and they also asked me what nationality was my friend and her husband (the couple that hired me), I told them they were Paraguayans, but it turns out that she was Argentinean and the man was Italian due to his father, but they once lived in Paraguay, but I didn't know the other details. They even called the woman and asked her things about me and she also did not know much… and that is how they realized that I was there to work and they denied my entry to the country.
They told me that the next flight left the next day, and that they would detain me at the airport until they would embark me the next morning. They took me to a room with a bed, bathroom and a television where I rested and waited until the next day. Actually, the English treated me very well and I can't complain, it was my naivety and the sponsors who thought it would be easy to enter and that wasn't the case. They also said that if one day I wanted to return to England, I was welcome because I didn't make a huge fuss and I didn't cry as many others do. Honestly, I don't understand why they said that, and if that was the case why didn't they just let me in?
I returned to Asunción the next day and a few months later I decided to try again, but this time to Spain. I borrowed money to pay for the ticket this time, but I was unable to enter… on the third and final time, I borrowed even more money and bought another ticket to Spain and this time I entered.
Once living abroad, many emigrants begin new lives and form relationships with the citizens of their new homelands.  In this blog post, Angel, a Spanish citizen, tells about a tragic story of his life with his Paraguayan wife [es]:
He estado casado dos años y tres meses con una chica paraguaya de San Lorenzo (tres años en total desde que la conocí). Digo he estado porque me he quedado viudo con una preciosa beba que me dejó cuatro días antes de fallecer y un chico de 10 años que lastimosamente volvió con sus abuelos y tuve que separar de su hermanita por asuntos mas legales que sentimentales…..
Una complicación en la cesárea desencadenó en la peor semana de mi vida, la beba nació lunes y mi esposa falleció viernes. Tengo muy claro que en Paraguay el mismo lunes hubiese fallecido, pero eso no tiene vuelta atrás para discutir si acá o allá.
I was married for 2 years and 3 months with a Paraguayan girl from San Lorenzo (three years in total since I first met her). I say was married because I am now a widower who left behind a precious baby four days before dying and a 10 year-old boy who unfortunately returned to his grandparents and who had to become separated from his little sister for legal, rather than sentimental reasons.
Complications from a Caesarean section started the worst week of my life, the baby was born on Monday and my wife died on Friday. I am sure that in Paraguay she would have died the same Monday, but there is no looking back to discuss that.


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Philippines: Five Years in College · Global Voices
Karlo Mongaya

I am Kylex disagrees with the proposals to add one more year to the four-year college curriculum in the Philippines. “We are currently facing on so-called ‘global financial crisis’. Many Filipinos outside and inside the country are now jobless because of that… Many of us cannot afford to go to college, and adding another one year will make it worst. This would be another expenses and can bring burden to the parents.”


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Saudi Arabia: Women and Jobs  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

From Saudi Arabia, Nzingha describes the difficulties facing Saudi women finding jobs.


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Sri Lanka: Tri Shaws Are The Best · Global Voices
Rezwan

London, Lanka and Drums praises Tri Shaws, or Tuk Tuks as the best form of transport ever invented: “they're pretty damn perfect for day to day things in a country like Sri Lanka.”


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Trinidad & Tobago: Be Advised  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

As five developed countries issue travel advisories for Trinidad and Tobago, This Beach Called Life says: “Government’s Vision is clear and that is what is so frightening.”


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Trinidad & Tobago: Dead Dead Wine  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“It has never before struck me how much wining was a thing of beauty until I am confronted with its recently acquired ugliness”: Attillah Springer is afraid that “the death of the wine is a dire and desperate indication of the weakness of our collective Trini backbone.”


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Trinidad & Tobago: Love of Pan  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Today Carnival belongs to all Trinidadians – each year it expands and breathes a healing breath into the nation's pysche”: My Chutney Garden attends Panorama and offers a glimpse into the history of steel pan music.


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Uganda: Behind The Mirror · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Sokari writes about the documentary Behind the Mirror, which investigates and advocates for responses to the many challenges faced by the LGBTI community in Uganda.


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Albania; Croatia, Slovenia: New IDs; Bay of Piran · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Blogging Balkanistan links to a round-up of reactions from the Albanian blogosphere on new ID cards and to a post about the dispute between Slovenia and Croatia over the Bay of Piran (at The Croatian Crescent, here and here).

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Albania: Mountains and Bunkers · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Via Stepping Stones and A Nevada Yankee in King Zogs Court, a link to a travel blog – Vagabond Journey.com Travelogue: 9 years of travel through more than 40 countries on 5 continents – whose focus has been on Albania lately (here and here).


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Arab World: Job Losses on the Way?  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

With news headlines spelling out economic doom as governments, companies and individuals continue to tighten their belts, bloggers across the Arab world jump on the bandwagon and ask: “Are job layoffs coming our way?”
In Saudi Arabia, Nzingha writes about how a relative lost her job after the company she worked with “went under.” She explains:
My sister in law, the widow with three children, took on a job a few months back. She worked over the phone selling car insurance and was quite happy with her job and the extra income it brought into the home. Being a widow whose husband worked for the government she receives a 1500 SR pension a month. That is 374 USD and less than the bike that I just had to pay for. 1500 SR is not sufficient enough of an income to live off of, especially if you have three growing children to raise.
Notice I used the past tense to describe her employment status for as of now she doesn't work. She, along with the others in the company, were all fired because the company went under. She was given a couple of weeks notice and that was the end of it. Many women around the world can relate to her story, working one day and given notice the next especially when you consider the economic world crisis. However as a woman in Saudi her work opportunities are extremely limited unlike many companies in the world and this is due to the fact that she is a woman.
From the UAE, The Grapeshisha Blog links to a CNN Video discussing the economic crisis’ impact on Dubai and notes:
If you are listening correctly, 8% reduction in population, means something – less jobs…in some industries.
WebJunky comments on the post saying:
quite frankly i am expecting unemployment to hit double digits very soon. dubai will continue to fall for at least 6-12 months before showing any signs of rebound. market in way overvalued in that region right now
Jordanian Moey, who works and lives in Kuwait, links to the same video and asks:
Should we expect anything in Kuwait?
And reader The M Code answers him:
We shouldn’t expect anything anywhere, It’s a global economic crisis but people are watching Dubai as it crashes because they were watching it as it was rising. It will hopefully get back on it’s feet one day. They are the pride and home for many Arabs from around the world, I wish them all the best.
At the UAE community blog, Sarcastic Guy has the following announcement to make:
Three prominent Dubai businessmen confessed.. err.. confirmed that the market situation in Dubai is extremely positive and all rumors about a weak economy and a weaker outlook are just propaganda. The Chinese, British and Indian businessmen affirmed their enthusiasm for the opportunities in Dubai while a friendly government official hovered around to ensure their safety.
The sarcastic tone of this post is not lost on readers, who post their comments here.
Job cuts in Dubai are also the topic of this post, by Shamsi, at Dubai Metblogs.


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Azerbaijan: Plouffe’s Puff Visit · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Jemal Public Affairs casts doubts over comments made by Obama campaign manager David Plouffe that he had no idea about the political allegiances of the organization that hosted him on his paid visit to Azerbaijan early this week. The blog says that it is hard to believe that “one of the brightest political and media strategists on earth was not aware that Washington lobbyists representing the authoritarian, oli-rich county of Azerbaijan had a hand in arranging his puff visit to Baku.”


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Bahamas, Jamaica: Cultural Solidarity  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Bahamian blogger Nicolette Bethel has called for the observation of a Day of Absence today in honour of all cultural workers – Womanish Words and Jamaican Geoffrey Philp are showing their solidarity.


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Bangladesh: Happiest People On Earth? · Global Voices
Rezwan

Geoffrey Hiller asks some Bangladeshis to understand why Bangladeshis, one of the poorest nations in the world are also deemed as one of the happiest people on earth. Read their amazing explanations.


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Bangladesh: Panam Nagar in Sonargaon · Global Voices
Rezwan

Bangladeshi Photographers (BP) group of Flickr organized a photowalk at the ruins of Panamnagar in Sonargaon, the administrative center of eastern Bengal under the Muslim rulers of Bengal which is situated near the capital of Bangladesh, Dhaka. Desherchobi posts photographs and details of the photowalk.


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Belarus: The Army · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Belarusan American Blog writes about the problems of Belarusian army.


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Bolivia: Native Languages in the Public Bureaucracy · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Ermapelo of Ciudad de Patas [es] wonders about the push in the new Constitution that seeks that all public employees in the Bolivian government speak at least one native language, and how many of the terms used in bureaucracy do not have equivalents in those languages. In the end, much of the conversation will eventually be in Spanish.


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China: Bird’s Flu in China · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Ned Kelly, reading between the Lines on a Xinhua's article, interpreted that at this time, a human-to-human epidemic of bird-flu has begun in China.


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China: PS Photos on CCTV Fire · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Fauna from ChinaSMACK has a selection of PS photos on CCTV Fire happened on Monday night.


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Cuba: “Cachaito” Passes On  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Havana Times reports that one of the founding members of the famous Buena Vista Social Club, Cuban bass player Orlando “Cachaito” Lopez, has died at a Havana hospital after complications following surgery.


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Cuba, U.S.A.: True Colours  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Diaspora blogger Uncommon Sense thinks that the powers that be in Cuba have shown their true colours this week by rejecting international calls for the release of political prisoners.


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Czech Republic, EU: Motherhood Politics · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Czechmatediary writes that “the European Parliament fears that the Czechs will make all of the EU women become unappreciated stay-home moms.”


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Czech Republic: The Czech Switzerland National Park · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

The Journeys of Captain Oddsocks writes about the Czech Switzerland National Park.


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Egypt: Posts on Feb 6 Pro Gaza March Police Crackdown · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

From Egypt, 3arabawy links to blogs posts and articles covering his country's crackdown on a pro-Gaza march.


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Guatemala: Panajachel Festival Begins · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Luchas Libres y Más [es] loves the Little Festival of Panajachel in Guatemala with activities beginning with audiovisual workshops and screenings of Guatemalan movies.


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Hungary: The Roma and the Killing of Marian Cozma · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Marian Cozma, a Romanian handball player, was killed in a nightclub fight in Veszprém, Hungary, on Feb. 8. Here's some of what's been written by bloggers about the circumstances of Cozma's death.
Eva Balogh of Hungarian Spectrum:
Saturday night the members of the Veszprém handball team decided to have a celebratory night out. One of their colleagues, Gergő Iváncsik, and his wife had just had a baby. They picked a bar/disco sometimes called Skorpió, sometimes Patrióta. […]
The day before a young man from Enying (Fejér county) exchanged some harsh words with F.B., a well known thug in town. This man most likely was Iván Sztojka. Sztojka wanted to retaliate against F.B., this time with a show of force. He enlisted a group of fifteen or twenty friends and relatives who went to Veszprém in search of F.B.
They first went to the bar and ordered drinks, but F.B. wasn't there. For whatever reason, they decided not to pay their tab. The barmaid demanded that they settle up. In response, they grabbed her by the hair and banged her head a couple of times on the counter. According to some reports she broke her jaw. At this point some of the handball players came to the girl's assistance. A fight ensued, during which one of Sztojka's cohorts smashed a chair on the head of Zarko Sesum, a Serbian player. He was the luckiest of the three players. The attacking group either forced two of the players outside or they were foolish enough to follow them, but by then knives were drawn. Marian Cozma, a Romanian player, received a mortal stab wound directly through his heart while Ivan Pesic, a Croatian who tried to help Cozma, was stabbed in the back. As a result, he lost one of his kidneys. Cozma is dead, Sesum and Pesic are in the hospital.
[…]
By this afternoon the police identified two men, both Gypsies, as the alleged perpetrators. […]
The police might be able to round up the guilty ones but that won't resolve the real problem of the growing anti-Gypsy sentiment. […]
Andy Hockley of Csíkszereda musings:
[…] I have to confess that one of my first reactions on hearing this tragic story (when all I knew was that a famous Romanian handball star had been killed in Hungary), was to fear that he had been murdered by some crazy Hungarian nationalist intent on somehow getting his own back for Trianon or some such. Not that the manner or motive for the killing would matter to Cozma or his family or friends, but that if it were a hate crime, then it could turn into something more widespread and have long term political ramifications. As far as we know this wasn't the case and the team just got attacked for being in the wrong place at the wrong time while what amounted to a local gang/mafia type grudge was being played out.
However, the case is not without its ramifications and ethnic overtones. The men accused of killing Cozma are, you see, Rroma. So large swathes of the Hungarian press and its right-wing politicians have seized on this as clear evidence that this is an ethnic problem, and that “Gypsies” in general are to blame. A newspaper writer, for example, described gypsies as “not human beings, but animals”. […]
Antal Dániel of Central Europe Activ:
[…]
A little bit of contextualization: The citizens of Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and Serbia did not get on very well with each other. All relatively new nation states with a strong nationalistic sentiment that has been surpassed by Communist ‘internationalism’: the past decades have seen a lot of verbal assaults against each other. When the otherwise marginalized Hungarian far-right has set up a uniformed group under the name of ‘Hungarian Guard’ Slovakia cried fool and even accused Hungary for not fulfilling her obligations under the Paris Peace Treaty to wipe out fascist paramilitary groups. But these were just provocations. The Hungarian Guard, now banned by Hungarian law after a proper process in court, was not a paramilitary group, and certainly it had no intention to harass Slovaks or Romanians. It is a new manifestation of racism. The Hungarian Guard has one single activity: to threaten Roma communities within Hungary. […]
Earlier I noticed that things have changed a lot with the EU accession of the group. Romanian-Hungarian relations are on a historical all-time high. Hungary with Austria are the most firm supporters of Serbia’s and Croatia’s European integration. Slovakia has some extremists in the government coalitions, whose provocations are sometimes verbally met by Hungarian politicians out of mere pride, but I think the people are getting well with each other. Unfortunately, all these nations have found a common enemy: their shared Gypsy minorities, which belong to a number of groups, mostly including the Roma.
[…]
The comments in the YouTube page (and similar pages) are in Hungarian, Romanian, English, Croatians and Serb. They show grief, solidarity and every second calls for revenge on Gypsies.
The different Gypsy groups in all these countries are segregated, discriminated in schools and on the workplace and mainly live on the black market, social benefits and crime. As a visibly different native minority, their chances of assimilation is minimal. It is very ironic, that 20 years ago it could have been impossible that a Romanian sportsman is making a successful career in Hungary and becomes a favorite of his township, or a leading Hungarian professional sports club is a mix of Hungarian, Serb and Romanian players. It is a very sad irony that part of this new-found friendliness lies on a commonly shared racist attitude towards to Roma.


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India: Kesaria Buddhist Stupa · Global Voices
Rezwan

Sirensongs at Feringhee: The India Diaries writes about the Kesaria buddhist stupa, which is being excavated in the countryside of Bihar, India.


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India: The IT Outsourcing Competition With China · Global Voices
Rezwan

Itonion at Desicritics discusses whether China is really a threat to the Indian IT outsourcing industry as perceived by many and concludes that India and China may end up collaborating in the future.


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Indonesia: Earthquake report through Twitter · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

A 7.2 magnitude earthquake jolts Indonesia and some parts of the Philippines. Twitter broke the news ahead of mainstream media. Jyamasaki tweets: “I continue to be impressed how twitter is able to report on the Earthquake in Indonesia a few hours before it's reported on major news sites.”


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Indonesia: Many are still using Firefox 2 · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Through Twitter, Enda reports that Indonesia has the highest percentage of Firefox 2 users.


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Iran: Four Bloggers Sentenced to Prison, Floggings · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Tehran's Judiciary Court sentenced four Iranian bloggers and journalists to prison terms of up to three years and three months, and to be flogged.Only one of these bloggers lives inside Iran.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Japan: Homeless · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Lee from Tokyo Times posts photos of homeless people in the Capital. The blogger comments that the situation will get worse.


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Japan: Message translation service brings heartbreak · Global Voices
Chris Salzberg

Commenters at Japan's popular bulletin board service 2channel are responding to the story [ja] of a Japanese girl (ID tomochan) who, reportedly through the “enjoy JAPAN (KOREA) translation service” run by Korean search portal Naver, became close friends with a Korean guy. Naver plans to end the service on February 20th, meaning that tomochan and her would-be boyfriend will no longer be able to communicate [ja]. An early commenter responds, “I guess these Japanese girls who discover that Korean guys are better looking lose their interest in Japanese guys.” [Original article at Naver (in Korean).]

author: Chris Salzberg


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Japan: Online Facemark Dictionary · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

A website, evoticon.net, has been launched recently to collect Japanese emotion icon. (via Japan Probe)


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Japan: Pictures of foreigners from 17th/18th century · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

James from Japan Probe posts a collection of pictures of foreigners from 17 / 18th century in Japan.


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Japan: Threats to freedom of speech and freedom to protest · Global Voices
Scilla Alecci

On the 16th of January a group of protesters gathered outside Shinjuku station (one of the most crowded stations in Tokyo) to denounce Prime Minister Aso and his cabinet. While others in the group were distributing handbills to passersby, the leader of the Executive Committee “Overthrow Asō ! Down with the Cabinet!” (「麻生を倒せ！ないかくだとう」実行委員会) [ja], with a microphone in one hand, made a public speech denouncing the inability of the government to tackle the problems that afflict contemporary Japan (like the increasingly unstable economy, the lack of jobs and social differences between the poor and the rich classes) and blaming the Japanese political system thanks to which, for decades, sons and nephews of political men have had seats reserved for them in the National Diet.
Thanks to a video that documents events as they happened, it is possible to see the exact sequence of facts, with comments by some bloggers included below:
For the record, and to help readers better understand, here is a short recap of the scenes shown in the video [in Japanese only]:
A blogger at spiders_nest, the official blog of the Freeter Union [see here for the meaning of the term “freeter”], who participated in the demonstration, saw with his eyes what happened and assures readers that protesters did not violate any law:
「麻生を倒せ！ないかくだとう」実行委員会が行った新宿東南口広場でのビラまきに参加してきた。
すると新宿警察署の警察官だという豹柄のコートの女性があらわれ、「ビラまき、マイクでの宣伝には警察署長の許可がいる」という。えー、そんなの聞いたことないよ、というわけで話していると、別の警察官が自ら110番してパトカー4台、警官30名を連れてきた。それでやむなく宣伝は中止。
あとで調べてみると道路交通法77条には道路使用許可が必要となる事例が挙がっているのだが、ビラまきやマイクの使用に警察署長の許可が必要などとどこにも書いていない。うそじゃん。
Tzetze harshly criticizes the abuse of power by the police and statements by the police which sound like threats to freedom of expression, unacceptable in a democratic country:
「警察が『適正』な、『公務（の執行？）』するところをちゃんと撮っといてね！」「ガタガタいまここで配るんだったら、逮捕するよ。アタシたちの権限で逮捕できるから」「表現の自由とか、日本国民のね、平和の担保のためなの」
暴言を並べてみたらよくわかるけど、ここで警察が言っていることっていうのは、「公務」と称してあなたたちをいつでも逮捕するよ！私たちは権力だから実際に合法かどうかとは関係なく逮捕できるんだよ！ということです。しかもそれは「平和の担保」のためなんだと。そういう意味で大変やばいことが起きているわけです。
一応、基本的なことから。通常のビラまきに許可はいらない。「許可がないビラまきは違法だ」と警察官が言っても、その許可制が適用されるのは「道路交通に著しい支障を生じる場合」に限られている。道交法にも明言されている。ちなみに駅の敷地内のビラまきには鉄道営業法が適用され、鉄道業務に支障のない限り、自由というのが原則。
Similarly, noiz tried to illuminate the causes of the police intervention:
動画の冒頭に情宣活動を録画する警察官が出てくるが、こちらは交通課だとなのっている。しかし非番でもあ るまいし、わざわざ私服で登場して情報活動をこなしつつ、それがバレてつめられると手際よく別の警官が応援要請ときたもんだ。おまけに要請をうけて先頭 きってとびこんできたのが警備課（の公安）って、あらかじめ準備していたとしか考えられない。
要するに、「政治的なもの」を狙い撃ちにして封じ込めようとする警察（新宿署）の意図があったということだ。事前に呼びかけを公表して街宣活動をおこなえば、情勢によっては公安警察がはりこんで面割りしてるってこともあるにはあるが、交通課が警備課よんで逮捕恫喝をかけながら取り締るなんて尋常じゃない。死に体の麻生政権の打倒をよびかける行動 だったから？　それとも行動呼びかけの面々がきにくわないから？
新宿署はいったいなにを怖れているんだ。
In other words, the purpose of the police (the Shinjuku Police Department) was to confine [the demonstrators], making the “political issue” a target. When you organize a city campaign and announce it beforehand, it is possible, depending on the circumstances, that the Division for the Safeguard of Public Security watches over what happens and intervenes. It is not often that the Traffic Division calls the Patrol Division and takes action against [protesters] while threatening to issue an arrest warrant. Was it because the protest was meant to overthrow the lame-duck government Asō in power? Or was it because every incitation to protest is in itself disagreeable?
What on earth is the Shinjuku Police Department scared of?
On the 27th of January, the Executive Committee posted on its official blog a letter addressed to the Shinjuku Police Department, demanding a clear explanation in legal terms of the action that it took on the day of the protest and that led to the forced termination of the demonstration.
① 日本国憲法は第21条において「集会、結社及び言論、出版その他一切の表現の自由は、これを保障する」と定めると同時に、同99条において「天皇又は摂政 及び国務大臣、国会議員、裁判官その他の公務員は、この憲法を尊重し擁護する義務を負ふ」としていますが、この条文をご承知でしょうか。
② 新宿署では、その職務を遂行する際に人々の表現の自由を妨げることのないように署員に何をどのように周知しているでしょうか。そのための具体的な研修プログラムはあるでしょうか。
③ 長島警部補は新宿署管内で歩道上でのビラ配布に警察署長の許可がいると発言していますが、新宿署管内でのビラ配布は許可制なのでしょうか。また許可制となったのならば、それはいつからのことでしょうか。その法令上の根拠を教示下さい。
④ 新宿署員にビラ配布の中止を命じる権限はあるのでしょうか。それはいつから与えられたのでしょうか。その法令上の根拠を教示下さい。
⑤ 道路交通法は第七十七条において道路の使用の許可を受ける必要がある場合として、計四号の行為をあげていますが、歩道上での通行人へのビラの配布はどの号にあたるとお考えでしょうか。
⑥ 道路交通法第七十七条四号に定める「一般交通に著しい影響を及ぼすような通行の形態若しくは方法により道路を使用する行為」はどのような行為を想定したものと解釈しているのでしょうか。

author: Scilla Alecci


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Jordan: Economy under the Spotlight · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Arabs and Globalization discusses different aspects of Jordan's economy in this post.


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Jordan: Whoever Wins in Israel, Palestinians Lose · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“Whoever truly ends up winning the Israeli elections, whether through seats or the formation of a coalition government, one thing is for certain: Palestinians will be losing out,” writes Jordanian Naseem Tarawnah on the outcome of the Israeli elections.


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Malaysia: Opposition papers confiscated · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Opposition newspapers Harakah and Suara KeADILan have been confiscated by the tens of thousands in Malaysia. Critics say this “is a politically motivated move by the government to block information.”


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Mexico: The Passing of the Tomato King · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Andrés Bermúdez, also known as the “Tomato King” because of his invention of a tomato-planting machine, recently passed away writes Mexico Monitor.  Bermúdez also was the first migrant in the U.S. to become mayor of a Mexican town.


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Myanmar: Three-year cyclone relief plan · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

According to The Irrawaddy, the Tripartite Core Group of Burma has a 3-year recovery and preparedness plan and will seek US $691 million to continue the Cyclone Nargis relief effort. Nargis hit Myanmar last May 2008 which killed and displaced hundreds of thousands in the country.


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Oman: New Job  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Paradise in Me, from Oman, writes about her first few days in her new job in this post. “A lot of fainting, morning sickness, food, weird craving absent minded pregnant women is what I surround myself with for average 8 hours a day,” she explains.


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On Valentine’s: Teach Someone You Love to Blog (or Micro-Blog!) · Global Voices
Solana Larsen

Valentine's Day (February 14) is a day of love, friendship and communication. What better way to mark the occasion than to teach someone you love to blog or micro-blog?
If you are a Global Voices contributor or reader, you know that blogging brings joy, happiness and new friends to millions of people. Bloggers in our community have already pledged to teach their friends and loved ones, and will be writing about it in their own blogs on Valentines Day. You can sign it too…
We'd like to invite you to join us in this meme!
Think for a moment about the people in your life. Share this gift with you family, friends, readers and sweethearts – and tell us how it went!
Love is communication
Here are four simple steps to join us on Valentine's Day.
Step 1: You're never alone with a blog. Tell your readers why you love them, and why they should love you.
Step 2: Teach someone you love to blog (or micro-blog!).
Step 3: Link to their first blog post, and encourage readers to visit them. Use this tag: #SMK [social media kisses]
Step 4: Tag your blogging friends to take part in this meme.
Here are some images to decorate your post: Small | Medium | Large
Share the love
We're serious about loving you. At Global Voices, we amplify the words of bloggers in all corners of the world. You only need to scroll through the pages of this site, to see that ordinary people are making a difference and adding perspective to world events, simply by writing what they think. Or by translating the thoughts of others.
In the developing world, we've helped fund several new blogging workshops and projects through Rising Voices. Soon we'll be announcing more, along with as an initiative to encourage more blogging about HIV/AIDS. On Global Voices Advocacy, we track and work with bloggers who defy censorship, and organize across borders with other online activists for freedom of speech.
We can all play a part helping people overcome barriers (technical or otherwise) that stop them from taking part in this everyday online media revolution. Help close the digital divide in your own friendship circle or community.
Guides to blogging and micro-blogging
If you need help describing what blogging is, or why people should be interested, download the Introduction to Citizen Media from Rising Voices.
Once you've got their attention, why not take a look at the Global Voices Advocacy guide, Blog For a Cause. Is there an issue you can help with?
These videos, from Common Craft, can help you explain how it works.
How to Blog (link)
How to Twitter (link)
HAPPY VALENTINES’ DAY – WE LOVE YOU > SHARE THE LOVE > PASS IT ON >>>>> **** SOCIAL MEDIA KISSES #SMK #SMK #SMK

author: Solana Larsen


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Pakistan: Using Radio To Spread Fundamentalism · Global Voices
Rezwan

Ambreen Kazmi  at Chowrangi  reports that a cleric in North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) of Pakistan is using FM radio to influence the minds of an illiterate society especially the women, who are largely his listeners.

author: Rezwan


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Palestine: 100th day of Derakhshan’s detention in Iran · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“today is the 100th day of blogger hossein derakhshan’s detention in iran.  and it has been a few days since blogger philip rizk has been detained in egypt.  the previous links will take you to websites to get more information and see what you can do from where you are,” writes Marcy Newman at Body on the Line from Palestine.


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Palestine: Obama on Nuclear Weapons in the Middle East  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Here's American Palestinian KABOBfest‘s take on Helen Thomas‘ question at Barack Obama's Press conference on Monday: “Do you know of any country in the Middle East that has nuclear weapons?”


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Paraguay: Drunk Driving Fines · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

More than one million dollars have been collected as fines by Paraguayans who have been driving under the influence of alcohol writes Carlos Rodríguez of Rescatar [es].


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Paraguay: The Typical Dish of Vori Vori · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Vori Vori is a typical Paraguayan dish which is a soup with corn balls and meat and chicken, as described by Camino al Paraguay [es].


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Philippines: Baro At Saya · Global Voices
Karlo Mongaya

One Sixth Sense posts photos of a doll donning different variations of the baro at saya, the Philippine national dress.


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Philippines: Dumaguete Flood · Global Voices
Karlo Mongaya

The roads of Dumaguete suddenly became rivers when heavy rains battered the central Philippine city over the weekend. I Hate My Job shares his account of the flooding along with photos and videos. He also posted more pictures of the destruction left in the flood's aftermath. Meanwhile, Anthology of Snippets witnessed the flood firsthand. aNesstajah claims that Dumaguete is awash with flood stories.


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Philippines: If I Were Mayor of Bacolod · Global Voices
Karlo Mongaya

The Loveless Guru suggests 12 changes in the way Bacolod is governed if she was the mayor of the central Philippine city.


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Poland, Pakistan: Piotr Stanczak’s Death · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

The beatroot writes about the death of Piotr Stanczak, the Polish engineer who was kidnapped four months ago in Pakistan and beheaded last week.


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Qatar and Bahrain: Disappearing the Internet · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

It would seem that another crackdown on Internet freedoms is occurring in the Middle East.  Once thought to be the last bastion of free speech, the Internet has recently been subjected to a spate of blockings; and while censorship is no new thing to the region, the willingness of countries such as Bahrain and Qatar to adopt strict Internet policies akin to those in neighboring Saudi Arabia has created a sense of alarm amongst the online community.
Silly Bahraini Girl posted earlier this week about a petition urging supporters of a free Internet to oppose Internet censorship in Bahrain.  She wrote:
I'm really curious to know why only 420 people have  signed this petition against Internet censorship in Bahrain.
Does this mean that the remainder of the population is in agreement with the draconian law which bans and blocks and censors access to information without a court order – at the whim of some little child who can rest his behind on a chair and tell us what we can and cannot access online?
Are they fine with the rest of the world laughing at our country at a day and age when you cannot block out the sun, cannot say no to free speech and cannot, under any circumstances, block access to information and censor the world wide web?
And while many of you say that such a petition is useless, in a democracy, which we were the last time I checked, petitions are a legitimate and civil means of protest.
By signing the petition, all you do really is clear your conscience and say no to another injustice being committed against you, in your name.
Arab-American blog KABOBfest also commented on Bahrain's new policies:
In light of the ongoing tensions between the Bahraini government and the disenfranchised Shia majority, the government has decided to take the highroad. And by highroad I mean, increasing  internet censorship.  It looks like Bahrain is working hard to join the 15 “enemies of the internet“.  You know you are doin’ something right when you get to join with the likes of Syria, Zimbabwe and Belarus!!
The OpenNet Initiative, a global group which studies Internet filtering, remarked on Bahrain's filtering strategy:
The following message appears when users try to access a blocked website: “Site Blocked: This website has been blocked by the order of the Ministry of Culture and Information based on Article 19 of decree Law No. 47, 2002 regarding the organisation of the press, printing and publishing in the Kingdom of Bahrain, due to the publication of prohibited content on the aforementioned site.”
There also two Facebook groups set up to combat filtering in Bahrain.
An example of a Qatar blockpage
A member of community site Qatar Living posted earlier this week that Qatar is experiencing a rise in Internet filtering as well:
Last night i was surfing the net and it was 11:20 as i was loged in on many other sites including TAGGED.When i refresh the page to update it i was shocked that it become ban by QTEL suddenly.No idea this BAN is for longtime or a short time or maybe forever as i heard this website [www.tagged.com] is banned in many countries in the world…
One commenter on the post noted that Internet Service Provider (ISP) QTel had remarked on the specific block:
Qtel Update on Community Internet Safety Policy
Decision to Block Specific Social Networking Site in Line with Culture of Qatar and Expectations of Customers
Qtel today provided an update on its Community Internet Safety Policy, following the decision over the weekend to block a specific social networking site within Qatar.
In its role as a licensed Internet Service Provider (ISP) and in response to customer requests, Qtel has a clear policy that aims to prevent damage to the values of the community from harmful material on websites. This policy has received strong support from the local community and ongoing market research shows that families and residents in Qatar overwhelmingly prefer there to be safeguards in place against illegal, pornographic and socially-harmful material.
It is notable that both Bahrain and Qatar allow Internet users to request sites to be unblocked.  In Bahrain, one can utilize a web form, whereas QTel (Qatar's only ISP at the moment) prefers to receive e-mail (help-at-isp.qa).

author: Jillian C. York


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Russia: “A ‘Fifth Wave’ of Emigration” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Window on Eurasia writes about “a ‘fifth wave’ of emigration” currently affecting Russia, as “tens of thousands” of Russia's managers and entrepreneurs are now seeking employment abroad.”


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Russia: Anti-Alcohol Campaign · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Anna's Out of Town News writes about Dmitry Medvedev's anti-alcohol campaign.


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Russia: Debate on LJ and Propaganda · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Matthew Bown of IZO responds to LJ user papasha-mueller (RUS), who took him “to task for a post last week (IZO) dealing with the Western powers’ attempts to influence the russian-language blogosphere.”


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Russia: “Russianwitness” vs “Da Russophile” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

A debate on life in today's Russia between “Russianwitness” and “Da Russophile” – at Streetwise Professor‘s blog.


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Russia: The Washington Post Coverage · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

The Ivanov Report reviews and critiques the coverage that Russia received from the Washington Post in January.


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Russia, U.S.: Biden’s Remarks in Munich · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Transatlantic Politics writes: “So Biden has made quite an impact with his “hit the reset button” with Russia remark at the Munich security conference over the week-end. But this comes as bad news for Eastern European countries such as Poland, the Czech Republic or Romania – hailed as “special partners” by the previous Bush administration. Not to mention Georgia and Ukraine.”


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Serbia: Belgrade Prices · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Belgraded and Balkan File discuss whether Belgrade is a cheap city or not.


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Syria: Obama ends Embargo  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

News from Syria announces that US President Barack Obama has lifted an embargo on Syrianair, enabling the airline to purchase parts for two of its jumbo jets, which have been grounded for years. “And it seems this is just the start of the new era between Syria and America, with a whole range of sanctions being lifted,” writes Saroujah.


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Thai gov’t upset over Angelina Jolie comment on refugees · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Last week American actress Angelina Jolie visited Thailand’s Ban Mai Nai Soi camp which houses more than 18,000 refugees from Myanmar. Jolie is Goodwill Ambassador of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. The government of Thailand is upset over the visit and Jolie’s comments on the plight of the refugees.
Jolie also expressed concern for the Rohingya whose situation has caught the world’s attention:
“I also hope the Rohingya situation stabilizes and their life in Myanmar improves so the people do not feel the desperate need to flee, especially considering how dangerous their journey has become,”
“I was saddened to meet a 21-year-old woman who was born in a refugee camp, who has never even been out of the camp and is now raising her own child in a camp”
Thailand is accused of abandoning and mistreating hundreds of Rohingya refugees who escaped Myanmar.
Below is a video clip on Youtube which shows Jolie’s visit in Thailand:
Thailand’s foreign minister warned UNHCR “that they should not comment on the matter because they have no mandate.” The minister added:
“The UNHCR should not have brought Jolie, its goodwill ambassador, to one of the nine refugee camps stringing the border which are run by Thailand's interior ministry.”
“The Thai government will issue a reprimand letter to UNHCR, asking why it allowed Angelina Jolie to visit the refugee camps.”
Bangkok Pundit believes that Jolie’s criticism was only mild:
Reprimand letter? As others have noted, Jolie’s criticism was not strongly worded and more implied than a direct Thai-government-is-evil statement. Yet, even such mild criticism has the Foreign Ministry in a hissy fit. Next time, the UNHCR should have invite someone like Sean Penn and there will surely be fireworks….
Pierre agrees that Jolie did not say anything directly critical of Thailand:
Jolie doesn't seem to say anything directly critical of Thailand, its government, or policies. What she does do, though, is draw attention to the plight of refugees and so-called “economic migrants” in Thailand.
Fear from Freedom, a Burmese blogger, is unhappy over the “western imposed democracy in eastern countries” and urges Jolie to ask the United States to accept Mexican workers in its borders:
“The international news we read this week about my country is sick as well, Angelina Jolie asked Thailand to accept the Burmese refugees. She should also ask US to accept the Mexican workers…The pictures show normal life like any other villages in Myanmar except that the victims were caged in that area for some people to tap funds from governments…There will always be problem with western imposed democracy in eastern countries as long as people do not understand the culture and stages of development of different parts of the globe.”
Namizon, a Thai citizen, insists that Thailand has been very generous in accepting refugees from neighboring countries:
“…Did you know that Thais have always supported refugees from all nations around Thailand? We have refugee camps for Burmese-Kayan, Hmong-Laotian, Cambodian, etc. Thailand is just a small developing country; although we Thais have the heart, kindness and the willingness to help all those unfortunate people. We always try our best to support them, yet we still lack many resources; space, money, manpower and jobs to support the refugees.
“From my point of view, Thai government has a priority to take care of Thai people first. Call me selfish but that’s all the governments in all countries do, isn’t it? Even American Government does.
“The war in Viet Nam and Laos – which government took the major part in? American? Can I say that American Troops is the reason all these refugees flee their countries into Thailand? I’m not playing the blame game here, but isn’t it the right thing American Government has to do? Clearing up their mess after what they did? Instead of having a permanent camp in Thailand, American should offer to take ALL people affected by the war to relocate to USA. The fact? US only takes educated-skilled labors; doctor, teacher, religion leader, etc. That’s why the resettlement process is taking so long. Americans only wants USEFUL refugees. Those who didn’t pass “the bar” get left behind and stuck in Thai camp, cannot return to the countries they fled, cannot go to America.”
The Nation, Thailand’s top English broadsheet, points to Myanmar as the cause of the refugee problem:
“We don't need to dance to Jolie's tune just because she is a Hollywood superstar. What we need to do is come up with a sound policy that is based on legal and humanitarian principles. Instead of blaming Jolie, who has the luxury of walking away from this after a few days of photo ops, why don't we start talking about the root cause of the problem? Or is that against the unwritten rules of Asean when it comes to “domestic matters” in a neighbouring member country?
“This particular problem is caused by the Burmese junta – a source of headaches and heartache for Thailand, all Asean members and the international community.”

author: Mong Palatino


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