text:
Libya: Mourning Mohammed Nabbous · Global Voices
John Liebhardt

This post is part of our special coverage Libya Uprising 2011.
Tweeps, journalists and viewers around the Middle East and the world are mourning the death of Mohammed Nabbous, founder of Libya's AlHurra TV.
According the multiple press reports, Nabbous was killed in a firefight while he was filming. He leaves behind a wife and an unborn child.
Known as “Mo” to his many fans, Nabbous brought the Muammar Al Gaddafi's violent crackdown of protesters home to viewers and listeners around the world. From his AlHurra TV livestream and during taped conversations with a variety of international media, he spoke candidly about the situation from his base in Benghazi.
Here is one of Nabbous's first webcasts from the Libyan uprising, which has been curated by apologiiiize, where he states that the Libyan people want to live in Freedom without Gaddafi. In response to a question about what the international community can do, Nabbous responds:
For God's sake, who can rule for over 42 years. Isn't that enough? Ask him to stop killing us. I don't know how you people can watch him killing us without putting any pressure on him. That is the minimum we ask that we live in freedom.
Nabbous was also known for his bravery in the field, getting close to fighting and explosions to provide an unfiltered view of the Gaddafi regime's violence. Here is a video of Nabbous attempting to get close to a explosion at the Benghazi power station. Commenting on the heat, he said: “I will try to get closer. I hope my camera is not gonna die…It is really hot, I think my camera is melting.”
This phone call, during very heavy fighting in Benghazi, is reportedly his last.
Tributes
As news of his death spread, he was mourned by fans and journalists alike. His wife, speaking a few hours after Nabbous passed, demanded his work carry on.
“I am Mo's wife, and I want to let all of you know that Mohammed has passed away for this cause,” begins the report at 3:15 PM Libyan time.
“He died for this cause and let's hope that Libya will become free.  Thank you everyone. Please pray for him. And let's not stop doing what we are doing until this is over. What he started has got to go on no matter what happens…I need everyone to do just as much as they can.”
A tribute from the Al Jazeera English journalist who blogs at Bilal in Doha, said Nabbous's mission was “to get the news about what’s happening in #Libya out to the world.”
We often followed him, using his info and news in our reporting. Today, when attacks were reported in Benghazi, I was tuned in to his livestream for hours – at some point this morning he said that he was not afraid to die. And in one his first video’s that I saw, he said:
“I am not afraid to die, I am afraid to lose the battle.”
All day, everyday, we report on deaths around the world – a week ago, when Al Jazeera cameraman was killed in Libya, it forced us to pause for a moment cos the loss was closer to home. With Mo’s death, even though I’ve never met him, I feel like its a loss of someone I knew…
Let us honor this courageous man and help him realize his dream by directing our efforts to get news from Libya out.
Many people expressed their sorrow on the Libya Feb 17 Livestream chat page:
marylouise996S: Thank you Mo for all you have done – you put us on the ground – you let the world know what was happening.  I hope you can see that planes are in the air.  You are a hero to all Libya and to the world
Here is a roundup of Twitter condolences.
@afauno: Mohamed Al Nabbous is dead: When voice of freedom loses life, voice of army speaks. The world still needs work.
@acarvin: Mohammad Nabbous was my primary contact in Libya, and the face of Libyan citizen journalism. And now he's dead, killed in a firefight.
@OmarAlmu5tar: Founder of Libya Alhurra TV in Benghazi, Muhammad Nabbous, has been shot and martyred today. Allah yar7ama #Libya #feb17
@Toward_Khilafah: Mohamed #Nabbous, 28 was martyred 2day. A true Libyan man, in the mould of Omar Al-Mukhtar. #Libya
@ChangeInLibya: “I am not afraid to die, I am afraid to lose the battle” – Mohammed Nabbous, Benghazi martyr today. Omar Al-Mukhtar would be proud. #libya
@Koreman: http://twitpic.com/4b137e – This is very emotional. Mohame Nabbous widow is talking live now. http://bit.ly/fj1J6O
@RRowleyTucson: Let's drop the word citizen from citizen journalist. Mohammad Nabbous was a journalist who died in the line of duty He was #Libya's Cronkite
@RRowleyTucson: Mohamed #Nabbous, full month after his 1st broadcast (Feb19), killed on the front lines to defend his city, Benghazi, & his country. #Libya
@Douuu: RESPECT to all the martyrs we've lost .. Mohamed Al-Nabbous, may u RIP .. your death is honourable & definitely not in vain. #Libya
@LibyaInMe: I really can't bare reading Mohammed Nabbous's name, over and over again. It hurts a lot. My heart can't take it anymore #libya #feb17
@TrendsmapCanada: ‘sarkozy’, ‘nabbous’ & #uscagm are now trending in Canada http://trendsmap.com/ca
@mdp4202: Apparently a well respected journalist, Mohammed Nabbous, was shot & killed earlier today in Benghazi. Deepest respect 4 all trying 2 inform
@PurpleGimp: Don't know if all #Tweeps know this about Mohamed ‘Mo’ Nabbous @MoAm84 but his Radio Station in #Benghazi was 1st EVER Free Radio in #Libya.
@jeffjarvis: When journalists ask what citizen journalists risk their lives covering news, introduce them to Mohammad Nabbous. http://on.fb.me/gTp0XT
@Cyberela: “@TamyEmmaPepin “I am not afraid to die, I am afraid to lose the battle” – Mo Nabbous, young citizen journalist. killed in Benghazi #Libya”
@MoussaBashir: Libya: Mohammed “Mo” Al Nabbous, founder of Benghazi webcast “Libya Alhurra TV” killed in firefight http://t.co/WJLxoxg
@rj_gallagher: MUST WATCH: Killed Libyan reporter Mohamed Nabbous this morning: “He is bombing #Benghazi…he has to be stopped” http://3.ly/hdVN #Libya
@Donna_West: We have lost the voice of the ppl of #Libya. Mo Nabbous was killed by gunfire earlier today. RIP Mo. Thank you for keeping us informed.
@johanwicklen: Mohammad Nabbous R.I.P
@MrVop: Mohammed Nabbous, the founder of Libya AlHurra TV, was killed this morning while reporting on the attacks from the pro-Gaddafi forces
Ron Eastwood: This Morning, Ghaddafi's dogs killed my friend Mohammad Nabbous in Benghazi. RIP Brother.
@peppezlyk: R.I.P Mohammad Nabbous
Guy Noyfb: 'Truther’ “Mo” dies in a firefight!
Julia Hines: THE LINK BELOW IS AN EXTERNAL LINK TO SHOW YOU EXACTLY WHAT THEY ARE DOING. It Is Genocide http://tinyurl.com/5wuorrj SHOW THE World what THE BASTARDS ARE DOING
@acarvin: And now I can't stop thinking, what if those French planes began to arrive 12 hours ago. Would Mo be alive now? I just don't know.
@justamira: LISTENing to Mohammed Nabbous’ audio when he was killed: http://bit.ly/h4tphZ RIP Mohammed: You are a TRUE HERO! #Libya
@afauno: Mohamed Al Nabbous is dead: When voice of freedom loses life, voice of army speaks. The world still needs work. http://twitpic.com/4b2f01
Mostafa Libya: Mohammed Nabbous the Founder of the famed “Libya Alhurra” Got shot in the head while protecting his city of Benghazi…. RIP Martyr :'(
Barbara Rice: Over the past few days I have been observing a webcam channel sponsored by the Libya17Feb folks and in particular the citizen journalism of a young married Libyan man named Muhammad Nabbous. “Mo” as he is nicknamed, has been an inspiration to many Libyans across North America, Europe, and the Middle
Finally, we have a conversation with Mohammed Nabbous and Ben Wedeman from CNN talking about Gaddafi, hallucinogens and the Libyan people.
This post is part of our special coverage Libya Uprising 2011.

author: John Liebhardt


text:
Macedonia: Census Postponed Till October · Global Voices
Filip Stojanovski

As anticipated, the Macedonian parliament adopted a new law on Wednesday, which postpones the Census [MKD]–originally scheduled for April–until October. Political leaders [MKD] have still not set the date for the early elections: May and June are rumored as the likeliest time right now.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Filip Stojanovski


text:
Malaysia: Blogger who wrote about sex scandal arrested · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

uppercaise reported that popular blogger Mohd Nur Hanief Abdul Jalil from Malaysia was arrested and questioned under the Sedition Act. The blogger recently wrote about a sex scandal involving the Sultan of Selangor and a celebrity model

author: Mong Palatino


text:
Malaysia: Dilemmas of students in universities · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Aerie Rahman, writing for LoyarBurok, describes the dilemmas experienced by Malaysian students in local universities


text:
Malaysia: Twestival Kuala Lumpur 2011 · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Twestival Kuala Lumpur 2011 will be held this week in support of a Malaysian NGO for single mothers and children living with AIDS/HIV.


text:
Mali : Internet and African languages · Global Voices
Suzanne Lehn

For the International Mother Language Day [Fr], Boukary Konaté [Fr], a French language Global Voices contributor, held a conference on “Internet and African languages”. The presentation [Fr] is on the blog “Toujours pas sages”  [Fr].

author: Suzanne Lehn


text:
Nepal: Unequal Treatment Of Women · Global Voices
Rezwan

Blogger Nepali sees unequal treatment of women almost everywhere in Nepal because some people see this as a normal phenomenon.

author: Rezwan


text:
Nigeria: Reclaim Naija: Report election incidents · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Reclaim Naija is a Nigerian Election Incident Reporting System. Citizens can report incidents by texting, calling, emailing, tweeting or filling out a form online.

author: Ndesanjo Macha


text:
Nigeria: Ruckus Over Presidential Debate · Global Voices
Nwachukwu Egbunike

This post is part of our special coverage Nigeria Elections 2011.
Nigerians will elect their president on April 9, 2011. Apart from the usual politicking, many independent organisations have been pushing for a live presidential debate. The aim, as in most democracies, is to give the contenders a chance to outline their plans amid sunlight and also give Nigerians an opportunity to compare. However, it seems the presidential debate has run into a major rumpus with the reluctance of Jonathan Goodluck, the incumbent to feature in any such discussion.
Initially the debate was whether to hold a debate at all. This is no surprise to Jon Gambrel who says, “Televised debates have yet to take hold in Nigeria, where political discourse often simply amounts to rowdy rallies and stern-faced posters of politicians plastered to bridge pillars.”
Two independent platforms have offered to conduct the debates – both the Nigeria’s satellite TV network, NN24; and young Nigerians under the aegis of “What About Us?” to be anchored by acclaimed novelist, Chimamanda Adichie.
What exactly is What About Us? campaign?:
What About Us? is a NON-PARTISAN campaign, calling for the first-ever presidential youth centered debate in Nigeria. The collaborative effort is driven by several youth empowerment groups and blogs, including Vote or Quench, Enough is Enough Nigeria, Sleeves Up, StandUP Naija and Nigerian Eagle. The group’s mission is to educate the Nigerian youth on the agendas and motives of presidential aspirants and it will continue to collaborate on various initiatives to drive voter awareness and participation
Nigerian celebrities have joined the campaign:
Joining the call for the first-ever presidential debate focused on youth issues, Nigerian celebrities are giving up their digital profiles to support What About Us, a collaborative effort from youth advocacy groups, Vote or Quench, Sleeves Up, Enough is Enough, Nigerian Eagle, StandUP Naija and others.
The campaign started March 3rd 2011, with more than 10 famous Nigerians raising their voices in support of the youth including Eldee, Sasha, BankyW, Bez, Naija Boyz, Four Kornerz, Lami, Tee A, Nse Ikpe Etim and Nneka Egbuna. In unison, 1000s of their fans also dedicated their profile pictures and statuses on facebook, Twitter and BlackBerry Messenger, inviting their network of friends and family to do the same? As a result, #WhatAboutUs successfully became a top trending topic in Nigeria – the most populous country in Africa.
However, the first indication of shock was when the Vice Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ducked the NN24 debate on March 12. Daniel Fayemi of whistle-blowing Sahara Reporters notes:
The debate was scheduled to hold between Sambo of the PDP, Tunde Bakare of the Congress for Progressive Change, John Odigie-Oyegun of the All Nigeria Peoples Party and Mr. Fola Adeola of the Action Congress of Nigeria. However, the PDP representative absconded from the debate while the three others went ahead with the debate even as they condemned Sambo’s absence.
The PDP unfortunately insisted that its candidates will stand for a debate that will be conducted by the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria. This infuriated the Nuhu Ribadu Campaign Organisation of the Action Congress of Nigeria, who called on Mr Goodluck to accept debates without putting conditions:
It simply shows that either the duo have nothing concrete to sell to Nigerians or are afraid they cannot defend their actions in office for the past 10 months. It is common knowledge that BON is mostly populated by government employees, and as such the presidency will find a way of running the entire debate from the back door.
Nigerians were jolted with President Goodluck’s deception after he granted an interview with a pop star, D’Banj. The angst of many was expressed in this piece:
Nigerian Pop Star D'Banj with President Goodluck Jonathan. Photo courtesy of Sahara Reporters
We would not have bothered if Jonathan was being prepped for a reality show on D'banj's Koko mansion, but this was a session with a man asking Nigerian voters, including young ones, to entrust him with the highest political office in their country. Having decided to duck from a debate organised by numerous Nigerian youth groups, Mr. Jonathan nevertheless wanted to show off that he's got the backing of the Nigerian youth. He chose a well-known popular entertainer as collaborator in a patently deceptive game.
While the debate continues, most people are still amazed at President Goodluck Jonathan fear of having a conversation with Nigerians.
This post is part of our special coverage Nigeria Elections 2011.

author: Nwachukwu Egbunike


text:
Pakistan: Citizens In Action After Minority Minister’s Assassination · Global Voices
Sana Saleem

Citizens for democracy letter signing campaign- Photo Credit Abro Khudabuksh
On the 2nd of March, an unknown gunmen shot and killed Pakistan's Federal Minister For Minorities Shahbaz Bhatti. His body was riddled with bullets, as his assassins flew the crime scene leaving behind a pamphlet stating his death was justified. This is the second high-profile killing after the assassination of Governor Salman Taseer. Bhatti was the only christian member of the cabinet and his death is a huge setback not only for minorities but also for the entire nation. Upon hearing the news of his assassination Pakistanis on twitter reacted with horror and grief. On Gawaahi.com I wrote about the initial reactions and urged people to stand up against the violence.
“There is no hope for Pakistan”
“RIP Pakistan”
“The Country has gone to the dogs”
Rest in peace Pakistan. It was the first message I read on my twitter feed this afternoon. It didn’t take much time to scroll down, and read the tragic news. Shahbaz Bhatti, Pakistan’s minority minister and the only Christian member of the cabinet, had been shot dead. Shock, horror, fear — it’s difficult to pinpoint what came first.
Kalsoom Lakhani at CHUP described his death as an immense tragedy, another nail in the coffin for those willing to be truly courageous in this country. Ahsan Butt expressed his hopelessness over the assassination that left many Pakistani's pessimistic about the future.
I’m increasingly reconciling myself to the notion that it may be too late to do anything about the mess that is Pakistan. I don’t mean in a state failure kind of way; I’m sure the state will continue to survive for a long time. Remember Adam Smith’s line about there being  “a great deal of ruin in a nation”?
So no, I’m not talking about state collapse. I’m talking about the form state and society take — increasingly ugly — and whether there’s a damn thing any of us can do anything about it.
Both Taseer and Bhatti were assassinated for their stance on the blasphemy law. Although reactions after Bhatti's death are fairly different than Taseer–no widespread celebrations. A post on Cafe Pyala points at the widespread culture of justifying murders in the name of religion.
I take personal issue with every man, woman or adolescent who says ‘but’ when debating whether dissension merits death.
Mosharraf Zaidi asks Paksitanis to shed their political differences and unite in grief to honor the memory of  Bhatti. Yasir Lateef Hamdani on Pakteahouse describes Pakistan after Bhatti  at ideological crossroads. Amid all the gloom and despair, two remarkable women Naveen Naqvi and Beena Sarwar spoke of courage and resilience.
On her blog  Naveen Naqvi wrote a poignant account of Bhatti's death titled  Your silence can mean more murders :
Please step up with me. Do not think it will not make a difference. It will. There are precedents for it, and we must have the will to set new precedents, or let me reiterate — there will be nothing left for us to fight.I ask you to step up with me on March 12. Join the letter campaign to the Government and Judiciary against religious intolerance on Saturday, March 12 from 11am to 7pm. I hope to see you then.
In addition, Naqvi also attended and posted pictures of Shahbaz Bhatti's memorial in St. Patrick's Cathedral, Karachi. Human rights activist, Beena Sarwar published her e-mail correspondence with Gwynne Dyer, dismantling the perception that there is a deathly silence after the assassinations. The letter writing campaign, Naqvi spoke of in her blog, gathered over 15,000 people from different walks of life. Video  shot by Sabeen Mehmud, from the event shows people showing up in great numbers.
Despite the over-whelming response many have criticized and raised questions on whether petition could help solve Pakistan's problem.  On my own blog I tried to reason with this growing pessimism:
Criticism is inevitable. In this case, it is the question of a petition being the solution to our arduous problems. It’s true, a petition is not the only solution. It is, however, an initiation point for a much bigger action plan. These 15,000 people defied all labels and cliches. It was not about the liberals or the conservatives, but about Pakistanis uniting against violence and fear. It is symbolic of the fact that, contrary to popular perception, we are not a nation of vigilantes. The atmosphere of intimidation can only be countered by courage.

author: Sana Saleem


text:
Puerto Rico: Al Jazeera in Puerto Rico · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

Journalist Dalila Rodríguez Saavedra reflects on the recent visit of a team of Al Jazeera to the Island [es] to film a documentary on the severe economic crisis. Rodríguez Saavedra, who was also Al Jazeera's local fixer, analyzes the debate ensued when Al Jazeera journalists preferred not to be interviewed by the local media.

author: Firuzeh Shokooh Valle


text:
Puerto Rico: On the film “América” · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

In 80 grados [es] film director Sonia Fritz reflects on her latest film “América,” based on the novel by Puerto Rican author Esmeralda Santiago, and the challenges and the joys  of making movies in Puerto Rico.


text:
Puerto Rico: Students, professors and solidarity · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

Artist, professor and blogger Alejandro Carpio analyzes and contextualizes the recent debates [es] on the student strike at the University of Puerto Rico.


text:
Puerto Rico: Tite Curet Alonso at the Plaza · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

Art blogger Javier Martínez celebrates the installation of a life size sculpture [es] honoring the life and music of composer Tite Curet Alonso in the central square Plaza de Armas in Old San Juan.


text:
Tunisia: Hillary Clinton’s Unwelcome Visit  · Global Voices
Afef Abrougui

This post is part of our special coverage Tunisia Revolution 2011.
In the two months that have followed the ousting of former Tunisian President Ben Ali by revolutionary protests, four United States (US) officials have visited Tunisia: Jeffrey Feltman, the assistant secretary of state for Near East affairs, William Burns, the US under-secretary of state for political affairs, and Senators Joseph Lieberman and John McCaine. On the night of Wednesday 15 March, 2011, US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton arrived in capital Tunis after a trip to Egypt.
In Egypt, the 25 January Revolution Youth Coalition refused an invitation to meet with Clinton,”due to her negative stance towards the revolution during its inception and the approach of the US Administration towards the Middle East Region,” as the Coalition states. The reaction to the visit of Hilary Clinton in Tunisia did not differ much from Egypt.
Protests against Clinton's visit in Tunisian capital Tunis. Image by Emir Ben Ayed, copyright Demotix (17/03/11).
Indeed, on Wednesday and Thursday there were protests in Tunis against the visit. Protestors see Hilary Clinton's visit to Tunisia as the height of hypocrisy, considering that the US government was known to be an ally of Ben Ali's regime.
Bassem Bounenni  writes:
Une centaine de Tunisiens ont manifesté hier à Tunis pour dénoncer la prochaine visite de la secrétaire d'Etat américaine Hillary Clinton. “Clinton dégage”, “non à la présence américaine en Tunisie”, scandaient les manifestants près du ministère de l'Intérieur en brandissant des banderoles anti-américaines.
Kacem Jlidi  says:
Not just the visit and its unknown purpose but also a media blackout on the exact day of her visit were all enough reasons to push young Tunisians to step down to the street and demonstrate in Hbib Bourghiba Avenue (main street in the capital), Next to the American Embassy in Tunis and at Tunis Carthage airport. Demonstrations were held during these past 3 days (15-16 and 17th of March).
He also reports that the police used force against peaceful protestors:
Well, what started as peaceful manifestations ended with violent attack by the police! It was reported that the police attacked and arrested couple of protesters, it was also reported that dogs were used to frighten the protesters and signs lifted by about 30 demonstrators were destroyed by the police.
Anti-American protestors also claim that there is a hidden agenda behind the visit of Hillary Clinton. Twitter user Nizar Moalla  (@NIZARMO) asked the following question on March 17:
@NIZARMO: penser vous que hillary clinton a visiter l'Egypte et Tunisie pour leur faciliter d'utiliser nos base aérien contre la Libye ??
Kais Sellami  (@kaissellamy) tweets on the same day:
@kaissellamy: je crains Ke #clinton est parmi nou pr negocier une base arriere en #Tunisie pr attaquer la #libye et de meme di coté de l’#egypte
Sami Khalifa  (@S_Khal) tweets:
@S_khal: Il faut dire a H Clinton qu'on veut notre democratie et pas celle qu'elle voudra pour nous #tunisie
Freedomtunisia  (@freedomtunisia) tweets:
@freedomtunisia: clinton cherche un nouveau dictateur pour la Tunisie ou pour l'Egypt Dégage … #sidibouzid #feb17 #jan25
On the night of Thursday March 17, Hilary Clinton appeared on a talk show on a private Tunisian network television station Nessma TV. The talk show did not satisfy viewers who considered it as too shallow and not targeting the main issues.
Iadh Jomaa (@iadh65) tweets:
@iadh65: #Tunisie #Clinton réponses plates à questions toutes aussi plates. […]
Kacem Jlidi  writes:
Throughout the one hour talk show, you could only notice the fake diplomatic big smiles of H. Clinton when speaking the words that she knows that we like to hear besides giving promises and asking to hear our demands so she could revise them and see what her government could give
He adds:
For those who followed the updates on twitter and facebook, you might’ve noticed that it was supposed that Clinton would speak to some Tunisian bloggers. Apparently the US embassy and Microsoft recommended to Nessma a list of bloggers that they know; also Nessma TV had already its favorite bloggers list.(…)Did they have to be strict in selecting people that they keep under control what questions to be asked? Some of the questions maybe like:
-  How could Clinton explain the tear gas bombs and weapons and the live ammunition that were used against Tunisians and Egyptians AND were made in USA and Israel?
-  How the American government is so hypocrite when supporting dictators and then talking about exporting their democracy
This post is part of our special coverage Tunisia Revolution 2011.

author: Afef Abrougui


text:
Yemen: ‘Friday Massacre in Sanaa’  · Global Voices
John Liebhardt

This post is part of our special coverage Yemen Protests 2011.
Yemeni forces once again attacked non-violent protesters in front of Sanaa University Friday, March 18, as snipers and soldiers on-the-ground fired live weapons into the crowd, killing an estimated 40 people and wounding another 200.
It was the worst day of violence in the nearly two-month-long protest to oust long-serving president Ali Abdullah Saleh. The high number of casualties more than doubled the previous death count of 29 since protests began in early February. Young Protesters and older opposition party members have been calling on Saleh to step down because they feel his regime is corrupt, stifles the economy and he is responsible for a multitude of human rights abuses in the name of national security.
Fridays always bring out large crowds to anti-Saleh events, and eyewitnesses told journalists that shooters were placed on building roofs and in close-by houses to fire at the crowd as prayers ended. Amnesty International and news organizations called the attacks deliberate and planned. Al Jazeera English quoted its reporters who said many of the casualties were killed by bullet wounds to the head.
Here is a Twitter account of what at least one blogger is dubbing the “Friday Massacre in Sanaa.”
@womanfromyemen: #saleh is taking advantage of whats happening in japan & libya by killing peaceful protesters while no one is watching plz R, #yemen #yf
@shephardm: Horrific scene unfolding in #Yemen. Early reports say firing from nearby roofs of buildings into crowd of student demonstrators. #Sanaa. #yf
@JNovak_Yemen: Friday Massacre in #Sanaa, #Yemen: updates & links at Armies of Liberation: http://bit.ly/dUcltK #YF
@NoonArabia: Almost 50 killed and more than 300 wounded in #Sana'a so far #Yemen #yf
@imothana: Yemen Post editor tells AJE the massacre is ‘on a scale unseen in #Sanaa in decades’ #Yemen #yf
@imothana: AJE reporter: “I can't find any way of describing what happened other than a pre-planned massacre”More than 30 dead & 200 wounded #Yemen #yf
@AnTiCaRioGeNiC: young yemeni Journo,Gamal Sharbi, shot dead during covering the clashes :”( #yf #yemen #feb3
@ionacraig: The sustained gunfire I experienced came from buildings over looking the protest area #yemen #yf
@Abe_Alansy: URGENT : Security forces are trying to intrusions on Rabat St. and shooting sound all over the place. #Yemen #Sanaa #Yf
@ArabsUnite: Another PIC of a martyr today in #sanaa..Ya Rab Er7moo #YF #YEMEN http://twitpic.com/4anjk3
@Nefermaat: tanks and military personnal heading to square where protesters are in #Taez #Yemen… new attack there too ?? #yf May Allah help us !!
@ArabsUnite: Just got off the phone to my 2mum who is in #Yemen,In tears; saying NEVER has she seen PPL killed so ruthlessly & she's only watching TV #YF
@AnTiCaRioGeNiC: revolutionaries at #taiz city shouldn't stay still, they shall start marching toward the republican palace in #taiz #yemen #yf
@alnitak250: #Taiz practically under siege by Saleh forces. Helicopters over the city. #Yemen #yf
@yemen: Arresting a thug was hiding in one of the buildings Change Square #yemen #yf #Sanaa
@YemenFreeVoice: @yemen4change we urge the #UN to impose all necessary measures to protect civilians from #Saleh Mafias #yemen #yf
@yemen4change: We urge the #UN to act immediately on the situation in #Yemen before it's too late! #yf
@ArabsUnite: PLZ spread the word on what's happening, When need be we were..Tunisians, Egyptians, Libyans, Bahraini.. today let's be Yemeni #YF
@al3ini: #AliSaleh precipitated his departure and he has to leave immediately #Yemen #YF #egypt #libya
Warning: Extremely Graphic. Here is a video, uploaded by uthemoon4, showing the dead and wounded in a makeshift hospital near Sanaa University. Here is some very graphic photos of injured protesters.
State of Emergency
Saleh spoke a few hours after the shooting subsided, denying government involvement. He blamed the deaths on “armed elements” at the university square and expressed sorrow for the casulties. He also declared a state of emergency throughout the country, imposing a curfew and outlawing carrying guns.
One of Saleh's largest backers, the United States, condemend the violence and “call[ed] on President Saleh to adhere to his public pledge to allow demonstrations to take place peacefully.”
This, too, brought strong condemnation.
@HarunAlAmriki: He only bankrolled it. RT @blakehounshell: Obama statement just now: “I strongly condemn the violence that has taken place in Yemen today.”
@jeremyscahill: As you watch slaughter in #Yemen, remember the Obama administration significantly increased military aid to its gov't
@haroonmihtar: Shame on president obama for not intervening in #yemen an “ally” of america. Saleh has lost complete legitimacy as president of #yemen
@cbl2: stunning but predictable hypocrisy from Obama in the face of atrocities in #Bahrain and #Yemen


text:
Bahrain: A Video Timeline of Police Brutality · Global Voices
Hisham Almiraat

This post is part of our special coverage Bahrain Protests 2011.
As the international media focus shifts toward Libya and the rapidly unfolding events there, Bahrain government is unleashing a violent assault on pro-democracy protesters. Five people have been killed on Wednesday when security forces attacked anti-government demonstrators who have been rallying on Pearl (Lulu) Roundabout in the capital Manama. A three-month state of emergency was declared this week and a daily curfew was put in place. Many human rights activists, political activists and protesters were arrested, while others were reported missing. Amid media blackout, citizens are taking their cameras out and filming what the state-run media doesn't want you to see.
Here's a video timeline of Bahrain protests as posted by blogger Chan'ad Bahraini 2.0 who comments:
[S]ince the start of this latest uprising on 14th of February, dozens of […] cases of excessive force have been captured on video. It has finally given solid proof of the type of abusive practices that the security forces — and by extension the regime in Bahrain — have been employing for years.
Warning: some of the videos posted here are graphic in nature. Viewer's discretion is advised.
February 14, 2011
The first day of the protests was marked by a violent crackdown as shown in this video from Diraz showing Riot police fire rubber bullets and gas canisters at unarmed protesters (video posted on Youtube by smohd92):
In Daih, Riot police fire on protesters at short range (video posted by margadoosh):
In Sehla, riot police attack protesters unprovoked (video posted by albahrain2011):
Sehla – the same scene from a different angle (video posted by alsehlawy12):
In Sitra police brutalizes unarmed protester carrying Bahraini flag (video posted by retman96):
February 17
The government attacks unarmed protesters camped at Pearl (Lulu) Roundabout in the capital Manama at 3am (video posted by simsim7501):
February 18
Manama – Protesters try to approach Lulu roundabout chanting “Peaceful! Peaceful!”. They are shot at with live rounds (video posted by shaffeem):
[Warning: GRAPHIC VIDEO]
March 13
Unarmed protester is shot with rubber bullets several times at point-blank range (video posted by ali9566):
Police shoots at a cameraman filming near the University of Bahrain (posted by EncryptedReality2):
March 15
In Sitra, anti-riot police brutalizes a protester before apparently shooting at him at point-blank range (posted by NaserAlshea):
March 16
In Megsha unarmed protester with arms raised is shot at  (video posted by almeel1):
In Saar, Riot police brutalize a driver at checkpoint (video posted by BHR142011 — Audio is disabled):
The following videos show anti-riot police deliberately smashing up civilian cars (videos posted by mjarexmja and EncryptedReality2 respectively):
More videos available on Chan'ad Bahraini 2.0 blog.
This post is part of our special coverage Bahrain Protests 2011.

author: Hisham Almiraat


text:
Bangladesh: Seeking Constitutional Recognition Of “Indigenous” Population · Global Voices
Rezwan

Bangladesh Watchdog reports that thousands of ethnic minorities in Bangladesh are demanding constitutional recognition of their existence as “indigenous” population.


text:
Brazil: Criminalization of Guarani-Kaiowá Leaders · Global Voices
Raphael Tsavkko Garcia

Israel Sassá comments [pt] on the criminalization process that is taking place against the leaders of the indigenous Guarani Kaiowa community in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. According to him, members of the community are accused because they have been camping along federal roads after illegal farmers have stolen their lands.

author: Raphael Tsavkko Garcia


text:
Brazil: Gay federal deputy threatened · Global Voices
Raphael Tsavkko Garcia

Blogger Paulo Lopes denounces [pt] life threats on Twitter directed to the federal deputy Jean Wyllys – the first assumed homossexual to enter the Brazilian Parliament. Rudá Ricci, on the blog De Esquerda em Esquerda (From Left to Left) compares [pt] Wyllys with the US activist Harvey Milk.


text:
Costa Rica: Netizens Discuss Wikileaks Cables · Global Voices
Jenny Cascante Gonzalez

This post is part of our special coverage WikiLeaks and the World.
Several months have passed since WikiLeaks flooded media with the release of diplomatic cables containing information related to political and social issues in many countries around the world. Newspaper La Nación [es] of Costa Rica is the first Central American media outlet to receive the cables –most sent from the US Embassy in Costa Rica– directly from WikiLeaks. The content of these cables has provoked different reactions in Costa Rican blogs and social networks; opinions are as diverse as the topics covered in the cables.
Cristian Cambronero from Fusil de Chispas [es] notes the achievements of digital media:
El caso de la organización WikiLeaks es fascinante por muchos aspectos, y desde muchos puntos de vista. Pero hay uno que me apasiona en particular: el ver materializado el potencial que la tecnología y las redes ofrecen hoy, para que ciudadanos comunes, e iniciativas civiles, consigan incidir a una escala hasta ahora inimaginable.
Adriana Naranjo writes in Revista Amauta [es]:
La sorpresa de las publicaciones de los cables esta semana no produjo una grata confirmación de algo que ya sabíamos; sino una profunda indignación ante la reacción/no reacción del pueblo, de las organizaciones civiles, de los grupos políticos no oficialistas… de un pueblo indolente y pusilánime que al parecer se merece que la clase política (nacional e internacional) se burle de él en su propia cara.
Dean Cornito, in his blog La Suiza Centroamericana [es], says:
Los cables diplomáticos pueden contener información interesante, pero hasta ahora lo que hemos visto son, efectivamente, chismes diplomáticos y nada que nos sorprenda ni nos deba causar indignación.
Xinia Ch delivered a summary of the main topics revealed in the cables so far in her blog Con derecho al abucheo [es]. She concludes that,
Aunque muchos de los cables confirmen “lo que ya sabíamos” y aunque ejerzamos nuestro sagrado derecho a la chota y al “basureo”, sí es importante que en algún momento saquemos algunas conclusiones acerca de lo que queremos y no queremos a futuro, principalmente con lo que a elección de nuevos líderes políticos se refiere.
Julio Córdoba appeals for the publication of cables as a sign of transparency in his blog Ciencia Ficción [es]:
Los cables que wikileaks han compartido al mundo representan la forma en que Estados Unidos mira sus intereses (porque ningún país tiene amigos ni enemigos).  A diferencia de quienes consideran negativo que estos contenidos se compartan soy de la idea que ningún Estado debe tener secretos por una sencilla razón: los secretos pertenecen a las personas.
As a result of the release of the cables, and as an effort to maintain transparency and make sure the information they contain reaches as many readers as possible, a group of Costa Ricans is using a website [es] to upload cables translated into Spanish. This is their motivation:
¿Por qué traducimos? La filtración de cables de Wikileaks es un ejercicio de transparencia. La información que se difunde en esos cables debe servir para alertarnos sobre la influencia y en algunos casos, intromisión de gobiernos extranjeros en las decisiones internas del país. Traducir esos cables es un ejercicio de democracia y defensa de la soberanía. Difundir en nuestro idioma la información que filtra Wikileaks es ejercer nuestro derecho al libre acceso a la información y documentar para la memoria histórica.
On Twitter, discussions and opinions regarding the cables can be followed by searching the hashtag #Wikileakscr [es].
This post is part of our special coverage WikiLeaks and the World.

author: Jenny Cascante Gonzalez


text:
Côte d’Ivoire : Terror in Abidjan · Global Voices
Anna Gueye

This post is part of our special coverage Côte d'Ivoire Unrest 2011
Even before the outbreak of guerilla warfare which has been raging for several days [Fr], Abidjan experienced a series of previously unheard of conflicts, attacks  on the private homes of Laurent Gbagbo's political adversaries.
Thiery Latt has drawn up a non-exhaustive list of the RHDP (Rally of Houphouëtistes for Democracy and Peace) officers whose homes have been ransacked and burned down [Fr]:
Amichia François, mayor of Treichville and his father,  Adama Toungara, mayor of Abobo and Minister of Mines and Energy, Charles  Koffi Diby, Minister of Economy and Finance, Albert Mabri Toikeusse,  Minister of Planning and Develpoment, Adama Bictogo, Amadou Koné, Zemogo  Fofana, Sidy Diallo, Sidiki Konaté, Meité Sindou, Mrs Constance Yaï,  General François Konan Banny, Jean-Baptiste Ekra's family home,
And in the same article [Fr], he adds:
During a phonecall with ONUCI FM [Fr], the minister Albert Mabri Toikeusse explains that over two hundred youths armed with clubs broke  into his house last Thusrday  morning [March 3rd].  According to him, these youths ransacked his house in  broad daylight before being dispersed by CeCOS [Fr] (Command Center for
Security Operations).
On the website Abidjan.net, the article entitled Houses of ministers and Ouattara allies looted [Fr] gives more details :
Amadou Coulibaly,  Alassane Ouattara's high counselor,  has accused the police of recruiting youths to participate in these raids, which began on Thursday.  “They are trying to instill an  atmosphere of terror,” he said.  “But they can't do more than they  have already done, firing at unarmed women [Fr], …”
One witness reported having seen a truck transporting members of paramilitary police force CeCOS [Fr] (Command Center for Security Operations) leaving the house belonging to Alassane Ouattara's Minister of Finances, Charles Koffi  Diby, on Saturday.  According to  this witness, a fridge was loaded onto the truck, which returned and left once again, this time carrying a coffin.
Before leaving, dozens of young adolescents smashed the doors and  windows of the house wearing suits and jackets and carrying dishes and  other belongings, added another witness who asked to remain anonymous for  fear of retribution.
But C.K. wonders how relevant the looted and vandalized houses of these pro-Ouattara officers really are [Fr]
When people die, when lives are devastated, why brood  over material goods?  Is it really necessary to mention houses that have been ransacked and destroyed?  How important are looted houses . . . when confronted with the women killed in Abobo, the Treichville clashes, injured youths and children, the victims of Daoukro, Duekoué and elsewhere? [Fr]… Even in September 2002 or November 2004 [Fr], the Côte d’Ivoire crisis had not yet reached such a high degree  of destruction and self-destruction.  We shouldn't mourn the loss of material goods.   We should lament the deceased, the victims, the injured, the permanently  disabled.
According to Sindou Cissé, who wrote an article entitled “Young Patriots” raid Touré Ahmed Bouah's house – One child killed, two more kidnapped [Fr], these lootings did produce victims:
The pro-Gbagbo youths, who have been looting houses in Abidjan for several days, arrived at Touré Ahmed Bouah's home on Monday.  The report is tragic… After destroying the house and making off with some belongings, they kidnapped two children… and slaughtered a third who put up a struggle to avoid getting kidnapped.  According to the father, the murdered child was one of a pair of 12-year old twins.  His name was Touré Losséni.  His twin brother, Touré Lacina, and their younger brother of 8, Touré Seydou, were the kidnap victims.  A supervised visit to the scene allowed journalists to observe the damage caused by these hoodlums who, according to witnesses, arrived at about 5pm in a fleet of twenty-odd 4X4's.
Anzoumana Cissé proceeds with his article After the raid of Touré Ahmed Bouah's house : His 12-year old son murdered by pro-Gbagbo militia members and FESCI (Student Federation of Cote d’Ivoire) [Fr] and the kidnapping of his twin boys:
…the raiders are alledgedly at the Cité Rouge (a student hostel in Abidjan). They are demanding a ransom of 250 million CFA francs…
Y.DOUMBIA claims to have received a statement from the father, Monsieur Hamed Bouah [Fr]
” …,  I have never been a prominent figure in the political sphere.  I am an economic operator and I am surprised that I am the victim today” deplored Touré Hamed Bouah.
The  “rebels“[Fr] In Abidjan were also necklaced, a lynching nicknamed “ARTICLE 125,” in other words 100 CFA francs for the petrol splashed on the victim and 25 for the matches used to ignite him.
On March 8th @StevenJambot sent this message [Fr]:
Burnt alive in Côte d’Ivoire, watch the unbearable video here http://on.fb.me/gGruhv.  We can't say we didn't know. #civ2010.
On March 14th, the site Koaci.com [Fr] uploaded a video showing the stoning of a young man in Yopougon who was taken for a rebel [Fr] whilst on his way to see a friend in the neighbourhood Millionnaire (where Blé Goudé [Fr] lives) just behind the “land grouping” in front of  Dosso garage.  He was  alledgedly shot in the leg by the CeCOS [Fr] to prevent him from fleeing and then stoned to death by pro-Gbagbo forces.
The murderers don't even try to hide  http://yfrog.com/h7188dp http://yfrog.com/gyhbpep http://yfrog.com/h82z8vp http://yfrog.com/h75kzsp
Alledged murderers in Yopougon. Image by @N2_language
In light of the following situation, it's clear that kidnappings do take place:
Where is Colonel Major DOSSO Adama, Houphouët-Boigny's ex-pilot, who was kidnapped at a roadblock near the U.S. Embassy in Abidjan? [Fr]
asks @diabymohamed.  A press release which relates the facts: Colonel Dosso's kidnapping and it's deeper meanings [Fr] appeared on Facebook  on Saturday March 12th.
This post is part of our special coverage Côte d'Ivoire Unrest 2011

author: Anna Gueye


text:
Ecuador: New Developments and Cyber-Activism in Chevron Case · Global Voices
Paulina Aguilera Muñoz

This post is part of our special coverage Forest Focus: Amazon.
After a historic court ruling against the oil company Chevron, news of the case has returned to social networks. On February 14, an Ecuadorian judge ruled that the oil company had to pay US$9.5 million in environmental damages. Almost a month later, on March 13, BBC World [es] reported that Chevron appealed the sentence. In addition to this news, there was a barring of the payment of the compensation for the environmental damage by a U.S. judge, and accusations [es] regarding the financing of the lawyers from the Ecuadorian communities and of a fraudulent Ecuadorian ruling.
These news have turned the attention of the world back to this case. Through the internet, citizens and activists share information and take part in online campaigns. An example is the Toxic Texaco page on the Amazon Defence Coalition website, which includes research, videos and plenty of material on what they call “the world’s worst oil disaster”:
Ecuador es actualmente el sitio de lo que expertos reconocen como el  peor desastre petrolero del mundo, ahora llamado “el Chernobyl de la  Amazonía,” por una contaminación desastrosa dejada por la transnacional  Texaco (ahora Chevron).
YouTube user reimond87 shares related videos, like a video by Amazon Watch which explains the case from the start and shows how the pollution has affected the local population.
Crude oil in a toxic pool near Lago Agrio in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Image by Rainforest Action Network on Flickr. (CC BY-NC 2.0)
An analysis that can be found on several web pages is that of Joan Martinez, a Spanish academic who has followed the case. Martinez examines [es] the strengths and weaknesses of the ruling against the oil company in great detail and indicates that:
Texaco no pagó en su momento los costos que hubiera debido pagar para  que sus operaciones no causaran daños (echando el agua de formación en  piscinas que se desbordan, quemando el gas…), usando prácticas que nunca  hubieran sido aceptadas en su país de origen y que sabía que eran  dañinas. Esos costos no pagados supusieron unos beneficios mayores para  Texaco, un enriquecimiento adicional que le permitió repartir dividendos  a accionistas y hacer otras inversiones, lo que a su vez contribuyó al  crecimiento económico de la empresa.
There are three main arguments that the environmentalist activists examine: the environmental damage to the Amazon and the devastation of one of the most biodiversity-rich zones on the planet, the accusations of embezzlement made against the oil company which has increased profits by millions at a high environmental cost, and the irreparable damage to the communities and inhabitants of the area.
There are five indigenous nationalities living in this region: Siona, Secoya, Cofán, Huaorani and Amazonian Kichwas all of whom have seen the effects on their way of life and the threat to their culture. In addition to the settlers (the mestizo inhabitants of the Amazon), those affected total more than 30,000. Amnesty International challenges the situation with the question “Oil Rights or Human Rights?” [es]:
Amnistía Internacional está realmente preocupada por el estado de los  derechos humanos de las poblaciones indígenas y de los grupos  ecologistas en el Ecuador. Por más de cuatro décadas, las comunidades  indígenas han sido testigos de cómo las multinacionales petroleras se  han abierto paso a través de sus territorios ancestrales y de la selva  Amazónica en busca de los vastos recursos petroleros del país.
In spite of the millions gained in oil profits, poverty levels [es] in the Amazon, especially in the oil provinces of Sucumbíos and Orellana, are higher than in the rest of Ecuador. Ecuadorian economist [es] Alberto Acosta comments [es]:
Para los pueblos indígenas de la Amazonía ecuatoriana, el choque con la  civilización occidental, en su peor versión la petrolera, ha significado  un cambio radical en su vida e incluso la perdida de vida. No sólo  dichos pueblos, también los colonos de la Amazonía norte del Ecuador han  sufrido un sinnúmero de atropellos a sus derechos elementales.
Acosta also mentions an issue hidden in the environmental devastation: the violence and sexual exploitation [es] of women and girls associated with the extraction of oil in the Ecuadorian Amazon, and the impact on the health of indigenous and settler women.
A historic ruling
The sentence handed down by the Lago Agrio court on February 14 against the oil company is considered historic by the environmentalist movement. However, The Hague's Permanent Court of Arbitration temporarily banned the application of any ruling  that the Ecuadorian court may issue against Chevron. The process continues [es] and it will take several years for the decisions on appeals and other submissions to be enforced by the parties involved in the judicial ruling.
Social networks in Ecuador have reacted cautiously [es]. But netizens in the United States and other places around the world show strong activism on the topic, as seen on the Facebook page “We can change Chevron”, the blog The Chevron Pit, or in the 26,194 signatures on the Care2 site petitioning for Chevron to restore the health and environment of the Ecuadorian Amazon.
This post is part of our special coverage Forest Focus: Amazon.

author: Paulina Aguilera Muñoz


text:
Guinea: Miss Guinea France 2011 Speaks Out  against Excision · Global Voices
Abdoulaye Bah

Interviewed by Mrs Nenette Baldé on the blog nenehawa.com, Binta Diallo, the winner of Miss Guinea France 2011, thinks [Fr] that: “The worst is that little Guinean girls associate excision with purity and believe that this is what will make them honorable, exceptional women. That's why I evoked the risks linked to this practice.”

author: Abdoulaye Bah


text:
Haiti: Aristide’s return, the word “house” and today’s election · Global Voices
Alice Backer

To say the twice exiled President Aristide is a mythic figure in the  Haitian imagination is an understatement. To say he evokes strong emotions from Haitians, even less so.  In a post titled “The Haitian Soap-Opera  could not get any more dramatic,” New York City to Haiti, a Haitian-American living in Port-au-Prince,  describes it thus:
There  are two kinds of Haitians, people who love Aristide “Titid” or those  who despise him. Many believe he was the messiah of the poor people  because before him, they were widely ignored, others believe he is the  most malevolent force to ever preside Haiti because he incited violence  and targeted the middle and upper class. Many believe that he still has  the power to control the masses and disturb the current electoral  process. This is something we will have to wait to see. Haiti is on  edge, both with excitement and/or fear.  Grab your popcorn, folks!  Things just got a bit interesting.
Obama, ostensibly not the biggest fan of the whole situation, apparently called South Africa’s President Zuma personally in an effort to delay Aristide’s return until after today's election.  This, in turn, caused the (Boston-based) lawyers at Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti, well-known Aristide defenders, to circulate a petition in favor of said return.  Alain Armand, a.k.a. @theHaitian, a Haitian-American lawyer living in Haiti, objected:
The  IJDH would better serve the Haitian constitution by helping it honor its commitment to free education for its children or prosecuting lawless and corrupt government officials like ex-presidents and corrupt customs  officers.  I, for one, reject this petition [in favor of Aristide’s return] on the basis that it supports everything that is wrong with  Haiti today.  It is an argument for more impunity, the one thing Haiti has too much of.
But Aristide did indeed return, to the jubilation of massive crowds who, for the most part, probably do not read, write, blog or even tweet; his main  constituency comprises the most disaffected.  His speech at the airport was broadcast live on all Haitian radio stations and the national TV channel.  Flanked by his wife and two daughters, as well as celebrities such as Danny Glover and Venezuela’s Ambassador, Aristide, with his usual eloquence, expressed his happiness to be home.  He mentioned the coup that overthrew him only in passing; instead, stressing the need for inclusion for Haiti’s poor majority.
When is a house just a house?
Haiti-based tweeters, including @Thirdworldgirl and @EmilyTroutman, an AOL news reporter, spent Friday watching and commenting on Aristide’s return: They  wondered what it meant for Haiti’s future and for today’s second round election, in which the two main opponents are Michel Martelly, a right-wing singer [video: Kr]  who has insulted Aristide and endorsed the coup in past concerts and Mirlande Manigat, a centrist professor whose election rallies have been violently disrupted by what she calls Martelly’s “Pink Militia”…
@ThirdWorldGirl: Does Lavalas still have pull? That is the question! If they do elections will not happen, if elections happen I can assume they don't.
@emilytroutman: Many people told me they won't vote at all unless Aristide tells them who to vote for. #jba #Haiti
For many who’d spent the past month tweeting in favor of either candidate,  one preoccupation was whether their candidate would garner Lavalas votes.  @Durandis, who has tweeted favorably about Manigat, mused [Kr]:
Van vire nan eleksyon ak prezans yon sel moun..mwen we moun kap chire mayo woz, kap joure manman #tetkale..bagay yo pran yon lot dimansyon.
A vertiginous buzz ensued over whether Aristide’s many “house” and  “home” references were a subtle encouragement for voters to choose Manigat over Martelly.  (Manigat’s electoral emblem is a small house.)  Aristide’s speeches are usually metaphorical; Haitians know how to decode his words and the many Creole idioms that pepper his speeches.  Though his supporters say it is unlikely he will endorse either candidate, Manigat supporters have capitalized on the rumour:
@boukman2004: @2012writer #TITID:” Si kèm te ka tounen “KAY” poum retire pèp la anba tant!” Nap vote ti KAY la = #68 #TITID #MANIGAT #HAITI
They were met with scepticism from the Martelly side, which found other ways to ride the Aristide wave:
@ThirdWorldGirl: Depi on moun di kay kounyen an se andose li andose madanm lan?
@FutureHaiti: RT @etnos: Jean-Bertrand Aristide di “Roz la a la mod” http://twitpic.com/4avk3o #TetKale
Crowds as measure of popularity
Tweeters and bloggers also bickered over how many folks came to greet Aristide at the airport and joined the procession to his home in Tabarre, with his supporters seeing thousands and the rest seeing hundreds or less.
Le Monde du Sud/Elsie News, a France-based Haitian native who favours Aristide, noted [Fr] the downplay of numbers by what French-speaking reports she could find, voicing her disappointment in the silence of French-speaking mainstream media on the crowds who met Aristide:
Est-ce qu'il faut être anglophone et/ou hispanophone pour avoir une information tout court et de plus objective sur Haïti?  Est-ce qu'il serait préférable de ne pas savoir lire du tout et de se contenter de regarder des photos – qui disent quand même plus que les “quelques dizaines
de curieux.” de Alterpresse ?  […]  Pourtant son confrère Le Nouvelliste, très loin d'être favorable à Aristide écrit ceçi:
‘Une centaine d'employés de l'aéroport couraient de leur côté en direction de l'avion pour accueillir Jean Bertrand Aristide.’
http://www.lenouvelliste.com/
Seraient-ce les ‘quelques dizaines de curieux’ mentionnés par Alterpresse?
Could one explanation lie in France’s opposition to Aristide’s return, which Haiti-based @Mediahacker emphasized in his summary of Wikileaks cables about the issue?
This video, posted by Aristide supporter @gaetantguevara, allows netizens to judge the extent of the crowd for themselves:
Since his speech at the airport on Friday, Aristide has not addressed Haitian  voters who choose between Manigat and Martelly today.

author: Alice Backer


text:
Haiti: As the polls open · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Miami Herald journalist Jacqueline Charles, covering the Haiti elections runoff today, notes the lack of a police presence outside candidate Michel Martelly's house, expresses skepticism that the vote will be able to proceed uninterrupted, in spite of what the officials say, and reports that the opening of at least one polling station has been delayed because of missing ballots.

author: Georgia Popplewell


text:
Haiti: Election Morning in Pictures · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Today, March 20, Haitians go to the polls to decide who will be the Caribbean nation's next president. This runoff election is being contested by Mirlande Manigat and Michel Martelly, the two candidates deemed to have received the highest number of votes in the controversial general election held last November. Reports posted this morning by Twitter users on the ground in Haiti pointed to delays in the opening of polling stations, while many outside the country fixated on an incident in which Haiti-born rap star Wyclef Jean, a Martelly supporter, was shot in the hand. Here's a selection of photos posted on Twitter of the scenes in Haiti as the polls opened—or tried to—this morning.
@melindayiti: "Small crowd at Cite Soleil voting bureau, already open". The vast Cité Soleil slum is as one of the poorest and most dangerous areas in Haiti.
@vivehaiti: "Urne vid pa idantifye donk poko gen vot nan lise danyel la." [Unidentified empty ballot box at the Lycee Daniel
@samaxyalaat: "Just taping up the electoral lists, lycee petion downtown. Already an hour behind."
New York Times bureau chief Randol Archibold (@rcaNYT): "Voting materials finally arrive at #Martelly polling place, 2 hrs late, calming crowd."
@Vladguerre: "Members voting center at Lycee de Petion Ville counting the ballots before start the voting process."
@Vladguerre: "A voter outside the Lycee de Petion Ville asking for opening the voting center,people wants to vote."
@melindayiti: "More security and observers than ppl on voter list in Corail".
New York Times bureau chief Randol Archibold: "Other voting sites in #Haiti were calm while opening late and ballots were being cast."
@mhsaintluc: "Anbyans tansyon devan sant vot Ernts Desir." [Tense atmosphere outside the Ernst Desir voting centre
@esfaceblack: "HNP (Haitian Nat'l Police) proudly voting."


text:
Haiti: The Entertainer, or The Professor? · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Ballot paper. Image by @2012writer: "My vote easy. Don Bosco school in PV was smooth at 11am and had opened at 6am. No lines."
According to the reports on Twitter about today's presidential election runoff in Haiti, the lines at polling stations are long, and voters at the Lycée Petion and the Lycée Croix des Bouquets were unable to find their names on voter lists, a problem that had also plagued the original election last November. But many are also speculating on the outcome. Opinion polls conducted in the weeks before have tended to show entertainer Michel Martelly leading his rival Mirlande Manigat, an academic and former first lady.
@sdarguin1906: "Who shall it be?"
“Voters coming into cast ballots Cite Soleil Lycee greeted by #tetkale screams,” tweeted Miami Herald journalist Jacqueline Charles (“tetkale” is one of Martelly's nicknames, referring to the candidate's bald head), and images posted on Twitter showed the candidate being received enthusiastically by voters:
@MRSandell: "Outside polling station as Martèlly comes to vote"
@Telenoticiasrd: "Martelly saliendo de votar. Multitud en las afueras." [Martelly exits after voting. Crowd outside.
@MRSandell: "'Sweet Micky' supporters stand to catch a glimpse of their man"
@mhsaintluc, however, was unequivocal in his support for Manigat, posting the following:
The candidate herself is pictured here, arriving at her polling station.
@mhsaintluc: "J'ai pu finalement voter la personne la plus apte apporter le changement qu'attend Haiti!" [I've finally been able to vote for the person most qualified to carry out the changes Haiti's been waiting for."
@jacquiecharles: "#Manigat arriving to vote."
One question likely to be on the minds of many is which candidate has the support of controversial former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who returned to the country on Friday, six years after being ousted in a coup d'état and forced into exile. This photo by @cliffchevalier suggests it may well be Manigat.
@cliffchevalier: "Flyers being circulated in Haiti showing Aristide calling for a Manigat vote. "Kay" means Manigat?" The text on the flyer says: "Aristide asks all Haitians to transform the heart of Haitian Chamber (of Deputies) into a "Kay" Chamber." The slogan of Manigat's party is "Ti Kay La, Kay Pep La".
Which might make sense, in light of this banner reportedly posted in Cité Soleil, the massive slum many of whose residents remain loyal to Aristide. The text on the banner says: “Mama is already here. Welcome, Papa!”
@etiennecp: "#Manigat trying to please #Aristide supporters in Cité Soleil w/ welcome banners."


text:
Honduras: Teacher Dies During Strike · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Honduras Culture and Politics blogs about “the death of a striking teacher, Ilse Ivania Velásquez, who Vos el Soberano reports was hit in the head by a tear gas canister, then run over by a vehicle described as a ‘tanqueta’.”

author: Silvia Viñas


text:
Iran:Obama’s Nowruz message · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

President Obama sent a Nowruz (Iranian New Year) message and said “though times may seem dark, I want you to know that I am with you.” Several Iranians write  in social networking Balatarin, that Obama named several political prisoners.

author: Fred Petrossian


text:
Japan: How dangerous is low-level radiation?  · Global Voices
Scilla Alecci

Jake Adelstein reprinted parts of the scientific article entitled “The Uranium Widows: Why Would A Community Want To Return To Milling A Radioactive Element?” by Peter Hessler, hoping to give some perspective on the radiation fear spreading in Japan.

author: Scilla Alecci


text:
Japan: Manga artists draw comics to support Japan · Global Voices
Scilla Alecci

A post at the Italian independent news website Linkiesta shows [it] the comics that several Japanese manga artists drew to express solidarity to their country.


text:
Japan: The Macroeconomic Aftermath of the Earthquake/Tsunami · Global Voices
Scilla Alecci

Ilan Noy, Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Hawai'i, elaborated a theory on the macroeconomic aftermath of the magnitudo 9.0 earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan on March 11.


text:
Lebanon: Alliance Controlling Libya’s Oil · Global Voices
Moussa Bashir

“Let no one be fooled, these people know no humanity, nor should we want their selective humaneness.” Writes Rami Zurayk in a post criticizing the Western intervention in Libya.

author: Moussa Bashir


text:
Lebanon: Anti-Sectarian March on Mother’s Day · Global Voices
Moussa Bashir

Trella posts (Ar) the call for the Anti-Sectarian March taking place today, March 20, 2011, and considers it as a gift to all mothers. Mother's Day in Lebanon is celebrated on March 21st, which is also the first day of the Spring Season.


text:
Lebanon: Anti-Sectarian Movement · Global Voices
Moussa Bashir

Isqat Al Nizam (Bringing Down the System) is a blog (Ar) dedicated to the rallies and demonstrations aiming at dismantling the Lebanese sectarian laws and system.


text:
Lebanon: Balanced Media · Global Voices
Moussa Bashir

Mustapha criticizes politicians and media who champion some revolutions and ignore others without losing their sense of moral superiority. He concludes: “There is no such thing as independent and balanced media.”


text:
Libya: More Threats from Gaddafi as He Speaks Again  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage Libya Uprising 2011.
Colonel Muammar Gaddafi seems to be making the most of being in the limelight, after coalition forces started air strikes against Libya, and has appeared on Libyan State television again. He spoke a few hours ago, making similar threats.
Repeating his same rhetoric, he threatened a long war, said the coalition would be defeated and that his forces would emerge victorious. Tweeps, who tweeted his speech, said Gaddafi, who has ruled Libya for 42 years, also stressed on religion, in a bid to gain sympathy from Muslims around the world. Many compared this attempt to Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's last few days in power, before US-led coalition forces ousted him from power.
Libyans joined the Arab spring revolution wave, staging protests against Gaddafi and his regime, beginning on February 16. Here are some of the reactions from Twitter on Gaddafi's speech and the war on Libya:
Elwahs (Ar) tweets:
@SultanAlQassemi: That was the first time I hear Gaddafi stress so much on religion, he is trying to win the sympathy of Muslims.
@SSWOLFENSTEINSS: @SultanAlQassemi Just like saddam , on his last days in power he started praying in public on state T.V. #feb14 #feb17 #saudi
@riki_epe: Gaddafi: We will not leave this land. You are delusional. Benghazi will revolt once they realize this is an imperialistic attack
@amazighlibya: #Gaddafi describes French-British-US air strikes as a “new Crusader aggression” and “a new Hitlerism” in interview with #Libyan State TV
@WicksieSnr: Gaddafi claims weapons stores opened to the people, doubt it, they would most likely use them against him.
@SALEMICIOUS: FLASH: Gaddafi says “We will not leave our land and we will liberate it”, says Libya is preparing for a long war
@the_daily_rag: #World News! #Gaddafi tells #Libyan #TV that #USA, #UK, & #France are criminals & that #Libya is prepping for a long war
Yasser Thabet (Ar) writes:
@SalAliHashim: Gaddafi: *Forever Alone Face* http://twitpic.com/4be1fw
@bry_o: Gaddafi's motto: ‘Never ever gonna Libya alone’. Heeheehee.
@fuatkircaali: #Gaddafi on #Libyan television http://twitpic.com/4bdxum
@:
@indietrayder: sounds more and more like Sheen “@AJELive: Gaddafi: We're not going to die, you're going to die, and we're going to win.” #winning
@PatrioticLibyan: Gaddafi speaks about victory. We say yes, we will prevail. The Libyan people will prevail against you and your murderous clan.
@clairelsutton: Oh dear! That @AlexNolan has just said “Gaddafi is better, infinitely better than that Hitler one.” is unable to quantify in what way tho.
@YousifAlThawadi: funny how Gaddafi stressing on religion
@cutiefille007: He's a demented old foolRt”@Timmexy: I'm actually amused by Gaddafi's rant! D̶̲̥̅̊o ₩ε̲̣ all look that dumb?!”
@tenthdoctor45: Gaddafi is ancient history!We see him no longer relevant to #Libya!
@MaiAbaza: Madman Qaddafi will kill all Libyans and set the whole country on fire before he gets defeated. #Libya
@KrisTheScript: Can any1 enlighten me as 2 why Mugabe can persecute his citizens but Gaddafi is bombed when he does (the answer has something 2 do with oil)
@Cracked_Canoe: So what would be downside of media not giving Gaddafi a platform? Why telecast his crazy, evil rants? #Libya
@maguirenumber6: The coalition's first target should be the Libyan State TV station building to stop the propaganda machine. Then #Gaddafi's palace #Libya
@Writeway007: ‘We’ were selling arms to Libya only 6 weeks ago, it's amazing how hypocritical the international community is
@walaaidris: have trouble with the logic of those who say we shouldn't intervene now because we didn't do so 20yrs ago #Libya #bbctbq
This post is part of our special coverage Libya Uprising 2011.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


text:
Malawi: Of Classroom Spies and Academic Freedom · Global Voices
Steve Sharra

On the morning of 12 February 2011 the Inspector General of the Malawi Police Service, Mr Peter Mukhito, summoned University of Malawi Associate Professor, Dr. Blessings Chinsinga, to interrogate him on allegations that he had been inciting university students to take to the streets in protest against the Malawi government. A student in Dr. Chinsinga's class, believed to be a police officer studying at the University of Malawi, is suspected of having informed on the lecturer about an example Dr Chinsinga is said to have used to illustrate a point. Dr. Chinsinga is said to have alluded to the recent uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt, which toppled long-ruling dictators in the two countries, saying problems of fuel and forex shortages, which have hit Malawi in the last several months, can lead to similar uprisings.
News of the summoning appeared within hours on Boniface Dulani's blog. The constituent college of the University of Malawi where Chinsinga teaches, Chancellor College, has grounded to a halt since.  Lecturers at the college have since stopped teaching, citing fear of spies in classrooms, and demanding an apology and a reassurance of academic freedom, from the Inspector General of Police. The IG has not apologized, and the State President, Professor Bingu wa Mutharika, has sided with the Inspector General, announcing that Mr Mukhito will not apologize.
In a blog post as guest blogger on Dulani's blog, Dr. Chinsinga argued for the significance of competing ideas, saying it was the role of public intellectuals to offer new ideas to compete with those being propagated by the state. Titled The Poverty of Ideas, Chinsinga's article argued:
Police versus Academic Freedom. Source: Joseph Banda's Academic Freedom in Malawi Facebook page
Consequently, a society that does not entertain alternative ideas, and in which the leadership projects itself as all knowing, catches up with the law of degeneracy rather rapidly. The decay is even much faster if a regime resorts to suppressing alternative ideas either covertly or overtly.
The Chancellor College lecturers, who have since been joined by another constituent college in the University of Malawi system, The Polytechnic, have been lead by Acting President of the Chancellor College Academic Staff Union, Dr. Jessie Kabwila-Kapasula. Dr. Kabwila-Kapasula has kept a running commentary on the unfolding events on her facebook page, where other facebookers, Malawians, friends and colleagues of Dr. Kabwila-Kapasula outside Malawi, have been sending messages of support and solidarity.
Posting on March 8 when heavily armed Malawi Police invaded the Chancellor College campus, Dr. Kabwila-Kapasula wrote on her facebook page (This content is currently unavailable):
Acting President of the Chancellor College Academic Staff Union, Dr. Kabwila-Kapasula (Photo from her Facebook page)
malawi is now a police state, it is official. as i write, there is police inside campus firing teargas at students whose only crime is to ask why they are not going into class. omg, this is not hapening. sadly, we have a weak opposition. we live a country where Bamusi [civil society leader] poses a threat more than political parties, how pathetic.
Two days later she posted again after police invaded the campus once more (This content is currently unavailable):
today i woke up to the reality that for the Malawi govt, university education is not a priority, students can be teargassed and not even one person in high office bats an eyelid. spent the day pushing police out of campus, teargassing students in the hostels.
On Saturday March 12, speaking to graduating students at Domasi College of Education, the president directed that the Chancellor College lecturers return to class and resume teaching by the following Monday. The lecturers defied the order, and sought a court injunction. On her facebook page, Dr. Kabwila-Kapasula wrote (This content is currently unavailable):
so now it is the principle of academic freedom versus bingu: head of state, chancellor and cammander in chief. I will not get back to class without academic freedom. a presidential decree cannot make me go into a snake infested classroom, stop me from upholding constitutional rights.
A facebook page created by Joseph J Banda, named The Online Demonstration for Academic Freedom in Malawi, has been receiving all kinds of reactions, some supporting the lecturers, some criticizing them, and some urging for dialogue.
The page says:
2. We demand a signed document that assure Academic Freedom and no further involvement of the government or any other parties in the Teaching system.
THE MALAWI CONSTITUTION
CHAPTER IV
33. Every person has the right to freedom of conscience, religion, belief and thought, and to academic freedom.
34. Every person shall have the right to freedom of opinion, including the right to hold opinions without interference to hold, receive and impart opinions.
35. Every person shall have the right to freedom of expression.
One comment in support of the lecturers read:
Its hard to believe that this is happening in a country where we have many so called “learned” leaders….we need to redefine this i think
A comment in support of the president, written in a mix of Chichewa and English, said:
ngati mwatopa ndi sukulu munene a bingu has other things to do like our graduation asafuna asiye [If you are fed up with school just say so. Bingu has other things to do, like our graduation. Whoever doesn't want to continue should just quit]
Another comment called for dialogue:
Lets only call for the understanding of the two parties so students may go back to class, we need a lot more educated minds to move this nation! I really feel bad for the situation
Not all lecturers and students are in support of the stand-off, and voices deviating from the stand taken by the lecturers have been heard on state broadcaster Malawi Broadcasting Corporation. Some lecturers and students are reported to have gone to court to seek an injunction against the striking lecturers, but thus far the effort has not succeeded. Other students are reported to have also gone to court to  demand a withdrawal of the application for the injunction. In a radio interview with Brian Banda on Capital FM's Straighttalk, Dr. Kabwila-Kapasula said the door for negotiations was open. Esteemed professor of Law in the University of Malawi, Dr. Edge Kanyongolo, told weekly newspaper Malawi News that initiatives for dialogue needed to come from the government side, but the newspaper did not give reasons for Dr. Kanyongolo's thinking.

author: Steve Sharra


text:
Malaysia: ‘Offensive’ Novel Creates Controversy · Global Voices
Jerrenn Lam

Interlok book. From the blog of Hartal MSM
A recent controversy that has arisen in Malaysia is the issue of a novel used as a textbook for literature in secondary schools.
Interlok, is a Malay novel written by Abdullah Hussain and published in 1971. It caused uproar when it was made a compulsory reading for students in Form Five as it refers to Malaysian Indians with derogatory words.
Malaysian English daily The Star reported:
Several individuals and Indian organisations are protesting and want the novel banned simply because in one paragraph on page 211, the words kasta pariah or pariah caste are mentioned in the context of how the Tamils were recruited from various parts of South India and how they were packed into crowded ships and suffered long and dangerous journeys to arrive in this country.
It has been received with mixed reactions, with some believing that it is just a work of fiction and that it was published so long ago that it does not reflect the actual society today. Others think that it is an insult to the Indians.
A blogger that goes by the name The Owl posted:
Writers may be good or writers may be bad. You may read their books, or you may dismiss them, that is your individual choice. But you cannot change what they have written, to suit yourself, current values or political situations. Interlok, is, in any event, a mediocre novel, and if we were to write a book review, it would be scathing.
Having said that, we are against it being used, or taught, in secondary schools. Malaysia's educational system does not promote, in our opinion, critical thought and analysis. Students who are products of such an educational system may lack the maturity to handle the book with the appropriate detachment or the critical eye and review that all books merit.
Blogger drrafick wrote:
I don’t know who started the caste system in India. It is wrong and does not jive with Islamic teachings. It is unfortunate for an innocent child is born in a wrong cast like pariah and continues to live with such a brand on their head. He did not ask to be born in this cast and it is not right to continue being reminded as such.
For any books to be use as teaching material in the national school it must meet certain standard. One of the standards should be about national cohesion. The book INTERLOK failed this test. There isn’t a need to remind the children of this nation about something that strongly practiced by the previous generation. The caste system is practice minimally today in Malaysia and it is best that it should not be reminded.
Kavi believes that the teachers in Malaysian schools are ill equipped to teach the students to analyse the story critically:
In Malaysia, with even school principals uttering racist remarks, can we say that our teachers are fully prepared 2 guide the children as necessary? The government clearly has no spine to enforce strict disciplinary codes in fear of losing support (or out of mere ignorance). Who’s to say that the teachers themselves fully understand the usage of the word ‘pariah’ in context?
Teachers must b able to explain to children on why the word has been used. They should be well versed with literary concepts and have a strong grasp of Malaysian history before even attempting to educate the children. But with even our history syllabus distorted for political means, will this materialise? I am not saying that all teachers are such, but it doesn’t matter if only a small percentage of teachers are ill-equipped. Planting wrong and inaccurate information into young minds, whether with or without intent, IS WRONG. Can the Education Ministry give a guarantee that all KOMSAS teachers are fully aware of all these issues and give a neutral perspective on ‘pariah’?
At the time of writing, Education Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has said that the novel will remain in the syllabus, although a panel has been established to resolve the controversy.

author: Jerrenn Lam


text:
Malaysia: People’s Solidarity Suspension Bridge · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Ipoh Echo writes about the 43-metre ‘People’s Solidarity Suspension Bridge’ which was built in a remote Malaysian town without government funding.

author: Mong Palatino


text:
Malaysia: Rising household debt · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Anil Netto analyzes the causes of rising household debt in Malaysia. Housing loans, car loans and credit card payments make up most of household debt in the country.


text:
Morocco: Peaceful Marches Across the Kingdom · Global Voices
Hisham Almiraat

This post is part of our special coverage Morocco Protests 2011.
Inspired by the Tunisian and Egyptian uprisings, Moroccans have been taking to the streets since last February 2011, demonstrating week in, week out, calling for a reform of the constitution and for the establishment of a democratic parliamentary system. Peaceful marches were held on Sunday, March 20th, across the kingdom. Minutes of the marches were followed on the Internet via Twitter, Facebook and Youtube. Here's some of what bloggers have been sharing from start to finish:
Veteran Moroccan blogger Larbi, live-blogged the marches [Fr]. He writes:
09h50 A Rabat, il fait beau et les manifestants commencent à se rassembler à Bab El Had. Premières photos via Riad:
Rabat, March 20th – Via Larbi.org
Rabat, March 20 — Via Larbi.org
In Casablanca tens of thousands marched orderly on the city's main streets. Nadia Lamlili shares her thoughts as she arrives at the demonstration:
J ai jamais vu une marche aussi bien organisée. J ai la chaire de poule
Politiconaute is also impressed. He tweets:
On s'applaudit nous meme… Lakada kousira hajiz lkhaouf… #20mars #20fev
Houda (@Houdac) shares her pictures of the march in Casablanca:
Mamfakinch! (Wewon't give up!) — Picture by @Houdac posted on Twitpic
Silmiya! Silmiya! (Peaceful! Peaceful!) – Photo by @Houdac posted on Twitpic
Some of the slogans chanted during the Casablanca march:
For a king who reigns without ruling — Photo by @Houdac posted on Twitpic
As the day advances, something is remarkably absent: police intervention. Nadia Lamlili tweets:
@nadialamlili : La police dans les rues perpendiculaires observe de loin. Une marche dans la dignite
On the media, people started speculating about the number of marchers. @m20fev shared this picture on Twitter adding the following comment:
الدار البيضاء الان hado galik 3000, wa baz??
Picture posted by m20fev on Twitpic
Videos of the marches started pouring in on social networks from different parts of the country. Overall, demonstrations continued peacefully.
In this video from Marrakech, posted by marouane82, people chat “We want to bring the government down! We want the parliament dissolved!”:
And here, marchers in the city of Kenitra chant “The people want to bring corruption down!” (video posted by mesbahih):
From the city of Meknes this video posted by special20fevrier:
From the city of Fez, this video shows people chanting “My rights are running in my veins, no matter what they do to me” (posted online by mostouz):
Finally this rather shaky footage from the city of Casablanca showing tens of thousands marching orderly in the streets (posted by kafkatim):
This post is part of our special coverage Morocco Protests 2011.


text:
Pakistan: Blood Money Sets Raymond Davis Free · Global Voices
Teeth Maestro

On January 27, in broad day light, an American security official, Raymond Davis opened fire at two alleged robbers. In the aftermath of the shootout people in the immediate vicinity arrested him and in an effort to rescue this operative from the street, a car reportedly sped down the wrong side of the road and killed a third Pakistani man.
Over the next few weeks a huge diplomatic uproar ensued, with the US State Department alleging him to be a diplomatic official and under the Vienna Convention strongly urged the Government of Pakistan to set him free. On a local level the public was enraged and proceeded to resist his release. Finally on 16 March at a hurried trial in the compounds of the Kot Lakhpath Jail, Raymond Davis was charged for two counts of murder. Immediately the lawyers produced the family members of the two victims whom Raymond Davis murdered, who told the presiding judge that they had been offered blood money [Diyat – is compensation paid to the heirs of a victim the word means both blood money and ransom] and had subsequently pardoned Raymond for the murder.
The judge immediately set Raymond free, and the American Embassy is said to have immediately flown him out of Pakistan aboard a private jet to Afghanistan for debriefing.
After the release order of Raymond Davis protests were held in Hyderabad, Pakistan. Image by Rajput Yasir. Copyright Demotix.
Farhan at Guppu writes:
Pakistani court indicted Davis in the double murder and denied statements by his lawyer that they did not trust the investigation process. Money was later paid to the families of the victims to receive a pardon.
Kalsoom at CHUP reports:
According to the lawyers of the families, they were “forcibly taken to Kot Lakhpat Jail by unidentified men and made to sign papers pardoning Davis.”
Punjab Law minister Rana Sanaullah told private television, “The family members of the slain men appeared in the court and independently verified they had pardoned [Davis].” And, while sources vary slightly on the blood money amount, (ABC News reported that $700,000 was paid to each family, totaling around $1.4 million, while  Dawn reported the amount was $2.35 million),
Hence the court proceedings were shrouded in a mystery fueling the conspiracy grapevine, Cafe Pyala outlines the payouts:
Here's the main prayer to the court setting out that the persons named have no objection to ‘Raymond Davis’ being acquitted by the court since they had accepted compensation and reached agreement to settle the matter.
The operative part in each is the share of the blood money received, divided according to shari'ah rules. The following is the detail of the diyat received by Faizan Haider's family:
Total Diyat paid to Faizan Haider's relatives: Rs.100,000,002/- which translates into US$1,166,744/- at the current rate of exchange.
The relatives of the second man killed, Mohammad Faheem, received similar compensation.
The mystery as to who eventually paid the blood money fell into confusion when the US State Department categorically denied having any involvement with the issue. Pakistaniat comments to suggest that it might have been the Saudi government:
whether the US paid it directly or had some fixer of choice – maybe the Saudis (although they deny it) – to pony up the cash it was an arcane and less than endearing provision in Sharia Law that saved this CIA agent’s skin.
Immediately after the incident I, at Teeth Maestro shared that crying over Raymond Davis was like crying over spilt milk. Pressure instead must be mounted on the politicians who orchestrated this hurried case letting go of a murder without charging him for espionage or even attempting to take him to task for the possession of a weapon:
Locally I believe now we cant do much to argue about Raymond Davis, he has skipped out and at best is absolved of his murder, but what Pakistanis must exert tremendous pressure on the government to hold them accountable including the Govt of Punjab. Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif to suddenly skip off to London claiming health reasons is a definite ploy to avoid getting mixed up in Lahore, all these lunatic politicians who are selling this country off need to be thrown into the gallows, they all are unfit to rule this country now or ever.
Kalsoom passionately concludes:
Was this case shady? Of course. I have no doubt that there was some back-end wheeling and dealing by both U.S. and Pakistani officials to reach this conclusion. It was in the interest of the Pakistani government to not be seen as cow-towing to U.S. pressures to release Davis under diplomatic immunity. It was in the interest of the U.S. government to get Raymond Davis out, whatever the financial and diplomatic costs. So they both got their wish, didn’t they? Davis was indicted for murder charges yesterday, and he was swiftly released today after paying off the families of the men he killed in cold blood. But this was not justice, and really, it didn't fool anyone.
There is a huge uproar in Pakistan as to how a murderer can snick free exploiting a loophole in Pakistan's Shariah law, exploited by Americans who are fundamentally against this law. The political ramifications will go deep. All major Pakistani leaders are not commenting publicly on the issue and instead issue statements that it was a court decision, thus turning a deaf ear to the total lack of transparency.

author: Teeth Maestro


text:
Pakistan: Investigating Loan Write-offs A Bad Idea · Global Voices
Rezwan

Feisal Naqvi at Monsoon Frog explains why the investigation into loan write-offs was a bad idea.

author: Rezwan


text:
Pakistan: Protesting Against The Release Of Raymond Davis · Global Voices
Rezwan

Fatima Saleem narrates why Pakistanis are rallying behind protests against the release of the American security official Raymond Davis.


text:
Palestine: Ongoing Protests for Unity · Global Voices
Betsy Fisher

March 15th marked the beginning of protests for unity between Palestinians and an elimination of the political divisions in Palestinian society; however, on that day, protesters were violently dispersed both in Ramallah and in Gaza.
In the following days, participants reflected on the meaning of the March 15th protests.  Sameeha Elwan blogged:
I am not going to speak of all the violations that Hamas forces have committed against the young hopeful Palestinians whose sole noble aim was to end the fragmentation of their country. The PA forces and thugs at the West Bank were by no means any better. The protesters in the West Bank too had their share of beating, arrest, and humiliation.
I will only speak of the youth determination that I saw that day and the next days. I will speak of the eagerness I sensed in people to end the current state of division. I will speak of hope arousing from such youth. I will speak of this and believe in the Palestinian will in the days to come.
Hope in Gaza wrote:
I believe that the events and the assaults that are taking place here in Gaza, and after the unsuccessful rally that was supposed to unite rather than create more division, urgently needs a rally to restore sanity.
The sanity that says we are all Palestinians. We are not green, we are not yellow, and we are not red. We are not a color. We are a belief that together we can make a change, alone we make no progress and no nothing, and the sanity that division will bring nothing but more division and more separation, and that we must end this division hole that keeps increasing… for that and more i believe that, We MUST create our own well organized non-biased Palestinian rally to restore this sanity.
From Ramallah, Life on Bir Zeit Campus bloggers Heba and Linah wrote:
If unity happens, it will be more like some sort of a smokescreen, because unity is definitely not in the best interests of Hamas and Fateh. We can use that as pretext for enhancing our own voices, taking charge from there, and cleaning up the mammoth pile of manure they've dumped us in. There are three demands the youth groups have announced; unity, formation of a new PNC, and the release of all political prisoners. That list needs to be much longer. We are here for the long run, and not just to celebrate imminently “Unity Day” by forming rings and doing dabke.
Regarding long-term solutions to protesters’ demands, Rana Baker wrote:
[T]here is actually, at least in my point of view, a two-way definition to the popular demand to “end the Palestinian internal division.” One is the ostensible call for a national reconciliation or “unity” as banners say; a call that requires the opponent parties of Fatah and Hamas to give up hatred, forget each other’s political scandals and reunite. A solution that appears to be desired by many people but would absolutely fail to bring about 6 million Palestinian refugees back to their confiscated lands in 1948. The other way of definition is as simple as demanding both ruling parties, Hamas and Fatah, in Gaza and the West Bank respectively to step down; a definition that I highly endorse, where fair elections can be held and the Oslo Accords can be relinquished forever.
These protests continued into March 20th, 2011.  This morning, Laila Abu-Dahi posted:
situation is calm till now at Al-Azhar Uni #GAZA #MAR15
Tweep Majd posted regular updates regarding protests in Gaza.  At midday, Majd tweeted:
#mar15 numbers are increasing in al azhar #gaza with more than 1500 protesters with heavy security presence @AmoonaE @AymanM @nazek88
Soon he added:
#mar15 hamas security closed university door to prevent protesters coming in or out. #gaza @AmoonaE @AymanM @MaanNewsAgency @AP @Reuters
Eventually, the protests migrated from the university to the Shefa hospital and judicial compound.  Majd tweeted:
#Mar15 #Gaza I guess I was wrong about #Hamas change of approach. Demos at the judicial compound and Shefa hospital violently disrupted.
Tweets indicate that protests will continue into March 21st.  Majd urged:
#Mar15 confirmed “tomorrow big gathering at 10am in front of the #ICRC (red cross) in #Gaza” spread the word plz RT @Palestine15Mar

author: Betsy Fisher


text:
Philippines: Alleged military torture video · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Isnayp, a communist media group in the Philippines, releases a video showing torture inside the military camps of the government in Bicol region.


text:
Singapore: Reactions to Japan Earthquake Disaster · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Let’s start with Singaporean students in Tokyo who wrote about their experience when a strong earthquake struck Japan last week. Tang Chee Seng used the bathroom to store emergency supplies
At first, I felt slightly dizzy, a feeling that I knew was part of an earthquake.
It seemed minor at first, until my shelves and dishes began to rattle violently.
Remembering some half-truth I’ve heard about certain bathrooms in newer Japanese buildings as being earthquake-proof, I quickly moved to the toilet and sat down, waiting for the shaking to stop.
My friends and I stocked up on canned goods, water and emergency supplies, based on the hypothetical situation that we would be trapped under rubble. I set out my supplies into a backpack, along with my thickest waterproof jacket and clothes laid out on the limited rack and floor space in my toilet
Cassandra Eng, also a student in Japan, recalled how she was unable to differentiate between the tremor and herself shaking from fear
I’ve moved and kept everything heavy and dangerous from my shelves. I’ve packed an emergency bag and stocked up on food. I only dare to lie in bed when I know I am going to give in to exhaustion. I sleep in clothes that I’m ready to run out in. My running shoes are unlaced and placed at the head of my bed next to my emergency bag. I have 4 litres of boiled water in my room and a tub filled with water should the supply be cut. I eat anything and everything that doesn’t require cooking. I don’t want to watch the news but I have to, so I keep it running. I bathe with the news on maximum volume so that I can hear the earthquake alert siren if there is any. I can no longer differentiate between an after tremor and myself just shaking and it scares me because I don’t know when to panic.
I am tired of living in fear.
She observed how everybody was helping each other in Japan
And yet, I have never loved this country more. Japan has impressed me even more in time of disaster and I cannot respect her people and her preparedness more.
Companies and restaurants are giving out free food and drinks, schools are opened as shelters, free calls, free wireless, free lodging at hotels, and more. People are scared and are all in a rush to go home or make a call, but there’s still order. There is a definitely an increase in demand for food, but there is no rush. Already, money has been raised for those affected by the quake. And the fact that this country has continually aimed for earthquake-proof buildings has saved the lives of so many.
Ng E-Jay reacts to the statement of Singapore Senior Minister Goh who compared the ‘noise’ made by Singaporeans about the flooding disaster which hit the city state last year and the ‘stoic’ response of the Japanese today
It would have been great if SM Goh has commented only on the fortitude of the Japanese. But he turned this tragedy around and used it to accuse Singaporeans of complaining about relatively minor events like our recent floods.  He said Singaporeans were noise makers.
This is reprehensible.
Japan as a nation will be stronger as a result of dealing with this crisis. But the People’s Action Party (PAP) will not be stronger as a result of their ineptitude at managing Singapore’s flood control system, which has failed spectacularly, repeatedly, and inexcusably.
Media giant Channel News Asia was forced to apologize for sending this marketing email only hours after the earthquake in Japan
Be a Part of Channel NewsAsia’s Breaking News Coverage on the Japan Tsunami
Channel NewsAsia: Massive Tsunami Hits Japan after Massive Quake
A massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake shook Japan in the early afternoon today, unleashing a powerful tsunami that wrecked havoc along the streets of coastal towns. Book your spots in the Weekday Evening News Bundle as the channel brings viewers comprehensive coverage reports on the disaster with extended versions of news bulletins tonight.
… Call our sales representatives now!”
Lucky Tan praised the Fukushima nuclear plant workers and volunteers who remained to repair the damage in the plant. He asked if Singaporeans would do the same thing if a similar disaster hit the country
If a situation like Fukushima surfaces in Singapore and volunteers are asked to be part of a mission to save others by risking their lives, how many will volunteer? The situation is different from a war and you're asked to be part of an army….this one is a suicide mission where your health and very likely your life has to be sacrificed away with a high level of certainty.
Spotlight on Singapore believes the government should convince neighboring Indonesia to drop its plan to build a nuclear plant
Singapore should vigorously oppose the construction of nuclear plants in Indonesia.
The annual haze that plagues Singapore, thanks to Indonesia, is child’s play compared to a radioactive cloud.
The Enquirer is hopeful that unity can still be achieved in Singapore even if natural disasters are rarely occurring in the country
Do Singaporeans need a national disaster on the scale of Japan’s earthquake and tsunami to coalesce a sense of national solidarity? Are we spoilt in the absence of natural calamities?
While immensely tragic and painful, external threats and disasters had this unintended effect of uniting a society, as history has shown.
While disasters bring out the best in everyone, a sense of national spirit and belonging can still flourish in a safe and stable Singapore. A key to achieving this is an inclusive society where feedback and criticism are respected, not a top-down leadership which dismisses all comments as “noise”.
Singapore Red Cross continues to receive donations and other forms of assistance that will be given to Japan earthquake survivors.


text:
Sri Lanka: A Citizen Journalism App For iPhone · Global Voices
Rezwan

Groundviews introduces the Groundviews app,  Sri Lanka’s as well as South Asia’s first citizen journalism app for Apple’s iOS platform.


text:
Togo: The Regime facing the Media · Global Voices
Abdoulaye Bah

Bernard Bokodjin wrote [Fr] on his blog pambazuka.org: “In a country where the opposition is not strong enough [yet] nor well structured to counterweigh a repressive regime that violates the principles of democracy and good governance, the press remains one of the spaces where freedom of expression can counter the drift.”