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China: Police Pressure Whistleblower to Expose Source · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

The Chongqing police are pressuring Zhu Ruifeng, the whistleblower of the sex tapes scandal, to surrender the original tapes of the 7 videos which implicate eleven government officials. The police say they need the originals to pursue an independent blackmail investigation related to the tapes; but Zhu has revealed [zh] that some of the videos were handed to him by an anonymous whistleblower within the Chongqing police bureau. He believes the purpose of the current “investigation” is to dig that source out.
Zhu Ruifeng reported on the unexpected visit of the Chongqing police to his apartment in Sina Weibo on January 27, 2013. Since some of Zhu's micro-blog entires have been deleted, below is a copy of Zhu's micro-blogs on kdnet [zh]:
Zhu Ruifeng's profile picture at Sina Weibo.
【时间线：2013.1.27 18：56】我现在准备到德胜门外派出所去，辖区孙鑫警官正在敲门要带我走。请网友关注！
[Timeline: 2013.1.27 18:56] I am going to the police station at Deshengmen. The district officer Sun Xin is knocking at my door and wants to take me with him. Please pay attention!
【时间线：19：01】我还在屋里，5位警察在门口还没走，我说，我自己去辖区派出所，你们不能在门口堵着。你们肯定是重庆警方的，我愿意做雷政富们的大牢，我早已做好了一切准备。我是北京市民，你们让德外派出所警长赵洋联系我，我会立即跟你们走。否则，敲烂门我也不会开，请网友转发！
[Timeline: 19:10] I am still in my apartment. 5 police officers are still standing outside my door. I said I would go to the police station by myself. [I told them] You can't block my door like that. You are definitely Chongqing police. I am willing to be jailed for exposing Lei Zhengfu and I am well prepared for that. I am a Beijing citizen, ask the police chief Zhao Yang from Deshengmen station to contact me and I will go with you. Or else I won't open my door no matter how hard you knock at it. Please retweet this.
【时间线：21：14】刚才在我与警方对峙很长时间，我告诉他们，夜黑，明天白天处理。我告诉他们，明天上午9点半我会带上我的律师去德外派出所，最后他们同意，但我家门口还是有人，他们布置了暗哨。诸位腾讯网友，感谢你们的支持，明天如果直接被重庆警方带走，希望大家继续声援，请求保护爆料人人身安全。
[Timeline: 21:14] I confronted the police after a long time. I told them: Now it is dark and let's handle this in the day time. I told them that I would bring my lawyer with me to Deshengmen tomorrow morning at 9:30. Finally they agreed but they still left someone outside my door. Thank you all my micro-blogging friends for support. If I am taken away by the Chongqing police tomorrow, I wish you will continue giving me support and please protect all whistleblowers.
On the next day, he issued a public statement [zh], appointing a number of public opinion leaders as his contacts, spokespersons and legal representatives. At the end of his statement, he stresses:
如果我被重庆市警察抓捕失去人身自由，我将行使缄默权零口供来抗议重庆市警方的非法行为，如果有询问笔录和签名，那一定是在重庆市警察刑讯逼供情况下做的。我失去人身自由后，任何单位和个人及我的家属所作出更换律师或官方指定律师的决定无效，我本人就是写血书要求换律师也是无效的，也更不可能拒绝请律师的情况出现。
Once I am arrested by the Chongqing police and lose my personal freedom, I will keep silent to protest against the illegal behavior of the Chongqing police. Any signature made in the police station would have been signed unwillingly because of police torture. Once I lose my freedom, any decision made by my family, or even by myself written in blood to change my legal representative will be invalid. I will never refuse legal representation.
Running a website called “People Supervision Online” [zh], Zhu is among the few daring journalists who takes on corruption reporting head-on. The sex video tape scandal that he released in November 2012 has already brought down 10 corrupt officials in Chongqing. However, Zhu claimed that there were more high-ranking government officials exposed in the tapes that he possessed.
10 Chongqing government officials have been sacked for involving in sex scandals. Photo from jdway.com. Non-commercial use.
He was interviewed online by the Sohu micro-bloggers on 29 January, in which he exposed some details of his 3-hour-long police interview:
當時到我家的他們是沒有任何合法手續，我一點也不懼怕他們。在此之前，我監督38位廳級以上的幹部，對於他們的威嚇，我已經習以為常了。他們進入我的家門口（軍事管理區），重慶警方沒有通過中國人民解放軍某部，已經遭到了軍方師級首長的憤怒。首長說，我們人民解放軍是保衞國家的，我們連我們的幹部都保護不了，還算什麼軍隊。
When they were standing outside my apartment, I was not afraid. In the past, I had the experience of monitoring 38 high ranking government officials and got used to their intimidation. This time they came to my apartment (which is located in a military controlled area), the Chongqing police did not get permission from the related department in the liberation army (PLA).  A chief of the PLA clan got angry and said: the PLA is to protect the country, if we cannot protect our own officials, can we still be called the army?
我不同意他們的有些說法。他們的真正目的，是要挖出我的新聞錢人，提取相關證據是想利用既是手段來獲取我新聞線人的真實信息。重慶警方想讓我舉證趙紅霞們涉嫌敲詐勒索，我認為他們算不上。我向重慶倆警察舉證，雷政富等11名高官涉嫌接受性賄賂。重慶警官說：這不歸我們管，我們只辦理肖燁等人的團伙敲詐勒索。
I don't agree with their [Chongqing police] claim. Their aim is to dig out my source. They want to track the real identity [through digital footprint] of my sources by obtaining the evidence. They said that the evidence is to help the blackmailing investigation by Zhao Hongxia [the woman in the tape] among others. I don't think it is the blackmail [investigation]. I have already provided evidence regarding 11 high ranking government official including Lei Zhengfu [former Chongqin CCP secretary of the Beipei District] accepting sex bribes. The Chongqing police officers answered: That's not our responsibility. We are here to deal with organized blackmailing by Xiao Ye [the property developer who arranged sexual service for government officials] and his gang.
Meanwhile, Xiao Ye and his business partner Xu Sheqing are under arrest [zh]. Back in 2009, Xiao submitted the tapes to the Chongqing police accusing the officials for taking bribery, but the case was closed without any investigation.
In order to protect the whistleblower, Zhu refused [zh] to hand the tapes and will release the five sex videos once he confirms their authenticity. China’s mouthpiece newspaper,  People’s Daily [zh] also weighed in on the matter, quoting a legal expert saying that the police didn’t have the right to demand “evidence” from Zhu.
[Owen, also contributed to this article]

author: Oiwan Lam


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Cultural extravaganza in Latin America! Comic books and beyond · Global Voices
Luis Henrique

[This is a cross-regional post on comic books and cultural interchange, brought to you by GV Latin America and GV Portuguese.]
In the first post of this series, we had the opportunity to read some opinions – from a Brazilian perspective – acknowledging how little we know of the Latin American comics scenario and what a rich and fruitful moment the region lives in, with artworks being produced and going online almost everywhere. Now, it's time to meet some of the authors and links to their projects. Ready. Set. Go!
Volume II: Building Bridges
Liniers, from Argentina, went on tour [pt] in Brazil in 2012. Gustavo Trevisolli, an artist and blogger, in a post [pt] for Raio Laser, a blog about comic books wrote, “it is hard to find recent publications that can appeal to so varied ages as Liniers’ work does.”
Trevisolli identifies a trend in the Brazilian market that indicates it is evolving towards more serious plots, leaving behind characters like “Monica's Gang, Charlie Brown and Calvin & Hobbes”. Moreover, he considers that “comic books written in Spanish are experiencing a great moment in Brazil”, and that now they are easier to find in the country.
How about Chilean comic books?
Las verdaderas aventuras de Liniers (The real adventures of Liniers) [es] republished in the blog Raio Laser [pt] under a CC License (BY-NC-ND 3.0).
“(1) When you walk around Brasília… (2) you are in the future of the past. (3)… (4) I can´t help thinking about this Woody Allen movie*”.
*In a previous interview, Liniers said that Brasilia reminded [pt] him of the scenario in the movie Sleeper. And, according to the IMDb site, Woody Allen had the intention to shoot Sleeper, his 1973 movie, in Brasília.
In another blog post [pt], Gustavo Trevisolli traces a panorama of Chilean comics, acknowledging, after some research in loco, that “Chilean comics are going through a good moment and young authors are excelling”.
Talking about Condorito [es], a popular character in Chile, he mentioned the huge success of this magazine and also the peculiar fact that it was created as a Chilean answer to Disney's Saludos Amigos, an animation that promoted the encounter of Donald Duck and Latin American characters. But Trevisolli also found new materials, such as Malaimagen.
Online comics – bring it on!
Asco (Disgust) [es], by Malaimagen [es]. Published under CC license (BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Either online or offline, comics assume a new identity in a new scenario marked by intense use of technology for production, promotion, collaboration and sharing. Find out what some Latin American artists have been doing while you were sleeping.
Doctor Comic [es], from Colombia, not only draws but also writes about the industry, both mainstream and local. In the same line of work, the blog by Zuplemento Magazine [es] in Venezuela aims at creating a platform to present artworks produced in the country, either in comics or illustration, because “in spite of its undeniable transcendence, [the Venezuelan artworks] unfortunately have been forgotten within the general cultural framework”.
Artists like Agustina Guerrero [es] from Argentina, amuses volatile men and women with her series “Diario de una volatil” (Diary of a volatile [woman]).
In ComicBolivia [es], a whole new world of comic book artists unveils, and one can check the blogroll at the right column looking for Bolivian and Latin American authors, among others.
Al acecho (Ambush) [es], by Agustina Guerrero. Diario de una volatil. Used with permission.
Alberto Mont, from Chile, who produces Dosis Diarias [es], drops in some good humor.
Adriana Blake, from Venezuela, publishes Cuenta Conmigo [es, also available in English] and shows aspects of the daily life of a couple.
68, by Alberto Montt. “What if we produced a reality show in which participants got tired at home and pretty soon turned on the TV to watch a reality show?”. Published in Dosis Diarias [es] under a CC License (BY-NC-ND 2.0).
Francisco Javier Olea, from Chile, publishes Oleísmos [es] and profiles himself as someone who “rarely speaks seriously and”, when he does so, “the words just won't come out”.
Bridges
Looks like if we search for them, we shall find consistent works in the comics field – not to mention other visual arts – all over the region. But is someone building bridges between these artists? Do all those cultural pots somehow communicate?
Brazilian blogger and comic book editor Garota Sequencial identifies [pt] “movies as the main cultural bridge between latin countries”:
(…) o intercâmbio cultural com os outros países da América Latina sempre foi prejudicado pelos moldes relativamente restritivos dessa indústria [dos quadrinhos], bem como acredito que, assim como no Brasil, sua produção tenha sido prejudicada por percalços econômicos. Mas hoje já percebo o cinema como principal ponte cultural entre os países latinos (…).
(…) cultural interchange between Brazil and other Latin American countries has always been hurt by the relatively restrictive framework of the comic book industry, and I also believe that, as it happened it Brazil, comic book production has also been affected by economic downturns. Nowadays I see that the movies are the main cultural bridge between latin countries (…).
In fact, the image below hints at such a connection too.
Moving away from artists and aiming the eyes at communities, one can find quite interesting initiatives.
Apenas Salgo a la Calle #51 (I just go out to the street, #51). Posted on El blog[es] de Arbelo, a Bolivian artist. “Lady Democracy and her two husbands”, reference to a Brazilian novel and movie.
Si no puedo bailar, no es mi revolución (If I cannot dance, it's not my revolution) [pt] is a collective project about “new ideas in Latin America”:
(…) uma rede independente criada para aproximar e relacionar novas ideias latino-americanas. Começou em 2007, com foco em música, para em seguida expandir seu interesse sobre produções e artistas com trabalhos nas áreas de ilustração, design e literatura. Cria e articula projetos, organiza publicações, mostras, e promove ciclos de música.
(…) an independent network formed to gather and correlate new Latin American ideas. Started in 2007, aiming at music, which was followed by the widening focus, looking for artworks and artists from fields like illustration, design and literature. The network creates and articulates projects, organizes publications, exhibitions and promotes music cycles.
The collective is based in São Paulo, Brazil, and counts on collaborators living in several countries.
One of their projects [pt], Não moro mais em mim (I don't inhabit me anymore), combines songs by Adriana Calcanhotto performed by Latin American bands (free download), a website with illustrations by Gustavo Gialuca, and audible links followed by short comments by the bands on places where they have lived before.
Yet another initiative is Se quema y se acaba (It goes away as it burns) [pt]. As stated in the project´s page:
Se quema y se acaba é um pequeno livro de memórias. Uma coletânea de afeto e saudade. Convidamos 19 ilustradores latino-americanos a recriar – sob efeito do tempo e da imaginação – amigos, amores ou colegas que compartilharam a fileira da sala, trocaram recados proibidos, riram do tênis novo ou pouco se falaram. Pessoas que vieram para ir embora. Que se despediram com poucas palavras, e nunca disseram tchau.
It goes away as it burns is a tiny little book of memories. A selection of affection and nostalgia. We have invited 19 Latin American illustrators to recreate – influenced by time and imagination – friends, lovers or mates who shared school rows, exchanged forbidden messages, laughed at the new sneakers or barely talked to one another. People who came just to leave. Whose farewell was with few words, and never said goodbye.
Projeto Nosotros is building bridges to establish cultural bonds within the region. Their homepage reads:
Quando o resto do mundo pensa em América Latina, as primeiras imagens são do nosso folclore e dos povos mais antigos. Mesmo tendo muito orgulho do passado e reconhecendo o quanto ele enriquece a nossa cultura, sabemos que os países e os próprios latino-americanos mudaram muito desde então.
Para desmistificar essa visão que ficou parada no tempo, criamos este projeto que apresenta jovens artistas, profissionais criativos e suas produções na América Latina. Aqui, conversamos e debatemos sobre os processos criativos e referências destes profissionais.
When the rest of the world thinks about Latin America, the first images that comes to mind are those of our folklore and ancestors. As proud as we are of our past, acknowledging how it enriches our culture, we are aware that the Latin American countries and their people have changed a lot since then.
To demystify this vision stuck in time, we have created this project to present young artists, creative professionals and their work in Latin America. Here we can talk and discuss their creative processes and references.
And they do so with interviews, videos and comic strips like this one:
The image explains how to ask for straws in Spanish (in different places of the Americas) and shows how words can have completely different meanings depending on the country.
Projeto Nosotros [Project Us, in Spanish], a cultural project under a Latin American perspective. Nosotros Practical Dictionary, lesson 3, published with permission.
In contact with Priscilla Midori and Victor Marcello, the masterminds behind Projeto Nosotros, they were kind enough to indicate extra references of artists to be mentioned in this post. Here they are:
Berliac and Juan Sáenz Valiente [es], are artists from Argentina and stars of this video produced by Projeto Nosotros.
“The comics don't matter to anyone. You can do whatever you want because no one will see it as something serious”, says Sáenz at some point.
Agree/Disagree? Watch the video and see how creative freedom stems from that sense that nobody cares for comics, at least for Sáenz. Don't miss out the thoughts and views of those two artists.
Berliac + Juan Sáenz Valiente [from Argentina]. Video by Projeto Nosotros.
A wide array of initiatives indicate that Latin Americans have very powerful and creative forces in each country, approach subjects with varied techniques, ranging from raw humour to strong criticism, from routine facts of life to deeply human stories full of tenderness. Several initiatives are pursuing new identities while looking back too – where did we come from? Where are we headed to?
From a Brazilian perspective, this is a time when our heroes can hit the big screen in high definition, be them mainstream or independent. And the sounds we listen to, the graphics we stare at, come from very far places, but also from right beside us, in Spanish. ¡Que vengan más!*.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Luis Henrique


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Mexico: Shock and Speculation after Blast in Pemex Headquarters · Global Voices
Elizabeth Rivera

At least 14 people died and 80 are injured are up until now, the result of a strong blast that shook the state-owned company Mexican Petroleum (Pemex) on Thursday January 31st, 2013 in Mexico City, as it was informed by the company's official Twitter account:
@pemex [es]: Lamentablemente se tienen confirmados al momento 14 personas fallecidas y 80 lesionadas
@pemex: Unfortunately, we have 14 persons confirmed dead and 80 injured
Some netizens, besides regretting the news, speculated on the true cause of the explosion. Like Think Mexican (@ThinkMexican), who pointed out on its Twitter account:
@ThinkMexican: Torre de #Pemex explosion comes days after@EPN responded to speculation his admin. sought to privatize Mexico's oil.http://ow.ly/1RJUGC
Or the journalist and writter Raúl Tortolero (@raultortolero1), who asked:
@raultortolero1 [es]: ¿Conoceremos con transparencia lo que pasó en #Pemex hoy, o sólo versiones a modo?
@raultortolero1: Will we know with transparency what happened in #Pemex today, or are we only going to hear made up versions?
While other like Ana (@AnaLargaespada) spoke about possible negligence:
@AnaLargaespada [es]: Instalaciones de #Pemex ya habían tenido 2 explosioneshttp://www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/899965.html … (ver video). Eso me huele a mal manejo
@AnaLargaespada: #Pemex facilities had already had 2 explosions http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/899965.html … (watch video). This sounds to me like misshandling
And some others think it was the responsibility of the drug lords, like Jorge said (@TwytterMx):
@TwytterMx [es]: Explosion en oficinas principales d #Pemexal igual q la explosion en #reynosa son actos d terrorismo por parte del Narco! #atentado
@TwitterMx: The explosion at #Pemex headquarters same as the blast in #Reynosa are terrorist acts by drug gangs! #atendato (attack)
To which Huff Post Voices columnist Alejando Escalona (@alexoescalona) concluded:
@alexoescalona [es]: Me parece muy bien no especular que lo de Pemex fue atentado, pero tampoco hay que asumir que fue accidente. #PEMEX
@alexoescalona: I think it is good not to speculate if what happened in Pemex was an attack, but we shouldn't either asume it was an accident. #PEMEX
On the other hand, there were tasteless comments that many reacted to, like movie maker and columnist Mariano Bouchot (@marianobouchot), who disapproved the jokes on the subject:
@marianobouchot [es]: No entiendo ni justifico los chistes que se hacen alrededor de la tragedia. Lo ocurrido hoy en #Pemex no es chiste.
@marianobouchot: I don't understand nor justify the jokes around the tragedy. What happened today in #Pemex is not a jest.
There were also many netizens who spread useful information. Like, Fherb (@LFernando24) who tweeted:
@LFernandoo24 [es]: Ayuda por favor: Se necesitan donadores de sangre en hospital de Pemex Central Norte Azcapotzalco… #Pemex
@LFernandoo24: Help please: Blood donors needed at Pemex North Central Hospital in Azcapotzalco… #Pemex
And Maru Iniestra (@889Maru) shared a link with a report of the wounded:
@889Maru [es]: Pasen la voz… Reporte preliminar de heridos#Pemexhttp://www.presidencia.gob.mx/informacion-de-contingencia-de-pemex/ … Más información en @locatel_mx#LocatelInforma 56581111
@889Maru: Spread the word… Preliminary report of the wounded #Pemex http://www.presidencia.gob.mx/informacion-de-contingencia-de-pemex/ … More information in @locatel_mx #LocatelInforma (Locatel Informs) 5658111
While a great number of netizens offer their condolences to the families of those who lost their lives, as the economist and blogger Guillermo Barba (@memobarba):
@memobarba [es]: Es sin duda una gran desgracia la explosión ocurrida en la Torre de #Pemex. Mis condolencias para los familiares d las víctimas
@memobarba: There's no doubt this blast at the #Pemex Tower was a tragedy. My condolences to the victims’ families.
Pemex web page already a black ribbon as a mourning sign.
Airview of the explostion at Pemex Tower in Mexico City. Picture shared on Twitter by @mexboby
News are still developing as this post was published.

author: Elizabeth Rivera


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Mexico: Testimonies from the Blast at Pemex Headquarters · Global Voices
Elizabeth Rivera

Blogger Sopitas published a post [es] where he collects testimonies of people who had a first-hand experience of the blast that happened on Thursday, January 31, 2013 at Pemex headquarters in Mexico City. The stories help us to understand the tragedy.


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Wikipedia in the Hands of Children from Palestina, Peru? · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

Girl from Palestina, Peru. Screenshot from a video by Wikimedia Foundation.
On a video by Wikimedia Foundation, children from the community of Palestina, in Ucayali region, Peru, are shown using laptops from OLPC program, to create an article on Wikipedia about their community. The video, where we can also see Jimmy Wales and Vinton Cerf, is part of a documentary that will be released soon. More information on A Human Right website.

author: Juan Arellano


text:
South Korea’s Spy Agency Takes Criticism to Heart .. and Court · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

South Korea's top intelligence agency is suing forensic psychologist Pyo Chang-won for defamation. In his latest column [ko] in a left-leaning newspaper, Pyo lambasted the Korean National Intelligence Service (NIS), for their investigation into an agent's alleged illegal activities during the recent presidential elections. He also accused them of serving the political powerhouse for their own gains and called them “incompetent” and “declawed”.
Pyo has said that the lawsuit is a serious threat to free speech and democracy. Pyo Chang-won is a former professor of Korean National Police University and a well-known forensic psychologist who regularly blogs at Pyo Chang-won's Crime and Society [ko].
Right after being sued by the National Intelligence Service (NIS), Pyo wrote [ko] on his blog [ko]:
민주주의가 꽃피는 민주사회라면, 누구나 자신의 생각과 견해를 표명하는 데에 있어 어떠한 두려움도 느껴서는 안됩니다.[…] 국가기관인 국정원의 국민 대상 ‘명예훼손’ 고소, 그 자체가 권력적 탄압이며 민주주의를 압살하는 폭거입니다. 게다가 그 사유도 지나가는 개가 웃을 ‘언론 기고문 등에서 국정원을 무능하다고 비판했다'는 것입니다.
In a true democratic society where democracy flourishes, no one should be fearful of expressing their opinions […] The National Intelligence Service(NIS)– a government body – filing a libel lawsuit against an individual citizen is an abuse of power and a draconian act that clamps down on our democracy. And the reason for the libel is so lame that will even makes a passing dog laugh; for criticizing its incompetence in an op-ed.
The police initially planned to re-summon the agent early December last year, for working on warping public opinion by extensively posting slanderous comments [ko] with using 20 different IDs [ko] against the liberal candidate. It has been reported that the agent's mission was to “monitor North Korea-friendly leftists’ online activities [ko] in (what they think are) ‘pro-North Korean sites’. However, within less than two weeks, the police overturned its decision and released its report that they found no solid evidence of illegal activities. In South Korea, it is illegal for public servants to publicly take sides in the presidential election.
Soon after the fiasco, Pyo retired from his professor job [ko] at the Korea National Police University. In his most recent blog post published on Jan 29, 2013, Pyo added [ko]:
[…] 저도 거대 권력기관인 국정원과 싸우는 현 상황이 싫습니다. 누가 좋아하겠습니까? 제가 매달 진행하는 전국 순회강연 강연장소 확보에 어려움이 생길 때 마다, 혹시 극정원과의 싸움 떄문은 아닌가 의심하게 됩니다. 방송 출연 계획이 분명하지 않은 이유로 취소될 때에도 마찬가지입니다.
I really hate the situation of fighting against the huge powerhouse, NIS. Who would enjoy this? Whenever I have a hard time finding locations for my national lecture tour, I begin to wonder if it has something to do with my battle with the NIS. Same thing happened when some of my booked TV show appearances got canceled for no apparent reason.
Image of Censorship, By Flickr user Isaac Mao (CC BY 2.0)
Democratic coalition groups accused this lawsuit of having the sole purpose [ko] of browbeating citizens by flexing the government's muscle. Similar reactions can be easily found on South Korean Twittersphere. @blu_pn wrote [ko]:
[…] 우선 국가기관이 툭하면 명예훼손의 주체가 된다는 것부터가 코리아 사회에 만연하는 저질 코메디다. 권력이 시민을 상대로 고소고발을 남발하면 대체 시민은 어떤 방법으로 국가권력을 견제하고 비판하란 말인가?
It is the worst comedy prevalent in Korean society; a government body becoming a claimant of libel- so often. How can citizens monitor and criticize government power if the authorities so rampantly file lawsuits against individual citizens?
Influential reporter @welovehani reminded people [ko] of the fact that a government body cannot even be considered as a
plaintiff in a defamation case:
[…] 법원은 “국가기관은 명예훼손 소송 주체가 될 수 없다”고 계속 판결하고 있습니다. 국정원이 법원 판례를 몰랐을 리 없을 것.
The Court has ruled consistently [in similar previous cases] the government bodies cannot be a claimant of defamation. There is no way that NIS was not aware of these previous rulings.
@parkhyun813 wrote [ko]:
표교수님처럼 하면 국가기관에 고소당한다~ 겁먹어라~행동하지 마라~ 하는 심산이겠죠
The message they are sending is ‘If you act like Prof. Pyo, you will be sued by a government body: Be Intimidated. Don't act.’
Some internet trolls of an extreme right-wing site, even planned on stalking Pyo's daughter [ko] as a way of blackmailing Pyo. However, Pyo tweeted [ko] on Jan 27 that even though it is not legally possible to sue these people, his daughter, is trained in various martial arts, and would be tough to tackle so his family is not threatened at all.

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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The End of Russia’s Thaw Hurts Medvedev, Navalny, & Friends · Global Voices
Kevin Rothrock

Earlier this week on January 29, federal investigators searched [ru] Kirov Governor Nikita Belykh's offices, in connection with a probe into the 2010 privatization of a local distillery. Bloggers reacted with alarm, as photographs of masked police entering Belykh's office circulated on Twitter. Commenting on the image, opposition activist Ilya Yashin declared [ru] that the time of “conversations [between men] in office ties has ended.” A former Kirov deputy governor, Maria Gaidar, tweeted [ru] that the search marks the “obvious end of the Medvedev thaw.” Analyst Tatiana Stanovaya also highlighted [ru] Belykh's relationship to Dmitri Medvedev, calling him the only liberal gubernatorial appointment during Medvedev's presidency. She argues that Belykh's political immunity has been evaporating since Vladimir Putin's return to the Kremlin, and that this investigation is a consequence of that dwindling clout.
Stanovaya also addresses Belykh's ties to Alexey Navalny, Russia's best known anti-corruption blogger. (In 2009, Navalny was an advisor to Belykh.) In recent months, federal authorities have initiated several criminal investigations targeting Navalny, in an apparent attempt to put pressure on Russia's most polarizing oppositionist. These cases include defrauding a shipping company, stealing money from a now defunct political party, and embezzling timber from a logging company in Kirov. (He's been formally charged [ru] in the third case.)
Dmitry Medvedev with Governor of Kirov Region Nikita Belykh, 14 May 2009, photo by Presidential Press and Information Office, CC 3.0.
The supposedly corrupt privatization of the Kirov distillery amounts to a fourth case involving Navalny. Last summer, the notorious Hacker Hell leaked [ru] private email records between Navalny and Belykh, where they discussed stealing [ru] from a distillery, so that Belykh could pay back his debts to Navalny. The emails logs, which Navalny and Belykh acknowledged to be partially genuine, represent how the RuNet has often been an incubator for the war against Navalny. Whether state authorities are planting allegations themselves or simply farming a readymade supply by grassroots opponents of Navalny is anybody's guess.
In his characteristic manner, Navalny responded to the searches of Belykh's offices with a joke on Twitter. Referring to the search of the Governor's vacation home, he tweeted [ru]:
Кстати, на “Чёрном озере”, где тоже идёт обыск, остались мои валенки. Прошу следствие их изъять и вернуть хозяину
By the way, I left my boots at Chernoe Ozero, where there's another search underway. I ask the investigators to impound them and return them to their owner.
Nikita Belykh, meanwhile, took to LiveJournal, where he downplayed the event, writing [ru] that he has nothing to hide and is happy to assist the investigators. He also made clear that he is not a suspect, and that investigators were merely seeking “documents of interest.” The following day, he was called in for questioning as a witness in the case. That process lasted almost three hours.

author: Kevin Rothrock


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Massive Political Corruption Causes Outrage in Spain · Global Voices
Elena Arrontes

This article is part of our special news coverage Europe in Crisis.
The investigation of a political corruption case known as ““Gürtel” has revealed more serious facts like the alleged under the table salaries given to some members of the Popular Party (PP) leadership [es], which currently rules Spain [“under the table” means an illegal salary that is not officially informed or regulated]. The former treasurer of the PP, Luis Bárcenas, who up until a couple of weeks ago still had an office at the party's headquarters and was backed up by the leaders, is now being investigated for having a Swiss account with 22 million euros and for paying bonus salaries under the table [es] during long periods of time to important public offices.
It could turn out to be the most important corruption case in all Spanish history, and in spite of that, the implicated have denied all accusations, bragged about having transparent accounts, and are still asking the people to “adjust their budgets” due to the current crisis. To regain the citizens’ trust and prove their innocence, members of the party have offered solutions like an internal audit and sworn income declarations [es] which have angered everyone even more.
Map of the political corruption in Spain. By Corruptódromo. Used under CC BY-SA.
The case has caused strong reactions that have led to protests on the streets and on the web. Even though Twitter was down because of an overload several times during the day, netizens managed to call a sit-in infront of the Popular Party [es] in Madrid. As it had already happened before, the police surrounded Génova street, where the party headquarters are located, but the massive amount of citizens that protested chanting “Quit Government”, “There it is, Ali Baba's cave” and “The president is a criminal.”
Since the newspaper El País leaked secret documents [es] that proved the illegal financing of the PP, social media have become the support system for the popular outcry. An online petition at Change.org, which is still running, managed to receive 100,000 signatures in 10 hours [es] asking for the resignation of the Spanish government. Also, an initiative called the Spanish people to publish thousands of comments with envelope drawings (the money was supposedly handed out in envelopes) on the party's Facebook wall [es]. The party's communication department was not able to erase them all.
Humorous poster with a message convening a protest. Taken from Periodismo Humano under a CC License.
The hashtag #lospapelesdebárcenas (Barcena's papers) turned into a worldwide trending topic [es], as informed by several media. Also, other related hashtags about the case appeared on Twitter. For example, #pelisconbárcenas (movies with Bárcenas) opened the room for netizens to use their imagination and humor to comment the news using movies names in an attempt to highlight that reality exceeds fiction. Hashtag #DondeestaRajoy (where is Rajoy?) emerged as a way to denounce Mariano Rajoy's (Spain's President) silence because he hasn't made a statement on the case or on his possible involvement.
The international press has echoed the severity of the situation [es] that Spain is going through, and
Airview of the sit-in infront of the Popular Party headquarters in Madrid. Picture by Periodismo Humano published under CC Licence.
several netizens have pointed out that the government, and not the protesters, are the ones harming Spain's image overseas, in reference to an accusation made by the government.
@LivingInGreen: When we protest, we damage the image of Spain. Not when the government's party steals. #lospapelesdeBárcenas see to believe.
Spanish bloggers also had a say on the scandal. Principia Marsupia published an article with the title “4 modest proposals for a revolution in Spain” [es]. The post makes a call to the party members and employees, to the citizens with a bank account, and to administration and strategic industry bureaucrats to denounce irregularities and take on the streets to end the financial scandals that hurt the country so much. It seems that this protest is already taking place since some mayors and party members have already presented their resignation and have defected the government [es]. The blogger introduced the case as follows:
Algunos seréis de derechas y otros somos de izquierdas. Ojalá eso no cambie nunca: la tensión de ideas y el debate riguroso son los requisitos fundamentales para que una sociedad avance. Pero creo que muchos estaréis de acuerdo en que la putrefacción de nuestro sistema político ha alcanzado su límite y que en este proyecto podemos trabajar juntos.
Some of you are right-wing and some of us are leftists. I hope that never changes: the tension among ideas and rigorous debate are the fundamental requirements for a society to move forward. But I think many of you would agree that the our rotten political system has reached its limit and that we can work together in this project.

author: Elena Arrontes


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Portugal: Authorities Bring Charges Against Women Activists · Global Voices
Cristina Correia

This post is part of our special coverage Europe in Crisis.
Following a series of demonstrations against austerity in Portugal, the country's national police force, known as the Public Security Police (PSP), and the prosecutor general's office, known as the the Public Ministry (MP), have faced heavy criticism for their decision to bring legal action against several protesters and activists.
Myriam Zaluar, a freelance journalist, teacher, and one of the founders of the movement Precários Inflexíveis (Inflexible Precarious) [pt], was indicted on charges of qualified disobedience related to having organized a collective registration of unemployed people at one of the centers of the Institute of Employment and Vocational Training (IEFP, the governmental body responsible for training and employment). The intention of this symbolic act of protest was to draw attention to unemployment in Portugal [not all the unemployed are registered there and the statistics only show the numbers released by IEFP].
Myriam became known in 2011 for an open-letter she wrote to the Prime Minister, widely shared on social networks [pt], following his recommendation for the unemployed to emigrate.
Call for solidarity with Myriam Zaluar. Image shared by  Artigo 21º
This time, Myriam wanted to show that the unemployment figures in Portugal are flawed, but police considered her action to be a non-authorized demonstration – although it only involved four direct participants and the distribution of flyers – and thus authorities should had been informed 48 hours before. Myriam rejects the accusation and denies having committed any crime.
The case has raised questions about restrictions on freedom of expression, the definition of demonstration, and police intervention in political matters, as well as sparked a heated discussion online. According to the Movimento Sem Emprego (MSE, Movement Without a Job) [pt], the situation is an example of authorities attempting to intimidate citizens in order to stop them from taking to the streets with their demands. Laura Fortuna Pinto commented [pt] on Facebook:
Por mais vezes que leia o artigo, ñ consigo perceber o fundamento da acusação. Mas das 4 pessoas presentes no protesto foi a única a ser notificada? Este país está a ficar estranho!!!
No matter how many times I read the article, I simply can't understand the basis of the accusation. But from the four people present at the protest was she the only one being notified? This country is becoming weird!!!
On the day of the first court hearing – which was postponed in the end – several people staged a demonstration [pt] in support of Myriam that was discussed on social networks and broadcast by traditional media.
The case of Mariana Avelãs
A similar case is that of Mariana Avelãs, who belongs to the movement Que se Lixe a Troika (Screw Troika) [pt]. Police filed charges against her following a press conference announcing the September 15 protests in which thousands took to the streets in Portugal and Spain to demonstrate against government austerity measures. By the end of November, P3 reported [pt]:
Segundo Mariana Avelãs, nesse dia, a PSP dirigiu-se aos 15 membros, que ergueram uma faixa do movimento, para pedir a identificação de uma pessoa, mas garantiram que “não haveria consequências”. (…)
Contudo, (…) “duas ou três semanas depois” foi informada de que “estava a ser alvo de denúncia de um crime”. A activista social confirmou ter sido constituída arguida a 8 de Novembro pelo crime de organização de manifestação não comunicada. (…)
Mariana Avelãs descreve a acção da polícia como uma tentativa de “criminalizar os movimentos” para dar a ideia de que são “terroristas e revolucionários”.
According to Mariana Avelãs, that day PSP addressed the 15 members, who had raised a banner for the movement, asking for the identification of one person, but they assured them that “there wouldn't be any consequences”. (…)
However, (…) “two or three weeks later” she was informed that she “legal action had been brought against her”. The social activist confirmed on November 8 she was charged with organizing an unannounced demonstration. (…)
Mariana Avelãs describes the actions of authorities as an attempt to “criminalize movements” in order to give the impression that they are “terrorists and revolutionaries”.
Paulo Jorge Vieira [pt] echoed Mariana's outrage:
Parece ser uma anedota mas não o é. Assim se limita o uso do espaço público na sociedade portuguesa nos nossos dias. A situação é, no seu todo, demasiado grave e realmente limitadora do direitos de associação, manifestação ou simples encontro no espaço público das cidades portuguesas.
It seems like a joke but it isn't. This is how the use of public space in Portuguese society is limited nowadays. The situation is, as a whole, very serious and truly restrictive of the right to associate, demonstrate or simply meet in a public space within Portuguese cities.
Stones or camera?
The massive November 14 demonstration, which saw thousands of Europeans coming out to protest against austerity measures, ended in Lisbon with a group of protesters throwing stones in front of the Parliament building. Police have faced criticism from the public for their reaction to the protesters. In the days that followed, police tried to identify as many protesters as possible, using not only the images collected by the agents themselves, but also videos posted by other people on YouTube, and even – in a case that ended with the resignation of the managing editor of the public channel RTP – the images collected by television channels on site.
It was with disbelief that Paula Montez, who participated in the demonstration, received some time after a notification from the prosecutor general's office, in which she was accused of assaulting police officers. In a widely circulated post [pt] from mid-December, Paula said:
Ontem apresentei-me no DIAP [Departamento de Investigação e Acção Penal] acompanhada de um advogado. Foi-me lido o auto de denúncia e mostradas imagens captadas na manifestação. As imagens todas elas de má qualidade e inconclusivas, mostram-me de braço no ar com um objecto na mão que os “denunciantes” referiram ser pedras. Na verdade o objecto que tenho na mão é nada mais do que a minha máquina fotográfica que costumo elevar devido à minha estatura ser baixa para captar imagens, como sempre tenho feito em todas as manifestações e protestos onde vou[…];além disso, na foto de qualidade duvidosa, onde se vê o meu braço erguido segurando o tal objecto (máquina fotográfica) pode-se ler na legenda que arremessei à polícia cerca de 20 pedras ou outros objectos…
Agora pergunto eu: se a PSP me identificou a arremessar 20 pedras e a colocar em causa a sua integridade física, por que não fui eu detida logo ali? Por que não fui de imediato impedida de mandar mais projécteis que pudessem atentar contra os agentes? Sim, como é possível ter sido vista a atirar coisas, contarem uma a uma as cerca de 20 pedras que eu não atirei, mas que alguém afirma ter-me visto atirar, e deixarem-me à solta para atirar mais?
Yesterday I showed up at DIAP [Department of Investigation and Penal Action] accompanied by a lawyer. I was read the complaint and shown the images captured at the rally. The images – all of which are shoddy and inconclusive – show me with an arm in the air with an object in my hand that “informants” described as stones. In fact, the object in my hand is nothing more than my camera which I usually raise due to my short stature — as I have always done in all the demonstrations and protests I go to […], in addition, in the photo of dubious quality, where you see my arm raised holding an object (camera) the captions reads that I threw around 20 stones or other objects at police…
Now I wonder: if the PSP identified me throwing 20 stones and putting them in harm's way, why wasn't I stopped right there? Why wasn't I immediately prevented from launching more projectiles that could undermine the agents? Yes, how is it possible that I was seen throwing things, [they] counted one by one about 20 stones that I did not throw, that someone claims to have seen me throwing, yet they left me alone to throw more?
Paula could face serious charges of rioting or causing damage. She was notified of the complaint by mobile phone, and sought help from netizens to prove her innocence:
Peço a quem tiver imagens minhas na manifestação de 14 de Novembro (ou noutra manifestação qualquer) a tirar fotografias que as envie a fim de constituírem prova neste processo. Obrigada pela vossa solidariedade.
I ask whoever has images of me taking photos during the November 14 demonstration (or in any other demonstration) to send them my way in order to use them as evidence in this process. Thank you for your solidarity.
Around the same time, a video showing people in the assembly throwing stones that suggested the presence of undercover agents began to make the rounds on the Internet:
Ivo Gonçalves, on his personal blog [pt], questioned the actions of the PSP and the MP:
[…]não creio  que a PSP tenha cobertura legal, vocação, e até recursos adequados para fazer recolha e análise de informações na área política. (…)
Finalizando, é evidente que tudo isto vai contribuir para refrear a vontade de participação em manifestações.
I don't believe that PSP has the legal status, the vocation, or even the proper resources to collect and analyze information from the political arena. (…)
Finally, it is evident that all of this will work to curb the people's willingness to participate in demonstrations.
A new hearing in the trial of Myriam Zaluar is scheduled for March 13. Paula Montez and Mariana Avelãs await new developments and are released under the condition that they do not change their residence without reporting to the authorities, and that they check in with police anytime requested. The crime of qualified disobedience is punishable with imprisonment up to two years or a fine. Participation in a riot is punishable with imprisonment up to one year or a fine, and the crime of causing damage up to three years in prison.
This post is part of our special coverage Europe in Crisis.

author: Cristina Correia


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Bahamas, U.S.A.: Superbowl Hopes  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

For the American Football fans, Weblog Bahamas makes a prediction about today's Superbowl game.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Brazil Without Make-up · Global Voices
Raphael Tsavkko Garcia

Presentation of the website “Brazil without make-up, an honest guide to my beautiful country.”
Brazilian LGBT activist @Rafucko posted a video on Youtube introducing the website “Brazil without make-up“. The initiative aims at demystifying many Brazilian stereotypes while criticizing the government of the city and state of Rio de Janeiro for the lies told on the preparation of the World Cup 2014.

author: Raphael Tsavkko Garcia


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China: Cartoon-Costumed Migrant Workers Protest Unpaid Wages · Global Voices
Abby Liu

Many migrant workers in China only get paid at year-end when the work is done. Unfortunately, their wages are often delayed. As they lack resources for legal help in China, some try different ways to get attention online. On Jan 31, five migrant workers dressed as cartoons to seek help. Offbeat China has more details.

author: Abby Liu


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Ecuador: Humour and Election Time · Global Voices
Daniela Gallardo

[All links lead to Spanish language pages unless otherwise noted]
Election time is experienced in a very particular way in Ecuador. Other than mobilised caravans and ongoing debates between candidates aspiring to presidency, humour and satire are ever present in the political campaigns. Media sites, such as La República, Diario Hoy and Expreso [all national newspapers], reported that the National Electoral Council (CNE) decided to censure the video ¨La Feriatta¨, after the national director of the movement CREO denounced it, calling it a dirty campaign against the the presidential candidate Guillermo Lasso. The CNE also vetoed the video ¨The Little King and His Court¨, considered an attack on the president and candidate for reelection, Rafael Correa.
La Feriatta can be found on YouTube channel Politically Incorrect:
The Little King and His Court is available on the YouTube channel of presidential candidate, Alberto Acosta:
On the other hand, the adapted picture of Maria Paula Romo (@mariapaularomo) -candidate of the Ruptura25 movement (@RupturaEC)- went viral on social media networks after moustaches were painted on her. Supporters of the movement, with the tag #lookruptura25 and #atrevetearomper [dare to break], decided to demonstrate their support publishing similar photos wearing moustaches.
Sofía Merino (@sophymerino) published her support of the movement Ruptura25 through her Twitter account:
@sophymerino: @rupturaEC #lookruptura25, #atrevetearomper twitpic.com/bz3fh4
Photo of Sofía Merino R @Sophymerino
Bernarda Ordóñez (@BernardaOM), like other users, shared her photo sporting a moustache:
@BernardaOM: #lookruptura25 @maiapaularomo @felipeabrilm @RupturaEC pic.twitter.com/l13aKOHm
Photo of Bernarda Ordóñez M @BernardaOM
The user Andrés Zambrano (@_Andreswz) also joined #lookruptura25:
@_Andreswz: @VanArellano I already have a moustache #LookRuptura25 pic.twitter.com/ReH2mixf
Photo of Andrés Zambrano @_Andreswz
On the Facebook page Ruptura de los 25 [Rupture of the 25], the gallery #LookRuptura25 with images of citizens with moustaches was published in support of the movement.
On January 30, 2013, El Universo published a letter to the director in its caricature section. The letter was sent by two candidates, Rafael Correa and Jorge Glas, requesting that the paper published an apology for their damaged image as a result of Xavier Bonilla's caricature. It also mentioned the cases of plagiarism which involved Pedro Delgado the ex-President from Ecuador's Central Bank; his running mate Jorge Glas; Fernando Alvarado, Communication Secretary and his brother, Vinicio Alvarado, National Secretary of Public Administration. The press opted to publish the complete letter, which generated various reactions.
Xavier Bonilla (@bonilcaricatura) published the caricature that bothered the candidates on his Twitter account:
@bonilcaricatura: The drawing which bothered His Majesty pic.twitter.com/LvYD0FW7
Caricature taken by the Twitter user Xavier Bonilla (@bonilcaricatura)
Humour, satire and a few fines are all part of the environment experienced in Ecuador just a few weeks away from the public choosing their new president, vice-president and other assembly members, after analyzing each of their proposals.

author: Daniela Gallardo


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News from the Iranian Journalists in Prison · Global Voices
Farid

Mezrab continues to report about the detained journalists in Iran. The post includes a very personal story about a an Iranian woman who shares her prison experience.

author: Farid


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Iran Sent One Monkey Into Space and Another Came Back · Global Voices
Hooman Askary

Aftab the monkey before launch into the space. Photo: IRNA
Bloggers and news sources have challenged claims by the Iranian government that they successfully launched a monkey into space and retrieved the animal alive on January 28, 2013. Official images — supposedly depicting the monkey before and after the launch — do not appear to match up, casting further doubt and raising suspicions that the launch may have been fake.
Here is the official footage recorded from a national IRIB Channel 1 broadcast:
Many users on the popular Iranian link-sharing site, Balatarin, say the regime is lying and compare photos of the monkey from before the launch with a photo of the one claimed to have been retrieved from the capsule upon return, highlighting physical dissimilarities between the two.
Here they are:
As seen from the lead photo of this post, as well as the one above (right) the first monkey has a mole on its right eyebrow and has grey and shorter hair around the face, while the second monkey one has no mole and dark brown hair around the face.
Netizens reactions to this report range from total skepticism to conspiracy theories:
Iranian blogger ‘Hagh mosalam ma’ (‘Our definite right’) takes a satirical approach, and draws parallels between the alleged space mission with the 2009 Iranian presidential election that many consider was rigged. He also jokes:
The monkey that was launched into space was [the Supreme Leader's] buddy, the one that returned was acting weirdly. […] Using Photoshop you can send monkeys to Mars, not to mention just outside the atmosphere.
Amir Farshad writes in his Blog ‘Hot Chocolate‘ that:
[President] Mahmood Ahmadinejad gave the nation more good news this week on the advent of Fajr festivities [marking the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution victory]: “We launched a monkey into space and managed to perform an aesthetic surgery to remove his mole up there, and then returned him in good health to the arms of the Supreme Leader.”

author: Hooman Askary


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Paraguay: Presidential Candidate Dies in Helicopter Crash · Global Voices
Gabriela García Calderón Orbe

The blog Camino al Paraguay reports [es] about the helicopter crash where Paraguayan presidential candidate Lino Oviedo died on Saturday, February 2:
[…] when the helicopter where he was traveling after a political event crashed on Saturday night, as reported by the local press.

author: Gabriela García Calderón Orbe


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Russia’s Internet Censorship “Experiment” · Global Voices
Andrey Tselikov

A Russian federal region is about to embark on an “experimental” project aimed at censoring the internet. A joint effort by the Kostroma regional government and an NGO called the League of Safe Internet, it is similar in spirit to Russia's new internet blacklist [GV] and other censorship measures championed by the League in the name of protecting children. (The governor of Kostroma region, Sergey Sitnikov, also happens to be the former head of Roskomnadzor, which runs the blacklist.)
League Chairman of the Board, religious businessman Konstantin Malofeev. November 20, 2012. CC 3.0 Wikimedia Commons.
However, in a bizarre case of life imitating art, the League's new venture also fulfills a satirical prophecy covered by RuNet Echo last December [GV]. Back then, RiNet, a boutique Moscow ISP, announced a “unique payment plan” called “Clean Internet” which guaranteed that its users will only see “decorous websites”. Under the plan, users could only access websites from a list vetted by the ISP. The list included such crowd-pleasers as www.kremlin.ru, www.gov.ru, www.government.ru, and little else.
Unfortunately, the details of RiNet's absurdly satirical press-release, the sole purpose of which was to ridicule ongoing internet censorship efforts, are remarkably close to what awaits internet users in Kostroma, down to the name of the project. A few days ago this real “Clean Internet” was explained [ru] to a reporter by a League representative:
Пользователям из тестового региона будут доступны только те страницы и сайты, которые проверили эксперты лиги.
Users from the tested region will only be able to access those web-pages and sites that were verified by league experts.
The consequences of such censorship would go beyond something like a work-safe content filter. After all, for any website (out of the hundreds of millions that exist) to be accessible, it would need to first be verified by a human “expert”. That is, any website could be unilaterally blocked by the League, which has strong ties to the Kremlin and to the Orthodox Church. Users of popular tech forum Habrahabr pointed out that this would particularly be a problem with foreign language websites [ru].
Others jokingly wondered [ru] about the financial motivation for such a move:
stenogriz: […] Тут можно еще и доп заработок получить. Тарифные пакеты! Тарифный пакет «Базовый» — доступно 5 сайтов; тарифный пакет «Домашний» — 10 сайтов, теперь и с YouTube! Тарифный пакет «Профессионал» — 100 сайтов. […] Тариф «Тролль» — возможность выбора любого ника. отличающегося от паспортных данных и возможность писать комментарии (не более 3 в сутки). […]
stenogriz: […] You can use this to get some extra cash. Subscription packages! “Basic” package — access to 5 websites; “Household” package — 10 websites, now with YouTube! “Professional” package — 100 websites. […] “Troll” package — ability to choose alias different from passport info and ability to write comments (no more  than 3 per day). […]
Perhaps most disturbingly, statements made by League representatives made it seem that, unlike with the satirical “Clean Internet”, users will have to opt out of the process [ru] if they want to access “unverified” websites:
Суть эксперимента состоит в том, что сайты порнографического содержания будут закрыты, а пользователь, желающий получить доступ к ним, должен будет обратиться к провайдеру и заключить с ним договор, предоставив свои паспортные данные.
The gist of the experiment is that pornographic websites will be closed, and the user who wants to access them will have to go to their ISP and make a contract with them, submitting their personal information.
One Livejournal user wondered [ru] about possibly nefarious consequences of the opt-out hurdles:
Человек должен раскрыть свои аспекты личной жизни. Его внесут в базу, уже будет не “благонадежным”. Истинный гражданин и патриот не может смотреть порно. Он должен смотреть только программу “Время”, выступления президента и патриарха.
A person has to open up all the aspects of his personal life. He will be entered into a database, and now you cant be “trustworthy”. A true citizen and patriot can't watch porn. He can only watch the news, the president and the patriarch.
When questioned about this alarming aspect [ru], the Kostroma governor's office claimed that users would in fact have to subscribe to participate in the experiment. Since statements to the contrary by League representatives are difficult to misinterpret, it appears that there is internal misunderstanding or disagreement about the scope and brief of the project.
RuNet will keep watching this story to see what happens and how users react if their information becomes less than free. Some are already pessimistic [ru]:
Если vk.com и mail.ru будут в списках, большинство ничего не заметит.
If [the social netowrks] vk.com and mail.ru will be included in the [white] lists, the majority won't notice anything.

author: Andrey Tselikov


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An Online Campaign Demands Quality Journalism from La Vanguardia · Global Voices
Violeta Camarasa

The Catalan Association for Scientific Communication, the Spanish Association of Scientific Communication and the Society for the Progression of Critical Thinking have started an Internet campaign via online petition platform Change.org asking for scientific accuracy in La Vanguardia, one of the widest circulated Catalan newspapers and part of the Grupo Godó. So far they have collected 826 signatures. The petition, which is in the form of a letter addressed to the editor of La Vanguardia Josep Rovirosa, demands “not only respect for science but above all quality journalism, whether scientific, specialised or of a general nature” [all links lead to Catalan speaking pages].

author: Violeta Camarasa


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Barbados: I’ll Have a Burger · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Two Barbadian bloggers discuss the arrival of a fast food franchise on the island.


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Brunei has Freest Press in Southeast Asia? · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

According to the press freedom index for 2013 released by Reporters Without Borders, Brunei ranked highest in Southeast Asia (122). It was followed by Thailand (135), Indonesia (139), and Cambodia (143). Some journalists in the region were surprised with the results, in particular, the high ranking given to Brunei.

author: Mong Palatino


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Cambodia: Funeral of King Father Sihanouk · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Hundreds of thousands of mourners lined the way, but in my estimation the crowd was noticeably smaller and thinner crowd showed for the return of the King Father's remains from China 6 months ago. A dress code was fairly strictly enforced by minders and police – white shirt/blouse, black pants/skirt, black arm bands or ribbons, no hats, etc.
Casey Nelson blogs about the funeral scene for King Father Sihanouk, the beloved late King of Cambodia.


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Chobi Mela VII: Photographs Connecting People of The World · Global Voices
Rezwan

The 7th Chobi Mela (Photo Fair), an international festival of photography, is taking place in Bangladesh capital Dhaka. Organized by  Drik Picture Library Ltd. and Pathshala (The South Asian Institute of Photography) it is the largest festival of photography held in Asia.
The event was founded in 1999 and is held every two years in Bangladesh. According to DRIK blog:
The festival examines the dramatic shifts of image production, ownership and distribution brought on by new developments in the media landscape.
James Estrin at the Lens Blog says:
What sets apart the Chobi Mela International Festival of Photography in Dhaka, Bangladesh, is that it is not only truly international, but is also perhaps the world’s most demographically inclusive festival.
Theme of Chobi Mela VII – Fragility
This year's theme of the festival is Fragility, exploring the quieter, more subdued and delicate moments in life, which the shutter of the camera usually misses or ignores. 34 artists from 23 countries featuring Eugene Richards, Graciela Iturbide, Walter Astrada et al. are exhibiting their work at different venues in Dhaka city during 25 January -7 February 2013. Here is a list of events and venues of the festival.
Chobi Mela blog introduced the big names in World Photography Max Pam, Pablo Bartholomew, Ruth Eichhorn, Jody Haines, NayanTara Gurung Kakshapati, Ilaria Di Biagio, B. S. Shivaraju (Cop Shiva), Hossein Fatemi, Maika Elan, Nii Obodai, Chris Rainier and Chris Riley et al. who are attending the festival.
Renowned photographer Shahidul Alam, director of Chobi Mela, shares an amazing story how British photographer Rupert Grey brought his 1936 Rolls Royce to Dhaka to attend the rally of the festival.
The antique Rolls had travelled through the Rajasthan deserts and gone along the foothills of the Himalayas and followed the Brahmaputra to Bangladesh, but was stopped at the Tamabil border, when bureaucracy kicked in.
Rupert could eventually bring in the vehicle with a little help from friends.
Shahidul Alam also posts a preview of this years event in his blog (also watch an intro here):
Here is an interview of Shahidul Alam taken by Munem Wasif.
Award winning Indian Photojournalist Pablo Bartholomew says about Chobi Mela:
So what makes me come back to Chobi Mela, this pioneering festival for photography in Asia? It is the question that I ask myself, now that I am here in Dhaka setting up both my father’s and my exhibitions. Obviously it is the opportunity to show the works and be part of discussions that may provide and lead up to good dialogues and debates. [..]
On January 25, 2013, the opening day, a rally started at 3:30PM in front of the Bangladesh National Museum and ended in Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, the venue of the opening ceremony. Photoblogger Monirul Alam joined the rally and posted picture in his blog. The roundup of the first week in pictures can be found here.
Chobi Mela VII Inauguration in Dhaka. Instagram Image by author
American Photographer Chris Riley shares the learning from Chobi Mela:
We live in an age within which visual literacy may very well transcend literacy of the word. There is no need to translate a photograph. Photographs contain both an inherent narrative and the ability to interpret. This makes the medium a medium of dialog, unlike film and television with their tightly controlled narrative forms. I watch a documentary and there is no room for me. I study a series of photographs and my head spins with questions and thinking. We have seen images from African, Chinese, Nepalese and Bangladeshi photographers, each telling a story that opens the photographic dialog.
You can follow the festival on Facebook and Twitter  (@chobimela).

author: Rezwan


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Dear PSY, Don’t Dance with the Prime Minister of Malaysia · Global Voices
Keiko Tanaka

Dear our idol, PSY, we love your song and we love how Gangnam Style could rock the party, however, please do not come to Malaysia. […] If you come to Malaysia, you will become the political tool and your performance will be politicized by Barisan Nasional. It is a political party which is seriously corrupted and always abuses the power to persecute the Malaysian. […] Mr. PSY, you can definitely dance with anybody, including Mr. Ban Gimun ( the Secretary-General of the United Nations ) but never Mr. Najib Razak. As for the reason, he is the prime minister of Malaysia, the 4th most corrupted country in the world…
The official facebook page of Korean Pop Star PSY has been flooded with more than a thousand comments from Malaysian fans, including the one above, asking him not to attend the ruling party Barisan Nasional's Chinese New Year party in Penang, Malaysia.

author: Keiko Tanaka


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Digital Monitoring of Kenya Elections 2013 · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Uchaguzi is a Kenya’s citizen digital crowdsourcing monitoring/mapping effort:”The Kenyan 2013 Elections are just over a month away. If this past weekend’s political nominations are any indication, there will be a rise of people’s voices and stories to share. You may be asking: how can I contribute?”
“From researchers to developers to online strategists to translators and sense-makers, we aim to connect and build Uchaguzi together.
We’ve created Uchaguzi Working groups. Each of the groups have their own wiki page. Global participants could help with some core questions listed on the wiki pages. We’ve also made a key list below for you to tackle.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Egypt: Morsi’s State · Global Voices
Eman AbdElRahman

Egyptian writer and journalist, Wael Eskandar, comments on the current Egyptian events. He ends his post with a question summarizing President Mohamed Morsi's presidency, from his point of view:
“There are two ways some sort of stability can be achieved, enough oppression or enough justice. Morsi has opted for the former, much like his predecessor. With the state of the people of Egypt it will have to be much more oppression than that practiced by Mubarak. In my mind I have no doubt that Morsi is willing to do what it takes to silence opposition and oppress the people. But the question isn't whether he is willing, the question is whether he is capable.”

author: Eman AbdElRahman


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Elmo, Domo and Pikachu Bring Smiles to Japan · Global Voices
Rie Ihara

Domo, Snoopy, Barbapapa, Pikachu, Elmo and other characters hold hands. Image shared freely from teotsunago.com (For non-commercial use only)
“Project: Holding hands” (Teo Tsunago Daisakusen) [ja, en] is an art project that uses iconic children's characters to bring smiles to the people of Japan, especially children following the 2011 earthquake.
Tsuneo Goda, an animator known for creating the character Domo initiated the project. You can check out his work, including a music video, here[ja, en].

author: Rie Ihara


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“Firsthand” Reporting on Huffington Post · Global Voices
Solana Larsen

Firsthand is a new distributed reporting project from The Huffington Post that calls on U.S. readers every month to submit text, photos and videos describing how an issue like immigration or the housing crisis affects them.

author: Solana Larsen


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Ghana: Alternative Medicine Practitioners Invest in New Technologies  · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Alternative medicine practitioners in Ghana have decided to invest in new technologies, Kofi Domfeh reports:”M.Y. Ventures, a natural healthcare center, has introduced a swap card technology that helps protect the privacy and data confidentiality of patients.”


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Human Rights Group Maps Russian Internet Censorship · Global Voices
Kevin Rothrock

On February 1, the Russian human rights group Agora released a report [ru] on RuNet censorship in 2012, titled “Russia As a Global Threat to a Free Internet,” documenting various limitations on Internet usage in Russia, including violence, administrative pressure, and other forms of intimidation and punishment used against netizens by state authorities. Agora has also created [ru] a “map of free Internet violations” for 2012, showing which areas of Russia are least friendly to bloggers and netizen journalists.

author: Kevin Rothrock


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India: Not-for-profit vs. For-profit Ventures · Global Voices
Rezwan

In India it is easier to find funding for a not-for-profit handicraft venture than for for-profit. And these funds are sometimes used to keep alive trades that are inefficient and thus give the artisans a false impression that demand actually exists for their produce. Pertinent Observations finds the entire ecosystem disturbing.


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Infographic: Where Does Beijing’s Air Pollution Come From? · Global Voices
Abby Liu

China's Sohu Business recently released an infographic explaining the origin of Beijing’s air pollution. According to the infographic, vehicle emissions are the number one reason for the terrible air. TeaLeafNation translates.


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Japan’s Press Freedom Ranking Drops · Global Voices
Keiko Tanaka

Japan has dropped from the 22nd spot to 53rd, recording the biggest drop of any Asian country, on the 2013 Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Borders. The report highlights lack of transparency and access to information on subjects related to Fukushima:
…The continued existence of the discriminatory system of “kisha clubs”, exclusive press clubs which restrict access to information to their own members, is a key element that could prevent the country from moving up the index significantly in the near future.


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Malaysia’s Green Issues in 2013 · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

An increasingly discerning electorate coupled with growing environmental awareness means that governments and corporations can no longer get away with sloppy environmental management. Instead of being defensive, the best way forward for the state and businesses is to engage the public proactively and be transparent about the details of the projects.
Gan Pei Ling lists several mega projects which green groups are opposing in Malaysia


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Palestine: Fighting with the Poem · Global Voices
Eman AbdElRahman

Amira Abd El-Khalek, an Egyptian blogger who studied English literature and anthropology in Egypt and UK, wrote on the Arabic Literature blog about an evening of Palestinian poets, Asma’a Azaizeh and Marwan Makhoul, which was hosted by Banipal magazine and the Mosaic Rooms in London. During discussions that followed the poetry readings, both poets were asked about reading their work in Israel, their relationship to their work, and more.


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Saudi Activist Trial Postponed Without Prior Notice · Global Voices
Anas Soliman

This post is part of our Special Coverage: Reformists on Trial in Saudi Arabia
A new trial was supposed to start today [Feb 4, 2013] for Saudi Political and Civil Rights Association (ACPRA) co-founder Dr Abdulkareem al-Khudr. Two of the association's co-founders, Dr Abdullah al-Hamid and Dr Mohammad al-Qahtani, have been already under trial and contentious weekly interrogation for over the previous six months. al-Khudr is the author of several papers making the case for political and civil rights from an Islamic prospective, contradicting the state's official positions.
The trial was supposed to take place in Buraidah, where al-Khudr lives, which is about 300 kilometers from the capital Riyadh. Tens of activists, including al-Hamid and al-Qahtani, headed there since the early morning to attend the trial, but they were told that the judge did not attend.
Dr al-Khudr (right) outside the court building. via @alajmi01
In a video filmed outside the court building, al-Qahtani said [ar]:
أنا أعلمك بالهدف. الهدف هو أنهم يعرفون أن الناس سيأتون للمحاكمة اليوم ولذلك فهم يريدون إلغاء المحاكمة حتى لا يأتون الناس المرة القادمة. سنأتي وسنأتي وسنأتي.
I will tell you what their goal is. Their goal, knowing that people are going to attend the hearing session today, is to cancel the session so people do not attend next time. We will attend. We will attend. We will attend.
This post is part of our Special Coverage: Reformists on Trial in Saudi Arabia

author: Anas Soliman


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Stormy Waters? The Maritime Border Disputes between Bolivia, Chile and Peru · Global Voices
Pablo Andres Rivero

This post is part of our International Relations & Security coverage.
Map of the maritime claims of Ecuador, Peru, and surrounding countries. By Political Geography Now via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
International boundaries are often blurred by the processes of globalization, but in South America some maritime borders remain contested. For instance, Chile and Peru, neighbors that have enjoyed sustained economic development over the past few years, remain at odds over approximately 38,000 square kilometers of sea located along their maritime border.
Bilateral negotiations between the two countries were first held in 1980 but no agreement was reached. In 2008, Peru took the case to the International Court of Justice(ICJ) which, in turn, considered the issue at a public hearing in December 2012. The ICJ is expected to make a ruling on the dispute in mid-2013.
In the meantime, Peru continues to argue that the maritime border has not yet been defined by any agreement, with documents signed in the 1950s only relating to access to fishing grounds.  Lima also claims that maritime limits should run diagonally south-west from the land border.
Meanwhile, Chile argues that the maritime limits were agreed upon after the signing of treaties in 1952 and 1954. These infer that the maritime border should run parallel to the Equator line, an arrangement that Santiago claims Peru has respected for the past 60 years.
Supporting the Chilean position, netizen Juan Vargas commented on Peru this Week:
The 1952 and 1954 agreements clearly indicate and establish a Maritime Boundary [between Chile and Peru]. They can be found translated into English at: http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/58820.pdf”
Oscar Maúrtua de Romaña, a former Peruvian Minister of Foreign Affairs describes the arguments of both sides in a blog post on El Mirador, and concludes:
El Perú y Chile, pese a las diferencias históricas, comparten un destino común. Un fallo equitativo por parte del tribunal permitirá poner fin al “único asunto” fronterizo que genera una sombra en nuestras relaciones bilaterales. Resulta tranquilizador el hecho de que el presidente Humala y el presidente Piñera, 72 horas antes de iniciarse la fase oral hayan hecho una declaración conjunta, en la cual se comprometieron ambos a acatar y ejecutar la sentencia de la Corte Internacional de La Haya.
Despite historical differences, Peru and Chile share a common destiny. A fair outcome by the court will end the “sole remaining border issue” which compromises our bilateral relations. It is reassuring that 72 hours before the start of the hearing (Peruvian) President Humala and (Chilean) President Piñera have made a joint statement in which both pledged to accept and follow the determination of the International Court of The Hague.
Landlocked Bolivia Awaits Decision
The dispute between Chile and Peru also has direct implications for others states around the region. In particular, Bolivia is closely watching legal proceedings, and has previously stated[en] that it plans to make a case at the ICJ for Chile to provide coastal access to the Pacific that was lost during the 1879-1881 between the two countries. The final outcome at the ICJ case may add further impetus to Bolivia’s attempts to seek a diplomatic solution to this longstanding issue.
Regardless of the ICJ resolution, the democratic and diplomatic statements made by all parties have significantly reduced the risk of armed conflictbetween the parties.
This has, in turn provided the foundations for the development of more creative solutions aimed at ending the crises. These include “A Maritime Zone of Bilateral Participation” proposed by Jilmar Moisés Córdova: “A Maritime Zone of Bilateral Participation”. This argues:
La controversia marítima de Perú y Chile, puede llegar a una posible solución instaurándose […] la Zona Marítima de Participación Bilateral la cual dividiría los mares de ambos Estados y que sería destinada a la pesca, […] es decir, la explotación de los recursos vivos por embarcaciones de hasta cierto tonelaje de los pueblos del Perú y Chile. Por ejemplo Argentina y Uruguay mantienen un tratado parecido a esta forma que delimita sus mares soberanos.
The maritime dispute between Peru and Chile, can reach a possible solution by a so-called Maritime Zone Bilateral Involvement or Participation, which divide the seas of the two states and would be intended for fishing, […] the exploitation of resources by boats of a certain tonnage from both Peru and Chile. For instance, Argentina and Uruguay hold a treaty like this so that delimits their sovereign seas.
Córdova also considers that such an alternative could give both countries the chance of exploring and benefiting from mineral, oil and other resources. He is also confident that the Maritime Zone Bilateral Involvement could provide alternative options for Bolivia’s coastal aspirations.
This post and its translations to Spanish, Arabic and French were commissioned by the International Security Network (ISN) as part of a partnership to seek out citizen voices on international relations and security issues worldwide. This post was first published on the ISN blog, see similar stories here.

author: Pablo Andres Rivero


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Taiwan: Who Misled Noam Chomsky? · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

The photo above, in which Noam Chomsky is holding a placard, is part of a global campaign organized by Taiwanese students against media monopoly in Taiwan. Chomsky's photo has been circulated widely via online social media since early January 2013. However, a number of news outlets recently reported that he was misled by Taiwanese anti-media monopoly activists into supporting the campaign. What has exactly happened? Who misled Chomsky?
Chomsky's support for the anti-media monopoly campaign in Taiwan has been reported as being misled by activists. [Public domain photo]
In the past few days, a number of mainstream media outlets run by the Want Want China Times Group in Taiwan reported that Chomsky was misled by a young Taiwanese female student, Lin Ting-An. Below is a list of translated headlines:
1. Chomsky: If I knew the campaign is against China, I would not have held the placard [zh] – China Times 04﹣02﹣2013
2. Anti-media monopoly became anti-China campaign, Chomsky was set up [zh] – China Times 29-01-2013
3. Misled to hold the placard, Chomsky: This is serious distortion [zh] – China Times 28-01-2013
In addition to the newspapers, the Citi TV channel, also controlled by Want Want China, ran a one-hour news commentary program on January 29 and 30, 2013 to “clarify” Chomsky's position. The program accused Lin Ting-An, who invited Chomsky to hold the placard, of misleading and using the famous linguist, “the conscience of the U.S”. The commentators in the program also criticized the strategy of the media monopoly movement for singling out pro-China capital, namely Want Want China Times, for its campaign. Below is a short clip of a Citi TV interview with Chomsky:
The media reports were triggered by email communications between Macau based media professor Shih-Diing Liu and Chomsky in which Liu explained his understanding of the anti-media monopoly movement in Taiwan on January 27 2013:
However, I am unsure if you have realized that this anti-media monopoly movement, with its high level of participation among young people, cannot be understood as a simply a movement seeking freedom of the press and democracy on the island. The participants, speakers, and interveners (including the mainstream media, scholars, and groups who have followed along and appropriated the issue) not only focus on the issue of media resources being monopolized by capitalists but also point toward an enemy. This enemy happens to be the one that the government of your country has been cautiously dealing with. However, in the context of Taiwan and the Taiwan Strait, using the name of “defending Taiwan” to refuse, oppose, and reject all people and matters relating to China and the Chinese government is not an isolated phenomenon, and it needs to be placed in the hegemonic structure led by the United States that you have described so we can fully understand it. The slogan in your hands should also be interpreted in a specific political context.
In response to Liu's long email Chomsky wrote a brief reply which was quoted and made public by Liu in his Facebook:
Thanks for the interesting comments, which go far beyond anything I know about. I also don’t recall a placard referring to “Chinese manipulation.” What I was shown, and held, didn’t go beyond media monopoly and freedom of press. I hope that interpretations don’t go beyond that.
Attached to Chomsky's reply is Liu's rather lengthly interpretation which was picked up by China Times on its January 28 news report and turned into a news and commentary framework among Want Want China Times’ media outlets for use against the anti-media monopoly campaign. Liu interpreted Chomsky's photo as “abduction”:
[…]如果人家喬姆斯基並不知道此一訴求，你把人家“綁架”來舉個牌子迎合你自己的立場需求，是不是也太不尊重對方了？為什麽不充分告知人家你們真正的反對中國的立場呢？為什麼牌子上，只有”反對媒體壟斷”有英文翻譯呢？你反中國的立場大可以明白表示，讓對方清楚認知考慮後再表態，不需要遮遮掩掩。是否因為怕喬老要是知道了這個立場，未必會表態支持，索性就模糊其辭，就不得而知了。但如果喬老人家根本就不知道你運動所包括的反中訴求，就把人家趕鴨子上架，這樣的做法，未免也太缺乏政治技巧了吧！[…]
[…]If Chomsky did not know about this demand [anti-China factor], you have “abducted” him by asking him to hold a placard that expressed your own position. Isn't this rather disrespectful? Why didn't you explain clearly your anti-China position to him? Why was the only English translation the slogan “anti-media monopoly”? Why do you have to cover this up and not let him know your anti-China position? Are you afraid that if Chomsky knew the position, he would not have shown his support? That's why the slogan has been blurred? Of course we don't know the real intention. But if Chomsky did not know there is an anti-China factor in your movement and you placed him in the duck's window display [meaning abduction], your political tactic is very poor!
他所認定和支持的立場，針對的是反對媒體壟斷和媒體新聞自由。喬老並不希望外界的解讀，踰越這個範疇，或加油添醋。 問題是，台灣部分反中人士和媒體，卻綁架他來為自己的立場掩護。每個運動都有自己的立場訴求，但為自己的立場訴求辯護手段要經得起檢驗，要用道理說服人。
按此理解，如果喬姆斯基當時不是被誤導、被糊弄，就不知道怎麽回事了。那些要求他舉牌的，自己應當最清楚。人家顯然沒有被告知完整訊息，就被硬扯進來為你們自己的立場背書。你們這種暗渡陳倉、移花接木的做法，和你們口口聲聲所反對的言論壟斷和扭曲，有什麼兩樣？你們不就是打着”反壟斷”的正義旗幟，做相反的事嗎？
What he knew and supported was against media monopoly and supported media and press freedom. He doesn't want people to misinterpret and add “other favors” to his position. The issue at stake is, some anti-China people and media have abducted him to strengthen their position. Every movement has their own stand but they have to establish their position with valid means and reason.
According to such understanding, I don't know what would have happened if Chomsky had not been misled or fooled. Those who asked him to hold the placard should know exactly what had happened. It is obvious that he had not been told the compete message and been dragged to support your position. The way the messages have been hidden and transplanted is as bad as the kind of distortion and monopoly that you criticize. Under the flag of “anti-monopoly”, you are doing the opposite.
To clarify the situation, Lin Ting-An posted her email communication to Chomsky in her Facebook. The email, inviting Chomsky to join the campaign, explained in detail the background of the campaign against Pro-China media group Want Want China Times’ acquisition of Next Media, with the translation of the placard slogans:
Here is now a horrible media monopoly event happening in Taiwan: The Pro-China Want Want China Times Group chairman, Tsia Eng-meng, is going to buy the Taiwanese branch of Next Media (which was owned by Hong Kong mogul Jimmy Lai). If this purchase is approved, Mr. Tsai will control about 46% of Taiwan's newspaper market. Mr. Tsai not only owns the newspaper (China Times, Commercial Times), but also the magazine, TV channel, and cable TV service, and his turning a blind eye to Beijing's human rights violations (He denies the Tiananmen square massacre) make us become really worried about the future of Taiwanese media.
In order to against this purchase and the government ignorance, Taiwanese students have launched several protests since November and will hold another one on New Year's Eve. There is now an activity which urges global supporters to photograph themselves, holding the slogan of “Oppose Media Monopoly, Reject the black hand of China, uphold freedom of the press, I protect Taiwan in ___”, and upload it online. (I attached my photo which took at Yang Ming university, Taiwan.)
Although Chomsky has further clarified that he had not been misled by anyone and the incident was a “misunderstanding”, his statement has not had much bearing on the major media outlets.
The debate about whether or not the China Factor should be stressed in the anti-media monopoly campaign has been a debate within the movement since day one. On the one hand, activists are aware that the media liberalization policy since the 1990s has been the driving force of the capital monopoly of Taiwan mainstream media. On the other hand, the influence of mainland China capital, as well as its political agenda to take control of Taiwanese media corporations, has become more and more obvious in the Want Want China Times’ acquisition of TV Cable Network and Taiwan Next Media. Similar debates have been going on among activists for months. After the Chomsky incident, in the anti-Want Want China Times campaign page, Jiangeng Chiou raised the issue [zh] again:
我想我們應該更認真地討論「反媒體壟斷」是否該和「反中國黑手」拖勾。這波反壟斷運動已經引起大眾的廣泛注意，是個推動媒體改革的很好的契機，如果只是勾起藍綠意識和統獨議題，對於更廣的媒體問題幫助不大，非常可惜。看看公視問題，台灣有好的媒體人，受到不只中國還有其他政治和財團力量狹持。反中國黑手的同時，何不連其他政治黑手，財團黑手全部一起反一反？
I think we should discuss if the “anti-media monopoly” should go hand -n-hand with “anti-China manipulation”. Currently the anti-media monopoly has attracted the public attention and it is a golden opportunity to campaign for media reform. The blue vs green and unification vs. independence sentiment is not helping the campaign. Let's take a look at the problem faced by Taiwan Public Television Service, the pressure faced by media workers in Taiwan not only comes from China, but also other political clans and capital. Apart from China, we have to confront other political and corporate forces.
In a comment Charlene Delerk replied:
關鍵是現在想操控台灣媒體的,正是中國政府,而台灣某些特定人士則做為其手套.討論”要不要拿掉中國政府因素’,那就正中了中國政府的下懷,因為支持者已經在這個問題點上內亂分化了.其實這事幾個月前就討論過了,現在還跟著中天起舞,拿出來炒冷飯,真的是都餿了.喜歡中國的就去中國,沒人攔著
The key is China government wants to manipulate Taiwanese media. Some people who have occupied special positions have become their groves [covering their black hands]. The discussion of whether or not we should delete China factor in the campaign is serving their purpose of dividing our supporters. This issue has been discussed some months ago, now people are still dancing with CitiTV and re-firing the rice that is also sour [meaning turning outdated news into news]. If they like China so much, they can go to China, no one stops them.
For those who are outside Taiwan, it is very difficult to understand the political dynamic and it seems rather inevitable that Chomsky be misled and distorted in such a media and political environment.

author: Oiwan Lam


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The Future of E-Commerce and Mobile Payments in Africa · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Mbawana Alliy says that e-commerce & mobile payments in Africa will not scale without business process integration:”As I tell the startups in our accelerator who are exploring integrating payments, its not just about accepting payments its about a business process and even business model rethink and in turn convince both consumers or businesses to pay electronically to effectively monetize their services.”


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The Mapuche in Modern Chile · Global Voices
Gabriela García Calderón Orbe

After the launching of the book “The Mapuche in Modern Chile” by doctor Joanna Crow, website Chileno  presents an interview with the author and notes:
In the work, Dr Crow uses a range of sources including Mapuche testimony, academic texts, government documents, music and art, newspapers and parliamentary debate to describe the variety of lived experience of the Mapuche and aims to take the reader beyond a simple narrative of repression and resistance.


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Trinidad & Tobago: Questionable Résumés · Global Voices
Matthew Hunte

Last week the Trinidad Guardian revealed that Hafizool Mohammed, who serves on the Commission of Inquiry into the 1990 attempted coup  had many discrepancies on his résumé. His PhD in International Relations is from an unaccredited university; The American Military University, an on-line, for-profit institution where he supposedly earned a master's degree, has no record of him.  Referees either don't exist or barely know of him.  Sir Ellis Clarke, a former President of Trinidad and Tobago whom Mohammed listed as a reference, is dead.
It was eventually revealed that the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Winston Dookeran, had initially suggested that Mohammed serve on the Commission of Inquiry. Dookeran apparently first met Mohammed in 2010 when the latter offered his services to the country.  Dookeran said that he submitted Mohammed's name to the Attorney General, Anand Ramlogan, who then presented his name to Cabinet, which appointed him to the Commission.
For his part, Ramlogan said that since the recommendation came from an experienced Cabinet member like Dookeran and that Mohammed had provided certificates from all the institutions he attended, it never occurred to him that there could have been a problem. He announced that investigations into Mohammed's qualifications were taking place. Mohammed himself has taken a leave of absence from the Commission while the investigations are going on.
At The Eternal Pantomime, Rhoda Bharath wondered how many more questionable appointments have been made:
…neither Dookeran, Ramlogan, Persad-Bissessar nor the President (either Richards or Hamel-Smith) ever bothered to run a simple background check on Mohammed’s credentials. Or, maybe they were depending on the media and the citizenry to never ask or search and thereby get away with giving an unsuitable person a job he isn’t qualified for. It makes you wonder how many more unqualified hacks we have sitting in positions they have no qualifications for and will they too be unearthed.
Bharath felt this incident was just part of a larger pattern and referred to previous incidents to underscore her point – first, the controversial Reshmi Ramnarine appointment:
And you know the scary thing? This is typical, par for the course behaviour of the People’s Partnership. I remember John Sandy and Prakash Ramadhar in late 2010 heartily endorsing Reshmi Ramnarine’s appointment as SIA Director. When the Opposition did its job and opposed the appointment there was loud criticism…
Within days of Sandy and Ramadhar’s endorsement we would learn that Ramnarine’s CV was doctored. She had no degree from UWI, she was in fact grossly underqualified for her job. Ms Ramnarine resigned and now lives and works under a new identity.
Then, the Omar Khan appointment:
By June 2011, Omar Khan, who had been appointed as Chairman of T&TEC, was also under the microscope for doctored credentials. It appeared that Khan’s first degree in engineering from UWI and his MBA from the Arthur Lok Jack School were both false and he had acquired his engineering qualifications through a correspondence course. And in much the same way Khan wrote his way to an engineering degree; he wrote to tender his resignation, listing personal responsibilities as his reason.
Philip Edward Alexander thought the country may have been spared from the prospect of having Dookeran appointed to the Presidency:
Seriously, shame would strain to effectively cover this latest bungling fiasco, and the newest rounds of ‘iz not me, iz he’ being offered as defense by none other than Presidential-hopeful Winston Dookeran is really too much to bear. Admitting that it was he who recommended Dr Hafizool Mohammed to Cabinet as a potential member of the commission without checking his bona fides, he rejects the responsibility of the final appointment stating that at the end of the day the referral should have been checked by the Attorney General who made the final decision?
Alexander reiterated his call for the Attorney General to leave, or be removed from office:
With regard to the Attorney General, one is hard pressed to envision him continuing on in Office, especially when one looks back over his brief not quite three year career in the position; the missing piano found where it was supposed to be all along, the appointment of an unqualified junior clerk to head up the nation's highest security apparatus, the still unresolved Section 34 fiasco, the on again/off again extradition of Ishwar Galbaransingh and Steve Ferguson, the questions surrounding his decision to not appeal the quashing of the extradition order have all collectively stunk up the place beyond what could be considered bearable, but this, this is more than a last straw or a final insult, this is a demonstration of incompetence for high Office and the Prime Minister cannot in good conscience believe that she has any choice here other than to request his resignation or fire him.
Wired868 suggested some ways for Mohammed to spruce up his résumé even more:
Mr Live Wire can only hope that the doctored coup chairman seizes this opportunity to leap to nationwide fame.
A good place to start for Mohammed would be a retort that he cannot comment on the Guardian’s allegations until he has read the newspaper article in hard copy, cross-checked the news ink’s authenticity and verified the journalist’s political membership.
Preferably, he would conduct this interview at the AG’s residence in between gulps of red bulls and vodka while twirling his car keys and wearing a tee-shirt that reads: ‘I see dead people… they provide the best references.’
Falcon from TTOnline.com also called for Dookeran and Ramlogan to resign:
Imagine you are such an idiot that you would employ a liar to administrate a commission of truth and not care. (wait a minute…that's how they operate always)
Imagine you are charged with vetting someone's qualifications and a simple Photoshop imaginary certificate is ‘good enough’ for you, and you dont (sic) check with the Uni or request an official transcript
Imagine you so shameless you will try to say that Dookeran vetted the man so you didnt have to
If Anand doesn't resign (he wont) (sic), then Dooks should resign and call for Anand to follow him
If you cant trust your AG, then all is lost
User Amelia responded to a question asking whether employers vet the claims made on résumés:
They do.
I've worked for the public and private enterprises and bec (sic) of the nature of the position, there were ppl checking up to see that I lived where I said I lived. Someone actually came around 7pm to verify my address. They spoke to my neighbours and even the man who own (sic) the parlour down the road. They called every single previous employer. I had to get transcripts from universities.  By the time they called me for the interview is because I received calls from a dozen ppl asking me what i do bec ppl come round asking bout (sic) me and my family.
I dont (sic) for a second believe this was an honest mistake of someone getting through cracks in the system. There is already a system in place so there's already manpower to do the check ups.

author: Matthew Hunte


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