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Libya: Women, Writers and Artists · Global Voices
Fozia Mohamed

Apparently swine flu has not yet hit the Libyan blogosphere but I'm sure talking about the status of women would make a good icebreaker.
After exploring several Libyan blogs, Highlander who was
posting about Arab/Libyan writers and bloggers thinks that with
regards to writing it is preferable to use the blogosphere as a practicing space. There was no need to inform all to avoid trouble with the male half.
“I don't think that the Libyan males are against their sisters, mothers, wives etc. writing but more as social pressure and the 3ayb  [ shame – dishonour] part – as in what cannot be seen then does not exist… or that the precious females maybe recognised and their ideas misinterpreted and God forbid their reputation ruined because Libyan dudes would be trolling their website/blog .[ref]
An oft forgotten aspect is that  living outside Libya is not a guarantee of a different or similar attitude for that matter. Check what happened at the same event in London and Washington DC. Anglo Libyan who attended  the London one is so frustrated he asks men to respect women.
“as I walked in the hotel I found most of the invited people standing outside the hall where the film was going to be screened as the doors were still closed, I noticed very few ladies there, they were standing with their partners, about 20 minutes later I saw a member of staff open one of the hall's doors slightly then suddenly from no where I saw a group of Libyan ladies, about 15 or 20 run past us and straight into the hall, it really was like a flash then the member of staff closed the door, obviously they were hidden somewhere out of sight until some body asked the organisers to open the door for them to keep them away from prying male Libyan eyes!!!! after the doors were open for the rest of us to go in the event hall, the first thing I noticed was how all the ladies were seated right at the back all in one group in a segregated section, I immediately looked at the few ladies I saw in the beginning who were standing with their partners, they all looked puzzled and confused, I am sure they wanted to sit with their families but eventually decided to segregate from their families and sat at back with the other ladies and they really did not look very happy” [source]
On the edge had a very controversial post about foreign women who marry Libyans and how some of them have unfortunately been treated. She says:
” I am constantly reading Libyan bloggers writing about how EASY my life as a foreigner married to a Libyan is here in Libya . […] What I do know for a fact is this …. our lives are dam hard . Real hard , harder than you can imagine at times . We don't have our mothers and fathers to protect us when our husbands and/ or their families decide to mistreat us like a Libyan woman would . Nor do we have a safe harbor to run to when things get bad or ugly . No place or no one there for us to go to , to listen to us and our problems . No helping hand to reach out in love , like a Libyan woman does . No , we just tough it out .We stick to it . We don't run away . We stand and fight for ourselves and our children for all we are worth , in whatever manner we have to defend ourselves by .
We do this because of love . Love , yes love . We love our husbands , even when we want to kill him . We love our kids , even when they disrespect us or are ashamed of us because we aren't Libyans , because we are different .Yes that happens to some of us . Love of our adopted home , Libya and all Her crazy , strange ,beautiful, wondrous , people , places ,and things .”
Needless to say this topic created such a hot debate that it prompted a follow up post.
On the other hand and on the topic of Libyan writers, Ghazi from Imtidad constantly astonishes us with translations of short stories by Libyan writers ( male and female). A published writer himself I think that Ghazi has good future before him. His latest translation is Omar Kikli's ” While drinking tea” which sent chills down my spine.
Shahrazad always the one to plug interesting Libyan things has put up a number of photos of paintings by a budding Libyan female artist.
” Here are a few paintings my sister took at a friends house. The painter is still in her beginning and has never had an exhibition. So I told her Id blog her paintings and see what the feedback would be.”
Personally I would buy one of the paintings if she can arrange a vernissage.
I'll conclude by posting Lostdubliner's experience as an Irish expat female in Libya. She has been here for about two months.
“armed with my camera I leave the hotel room in the hope of catching a bit of the local culture – this however turns from a fantastic idea to a disappointing reality. Practically every car that comes by with men in it horns or stops! I have numerous offers of a lift, phone numbers and friendship! Nervous and frustrated, halfway down the road I quickly turn on my heels and head straight back to the hotel.[…] Back at the hotel the staff are all extremely friendly and hospitable, everyone either knows my name or calls me “sister”. In general the Libyan people come across as a lot more warmer than in the West – they eminate a strong element of goodness and kindness which is very refreshing!” [source]
The above just shows that some Libyan lads are total losers and that others are lovely gentlemen.
Women in Libyan society are loved, respected and cared for as  mothers, sisters, aunts, daughters and wives. The state guarantees freedom and equality between men and women but it still runs across cultural norms and traditions and here I don't mean religion. This post is not about feminism, it's just observations about anomalies plaguing our society and a reflection on how to deal with them.

author: Fozia Mohamed


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Myanmar: Opposition Sets Conditions for 2010 polls · Global Voices
tan

The Irrawaddy reports that Myanmar's opposition party, National League for Democracy, has set conditions for  participation in the 2010 Elections.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: tan


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Myanmar: US is Not Considering Lifting Sanctions · Global Voices
tan

The Irrawaddy reports that the United States is not considering lifting sanctions against Myanmar as part of its review of policy change for the country.


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Nepal: Army Chief Sacked · Global Voices
Rezwan

United We Blog! for a Democratic Nepal reports that the “Maoist-led ruling alliance in Nepal has decided to sack the Chief of the Army Staff, General Rookmangad Katwal”. Read our previous post for details on this issue.

author: Rezwan


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Thailand: Declining pork sales · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Due to rising costs and swine flu fears, pork sales have been declining in Thailand.

author: Mong Palatino


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Tunisia: Call to Embrace Work Ethics on Labour Day  · Global Voices
Lina Ben Mhenni

May 1st marked International Labour Day around the world and Tunisian bloggers grasped the occasion to comment on the situation of workers and their laziness.
Writing in French, Yellow  reflects on the day saying:
Il faut y penser non… une journée mondiale pour les chômeurs, pour le chômage… pour les manifestants, pour les syndicaux… et pour les papas aussi (fête internationale je veux dire) et pourquoi pas une journée internationale pour chaque pays (à part celle de qui fête l'indépendance ou celle qui a marqué l'histoire d'un peuple comme le 7 novembre chez nous..huh^^)
In a post written in the Tunisian dialect, Clandestine offers the following advice to workers:
Arabasta  writes a short post saying:
Happy Labor Day to all workers around the globe!

author: Lina Ben Mhenni


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Africa: Aggregating African voices on Twitter · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Kenyan blogger uses Twibes to aggregate African conversations on Twitter: “i have decided to use Twibes(a twitter based website)to aggregate african user tweets and followers.I have formed the Afritwits group at Twibes . The idea is to come up with an afrocentric twitter group where the latest twit on Africa can be accesed.

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Americas: Region Responds to the H1N1 Virus · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Even though the epicenter of the H1N1 virus outbreak has been in Mexico, other countries in the region are finding ways to prevent and combat it. Bloggers have been keen on taking a close look at what their governments are doing to alleviate fears, or whether they are responsible for adding to the concern. Others Latin American bloggers are observing the behavior of their fellow citizens, often using humor to cut through some of the tension.
As a result of the outbreak, many events and planned activities expected to draw large crowds were canceled and postponed, such as the New Winds Festival scheduled for April 23 – May 3 in the Mexican city of Ecatepec. Guatemalan blogger Alan Mills of Revólver [es] suddenly needed to find alternate plans, since he had been planning to attend the festival.
Photo of the Mexico Metro by Eneas and used under a Creative Commons license http://www.flickr.com/photos/eneas/3471986083/
Many citizens are looking at the actions being taken by their governments amidst the heightened public awareness of the possibility of the virus arriving to their countries. In Costa Rica, which was the second country to report a case in the region,  Hazel Feigenblatt of Quien Paga Manda [es] writes that the Ministry of Health is cracking down on pharmacies trying to capitalize by selling false medicines or fake vaccines.  The Ecuadorian blogger at Dejálo Ser [es] questions the purchase of 150,000 doses of Tamiflu by a country that has yet to see the virus and whether the money might be wasted if they are not used and allowed to expire.
Luis Aguirre of Bloodyhell [es] criticizes the actions of the Peruvian Ministry of Health that announced that an Argentine citizen had entered the country with the H1N1 virus, but it was proved to be incorrect after testing [es]. However, the damage was already done because the government entity had also released the name of the person suspected of having the virus [es], which is something not done in other countries.
Photo of Tourists in Cancún by El Enigma and used under a Creative Commons http://www.flickr.com/photos/marca-pasos/3494017972/
The behavior of others around them is a subject often written about in blogs. In Bolivia, Azael of Abre Los Ojos [es] recently came across a car with four passengers wearing face masks in the city of La Paz. The virus is not known to have reached the country of Bolivia, but he notes that the same people are not doing other simple things to prevent other mishaps, “What is difficult to find is people wearing their seat belts inside their cars.”
Velvet of Piso Tres [es] in Medellín, Colombia notes a particularly frustrating day riding public transportation due to the reactions of people around him.
Resulta que soy alérgico a los olores fuertes. Percibo un aroma de prefume muy concentrado e inmediatamente suelto el estornudo. Un estornudo de los clásicos, de los que no matan sino que te dejan aliviado y con sensación de placer. No tiene nada que ver con la gripa de los marranos. Claro, eso no lo saben los que viajan conmigo en el metro.
Hoy estornudé por culpa de un perfume malísimo que olí en el metro. Un señor del frente me miró con rabia asesina. Un niño miro a su mamá con mirada de mártir y abrazó su pierna. La señora me miró como diciéndome “¡homicida”! y se fue. La joven a mi lado -entre otras cosas la culplable de mi delicioso estornudo- se paró y se cambió de vagón. Otro señor cerquita sacó un pañuelo del bolsillo trasero y se tapó la nariz y la boca. En unos treinta segundos se formo un círculo imaginario a mi alrededor y sentí lo que debe sentir un leproso o un paria hindú.
Turns out that I am allergic to strong odors. If I catch a whiff of a strong perfume, I immediately sneeze. One of those classic sneezes, which doesn't kill, but leaves you relieved and with a sensation of pleasure. It has nothing to do with swine flu. Of course, those riding with me on the metro do not know that.
Today I had to sneeze because of a bad perfume that I smelled on the metro. A man in front of me looked at me with a killer contempt. A child looked at her mother with a look of a martyr and hugged her leg. The woman looked at me as if she were saying “murder!” and she left. The teenager at my side – in addition to being the one guilty for my delicious sneeze – stood up and changed metro cars. Another man close by took out a handkerchief from his back pocket and covered his nose and mouth. In a time period of 30 seconds, an imaginary circle formed around me and I felt what it must feel like for a leper or an Indian pariah.
Others try to use humor to put a lighter touch on the worry. Gandica of Venezuela writes about the “new image of death” and imagines what it might be like to be questioned in heaven about the cause of death [es]:
- ¿Y usted de qué murió?
Entonces la respuesta correcta debe ser:
– De la gripe AH1N1.
No vaya pues a cometer el garrafal error de mencionar que murió de influenza o gripe porcina -ya sabe AH1N1-nueva-gripe / H1N1- porque la industria-de-alimentos-carne-de-cerdo está muy sensible y pidió el cambio de nombre.
Joder. Como si el nombre gripal tuviera mucha importancia en estos momentos sobre lo que se nos viene encima.
¡Son pues vainas de nosotros los humanos, siempre tan cuidadosos con la imagen-relaciones-públicas!
- And what did you die of?
The correct answer should be:
– of the AH1N1 virus
Don't commit the monumental error of saying flu or swine flu – you already know AH1N1 – new flu / H1N1 – because-the-pork-industry is very sensitive and asked for the name change.
Damn. As if the name of the flu is important in these times. They are the dumb things human do, always so careful with our image and public relations!
Julio Córdoba of Ciencia Ficción [es] in Costa Rica publishes a fictitious advice column responding to readers concerned about the virus.
“¿Usted cree que me muera?” Anónimo, San José.
R/: De la gripe no, en un asalto en San José sí.
Do you think I'll die? Anonymous, San José (the capital city)
Response/: Of the flu, no…in a robbery in San José, yes.

author: Eduardo Avila


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Armenia: No policies, but plenty of perks · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

The Caucasian Knot, the blog of Global Voices Online's Caucasus editor posts an account, photographs and video of yesterdays pre-election campaign rally by the governmental Prosperous Armenia political party. The blog notes that back yards were asphalted just hours before the meeting and a free concert appeared to replace offering the electorate any actual policies in the party's bid to have their candidate become mayor.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Bangladesh: Closer To The First Nuclear Power Plant · Global Voices
Rezwan

Mohammad Farhan Husain, at Had I been in Voyager 1!!! blog is excited that Bangladesh is closing on a deal with Russia to build its first nuclear power plant. He comments: “If this deal goes through, it will put an end to the agony (power crisis) people of Bangladesh are going through for decades.”


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Belize: H1N1 Negative  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Belizean reports that “there are no confirmed cases of the H1N1 flu virus” in the country.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Caribbean: Hurricane Names  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Repeating Islands reports that “three Atlantic hurricane names—Gustav, Ike and Paloma—have been retired after those storms killed more than 200 people in the Caribbean region during the 2008 season.”


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Caribbean: On Press Freedom · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Yesterday – May 3 – was World Press Freedom Day – declared by the United Nations General Assembly in order to raise awareness of the importance of freedom of the press.  Many Caribbean bloggers noted the significance of the occasion in their posts…
Signifyin’ Guyana tried to rally a call to action:
For at least one day (today) many hope the eyes of the world will focus on places where persons in the media–bloggers included–have been jailed, and even killed for writing about injustices.
She went on to call the names of some offending countries and the “journalists in peril”, adding:
To a lesser degree of injury, but certainly just as important in the matter of restrictions on press freedoms, is what's taking place in Guyana.  What I see in Guyana is a less evident condition of press freedom restriction.
Now one can easily point to President Jagdeo as a major offender.  His rantings against the press who dare to criticize the government of Guyana are well documented…but even more freedom-restricting than Jagdeo's actions, are the actions of some top media Personnel in Guyana.
The post also laid part of the blame squarely at the feet of irresponsible journalists:
Here's what I propose we do in true support of those media persons around the world (and in Guyana as well) whose freedoms are being stifled by abusive powers: Don't read or buy Kaieteur News and The Guyana Times–and while we're at it throw in the Guyana Chronicle as well–for at least one week.  And let's go here instead to add [our] voices to the calls for action.
Further north along the archipelago, Cuban bloggers Uncommon Sense and Along the Malecon noted the irony of the occasion in light of last week's arrest of two dissidents in eastern Cuba:
Cuban authorities on Wednesday detained Rolando Rodríguez Lobaina and his brother Néstor, leaders of the Cuban Youth Movement for Democracy in Baracoa…dedicated to helping free Cuban prisoners.
Even though Uncommon Sense later posted an update confirming “that the Rodríguez brothers were released from detention this weekend”, Along the Malecon continued:
Press freedom advocates say you don't have to have formal studies to be a practicing journalist.  What's certain is that a disproportionately high number of journalists are in jail in Cuba.  There were 125 journalists in jail around the world in 2008, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, or CPJ. Roughly 20 percent were Cubans.  The CPJ also says Cuba is one of the 10 worst countries to be a blogger, according to this April 30 report.
Antilles, the weblog of the Caribbean Review of Books, supported the move by the international writers’ association PEN to launch its Freedom to Write in the Americas campaign, which “aims to highlight the persecution of writers and journalists and the issue of impunity in the region, provide direct support to colleagues in trouble, and raise awareness of trends of repression and censorship threatening writers’ rights”:
In the Caribbean, like everywhere else, we need our writers–not just journalists, but novelists, poets, playwrights, historians, critics–to ask unpopular questions, reveal uncomfortable facts, and compel us to consider those crucial matters that our political leaders would rather we ignored.
Finally, in Trinidad and Tobago, Media Watch published a statement by the Media Association of Trinidad and Tobago, while The Secret Blog of Patrick “Patos” Manning, which purports to be from the mind of the country's media-embattled Prime Minister, posts a tongue-in-cheek excerpt from his most recent Twitter feed:
T&T journalists, as you observe World Press Freedom Day on May 3, hope you remember how good allyuh have it down here.


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China: Beyond 1989 · Global Voices
John Kennedy

The idealism and discontent of the 1980s? Long gone, says former student organizer Zhang Lijia via a post at China Herald.

author: John Kennedy


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China: Ninetieth anniversary of 05/04 Movement · Global Voices
John Kennedy

C. Custer at ChinaGeeks has posted on the context of the May Fourth Movement: “If the West was a lighted room, certainly many Chinese found the bulb growing dimmer as they entered it in the first part of the twentieth century.”


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China: Pharmaceutical company PSA · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Chris Waugh at bezdomny ex patria has translated an advertorial from a company boasting “capacity for large-scale production of swine flu vaccine”. Vaccine confidence, Waugh wonders, or over-confidence?


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Costa Rica: Band Releases Citizen Collaboration Video · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

Costa Rican band Malpais has released the video for their first single of their latest CD. What makes the video of The Butterfly Effect different is that it includes video clips that were sent in by their fans and uploaded on their website. This new video, part of the Un Dia Lejano (A Day Far Away) album was released online.
Cristian Cambronero wrote back in February about the group's request for participation in his blog, Fusil de Chispas:
Es la primera vez que una banda nacional incursiona en un modelo que ya ha sido explotado ampliamente gracias a las posibilidades de la red. Habrá que pelar los ojos para ver el resultado.
Malpais means Bad Country in Spanish, and that is the name of the small coastal hamlet which is the band's namesake. The town of Malpais has become popular recently with tourists, both domestic and international, and is a lively community of artists, musicians and travelers who decided to stop their journeys there.  The next video shows the band's call for fan submissions illustrating the song The Butterfly Effect. The fans were asked to submit videos shot on any sort of gadget: from professional cameras, point and shoot digital cameras or mobile devices.
Those who sent in videos which were later selected to be a part of the official video could win the band's CD, tickets for the video concert launch and getting credit for their video submission. The winners are listed here, and the official video follows:
You can hear more music by Malpais on their myspace page, and on their official website you can also download the guitar tablature for some songs in case you wish to play along or on your own.

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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Cuba: Ladies Attacked · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Diaspora blogger Uncommon Sense links to a report that says the Damas de Blanco were attacked by both police and private citizens following a Mass in the Cuban province of Matanzas.


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Cuba: May Day  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

As Havana Times blogs about the traditions of May Day in Cuba, complete with photos of the festivities, Generation Y does something non-traditional: “The limited drumming arose from the smallness of the individual who dared, and not from the massive automatism of those who paraded in the morning..in spite of the few notes heard, I think it changed something in the routine of International Workers’ Day.”


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DR Congo: Baby Gorilla Rescued in Trafficking Bust · Global Voices
Samuel Maina

On Sunday, 26 April 2009, ICCN Rangers, led by the Virunga National Park Director –  a former WildlifeDirect CEO – Emmanuel de Merode arrested a suspected gorilla trafficker and recovered a concealed baby eastern lowland gorilla.
The suspect was accosted and arrested as he disembarked from a plane at Goma International Airport where the rangers had been waiting for his arrival from Walikale in the interior of the country and close to gorilla habitat. Eastern Lowland Gorillas are only found in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The baby gorilla, which had been hidden under a pile of clothes in a bag was weak, dehydrated and suffering from over-heating after spending long hours in the poorly ventilated bag.
This video shows the sequence of events just before and after the trafficker was arrested.
The Gorilla Protection blog says that this is evidence that there is indeed a market for gorilla babies and talks of an incidence where “we (WildlifeDirect) were approached by someone commissioned by a rich citizen of a middle eastern country, who wanted to know how to go about purchasing a baby gorilla.”
Emmanuel de Merode confirms that this market exists and that it is a very lucrative one at that. He is quoted in a blog post at Gorilla.cd saying:
Our work has revealed a significant upsurge in the trafficking of baby gorillas in recent months, possibly as a result of the war last year. Investigations have yet to reveal where these animals are being sent and who is buying them, but on the ground sources tell us that a baby gorilla can fetch up to $20,000
This arrest was the culmination of three months of investigation into this racket. The Gorilla Protection blog rejoiced at the news and hoped that “justice will be served and the baby gorilla returns to it’s natural habitat.”

author: Samuel Maina


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Fiji: Pacific Islands Forum membership had its privileges · Global Voices
Michael Hartsell

Previously we checked in on bloggers offering their analysis of the possibility Fiji would be suspended from the Pacific Islands Forum. The shoe has now dropped. Fiji's government refused to schedule elections at the group's behest, breaking off much of its relations with the group.
We’ll look at the outcome of Fiji’s suspension from the 16-nation from the regional block. The move, which came into effect midnight May 1, temporarily strips Fiji of full member privileges, including attendance of Forum meetings and events. The country will also no longer will benefit from new financial or technical assistance – other than aid toward the restoration of democracy.
Fiji’s suspension marks the first time in its nearly four-decade history the Pacific Islands Forum has taken this step against a country. Yet Forum chair, Toke Talagi, Premier of Niue, said the suspension was particularly timely due to the “deterioration” of legal, political and human rights in the country.
Fiji’s government called the suspension “regrettable.” The acting Prime Minister said the forum “has chosen to ignore the circumstances in Fiji” by forcing it to hold elections under a “racist” communal-based system (where Parliamentary seats are apportioned by race) that strips powers from politically moderate groups which attempt to attract voters across race/ethnic lines.
In Raw Fiji News, contributor Jean D’Ark responds to the regime’s refusal to hold elections until 2014.
DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS ARE NOT ABOUT ENDORSING A PARTICULAR ELECTORAL SYSTEM OR NOT. THEY ARE ABOUT DETERMINING WHAT THE PEOPLE THINK OF WHAT IS GOING ON? CONCEALED JUST BEHIND KHAIYUM’S STONEWALL OF EXTRA-PLANETARY PROPAGANDA IS THE CONCEITED ASSUMPTION THAT “WE KNOW BEST”. WELL – LET US SEE IF THE PEOPLE AGREE. OR ARE YOU AFRAID THAT THE PEOPLE WILL PUT TWO-AND-TWO TOGETHER, AND EQUATE FIJI’S CURRENT DIRE STRAITS WITH THE REGIME’S APPALLING DECISION-MAKING THAT PRECEDED IT?
Fiji Girl argues Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama is not out to progressively change Fiji to become a post-racial state; rather, he is engaged in a power play.
No matter how ‘over much’ the Baini might protest, this is not about Fiji’s electoral system.  It never has been.  This Vore coup has always been about him escaping from being brought to Justice for his treatment of the CRW soldiers [who attempted a mutiny in November 2000 that was violently put down by soldiers].  People are not stupid.  Our neighouring governments are not stupid.  They see through Vore’s lies, and see him for the pathetic creature he is.
Now that the Forum has suspended Fiji, the government can move forward with its promised reforms, says Kalougata in Fiji Board Exiles.
Frank can implement the charter and new Constitution without all the foreign meddling and a few countries in the South Pacific who agreed to Fiji's suspension can look for other shipping and airline routes to serve their countries. NZ and OZ will be happy to serve them for a price. Now is the time to quietly and politely implement some new policies for Fiji.
Jone says:
Agreed! Australia and NZ are total hypocrits. If the standard is democracy, then Tonga and Samoa should also be expelled. This ruling is a joke!
It shouldn’t be lost that the Forum Secretariat is located in Suva, Fiji’s capital. Real Jack argues Fiji should kick the regional body out.
the best thing about arrogance is that the way to lever it is to challenge the ego – and thats whats been done to Canberra – and they've swallowed it hook line and sinker – now Fiji is free to do whatever it needs to do to implement these changes – the Forum is now irrelevant to what happens here – it has the option of taxing to the maximum the Forums activities here or simply kicking them out – now noone can say Fiji acted prematurely or irrationally by kicking out the Forum headquarters and its offices from here.
One subtext of this story has been the ineffectiveness of Australia and New Zealand to influence events in Fiji. With Fiji now sidelined in the Forum, the regional body will certainly lose influence with the government while China and India have moved in and strengthened business ties with the country; even if that means for Fiji sometimes employing foreigners at the expense of locals while the economy is sinking.
Fiji’s government said regardless of the suspension, bi-lateral agreements with other countries in the region remain alive and it will continue dialogue with other international partners. The Australian press, at least, reports that China does not want to be seen as a “protector” to the Fijian regime. This has been picked up by at least one blogger, Discombobulated Bubu.
I was wondering why Voreqe has been strutting about like a peacock lately.
Word is that he thinks China will just write him blank cheques whenever he asks cos China is such the new bestest friend.
I am no political expert but I know enough to appreciate that this is a good example of just how no man is an island.
When it comes to the crunch, China will value Australia's word more because it is Australia that has the goodies that China wants.
Fiji offers no more than an opportunity for Chinese Nationals to come and earn a living (courtesy of the string attached to the Chinese loans) , pilfer our fishing grounds, and perhaps a land grab if we, it's citizens, continue to stay complacent about the rape of our freedoms.
Chinese don't come here to lay on the beaches. They go to places that have casino's and present opportunities to make money.
Bloggers aren’t only looking at this issue from the viewpoint of Fiji. New Zealand, Australia and the rest of the Pacific Islands Forum have parts to play also, says the New Zealand-based blog Fiji: The Way It Was, Is and Can be. While New Zealand has looked the other way regarding military coups in larger countries, two separate governments were not ready to do so with Fiji. That’s because New Zealand never saw Fiji as an equal partner.
Do I hold New Zealand primarily responsible for the way things have developed? Yes, but obviously not entirely. Bainimarama staged the Coup. His Government dug itself ever deeper into mud, much of its own making. Australia has also played an important role but seems, in most matters, to have taken its lead from us. Regretfully, I think we are the more culpable. I expected us to do better. Fiji's string of crises need not have come to this. We have been the most insistent on an election deadline that, for technical reasons alone, most probably could not have been met on time. Australia still has a High Commission in Suva, and has offered technical and other support. We have no High Commissioner and only skeletal HC staff.
We have offered nothing to help Fiji out of its mess– no forsensic accountants, no judicial or electoral expertise, no progressive easing of the travel bans, not even an air accident inspector. We, more than any other country, in our direct attacks and support for his opponents, drove Bainimarama back into a corner, provoking retaliation. Other Forum countries merely followed our lead, some with extreme reluctance. Let us hope dialogue continues, with or without the Forum. In a year or two, looking back, we may have cause to recall that it was at this Midnight we “send to know for whom the bell tolls.” We will then know whether is was Bainimarama, Qarase, Fiji, Australia's and New Zealand's mana, or the Forum we helped create and destroy.
Meanwhile, in displays quite uncharacteristic of good diplomacy, we have bailed ourselves and Bainimarama into a corner leaving neither a way to escape with dignity intact.
Along with the news of its suspension, the government announced its emergency rules would be extended for a second thirty days. This allows the police extra search and seizure powers, the right to detain suspects up to seven days without charges and provides strict rules for media coverage of political events, along with government censors embedded in newsrooms. The government said it re-upped the rules to maintain calm “during trying times.”
Following a court ruling stating the Commodore Frank Bainimarama came to power illegally in December 2006, the country’s President nullified the constitution, fired the entire judiciary and reappointed Bainimarama to a five-year term, expiring in 2014.

author: Michael Hartsell


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French Overseas Departments: Questioning the “Estates General” · Global Voices
Fabienne Flessel

Guadeloupean Mycho blogs [Fr] about her doubts concerning the “Estates General of the French Overseas Departments” to re-think the status of its distant departments, while bloggers Anba pyé mango-la and indiscrétions [Fr] also report on developments.

author: Fabienne Flessel


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Guadeloupe: May Day demonstrations · Global Voices
Fabienne Flessel

In a photo-post, Guadeloupean Chien créole  [Fr] blogs about the first massive demonstrations since the end of the recent social turmoil in the French West Indies: May Day celebration in Petit-Canal; meanwhile, Shakazulu [Guadeloupean Creole] reports on the number of demonstrators.


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Haiti: Election Farce  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Haiti's senatorial elections of April 19 were boycotted by the overwhelming majority of the electorate. As if to deliberately invite more ridicule, the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) announced that a…second round of the discredited elections will take place on June 7″: Wadner Pierre says that the electoral farce continues; HaitiAnalysis.com also weighs in on the election results.


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Hong Kong: Tin Hau festival · Global Voices
John Kennedy

See Lamborghinis and lion dances in Gilad Feldman's video and photos from celebrations of the Taoist Tin Hau festival in Hong Kong at Fili's world.


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India: Improving Quality Of Lives In Cities · Global Voices
Rezwan

Argumentation Crisis and other Short Stories lists some steps to improve the quality of life in typical Indian cities.


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Jamaica: Have a Laugh!  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Jamaica's Life, Unscripted, on the Rock thinks that World Laughter Day is a “positive concept”, while Montego Bay Day By Day posts two photos which prove that “laughter really is the best medicine.”


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Kenya: It’s Our Turn to Eat: The Story of a Kenyan Whistleblower · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

A review of a book on corruption in Kenya, “It’s Our Turn to Eat: The Story of a Kenyan Whistleblower”: I approached the book with a defensive scepticism, antennae up, mind braced, expecting a predictable caricature of an African nation in broad strokes of pitch black and sparkling white. She makes no sweeping indictments in the tradition of Kapuscinski and Naipaul before her.


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Kenya: The secret cyberlaw in Kenya · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

What is the secret cyberlaw that was passed by the Kenyan parliament?: As unfortunate as it would be, the great story of a new beginning for the ICT sector went largely unnoticed. The new law curiously carries a section or two that traditional Kenyan media did not like. Members of the fourth estate had started waging war against the new act as early as 2007 before it was tabled to parliament. So distructive was the media's campaign against the law it is still unfortunately referred to as the ‘media bill’.


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Nepal: Prime Minister Prachanda resigns · Global Voices
Bhumika Ghimire

Today (Monday, May 4, 2009) at 3 PM local time, Nepal’s Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal (Prachanda) announced his resignation through a press conference, pushing the already troubled country further into crises. His resignation comes after President Ram Baran Yadav reinstated the sacked army chief Rookmangud Katwal.
Image credit: Wikipedia
Only ten days ago there were allegations that the generals of Nepal Army were making plans of a ’soft coup’ to tackle Maoist’s plan to dismiss the Army chief.
Binaj Gurubacharya at The Huffington Post provides the background:
“Dahal, a former Maoist rebel leader, sacked army chief Rookmangud Katawal on Sunday after the two quarreled over the enlistment of former rebels into army ranks. President Ram Baran Yadav, who officially commands Nepal's military, rejected Dahal's decision and ordered Katawal to return to work in a late night notice.
Nepal's Maoists fought a bloody, 10-year war against the government before joining the political mainstream in 2006 and winning the most votes during elections last year after the Himalayan country abolished its centuries-old monarchy. However, many of the former Maoist fighters remain restricted to U.N.-monitored barracks under a peace accord.
Dahal wanted them freed and integrated into the military, as prescribed under a U.N.-brokered peace agreement. But Katawal resisted those efforts and sparred repeatedly with the government over the issue.”
Here is the video of the Prime Minster’s press meet [In Nepali], where he announced his resignation and accused the President of staging a “constitutional coup” by reinstating sacked army chief Katwal.
Prachanda said that the President's action is unconstitutional and alleged that foreign powers and his political rivals pushed Nepal’s figure head President to defy his decision.
Neil's Nepal explains the constitutional issue regarding the President's letter:
What should be plain to all here is that there is nothing unconstitutional about the defense ministry sacking the army chief. However, there is nothing constitutional about a ceremonial president giving orders countermanding such a proposal. This letter is tantamount to authorization to conduct a military coup. We shall see how the Maoist contingency plans hold up.
At United We Blog, readers seem divided over Prachanda’s decision to quit. Some have praised him for keeping his word but some accuse him of being reckless.
Ahimsa comments that:
“(Royal) Army has taken over!. By blocking the integration of PLA into the National Army, the (Royal) Army has successfully spoiled the peace process in Nepal. They will most likely now try to enrage and radicalize the Maoists to get the public consent to impose martial law. Bye, bye Republic of Nepal.”
Nepali’s views are very different from Ahimsa:
“when pm dares to make such foolhardy and reckless decision , what a general Nepali can expect from him…….except resignation”
Nepali language blog Mysansar is also covering the ongoing political crises in Nepal. In a post on the Prime Minister’s resignation, it claims that now the main opposition party Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist and Leninist) (UML) is in the race to form new government under the leadership of its former General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal.
A reader, Lax, at Mysansar, commenting on Prime Minister’s resignation says that the people’s aspirations for better future are being quashed for political goals:
“It’s the same game again, we have seen over and over in the Nepali politics. A selfish and power hunger struggle in the name of general public’s interest. It’s even a sad tragedy to see the same public being played and swayed again and again by the same so called corrupt leaders who have already deceived and shown their true colors in the past. Nepali Janta never learns a lesson. As long as these leaders are alive, nothing is going change at all. Don’t let anybody use you. Come out of that unconsciousness and decide your fate yourself.”
Late breaking news from Kathmandu, as reported by Republica, says that the Maoists have announced new round of protest against the President.
“A secretariat meeting the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) has decided to intensify struggle in the parliament and the street until President Dr Ram Baran withdraws his “unconstitutional” move. [..]”

author: Bhumika Ghimire


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Nepal: The Next Prime Minister · Global Voices
Rezwan

Democracy For Nepal (DFN) comments: “It is now time to form a new government that would include all parties except the Maoists. Jhala Nath Khanal would be the right person to lead that government.”


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Peru: The Switch to Digital Television · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

Peru is making the switch to digital television, but the government chose the Japanese-Brazilian standard making it more expensive for the consumer.  Eduardo Villanueva of Casi Un Blog Mk.II [es] wonder why the government made that decision when it indicated that cost will be a fact when deciding on the standard.

author: Juan Arellano


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Southeast Asia: Reactions to the H1N1 virus · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Early this year, I wrote about the virus scare which swept the Southeast Asian region. Rising cases of dengue fever, chikungunya, bird flu and ebola viruses were registered in many countries in the region. There is another threat in the region: H1N1 virus (formerly known as “swine flu”)
So far there have been no high profile cases of individuals acquiring the dreaded H1N1 virus. But there are rumors that a “swine flu” case has been detected in Malaysia. The Professional Bum also writes about a suspected H1N1 virus outbreak in Malaysia:
A Malaysian acquaintance shared with me over dinner how he lost an uncle to Swine Influenza. He mentioned some very compelling details with regard to how errant Muslim members of government service might have contributed to the global-wide Swine Flu Crisis. While I cannot ascertain the authenticity of his claims, his account is highly plausible. I don't think anyone would just lie about a relative dying.
Singapore has implemented various measures to prevent the entry of H1N1 virus in the global city state. This message is displayed in the Singapore Public Library:
NOTICE : NLB is monitoring the H1N1 Flu situation closely and is following the Ministry of Health guidelines on the precautionary measures to take. Library users are advised to adhere to the precautionary measures set out by MOH in the interest of public health.
Photo from the blog of Melon Syrup
A Facebook fan page was created to instruct Singaporeans about the virus. DK writes
No, I’m not going to be a fan of Influenza A (H1N1). Why should I be a fan of a virus that is spreading in the wild and killing hundreds of people?
OK, jokes aside. Although the term used in Facebook might not be the most suitable, being a “fan” of Influenza A (H1N1) in Facebook isn’t that bad. That facebook page is setup to keep us informed about the latest happening on Influenza A (H1N1).
Mr. Wang Says So explains why Singapore is vulnerable to the virus outbreak
The problem isn't merely that we are the most globalised country in Southeast Asia. The problem is also that Singapore is the second-most crowded country in the world.
absolutely Bangkok reports how the Thai government is using the “swine flu” scare to win some diplomatic points
It’s flabbergasting how fervently the Thai government embraces the swine flu, – in a globally acclaimed attempt to show that a) Thailand is clean; b) Thailand is very safe to travel to (to fill those emptied tourism coffers again; c) Thailand will host a regional swine flu summit (to reenter the world of international politics); to d) divert from the political mess; to e) have an Asean photo opp after the Pattaya fiasco; and to finally f) quietly celebrate that other countries can be humiliated too.
Spruiked criticizes Indonesian authorities for spreading false information about the H1N1 virus
It is embarrassing how stupid we have become. Proof? In reaction to the outbreak of swine flu, the Government has banned pork imports. Um, the virus is spread by humans!
My Busy Brain, also from Indonesia, blogs about the “swine mentality” of many leaders in the country
Until when will Indonesians be a laughing stock for the foreigners?  Until when will the government stop coming up with stupid statements?
The reaction of people to swine flu is even more entertaining though silly, and as expected, they blame that pigs are ‘haram’ anyways so stop consuming pork.  It seems like the blind leading the blind here, doesn’t it, and wonder how this rich country is managed.  Pretty scary.
Tan Kin Lian's Blog from Malaysia thinks the reactions of some people are exaggerated
A few friends have cancelled their overseas holidays, losing the money that they paid for the tours. It is rather wasteful and the risk is quite low. Perhaps, they are alarmed by the coverage in our newspapers and the advisory given by our Government.
Out of my mind from the Philippines reminds authorities that more measures are needed to secure the health of Filipinos
Installing controls at airport terminals cannot be the extent of our response to the swine flu pandemic because lest we forget, we are an archipelago composed of more than 7,000 islands and that not everyone who enters the country goes through the Ninoy Aquino International Airport where the high-tech equipment to detect higher body temperatures is located. Also, it might help to be reminded that we have back doors in the south as well as a number of ports that are open to international and regional voyagers.
Clearly, relying purely on control measures in a few terminals is not enough. It probably assuages some people suffering from extreme paranoia but we must not lose sight of the fact that prevention is always a far better and more effective course of action than control. The best way not to get infected is to protect one’s self against being infected rather than putting the responsibility solely in the hands of other people such as government.
Noting that virus outbreaks in the past involve animals – mad cow disease, foot-and-mouth, chicken flu and now swine flu – a blogger suggests that we go vegetarian.


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Sri Lanka: How Many Lives Are Still Required To End This War? · Global Voices
Rezwan

Indi.ca asks a burning question: “War is dirty and war is death. Sri Lanka has chosen war and it’s too late to turn back. It’s a terrible question, but you have to ask yourself, how many would you support killing to end this war?”


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Sri Lanka: Tamil Websites Blocked · Global Voices
Rezwan

ICT For Peace building (ICT4PEACE) reports that Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) has blocked access to a number of Tamil websites from its ADSL network.


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Trinidad & Tobago: A Question of Integrity  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“In light of all the corruption in Trinidad & Tobago, where we have fallen in the global corruption ratings steadily, this Commission is one of the last bastions of checks and balances provided to the people”: Jumbie's Watch takes issue with the confusion surrounding the appointment of the new Integrity Commission.


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Trinidad & Tobago: Empower OSHA · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“The Government has pumped millions into the construction of skyscrapers and mega-projects all over Trinidad and Tobago, but it appears to have fallen short when it comes to properly funding OSHA (the Occupational Health and Safety Act)”: Tattoo says that the government's failure to act on construction workers’ deaths “risk[s] valuing progress over sacred human lives.”


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Trinidad & Tobago: The Interchange  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Trinidadians Caribbean Free Radio, Mauvais Langue and The Undisputed Truth all blog about the new highway interchange.


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Trinidad & Tobago: Too Late?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Trinidad and Tobago…remains so out of date that Microsoft no longer supports the tools that were used to create the majority of government websites”: KnowProSE.com says that the Prime Minister's pronouncement of ICT as the way forward for the region “is absolutely right. And I suppose we should be grateful that he's only 10 years late and a few oil barrels short.”


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Anguilla: Legislation Needed · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Corruption-free Anguilla says: “Just passing a law does not achieve much. We need integrity legislation in Anguilla.”


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Armenia: Opposition TV goes mobile · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Unzipped welcomes the introduction of a new mobile phone news service by the banned A1 Plus pro-opposition TV station in Armenia. The blog says that once again modern technology is breaking state-imposed censorship.


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Armenia: Tensions rise ahead of municipal vote · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

The Caucasian Knot, the blog of Global Voices Online's Caucasus editor, carries a report on yesterday's pre-election campaign by the extra-parliamentary opposition. The blog includes video originally streamed live from the scene of a brief clash between police and opposition supporters. Unzipped also posts the video while Tzitzernak2 says that a new police operation has controls entry into the capital.


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Bermuda: Enough?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Vexed Bermoothes thinks that “Bermuda has a long history, and a rapidly growing Government, but our culture of good governance may not be keeping up.”


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China: Challenged in Latin America? · Global Voices
John Kennedy

A statement last week by American Secretary of State Hillary Clinton regarding China and Iran's presence in Latin America made headlines; Angry Chinese Blogger expands on her short statement in ‘Latin America: The next Sino-US Battleground?’.


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China: Foreign reporters of the May Fourth Movement · Global Voices
John Kennedy

China Rhyming blogger Paul French marked the ninetieth anniversary of the May Fourth Movement with an introduction of several foreigners who reported on the mass demonstrations at the time.


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China: Han Han to launch magazine · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Anonymous Uln at CHINAYOUREN takes Han Han's announcement of his plans to launch his own magazine, also yet still unnamed, as a chance to look more closely at the man behind the name, one of China's most-read bloggers.


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China: Quarantine measures crucial · Global Voices
John Kennedy

With Mexicans, Canadians and now Americans in quarantine in China, anonymous Awakening China blogger takes on the perception that Chinese health authorities have gone overboard in attempting to keep H1N1 from entering the country; numbers but no links are given to illustrate majority online sentiment regarding the measures taken.


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China: Shanzhai Adidas trash dumpster · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Adam J. Schokora at 56 minus 1 shares a recent photo of a shanzhai Adidas trash dumpster.


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India: TwitterCamp · Global Voices
Rezwan

Kiruba Shankar reports that preparations are going on for TwitterCamp, a one day unconference of Micro-blogging which is scheduled to be held in Chennai, India on 21st of June, 2009.


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Indonesia: Graft Buster Chief Nabbed For Murder · Global Voices
Juke Carolina

Antasari Azhar, Indonesia's Anti-Corruption Commission (KPK) chief, was arrested for masterminding a murder of  Nasrudin Zulkarnaen, a pharmaceutical boss.
Nasrudin died due to a head wound. Two men who shot Nasrudin in mid April were also arrested and testified against Antasari.
Per Monday, the Indonesian Police confirmed Antasari as suspect. However, Predient Yudhoyono, through State Secretary Hatta Rajasa [id] said that the Palace wil not issue Temporary Dismissal for Antasari yet, until further development of the case.
One of KPK officials quoted by local English journal The Jakarta Globe said that, “The KPK is an organization that does not rely on one person.”
Blogger Patung in his Indonesia Matters said:
There are two versions as to why Antasari Azhar may have been moved to order a “hit” on Nasruddin:
Corruption & RNI & Golkar – some believe the murder is connected to the trial for corruption of Ranendra Dangin, the finance director of PRB’s holding company, RNI. On March 30th Ranendra’s trial began, for allegedly embezzling 4.5 billion rupiah ($370,000) from the refined sugar import monopoly controlled by RNI and the National Logistics Agency (Bulog).
Zulkarnaen was expected to be called to give evidence against Ranendra – he will be unable to do so now. There are a number of other corruption investigations into RNI currently ongoing, although only one has reached court.
There are other rumours that Nasrudin Zulkarnain was ready to cooperate with authorities to expose other corruption cases at PRB and RNI, to defeat his rivals at the company and enhance his chances of promotion – for this reason he befriended Antasari at the golf club. Some of these cases would likely implicate senior Golkar party figures.
In this version Antasari did the bidding of those he was supposed to be investigating and prosecuting, to protect them, and Golkar.
Love triangle – involving a 22 year old university student, Rhani or Rani Julianti, who worked part time as a caddy at the Modernland golf course, where both Nasrudin and Antasari played. Both men are said to have paid for her services, both on the golf course and off. Last year she became Nasrudin Zulkarnaen’s wife number 3.
It is said that Antasari became infatuated with Rani and that Zulkarnaen had threatened to expose the relationship to the gossip press.
Meanwhile Teguh Usis, like many Indonesians believe that Antasari is being framed. In his article which appeared on Politikana, a local political platform, Teguh asked himself if someone like Antasari, who is dedicated in his mission to eradicate Indonesian corruption to the core, who even declined coffee invitation in the past because it against his work ethic,  would do such brutal and stupid thing like murder.
Teguh elaborates:
Memang, Antasari bukanlah KPK, dan KPK bukankah Antasari. KPK adalah sebuah lembaga. Antasari “hanya” menjadi ketua di lembaga tersebut. Tapi, jika sang panglima KPK dilibas, tidakkah itu bakal menimbulkan rasa jeri di lembaga pemberantasan korupsi tersebut? Boleh jadi, kolega Antasari akan jauh lebih hati-hati karena takut nasibnya akan berakhir sama dengan Antasari. Semoga saja kecemasan ini tidak menjadi kenyataan.
The Corruption Eradication Committee is known to restore people's faith in the country's judicial system.
Since being appointed as the chief of KPK, Antasari has made new enemies, the who's who of Indonesian politics.  His high profile accomplishment is  having Aulia Pohan [id], the father of Indonesian President's daughter in law, tried and jailed for corruption.
On paper, no Indonesian is KPK-proof.
Indonesian twitters tweeted their concern regarding Antasari's arrest, as corruption is a huge issue in the country.
Poetri  for example, said:
The stupidest people alive at the moment are those who framed Antasari. You guys should watch more CSI. I hope you'll never become people's representative, if you do the nation will become more retarded with your help.
Anti-corruption drive has popular support in Indonesian soil. The KPK aims not only to bring the corruptor to justice but also educate the value of honesty to Indonesian youngs.  In 2008, KPK launched “Warung Kejujuran” or “Honesty Convenient Store”, where students and office employee can help themselves to buy things they need and pay the price of the items by putting the money on a transparent box, placed inside an unattended shop.

author: Juke Carolina


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Iran: Eccentric candidates of the presidential election · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

More than 1000 candidates have registered online to be considered for presidential candidacy in the Iranian elections in June. All candidates have five days from today to appear at the headquarters of the Ministry of the Interior. After the registration is complete, the powerful 12-member Guardian Council will screen the candidates and offer a final ruling on who will run in the election.
In the last presidential election in 2005, less than 10 people among over 1000 registered candidates got the chance to run. All the lucky candidates were faithful and loyal to the Islamic Republic.
The presence of eccentric candidates this time (just as four years ago) attracts a lot of attention. An Iranian blogger and journalist, Digital Kalashnikof has seized on this moment of “glory” and filmed some of the candidates who presented themselves at the Ministry of the Interior:
1- A man wearing a cowboy hat. Maybe in the USA a candidate in a cowboy hat is more ordinary – at least in some states – but in the Islamic Republic it is an event:
In the video above, the guy in the cowboy hat responds that he has not finished high school, and that “he is at the service of all people and wants to revive Iran's 7000 year old civilization.”
He answers reporters questions about the hat by saying that it is a sign that he is “the servant of Imam Ali, and that we find bad and good people in all countries.”
2-Another fellow wears Iran's flag and says nobody can compete with him in this election. The old man says he is doing his “civic duty” and following the Iranian leaders’ words to present himself as candidate. He claims he already has a program to govern and a list of ministers that are like him.
7Tir writes [fa] that Iranian authorities create a lot of publicity on these clowns to justify Guardian Council's decision to deny most registered candidates the opportunity to actually run in the presidential election.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Iran: “Prisoner of Colours” is Executed · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

On Friday morning, Iranian authorities executed Delara Darabi, a 23 year-old woman, who was convicted for a murder at the age of 17 and held at the Rasht Central Prison for several years. Delara had earned notoriety as “the prisoner of colours” for her haunting paintings of prison life that were admired by many.
Delara Darabi
Amnesty International declared in a statement that Delara Darabi was executed despite having been given a two-month stay of execution by the Head of the Judiciary on April 19.
Several bloggers, including some lawyers, shared their feelings on her execution, and criticized the Iranian judiciary system for executing people for crimes they committed as minors.
Mohmmad Mostafai, a lawyer who followed Delara's case closely, says [fa]:
قاضی جاوید نیا حکم اعدام دلارا را صادر کرد. پس از مدتی دادستان رشت شد. از زمانی که او متصدی این پست گردید. یک نفر در این شهر سنگسار شد و امروز دلارا دارابی جانش از بدنش جدا شد.
ولی چرا؟
عده ای می گویند دلارا مقصر است. عده ای می گویند پدرش مقصر است و عده ای می گویند وکلیش؟ من می گویم دستگاه قضایی. چرا با وجودی که بسیاری از کشورهای دنیا اعدام اطفال زیر ۱۸ سال را منع کرده اند دستگاه قضایی بر اعدام اطفال پافشاری می کند؟
Mostafai who has defended several minors in Iran's prisons, adds that they killed Delara without informing her lawyer and family because they knew “millions of people” in the world support her.
Maybe Mostafai is overstating the amount of people who were aware of the case, but Delara certainly had many supporters in both virtual and real life.
Amnesty International in London recently organized a protest meeting in front of the Islamic Republic's embassy in London to stop her execution.
In the virtual world, a Save Delara campaign was launched with activity on twitter and  Facebook.
Baloch  says  the Iranian state “sows madness and reaps human beings”. The blogger questions what the presidential candidates’ opinion on this execution are.
Sassan Aghayi wrote [fa] a poem titled “Maybe tomorrow” about Delara. She says the story is beyond writing and requires poetry. One verse goes:
شاید همین فردا
و باز همین فردا، پس فردا
فرشته‌ی مرگ سیراب نشده،
آغوش تازه‌ای می‌خواهد؛
شاید همین تو را.
Ardavan writes [fa] that finally Delara will sleep tonight without nightmares.


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Morocco: Taking Care of Animals · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

The American Fondouk is an animal hospital in Fez, Morocco that was founded in the 1920s and is funded through the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA).  The hospital, which provides care for animals large and small, is staffed primarily by Moroccan veterinarians and staff members, however, it recently came up in the blogosphere due to the blogging efforts of a visiting veterinarian, Dr. Dan Biros of Boston.  Dr. Biros, who specializes in opthamology for animals, has been chronicling his work at the Fondouk in an official blog.  In a recent post, he discusses the issues of pets in Morocco:
It is not clear to me precisely how much knowledge Moroccan pet owners have about taking good care of their pets. The human animal bond is universal, but there are distinct cultural differences regarding how appropriate pet care should be administered. Issues of animal cruelty abound everywhere and it was for this reason that the American Fondouk was founded more than 80 years ago. I am convinced that the Fondouk’s staff members continuously help the local population understand what it takes to provide adequate care for an animal at every opportunity. This is not an easy task. They work by example. It is very reassuring to see this each day I am here.
On the last night of Dr. Biros’ stay in Morocco, he wrote:
To me, paradise is not the utter fulfillment of one’s desires and the absolute elimination of every bad thing; rather it is the act of giving and receiving, exchanging our gifts to one another no matter how great or small. Paradise is ensuring that we are an active participant, to the best of our ability, in this sometimes crazy world and consciously soaking it all in along the way. No matter how one defines paradise, I feel that part of the definition is the wish for paradise to endure.
Finally, Dr. Biros wrote of his experiences on his last night in Fez:
Alicia and I were invited by a Berber family for dinner and company tonight. A man who sells carpets, a complete stranger we met only the day before in the medina, had us over for chicken couscous, tea and conversation. His wife and two teenage daughters were there and the oldest daughter made henna designs on Alicia’s hands and arms. Henna is a beautiful ornate art of India and Arabia that goes back centuries. We talked of family and work, and shared the meal from a single large bowl as is traditional in Morocco, each of us using our own spoon.
The apartment was modest but had everything one needs, a kitchen, family room and sleeping quarters. It also provided a fine view of the medina from the rooftop, where you felt a bit like a bee in a large honeycomb. As we looked out at the labyrinth of the city we realized how very welcome we are here and at the very same time how very far away from home we found ourselves. How often would something like this happen in Boston? The whole evening was mesmerizing and as dizzying as it was comforting. This is paradise.
Until we write again,
M’a ssalama (peace and goodbye)
Dr. Biros
A mural at the American Fondouk
The blogger behind Près du Puits also recently wrote about the Fondouk, where she took her cats to be vaccinated.  The blogger said:
In Fez, there is an amazing, almost magical, place. This is the American Fondouk, an animal hospital founded in the 1920s by Sidney Haines Coleman, who cared about the health of the working animals of Morocco. Almost a century later, the Fondouk – which means hotel in Arabic – still treats for free thousands of animals every year. Lots of working animals – mares and donkeys -, but also cats and dogs (though I guess they didn’t treat many of those in the 1920s).
She also shared a number of photographs of the fondouk and its patients:
A patient at the American Fondouk

author: Jillian C. York


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Nepal: The Maoist Plan To Capture State and The National Army · Global Voices
Rezwan

United We Blog! for a Democratic Nepal highlights an YouTube video which shows that in a speech on January 2, 2008, two months before the general election in Nepal, “Prachanda talked about how the Maoist leadership had inflated the numbers of the PLA soldiers by almost five-fold and how the Maoist planned to capture the state and the national army.”

author: Rezwan


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Pakistan: The Army Operation In Buner · Global Voices
Rezwan

Teeth Maestro reports about the Pakistan army operations against the Talibans in Buner that “the military is targeting the civilian population instead of hideout of the militants which resulted the casualties more than 100.”


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Serbia: Smoking Ban · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Another belated link to Belgraded.com: a post on “a gruesome threat called the smoking ban.”

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Serbia: The Pope · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Belatedly, a link to an explanation of why “the Serbian Orthodox Church, even though unable to stop the Stones, the AC/DC and Madonna, has some deciding power over the Pope Benedict XVI penetrating [Serbia's] borders” – at Belgraded.com.


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Sri Lanka: The Dilemma Of A Moderate View · Global Voices
Rezwan

In a deeply divided country like Sri Lanka it is hard to keep a moderate view and find a common ground. Serendipity writes: “To a Tamil, I am branded as a Sinhala chauvinist, and to a Sinhala person I am branded as an LTTE sympathizer, so therein lies the problem of growing up from the polarized issues.”


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Trinidad & Tobago: Beautiful Boys  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“I find myself tiptoeing around dying poui blossoms.  They remind me too much of all that we have lost here. In the poui time that is also the killing time. Regardless of the season, regardless of new crime plan…we continue to gorge ourselves on the blood of our children”:  Attillah Springer likens the transience of magnificent blossoms to the ever-shortening lives of Trinidadian youth.


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Trinidad & Tobago: Waiting for Obama · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

KnowProSE.com, on hearing news that President Obama may come back to Trinidad and Tobago, asks: “Why?  Personally, I'd like to see him come down more frequently if only to make the local politicians raise their ‘bottom-of-the-well’ state of play”; Coffeeeallah adds: “There are other interesting people out there you know.”


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Afghanistan: Picnics and living standards · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Õnne Pärl reflects if the number of picnics match the living standards of Afghans, notices that ruins are being restored in mosques and social spaces with playgrounds and quotes his local friend who says that there are now more wealthy Afghans who can afford to go for a picnic.

author: Adil Nurmakov


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Bangladesh: Duty On Imported Cars · Global Voices
Rezwan

Kotha-Chhilo criticizes Bangladesh government's customs duty policy on imported second hand cars: “The government increases duty on those cars that the middle class people buy. So, you see! Our government, our elites want to make life of the middle class difficult.”


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Bangladesh: Faces Of Poverty · Global Voices
Rezwan

Ashley Wheaton at The Dhaka Diaries comments about the faces of poverty in Bangladesh: “Poverty can be determined not only by your income but by by your access to services, your ability to make decisions for yourself, your level of security, your place in society… It can be very deceiving and it would take a lifetime here to truly understand.”


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Barbados: Illegal Immigrants · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The Barbados government has offered to regularize the status of existing illegal immigrants – Bajan Dream Diary “wonders how effective this amnesty will be in tackling Barbados’ illegal immigrant problem”; Barbados Underground also has some concerns.


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Bloggers react to NZ Maori Party’s proposed trip to Fiji · Global Voices
Michael Hartsell

Bloggers are reacting to proposals by members of New Zealand’s Maori Party who wanted a delegation to travel to Fiji to speak with the country's Prime Minister to better understand what he is trying to achieve.
The announcement came just hours after Fiji was stripped of benefits from the Pacific Islands Forum for refusing to schedule elections by May 1.  Maori leaders feel that New Zealand’s troubled relationship towards Fiji needs changing and would like to support their ancestral brothers, the indigenous Fijians which make up two-thirds of Fiji’s population.
(Unlike Fiji’s first three military coups, military leader Frank Bainimarama took power in December 2006 in the name of righting past wrongs against the minority ethnic Indian population that has fewer political rights than indigenous Fijians but enjoys economic success on the islands. )
However, Prime Minister John Key tampered hopes for the meeting. Because the Maori Party belongs to New Zealand's governing coalition, the Prime Minister said his government should speak with “one voice,” meaning no face-to-face talks will take place with Fiji’s Prime Minister until he is willing to move up elections earlier than his intended date of 2014. Maori Party members have suspended an official trip to Fiji, but said a delegation may travel in an “unofficial captacity.”
Fiji’s political blogosphere, which is mostly anti-regime, was unimpressed with the Maori plans from the outset.
Talking Fiji:
The Maori delegation had explained yeterday that the NZ govrnment had ”misunderstood” what Frank and his military regime were doing in Fiji.
It seems they were the ones who had “misunderstood” what Frank was doing.
Thankfully they had the presence of mind to admit they were wrong when they thought Frank was fighting the whole world to safeguard Fiji’s best interests.
Someone must have sat them down and explained to them that Frank was actually fighting the whole world (and the whole of Fiji) to safeguard his own best interests.
Victor Lal, author of the blog Musings on Fiji, writes this in Raw Fiji News:
The agony of the people of Fiji, to a large extent, can be laid at the door of Papua New Guinean Prime Minister Michael Somare (and a few others) who constantly talked of dealing with the anti-democracy gangsters and gun-haw-haw coupsters in the so-called Pacific Way.
The Maori Party’s Tariana Turia and Pita Sharples should go to Papua New Guinea and have a word with Somare, who will give them a better picture of the psychological state of the present goons in Fiji.
He thought he was dealing with brotherly and sisterly Pacific Islanders, only to find out that they were devils in disguise, feasting on their own people.
If Somare had taken a tough stance with Australia and New Zealand, the gangsters might have thought twice before tearing up the 1997 Constitution, dismissing the Judiciary (which also had been propping them up), not to mention being thrown out of the Pacific Islands Forum.
In New Zealand, the planned trip was seen in a much more positive light. But the diplomatic give-and-take within the Key government was criticized.
No Minister calls it “common sense.”
While our foreign affairs poobahs who seem to have captured John Key and Murray McCully continue to insist on ‘elections now, no matter how bad they are’ for Fiji, Mrs Turia suggests we actually sit down and talk civilly with Mr Bainimarama and, in her words, find out what is going on in Fiji.
Adolf sincerely hopes she goes to Fiji. I suggest the delegation should comprise the Maori King (mana) Dr Sharples (cabinet minister) and Lt Col (R) Wira Gardiner. (emminent Maori leader and National Party member)
Mr Gardiner has precisely the right background to put the Commodore at ease during discussions.
A circuit breaker such as this is essential if New Zealand's interests in the South Pacific are to be fulfilled.
Fiji: The Way It Was, Is and Can Be wonders whether John Key’s strategy of only negotiating with Fiji through the Pacific Islands Forum and the Commonwealth is the best choice.
I can see John Key's point but why doesn't he accompany the delegation? It would be in line with his familiar hands-on, up-front approach to other issues: a round-the-table dialogue by a down-to-earth pragmatist rather than hands-off bureaucratic negotiations? Unlikely, but it could actually help.
Tumeke takes the proposed dialog into the context of inter-governmental politics within New Zealand’s ruling coalition.
Mactional is an ugly mash sometimes – and the Maori Party's kite-flying on Fiji was another lost opportunity. It was a potentially valuable back channel to the regime in Suva, but it was fumbled. Why did the PM shift his position? Did clumsy MFAT has their fat paws on it, or was it a political botch from McCully? Or was it the Fijian regime that scotched it?
It was the timing the PM could have played with in permitting any delegation that included a Minister of the Crown – enough time to work something out; but now it's all gone. The Maori Party isn't too hot on the diplomatic tango either and has stood on the government's feet because they didn't read the nuances themselves.
Kiwi Blog is one person who admits to being perplexed.
I’m a bit puzzled by the Maori Party stance on Fiji. The original Fiji coups were about preventing the majority Indians from forming a Government. It was about protecting what they saw as the right of indigenous Fijians, and that stance had the support of some Maori activists in NZ.
But the Commodore’s coup is (officially anyway) about the opposite. He is saying he wants to remove any special rights from indigenous Fijians, and replace the constitution which has race based seats.
Somewhat strange bedfellows for the Maori Party I would have said whose entire party is about how there should be special rights for indigenous people.
From Political Editor Audrey Young, blogging at the New Zealand Herald.
John Key hasn't made many mistakes since becoming Prime Minister in November – and those that he has made haven't mattered much anyway.
That changed this week with his mishandling of a possible Maori Party visit to Fiji…
On Sunday Key responded quickly saying a visit by Sharples would be okay so long as it was in a private capacity as Maori Party co-leader and not as a minister representing the Government.
On Monday he had had a change of heart. He said he had talked to Sharples, that he had agreed New Zealand had to have one voice on the issue of Fiji and that he did not believe Sharples would be going to Fiji.
On Tuesday, it became very untidy: Sharples said he might still go and Key said he would stop Sharples from going if he went ahead.
It would be helpful if the Prime Minister had one voice, as well. It should not have taken him long on Sunday to realize that such a trip by Sharples would be problematic for perceptions of Government unity, at the very least.


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China: Co-ed subway cars · Global Voices
John Kennedy

A Beijing politician's proposal for women-only areas on the city's subway is open for public debate; at Page Writers, anonymous Katie debates the merits of the idea.


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China: Ninety minutes with Mo Yan · Global Voices
John Kennedy

The Sinoafficionado blogger has posted his write-up of a talk well-known Chinese author Mo Yan gave in Beijing in March, ‘Ninety Minutes with Mo Yan’.


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China: The fear implied in a real-name internet · Global Voices
Bob Chen

In China, the internet has become an important platform for citizens’ participation in policy making and criticism of officials. The freedom of the  internet is largely guaranteed by the anonymity it offers users. However efforts  to deprive the users of such freedom have never stopped. Not long ago, a young man in Shanghai was arrested because he accused his hometown government of corruption. The amazing fact is that the local police traveled hundreds of miles to Shanghai to hunt him down after identifying him as the blogger.
Now the authorities in Hangzhou seems to be taking these effort even further. The city congress has legislated that all local users, including bloggers, should register with their real names.
A post by blogger West-of-Lake-West is very popular on the internet these days. This blog entry detailed several articles in a regulation which was to be implemented on 1st May. The piece of law, passed by city congress, is named ‘Regulation on Protection of Computer Information and Internet safety’ (计算机信息网络安全保护管理条例).
In article 18, the blogger found that
…..应当记录上网用户的上网时间，用户帐号，互联网网络地址或者域名，主角电话号码等信息。
The blogger questioned:
我要问的是，如果我去杭州百货大楼去买某品牌的衣服，我需要向杭州大厦登记我的姓名，地址，身份证号码么？有这样的道理么?凭什么我去上网，我的上网信息要被他们记录。你给我个理由，你问过我们没有？
He then posted online the article 19:
提供电子公告，网络游戏和其他即时通信服务的，具有用户注册信息和发布信息审核功能的，并如实想起申请开设上述服务的用户的有效身份证明。电子公告指的是户料网上的论坛，聊天室，留言板，博客等交互形式。
An article he found to be the most ridiculous is:
鼓动公众恶意评论他人，公开发布他人隐私，或者通过暗示，影射等方式，对他人进行人身攻击的。
He made fun of the article:
再说了，我想请教法律专家，如何操控定义恶意评论他人，更如何在法律的框架下定义影射与暗示。我说，在杭州有一个姓王的胖子很坏，我是不是影射那个胖子王姓市委书记？
Finally he said he would be considered as a criminal after 1 May, because
注意，我这篇帖子违反了法律：首先没有身份登记，还有鼓动公众恶意评论，第三，我还可能影射了一个胖子，这个胖子有人说是苹果王，有人说是王苹果，还有pgw,还有王书籍。。。
我们该怎么面对这份法律，我们以后还能怎么说话？我们还有没有批评权利？谁能保证我们在批评的时候的权利？
我们向全国网友求救。、。。。

author: Bob Chen


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Croatia: “The British Conspiracy” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Croatian Crescent writes about Croatian politicians’ reaction to critical reports on Croatia that appeared in the British media.


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Cuba: Internet Access  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Diaspora blogger Uncommon Sense learns that the authorities have “cracked down on one of the few ways most Cubans can use to access the Internet.”


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Georgia: Brink of civil war? · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Before news agencies reported that riot police and opposition supporters clashed in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, human rights lawyer Anna Dolidze writes on Resistance Georgia that she fears the ongoing stalemate and protests will lead to bloodshed.


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Guyana: With Benefits · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Guyanese cartoon blogger Paul Harris posts his take on the controversial Presidents Benefits Bill.


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Iran: Movement of 1000 bloggers supports Mousavi for presidency · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Supporters of two leading reformist presidential candidates, former prime minister Mir Hussein Mousavi and former parliament speaker, Mehdi Karroubi are using the internet, including blogs and Facebook, to beef up their chances of being selected as presidential candidates by the Guardian Council in June's election.
In this post, we look at Mousavi supporters as a first journey into Iran's election cyber-battleground. Around 1000 bloggers have announced that they support Mir Hussein Mousavi. Their names and web addresses are published on Mirhussein.com, a website created by “a big group of bloggers supporting Mousavi.”
In his speeches, Mousavi has previously criticized president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's “mismanagment”. Mousavi has said that he would work to build international confidence that Iran’s nuclear ambitions are peaceful. Mousavi has also spoken in defense of “free media” in the past, although he refused to promise to release political prisoners if he became president.
The bloggers who support Mousavi write about many different topics, from religion to sports, and they differ ideologically too. They also live in various corners of the country. Some of the blogs have been around for long time, while other have created their blogs especially for the election. We can divide pro-Mousavi bloggers into several different categories, including:
Fundementalists: Islam is superior to everything, is one of Mousavi's listed supporters. The blogger does not explain why he supports Mousavi, but has also published several photos of the Iranian leader, Ayatollah Khamenei and who could easily be considered a fundamentalist.
Non-Political Bloggers: Another blogger who backs former prime minister for the presidency is Perspolis Ghahreman, a blog that talks mainly about football. Perspolis is a very popular soccer/football team in Iran. Another blog announcing its support is, Modyryat, Eghtesad, Toseh (Managment, Economy, Development), an economics blog.
Election bloggers without geographic focus: Barayeh Mirhussein (for Mir Hussein) was recently created by its author for writings about the former prime minister's candidacy and his ideas. This blog quotes Mir Hussein Mousavi for saying that the government's most important problems are inflation and unemployment, and that it should be possible to create private TV channels in Iran. Barayeh Mirhussein does not represent any specific local community.
Election bloggers with geographic focus: Mousavi's supporters in Dubai is a good example of a blog by a group of Iranian expatriates in a foreign country. Mousavi supporters have also launched a blog, named Nasim 88 in the Iranian city Ardebil too.
Former Khatami supporters: Khatami88 is a blog that was previously launched to support former reformist president Mohmmad Khatami's bid for the presidency. But as soon as Khatami stepped out of the election race and announced his support for Mir Hussein, these supporters followed.
Although blogs are not very good as a sample to study the Iranian population's electoral preferences as a whole, at least we can see from the wide range of Mousavi's supporters in the blogosphere that support for his candidacy is not limited to any one specific group.


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Jamaica: Stereotyping  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Every Jamaican man lives in fear of a lie.  It’s a lie that continues to wreak havoc on both sides of the racial and gender divide and is a frequent topic of pornography: the Black, male stud”: Jamaican diaspora blogger Geoffrey Philp examines the effects of the stereotype.


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Japan: Doctor shortage, the medical system in crisis · Global Voices
Scilla Alecci

Together with the economic crisis the shortage of doctors (医師不足, ishi busoku in Japanese) is becoming more and more urgent in Japan. As a Fire and Disaster Management Agency survey pointed out in 2007, the causes are the uneven distribution of the doctors mainly settled in urban areas and the fact that the medical profession has lost its attractiveness, because of the work load and salaries which have lagged behind other professions. Also the increasing age of the Japanese population and the consequent rise in the patient numbers has contributed to an impending collapse of the medical system.
by flickr user pqw93ct, used with permission
Among the symptoms are the large number of cases, (the last one happened in February) which sees patients turned away by the hospitals because of the lack of beds or staff. Also the unduly long shifts for the few doctors left, with the attendant risk of accidents due to fatigue.
One patient, Seichiro Sonoda (園田　誠一郎), tells of his experience when he was startled by the large number of patients crowding the hospital waiting rooms.
大学病院に行ってきたのですが患者の多さにびっくりしました。
耳鼻科と採血の２ヶ所とも椅子にあふれんばかりの患者さんでごった返していて、今の医療業界の現状を垣間見たような気がしました。
医者不足だそうですね。
At Isha Ni Naru Hoho (医者になる方法 lit. how to become a doctor), a blogger explains the problem of the uneven distribution of doctors in the country.
厚生労働省の調査によると、医療 法の定める医師の配置基準の充足率は、全国で約83.5％（2004年度）。東京や大阪などの首都圏・近畿圏は概ね90％前後の充足率を達成していますが、田舎へ行くほど充足率は下がり、全国最低の青森県ではわずか43％に過ぎないと言う惨状です。
これは、田舎や離島・へき地での勤務を希望（容認）する医学部生が極端に少ないことが原因です。へき地勤務を選ぶことで学費が免除される自治医科大学でも、卒業生の約６割が（学費返済を条件に）大都市圏での病院を選んでいるのが現実です。
また、特に産科医と小児科医の不足は深刻です。というのは、産科と小児科は、どの医者に聞いても「最も過酷な診療科だ」と答える位、激務な仕事だからです。
A Japanese girl who studies to work at the E.R. illustrates in detail the causes and the consequences of this shortage of doctors.
まずドクターの場合、
①2004年度より始まった厚労省の愚策のせいです。
（掲げる理想は間違っていなかったのですが、急すぎて厳しいものがあります。）
端的にいうと、実質的な教育期間がさらに２年延びました。
それにより、具体的な数字は忘れましたが、
約16000人の新しいドクターの供給がストップしたに等しいです。
それがevenになるまでに、かなりの時間を要します。
しかしそれ以前に、日本の場合、根底として、
②他のどの国も経験していない未曾有の高齢化（スピードという意味で）により、過去10年で、患者数が激増しました。
これに追いつくだけの医療者を育てるのには時間とお金がかかりすぎます。
③とてもとても小さな理由でわざわざ大病院を訪れる人が多い。
[…] これは単に私の実感として常にあります。
私の祖母とか、「散歩を兼ねた趣味」として、月曜日はどこどこ、火曜日はどこどこ、と、病院通いをして友達を増やしていますから…。
④日本のドクターは、国立大学の場合、税金で育てられる。
これがどこまでをカウントするかによりますが１人辺り５千万円を超えるといわれます。
（学生の負担は6年間で計330万円、貧しいと免除です）。
[…]
⑤税金で育てらた限りは、育ててもらった大学がある土地（主に田舎）で８年ぐらい（～永久）奉公をする義務、というのが以前はあったんだけど、
それが2004年に急になくなった結果、田舎で奉公をしない人が圧倒的に増えました。
（私も少ししかやってません。いずれやるつもりですが。）
[…]
そして、国立の場合、
⑥その税金への恩返しとして「noblesse oblige」という観念を叩き込まれます。[…]
そういう意味で、確かに、やれ給料の増加だの、休みの増加だのと、大声で主張してはいけないという文化が、根強くあり、これが結果的に職場環境の整備を遅らせてきた、という事実があると思います。
Lastly, blogger at labayame reflects on how the image of a doctor has changed over the years.
以前は、子供を医者にするのは親の夢
進学校から有名大学医学部へ進むのは
エリートコースとされていました
今は、どうなのでしょうか？
相変わらず最高位の国家資格である
医者への希望者は、多いでしょうが
卒業後、医者になった人は
「志高く」仕事をしていますか？
もしくは、現実に驚愕ですか？
医者不足で公立病院が閉鎖しても
私立病院が増えている訳ではない
医師免許を持つ方は、何処へ？
今は、医療技術、医療機器の進化で
かなり危険度は予知できるのですが
人間の出産は、今だ謎に満ちていて
想定外の事も発生するのでしょう
一方、医療の発達が明らかになるほど
運が悪かったでは、済まされない事が
明らかになり、医療訴訟となるのです
[…]
医者が、いくら勉強していても
医療現場では想定外だらけの
事態が発生するのでしょう
妥協点は何処なのか
今後は、何処まで処置できて
何処まで処置できないのかを
事前に明らかにして、同意後
医療を進めるという時代かも
そうなると、昔のように
先生に、おまかせします

author: Scilla Alecci


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Kazakhstan: Farce Vulgaris · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Adam tells about new episode in the political farce saga around Rakhat Aliyev (the disgraced former presidential son-in-law sentenced to 40 years in jail and currently living in Europe) and the Kazakhstani authorities.


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Kazakhstan: State support and censorship on the Internet · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

“As I thought, this year will prove to be a breakthrough for the Kazakhstani Internet”, says izhanov [ru].
The process of creation а start-up projects and interesting web-ideas has already started last year naturally, as a consequence of lowered cost of Internet access and higher speed on the intra-Kazakhstani traffic. A number of blog platforms, social networks, photo- and file hostings, citizen journalism websites and podcast portals. In recent months, the state has revealed its steadfast interest in the virtual space. It has funded several projects from the budget – and as they promise, “it is only a beginning”. The e-government website has been redesigned, the presidential web-page is also awaiting change of design. Izumcheg suggests going further and using up-to-date technologies on an institutional level [ru]:
I think that in order to increase transparency of state purchases via automated systems, it is necessary to publish their source code under the General Public License. The same should apply to the e-voting system “Sailau” [Election].
Meanwhile, the most popular Russian-language blog platform Livejournal is still blocked in Kazakhstan since October last year. Recently, the opposition websites started suffereing from massive DDoS attacks campaign. One of such victims is the website of independent weekly “Respublika”, which often criticizes the prime-minister.
Its website is attacked and filteres, and they wrote about it to the prime minister. In response, he posted the newspaper's articles in his official blog. I think, it's a creative and powerful response, writes megakhuimyak [ru].
The well-known blogger's opinion is not shared by the chief editor of Internet-newspaper  Zonakz.net, which has been experiencing DDoS attacks for two weeks. He alleges that the attacks were connected to the publication of 1. appeals that urged the people to partake in the opposition's rally and 2. materials from the rally, which demanded resignation of the government:
Of course, you can say (like you said to “Respublika” newspaper) – “publish your articles in my blog”. I appreciate the originality of this idea, but it does not satisfy me at all. We want to publish articles in our newspaper. Otherwise we could close down all critical newspapers and make them post their stuff in your blog.
“Terrorism on the web is a poblem that has to be solved by the law enforcement bodies. Who makes these attacks? It is time to find that out”, writes Yuri Mizinov in his open letter to the prime-minister, and asks whether he, the head of the government, has any connection to these attacks [ru].
Also posted on neweurasia.


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Kyrgyzstan: Lost In the “White Valley” · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Elena has visited the small village near the tailing pit in Kyrgyzstan and presents pictures of the people who live in such dangerous radioactive place.


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Maldives: Destruction Of Tombstones · Global Voices
Rezwan

Abdullah Waheed condemns the vandalizing of historic tombstones in Maldives and reports: “a large number of tombstones in Koagannu were vandalized in the recent past based on a superstition that if one breaks a tombstone one could commit Quran to memory.”


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Martinique: Flooding Deaths  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Repeating Islands reports that four people have died as a result of torrential rains and flooding in Martinique.


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Mexico: Scenes From an Outbreak · Global Voices
Issa Villarreal

Almost two weeks after the outbreak of the H1N1 virus, Mexico City was declared in “state of emergency” suspending activities at closed populated spaces, such as schools, workplaces and restaurants, as well as large public events, such as concerts and football matches. In order to control the transmission of the virus, wearing a mask became an obligatory measure, and it painted a unique and devastating landscape of the streets of Mexico. These are some of the stories of the Mexican people.
Raúl Zepeda of the blog Banalidades y Algo de Teoría [es] (Commodities and Some Theory) describes streets of the city after the Friday's first health warnings:
El casco de Santo Tomas tiene un cariz espectral, los estudiantes que deberían estar llenando las escuelas del Instituto Politécnico Nacional se han quedado en casa, los rumores nocturnos de la suspensión de clases dejaron desiertas las escuelas Diego Rivera, Rabindranath Tagore y Frida Kahlo, así como la Normal Superior.
Las calles están inusualmente poco transitadas a pesar de ser un viernes, que en la Ciudad resultan tumultuosos, ruidosos, poblados y caóticos. Hay mas adolescentes en la calle, algunos en patinetas practicando en la avenida, otros caminando despreocupados.
The Saint Thomas quarter has a ghostly look, the students who should be at the National Polytechnical Institute have remained at home, the nightly rumors about the suspension of classes have left the Diego Rivera, Rabindranath Tagore and Frida Kahlo schools closed, as well as the Superior Teacher's College.
The streets are unusually empty even though it is a Friday, which in the City usually mean tumultuous, noisy, full and chaotic. There are more teenagers in the street, some are skating along the avenue, and others are walking without worry.
Photo of Mass at the Metropolitan Cathedral by El Enigma and used under a Creative Commons license. http://www.flickr.com/photos/marca-pasos/3483280250/
Gitana Mojada [es] shares about one of her trips in the Metro without using the facemask that authorities suggested to be worn in public spaces:
Subi al metro justo las 2pm el TRANREALISMO en su maxima expresion me rodeaba, este es realmente mi ambiente, la gente cubierta de mascaras… los hibridos miedos-humanos, me rodean. Huele a que despertaron, parece que hoy la gente sabe que morira, pero caray…. Olvidaron la primera parte aun estan vivos!
Entonces miro a un niño, su cara reflejaba el maximo panico, sus ojos brillosos, transparentaban la serie de comentarios que su madre le dio antes de salir de casa, me sente a su lado me miraba, asombrado, por mi “valentia” al no traer cubrebocas. Yo asombrada veia a su madre con un semi remedio esquibador del virus, pues su cubremiedos estaba sobre su garganta y no sobre su nariz y boca…
I boarded the Metro exactly at 2pm, the TRANSREALISM in its maximum expression surrounded me, this is really my surroundings, people covered with masks… the human-fearing hybrids surround me. It seems like they’ve just awoken, it seems like people know that they will die today, but hell… They forgot the first part, they’re still alive!
Then I looked to a kid, his face reflected maximum panic, you could see through his shiny eyes the series of comments that his mother gave him before going out of the house, I sat by his side, he looked at me, amazed of my “bravery” for not wearing a facemask. Amazed, I looked at his mother who wore a semi-remedy to avoid the virus, because her fearmask was over her throat and not over her nose and mouth…
Blogger Agridulce recounts frictions after coming back from the Federal District of Mexico City [es]:
Y como todas las veces que voy al D.F. me dediqué a lo mío, salí poco de casa, consentí, fuí consentida y poco ví las noticias. Al regresar a Guanatos City el taxista me preguntó: “¿Oiga y usté de donde viene?, si no es indiscreción”, -De la Ciudad de México- le contesté. Por el retrovisor ví que puso ojos de plato y en todo el recorrido noté sus ganas de salir corriendo del taxi… al final me preguntó que si no le tenía miedo a la influenza, le dije que le tenía más miedo al sistema de salud.
Mac of El Rincón No Poético [es] (Non-Poetic Corner) writes about the unfortunate conjunction of the flu panic with a small earthquake in the city [es] that struck the city earlier in the week:
Minutos antes del medio día estacionaba mi coche para llegar al trabajo, y me sorprendió ver que mientras yo quería entrar, todos querían salir.
¿Alarma por influenza en la empresa? Ante esta situación, uno ya no sabe qué esperar. Al llegar a las cabinas para mi programa de radio, me informaron del temblor, mientras los operadores y productores se pitorreaban de la situación.
- ¡Se va a acabar el mundo!
- No, hasta 2012, según los mayas.
Después de la emisión, mi hermana me alegró el día:
“Hoy tembló porque nadie fue ayer a misa”.
Minutes after noon, I was parking my car to reach the office, and I was surprised to see that, while I was trying to get in, everybody wanted to get out.
Alarm of influenza in the office? At this point, one doesn’t know what to expect. When I arrived to the cabins for my radio program, they informed me of the earthquake, while the operators and producers laughed of the situation.
- The end of the world is coming!
– Not until 2012, according to Mayas.
After the transmission, my sister made my day:
“Today we had an earthquake because yesterday nobody went to church.”
Moreover, Twitter had also an important role when it came to opinions and understanding the humor of the victims. Published in Regioblogs [es]:
leomtxwebmaster:
Eso de la influenza es una campaña viral que me estan tratando de colar por dos o tres lados
nudul:
mergas! el tema de hoy en twitter son “La influenza vs. Los zombies”… ya pensaron en el soundtrack???
laquesefue:
A mis compatriotas mexicanos les diré: Quedarse en Twitter todo el día es la manera más segura de no ser contagiado con #influenza
LauraDark:
Los chilangos somos una raza en peligro de extinsión!!!! =O
Mexican newspaper El Universal also collected other curious moments from Twitter regarding the flu [es].

author: Issa Villarreal


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