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Brazilian Weapons Firm Exports Arms to Turkey and Arab Countries · Global Voices
Pública - Agência de jornalismo investigativo

[All links lead to sites in Portuguese unless specified otherwise.]
This post, written by Bruno Fonseca and Natalia Viana for Agência Pública, was originally published as a report entitled “Bomba brasileira na pele turca”  (Turks Feel a Brazilian Bomb Firsthand) and is part of the special coverage #IndústriaBrasileiraDeArmas (Brazilian Weapons Industry) on the weapons lobby and industry in Brazil. The story will be published in a series of three articles on Global Voices Online. This is the second part of the series.
Check out the first post: Brazilian Tear Gas Used Against Turkish Protesters
Condor's stand in the Brazilian pavilion in Turkey in May 2013. Some of the items on display were the same which would be used against the Turkish population less than one month later. Agência Pública/Used under Creative Commons license
Less than one month before the beginning of recent anti-government protests in Turkey, the Brazilian government backed a meeting between national weapons firms and foreign buyers in Istanbul. During the International Defense Industry Fair 2013 in Turkey from May 7 and 10, the Brazilian Agency for the Promotion of Exports and Investment (Apex Brasil) and the Brazilian Defense and Security Industries Association (ABIMDE [en]) – whose vice-president, Carlos Frederico Queiroz de Aguiar, is president of Condor – set up an eye-catching display in the Brazilian pavilion.
In the area set aside for Condor, a showcase displayed a variety of metallic projectiles, grenades, and cans of colored sprays, the same as those which would be used a few weeks later in the streets of the same country. Beneath the name of the company in red were ballerina grenades and “diverse defense solutions” – according to the industry jargon – such as 13 types of 40 x 46mm incapacitating munitions for launchers.
Apex hadn't responded to questions about Condor and other Brazilian firms’ incentive in Turkey by the time of this report's publication. According to the Turkish newspaper Sozcu, Minister of Commerce Hayati Yazici stated that in the last 12 months, the country imported 628 tons of tear gas and pepper spray, mostly from Brazil and the United States. These imports were valued at 21 million US dollars.
Condor is the only Brazilian firm that sells weapons to the government of Turkey, according to a statement from their press secretary. In addition to long range projectiles and ballerina grenades, Condor also produces tear gas and pepper sprays, smoke bombs, rubber bullets and stun guns, known as Taser guns.
In 2011, the firm confirmed the sale of weapons to Arab countries, although they denied selling weapons directly to Bahrain, where police cracked down on protesters the following year. Among their clients was the government of the United Arab Emirates, which sent troops in support of the Bahraini government.
In April 2013, Condor signed yet another contract with the government of the UAE, valued at 12 million US dollars, to supply 600,000 units of non-lethal munitions. The agreement was announced during LAADEXPO 2013 [en], the largest defense and security exposition in Latin America, which took place at Riocentro in April.
In February 2013, ABIMDE participated in another weapons fair, this time in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. Again, Condor participated in the event as the only Brazilian firm producing non-lethal weapons.
Last June 3, 2013, Brazil signed the Arms Trade Treaty at the United Nations. According to the text, which aims for the elimination of weapons trade for genocide, terrorists, and international organized crime, “trade in conventional weapons would be regulated, establishing standards for their export and promoting more transparency in their transfer.” Considered a great advance for a country which avoids transparency regarding the sale of Brazilian weapons – the Minister of Development, Industry, and Foreign Trade refuses to divulge the numbers of firms which export weapons, for example – the treaty doesn't have specific definitions about the trade of non-lethal weapons. Condor's products are sold to more than 40 countries.
The Ministry of Development, Industry, and Foreign Trade refuses to divulge data on Brazilian companies which export arms. Agência Pública/Used under Creative Commons license


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Did Obama’s African Tour Help or Hurt?  · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

US President Barack Obama finished his six-day tour of three African countries, Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania, on July 2, 2013. The global public opinion about the importance and impact of his tour is sharply divided.
During his visit, Obama announced a new initiative, “Power Africa”, to double access to electricity in Sub-Saharan Africa. Through this initiative, the US is committing seven billion US dollars while private sector companies have committed more than nine billion.
According to the White House blog, nearly 70 percent of Africans lack access to electricity.
Image of President Barack Obama on a billboard welcoming him in Dar Es Salaam. Photo courtesy of Instagrammer Sandy Temu.
Commenting about the initiative, Bright Simmons at African Argument commended this new idea for strategic engagement with Africa:
As one of the people who have in the past complained about the seeming lack of new ideas for a “strategic engagement with Africa” from the Obama White House, I welcome renewed energy towards that direction.
The issue selected – Africa’s electricity challenge – is clearly a vital one. The World Bank for instance says that all sub-Saharan African countries, minus South Africa, combined do not generate more electricity than Argentina. Including South Africa, they produce only as much as Spain.
It is commendable that the White House is pledging up to $7 billion in additional funding from two of its overseas-focussed agencies – EXIM and OPIC – for this cause.
I am sure that the White House is already aware that even if this whole amount was provided in a single year, and it is more likely that it will be provided over a 3 to 5 year timeframe, it will not be able to dent the $23 billion YEARLY deficit in energy investment on the continent.
Daniel McLaughling reacted to his post arguing that abolishing national monopolies on electrical utilities is the only solution capable of producing results:
If people are serious about solving Africa’s electricity problem, they should be promoting the only solution capable of producing real results: abolish national monopolies on electric utilities. It amazes me that, with all of the talk about increasing electricity production, nobody wants to admit into the discussion the possibility that government monopolies and corruption are the problem, and that billions more in money transferred to governments will only entrench the corruption further, with little benefit for the people. Open up the markets to competition and profits and you will see large-scale investments and significantly improved access.
Joel B. Pollak was of the view that “Power Africa” will likely not produce as much energy as promised:
[…] “Power Africa” will likely not produce as much energy as promised, while lining the pockets of politically-connected individuals in both the U.S. and Africa. Meanwhile, China, which does not mind if Africans are driving cars and living in large houses with air conditioning, will continue to invest in Africa in ways that generate actual economic growth, relegating the U.S. to the sidelines in Africa's economic future.
Siddhartha Mitter noted that “all infrastructure investment should be considered a good thing unless proven otherwise—especially in Africa”:
At present, continent-wide installed capacity and power generation are roughly equivalent to those of Germany or Canada. Remove South Africa and Egypt, and you are left with about 63 GW supplying 260 billion kWh, scarcely more than Australia or Iran. In this context, if the first phase of Power Africa succeeds in its stated goal of adding 10 GW of generation capacity and connecting 20 million new residential and commercial customers, it will represent a major expansion—albeit not near the doubling of access that, according to the White House fact sheet on Power Africa, is the program’s ultimate aim. Indeed, the same fact sheet soberly estimates that it would cost $300bn to secure universal access to power on the continent by 2030.
Despite the excitement shown by citizens of the three countries, Shadow Government showed that there was a low point to the trip:
But there has been a low point to the trip: namely, his comments in South Africa during the press conference with President Jacob Zuma. The president made what I consider ill-thought-out comments, probably meant to be humorous, regarding the press. He referred to the American press corps as “my press,” and he chided them for asking too many questions. Normally, perhaps, this wouldn't be a big deal. But in that he was visiting three African countries whose press is judged by Freedom House to be “partially free,” I think it is not just bad form but harmful for his administration's support for democracy. Of course I would not expect the president to use his trip as an occasion to criticize his hosts directly. But I would expect that while he, himself, is under scrutiny for his administration's treatment of the press (the AP phone records and Fox News's James Rosen), he would not make light of such matters.
Kumekucha called Obama “snubbish Obama” for not visiting Kenya, the land of his father:
Now that Obama has finally landed in Dar es Salaam dancing to Bongo ‘Ohangla’ Flava [Bongo Flava is the name for Tanzanian Hip Hop and R&B music], we can finally bid him bye from without and mend our punctued national pride.
What a snubbish man to have him camp at next door neighbour with no regard to the hurt he is causing his own people who adore him so much. SHAME.
Forget all the bitterness spewed that we do not need Obama's visit. True, the economic side of such a visit would be realisedmuch later but boy, isn't Nairobi missing the buzz!
Obama's ICC-laced whip smacks of utmost contempt after Kibaki declared a holiday in his honour after winning the elections in 2008. What is more, the Tanzanians could afford to shame him with a street name for recognition.
The YouTube video below posted by the White House shows a young South African showing Obama his rap skills at the Desmond Tutu HIV Center:
Looking at Obama's overall contribution to Africa's development, Tolu considered Obama “positively neglectful” when comparing him to the Bush administration. He explained:
The Bush government left footprints across the continent beyond the aid arena. It played a role in the signing of the peace agreement that brought an end to decades of civil war in Sudan, showed a lot of interest in bringing an end to the wars in the Congo region, and helped bring about an end to the civil war in Liberia, helping ensure Charles Taylor’s resignation, and eventual arrest and prosecution. (Taylor has of course since wondered aloud why Bush is himself not facing prosecution for his own “crimes”).
Against this background of US, Obama comes across as positively neglectful. His only activity of note has been to ramp up US military activity in Africa, adding drone bases and deploying significant numbers of troops. When he was first elected there were celebrations across the continent, and perhaps unrealistic expectations that he would champion African interests on the world stage. Indeed on his first visit to Ghana, he declared that he had “the blood of Africa within me”. Since then his absence has been keenly felt, sparking accusations that he has betrayed his roots.
But is this fair? Does Obama have a special responsibility to the continent, because of his ancestry? Perhaps not. Perhaps the emphasis on Obama as a black president is missing the point. Because it’s not just for reasons of solidarity that the US president should attend to Africa. There are more selfish reasons, both , economic and political, as well.
Being a feminist South African, Jennifer Thorpe noted that the environment she lives in affects women’s lives most tangibly. She therefore looks at Obama's environmental protection track record:
We know the US has a poor track record environmentally — a perfect example of how legislation protecting the environment is not nearly as good as not polluting it in the first place. Recently Obama has changed his tune, saying he’d stop dangerous and environmentally disastrous projects like the Keystone pipeline if they showed the environmental impact would be negative.
In South Africa, the Constitution provides the right for all of us to live in an environment that is not bad for our health. Yet we see so often that environmental impact assessments just make sure that companies meet the bare minimum rather than actively going out of their way to protect the land and environment that belongs to all of us. I hope that when President Obama evaluates the impact of Keystone on the environment, he does so in broad strokes, not in a narrowly defined minimum norms and standards type of way. I think the question should be simple — will the innately valuable biodiversity, beauty, and sanctity of the land be improved by Keystone? As someone who grew up in Hawaai, I know he knows the answer to this question in his heart.
On Twitter, BBC's Andrew Harding (@BBCAndrewH) observed:
@BBCAndrewH: #obama – Africa cannot just be a source of raw materials for somebody else.
Mr. Mabotja (@MelosoDrop_Line) responded to @BBCAndrewH's tweet by saying:
@MelosoDrop_Line: @BBCAndrewH #Obama never indicated that Africa is a raw materials shop… His indicating the shift away from that mentality
Dayo Olopade (@madayo) wrote:
@madayo: The #ObamaInAfrica trip is as notable for what he's doing as for what he's not. Rule of law fixation leaves out the most relevant countries.
Haru Mutasa (@harumutasa) pointed out what some Africans are asking:
@harumutasa: #obamainafrica. Some Africans are asking, “what has the US president done for Africa that's different from previous US leaders?”
Ashley Koen (@a_koen) was concerned about innocent civilians who were rounded up to “clean up the city” – it is a commons practice in most African countries when a foreign head of state, especially from Europe and USA visits, for street vendors to be removed:
@a_koen: Will all those displaced businesses and innocent civilians who were thrown in jail to clean up the city get their lives back? #ObamainAfrica

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Former Philippine President Convicted of Plunder Likens Himself to Mandela, Suu Kyi · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

During his inaugural speech as mayor of Manila, Joseph Estrada, a former president of the Philippines who was ousted from power and convicted for plunder, compared himself to other world leaders who also served a prison term:
For the first time, Manila will have an ex-convict as your city mayor
And I feel I am in good company with Nelson Mandela of South Africa, Anwar Ibrahim of Malaysia, Aung San Suu Kyi of Myanmar and our own Senator Ninoy Aquino who was convicted by a military court. We were all convicted. That is why we are now all men of conviction
Mayor Joseph Estrada. Photo from Facebook
Joseph Estrada became president in 1998 but was deposed by an uprising in 2001 following allegations of corruption. He was found guilty of plunder in 2007 but was immediately pardoned by former President Gloria Arroyo, his vice president during his term. He ran for president in 2010 and placed second in the race which he interpreted as a sign that he still has a strong following in the country. This year he made a successful comeback in politics by winning as mayor of Manila, the country’s capital.
Before his June 30 inaugural speech, Estrada already mentioned his admiration for democracy icon Nelson Mandela:
I told myself that just as it took Mandela a lifetime to achieve freedom from apartheid – he spent 27 years in prison and voted for the first time at the age of 75 – I had to be prepared to spend the rest of my life in prison, fighting to regain our true democracy
It was this determination to make a stand for the Filipino people and for the country that kept me strong even behind bars.
Netizens reacted strongly to Estrada’s speech. Below are some reactions:
@aldussantos Erap likens self to Nelson Mandela, Aung San Suu Kyi, & Ninoy. Thought he did action films? What a comedian this guy.
Erap is Estrada’s moniker as an actor. He was a popular actor before joining politics in 1969.
@PATRICKxxSTARR Erap Estrada compared himself to Mandela and Aquino – these were imprisoned out of nobility! and you are out of Selfishness and greed! Tss!
@Boy_Balaraw No Erap, you're no Mandela. You went to jail because you were a thief. And a plunderer.
@GianoTurning Erap is not in the same sentence, not even in the same dictionary as Mandela. Dear God, someone was on drugs.
@neeleshnowin3d I see the similarities between Erap and Mandela.
Mandela fought for racial equality.
Erap is fighting for beerhouse equality. #gatesofhell
@carloshconde After Erap's speech comparing his imprisonment (for plunder!) to Mandela's,i don't see how anybody can work for him & look at self in mirror
@junrebs Mandela and Ang Suu Kyi are both political prisoners while ERAP was convcted of plunder. Big difference.
@IndividNoellism So Erap compared himself to Nelson Mandela? Is he nuts?
@KulasDi erap: “i am in good company with mandela, ibrahim and suu kyi”. is he dreaming? none of these are drunkards & womanizers!
Estrada’s critics often highlight his controversial lifestyle and playboy image to question his competence.
@nicolonimor When you read his caption, sounds awful RT @rapplerdotcom: Erap takes oath as ‘ex-convict mayor’ of Manila
@madison_place Major cringe. Did Erap Estrada just compared himself to Nelson Mandela and Aung San Suu Kyi? Please, don't.
@opinionbuster Dear Erap, stop romanticizing your “ex-convict-ness.”
@Tito_Ces At his inaugural Mayor Erap maintains his innocence of crime of plunder. He was addressing his movie fans who believe his fantasies :D

author: Mong Palatino


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How Edward Snowden Divides Russians · Global Voices
Daniel Alan Kennedy

When former NSA contractor Edward Snowden left Hong Kong for Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport, it placed Russia at the center of what had primarily been an American story. According to a statement issued by the anti-secrecy group Wikileaks on June 23, 2013, Snowden was “bound for the Republic of Ecuador via a safe route for the purposes of asylum, and is being escorted by diplomats and legal advisors from WikiLeaks.”
Moscow-based journalists scrambled to the airport to try to locate Snowden, while the presence of cars with Ecuadorian diplomatic plates at the airport touched off rumors that Snowden's ultimate destination was Ecuador. Though Snowden was booked on two Aeroflot flights, he failed to materialize on either of them (stranding a number of hopeful journalists who had purchased tickets on an 11 hour flight to Havana).
“Edward Snowden Found.” Photo mashup by Rob Tom, 26 June 2013, CC 2.0.
Snowden has not been sighted in Sheremetyevo since he arrived, though Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov claims he is still in the transit zone there and has thus “not crossed the Russian border” [ru]. Snowden has made numerous applications for asylum, but has so far been rebuffed or ignored by most countries. President Vladimir Putin has offered to give asylum to Snowden on the condition that he stop revealing American secrets, but Snowden refused to comply with this condition. His situation is complicated by the fact that his passport has been revoked by the Americans who consider him a fugitive and have charged him with espionage.
Snowden has been a highly controversial figure in America since the leaks. Some believe he is a whistleblower to be lauded, while others consider him a traitor who has endangered civilians. For Russians, his prolonged stay in Sheremetyevo (he remains there as of July 4, 2013) has turned the question of what should be done with him from academic to practical, as his fate now rests largely in Russia's hands.
Some Pro-Kremlin commentators saw Snowden's treatment as indicative of American hypocrisy. The blogger Kristina Potupchik [ru], former press-secretary of the pro-Kremlin youth group Nashi, was particularly damning [ru]:
США заочно предъявили Сноудену обвинение в хищении государственной собственности, раскрытии данных о национальной обороне и умышленной передаче секретной информации посторонним лицам. Он также был заочно лишен американского гражданства. Демократия? Свобода? “Права человека”? “Служить и защищать”? Не, не слышали. Несмотря на очевидное несоответствие официальной позиции США с данными, раскрытыми Сноуденом, штаты решили объявить его преступником национального масштаба, хотя тот, фактически, наоборот раскрыл гражданам реальные угрозы, которые ждут их по милости собственного правительства.
The US has accused Snowden in absentia of stealing of government property, revealing information about national defense, and the willfully transmitting secret information to third parties. He was also stripped of his American citizenship in absentia. Democracy? Freedom? “Human rights”? “Protect and serve”? No, they've never heard of them. Despite the obvious fact that the official position of the US doesn't agree with the facts uncovered by Snowden, the US has labeled him a criminal on a national scale, despite the fact that, really, he has revealed to citizens the real threats they face at the mercy of their own government.
Not every pro-Putin figure took this view. Aleksei Filatov, security expert and vice president of the International Association of Veterans of the Anti-Terrorist Alpha Group, thought returning Snowden to America could be a boon to Russian-US relations and would “force the US to take a look at itself in the mirror” [ru] and reconsider its relations with Russia. A former member of the security services, Filatov took a dim view of Snowden's professional ethics:
C профессиональной точки зрения Сноуден никакой не правозащитник. Это человек, который сознательно выбрал себе профессию, давал подписку о неразглашении служебной тайны, получал за ее соблюдение деньги, но в конечном итоге предал и свою страну, и свою профессию.
From a professional point of view, Snowden is no human rights defender. This man, who willingly chose his profession, signed a non-disclosure agreement and recieved payment, but ultimately betrayed both his country and his profession.
Edward Snowden – Human Rights Defender or Traitor?
(Screenshot from Youtube.com)
Ironically, this view was shared by anti-Putin activist Akram Makhmutov, who took to Facebook [ru] to voice his frustration at Snowden's perceived collaboration with less-than-savory regimes:
Это Сноуден, ну уж и “борец за права человека”, блин. Одно непонятно, отчего за эти права он вздумал бороться с помощью режимов, в которых эти права и не ночевали (Китай, Россия, Эквадор, Куба). Такое поведение есть признак гуманитарной недоразвитости и отсутствия убеждений. Нет, не правозащитник он, а типичный предатель.
I'll be danmed if this Snowden is a “crusador for human rights.” One thing I don't get is why he decided to fight for these rights with the help of regimes (China, Russia, Ecuador, Cuba) where these rights are nowhere to be found. Such behavior is a sign of a poorly developed sense of humanitarianism and a lack of conviction. No, he's no human rights defender, but just a typical traitor.
Oleg Kozyrev disagreed. While the authorities’ support for Snowden was hypocritical, given their own human rights record, he argued [ru] that  Snowden still deserved to be protected:
Мне не ясно, почему за Эдварда Сноудена не вступились ведущие российские правозащитные организации. Я лично считаю, что сегодня в мире должны быть защищены права не только гражданских лиц, вскрывающих преступления правительств, но должны быть защищены и военные и работники спецслужб. Если военный или работник спецслужб сталкивается с очевидным нарушением базовых прав человека, я бы хотел, чтобы такие люди, не боясь, могли открыто выступать, и быть защищенными и законами своих стран и законами международными.
I don't understand why the leading Russian human rights organizations have not come out in favor of Edward Snowden. I personally think that in today's world, the military and intelligence workers who uncover government crimes should be defended as much as civilians. If a military or intelligence worker comes across an obvious violation of basic human rights, I would want that person to be able, unafraid, to come out openly, and be protected by the laws of their own country and by international laws.
Some people saw the black humor in Snowden's kafkaesque sojourn in “the neutral zone.” One Twitter post [ru] by user yasvidirov received over 140 retweets:
“Зато теперь я мэр Шереметьево,” – подбадривал себя Сноуден, чекинясь в сотый раз.
“Well, now I'm the [foursquare] mayor of Sheremetyevo [airport],” Snowden consoled himself, checking in for the hundredth time.
Other users have simply lost patience with the story, which has been developing for over a week and a half. Fashion model Tanya Stychinskaya, for instance, recently tweeted [ru]:
От фамилии Сноуден уже тошнит
I'm already sick of hearing Snowden's name
In Russia, as in his native country, Snowden is a divisive figure, bringing to the fore the intrinsic conflict between the need for government openness, the individual's right to privacy, and the need for security services to carry out certain work in secret. In the debate over Snowden's character and his ultimate fate, most RuNet users seem to have glossed over the details of what the programs he uncovered actually entail. And perhaps most surprisingly, few have noted the similarity of these details to Russia's own monitoring program, SORM, which (unlike PRISM) is no state secret.

author: Daniel Alan Kennedy


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Kenya Bans NGO’s Local Complementary Currency, Arrests Project Leaders · Global Voices
Stanislas Jourdan

Kenyan authorities have shut down a social complementary currency project aimed at reinforcing the local economy in Kenya and arrested six of the project leaders under the pretext of counterfeiting.
Through local NGO Koru-Kenya, led by former Peace Corps volunteer Will Ruddick, the Bangla-Pesa was conceived in May 2011 and was officially launched on May 11,  2013. But the Bangla-Pesa did not have the chance to run for more than three weeks before authorities put a stop to it. On May 29, 2013, six members of the project were arrested and face up to seven years in jail.
The Central Bank of Kenya claimed that the currency could destabilise the economy, and police complained that the NGO wasn't registered, according to news reports. The team behind Bangla-Pesa was even accused of being linked with the nationalist terrorist group MRC. These accusations were unfounded, police recognized later.
Bangla Vouchers. © Koru-Kenya with permission
From Bristol to Thailand, complementary currencies have gained momentum and recognition from civil societies and public institutions around the world. More than 5,000 complementary currencies exist worldwide, with a common goal to enable citizens to regain control of their means of exchange.
Some of them, like the Bristol pound, aim at reinforcing the local economy, others want to encourage environment-friendly behaviors or recognize the informal economy, or simply to give access to a currency tool that some areas have been deprived of.
The website of the project explains how the Bangla-Pesa works:
This currency forms a buffer against fluctuations in the money supply due to remittances, weather, holidays, sending children to school, political turmoil and so on. The fundamental driver of this economic stability and increase in trade is due to the BBN member’s ability to trade their excess capacity. For instance a bicycle operator may have the capacity for 20 customers, but in general only has 10. Now he can give rides to those businesses in exchange for goods and services they have in excess, such as a woman who has extra tomatoes to sell. This increases the overall efficiency of the market and helps the community weather poor economic periods.
Very soon, the new local currency caught people's attention, such as Ritchie King writing for the webzine Quartz:
The goal is to create an interest-free system of microfinance that doesn't rely on a bank or financier, but allows new businesses to get started by buying local goods and services on credit. Will it work? Hard to say, but Koru plans to release a progress report at the end of the year.
The crime of alleviating poverty
After the arrests, a wave of protest in support of the project emerged denouncing the inconsistency of the accusations being made against Ruddick and his team.
On her blog Web of Debt, Ellen Brown stood by the Bangla-Pesa and described the pretext of the arrests as a “crime of allieviating poverty”. She explained:
In this case, the physical Bangla-Pesa voucher looks nothing like the national currency, as it would need to in order to sustain a charge of forgery. The intent of complementary currencies, as their name implies, is not to imitate or compete with the national currency but to complement it, allowing for increased sales within the local community of existing goods and services that would otherwise go unsold. Today, the Bank of England itself acknowledges this role of complementary currencies.
Along with Elleb Brown, a number of individuals and organizations have offered their support. Badi Twalib, a member of the Kenyan parliament, also expressed his support: “The government should support the initiative instead of arresting people,” he said.
The United Nations also wrote a letter of support [PDF], which clearly states the inconsistency by emphasizing the usefulness of the Bangla-Pesa:
Local barter currency systems, such as the Banglapesa vouchers, can be very useful where local productive capacities are under-used due to a scarcity of national currency in circulation within a local territory. The vouchers enable trad to happen among local producers and consumers, which otherwise would not happen.
On Next City, writer Jason Patinkin illustrated the outcomes of the social currency in its early steps in the neighbourhood of Bangladesh, near Nairobi:
Fatuma, who said her gross income each day was about 2,000 shillings, said she might throw out up to 200 shillings of spoiled stock each day. But she sold some of that extra stock for about 50 Bangla-Pesa each day, thus reducing waste by at least 25 percent and giving her extra “cash” to buy things like maize and soap. That extra buying power was crucial on slow business days, including the afternoon I spoke to her. “For women like me who don’t have a husband and who have kids, in a day like this where you’ve not sold anything, it would be better to have Bangla-Pesa to go get some food,” she said.
According to a study produced by the NGO which runs the currency, results after one week were very positive, with an increase of more than 20 percent in trade. Unfortunately, further data was confiscated by the police, leaving it impossible to analyse the later weeks.
On Facebook, the page “Kenyans Must Know” pointed out the irony of the story:
Banning Bangla Pesa while allowing Mpesa, debit cards and similar to operate as legal tender is discriminatory. Mpesa and related money is nothing but a promissory sms generated on mobile phone networks; Bangla on the other hand is promissory pieces of paper circulating among a small network of dwellers in Bangladesh slums in Mombasa. Hence, there is no other reason than the fact that those who own Bangla Pesa are dirt poor, while those who own the likes of Mpesa are stinking rich. That is discrimination and it should be nipped in the bud.
M-Pesa is a very popular mobile-payment currency system which is entirely legal in Kenya and currently monopolizes more than 20 percent of the GDP of Kenya. But unlike Bangla-Pesa, M-Pesa is run by Safaricom, a private company which is making huge profits, at the expense of the Kenyan government which loses seigniorage revenue when more people are using M-Pesa, explained Izabella Kaminska on FT Alphaville earlier this year.
“Time to get serious”
To defend their case in court, the NGO has launched a petition on its website, and a crowdfunding campaign to cover the cost of their defence and build the next steps for the Bangla-Pesa: a mobile application enabling trade without the need for physical vouchers, like M-Pesa works. The NGO requests 47,000 euros (about 60,700 US dollars) to achieve this.
The next hearing will take place on July 17. The six members of the projects face up to seven years of jail.
On his blog, Matthew P Slater wrote a note entitled “Time to get serious”. He explained why he believes the affair is important — and calls for more support.
Bangla Pesa is a test case, and it stands on the front line of the movement in the 21st Century. If you can't give much money, what else can you do?

author: Stanislas Jourdan


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“#LaSegundaYaTal,” Another Significant Contribution to Twitter by the Spanish Government · Global Voices
Lourdes Sada

Since winning the November 2011 elections, the People's Party (PP) has distinguished itself mainly with relentless cuts in social spending and a vertiginous drop in support from the Spanish people [es], which slipped from 46.6% to 24.5% in a little over a year.
Another notable feature of this administration has been its lack of deference and transparency toward the public. Since the PP came to power, many Spaniards have felt that their leaders have hidden information from and shown contempt toward them, which comes through most clearly in the confusing—if not completely unintelligible—explanations offered on the part of senior officials about corruption within their party or the controversial occasions on which President Mariano Rajoy has refused to meet with journalists, preferring to read statements from a plasma screen [es].
This attempt to avoid giving the explanations requested by the Spanish people has led to situations that verge on the surreal, like the unfortunate speech of PP General Secretary María Dolores de Cospedal attempting to justify [es] the payments her party made to its former treasurer, Luis Bárcenas, who is accused of—and currently incarcerated for—taking part in one of the biggest cases of corruption in the country's history, when in theory they should have ceased.
On Friday, June 28, President Rajoy, at an appearance following a meeting at the European Council in Brussels, starred in one of these moments. A journalist asked him if he supported the educational policies of Minister Wert [es] and if he thought that the incarceration of Luis Bárcenas was good news for Spain, to which Rajoy responded, “La segunda ya… tal” [es] [“The second already… such”], avoiding the question about the alleged crime.
That expression, which prompted laughter from those attending the press conference, including the president's own team, became the theme of the day, and in under an hour, the label #LaSegundaYaTal [es] was a trending topic on Twitter, although the president's phrase was unfamiliar to everyone. El Mono Político explained it on his blog [es] as follows:
Image from Twitter user NeizaN
Pese a su apariencia inocua, “ya tal” encierra el siguiente mensaje: “Mire, no le voy a contestar porque paso de usted y de la opinión pública, y el hecho de que yo haya elevado a ese individuo al cargo de tesorero del partido no me obliga a darle ninguna explicación a nadie, porque no me viene en gana”.
Despite its innocuous appearance, “ya tal” embodies the message: “Look, I'm not going to answer your question because I don't care about you or the public, and the fact that I promoted that individual to the position of party treasurer doesn't mean I have to explain myself to anyone, because I don't want to.”
On El Ventano [es], Qaesar said:
Hay quien le gustaría escuchar lo que dijo el traductor…
Some of us would like to hear what the translator said…
And on Menéame [es], pleyano said:
The second already such [sic]…. viene a decir lo mismo que su versión española
The second already such …. it means the same as the spanish version
On YouTube [es], Trece MTrece interpreted it thus:
Os resumo su contestación: “Como diga algo negativo de Bárcenas va a cantar todas las miserias de las cuales estoy acojonado por si le da por hacerlo”.
I'll summarize his answer for you: “If I say something bad about Bárcenas he'll reveal all the stuff I'm terrified he'll decide to come out with.
But the majority of reactions were on Twitter. Conde Chico [es], Javier Mesonero [es], Veneno Hyde [es] and La Peich [es] expressed their feelings about President Rajoy known:
@El_Conde_Chico: — Pero Mariano, tú eres tonto o te lo haces?
— #LaSegundaYaTal
@El_Conde_Chico: — But Mariano, are you stupid or you just pretend it?
— #LaSegundaYaTal
@javierM: jajajajajajajaja. #LaSegundaYaTal esto es Moncloa Shore, está lleno de canis [Moncloa: sede de la presidencia / cani: tribu urbana especialmente inculta].
@javierM: hahahahahahahaha. #LaSegundaYaTal this is Moncloa Shore, it's full of canis [es] [Moncloa: headquarters of the presidency / cani: especially uncouth urban tribe]
@Veneno_Hyde: España, un país que apuesta tanto por la integración que hasta tiene un presidente subnormal. #torosyflamenco #marcaespaña #LaSegundaYaTal
@Veneno_Hyde: Spain, a country so supportive of integration that we even have a moron president. #torosyflamenco #marcaespaña #LaSegundaYaTal
Rajoy's stick shift. Image from Twitter user GuillermodelPalacio
@_Peich: Juradme por los clavos de Cristo que con #lasegundayatal nuestro presidente no hablaba de legislaturas. PORDIOROSLOPIDO
@_Peich: Swear on the nails of Christ that with #lasegundayatal our president wasn't talking about his term.
PLEASEGODIPRAY
Isaac [es], fs monster [es], GonzaloHierro [es] and Alfonso Martínez [es] took the occasion to remember other shocking situations in which we've seen the president and his ministers:
@IsaacParraZ: Por favor! Qué [sic] vuelva la tele de plasma! #LaSegundaYaTal
@IsaacParraZ: Please! Hope the plasma tv comes back! #LaSegundaYaTal
@diospastafari: Todo es falso salvo algún finiquito en diferido en forma de becas para teles de plasma y viajes a Eurodisney #LaSegundaYaTal #PPStyle
@diospastafari: It's all untrue except for any deferred settlements in the form of grants for plasma tvs and trips to Eurodisney #LaSegundaYaTal #PPStyle
@gonzalo_hierro: “La primera vez que recibí un sobre me sentí mal, cierto remordimiento… pero #LaSegundaYaTal“
@gonzalo_hierro: “The first time I got an envelope I felt bad, I felt some remorse… but #LaSegundaYaTal“
@Alfonso__MG: Del creador de “It's very dificult todo esto”, “Todo es falso, salvo alguna cosa” y “España no es Uganda” llega… #LaSegundaYaTal  jajaja
@Alfonso__MG: From the creator of “It's very difficult todo esto,” “It's all untrue, except for some things” and “Spain isn't Uganda” comes… #LaSegundaYaTal  hahaha
Twitter users JLP [es], Manolo Mellado [es] and Rex Joker [es] weighed in:
@porterojlp: Lo peor de la vida política española son los guionistas #LaSegundaYaTal
@porterojlp: The worst thing in Spanish politics are the speechwriters #LaSegundaYaTal
@ManoloMellado: #LaSegundaYaTal no existe. Son los padres
@ManoloMellado: #LaSegundaYaTal doesn't exist. They are the parents
@jokerREX: Rajoy prepara un nuevo libro titulado: “#LaSegundaYaTal como concepto geopolítico en el marco globalizador de la economía mundial”.
@jokerREX: Rajoy is writing a new book called : “#LaSegundaYaTal as geopolitical concept within the globalizing framework of the world economy.”
Lunática Lovegood [es] and Ángel de los Ríos [es] came up with other uses for the expression coined by the president:
Image from Twitter user Angel Flores
@SraTorposopla: — ¿Hechizo poderoso para confundir a una persona?
— ¡Confundus!
— Incorrecto.
— #LaSegundaYaTal.
— 10 puntos para Gryffindor.
@SraTorposopla: — ¿What's a powerful spell to confuse someone?
— Confundus!
— Wrong.
— #LaSegundaYaTal.
— 10 points for Gryffindor.
@AngeldelosRios: He descubierto que te puedes ir de la oficina antes diciendo #LaSegundaYaTal
@AngeldelosRios: I've discovered that you can leave the office before saying #LaSegundaYaTal
Eva [es], (PUNTOS SUSPENSIVOS) [es] and Kim Jong-un [es] demonstrated how to use the phrase to avoid saying something unpleasant:
@evarf: El Rey: mi primera hija es tontita y.. #LaSegundaYaTal
@evarf: The King: my first daughter is a little fool and #LaSegundaYaTal
@Carlos_94SR: — Cari, me he comprado un vestido, ¿te gusta? ¿Crees que me hace gorda?
— #LaSegundaYaTal.
@Carlos_94SR: — Cari, I bought a new dress, do you like it? Does it make me look fat?
— #LaSegundaYaTal.
@norcoreano: A los que me preguntáis qué uso para el pelo y si he torturado inocentes: #LaSegundaYaTal
@norcoreano: To those who ask me what I use in my hair and if I have tortured innocent people: #LaSegundaYaTal

author: Lourdes Sada


text:
Snowden Air Search:  “Be Strong” Morales, Latin American Presidents Tweet · Global Voices
Elizabeth Rivera

One of the most complicated diplomatic scenes of recent years occurred when the airplane of Bolivia's president, Evo Morales, had to make an emergency landing in Vienna, Austria due to the alleged air transit denial [es] by Spain, France, Portugal and Italy under the suspicion that he was helping whistleblower Edward Snowden exit Russia.
The head of state was on his way back from Moscow, where he was participating in the Gas Exporting Countries Forum.
It is still uncertain what caused the plane in-route to the Atlantic on Tuesday, June 2, to make a U turn and land in Vienna's airport. On one side, Bolivian officers declared that France, Portugal, Spain and Italy revoked the permit for the airplane to cross their airspace and denied its petition to refuel; all because said countries thought Snowden could be on board.
Evo Morales. Photo by Flickr user Alain Bachellier (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Meanwhile, French and Spanish authorities said that the plane was free to cross their sky borders. Also, adding to the controversy, there's an audio recording allegedly taken from a conversation between the airplane and air control where you can hear the pilot asking for permission to land thinking he hadn't enough fuel.
Heads of State from several Latin American nations reacted immediately, many of them expressing their opinion of the unfolding events on Twitter.
Argentinean president, Cristina Fernández (@CFKArgentina) [es] tweeted her conversation with several rulers – including Evo Morales – in her account. Here are some of her tweets:
@CFKArgentina: “Qué? Evo? Evo Morales detenido?” Inmediatamente me viene a la mente su última fotografía, en Rusia…
@CFKArgentina: “What? Evo? Evo Morales detained?” His last picture, in Russia, immediately came to mind…
@CFKArgentina: Definitivamente están todos locos. Jefe de Estado y su avión tiene inmunidad total. No puede ser este grado de impunidad.
@CFKArgentina: They are definitely all crazy. A Head of State and his plane have complete immunity. I can't believe this level of impunity.
In this tweet she refers to the reaction of Ecuador's president, Rafael Correa:
@CFKArgentina: Rafael me dice que va a llamar urgente a Ollanta Humala para reunión urgente UNASUR.
@CFKArgentina: Rafael told me he'll immediately call Ollanta Humala to set up an urgent UNASUR meeting [Union of South American Nations]
Also, Rafael Correa tweeted [es]:
@MashiRafael: ¡Increíble! ¡Niegan ingreso a espacio europeo de avión de Evo Morales! ¿Y despuės nos hablan de cumbres EU-AL? ¡A reaccionar Patria Grande!
@MashiRafael: Incredible! They deny Evo Morales’ plane access to European airspace! And then they talk about EU-AL [Latin America] summits? Wake up Great Nation!
Afterwards, Cristina Fernández shared the opinion of Uruguay's president:
@CFKArgentina: Hablo con Pepe (Mujica). Está indignado. Tiene razón. Es todo muy humillante. Me vuelve a hablar Rafa.
@CFKArgentina: I spoke with Pepe (Mujica). He's outraged. He's right. This is all very humiliating. Rafa [Rafael Correa] is calling again.
Finally, the dignitary reported that Peru's president, Ollanta Humala, was going to call for an extraordinary UNASUR meeting:
@CFKArgentina: Me avisa que Ollanta va a convocar a reunión de UNASUR. Son las 00:25 AM. Mañana va a ser un día largo y difícil. Calma. No van a poder.
@CFKArgentina: Ollanta told me he'll call a UNASUR meeting. It is 00:25 AM. Tomorrow will be a long tough day. Be calm. They won't succeed.
And President Rafael Correa declared:
@MashiRafael: Horas decisivas para UNASUR: o nos graduamos de colonias o reivindicamos nuestra independencia, soberanía y dignidad. ¡Todos somos Bolivia!
@MashiRafael: Decisive hours for UNASUR: either we graduate as colonies or we revindicate our independence, sovereignty and dignity. We are all Bolivia!
Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro, also reported he was in contact with Evo Morales:
@NicolasMaduro: Estoy en contacto con Evo, se han violado todas las inmunidades internacionales que protegen a los jefes de Estado por la obsesión Imperial.
@NicolasMaduro: I am in touch with Evo, all international immunities that protect Heads of State have been violated due to the Imperial obsession.
Then he added:
@NicolasMaduro: Ratifico toda la solidaridad con Evo y desde Venezuela con dignidad responderemos esta agresión peligrosa, desproporcionada e inaceptable.
@NicolasMaduro: I ratify my complete solidarity with Evo and from Venezuela, with dignity, we will respond to this dangerous, disproportionate and unacceptable aggression.
According to a statement by the Interior Ministry of Austria that referred to the incident as a “routine inspection”, once on the ground, Austrian authorities entered the plane searching for Snowden and checked the passengers’ passports. All this, in spite of what president Morales had told his Argentinean peer:
@CFKArgentina: “Y no voy a permitir que revisen mi avión. No soy un ladrón”. Simplemente perfecto. Fuerza Evo.
@CFKArgentina: “I am not going to allow them to check my plane. I am not a thief”. Simply perfect. Be strong Evo.
After thirteen hours detained in Austria, local officials allowed Evo Morales to leave, just after the Austrian government informed that Snowden was not found on the Bolivian dignitary’s plane. It was only then that Spain opened its airspace so that the Bolivian president could make a stop at the Canary Islands and then proceed to Bolivia.
Nonetheless, Bolivian authorities denied the search [es] took place at all, as Bolivia's vicepresident, Álvaro García Linera, declared:
No hemos permitido que se hiciese registro al avión presidencial 001 y que ningún tipo de fuerza hiciese revisión al avión presidencial porque no corresponde. Ese avión tiene inmunidad y por derecho internacional no puede ser sometido a requisa.
We haven't allowed a search inside the presidential plane 001 and no special force went into the plane because it is not right. This plane has immunity and by international law, it can't be submitted to a search.
Morales [es] concluded:
Tengo la obligación de defender la dignidad y la soberanía de mi puesto. No es una ofensa al presidente sino a todo un pueblo, a toda un región como Latinoamérica.
I have the obligation to defend the dignity and sovereignty of my office. It is not an offense to the president but to a whole country, to a whole region like Latin America.
Finally, the Bolivian government announced it will call in the French and Italy ambassadors and the Portuguese consul in La Paz to explain the reasons why they denied the crossing and landing of President Evo Morales’ airplane.

author: Elizabeth Rivera


text:
Obama in Africa: Catching Up with China · Global Voices
Anna Gueye

President Obama is currently touring Africa on a visit scheduled from June 26 to July 3, 2013. He was recently in South Africa after having visited Senegal and Tanzania next after South Africa. Many commentators see this trip as a catch-up mission, as an attempt by the United States to respond to the Chinese economic breakthrough [fr] in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Since 2010, China has been the leading commercial partner in Africa [fr], although four years ago, at the time of Obama’s visit to Ghana, the US were in this position. Obama’s speech in Ghana four years ago left many Africans sceptical and there seemed to be little common ground.
In the video below, Global Voices contributor Abel Asrat for Global Voices in Ahmaric gave his point of view on Obama's policy in Africa as of today:
On Twitter, doubts over the reasons for Obama’s visit to Africa were reflected by use of hashtag Wolof  #ObamaTakh which translates just well as “Because of Obama” as “Thanks to Obama” –  appeared several days before his arrival in Dakar.
Since his arrival on Senegalese soil “because of Obama” seems to be the most prominent use  of the word that took over the social networks. Then the mood changed, as @LebouPrincess, a Senegalese based in DC,  underlined on Twitter:
Plus impressionnant que l'arrivée du Air Force One c'est le revirement des #kebetu (Twittos en Wolof] lol guemoulene dara [vous êtes versatiles] #ObamaTakh
The following day Obama managed to get the Senegalese somewhat on his side by mentioning traditional Senegalese wrestling during his discussions with President Macky Sall and saying some words in the Wolof language: Nio Far (We are partners),Teranga (hospitality) and Jerejef (Thank you).
Central to discussions between the two presidents were the conflict in Mali, drug trafficking and economic issues [fr]:
Le président américain Barack Obama a annoncé, jeudi à Dakar, que son administration était en train de « chercher des modalités de reconduction » de l’AGOA [African Growth and Opportunity Act], la Loi américaine sur la croissance et les opportunités en Afrique.
S'exprimant au cours d'une conférence de presse conjointe avec son homologue sénégalais Macky Sall, au lendemain de son arrivée au Sénégal pour une visite officielle de trois jours, le chef de l'Etat américain a indiqué avoir demandé à son administration de travailler pour arriver à une reconduction de l'AGOA.
L'AGOA est un programme unilatéral de préférence commerciale signé par le Congrès des États-Unis et permettant l'exemption de taxes et l'accès à un quota libre pour plus de 6 400 produits provenant des pays éligibles de l'Afrique sub-saharienne.
Le président Obama a par ailleurs réaffirmé la volonté de son administration de travailler à développer les relations commerciales entre son pays et le Sénégal.
In Senegal and elsewhere, the most commented upon moment of the press conference given by the two presidents, was when Barack Obama, freely and almost certainly with the backing of his Senegalese counterpart, broached the topic of gay rights in Africa. Sabine Cessou on Rue89 explains how questions were selected [fr] during the press conference :
Les questions des quelques 300 journalistes présents ne pouvaient pas être posées librement, mais avaient été sélectionnées à l’avance. Ce processus a permis à seulement deux journalistes sénégalais et deux journalistes américains de poser quelques salves de questions chacun.
The questions from the 300 journalists were screened beforehand. The process allowed for two Senegalese journalists and two american ones to ask the tough questions.
Macky Sall’s response did not disappoint Senegalese traditionalists [fr]:
Fondamentalement, c’est une question de société. Il ne saurait y avoir un modèle fixe dans tous les pays. Les cultures sont différentes, tout comme les religions et les traditions.
Même dans les pays où il y a dépénalisation de l’homosexualité, les avis ne sont pas partagés. Le Sénégal est un pays tolérant : on ne dit pas à quelqu’un qu’il n’aura pas de travail parce qu’il est homosexuel. Mais on n’est pas prêt à dépénaliser l’homosexualité. C’est l’option pour le moment, tout en respectant les droits des homosexuels.
Nous ne sommes pas homophobes au Sénégal. La société doit prendre le temps de traiter ces questions sans pression.
In the US, Kimberly McCarthy had been executed the previous day in Texas, and Sall's cutting remarks about the death penalty had created the same unanimity: the Senegalese president remarked to his interviewer that certain countries still applied the death penalty – without naming the United States – although it is abolished in Senegal (the last capital punishment was in 1967) which, on the other hand, is careful not to preach to others.
As @hpenot_lequipe, a journalist for the french newspaper l'Equipe, remarked on Twitter:
Très intéressant échange entre Obama et Macky Sall. Pour une fois, un président africain ne s'est pas écrasé devant E-U. Respect.
And from @Toutankhaton in Paris:
Bravo à @macky_sall pour sa réponse cash à @BarackObama ! Peine de mort vs mariage gay! #obamatakh
Below is the video of the press conference by Xalimasn from Senegal:
http://youtu.be/W_O4ay69OFg
Photos from Obama’s visit can be viewed on the Facebook page of the Dakar Echo.
In South Africa, his welcome seemed a little less cordial, as the Washington Post's foreign affairs blogger Max Fisher points out:
For much of the 1980s, the United Kingdom and United States were perceived by some South Africans, not wholly without reason, as tolerating the apartheid government. That may help explain why some of Obama’s critics in South Africa criticize him for supporting the “apartheid state” of Israel. The groups also cite U.S. drone strikes and the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

author: Anna Gueye


text:
Russia’s #1 Social Network Attacked Abroad · Global Voices
Andrey Tselikov

Between continuing accusations of enabling music piracy and the legal troubles of its young CEO Pavel Durov [GV], Russian Facebook clone VKontakte has recently seen more than its fair share of trouble from the Russian government. The most recent batch, however, comes courtesy of the Ukrainians.
On June 26, 2013 Nikolai Durov, Pavel's older brother and VKontakte co-founder, reported [ru] that Ukrainian authorities have seized VKontakte's Ukrainian-based servers. Because VKontakte is popular with Russian speaking Ukrainians, the network keeps “caching” servers in Kiev in order to facilitate speedy access to music and video files for Ukrainian users. It was these servers that were confiscated by local police, which Pavel Durov claims led to a service slow down [ru]:
В результате видео- и аудиоконтент у украинских пользователей грузится медленнее, так как все данные доставляются напрямую из Петербурга.
As a result, the video and audio content loads slower for Ukrainian users, since all the data are being delivered straight from St. Petersburg.
The Ukrainians were apparently investigating tax evasion on the part of an unrelated company, whose financial documents they say could have been located on the servers. N. Durov bitterly wrote [ru] that this was simply a pretext:
Иначе говоря, доблестные украинские полицаи изъяли наши сервера без каких-либо законных оснований, а теперь, наверное, будут вымогать деньги (или тонну сала?) за возврат нам нашего же оборудования, а если не получится — продадут его налево.
In other words, brave Ukranian polizei removed our servers without any legal basis, and now they will probably extort money (or a tonne of salted pork fat?) from us for the return of our own equipment, and if that doesn't work they will sell it.
According to Pavel Durov, if the Ukrainian police were to actually sell the servers they would get a pretty penny — in his post on the subject he noted that the equipment costs around half a million dollars [ru]. Later, Nikolai Durov broke that number down [ru], explaining that VKontakte uses expensive servers that are filled with solid state drives, and cost around $25,000 each.
Pavel Durov cares this much for Ukrainian police. YouTube screenshot. July 3, 2013.
Ukrainian authorities claimed [ru] that they were not aware that the equipment they confiscated belongs to VKontakte — they were merely targeting the firm that provides space [ru] for the servers. Nikolai Durov begged to differ [ru]:
Насколько мне известно, забрали в точности наши сервера. По всей видимости, заказ был именно на них.
As far as I know they took precisely our servers. Apparently the hit was taken out for them specifically.
N. Durov did not say what the reason for this was, but he guessed [ru] that there is either a monetary motive, or the whole debacle is part of some competition between Ukrainian internal security forces. A few days later, on July 1, N. Durov published an update of the situation, saying that the Ukrainian police are still in possession of the servers, and are looking through them in order to find something that'll stick, or maybe even set VKontakte up:
Ясно, что при желании можно найти на дисках что угодно — например, предварительно списав туда свою коллекцию детской порнографии. […] Наверняка через неделю-другую появится пресс-релиз доблестных украинских полицаев, “раскрывших” преступление века, и обнаруживших на наших серверах всё что им угодно — хоть переговоры Саддама Хуссейна с Бен Ладеном.
Clearly, if there is a will there is a way of finding anything you want on the disks — for instance, by recording your child pornography there first. […] In a week or two, for sure, there will be a press-release by the brave Ukrainian polizei, who have “solved” the crime of the century and found all they wanted on our servers — up to and including talks between Saddam Hussein and Bin Laden.
In the meantime, VKontakte is working on housing its new servers in Germany.

author: Andrey Tselikov


text:
Scholarships For Breast Enlargements in Spain? · Global Voices
Lourdes Sada

There are new rigorous obstacles in front of Spain's students with scholarships, but for one journalist that seems reasonable, because female students have been squandering their awards to get boob jobs anyway.
Journalist Paloma Cervilla published an entry on her blog “Pido la Palabra” (“May I Have the word?”) [es] on June 25, 2013, titled  “Becas para Ponerse Tetas” (Scholarships for Boob Jobs)[es], which has made sparks fly among social networkers, who have expressed their indignation in blogs, comments, and countless tweets.
Spain's new system for awarding scholarships, much more restrictive than in previous years due to sharp cuts in funding, is currently being revisited. Minister of Education José Ignacio Wert‘s original proposal required, among other things, that students maintain a grade point average of 6.5 out of 10 [roughly the equivalent of a C average in the U.S] and passing grades for all subjects (85% for technical degree programs). This has placed 30,000 students at risk of expulsion for non-payment [es].
Wert, one of Spain's most controversial government figures, has seen his proposal sharply rejected, not only by students, professors, and rectors of universities, but also by educational advisors within the autonomous communities, many of whom are also members of the governing party, leading Wertz to reconsider some of his original requirements [es].
At the time of this writing, Cervilla's article has been withdrawn and cannot be read on its original site, but several other websites have picked up the text. One of them, eldiario.es, published the deleted content [es] in its section called La Crispación [“Controversy”]. Here is the paragraph that has web users so incensed:
(…) me acordé de algo que un día me comentó una amiga, profesora en un instituto, precisamente sobre el despilfarro y el escaso control que hay sobre el dinero que se concede para las becas. Indignada me decía que conocía alumnas que habían utilizado el dinero de su beca para pagarse operaciones de aumento de pecho, vamos, para ponerse tetas. (…) Estos son algunos casos, pero seguro que habrá cien mil más.
[…]  I remembered something a friend of mine once told me. As a college professor, she was exasperated by the bad management and poor controls exercised over the scholarship money allotted to students. She told me she knew students who had used their scholarships to pay for breast enlargement operations -all right, let's just say it – boobs jobs. […]  These are just a few cases, but there are probably a hundred thousand others just like them.
Screenshot of Paloma Cervilla's blog page after the controversial article was removed. Text reads: “We apologize, the page you requested could not be found or no longer exists.”
In record time, the internet was flooded with protests, like this one from Carlos Villar Menéndez, in his blog Luces de Bohemia [es] (“Bohemian Lights”):
En el colmo del cinismo, esta señora (…) no hace otra cosa que dejar a las claras su desprecio y falta de respeto hacia las estudiantes becadas.
Entiendo que las estudiantes becadas se vean ofendidas por estos comentarios, de estas personas mezquinas e hipócritas, que no hacen sino defender los intereses de sus patrocinadores.
At the height of cynicism, this woman […] has done nothing more than show her contempt and lack of respect for female students on scholarships.
I understand why scholarship recipients would take offense at comments like these, made by such petty, hypocritical people who are only defending the interests of their employers.
Ignacio Escolar, in his article “Los Fraudes Imaginarios No Justifican los Recortes de Verdad” [es] (“Imaginary Abuses Don't Justify Real Cuts”) was also highly critical:
Quienes difunden semejantes infundios pretenden convertir la leyenda urbana en realidad, creen que el plural de “anécdota” es “dato” y confunden el “me lo comentó una amiga” con fuentes de toda solvencia. Sin embargo, el verdadero problema no es que propaguen estas mentiras sin contrastar; por desgracia, esto ya es algo habitual. La gran trampa consiste en utilizar estos casos fraudulentos –los imaginarios y los de verdad– como argumento para desmontar el Estado del bienestar.
People who spread these types of rumors are trying to turn urban legends into reality; they believe that “anecdotes” equal “statistics,” and they confuse “a friend told me so” with a completely reliable source. But the real problem isn't that they propagate such unsubstantiated lies; unfortunately, that has become rather commonplace. The big mistake here is that fraudulent cases -both the imaginary and the real ones- are being used as an argument for dismantling the welfare state.
Many tweeters, like Beatriz del Hoyo, Drogoteca and Xose Morais ridiculed Cervilla for her lack of journalistic rigor (links to the deleted article have been removed):
@BeatrizdelHoyo: Periodismo de ‘himbestigazion': “Becas para ponerse tetas”
@BeatrizdelHoyo [es]: “Scholarships for Boob Jobs”. Now that's what I call investigative journalism!
@Drogoteca: Periodismo calidad @PalomaCervilla: de “comprar TVs de plasma con el subsidio del paro” a “ponerse tetas con las becas de estudios”. Yuju!!
@Drogoteca [es]: Quality reporting @PalomaCervilla: from “buying plasma TVs with unemployment benefits” to “paying for boob jobs with student scholarships.” Woo-hoo!
@XoseMorais: En ABC, “Becas para ponerse tetas”. Basado en el riguroso principio de ‘me comentó una amiga’. Literalmente.
@XoseMorais [es]: Read it now in ABC: “Scholarships for Boob Jobs,” based on the rigorous principle of “a friend told me so.” Literally.
Others, like Rubén and Virginia Azagra, took personal jabs at the reporter
Photo tweeted by @Eva_Casanova_. [Text on student's hand reads: “6.3. Fail.”]
@VdeRuben: Infame artículo “Becas para ponerse tetas”  la usó para ponerse cerebro, el resultado salta a la vista
@VdeRuben [es]: “Scholarships for Boob Jobs” -what an outrageous article! @PalomaCervilla must have used her scholarship money for a “brain job,” and the results are obvious.
@Papapagina: @palomacervilla fue a ponerse tetas y le metieron la silicona en el córtex frontal
@Papapagina [es]: @palomacervilla went in to have her own breasts done, but they accidentally injected the silicone into her frontal cortex.
Barbijaputa, Pedro Cervantes and ferpectamente tied this issue in with other current news:
@Barbijaputa: No sé por qué se empeñan en reflotar un país lleno de filoetarras que se beben el PER, se gastan las ayudas en plasmas y las becas en tetas.
@Barbijaputa [es]: I don't know why anyone would insist on bailing out a country like ours, full of ETA lovers who drink away their farm subsidies, waste their unemployment checks on plasma TVs, and spend their scholarships on boob jobs.
@CervantesrPedro: Alumnas que utilizan las becas para ponerse tetas y alumnos que guardan ese dinero en Suiza.
@CervantesrPedro [es]: So there are women who use their scholarships for boob jobs and men who tuck their money away in Switzerland.
@ferpectamente: No negará Dña. @PalomaCervilla que las tetas que se han puesto todas esas chicas con las becas no van a abrirles un futuro en Eurovegas.
@ferpectamente [es]: @PalomaCervilla can't deny that all those girls with enhanced breasts, bought and paid for with their scholarships, might have careers waiting for them in Eurovegas.
But the majority laughed openly at the entire affair, as reflected in the following tweets (contributed, in order, by Celia Zaragoza, Blanco Humano, Little Black Owl, Carlos F. Gamabazo and Jorge Mendoza):
@_CeliaZ: ¿Lo de las becas sólo vale para ponerse tetas o también las habéis malgastado vosotros comprando Jes Extenders a lo loco?
@_CeliaZ [es]: Do these scholarships only apply to breast implants for the women, or have you men been splurging on Jes Extenders as well?
@blancohumano: Debo confesar que yo sí que me gasté el dinero de mis becas en ponerme tetas. Luego me las quité porque me veía raro con seis tetas, claro.
@blancohumano [es]: I have to confess that I did spend my scholarship money on new breasts. Later I had them removed because, as you can imagine, I looked silly with six breasts.
@LittleBlackOwl1: @PalomaCervilla Mi vecina se ha puesto tetas y labios de silicona, y de vez en cuando monta fiestas en su casa. Eso, ¿cuántas becas son?
@LittleBlackOwl1 [es]: @PalomaCervilla My neighbor had silicone added to her breasts and lips, and once in a while she throws house parties. How many scholarships did all of that add up to?
“Wert showing off his scholarships.” Photo tweeted by Dolors Boatella.
J. @jcfergam71: @Barbijaputa yo me gasté las becas de mis hijos en ponerme un par de tetas; como delante no quedaban bien, me las puse a la espalda.
J. @jcfergam71 [es]: @Barbijaputa I spent my children's scholarship money to have a pair of breasts added. Since there really wasn't any room in front, I had them put on in back.
@guladejorge: Yo digo que las tetas de silicona que se puso una chica con el dinero de las becas son de uso público
@guladejorge [es]: I'd say that any silicon breasts paid for with scholarship money should be for public use.
One final note: as Lara Cillan writes in her blog “Becas, tetas, pastores, ovejas y otras cosas oportunamente mezcladas” [Scholarships, Breasts, Shepherds, Sheep, and Other Things Well-Mixed; es], scholarships are essential in a developed society, and should be seen as an investment, in spite of any unforseeable anomalies:
Sí, hay becas que se dan a familias que no las necesitan, sí, hay becas que son gastadas indebidamente y sí, hay becarios que no terminan sus estudios, pero son una minoría insignificante respecto de los miles de jóvenes que, gracias a una beca, se han labrado un futuro y cuyo trabajo revierte positivamente en la sociedad cuando no tienen que salir al extranjero para poder trabajar.
Yes, there are scholarships offered to some families who don't need them;  yes, there are scholarships that are improperly spent;  and yes, there are scholarship recipients who never finish their studies, but these are an insignificant minority compared to the thousands of young people who, thanks to a scholarship, have built a future for themselves, and whose work will have a positive effect on our society, if they don't have to move overseas to find employment.


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Tajik MP is Against Mixed Marriages “Especially with Chinese“ · Global Voices
Chris Rickleton

It is rare that the deputies in Tajikistan's pliant parliament become national talking points, but Saodat Amirshoeva, a female MP with strong views about mixed marriages, is fast becoming a name on everyone's tongues.
An MP in President Emomali Rahmon's People's Democratic Party, Armishoeva's legislative initiatives are mostly nuptial in nature. Back in 2010 she suggested raising the marriage age for girls to 22 years of age, while earlier this year she led a failed attempt to ban marriages between first cousins. Now she is returning to her favorite theme by warning Tajik women not to compromise the national gene pool by marrying non-Muslims, “especially Chinese”.
MP Amirshoyeva (RFE/RL)
Amirshoeva is not a geneticist by trade, nor it seems, is she a diplomat. China is the largest and wealthiest of the countries bordering Tajikistan, and thus one of Dushanbe's most important strategic partnerships. In fact, the MP's focus on China points to a broader sense of vulnerability felt by many Tajiks about China's growing presence in the country. In May an opposition politician claimed that Chinese border guards were drifting ever further and further into Tajik territory, just over two years after the mountainous republic controversially ceded land to Beijing. When Russian media jumped on the issue with much hullabaloo, those claims turned out to be [ru] quite difficult to verify.
But back to Amirshoeva, who stated [tj] on July 1:
Ман ба муқобили он ҳастам, ки духтарони ҷавон бо намояндагони динҳои дигар ва миллатҳои гуногун – рус, чинӣ ва дигар халқиятҳо оила барпо кунанд, ки ба анъана ва суннатҳои миллии мо манфиат намоваранд…Фикр мекунам, ки марди мусалмон метавонад бо хонумҳои мазҳаби дигар оила барпо кунад. Аммо ман муқобили он ҳастам, ки духтарони тоҷики мусалмон бо намояндагони дини дигард, алалхусус бо чиниҳо оила барпо кунанд
I am against Tajik girls marrying men of other religion, or nation – Russians, Chinese, or others. They will not benefit our customs and traditions… I also think that Muslim-Tajik (men) are allowed to marry women of other religions. But I am against Muslim-Tajik girls marrying men of other religion, especially Chinese.
MP Amirshoeva didn't clarify why she considers China a distinct religion, nor whether non-Muslims could convert and then marry Tajik women (“ask the mullahs about this”) but her views on marriage and antipathy towards potential suitors from the Celestial Empire were shared by some and criticized by others. A commentator on the Asia Plus news website writing under the nickname “тима” joked [ru]:
Добро пожаловать в средневековье. г-жа Амиршоева забыла упомянуть что право первой брачной ночи надо отдать верховному вазиру.
Welcome to the Middle Ages. Mrs. Amirshoeva forgot to mention that [conjugal] rights on the first night belong to the Grand Vizier.
Another ironic sentiment came [ru] from cuckooev:
Целиком поддерживаем высказывания нашей глубокоуважемой депутатши. Будем поддерживать генофонд.
с уважением пациенты психклиники “Кокташ”
We entirely support the statements of our dear deputy. We will keep up the gene pool. Yours faithfully, the patients of the “Koktash” mental hospital [famous psychiatric institution in Dushanbe]
But Анушервони Одил (Anushervoni Odil) commented [ru]:
Совершенно верно! Женщина мусульманка не должна выходить замужь за неверного. Хорошо что у нас есть люди которым не безразлично честь и достоинства нации.
Absolutely right! Muslim woman should not marry adherents of a different faith. It is good that we have people who care about the honor and dignity of the nation.
In Asia Plus’ reportage, Armishoeva said her views were strictly personal and that she was not about to lobby yet another marriage law since Tajikistan was a “democratic” society. But in a separate interview with the Ozodagon news agency website, she appears to suggest [tj] the opposite:
Дар ҳақиқат имрӯз мо мебинем, ки духтарони мо аз паси бойгарию пулу мол рафта, ба мардони миллати дигар издивоҷ менамоянд, ки барои ҳамаи мо модарони тоҷик бисёр аламовар аст. Мо мардуми тоҷик, ки мусалмон ҳастем ва дар дини мубини ислом қарор дорем, ягон хел ҳуқуқ надорем, ки бо мардони ғайри дин издивоҷ намоем. Ман ҳамчун вакил ба Шумо ваъда медиҳам, ки агар чанде Конститутсия озодии никоҳро кафолат медиҳад Худо хоҳад ман ҳаракат мекунам, ки барои пеши ин амалро гирифтан ягон чораи дахлдор ҷӯям.
Indeed, we see that Tajik women chase after wealth and marry men of other nationalities, which is very unfortunate for us, Tajik mothers. We, Tajik women, as Muslims, don`t have the right to marry men of different religions. As a deputy, I promise to fight against the freedom of marriage guaranteed by the constitution.
If Armishoeva's comments have achieved something, it is to remind netizens of a sore point – the sale of swathes of Tajik territory to their giant eastern neighbour in 2011.
As УЧИТЕЛЬ ГЕОГРАФИИ (geography teacher) recalls [ru]:
ТАДЖИКСКУЮ ЗЕМЛЮ КИТАЙЦАМ ПРОДАВАТЬ МОЖНО, А ЗАМУЖ НЕЛЬЗЯ? МОЗГОВ НЕТ У НАШИХ ДЕПУТАТОВ
So it is possible to sell Tajik land to the Chinese, but not to marry them? Our deputies have no brains
The cover image of Platforma – a public Facebook group where Tajiks discuss political issues – suggests that corrupt land deals with China, rather than procreation with Chinese, offer the biggest threat to Tajik sovereignty. The man pictured is Tajik President Emomali Rahmon. The caption reads: “Do you have something to say to the Tajik government? This is the place!”

author: Chris Rickleton


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VIDEO: Eviction of a Chilean School · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Short documentary with English subtitles
“The Eviction” is a documentary film about our fight against the chilean educational system. We want the whole world to see how the Chilean government is treating our students.
Guille Söhrens directed and produced this 20-minute documentary on a recent eviction of a Chilean school that had been taken over by students. The video includes English subtitles.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcbQzpBKJBg#at=119

author: Silvia Viñas


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100% Humidity in Lima, Peru · Global Voices
Gabriela García Calderón Orbe

Peruvian newspapers reported [es] on Thursday, July 4, 2013, that humidity in Lima reached 100% [es]. Lima residents expressed their opinions on Twitter using the hashtag #humedad [humidity].

author: Gabriela García Calderón Orbe


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Brazil Stockpiles Arsenal of Non-Lethal Weapons Ahead of World Cup · Global Voices
Pública - Agência de jornalismo investigativo

[All links lead to sites in Portuguese]
This post, written by Bruno Fonseca and Natalia Viana for Agência Pública, was originally published as a report entitled “Bomba brasileira na pele turca”  (Turks Feel a Brazilian Bomb Firsthand) and is part of the special coverage #IndústriaBrasileiraDeArmas (Brazilian Weapons Industry) on the weapons lobby and industry in Brazil. The story will be published in a series of three articles on Global Voices Online. This is the third part of the series.
Check out the second post: Brazilian Weapons Firm Exports Arms to Arab Countries
The Brazilian federal government agreed to the purchase of thousands of non-lethal weapons from Brazilian arms firm Condor – the same company that furnished the tear gas used against protesters in Turkey – to be used by the police forces in all the host cities of the 2013 Confederations Cup and the 2014 World Cup for the sum of 49.5 million reais (22 million US dollars).
The agreement with Condor S.A. Indústria Química, signed on 26 November, 2012 to last until 31 December, 2014, provides for the supply of different types of weapons, such as 2,200 non-lethal short distance kits, which include pepper spray and pepper foam, tear gas grenades with traceable chips, indoor and outdoor moral effect grenades and explosive light and sound grenades; besides that, 449 non-lethal short distance kits with rubber bullet cartridges and impact expansible cartridges – bullets that expand when they touch the skin, avoiding perforation.
Apart from that, the agreement includes the purchase of 1,800 electric weapons for launching energized darts  – the so-called Taser guns, 8,300 moral-effect grenades, 8,300 light and sound grenades, 8,300 triple smoke tear gas grenades, and 50,000 pepper spray canisters.
Find the entire agreement here.
The tear gas exported to Turkey was also bought by the Brazilian federal government for use during the 2014 World Cup and Olympics. Photo by Agência Pública. Used under a Creative Commons license
Condor's non-lethal weapons are largely employed by police forces all over the country as well as by the federal government. Federal programs buy such weapons, for instance, to be used by the Unities of Pacifying Police (UPPs, initials in Portuguese) in Rio de Janeiro and by police forces in 12 States involved in the program  “Crack, É Possível Vencer” (Crack Cocaine, It's Possible to Win) including shock pistols, Taser guns, and pepper spray. The Brazilian government has already allocated 49 million Brazilian reais (approximately 22 million US dollars) to Condor just to pay for the weapons to be used during the Confederations Cup this year and in the 2014 World Cup.
The Brazilian tear gas exported to Turkey was also bought by the federal government to be used during the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games.
In April 2012, according to Transparency Portal [a website created by the federal government to inform on government's expenditures with the World Cup 2014], the federal government spent 1.5 million reais (approximately 669,000 US dollars) on the purchase of non-lethal ammunition from Condor to be used by the army to “ensure law and order in the residential compounds of Alemão and Penha”. Among the items which were purchased there were 1,125 explosive light and sound grenades (GL 307), 500 multi-impact pepper grenades (GM 102) and 500 smoke grenades, 29,500 rubber bullet cartridges and 700 random movement tear gas grenades (GL -310) – the same which were used against the protesters in Turkey.
In June, the government purchased weapons from Condor for the security of Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, amounting to a total of 1.3 million reais (approximately 579,000 US dollars). Among them were more than 900 pepper spray canisters, 1,300 triple tear gas grenades, 870 explosive light and sound grenades, and 5,000 12-calibre cartridges with rubber bullets.
Justice?
While the Brazilian Agency for the Promotion of Exports and Investment encourages the export of arms to countries such as Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, the use of the same non-lethal arms is questioned by the Brazilian justice.
In November 2012, the federal prosecutor for citizen's rights decided to investigate the damage brought by these arms to the health in the country. At the request of the organization Tortura Nunca Mais (Torture Never Again) from São Paulo, a working group comprising representatives of the Ministries of Justice, Defense and Health and of the Secretariat of Human Rights from the Presidency, as well as the Federal and State Police and the Municipal Guards, was created with the aim of monitoring bills on the subject. This was deemed necessary as there is no national rules to guide decisions and ensure an acceptable use of such weapons.
The working group shall also carry out a comparative study about police-training programs as well as studies about the consequences to the health of people targeted by these weapons, especially those that make use of electric shock and chemical components. Wilson Furtado, from Torture Never Again, observed:
Nossas polícias estão usando este tipo de armas supostamente não-letais de maneira ostensiva… O policial, em vez de deter a pessoa, atira e pronto, atingindo principalmente jovens que estão protestando.
Our police are using this type of allegedly non-lethal weapons ostensibly…Instead of arresting the person, the policeman fires the non-lethal weapon and that is it, targeting mainly the young people during their protest marches.
The organization asks for rules that regulate the use of non-lethal weapons, defining the type of authorized weapons and norms of purchase, control and use, as well as the mechanisms of information to citizens.


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‘Celebrities for Hire’ in Central Asia · Global Voices
Alexander Sodiqov

On Registan.net, Aijan Sharshenova explains why ‘celebrities for hire’ (including pop diva Jennifer Lopez) entertaining the authoritarian leaders of post-Soviet Central Asian republics unwillingly improve their image among domestic audiences.

author: Alexander Sodiqov


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“Chinese-Style Justice” · Global Voices
Abby Liu

ChinaSMACK has translated a “one-point” essay from a test-taker at China's annual National College Entrance Exam that took place last month. The critical essay reviewed China's social problems in the recent years, including the rampant corruption and food scandal.

author: Abby Liu


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Domestic Violence in Kyrgyzstan · Global Voices
Alexander Sodiqov

Most girls and women in Kyrgyzstan are afraid of leaving their homes alone when it gets dark, believing that a dark street is the most frequent crime scene in the country. In reality, as SQ blog suggests [ru], four out of five crimes against women in the country take place at their homes and are committed by their husbands or other relatives.


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First Burmese-language Social Networking Site · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

SQUAR is Myanmar’s first Burmese-language social networking site. The Irrawaddy interviews Rita Nguyen who is overwhelmed by the support of Myanmar netizens:
…even if Burmese were online, there was really no destination that belonged to them, built for and by them.


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Higher Education’s ‘Quality Problem’ in India · Global Voices
Rezwan

Supriyo Chaudhury at Sunday Posts argues that Indian higher education needs foreign investments, not just because of the money, but the imagination and creative proposition that will come with it.

author: Rezwan


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Game Over for the US Airbase in Kyrgyzstan? · Global Voices
Aliaskar Adylov

After over a decade of scandal, intrigue and significant contributions to the state coffers, the Kyrgyzstani people are preparing for the consummation of their love-hate relationship with the American military installation located on the outskirts of their capital, Bishkek.
On June 26, Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambaev renounced the agreement under which the Kyrgyz government hosted the Transit Center, a crucial supply link for Washington's military efforts in Afghanistan. Parliament overwhelmingly endorsed the renunciation, which should see US forces leave the country in 2014, the same year they exit Afghanistan. While US officials have made no secret of the fact they would like to maintain some sort of a presence in the strategically positioned republic, it seems the Transit Centre – something of a thorn in the side of Kyrgyzstan's main ally Russia – is now destined to be a footnote in the country's history.
Will Kyrgyzstan miss the US airbase? Image widely distributed, shared by pncp.net, cropped by Global Voices
A delicate question
Since its establishment in December, 2001, the airbase has maintained a controversial profile in Kyrgyzstan. In 2006 there was an incident when a US soldier, Zachary Hatfield, shot and killed Alexander Ivanov, a Kyrgyzstani driver who worked at the base. The Kyrgyz authorities wanted to prosecute Hatfield and began an investigation, but the American serviceman was granted diplomatic immunity and repatriated. Ivanov's family was initially only offered $1000 compensation from the US government, and the incident resulted in negative publicity for the base. Three years later Kyrgyzstan appeared to be on the verge of getting rid of the military installation, when then-President Kurmanbek Bakiyev suddenly u-turned, extracting more money out of Washington, infuriating Moscow and inspiring a scholar on the region, Alexander Cooley, to write the book Great Games, Local Rules.
Nevertheless, the Transit Center has helped Kyrgyzstan's troubled state budget. According to MP Omurbek Abdyrahmanov, Kyrgyzstan will lose about $200 million every year without it. Abdyrahmanov, one of the few MPs who voted against the closure, says Kyrgyzstan gains $60 million from the rent and about $140 million from goods and services provided to the base. Moreover, the vice-president of the adjacent civilian airport, Nurlan Mamyrov, believes that airport revenues will fall by 40% ($13.5 million) after the agreement ends. Both agree that the decision to close the installation was spontaneous and unwise – roughly 1,000 locals work at the Transit Center, while an informal economy has also grown up around the airbase.
But that is only half the story. Erica Marat, a Central Asia analyst, cites Russian enticements and pressure as the reason for President Atambayev's decision. Recently Russian authorities promised to write off $500 million of Kyrgyzstan's debt and build hydropower facilities on the country's Naryn river. For Kyrgyzstan, Russia is a permanent political reality – more than one million Kyrgyzstani citizens work there  – and without Russian financial assistance the republic's budget deficit would look even worse for wear. Moreover, Russia's own relations with America entered a period of steep decline after the beginning of Vladimir Putin's most recent presidential term.
Kyrgyzstani netizens have reacted differently to the news about the decision to close the Transit Center, with roughly a 50/50 split between those for and against the decision. One pocket of discussion emerged [ru] on the Vecherniy Bishkek newspaper's website.
The user Poronzo (Поронзо) wrote [ru]:
Теперь этот Атамбаев должен сделать второй шаг – найти 150 млн. долларов, которые мы потеряли. Очень большие сомнения, что этот “оратор” сделает это.
Now this [President] Atambaev must make a second step – find the $150 million that we have lost. I have big doubts that this “orator” can do it.
Emirates CCrew chimed [ru]:
да че вы народ из за америкосов плачете, панику строите??? жили раньше без них, то и щас без них проживем. Война где нить начнется так америкосы эту базу и начнут использовать в риск нашему народу наивному.
Why are you guys crying and throwing a fit – because of the Americans??? We lived without them before, so we will get by now. If a war starts somewhere the Americans could use this base, thus creating risks for our naïve people.
MP Bekeshev's straw poll
On his public Facebook page, Dastan Bekeshev, a Kyrgyz MP, asked [ru] his followers on June 20 what they thought of the decision to do away with the Transit Center.
Screenshot from Dastan Bekeshev's Facebook profile
Sergei Eremeev said [ru]:
Ну а те люди, которые работают на авиабазе, наши с вами сограждане, им как быть? На биржу труда?..
What about those people, our fellow citizens, who work at the airbase? What should they do? Hit the job centres?..
Julia Barabina wrote [ru]:
Меня не устраивает военная база другого государства по соседству с гражданским аэропортом, невдалеке от Бишкека. На базе уже погиб кыргызстанец, не так давно дозаправщик упал под столицей…в СМИ просочились сведения о том, что одного из офицеров Америки в КГ обвиняют по 30 статьям…и натворил он дел будучи на нашей территории. Вы хотите рисковать Бишкеком…его гражданами за несколько миллионов долларов в год? Вы хотите быть мишенью для противников США?
I don’t like the fact that the military base of another country is located near a civillian airport, not so far from Bishkek. One Kyrgyz citizen has already died at the base, and not so long ago a [US] airplane crashed close to our capital… according to some mass media, one American officer is accused under 30 separate articles of our criminal code… all crimes he committed whilst on our territory. Do you want to risk Bishkek… and its citizens for the sake of a few million dollars per year? Do you want to be a target for the enemies of the US?
She than added [ru]:
Все прекрасно понимают, что мы не только выводим базу. Мы выбираем стратегического партнера. Итак….что сделали для нас США? Кроме того, что кормят огромное количество НПО?*)) Какие театры они построили. ГЭСы? Может долг нам списали огроменный?
Everyone understands well that we aren't just removingthe base. We are choosing our strategic partner. So… what has the USA done for us? Besides the fact that they feed an enormous amount of NGOs?*)) What theaters have they built? HEP [hydroelectric power] stations? Have they written off any of our debts?
Maksim Bratukhin replied [ru]:
Россия слаба и ей нужны сателлиты которыми она будет прикрываться в случае чего. Россию за 12 лет довели до нищеты, до дурости, до ненависти, народ в ней разделен, а правителям нужно доказать свою власть, вот они и давят на Кыргызстан.
Russia is weak and she needs satellites which can be used to protect itself in difficult times. Russia was brought to poverty, foolishness and hate during the last 12 years; people are divided there; and its leaders need to prove their authority, that’s why they pressure Kyrgyzstan.
Azim Azimov explained[ru] the situation:
Мы говорим про Россию, потому что Кыргызстан не по своей воле базу прогоняет, согласитесь? Суверенитета какбэ и нет. В идеальной ситуации надо бы и российскую базу прогнать. Но куда мы теперь еще и без России? Слабые и незащищенные. Пусть хоть Россия остается, чем талибы с хизбутчиками вторгаются
The reason we are talking about Russia is because Kyrgyzstan has not denounced the basing agreement on its own initiative, agreed? We have no sovereignty at all. In an ideal situation it would be great to close the Russian base too. But what can we do without Russia? [We are] weak and unprotected. Let Russia stay, it’s better than the invasion of the Taliban and Hizb ut Tahrir.
Umar Shermatov responded [ru]:
С уходом базы Россиия с нами церемонится не будет. У нас будет никаких рычагов. Надо отдалятся от России.
After the base is closed Russia will not start treating us well. We will have lost our leverage. We should keep Russia at arm's length.
Rasul Aidarov added [ru]:
Атамбаев перед Путином свое обещание выполнил. Вот и все.
Atambaev did what he had promised to Putin. That’s all.
While Take Sha chose [ru] another way to describe Kyrgyzstan’s decision:
Также мучается проститутка, наверное, выбирая клиентов. А вот то, что можно стать порядочной и иметь порядочные отношения ей в голову никогда не придёт. Проститука она и есть проститутка
This is probably how a prostitute feels while choosing between clients. She never supposes that she can become decent and have legitimate relations. A prostitute is still a prostitute.
This post is part of the GV Central Asia Interns Project at the American University of Central Asia in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

author: Aliaskar Adylov


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Harrison Ford Visits Peru · Global Voices
Gabriela García Calderón Orbe

American actor Harrison Ford arrived in Peru on an unannounced visit [es] to the city of Iquitos, in the Peruvian Amazon. About this, Ismael S. (@Hismael7) [es] tweeted:
@Hismael7 [es]: Well, Harrison Ford is used to overcoming obstacles and death threats, so it's normal that he arrived on the week of the strike, I think D: #Iquitos
Recalling what happened recently with Miguel Bosé, Twitter users are asking Harrison Ford questions with the hashtag #PreguntasParaHanSolo [questions for Han Solo].


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Breast Milk Popular Among China’s Rich · Global Voices
Abby Liu

Since the 2008 milk scandal in which tainted baby formula poisoned hundreds of babies, China's Southern Shenzhen are enjoying a new nourishment: human breast milk. Wet nurses are hired to breast feed some babies and even adults. Offbeat China has more details.


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Turkmens Appalled, J Lo Performs for Their President’s Grand Birthday · Global Voices
Farida Yoony

Turkmenistan's President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov got a fine 56 birthday present at the end of last month in the form of a concert starring Jennifer Lopez held at Turkmenistan's $2 billion state palace. But many ordinary Turkmens registered disgust at the display of opulence in a country where the average salary hovers around $200 per month.
Turkmen singers also performed at the June 28 concert. Performers thanked the leader for his tremendous accomplishments and the refrain “Arkadaga şöhrat!” (Great Majesty Protector!) was repeated again and again during the celebrations. For her part, J-Lo screamed “TURKMENISTAN” into the microphone and sang Happy Birthday Mr. President. Several outlets reported that her presence was paid for by one of China's leading energy companies China National Petroleum Company (CNPC) in their attempts to woo the gas-rich republic. Lopez later denied knowledge of Turkmenistan's appalling human rights record via her publicist.
Among commentators on the Turkmen Chronicles newsblog, a site run by Turkmen exiles, the harshest criticism  was reserved not for J-Lo but Berdymuhamedov and his alleged use of public assets for personal pleasure.
Pippa commented [ru]:
Гореть этому Чурбангулы в огне за то,что ворует народные деньги.А певцам продажным эти деньги счстья не принесут…
That Gurbanguly should burn for stealing public money. And this stolen money will not not bring happiness to these singers…
Another commentator, “halk” expressed indignation [tm]:
halkin sheydip dashari yurtlarda sürenip yör sen utonman doglangünü lopezi çagir . eşiden üssünden gülyar görümsüz . sen utanmasanam men utanyanm sen hakinda gürrün edilende.)
The [Turkmen] people are having a hard time finding work and studying abroad, but you have no shame in inviting Lopez to your birthday. Everyone is laughing at us. If you don't feel ashamed, I will feel ashamed for you. )
One popular rumor is that J.Lo was paid $1.5 million for her short performance. Anonim posted [ru]:
1,5 МЛН.$ ЕЙ ДАЛИ ГОВОРЯТ.
It is said that she was payed $1.5 million
It has also been assumed here, here and here that J-Lo's Turkmenistan debut was sponsored by China's energy giant CNPC, a state-owned company that has already invested billions of US dollars on gas extraction in the eastern part of the country.
Jennifer Lopez (image via wikimedia, creative commons)
While some netizens were comforted by the idea that J-Lo's performance was coming out of CNPC's pocket, rather than Turkmenistan's budget, many others felt sure that it was just a way to secure an even larger stake in the country's gas sector at a knockdown price.
Atsyz supported [tm] the decision to get J-Lo on board:
Kakoyta bir guramanyn Turkmenistana beryan bahasy hic kime gerekdal , Oz yurtlaryny onarsynlar ! … CNPC getiren bolsa name erbet zady bar !)
All these organizations that criticize Turkmenistan should focus on their own country! If CNPC sponsored [the performance], why worry – what is bad about this !)
Generalitet responded [tm]
(CNPC turkmen halkynyn etini iyyp, shol puly 10 gezek kopeldip alayr! Berdy…bolsa shona yol beryar.)
(CNPC sucks our blood, and it will get 10 times more money back! [President] Berdy closes his eyes to that fact.)
Another Atsyz got mad at what the first Atsyz wrote and tried [tm] to make it clear that in the final reckoning, the money to pay for J-Lo was still coming out of Turkmenistan:
(CNPC on ucin cykaran puluny esselap ogurlap alar. makow bolma bu zatlan name ucin edilyandigini bilenokmy)
(CNPC will get several times that money back. do not be stupid. why can't you see the motives behind this action)
George Camm, who blogs at eurasianet.org, analyzed why CNPC might offer J.Lo as a bribe to the Turkmen leader. China is enormously dependent on external sources of energy, writes Camm and Turkmenistan sits on the fourth-largest known gas reserves in the world. For Turkmenistan, China is an excellent option to diversify gas exports.
Camm added:
Importantly for Berdymukhamedov, the [CNPC sponsored] pipeline helps him diversify: Previously most of Turkmenistan’s gas infrastructure pointed toward Russia, where it was bought at discount rates.
Unlike western states, China also helps the Turkmen government by ignoring Ashkabad's flagrant human rights abuses, manipulated elections, restricted freedom of speech, and serious issues with the rule of law.
Over at the Turkmen Chronicles news blog Aman aga concluded [tm]:
Atsyzjan ilki bir sol aydymcylary arkayyn otyryp dinlar yaly dereja yetmelimika diyyan ya yalnysmyka men pikirim,hazir bize geregi yok onyaly shagalan, halk ucin edilmeli zat kop, asla aydym sazyn wagty dal)
We are not ready for listening to music in Turkmenistan right now, we have many serious issues that must be dealt with, and if you understand reality, you will know it is not a time to throw parties.
On July 4 Human Rights Watch suggested Jennifer Lopez should donate the proceeds from her part in Berdymuhamedov's birthday bonanza to charity. The singer is yet to respond to the offer.

author: Farida Yoony