text:
A Guide to Resources on the Palestinian Nakba, Memory and Identity · Global Voices
Elia J. Ayoub

“Cement block houses replace tented refugee camp, Khan Younis, Gaza Strip” 1955 (Photo/J. Madvo, UNRWA Photo Archives). Today, 80% of the population of Gaza – 1.2 out of 1.5 million – are refugees and live in some of the most densely populated areas on Earth.
The 1948 Palestinian exodus, also known as the Nakba (Arabic for “catastrophe”), holds particular importance for Palestinians. It refers to the mass expulsion and exodus of, as well as the destruction of villages belonging to, Palestinians who inhabited the land that is now part of the State of Israel. By 1950, there were already 750,000 Palestinian refugees in what is now Lebanon, Jordan, Syria and the Palestinian territories (Gaza and the West Bank).
Returning to their lands, otherwise known as the “Right of Return” and symbolized by a key – many Palestinians who were expelled from their homes took their house keys with them – is usually seen among the most sensitive and urgent issues to solve before resolving the so-called ‘Israeli-Palestinian Conflict’.
In recent years, movements dedicated to spreading awareness on the Nakba have multiplied. This could be attributed to an apparent increase in Western awareness of the crimes inflicted upon Palestinians by the State of Israel. Last year's protest for Gaza in London, for example, was the largest of its kind, attracting up to 150,000 people.
Understanding the Nakba is of crucial importance if you wish to understand the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. To that end, we're putting together a list of resources for you to learn about the Nakba.
Handala Facing the Sea. Photo by Mazen Abdulaziz from Yemen ( Tumblr). Handala was created by Palestinian cartoonist Naji Al-Ali. He's always represented as a 10 year old barefoot boy, seen from behind. Handala now symbolizes the Palestinian struggle and the Right of Return.
Throughout the Arab World, Palestinians are known for their resilience. Whether it's the creativity of Gazans trying to find ways to survive the current Israeli blockade or the weekly non-violent demonstrations in West Bank villages, Palestinians are seen as examples of, to paraphrase spoken word artist Rafeef Ziadah, life-teaching resilience. Their struggle has come to be known as among the aspects of the ‘Arab Malaise’, coined by the late Lebanese journalist of Syrian and Palestinian origins Samir Kassir – in other words, attempting to explain why, in Kassir's words, there's “feelings of persecution for some, self hatred for others; a deep disquiet pervades the Arab world.”
Understanding the Nakba, therefore, is key to learning not only about the so-called “conflict” in Israel-Palestine, but also about wider issues touching the Arab world.
Articles and Photography Series
Writing about the Nakba can be tricky. Where to start? What should we focus on? Should we start with Plan Dalet? The ‘actual’ Nakba during which 750,000 Palestinians were forced out of their homes by Zionist paramilitaries or left out of fear, and made refugees in (primarily) Lebanon, Syria and Jordan? Massacres such as the infamous one in Deir Yassin? The Institute for Palestine Studies decided to leave it up to Palestinians themselves to tell their own stories. It has put together a series of articles under the title “The Nakba – In The Words of Palestinians“.
Palestine refugees flee across over the Jordan river on the damaged Allenby Bridge during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. (UNRWA archives)
Giving Palestinians a long-denied voice is a way of taking back what Edward Said called the ‘Permission to Narrate‘. Therefore, in the same spirit as the Institute for Palestine Studies, self-styled “progressive Jewish” website Mondoweiss has put together a list of stories by Palestinian descendants of Nakba survivors as well as other related pieces. Among the stories are Amer Hussein's “the burden of remembering” and Mariam Bargouthi's “Memory (On Nakba Day)“. Pieces on more recent Nakba-related topics include Amjad Alqasis’ “Israel’s state ideology tantamount to the ongoing Palestinian Nakba” and Yara Dowani's “‘So wait, the Nakba is…?': Listening to Israelis discuss the Nakba“. Other relevant pieces include “The Nakba and the ‘great book robbery’ of 1948“, “The Palestinian Nakba: A time to remember global indigenous struggles“, “‘For Palestinians, history is never behind us': Family memories on Nakba Day” and “Photo essay: Continually displaced, Palestinian refugees spend Nakba day in Iraqi IDP camp“. Also published in a Western media outlet was the widely-shared piece by Saleem Haddad for Slate.com entitled “The Dispossessed” .
Middle East Eye has put together a “#Nakba” series featuring commentaries by such Israeli figures as historian Ilan Pappe (“The Nakba: A crime watched, ignored and remembered“) and journalist Meron Rapoport (“The return of the right of return“). On their part, The Electronic Intifada focused on the ‘on-going Nakba’ with stories of current challenges faced by those resisting occupation. Examples of such stories include Shahd Abdusalama's “How my grandmother stood up to Israel’s occupation” as well as an editorial on how to fight the on-going Nakba today. Furthermore, the Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU) has released a “General Facts and Figures” post.
250,000 – 350,000: The number of Palestinians expelled by Zionist forces before the creation of Israel. #Nakba pic.twitter.com/eKyuLoLdus
— The IMEU (@theIMEU) May 14, 2015
From within Israel, no website has done better work than the folks over at +972mag. Among the many articles on the Nakba, recommended pieces include “To return, we must feel what our grandparents went through” by Samah Salaime, “Thousands return to destroyed Palestinian villages in Israel” by Natasha Roth, “Liberating Israelis from the mentality of occupation” by Eitan Bronstein Aparicio and Dr. Eléonore Merza Bronstein and “The road out of the occupation runs through the Nakba” also by Natasha Roth.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) commemorated the Nakba by highlighting its own work with refugees. Indeed, UNRWA started its work with Palestinian refugees in 1950, and has continued its operations to this day, 65 years later. They tweeted under the hashtag #JustSolution, calling for a fair solution for all Palestinians, including refugees, and Israelis. The below photographs are part of their (highly recommended) “The Long Journey” series, a Facebook album filled with photographs and stories chronicling the lives of Palestinians, starting with the UN Partition of Palestine in 1947 and ending with the Yarmouk humanitarian crisis in Syria. It is also available on a separate website.
We began operations on the ground in 1950, bringing emergency assistance to #Palestine refugees. pic.twitter.com/XkplgL63hs
— UNRWA (@UNRWA) May 15, 2015
The #Nakba left many Palestine refugees with only what they could carry on their backs. #justsolution pic.twitter.com/Y7uM2T1DSl
— UNRWA (@UNRWA) May 15, 2015
Many of those displaced in the 1967 Arab-Israeli conflict were already registered refugees. #justsolution pic.twitter.com/MEeAIrD7Ai
— UNRWA (@UNRWA) May 15, 2015
Books
If you're more into books than articles, you're in for a treat (though be warned: Nakba books aren't exactly the happiest of books). Marcia Lynx Qualey of the ArabLit blog has put together a list of seven books on the Nakba for Your Middle East. They are: Gates of the Sun by Elias Khoury, Returning to Haifa by Ghassan Kanafani, The Secret Life of Saeed the Pessoptimist by Emile Habiby, As Though She Were Sleeping by Elias Khoury, Of Noble Origins by Sahar Khalifeh, The Woman from Tantoura by Radwa Ashour and Journal of an Ordinary Grief by Mahmoud Darwish.
Book cover of ‘The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine’ (Source: Wikipedia)
The historians from within Israel who have researched the topic of the Nakba are known as Israel's “new historians”. They include Benny Morris, Ilan Pappé and Avi Shlaim, as well as (sometimes) Tom Segev, Hillel Cohen, Baruch Kimmerling and Simha Flapan. The most famous book written by these authors is arguably Ilan Pappe's “The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine” but other well-known books include “Israel and Palestine: Reappraisals, Revisions, Refutations” by Avi Shlaim and “The Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem, 1947-1949” by Benny Morris.
Even more numerous are books by Palestinian historians and authors. Rather than just talk about the facts of the Nakba, they tend to also include their analysis of Palestinian national movements. In other words, they try and give a more all-encompassing overview of Palestinian history and identity which includes, but is not limited to, the Nakba. A good example of this is Rashid Khalidi's “Palestinian Identity: The Construction of Modern National Consciousness” which documents the rise of Palestinian nationalism as going back to the Ottoman Era (rather than the British Mandate). Other recommended books include “Nakba: Palestine, 1948, and the Claims of Memory” edited by Ahmad H. Sa'di and Lila Abu-Lughod and “The Palestine Nakba: Decolonising History, Narrating the Subaltern, Reclaiming Memory” by Nur Masalha.
But perhaps no other Palestinian author writing about memory and identity is more well known than Edward Said. Though usually remembered for his masterpiece “Orientalism“, Said wrote about Palestinian identity and the role of memory extensively. Mixing history with personal recollections, his books include “The Question of Palestine“, “Out of Place: A Memoir“, “Reflections on Exile and Other Essays” and “The Politics of Dispossession: The Struggle for Palestinian Self-Determination, 1969-1994“.
Edward Said (Left) seen with Lebanese Musician and Singer Marcel Khalife (Middle) and Palestinian Poet Mahmoud Darwish (Right). All three men have written, spoken and/or sang about the Nakba's symbolism. (Source Unknown)
Poetry
The giant of Palestinian poetry is undoubtedly Mahmoud Darwish. As Adam Shatz wrote in the New York Times, in Darwish's poetry, “Palestine became a metaphor for the loss of Eden, birth and resurrection, and the anguish of dispossession and exile.” Unfortunately, subtitled readings are limited so here's a selection of two poems read by the master himself.
Videos, Documentaries and other Multimedia
Al Jazeera created ‘Palestine Remix‘, an interactive website asking people to tell their own stories of the Nakba. Among the many features of the website are 17 films on the Nakba available in several languages. “This is the story of Palestine like you've never seen it before. Our filmmakers take you on a journey through the Palestinian cities past and present, inside Israeli prisons and behind the scenes of the resistance movements challenging the occupation today.” The website features 250 people's unique perspectives on Palestine, asking us to “meet the array of eyewitnesses, activists, academics and power brokers shaping the reality of Palestine today.”
Interestingly, they also included 580 different places from historical Palestine, many of which were destroyed during the Nakba. “Qisarya. Dayr Yassin. Tantura. These villages were destroyed by Zionists during the creation of Israeli state. Our interactive maps show you how thousands of Palestinian villages vanished and how the residents were dispossessed of their land. We have drone footage that shows you what Palestine's most iconic cities and landmarks look like today.”
It goes over 215 years of Palestinian history. “The Palestinians’ plight today can only be understood through the lens of the past. Our timeline spans more than two centuries to explain the dramatic chain of events that led to Palestine's transformation into a Jewish state. Explore pivotal years in depth through our films.”
Palestine Remix. Source: Al Jazeera
American author John Green, best known for his book “The Fault in Our Stars“, has released a video on the conflict as part of his World History Part 2 series. While not limiting himself to the Nakba, Green does a good job in providing the context and history of the region.
Al-Nakba: The Palestinian Catastrophe 1948 is a documentary by Benny Brunner and Alexandra Jansse based on Benny Morriss’ “The Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem, 1947-1949″ mentioned above. It is available in its entirety on Vimeo.

author: Elia J. Ayoub


text:
Americans Could Soon Benefit from a Lung Cancer Vaccine Developed in Cuba · Global Voices
PRI/PRX's The World

Plaza de la Revolución, Havana. Photo by Martin Abegglen, used under a CC License from Wikimedia Commons.
This article and radio report by Shirin Jaafari for The World originally appeared on PRI.org on May 12, 2015, and is republished here as part of a content-sharing agreement.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo visited Cuba recently and, during his visit, signed an agreement that could change the lives of many Americans.
New York’s Roswell Park Cancer Institute, in partnership with Cuba’s Center for Molecular Immunology, will test out a much-needed lung cancer vaccine called Cimavax, developed in Cuba. Now that relations between US and Cuba are improving, the US wants to see if it can benefit from the vaccine.
“It's a therapeutic vaccine,” explains Neel V. Patel, an editorial fellow for Wired, who reported about the vaccine. “Typically, we think of vaccines as something that will prevent a disease from happening. This works by just stimulating the immune system to respond better to the cancer and to attack the tumor in a more efficient way.”
Through the deal, researchers in the US will have access to documentation on clinical trials and toxicity reports, which can be used to draft an application to the FDA [Federal Drug Administration]. If it's approved, Roswell can start a clinical trial.
It will take some time for the vaccine to become available in the US; it might even be ruled out all together. But even the prospect has left some wondering how Cuba was able to come up with the vaccine in the first place.
Cuba has been under strict embargo for years and coming up with a vaccine for lung cancer would seem difficult. Patel put that question to Harvard Medical School's Paul Drain who has followed Cuba's medical and bio-tech research.
“He suspects that because Cuba has been closed in this kind of sand box, they have to work within the sand box,” Patel says.
In other words, sometimes limitations result in more creativity.
Cuban leaders Fidel and Raul Castro have always emphasized two things: education and health care. For example, he says, when the dengue virus hit Cuba in the 1980s, there was a major focus on vaccination. Cuba now has one of the highest vaccination rates — and has developed many of its own.
As a science reporter, Patel wonders what other medical advances Cuba might have the US could benefit from.
“That's one of the problems with what's been going on for the last few decades. None of us really know,” he says.
But he's hopeful that better relations between Cuba and the US will bring about more medical and scientific exchanges that both countries could benefit from.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: PRI/PRX's The World


text:
Can Abortion Be Discussed in Medellín’s Metro? · Global Voices
Cati Restrepo

Residents of the city of Medellín, Colombia, are asking themselves if the metro is the place to talk about abortion, stemming from an ad by the #ladecisiónestuya (the decision is yours) campaign that's running in the public transit system's cars, as shared by user Jaime Andrés (@JAIM3_ANDR3S):
#LaDecisionEsTuya pic.twitter.com/Nbaq2zJHXn
— Jaime Andrés (@JAIM3_ANDR3S) May 26, 2015
The Decision Is Yours pic.twitter.com/Nbaq2zJHXn
— Jaime Andrés (@JAIM3_ANDR3S) May 26, 2015
The campaign is being spearheaded by a non-profit organization offering sexual and reproductive healthcare services, carrying the message: “398,000 abortions should not be illegal.”
Under the hashtag #Abortonoesculturametro (Abortion Is Not Metro Culture) referring to the set of rules governing Medellín's Metro called “Cultura Metro” (Metro Culture), people have been sharing their opinions for and against abortion, in the same way that the mass transit system installations’ cars are used on a daily basis to post messages using other graphic material.

author: Cati Restrepo


text:
New Messaging App by Iran’s Basij Militia Gives State Access to All Conversations · Global Voices
Center for Human Rights in Iran

Officials hope Salam will lure users away from applications such as Viber and WhatsApp that are hugely popular in Iran. Screenshot taken by the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran.
This post first appeared on iranhumanrights.org and is published here in collaboration with the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran.
The Basij paramilitary organization, a subsidiary of the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), announced the launch of its new messaging service for mobile phones, “Salam.” The application will give state officials full access to all content and data that pass through it.
The new messaging application, now available for free download, will use servers owned and controlled by the Basij, thus allowing easy access to and monitoring of all user conversations by the paramilitary group and intelligence agents.
Officials hope Salam will lure users away from applications such as Viber and WhatsApp that are hugely popular in Iran, and which state organizations have tried to block in the past in their efforts to control all online and mobile phone communications.
The new application represents another step in the authorities’ continuing efforts to replicate all international online applications and services with state-issued ones, so that user content can be accessed and monitored by state officials.
National search engines, email services, browsers, operating systems, and SSL certificates have all been introduced as part of this effort to implement a state-controlled National Internet. The national project intends to provide services separate from the global Internet and thus subject to control and censorship by state authorities.
In an interview with the Basij Press, Hamid Jafari, Head of Iran Basij’s Information Center announced the Salam messaging application on May 5. Jafari said that Salam will serve as an alternative to Viber, WhatsApp, and Telegram, with “more trust, stability, and security,” as compared to the Western options.
Jafari also advised users to save their “valuable time and life, by staying away from [social] networks” such as Viber, WhatsApp and Telegram. “If you take a look at the history of social networks, you will reach the conclusion that the so-called social networks are based on Western philosophy, where humanism and human-centered philosophy is their deciding factor. In other words, none of the principles and fundamentals of Islamic philosophy can be seen in these networks,” Jafari told Basij Press.

author: Center for Human Rights in Iran


text:
No Extra Time for FIFA Caribbean Officials as US Justice Department Lays Indictments · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Former FIFA Vice-President Jack Warner; photo by the BBC World Service, used under a CC BY-NC 2.0 license.
Whether or not they love soccer, the only thing Caribbean netizens are talking about today is the announcement that the United States Department of Justice is indicting nine FIFA officials and five corporate executives for racketeering, conspiracy, and corruption. Working with Washington, Swiss police carried out a special operation in the early morning hours to arrest the soccer officials and extradite them to the United States on federal corruption charges.
Jack Warner, the Trinidad-born former FIFA vice president turned politician, is one of the indicted defendants, along with Caymanian Jeffrey Webb, who took over FIFA's vice presidency from Warner and promised to investigate the many corruption allegations plaguing the world football governing body. (Warner's allegedly corrupt practices were widely explored in Scottish investigative journalist Andrew's Jennings‘ book Foul, which examined everything from voter rigging to ticket scandals.)
FIFA's president, Sepp Blatter, was neither charged nor detained in this morning's raid at an exclusive lakeside hotel in Zurich. FIFA has since issued the following statement:
FIFA welcomes actions that can help contribute to rooting out any wrongdoing in football. We understand that today’s actions by the Swiss Federal Office of Justice on behalf of the US authorities and the Swiss Office of the Attorney General (initiated by FIFA through the submission of the file on the 2018/2022 FIFA World Cup bidding process) relate to different matters.
Firstly, the arrest of six individuals this morning in Zurich concerns investigations by the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of the State of New York. The Swiss authorities, acting on behalf of their US counterparts, arrested the individuals for activities carried out in relation with CONCACAF and CONMEBOL business.
The second instance follows FIFA’s initiative of presenting the file on the 2018/2022 FIFA World Cup™ bidding process to the Swiss Office of the Attorney General in November 2014.
FIFA maintains that it is “fully cooperating” with the investigation into the 2018/2022 FIFA World Cup bidding process. The organisation also says it will proceed as planned with the FIFA presidential election, scheduled to take place this Friday, when current president Sepp Blatter will seek a fifth term. Blatter subsequently issued his own statement on the matter:
This is a difficult time for football, the fans and for FIFA as an organisation. […]
Let me be clear: such misconduct has no place in football and we will ensure that those who engage in it are put out of the game. Following the events of today, the independent Ethics Committee – which is in the midst of its own proceedings regarding the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups – took swift action to provisionally ban those individuals named by the authorities from any football-related activities at the national and international level. These actions are on top of similar steps that FIFA has taken over the past year to exclude any members who violate our own Code of Ethics.
We will continue to work with the relevant authorities and we will work vigorously within FIFA in order to root out any misconduct, to regain your trust and ensure that football worldwide is free from wrongdoing.
Trinidadian journalist and blogger Vernon O'Reilly-Ramesar responded to Blatter's comments by tweeting:
#rotfl RT @SeppBlatter: We welcome the actions of the Swiss & US authorities. Read my statement – http://t.co/ATnoo1egMk
— V. O'Reilly-Ramesar (@globewriter) May 27, 2015
The Trinidad-and-Tobago-based website Wired 868 broke the news in the regional blogosphere this morning, with an in-depth post that detailed the nature of the charges (wire fraud, bribery, and money laundering, with bribe money and kickbacks amounting to more than US $150 million) and the names of those indicted. The blog was particularly interested in the charges against Jack Warner:
The Department of Justice revealed that Darryl Warner, the son of defendant Jack Warner and a former FIFA development officer, waived indictment and pleaded guilty on 15 July 2013 to a two-count information charging him with wire fraud and the structuring of financial transactions.
Daryan Warner, the eldest son of Jack Warner, waived indictment and pleaded guilty on 25 October 2013 to a three-count information charging him with wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy and the structuring of financial transactions.
Daryan forfeited over US$1.1 (TT$6.9) million around the time of his plea and agreed to pay a second forfeiture money judgment at the time of sentencing.
The Warner brothers each face as many as ten years in prison for altering financial transactions in a manner intended to evade currency-reporting requirements.
The charges from the US Department of Justice come as a welcome move for many Caribbean football enthusiasts, who have been despondent about the perception of such rampant corruption sullying a game that the region—and the world—adores. Quite humourously, Twitter's popular “God” account put it this way:
Only America could bring the force of impartial justice to FIFA, because it's the only country on earth that doesn't care about football.
— God (@TheTweetOfGod) May 27, 2015
Wired 868 explained that “two generations of soccer officials abused their positions of trust for personal gain, frequently through an alliance with unscrupulous sports marketing executives who shut out competitors and kept highly lucrative contracts for themselves through the systematic payment of bribes and kickbacks”, with many of the schemes originating in the Caribbean and Latin America.
While speculation was rife as to when a request for Jack Warner's extradition would be made, Warner was busy issuing statements maintaining that he was unaware of any charges. On a local radio show earlier today, he stated:
I have not been told or advised or questioned on any matter. I’ve heard what you have heard.
According to Wired 868, the radio station invited calls-ins after the interview, where listeners were asked whether they thought Warner would end up in a US prison. Unsurprisingly, “several people said ‘no'”. Despite numerous allegations of political corruption over the years, no public official has ever been convicted on corruption charges in Trinidad and Tobago.
Warner later issued a press release further emphasizing his innocence:
The people of Trinidad and Tobago will know that I quit FIFA and international football more than four years ago and that over the past several years I have recommitted my life to the work of improving the lot of every citizen of every creed and race in this nation. […]
I have fought fearlessly against all forms of injustice and corruption.
I have been afforded no due process and I have not even been questioned in this matter. I reiterate that I am innocent of any charges. I have walked away from the politics of world football to immerse myself in the improvement of lives in this country where I shall, God willing, die.
The actions of FIFA no longer concern me. I cannot help but note however that these cross- border coordinated actions come at a time when FIFA is assembled for elections to select a President who is universally disliked by the international community.
It has since been reported that the United States has made a formal extradition request for Jack Warner.
US Law enforcement authorities have made an official request to the Central Authority for extradition @CNC3TV
— Khamal Ethan Georges (@khamal) May 27, 2015
Warner's legal team, meanwhile, has taken this approach:
Jack Warner's attorneys have advised him against making further comment and to “stick to his press statement” at this time @CNC3TV
— Khamal Ethan Georges (@khamal) May 27, 2015
Regional netizens will undoubtedly continue to follow this story with interest, to learn of the fates of Jack Warner, Jeffrey Webb, and, of course, “the beautiful game“. Warner has since turned himself in to Trinidad and Tobago police.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


text:
Political Memes, Welcome to Myanmar · Global Voices
Juan Cebu

Image from the cover photo of the Myanmar Memes Facebook page
The era of Internet memes has arrived in Myanmar, where the online phenomenon has become a popular way to discuss various social and political topics—particularly upcoming elections. For example, the Facebook group ‘Myanmar Memes’ now has more than 85,000 members developing and sharing memes as a creative way to vent frustration about life and the government.
Below are some of the most popular political themes Myanmar's Facebook users are discussing today.
The upcoming general election
Myanmar's second democratic election is set to take place in late 2015, wherein the opposition party, National League for Democracy (NLD) led by Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, will compete with the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), which is currently in power. Many believe this hotly anticipated election will test the government's ability to hold free and fair elections, which would ideally move the country closer to a more stable democracy.
Khin Zaw Win thinks that USDP's decision to use the image of the national hero, General Aung San (father of Aung San Su Kyi), is not a sincere campaign tactic, toying with memes based on the Hollywood films Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and Inception.
Photo shared by Khin Zaw Win on Myanmar Meme Facebook group. Top text: So you people from USDP will use the General's photo to persuade voters? Bottom text: Tell me more about how you harassed citizens during the 100th anniversary of the General.
Thihan Oo is skeptical about the army's statement that the “USDP and the army have the same interest for national politics and thus they will work together.”
Photo shared by Khin Zaw Win on Myanmar Meme Facebook group. 1st Image which shows Myanmar President Thein Sein: Our party will use General's photo to persuade voters. 2nd Image: Why don't you use photos of U Nay Win and U Than Shwe? [translation note: General U Nay Win and General U Than Shwe are leaders of the previous military junta]
Photo shared by Thihan Oo on Myanmar Meme Facebook group. Top text: (you) will lead politics for the nation? Bottom text: Tell me more about how only (your) relatives get well off and the whole country fell into poverty in the past 50 years.
Photo shared by Thihan Oo on Myanmar Meme Facebook group. Top Text: National Politics means politics for the whole nation. Bottom Text: Wrong! It means politics for the whole family.
Htoo Pyae Son thinks it is impossible for people to have faith in the current government.
Photo shared by Htoo Pyae Sone on Myanmar Meme Facebook group. 1st row: (Left) Master, you let me out of the bottle, I will grant you any one wish. (Right) President Thein Sein: Please build a highway between Myanmar and China. I have heart-disease, so it is difficult to take aeroplanes. 2nd row: (Left) Well, that path has too many mountains, so it is difficult to make roads. Ask another one. (Right) Make people love me so that I will win the next election without having to cheat. 3rd row: (Left) By the way, the highway you mentioned, you want it 4-lane or 6-lane? I will make sure to make the highway happen.
Political Prisoners
There are still 173 political prisoners in Myanmar including the students who were arrested last March. Khin Zaw Win posted a meme related to this issue:
Photo shared by Khin Zaw Win on Myanmar Meme Facebook group. 1st image: When I became the President, I released political prisoners. 2nd image: And during your time, you arrested more political prisoners who are still in jail.
He also highlighted the various reasons why people are being arrested:
Telecoms tax
Photo shared by Khin Zaw Win on Myanmar Meme Facebook group. 1st row: (Left) Where is my farmer farther? (Right) [We] put him in jail for resisting the confiscation of farm land. 2st row: (Left) Where is my labourer mother? (Right) [We] put her in jail for asking more minimum salary. 3rd row: (Left) Where is my journalist sister? (Right) [We] shut her up for writing bad things about us. 4th row: (Left) Where is my student brother? (Right) [We] put him in jail for boycotting. 5th row: (Left) [You] said this is democracy. (Right) well, this is fake-fake, son! 6th row: (Left) [You] said we are not going back. (Right) Don't you realize, even now we have not made any progress.
Recently, the Ministry of Telecommunication imposed a 5 percent tax on additions to individuals’ mobile-phone minutes, broadly upsetting the public. Subsequently, the parliament decided to suspend this new tax due to public complaints.
Yu Myat Aye conveys her position on Myanmar's telecommunications industry using a meme based on Martin Luther King's “I Have a Dream” speech.
Photo shared by Yu Myat Aye on Rage Comics and Memes (Burma) Facebook group. Top text: I have a dream. Bottom Text: One day the phone reception in Myanmar will be very good.
R Kar Phyoe has this to say about the issue by using an image of Suu Kyi:
Photo shared by R Kar Phyo on Myanmar Meme Facebook page. 1st image: At first they collect the tax this much. 2nd image: Now they collect this much. 3rd image: Now again, 5 % phone bill tax. 4th image: (top) If you all are really eager to collect tax this much, (bottom) how about collecting empty bottles and glass? [translation note: In Myanmar language the words “tax” and “empty” have the same sound.]

author: Juan Cebu


text:
Robot Commenters Accidentally Expose Themselves on China’s Weibo Platform · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

A widely circulated image representation of China's 50 cent party and a screen capture of the robot 50 cents’ mechanical comments on student Pu Zhiqiang's winning of mathematic contest. (via letscorp.net)
Patrick Wong contributed to this post.
Chinese netizens are having a good laugh over the mechanized missteps of government-controlled robot commenters, who have been criticizing messages sent by their own masters.
A few weeks ago, a group of robots seized upon a congratulatory message posted on Weibo over a year ago by the Zhenjiang government information office (@鎮江發布). The message read:
〔江大學子獲國際大學生數學建模大賽一等獎〕2014年美國（國際）大學生數學建模競賽(MCM/ICM)中，江大由理學院金鑫、汽車學院浦志强、電氣學院段倩三名同學組建的數學建模競賽團隊，打敗哈佛、西點軍校等世界各地的競爭對手，獲得了此次數學建模競賽的一等獎，太牛了！
[Jiangsu University students won the International Mathematical Contest in Modeling] In the 2014 USA (International) MCM/ICM contest, Jiangsu University contest team which composed of Jin Xin from the science faculty, Pu Zhiqiang from the automobile faculty, Duan Qian from the electronic faculty had beaten other international competitors from Harvard, The United States Military Academy and won the outstanding award. This is awesome!
One of the students happened to be named Pu Zhiqiang. This is also the name of a prominent human rights lawyer who was indicted on charges of “inciting ethnic hatred” and “picking quarrels and provoking a disturbance” on May 15, 2015, after spending over a year in detention. Nearly a dozen robots targeted the message during the Pu's trial, posting new comments that focused on the need to crack down on crime and uphold rule of law.
The old message suddenly re-emerged on the Weibo timeline on May 7, thanks to the new comments. Each user account randomly posted two or three comments from the following list:
- 知法犯法，支持警方嚴懲
– 嚴勵打擊！知法犯法
– 律師犯罪知法犯法應該嚴懲！支持警方的做法
– 律師應該是傳遞正能量的職業，嚴勵打擊違法犯罪的律師
– 希望能夠懂法守法
– 律師犯罪知法犯法應該嚴懲！
– 無論是什麼職業，違抗法律就應該「收」到法律的嚴懲
– 支持警方依法打擊犯罪，無論是什麼職業，違抗法律就應該「收」到法律嚴懲
- Break the law with intention, support the police's severe punishment.
– Iron hand crack down! Break the law with intention
– Lawyers have knowledges of the law, they break the law with intention, should punished severely! Support police action.
– Lawyers should be an occupation that deliver positive energy. Serious crackdown on law breaking lawyers is necessary.
– Wish people can learn the law and obey the law.
– Lawyer who breaks the law with intention should be severely punished.
– Regardless of occupation, those who break the law should “get” punishment from the law.
– Support police crackdown on crime according to law. Regardless of occupation, those who break the law should “get” punishment from the law.
The comments came from the following Weibo user accounts: User pqbqeo4de0 (@用戶 pqbqeo4de0), “AMH old circle is a fire plier” (@AMH老圈是一把火鉗), Beta H (@貝特H), @Rummnigge, Summer of Gardenia Tea (@栀子茶的夏天), User q311p6pm (@用戶q211p6pm), “A flock of birds near skyline” (@天邊一群鳥), “Bring down the white ship” (@打倒大白熊), Rainless sky (@失雨天空) and @jade-stern.
The way in which the comments appeared suggested that the program, which controls groups of robotic user accounts, has been equipped with a keyword database containing sensitive words, such as individuals’ names like Pu Zhiqiang or the names of other dissidents in China. The program appears to crawl data on Weibo, which contains the keywords.
Once they catch a post, the robot users flood the comment area and randomly post from a set of standardized comments, such as the one above. Although it is an open secret that the social media is flooded with pro-government commenters nicknamed “the 50 Cent Party” (commenters are reportedly paid .50 per comment), netizens’ jaws dropped when they saw the flood of mechanical and awkward messages attached to this outdated and relatively innocuous news post.
Chen Jiang laughed at the 50 Cents:
如果你還不相信有五毛這個職業存在的話，可以來看評論了。媽呀，笑的不行了，我歇會兒的。
If you don't believe the existence of 50 Cents, please come here and take a look at the comments. My mum, I laughed too hard, need to take a rest.
It seems likely that the comments were prepared by a single source, as the last two comments contain identical typographical errors (收 / get).
Jelitto commented on the automation of 50 Cents:
微博是輿論重地，必須得佔領，但沒想到有人私吞維穏款用機器五毛！！以前我以為五毛是團委的學生，監獄的犯人，各地的新聞中心的人，沒想到第一個自動化的產業是五毛！！
Weibo is the battlefield of public opinion, has to occupy it. But how can they claimed the stability maintenance money while leaving their jobs to robot 50 cents!! I used to believe that 50 cents are students from the Communist Youth League, prisoners in jail, people working in news centers. Can't imagine 50 cents can be automated.
Weibo user “Whistle on the horse” came to the same conclusion:
原來有個浦志強，不過是學生，並不是今日受審的律師…. 可是評論裡一群討伐律師的…… 原來機器五毛和鎖定關鍵詞是這回事……
That's the reason, there is a Pu Zhiqiang but he is a student, not the lawyer who is on trial today… But so many comments are attacking the lawyers… So that's how the robot 50 cents and keyword detection work…
As more and more netizens mocked the stupidity of the 50 Cents, the incident also helped spread word of Pu Zhiqiang's indictment. On May 15, this news thread together with all of the above comments was deleted from Weibo. But Letscorp.net, a site devoted to bridging news between mainland China and other Chinese-speaking communities, screen captured the news and some of the comments.
Now, in addition to government-hired and voluntary student online commentators, we can see the robot 50 Cents on social media. It is no wonder that Chinese netizens are leaving Weibo in droves.

author: Oiwan Lam


text:
Why a Meme Compares China’s Flood of Retail Investors to a Pig at Slaughter · Global Voices
Jack Hu

A widely circulated picture explaining the relationship among different players in China's stock market.
It is like a casino, but without rules, where “one player can see other players’ cards.” That's how prominent Chinese economist Wu Jinglian described the nature of the Chinese stock market last year during a finance summit when the stock market began to surge.
The blue-chip Shanghai Composite has risen more than 100 percent year-on-year from about 2,000 to over 4,600 as to date, with similar gains for the small and medium enterprise Shenzhen Composite. But both markets has been outpaced by ChiNext, China’s Nasdaq, which have seen gains of over 150 percent year-on-year and boasts an average price-to-earnings ratio (the ratio of a company's current share price to its per-share earnings) of over 130, roughly five times that of the Nasdaq Composite Index.
The boom has been driven by easy credit, government encouragement for newcomers to invest and hopes that the world's second-largest economy would rebound from a deepening slump. That outlook has been clouded by weaker-than-expected economic growth and trade — yet markets kept rising.
With China’s central bank pumping more liquidity into the market to support growth, the rally in Chinese stocks has encouraged unscrupulous speculation, similar to that in the Chinese real estate markets.
The one player who can set the rules and see the others’ cards is, of course, the government. Newspaper The Wall Street Journal recently reported that the biggest winner has been the Chinese government; it generated billions out of the market to help state-owned companies to raise funds and pay off debt.
What happened to other players then? The image on top of this article has circulated online in the past few months and compares the government to a butcher, and the retail investors to a pig to be butchered. Financial agencies and big traders are the butcher's assistants, and some don't even have to get their hands dirty in the process.
More than 10 million new stock accounts have opened so far this year, more than the total number for all of 2012 and 2013 combined, according to data from China Securities Depository and Clearing. Many of these new players appear to be inexperienced retail investors, who are likely following the advice of friends or state-controlled media. About two-thirds of new equity investors left school before the age of 15, according to data from the China Household Finance Survey carried in a recent Bloomberg report.
After months of touting for rising prices, the Communist Party newspaper People's Daily posted a cautionary note this month, warning that stock trading is “high risk.” It said the public should “invest rationally.” Yet it can’t deter millions of retail investors from rushing into the market dreaming to win big and strike it rich.
On China's Twitter-like Weibo, there are many discussions about the frenzied behavior of individual investors. “Energetic Andy” compared their mindset to that of addicted gamblers:
在中国股市，既无法复制巴菲特的奇迹[…]在赌局游戏中，更需要做的是趁着赌局大旺，而后趁机捞一把。最后，当别人沉迷赌局，无法自拔的时候，全身而退
You can’t repeat the miracle of [American businessman] Warren Buffett on Chinese stocks […] In a gambling game, you have to choose a hot table with many players, which provides an opportunity for you to chip in. What’s more important here is to cash in on the boom of the gamble and quickly exit as others become addicted to it.
Liu Shengjun, a well-known and active economist on Weibo, urged the retail investors to leave the market:
【致创业板股民的一封信：不仅仅是泡沫】泡沫一旦破灭，大量低学历低收入人群将成最后接棒者。驱动因素则是“非理性亢奋＋财务造假”。监管者不应“目睹”疯牛走向更大的疯狂，直至“踩踏式悲剧”，而应在“聚会高潮时端走酒杯”
“A letter to ChiNext investors: This is not only a bubble”: Once the bubbles burst, a lot of people with low education and income at the bottom of society will bear the brunt. The drivers are “irrational excitement plus financial fraud”. The supervision authority should not stand by to see the crazy bull getting more crazy and running into the crowd. It should “take the alcohol away at the peak of the party”.
Economist Christopher Jin pointed out:
为何第四波牛市会走得更远？只有一个解释，这是纯粹投机性疯牛市，与基本面无关，PMI、GDP诸经济指标越差，股市越疯涨，赌客越多，只要巨资集聚就行，本月252万新股民汹涌入市，上周新增A股账户数为113.85万户，环比大增57.95%，不服也得服，从赌场原理来说，不要讲道理，紧跟大势走，不见棺材不掉泪。
Why is the fourth wave of a bull market going that far? Only one explanation: this is a pure speculative bull market and has nothing to do with the fundamentals like purchasing managers’ index or gross domestic product. The more the gamblers get together, capital accumulates. This month, 2.52 million new investors entered the market. Last week, there were more than 1.1385 million new investor accounts set up for trading A stock shares, an increase of 57.95% when compared with the last statistical period. According to casino logic, there is no rationality in the game, just follow the trend until you find yourself in the coffin.
As the stock market is driven by government economic policies such as the “New Silk Road Project” and “Internet+”, investors buy stock in companies that benefit from such policies. But they rarely look into the details of their businesses and could fall for scams. Wang Shi, the chairman of China’s largest real estate firm Vanke, mocked the tricks played by some companies in packaging their businesses:
创业版路线图：计划收购250个公共厕所，谋求上市。理由：处理大小便环保概念，检验大小便，医疗大健康，加个WIFI，互联网+，新疆，浙江收购几个，一带一路；装上自动门，工业4.0；门口坐两要饭的，P2P和众筹概念。男厕让出二位给女厕，是重大资产重组概念！有意向风投的，可以先点赞再联系。
Road to ChiNext: plan to acquire 250 public restrooms for initial public offering. Reasons: dealing with urination and defecation belongs to environmental protection concept. Testing urine and stool relates to heath care. Setting WiFi in the toilets involves “Internet+” policy [Chinese government's latest economic policy]. Buying some toilets in Xinjiang and Zhejiang involves “Belt and Road Initiatives” policy [China's new silk road project]. Installing auto doors for toilets relates to “Industry 4.0” conception. Arranging two beggars around the door refers to P2P and crowdfunding. Sparing two toilets from men’s rooms to women’s rooms relates to material assets reorganization. Those who tend to invest can contact with me after press ‘favorites’.

author: Jack Hu


text:
An Online Joke Captures China’s Censorship Practices · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Letscorp, a site devoted to bridging information across Chinese speaking communities, reposted an online joke on Twitter that vividly captures mainland Chinese censorship practices.
Image from Flickr user: Eric Constantineau (CC: AT-NC)
老大：官员好不好，百姓说了算。宣传部：我补充一句，大多数百姓不明真相。团中央：没事，我们有一千万网评员保证舆论。公安：还有漏网的我们就抓。央视：再让他们嫖娼。环球：就说他们收了美国人的钱。外交部发言人：依据相关法律和政策，我国有充分言论自由。人民日报：你瞧，这是人民的选择嘛
— 墙外楼 (@letscorp) May 28, 2015
Man on top [implying Chinese president Xi Jinping]: Whether a government official is performing well should be judged by ordinary people. The Propaganda Department: Add on to that, the majority of people don't know the truth. Central Communist Youth League: Don't worry, we have 10 million internet commentators to make sure that the public opinion is on the right direction. Police: Moreover, we will arrest those who don't follow the lead. Central Television Station: Catch them prostituting. Global Times: We can say that they have received money from the U.S.A. Foreign Ministry spokesperson: Our law and policy ensure freedom of speech. People's Daily: Look, this is the result of people's choice.


text:
Did Russia Just Effectively Outlaw Internet Anonymizers? · Global Voices
Tanya Lokot

Russian officials have long debated banning Tor and other anonymizers. Images mixed by Tetyana Lokot.
A Russian court has ruled to block part of the website of RosKomSvoboda, a Russian Internet freedom and human rights organization, on the grounds that the page in question is an anonymizer—a tool that allows users to access content and websites that might be banned in Russia. The ruling is alarming because anonymizers and similar tools are not currently prohibited in Russia.
The court decision was made on April 13, when Anapa city court (Krasnodar region, Russia) ruled to block http://rublacklist.net/bypass – a section of the website owned by RosKomSvoboda that provides instructions on how to bypass geoblocking and access websites blacklisted in Russia. The court ruling claims that the webpage “is an anonymizer” and that “by using this website citizens can get unlimited access to the prohibited content, including extremist content, through anonymous access and substituted user IPs.”
Although the court ruling came in April after the local prosecutor's appeal, RosKomSvoboda only learned about it on May 27 and did not receive any warnings, Sarkis Darbinyan, the organization's lawyer, said. Darbinyan also said they were surprised at the page being labeled an anonymizer, since it contains no such tools, only instructions for Internet users. The organization's legal team plans to appeal the ruling.
Artem Kozlyuk, head of RosKomSvoboda, called the accusations and the court ruling “absurd” and wondered if the officials had a clear idea of what anonymizers were.
The workers of the law enforcement demonstrated their complete incompetence in the basic knowledge of all the common technical aspects of the network, though even youngsters can understand it. The anonymizers, proxies and browsers are multitask instruments, helping to search the info on the Internet.
Although the court ruling mentions anonymizers, it ostensibly uses roundabout reasoning to blacklist the RosKomSvoboda webpage. Because the information on the page “facilitates users’ access to websites with content from the Federal extremist materials list,” the page itself must be “banned on the territory of Russian Federation,” according to the text of the ruling published online. The court also lists some of the extremist materials that could be accessed using the bypass instructions and ultimately uses the law on counteracting extremist activity as the main grounds for the ban.
Still, the fact that the court specified the term “anonymizer” as one of the premises for blocking the page is worrying, since anonymizers, proxy-servers and other similar tools are not currently prohibited to use or to publish information about in Russia.
Russian officials have debated restrictions on VPNs and anonymizers for the last few years. In 2013 Russian media reported that the Federal Security Service (FSB) was considering lobbying the State Duma with a bill banning “Tor and other anonymizing proxy servers,” but the idea never got out of committee. In February 2015, Leonid Levin, an MP heading the parliamentary committee on information policy and communications, suggested that access to anonymization and circumvention tools such as Tor, VPNs, and proxy-servers needed to be restricted. In 2014, the Russian Interior Ministry also offered almost 4 million rubles (about USD $100,000) to anyone who could devise a way to decrypt data sent over the Tor network.

author: Tanya Lokot


text:
No Protection for Quetta’s Vulnerable Child Garbage Sellers · Global Voices
Balochistan Point

Child Labors Jummah and Razzaq. Photo by Sami Parvez
The post was written by Adnan Aamir for The Balochistan Point. It is republished on Global Voices under a content-sharing agreement.
Everyday when the sun rises Jummah Khan and Razzaq leave their homes, with large plastic bags hanging on their tender shoulders, to search for garbage. In the evening, they sell their daily collection of garbage.
Like thousands of other children in Balochistan's capital city Quetta, 12 year-old Jummah and 11 year-old Razzaq are forced into child labor because of extreme poverty.
Nearly a third of Pakistan's population lives below the poverty line, and in Balochistan, the country's poorest province, the situation is worse: almost 52 percent of the population lives below the poverty line.
There are no official statistics on the number of child laborers in Quetta, but the non-profit Society for Empowering Human Resources (SEHER), estimates that more than 10,000 children work in the city of 1.3 million people. SEHER estimates that 60% of the children are involved in garbage picking.
The government of Balochistan does not seem to think curbing child labor is a priority. In fact, last year the provincial assembly failed to pass the Balochistan Prohibition of Employment of Children Bill.
This bill is the least stringent compared to child labor prevention legislation in Pakistan's three other provinces. Unlike the other bills, this one considers children to be 12 and under, (the others protect children 14 and under) and this one does not prevent child workers that are 14-18 years old from working in hazardous conditions.
Until the province doesn't pass its own legislation, the federal government's child protection laws, which includes monitoring by 34 child labor inspectors, should be enforced, but they rarely are. In fact, the country's law also mandates free education for all children till they are 16, but 66% of Balochistan's children do not go to school.
Jummah Khan says he earns $1.5 to $3 a day by reselling garbage. “I work to support my family because my father doesn’t do any job,” said Jummah Khan. He has one brother and two sisters and all of them work.
“If we don’t work then our family can’t get anything to eat,” lamented Jummah Khan. “I have been working since I was 4 years old and I don’t think I will stop collecting garbage any time soon,” said Jummah with clear disappointment  on his face.
“I work because I don’t have a father,” added Razzaq quietly. His father passed away a few years ago. He says ever since he can remember, he has been working.
Razzaq refused to tell me how much he earned. His friend said he was probably afraid that I would snatch his earnings from him.
Jummah Khan and Razzaq denied facing any sort of abuse while garbage picking. Whether they were actually not abused or hiding their abuse experiences due to shame, which is common in Pakistan, one can’t say with certainty.
However, many child workers are not fortunate.
Abdul Samad, buys garbage picked up by child laborers like Jummah and Razzaq. Samad says that garbage-picking children are not only abused but often under-paid by the traders who buy garbage from them.
“Child laborers don’t have anyone to look after them and that makes them vulnerable to all sort of abuses,” claims Samad. “I can’t share stories of child labor abuses because I feel disgusted,” exclaimed the garbage vendor.
Samad said most of the child laborers he dealt with were ethnic Pakhtuns, either Afghan refugees or orphan children from Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

author: Balochistan Point


text:
Migrant Tragedies: ‘Behind the Statistics Are Individual Life Stories and Grieving Families’ · Global Voices
Rakotomalala

Professor Souleymane Bachir Diagne. Photo by Amon Rémy Mallet with his permission
The interview below was conducted by Amon Rémy Mallet, a Dakar-based blogger, and initially published on his website  “Bienvenue dans le Ndakarou” (Welcome to Ndakarou). It is republished on Global Voices with his permission.
Senegalese philosopher Souleymane Bachir Diagne was nominated as one of the 50 most influential people of Africa by magazine Jeune Afrique in 2014. On May 16, Diagne, a professor at Columbia University, was a keynote speaker at a conference on the topic of “philosophical grammar” and the challenges of translation in Bonn. We caught up with him there and spoke about the tragedy of migrants and the future of higher education in Senegal.
Amon Rémy Mallet (ARM): For some time now, there has been a resurgence of boats carrying African migrants landing on European shores. What do you make of this situation?
Souleymane Bachir Diagne (SBD): Cela fait très mal. On s’intéresse très souvent aux chiffres dans cette situation, c’est-à-dire au nombre de personnes qui périssent. Mais derrière ces chiffres, il y a des vies individuelles. Ce sont des personnes qui au moment de partir ont demandé la bénédiction de leurs mères. Et quand je l’aborde ainsi, je me dis que ceux sont des familles qui ont perdu des personnes en qui elles avaient placé leurs espoirs. Après avoir dit cela, il revient de regarder la situation dans toute sa complexité pour trouver des solutions. Il faudrait que nos jeunes se sentent dans un continent en chantier. Un continent dans lequel il y a tout à faire. Si la jeunesse de l’Afrique en vient à penser que son avenir est ailleurs, le problème devient insoluble. Aujourd’hui, on est en train de dire que l’Afrique décolle avec de forts taux de croissance. Mais ces taux de croissance malheureusement ne viennent pas chercher les pauvres. Donc, il y a de la pauvreté et du désespoir.
Souleymane Bachir Diagne (SBD): It hurts, it hurts terribly. We tend to over-focus on statistics in such cases, namely on the numbers of deaths. Nevertheless, behind the statistics are individual life stories. These are young men who, before departing, have asked for their mothers’ blessings. When seen in this way, I feel for these families who have lost the person in which they've invested their hope for the future. Having said that, it behooves us to consider the situation in all its complexity in order to find the right solutions. Our young people should feel that Africa is a continent where projects can be constructed. A continent where there is everything left to do. If the youth of Africa end up feeling that their future lies ahead elsewhere, this migration issue becomes insolvable. Nowadays, we find ourselves saying that Africa's growth rate is strong. Alas, this growth does not trickle down to the poor. Consequently, there is still plenty of poverty and despair.
A migrant rests near tourists on the beach of Tuineje, on the island of Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands, via No Border on Flickr CC-BY-20
ARM: Many of those who take to the sea, endangering their lives, have fled conflicts and political instability from their countries. How do you interpret that despite the political stability in Senegal, young people continue to take such risks?
SBD: C’est l’idée selon laquelle l’avenir serait ailleurs. Il faut donc, pour y remédier, que la question de l’emploi sur laquelle repose l’espoir de la jeunesse soit réglée. Il faut que le monde comprenne qu’il y a un investissement à faire sur un continent qui ne demande plus seulement la charité mais qui veut un véritable partenariat. Et cela a commencé. C’est dommage qu’au moment où les choses tournent dans une meilleure direction que les jeunes connaissent ces tragédies. Il y a donc des actions à mener. Il faut aussi régler la question des trafiquants. Ils doivent être mis hors d’état de nuire. Ce sont de véritables négriers modernes.
SBD: It's this idea that the future lies elsewhere. It is therefore necessary to solve the issue of unemployment because it is strongly connected with the hopes of young people. The world needs to understand that there is an investment to be made in a continent that does not ask for charity anymore but is in need of real partnerships. And this idea has already begun to take place. It's such a pity that whilst certain issues improve on the continent, the young ones still experience such tragedies. There are actions to be taken. We must also sort the problem of trafficking. We must ensure that those individuals will no longer be able to carry on with business as usual. They are truly modern day slave traders.
Students in Senegal. Public Domain
ARM: President of Senegal Macky Sall made the decision to send soldiers to Saudi Arabia. What are your views on the matter?
SBD: Je n’ai pas suivi de manière significative le débat sur la question. Mais d’après ce que j’ai compris, c’est l’Arabie Saoudite qui a sollicité le Sénégal pour assurer ses arrières. C’est-à-dire, pendant que l’armée saoudienne est au combat avec les rebelles yéménites, les soldats sénégalais font la police autour des lieux saints. Je ne suis pas sûr de bien comprendre tous les tenants et les aboutissants. Mais il y a un point qui est réel, c’est la réputation de l’armée sénégalaise en la matière. Donc, que l’armée sénégalaise soit sollicitée dans une coalition internationale de ce type est tout à fait normal. Etant donné le rôle qui est le nôtre dans l’Organisation de la Conférence Islamique, j’imagine qu’il était très difficile pour un pays comme le Sénégal de se tenir totalement à l’écart.
SBD: I have not followed the debate regarding this issue closely. However, from my understanding, it is Saudi Arabia that asked Senegal for support. That is to say that while the Saudi Army is in conflict with Yemeni rebels, the Senegalese soldiers protect and police their sacred places. I am not sure whether I comprehend the situation fully. If there is a clear point to be made: the Senegalese Army has earned the full respect of the world. Therefore, it is perfectly normal that the Senegalese Army is sought in an international coalition of this type. Given our growing role in the Organization of the Islamic Conference, I imagine it would be extremely difficult for a country like Senegal to not take part in that conflict.
ARM: I recall that you were nominated to lead the committee on higher education in Senegal, which produced certain recommendations. What are your thoughts on it today?
SBD: Pour ce qui est de la commission que j’avais dirigée, je suis content qu’aujourd’hui il y ait un consensus total sur la nécessité de réformer et aussi sur le fait que les propositions qui sont sortis de la concertation nationale sur l’avenir de l’enseignement supérieur aient été appropriées par tout le monde.[..] Je fonde beaucoup d’espoir sur les universités qui vont être créées, notamment la deuxième université de Dakar et l’université agricole qui s’installera à Kaolack. Je fonde aussi beaucoup d’espoir sur le développement des enseignements professionnels et sur l’université virtuelle. Les enseignements à distance sont l’avenir de l’enseignement. Je crois que l’université sénégalaise mais aussi celles africaines en général ont besoin de s’approprier ces technologies d’enseignement à distance de la même manière que les africains se sont appropriés la téléphonie pour résoudre leurs problèmes. Ils ont été très inventif sur les technologies de téléphonie donc il n’y a aucune raison que nous ne le soyons pas dans le domaine de l’enseignement à distance. Maintenant je suis plus inquiet pour les autres systèmes d’enseignement. Le Sénégal vient de sortir d’une très longue grève des enseignants du secondaire. Heureusement que la grève s’est terminée in extremis.
SBD: With regard to the commission that I led, I am pleased to see that today there is an absolute consensus on the need to reform, as well as on the fact that the proposals to have came out of the national consensus for the future of higher education have been appropriated across the board. […] I am trusting that universities will be created as a result, especially the second university of Dakar and the Agricultural University at Kaolack City. I also have high hopes for the development of vocational education and the virtual university. Remote teaching (distance learning) is the future of education. I believe that the Senegalese university as well as all other African universities must appropriate these technologies in the same fashion that the Africans use mobile phone technologies for finding practical solutions to their problems. They proved to be remarkably innovative with communication technologies, hence I do not see any reason why the same couldn't be applied in the domain of distance learning. Currently, I am worried about other educational systems. Senegal has recently emerged from a very long strike of secondary school teachers. Favourably, the strike eventually ended.
ARM: How would you imagine higher education in Senegal in 20 years from now?
SBD: D’abord commençons par dire ce que nous risquons. Si le système d’enseignement supérieur continue d’aller à vau-l’eau avec les grèves à répétition, on va certainement voir des élites qui vont se retrouver ailleurs que dans le système d’enseignement public. Et le système d’enseignement public va être abandonné aux enfants des classes défavorisées. Ce qui aura pour conséquence d’augmenter les inégalités. Et pour rattacher cela à la question antérieure sur la migration, il faut bien se rendre compte que le décollage de l’Afrique risque de se faire au prix d’inégalités énormes. Mais c’est par un bon système d’éducation public qu’on fera en sorte que le fils d’ouvrier ne finisse pas fatalement ouvrier ou chômeur. C’est la raison pour laquelle il faut redresser le système d’enseignement supérieur. Je crois que le Sénégal a une tradition intellectuelle très importante et des ressources humaines de qualité quand il s’agit des enseignants. Donc si tout va bien et tout est mis en œuvre, ces ressources-là feront du Sénégal un pays plus prospère et émergent, il faut l’espérer. J’ai donc de l’espoir pour la génération qui vient et je crois que le pire est derrière nous.
SBD: Firstly let's starts by stating the risks. Should the system continue to go awry with consecutive strikes, we most certainly will have the elite go outside of the public educational system. Ergo, the public system will be abandoned to the children of the disadvantaged social classes. As a result, inequality will continue to rise. And to connect these judgments with the previous question concerning migration, we must acknowledge that the African take-off is in peril of occurring with massive inequalities. Still, it is through a good functioning public education system that we'll ensure that workers’ children are not fatally destined to be a worker or, even more appalling, condemned to unemployment. This is the reason why we must straighten out the higher education system. I accredit Senegal with an important intellectual tradition and quality human resources when it comes to teachers. On these grounds, hopefully, if everything is well implemented, these resources will benefit Senegal, making it a prosperous and emergent country. In the same vein, I have hope in the coming generations and believe that the worst is behind us.

author: Rakotomalala


text:
The Boomerang Effect: Why Would Tajikistan’s Special Forces Chief Join ISIS? · Global Voices
Censored Voice

Halimov in the clip. Screenshot taken from a video later deleted.
In ex-Soviet Tajikistan, where the threat of religious extremism and terrorism has helped justify an excessive crackdown on practicing Muslims, people have been shocked to learn the head of the notorious special forces branch of the police — trained to fight the terrorists — has apparently joined the ISIS radical group.
Government officials claim close to 400 Tajik nationals are fighting with ISIS, an Al Qaeda offshoot which has come to control large parts of Iraq and Syria using openly brutal, oppressive and violent tactics.
In the 12-minute video released late on May 27, Gulmurod Halimov, 40, said he had defected to the group in protest against the policies of the Tajik Interior Ministry, which “does not permit people to pray and wear Islamic hijabs” in the predominantly Muslim Central Asian country.
In addition to calling the country's president and interior minister dogs and promising to “come for [the government] with slaughter”, Halimov claims he trained in both Russia and the U.S., which he portrayed as infidel countries in his tirade.
Promoted to the rank of commander for outstanding service around three years ago, some now fear his viral appearance, capped off by him dramatically shooting a tomato with a sniper rifle, may make him an icon for future Tajik ISIS fighters.
The Tajik government is expected to release a full statement on Halimov's defection soon and blocked social media where the video has been shared on May 28, as well as Asia Plus, the Tajik news agency that first covered the story.
Edward Lemon, a researcher from the University of Exeter tracking Tajik fighters in Syria and Iraq tweeted:
This is the most well-made film of a Tajik IS fighter. Unsurprisingly, they have quickly used Halimov for recruitment purposes
— Edward Lemon (@EdwardLemon3) 28 мая 2015
‘Ministers will be delivering messages from ISIS territory’
In Tajikistan, readers condemned the commander.
Aziz wrote underneath an article of the local Asia Plus news agency:
Ну и дурак он. Таких дураков,разумеется, среди нас немало, но беда в том что одного из них руководство МВД назначило на такую высокую ответственную должность – командира ОМОН.
He is a fool. We have quite a few such fools, of course, but the problem is that the Ministry of Internal Affairs appointed one of them to such a high position – the commander of the OMON [special police branch].
Most of them blamed the policies of the government as a root cause of ISIS’ appeal to some Tajiks.
An Asia-Plus commenter, called FG, replied to those who condemned Halimov:
Господа комментаторы не будьте лицемерами. Причина такого поступка он сам сказал. Когда весь силовой блок страны снимают порнографичекий фильмы в целях очернения, унижения чести и достойнство человека. Воют против 1000 летней истории своей страны, указывают кому как одеваться, куда ходить, что кушать, что делать, кому поклянятся и тд. То естественно любой человек хочет выйти из такой тюрьмы любым путем. Причина элементарно, антиконститутционые деяния государственного аппарата.
Dear commenters, do not be hypocrites. He [referring to Halimov] told the reasons for his behaviour …[The government] has been fighting against the 1000-years-old history of the country, telling people how to dress, where to go, what to eat, what to do, who to worship, and so on. So, naturally, everybody wants to get out of this prison in any way possible. The reason is simple: the anti-constitutional acts of the government.
Izzat Amon, a Tajik migrants’ rights activist, also argued that Halimov's alleged joining of ISIS is the product of the policies of the Tajik regime.
He wrote on his Facebook page:
Я не оправдываю поступок полковника ОМОНа, но я его понимаю. Когда в стране процветает коррупция, местничество, непотизм и врет каждый кому не лень, то иного выбора не остается. Это и есть результат 25 летней политики правящей группы. Если так продолжится то скоро и министры выступят с видеообращением находясь на территории ИГ. Боритесь и дальше господа военные чиновники с хиджабом, бородой, азаном и другими исламскими атрибутами. Но это непременно обернется вам бумерангом.
I do not justify the actions of the OMON commander, but I understand him. When corruption, regionalism, and nepotism is rampant in the country and everybody lies, then there is not another choice. This is the result of the politics of the ruling group for the last 25 years. If it continues this way, then even ministers will deliver video-messages from ISIS territory. Dear officials, continue your fight against the hijab, the beard, Azan [call to prayers] and other Islamic attributes. But it will certainly come back to you like a boomerang.
Rahmatillo Zoirov, the leader of Social-Democratic Party of Tajikistan, one of the country's few critical opposition parties, told Asia Plus that clan politics surrounding government appointments may have been one reason Halimov left his job, wife and eight children to join ISIS.
Zoirov noted:
… Клановая кадровая политика, особенно в правоохранительной сфере и судебной системе, это мощный фактор дезориентации служащих не из клана, которые вынуждены делать соответствующие выводы… В основном многие просто увольняются, не видя для себя перспективы роста и продвижения по карьере.
Clan cadre politics, especially in the field of law enforcement and the judicial system, is a powerful factor in alienating employees not belonging to the clan, who then have to draw appropriate conclusions… In general, many simply resign not seeing opportunities for growth and career advancement.
Tajikistan has blocked online resources in connection to ISIS before, notably when several citizens posted a video of themselves burning their Tajik passports and pledging allegiance to the group on YouTube. Like efforts to control religion through forced beard shaving and hijab bans, however, the blocks have not resulted in any obvious successes so far.

author: Censored Voice


text:
Violence Once Again Shakes Mexico With Disappearance of At Least 30 People · Global Voices
J. Tadeo

Collage with photos of some of the disappeared people in Chilapa. Image taken from the blog Sopitas.
Mexico is once again witness to terrible violence, this time in Chilapa de Álvarez in the western coastal state of Guerrero, where in recent days about 30 people have gone missing in an operation carried out by a so far unidentified armed group.
Community guards or self-defense groups (which are becoming more common in Mexico given the “war” against drug trafficking), as well as several groups involved with organized crime, operate in the state. Regarding the disappearances, local mayor Francisco Javier García González noted:
Estas personas fueron privadas de su libertad del 9 al 14 de mayo. Es un punto estratégico (Chilapa) para obtener sus enervantes y hacer su tránsito hacia otros estados, es a lo que yo le atribuyo la violencia. Vinieron a hacer limpieza del otro grupo delictivo y levantaron, presuntamente, a los halcones de Los Rojos.
These people were deprived of their freedom from May 9 to 14. It's an strategic spot (Chilapa) to get their drugs and transport them to other states, I put violence down to that. They came to clean up the other criminal group and allegedly lifted the Los Rojos’ halcones.
Lift or levantón is the term used in Mexico to allude to the illegal kidnappings carried out by criminal groups, while halcón (falcon) refers to informants that illegally support them.
A few days later, four dead bodies were found in the area, allegedly related with the disappearances, as Proceso reported:
Cuatro cuerpos con el rostro desollado fueron encontrados esta mañana en las inmediaciones del poblado de Nejapa, perteneciente al municipio de Chilapa de Álvarez.
Los cadáveres envueltos en cobijas estaban tirados frente al pequeño panteón del poblado indígena, ubicado a cinco minutos de la cabecera, sobre la carretera que conecta con el municipio de Ahuacuotzingo.
Four dead bodies with their faces skinned, were found this morning within the vicinity of the village of Nejapa, which belongs to the township of Chilapa de Álvarez.
The bodies, wrapped in blankets, were thrown in front of the small cemetery of the indigenous community, located five minutes from the headwaters over the road that connects with the township of Ahuacuotzingo.
The blog Sopitas also reported the news and pointed out that the family of a public servant might be involved in the violence:
Recientemente, al menos 16 personas fueron secuestradas por sujetos que tomaron el control del municipio por cuatro días en busca de miembros del grupo criminal Los Rojos.
De acuerdo con la investigaciones, los ataques están relacionados con el grupo conocido como “Los Ardillos”, dirigidos por la familia del presidente del Congreso, el diputado perredista Bernardo Ortega Jiménez.
At least 16 people were recently kidnapped by individuals that took control of the township for four days looking for members of the Los Rojos criminal group.
According to investigations, the attacks are related to the group known as “Los Ardillos”, led by relatives of the chairman of Congress, Party of the Democratic Revolution representative Bernardo Ortega Jiménez.
Mexicans have taken to Twitter to express their concerns over this new outbreak of violence in Guerrero. User Madame Déficit linked these events with the massacre in Tlatlaya and the missing Ayotzinapa students:
Tlatlaya, Ayotzinapa, y ahora #Chilapa… ¿a alguien le queda duda que el país se le ha salido de control al presidente Peña?
— Madame Déficit (@Alessia_mx) May 22, 2015
Tlatlaya, Ayotzinapa, and now Chilapa… does anyone still doubt that President Peña has lost control of the country?
@panaclo pointed out that she didn't know about the township in question until bad news arose:
Reconozco que a #Chilapa lo empiezo a conocer, así como conocí a #Ayotzinapa por las noticias de sus muertos, masacrados y desaparecidos. 😢😤
— CLAUDIA es CLAUDIA (@panaclo) May 22, 2015
I have to admit that I came to know about Chilapa, as well as Ayotzinapa, from the news  about their dead, massacred and disappeared people.
Plumas Atómicas shared this image:
Impera la violencia en #Chilapa: desapariciones forzadas y cuerpos desollados http://t.co/M0Pz4s8XJM pic.twitter.com/xvaAmn8jLA
— Plumas Atómicas (@plumasatomicas) May 22, 2015
Violence prevails in Chilapa: forced disappearances and skinned bodies
About the lack of mainstream media coverage of the news, user Yorch remarked:
Y… ¿Por qué se ignora a los desaparecidos de #Chilapa? ¿Por qué eran #campesinos y #albañiles? No, porque no son políticamente rentables
— Yorch (@SimplementYorch) May 22, 2015
And why are the disappeared of Chilapa ignored? Because they were peasants and construction workers? No, it is because they are not politically profitable.
Meanwhile, Ximena Medellín mentioned the uncertainty about the actual number of victims:
Tres órdenes de gobierno “trabajando de manera conjunta” en #Chilapa y seguimos sin saber cuántas personas han desaparecido, en dónde están
— Ximena Medellin (@XMedellin) May 22, 2015
Three branches of the government “working together” in Chilapa and we still ignore how many people have disappeared, where are they?
The “three branches of the government” mentioned are the federal, state and local, which are supposedly coordinating to prevent crime and get justice.
On May 22, 2015, tensions were ongoing, so school activities in the region were suspended, according to SDP Noticias news portal:
De las instituciones educativas que suspendieron clases, 44 forman parte del preescolar foráneo, 30 del preescolar indígena, 27 de primaria foránea, nueve de primaria indígena, 18 servicios estatales, cinco secundarias generales y seis secundarias técnicas, además el delegado reconoció que las comunidades de dicha zona no se encuentran resguardadas por elementos de seguridad.
La planta docente que dejó de laborar de manera indeterminada corresponde a 892 profesores y a 15 mil 631 alumnos que no tienen clases.
Of the educational institutions that suspended activities, 44 are foreign preschools, 30 are indigenous preschools, 27 are foreign elementary schools, nine indigenous elementary schools, 18 state services, five general high schools and six technical high schools. Besides that, the delegate acknowledged that communities in the area are not protected by security elements.
The faculty members that stopped working indefinitely number 892 teachers and 15,631 students who are not going to school.
Chilapa is a region with heavy indigenous presence, whose traditions include the dances “Tlacoleros and Maromeros” and “tiger fighting”. It's located close to Iguala, a region that in the past few months became well-known for the Ayotzinapa tragedy, in which students were kidnapped and killed. The state of Guerrero (where Chilapa and Iguala are located) neighbors Michoacán, another area that has been seriously affected by the violence generated by the so-called “Mexican drug war”.

author: J. Tadeo


text:
What You Need to Know to About Growing Opposition to Peru’s Tía María Mining Project · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

Street protest against Peru's Tía María mining project. Image obtained from Otra Mirada, used under Creative Common license.
Below is an edited version of a post originally published on the blog Globalizado.
In Peru, five people have died during more than 60 days of protests by agricultural workers concerned about the environmental impact of a major copper mining project called Tía María, which aims to extract the lucrative mineral from two pits in an area at the southern tip of the country. As a result, the government has declared a state of emergency in Islay, one of the strategic provinces targeted for mining operations in the Arequipa region.
As calls for a general strike multiply, a variety of media outlets have published their take on the reasons for widespread opposition to the proposed Tía María mines.
In early May, when the strike by agricultural workers reached day 40, environmental news site Actualidad Ambiental published a comprehensive report on its website, including a chronology of events leading up to the current conflict:
- 2003: Inicia el proyecto minero “Tía María”, con una inversión anunciada de US$ 1,400 millones. Comprende la explotación de dos yacimientos a tajo abierto: “La Tapada” (425 338 000 ton de mineral de cobre oxidado) y “Tía María” (225 377 000 ton de mineral de cobre oxidado), incluyendo dentro de su área de influencia el valle de Tambo, los distritos de Cocachacra, Mejía y Deán Valdivia, en la provincia de Islay, región Arequipa.
– 2006-2008: Se realizan actividades de exploración.
– 2008-2009: Se elabora el primer Estudio de Impacto Ambiental.
– 2011 (marzo): UNOPS (The United Nations Office for Project Services) presenta su informe del Estudio de Impacto Ambiental del proyecto minero “Tía María” y realiza 138 observaciones.
– 2011 (abril): En medio de protestas, 3 personas mueren por enfrentamientos con la Policía.
– 2011-2013 El proyecto es paralizado.
– 2013 (noviembre): Se presenta el segundo Estudio de Impacto Ambiental (elaborado entre el 2012 y 2013).
– 2013 (noviembre): Southern Perú presenta el segundo Estudio de Impacto Ambiental al Ministerio de Energía y Minas.
– 2014 (agosto): El Ministerio de Energía y Minas aprueba el segundo Estudio de Impacto Ambiental.
– 2015 (marzo): En medio de un clima de tensión se retoman las protestas contra el proyecto Tía María.
- 2003: Tía María project is launched with a proposed investment of US $1.4 billion. It targets exploitation of two open-pit deposits, La Tapada (425,338,000 tons of oxidized copper ore) and Tía María itself (225, 377,000 tons of ore), which are located within a larger area that includes the Valle de Tambo, the Cocachacra, Mejia and Dean Valdivia districts in the Islay province of the Arequipa region.
– 2006-2008: Exploration is undertaken.
– 2008-2009: First environmental impact assessment is done.
– 2011 (March): The United Nations Office for Project Services presents its Environmental Impact Study of the Tía María mining project and conducts 138 surveys.
– 2011 (April): Amid protests, three people are killed in confrontations with police.
– 2011-2013: The project stalls.
– 2013 (November): Second Environmental Impact Assessment is presented (undertaken between 2012 and 2013).
– 2013 (November): Southern Perú [Southern Copper Corporation, Peru branch] presents the second Environmental Impact Assessment to the Ministry of Energy and Mines.
– 2014 (August):The Ministry of Energy and Mines approves the second Environmental Impact Assessment.
– 2015 (March): In a climate of increasing tension, protests against the Tía María resume.
Actualidad Ambiental also put together information about the principal actors in the conflict, indicating whether they are for or against the project. Among the former are the officials of Southern Copper Corporation, which is spearheading the project, and officials of Peru's federal government. Those against the project include local mayors.
A key question posed by Actualidad Ambiental is, “Why don't local people trust Southern Copper?” The answer might be that the company has “a history of environmental claims against it.”
Algunas posiciones en el conflicto dejan claro que el problema no es la actividad minera por sí misma sino que el proyecto sea realizado por Southern Perú. Richard Ale Cruz, alcalde provincial de Islay, lo expone claramente cuando dice: “No estamos contra la actividad minera pero sí contra la empresa”. ¿Por qué la desconfianza en el sur del Perú contra Southern Perú? En esta nota se ha desarrollado una lista del desempeño ambiental de la empresa desde los años 50.
Many positions taken in the conflict clearly distinguish between mining activity in general and the fact that this project is being undertaken by Southern Copper. Richard Ale Cruz, provincial mayor of Islay, doesn't mince words: “We don't oppose mining, but we do oppose the corporation.” Why so much suspicion about the mining conglomerate in this region of southern Peru?  Because the company has a record of showing blatant disregard for the environment in Peru since the 1950s.
The report from Actualidad Ambiental concludes with one last question: What are the points on which Tía María and local residents cannot agree? The short answer is that “agriculture in the Valle de Tambo will be affected as will the sources of water.” But Southern Copper sees things differently:
– ¿El proyecto afectará la agricultura del Valle de Tambo?
No. Pese a que las voladuras o explosiones generan ruido y polvos, no afectarán al valle del Tambo porque el tajo está a 2 km. del poblado más cercano, por la diferencia altitudinal impide que el ruido llegue al valle o a la población, porque el material chancado de roca se almacenará en un depósito cerrado y porque el viento sopla en dirección noreste, dirección opuesta al valle o cualquier centro poblado.
– ¿El proyecto afectará el agua del valle del Tambo?
No, porque se usará agua de mar (desalinizada) para el trabajo de explotación y operación. Además, se menciona que el tajo abierto no afectaría el agua subterránea y que la disponibilidad del agua para la agricultura es de 800 millones de metros cúbicos, de los cuales 500 se van al mar como excedentes y y seguirían estando disponibles para las actividades agrícolas de la zona.
– Will the project negatively impact agriculture in valle de Tambo?
No. Despite the fact that blasting and explosions are loud and generate dust, these will not affect the valle de Tambo because the pit is 2 km away from the nearest populated area. The difference in altitude means the noise won't reach the valley or the local population, because the crushed rock will be stored in a closed warehouse, and because the wind blows in a northeastern direction, opposite to the valley or any inhabited area
– Will the project negatively impact water in valle de Tambo?
No, because (desalinated) sea water will be used for mining and other operations. Moreover, open-pit mining will not affect groundwater. 800 million metric tons of water are available for agriculture, of which a surplus of 500 flows to the sea and will be accessible for agricultural activity in the area.
A previous GV article raised the question of whether Peruvian police and the press are conspiring to criminalize the Tía María protesters.
In an article on alternative journalism platform La Mula explaining events in Tía María, Jorge Páucar pointed out the role played by the federal government:
La minera Southern Copper se queja de la falta de apoyo del Poder Ejecutivo. Sin embargo, el Ministerio de Energía y Minas aprobó el EIA (Estudio de Impacto Ambiental) y cuando Julio Morriberón dijo que Tía María se cancelaba, la ministra Rosa María Ortiz salió a defender el proyecto y a manifestar el apoyo a la actividad extractiva. Además, minimizó la protesta en Islay.
Souther Copper Corporation complains about the lack of support from the executive branch. However, the Ministry of Energy and Mines approved the EIA (environmental impact assessment) and when Julio Morriberón said that Tía María would be cancelled, the minister, Rosa María Ortiz, came out in defence of the project, demonstrating support for copper extraction. What's more, she minimized the protests in Islay.
He also called into question Southern Copper Corporation's credibility:
La empresa minera con sede en México tiene serios cuestionamientos. En enero del 2015, la Fiscalía Especializada en Materia Ambiental pidió dos años y medio de pena privativa de la libertad y el pago de una reparación civil de 1 millón de dólares para el presidente ejecutivo de Southern Perú, Óscar González Rocha por el delito de contaminación ambiental en el mar de Ilo.
En mayo del 2008, el Osinergmin multó con 608 mil nuevos soles a Southern por cometer infracción a las normas medioambientales. La empresa minera no cumplió con el Programa de Adecuación y Manejo Ambiental, superó los límites máximos permisibles y atentó contra la Ley General de Salud, Ley General del Ambiente y el Reglamento para la Protección Ambiental en la actividad minero metalúrgica.
Gracias al Mapa de Infracciones Ambientales de Convoca.pe, pudimos conocer que el Organismo de Evaluación y Fiscalización Ambiental (OEFA) multó 14 veces a Southern Copper por un monto total de 530, 745 dólares.
The track record of the mining company, whose head office is in Mexico, raises red flags. In January 2015, the Public Prosecutor's Environmental Office requested a two-and-a-half year custodial sentence and compensation of $1 million for the president of Southern Copper Corporation Óscar González Rocha which it accused of environmental contamination in the sea of Ilo.
In May 2008, the energy and mining watchdog Osinergmin fined the company 608,000 Peruvian nuevos soles for having violated environmental standards. The mining company did not meet the requirements of the country's Environmental Compliance and Management Program, having exceeded permissible limits and contravened the Act Respecting Public Health, the Act Respecting the Environment, and the regulations governing environmental protection in mining and metallurgical processes.
Thanks to a map of environmental infractions published by Convoca, we discovered that the Organization for Environmental Evaluation and Oversight (OEFA) fined Southern Copper 14 times for a total of $530,745.
In Arequipa, the local digital daily El Buho explored the financial reasons behind the government's reluctance to cancel the project, citing congressman Víctor Andrés Belaúnde:
La huelga se produce el 23 de marzo, al día siguiente la empresa dice que no va, el gobierno corrige dice que sí va. Pasan 30 días con heridos y hasta un muerto, y la empresa emite bonos por 1,500 millones de dólares a 30 años con una taza [sic] de 5,8% para el proyecto Tía María y otros 500 millones para otros proyectos a 10 años a tazas [sic] de 3,6%. Parece que hay empresas peruanas que han comprado esos bonos […] El proyecto lo van a hacer de todas maneras. ¿Nos están engañando? ¿Nos están tomando el pelo? Que digan las cosas de manera verdadera. Yo creo que el Gobierno no nos ha dicho la verdad. El Gobierno está asustado. Va a tener que responder porque la empresa emitió bonos con la garantía del Gobierno”
The strike happened on March 23; the next day the company said it wouldn't go ahead, the government corrected this and said it would. Thirty days went by with people wounded and one man killed; and the company issued $1.5 billion worth of 30-year bonds at 5.8% for the Tía María project and another 500 million worth of 10-year paper at 3.6%. Apparently some Peruvian businesses actually bought them […] The project is going ahead regardless.  Are they putting one over on us? Are they pulling our leg? They need to come clean. I don't think the government has told us the truth. The government is scared. It is going to have to answer for the company's bonds because they are government-backed.
This may not be the only concern the Peruvian government has about stopping Tía María. El Buho quotes journalist Gerónimo Centurión who posits one more hypothesis:
Según el cable de Wikileaks del 20 de enero de este año, el gobierno de Humala, en el marco del acuerdo Trans Pacífico, aceptó que empresas extranjeras que consideran que su inversión está en peligro por protestas de origen ambiental o social (como Tía María), podrían apelar a tribunales internacionales para exigir multimillonarias reparaciones.
Esto no sólo beneficia a las empresas extranjeras frente a las nacionales, sino que les permite pasar por alto el sistema jurídico nacional ya que no requerirían agotar el sistema jurídico interno. […] Parece una ficción. Pero, empresas como la minera Doe Run, amparados en estos acuerdos ya están denunciando al Perú por millonarias sumas
According to a Wikileaks cable from January 20 of this year, the Humala government, within the framework of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, accepted a deal whereby foreign companies whose investment is jeopardized by environmental or social opposition (such as the case of Tía María) can appeal to international tribunals to demand multi-million-dollar reparations.
This not only favours foreign businesses over domestic ones but also enables them to bypass the country's laws since they don't get bogged down by the internal judicial system […] Hard to believe. But a mining company like Doe Run, protected under these international accords, is suing Peru for millions.
For more on the background to this latest mining controversy, watch the Spanish-language video “La verdad de Tía María”, which has been circulating in social media.

author: Juan Arellano


text:
2 Reasons Why Madagascar’s President Hasn’t Been Impeached Yet (Contrary to Media Reports) · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

Screen capture of media headlines about Madagascar via Google News
Numerous media outlets have reported that Madagascar's President Hery Rajaonarimampianina has been impeached. While members of parliament have voted 121 in favor of his impeachment out of 125, there are a few reasons why the president is still projected to stay in charge for the time being:
Malagasy observers have weighed in on the motives behind the motion of impeachment.

author: Lova Rakotomalala


text:
Chinese Authorities Leap to Discredit Detained Citizens’ Rights Activist · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Crop from political cartoonist @badiucao's drawing. See full image in text.
Famous citizens’ right activist Wu Gan was arrested on May 19 for protesting outside a court in Jianxi province, where lawyers had gathered to demand documents from an old case that they wished to reopen. On May 27, Wu was transferred to Fujian for criminal detention and charged with “picking quarrels and provoking troubles” as well as defamation.
His arrest and detention — and subsequent state media coverage smearing Wu's character — have sparked fears of a coming crackdown on citizens’ rights activists in China.
Despite having no strong ties to specific citizens’ groups or online platforms, Wu has become a well-known figure in human rights circles in China since 2009. The 42-year-old goes by the nickname “Butcher”. Speaking with the New York Times’ Sinosphere blog, Wu's lawyer, Ge Wenxiu, explained that the name is intended to mock state officials’ use of vulgarity with a sarcastic suggestion that he wants to “slay” for them their corruption and misconduct.
Over the past few days, state-controlled media have covered Wu's arrest with ample bias against his case. On May 25, China Central Television (CCTV) used footage from a security camera outside of Jiangxi People's High Court as evidence of Wu's disorderly conduct. Three days later, communist party newspaper People's Daily depicted Wu as an irresponsible divorcee, troublemaker and scammer whose father and brother were also criminals. The report quoted an anonymous acquaintance of Wu, alleging that his social activism was motivated by personal interest.
Wu was part of the first group of netizens to contest the controversial police investigation of Deng Yujiao, a waitress who stabbed and killed a government official after he attempted to force her to have sex with him. Wu even traveled from Beijing to Hubei to visit Deng and persuade her family to seek help from Beijing lawyers to file an appeal. Eventually, Deng was convicted of “excessive self-defense” but exempt from criminal punishment due to her psychological status. The case was considered a huge success for online activism in China.
Since then, Wu has continued to help ordinary people defend their rights. Recently, he became involved in the case of  the fatal shooting by police of a man at Qing'an train station. He formed a citizen investigation team and demanded that railway police release station surveillance camera footage to the public.
As Wu Gan has helped many petitioning for their rights to be upheld, a number of people spoke out in support of him on different social media platforms. Given that Chinese Twitter-like Weibo is heavily censored, some published their messages on Twitter. Badiucao, a political cartoonist, expressed his support with his drawing:
#巴丢草 漫画 【央视上的屠夫】屠夫@tufuwugan 前脚捅了 #安庆 枪击的马蜂窝，后脚就被党妈惦记上，抓了不算还上 #央视 视频游街。超级低俗的假屠夫叫伟大光荣的真屠夫给拿下了，中国梦何止荒唐？！作图声援屠夫先生！ pic.twitter.com/AxZAVgwZRF
— 巴丢草 (@badiucao) May 25, 2015
Comic on “Butcher on CCTV”: Butcher has one foot stepping into #Qing'an shooting incident, with the Party immediately grabbing his other foot: it not only arrested him, but displayed him on TV. “Super vulgar butcher” [Wu Gan's social media screen name] is butchered by the glorious butcher. The China dream is more than ridiculous. This drawing is to express my support for Mr. Butcher.
Many users were outraged by the media's distortion of Wu's private life. Liushui argued that news outlets’ smears were part of a coordinated propaganda effort:
我是第一次看到，当局动用央视、新华社和人民日报等国家力量，编造事实，围剿一个草根维权者“屠夫吴淦”。当年刘晓波似乎也没享受此等待遇。专制国家常用“媒体审判”滥招，替代哪怕是自己制定的法律，颠倒黑白，抹黑正义。民间正当维权行为，是推动社会进步的力量之一，像吴淦维权者越多越好。
— 刘水 (@liushui1989) May 28, 2015
This is the first time I see the authorities making use of various state powers including CCTV, Xinhua and China Daily [these three media outlets are under the control of different authorities: the communist party, the government and propaganda officials] to fabricate a story to attack grassroots rights activist “Butcher Wu Gan”. Even [political prisoner] Liu Xiaobo did not enjoy this kind of treatment back then. Authoritarian states often use the media to punish people in ways that the law may not. They turn white into black and blacken justice. Civil rights action is a means to improve society. We should have more people like Wu Gan.
Wen Yunchao, a Chinese dissident based in the US, believed that national security authorities were involved:
屠夫被刑拘，新华社、人民日报、中央电视台都第一时间作出报道；江西方面行政拘留期未满转由福建方面进行刑事拘留。同时调动政法及党宣系统，基本可以认定是国安委决策部署，预感不妙。对屠夫的这种运动式精确打击，旨在震慑并瓦解民间维权死嗑群体，其大批判式文宣与反恐式定点清除手法，令人发指。
— 北风（温云超, Yunchao Wen） (@wenyunchao) May 28, 2015
Judging from Butcher's criminal detention, the quick and coordinated report from Xinhua, People's Daily and CCTV, and the cross-provincial coordination between Jiangxi province and Fujian province in handing over Wu Gan for criminal detention, only the State Security Committee can mobilize both the judicial and propaganda authorities at the same time. Something fishy is definitely going on here. Such a crackdown aims to terrify and dissolve the hardcore citizens’ rights activists. The propaganda finger-pointing at an individual with an attempt to eliminate the target is similar to the anti-terrorist [snipers], [such crackdown] is outraging.
Twitter user Beidaijin believed that this latest clampdown would not end with a single case:
黨國能祭出這三大法器 絕對不會僅僅為了屠夫一人，這麼大的鋪墊，預計將有可觀的「後戲」。屠爺是相關「運動」的一部份/一個標籤、引子，接下來或將出現連續的針對性打擊，全國範圍的 “@xddcc: 党国急眼儿了~ RT @avb001:
— 贝带劲 (@beidaijin) May 28, 2015
The fact that the party-state has mobilized the three media organs means that their target is not restricted to Butcher. It is just the opening scene and more spectacles will follow. Butcher is a part / a symbol of the kind of “movement” [that the authorities want to crack down on], he serves as a prelude and there will be more targets singled out.
Some users defended Wu's integrity:
新华社极尽丑化之力抹黑屠夫，无非就是想打压死磕式维权。他们把维护公民基本权利称做“凑热闹”，给他们添麻烦。没错，屠夫就是爱凑热闹，09到现在陆续见过他几次，每次都是他维权的时候 。他太爱管闲事了，前几天还在仔细问我陈云飞家人的情况，他不仅要捐款，还想把陈云飞家的老人也照顾到。
— 上官乱 (@shangguanluan) May 28, 2015
Xinhua tried so hard to smear Butcher in order to crack down on the hardcore rights defenders. They described the civil rights defenders as a “crowd” who cause trouble. Well, Butcher likes to follow the hot issues. I have met him several times since 2009. Every time he was involved in a civil rights action. He is very nosy. He asked me about the situation of Chen Yunfei's family [Chen was arrested in early May under the charge of “inciting subversion” and “provoking troubles”]. He wanted to donate and help out his family.
如今坏人当道，好人只能进监狱。我是新浪微博早期的用户，如今已经不玩了。从屠夫为受难者仗义执言，一直到他退出新浪为徐纯合的事奔走，再到这次被抓。他一路的历程，作为旁观者我看得清清楚楚。老吴就是一个义薄云天的爷们儿，一颗响当当的铜豌豆！ https://t.co/mqXwCR5G1t
— 小悲 (@Zodiac4698) May 28, 2015
Now wicked people have taken control and good people are in jail. I used to be an early Weibo user and have abandoned the platform. Butcher has been speaking out for the victims. He was kicked off Sina Weibo because of Xu Chunhe [the victim of the Qing'an police shooting]. Now he is arrested. I witnessed what he has done in the past few years. Wu is such a righteous guy who has a strong will and can make loud voice!