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Spain: Miners on Strike Bring Struggle to the Net · Global Voices
Elena Arrontes

This post is part of our special coverage Europe in Crisis.
On May 23, 2012, Spanish miners went on an indefinite strike in the coalfields and in the streets, blocking roadways and forming barricades. The movement is protesting the government's decision to do away with 63 percent of state subsidies of coal. The cuts to the Spanish coal mining industry do not include any solutions for their consequences: the cuts are not paired with any professional retraining for the miners, and will therefore add to the already high number of unemployed in the country.
The mining protest has had a strong echo on social networking sites. The Twitter account “Mineros de León” [es] (Miners of León), which has renamed itself “Miners of Spain”, has had intense activity and almost 10,000 followers. The man behind the account, Victor Herrero, who is the son and grandson of miners, wants to disseminate the miners’ struggle on the Internet. He retweets messages of support he receives, including from outside Spain, and means to prevent any incitement of violence.
From that account, he has reported on the Marcha Negra (Black March), a march started last Friday which will end in Madrid on July 11. The miners have also responded via the web to criticisms and doubts making the rounds about their sector. Below is an excerpt of the “Letter from an Asturian miner” written by Juan José Fernández which is circulating around the Internet:
La lucha que están llevando los compañeros en éstos momentos, no es para pedir dinero, sino para que se respete el acuerdo firmado el año pasado entre el Ministerio de Industria y los sindicatos mineros, la firma de éste acuerdo tenía unas ayudas asignadas hasta el año 2018.
Éste dinero lo dió La Comunidad Europea y no los Gobiernos Españoles, con esto quiero decir que no lo puso ningún español para ayudarnos como piensa mucha de la gente que tanto nos critica. En cuanto a éste dinero lo que yo me pregunto, como casi todas las familias mineras, es donde está la parte de los Fondos Mineros que supuestamente iría destinada a la creación de industrias alternativas al carbón en las cuencas mineras, después del cierre de las minas. Pues bien, cómo en muchos otros sectores, el dinero lo manejaron los políticos y los sindicatos. Con parte de éste dinero, os podría decir, por ejemplo, que el Señor Gabino de Lorenzo ( ex-alcalde de Oviedo) pagó las farolas de su ciudad, el nuevo Palacio de Exposiciones y Congresos y otras muchas obras. La ex-alcaldesa de Gijón ( la Señora Felgeroso) lo invirtió en la Universidad Laboral y cómo el primero, también en otras obras.
The struggle that my fellow miners are enduring at the moment is not to ask for money, but to have the agreement signed last year between the Ministry of Industry and miners’ unions, which said subsidies would be assigned until 2018, be respected.
This money was given by the European Community and not the Spanish governments, by this I mean to say that no Spaniard is made to help us like many of the people who criticize us think. As for this money, what I wonder, like almost all mining families, is where is the part of the Mining Funds that supposedly would be going toward the creation of alternative industries to coal in the mining fields, after the closing of the mines. Well, like many other sectors, the money was handled by the politicians and the unions. With part of this money, I could tell you all, for example, that Mr. Gabino de Lorenzo (ex-mayor of Oviedo) payed for the city's streetlamps, the new Exhibition and Conference Center and many other public works. The ex-mayor of Gijón (Ms. Felgeroso) invested it in the Labor University and like the former, also in other public works.
Residents welcome the arriving miners in Ariño on their march. Photo by Democracia Real Ya.
The webpage Lanzanos.com is home to a crowdfunding campaign that has already collected more than 9,000 euros (US $11,176) to support the Marcha Negra; this has made it possible to rent an RV to attend to the protesters, in case one of them should come down with heatstroke or any other incident should happen. Here is part of the message that accompanied the petition for donations:
El movimiento Mineros de España nace como respuesta de este colectivo al silencio informativo que sufríamos al comienzo de nuestras movilizaciones por los diferentes medios de comunicación. Escogimos Twitter por ser la red social a nuestro parecer más directa de llegar a los ciudadanos y poder enseñarles de primera mano todo lo que va aconteciendo en nuestra lucha. las redes sociales nunca habían sido utilizadas en una huelga minera siendo Víctor herrero el que tras hablar con los responsables de CC.OO comienza a tuitear y a arengar a los mineros que estaban en las carreteras. El inmediato interés generado por todo el colectivo obrero de diferentes y dispares sectores y el apoyo popular en la calle nos hice crecer como la 5º cuenta de Twitter mas recomendada a nivel nacional en tiempo récord.
The web has allowed for strong social support to affirm the miners’ cause. Another of the events closely followed by the Internet has been the removal of the miners’ wives when they attended a budget vote in the Senate last week. Once the results of the vote were made public, the women began to sing the hymn of the miners, some in tears. They denounced the treatments that they have received and the lack of negotiations with the politicians.
In the following video, those supporting the miners sing the miner's hymn in the Senate:
This post is part of our special coverage Europe in Crisis.

author: Elena Arrontes


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Benin: Introducing the African School of Economics · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

Dr. Leonard Wantchekon  introduced the African School of Economics ASE at the World Bank on June 14. The campus will be located in the city of Akassato in Abomey-Calavi (Benin), near Cotonou.  The goal of the school is to “to address the dearth of quality tertiary education, cutting-edge research, and innovative public policy in Africa by creating an incubator of qualified business leaders and social scientists.” 360 students [fr] are expected when ASE opens in 2014 and academic partnerships with CIDE in Mexico, Sciences Po, France and Princeton University, USA among others are projected.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Lova Rakotomalala


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Colombia: When the Dead Belong to the Upper-Class · Global Voices
Julián Ortega Martínez

At Hoja Blanca, Lucas Urdaneta refers to the so-called Colmenares Case (the murder of a student of the University of the Andes which has received a lot of media coverage in Colombia), and wonders [es] what happens when victims don't belong to the privileged classes. He adds that, given the disproportionate attention to these cases, a solution for the internal armed conflict would be, as some argue, to send upper-middle class boys to military service.

author: Julián Ortega Martínez


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Cuba: Clicking Towards the Future  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The recently concluded Festival Clic [es], which took place in Havana from June 21-23, 2012, and was designed to discuss Internet and Society in Cuba, has got several bloggers talking about technology and the role it can play in the country's future.
Havana Times‘ Haroldo Dilla Alfonso found out about the event from an article by one of the blog's other contributors:
The festival, according to the writer, adopted an open and transparent approach to the event as ‘the best safeguard against government repression.’
The activity…was cosponsored by the ‘Academia Bloguer’ group, headed by Yoani Sanchez. The meeting also had the support of the ‘Evento Blog Español’ (EBE), an association of Spanish bloggers which itself is an entity with 3,000 members and 3,000 dreams.
According to the promoters, the festival had ‘as its aim the sharing of what we have learned and the revealing of our deficiencies, (and it) is intended as an approach to knowledge without ideological requirements or market trends.’
The event's program [es] included technical and educational sessions dealing with the impact of social networks in world politics.
The official reaction to the event, according to Havana Times, was “swiftly forthcoming”:
The first to begin the saber rattling were the poorly paid Cuban government bloggers who infect cyberspace and are always ready and willing to commit slander…
While the writer was quick to dismiss the former, he added:
What I did find very disturbing was an editorial that appeared in Cubadebate.
Cubadebate is an organ of political/ideological information control. Although it’s a product for export that hopes to look more sophisticated, it actually aspires to the same objective as Granma, which is why everything that it publishes directly serves the worst aims of the Cuban government under the direction of the party’s Ideological Department.
The article in Cubadebate about the Festival CLIC is an example of what they are thinking and what the Cuban political elite could do. This was a direct and very awkward attack, a crude hodgepodge of incomplete ideas, poorly written allegories, and vile attacks against people and institutions…
But here was its main point:
‘The intention of Festival CLIC,’ Cubadebate asserted, ‘is to advance the strategy of building networks before an attack, as they did in Libya, Syria and formerly in Yugoslavia, and to strengthen the idea of a counterrevolution allied with the United States as the promoter of Internet freedom.’
This was a statement that could serve to justify a new crackdown with the support of the official press, the poorly paid bloggers and the gang of big-mouthed commentators who fill the web with fascistic insults. This would include those who, by taking such a repressive step, would have to take responsibility for the consequences of such repression – as well as us, for demanding it.
They are lying and they know it.
Reinaldo Escobar (Yoani Sanchez’ husband), blogging at Translating Cuba, highlighted the success of the festival:
It met all expectations despite threats from the weather, official disqualifications and the natural shortcomings arising from the scarcity of resources. But perhaps the most significant achievement has been that the government was forced to stage a parallel event called the Knowledge Festival, or the Computer Festival attended — according to what they tell us — by more than one hundred thousand young people in the computer clubs across the country.
All of us who were in the space provided by the organizers of Estado de Sats had the impression that we were learning, not only about technological issues but about citizen behavior. We know that these events do not achieve the transition to democracy, but at least we are sure that the exercise of freedom is a step that leads in that direction.
Lilianne Ruíz, who also posted at Translating Cuba, agreed that the event “ended well” and talked about what it meant to her:
It must seem incredible to have a technology Festival without access to the Internet. This didn’t weaken the perception of breathing fresh air in Cuba.
It hurts me to say it: I am far from accessing the digital version of my life.
Nevertheless, attending the CLICK Festival put me ahead of analog Lili, and many steps ahead of the formerly terrified Lili… like the one who was too late to shake hands with Laura Pollán.
And the threats have rained down; the first day an editorial in Cubadebate.cu demonstrated the criminal mentality that only a Communist Revolution and a caudillo with truncated ideology could produce in some people.
The festival has been a success, someday this little burst of light that can connect people around the world will inevitably connect, first of all, us Cubans who have a lot of mental work to do to cleanse our minds of so much hatred that our history has cultivated in Cubans, which has been primarily psychological.
To exercise our political, cultural, and economic rights scandalizes the dictators who must be afraid because they did not get power through the freely expressed will of the citizens whom they call ‘the people’ betraying this old and dangerous mentality prone to political crimes. But with a CLICK multiplied in every Cuban, in Cuba as well the Spring can come.
The festival also catered to youngsters with its Kid-Clic events and honoured bloggers and Twitter users with awards.
Havana Times tried to explain why the state seemed so threatened by the event:
The meeting of Festival CLIC is a great danger because it is trying to create separate networks and to win the public as never before. It is not a matter of more or less Internet, which remains the prerogative of the Cuban government (which will maintain it at a low level no matter how many fiber-optic cables appear connecting the island to the world).
This is because the lack of Internet access in Cuba isn’t a question that is essentially technical, but one that is absolutely political – and neither Yoani with all of her awards nor Rodiles with his patient courage can change that.
The problem is a matter of unauthorized social contacts, of people who have decided not to ask for permission, of several dozen people who are looking to the sides and not up.
Yoani Sanchez, as one of the event's organisers, got the last word:
With material simplicity, the CLICK Festival managed to exceed our expectations. The frank and open debate, uncensored, the great participation by the audience, and the success in pulling off a technological and futuristic event, were some of the major achievements. More than 200 people passed through the doors during the three days of the meeting, and on Thursday, in the afternoon, 102 of us, interested in social networks and Web 2.0, gathered.
We could not, however, achieve as diverse as representation of Internauts as we desired. And not because we imposed an ideological or group filter, but because many of those invited preferred not to come. Fear of exchanging opinions, fear of the embrace, continues to dominate the Island — including the virtual scene. An editorial in Cubadebate — threatening and extremist — must have scared off some who would have liked to join us. Thanks to us the Cuban government hastily organized a “Knowledge Festival” for the same days, to teach people how to create blogs and Twitter accounts. Which to me is one of the best outcomes of our little CLICK Festival. If pushing the wall forces them to move it a few inches… then… then we have achieved part of what we want.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Jamaica: Guts & Glory in Olympic Trials   · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Once again Jamaica has a monopoly on the fastest men and women in the world”: Annie Paul reports from the Jamaican Track and Field Olympic Trials.


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Mouth-watering Recipes and Pictures from Turkmen Cuisine · Global Voices
Alexander Sodiqov

One Turkmen Kitchen is a must-visit blog for gourmands. A native of Turkmenistan now living in Prague uses the blog to share recipes from the Turkmen cuisine. Warning: the recipes come with pictures that look so stunning that you'll want to fork your computer monitor.

author: Alexander Sodiqov


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Tajikistan: Is There ‘National Unity’ in the Country? · Global Voices
Alexander Sodiqov

As Tajikistan marks an anniversary of peace accords that put an end to the civil war and brought about ‘national unity’ in the country, blogger Ilhom writes [tj] about his recollections of the war. Another blogger, Jovid Muqim, suggests [tj] that there can be no ‘national unity’ in the country where few people keep getting richer while the majority remain poor.


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Tajikistan: The Role of Intellectuals in Running a Country · Global Voices
Alexander Sodiqov

Should poets have a bigger say in how the countries they live in are run? Adash Istad writes [tj] that Tajik intellectuals have stayed out of government affairs too long. The blogger argues that it is time for intellectuals to understand that they have a particular ‘mission’ which consists of educating government officials about the virtues they should have.


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Trinidad and Tobago: Security Minister or Action Figure?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Trinidad and Tobago's newly appointed Minister of National Security is no stranger to controversy – and he has started off his tenure with an action that is proving to be quite contentious – the removal (by army troops, no less) of members of “The Highway Re-Route Movement” a protest group demanding that the leg of the $7.5 billion Point Fortin highway which passes through their community be abandoned or, at the very least, redirected.
Trinidad and Tobago News Blog republished a tongue-in-cheek opinion piece which took the view that Minister Austin “Jack” Warner's action “was the right thing to do”:
Now is the time to terminate the carnival mentality approach toward crime in T&T. Overt lawlessness must end. The former PNM administration failed miserably to address/deal with this national dilemma. Now is the time for the People’s Partnership government to attack this problem with full force.
And the only person at the helm to reverse this lawlessness trend is Austin ‘Uncle Jack’ Warner, period.
Diaspora blogger Jumbie's Watch got in on the fun by posting a captioned photo of Minister Warner with the country's Attorney General, while The Eternal Pantomime poked some fun of her own by saying:
Well Jack Warner flew into South Trinidad this morning like an overzealous Jack Spaniard with his side kick Colin Partap (I hope they had on cape and tights!).
Yes Folks the UNC All Fours Team has launched it’s latest crime plan and it involves destroying prayer spots at protest camp sites and arresting environmentalists….THE REAL CRIMINALS!
Her tone then got much more serious:
When Jack got to the site he threw the first stone as a symbol of him authorising the destruction of the campsite and removal of protesters, and this included the religious symbols set up by persons belonging to the protest group…symbols for Trinidad’s three major religions: Christianity, Hinduism and Islam. People were at these holy spaces fasting and praying. In the course of the demolition Kublalsingh [the group's leader] was arrested. Warner is alleging that Kublalsingh attacked a soldier.
Forget the rising murder toll…forget all the robberies we experience daily. Forget the rapes, the attack on children…Forget the drugs and guns and gang warfare…Warner’s first act as Minister of National Security is to secure the Debe Highway so that Kamla Persad-Bissessar, her cronies, and UNC financiers won’t go buss on this particular project.
The blogger also noted some of the reactions to Warner's move:
Attorney and fmr AG Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj has already spoken out and said it is an abuse of authority, because police and defence staff were issued instructions to destroy the protest camp not from the usual quarters but from the Minister of National Security who oversaw the destruction in its entirety. Already phrases like ‘Constitutional breeches’ [sic] are filling the air.
MSJ Leader David Abdullah has openly condemned the move and says the country is heading to a police state under this government.
Plain Talk added:
The ethical dilemma that is Jack Warner continues to send ripples if not convulsions through the highest offices of the land, based in no small part on the man, his history, and his propensity to leave carnage in his wake as he does ‘as he damn well pleases.’ His recent elevation to the extremely sensitive National Security Ministry has caused many including learned jurists to pause and reflect on this new challenge to what can be considered wrong or right in law as opposed to what one can get away with, and this is the problem that must be faced sooner rather than later.
The post referred to the many allegations of corruption that were aimed at Warner during his tenure as Vice-President of FIFA, criticised his strong-arm tactics as Security Minister and even suggested that the Prime Minister is jeopardising her own position by keeping him there:
Arguments can and have been made that allegations are not convictions and until charges are laid there is no case and this would be true in circumstances where the presumption of guilt does not do damage regardless of the assumption of innocence. In the United States the President can be brought down for committing both ‘high crimes or misdemeanors,’ leaving no room for negotiating how seriously the framers viewed integrity in public office.
Now to compound the matter we are faced with his brash and jackbooted approach to his new position and has made such a mess of things that I cannot see how he still has this job. That we as a nation have not yet torn up our own constitution in our attempts to rid our country of the scourge of crime is a testament to our desire to still have a democracy after, and this ‘strong man’ approach needs to be resisted with everything we have and put down before it does more harm than good.
Humour – at least in the blogosphere – seemed to be the best way to cope with current developments, as The Eternal Pantomime ended by conjuring up a little political yarn about “a warrior so mighty and so strong, that even religion bows to him! It is the tale of Jagdeo Warnersingh”:
Eventually Jagdeo began eyeing the highest seat in the land, but he was blocked from it by two demi-gods, both of high caste, the Panday and the Manning. Warnersingh then vowed to remove these two demi-gods from his path and looked for an instrument.
The instrument he found was as beautiful as he was not, and if he were Ram, she would be his Sita. Kamla was eager for his financial support, and Jagdeo was eager for her voter base.
Together they made history, and then Jagdeo hit a dark period. The Titans of Fifa turned against him, our hero was left in the valley of the shadow of Suruj, and it seemed that he was on his last leg when an internal elections returned him to his strength and gradually the Rani, who seemed to have turned her back on him, remembered the powerful files in the back of his throat and put Jagdeo to serve her on a secret council of Security. Then, when she felt no one in the Kingdom would care, she elevated Jagdeo to be her right hand and keep the land secure!
So great the Warnersingh had once again become that he smashed all murtis and sacred spaces in his path to success and Brahmin by Boat pundits with the surname Maharaj rushed to place malas around his neck and proclaim him the true warrior of Dharma!
But wait! Lo! Behold, Lawrence of Maharaj and The Keith are waiting in the wings my dear devotees…This Leela isn’t done!


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Trinidad & Tobago: For all the Daughters  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

A new blog, that addresses “everything about being a girl in the Caribbean”, is here.


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Trinidad & Tobago: The Architect of our Public Spaces  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Lisa Allen-Agostini and toomucheyes blog about a new exhibition that honours the work of architect Colin Laird, who designed many of the country's most beloved public spaces.


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Armenia: Military Doctor Dies after Oligarch MP Guard Beating · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Unzipped updates its readers on the recent beating of three military doctors at a restaurant owned by one of Armenia's most infamous and controversial oligarch MPs. Following the death of one of the victims from his injuries, the blog posts a subtitled video detailing the attitude of Ruben Hayrapetyan, also the President of the Armenian Football Federation and known more commonly by his nickname of ‘Nemets Rubo,’ towards journalists and homosexuals while noting that violence from such figures is not unexpected or surprising.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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China: Passengers and crew foil hijack attempt  · Global Voices
Gloria Wong

Six would-be hijackers from Xinjiang province were restrained by passengers ten minutes after take-off in Hotang, a remote city in western Xinjiang Uigur Autonomous Region. While many western mainstream have covered the story, Sino Weibo (Chinese Twitter) provided more compelling details on this.

author: Gloria Wong


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Colombia: Accessing the Internet in Germany · Global Voices
Julián Ortega Martínez

Ana María Vallejo, a Colombian studying in Germany, has written a two-part series (1, 2) [es] on her experience accessing the Internet in that country. She compares it with her experience in Colombia and describes the restrictions for accessing some content there.


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Colombia: Eruption of Nevado del Ruiz Volcano · Global Voices
Julián Ortega Martínez

President Juan Manuel Santos confirmed on Twitter [es] the eruption (of ashes) of Nevado del Ruiz volcano (in western central Colombia), which occurred [es] Saturday June 30 at 17:40 (22:40 UTC). Social media users initially reported apparent calm in Manizales, the closest city to the volcano, where there is a 10 km smoke cloud [es]. Airports at Manizales, Pereira, and Armenia were closed, as well as some terrestrial roads [es]. Some users criticized the lack of immediate news coverage in audiovisual mainstream media, which paid more attention to the domestic football tournament. On November 13, 1985 an eruption at this volcano destroyed the town of Armero, northern Tolima.


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Cuba: The Significance of Palfrey’s Swim · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Today, two Cuban bloggers – one who lives in Havana and the other from the diaspora, living in Florida, discuss the attempt by Penny Palfrey, a 49-year-old British-Australian swimmer and grandmother, to swim the imposing stretch of water between Cuba and the Florida Keys. She was attempting to do it unencumbered by a shark cage and was keeping people abreast of her progress via her Twitter feed, as Yoani Sanchez explains here, at Translating Cuba:
The American Diana Nyad, 62, has tried three times, without managing to cover the whole distance on any of her attempts.
In Penny’s case, we can follow her journey via the GPS attached to her bathing suit, and through her Twitter account, @PennyPalfrey, we can get details on her location and physical condition. In her initial prediction she calculated a time of between 40 and 50 hours to get to Key West, but her current pace suggests it will take a little longer than expected.
The tenacious Penny is surrounded by a support group that includes doctors, trainers, meteorologists, observers and two yachts with ultrasound equipment to ward off sharks and other predators. Last night some jellyfish caused her irritation and discomfort, but according to what is being said on the social networks, nothing ‘bad’ enough to abort the trip.
Sanchez also notes that…
The point of departure was the Ernest Hemingway International Yacht Club to the west of the capital Havana, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary. She has dedicated her feat to this milestone and also — before launching herself on the sea — thanked her husband Chris Palfrey, the technicians who have supported her, and the Cuban officials associated with the project.
…and recognizes what an amazing physical and sporting achievement it would be should Palfrey manage to pull it off:
The intense training prior to this effort has taken months of work and great physical effort, especially for a woman who is not only a mother but a grandmother. In 1997 the Australian Susie Maroney managed to cross the Straits of Florida, but she did it protected by an shark cage, so if Penny Palfrey succeeds this time — with little protection — it will be one for the record books. It would also be an important accomplishment in her career, which has already landed her in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame. She also holds the world record for the longest unassisted swim in history, 108 kilometers, set last year in the Cayman Islands.
But for Sanchez, the real significance “should be measured not only by its sporting connotations, but [the fact that it] transcends the competitive landscape to enter the political arena”:
This fragment of sea that Penny is crossing today has been crossed by thousands of Cubans who, in recent decades, have escaped from the Island. The most notorious migratory incidents involving the Florida Straits have been the Camarioca Boatlift in 1965, the Mariel Boatlift in 1980, and the Rafter Crisis in 1994. But still today people continue to throw themselves upon the sea in the most precarious of crafts.
On the same day that the British-Australian began her swim toward the United States, a group of eight Cubans was returned by the United States Coast Guard after being intercepted in their crude polystyrene raft. In addition, some exiles have been quite critical of the act of attempting such a feat in the piece of the sea they consider a ‘Cuban cemetery.’ For many who have followed the news in the national media they can’t help but note a curious contrast: the apparent discrepancy between the police harassment against those who set sail in boats made in the United States, and the fanfare accorded to the exploit of Penny Palfrey.
This is top of mind too, for Alberto de la Cruz, who blogs at babalu. In reporting that “jellyfish and hammerhead sharks forced Penny Palfrey…to end her attempt…to swim the stretch of water between Cuba and the Florida Keys”, he says:
Over the past few days, the news media all over the world has been abuzz reporting on Palfrey's long-distance swimming attempt across the Florida Straits, the same straits which have claimed the lives of an untold number of Cubans who desperately tried to escape the tyranny and slavery of the Castro dictatorship. Although tens of thousands of Cubans (some estimates place the number of lives lost at over 100,000) have perished in those very waters, the news media has never paid much attention to these disturbing and horrifying statistics. But when a British grandmother attempts the same voyage, suddenly, it is interesting.
Nevertheless, Yoani Sanchez ends by saying:
Notwithstanding the variety of opinions, both for and against this sporting endeavor, the truth is that with every yard Penny advances, the distance between both countries is shortened and becomes smaller. These two shores, so close geographically yet politically so distant, seem — at least for one weekend — to be on the verge of touching…


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Kenya: Gospel Rapper to Screen Connections Documentary · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Gospel rapper Juliani will screen his Connections Documentary on July 1 at the Dandora Stadium. This documentary is a culmination of his Kama Si Sisi countrywide tours that has seen him urge the youth to believe in themselves and think about leadership, Hot Secrets reports.

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Kyrgyzstan: Public Divided Over Politician’s Arrest · Global Voices
Begimay Shekeyeva

On June 21, Nariman Tuleev [ru] (also spelled as Tyuleev), a popular opposition MP and former mayor of Bishkek, was detained by the authorities in Kyrgyzstan. Four days later, Tuleev was charged with taking bribes while overseeing the procurement of 200 overpriced buses from China back in 2008. The corrupt deal allegedly cost the state some $1.4 million in economic losses. Kyrgyzstani netizens have greeted the unexpected detention of the politician with shock, joy and a goodly dose of suspicion.
Nariman Tuleev, screenshot from video uploaded May 8, 2010, by Youtube user narimantv2010.
After Tuleev was detained on the evening of June 21, his son, Bakyt, claimed [ru] in an interview with K-news Information Agency that the detention had been far from peaceful:
Через некоторое время из двух микроавтобусов появились 15-20 вооруженных автоматами спецназовцев, сломали ворота, ворвались на территорию дома, задержали отца и насильно увезли его. Ими не были предъявлены ни документы, ни ордер на задержание.
A video below shows Special Forces troops detaining Tuleev at his home in Bishkek. The video had been recorded on a mobile phone and uploaded on Youtube by user eldarnyc on June 21.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xa7efn4w_Po
The first information on Tuleev’s detention appeared on the Internet at about 10 pm on Thursday. The news blog Kloop.kg has been running [ru] updates ever since.
The level of interest in proceedings against Tuleev has surprised many, since he was commonly believed to have fallen off the political map after seeming squeezed out of the race for the Kyrgyz presidency in October 2011. Tuleev was  moreover short of supporters even inside his own party, Ata-Jurt, believed by experts to have splintered [ru] into three parts shortly after its entry into the parliament in autumn 2010. In the cabinet and president's office, the ex-mayor is reviled by new power-brokers who had been part of  the opposition during his time in Bishkek's City Hall. However, following Tuleev's detention, many MPs from his own party and from the Ar-Namys party have rallied behind a call for his immediate release.
Kyrgyzstani Internet users have been sharing questions and opinions on Tuleev's detention on Twitter and Facebook, with the situation surrounding the ex-mayor proving by far the most discussed topic among Kyrgyz netizens on both platforms.
While Tuleev is being accused of profiting from the purchase of Chinese buses during his tenure as Bishkek's mayor, his arrest has been interpreted by some internet users as a crackdown on non-malleable MPs by the government.
For example, on June 25, Kyrgyz television anchor Assol Moldokmatova tweeted [ru]:
Что с Нариманом Тюлеевым?! Отпустили?! Толковый, хозяйственник, умеет держать слово, успешные, состоятельные для многих, как кость в горле.
Others waxed nostalgic, remembering Tuleev as one of the brightest politicians in the administration of former president Kurmanbek Bakiev and using the opportunity to criticize Bishkek's current mayor, Isa Omurkulov. AnaraKG tweeted [ru]:
Вот честно,не люблю я эту политику,тем более она у нас очень грязная,но Тюлеева я всегда уважала,я вижу разницу когда Тюлеев был и щас Омурк.
Other segments of the Kyrgyz population were just happy to see Atambayev’s government take steps in its long-promised fight against corruption. Under a K-news article on Tuleev's arrest, Chika rejoiced [ru]:
Тюлеев- ВОР ВОР ВОР ВОР ВОР ВОР ВОР ВОР ВОР… ВОР должен сидеть в тюрьме
However, some readers have been quick to point to the fact that Tuleev's arrest is difficult to reconcile with the legal immunity that he has as an MP. Azat noted [ru]:
Не сторонник Тюлеева,более того,привлекать его,есть за что,но не такими методами.Тюлеев,все таки депутат,ведь депутатский иммунитет,насколько я помню,никто не отменял.
Are the charges brought against Tuleev politically motivated? On Twitter, a Kyrgyzstani user, @Nosovik, wrote [ru]:
Вы видите в случае с ТНТ высокое стремление АША бороться с коррупцией? Я вижу тут грубую, чисто в стиле БКС, борьбу с опппонентом!
Prominent Kyrgyz Twitter user, Edil Baisalov, responded [ru]:
тюлеева надо было еще когда закрывать. Вопрос не в нем лично. Вопрос в иммунитете и процедурах!
Zarima Sultanbekova, a contributing editor at Kloop.kg described [ru] the mood outside of the courtroom on June 25, when a Bishkek court approved a two-month incarceration for Tuleev:
охх, была я возле суда. половина людей хотят свободы для экс-мэра, другая – смертную казнь. там такой хавыч!
A video below, uploaded by KloopLive on Youtube on June 25, shows dozens of supporters and opponents of Tuleev as well as local and international reporters waiting outside the courtroom where the politician's case is heard:
Some argue [ru] that the events that have seen Tuleev thrown in jail are somehow connected to the mayoral elections which will take place this autumn. Tuleev has made no secret of his desire to return to the City Hall in Bishkek, having been summarily “disappeared” from office following the April 7 coup over two years ago. Ironically, he recently accused [ru] the present mayor, Isa Omurkulov, of pursuing an ineffective strategy regarding an agreement with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development for a $15.6 million purchase of trolleybuses for the capital. Perhaps he thinks he would have got a better value for money…

author: Begimay Shekeyeva


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Somalia: Speaker Urges People to Support Draft Constitution · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

The speaker of Somali parliament Sharif Hassan Sheik Aden, called on Wednesday upon the people of Somalia to support new draft constitution for the country, Shabelle Media Network reports.


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Brazil: The Debate About Natural Childbirth · Global Voices
Priscila Kesselring

In Brazil's private sector, over 85% of births are caesarian, even though the World Health Organisation previously recommended that caesarians not exceed 15% of total births. Brazil is right behind Chile in the list of countries that most frequently carry out this surgical procedure.
The high prevalence of this procedure instead of natural birth, recently sparked a debate and protest in Brazil, which involved activists from organisations such as the Parto do Princípio [pt], who are opposed to childbirth being dictated by health insurance plans. At the protest, activists shouted: “Doctor, you don't fool me. Caesarians are [to] make you rich”.
The Home Birth March [pt] was held in four of the country's regions following criticism of the Regional Council of Medicine of Rio de Janeiro (Cremerj) towards Dr Jorge Kuhn, the coordinator of the obstetrics department at the Federal University of São Paulo, who had spoken in defense [pt] of home births. Kuhn claimed that childbirth was a physiological, not medical process.
Criticism of the doctor provoked men and women to mobilize themselves in defense of the right to choose where one gives birth. On June 17, 2012, the march took place in Brazil's state capitals: Belo Horizonte (MG), Brasília (DF), Curitiba (PR), Florianópolis (SC), Maceió (AL), Porto Alegre (RS), Recife (PE), Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Salvador (BA), São Paulo (SP) and Vitória (ES).
Mothers, sons, fathers, grandparents, students and activists took to the streets to defend natural childbirth in Brazil. Upon arriving at the Mário Covas park on the Avenida Paulista (Paulista Avenue) [pt], São Paulo, you could see children painting posters which read: “I chose the time and place of my birth,” from afar.
Protest for home births in front of CREMESP, São Paulo, 17 June, 2012. Author's photo.
While women were marching in different states in Brazil, there were – and still are – some people who considered Dr Jorge Kuhn's attitude to be unprofessional, highlighting home birth fatalities as proof of the risks involved in this practice. This stance was adopted by regional boards of medicine, including Cremesp in São Paulo, where about 1,000 protesters marched.
In contrast to the protests, is the prevalent mistrust in home births. A large proportion of the Brazilian population do not have adequate living conditions. On the Facebook page for the Home Birth March, Amélia Araújo asked [pt]:
Parto em casa? E as mulheres que moram na periferia sem as mínimas condições de higiene e saneamento básico? E a equipe de saúde irá enfrentar o tráfico? Que tal o parto humanizado no hospital?
Florianópolis, SC, 16 June, 2012. Photo of the Home Birth March on Facebook (used with permission)
Fear of home births [pt] is still prevalent among Brazilian women and the Committee of Obstetric Practices highlights that natural birth in the hospital is the best and least risky option.
Nevertheless, the reality of giving birth in Brazil's public – and especially private – hospitals does not correspond to this ideal because obstetric violence is one of the greatest acts of disrespecting the rights of Brazilian women. The results from the collective blog initiative, The Obstetric Violence Experiment, which was published [pt] by the Childbirth in Brazil organisation, revealed verbal abuse as a phenomenon constantly experienced during labour, thus proving the dehumanising aspects in the health system in Brazil.
The lack of information due to the precarious pre-natal services in many Brazilian regions is another obstacle towards implementing practices that respect the woman's right to choose. Government programmes such as “Mãe Paulistana” [pt], which was implemented in 2006 in the municipality of São Paulo with the aim of supporting pregnant women throughout their pregnancies, represented progress in the increased attention paid to maternity, but it is still far from becoming general public policy.
In contrast to the lack of attention paid by leaders and the neglect present in health insurance policies, the participants at the march defended the right to choose based on scientific evidence, so that natural childbirth in Brazil might become a possibility.
For the participants, respect for woman's independence should exist in the home as well as in hospitals, and home births should only take place in environments with adequate sanitation, for those women who do not have gestational complications and are therefore low risk. It would be wonderful to let the warrior woman's body act naturally, to follow her instinct, allowing us to share that special moment with her.

author: Priscila Kesselring


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Serbia: “The ‘Accidental’ Belgrade Pride” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Amila Bosnae interviews Boban Stojanović, one of the organizers of the “accidental” gay pride parade in Belgrade – which went without incidents: “There were just over 50 of us. You see, this wasn’t a real Pride, but a small street action. We’re happy with it because as activists, we always remember the words of Margaret Mead, who said: ‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.'”

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Southeast Asia: Home to the World’s Longest Ongoing Civil Wars · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

This post is part of our International Relations & Security coverage.
Southeast Asia is more than just white sand beaches, temples and resorts: it is also one of the most war-ravaged regions of the planet. Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam, for example, were among the most heavily bombed countries in the world over the past century. Nearly a third of the cluster bombs dropped by the United States in Laos between 1964 and 1973 failed to detonate and are still scattered across the country. Anna MacDonald, head of Oxfam International’s Control Arms Campaign, outlines the quiet but dangerous rural scenery of Laos:
Stepping off the plane at Xieng Khuang province we were in a very rural area. Fields with water buffalos and rice paddies abound, and the hilly countryside is criss-crossed with farmer’s fields and small traditional wooden houses. It’s a gentle, peaceful setting that belies the deadly war-time legacy which is all around – 100% of villages here have UXO (unexploded ordenance) in their fields and surroundings.
While the Vietnam War continues to haunt the region, there are also fresh wounds of war that need to be taken care of throughout Southeast Asia. For instance, the world’s longest ongoing civil war involves the Karen National Liberation Army, which has been fighting for independence from Myanmar for the past 60 years.
Burma Matters Now shares the impact of the war on innocent civilians living on the border between Myanmar and Thailand:
“For many, it has become routine to leave home before the soldiers arrive three or four times per year with whatever few possessions can be carried on their backs. Thousands of villagers each time are forced to travel ever deeper into the hostile jungle where they cannot be found by the arriving soldiers. In hiding, these families have severely limited access to food, and live under the most rudimentary shelters.
According to The Irrawaddy, there are an estimated 450,000 internally displaced civilians currently located in Eastern and Southeastern Myanmar due to civil wars. And while the Karen National Union and the Myanmar central government signed a ceasefire last January both parties have accused each other of constantly violating the agreement.
Meanwhile, the Maoist-influenced Communist Party of the Philippines has been waging an armed revolution in the countryside since 1969, making it the world’s longest communist insurgency.
Below are photos of women fighters of the Red Army and a celebration of the party anniversary in a remote village in the island of Mindanao.
Women fighters of the Red Army in the Philippines. Image from Philippine Revolution Web Central.
42nd Communist Party anniversary in the Northeast Mindanao region. Image from Philippine Revolution Web Central.
Peace negotiations between the Philippines government and the communist rebels are currently suspended. The government blames the rebels for the continued underdevelopment of the country. It also accuses them of resorting to criminal activities like extortion and kidnapping to finance their operations. Meanwhile, the rebels claim they have survived the numerous military offensives of the government in the past four decades because they have enjoyed public support.
The war in Mindanao in the Philippines has forced thousands of residents to flee their homes. Refugees are called ‘bakwit’ (slang for evacuate). Fr. Felmar Castrodes Fiel, from the Society of the Divine Word (SVD), narrates the familiar story of problems facing bakwit:
…the rebellion had killed at least at least 50,000 people, driven 2 million people out of their homes, destroyed more than 500 mosques, 200 schools and 35 cities and towns.
In Mindanao, “bakwit” is a popular word. It refers to displaced residents who are caught in the cross-fire between “lawless elements” and the military and have no choice but to flee from their homes to avoid being sandwiched in the battle.
Separatist movements are also thriving in southern Thailand and the southern Philippines. Thailand’s Islamic insurgency, in particular, has intensified in recent years, and some analysts believe it could soon become Asia’s biggest insurgency.
Global headlines seldom mention Southeast Asia’s ongoing wars. This is unfortunate since it prevents global dialogue and understanding of the various conflicts and – ultimately – their resolution.

author: Mong Palatino


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Taiwan: Democracy with a Confucian Face? · Global Voices
Andy Yee

To what extent does a distinctive Confucian culture exist – and is it incompatible with civic and democratic values? This is the topic of enquiry of Doh Chull Shin’s book, Confucianism and Democratization in East Asia, which focuses on the “Confucian Asian” countries of China, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and Vietnam. Its main conclusion is that while a Confucian heritage is incompatible with Western style liberal-procedural democracy for its emphasis of community welfare over freedom of individual citizens, it could be reformulated into a communitarian democracy for its support of strong families which promotes trust and tolerance in the broader society.
In May this year, a debate about the relationship between Chinese culture and democratic civic life in Taiwan was sparked by Han Han’s visit there. As mainland China’s most popular blogger, his blog post, Winds of the Pacific (translated by the South China Morning Post), garnered much responses from both sides of the Taiwan Strait. He depicted the kindness and sincerity of the Taiwanese he encountered, like a taxi driver who drove back to Han Han’s hotel to return his mobile phone that he left on the cab, and contrasted this with the disappearance of deep-rooted Chinese virtues on the mainland:
I live in a country that has been through decades of political movements and harsh struggles. It sometimes seems we are now destined for a prolonged era of greed and selfishness.
I need to thank Hong Kong and Taiwan for protecting Chinese culture. They have preserved the virtues of the Chinese people, preventing many deep-rooted qualities from being destroyed.
Culture, a legal system and freedoms are the mainstays of a nation. People in other countries will not respect us simply because our new money can buy up all their super sports cars and ultra-luxury pleasure cruisers.
Han Han met President Ma in May 2012. Photo from the Taiwan Presidential Office.
The post attracted so much attention that Taiwanese President Ma Ying-Jeou mentioned it in his inaugural address on 20 May 2012. He cites Han Han’s experience as reflections that kindness and honesty, core values of Chinese culture, are well and alive in Taiwan. He further links these traditional virtues with civic spirit and democracy:
Taiwan has three cultural traits: First, civic spirit is deep-rooted; second, traditional culture is well preserved; and third, the links and transitions between tradition and modernity are sophisticated. Democracy has made our civil society what it is today. It is a civil society in which the atmosphere of openness and the spirit of freedom have become the soil that nurtures creativity. In this soil of openness and freedom, we have not only preserved traditional culture – such as Taiwanese opera and glove puppetry – but have also developed contemporary cultural brands, such as the Cloud Gate Dance Theatre and the Ju Percussion Group. On the one hand, we are pursuing high technology and internationalization; while on the other, we also champion grassroots access to cultural activities.
Both Han Han and President Ma have portrayed Taiwan as a society deeply rooted in Chinese culture and at the same time steeped in Western civic democratic values. But what is left unclear is whether there is a connection between the two. A number of writers think that they have confused civic virtue for traditional Chinese virtue.
Taiwanese writer Lin Shu Shu, for example, thinks that the kindness that Han Han experienced in Taiwan has nothing to do with traditional Chinese culture; rather, it is the result of a developed civil society. He starts from a short tour of Taiwan’s history:
1895年日本殖民者踏上台灣之時，發現這個是治安極差、衛生水準低下、纏足、吸食鴉片，滿街流氓地痞，識字率不到總人口3%的地區，此時期的台灣就是同時期中國的縮影。而法治的基礎是在日本殖民的五十年下所奠定，台灣的地方選舉、自治與公民參政權的出現是在1935年，是由蔣渭水等人與台灣文化協會(1921年成立)不斷向殖民者請命所爭取到的。但是台灣的公民素質提升可說是到了1990年代，民主的落實、資訊開放和網際網路出現之後的事情。
中華傳統美德更是個偽命題，我們說德國文化、美國文化、阿茲特克文化、埃及文化、東南亞文化，又可曾見到美德一說？美德其實只是一種不曾存在的想像。
所以，我的看法與漢民族主義者正好相反，正是自由的氛圍，讓中華文化能活在台灣的公民文明底下，而不會侵犯到公民社會。因此，如果一地阻擋了公民社會的發展，卻在這種不自由的情境下推崇一個極具封建色彩的傳統文化，這等於是在幫新威權主義招安。
This viewpoint is echoed by well-known mainland Chinese columnist Jia Jia (twitter: @jijia), who thinks the “Taiwan experience” has its own unique origin, unconnected with Chinese culture:
对于台湾期待，我并不是说这种期待有什么错，而是这种期待可能会模糊掉我们自己面临的真正问题。所谓“台湾经验”有其非常特殊的原因，在人类的政治文明演进过程里找不到第二个这样的例子。在真正了解中国大陆之后，我发现所谓的“中国国情”的确存在，它绝对不是一个借口，台湾的经验或者模式，完全不可能适用于大陆。
President Ma Ying-jeou paying respect in Taipei's Chih Nan Temple during the Chinese New Year, shortly after being elected for a second term in 2012. Photo from his Google+ Account.
I’m not saying that there is anything wrong with this admiration for Taiwan. I’m saying that this admiration may obscure the real problems that [mainland China] are facing. The so-called “Taiwan experience” has its very unique origins, and we cannot find a second example in the history of humanity’s political evolution. After gaining a real understanding of mainland China, I find that the oft-cited “specific national conditions of China” really exist. It is by no means an excuse. The Taiwan model is impossible to be applied in mainland China.
这样说也许会被很多朋友批评，看上去似乎很让人泄气。然而的确如此，被我们寄予厚望的台湾不可能施加太多的影响过来。台湾的中国味道，只是一种外面的味道，如果细细品尝，还会发现其本质并不是儒家文化或者中国文化的传承，她有着另外的思想以及道德资源，成为一个多元并存的文化体系，只是我们去了只看到所谓传统的一面而已。
Taiwanese student Zhang Junkai goes one step further and calls for a more sincere mutual understanding between the two sides of the Strait. He thinks Han Han’s article only reinforces the stereotypical view of Taiwan’s political superiority over the mainland, which could be misleading:
其实，很多人将内心对欧美体制的欣赏，投射在台湾身上；将内心对大陆内部问题的不满，也投射到台湾身上。抱著投射心态来到台湾，就像戴著一副有色眼镜，不能敞开心胸的认识台湾，只能处心积虑地来找寻“桃花源”（或是“民主灯塔”、“自由宝岛”，甚或是“一个民族的一切”）。
This debate has brought together the relationship between culture and democracy, and the contrast between Taiwan and mainland China. In Doh Chull Shin’s account, Confucian culture can be helpful to democracies by fostering trust and tolerance in the broader society, as what Han Han has observed in Taiwan. But regimes could also exploit culture by cultivating non-liberal values among citizens with superior economic performance and sophisticated propaganda, so people would support democracy only as a brand name but not in its essence, as in mainland China under the guise of paternalistic meritocracy.
But Shin’s findings also imply that authoritarian systems are vulnerable to crises of legitimacy. When their performance falters, citizens tend to demand more democratic governments. The replacement of the discredited one-party rule in Taiwan by democracy is a case in point. In the final analysis, in Taiwan as in mainland China, culture is likely only part of the explanation, as Andrew Nathan concludes in a recent review of Shin’s work in Foreign Affairs:
Culture interacts with socioeconomic forces, political institutions, regime performance, and leadership to determine the fate of regimes, with no single factor serving as the master cause. The Asian values hypothesis is wrong in its claim that democracy cannot work in Asia. So, too, however, is the counterargument that modernization will automatically doom the region's authoritarian regimes. They may survive for a long time to come. But the cultural odds are stacked against them.

author: Andy Yee


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The Balkans: “The ICTY’s U-turn over genocide in Bosnia” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Marko Attila Hoare of Greater Surbiton comments on the ICTY’s decision to acquit Radovan Karadzic of one count of genocide in Bosnia, noting that “[t]he contradiction between the Trial Chamber’s rulings over Milosevic in 2004 and Karadzic in 2012 indicates that it is not operating on the basis of consistent legal principles, and suggests a change of policy.”


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Ukraine: “Football is Over” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

On Facebook, Ukrainian writer Andrei Kurkov comments [ru] on the end of Euro 2012 in Ukraine: “Football is over. Europe has won and will depart tomorrow, leaving Ukraine in its own political shadow. […]”


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United States: Crucial Decision on Anti-Immigrant Law · Global Voices
Robert Valencia

The United States Supreme Court recently issued their decision in the case Arizona v. United States, putting into question the constitutionality of Law SB 1070.
The Supreme Court struck down three sections of the law, but sent back to the lower court for consideration the provision of Section 2(B), which grants authorities the power to detain people that are suspected of lacking legal documents to be in Arizona.
Demonstrators protesting law SB 1070 were gathered in front of the Supreme Court.  Photo from Mexicans Without Borders on Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
Although the overruling of certain sections of law SB 1070 is a partial victory for pro-immigration activists, Section 2(B) represents a great danger because it will lead to racial profiling- based on appearance and how one speaks- even if the individual was born in the United States.  As a result, bringing the End Racial Profiling Act to a plenary session of Congress has been proposed, with the goal of mitigating the possible effects of law SB 1070.
The reaction of the blogosphere was swift. Maribel Hastings wrote for the blog Latinovations that, according to her, law SB 1070 will be counterproductive for the Arizona population:
The Court has the potential to officially condone the use of racial profiling and discrimination against Hispanics and other minorities…The law was enacted in the name of fighting undocumented immigration, but its victims may be legal residents or, ironically, citizens–the precious voters both parties are trying to attract.
The blog InmigranteTV states that immigrants fear a wave of discrimination in the wake of the court ruling:
Este artículo [Section 2(B)] puede llevar a generar discriminación racial contra los inmigrantes hispanos, legales o indocumentados, por su apariencia física, señala Promise Arizona, organización con sede en Phoenix…Son muchos los casos que se reportaron en el pasado sobre el actuar de las agencias policiales al detener a personas solo por su piel, su forma de hablar, vestirse[;] por tal razón, existe un temor muy grande que los hispanos sean blanco de los agentes del orden en la aplicación de la SB 1070.
Pili Tobar explains the “true position” of Americans with regards to the nation's immigration system for the America's Voice blog:
Americans believe the immigration system is broken and know that action is needed to fix it.  And some voters are so frustrated with the stalemate in Washington that they’re willing to consider other options.  But support for comprehensive immigration reform is actually stronger than support for state-based crackdown laws.  As it turns out, politicians can appeal to both Latino voters and other Americans simply by embracing and acting on real immigration solutions.
On Twitter, many question the effectiveness and the possible repercussions of law SB 1070:
Alia Rau (@aliarau) discloses the monetary expense that law SB 1070 has brought with it:
@aliarau: Arizona officials have spent nearly $3 million defending #SB1070 the past two years: http://www.azcentral.com/news/politics/ … via @azcentral
Lastly, Congressman Luis V. Gutiérrez, of Puerto Rican descent, expressed his point of view in regards to SB 1070:
@LuisGutierrez: We've had fun this week getting across a serious message: No one should be judged by the color of their skin or name, #SB1070 is un-American

author: Robert Valencia


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Watch the Global Voices Summit Live (Now!) · Global Voices
Solana Larsen

The 2012 Global Voices Summit has just opened in Nairobi, Kenya (July 2-3). We wish you could be with us there in person, but if you can't you can still watch the livestream and chat with the us live.
It's a public event with 300 particpants from 60 countries, mostly bloggers and citizen media enthusiasts, ages 18-76. The goal of the Summit is to explore the range and importance of online citizen media around the world.
Please check the Summit blog, program, Twitter hashtag #GV2012, and of course the video below. Some parts of the program run on two tracks, and you can check the Summit website video page to chose between streams.
Spread the word!
Oh, and we have great live photo updates on Flickr too:

author: Solana Larsen


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Chile: Looming Anti-protest Law Sparks Concern · Global Voices
Felipe Cordero

Chile's Minister of Interior, Rodrigo Hinzpeter has called on the Congress to approve a law that seeks harsher punishments for protesters, renewing a debate that started in the country a year ago.
The law was initially drafted after students marched through downtown Santiago on June 28, 2011, in a protest that ended with violent clashes between the Carabineros (Chile's national police) and the students.
Recently, another student march demanding free education took place. After the protest, Rodrigo Hinzpeter called on the Chilean Congress to review and approve the law that was sent by the President's Office in October 2011.
“Hang on guys! We are with you. Hope is not surrendered! No more profits” Photo by Flickr user Periodico El Ciudadano (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0).
As previously reported by Global Voices, the law was first known as “the anti-occupation law” because of a section in it which sought to prevent the occupation of public or privately owned buildings. Since then, the law has been waiting to be voted on in Congress.
In his statement, Hinzpeter said [es]: “The best was to vote in favor of the law, so as to create laws that are truly capable of punishing people that take advantage of their legitimate right to free speech and expression to commit vandalism without any justification”.
Chilean Twitter users have been divided over the issue.
For instance, Twitter user @La_Anemia [es], agrees with the Undersecretary of Interior, Rodrigo Ubilla, who pressed Congress to vote on the law:
Subsecretario Ubilla tiene toda la razón… ya es hora de que el Congreso se pronuncie sobre Ley Hinzpeter
Andrea Montecinos (@LaGranMantis) [es] expressed her support for the law, as did Javiera Cordas (JavieraCordas) [es]:
Pueden marchar 120.000 estudiantes de manera pacífica, pero basta el 1% para destrozar todo el Centro. Sorry, pero necesitamos Ley Hinzpeter
Others, like María Carolina Inostroza (@MaCarolinaIV) [es], are more neutral and believe the law is just the government's reaction to the violent protesters that clash with police:
Ahora el gob esta solicitando q se apruebe la ley hinzpeter. Represión por culpa del lumpen q ensucia las marchas.
Since the protests for free education which began over a year ago, student leaders have repeatedly stated that police often infiltrate the marches with masked undercover officers that, in some cases, incite violence . This issue came up again in reactions to the Hinzpeter Law, as a tweet by Marchar x Dignidad (@morochapatetica) [es] shows:
Ahora queda claro q “encapuchados” d ayer fueron infiltrados.Justo sirven para q Ubilla diga nunca más xAlameda y aceleremos ley Hinzpeter
A wide number of people disagree with the law as well. On Twitter, they used the hashtag #NoaLaLeyHinzpeter (“No to the Hinzpeter Law). One such person was Ivonne Montero (@ivichikiturry) [es] who said:
#NoaLaLeyHinzpeter criminaliza antes de cometer el crimen…..
A conversation that shows the sort of discourse and division over the law is one involving Urusla Eggers, a former VJ at MTV Chile, who tweeted (@ursula_eggers):
@ursula_eggers: #NoALaLeyHinzpeter Atenta contra todo derecho a libre expresión. Se criminaliza antes de cometer crimen. Peor que en Dictadura. #ENacional
@eugeforestal: @ursula_eggers@Izquierda_Tuit y mis derechos de seguridad donde quedan? Quien responde por los robos? Ley Hinzpeter ahora!!!
@ursula_eggers: @eugeforestal@izquierda_tuit La ley no garantiza seguridad. Garantiza castigos excesivos. Prevención de delincuencia pasa cambios de fondo.
Widely shared material included a Prezi presentation [es] by law student Sebastian Aylwin [es] that explained more details about what the law entails. According to Aylwin, the law calls for 541 days to 3 years of jail time for individuals who are found guilty of, among other things, occupying public and private buildings or disrupting traffic or basic services.
Another link that was widely circulated was this video uploaded onto youtube by Rodrigo Fernandez on June 18, 2012, which initially makes fun of President Piñera and Minister Rodrigo Hinzpeter, but then later discusses the different aspects of the law that would criminalize public protests.
Ironically, as reported by The Clinic [es], a march to protest the law is scheduled for July 6, 2012.

author: Felipe Cordero


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Chinese Investment: Boon or Bane for Southeast Asia? · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

This post is part of our International Relations & Security coverage.
Spontaneous protests against Myanmar’s power blackouts received news coverage in May  2012 because the government seldom permits anti-government activities. Even more significant were the protests that took place in front of the Chinese embassy in Yangon, Myanmar's capital.
Protesters came together to raise their voice against the government's decision to sell Myanmar’s limited energy reserves to China. Below is a comment from the Facebook page of Eleven Media Group [my], one of the largest private media organizations in Myanmar, which echoed the sentiment of many consumers in Myanmar:
70% of electricity supplied to Yangon is from Law Pi Ta and Ye Ywar hydro-powered stations, that from the Shwe Li station goes to China, so there is a shortage of electricity in Yangon. Why? Go and cut China's power!
China has been trading with Southeast Asian countries for centuries. However, several years of spectacular economic growth in China has pushed it to become a leading investor in the region. Malaysia is set to become China's third biggest trading partner after Japan and South Korea.
In the last 15 years, China has poured $8.8 billion USD of investments into Cambodia making it the largest investor in the country. China also surpassed Thailand and Vietnam as the biggest investor in Laos last year.
Chinese capital is behind several large scale investments in hydropower, mining, timber, agriculture, transportation, and infrastructure in the region. These investments are generally welcome, because of the jobs they create and their positive impact on local economies.
But opposition to China’s aggressive economic expansion in the region has also emerged. The negative reaction is partly fueled by nationalist motives, as local tycoons reject foreign competition; but it is also an issue of survival and human rights for the thousands of ordinary residents who have been displaced by Chinese-funded development projects.
Protest against electricity shortages around City Hall, Yangon. Image from Facebook page of CJMyanmar.
China-Backed Mega Dam
Last year, the Myanmar civilian government suspended a China-backed mega dam project along the Irrawaddy River, after a citizen movement opposed its construction because it would have led to the eviction of thousands of villagers. It was perhaps the first time that the junta-anointed government positively responded to a civil society petition.
This comment [my] from a Myanmar netizen on the 11-media.com news website was a common reaction in the country, after the announcement of the cancellation of the project:
Ayeyarwaddy River, Myanmar. Photo from Flickr page of DamienHR used under CC license Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0).
I wholeheartedly thank Mr. President for making the courageous decision to fulfil the public's wishes, despite its impact on the long term energy needs of China, which protects Myanmar in the Security Council of the UN; and the legal repercussions of voiding contracts that have already been signed.
Cambodia land issues
Cambodian farmers have also been raising objections to a mini Chinese take-over of their lands. According to the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, the Cambodian government has granted 4,615,745 hectares in concessions to 107 Chinese-owned firms since 1994. Of that total, 3,374,328 hectares were forest concessions, 973,101 hectares were economic land concessions and 268,316 hectares were mining concessions.
In this article, Journalist Alex Watts explores why China is the preferred investor for the Cambodian government:
Land disputes often lead to militarization in Cambodia. Photo from Licadho.
Because the way things are going, you’re soon going to need a Chinese visa to visit Cambodia with all the huge tracts of land being sold off to Asia’s ever-voracious powerhouse.
Some activists warn that the way things are going most of Cambodia’s national parks and wildlife sanctuaries could soon be sold off to Chinese investors.
They point out how China is a favourite with the Cambodian government because it’s the country’s biggest investor and source of foreign aid, and is less demanding than Western nations when it comes to trifling matters like human rights and villagers being kicked out of their homes.
Investments in Philippines
Meanwhile, notable Chinese investments in the Philippines have been tainted by accusations of corruption. The proposed National Broadband Network and Northrail projects have been cancelled by the government after it was exposed that bribes were paid by Chinese firms to get the backing of Philippine officials. Even the former president of the Philippines government has been accused of receiving kickbacks for supporting the mega deals.
Another controversial deal which was exposed by a Philippine senator, involves leasing of the country’s prime agricultural land to Chinese firms. The senator raised constitutional and sovereignty issues opposing the agreement.
Filipinos initially cheered the cancellation of the overpriced and anomalous projects, but the issue has also affected the inflow of Chinese investment to the country. Blogger Bong Mendoza is worried about the impact it could have on the relationship between the two countries:
Chinese firm ZTE was embroiled in a corruption scandal in the Philippines
Philippines-China relations must be at one of its lowest points ever. Even during the height of the Mischief Reef crisis (1995-1997), economic ties were growing and there was minimal effect on warm people-to-people linkages.
Now the value of economic cooperation with China has been questioned due to perceptions that it has been pursued through corrupt practices (e.g. NBN-ZTE, Northrail)
There is no doubt that the emergence of China as a global economic powerhouse brings tremendous benefits to its cash-strapped neighbors in Southeast Asia. But as China expands its economic clout, it must be ready to account for the varying consequences of its actions. China should not treat Southeast Asia as another market to dominate but an old trading partner with unique customs, traditions, and political systems.
In short, China’s money can transform poor villages into prosperous communities but it can also be used to destroy the environment, violate citizen rights, and worsen corruption in the region. China’s failure to recognize the impact of its investments might compel Southeast Asians to seek other investors.


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India: A Troubled Airline And Its Staffs · Global Voices
Rezwan

“Air India's pilots, engineers, cabin crew, ground staff etc. have not been paid salaries for several months,” reports the Voice of an Indian Citizen while discussing how to solve this problem.

author: Rezwan


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Mexicans Elect Their Next President · Global Voices
Elizabeth Rivera

On July 1, Mexicans went to the polls to elect their next President. From before the elections, the sentiment among most netizens was that it would be a close race between Enrique Peña Nieto (EPN) from the Institutional Revolutionary Party and Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) from the Party of the Democratic Revolution, although supporters of Josefina Vázquez Mota (from the current ruling party) did not lose hope. As soon as the polls opened, netizens began to share their thoughts and experiences.
Twitter user @YONOFUI affirmed:
Hoy es el primer día de un país q comenzará a madurar y se dará cuenta que sin trabajo ciudadano no habrá logros
The hashtag #Elecciones2012 (2012 Elections) quickly became worldwide trending topic.
Many netizens started to organize websites and hashtags to gather reports on fraud and other forms of illegal actions like campaigning near a polling station. Tonatiuh Bravo (@tonatiuhbravo) used one of these hashtags, #Operacion1J, to report the following:
Quieren documentada la compra de credenciales acá el video #Operacion1J yfrog.us/gh5kgiz
“The vote is free and secret”. Mexicans vote at a polling station in Mexico City on July 1, 2012. Photo by Enrique Perez Huerta, copyright by Demotix.
After the first partial results were released, mainstream media from all over the world, including Mexico, rushed to inform that the Electoral Federal Institution (IFE) had projected Enrique Peña Nieto as the winner. While his followers celebrated, some netizens were disappointed and others were dubious.
Peña Nieto was quick to claim victory even after only a small percentage of the votes had been counted, filling his Twitter account (@EPN) with thank you notes and words of victory, which raised the suspicion of fraud among netizens.
¡Muchas gracias a todos los mexicanos! Uds. han hablado y han elegido votar  por un cambio de rumbo.
Freelance journalist Erik de la Regera (@erikdelareguera) asked:
Question: how did IFE manage to make a projection of Peña winning w/ 7-8% with only  <25% of votes counted and the race getting tighter
While the community Think Mexican (@thinkmexican) pointed out:
By declaring EPN winner, AMLO is being pressured by media, Calderón and IFE to concede. Why the rush? What are they afraid of? Real change?
Final results will be released on Wednesday, July 4.

author: Elizabeth Rivera


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Mexico: Reactions on Twitter following the Elections · Global Voices
J. Tadeo

[All links in Spanish unless otherwise indicated]
Following the end of the presidential candidates’ campaigns, election day was held last Sunday 1 July 2012, from which the next President of the United Mexican States would emerge victorious. Mexicans also elected 128 senators and 500 members of parliament. Citizens went to the polls to vote without restrictions or major incidents.
At the time of writing this post, according to official, albeit preliminary, information released by Mexico's electoral monitoring organisation, the Instituto Federal Electoral (IFE), turnout was at 63.14% with 90.82% of the votes counted. Preliminary counts seemed to favour the candidate Enrique Peña Nieto [en], from the political party coalition known as Compromiso por México (“Compromise for Mexico”), with 37.83 of the electoral vote.
The candidate from the Progressive Movement coalition, Andrés Manuel López Obrador [en], was in second place with 31.88% of the votes, whereas Josefina Vázquez Mota [en] from the current President's party, the National Action Party (PAN), had 25.48% of the votes. The candidate  from the New Alliance Party, Gabriel Quadri [en], had gained 2.32% of votes at the time. It should be reiterated that, according the the IFE, this information is official but preliminary, and at the time of writing this post, none of the presidential candidates have yet been formally and legally declared as the winner.
“The vote is free and secret”. Mexicans voting in Mexico City on 1 July. Photo by Jazmín Adrían, copyright Demotix.
An expert in Constitutional Law, Miguel Carbonell (@MiguelCarbonell) highlights the following about the preliminary results:
Los resultados oficiales los tendremos el miércoles. Lo que hay ahora son tendencias (aunque bastante consolidadas).
In addition to this, the author spoke about the reactions generated among those who think their preferred candidate will not be elected:
Es curioso que para muchos la única opción democrática es que gane su candidato. Si no gana, entonces no hay democracia #fail
The country's Head of State, Felipe Calderón (@FelipeCalderon) said the following about the elections:
Que México pueda votar en libertad es un privilegio que nos distingue como nación democrática y debemos conservarlo y valorarlo.
Nevertheless, the current President generated controversy at midnight on Sunday when he publicly congratulated Peña Nieto, before the final count has been released. Supporters of the Party of the Democratic Revolution, (PRD, which is a member of the coalition behind presidential candidate Andres Manuel López Obrador) had accused Calderón of making a pact with Peña Nieto's party, the PRI: Calderón would help them win the election, and in return he wouldn't be judged for the 60,000 deaths caused by his war on crime. Although there is no evidence supporting this pact, some believe that the President's quick reaction proves that he wanted the PRI to win. In response to this, Adriana Valero (@adrianavr) said the following:
Que feliz se le va a Calderón anunciando la tendencia que le da ventaja a #EPN. Asegurando su impunidad. #PAN
Later, the same person said this about President Calderón:
#Calderon: Espurio sin principios, que juró en la tumba de su padre derrotar al #PRI y hoy se vende a cambio de inmunidad. #EPN #PAN
Other Twitter users went even further. Kid A (@KID_A_OK) launched the following warning:
Si hay imposición habrá Revolución @IFEMexico Elecciones 2012
Paula Sofia (@pauletta_sofia) referred to the illegal practice of buying votes, although she did not specify which party engaged in the activity nor did she say that she had made a formal complaint about it:
Espero q esos mil pesos por los q vendieron su voto les duren estos 6 años, ignorantes.
Gerardo (@todosarmados) shared the following comment with his followers, in which his excitement for election day is plain to see:
Me emociona todo hoy, pero más ir a votar. Hasta me voy a bañar.
Twitter user Facebrooker (@facebrooker) reminds netizens that in a system like the Mexican one, legislative power is what approves or prevents legal reform:
¿Saben a lo que debemos estar atentos? A las reformas que se debatan en ambas cámaras. Ahí es donde se hará crecer o no a México.
Nora Gabriela (@noravargas) recalls that during the campaign, opinion polls favoured Peña Nieto, which, as a consequence meant that his opposition accused them of publishing false data or of being “bought”. At the same time, she expresses her approval for the trends they revealed:
Y estaban compradas las encuestas? Admitanlo! Los mexicanos votamos y decidimos @EPN próximo Presidente d #Mexico2012 Viva la alternancia!
These are just some of the reactions of Mexicans following the presidential elections. They show plurality, opposing views and discontent from those who think that the candidate of their choice will not win the election.
As previously mentioned, there is currently no definitive result and IFE, the independent constitutional body responsible for organizing the elections, has not finished counting votes.

author: J. Tadeo


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Mexico: Student Movement #YoSoy132 Protests Election Results · Global Voices
Andrea Arzaba

Days after the presidential elections on July 1, supporters and members of the student movement #YoSoy132 continue voicing their concerns over the preliminary results.
They have also vowed to continue their efforts to modify the political agenda and encourage youth participation. Their main demands pointed to transparent and uncorrupted elections in a country where mainstream media shows favoritism for specific political parties.
After voting on July 1, netizens that support the movement started sharing their thoughts, concerns and, in general, feelings of disappointment.
Benedicte Irgens (@Birgens) [es] observed the elections through her Twitter timeline:
Reading tweets about the Mexican election. Most are devastated. Some contain evidence of fraud. #Fraude2012#Yosoy132
Meanwhile, user EMB (@ErnestoMtzB) [es] shows his concern over the preliminary results:
F**K, está pasando otra vez. Una vez más. No hay que dormir. No podemos dormir. No esta vez, MEXICO. No más. #YoSoy132.
Members of the movement YoSoy132 march in Mexico City before the elections. Photo by Ivan_Duff Cuevas Hernandez, under copyright by Demotix.
With encouraging words, Pati Peñalosa (@patipenaloza) [es] looks to the future in a positive way:
lloremos juntos. pero después sequémonos juntos. abracémonos. caminemos juntos. trabajemos juntos. iluminemos juntos. SUMEMOS #YoSoy132
Gina Naya (@GinaNaya) [es] tweets about the movements that might come ahead after the elections:
Porque movimientos como #YoSoy132 seguirán creciendo y habrá otros nuevos de gente que SI desea un cambio verdadero en México…
While Nidia Ortega (@cool_lavy15) [es] says the movement is not giving up:
rendirnos jamas #YoSoy132
However, not all Mexican youth are supporting #YoSoy132 and the movement's reactions to the election; some netizens doubt the movement's real impact.
Julián Pavón (@jpavon86) [es] expressed his discontent with students from the movement, asking them to study instead of showing public discontent with protests:
Los de #YoSoy132 dejénse de marchas y ponganse a estudiar, acepten el resultado como buenos ciudadanos si creen en la autoridad electoral
Another Twitter user, Javier Novoa Cantaño (@JaviStitch) [es], suggested that youth from the movement find a better strategy:
marchas? mas marchas? no!… a ver leanse ‘Rules for Radicals’ de Saul Alinsky y aprendan qué debemos hacer los proximos 6 años… #YoSoy132
Less that 24 hours after the elections, youth from the movement gathered in the Estela de Luz monument in Mexico City, marching and asking for a new vote count due to the suspicion of electoral fraud [es]. Twitter user Dalila Andriano (@dtadriano) shared the following picture of the demonstration:
Photo of demonstration shared on Twitter by user Dalila Andriano (@dtandriano)
Many also shared citizen videos of the march, like user jiboles100:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtkRt20gVwU

author: Andrea Arzaba


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Sri Lanka: Justice To Tamils · Global Voices
Rezwan

Hemantha Warnakulasuriya writes about the systemic denial of Justice to Tamils in the Sri Lankan judicial sphere.


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Syria: Defection of General Manaf Tlas A Blow to Assad · Global Voices
رامي الهامس

This article is part of our special coverage of the Syrian Revolution
News of the defection of Brigadier General Manaf Mustapha Tlas, a member of Bashar al-Assad's inner circle, has provoked a vocal reaction on Syria's streets and on Facebook amongst both regime supporters and the opposition. The move comes after 16 months of revolutionary upheaval and the deaths of more than 15,000 people according to UN and human rights organisations’ reports. The defection of general Manaf Tlas, the leader of one of the most powerful brigades of the republican guard responsible for protecting the president, is considered highly significant both within Syria and internationally. Regime supporters have been reluctant to comment on the defection due to the strong relationship between the Tlas family, including his father Mustapha Tlas, a former minister of defence, with the ruling Assad family.
The Syrian government has also hesitated in commenting on his departure from the army despite the steady stream of contradictory information from sources saying that the Syrian government has not known the whereabouts of Brigadier General Manaf Tlas since Tuesday 3rd of July [ar] and that security forces obtained a number of his personal documents in a raid on his home which is situated in an affluent part of Damascus.
In the midst of the media war, regime supporters created a Facebook page entitled “against the traitor Manaf Tlas” [ar] wheras Manaf's brother, Firas Tlas, wrote this on his personal Facebook page:
“الحمد لله . قد يراها بعضكم غير كافيه . انا أراها تختصر كل تاريخ الانسان ومسار مستقبله .قدرنا ان نعشق هذه الارض المباركه سوريا “، دون الافصاح بشكل مباشر عن انشقاق شقيقه .
General Manaf Tlas with president Bashar al-Assad. Image from the Facebook page of the council of Aleppo against the regime's mercenaries and the Shabiha. Used under Creative Commons license
Fattouh Kassar [ar] wrote:
انشقاق العميد مناف طلاس يؤشر الى وجود شرخ في الدائرة الضيقة الموالية للنظام،.
من المؤكد ان بشار الاسد يعاني من صداع قوي منذ سماعه بنبأ انشقاق العميد مناف الذي يعتبر من اقرب اصدقائه، ان لم يكن صديق عمره
Shalid Bitar [ar] wrote this on the Facebook page “intellectuals for Syria” [ar]:
مناف طلاس … هو انشقاق ممتاز ولكن بالأخص له هربا من السفينة الغارقة … ولكن الآن المطلوب منك ان تظهر على التلفزيون وتعتذر عن كل مافعلت وتعد بان لاتبحث عن اي منصب أو علاقة بالدولة القادمة وتدعوا للثورة وتساهم بجذب الآخرين وانشقاق الجيش … وعندها يشفع لك …
Umar Mustapha wrote this on Twitter:
3amr_Mustafa@: بعد انشقاق مناف طلاس الذي تفاجئ بعد عام ونصف من ان الجيش يقصف شعبه !.. ننتظر بشار الاسد ينشق هو الاخر ويعلن من موسكو صدمته من تصرفات الجيش !
Abdel Bari Atwan, editor in chief of the newspaper al-quds, wrote on Twitter:
abdelbariatwan@ العميد المنشق مناف طلاس كان من المفترض ان يصل الى باريس ويشارك في اجتماع اصدقاء سورية تأخر وافسد المفاجأة هل يجري اعداده كبديل للاسد؟ #سورية
Doctor Feisal al-Kasim, the presenter of the program “The Opposite Direction” on Al Jazeera, tweeted:
kasimf@ إنشقاق مناف طلاس إنشقاق خمس نجوم، إلى باريس فوراً
Some bloggers doubted the veracity of the news; Mujahed Mu'amun Dirania wrote:
mujahed_dira@ أما إن كان انشقاق مناف طلاس مدبراً -ليصنع منه الغرب قائداً لمرحلة انتقالية- فإن شعب سوريا لن يبلع خدعة بهذه السذاجة.لا حصان طروادة بعد اليوم
Arwa al-Ghalayini added:
@arwaalghalayin مناف هرب لمصالح لم بنشق!الانشقاق المصطلح الذي درجناع استخدامه يعني ان يلتحق بالحيش الحر ويحارب لتحريرأرضه#لن_نتعود
Mu'anas Bukhari explained the story of Manaf Tlas’ first comments on the Facebook page “Syria in pictures” [ar]:
أول تصريح على طريقة رسالة منه , إلى فرانس برس :
لم أدخل المؤسسة العسكرية مؤمناً يوماً أنني أرى هذا الجيش يواجه شعبه وإن سبب امتناعي عن تأدية مهامي ومسؤولياتي داخل الجيش يكمن في أنني لم أوافق إطلاقاً على سير العمليات الاجرامية والعنف غير المبرر الذي سار عليه نظام الأسد منذ أشهر عديدة وأوجه شكري الى كل من مكنوني من مغادرة الأراضي السورية التي أصبحت فيها حياتي وحياة أقاربي مهددة وفي خطر وأدعو زملائي “العسكريين مهما تكن رتبهم والذين ينجرون في قتال ضد شعبهم ومبادئهم الى عدم تأييد هذا المسار المنحرف ,,أقر بـ شرعية النضال الذي تقوده المعارضة وخصوصا على الارض ,,سأتكلم بـعد أيام قليلة وبشكل مفصل عن دوافعي وخطواتي نحو المستقبل
Despite the conflict of interest created by Tlas’ long friendship and close relationship with the regime, his departure has caused a severe blow to the Assad regime which is attempting to regroup and reorganise its inner circle comprised of members of the intelligence and military services. The defection of brigadier general Manaf Tlas has come at a delicate time in the Syrian revolution, which is about to enter its 16th month, as the death toll grows ever larger.
This article is part of our special coverage of the Syrian Revolution

author: رامي الهامس


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Trinidad & Tobago: Parenting vs. Career  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Women and having it all: Lisa Allen-Agostini shatters the myth.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Trinidad & Tobago: Shaq Attack · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Outlish collates and comments on some of the Facebook observations about Shaquille O'Neal's visit to Trinidad and Tobago.


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Ukraine: Now That Euro 2012 is Over · Global Voices
Tetyana Bohdanova

When Ukraine was awarded Euro 2012 together with Poland, many saw this as a chance to promote Ukraine’s image as a European country. This, however, has not been easy.
The preparations for the tournament were overshadowed by economic difficulties, strained international relations due to the imprisonment of the former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko (see the GV post here), and a number of other controversies, the most damaging, perhaps, being the allegations of anticipated racism at the tournament coming from the UK media (see GV post here). The negative image stuck so quickly that some entrepreneurs even decided to capitalize on the perception of Ukraine as a dangerous place.
In reaction to bad media as well as the perceived shortcomings in preparations on the ground, Ukrainians in the Euro 2012 host cities organized several grassroots initiatives aimed at presenting the country as a welcoming, modern and comfortable place, offering free accommodation, English-language assistance, free tours around Kiev, and help to foreign journalists covering the tournament (see this GV update for details).
As the championship culminated in a spectacular Italy vs. Spain match hosted by Kyiv, Facebook users and bloggers gathered and shared impressions of the Euro 2012 experience in Ukraine.
Thus, Facebook user Oleg Palchik (Олег Пальчик) posted a photo of a grateful football fan from Kharkiv:
A football fan in the host city Kharkiv with a sign that reads, “Kharkiv, thank you!” in both Russian and Ukrainian. Photo by Oleg Palchyk, used with permission.
Tom Garry, an England fan, shared some of his experiences of the Euro 2012 in Ukraine on Redbrickpaper.co.uk:
…The Ukrainian capital and the venue for July’s final, Kiev has been a joy to visit and its people have truly embraced Euro 2012 in every possible way. The daily carnival atmosphere in the city’s huge Fan Zone has epitomised everything that is good about football, bringing people of different nationalities together to enjoy the beautiful game without a hint of abuse. Significantly, we have seen no reason for any of the concerns regarding racism expressed by the British media prior to the tournament. Having seen first-hand the kindness of the locals, their love for football and the excitement that the Euros has brought to their every-day lives, I have drawn the conclusion that everything was blown out of proportion by the press.
A blogger and Facebook user Hanna Hrabarska shared a photo of her apartment where she and her flatmate hosted football fans. She wrote [ru, en]:
This is how our apartment looked in the morning)
We are friendly girls from friendly Ukraine)
A photo of football fans hosted by blogger Hanna Hrabarska and her flatmate. Photo by Hanna Hrabarska, used with permission.
Many Facebook users and bloggers also shared videos of the Dutch fans singing the Ukrainian anthem in the host city of Kharkiv:
Administrators of I Can Help U (speak English in UA) shared a photo of the volunteers of the grassroots initiative “Friendly Ukraine” playing a friendly football game with a team of international fans.
A football game between the international team of footbal fans vs. volunteers of Friendly Ukraine. Photo by Roman Danylyshyn, used with permission.
As the championship neared the end, it became clear that the experience of most fans has been rather positive and racism-free, so that some in the British media even began to call for an apology to Ukraine.
And although the latest survey data [ru] shows that the image of Ukraine has not improved with the help of Euro 2012, the grassroots initiatives have certainly contributed to improving the experiences of foreign visitors and left positive memories for many.
I Can Help U initiative sums it up [ru] by sharing the photo below:
This is what it was all for)) !
Grateful Swedish football fans in Kyiv. Photo by TheVillageEuro2012 Facebook page, used with permission.

author: Tetyana Bohdanova


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Colombia: Interview with Director of Pablo Escobar TV Biopic Series · Global Voices
Julián Ortega Martínez

Journalist Carolina Ruiz Giraldo publishes an interview [es] with Carlos Moreno, director of Escobar, el patrón del mal (“Escobar, the drug lord”), a controversial TV series broadcast since late May with high ratings. Moreno explains which parts of the biopic have been fictionalized and why some characters based on real people have their names changed.

author: Julián Ortega Martínez


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Jamaica, Cuba, U.S.A.: Independence Day · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

A handful of diaspora bloggers acknowledge the United States’ Independence Day, here, here, here and here.


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Kyrgyzstan: Breathtaking Scenery Caught on Camera · Global Voices
Alexander Sodiqov

Fans of Vladimir Vysotsky, an iconic Soviet actor and singer, know that, ‘only mountains can be better than mountains’. If you disagree with the verses, have a look at this breathtaking scenery of Kyrgyz mountains caught on camera. The amazing shots were taken by Russian photographer Ivan Dementievskiy during his recent photo tour of Kyrgyzstan.

author: Alexander Sodiqov


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Peru: Three Dead and Several Injured in Clash in Cajamarca · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Clashes during anti-mining protests in Cajamarca have left at least 3 people killed and 20 injured. Global Voices recently reported on a prolonged strike against mining activities carried out in Cajamarca. You can read citizen reporting and reactions on Twitter by following the hashtags #Cajamarca and #Celendín (the town were the clashes took place).

author: Silvia Viñas


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Start Your Day the Mongolian Way · Global Voices
Alexander Sodiqov

Natalya, a Kazakh blogger, believes that every day should start with a different breakfast. In her latest post, Natalya explains [ru] how to prepare a traditional Mongolian-style breakfast.


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Tajikistan as Seen by an Ex-pat Blogger · Global Voices
Musharraf

On Nancystan, an ex-pat blogger writes about her adventures in Tajikistan and posts photos from the country. In some recent posts, the blogger shared images of a Tajik town lying on the Afghanistan border high in the Pamir mountains. She also wrote about her visit to a border market where merchants from Afghanistan arrive each Saturday to sell their goods to Tajik nationals.

author: Musharraf


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Armenia: Public Outcry Over Killing Tests Oligarch’s Power  · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Virtually monopolizing economic power since the late 1990s, the controversial reign of Armenia's oligarchs might well be challenged following the June 17 beating of three army doctors in a reported disagreement over dress codes in a restaurant owned by businessman, Member of Parliament, and Armenian Football Federation President, Ruben Hayrapetyan.
More commonly known by his ‘Nemets Rubo’ nickname, the incident outraged many when one of the victims of Hayrapetyan's security guards, Major Vahe Avetyan, died from his injuries on June 29.
Such incidents are not uncommon in Armenia, especially after the 2001 killing of a customer in a downtown cafe by then President Robert Kocharian's bodyguards resulted only in a suspended sentence for manslaughter, but the latest example comes as the power of the oligarchs in the economically-challenged republic is under increasing scrutiny both at home and abroad.
Coincidentally, Gabriel Armas-Cardona  examined the country's oligarchy just days before the brutal attack on his blog Human Rights Work in Yerevan:
[…] The basic idea is that when the Soviet Union broke apart, everything was up for grabs because of privatization. Whoever could claim the sugar factory (through dealing or violence) automatically becomes the monopoly force that everyone must pay homage to if they want sugar. Without capital for new businesses and without rule of law to stop oligarchs from crushing opposition, those oligarchs have become very very rich.
[…]
[…] Some of the oligarchs have realized that their reign based on closed markets and borders can’t last forever. […] Suddenly, oligarchs continuing the old pattern of control are on the defensive and taking hits because of it.
Following the incident, the same blog commented on this particular case:
[…] The bodyguards of one of the oligarchs, Ruben Hayrapetyan, brutally beat up military doctors in one of Hayrapetyan’s restaurants on June 17. One of those doctors, Vahe Avetyan, died on Friday the 29th. Many people are angry.
To everyone, this seems like yet another crime committed by an oligarch for which there will be no justice. To the older/Hayastansi crowd, the response is fatalism: this is Armenia and this is why people want to leave. To the younger/activist/Diasporan crowd, the response is seething rage. I have heard multiple people wish a gruesome death to Hayrapetyan. The night that Avetyan died, a lieutenant colonel went to the restaurant with explosives threatening to destroy the building but later gave himself up to police negotiators.
[…]
To get a sense of how bad this guy is, just look at what he and his guards have done. Hayrapetyan demonstrated his contempt for everyone beneath him in public statements made to journalists. He openly says that he took ballots at gunpoint, insults the intelligence of female journalists, and tells a journalist that if she was raped by Hayrapetyan’s son, it would be a good thing because she’d have strong babies. His guards have also recently demonstrated their contempt for the law by beating a bus driver that dared to “sidestep” the bodyguard’s vehicle. The bodyguards yelled at the driver saying “who are you to pass me” and wouldn’t let the driver go to the hospital afterwards.
This video uploaded by youtube user aramanoogian on June 30, demanding justice for the slain doctor, has already been viewed over 33,000 times:
The Unzipped blog considered that Hayrapetyan would not be called to account:
Although initial reports say that the beating was done by the direct order of ‘Nemets’, I have no doubts he will be spared of responsibility. Some may lose their job in a showcase of ‘punishment’. Like countless of times before, they will find a scapegoat among thugs who beat up doctors. He would claim ‘full responsibility’. Needless to say, there will be no mention of orders from the boss. Quite the contrary, they may even attempt at presenting the case as an “accident” and/or they will blame the victims. The main scapegoat will be arrested, tried. His family and himself will be supported financially and otherwise by the boss and perhaps some time soon, under whatever excuse, he will get out of the jail.
CivilNetTV uploaded a video on youtube of a candlelight vigil [hy] for the slain doctor:
Later, when Avetyan's death was reported, the Footprints blog commented on the development:
Some sources are saying that not only was a bodyguard directly implicated in Vahe’s beating, it was Hayrapetyan’s personal bodyguard himself, Garik Markaryan. This means Hayrapetyan was likely on the premises at the time since he doesn’t go anywhere without protection. […] My prediction is that the bodyguard will either get some kind of slap on the wrist or be found not guilty on the grounds of having committed an act of self-defense. Maybe, just maybe, he’ll get some jail time to put society at ease that indeed justice had been served. But given Armenia’s track record and the degree to which how utterly powerful these oligarchs have become whereby they can resort to severely beating someone in the clear light of day at a public venue, knowing they can get away with it, I don’t know how realistic that is.
Even so, Hayrapetyan resigned from his seat in parliament on July 3, although Gabriel of the Human Rights Work in Yerevan blog considered this more likely “because of pressure from the President than from the people.” Certainly, Unzipped was far from satisfied:
‘Nemets Rubo’ resigned from being MP. […] Of course, this is simply a damage limitation exercise by Hayrapetyan (and Armenia president Serj Sargsyan), as a consequence of ongoing protest actions by activists coordinated via Facebook. Right one and unprecedented in Armenia, but not enough at all and should merely be the first step.
He should resign from the Football Association too […] I want to see Armenia national football team disassociated from a person who is full of hatred. […]
The blog also noted that an online petition requesting UEFA and FIFA demand Hayrapetyan's resignation as President of the Armenian Football Federation, along with a Facebook Page calling on diplomatic missions in Armenia declare him persona non grata, has also been set up.
Meanwhile, Footprints asks what can be done to change the situation while noting in another post that ‘people are starting to rise from their long slumber.’

author: Onnik Krikorian