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This Baloch Student Has Been on Hunger Strike For 45 Days in Pakistan · Global Voices
Anushe Noor

Members of civil society visit the hunger strike camp of Lateef Johar (1st from left) who is demanding the release of his friend and missing student leader Zahid Baloch. Image by Ayub Mohammad. Copyright Demotix (31/5/2014)
Lateef Johar, a student activist and writer in Pakistan's south-western province Balochistan, has been on hunger strike for 45 consecutive days. He is determined to keep his words, “strike till death”, until his friend and mentor Zahid Baloch, the chairperson of the largest ethnic Baloch student body Baloch Student Organisation Azad (BSO-Azad), is released.
Zahid's BSO-Azad colleagues claim he was abducted on 18 March 2014 in Quetta, Balochistan's capital. They say he was first held at gunpoint by soldiers from Pakistan's paramilitary force, the Frontier Corps (FC), then blind-folded and pushed into a vehicle. In an interview with the BBC six months before his abduction, Zahid claimed that BSO-Azad was only involved in the non-violent struggle for Balochistan's self-determination. He also said he feared for his life because of his activism.
Lateef Johar's hunger strike highlights Zahid's case and the plight of Pakistan's largest and poorest province Balochistan. Since 2006, a renewed battle for independence has been waging here, between Baloch separatists and the government of Pakistan. In this complicated and ugly war, disappearances like Zahid's, are not uncommon, and often have tragic endings.
According to the Human Rights Commision of Pakistan (HRCP), since 2010,  the bodies of hundreds of Balochistan’s “missing people” have turned up bearing torture marks. In 2013 alone, 116 bodies were found across the province, 87 of which were identified by families who accused Pakistan’s security agencies of abducting their loved ones. Recently, the human rights group Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP) claimed that as many as 373 bodies of missing people were recovered, since last year.
Protesters demand release of Zahid Baluch. Image Ayub Mohammad. Copyright Demotix (31/5/2014)
Lateef Johar's protest
Even though Johar is determined to continue strike, his medical condition is deteriorating. Doctors have warned that if he continues the strike he will die soon. His protest had received little media coverage, till last week when the Chief Minister of Balochistan, Dr.Abdul Malik Baloch came to visit him. Johar refused the Minister's request to end his hunger strike, demanding Zahid's release first.
In an interview to Bolan Voice, a blog that reports on Baloch issues, Johar gives a clear perspective of the conditions of Balochistan. He appealed to the world:
We strongly appeal to the world that ours is a peaceful struggle and ours is a peaceful student’s organization and they must know deeply with the regards to the problems of Baloch nation, any problem related should be figured out and then resolved whether it comes to the Baloch geography or their educational or social and national problems.
Fatimah Insan wrote in an open letter to Johar on her blog:
If you die, they will be happy. Please do not make them happy.
As Voice of Balochistan tweeted:
BSO-AZAD held a Rally from Arts Council to Karachi Press Club against the Silence of UNO, World Human Rights… http://t.co/O4zG1UfMvO — VoiceOfBalochEnglish (@VobVoice) June 2, 2014
Protests  have been held in Seattle, USA, Vancouver, Canada, and in Berlin Germany in solidarity with Lateef Johar and Zahid Baloch.
The lack of coverage did not matter for the activists who carried out the hastag campaigns on Twitter using #SaveBSOAzadLeader and #StrikeTillDeath. A petition addressing the UN asking for the release of BSO-Azad chairman was also started on Change.org.
Yet negative reactions also followed. Pakistani officials accused them of spreading anti-Pakistan literature on college and university campuses. Balochistan's home minister Sarfaraz Bugti told BBC that the missing persons are faking “self-disappearances” to explain what is going on in his province. He said, “Sometimes, these activists ‘self-disappear’. They go away to militant training camps in Afghanistan and India, while their groups stage campaigns to wrongly accuse Pakistani forces of abductions.”
Ain Haider Zaider seems to agree with the state's version on the Pak Tea House blog:
You know most of them are involved in anti-state activities, and what is happening with them is what they deserve. Our agencies know better about the issue and we should not create any hurdle in their work due to our own naivety.
However, hope remains for a better tomorrow. Blogger Sayalif writes about Johar's cause:
His noble cause is to draw attention of Human right organization to stop Pakistan from committing serious human right violations in Balochistan. He deserves to live so are other Baloch who are in the illegal custody of law enforcement agencies.

author: Anushe Noor


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Homosexual Asylum Seekers from The Maldives Face Prosecution Upon Return · Global Voices
Rezwan

Same-sex relationships, civil unions, or domestic partnerships are illegal in the Maldives under Sharia law and there are several cases of prosecution against persons of same-sex orientation.
Ibrahim Muaz, a spokesman at the President’s Office recently said that Maldivians seeking asylum abroad on grounds of religion or sexuality can be assured of prosecution should they return. The comments come in response to a story in the media that Abraham Naim, a homosexual Maldivian asylum seeker in New Zealand, has become an prize-winning drag queen.
Hilath, a secular blogger in Maldives, who was attacked because he talked openly about his sexual orientation is now living in exile in Sri Lanka. He informs via his blog that conservative media of Maldives are painting Abraham Naim, the drag queen in exile, as an Islamaphobe to launch a personal attack against him.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Rezwan


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Jamaica: Girls In Science  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Cucumber Juice explains why it's important for her to raise money to upgrade her old high school's science lab – because it's the place where she learned to be confident, because real learning is interconnected, and because “girls need to know that we can be scientists too.”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Spanish Bloggers, Share Your Posts with Global Voices Through #LunesDeBlogsGV · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

At Global Voices, we love blogs, but let's be honest: with the boom in social networks, blogs are being kept in the background. There are many interesting blogs out there, but it's hard to find them. And that's a shame, as there is lots of interesting content on the net that doesn't go through our insular social circles. What can we do to solve this?
#LunesDeBlogsGV
We've heard that there are no new things to be discovered. And that might be true, especially in times of free culture and remix. Some days ago, we came across this tweet:
I created #MondayBlogs to help bloggers share posts on Mondays. Join any Monday, share any post, RT others. #easy
— Rachel Thompson (@RachelintheOC) April 21, 2014
And so we wondered, why don't adapt this to Spanish? That's how #LunesDeBlogsGV [Monday of blogs on GV] was born. The idea is simple and anyone can participate:
- Are you a blogger? You can share your new post with the hashtag #LunesDeBlogsGV on Twitter or Facebook!
– Do you read blogs? You can share posts by your favorite bloggers with the hashtag #LunesDeBlogsGV on Twitter or Facebook!
– Are you an admin or part of a blogger community? You can share posts from your community with the hashtag #LunesDeBlogsGV on Twitter or Facebook!
Blogging, imagen by Julen Iturbe-Ormaetxe on Flickr, used with Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic license (CC BY-SA 2.0).
How to participate?
This is basically what you have to do:
- Every Monday, Spanish speaking bloggers will be encouraged to share their post on social networks (Twitter, Facebook) with the hashtag #LunesDeBlogsGV. If you mention us on Twitter @GVenespanol or tag us or mention us on Facebook, much better.
– On that day, GV-ES through its social networks, will share everything posted under #LunesDeBlogsGV (except for offensive content or purely commercial).
– From Tuesday to Friday, short posts will be published with quotes from the best shared posts.
About the criteria to select the posts to be quoted, we will prefer those that address topics we use to address on Global Voices, but we will also include posts about other topics that are well written and that might be interesting for the reader.
In any case, the material must be original, we won't consider posts republishing other people's content, from other blogs or media.
As we are interested in generating video content, we will also consider original content videoblogs.
Who?
There are no restrictions of residence, birth nor time zone. Any Spanish speaker can participate. Obviously, the shared posts also have to be written in Spanish, in any sort… even Spanglish!
Some blogger organizations or associations as Blogalia.com, Infotecarios, Mujeres Construyendo, Convergentes, Bloggers de Nicaragua, SocialTic among others will be there right from the start part.
When?
Our first #LunesDeBlogsGV is scheduled for Monday, May 5, 2014, all day long.
Be part of #LunesDeBlogsGV !

author: Juan Arellano


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Suriname: The Faces of Inspiration · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

During exhibitions I often ask myself to what extent the location or the surroundings influence my perception.
Srananart's Blog attends an art exhibit “about religion, rituals and death”.


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Raise Your Voice, Not The Sea Level: The Caribbean on World Environment Day · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Scanned film photo of the area surrounding the Toco lighthouse on Trinidad's east coast. Image by Taran Rampersad, used under a CC license.
Planet Earth is our shared island, let us join forces to protect it.
So said United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon at the launch of the 2014 International Year of Small Islands and Developing States. His message seems particularly relevant to the Caribbean – not just because World Environment Day this year (June 5) focuses on the impact of global warming on small island nations – but also because the host country is Barbados, a regional territory that is being recognised for its pioneering efforts in solar energy.
In keeping with this year's official slogan, “Raise Your Voice, Not The Sea Level”, Caribbean netizens weighed in on the issue of climate change and how it is affecting small islands. Guyana, which can be considered neither small nor an island, but certainly counts as a Caribbean territory, had one blogger with a personal perspective on the issue:
Slowly, slowly, people, we destroyin’ an amazing gift, a miracle, yet some can't see. I want to show you this beautiful thing today, World Environment Day, hoping to inspire people to clean up.
She posted snippets of her own journal entries, which offered a new perspective on how we consider the environment:
May 9, 2014: …the sun's risen, is casting golden light on the silver sea. The sea shimmers with such beauty, I can't take it in, I have to look away.
Nov. 20, 2013: Why does it matter to me, the health of earth, sky, sea? Because my health depends on it. Yours and your children's well-being too.
Oct. 13, 2013: In the past, they ran and played by the sea, in the open fields, in trees. What will children of the future talk about? ‘We clicked on websites'?
Mar. 5, 2013: They think I'm nuts, a crazy woman begging the sane. ‘Please don't use pesticide, weedicide, it will pollute the sea, the things we eat.’
Jamaican diaspora environmental blogger, Labrish, thought that solutions to the climate change situation might be found via ecopsychology and deep ecology:
In the face of the dire news on the latest climate change casualties that greet us each morning, how are we going to steady ourselves, build psychic, mental and emotional muscle to face it, and be supportive in our communities?
She referenced the work of Joanna Macy, an environmental activist and educator who has been trying to reconnect people with their wider communities and, by extension, nature.
Barbadian diaspora blog Bajan Reporter marked the day by republishing a statement by Mikael Barfod, Head of the European Union delegation to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, in which he addressed the challenges that small islands face when it comes to sustainable development – both economically and environmentally.
Havana Times offered a Cuban perspective on World Environment Day:
Its aim is to raise awareness about this delicate issue, which endangers the very existence of small countries (that could one day be left beneath sea-level). Many parts of the Cuban coastline could be endangered if this occurs.
The blogger thought it was important for people to realise that “the environment constitutes everything around us: biodiversity, the air we breathe, the water we drink, the mineral resources we use and society as a whole”:
In its insatiable impulse to amass wealth, humanity has degraded nature to such an extent that, should this trend continue, there might not be enough natural resources on the planet to sustain human life in a some years’ time.
The Twitter feed for #World Environment Day is here.


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This Happened After a Famous Actress was Harassed On a Public Bus in Peru  · Global Voices
Gabriela García Calderón Orbe

Inside a bus belonging to Metropolitano de Lima. Flickr image by leondeurgel. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
Peruvian Actress Magaly Solier, who had a leading role in the feature film The Milk of Sorrow, the first ever Peruvian movie nominated for an Academy Award, was going to a radio station for an interview using a Metropolitano de Lima [es] bus when she discovered that a man was masturbating right behind her. Outraged, Solier denounced the incident on the interview she had just minutes later.
This unleashed a wave of outrage expressed by other artists, but above all, by ordinary people, among them many women, who shared how they had been victims of similar situations in the past. A female minister even suggested [es] women ought to carry scissors, nails and needles in their purses for self defense. After a strong campaign on media and social networks, the perpetrator was finally identified, thanks to images captured by security cameras at one of the Metropolitano stations.
Such a high profile incident led some blogs to address the issue which, unfortunately, was not a new one. Cynthia Yamamoto, the blogger on El último de la vía [Last one in line; es] wondered if women can feel safe when using public transportation. She ended her blog post by saying:
Algo que aprendí de este lamentable incidente es que tenemos que pensar cómo nos sentimos las mujeres en el transporte público, en los paraderos, en las calles, en la ciudad. Es bueno que las mujeres -así como Magaly- denunciemos el acoso sexual callejero, porque nos permitirá ser peatonas más libres, más felices, más tranquilas. La actriz ganadora del Oso de Oro de Berlín ha dando una muestra de empatía y solidaridad nos dice: “si me pasa a mí, le puede pasara a cualquier persona”.
Something I learned from this deporable incident is that we have to think how we, women, feel on public transportation, at bus stops, on the streets, in the city. It's good that women – like Magaly- denounce street sexual harrasment, as it will allow us to be freer, happier, calmer women when on public transport. The Berlin Golden Bear awarded actress has shown empathy and sympathy and tells us: “if this happens to me, it can happen to anybody”.
Karla Salgado Zúñiga, on her Blog sin Nombre [Blog without name; es] also shares her musings about the same incident:
Ya perdí la cuenta de cuántas veces me han metido la mano en la calle, se han sobajeado contra mí en el bus o me han dicho alguna grosería o lanzado algún silbido, tampoco faltan los “buenos días señorita” con una voz mañosa, o esos patas [hombres] que se me han acercado tanto a la cara, como si el espacio personal no existiera.
Claro, ahora no me callo, estoy molesta, me llega, grito, les digo “violador” o que por qué mejor no se van a decirle a su vieja [madre] que tiene “rica la vagina”. Se molestan, me dicen loca. Loca, ¿loca?, ¡loca! o sea, tú me agredes, te contesto y soy la loca. Nadie hace nada, la gente mira, y a veces siento que hasta me miran mal a mí y no al agresor de turno.
I've already lost count of how many times I've been groped on the street, men have brushed against me on the bus or have told me something obscene or given me a whistle, there are also those that wish “good morning miss” with a sly tone, or those guys that get too close to my face, as if personal space doesn't exist.
Of course, I don't keep quiet anymore, I'm upset, this enrages me, I shout, I call them “rapist” or tell them why don't they go tell those things to their old [mothers], that she has a “delicious vagina”. They get mad, they call me crazy. Crazy, crazy? Crazy! I mean, you assault me, I get back at you and I'm the crazy one. Nobody does anything, people just look and at times I feel that are giving me queer looks rather than censuring my attacker.
Group blog Paremos el acoso callejero [Let's stop street harrassment] dedicates a post [es] to men who harass women by passing obscene comments, and they tell them:
Quizás piensas que tus silbidos, miradas o comentarios en voz alta sobre las mujeres son halagadores para ellas o que no generan cambios en sus vidas. Tal vez crees que tienes derecho a dirigirte a todas las mujeres en la calle, sólo por el hecho de que están ahí o porque se visten de alguna manera.
No podemos hablar en nombre de todas las mujeres de esta ciudad, ni de reglas que se apliquen a todos los casos; pero sí podemos sugerirte algunas reflexiones sobre ciertos argumentos que hemos escuchado muchas veces.
“Lo hago para halagarlas, para hacerles saber lo bonitas que son”.
Recuerda, ¿cómo te respondieron? ¿Alguna vez te dijeron: “¡gracias, eres muy amable!”? ¿No? ¿Y no has pensando que tal vez sea porque no se sintieron halagadas en lo más mínimo?
Maybe you think your whistling, staring and loud comments about women flatter them and that their lives don't change after that. Maybe you think you are entitled to address all women on the street, just because they are out there or because they are dressed in some way or other.
We can't speak on behalf of every woman in this city, nor about one-size-fits-all rules, but we can suggest that you reflect on some of the arguments we've heard many times.
“I do that to flatter them, to let them know how pretty they are”.
Remember how they responded? Have they ever said: “thanks, that is very kind of you!”? No? And you did not once think that this might be because they didn't feel flattered at all?
On the website of Exitosa Diario, sociologist Liz Meléndez also talked about the issue [es]:
Si nos atrevemos a preguntar a un grupo de mujeres si alguna vez han atravesado por un hecho de violencia sexual, no todas darán una respuesta afirmativa; pero si escarbamos mucho más allá y profundizamos en las múltiples manifestaciones de ésta, puedo asegurar que el 100% de ellas dirá que sí.
[…]
Lo cierto es que mujeres y hombres nos situamos en el espacio público de forma diferente, las mujeres lo vivimos con cierto temor y cuidado, y ello no es vivir en igualdad. No se trata que las mujeres evitemos los riesgos y sigamos inventando estrategias para sentirnos y estar más seguras, se trata que apostemos por una cultura de respeto y reconocimiento del derecho de todas las personas a vivir libres de violencia.
If we dare to ask a group of women if they have gone through an episode of sexual violence, not all of them will give an affirmative answer; but if we go further and dig deeper into the many ways sexual violence is expressed, I can assure that 100% of them will answer yes.
[…]
The thing is women and men go differently through public spaces. We, women live with a certain fear and care, and that's not living in equality. This is not about women avoiding risks and inventing strategies for us to feel and be safer, this is about us putting in place a culture of respect and acknowledging the right of every individual to live free of violence.
Meanwhile, Twitter users also expressed their opinion:
Buenos días, estamos en la estación central del #Metropolitano esperando a un pata a ver que pasa. http://t.co/hZXXS1CypX
— Trisaids (@Trisaids) junio 6, 2014
Good morning, we are at Metropolitano Central Station waiting for the guy to see what happens.
El #Metropolitano: video revela que sujeto siguió a #MagalySolier para acosarla http://t.co/oZzkPSkRSJ
— Enemigos Publicos (@EnemigosP) junio 3, 2014
Metropolitano: video shows that guy followed Magaly Solier to molest her http://t.co/oZzkPSkRSJ
#Metropolitano: video muestra cómo #MagalySolier increpa a su acosador y nadie la ayuda. http://t.co/BsxnJ4kncY pic.twitter.com/qzHv0PWipa
— Espacio360 (@Espacio360Peru) Mayo 31, 2014
Metropolitano: video shows how Magaly Solier confronts her attacker and no one helps her.
¡Cuidado! Páginas xxx alojan #videos de pasajeras en el #Metropolitano (Fotos) http://t.co/QkS9RLnkA4
— Diario Correo (@diariocorreo) Mayo 31, 2014
Watch out! XXX-rated pages host videos of female users of Metropolitano (photos) http://ow.ly/xsHfN
El #acososexual en las calles también tiene forma de piropo http://t.co/706ax4w40N #NoAlAcosoCallejero pic.twitter.com/z3mWOFtObS
— Agencia Andina (@Agencia_Andina) junio 6, 2014
Sexual harrassment on the streets also comes disguised as an amorous compliment.
Some users tried to suggest some solutions:
#Metropolitano.1. Controlen que pasajeros no vayan como sardinas. Que se respete capacidad de buses.
— Luis Alberto Chávez (@ChavezPolitikha) Mayo 30, 2014
1. Control that passengers don't go packed like sardines. Bus capacity must be respected.
#Metropolitano. 2) Coloquen una mujer de Serenazgo en cada paradero para que atienda de inmediato denuncias sobre perversión sexual.
— Luis Alberto Chávez (@ChavezPolitikha) Mayo 30, 2014
2) Let a female municipal control guard be at every bus stop so she can immediately receive any complaints of sexual perversion.

author: Gabriela García Calderón Orbe


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Are Bangladesh’s “Men In Black” Fighting Crime or Killing for Money · Global Voices
পান্থ রহমান রেজা (Pantha)

Law enforcers take former RAB official Lt. Col. Tareque Sayeed to the Senior Judicial Magistrate's court in Narayanganj, Bangladesh. Image by Indrajit Ghosh. Copyright Demotix (17/5/2014)
Bangladesh's controversial, elite anti-crime and anti-terrorism force, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB),have been accused of extortion, extra-judicial killings and even assassination against payment. Are the country's ‘men in black’ essentially an effective, super group of law enforcers or have they metamorphosed into an elite force of mercenaries?
Drawing personnel from the police and the military, the RAB was formed in 2004 to combat the rising crime graph in the country. It was soon dubbed the elite force of Bangladesh. However, over the years, it has become controversial, being stalked by allegations of human rights violations. In a recent high profile abduction and killing of seven men, RAB members were accused [bn] and three RAB officials, officers from the armed forces of Bangladesh, were sacked and detained in this connection. In a separate incident nine RAB members were sued for torture and killing of a businessman. In another recent case, a court in Brahmanbaria, a district in east-central Bangladesh, has ordered the police to accept a case of murder against RAB personnel.
On April 27, 2014, a group of unidentified men abducted Nazrul Islam, a businessman and ward councilor, a few kilometers from the Narayanganj district court in central Bangladesh. An accused in many criminal cases, the councillor was travelling along with four associates all of whom were abducted along with him. Chandan Sarker, a senior lawyer, whose car was trailing that of the councillor, was also abducted along with his driver. The RAB came under scrutiny when eye-witnesses said that the abductors were clad in RAB uniform. However, RAB officials denied the accusations.
After a widespread search, the bodies of the seven men were found floating in the nearby Shitalakkhya river. Their stomachs had been slit, eyes blindfolded, bodies tied with rope, and weighed down with bricks. The family of Nazrul Islam claimed that the RAB officers had taken 60 million Bangladeshi taka (around US $770,000) in bribes for the assassination under their custody.
The RAB had been accused of human rights violation even earlier when they shot an innocent college student and caused permanent disability.
Journalist Anis Alamgir shared an experience  in his column in the online newspaper Bangla Tribune. He wrote [bn]:
র‌্যাবের বিরুদ্ধে যখন হত্যা এবং ভাড়ায় খাটার অভিযোগ নিয়ে তোলপাড় সারা দেশ তখন পুরনো এক গল্প শেয়ার করি পাঠকদের সঙ্গে। তখন বিএনপি তার শেষ দিনগুলো গুণছে। ২০০৬ সাল। ঢাকার এক তরুণকে রাজপথ থেকে তুলে নিয়ে যায় সাদা পোষাকের লোক। তাকে পরিচিত এক ব্যক্তি দিয়ে ফোনে বাসা থেকে ডেকে নিয়ে যাওয়ার সূত্রে আবিস্কৃত হয়েছিল এটা র‌্যাবের কাজ। কিন্তু র‌্যাবের অস্বীকার। কিংবা বলা যায় র‌্যাব কাউকে ধরে নিয়ে যেভাবে কোথায় রেখেছে হদিস পাওয়া যায় না- সে রকম পরিস্থিতি চলাকালে একরাতে তাকে নিয়ে তার বাসায় আসে কয়েকজন র‌্যাব সদস্য। খবর পেয়ে আমি ছুটে গেলাম। কারণ তরুণটি আমার পরিচিত। গিয়ে দেখি তরুণটি র‌্যাব সদস্যদের জেরায় বলছে, অস্ত্রটা এই ড্রয়ারে ছিল। আর র‌্যাব বার বার এটা সেটা বলে হুংকার দিচ্ছে। বাসায় স্বজনদের কান্নাকাটি, র‌্যাবের হুংকার- সবকিছুতে মনে হচ্ছিল কেয়ামত নেমে এসেছে। ছেলেটির মা আড়ালে ডেকে নিয়ে আমাকে বললেন, ৫ লাখ টাকা চাচ্ছে, নতুবা আজ রাতেই মেরে ফেলবে বলছে ওরা।
While the whole nation is discussing the alleged mercenary killing by some members of the RAB force I would like to share an old story. It was 2006, towards the end of tenure of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party government. Some people dressed in plain clothes, abducted a young man from the street. He had been lured out of his home by a phone call, made an acquaintance. It was later confirmed through him that the RAB was behind this, but the RAB officially denied this. Nobody knew where the young man was held. Then one night some RAB members accompanied him to his house. As the youth was known to me so I went to his house. I saw that he was confessing to them that a weapon was in his drawer. The RAB members were questioning and intimidating him and his family. The wails of the relatives and the shouts of the RAB — it seemed that all hell had broken loose. The mother of the youth came to me and whispered that they were asking for BDT 500,000. Otherwise they are threatening to kill him tonight.
Human Rights Watch has alleged that the RAB is behind a spate of torture and extra-judicial killings. The RAB have denied the accusations and have attributed some of the deaths to “crossfire”.
In the same column [bn], Anis Alamgir also pointed out that despite being under scrutiny for these kind of killings, the RAB had a positive image among citizens, who believed that the RAB was working for the greater good of the public by combating crime and terrorist activities in the country. He wrote:
২১ জুন ২০০৪ সাল থেকে র‌্যাব ফোর্সেস পূর্ণাঙ্গভাবে অপারেশনাল কার্যক্রম শুরু করে। জন্ম থেকে গত ১০ বছর ধরে র‌্যাব নামের এই এলিট বাহিনীটির বিরুদ্ধে বিচার বহির্ভূত হত্যার মতো অভিযোগ ছিল। তাদের বিচার বহির্ভূত হত্যাকাণ্ড অনেকটাই প্রকাশ্যই ছিল রাষ্ট্রের কাছে। সরকারের পাশাপাশি কিছু সাধারণ মানুষও তাদের এই বিচার বহির্ভূত হত্যাকাণ্ড মেনে নিয়েছিল কারণ তারা বিশ্বাস করতো র‌্যাব আসলেই জনগণের বৃহত্তর কল্যাণেই বেআইনি কাজ করছে।
RAB started its full-fledged operation on 21 June, 2004. In the past decade this elite force has been accused of a number of extra judicial killings, which was pretty much obvious to the nation. Besides the government, many ordinary citizens also accepted these activities of the RAB, believing that the RAB was stepping out of line (and acting outside the purview of law) for the greater good of the country.
Bangladesh has had over fifteen years of military rule. Many military officers then infiltrated government administration to maintain their political leadership. Sultan Mahmud Zakaria at Kathakata blog blamed RAB's audacity on the lack of democratic practices in the country. He pointed out [bn]
এরশাদ সরকারের [সামরিক শাসক] পতনের পর ১৯৯০-পরবর্তী গণতন্ত্রে আশা করা হয়েছিল যে রাষ্ট্রে বেসামরিক কর্তৃত্ব পুনঃপ্রতিষ্ঠিত হবে এবং বেসামরিক প্রশাসন ও নিয়মিত শৃঙ্খলা বাহিনীর মধ্যে থাকা সামরিক প্রভাব ধীরে ধীরে হ্রাস পাবে। […] কিন্তু দুর্ভাগ্যজনকভাবে বাংলাদেশে সম্ভবত এর উল্টোটি হয়েছে। এখানে সামরিক বাহিনী ক্ষমতায় না থাকলেও তাদের ক্ষমতায়ন প্রক্রিয়া বন্ধ হয়নি। বরং অনেক ক্ষেত্রে জোরদার হয়েছে। ক্ষমতার পালাবদল করা রাজনৈতিক দলগুলো স্বীয় ক্ষমতাকে কুক্ষিগত করতে নিজেদের সামরিক নির্ভরশীলতা বাড়িয়েছে এবং যার পরিণতিতে বেসামরিক প্রশাসন ও শৃঙ্খলা বাহিনীতে আরো বেশি করে সামরিকীকরণের দিকে ঝুঁকছে বলে প্রতীয়মান হচ্ছে।
After the fall of the Ershad government [military rule] in 1990, it was expected that in a democratic environment the civil rule will be reestablished and the influence of the armed forces in the civil administration will diminish. [..] But unfortunately the opposite happened in Bangladesh. The army is not in power but their power has not been reduced, rather it has got emboldened in some cases. In order to appropriate more and more power, the political parties have increased their dependency on the military, which in turn made way for more military personnel in the civil administration.
According to a report by ASK (Ain O Salish Kendra), a human rights organization in Bangladesh, there have been 268 cases of abductions in the country between 2010 and 2014. Twenty-four among them were later released and bodies of 43 people were recovered. 14 had been handed over to police and there are no trace of 187 persons.
Journalist Masud Kamal thinks [bn] that there are political pressures behind the RAB going rogue. According to him:
রাজনৈতিক গুম-খুনগুলোর পেছনে যদি আসলেই র‌্যাবের হাত থেকে থাকে, তাহলে এরও পেছনে রয়েছে রাজনৈতিক কারণ, রাজনৈতিক নেতৃবৃন্দের হাত। তাদের প্রশ্রয়ে কিংবা চাপে পড়েই হয়ত এ ধরনের অপকর্ম করতে হয়েছে। রাজনীতিবিদদের হয়ে অন্যায় কাজ করতে করতে এক পর্যায়ে সশস্ত্র কোনো বাহিনীর সদস্যরা যদি নিজেদের ব্যক্তি বা গোষ্ঠী স্বার্থে একই ধরনের অপকর্ম করতে শুরু করে, সেটাকেও কিন্তু খুব বেশি অস্বাভাবিক বলা যাবে না। হয়ত নারায়ণগঞ্জের ঘটনাটি সে রকমই কিছু।
If RAB is really behind these political murders, then definitely pressure from political leaders is behind the killings.  They committed those crimes for money or under duress. If in the course of continuing to do so, the armed forces start rogue activities for their own vested interest, that would not be very unusual. Maybe the Narayanganj incident was something of that kind.
Professor Ali Riaz writes [bn] on the Kathakata blog about the close connection between RAB and some political leaders:
র‌্যাবের বিষয়ে এই ঘটনায় আমরা গণমাধ্যমের সূত্রে যা দেখতে পেয়েছি, তাতে মনে হচ্ছে যে প্রাতিষ্ঠানিকভাবেই স্থানীয় রাজনীতিবিদদের সঙ্গে তাঁদের সম্পর্ক ছিল। সেটা কেবল নারায়ণগঞ্জেই ছিল বা আছে, তা মনে করা কি ঠিক হবে? রাষ্ট্রীয় একটি বাহিনীর সঙ্গে স্থানীয় রাজনীতিবিদদের এই সম্পর্ক কি বাহিনীর কাঠামোগতভাবেই গ্রহণযোগ্য এবং কর্তৃপক্ষ অনুমোদিত আচরণ? এই বিষয়ে সুস্পষ্টভাবে জানা দরকার। এটা সরকারের পক্ষ থেকেই ব্যাখ্যা করতে হবে। কেননা যদি এটা প্রাতিষ্ঠানিক এবং অনুমোদিত না হয়, তবে তা আর কোথায় কোথায় ঘটেছে এবং ঘটছে, সেটা খুঁজে বের করার জন্যও তদন্ত হওয়া দরকার।
Based on what has been revealed in the media, it appears that RAB had close relationship with the local political ership. Will it be right to think that its true in the case of the Narayanganj incident only? Is this relationship have legitimate, have official sanction from within the administrative structure of the armed forces? If they are not legitimate, then it must be investigated where all this type of collusion is taking place.
Human rights groups and civil society have demanded disbanding of RAB because of the allegations against them. Brad Adams, Asia director of Human Rights Watch has requested in an open letter to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, to disband this elite force within six months. Earlier this year the US suspended its training program for RAB citing a gross violation of human rights by the battalion personnel.
The information Minister of Bangladesh has informed that so far 1949 members of RAB have either been punished or sacked for different criminal and unethical activities. However, instead of scrapping the RAB, the government has reiterated the usefulness of the RAB and has asked civil society to propose alternative solutions.

author: পান্থ রহমান রেজা (Pantha)


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China: Keyboard Supermen and Angry Youth 2.0 · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Cartoon by 辣椒二舅 on Weibo. Via Off Beat China
OffbeatChina wondered why bystanders in China never stop being indifferent even after so many waves of condemnation online? To seek the answer, the blogger looked into the character of keyboard supermen and angry youth 2.0.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Pakistan’s First Online Hate Speech Report Is Out, And It Isn’t Pretty · Global Voices
Qurratulain (Annie) Zaman

Hate Speech: A study of Pakistan’s Cyberspace. Click on the image to download the report (pdf)
Bytes For All, an advocacy organization in Pakistan has released the first ever empirical-based research report on online hate speech in Pakistan (here are some of their key findings). In this piece, Global Voices contributor Qurratulain Zaman interviews Shahzad Ahmad, the Director of Bytes For All.
Pakistan's first-ever hate speech study is an attempt to understand and quantify online hate speech in the country, by examining the actual hate content produced in the country's cyberspace, and build the first quantitative snapshot of who is targeted, who creates it and what forms of hate speech are out there.
A screenshot from the report
Hate speech is a growing concern among many Pakistani online social media users. Innocent people and minority communities like the Ahmadis, are often the targets. The Islamabad-based think tank Jinnah Institute's blog gives some examples:
Pakistani media is an agent of CIA and RAW, Shariat ya Shahadat (Shariah or Martydom), Maslak-e-Deoband (Cult of Deoband) and Shias are unbelievers. This is not a list of slogans chanted by extremists on the streets of Pakistan. It is a very small sampling of the thousands of hate-fueled extremist Facebook pages that make up the Pakistani online experience today.
And exactly what do those Facebook pages share? The blog cites an example of the extremely popular page My Ideology is Islam & My Identity is Pakistan (MIMIP) which has more than 700,000 likes.
The page averages about one share every two minutes, up to 10 hours a day. What do these shares consist of? The latest statements by Jamaat-ud-Dawah chief (formerly Lashkar-e-Taiba) Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, generic religious messages, anti-Ahmadi hate speech, health tips, the faces of Pakistani TV anchors, politicians and senior members of the judiciary Photoshopped with dogs, demons or Hindu/Jewish symbols, anti-Hindu, anti-India hate speech, anti-Semitism, racist, homophobic content, calls for jihad and news updates.
Screenshot from the report
There have been weak efforts at condemning rising hate speech online. A website called Nafrat Aggregator tried to name and shame those who post hateful messages online without much success. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan’s (HRCP) Expert Group on Communities Vulnerable suggested that strong action be taken against those instigating violence through hate-speech online. Earlier this year Islamic scholars in Pakistan pushed for a hate-speech ban.
The Pakistani government vowed to stem the flow of hate-speech by taking strict action against anyone who propagates sectarianism via social media or mobile phones. The provincial Sindh government is keen to ban instant messaging and voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) clients such as Skype, Viber and other communication networks because terrorists were reportedly using them to plot terrorist attacks. But nothing seems to deter the growing popularity of hate-filled social media shares.
Furhan Hossain writes on Twitter:
#HatespeechPk, a natural progression from the Internet Landscape of Pakistan study, would carry quantitative insight into hatespeech trends.
— Furhan Hussain (@FurhanHussain) May 19, 2014
Shahzad Ahmad at Washington DC. Image by Rezwan
I have consulted with Bytes For All in the past and got to read their hate-speech report before it was released. I interviewed Shahzad Ahmad, the Director of Bytes For All, to get more details about the study for Global Voices (GV) :
GV: How do you define online hate speech?
SA: At Bytes for All, Pakistan, we align our definition of hate-speech with the recommendations of Frank La Rue, based on the work of Article 19, which lays out a series of parameters which form the basis of hate-speech which should be addressed by the law. Some of these parameters include the intention and intensity of any form of expression that either calls for or can lead to curtailment of human rights, discrimination, hostility and violence against any human being or group.
GV: Which community or group of people face more hate speech and what are the reasons?
SA: Groups which were observed to faced the most amount of hate-speech included politicians, media groups/individuals, women and LGBT, and religious minorities. Another visibly large amount of hate-speech was against ‘Indians’ and ‘Hindus,’ where the two terms were being interchangeably used as if both were synonyms.
GV: What are the key findings of your upcoming report?
SA: One of the most important finding of the research indicated that Pakistani internet users were largely unaware of hate speech laws in Pakistan, but were, in general, largely able to identify hate speech correctly. One trend observed in the survey results was the impact of income on views, attitudes and understanding of hate speech. In almost all cases, respondents in the high income bracket had progressive views on hate speech, expressed a greater understanding of the issue, and were better at identifying hate speech correctly, as compared to all other demographic groups. Conversely, respondents in the low income bracket showed the least understanding of hate speech and were markedly worse at identifying hate speech correctly as compared to all other groups.
In terms of platforms, Facebook was highlighted as the most problematic, with 91% of respondents indicating they had come across hate speech on the social network. It is unclear whether this is the result of Facebook’s immense popularity in Pakistan, or the result of an endemic problem on the platform.
GV: Why is there a growing trend of hate speech and culture of humiliation on the Internet?
SA: Internet witnessed a steep rise during last 15 years in Pakistan. In a country where approximately 60% of population can be categorized as youth (less than 30 years of age), this new medium gave a new tool of communication to the youth. But the intolerance and conservativeness of society remained a problem even on the internet. Internet escalated this intolerance because it gave a platform to people to speak (and abuse), while maintaining any level of anonymity as per their desire. Lack of effective cybercrime laws and pro-people legislation, the intolerance of the society started reflecting on the internet more visibly. This is one of the reasons why we witnessing growing trend of hate speech on the internet in Pakistan.
GV: How do you think, this issue of online hate speech should be tackled?
SA: There is no quick way of tackling online violence, because what happens online is a reflection of the offline. While conventional peace building methods such as dissemination of online social etiquette are extremely important, Pakistani cyberspace is in dire need of pro-people cyber legislation to address the need of the day – holistic accountability of all individuals. Pakistan has had cyber laws in the past, when the ordinance lapsed, no one bothered to make sure that it remained a continuing process. Sadly, the past laws were anti-people and largely flawed, and the current proposed draft is also fairly problematic, although it can be improve after a multi-stakeholder process, which the government is always wary of.
Having said this, the role of corporations and intermediaries in dealing with online hate speech and other forms of violence cannot be sidelined. Activists have been protesting against the lax attitude of corporations such as Facebook and Twitter in addressing online abuse through various campaigns such as Take Back The Tech!, #FBRape and #OrangeDay for years. Similarly many policy advocacy efforts are underway, but more are needed. Most importantly, at the end of the day, unity against violence will reign supreme.
GV: It is seen that peace activists, lawyers and journalists are also being targeted and threatened online in Pakistan? The recent case of Raza Rumi is an example: he was sent graphic images of death threats on Twitter and Facebook and the accounts were deleted later. How do you look at this situation?
SA: This is a classic example of how dangerously malicious some people can be online. It highlights the importance of treating digital mediums with as much importance as offline mediums. While cybercrime legislation as well as corporate intermediaries can both address these issues of user generated threats and violence to some extent, one issue is often not given adequate attention; dangers of non-transparent and illegal surveillance conducted by the governments themselves.
Recent days have seen a massive increase in attacks on journalists and human rights defenders; all this, after governments have been exposed conducting illegal and invasive spying on everybody, which hints towards possible repeated misuse of such technologies even. It is no rocket science to understand that when governments force corporate intermediaries producing hardware and software to create back-doors into people's privacy, they create vulnerabilities in their physical well-being just as much. The lack of transparency in matters such as usage of dangerous technologies such as Finfisher is such that even after almost a year of filing a lawsuit against it, no progress into initiation of hearings has been made.
There is however a difference between trying to stem hate-speech and indiscriminately trying to stamp out differences of opinion and ideology. Unfortunately the first (Internet governance) often becomes an excuse for authorities to implement the latter (Internet censorship). Many secular, left-leaning Facebook pages from Pakistan found this out the hard way as they were allegedly removed and disappeared, almost magically. Let's hope this report is used positively to understand hate-speech and stem it's rise and not be used negatively to feed the demon of censorship.

author: Qurratulain (Annie) Zaman


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This Boy of Zambian Origin Is the First Student to Become a Microsoft Certified Professional                          · Global Voices
Gershom Ndhlovu

Fifteen-year-old Samkeliso Kimbinyi of Zambian origin but based in the United Kingdom, is creating a buzz in the information and communication technology (ICT) world by becoming one of the youngest Microsoft Qualified Professionals in Europe.
The teenager, better known as Sam, is a Year 10 (high school level) student at the University Technical College (UTC) in Reading, a town just outside London. He is now a Microsoft Certified Professional and has Microsoft Technical Associates (MTA) certificates in seven areas including Software Fundamentals, Windows Development Fundamentals and OS (operating system) Fundamentals.
Kimbinyi has also developed an app called Lite for Windows phones and has so far received positive reviews for the same.
Sam Kimbinyi's photo, taken from his Twitter profile.
Global Voices Online caught up with Sam on email and learned from him first-hand about his achievements:
In March this year, I had the opportunity of meeting staff from Microsoft offices in Seattle, who were in the UK for one day as part of their European trip to speak to clients who are training through the Microsoft IT Academy. These were members of the Learning Experience team – Senior Director Tim Sneath, Director for Academic Programme Keith Loeber and Content Director Briana Roberts.
On May 26 2014 I published my first App—Lite—on the Windows Phone Store. I got the idea of the app after spending long hours of looking for a fast lightweight flashlight app that did not contain ads [advertisements]. Eventually, after not finding anything, I decided to make my own. Eight Days later and with the criticism (sic) from the Reddit Window Phone Community, I reached 300 Downloads and a 5 star rating. Shortly after, the app got a spot on the “New and Rising” Section of the app store.
In future I hope to release many more apps and continue to study Computer Science at (the) university.
In his college newsletter, Kimbinyi was quoted as saying:
MTA training links to what we're learning in class, but has given me a greater understanding of programming and how diverse the field is. My new knowledge was really useful when we developed an app during the Microsoft employer project; we ended up developing a much better app.
Microsoft congratulated Kimbinyi in a tweet:
Congratulations to Samkeliso Kimbinyi, 15, the first student to gain an MTA qualification in software development pic.twitter.com/8JRfgXNynL
— Microsoft Education (@microsofteduk) January 24, 2014

author: Gershom Ndhlovu


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Want to be a Government Bureaucrat in China?  · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Foshan, a city in Guangdong recently hired four foreigners to work for the government's foreign trade and economic cooperation bureau. Charlie Liu from Nanfang.com curated the local news story.


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10 African Literature Blogs You Should Know About · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Kenyan blogger James Murua lists 10 African literature rich blogs:
So you want to keep abreast of what’s happening in the African literature space. Want to get news and reviews from the books written by and about African experience? Try these ones listed in alphabetical order;
1. Authors in Africa
This blog focuses on bloggers in the African continent without a focus on mainly writers from all over Sub Saharan Africa. The site gives reviews of books as well as interviews with authors, a section dedicated to poets and essayists, as well as book synopsis and short stories. The site is regularly updated.
2. Bookshy: An Africa book lover
This blog is managed by a London based book lover. The book contains news from the African literature scene as well as reviewed by the blogger. With over seventy reviews of some of the best books from the continent this is an important space to keep up with our scene. I especially like the “meet” section where the blogger interviews some really cool writers. The blog is updated every week or so.
3. Books Live
This is probably the most well managed blog out there for Afro lit. With reviews coming regularly as well as the keeping track of what your favourite authors are up to or what is being written about them this might be THE site to keep visiting. Based in South Africa, the blog is rich in content from the writers from Africa’s most southern most country but it also keeps you abreast of many from other parts. There is new content on this site daily. #Win

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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10 Tips for Safer Online Purchases · Global Voices
María Romina Mascareño

Image by Fosforix on Flickr, used under Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic license (CC BY-ND 2.0)
Andrea Collazo [es], member of Mujeres Construyendo [Women building; es], shares some recommendations for safe online purchases. She introduces us the issue:
Cada vez es mas habitual el comprar por Internet. Sin embargo tú aún no lo ves claro.No tienes la seguridad, ni sabes si hay riesgos.Y como dice el dicho mejor lo malo conocido…Te voy a dar una lista de consejos para que comprar en Internet no te de miedo.
More and more, it's becoming usual to purchase on the internet. However, this isn't clear to you yet. You don't feel safe and don't know if there are any risks. And as the saying goes, better the evil you know… I'm going to give you a list of recommendations so you won't be afraid to purchase online.
And then she provides a link [es] with the report on her blog.

author: María Romina Mascareño


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50 Most Visited Websites in Kenya · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Did you know what are the top most visited websites in Kenya? Read James Wamathai's blog post on the subject:
A lot has changed since February, when I did the last Top 50 most visited Kenyan websites list. Budget airline Jambo Jet was launched, NMG’s county paper Nairobi News was launched and then killed off, entertainment website izvipi was relaunched and Sauti Sol released a controversial, but popular, video for their new song ‘Nishike”.
On the websites popularity front, there are a few changes as well.
Kenyan Post has overtaken Ghafla as the most popular blog in Kenya
Jumia, KRA, Career Point Kenya, Helb and Techweez have gone up the ranking.
Niaje, The Star, Orange and Michezo Afrika have gone down in the ranking.
Ben Kiruthi, KU, Kenya Today and Kopo Kopo have joined the top 50 ranking.


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After an Indian Minister Says ‘Sometimes Rape is Right’, #MenAgainstRape Stand Up in Pakistan · Global Voices
Sana Saleem

Photo Credit: Philipp Engelhorn
Is it easier to condemn rape when it happens elsewhere? How about when it happens right across the border? The #MenAgainstRape hashtag started trending again, this time in Pakistan, reportedly after Babulal Gaur, an Indian state minister, said this about rape, ‘sometimes it is right, sometimes it's wrong’.
Hundreds of young men from Pakistan started standing up to join the hashtag campaign. A Pakistani Twitter user whose handle baysharam translates to shameless joined in saying:
Remember that five-year-old girl who was raped in Lahore, last year? Her rapist(s) are still out there. Amongst us. #MenAgainstRape
— Dil-emma (@baysharum) June 8, 2014
When the 2012 Delhi gang-rape story hit the news wires, hundreds of tweets emerged from Pakistan condemning the barbaric incident. Some spoke about India's rape problems while others looked at the rising instances of rape in the South Asian region. It was a story so horrific that it garnered world media attention for weeks and since then an increase in coverage of rapes in India is evident.
Indian Blogger Krshna Prashant took the myths regarding rape head on, in her scathingly satirical piece:
He wobbled in at 11pm. She did the dishes quietly, her heart racing as she heard his footsteps get closer. Tears stung her eyes as he put his hands on her waist. She could smell the whiskey on his breath. He tugged at her pallu, letting it fall to the ground. Not today, she begged. Her back ached and her head felt like it was going to explode.
He grabbed her hair and pulled her to their bedroom. She scrambled to find her pallu as they walked past the hall. Their son stared in horror. He shut the door behind him and slapped her. He told her to stay quiet and take her clothes off. She did as she was told.
What do you mean my son raped his wife. There is no such thing.
This, is a refreshing and powerful stance against violence, however a closer look at the tweets reveals many of the myths Prashant addressed.
Rape apologist (noun): Any person who defends rapists OR finds rape jokes funny. #MenAgainstRape
— Dil-emma (@baysharum) June 8, 2014
Here's some rape apologia at display from South Asia:
seducing kapray pehan k logon k jazbaat majrooh karti hain tab ager koi rape karay to us ko rape nai Sensual Sex kehtay hain #MenAgainstRape
— Shashka Guy (@MrShashka) June 8, 2014
They wear seductive clothes and incite people and end up getting raped. It is not rape, it is sensual sex.
#MenAgainstRape but please first send your nude pics on Whatsapp ~ @CharsiBhangi
— Anthony Khatmal (@OrganicMooli) June 8, 2014
@SameerSiddiki every rapist should be raped publicly… And let them remain alive & then see how they react to the world… #MenAgainstRape
— AK-47™© (@Khan_Arsalan) June 8, 2014
Some used the hashtag to suggest sexual violence as a punishment for rape:
Only time when I truly support rape! #MenAgainstRape | this should rape punishment! pic.twitter.com/JG0mrUswTC
— Salman Khan™ (@de_ingeniero) June 8, 2014
What about cutting their d**** & crushing their b****!?? #MenAgainstRape — AK-47™© (@Khan_Arsalan) June 8, 2014
Some had more nuanced views.
Just because she isn't say NO… Doesn't mean she's saying YES #MenAgainstRape pic.twitter.com/IwqbwxRxFi — ارسلان محمد خان (@amk) June 8, 2014
Rape is rape and it's not justified. It's a very unsavoury act and it should be eradicated from our society. #MenAgainstRape — Lost (@meraydost) June 8, 2014
Every man should take part in this campaign. #MenAgainstRape — Abdul Basit. (@a_basitt) June 8, 2014
Since when did the clothes women wear become such a concern to every man on this planet? #MenAgainstRape — Hämmäd (@HFooty) June 8, 2014
Rape is the most despicable, disgusting and vile thing a person can do. Being a #rape apologist comes second #MenAgainstRape @ThePukaar — Rehan Kazi (@TheRehanQazi) June 8, 2014
Accusing the Rape victim for provoking for Rape is as the same as accusing a Murdered person for their own murder. #MenAgainstRape
— Anas Mallick (@AnasMallick) June 8, 2014
While many feel that this trend is a step forward as men stand up against violence, others have questioned the effectiveness of a Twitter trend on real life circumstances. Will it change the way rape survivors are seen in the society? Will it stop rapes from happening? Will it provoke law enforcement agencies into action? These are some of the questions being raised. Whether you are on the cynical side of social media trends or an enthusiast, discussions like #menagainstrape provide a small window in to young minds and their perceptions about sexual violence.

author: Sana Saleem


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Death Toll Rises to 36, in Brazen Taliban Attack at Pakistan’s Karachi Airport  · Global Voices
Sana Saleem

Karachi Airport employees being escorted out of Jinnah International Airport. Photo tweeted by @Dawn_com
Last update at 04:50 GMT, June 10.
Following hours of digging, seven more bodies were recovered from a collapsed cold storage facility at Karachi's Jinnah International, 32 hours after militants launched their six-hour siege at Pakistan's busiest airport, bringing the death toll from the brazen attack to 36.
A few hours after the Pakistan military had cleared the airport of militants, Pakistani journalist Noman Ahmed reported that 7 employees with the shipping company Gerry's were still stuck in a warehouse at the airport that partially collapsed during the assault.
Seven staffers have reportedly been trapped inside its cold storage since last night. #KarachiAirportAttack [2/2] pic.twitter.com/Y3Tv18DnkC
— Noman Ahmed (@n0man) June 9, 2014
According to Pakistan's leading English daily Dawn, the employees had taken refuge in the cold-storage facility to escape the carnage, but a wall of the warehouse collapsed trapping them. They were in contact with their family during the attack:
“We are looking into this and according to the families some seven people were trapped inside the cold storage and were in contact with the families on cell phone,” said Abid Qaimkhani, a spokesman for CAA (Civil Aviation Authority). Earlier last night, the families of the seven airport workers had blocked Shahra e Faisal [main road] demanding that authorities work towards freeing their relatives who were trapped.
The militants reportedly entered from an old terminal reserved for cargo and VIP movement, with fake Airport Security Force IDs, automatic weapons, grenades and RPGs. The airport reopened for travel, 17 hours after the initial attack.
Good Evening WORLD, thank you for your tweets, concern, questions, criticism & patience. #Jinnah Airport is LIVE & BACK! #Pakistan
— CAA Pakistan (@AirportPakistan) June 9, 2014
The 6-hour siege which started in the late hours of Sunday June 8, left 28 people dead, 10 of whom were militants. No passengers was killed in the brazen attack. Eighteen people from the airport staff, Pakistan's national airline and security forces were also killed.
The Siege
Just before 5 am, Pakistan time, the military's chief spokesman tweeted that the last of the attackers had been killed. The spokesman was giving live updates of the military operation at the airport throughout the night.
#Kci Update:Remaining 4 terrorists also killed in gunfight, bringing the total killed to 10,Alhamdulillah- at 0435.
— AsimBajwaISPR (@AsimBajwaISPR) June 8, 2014
The Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan have claimed responsibility for the brazen attack saying it was revenge for the army's air strikes along the Afghan border.
One suicide bomber blew himself up during the attack. All passengers who were stranded in aircrafts during the siege were safely moved into the main terminal building after the initial siege ended. Militants also damaged three empty parked airplanes.
Photo tweeted by Twitter user @ahsannagi #KarachiAirport. “Pic by a friend stuck there – M. Qasim. #Rangers can be seen at the Airport”
Live tweets from on the runway
This Twitter user – Syed Saim Rizvi – was stranded on an Emirates plane at the airport during the siege:
I have no words for emirates staff! They are fully in fear but trying to serve us & trying to normalize passengers . SSG com chambered now
— Syed Saim A. Rizvi (@saim_riz) June 8, 2014
Huge blast !!!!!! I do not know whats going on out side — heavy firing started again – full panic on board !
— Syed Saim A. Rizvi (@saim_riz) June 8, 2014
Earlier he tweeted:
I am still in the plane – emirates staff ordered earlier to off load all passengers but now we have to stay on board. Heavy firing & blasts
— Syed Saim A. Rizvi (@saim_riz) June 8, 2014
How the attack unfolded
Flight operations are suspended at #Jinnah International Airport of #Karachi after escalating security issues. Please call 114 for details.
— CAA Pakistan (@AirportPakistan) June 8, 2014
Karachi Airport under siege as number of attacker are between 15-20. Emergency Declared at All Airports # Pakistan
— Dr Shahid Masood (@Shahidmasooddr) June 8, 2014
Commandos&terrorists exchanging fire at the moment.Still hearing from neighborhood.No of terrorists said 2 be btw 10 to 15. #KarachiAirport— Najia Ashar (@najiaashar) June 8, 2014
Amidst all the madness, my prayers for the families of the ASF, PIA and CAA staffers who lost their lives in the attack on JIAP. #Karachi
— Yusra Askari (@YusraSAskari) June 8, 2014
Most importantly, there are still passengers inside an aircraft on the tarmac. #KarachiAirportAttack
— Ali Dayan Hasan (@AliDayan) June 8, 2014
3 terrorists inside the premises. Sound of blasts.Hope everyone stays safe #KarachiAirportAttack — afia salam (@afiasalam) June 8, 2014
While the attack and the operation was underway some praised the Twitter account @AirportPakistan:
@AirportPakistan is textbook case of how authorities should use social media in crisis situation to give out information & tackle rumours.
— Rezaul Hasan Laskar (@Rezhasan) June 8, 2014
Most accurate and timely information regarding flight schedules and diversions from @AirportPakistan
— Zahra Hidayatullah (@ZHidayatullah) June 8, 2014
History repeats itself?
Some people compared the latest attack at Karachi's airport to the Mehran Naval Base attack that happened in Karachi in 2011.
Are we Witnessing #MehranBase Attack 2 #Karachi #Airport #KarachiairportAttack — Kamal Faridi (@KamalFaridi) June 8, 2014
In previous attack (mehran base) they took two days to clear the premises…. It covers ten times the area of Mehran Base….!!
— Abdullah Mukaddam (@AbMukaddam) June 8, 2014
While media channels were reporting on the military operation, some complained about lack of security around the airport area.
GHQ attack, Mehran Naval Base attack,PAF Kamra Base attack, Khi Airport attack but don't worry, we have the world's best intelligence agency
— Maham Ali (@Mahamali05) June 8, 2014
Inside job at #karachiairport Cargo terminal under attack like mehran base 5-6 control over runway Amazing security conditions in #pakistan
— Suo motu (@theboilingfrogs) June 8, 2014
So Bold Leader: “Nawaz Sharif directs DG Rangers to ensure safety of all passengers at #Karachi airport”
— Fasi Zaka (@fasi_zaka) June 8, 2014
Irresponsible reporting
Unfortunately, as is typical of breaking news coverage, there were conflicting reports regarding the number of attackers, as well as other rumors regarding a plane being burned down or hijacked, here are some reactions from Twitter in response to shoddy media reports:
Someone tell our media the first rule of engagement is not to reveal ure forces positions #untrained #onairlunacy #KhiAirportattack
— FK (@faisalkapadia) June 8, 2014
Media MUST take a step back NOW!Do not disclose troop movement or give speculative news #KarachiAirportAttack — afia salam (@afiasalam) June 8, 2014
Stupid Media reporting false news abt karachi airport ,,,plane has Not been hijacked ,they r now undercover by the police #MainstreamMedia
— Osama Khan (@Osama_Mufc7) June 8, 2014
Media is showing every single detail in real time ( live ). Isn't it supposed to hide some of the information? #karachiAirport #Karachi
— Dexter (@dextershani) June 8, 2014
“@AnasMallick: NO airplane has been hijacked nor any terrorist have entered any empty airplane. #KarachiAirportAttack
— Samra Muslim (@samramuslim) June 8, 2014


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Dubai and Arab Culture From a Latin American Perspective · Global Voices
Milton Ramirez

Dubai, foto de Marcelino Torrecilla, usada con autorización.
He is a college professor of Colombian origins who is fascinated by Arab culture. Marcelino Torrecilla's purpose is to “describe sociocultural experiences in United Arab Emirates and their relevance with Colombia”. Narrating his own stories in Dubai, he explains why this capital is an open door city [es]:
En el barrio donde vivo y en muchas otras partes de esta capital, no es nada extraño a cualquier hora del día ver casas con las puertas abiertas y desatendidas, lo que refleja el grado de desprevención y confianza en que vive la gente.
[…]
Lo que termina convirtiéndose en costumbre: una puerta abierta acá no es una manifestación de vulnerabilidad, sino más bien una forma de vivir.
In my neighborhood and in many areas of this capital city, it's not unusual at any time to see houses with their doors open and unattended, thus reflecting how confident people live.
[…]
This ends up as a habit: an open door here is not a token of vulnerability, but rather a life style.
Security is a privilege and a civil right in Emirati cities, concludes Torrecilla.

author: Milton Ramirez


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From the Cyber-Trenches of Eastern Ukraine · Global Voices
Andrey Tselikov

Donetsk People's Republic commander Igor Strelkov (Girkin) on the left. Donbass battalion volunteer commander Semyon Semyonchenko on the right.
As the violence in Eastern Ukraine shows no signs of abating, the leaders of the the two opposing militias — the pro-Ukrainian volunteer “Donbass” battalion, and the Donetsk People's Republic armed forces — continue to use social networks to reach out with news of their military campaigns.
Donbass Batallion's Semyon Semyonchenko uses Facebook to deliver upbeat soundbites. Recently he has been engaged in recruiting fighters for his militia on the Maidan Square, the site of winter violence in Kiev. Some of the activists have yet to go home, and some of these are apparently choosing to follow Semyonchenko into battle — according to him, “Donbass” has more than 800 volunteers who are training on a Ukrainian National Guard base in Novye Petrovtsy.
Semyonchenko's messages are couched in ideological language. Yesterday he posted the following, in response to talk of potential negotiations with the Donetsk separatists:
Батальон Донбасс против проведения переговоров с террористами, признания похитителей людей, убийц, наемников воюющей стороной и любых переговоров о ” прекращении огня” . Это путь в никуда. Не верим что подобное возможно. Надеемся что имеем дело с фейком. Это наше мнение как граждан Украины.
The Donbass battalion is against negotiating with terrorists, acknowledging kidnappers, murderers, and mercenaries as military combatants, and any talk of “cease fires.” This is a road to nowhere. We don't believe that something like this is possible. We hope that this is fake news. This is our opinion as citizens of Ukraine.
Of course, with the current losses on both sides anywhere from the low to high hundreds, a cease-fire and negotiation would appear to be a sound strategy. It is unclear if Semyonchenko really believes the situation can be resolved without the two sides sitting down to talk. If anything, it might make separatist leaders, like the perennially sad-faced separatist military leader Igor Strelkov, double down on the violence.
Strelkov has continued to deliver short updates of his situation through a friendly LiveJournal account, although these sit-reps are then distributed on the RuNet through Facebook and VKontakte. In the past few days the updates have been eventful, since it appears that Ukraine's regular forces have increased pressure on the rebel center in the small, yet strategically located, town of Slavyansk. Strelkov has “confirmed” for instance, that the DPR forces have shot down several military airplanes and helicopters using anti-aircraft guns and MANPAD anti-aircraft missiles, most recently a military reconnaissance plane (the Ukrainians claim that the airplane was on a humanitarian mission).
Strelkov has also said that several regiments of “Cossacks”, who had come to Slavyansk to help the separatist cause from Russia and elsewhere in Ukraine, have abandoned ship, tailing it back to the Russian border. (Apparently it was these Cossack regiments that the infamous tomato-terrorist Murz [Global Voices report] ran afoul of several weeks ago.)
More seriously, Strelkov has claimed the use of “Grad” rocket propelled artillery against separatist positions in the town of Semyonovka. This is a serious charge, since “Grad” is a notoriously imprecise weapon used for large-scale destruction (most famously in the leveling of Grozny, during the second Chechen campaign). Strelkov, however, says that so far the weapon has not been used to the full extent:
Градами 3 июня они по Семеновке действительно стреляли. Но пускали по одной ракете, не залпами
They really used “Grad” in Semyonovka on June 3. But they only launched one rocket at a time, not salvos
Will the violence continue to increase, and if so, what is the breaking point at which Ukraine's Anti-Terrorist Operation becomes full-scale war?

author: Andrey Tselikov


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Human Rights Situation in Laos · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The International Service for Human Rights has prepared a briefing paper on the human rights situation in Laos:
Human rights defenders prefer to be known as ‘community workers’ and are afraid of reprisals if they are associated with regional and international human rights organisations.
As Laos is scheduled to undergo a Universal Periodic Review in January 2015, below are some recommendations to improve the country's human rights record:
…the development of specific policies for the recognition and protection of the work of human rights defenders and the removal of judicial restrictions on freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, along with the decriminalisation of defamation and ‘misinformation’.

author: Mong Palatino


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Launching of Book “A Curious Traveler” · Global Voices
María Romina Mascareño

Image by Laura Schneider, used with permission.
On her blog [es], Laura Schneider invites us [es] to the launching of the book “Un viajero curioso” [A curious traveler], the first book about travels and stories from around the world by photographer and writer Esteban Mazzoncini. On her post, Laura shares a review of the author:
Desde 1993 fotografió más de 60 países en 400.500 kilómetros. El autor comparte, entre otras historias, el día que jugó al fútbol al lado de las pirámides de Egipto, cuando recorrió barrios talibanes en Afganistán con 25º grados bajo cero, el día en que sobrevivió a la muerte cuando contrajo malaria en Uganda, aquella vez que hizo dedo en un tanque en el Líbano o el día en que fue invitado a un casamiento en una aldea de Polonia.
Since 1993, he photographed more than 60 countries in 400.500 kilometers. The author tells, among other stories, about the day when he played football next to Egypt pyramids, when he went across Taliban neighborhoods in Afghanistan at -25ºC, the day he survived death when he contracted malaria in Uganda, that time when he hitchhiked in a tank in Lebanon or the day when he was invited to a wedding in a village in Poland.
She ends up inviting us to visit the author's blog: Un viajero curioso [A curious traveler; es].


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This Photo From a “Litter Island” is Appalling · Global Voices
Luis Flores

Image by tedxgp2 on flickr, used under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic licence (CC BY-NC 2.0)
Rut Abrain [es], biologist and the author behind Esturirafi [es], shares her concern for the plastic islands, caused by wasted materials from human populations. The note [es] mentions the problems this causes to the environment:
[Los] plásticos se degradan y se convierten en fragmentos más y más pequeños. Los animales marinos que viven cerca de la superficie, confunden estos fragmentos con comida y el plástico acaba formando parte de la cadena alimentaria. En algunos casos provocándoles problemas hormonales o la muerte. Finalmente, estos minúsculos fragmentos de plástico acaban en nuestro organismo.
Plastics deteriorate and become smaller and smaller fragments. Marine animals who live near the surface think these fragments are food and plastic ends up as part of the food chain. In some cases, this causes [the animals] hormonal problems or death. Lastly, those tiny plastic fragments end up in our bodies.
The blogger also reminds us about the importance of Reducing, Recycling and Reusing to reduce our impact on the planet.

author: Luis Flores


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The three Most Important Posts on #RedViajAR This Week · Global Voices
María Romina Mascareño

On this post [es] of Argentinian blogger network Red Viajar [es], Laura Schneider presents the featured posts of the week. Among the recommended ones, there is one about La Salada, Argentina most important fair:
La Salada es una feria inmensa, una de las más grandes de América Latina, que queda en Gran Buenos Aires, al lado del Riachuelo. En sus comienzos fue formada por inmigrantes bolivianos que se asentaron en esos terrenos y hoy en día es un polo comercial que moviliza alrededor de 9 millones de dólares por semana y que le da trabajo a muchísima gente.
La Salada [The Salty] is a huge fair, one of the biggest in Latin America, located in Gran Buenos Aires, close to Riachuelo. Right from the start, it was set up by Bolivian migrants, who settled in those lands  and today is a commercial site that manages about 9 million dollars per week and provides a job for many people.
Definitely, these are recommendations to consider.


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Why Do the Taiwanese Need to Remember the Tiananmen Massacre? · Global Voices
Sophie Hsu

Hong Kong may have taken the lead in observing the Anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre, but other Chinese speaking communities, such as the people of Taiwan, also organize annual candlelight vigils in memory of the incident.
In 1989, thousands of Taiwanese had rallied in support of of the student-led protests that took place in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, protests that were forcibly suppressed by the authorities through a military crackdown that resulted in a large number of student and other civil casualties.This year too, hundreds of Taiwanese attended the candle night vigil at the Liberty Square in Taipei to mark the 25th anniversary of the Tiananmen Massacre.
The backdrop of the candle-light vigil shows two tanks in front of the Gate of Tiananmen. The slogan said, “Passing-by Tiananmen, Everyone can be the Tankman”. Photo from event organizer.
This year, the theme of the vigil was ‘Passing-by Tiananmen’. The huge backdrop showing the tanks entering the Tiananmen Square highlighted the message that people would be able to stop the tanks, which represent the authoritarian rule in China. The organizers of the event, Taiwan Association for China Human Rights, Taiwan Students for the Advancement of Democratization in China and the New School for Democracy explained in their event statement [zh] why it is important for the Taiwanese society to remember the Tiananmen Massacre:
馬政府上台後積極推動兩岸經濟統合，逐漸走向政治談判，使台灣與中國關係日益密切。台灣人可以摀住耳朵，幻想不統、不獨、不武的維持現狀，但很難扭轉政府逐漸向中國靠攏的政策。[…]六四事件並沒有過去，它形塑出現在此時此刻我們所正經歷的「中國因素」。因此，紀念六四，是對以壓制人權為代價的「中國模式」和「大國崛起」的嚴正抗拒，是對依附在中國黨國體制下的東亞政商權貴聯盟的徹底批判。[…]六四的議題，就在不只是遙遠他國「天朝」的問題，而有著在地的政治意涵。紀念六四，對台灣人，已經不再只是關心中國民主化，也是防止台灣再度極權化。
Taiwan government under President Ma Ying Jeou, has been active in unifying the cross-strait economy and the economic deal has slowly evolved into a political negotiation that tightens the connection between China and Taiwan. Taiwanese people can cover up their ears, imagine that the status quo of no independence, no unification and no military confrontation remains unchanged. But the policy of Taiwan government will continue to strengthen the connection with China.[…] The June 4 incident is not just history. It is the foundation of “China factor” that we are facing today. To remember June 4 is to resist “China model” and “the rise of a strong state” that builds upon the repression of human rights. It is also a critique of the coalition of crony capitalists in East Asia whose wealth and interests are relied upon by the China party-state political system. […] June 4 is not just an issue of the “Kingdom” which is far away from us. It has local political meaning. To remember June 4, is not only a concern for the democratization of China, but an awareness to prevent the Taiwan government from going backward to authoritarianism.
The statement has been echoed by many human rights activists, such as Yang Hsien-hung, an advocate for China human rights. Yang urged [zh]:
台灣社會如果有一天不再紀念六四，台灣就完了。美國社會如果有一天不再紀念六四，世界就完了。還好，這不是事實，真正的狀況是，不論台灣或美國，紀念六四都已經承傳，新的學運世代，已在台灣生根，他們在台灣發起「路過天安門，人人坦克人」的活動。
If Taiwanese society no longer remembers June 4, Taiwan [civic society as a whole] would be finished, and same would be for American society. Fortunately, this is not the case now because whether in Taiwan or in the United States, it has become a tradition to commemorate Tiananmen [massacre]. The era of student movements have already taken root in Taiwan, and this time, they launched in Taiwan the activity, “Passing-by Tiananmen, All the People are Tank Man”.
In response to the criticism of his six-year silence on the issue, Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou issued a “reflection” this year. Rather than a straight forward condemnation, he described the incident as a tragedy that is a “great historic wound [zh]” but expressed optimism about the development of rule of law and democracy in China. On the other hand, the opposition party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) addressed the current human right situation [zh] in China and condemned the arrest and prosecution of dissidents on the eve of the June 4 anniversary.
Hundreds of people attended the candle-light vigil at Liberty Square, Taipei. Photo taken by Paul Huang. Used with permission.
Despite the effort to connect the human rights condition in China with the concerns of the Taiwanese people, there have been very few discussions online about the incident.
Jeff Huang, who attended the vigil observed lack of emotional attachment [zh] among the Taiwanese, to the historical incident:
臺灣人對於六四只是歷史課本上的必考題，缺乏認同感，想起我之前在香港做的中國人調查，這種國家認同感在香港還是非常強烈，年年六四晚會都有上萬人參與。臺灣關心六四不是來自認同感，而是對民主與自由的堅持，不把民主送給中國，中國會把獨裁送給臺灣。不管地球上哪個角落的人權問題，我們都應該站出來聲援。
In Taiwan, 6/4 is only an examination question in history textbooks, and it lacks a sense of identification. I remember when previously I was in Hong Kong doing research on the Chinese people, this kind of national identification in Hong Kong was extremely strong, and every year, there are tens of thousands that attend 6/4 rallies. The concern of the Taiwanese people towards 6/4 does not originate from identification, but rather from a persistence in (the idea of) democracy and freedom, and they will not willingly give up democracy for China or accept China’s authoritarianism on Taiwan. Regardless of which part of the world it comes from, the ideal of human rights should be a promoted in one voice by all of us.
Lin Feifan, a student leader of the Sunflower Movement (a movement led by a coalition of students and civic groups between March 18 and April 10 2014 to protest against the cross-strait trade pact between mainland China and Taiwan) explained why the Taiwanese youth were apathetic towards June 4th Incident:
台灣人不是對六四無感，而是對『中國』沒有特別的感情，特別是年輕一代，這當然有他的歷史成因。
Taiwanese people are not apathetic towards June 4th commemorations, Rather, they have no particular feelings on ‘China’, especially the youth and this could be a result caused by history.
However, for the attendance at the candle-light vigil, it is obvious that many in Taiwan are not indifferent – rather they feel the need to remember history both for championing human rights in general as well as ensure that Taiwan upholds it's democratic values and does not go ‘the China way’.

author: Sophie Hsu


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A President for Lebanon? Yes, No, Maybe…What For? · Global Voices
Nada

MS- شكراً…مع محبتي….سأبقى معكم pic.twitter.com/2l3rSP43DW
— Michel Sleiman (@SleimanMichel) May 25, 2014
Thank you, with my love, I shall stay with you.
With this tweet, Lebanese President Michel Sleiman marked the end of his term in office on May 25, 2014. The political blog Moulahazat provided an interesting and detailed assessment of his term in office.
“(…) 36% of Michel Sleiman’s time in power lacked a functioning executive power. Needless to say that the Lebanese parliament cannot legislate with no government in power, and cannot meet in summer, which means that during Sleiman’s 6 years, the parliament had a  maximum of 3 years to pass laws and amendments (around 50% of the time).”
Beirut Report notes billboards on the highway praising Sleiman, and also choses to reflect on his legacy:
“(…) how will Sleiman be remembered? Will it be for his tweet calling for civil marriage or his criticism and very public disagreements with Lebanon's most powerful force, Hezbollah? Or will it be his de-facto pardon of indie rock star who was arrested for mentioning his name in a song? Meanwhile other tweeps and journalists still face criminal charges for insulting him.”
Anyway, all that is the past. What everyone is dying to know is what comes next? Lebanon entered a predictable and predicted presidential vacuum following Parliament's failure to elect a new president within the constitutional time frame but this isn't the first time Baabda (Lebanese presidential palace) finds itself empty. Previous president Michel Lahoud had also left with no announced successor in 2008 and the country went for six whole months without a head of state.
Today, the Lebanese are taking the repeat vacuum with a well-balanced mix of cynicism, humour and philosophy. Unfazed sometimes, but perhaps it is because years of disappointment have taught the Lebanese not to expect much of local politics.
This would explain @DyalaBadran's reality check:
We live in fear of a presidential "vacuum" as if what we have now is optimal functionality? #Lebanon #lebanonpresident2014
— Dyala Badran (@dyalabadran) May 24, 2014
Or even @Georges_Sassine's approach:
Lebanon scenarios: (1) consensual figure elected President after prolonged vacuum; (2) security deteriorates & Military takes over informaly
— Georges Sassine (@georges_sassine) May 25, 2014
But we can always count on @KarlreMarks to find the bright side:
Arab President Leaves Office At The End Of His Term. Arab press not sure how to explain this to the people. #Lebanon
— Karl Sharro (@KarlreMarks) May 24, 2014
However, it is in all seriousness that blogger Elias Muhanna wonders if Lebanon needs a president at all:
“More relevant than the matter of who the next president will be is the question of whether Lebanon needs a president at all, a quarter century after the Ta’if Agreement. Consider the President’s powers and duties (articles 49-63 of the Lebanese Constitution). Apart from serving as “the symbol of the nation’s unity” and safeguarding “the constitution and Lebanon’s independence, unity, and territorial integrity,” the President of the Republic does very little without the say-so of the Council of Ministers. He or she accredits ambassadors and promulgates laws, but doesn’t have a vote in cabinet, cannot select a Prime Minister without binding consultations with the Parliament, cannot dissolve Parliament without permission of the Council of Ministers, and cannot effectively block a law from being passed.”
Two weeks later, there's still no end in sight for the political deadlock and with simply too many problems on the agenda, the presidential vacuum is already yesterday's news and World Cup discussions are slowly taking over:
New theory in #Lebanon : World Cup winner in #Brasil2014 will have an impact on who will be the next president.
— mouafac harb (@mouafac) June 7, 2014

author: Nada


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Are You Enraged by Turkey’s Coal Problem? You Should Be.  · Global Voices
350.org

Rows of graves for those killed in Soma. Miners would get thirsty a lot. A jug is left at every grave, in their memory. Photo by Cansın Leylim Ilgaz. Used with permission.
This article was written by Mahir Ilgaz for 350.org, an organization building a global climate movement, and is republished on Global Voices as part of a content sharing agreement.
Coal, whether suddenly or slowly, almost always brings death.
The explosion, and subsequent fire at a coal mine in the town of Soma, in Western Turkey on May 14 was a particularly tragic and rage inducing reminder that climate disasters in fact represent a profound lack of social justice.
For Turkey a coal disaster was imminent considering the relentless increase in coal exploitation alongside abhorrently lax labor safety laws.
Just two weeks before the accident, Turkey's opposition party brought the terrible working conditions in Soma before the parliament – the proposal was ignored by the government. But there was still shock at the scale of this man-made disaster.
A sense of grief and horror multiplied as the number of dead miners continued to rise. The final toll reached 301. What served to transform grief into anger was the total lack of respect displayed by the government in the face of the disaster.
Prime Minister Erdoğan went so far as to say the death of miners is “ordinary.” With that Erdoğan confirmed his readiness to accept and enforce the perpetuation of this inherently dangerous business.
While coal mining is much more dangerous in places like Turkey where labor rights and workers’ health are trivialized, underground coal mining is an extremely perilous business even in the best of conditions. For most miners, their vocation is not a choice.
A young miner M. M. — lost 301 comrades and yet feared giving a radio interview in case his voice would be recognized and he would lose his job: “I have to return to the mine… I have to pay off debts at the bank.” The debts he is referring to are connected to bare necessities: food, housing, clothing.
In Turkey, following a recent round of legislative changes, a mining license holder can apply to the Ministry for Energy and Natural Resources to open agricultural areas or even national and natural parks for mining.
Once mining starts, residents in the area are left with one viable vocation. Coal extracted from these mines is then burnt in nearby power plants or distributed to the poor as a form of social subsidy (for continued electoral support). A seemingly endless vicious cycle.
Photo by Cansın Leylim Ilgaz. “SOMA Population 105000”, “-302?” in graffiti in remembrance of those lost in the coal mine.
The simple truth is that Turkey could have been on its way to quit coal long ago. According to Eurostat data, Turkey’s energy intensity ratio has not improved for at least 10 years (improving  this ratio could result in energy savings in the range of 20-25% – around the current share of coal in electricity production).
The role of climate friendly sources of energy (excluding controversial hydro projects) is so low it can barely be seen in a pie chart. In a country with an abundant supply of renewable sources of energy no less. This transition would provide enough jobs for all those currently working in mining and beyond.
Thus, the flippant remarks by those in power following the death of miners’ is appalling on more than one level. If not using the means to eliminate dependency on coal despite knowing that coal kills represents criminal neglect, then increasing coal use even more despite this knowledge is simply criminal.
Case in point, the Ministry for Energy and Natural Resources declared 2012 as the “year of coal” and the current policy is to increase the share of coal in electricity production to over 30% by 2030.
Risking the lives of many for the profit of the few would be one of the most common examples of social injustice.
We have to accept that our addiction to fossil fuels is interlaced with a plethora of social justice issues. The indignation at these injustices should be a major part of the framework for the struggle to solve the climate crisis.


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#CarajoNoMePuedoMorir Impacted on Social Networks in Bolivia · Global Voices
Luis Flores

Mario Duran [es], one of the authors behind the blog TICs para el Desarrollo, [ICTs for development; es] shares his analysis [es] about the meme with hashtag #CarajoNoMePuedoMorir [roughly translated as Fucking hell, I can't die] after Samuel Doria Medina, leader of the National Unity Front in Bolivia, tells how after a plane crash, this phrase came to his mind. The author shows how the phrase became even more popular than the politician who said:
Not even death chooses me. Fucking hell, I can't die. Image by Mario Durán, used with permission. [Note: the original Spanish image has a mistake, as the correct form of the verb is ELIGE, with a G).
En Facebook, [el meme] tiene un alcance de 52 500 me gusta, superior a la actividad de la fanpage de SDM (17 300 me gusta).
On Facebook, [the meme] has reached 52 500 likes, even more than the activity of SDM fanpage (17 300 likes).
Mario Duran also emphasizes how the virality of the phrase was a lost opportunity for both ruling and opposition parties to spread negative or postiive propaganda, respectively, thus losing an important opportunity. He remembers at the end that he prefers being mocked online to a real activism:
En general, la gente prefiere la comodidad del teclado antes que las acciones en la calle.
In general, people prefer the comfort of the keyboard rather than street actions.


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Caribbean: The Gender of Hurricanes · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Are hurricanes named after women more deadly than those with masculine names? Abeng News Magazine looks at the evidence.


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Do You Know Top 30 Kenyan Blogs? · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Kenyan blogger James Wamathai shares a list of top 30 Kenyan blogs:
According to Alexa, the following are the top 30 Kenyan blogs.
As with the list I did in February, it is dominated by gossip, entertainment and lifestyle blogs. One notable entrant to the list is benkiruthi.com which is the only photography blog on the list.
kenyan-post.com
ghafla.co.ke
nairobiwire.com
niaje.com
techmoran.com
africaxposed.com
crazyafricanz.com
kenya-today.com
michezoafrika.com
hekaheka.com


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Google Chrome Users, Terra Incognita Brings Serendipity and Curiosity to Your Browsing  · Global Voices
Sahar Habib Ghazi

Screenshot from the Terra Incognita website.
An Airport Siege in Pakistan. Protests in Venezuela. Girls Kidnapped in Nigeria.
Are you frustrated with the selective background information you have on these places, because of the nature of the news beast? What if you could easily access relevant, fun, or stereotype-busting information about these places without raking up the frequent flier miles?
Terra Incognita: 1000 Cities of the World is designed to “engineer serendipity” for all Google Chrome users, to discover nuanced views, outside the normal news frame, about 1000 global cities, by simply downloading their free Chrome extension from the Chrome Web store.
From the Terra Incognita website:
Whereas many recommendation systems connect you on the basis of “similarity”, Terra Incognita connects you to global news on the basis of serendipity. Each time you open the application, Terra Incognita shows you a city that you have not yet read about and gives you options for reading about it. Chelyabinsk (Russia), Hiroshima (Japan), Hagåtña (Guam) and Dhaka (Bangladesh) are a few of the places where you might end up.
Once you download the free extension, you can launch it by clicking on the Terra Incognita button in your address bar, which will ask you for a one-time login email address. You'll have to sign a user-study consent form and answer a short pre-study survey form (will only take a minute), before you can start browsing through Terra Incognita.
Terra Incognita is an MIT Center for Civic Media project. It has been built by Catherine D'Ignazio with Matt Stempeck and Ethan Zuckerman (one of GV's co-founders!).
For people unfamiliar with what “extensions” are, they extend the functionality of Google Chrome and the websites being viewed in it. For example, this extension appears in Google Chrome by adding a new button to the address bar. Compared to apps, extensions cut across websites and web apps.

author: Sahar Habib Ghazi


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Historic Court Ruling Empowers Brazil to Confront Its Dark Past · Global Voices
Fernanda Canofre

Deputy Rubens Paiva with his wife, Eunice. Photo from the Sao Paulo Legislative Assembly
[All links lead to pages in Portuguese except when otherwise noted.]
Five retired Brazilian military officers stand formally accused of torture and death of Deputy Rubens Paiva [en] in 1971, during the country's military regime. On May 26, 2014, in what is being seen as a historic ruling, a Federal Court of Justice admitted the case against the retired officers, thereby opening a chapter from Brazil's dark past.
In March this year, retired Colonel Paulo Malhães confessed [en] to the murder of Rubens Paiva as well as mutilating and hiding his body. He later retracted his testimony, saying that he feared for his life. A month later, Malhães was murdered [en] in a supposed armed robbery at his residence, a case that is still being investigated. New evidence discovered in his home, such as documents quoting the involvement of the aforementioned five military officers, were used by the public prosecutor's office to build a case against them.
The court's ruling was unprecedented. Former Minister of Human Rights, Maria do Rosário, tweeted:
Fundamental para a história democrática do país, a denúncia contra militares pela tortura, desaparecimento e morte de Rubens Paiva.
— Maria do Rosario (@_mariadorosario) Mayo 20, 2014
Fundamental for the country's democratic history, charges against military officers for the torture, disappearance and death of Rubens Paiva.
Meanwhile, right-wing blogger Reinaldo Azevedo said that the judge’s decision was the “most exotic reasoning I've ever read.” The country's Amnesty Law, which has been reinterpreted to protect members of the dictatorship from prosecution, is still valid. So, according to Azevedo, even though the military regime never held the legal right of torturing and murdering (especially someone like the deputy, who was not a “terrorist”) the current accusations should hold no legal value.
However, Judge Caio Márcio Gutterres Taranto ruled that the accusations against the five officers stem from crimes in the Penal Code, not political crimes. Therefore, the defendants are not protected under the umbrella of the country's Amnesty Law.
The defendants can still appeal the decision.
Historical decision
The latest court decision belongs to a celebrated chapter in Brazil’s history, with the nation working towards making amends for years of silence on its dark period of dictatorship. Since the creation of the National Truth Commission in 2012, the country has been facing the untold memories of its past. A preliminary report found that there were 17 clandestine torture centers in the country at the time.
Rubens Paiva’s case is one of the most emblematic. As deputy for the Brazilian Labour Party [en] in Sao Paulo, Paiva was forced to relinquish his position after the military coup in 1964.
Prior to the coup, Paiva was also a member of the investigative committee created to examine [en] the activities of two important NGOs – the Institute for Social Research and Studies (Instituto de Pesquisas e Estudos Sociais) and the Brazilian Institute for Democratic Action (Instituto Brasileiro de Ação Democrática). The committee found that these organizations were bribing military officers for data which was then being used it to propagate the idea of “the red menace”- to create a fear that Brazil was about to be taken over by communists. The money, in turn was used to sponsor the military's coup d’état.
After a period of living in exile in Chile, Paiva returned to Brazil and was arrested by the police in 1971 from his home in Rio de Janeiro. After that he disappeared and despite the official version given at the time that he was kidnapped while in custody, it was widely suspected that he had been killed. It is now coming to light that after being tortured, he was brutally murdered and his teeth and the tips of his fingers were removed to prevent identification [en].
Long way to go
After Paiva’s death, it is being speculated that another case, the “Slaughter of Foz do Iguaçu National Park” could also find its way back into the courts.. Known as the “Park Slaughter”, the episode ended in the death of six political activists – five Brazilians and one Argentinian – but their remains were never found. The case is now being re-investigated by academic institutions and the National Truth Commission so that the truth behind the case may be revealed and culpability affixed, thereby bringing closure to the mysterious death and disappearance of the political activists in question.
In spite of the advances achieved so far by the National Truth Commission, much remains to be discovered about the real history of Brazil’s dictatorship. Journalist Juliana Dal Piva claimed during one of the commission's sessions that all those working to unearth the truth – reporters, the commission and even the public prosecutor's office still have to struggle to obtain information from the armed forces.
Perhaps the criminal conviction of some of the torturers of the military regime can mark the beginning of real change.
If convicted, two of the five retired military officers who stand accused in court, could receive a sentence of 37 years in prison for homicide, while the other three could face 10 years for procedural fraud, armed criminal association and the crime of hiding of a corpse.

author: Fernanda Canofre