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With China’s Hottest Social Network in Danger, Netizens Cry: Hands Off! · Global Voices
Tea Leaf Nation

This article by Rachel Lu and David Wertime originally appeared on Tea Leaf Nation on March 31, 2013 and is republished as part of a content sharing agreement.
Could the growth of Weixin, China’s hottest new social network, be in danger?
Weixin, developed by Chinese Web giant Tencent and marketed globally as WeChat, is a free mobile communications app with about 300 million total users. It allows users to reach out to old friends–and find new ones–via voice message, photo sharing, video chat, and walkie-talkie. Weixin was introduced in 2010 and has grown rapidly domestically and internationally ever since.
But the government may have other plans. On March 31, State-run China Central Television (CCTV) posted the following [zh] via its account on Sina Weibo, a popular micro-blogging platform:
【工信部部长苗圩:微信可能收费】据财新网，工业和信息化部部长苗圩表示，工信部目前正协调运营商微信收费一事，会考虑运营商的合理要求。已要求运营商制定相应解决方案提交工信部。他还表示，收流量以外的费用也是合情合理的，但监管部门总体上会站在用户的角度，微信有收费的可能，但不会大幅收费。
Head of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) Miao Wei has stated that the MIIT is currently considering whether to require Tencent, the operator of Weixin, to implement a fee on [the service]. They have already asked Tencent to submit a plan to the Ministry. Miao also stated that fees in addition to data fees paid to telecom operators are entirely reasonable, but the supervising bureaus can view the matter from the users’ perspective, so although fees on Weixin are possible, they will not be onerous.
The comment follows a March 28 statement by another powerful Chinese official that Weixin “should charge a fee.” Tencent has so far held fast its position that it would keep Weixin free.
The move is widely seen by users as a way to placate China’s powerful telecom operators – China Telecom, China Unicom, and China Mobile — who are trying to defend their turf since their core business of voice communication and SMS are threatened by Weixin. All three are state-owned enterprises, also called SOEs. Weixin’s rapid growth may have cannibalized SMS [text message] fees for China’s mobile providers; in 2012, Caijing magazine reported that “the number of SMS messages sent by China Mobile users witnessed record low growth in 2012.” With its powerful voice communication features, Weixin may also have taken a bite out of the operators’ voice fees.
The latest statement from the MIIT has gone viral on Sina Weibo, with over 18,000 users sharing the post and over 6,000 weighing in to comment. User @dhljl [zh] echoed a widely held sentiment that
收费那天就是微信覆灭那天。
the day Weixin charges a fee is the day it is destroyed.
Weibo commenters apparently comprised many Weixin users as well, as they rushed to defend the service with argument, epithet, or humor. Tweeted businessman Wang Weijia (@王维嘉):
如果腾讯不想收费，政府或运营商依据什么法律可以强迫腾讯收费？这在历史上还没先例。
If Tencent does not want to charge a fee, what law can the government or telecom operators rely on to force Tencent to charge a fee? This is totally unprecedented in history.
Outraged users also point out that the potential fee would be a double-whammy, since users already pay telecom operators for data downloaded over their networks, including for content sent on the Weixin app. @ImKayWu tweeted,
运营商没本事竞争微信就来这招。。。鄙视，这年头享受点免费的好东西总像碍着某人的事
The telecom operators cannot compete with Weixin so they try this underhanded move. Shameless. If we enjoy something nice for free it seems to get in their way.
If the contemplated fee were to become reality, it would mark government’s departure from a relatively laissez-faire approach toward Chinese Internet companies and hark back to the bad old days of planned economy. While the Chinese government engages in active Internet censorship, it has nonetheless given Chinese companies a rather free hand to make business decisions, including whether to charge fees.
One reason for the heretofore hands-off approach is authorities’ stated desire to encourage “indigenous innovation,” a policy announced in 2006 intended to reduce reliance on foreign technology (and line the pockets of Chinese business). In some ways, the so-called Great Firewall of Censorship, which renders Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus unreachable via standard Mainland connections, is part of this policy.
And some would argue that it has worked. China has produced some of the world’s largest Internet companies, including Alibaba, Tencent, Sina and a slew of others, making China one of the world’s largest e-commerce markets and contributing billions of dollars to the economy. [Editors’ note: This is not an endorsement of the Great Firewall.]
With a fee on Weixin, Chinese authorities would undermine that objective and it could kill the golden goose. Weixin has risen to become a potential rival to all comers worldwide, including WhatsApp and LINE, or even Skype and Facebook. As @杨哲__ wrote,
一开始用户因为免费选择了微信，现在微信是一个更加开放的分享平台，不仅可以语音通信，发送短信，而且可以分享更多信息。微信不仅是在和运营商争夺市场，他的竞争对手扩大到微博，facebook 这样的社交网络。
At the start, users chose Weixin because it was free. Now, Weixin [has become] an open sharing platform, and not just because of voice and text communication…Weixin’s competitors have come to include Weibo, Facebook, and [other] social networks.
Weixin’s appeal is indeed vast, particularly within China. It has become known as a way for young Chinese to find romantic hook-ups using its location based services. With its photo-sharing, walkie-talkie, and group-chat functions, it has also become a valuable tool for dispersed families to keep in touch.
The smart money says that Chinese authorities, and the SOEs with whom they remain closely tied, will not follow through with their threat. At best, it would represent a short-term revenue boost to telecom providers, but at the expense of one of China’s most promising and innovative new products. Even that much cannot be guaranteed. The fee may simply drive erstwhile Weixin users into the arms of the inevitable next-generation Weixin copy-cats, who would gladly continue to siphon revenue from the Big Three.
At worst, the move would enrage users and simply shift wealth from everyday Chinese users and an innovative private company to three SOEs. The appearance of an unholy alliance between government and SOEs prompted one Reuters columnist to call the latter a “vampire squid” late last year, and that perception has only intensified with recent negative state media coverage of Apple, Inc. that appears protectionist in nature.
Without knowing Chinese authorities’ true intent, it’s at least likely that they have used recent statements as trial balloons, gauging reaction on Weibo and other social media platforms in order to determine the extent of possible blowback. It would not be the first time that the Chinese Internet, with its relatively free-wheeling commentary, were used as a window into public sentiment by officials who lack more democratic means of pulse-taking.
If China’s government is listening, the message that grassroots users are sending is clear. As @山西大学在水一方 wrote, “Nation, what do we common folks look like in your eyes? Tools to make money? What are you doing to make peoples’ lives better?” In other words: keep your hands off our Weixin.

author: Tea Leaf Nation


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Report: Attacks on Argentinian Press Spiked in 2012 · Global Voices
Gabriela Manuli

Attacks against members of the Argentinian press rocketed an alarming 41 percent in 2012, advocacy group Argentinian Journalism Forum (FOPEA) [es] revealed in their latest freedom of expression report.
The forum's Monitoreo de Libertad de Expresión [es] (Freedom of Expression Monitor) reported that there were 172 attacks in 2012, compared to 122 in 2011. The cases included physical and psychological aggression, threats, attacks against property, harassment, and censorship.
The Argentinian Freedom of Expression Monitoring Programme [es] began in 2008 with the aim of detecting all kinds of limitations on freedom of expression, from the most direct and obvious to the most subtle. It works through the collaborative effort of a network of self-motivated volunteers stationed throughout the nation's provinces who take action whenever there is a complaint. FOPEA is also a member of the International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX).
The 2012 edition of the report was launched exclusively on social networking sites. Under the hash-tag #MonitoreoFOPEA, users spread the word, revealing the main issues and connecting with the victims themselves. The same happened on Facebook where users, including the journalist, Juan Mascardi [es], shared news:
La provincia de Santa Fe ocupa el #Top3 en el ranking de ataques a la prensa en 2012 http://monitoreolde.com.ar/ según el Foro de Periodismo Argentino Entre esos casos está el ataque al compañero Luis Martínez, camarógrafo de Telefe Noticias de Canal 5 durante los saqueos de diciembre. A pesar de existir foto del agresor, nunca hubo Justicia. Penoso.
Santa Fe province is in the #Top3 for attacks on members of the press in 2012 http://monitoreolde.com.ar/ according to the Argentinian Journalism Forum. Among these cases is the assault on my friend Luis Martínez, cameraman for Channel 5 Telefe Noticias during the looting in December. Even though a photograph of the attacker exists, there has never been Justice. Painful.
Main findings in the report
The Knight Center blog echoed the report, summarising some of the fundamental findings:
Uno de los puntos claves del informe fue que debido a la “impunidad de los agresores y la incapacidad de las instancias judiciales de resolver las denuncias”, el principal agresor fue definido como “desconocido” o “anónimo”. No obstante, se identificó que en 21 casos los responsables fueron funcionarios municipales.
De hecho, el informe detectó que el factor más hostil lo representa la actividad política a nivel municipal, provincial y nacional debido a que “existen decenas de funcionarios y politicos que no respetan el ejercicio profesional del periodismo”.
One of the key points of the report is that due to the “impunity of the attackers and the inability of judicial proceedings to resolve accusations,” the aggressor in most incidents is marked in the report as “unknown” or “anonymous.” Nevertheless, municipal officials were identified as the attackers in 21 of the cases.
The report stated that municipal, provincial and national political activity represents the greatest danger to journalists, given that there are “dozens of officials and politicians that do not respect the professional exercise of journalism.”
Clases de periodismo also writes about this topic, noting the change in the ways in which the assaults are measured:
El monitoreo intenta desnaturalizar las agresiones que antes eran percibidas como “gajes del oficio”. Por eso — aseguran— la evolución de la cantidad de casos muchas veces no tiene que ver tanto con un aumento real de la cantidad de ataques, “sino con una evolución en nuestra forma de visibilizarlas”.
The monitor tries to denature the assaults which before were seen as “perks of the job”. They claim, therefore, that the change in the number of cases very often is not so much to do with a real increase in attacks, “but rather with a change in how we visualise them”.
Key elements of the 2012 report [es]:
Assaults. FOPEA recorded that in 70 percent of cases in 2012 the victims were men. Another 12 percent were women and 16 percent were media companies or the press in general.
In the provinces. Most of the assaults took place within the provinces [es], and then in the provincial capitals. In 2012, The Argentinian Freedom of Expression Monitoring Programme recorded nine cases in Río Negro and La Rioja and seven in Salta, Entre Ríos, La Pampa and Jujuy.
Map recording assaults by province.
The worst attacker. Due to the impunity of the attackers and the inability of judicial proceedings to resolve accusations, the main type of attacker is “unknown” or “anonymous”.
Average. Among the victims, 23 percent of the journalists attacked work for radio stations.
Type of attack. In 2012, 26 percent of the assault cases on journalists were physical and/ or psychological attacks. 22 percent were threats and, in some cases, death threats. 17 percent were attacks on property.
Physical aggression. The greatest number of attacks (122) were physical and or psychological, followed by threats (93), attacks on property, issuance or dissemination (76), harassment (74), restrictions to the access of information and obstructions to coverage (37), censorship (26) and judicial harassment (7).
Beyond the increasing numbers, FOPEA also estimates that there are many assaults that are kept quiet, and so the work they do everyday is vital:
Nuestra organización es consciente de que muchos casos en los que los periodistas que son víctimas de ataques a la libertad de expresión por parte de gobiernos, organizaciones o privados, no son difundidos precisamente por temor a represalias comerciales, laborales o físicas. Ayudar a vencer esas barreras es un objetivo central del monitoreo.
Our organisation is aware of many cases in which journalists are the victim of attacks on their freedom of expression by governments, organisations or individuals. They are not talked about simply because of the fear of commercial, financial and work-related reprisals. Helping to overcome these barriers is a central aim of the monitoring programme.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Gabriela Manuli


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Australia: Whistleblower Fires Coal Seam Gas Debate · Global Voices
Kevin Rennie

Whistleblower Simone Marsh has added fire to ongoing arguments about the environmental impact of the coal seam gas (CSG) industry in Australia. 4 Corners, a current affairs program on ABCTV (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) on Monday April 1, 2013 aired Gas Leak! It was no April fool’s joke, with allegations of government fast-tracking of CSG developments without adequate environmental impact studies.
Concerns about the effects of fracking* on water supplies and quality have created common ground for farmers and environmentalists, despite past and recent bad blood. Impact on groundwater, rivers and property are the major concerns, with escaping methane the burning issue.
[*For a detailed explanation please see: CSG: what is it, where does it come from, and why is it so controversial?, part of the 2012 collaborative online project by FAQ Research.]
Peter Clarke at Illigitimi Non Carborudum [Don't let the bastards grind you down] blogged about a recent example of this hostility, namely:
…Animal Liberation’s announcement that it will operate a camera mounted drone over private properties to monitor the treatment of livestock and gather evidence of animal cruelty.
John H took aim on twitter:
@knarfnamduh: I suspect we'll see a few drones downed by antiquated anti-drone weaponry, the shotgun! http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-03-31/animal-welfare-group-to-monitor-farms-with-drone/4602644 … @abcnews
Rosemary Nankivell, a farmer from the Liverpool plains, picked up on the potential for CSG surveillance. Her twitter handle heralds her views:
@nocsg: My cattle dog and I support use of drones over CSG fields. Watch govt ban them then #nocsg http://yfrog.com/esm6uzgj
The CSG industry body CSG ALLIANCE attacked the messenger:
@YesCSG_Alliance: ABC have repeatedly breached abc codes which has resulted in repeated apologies & corrections: http://bit.ly/XAaNlw #4corners #csg #auspol
Lesley Smart shared an aerial shot of one of the Queensland fields:
@starleo: You haven't seen the QLD gasfield at Chinchilla – here's a pic. Imagine living there. #4Corners http://twitpic.com/cg4u1j via @TwitPic
The Lock the Gate Alliance has a busy website and they have been very active on their twitter account @LockTheGate since the documentary’s screening. Among their many retweets was this one from Paddy Manning, an environmental writer with the Sydney Morning Herald:
@gpaddymanning: Simone Marsh’ story is disturbing. Qld Govt did rush to provide a ‘bankable’ outcome for GLNG/QCLNG in 2010 #4corners #whatthefrack
Their flickrstream has several sets of photos of community action across New South Wales and Queensland. This photo is from Fullerton Cove, NSW:
Fullerton Cove Blockade Against CSG
Lock The Gate flickr account (Creative Commons License 2.0)
This twitter conversation between Ben Courtice and Henry Midshipman underlines the complexity of the issues. For the record Santos is one of the CSG companies involved and the GAB is the Great Australian Basin, the largest and deepest artesian basin in the world.
@bencourtice: Just finished reading #4corners transcript. Utterly damning of the whole corrupt #CSG industry. Shut it down. http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/stories/2013/04/01/3725150.htm …
@HenryMidship: @bencourtice SANTOS have been fracking their gaswells at Moomba in GAB for 30 years without harm #4corners baseless sensationalism #AusPol

author: Kevin Rennie


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Century-Old Trees Face the Axe in Brazil  · Global Voices
Pedro Henrique Tavares

Residents in Porto Alegre are threatening to climb and occupy century-old trees in the southern Brazilian city to save them from being axed for an expansion project in preparation for the 2014 World Cup.
Porto Alegre is one of the twelve main cities in Brazil to host the premier international football event, held every four years. The city is known for the green canopy its old towering trees form over the streets. In fact, Porto Alegre's Gonçalo de Carvalho has been called the “most beautiful street” in the world.
On 6 February 2013, the City Council [pt] made the shocking move to chop down 115 trees on Edvaldo Pereira Paiva Avenue, between the historic Gasômetro Power Plant (now a cultural centre) and the Pinheiro Borda Avenue Flyover in the city centre.
However, the plans could not be completed because a group of residents stopped the City Council Environment Department (Secretaria Municipal do Meio Ambiente – SMAM) [pt] by climbing the remaining trees in front of the power plant.
Cutting down the century-old trees is part of the works to expand Edvaldo Pereira Paiva Avenue, a project for the 2014 World Cup. According to the Public Traffic and Transport Agency (Empresa Pública de Transporte Circulação – EPTC), the project involves expanding the roadway by 5.8 kilometres between the Gasômetro Power Plant and Pinheiro Borda Avenue.
On Twitter, @zecaleal wrote [pt]: “Gasômetro devastated by out-of-control tree lopping…Mockery and cynicism from the Environment Department”.
Dudupruvinelli1 [pt] posted a film on YouTube showing the trees on the ground along the avenue:
The project to reconstruct this stretch of Edvaldo Pereira Paiva will cost more than 22.5 million reais (11.1 million US dollars), according to the Council's Cup Transparency Portal [pt].
Civil Society Mobilises
On hearing of the measure, a group of opposition parties at the City Council [pt] called a meeting with SMAM through the Committee on Health and the Environment. At the start of the evening, Mayor José Fortunati ordered a halt to the felling. Regardless, the representative made the controversial statement that “no-one uses the Gasômetro trees”, a line which has been ironised in this film on the YouTube profile tonpoa [pt]:
On 19 February, a public hearing was held at the Public Prosecutor's Office. Civil society and developers asked the city administration about the option to construct access at tree level so that they would not have to be cut down, a proposal which was dismissed by the EPTC “due to the high cost and risk of major flooding at [Lake] Guaíba”.
The portal Sul 21 reported that there would be provision for compensation of “400 seedlings in the city”, a figure that was increased by the Council a month later during the public hearing at the City Hall on 18 March. On 23 March, an event was held to plant the new seedlings at Harmony Park, near the Gasômetro, as stated on the blog Porto Imagem [pt – all links]:
Ao todo, para compensar a remoção de 115 vegetais, está previsto o plantio de 401 mudas, além do projeto de arborização e paisagismo da avenida que deve viabilizar mais 2 mil árvores ao longo do trecho duplicado. Todas as mudas plantadas pela Prefeitura são nativas, ao contrário da maioria das que estão sendo removidas, classificadas tecnicamente como exóticas e invasoras.
In total, to compensate for removing 115 trees, 401 seedlings are scheduled to be planted, in addition to the project to green and landscape the avenue, which should see more than 2,000 trees along the extension. All seedlings planted by the Council are natives, in contrast to most being removed, which are technically classified as exotic and invasive.
In his blog Rendering Freedom, architect and town planner Anthony Ling analyses the works within the context of “the Council's planning for the World Cup, (…) a one-off event full of contradictions and suspect actions in public management” [pt – all links]. Ling confronts the vision of the city's growth and questions if “the city's quality will increase proportionally with the increased speed of vehicle traffic on the street”. On the other hand, although he is against the project, Ling also criticises the goals of the different protest movements divided between preserving green spaces and the use of public funds:
O problema do debate entre “árvores” e “desenvolvimento”, no entanto, normalmente é uma visão distorcida do que está em questão. Os resultados da turma que é a favor da obra não resultam em desenvolvimento, nem a defesa de quem é contra a obra é necessariamente pelas árvores dos locais.
The problem with the debate between ‘trees’ and ‘development’, however, is it tends to be a distorted view of what is at issue. The results of the group for the works do not lead to development, nor does the resistance of those against the works necessarily favour the trees on the sites.
Opposing what he calls “planning heading for the ‘end'”, Ling proposes “relaxing current regulations” to encourage good use of the Guaíba Shore:
…transformando-a não em um espaço de passagem de veículos mas em um espaço de uso, o que uma incrível orla merece. Assim, minha crítica não é em relação à mudança ou às árvores per se, mas à forma “de cima para a baixo” de que o projeto está desenrolando, mantendo as restrições atuais sem atender demandas nem sociais, nem de mercado.
…transforming it not into a place for vehicles to pass through but a useful space, what an incredible shore deserves. My criticism does not relate to change or trees per se,  but the ‘top-down’ way the project is unfolding, maintaining the current restrictions without meeting either social or market demands.
Gasômetro Park
In the caption: “preserving and planting trees can make a huge difference in the urban landscape”. Photo from Kênia Castro, on Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
In a meeting with councillors before the public hearing at the City Council on 18 March, Jacqueline Sanchotene, president of the pro-Gasômetro movement Movimento Viva Gasômetro [pt], brought up the project “to create the Gasômetro Linear Park” initiated in 2007 by architect Rogério Dal Molin, which could conflict with the Council's current plans. With a proposal to lower the road and extend the squares, it is intended [pt] that Gasômetro Park connect with the Guaíba Shore, “providing the population direct access to the Gasômetro Power Plant”.
As provided for in the Master Plan review of 22 July, 2010, by Supplementary Law 646 [PDF – pt], the green area will link Julio Mesquita and Brigadeiro Sampaio Squares, in addition to the Gasômetro Power Plant and Mauá Wharf, which also has a revitalisation project underway. However, the law states that this project should have been completed within 18 months – by January 2012. To date, neither the project, nor specific law governing it, have been presented.
Despite the different protests against the felling, at the end of the public hearing Deputy Mayor Sebastião Melo announced that it would resume, since contracts for the works had already been entered into.
Nevertheless, he also promised to create a working group to implement Gasômetro Park, which ended up being formed on 20 March with representatives from the five civil society entities that form the Council Committee for Urban and Environmental Development (Conselho Municipal de Desenvolvimento Urbano e Ambiental – CMDUA): the Rio Grande do Sul Environmental Protection Association (Associação Gaúcha de Proteção ao Meio Ambiente – AGAPAN), the Brazilian Institute of Architects (IAB-RS), the Union of Porto Alegre Residents’ Associations (União das Associações de Moradores de Porto Alegre – Uampa) and General Regional Planning 1 (Região Geral de Planejamento 1 – RP 1) [pt – all links].
In spite of the park, Porto Alegre residents continue to lament the tree felling.
On Twitter, citizens use the hashtag #SOSArvoresPOA to show their indignation, like Cintia Barenho (@CintiaBarenho) who stated that “it looks like we'll have to climb them again to protect them”, and Leonardo Frota (@leonardo_frota1, pt- all links) who wrote:
Atitude lamentável da @prefeitura_poa e Vice Prefeito @sebastiaomelo em manter a derrubada das árvores na região do Gasômetro.
The attitude of the Porto Alegre Council (@prefeitura_poa) and Deputy Mayor @sebastiaomelo is deplorable in continuing to cut down trees in the Gasômetro area [pt – all links].
An online petition [pt] has been created “to stop the tree felling and recognise Gasômetro Park” and had more than 1,200 signatories on 25 March.
Read some of our latest stories on the 2014 World Cup construction in Brazil:
25 Mar, 2013 – Brazil Violently Ousts Indigenous Village Ahead of World Cup + Interview with Indigenous Before Eviction
05 Mar, 2013 – Carnival Samba Takes Aim at World Cup in Brazil
04 Mar, 2013 – VIDEO: Brazil Bulldozes Neighborhood Without Warning for World Cup
01 Mar, 2013 - Brazilian Family Loses Home to the World Cup
27 Feb, 2013 – Brazil: Cable Car Goes Up, Houses Come Down for World Cup
16 Jan, 2013 – Brazil's World Cup Construction Threatens Indigenous “Living Museum”
07 Dec, 2012 – ‘Fuleco’ the Mascot Divides Brazil
03 Feb, 2013 – Brazil Without Make-up
22 Oct, 2012 – Brazil: Police Violence and Privatization of Public Space in Porto Alegre

author: Pedro Henrique Tavares


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Chechen Leader’s Tone-deaf Instagram Post · Global Voices
Andrey Tselikov

On April 1, 2013, the 20 year anniversary of Novaya Gazeta, a Russian newspaper critical of the government and known for its investigative reporting, Head of the Chechen Republic (formerly President) Ramzan Kadyrov took to his Instagram [ru], as he often does these days, to publicly express respect for the publication and its journalists, even thought he “sometimes disagrees with them.” Some bloggers [ru] were flabbergasted [ru] — after all, it is a widely held belief on RuNet that Kadyrov (then Chechen Prime Minister) is at least partially responsible for the assassination of Novaya Gazeta reporter Anna Politkovskaya in 2006.
Сегодня исполнилось 20 лет "Новой газете", которая по сей день является одним из немногих островков настоящей журналистики. И хотя я часто не согласен с мнением некоторых журналистов, тем не менее я высоко ценю Ваше желание докопаться до истины и дать возможность Вашим читателям узнать ее. Надеюсь, что и я смогу Вам помочь в этом нелегком деле. Всегда готов ответить на Ваши вопросы и донести до Ваших читателей максимально объективную точку зрения о Чечне.
A photo posted by Аллах Велик!!! (@kadyrov_95) on

author: Andrey Tselikov


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Chinese Teen Calls for Weibo Censorship · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

A 13-year-old girl, who was put on stage in the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics and criticized by netizens because of the “voice-over” arrangement, has seemingly come out in favor of more censorship on the popular Chinese microblogging site Sina Weibo. Her micro-blog has triggered a lot of discussion and debate in the past few days. More from Offbeat China.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Foreign Investment Sidelines East Timorese · Global Voices
Janet Gunter

Olavio Quintas, from the eastern tip of Timor, expresses his frustration with “development” in his country to Radio Liberdade Dili. He says “Timorese people have become observers to foreigners’ investments” lamenting the lack of employment for young people, as investors and government do not trust Timorese to do the smallest tasks.

author: Janet Gunter


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Girls Are Told Not to Leave Kyrgyzstan · Global Voices
Asel Tursunbekova

A Kyrgyz MP has proposed a new draft decree that would ban girls under 23 years of age from leaving the country without parental consent. Yrgal Kadyralieva calls the decree she is pushing through the parliament ‘Sapargul’, after a young female migrant who was subjected to a shocking ‘patriotic’ attack in Russia by her male counterparts from Kyrgyzstan, part of a trend Global Voices covered in detail last June.
But the decree which aims at preventing young Kyrgyz women working abroad from becoming ‘sexual slaves’ has come under fierce criticism. Human rights groups charge that the decree limits constitutionally guaranteed freedom of movement.
The Bishkek Feminists Initiative depicts the decree of MP Kadyralieva (right) as paternalist and constricting in this demotivator. The caption reads: ‘Hey, where are you going'?
‘Rescuing girls from an uncertain future’
On March 4, local news website kloop.kg published [ru] a compelling interview with the MP discussing the initiative. The interview turned out to be among the most widely read materials on the news platform last month, leading to citizen video debates [ru] on the same topic. One of the reasons that the interview gathered so much popularity was the frank dialogue between Kadyralieva and Zarema Sultanbekova, a young female journalist who would fall under the demographic the controversial decree seeks to protect. At points during the interview, Kadyralieva's passion seems to bubble [ru] uncontrollably to the surface:
Я горю! Мне стыдно за этих девушек.
Зарема, мы хотим или нет — мы рожаем нацию! Богатырей или депутатов! Мужчины не рожают!
I'm burning [with rage]! I am embarrassed for these girls.
Zarema, we give birth to the nation – whether we want it or not! [We give birth to] heroes and MPs! Men do not give birth!
Kadyralieva also revealed how difficult it had been to draft the initiative as a young woman. The lawmaker is only eight years older than girls who could be banned from leaving the country by the decree. She works in the male-dominated parliament, where aksakals (elders) constantly tell her to ‘shut up’ and party bosses accuse her of seeking self-promotion through the initiative.
One Kloop reader, Aizhan Rahmanova, lauded [ru] Kadyralieva's bravery in seeking to address the realities of life for young female migrants in Russia:
я полностью согласна с ней,потому что сама живу за границей и вижу что твориться с девушками.Она женщина мужественная,и спасает девушек от непонятного будущего.
I totally agree with [Kadyralieva]; I myself live abroad and I see what is happening with the girls. She is a courageous woman rescuing girls from an uncertain future.
Yet, some of the readers supporting the initiative seemed to display the same virulent, honor-driven, and nationalistic arguments as the patriots who brutally attacked Sapargul used to justify their assaults on young Kyrgyz women suspected of prostitution in Russian cities. Ulanbek, for instance, wrote [ru]:
Абсолютно Правильный Законопроект надо принять!!!Прочитал некоторые высказывания «Дермократов,АДВОКАТОВ» которым кажется что нарушаются гендерные права женщин,и хочу предложить задать себе вопрос «ТЫ согласен чтобы твою дочь,сестренку [воспринимали] как проститутку???»!!!!
«ДЕВУШКИ» у которых «НАРУШАЮТСЯ» права,извините что выражаюсь грубо в праздник,»ТЫ можешь заниматься проституцией сколько Тебе угодно и за сколько Тебе угодно бери хоть по рублю с клиента» НО ТОЛЬКО ПРИМИ ГРАЖДАНСТВО ДРУГОЙ СТРАНЫ НЕ ПОРОЧЬ МОЮ СТРАНУ КЫРГЫЗСТАН!!!
This is an absolutely correct draft law which should be adopted! I've read some of the comments of ‘Democracy Advocates’ who think that [women's] rights would be violated [if the law is adopted] and I would like to ask them: “Would you like it if your daughter or sister were treated as a prostitute?”
Girls, whose rights are being ‘violated’, excuse me for speaking bluntly on [International Women's Day]: You can practice prostitution as much as you like and charge your clients as much as you like – BUT APPLY FOR CITIZENSHIP OF ANOTHER COUNTRY AND DO NOT BRING SHAME ON MY COUNTRY, KYRGYZSTAN!!!
‘Isn't it gender inequality?’
Elena pointed out [ru] that laws applying to women should apply to men, too:
Это что гендерное неравенство? Пусть тогда и парней до 23 лет не пускают… Пусть лучше дома работают, порядок наводят, заводы строят, дороги… Замуж девушек берут. А то не справедливо получается.
Isn't it gender inequality? Then ban boys younger than 23-years-old from leaving. Let them work at home, do the work, build factories and roads. Marry women. Otherwise it is not fair.
One of the most salient contributions to the debate was made by a lawyer, Sadanbekov, who suggested [ru] that in a country as corrupt as Kyrgyzstan the initiative would impose additional financial burdens in the form of bribes on girls who wishe to leave the country:
А вы не усматриваете здесь нарушение прав человека (девушки)? Под этим соусом погранцы начнут злоупотреблять служебным положением и вымогать деньги со всех девушек. Каждый имеет право на свободу передвижений, на свободу выбора места жительства и выезда. А может быть самой Ыргал Кадыралиевой запретить выезжать за границу? Зачем нам такие парламентарии, которые палки в колеса вставляют и инициируют бестолковые законы? Разогнать надобно такой Жогорку Кенеш! Система парламентаризма в Кыргызстане не оправдала себя.
Don't you see this as a violation of human rights (of girls)? Border guards will use the [decree] to extort money from all girls. Everyone has the right to freedom of movement, freedom to choose their place of residence, and freedom to leave the country. Maybe we should ban Yrgal Kadyralieva from traveling abroad? Why do we need such MPs who initiate senseless laws? Such a [parliament] ought to be disbanded! The parliamentary system in Kyrgyzstan has not lived up to the expectations.
The citizen debate on the same topic, which pitted Yuri Puinov (arguing against the decree) against Beks Okenov (arguing for) has triggered an intense discussion on Twitter using the hashtag #kloopdebates. According to a poll, Puinov was adjudged to have won the debate by a small margin.
During the debate Anisa Atalova (@AnisaAtalova) tweeted [ru]:
@AnisaAtalova: А что если девушки не хотят защиты? Кто-то будет спрашивать? #kloopdebates
@AnisaAtalova: And what if the girls don't want to be protected? Will they be asked for their opinions? #kloopdebates
Janygul Janibekovna (@janygul) asked [ru]:
@janygul: Безопасность важнее свободы? #kloopdebates
@janygul: Is security more important than freedom? #kloopdebates
And Azat Ruziev (@Azat25) noted [ru] about the assumptions underlying the decree:
@Azat25: Девушки, получается не полноценные граждане… законопроект готовит их стать проститутками #kloopdebates
@Azat25 Girls, it appears, are not taken to be citizens enjoying full rights… this bill is turning them into prostitutes #kloopdebates
As recalled in Global Voices’ June report on patriotic attacks against female labor migrants, between 30-40% of Kyrgyz migrants working in Russia are women. Many of these women are young, unmarried, and travel to the country alone.
Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee has supported the proposal. It is unclear at the moment when the voting for the bill will take place in the parliament.

author: Asel Tursunbekova


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Hong Kong: International Pillow Fight 2013 · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Hongwrong.com is going to hold its third international pillow fight in Hong Kong on April 6, 2013.
Screen capture from 2012 pillow fight in Hong Kong.


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The Islamic Caliphate of North Korea  · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

A tweet [ko] directing people to this fake blog post received quite some attention on April Fools’ day. Looking like a legit news article, the post says that North Korea announced that it is now an Islamic state and it includes detailed claims such as:
Kim Jong-un ‘asserted ‘every previous leader of North Korea were actually Muslim prophets, and so is Kim Jong-un himself’ and ‘Islamic leaders were highly offended by Kim Jong-un’s announcement.’

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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Racism in Costa Rican Football · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

José Medrano in Carepicha Blog [es] speaks out against racism in football games and in society in general.
I think that racist insults should be punished with a high fine or with community work, along with the obligation to attend courses where they are taught about history and ethics, everything related to how harmful discrimination has been for humanity.

author: Silvia Viñas


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‘Tribewanted’ Creates, Connects Eco-Villages · Global Voices
Bernardo Parrella

Renewable energy, permaculture and green building, along with local traditions and eco-tourism: welcome to Tribewanted – an online community launched in 2006 based on the idea of “global citizenship” and harnessing the energy of social media to meaningfully connect and practice positive behavior change. Thanks to crowdfunding strategies, the project plans to build 10 eco-villages around the world: after Vorovoro (Fiji Islands) and John Obey (Sierra Leone), a new village just launched in Monestevole [it], in Umbria, the heart of Italy. Connect with Tribewanted people via web, Facebook or Vimeo.

author: Bernardo Parrella


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What do we do at Global Voices Catalonia? · Global Voices
Sanela Bilal

Global Voices Catalonia presentation at Pompeu Fabra University on 27 February 2013. Source: Veus del Món. Image used with permission.
On 27 February 2013, the Global Voices Online (GV) international community of bloggers presented its Catalan edition [ca] at Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona. Global Voices includes over 700 writers and more than 600 translators, who work to ensure that the discussions and initiatives taking place in blogs and on social networks all over the world reach a global audience. The writers choose stories that are not widely covered by conventional media with the aim of spreading the voice of the people. Volunteer translators then provide articles in over 30 different languages, including Catalan.
GV's mission is to identify the most interesting discussions and initiatives on the web, defend freedom of expression and give citizens the opportunity to hear and be heard. “GV is like a scanner of everything that is published in blogs and discussed on social networks such as Twitter. Everything that exists on the Internet, that is reported, is material for GV”, said [ca] GV journalist, blogger and collaborator Joan Antoni Guerrero (@JoanAntoni70)[ca], interviewed by Veus del Món [ca], a blog created by a group of journalism students (Paula Solanas, Glòria Ribugent and Glòria Torrent) to cover the presentation.
Global Voices collaborators at the summit held in Nairobi (Kenya) in July 2012. Image used with permission.
From Catalonia to the world; from the world to Catalonia
The Catalan edition of GV left the beta phase towards the middle of 2012 and almost a year later it was a “bridge blog” between languages and cultures, providing the world with articles on Catalonia and reporting on what is happening in the blogosphere in Catalan. As Violeta Camarasa (@VioletaCamarasa), editor of Global Voices Catalonia, said in an interview with VilaWeb, “Global Voices can really help explain Catalonia to the world”. At the moment, its work has already caused waves in international media such as the Al Jazeera television channel, which dedicated a programme to the debate on independence (GV is mentioned in minutes 11.33 and 28.19), and the Washington Post newspaper, which echoed an article on the Cafè amb Llet [ca] case.
In an interview [ca] with the Veus del Món blog, Daniel Bogre Udell (@dbudell), a Catalanophile from New York who set up the Catalan version of GV and is the current co-editor, gives his opinion on the information about Catalonia that reaches the United States and rest of the world:
Crec que en aquest últim any ha canviat molt. Mitjans en llengua anglesa com The Guardian o el New York Times publiquen sobre Catalunya i la gent de fora l’està començant a reconèixer. Considero que la feina de Global Voices hi ha ajudat, perquè hem pogut influir en com GV publica sobre Espanya.
I think it's changed a lot in the last year. English language media such as The Guardian or the New York Times publish articles on Catalonia and people abroad are starting to recognise it. I believe that the work done by Global Voices has played a part because we've been able to influence how GV publishes articles on Spain.
At the moment, the Catalan edition has over 20 collaborators who write and/or translate articles, which the editors then revise to ensure a minimum level of linguistic and journalistic quality: a task that is considered complementary to that of traditional media. For this reason, the Catalan edition is establishing links with media such as the Diari Ara [ca], where its associated blog Veus Globals is published.
Why should I collaborate with Global Voices Catalonia?
Translating or writing for GV “is not only a mean of gaining experience”, as Esteve Mata, one of the co-editors, who was also interviewed [ca] on the Veus del Món blog, said. “It is a way of getting to know other cultures, other languages, other situations”. Translations allow us to break those language barriers and go further, paving the way so that everyone has access to firsthand information. Other collaborators interviewed [ca] by the same blog via Twitter, shared the same way of thinking:
Cristina Simón (@cristina_simn), journalist, writer and translator at GV:
Global Voices en català necessita més aportacions, està en continu creixement i crec que pot ser molt enriquidor col·laborar-hi […]. Pense que tenim l’opció de contar el que passa al nostre país des de la nostra perspectiva i en la nostra llengua i és genial. I pense que, els que parlem altres llengües, tenim a la nostra mà acostar els nostres lectors a realitats sovint llunyanes.
Global Voices in Catalan needs more input. It is constantly growing and I think becoming involved in it can be very enriching. I think we have the opportunity to explain what is happening in our country from our point of view and in our language and it's great. And I think that those of us who speak other languages have the possibility to transmit real events that are often distant to our readers.
Mireia Bel (@airem_gb), professional translator:
La traducció permet la comunicació entre comunitats de parles diferents […]. És important traduir al català, perquè és una bona manera de conservar la llengua i de difondre la llengua correcta. També és important explicar coses sobre Catalunya en altres llengües perquè així els altres països ens poden conéixer millor. El fet de traduir els articles del català a altres llengües també permet donar importància a la nostra llengua.
Translation enables communication between communities that speak different languages […]. It is important to translate into Catalan because it is a good way of preserving the language and transmitting the language correctly. It is also important to explain things about Catalonia in other languages because in that way other countries can get to know us better. The fact that articles in Catalan are translated into other languages also gives our language more importance.
After the presentation, there was a round table [ca] chaired by the editor of Global Voices Catalonia Violeta Camarasa, and attended by the head of digital content at El Periódico de Cataluña [ca] Saül Gordillo (@saulgordillo) [ca], expert in Internet journalism Sílvia Cobo (@silviacobo) [es] and member of the People Witness [es] streamer network Cristina Vaquer (@tinisima_). The participants debated the relation between blogs, social networks and ‘citizen journalism’ projects and traditional journalism.
The Veus del món blog (@VeusdelMon) contains all the information on the event. A list is provided below:
Interview with Violeta Camarasa  [ca], editor.
Interview with Daniel Bogre Udell [ca], co-editor. The Catalanophile from New York who set up the Catalan edition of GV.
Interview with Cristina Simón [ca], writer, translator and editor.
Interview with Esteve Mata [ca], co-editor and translation coordinator.
Interview with Joan Antoni Guerrero [ca], writer.
Interview with Mireia Bel [ca], translator.
Interview with Paula Góes [ca], Multilingual Writing coordinator at GV.
Collection of comments from GV collaborators all over the world [ca].
Interview with Carles Singla  [ca], Journalism director of studies at Pompeu Fabra University, who introduced and moderated the GV Catalonia round table presentation.
Chat with Saül Gordillo  [ca], digital content manager at El Periódico de Catalunya and participant in the GV Catalonia round table presentation.
Chat with Cristina Vaquer  [es], member of the People Witness streamer network and participant in the GV Catalonia round table presentation.
Chat with Sílvia Cobo  [ca], independent journalist, blogger, Internet journalism expert and participant in the GV Catalonia round table presentation.

author: Sanela Bilal


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When Russians Don’t Love Their Children · Global Voices
Kevin Rothrock

“If the Russians love their children too,” the musician Sting crooned in his 1985 debut solo album. When it came out almost three decades ago, that song was a peacenik attack on the Cold War doctrine of mutually assured destruction. In the last year, the wellbeing of children in Russia—whether they're struggling as orphans or surfing the web as netizens—has again found itself at the center of social debate. In just the last week, two figures commonly identified with the liberal opposition movement—celebrity Ksenia Sobchak and journalist Ekaterina Vinokurova—have attracted intense negative attention for comments that supposedly reveal their ill will toward children.
“Cat lady” foster home caretaker Natalia Sarganova chases reporter Ekaterina Vinokurova after her Twitter indiscretion. Background from YouTube screen capture of Simpsons clip. Remix by author.
On March 31, 2013, an anonymous YouTube user named SorryImLoL (who joined the site back in October 2011) posted an audiotape [ru] featuring two women arguing over the phone. The clip is titled “Battle: Ksenia Sobchak versus the Little C**ksuckers,” and indeed one of the voices strongly resembles that of Ms. Sobchak, who denies the tape's authenticity. In the recorded conversation, the would-be Sobchak ringer complains to her building landlady that her neighbors’ children are delaying construction work, which creates noise into the evening. The language used is highly obscene. For instance:
Управдом: Ксения, у вас рядом на площадке прямо маленький ребенок.
К.С.: Да мне насрать на этого, блять, маленького ребенка! Пусть хоть сдохнет! Если мы будем продолжать отстаивать его интересы, я вам буду устраивать тут дискотеки, блять, начну это делать с сегодняшнего дня. Почему вы мне идете на встречу только в какие-то дни, а ему, вашему маленькому пидарасу, каждый день!
Superintendent: Ksenia, there's a small child living right next to you [in the building].
Sobchak-like voice: Yes, and I s**t on this f**king small child! Let it croak! If we're going to keep protecting its interests, I'll turn my place into a f**king disco. [To retaliate with noise of her own.] I'll start doing it beginning today. Why will you only meet with me on certain days, but you'll accommodate [the baby], your little c**ksucker, every day!
Roughly two days later, Sobchak posted a response to the tape's incriminations (oddly choosing the platform Instagram [ru]), where she claimed that the recording was an edited collection of wiretapped conversations she actually had on the phone, mixed with someone imitating her voice. She promised to complain to the authorities and apologized to her friends and fans for the privacy invasion.
Kremlin-sympathizers like Boris Yakemenko [ru] and Kristina Potupchik—along with an army of Twitter bots [ru] and Nashi-like provocateurs [ru] designed to spread news of the audiotape—were quick to rake Sobchak over the coals, not forgetting to tie her alleged indiscretions to the opposition's outrage following the infamous Dima Yakovlev law, which banned American adoptions of Russian children. Potupchik, teeth undoubtedly snarling, wrote [ru]:
Неудивительно, что сейчас Собчак решила заявить, что на ролике – не она. С ее претензиями на политическую деятельность после заявления “пусть хоть сдохнут маленькие пидарасы” можно завязывать. Хотя, интересно, у кого-то есть сомнения, она в ролике или не она?
It's hardly surprising that Sobchak has now decided to declare that it's not her in the clip. We might tie [such a denial], after announcing “let the little c**ksuckers croak,” to her political activism claims. But it's interesting: does anyone have any doubts that it is or isn't her in the tape?
Days before Sobchak's snafu, on March 29, 2013, Gazeta.ru reporter Ekaterina Vinokurova was attending a congress of the All-Russia People's Front in Rostov, when she unwisely mocked Natalia Sarganova, a foster home caretaker, in a tweet [ru]:
Выступает какая-то идиотка с 36 приемными детьми(что само по себе уродство). Рыдает перед ВВП, что у нее денег мало. Ну не усыновляла бы
Speaking now is some idiot woman with 36 adopted kids (which is already by itself a monstrosity). She's sobbing to [Putin] that she doesn't have enough money. Well don't adopt [so many kids] already!
Within five minutes, the Twitter backlash brought Vinokurova to delete the tweet. As of this moment, she has also deleted her entire Twitter account. Today, on April 2, she also published [ru] at Znak.com an emotional piece reacting to the various adverse responses. Again, Kristina Potupchik was one of the first bloggers to capitalize on the gaffe, calling [ru] on Gazeta.ru to fire Vinokurova for offenses that “respectable publications” in Western countries (“to whom members of the Russian liberal-journalist clique are so happy to nod”) would apparently find intolerable. Much to Potupchik's chagrin, Gazeta.ru's chief editor, Svetlana Loloeva, rallied [ru] to her employee's defense, pointing out that Vinokurova went on national radio the next day to apologize [ru] to Sarganova, who graciously accepted. Loloeva also argued that Gazeta.ru does not police its journalists’ “private space,” referring to Twitter.
In an April 2, 2013, Facebook post [ru], publicist Dmitri Olshansky criticized Vinokurova's online conduct, characterizing it as symptomatic of a larger “monstrous and absurd” tendency among oppositionists to contradict Putin's policy priorities, even when it leads to overtly anti-family posturing. Not everyone, however, was convinced by Olshansky's logic. In a comment that attracted 26 “likes,” Interfax staff member Nikolay Ziborov countered [ru]:
ничего не имею против приемных детей, но взять 36 человек – это очень похоже на болезнь. как с кошками.
I've got nothing against adopted kids, but taking in 36 people — it seems like some kind of disease. Like with cats.

author: Kevin Rothrock


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Anonymous Reportedly Hacks North Korea · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

Hacktivist collective Anonymous claims to have hacked North Korean government websites and stolen more than 15,000 user records. North Korea Tech blog wrote about their message posted online.


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Colombia: No to Army Raids · Global Voices
Cati Restrepo

“Army raids are illegal”
Image published on Facebook by “Soy Colombiano”
Since early 2013, Colombian netizens have been sharing an image which reads “Army raids are illegal” [es], to speak out against the military detaining young people who are in the street without documents or who have not defined their military status. According to the Constitutional Court this practice is not allowed. In Colombia [es]conscientious objection to participate in military service is a right [es]

author: Cati Restrepo


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Mozambican Political Parties and the Internet · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

(…) there is a space that until now has been little explored by the national political forces, be it for political propaganda or electoral campaigns: the internet.
Mozambican platform Olho Cidadão (Eye of the Citizen) launched a new blog on April 2, 2013, with an analysis of the presence of political parties on the internet [pt]. Mozambique will hold municipal elections on November 20.

author: Sara Moreira


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South and North Korea in ‘State of War’ · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

North Korea has a long history of bellicose rhetoric and threats against South Korea and its allies. The North's latest aggression, however, has been as intense as ever and tensions in East Asia region have escalated dangerously fast over the past few weeks.
After the North nullified the armistice with the South Korea in early March 2013, the U.S.-South Korea executed joint military drills as a show of force. On March 28, the U.S.’s B-2 stealth bombers flew over the Korean peninsula and North's leader Kim Jong-un, taking this as the last straw and ordered missiles on standby on March 29. The next day, Kim also announced that the North is in a “state of war” with South Korea and vowed to shut down the Kaesong industrial complex, a joint venture between the two Koreas. On March 31, the United States sent F-22 stealth fighter jets to South Korea for another military drill.
Image of the U.S.-South Korea Annual Military Drill, Uploaded by Flickr user U.S. Army Korea (Historical Image Archive)
Even to South Koreans who have been overexposed to all kinds of hostile signals coming from the North, current developments were frightening indeed. And some net users tried to calm themselves by bringing up the old saying of ‘Barking Dog Never Bites’–which has become one of the most used metaphors in the Twitterverse and Blogsphere. However, how net users employed this clause, varied.
@idk209: 누군가 그러든데, 예전엔 한미가 대규모 훈련을 하면 북한도 맞대응 훈련을 했는데, 이젠 그것도 힘에 부치니 입으로 짖어대는 거라고.. 대게 맹렬하게 짖는 개들은 겁에 질려서 짖는 것이고, 그렇게 짖는 개가 무는 경우는 별로 없다…
@idk209: Some said the North, that usually responds to the US-South Korea joint military drills by having its own drills afterwards, is now in a situation that it lacks the stamina and tries instead to bark loud. Dogs, when frightened, bark murderously loud, but rarely bite.
@tobeto01: 북한의 전쟁 운운에 대하여..”짖는개는 물지 않는단”다. 하지만 그개가 미친개라면? 물리면 광견병 걸린다.
@tobeto01: Regarding North Korea’s war rhetoric, people say “Barking dog never bites”. But what if that dog is a crazy one? Victims will get rabies (referring to the following aftermath) when bitten by crazy one.
@nezerac: 안 짖는 개가 더 무섭다. 북한이 떠들면 떠들수록 개털이라는 말 하지만 우린 최악의 상황을 가정해서 대비를 해야 한다. 일일히 대꾸할 필요없다[…]
@nezerac: Of course seldom-barking dogs are more scary. And surely North Korea- the more they bark, the more they make fun of themselves by doing so. But still, we do need to prepare for the worst case scenario. But there is no need to respond every time to each of their barking.
But of course, there were some usual uninterested net users who have had so much disturbing news about North Korea that they grew numb to it. A tweet below shows how South Koreans take this news, comparing it to how Japanese citizens who are living in a country so prone to earthquakes, respond to news about earthquakes.
@kor_heinrich: 일본 : 강도 5도의 지진 발생 외신: 헐!! 야단났네! 일본국민 : 별거아님 자주있는 일임 한국: 북한, 서울 불바다 만들겠다! 외신 : 헐 야단났네! 한국국민: 별거아님 자주있는일임
@kor_heinrich: [Japan] When an earthquake of magnitude five points hits Japan, international Media says: Gasp! What a crisis!! Japanese citizen says: No biggie. That happens a lot more than you think. [South Korea] When North Korea claims it will turn Seoul into ‘sea of fire’, international Media says: Gasp! What a crisis!! Korean Citizen says: No biggie. That happens a lot more than you think.
When Gaesung Industrial complex, which provides the North access to $2 billion in trade a year, is closed, local reports predict it will affect livelihood of 300 thousand North Koreans [ko]. Some people discuss how different the crisis’ implications would be for North Korean power elite and ordinary North Korean citizens.
hssi84: 북한 지도층은 너무 권력의 물을 많이 먹어서 절대 권력을 놓치려 안할거란 사실이죠. 그런 사실로 봤을때는 망할 수도 있는 전쟁따위는 버릴겁니다. 권력은 쉽게 버릴수도 게임처럼 질러보기식으로 던질 수 없는거자나요
hssi84: North Korean leadership, who had too much of the sweet taste of power, will never let the power slip away. Those people are unlikely to risk a war which they will lose. Power is not just a random game they can merely try-out for fun nor something they can afford losing.
@ourholykorea: […] 평화 시가 전쟁 시보다 나을 바가 없기 때문이다. 6.25때 죽은 사람보다 90년대 배급중단으로 굶어죽은 사람 숫자가 더 많았던 게 현실이다.
@ourholykorea: (for North Korean people) Peace situation is not better than war. It is cruel reality that more North Korean people died back in 90s when food distribution halted than those killed during the Korean War.
The tensions and conflicts have increased so far with no sign of alleviation, and some predictions claim Kim Jong-un may actually pull the trigger just not to lose face [ko]. More than a few net users voiced concern that responding to hostility with more hostility may not be a wise move, considering what South Korea could lose in case of a real war.
@toplkw: “북한 도발시 1차 세계대전 수준 사상자 발생” http://www.viewsnnews.com/article/view.jsp?seq=98067 적대관계와 냉전적사고로가면 우리안보가 튼튼해지나 이 수구들아.
@toplkw: In the case of North Korea actually making (some military) provocations, the number of victims could amount to those of the World War 1: link to local article [ko] Listen, you conservatives: It is unlikely that responding to their hostility with another hostility (will ever solve the problem) and having cold-war mentality will not magically strengthen our national security.
@welovehani:미 스텔스 전투기가 한반도에 떠서 안전해지면 좋았겠지만. 북한의 반응은 정전협정 파기 선언. 도발은 북이 먼저 했기에 비난받아 마땅하지만. 도발에 똑같이 도발하는 대응 방식에 미국에서마저도 우려의 목소리가 나오고 있다.
@welovehani: It would have been good if the U.S.’s stealth flights which flew over the Korean peninsula worked in a way of protecting our security. However (after that) the North Korea decided to announce the end of the truce. I am not defending the North, actually I blame them for having started all these provocations in the first place. But even some people in the United States, have started voicing worries on how the U.S. handles this situation– responding to provocation with equal provocation.


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The RuNet’s Leaky War · Global Voices
Andrey Tselikov

As RuNet Echo previously reported [GV], Alexey Navalny has appealed to his readers to make up their own minds about his innocence or guilt in an upcoming embezzling trial by releasing for download the financial documents of the firms involved. Now, his opponents appear to have taken a page out of his book, creating a website which is a direct copy [ru] of Navalny's original [ru]. Unlike Navalny's “Why is Navalny Not Guilty?”, this one is titled “Why is Navalny Guilty?” and makes available for download allegedly relevant excerpts from Navalny's previously hacked email correspondence [GV]. Since the emails have been publicly available for quite some time, the page is likely created in the spirit of “trolling” rather than any real attempt at an exposé.


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Tear Gas and Rubber Bullets Break Journalist Protest in Togo · Global Voices
Abdoulaye Bah

On March 14, 2013, security forces violently broke up a sit-in by private sector journalists in Togo. The journalists were protesting [fr] the new provisions of the Organic Law which mean the High Authority for Broadcasting and Communication (HAAC) can now withdraw business licences of the Togolese media without judicial proceedings.
The protests, organised by seven professional associations, took place in Lomé, largest city and capital of Togo. Security forces used clubs, tear gas bombs and rubber bullets to disperse demonstrators. Some journalists were injured, notably Younglove Egbéboua Amavi, general secretary of Togolese press association SAINTJOP (Union of Information Agents and Journalists of the Public Outlets).
Younglove Agbéboua Amavi, General Secretary of SAINTJOP after being injured by security forces. Photo via afreepress.info – Public Domain
News website 27avril.com published an article covering the facts:
Le journaliste Younglove Egbéboua Amavi, secrétaire général du Syndicat des agents de l’information, techniciens et journalistes des organes publics (SAINTJOP), a été gravement blessé au visage par une balle en caoutchouc lors d’un sit-in des journalistes, jeudi à Lomé, a constaté APA sur place. Il a été admis en urgence au centre hospitalier universitaire de Lomé Tokoin où selon les médecins, le journaliste souffre d’une fracture de la mandibule avec une lésion des dents.. La manifestation a été violemment réprimée par des forces de l’ordre qui ont fait usage de gaz lacrymogènes et de matraques pour disperser les journalistes.
Professional news organisations had instigated a gradual programme of demonstrations before resorting to a sit-in. Reporters without borders presented the planned schedule on their website [fr]:
Le mardi 12 mars 2013, à l’appel de huit organisations de professionnels des médias, les médias audiovisuels, la presse écrite et la presse en ligne observeront une “journée sans presse”. Le lendemain, une manifestation rassemblera les opposants à cette loi, qui, pour l’occasion, porteront du rouge. Enfin, le jeudi 14 mars, un sit-in sera organisé devant le Palais de la Présidence de la République.
Le 18 février dernier, Reporters sans frontières s’est adressée au Premier ministre togolais, monsieur Ahoomey-Zunu, pour demander le retrait du projet de loi.
On Tuesday March 12, 2013, following appeals from eight professional media organisations, the audiovisual media, written and online press will observe a “press-free day.” The following day, a demonstration will gather together opponents of this law, who will wear red for the occasion. Finally, on Thursday March 14, a sit-in will be organised in front of the Palace of the President of the Republic.On February 18, Reporters Without Borders had addressed the Togolese Prime Minister, Mr Ahoomey-Zunu, to demand retraction of the law.
Although the case of Younglove Egbéboua Amavi was the most serious, other journalists were also subjected to rough treatment. The website of the Committee for the Protection of Journalists, cpj.org told that [fr]:
Yolande Lovi, reporter du groupe privé RTDS, est tombée en syncope sous l'effet des grenades lacrymogènes tirés par des policiers, selon un communiqué rendu public par les groupes de défense de la liberté de la presse. Le communiqué indique que d'autres journalistes qui ont tenté d'aider M. Lovi ont également été agressés.
The following video shows the security forces trying to disperse demonstrators [fr]:
Yark Damehane, Togolese Minister of Security gave his version of events in a press release published by news blog republicoftogo.com,[fr]:
Toutes les injonctions régulièrement faites par les forces de l’ordre sont restées vaines. C’est alors qu’ayant procédé aux sommations, le commandant de la troupe a décidé de faire usage de la force pour évacuer les lieux
Une grenade lacrymogène a malheureusement atteint au visage M. Younglove Egbéboua Amavi qui a aussitôt été évacué au pavillon militaire du CHU Sylvanus Olympio. Ces jours ne sont toutefois pas en danger. On déplore de part et d’autres des blessés au moment de la dispersion des manifestants par les forces de sécurité.
All the injunctions regularly made by the forces of order remain in vain. That’s how, having proceeded with the warnings, the troop commander decided to make use of force to evacuate the area.Unfortunately, a tear gas grenade hit the face of Mr Younglove Egbéboua Amavi who was immediately taken to the military pavilion of the CHU Sylvanus Olympio (hospital). These days are not, however, in danger. We deplore the injuries on both sides which occurred during the dispersal of demonstrators by the security forces.
This version of the facts was vigorously contested by numerous sources. On website togocity.com, Nima Zara wrote [fr]:
Tollé général dans la famille des journalistes. Où le Colonel Yark a-t-il vu des gens emmener le confrère Amavi au pavillon militaire ? A-t-il imaginé ou l’a-t-on trompé ? Le mensonge est si gros qu’il fait pousser un gros cri de consternation, de stupéfaction et de révolte. Tous les témoins, manifestants et curieux qui avaient assisté à la course-poursuite, savent que ce sont les confrères Francis Galley, Junior Amenunya et Ferdinand Ayité qui se sont pliés à quatre pour conduire M. Amavi dans un centre privé puis au CHU Sylvanus Olympio.
Alluding to the repressive methods that the previous President Gnassingbé Eyadèma applied and that his son Faure Gnassingbé, who inherited the presidency, continues to use, she added [fr]:
De Gnassingbé Eyadèma à Faure Gnassingbé, les méthodes ne changent pas. Le mensonge grotesque et impudique continue d’être servi aux populations dans des situations où même les individus les plus fêlés vont reconnaître le flou, le faux et l’intox. Même dans l’erreur, on refuse de reconnaître la faute et de faire profil bas. On doit avoir toujours raison comme si de Gnassingbé Eyadèma à Faure Gnassingbé, ce sont des irréprochables et des dieux humanisés qui gouvernaient le pays. Le mensonge flagrant du jeudi dernier est la dernière preuve en date, s’il faut se garder de parler des enquêtes sur les incendies des marchés. Machiavel, Néron, Hérode et Pilate tous ensemble !
Togolese news blog dutogo.com reported the words of Mohamed Keita, African Coordinator for the Committee for the Protection of Journalists, giving precise details on the modifications on the law covering the press [fr]:
Conformément aux nouveaux amendements, la HAAC peut maintenant retirer les licences d’exploitation des médias togolais sans procédure judiciaire, ont rapporté des médias. La HAAC est composée de neuf membres, dont quatre sont nommés directement par le président de la République et les cinq autres par le Parlement qui est contrôlé par la majorité présidentielle, ont déclaré au CPJ des journalistes locaux.
However, only a few days after these serious events, Oliver A revealed, in an article posted on afreepress.info, that the Constitutional Court had given an unfavourable response concerning certain modifications of the law [fr]:
…. Les articles 58, 60, cinquième et sixième tirets, 62, dernier tiret,63, troisième et quatrième tirets, 64 et 67 de la loi organique adoptée le 19 février 2013, portant modification de la loi organique n° 2009-029 du 22 décembre 2009 relative à la Haute Autorité de l’Audiovisuel et de la Communication, ne sont pas conformes à la Constitution.
The website of radiogameli.com highlighted that the National Council of Press Patrons (CONAPP) and the Union of Independent Togolese Journalists (UJIT), neither of whom were among the professional organisations behind the demonstration [fr]:
Par une démarche menée envers la Fédération internationale des Journalistes (FIJ), l’UJIT indique pour sa part, avoir à travers une requête sollicité une « assistance financière directe au confrère en difficulté ». « La procédure suit son cours normal et la FIJ en mesure la réelle portée au regard des échanges entre l’UJIT et cette structure internationale dont elle est l’affiliée au Togo », stipule le communiqué.
According to Ferdinand Ayité, president of ‘SOS Journaliste en danger’, cited by Olivier A in an article on afreepress.info, Younglove Agbéboua Amavi’s state of health is worse than it seemed and his medical expenses are unlikely to be under 650,000 CFA (Central African Francs). This association has many initiatives and is calling out to all those who care about press freedom in this country to come to the aid of Mr Amavi so he is able to pay his medical fees.

author: Abdoulaye Bah


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Uruguay Moves Towards Marriage Equality · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

On April 2, 2013, the Uruguayan Senate voted 23 to 8 to legalize same-sex marriage. The bill also raises the minimum age for marriage to 16. The bill will now go back to the lower house, which is set to vote on the Senate's amendments this month. El Telégrafo shares a Storify post [es] with related news and reactions.


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Argentina: Floods in Buenos Aires Leave 35 Dead · Global Voices
Laura Schneider

The heavy rains that hit the province of Buenos Aires have left at least 35 people dead [es] and thousands homeless.
The blog EA2CPG  tells us [es] about the climate phenomenon which hit Argentina on April 2, 2013, coinciding with the  Veteran's Day and the Falklands War Memorial public holidays [es]:
La ciudad de tiene unos tres millones de habitantes. Más de un ha sido afectada directamente por las últimas , las más dañinas de los últimos 107 años, de acuerdo con las autoridades. La Reina del Plata se pareció en la madrugada del martes a Venecia y necesitará muchos días para retomar la normalidad.
The city of has around three million inhabitants. More than has been directly affected by the recent , the most damaging in the last 107 years, according to the authorities. In the early hours of Tuesday morning La Reina del Plata looked like Venice and will need several days to return to normal.
Popckorn, [es] a blog about mobile culture in Buenos Aires, publishes citizens’ images [es] of some of the neighbourhoods affected by the heavy rains. Meanwhile the YouTube user informeya shares this video of the floods:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yu6BfQQFPnI
In the post “#Temporal: Relatos de la Catástrofe” [es] (“Storm: Stories of the Catastrophe”), the Anfibia [es] magazine, among images of the tragedy, also publishes some testimonies that victims published on Facebook, like that of musician Gabo Ferro:
La colección de discos de Gardel de mi viejo flotando entre los míos y los de mis amigos. La casa levantada sobre una correntada. Entre la somnolencia de la madrugada, el asombro y la impotencia. Sacar el agua y tragar saliva. Seis horas sacando agua. En su casa, mi vieja eligiendo entre sus cosas guardadas durante 79 años que tirar y que secar para salvar. Una vecina triste como un fantasma pues el agua le arrebató una foto; lo único que le quedaba de su hijo.
My father's Gardel record collection floats among mine and those of my friends. The house is carried by a current. In the sleepiness of the early hours, the shock and the powerlessness. Draining the water, and gulping. Six hours draining water. In her house, my mum chooses among things she has kept for 79 years: what to throw out and what to dry and save. A neighbour, sad like a ghost because the water snatched a photo; the only thing she had left of her son.
These are not the first floods [es] that the province of Buenos Aires has suffered. Recurrent damage caused by the rains have prompted Argentine bloggers to debate whether minimal investment in infrastructure, fast-growing real estate, or climate change is to blame for the disaster.
The Facebook [es] page Cátedra Libre del Agua analizes [es] the changes that Buenos Aires has seen since its founding:
Pero por qué se inunda Buenos Aires? Desde su fundación, la ciudad fue creciendo y extendiéndose hacia el conurbano bonaerense. A medida que este crecimiento se encontraba con arroyos que desembocan al Río de la Plata se los entubaba, se rellenaba su cauce y a lotear que se acaba el mundo. La renta urbana es una tentación difícil de evitar. Durante un tiempo estos entubamientos soportaban bien la lluvia, pero a medida que se siguió construyendo la superficie natural absorbente disminuyó y el volumen de agua que comenzó a pasar por allí aumentó. A esto hay que sumarle la desaparición de los pulmones de manzana y su sustitución por cemento, además de la poca pendiente que tenían los arroyos que fueron entubados. Finalmente, están los rellenos sanitarios en la costa del Río de la Plata para ganar superficie con fines inmobiliario que aumentan el largo de los entubamientos hasta llegar al desagüe naturales.
But why does Bueno Aires flood? Since its founding, the city has been growing and expanding towards the Buenos Aires conurbation. As this growth converges with streams that flow into the Río de la Plata, it channels them, the channel gets filled up and it's a lottery as to what happens next. Urban income is a temptation that is difficult to resist. For a while these channels were bearing the rain well, but as construction continued the natural absorbent surface diminished and the volume of water that began to flow through increased. You have to add to this the disappearance of green space and its substitution with cement, as well as the gentle slopes of the streams that were channelled. Finally, you have the landfills that are located on the coast of the Río de la Plata for the purpose of gaining real-estate land, which increase the length of the pipes before they can arrive at their natural drains.
The note continues:
Si después de todo esto Buenos Aires no se inunda, es porque hay sequía. Además, el agua tiene memoria, siempre buscará ir por los mismos lugares que supo ir antaño. Una parte irá por los entubamientos y, el resto, por la superficie. Y así se producirá la inundación, una y otra vez.
If Buenos Aires is not flooded after all this, it is because there is drought. In addition, water has a memory, it will always look to go through the same places that it went through in the past. A portion will go through the pipes, and the rest on the surface. And so flooding will happen again and again.
image shared by Gustavo Streger (@gstreger) on Twitter.
Meanwhile, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner's government and the government of the city of Buenos Aires are also searching for culprits. The national news agency Telam [es] publishes declarations [es] from Secretary of Federal Planning, Julio De Vido:
El ministro de Planificación Federal, Julio De Vido, aseguró que “otra vez la falta de gestión” del gobierno de Mauricio Macri “nos lleva a lamentar víctimas fatales, y deja a 450 mil vecinos sin luz” en la Ciudad.
The Secretary of Federal Planning, Julio De Vido, claimed that “again the lack of management” of Mauricio Macri's government “leads us to regret fatalities and leaves 450,000 inhabitants without light” in the city.
On the other hand, Comunas 24.com [es] reports that the chief of government of the city of Buenos Aires, Mauricio Macri, declared [es]:
“Los vecinos de Belgrano me dijeron que en algunos sectores algunas obras parciales que hicimos contribuyeron a mitigar un poco el problema, pero ha habido muchísimo daño y, obviamente, lo que falta es esta obra final en el arroyo Vega, que todavía no hemos podido iniciar por la falta del aval nacional para tomar el crédito” […] “Yo pienso que la Presidenta debe haber visto lo que pasó ayer y todo lo que sufrió la gente de esa zona, en sus domicilios y en los comercios. Espero que baje una orden que nos habilite para tomar este tipo de crédito”. Macri recordó que hace más de cuatro años que la Ciudad solicita esos avales y aclaró que el crédito, “lo va a pagar la Ciudad integramente.”
“The residents of Belgrano told me that in some sectors some partial works we did contributed to somewhat mitigate the problem, but there has been a lot of damage and, obviously, what is missing is this final work at the Vega stream, that we have not yet been able to start due to the lack of national endorsement to take out a loan” […] “I think that the President should have seen what happened yesterday and everything that the people of that area suffered in their homes and businesses. I hope a mandate is approved that allows us to take out this kind of loan.” Macri recalled that it was more than four years ago that the City applied for those endorsements and made it clear that the loan, “will be paid for entirely by the City.”
Laura Yabrun (@LambreLau) [es] writes:
@lambrelau: Para no quedar fuera de las circunstancias, CFK [Cristina Fernández de Kirchner] y Macri se lavaron bien las manos #inundaciones #dondeestaCFK #Macri
@lambrelau: CFK [Cristina Fernández de Kirchner] and Macri have completely washed their hands of the situation #inundaciones (floods) #dondeestaCFK (Where is CFK) #Macri
The citizen journalism site Letra Compartida [es] and the news portal Infobae [es] share more images and reports on Storify.

author: Laura Schneider


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Russian Oligarch Berezovsky’s Last Words: Yet Another Version · Global Voices
Andrey Tselikov

Pavel Pryanikov, of the blog ttolk.ru (Blog Tolkovatelya, The Explainer's Blog) has published [ru] yet another “last interview” with the deceased Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky [GV]. According to Pryanikov, the conversation was meant for a book on Russian political refugees in England, and took place two days prior to March 23, 2013, when Berezovsky presumably committed suicide by hanging. Unlike the interview with Berezovsky published in the Russian Forbes [ru], where the exiled businessman does indeed appear despondent and darkly philosophical, if not to say suicidal, the man who talked to Pryanikov's correspondent seems much more optimistic, discussing his plans for the future and Russian politics. RuNet Echo has translated some of his statements below.
Berezovsky being interviewed by Sky News, in his better days. YouTube screenshot, April 4, 2013.
Responding to a question about what he would do differently if he had the chance:
На самом деле время подведения итогов ещё не наступило. А вот через 20 лет я вам на этот вопрос отвечу. […] Наслаждение в моей жизни только одно: думать о будущем. В будущем я надеюсь жить где-нибудь за городом, под Москвой, где прошло моё детство.
In truth the time to take stock hasn't yet come. But in 20 years I will answer this question. […] There is only one pleasure in my life: thinking about the future. In the future I hope to live somewhere in he countryside, outside Moscow, where my childhood passed.
Talking about the difference between Jews and Russians (Berezovsky, ethnically Jewish, says he does not identify as a Jew):
В чём сила евреев по сравнению с русскими? В интуиции. Это не расчёт. Вот я плохой аналитик, плохо считаю, плохо играю в шахматы. Но каким-то таинственным образом чувствую, что произойдет через некоторое время. Если в логических терминах сформулировать это различие, то русские – это индуктивный способ мышления, а евреи – дедуктивный способ.
What's the strength of Jews in relation to Russians? Intuition. It's not calculation. Take me — I'm bad at analysis, I count poorly, play chess poorly. But in some mysterious way I feel what will happen soon. If we formulate this difference in logical terms, Russians have an inductive way of thinking, while the Jews have a deductive way.
About Putin's supposedly Germanic qualities:
Путин в первую очередь русский. Например, он умеет дружить и ненавидеть, причём одного и того же человека – типично русская черта.
Putin is primarily Russian. For example, he can love and hate, and one person at same time to boot — a typically Russian trait.
About Western politicians and their role in upholding Putin's regime:
Я в огромной степени разочаровался в западных политиках за 10 лет, я разочарован их безволием, их глупостью. Они не видят того, что у них под носом, они абсолютно не понимают, как устроен современный мир.
I have become greatly disappointed in Western politicians over 10 years, I am disappointed by their lack of will, their stupidity. They don't see what's in front of their nose, they don't understand how the modern world works.
About how easy it would be to target Putin through his elites who have bank accounts, families, and property in the West:
Как на них воздействовать? Очень просто: визы аннулировать. И не нужно даже для 2-5 тысяч человек, а для 200 человек. И второе: тотальная проверка и блокирование счетов. Всё, больше ничего не нужно! Они сами вынесут Путина ногами вперёд.
How to influence them? Very easy: annul their visas. And you don't even have to do it for 2-5 thousand people, it's enough to do it for 200. And secondly: total audits and blocking of bank accounts. That's it, you don't need anything else! They will carry Putin out feet first all on their own.
About the Russian opposition movement:
Одна из самых больших проблем, которая сегодня существует в оппозиционном движении – это отсутствие внятной идеологии.
One of the main problems that exists in the opposition movement is the absence of coherent ideology.
Berezovsky was found dead two days later. While it is now an established fact that he was clinically depressed, this interview will surely add to the controversy over his death, and vindicate the people who think that he could not have committed suicide.


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Chinese Envy the Return of Private Media in Myanmar · Global Voices
Abby Liu

The return of private newspapers in Myanmar after an absence of almost five decades has triggered envy and frustration among Chinese citizens who are wondering whether China, with its tight media controls, will ever follow suit.
After Chinese newspaper Beijing Times reported [zh] that the four private newspapers in Myanmar sold out as soon as they hit the news stands on 1 April, 2013, other Chinese media outlets picked up on the story, triggering a lively debate on China's most popular social media platforms.
China Daily newspaper editor Craig McIntosh commented on popular microblogging site Sina Weibo:
A great day for Myanmar. A free, unbiased and fair print media can play a huge role in protecting human rights and other freedoms.
A screenshot of the report on Myanmar's private newspapers on China's Guangxi TV (from youku)
Another news editor “Guilin Ribao Laona” wrote [zh]:
私人报纸一小步，国家民主一大步……
A small step for private newspapers, a giant leap for a country's democracy.
Most commentators, however, expressed frustration with China's own media censorship. “Xianshi Wangtian” wrote [zh]:
向缅甸人民祝贺，我国宪法规定中国公民也有自办报刊的权利，不知什么时候中国公民能依法自办报刊，这也是中国梦，何时成真？
Congratulations to the people of Myanmar. The constitution in our country also says that Chinese citizens have the right to run their own papers, but when can Chinese citizens have the right according to the law? This is also the Chinese dream, when will it come true?
One user calling himself “ShanghaiJuice” replied:
That's not going to happen in China.
While another commented [zh] sarcastically:
缅甸也快成民主国家了，我国的朋友越来越少了。
It seems that  Myanmar has stepped on the road towards democracy, and China will have less and less friends.
Another commentator called “Liushi Buhuo” echoed [zh] the sentiment:
搞了几十年还不如缅甸越南，再过两年可能连古巴都不如，只能跟朝鲜比高下。
After dozens of years of reform and opening, we can't even beat Myanmar or Vietnam, maybe after two more years, we will be even more backward than Cuba, perhaps there would only be North Korea left for us to compare.
“Hujin Wenyu”, in turn, suggested [zh]:
既如此，可到缅甸去，办一份中文报纸，如何？
If so, How about running a Chinese newspaper in Myanmar?
One user expressed hope, however, writing [zh]:
Maybe that's also the future of China? Not sure how many years or decades it's gonna take though.

author: Abby Liu


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Cuban Blogger Denied US Visa · Global Voices
Raphael Tsavkko Garcia

Cuban blogger, teacher and GV author Elaine Díaz Rodríguez was denied a visa to enter the US [pt] Wednesday, April 3, 2013, preventing her from participating in the International Congress of Latin-American Studies. Brazilian journalist Alex Haubrich reported Elaine's frustration with and criticism of the US government's criteria.

author: Raphael Tsavkko Garcia


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First Saudi Human Rights Association for Abolishing Execution Launched · Global Voices
Anas Soliman

Following last month's court ruling to dissolve the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association (ACPRA) and to confiscate its (nonexistent) properties, a group of activists yesterday announced a new independent association called the Union for Human Rights.  Among its stated goals, the association is seeking an end to deterrent executions, an issue rarely raised in the kingdom.
The co-founders are four activists, one of whom is Mohammad Abudllah al-Otibi who had been detained for three years starting in January 2009 after trying to organize a peaceful Gaza solidarity demonstration.
Several political analysts have noted that the fact that ACPRA had taken political positions, such as demanding a constitutional monarchy, made it a more vulnerable target for authority's crack down.  It seems that the Union for Human Rights is planning to take a different direction by avoiding political demands.  The founding statement [ar] stated:
وليس لهذه الجمعية غايات سياسية أو حزبية أو دينية، لذلك فإن جمعية الاتحاد لحقوق الإنسان  تقف مع  حقوق الإنسان الأساسية دون تفرقة في الدين او العرق او العنصر أو  ذكراً أو انثى.
And the association has no political, sectarian or religious goals.  For that reason, the Union for Human Rights stands for fundamental human rights without discrimination on the basis of religion, race or gender.
Amnesty International has reported that Saudi Arabia has been beheading nearly two people per week since the beginning of 2013.  In September 2012, excision standards were relaxed [ar] by canceling the judge censuses requirement, allowing for execution sentences to pass by a majority vote.  Most executions in Saudi Arabia are “deterrent” and many of them are related to drug and robbery offenses.  However, “deterrent executions” are not the only ones.  The other category is “retributive excisions”, which are applied in murder cases.

author: Anas Soliman


text:
Hackers in Arab Cities: Fab Lab and Tech in Egypt  · Global Voices
Blogueurs invités

Sabine is a journalist, Ophelia is a photographer and a videomaker: both are former contributors to OWNI (a Global Voices media partner in France) and are currently shooting a web-documentary entitled “Les hackers dans la cité arabe (Hackers in Arab Cities) about technology, applications, hacker labs and maker spaces, that are blossoming nowadays in the Maghreb and the Middle East.
Ophelia Noor (left) and Sabine Blanc (right)
Sabine and Ophelia are currently taking part in the World Social Forum in Tunis (March 26-30). They will speak about “hacking”. In the West, hacking is more or less considered part of a geeky and rather privileged culture. On the other side of the Mediterranean, it is rather the product of revolution, giving a new impulse towards collaborative practices and innovations, spaces that are open to everyone.
Over the next weeks, Global Voices will re-publish and help translate in three languages (Arabic, French, English) excerpts of their journeys and encounters with young open source developers from Algeria, Egypt, Tunisia, Lebanon and Iraq. We begin this series with an interview with Mahmoud El-Safti, co-founder of a hacker space in Giza, Egypt.
Mahmoud El-Safti on the creation of a hackerspace in Giza
Mahmoud el Safty (Photo Ophélia Noor, used with permission)
Mahmoud El-Safty co-founded Giza Hackerspace and Fab Lab Egypt, the first of their kind in Egypt, with both projects located in Giza, in the suburbs of Cairo. This young, smiling engineer speaks with enthusiasm about his faith in hackerspaces/makerspaces.
To listen to the podcast in English click here. Below is a transcript of the interview.
I think starting initiatives like having maker spaces and hacker spaces, where people can gain practical experience and share knowledge and practice theoretical information they have, will have a great impact on society and on the educationnal system, and changing people's minds as well. When people collaborate in a fun atmosphere, not gathering to study for an exam but rather to work on projects they are passionate about and interested in, of course they will make it the best they can. Probably later, a lot of projects to come out of such spaces will be products and start-up companies. In fact, we have open source products, software and hardware, that are currently available in the market that come from hacker spaces et maker spaces.
Text and sound by Sabine Blanc.

author: Blogueurs invités


text:
Hong Kong Dock Workers Strike Against Long Hours, Low Pay  · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

An ongoing strike by Hong Kong dock workers demanding a pay raise and protesting arduous working conditions is delivering a costly blow to the city's port operators and winning widespread support from the public.
A few hundred workers began to camp inside the docks on March 28, 2013 after subcontractors for Hutchison International Terminals (HIT) which runs the docks, rejected their demand for a 100 Hong Kong dollars [12.88 US dollars] or 20 percent pay increase per eight-hour shift. The subcontracting companies countered with an offer of 5 percent, far below what workers expected. A survey among dock workers showed that they are willing to settle with a 10 percent [zh] rise.
The workers, some of whom work 24-hour shifts, said that they haven't received raises since 2003 and their current salary is lower than what was paid in 1997.
A judge has since rule that the striking workers cannot enter the ship terminals; protests continue on the street outside the entrance.
HIT, which made a net profit of 2.2 billion HK dollars [zh] [283 million US dollars] from its terminal operation business in 2012, has refused [zh] to negotiate with the workers, insisting that the workers are not their employees but employees of the subcontracting companies. Those companies receive a service charge of 3.2 billion HK dollars [412 million US dollars] from HIT and spend only 710 million HK dollars [91 million US dollars] on dock workers.
According to HIT, the strike is costing the company five million Hong Kong dollars [644,000 US dollars] a day.
Hong Kong is the third busiest container port in the world, growing more than 50 percent between 2000 and 2012. But the growth has brought with it deteriorating working conditions because of what workers claim is exploitation by subcontractors.
Below is a video by Yiuman Fung from inmediahk.net showing the strike on April 1, 2013:
The Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU) explained the relation between terminal operators, subcontractors and workers in an illustration, maintaining that the terminal operators sole objective is to squeeze workers and make a profit. In the illustration, subcontractors appear as executors:
Relation between dock operators, subcontractors and workers. Image by HKCTU
Stories of worker mistreatment have circulated on social media and citizen media, alerting the public to the miserable working conditions at the docks.
Since September 2012, dock workers started sharing their hardships on a Facebook page dedicated to collecting their stories. On October 2, 2012, one worker wrote [zh]:
當一個保安員月入過萬的時候
作為一個專業重型機械操作員日薪得
470 =470×26=12200
仲要係要求你連續做8小時冇食飯時間
冇福利 做得幾年週身病痛 冇醫療
你甘心做一個廉價勞工? 清醒一下 各位龍機判頭操作員 請你認真思考一下
The income of a security guard is now more than 10,000 Hong Kong dollars [1,288 US dollars] per month
As a specialized operator of heavy machinery such as crane operator, our monthly salary is 470 HK dollars [61 US dollars] x 26 days = 12,200 HK dollars [1,572 US dollars]
And we have to work continuously for eight hours without a meal break.
There are no benefits and after a few years, you develop pain all over your body and there is no medical insurance.
Do you want to remain cheap labor? Wake up crane operator drivers, please reflect on the situation.
The seat of crane operator uploaded by a dock worker to Facebook.
One worker uploaded a photo of the shabby crane operator seat [zh] that he is provided to Facebook on November 26, 2012:
爛成咁又唔換，一日要坐12個鐘
長期累月條腰就出問題
你班中層年尾出三四個月花紅，
連果一千幾百都慳
I have to sit on it 12 hours a day.
Will develop back problems in the long run.
The management class have 3-4 months bonus at the year end.
But they refuse to change the seat to save a few hundred dollars.
After a container truck driver died in his diver seat on January 19, 2013, a worker uploaded the news and commented [zh]:
呢個係一個警惕，碼頭呢行人工低時間長
身體有事就休息下，唔駛同佢搏命
不過都要同當時人講聲，[一路好走]
This is a warning. Low salary and long working hours at the dock
If you are sick, rest, don't risk your life.
Rest in peace, fellow worker.
Student activist Willis Ho described [zh] on inmediahk.net the working conditions of subcontracted dock workers and explained why HIT, a company under Hutchison Whampoa Limited, the largest dock operator in the world, is the main target of the strike:
公司旗下有五間外判商，分別為現創、聯榮、高寶、永豐及培記，負責聘請碼頭內不同的工種，包括橋邊理貨員（俗稱揸紙）、繫絪員（俗稱水爺）、機手、掛釩員、內運車司機、驗櫃員等。工種主要分為公司工及外判工，公司工由香港碼頭公司直接聘用，直屬李嘉誠，在待遇上較合理和穩定，例如有輪班時間、按月出糧（普遍有十七個月糧）、有固定食飯時間、年尾花紅等。外判工則由外判公司招聘，有時再作二判、三判。工作時間由十六至二十四小時不等，按工出糧，每二十四小時一千一百一十五元，三更工資不一。福利上，外判工沒有規定的食飯時間、也沒有醫療保障和花紅。
HIT is working with five subcontractors, including Yin Chong, Luen Wing, Ko Bo, Wing Fung, and Pui Kei to hire workers responsible for managing cargo, packing up the cargo, driving the crane operators, connecting the crane with containers, driving trucks, and double checking the cargo. The workers are divided into subcontract workers and company workers. Company workers are hired by HIT under Lee Kar Shing's business empire. They have better fringe benefits and more job security, for example they work one shift per day and are paid monthly (usually they have 17 monthly payments in one year), meal time break, year-end bonus, etc. As for the subcontracted workers, they are hired by the second or third tier subcontracting companies. Their working time is 16 to 24 hours (two to three shifts) and paid by shift. For every 24 hours, they are paid around 1,115 HK dollars, approximately 144 US dollars. Every shift has different pay. As for fringe benefits, subcontracted workers do not have meal time, medical insurance, or bonuses.
Workers protest inside the dock. Public domain photo by Leung Hy via inmediahk.net
試想像一個人連續工作二十四小時、在四號、六號、七號、八號泊位之間遊走，遊走整整，一晝一夜。事實上，貨櫃碼頭裡的揸紙和水爺，其實就是如此。他們要每月都連續工作廿四小時，做足三更。…在繁忙的船期，節日前後，外判商為了減少人手，碼頭工人不得不加班，「直踩」七十二小時。[…]現時揸紙和水爺工作一連三更，只得 $1115，比起1997年 $1480的工資水平更要低。換句話說，他們現時平均時薪大約只有 $ 50。
Just try to imagine a person working round the clock for 24 hours around docks 4 and 6 and 7 and 8 (note: the docks are owned by HIT), day and night. The reality is for the dock workers who are responsible for arranging and packing up the cargo, they are working in this manner, continuously for 24 hours in three shifts. […] At peak time, such as before and after holidays, subcontractors will force the workers to work overtime for 72 hours in order to avoid hiring more workers. […] The dock workers responsible for the cargo managing and packing who work continuously for three shifts only are paid 1,115 HK dollars [144 US dollars], lower than the 1,480 HK dollars [191 US dollars] paid back in 1997. In other words, their hourly paid is just 50 HK dollars [less than 7 US dollars].
The dock workers’ plight has won sympathy from members of the general public. Many have shown their support with photos such this one:
Supporters have uploaded their photos of support to Facebook.
Student volunteers have collected supplies [zh] such as rain clothes, sleeping bags, and bottled water for the striking workers. The Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions has also set up a fund to support the striking workers and has so far collected 1.4 million HK dollars [180,328 US dollars].