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Hungary Fast Tracks Legislation to Boot Out Central European University · Global Voices
Marietta Le

Protester at the rally in support of Central European University in Budapest, Hungary. Photo: Gábor Ezra Tausz, used with permission.
On the 4th of April, the Hungarian government passed a controversial amendment added to new legislation on higher education. The vote took place in a special procedure requested by Hungary's deputy prime minister.
According to Central European University(CEU) and its supporters around the world, the amendment would make it impossible for the school to continue operating in Hungary, where it has been located since 1993.
Journalists in Hungary and abroad have argued that lawmakers’ apparent aim is to force the university to close down.
The amendment would require CEU to open a campus in New York, where it has a charter from the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York, and reach a bilateral agreement with the U.S. federal government to issue both American and Hungarian diplomas to its students.
According to a statement by the Hungarian government, the aim of the amendment is for foreign universities in Hungary “to operate lawfully and transparently by complying with Hungarian regulations.” The ruling party argues that CEU enjoys an unfair advantage by issuing both Hungarian and American degrees.
Lawmakers wrote:
This may be good business for George Soros, but in the competition between universities it represents an unfair advantage.
George Soros is the founder of CEU. A controversial figure in many places, Soros has been celebrated and criticized for promoting democracy through organizations like Open Society Foundations.*
At a press conference held after the parliament's vote, CEU representatives said the university's Hungarian and American charters wouldn't be able to function separately:
That is not possible, and it is also not acceptable. We are giving both American degrees and Hungarian degrees. It wouldn't make no sense for the university to operate without the possibility American degrees, students would simply not come to the university if it didn't give American degrees.
On the 31st of March, Viktor Orbán, the prime minister of Hungary, said in an interview to a public radio station:
Cheating is cheating, whoever does it.
According to Index.hu, Orbán was referring to now mandated bilateral agreements when universities are from countries outside the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
Following the interview, CEU immediately issued a statement denying any allegations of “cheating,” insisting that it has operated within Hungarian law over its 25-year history in Budapest.
Last week, critics of the draft said it amounts to an attack on the freedom of education. Online, activists have begun using the hashtag #IStandWithCEU and supporters created the Twitter account @StandWithCEU.
Uwe Puetter, the director of CEU's school of public policy, tweeted:
We are part and parcel of academic life in Hungary. The law is damaging academic freedom in HU and EU says Rector @ceuhungary #IstandwithCEU
— Uwe Puetter (@UwePuetter) March 29, 2017
Andrew Stroehlein, the European media director at Human Rights Watch, wrote:
Hungary:
Beats & jails refugees.
Attacks free media.
Attacks civil society.
Attacks universities.
#istandwithCEU
— Andrew Stroehlein (@astroehlein) March 29, 2017
At the time of this writing, there are more than 45,000 signatures on a Change.org petition titled “Save Central European University” — already 20,000 supporters more than the campaign's initial goal. The initiators wrote in the petition's description:
We, scholars, students and supporters of free and unbiased scientific research and education call on the Hungarian National Assembly to drop the proposed legislation and to enter negotiations with the leadership of CEU that will ultimately allow this prestigious university to remain a proud contributor to scientific discourse in Hungary.
In an email sent out to CEU contacts on March 30, President and Rector Michael Ignatieff asked for support:
It is time to gather together to defend our institution and the principles of academic freedom. We urge you to communicate respectfully to your members of Parliament and other representatives (a sample letter is available here), and to publicly share your support for CEU, a proudly Hungarian and American institution of higher education, a university whose freedom is in danger.
Dr Pawel Bukowski, a CEU graduate, currently working as a research economist at the London School of Economics, shared a picture of his letter to a Hungarian minister. Photo: Facebook / Used with permission
Many CEU alumni have high-profile public-sector jobs around the world today, including some members of Hungary's ruling political party. With this graduate network, the university has been able to reach out quickly to a wider public.
Last week, supportive letters and emails started pouring in from students, universities, academic institutions, Nobel laureates, scientists, writers, the U.S. Department of State, and even the Washington Posts’ editorial board. The university published a list of these statements here.
The mayor of Vilnius, another CEU graduate, also wrote a letter to the school's rector, inviting the university to move to Lithuania. This was followed by an invitation from the mayor of Slupsk in Poland.
On the 2nd of April, thousands in Budapest rallied in support of Central European University. Solidarity events were held by Hungarian citizens and CEU graduates at the Hungarian embassies in Berlin and London, as well.
Crowd of protesters in front of Central European University in Budapest. Photo: Áron Halász. Used with permission.
The news site Mandiner shared a time-lapse video of the crowd in Budapest in the same day:
Here you can also find a network visualisation depicting the hashtags frequently mentioned together with #istandwithCEU. Precognox also published a word cloud of the most used hashtags on the topic.
Word cloud of CEU tweets by Precognox. Used with permission.
The news site 444.hu published a list of the 123 parliament members, all from the governing coalition, who voted for the amendment.
There was also a protest at Central European University's city center buildings on Tuesday afternoon, where students spoke up for their university.
Nationalism Studies student Luca László said:
I live in a country where greatest enemies of the government are the NGOs, human rights, academic freedom, and people fleeing war.
She asked the head of state, János Áder, not to sign the amendment and send it back to parliament for review.
Protest Élőlánc a CEU körül – chain of solidarity around @ceuhungary #IstandwithCEU #Hungary pic.twitter.com/uyAy7dlI7A
— jd in .hu (@redjade_hu) April 4, 2017
Daniel T. Berg, another CEU student, shared the story of his mother, who escaped Hungary in the 1970s in the trunk of a Trabant car.
Referring to a pro-government public opinion monitoring tool “National Consultation,” Berg said:
As you may know the government recently started a national consultation asking “How do we stop Brussels?” my question is “How do we stop Orbán?”
The blog Kettős Mérce (Double Standard) published updates about the day's events. After the rally at CEU, protesters walked to the nearby parliament, where they attempted to hang a European Union flag. About 300 people sat down in front of the building, facing a police cordon.
The bloggers promised that protests will continue on Wednesday and throughout the week.
On Facebook, Hungarian university professors have started promoting a strike. Tibor Bárány of Budapest University of Technology and Economics wrote that he would completely stop working until parliament withdraws the amendment, if teachers at home and abroad would join a strike.

author: Marietta Le


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Indian Techies Work to Detect Fake WhatsApp and Facebook Messages · Global Voices
Subhashish Panigrahi

Mozilla L10N Hackathon in Punjab, India. Photo by Subhashish Panigrahi via Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Two Indian coders are building a website that helps detect fake messages shared widely on WhatsApp and Facebook. Known as check4spam.com, the site relies on both the research and investigation by the check4spam team along with volunteer users.
The group hopes to expand the portal's capabilities to provide certain services through technical tools. They describe the project as follows:
We verify any known posts with the below actions:
1. Contact the person/organization mentioned in the post
2. Do an extensive search (online and offline) to find any further fine information about the news
- How We Work, check4spam.com
(SPAM) Top 10 Corrupt Political Parties in The World 2017 by BBC https://t.co/wb2yJxHYpn pic.twitter.com/hlisxbmPTA
— check4spam (@check4spam) March 22, 2017
India is seeing a rapid increase in Internet use, even among the elderly. Many of the new users do not yet know how to differentiate between authentic sources and fake or malicious ones. And there are threats of click bait, hoaxes or Trojan horse-style software built to steal information from the user’s device.
Bal Krishn Birla and Shammas Oliyath who created the website are two seasoned techies based in the Indian city of Bengaluru. With a vision of “unconditional Service for humanity” and a mission to “make life easy for the common man and life trouble for the spammers,” they have embarked on to educate people in India that fall victim to fake messages on social media, and help circulate those messages.
A typical certification. Image via Check4Spam Website.
They have set up a WhatsApp number in August 2016 for people to send in the messages for fact-checks. According to Shammas, they get as many as 100 messages a day for verification. Shammas reads the messages during his hour-long lunch break and starts researching the leads.
Check4Spam is a self-funded project. It gets some revenue from ads on the site which goes into its operation costs, including promotional posts on Facebook.
#Check4Spam
1 Add +9035067726 on your phone.
2. Copy the content you doubt.
2 WhatsApp them. They'll tell you if it is fake or not. RT pic.twitter.com/tJHj0we7uI
— VenuMaun (@VenuSpeak) March 28, 2017
The check4spam.com currently supports messages that are text-only, image-only, and contains both text and image. They are also crowdsourcing spam message detection by asking people to report the spam messages that the users find out themselves. Currently the detected messages are categorized under internet rumours, accidents, jobs, medical, missing, government initiatives, and promotions.
The site gets half a million page views a month.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Subhashish Panigrahi


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Meet Russia’s Warrior-Writer and Bloodthirsty Priest · Global Voices
Nikolay Syrov

Photo: Pixabay.
In addition to being a prominent contemporary writer in Russia, Zakhar Prilepin is a vocal political ideologue. A member of the National Bolshevik Party, he hosts a talk show on the nationalist, ultra-conservative Tsargrad TV network. Prilepin is also the chief editor of Svobodnaya Pressa, another pro-Kremlin media outlet that focuses on politics, the military, and economics.
On March 13, Prilepin appeared in a puzzling online video.
This was the month that he announced the formation of a new volunteer battalion that would fight in eastern Ukraine for the self-declared “People’s Republic of Donetsk.” This battle group would “ride on a white horse into any town we've [the Russians] abandoned,” he declared.
In the video, published by the pro-Kremlin tabloid Life.ru, Prilepin faces the camera, holding up a sheet of paper bearing a clumsily drawn peace sign. He then quietly delivers the following statement:
“All writers in the world have always supported peace. Shakespeare, Shenderovich, Dante, Andrei Makarevich — all of them. I also support peace. Thank you, everyone.”
With a sudden air of extreme boredom, he then asks the cameraman if he’s done, before turning to large anti-aircraft gun mounted on a truck behind him. “Let’s get to work!” he yells, and the gunner fires several booming rounds into the horizon.
The same day, Prilepin published an op-ed on the pro-Kremlin news site REN-TV, where he hosts a second talk show. In this text, he tried to explain the meaning of his “peace video.”
“Peace is not a gift,” Prilepin wrote cryptically. “Peace is a job. When there is no peace, you have to fight for it.”
He also signaled his confidence that history is on his side, when it comes to this subject. “It is completely obvious that Lev Tolstoy, as well as Pavel Katenin, Mikhail Lermontov, and another dozen poets were definitely engaged in ‘wars of conquest,’” Prilepin explained, before naming another handful of famous writers, including Pushkin, Baratinsky, Garshin, Batyushkov, Slutsky and Lukonin.
“I am for peace. I don’t know what you are for,” Prilepin told his readers. “And honestly I don’t care.”
About a week later, he penned another op-ed, this time for the Russian propaganda TV station RT (formerly “Russia Today”), where he declared that “literature is not about humanism,” and explained that he sometimes leaves his base of operations in Donetsk to earn money back in Russia. He uses the income to buy military supplies for the separatists, he said.
In March, Russia’s warrior-writer had a kindred spirit in the country’s warrior-priest. On March 9, Vsevolod Chaplin, the former spokesperson for the Russian Orthodox Church, wrote a short Facebook post expounding on how he believes the country should treat “traitors.”
Responding to the news about Kim Jong-nam’s assassination in Malaysia, comparing media coverage to reports in 2006 about Alexander Litvinenko’s assassination presumably at the hands of Russian agents, Chaplin complained that “traitors and betrayers” were again spreading hysteria.
Arguing that these vile people should be deprived of their “psychological comfort,” Chaplin made three hyperbolic recommendations: lifting Russia’s moratorium on the death penalty, creating “special units to carry out court sentences,” and authorizing “guided missile strikes” against traitors.
Russian Internet users were understandably amused to see a priest advocate state-sponsored murder. Lentach, a popular satirical community, playfully reminded Chaplin about a thing in Christianity called the Fifth Commandment (“Thou shalt not murder”).
This wasn’t the first time Vsevolod Chaplin endorsed killing. Last August, he went on the radio station Ekho Moskvy and said that it’s sometimes necessary to “eliminate certain internal enemies.” Asked to clarify what he meant, Chaplin explained that some people “definitely can and should be killed,” in the interests of society.

author: Nikolay Syrov


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Tributes Flow in for Kishori Amonkar, One of the Great Voices of Indian Classical Music · Global Voices
Rezwan

Kishori Amonkar. Screenshot from YouTube.
Kishori Amonkar, a legendary performer of Indian classical music, died in her apartment in Mumbai on the night of April 3 after a brief illness. She was 84.
Amonkar was a notable vocalist of the Hindustani, or North Indian, classical music tradition, which has been evolving since the 12th century CE. Indians on social media mourned her death and remembered her legacy.
Saddened at the passing of legendary vocalist Kishori Amonkar ji. This is a great loss for Indian classical music
— Y V Patil (@mlayvpatil) April 4, 2017
Kishori Amonkar dies. Apart from her stellar music a lot else to learn: fierce intellect and unflinching defence of her art
— AVEEK JAYANT (@AveekJayant) April 4, 2017
Tragic news. Doyen of Hindustani classical music Kishori Amonkar of the Jaipur Gharana is no more! We will miss you terribly. Rest in Peace. pic.twitter.com/DTRzmg2zPG
— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) April 3, 2017
Amonkar played music of a genre called khyal as well as the light classical genres called thumri and bhajan. She was also an innovator of the distinctive Jaipur gharana style.
Shrimati Kishori Amonkar – Raga Basanti Kedar # 2 and Bhajan https://t.co/cnNp6lMP8c
— Sanjeev khandekar (@Chemburstudio) April 3, 2017
According to the Deepak Raja's World of Hindustani Music blog:
Kishori Amonkar (born: 1932) is by far the most influential female Hindustani vocalist to emerge in independent India. She is the daughter and disciple of the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana (tradition) stalwart, Mogubai Kurdikar, but acquires her stature from her originality as an interpreter of the gharana’s musical wisdom. She jettisoned the classicism of her gharana’s style in favor of a marked romanticism, braved criticism from conservative opinion and triumphed. As a result, her revisionist style has now come to signify Jaipur-Atrauli vocalism, while its orthodox stream drifts towards history.
Although Amonkar started singing early in life, she found recognition when she began singing to larger audiences in the 1960s and 1970s. From then on, her performances reached many Indian households through cassettes and records. But in person, she lived a very solitary life.
Internationally renowned tabla maestro Zakir Hussain placed Amonkar among the greatest Hindustani vocalists of all time while talking in a 2011 documentary titled “Bhinna Shadja” (a film about Amonkar commissioned by India's Ministry of External Affairs):
In 2013, Harmonium, a music blog, reviewed Amonkar's singing:
There are certain voices that have the ability to mesmerise and Kishori Amonkar’s is one. I have the feeling as I listen to this record that the music does not come from her but that she is the music. They are indivisible. One and the same. We float with her. We feel weightless and yet never more connected. As she sings we cry and want to curl up in the sound and never be let go.
During her lifetime, Amonkar received two of Indian civilian awards: the Padma Bhushan in 1987 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2002. Online, people remembered her legacy and shared her greatest works:
A sad day. Kishori Amonkar was an unparalleled genius. A giant. She gave so much to Indian Music.
— ϽΓΣⱤẛ∁ (@CholericCleric) April 3, 2017
There isn't one as surila as you ever …Kishori Tai!the Gods must be happy.https://t.co/wHu25xLEKU via @youtube
— Sonal Joshi (@sonaljosh) April 4, 2017
This Rageshree by the late, great, Kishori Amonkar is supreme and sublime: https://t.co/1NAPzeddKu
Listen, and listen again
via @gopalears
— Ramachandra Guha (@Ram_Guha) April 4, 2017
‘Mharo Pranam’ on loop since morning. Still searching for words to describe this Purity & Passion #KishoriAmonkar ?? https://t.co/Uh7FeJoVfG
— Moody Allen (@rohanghuge) April 4, 2017
People also recalled her notable quotes:
I believe that Indian music is nothing but the expression of a feeling. If I say, ‘I love you,’ can you measure it? You just have to feel that vibration.
It is a nice blend of mind and brain which you need in art. You cannot be merely sentimental, devoid of intellect. There should be a perfect balance between intellect and heart.
Arnab Chakrabarty wrote on Scroll.in:
In a field where most successful professionals burn out in their 40s and 50s from complacence, Amonkar’s musical growth continued unabated right until her last days.
Amonkar will be cremated on April 4 after a funeral in Shivaji Park in Mumbai. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to her:
The works of Kishori Amonkar will always remain popular among people for years to come. https://t.co/iGFxmy8Mlj
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 4, 2017

author: Rezwan


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Ugandan Races in Jamaican Competition, Raising Questions About Patriotism, Team Loyalty · Global Voices
Emma Lewis

Statue of Jamaica's first Olympic gold medallist, Arthur Wint. Photo by Yorkali Walters, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Jamaicans are, unsurprisingly, crazy about athletics — especially track events. The country’s success at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and the worldwide Usain Bolt phenomenon help to fuel the continuous burning interest in all things track and field. As a result, the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships (commonly known as “Champs”) seems to garner increasing media and public attention every year, with cheerleaders, drums, flags, chants, school colours and the “big” schools setting up camps near Kingston’s National Stadium.
And this year's contest was no exception.
The newspaper The Gleaner tweeted a picture of a Kingston College (KC) supporter sporting a purple beard:
Champs is in the ‘hair': This KC supporter sports his purple-dyed beard at #Champs2017. It's Day 5 and we are here. #glnrChamps pic.twitter.com/B8RyIHjiiG
— Jamaica Gleaner (@JamaicaGleaner) April 1, 2017
This year, the rivalry was intense, particularly between last year’s winners, Calabar High School, and the highly-touted Kingston College (KC) — both male-only institutions based in the capital city. However, there was added controversy over a 16-year-old Ugandan boy, Arymanya Rodgers, who migrated to Jamaica in October 2016 and was selected to run for KC. The principal of Calabar High School was not amused when ISSA voted to allow Rodgers to participate, despite his late arrival in Jamaica and delayed registration. While the dispute between the two schools’ administrators rumbled on (sustained by several newspaper columns and sports journalists’ opinions), a parallel argument continued online among avid athletics fans.
Jamaicans on social media had a lot to say, with sharply divided views on whether Rodgers should have been allowed to run. While there were a number of negative comments on Facebook, Rodgers pleaded with Jamaicans to be more understanding of his plight, as the circumstances of his arrival on the island were beyond his control.
On Twitter, Robert Nesta Morgan suggested there was hypocrisy in Jamaicans’ criticism of Rodgers:
Jamaicans who love to go to other people country for jobs and other benefits are cussing this young Ugandan? Say it ain't so.
— Robert Nesta Morgan (@NestaJA) April 2, 2017
Actress and media personality Dahlia Harris also supported the Ugandan, noting that many Jamaican athletes have benefited from overseas sponsorship:
We don't remember how many Ja athletes got and still getting scholarships in the US? Leave the Ugandan alone!
— Dahlia Harris (@DahliaHarris) April 2, 2017
Rodgers’ victory lap after winning the Boys’ 5000 meters, carrying a Ugandan flag, again raised eyebrows:
From Uganda to Kingston, Jamaica. Shout out to Rodgers Aryamanya, he's a special athlete. pic.twitter.com/M2YsmQTtIn
— ? NarrowRator ?? (@narrowrator) April 2, 2017
Again, the Ugandan found defenders. Robert Nesta Morgan tweeted:
Jamaicans who don't need an excuse to fly our flag in another man's country are cussing this Ugandan? Say it ain't so.
— Robert Nesta Morgan (@NestaJA) April 2, 2017
However, a distinction was made between international events (such as the Penn Relays, where Jamaican teams do well) and local ones:
@NestaJA Yes bc it's a school event! Any flag waving should have been the school flag. It's not an International athletic meet.
— Brenda (@BrenLuvsLife) April 2, 2017
Blogger Dennis Jones added:
@NestaJA Point re #NCAA & pure national school/collegiate events, still holds. Personally, think international flags have no place at NATIONAL events
— Dennis Jones (@dennisgjones) April 2, 2017
Krista-Gaye Forbes wondered about “Ari's” future in a blog post:
I’m a recruitment counselor who mainly specializes in helping Jamaican student-athletes find Universities/Colleges and athletic programs abroad to call home. With that being said, I’m HERE for Kingston College’s decision to recruit internationally. If we can give more kids the opportunity to shine like Jamaican student-athletes do, why not?
The real issues arise, however, when the stadium lights go out and Ari Rodgers becomes your everyday STUDENT-athlete. Now, he’s here — we’ve brought him here (yes WE). How has his future been altered as a result of that decision?
What’s next for the youngster who, (though still has time), has virtually no competition locally and is just under a minute short of being a qualifier on the NCAA division 1’s top 95 list in the 5000m?
This isn’t a question just for his caretakers. These questions are for decision makers who’ve just opened the floodgates. How do we protect the futures of other students like young Rodgers beyond high school athletics
Outspoken sports doctor Ian Wright explained the background to Rodgers’ participation:
The brouhaha surrounding the (successful) attempt of those tasked with the upbringing of Ugandan teenager Arymanya Rodgers to come to Jamaica to live and continue his education brings into sharp focus the ‘abuse’ of a child.
Young Rodgers had his application to transfer to Kingston College (KC) approved and left his native land Uganda in time to fulfil the requirements of a successful transfer. However, a series of blunders…resulted in a planned arrival in Jamaica on or around August 24, being transformed to his physical arrival here on October 16 and arriving on the doorsteps of KC on October 18 last year.
Since his arrival, young Rodgers has excelled academically, and more important, it seems, has proven to be an exceptionally gifted middle- to long-distance runner.
His academic success in class (98 percent in a recent mathematics exam, according to his headmaster) seems to be of little interest to educators of rival schools. What has irked some of these leaders is the fact that he now has the potential to be a major factor in the ‘fight’ between the top schools to win at Champs, thus qualifying for mind-boggling monetary rewards, previously unheard of in this annual athletics competition. Thus the win-at-all-cost mantra of once-upon-a-time friendly rivalry among schools has resulted in a bizarre breach of accepted protocol regarding decisions made by the executive of Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA), the body of principals who control Champs, and the threatened withdrawal of one of the major players in Champs from participating in some of the pre-Champs ceremonies.
This has resulted in a flurry of unsupportive comments on social media, and a call from a sports journalist for KC to ban this child from representing his school at Champs. The effect of all of this … ‘He is unhappy. He feels down, especially when he goes on Facebook and sees everything that is being said about him’, to quote his headmaster at KC, Dave Myrie…’
Sports journalist Laurie Foster criticised the principals of the two schools involved:
The ISSA rules, as they regard qualification to compete, are quite clear. One is hard-pressed to recall an occasion when their implementation has been mired in such controversy as in this matter regarding the Ugandan athlete. If the latest ruling can give rise to this type of confrontation that puts one school's top administrator up in arms with his counterpart elsewhere, maybe it is time to design an alternative strategy. The fact that the students could attempt to justify their sometimes recalcitrant behaviour on the grounds of ‘Is the same thing Sir did on TV last night’ provides just cause.
Foster's Fairplay suggests that disputes such as the on-going one should be discussed and settled by a designated body, far removed from the schools’ administration. The latter should be left to cater to the diverse demands of educating students and preparing them for the wider world.
There can be no doubt that Champs is a blessing to be nurtured and cherished. However, it tends to bring out some disturbing traits in some of the persons involved in its structure and execution.
This prompted a biting retort from the chair of Kingston College in a letter to The Gleaner:
I am disappointed, as Mr Foster has failed to exercise fair play in some of his statements in the said column. Contrary to Mr Foster's assertions, the principal of Kingston College has not been involved in any public ‘punches and counterpunches’ with the principal of Calabar High School, nor has he been on any radio programme ‘airing … grievances’ in connection with any matter arising from ISSA's decision relating to Kingston College student Arymanya Rodgers.
The irony in Mr Foster's false assertions is that Dave Myrie, the Kingston College principal, has refrained from any such action because, in addition to other reasons, he shares Mr Foster's view that one of the primary responsibilities of school principals is ‘the establishment and maintenance of discipline, good order, and industry’ among students.
So in the end, which school won? Despite a strong challenge from KC, Calabar High School narrowly won its 27th title — and sixth consecutive win — by just three points, with another Kingston boys’ school, Jamaica College, a distant third. The result emerged after the last race.
Meanwhile, Rodgers is having second thoughts about representing Jamaica at some point in the future, after negative feedback on social media to his participation this time. He told The Jamaica Observer:
Maybe sometime to come I may represent this country, but if I keep on hearing this negative attitude by these people, you never know, I may change my mind…
I never expected that social media thing…
But I have to remain focused. These haters, these people who talk things about me, I want to prove them wrong.
It would be a shame, however, if Rodgers lost heart, simply because of the naysayers. Many young Jamaicans were, in fact, far kinder:
A PRAPPA-PRAPPA Jamaican good-up, good-up SHOUT OUT to Ugandan Arymanya Rodgers. WELCOME TO JAMAICA my dear, and PLEASE take heart that NOT all Jamaicans are SAVAGES!!!!
PLEASE know that MANY of us are PROUD of your God-given talent and we DO SALUTE you for performing SO superbly EVEN in the face of ALL you had to hear and read being said about you.
I ASHAMEDLY apologize for the VERY poor and UTTERLY disgusting behaviour of my countrymen and ENCOURAGE you to CONTINUE to hone your AWESOME talent and pursue your dreams.
Hopefully, I WILL see you at the Olympics in the future, where, if you should be wearing the Jamaican colours, these SAME Jamaicans who are disparaging of you WILL be your BIGGEST cheerleaders.
Despite this HORRIBLE showing, we TRULY are a nation of out of MANY, one people. ONE LOVE MY LIL AFRICAN BRO […].
The girls in the rural-based Edwin Allen High School won for the fourth consecutive year. As usual, there was much less emphasis and “hype” surrounding the girls’ win, although they left their rivals in the dust with a much wider margin of victory.
As the fireworks display died down, ordinary Jamaicans were left to reflect on the nation’s state of overall fitness. The Ministry of Health just launched “Jamaica Moves,” a new fitness campaign, after revelations that 56 percent of Jamaicans are overweight and a quarter of the country is medically obese.
Bring your exercise gear and join us on World Health Day, April 7 at Emancipation Park. Workout starts at 4:30PM! #JaMoves #TheBeginning pic.twitter.com/VDvNat1kuB
— Jamaica Moves (@jamaica_moves) March 31, 2017

author: Emma Lewis


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How a Kurdish Conservationist Is Protecting the Persian Leopard in War-Torn Iraq (Video) · Global Voices
Ensia

A rare Persian Leopard. Photo by Patrick Bentley/SolarAid Photos CC 2.0.
This post by Todd Reubold was originally published on Ensia.com, a magazine that highlights international environmental solutions in action, and is republished here as part of a content-sharing agreement.
High in the mountains of northeastern Iraq’s Kurdistan region, wildlife conservationist Hana Ahmed Raza and a team of researchers with the non-governmental organization Nature Iraq are working to protect the ghost-like Persian leopard.
A sub-species of the broader family of leopards roaming across Africa and Asia, the Persian leopard (Panthera pardus saxicolor) numbers between 800 and 1,000 individuals, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and is under threat due to poaching, habitat loss and fragmentation, and diminishing prey.
Why is this particular species of leopard so important? As Raza points out in the video, “The Persian leopard is the only remaining predator in the [Kurdistan] ecosystem,” and the health of the ecosystem depends on the presence of large predators to thrive.
The chances of actually seeing a Persian leopard in the wild are pretty much slim to nil, so when the team realizes in the video that they’ve captured an image of a big cat on a camera trap, Raza erupts with pure joy.
A biologist by training Raza is passionate about showing another side of her country that isn’t just “war and conflict.” She has been involved in wildlife field surveys and educational outreach programs with Nature Iraq for the past six years. She has also been a member of the IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group since 2013 and has worked on efforts to establish protected areas for wildlife in the Kurdistan region.
.postContent

author: Ensia


text:
If the Caribbean Wants to Grow Economically, ‘We Must Embrace the Women’s Perspective’ · Global Voices
Emma Lewis

Cecile Watson, founder of Pitch and Choose, one of the platforms through which she is empowering regional female entrepreneurs. Photo courtesy Watson, used with permission.
Cecile Watson is one Caribbean businesswoman who's thinking differently. Barbados-born and Jamaica-based, with 30 years’ experience in banking and finance, she founded the pioneering crowdfunding website pitchandchoose.com in 2014, with the aim of “democratizing finance” in the region.
She also founded Gr8Way Consulting as a means of arming senior women leaders and entrepreneurs to build better businesses and lead financially empowered lives of purpose and positive impact. In addition, Watson, along with Commonwealth Women Entrepreneur of the Year Valrie Grant, conceptualized the FundRiseHer project — a Commonwealth-wide crowdfunding initiative — which is a work in progress as it continuously builds capacity to get the entrepreneurs investment-ready. Its first Call for Grant Applications ended on December 31; 48 women applied for the crowdfunding grant program for women entrepreneurs.
Another facet of the program is “The Potent Pitch”, a blog and live interview series with experts who can speak to the funding side, and entrepreneurs who were formerly successful in being awarded grants. An online course in crowdfunding techniques will also start this month; by May, social media techniques will be employed to show the entrepreneurs how to leverage their community. All this is being done in conjunction with experts like Telojo Valerie Onu, Sandra Glasgow, Ingrid Riley, Marcia Brandon and Christopher Chaplin. Watson is also hoping for corporate sponsors to provide matching funds that will be accessible once the crowdfunding campaign goes live in the summer — so while there is a twinkle in her eye, she is very serious about her powerful vision for Caribbean women.
Global Voices (GV): You have solid experience in the conservative world of finance. What made you shift your focus? Or is this a shift?
Cecile Watson (CW): Well, that experience provides the core platform for what I do now — all that analytical stuff. I can leverage it now for a different purpose, one that is dynamic and not at all conservative — because it is about creating impact in the lives of others. Now, I am all about empowerment.
GV: Tell us a bit about Pitch and Choose. How is it going?
CW: Well, it was a little slow off the mark, but I fully expected and planned for that. I was bringing a completely new model into the market. Crowdfunding was not a concept Caribbean people were familiar with, until then. I was the first person to do this regionally. It’s all about democratizing finance. Awareness has grown, however; over the past two or three years, I would guess that around six out of ten people in the Caribbean now know what crowdfunding is. That's coming from maybe one in ten when I got started. It has such potential. For instance, in 2011, the residents of Rotterdam City crowdfunded a pedestrian bridge, which created an open space that would not have been possible if the citizens didn't buy into being part of the solution. It would be my dream for crowdfunding to address our infrastructural needs like that. But ‘every mickle make a muckle’, as the saying goes. The aim is to give crowdfunding the energy and direction it needs to build awareness and attract fans.
GV: With regard to training, what are the most useful skills women can possess in today’s world?
CW: Entrepreneur Kenia Mattis, co-founder of ListenMi Caribbean, will be one of those involved in training the FundRiseHer grantees. She is a creative. I myself am an engineer by training, and I believe in women doing more in STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics], but I do believe we need the arts as a bridge. The world is calling for a move towards embracing everyone for who they are, from their own unique perspective and whatever their background and education; we are in the age of democratization. We must embrace our diversity — people may have ‘baggage’, but let’s not judge. We all have something to offer. These ideas intrigue me!
GV: You are focused on women’s economic empowerment. During a series of workshops last year in rural Jamaica, the 51% Coalition found financial independence to be at the top of the list for women. Do you think this is happening yet in the Caribbean?
CW: If we are really about a ‘growth agenda’, we must embrace the women’s perspective. We must be intentional about it. There is a lot of rhetoric, but I am not seeing women’s economic empowerment sufficiently manifested. Mentoring and mutual support among women must be a part of it. But I do understand that these things take time. So I try not to get befuddled by all of what’s not happening fast enough. Instead I think of what can I do to play my part in my own unique way based on my unique perspectives and insights.
GV: In an article you wrote just before the U.S. elections last year, you mentioned ‘changing the rules’. What did you mean by that?
CW: Well, it goes back to the idea that we are in the age of democratization. The old dynamics of the workplace have changed. But the old guard keeps hanging on. Leadership and the right to influence and be heard in the Caribbean, like everywhere else, depends on tenure, class, education, age, gender. But the millennials are having none of that. And I say that’s good. No good can come from excluding half of our population from opportunities to lead and to contribute in a way that they are best suited to do. We can no longer afford facilitating old paradigms that cause us to disenfranchise women (and others who have been traditionally marginalized) because our economies, our families and the state of our welfare are demanding all hands on deck. Therefore to me, we just need to get on with the work to embrace and empower women. It is simply good business to do so.
GV: What advice would you give the ambitious Caribbean woman today?
CW: I would tell them to tap into who they are. Because their empowerment will come through the building of a community, and through peer learning. That means you have to intentionally build something worth tapping into. It comes down to six elements in which I would encourage them to build some muscle: Work, Influence, Self Care, Decision Making, Order and Money. I call these the Wealthy Woman Currencies™. And I draw these from my journey and by observing others. I firmly believe that mastering these six currencies will not only transport you to a fulsome way of being, it will also get you to a place where you can willfully embrace your vulnerability, and let it transport you from a state of merely existing and searching to a state of passionate living. You see, the world needs our authenticity and our genius. We were fearlessly and wonderfully made and each day we get the opportunity to walk closer towards what we are purposed for. It is left for us to take it. And living from a place grounded in purpose can be joyful. And it can be mind blowingly awesome too, as we not only become empowered, but also make the time to empower others similarly.
GV: Who has inspired you? Who are your role models?
CW: I am inspired by Leotta Quintyne (my grandmother); Sheila Whittaker (my mother); and Courtnie Watson (my daughter). My grandmother didn’t have a smidgeon of what I have; she had so little. She used to load a tray and walk miles with it on her head to sell things she had made, like underpants and support belts to cane farmers. She was fearless and she bought a shop at auction without money and then went to my grandfather’s workplace to borrow the money from his employer. She was entrepreneurial, and memories of what she endured remind me not to complain! My mother is the definition of ‘meek’. She is calm, unruffled. There is strength in calm; it’s a powerful place to be. So, she reminds me not to make a space for judgment or bitterness, but to just be. And my daughter (she is 27) introduced me to words like ‘misogyny’ and encouraged me towards advocacy. She made me think about what it means to be feminist and how important it is for me to advocate for change from my own unique perspective of someone who has made it to the C-Suite. For me, feminism is really about parity. A level playing field. Courtnie sees it the same way.
GV: Finally, what is your philosophy of life?
CW: I am who I am because of my faith in God. That is my foundation. I would sum up my philosophy as guard[ing] my heart because it is the seat of myself, but to make room in it to let everyone be their own authentic selves, wherever they are on their journey. And if invited in, to always be ready to share a bit of me with love, in a way that can empower them to be more fruitful in their lives, and without judgment of who they are or from whence they came.
Ahead of us is hope.


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Netizen Report: Online Battles Break Out Amid Elections in Armenia and Ecuador · Global Voices
Netizen Report Team

Stencil art in Wisconsin, US. Photo by David Drexel via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Elections have become a time when Internet censorship, online harassment, and the deliberate spread of misinformation escalate. Last year, social media networks were blocked in Uganda and Montenegro during national elections. In the Gambia and Gabon, the Internet was shut down altogether.
Harassment of political candidates and activists alike was a hallmark of special parliamentary elections in Macedonia, presidential elections in the US, and last week’s chief executive elections in Hong Kong. As elections approach in Iran, hardliners are pressuring the Rouhani administration to block the Telegram messaging app. And the tide of harassment is rising in both Russia and France, as both nations prepare to choose their next leader.
Elections in Armenia and Ecuador last week proved to be no exception. The lead-up to general elections in Armenia was marred by apparent attempts to thwart the online activities of journalists and at least one incident of fake news. A prominent civil society figure reported attempts by government-backed hackers to access his email account, and several Armenian journalists said their accounts on Twitter were suspended just before the vote. Their accounts have since been restored.
Election monitors from the Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe (OSCE) said the elections, which resulted in the victory of the current ruling Republican Party of Armenia, were generally well-administered, but still tainted by credible accusations of vote-buying and undue influence on civil servants and employees of private companies.
Meanwhile in Ecuador, opposition party candidates and supporters faced a wave of social media account suspensions, as did media rights NGOs. Pro-opposition websites and a handful of NGOs publishing voter education information noticed a sharp decline in web traffic on local ISPs on the evening of the election, leading to suspicions of interference. The website for the Internet access group Usuarios Digitales also experienced a DDoS attack a few days before the election, as did the website of opposition candidate Guillermo Lasso.
After the blogging platform LiveJournal — which was acquired by the Russian company SUP Media in 2007 — moved its data servers from California to Russia. This means that the website’s data will now be fully accessible to Russian police, in accordance with Russia’s recently enacted “anti-terrorist” legislation. Along with other restrictions, an updated LiveJournal user agreement prohibits “political solicitation”, but does not define the meaning of the term.
Google Scholar may be the first Google service to return to China, according to a statement by senior Chinese lawmaker Liu Binjie. “China has been in touch with Google through various channels,” Binjie said, signaling hope that a part of Google’s business (which Binjie described as “service functions that do not involve [politically] sensitive information”) would return to China first, and be gradually followed by others. Google pulled its services from the Chinese market in 2010 due to a conflict over China’s strict censorship rules, but has expressed interest in returning to the market. Binjie’s remarks did not make clear whether censorship would be implemented in any of Google’s services.
The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission rejected a proposal to block Facebook between the hours of midnight to 6:00am, a measure proposed by lawmakers who argued that Facebook was “dimming the working capabilities of the youths” and should therefore be inaccessible during bedtime hours. The BTRC instead has suggested that parental controls and privacy and security features would be a better method to achieve this objective. The BTRC’s recommendation now leaves the final decision up to the government.
Prominent academic Dr. Nasser bin Ghaith was sentenced by a UAE court to 10 years in prison for “posting false information” on Twitter about UAE leaders “in order to harm the reputation and stature of the State.” According to Amnesty International, bin Ghaith made comments on Twitter that he had not been given a fair trial in an earlier case in which he and four others were prosecuted for “publicly insulting” the country’s leaders in online comments, in what is known as the “UAE Five” case. He may appeal the sentence within 30 days. Dr. bin Ghaith’s case follows that of Ahmed Mansoor, another member of the UAE Five, who was arrested the week prior.
Supporters of Mansoor who tweeted about his arrest were attacked for defending a “traitor that deserves to die”. Global Voices volunteers analyzed the interactions between supporters of Mansoor and those who attacked them and found that some of the most influential tweets critical of Mansoor came from accounts that appear to belong to government employees or affiliates, who led hardline government supporters in online attacks against Mansoor.
An investigation by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation found that IMSI catchers, devices that spy on cellphones within a geographic area, are being used in the area around Ottawa’s Parliament Hill. Also known as Stingrays, IMSI catchers work by mimicking a cellphone tower and scooping up the data available within an area, typically of all devices within a radius of half a kilometer. Though CBC journalists confirmed that the IMSI catchers were being persistently used around Parliament, they were not able to determine who was using them.
Two Indian technologists, Bal Krishn Birla and Shammas Oliyath, are working to build a website, check4spam.com, which will help to detect fake messages spread using WhatsApp and Facebook. The initiative aims to curb the spread of false and malicious information and to “make life easy for the common man and life trouble for spammers.”
Afef Abrougui, Ellery Roberts Biddle, Rezwan Islam, Kevin Rothrock, Nevin Thompson, Laura Vidal and Sarah Myers West contributed to this report.

author: Netizen Report Team


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Protests and Fraud Allegations Follow Ecuador’s Presidential Election · Global Voices
Laura Vidal

Ecuador's flag. Photo by Yamil Salinas Martínez from Flickr. Used in accordance with CC 2.0 licence.
Daniela Gallardo contributed to the original Spanish-language article. The English-language translation below has been edited and updated.
Following intense campaigning from candidates Guillermo Lasso and Lenin Moreno, it was the latter who was declared the winner of the presidential run-off election in Ecuador on April 2. However, the opposition and Lasso's supporters are alleging fraud and calling for protests to demand a new count.
The official numbers given by the National Election Council was 51.16% for Moreno and 48.84% for Lasso.
The days following the vote have seen a massive wave of demonstrations, documented under the hashtags #Megafraude (Mega-fraud) and #LicenciadoMoreno (“Graduate” Moreno, a common name used for someone who has a degree) to underline the fact that some people refuse to call him “president-elect”:
Algunos ciudadanos de Ecuador han salido a las calles a alzar su voz de protesta. #EcuadorElige2017 #Ecuador #EcuadorVoto2017 pic.twitter.com/lXSBNfYlPl
— Suriel Chacon (@suriel) April 3, 2017
Some Ecuadorians citizens have gone to the streets to make their voices and their protests heard
The campaigns exposed a strong division amongst voters, between those who essentially view ruling party candidate Lenin Moreno as continuing the socialist-inspired agenda that until recently was lead by President Rafael Correa, and those who view CREO party candidate Guillermo Lasso as representing strategic change more in line with conservative economic ideals.
Lisette Arévalo Gross and Sol Borja, analysts from Ecuadorean media outlet GkillCity, described how the candidates fit into the context of Ecuador's confrontational political landscape, and also the fear that many Ecuadorians have regarding freedom of expression and preserving democracy. Regarding those who voted for Lasso, Arévalo Gross said:
Hay mucha gente que está de acuerdo con Guillermo Lasso de que al Ecuador hay que salvarlo. Esa es la razón por la que van a votar por él, lo apoyan y siguen. Incluso hay quienes no lo apoyan, ni lo siguen, pero votaron por él en primera vuelta por la simple y sencilla razón de que Guillermo Lasso era el más opcionado para llegar —como en efecto llegó— a una segunda vuelta con Lenín Moreno, el candidato que corre por Alianza País, el partido de gobierno.
Many people agree with Guillermo Lasso in that Ecuador needs to be saved. That's why they're going to vote for him, they support and follow him. Including those who don't support him, or follow him, but they voted for him in the first ballot for the plain and simple reason that Guillermo Lasso was the most likely to reach  — indeed as he already has — a second ballot with Lenin Moreno, who's running for the government party, Alianza País.
And with regard to Lenin Moreno, Borja highlighted:
[Lenin Moreno] Ha sido presentado como la cara buena de un fenómeno político liderado por un personaje de carácter explosivo, intolerante e impulsivo […] La idea de que Moreno es un patriota es repetida por sus seguidores y pulida por su equipo de campaña. Hay un cerco estricto que hace muy difícil llegar a él y verlo fuera de la imagen heroica que presentan sus asesores.
[Lenin Moreno] Has been portrayed as the friendly face of a political phenomenon lead by a volatile, intolerant and impulsive character […] The notion that Moreno is a patriot is reiterated by his supporters and refined by his campaign team. There's an impenetrable wall that makes it difficult to get to him and see him outside of this heroic image that his advisers portray.
Others consider Lasso to be too conservative to appeal to the political centre's vote, which could have changed the outcome.
Lasso no le tocaba convencer a nadie…Como sociedad debimos ser contundentes contra el gobierno mas corrupto de la historia…
— ن La bestia… (@JuanM_Miller) April 3, 2017
Lasso didn't want to please anybody… As a society we should be unyielding against the most corrupt government in history…
Voting day was full of setbacks. Complaints about polling stations circulated on social media, and organisations such as Usuarios Digitales (Digital Users), which follows citizen trends across online media, were accused of foul play for sharing information that could be inconvenient for candidates close to the government.
#AlertaDigitalEC portal Web de Control Electoral https://t.co/q6g6UdCMZb de @CREOEcuador actualmente fuera de línea. Posible ataque DDoS pic.twitter.com/CFX0vUmNFe
— Usuarios Digitales (@usuariosdigital) April 3, 2017
#DigitalAlertEC: Web page for election monitoring from CREO political party is currently offline. Possible DDoS attack
There were comparisons made to other political situations in the Latin American region. For many, the rise of Moreno to power is a continuation of agendas similar to the political and economic strategies seen in Venezuela, which has been at the centre of intense debate due to its political and economic crisis.
Que lo sucedido en Vzla, sea un ejemplo para Ecuador, que su voto sea un NO rotundo, a la dictadura del soc. del siglo XXI #EcuadorElige2017
— yajanne palencia (@yapalma) April 2, 2017
I hope what happened in Vzla is an example for Ecuador, that the vote will be a resounding NO to socialist dictatorship in the 21st century #EcuadorChooses2017
Similarly, allegations of fraud evoked accusations made during Venezuela's 2013 elections between Nicolás Maduro, the current president of Venezuela, and Henrique Capriles, his most important opponent:
Está sucediendo lo mismo en Ecuador que en Venezuela en Abril de 2013, ganaba Capriles y luego CNE proclama a Maduro con 1% arriba. Fraude
— Viva Venezuela Libre (@Chuchulawer) April 3, 2017
The same thing that happened in Venezuela in April 2013 is happening now in Ecuador. Capriles won and then National Election Council proclaimed Maduro with 1% lead. Fraud
Lo mismo que le hicieron a Capriles en #Venezuela se lo están haciendo a #GuillermoLasso en Ecuador. No al FRAUDE! #LassoPresidente
— Britboy! (@britboy18) April 3, 2017
They're doing the same to #GuillermoLasso in Ecuador as they did to Capriles in #Venezuela. No to FRAUD! #LassoPresident
Lasso announced that he will call for a recount of votes and that he will accept the outcome even if he loses “by one vote”.
In light of the country's unmistakable division, some concluded:
Dividir al país en dos pedazos irreconciliables de 50.0% cada uno : El mayor logro de Rafael Correa Delgado.
— Rolando Montesdeoca (@romoced) April 3, 2017
Dividing the country into two irreconciliable parts with a 50% split : Rafael Correa Delgado's greatest achievement.
Justo lo que necesitábamos en crisis económica y política, un presidente cuestionado en la legitimidad de su elección. Vamo’ ahí @cnegobec
— Ramiro García F (@ramirogarciaf) April 3, 2017
Just what we needed in a political and economic crisis, a president whose electoral legitimacy is called into question. Keep it up!
Beyond allegations of fraud or the notion of a political party increasing in power, the concerns and tensions over corruption and limitations to freedom of expression continue.

author: Laura Vidal


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Russian Lawmakers Want to Ban Kids From Social Media, Require ‘Real Name’ Registration · Global Voices
Kevin Rothrock

Image: Pixabay, edited by Kevin Rothrock
Newly proposed legislation in Russia would ban children under the age of 14 from creating accounts on social media and require adults to use their real names, verified with passport information, when registering with any social media platform.
This would mark a significant departure from current practice across the RuNet, and on Russia's most popular social media platform, VKontakte, where users are not required to register with their real names.
The Leningrad Oblast legislative assembly, which represents the greater St. Petersburg area, is reportedly planning to submit the legislation to Russia’s federal parliament, the Duma. As the law is currently written, violators would face administrative fines as high as 300,000 rubles ($5,350).
Though it’s unclear how officials would enforce the policy, particularly when it comes to foreign-owned social media platforms, the legislation is designed to apply to Russian citizens and foreigners living on Russian soil, according to the newspaper Izvestia.
The draft legislation would allow minors between the ages of 14 and 17 to register accounts on social networks, but it would restrict them from joining groups and communities that share content that cannot legally be distributed among children, including “occult-magical” subjects, information about “smoking mixtures,” and so-called “gay propaganda.”
The law also would double down on a pre-existing rule that bans Internet users from sharing information about “unsanctioned” public demonstrations, by explicitly criminalizing this type of sharing. And it would make it illegal to publish correspondence with another social media user without that individual’s consent, a measure perhaps inspired by recent political scandals involving leaked communications between public figures.
If passed, the law would take effect at the beginning of 2018.
Countries around the world — from Jordan to South Korea to Zambia — have implemented similar so-called “real name” registration requirements for both online platforms and mobile SIM cards, with varying degrees of efficacy. In all these cases, lawmakers have argued that the practice will help law enforcement better detect criminal activity online. But collecting this information also increases the abilities of government entities to monitor the activities of all Internet users, regardless of whether they've engaged in criminal activity. The storage of this type of data can also create challenges. South Korea rolled back the requirement after tens of millions of Internet users’ personal data was leaked in a massive hack of state-administrated servers in 2011.
“Nobody is trying to introduce censorship or restrict free speech,” Vladimir Petrov, a deputy in the Leningrad Oblast legislative assembly, told Izvestia. “Verification and strict control over the authenticity of [users’] names will only increase the value of virtual communication and one’s own opinions.”
“The less irresponsible anonymity, the better,” said Vitaly Milonov, a State Duma deputy infamous for pioneering anti-LGBT laws in Russia. “You can’t surrender this sphere to the pedophiles, terrorists, and criminals.”
Milonov told Izvestia that if the legislation is submitted to the Duma, it would have a good chance of being approved.

author: Kevin Rothrock


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The Syrian Regime Is Waging a War of Documents on Syrians · Global Voices
Syria Untold

Embassy of Syria in Prague taken on April 12, 2008 in Bubeneč, Czechia. Source: Krokodyl/Wikipedia.
This story was originally written for SyriaUntold in cooperation with Open Democracy. It is republished here as part of a partnership agreement.
One of the oldest manifestations of the Syrian government’s corruption has always been the blockage and manipulation of official documents. Political dissidents have been too often stripped of their civic rights, professional licenses, and personal properties. Until today, citizens are obliged to pay bribes to civil servants or risk his or her paperwork being delayed endlessly.
Rula used to work in the marketing department of one of the largest retail clothing companies in Syria when Bashar Al-Asad first came to office in 2000. “My post exposed me to the scale of corruption and fraud that controlled the country. For example, if a company paid, let’s say 500,000 SYP [around 10,000 US dollars at that time] a year in taxes, it would be paying 5 million in bribes that end up in the pockets of state employees. This is the ratio. And you can do anything you want. Anything, as long as you pay,” Rula told SyriaUntold from Dubai, where she currently lives.
In recent years, just as political oppression has reached new heights, including war crimes and the proliferation of prohibited weapons, corruption has also increased  and is used as a tool of war against the opposition, and a massive source of war-generated income at the expense of the population in general.
After the uprising began in 2011, the regime began using grimier tactics to blackmail people. First, for political reasons, then for financial extortion as well. As the regime opened fire on demonstrations, killed detainees under torture, or shelled civilian neighborhoods, the bereaved families faced a double tragedy: In addition to mourning their loved ones, the regime would withhold information about the fate of those arrested, possibly killed in its custody or its hospitals. It would effectively prevent these families from having any certainty of their death.
But even when security forces did decide to inform the families of the death, they often withheld the corpses and the official documents belonging to the victims, until the families signed statements accusing “armed terrorist gangs” of killing their relatives. This occurred as early as 2011, two years before the militant group Islamic State (IS) was formed. As the scale of killing increased, bribes became a routine procedure in return for such documented proof, creating a flourishing parallel industry for the security officials who oversee the systematic killings.
However, since this was occurring extra-judicially, in security dungeons with civilian mediators that handle the bribe payments and orally agree on everything, there were also many cases where the documents provided were manipulated.
The most famous of these cases was that of Zainab al-Hosni, a young woman from Homs. In late July 2011, Zainab went missing and her family believed she had been arrested by security forces. Two months later, the family received a maimed corpse from a state morgue and were told it was their daughter’s, but they were only allowed to take her after signing the usual “armed gangs” accusation. The family was enraged. Opposition and international media quickly spread the news as more proof of regime crimes.
A few days later, a video was aired on Syrian state TV broadcasting an interview with the young woman, stating that she was alive and in good condition, to discredit opposition media despite the evidence given to her family. The identity of the maimed body remains unknown until today.
The manipulation of documents also has many legal implications that prevent families from moving on with their lives. “Widows”, for example, don’t know if they are still married or not several years after the arrest of their husbands. They cannot legally divorce or remarry until the courts acknowledge that their husbands went missing, and this process could take up to four years. Receiving this official acknowledgement is often dependent on the women’s ability to fulfill the requests of corrupt judges.
Also, according to Syrian laws a mother cannot issue official documents, such as passports, for her children, even if she holds legal custody of them, or is still married to their father. In the absence of their father, a male member of the father’s family may be able to issue such documents if sufficient reason is provided for the absence of the father. The reason is deemed sufficient by government employees, whose flexibility is also subject to bribery.
Ghada, 57, lost her son to regime shelling during the siege of Homs (2012-14). He was already wanted by the regime for his activism. As a result, his family was unable to bury his body in the family cemetery.
But that was not the only problem. “I only have another son, who was due to be drafted to military service if we couldn’t issue a death certificate for his deceased brother,” she explained. According to Syrian draft law, only sons are exempted from obligatory service.
“It took months and months of work until we finally managed to issue a death certificate for him,” a move that cost her several hundreds of dollars back in 2013. Today, the cost often reaches the thousands, depending on the necessity of the document and the financial ability of the blackmailed citizen.
Even school students were not spared from being used as bargaining chips in this war for official documents.
Although the regime continued to pay teacher salaries in public schools in opposition-held territory, it has at times refused to acknowledge the legitimacy of national examinations. This was particularly damaging to 9th and 12th grade [lower and upper secondary levels] students that sit nationwide qualifying exams in order to be issued an official graduation certificate that permits them to continue their studies.
The regime peddled the narrative that they were unable to verify that the proper procedures were indeed followed to prevent cheating and fraud in opposition-controlled areas. Notably, such practices are on the rise even in regime-held areas, along with an unprecedented demand for forged academic certificates, which has pushed many countries to reject academic qualifications issued in Syria after 2011.
In some cases, as the result of successful negotiations with the parties in control of each area, the tests were accepted or students were allowed to leave their besieged neighborhoods to sit tests. In other cases, however, the students and their teachers had to endure threats and extra costs to reach the regime-held territories.
Mohammad, 32, a 9th grade teacher in besieged Eastern Ghoutah, spoke of the painful trip on which he took his students in the early summer of 2015. “It took us 27 hours to cross the endless checkpoints through the siege into Damascus. This road used to take me 20 minutes before.”
The trip was even more risky for Mohammad himself, who had lost two brothers in the past four years, and has become an unofficial only child for his elderly parents. The possibility of being taken away to be drafted is always present.
Where Mohammad has been lucky, Umm Ghyath, 50, has not. As a public high school administrative employee from opposition-controlled rural Aleppo, she had escorted 9th grade girls to Aleppo city to sit their exams, but she was searched at a checkpoint on the way back. A large amount of cash was found on her.
“I explained that these were the retirement salaries of fellow teachers who could not embark on a risky trip to Aleppo to collect them. I showed them the legal authorizations I had from them to use their debit cards, but they said that these retired employees were wanted for being Free Syrian Army [FSA] members, and they confiscated the money and arrested me.”
“I told them: How can I know if they are wanted or not? Why do they still get paid their salaries if they are FSA members? These are all retired old people.” She remained incommunicado in a security branch for three weeks, only to be subsequently released without charges. She never got the money back.
In universities, the situation is not better. Ramia Shami had to leave Syria after passing her final exams, but before the graduation attestation was ready to be issued. She gave her mother legal authorisation to follow up the process on her behalf and left the country for good. After nine months of attempts, they finally gave up on obtaining the certificate.
“I couldn’t ask her to keep playing this pointless, tiresome game with them anymore,” Ramia said. She explained that her mother was asked to present her high school diploma in order for her bachelor’s diploma to be issued, even though she had previously presented it to enroll at university four years ago.
Though her mother explained to the Damascus University employees that the original diploma was missing as it had been left in Ramia’s house, now inaccessible in a rebel-controlled area, they refused to issue her graduation attestation without it. Bribes could have solved the situation, but they did not want to pay. “Four years of study wasted just like that!” she lamented.
Given that almost a third of Syrians have left the country, legal authorizations by citizens living abroad that allow their representatives to operate on their behalf have become an essential way to process all their documents and affairs in the country.
As a result, regime corruption seized on this opportunity. A new security clearance was introduced as a prerequisite to issuing many official documents, including legal authorizations promulgated by Syrian embassies, thus blocking Syrians’ rights as citizens living abroad if they are deemed politically unwelcome or they cannot afford (or do not want) to pay bribes.
Nada, 36, who has been in Europe studying for her PhD for the past three years, told us about her mother’s struggle to save her house in Homs. Nada had signed up for a public housing project over a decade ago, and had been paying monthly installments for it since then. After several years of delay, in 2016 the house was finally ready.
However, Nada had also been actively involved in speaking publicly about the regime’s atrocities. “My mother is a regime supporter, and she has not spoken to me for almost two years over this.” Still, the irony came when her mother had to confront regime corruption and embezzlement, blocked from acting on behalf of Nada to receive her house because of her daughter’s rejected security clearance.
“We just wanted to make good use of it,” explained the PhD candidate. “There are many homeless people in Homs now that need it. Now I cannot rent it out, nor sell it, nor do anything with it.” She fears the lack of security will lead to regime affiliates seizing her house and using it themselves.
To the rest of the world, the most worrying aspect of this bureaucratic despotism is related to passports. Passports have always been used by the regime as a tool of control over global mobility. Controlling passports meant controlling who can leave the country and how, who can travel around abroad and who cannot, who is forced to request asylum, and who is effectively stripped of their citizenship and left stateless.
A large proportion of Syrians that moved to neighboring countries, like Turkey, Jordan or Lebanon, did so without their passports, or any form of ID, after they fled their shelled homes where their documents had most likely been destroyed.
This also meant that these Syrians were stuck in whatever country accepted them, unable to legally leave it. A situation that proved very profitable to smugglers, who became these people’s only option for leaving their host countries.
Attempting to issue new passports at Syrian embassies in refugee host countries was not possible for several years. Starting in 2011 and throughout 2012, regime embassies in Jordan, Turkey and many other countries were not regularly functioning. Additionally, since 2013, the regime strengthened the security conditions for issuing passports, implementing checks to verify that applicants are not “accused” of dissidence or requesting they hand in their old, often lost, passports.
During this period, many Syrians were forced to seek asylum in their countries of residence, not for financial reasons or residency permits, but because the lack of valid identification documents rendered their, otherwise legal, residency in those countries impossible.
Black markets for fake or stolen passports emerged as a result, often involving corrupt regime officials. To further complicate things, these markets expanded beyond the needs of Syrians denied their rightful passports by the regime, to include asylum seekers from various countries who wanted to benefit from the humanitarian asylum offered to Syrian citizens.
In Germany, for example, Nader, 42, told us of his experience as a volunteer interpreter at a refugee centre in the summer of 2015: “Since many arrived without documents, or with fake ones, some of our German colleagues would ask us to use dialect clues to assess if the person was indeed Syrian or not.” Nader was not happy with this task. “The accent of Syrians from Dayr az-Zawr is very similar to Iraqis,” he explained. Not only was this difficult, but it also felt ethically challenging for Nader, since people on both sides of the Syrian-Iraqi border could have been fleeing the same IS oppression or the air raids of the US-led coalition.
Finally, under international pressure and financial need for foreign currency, the regime caved in 2015 and resumed issuing passports for Syrian citizens, including those wanted for activism or conscription. The cost of obtaining an official travel document doubled, and was priced in US dollars for those applying abroad. During the week of March 31 it doubled once again, to reach $800 for fast track processing, as opposed to less than $100 before 2011.
However, this did not mean the end of blackmail against activists, as security checks continue to randomly complicate the process on an individual basis, sometimes causing delays for several months. Applicants are often required to submit their old passports before receiving the new ones, leaving them at the regime’s mercy and forcing them to pay whatever bribes may be demanded in addition to the official costs.
Most recently, a new method is used by the regime, related to international compliance: discrediting passports as either stolen or simply cancelled. This was the case of award-winning journalist and activist Zaina Erhaim, who had her passport confiscated by British authorities at the airport upon arrival in London in September 2016.
After she demanded an explanation, stranded at the airport with her newborn baby girl, the Home Office staff vaguely referred to her passport as “being reported stolen”, with little explanation on the nature of these “reports”.
This response came as a surprise to the journalist, since she was not questioned on whether or not she was actually Zaina Erhaim. The British authorities had accepted the accusation of her stealing her own passport. Commenting on this episode, a Home Office spokesperson told The Guardian: “If a passport is reported as lost or stolen by a foreign government we have no choice but to confiscate it.”
The United States authorities also appear to comply with the regime’s control over official documents, as in the case of Khaled al-Khatib, the cinematographer of Oscar-winning documentary short “The White Helmets”. Al-Khatib was granted a visitor visa to the US to attend the awards ceremony. However, he was denied boarding the airplane in Turkey last February and told by Turkish authorities that his visa had been “cancelled”.
The US authorities had the option of waiving the passport requirements to allow him to board the flight, but chose not to do so, despite being well aware of the regime’s record in persecuting dissidents.
The Department of Homeland Security’s official explanation for blocking al-Khatib is that they received “derogatory information” about him, a broad term that could include passport irregularities as well as security concerns. Asked for clarifications, a Syria Desk officer from the US Department of State told SyriaUntold that “in order to travel to the United States, travelers from Syria must have a valid visa and passport.” This copy-paste response has been the only one given to the media by US authorities.
Pseudonyms were used for security reasons with the exception Zaina Erhaim and Khalid al-Khatib.

author: Syria Untold


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Two Years After Violent Raid, A Lebanese Town is Still Without Mobile Internet · Global Voices
SMEX

A view of the northeastern town of Arsal located near the Syrian border, October 2016. (Nabil Hassan)
This article, originally written in Arabic by Elham Barjas, was first published on the site of Social Media Exchange (SMEX). Nadine Saliba translated it into English for the same website.
The residents of the Lebanese town of Arsal have been without access to the 3G and 4G mobile networks for over two years. This measure, taken for security reasons according to government officials, has placed a significant financial burden on the town’s residents.
In August 2014, fighters from al-Nusra Front (affiliated with al-Qaeda) and the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) raided Arsal and kidnapped 27 Lebanese soldiers and a member of the Lebanese security forces, holding them hostage in the hills of Arsal.
According to local civil society activists, 3G and 4G access was cut off by mobile telecom operators Alfa and touch after the raid, affecting the 160,000 residents of the northeastern border town, comprised of both locals and Syrian refugees. For the past two years, Arsal has been physically cordoned off from the rest of the country with checkpoints and heightened security measures. Being without mobile Internet has not only inconvenienced residents — it also left them with reduced access to emergency services and information when they need it most.
Khaled Rifai, president of a conglomerate of civil society organizations in Arsal, made inquiries “on behalf of the community” to the two telecommunications companies in 2016. He was told that “the decision was taken by the Lebanese state and is therefore not in [the telcos’] hands”. He then contacted the then telecommunications minister, Boutros Harb, who confirmed that the blocking of this service is a security decision taken by the army leadership targeting Syrians living in Arsal. Harb also asserted that the matter is “not in his hands” either.
Other individuals from the area have also called Alfa and touch to protest the shutdown and ask for an explanation. Activist Bassem Atrash questioned the two companies’ customer care representatives several times in 2015 and 2016, who said they were unaware of the issue. In an interview with SMEX, Atrash quoted one representative saying “Really? The internet is cut off in Arsal?”
He suspects that they feigned ignorance, in an effort to avoid having explaining why the networks remain inaccessible. Atrash also has observed that 3G and 4G services reconnect automatically as soon as he leaves Arsal to go to neighboring villages.
Despite the lack of information from the government and local telcos, it is conceivable that authorities are seeking to limit the abilities of violent extremist groups to communicate with one another. This tactic has been employed in various parts of the world, often in response to heightened security threats — such as insurgent attacks in Egypt's Sinai peninsula and the attack on Holey Artisan Bakery in Bangladesh last summer — and to the detriment of the local population.
Internet shutdowns are increasingly seen as a weapon of governments intent on stifling the access to information and media. Access Now, an international group dedicated to defending digital rights around the world, defines an internet shutdown as “an intentional disruption of internet or electronic communications, rendering them inaccessible or effectively unusable, for a specific population or within a location, often to exert control over the flow of information.” During their worldwide #KeepItOn campaign against internet blackouts, SMEX warned that “in times of political unrest, an internet shutdown could lead to an increase in violence and acts of repression while making it nearly impossible to reach essential services and connect with loved ones.”
Indeed, Arsal has witnessed repeated clashes between the Lebanese army and extremist militant groups since 2014. This has left residents not only subject to acts of violence, but also unable to convey news to the outside world. The Crisis Group, an organization providing analysis of conflicts, has reported allegations of human rights abuse by security officers. Such reports become more difficult to corroborate and verify when those most affected don’t have the ability to easily communicate with others.
Shutdowns can also have negative economic consequences. An investigation conducted by Bahrain Watch in 2016 uncovered a pattern of internet disruption in the Bahraini village of Duraz, which the group suspects were tied to protests in the village of 20,000 people. The investigation revealed that ISPs were collecting overcharge fees amounting to nearly $279,000 per month from internet subscribers in Duraz alone.
“This is, of course, a conservative estimate of economic damages,” the report adds, “as it does not take into account further losses stemming from the shutdown, such as students unable to complete assignments, and businesses unable to process credit card payments.”
Since the raid, Arsal residents who want to get online have had only option: subscribe to IDM, the sole internet service provider (ISP) licensed by the state in the area. This means they cannot access the internet, except in their homes or workplaces, and have no access when moving around town.
It also means they are subject to increased costs. As Atrash notes, despite not having consistent service, “I still activate the service monthly because I visit these villages two or three times a week and I use it there.” IDM’s cheapest plan, offering 2M-10GB, costs $12/month, in addition to the installation fees. In contrast, mobile plans for 24 or 48 hours (giving access to instant messaging apps) are as cheap as $1, allowing hourly wage workers to communicate with their loved ones in case of an emergency. In northern Lebanon, where poverty rates are among the highest in the country, IDM services are simply too costly for many residents.
Unlike many people, Atrash can afford a monthly plan. He pays “50,000 Lebanese pounds monthly (about $33) for very weak internet service that sometimes cuts off for an hour or longer, especially during storms,” he says.
The shutdown is also disrupting other aspects of the lives of Arsal residents and activists. “Some people, especially students, have to go to neighboring towns to access the internet,” explained Tarek al-Hujeir. An exasperated Rifai, the conglomerate president, shared his frustrations too. “Sometimes I have to leave work and go to my house just to send an email.” Meanwhile, resident Mahmoud Fleiti observed that “people seem to have gotten used to this reality.”
The Lebanese state is taking these kinds of measures despite a United Nations Human Rights Committee resolution, adopted in July 2016, that calls for the promotion and protection of human rights online. Through the resolution, the Council condemns “measures to intentionally prevent or disrupt access to or dissemination of information online in violation of international human rights law, and calls upon all States to refrain from and cease such measures.”
Depriving people of access to the internet simply because of where they live is also a violation of the Lebanese constitution, which stipulates equality as a principle. The Preamble to the Constitution states that Lebanon is “based on respect for public liberties, especially the freedom of opinion and belief, and respect for social justice and equality of rights and duties among all citizens without discrimination.”
Despite the absence of a provision that explicitly guarantees the right of access to the internet, the Telecommunications Law 431 (2002), which regulates telecommunications services, provides that internet service is part of public telecommunications services. This law requires providers of these services to ensure their access by all citizens and residents in all regions. Access to the internet, as a public service, is enshrined by law. This calls into question the legal basis on which the Lebanese state can deprive an entire town of a basic public service in the digital age.
Without legal basis for the disruption of the lives of 160,000 people and in the absence of clear communication from government officials, residents are left vulnerable and further isolated in this remote border town.
Editor’s Note: SMEX contacted Lebanon’s two telecommunications companies and the office of Telecommunications Minister Jamal al-Jarrah for comment, but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

author: SMEX


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With a Wary Eye on the Recent Past, Paraguayans Continue to Protest · Global Voices
Laura Vidal

Photo by Male Bogado originally published in DX and used with permission.
Osmar Cáceres, a reporter with the Paraguayan news outlet DX, contributed to this article.
Two days after demonstrators set fire to Congress, thrusting Paraguay to the center of international news, Paraguayans are tallying the damage, discussing the fragility of the nation's democracy and the constitutional amendment that started it all, and are looking with concern at the police repression that brings back painful memories of the Stronista dictatorship (1954-1989).
What originally set protesters into the streets was the decision by Paraguay's Congress, taken in a parallel, secret session, to approve a constitutional amendment that would allow the re-election of President Horacio Cartes after 2018. The change directly challenges a different, older amendment made to the Paraguayan Constitution after Paraguay's return to democracy in the 1990s that prohibits re-elections of presidents or vice presidents “in any situation”.
For many, the move is a step toward entrenching an administration that shows little regard for Paraguay's most vulnerable communities and is already considered authoritarian:
CARTES CUANDO VAS A ENTENDER QUE PARAGUAY NO ES UNA DE TUS EMPRESAS, EL PARAGUAY NO ES TUYO, ES DE TODOS LOS CIUDADANOS, IMBÉCIL #Enmienda
— Parawhy pinguino (@pinguinitopy) March 31, 2017
Cartes, when will you understand that Paraguay is not one of your private businesses?! Paraguay does not belong to you, it belongs to all of its citizens. Moron.#Enmienda
Efforts to allow for presidential re-election in Paraguay lead to violent clashes in the capital #Enmienda #Reeleccion pic.twitter.com/3rGio4ZFtC
— El Surtidor (@elsurti) April 1, 2017
At the urging of international leaders, government representatives agreed to open dialogue with opponents of the amendment. However, the head of state made it clear that he will not back down from the possibility of being re-elected and critics will refuse to meet if the re-election proposal is not ruled out completely.
Meanwhile, protests continue and different groups are calling for the population to take to the streets despite strong police repression over the weekend and the latent threat of new police interventions. The authorities announced tighter controls, particularly against those who attempt to reach the centrally located capital, Asunción, from anywhere else in the country. The goal, they say, is to stop “vandalism” via “preventive” measures.
Media outlets such as Kurtural have been sharing news and information from other partner media sites like El Surtidor (The Supplier), such as the tweet below with an image alerting readers to the government's surveillance capabilities:
A tener presente en medio de las movilizaciones: Estado paraguayo tendría software para espiar tu computadora o celular, según @citizenlab pic.twitter.com/wuPBnDjc1S
— Kurtural (@kurtural_) April 3, 2017
Tweet: To keep in mind while organizing: the Paraguayan government has software to spy on your computer or phone, according to @citizenlab.
Image: FinFisher is a surveillance software that can be installed on computers and cellphones inadvertently. The Paraguayan state bought this software, and it could help it to violate our right to privacy.
The number of injured as a result of police actions have circulated on social media. Independent news outlets and political organizations have reported different forms of abuse. The repression reached a peak with the police killing of Rodrigo Quintana, a young opposition party activist with the Partido Liberal Radical Auténtico (PLRA – Authentic Radical Liberal Party).
Kurtural shared a victim count:
Las cifras del fin de semana de represión en Paraguay, incluyendo el asesinato del dirigente del PLRA, Rodrigo Quintana #Enmienda pic.twitter.com/lPiT6jRHf7
— Kurtural (@kurtural_) April 2, 2017
Tweet: The repression stats over the weekend in Paraguay, including the assassination of PLRA leader Rodrigo Quintana.
Image: 1 deputy seriously injured by the police, 1 political party trampled by the police, 1 person murdered by the police, 211 people arrested without a warrant, 39 people wounded by the police (just in the Hospital del Trauma), 12 journalists wounded by the police.
The media organization also kept a steady broadcast of key events after the storming of Congress:
Un recuento de horas de movilización y represión en Paraguay tras el voto a puertas cerradas por la #enmienda pic.twitter.com/RsldxAd4Xs
— Kurtural (@kurtural_) April 1, 2017
Tweet: A recount of the last hours of organizing and repression in Paraguay after #enmienda vote behind closed doors
Image: Police repression in Asuncion. April 1 until 3 p.m.
1. After the fire at Congress, police stormed the plaza. Protesters withdraw.
2. Police suppress crowds with rubber bullets and firearms at different points in the center of Asuncion.
3. Police enter the headquarters of the Authentic Radical Liberal Party. They murder Rodrigo Quintana, a young leader, with a shotgun.
4. At the police station, criminal complaints are filed against more than 200 people who have been arrested without a warrant.
5. At least 12 journalists are reported injured.
6. The interior minister and the police commander are sacked.
Meanwhile, reporter Veleto for news site DX recapped some new facts and confusing elements:
La “parafernalia” con la que se desarrollaron los hechos de aquel día y aquella noche (cientos de apresados sin orden judicial, represión a manifestantes, y hechos de conocimiento nacional e internacional) […] generaron muchas dudas al principio […] Y las versiones oficiales, solo han generado más dudas y [han profundizado] la desconfianza hacia los ya poco fiables organismos de seguridad del Estado.
The “paraphernalia” surrounding the day's and evening's events (hundreds arrested without a warrant, repression of demonstrators, and other events that made national and international news) […] create a lot of suspicion from the start  […] And the official versions have only raised more questions and [have deepened] doubt surrounding already untrustworthy state security agencies.
He added:
Pero todo quedó “más claro” cuando vimos las grabaciones del circuito cerrado del local del PLRA [partido de oposición donde fue asesinado Quintana…] Muy por el contrario de las versiones oficiales, se vio a una Policía Nacional harto-agresiva y con una intencionalidad desconocida. Digo “más claro”, porque en la medida en que más vamos conociendo sobre los hechos y las personas involucradas y las condiciones anteriores y posteriores al asesinato, notamos que poco o nada sabemos sobre el oscuro trasfondo de todo esto.
But everything became “clearer” when we saw the footage of PLRA office's [opposition party where Quintana was killed…] closed circuit camera. Contrary to the official version, we saw a highly aggressive National Police with unclear intentions. I say it got “clearer” because the more we learn about the events and people involved and the conditions before and after the murder, the more we realize that we know little or next nothing about the sinister story behind of all this.
Political organization Kuñu Pyrenda published allegations of mistreatment of protesters by the police on its main website and shared one of the most widespread concerns in online conversations: that the violence was similar to that experienced under Alfredo Stroessner's 35-year-long dictatorship, considered one of the most brutal in South America's history:
[…] repudiamos la detención arbitraria de personas, la violencia de género hacia las mujeres detenidas que denunciaron haber sido desnudadas en dependencias policiales y la violencia ejercida hacia las personas LGTBI […] Es el mismo terror desatado en los atropellos a las comunidades campesinas con desalojos violentos, en los ataques a comunidades indígenas y en las violaciones de derechos humanos bajo múltiples circunstancias […] La historia nacional está cargada de sucesos violentos que han marcado el devenir social y político de nuestro pueblo […] Expresamos nuestra grave preocupación ante el resquebrajamiento de la posibilidad de convivencia democrática y pacífica en el Paraguay, en riesgo permanente por la pugna de intereses políticos y económicos mezquinos
[…] We condemn the arbitrary detention, and the gendered violence towards women detainees who report being stripped nude while in police custody and violence towards LGBTI people […] It is the same abusive terror unleashed on peasant communities during violent evictions, attacks on indigenous communities and human rights violations under many circumstances […] There are numerous cases of violent events in our nation's history that have marked the social and political development of our people […] We express serious concern at the breakdown of the possibility of democratic and peaceful coexistence in Paraguay, which is permanently endangered by competing petty political and economic interests
Under the hashtag #DictaduraNuncaMás (#DictatorshipNeverAgain), social networks stressed the importance of vigilance in cases of abuses of power which, they argue, launched the rebellions:
#RodrigoQuintana “Este tipo es más peligroso que Alfredo Stroessner” Diego Garcete,Concejal de La Colmena s/ @Horacio_Cartes #730AM
— ABC Cardinal 730 AM (@ABCCardinal) April 1, 2017
This guy [President Horacio Cartes] is more dangerous than Alfredo Stroessner” Diego Garcete, La Colmena councilman.
Sin autorización judicial al puro estilo Stronista. En la Esso sobre Chile y Azara. pic.twitter.com/hIPc8GKILD
— Samuel Acosta (@acostasamu) April 1, 2017
With no judicial oversight, in the purest Stroessner style. In the Esso on Chile and Azara.


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As Protests Escalate, Web TV and News Sites Are Censored in Venezuela · Global Voices
Marianne Díaz Hernández

Homepage for IPYS “Navegar con Libertad” (browse freely) portal.
On the morning of April 7, Venezuelan netizens reported that they were unable to access the web TV channel Vivoplay from inside the country. Others have since reported that VPITV and El Capitolio TV have also been inaccessible.
These and other web TV channels had been broadcasting protests in Caracas, which were organized by those opposing Nicolás Maduro's administration. The demonstrations unfolded last week after the country's Supreme Court dissolved the parliament and reassigned its functions to the executive branch and the Supreme Court itself.
Journalist and Global Voices author Luis Carlos Díaz posted the results of a traceroute test, indicating that the connection timed out and recommending users activate VPNs (virtual private networks) in order to connect.
#Censura: Activen sus VPN. Parece que volvieron los bloqueos de páginas en proveedores venezolanos.
Esto es de la web de @VivoPlayNet. pic.twitter.com/grHiiDYgJm
— Luis Carlos Díaz (@LuisCarlos) 7 de abril de 2017
Turn on your VPNs. It seems that website blocking on Venezuelan ISPs is back. This is from @VivoPlayNet's website.
Services like Vivoplay are popular among Venezuelans who have Internet access, particularly in times of unrest. Traditional outlets have been reluctant to cover protests since 2014, when the Telecommunications Commission threatened to fine them and shut them down for covering demonstrations, an act that  what the Commission characterized as “an incitement to violence.”
Sin cable y sin canales nacionales informando, retomé cuenta en @vivoplaynet. Me sorprende que sigue más barato que dos litros de refresco
— David Padilla G (@Dawarg) 7 de abril de 2017
Without cable TV and without national channels informing, I resumed my account in @vivoplaynet. I'm surprised it's still cheaper than two liters of soda.
The local NGO VEsinfiltro [Venezuela unfiltered] later confirmed that not only Vivoplay, but two other online TV channels, including the streaming site used by the National Assembly to broadcast their sessions, are inaccessible due to domain name system (DNS) blocking.
Previous research by the Institute for Press and Society (IPYS), digital rights research group in Venezuela, has proven that local Internet service providers sometimes use DNS blocking, a technique through which domain name servers respond incorrectly to requests for a particular domain. When a website is blocked via DNS, the server will reply incorrectly or will deny the request when that website is called upon.
Confirmamos #BLOQUEO DNS: @elcapitoliotv [https://t.co/WAzRxFoJgA] @VPITV [https://t.co/GaoC9eGD4U] y @vivoplaynet [https://t.co/yLLMniAjjN]
— VEsinFiltro (@vesinfiltro) 7 de abril de 2017
We confirm DNS blocking: @elcapitoliotv [http://elcapitolio.tv ] @VPITV [http://vpitv.com ] and @vivoplaynet [http://vivoplay.net ]
The third channel that is now blocked, VPITV, had seen their streaming cut yesterday when the police arrested VPITV cameraman Elvis Flores, who was streaming live from the protests in Caracas. Flores was beaten while in police custody. He was released eight hours later and VPITV’s streaming resumed. While some of these site's broadcasts are still available via YouTube, there are also reports that the government is throttling Internet connections, making it difficult for Venezuelans to obtain multimedia coverage as events unfold in the country.

author: Marianne Díaz Hernández