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In the face of elite tourism projects, the Barbuda Warbler isn’t the only one that might lose its home · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The endemic and vulnerable Barbuda Warbler (Setophaga subita). Photo by Jeff Gerbracht, used with permission.
On the evening of September 5, 2017, the Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda sat nervously waiting for the arrival of Hurricane Irma. When Irma hit, Barbuda, the smaller of the two leeward islands, bore the brunt of its wrath. The very next day, with Hurricane Jose hot on Irma's heels, Prime Minister Gaston Browne declared the island “uninhabitable” and ordered the mandatory evacuation of residents. So began a far more insidious threat: the erosion of Barbudans’ centuries-old system of communal land rights.
There has been a battle going on ever since—one that is now under heavy scrutiny thanks to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’ (UNHCR) concerns over the development of the exclusive Barbuda Ocean Club, accompanied by an international airport. Though there are other exclusive tourism-related ventures in the works, both these projects could further chip away at Barbudans’ land rights, as well as adversely impact the island's ecology and attendant wildlife—including an endemic bird that survived Hurricane Irma, but may not prove as resilient in the face of such large-scale developments.
Ever since Barbuda was under British rule—it finally became independent in 1981—there has been a community-based land tenure system in place. The 2007 Land Act, which formalised the custom, states that the land, which is owned in common by Barbudans, cannot be sold. Any “major development,” meaning projects costing in excess of 5.4 million United States dollars or having “a significant impact on the economy, environment or infrastructure of Barbuda,” must go through a series of checks and balances.
First, Barbudans must agree to the project in principle. Then, Barbuda's Council must give its blessing before any proposal is sent for Cabinet consideration. Once the Cabinet agrees, the people must give their final consent. After 2017's evacuation of the island, however, that consent seemed to matter less and less. Prime Minister (and current Caribbean Community—Caricom—chairman) Gaston Browne took an approach that felt to many like political gaslighting when he called the island's age-old land-sharing practice “a myth” and proposed instead that the government would sell Barbudans the land they already occupied for one Eastern Caribbean dollar (37 United States cents) in return for a title. It is a move that some have called a classic case of “disaster capitalism.”
That December, parliament amended the 2007 Land Act, weakening the legislation governing communal land sharing by allowing ownership, potentially laying the groundwork for mega tourism projects that could threaten the island's fragile ecosystems and, for the right price, snatch Barbudans’ land out from under them. By March 2018, Browne said his administration intended to repeal the law.
Back then, the blog Barbudaful alleged that the government's plan predated Hurricane Irma:
Prime Minister Gaston Browne’s Paradise Found Act was part of this – this 2015 Act was designed specifically to allow his new economic envoy (the actor Robert De Niro, and partner James Packer) to take up huge areas of land on Barbuda in addition to their acquisition of the K Club lease, without reference to the Land Act. Since then the Land Act has been amended by the Prime Minister to facilitate other large projects with long, cheap leases proceeding without any local consultation, intending eventually to give freehold to these so-called investors. Finally, after the island’s infrastructure was allowed to completely run down, assisted by Barbudan Arthur Nibbs, who famously called his own people ‘squatters’ as the ALP’s Minister for Agriculture and Lands; the Land Act was finally repealed, threatening rights that had existed on Barbuda for four hundred years. […]
A huge area of wilderness was immediately bulldozed, to build a new ‘airport’ for private jets in the immediate aftermath of a major disaster […]
The UN's move follows that of the Global Legal Action Network (GLAN), which called for an investigation into what was happening in Barbuda, alerting the Geneva-based Ramsar Secretariat, which champions the protection of critical wetlands around the world.
A UN letter reportedly expressed concern about the resort's ecologically sensitive location, containing wetlands that support biodiversity and are critical for buffering the effects of climate change, including protecting the island from hurricanes. The approach to the construction of the airport's runway, supposedly built above limestone caves, is also under review.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) currently lists the Barbuda Warbler (Setophaga subita) as a vulnerable species—down from its previous near-threatened ranking—with an estimated population of just 600-1,700. In a 2019 update on Barbuda post-Hurricane Irma, Birds Caribbean noted:
As an endemic, the Barbuda Warbler is completely restricted to the 62 square mile island and with its relatively small population, is at a higher risk from extreme weather events and habitat loss. […]
The construction of the new airport meant that several points we had previously counted [the species] were now either on the runway or in the middle of the rock quarry supporting the new construction. Habitat loss and concerns about the impact the airport will have on the surrounding warblers are something that should be closely monitored into the future.
The post added that the island's Magnificent Frigatebird (Fregata magnificent) colony is the largest breeding ground for the species in the Western Hemisphere, making it “critical to the continued success of this species in the Atlantic.”
Meanwhile, even as a legal suit about the land rights issue is scheduled to be heard before the United Kingdom's Privy Council, Barbudan social media users are using the time to raise awareness within the region.
Twitter user Joanne Thomas chastised the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) for not making its voice heard:
@CARICOMorg It is indeed sad and a poor reflection on your organization that the individual who is the chairman, is one who has no respect for the people of #Barbuda and #Antigua, their lands or their #human rights.
— Joanne Thomas (@JoJoBeaz62) July 26, 2021
She was confident, however, that the people would triumph, as they have for centuries:
#Hurricane Irma destroyed much of #Barbuda in 2017, but not the spirit of #Barbudans. Post #Irma, the #Antigua government decided to complete the destruction, and it continues. There is rapid destruction of the #environment and #lands all in the name of greed and “development.”
— Joanne Thomas (@JoJoBeaz62) July 26, 2021


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Weak public consultation approach draws questions about plans to ‘revitalise’ beloved Trinidad park · Global Voices
Flora Thomas

Screenshot of Nelson Mandela Park in Port of Spain, Trinidad, taken from Google Earth.
Over the past few weeks, the Trinidad and Tobago Society of Planners (TTSP) and the Trinidad and Tobago Institute of Architects (TTIA) have been drawing public attention to the government's urban revitalisation plans for major cities in the context of the lip service both bodies maintain the state is paying to public consultation—issues that are now coming to the fore via the Port of Spain City Corporation’s proposal to “revitalise” Nelson Mandela Park (formerly called King George V Park), a green space listed on the country's Heritage Asset Register as a historic site deemed worthy of preservation.
Residents of Trinidad's capital city are both confused and distraught over the Corporation's plans, which allegedly include replacing the existent grass with 3G AstroTurf, so that the site could, according to Port of Spain mayor Joel Martinez, utilise its potential as “a public wellness and sports hub in the heart of our capital city.” He said that the park was currently under-utilised and that the improvements would allow the City Corporation to “generate additional revenue.” However, sporting and other recreational activities have been limited because of different lockdown restrictions since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It is said to be a public-private partnership initiative, but the proposal document is not publicly available, although a Tender Notice for “upgrade works to playing field at Nelson Mandela Park for the Port of Spain Corporation” is listed on the website of the Ministry of Finance. Although the notice is dated July 28, 2017, the virtual consultation was only held on July 26, 2021, leaving citizens just six days to submit their views on a proposal they cannot publicly access. Actions like this, according to the joint TTSP and TTIA articles, contribute to the process being “undemocratic,” “deficient,” and demonstrating “a lack of transparency and decision-making in the interests of the public.”
Twitter user Maria Rivas-McMillan agreed:
Tell me that it is #FakeNews the threat of building a sport facility on our #greenspace #MandelaPark! The Oval, the Savannah, and Stadium are minutes away from here. That would be an absolute waste of taxpayers’ money. So, say it isn’t so ?? @DrKeithRowley
— Maria Rivas-McMillan (@Panyol) July 29, 2021
Keith Rowley is the country's prime minister.
Although the Corporation has facilitated what it calls a “public consultation” on the matter, activist Afra Raymond also called its transparency into question:
I am somehow unable to find any details of this 18-page proposal to AstroTurf the Nelson Mandela Park on either the POS City Corporation's FB page or its website, perhaps someone forgot to post it?
Apparently, we have until Sunday 1st August 2021 to make comments, irony is always such a strong part of history, you see?
On August 1, Trinidad and Tobago, the first country in the world to declare the date a national holiday, celebrates Emancipation Day.
On Facebook, Lara Quentrall-Thomas took up the mantle, asking:
Does anyone have any details of the 18-page proposal to AstroTurf the Nelson Mandela Park? It is not on either the POS City Corporation's FB page or its website.
Apparently we have until Sunday 1st August 2021 to make comments!
We cannot allow this to happen. Trinidad has enough unused and under maintained sports facilities already.
Former Port of Spain mayor Louis Lee Sing, who was instrumental in getting the park up to its current state during his tenure, has been quite outspoken against the proposal, calling it “a waste of resources”—a position which many social media users have echoed. In an interview with the Trinidad Express, Lee Sing added that any public consultation should have included representatives from the country's Environmental Management Authority (EMA) and Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA):
These are the agencies people want to hear from. There are so many questions for them to be pushing this nonsense about this AstroTurf. If you go up to Marvin Lee Stadium, the AstroTurf is in a mess, so why are we going to dig up the grass that has worked for us for hundreds of years […]? If it is a park then it should remain as a park with trees and grass and benches and play surfaces for everyone to participate and enjoy.
Another concern of Lee Sing's is that, by changing the park into a recreation facility—Mayor Martinez has reportedly suggested that anyone wanting to use the site must make online bookings—it will de-democratise access. After a community playing field, located in the community of Bagatelle in northwest Trinidad, was transformed into a multi-million dollar sporting complex which residents have to pay to access, use of the space dropped off considerably.
Netizens, meanwhile, were busy weighing in on everything from the lack of durability and high cost of AstroTurf to the impact of its carbon footprint. In the Port of Spain City Corporation's public consultation notice Facebook thread, commenters were overwhelmingly against the proposal, with many of them advising that all the park needed was proper maintenance.
One Facebook user, Dale Ramirez, asked for a link to the proposal to be provided ahead of the virtual meeting so that he could be prepared to participate, but his request was never acknowledged, nor project details provided on the thread. Ashley Johnson, meanwhile, made the point that the virtual consultation should have been properly advertised, and TikTok user justdaleyo posted a video advising members of the public to email their concerns to the Port of Spain City Corporation.
As the TTSP and TTIA have said, when it comes to public consultations, “slide shows, presentations, press releases, and press conferences are not enough”:
True consultation involves stakeholder participation from visioning, straight through to working out solutions.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Flora Thomas


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Who’s trying to silence the fearless voice of Sri Lankan journalist Tharindu Jayawardhana? · Global Voices
GroundViews

Tharindu Jayawardhana. Image from Groundviews via IFJ.
This post by human rights activist Ruki Fernando originally appeared in Groundviews, an award-winning citizen media website in Sri Lanka. An edited version is published here as part of a content-sharing agreement with Global Voices.
Tharindu Jayawardhana is one of Sri Lanka’s most outstanding and promising young journalists. His writings and MediaLK, the bilingual news website he founded in 2019, are noted for highlighting some of the most critical injustices and rights violations faced by numerous ethnic minorities in the country, such as Tamils and Muslims. But concerningly, Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Mass Media is currently refusing the registration of MediaLK because of a lack of clearance from the Ministry of Defense.
The complaints are not only about concern for a respected and brave young journalist known for uncovering important stories but also in terms of the greater implications for freedom of expression when journalists can be intimidated and threatened (as Tharindu has) for reporting in the public interest.
Tharindu began his journalistic career at the popular daily newspaper Lankadeepa where he wrote detailed features on the environment, corruption and human rights. Together with another colleague, he also wrote controversial exposés in the column Investigating the Truth. He is well known for his extensive use of the Right to Information (RTI) and won a special award for utilizing the RTI Act for public objectives and the wellbeing of society; this was at an event celebrating international RTI day organized by the Ministry of Mass Media. He also earned an award for the best feature using RTI and Scoop of the Year at the Editors Guild of Sri Lanka awards. A published book author, Tharindu has documented the community struggle for water in Rathupaswela and the killing of three people during a protest in 2013.
As a founding member, former secretary and presently, an executive committee member of the Young Journalists Association, Tharindu has been at the forefront of raising issues of freedom of expression, arbitrary detention, torture and the right to a fair trial, regularly engaging with statutory institutions such as the Human Rights Commission, including lodging public interest complaints on matters where police are accused of human rights violations.
Tharindu began facing the first of a series of intimidations following his reporting on the Presidential Commission of Inquiry probing the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings after the inquiry found that a Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police (SDIG) Deshanbandu Tennakoon had not fulfilled his duties during the attack, and recommended a disciplinary inquiry.
On June 29, MediaLK published its report that a Special Police Investigative Division appointed to investigate police negligence in relation to the bombings had recommended several senior police officers be charged, including SDIG Tennakoon. The minister in charge of police confirmed at a press conference that the Public Services Commission had forwarded the charge sheets. The MediaLK report also mentioned that Tennakoon was among those the Cabinet had approved for a special salary increase, despite disciplinary steps being recommended against him by the Presidential Commission and the Special Police Investigation Division. The report was based on responses to questions posed by Tharindu at press conferences on June 18 and 29.
It is thought that some of Tharindu’s earlier reporting that month might have been the catalyst for threats that were to follow. Just a few weeks earlier, on June 9, Tharindu had posted photos on Facebook of a gathering, which included the Prime Minister, at the funeral for a family member of a prominent Buddhist monk at a time when COVID-19-based restrictions on travelling and gatherings were in place. As this had happened in the western province headed by Tennakoon, the journalist tagged the SDIG’s Facebook page and posed a series of questions. While the SDIG did not respond to the questions on the platform, he asked Tharindu to phone him, providing a mobile number. But despite repeated attempts to connect with the SDIG, Tharindu got no answer.
On July 1, MediaLK published another investigative report about a senior police officer and former director of the Criminal Investigation Department, Shani Abeysekera, who had retired on June 30, after a career of 35 years. Abeysekera had been in detention for about 10 months, having been arrested for allegedly fabricating evidence, and had been released on bail a few days before, on June 16. The arrest and detention had led to widespread condemnation and expressions of concern, including by the Appeal Court, the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka and the European Parliament. The arrest was made by the Colombo Crime Division (CCD) of the police, overseen by Tennakoon.
Tharindu shared the report on Facebook the same day and within about half an hour, a tirade of comments from Tennakoon began to appear on the post. Most of the SDIG’s comments accused Tharindu of writing and publishing false news. On several occasions, the journalist responded to the comments, requesting information about any falsehoods and offering corrections where needed. Other journalists and lawyers also requested the SDIG provide information about any falsehoods contained in the report. No specific instances were pointed out.
Among the threats made to Tharindu was that he would be punished by “natural justice.” In another, the SDIG likened Tharindu to Velupillai Prabakaran, leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and criminals. This is a serious threat, considering that Prabakaran was killed by the Sri Lankan army at the end of the 30-year civil war and two alleged criminals were killed in police custody in May this year. At least 10 other people are reported to have been killed in police custody in the last 12 months.
After the threats, Tharindu wrote a letter to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), requesting protection for him, his family and those close to him, to ensure their security. He also requested the IGP guarantee his freedom to carry out his professional work as a journalist and to investigate the threats made in the online comments. The Media Organizations Collective (six media freedom organizations) has also written to the IGP demanding guarantees for Tharindu’s safety and a formal inquiry into the threats. Opposition political parties, including the Opposition leader, also expressed concern through public statements and interventions in parliament.
It is important to note that the SDIG has the second most senior position in the police force. As such, an SDIG publicly making threatening remarks against a respected, award-winning and well-known, independent journalist and getting away with it is likely to have a chilling effect on many lesser-known journalists.
If SDIG Tennakoon is not held accountable, this will only encourage more predators of free expression. For other journalists, it could lead to more self-censorship. The journalistic community and all those whose right to information is at stake must rally in solidarity with Tharindu and others who face reprisals for exercising the right to free expression.

author: GroundViews


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Belarusian sprinter sent home from Olympics by Belarusian officials says she will ask for asylum · Global Voices
Tanya Lokot

Belarusian sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya speaks to police at Tokyo's Haneda airport on August 1, 2021. Screenshot from online video by Reuters.
Krystsina Tsimanouskaya, a Belarusian athlete competing in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, was reportedly told to return home and taken to the airport against her will by Belarusian officials after criticising the Belarusian team's coaches. The sprinter refused to get on the flight home and says returning to Belarus may land her in prison.
Tsimanouskaya ran in the women's 100 metres heats on July 30 and was scheduled to run in the 200 metres heats on August 2, as well as the 4×400 metres relay on August 5.
A few days ago, the 24-year-old sprinter had complained in a post on Instagram that she was not aware she had been signed up to run the relay race, did not train for it, and criticised her coaches for making the decision behind her back. She later deleted the videos after being pressured by Belarusian sports officials.
On Sunday, August 1, according to Tsimanouskaya, the Belarusian coaches came to her room and told her to pack her things. She was then taken to the Tokyo Haneda airport by representatives of the Belarusian Olympic team. According to Belarusian journalist Hanna Liubakova, at the airport the athlete refused to get on her transit flight to Turkey and sought police protection.
Tsimanouskaya was accompanied to the airport by two members of the Belarusian sports delegation. She is now with the police and volunteers. When asked if she was afraid to fly to #Belarus, Tsimanouskaya answered “yes”. pic.twitter.com/LgqLjLrmU1
— Hanna Liubakova (@HannaLiubakova) August 1, 2021
The Belarusian Olympic Committee said in a statement on Facebook that coaches had decided to withdraw Tsimanouskaya from the Olympics based on doctors’ advice about her “emotional, psychological state”. However, the athlete denied that she had been examined by doctors and told reporters she had been removed from the team because she had publicly criticised “the negligence of our coaches” on Instagram.
Tadeusz Giczan, an editor with Belarusian independent media-in-exile Nexta TV, posted on Twitter a video appeal to Olympics officials that Tsimanouskaya recorded while at the airport.
❗Tsimanouskaya recorded an appeal to the IOC: “I am asking the International Olympic Committee for help, I have been pressured and they are trying to take me out of the country without my consent, so I am asking the IOC to intervene.” pic.twitter.com/rKdzYeKM0W
— Tadeusz Giczan (@TadeuszGiczan) August 1, 2021
According to later updates by Giczan, the Turkish Airlines flight took off without the Belarusian athlete, who remained at the airport under police protection and was awaiting Japanese Foreign Affairs Ministry representatives. In a phone interview to Belarusian sports website Tribuna, Tsimanouskaya said she was afraid she might face imprisonment in Belarus.
Я боюсь, что в Беларуси меня, возможно, могут посадить в тюрьму. Я не боюсь того, что меня уволят или выгонят из нацкоманды. Я беспокоюсь о своей безопасности. И думаю, что на данный момент в Беларуси для меня небезопасно.
I am afraid that in Belarus I might possibly be imprisoned. I’m not afraid of being kicked out of the national team or being fired. I don't think it's safe for me to be in Belarus at the moment.
The sprinter's actions have drawn a wave of criticism from Belarusian state media, while social media users and civil society have spoken out against state pressure on athletes.
It’s 01:15 AM in Tokyo. Tsimanouskaya has just left the police station at the airport. She’s been transported to an unspecified ‘safe place’ – Japanese @SportsHochi reports. She’s still planning to ask for asylum but no further details yet. pic.twitter.com/LeSQr8n7rH
— Tadeusz Giczan (@TadeuszGiczan) August 1, 2021
A spokesperson for the Belarusian Sport Solidarity Foundation, an organisation supporting Belarusian athletes jailed or pressured for their political views, told Reuters Tsimanouskaya intended to request asylum in Germany or Austria.
A number of Belarusian athletes who had supported the protests following the falsified August 2020 presidential elections in the country have been detained, jailed or stripped of national team membership. Prominent personalities currently in prison include Olympic basketball player Yelena Leuchanka and decathlete Andrei Krauchanka.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC), which manages the Olympic Games, said it was aware of the media reports and was looking into Tsimanouskaya's case. In a tweet, opposition leader Sviatlana Tsihanouskaya welcomed IOC's reaction and said it was important to investigate Belarusian Olympic committee's violations of athletes’ rights.
Grateful to #IOC for the quick reaction to the situation with the Belarusian athlete Krystsina Tsymanouskaya. She has a right to international protection & to continue participation in the @Olympics. It is also crucial to investigate Belarus’ NOC violations of athletes’ rights. pic.twitter.com/QQHuhgcYqs
— Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya (@Tsihanouskaya) August 1, 2021

author: Tanya Lokot


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#Lawan protest demands the resignation of Malaysian prime minister over pandemic response · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Activists hold a sit-in protest during the #Lawan rally in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Photo from Twitter post of Centre for Independent Journalism
Hundreds of activists marched in Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur on July 31 to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin over his government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Themed #Lawan (Fight), the protest was also held to demand the resumption of parliamentary sessions and a moratorium on the repayment of all loans. The Muhyiddin government is accused of using the pandemic to suspend parliament in order to consolidate power and relying on draconian regulations to silence and intimidate critics.
#Lawan has attracted broad support as it echoed the frustrations of many Malaysians over the government’s pandemic response.
Authorities summoned at least 20 activists last week, ahead of the planned #Lawan protest. This included youth activist Sarah Irdina who had been arrested on July 29 under the draconian Sedition Act for tweeting about the protest. She was released after a few hours and described her ordeal on Instagram.
With nothing but the walls of my cell and my thoughts I kept asking myself: what would happen to me after this? What would happen if the police refused to release me tomorrow? Would I be able to continue my studies? Would my life ever be the same again? What did I do that was so bad that I deserve to go through this?
This failed government's inhumane treatment of those that fight is for a better Malaysia is what keeps hurting us Malaysia, when their job is supposedly to protect us. This is why we LAWAN.
The #Lawan protest was carried out peacefully, despite threats of arrests. Most of the participants were young activists, and they wore black shirts and carried black flags to symbolize the government’s failure in dealing with the public health crisis.
Current situation at Masjid Jamek LRT #LAWAN pic.twitter.com/S0sKu5O6kR
— Elill (@Elill_E) July 31, 2021
Social distancing was practiced during the march:
#FOEMonitor 12.15-12.30 Ongoing #Lawan protest continues to be peaceful and orderly. Speeches ongoing. Video clip from team on the ground. #FOA #Lawan pic.twitter.com/yJMisotLkk
— Centre for Independent Journalism (@CIJ_Malaysia) July 31, 2021
The march was supposed to end at the historic square Dataran Merdeka but the police placed barriers in the street to close it off:
#FOEMonitor 10.13am – Police barricading entry points to Dataran. Many in plainclothes, some in vests. Protestors observing SOPs are continuing to march. Police should facilitate, not obstruct. #FOA #Lawan pic.twitter.com/Y4TFcI1Odc
— Centre for Independent Journalism (@CIJ_Malaysia) July 31, 2021
This forced #Lawan organizers to hold a sit-in protest instead:
#lawan protestors sit on the road at the Jalan Raja intersection as Dataran Merdeka is cordoned off.
Pic by Alyaa Alhadjri @psychodelicat pic.twitter.com/aWDfg0osJd
— Aidila Razak (@aidilarazak) July 31, 2021
After the singing of the national anthem (Negaraku), protesters called for the resignation of the prime minister
After Negaraku #LAWAN calls for @MuhyiddinYassin to step down pic.twitter.com/Lm4BARvr2u
— KL Chan (@Klchan3) July 31, 2021
The protest ended before 1:00 p.m.
The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) noted the importance of observing health protocols but it also castigated the police for arresting organizers before the protest:
Whilst understanding the complexity of the situation, SUHAKAM, however, expresses its concerns over the arrest of organizers and the activists of a planned assembly whilst their belongings were confiscated by the police.
SUHAKAM urges the authorities to facilitate the peaceful assembly by providing an adequate space at an appropriate location for the assembly to take place, thereby enabling physical distancing and health screening of the participants to be conducted safely.
The #Lawan protest was praised by prominent civil society leaders. The daughter of the country’s former prime minister, Mahathir bin Mohamad, acknowledged the importance of supporting young activists.
Dear parents of #Lawan activists, I know you fear for their safety. But they’re doing this for all of us. We should applaud them for their courage. Don’t worry, you’re not alone. We’re all standing in solidarity with them. #LawanIntimidasi
— Marina Mahathir (@netraKL) July 30, 2021
Civil society groups also commended the young people who joined the #Lawan protest
The organisers of this protest consisted of many young people, and we commend their passion and dedication for our country, as well as their capability in organising this peaceful protest, despite the continuous threat of investigation, arrest and detention.
The groups also called on authorities to stop harassing the organizers. The police authorities have said they will summon several activists because the protest is a mass gathering which is currently prohibited because of the pandemic.

author: Mong Palatino


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“One, Two, Three!” Jamaicans thrilled by their women sprinters’ Olympic run · Global Voices
Emma Lewis

Flag of Jamaica; public domain via Wikimedia Commons
After a somewhat anxious week as a COVID-19 “third wave” appeared to be gaining momentum, the Tokyo Olympics were a welcome distraction for many Jamaicans feeling oppressed by tightened curfew hours. Jamaicans’ interest became more focused, with patriotic fervor rising, and when the track events began, Twitter came alive.
As sports fans set their alarms for the events on Saturday morning Jamaica time, many prepared in advance with the appropriate gear.
Public relations practitioner Jean Lowrie-Chin, who would normally be waving the Jamaican flag in person at Olympics events, dressed accordingly, wishing she were there this time:
My heart is in Tokyo ?????? pic.twitter.com/SI0lss0jZA
— J A Lowrie-Chin (@LowrieChin) July 30, 2021
Her husband Hubie was ready to make some noise with the “Dutch pot” covers—a traditional Jamaican way to celebrate:
He's ready for the 100M – @chinhubert ????#TeamJamaica ?????? pic.twitter.com/M5R6tupSio
— J A Lowrie-Chin (@LowrieChin) July 31, 2021
Retired Jamaican sprinting icon Usain Bolt’s absence in Tokyo had been duly noted in the international press, but this time there were high hopes for the women. These hopes were realized when Elaine Thompson-Herah, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson raced across the finish line in first, second, and third places in the Women’s 100 meter final on July 31.
Moreover, Thompson-Herah broke American sprinter Florence Griffith-Joyner (Flo Jo’s) 1988 Olympic record with a time of 10.61 seconds, making her the second-fastest woman ever:
In case you missed it: Olympic Champion Elaine Thompson-Herah blazed across the finish line to cop the second-fastest 100m time in history. Her final time was 10.61 secs, a new Olympic record, breaking Florence Griffith-Joyner’s 10.62 mark from the 1988 Olympics. #ToykoGoldRush pic.twitter.com/1uJUEdcZrP
— Jamaica Gleaner (@JamaicaGleaner) July 31, 2021
Thompson-Herah herself, who like Bolt hails from rural Jamaica, tweeted:
Just a lil girl from BANANA GROUND who liked to run. Believe In your dreams work hard and have faith in God…ETH pic.twitter.com/UrR7UuGZGO
— Elaine Thompson Herah (@FastElaine) July 31, 2021
In a high-spirited video shared by the Jamaica Gleaner, Thompson-Herah’s grandmother celebrated the victory (complete with biblical references) from her living room, and was already anticipating a win in the 200-meter race, which her granddaughter will be competing in:
Gloria Thompson, the grandmother of Olympic 100m champion @FastElaine, was ecstatic this morning as she watched the final of the women's 100m from her hometown in Banana Ground, Manchester. It's a win Thompson had predicted and she is looking for a repeat in the 200m. pic.twitter.com/VV6nJbVavF
— Jamaica Gleaner (@JamaicaGleaner) July 31, 2021
Thompson-Herah's father and friends celebrated raucously at his barbershop in the mid-island town of Mandeville, while one young man quietly waited for his haircut:
#TokyoGoldRush: Keith Thompson, proud father of @FastElaine, reacts alongside friends to his daughter's record breaking win inside his Barbershop in Mandeville, Manchester. – Nathaniel Stewart video #Tokyo2020 #TokyoOlympics #GLNRSports pic.twitter.com/zpZg5GAiU6
— Jamaica Gleaner (@JamaicaGleaner) July 31, 2021
An exuberant Usain Bolt and a few friends tweeted an impromptu dance party in honor of the women. He was at home in Jamaica (the proud father of newborn twins):
It’s A Party here in Jamaica ?? after the brilliant 123 of our girls ???♂??#itsaparty ??✨
??????https://t.co/seJj01Oeez pic.twitter.com/g4RlWAVtqX
— Usain St. Leo Bolt (@usainbolt) July 31, 2021
Prime Minister Andrew Holness reacted proudly on Twitter:
Proud cya done! #TeamJamaica 1,2,3 ?????? Congratulations to our women for a scintillating finals! Elaine Thompson Herah, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson! Let's continue to make history! #Jaminate #TokyoOlympics2020 ???#SuperPower pic.twitter.com/Udel8uKSU2
— Andrew Holness (@AndrewHolnessJM) July 31, 2021
Sports Minister Olivia “Babsy” Grange tweeted from Tokyo:
(3/3) I am so happy as the Minister of Sport and I am sure all of Jamaica shares my joy. At home the pans and pots would have sounded. pic.twitter.com/Pl6ZnniIlV
— Hon.Olivia Grange (@Babsy_grange) July 31, 2021
A Jamaican sports journalist in Tokyo underlined the women’s achievement:
Jamaica’s dominance in the women’s 100m at the Olympics is mind-blowing. 10 of the 12 medals won since 2008 and every single gold since then have been won by Jamaicans. 16 of 30 medals since 1984 have also went to Jamaican women. DOMINATE
— Andre Lowe (@AndreLoweJA) July 31, 2021
Economist and commentator Damien King found himself speechless, for once:
I talk for a living. Words fail me. #Women100m #elaine #Shellyann #sherika #finals #GladBagBuss pic.twitter.com/VjJpa2vhMu
— Damien King (@DamienWKing) July 31, 2021
Having recovered, King had done some calculations:
Words found. Well, numbers anyway: Jamaica contains 0.035% of the world's population. From 2008, it has won 83% of the women's 100m medals. That is, of 12 medals, we've allowed all the other countries in the world to take home only two (silvers). ? #Women100m #Jaminate
— Damien King (@DamienWKing) July 31, 2021
The highly touted young American sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson, who was removed from the U.S. team after testing positive for marijuana, tweeted in solidarity with the Jamaican trio after announcing her intention to host an Instagram Live session:
Congratulations to the ladies of Jamaica for the clean sweep. Powerful, strong black women dominating the sport. ✨
— Sha’Carri Richardson (@itskerrii) July 31, 2021
On a style note, the wearing of colorful wigs once again made an impact. Silver medal winner and former Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is famous for hers—and for the final, turned up in a vibrant gold wig. One Jamaican quipped:
Shelly’s wig is about to cross the finish line before some a dem #Olympics #Tokyo2020 #TeamJamaica??
— YT: Life Lessons With Jason (@TheJCDB) July 31, 2021
The sprinters’ style met with approval generally:
I love that black women at the Olympics are being bold, wearing colored wigs, long nails, butterfly lashes and then winning ? #Olympics
— Wanza (@Ms_Wanza) July 31, 2021
Meanwhile, as Jamaicans bathed in the afterglow of the “one, two, three” win, vaccination centres across the island were opening. On the previous afternoon, 300,000 doses had arrived from the UK, ending a worrying vaccine “drought,” and were immediately dispatched to centres across the island. The Ministry of Health and Wellness aims to have 150,000 Jamaicans vaccinated in a week. One government minister observed:
Imagine if everyone used this same national pride and went out this weekend to get vaccinated??! PARENTS, you also owe it to ur children, their teachers & everyone you & they will come into contact with to get vaccinated. One Jamaica??. We all in this together #vaccinateJa
— Alando N. Terrelonge, MA, MP #StrongwithTerrelonge (@terrelonge2016) July 31, 2021
In a charming pictorial thread, cultural commentator Wayne Chen noted:
We will have tales of heroes to tell our grandchildren. pic.twitter.com/Oa7stGriNn
— Wayne Chen (@wcchen) July 31, 2021
Beijing 2008. Jamaica is now the only country with two sweeps. pic.twitter.com/cJl58mFW3q
— Wayne Chen (@wcchen) July 31, 2021
pic.twitter.com/b5PLSw22j3
— Wayne Chen (@wcchen) July 31, 2021
And a Jamaican graphic designer on Twitter shared his depiction of Thompson-Herah gently lifting the “sprint queen” crown from Fraser-Pryce's head:
From one queen to the next. pic.twitter.com/OOERwb7UlE
— BetweenTwoLungs (@TusonWalters) July 31, 2021
Sandals International Resorts jumped on board with a reward for the three young women:
Sandals Resorts announces complimentary vacations for Jamaican sprint queens https://t.co/RybkI8oxhR
— Sandals Resorts (@SandalsResorts) July 31, 2021
Usain Bolt himself summed it up succinctly in a tweet:
1.2.3 ??????
— Usain St. Leo Bolt (@usainbolt) July 31, 2021
As Jamaicans prepare to celebrate Emancipation Day on Sunday, August 1 and the national holiday on Monday, perhaps there will be more excitement in store. Meanwhile, the euphoria will take a while to quieten down. There is a feeling in Jamaica that it is time for some good news.

author: Emma Lewis


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In Georgia, a book with stories to empower women written by men garners criticism · Global Voices
Arzu Geybullayeva

“Books HD” by Abee5 is licensed under CC BY 2.0
“Love yourself,” a book featuring 13 women's stories about the stigma they have faced over body image, may have been rooted in good intentions, but its publishers are being accused of tone-deafness and sexism. The publishers, The Body Shop Georgia, the Georgian branch of the international bath and cosmetics company, GrlzWave, a women's rights group, and Tbilisi City Hall aimed to empower women through the book, though they drew criticism and backlash for hiring seven men to write the book and not paying the 13 female contributors.
Presented on July 26 at Tbilisi City Hall, “Love yourself,” follows the stories of 13 women, each accompanied by commentary from a well-known Georgian male author reflecting on the women's stories or offering their interpretation of the women's experiences — at times inaccurately. The backlash only got worse when one of the men was publicly accused of sexual harassment.
The Body Shop Georgia, which originally defended the book, saying that male authors were simply trying to imagine themselves in the womens’ situation, later apologized amid the criticism. The book is no longer being sold, though a company spokesperson said it is still available free of charge for anyone interested in a copy. “We experience the most bullying and violence from the opposite sex. We wanted [men] to start talking about this. Because of the reaction, we realized we were going in the wrong direction,” said a Body Shop spokesperson in an interview with OC Media.
“Feminist history has long sought to present the perspective of women. When you do a women’s empowerment project and you publish male writers’ reflection — this is wrong, insincere, and ineffective,” Ida Bakhturidze, coordinator of a local initiative, the Georgian Women for a Common Future, told OC Media.
Speaking to openDemocracy, Georgian filmmaker, Elene Margvelashvili said she was shocked “no one realized that [the book] was not serving women empowerment” until faced with criticism.
But it was not just the faux-paux of having men retell women's stories that was poorly received. Several women spoke publicly after the book was published that they had been sexually harassed by Giorgi Kekelidze, one of the seven male authors featured in the book. Kekelidze took to Facebook to apologize for his past mistakes in a post which he then removed, only to replace it with another similar post.
Speaking to OC Media, the Body Shop spokesperson admitted the company did not do its due diligence. “When we selected the writers, our big mistake was that the information [about allegations against Giorgi Kekelidze] did not reach us and we did not research [the authors] well.”
According to OC Media, only four out of seven authors have spoken up about their involvement in the project, mostly unapologetically, dismissing the criticisms.
GrlzWave said in a written comment to OC Media that they disagreed with the Body Shop's decision to involve male authors in the project from the start.
In the meantime, the BodyShop told Radio Tavisupleba, the Georgian service for Radio Free Europe, that this was a good lesson and that they will be involving more experts in future projects.
According to UN Women, “gender stereotypes remain deeply rooted,” in Georgia where patriarchal traditions are still strong. Another study, released by World Bank concludes that despite significant progress in gender equality in Georgia, persisting challenges in areas such as education, employment, political participation and others, risk “stagnation and even reversal.”

author: Arzu Geybullayeva


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In Turkey, continuing forest fires are destroying livelihoods · Global Voices
Doga Celik

A fire breaking out, from Pixabay.
Since July 28, a total of 125 forest fires have raged through 21 provinces of Turkey with 8 still raging as of August 2. The first fire was reported on July 28. So far, the death toll has reached 8 people, including two firefighters. While the official cause of the fires is still under investigation, many are attributing them to scorching heat and global warming.
The fires are affecting thousands of residents from Turkey's Mediterranean and Aegean coasts — both major tourist destinations. Tourists have been evacuated and transported to safety as the country's leadership declared some regions “disaster zones” due to the fires. The phrase #HelpTurkey was trending on Twitter on August 1 as people rush to aid those affected by the blaze. As the extent of the damage comes to light, the ruling Justice and Development Party has faced criticism and public outcry for the country's lack of safety measures, emergency plans, and government-propagated conspiracy theories.
On Saturday, July 31, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visited Manavgat, one of the provinces affected by the fires, where at least 7 people have died from the blaze. During his visit, he vowed that the government was doing everything it could to help people affected by the disaster. “It is our duty to find those responsible for the fires, and burn their lungs,” said Erdoğan on July 31.
But many remained unoptimistic about the government's promises. A large presidential convoy arrived in the city of Marmaris over the weekend — another hotspot affected by the fires — and Erdoğan was seen tossing bystanders packages of tea. Some likened the move to Trump, who threw paper towels at hurricane Maria survivors at a disaster relief distribution center in Puerto Rico.
Erdoğan’s throwing tea sachets to wildfire victims is reminiscent of Trump throwing paper towels to devastated Puerto Ricans. Completely inappropriate, completely out of touch. https://t.co/Hrnjf9GpIq
— Lisel Hintz (@LiselHintz) August 1, 2021
yeterli yangın söndürme uçağı olmadığı için yangınla boğuşan marmaris’e erdoğan’ın girişi. pic.twitter.com/kCZx14GA8w
— mustafahos (@mustafahos) July 31, 2021
Erdogan's arrival to Marmaris, where the city has been struggling with fire due to lack of firefighting jets.
Since the start of fires last week, the ruling party has taken flak for Turkey's lack of firefighting aircraft and its choice to exclude the Turkish Aeronautical Association (THK) from the firefighting efforts. For decades, THK had provided planes for firefighting campaigns. Speaking to the residents of Manavgat, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu was booed when he said all three of the country's firefighting jets were already extinguishing fires elsewhere. So far, Russia, Ukraine, and Azerbaijan have all contributed planes to help extinguish the forest fires. On August 1, the government finally accepted EU support to receive firefighting jets from Croatia and Spain.
Mursel Alban, a member of Parliament from the main opposition the Republican People's Party (CHP), called on the president and his cabinet to resign:
Marmaris’te 300 odalı Yazlık Saray var ama Marmaris’te yangını söndürecek uçak yok.
Tüm bakanlarıyla birlikte, Tayyip Erdoğan/AKP yönetimi #istifa
— Mürsel Alban (@murselalban) July 30, 2021
You have a 300 room summer palace in Marmaris but there is no plane to put out the fire in Marmaris. Erdogan/AKP governmnet must resign with all its ministers.
Photos of Erdoğan's lavish summer house with 300 rooms, a private beach, and a pool, were made public on July 5. The palace reportedly cost 73 million US dollars and was completed in 2019. At the time, the leader of CHP, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu slammed the summer house during the party's parliamentary group meeting. “People are starving, but he doesn't care. He built a summer palace for himself.”
“While the palace [the presidency] has 13 planes and the agriculture minister travels everywhere in his jet, the government can’t employ a firefighting plane to put out these fires, demonstrating the terrible situation this administration has put us in. One palace plane could have bought dozens of firefighting planes,” pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) spokesperson Ebru Günay said in a tweet on July 30.
Former member of the parliament Feyzi Isbaran reiterated the sentiment in a tweet:
Erdoğan süper lüks uçağı ile yangın bölgedine yukarıdan baktı ve: “Uçak konusundaki sıkıntıların ana sebebi uzun yıllardır bu görevi yürüten THK'nın filosunu ve teknolojisini yenileyememiş olmasıdır”
-Üç yıl önce Kayyum atadığı THK’nın onursal Başkanı kendisi #TürkiyeYanıyor pic.twitter.com/DNqhUGIh0S
— FEYZI ISBASARAN (@fyzisbsrn) July 31, 2021
Erdogan reviewed the area affected by fires from air, sitting inside his super luxury airplane. “The main reason for the problems with the aircraft is that THK, which has been carrying out this task for many years, has not been able to renew its fleet and technology.” Erdogan is the honorary director of the government appointed trustee committee at the THK”.
The THK was reshuffled in 2019 with a government-appointed trustee committee replacing the previous leadership. According to reporting by Dokuz8Haber, an online news platform, earlier this month, the trustees fired 11 pilots and 15 technicians. But the THK's former employees said the association had 6 operational aircrafts ready for deployment. One of the trustees was reportedly at a wedding ceremony when Muğla Mayor Osman Gürün called the THK office asking for planes on July 29.
Following days of forest fires, forests in 6 provinces were closed from July 30 until August 31. The ban includes going into or near the forests, and having picnics.
Meanwhile, the authorities downplayed the damages caused by the fire in Marmaris describing them as minor, instead prioritizing investigating the cause of the fires according to the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Bekir Pakdemirli. “Judicial and law enforcement authorities continue their investigation into the cause of the fires. A statement will be made once important findings are uncovered,” he said.
Echoing the government's investigation efforts, the head of the Directorate for Communications, Fahrettin Altun said,  “Those responsible will have to account for the attacks against nature and forests.”
Many have compared the ineptitude of the ruling government to a recent flood in Germany, where Chancellor Merkel allocated 472 million US dollars worth of aid for the flood victims a stark contrast to convoys and tea throwing as seen during the president's visit to affected areas. So far, officials have promised to postpone loan payments of those injured in the fire to ease their financial burden. They have also announced they would accept donations. Which triggered further criticism online.
Deprem sonrası para isteniyor, sel sonrası para isteniyor, yangın sobrası para isteniyor, pandemide para isteniyor. Elbette yardıma ihtiyacı olan vatandaşlarımız için biz elimizden geleni yapacağız ancak vergilerimizi toplayanlar ve yönetenler?
— Av. Çağdaş Çelik (@avcagdascelik) July 30, 2021
They ask for donations after an earthquake, flood, fire, during the pandemic. Of course we will do what is in our power to help those in need, but will those who collect our taxes and lead us do the same?

author: Doga Celik


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Chronicles of a transgender woman’s visit to the doctor · Global Voices
Lucía Jiménez Peñuela

Photo of the author, used with permission
Early one morning in July, she gets ready for her orthopedic appointment. She looks feminine, but even so, comments and teasing on the street are inevitable, just like when she's going to work. It doesn’t matter, she’s happy about this appointment she got after two months of persistence. As she bathes, she remembers that three years ago, her medical service knew her as the woman she is and didn’t treat her the same as when she had a masculine appearance.
Three years ago, she had a bad cold, but the doctor blamed her symptoms on hormones. And so, her health problems began to be blamed on her transition. If her knees hurt, it was because of hormones; if she had depression or anxiety, it was because she was a teacher who should not dress as a woman in her school. They did not acknowledge that she continued to be mistreated by fellow teachers and parents.
She also remembers that last September, she went three times for the same emergency. In the first two visits, they blamed the hormones for her abdominal pain, even though she had not taken them for months. On her third visit, the doctor ordered her appendix to be removed immediately. After surgery, the doctor—who always treated her in masculine terms—sent her home prematurely, ignoring her abdominal pains. In addition, she was mistreated by the rest of the staff, like when a nurse questioned her identity by shouting, “Why are you pretending to be a woman,” and all for requesting to be treated by a doctor.
She had to return a week later because her abdomen, overflowing with a hemorrhage, caused anemia. She was hospitalized for almost a month—but this time she was treated with dignity because she had learned not to keep quiet and to put her complaint in writing. The doctor in charge of the floor apologized to her for the bad treatment she received during the previous hospitalization.
Photo of the author, used with permission.
She finishes getting dressed to go to the orthopedist and thinks about how, although the pain is severe, her life is not at risk like when she had appendicitis. She takes a bus and arrives at one of the medical centers where public school teachers like herself are treated. The guards treat her respectfully, but only because she managed to make them do so; they used to look at her morbidly or make fun of her. Complaining to customer service got results.
In the line to check-in, people continue to reject her by referring to her as masculine, consciously refusing to differentiate a woman from a man. After asking the people in line and the attendant to use the gender and name on her ID card, she waits in the room for the doctor’s call. She takes a seat and other teachers scrutinize her with looks of astonishment or disgust. A couple of older adults stare at her and begin a conversation about how “people today are getting lost.” She tunes out these situations in her mind to concentrate on the appointment.
From the office, she hears a doctor call her. She is relieved to hear her name. This is because, despite having won legal protection two years ago that ordered the social security authority to change the name and gender on her identity document, they left her past names, “dead names,” visible in her medical history even though they were no longer part of her identity. They do not erase them because they are “records,” just like someone who commits a crime and it remains on their record. Her crime: changing her name.
She enters the office. She notices that she is treated differently from a few days ago when another orthopedist kept addressing her in masculine terms and calling her “partner.” Today’s doctor focuses on her hip condition, and orders tests to confirm possible trochanteritis. This is unusual for her; in other appointments, a diagnosis tends to be replaced with subjective evaluations of her body and genitalia, and the “wrongness of living as a woman.”
By the same author: Nothing is braver than a trans woman unafraid to die in order to live
Many doctors see her from the point of view that she “should be” a man, who for them is so weak that he resorts to wearing feminine garments. That’s why they normally say things like “you are a young man”, “your male anatomy is weak”; “Be brave and take what was given to you.” She would like so much to be treated in the same way as the other female teachers, who are not reprimanded about their bodies or relationships!
She is discharged and gets her exams scheduled. She takes the opportunity to ask about her gender reassignment surgery, which she requested over two years ago. She is clear that, with or without a penis, she is still a woman, but it makes her uncomfortable to have it. It is something that many doctors do not understand because they tell her that “it is the best thing about a man.” But it causes her dysphoria; it is not part of her body. They inform her again that the surgery cannot be performed.
After so many unsuccessful steps and formalities, she now faces a new impediment: the vaginal dilator is not available in her country, Colombia. The urologist warned her that without it there is no operation. The same urologist assumed that the patient had a male partner and would have no problem; when the patient clarified that she was a lesbian, the specialist assumed that she would have no problem if the vaginal canal was narrow, because lesbians do not need it. As she leaves the building and waits for the bus, she wonders if the urologist would say the same thing to lesbian cisgender women.
She comes home tired but unwavering, and while she knows that in order to have acceptable healthcare she had to fight to keep her job as a teacher, she recognizes that her trans sisters are dying at the hands of the health system that systematically denies them life and existence, like what happened to Alejandra Monocuco, who died in 2020 because of lack of medical care. In Spain, almost 50 percent of transgender people cancel or delay their medical appointments “to avoid feeling discriminated against at the doctor’s office” and 17 per cent avoid going to the doctor altogether.
Therefore, she knows that remaining silent is inappropriate and will continue to fight for dignified and medically ethical, non-discriminatory care because the health of trans people is a vital right, not an indulgence.

author: Lucía Jiménez Peñuela


text:
Georgian State Security Service accused of mass-surveillance of public figures · Global Voices
OC Media

“Nagra SNST Recorder” by Matt Blaze is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
This article was first published on OC Media. An edited version is republished here under a content partnership agreement.
According to leaked documents, the Georgian State Security Service (SSG) has been spying on journalists, opposition and ruling party politicians, activists, priests, businesspeople, and other public figures. The documents were leaked to the pro-opposition TV station Mtavari Arkhi.
Among those, who were targeted are Salome Zurabishvili, the President of Georgia, Tea Tsulukiani, the Minister of Culture, and film director Goga Khaindrava.
On August 1, during an episode of the TV show “Mtavari Aktsentebi” (Main Accents) hosted by Mtavari Arkhi, the TV station’s head, Nika Gvaramia, released documents reportedly obtained from the SSG that detail illegally recorded telephone and face-to-face conversations. Among the documents were accounts of secretly recorded sexual interactions.
The channel did not broadcast the names of those targeted, however, Gvaramia said that the documents included people's names and personal identification numbers.
Several of those targeted publicly identified themselves, confirming the authenticity of the leak. Among them were at least two journalists, Giorgi Mgeladze from RFE/RL and Nino Gelashvili from Formula.
The leaked documents are from 2020 and include personal information, including details of the targets’ sexual lives and in some cases sexual orientation, as well as the names of their partners and family members.
According to Gvaramia, Grigol Liluashvili, the head of the SSG; Deputy Head Levan Akhobadze; and Koba Kobadze, the director of the SSG’s Operative-Technical Agency, which is responsible for carrying out covert surveillance, were responsible for the recordings.
The SSG has dismissed the allegations and denied any wrongdoing.
The leaked documents are divided into two major parts. The first, according to Gvaramia, primarily involve intercepted conversations about the targets’ personal lives. The documents also featured conversations between government officials, business people, actors, journalists, clergymen of different denominations, and high-ranking officials from both the opposition and ruling party.
“A high-ranking official is having a love affair with a journalist who got pregnant from him, and Bidzina Ivanishvili found out about it and forced her to have an abortion,” Gvaramia read from one report during the TV show.
“Businessman I, an employee of a joint-stock company, was informed by D that a representative of one opposition party, T, is a lesbian. According to D, some time ago, T offered a woman who was in an intimate relationship with the latter, to have non-traditional sexual relations,” was another excerpt from the documents.
According to Gvaramia, at the end of each recorded incident or conversation, there is a note on further steps for the organization to take, typically instructing them to “continue operational activities.”
The second part of the documents was rooted in political surveillance.
One of the leaked recordings is a conversation between director Goga Khaindrava and ex-Minister of Justice Tea Tsulukiani, who talk about Nika Gvaramia and TV Mtavari host Giorgi Gabunia.
Senior ruling party Georgian Dream officials dismissed the reports. According to Irakli Kobakhidze, the chair of the Georgian Dream Party, the reports are a “fairy tale.”
“We can not comment on the tales and fantasies of [Nika Gvaramia],” said Kobakhidze after the leaks were made public.
In a statement on Monday, August 2, the State Security Service broke their silence, labeling the allegations “misinformation” and “anti-state action.”
“As part of the information war, specific media outlets are using all means to use the current situation in the country to achieve their own political goals and to make society more polarised,” the statement said.
This misinformation serves to deliberately discredit the State Security Service, mislead the public, and incite distrust in state institutions.
Unfortunately, certain members of civil society and political parties, willingly or unwillingly, become participants in this provocative and damaging disinformation campaign for the state.
The State Security Service carries out its activities in full compliance with the Constitution and the norms of law.
Giorgi Mshvenieradze, a board member from the legal advocacy group Georgian Democracy Initiative, was one of those targeted by the surveillance whose conversations were anonymously disclosed on Mtavari Arkhi. He challenged the SSG's denials in a comment under their statement on Facebook.
“OK. How did Nika Gvaramia know the content of my 2020 conversation?” Mshvenieradze asked. “I’m interested in your response to this and maybe you can answer me here, others are interested too.”

author: OC Media


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In Azerbaijan women’s rights activists protest outside the Ministry of the Interior · Global Voices
Arzu Geybullayeva

A symbolic coffin was placed outside the Ministry of the Interior in Baku to represent recent victims of domestic abuse. Screenshot from a video by Meydan TV.
A coffin covered with the names of domestic abuse victims was placed at the entrance of the Ministry of the Interior in Baku on July 30. The installation was organized by three representatives from a local feminist collective to combat increasing gender-based violence in Azerbaijan. At least five women were killed in Azerbaijan in July due to domestic violence.
The most recent victim, Nargiz Mustafayeva, was strangled to death on July 25 by her husband. Activists working on gender equality say that the country's legislation and police fail to ensure the safety and security of women in abusive situations.  According to one of the activists responsible for the protest, the symbolic coffin with names of last month's five victims was placed outside the government building in an effort to show the consequences of inaction.
Personnel from the Ministry of the Interior quickly removed the coffin while police detained all three women, releasing them shortly after questioning at a local police station.
#Azerbaijan feminist activists, detained yesterday while staging a protest in front of ministry of interior against increasing femicide reports (5 in last 2 weeks). They were released shortly but the problem of gender-based violence remains subject to neglect by the authorities. pic.twitter.com/K44Fb3krei
— Najmin Kamilsoy (@necminkamil) July 30, 2021
Gender activists say that often when women seek help from law enforcement, officers’ first response is often reconciliation, which can further endanger female abuse survivors. “When victims of violence in Azerbaijan approach the police, they try to reconcile them with the perpetrator or the police discourage women from complaining. And as a result, the woman dies,” Aytaj Aghazade, one of the demonstration participants, told OC Media.
But Elshad Hajiyev, the head of media relations at the Ministry of the Interior dismissed these arguments in an interview with journalists following the demonstration, albeit not without a few controversial points:
Speaking generally, statements made here [at the demonstration] have no ground. We investigate all murder cases together with all other relevant government authorities. It is impossible that no action is taken for each individual case. The Ministry of the Interior staff implements the existing norms and procedures as per existing legislation. I assure you, that none of the cases/complaints received, approached carelessly.
You know very well that today, in our society there are certain values of morality. That is why we can't just place an officer on duty in front of any home. That is also why, we cannot just release all of the information to the public about cases of abuse – there are children involved in the process, there are other family members. We must take into account the values of morality as a result. So it is natural in such circumstances that police tries help the couple rekindle their relationship.
Police will only intervene in cases where there is a victim, or signs of abuse. But of course it all depends on the investigations carried out not only by the police but by other relevant institutions. In case there is proof, and if the citizen really has been subject to pressure, and if [this pressure] continues and there are real facts of injury based on forensics, then this becomes a violation of rights. Then these victims are placed in shelters and their rights become protected.
After being asked whether femicides are a political issue, Hajiyev refuted that too. “To say that femicides are political is a political statement in itself. There is no such thing in Azerbaijan. Such statements are not based on facts or any evidence.” But activists claim the five victims last month presents a different picture.
Some activists are campaigning for Azerbaijan to adopt the Istanbul Convention, an international convention on eliminating violence against women.
One of the protest organizers and participants, Gulnara Mehdiyeva told OC Media that these murders were political and stem from a lack of legal and protective measures:
We believe that the killings of women are political, and that the current killings are the result of the state’s lack of security for women, the lack of assistance needed by women victims, and the police’s indifference to such appeals. That is why we protested in front of the ministry.
According to Azerbaijan’s State Statistical Committee, there were at least 1,180 cases of domestic violence against women in 2020. But activists say the numbers are likely higher, given the stigma around gender-based domestic abuse in Azerbaijan, which was highlighted in a report released in 2020.
Many of the activists behind campaigns to raise awareness about femicides, and domestic abuse, have often themselves been targets of abuse and violence. Scores of women were targeted online this year, in what looked like a coordinated harassment campaign. Police and local officials have never allowed activists to organize an International Women's Day march, which for some, raises questions about the government's commitment to eliminating inequality and violence against women.
Five days after the statement made by Elshad Hajiyev and assurances that the state addresses all complaints of abuse, Sevinc Maharramova, 23, who sought help in March of this year after accusing her husband of domestic abuse, was reportedly murdered by her husband. He cut her head off.
When activists were helping Maharramova in March, local law enforcement refused to provide any assistance. Local activists found her a safe house, a lawyer, and employment. In a live video about Maharramova's death that Gulnara Mehdiyeva shared on Facebook, she highlighted the lack of investigation into Maharramova's complaint in March.
Police never detained her husband for the physical abuse. When her lawyer was finally able to open a criminal case on the grounds of torture the husband, never showed up in court. Without any proof, he just called and said he was infected with Covid. Just when the Maharammova was recovering, one day she called me and said that she cannot handle it anymore and that she was going back to her husband because of the kids. He used her children against her.


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Missing Belarusian activist found dead in Ukraine · Global Voices
Tanya Lokot

Belarusian activist Vital Shyshou, photo courtesy of Belarusian House in Ukraine (BDU) on Telegram.
Belarusian activist Vital Shyshou, who went missing in Ukraine on August 2, has been found dead in a park near his home in Kyiv, according to police reports.
Shyshou, who left Belarus in the autumn of 2020 fearing state persecution amid mass protests, was living in Kyiv, where he founded and ran the Belarusian House in Ukraine (BDU), a non-profit organisation supporting Belarusian citizens fleeing persecution by the regime of Belarus’ Aliaksandr Lukashenka.
The activist's colleagues reported in a post on BDU's Telegram channel that Shyshou disappeared on the morning of August 2, when he went for his usual run and “did not return”. According to the statement published by Ukrainian police on August 3, after an extensive search operation, he was “found hanged today in one of Kyiv's parks, not far from his place of residence”.
Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsihanouskaya, who is also living in exile in Lithuania, expressed her condolences to the activist's family.
Devastated by the news of the death of the Belarusian activist Vital Shyshou who was found hanged in Kyiv. My heart is with his family. It is worrying that those who flee Belarus still can't be safe.
I'm thankful to ?? authorities for launching an investigation into this case. pic.twitter.com/77otMfjk4q
— Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya (@Tsihanouskaya) August 3, 2021
In another update on their Telegram channel, BDU said they suspected Shyshou was being watched by Belarusian state agents while in Ukraine and said he was warned of possible provocations.
За Виталиком велась слежка. О фактах были соответствующие уведомления полиции. Также нас неоднократно предупреждали как местные источники, так и свои люди в РБ о всевозможных провокациях вплоть до похищения и ликвидации. Виталий стоически и с юмором относился к этим предупреждениям, заявляя, что хоть так возможно БДУ выйдет из инфовакуума.
Vitalik was under surveillance. These facts were correspondingly communicated by the police. We were repeatedly warned by local sources, and our people in Belarus about possible provocations, up to and including kidnapping and liquidation. Vitaliy treated these warning stoically and with a bit of humour, saying that at least this way BDU would go beyond the information vacuum.
Yury Shchuchko, a fellow BDU activist who participated in the search for Shyshou told Current Time, a TV channel run by RFE/RL and Voice of America, that Shyshou's face appeared to show signs of having been beaten. Shchuchko speculated that Belarusian state security (KGB) officials known to be operating inside Ukraine might be responsible and called the incident “a usual [KGB] scheme”.
In their statement on Shyshou's case, Ukrainian police said they had “launched a criminal case under Article 115 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (premeditated murder) and will check all versions, including the version of murder disguised as suicide”.
The Belarusian regime of Aliaksandr Lukashenka is no stranger to transnational repression. On August 1, 2021, Belarusian athlete Krystsina Tsimanouskaya was removed from the Olympics by Belarusian sports officials who attempted to put her on a flight home against her will. She requested police protection and was later granted a humanitarian visa by Poland.
In May 2021, Belarus grounded a Ryanair flight from Greece to Lithuania over its territory and detained opposition journalist Raman Pratasevich, who remains under house arrest.
In July 2016, veteran Belarusian journalist Pavel Sheremet, who had investigated corruption at the top echelons of Belarusian power, was killed by a car bomb in Kyiv. Five years on, the probe into his death is still ongoing and his murder remains unsolved. Activists and media rights groups have called for a thorough and transparent investigation to identify those responsible for Sheremet's murder.


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Nani Jansen Reventlow and Rasha Abdulla join Global Voices board · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Nani Jansen Reventlow (L), Dr. Rasha Abdulla (R). Photo of Nani Jansen Reventlow by Testuro Miyazaki, used with permission. Photo of Dr. Rasha Abdulla courtesy Rasha Abdulla.
Global Voices is pleased to announce the addition of two outstanding new members to our board of directors.
Nani Jansen Reventlow is an accomplished international lawyer and expert in human rights litigation responsible for standard-setting freedom of expression cases across several national and international jurisdictions. She is the founding Director of the Digital Freedom Fund, which supports partners in Europe to advance digital rights through strategic litigation. Nani is also a Lecturer in Law at Columbia Law School and Adjunct Professor at Oxford University’s Blavatnik School of Government.
Dr. Rasha Abdulla is professor of Journalism and Mass Communication at The American University in Cairo. Her research interests include social media and mobilization, media diversity, freedom of expression, and content moderation. She is a former member of the United Nations Multistakeholder Advisory Group of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF MAG) and author of eight books and monographs, including “The Internet in the Arab World: Egypt and Beyond,” as well as numerous research articles, reports, and book chapters. Her research on social media and political activism leading to and during Egypt's revolution won several research awards, including the AUC Excellence in Research Award.

author: Georgia Popplewell


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Nikol Pashinyan re-appointed as Prime Minister in Armenia · Global Voices
Arzu Geybullayeva

Nikol Pashinyan. Photo by Mehr News Agency, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Armenian President Armen Sarkissian appointed Nikol Pashinyan as the country's Prime Minister on Monday, August 1. The appointment follows Pashinyan's Civil Contract Party victory in the June snap election. Pashinyan had been serving as acting Prime Minister until the official appointment on August 1.
Following the June snap parliamentary election, the Civil Contract Party secured a victory, winning 71 out of 107 parliamentary seats. The remaining seats belong to members of the Armenia Alliance (29 seats) led by former President Robert Kocharyan, and the I Have Honor coalition (7 seats) led by former President Serzh Sargsyan. A total of 21 parties and four alliances took part in the June election (the original list included 22 parties, but one party withdrew before the vote). There were a total of 2,623 candidates, including 965 women (37 percent).
The newly elected parliament convened on Monday, where members of the Civil Contract Party nominated Pashinyan as their candidate for Prime Minister. Following the nomination, President Armen Sarkissian signed a decree confirming the appointment.
Nikol Pashinyan has been appointed Prime Minister of Armenia by President Armen Sarkissian, as parliament restarts following June's elections.
— OC Media (@OCMediaorg) August 2, 2021
Pashinyan rose to power after leading a revolution in 2018, promising economic reforms and ousting the previously dominating oligarchs and monopolies. However, his popularity took a hit in November 2020 when the country lost the Nagorno-Karabakh war with neighboring Azerbaijan. The war ended with a Moscow-brokered cease-fire which restored Baku's sovereignty over a swath of Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts and was largely seen as a failure for Pashinyan.
In the following months, as recriminations grew over the PM's handling of the war, he stepped down,  as required by law, to allow an election to take place while remaining the country's leader.
During the first session of the parliament, the bloc representing Kocharyan reportedly protested by banging their hands on tables as the speaker addressed the members. They were joined by Sargsyan's party members.
First session of #Armenia new parliament and here is what it looks like. Is it gonna be like this in the coming 5 years? pic.twitter.com/vTPTP5ijFi
— Olesya Vartanyan (@Olesya_vArt) August 2, 2021
New parliament of Armenia started today, send help. It's already looking really bad.
— sam martirosyan (@mrtrsyns) August 2, 2021
The protest was related “to the opposition lawmakers demanding the immediate release of two of their colleagues arrested last month on what they see as politically motivated charges,” reported Radio Azatutyun, Armenian service for Radio Free Europe. Politicians Mkhitar Zakarian and Artur Sargsian were arrested on separate criminal charges of abuse of office and forgery last month, charges they both deny.
“Mr. Zakarian and Mr. Sargsian are not absent [from the parliament] but held hostage. They want to attend the parliament session just like you do, but they are not allowed to,” said Aram Vardevanian, a member of Kocharyan's Hayastan [Armenia] bloc, appealing to the parliament’s pro-government majority, reported Radio Azatutyun.
Opposition “Armenia Alliance” and “I Have Honor” leave the national assembly hall as Alen Simonyan's name is introduced as candidate for speaker of the parliament. pic.twitter.com/rrCIcwg3MZ
— 301?? (@301_AD) August 2, 2021


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The diplomatic struggle over Taiwan’s name in the Olympics · Global Voices
Global Voices East Asia

Netizens edited the plum blossom flag of Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee into Taiwan's national flag. Screen capture from Youtube Channel KT story.
The Tokyo Olympics 2020 has been fruitful for Taiwan as its athletes have tallied 10 medals so far, including 2 gold medals. However, when Taiwan's gold medalists stood on the podium to receive their accolades, they were surrounded not by the Taiwan national flag, but instead, by the plum blossom flag of the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee.
The Taiwanese team can only use this flag in the Olympic Games because the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the United Nations have continually refused to let Taiwan use its official name, the Republic of China (ROC), or its common name, Taiwan, in an international setting, due to the prolonged conflict between China and Taiwan.
Taiwan has been a de-facto self-ruling state since 1949 when the Kuomintang (KMT) also known as the Chinese National Party, was defeated in the Chinese Civil War. The KMT party members fled China and re-established the ROC on the island. However, China insists that they have sovereignty over Taiwan.
The ROC or Taiwan has been participating in the Olympic Games since 1932. Though it boycotted the Games in 1976 and 1980 when the host nations refused to allow the athletes to compete under the name ROC.
The country only returned to the Olympics in 1984 after an agreement was reached between Taiwan’s Olympic Committee and the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne in 1981. Since then, Taiwan can only join the Olympic Games under the name Chinese Taipei.
The display of the Taiwan national flag in the Olympics is always a sensitive issue. During the London Olympics in 2012, many were upset after Taiwan’s national flag was removed from the London Olympic Committee's street advertisement.
Many Taiwanese athletes say this treatment is humiliating and depressing. In 2018, Chi Cheng, a former track and field Olympic medalist, led the organization ‘Team Taiwan Campaign for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics’ to advocate for a referendum changing their name from ‘Chinese Taipei’ to ‘Taiwan’ in all international sports competitions, including the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
This referendum was held in November 2018. However, in July 2018, the East Asian Olympic Committee rescinded Taiwan's right to host the 2019 East Asian Youth Games, and a spokesperson of China’s Taiwan Affairs Office said that this cancellation was in response to the referendum. In the same month, the IOC sent a letter to the Taiwanese government warning them that they would risk their Olympic eligibility if they changed their name.
Amid the international pressures, 45.2 percent of the voters voted for and 54.8 percent voted against the referendum on the name change.
However, the issue regarding Taiwan's title in international sporting events is far from being settled. Chi Cheng planned to raise the referendum again before the Paris Olympics in 2024.
Although Taiwan could not officially change its team name in the Tokyo Olympics, the Tokyo Olympic Games announcers referenced the ‘Taiwan’ team in Japanese instead of the ‘Chinese Taipei’ team when the athletes entered the Olympic stadium for the opening ceremony. Many Taiwanese citizens took to social media to thank Japan for their recognition. Claire Wang, a legislator in Taiwan, highlighted the moment on her Facebook page:
剛看完東京奧運進場儀式，實在是好感動！
聽說日本NHK 在播報時，是用「台湾(タイワン)」來介紹我們。
真心希望有朝一日，我們能真正以台灣之名登場！
I just saw the opening ceremony, and I am so moved! I heard that NHK introduced us as ‘Taiwan’ in Japan’s broadcast. I really hope that one day we can use our own name, Taiwan, go to the Olympics.
However, Jhy-wey Shieh, a Taiwan diplomat, pointed out that the international call for a name change is not practical for Taiwan because of political dynamics within the IOC:
我可以告訴各位，以中國的勢力，他們真的是作得到以「台灣官方主導正名公投」為由達到讓台灣選手不能參賽的目的！
台灣/Taiwan要正名，沒錯，但是可以自己作的事，為什麼要冒險交給反對者參與決定？國際奧委會是中國的場子，不是台灣人的
I can tell you that China does have the power (in the IOC) to block Taiwan’s athletes to join the Games by accusing the Taiwan government of leading the referendum. It is right that Taiwan should use the proper name of the country. However, why should we risk handing over the decision to our opponent? The IOC is the playground of China, not Taiwan.
However, Lee Yian, a journalist from the Initium, a Chinese online investigative news site, pointed out on Facebook that while Taiwan has agreed to participate in the Olympics under the name ‘Chinese Taipei’, the Chinese government may try to change the name from ‘Chinese Taipei’ to  ‘China Taipei’ in the future:
今日你在中國官媒《新華網》輸入「中華台北」，已經搜尋不到任何詞條和報導了；在這屆東京奧運裡，中國也已經幾乎都是用「中國台灣」來稱呼台灣代表隊了。
Today if you search the term  ‘Chinese Taipei’ on the Chinese state-run media outlet Xinhua, you can't find any items or reports; China has used the term  ‘China Taipei’ to refer to the Taiwanese athletes during the Tokyo Olympics.
The term ‘Chinese Taipei’ is more ambiguous as ‘Chinese’ refers to the language or the ethnicity of the Han Chinese. On the other hand, ‘China Taipei’ will suggest Taiwan is a city under the PRC, like ‘China Hong Kong’. The change of terms could further undermine the status of Taiwan as an independent and autonomous state.
Lee explained that beginning 2016, Xinhua has announced a guideline on ‘Forbidden and sensitive terms in news reports (《新聞信息報道中的禁用詞和慎用詞》) and in the section concerning ‘International organizations and Non-governmental organizations on international economic, trade and commerce, culture and sport’, Taiwanese representatives should be from ‘China Taiwan’ or ‘China Taipei’. News outlets need permission from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or Taiwan Affairs Office to use the title ‘Chinese Taipei’ in their reports.
Taiwan's unification with China has become a crucial component in China's grand political project of ‘rejuvenation‘ under the leadership of  Chinese President Xi Jinping. In 2019, Xi further explained that the unification with Taiwan would mirror Hong Kong's ‘One Country, Two Systems’ political model. The official use of ‘China Taipei’ aligns with Beijing's political ambitions.
Lee believes that Taiwan's title in the Olympics and other international stages will continue to be a political battleground.

author: Global Voices East Asia


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Floods take parts of Trinidad by storm · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

A screenshot of an overturned car that was pushed by the flood waters into the St. Ann's river on the outskirts of Trinidad's capital, Port of Spain, on August 3, 2021. Screenshot taken from a YouTube video by TTT Live Online, titled “Flash Floods Affect Maraval And St. Ann's”.
Trinidad and Tobago is in the midst of its wet season and on August 3, experienced several bouts of intense rainfall which the country's meteorological office had warned might include “the threat of street flooding […] gusty winds [and] isolated flash flooding”.
Although the met office explained that “near-normal rainfall is likely for August to October, but August is likely to be wetter than usual,” no one quite expected the degree of flooding that took place at various locations across the country.
Even as the rains were coming down, people were sharing images and videos across social media platforms. The video below, shared widely via WhatsApp, was taken by a driver who was travelling along Saddle Road, in the country's northwest, which runs parallel to the Maraval River:
The following photos were also taken along Saddle Road, just further south, at a point where the river course passes underneath the roadway:
Two different angles of the flash flooding in Maraval, Trinidad, on August 3, 2021. Photos shared widely via WhatsApp.
This video, also forwarded numerous times on WhatsApp, was taken from the vantage point of a residence off Saddle Road, close to the area's Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) sub-station:
On Facebook, the Trinidad and Tobago Weather Center posted various videos it received from social media users in different parts of the country, including these two, also from Maraval—but flooding was also taking place in nearby St. Anns, as the water levels of the St. Ann's River rose rapidly.
Comments on the Eckel Avenue flooding prompted social media users to address the question of how construction projects are approved. It is a pressing issue that the Trinidad and Tobago Society of Planners (TTSP) and the Trinidad and Tobago Institute of Architects (TTIA) have been drawing public attention to via a series of articles in the media.
Facebook user Kairi Singh commented:
If you drive that road you'd notice how the contractor paved over the drains in the road. So the road is a river every time it rains.
Trinidad and Tobago Weather Center posted another video, this time on Duncan Street in downtown Port of Spain, within close range of the ironically named East Dry River, which burst its banks:
This video, shared via WhatsApp, shows flooding in the same general area, along what appears to be either Picadilly or Observatory Street in east Port of Spain:
Comments on various posts called out the practice of littering, which was exacerbating the problem.
By late afternoon, as the floodwaters began to subside, clean-up efforts began, with disaster management teams being mobilised to help clear away the mud and debris left behind. As at the time of publication, no casualties were reported, though there was damage to property and vehicles:
Citizens were warned to expect traffic delays, especially because the capital's main traffic hub, City Gate, was badly affected:
While some commenters were quick to blame the government, Facebook user Christenne Allegra addressed her compatriots:
[…] ask yourselves if any of u have ever thrown garbage onto the streets of port of Spain, if yes, then you carry just as much blame for your stupidity. Use a bin or take your garbage home!
Sasha Shamika Craig answered:
This goes hand in Hand. The Borough/City council has to make sure all drainage [is] cleared […] months before the Rain season. Also y'all that don't like to call on them when you're disposing your beds, fridges etc. You just take it [and] dump it at the side of the road or in the rivers. I've seen ppl do this then cry [and] complain when their homes get washed away.
Adriia Nurse added:
This is what happens when no maintenance work is done! Drains aren't cleared! Rivers aren't dredged! River banks destroyed! Illegal development not stopped!
Cleanup efforts continued well into the night.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Small but complex: the unexpected political ramifications of enclaves · Global Voices
Paolo Sorbello

Enclaves and exclaves in the Fergana Valley. Screenshot from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty YouTube channel.
In late April 2021, a seemingly minor personal spat in the village of Kok-Tash in south-western Kyrgyzstan spilled over into a military conflict with Tajikistan. Two days and 49 dead later, the leaders of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan agreed to a ceasefire, which proved precarious. It was only on May 3 that the situation improved and residents could start taking stock of personal and material damage to their villages.
During the military confrontation, the Vorukh enclave rose to prominence in the news as the new hot-spot of the conflict between Tajikistan, the country it belongs to, and Kyrgyzstan, the country that engulfs this hamlet.
To Tajikistan, Vorukh is an ‘exclave.’ To Kyrgyzstan, it is an enclave.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines enclave as “a distinct territorial, cultural, or social unit enclosed within or as if within foreign territory.” The key words here are ‘distinct’ and ‘as if within,’ because they give room for interpretation. So, a part of one country that's wholly surrounded by another is an exclave. To the country surrounds it, it becomes an enclave.
In some cases, such as in this article about a rich neighborhood in New Jersey, on the east coast of the United States, the distinctive feature of the enclave described therein is based on income and wealth. In others, the main definition is geographical, but it could also have socio-economic or linguistic connotations.
Enclaves exist because of historical settlements or carefully-managed border delimitations. Through various phases of history, overlapping borders and administrations have turned some of these spaces, which generally are porous and shared between people, into hubs of contested sovereignty.
At the end of 2020, Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a six-week war to settle the sovereignty of the enclave region known as Nagorno-Karabakh. Through the war effort, Azerbaijan’s government regained sovereignty over one-third of the territory, which had become since 1994 a de-facto Armenian enclave within the territory of Azerbaijan. In Armenia, the Nagorno-Karabakh region is known as the Republic of Artsakh.
Azerbaijan’s territory also features an exclave, the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, separated from the mainland by a strip of Armenian territory, the Syunik province. In late July, fresh clashes were recorded near the Armenian village of Yeraskh and the Azerbaijani village of Heydarabad along Nakhchivan’s border.
Over the past few centuries, the South Caucasus regions have been subject to Iranian, Russian, and Soviet rule, thus undergoing several administrative reconfigurations, which explains today’s map.
“File:Caucasus-vector-map.svg” by mapsproject is marked with CC0 1.0
Central Asia is one of the regions with the highest concentration of enclaves and exclaves. The administrative borders in the Fergana Valley, shared between Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, were redrawn several times during Soviet times, until the 1936 Constitution fixed most of the delimitations, at least on paper.
In her 2014 book, Border Work, scholar Madeleine Reeves highlights just how “messy, contested and often intensely social” the concepts of border and territorial integrity are, by studying the ebbs and turns that the borders in the Fergana Valley take around settled population groups.
“Fergana Military Check” by peretzp is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
In 2013, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) published a one-page report on the tensions related to the ethnic composition of the various enclaves and exclaves in the valley. Clashes between border guards from Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan or small border incidents between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan have continued for decades.
While cross-border incidents in the region are frequent, open conflicts were rarer, until 2018.
An ACLED paper from 2020 argued that confrontations have intensified despite attempts to negotiate conflict resolution measures at the border.
Between January 2018 and May 2020, most confrontations have taken place between Tajik villagers in the Vorukh exclave and Kyrgyz villagers in the surrounding villages, notably in Ak-Sai and Kok Tash [sic].
In mid-March 2019, in fact, a conflict involving border guards from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan resulted in two killed and 20 injured.
The 2021 conflict spread from Kok-Tash to neighboring villages on the border and was attributed to the interest in accessing vital water resources in a highly-disputed piece of land.
Commenting on the recent border conflict, regional security expert Farkhod Tolipov wrote:
[Enclaves] have been symbols of unity and indivisibility of people residing in and around the enclaves; and at the same time functioned as instruments of micro-geopolitical games between Central Asian states
In fact, before the conflict broke out, Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon told his fellow countrymen that he had no plans to propose a land swap between the Vorukh exclave and Kyrgyz territory.
It is now unclear whether the border conflicts in Central Asia and the South Caucasus could become “hot” again, given the complex dynamics of travel and trade across territories and into the various exclaves and enclaves.

author: Paolo Sorbello