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The First Five Hours of Thailand’s 12th Coup · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

A Thai soldier stands guard on Ratchadamnoern Avenue in central Bangkok. Photo by Matthew Richards, Copyright @Demotix (5/22/2014)
Two days after declaring martial law and failing to mediate between rival political forces, the Royal Thai Army has launched a coup in Thailand, suspended the 2007 Constitution (except provisions on the monarchy), seized control of major media stations, and imposed a night time curfew. This is Thailand’s 12th coup; but more than 20 if we include the unsuccessful coup attempts in the past century.
The army said the coup is necessary to restore peace and security in the country after several months of bitter and sometimes violent political conflicts between opposition forces and government supporters.
According to initial reports, the army detained key opposition figures, some Cabinet members, and protest leaders. The rest of the Cabinet are ordered to report to the army at the soonest time possible. Meanwhile, the whereabouts of the caretaker Prime Minister is not known. There is also no news (as of this writing) about the location of former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.
News channels have ceased operations in the evening and public gatherings of more than 5 people are now banned across the country:
7.46pm: The military has begun taking international news channels off air. BBC and CNN are now unavailable. There has been no notable Internet censorship reported so far. 7.39pm: No public gatherings of more than five people are permitted in Thailand, the army has said.
The army advised the public not to panic.
Prayuth: In the interest of rule and order, we are taking over powers (…) please do not panic and carry on with your daily activities.
— Saksith Saiyasombut (@Saksith) May 22, 2014
Instead of news reports, this is what is beamed live on Thai TV channels: the name of the official body created by the army to take over the government:
BBC and CNN in Thailand are now like this. Still in high definition though. #ThaiCoup pic.twitter.com/nLL2PX1ymu
— Ton's Tweetings (@TonsTweetings) May 22, 2014
Earlier, the army took control of 14 TV stations and 2,000 radio stations across the country. After the coup, more soldiers were deployed in the offices of newspapers and other media outfits.
#ThaiCoup: Soldiers in The Nation newsroom (Pic: @natty_tang_ntv) The army has set nation-wide curfew of 10pm to 5am pic.twitter.com/4rumKqcxci
— Channel NewsAsia (@ChannelNewsAsia) May 22, 2014
Even online media has been targeted by the army. So far, six “inappropriate” websites have been blocked already. But authorities insisted that this is not censorship:
This is to ask for cooperation in monitoring content which may affect peace and order. THIS IS NOT CENSORSHIP AT ALL, but a blockade only of content or websites which may contravene public morals and cause conflict and unrest and a threat to national security.
TV stations are also prohibited from broadcasting on YouTube:
ThaiPBS has just been suspended from broadcasting on Youtube.
— Natty Onravee (@natty_tang_ntv) May 22, 2014
Prachatai, an independent media site, displays a banner opposing the coup
Soldiers were deployed in the streets to maintain order. This photo shows soldiers blocking a road near the U.S. Embassy
ปิดแล้ว! 21.10 น. ทหารเข้าปิดถนนหน้าสถานฑูตสหรัฐ @ThaiPBS @Nattha_ThaiPBS pic.twitter.com/ZKR49weuxu
— voralux issarungkula (@Voralux_ThaiPBS) May 22, 2014
The army showed proof of high caliber weapons seized from elements who wanted to create mayhem in the country:
Here are the weapons Thai army says have been seized on Wednesday night. pic.twitter.com/Fa6gGkr1wr
— AndrewBuncombe (@AndrewBuncombe) May 22, 2014
Learning about the 10:00pm curfew, many Thais rushed to go home to avoid being penalized
Rt @bedlamfury: RT @UDD_English: People in rushed to go home before curfew – photo via @SD_PopnaJA pic.twitter.com/ygo4lh43W8 #ThaiCoup”
— ลุงปอบ 18+ (@SD_PopnaJA) May 22, 2014
รถติดทั่วกรุง เครดิตภาพ บางกอกโพสต์ pic.twitter.com/bIujOOPC21
— ดราม่าการเมือง (@political_drama) May 22, 2014
traffic jams all over Bangkok
To comply with the curfew, train service closed early as well:
21.05 หมดเวลา!! รถไฟฟ้าBTSปิดให้บริการแล้ว pic.twitter.com/wA7nPEpziU
— akaravutTV9 (@lotviler) May 22, 2014
21.05 time's up!! BTS sky train no longer in service
And many Thais realized that the coup was real when even the popular 7-11 shops announced the closing of operations starting at 10:00pm.
You know shit just got real when 7-11 is closing before 10pm. #thaicoup #curfew10to5 pic.twitter.com/zgbB0ZuIdl
— Nok (@Nok_KN) May 22, 2014
There will be no school in the next few days. Aside from night shift workers, especially hospital workers, those who are going to the airport are exempted from the curfew. The airport has provided space for tourists who wish to sleep or rest inside the airport:
Passengers at Don Mueang Airport will be able to rest in rooms CIP 1-7 in Building 1 during curfew hours. Rest area available 24/7 #ThaiCoup
— Richard Barrow (@RichardBarrow) May 22, 2014
There were rumors that Internet will be disrupted but it didn't happen. Hopefully, Internet connection will remain because it is the only available public tool for information sharing and news reporting about the situation in Thailand. The army is sure to antagonize many Thais if it will cut-off the Internet. See this warning from a Thai netizen:
ทำไรทำ อย่าตัดเน็ต กูขอร้อง
— เหมียวหน้ามึน(มนม.) (@MeawNaMuan) May 22, 2014
“You can do whatever you want, just don’t cut my internet.”
The Twitter hashtag #ThaiCoup is useful to monitor the events in the country.

author: Mong Palatino


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The “Happy” Video That Got Six Young People Sent to Jail · Global Voices
Farid

A screen shot from the Happy in Tehran video.
Six Iranians paid a high price for joining a global trend when they made a dance video from Tehran inspired by the music video for the song “Happy” by  Pharrell Williams.
Today, all but one of these young people were released from jail after Iranian authorities announced that they had been arrested on May 20.
In a Twitter campaign, #FreeHappyIranians, Iranian netizens flooded the internet with tweets expressing their anger and disappointment.
The buzz was so hard to ignore that even the moderate Iranian president chimed in with an opinion on Twitter (ironically, Twitter is still banned in Iran).
“#Happiness is our people's right. We shouldn't be too hard on behaviors caused by joy.” 29/6/2013
— Hassan Rouhani (@HassanRouhani) May 21, 2014
Here is the video that led to the arrest of the “happy” Iranians.
The show must go on
The group were forced to appear on Iranian state television’s evening news broadcast, side by side, facing Tehran's Chief of Police Hossein Sajedinia. They confessed to being deceived into appearing in the clip by an unnamed man and woman.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5jyIR3NdjE
In the footage, the arrested Iranians said they there were “tricked,” and had made the video for private consumption, and never intended for it to be publicly shared.
Is happiness a crime?
Mehriran tweeted:
You cannot stop us being happy #FreeHappyIranians pic.twitter.com/gjzCIfuGPk
— مهریران (@mehri912) May 21, 2014
Sheema Kalbasi tweeted:
#ShariaLaw: Culture of humility, sorrow, flogging, executions, oppression! Happiness is a crime! #freehappyiranians pic.twitter.com/73HYmsYcry
— Sheema Kalbasi (@IranianWoman) May 21, 2014
Potkin Azarmehr tweeted:
35 yrs ago after an Islamic Revolution, happiness became a crime in a happy land with happy people :( #iran #freehappyiranians
— potkin azarmehr (@potkazar) May 21, 2014

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Farid


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Were Jamaican Professor’s Statements Supportive of Anti-Homosexuality Laws? · Global Voices
Matthew Hunte

Brendan Bain, D.M., M.P.H., FRCP; former head of head of the Caribbean HIV/AIDS Regional Training Network (CHART). Photo by Steve Shapiro/2011 Caribbean HIV Conference, used under a CC license.
There is controversy brewing in Jamaica over the non-renewal of medical professor Brendan Bain's contract at the University of the West Indies. Bain was the head of the Caribbean HIV/AIDS Regional Training Network (CHART). While his work is well respected, the grounds for his termination was related to Bain's expert testimony in Belize's high-profile Caleb Orozco case. (Belize, like many other Caribbean territories, has a law which criminalises consensual homosexual relations between adults, and Orozco sued the country's government for discriminating against him as a gay man.)
The University of the West Indies released a statement explaining its decision:
Professor Brendan Bain has been the Director of CHART since its inception and after his retirement from The UWI in 2013 he was given a two-year post-retirement contract to continue in his role as Director. CHART is not a department of the UWI but a regional project managed by the University under a contract funded by the President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR), the Global Fund and a group of US agencies, to train health workers dealing with patients and communities affected by HIV/AIDS.
The issue in question arose about two years ago in a high-profile case in Belize in which Caleb Orozco, a gay man in Belize, challenged the constitutionality of an 1861 law that criminalises men having sex with men (MSM). Professor Brendan Bain provided a Statement on behalf of a group of churches seeking to retain the 1861 Law. Many authorities familiar with the Brief presented believe that Professor Bain’s testimony supported arguments for retention of the law, thereby contributing to the continued criminalisation and stigmatisation of MSM. This opinion is shared by the lesbian, gay and other groups who are served by CHART.
The majority of HIV and public health experts believe that criminalising men having sex with men and discriminating against them violates their human rights, puts them at even higher risk, reduces their access to services, forces the HIV epidemic underground thereby increasing the HIV risk. These are the positions advocated by the UN, UNAIDS, WHO, PAHO, the international human rights communities and PANCAP (The Pan Caribbean Partnership against AIDS)[i] which is the organisation leading the regional response to the HIV epidemic.
Blogger Emma Lewis sought to provide some clarity :
This week, a great deal of controversy has erupted over the termination of Professor Brendan Bain from the Caribbean HIV/AIDS Regional Training Network (CHART) at the University of the West Indies, after a coalition of regional civil society groups expressed their discomfort over expert testimony he gave in a Belizean court recently. Much of the discussion in Jamaican media has been inflammatory and ill-informed. It is hoped that the following releases from the Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition and its partners will help to clarify many of the issues that are under discussion.
She continued by posting a letter from Dr. Carolyn Gomes, a noted human rights activist and the co-chair of the Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition:
Professor Bain spoke no inconvenient truth in his testimony.The fact that men who have sex with men have significantly higher rates of HIV is widely known and acknowledged, and one reason for an urgent and more unified regional response. Where our colleague Prof. Bain erred was by linking without evidence those high HIV rates to the removal of laws that criminalize homosexuality in France, the Netherlands and United States, while ignoring that neither laws nor Jamaica’s notorious hostility to homosexuality have protected us from having one of the highest rates of HIV infection among men who have sex with men in the world.
Meanwhile, On The Ground News announced a protest at the UWI campus in Mona:
Confirmed: A protest has been launched at the University of the West Indies, Mona after Professor Brendan Bain was fired by the institution in relation to him giving evidence to the Belizean High Court. Several lecturers, medical doctors and students are now gathered outside the Vice Chancellor's office at the institution, with many of them stating that they are protesting Professor Bain's ‘unjust dismissal’, and claim that he had a ‘right to share medical information to a Court without threat of persecution and that all people have a right to receive such information from medical experts.’
Facebook user Sean L. Johnson was glad about the protest:
YESSSSS Finally a voice for fairness. UWI has proven itself as the leading Intellectual ghetto of the world. It is appalling that Jamaica has adopted from the USA and UK, all but the good economic policies. I do not believe in discrimination against gays but why are they discriminating against straight? The worst thing you can ever ask anyone to do is give up their personal views and belief. I am a Christian believer and while I do not hate gays, I believe the act of homosexuality is wrong against my religion. Now the Professor has a right to share statistical facts based on his assessment, opinion and knowledge, without this ghetto treatment.
Reb'l Fleur felt that homosexuals were being “bullies”:
When truth hurts they try to force people to cover up and retract statements. How can u fire someone for stating FACTS? So what if you were offended?
Stephen Weiss thought everyone was missing the point:
Doesn't anyone read?? He was retired from UWI and only working under a contract for the special program…he was no longer a UWI employee anyway.
In the Facebook group Real Change For Jamaica, Dennis McIntosh said that while Bain has the right to his opinion, he should not treat it as actual research:
He had an obligation to reveal that most experts and essentially all the international/Caribbean health organisations disagree with his position. Had he said, ‘Most experts contradict what I am about to say, but this is my opinion’, I would have supported him. That would have shown integrity and would have been both factual and informative. I support Free Speech, but not agenda driven experts, regarding public health policy, testifying on behalf of churches and their bible derived agenda.
The discussion on Twitter was particularly lively. Suzette Gardner addressed the criminalisation of homosexual acts:
We have over 150 years of evidence that keeping the buggery laws will not stop HIV/AIDS & other STDs from spreading #BainDismissal
— Suzette Gardner (@suzettegardner) May 21, 2014
Many LGBT organisations supported the move by the university…
@outweekly fully support the removal of Prof Bain as head of CHART. #BainDismissal
— OUTJamaica (@Outweekly) May 21, 2014
…while others did not concur:
UWI WAS WRONG in firing Professor Brendan Bain. The man is incomparable in his field!!! He is a pioneer of medical research in JA!!
— Lioness ♥ (@ariibella_) May 21, 2014
One Twitter user asked:
If a professor gets fired over something that is not related to gays do we jump up and run to their defense in a similar fashion?!
— Brother Mouzone (@Sparky_Soze) May 21, 2014
Some were critical of the sensational way in which the controversy was handled by the media:
The Jamaican media has done an excellent job of being inflammatory (once again) when it comes to LGBTQ issues. #BainDismissal
— sash. (@sashsolomon) May 21, 2014
"GAY OUTRAGED" "UWI BOWS TO GAY HUMAN RIGHTS" … Ladies and Gentlemen, your media.
— Jherane (@Jherane_) May 21, 2014
Kevin Clarke made a clear point about where the emphasis on the issue should be:
And in the midst of all this hoopla, people are failing to recognize that HIV/AIDS is a health issue, not a moral one. #baindismissal
— Kevin Clarke (@kevtothec) May 21, 2014
Another netizen was concerned about the message Dr. Bain's testimony was sending in an already homophobic region:
His affidavit spreads the continued Caribbean thought that MSM have exclusive sexual practices and diseases #baindismissal
— Sammers (@sammythebammy) May 21, 2014
How can we provide "access to quality HIV & AIDS prevention, care, treatment and support" yet marginalize the lgbt community? #baindismissal
— Sammers (@sammythebammy) May 21, 2014

author: Matthew Hunte


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We’re Excited About Our New Design—Hope You Are Too · Global Voices
Ivan Sigal

Image from the Seattle Municipal Archive – CC BY 2.0
Dear World,
If you're reading this on the Global Voices web site, you probably find things look a little different around here. For the past six months we, the people of Global Voices, have been working on a site redesign, and we're thrilled to announce its launch.
The aesthetics of the Internet move quickly — the process of rethinking the look and functioning of a web site is both challenging and exciting.
This new edition of the site is aimed at improving user experience—it's not a wholesale rebranding or restructuring. We aimed for a design that would be modern and simple, focusing on ease of navigation and discovering stories.
On the new, improved, Global Voices site you’ll find the same great stories and writers, but you'll be able to navigate through our content more easily, and explore corners of the world that don’t often feature on the pages of international mainstream media.
You will also notice that we've revamped the pages describing our community and mission, to take into account the shifts and changes that have occurred in the ten (!) years since we've been around.
The new design is mobile responsive, so you can enjoy it on all your devices! Screenshot from iPhone.
The new site design was conceptualised by designer Douglas Savage, and coded by our in-house tech guru, Jeremy Clarke. As part of the testing process we were fortunate to work with the University of Washington’s School of Interaction Design, to whom we're very grateful for providing their services pro bono. Three separate groups ran usability tests and surveys on the new site, giving us extensive feedback on what works, and what still needs improvement.
As we all know, new and shiny doesn't mean perfect: the new, improved Global Voices is, of course, a work in progress. We'll continue to test, amend and adapt in response to usability issues we encounter and feedback we receive after launch, and also in response to editorial and community needs.
If you encounter errors or problems, please let us know by filling in this form, or writing to webmaster@globalvoicesonline.org. And while we have you, please consider supporting us with a donation.
We hope you enjoy the new, improved Global Voices!

author: Ivan Sigal


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Wildlife in Hong Kong Lantau Island · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Today is the World Biodiversity Day. Save Lantau Alliance, an advocacy group , put together photos of wildlife found in the city's biggest island in Hong Kong against the government's development plan. Lantau is a resting place for more than 180 speices of migrant birds.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Will Another Minister Be Sacked in Trinidad & Tobago?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

A video has surfaced allegedly showing Trinidad and Tobago's Minister of Sport rolling what many perceive to be a joint; Wired868 has a field day with the news.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Wiring the Amazon · Global Voices
Gabriela García Calderón Orbe

On an articles published on The New York Times, Michael Kleinman talks about his video produced for Op-Docs titled “Wiring the Amazon”, where he shares the four-year struggle to get a remote Peruvian village connected with the outside world:
I was following the work of One Laptop per Child (O.L.P.C.), a United States-based nonprofit that has designed inexpensive laptops for primary education. The organization is particularly active in Peru, where the government has purchased and distributed hundreds of thousands of O.L.P.C.'s laptops to its poorest communities. One such village is Palestina, deep in the Amazon rain forest. It has only 65 people.
[…]
I spent three months over the course of a year in Palestina. During that time, I documented the approximately two dozen laptops given to the primary school students, as well as a solar-powered satellite dish that provided wireless Internet access to the village. While there was no formal electrical grid in Palestina, most households had small car batteries charged by solar panels. At night, the schoolchildren charged their computers using these batteries..
Op-Docs is the editorial department’s section for short, opinionated documentaries, produced by independent filmmakers and artists with wide creative latitude, covering current affairs, contemporary life and historical subjects.

author: Gabriela García Calderón Orbe


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Yoani Sánchez’s New Online Magazine is Blocked in Cuba · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

The online newspaper 14 y medio, as seen from outside of Cuba.
The online news magazine directed by Cuban blogger Yoani Sánchez, 14ymedio [es] (14 and a half), was launched today in the midst of controversy. When residents of the island look for the URL www.14ymedio.com they are redirected to a site that says “Yoani$landia.com,” alluding to one of the arguments used against her: that she has used her blog, and therefore her trenchant critique of the Castro regime, to earn accolades and money.
Today, hours after the launch, 14ymedio published an op-ed titled “Our First Day,” an account of their first hours live, the support they have received, and the censorship they have been subjected to.
No hace falta tener mucha imaginación para descubrir la identidad de los agresores pero, como no tenemos pruebas, solo podemos conjeturar que se trata de alguien que cuenta con los recursos tecnológicos, los permisos de acceso y la información previa, más la animadversión.
It does not take much imagination to discover the identity of the attackers, but as we have no evidence, we can only surmise that this its someone who has the technological resources, access permissions and prior information, in addition to animosity.
The “Declaration of the Intentions” [es] of 14ymedio states that:
14ymedio es fruto de la evolución de una aventura personal que se ha transformado en un proyecto colectivo. El blog Generación Y, realizado por Yoani Sánchez, ayudó a impulsar la blogósfera alternativa en la Isla y se ha convertido en referencia obligada sobre asuntos cubanos. Siete años después de su creación, con cerca de mil textos publicados y más de un millón de comentarios, esa bitácora personal deriva ahora hacia el espacio más amplio del periodismo.
14ymedio is the result of the evolution of a personal adventure that has become a collective project. The blog Generation Y, conducted by Yoani Sánchez, helped boost the alternative blogosphere on the island and has become a reference on Cuban affairs. Seven years after its inception, with nearly a thousand articles published and over one million comments, this personal blog is now drifting towards the broader space of journalism.

author: Firuzeh Shokooh Valle


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Australia’s Deal to Resettle Refugees in Cambodia Faces Opposition · Global Voices
Kevin Rennie

A proposed refugee deal between Australia and Cambodia to resettle Australia's successful asylum seekers has copped lots of criticism. It is part of Australia's controversial offshore processing that involves Nauru and Papua New Guinea's Manus Island detention centres.
Education in Cambodia is still at low levels. Photo by Ahmad Zikri Mohamad Zuki, Copyright @Demotix (2/9/2014)
In February 2014 Human Rights Watch wrote to Australia’s foreign minister Julie Bishop before her visit to Cambodia expressing its concerns about human rights in that country:
Basic rights such as freedom of expression, assembly and association are under regular attack, while corruption is rampant, severely affecting the enjoyment of basic economic and social rights by a very poor citizenry.
We… urge you to call for an end to the general ban on demonstrations, while raising concerns over other restrictions on freedom of expression and association, as well as land grabs, corruption and improper ruling party interference in the judiciary, police, electoral commission, and other key national institutions.
They raised their concerns about the lack of an independent legal system again in May.
In April the deputy director of Human Rights Watch's Asia Division, Phil Robertson, commented on the worrying developments:
One wonders how Australia thinks the Cambodian government would be in a better position to provide support and protection than Australia would be.
The website of Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) had similar issues in May:
Despite democratic freedoms in Cambodia, there are periodic reports of intimidation and political violence. Human rights concerns continue to be raised in relation to land disputes between residents and companies pursuing economic development.
DFAT estimated a Gross Domestic Product per capita in 2012 of US$934. The CIA World Factbook ranks Cambodia 183 out of 229 countries for purchasing power per person. Both agencies are concerned about ‘child sex tourism’. The CIA notes:
Cambodia is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; Cambodian men, women, and children migrate to countries within the region for legitimate work but are subsequently subjected to sex trafficking, domestic servitude, debt bondage, or forced labor; the inability to understand formal obligations, read contracts, or pay processing fees, and inadequate government regulatory oversight renders some Cambodian migrant workers vulnerable to such exploitation; poor Cambodian children are subject to forced labor, including forced begging in Thailand and Vietnam; Cambodian and ethnic Vietnamese women and girls are trafficked from rural areas to urban centers for sexual exploitation; Cambodian men are the main exploiters of child prostitutes, but men from other Asian countries, the US, and Europe travel to Cambodia for child sex tourism
The Office of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimated that 69 refugees and 18 asylum seekers were residing in Cambodia in mid 2013.
In Cambodia is no place to resettle the refugees Australia does not want, Susan Metcalfe, the author of The Pacific Solution, has argued that:
Dumping refugees in under-resourced, aid dependent countries can have disastrous consequences for all involved. Only a well developed resettlement program, coupled with a supportive and safe environment, can address the long term needs of both the refugee and the resettlement country.
Vivian Tan of UNHCR regional office in Bangkok has also expressed concerns recently.
In an interview on ABC Radio National on 22 May, Julie Bishop defended the government’s plans:
Ms Bishop said that Cambodia has displayed a willingness to accept asylum seekers from Nauru and are fulfilling their obligations as members of the Bali Process.
‘These countries are all members of the Bali Process and membership of the Bali process means you commit to regional solutions and that is what Cambodia is offering to do,’ she said.
‘They are talking about a very small number of people. They are very keen to have people working. They are looking for people who are able-bodied who would be able to contribute to Cambodian society.’
‘It is a country with a great ambition to move from being a poor country to a developing country to being a developed country.’
Many of the initial reactions on twitter were critical of both the current conservative Tony Abbott government and its Labor predecessors now led by Bill Shorten in opposition:
Australia/Cambodia Deal
An official announcement is expected soon.

author: Kevin Rennie


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Deputy Minister Commits Suicide after Electoral Defeat in Malawi  · Global Voices
Abdoulaye Bah

City Press reports the suicide of Godfrey Kamanya, a Malawian deputy minister, apparently after losing his parliamentary seat during the general elections held on 20 May 2014 :
The official results of Tuesday’s election are still to be announced. But preliminary election results aired on radio stations indicated that Kamanya was faring badly in the poll and was likely to lose his parliamentary seat.
In a suicide note now held by police, Kamanya reportedly said he took his life because of misunderstandings related to politics. He also outlined how his wealth would be distributed and asked incumbent President Joyce Banda, under whom he served, to help pay the school fees for his child.

author: Abdoulaye Bah


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Guatemala: Ex President Portillo Sentenced to Five Years in Jail · Global Voices
Gabriela García Calderón Orbe

With a historic rule by a federal court in New York on May 22, 2014, former Guatemalan president Alfonso Portillo was sentenced to five years and 10 months in jail for money laundering and taking bribes from Taiwan.
RT @Luisvela_pl: VIDEO: Alfonso Portillo recibe pena de cinco años y diez meses de prisión | http://t.co/Dnc28otpNV | pic.twitter.com/PARsIvUZgJ
— Prensa Libre (@prensa_libre) Mayo 22, 2014
VIDEO: Alfonso Portillo gets verdict of five year and ten months of prison.
With this verdict, Portillo becomes the first former Latin American ruler to be condemned and jailed in the United States.


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Intrigue and Drama as Malawians Await Election Results · Global Voices
Steve Sharra

In some polling centres in Malawi, lines were so long people couldn't see ahead. Photo by Steve Sharra. Used with permission.
In a bizarre twist for a country in Sub-Saharan Africa, a governing party is accusing an opposition party of having rigged the election.
Unofficial results in Malawi's elections for president, members of parliament and ward councillors show the incumbent President Dr. Joyce Banda, Malawi's and southern Africa's first female president, losing by wide margins and two opposition candidates neck and neck in the running.
Malawians flocked to polling centres across the country on Tuesday, 20 May, 2014 for the vote. In much of the country voting went on smoothly, but in a number of centres things did not go as planned. In some centres people lined up from 4 a.m. and waited into the afternoon without voting. Anger spilled over into rage, with one centre being set on fire and cast ballots being destroyed in others.
People had hoped that by Thursday, 22 May they would know who had won the elections, but things have taken a dramatic turn.
A polling centre in Malawi burns. Photo by Albert Sharra. Used with permission.
As results started trickling in on Tuesday night, Peter Mutharika took an early lead and Malawian social media went into overdrive. There was an overwhelming sense that he would win the election, even with only 23 percent of the votes counted. There were calls for Banda to concede defeat and for the Malawi Electoral Commission to declare Mutharika the winner. Pundits started propounding opinions as to why Mutharika had won and the other three had respectively lost.
Mutharika is the younger brother of late President Bingu wa Mutharika who died suddenly on 5 April, 2012, in his third year of his second five-year term. Banda, his vice president, had fallen out with Bingu wa Mutharika's Democratic Progressive Party and had formed her own party, the People's Party. After initial attempts by Bingu wa Mutharika's inner circle to subvert the constitution and make his brother Peter the president, Banda was sworn in and became Malawi's forth president, finishing the remaining two years from Bingu wa Mutharika's term.
Banda's two years has been characterised by scandals, culminating in the uncovering of massive fraud dubbed “cashgate” that reached all the way to her office. A much-awaited opinion poll by Afrobarometer showed Mutharika leading, followed by Malawi Congress Party candidate Dr. Lazarus Chakwera, and Banda coming a distant third.
On Thursday morning, Banda called the press to her official residence Kamuzu Palace where she issued a statement but did not take questions from the media. Blogger Kondwani Munthali posted the statement on his blog. In the president's own words:
It has come to my attention that there some serious irregularities in the counting and announcement of results in some parts of the country and the People’s Party has presented specific details of these irregularities to the Malawi Electoral Commission
She alluded to fears that the electoral commission's communication system had been tampered with. She listed five irregularities, one of which was:
Using information technology to block communication devices of some monitors, and thereby limiting the monitors’ ability to effectively carry out their duties.
Tweeting the briefing was journalist Suzgo Khunga, who reported the president's rigging allegation:
Pres Joyce Banda says her party has evidence that election has been rigged and this has been submitted to Mec #Malawivote2014
— Suzgo Khunga (@suzgokhunga) May 22, 2014
The president repeated the allegation in a BBC Focus on Africa interview on Thursday night, putting the blame unequivocally at the electoral commission. The People's Party, of which Dr. Joyce Banda is the leader, sought a court injunction to stop Malawi Broadcasting Corporation TV and Zodiak Broadcasting Station from announcing incoming election results from polling centres. The High Court rejected the application, according to a Nyasa Times report.
In another press conference later in the day, the Malawi Electoral Commission rejected claims that the computer system could have been hacked into. The Nation newspaper tweeted the press conference and quoted the MEC Chair Justice Maxwell Mbendera as saying:
Mbendera: “The issue of hacking, we are hearing it from the PP. Its not true, this allegation is not true”. #MalawiVote2014
— Malawi Nation (@MalawiNation) May 22, 2014
Later in the afternoon, Mutharika also held his own press conference, where he reported that he had information about a plot to arrest his running mate, Saulos Chilima, and his personal assistant Ben Phiri:
I understand that there's a warrant of arrest for my running mate Saulos Chilima & Ben Phiri on allegations that they hacked computer
— Malawi Nation (@MalawiNation) May 22, 2014
With common stories of how parties in power are the ones with the capacity and wherewithal to rig an election, people are asking how an opposition party can possibly rig. Jack McBrams tweeted:
A first: ruling party accuses opposition of rigging votes. Only in #malawi #MalawiVote2014 @mynassah @acmunthali
— Jack McBrams (@mcbrams) May 22, 2014
The president did not look her usual self in her morning press conference, according to blogger Rebecca Chimjeka. Chimjeka reports that the president “looked confused”:
When adressing journalists in the morning the she looked confused,very tense and not active
For example instead of saying this morning ,she said tonite and instead of saying good morning she said good nite
All in all she looked confused. [all sic]
There was an unsubstantiated rumour that the president became ill and was driven to the Kamuzu Central Hospital soon after her Thursday press conference, but sources close to the president said she went to the hospital to visit Halima Daud, her former Minister of Climate and Environmental Affairs. Daud is said to have collapsed earlier in the day after learning she had lost her parliamentary seat in Dowa.
Thursday was an unusually eventful day. Malawians woke up to the news that a former deputy minister of local government, who lost his parliamentary seat in the elections, was found dead in his house. Godfrey Kamanya is said to have had a gunshot wound on his chest. A letter, believed to be a suicide note was found in the house.
Meanwhile, voting continued until Thursday in centres that were unable to vote on the designated election day. The electoral commission has reassured Malawians that results of the elections will be known within eight days from the last voting day, as provided for by electoral law.

author: Steve Sharra


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Russian Digital Sovereignty Is Here and, Yes, It Includes Schoolgirls · Global Voices
Kevin Rothrock

Russia's new state-sponsored Internet search engine runs into early troubles with queries for “schoolgirl.” Images mixed by author.
Russia’s new state-sponsored Internet search engine is now in beta testing, and users are finding that it produces some curious results. Sputnik.ru, the Kremlin’s answer to foreign sites like Google and independent engines such as Yandex, realizes a long-held ambition of many in the Russian government to control the way people browse the Internet.
According to Ilya Ponomarev, one of only two opposition deputies in the Russian parliament, the idea of a state-controlled search engine was born during the 2008 military conflict with Georgia, when hardliners determined that existing Web portals favor news and information that is biased against Russia’s geopolitical interests. Anton Nosik, a founder of Russia’s Internet and another prominent oppositionist, has speculated that Rostelecom, the state-controlled telephony company charged with developing Sputnik.ru, is merely looking to fleece the budget for as much as 60 million dollars. Rostelecom’s Vice President, Alexey Basov, on the other hand, insists that Sputnik.ru isn’t costing taxpayers a kopeck, claiming that the company is investing only its own corporate funds.
After Sputnik.ru went live for beta-testing today in Russia (the site remains inaccessible to foreign IP addresses), Basov was clearly in high spirits, telling reporters gathered at this year’s St. Petersburg International Economic Forum that the site would be unlike existing search engines. Sputnik.ru apparently utilizes “special mathematical algorithms” that enhance its filtration of unwholesome content. “It’s important to us,” Basov explained, “that Internet searches for ‘schoolgirl’ find girls in nice dresses and white aprons [traditional school uniforms for women in Russia], and not something else.”
Sputnik.ru’s special algorithms seem not to have understood their mission. No sooner than Basov announced the website’s moral superiority did Russian bloggers begin posting screen captures of search queries conducted using Sputnik.ru, showing how the site in fact returns all manner of erotic and even pornographic results. This is true even when searching for “schoolgirl,” despite Basov’s promise to journalists today. To make matters worse for Rostelecom, it appears that Yandex actually filters nudity and sexual materials more effectively than Sputnik.ru.
Searching for “schoolgirl” with Sputnik.ru.
Searching for “schoolgirls” with Yandex.ru.
For now, Sputnik.ru’s official aims are to integrate with the state’s e-government programs, offering citizens a better way to find public services. There is also talk that the website will be made the default search engine on all government computers. The project is part of a broader push for more “digital sovereignty” in Russia. The website’s very name, “Sputnik,” means “satellite,” and is a nod to the Soviet Union’s greatest scientific achievement.
In a recent interview with Forbes Russia, Konstantin Malofeyev, a prominent Orthodox business and political leader, discussed the need to wrestle control of the Internet away from the United States. According to Malofeyev, who was instrumental in developing Russia’s original blacklist for illegal online content, America must understand that it does not own the Web. He even compared the invention of the Internet, which is often attributed to the US Defense Department, to the Soviet Union’s launch of the Sputnik satellite, which began the Space Age. “Russians opened outer space,” Malofeyev boasted, “but there’s no Soviet or Russian law on outer space that everyone must observe.”
Russia’s conservative patriots have a point. Sputnik is history and Russia’s monopoly on space exploration was short-lived, but now there is Sputnik.ru. And it has schoolgirls.

author: Kevin Rothrock


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Russian Special Forces Blogger Throws in the Towel · Global Voices
Nina Jobe

A screenshot from a YouTube video posted from hardingush's account. A special forces soldier is about to fire a grenade launcher during an anti-terrorist operation in the North Caucasus.
The anonymous LiveJournal blog hardingush, run by a member of Russia's Ministry of the Interior special forces operating in Ingushetia, is now closed. RuNet Echo has previously highlighted [Global Voices report] this blog as part of its series that focuses on bloggers in the volatile North Caucasus. The blog had been ranked one the most popular in the North Caucasus’ blogosphere, and at the height of its popularity was one of the most highly rated LiveJournal blogs in Russia, receiving hundreds of comments per single blog entry.
Many had speculated about the hardingush's origins, with some bloggers wondering if the whole blog wasn't simply a very well made public relations stunt on the part of Russia's security apparatus. hardingush had previously closed his LiveJournal, but resumed blogging under a different account — molonlabe. Currently the original page shows only one post, about dogs. The link to the mirror site, molonlabe is in the comments. There, in his final post, HardIngush writes:
У меня для постоянных читателей блога есть не очень приятное известие. Ну, я, собственно, предупреждал об этом раньше. По ряду причин дальнейшие публикации в этом блоге невозможны. Короче, это последний пост в моем блоге. Никому не нужны проблемы, а я тем более их не люблю сам себе создавать.
I have not so good news for the regular readers of the blog. Well, actually, I was warned about it previously. For several reasons, further posts on this blog are impossible. In short, this is the last post on my blog. Nobody wants problems, and I especially do not like to create them for myself.
He is probably talking about the fact that his profile has become publicly visible —  to the point where there have been numerous attempts to deanonymize him. He concludes:
Спасибо вам, что были со мной все это время. И помните, пока мы есть – у террористов нет шансов в России. Дураки не погубили страну, куда там отмороженным фанатикам.
Thanks to all who have been with me all this time. And remember, as long as we exist – the terrorists do not have a chance in Russia. Fools couldn't not ruined the country where there are frostbitten fanatics.
Was hardingush a conscientious special forces officer who just wanted people to understand him and his work, as he portrayed himself? Or was he a successful media project? His true identity will probably never be known, and neither will his motivation for blogging.

author: Nina Jobe


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Russia’s Hashtag Activism in Ukraine · Global Voices
Aric Toler

“Hashtag activism” has grown to be a major feature of political discussions on Twitter. While many pundits question the effectiveness of these online movements, even belittling them as “armchair activism,” it is hard to deny that campaigns like #BringBackOurGirls do raise public awareness about specific issues. Now, Russian activists are capitalizing on this discourse by framing the capture of two Russian journalists in Western terms of online activism, hoping for a similar groundswell of awareness and public outrage.
The pro-Kremlin media outlet LifeNews launched the #SaveOurGuys campaign after the Ukrainian National Guard captured two of its reporters, Marat Saichenko and Oleg Sidyakin, on May 18, 2014. The Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council has accused these two men of aiding and abetting “terrorist groups” (known to others as “separatists”) in Eastern Ukraine. In a video on YouTube showing the capture of Saichenko and Sidyakin, the two reporters are detained beside an anti-aircraft rocket launcher, which soldiers reportedly discovered in their vehicle.
Ashot Gabrelyanov, the CEO of LifeNews, tweeted the first #SaveOurGuys appeal.
Журналисты телеканала LifeNews все еще в плену у военных на Украине. Помогите привлечь внимание. Макс шейр хэштега #SaveOurGuys
— Ashot Gabrelyanov (@gabrelyanov) May 19, 2014
Channel LifeNews’ journalists are still being held captive by soldiers in Ukraine. Help draw attention. Max shares for this hashtag! #SaveOurGuys
Twitter users have responded by tweeting this hashtag over 58 thousand times since May 19, with nearly 30 thousand tweets on the first day alone. For a sense of scale, #BringBackOurGirls has seen over 3.6 million tweets in the past 30 days, logging slightly more than 40 thousand on May 19. Given their popularity, it should come as no surprise that hashtag campaigns are not limited to journalists and citizen activists. Michelle Obama famously posed for #BringBackOurGirls, and the Russian Foreign Ministry’s official Twitter account posted a photo that featured #SaveOurGuys.
#SaveOurGuys pic.twitter.com/qZosNxc7hb
— MFA Russia (@mfa_russia) May 20, 2014
While the #SaveOurGuys campaign has enjoyed success in the Russian-language segment of the Internet, it has failed to penetrate mainstream Western news, which largely continues to criticize Ukraine’s pro-Russia separatists for their detention and treatment of journalists, most notably during the 4-day detention of Vice journalist Simon Ostrovsky. While the US State Department has formally requested the release of the LifeNews reporters, spokesperson Jen Psaki—a popular target of ire on the RuNet—has cast doubts about Saichenko’s and Sidyakin’s status as “journalists.”
A banner appears across the street from the US embassy in Moscow, reading, “We never leave behind our own.” 21 May 2014. Twitter.
The perception that America applies a double standard when weighing the freedom of the press helps explain why LifeNews has waged its social media campaign in Western terms. #SaveOurGuys does not look just to raise awareness about these two journalists’ predicament, but also takes aim at the West, accusing Europe and the United States of hypocrisy. (This line of attack fits perfectly with LifeNews’ editorial biases.) The effort to shame the West was perhaps most visible on May 21, when someone across the street from the American embassy in Moscow displayed an enormous banner showing the hashtag and a picture of LifeNews’ captured journalists. While many Western media (to the extent that they have covered the story) represent this issue as a question of the true journalistic standing Saichenko and Sidyakin, pro-Kremlin media depict the matter as a terrible failing of the United States, which continues, “for some reason,” to support an “illegal junta” that tramples the free press.
Considering this disconnect in worldviews, it is little wonder that the #SaveOurGuys campaign has minimal resonance in the West, but fuels a self-propelling cycle of outrage on RT, LifeNews, NTV, and other Russian outlets. LifeNews’ attempt to redirect international outrage about the abduction of over 276 schoolgirls in Nigeria to the detention of two Russians journalists caught with anti-aircraft missiles in Ukraine has not, it seems, won over the outside world. The #SaveOurGuys campaign does represent a Russian activist effort that adopts an approach familiar elsewhere, but the re-appropriation is too ham-fisted to break out of the RuNet to a more global audience.

author: Aric Toler


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Trinidad & Tobago’s World Cup Players Still Owed Money · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

You know it is business as usual when you see a dodgy salesman holding the purse strings.
Wired868 holds no brief for the political party that will possibly form Trinidad and Tobago's next government, expressing displeasure with its choice of treasurer – the same man who currently heads the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association.


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These Egyptians Say No to Mandatory Military Service  · Global Voices
Ahmed Awadalla

“No to mandatory military service. No to slavery. “From the “No to Compulsory Military Service” Facebook Page.
Egyptians have been posting their support for activists supporting a campaign to end mandatory military service or conscription in Egypt.
Most Egyptian men between the ages of 18 and 30 years have to serve up to three years of compulsory military service, based on their educational qualifications and standing. There are exceptions for men with certain medical conditions or special family circumstances.
At the heart of the campaign is a Facebook page called ‘No to Compulsory Military Service,’ set up by Egyptian activists. The page has thousands of likes and has been asking Egyptians to blog, tweet and share their photographs with signs showing support for their campaign the last week.
The activists were inspired by the International Conscientious Objection Day which is held every year on May 15. Conscientious objection is refusing to participate in military services or activities. Sometimes it is based on religious beliefs as in the case of Jehova's Witnesses. Others object due to their pacifist beliefs against militarization and wars. According to War Resisters International, a global pacifist group, May 15 has been used as a chance for activists to promote conscientious objection as a form of nonviolent resistance, and tool to challenge militarism:
Hundreds of people worldwide are imprisoned for rejecting conscription, or leaving the armed forces having developed a conscientious objection to war.
Activist Ahmed Hassan, previously interviewed on Global Voices for his objection to undergo military training in his high school, shared his photograph.
Activist Mark Nabil published a testimony on his blog on being interrogated by the military intelligence in Cairo. Nabil went to Assiut’s military recruitment area to undergo a medical checkup. He was given a questionnaire on his views on military's standing and their role in Egypt's politics. When he expressed his disagreement with military policies, he was threatened and transferred for interrogation.
Twitter user Semary made fun of those who defend forced conscription yet try to avoid serving their time.
“I am against forced conscription because everyone has the right to refuse carrying weapons”, photo shared by the No to Compulsory Military Service Facebook page.
“I will not carry a weapon. I will not serve an institution that kills”, photo shared by the No to Compulsory Military Service Facebook page
“I'm against forced conscription because humans are free, not obliged to your violence”, photo shared by the No to Compulsory Military Service Facebook page
“Against forced conscription, because carrying guns is the defeat of humanity”, photo shared by the No to Compulsory Military Service Facebook page
Activist Mark Nabil in front of Military Intelligence HQ in Cairo following his interrogation, declaring his conscientious objection to military service, photo from his blog
لما الجيش حلو بتباركوا لبعض ليه لما بتاخدوا اعفاء او غير لائق؟! لما التجنيد الاجباري ظريف .. ولما الجيش وطني مبتروحوش تطوعوا ليه؟!
— Semary (@Semary011) May 18, 2014
If the army is good, why do you congratulate each other when you get exempted or a medical unfitness certification. If forced conscription is nice, and if the army is patriotic, why don't you go volunteer at the army?
Finally, in a blog post, blogger Che Mottos, wrote:
ماذا لو كان هذا الشاب من الكارهين لأسلوب و طريقة إدرارة المؤسسة التى سوف يكون أحد رجالها حال إلتحاقه بـ الجيش و هى المؤسسة العسكرية ؟! ماذا لو كان هذا الشاب من الرافضين لـ تدخل هذه المؤسسة فى الحياة المدنية و السياسة المصرية ؟!
What if this young man hates the way the [military] institution is managed as he's be one of its members once he
joins the military institutions? What if this young man is against the interference of this institution in civilian life and Egyptian politics?

author: Ahmed Awadalla


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Why the Press Needs Protection in Trinidad & Tobago · Global Voices
Flora Thomas

World Press Freedom map, at the Newseum in Washington, DC. Photo by Mr.TinDC, used under a CC license.
After the murder of Dana Seetahal earlier this month, one reporter, Mark Bassant, was doggedly pursuing the story. Now, the journalist attests that his life has been threatened because of his investigative reporting.
The Activized blog has not taken well to the news. In a post entitled #PROTECTTHEPRESS, the blogger, Brendon O'Brien, interprets the significance of what that means for the country:
If you’re an everyday Trini, that means that our country has gone to the dogs. If you’re even just an aspiring journalist, that means a lot more…
People don’t understand what’s the purpose of journalism. It’s got nothing to do with just telling people what’s happening, or embarrassing famous people, or simply telling people interesting things. It’s about democracy. Yes, just in case you didn’t know, the news (like everything else) is about power. But where most things are about fighting for or undermining power, journalism is tasked with sharing, guarding and mitigating power. Put much more simply, a journalist’s job is to make sure that a citizen’s vote counts for as much as possible, and that they know all they need to know before they vote for anything ever again.
Investigative journalism, maybe more than any other form of journalism, is critical to that democratic defence…Mark Bassant might just have been doing his job too well…
The post explains why Bassant could have become a target:
He was attempting to lift the veil on a possible criminal organization that could execute a task – and even a person – with such strategy and prejudice. He was attempting to reveal the inability of our current protective mechanisms to defend its citizens of any class, or even to respond to a rapidly developing criminal threat. He was attempting to give citizens the information they need to demand the systems and responses they deserve to feel safe. He, like countless journalists before him, have tried in their own small ways to bring this to light, and it seems that we slip even further into the darkness.
The blogger places the blame squarely at the feet of the government – and not solely because of the administration's inability to harness the crime problem:
In the last few years the government has attempted to strip the so-called Fourth Estate of the tools it needs to defend the democracy. This means, at the very least, that those voted in care enough about power to inhibit the systems that protect those who vote for them. It is this same somewhat inhibited system that Mark Bassant operated from – the same one that had a journalist’s office and home raided for information pertaining to an article he wrote (and by a former news media head and politician, by the way). This means, at the very least, that those voted in care enough about power to inhibit the systems that protect those who vote for them. It is this same somewhat inhibited system that Mark Bassant operated from – the same one that had a journalist’s office and home raided for information pertaining to an article he wrote.
O'Brien continues:
If our journalistic integrity and safety is compromised, there is no tool to retain order in the constant sociopolitical power struggle that the common man often doesn’t get to participate in. But, also, if the powers that be are failing to mitigate the threats to their own people and power, then journalists aren’t safe to search for the truth at any rate.
The blogger remains firm in his conviction that no matter how critical the media is of the government, press freedom should remain unfettered:
The news has not been friendly towards the government. It should not be expected to, to be honest. Its job is to show us who these people are, let us know what they’re doing, and let us decide whether we are okay with it.
He also places blame, however, on the citizenry:
Part of the problem is, we’re still not making the decisions that protect our own democracy. We’re not displeased enough with the news to make sure that journalists don’t have to tell these stories any more. So, for our sake, journalists still tell those stories. They do their job, no matter how potentially unsafe it gets (and for Trinidad it’s getting much worse). And that’s how Mark Bassant got to the place where he had to report on a Senior Counsel getting gunned down on her way home. And that’s how he got to the place where he has to fear his own life in his own home country. So we can defend our rights in our own home country.
O'Brien has some next-step suggestions:
There are a lot of things that need to happen now. Our government needs to (finally) create strategies that prevent organized crime from seizing its own power and challenging the social contract that citizens have made with their democracy. At the same time, that democracy needs to keep its part of the social contract bargain. With or without that, the citizens of this country need to respond to inconvenient truth not with apathy, but with enthusiastic disgust. It’s our job to fight back and demand more or better when we are provided with information that proves that we are getting less than we deserve.
He ends with a metaphor:
Democracy is our vehicle towards a life of peace and prosperity. It’s already bad enough that our engine is leaking and our airbags and seatbelts don’t work. What we do have is a monitor that is telling us exactly what’s wrong. And we’re not listening. And it may cost us the entire ride home…

author: Flora Thomas


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Adventures of a Cyclist in Mexico City · Global Voices
Gabriela García Calderón Orbe

Global Voices contributor Andrea Arzaba blogged about her adventures the first time she went through Mexico D.F.:
There was no turning back. I took the card from my wallet and slided it through the Ecobici reader. This was the first time I went to work riding a bike. You usually know how to ride a bike at very young age, when you go to the park and after hours of practicing, from four wheels you go to just two. You feel the king of the universe, invincible, nothing can reach you, not even the wind.
[…]
Well, Andrea, you are ready. This can't be that difficult. Very well combed and formal, wearing a beige jacket and a black dress. Ready to be on time at the office.
[…]
Because a cyclist can move around in a car and can be a pedestrian too, just as a driver might want to take the bike once in a while. I mean, we are not in different teams: we are all individuals looking for more efficient ways to move around the city.
According to some estimates, in Mexico there are around 225 vehicles [es] per thousand residents, and Mexico City and its metropolitan area houses more than 20 millionp people.


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Apocalyptic Scenes in Andranondambo, Madagascar as Villages Fight Over Land · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

L'Express Mada reports that the entire village of Andranondambo in the South of Madagascar was destroyed [fr] during an inter-village conflict that stems from a dispute over land rights. The civilian conflict, which lasted from May 20 to 22, left no residents of the village alive. One of the military police officers recalls [fr]:
A notre arrivée, un chien errant était en train de dévorer un bras arraché d’ un corps. Dans une maison anéantie par les flammes, nous avons mis la main sur une dépouille. L’air était irrespirable [..] Même l’école publique et l’église d’Andranondambo ont été ravagées. Les toitures en tôle ont été arrachées avec tous les mobiliers.
When we arrived, a dog was eating what was left of a corpse. In a nearby home destroyed by fire, we found more corpses. The stink was unbearable. Even the public school and the church were ravaged. All the materials from houses were taken apart.
The land dispute started in 1991 when an important source of sapphire and mica was discovered in the Andranondambo. The rush of land miners pushed local villagers away to another village Ambatotsivala. Since then, the two villages have been at odds over land rights but the conflict has never reached such a harrowing level of violence until recently.

author: Lova Rakotomalala


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Internet Policy In India – Which Way? · Global Voices
Rezwan

The newly elected Bharatya Janata Party headed by Narendra Modi is expected to implement policies and regulatory reforms that will augment economic growth in India. Avantika Banerjee at India Law and Technology blog opines that there is a strong correlation between economic growth and internet access/internet freedom and the expected growth will depend on the policy/regulatory direction set by the BJP with regard to internet policies.

author: Rezwan


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Montevideo Debuts on the Marathon Circuit · Global Voices
Guillermo Vidal

Photo published on Twitter by Santiago Runners
[All links lead to Spanish language pages]
Montevideo launched its first marathon with the participation of nearly 2,000 athletes, placing it on the international circuit for this race at the regional level. Organized by the Montevideo Town Hall and the Athletic Confederation of Uruguay the race was attended by athletes from around the country and other nations, who departed from the Legislative Palace on three courses to the Parque Rodo promenade.
The competition included a regulation course of 26.2 miles and two alternative courses for beginning and amateur athletes; the 13.2 mile Half Marathon and the 4.24 mile Participatory course.
The departure from the Legislative Palace staircase took place on Sunday, May 11, 2014 at 7:00 a.m. The extensive marathon route caused traffic and public transportation detours, which were planned for in advance by the event organizers.
The Montevideo Marathon had 1,947 participants; 690 women and 1,257 men which broke down in the following way: 512 athletes in the 26.2 mile marathon, 732 runners participated in the 13.2 mile race, and 703 in the 4.24 mile. Among the athletes there were 3 who are blind and 4 in wheel chairs.
In this first edition 1,900 Uruguayan runners registered with 10 Argentinians, 8 Brazilians, 7 Chileans, 7 Americans, 4 Mexicans, 2 Cubans, 2 Spaniards, 1 Venezuelan, 1 Canadian, 1 Chinese, 1 Colombian, 1 Ecuadorian, 1 Dominican, and 1 Italian. The winner was Agelmis Rojas of Cuba with a time of 2:19.33. Following him in second and third place for men were Uruguayans Martin Cuestas with 2:39.41 and Angel Portela with 2:33.23. In the women's rankings first place went to Uruguayan Laura Bazallo with 3:06.34, second to Uruguayan Laura Del Puerto with the same time, and third to Uruguayan Nelly Portillo with 3:15.59.
The group of Chilean runners Runchile(@Runchileweb) show their medal:
La medalla de Finisher de la Maratón de Montevideo!!! pic.twitter.com/Dp5XHhXz2c
— Runchile (@Runchileweb) Mayo 11, 2014
The Montevideo Marathon Finisher medal!!!
The marathon constituted a new milestone for Uruguayan athletics and included the only competition missing from the circuit of the capital city's races.
The Athletic Confederation of Uruguay showed its approval with the realization of the marathon through a comment its president, Pablo Sanmartino, made to El Pais digital, calling it “a dream to have a marathon in the city of Montevideo on the calendar.”
The Montevideo Marathon had some unexpected competitors as is referenced by journalist Seba Amaya(@sebaamaya) on Twitter:
Acá está el gaucho que se corrió los 42,195K de la Maratón de Montevideo con alpargatas de suela de goma pic.twitter.com/ZSDbkvJEdt
— Seba Amaya (@sebaamaya) Mayo 12, 2014
Here is the gaucho who ran the 26.2 mile Montevideo Marathon with rubber-soled espadrilles
There were also humorous comments such as that of Diego Gonzalez (@diegodelacurva):
Si hubiera corrido la maratón de Montevideo estaría llegando en este preciso momento.
— Diego Gonzalez (@diegodelacurva) Mayo 11, 2014
If I had ran the Montevideo marathon I would be finishing right now.
Among the marathon participants was a group belonging to the Uruguay Diabetes Foundation FDU (@DiabetesUruguay), as its comment on Twitter shows:
Integrantes del DIABETEAM que participaron de la Maraton Montevideo 42k : Alejandro Duera, Gisele Mosegui y… http://t.co/H9QPV4gp6B
— FDU (@DiabetesUruguay) Mayo 15, 2014
Members of the DIABETEAM who participated in the 26.2 mile Montevideo Marathon; Alejandro Duera, Gisele Mosegui and…
Video of the group of runners from Aguilas Running:

author: Guillermo Vidal


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PHOTOS: Hundreds Join Anti-Coup Protests in Thailand · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

About 500 people joined several protests in Bangkok opposing the coup regime in Thailand. Many students attended the gathering to denounce the military rule and the clampdown on press freedom.
Anti-coup activists and protesters occupy the square outside of Bangkok Art and Cultural Center in central Bangkok. Photo by Lillian Suwanrumpha, Copyright @Demotix (5/23/2014)
The army declared martial law on May 20 and launched a coup after two days. The army chief is now ruling the country. Scores of political leaders have been detained including former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.
Aside from imposing a night curfew, the army also closed down TV stations, radio stations and controlled the newsroom of major newspapers. Netizens are warned not to post information that would create ‘confusion’ and ‘misunderstanding’.
The military said intervention is necessary to end the violent confrontation between government supporters and opposition forces. It added that reforms must be implemented first before the holding of a new election.
This is the 12th successful coup in Thailand; the last coup was staged in 2006. Bangkok Pundit observed that the anti-coup protest today is bigger compared to 2006:
We got protests last night which were much greater than initial protests in 2006. BP expects them to grow, but it is difficult to predict how quickly as often “events” (such as a solider roughing up, injuring or killing protester(s) can affect things. It is likely to build over time.
“Stop robbing the power of the people”. Photo from Facebook page of The Isaan Record
One of the memorable actions yesterday was done by a journalist who plastered a red tape on her mouth and posed near soldiers. She was fired by her TV company for posting this photo.
For those who don't know, the woman with the red tape across her mouth is a journalist (a brave one). #ThaiCoup pic.twitter.com/FBBXzfYUxd
— แก้วมาลา Kaewmala (@Thai_Talk) May 23, 2014
Some of the protesters were arrested in the evening.
Anti coup now in front of MBK pic.twitter.com/dEe5jCA56m
— noi thamma (@noithamma) May 23, 2014
Puangthong R. Pawakapan of the Assembly for the Defence of Democracy is confident that Thais will continue to resist the coup:
The military only have weapons, but weapons cannot win over the people’s hearts and change the people’s thoughts. They can only prohibit people from voicing their thoughts and opinions. More people will be arrested in order to create a climate of fear. However, the fear of the people is limited. In the end, we should not underestimate the pride of the people. They will stop being afraid and fight.
A protester shows a pro-democracy banner to Thai soldiers as he demonstrates against the coup d'etat at the Siam area, Bangkok, Thailand. Photo by Biel Calderon, Copyright @Demotix (5/23/2014)
For two days, TV channels were forbidden to broadcast anything except the playing of patriotic songs during World War I, World War II, and the Cold War era. These songs were mostly about promoting unity to fight internal and external threats to Thailand. The songs were also inspired by the government’s battle against communists in the 1970s. The army’s Facebook page was flooded by requests and appeals to play other songs. Below are some comments translated by Prachatai, an independent website:
Uncle, as I have to listen to this all day and all night, could you please play songs of Sib Lor?
Can you play Bodyslam's song? I've listened to your songs until I'm soooo patriotic.
I like your songs so much. Can I buy them on iTune? I've listened to them all day. It has made me so patriotic. I can hear my heart beat. I feel so glitzy!
Listened to them all. I can remember all the lyrics now.
Because of the night curfew, business has suffered. It also affected the tourism industry. Schools were suspended for three days. But the anti-government protest camps were finally cleared and protesters were ordered to go home.
Soldiers take control of a protest site in Bangkok and assure security. Photo by Amnat Ketchuen, Copyright @Demotix (5/23/2014)

author: Mong Palatino


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Trinidad & Tobago Media Association Slams Irresponsible Statement · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

A statement by the Commissioner of Police suggesting that “inaccurate reporting” may have led to death threats against a local journalist, has irked the Media Association of Trinidad and Tobago:
MATT hopes that the Acting Commissioner of Police was perhaps inarticulate in his characterisation of the threat because if his words are a true reflection of his position on this matter then we are all in deep trouble.


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Chinese Man Detained After Posting Photos of Himself in Tiananmen · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Rose Tang translated news from weiquangwang.org and Radio Free Asia concerning a man being arrested by Chongqing police for “picking quarrels and provoking troubles” on May 17. What the man did is sticking his arm forward, reminiscent of a Nazi salute.


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Drawings With Coffee Foam · Global Voices
Gabriela García Calderón Orbe

The blogger on El Francotirador shares [es] his experience on a fast food shop, when as the waitress gave him the coffee he had ordered, she added:
“There you go… I drew a heart with the foam” – she said smiling.
As a result of this gesture, the author reflects:
I stared at the coffee, with its white heart that was slowly losing its shape, and I couldn't help it but felt mine squeezing. You see, I've always regarded with a mix of compassion and fear the jobs at the fast food shops […] as prisoners who have to carry out the same chores, once and again, day after day, to serve perfect strangers, indifferent and many times rude.
But there we have a girl that, in spite of the fatigue at the end of her shift, she drew me a heart with the foam.
I don't know if she did this to make my day or hers, but it worked in both ways and it proved that when you have a happy, lively or creative spirit, those gifts might blossom even the most hostile environments.


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Hong Kong Public Libraries Ignore Biggest Minorities’ Need · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

As government funded libraries in Hong Kong fail to serve domestic workers’ need, they have to set up mobile libraries during public holidays across the city. Tom Grundy has the story in Hong Wrong. Below is a video taken by Stories Beyond the Borders showing one of the mobile libraries set up by an Indonesian domestic worker, Lulu.


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Kerala Didn’t Hop on the Narendra Modi Bandwagon in India’s Elections · Global Voices
Inji Pennu

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supporters dance in the streets to celebrate their party's win. Photo by Abhisek Saha. Copyright Demotix (21/05/2014)
As Narendra Modi, the next prime minister of India, and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) prepare to form a cabinet after a landslide election victory in the recent general elections, one southern state won't be celebrating.
Not one of Kerala‘s 20 elected representatives to the Indian Parliament belongs to BJP, an exception to Modi's overwhelming success elsewhere in the country. The politician had paid multiple visits to the tiny state throughout his busy election schedule, hoping to sway voters in his favor.
History wasn't on BJP's side. The party has never won a single seat in Kerala, though this time around while votes were being counted, it looked like BJP almost came close in the Thiruvananthapuram constituency. Kerala, with its communist credentials and a strong minority community, has yet to warm to BJP's Hindu nationalist politics.
Beyond Kerala, some were already wary of Modi, who has attracted criticism for his handling of deadly riots pitting Hindus against Muslims in his state of Gujarat where he was chief minister in 2002.
On social media, users from Kerala celebrated Modi's loss. On Twitter, Sony, who lives in Bangalore in the neighboring state of Karnataka, wrote that he was proud to be from Kerala:
Kerala Holds in to its tradition of Voting for the best candidate over party.. Keeps out Modi wave proud to be a Mallu.
— Sony (@sonykalloor) May 17, 2014
Kunjila Mascillamani Henry in Kolkata wished on Facebook that others had followed in Kerala's footsteps:
BJP's prime minister-designate Narendra Modi waves on the eve of resigning as Gujarat chief minister. Photo by Nisarg Lakhmani. Copyright Demotix (10/5/2014)
A few celebrations from BJP supporters in Kerala also circulated online. NJith, a Google Plus user from Kerala, published a photo of Modi wearing a uniform of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a right-wing Hindu nationalist group to which Modi belonged as a youth, and wrote:
അഭിനന്ദനങ്ങള്. പരംവൈഭവം നേതുമേതത് സ്വരാഷ്ട്രം . അതയിരിക്കട്ടെ നരേന്ദ്ര ഭായി ഒരു സ്വയം സേവകന് എന്ന നിലയില് അങ്ങയുടെ കര്‍ത്തവ്യം.
Congratulations. Let my land flourish. I hope as a RSS man, you will fulfill your responsibilities
Dilba Asuran, an avid Modi supporter, argued on his Google Plus account:
ഇത് മോദിയാണു മക്കളെ. കളി വേറെ. ചരിത്രത്തിലെ ഏറ്റവും വലിയ വിജയവുമായി ബിജെപിയും എൻഡിഏയും ജയിച്ച് കയറുമ്പോൾ ദിൽബൻ ആന്റ് കമ്പനിയുടെ പേരിലും പ്ലസ്സിലെ മോദി ഫാൻസിന്റെ പേരിലും എന്റെ സ്വന്തം പേരിലും അഭിവാദ്യങ്ങൾ അർപ്പിയ്ക്കുന്നു. രാജീവ് ഗാന്ധിക്ക് ശേഷം ഇന്ത്യ കണ്ട തൂത്തുവാരിയ വിജയം തനിക്കാണെന്ന് അവകാശപ്പെട്ടതും മോദി തെളിയിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു. അബ് കി ബാർ മോദി സർക്കാർ!!
This is Modi. It's no small feat. In the history of independent India, such an unprecedented win has never happened since the late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Congratulations and cheers on behalf of me and Modi supporters. Now it's Modi's government.
Others were cautious about celebrating the trend against Modi in Kerala. Bobby Kunhu, a lawyer who lives in Delhi, warned on Facebook that the BJP candidate lost by a very thin margin in Kerala:
Rajesh Kunnoth shared the same feeling on his Google Plus account:
കേരളം എന്തോ വലിയ വ്യത്യസ്തത കാണിച്ചു എന്ന് കരുതുന്നത് മൗഡ്ഡ്യമാണു്.. ശക്തരായ രണ്ടു മുന്നണികളിൽ ആയി ജനം വിഭജിച്ചു പോരടിച്ചു നിന്നതിനാൽ ഫാസിസ്റ്റ് രാഷ്ട്രീയത്തോടുള്ള കേരളത്തിന്റെ കൃത്യമായ നിലപാട് വ്യക്തമായില്ലെന്നെ ഞാൻ പറയൂ. ഒരുപക്ഷെ, ഒരു ബിരിയാണി ചെമ്പ് അടുപ്പത്തിരിക്കുന്നതുപോലെ ഉള്ളിൽ , നന്നായി വെന്തു ഫാസിസത്തിന് തിന്നാൻ പാകത്തിൽ ഇരിക്കുകയാണെന്ന് എനിയ്ക്ക് തോന്നുന്നു. ഒരു സിപ് വലിചൂരുന്ന ലാഘവത്തോടെ അവർക്ക് കേരളത്തെ ഒരുപക്ഷെ മാറ്റാൻ കഴിഞ്ഞേക്കും.
It is stupid to believe that Kerala did something different. Since there were two strong parties other than BJP on each side, we just missed the fascist wave. Maybe, it's like baking a one-pot rice meal, waiting to be done, to be eaten by everyone. Maybe it's just waiting for that moment when the lock breaks in a simple clean swipe.

author: Inji Pennu


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Mauritania and the Presidential Elections · Global Voices
أحمد جدو

With the Presidential Elections on the horizon, Mauritanians are anticipating what the days hold for them. A wide spectrum of the opposition is planning to snub [en] the ballot penciled for June 21. In that respect, the National Forum for Democracy and Unity – FNDU  (a coalition of 17 opposition parties and groups) announced [en] its refusal to take part in the elections, slamming the lack of  any agreement over it and of integrity. The same held true for  Progressive Popular Alliance (PPA) [ar]. All in all, there are 5 candidates [ar], and ironically, all of them, without exception, are close to the regime!
Mauritanian bloggers and netizens also had a say on the polls. Massive campaigns urged people to boycott it.  #انتخبوا_الحفار or “vote for the digger” was among the most trending hashtags in the Mauritanian blogosphere.  Digger refers satirically to President Mohammed Ould Abdel Aziz who claimed in a TV interview that he only possesses a digger, which he uses to help the poor for free. This comes after the outgoing head of state faced accusations from the opposition of concluding fishy affairs and becoming one the richest men in Africa by robbing the wealth of the Mauritanian State.
A caricature by Ahmed Vall Ahmed on his Facebook page which translates to “the Digger for President of Mauritania in 2014 – our strength lies in our diggings or excavations – With brother Abdel Aziz, digging is for free”
Abbass Braham writes about dwarfing the minimum threshold of democracy in Mauritania and how Ould Abdel Aziz succeeded in depriving it from any value.
إنه الآن أمرٌ رسمي: نجح الجنرال عزيز وسياقه الاقتصادي-السياسي في مهمته التاريخية. قوّض الحد الأدنى من الديمقراطية عندنا. أليس تقويضاً للديمقراطية إقامة انتخابات رئاسية بلا تنافسية؟ أليس تقويضاً للديمقراطية أن تنتقل زعامة المعارضة من شخصيات تاريخية نضالية إلى ما دون ذلك بالنصف (على الأقل)؟ أليس تقزيماً للديمقراطية تحول النقاش السياسي من نقاش البرامج إلى نقاش الهوية والأشخاص؟ أليس تقزيماً للديمقراطية بزوغ، بل سيادة، القضايا الوهمية في التكفير والتسفيه والحركات “المجتمعية” الخاوية من أي برنامج سياسي.
It is now official: General Aziz and his politico-economic court in his historic mission. He undermined the minimum of threshold in our country. Isn't holding presidential election without any competition called undermining? Isn't the transfer of the  leadership of the opposition passes from historical and combative personalities to figures who barely possess half of these qualities (at least) called undermining? Isn't the transformation of political discussion from debating programs to arguing over identity and names called undermining? Isn't  the rise or the prevalence of fictive issues such as accusations of infidelity (unbelief) or discreditation, or “social” movements that are void from any political program called undermining?
El Hadj Brahim tweets:
class=”twitter-tweet” lang=”ar”>. #انتخبوا_الحفار اول تصميم شكرا رفيقة @lissnup pic.twitter.com/JgiIgsWeP4
— Elhadj Brahim (@HDBrahim) أبريل 11, 2014
First Design for “Vote for the Digger”. Thank you Comrade @lissnup
Mohamed Abderrahim mocks those young people who try through a gibberish pretext to promote the regime and depict it as reformist:
يحاول ذلك الشاب “المثقف” أن يقنع نفسه قبلنا أنه على مسار صحيح، يحاول جاهدا أن يظهر وعيه بمختلف مكونات اللعبة، ينسى أو يتناسى أنه بيدق محدود الحركة وأن البيدق في بداية اللعبة هو الضحية وأن أفضل البيادق هو ذاك الذي تتخلى عنه الرقعة لكي تستعيد قطعة أعلى شأنا، يحاول ذلك الشاب الحلو الجميل أبو عيون جريئة أن يطلع الشمس على الجانب الذي كانت بالأمس القريب تشرق منه ويحاول أيضا أن يرينا فضائل الأعمال في ذلك الرجل الذي كان بالأمس نقيض الأمل وهو اليوم كل الأمل!
This young intellectual is trying to convince himself before convincing us that he is on the right track. He does his best to appear as knowledgeable of most of the game components. He forgets or pretends to, that he's a mere pawn limited in movement and that the pawn is the victim in the beginning of the game, and that the best of pawns is the one who is abandoned by the chessboard for a more valuable piece. This young handsome boy, with daring eyes, tries to make the sun rise from the same side it used to shine from in the near past. He also tries to show us the virtues of the actions of that man who was yesterday, the nemesis of hope but today represents all of it.
Mohamed El Amin Elvadel, blogs about being utterly disappointed by the Constitutional Council. He also speaks about the fraud in the recommendations granted to one of the presidential candidates and how the Constitutional Council accepted his falsified file.
I wasn't excepting anything good from the Constitutional Council in its current composition (structure) but i wasn't also expecting that fraud and tricking the mayors and municipal counselors recommendations will reach that extent within the current composition (structure) of the council.  I wasn't expecting things to get to that point despite us in Mauritanian, having gotten used to having those who violate the constitution in the most blatant way are those who watch over protecting it. The scholars of the constitutional law are usually the first to issues statements supporting and endorsing coups d'etat. The Constitutional Council  is the same council which described the August 6 pushover as a corrective movement, the day of the investiture of the current president. The president himself will admit later in a moment of “clarity” that what happened on August 6 was a coup and that he, i.e. the President wasn't a legitimate president prior to July 2009 elections
Presidential Elections in Mauritania come following a tug of war between the regime and the opposition. This year's elections come after the prevalence of popular protests and demands on the Mauritanian scene, and following parliamentary elections boycotted by the majority of Mauritanian opposition. The regime is also being accused of falsifying the results of these elections in its favor. They come after a failed attempt of dialogue initiated by the opposition towards the regime. Considering all this,  the opposition called its supporters to take up the streets on June 4, to say No to these elections. For its part, the regime, claims the opposition is afraid of the ballot, hence its attempts to derail the process. It also brags that the boycott isn't of big importance.

author: أحمد جدو


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Pakistan’s Nawaz Sharif Will Attend Narendra Modi’s Swearing-In  · Global Voices
Alka

Narendra Modi talking to media showing the letter from the president of India appointing him as prime minister. Photo by Ranjan Basu. Copyright Demotix (20/5/2014)
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has accepted Narendra Modi‘s invitation to his swearing-in ceremony as the prime minster of India, the first such instance between the two nuclear-armed neighbors who have fought three wars since their independence from the British Empire in 1947.
Modi had extended an invitation to the heads of state of all member nations of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), deemed as a strategic move. Besides Sharif, the prime ministers of Nepal and Bhutan and the presidents of Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and the Maldives will attend the event. Bangladesh will be represented by the speaker of parliament.
Sharif was the last to confirm his attendance, possibly after consultations with the Pakistani army as some have speculated, given the army's historically hardliner stance against India. Political analyst and retired Pakistani general Talat Masood explained the armed forces’ possible influence to Pakistani newspaper the Express Tribune: “I think the army is backing otherwise he would not go. He does not go against the advice of the army.”
Sharif's decision has evoked mixed reactions in Pakistan and India. Omar Abdullah, the chief minister of the north Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir that borders Pakistan, responded positively to the announcement. He tweeted:
Very glad to hear Pak PM has accepted invite, shows that he can prevail over forces inimical to good relations with India. 1/2
— Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) May 24, 2014
He followed this up with:
I hope that this will mark a new beginning in ties between our two countries. The people of J&K will be watching closely. 2/2
— Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) May 24, 2014
Indian columnist and novelist Shobhaa De tweeted:
Nawaz Sharif has taken a gutsy and shareef decision to attend Modi's swearing in ceremony tomorrow. Respect !
— Shobhaa De (@DeShobhaa) May 25, 2014
Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the Hague. Photo by Richard Wareham. Copyright Demotix (25/3/2014)
Across the border, Tariq Vaid, gulf information and PR secretary for Sharif’s party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN), supported Sharif’s move. He tweeted:
Good to see #Pakistan‘s PM Nawaz Sharif accepting #India‘s Invitation for the Oath-Taking Ceremony. Diplomacy is the right way forward.#PMLN
— Tariq Vaid طارق وید (@Tariq_Vaid) May 24, 2014
This support was reflected on popular social networking website Reddit. User rishinator on the India subreddit commented:
This is great news, Both modi and sharif are intelligent men who only want good for their people. I hope both of them can get started on resolving some issues like border-clashes. The only challenge is the pak-army, I can only hope that they don't try destroy the talks again like the last time with Vajpeyi [sic].
I saw some people accusing Modi of making this ceremony an extravagant affair and waste of money by inviting these leaders, but on the contrary this only proves to show that Modi doesn't want to waste time ( which is more precious than money ) and he want to get on work right as he take the oath by discussing diplomacy with leaders.
However, a few other users urged caution. User bikaumod commented:
Bhai logs, don't get me wrong, last time jab Vajpayi [sic] ji ne Sharif se hello hello kee thi to Porkistan [sic] Army Kargil pe chadhi baithi thi…
Brothers, don't get me wrong, last time when Vajpayee said “hello hello” to Sharif, the Pakistan Army had climbed and was sitting atop Kargil.
The comment was a reference to the India-Pakistan Kargil conflict in 1999, which derailed the ongoing dialogue between then-Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Nawaz Sharif. Incidentally, Vajpayee was also from the same party as Modi, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Political commentators on both sides of the border hope this event will lead to normalization of relations between the two historically opposed countries. Sharif, who is in favor of normalized ties and greater trade, is at loggerheads with the Pakistani army, which plays a big role in shaping foreign policy.
Modi is viewed with some trepidation by Pakistan because of the riots in the Indian state of Gujarat in 2002 when close to 1,000 Muslims were killed. Modi was the chief minister of the state at the time. Though cleared of any suspicion by the Supreme Court of India, his critics still claim negligence on his part in stopping the violence.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won a simple majority in the recently concluded Indian parliamentary elections. The party won 282 seats, while the BJP-led political alliance, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) won 336 seats. The incumbent Indian National Congress by contrast could muster only 44 seats, and its political alliance the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) managed 59 seats. This is the first clear mandate for a single party in over three decades, and is expected by some to result in clearer and more decisive governance.

author: Alka


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People with Disabilities and Rare Diseases Contest European Elections · Global Voices
Cheyenne Sánchez Prieto

A new political group representing people with disabilities and rare diseases has presented itself to the European elections today May 25.
Besides the large, well-known parties, there are aspiring minority party candidates like the Movimiento Red (Network Movement), Primavera Europea (European Spring), VOX, Podemos (We Can), and Recortes (Cutbacks). Additionally, this year a new alternative has been launched, called the Association of Voters with Disabilities and Rare Diseases-DER [es]. Their main objective is not to defend any ideology, but rather improve the quality of life for people living with a disability or rare disease.
Eduard Carreras, head of the DER.
“We are a group of people affected, directly or indirectly, by a disability or rare disease, united by a common goal — improving the lives of those affected,” said Eduard Carreras, the group's candidate, a 25-year-old young man from Girona, Spain, suffering from degenerative muscular dystrophy.
The electoral platform [es] centers on issues like employment, since they affirm that young people with disabilities have an unemployment rate that exceeds 60%, thereby preventing their autonomy and independence. It also focuses on full accessibility in transportation and public spaces, total VAT exemption for services like adapted vehicles or medicine, increasing research on rare diseases, and improving, among other things, health, education, and social inclusion of those affected.
They do not defend nor reject any party or ideology. Their only purpose is to defend their electoral platform, which according to Carreras, is “the only certain common goal that unites us”. He added: “We are not a party as such. We do not have an ideology, which is why our path is different from the major parties.”
Carreras has assured that “the money should go to important things” and for now they have already shown that after getting the 15,000 signatures required to present themselves at the elections, they have not spent a penny on advertising. He explains:
Vamos a intentar convencer de que es necesario actuar rápido y tomarse en serio nuestros problemas, y vamos a denunciar a todo el que ponga obstáculos. Si nuestras propuestas son rechazadas, serán los que las rechacen quienes tendrán que justificarse ante sus ciudadanos. Estamos dispuestos a sumar, y serán bienvenidos quienes se sumen a nuestras propuestas.
We are going to try to convince you that it is necessary to act fast and take our problems seriously, and we are going to denounce everything that imposes obstacles for this. If our proposals are rejected, those who reject them will have to justify themselves before their citizens. We are willing to join efforts with others and welcome those who will join our proposals.
Below is a video about the vision and missing of the new Association of Voters with Disabilities and Rare Diseases group [es]:

author: Cheyenne Sánchez Prieto


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PHOTOS: One Palestinian Museum’s Artistic Message to the Pope · Global Voices
Elia J. Ayoub

The Pope's visit to the Holy Land (today's Jordan, Palestine and Israel) has been the focus of many activists hoping to get the Catholic pontiff to speak out in favor of the Palestinian cause.
One such symbolic act was done through an artistic lens. The Palestinian Museum, a new museum set to open in the spring of 2015, hung banners in Bethlehem's Manger Square as part of an exhibition entitled “In The Presence of the Holy See” predominantly showing Catholic imagery contrasted with Palestinian suffering.
The museum featured 12 of the banners on their Facebook page. Take a look:
Artwork: Ecce Homo (c. 1605) by Michelangelo Merisi Caravaggio, depicting Pontius Pilate present Jesus before a hostile crowd.
Photo: Palestinians crossing the Qalandiya checkpoint on their way to Jerusalem. 20 April, 2002, by Alexandra Boulat.
Artwork: Madonna of the Rosary (c. 1607) by Michelangelo Merisi Caravaggio.
Photo: The sun shines through what was once the roof of a Palestinian refugee shelter in the Burj el-Barajneh camp, Lebanon, in 1993. By M. Nasr, United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) photo archive.
Black-and-white photo: A beach refugee camp in the Gaza Strip. From the UNRWA photo archive.
Color photo: An Israeli soldier at the Qalandiya checkpoint. 20 April, 2002, by Alexandra Boulat.
Black-and-white photo: Clothes distribution at the Rafah refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, 1972. By Kay Brennan, from the UNRWA photo archive.
Color photo: An Israeli soldier searches a Palestinian boy at a checkpoint in Hebron.
20 Nov., 2005, by Nayef Hashlamoun.
Black-and-white photo: Dheisheh refugee camp after the 1948 partition. From the UNRWA photo archive.
Color photo: A segment of the Israeli separation wall near Beit Hanina in Jerusalem, 2012. By Tanya Habjouqa.
Black-and-white photo: One of the few remaining refugees after the civil strife in Jisr el-Basha camp spends a quiet moment in the partly damaged Pontifical Mission Church in Lebanon, 1976. From the UNRWA photo archive.
Color photo: Palestinian Presidential Headquarters (al-Muqat’a) in Ramallah, 2002. By Jamal Arouri
Artwork: Abraham’s Sacrifice (c. 1635) by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn.
Photo: Israeli soldiers overwhelmed by the smell of dead bodies at Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank. 16 April, 2002, by Alexandra Boulat.
Artwork: The Deposition (c. 1507) by Raphaello Sanzio da Urbino.
“In that day there will be great mourning in Jerusalem,“ Zechariah 12:11.
Photo: Israeli soldiers kill a Palestinian and detain others in downtown Ramallah. 31 March, 2002, by Alexandra Boulat.
Artwork: The Incredulity of Saint Thomas (c. 1602) by Michelangelo Merisi Caravaggio. “Reach here your finger and test the reality of my being.”
Photo: An Israeli Border Police officer examines the ID card of a Palestinian at the Qalandiya crossing during Ramadan. 20 Aug., 2010, by Matt Milstein.
Artwork: Christ Healing the Paralytic at the Pool of Bethesda (c. 1670) by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo. “Rise, take up your bed and walk,” John 5:8.
Photo: A Palestinian passes into Gaza via the Erez checkpoint. 24 May, 2006, by Alexandra Boulat.
Black-and-white photo: Palestinian refugees walking across Allenby Bridge on their way to Jordan in July 1967. By Myrtle Winter, from the UNRWA photo archive.
Color photo: A woman runs terrified from her house in Bint Jbail during a “temporary ceasefire“ in southern Lebanon during the Israeli-led war of 2006. By Tanya Habjouqa.
Artwork: Lamentation of Christ (c. 1606) by Annibale Carracci.
Photo: First lifting of the curfew at the Jenin refugee camp following an Israeli raid. 15 April, 2002, by Alexandra Boulat.

author: Elia J. Ayoub


text:
Political Cartoon – Tombs in Beijing Tiananmen Square · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Political cartoonist @badiucao's latest work is to commemorate the 25 anniversary of June 4 Incident – “If we are to set up tombs for victims of June 4, let the tomb stones cover the whole square”, the cartoonist explained his work in Twitter.
#巴丢草 六四漫画【墓碑】#六四25周年 如果为六四的死难者立碑，就让她们铺满整个广场。 pic.twitter.com/bSDLUXXEZz
— 巴丢草 (@badiucao) May 24, 2014

author: Oiwan Lam