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#Opandeslibre or When Anonymous Attacked Peru · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

Anonymous – Operation Peru
Last week the people of Anonymous, through their Anonymous Iberoamerica [es] arm, announced [es] their intention to attack Chilean and Peruvian government websites on June 23, allegedly because of the violation of the Chilean and  Peruvian people's rights and the monitoring of their communications.  This isn't the first time that Anonymous has operated in the countries  in the region. Among the most notorious attacks are Operation Tequila [es] in Mexico, Operation Colombia [es] (prompted by the Lleras Law [es]) and Operation Southern Storm [es] in Chile. Here is the video for the planned operation, which was received under the name Free Andes:
The actions of  Anonymous are mainly accomplished via the familiar denial-of-service attacks, or DoS, in their DdoS, or distributed denial of service, version for which they use software called LOIC which can send a large number of TCP and UDP packets or HTTP requests with the aim of calculating the number of requests per second which the target network can handle before it ceases to function.
After the first announcement came another, aimed specifically at  Peru, which set out its rejection of the TPPA (Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement), in particular the following points: “Its extreme position on copyright, user authentication through the ISPs, invasion of users’ privacy, legal incentives for ISPs to cooperate with copyright, focussing on deterring, identifying and halting the transmission of content, criminalization and penalties for the use of copyrighted Internet content.” (This video is currently unavailable.)
Faced with this, the ONGEI [es] (Government National Office of Electronic and Information Technology), through its president Jaime Honores, informed [es] the public that they were “prepared” for such an eventuality.
The first phase of the attack, against Chile, was completed on June 23, bringing down the website of the Department of  Telecommunications [es], tasked with following web-surfers who speak out about  President Sebastián Piñera and his associates on social networks and blogs.
Next came the action of the Web Pirates [es] in Perú, who joined and took information from the websites of FORCAT [es], CODESI [es], the Regional Government of Lima [es], the Ministry of Energy and Mines [es], the National Penitentiary Institute [es], the Black Eagles (the Peruvian National Police Force) [es], the Department of Health [es] and the General Directorship of Captaincy and Coastguards [es]. Of these attacks, the most publicised was the filtering [es] of data about 2,800 Black Eagles agents [es], the police unit that handles, among other things, overseeing the banks in Lima.
On the 25 the second phase of the attack, now known as Operation Perú [es], came into action [es], aimed at ONGEI [es], MEF [es], IPD [es], the Republican Congress [es], PNP [en], ONPE [es], Seguridadciudadana [es] and the Portal of the Peruvian State [es]. In an attempt to halt the attack, government officials ordered the blocking of www.webloic.com [es]. But almost immediately Anonymous released a video [es] announcing the end of the (successful) attack and mentioning, amongst other things, that “Our attack has been a mere demonstration, a simple attack. If you continue to ignore the rights of the Peruvian people we will be compelled to shut down all of your networks… We are asking the Peruvian government to stop lying about its security and its control of the networks, we have control, we are anonymous.”
However some doubted the effectiveness of these attacks. One such person was Twitter user @Dennisdavid who stated:
Los  de Anonymus se dejaron ver tal como son: los sábados y domingos los  sitios del estado se hackean solos; están fuera de servicio. jajaja  2:47 PM Jun 25th via web
GENIAL:  El MEF (Ministerio Economía Finanzas) para librarse de ataques de  Anonymus, se atacó a si mismo. Dejó fuera de servicio a su web :-)  3:54 PM Jun 25th via web:
FANTASTIC: The MEF (Ministry of the Treasury) has attacked itself in order to escape from the
Others, such as Manuel Facundo (@Manuelegant) remembered with sarcasm the statements from Mr Honores, head of the ONGEI:
Ayer me dio risa cuando dijeron q estamos preparados para Anonymous o   LulzSec y mas aun cuando en la tarde los callaron hakeando webs gber.. 1:32 PM Jun 24th via web
More reactions on Twitter can be found via the hashtag #opandeslibre, as well as on the Anonymous Perú [es] and AnonOps Perú [es] Facebook pages. Opinions have been appearing on blogs ever since the attack was announced. For example Miguel Morachimo in Blawyer wrote [es]:
Por lo visto, son varios temas los que preocupan a Anonymous y no tienen  nada que ver con las declaraciones de algún candidato en campaña. Más  bien, parecen girar en torno a dos ejes: (i) las recientes amenazas a  libertad de prensa, en particular a medios regionales; y (ii) la  protección de datos personales. Ambos temas, de una manera u otra, han  estado presente en los medios durante las últimas semanas y el Estado no  ha dado la cara más favorable en ninguno.
Erick Iriarte believes that the reasons given by Anonymous have no basis [es]:
no hay normativa de censura en el Perú, el ataque no tiene mayor  fundamento […] dado que con normas de equilibrio pero ademas  con veeduria ciudadana se puede hacer un real control del proyecto  TPPA, me pueden llamar iluso por creer eso, pero a diferencia de otros  paises nuestras normas de proteccion de datos nos serviran de barrera  para evitar abusos).
Antonio Rodríguez, also on Blawyer, sees the matter from a different point of view [es]:
Algunos piensan que los límites a la acción personal de los  individuos está en el Código Penal y es un error. Un ataque del tipo  DDoS es como si se pusiera una decena de camiones en la puerta de la  casa de una persona, el Código Penal probablemente no sancione esta  acción, pero es evidente que se está afectando, cuando menos, el derecho  al libre tránsito tanto del afectado como de quienes tenían pensado  visitarle. Es además atentatorio contra la libertad de expresión y de  información.
To conclude I would like to quote Erick Iriarte again who points out two important points to consder:
creo que no se puede, bajo ninguna forma, aceptar ningun mecanismo de  presión (tecnológico, mediático, económico, o de cualquier indole) para  un dialogo, porque sencillamente no es democratico y no apoya el  principio de #internetlibre sino que utilizando el argumento mas viejo […]  “o nos siguen porque nosotros sabemos los misterios o perderan sus almas  y van contra los dioses”, nos intentan controlar en nuestra libertad.
Saben que han logrado los de anonymous en Perú?, que la inversión en  seguridad de la información aumente, y quienes seran los que seran  contratados, las empresas (y algunas son de los mismos Anonymous), [y] la real  reinvindicación de los derechos de los usuarios de a pie, por tener un  #internetlibre no se habra ganado.
I don't think that we can, under any circumstances, accept any form of pressure (be it via technology, the media, the economy, or of any nature) to enter into dialogue, because this simply is not democratic and does not support the principle of #internetlibre but goes on using the same old argument […] “They either follow us because we know the mysteries or lose their souls and go against the gods,”
Do the people of Anonymous in Perú know what they have done? That investment in information security is increasing, and that those who will be hired, companies (and some are the same people who act for Anonymous), [and] that the real vindication of the rights of ordinary users, by having an #internetlibre will not have been achieved.
Whilst the implications and relevance of what has happened are still being discussed, AnonOps Perú announced [es] a new project [es], peaceful this time, for July 2: Operation Paper, that is, handing out flyers and putting up posters [es]demanding the right to free expression.

author: Juan Arellano


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Puerto Rico: Blind Justice  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Gil the Jenius cites two cases in which he thinks justice hasn't been served, saying: “You know–you really do–that the two incidents are going to end in something other than punishment. And you are right.”

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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China: More on Red Song Culture · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Sascha from Chengdu Living picks up various stories about the red song culture in China.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Ethiopia: Should detention of journalists worry bloggers? · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Endalk wonders whether the detention of journalists in Ethiopia should worry bloggers: “In an information being released in a mood of concern early June, by CPJ and voiced by Ethiopian media both online and offline it is reported that two journalists, Wubeshet Taye and Réyot Alemu, are currently in detention in Ethiopia and most probably if the accounts on the issue are to be trusted the later will be litigated on the basis of the country’s anti-terrorism laws.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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India: Fasting & Political Blackmail (Regulation) Bill, 2011 · Global Voices
Rezwan

The Acorn highlights a humorous draft of the Fasting & Political Blackmail (Regulation) Bill, 2011, coined by some civil society members as an way to confront the plethora of fasting and political blackmails in the country.

author: Rezwan


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India: Student Social Innovation & Entrepreneurship Meet · Global Voices
Rezwan

Think Change India informs that the National Social Entrepreneurship Forum (NSEF), India’s premier youth platform for social innovations, in partnership with Villgro Innovations Foundation is organizing a two day workshop on Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Bangalore on the 9th and 10th of July.


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Macedonia: Call to Support Protests via Video Clips · Global Voices
Filip Stojanovski

People who protest against police brutality in Macedonia issued a call to all domestic [mk] and foreign [en] supporters to send short video clips with their sound-bite opinion by June 4.

author: Filip Stojanovski


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Nepal: Creative Names Of Educational Institutions · Global Voices
Rezwan

The fascination some Nepali colleges have with an English name is interesting. Bhumika Ghimire wonders whether these educational institutions deliver international standard as they sound with their title.


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Netherlands: Hustling a Creative Job Through Twitter · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

A creative team in Amsterdam, Bas van de Poel and Daan van Dam, show us on this video how they used the twitter microblogging site to catch the attention of creative directors and land themselves a job in an advertising agency.

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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Poland: A visionary within the EU? · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

J Clive-Matthews of Nosemonkey's EUTopia writes about the outset of the Polish EU-presidency and its Premier, Donald Tusk, as a potential visionary for the European Union.

author: Vilhelm Konnander


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Social Media T-shirt in South Korea  · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

South Korea's citizen/blogger news, Wiki Tree site posted samples of the social media T-shirts.

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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Sri Lanka: Photographic Evidence Of War Crimes  · Global Voices
Rezwan

Groundviews compiles reactions from social media on the recent controversy surrounding photographic evidences of war crimes in Sri Lanka.


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Texting in North Korea · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

The Japan Probe site made a commentary on Asahi TV's recent report on North Korea. An Asahi TV reporter filmed mobile devices and comfortable lives enjoyed by North Korea’s small elite group and luxuries offered to foreign tourists.


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Togo:  $200,000 aid for Japan · Global Voices
Abdoulaye Bah

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } On 24 June 2011 the Togolese blogger, Sylvio Combey, denounced on his blog [fr]:    “[The president] Faure Gnassingbé has given $200,000 (about 92 million CFA francs) to a country [Japan] which is suffering great losses and paying the consequences of its nuclear policy.  You just have to look at the economic gap between Japan and Togo, a country where more than 62.3% of the people have an income of less than $2 US per day (about 1000 CFA francs), to wonder whether you should laugh or cry.”

author: Abdoulaye Bah


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Ukraine: Yanukovych’s Foreign, Domestic Policies; Mezhyhirye Residence · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Ukrainiana and Foreign Notes comment on the news that Ukraine's President Victor Yanukovych has finally shown some of his Mezhyhirya residence to a few select journalists from major Ukrainian TV channels. Donetsk-based journalist Aleksey Matsuka writes for OpenDemocracy.net about life and politics in the home region of Yanukovych's Party of the Regions (PoR). Alexander J. Motyl of Ukraine's Orange Blues writes about waning support for Yanukovych in Luhansk region, one of PoR's strongholds. Democratist writes about the current regime's approach to the Ukrainian-EU relations.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Zambia: Pastors Using Facebook to Evangelize · Global Voices
Gershom Ndhlovu

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…” Mat. 28: 19 commands all those that are called to spread his [Jesus] word.
Preachers in Zambia, a country which was declared a Christian nation by the now late President Frederick Chiluba 20 years ago, are using every opportunity and, indeed, forum to spread the word.
Until now, the most innovative use of an unlikely forum for preaching the word of God has been bus termini where preachers await long-distance buses to get full and ready for a journey before they jump on, evangelize, and even collect offerings sometimes for a few kilometres into the journey before they jump out.
Prayers from bus preachers in the early days were welcome because there used to be a lot of accidents on the roads involving passenger service buses in which many people lost their lives and others maimed. A departing prayer was seen as a tonic but it is now a ritual that almost every long distance journey has to be blessed with.
Of course the typical gathering is a brick and mortar arrangement where churches have built grand buildings in cities and towns while those that can’t afford buildings of their own, use school classrooms and community halls for which they pay nominal fees for their usage.
With the coming of social networking site Facebook, some innovative pastors and motivation speakers are using the website to reach out to the “lost souls”.
Two of my Facebook contacts are pastors who use the social networking site to evangelize. I contacted them to find out their views on the use of Facebook.
Bishop Stephen Safwali said he got on Facebook for an online members’ only consultation he has been involved in between Pentecostals and the World Council of Churches for the last 10 years from which he saw the benefits of reaching out to a wider audience. Although he is on Twitter, he does not use it as much.
Bishop Safwali admitted he receives a lot of responses to his postings.
Bishop Steve Safwa with his wife. Photo  source: Bishop Safwa Facebook page.
On the question of receiving financial benefits needed to pay for administrative costs such internet services, Bishop Safwali answered in the negative but thought that “for sure social media can help in raising funds for world evangelism.”
Bishop Safwali did his undergraduate studies at Valley Forge Christian College, Pennsylvania and graduate studies at Fuller Theological Seminary, California in the USA.
Below is a typical post on Bishop Safwali’s wall:
Church is that one place that should never run out of good news! It is full of promises and the fulfillment of such promises! It is forever full of hope, assurances, answers, encouragements, healings, deliverances, providences etc. Go to Church and experience the care and love of God today!
Bishop Safwali who, at the time of writing, had 2310 followers, summons the faithful to an overnight meeting through Facebook:
Ok Antioch Bible Church it's that time again! The All Nite Evangelistic Crusade is on: Friday May 20, 2011! Let's do it – Not by might nor by power, but by the Spirit of God! See you there!
Below is a response from one of his followers, Paul Tembo:
Bishop, that interview with znbc (Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation) was powerful. A thought for reflection. be blessed.
Another heavy Facebook user for evangelization and motivation is Dr Elijah Miti, a Zambian based in South Africa. An author as well, he has 2235 followers.
A typical motivational post from Miti  goes like this:
Today, choose to speak encouragement. Choose to speak victory and faith. Instead of telling people what they’re doing wrong, instead of pointing out all their faults, find what they are doing right. Focus on the good.
Dr. Elijah Miti. Photo source: Dr. Miti Facebook page.
A biblical post goes like this:
For, Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? and how shall they preach, except they be sent? even as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that bring glad tidings of good things! Romans 10:13-15.
I sent Dr Miti a few questions about his use of social networking sites:
Gershom: What motivated you to start using the social networking site, Facebook, for evangelisation/motivation messages?
Dr. Miti: I believe in reaching the world with the Gospel of Jesus Chrsit and with this new technology its help me meet many people and also help many people through out the World. I now have sons and daughter who have accepted Jesus on FB [Facebook] through my inspiration and also have many who ask for prayer and conseling an God has shown and answered their prayer. We have had testimonies of people getting jobs after many years of being uneployed after our midnight prayers.
G: Do you use other social networking sites such as Twitter?
Dr. M: I Use MySpace, LinkedIn and blogs
G: Do you receive any responses to the messages?
Dr. M: Everyday, many
G: Do you ever receive negative feedback?
Dr. M: Yes, especially those current in passing through challenges in life.
G: Has it improved physical attendance in your congregation?
Dr. M: Yes and also opened doors for international travel and invitations.
G: Considering that you need finances to run certain services like paying for the internet, do you receive financial benefits from using social networking sites?
Dr. M: I have never receive any donation but it helps to sell my books and get speaking engagements both locally and Internationally.
G: Would you encourage other churches?
Dr. M: Yes every church need to create a group for their members to post prayer request and testimonies of what God is doing.
Using Facebook to sell his books, the following message  is typical:
Thank you for your inqueries on books pls click on The Book Cover. under EVENTS to order your copy and download ebooks immediately on www.elijahmitimotivation.webstarts.com

author: Gershom Ndhlovu


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Bangladesh: Bloggers Arrested While Protesting Against Energy Deal · Global Voices
Rezwan

Many netizens in Bangladesh are raging with anger as for the first time in the country bloggers and online activists among other protesters were arrested while striking in protest of a recent Production Sharing Contract (PSC) between the Bangladesh government and United States energy giant ConocoPhillips for deep sea gas exploration.
Clashes between police and protesters erupted during the 6 hours general strike called by National Committee on Protection of Oil, Gas and Mineral Resources, Power and Ports against the offshore gas deal between the government and ConocoPhillips. Image by Suvra Kanti Das. Copyright Demotix. July 3, 2011
Today's half day long strike called by National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports (NCPOGMR), a left-leaning citizens’ group, had disrupted the daily life of the capital Dhaka as most shops, businesses and schools were closed and very few vehicles were on the roads. Police had beaten many protesters mercilessly and arrested them en-mass. Renowned photo journalist and blogger Shahidul Alam updated the situation whole day (accompanied with pictures) in his blog:
Eyewitness report from Nasrin Siraj:
Anu Muhammad, professor of economics of Jahangirnagar University and member secretary of National Committee to  protect oil-gas-mineral resources, power and port is arrested from Paltan today (3 July) at 6:53 a.m. While he was walking towards the office of Communist Party of Bangladesh to join the other activists of National Committee for strike campaign, at least 40 anti riot police came forward, grabbed him and took him away in a prisoner’s van. During the arrest he was silent. [..]
Today, from the very morning police started arresting activists of the National Committee. First, at 5:45 a.m leader of Student Union of Jahangirnagar University was arrested from Paltan. All the central offices of left political parties in Topkhana Road and Paltan were surrounded by police from the early morning. Almost all the central leaders of the National Committee are under police custody now.
Breaking News: Nasrin Siraj has since been arrested.
Bangladeshi bloggers had been part of the protest against the energy deal online and offline. A number of bloggers have rallied for the strike yesterday which can be seen in this video. OnnoMonosko Sharat posts pictures of the bloggers protest and writes:
ব্লগের টোকাইরা দলে দলে হাজির হইছিল বিকালে। তাগোরে কেউ পয়সা দেয় নাই। আপ‌্যায়নও করে নাই। নিজে নিজেই আইছে। সমাবেশ করছে, সংহতি জানাইছে। একজন ব্লগারের সাথে থাকে ১০০ ভার্চুয়াল ব্লগার। কারো কারো সাথে থাকে আরো বেশি। কেউ কারও চেয়ে আগাইয়া বা পিছাইয়া নাই..সমান্তরাল।
Bloggers rallying for the strike. Image courtesy Sharat Chowdhury
Blogger and GV Bangla Lingua translator Kowshik updated us on today's strike in his blog at Somewhereinblog.net [bn]:
আপনারা জানেন বাংলা ব্লগের খ্যাতিমান ব্লগার দিনমজুর নামে মূলত তিনজন তরুন প্রকৌশলী লিখে থাকেন যাদের মধ্যে অন্যতম অনুপম সৈকত শান্ত। তেল-গ্যাস নিয়ে তার বিশ্লেষণধর্মী লেখা আমাদের অনেক চরম সত্যের মুখোমুখি করেছে। একটু আগে প্রখ্যাত এই ব্লগার কনোকো ফিলিপসের সাথে অন্যায্য চুক্তির প্রতিবাদ করতে গিয়ে গ্রেফতার হলেন। এখন তিনি শাহবাগ থানায় আছেন।
A protester inside a prison van. Image by Suvra Kanti Das. Copyright Demotix. July 3, 2011
বাংলা ব্লগোস্ফিয়ারের ইতিহাসে প্রথম কোনো ব্লগার গ্রেফতার হলেন। শান্তর গ্রেফতারের তীব্র প্রতিবাদ জানাই। একজন শান্তকে গ্রেফতার করে আন্দোলন স্তিমিত করা যাবে না – বাংলা ব্লগোস্ফিয়ার এখন অনেক সমৃদ্ধ এবং প্রায় সবাই সোচ্চার এই দমন-পীড়ন আর দেশ বিক্রির চুক্তির বিরুদ্ধে।
A local TV channel reported that 24 bloggers were arrested in the day, 23 of them had been released so far. There had been rumors that charges of sedition will be brought against the arrested protesters. During the day individual reports of bloggers/activists being arrested occupied different blogging platforms. More bloggers like Ayon at Choturmatrik posted eyewitness reports with photos.
Blogger Jobaen Sondhi writes:
An online poster demanding release of Dinmazur (Shanto). Image courtesy Kowshik.
কনোকোফিলিপস চুক্তি বিরোধী আন্দোলনে দেশের অনলাইন কমিউনিটির যুক্ত হওয়া চলমান আন্দোলনে নতুন মাত্রা যোগ করেছে তাতে কোন সন্দেহ নেই। অনেকে অপবাদ দিয়ে বলেন ব্লগাররা মনিটরের সামনে বসে অলস সময় কাটায়। কিন্তু তাদের বক্তব্যকে মিথ্যা প্রমাণ করে ব্লগাররা দেখিয়ে দিল প্রয়োজনে তারা রাজপথেও যুদ্ধ করতে সক্ষম। এই আন্দোলন সমগ্র অনলাইন বিশ্বে ছড়িয়ে পড়বে এবং অনলাইনের সংগ্রামে সকলে অংশ নিবেন এটাও প্রত্যাশা করছি।
বর্তমান শাসক ও বিরোধী উভয় দলই সাম্রাজ্যবাদ ও তাদের বিদেশী প্রভুদের পা লেহনে সিদ্ধহস্ত এটা প্রমাণ হলো এবার। ব্লগারদের উচিত এইসব ‘দেশপ্রেমিক’ নেতাদের স্বরূপ উন্মোচনের পাশাপাশি জনগণকে সঠিক পথে অগ্রসর হওয়ার পথ নির্দেশ ও প্রেরণা দেয়া
Vaskar at Amra Bandhu echoes same sentiments:
আজকের হরতাল আওয়ামি-বিএনপি'র ক্ষমতালিপ্সু রাজনীতিবিদদের প্রতি হুশিয়ারী।
Mahfuz Jewel at Unmochon blogging platform sees hope in these protests:
আধাজ্বর নিয়ে সকাল থেকে আমিও পল্টনে ছিলাম আজকের আধাবেলা হরতালে। [..] হরতাল যখন শেষ হলো দেখলাম পুরো দেশের যন্ত্রণা আমার মাথায় চলে এসেছে। চোখে ঝাপসা দেখছি, কিন্তু এই ঝাপসা চোখেও দেখছি আশার আলো। মানুষ জেগেছে। দেশপ্রেমিক জেগেছে। জাতির বিবেক জেগে উঠছে। জেগে উঠছে সময়ের সাহসী সন্তানেরা!
You can find a compilation of blog posts [bn] on this debate posted by Haseeb.
Update by Vaskar: Dinmozur has been released.


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Bangladesh: Protect Against Breast Cancer · Global Voices
Rezwan

Santwana Saha writes at Adhunika how Bangladeshi women can protect themselves against breast cancer.


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Brazil: Blogger Threatened to Death · Global Voices
Raphael Tsavkko Garcia

Celso Lungaretti denounces [pt] death threats against Antuérpio Pettersen Filho, who leads the Brazilian Association of Individual and Citizenship Defense and edits the online newspaper Grito Cidadão (Citizen Cry) [pt]. Filho's denouncements on alleged connections between the former chief of Civil Police, Julio César Oliveira Silva, with a Death Squad have made him a target.

author: Raphael Tsavkko Garcia


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East Timor: Polemic Payment to “Miss World” for Work as Spokesperson · Global Voices
Janet Gunter

On the blog of East Timorese weekly Tempo Semanal, controversy erupted over a leaked memo indicating the government's payment of US$300,000 to Australian Caroline Pemburton, former Miss World, for her services promoting East Timor as a tourist destination.

author: Janet Gunter


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India:  BigAdda Rolling Back Its Social Networking Business · Global Voices
Rezwan

Nikhil Pahwa at Medianama informs that “Reliance ADAG owned social networking site BigAdda is rolling back its social networking business, and will focus on being an e-commerce business.”


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Liberia: Truth and Reconciliation Commission at a Standstill · Global Voices
Abdoulaye Bah

Sylvio Combey comments [fr] on his blog: “Liberia established a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to shed light on the acts of violence committed [from the 1970s to the 1990s]. But President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf herself  is mentioned in the final report, which has yet to be adopted.”


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Philippines, Malaysia: Twitter support for football teams · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Filipinos use the #philippinesazkals hashtag while Malaysians use #harimaumalaya to cheer for their respective football teams on twitter. Both teams won against their opponents with the Philippines winning over Sri Lanka and Malaysia over Taiwan

author: Mong Palatino


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Reacting On Indian Prime Minister’s Remarks On Bangladesh  · Global Voices
Rezwan

Tacitaeterno at In The Middle Of Nowhere analyzes Indian PM Dr. Manmohan Singh's derogatory remarks on Bangladesh and compares India's grants in Afghanistan and the line of credit offered to Bangladesh.


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Serbia: Serbs Seek Refuge from Politics and Tabloid News in Citizen Journalism · Global Voices
Danica Radisic

In Serbia, people will often speak of the lack of transparency, trivial subjectivity, badly hidden political messages in the mainstream media that citizens are to swallow as “news” – as well as the all-around lack of real reporting and investigative journalism. People speak of it. And then diligently return to the trials and tribulations of everyday life in the Balkans. We are “in the know.” We just don’t know where to begin doing something about it.
Serbia’s bloggers seem to be looking into finding a solution, however. More often than ever, blog posts on the state of the media and journalism seem to be popping up in the local blogosphere. Their tone is mostly sarcastic, condescending, derogatory, even latently angry – and with reason.
Among the first of these recent blog posts are those by Milko Grmusa from Republika Srpska, who authors Thesis-antithesis-synthesis, a blog that is meant to spark discussion and elaboration on several subjects. The post below – titled Media and Journalists In This Region Are Impotent and Illiterate, and That’s That [sr] – seems to have done that:
We are now referring particularly to the media from our region. This includes web portals, print and electronic media. In fact, we are referring to the traditional media (television, print, radio), supported by [respective] web portals. Twitter, Facebook and other social networks, including blogs, are to be left aside for now, as we need to focus on those who do (or should be doing) this kind of work professionally. […]
I am entirely convinced that a good portion of the problem within the regional political communities lies in the lack of quality media. There is no tranference of (political) messages in an appropriate manner. And where there is no exchange of relevant information, and at the right time, there can simply be no quality political, economic or any other socially significant process. The absolutely unprofessional and poor-quality local media have caused this “break in connection” between social institutions, thus making society itself entirely inefficient. Of course, bad media aren’t to blame for everything, but they are to blame for much and too much.
One of the online responses to Grmusa’s post was by a blogger known as exxx of www.exxxperiment.net, titled Revolution of Consciousness [sr]:
First of all, the media are the central wheel in the mechanism of the ruling political system. Its main support, right hand, pipeline and guardian of power. Political systems and ruling administrations may change, but the media remain, always in the service of those in power…
I would just like to add [to Milko Grmusa’s post] and say that the purpose of mass media isn’t to be the catalyst in changing social processes, but to keep the masses under control for the longer survival on the throne of the ruling administration, i.e. political option…
The catalysts in that sense can only be books, films, music and, I’ll dare to say, blogs. Twitter and Facebook have, in North Africa, proven to be very efficient and effective tools in starting revolutions. The goal is to invoke a revolution in the consciousness of the people.
@Mahlat, a Serbian blogger and author rather well-known for her highly opinionated, uncensored and colloquial view on matters, penned a critique just days ago on the involvement of politics in and the general state of journalism in Serbia. Unabashedly written and equally titled On My Knees I Beg the “Journalists” of the Land of Serbia, the post addresses Serbia’s “journalists” [sr]:
Since [the Serbian President Boris Tadić] has stated that the crisis is to blame for the lay-offs and general madness in the country, tell us where that crisis is so we can wring its throat…
Declare the above-mentioned gentleman the greatest son of the people and general patriotism of the Serbian nation since the first Belo-Serbs crossed whichever mountain, don’t pussyfoot around it any more…
And, while he’s in question, inform us as to his decision on which year is historic to Serbs, the one in which he was born, in which he learned to walk, became emperor or stood in front of a mirror and figured out which facial expression best suits him. So our souls can be at ease…
Regularly inform us of the scanning of Ada [Ada Ciganlija, an island on a large man-made lake on the Sava river and popular summer spot in Belgrade], perhaps someone else’s bones will be found beside those of [Draža Mihailović]. Or perhaps it might prove that those first humans didn’t originate from African territory but from right here…
Suggest that every school in Serbia bear the name of [tennis player Novak Djokovic] and, instead of [Saint Sava]’s, hang a picture of Novak’s dad on the walls, he did make him and the nation is in debt to him after all…
Do explain who your editors are when you serve up the inaugurations of lightposts, planting of petunias and whether the Avala Tower has topped the Empire State as the news of the day. And will Serbia be declared the land of the greatest innovation in building bridges over rivers, a leader in the battle against piracy and a great respecter of animal rights.
And explain how Pippa Middleton going topless is news and in the Culture section of the news at that.
If this is too tough for you, then f*** it!
Mahlat signs her bold post with “Shamed citizen of Serbia.”
To be fair, the media and journalists in Serbia have much more freedom than in some other countries, where atrocities, prison and death sentences will encounter any journalist or even citizen who might state even the mildest opinion that counters that of the country’s regime. And on the flip-side of the above-represented bloggers’ opinions of journalism are the journalists themselves: they often lack the necessary tools and financing to do their jobs properly and, thus, often desist from doing their jobs entirely and dedicate themselves to headlines that will sell (note that Serbia has more tabloid editions per capita than any other country in the world). All this, however, is no reason to ignore the obvious lack of variety of information and opinions in the local and even regional mass media here.
Two months ago, UNESCO’s International Press Freedom Day was marked in Serbia. At the time and at a more recent event of the European Federation of Journalists in Belgrade, journalists took the opportunity to appeal to the public and the authorities for protection from certain elements that so obviously threaten their position in Serbia. The online edition of Serbia’s daily Blic quotes President Tadic [sr] in regards to this matter as well as on several yet-unsolved cases of murdered Serbian journalists:
“I completely understand your plea and pressure, but, as is the case with the Hague Tribunal, this pressure is futile. I understand this as my mission and my duty and I am confident that the representatives of the Government who are responsible for this matter do as well.”
The Serbian Media Research Center also published a post on their site [sr] on the subject of what represents a threat to members of the media in Serbia:
The media in Serbia are not only in a bad position due to the economic crisis, but also because their rights are threatened by the owners [of media] and the state […].
Another report on the European Federation of Journalists event can be found on a Belgrade news portal, titled The Unfreedom of Media in Serbia [sr]. The article tells a similar tale:
The state of freedom of the media in Serbia is not satisfactory and most of those employed in the media have very low salaries and are exposed to pressure from various forms of formal and informal centers of power…
There are, of course, two sides to every story and the truth is never found on either of those sides. The truth, ironically, is what true journalism should be in pursuit of. The only truth visible to the plain-clothed citizen here is: something just ain’t right with the Serbian media. On either side. On top of that, the fact that freedom of the press and freedom of speech are less repressed here than in some other countries, yet not quite as well established and safe as in some others doesn’t help. In fact, the in-between is often the hardest place to be.
As a blogger, this Global Voices author may be somewhat subjective when in comes to this subject, but there does seem to be an in-between solution rising in this case – citizen media. Or bloggers, if you will. Other than expressing their opinions vividly and regularly online, Serbia’s bloggers have opened doors to a few institutions and are talking to the people in charge.
Just yesterday, one of Serbia’s most popular bloggers, lovingly known as Deda Bor (Grandpa Bor), organized a Tweetup, or a gathering of Twitter users, bloggers and other online personas, that had the goal of not only allowing members of the community to get to know each other better, but also to promote blogs as a significant medium. A few government officials and top-level executives from large Serbian corporations were present and the event got coverage in at least one of today’s dailies.
"Twitterers at Usce", photo by Irena Posin (@iposin), used with permission
Ivan Minic, founder and manager of Serbia's most popular online forum, Burek, that numbers over 1.2 million registered users, was at the event and had this to say for Global Voices:
It is amazing to see so many people from different social circles gather around one idea […]. Watching all of them having such a good time both online and offline triggers a warm feeling for all of us who have spent most of our lives trying to help people connect, and spread the good Internet as a channel for communication. From the deepest underground, in just a couple of years we made it to the mainstream – where we belong.

author: Danica Radisic


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Social Media Day PTY in Panama · Global Voices
Ariel Moreno

On Thursday June 30, 2011 Social Media Day took place in Panama. As its site, SocialMediaPTY [es], explains:
El Social Media Day es un evento que se realizará mundialmente, hasta ahora en 1374 ciudades alrededor del planeta. Es muy interesante ver todo lo que está generando esta celebración en todos lados, y afortunadamente Panamá también está haciendo bulla con nuestra propia celebración el Social Media Day Panamá, en Twitter seguido bajo el hashtag #SMDayPTY.
Attendees of the event  @monosg photo used with premission
The presence of Twitter users and bloggers did not disappoint. In an interactive atmosphere perfect for the occasion and with a high turnout, the Social Media Day Panama 2011 took place in the Ciudad del Saber [es] Convention Centre.
The event was very well organised and had an excellent Wi-fi connection which resulted in many tweets coming from the event location, where the participants stressed the important points of the lectures as well as expressing their satisfaction with the event.
As in the case of  Edson Gómez (@BaRulaCo) who tweeted what the highlight of the lecture given by Juan Cruz Soares (@monosg) was for him:
#SMdayPTY @monosg: “siempre ponganse del lado de las personas que los va a leer”
Or Leilani Gonzalez (@Le1laini) who summarised part of the lessons with the following tweet:
“La técnica está por encima de la plataforma. La creatividad está por encima de la tecnología.”
I had the opportunity to attend the event and I left full of encouragement and challenges. I captured part of this in an entry in my personal blog Contrapunto [es]:
Tomando en cuenta que hoy en día manejar la red es un asunto vital me sentí muy orgulloso de ver cómo se levanta una nueva ola de jóvenes (y no tan jóvenes) interesados en hacer las cosas de una forma diferente, aprovechando el estar vivos en el 2011. Ya va siendo hora que nuestra presencia en el mundo virtual marque una diferencia para Panamá en el mundo real.
The Ciudad del saber [es] site also came to its own conclusions:
Es por eso que se acabó la era en que las grandes compañías hablan y la gente escucha; ahora la gente tiene su voz y es a través de las redes sociales donde se escuchará.
In conclusion, the Social Media Party was a success in all aspects. Hopefully the lessons will be applied and we will have more and better social network users in Panama. Argenis Bolivar (@argenisbolivar), one of the speakers at the event, tweeted after he had finished participating:
http://ow.ly/i/dHom éxito total #SMDayPty, con quien tenemos q hablar para pedir el estadio nacional para el 2012? Gracias a todos!! #smday
http://ow.ly/i/dHom complete success #SMDayPty, who do we have to talk to about getting the national stadium for 2012? Thanks everyone!! #smday

author: Ariel Moreno


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Thailand: Netizens React to Opposition Victory · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Opposition candidate Yingluck Shinawatra is set to become Thailand’s first female Prime Minister as her Pheu Thai party won more than 260 seats in today’s general elections. Yingluck is the youngest sister of Thailand’s ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Incumbent Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has already conceded defeat on national television.
The elections were liveblogged by Newley Purnell, Siam Voices, Bangkok Pundit, and Khi Kwai. Thai netizens used the twitter #thaielection hashtag to monitor election reports and results. Richard Barrow posted election photos on posterous and Facebook.
Here are some reactions from Twitter:
@lollylollz: Not saying I agree with the results, just that it's still the ppl's decision – shouldn't we just accept it and move on?
@vahncitis: @gun_zlinger: You guys have deserved the karma that you guys, the majority, have done #ThaiElection < < Yes, we'll enjoy this good karma. .
@georgebkk: RT @notThanongK: Remember folks, it's not the winning that counts, but the taking it apart afterwards
@poobist: RT @pisa_fye: our new PM needs a new script writing team and a public speaking course ASAP!!
@sarendra: Time for #Thai politics to heal and move forward. Time for the King and the Army to stop meddling. #Thailand will sm:)le again
Yingluck Shinawatra
Thaksin was ousted by a coup in 2006. He is now in exile to avoid being detained on a corruption conviction. Newley Purnell is curious about the fate of Thaksin now that his party has won again in the polls:
There has been much discussion, in the past, about whether or not the army would accept another Thaksin friendly government.
Thai political pundits, in discussions on TV tonight, have referred to amnesty for Thaksin as a non-starter.
There’s no telling what could happen, they’ve said, if the exiled billionaire returns to Thailand.
But would Pheu Thai really push for amnesty?
We shall see what the weeks ahead hold in store.
Siam Voices reflects on the lessons of the recent election campaign and the challenges to be faced by the new government:
We’ll most likely get our first female prime minister; the opposition (both parliamentary and extra-parliamentary) have reasons to celebrate; the Democrat Party have gambled with their negative campaigning and ultimately lost while Yingluck has won not only because of her exiled brother, but also because of her soft approach; that being an straight-forward, angry underdog gets you somewhere and that Thai exit polls are crap and we should be careful not to be fooled by the flashy numbers…
What is important now is where the new government puts its priorities first and how it handles the many crisis the country is facing – how will they tackle the rising food prices? Will they try to form reconciliation, even at the cost of justice? How free will prime minister Yingluck be of influence from outside the democratic institutions and from abroad? Ultimately: Will the will of the people be heard?
Andrew Walker and Nicholas Farrelly, writing for the New Mandala, hopes that Thailand will rebuild its confidence in the electoral and democratic processes:
Tonight’s result is a remarkable return to power for a political force that was forced out at the barrel of a gun on the night of 19 September 2006. In the years since then it has been constantly disrupted by royalist, military and judicial interventions. With more than 100 of its leading figures banned from politics Phaua Thai has succeeded in solidly defeating the very best the venerable Democrat Party can pitch against it.
Thailand now has an opportunity to start re-building faith in the electoral process.  It would be a national tragedy if this opportunity was squandered.
Voter shows her election ballot. Photo from Posterous page of Richard Barrow
Oneditorial was able to vote from another country:
To me, it does not matter if the party for which I voted wins the election or not. I just wanted to express my democratic right for once. If the party I don’t like wins the election, I will sincerely congratulate them. Everyone should accept the outcome whether they approve or not; otherwise the country will go back to the same chaotic cycle of Yellow and Red. Nobody likes corrupt politicians. But to address this problem, everyone should agree that it should be done within the democratic process.
The Yellow and Red groups he mentioned refer to the anti-Thaksin Yellow protesters who organized the 2008 airport takeover; while the Red Shirts are anti-Abhisit protesters who organized Bangkok street barricades last year.
Robert Amsterdam, a supporter of Red Shirts, identifies the difficulties encountered by the opposition:
The election result is all the more stunning when we consider the odds Pheu Thai was up against. Even with the full backing of the state, the assistance of the army, the disenfranchisement of hundreds of thousands of voters, the control of the media, the jailing of our candidates, and the disqualification of dozens of our leading politicians, the Democrats were no match for a party, and a movement, that have inspired and empowered millions of Thai citizens.
Elections were generally peaceful although some problems were also encountered like missing names of voters, spoiled and disqualified ballots, long lines in voting centers, and allegations of illegal campaigning.


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Bangladesh: Social Business Day · Global Voices
Rezwan

An Ordinary Citizen attended Social Business Day, which was held in Dhaka on the 28th of June, 2011 and writes about his experience. The premier discussion session was chaired by Nobel Laureate Dr. Mohammad Yunus.


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Bolivia: Monitoring Politicians’ Twitter Performance · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Every month, blogger Pablo Andrés Rivero monitors [es] how Bolivian politicians are doing on Twitter. For the month of June [es], he ranks politicians by followers (with Senator Canta Rek at the top) and by influence (looking at growth of followers, re-tweets and mentions).

author: Silvia Viñas


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Brazil: Inappropriate Use of a Newspaper’s Logo · Global Voices
Raphael Tsavkko Garcia

Lino Bocchini, from the blog Desculpe a Nossa Falha wonders [pt] if the Brazilian MTV and its owner, Editora Abril, will also be sued by the newspaper Folha de São Paulo due to the use of Folha's logo within the same satirical context of the now censored fAlha de São Paulo in a humorous show.


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Business Ethics and Culture Clashes in China · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

David Wolf from Silicon Hutong outlines some issues regarding business ethics and cultural differences for foreign joint ventures in China.


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Cape Verde: Demonstration Against Violence · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

The organization of a peaceful demonstration against violence in Cape Verde, scheduled for July 5, has already more than 12,000 accepted invitations on Facebook [pt].

author: Sara Moreira


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Caribbean: Happy 4th  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Regional bloggers send July 4th greetings.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Cuba: Political Implications of Chavez’ Illness · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“For several days, millions of people tried to decipher what happened in the hospital room where Hugo Chavez is resting. Because beyond the resilience of an individual, in that room is defined a part of the road map of this Island…”: Generation Y explains how “to care for Chavez is to preserve the presidential seat, to lose him could hasten Raul’s own downfall”; this post at Babalu underscores the point.


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Denmark: Two Months of Rain in Two Hours · Global Voices
Solana Larsen

From an allotment garden in Copenhagen, Denmark, garden enthusiast and journalist Dan Larsen posts a humorously dramatic video on YouTube of extensive flooding after two months worth of rain fell in just two hours on July 2, 2011.

author: Solana Larsen


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Greece: “We Gave Birth to Democracy, and We Killed It!” · Global Voices
Jasmina Babic

Below is one of the many stories that you hear these days in the streets of Athens; it stands out because it is part of an article titled Flirting With Death, written by Giorgos Aygeropoulos, an award-winning Greek journalist known for his coverage of clashes, wars and protests:
[…] Let’s take things from the beginning. At about 13.30 there are a lot of people gathered in front of the Parliament. They are not hood-wearers. They are not throwing rocks. They are elderly, young, women, men, students, workers, unemployed who are shouting slogans, who are making the familiar hand gesture to the Parliament, and the most hot-blooded are right in front—at the most they launched insults and shook the railings which were set up in front of the monument of the Unknown Soldier. Nothing important in other words which would justify what would follow. All of a sudden, from everywhere, from right, from left, and from the centre, a general attack of the police forces began which pushed the protestors towards the steps of Syntagma Square. Imagine thousands of people running frantically towards a narrow opening of a width of not more than 10 metres. From behind them the riot police throw stun and flash grenades into the crowd and teargas, creating panic. People are burned by the flames, drowned in the tear gas, they can’t see in front of them, and they start to step on one another and to tumble down the steps. People faint, others are stepped on in the blood. Despite all this, the police do not leave. They hit anyone they  find in front of them with their clubs, people in other words who are running to save themselves, stepping on one another. […]
After more than a month of peaceful protests and gatherings at Syntagma (Constitution) Square, protesters were planning to surround the House of the Parliament last Wednesday, June 29, the day for which the vote for the Mid-Term Austerity Programme had been scheduled. But the Greek autorities were determined to not let it happen.
According to Article 11 of the Greek Constitution, “outdoor assemblies may be prohibited by a reasoned police authority decision, in general if a serious threat to public security is imminent, and in a specific area, if a serious disturbance of social and economic life is threatened, as specified by law.”
In this case, there was no serious threat to public security, because the majority of the protesters were ordinary people with their families, angry with their government and disappointed with the politics that had led them to poverty. And the authorities needed Plan B – which was to attack and to fire up the already tense atmosphere.
One of the grenades thrown at the protesters in Athens, with the expiry date of 08-95. Twitpic photo by @Gerasimoschatzi (Makis Chatzidamianos), June 29, 2011.
Amnesty International issued a press release  on the use of chemicals in the streets of Athens on June 29. The Greek Medical Association for the Protection of the Environment and Against Nuclear and Biochemical Threat stated in its press realease [el] that the tear gas currently used by the riot police was a chemical weapon and forbidden to use against the enemy at war.
Despite hard conditions, twitter users who were taking part in the protests managed to send their messages to the world using the hashtags #Syntagma and #29jgr.
Below are some of the examples of the impressive work that was done via Twitter.
@TheLiveProject (ThePressProject.net):
Chemical war in Syntagma, day 2.Tons of tear gas.Protesters were a bit closer to the barrier than police felt comfortable with.
@northaura (spyros gkelis):
urgent, desperate call for doctors to immediately go #syntagma please RT there are injured people there and rescue team doesn't cope #29jgr
@thesspirit (Sofia Thesspirit):
thesspirit Sofia Thesspirit
Police just hit directly to us. We were running, I saw a man spitting blood, 3 more fainted 3 steps away from me. Its really bad.#Syntagma
@thesspirit:
Earlier today I heard the police radio orders and it was clear “evacuate the streets” and mins later police wiped off people with chemicals.
@thesspirit:
#syntagma sqr has been gas/flash bombed for 12 whole hours now #greekdemo #greekrevolution Plz RT so that the world knows what is happening.
The following YouTube video posted by user RealDemocracyGr shows, among other things, a protester in Athens calling to a police officer to leave the square and not to hit him – and the police officer hitting him with a baton stick:
What’s left after all this for Greeks is to wonder what kind of a political system their country has, with the public prosecutor still not reacting to the extreme violence by the police forces during these two days of protests on Tuseday, June 28, and Wednesday, June 29. This is clearly expressed in the following tweets:
@frantzisp (Panagiotis Frantzis):
What is happening in the centre of Athens has a name: proclamation of martial law by banning right of gathering and freedom. #Syntagma
@KostasVaxevanis:
Το μόνο Συνταγματικό αυτή τη στιγμή στην Αθηνα είναι η πλατεία Συντάγματος. Τα υπόλοιπα έχουν καταληθει. Να παρέμβει τώρα ο Πρωθυπουργος
@spdd (Stavros Papadakis):
εμείς γεννήσαμε τη δημοκρατία, εμείς τη σκοτώσαμε! Τουλάχιστον έχουμε το know-how!”
@Cyberela:
A state that is elected by the ppl & throw tones of tear-gass @ those ppl, is simply not a democratic state. It's a regime!#j29gr #syntagma

author: Jasmina Babic


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Guatemala: Photo Essay on the ‘March for Remembrance’ · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

“In Guatemala, June 30th is officially observed as Armed Forces Day. But since 2008, the military parade has ceased to march through the streets of the historical center in Guatemala City. Instead, the March for Remembrance has taken over Zone 1 for the fourth consecutive year to celebrate what many believe should more appropriately be deemed Heroes and Martyrs Day.” In MiMundo.org photojournalist James Rodríguez shares a photo essay of the march.


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Guyana: The Sounds of Nature  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Guyana-Gyal is “sit[ting] in the verandah…and listen[ing] to the thousand songs of life.”


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India: Judicial Verdict Vs. Public Outcry · Global Voices
Rezwan

Debolina Raja Gupta writes about the sensational trial of Maria Susairaj and Emily Jerome Matthew on the charges of cold blooded murder of Neeraj Grover. There had been a public outcry in India after Maria Susairaj was set free after serving only three years of sentence, the blogger informs in a following post.

author: Rezwan


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Puerto Rico: Boricua Artists at the Museo del Barrio · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

In El Punto Es [es], Mariángel González writes about the Puerto Rican artists [es] participating in New York City's Museo del Barrio exhibition titled “The (S) Files.”

author: Firuzeh Shokooh Valle


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Puerto Rico: New Online Magazine · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

Yasta.pr [es] is a new online magazine whose goal is “to create an outlet to thoroughly discuss, dissect and investigate daily issues that affect us all, in a serious, fair and balanced way.”


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Puerto Rico: On Al Jazeera Documentary · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

In the most recent #EnProfundo podcast [es], the team and collaborators discuss the Al Jazeera documentary “Puerto Rico: The Fiscal Experiment,” among many other topics.


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Puerto Rico: Research on Public Art · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

The art blog Fractal [es] published the first part of a series on public art in Puerto Rico [es] by graduate student Edén Bastida Kullick.


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Russia: Myth of the super rich? · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Anatoly Karlin of Sublime Oblivion discusses some quite interesting comparative statistics of Russian dollar billionaires as compared to the super rich of other countries internationally, putting the issue into some perspective.

author: Vilhelm Konnander


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South Korea:Hanjin Labor Workers’ Struggle Intensifies · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

As clashes between Hanjin Heavy Industries and its labor workers have continue to intensify, more net users have joined online protests by posting and retweeting photos of violent clampdowns. Jae Hee
consolidated tweets and news reports about the struggle in his Storify story.

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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South Sudan: Civilians in Abyei and southern Kordofan need protection · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Dhieu Williams says Civilians in Abyei and Southern Kordofan need protection: “The allegations of ethnic cleansing in Abyei and Southern Kordofan suggests a no fly zone, similar to the one that has been implemented in Libya, is needed to protect civilians. A solution to the fighting in these contested areas would be to allow all forces to fully withdraw from Abyei and southern Kordofan, and create a demilitarized zone.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Sri Lanka: Alcohol Policy Needs A Change · Global Voices
Rezwan

G.D. Dayaratne writes that Alcohol Policy in Sri Lanka needs to be rethought as it fails to address illicit alcohol consumption across the country and its consequences.


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Sri Lanka: International Opinion Against Alleged War Crimes · Global Voices
Rezwan

D.B.S. Jeyaraj informs that the Global Tamil Forum (GTF) is taking steps to mobilize International opinion against Sri Lanka over alleged war crimes & crimes against humanity.


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St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Educational Double Standards · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

As the Ministry of Education seeks to have certain rules bent for the Prime Minister's daughter, Abeni says: “Rules ought not to be shifted to accommodate persons depending on class/status.  It sends a terrible message… We often complain about the breakdown in society but then we facilitate and excuse our children's misdemeanors. How are our young people to learn to take responsibility for their actions?”


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Trinidad & Tobago: Bloggers to Follow  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Outlish profiles some of the top Trini bloggers.


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Venezuela: Reflecting on the Future  · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Several bloggers like ‘Caracas Gringo’, Alejandro Tarre [es] and Miguel Octavio have reflected about Venezuela's future after President Hugo Chávez revealed he was undergoing cancer treatment.


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West Africa: Cocoa – Two Figures Sum It Up · Global Voices
Abdoulaye Bah

Nadia  Khouri-Dagher observes in her article about the journey of the cocoa bean [fr]  on afrik.com   that: “West Africa represents 70% of world cocoa production, but only 3% of world cocoa consumption.”

author: Abdoulaye Bah


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Bermuda: Action Needed on Good Governance  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“We need anti-corruption laws.  We need whistleblowing statutes.  We need political finance reform.  We need to take the political Register of Interests seriously”: Vexed Bermoothes has had enough of all talk and no action.


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China: Popular Actress Sparks Homosexuality Debate · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Homosexuality is not a crime in China and in the past few years the gay community has become more visible in the Chinese online world. Last week, an overseas Chinese pastor's reaction to the legalization of same-sex marriage by the New York State Senate, was echoed by an award-winning actress Lu Liping [zh]. Their words have triggered a heated debate on Chinese social media site, Sina Weibo.
On June 26, 2011 Pastor Feng Wei from Rochester, New York  commented [zh] on Sina Weibo:
纽约州议会昨晚通过了同性恋婚姻合法化提案。这是美国第六个通过类似法案的州，也是最大的一个州。求神怜悯这片日益堕落的土地！即使有一天若这里法律规定反对同性恋会被判刑，我也仍然要传讲：同性恋是罪。神爱罪人，但神恨恶罪！信靠耶稣，胜过罪恶，出死入生。
Lu Liping thanking God during her Best Actress speech at the Golden Horse Award in Taipei
As a post on Shanghaiist on June 27 explains, Pastor Feng's post would have little effect in Weibo without actress Lu Liping's call [zh] for her 150,000 followers to support and retweet the post.
Gay activists have now called for a boycott of Lu's movies, and a number of actors and film makers have criticized Lu's homophobic comment publicly in Sina Weibo, for example Taiwanese actor, Cai Kangyong [zh] who says:
唉,台湾报纸也开始报导吕丽萍用微博鼓吹仇视同性恋的事了。吕小姐,你仇视的同性恋,并不是受伤不会痛的抽象名词,而是有血有肉的人呀!你此生合作过的剧组,提携过你的媒体,看你戏给你奖的支持者,其中多少同志對你善意成全?不管信什麽教,光从做人最根本的道理来说,鼓吹仇视这许多成全过你的人,可以吗？
Outside of the entertainment industry circle, a number of public opinion leaders in Weibo have also joined the discussion. Prominent blogger Lian Yue says [zh]:
吕丽萍用圣经攻击同性恋，很多人以其人之身还治其人，引了马太福音这段送给有多次婚姻史的她：“凡休妻的，若不是为淫乱的缘故，就是叫她作淫妇了；人若娶这被休的妇人，也是犯奸淫了。”若死抠圣经字眼，很容易整死他人，有人信基督，对他人行爱与包容，容易让人尊重，若以为有了惩罚权，就可憎了。
Fiction writer Mai Luoluo points out [zh]:
包容别人，等于同时完善自己。这是上帝赋予我们人性深处，最根本的正见。我不认为同性恋爱有何不正常。米开朗琪罗与自己的同性倾向战斗了一生，最后却是同性恋爱成就了艺术辉煌。他所绘的男性裸体很美很美。
Buddhist Monk Shi Zhensheng joins [zh] in the discussion:
佛教不會譴責同性戀是錯的，有罪的，佛教包容同性戀，但也不意味著鼓吹同性戀，只要不標榜，不排擠。佛教教導每一個人都要放下情執，“愛不重，不生娑婆”，這道理對同性、異性戀者而言，都是毫無分別的。佛陀對所有衆生都一視同仁，也知道所人有的煩惱同一出源。他們不一样，但沒有不同，阿彌陀佛！
Nevertheless, homophobic speech is quite common in the Chinese online world, and this debate has triggered quite a number of hateful comments. For example, “1284089530” says [zh]:
现在，同性恋变成了一种时髦，他们大力宣扬同性恋光荣，结果造成了社会上不少青少年纷纷模仿，这样对青少年的成长极为不利，是一种毒害。这样长久下去，男儿将不再阳刚，女性将不再柔美！我的一个小侄子，就被一个同性恋引诱成了同志，强制送到医院发现根本不是！
Guangzhou Lawyer Ou Zhengbiao opposes [zh] the legalization of homosexuality:
必须旗帜鲜明的反对同性恋合法化！国之将亡、必有妖孽！正因为同性恋有违阴阳平衡的自然规律，有侼人伦道德，因此并不仅仅是社会问题，而且还关系着人类繁衍大事，用某知名网友的话来讲，简直就是反人类的罪行！综上所述，假如同性恋合法化，将标志着人类走向灭亡这个“伟大进程”的正式开始，要不得啊
Nevertheless, several polls show that the majority of netizens accept and supports the choice of homosexual couples. According to a poll from ifeng.com [zh], about 70% of netizens respect the choices of a homosexual minority and about 60% support the legalization of homosexual marriage. The result of this poll is consistent with another Weibo poll in which more than 70% supported the choice of homosexual love and around 15% remain neutral. However, the poll has been deleted today by the Weibo administrator.
Another Weibo poll [zh] (right) with the rather odd phrasing asking, “Would you support your siblings and close friends in becoming homosexual?” has the following result: 20% absolutely oppose; 33% neutral and 46% support.

author: Oiwan Lam


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China: Security Problem of the World’s Longest Bridge  · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

China opened the world's longest bridge in Qingdao on June 30, 2011. However, local media found out that the crash barriers haven't been fixed yet. Hundreds of Weibo users criticized[zh] the local government's negligence in quality check.


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Colombia: Killings of Indigenous Zenú Attributed to Paramilitaries · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Ahni in Intercontinental Cry reports: “During the last week of June, paramilitary groups shot and killed five Zenú (Senu) indigenous people in northeastern Colombia, including a vice-governor from the community of La 18 and two of his sons. A total of thirteen Zenú have died this year at the hands of paramilitaries.”


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East Timor: Urging Proper Investigation on Child Labor · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

After recording a short video titled ‘Possible Child Labor with Timor Leste Heavy Oil Mega Project‘, Josh Trindade, a Timorese sociologist, says UNICEF and ILO should conduct a “proper investigation”. According to the Government of East Timor, in 2009-2010, 1,000 children between 10 and 14 years old were active labor force in the country [.pdf].


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India: Amazing Show Of Hindu Muslim Unity · Global Voices
Rezwan

Deshgujrat.com posts a photo story showing Hindu Muslim unity during  Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra in Ahmedabad of Gujrat State in India.


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Iran: Satellite dishes confiscated  · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Here is a film showing Iranian security forces confiscated satellite dishes in Ardabil, in north western Iran, to prevent access to information.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Malaysia: More Arrested Before Planned Rally · Global Voices
Jerrenn Lam

More people have now been arrested for supporting the Bersih 2.0 rally that is planned for the 9 July, 2011.
An East Malaysian opposition leader, Christina Liew, posted on her blog that seven people were arrested for wearing Bersih yellow T-shirts and even normal clothing. According to her:
7 Pakatan Rakyat youth having breakfast at a Kedai Kopi in Asia City, 60 to 70 police came and arrested them. Out of 7, 3 wore yellow sport t shirt, 1 wore bersih tee shirt, remaining 3 wore normal shirt (baju biasa)
There was also a video that Liew posted on her blog, where she talked about the arrest of the people:
In an update, she said that they have been released on condition that they will have to report to the police on the 9 July.
Online news website Malaysiakini also carried reports of arrests of state assemblymen, and also reported that as of the 1 July, 121 people have been arrested. It also reported that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) have instructed television and radio stations to ‘demonise’ the rally.
Furthermore, leading English daily The Star reported that the MCMC has stated that it will shut down any websites that ‘promote or help in organising the July 9 rally’.
As of July 3, another six people were arrested according to Malaysiakini.
A video has also surfaced on YouTube that is becoming more and more popular, that filmed the arrest of the first 14 people arrested which was cited in the previous Global Voices report:
There is also a video claiming to be Bersih's theme song, using footage from the 2007 Bersih rally to Maher Zain's Freedom:
The Bersih Twitter account has been very active, and has almost 5,000 followers. Among some of the tweets involving Bersih 2.0 are:
@40square: In a real democracy peaceful marches are allowed
@winnielwn: @bersih2 is about FAIR and CLEAN election. What the heck has made u to arrest so many ppl?
@jakangboo: #Bersih is not about BN vs PR; malay vs non-malay. We, the citizen of Malaysia just want free, fair n transparent govmt.
@mariachin: Dark day for justice. Najib dashed all hopes of his 1 Malaysia Transformation programme by declaring Bersih 2.0 illegal
The Prime Minister’s Twitter account has no mention of the incident. On Facebook, the Bersih 2.0 page has gained nearly 40,000 ‘Likes’.
There is also a news report announcing that Amnesty International has called for the government to allow the rally to continue.
Thumbnail image shows man holding his Bersih T-shirt at the last rally in November 2007. Photo by Flickr user wormy lau (CC BY-NC 2.0).

author: Jerrenn Lam


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Mexico: Neighborhood Affected by Floods Feels Abandoned on Election Day · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

On Sunday, July 3, the state of Mexico held gubernatorial elections, but Daniel Hernandez in the Los Angeles Times blog La Plaza reports that in the Colonia Franja del Valle de Mexico neighborhood “residents did not have the time or the energy to go the polls. They spent most of Sunday piling up the debris of the homes, ruined after a canal overflowed in heavy rains late last week.”


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Morocco: Protests Over Reform Continue · Global Voices
Hisham Almiraat

This post is part of our special coverage Morocco Protests 2011.
On Friday 1 July, 2011, Morocco voted in a referendum on a draft Constitution proposed by King Mohammed VI. Official results show an overwhelming support of the reform, with more than 98 per cent saying ‘Yes’.
Democracy protesters have been calling for the establishment of a parliamentary monarchy with a clear separation of powers. By consecrating the King as head of the State, the Judiciary and the military, the proposed Constitution, the protesters say, fell short of their demands, offering only limited powers to the prime minister and parliament.
The democracy movement contested the results, denouncing widespread irregularities. Bloggers have been sharing videos supposedly showing violations of electoral law during election day.
The blog 24-Mamfakinch published the following video showing unidentified individuals, allegedly tampering with a ballot box well after the closure of the polling station and before any votes were counted:
YouTube user ReferendumMaroc shares this video which shows a large banner erected at the entrance of a polling station in the city of Marrakech, urging people to vote in favor of the draft Constitution. If confirmed, this could be a clear violation of electoral law:
Despite the referendum confirming amendments to the Constitution, thousands took the streets on Sunday rejecting the proposed reform. There were also rallies on Sunday in support of the King, who is still popular.
These videos, respectively from Tangier Rabat and Casablanca, were posted by 24-Mamfakinch:
Protesters say the changes do not go far enough and are pledging to keep up pressure on the regime until what they consider real reforms are implemented.
This post is part of our special coverage Morocco Protests 2011.

author: Hisham Almiraat


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Morocco: Reform With the Taste of an Unfinished Business · Global Voices
Hisham Almiraat

This post is part of our special coverage Morocco Protests 2011.
After several months of street protests, King Mohammed VI, submitted a draft constitution to a popular referendum on Friday. According to official results, the proposed document received a 98 per cent approval rating, in a poll that drove massive turnout (73%) among registered voters. Supporters of the new constitution celebrate what they say is an important step towards democracy.
The pro-democracy movement which called for a boycott, considers that the new constitution falls short of the protesters’ demands and challenges the results announced by the government. The youth-based February 20 movement, which has been leading the protests for the last four months, denounces a hollow bid to diffuse popular anger.
Moroccans rally for reform. Picture posted on Flickr by Magharebia under a CC Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
Never before has the Moroccan blogosphere been so agitated. The heated debate shaking the Moroccan society was reflected online. Some are willing to accept the result and support the reform proposed by the King. Others question the legitimacy of a process, they say, was grossly imbalanced and marred with irregularities.
Blogger Ibn Kafka publishes [fr] this anonymous voter's comment:
Dans l’absolu, j’aurai pu penser « Oui » mais la méthode en soi m’agace, elle clame le « Oui à la nouvelle constitution » sensé représenter le changement, mais tout le processus crie le « Non » , il veut dire pour moi « Nos méthodes sont restées les mêmes, vous avez quinze jours pour avaler 180 articles et les approuver, et surtout n’allez pas croire que quelque chose a changé« .
Pourquoi ai-je le sentiment d’être victime d’une gigantesque mascarade ?
Why do I feel like the victim of a gigantic farce?
Myrtus, a Dutch-Moroccan, went out on Friday to vote for the first time. She thinks Morocco should be satisfied with what she considers a gradual evolution toward a full-fledged democracy. She writes:
Installing an overnight democracy could possibly destabilize the nation, so I personally prefer the separation of powers in gradual increments as society continues to evolve.
Let's face it, if we were to hold a new election in a few months, it's not like the current crop of politicians are going to magically disappear from the political scene and we'll have a brand new pool of capable, reform minded politicians to choose from.
Hind is a blogger living in northern Morocco. She, as well, cast her vote for the first time. She explains [ar] what motivates her vote:
Wordsforchange believes the referendum result reveals what she interprets as a gap between the Moroccan elite and “the masses.” She writes:
[T]his 98.5% shows how much the new Moroccan ‘‘elites’’ are isolated in their virtual world and closed circles with people who look exactly like themselves, to the extent that they really believed for a second that the Moroccan masses will revolt. [T]his referendum is a reality check.
Blogger thestrategist is satisfied with the outcome and says political parties should follow suit and adapt to change. He writes:
The real question is now that Moroccan political conscience is alive and well, with this massive turnout, will the political parties be able to follow suit? We might see a major redefinition of the political landscape in Morocco, as youth, also part of this referendum and society will seek to further explore their political options and look for the most representative [political] parties. Old ones are discredited by their reputations. Their leading figures are not very likable, so either a new younger class of leaders will emerge from these parties or they will disappear, since they don't represent anyone but themselves.
Blogger Citoyen Hmida agrees. He thinks it is time to overcome political differences and translate the newly adopted document into reality. He writes [fr]:
Cette nouvelle constitution n’aura de sens que si elle est suivie d’effet : le prochain parlement aura un rôle historique (le mot n’est pas innocent) car il devra voter une pléthore de lois pour  rendre  viable ce texte fondamental!
Le Maroc est-il prêt à relever le défi ?
Surement, si l’on reste unis!
QUE CHACUN DE NOUS RETROUSSE  SES MANCHES ET CONTRIBUE A FAIRE BOUGER CE PAYS! Le temps n’est plus ni aux slogans vides ni aux gesticulations vaines!
Veteran Moroccan blogger Larbi has been regularly live-reporting from demonstrations in Rabat and Casablanca lately. For the youth-based February 20 movement, he has this to say [fr]:
J’étais honoré et heureux de partager avec eux le combat démocratique à travers plusieurs manifestations, la répression parfois, les intimidations souvent, et tout récemment la haine d’une foule fanatisée par le pouvoir. Certains sont devenus des amis. Et croyez-moi sur parole, ces jeunes gens sont loin de la caricature de monstres haineux qui leur ai donnée par le pouvoir et ses officines. Bien souvent ce sont des jeunes femmes et jeunes hommes de qualité passionnés et aimant leur pays.
The outcome of the referendum may have delighted some, but it has frustrated many others who think the changes don't go far enough. There is a sense of uncertainty and discouragement among protesters. Larbi sees no reason for despair. He writes [fr]:
Le regard lucide qu’il convient d’avoir sur le référendum du vendredi dernier, ne doit pas nous conduire au découragement et au renoncement. Il n’y a pas de raison à désespérer. Quelque chose s’est définitivement levée le 20 février et ce n’est pas la parodie de consultation référendaire qui peut l’arrêter. Mamfakinch [nous ne lacherons rien] et nous nous battrons !
Thousands of democracy supporters took the streets on Sunday, pledging to keep up weekly protests until they get what they see as real reform.
This post is part of our special coverage Morocco Protests 2011.


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Nepal: Indian Movie Banned By Censor Board  · Global Voices
Rezwan

Pradeep Kumar Singh reports that a Bollywood movie called “Delhi Belly” had been banned in Nepal because of use of explicit language dialogues. The ban was lifted after the distributor agreed to remove the alleged explicit dialogues from the movie.


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Poland: Citizen Initiative for Complete Abortion Ban · Global Voices
Kasia Odrozek

This post is part of our special coverage Global Development 2011.
Some 600,000 people have signed a petition in support of the draft amendment [pl, pdf] to Poland's abortion law intending to ban abortion in Poland without exceptions – even when the life of a woman is threatened. On July 1, 2011, against a motion of the Democratic Left Alliance Party to dismiss the proposal after the first reading, the Polish Parliament (the Sejm) voted in favour of the draft and passed it to further discussion in the parliamentary committee.
Currently, Poland has one of the most restrictive abortion laws in Europe, a result of a compromise between political parties. According to the current legislation, abortion is banned except under the following three circumstances: when a woman's life or health is endangered; when pregnancy is the result of a criminal act; or when the fetus is seriously malformed. Pregnant women are not subject to penalty, but everyone else involved is: this might be a doctor who carried out the abortion, or a person who persuaded the woman to abort.
The draft amendment was submitted by the Citizen Legislative Committee created by PRO–Right to Life Foundation [pl]. It is officially supported by the clergy [pl] and has caused many protests. According to a a survey [pl] ordered by PRO–Right to Life Foundation, 65 percent of the Poles are for protecting life from the moment of conception.
On Facebook [pl], PRO-Right to Life Foundation's page states:
We believe that abortion is a murder committed on an innocent person. We believe that at this moment the phenomenon takes features of a genocide. We believe that abortion in a civilised world is a scandal. That it why we take action.
Some 600,000 Poles have signed a petition in support of the draft amendment to ban abortion without exceptions. Photo by Flickr user bartheq (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0).
The proposal created a lot of controversies among Polish netizens. A male blogger going by the name Feminista007 is outraged [pl]:
What is scandalous about this debate is that one totally omits women and nobody from the “defenders” [of life] speaks a word about their lives. Many women in Poland died only because of bad medical treatment (or not being treated at all), because the doctors had a sensible conscience. This conscience often doesn't work in a private consulting room. The only thing that works there are market rules. The draft amendment won't protect life, it may only cause death of many women and strengthen the underground abortion business. […] One of the arguments of the initiative's supporters is that the project has indeed been signed by many people, around 500,000. But I would say that even if they had collected 25 million citizens’ signatures, non of these persons would have had a moral right to tell a woman whose life is in danger what she is supposed to do, regardless of whether he wears a cassock, trousers or a skirt.
On June 29, a Polish ethics professor and feminist Magdalena Środa wrote this [pl] on the Polish microblogging platform Blip:
I’m glad that this anti-feminine trash landed in the Parliament. It will start a debate about liberalization of the abortion law.
Środa also linked to a newspaper interview [pl], in which she claimed that many persons who have signed the petition were not really conscious of what they were doing:
I think that if they found themselves in a situation of rape, unwanted pregnancy or a choice between their own health and the life of their child or if it was their child who was pregnant, they would decide to abort.
Tomasz Terlikowski, a conservative Polish journalist and philosopher,  defends [pl] the initiative on his blog:
There can be no compromise that leads to killing people. In 2009, it was 549 persons, and from one year to another the amount of the killed is rising. We have to ask ourselves what is more important – human life or compromise? The killed ones or peace and quiet?
Many bloggers, as well as the mainstream media, discussed the issue as a natural part of the upcoming 2011 election campaign.
Feminista007 criticised [pl] the governing party Civic Platform, many of whose members didn’t show up for the voting and those who did – surprisingly many – voted in favor of the draft:
A huge, huge mistake! Not so long ago PM Donald Tusk declared that the Civic Platform would not kneel before a priest. You can't kneel if you're lying with your face on the ground! It is a pathological situation indeed when members of the parliament quail before the episcopate. Somehow it is understandable, because the election is coming up and, as always, the apolitical church will not point to the candidates but will pronounce for values. A question emerges: who is governing Poland?
While many voices focus on the excessive influence of the church in the debate, reakcjonistka argues [pl] on her blog:
Today nobody wants to have discussions with abortion opponents. It is enough to associate their beliefs with Catholic religion and here you go, you can reject their demands without any problems. […] Even if at the source of the opposition to abortion there is the Catholic worldview, that doesn't mean that there are no arguments behind it.
In the context of the debate, a number of feminist online portals, such as www.seksulanosc-kobiet.pl [pl], drew attention to a 2009 documentary called  ‘Underground Women's State’ [pl]. On the website and in the movie, the authors are trying to show the helplessness of the Polish pro-choice movement in the face of political bargains. The film features activists of the movement, from different generations, as well as eight women who had had illegal abortions and were talking about their experiences for the first time.
According to the description on YouTube, no distributor has risked buying and introducing the documentary to cinemas and no public or commercial television station aired it. Below you can watch a teaser, uploaded on YouTube by EntuzjastkiGF [pl] on September 17, 2009, with the English subtitles. (You can watch the entire movie, in Polish, on YouTube, here.)
The Democratic Left Alliance Party decided to use the debate to emphasize their own perspective. On July 4, they presented [pl] a bill to liberalize the abortion law. The party wants to introduce refundable legal abortion till the 12th week of pregnancy, funding for contraceptives and sexual education in schools. Rbik53 concluded [pl]:
…What a pity that the election campaign passes so quickly…
This post is part of our special coverage Global Development 2011.

author: Kasia Odrozek


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Puerto Rico: High Murder Rate  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“June 2011: 101 murders in one month in what is the bloodiest year to date in Our recent history”:  Gil the Jenius says that “almost all the blame for this lies in a purposely-created system…”


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Russia: Arctic armament · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Mia Bennett at Foreign Policy Blogs notes how Russia is strengthening its military presence in the Arctic by organizing new military units, thus adding to other countries’ increasing interest in the region.


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Russia: Vladivostok Bloggers Choose the City’s Flag · Global Voices
Masha

As the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit of 2012 approaches, the Russian maritime city of Vladivostok is busy with its preparations. Creative netizens meanwhile, have pointed out that the city does not have an official flag [ru] for the event. Often the authorities just use the blue St. Andrew’s cross on a red background. This is a flag typically used in the Russian Empire for all sea fortresses since 1889.
Wondering how officials will greet the delegates from various countries, the city's bloggers have suggested several possible ideas for a new flag. Yet what started as a serious initiative, has since ended up as a political prank.
The first recommended version of the flag has a tiger in the middle – a symbol of the city – with orange color symbolizing the dawn, a white seagull and a blue sea.
Suggested flag of Vladivostok by Live Journal user newsmaker_su
Another version slightly recalls the Ukrainian and American flags combined (see below). The blue stripe stands for the sea, yellow for the beach, whilst the 50 stars represent the 50 islands in the East Sea (Sea of Japan) near Vladivostok, and the seahorse signifies the city's maritime influence with its military, commercial, and fishing fleet.
Alternative flag of Vladivostok by LiveJournal user churkinsky_most
User zemlya25 called [ru] this version the “United Beaches of the Seaside.” Another enthusiast went further and suggested the following version of the flag:
Alternative version of Vladivostok flag by LiveJournal user huivstakane
In this effort the brown background stands for the filthy beaches and the sea: the author claims that it is important to highlight the dirty maritime identity of the city. The gray stripe symbolizes Vladivostok's filthy air and the gas pipes which soon will be built. The black holes represent the increased number of road potholes in the city, whilst the dead tiger and fish are running away to the West in a used Japanese car.
Some people have pointed out the absurdity of the exercise; user zairok pointed out [ru] that as well as not having a flag, “Vladivostok also does not have a subway, waterpark and a curling team.”
Eventually this creative exercise, which tells a lot about Vladivostok's netizens’ self-identity, ended with the following political statement, against Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin:
Vladivostok flag by Live Journal user chylym

author: Masha


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Serbia: Demanding Apology From Comedian Chelsea Handler · Global Voices
Sasa Milosevic

Nearly 44,000 Serbs have joined the Facebook group ‘Boycott of Chelsea Handler until she apologizes to the Serbian people‘, demanding an apology from the popular American female comedian for the offensive remarks she made about the Serbian nation during her show Chelsea Lately, aired on June 20, 2011.
The Facebook page explains that Handler “ruthlessly attacked Serbia and its people” for some three minutes with guests Chris Franjola, Natasha Leggero and Greg Proops. The comedian began by talking about Amy Winehouse‘s intoxicated performance in Belgrade on June 18, and, irritated by the fact that no one had even tried to stop the singer from appearing on the stage, she attacked the whole Serbian nation.
Facebook group ‘Boycott of Chelsea Handler until she apologizes to the Serbian people‘
Commenting on the fact that as many as 20,000 Serbian fans paid 40 euros for their tickets to enjoy Amy Winehouse's performance, Handler said:
I can’t believe they even allow Serbians to go to concerts. I didn’t even know that was going on over there…
One of the show's guests, Greg Proops, chimed in, while another one laughed uncontrollably:
They’re calling it a disaster in Serbia. This is a place they’ve had ethnic cleansing and genocide. Her concert was a bigger bummer than that… […] After Serbia, where was she going, like Kazakistan [sic] or something?
One of  the crucial reason for such a furious Serbian reaction was Handler's insult to Serbia's Minister of Defence Dragan Šutanovac, after a comment he had posted on his Facebook page, noting that “Amy  Winehouse's concert was a shame and a huge disappointment” – to which Handler's response was:
Well, so is your country.
Šutanovac, who has some 5,000 friends on Facebook, replied:
Dear friends, the show of “comedian” Chelsea made me react the same way as you did! Not funny, arrogant, shallow, mean… Only those who do not know anything about us, or want to insult us and draw our attention and anger, can make such comments about a country and its people! Having in mind that it is a show with fake applause of paid audience and comments from people who, to their disadvantage, are not even aware how little they know about Serbia, I did not want to react in a way that is expected from “uncivilized” Serbs! The whole idea was to irritate us and make us react exactly the way we were described, but I am not going to help them with it, on the contrary! Heads up, let’s go on, since they do not know who were Tesla, Pupin, Milankovic… Novak Djoković will teach them!
Marija Rajic [sr] comments sadly:
It is so miserable to compare us to criminals. I watched the series “Criminal Minds” and in one episode they saying that we have committed ethnic cleansing, and from that chaos were created mass murderers that kill in America…
James Sullivan wrote:
Chelsea Handler isn't going to apologize. Look at her past behavior. She's often stated that she dislikes minorities (people who aren't white). Many of her comments attack entire groups of people based on their ethnic and racial heritage and not because they said or did anything wrong. She also appears to dislike Eastern Europeans (Russians and Serbs). She's basically an unrepetant racist.
Richard Alan Koons Jr concluded:
I think its going a little far, first off she's protected by the first amendment which entitles her to freedom of speech, even if it's involving racism. I love Serbian people, and when I was in Europe they treated me like a king, it was offensive to even me when she said those things. Serbs are not bad people, but its a waste of time to be honest.
Sergej Nesic wrote:
I don't understand why those people paid all that money to see that junky loser [Amy Winehouse]. For that money they could've had a great night out in Belgrade. […]
In addition to the Facebook page, Jelena Ajdarević launched an online  petition also in an effort to draw attention to Handler’s remarks; so far, there are over 20,000 signatures there.
Handler's show has triggered a diplomatic reaction of the Serbian Embassy in the United States, which sent a protest letter to NBC Universal. In his letter, the Serbian Ambassador Vladmir Petrovic wrote:
[…] We urge Handler and her producers to revisit her list of “topics that cross the line” and add her slurs against Serbia and its people to it. We also urge her to think of causes dear to her heart, such as equality. Her superior tone and statements run afoul of her honorable efforts towards achieving true equality – be it between individuals, communities, or nations. […]
Handler has so far ignored the Serbian Facebook demand for apology, but Proops did apologize through Twitter:
Dear Serbs, they were jokes. Please accept my apology. I am well and truly sorry. Hvala.
While Serbians are demanding an apology from Handler, none of them mentions the fact that the Serbian comedy group ‘Kursadžije‘ has for years been insulting other Balkan nations with whom Serbia was at war during the 1990s. The group's enormous popularity shows that many Serbs do enjoy this kind of tasteless humor, as long as it is not directed at themselves.

author: Sasa Milosevic


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Syria: Did Man Film Himself Getting Shot by Sniper? · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011.
The following citizen video posted by user syria7ra on YouTube, where it seems that a citizen journalist who was recording disturbances in Syria caught the moment of his death on film, has had both press and netizens wondering about the authenticity of the images.
http://youtu.be/cp_ajN7Kqvc
The Guardian newspaper in the United Kingdom covered the story describing the video and the details they have been able to pick up, such as the video originating from the city of Homs; the narrator for the video begins by describing how on July 1, 2011, someone was shooting at citizens in the area of Karm al-Sham even though there were no demonstrations or apparent reasons for doing so. However the newspaper clarifies that the cameraman's identity is unknown and they have been unable to confirm either his identity or the authenticity of the video.
On the YouTube comments for the video, the same uncertainty is perceived:
JohnyR82 writes:
I am not sure if it's real or fake, but there are surely few questions. For example who was the citizen? What was his name? When and where dit it happen?
I mean, the video from his mobile phone haven't uploaded to YouTube by itself. Someone had to take his phone, transfer the video to PC and upload it to YouTube. And in this case there must be some details about the dead person, time, location and so on. Blurry video without any context is simply not enough.
Tahabali helps out with a translation in English of the voices heard in the video:
Translation: He initially says: “Security forces are firing at people in the Karm al-Shami neighborhood [this is in the central Syrian city of Homs], for no reason, not even a demonstration, today, July 1, 2011.” After being shot, a friend seems to have approached him and realized that, and asks: “you were shot in the head? Oh God! Oh God!”. He then, hardly intelligibly, keeps saying “quickly, quickly,” perhaps while pointing at something. His friend lastly says: “You want me to film?”
nerophyte also responds:
This is terrible! Although I do not agree with comments about this being faked, the guy filming this video was too nervous and distracted to notice the shooter aiming at him 2.5 seconds before shooting, the first time I saw this video I noticed the son of a bitch taking aim towards the camera. I'll have to agree with comments saying that probably you would freeze when aimed at by a gunner, but I still think that the lack of reaction (duck!) was due to nervousness/distraction due to all the fuss.
Th3a5 is one of those who believe the video is a hoax:
FAKE ! i do not see any flash from the gun and the camera is hidden , in reality the camera would fall etc… this is another fake to make more turmoil.
And bs9rwbb reacts with confusion as to what can be done to help by those outside the conflict:
it's sad, the international community should really do something about Syria, but it's hard to say what. Some of the comments here are pretty feckless, that man was trying to do something honorable in his life and he paid the ultimate price. He was braver than most of you.
This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011.

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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The North Korea Food Aid Dilemma · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

On July 4, the European Commission  pledged USD 14.5 million in emergency food  aid to help impoverished North  Koreans. The Opening Up North Korea blog posted an analysis on the timeless dilemma in aiding North Korea.


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Trinidad & Tobago: Blood Donation  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“What’s missing from the Blood Bank now is a readily shared message that will take people past the banking metaphor to a fresh and inspiring rationale for blood donation”: bitdepth blogs about donating blood and “the missteps of of the National Blood Transfusion Service over the last six months”.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Trinidad & Tobago: Flugtag Fiasco  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Plain Talk blogs about “the recently concluded Red Bull Flugtag”, which he says “could have been seen as either an amazing and fun filled event, a nightmare never to be experienced again or a tragic horror story…”


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Trinidad & Tobago: Here Comes the Rain  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Rain brings mixed emotions and the delightful confusion of love you feel for a place that is a most sometime-ish lover”: four fingers and a thumb 2.0 is listening to the sound of the rain.


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Tunisia: A Crucial Decision for the Tunisian Net  · Global Voices
Claire Ulrich

Reporters without borders  emphasize the importance of the appeal hearing due to start [fr] on July 4th, in a Tunis appeal court, against a court order to block porn sites.  “Like many Tunisian netizens, Reporters Without Borders are worried that this decision marks the  return of the censorship practices during the Ben Ali era and fear that the porn site filtering  (which has yet to be clearly defined) could pave the way for censorship  of other kinds of content.”

author: Claire Ulrich


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Ukraine: New twist to trial against politician · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

The trial against former Ukrainian interior minister, Yuri Lutsenko, has according to Foreign Notes taken a new twist. Allegations are now raised that the presiding judge is partial or has alterior motives, making Lutsenko demand his removal from the case.


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Wikimedia Bolivia Organizes First Event for Local Wikipedia Editors and Readers · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

The Bolivian Wikimedia [es] chapter gathered [es] local Wikipedia editors and readers for the first time. The event included a workshop for current and future content editors. You can see photos of the event on the group's blog [es].

author: Silvia Viñas


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Argentina: President Signs Decree to Ban Sex Ads in Newspapers · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

“President Cristina Kirchner signed a decree banning the publication of sex ads in local newspapers”, The Argentine Post reports, and adds: “banning the publication of sex ads may do little to prevent the kinky skin-friction business from thriving. […] Some local whorehouses even use Google Maps to woo Johns into their pleasure palaces. The ban on newspaper ads seems so old-school when today’s pleasure pushers are so Web 2.0.”


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Bahamas: Saving the Forests  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Ever since the pine forests of the Bahamas were logged during the first 60 or so years of the last century, their ultimate survival has been in jeopardy due to conflicts with agricultural and commercial development”: Blogging at Bahama Pundit, Larry Smith says that “a new Forestry Act passed last year could change that.”