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Brazil: Homeless squatters await eviction in São Paulo city center · Global Voices
Janet Gunter

In the aftermath of the Pinheirinho eviction in São Paulo state, police will be evicting a homeless squatter settlement in a disused building in downtown São Paulo this morning. According to the Frente de Luta por Moradia, a social movement (@LutaMoradia), a court ruled the city must provide for ‘basic necessities’ of the evicted.

author: Janet Gunter


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Cambodia: Mass Fainting in Garment Factories · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The Asia Floor Wage network is organizing Cambodia’s first ever People’s Tribunal on Minimum Living Wage and Decent Working Conditions for garment workers. The tribunal is scheduled on February 8, 2012, in Phnom Penh:
The garment industry in Cambodia represents 90% of all exports. However, despite its relative economic importance, workers receive only half of what is needed to safely support their families and the statutory minimum wage is currently the lowest in the Mekong region.
One of the major issues which will be discussed is the poor working conditions in factories which resulted in fainting incidents in numerous workplaces:
Another issue of concern currently facing garment factories and their workers has been mass fainting. In 2011 year alone, the Free Trade Union has reported some 2,300 workers fainting in 5 Cambodian factories… Investigations and company statements have varied in their conclusions on contributing factors, but many have highlighted physiological causes such as low blood sugar, malnutrition, dehydration, food poisoning and over-exertion.
Workers of King First Factory rushed to hospital after fainting. Photo from Community Legal Education Center on Facebook.
Joel Preston identifies the prominent global customers of King First Factory:
In the same year, King First Industrial confirmed their list of major customers and customer base to include:
“Wal-Mart, Target, Reebok, JC Penny, Urban Outfitters, Simply Vera, Abercrombie & Fitch, Anthropology, Cold Water Creek, Chico's, Catherines, Express, Federated/May Department Store, P.V.H, Hollister, Ruehl, L&T, Cato, George, Bisou Bisou, Greendog, Lane Bryant, Alfant, Charter Club, Metro 7, East 5th and American Rag.”
Despite the gargantuan profits being reaped by Cambodian garment factories, their parent companies and international buyers alike, King First Industrial Co. Ltd seems unable to provide their workers with a safe and healthful working environment. Contraventions of occupational health and safety expectations are interrelated to the pitiful wages that these workers receive.
The Community Legal Education Center also posted photos of workers who fainted in factories owned by Hung Wah (Cambodia) Garment Mfg. and Huey Chuen. The Fair Labor Association investigated the fainting cases in Huey Chuen and discovered that workers were compelled to work for very long hours:
Management and workers indicated that for the period March 27 to April 9, workers completed four hours of overtime on weekdays as well as on March 25, April 1, and April 8. Workers on the second floor indicated they felt compelled to work all night starting at 7 a.m. on Friday morning and finishing at 7 a.m. on Saturday morning. They also indicated they worked on Sunday 27 and April 3. Workers on the first and fifth floor did not work overnight but did work four hours of overtime on weekdays and Saturdays and Sundays.
LTO Cambodia thinks the mass faintings could be a case of mass hysteria:
The mass fainting are, for lack of a better term, ‘mass-hysteria,’ but by that I don't mean to diminish their significance. These factory workers are largely poor young women, often country girls, working in gray, stuffy, unpleasant conditions, homesick, pressured by family and harsh supervisors and doing mind-numbingly repetitive work for very little money (averaging $55-$61/month,) often for long hours.
Campaign to improve conditions of garment workers. Photo from Clean Clothes group.
Aside from the fainting issue, the tribunal hopes to address the complaints raised by 200,000 garment workers in Cambodia who went on strike last year. Below are the other goals of the tribunal:
- Establish the State of Decent Labour Standards, specifically focusing on Women Workers, in the global garment industry including the issue of fair pricing for manufacturers
– Present the impact of gender as a factor in determining the political economy of the global supply chain
– Provide leverage for building worker collectivity with bargaining power within the global supply chain and contribute to strengthening grassroots mobilization
– Contribute to strengthening the conditions of workers, in particular women workers, in the garment global supply chain
A petition was initiated urging H&M clothing company to join the tribunal:
H&M decided when cotton prices rose during 2010 and 2011 that they would kindly cover the costs so their customers wouldn’t suffer higher prices. Unfortunately, the courtesy doesn't extend to their suppliers working in Cambodian garment factories, 90% of whom are women.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Mong Palatino


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Colombia: What is in a name? · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

The Born on December 31st documentary by Priscila Padilla exposes a human rights violation the Wayuu indigenous group have been under. Many of their national IDs, mass produced to get important votes in election periods, state they were all born on the same date and feature offensive made-up names; which they were unable to notice because Spanish is not their native language.

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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Cuba: Another Building Collapses  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Another occupied building has collapsed in Havana, this time only partially and with no fatalities, but in the same district”: Havana Times reports.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Cuba: Monitoring the Resistance  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Pedazos de La Isla links to a report which states that “428 arbitrary arrests of activists were documented” for the month of January alone, as well as a blog post which details “yet another method of repression” being used against government critics.


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Cuba: Sad Songs  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Two bits of sad news from Havana Times: the first about the death of a Nueva Trova pioneer, and the second about a domestic dispute that ended in murder.


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Curacao: Diaspora & Development · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

More Than A Ruby visits Curacao and writes an interesting post about the dynamics of the African diaspora, calling the country “a global village that's kind of held together by a shared language, the Catholic religion, and Carnival, but otherwise people stay in their own huts.”


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Ethiopia: a Body of Legislative Acts Opposing Freedom of Speech · Global Voices
Abdoulaye Bah

Reporters without Borders released a report on freedom of expression  [fr] a report regarding the freedom of expression and the working conditions of Ethiopian journalists stating : “During the last three years the country has adopted a series of laws – on civil society, anti-terrorism etc. – against alleged breaches on the constitutional guaranteed rights of Ethiopia's people. It is partly this body of legislation that results in the contraction of democratic rights and degradation of freedom of speech.”

author: Abdoulaye Bah


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Kazakhstan: Astana, urbanist haven of state corporatism · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Molapse provides his analysis of the Kazakhstan's capital city, a newly built Left Bank of Astana, with a mix of artistic culturology and anthropology.

author: Adil Nurmakov


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Kazakhstan: Stability of the nation vital for the whole region · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Nathan Hamm reviews testimonies at the U.S. Congressional hearing, staged by the US Helsinki Commission about Kazakhstan’s stability, questioning whether or not Kazakhstan is as stable as its government claims.


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Kenya: War, Guns and Votes · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

What will be the impact of Kenya's war with Al Shabaab on the 2012/13 elections?: “A number of questions: will the heightened security requirements associated with the threat of terrorism from Al Shabaab also help secure the country against election violence? Or will security forces be used to intervene in the campaign instead, as in 2007?”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Kyrgyzstan: Tengrism on Trial  · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Nathan Hamm reports on a bizzare story of prosecution of Mr. Tezekbaev, an advocate of Tengrism (pagan belief of Central Asian nomads), who is on trial for inciting religious and ethnic hatred for obnoxious sayings about mullahs in Kyrgyzstan. Tezekbaev, who could be sentenced to five years in prison if found guilty, says he is being punished for his beliefs.


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Mongolia: The Mining Projects Leaving Herders Without Livelihoods · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

Mining projects in Mongolia promise development of social and economic infrastructure and a way to alleviate poverty, but on the wayside, local communities near the mines are feeling the negative impact as their environment and traditional livelihoods are affected.
The environmental NGO CEE Bankwatch Network has been reporting on mining projects both in Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia, projects which have been encouraged by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Bankwatch's concerns, voiced in ‘Rushing into gold can leave people behind, EBRD‘, are around resource depletion, particularly water, and changes in commodity prices:
Whether the promised revenues will help Mongolia to develop badly needed welfare services and build an economy that can sustain the depletion of its resources or sudden changes in commodity prices is an open question however. The dominance of the mining sector has already raised fears of a “dutch disease” or “resource curse”.
Open pit mining in Mongolia. Image by Flickr user pjriccio2006 (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0).
This short video was made by CEE Bankwatch Network in eastern Europe, Urgewald from Germany, the Bank Information Center in the United States and Oyu Tolgoi Watch from Mongolia, who traveled to Mongolia to study the environmental and social impact the Ukhaa Khudag coal mine in Mongolia's south Gobi desert is already having:
If the previous video showed how things are starting to go with mining in Mongolia, in Kyrgyzstan they already have a long history of negative effects mining has had on the environment, health and local communities.
The next video goes into the glaciar region of Kyrgyzstan and visits the areas surrounding the Kumtor open air gold mine, which has been operating for over 15 years. Cyanide poisoning and water contamination is what the communities have; none of the promised development and benefits have reached them.
Both the Mongolian and the Kyrgyzstan mining videos and background were written about in ‘Earth's riches, people's troubles. Mining in Central Asia‘:
The cases in question – the Oyu Tolgoi and Tavan Tolgoi mines in Mongolia and the Kumtor gold mine in Kyrgyzstan – are both important contributors to their country's national income and both receive (or in case of Oyu Tolgoi may soon receive) support from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development(EBRD). Both, however, pose risks to the local communities that can't be compensated in monetary terms.
These countries are not the only ones facing development with the negative impacts mining brings. In nearby Tibet, villagers managed to halt a mining project being established in one of their sacred mountains.
The topic is controversial; how high a price can a community pay for development of their country? Vladlena Martsynkevych, Bankwatch's Central Asia Officer writes:
The extractive industry can very well contribute to a country’s economic development and bring desired employment and revenues. At the same time mining is a highly disruptive activity with considerable negative impacts on the environment and the livelihoods of local communities. In countries with underdeveloped democratic structures, lack of institutional capacity or simply corruption, the damages can quickly overweigh. Benefits can then bypass the local level and end up enriching the involved companies and – not least – the technological progress and wealth in developed nations.


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Nicaragua: Sandinista Revolution Icon Starts Blogging · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Mildred Largaespada reports [es] that Sandinista Revolution icon Dora María Téllez has started blogging [es]: “This is big news for the national and international blogosphere, because she is also one of the female ‘comrades’ who participated in the guerrilla war that defeated the Somoza dictatorship and who continue their anti-dictatorial struggle through political and peaceful means and now using the tools of social networks.”

author: Silvia Viñas


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Pakistan: How To Save The Shias · Global Voices
Rezwan

Laibaah discusses why Shias are being killed in Pakistan and suggests how can they save themselves from the threats.

author: Rezwan


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Peru: MOVADEF Abandons Party Registration Request · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Juan Arellano reports [es] that the Movement for Amnesty and Fundamental Rights (MOVADEF), believed to be a façade for the terrorist movement Sendero Luminoso (SL – Shining Path), has backed down from their decision to apply to register as a political party. Furthermore, Juan blogs [es] about a meeting held by a SL leader where leaflets calling the Executive for a ceasefire were distributed.


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Peru: Preparing for the Great Water March  · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

As part of the protests against the Conga mining project in Cajamarca, which could affect headwaters and lakes, a national movement of protest and awareness-raising named “The Great Water March” has been established. The promoters explain [es] on their Facebook page:
La Marcha del Agua partirá de las lagunas de Cajamarca el día 1ro. de febrero y llegará al Lima el jueves 09 de febrero y el día sábado 11 culminará en Lima con la instalación del Foro Nacional de Justicia Hídrica, en el cual se debatirá pública y programáticamente la problemática del agua y las propuestas de leyes y políticas que se impulsarán en adelante.
[…]
Un país más justo, fraterno y solidario se ha puesto en marcha, la defensa del agua y la Pachamama los convoca, los inspira, los une. Bienvenidos a la GRAN MARCHA NACIONAL DEL AGUA, sean cada uno y una de Uds. parte de los pequeños manantiales y riachuelos que alimenten el gran río que nos da la vida y nos devuelve la esperanza.
Let's be a river. National March for Water.
The Great Water March will depart from the Cajamarca lakes on 1st February and will arrive in Lima on Thursday 9th February, culminating on Saturday 11th February with the installation of the National Forum of Water Justice, in which the issue of water and the legal bills and policies which are being pushed forward will be debated publically and systematically.
[…]
A fairer country with greater brotherhood and solidarity is coming, the defence of the water and of Mother Earth calls us together, inspires us and unites us. Welcome to the GREAT NATIONAL WATER MARCH, may each and every one of you form part of the tiny springs and streams which feed the great river which gives us life and gives us hope.
But as the organisers themselves have warned, this march has been branded political [es] and radical [es] by spokespeople from various sectors. Confusion occurred when the coordinator of the March, Irma Pflucker, was detained by the police [es] on the pretext of possession of fake currency (read here Irma's own version [es] of events).
There have also been counter-actions, with leaflets being delivered [es] to houses in Cajamarca warning recipients that Marco Arana, general coordinator of the National Water March and Wilfredo Saavedra, president of the Cajamarca Environmental Defence Front will be profiting from the money donated to fund the March.
One event which has gone somewhat unnoticed is the declaration [es] made by the Governor of Cajamarca, Ever Hernández, who has said that it is the responsibility of his office to provide guarantees for the march, but that since these have not been solicited by the organisers, the latter will be responsible for any act of violence or public disorder which occurs. On this matter, the organisers have  stated [es] that they will be vigilant and make sure that the march is not infiltrated by troublemakers.
Meanwhile, support for the march has been growing in recent days and participants from Loreto [es], Arequipa [es], Ancash [es] and Puno [es], among others, have been confirmed. It is estimated that around 500 people will initiate [es] the March from Cajamarca on February 1, and that by the time the march reaches Lima on February 11, some 5,000 people [es] will have joined from different regions of Peru.
Various blogs have been set up to promote the numerous activities which will be taking place all over the country as part of the Water March, such as Marcha Nacional del Agua 2012 [es] (“National Water March 2012″) and Seamos un río (“Let us be a River”), where the  “ITINERARY – ACTIVITIES OF THE NATIONAL WATER MARCH” [es] has been posted. The blog Arequipa marcha por el agua (“Arequipa marches for water”) has published the “Itinerary of events in Arequipa for the Great National March for Water and Life ” [es], as well as this illustration:
For water and life! "Water is a treasure, that is worth more than gold"
The blog “El Maletero” “Red Verde Cajamarca” reported [es] on the press conference held in Cajamarca announcing the start of the Water March. It has also previously posted this poster from the call to mobilise in support of the march held in Iquitos, Loreto:
Mobilization for water and life, this February 1 Iquitos roars for water.
The blog of the Cajamarca Environmental Defence Front shares [es] the support which the organisation has shown to the organisers of the activities relating to the March in the La Libertad region. Amongst other issues, it mentions the areas in the region which are experiencing water problems as a result of mining activity:
La participación mayoritaria para la gran marcha será de la población de las comunidades afectadas por los proyectos mineros en el ande liberteño, organizados en nuestras rondas campesinas de Santiago de Chuco, Huamachuco, Pataz y Otuzco. La lucha emblemática es contra el proyecto minero de exploración las lagunas sur de la empresa minera Barrick, que afecta a las lagunas: Los Ángeles, El Toro y Verdes; que son cabecera de cuenca de los ríos Santa, Chicama y Marañón. Así como subcuencas de los ríos Chuyugual (Sánchez Carrión), Caballo Moro (Santiago de Chuco) y Perejil (Otuzco), es en las comunidades afectadas de este proyecto minero donde se ha realizado un trabajo de bases, y de donde esperamos la mayor movilización de masas.
Chungo and Batán publish [es] a video containing photos relating to the Water March, and Sin Patrones shows a video [es] with the declarations of specialists José de Echave and Carlos Monge on the importance of the fight to defend water made during a press conference held in Cajamarca. In turn, Punto de Vista y Propuesta posts [es] several “carnivalesque couplets” on the National March for Water and Life.
Finally, Servindi uploaded [es] a poster relating to the parade which is being held in Lima to celebrate the departure of the Water March in Cajamarca.
March for Water, Let's be a river!

author: Juan Arellano


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Russia: Prices of Popular Bloggers’ Posts Leaked · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

Anonymous hackers had allegedly hacked an inbox of pro-Kremlin activist Kristina Potupchik and publicised [ru] a ‘price-list’ of posts of the most popular Russian bloggers. Government-sponsored Nashi were caught several times on organizing paid campaigns aimed to influence blogosphere's opinion. The prices vary from 130 to 1000 US dollars per post.

author: Alexey Sidorenko


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Trinidad & Tobago: Where’s the Love?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“In a digital age, where we can now connect over the internet, it’s appears that love has somehow lost it’s importance in our lives”: The TnT River suggests that “we have forgotten that we were brought into this world mainly through the connection of one personality to another.”


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Turkmenistan: Sham NGOs’ role in fake presidential elections · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Turkmenistan’s upcoming presidential poll is truly a strange creature. neweurasia’s Annasoltan reviews how it has evolved in the last few months, including the role of government-organized NGOs (GONGOs).


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Uganda: The Plight of Urban Poor · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Rosebell discusses the plight of urban poor in Kampala, Uganda: “Right in the middle of down town Kampala is a slum called Kisenyi. It’s a place  with a mix of many language spoken in Uganda, Eastern Congo, Tanzania, Rwanda, Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia. The roughest Kampala neighbourhood I have ever been.”


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Uzbekistan: U.S. military support not to include weapons · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Joshua Foust tells his readers about the details of the “military aid” the U.S. will provide Uzbekistan, which is part of a vital supply line to Afghanistan. The supplies wouldn’t include weapons and ammunition, and would be limited to items meant to bolster the country’s border and transportation security.


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Venezuela: Banners for Thought · Global Voices
Laura Vidal

After the displaying of annonymous banners in Caracas, which raised questions about the upcoming elections and other issues, the hashtag #pregúntate [es] (“ask yourself”) was created to continue the discussion on Twitter. You can see photos and more in the blog Twitter Venezuela [es] by Roger Zet.

author: Laura Vidal


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Venezuela: Hugo Chávez’s Daughter Stirs up Social Networks · Global Voices
Laura Vidal

With the hashtag #Rosinesing [es] you can follow the reactions to a controversial photograph that President Hugo Chavez's daughter published on Twitter where she is using a wad of US dollars as a fan. Many comments reflect the outrage of those who must go through lengthy and cumbersome procedures to get dollars since the 2003 exchange controls that prevent Venezuelans from accessing foreign currencies. Lechuga Verde [es] posts the original photo and numerous, creative versions made by various netizens.


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Venezuela: Photos of Armed Children Spark Controversy Online · Global Voices
Laura Vidal

Venezuelan social networks exploded with reactions after photos of a group of children posing with rifles [es] in one of Caracas’ most representative neighborhoods, Barrio 23 de Enero, went viral. The photos, taken and posted by the “La Piedrita” collective on their Facebook page [es], spread rapidly and generated a multitude of opinions, mainly ones of rejection.
Image via Eduardo Ponte @acaballoregalao on yfrog
In his post “En Venezuela Intentamos Construir Paz” (In Venezuela, We Try To Build Peace) [es], Luis Carlos Díaz shares other links that help contextualize the story and adds:
Un grupo de niños de una parroquia caraqueña fue usado para un acto político, portando armas de guerra y violando más de una ley bajo la mirada complaciente de autoridades y cuerpos de seguridad. Más allá de la obvia desviación ideológica-religiosa en las paredes, se cometieron hechos punibles con un grupo de niños. El Gobierno hoy manifestó su rechazo, pero es una medida estética en tanto permita su impunidad.
Meanwhile, Ludmila Vinogradoff comments on her post “Los Niños de la Revolución” (Children of the Revolution) [es]:
En la parroquia caraqueña donde fueron fotografiados los niños existen varios grupos radicales que dicen defender al gobierno de Chávez, amenazando con tomar las armas en caso de que el mandatario salga del poder. La pregunta que se hacen todos es;  ¿quién financia a los grupos radicales y les suministra las armas de guerra?.
Days later, the collective filmed a video in which they sustained that their activities did not look to train children to use weapons. Nevertheless, other YouTube users highlighted the fact that one of the members passed by with a weapon hidden in the back of the shot, as well as the presence of the video's spokeswoman in the photos in question.
The photos were also a point of discussion in the media and a start-off point for a march organized by the same collective, La Piedrita, through which they demanded respect for the children in the photographs. According to posters that the collective shows in the images shared [es] on their Twitter account, “…the only thing that the children carried was the Constitution.”
Similarly, they responded to the media saying the children were not carrying real weapons and that it was all part of a “theatrical play.” Reactions on Twitter discredited the statement.
Ytzel Pérez (@ytzelpérez) [es] was one of the users who criticized the collective's arguments, and Eduardo Ponte (@acaballoregalao) [es] posted his thoughts under the hashtag #insólito [es]:
@ytzelpérez: Buenos días a todo mi TL, sorprendida ahora según y q los Niños d la Piedrita estaban haciendo una “obra d Teatro” eso no se los cree nadie!
@acaballoregalao: INSÓLITO: La Piedrita asegura que los fusiles M-16 eran de plástico y que los niños hacian una obra de teatro #FAIL
@acaballoregalao: OUTRAGEOUS:  La Piedrita assures everyone that the M-16 rifles were plastic and that the children were putting on a play.  #FAIL
Ministerial representatives and personalities, as well as members of civil and non-governmental organizations communicated their rejection of children's incitement in armed conflicts. However, it is unlikely that this debate will end soon.
For many, these images have been used to manipulate public opinion against the government. For others, the images represent a warning in terms of the resources and the limits of pro-Chávez groups which the government could use alternatively from the Armed Forces. The fate of those responsible from the La Piedrita collective before the authorities of the Presidential Commission for the Control of Arms, Ammunition, and Disarmament [es] is yet to be seen.


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Bahrain: Celebration and Criticism Greet “Manama, Capital of Arab Culture 2012” · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

On February 2, “Manama, Capital of Arab Culture 2012” (@ManamaCulture12) was officially launched. But as the celebration was taking place, opposition protests were broken up elsewhere in the capital.
The Capital of Arab Culture is an initiative of the Arab League under UNESCO's Cultural Capitals Programme. Many have criticised the awarding of the title to Manama this year, and have called for a boycott, because of the government's “repressive practices” against pro-democracy demonstrators, with writers and artists amongst them (some of whom have been forced into exile). Other Bahrainis have welcomed the beginning of the year of cultural events, and see it as a way to present a more positive image of Bahrain to the world.
As she watched the televised opening of Manama, Capital of Arab Culture 2012, Twitter user Rasha Yousif (@RshRsho) announced:
@RshRsho: Proud to be Bahraini ! #ManamaCapitalofArabCulture2012
Twitter user Fawaz Al Muhandis (@Fawazu) was impressed by the work of the Ministry of Culture:
@Fawazu: I think @MOC_BH is working towards the right direction into representing a good image of Bahrain #ManamaCapitalofArabCulture2012 thank you!
In a reference to the one-year anniversary of the start of the February 14 uprising, and the tension expected to accompany it, Twitter user @JulesALK said:
@JulesALK: #ManamaCapitalofArabCulture2012 Happy to see the beautiful celebrations today. We must enjoy feb. Good start #Bahrain
Khalid Al-Rowaie (@kalrowaie), a writer and theatre director who works for Bahrain's Ministry Of Culture, was at the opening ceremony, which included a musical performance called “The Path of Pearls” about Bahrain's traditional pearling industry. He posted this photo:
Musical performance during opening ceremony of Manama, Capital of Arab Culture 2012, called "The Path of Pearls". Image posted by Twitter user @kalrowaie.
A criticism often made of cultural events in Bahrain is that many of the artists involved are not Bahraini. Not all of those who watched the Capital of Arab Culture ceremony were impressed, feeling it wasn't representative of Bahraini culture. Twitter user @_MKAlKhalifa wrote:
@_MKAlKhalifa: Egyptian Bahraini Dance? :/ #Fail #ManamaCapitalofArabCulture2012 #Bahrain
@_MKAlKhalifa: #Bahrain has a very unique and a beautiful culture, yet the opening of #ManamaCapitalofArabCulture2012 doesn't represent it!
Bahrain's Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid Alkhalifa (@khalidalkhalifa) also attended the opening ceremony, and posted an image of the performance, writing [ar]:
Musical performance during opening ceremony of Manama, Capital of Arab Culture 2012, called "The Path of Pearls". Image posted by Twitter user @khalidalkhalifa.
Journalist Hussain Mansoor (@Hu4mansoor) responded to the Foreign Minister's tweet with a reference to the destroyed Pearl Roundabout, focal point of pro-democracy protests, saying [ar]:
Journalist Reem Khalifa (@Reem_Khalifa) commented [ar]:
As the opening ceremony took place at the National Museum, protestors gathered in central Manama for a weekly rally known as the Manama March, which was broken up by riot police using tear gas (the heavy use of which in Bahrain has been condemned by human rights organisations).
Clouds of tear gas in central Manama as opposition march broken up. Image posted by Twitter user @sorr0w.
Twitter user @Intelligensia1 wrote [ar]:

author: Ayesha Saldanha


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Barbados, Guyana: “Fearless” Freddie  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Barbados Underground has been “following closely what is happening to the man we have dubbed the ‘Fearless Journalist’ Professor Freddie Kissoon,” adding: “The silence of regional media and governments is unacceptable on this matter.”


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Brazil: Pinheirinho Videos ‘Cover-Up’ Leads Activist to Hunger Strike · Global Voices
Raphael Tsavkko Garcia

The violent eviction of thousands of poor residents from their homes on land owned by the bankrupt estate of Naji Nahas, on January 22, 2012, is an event in Brazil that has become popularly known as the ‘Massacre of Pinheirinho‘.
It was photographed and filmed from various perspectives: from the day before the eviction itself, to the moments of panic among the population while becoming victims of police brutality in the city of São José dos Campos in São Paulo state, to the interviews conducted after the completion of the evacuation, with the poor people in precarious shelters being harassed by the police forces meant to protect them.
There was no shortage of reports of abuse of power and extreme violence, and allegations that many people had been injured and even killed, but no information was available from hospitals or the local Institute of Forensic Medicine (IML). Activist Pedro Rios Leão [pt] was in the city of São José dos Campos and interviewed dozens of residents who, on camera, talked about the existence of dead and wounded who were being hidden by the city and state governments.
Leão is now on hunger strike, chained in front of one of the entrances of the TV Globo television station [pt] in Rio de Janeiro, accusing the mainstream media of complicity in the “massacre” for having hidden the events or treated them as normal.
Pedro Leão on hunger strike in Rio de Janeiro. Photo of the Facebook user Rodrigo Ajooz, used with permission. On the sign one can read "For the deceased of Pinheirinho".
In a video, provocatelly titled ‘Eu queria matar a presidenta: depoimentos da guerra civil brasileira‘ (I wanted to kill the president: statements from the Brazilian civil war), Leão declares that it is a legitimate right to desire the death of those who bring death to the people. There is a touching piece of poetry created by Antônio da Silva [pt], an expelled resident of Pinheirinho, in the opening of the video.
Leão points to not only the township of São José dos Campos, nicknamed ‘São José dos Campos de Concentração’ (São José of the Concentration Camps) by many, but also the state and federal governments for what he considers to be their guilt in a crime against the people of Pinheirinho. He has declared a state of war against those complicit in the suffering of the homeless population and has begged for the Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff to take action.
His video exposes the fear of the population in the face of the violence with which they are being treated, and collects numerous complaints to be urgently investigated. The church where villagers had taken refuge was the target of bombs and bullets – despite the denials of the local priest who later expelled [pt] the locals – and nearby a man was allegedly murdered by the occupying troops of the Pinheirinho. In the video, there are repeated reports of bodies “gone missing” from the IML:
YouTube user stresser recorded a video that shows the beginning of the hunger strike of Leão and his speech explaining the reasons for the strike:
And here is the second part, with an interview with Leão.
The Coletivo de Comunicadores Populares (Collective of Popular Communicators) [pt], fom the city of Campinas, in São Paulo state, recorded and edited the video ‘O Massacre de Pinheirinho: A verdade não mora ao lado‘ (The Pinheirinho Massacre: The truth does not live next door), so far available with subtitles in English, Spanish and French.
It has been viewed by more than 190,000 people, and features interviews with displaced residents of Pinheirinho denouncing atrocities committed by the Military Police on the first day of eviction. These include the use of pepper spray against pregnant women and children, intimidation, threats, tear gas, and bombs aimed at morale if not targets. There are also testimonies of people who, after being expelled from their homes, were refused the right to go back and get their documents, in the area organized by the city hall for registration of the displaced families.
The video also depicts the humiliated sense of the refugee population in a nearby church and shelters. Finally, the Collective summarizes the legal and political situation behind the whole operation, accusing the government of São Paulo and the local justice to be subject to the sale of the assets of bankrupt speculator Naji Nahas, against the public's interest:
The Collective also interviewed families the day before the eviction, on Saturday, January 21, “soon after the attempted repossession was frustrated by a federal injunction that forced the police to stop the operation.” The video, called ‘Onde estarão os Nobres? Uma família de Pinheirinho 1 dia antes do Massacre‘ (Where are the Noble? A family of Pinheirinho 1 day before the massacre) is the story of ordinary people about their situation and the fear they felt of losing everything:
The group Los solidários [pt], whose name is a tribute to an anarchist group that worked in Barcelona in the 1920s, collected images of the violent eviction punctuated by statements of Military Police Captain Antero, also head of communications of the prime minister, in order to show the discrepancies between the official action and discourse in a video called ‘O Pinheirinho é do povo! — crônicas do terrorismo do Estado‘ (Pinheirinho belongs to the people! – chronics of state terrorism).
The group also interviewed residents driven from their homes who reported the existence of many dead people, whose bodies have been hidden by the authorities. The group also sought information from hospitals about deaths and injuries but gained no access, and conducted interviews during the night after the eviction with residents visibly scared and fearful of their future:
The activist Hiure Anderon recorded two videos posted on his YouTube channel, with testimonials from mothers displaced from Pinheirinho, many with small children or pregnant women:
Rapper Davi Perez has recorded a song [pt] to honor the victims of the “Massacre of Pinheirinho,” reproduced by the blog “Solidarity with Pinheirinho Occupation”. Blogger Hugo Albuquerque meanwhile, has compiled a list in English and Portuguese on the ten most common lies told about Pinheirinho.

author: Raphael Tsavkko Garcia


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China: A Death Sentence to Hide Government Corruption? · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Wu Ying, named China's sixth richest woman in 2006, lost an appeal against her death sentence at the Zhejiang Higher People's Court on January 18, 2012. Many citizens have pleaded online for Wu's life believing the death sentence was meant to silence her from exposing corruption by government officials who may have loaned her embezzled public funds.
Suspicions grew stronger when Dong Yang City government submitted a joint letter to the courts recommending she be executed.
The 30-year old was first arrested in March 2007, charged with “illegal fundraising” of RMB 770 million (approximately USD 122 million). In December 18, 2009, the charge was changed to “financial fraud”, and she was sentenced to death by the Jinhua Intermediate People's Court. In Wu's first trial, there was no lawyer to represent her, and all trials including the appeal took place behind closed doors.
Human rights lawyer, Teng Biao, has written a very long article [zh] explaining some of the details known about Wu Ying's court case.
Wu Ying stood trial for financial fraud and was sentenced to death. Screen captured photo from NTDTV
A loan shark list
Wu started a beauty parlor business in Dong Yang city at the age of 22 in 2003. Her business then expanded to entertainment business and property investments. As is common for private entrepreneurs in China, she had difficulty obtaining loans from banks and had to raise funds by other means. In December 2006, her business had cash flow problems and she failed to pay back a debt to loan sharks. She was kidnapped, robbed and received death threats soon after she was released. Local police officers did not investigate her case. Instead, several months later, she was arrested.
During Wu's detention, she exposed a list of government officials who had illegally lent money to her. Three of them received long jail sentences. Later, local newspapers revealed [zh] that Wu had shared a list of 137 names of which 103 had lent her more than RMB 500,000. The speculation is that many local government officials may have been implicated. Officials who receive bribes, or obtain funds by other illegal means, are suspected of lending money to private businesses at high interest rates.
Inevitable illegal fundraising
Teng Biao points out [zh] that under the current financial system it is inevitable for the private business sector not to commit “illegal fundraising”; in other words, most of the successful private businesses in China have probably committed Wu Ying's “crime”:
民营企业却难以得到银行的支持，只能靠处于灰色地带的民间借贷。数据表明，银行的短期贷款中，民营企业只占不到20%。据全国工商联一项调查，有90%以上的民营中小企业表示，无法从银行获得贷款。全国民营企业和家族企业在过去三年中有近62.3%通过民间借贷的形式进行融资。
An unjust system
Blogger Li Ming points out [zh], that if Wu must die, many more would follow:
吴英该杀，那么温州诸多“跑路老板”也该杀，借高利贷一掷千万金的“太太豪赌团”，以及所有把集资用于铺张挥霍的老板，都该抓来杀掉。有的富豪集资营运失败，享受救助待遇，而同属一类的吴英或遭遇杀头待遇，此大不公，此即法之大恶大暴。
Yao Shujie, an overseas scholar, observed more injustice in mainland Chinese society [zh]:
吴英只是对11人造成损失，而上市公司的老总们，却是给上亿无辜的股民造成巨大的损失。本质上，吴英和这些上市公司的老总，对人们造成的伤害，并没有任何差别。所不同的，吴英被判死刑，上市公司老总们，却照样拿数千万的年薪，照样升官。
还有，像许宗衡和刘志军这样的贪官，涉案金额高达百亿人民币，给国家和人民带来的灾难和对社会所产生的不良影响，比吴英的破坏力高出千百倍，却没有被判死。
12年前，赖昌星高达700亿元的惊天大案，因为逃到加拿大躲了11年，去年引渡回国时，却拿到了一块外国人给的免死金牌。
同样是一个国家，有道是，判死吴英，笑死无数贪官和赖昌星。
Wu Ying has only inflicted damage on 11 people. In the case of the listed companies, their failure would bring harm to millions of people. There is no different between Wu Ying and the CEOs of the listed companies but Wu has been sentenced to death, while all these CEOs are taking millions of paychecks and bonuses, and have a bright future waiting for them.
Corrupt officials such as Xu Zhonghang and Liu Zhijun, their cases involved tens of billions of RMB and the harm they caused is a thousand times more serious than Wu's. They were not sentenced to death.
Twelve years ago, Lai Changxing committed a RMB 70 billion corruption scandal. Since he managed to escape to Canada for 11 years, he received amnesty from the death sentence upon his return.
In one and the same country, people have such different fates. No wonder some think Wu's death sentence is a [source of] great entertainment to corrupt officials and Lai Changxing.
Is the death sentence really about Wu Ying's economic activities? Independent writer, Ye Kuangzheng, from Beijing does not think so [zh]:
地方官员联名要判吴英死刑，不仅为了灭囗，也是杀鸡儆猴，看谁进去了，还敢乱咬官员！吴英案仍有数亿资金未追回，匆忙杀了吴英，钱如何追回？难说背后没有潜藏的利益链。与吴英案有关的官员，为何至今未判？即便吴英罪大恶极，也应等资金和案情水落石出了，再做定夺不迟。

author: Oiwan Lam


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Côte d’Ivoire: Hackers Threaten Intelligence Agency Upon Arrest of Journalist · Global Voices
Julie Owono

Managing editor of Ivorian newspaper Le Patriote, Charles Sanga, was arrested on January 31, 2012 after his newspaper revealed that the Constitutional Court of Côte d'Ivoire decided to annul results of the recent Parliamentary Elections in 11 districts. Ivorian newspaper Nord-Sud say he was released after 24-hours of detention by the Directorate of Territorial Surveillance (DTS).
The intelligence agency have also demanded that the journalist who wrote the story, Jean-Claude Coulibaly, reveal his sources.
Before his release, Reporters without Borders said:
If Le Patriote broke the law by pre-empting a state entity’s prerogative to publish information, then it may be punished, but not by jailing its editor or the reporter who wrote the story (…) Under Côte d’Ivoire’s 2004 media law, journalists cannot be detained for media offences, so Charles Sanga must be released. Furthermore, the DST’s attempt to force him to reveal his sources violates a basic principle of media freedom.
Anonymous Attack?
'Anonymous' mask. Image by Flickr user luccast85 (CC BY 2.0).
A few hours after Sanga's arrest, news website Les grandes oreilles (The Big Ears) reported that hackers claiming to belong the the global, decentralised “Anonymous” collective threatened to attack the DTS, saying they would release secret documents of the intelligence agency if the editor was not released. An new anonymous Twitter account (@An0nym0usLeader) with less than 30 followers said:
@An0nym0usLeader: Libérez Charles Sanga, directeur du journal Le Patriote. Dans 24H nous publierons des documents de la DST ivoirienne #anonymous #cotedivoire
Documents the Twitter account claims were leaked from the DTS were posted on Pastebin.com (a site where anyone can post text), including a list of names of alleged DTS secret agents and license plate numbers in use by the agency. The last message on the Twitter account was on February 1.
In a leader about Charles Sanga's arrest Nord-Sud‘ says [fr]:
A quand la fin de l’arrestation des journalistes pour leurs écrits en Côte d’Ivoire ? Le gérant et directeur de publication du quotidien Le Patriote, Charles Sanga, a été relâché, hier, après 24h de détention à la Direction de la surveillance du territoire (Dst), au Plateau. Ce, après une audition qui a duré plus de deux heures. (..) La situation a inquiété de nombreux hommes de presse qui se posent des questions sur la liberté de la presse sous le régime Ouattara.

author: Julie Owono


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Cuba: Nineteenth “No” · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“For the 19th time Cuban blogger Yoani Sanchez has been denied an exit visa in order to travel abroad”: Havana Times reports.


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Cuba: Protest Against Hunger Striker’s Death  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Pedazos de la Isla posts a video of dissidents protesting the death of political prisoner Wilman Villar Mendoza in a neighborhood of Guantanamo.


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Egypt: Storify on Port Said Clashes  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Greek blogger Asteris Masouras compiles a Storify round up of reactions and coverage following Wednesday's deadly Port Said clashes, which left more than 70 people dead in Egypt.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Israel: The Lie, the Truth and the Meme (of the Soldier and the Girl) · Global Voices
Carmel L. Vaisman

The photograph below, of a soldier stepping on a little girl, has been circulating on the social web for the past few days, claimed to be of an IDF soldier and a Palestinian girl. Wesley Muhammad who posted it claimed to have seen it on someone else's news feed with that caption, and wonders why it went viral from his page. Within two days the photo (now discarded) received over 500 comments, including some claims the photo is fake.
Yossi Gavni reposted the photo highlighting the main claims that the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) doesn't carry that kind of weapon and has no such uniforms, and that photo circulated mainly among Israelis. Apparently, the photo was tweeted last year in French, claiming this is actually from Syria's demonstrations and asking for it to spread. However, Arab blogger Omar Dakhane found the original photo (below), which is neither from Syria nor Israel but a street theater performance in Bahrain.
This story could have ended here with a lesson not to believe everything that circulates out there in the age of media manipulation and virality, but apparently some Israelis have decided the best response to a viral lie is a humorous meme. In the last 24 hours many photos replacing the soldier with different characters have been circulating on Facebook, initiated by 10Gag, the Israeli answer to 9Gag humor and memes generator.
For example, a photo where the soldier was replaced by a dog wearing real IDF uniform, probably also responding humorously to earlier allegations that IDF trains dogs to attack Palestinians.  Other entities stepping on that girl included an empire soldier from Star Wars, the Angry Birds, the Android, the Avatar N'aavi, Chuck Norris and more.
By turning the photo into a meme, Israelis are saying in “social media language” that such a situation is ridiculous and fictional, although Wesley Muhammad who started the viral spread concludes:  “I took the photo down (even though that type of thing DOES happen in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict)”. In response, Shani Yaakov posted a collage of pictures titled “this is the true picture of the IDF” (below) in which soldiers are seen in positive and friendly interactions with Palestinians. As for the truth, as always, it's probably somewhere in the middle.

author: Carmel L. Vaisman


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Kuwait: Parliamentary Election Marred by Violence · Global Voices
Mona Kareem

This post is part of our special coverage on Refugees.
Today, 3 February, 2012, Kuwait will hold its parliamentary elections divided by five electoral districts, a system that was only passed in 2006 in response to blogger-led protests.
At the beginning of December 2011, two year-long protests previous led to the replacement of Prime Minister Nasser Al-Mohammed with his cousin Jaber Al-Mubarak and to the dissolution of the parliament for the fourth time since Al-Mohammed was first appointed. Since then, candidates have been working their ways towards reaching voters.
Tribal rage
Mohammed Al-Juwaihel, a candidate who tried his luck last elections but was removed for bribing voters, has always been a controversial person in Kuwaiti society. He went on television several years ago lunching an attack on those who have dual citizenship, comparing them to a sort of parasitic plant with no loyalty to the country, who should be stripped off their Kuwaiti citizenship.
He has also used the same language with the Kuwaiti stateless Bidun community and attacked certain Kuwaiti tribes, some of whom in response have attacked him in return.
On Monday 30 January, Al-Juwaihel gave another speech insulting one of the tribes, Al Mutair, saying he “will step on them”. After his speech, hundreds of Al Mutair tribes people went to his election tent hub in the Al-idailiya area, chanting, ripping up the posters depicting his slogan “Kuwait is for Kuwaitis.. only”, and at last burning the tent.
In this video uploaded to YouTube by yasoo1985, one can see the attack on Al-Juwaihel's center, with tribesmen setting it on fire, celebrating and chanting with threats:
Pictures uploaded by Flickr user Yasoo85, show the crowd as they burn the center.
A picture uploaded to Twitter by @Abd_Rashed also shows the center on fire, from another angle:
Election tent burning in Kuwait. Image by Twitter user @Abd_Rashed
This picture, posted on Twitter by @hwazn, shows a security guard bleeding during the events:
Injured security guard by Twitter user @hwazn
This picture (uploaded by a Twitter parody account @Murad_ALm9ri) shows the center the following morning:
Election tent the morning after. Image uploaded by @Murad_ALm9ri
The following day, some citizens showed support to Al-Juwaihel by leaving flowers near the burned center (image uploaded by Twitter user @Nasser_Aleidan):
Image by Twitter user @Nasser_Aleidan
Attacks on media
On Tuesday, the tribesmen were not satisfied with their Monday attack and headed to scope TV channel to try to break in; they failed after being blocked by security guards. The crowd of protestors were upset that the television station broadcast Al-Juwaihel's insulting speech against their tribe.
Afterwards, they tried to attack another station, Al-Watan, as it was hosting two election candidates in a debate. One of the candidates, named Nabeel Al-Fadil, uses the same discriminatory approach as Al-Juwaihel.
The station stopped the debate but that did not hold the crowd back and the attack led to 15 injuries among security guards, according to local newspapers, and three injured journalists – Yousif Al-Mutairi from Al-Qabas newspaper, Mohammed Al-Sharhan Al-Jarida (who was previously attacked by security and detained during stateless protests) and a photojournalist from Al-Seyassah newspaper.
Here is a clear picture of crowds standing in front of Al-Watan TV, taken from Al-Qabas:
Image by alqabas.com
This picture shows the car of candidate Nabil Al-Fadil, after being smashed in by the enraged crowd:
Image uploaded to Twitter by @AhmedMAlMutairi
Vote For Kuwait
Since the parliament was dissolved, many Kuwaitis have relied on Twitter to discuss their choices or to promote certain candidates. Last elections, Facebook played a big role in elections campaigns, but in this round, Twitter is playing the essential role as it transports faster and reaches a wider audience.
Last November 2011, a group of civil rights advocates named ‘South Al-Kuwait’ (The Voice of Kuwait) started a campaign to promote awareness about the national constitution and what rights it guarantees to protect one from discrimination and injustice. For the current elections, the group made the following video to promote their campaign ‘tafreg’ (it differs) to encourage people to vote and help make a difference:
A week ago, a group of actors created short videos entitled ‘Sheno ya3ni TV‘ that make fun of election candidates and their deception or shallowness. Some of the videos are directly made about certain candidates. In this video, for example, they make fun of a particular female candidate who does not have a clue about politics and only cares about her expensive clothes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZB0hL1W6ffI
While this video shows Nizar Al-Qandi playing the typical candidate who is running for elections to gain more power and money:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SF9DbtuuKY
Another campaign was launched to call on people to monitor elections and not allow violations:
To get the latest updates on Kuwait's elections, follow the hashtag #ommah2012
This post is part of our special coverage on Refugees.

author: Mona Kareem


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Kyrgyzstan: “Putin Is a Complex Bio-Robot” · Global Voices
Chris Rickleton

Arstanbek Abdylaev, scourge of the Kyrgnet, has struck again. Noted on Global Voices before for predicting a planet shorn of seasonal transition, this ex-presidential candidate and current head of the “People’s Academy” is back to tell the universe what he really meant, having been mocked and misunderstood by netizens back in November 2011.
Now, with the help of a new sidekick, a kalpak-sporting, silver-tongued ethnic Korean called Alexander Pak, he is even dabbling in political philosophy. The world, the pair told an expectant press conference on January 27, 2012, is run by figures who are standing behind the figures we think run the world. If that sounds a bit Zeitgeisty, then Abdylaev has added an original twist: Russia’s under-fire prime minister, Vladimir Putin, is a “complex bio-robot.”
Not much of this will make sense until you tune into Abdylaev’s first press conference where his utterance “Зима не будет”, or “there will be no winter” made him an overnight online sensation. Along with that pearl of wisdom, his helper, Mirlan Asakeev, suggested that life had “begun with the Kyrgyz”, and would begin again with the Kyrgyz, at the end of the year 2012. Adam and Eve, he argued, to the astonishment of the assembled hack-pack, were “63.5% Kyrgyz.”
This time round, Asakeev was limited to a bit-part performance, his coveted position as Abdylaev’s number two apparently usurped by Pak. Pak, whose mastery of Russian exceeds that of both his colleagues, proceeded to explain that the original phrase “there will be no winter”, had been taken too literally, and that actually it had a “big energetic and informational bloc” capable of creating a “moment of total quantum leap” for humanity.
A New World Order
Besides the assertion that Kyrgyzstan would be the “informational centre of the 21 century”, Abdylaev revealed that he had forewarned the Kazakh and Russian governments of the political perils rippling accross the globe:
“Four months ago we wrote to the Kazakh ambassador – we said, you are going to [suffer] terrorist attacks – mass upheavals – they laughed at us. We wrote to the leader of the Russian Federation – Putin. We said that there would be war in Arabia, and they laughed at us, but there was [war]. Now my words are being proven, not by a historian, or an academic, or paper, but time,” Abdylaev said.
Where could the press conference possibly go from there? Well, despite apparently being ridiculed by the Russian leadership, journalists heard, Moscow still has a place in Abdylaev’s New World Order – chiefly as the brawn behind Kyrgyzstan’s brain. Since Europe will soon be starved, disease-ridden and submerged under water, he reasoned, Russia would have no choice but to turn East.
“Why are we writing to Russia? Russia and Kyrgyzstan will conserve humanity. That’s why I call Putin “a complex bio-robot”… We will give a program to the Russian leader, Putin, and he will do it, because he has the power,” Abdylaev said.
And for the dull reporter lost on the difference between an ordinary bio-robot and a complex bio-robot, Abdylaev elucidated:
With a bio robot, you give him a program and he does it, correct? But Putin is a complex bio robot – he himself does it.
Perhaps this difficult, semi-mechanic nature is the source of Putin’s reputed marital troubles….
As the press conference wound down, Alexander Pak summed the group's message up as follows:
This phrase [there will be no winter]… is also a code. Anyone who has heard the phrase “there will be no winter” has already received the code and they are using it, even if they are not fully conscious of this. That code contained here among the Kyrgyz should arrive in every person, and through it every person should come to a condition of over-standing; they will become more than human and they will be aware of their true capabilities and their real meanings as human beings… This is why Arstanbek [Abdylaev] called Putin a bio-robot. Barack Obama is also a bio-robot. Other bio-robots stand behind these people and behind these people are other people and today these people are all bio-robots. This code [there will be no winter] allows these bio-robots to become human and write constitutions for the future era, the era we have called the golden era.
So, what is this strange “People's Academy?” Aside from obtuse letters to world leaders, do they have any publications or academic accreditation? Increasingly they are beginning to sound like a cult, a fact that could get Abdylaev into trouble in a country where the state is often hostile towards obscure religious movements.
Inter-internet conflict?
On YouTube, Abdylaev’s second coming earned a mixed reception, both from local Kyrgyz Internet users and from the broader RuNet:
“In my brain after watching that clip I had a total quantum leap,” said [ru] underaszZz
“Who are they kidding, it has been -20 here for two weeks,” quipped [ru] alexxx8999 .
In among the good-natured banter, there were some seemingly derogatory comments from Russian Internet users towards Kyrgyzstan, repositories of the Russian Federation's rising tide of nationalism:
“Is there a doctor in the studio! Or aren’t there any doctors in Kyrgyzstan? How can they allow abnormal people airtime?” asked [ru] breeedfrtf .
“Who let them off the building site?” asked [ru] TheMacsander, a probable reference to the fact that many Kyrgyz work abroad in Russia as labour migrants.
“Judging by the commentaries, Russians differ from fascists only in their stupidity,” raged BeksKazama in response.
But other RuNet types saw reasons to envy their small, mountainous Central Asian neighbour, and took Abdylaev's public appearance as a cue to bash United Russia, the political machine that took victory in Russia's recent elections to the state Duma – a vote tainted by allegations of massive fraud.
“Kyrgyz wake up, don’t call the Russians to your aid! Otherwise you will soon have United Russia and corruption, in other words the whole bouquet ‘from Russia with love!'” said [ru] marysimon79 .
“You know, I think it might be worth going [to Kyrgyzstan], given that they don't have United Russia there,” said [ru] TheSarajPictures
Another less politicized strand of commentators made the connection between Abdylaev's metaphorical/metaphysical musings and Kyrgyzstan's Chui Valley, something of a weed-basket for Eurasian marijuana smokers during Soviet times:
“What are they smoking?” asked [ru] SuperSascha2012
“O Great Valley of Chuika [Chui-grown marijuana] Ototo – there will be no winter,” said [ru] Mariyajuri.
“Great Chuika this year, I smoked and [got a] quantum leap straight away,” teased [ru] Mikkado31
But whether stoned or sober, the “energetic code” of Abdylaev's “Peoples Academy” is drawing a few genuine followers:
“They are trying for us. We just need to become different, change our souls, become purer! It is great that they want to bring this to the people. There is no point picking holes in their grammar. Come, let us be people, brothers and sisters. It will be easier for us to live this way,” said [ru] psipolza
And truly, who would lack the humanity to disagree with such sentiments? Perhaps only the evil bio-robots among us:
N.B According to Bishkek-based citizen media portal Kloop, Abdylaev's second press conference has already surpassed his first in terms of online popularity. Once again, the catalyst for a spike in viewing figures was a prime-time slot on Russian satirist Stas Davydov's internet show “ThisisHorosho“.

author: Chris Rickleton


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North Korea : Two Japanese Indicted for Exporting PC to North Korea · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

North Korea Tech blog wrote about two Japanese people who were  indicted for exporting personal computers to North Korea, thereby violating the Japanese government’s trade sanctions.

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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Pakistan: Self Regulation For Social Media? · Global Voices
Rezwan

Salman Latif informs that an initiative has been taken by eminent journalists and media personnel to agree to a set of self regulatory guidelines for TV channels in Pakistan. Salman asserts that a similar measure should also be taken for the social media.


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Russia: Realism of Rearmament Plans · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Streetwise Professor and Siberian Light critically discuss Russia's ambitious plans, presented by vice-premier Dmitry Rogozin, to build an aircraft carrier and six submarines annually over the coming years.

author: Vilhelm Konnander


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Senegal: A Week of Living Dangerously · Global Voices
Philippe Léveillée

[Note: This post was written by our author in Senegal before the dramatic events of January 31, 2012, which will be adressed in a follow-up article. All links are in French unless stated otherwise]
On January 31, 2012, in Senegal, the opposition will take to the streets to protest a third term for incumbent President Wade. On January 27, the Constitutional Council of Senegal decided on the final list of candidates for the presidential elections on 26 February.
The five elders on the council have accepted the nomination of Abdoulaye Wade, who is seeking a third term, an action considered unconstitutional by many Senegalese voters. Furthermore, the council denied the candidacy of the singer Youssou N'Dour, on the pretext that he would not have collected enough signatures to support his candidacy.
Since the announcement of these decisions on January 27, protesters have taken to the streets and sometimes violently expressed their anger. One policeman was lynched by the crowd on Saturday night. A video of the incident has gone viral on the Internet:
On January 30, two citizens were shot dead during protests in the northern city of Podor. The situation is tense across the country and also online.
Ominous
None of this bodes well for the big rally on January 31. Although several members of the opposition movement, the Movement June 23 (M23), have called for peaceful and non-violent demonstrations, the excesses clearly give cause for grave concern, according to the conversation online.
Protesters as posted by @AnonymousAG on Twitter
The web site of the M23 went so far as to target people close to Wade, notably Farba Senghor, a consultant well known to Wade. On the Movement's Facebook page, they even posted an appeal [fr] for Senghor's address to be revealed, it seems, in order to carry out reprisals.
Si vous connaissez les adresses des residences de personnes suivantes, veuillez les communiquer: “Farba Senghor”, “Serigne Mbacke Ndiaye”, “Cheick Tidiane Diakhaté”, “Cheick Tidiane Sy”, “Ousmane Ngom” … nous allons diffuser leur adresse massivement sur google map pour que le Jour-J, les cibles seront identifiees avec precision.
Some even used to Google maps to locate his residence:
geolocation on Facebook
Abdoulaye Wade, in the media and on his Facebook page, tries to defend a position of peace [fr]:
Chers internautes.
En tant que juriste, avocat et enseignant du droit, je dois être le premier à respecter la loi. Je suis non seulement un démocrate, mais aussi très épris de paix.Il y a eu des manifestations violentes, les guides religieux ont appelé à la paix et au respect de la loi, je serai le premier à suivre leurs recommandations la campagne va bientôt ouvrir et il ne voit pas ,Chacun aura l’occasion de se compter librement à travers les bureaux de vote où tout le monde sera représenté. Celui qui aura la majorité sera élu. C’est la meilleure manière de préserver la paix ,Le pays est en train de changer, il est différent du temps de Senghor, d’Abdou Diouf et même pour moi, ce n’est pas le même depuis 2000. Le pays est dans une nouvelle dimension, il va connaître beaucoup de changements sous peu de temps, et c’est ce que certains ne veulent pas admettre .
Je vous souhaite une nuit paisible dans vos foyers..
Dear Netizens,
As a jurist, lawyer and a teacher of law, I must be the first to obey the law. I am not only a Democrat, but I am also a peaceful man. There were violent demonstrations, religious leaders called for peace and respect for the law, I will be the first to follow their recommendations. The campaign will soon open and he does not see. Everyone will have the opportunity to stand up and be counted freely through the polling stations where everyone will be represented. Whoever has the majority will be elected. This is the best way to preserve peace. The country is changing, it is different from the time of Senghor and Abdou Diouf, even in my case, it is not the same since 2000. The country is in a new dimension, it will undergo many changes in a short time, and that's what some people do not want to admit.
I wish you a peaceful night in your homes.
Someone injured in the demontrations, by Twitter user @Boombasticplo
But Wade's supporters themselves employ a tone tinged with hatred [fr]:
Sènègalaises,Sènègalais,pour prèserver le Sènègal du chaos que thèorise le M23 et ses manipulateurs tapis dans l'ombre des homosexuels amèricains et francais,soyons prets à dèfendre la Rèpublique contre l'axe du mal,par tous les moyens lègaux.
Barrons la route aux ennemis de la paix,en boycottant le M23 et ses activitès antidèmocratique et anticonstitutionnelles.
Faites passer SVP…
Protester throws a stone, by Twitter user @theBoyA
January 31 will be a highly tense day; the net is already in uproar [fr]:
Au lieu d'envoyer les Forces Spéciales pour régler son problème en Casamance, Wade les met en état d'alerte pour mâter la population… ces gens sont des tueurs professionnels, entraines par des commandos israéliens. Si nous en repérons un qui tue un seul sénégalais, nous nous en prendrons directement à la sécurité de sa famille … un point un trait… tous les moyens son bons de la mise à feu de sa maison a l’empoisonnement au cyanure de ses enfants… à bon entendeur.

author: Philippe Léveillée


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Sri Lanka: Ravaya News Website Blocked · Global Voices
Rezwan

Freedom Of Expression In SriLanka reports that six websites including Ravaya News have recently been blocked within Sri Lanka.


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St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Caring Diaspora  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Sometimes I have scant respect for Vincentians in the diaspora. They appear to be extremely critical of everything Vincentian, know what's best for us but provide little beyond chatter”: Abeni has found a notable exception to the rule.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Trinidad & Tobago: Principal Charged with Child Cruelty   · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Trinidad and Tobago News Blog reports that the school principal accused of “placing the head of two students in a toilet bowl at her school and flushing it” has been charged; Plain Talk comments on “the depravity required” to commit such an act: “Flush it to make a point, to send a message, humble and humiliate at one time, and bring everything and everyone back into the order according to brute force…how can this little country take much more?”


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Ukraine: Ex.ua is Back Online · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Ex.ua, a file-sharing site that the authorities shut down two days ago, is now back online [uk], though its content is still inaccessible. @bl4ka tweets [ru]: “The DDoS revolution has won! […]” @VsemPohuy tweets [ru] about the DDoS attacks that followed the shutdown, and the situation in the country in general: “Ex.ua's back, it's now okay to stop DDoS-ing the sites of [the Interior Ministry], the president, etc. That students continue to be killed at police stations, that's [no big deal].” Journalist Pavel Sheremet writes [ru] about “the hackers’ revolution”: “There was [Orange Maidan], then [“Tax Maidan”] […]. Now there's a Maidan on the internet.”

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Venezuela: Reflections on Consumption and Advertising · Global Voices
Laura Vidal

The blog El Ultimatum Hiperboreo [es] shares some thoughts on the western culture of consumption in Venezuela as seen through the advertising that seems to fill the pages of one of the most important Sunday magazines in the country.


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Iran: Leader’s website blocked in Saudi Arabia · Global Voices
Hadi Nili

Iranian sources say [fa] that Saudi Arabia has blocked Iran Leader's site Khamenei.ir. This sources says this website is blocked because of Ayatollah Khamanei's remarks on “Islamic Arab Spring”. Iranian user on Friendfeed believes [fa]: This could be a start for a cyber-war between Iran and Arabia.

author: Hadi Nili


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Bangladesh: Using Mobile App To Collect Data On Transportation · Global Voices
Rezwan

The Noun Project blog introduces an innovative project titled Urban Launchpad, which uses mobile apps for data gathering to better understand the complex transportation conditions in Bangladesh.

author: Rezwan


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Brazil: Homeless families awaiting help from São Paulo city removed with force · Global Voices
Janet Gunter

Homeless families evicted from a disused building in São Paulo city center last week had been camping on the sidewalk, waiting for negotiations with authorities to produce a long-term housing solution, when city police expelled the group including women and children with pepper spray, sound bombs and batons this morning. @LutaMoradia reports people were bloodied and ribs broken.

author: Janet Gunter


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China: Veto of UN Security Council Draft Resolution on Syria Draws Praise and Grief · Global Voices
John Kennedy

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011/12.
Russia and China seem to have voted with their own interests in mind yesterday in their controversial opposition to a draft resolution at the UN Security Council which calls on Syrian president Bashar al-Assad to stop the killings in his country, a revision of an earlier draft calling on Assad to relinquish power.
China justified its decision to veto the draft resolution, saying it wants to promote peace in Syria, and Russia claims to hope for a diplomatic approach to resolving the conflict in the country. As FireDogLake writer David Dayen points out: “The fact that Russia still supplies arms to the Syrian security forces clearly weighed heavily on the vote today.”
US ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice, confronting Li Baodong, China. Image posted to Weibo.
Unrest in the country has led to an estimated 7,000 deaths since March last year, with more than 200 lives lost in a massacre earlier this week.
Hu Xijin, editor-in-chief of the People's Daily tabloid Global Times, made today what is perhaps one of the most vocal statements in support of China's decision to veto the draft resolution, ending up under heavy fire in the comments section. Taking offense at Susan Rice‘s reported “disgust” at China's vote, Hu confuses her [zh] with Condoleezza Rice but also writes:
美国代表不点名批评中俄“出卖了叙利亚人民的意愿”。骂去好了。美国多次在安理会涉以色列提案表决时搞“一票否决”，这次中俄是“两票否决”。叶利钦当年说的好：只要中俄联手，美国无论捣鼓什么，“都是手淫”。赞呵。
Almost as a sort of response, writer Ran Yunfei wrote [zh] shortly after that:
一个政府做一次错事可以原谅，不可原谅的是把做错事当成事业。我不是个民族主义者，但百年来的历史证明，中国与俄国的联手从来都没有对过。
One “verified” commentator on Sina Weibo wrote [zh] early Sunday morning Beijing time that Russia and China ought now to be removed the Security Council and China replaced by Taiwan; that post was quickly deleted.
Sorry world, sorry Syria, we Chinese have an evil government. —Michael Anti, on Twitter.
The horrific video below [WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT], however, purportedly of the massacre Thursday in Homs, has not yet been deleted and has gathered hundreds of comments across the different spaces on which it's been embedded. At Sina Video, where it's currently being hosted, the most recent comment reads:
尼玛的我们国家在干什么鸟呀
This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011/12.

author: John Kennedy


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Indonesia: Reform of Juvenile Justice System · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Leopold Sudaryono writes about the proposed reforms to Indonesia's juvenile justice system after numerous cases of children arrested and prosecuted of petty crimes were reported in the media

author: Mong Palatino


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Iran: Blogger was sentenced to 14 years in prison · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Several bloggers reported that Mehdi Khazali, a blogger and publisher was sentenced to 14 years in prison. The blogger was sentenced to 90 lashes too. He can appeal this sentence.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Russia: Day of Protests Divides Citizens  · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

This post is part of our special coverage Russia Elections 2011/12.
Despite temperatures of -20 degrees, thousands of Russians went out to the streets to participate in election demonstrations. Many, organised online, were protesting against the current election procedures and possible re-election of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. Others, partly organised by pressure and bribes as well as fear of possible revolutions manifested that Putin should stay.
Bolotnaya vs Poklonnaya
Numerous demonstrations took place in nearly all big Russian cities. Most of them were of protest-oriented. Ridus.ru compiled a list of photo reports from different cities all around the country: Barnaul, Saint-Petersburg (1), Omsk, Yekaterinburg, Moscow (1, 2, 3), Kemerovo, Ivanovo, Perm, Tambov, Irkutsk, Chelyabinsk.
In Moscow, an anti-Putin demonstration started as a march and ended up at Bolotnaya square. A pro-Putin demonstration took place at Poklonnaya gora.
"We started to better warm up" poster at Bolotnaya Square, Moscow. Photo by Alexey Sidorenko
Symbols of the protesters included white ribbons, self-made posters and white balloons. In Moscow, white balloons were released at the end of the demonstration as popular musician Yuri Shevchyuk performed the song “Motherland” (see the recording of the performance here [ru]).
Many protest posters were inspired by Internet memes or quotes of Putin or his allies that circulated online due to their hypocrisy, bad grammar, or plain absurdity. Most of them were handmade with a high level of creativity, a distinctive contrast to the Soviet-style posters supporting Putin at the Poklonnaya event (see coverage [ru]).
The pro-Putin event in Moscow included some sincere supporters of Putin and his version of stability. At the same time, several cases of mass bribery and coercion were reported (1, 2). A few of my friends said that employees of public budget organisations were given a choice: either be fired or go to the event and receive a small award (depending on the source price varied from 500 to 1,000 rubles).
YouTube user Bandarlog20120204 uploaded a video shot at Kutuzovskiy prospect (next to Poklonnaya gora), where a lady distributed money to other people. When she realised she was being recorded, the lady tried to escape, thus provoking anger among those who did not manage to receive the ‘compensation’ for participation.
A hard dialogue among protest groups
Pro-Putin events mostly consisted of deliberately apolitical crowds (mostly labour unions, or the Soviet-era GoNGOs). On the other hand, protest events almost in every city consisted of at least four main groups: the general public, leftists (social-democrats and communists), nationalists, and liberals. This ‘coalition of negative consensus,’ however, did not work well everywhere.
The video below shows particular difficulties in finding a common ground among liberals and nationalists in Saint-Petersburg. An LGBT-activist who was given the floor was booed. After he finished, a nationalist activist came and started a speech that there should be ‘no [homosexuals] on the Russian soil.’ Then, he himself was severely booed by all other participants and was forced to leave the stage and was called ‘a Nazi’ and ‘a fascist.’
Lady waving to protesters. Photo by Vasiliy Maximov (Ridus.ru)
The missing network
After the demonstration was over, the Levada center published [ru] an interview with Boris Dubin, a renowned Russian sociologist, who described in detail the difference of “For Fair Elections” (FFF) movement compared to the previous protest movements:
Лет пятнадцать, наверное, как ничего похожего по скорости сплочения людей не было. Мы давно понимали, что есть 15-20, а по некоторым вопросам и 25 процентов взрослого населения, которые этот режим не принимают. Но это люди разрозненные, у них нет общих символов, нет общих лидеров. Не было понятно, как это меньшинство могло себя проявить. И вот оказалось, что в декабре, как, кстати, уже случалось в других странах в 2000-е годы, все завертелось вокруг проблемы «честных выборов», и дальше процесс пошел очень быстро.
He pointed out 3 main elements of unrest: 1. it is a principal protest against contemporary socio-political regime, 2. the sense that the real election results were different, 3. the failure of the government to accept citizens as partners. He also noted an unusually high level of connectedness among the protesters:
Пришли люди, внутренне связанные, которые реально или хотя бы воображаемо солидарны друг с другом, и им интересно и важно быть вместе. А для большинства российского населения это абсолютно нехарактерно. Все-таки в основном население раздроблено, размазано, людей соединяет только телевизор и убеждение, что, какая бы плохая власть ни была, надеяться можно только на нее. Власть у нас плохонькая, но наша, примерно так большинство населения думает.
According to Dubin's research, while 15 per cent of Russians would definitely participate in the protest actions, 44 approve such actions, and 40 per cent of the population condemns them. Dubin also discussed the role of the Internet in the protest actions: 60 per cent of the attendees of December 24 protest event (so called Sakharov demonstration) found out about the event online. 30 per cent found out about the event via their more connected colleagues. As Russian society lacks most conventional social networks (like church organizations, labour unions, etc) most people believe only their closest friends and families.
Although Dubin doesn't speak about the role of the Internet directly, it seems logical to suppose that in the absence of conventional networks, it is the Internet that has become the missing network that united so many uncoordinated ‘angry citizens.’
A Twitter parody account @igor_sechin ironically concluded [ru]:
Страна разделилась. Одна половина – за честные выборы, другая – за честные выборы Путина.
This post is part of our special coverage Russia Elections 2011/12.

author: Alexey Sidorenko


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Thailand: Flood Impact on Rice Production · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Aim Sinpeng writes about the impact of last year's massive flooding in Thailand on the country's rice production. Thailand is the world's largest rice exporter.


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United States: Immigration in the National Pre-Electoral Debate  · Global Voices
Robert Valencia

Last week, immigration was discussed not only among Republican presidential candidates, but also mentioned by the President of the United States Barack Obama in his State of the Union address, the last of his presidency, which in turn outlined his agenda for the elections for the White House in November.
Mitt Romney leads the Republican candidature in the forthcoming presidential elections to be held in November (CC-BY-SA 2.0)
President Obama called on Congress to pass a comprehensive immigration reform, while emphasizing his decision to post troops along the Mexican border which, according to Obama, has contributed to a decrease in the numbers of undocumented migrants crossing into the US. Meanwhile, the Republican presidential candidates who were meeting in Florida touched upon this issue of great interest to Hispanics, one of the highest-numbering minorities in this state.
However, both Mitt Romney – winner of the contest in Florida – and his nearest rival Newt Gringrich decided to mutually accuse one another of being anti-immigration, casting doubt upon the possibility of a concrete plan from the Republicans to tackle the issue.
As a result of the issue being raised by both the President and the Republicans, various Latino bloggers have expressed their feelings on the issue. For example, Anabella Bastida from Hoy en Los Ángeles (Today in Los Angeles) [es], states that President Obama's promises to pass a comprehensive immigration law must now be put into action:
Obama está alimentando las esperanzas de avanzar el tema migratorio, especialmente al mostrar interés y preocupación por los jóvenes brillantes y trabajadores que fueron traídos a este país cuando eran pequeños y viven también con el temor de ser deportados. Nuevamente escuchamos promesas. Promesas que sirven para animar o convencer a algunos. Promesas que nada valen si como comunidad, organizaciones, e individualmente, nos limitamos a únicamente escuchar y escépticamente pensar que no va a pasar nada. Nada es imposible.
Obama is fueling the hope that progress will be made on the migration issue, especially by showing his interest and concern for the brilliant and hardworking young people who were brought to this country when they were little and who still live with the fear of being deported. Once again we are hearing promises. Promises which serve to encourage or to convince some people. Promises which mean nothing if as a community, organisation or individually, we limit ourselves to just listening and sceptically thinking that nothing will come of it. Nothing is impossible.
Héctor B. Jiménez from Inmigración Al Día (Immigration Update) [es] mentions that while President Obama urges Congress to pass the DREAM Act, which would allow undocumented students to continue their university studies, the Republicans have promised to prevent the Act from becoming law:
La mayoría de los precandidatos del partido republicano se han expresado en contra del Dream Act porque lo consideran una inmerecida amnistía a las personas que violaron las leyes al ingresar de forma ilegal al país. El precandidato republicano [Mitt] Romney, considera el Dream Act como una limosna y ha dicho que lo vetaría de tener la oportunidad de llegar a la Casa Blanca.
The majority of the short-listed candidates for the Republican Party have declared themselves to be against the Dream Act because they consider it to be an undeserved amnesty for people who violated the law by entering the country illegally. The Republican candidate [Mitt] Romney considers the Dream Act to be an act of charity and has said that he will veto it in order to stop it from reaching the White House.
Meanwhile, the blog Inmigrante TV (Immigrant TV) [es] criticised President Obama for failing to go into the subject in greater depth:
Los hispanos esperaban que en el discurso presidencial se mencionara una propuesta clara para una reforma migratoria a favor de más de 11 millones de indocumentados en el país, pero solo se limitó a pedir al Congreso que aprobara una reforma migratoria e hizo referencia a la seguridad que hay en sus fronteras, sin mayores detalles.
In turn, some Twitter users declared themselves to be against President Obama's speech with some humour, such as Harold Pupiales (@HaroldPupiales) [es]:
Obama (Presidente de EEUU) dice que va enfrentar la inmigración ilegal; listo!!! pidamos visa a los gringos
Some people like Marialuz Rodriguez (@rodriguezinmigr) [es] question whether the President neglected the issue of immigration in his speech:
¿Qué opinas presidente #Obama prácticamente ignorase tema #inmigración en discurso estado Unión? http://inmigracion.about.com/b/2012/01/25/obama-se-conforma-con-aprobar-la-dream-act.htm
On the other hand, Jose Martínez-Díaz (@josefmtz) states that Cuban-Americans have found themselves isolated from other Latinos in the country because of their support for Mitt Romney, the overall winner in the primary elections held in Florida on January 31:
The ‘Cuban-American trifecta’ shows disconnect with Latinos outside Florida and endorses Romney: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/26/mitt-romney-florida-latino-republicans_n_1233613.html?ref=tw #Inmigracion #latism
Twitter users such as Turin (@r2rock) [es] remind the Hispanic population why they must not vote for a Republican candidate:
Latinos si vas a votar por #Republicanos recuerda que en los estados donde más atacan a los Latinos hay un Gobernante Replublicano al frente
Finally, Henry Toala Lainez (@htoala) [es] explains that the Hispanic vote will affect the destiny of Republicans and Democrats alike:
El #VotoHispano es muy importante tanto para #Democratas como #Republicanos ! Mediten su voto por quien ayude y apoye a los inmigrantes.

author: Robert Valencia


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Vietnam: Database of Political Prisoners · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Vietnam Reform Party publishes Voices of Conscience, a document containing summaries of individuals in prison for political charges in Vietnam.


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Vietnam’s “Bad Education Stories” of 2011 · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

VietNamNet Bridge posts an article about the “bad stories in the education sector in 2011.” Some of the bad stories include cases of corporal punishment, school bullying, and low performance of schools.


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What Makes Vietnamese Coffee Unique? · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Nathan Beyerlein writes about the coffee culture in Vietnam and learns the difference between Vietnamese coffee from its Western counterparts.


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Africa: 2012 Cup of Nations Delivers Many Surprises · Global Voices
Francois-Xavier Ada-Affana

Unlike Senegal, who failed to win their opening match in the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, Ghana, another competition favourite, managed to win their opener, beating Botswana, who were participating in this tournament for the first time. This, the first match in Group D, took place on Tuesday 24 January in the Stade de Franceville, Gabon.
The Black Stars of Ghana finished the match with ten men following a red card for John Mensah in the 66th minute. They did all they could to win [fr], and were not phased, according to FourFourTwo, who tweeted:
#Ghana show no remorse over Mensah red bit.ly/xkpul2 #AFCON2012
Botswana fought bravely during their first ever appearance in the Africa Cup of Nations. A video summary of the Ghana-Botswana match is available here [fr], courtesy of Direct 8 Sport.
Mali met Guinea for the other opening day Group D game, which saw the Eagles off to a promising start in the tournament, beating Guinea 1-0. Boukary Konaté, a Global Voices author who tweets under the name @Fasokan [fr], posted reactions from the stadium in Macina, Mali:
@Fasokan: Grand bruit et applaudissement à Macina pour le but malien #can2012
and also [fr]:
@Fasokan: les supporters de Macina espèrent sur un deuxième but malien
On Wednesday 25, the first match on Day 2 of Group A, Zambia versus Libya, resulted in the first nil-nil draw of the competition. Torrential rain caused kick-off to be delayed by an hour and a quarter with the match finally starting at 6.15pm, after some doubt as to whether it would go ahead.
Zambia were anxious to secure their place in the quarter finals against a Libyan team who seemed re-energised following their defeat on the opening Saturday of the tournament. The match was played on a waterlogged pitch, as can be seen in this photo posted by Alexandre Nakbi (@Alex_Nak), showing its condition moments before kick off [fr]:
@Alex_Nak: Voila l'état du terrain actuellement. #CAN2012 #Libye #Zambie pic.twitter.com/MSHrD1ae
Rain also delayed the Day 2 Group A match between Senegal and Equatorial Guinea. Tournament favourites Senegal were eliminated in a surprise 2-1 win for Equatorial Guinea, assuring a place for the latter in the quarter finals. The defeat of the Lions of Teranga greatly disappointed [fr] their fans:
@observateurs: Le Sénégal sort de la CAN. “On aurait dit des jeunes de centre de formation” #can2012 fb.me/10kgX5eNf
@founseni_soro: Sénégal Grande nation de football, . mais aussi grande déception de la CAN2012. Allez les zelephants #civ2010
In Day 2 of Group B, Angola could not overcome Sudan, one of the weakest teams in the Cup, despite two goals from Manuchi on Thursday 26 January in Malabo Stadium, Equatorial Guinea. If they had won, Angola would have qualified for the quarter finals. The four goals from the match can be seen in the following video [fr]:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yI1kNpXKrto&feature=player_embedded
Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso met at Malabo later that day for the second match in Day 2 of Group B. The Elephants of Ivory Coast beat the Stallions 2-0, qualifying for the quarter finals while Burkina Faso were eliminated.
Fans of Ivory Coast watching the match against Sudan by @FlorianK_Sport
Day 2 of Group C on the Friday saw Gabon beat Morocco 3-2 and Tunisia beat Nigeria 2-1, securing quarter final places for the Panthers of Gabon and the Eagles of Carthage.
The 2012 Africa Cup of Nations can be followed on the BBC website and on Twitter using the hashtags #CAN2012 and #AFCON2012.

author: Francois-Xavier Ada-Affana


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Africa: Highs and Lows of the 2012 African Cup of Nations · Global Voices
Abdoulaye Bah

Beyond their ethnic, political and regional divides, people unite together around their national football team. We saw the First Lady of Gabon dancing like an excited schoolgirl every time one of the eleven players of the ‘Azingo Nationale’ scored a goal and became “the Panthers” for their country.
The people of Equatorial Guinea were ecstatic with the qualification of their national team, languishing in the midst of one of the most ferocious dictatorships. According to Human Rights Watch, journalists who have visited the country to report on the human rights situation have been detained, interrogated, censored and deported.
In the fervour surrounding the 2012 African Cup of Nations, there are two key points that attract attention. The first is the absence of some of the higher achieving teams in African football.
Michael Dodje's blog explains [fr] the unusual goings-on in this year's Cup of Nations:
Imagine a Euro competition without Germany, Spain, Holland and England. Impossible you say, even though Ukraine or Poland would not have to participate in the qualifying rounds as host nations. And yet, this is what happened in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. Indeed, for the first time in ages we will not see Egypt, Cameroon, Algeria, Nigeria or even South Africa in this championship. How did this happen?
Remembering that the five teams mentioned above have won 15 out of 27 previous Cup of Nations tournaments. Nicholas Mc Anally on le229.com responded [fr]:
…If these teams do not qualify then there will be others to replace them. It's a breath of fresh air seeing teams like Botswana, Niger and Equatorial Guinea making their debuts in the Cup of Nations.
Another novelty in this year's Cup is the way that the thorny issue of bonuses has been resolved. A post on the blog plat du pied explained [fr] what happened on the 15 November, 2011:
After the cancellations of the matches against China, Gabon, Salvador and Mexico, Cameroon has again cancelled a friendly match at the last minute for the fifth time since the start of the season.  The players went on strike, once again, in protest against the federation over their bonuses for the match.
On the same blog, a statement issued by the Cameroon players, known as the ‘Indomitable Lions’, said:
Due to the absence of attendance bonuses, the players have decided not to travel to Algiers and to not play any part in the match against Algeria scheduled for the 15 November.
Different solutions to the problem have been found by building on past negative experiences. A post [fr] on the blog marocfootball.info, concerning the Moroccan national team, the ‘Atlas Lions’ stated that:
The President of the highest court in Moroccan football announced that a deal has been made with the Atlas Lions in that they accept that they will not receive any form of attendance bonus if they fail to reach the quarter finals of the 2012 African Cup of Nations.
Côte d'Ivoire, not long out of a prolonged and disastrous civil war, will pay their national team the ‘Elephants’ a bonus of 5 billion CFA francs (1 million US dollars) if they win the final. The blog afrik11.com states [fr]:
The 23 players in the side receive 5 million CFA francs (10,000 USD) in attendance bonuses. This amount will be paid if the team is eliminated in the first round. In the quarterfinals, the bonus of each player will rise to 8 million, rising further to 10 million in the semifinals and then to 20 million in the final (40,000 USD). The coach, Zahoui François will also enjoy his share of the pie, receiving double the bonuses of his players.
afrik11.com also comments [fr] on the bonuses paid to the Mali national team, the ‘Eagles of Mali’ at the beginning of January:
Earlier this week the Malian football team received their bonuses for qualifying for the 2012 African Cup of Nations. Two hundred million CFA francs (40,000 USD) were given in cash to the players and coaching staff before the national team left Lomé (Togo) for the final stage in their preparations for the competition.
The Equatorial Guinea team in training by @FlorianK_Sport
Equatorial Guinea, co-hosts of the event, is a country unable to build a stadium capable of hosting a match due to the frequent rains. Yet abidjan.net posted a blog surrounding their first victory [fr] in the competition:
Teodorin Obiang, the Minister for Agriculture presented a cheque for 500 million CFA francs (760,000 euros) to Francisco Pascual Eyegue Obama Asué, the Minister for Sport, in the absence of the national team in Mbini (mainland Mali). He added a cheque for 20 million CFA francs (30,400 euros), 10 million that had been promised for each goal scored ; the team only won the match 1-0 but he explained that the goal disallowed by the referee deserved to be credited with a bonus.
This blog points out that the actions of Teodorin, tipped to succeed his father as president, are under scrutiny by the Americans.
The generosity of petrodollars being used for the bonuses for the Equatorial Guinea football team makes the Republic of Guinea look like a poor relation. In Conakry, the first problem was in trying to find the money to pay for the bonuses. As reported by lejourguinee.com, the country set up a National Committee for Support, led by General Mathurin Bangoura, Minister for Housing and Urban Development with the aim of raising funds for the bonuses. Notably, the first contributions came from the Indian community settled in the country.
The least well-spent money during the tournament, without doubt, has to be the bonuses awarded to the ‘Teranga Lions’, the Senegalese national team, who had entered the competition as strong favourites and fell at the first hurdle. Yet, at the beginning of the competition the blog can.starafrica.com stated [fr] that:
There are some concerns surrounding the bonuses given to the Senegalese side.  On Wednesday the Sports Ministry gave the squad bonuses amounting to 140, 650,000 francs in full for their qualification for the 2012 African Cup of Nations.

author: Abdoulaye Bah


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Armenia: Questioning pre-election developments · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

As the May parliamentary elections approach, Unzipped questions the arrest of an opposition journalist for an alleged motoring offense and the suspected political ambitions of a former foreign minister believed to be close to political forces within the ruling regime.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Azerbaijan: Qubanin Ag Almasi and Eurovision · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Gultekin Garadaghly posts a rendition of Qubanin Ag Almasi, an Azerbaijani folk song. The YouTube channel of the young musical video blogger from Baku also features a cover of Drip Drop, her country's 2010 entry in the Eurovision Song Contest, as well as last year's winning Running Scared. Azerbaijan host the international music competition in May.


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Brazil: Footage of violent removal of homeless by São Paulo police · Global Voices
Janet Gunter

The first video footage came out from this morning's forceful removal of families awaiting assistance from city hall on a São Paulo sidewalk. A police officer peppersprays the woman filming. Then a citizen reporter interviews Manoel del Rio, lawyer for the social movement, who has an gaping wound on his head from a police beating.


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China:“Thankfulness Education” for Tibetans · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Weibo post about the Chinese Communist party's “Thankfulness Education” for Tibetans by a Chinese historian,  Zhang Hongjie. (via China Media Project)

author: Oiwan Lam


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Colombia: The daily El Colombiano Celebrates 100 Years · Global Voices
Lully

YouTube, mass media, internet,  social networks  and blogs are echoing the celebration of 100 years of daily circulation of main newspaper of city of Medellin, El Colombiano, the date on which it unveiled its new design for both print and online versions.

author: Lully