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Taiwan: “When the Excavators Came to the Rice Fields” · Global Voices
Portnoy Zheng

A rice field in Dapu, MiaoLi, after 6/9. Photo courtesy of aboutfish
Now occupying only 1.8% of total GDP in Taiwan,  no one can deny that local agriculture has lost its once highly-respected status and is almost dying under many political decisions that are not in favor of agriculture. Or we can say that farming is no longer regarded as important and valuable in the minds of politicians, one of which is Liu Cheng-Hung. As magistrate of Miaoli County, on June 9 he sent 20 excavators into the rice fields right on the verge of harvesting, ordering the heavy machines to run amok in a rampage of destruction and annihilating the richly-laden rice fields in the blink of an eye.
Without any attention from mainstream media, the incident was exclusively reported on by citizen journalist dino.utopia, who received a short message on his mobile phone from Dapu residents on the afternoon of June 8:
竹科四周道路被苗栗縣政府封鎖，我們住在裡面的住戶不得進出，連接送孩子上下學都成為問題。
This video report was made by dino.utopia with materials submitted by local farmers who were witness to the destruction process:
Peopo Weekly Review translated dino.utopia's article into English:
On the 8th June 2010, a rather queer atmosphere extended over the whole of this simple village.  Police put concrete roadblocks in place cutting off any entry or exit form the village.  The full strength of the police stealthily made their way into the residential community and forbid the entry of anyone except local residents.
Excavators in the rice field. Photo courtesy of dino.utopia
Then came the excavators:
Farmers tried to obstruct the excavators by standing in their way, pleading with them not to destroy their crops in such a callous way.  However no matter whether it was elderly farmers or women holding babies in their arms, all were dealt the same harsh and unforgiving treatment by police.  One woman sobbed in tears as she said, “I fell to my knees in front of the excavators begging them not to destroy my farmland, but they just wouldn’t listen to me.”
Excavators drove all over the fields, completely destroying the rice that was ready for harvesting, leaving only a pile of muck in their wake.  Farmers could only look on in bewilderment at the destroyed rice fields, speechlessly looking to the heavens for the reason why.
There was zero response on this issue from mainstream media. Many bloggers began to argue [zh] that the good relationship between Liu Cheng-Hung and local media as well as the huge budget spent annually on media purchases and political product placement advertisements were the reason that mainstream media have remained silent.
Further, others [zh] have pointed out that Taiwanese mainstream media almost never pay attention to this kind of incident as they are on the side of “development”. So far, the only channel to spread the message has been through citizen media and blogs.
The only means for this story to reach the public has been through local people, citizen journalists, who have been on the scene to record and broadcast this rough and cruel process over the internet, bringing this harrowing story to the people, allowing even more citizens the opportunity to witness the tears and anguish of these farmers.
Bloggers are showing their solidarity with the people of Dapu by publishing an article with the same title “Liu Cheng-Hung, you might be able to buy media, but you can never buy bloggers!“
Wakint reminds us that this is not a first for Liu [zh] by citing a report from 2009:
「苗栗縣長劉政鴻剛上任時，徵收卓蘭58線道路段土地，曾引發180多戶地主不滿，揚言召集民眾躺在路中央抗議。本來縣府公告星期一拆除，劉政鴻卻臨時改在週六，以迅雷不及掩耳的速度拆除。劉政鴻得意地說「我連讓他們躺的機會都沒有。」
「今年(2009)一月，由苗栗縣柴燒陶藝創作協會發起的「搶救苗栗古窯行動聯盟」曾抗議，縣府要拆除位於高鐵苗栗站特定區土地上，包含國寶級陶藝家蔡川竹所親自建蓋的傳統「四角窯」在內，總歷史超過140年的三座古窯。趕在文建會召開協調會前，劉政鴻再度下令先行拆除。」
Even though Liu claims that there is no other alternative to compulsory “purchases”, citizen media such as “dfun.tw” denounce such claim:
劉政鴻口口聲聲說要發展科學園區，為公眾利益，不得不徵收民地，並且登報將聲援大埔農民的立委抹黑為「反商立委」。但事實上，目前苗栗縣內的園區仍有多數閒置土地，光是竹科銅鑼園區，就有274公頃的土地尚未開發，其中真正動用的僅佔4公頃！
再者，科管局早已表明不再主動徵收民地擴大竹南園區，除非縣府找到廠商進駐。而原先陳情要求擴增廠區的群創，在2009年合併了統寶光電後，廠房早已擴大，沒有擴增需求。苗栗縣府卻仍執意要徵收此地，動機令人費解。且徵收後土地將大量被重劃為住宅區，更引人轉賣土地、「炒作地皮」聯想！
Liu has repeatedly said that for the sake of science park and public interests, compulsory purchasing of private lands is something must be done. He bought newspaper ads to accuse legislators who support Dapu farmers as “legislators against business”. However, the fact is that most existed science industrial parks are not used. More than 247 hectares in Tungluo Park of the Hsinchu Science Park alone have not been developed at all, with only 4 hectares being genuinely put to use!
In addition, the Park Administration had indicated that it would not actively purchase private land to expand Jhunan Park unless the county government finds any companies to enter. Innolux Display Corp., after submitting a petition to expand its factory, merged with Tungbao Photoelectronic Corp.; after expanding its factory, it had no more need to expand further. Miaoli county, however, still insisted on making its purchase of the land compulsory, which makes us doubt its motivation. If purchased, most part of the land will be turned into residential area, and so people cannot help but regard the behavior as transferring land ownership and boosting land price for private interest.
Dapu is just one of the many countryside regions that are facing compulsory government purchase of lands. People, mostly farmers’ families from 二重埔(Er Chong Pu) in Hsinchu, 相思寮(Xiang Si Liao) in Changhua and Wanbao in Miaoli, are all fighting for their right to stay, to continue their relationship with soil and sustain the traditional lifestyle inherited from their ancestors, or just to get compensated with a real reasonable price. Laws that give local governments huge power over private ownership and the ignorance of mainstream media on this issue (and most important public issues), has brought bloggers and citizen journalists together to break the blockade, as Gene NG expresses in his blogpost:
政客應該是這個世界上最沒有學習能力的傢伙，因為他們不斷重蹈歷史錯誤的覆轍，即使這些錯誤一再被歷史證實是愚不可及的。
國民黨當年因農民反抗，而結束在中國的統治，撒離到台灣。過了六十幾年，國民黨當中的某些狗官，仍然搞不清楚狀況。
Politicians are the people who have the poorest learning ability, because they keep on repeating historical mistakes, even though these mistakes have been repeatedly proven to be beyond stupidity.
Kuomintang lost their ruling in China because of a farmers’ uprising and retreated to Taiwan. After 60 years, some god-damned Kuomintang officers still don't get it.
苗栗的怪手毀田事件，不僅是農民辛勞被毀的地方問題，而是整個制度戕害人民生命財產安全保障的問題！是整個社會公義的問題！
自我感覺良好的政府和媒體再作賤人民的智慧，我們就來讓他們賤識到他們該享有的惡果吧！
Excavators damaging rice fields in Miaoli is not a local issue of destroying farmers efforts, but a whole systematic invasion of people's life, property, and security protection! It is an issue of justice in the whole society!
Government and media who are feeling good about themselves have once again trashed people's wisdom, and now we should let them taste the outcome that they deserve!

author: Portnoy Zheng


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Trinidad & Tobago: Au Revoir · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

This Beach Called Life makes fun of France's early exit from the World Cup.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Uruguay: Watching the World Cup from Afar · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Nostalgia de Emigrante [es] describes how it feels to watch Uruguay play in the World Cup from the perspective of someone who has emigrated. Considering how well the team is doing, the blogger wonders why the country doesn't work like that: with the president as the coach and the citizens like the players.

author: Silvia Viñas


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Zimbabwe: Dear Farai Maguwu · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Chris Kabwato writes to Mr. Farai Maguwu, Executive Director of Centre for Research and Development (CRD) who was arrested by the Zimbabwe Republic Police two weeks ago.

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Afghanistan: Drug use keeps on rising  · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Nick Fielding reviews a report from the UN's Office of Drug Control, which indicates that almost a million people in Afghanistan – roughly 8 per cent of the population between 15 and 64 years old – are drug addicts.

author: Adil Nurmakov


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Afghanistan: Parliamentary elections in the unstable country · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Nasim Fekrat writes that out of the Afghanistan’s 364 election districts, only 11 are stable as the parliamentary elections scheduled for September 18 are nearing. The fact questions the vote's prospects amidst widespread insecurity.


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Australians Challenge Afghanistan War Commitment · Global Voices
Kevin Rennie

Even before Barack Obama sacked General McCrystal, Australia bloggers were questioning the commitment of troops to the Afghanistan war. This has intensified with the deaths of five soldiers in the last couple of weeks.
Defence Minister John Faulkner has urged Australians to keep supporting the war in Afghanistan after the deaths of five soldiers in just two weeks.
…”It is absolutely critical for the safety and security of Australians and Australia to help prevent Afghanistan from again becoming a training ground and operation base for international terrorists.”
Faulkner makes case for Afghan war
The policy has the support of the main parties except for the Greens.
Leo Shanahan at the Punch, a News Limited blog site, analysed the bipartisan support and seemed to endorse it:
in the case of the war in Afghanistan both are of the genuine majority belief that it’s the right thing to do. The (well founded) fear is that to leave Afghanistan now would be effectively leaving it to the Taliban and their support of extremism and terrorism in the region and in the west.
Should Rudd pull us out of Afghanistan?
Bernard Keane at Crikey used opinion polling as one of the arguments for withdrawal:
Most Australians want us out of the Afghanistan conflict.
It doesn’t matter how old they are, how they vote, or how much they earn. That’s what Essential Research found in the course of its polling last week.
Support for increasing our commitment (the Coalition’s policy) was in single digits. Support for keeping it at the same level was around a quarter of voters. Support for withdrawal was over 60%.
…Driving this is the damaging combination of a slow, steady drip of casualties coupled with the impression we’re not getting anywhere.
Why we want out of Afghanistan
There has been concern that it is unpatriotic and undermining of the our soldiers to attack our involvement in the context of the deaths.
Blogger politicalowl explored this:
No one it seems wants to appear disloyal to the troops putting their lives at risk so all the political talk outside of the Greens is about saying the course for the great cause of combating terrorism. Politicians like Bob Brown who are prepared to say we should not be there at all are in short supply and will be until one of our leaders has the courage to tell our military that we were wrong to send them in the first place and more wrong to keep them there so long.
Not wanting to appear disloyal to the troops
Pip Hinman of the GreenLeft Weekly blog took a hardline anti-war position:
It is a tragedy that three more Australian soldiers have been killed in this near-decade long war but it is ordinary civilians in Afghanistan and Pakistan who have been the biggest victims in this war.
The misnamed “war on terror” is better described as a war of terror against ordinary, poor folk in Afghanistan and currently serves to prop up the corrupt and despotic puppet regime of Hamid Karzai.
New poll: Majority want troops out of Afghanistan
At Public Opinion Gary Sauer-Thompson’s opposition was less strident but made similar objections:
…what the politicians say about the constant progress (painting a rosy-picture) often bears little resemblance to what happens on the ground in Afghanistan. http://afpak.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2010/06/15/helmand_anatomy_of_a_disaster
The core justification for Australia's involvement in this war is the Taliban providing a safe haven for terrorists, Al Qa’ida and the threat of a sanctuary and base for international terrorism, and the fact the conflict now involves Pakistan’s future stability.
This justification barely stands up as no terrorist groups threaten Australia and al-Qaeda is now largely in Pakistan.
Afghanistan: a fool's errand
John Passant at En Passant, an active member of the Socialist Alliance, drew the inevitable comparisons with the Vietnam war:
Everything you hear from our leaders about Afghanistan is a Vietnam lie. We are not winning. We are not bringing democracy, or liberating women or fighting terrorism.
Australia is in Afghanistan to support the United States, our imperialist protector.
So why are we in Afghanistan?
Even with the sudden change of Prime Minister in Australia, the commitment is unlikely to change. The withdrawal strategy and timetable may be the main focus of any debate at the election due this year.

author: Kevin Rennie


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Bangladesh: Outstanding Bangladeshi Researcher Completes Jute Genome Sequencing · Global Voices
Rezwan

Monir Uddin Ahmed at Science and Technology blog congratulates Bangladeshi scientist Dr. Maqsudul Alam for successfully completing Jute Genome Sequencing.

author: Rezwan


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Bhutan: Private TV Channel for Bhutan · Global Voices
Rezwan

Penstar advocates for private TV channels in Bhutan, which are still not available in the country.


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Brazil: “Tsunami” hits some of the poorest riverside cities · Global Voices
Paula Góes

At least 46 people were killed and an estimated hundreds remain missing since Friday June 18, after torrential floods swept through the neighboring states of Alagoas and Pernambuco, north-east Brazil, in the worst environmental tragedy in the local population's memory. Dubbed the ‘northeastern tsunami, the floods have been compared to similar catastrophes in Asia, such as the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
At least 180,000 people have been displaced by the disaster, with many finding shelter in schools, churches or with family members. Most people have lost everything they had and rely now solely on humanitarian help. The delay in the arrival of aid means that people are going hungry and sick.
From Santana do Mundau, one of the most affected cities in Alagoas, a citizen reporter recorded the moment the flood took the city last Friday. YouTube user TheWelligton1 shot the video from the roof of his house:
After having lost everything, Teresa Aragão[pt] has published pictures of the destruction around her and celebrates to be alive, safe and sound after the biggest catastrophe she has seen in her city, Palmares (Pernambuco). She has been also using her own blog to provide local news and coordinate donations for those in need especially those with disabilities:
A maior catástrofe que eu já presenciei aqui na minha cidade. a maior enchente de todos os tempos!!! Toda a minha família perdeu tudo!!!estamos sem roupas , documentos e sem remédios também.Graças a Deus não houve mortes na família. O desespero está grande , um verdadeiro caos de lama e amontoados,carros virados submersos…destruiçaõ total.
Branquinha, after the flood. Photo Marcelo Albuquerque, used with permission.
According to Gilvan Júnior, a month's worth of water was dumped on the affected areas in less than a week – June is normally the wet season in Brazil, but this volume of precipitation was not foreseen:
Na capital alagoana, a expectativa era que chovesse 298,3 milímetros (mm) durante todo o mês, mas até ontem (22) foram registrados de 470,2 mm. Em Recife, choveu 456,7 mm até a manhã de hoje (23), enquanto eram esperados 388,9 mm em todo o mês.
Some small towns have been almost completely destroyed by the floods, while entire communities by the banks of Mundau and Capibaribe rivers, in Alagoas and Pernambuco respectively, were completely washed away. Collapsed bridges and flooded roads left many towns cut off; there is no electricity, fresh water or telephone services in most places affected. Lays describes the desolate picture in Alagoas [pt], including the situation in Branquinha, one of the poorest cities in the country, that has suffered over 90% of destruction and will need to be rebuilt in a different location:
Em cidades como Branquinha e Quebrangulo não restou um só prédio público de pé. Não há postos de saúde, mercadinhos ou farmácias que possam dar uma ajuda emergencial à população. Essas cidades terão que ser reconstruídas por completo, visto que também nenhuma documentação restou nos cartórios de registro públicos.
"It is estimated that 70% of the city of Quebrangulo, 115 km from the capital of Alagoas, Maceió, was destroyed by the Paraíba River waters". Photo Marcelo Albuquerque, used with permission.
The blogosphere is devasted by the news of floods of this magnitude in an area already wrecked by extreme poverty. However, it was the news that the main cause of the disaster was not just the adverse weather conditions but the environmental destruction that left many angry. Alcides Faria [pt] has taken  the opportunity to send a message to a local politician who defended some controversial environment policies:
Como todos sabem, o ocorrido em Alagoas também está relacionado ao desmatamento e à não proteção das microbacias. A vegetação marginal de córregos, lagoas e rios é essencial para conter o assoreamento e a crescida rápida do nível das águas.
Streets under water in Quebrangulo, Alagoas. Photo: Marcelo Albuquerque.
Many bloggers have published information on how to help. Solidarity networks start to appear offline and online, such as SOS Alagoas, a website that uses OpenStreetMaps to map the most affected areas and to provide information about donation centres. Bloggers brace together in setting up an emergency topic blogging to raise awareness about ways to help.
Décio Junior [pt] says that the images reminds him of the Tsunami in Indonesia and the earthquake in Haiti. While everyone is thinking about the World Cup in South Africa, he tries to catch people's attention to more urgent matters:
Mas não há diferença para a mãe natureza, não há hiato, não há desigualdade. A tragédia pode acontecer para John ou pra João.
E é uma pena ter que repetir esta retórica, mas preciso de alguma maneira contagiar todos os tocedores nesta corrente pelo Brasil.
Vamos juntos, tudo é um só coração, um só povo irmão. Pra frente Brasil, salve seus filhos, salve seus irmãos.
For Mother nature, there is no difference, no hiatus, no inequality. The tragedy may happen to João or to John. It is a shame to keep repeating this discourse, but I need to find a way to encourage everyone to join this solidarity network for Brazil.
Let's go together, we have just one heart, one brotherhood. Ahead, Brazil. Save your sons, save your brothers.
Train line cut by the floods in Quebrangulo. Photo Marcelo Albuquerque, used with permission.
Saxotech Paragraph Count: 5 After a few fairly dry days, the rainy weather that has plagued the area over the last  several days will not come to an end,  at least for a while. According to the National Weather Service, the rain forecast for the next days could cause rivers and streams in the area to rise  again, and make it difficult for rescue teams to reach affected areas.
The areas affected are part of the northeastern Brazil, a region wracked by extreme poverty and normally affected by extreme dry weather and drought. Floods, however, have become a recurrent annual disaster: in May 2009, at least 44 people were killed and 380,000 displaced in the same areas.

author: Paula Góes


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Cambodia: “Development evictions” · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Cambodia ranks first among Asian countries in the number of ‘development’ evictions or the act of demolishing urban poor settlements in the name of ‘development.’

author: Mong Palatino


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Cambodia: More mobile phones than landlines · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Cambodia is the first country in the world in which the number of mobile phone users surpassed the number using fixed landlines.


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China: A new search engine · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Kaipan from china/divide introduces a beta search engine, Goso.cn, in China.

author: Oiwan Lam


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China and France: Overseas Chinese in Paris protest against violence · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Fauna from ChinaSMACK translated netizens’ comments on a recent overseas Chinese protest against violence in Paris.


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Costa Rica: Week-long March Against Mining · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Habla Costa Rica [es] reports on a march against mining which will start July 12 and end July 18.  The march was organized by a group of citizens under the name “Coordinadora Ni una sola mina” (Coordination Not One Single Mine). The blog post includes a schedule of the march (including corresponding locations), and a statement by the organizers.


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Cuba: For the Bloggers  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Generation Y posts interviews with Dr. Darsi Ferrer and Juan Juan Almeida.


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El Salvador: Transparency Begins with Citizens · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Carlos Abraham Rodriguez [es] says he would like to see more transparency from the government of El Salvador; but he also adds that it is the citizen's responsibility to ask for it and to support initiatives that will make the government more transparent.


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Ghana: 10 unusual ways to wear Ghana flag · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

10 Unusual Ways To Wear A Ghana Flag ( Plus a bonus idea) from Ghanaian blogger Cleland.


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Ghana: Employment challenges for the disabled · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Nana writes about employment challenges for the disabled in Ghana.


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Guadeloupe: The Blogging Priest · Global Voices
Fabienne Flessel

Each week, a Guadeloupean Catholic priest posts his thoughts about religion, society and his everyday life in a blog named Lemoulefatima [Fr].

author: Fabienne Flessel


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India:  · Global Voices
Rezwan

Dheera Sujan at South Asia Wired highlights the works of an organization named ‘I Hear Foundation’, which is “working with hearing impaired kids and their parents to help diagnose, treat, and then help the children assimilate into a hearing world”.


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Jamaica: ‘Dudus” Hearing Today  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Dudus is to have his hearing at 10:00 a.m. at Harman Barracks, Up Park Camp (the army base in Jamaica)” today:  Girl With a Purpose explains what to expect.


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Jamaica: Lighter Side · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Annie Paul looks at the lighter side of ‘Dudus” capture (as does Laura Redpath in this tweet).


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Japan: A Hayao Miyazaki Profile · Global Voices
Scilla Alecci

Trevor Hogg at Flickeringmyth [en] dedicates a series of five posts [en] to the master of Japanese animation Hayao Miyazaki [en]. In the first post, the blogger describes the beginning of the career of the Oscar winner filmaker.

author: Scilla Alecci


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Kyrgyzstan: Constitutional Referendum, Pro et contra · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Ekaterina writes [ru] (and Andrei translates) a analysis of the situation around constitutional referendum in Kyrgyzstan, which is expected to bring more legitimacy to the Interim Government.


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Madagascar: A Strange 50th Independence Day Anniversary · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

Madagascar 50th Independence Day Anniversary  is on June 26th and the festivities are already underway . In spite of a star-studded line-up of international entertainers, the atmosphere is not exactly festive because of the political uncertainty and the economic hardship that has resulted from the 18 month-long crisis.
Raising the flag and lighting up lanterns to celebrate independence are an enduring tradition in Madagascar around this time but it seems that there are fewer flags this year for various reasons. The atmosphere was further dampened by the death of a pedestrian who got run over by a motorist for the presidential cortège [fr].
The festivities have certainly overtaken mainstream media, but several bloggers wonder whether it is justified to have a costly celebration in times of economic uncertainty and mass malnutrition in the southern region.  Many Malagasies have enjoyed the entertainment, a welcome respite from the everyday grind.
Many bloggers opined on the issue. Ndimby  recalls the famous words of a Roman statesman and wonders what happened to  the promises of less public spending [fr]:
on se demande où sont passé les grands slogans lancés sur la Place du 13 mai contre le gaspillage des deniers publics pour des futilités ? Sans doute est-ce le prix à payer pour que le DJ Andry TGV puisse marquer à sa manière de son empreinte la vie nationale. C’est donc l’occasion de lui rappeler ces mots de Cicéron : « Plus on est placé haut, plus on doit se montrer humble ».
One wonders where they have all gone, all the slogans about less public money spending that were shouted at the Place du 13 mai? Maybe that is the price to pay for Andry TGV, the deejay to mark with his own imprint national history.  This might be a good time to remind him of Marcus Tellius Cicero's words:” The  higher we are placed, the more humbly we should walk”
Malagasy Lantern from ChronoWizard on Flickr under CC-license
Blogger Randy argues on his Facebook page  that  Independence Day does not belong to any political party and that he is glad  to see foreign artists come  honor Madagascar  [fr]:
ému en voyant le rapper américain Big Ali entrer sur scène drapé du drapeau national malgache. Il s'en est jamais séparé tout au long du show [..] La fête de l'indépendance n'appartient à personne. le drapeau national, tout comme l'hymne, fait partie des institutions sacrées de la République que chaque citoyen doit respecter indépendamment des dirigeants.
More Lanterns from ChronoWizard:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/chronowizardmg/
As independence day approaches, several criminal trials related to the turmoil of the past year are underway in Antananarivo.
10 radio journalists have been imprisoned  since mid-may [fr].  As many bloggers pondered the meaning of  the 50th anniversary of independence for many francophone countries,  Basyvava turns to domestic affairs and wonders aloud whether the justice system in Madagascar can be called “independent” [mg]:
Fitsarana izay niniana natao amin’izao ankatoky ny fankalazana ny faha-50 nahazoana ny fahaleovantenam-pirenena izao. Ny eo anivon’ny fitondranana FAT no hita toa namaritra ity daty hanaovana ny fitsarana ity, izay heverin’ny mpanarabaovao, fa fitsabahana mivantana amin’ny asan’ny fitsarana eto amintsika.
Finally, in this milestone year and given the past turmoils, Mitiyu  wonders whether this “democracy”, that every Malagasy politician seems to claim as their ultimate goal, is really worth it for countries like Madagascar [fr]:
On parle souvent d’élection, une manifestation de la démocratie. Si nous analysons les issus de certaines élections et l’impact social, économique ou politique de certaines élections à Madagascar on peut se demander si on a réellement besoin de la démocratie car en fin de compte on lave le cerveau du peuple « manipulé », on leur explique qu’ils sont malheureux et on leur demande de descendre dans la rue au nom de la démocratie.
Avec la démocratie, on met aussi en avant la liberté d’expression. Est-ce que cette liberté d’expression existe-t-elle à Madagascar ou est-ce qu’on doit toujours se cacher derrière une autre identité ou sous la ligne éditoriale imposée par le patron de presse pour mieux s’exprimer en toute quiétude?

author: Lova Rakotomalala


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Martinique, Guadeloupe: French Football Flop now Racial Controversy? · Global Voices
Fabienne Flessel

The French national football team has been through some rough times prior to the 2010 FIFA World Cup, but the past three days have stirred up old issues around “Les Bleus“.
In the buildup to the FIFA World Cup, the honeymoon between the the French football team and French journalists came to an end; the divorce was officially announced when native Martinican player Nicolas Anelka allegedly insulted his coach in the locker room (information unveiled by French main sports newspaper, L'Equipe). Guadeloupean blogger B. World Connection reacted soon after in a post entitled “Nicolas Anelka, kicked out of the French football team” and discussed the player's future [Fr]:
Selon toute vraisemblance, Nicolas Anelka ne revétira plus jamais le maillot de l'équipe de France…A moins que Laurent Blanc arrive à le convaincre de revenir. Au niveau de l'opinion général des français ça sera plus dur.
Although most French West Indian bloggers condemned Anelka's attitude, they have also been discussing the various issues revolving around the incident.
Some comments to B. World Connection‘s post [Fr] blame the incident on coach Raymond Domenech:
En voyant ce déferlement médiatique à l'encontre d'ANELKA, je me suis dit c'est clair la chasse aux sorcières à commencé. La FFF et DOMENECK ont besoin d'un bouc émissaire pour sauver la face. Et il vont comme à l'habitude sacrifier un “nègre”.
Blogger Bel Balawou weighs in on this analysis of the coach [Fr]:
Cette équipe de France est dirigée pas un entraineur incompétent, un homme ayant pratiquement rien réussi de lui-même…
A disturbing scenario followed this already disastrous situation: The French team went on strike just two days before their final round match against Bafana-Bafana. Their decision opened the door to a giant wave of criticism, some of it along seemingly racist lines.
The once-welcomed multicultural feature of “les Bleus” may now have become their worst flaw. Here is the title of Martinican Bondamanjak’s post in reaction to some comments about the team:
Les Antillais de l'Equipe de France sont déjà des Français entièrement à part…
Bondamanjak‘s conclusion came after a radio interview with controversial French philosopher, Alain Finkielkraut, who allegedly said [Fr]:
« Tout ça c'est la faute des racailles de banlieue, même ceux de l'équipe de France et qui n'aiment pas la France ».
From a sporting perspective, the failure of the French football team has reached social, cultural and even historical levels. For instance, the use of the term “suburbs scum” to descrbe some of the team's players left Bondamanjak bitter [Fr]:
Tant que les Antillais gagnent ils sont partie intégrante de la “nation arc en ciel”… il n'y a plus de couleurs (ni de culture) NOUS SOMMES TOUS BLEUS…
mais au premier nuage, les “gens des cités” (?) sont rétrogradés en seconde classe
Similarly, Bel Balawou says [Fr]:
Une équipe sportive, d'ailleurs pas que dans le football où se trouve en majorité des gens issus de la banlieue, des Noirs et des Arabes […] : Cela ne le fait pas !
According to some bloggers, the reactions against specific players are because of either their background or their religion. Bondamanjak posts this portrait of Nicolas Anelka [Fr]:
Il ne mange pas de saucisson, ne boit pas de pinard. Il est noir, banlieusard et musulman. Il est donc le parfait bouc émissaire le doux mouton noir qui doit être sacrifié pour apaiser la pénible déception offerte par l'équipe de France de football au Mondial en Afrique du Sud.
B. World Connection also publishes a post which suggests that Anelka is a hero [Fr]:
Depuis le temps de l'esclavage, le Nègre n'a jamais cessé de maronner , d'échapper à ses fers, solides ou immatériels, en gagnant les bois, le zyiann…
Nicolas Anelka est de cette race-là…
Obviously, the era of the “Black, Blanc, Beur” French society (which means Blacks, Whites and Arabs) inherited from the 1998 FIFA World Cup  victory is over.
In conclusion, Gwadaboy, commenting onB. World Connection‘s post approaches the issue in a more balanced way [Fr]:
Et dire que Zidane a privé la France d'une 2eme coupe du monde avec son coup de boule. Lui il a eu droit aux honneurs de la nation, n'est ce pas monsieur Chirac? Ceci dit Anelka n'est pas excusable,quoi qu'il arrive on doit respecter son entraineur et ses COEQUIPIERS. Après le match on peut rêgler nos comptes mais pas à la mi-temps car “je” pénalise mes potes et mon équipe.


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Nepal: Copy Paste News · Global Voices
Rezwan

XNepali shows ‘the lack of technical reporters in Nepali journalism’ and ‘how rampant copy-paste journalism is there in the internet’.


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Paraguay: Match Against New Zealand Paralyzes Country · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Paraguay is playing New Zealand in the World Cup for their opportunity to make it to the second round. The blog Rescatar [es] reports that buses that are normally packed in the morning were empty today; and, although productivity is down, everyone is hopeful about the result.


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Peru: Chess World Champions Visit Lima · Global Voices
Gabriela García Calderón

For two days, Lima hosted the two chess champions, Gary Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov. They both came for an exhibition game, where they played against 25 children: 20 of them were selected by the Peruvian Federation of Chess and the rest were drawn from the audience. Although football is the king of all sports in Peru, and in spite of Peruvian chess being banned from international competitions, the news didn't go unnoticed for some bloggers.
Back in May, Hugo Melo, blogger of El ajedrez es cultura (Chess is culture), quoted a story on his blog [es] about the visit:
[El Instituto Peruano de Deportes (IPD)] destacó que la llegada de estas “dos leyendas vivas del ajedrez”, cuya fecha de arribo no precisó, “será de mucho provecho para los ajedrecistas nacionales”.
[…]
“Sus experiencias como campeones mundiales sin duda serán captadas por nuestros jóvenes deportistas”, acotó.
On his blog Nido de erRatas [es], Carlos Tovar shares some history of both players:
Karpov y Kasparov protagonizaron la más prolongada rivalidad sobre el tablero en la historia del ajedrez. El estilo de Karpov, racional y lógico, con una marcada tendencia hacia posiciones claras en las cuales un cálculo preciso permitía encontrar la variante ganadora, contrastaba notoriamente con el estilo de Kasparov, marcadamente táctico y dinámico, con tendencia hacia posiciones complicadas, en las cuales el cálculo no bastaba para orientarse durante el juego, sino que debía ser auxiliado por la intuición.
This ancient rivalry has become a good friendship, as Monty Python summarizes [es] in the blog Otras tardes :
Karpov también aprovechará su estadía en Perú para promover su candidatura a la presidencia de la Federación Internacional de Ajedrez (FIDE), que cuenta con el apoyo de su ex rival Kasparov.
On Tuesday June 22, it took less than two hours for both champions to beat all 25 selected children. Aside from their nervousness, the children were very confident making their moves. That same day, Karpov and Kasparov took off to Bolivia.
Christian Torres (@vergato) thanked the two chess stars through Twitter:
Maestros gracias por venir!!! 2 Genios en Peru …

author: Gabriela García Calderón


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Russia, Belarus, Moldova: Gas Wars · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Updates on the gas dispute between Russia and Belarus – at Leopolis, Jamestown Foundation Blog, and BelarusDigest. A May 28 post on Moldova's relationship with Gazprom – at RFE/RL's Transmission.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Singapore: Tax on church groups · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Recognizing that many church groups are establishing various business establishments, Irreligious from Singapore asks whether it is right to exempt church groups from paying taxes.


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Somalia: Death to anyone who watches the World Cup · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Watching the 2010 FIFA World Cup in Somalia could cost your life!


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South Africa: Definitions of Vuvuzela · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Four interesting definitions of Vuvuzela from Vuvuzelas for Africa.


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South Korea: Teen beaten to death for ‘gossip’ · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Matt from Gusts of Popular Feeling blogs about school bullying, which recently caused the death of a 15 year-old girl.


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Algeria: Defeat by USA Brings the Country Back to Earth · Global Voices
Mohamed Benderouiche

Algerians went from hope to disillusion as they realized that patriotism alone isn't enough to win football matches. Indeed, their dreams were dashed on Wednesday in Pretoria, South Africa, when the U.S. soccer team beat them at the FIFA World Cup by 1 goal to nil, hence eliminating them from the competition.
Algerian bloggers have been commenting on the defeat, like Aberrahmane who writes [Fr]:
Durant cette coupe du monde en Afrique du Sud, les Algériens ont concédé deux défaites et un petit match nul en trois rencontres. L’Algérie est la seule équipe qui a réussi l’exploit en n’inscrivant aucun but en cette coupe du monde.
En raison du niveau très faible du football en Algérie, l’entraineur a été contraint de faire appel aux joueurs évoluant à l’étranger. C’est grâce à ces joueurs que l’Algérie a réussi à se qualifier pour la coupe d’Afrique et la coupe du monde mais ne pourrait pas aller plus loin.
During the world cup in South Africa, Algerians conceded two defeats and a small draw in three games. Algeria is the only team that managed not to score a single goal in this World Cup.
Due to the very low level of football in Algeria the coach was forced to call on players from abroad. These players have led Algeria to qualify to the African Cup and the World Cup but could not help it go further.
Le Montagnard commented [Fr] harshly on his country's defeat considering that Algeria is leaving the World Cup deprived of any honors:
Le rendement de l’équipe est médiocre. Seul un nul est réalisé face à la sélection anglaise. Les joueurs comme Ziani, Djebour et autres sortent de la petite porte. Car depuis des mois ils n’ont pas joué avec leurs clubs
Djalla Namri is obviously disappointed. He questions [Fr] the preparation of the Algerian team prior to the World Cup:
Alors là la question : Qu'est-ce qu'on est allé faire in South Africa?
La réponse est: el mouhim el moucharaka (l’essentiel c’est la participation) !!!!
Au passage, on signe un tas de contrats publicitaires et on laisse des millions de supporters avec cette lumineuse explication: on n'a pas d'attaque.
Despite the elimination of their team from the World Cup, Algerians have been paying tribute to their goalkeeper M'bolhi as stressed by blogger R.Z. [Fr]:
Le gardien des Verts, M'bolhi a été, sans conteste le meilleur Algérien sur le terrain. Il faut dire qu'il a évité à notre équipe une lourde défaite, grâce à ses interventions décisives et ses arrêts qui ont été salutaires pour l'arrière-garde de l'Algérie frileuse devant les attaques américaines.  Bons placements, bonne lecture du jeu, de l'engagement, du sang froid, mais surtout de l'humilité…
Algeria's Goalkeeper Disappointed by Loss
Another blogger, Khalid Mimoune, also salutes [Ar] the Algerian goalkeeper. He writes:
Je salue le gardien de buts Rais M’bolhi qui m’a étonné par son jeu, sa concentration et sa résistance face aux attaquants lors des deux rencontres avec les Américains et les Anglais.
Journalist Ithri Belateche concludes saying [Fr]:
Maintenant que le foot et la coupe du monde n'a plus aucun intérêt pour nous, revenant à notre quotidien et parlons du chômage, de la pauvreté, de la délinquance, du ciment, des Harragas, de la corruption et du terrorisme, bref ; la routine. Mais tout ça sans – tout de même -jeter l'emblème national au fond du placard.
Original article written in French by Mohamed Benderouiche  and translated into English by Hisham.

author: Mohamed Benderouiche


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D.R. of Congo: The Murder of Human Rights Activist Floribert Chebeya · Global Voices
João Miguel Lima

The year of 2010 is turning into quite an eventful one for Africa and not only because it's the first time an African country hosts a Football World Cup. Throughout the year, six francophone countries are expected to hold presidential elections and as many as 17 countries are celebrating 50 years of independence: 14 are former French colonies, two were ruled by the British and one country is a former Belgian colony, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). But the celebrations in the DRC in June 30 are taking an uncertain path as the murder of human rights activist Floribert Chebeya is raising more than a few concerns.
The leader of the human rights organization La Voie des Sans Voix (The Voice of the Voiceless), Chebeya was found dead on June 2 under suspicious circumstances. According to Amnesty International, on June 1,  Chebeya had been asked to pay a visit to Congo's Inspector General of Police, General John Numbi. He sent a text message to his wife stating that he was at the police office, waiting to meet the chief. Hours later, he sent another message to say he would make a quick stop at the University before going home, and that was his last message. On the following day, passers-by saw his body in the backseat of his car in a suburb of Kinshasa. Some of his clothes were removed and there were traces of female hair and used condoms found inside the car. His driver had disappeared and there were no signs of visible wounds or bullet holes, although there was blood inside his orifices.
For the past 3 weeks, Chebeya's death served as a catalyst to expose the D.R. of Congo's internal situation. The investigation of his murder is giving more weight to the ongoing denunciation of killings, rapes and other violations of human rights, most of them motivated by the conflict over the country's mineral wealth, which also occurs in other French-speaking African countries.
Chebeya's family wanted to arrange the funeral exactly for June 30th 2010 as a sign of protest, but due to pressure from the government and diplomats, the family later agreed to change [fr] the date for June 26.
A human rights activist since the early 1990's, Chebeya was honoured by international organizations and by display of protests worldwide.  In June 8, an open letter signed by more than 50 international organizations was addressed to President Joseph Kabila, urging him and his administration to set forth an independent investigation of Chebeya's murder. The Congolese diaspora in Brussels organized a manifestation in front of the DRC embassy [fr]:
Video of the Manifestation for Chebeya in Brussels
Authors of the blog Friends of Congo published a timeline in June 24 with the latest events surrounding the case and declared:
We are outraged by the loss of Floribert Chebeya, a champion for human rights and justice in the Congo. Indications are that the repressive Kabila regime is increasingly extinguishing the voices of the people as the regime looks to maintain power by any means.
Last year, the organization Human Rights Watch published a video on youtube, very critical about the DRC's situation in the field:
Democracy in Congo, by Human Rights Watch
In February of 2010, Amnesty International published an article about persecution, threats and illegal detention of human rights activists in the DRC, which mentioned Floribert Chebeya, who had  been a victim of threats, illegal arrest and detention before.
For the Congolese diaspora in Brussels, June 30, 2010 is a day of protest. Since March 2010, groups have been organizing a rally to take place through the city's streets to reach the embassy of the Democratic Republic of Congo with a massive protest. They are calling it “No Kabila Day” [fr], in a clear message against President Kabila and his administration. The mobilization now counts on the Congolese diaspora in Lausanne (Switzerland) and in London (UK) [fr] for similar events on the same day.
One of the leaders of the mobilization in Brussels states [fr] the goal of the protests in her blog:
Nous voulons protester contre le régime dictatorial, génocidaire, terroriste de Joseph Kabila et organiseront jusqu'à son départ, chaque 30 juin, jour anniversaire de l'Indépendance du Congo, un NO KABILA DAY  pour rappeler à l'opinion publique mondiale la dangerosité que représente ce dictateur pour la Population Congolaise mais également pour les Populations d'Afrique Centrale et du Monde. Nous espérons rassembler plus d'un million de personnes à travers le monde.
Blogger Jason Stearns of Congo Siasa posted in June 9:
So has this changed with Chebeya's murder? It's too early to tell, but it does come at a very sensitive time, just weeks before the anniversary celebrations and just before the IMF decision on Congolese debt. Also, it may open up a rift within Kabila's inner circle if John Numbi, the head of the police, is prosecuted for the murder.
In the midst of this web of connected events, and now just a few days before the 30th of June, the twitter user Kambale hopes Chebeya is not quickly forgotten by the Congolese and sends out his message:
Amazing that Congolese have forgotten Floribert Chebeya so quickly and are back watching the World Cup. Freedom is not given, it is taken!

author: João Miguel Lima


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East Timor: “Blogs Factory” Announces Production Cuts · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

Fábrica dos Blogs [Blogs Factory, pt], a collective that feeds blog Timor Lorosae Nação (one of the most active sources of information and places for discussion about that country, in Portuguese), announced today that, after almost four years online, it will cut its publishing frequency from daily to weekly, due to unavailability of its collaborators.

author: Sara Moreira


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East Timor military record of Indonesian President · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Timor Archives summarizes the study made by an Australian researcher about the military stint of Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in East Timor. Indonesia occupied East Timor from 1975 to 1999.


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Guide to Vietnamese Restaurant Menu · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Viet World Kitchen provides a useful guide to understand Vietnamese restaurant menus


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Illegal bird trades in Indonesia and the Philippines · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

EngageMedia uploads an investigative video report on the illegal bird trades in Indonesia and the Philippines


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India: Tribute To Dad Blogging Contest · Global Voices
Rezwan

Blogadda announces the winners of the ‘Tribute To Dad Blogging Contest’.


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Indonesia: Video on protest against mangrove forest conversion · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

EngageMedia uploads a video of a protest action demanding the Aceh Governor in Indonesia to stop the conversion of mangrove forest to palm oil plantation.


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Japan: Most popular company for job seekers · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Akky Akimoto from Asiajin quotes a research that shows Google being the most popular company for Japanese job seekers between age 25 to 34.


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Mozambique: 35 Years of Independence · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

On the 35th anniversary of Mozambique's independence [en], blog Moçambique Para Todos [Mozambique For All, pt] publishes several opinion articles, reflecting upon the political situation and the economical dependency of the country as well as the conclusions of a survey related with the political decisions which were made in 1975.


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Nicaragua: Riot Police and Citizens Clash in Small Town · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón

Rodrigo Peñalba republishes a message and video sent to him by Lázaro Díaz from Boaco, a small and peaceful town in Nicaragua currently going through violence after the mayor was deposed. In the video you can see the clash between the riot police and the protesting citizens.

author: Juliana Rincón


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Poland: “Still Divided” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Raf Uzar summarizes the results of the first round of Poland's presidential election and concludes: “What is really thought-provoking is the fact that after centuries of turmoil and upheaval, Poland is still a country divided.”


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Russia: Charges Against Alexanyan Dropped · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Robert Amsterdam reports that “Russian prosecutors have finally dropped their case against Yukos lawyer Vasily Aleksanyan”: “But I don't really see this as a sign of clemency or change, or a sudden recognition of judicial independence. Russia just admitted that it held an innocent individual for two years for no reason and nearly murdered him […]. And yet everyone will applaud, nod with approval over the warming of relations, and chat about new investments.”


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Russia: Cocks and Prayers · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Sean Guillory of Sean's Russia Blog writes about a “Prayer for the President” and “a kind of re-embrace of Tsarist symbolism” that seems to be taking place in Russia. Julia Ioffe writes at True/Slant about “the Cosmic Cock of War” that was painted on one of St. Petersburg's bridges “in [Che] Guevara's honor”: “And it stood there, facing the St. Petersburg headquarters of the FSB, the successor of the KGB/NKVD/Cheka.”


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Russia: President Medvedev is “iPhone Compatible” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Julia Ioffe announces at True/Slant that “Russian president is iPhone compatible.” More on Dmitry Medvedev's visit to California by Julia Ioffe – here, here, and here, and by Jamestown Foundation Blog – here.


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Rwanda: A Journalist for Umuvugizi Killed in Kigali  · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

Jean-Léonard Rugambage, a journalist for the suspended bimonthly magazine Umuvugizi, was killed on June 24, 2010, Jeune Afrique reports [fr].


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South Africa: The social media world of vuvuzelas · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Can't get enough of vuvuzelas? Or perhaps the opposite is the case. Here are a series of social media links devoted to everything vuvuzela.
RedsWhitesandBlacks is a blog focusing on vuvuzela news around South Afria, Africa and the World. The latest item on this blog is a link to story about Bill Clinton saying he is a fan of the vuvuzela.
Vuvuzela Radio (Vuzuzela FM) is an online radio dedicated to playing the sound of the vuvuzela.
Blow Me provides an opportunity for vuvuzela lovers to blow a virtual vuvuzela. You can also visit the virtual vuvuzela here.
Browse the web as if you are at the 2010 World Cup at Vuvuzela Time. Enter the address of any website and hear its vuvuzela sound!
What about “Breaking balls sonata for vuvuzela”?
And if the vuvuzelas disturb you so much, visit the official EarPlug of the vuvuzela, Vuvuzela Unplugged.
There is anti-vuvuzela movement, which is lead by Ban Vuvuzela, Stop Vuvuzelas and Anti-Vuvuzela.
If you are into computer games, you can play Vuvuzela Hero: Legend of Africa. You might as well download vuvuzela app for iPhone and iPad? Or check out YouTube vuvuzela button.
Vuvuzela Twitterverse:
Stop Vuvuzela, The Vuvuzela, Vuvuzelona, Live Vuvuzela, Vuvunee (Dutch), Vuvuneela, VuvuUnplugged, Vuvuzela Radio and Vuvuzela Horn.
Vuvuzela Facebooked:
Vuvuzela Radio, Virtual Vuvuzela Facebook Gift, The Vuvuzela.


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South Korea: Worries Over Apocalypse Health Care Reform May Bring · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

As South Korean government moves a step closer to execute a health care reform, bloggers have erupted online, strongly criticizing the idea of reform as neither effective nor egalitarian.
South Korea's national health insurance offers the so-called universal health care to every citizen, whom automatically registered as the insured as they  born. As South Korea government leans into small government after the worldwide economic crisis in 2008, gigantic projects causing budget deficits had been trimmed down and among them is the national health insurance coverage. South Korean bloggers have understood this a clear move toward the privatization of public health sector, urging government to remain status quo.
A photo of local hospital in Korea
A Naver blogger Ahimsa 93, mother of a kid and South Korean currently living in the United States voiced her worries on shifts in Korean health care system, praying it not to resemble the notorious US health care model.
미국의 의료 보험이라는 게..정말 별로라는 것을 대한민국 사람들도 좀 알아야 합니다. 미국에 처음 와서 제일 열심히 공부해야 했던 것 중의 하나가 의료보험이었다는 기억이 납니다…홈페이지를 뒤지든지 병원마다 전화를 걸어서 너네 이 보험 받니? 라고 일일이 물어봐야 되는 거죠. 제가 바로 지난 주에 아기 손에 난 두드러기 때문에 한 맨 처음 일입니다. 그냥 아무 병원이나 갔다가 보험 거절당하면 그냥 손 한번 들여다보고 약 처방 하나 해주는데 약 100불은 훌렁 깨지는 거죠. (미국 경우는)진짜 한숨 납니다. 대한민국 보험은 어찌되려는지.
More Korean people are expressing their anxiety over the side-effect health care shift would bring by taking a privatization turn. A Tistory blogger Avoidance 25 commented that the health care reform will eventually push people to sign up for the private insurance.
어제 저도 몸이 안 좋아서 병원을 다녀왔는데 5일치 약값이 총 4100원 나왔거든요. 약봉지에 영수증해서 (이렇게) 나왔더군요. 약제비 총액: 13,770원, 보험자 부담금: 9670원 본인 부담금: 4100원…그렇다면 민영화가 되었다(하면). 민간의료보험에 가입되지 않은 사람의 경우 13,700원을 5일치 약값으로 전부 본인부담으로 내야합니다…(그렇게 되면) 민간의료보험을 가입을 할거에요.
Another issue derives from private insurance is, the discriminatory standard the insurance company will hold to thin out the insurance receivers. A Naver blogger Mim predicted the insurance corporate will spurn the poor, desperate people.
국민건강보험은 국가가 법률에 따라 운영하는 사회제도이므로 국민 누구나 건강보험에 가입합니다. 예전에 어떤 질병을 앓았더라도, 아무리 중한 질병을 가지고 있더라도 차별하지 않고 당연히 가입하여 건강보험의 혜택을 누릴 수 있습니다. 그러나 민간의료보험은 그렇지 못합니다. 영화 ‘식코’에서 보신 바와 같이, 예전에 어떤 질병을 앓았던 적이 있으면 민간의료보험에 가입하려 해도 보험사로부터 거절당하게 됩니다. 희귀난치질환 환자나 장애인은 말할 것도 없습니다. 심지어 부모의 질병에 따라서는 자식이 민간의료보험 가입이 거절되는 경우도 있습니다.
Even after people qualified for a private health insurance, the exponential increase on the medical expenses remain as each individual's problem. A Cyworld blogger Wise 21 Sky expressed his concern on a sudden increase of medical fee, quoting an example of the endoscopy surgery.
지금도 병원 다녀오시면 비싸다고 하시는 분 많으십니다. 그러나 의료보험이 민영화 되고 당연 지정제가 붕괴되면 위내시경 4만원 하던 것이 미국처럼 100만원으로 올라갈 수 있습니다. 의료 보험 민영화로 누가 가장 이득을 보게 될까요? 가장 이득은 영리 병원들의 기업이 될 것이고 가장 큰 피해자는 돈 없는 서민이 될 것입니다.
Another Naver blogger Mo pointed out the possible benefits from privatization while listing pros and cons of the reform.
의료보험 민영화의 목적은 갈수록 늘어만 가는 건강보험의 재정 부담을 지는 것이 작은 정부를 지향하는 정부 입장에서는 부담이 되고 또한 보험료 인상이라는 국민적 지지를 얻기에는 더더욱 어려운 상황이기에 당연지정제를 폐지하고 민간의료보험을 도입함으로써 건강보험의 재정적 안정화를 이루려는데 있다…이렇게 의료가 경쟁산업으로 변모하게 된다는 것은 그만큼 의료 기술의 수준 또한 높아질 수 있을 것이라 전망할 수 있다. 따라서 의료 서비스를 제공받는 수혜자들은 보다 양질의 고급화 된 의료 서비스를 제공받을 수 있을 것이다.
Korean government momentarily stands a step back from the full-out privatization, limiting for-profit hospitals’ boundaries on few designated spots. Cheong Wa Dea, South Korean presidential office posted a several paragraph-long post in its homepage bulletin, answering a question about privatization. Cheong Wa Dae said the government's recent move is not for privatization but rather a renovation of the old system into a more competitive model.
지난 4월 6일 국무회의에서 의결된 의료법 일부 개정 법률(안)의 주요 내용은 원격진료 허용, 의료법인 부대사업 확대, 의료법인간 합병근거 마련 등이며, 일부에서 우려하는 소위 의료보험 민영화 관련 내용 (당연지정제 폐지, 대체형 의료보험 도입 등)은 전혀 반영하고 있지 않습니다.
A Yahoo blogger Know_blog analyzed that even though the health reform's primary purpose is solid, how it will be turn out to be is unpredictable under Korean environment. If worse, he warned things can get off the track.
왜냐하면 일단 현재의 정부 쪽은 영리병원 건립은 추진하겠지만 의료보험 당연지정제는 유지하도록 하겠다고 했기 때문입니다. 관세 제도를 유지하며 예외적인 관세 특구를 지정하듯, 의료보험 당연지정제를 유지하면서 예외적인 병원을 일부 지역에 건립 허가 하겠다는 게 주요 골자입니다. 의료산업 활성화가 주요 목적이며 이를 통한 질 좋은 의료서비스를 제공하겠다는 것 역시 중요 포인트이죠. 사실 정부가 이를 통해 제대로 통제만 해준다면 나쁘지는 않은 선택일 수 있습니다…하지만 분명 건립되면… 각 대형 병원들이 영리병원을 추진하기 위해 경주할 것이 뻔해 보이긴 합니다. 만약 거기서 정부가 제대로 억제를 하지 못하고 하나 둘 풀어주면 대형 병원은 영리병원으로 국민건강의료보험에 적용되지 않아 치료비가 비싸지고, 작은 병원들은 현행 상태로 남게 될 겁니다. 그럼 감기 치료비는 싼데 암 치료비는 지금보다 수배 수십 배 비싸게 될 수도 있습니다. 최악으로는 이걸 빌미로 국민건강보험은 허울만 남게 될 수도 있습니다. 너무 안 좋게만 보았나요?
The irony of South Korea pushing the medical sector into wide market while the United States rescuing it from the capitalism jungle make people confounded. A controversy on the health care reform deal will likely to continue as the government and people have yet reached a sweet spot in the midst of two extremes.

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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Bangladesh: Hartal Is Back  · Global Voices
Rezwan

Protests in Dhaka. Image from Flickr by Vipez. CC BY-NC-ND
After three years of respite Hartal, a South Asian form of strike action is back in Bangladesh. Bangladesh's opposition alliance has called for a hartal on Sunday (27th of June, 2010) to press for its 11-point demand including solution of the utility crisis, tender manipulation, persecution of opposition leaders and workers etc.
Things have heated up as on the eve of the Hartal day there are news reports of cars and buses being torched in different areas of the capital Dhaka with passengers suffering serious burns.
Nazmul Hasan Babu at Prothom Alo blog provides some background of the Hartal culture in the country:
গুজরাটী শব্দ “হরতাল” কে বাংলাদেশের রাজনৈতিক দলগুলো যেভাবে ব্যবহার করেছেন তা বোধ হয় বিশ্বের কোন দেশই করতে পারেন নি। [..] আর হরতালের আভিধানিক অর্থ যা ই থাকুক না কেন বাংলাদেশের প্রেক্ষাপটে হরতালের সংজ্ঞা হচ্ছে- এদেশ আমার বাপ-দাদার, চাইলেই বন্ধ করে দেব সবকিছু।
বাংলাদেশের মানুষেরও আত্মার সাথে মিশে গেছে হরতাল। হরতাল আমাদের সংস্কৃতির ও একটা অংশ। হরতালের তারিখ নির্ধারণ মানেই হচ্ছে- আজকে আমার দোকানটা বন্ধ থাকবে, না হয় লুট হবে। আজকে আমার কষ্টার্জিত উপার্জনে কেনা সখের গাড়িটা ভেঙ্গে টুকরো টুকরো হবে। হরতাল মানেই হচ্ছে আজকে আমার কাজে যাওয়া হবে না। বড় কর্তার বকুনি। নয়তো ছেলেমেয়ে নিয়ে না খেয়ে থাকা।
এসবই পুরনো কথা। দীর্ঘ প্রায় আড়াই তিন বছর পর আবার শুরু হচ্ছে হরতাল। এ আড়াই তিন বছরে বাংলাদেশের জনগন বোধহয় ভুলেই গিয়েছিলেন হরতাল শব্দটি। এরই ফলে তারা হয়তো আর হরতাল চায় না। কিন্তু তারা না চাইলেই কি হবে, নেতারা তো চান! [..]
মাননীয় বিরোধী দলীয় নেত্রী কি ভেবে দেখেছেন, হরতাল হলে দেশের একদিনে ক্ষতি কত হবে? কত মানুষের ভোগান্তি হবে? অবশ্য এসব আপনাদের ভাববার কথা নয়, কারণ আপনারা জনগন দিয়ে রাজনীতি করেন জনগণের জন্য নয়। তাই জনগনের কি ক্ষতি হলো তা ভাববার মতো সময় আপনার কোথায়?
Hartal has been engraved in the spirit of Bangladeshis. It has been part of our culture. The declaration of a Hartal date means that my shop will either be closed or be looted. On that day my beloved car will be broken by picketers. Hartal means that I will not be able to go to work and will be scolded by my supervisor. The consequence will be that I will not get my pay and will starve with my children.
These all are known facts. After a long break of almost three years Hartal has come back in Bangladesh. Many Bangladeshis may have forgotten about this nightmare. So they probably don't want it to come back. But it does not matter what they want, because the leaders want it.
Respected leader of opposition, have you thought how much the country will lose in one day because of the strike? How many lives will be disrupted? Of course you don't have to think about it, because your politics is driven by people, not for people. So you don't have time to think about the problems and losses of the citizens.
Habib at Amar blog writes:
হরতাল বল্লেই প্রথমে তা সম্পর্কে মনে আসে যে হরতাল করলে দেশের ক্ষতি। এবং রাজনৈতিক দলগুলো বিরোধীদলে থাকলে হরতাল জায়েজ, আর সরকারীদলে থাকলে নাজায়েজ ।”
দেশে অরাজকতা তৈরী করে সরকারকে বিপদে ফেলার একটা কায়দা হল – হরতাল।
Because Hartal is the way to put the government in an awkward position by creating anarchy.
Aminul Haque Bachchu at Pothom Alo blog explains Hartal with a poem:
লাঠি হাতে মাঠে চল
এলো ঐ বিপক্ষ দল
হরতাল হরতাল ।
গরীব মারার নয়া কল
রাজনীতির এক মাত্র বল
হরতাল হরতাল ।
মানুষ ক্ষ্যাপানোর কৌশল
ক্ষমতায় যাওয়ার ছল
হরতাল হরতাল ।
পকেটে পিস্তল, হাতে মশাল
গাড়ী ভাঙ্গতে রাস্তায় চল
হরতাল হরতাল ।
A new device to kill the poor
The only ball of the politicians
Hartal Hartal
Its a tool to instigate citizens
Its a trick to come to power
Hartal Hartal
Torch in hand, Guns in Pocket
Lets take the street and break the cars
Hartal Hartal
However some netizens are also supporting the Hartal. Blogger Dhibor at Somewhereinblog.net gives logic for the strike:
আগামীকাল আঃ লিগে দুঃশাসনের বিরুদ্ধে প্রতিবাদ জানাতে যে হরতালের উদ্যোগ নেয়া হয়েছে, সেখানেও কঠোর অবস্থানের কোন বিকল্প নেই। কেননা আওয়ামী লিগ ভদ্র ভাষা বোঝে না। তারা যেমন নীতিতে কর্মে সন্ত্রাসি, সেরকম শক্ত প্রতিরোধ না গড়তে পারলে, ওরা পুলিশকে সাথে নিয়ে পেটোয়াবাহিনি লেলিয়ে দেবেই। ইতিমধ্যে কিছু কিছু আলামত স্পস্ট হয়েছে।
তাই মার খেয়ে পালানোর কোন সুযোগ নেই। যে কাজ অনেক অনেক দিন আগেই করা উচিত ছিল, (যদিও ইস্যুর তো কোন অভাবই ছিল না), সেটা এতদিন পরে হলেও যে করা হচ্ছে, সেজন্য মৃদু ধন্যবাদ বিরোধী দল পেতে পারে।
There is no achievement in running away after being beaten. The opposition should have done this a long time ago (the issues were present) and they have finally decided for it – they should get thanks from me.
The above statement shows the confrontational state of Bangladesh politics.
Twitter users also reacted this way:
Banglar Manchitro at Somewherein questions:
বিরোধীদলতো হরতাল বাদে অন্য যেকোন কর্মসূচি দিতে পারতো। তারা লংমার্চ, অবস্থান কর্মসূচি, অনশন করতে পারতো। তাহলে তারা কেন এই ক্ষতিকর হরতাল দিল।
আমাদের দেশের জন্য আমরা কি এই হরতাল সর্মথন করি?????
Do we really support this Hartal for our country's sake?


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Bangladesh: Poverty In Numbers · Global Voices
Rezwan

An Ordinary citizen highlights the results of a recent survey of BSS (Bangladesh Statistical Bureau) which is focused on basic requirements enjoyed by the people of Bangladesh.


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Guinea-Bissau: Are Armed Forces linked to Narcotraffic? · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

General António Indjai, who led the military unrest of April in Guinea Bissau, was yesterday appointed [pt] Armed Forces Chief of Staff by President Malam Bacai Sanha. The blogosphere has been talking about his aledged active role with narco trafficking [pt].


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Iran: A woman may face stoning to death · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

According to several blogs including Rahrovaneraheakbar [fa], Sakine Mohmadi Ashtyani may face stoning to death in near future in Tabriz, in Iran. She was accused of having sex with two men who killed her husband.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Iran: People resisted the Morality Police · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

A video film shows how people in Rasht, in the northern Iran, resisted the Morality Police when they wanted to arrest a woman. Read more here.


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Pakistan: Banning The Internet · Global Voices
Rezwan

Reacting on the recent court verdict of Lahore High Court, which may lead to banning of an entire range of websites, Adil Najam at All Things Pakistan explains “why banning the Internet in Pakistan may actually be a good thing”.


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Russia: Bloggers React to President Medvedev’s Silicon Valley Tour · Global Voices
Gregory Asmolov

The first Tweet by President Medvedev (and the first typo).
The visit of the Russian president Dmitry Medvedev to Silicon Valley [ENG] in California drew a lot of media attention. The main goal of the visit was to study the U.S. experience and to attract American investments for the creation of the “Russian Silicon Valley” – Skolkovo [ENG]. One of the major achievements [ENG] of the visit was a $1 billion contract with Cisco. One of the major scandals [ENG] was the Russian president's failure to meet with one of the founders of Google, Sergey Brin, who was born in Moscow and is known for his skeptical attitude towards the Russian authorities.
Russian bloggers, however, focused primarily on these two issues. First, during his visit to Twitter [ENG], Medvedev signed up for a Twitter account of his own. A little later, he became [ENG] the first Russian citizen to own a new iPhone 4 (despite the fact that he probably won't be able to use it due to security reasons).
Actually, for the Russian bloggers and Twitter users, the preparation for the visit started even before Medevedev wrote his first tweet. LJ user Lenaswan suggested [RUS]:
А что, господа, в связи с вот этим сообщением – Медведев собирается побывать в нескольких компаниях, базирующихся в долине – Твиттер, Эппл, Яндекс…. – не завести ли нам в Твиттере hashtag #askMedvedev – и не позадавать ли неудобные вопросы.
One of the questions was this [ENG]:
Once the Twitter account was created on June 23, it became the major discussion topic in the Russian blogosphere. Medvedev also started an English version of his Twitter, KremlinRussia_E, where the posts, unlike the Russian version, are written without typos.
The first Tweet by President Medveev (English account)
The first tweet was welcomed by the @White House and re-tweeted by @BarackObama. Years ago, the Soviet and American leaders had a special “red phone” to communicate with each other. Nowadays, they're using [ENG] Twitter for a dialogue:
During his press conference with President Medvedev, the U.S. president indeed joked [ENG] that Twitter could replace the “red phone.” Some Russian Internet users, however, expressed their concern regarding the Twitter friendship between the Russian and the U.S. #1 Twitterers. User Airatfaizov wrote [RUS]:
At the same time, some of the users were concerned [RUS] about the security of the Twitter platform after the Russian president's visit.
Tina Kandelaki, a popular Russian TV host, member of the government's civil society council, and a very active Twitter user, was very excited [RUS] about the news from California:
Медведев – один из немногих президентов, по которому видно, что он получает удовольствие от жизни и этого не скрывает. Если он будет продолжать выкладывать такие фотографии, как после регистрации в Twitter, у российской власти появится реальный шанс стать властью, которой гордятся люди. Правильно сказали, что количество followers и то, с какой скоростью росло их число, – очевидное подтверждение рейтинга президента. Если он будет таким же активным, как в начале, появление “новой” России станет очевидным не только нам, но и Западу.
Alexander Plushev, a well-known Internet expert and a radio anchor from Echo Moskvy, was a little more skeptical [RUS] about the value of Medvedev's visit to Silicon Valley:
Вообще, поездка Медведева в Калифорнию выглядит крайне забавно: «Вау, я со Шварцем! I’ll Be back!», «Я в Твиттере!», «Вид на Сан-Франциско», «В Америке найдется все! Даже Яндекс!», «Я гуляю с Джобсом!», «Мне подарили новый айфончик!». Воплощение сбычи мальчишеских мечт, не иначе. Как с привозом Deep Purple. Путин все на всякой технике да на лошадках катается, а Дмитрий Анатольевич больше по гаджетам. Если что, я без осуждения, сам люблю поездить, гаджеты, подарки и все такое. Мне просто казалось, что для этого вовсе необязательно становиться президентом.
LJ user Piligrim-67 was more optimistic and suggested [RUS] that there is something positive in the new Twitter account of the Russian president:
И  самое главное – пока  наш  презик играется с девайсами он не делает гадостей для страны. Потому я лично от души желаю, чтобы Медведев как можно больше времени проводил в Твиттере. Глядишь и страна сможет дожить до конца его президентского срока.
LJ user Kmartynov argued [RUS] that the new Twitter account raises some interesting new dilemmas in regard to Medvedev's second term:
Медведев завел себе аккаунт в твиттере с названием KremlinRussia. У меня есть один вопрос в этой связи: предполагается, что аккаунт будет впоследствии переходить по наследству к другим обитателям Кремля, или же Медведев думает побаловаться немного и завязать, или же он думает сидеть в Кремле вечно?
Many users were excited about the fact that the first tweets looked like something that indeed had been written by the Russian president. He even posted a photo with a view from the window of his hotel suite in San Francisco. This excitement, however, didn't last long. @Kursenko wrote [RUS]:
Twitter user berillii even wrote  [RUS] a special appeal to the president's spokeswoman Natalya Timakova:
Some Russian bloggers view the launch of @KremlinRussia as a new opportunity to reach the Russian president. Alexey Navalny, a well-known anti-corruption blogger, wrote [RUS] a post that exposed corruption that led to the death of lawyer Sergei Magnitsky and suggested to use the new platform to approach Medvedev:
Вроде Медведев твиттер завел? Давайте и ему накидаем ссылочек. А то ведь забудет, высокотехнологичный наш, что пока он в айфон 4.0. играет, в его стране менты воруют миллиардами и людей в тюрьмах пытают.
Navalny's post inspired LenaSwan to ask another question:
Perhaps, the most amazing fact about the new Twitter account was that for the first time in the RuNet history, Internet users could leave comments on the official account of the Russian president without any moderation. Up until now, the blog on the official website kremlin.ru, as well as the presidential LJ community, were moderated according to some very strict rules. Max1976 wrote [RUS]:
В твиттере премодерации-то нету:) Комментаторы уже жгут.
The comments were left not on the account itself, but after the three pictures that were posted by the Russian president at Twitpic. Marina Litvinovich, re-posted [RUS] a photo taken by Medvedev from his San Francisco hotel room and wrote:
Народ в комментах спрашивает, когда и у нас так будет? Никто, кстати, не пишет ему, чтобы не возвращался ;)
Russian bloggers rushed to leave their comments on the president's Twitpic account. Some of them had strong oppositional messages:
Some users used the opportunity to welcome the Russian president with a classical RuNet meme:
Other users had more instrumental questions:
The third picture on Twitter raised a special interest – it showed Medvedev together with the legendary founder of Apple, Steve Jobs:
Some Russian users demanded specific results following the meeting with Jobs:
However, the reactions included not only messages from the opposition or wish lists, but also some compliments:
The presidential Twitter account has attracted many spammers, trolls and those who promote inappropriate content. For instance, the Russian 4chan community started to post links to its forums. The comments started to be a joke. One of the bloggers posted [RUS] a screenshot with spam and “Thank you for the comments” by Russian president on the same page. Some of the comments also called to restore order, if not in the country, but at least on the new Twitter account:
Indeed, the appeal of @reclamat was probably the only one that was almost immediately satisfied. On June 24, in the afternoon, while Medvedev was eating hamburgers [ENG] with president Obama, all the comments suddenly disappeared. Any attempt to leave a new comment failed. The era of the Russian unmoderated online democracy lasted less than 24 hours.
P. S. On the same day, the Russian president got a Twitter ‘twin brother’ – a Twitter account named almost exactly as the president's and whose author has made [RUS] the same typo as Medvedev did in his first tweet:
So maybe those who can no longer leave comments on @KremlinRussia should communicate with @RussiaKremlin instead. He looks like a nice guy.

author: Gregory Asmolov


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Worldwide: The oil spills that don’t make the news · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

This post is part of our special coverage Forest Focus: Amazon.
The tragic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has the world's attention on the devastation that badly managed oil extraction can bring.  However, in some places around the world, people live with toxic spills such as these  and through videos people try to bring the world's attention to their plight.
Nigeria:
The people in Nigeria have had to deal with oil pollution in the Niger Delta for decades already, but in addition, they've also dealt with human rights abuses that claimed the lives of anti-oil activists.  The people sued Shell (who handles the oil extraction in the region) and earlier this month Shell settled for $15.5 Million the day before the trial. This money will be used to compensate human rights activists and to establish a trust fund.  However, lawsuits for environmental damage have yet to be fruitful since according to the organization, what “cleanup” means is turning over the soil so that the oil is no longer visible, but it is still there, contaminating the ground and making people sick, and nothing has been done regarding the gas flares that constantly burn.
Here is the video testimony from people whose livelihoods have been destroyed by the oil spills in the Niger Delta:
Egypt:
The beaches of Hurghada in the Red Sea were awash with oil a few days ago, and tourists and hotel owners raised complaints. These complaints generated actions and teams immediately went forth to discover the cause of the spill, plug it and clean up the beaches as the Hurghada environmental protection association HEPCA reported.
Singapore
A month ago we reported on the oil spill in Singapore, caused by the collision of two tankers resulting in barrels of crude oil contaminating the water.  Following is a citizen video showing the oil encrusted coastline:
Peru
The Marañon river in the Amazon Jungle is the only source of water for more than 28 communities that line its shores, and after the Pluspetrol oil spill earlier this month all of these communities are left with no clean water for all their needs and they can't fish either, since it is contaminated with more than 300 barrels of crude oil. In Globalizado blog, Juan Arellano wrote an extensive and comprehensive post regarding the multi-faceted impact that a spill like this can have on the wildlife of the amazon and the indigenous communities in their relationship with waterways and rivers. Here is a citizen video showing the oil floating over the water.
This isn't new in Peru. In Loreto, the same company PlusPetrol has a history of spills and their efforts in cleanup aren't that clean. As one of the workers says in the following video, that hey just have them turn over the soil, and when the authorities come along they tell them that “the spill has been contained”, but they can't mention that the oil is still there right under the surface where it can still contaminate water, plants and animals. One community member speaks of how his friends have died from crude oil ingestion and how they used to have elders live up to 90 or 100 years of age, but nowadays people are dying younger due to the ingestion of oil.
Venezuela:
In spite of photos and videos showing black tarlike  oil on the shores of the Lake of Maracaibo, the Minister of Environment denies any problem or oil spill and calls the mess and discharge, polluting the shores since 2009,  “normal” as Código Venezuela reports.
USA:
Besides the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, there's also the oil spill in Utah where a Chevron pipeline leaked and dumped 33,000 gallons of oil into the waterways.  While cleanup crews are getting to work and removing the visible oil on ponds, lakes and creeks, the community is concerned about possible effects of the contamination. Next is a short video showing a creek with oil covered sides.
Other Locations, Other disasters:
It seems that only now the media is getting interested in oil spills, and back in 2005 it took a Taiwanese blogger Munch to engage his readers to call media offices so that the oil spill near the island of Lanyu in Taiwan was noticed. This next picture shows the oil covered shores that were being cleaned.
Cleaning up Oil Spill in Taiwan by Munch
But oil is not the only threat to marine environments. Back in 2009, a ship carrying phosphate sunk off the coast of Madagascar and the contamination affected wildlife including migrating whales and fishermen who got sick from the contaminated water on the shores.
It seems that no matter how many years are spent in the oil extraction business, that security measures to ensure that the oil doesn't pollute the environment around the extraction places or pipes haven't grown at the same rate than the need to use and consume oil. Maybe we need to rethink our use of petroleum and demand accountability of the companies that exploit it.
This post is part of our special coverage Forest Focus: Amazon.

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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Australia: Dramatic Fall of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd · Global Voices
Kevin Rennie

It was swift and secret. Kevin Rudd has been replaced as Prime Minister of Australia by his deputy Julia Gillard. She is the nation’s first female PM. News of the challenge broke  on Wednesday night and Rudd stepped aside the following morning. You can find some background to the dramatic decline in Kevin’s popularity and his fall on my blog.
This post looks at other bloggers’ reactions to what has been called a political assassination and worse by some commentators. These are the voices of people who rarely post about politics or are not part of the regular commentariat.
Rorybaust in his ‘ramblings of a bemused individual’  was no fan of the PM but was bitter about the way he was deposed:
I felt for Kevin Rudd simply because he had been betrayed so publicly, so humiliated that no man deserves, not a man whose soul aim was to serve his, mine and your country. Kevin Rudd may had failed as a leader and maybe he should have stepped down but the actions to remove him are so devoid of respect for our most important job that I doubt the integrity of people that orchestrated this.
Like many others, he did not turn against the new leader but kept an open mind:
Julia Gillard may prove to be a good leader of our country, she may prove to be a successful Prime Minister in her own right, I just think this is an ugly stain on her tapestry.
what if the act of throwing out the rubbish, leaves sourer taste
Bill Kerr, at his self-titled blog, blamed the Australian Labor Party backroom  bosses for Rudd’s sudden end:
There is little difference between ex PM Rudd and new PM Gillard. The main reason for the change is that the factional bosses of the Labour Party seized their chance to remove Rudd who had refused to play their game by ignoring them whilst relying on his direct electoral popularity (which faded once he renounced his climate change scheme).
australian democracy
Like the devout ex-PM, Cath Swan at New Day, is an avowed Christian. She expressed empathy for his extraordinary removal:
For many reasons the shining glow of Kevin Rudd's climb to glory in 2007 dulled significantly in 2010. The many supporters and political allies’ very quickly turned to administer the final blows to Kevin's demise. Relieved of duty by a woman must to any red-blooded, testosterone charged male be a humbling hit.
It seems unfair, wrong and utterly humiliating for him.
The coup that was!!
As the title of his post indicates, Bushfire Bill at the Political Sword seemed torn between support for Gillard and admiration for Rudd’s contribution:
Well, after a good night's sleep and a bit of a think, count me in on the Julia side.
It seems Rudd isolated himself, and treated the caucus and the cabinet with seeming indifference.
Why this is so, I don't know.
Could this have been his personal nature?
After a lengthy analysis of Rudd’s strengths and weaknesses, he concluded:
His mistake was to hold on too tightly and too long. I for one can forgive him easily and say to him, with love, “Kevin, job well done”. It is up to him now to forgive us.
thank you kevin
Peter at Holties House, ‘All About Australia. The Land I Love’, summed up what he saw as Rudd’s achievements:
Just 31 months into his term as PM “Kevin 07” crashed from a popularity rating of 70% to a shattering 37%, even so his short term as PM has some memorable moments, he was the PM who apologized to the indigenous population for the stolen generations, he steered us through the World Financial Crisis without the nation slipping into recession, and he battled honorably for an Emissions Trading Scheme to help with the Climate Control problems.
A new Prime Minister
‘Same Same is Australia's #1 gay and lesbian lifestyle website.’ They asked a range of lesbians and gays to comment on the change of leadership.
Michael Rolik believed that:
The Rudd Government began the process of delivering major reforms for gay and lesbian equality throughout their first term. We look forward to a Gillard Government continuing that process.
Tim Wilson was not so sure:
The Rudd government was big on symbolism, but not on delivery. Gillard has to break that dynamic and stand up for what is right and then deliver on it.
Our hopes for Julia Gillard
M. ‘Lorenzo’ Warby, at Thinking Out Aloud, blogs mostly abut books and films not politics. The unprecedented events stirred his cyber pen:
Now, as it happens, Julia periodically says things I agree with while I just found Kevin irritating, but that is not the point. The problem with Kevin Rudd as PM was simple: he is a domineering control freak and you cannot be a successful PM of a modern democracy if you are a domineering control freak. You have to be able to listen, to consider because modern societies are just too complex for a single individual or narrow clique to understand the ramifications of actions and policies. In particular, you have to be able to listen and consider if you are going to be at all persuasive.
The polls must have been diabolical: the Pointy-haired Boss is no longer PM
Dr Marko Beljac's Vile Maxim, ‘Ranting and Ravings Against Neoliberalism’ saw the Prime Minister’s defeat as a victory for the mining interests who opposed his Resource Super Profits Tax proposal:
The mining industry decided that it would destroy Rudd and destroy him they did. The change over has been fulsomely praised by all of Australia’s peak business bodies. The ascent of Julia Gillard comes with the promise that they will be “consulted” better, as if they have not hitherto been consulted enough already.
A Delusion of Grandeur: Kevin Rudd in Politics
Alexis Ituarte, a final-year High School student, blogs at Lex-icology. He echoed what many others felt when they saw Kevin Rudd’s emotional speech after his downfall:
I’m not sure where I stand in the land of politics or what I think of Rudd (or Gillard for that matter) but the most important thing that I took out of today was that Kevin is a person like the rest of us, with a conscience, with passion, and perhaps sometimes well-meaning.
Kevin Rudd – a human?
Rhiannon Hart usually writes about ‘young adult books and writing, fantasy, dystopia, paranormal’. She was one of many who were excited about having the first woman in the job:
In Australia we are all still reeling from the news that K-Rudd (Prime Minister Kevin Rudd) was booted/stepped aside from the prime ministership yesterday morning (depending how you look at it), and into the helm stepped Julia Gillard … who is a woman! Our very first female PM, in fact.
There's a lot of grumbling going on, but also a lot of celebrating. I for one think it's absolutely fantabulous that after a long history of Old White Men PMs we have a woman (and a ranga!) bringing a bit of diversity to the portraits that hang in Parliament House.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard: Something to celebrate
Finally Patricia who writes poems at POLYPOMES left this as part of a comment on one of my posts:
I often write political ‘pomes’ tongue in cheek. I suspect what I wrote this time is hand on heart:
Mutatis Mutandis
We held our leader in high regard,
Watched helpless as he was daily mauled
By media and an opposition fighting hard
And dirty, with no holds barred.
And finally when he lay bleeding,
Victim of press gallery canard,
Yes, we killed him because we knew
He was near dead, so battle scarred
And bruised he could never rise again.
So much was his reputation marred
Our cause, also dear to him, looked lost.
No choice but for the old praetorian guard
To take control and end a tragic farce.
This was no assassination.
It was an end to suffering; a ‘coup de grace’.
The first opinion poll after the ‘coup’ has shown a bounce for the government. My next post will look at the blogosphere’s response to Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s first week in the hot seat.

author: Kevin Rennie


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Bolivia: Evo Morales and His Indigenous and Environmental Challenges · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

In the blog Pronto, Miguel Centellas writes that despite the logical assumption that indigenous groups would never go against Evo Morales, “the government is losing its grip on the indigenous movement.” Centellas analyses the indigenous and environmental challenges the Bolivian government is facing.

author: Silvia Viñas


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Brazil: Michael Jackson Immortalized at a Slum in Rio de Janeiro · Global Voices
Debora Baldelli

Michael Jackson was honored this week in Rio de Janeiro's Santa Marta Slum. The terrace where he recorded part of the video “They don't really care about us” in 1996, is now officially called “Michael Jackson Terrace” and it is also the scenario for a statue of the artist (see photo).

author: Debora Baldelli


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Brazil: Standing Against Mining in Gandarela · Global Voices
Manuela Tenreiro

Vale S.A. is the second largest mining corporation in the world and Brazil’s biggest and most controversial private company. To the point that past April, the 1st ‘Hit by Vale’ International Meeting was held in Rio de Janeiro this year. Among the many cases in which communities point the finger at Vale for environmental damage, is that of Project Apolo, an iron mining enterprise in a mountain range that environmentalists demand must be preserved. According to Santa Bárbara Environmental Group‘s blog [PT]:
A Serra do Gandarela representa uma área de corredor ecológico e tem inquestionável riqueza hídrica, paleontológica, arqueológica e também de flora e fauna. Se não fosse assim, ela não estaria figurada em área de preservação permanente de acordo com a legislação ambiental, como de alta relevância no zoneamento ecológico econômico (ZEE), e região prioritária no documento do Instituto Estadual de Florestas de Minas Gerais.
http://serradagandarela.blogspot.com
The ‘Hit by Vale’ encounter in Rio, produced a report published on the movement's blog, which compiled all “impacts and violations by Vale around the world” [PT]. Pages 35 and 36 tell the story of Vale in the Gandarela region:
A Vale realiza em Gandarela, a extração de minério de ferro. Em 2008 sua capacidade produtiva foi ampliada com a compra da Mineração Apolo, que elevou em quase 1 bilhão de toneladas as reservas de minério de ferro da empresa no chamado Quadrilátero Ferrífero, em Minas Gerais. O plano da Vale é unir o potencial da Apolo com os recursos do Projeto Gandarela. Com a compra da Apolo, os recursos de Gandarela passarão de cerca de 4 bilhões para 5 bilhões de toneladas de minério de ferro. O Projeto Apolo consistiu na abertura de uma mina com capacidade de produção de 24 milhões de toneladas de minério de ferro por ano e implantação de uma usina de beneficiamento da matéria-prima nos municípios de Caeté e Santa Bárbara, na Região Central do estado.
Against the projects are environmental groups and local communities, who accuse Vale of lack of transparency and misuse of the region’s water resources’ when enumerating some of the irregularities and impacts of the project:
Questionamentos das comunidades não foram respondidos pela empresa nas reuniões já realizadas. Mau uso dos recursos hídricos superficiais e subterrâneos de abastecimento público. Interferência na qualidade das águas locais. Construção do ramal ferroviário que impactará Área de Proteção Ambiental Municipal (APA Juca Vieira, de Caeté), com possível drenagem de águas pelos túneis com construção prevista.
And while the report goes on to describe that such water misuse can damage beyond local communities into the state’s capital Belo Horizonte, local environmental groups such as Manuelzão Project from the city’s Federal University and the Santa Bárbara Environmental Group call for the creation of a National Park in the area, to further the protection of its natural resources.
Serra da Gandarela blog, also addresses the water and environmental issues, but expands responding to statements that mining is good for local communities because it provides jobs:
O que está cada vez mais claro em Minas Gerais, segundo alguns estudiosos do assunto, é que nem sempre o desenvolvimento que a mineração traz é um desenvolvimento sustentável. Cidades inteiras como Itabira são dependentes da exploração mineral, e quando a mina se esgota, a cidade, que se tornou mono-industrial, não tem alternativa de sobrevivência.
http://www.aguasdogandarela.org/forum/topics/informacao-potencial
And indeed, Vale S.A. has been pointed the finger too many times, both for environmental damage and worker’s rights infringement:
No Canadá, onde a Vale comprou a mineradora Inco, cerca de três mil trabalhadores da empresa estão em greve há mais de nove meses. “Nunca vimos uma companhia tão arrogante e completamente desonesta com seus empregados e comunidade como a Vale”, disse Leo W. Gerard, presidente internacional do United Steelworkers, sindicato de mineiros do Canadá e EUA. Essa postura desrespeitosa é observada em diversas ações protagonizadas pela Vale. Em torno das violações de direitos humanos cometidas pela Vale, estão reunidos, por exemplo, trabalhadores rurais do Pará e do Maranhão, pescadores de Sepetiba, no Rio de Janeiro, ambientalistas de Minas Gerais e do Chile, comunidades tradicionais de Moçambique, indígenas do Peru e do pequeno arquipélago de Nova Caledônia, no Pacífico.
As for Serra da Gandaleira, six public audiences on and it appears that the impasse will continue.Vale S.A. presents figures but twitters like Cássio Martinho wonder:
Vale diz q investirá 4 bilhões para extrair minério de ferro por 17 anos. Quanto vale um parque nacional? E a Mata Atlântica?9:37 AM Jun 15th via web
Serra do Gandarela é uma enorme porção de Mata Atlântica e águas na região metropolitana de BH. Contra a mina, queremos parque nacional.9:34 AM Jun 15th via web
Ontem à noite, audiência pública s/ mineração na Serra do Gandarela estava lotada. Mais uma disputa entre a Vale e comunidades de montanha. 9:33 AM Jun 15th via web
A dispute that is to be continued. On one side Vale who doesn’t give up the mine, on the other environmentalists demanding a national park. While they don’t get it, mining continues and Serra da Gandarela is running out of time.

author: Manuela Tenreiro


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Chile: Students Arrested After Protesting Against University Reform · Global Voices
Claudio Ruiz

A week ago the government announced a major reform to the higher education system [es], which currently coexist with traditional [es] and private universities. This reform, created without the participation of the universities or the students, has been met with strong opposition from the president of the Universidad de Chile (University of Chile) Víctor Pérez [es] and the Federation of Students of the University (FECH) [es].
El Ciudadano [es] explains what this reform consists of:
Esta se centraría en una reforma a la institucionalidad de la educación superior, la creación de un sistema único de créditos y becas, el cambio del financiamiento a las Universidades reforzando los fondos concursables y los convenios de desempeño, una revisión a Becas Chile y una mayor información en torno a la acreditación de las carreras.
Readers left comments [es] in favor and against the reform in an interview in newspaper La Tercera [es], where Juan José Ugarte, chief of higher education in the Ministry of Education, talks about the reform. User Pablo Muller wrote:
me parece buena la idea, finalmente es lo que ocurre en todos los lugares con buena educación superior en el mundo, la beca es al estudiante, no a la institución. hay 60 universidades en chile, ¿son realmente TODAS necesarias? Yo diría que alm neos 20 están de más
Luisa Emilia also commented, saying that she does not think this reform is the right solution:
Totalmente contrario a los proyectos que nacieron en el congreso de Educación que se realizó el año pasada, sin duda el gobierno no conoce o no le interesa lo que grandes actores de la educación han decidido. Hay que hacer una reforma de la educ. superior pero ésta tiene que resguardar la insitutuciones públicas para que representen o verdadero desarrollo para el país.
On June 21 –two days before the protest took place– Julio Sarmiento [es], President of the Federation of Students of the University of Chile, referred to the reform on Twitter and said:
@Sarmiento510: Pensando como la parar la Agenda privatizadora del MINEDUC para que no perdamos lo poco de Educación Pública que tenemos.
Under this context, in the inauguration ceremony of president Perez in the main building of the University of Chile, Casa Central, a student protest led by the Sudent Federation was repelled, and eight of its leaders arrested [es] after shouting slogans against the reforms announced by the administration. A video on YouTube [es] shows the students protesting.
The Federation of Students also criticized the fact that students were beaten [es], and considered these actions from the police as a violation of university autonomy:
En esas condiciones la Directiva de la FECh decidió no ocupar su palco en la ceremonia y subir junto al resto de los estudiantes al segundo piso, al Presidente de la FECh no se le permitió el ingreso a este lugar por parte del equipo de seguridad del Presidente, argumentando que esto podría agitar a los estudiantes y enturbiar la ceremonia. Lo que consideramos que corresponde a una violación de la autonomía universitaria y la libertad de expresión.
Ivonne Valdes reacted [es] to the news through Twitter:
@sweetanabelle: estudiantes de U de Chile detenidos sólo por manifestarse contra Piñera!!!, parece que de verdad creen que hemos vuelto a la dictadura
Rodrigo Buzada also shared his opinion [es] on Twitter:
@Buzada: Es una vergüenza que el Patrono de la U. de Chile permita que sus estudiantes sean detenidos en la Casa Central http://bit.ly/drUusS
Opponents of the reform hope that as result of the student reactions and statements by university authorities, the government will being to emphasize dialogue and stakeholder participation as a key part of the reform. Although both sides seem to agree that improving standards and financing of universities is necessary, this incident and the discussion behind it raises questions about whether the government's actions are intended to strengthen the public system or dismantle it in exchange for a private one.

author: Claudio Ruiz


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Croatia: 9th Annual GLBT Pride Parade · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

The Daily Seyahatname/Blogging Balkanistan writes about Zagreb's ninth annual GLBT Pride Parade and notes that “President Ivo Josipovic became the first Croatian president to publicly support” the event.


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Ghana: Obama, we are sorry · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

“Obama we are sorry,” says Ghanaian photographer and blogger Nana following Ghana victory USA at the FIFA World Cup: “It’s quite unfortunate you’d have to skip dinner today. We know you’ve been terribly stressed lately: BP, Flotilla, Health Reform, Overweight recruits… and then this happens.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Guinea: Live Reporting an Historical Election · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

Guinea Elections contributors have been live tweeting the Guinean presidential election of June 27, 2010 [fr]. As shown on this photo, the ballot count has already started [fr].

author: Lova Rakotomalala


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Hungary: Pál Schmitt, a Presidential Nominee · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Hungarian Spectrum writes (here and here) about Pál Schmitt, the current speaker of the National Assembly and a nominee for the Hungarian presidency.


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Hungary, Slovakia: “Since the Slovak Elections” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Hungarian Spectrum posts an update on the Hungarian-Slovak relations.


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Kenya: Social media reality check · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

The state of social media in Kenya: “The rush to use social networks in Kenya today is appearing more like a bandwagon effect and not a solid business strategy.”


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Malaysia: Historic jail demolished · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Despite the protest of concerned citizens, artists, and historians, the Malaysian government has decided to demolish the 115 year old Pudu Jail, a historical landmark in Kuala Lumpur. Last week, the eastern wall of the Pudu Prison complex was destroyed to make way for a road widening project. A commercial center will soon be developed in the area.
Badan Warisan Malaysia is disappointed that the government has rejected the petition to recognize the prison as a heritage building
It would be useful to know what criteria a building or site needs to possess before our government will consider it a heritage building.
Surely jails are a part of the tangible evidence of our penal history which is part of our justice system. I think that we should also not forget that in its over 100-year history, it was not only a prison where convicts were incarcerated. It was also where, during the Japanese occupation, service officers from many different nations who had fought to defend our shores were also imprisoned. Is this a part of our nation’s history which we are also not proud of?
While it may be too late to save Pudu Jail, Badan Warisan hopes that the awareness raised by this will strengthen the public’s resolve to be conscious of how fragile our heritage is and to speak up for its protection, conservation and preservation.
mirage.studio.7 writes about the historical value of the prison
Pudu Jail is more than 100 years old, built by the British with cheap labor from India, used by the Japanese as a prison camp to butcher the Chinese and by the present government for hanging 1000 criminals till the late 90’s.
I would love to see the prison retained as a tourist attraction or at least the gate. Then again, the current policy is to rewrite and whitewash history
Sarah Kushairi does not believe that the city needs another shopping complex
I'm a bit upset when the government decided to tear down the historical Pudu Prison (so that the land can be developed) into a place that houses those new swanky hotels, apartments. Blah blah blah. Like Malaysia doesn’t have enough shopping malls and apartments already.
From A to Zi is also infuriated that the mural wall (one of the longest murals in the world) which adorned the prison is now gone
I'm sure I am not alone in being absolutely infuriated about the whole situation.
The gaol housed some of Malaysia's most notorious criminals. So, so much local history, and stories lost – and I don't think a shopping complex, in terms of design or function, would do its rich history any justice at all. (Writings on the prison cell walls, carvings, peeling of the wall paint … why are we destroying stories?)
Kuala Lumpur is not, not, not, in need of another shopping mall. Our local history and culture is so beautiful and very much unique, why can't you see that? We can showcase it, market it to the world.
Welcome to 21st Century Kuala Lumpur, our prime age of cultural deterioration. We are desperately in need of cultural education, not imported fashion chain stores.
BJ Thoughts remembers the mural
It is an iconic landmark in KL – I used to see the mural on the wall as I sit in the bus, stuck in the traffic jam on my way back to my grandma’s house many years ago
The infamous Pudu Jail is being torn down for development, no big surprise there. I mean if some greedy nuts can eye on a strategic active military base for commercial development, what more of an abandoned prison smack down in the middle of KL
A mass funeral was organized by artists on the eve of the demolition. Arteri blogs about it. But pagarmerah is not quite supportive
while i am against the state and corporations demolishing anything to build a freaking mall when there are malls on every corner of the city in spite the fact that people are still homeless, i dont think i would want to light a candle in disappointment because the state didnt declare pudu jail as a national heritage.
Photos of Pudu Jail are available in the websites of Michael Yip and Rabiatul Adawiyah. Fat Bidin Media uploads a video on the demolition of Pudu.

author: Mong Palatino