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Kazakhstan: Fighting Internet Piracy  · Global Voices
Sergey Park

Kazakhstan is undergoing a new scandalous development with regards the Internet – this time it is about regulation of copyright online. There are two antagonists in the field – the Internet Association of Kazakhstan, backed by the government, and a group of the top ten most popular Kazakhstani websites.
On 29 April, 2011, a special roundtable that brought together lawyers, industry representatives and state bodies took place [ru], where the “three strikes method” of fighting piracy was presented:
Sholpan Abdreeva, deputy chair of the Intellectual Property Committee under the Justice Ministry:
Kazakhstan is one of the fastest developing countries from the ex-Soviet republics. Image by Vlad Sokhin, copyright Demotix (11/09/08).
Recently, websites that provide a tool for downloads and exchange of pirated movies, games, music and software have been created in the Kazakhstani segment of the internet.
Shavqat Sabirov, president of the Internet Association of Kazahstan:
“Kaznet” (Kazakhstani sector of the internet) is stuffed with plagiarism, pirated texts, music, photo and video, with ubiquitous violations of copyrights. We shall punish the violators with a “three strikes method”, where strike 1 is a notification, strike 2 is a warning and strike 3 is subject to a criminal case. We believe this is the most acceptable method for our market.
The news stirred a great resonance among bloggers and internet users, provoking opposite opinions in support and against the novelty. The latter prevailed.
Prominent blogger Ashina  upholds [ru] the government's stand:
The law would allow for upgrade to a legalized and regulated market, which would potentially bring more money to everyone – including websites, content providers and developers.
Blogger mozg categorically  disagrees [ru]:
This is a crucial problem and, unfortunately, no country in the world has a clear decision for it. No country is the world is able to hold back the rapid digitization of pretty much everything that is not utterly material. You cannot make old laws work in the cyberspace, where material values easily transform into immaterial, where borders get erased and legal jurisdictions of real life just don't work.
Zevaka Nurov  points out [ru] that the struggle against piracy – particularly against torrent-trackers – is very hard:
You will shut them down in the “.kz” zone, but  they will simply migrate to “.org“, “.net“ etc. This problem is global, and nobody has been able to solve it.
Khayman  agrees [ru]:
“Kaznet” survives at the expense of pirated content. This is ain't good or bad – this is fact. It's a deadlock if you want to suppress it without giving an alternative.
Many bloggers pointed out that no owners of the large internet projects were present at the roundtable, which had been a closed one. Marat Mulku says [ru]:
I had registered for it, but at around 8 o'clock in the evening the Intellectual Property Committee called me on the phone and told that my participation is not welcomed and even prohibited by the meeting's organizers.
On 30 May, the top popular Kazakhstani websites made their move [ru] by uniting in an association and writing an open letter to the prime-minister, government and parliament of Kazakhstan:
The approaches developed at the roundtable, including the so-called “three-strike” fight against piracy, do not take into account the level of globalization, the current level of technologies and, therefore, they don't have anything in common with efficacy.
The signatories asked to hold back hasty actions and introduce a two-year moratorium on changes of the copyright-related legislation. They explained that users may stop visiting domestic websites and migrate to popular foreign resources.
Bloggers’ reaction to the letter varied. ArkHard  thinks [ru] that fighting piracy is useless:
This fight will hardly be won even in the far future, because nobody will be dealing with checking millions of pages for legality of content usage.
Denis Strokov wonders [ru] why:
websites, torrent-trackers and content sharing resources are pressurized so heavily, whilst offline sellers of pirated DVDs feel fine on the streets.
.
RrinatT has [ru] an objection:
The law in on the side of copyright owners. […] The prime-minister cannot stop it, because he cannot go against the law. [Thus] if authors of the letter want to change something, they should advocate for change of the legislation or prove their rightfulness in courts. A request like “let us violate the law and steal for a couple of years in the name of “Kaznet” sounds strange.
On 6 June, well-known blogger laralarkin  made [ru] a review of the situation and also vowed for the moratorium:
The main consequence would be that the Kazakhstani users seeking illegal content would exit “.kz“ zone to the foreign websites. Russian websites would receive a key advantage over the Kazakhstani websites. Such clean-up of “Kaznet” would decrease its competitiveness. Kazakhstani torrent-trackers and online-cinemas would easily change their country domain and hosting to Russian ones, thus exiting the legal field of Kazakhstan. Users would keep on using pirated content, but it would be much more difficult to monitor such websites.
Kasik  supports [ru] this opinion:
We should just tell the government that if they close all torrent-trackers, the people would just leave “Kaznet”.
PaWeLLeR  agrees [ru]:
Kaznet is a fully artificial notion. In essence, it is a local network of one […] monopolistic ISP. These statements about two-year moratorium are ridiculous. You just want to get two more years to make money on somebody else's labor and content, and cover it up with nice words about development of “Kaznet” and enthusiasm
Kubekovkz  suggests [ru]:
You should know that this problem is still not resolved in Russia. My personal opinion is that it is too early to make the law harsher. It is necessary to conduct educational work among the population and among the website owners.
The issue is still open.

author: Sergey Park


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Latin America: ‘La Furgo-Nana’ On the Road For Children’s Rights and Lullabies · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

A documentary, a ‘transmedia platform’ and a humanitarian project: in ‘La Furgo-Nana’ (“a Volkswagen Type II Bus from 1969″) Maria and Anton are driving through the Pan American highway from Tijuana, Mexico to Ushuaia, Argentina to “transform the difficult reality of Latin American children into a fascinating adventure you will not want to miss.” Follow their blog [es], and their Twitter and Facebook feeds as they open our eyes to children's rights violations and collect lullabies across the region.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Silvia Viñas


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North Korea: Women Forced into Prostitution · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

A Seoul-based aid organization, Good Friends, released an English version of its weekly report. According to North Korean defectors’ testimonies, not a few North Korean women are forced into prostitution in order to make ends meet.

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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North Korea’s Meth Export · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun


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Puerto Rico: Indignation and Action · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

The online publication El Punto Es reports about an incipient social movement in Puerto Rico [es] that is following the example set by protesters in Spain, who denounced unemployment, corruption, and called for the renewal of democratic ideals. Netizens can follow this new movement through @IndignAccion.

author: Firuzeh Shokooh Valle


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

There is a new online magazine dedicated to fashion, beauty, and lifestyle in Puerto Rico: Fashion Vitrine [es]. There will also be updates, headlines, and more shared through @fashionvitrine.


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Puerto Rico: What Happened to the .pr Domain? · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

The non-profit Center for Investigative Journalism published an investigation [es] on the history and many problems that have surrounded the acquisition of the .pr domain.


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“Russia For All” Exhibition Sparks Off Discussions On Russian Identity · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

Bloggers actively discuss [ru] “Russia For All” [ru, .pdf] exhibition. Viktor Bondarenko and Dmitri Gutov, the authors, aim to combat the nationalist slogan “Russia for Russians.” Each painting contains a name of a well-known historical person and his/her ethnic origin. In the numerous discussions around the blogosphere, netizens ask a question, what constitutes Russian identity: ethnicity, culture, or language.

author: Alexey Sidorenko


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Russia: The Origins of Anti-Clericalism in the Blogosphere · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

T.Chumakova at portal-credo.ru writes [ru] about anti-clericalism in the LiveJournal communities. She distinguishes 5 types of anti-clerical users and lists the origins of the phenomenon: 1. “Influence of neo-pagans, Old Style Believers, Protestants, and other ‘external agents’,” 2. Lack of religious education, 3. Transformation of the Orthodox church into the ritual services bureau, 4. Discrepancy of the words and deeds of the priests, 5. Failure of the church to positively change life of the society.


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Russia: Video Reports From Anti-Seliger, Opposition Summer Camp · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

Oleg Kozyrev publishes a series of video reports [ru] from Anti-Seliger, a summer camp situated in the endangered Khimki city forest park. “The bloggers’ Woodstock” united digital activists, environmentalists, and opposition politicians.


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Rwanda: Through the Eyes of Hope · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Yolande interviews Linda Smith, a photojournalist based in Rwanda, who is the founder of the “Through the Eyes of Hope” (TEOH) Project: “In a tiny, dimly lit room in Mayange, Linda is instructing five students on the “Cards of Hope” postcard project. The students are all boys who have been with the project for the last four years and range in age from 13 to 18 years old.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Somalia: Prime Minister Forced To Resign · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Terror Free Somalia Foundation analyses the resignation of Somalia’s Prime Minister Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo: “Farmajo was an unknown quantity when he was appointed in October last year, taking over from Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke, who resigned after a long-running spat with Sheikh Sharif. However, analysts say since he took over soldiers began to receive regular wages for the first time, he took a stand against widespread corruption and the government began to press al-Shabaab…”


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South Korea: Actress-Activist Spearheads Protests with Social Media · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

In South Korea, entertainers are changing the political landscape by spearheading protests in social media. Among several influential comedians and actors, actress-activist Kim Yeo-jin, has been the most controversial figures for several weeks now for her active on-and-offline political engagement.
Kim Yeo-jin is a 38 year old actress and power Twitter user with more than 89,000 followers. Kim has voiced her opinions on multiple social issues, including a nationwide ‘half-tuition protest’ and the recent incident surrounding Hanjin Heavy Industries‘s conflict with its labor workers.
Starting from early January 2011 when she fought against layoffs of cleaning staff at Hongik University, Kim has grown more vocal and prominent in the Twittersphere over the months. She even earned a nickname ‘goddess of Twitterphere‘ [ko] and created a new term ‘social-tainer‘ [ko], a combination of social and entertainer to refer to entertainers who actively engage in social issues, often by using social media. Bloggers often set her apart [ko] from a politainer (politics +entertainer) as Kim does not support any political party.
Kim's recent tweets were mostly about the Hanjin's violent clampdown on its union protest. Kim (@yohjini) tweeted [ko] on June 17:
Image of Kim Yeo-jin during protest, from Wiki Tree site, Creative Commons Image.
6월 10일 밤, 11일 낮, 트위터러들이 미친 듯이 자판을 눌러 한진중공업을 검색어 1위로 만들었을 때, 제발 용역침탈 기사 좀 써달라 했을 때, 침묵하다가 제가 연행됐다고 하니 제 전화가 불이 났었습니다.
After this tweet, Kim posted a YouTube video of the clampdown with English subtitles. On June 16, Kim tweeted in English with a link to an article about the protest:
I'm a Korean actress  supporting Kim, the Korean worker who's been  staying on a crane 4 160  days protest  english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_e…
On June 12, Kim live-tweeted [ko] her arrest. Kim was arrested for breaking into a building while protesting with laid-off workers. The workers stressed that the company fired them with an excuse of cutting down the deficit, but in fact, the firm suffered no major financial difficulties, according to one consumer report [ko].
나오다 잡혔어요 yfrog.com/kjwpjwj
Several minutes later, Kim explained about the charges [ko] against her:
폭력혐의등에관한 법률위반과 집단 건조물 침입 죄라고 하네요..  긴급체포
Verbal attacks
The more visible Kim gets, the more backlash she receives. On May 18, the 31st  anniversary of the Gwangju  massacre, Kim Yeo-jin tweeted “No matter how you kick and squirm, you are a  slaughterer” to former president Chun  Doo-hwan who is blamed for commanding a brutal clampdown on  protesters in Gwangju.
In  response to Kim's tweet, Park Yong-mo, a politician from the ruling Grand  National Party tweeted back “crazy bitch!” and  went on with invectives “if you’re ugly, shouldn’t you shut your  mouth?”. As his downright slurs drew public criticism, Park removed his Twitter account. Park's comments are still circulating online in captured  images. [ko] It was revealed later that Park slandered Kim on his Facebook page. Park reportedly wrote “when  you are clueless, you should lay low. We need to control that blabbing kiddo with a whip.”
Most Korean citizens remember Kim as a serious actress who hardly appears on television shows. But as a nationwide protest against high university tuition fees has continued for over several weeks now, people can easily see Kim on major news shows and even on a political debate program.
The ‘half tuition’ was the current President's major campaign promise in 2007. According to a local report, tuition for private universities has continued to skyrocket to reach an  average of 7.6 million won (USD 7 thousand) per year and it is partly blamed for turning over 25 thousand college students into credit delinquents. On June 17, more than three thousand rallied against the high cost of tuition.
Some  people found an entertainer's political engagement disturbing. On June 16, a fashion columnist, Hwang Ui-gun(@officeh) launched a verbal attack [ko] on Kim via Twitter. In several tweets, Hwang criticized Kim as a ‘disgusting’ human being ‘who appears more on 9 pm prime news shows rather than on entertainment news’ and she has ‘no significance in the acting business’ and even mocked her looks by calling her ‘a woman who resembles a local old lady who sells boiled rice soup’.
Net users who expected Hwang to be more liberal were startled, as Hwang is a publicly known gay guy in the homophobic Korean society. Kim shot back [ko]:
당신이 그동안 국밥집 아줌마와 “뜨지못한”배우들과, “데모하는” 사람들을 어떤 마음으로 대해 왔는 지   잘 알겠습니다. 그 “차별”의 마음을요. 그래도 당신이 차별받을때, 함께 싸워드리죠. 황의권씨 @officeh
As Kim became hugely popular online, a hoax twitter account was set up [ko] several weeks ago with an extra ‘e’ added on Kim's ID (@yohjini), thereby reading @yohjinie. It tweeted contradictory messages which Kim would never say in public, but was soon detected by Kim.
Divided response
Blogger Jhjikum praised Kim's courage [ko] to stand against the powerful side:
점잖은 충고에서부터 대단히 직접적이고 위험한 협박이 가해질 수도 있을 것이다. 그럼에도 불구하고 우리는 그녀가 앞으로도 굽힘없는 정직한 소신 발언을 통해 서민 대중의 마음을 대변함과 아울러 돈과 힘을 이용해서 세상을 제멋대로 좌지우지 하려는 일부 가진 자들의 오만에 크게 경종을 울리는 역할을 계속할 수 있도록 격려와 지원을 아끼지 말아야 한다.
While lots of net users and especially Twitterers lavishly laud Kim, conservative media outlets are very skeptical about Kim's political activities [ko] and often undermine them as ‘inappropriate’ and ‘way over the top’. Blogger Joel071106, who opposes Kim wrote [ko]:
요즘 김여진이 가장 많이 외치고 있고, 지지를 얻는 이슈가 뭘까? 바로 ‘반값 등록금’이다. 대한민국 학생들에게 가장 민감하고 그들을 매료시킬 수 있으며 끌어당길 수 있는 문제인 반값 등록금 문제… 그런데 여기에 살이 너무 붙는다. 반값 등록금으로 선동하며 지지층을 모은다음 은근히 거기에 ‘MB퇴진’ 이하 ‘4대강 반대 운동’, 그리고 ‘디자인 서울 반대’를 이어 ‘오세훈 퇴진’까지 껴넣는다. 그러나 진정성이 떨어지는 것이다.
An influential political blogger IAmPeter defended [ko] Kim's sincerity.
그녀는 돈이 되는 CF도 섭외가 되지 않을 것입니다. 광고주 입장에서 그녀는  광고에 출연시킬 수 없는 과격한 배우가 되었습니다.  어쩌면 드라마에서도 그녀를 볼 수 없을 것입니다.[…] 돈도 못 벌고,배우가 연기도 못 하게 될 수 있는데 그녀는 계속  거리로 나섭니다.[…] 그녀가 오지랖 넓다고 욕을 먹으면서 거리에 나서는 이유는 단 한 가지입니다. 가슴이 시키고 머리에서 이것은 아니라고 자꾸 이야기하며, 행동하게 하기 때문입니다.


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South Sudan/Eritrea: Eritreans Thriving in Juba · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

A blogger visiting Juba, Southern Sudan, reports that Eritreans are thriving in the city: “The Eritreans I observed there were cliquish, befriended the SPLM generals, pay bribes generously (so I was told), smuggle in young Eritrean girls and so forth…At one stage I saw over one thousand youngsters at one place partying – a totally Eritrean affair (with Eritrean music, food and all).”


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Syria: Protests Break Out Following Assad Speech  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011.
Syrian president Bashar Al Assad gave a speech today outlining reform plans, which include forming a committee to form a committee to study reforms and the need for national dialogue. On Twitter, reactions continued to flow as Assad spoke. Assad's promises were met with more protests across the country, calling for him to leave power.
From the United Arab Emirates, Sultan Al Qassemi tweets:
Over 1,400 Syrians were killed by security forces & Bashar's reaction is to form three month long committees to study forming committees.
Syrian Malath Aumran quips:
today it is more clear than ever – assad cannot stay in power and will not reform #assadspeech
And continues:
A national dialogue cannot happen when one side refuses to talk about the REAL issues and REAL situation
Dima Khatib remarks:
#AssadSpeech —> another Arab leader in denial #syria
And Yemeni NoonArabia says:
#Assadspeech, another speech by another president whose time is up. I hope it is the magical third and last! #Syria
A map showing protests across Syria following Assad's speech
After the speech, Aumran tweets:
Our response #assadspeech: 12+ protests already reported in our #syria: http://www.lccsyria.org/1128
SeekerSk adds:
Over 1000 regime forces on university campus of #Aleppo-Over 50 students arrested after protests in response to #AssadSpeech #Syria
Razaniyat notes:
Darayya (Damascus Suburbs) now joining the protests in Homs,Hama,Latakya and Aleppo condemning #AssadSpeech & calling 4 toppling the regime!
And UgaritNews shares this video of protests in Hama following the speech in which protesters chant “The people want to overthrow the regime” and “Our Dear Nation! Go away Bashar!”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXGNeIVf4hg
This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Thailand: Animal election posters · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Election posters depicting politicians as wild beasts have sprouted in Thailand. Catherine translates the meaning of the posters. Thais will go to the polls next month.

author: Mong Palatino


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Trinidad & Tobago: Defending Our Dialect  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“I doh know bout alyuh, but I love to talk Trinidadian Creole English all de time”: Karel Mc Intosh suggests that “an educational approach to Creole must start by raising the level of awareness of what Creole languages are, how they came into being, who speaks them and what their relationship is to other languages. Linguistic study does not make value judgments, so why should we?”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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U.S.V.I.: The National Park on St. John  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

A Nation or Nobody blogs about a report on National Parks, Tourism, and Local Development, written 30 years ago, which he feels “should be required reading for every student in the US Virgin Islands…it [also] has the power to speak to a much larger audience on issues of development, government policy, and cultural preservation in many different contexts.”


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Africa: ‘Foreign Policy Twitterati 100’ Ignoring Africans ? · Global Voices
Julie Owono

Following  Forein Policy Magazine article on the 2011  ‘Twitterati 100′, blogger Pernille Bærendtsen posted an article:  ‘THE FP TWITTERATI 100′ – WHERE ARE THE AFRICANS?’. The author notes that among the 100 listed, only two are Africans (President of Rwanda @Paul Kagame and Ugandan journalist @AndrewMwenda). @DambisaMoyo, Zambian author and economist, is also mentioned.

author: Julie Owono


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Africa: LGBTI Rights in Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Learn about LGBTI rights in Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi from a paper written by Naome Ruzindana. Naome is a feminist and founding member of the Coalition of African Lesbians.


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Bahamas: Elections, Then & Now  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Blogworld hearkens back to the country's 1977 elections to make the point “that the elections coming up have every chance of being equally memorable — not necessarily in the same way — but memorable nevertheless.”


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Bangladesh: Energy Politics and Selling Out National Interest · Global Voices
Bijoy

Bangladesh has large reserves of natural gas and some petroleum deposits which is the center of attention of many international energy companies. A recent Production Sharing Contract (PSC) between the Bangladesh government and United States (US) energy giant ConocoPhillips for deep sea gas exploration has sparked renewed debate in the country.
Bangladesh, being a populous country with poor infrastructure, itself is an energy starved country and some people are against the export of its natural resources. Activists from the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports (NCPOGMR) have been campaigning in the country to raise public awareness on this issue.
One of the activists Rahnuma Ahmed writes:
There is a growing national awareness of the issue of ownership of natural resources; of the terms on which production sharing contracts are signed with international oil companies (IOCs); a growing suspicion that exporting extracted gas may not be the best way of solving the nation’s energy shortfall. More precisely, of the hollowness of the government’s reasoning as to why gas blocks need to be, must necessarily be, leased out to multinational companies.  More broadly, of whether the nation’s ruling class, regardless of which political party is in power, does act in the interests of the nation, of its people.
A protest arranged by the NCPOGMR against offshore gas deal between Bangladesh Government and US firm ConocoPhillips took place in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Image by Shuvra Kanti Das, copyright Demotix (14/06/11).
On June 16, 2011, ConocoPhillips signed an agreement with Bangladesh government for the oil and gas exploration from two deep-sea blocks in the Bay of Bengal covering an area of 5,158 square kilometres. Two days before the signing (on June 14, 2011) police brutally cracked down on the members of NCPOGMR who were rallying against the deal highlighting corruption and the fact that the share of Bangladesh government of the explorations will be 20% only.
ShahidulNews reports:
The police blockaded the rally near the secretariat, and baton charged the protesters as they approached the barricade. Writer and anthropologist Rahnuma Ahmed was one of several protesters who were injured during the clashes.
Blogger Molla Nasiruddin Hojja  writes [bn]:
Injured Rahnuma Ahmed. Image courtesy ShahidulNews.
আমি পত্রিকায় প্রকাশিত রেহনুমা আহমেদের ছবি দেখেছি, যিনি আসলে এক সময় জাহাঙ্গীর নগর বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ের নৃবিজ্ঞনা বিভাগের শিক্ষিকা ছিলেন। তার মাথা দিয়ে রক্ত পড়ছে এবং মুখ রক্তে ভেসে গিয়েছে। কেন সরকার এমনটা করল। এটা ছিল একটা শান্তিপুর্ণ প্রতিবাদ এবং তারা তো অন্য রাজনৈতিক দলগূলোর মত নয়, বহুজাতিক কোম্পানী এবং সরকার মনে হচ্ছে রক্ত চায়। কিসের জন্য, তেল আর গ্যাসের জন্য, সত্যিকারের রক্তের দাম কয়লা, তেল আর গ্যাসের চেয়ে কম।
Journalist and blogger Arafatul Islam writes in a post titled “Bloodied Rahnuma, Crippled Human Rights” [bn]:
তিনি কোন রাজনীতিবিদ নন৷ একটি স্বাধীন দেশের নাগরিক হিসেবে স্বাধীনভাবে নিজের মতামত প্রকাশের চেষ্টা করেছিলেন মাত্র৷ ইস্যু কনোকো ফিলিপসের সঙ্গে সরকারের বিতর্কিত চুক্তি৷ আপা মনে করেন, দেশের প্রাকৃতিক সম্পদ ভুলভাবে তুলে দেওয়া হচ্ছে বিদেশিদের হাতে৷ এজন্যই প্রতিবাদ৷ এমন প্রতিবাদীর উপর যখন কোন দেশের নিরাপত্তা বাহিনী নির্বিচারে হামলা চালায়, তখন মেনে নিতে হয়, সেই দেশে আসলে ‘গণতন্ত্রের প্রকৃত চর্চা’ নেই৷ সভ্য দেশের কোন গণতান্ত্রিক সরকার এভাবে মানুষের কণ্ঠস্বরকে চেপে ধরতে পারেনা৷
There are also alternative opinions. Sultan Mohammed Zakaria terms these protests as the bankruptcy of the left politics in Bangladesh. The blogger argues:
[..] We understand from the statements from the concerned government ministry and high officials and independent (not Marxist) energy experts that the contract is okay and it satisfies the international standard. However, there is no let up in leftists’ speculations, and sometimes they are deploying many logics which do not exist in the contract.
[..] On the royalty issue which Anu Muhammad and his team argues that Bangladesh will get only 20% which was dismissed by the Energy Secretary who rather told that BD will get 45% share in the cost-recovery phase and the share will naturally increase once cost has been recovered. However, It will get 20% only in the case where Bangladesh will decline to buy the explored gas and Conoco will have to export it for its cost-recovery etc.
Blogger Dinmozur in a previous post highlighted the terms of PSC especially that Bangladesh will have to buy at the market rate and at the terms of the explorer company. As there is no limit of exploration, the gas will be explored at maximum limit and Bangladesh will not be able to buy beyond its need at a given time. So the reserve will be exhausted soon and maximum gas will be exported making Bangladesh's future uncertain.
A commenter at the  post of Dinmojur [bn] says:
আমাদের দেশে এত গ্যাস সংকট থাকা সত্ত্বেও ৮০% গ্যাস রপ্তানি রাখার সুযোগ কে তীব্র নিন্দা জানাই।
Rahnuma reveals more conspitracies:
The chorus of voices to be seen and heard now, had been noticeably absent when cables from US embassy Dhaka, WikiLeaked on 24 December night, revealed that US ambassador James Moriarty had met the prime minister’s energy advisor, Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, had sought assurances that US-based Conoco Phillips (from among 7 bidders) be awarded two of the uncontested blocks in the Bay of Bengal.
The attacks did not lessen the morals of the activists and fresh rounds of protests have been called.

author: Bijoy


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Bhutan: Citizenship For Fatherless Children · Global Voices
Rezwan

Sonam Ongmo at Dragon Tales argues that the citizenship of Bhutanese children should come automatically by virtue of the fact that one parent is a citizen. Presently for the citizenship of a child the Bhutanese mother have to prove the identity of the man who fathered the child.

author: Rezwan


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Bolivia: The ‘Gran Poder’ Festival in Photos · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Pablo Andrés Rivero writes [es] about the ‘Gran Poder‘ festival in La Paz. Pablo describes the music, dances and colorful clothing worn during the parades. He also links to his set of photos of the event on Flickr under a Creative Commons license.


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Bulgaria: E-Book On Internet and Mobile Tracking · Global Voices
Ruslan Trad

Bulgarian blogger and Internet activist Bogomil Shopov allows to download his latest e-book [bg; .pdf], which is about Internet tracking in Bulgaria and ways to avoid it. The e-book is 13 pages long and covers legal aspects of the monitoring, explains how the state is tracking Internet and mobile phone users and how to oppose it legally, and supplies examples of the actual use of the data collected on the individuals.

author: Ruslan Trad


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Cambodia: Pictures of banknotes · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

anyonkh uploads pictures of Cambodian currency notes from the 1950s up to the 1990s.


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China’s Civilizing Influence in North Korea · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Adam Cathcart from Sinologistical Violoncellist notes the changes in the rhetoric's of political slogan in Pyongyang and discusses influence China has on North Korea.

author: Oiwan Lam


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China: Chinese Culture and Kungfu Panda · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Sascha from Chengdu Living picks up the discussion in the Chinese online world on their view on the movie Kungfu Panda and its representation of Chinese culture.


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China: Dialogue between Local Official and Independent Mayoral Candidate · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

China Digital Times has translated independent mayoral candidate, Cao Tian's blogpost that records his conversation with an official from Zhengzhou who tried to dissuade him from participating in the election. The first bird that takes wing is the first to get shot, said the official.


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China: Is using a VPN in the People’s Republic of China illegal? · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Want to know whether or not using a VPN or other circumvention devices is legal in China? See the answers and discussions at Quora.


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Cuba: Avidly Expecting #Twitthab · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

Blogger Iroel Sánchez (@iroelsanchez) comments on the controversies and expectations [es] surrounding the first offline meeting of Twitter users (#Twitthab) to be held in Havana on July 1st.


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El Salvador: Facebook Reaches One Million Users · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Tim's El Salvador Blog shares a graph by socialbakers.com which shows there are now over one million Facebook users in El Salvador. Tim argues that, “Inevitably, more and more organizing, debate, and campaigning will happen on Facebook and Twitter as the level of participation in these social media seems to have hit a critical mass.”


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Ghana: Top 10 bloggers in Ghana · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Samuel comes up with a list of top 10 bloggers in Ghana: “I have been  researching extensively on blogs and bloggers in Ghana. And the essence of this blog post is to fill readers in on the top 10 bloggers  in Ghana.   After a critical, coherent and painstaking analysis of my findings with regard to the  preceding subject, I  confidently conclude that the  following are not only the most popular bloggers in the country, but also the most influential…”


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Guyana, Bermuda: Food & Graffiti · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Guyana-Gyal suggests a way to help control rising food prices, while a bermudian's view suggests that the best way to deal with graffiti is to “have [it] removed within 24 hours.”


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Hackers attack Vietnam websites · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

More than 1,500 Vietnam websites were reportedly attacked by hackers this month. Even the www.hvaonline.net, a popular forum for “web security technicians”, was attacked.


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India: Policy On Maritime Security · Global Voices
Rezwan

Nitin Pai at The Acorn explains why India needs a policy on overseas military deployments and maritime security.


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Iran: Paris Flashmob Marks Two Years Since Election · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

On June 12, 2011, to mark two years since Iran's disputed election, United4Iran and Move4Iran coordinated a flash mob in a Paris metro station to draw attention to ongoing human rights abuses in Iran.
Meanwhile, in Iran, a video uploaded on June 15 shows the heavy presence of security forces in Tehran, the capital city.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Kenya: Should Use of Indigenous Language be Banned in Public Offices? · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Moreen asks readers if the use of indigenous language should be banned in public offices in Kenya: “Work place diversity is a complex issue when you consider issues of the gender, age, education, background, ethnic group, language adds another layer to the complexity.  What has your experience of use of indigenous languages in the workplace been, positive or negative?  Do you agree with the motion put forward by MP Elias Mbau to ban the use of indigenous language in the workplace? And would it have the intended effect of reducing discrimination and promoting social cohesion?”


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Macedonia: Half a Decade of Blogging · Global Voices
Filip Stojanovski

Zoriv has just celebrated [mk] five years of blogging. During that time, he has produced 2,031 post and received 16,793 comments, showing by example that a regular citizen can maintain media presence, persistently braving “the crisis” in the Macedonian blogosphere.

author: Filip Stojanovski


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Malaysia: Costly Government Spending on Facebook Pages · Global Voices
Jerrenn Lam

The Malaysian Tourism Ministry is now involved in a controversy after revealing that it had spent $RM 1.8 million (US$594,000) in developing six Facebook pages to promote tourism in Malaysia.
The Malaysian Insider reports that Deputy Tourism Minister James Dawos Mamit had given the answer in reply to a question by an opposition MP. The six pages are: Cuti-Cuti 1 Malaysia (1 Malaysia Holidays), Citrawarna 1 Malaysia (Colours of 1 Malaysia), Karnival Jualan Mega 1 Malaysia (1 Malaysia Mega Sales Carnival), Festival Pelancongan Seni Kontemporari 1 Malaysia (1 Malaysia Contemporary Arts Festival), Kempen 1 Malaysia Bersih (Clean 1 Malaysia Campaign) and Fabulous Food 1 Malaysia. In total, each page cost $RM 293,072.
It has generated a lot of protests online among Malaysians, many of whom feel that it is absurd to be spending millions to create a Facebook page.
As a result, they have created their own page- Curi-curi Wang Malaysia (Stealing Malaysia’s Money) on Facebook and currently, the page has 3 times more ‘Likes’ than the Ministry pages (123,974 to 42,541 as of 21 June 2011, 12.30pm GMT +10).
Fared Isa blogged:
Facebook is FREE, that's one of the reasons more and more businesses are using it to promote their products and company. Even if u wanna do high-end Flash or other coding also do not need so much. To think that the Tourism Ministry threw away RM1.8 million of taxpayers’ money on something that is free, makes me want to throw up.
Blogger Glam feels the same way:
I am wondering why anyone would require six Facebook pages when the singular target of this campaign is to sell only one product, i.e. Malaysia. It is not difficult to create tabs for the different events. If you are a Facebook user, would you ‘like’ all the six pages and then have your news feed crowded with updates? Very unlikely, right? Ultimately, the question on everyone’s lips is whether it is worth RM1.8 million or not? I definitely don’t believe so!
A glance on Twitter also reveals that most users use words like ‘stupidity’, ‘ridiculous’ and ‘shameful’ to describe the incident.
However, there are those who believe that it is not an exorbitant amount. Many quoted the fact that the Tourism Minister has clarified in a media statement that no money was spent on the setting up of the pages; and that the money was used for content development, online advertising on Google and Facebook, content management, maintaining and updates on campaign as well as database management and compilation.
Aizuddin Danian thinks that it is just a public relations failure:
To the layperson, it seems like an exorbitant sum, especially since setting up a page is free. So where did all the money go to? Another prime example of corruption, kickbacks and Government wastage? Perhaps not, at least if you speak to people who are actually familiar with the media and branding industry. It isn't free, and it certainly isn't cheap. Pepsi spent US$20 million on a social media campaign. Yup, that includes ONE Facebook page. Closer to home, AirAsia spends nearly ALL of its marketing budget online. Yup, that includes a handful of Facebook pages too. Millions of ringgit, easily. So what's the problem here? An ignorant and easily misled public (the Internet is free, amirite?). And a Ministry that doesn't have the smarts to come clean, instead choosing to waffle over silly terms such as “unquantifiable creativity“.
Popular blogger Ahirudin Attan also believes that it is not a huge amount to be spent on marketing, and came up with tourism budgets from other countries:
1. Click H E R E on Australian government's heavy use of Social Media. They have set aside a budget of A$150 million over the next three years to manage a social media campaign to attract tourism to Australia. That's a lot of ringgit and should excite our big spending minister, Yen Yen, but YB please don't get over-excited, eh.
2.  Our poorer neighbor the Philippines, which has drawn many Malaysian tourists especially the men, spends 100 million pesos or about RM7 million on social media to promote tourism, including attracting more Malaysian men to come instead of going to Jakarta, Medan or Bangkok.
Quah Seng Sun thinks that the amount of ‘Likes’ on the Curi-curi Wang Malaysia might not necessarily reflect the disapproval of the country:
Personally, I do not know how to interpret these numbers. On the surface, it indicates a wide dissatisfaction out there among Internet users to perceived sillyness and abuses of government funds. But I suspect many of the facebook users who had clicked on their “like” buttons were just jumping on the government-bashing bandwagon. Were they actually concerned over the issue or were they just simply clicking “like” because their friends on facebook were doing it?

author: Jerrenn Lam


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Puerto Rico: C-Sections Too Prevalent  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“48% of Our births are by cesarean section, the highest rate in the world”: Gil the Jenius says that “Our future children–and their mothers–absolutely deserve that We strive for their greatest welfare, rather than settling to merely serve the system.”


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Puerto Rico: Interview of Le Butcherettes · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

Music blogger @redod interviews Terri Gender Bender (born Teresa Suárez) [es], leader singer of the Mexican garage-punk band Le Butcherettes.


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Puerto Rico: Surviving the Puerto Rican Parade · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

Actor and writer Mikephillippe Oliveros shares his reflections on attending the famous Puerto Rican Parade [es] in New York City: “It was evident that the relationship they have with the island is totally different from mine, either because they have spent too much time away, or I have spent too much time living in Puerto Rico.”


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Spain: Massive Demonstrations on June 19 · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

The blog #Acampadasol, launched during the days of massive demonstrations in Madrid last May, chronicles [es] the most recent protests that flooded the streets of many cities in Spain last Sunday June 19.


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Sri Lanka: Groundviews Briefly Blocked · Global Voices
Rezwan

Yesterday Groundviews, Vikalpa and even Transparency International’s sites were apparently blocked on Sri Lanka Telecom ADSL broadband Internet connections for a few hours. An update on the Groundviews site confirms that these sites are accessible again from Sri Lanka.


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Sri Lanka: The Effectiveness Of Fertilizer Subsidy · Global Voices
Rezwan

Serendipity questions the effectiveness Sri Lankan Government's subsidy program worth 500 million Sri Lankan Rupees for importing fertilizers.


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Sri Lanka: The Lankanosphere And The Killing Field Video · Global Voices
Rezwan

London, Lanka & Drums compiles a round of reactions from the Sri Lankan blogosphere about the controversial documentary of Channel Four titled ‘The Killing Fields Of Sri Lanka’.


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Thailand: Pub Peab and Planking Craze · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

First there was planking or the lying down game which became an instant hit in Thailand. Celebrities, protesters, and politicians have gamely uploaded their planking photos. The Bangkok Planking Community Facebook page was established which allowed ordinary people to post their planking photos from unusual places.
From the Facebook page of Princess OftheMoon YathAkira
But this planking photo of a person dressed in a monk robe stirred a heated online debate. There is even a cash reward for anyone who would be able to identify the person.
From the yfrog page of CrimeWatchCH
The Culture Watch Centre has also declared nude planking as ‘inappropriate.’ Saksith Saiyasombut rejects this position
Well, well – “inappropriate”, again! Of course such a thing is not meant to be ‘constructive’, it’s a nonsensical gag just for laughs or ‘for the lolz’, as the kids today might say it.
Instead of just keeping quiet and wait until it fades out (and today’s internet memes die out fast), the self-proclaimed cultural heralds make a huge fuss about it. How about this for the next time, be a good role-model and not make a knee-jerk rant about protecting whatever you think is appropriate. Just ‘go with the lulz’ for once!
But planking was immediately overshadowed by a bigger craze: Pub Peab. It’s called planking with a Thai twist that involves sitting in a kneeling position.
Its Facebook page has more than 200,339 likes. It also has a twitter account.
Even authorities are supportive of the ‘Pub Peab’ craze because of its positive promotion of Thai culture.
From the Facebook page of NuAe Pichaya


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Trinidad & Tobago: Martelly’s First Month  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“He will need to learn how to build a coalitions and make compromises”: Toussaint on Haiti assesses President Michel Martelly's first month in office, noting that “there are some troubling signs.”


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Trinidad & Tobago: Warner’s Resignation  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Jumbie's Watch and Plain Talk share their thoughts on Jack Warner's resignation from FIFA.


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Venezuela’s Prison Crisis Continues · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

The crisis at El Rodeo prison in Venezuela continues. Bloggings by boz updates readers on the situation and comments on the government's strategy.


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Vietnam: Online patriotism versus China’s ‘intrusion’ · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

A rising number of Vietnamese netizens are expressing their patriotic sentiments in various social media platforms against what they describe as Chinese intrusions in Vietnam territories in South China Sea.


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Vietnam: Poetry Bordello event in Hanoi · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Andy Engelson blogs about a Poetry Bordello event in Hanoi, Vietnam which was held to promote the value of poetry and to support the work of the Center for Women and Development’s Peace House, the only shelter for victims of domestic violence in Hanoi.


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Argentina: Cristina Fernández Announces Re-Election Bid · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

On Tuesday, June 21, Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner announced she will run for reelection. The Argentine Post looks at the challenges she will have to deal with if reelected, while Eliot Brockner, in Latin American Thought, says her prospects for winning “are looking good”.


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Argentina: The Flag Day Ceremony and Cristina Fernández’s Bid for Re-Election · Global Voices
Laura Schneider

Every June 20 Argentina celebrates Flag Day [es], honoring the death of its creator, Manuel Belgrano. A traditional parade takes place in Rosario, 350 km from Buenos Aires, where the flag was raised for the first time.
The idea to build the longest and ‘most unified’ flag in the world started in 1999. The project is called “High in the sky” (“Alta en el cielo”[es] in Spanish) and its site [es] explains that this idea culminates in 2012 with the bicentennial of the creation of the flag:
Con retazos de tela y máquinas de coser, un pueblo demuestra y se demuestra a sí mismo que: la cultura, la historia, el esfuerzo, la integración y la esperanza pueden coserse.
La construcción colectiva de la Bandera de ”Alta en el Cielo” demuestra de cuánto es capaz una sociedad cuando se une en un objetivo común. A partir de su confección, las diferentes comunidades fortalecen sus vínculos y generan nuevos proyectos comunitarios.
With pieces of cloth and sewing machines, the people show each other and themselves that: culture, history, effort, integration and hope can be sewn together.
The collective construction of the Flag “High in the Sky” shows how much society is capable of when it comes together with a common objective. Thanks to its confection, different communities strengthen their ties and generate new community projects.
The site continues:
Retazo a retazo, celestes y blancos, los chicos de toda la Nación junto a docentes, amigos, hermanos, padres y abuelos, mantienen viva esta utopía. Cada retazo es una historia. Cada paño representa a un argentino, a decenas, a cientos, a miles y a millones de ellos; es decir: a todos.
Parade with the 20 KM Argentine flag in Rosario- Photo: Laura Schneider
On June 20, 2011, the 20km long flag paraded around Rosario, held by anyone who wanted to carry it: from children and teenagers to the elderly, the people became the mast. National authorities attended the parade, like every year, and this year, President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner was more than a mere spectator: she was the only speaker at the event.
2011 is an electoral year [es] and registration for candidates has not closed yet. The question among Argentines at the time of the event was whether or not she would run for re-election. The blog Krohne Archiv [es] comments about the uncertainty:
La Presidenta Cristina Fernández de Kirchner se ha convertido en una verdadera incógnita en el escenario de la política argentina, porque faltando sólo una semana para el cierre de la inscripción de las candidaturas presidenciales, no hay indicios claros de lo que la mandataria está planeando hacer para anunciar oficialmente su postulación a la reelección, que se da por descontado.
The President's speech during the event caused different reactions, including whether she actually considered that June 20 is Flag Day and not a time for proselytizing, as Evelyn Tacuara [es] says in her blog, where she transcribes the words of Hermes Binner, Governor of Santa Fe and candidate for the 2011 Presidential elections:
No le temo a la guerra (entre agrupaciones) eso no va a ocurrir, simplemente es un hecho simbólico que me parece no apropiado utilizar el acto oficial del Monumento a la Bandera que viene la presidenta para parcializar este acto.
In the same blog, Evelyn writes:
Porque más allá de ser un acto oficial, los que estaban allí son políticos, hacen política, tienen discursos políticos y están en plena campaña.
On Facebook, the page ‘HERMES BINNER PRESIDENTE – Por una Argentina Justa y Solidaria‘ [es] (Hermes Binner for President- For a Just and Caring Argentina), criticizes the manifestations during the event carried out by members of La Campora [es], a pro-Kirchner organization:
“Binner gorila, cuidado con Cristina”, gritaban los militantes pagos de La Cámpora hoy en Rosario, durante el acto por el día de la Bandera. No dejaron hablar ni al señor gobernador de la provincia ni al señor intendente de la ciudad de Rosario. Para completarla, la señora presidente hizo de una fecha patria, su lanzamiento de campaña…LAMENTABLE…
Cristina Fernández – President of Argentina and Hermes Binner, opposition candidate for the presidency- Photo: Laura Schneider
On the other hand, Daniel Mancuso [es] analyses the headlines used by the opponents of the current government as they reacted to the President's speech:
El diario La Nación publica una nota malintencionada ─sobre el inminente anuncio de la Presidenta sobre su reelección─ titulada «Peor clima para un anuncio, imposible». El sentido de la publicación es mostrar todos los ingredientes “negativos” ─azuzados desde los multimedios opositores─ que flotan en la coyuntura y que muestran un momento “negro” para el oficialismo.
Later, Daniel [es] analyzes the headline in newspaper Clarin [es]:
El multimedios apropiador no se queda atrás. Luego del excelente discurso de Cristina en Rosario, Clarín publica: «En el acto por el Día de la Bandera, Cristina volvió a elogiar su gestión». De todo el discurso lleno de sustanciosos conceptos y un minucioso repaso de la historia de los últimos 10 años, Clarín extrajo:
“Tengo derecho a estar frente al Monumento porque hicimos avances memorables”, dijo la Presidenta en Rosario. Y disparó: “Seguramente mañana en el titular de algún diario dirá ‘¡Qué soberbia!’”.
Son previsibles, obvios, elementales y poco creíbles.Son tigres de papel…
The day after, Cristina Fernandez announced her bid for re-election in a national broadcast. News agency Télam [es] made the bid official:
La Presidenta Cristina Fernández de Kirchner lanzó esta tarde su candidatura en un acto en Casa de Gobierno y transmitido por cadena Nacional. “Yo siempre supe lo que tenía que hacer, lo supe el 28 de octubre cuando miles y miles me gritaban fuerza Cristina”, aseguró. “Mi compromiso es irrenunciable e irrevocable”,
On June 21, with the start of winter in the southern hemisphere, little by little candidates begin to emerge. Meanwhile, the largest and ‘most unified’ Argentine flag in the world, in the words of “Alta en el cielo” [es], keeps growing in length and unifying an entire country, with light blue, white and light blue. The Presidential race has begun Argentina.
Argentine flags with the symbol of 'Front for Victory', the President's party – photo: Laura Schneider

author: Laura Schneider


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Bahrain: Opposition Leaders Sentenced to Jail  · Global Voices
Mona Kareem

This post is part of our special coverage of Bahrain Protests 2011.
Bahraini blogger Ali Abdulemam has been sentenced to 15 years in jail today in absentia.
Over two months ago, a Bahrain military court sentenced four men to death for allegedly killing a policeman, with the sentence being upheld for two after appeal. This decision was heavily criticized worldwide, especially by human rights organizations.
The opposition in Bahrain suffered another a blow today after the military court, or National Security Court as it is called in Bahrain, sentenced 21 opposition figures to jail. Eight of them received life sentences. One of those sentenced to life imprisonment was the notable human rights activist Abdulhadi Khawaja. His daughter Maryam (@maryamalkhawaja) tweeted the sentence and his reaction inside the court:
@maryamalkhawaja: Alkhawaja was sentenced to life, and he said that the ppl will continue on their path, he was beaten and removed from court
Maryam has also tweeted the reaction of her sister Zainab, who was on hunger strike for her detained father and husband two months ago:
@maryamalkhawaja: Zainab Alkhawaja (@angryarabiya) shouted “Allahu Akbar” (God is Great!) when the sentence was read, and was arrested because of it.
The 21 jail sentences have garnered many reactions and provoked criticism towards the regime of Bahrain because they came following calls for a national dialogue in the country, which saw massive protests starting on February 14.
Managing Editor of Foreign Policy magazine Blake Hounshell (@blakehounshell) was one of the first to tweet about the irony in sentencing opposition figures and asking for national dialogue. Hounshell used Waad party co-head Ibrahim Sharif, who was sentenced to five years in jail, as an example saying:
@blakehounshell: To review: the Bahraini regime called for dialogue with al-Waad and then sentenced its co-leader to five years in prison.
Swedish foreign affairs minister Carl Bildt (@carlbildt) reacts:
@carlbildt: Eight activists in Bahrain sentenced to life imprisonment. Unacceptable. Will be appealed. Genuine national dialogue imperative.
Famous columnist Sultan Al-Qassemi (@SultanAlQassemi) from the UAE also made several comments on the struggle of opposition in Bahrain and how they are still strong, saying:
@SultanAlQassemi: in Feb Bahrain's opposition was the most powerful force in the country, able to shape its political future. It can't be more different today
From Bahrain, Mohammed Ashor (@MohmdAshoor) tweeted with a disappointed tone about the way the regime of his country is dealing with the opposition. He tweeted right after the sentences were made, saying:
@MohmdAshoor: I will never be convinced by any “dialogue” will our people are in jail. Not just the big names, everyone.
Another tweet from Bahrain was written by writer Ali Alsaeed (@alialsaeed), this time with a lot of rage and disappointment too:
@alialsaeed: See, told you, everything is perfect, beautiful and rosey in Bahrain. Now sit down on that motherf***ing table and ‘dialogue’ with me.
Egyptian blogger and human rights activist Rami Raoof (@RamyRaoof) was among many Egyptians to tweet about the news of the Bahraini court. He then made a critical comment on the Sectarian division used to address the issue in Bahrain:
@RamyRaoof: I don't agree with human rights groups that address the situation in Bahrain as Sunni vs. Shia. I would prefer Opposition vs. Regime
Another Egyptian blogger Tarek Amr (@gr33ndata) wrote his opinion about the way people are caring less about what is going on in Bahrain and caring more about what is going in Syria. He wrote:
@gr33ndata:  You might hate me for this. But sometimes is feel Syria is overrated and Bahrain is underrated.
British blogger and PhD student Marc Owen Jones (@marcowenjones) tweeted about the use of military courts against opposition leaders in Bahrain, an issue that has been going on in countries like Egypt too, post the January 25 revolution:
@marcowenjones: The whole point of a military court sentencing civilians is so that it can subvert the process of justice for the sake of politics.
Blogger Ali Abdulemam has also been sentenced to 15 years in jail, however, this sentence was made in absentia, as Bahrain center for Human Rights (@BahrainRights) tweeted it:
@BahrainRights: Blogger Ali @abdulemam was sentenced in absentia to 15 years. He spent 6 months last year in jails, tortured #Bahrain http://ow.ly/5nwOU
Asma Darwish (@Eagertobefree) the sister of the detainee Mohamed Darwish, who went on hunger strike for her brother, has also tweeted several tweets on the court decisions and the way the detainees looked like:
@Eagertobefree: Quoting from a frnd who was in the court room: everyone looked so different, Mushaima and alkhawaja more. Yet all were so strong.
Human rights activist Nabeel Rajab (@NABEELRAJAB) has tweeted all the events of today's court  session and captured a scene that he described as “disgusting”. Rajab noted:
This post is part of our special coverage of Bahrain Protests 2011.

author: Mona Kareem


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Bangladesh: Rumana Manzur  – A Grim Reminder of Domestic Violence · Global Voices
Aparna Ray

On 5 June, 2011, Rumana Manzur, an Assistant Professor of International Relations at the Dhaka University, became the victim of a horrific case of domestic violence when she was brutally attacked by her husband Hassan Syed, who allegedly beat her mercilessly, tried to gouge out her eyes and bit off part of her nose in a fit of rage. It is being said that their 5 year old daughter was in the room and was a witness to this inhuman act.
A Fulbright scholar from Bangladesh, Rumana was pursuing a Masters degree from the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver. She was visiting her family in Bangladesh during the summer break when this incident took place.  Hassan absconded after the incident and was picked up by the police on June 15 from a relative's house where he was hiding. [The arrest came hours after the High Court took suo moto notice of the case based on media reports and asked the police to appear before it to explain the delay in arresting him].
Image by Flickr user Heraldpost (CC BY-NC).
Soon after his arrest, Hassan gave an interview to journalists where he blamed Rumana for having an extra-marital affair with an Iranian man during her stay in Vancouver. According to reports, he said that a fight broke out between them when she found out that he had deleted this person's name from her Facebook friends list while she was in the bathroom. He denied having assaulted her and said that possibly she got injured during the scuffle.
Rumana now risks losing vision in both her eyes. She was flown to India for treatment but had to return home to Dhaka disappointed after doctors there informed her family of the severity of the damaged caused to her eyes and saw little hope of restoring her vision. Currently Hassan has been remanaded to police custody where he is being questioned about the case.
The Rumana story has shocked Bangladeshi society – both at home and abroad. Her students and colleagues – both at the Dhaka University as well as UBC have come forward in her support and strongly condemned this brutality. Bangladeshi families in Vancouver and the UBC have also sent an open letter expressing their sentiments about the incident.
Much is being discussed and debated both offline as well as online. Friends and supporters of Rumana have set up groups on Facebook such as Justice for Rumana where they are seeking exemplary punishment for her husband. Bloggers too have lent their voice in this demand for justice, expressing anger, outrage and shock.
Taef Ahmad writes in Choturmatrik [bn]:
দশটা বছর সংসার করে, নিজের সন্তানের মমতাময়ী মা’কে সন্তানের সামনেই মেরে  অন্ধ করে- চেহারা বিকৃত করে দেবার জন্য কতদুর নির্মম-পাষন্ড হতে হয়?  জঙ্গলের নখ-দন্তবিশিষ্ট হিংস্র পশুও বোধহয় আরেকটু বেশি মানবিক!
Manobi writes on Somewherein blog [bn]:
পাশবিক নির্যাতনের শিকার এই মায়ের অপরাধ তিনি তাঁর পেশার সর্বোচ্চ ডিগ্রী অর্জন করতে চেয়েছিলেন এবং তার যোগ্যতা অর্জন করেছিলেন।
At Sachalayatan, blogger S.M. Mahbub Murshed expressed his anger at the husband, whom he compared to a cruel animal. Mahbub warns that MSM may soon forget the story but it remains the reponsibility of bloggers to keep this story in the limelight until the culprit is suitably punished. He also urged women to recognise the early signs of abuse in the relationship and take appropriate steps before the situation gets out of hand.
Facebook event – Mass Protest Against Torture Of Rumana Manzur
An online petition has been started to seek speedy justice for Rumana.
Amidst all the expression of outrage, a small segment of netizens have also been blaming Rumana for her current plight. Amongt them a few have even expressed sympathy for Hassan, especially after his initial claims about his wife's ‘infidelity’ .
The arguments put forward by the sympathisers mainly veered around the premise that Rumana must have given her husband a solid reason for his uncontrollable anger. Others argued that Rumana is to blame for not walking out of this marriage earlier. Other bloggers have been quick to denounce these arguments using strong words.
Blogger Zakaria Swapan comments[bn]:
প্রথমেই কেউ কেউ রিএ্যাকশন দেখালেন এভাবে – ডাল মে ক্যুছ  কালা হ্যায়। যার অর্থ হলো, নিশ্চই মেয়েটি এমন কিছু করেছে, যে কারণে  স্বামীটি এমন খর্গ হস্তে আভির্ভূত হয়েছেন। তাদের জন্য উত্তর হলো – আপনি একজন মানসিক রোগী। সেজন্য আপনার মাথায়  প্রথমেই এমন একটি চিন্তা এসেছে। আরেক দল আছেন যারা মনে করছেন, মেয়েটি কেন এতোদিন এমন একটি ছেলেটির সাথে ছিল। তাই মেয়েটিরই দোষ। এখন ভোগ করো শাস্তি। আমরা বাংলাদেশে মেয়েদেরকে যেভাবে বড় করি, যেভাবে গড়ে তুলি, তাতে কয়টা  মেয়ের পক্ষে সম্ভব সংসার ছেড়ে চলে যাওয়া?
Other netizens are discussing, not only about this specific case but about the broader issue of marital relationships, domestic violence and the culture of silence that exists around it.
Asif Saleh, writing at Drishtipat Writers’ Collective discusses this culture of silence in a post aptly titled ‘Whose face are we saving?’. Asif writes:
Hers was an extreme case, perhaps, and the ‘shobhbhyo shomaj’ (civilised society), as one  newspaper called it, has been stunned by the sheer brutality of the  crime. But this very ‘shobhbhyo shomaj’ would regularly pressurise the  woman to ‘compromise’ (maniye cholo) in the other not so brutal  (to-be-more-brutal) cases.
Rubana Huq at Priyo.com points out the irony that despite South Asia having an impressive number of women  leaders, the region continues to have such a poor track record as far as  women's rights are concerned.According to her, “women are one of the easiest commodities in the market of abuse”.
Blogger Upopadya however feels that an instance of gender related crime should not be escalated to the extent of blaming all men, thereby placing the genders on a path of conflict [bn]:
নারী-পুরুষকে পরস্পরের বিপরীত অবস্থানে আনা বা মুখোমুখী দাঁড় করানো উচিত  হবেনা। আমাদের বুঝতে হবে সমাজটা নারীর একার না, সমাজটা পুরুষের একার না,  সমাজটা নারী-পুরুষ সকলের
Today, Rumana waits for a miracle that will bring back her vision and allow her to see her daughter's face once again. She wants her husband to be brought to justice. Hassan is still in police custody. And the discussion on domestic violence continues unabated.

author: Aparna Ray


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Cannibalism In North Korea, Smuggled Documents Reveal · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

GI Korea from the ROK Drop blog commented on local news report claiming that they have obtained smuggled documents confirming cannibalism in North Korea. Acts of cannibalism have long been reported by North Korean defectors, especially during the mass famine in the mid-90′s.

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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Global Voices Co-Founder to Head MIT’s Center for Civic Media · Global Voices
Solana Larsen

Ethan Zuckerman. Photo by Joi Ito (CC-BY-2.0)
Global Voices co-founder and long time fellow at Harvard University's Berkman Center for Internet and Society, Ethan Zuckerman, has been named director of MIT's Center for Civic Media and a principal research scientist at MIT's Media Lab. He begins on 1 September, 2011. We've been congratulating Ethan internally at Global Voices, and all hope to learn from and contribute to the research ahead!
The research center (formerly known as Center for Future Civic Media) was founded in 2007 with support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to explore the opportunities and challenges of news and information in a digital age. On Wednesday, the Knight Foundation announced an additional investment of $3.76 million for the Center to expand its work and reach.
In an interview with Andrew Phelps published Wednesday morning by Harvard's Nieman Lab, Ethan explains that the Center will be looking beyond citizen journalism to investigate how communities communicate more broadly, and how they make decisions about becoming “civically active.”
He says:
Civic media can be all about mobilization. It can be all about community documentation. It’s sort of journalism and more. It’s a very, very broad remit. It’s basically as broad as this question of how do communities make decisions based on information? Within that incredibly broad swath, there are a couple of areas that I’m excited about focusing on.
A lot of my work the last couple of years has been on trying to help us listen to voiceless, marginalized people. So you can read the Global Voices project in that way. It’s an attempt not just to give people in the developing world a chance to speak, but also give them a better chance of being heard. And that’s an issue that’s really front and center to some of the past work at Center for Future Civic Media.
On his own blog, Ethan says he is excited that the Center will work on a combination of practical and theoretical projects:
The Center is housed between MIT’s Media Lab and the Comparative Media Studies department, which puts an interesting challenge in front of researchers: work both to create new tools and to develop the thinking and theory behind the civic media field.
On GigaOM, Matthew Ingram reacted to news of Ethan's appointment, by asking whether MIT will be helping to re-invent local media, as news media struggle to survive in the digital age.
Ethan's appointment comes hot on the heels of Joichi Ito taking over as director of MIT's Media Lab in April. Joi Ito is an influential internet entrepreneur and former chariman and CEO of Creative Commons. Joi also sits on the board of Global Voices.

author: Solana Larsen


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Guatemala: Families in Quiché Benefit from ‘Maya Food Security Programme’ · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

author: Silvia Viñas


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Haiti: The Other Side of the Martelly Story  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Wadner Pierre refers to a mainstream media article about Haiti's new president, saying that the story fails to mention “the illegitimacy of the way in which he was elected, and the ongoing destruction of earthquake camps that his government is helping to facilitate.”


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Jamaica: Bob’s Legacy  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Three decades after his death, the revolutionary Tuff Gong Rastaman is now completely made over and repackaged as the poster boy for the Jamaican tourist industry”: But Jamaica Woman Tongue thinks that “if Marley were a youth today, he would sound a lot like Capleton, Sizzla and Anthony B.”


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Korea: Blogger Touring Tense Border Area · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

Maggie Downs from the GirlVentures blog shared her experience in touring tense border area between the South and North Korea. Downs visited the demilitarized zone, Camp Bonifas,  Panmunjom and the joint security area.


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Nepal: High Hopes For Youth Based Movement · Global Voices
Rezwan

Blogdai has high hopes for Nepal Unite, a recent youth based initiative which started online. According to the blogger it will help the average Nepali Citizen get involved in the political process and stimulate meaningful dialogue.


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Panama: Politics, Football and Conspiracy Theories · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Panamanian Global Voices author Ariel Moreno [es] blogs [es] about the government's and the national football team's tendency to come up with conspiracy theories and complain that the political opposition or the CONCACAF –respectively– are out to get them. He concludes: “We need to stop blaming others for our misfortunes, the problem and the solution are staring right at you every morning in the mirror”


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Slovakia, Poland: (Mis)Understanding the Euro Experience · Global Voices
Tibor Blazko

According to a recent poll [pl] published in Gazeta Wyborcza, the majority of Poles are against joining the Eurozone.
One of the reasons may be their (mis)understanding of the Slovak experience.
Jakub Loginow, a Pole living in the Slovak capital of Bratislava, described [sk] for the Slovak readers of his blog how his fellow citizens saw the Slovak economic situation after Slovakia had entered the Eurozone as the second country of the former Eastern Bloc.
Euro bank notes. Image by Flickr user aranjuez1404 (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0).
According to the author, they mostly see it as a clear failure, which is quite different from the Slovak perspective: in an autumn 2010 poll [sk], 89 percent of the Slovaks were in favor of the only currency for the whole European Union; and according to a February 2011 poll [sk], 63 percent of the Slovaks viewed entering the Eurozone positively.
Loginow wrote:
In 2007, the Polish politicians were thinking whether it would be better to enter the Eurozone in 2011 or in 2013. Today, no one speaks about accepting the Euro anymore and typical estimations are 2018-2022. It is interesting that a big part of this skepticism was caused by Slovakia. Despite the reality, most Poles think that Slovakia's adoption of the Euro ended in a very bad way.
“Prices grew because of the Euro”
Many Poles remember the value of the Slovak Koruna (Crown) from many years ago. But “during 2004-2008 the Slovak Koruna was growing compared to the Euro and also to the Zloty” – and the Polish Zloty was falling. “In 2007, 1 Euro was 2.90 PLN, and in April 2009, 4.5 PLN (later stabilized at about 4 PLN).”
So, compared to a decade ago, Slovakia is much more expensive for the Poles, and they see it as the “doubling of the Slovak prices.” Because of it, Slovakia lost “thousands of Polish tourists.” In the Polish view, the “Slovak economy is based mainly on tourism” (and the economy of mountainous regions near the Polish border is of this kind indeed) – even though “in fact, tourism creates just about 5 percent of the country's GDP,” while “many Poles think it would be about 40 percent.”
Loginow mentions “no price growth” in the period when Slovakia entered the Eurozone. This happened due to several factors. In addition to the world financial crisis, there was also a governmental program “We're changing the currency, not the price.”
For many months before and after the switch to the Euro, there were mandatory ‘double’ prices in Koruna and in Euro in the Slovak stores. There was a legal possibility to challenge the unjustified price growth. Many Slovaks, however, are ready to believe that the growth did happen between the announcement of the new law and the date it became valid.
Because of the temporary fall of the Polish as well as of the Hungarian and the Czech currencies in early 2009, and the already easily comparable prices between Austrian and Slovak shops, that period was the golden era of the Slovak shopping abroad. This also helped to keep Slovak prices lower, though it did not help the local economy.
Propaganda against the Euro
Greek problems and the example of Slovakia's costliness are widely used at the Polish scene. Eurosceptics and politicians who have “failed to fulfill the promise of a fast entrance into the Eurozone” and “postponed the necessary reforms, which led to a huge deficit growth,” are glad they have a reason “to show that we do not want the Euro for now.”
According to Loginow, at the end of 2009 and the beginning of 2010, articles appeared in Polish newspapers that claimed that the Slovak economy was about to collapse in the absence of Polish tourists – “and many Polish citizens started to believe in it.”

author: Tibor Blazko


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Trinidad & Tobago: Markets & Monasteries  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

From “soots” to Benedictine monasteries, Chookooloonks photoblogs about a lovely day spent during her time in Trinidad.


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Zambia: Violence at Chiluba’s Funeral Gathering · Global Voices
Gershom Ndhlovu

Zambia’s second President, Frederick Chiluba is every bit as controversial in death as he was alive. Chiluba’s funeral wake, a tradition in  Zambian where mourners gather from the day a person dies up to the time of burial, has been marked with violence and political manoeuvrings.
Dr Chiluba died from suspected heart complications in the early hours of June 18, 2011. He was a known heart patient who used to frequent South African hospitals for specialist treatment particularly between 2002 and 2008, at the height of his court cases when he was charged with plunder of national resources involving millions of US dollars.
Zambia’s second president Frederick Chiluba. Photo courtesy of Zambia Chronicle
Just a few hours after Dr Chiluba died and people started gathering at his home in the leafy suburb of Kabulonga, less than two kilometres from State House, the seat of government he occupied for ten years from 1991 to 2001, the vocal provincial chairman of the ruling Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) for Lusaka, William Banda issued a warning to all politicians and journalists who had been critical of the former president.
In particular, Banda had in mind opposition the Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata who for the last two and half years has been campaigning for this year’s forthcoming elections on the grounds that he would re-instate Chiluba’s court cases and send him to jail if found guilty. Sata and his party members had accused President Rupiah Banda of interfering in the judiciary to free the former president. What had made matters worse was that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) refused to appeal to the High Court, a lower court decision to acquit Dr Chiluba.
Also banned from visiting the funeral house were journalists from private media organisations such as the Post and Radio Phoenix.
In the wake of Banda’s statements, a leader of a small opposition party, Cosmo Mumba, Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) leader and former minister under Chiluba, Edith Nawakwi, Reverend Edith Mutale and a reporter from Radio Phoenix were reportedly harassed.
As a result of Banda’s warning and the cases of violence that have been reported so far, Sata and his senior party officials have resolved not to attend the funeral.
The Zambian Watchdog a few hours after Dr Chiluba’s death, quoted Banda saying:
As the party in the province we have directed our youth wing to be vigilant of the people who want to politicize the funeral of the late second republican president Chiluba, hence for security purposes we shall not allow some people to enter the house where the funeral is being hosted and those people know themselves better, and this also goes to a media house which has been against Chiluba, it should not even think of attending the funeral this is an MMD arrangement.
Ironically, President Chiluba had deported Banda to neighbouring Malawi in the first few years of his presidency. Banda was a staunch former ruling party, UNIP member and governor of a rural district who had been harassing the then opposition MMD members even whipping those unfortunate enough to have directly crossed his path. He only came back to Zambia after he was pardoned by President Levy Mwanawasa, the man who took over from Chiluba and now late.
Readers were not amused:
Mr. Capitalist – 3 E's steering economic growth wrote:
Mwa yamba (you have started it). Mr. William Banda, just behave yourself. Let us bury the man. Stop it with the politics. Can’t we have just one event without politics. I don’t understand this country. Even though I support MMD, I do not support this cheap move by Mr. William Banda.
Another contributor, ZHOBOO, had this to say:
William Banda is a bandit. – Recipe for Disaster. Stop SATA and hang yourself.
How can SATA miss Chiluba’s funeral? He has nothing to do with his death. MMD over used Mr Chiluba and should be ashamed, not SATA. What are you achieving by SATA not going to his friend’s funeral. Chiluba supported SATA, then switched sides and supported MMD. Did PF say MMD should not attend funeral because they took Chiluba to court?
Fellow Zambians, no sensible person can find Chiluba’s passing on a case in Mr SATA.
We will see how RB reacts to this threat because if no Govt official or police inspector fail to condemn the SATA is free to use what ever means he can to be a the funeral even if it means ordering body guards to carry firearms for self protection.
More condemnation of Banda from lums law:
Wow!! I All the sentiments submitted on this thread are so unanimous against William Banda. The man is a waste of space and should be “retired” in the right way. Friends and foes alike all come together in times of sadness; what kind of old man is William Banda? Where is his wisdom? Or is there something to hide from FTJ’s death…? Wise up please! FTJ rest in peace despite the problems you left us behind.
The Zambia Police issued a statement quoted by Lusaka Times, denying harassment reports at the funeral gathering but netizens would have none of it:
Div nafuti says:
Marubbish (rubbish)!! so yu mean all these pipo ie cosmo, nawakwi, mutale, radio phoenix gal et al are all liers?? Iwe kasiamana is that wat yu were taught at lilayi (police college) to sit in yo scrafy offices and wait until a crime has been commited??? What the hell are yo CIOs doin? Answer my question!!!
Another contributor, Zambians Being fed, calls for extreme measures against Banda:
This mentality of the Police sitting back whenever William Banda is committing genocide will one day blow over in turn into a big civil catastrophe. Is the president not aware of the violence this guy is causing? or may be he has the blessings of Rupiah. And on the other hand, don’t we have assassins in this country to ki.ll this sun.of.a.bitc.h William? The Police and the MMD should try and safeguard the peace by both acting to prevent violence, bring to book perpetrators.
One blogger, Elias Munshya wa Munshya, explains why Sata should attend Dr Chiluba’s funeral without let or hindrance, tracing the long political history the two have had over time. Sata served in various portfolios in the Chiluba administration. He was national secretary—the equivalent of chief executive—of the ruling party and at one time as minister without portfolio, third in the government hierarchy. Elias says:
The news that a group within the MMD has been formed to keep Michael Sata from coming to the funeral of President Frederick Chiluba should be a concern to all peace loving Zambians. In fact, even our gallant security wings have fallen prey to this gibberish by entreating Michael Sata to stay away from the funeral—in the name of “security”. The very thought that it could come to this is not only ridiculous but insolently immature. I wish to argue in this article that Michael Sata should be allowed to attend and mourn his former boss. This is consistent with our common humanity.
Those who believe that Sata had been an enemy of Dr. Chiluba have chosen to look at a fraction of history and ignored the whole. They are simply being economical with reality. There has not been any true enmity between Chiluba and Sata. What existed were mere political interests that took these two gentlemen in different directions—only since 2008.
Chiluba’s political influence will still be manifest in death considering that at the time of his death, he was considered as incumbent president Banda’s political consultant who promised to deliver opposition strongholds of the Copperbelt, Luapula and Northern Provinces where the majority of his ethnic Bemba-related groups reside to the MMD.
But the ruling party also stands to lose in the presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for later this year if government fails to convince people on why Chiluba was not evacuated to either a local hospital or abroad, letting him to die at home.

author: Gershom Ndhlovu


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Armenia: Rapping controversy · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Ianyan says that a photoshoot for an Armenian singer is drawing controversy in Armenia. Featuring photographs of Sako Balasanyan (Super Sako) in a “series of photographs featuring violent, misogynistic imagery of a faceless woman and him in various settings,” it also includes a picture of the singer in front of a prominent religious monument “with a gun in one hand and a barely clothed woman in the other.“

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Balkans: Ratko Mladic and Justice · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Posts on the capture of Ratko Mladic and justice being done (or not) – by Katharine Engelhart and Ozren Jungic at OpenDemocracy.net, by Blogging Balkanistan/The Daily Seyahatname, and by Marko Attila Hoare and David Pettigrew at Greater Surbiton.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Cambodia: Land rights hashtag · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The twitter hashtag #camland is proposed to gather tweets related to land-rights, evictions, and controversial developments in Cambodia.

author: Mong Palatino


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China: Ai Weiwei Back Home · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Prominent artist Ai Weiwei has been released on bail last night (June 22, 2011), Committee to Protect Journalists comments on the incident and points out that the whereabouts of Ai's associate, freelance journalist Wen Tao, missing since April 3 and presumed detained, is still unknown.


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China: The first successful lawsuit on sexual harassment in Guangzhou · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Olivia from ChinaHush translates a local news story about the first successful lawsuit on sexual harassment in Guangzhou.


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Croatia: EU Membership Approval · Global Voices
El Hud

On June 10, 2011, Croatia was cleared to become the newest member state of the European Union.  There is still a long road before Croatians are officially a part of the EU, and the timing at the moment is, at best, precarious, creating many skeptics.
Beyond the current state of the economy in Europe, there is also the fact that on April 15, 2011, the ICTY convicted former generals Ante Gotovina and Mladen Markač of war crimes.
As noted on This Just In:
The verdict was greeted by boos and hisses from crowds gathered in the central square of Croatia's capital, Zagreb, the BBC reported. The generals are regarded by some as national heroes.
Anti-EU protest on the day of ITCY convictions. Image by Flickr user Sophie Guesné, used with permission.
This public opinion is important to note, as prior to joining, Croatia will hold a national referendum which, if held currently, could fail with approximately only 38 percent voting “yes” or could pass easily with 64 percent voting in favor of joining, depending on the source.
Despite this electorate uncertainty, the Croatian government has continually pushed forward on the joining, as noted [hr] on Jutarnji List:
[Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor] said that the decision of the European Council is a joyful moment for Croatia, especially as Croatia this week marks the 20th anniversary of independence. “I have always said that this would be the greatest reward for the anniversary of independence,” stressed the Prime Minister.
Of course, most of the accession frustration in this country of 4.5 million people revolves around the length of time it has taken to get to this point, as was written [hr] on gospon profesor:
So, these six so far and two more? And I thought that when we finish negotiations, hop, here we are in the EU. But, no.
A commenter on that post by the name of Kinky Kolumnista [hr] approaches the pending accession from a practical standpoint:
Let's face it, if there was no pressure from the EU, none of these minor [country] improvements would have happened and we were the same quagmire as before […] EU countries are definitely more successful than we are, and those who are bypassed are at a disadvantage.
Much will still be expected of Croatia in the next two years, but currently everything points to their becoming the 28th member of the EU.

author: El Hud


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Egypt: A Decade of Street Activism Discussed at Tweet Nadwa · Global Voices
Lilian Wagdy

This post is part of our special coverage Egypt Revolution 2011.
In what is set to become a weekly event, Egyptian Twitter users gathered once again for a second round of their twitter-simulating discussions known as Tweet Nadwa [ar] (forum).
After a successful first round that focused primarily on addressing the issue of Islamists, how they were perceived in Egyptian society and how they envision post-revolution Egypt, the second round, held in the downtown theater of Rawabet, went back in time to discuss the roots of the Egyptian revolution.
Unlike the first round, whose speakers were of an Islamist background, speakers this time were left-leaning, especially people like Hossam El Hamalawy and Wael Khalil who are part of the bloc known as the Revolutionary socialists.
A selection of the audience at the second Tweet Nadwa in Cairo. Photo by Lilian Wagdy
In 90 minutes, these speakers recalled their experiences with street activism in Egypt that was rekindled following the Second Palestinian Intifada, revisiting important events and dates, such as support demonstrations and labor strikes, that accumulated and culminated in the Egyptian Revolution.
Each speaker focused on a certain sector of activism; while Khalil spoke about the activities of the Popular committee for Supporting the Intifida, El Hamalawy went through the struggle of the workers, listing important dates where workers’ strikes were pivotal in popular agitation. Asmaa Aly’s main focus was on the Youth for Change movement, an offspring group from the Kefaya movement (The Egyptian Movement for Change), and how they used blogs as well as street activism as tools to get their message of change across. Finally, Kholoud Saber discussed student activism during the first years of the millennium amidst a fierce crackdown on students from State Security.
The second half was more interactive with attendees taking part in the discussion, giving their feedback on what they heard and discussing ways of developing the tweet nadwa momentum to action in the streets.
In addition to the hashtag #tweetnadwa, an account was created with the same name, mostly quoting speakers and attendees and updating Twitter users who were not able to participate in person.
Here are some positive and negative reactions on the second tweet nadwa.
Mos'ab El Shamy: : Second #TweetNadwa is over. Mostly impressed by everyone's admitting to end the Twitter isolation bubble and interact more with the masses.
Lobna Darwish:  : Ok, #tweetnadwa was great, the best public talk I attended in Egypt ever. Ebsito ba2a ya (Enjoy now) @manal @alaa @lilianwagdy @Monasosh and others :p
Ghazala Irshad: If you ever wished the real world was like the Twitterverse: 140 sec speeches, hand wave=RT, thread replies #tweetnadwa @arabisin @ajstream
Mona Kareem:  I thought #TweetNadwa should be about what to do not what happened!
Mohamed Abdel Fattah: #Tweetnadwa there was a revolutionary socialist monopoly over the narrative of the lead-up to the revolution
I provided photos of the event, while Ramy Rizkallah  produced a video-wrap up of the Nadwa.
Alaa Abdel Fatah, founder and moderator of Tweet Nadwa, has confirmed that there will be a tweet nadwa held in Alexandria on the 29th of June that will discuss human right defenders in Egypt.
This post is part of our special coverage Egypt Revolution 2011.

author: Lilian Wagdy


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El Salvador: Price of Corn Triples in a Little Over a Year · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

El Salvador From the Inside reports on the rising cost of corn, an important and basic staple for Salvadorans: “June 2011 newspapers report a quintal [100 lb bag of corn] costs up to $40 , due to last year’s bad harvest and growing season starting late this year. Maize had already doubled from the April 2010 price of $13.50 to $26 in April 2011. So, maize has TRIPLED in price in one year and 3 months.


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Europe: “Greek Drama Doesn’t Transcend Hellenic Borders” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Luboš Motl of The Reference Frame writes about the current economic situation in Greece and how it affects (or doesn't affect) other countries: “All the hysteria is man-made and unjustifiable by the real data. The Greek default will be just a formality because in practice, it has occurred a long time ago.” As a side note, the blogger mentions Greece's “angry” reaction to the statue of Alexander the Great, which has recently been erected in Skopje, Macedonia.


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India: Feed A Kid Every Saturday · Global Voices
Rezwan

Debolina Raja Gupta  shares her experience of creating a Facebook group called  Feed A Kid Every Saturday which encourages citizens of Mumbai to feed poor and hungry children.

author: Rezwan


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Macedonia: How the Protests Started · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Tamara Atanasoska posts a personal account of the beginning of the protests against police brutality in Skopje, Macedonia: “We were walking, a handful of people, […] not knowing each other, hitting the streets to get attention. We just wanted an answer, someone to say what happened. We knew for sure that someone was killed. We knew that they are trying to hide it. And we knew that we can’t let that be. […] I came to Mother Teresa’s memorial house the next day, and can you imagine what I felt when I saw 2000 people? You can’t…and excitement and fear, and joy and sadness. It was a big day, that day. And a hard one.”


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Macedonia: Spreading the Word About the Protests, in Spanish · Global Voices
Filip Stojanovski

Sina (meaning “Blue female”) started a blog to spread the word about the protests against police brutality to a wider global audience. Her first post is in Spanish.


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Mexico: Blogosphere Analyzes the State of Mexico’s Electoral Process · Global Voices
J. Tadeo

On July 3, 2011, the electoral process for choosing a governor will unfold in the State of Mexico (Edomex), led by Enrique Peña Nieto from the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI).
Three candidates remain in this electoral competition: Luis Felipe Bravo Mena from the National Action Party (PAN), Eruviel Ávila Villegas from the PRI, leading the “United for you” coalition, and Alejandro Encinas Rodríguez from the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD), representing the so-called “United we can do more” coalition.
Juan José Solis [es], for blog Hispanic LA, notes the relevance of this local electoral process and signals an aspect that, in his opinion, should not go unnoticed:
Luis Felipe Bravo Mena-PAN. Image: Presidency of the Republic (CC-BY-NC-ND)
En ese sentido, la elección del Edomex más que ser un laboratorio de resultados electorales, es un escenario de prácticas discursivas y de demoscopia de la percepción, para los pretendientes a ocupar la presidencia de la República.
Por lo que se ve (y se mide), las elecciones en el Edomex no serán reñidas, como no lo han sido nunca. Pero lo que hagan los candidatos presidenciales en torno a esta elección, es lo que realmente no debemos perder de vista, ya que de ahí saldrán los aspirantes que estén mejor entrenados para enfrentar una contienda que se avizora de alto contenido de “guerra sucia”… y por ello de varios capítulos políticos por escribir.
In this sense, the Edomex election, more than being a laboratory of electoral results, is a scenario of discursive practices and an opinion poll of perception for the candidates aiming to occupy the presidency of the Republic.
Going by that which is seen (and measured), the elections in Edomex will not be close, as they have never been in the past. But that which the presidential candidates do surrounding this election is that which we truly cannot not lose sight of, since the best contenders will emerge from here, ready to confront a competition that is envisioned with a high content of “dirty warfare”… and as a result, various political chapters are to be written.
Regarding the same topic, the aforementioned author expresses his considerations with respect to the proposals of the contenders for governing the entity in question:
En la oferta y los discursos que al momento se han vertido en las distintas estrategias de campaña, no hay un solo candidato que ofrezca un verdadero plan y dotes de gobierno que de solución a los complejos problemas de la entidad. Hasta el momento, lo que se tiene es mera retórica y promesas que difícilmente se podrán materializar. Algunos ofrecimientos vagos por ejemplo, son el de firmar ante notario las promesas de gobierno, estrategia que busca seducir al ciudadano mexiquense para que crea que el compromiso adquirido tendrá una obligación de carácter legal por tener el soporte notarial de por medio, siendo que en la realidad, nada obliga al candidato a cumplir los acuerdos firmados, pues lo único que hace el notario es dar fe de la firma, pero no la circunscribe a ningún marco ejecutorio de carácter legal.
A blog of radical nature like Círculo de estudios Coapa [es] notes its perception of the local electoral process set for July 3, 2011 and its relevance, with sights on the presidential succession next year:
La burguesía intentará por todos los medios evitar que la izquierda llegue a la presidencia en el 2012; banqueros, empresarios, terratenientes, narcotraficantes, el imperialismo, para todos ellos no hay peor pesadilla posible que perder las elecciones presidenciales, un golpe así pondría en cuestionamiento sus intereses y su sistema de dominación. Por ello se aferrarán con uñas y dientes a la gubernatura del Edomex luchando por el triunfo Eruviel Ávila en las próximas elecciones estatales del 3 de julio, representando el primer paso para confrontar a la izquierda de cara a las presidenciales del 2012.
Alejandro Encinas Rodríguez-PRD. Image from Mimikamen under public domain
Other members of the national blogosphere express their opinion in a categorical manner, with respect to each of the candidates; such is the case of Arcadio González [es], who highlighted the following for his blog, Nuestro México bizarro (“Our Bizarre Mexico”) [es]:
Por lo que hace a los dos primeros candidatos, el del PAN Luis Felipe Bravo Mena y el del PRD Alejandro de Jesús Encinas Rodríguez, no sé si REIR o LLORAR por su obstinación de volver a ser candidatos al Gobierno del Estado de México 18 años después, cuando tan sólo tuvieron el 17.89% y el 8.73%, respectivamente, de la votación total en el año 1993.
Del candidato del PRI Eruviel Ávila Villegas no hay la menor duda de que es una persona preparada y exitosa, pues en su vida política ha ganado sus candidaturas por elección y mayoría de votos, no como los anteriores candidatos. Es el único de los tres que nació en el Estado de México y el único de los tres que conoce verdaderamente la problemática de su Estado y Municipios, pues su trabajo ha estado en torno al mismo Estado de México, siempre PRIísta y convencido de su ideología, o por lo menos, no ha cambiado de partido, lo que para muchos puede ser su defecto, pero si analizamos un poco, en realidad es su virtud.
Looking at the first two candidates, the one from PAN, Luis Felipe Bravo Mena, and the one from PRD, Alejandro de Jesús Encinas Rodríguez, I don't know if I should LAUGH or CRY for their tenacity to become contenders for the Government of the State of Mexico 18 years after, when they only had 17.89% and 8.73%, respectively, of the total votes in 1993.
There is not the slightest doubt that PRI candidate Eruviel Ávila Villegas, a prepared and successful person, that throughout his political life, has won his candidacies for election and the majority vote, unlike the previous candidates. He is the only one of the three that was born in the State of Mexico and the only of the three that truly knows the problems of his State and Municipalities, and his work has revolved around the very State of Mexico, always leaning towards PRI and has been convinced of his ideology, or at least, has not changed parties, which for many can be his defect, but if we analyze it a little bit, in reality it is his virtue.
Analysts like Juan José Rodríguez Prats [es] (whose contribution on the topic can be found in the blog, La voz de la región) criticize the PRI candidate's campaign:
En el Estado de México, como en otras entidades, se está matando la conciencia ciudadana. La publicidad de Eruviel Ávila en su ambición por alcanzar la gubernatura resulta aplastante, avasalladora. Hacia donde dirija uno la vista, se localiza algo en relación al candidato del PRI. Si alardean de su enorme ventaja en las encuestas, ¿qué caso tiene ese enorme derroche de recursos?
Eruviel Ávila Villegas-PRI. Image from Eruviel Avila Flickr user (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
Additionally, Rodríguez Prats makes mention of that which according to his understanding would be a possible consequence of Eruviel Ávila favorable standing in the approaching elections:
En el Estado de México, al igual que en Coahuila y en Nayarit, está latente una enorme amenaza de regresión al más viejo autoritarismo y a la rancia corrupción producto de la imbricación PRI-gobiernos estatales. Contrario a sus orígenes, en los que desde el centro se tomaban decisiones, ahora los gobernadores son amos y señores en su entidad.
Es obvio que analizo el desempeño de los tres candidatos en el Estado de México desde mi trinchera partidista, pero lo cierto es que no he encontrado en el priista ningún argumento convincente para el apoyo ciudadano del que presume. Lo único que percibo es el peso del dinero y el apoyo incondicional y abrumador del aparato gubernamental mexiquense, como quedó demostrado en aquel video que, como tantas otras pruebas evidentes, fue desechado por los órganos electorales.
In the State of Mexico, as in Coahuila and Nayarit, there is a latent, enormous threat of regression to old authoritarianism and rancid corruption, a product of the PRI-state government imbrication. Contrary to its origins in those which take their decisions from the center, now the governors are masters and lords in their entities.
It's obvious that I analyze the performance of the three candidates in the State of Mexico from my trench party, but the truth is that I have not found any convincing PRI argument for citizen support from the one that presumes. The only thing I perceive is the weight of money as well as the unconditional and overwhelming support for the Mexican governmental apparatus, as demonstrated in that video that, as so much other evidence, was rejected by electoral organs.
To conclude, it is important to mention that one month before the elections, the Center For Strategic & International Studies reported that candidate Eruviel Ávila had 45% of the electorate's approval according to a survey done at the end of May. On the other hand, 12 days before the election, Strategic Communication Cabinet [es] reports that according to its daily survey, the PRI candidate has 52% of the preferred votes, while candidates from PRD and PAN have 20.2% and 13.2% respectively.
In a democratic system like that of Mexico, the voters are the ones that will have the last word and will have to assert it in the polls accordingly.

author: J. Tadeo


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Myanmar: Labour registration form · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Democracy for Burma uploads a labour registration brochure in Burmese and Thai languages provided by the International Organization for Migration. There are thousands of Myanmar migrants living and working in Thailand.


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Myanmar: Thousands flee home in Kachin fighting · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

According to the Democratic Voice of Burma, “more than 10,000 ethnic Kachin are now thought to have fled their homes as days of fighting engulfed parts of Burma’s northernmost state.” Pictures of refugee sites have been uploaded online.


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Nicaragua: A Social Debt with the Countryside · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Ronald Hill says [es] that “Nicaragua carries a social debt with the countryside, with thousands of peasants who live precariously.” He summarizes the hardships Nicaraguans in the countryside face every day and wonders why conditions there do not improve, even when the country's economy grows every year.