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Tunisian Activists Call for Revision of Harsh Anti-Marijuana Penalties · Global Voices
Afef Abrougui

Tunisia has very strict anti-marijuana laws. Following the arrest of activist and blogger Azyz Amami, who has been campaigning for abolishing such laws, calls to amend the country's legislation on drugs consumption multiplied.
Law 52 of May 18, 1992, which lays down punishments for drug-related offenses, provides for one to five years imprisonment and a fine of up to 3,000 dinars ($1,900) for those caught “consuming or possessing for personal consumption narcotic plants and substances, in cases not authorised by law.” The law further prescribes a prison sentence of up to three years and a maximum fine of 5,000 dinars ($3,100) for “anyone who deliberately frequents a place allocated and accommodated for the use of narcotics.”
According to recent United Nations figures, more than half of the 13,000 people in pre-trial detention, and around one third of Tunisia's 11,000 convicts were arrested for drugs abuse – marijuana, in particular.
These alarming figures have pushed a group of activists to launch Al Sajin 52 (‘Prisoner 52′ in reference to law 52 of 1998), a civil-society initiative seeking to amend the infamous law 52 and “save the country's future generations”. The group argues that this ‘repressive law’ only contributes to prison overcrowding and has not stopped the number of cannabis smokers from increasing.
They lay down their objectives [fr] as follows:
AlSAjin 52 vise l’avortement de la sentence d’emprisonnement à l’encontre des consommateurs de stupéfiants, particulièrement ceux du cannabis (ZATLA) régie par cette loi.
· AlSajin 52 ne cherche en aucun cas à encourager la consommation mais est convaincue que la sentence d’un an ou plus de prison, ne donne pas de motivation pour un sevrage dans grand nombre de cas.
· AlSajin 52 essaye par cette initiative de faire comprendre la réalité de cannabis, dans notre société de consommation, voire de surconsommation.
. Alsajin 52 aims for the abolition of prison sentences against narcotics consumers and in particular those [who smoke] marijuana, as it is stipulated by this law.
. Alsajin 52 are not in any way seeking to encourage consumption, but are convinced that the one year prison sentence or more does not, in a large number of cases, motivate for withdrawal.
. Alsajin 52 initiative seeks to help provide an understanding on the reality of marijuana in our society of consumption, or even over consumption
In mid-March, Al Sajin 52 petitioned [fr] Prime Minister Mehdi Jomaa calling on him to host a national debate to revise the country's anti-marijuana laws.
‘Prisoner 52, Let's Reform Law 52 of 18 May 1992′
On May 12, police arrested one of the group's founders, blogger and activist Azyz Amami, along with a friend, on alleged accusations of marijuana consumption.
Following his arrest, calls to abolish prison sentences for smoking marijuana multiplied under the Twitter hash tags #loi52 (‘law 52′) and #A_BAS_LOI52 (‘down with law 52′).
Pour des raisons médicales, culturelles, politiques, économiques et historiques, la #Loi52 doit changer. Tarir l'hémorragie est une urgence!
— Boukornine (@BoukornineBlog) May 13, 2014
@BoukornineBlog: For medical, cultural, political, economic and historical reasons, law 52 has to change. Drying up the bleeding is an urgency
L'ennemi c'est la #loi52, responsable de surpopulation carcérale, prétexte pour pourrir des vies et museler les voix qui s'élèvent #FreeAzyz
— Boukornine (@BoukornineBlog) May 13, 2014
@BoukornineBlog: Law 52 is the enemy, responsible for prison over crowding and a pretext to spoil lives and muzzle mounting voices
Medical doctor Zied Mhirsi tweeted:
substance abuse needs care and treatment not jail #Free_Azyz #FreeAziz #FreeAzyz
— Zied Mhirsi (@zizoo) May 13, 2014
Linda criticized the self-proclaimed democratic representatives at the National Constituent Assembly (NCA), the country's legislature and currently the only body with the prerogatives to amend or abolish laws.
Le manque de courage des élus "démocrates" est la principale raison pour laquelle on en est là. #loi52 #FreeAzyz
— Linda (@Lindyys) May 13, 2014
@Lindyys: ‘democratic’ representatives’ lack of courage is the main reason we are in this situation
Human rights activist Amira Yahyaoui tweeted:
Les élus choqués par l'arrestation de Azyz Amami, pas besoin de soutien via hashtag, changez la loi!
— Amira Yahyaoui (@Mira404) May 13, 2014
@Mira404: Deputies who are shocked by the arrest of Azyz Amami, [we] do not need [your] support via a hash tag. Change the law!
Politicians responded.
NCA deputee Karima Souid from the centre-left Al-Massaar tweeted on May 14:
Tout cet arsenal juridique, liberticide et dictatorial doit être aboli #Loi52 1 joint -1 an =une hérésie #Zatla #Tunisie#tweetprecedent
— Karima Souid (@KarimaSouid) May 14, 2014
@KarimaSouid: This whole draconian and dictatorial judicial arsenal needs to be abolished. 1 joint, 1 year (in prison)= heresy
Zeinb Turki from the centre Al-Jomhouri party said:
Plus que jamais nous avons besoin de réformer le cadre juridique relatif à la consommation de cannabis.Sinon ça restera une épée de Damoclès
— Zeineb Turki (@ZeinebTurki) May 13, 2014
@ZeinebTurki: More than ever we need to reform the legal framework related to cannabis consumption. Otherwise, it will remain the a Sword of Damocles
Anonymous political cartoonist Z writes [fr]:
Le blogueur et activiste Azyz Amami a été arrêté par la police hier soir pour, semble-t-il, consommation de cannabis. Si ce n'était l'exceptionnelle aura de ce personnage et sa notoriété révolutionnaire, peu de gens se seraient bougés pour dénoncer la violence de son arrestation et dénoncer par la-même la scandaleuse loi 52.
Blogger and activist Azyz Amami was arrested by police last night for apparently consuming cannabis. Had it not been for this exceptional person and his revolutionary notoriety, only few people would have denounced the violence [that accompanied] his arrest and also denounced the scandalous law 52
He warned that the campaign to free Amami should not overshadow the priority of abolishing law 52:
Cependant il ne faut surtout pas que la campagne en faveur de Azyz ne nous fasse oublier que la priorité consiste à supprimer la loi 52 et à reformuler les outils juridiques concernant la Zatla. Puis surtout, il ne faudrait pas que le soutien à Azyz soit considéré comme le privilège de ceux qui bénéficient de réseaux sociaux et de relais médiatiques.
However, the campaign in favour of Azyz should not make us forget that the priority is abolishing law 52 and reformulating the judicial tools related to Zatla (marijuana in Tunisian dialect). And mostly, the support for Azyz should not be considered the privilege of those who benefit from social networks and media relays

author: Afef Abrougui


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What File Sharing Communities Can Teach Us · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

On Ártica Online, Jorge Gemetto blogs [es] about file sharing communities and what we can learn from them:
A common feature of many of these communities is that they are organized around cultural needs [es]. Preservation, access, dissemination, and distribution at reasonable prices are tasks that the market does not always carry out successfully. Moreover, civil society organizations and governments are limited in their ability to respond to these necessities by intellectual property restrictions.
He then quotes Bodó Balázs, a Hungarian researcher who investigated gated file sharing communities.
In his academic paper, “Set the Fox to Watch the Geese: Voluntary IP Regimes in Piratical File-Sharing Communities”, Balázs makes the distinction between open and closed networks of exchange. Among the former is The Pirate Bay. among the latter there is an unknown number of communities in the shadows that, nevertheless, collectively account for higher activity than open networks. The closed nature of these communities is in many cases a response to the legal persecution from which they suffer.
More on this in the post [es] on Ártica.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Juan Arellano


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What if We Don’t Destroy Pirated Books? · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

The issue of pirated books is a common one im Latin American countries. Diego Ariel Vega wrote [es] about it on Infotecarios, and pointed out that the traditional response when such books are confiscated is to burn them, but he raises some questions:
Who should be responiable for that decision? Government authorities, publishers, authors? Are we considering the rights, opinions and decision of the affected people? Is there appropriate legislation? Is there consensum or coincidence when addressing these cases in region? Is really the destruction a solution to be considered? In my opinion, the choice of destroying books, as pirated as they might be (Never throw a book away! is a recommendation by UNESCO), it's something that annoys me, it makes me think of unpleasant images and it just doesn't seem to close down.
And then he adds:
Well, once we come across illegal material that meets some basic quality and content requirements, other questions appear: is this material suitable for libraries and other institutions? Or for non lucrative options such as “Free books”, “Bookcrossing”, etc. with explanatory stamps to use and raise awareness? Can't they be used, for instance, as donations for rural, low-income libraries, etc.? Can't they be reused to educate and be an example of the situation, explainig differences?
The debate is open.


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AFKInsider Blogging Contest · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

AFKInsider is hosting a blogging competition where the best blogger every month will be asked to write a paid weekly story for AFKInsider the next month:
AFKInsider bloggers contest seeks to discover creative African Business bloggers who write and are interested in technology, agriculture, entrepreneurship, real estate, entertainment, politics, mining and other general news that cover the continent.
What kind of bloggers is AFKInsider looking for and how does one go about being considered?
AFKInsider is looking for authentic original content that is well reported and entertaining for the African audience. We are looking for someone that can fill a gap in the African media space by writing unique stories that other media sources don’t usually cover. To be considered as a guest blogger at AFKInsider one has to simply submit your blog or stories from your blog for review by our panel editors through info@afkinsider.com.

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Analyzing Media in El Salvador · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

Salvadorean blog Colectivo de análisis de la realidad compiles and comments on its Media analysis on May 12, 2014 [es] the main news on printed and digital media that date in El Salvador. The blog carries out this analysis almost on a daily basis.


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Bangladesh’s Economy Remains Stable, Analysis Finds  · Global Voices
Rezwan

Equity analyst and blogger Asif Khan posts a brief economic update of Bangladesh in his blog. According to the analysis, despite political uncertainties the economy looks stable and inflation remains under control:
The chances of an interim election in the next 12 months look slim. Current account surpluses continue, currency looks stable and inflation remains under control, largely due to weak demand. On the negatives, tax revenue fell short of the target as per expectation. In our opinion, the major negative was the slower pace of recovery of business activity post election.

author: Rezwan


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“JetGate” Forces Resignation of Bermuda’s Premier · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Bermuda is in the midst of a political shake-up: last night, Premier Craig Cannonier resigned, presumably under pressure surrounding the Jetgate controversy, which has sullied the image of the country's ruling party, the One Bermuda Alliance.
The coalition government was the result of a 2011 partnership between the United Bermuda Party and another opposition party, the Bermuda Democratic Alliance; they won a decisive majority in the country's 2012 general elections, on an election platform based on promises of transparency and god governance.
Craig Cannonier, then-Premier of Bermuda at the UK and Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council meeting in London, November 2013. Photo by Foreign and Commonwealth Office, used under a CC license.
Then came Jetgate – a scandal that initially grew out of the use of Nathan Landow’s private jet to take the Premier and some of his staff for talks with the US real estate developer and Democratic party financier last year. The tide of public opinion began to turn strongly against Cannonier and his party after Landow confirmed that he was involved in donating US$300,000 to fund the One Bermuda Alliance's winning 2012 election campaign.  While Landow insists that no favours were promised in exchange for the campaign contribution, it is well known that the businessman was interested in bringing casinos to the island. Gambling is currently illegal in Bermuda, but there have been referendums reconsidering the matter. At the end of last year, Cannonier had taken the stance that the matter would be decided by parliamentary vote, a move which made the controversy even murkier.
BeachLime Bermuda anticipated further political upheaval:
After two meetings on Saturday and Sunday among the OBA MPs, it looked like things may have simmered politically for the time being.
But nope, instead we have the Premier of Bermuda resigning tonight, lending another chapter to the so-called ‘Jetgate’ event that's clouded Bermuda to some degree over recent months.
The storm isn't over by any means, however.
The Bajan Reporter blog took great interest in the story, starting its post by quoting a statement by Cannonier:
‘Nothing illegal was done, but I accept there was a failure over time to be completely transparent. This is a fundamental component of good governance and a core principle upon which the One Bermuda Alliance was founded.’
The full resignation speech is here.
Today, a new premier was sworn in, temporarily taking the reins of government:
Governor George Fergusson said: ‘The Premier, the Hon. L. Craig Cannonier, JP, MP, called on me this evening and tendered his resignation as Premier, which I have accepted. I have asked the Deputy Premier, the Hon. Michael H. Dunkley, JP, MP, to carry out the role of Acting Premier on an interim basis.’
Bajan Reporter was careful to make the point that the campaign contribution from Mr. Landow “was not wired directly to the OBA [One Bermuda Alliance] campaign”:
It was wired to a group called the Bermuda Political Action Club. It’s unclear who is behind that organization or how the money was spent.
The post added:
Last Monday, OBA Chairman Thad Hollis announced his party never received any political contributions from Mr Landow. He said the party would launch an internal investigation into the matter.
It was subsequently revealed that the Bermuda Political Action Club had an account at Butterfield Bank with two signatories: one was reportedly a campaign consultant for the ruling party and the other a business associate of Cannonier.
The reaction on social media was as expected, with some users calling for the nation to move forward and others viewing the whole affair as just another political manoeuvre:
#tourlogy We must move forward together!! #puttingbermudafirst #onelove #bermuda #premier #team #trust #friend… http://t.co/vjBMSV1qqo
— Instagram MV (@InstagramMV) May 20, 2014
One Twitter user, however, was firm in his belief that the people of Bermuda were getting the short end of the stick:
Everyone buggin about some secret plan, #JetGate, OBA/UBP/PLP and whos is worse, but not a damm care about the regular Bermudian
— Simons. Flow (@Flowbewankenobi) May 20, 2014
Another wanted answers:
New Premier dont mean this #JetGate issue goes away. I still wanna know what happened.
— ∞ e.V-* ♥ (@eLiiZZYv) May 20, 2014
This Twitter user saw the Bermudian media as the silver lining on the dark cloud:
#Bermuda media is amazing. @think_hq broke #JetGate. @TheRoyalGazette FB announced the resignation. @BDASun live tweeting answers.
— Carly (@stfucarly) May 20, 2014
Clifton Webb summed up the whole affair this way:
The moral of the story is…Though the truth isnt always pretty….it's still the truth….#Jetgate #Bermuda
— Clifton Webb (@CliftonW21) May 20, 2014

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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#Conservaeloso: The Campaign to Save the “Alcatraz of the Caribbean” · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

The partial demolition of Oso Blanco has already begun. Photo used with permission.
The Governor's recent announcement stating that Puerto Rico's infamous State Penitentiary called Oso Blanco (White Bear) would be finally demolished, years after the initial decision, has spurred massive campaigns calling for it's preservation as an architectural and historic site. The space will be used to open a center for cancer treatment.
Architect Miguel Rodríguez Casellas explains [es] that besides its architectural value, Oso Blanco, founded in 1933, holds a profound historical value:
A lo mejor usted no tiene o tuvo familiares convictos, pero para un amplio sector de nuestra ciudadanía que si los tiene o ha tenido, este sitio es un monumento al sufrimiento, a los aciertos, pero más que nada, desaciertos de la filosofía de crimen y castigo desde el mollero estatal. Borrar todo eso, de un puercazo mecánico o implosión de dinamita, a favor de causas simpáticas — “la cura del cáncer” — es quizás una pérdida aún mayor que la gracia estilizada del inmueble, que ya de por sí, los que sabemos del asunto, defendemos.
Maybe you do not have or had convicted relatives, but for a large part of our citizenry who have or have had, this site is a monument to suffering, to the successes, but most of all, the failures of state's brutal crime and punishment philosophy. To erase all this, with a mechanical action or the implosion of dynamite for sympathetic causes -“cancer cure” – is perhaps even a greater loss than the stylized grace of the building, which already, those of us who understand its value, defend.
Photojournalist José Jiménez has started the online campaign #conservaeloso (save the bear), and has spread his photographs of the prison throughout the capital city of San Juan with messages such as: “The murder of a historical building” and “Fear is also history.” There is also a Facebook page. The architect Cristina Cardalda opened an online petition to demand that the governor, Alejandro García Padilla, paralyze the destruction of the jail.
“The murder of a historic building.” Photos by José Jiménez, used with permission.

author: Firuzeh Shokooh Valle


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Eleven Places to Visit in Argentina · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

Laura Schneider posts [es] on Viajes y Relatos the 11 places she considers as highly recommendable to visit in Argentina. Out of the 11, we copy this one as a sample:
: And now that we are in Patagonia, we can't left aside the most Southern city in the world. but it's not just this city, magical and astonishing, as visiting Ushuaia also means visiting Toulhin and Rio Grande.
Here I share a series of posts [es] about the most Southern province: Tierra del Fuego and, of course, Ushuaia.
Photo by Laura Schneider, used with permission.


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Grenada: Kick’em Jenny Study May Save Lives  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Repeating Islands republishes a report about a scientific study of Kick'em Jenny, an active underwater volcano located just off the coast of Grenada.


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Iranian Women Defiantly Remove the Veil · Global Voices
Elia J. Ayoub

Women activists Iran all over are defiantly removing their veil to protest governmental discrimination against women. The bilingual “آزادی های یواشکی زنان در ایران” or “Stealthy Freedoms of Iranian Women” campaign counts already near 320,000 supporters with just two months of existence. The campaign features Iranian women from all over the country removing their veil, an act for which they may face severe repercussions under Iran's Article 638 which states: “Women, who appear in public places and roads without wearing an Islamic hijab, shall be sentenced to ten days to two months’ imprisonment or a fine of fifty thousand to five hundred Rials.”
Some chose to hide their face, and other chose to show it.
In this video, shared on Stealthy Freedom, a woman chooses to walk from her house to a nearby bank, without her scarf:
She explains:
My husband recorded this video of me in which I walk the distance between our house door and the nearby Mellat bank. People's reactions were marvelous. A man took hold of the hand of the woman with whom he was walking and changed their direction. You an see them a little bit in the video. A shop keeper asks whether we are recording it for a satellite TV channel. My husband talks to him in the end and this makes the video less stealth.
Here are more examples of other women who defy the ban – in a desert, by the sea, near a lake and on a railway.
The campaign seeks to remind us that it is not an anti-veil campaign, but rather a pro-choice one.
As to the concept of demanding freedom in a stealthy way, Nasrin Sotoudeh, the human rights lawyer who spent 3 years in prison for defending female attorney clients, women's rights and prisoners’ rights in general, had something different to say (click for full message):

author: Elia J. Ayoub


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Libraries in Lima · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

Silvana Aquino writes [es] on Infotecarios about the launching of Lima Literary Map. She explains the initiative:
Some weeks ago, the Downtown Lima Literary Map [es] was presented. This is a project developed by researchers Kristel Best and Renzo Farje and sponsored by the Peruvian House of Literature, that tracks literary and cultural traces in Downtown Lima, encompassing symbolic places (absent and current) from the 1930s up to date.
Silvana, as good librarian, was interested by the presence of libraries in the map, detected 11 of them and adds:
All these libraries, besides their strategic location, their architecture, their valuable colections, their services and cultural activities offer offer us the chance of go deep into the literary and cultural world -past and present- of the city. So next time you go Historic Downtown, don't miss the chance of some #biblioturismo [book tourism].


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Malawi Elections 2014 · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Malawi votes for presidential elections Tuesday May 20, 2014. Follow live updates on Twitter @Malawi2014 and @MEIC_2014.


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Only in Thailand: Coup Without a Coup · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The Royal Thai Army declares martial law across the crisis-gripped kingdom and tells the nation not to panic as the announcement is meant to restore order. Photo by Vinai Dithajohn, Copyright @Demotix (5/20/2014)
The Royal Thai Army has imposed martial law in Thailand in a bid to end violence and the political conflict which has gripped the nation since last year. But army officials are insisting that their intervention is not a coup. Further, they are inviting leaders of warring political forces to talk and resolve the political crisis.
There have been 18 coups in Thailand and the last one in 2006 ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Martial law was declared a few weeks after Thaksin’s younger sister, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, was removed from office by the Constitutional Court.
The opposition, which has been organizing provocative street protests since November, has accused Thaksin’s family of being guilty of corruption and abuse of power. Believing that the electoral process is tainted by Thaksin’s influence, the opposition is demanding the appointment of an unelected People’s Council to implement political reforms. On the other hand, Thaksin’s party supports the holding of a new election either in July or August to end the political impasse.
Invoking threats to national security, and to prevent more bloodshed, the military decided to intervene by declaring martial law.
Keep Calm. This is not a coup.
The army assured the public that government operations will remain normal. It asserted that the Constitution and the civilian government are still functioning. What it installed is the Peace and Order Maintaining Command whose primary task is to ensure the security of Thai citizens and the state.
Foreign analysts have described the military action as a half-coup and a soft-coup. But is it really not a coup? Isriya Paireepairit is certain that it is military intervention:
The army insisted that it is not the coup d’etat and the current acting government remains in place.
In practice, while it is not an ‘official coup’, it is clearly a ‘military intervention’. The acting Pheu Thai government is still in force but their power on security matters is now transferred to the army. Some might say it is ‘phantom coup’ or ‘disguised coup’.
‘This is not a pipe’ – Michel Foucault holding a pipe ‘This is not a coup’ – Thai army holding guns #fbstatus #มิตรสหายท่านหนึ่ง
— Chiranuch (@jiew) May 20, 2014
In a sign of democratic advancement, ,Myanmar has abandoned martial law while Thailand has just declared martial law. #Thailand
— Pravit Rojanaphruk (@PravitR) May 19, 2014
For a group of university scholars called Nitirat or Enlightened Jurists, the martial law declaration is unnecessary since the government can use emergency measures without the need of giving broad powers to the military:
When the facts of what has occurred are examined, the political demonstrations in Bangkok and the surrounding areas do not extend to the entire country. The promulgation of martial law for the entire country is therefore in excess of necessity and incompatible with principles of reason and proportion that demand that the limitation of rights and liberties must be carried out only as necessary.
The Asian Human Rights Commission reminded the Thai army that there is no such thing as normal under a martial law regime:
The Asian Human Rights Commission disagrees strongly with the idea that martial law can or should be normalized…There is nothing normal about martial law, nor the conditions of political and legal life that it creates.
While acknowledging that the solutions offered by major political parties to end the crisis are not effective, Atiya Achakulwisut does not believe that martial law will work:
Despite it being a convenient short-term solution, intervention by the army will never sort out the political conflicts entangling us. Indeed, as shown by the last coup, an armed interpolation might settle strife for a short time, but end up generating the sort of deeper and more divisive feelings of disenfranchisement that have spread and taken root.
We are here, stuck at this juncture where different groups of people want to go into opposite directions, because of that short-sighted military way out. There is no reason to repeat the same mistake.
Media Censorship
Thailand’s martial law, which dates back since 1914, gives the military the power to control the press. And this was what the army did today when it ordered 14 TV stations and local radio stations to either shut down or broadcast army statements. The army said it is asking for “cooperations” not to air political matters
in order that people have correct information without bias which may cause misunderstandings, which may amplify the conflict, and affected the peacekeeping duty of the officials.
Khaosod English criticized the army’s takeover of several newsrooms:
The military has insisted that this is not a coup. But coup or no coup, the martial law is already restricting a number of rights and freedoms guaranteed under the Thai constitution.
Thailand’s martial law explicitly says that it may only be declared by the military in a time of war or insurrection. Neither is happening in Thailand at the moment.
Thai media deserves the right to operate without censorship or intimidation. The martial law is only worsening the already fragile state of media freedom in Thailand.
Benjamin Ismaïl, the head of the Reporters Without Borders Asia-Pacific desk, described the army’s action as illegal:
The military intervention in the TV stations has been carried out in a completely illegal manner…If the army wants the media to provide the public with information, it just has to send them its statements. It does not need to take over newsrooms.
Richard Bennett, Amnesty International’s Asia Director, urged the army to respect the independence of media:
The military’s moves to impose tight restrictions on independent media are deeply worrying. National security must not be used as a pretext to silence the peaceful exercise of freedom of expression, and we urge the military to give media in Thailand the space to carry out their legitimate work.
Even social media is threatened:
Thai military has given further instructions that limits what the media can & cannot do. Social media is now also included #Thailand
— Richard Barrow (@RichardBarrow) May 20, 2014
Anti-Martial law protest
Protests were organized urging the army to return to the barracks and to revoke the martial law declaration. Meanwhile, the opposition-backed protesters have vowed to hold bigger rallies in the next few days to force the removal of the civilian government.
Protest against Martial Law outside BACC now. #bkk pic.twitter.com/scd2ngwYD9
— L. Suwanrumpha (@TheLilyfish) May 20, 2014
Ppl lighting candles at BKK Art Centre chanting ‘no to martial law. No to coup. Soldiers back to barrage. Election’ pic.twitter.com/zzPJBDeAfV
— noi thamma (@noithamma) May 20, 2014
No to martial law. Sit in protest to military use of martial law in BKK today pic.twitter.com/z7GOAcy6rt
— noi thamma (@noithamma) May 20, 2014
Coup in the time of social media
A Bangkok resident poses for a photograph with Thai soldiers. Photo by Vinai Dithajohn, Copyright @Demotix (5/20/2014)
Curiously, many Thai citizens snapped selfie photos with soldiers deployed in Bangkok, the country’s capital. Coconuts Bangkok made this observation:
Bangkok woke up to horrific traffic as armed troops were stationed on many main roads across the city.
Along the BTS (train) lines, Coconuts counted many army officials standing guard under platforms with humvees parked nearby. To be fair, they weren't very threatening and many Bangkokians approached them to take obligatory selfies.

author: Mong Palatino


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Sexism in Advertising · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

Natalio Pinto on El Blog del Incógnito analizes [es] advertising and their inclination to sexism after readfing the article 15 vintage ads where women appear as idiots, about advertising in between the 1940s and 1970s.
Has advertising changed 50 years later? I think it hasn't changed, maybe it has ‘evolved’ and I use quotation marks as I consider advertisers still have the same old-days sexist, machista and classist concept, even though they are not ‘that’ textual nor explicit. Woman is still being treated as an object [es], she is still placed in the kitchen, associated with house chores, household care, home appliances, and similars.
But Natalio thinks that although publicity reflects a cultural pattern of male dominance, it also affects men:
It's rather curious, as it's generally assumed that just for being men, we enjoy this kind of advertising, and it's never acknowledged that we also are its victims, as it classify us as athletic, sporty, successful, as well as true to Western esthetic models.


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The Mexican Hashtag that was Trending Topic on Mother’s Day · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

Andrés Mayorquín comments [es] on Se hace camino al andar about the Mexican campaign on Twitter with hashtag #ChingueasumadreEPN [screw your mother, president EPN]:
Via Twitter, the president's mother was insulted, and the hashtag #ChingueasumadreEPN became world trend. An easy way to show discontent against his administration and his policies. Was Ms. Maria Nieto offended? Was she enraged or she took it as a bad taste joke? Which words should the president used to confort her mother this weekend?


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VIDEO: “Same But Different” Kids With Disabilities Tell Their Stories · Global Voices
Gerda

Eight British children with disabilities and medical conditions tell their stories in Same But Different, an award-winning documentary by David Barnes. It is a collection of short portraits of children who describe their lives, their strengths and weaknesses.

author: Gerda


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A Bolivian Drone with Recycled Parts · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

If you look up at the bright blue sky in El Alto, Bolivia, you may catch a glimpse of a drone flying overhead. This is not any ordinary drone, but a flying aerial device assembled partly out of recycled materials found at one of the city's many bustling outdoor markets. The project, which goes by the name of @DroneBo, is an invention of Alex Chipana [es], and has been receiving the attention of the press for its ability to capture aerial video and for its potential in disaster relief or security monitoring. But it is Chipana's resourcefulness for obtaining parts from everyday items that some choose to discard that makes this drone different than other examples.
Chipana and his team took the drone for a spin on May 1st in La Paz capturing images of May Day celebrations including parades and the festivities taking place in Murillo Plaza.

author: Eduardo Avila


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An Open Letter to the President of Madagascar on Land Leases to Microsoft and the Zurich Zoo  · Global Voices
Abdoulaye Bah

In an open letter to the new President of Madagascar Hery Rajaonarimampianina and other elected officials, the Association for the protection of Malagasy Lands asks that several aspects of the contracts regarding the recent land leases be clarified to the general public [fr] :
nous demandons une clarification de la part des autorités sur deux cas :
The association asks for a clarification from the authorities on two cases of land leases:

author: Abdoulaye Bah


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Bermuda’s Premier Hopes to Regain Public Trust  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The Bajan Reporter, following the story of the Bermudian premier's resignation, is intrigued by the interim premier's prediction that the governing party will regain the electorate's trust.


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Haiti: “Excalibur of the Caribbean” · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Machetes are ubiquitous and versatile…in the case of Haiti, machetes were common weapons in the struggle for independence.
Haiti Innovation blogs about a short film profiling a Haitian machete-fighting instructor.


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In Eastern Ukraine Conspiracies Believe in You · Global Voices
Andrey Tselikov

Military leader of Donetsk separatists Igor Strelkov delivering a YouTube request for volunteers to fight the “Ukrainian aggressors.”
Two days after the May 17, 2014 election of a Russian national as the Prime Minister of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, four investigative articles came out drawing connections between the man, Alexander Borodai, and the leader of the pro-Russian militants in the region, as well as a certain Russian billionaire who might be involved in sponsoring unrest in Ukraine.
The main piece, written by independent journalist Oleg Kashin, describes the basic conceit — it appears that both Borodai, a political campaign expert, and Igor Strelkov, DPR's successful military leader and historical reenactor [Global Voices Report], have in the past worked for Konstantin Malofeev, the Russian Orthodox businessman whose League for Safe Internet is partly behind the recent wave of censorship on the RuNet. Kashin maintains he saw both men in Crimea during the annexation there, and believes that Malofeev's money was involved.
After this point Kashin's analysis diverges from the other three writers. They draw similar conclusions based on publicly available data, like the mysterious website that claims to have hacked Strelkov's email account (in one of these emails Strelkov admits to working as head of security for Malofeev). However, while they think that Moscow, acting through Malofeev, is currently calling the shots in Donetsk like it did in Crimea, Kashin thinks that the two “agents” have gone rogue and are making things difficult for various local interests in Donetsk all on their own. Alexey Navalny sounded off, supporting the opposing viewpoint from under house arrest, noting that corruption charges against Malofeev were dropped earlier in the year, perhaps in return for some kind of cooperation with the Russian government.
Malofeev does seem to be at least partially involved, at least according to a leaked Ukraine security forces recording of a phone call that supposedly took place between Strelkov and a “Konstantin Valeryevich” back in April. During the call “Konstantin” congratulated Strelkov on a successful military operation of the day before, and told him to report to Aksyonov (the Crimean leader). If it is true that a Russian billionaire is privately sponsoring a separatist movement in a foreign country, it appears that he does not see a particular need to hide his involvement.
Pro-Russian blogger el-murid (who usually specializes in analyzing the Middle East) thinks that Borodai's appointment as PM signals a successful coup on the part of the militants led by Strelkov — someone who can cut through the vacillations of the increasingly indecisive Donetsk separatists. Stanislav Yakovlev, a member of Vladimir Milov's DemVybor party, is of the opinion that there is no way the two men, Strelkov and Borodai, would still be alive if there wasn't a “much more serious” force behind them. Otherwise, says Yakovlev, they would have been taken out by local Ukrainian oligarch Rinat Akhmetov long before the situation got out of hand the way it has.
Meanwhile, perennial RuNet troublemaker Maksim Kononenko called attention to the fact that four articles about Borodai, Strelkov, and Malofeev all came out on the same day — May 19, 2014. Kononenko implies that such coordination could only be part of some PR campaign, or perhaps a coordinated leak to multiple sources. Of course since much of the details were in the public domain, waiting to be found, it is likely that what happened was a coincidence. As one Facebook user put it, “everyone began to google, and once they were done, they wrote an article,” so no wonder all four came out at the same time.
Strelkov himself likely pays no heed to these speculations. According to his field dispatches he has been busy putting hundreds of Ukrainian troops and dozens of vehicles out commission, while sustaining very light losses (one Russian blogger recently estimated that separatist forces have killed or wounded over 700 federal Ukrainian troops, a number the Ukrainian authorities would certainly dispute.) He has also recorded a YouTube video in which he laments a lack of volunteers, and the coming end of his resistance. At least according to his latest dispatch, the strategy appears to have born fruit: Strelkov now claims that he has several hundred people in reserve, for what he views as an inevitable final confrontation. Let us hope that confrontation does not come.

author: Andrey Tselikov


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Mubarak is a Thief Hashtag Greets his Three-Year Prison Sentence  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Twitter user @ifreddy93 reacts with this photographs to the news that Mubarak has been sentenced to three years for corruption
Egypt's former president Hosni Mubarak was sentenced to three years in prison for corruption today (May 21, 2014), after he was found guilty of embezzling millions in state funds on the renovation of his family residences. Netizens take to their keyboards to glee at the sentence under the hashtag #مبارك_طلع_حرامي [ar] which means Its Turns Out Mubarak is a Thief.
Also sentenced were Mubarak's two sons, Alaa and Gamal, who were slapped a four-year-sentence each, for their role in siphoning state funds earmarked for renovating presidential palaces, but were instead used for their own family residences.
Like many Egyptians, Rana wonders why a light sentence was given to Mubarak and his sons. She tweets [ar]:
في ناس وخدا إعدام علشان كانت بتتظاهر ضد الإنقلاب ومبارك واخد ٣ سنين #شامخ #مبارك_طلع_حرامي
— Rana  (@RAbssia) May 21, 2014
While some people have been sentenced to death for protesting against the coup, Mubarak is [only] sentenced to three years
Alfred Raouf too is not pleased with the leniency of the sentence. He refers to the recent sentencing of activist Mahienoor ElMasry to two years in prison, for taking part in a protest.
بالذمة إحنا اللي عايزين نسقط الدولة والدولة اللي بتوقع نفسها بالظلم؟ ماهينور تهتف تاخد سنتين، مبارك يسرق 18 مليون دولار ياخد 3 سنين! #أحا
— Alfred Raouf (@Kemety) May 21, 2014
Do we really think that we will be able to overthrow the state and that the state will overthrow itself with its [growing] injustice? Mahienoor gets sentenced to two years for chanting and Mubarak steals 18 million US dollars and gets a three-year prison sentence!
Salamonty adds:
#مبارك_طلع_حرامي طلع !!يا ولاد الوسخة ده السبب ف جهل ٣ اجيال و فقر ومرض ملايين الناس لسرقة خير البلد هو وكل كلابه ده غي قتل شباب يناير
— العُمدَة  (@Salamonty_) May 21, 2014
[Mubarak] is the reason for the illiteracy of three generations and for their poverty and for the sickness of millions of people because he and his dogs stole the nation's wealth – in addition to killing the youth of the January revolution
And Shohdy remarks:
مش فرحان ان #مبارك_طلع_حرامي لأن ده معروف بدرجة اليقين .. كان نفسي بس أشوف #مبارك_طلع_قاتل منهم لله اللي كانوا السبب في إخفاء كل الأدلة
— معنديش صحة أتناقش (@AShohdy67) May 21, 2014
I am not happy that Mubarak has been convicted of being a thief because that was certain. I was hoping he would be convicted of murder
But Raafat Rohaiem gloats:
شوف الزمن يا مؤمن، مبارك اتحبس بطقم سيراميكا الجوهرة ودستة حنفيات ومفرش سرير
— رأفت رُحَيّم (@Raafatology) May 21, 2014
See how life's fortunes turn. Mubarak is sentenced to prison for a ceramics set, a dozen of water taps and a bed cover
Amani Mahgoub hopes this sentence will nip the aspirations of Mubarak's sons from running for presidential elections in Egypt in the future. She also has another pressing question:
كده #مبارك الحرامي وولاده بقوا سوابق وعندهم جريمه مخله بالشرف ومش هاينفع حد فيهم يترشح للرئاسه؛ هايتعمل له جنازه عسكريه؟#مبارك_طلع_حرامي
— Amani Mahgoub (@Amani207) May 21, 2014
Now that Mubarak is a thief and his sons are implicated in crimes, they cannot stand for presidential elections. Will he [Mubarak] get a military funeral?
It is not known whether Mubarak will actually be imprisoned in a cell or will spend his time in a military hospital, where he is currently under “house arrest” following his retrial for his abuse of power and role in the murder of protestors during the January 25 revolution which overthrew his 32-year tenure.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Persecuting Russian Bloggers Doesn’t End with Censorship · Global Voices
Kevin Rothrock

When will the persecution of Alexey Navalny end, if ever? Images mixed by author.
The persecution of Alexey Navalny is Russia’s never-ending story. The country’s most prominent blogger and opposition leader, Navalny has remained the face of the protest movement, despite living under house arrest since late February. For the past year, Navalny has appeared in courts to face various criminal charges and lawsuits. He’s currently serving out a five-year suspended sentence for embezzlement. Navalny’s house arrest, levied in connection with a different criminal case, doesn’t expire for another 161 days (after which, it might very well be extended a second time). In mid-March, the Attorney General ordered state censors to block Internet access to Navalny’s blogs.
A man who used to be ubiquitous in Russian civil society, Navalny now appears in public only when being transported between his home and the courtroom.
Alexey Navalny was always more to the Russian opposition than a single man, however, and a team of paid staff and volunteers continues to manage his anti-corruption projects and update his social media. A talented group of techies has successfully battled Russian censors, mirroring Navalny’s blog on various sites, which the government keeps blocking and Navalny’s supporters keep replacing. This game of cat and mouse is now two-months-old, and the Kremlin isn’t winning. So it’s no surprise that pro-Kremlin activists are now taking aim at the volunteers who manage this censorship-circumvention process.
Ruslan Karpuk, one of the tech volunteers responsible for managing the mirror sites that circumvent Russian censors and keep Alexey Navalny's blog accessible to RuNet users. Vkontakte.
Today, May 20, 2014, the Kremlin-connected newspaper Izvestia wrote that an Internet group has appealed to the Attorney General to investigate a supposed computer virus that freezes users’ devices, until they donate money to an online account. That account, it seems, is the same one found on navalny.us, which redirects visitors to mirrors for Navalny’s main blog. The website belongs to Vladislav Zdolnikov and Ruslan Karpuk, who collect donations for their work to keep Navalny’s blog accessible. The same online wallet, hosted at Yandex.Dengi, was once how Zdolnikov funded his Internet-television project, i2TV. (The station’s money account is now different.) Zdolnikov and Karpuk now work together on a new Internet project called Newcaster.TV.
Aleksandr Litke, who manages the Internet group featured in Izvestia, claims that Navalny’s programmers inserted a virus into a plugin that Internet users can install to access mirrors for his blog. Litke even unveiled a new website dedicated specially to propagating this theory, asking on the site, “Did the famous anti-corruption crusader decide to rob Internet users?” Karpuk, who helps maintain the mirrors to Navalny’s blog, first noticed this “virus accusation” more than a month ago. On April 19, Karpuk noted that a series of identical trouble-shooting messages appeared in several Web forums in early April. The only evidence yet to surface has been a photograph of a supposedly frozen computer screen, displaying the text, “Say NO to censorship! Donate 100 rubles to fighting it,” with an option to send money to the navalny.us online wallet. According to Karpuk, the image is a fake.
“Say NO to censorship! Donate 100 rubles to fighting it!” Supposed evidence of Navalny's alleged virus to steal supporters’ money. LiveJournal.
Judging by his social media accounts, Litke is a committed Eurasianist, dedicated to expanding Russia’s geopolitical strength, and regularly posts racist, homophobic, and anti-American materials. His group, which exists as a public community on Vkontakte, is dedicated to combating obscenities online. Litke is a capable digital artist, producing photoedited images with flashy captions that resemble the “amusing pictures” that appear on the popular nationalist website Sputnik & Pogrom.
There are already more serious charges facing Navalny in his many other criminal cases, so it is unlikely that Litke’s accusations present any real threat. Moreover, there is no true evidence of any virus planted to steal from Navalny’s supporters. The idea itself, after all, is rather ludicrous. None of this likely bothers Litke and the pro-Kremlin entourage, however, as the goal from the start was probably only to spread yet another nasty rumor about Russia’s famous anti-corruption crusader. By targeting the mirror sites readers use to circumvent state censors, there is also the opportunity to intimidate the techie volunteers on whom Navalny now desperately relies.
So far, however, neither Karpuk nor Zdolnikov seem to be deterred. They understand that it is risky business working for Russia’s most persecuted man.

author: Kevin Rothrock


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PetroPalestine: Another Clash Between Chavez Supporters and Opponents in Venezuela · Global Voices
Laura Vidal

Oil production plant in Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela. Photo taken by Flickr user Jumanji Solar. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
Following the Venezuelan government's announcement of an agreement to send oil and diesel to Palestine, the hashtag #Petropalestina [es] was a trending topic on Twitter for most of the weekend of May 17th, and is still active. Under that label, users discussed possible drawbacks and doubts on the one hand, and the importance of helping the Palestinian people on the other, illustrating how political polarization and tough conditions in the country are having an impact on their expressed opinions and positions:
One side expressed doubts about the benefits of the agreement:
Mientras @NicolasMaduro hace acuerdos que no son beneficiosos para el pais la economia se agrava,¿Que ganamos con petropalestina?no entiendo
— TIGRE FANTASMA (@MafiaUniversal) May 17, 2014
While [president] Nicolas Maduro makes agreements that don't benefit the country, the economy gets worse. What are we gaining with PetroPalestine? I don't understand.
Gaetano Coccorese and Angel Cabellos used images to illustrate what they see as an unbalanced business transaction.
Esquema del acuerdo PetroPalestina para Dummies, ESTO: pic.twitter.com/cxGC22EhaE
— Gaetano Coccorese (@Gaetano_lo_hace) May 16, 2014
Diagram of the PetroPalestine agreement for dummies, HERE.
Venezuela hizo negocios petroleros con Cuba y sabemos quién salió ganando.Ahora veremos quién gana con PetroPalestina pic.twitter.com/jMYskjVyLr
— Angel Ceballos (@AngelCeballos5) Mayo 16, 2014
Venezuela made oil deals with Cuba and we all know who won. Now we'll see who wins with PetroPalestine.
Ahora el gobierno inventó “PetroPalestina”, y yo todavía sigo sin encontrar PetroHarinaPan, PetroLeche, PetroAzucar, PetroSeguridad
— César Capuskicapubul (@Remardicient0) Mayo 16, 2014
Today the government created “PetroPalestine,” but I'm still looking for PetroFlourBread, PetroMilk, PetroSugar, PetroSafety.
Hoy cerró GM, Alitalia y Lufthansa cerraron sus vuelos… pero nace Petropalestina!!
— Gabriel Lischinsky (@Glisare) Mayo 16, 2014
Today GM closed, Alitalia and Lufthansa shut down their flights… but PetroPalestine was born!!
Meanwhile, supporters of the government were not surprised by the reaction:
Por supuesto ya el Gobierno De Obama prepara descalificaciones contra PetroPalestina….Va en contra de su Hegemonía y Geo Estrategia.JAJAAJ
— #TROPACANDANGA (@PANACIMARRON) May 17, 2014
Of course the Obama Administration is already trying to discredit PetroPalestine… It goes against its Hegemony and Geostrategy. HAHAHA
Similarly, some expressed indignation about opposition to the agreement:
Ver cómo se expresan los escuálidos en etiqueta Petropalestina, es darse cuenta de q no tienen NI IDEA del sufrimiento del pueblo palestino
— Luigino Bracci Roa (@lubrio) May 16, 2014
To see what the anti-Chavez crowd is saying under the PetroPalestine hashtag is to realize that they have NO IDEA how the Palestinian people have suffered.
To which @ArellanoCFC responded:
@lubrio Entonces? lloramos por palestina? y aqui no se encuentra ni gas domestico.
— ? (@ArellanoCFC) Mayo 16, 2014
@lubrio So? Let's cry for Palestine? We don't even have domestic gas here.

author: Laura Vidal


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‘Trash Selfies’ for a Clean Tunisia · Global Voices
Afef Abrougui

A number of Tunisians have recently been taking selfies while posing near trash before publishing them on social-networking sites via the hash tag #SelfiePoubella (‘trash selfie’) to denounce the piles of trash that fill the country's streets.
The move came in reaction to a number of selfies and pictures posted on social media by the minister of tourism Amel Karboul to promote tourism to the northern-most African country.
On May 16, the admins of the Facebook page ‘Clean Tunisia’ urged [fr] users to upload their selfies:
Nous attendons vos photos selfies qui montreront la gravité de la situation ds nos rues et partout ds le pays..Ils cherchent à cacher la triste réalité de nos quartiers avec les cartes postales des beaux paysages de la Tunisie et oublient qu'il y'a un peuple 3ayech fi ezzebla ….
We are waiting for your selfies to show the grave situation in our streets and everywhere in the country…They are seeking to hide the sad reality in our neighborhoods with postcards of the beautiful landscapes of Tunisia and forget that there are people living in trash…
In an another message posted [fr] on May 19, they said:
Si les selfies de Karboul sont généralement justifiés par la bonne cause touristique, cette campagne de Selfie Poubella se montre tant d’intérêt touristique que citoyen, puisqu’elle appelle, tout simplement, à débarrasser les villes de Tunisie des déchets qui jonchent ses rues.
Le principe est tout simple( …)Avec pour objectif que le citoyen tunisien, autant que le touriste de passage, profite d’un espace public propre.
«Montrons aux responsables de ce pays le vrai visage de nos rues et la pollution de l'environnement A vos Selfies!!
If [tourism minister] Karboul's selfies are generally justified by the good touristic cause, the campaign Selfie Poubella is of a touristic as well as a civic interest since it simply calls for clearing the cities of Tunisia of the garbage that litter its streets.
The principle is very simple with the aim that the Tunisian citizen as well as the tourist benefits from a clean public space.
Let's show this country's officials the real face of our streets and the pollution of the environment.
Last April, the government estimated the piles of trash accumulated in the streets at 300 thousand tons blaming “broken” trash collection equipment and an increase in the number of sick leaves taken by trash workers. Despite multiple cleanliness campaigns launched by the authorities and civil society groups in different regions of the country, trash continues to pile up.


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Video on Murder and Corruption in Trinidad Goes Viral  · Global Voices
Jason Nathu

An investigative report by Daniel Gold of  Vice News has gone viral in Trinidad and Tobago. The video, which is titled Murder and Corruption in Trinidad examines the crime situation in the twin-island republic, with specific reference to the narcotics trade and its impact on gangs and illegal guns in the country.
In its description of the documentary, Vice News posted:
Many of the murders are attributed to ruthless and politically connected street gangs who control territories that are sometimes no larger than a city block. The gangs fight over lucrative government contracts meant to provide social services and combat unemployment.
But gang violence is merely a symptom of a bigger problem. Trinidad has become an important stop for drugs headed to West Africa and the United States. Many observers point to ‘the big fish’ — the nameless political and business elites who are behind drug trafficking and the culture of endemic corruption and murder that come with it. They are accused of turning a country rich in oil and gas deposits into their own personal narco-state, fostering impunity through a web of bribes and murders. Unlike the profits from the energy industry, however, this phenomenon trickles all the way down to the street level.
The video comes in the wake of the recent execution of prominent Senior Counsel Dana Seetahal, whose death shocked the nation. Citizens from all walks of life have taken to the web to address the state of crime in the nation.
Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago Nightscape. Photo by Quinten Questel, used under a CC license.
Blogger Ryan Ramoutar posted in a piece aptly entitled Gotham, about the issue of corruption as featured in Gold's documentary:
The fact of the matter is that this country is rotten from the top to the core… Everyone in this country knows that the problem is drugs. Everyone knows that the young boys from Laventille cannot finance it. Everyone knows of the corruption at the ports. Everyone knows. And that is the point. Don't insult my intelligence by telling me that you working on theories and no resources will be spared to catch her killers because I don't care about the ones who pulled the triggers. They are certainly not the ones from whom orders came. They are most probably not the ones who brought military grade weapons into the country. Where are the arrests and prosecution of these ‘big fishes'? You know, the ones who actually have the financial whereitall (sic) to conduct the narco trade.
In reaction to the video, several netizens shared their impressions on Twitter:
Vice News does a mini documentary on Murder and drugs in Trinidad… Is this more Bad Press or an Eye Opener? The… http://t.co/cLfFEn6UF5
— Vibes Fusion (@vibesfusion) May 20, 2014
@EllaRamona Lol dan drugs actually reall easy to stop from coming into trinidad …we island rell small….but bribe beats all
— Miguel HomerSimpson (@miggmajick) May 20, 2014
Do I really live in this country? Kinda surreal watching this. Crazy stuff. https://t.co/PSQFjUreQu
— Sasha Edwards (@kristi_eddie) May 20, 2014
The TRUTH about Trinidad… Told y'all it's becoming another Mexico or Venezuela but hey, what do I know?… http://t.co/dUYEvX3pqC
— Caleb BraveHart Hart (@BraveHartMusic) May 21, 2014
This is scary. I always wanted to visit, but I might just wait until carnival. @VICE https://t.co/Kl9jcWsle9 Great piece. #trinidad
— JSNJΛY (@JSNJAY) May 21, 2014
Others posted their comments on the YouTube page on which the documentary was uploaded. Among them was Stephanie Stewart, who lamented:
Another poster, Jennifer Chee-A-Tow, made an even bolder statement:

author: Jason Nathu


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Why are Saudis Kissing their Camels? · Global Voices
Rami Alhames

Even the deadly Coronavirus will not stop Saudis from being close to their favourite pet animals – the camels.
On Twitter and YouTube, Saudis continue to post photographs and videos of themselves kissing camels as a kind of unorganized campaign against the government's warning that the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) risk could be from camels, as cases continue to rise in the kingdom. Tweets are posted under the hashtag (#كورونا_و_الابل) which means “Corona and Camels,” featuring Saudis expressing their passion for the desert animal.
Although health experts say camels are the most likely animal source of the infection for the disease, there is no vaccine or anti-viral treatment against it.
Here are some photographs shared by Twitter users, who declare that no disease will stand between them and their camels.
@aaaa12200 shares this photograph:
Saudis kiss their camels in defiance of a warning that the source of a deadly disease Coronavirus could be from camels. Photograph shared on Twitter by @aaaa12200
And Fahad bin Abdulla declares he will spend the rest of the day with his camel:
Twitter user Fahad bin Abdulla shares this photograph of himself with his camel. Source: @AlHaqbani
Others even went further for a double dose of care in defiance to the relationship between camels and the coronavirus. The following video shows an owner kissing two camels while asking them cough on his face to show that he is not afraid of getting infected from them:

author: Rami Alhames


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A Glimpse Into Life inside the Bamenda Central Prison in Cameroon · Global Voices
Dibussi Tande

Bamenda prison
Blogger Salma Amadore narrates [fr] how her visit inside the central prison of Bamenda, the capital city of  the north west region of Cameroon, made a lasting impression on her :
J’arrive à la prison de Bamenda à 9 h 30. Mgr Cornélius Fontem Esua, archevêque de Bamenda y donne une messe pour la fête de Pâques. Première surprise les gardiens me lancent « on n’entre pas en prison avec le pantalon ». Je supplie une gardienne de me donner un bout de tissu pour l’attacher au-dessus de mon pantalon, mais elle n’a rien. Je remercie le ciel d’être « journaliste » comme l’a souligné un des gardiens. [..]
La cour est grande, il y a des bâtiments où les prisonniers sont classés par ordre de délits. Il y a aussi les cases de mise en quarantaine, des cellules pour femmes. Je remarque un seau de beignets et je demande à qui il appartient.  L’un des membres du personnel me fait remarquer une cafeteria, des champs de canne à sucre, de maïs, des choux. Tout ceci appartient aux prisonniers qui pour l’acquérir doivent écrire une demande au régisseur qui leur attribue un lopin de terre ou une parcelle de terrain pour diverses activités. Ceci est fait dans le but de récompenser ceux qui se comportent bien et de montrer ainsi aux autres prisonniers récalcitrants qu’en suivant le bon exemple, ils peuvent aussi jouir de certaines libertés comme le commerce.
I arrived at the prison of Bamenda at 9:30 am.  Bishop Cornelius Fontem Esua , the Archbishop of Bamenda is holding a mass for Easter. First surprise,  the guards inform me that “no one enters the prison with pants.” I beg one of the lady warden to give me a piece of cloth that I could tie over my pants but she did have any. I thank God at that moment that I am a “journalist” as stated by one of the guards [so they let me go on].
The yard is quite large, the buildings where prisoners stay are ranged according to the innmates’ crimes. There are also quarantine cells and cells for women only. I noticed a bucket of donuts on the floor and I ask who it belongs to. One staff member pointed out to me that there is a cafeteria in the prison, as well as fields of sugar cane, corn and cabbage . All of the fields belong to prisoners. To acquire them, prisoners have to submit a written request to the guards who in turn, will allocate a piece of land or a small lot for various activities. The idea behind the project is to reward the inmates who perform well and show other less compliant prisoners that by doing the right things, they too can enjoy some amount of freedom through this trade.

author: Dibussi Tande


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A Low-cost Solution to Heal Cataract in Sub Saharan Countries · Global Voices
María-Angélica Marin-Lira

One of the main causes of blindness in sub saharan countries are cataracts. A group of french physicians has developed a surgical kit called “Phacokit” to treat at low-cost individuals suffering from cataract  and help them recover their eyesight [fr]:
Pour vaincre la cataracte, principale cause de cécité, notamment dans les pays pauvres, des médecins français ont mis au point un kit chirurgical qui permet d’opérer en 10 min, pour seulement 25 euros. Bill Gates s'est associé à cette découverte.
To recover from cataract, the leading cause of blindness in many sub Saharan countries, French doctors have developed a surgical kit that allows surgical operations to be performed in about 10 minutes, for only 25 euros. Bill Gates has provided support for this invention.
Here is a video that explains how the surgical kit works:

author: María-Angélica Marin-Lira


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Cameroon’s President Blames Boko Haram for Attacking While Soldiers Are Asleep · Global Voices
Dibussi Tande

On the night of May 16, 2014, members of the Nigerian militant Islamist group Boko Haram crossed over into neighboring Cameroon and attacked a Chinese Workers’ camp in Waza, killing one person and kidnapping 10 others. That Boko Haram was able to carry out such a brazen attack in an area under a de facto state of emergency and crisscrossed by Cameroon’s elite Rapid Intervention Unit (popularly known by its French acronym, BIR) was a shock to many.
The Waza attack occurred on the eve of the Paris summit for security in Nigeria, which was convened by French President François Hollande and attended by heads of state from Nigeria and neighboring countries including Cameroon. The fact that this meeting was taking place in Paris rather than in the African capitals of Abuja, Yaounde, Niamey or Ndjamena riled many on social media.
During the Paris summit, the heads of state declared total war against Boko Haram. At the press conference [fr] following, Cameroon's President Paul Biya offered his justification [fr] for the ease with which Boko Haram attacked Waza:
Mais je dois dire tout simplement que Boko Haram utilise des tactiques assez différentes et assez pernicieuses. Généralement ils attaquent la nuit à partir de minuit et une heure du matin. Combien d’unités sont en éveil à ce moment-là? Et puis Ils profitent de la fluidité de la liberté dans le pays pour envoyer des observateurs le jour. Ils utilisent donc l'effet de surprise et la supériorité numérique. Là où vous avez 15 soldats, ils envoient 100 personnes avec un armement lourd.
But I must state simply that Boko Haram uses quite different and quite pernicious tactics. They generally attack at night from midnight or 1:00 a.m. How many units are awake at that hour? They also observe and take advantage of the free movement of persons in the country and send out scouts during the day. They then mount surprise attacks and use their numerical superiority, for instance where you have 15 soldiers they will send 100 persons with heavy weapons.
As expected, the reaction online to the president's comments was swift. Ngum Ngafor asked:
You do realise, M Le Presi @PR_Paul_Biya that u just gave us the political equivalent of “the dog ate my homework” right? #security (2)
— Ngum Ngafor (@NgumNgafor) May 17, 2014
Dernier Pharaon Noir wondered:
Paul Biya est-il lucide quand il se plains de ce que Boko Haram n'attaque que lorsque ses soldats (BIR) sont endormis et en grand nombre?
— Dernier Pharaon Noir (@CutiiYas) May 18, 2014
Is Biya clearheaded when he complains that Boko Haram attacks only when soldiers are asleep and in greater numbers?
And blogger Florian Ngimbis teased:
Pa'a Paul Biya dit que Boko Haram attaque la nuit, quand les forces spéciales du BIR dorment. tu as raison ça c'est la lâcheté! krkrkrkrk
— Florian Ngimbis (@ngimbis) May 17, 2014
Paul Biya says Boko Haram attacks at night when the special forces of the BIR are asleep. You are correct, this is pure cowardice on their part!
Attack in Waza
The president's explanation aside, Boko Haram's attack in Waza left many on social media scratching their heads as to how they managed to pull it off:
Il y a une base aérienne dans le Nord à Garoua…Quand les fous barbus attaquaient Waza, avions et pilotes étaient où? Je #wanda grave…
— Serge Mbarga Owona (@Manekang) May 17, 2014
There is an air force base in the north in Garoua. Where were the planes and pilots when the crazy bearded ones were attacking Waza?
How did #BokoHaram fight with soldiers for over 3 hours and police and army was not able to send additional forces and support? #Cameroon
— Citizens Initiatives (@IGC_Cameroon) May 18, 2014
Edouard Tamba revealed one of the reasons why Boko Haram had free rein in Waza:
Le camp attaqué par #BokoHaram est gardé par le BIR. Mais nos militaires étaient en sous-effectif, descendus à Yaoundé pour le 20mai.
— Edouard TAMBA (@ETAMBA) May 17, 2014
The camp that was attacked by Boko Haram was guarded by the BIR. But our soldiers were shorthanded because some of them had gone to Yaounde to take part in the May 20 national day parade.
This claim was later confirmed by a senior Cameroonian official, who revealed to a French news agency that:
All the helicopters that might have been used to survey the border area and help with the search were in the capital Yaounde ahead of the 20 May National Day military parade.
This case of misplaced priorities led Jean Francis Ahanda to make the tongue-in-cheek remark:
On declare la guerre mais on va dabord défiler puis boire pour la fête nationale, dites à vos gens de Boko haram de respecter nos fériés !
— Jean-Francis AHANDA (@jeanfrancis) May 18, 2014
We’ve declared war but first we have to take part in the parade then drink in honor of our National Day. Tell Boko Haram to respect our national holidays!
Social media users also took their leaders to task over the fact that the president of France, and not an African president, convened the summit. Samuel Victor Iyabi challenged his followers with a simple exercise:
Correction orthographique: Trouvez l'erreur Sommet à Paris sur la sécurité au Nigéria
— Samuel Victor IYABI (@samvicked) May 17, 2014
Spelling test: Find the error: Summit in Paris on Nigerian security.
User @africaninmotion was much more direct:
Goodluck couldn't invite Paul Biya to Aso Villa [the office and residence of Nigeria's president] to discuss Boko Haram over a bowl of Egusi [a popular Nigerian soup]? Hollande had to do it? @Chxta @kijanafulani
— africanomist (@africainmotion) May 17, 2014
Cameroon Community didn't mince words at the sight of the French President surrounded by the African heads of state during the post-summit press conference:
Here is a picture that tells you how STUPID #PaulBiya and the rest of Central #African leaders are. Blood really boils pic.twitter.com/EW0uT31n41
— Cameroon Community (@Cameroon_Com) May 19, 2014


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Can Technology Transform Education in Trinidad & Tobago?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Samsung will provide 20 pilot schools in Trinidad and Tobago with educational products and solution packages. Photo by SamsungTomorrow, used under a CC license.
Trinidad and Tobago's Ministry of Education recently co-hosted the second Virtual Educa Caribbean forum, a two-day workshop which explored different ways in which Information and Communications Technology (ICT) can have an impact on education. The intent is to better prepare students for future economies by incorporating innovative technologies into their current learning experience.
A couple of local bloggers thought the concept was interesting enough to pay attention to, especially against the backdrop of widespread criticism about the country's education system – specifically, the fact that the entire primary school curriculum is geared towards the sitting of a grueling examination, the Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA), in order to stream youngsters into secondary schools based on academic performance.
T3CHTT prefaced his review of the event by saying:
According to an event press release Trinidad and Tobago has been a leader in the infusion of ICT into education with the distribution of laptops. [The current government's ‘A Laptop for Every Child’ programme has not been as successful in practice as it seemed to be in theory]. 20 pilot virtual classrooms are expected to be rolled out to secondary and primary schools.
Demokrissy thought that the Virtual Educa mission seemed noble:
Preparing for the future: Need to get inside ICT-driven minds of preschoolers +MOE Minister Tim Gopeesingh tells parents/principals and leaders at #virtualeducaTT2014
T3CHTT's blogger, Hassan Voyeau, actually checked out the Samsung Virtual Classroom himself and reported:
The devices being used are the Note 10.1 tablet, tablet charging pack, Note PC and interactive white board with touch support and supporting tablet and server software. The devices are connected via WiFi and no internet connection is required. Students and teachers are provided with their own login. The tablets that the students will use are equipped with the s-pen. The teacher can monitor students and control their tablets.
During the demo I saw how easy it was to administer quizzes. After the pilot period and by the end of the year Samsung's education solution will be gradually expanded across the entire school system. The virtual classroom is intended to increase classroom participation and collaboration and student focus and interest.
He found a key support element of the technology especially interesting:
Also being talked about is the KNOX EMM solution that will allow school IT Administrators to manage student devices.
On social media, the response to the symposium was understated – not even the Ministry of Education's Facebook page posted anything current – although a handful of Twitter and Instagram users posted updates about aspects of Virtual Educa that they thought were cool:
And then SkyNet became self-aware #UTT #Robots #VirtualEduca 2014! pic.twitter.com/iF3JgSw0g3
— Martin Raymond (@MiceRaymond) May 20, 2014
Created by students in the #virtualeduca symposium earlier today. They really enjoyed the #stopmotion… http://t.co/If7TdtKcKN
— Seon Thompson (@seon_thompson) May 21, 2014
Admitting that the technology aspect of the Ministry of Education's plan was impressive, T3CHTT was careful to express his reservations about the methodology:
I am a sucker for everything technology. It's the future. It betters our lives. We just have to make sure that our approach is right and that we implement in ways that give us the most benefit.
Voyeau also watched the livestream of the conference and made detailed notes of his impressions, which he posted here.


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Cuba: The Joys of Getting Older · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Cuban diaspora blog My big, fat, Cuban family shares 59 “wonderful truths” about aging.


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Drawings to Mourn for Self-immolated Tibetans · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Tomoyo Ihaya who is now based in Vancouver dedicates his blog to document, draw and mourn for the Tibetans who offered their bodies to fire for asking freedom and peace.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Escape from Ukraine, or Return of the Tomato Terrorist · Global Voices
Andrey Tselikov

Russian cult classic White Sun of the Desert gets re-imagined. Images remixed by Andrey Tselikov.
Two years ago, almost exactly to the day, I wrote [Global Voices Report] about the exploits of “tomato terrorist” Andrei Morozov, better known as Murz, a RuNet trouble-maker who first gained notoriety in 2005:
“Red Blitzkrieg” was what Morozov named the tiny Stalinist-nationalist group he had founded around the time, but the phrase referred more visibly to his strategy of throwing tomatoes at political and ideological opponents.
Back then it took Morozov exactly two years to get into serious trouble — in 2007 he fired a shotgun at a local FSB office, and summarily went to prison. A curious example of the cyclical nature of the Russian blogosphere and the Russian protest movement, in 2012 Morozov again “tomatoed” the same people he did seven years prior. And now, in 2014 (again a two year interval), Murz is back in trouble and in the news, like some kind of broken solar calendar.
The first details appeared on May 18, when Morozov posted a short update in his LiveJournal blog kenigtiger: “Came back from Donbass. I was there from around May 11, and now back straight from the train. A f*ckton of impressions. I've got no fractures, no serious sprains. But I do have a hematoma covering my left shin, and on my hands just about three fingers of the left hand are usable.” Morozov gave more details when answering comments to his post, and later wrote a longer explanation of what happened. The story he tells is mind-boggling, but not any more mind-boggling than the type you would expect from this man.
A nationalist and an ideological radical, Morozov was inspired by Russian volunteers who crossed the border to assist separatist fighters in Eastern Ukraine. Moreover, he was likely inspired by the example of the separatist military reader Igor Strelkov, who, like Morozov, happens to be a historical reenactor. So, inspired, he decided to also cross the border into Ukraine, carrying his own gear, including a bullet-proof vest.
After coming in contact with the separatists, however, Morozov was arrested, accused of being a spy, and tortured — the source of his injuries. He was tied in a “stress position,” hanging by his wrists for days. Eventually, since they were convinced he was a spy, he was traded by the separatists to the Ukrainian forces, who after a while dumped him at the Russian border, where he was picked up by border guards and taken to a hospital.
Not everyone was convinced by Morozov's story — one blogger pointed out that it seems odd that the first thing someone does after having their hands badly hurt, is sit down and write a long post and then answer dozens of comments. Another guessed that Morozov might have been captured by someone that knew his abrasive blogging persona, and was thus happy to see him punished.
Morozov himself appears to bear no grudges. At the end of his story he wrote the following:
Я не держу зла на ополченцев, пытавших меня в Антраците. И, если бы, сняв меня с решетки, они дали бы мне оружие, я пошёл бы сражаться вместе с ними за свободу и независимость ДНР. […] Я, как только подлечусь и поправлю финансовое положение, готов […] вступить в ополчение и сражаться за русский народ Донбасса до последней капли крови. И считаю такое отношение к вопросу правильным для сталиниста и русского националиста.
I don't hold it against the militia who tortured me in Antracite. […] And, if after they took me down from hanging they gave me a weapon, I would go with them to fight for the freedom and independence of DPR. […] As soon as I get better and improve my financial status, I am ready […] to join the militia and fight for the Russian people of Donbass till the last drop of blood. I think this stance is the correct one for a Stalinist and a Russian nationalist.
Stanislav Yakovlev, former Natzbol blogger, currently with DemVybor, had this to say about Morozov's bravado in a private conversation:
Ну он не ссыт, это конечно вызывает уважение. Больше сказать даже как-то и нечего. Кроме того, что в некоторых ситуациях одной смелости мало, а инициатива и вовсе наказуема.
Well, he ain't afraid, and that makes me respect him. Can't really say anything else. Besides for the fact that in certain situations bravery isn't enough, and initiative can be grounds for punishment.


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Euromaidan Six Months Later, Remembering What Was Won · Global Voices
Tanya Lokot

A memorial on Maidan Nezalezhnosti square in Kiev, Ukraine. May 2014. Photo by Marco Fieber (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
The beginning of the Euromaidan protests in Ukraine almost exactly six months ago can be traced back to a Facebook post by Ukrainian journalist Mustafa Nayyem on November 21, 2013 expressing outrage at President Victor Yanukovych's decision not to sign an association agreement with the European Union.
There were thousands of other posts expressing anger and disappointment on Facebook and Twitter, but his drew probably the most attention.
Many Ukrainians cite these posts by Nayyem as the driving force behind the first street protest, which led a few hundred people to the Independence Square in Kyiv, soon to be joined by thousands and thousands of others. It was the beginning of protests that engulfed the main town square of Kiev and eventually swelled to encompass the country, with the world watching with bated breath.
Journalist Mustafa Nayyem posted these calls to action on Facebook on November 21, 2013. Image courtesy of @andersostlund on Twitter.
What came to be known as the Euromaidan protests grew into something huge, resulting in massive street actions, a rejuvenation of civic society, offline and online grassroots organizing, horrific violence and deaths, and the ousting of the president and his government.
Six months on, Ukraine finds itself facing a cautiously hopeful future, but also new challenges, with the annexation of Crimea, unrest in the East of Ukraine and ongoing pressure from Russia.
Whatever happens next, many participants of Euromaidan events will forever preserve memories of these months, both the good and the bad.
Tetyana Lokot from Ukraine is a researcher and PhD student at Merrill College of Journalism, University of Maryland. She studies social movements, urban protest and digital media in post-Soviet countries.
This photo captures a graffiti in Podil district of Kyiv, with one of the slogans of the Euromaidan movement, “I am a drop in the ocean.” Image courtesy of Strike Poster community on Facebook.

author: Tanya Lokot


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Free Speech Curtailed as Thailand Declares Martial Law · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Media censorship is worsening in Thailand as more TV cables and radio stations were closed down by the army to ‘maintain peace and order’ in the country. Martial law was declared by the army on May 20, 2014 to end violence and the political conflict which Thailand’s major political parties were unable to achieve in the past several months. However, the military claimed their intervention is not a coup and they insist that warring political parties should try to work out a resolution to the current political crisis.
Thai citizens who do not agree with the declaration of Martial Law in Thailand have joined together to express their opposition to martial law. Photo by Anuchid Lermsum, Copyright @Demotix (5/20/2014)
The army initially ordered 14 TV stations to cease or suspend operations. Then it closed down 2,000 radio stations across the country.
Bangkok Pundit translated the army declaration which contains many provisions undermining press freedom and the political rights of Thai citizens. Order Number 3 prohibits media, including online media, to report stories that will create ‘misunderstanding’:
prohibits media from presenting news that affects peace-keeping of officials…states that all media entities including online who have the intention to distort, incite, or create disorder or have messages that will make the people to be suspicious [or] to misunderstand and that affects peace-keeping of officials.
Below is a Twitter photo of soldiers inside a TV station
05.44 น. ทหารมาเฝ้าที่ @ThaiPBS pic.twitter.com/dpdenNbaf7
— Wiphusa Sookmak (@Wiphusa) May 19, 2014
Order Number 8 involves the online community:
…requests for those who are connected with online media to suspend the provision of services that incite and creates violence, and affect the credibility and respect for law until the point it affects peace-keeping officials.
The army actually has already asked IT operators to help filter harmful web content and to remove blacklisted websites.
Military announced to shut down social media that provoke violence and violate the law. pic.twitter.com/YbQbKX4BFo
— Prapapoom Eiamsom (@Prapapoom) May 20, 2014
Order Number 9 prevents the media from interviewing scholars, public leaders and other analysts who might give a confusing or conflicting opinion:
…Prohibits the [a] owner, editors, presenters/anchors of print media and all broadcast media to [b] invite persons or groups who do have government positions now whether civil servants or academics including those in the past who are in the judiciary or justice system as well independent organizations [c] from being interviewed or giving opinion [d] that may increase the conflict, distort, or create confusion in society including that may lead to severe violence.
The regulation of information is not limited to media. Some bookshop owners have started removing ‘political’ books from their bookshelves. Public rallies have been prohibited in major areas of Bangkok, the country’s capital.
Saksith Saiyasombut notes that free speech is the first casualty after the martial law imposition:
There’s no denying that media and free speech are severely affected, if not openly censored now by today’s martial law. While the military seems to have a tight grip on the TV stations, we’re not sure how they will act against social media users they deem dissenting.
Hate speech can be suspended for negotiation but free debate must be carried on. #MartialLaw #NBTC
— Supinya Klangnarong (@supinya) May 21, 2014
John Ralston Saul, President of PEN International, is worried that violence will worsen in Thailand:
Military intervention is never the answer to failure of political leadership. For example, it is unacceptable that the army should order media to limit interviews to officials. A lack of public transparency will encourage, not discourage violence. This evolution of events is increasingly dangerous.
Some dared to organize protest actions denouncing the declaration of martial law. They urged the military to allow the people to directly choose their leaders through elections.
ภาพผู้กล้า ผู้รักประชาธิปไตย ต่อต้านกฏอัยการศึก ที่หน้าหอศิลป์ กทม. วันนี้ pic.twitter.com/31Fn1L1c6v
— ThaiFreeNews (@ThaiFarmer_Son) May 21, 2014
Interestingly, the Twitter hashtag “Show me a cute soldier” or #SoldierCuteBoy became popular in Thailand as soldiers were deployed in the key intersections of Bangkok. Saiyai Sakawee notes why many Thais were not afraid to snap selfie photos with soldiers:
Although the army chief insists that this is just a martial law, not a coup, we’re so used to having soldiers and tanks on the street that it doesn’t really scare us (that much) anymore.
But getting familiar with the troops is not the whole story. Thais no longer just stay at home and wait for the excitement to end; we take action. To be specific, we do something to lighten the mood.
For Sitsari Kitisakkul, martial law could mean the strict enforcement of laws:
Unlike other countries, when martial law is declared in Thailand, it just means the laws will actually be enforced. When there is no martial law, anyone with money and influence can ignore the law with impunity.
So when you hear Thailand is under martial law, it's equivalent to normal day in a country that respects the rule-of-law. People actually fear breaking the law because there will be real consequences.
Veerapat Pareeyawong lists two choices for the military:
The situation in Thailand is uncertain but at least one thing is very clear: the military has two obvious choices: either use this opportunity to create a secured and inclusive environment for election and reform under civilian government; or to push for a pseudo-legitimate process that replaces the caretaking government with transitional guarantees for the traditional elites.
A survey revealed that 75 percent of Thais are in favor of martial law.
Meanwhile, as political parties continue to disagree on how they are going to solve the crisis, there are indications that the next elections could take place after one to two years. Does this mean that martial law would remain in effect throughout this period?


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GV Face: People Powered Flood Relief in Serbia · Global Voices
Solana Larsen

Join this Live Google Hangout on Friday, May 22 (3:30pm GMT/UTC)
The homes of tens of thousands of people are under water after massive flooding in Serbia. Government ineptitude has left people to fend for themselves in many cases, but luckily citizen initiatives to deliver aid and help inform the public are multiplying. Meanwhile, social networks, the media, and even public personas find themselves threatened by authorities for “inciting panic” at a time when access to more quality information is sorely needed. What's going on?
On GV Face this week, we talk to friends in Serbia, including our Central and Eastern Europe Editor Danica Radisic to get a local perspective on the news.
Also see:
Tens of Thousands Stranded, Serbians Take Flood Relief Into Their Own Hands

author: Solana Larsen


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‘Mafalda’ Cartoonist Quino Awarded Prince of Asturias Prize in Spain · Global Voices
Gabriela García Calderón Orbe

Mafalda in Buenos Aires subway. Image on Flickr by user xomorrito. CC BY-SA 2.0
Maybe the news that Joaquín Salvador Lavado Tejón was awarded the Prince of Asturias Award for Communication and Humanities in Spain won't ring a bell. That's because the well-known 81-year-old Argentinian cartoonist is better known as Quino, the man behind the idealistic yet pessimistic little girl Mafalda.
The Prince of Asturias Foundation announced May 21 in Oviedo, Spain that it would give Quino the award for his creation of the Mafalda comic as well as his later works.
The blog AdriBosch's Magazine, while announcing the news [es], shared some background information on Quino and his famous comic:
Este prestigioso galardón llega el mismo año en que se celebran los 50 años del gran personaje de historieta.
Quino dibujó a Mafalda durante nueve años, entre 1964 y 1973. “Pero nunca terminé de aprender a dibujarla; tenía que calcarla”, contó hace poco.
Mafalda es la tira latinoamericana más vendida en el planeta y en las cinco décadas que cumple no perdió vigencia: siguen en pie todos (o casi todos) los temas contra los que se indignaba la niña contestataria.
This prestigious award comes on the same year the great comic character celebrates its 50 anniversary.
Quino drew Mafalda for nine years, between 1964 and 1973. “But I've never learned how to draw her, I had to copy her”, he shared not long ago.
Mafalda is the best selling Latin American cartoon in the planet and has never lost it's relevancy over these five decades: all (or almost all) of the issues that made this non-conformist girl angry are still happening.
Meanwhile, Biblioblog FL-UNC congratulated [es] Quino:
Felicitamos a Quino !!! ganador del premio Príncipe de Asturias. […] La distinción consta de una escultura diseñada por Joan Miró y 50.000 euros, además de un diploma y una insignia representativa.
[…]
El Jurado del prestigioso Premio Príncipe de Asturias, una especie de Nobel de la cultura en español, tuvo todos los logros en cuenta para premiar a Quino.
La palabras del jurado fueron que Mafalda es “una niña que percibe la complejidad del mundo desde la sencillez de los ojos infantiles”. La define como como “inteligente, irónica, inconformista, contestataria y sensible. Sueña con un mundo más digno, justo y respetuoso con los derechos humanos.
We congratulate Quino!!! Awarded the Prince of Asturias prize. […] The award includes a sculpture designed by Joan Miró and 50,000 euros [about 68,000 US dollars], plus a diploma and a representative badge.
[…]
The jury of the prestigious Prince of Asturias award, considered a Nobel Prize of culture in Spanish, had in mind all of Quino's achievements when awarding him.
The words of the jury were that Mafalda is “a girl who perceives the complexity of the world through the simplicity of a child’s eyes.” She is defined as “intelligent, ironic, non-conformist, rebellious and sensitive. She dreams of a world that is more dignified, just and respectful of human rights.”
Margrafic quoted Quino describing [es] Mafalda:
“una niña que intenta resolver el dilema de quiénes son los buenos y quiénes los malos en este mundo”, algo en lo que hoy en día andamos todos metidos. Un premio muy merecido.
[She is] “a girl who tries to solve the dilemma of who the good and bad guys are in this world”, something we all are now involved in. A very deserved award.
From Spain, website La utopía del día a día [es] asked the famous character:
Ya nos contarás como os sentís tu padre Quino y tú recogiendo el premio “Príncipe de Asturias”. Yo opinaría que…
You will soon be sharing with us how your dad Quino and you felt when receiving “Prince of Asturias” award. I'd say that…
Twitter was flooded with congratulations and greetings almost immediately after the prize was announced, and many users republished some Mafalda cartoons:
Todo lo que salió de un lápiz :) Estamos felices por el Príncipe de Asturias para #Quino http://t.co/eU1gB2PbAg pic.twitter.com/orbUIhf4kR
— Mafalda (@MafaldaDigital) Mayo 21, 2014
All of this came out from a pencil. :) We are very happy with the Prince of Asturias award for Quino.
Quino, creador de #Mafalda, Premio Príncipe de Asturias ¡Enhorabuena! pic.twitter.com/7YEX5feH5O
— Ser Padres (@Serpadres_es) Mayo 21, 2014
Quino, creator of Mafalda, the Prince of Asturias prize. Congratulations!
Claro, que #Quino no es solo Mafalda (aunque con eso hubiera bastado). Aquí, una sobre la crisis y su salida ;) pic.twitter.com/0EAafau2a6 — Carlos Vázquez (@Carlingas59) Mayo 21, 2014
Of course, Quino is not just Mafalda (even though it would have been enough). Here, one about the crisis and the way out. ;)
Última tira de #Mafalda, publicada el 25 de junio de 1973 por decisión de #Quino. pic.twitter.com/cU7bvqE1rB
— Galatea Llibres (@GalateaLlibres) Mayo 21, 2014
Last Mafalda cartoon, published on June 25, 1973, as decided by Quino.
Earlier this year, Quino also received the Legion of Honor, the most important award in France, where his work is very popular. The creator of Mafalda was honored in a packed Hall of the Book in Paris with a big ovation.

author: Gabriela García Calderón Orbe


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Photo Collection from Hong Kong Metro Stations · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Mark and Aisling put together photos they have taken from 83 Hong Kong Metro Stations since January 2013. You can click open to view the funny individual photos from their blog.


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Property Prices a Source of Sticker Shock for Expats in Hong Kong · Global Voices
Expat Writer

Hong Kong is one of the world most expensive city because of its sky high property prices. Photo from Flickr user Christopher Lance CC: AT-NC-SA
Hong Kong features on more that one ranking of the world's most expensive cities for a reason. The metropolis’ property prices are sky high, and with more than 7 million people squeezed into 1,104 km2, there simply isn't enough land to go around.
Expats flock to the city for the high quality of life and abundant work opportunities, but many say rental property prices are too expensive for the average worker.
Bennettleung aired his grievances in the Asia Xpat forum over the high cost of living:
The cheapest 300 feet apartment in the hk island side cost at least $6-7K, (half ur salary). 2nd option, is living next to junkies and prostitutes in some sort of ghetto area with common bathroom will cut your living cost down to $2.5K. Get real, the property pricing is extremely expensive in hk
In an interview about relocation to Hong Kong, Shira Katalin who is Chief Operations Officer at loans direct advised other expats:
It is much more expensive in Hong Kong, especially the rent which is up to four times more expensive.
Should an average expat work and live alone in Hong Kong, a one-bedroom flat in the affluent neighborhood the Mid-Levels with about 450 to 600 square feet of space, it would cost 12,000 to 16,000 Hong Kong dollars (1,548 to 2,064 US dollars) monthly while a larger property would cost around 20,000 to 45,000 (2,580 to 4,804 US dollars). Accommodation near businesses or in upscale areas can be as much as 30,000 to 50,000 (3,870 to 6,449 US dollars). For a couple or a family with children needing more space, the rent spikes even more.
Of course, if expats are willing to live a bit far away from the business centers, such as the outlying Lantau Island, where it takes about 60 minutes by ferry or subway to travel to the Central District, the rent can be cut by half. Indeed many expats who don't have housing allowance from their work choose to live in outlying islands and the New Territories.
There are positives to Hong Kong living, such as the low cost of utilities, like mobile phones, Internet and electricity and the cost of transportation. For example, Axptguy38 evaluated the costs:
HK has high rents, yes. However it also has very low tax rates, cheap public transport, cheap clothing and cheap food.
Amidst government efforts to cool down the housing market, residential property prices are expected to slowly decrease. Moreover, large scale residential developments in lucrative areas like Sham Shui Po and in Ma On Shan are sold at a discount price to local residents which will attract investors who rent their properties out to tenants.
However, the shortage of affordable housing has become a huge challenge for local community. Even though the property price is expected to fall by 10% to 15% by 2015, local middle class still find the price too expensive as property prices in Hong Kong have surged 117.2% from 2008 to 2012. It is inevitable that expats will continue to feel the high cost of living in the city.

author: Expat Writer