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Korea: Rise of ‘No Reason for Murder’  · Global Voices
Hyejin Kim

A South Korean man who was not satisfied with himself and society attacked a gosiwon and killed six people in an arson attack and knife in the middle of Seoul.[En] His hatred against this society, mistreatment since childhood and long term odd-jobs, led him to kill innocent people who stayed in the gosiwon and who also might have hardship as a matter of fact. Gosiwon, a facility packed with tiny single-room accommodations, was originally used for students preparing for civil service examinations. Gosiwon literally means ‘a place to study for state exams’ [En]. Gosiwon, which are usually used by college students after graduation are places for dreaming of success in the future. In isolated and tiny space, they lock themselves for 6 months or several years so they can focus on studying until they pass civil service examinations to be lawyers and high government officials. It symbolized hardship, but for success. However, they are now becoming lodging places for all types of people, from migrant laborers to laid-off salary workers, seeking somewhere to stay with cheap rent and no frills. In Seoul, there are 3,451 gosiwon buildings and 108,428 people reside in them [En].
The murderer also stayed in the gosiwon. His thorough plan of this crime shocked Korean society. Concerns about potential copy cats are disconcerting to people.
Many netizens analyze this crime as one of the significant problems of modern society.
사건을 일으킨 장본인은 사회에 대한 불만때문인 것으로 알려졌다. 최근 들어 경제적 문제와 사회에 대한 불만으로 자신과 이해관계가 전혀없는 사람들에 대한 살인이 늘어가고 있는 추세다. 이것은 우리나라 뿐만 아니라 선진국이라는 이웃 일본, 미국을 비롯한 서구사회에 일반화되고 있는 추세다. 앞으로도 현재의 경제시스템과 사회구조가 계속되는 한 묻지마 살인이나 방화는 계속될 수 밖에 없다. 돈은 삶의 수단이자 도구일 뿐 인데 오히려 그 것의 노예가 되어 있는 한 살인과 방화는 멈출 수 없다는 것이다.
그 돈의 대부분을 1% 소수가 소유하고 남은 부스러기를 99%가 나눠 가지려고 아귀다툼을 벌이고 가난과 배고픔이 당사자의 무능력과 게으름때문이라고 가난한 자를 막다른 골목에 몰아넣는 한 또 어떤 일이 일어날 지 아무도 모른다. 이번에 화재가 난 고시원은 그 가난한 99%의 사람들이 고단한 삶의 전쟁터에서 눈물젖은 빵을 먹으며 하루 하루를 견뎌냈던 곳이고 묻지마 살인을 한 사람도 그 99%에 속했던 사람이다. 그리고 99%의 사람이 현재의 질곡에서 벗어나지 못하고 짐승처럼 살 수 밖에 없다면 고시원 수요는 계속 늘어날 수 밖에 없다. 묻지마 살인을 막을 수 있는 길은 부의 분배는 아니더라도 그들을 최소한 사람으로 인정해주는 방법밖에 없다. 그것이 살인과 방화로 죽어간 귀중한 생명들에게 답하는 길이 될 것이다.
Most money is occupied by 1 percent and small fragments are divided for 99 percent. And those 99 percent are cruelly fighting for the fragments. The people who are in poverty and hunger are even thrown to the dead alley with blames of incapability and laziness. The gosiwon is a place for those 99 percent who make a living day by day and the murder was also belonging to that 99 percent. If those people can’t get out of their lives, the demand for gosiwon will increase. The way we can prevent from ‘no reason for murdering’ is not just to distribute the wealth, but to recognize them as humans. It will be the right answer for those precious people who were killed by the murder and arson.
The current government policies seem to cause more concerns about these kinds of crimes.
끔찍한 살인사건이었습니다. 최근에 일본에서 일어나고 있는 그리고 동시에 한국에서 일어나고 있는 “묻지마 살인”사건이 정말 심각한 수준에 와 있습니다. 정말 슬픈일이지만 사람들의 반응을 보면 무심한 것 같습니다. 그런 사건의 발생 이면에는 살인자의 정신적 상태에 대한 분석이 필요한 것 같습니다. 한겨레 신문의 “디아스포라의 눈”에 실렸던 도쿄 아키바의 살인사건과 한국 사회와의 분석은 [Kr]한국도 이제는 더 이상 이런 사회적인 현상에서 자유로울 수 없음을 말하고 있습니다.
특히 최근에 계속되는 정부의 정책은 양극화를 부채질하고 있고 그런 차별감과 좌절감이 또 어떤 시민에게 이러한 충동을 느끼게 할지 알 수 없습니다.비록 그 사람이 살인마라는 용서받기 힘든 죄를 지었지만 그 이면에 버티고 있는 사회적 부조리함, 양극화 등 우리사회의 구조적인 문제를 전적 배제할 수 없습니다. 이런 사건이 늘면 늘었지 더 줄 수 없는 사회로 가고 있는 현실이 막막하기만 합니다. 모두들 자신을 돌아보고 있겠지만 주위의 소외받는 사람이 없는지 한번 더 돌아볼 때가 아닌가 합니다.
Especially, policies of the current government instigate polarization in society. Nobody knows some citizens who feel discrimination and desperation might commit similar crimes on a whim. Even though the person committed the unforgivable crime, we can’t ignore structural problems that our society has, such as social irregularities and polarization. I feel deserted to look at our society that could lead more similar crimes. Let’s look around other people who might be isolated in this society.
Not a few netizens share their experiences or impression of gosiwon.
[…] 평동 M본부의 아래층에도 고시원이 있다. 신발장이 밖에 있는데 그 신발들을 보면, 대게 공사판에서 일하는 사람들이 그 곳에 거주한다는 것을 추측할 수 있다. 흙이 잔뜩 묻은 장화, 발냄새가 코를 찌르는 그 곳. 학교 화장실보다도 열악한 공중 화장실을 공유하는 그들. (물론 M본부도 함께 공유ㅋㅋ) 이번에 살인 사건이 난 고시원도 그와 비슷한 곳이었던 것 같다.
사람들이 그 살인범에게 ‘미쳤다’고 ‘죽일놈’, 그리고 ‘죽여도 시원찮을 놈’이라고 욕을 해댄다. 얼마나 기가 막힌가. 그 고시원에 사는 사람들은 다 비슷한 처지일 텐데 왜 엄한 사람들을 죽이고 그랬어. 나도 답답하긴 하다. 그런데, 그 살인범을 사형시킨다고 해서 이 문제가 해결 될까? 아니, 이제부터 시작이다. 모방 범죄는 걷잡을 수 없이 퍼질 것이고, 예전에는 혼자 조용히 자살했던 사람들도 이제는 ‘나도 어차피 죽을 거 같이 죽자!’ 하고 묻지마 살인을 자행할 것이다.
세상에 대한 증오가 가득한 이들, 내 몸뚱이 죽어 없어져도 아무 미련 없는 이들, 가족도, 벗할 이도 없는 이들, 이런 사람들이 왜 점점 늘어나는 걸까?
첫째도 양극화 둘째도 양극화 셋째도 양극화. 이 상대적인 박탈감이 사람의 피를 말린다.[…]
양극화 사회에서도 나만 돈 잘 벌면 잘 살 수 있을까? Never!
정말 잘 살고 싶으면 양극화를 막아야 한다. 사회의 1%가 되는 것은 아무런 의미가 없다. ‘인생 별거냐!!’ 하며 벌이는 묻지마 살인을 막으려면, 보안이 아니라 양극화를 손봐야 한다.
People call the murderer ‘crazy,’ ‘the guy who should be dead,’ and ‘the guy who is not even worth dying.’ I don’t understand why he attacked the gosiwon. People there are similar with him in terms of circumstances. But is this problem going to be solved after executing him? No. I don’t think so. It was the beginning. Copycat crimes will spread over. In the past, people who would like to give up their lives did alone. But now, they might bring others together, ‘Let’s die together!’
People who are full of hatred toward the world, people who don’t have any attachment to this world and are easy to give up their lives, and people who don’t have families and friends… Why are these kinds of people increasing?
The first reason is due to polarization. The second reason is also due to polarization. Third is due to polarization. This deprivation kills people.[…]
Can you live well if you earn enough in this polarized society? Never!
If you would like to live well, you should prevent polarization. To belong to 1 percent in this society is not meaningful. In order to prevent ‘no reason for murdering,’ what you should consider is to prevent polarization, not security.
Education is also one of the issues that is discussed in relation to this crime.
묻지마 살인사건이 요즘 들어 자주 일어나는 것 같다.너무 무서운 세상이 되어버렸다. 이런 식이라면 어느 누구의 안전도 보장받을 수가 없다. 빈부의 격차가 심해지는 것도 한 원인이 되겠지만, 어린시절의 환경도 매우 중요하다고 본다. 그 시기를 제대로 보내지 못한 사람들에게서 더 많이 나타나는 현상들이다. 주위의 따뜻한 보살핌도 중요하지만 제대로 된 인성교육이 무엇보다도 더 필요하다고 생각한다. 뭐가 옳은 일인지 뭐가 잘못된 일인지를 인식하게끔 또 나쁜짓을 하면 벌을 받는 다는 걸 가르쳐야 한다. 적어도 이 사회에 폐를 끼치는 사람은 되지 않도록 해야한다. 잘못된 행동을 해도 나무라지 않는다면 그것 또한 위험한 교육방식이라 생각한다. 남에게 피해를 주고도 아무렇지 않게 생각하는 것은, 작은 것이든 큰 것이듯 매우 위험한 생각이라는 것을 우리 모두가 깨달아야 한다. 기사를 보면 치밀한 계획하에 이뤄진 범죄라고 하는데… 각박해져가는 세상에 살아간다는 걸 이런 사건을 통해 실감하게 될줄이야.

author: Hyejin Kim


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Kuwait: For Ladies Only  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Chillnite, from Kuwait, shares a link ‘for the ladies.’

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Libya: Too Much Info on the US  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Anglo-Libyan, who lives in the UK, confesses that his children know more about the US than the UK and Libya.


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Malaysia: Press freedom ranking · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Screenshots writes about the low ranking of Malaysia in Reporters Without Borders’ Press Freedom Index.

author: Mong Palatino


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Malaysia’s Jungle Spirits · Global Voices
Daniel Chandranayagam

Lush with primary and secondary virgin jungle, Malaysians have long held a respect for the forests. It also helps that myths, whether bearing down from the forefathers or from urban legend, has caused a lot of superstition surrounding the vast jungle of Malaysia.
According to Hungzai.com,
Entering the jungle? Respect the place and don’t “talk big”. Don’t relieve yourself anywhere you like. Don’t call out your friend’s name. Break these traditional taboos and unseen spirits may just wreak havoc on you – for instance, a “voice” may just imitate your companion’s name and lead him far astray from the path.
Or you may end up in an unseen dimension, perhaps even meet a nice old man who invites you to a fabulous ‘mansion’ in the jungle.
Fascination on the matter has grown in recent years, with the sighting of a creature, similar to the North American Bigfoot, in the jungles of peninsular Malaysia. According to Adha:
Ramai yang mendakwa telah terserempak dengan Bigfoot dan mereka menggambarkan makhluk itu bertubuh tegap dan besar, gigi-giginya besar, matanya berwarna merah, bulunya berwarna perang gelap atau merah kehitaman dan meliputi seluruh badan. penghuni hantu puaka rimba hutan berhantu angker batu di Malaysia hutan tropika Bigfoot dikatakan tidak menyerang manusia atau menggangu manusia sebaliknya malu jika terserempak dengan manusia malah sering berpindah kawasan setelah kewujudannya disedari oleh manusia. Ia hanya makan pucuk kayu muda dan akan menggosokkan badannya pada batang pokok untuk menghilang kegatalan pada tubuh. kejadian paranormal mengenai big foot mengenai Bigfoot makhluk tapak kaki besar Makhluk yang dikenali sebagai Mawas, Orang utan, Hantu Jarang Gigi dan Siamang di kalangan masyarakat Orang Asli Johor itu juga hidup dalam kumpulan iaitu satu keluarga yang dianggotai oleh bapak, ibu dan anak-anak… Kisah terawal tentang Big foot mula dilaporkan pada tahun 1811 apabila seorang juruukur Kanada mendakwa menemui jejak kaki luarbiasa yang besar dan dipercayai milik makhluk yang belum pernah dikenali oleh dunia di Jasper, Kanada.
Urban myth aside, Malaysia is rich with legends of ghosts living in the forest.
Oakfall~FirdzZ explains what a Water Ghost is on his blog:
Hantu Air, Puaka Air or Mambang Air is the Malay translation for Spirit of the Water , Hantu Air is the unseen dweller of watery places such as rivers, lakes, seas, swamps and even ditches. It is mainly associated with bad things happening to people which includes drowning, missing, flooding and many more.
The term Hantu Air may sound spooky to Malays but when the term is translated into English it creates a new understanding of the meaning that besets the culture of the Malay people. For a long time the Malay Archipelago was ruled by animism {the believe in spirits} and people tended to associate almost anything with the spiritual world including nature.
Some people believe that the spirit will haunt places associated with water during or after it has been discarded by its previous owner. The unguided and lost spirit will soon roam the place. When it is hungry, it will feast on anything including humans.
Superstitions arising among the locals tell of this evil spirit dwelling in watery places where it sometimes disguises itself as an old tree trunk, a beautiful lady, fishes or other animals in order to attract unassuming people into its trap. When caught the human will be eaten or perhaps drowned to death.
There is a ceremony that is still popular among the local older Malays called Semah Pantai especially in the East Coast of Malaysia. It is a ceremony whereby fishermen and seafarers honor the sea spirits and at the same time ask for blessings and protection when they venture out to sea to catch fish.
At the Penampakan Gambar Foto Hantu blog, which specialises in photos of ghosts, you can even find photos of what is said to be a ghost in the forest, like the one below.
Perhaps the most famous of all forest spirits, who are said to live in a dimension which humans can't see. Occasionally, the dimensions overlaps, which explains sightings. According to X Trackers:
One best option is not to engage in this entities, because without a proper guidance and knowledge we could endanger ourselves and families. If God Willing, I will soon post some of by research I wrote “The Law Of Spirit”, so people will have a better understanding of the another world dimension and it's beings within. In it will have topic such as “The misinterpretion of ghost and do they exist?”
Meanwhile, recent school hysteria has been put down to ghostly sightings, including that of the Bunian. Alem says:
memang hard to believe that some people can see makluk halus which were jin, bunian, jembalang and so on..this is a give from god..do you ever heard news about hysteria happen at the new school somewhere in malaysia recendly..base on her(girl that can see things) opnion that place were perkampungan bunian hard to believe kan.. i agree with her coz actually that place memang tempat jin bertendang before development..no1 attent to go there but the school was build at that place for many reason..tambah lagi primary school lagi.. u know kan children memang can see many things… i dunno this is my opinion..so to me other mahlok memang exist..tuhan itu maha kuasa…anything beyond our thinking anything can be…

author: Daniel Chandranayagam


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Maldives: A new president after 30 years · Global Voices
Rezwan

Mohamed “Anni” Nasheed has won the run-off poll against the incumbent president of Maldives Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who has served the country since 1978. Mujey’s Blog has called to embrace this example of democracy where president Gayoom accepted defeat and congratulated Nasheed before the official results were announced.

author: Rezwan


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Mexico: Day of the Dead Preparations · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

The Day of the Dead is fast approaching in Mexico, and Daniel Hernandez of Intersections posts a picture of a typical vendor stand that are popping up on sidewalks and near Metro stations, but also, “In ever-Americanizing Mexico City, that also means jack o’ lanterns, witches, spiders, and lots of orange and black.”

author: Eduardo Avila


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Morocco: Halloween Not Just for Expats Anymore · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

The Halloween tradition is a muddled one; with traditions in an ancient Celtic celebration, Halloween started in Europe and made its way to the United States, where it has been embraced as a holiday for children.
In recent years, however, the American version of Halloween has spread to the rest of the world, with Morocco being no exception.
Madame Monet, an expat in Marrakesh, explains:
Halloween is making steady inroads into Morocco.
I live in Marrakesh, where of course we celebrate Halloween at the American School with class parties.  Many of the kids come to school dressed in elaborate costumes.  Americans in Marrakesh have celebrated Halloween with private parties and privately-arranged trick-or-treating for many years.  But last year was the first time ever some Moroccan kids rang my doorbell and said, “Trick-or-Treat!”  We managed to round up some snacks quickly.  This year, I’ll be prepared better with a sack of candy, just in case.
She adds:
Moroccan children attending French and American schools have been learning about Halloween for a number of years now, and other kids have now been seeing masks for sale in the stores.  Furthermore, movies and plenty of American TV is now rebroadcast on the satellite dishes out of Saudi Arabia, and seen here in Morocco.   I predict that within a generation, there will be a subset of Moroccans regularly celebrating Halloween, having parties, and perhaps even trick-or-treating.
The View From Fez also reports that a Halloween celebration is to take place in Fez:
Now Halloween is not a traditional event in Morocco, but The View from Fez hears whispers of a HUGE Halloween party to be held on October 31. We have a brave volunteer who says she will dress up, front up and take photographs. Watch this space.
But not everyone is celebrating.  Peace Corps Volunteer Hillary is a little sad to miss American Halloween celebrations:
I do miss home and now with Halloween coming up and not being able to hang out with Matthew, Becky, and James at the bar… do the fun KCAD halloween parties, and be able to wear my usual 3 costumes i buy for this makes me kinda sad, but i know that Halloween here will be a fun time and an experience to see how Moroccans view this day and how similar and different it is to us in the States.. be prepared for stories:)

author: Jillian C. York


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Pakistan: A 6.4 magnitude quake hits Balochistan · Global Voices
Rezwan

Let Us Build Pakistan reports that a 6.4 magnitude earthquake rattled the Balochistan province in southwestern Pakistan today. More than 100 people have been killed and scores of people are still trapped under the rubbles. The government was quick to declare compensation for the families of the quake victims.


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Palestinian Football History  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Palestinians made their own football history, being the only team – in the words of one blogger – with a stadium but no country.
Palestinian Haitham Sabbah is bubbling with excitement and pride as he types:
At last, Palestinians now have a new way to express their national pride – through soccer.
Delving into history, Sabbah explains:
The Palestinian team has existed for a decade, but until today the Palestinian squad played its “home games” in Arab countries, including Jordan and Qatar, although Palestine has been a FIFA member since 1998. The reason is simple: for years it has been denied a home ground and it was forced to train and play overseas due to Israeli occupation. Today is no different with Israel still occupying the Palestinian territories, however, as a form of resistance, Palestine’s football team decided to makes history with its first ever international game at home. Palestine – taking on Jordan in their first home game – will be the only team now with a ground, but without a country.
More from Sabbah here.
Writing on Kabobfest, Diana, who was at the game, sets the scene:
It was a great scene: the newly renovated Faisal Husseini stadium was filled with some 8,000 Palestinian football fans, waiting to see their team play – for the first time.
She adds:
Since October, FIFA and the PFA have worked to renovate the stadium to bring it to international footballing standards.  The Faisal Husseini stadium was inaugurated by FIFA President Joseph Blatter who, earlier in the day, also kicked off the Palestinian women's football league in Ramallah.  In a press conference earlier in the day, Blatter announced, “Football brings people together.”  Indeed…except if you are members of the Palestinian team barred from attending the game because you live in Gaza or except if you are among the 90 percent of Palestinians who could not attend the game because of Israel's repugnant travel restrictions (the stadium is located in Al-Ram (behind the Wall) and Palestinians need Israeli-issued permits in order to be able to attend a football match).
This did not dampen the mood among the crowds who turned up for the game. Diana says:
Despite this, the atmosphere was electric:  Palestinian songs (including my fave – the kuffiya song – were belted throughout the stadium); huge Palestinian flags were raised and we all got a chance to witness the beautiful game…
The game resulted in a draw.
Bruised Earth, who is in the UK, wanted a share in this victory – but that was not to be:
OK this isn’t funny anymore. In the throes of my Palestinian football fervor, I spent nearly 4 hours online yesterday trying to simply locate and purchase a Palestine National Team football jersey. Brimming with respect for the accomplishments of the Palestinian National side against Jordan in Ramallah on Sunday, I felt it my duty to proudly sport the kit around London (at least before it gets too cold) – while trying to politically dilute the annoying club football jerseys you see at every turn.
The result – absolutely NOTHING. Apparently had I desired the national team jersey of Namibia or Kazakhstan or perhaps that casino-rich little island nation of Macau (pop. 400K) I’d be in business.
From the UK, View from North Britain, says sports is a factor in modern national identity. He notes:
In fact, sport is the only realm where Palestine officially exists, in all other areas the Palestine people are represented by the Palestinian Authority, even at the UN.
So having an actual Palestine football team playing in the West Bank must be incredibly symbolic to Palestinians. It represents another step on the road to a fully independent Palestine.
The blogger also links to this video from Sky News on YouTube:


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Rats invade Myanmar fields · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Adding to the woes of Myanmar farmers are rats which are invading fields in West Myanmar


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Rising Voices Nominated World’s Best Blog · Global Voices
Solana Larsen

Global Voices’ citizen media outreach project, Rising Voices has been nominated for a “Best of the Blogs Award” (B.O.B.) in the category “Best Weblog”. More than 8,500 weblogs were suggested for nomination and a jury selected the final 11 in each of 16 categories. Anyone can cast their votes online for their favorite blogs until November 26, 2008.
Deutsche Welle wish to give special attention to the promotion of freedom of information and expression around the world.
Rising Voices is a project that has provided micro-grant funding for more than a dozen community blogging projects in some of the most under-represented parts of the world (thanks to a grant from the Knight News Challenge).
Through the people in this amazing community, we've learned about social unrest in Bolivia through Voces Bolivianas’ bloggers, we've gotten to know the new bloggers in Nakuru, Kenya from the REPACTED project, and in Romania from the Blogging the Dream project.
(Watch this video, and you'll know who to vote for…)
In an email to all of the Rising Voices community (join here) on October 27, David Sasaki, Global Voices’ Director of Outreach said:
Get this: some kind soul nominated Rising Voices as the Best Weblog (in the world!) for this year's BOB's contest. (That stands for Best of Blogs.) I am sure that many of you are aware that there are almost as many blog awards as there are blogs, but the BOBs contest has long been the most recognized internationally. We are tremendously proud to be listed among such fine company as Generación Y and Scienceblogs.de. You can cast your votes here and view the results here.
The B.O.B. competition recognizes blogs and podcasts produced in Arabic, Chinese, German, English, French, Dutch, Farsi, Indonesian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. You can see a world map of all of the proposed candidates on the awards website.
On Global Voices, Juliana Rincon has written about some of the nominated video bloggers.
Cast your votes before November 26!

author: Solana Larsen


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Russia: “Help Svetlana Bakhmina” Petition · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

As of now, 71,250 people have signed an online petition appealing to the Russian president Dmitry Medvedev to pardon Svetlana Bakhmina, a former senior lawyer for Mikhail Khodorkovsky‘s oil company Yukos, who was arrested in December 2004 and sentenced to 6 1/2 years in prison for embezzlement and tax evasion in April 2006. Bakhmina, 39, is serving her sentence in Mordovia; she has two sons whom she hasn't seen since the time of her arrest (Fyodor, 7, and Grigory, 11) and is expecting her third child to be born in December; all her appeals for a postponement of her prison term and for an early conditional release have so far been rejected by the Russian courts.
Below is the English-language text of the online petition, which is also available in Russian, Italian, Spanish, and French:
Dear Mr. President,
Please attend to the case of Svetlana Bakhmina, a Russian citizen sentenced to a 6.5 years’ imprisonment term. In May 2008, she served half of her term. According to Russian laws, she may be released on parole.
Svetlana has two sons, aged seven and eleven. Moreover, now she is expecting her third child, which is due in December. Now Svetlana is in prison hospital. Nonetheless, the court has twice refused to release her on parole.
Mister President, we know that under the Constitution of Russian Federation, you may pardon Svetlana Bakhmina.
We, the undersigned, urge you to pardon her.
We believe that by doing so you will demonstrate to the people of Russian Federation and to the whole world that mercy and respect of human rights are the corner stones of a strong civilized state.
The online petition seems like a truly international effort: those who have signed it appear to be based not just in Russia, but in Ukraine, Belarus, Latvia, Poland, the United States, Canada, Israel and other countries as well. Many of the signees have chosen to use the Comments option on the petition to voice their views on the issue; below are some of the latest messages (RUS):
71143. Yablochkin Sergei Victorovich, St. Petersburg, a pensioner:
I think that keeping Ms. Bakhmina jailed in her condition isn't just cruel and extremely pointless – as long as we are still insisting that the goal of our penitentiary system is to CORRECT an individual. I'm afraid that in this situation the result will not be just another miserable mother and a child with a crippled future, but also tens of thousands people to whom no one will be able to prove from now on that they live in a civilized country.
***
71192. Lomov Aleksandr Igorevich, Moscow region, Chernogolovka, an entrepreneur:
It does not matter where a person used to work: Yukos or not. The law has to be stronger than this!
***
71199. Jarzabek Kazimierz Honoratowicz, Toruń, Poland, engineer, lawyer:
[…] Here's a question: Will President Medvedev manage to act as a knight towards a woman or not? To Russia and to all of you/us, I'm wishing for the answer to be positive. I graduated from a Russian [technical university], then worked in Volgograd and Bratsk for six years. I am always interested in what's going on in Russia, though don't always understand it. Respectfully, KJ.
***
71201. Sukhoverkh Yevgeniy Anatolyevich, Belarus, Molodechno, correspondence student and worker:
Dear Dmitry Anatolyevich [Medvedev] and Vladimir Vladimirovich [Putin]! Prove that you have hearts and souls in addition to political ambitions!
***
71214. Dobrynina Yelena Pavlovna, Moscow, financial employee:
I think that the law has to be the same for everyone. Both when it comes to enforcing punishment and [deciding in favor of] a release. Svetlana Bakhmina has the legal right [to be released], even if her circumstances (pregnancy and two underage children) are not taken into account.
Quite a few Russian bloggers have mentioned the online petition on their blogs; some have signed it, others haven't. LJ user bearshitsky is one of the latter; in this post (RUS), he explains why he believes that Svetlana Bakhmina should be freed, but nevertheless prefers an individualist approach to supporting her plight:
[…] I am for Bakhmina's pardon. Even if what she's done [is in violation of some laws], the person who was making decisions and giving orders in Yukos – Khodorkovsky – is in jail and [it's not clear] when he is going to be released.
And three kids, and two, and even one – it's [a big deal]. Children do not live well without their mamas. And in any case, I think that four years of [penal] colony is a sufficient punishment for any non-violent crime.
But I won't leave my signature at any site. In general, I don't sign collective letter and don't take part in any [collective – kolkhoz – initiatives], regardless of who is pushing me into them. That's why my signature is here:
Bershidsky Leonid from Moscow. […]
And here are some views from LJ user bearshitsky‘s readers:
magda2004:
No, I've signed my name in “kolkhoz.” It's one of those occasions when it's important to “have myself counted.”
bearshitsky:
To have yourself counted by whom?
magda2004:
By a counter :)
Actually, the whole Bakhmina story is slowly turning into a referendum. For a referendum, however, 40,000 signatures is too little. Small numbers is an argument not only against Bakhmina. That's why I want the numbers to grow.
***
polya_yu:
I support pardon, but am afraid to sign. I'm not that firmly established to be appealing for people who have stood up against the regime.
***
gmj:
I think this is right. Leonid has intuitively (or as a media person:) ) realized the following – a letter with 40,000 signatures will have no effect on the regime, because the people [in this regime] have been successfully creating such letters for the past 80 years. But 40,000 individual letters will confound [the regime] – are there really 40,000 people who have [just think of it] an opinion of their own!
LJ user leosat is one of those who signed the petition early on; he's not very optimistic, though (RUS):
[…] Needless to say, petitions have no practical meaning. They couldn't care less about our opinions.
In [Bakhmina's] case, […] what's outrageous is the lack of unbiased approach to the circumstances that could facilitate the person's release. She has mastered a trade [in accordance with a requirement for inmates], something that [Mikhail Khodorkovsky has failed to do], her records are excellent and she has no outstanding penalties. According to our laws, this qualifies her almost automatically for [early conditional release]. That she has two children and is also pregnant shouldn't be counted against her, at the minimum. And yet. […]
In the same post, LJ user leosat mentions another online petition, which is available only in Russian and urges president Medvedev not to have leniency on Svetlana Bakhmina:
A site gathering signatures for non-release of Bakhmina has appeared on the web. They've collected slightly more than a thousand signatures. People have different attitudes towards signing petitions and towards the regime that these petitions address. Taking all this into account, as well as the time that [both sites] have exited for [the anti-Bakhmina site is much younger than its pro-Bakhmina counterpart] […], I've made an assessment and concluded that compassionate people on the web outnumber the actively callous ones by five or so. […]
The copycat anti-Bakhmina initiative has so far gathered around 1,650 signatures, and at least some of them are fake. For example, LJ user avmalgin – who considers Bakhmina's imprisonment “a shame for Russia's current regime” – has discovered his own name on it (RUS).

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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South Korea: National Struggle Day of Irregular Workers · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

CINA blogs photos of the demonstration on 26 of Oct – the national struggle day of irregular workers.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Thailand will ban websites that attack monarchy · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Thailand plans to ban websites that attack or defame its monarchy.


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Trinidad & Tobago: Not Adding Up · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Last month the record 2008-9 budget of nearly TT$50 billion was based on an assumed oil price of $75 a barrel. At the time, the price was well above that. A month later, it’s below $64.  So even the richest economy in the Caribbean either has to make some serious cuts, or round up a pile of new money from somewhere”: Trinidad-based blogger Jeremy Taylor tries to get a grip on the global financial crisis.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Ukraine: Sex Workers and the Police · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

A discussion of the treatment of Ukrainian sex workers by law enforcement officials – at Natalia Antonova's blog and Kiev Ukraine News Blog.


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Argentina: Diego Maradona Named New Coach of National Team · Global Voices
Jorge Gobbi

For any Argentine that travels throughout the world, any conversation with a local resident usually includes mention of one surname: Maradona.  Diego Maradona must be the most famous Argentine in the world, and anything that he does usually becomes news.  It is even more newsworthy, when he is named the next Coach of the Argentine national football team.  After the resignation of Alfio Basile due to less than stellar results, the Argentine Football Federation left many in suspense by taking its time in choosing between several candidates.  Many Argentines are left wondering how the greatest footballer to play would fare as coach and ensure that the country qualifies for the World Cup 2010.
In the blog E-Blog [es], Leandro Zanoni defends the decision and says:
La Asociación del Fútbol Argentino (AFA) hizo justicia con la historia. Nadie hoy por hoy merece el puesto más que Diego…Grondona se dio cuenta de que hoy la selección necesita otra cosa, un golpe de timón, un motivador y un líder a quien respetar y no tanto título local acumulado.
The Argentine Football Federation (AFA for its initials in Spanish) made history in a just manner.  There is no one today that deserves the spot more than Diego…Grondona (AFA president) realized that the national team needs something else, someone to take charge, a motivator, a leader who is respected and not so much one who has won a lot of local titles.
There is also a defense of Maradona in English at World Cup Blog.
On the other hand, BlogBis [es] criticizes the hiring of Maradona and says that there were better candidates:
Sobran entrenadores capacitados y profesionales en el país. Pero no se opta por primar la profesionalidad ni la capacidad sino por conceptos tales como “pasión por la camiseta”, “dá ánimos a los jugadores”, etc”… Como jugador hizo historia pero como entrenador ha sido lamentable. Pero sus antecedentes no valen aquí. La adoración endiosada es lo que ha ganado
There are more than enough trained and professional coaches in the country.  They don't opt to value neither professionalism nor ability, but for concepts like, “passion for the jersey,” “motivate the players, etc.” … As a player, he made history, but as a coach he was pitiful.  However, his record does not count here.  The god-like adoration is what has won.
Other opinion on this subject can be found at the blog of  Marcelo Gantman [es]; Cuaderno Contable [es]; Selección Deportiva [es]; y Empresas Contables [es].

author: Jorge Gobbi


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Armenia: Welcome To Georgia · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Dispatches from Armenia travels to the neighboring Republic of Georgia and finds the journey to be quite unlike any other — the local and experienced driver hired to take the blogger and his wife to the border in a dilapidated Russian car did not know where it was and broke down on the way. And that was only the beginning of the adventure.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Bangladesh: Banks dominate in DSE listings · Global Voices
Rezwan

Bangladesh Corporate Blog analyzes the capital market of Bangladesh and finds that banks dominate 11 of the top 20 spots of listed companies in the Dhaka Stock exchange (DSE). The blog opines that: “(the) domination of banks goes to show that the SEC (Security and Exchange Commission) has failed miserably.”


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China: Crisis and Opportunity · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Chinayouren discusses the optimism and pessimism on the global financial crisis in China.


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China: Uyghurs Speak Out on Hotel Restrictions · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

The New Dominion follows up the hotel restrictions against Uyghurs in Beijing by collecting more Uyghur thoughts over the issue.


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Cuba, U.S.A.: Voting on the Embargo  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The United Nations General Assembly yesterday approved a resolution condemning the U.S. embargo.  For the seventeenth year running, the vote went in favor of the Cuba-sponsored resolution and bloggers – from the diaspora and from Cuba herself – have had a lot of say on the subject.
The Cuban Triangle got straight to the point:
There are lots of reasons, depending on your point of view, not to pay attention to this event. It’s a top priority of Cuban diplomacy. The debate will feature Cuban assertions about the embargo’s damages to the Cuban economy ($3.77 billion in 2007) that can’t be verified, and that ignore the cost to Cuba’s economy of Cuba’s own economic policies. The resolution has no teeth and the UN has no enforcement power. The resolution asserts that the embargo violates international law, as if the United States lacks the right to refrain from trade with another country. In the debate, Cuba will go one better and call U.S. policy “genocidal” not just rhetorically, but as a matter of international law.
Child of the Revolution agreed that the vote “is not binding and therefore does not mean much in practice”, but conceded that:
It represents yet another propaganda win for the Castro brothers.
Havana Times seemed hopeful about the possibility that the vote could make a difference, particularly in light of the fact that a new U.S. administration will be taking over the reins of government come 2009:
While the vote is non-binding, a new US administration in January will have the chance to heed world opinion or maintain its nearly half century of hostility against neighboring Cuba.
The Cuban Triangle was of the opinion that the vote served to remind people of a few things:
First, Cuba knows how to do multilateral diplomacy.
Second, while many governments agree with U.S. criticisms of Cuban human rights practices, virtually all agree, as the resolution says, that U.S. sanctions have “adverse effects” on the Cuban people. And virtually all are willing to vote to urge the United States to lift the embargo.
Third, if a new U.S. Administration decides that it wants to work more closely with allies and other countries on the Cuba issue, U.S. sanctions – from the embargo to direct action against third-country banks and companies – are an obstacle.
Meanwhile, El Cafe Cubano sought to draw attention to what he thinks is the real issue:
Isn't that special…”The U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday voted overwhelmingly for the favor of lifting the 46-year-old US trade embargo on communist-ruled Cuba.”
Alrighty then…What about FREE ELECTIONS and DEMOCRACY?
Finally, Havana-based Generation Y added an interesting perspective:
Anticipating the outcome of the vote, I would like to refer to another siege in effect every day.  This one prevents me from entering or leaving my country freely, from associating with a political group or creating a small family business.  An internal blockade, constructed on a base of limitations, control and censorship, has cost Cubans countless material and spiritual losses.  I decide to go out for the newspaper Granma—which requires a huge effort—and try to find the outcome of today’s debate in the United Nations.  I go out into the street and what is most glaring are the continuing restrictions imposed on us by our leaders; the wall that no one in the UN will vote against today.


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Haiti, U.S.A.: Death Squad Leader Convicted  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Both HaitiAnalysis.com and The Haitian Blogger report that a New York court has sentenced former Haitian death squad leader Emmanuel ‘Toto’ Constant to 12 to 37 years in prison for mortgage fraud.


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Ibero-America: Campus Party in El Salvador · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

This week in El Salvador, hundreds of technology fanatics have assembled in the capital of San Salvador to take part in the latest edition of Campus Party.  The event gathers participants “with their computers with the goal of share their worries, exchange experiences and take part in all types of activities related to communication and new technologies. The human factor is the heart of Campus Party.”  The latest events were held in Colombia, Brazil and in Spain, and for the first time in Central America, Campus Party Ibero-América is being held in conjunction with the XVIII Ibero-American Summit where heads of states have been participating.
Participants from El Salvador and the 22 member states are divided into one of a broad range of areas including: Astronomy, CampusBot (robotics), Innovation, Modding, Campus Create, Digital Leisure and Digital Inclusion, and includes the participation of bloggers.  These bloggers have captured the feeling of being in a room with their fellow technology enthusiasts through their blog posts, photos and videos.
David of the blog Dark Manfred [es] and a native of El Salvador writes about his first impressions about the amount of computers in the room, numbering in the hundreds.
With representatives from all 22 Ibero-american states, it is an opportunity to meet others, share ideas, and see what others are doing across the region.  Blogchorno [es] from El Salvador had the opportunity to see the XO computers from the One Laptop Per Child project that attendees from Uruguay had brought to demonstrate.  The traditional media is also presented, as La Prensa Grafica, one of San Salvador's most important newspaper is devoting a blog [es] to the event and  published a note about theBlogs & Beers event for local and visiting bloggers. David Mejia is also promoting the event on Facebook [es].
Many bloggers are writing about their favorite areas of Campus Party Rafael Monge was thoroughly impressed with modding (modification) of computers from their original factory enclosures with “customized designs by their owners to make things truly surprising: personalized equipment which are more works of art.”
The robots have also been a notable attraction, with original designs built by representatives from across Ibero-América.  Joster Ricardo took a video of a robot that stands up on its own.
As many of the participants are enthusiasts of Open and Free Software, many were excited about the recent release of the newest version of Ubuntu 8.10.  To spread the word, there were signs everywhere, such on the computer towers and also on signs on people's backs to let everyone know for sharing purposes.  Edwin of Sansivar Graphics [es] has photos.
However, not all bloggers arrived from around El Salvador, others travelled varying distances such as Gustavo Reyes of Guatemala [es], Hugo Miranda of Bolivia [es], Carolina Botero of Colombia [es], and Julio Juan Ortega of Nicaragua [es].  The gathering was also an opportunity for first-time visitors to El Salvador to try local cuisine. Joan Guerrero from the Dominican Republic [es] captured an outing to try the traditional pupusas.
The event continues through Saturday morning, and one can follow the rest of the agenda on Campus Party's official YouTube, Twitter, Flickr, and Facebook page.


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India: Assam blasts · Global Voices
Rezwan

India's troubled north-eastern Assam state was rocked by a series of coordinated blasts today. Praful reports that 60 people were killed and more than 200 injured. “Although ULFA’s involvement in the serial blasts in Assam is suspected, the intelligence sources believe that Bangladesh-based HuJI could be behind the blasts,” opines the blogger.


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India: Wikipedia Academy in Chennai · Global Voices
Rezwan

Kiruba Shankar reports that a Wikipedia Academy has been set up in Chennai, India. “It's an effort to educate people about wiki editing and to give the confidence that anyone can edit and add information to the site,” the blogger says.


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Jamaica: Missing Children  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

YardFlex refers to “some shocking figures that indicate 65 per cent of the 1,112 people reported missing in Jamaica since January 1st 2008 are children.”


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Japan: Why is Halloween not popular in Japan? · Global Voices
Chris Salzberg

id:nakakzs writes about the lack of interest in Halloween among Japanese people [ja] compared to other imported holidays such as Christmas and Valentine's Day, noting that many people only know that Halloween takes place “sometime in autumn”. id:nakakzs traces the lack of popularity to a number of factors: bad timing (right after late summer festivals), the use of pumpkins as decoration is seen as a waste, resemblance to the Bon Festival which evokes the image of “death”, and a lack of a culture of door-to-door canvasing.

author: Chris Salzberg


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Kazakhstan: Blocked Bloggers Discuss Economics  · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Although LiveJournal, the major blog platform on the post-Soviet space, including Kazakhstan, is still not accessible through the national telecom monopolist Kazakhtelecom, Internet enthusiasts find their way to express their opinions online. The main topic – as, probably, elsewhere these days – is economics.
Alim-atenbek comments on the new global competitiveness report released by the World Economic Forum (WEF). Country competitiveness has become a very popular issue in Kazakhstan, when three years ago the leadership of Kazakhstan declared an ambitious goal of entering the top fifty most competitive states of the world. However, since 2006 – when Kazakhstan was safely on 51st place – the country’s rating fell down to 66th! Alim-atenbek opines [ru]:
This is the indicator of how our government works. I wonder how this fact would be covered in our media… As one of my acquaintances, a respected economist from Berkeley University, says: “Your economy grows, but it does not develop!” I think early 2007 was peak period of our competitiveness. Now we are an oil-abused state, and this dependency is not likely to be over soon.
Many observers tend to consider Kazakhstani market too small for sizeable new business projects because of weak return on investment. Megakhuimyak gives his reasons why it is not [ru]:
This assumption is disputable and wrong. 1. This is applicable not for all sectors. 2. In Kazakhstan, there are a lot of business opportunities; moreover, there are spheres that can be monopolized in 5-10 years. 3. There are few operating manufacturing facilities that can be bought for a giveaway price. In this sense – yes, the market is small. 4. The main reason why business does not want to develop totally new projects is political risk that some people may come and take your business away. 5. Unfortunately, as our president gets older, the probability of property redistribution grows – and new businesses get more and more cautious.
Not only businesses get more cautious – they are also actively engaged in capital runaway to the most notorious tax havens, dass says [ru]:
Only during the first half of 2008, the Kazakhstani investments abroad amounted to $1,5 billion. The most attractive destinations are Netherlands (15,3%), Switzerland (10,6%), British Virgin Islands (8,3%), USA (7,3%). Such information should not be published openly – the unprepared citizens will be upset and start swearing at the government. But if you just take a look at these Virgin Islands, you would agree that half a billion is not worth of begrudge.
Also posted on neweurasia.net

author: Adil Nurmakov


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Nepal: The troubled republic  · Global Voices
Rezwan

Maila Baje at Nepali Notebook discusses on the internal rifts between the purists and the pragmatists within the Maoist government.


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Pakistan: Help the earthquake victims · Global Voices
Rezwan

Five Rupees posts some links to charities that are involved in delivering aid and humanitarian relief to the victims of the earthquake in the Balochistan province of Pakistan. Please help the victims of this disaster.


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Peru: Preparations for BarCamp Lima · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Ventana Azul [es] provides the latest details on BarCamp Lima to be held Saturday, November 8.


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Peru: The King of Spain and the Peruvian Congresswoman · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

Guillermo from Quimeras Seductoras [es] summarizes the encounter of Juan Carlos, the King of Spain, and the Peruvian congresswoman Hilaria Supa, who met outside of the Congress buildings. She confronted the King and asked him to return all of the wealth taken by Spain during the Conquest.

author: Juan Arellano


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Recession hits Singapore  · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Singapore is a major financial center in the world. It is also one of the richest countries in Asia. Unfortunately, it is not immune to the economic aftershocks caused by the Wall Street crash and the global financial crisis. Singapore’s economy is down today, the first Asian country to be hit by a recession.
Tan Kin Lian enumerates the impact of the recession:
a) Banks reduce their credit
b) Businesses do not have the operating capital
c) Consumers reduce their spending
d) Businesses cannot meet their operating expenses
e) They reduce the size of their offices, shops and factories and retrench employees
f) They cannot pay their rentals – so the landlords have to evict them (but they cannot find new tenants)
From a layman’s perspective, Simply Jean adds:
“…less outgoing goods mean that more goods are being stuck in Singapore. More goods being stuck for too long means that the companies will try to reduce the amount of output, which may lead to the layoff of staff that they do not need. Laying off of staff means that employment rate goes down and the number of jobless people goes up. This in turn affects the spending power of people affected, i.e. people will spend less. People spending less means that there will be lesser business for companies out there, which means they will be struggling to keep afloat and will hence lay off more people to survive. Eventually, everyone gets laid off and all businesses will close because no one is buying anything.”
The recession contradicts Singapore’s reputation as a “safe haven” for global investors. In recent weeks, Singapore’s economic fundamentals have been exposed to be less than solid: inflation has worsened and income gap is rising. Job losses will affect Singapore’s migrant workers.
To assure its citizens, the government announced that it will guarantee bank deposits. This is good news. But some are asking the government to do more. For instance, DK wants to review the salary of government ministers, which is reported to be one of the highest in the world.
Curiously, unemployed investment bankers from London are flocking to Singapore. Mr Wang Says So has interviewed one of them:
“During the good times, financial institutions in Singapore and Hong Kong were short of finance professionals. Due to the market shortage, their salaries climbed high (mine included). Now, however, a huge number of well-qualified banking professionals in London, New York and elsewhere have become unemployed and are flooding the market.
“Many will aim to come to Asia. I guess the overall median salaries will have to go down. They probably have already started going down.”
Investors are protesting in the streets
Many Singaporeans, including the elderly, bought financial structured products (backed by investment bank Lehman Brothers) a few years ago. In the wake of the financial meltdown today, these investors lost a lot of money. Now they are protesting in the streets; they want the government to investigate Singapore banks which sold the investment products by misinforming their clients.
The government is now investigating these banks and financial advisers. Anonymous_X comments:
“How long the investigation is going to be remains to be seen. Till then I do pity those elderly who had (been) misguided to putting their live savings into such a screwed-up investment product.
“It has been confirmed that the Monetary Authority of Singapore is ‘probing allegations of misconduct in the sale of financial products linked to collapsed US investment bank Lehman Brothers and other institutions.’
“Also reported that it will focus on cases of mis-selling products to ‘vulnerable’ customers, meaning the elderly and those who are not well-educated.”
The Online Citizen interviewed some of the investors who protested in the streets:
“We didn’t know that our money was going to investment banks,” one man in his 50s told us. “We thought all along that it was just like fixed deposits, very safe, but with a high interest rate. The bank representatives never told us that we could stand to lose so much, just like that.”
“I didn’t lose any money from this, but I know some people who have lost their entire life savings, hundreds of thousands.” It was a sentiment that was echoed repeatedly around the field, as scenes of retirees, thirty-somethings and middle-aged Singaporeans breaking down into tears and pleading for help.
“We spent our whole lives building up this country from scratch,” he said. “We worked for thirty, forty years, and we saved all our money to put into the bank. More than one hundred thousand dollars, over all these decades. Then they got greedy, and they decided to invest all our life savings into companies like Lehman Brothers. And now, we’re the ones who have to pay, because they’re not doing anything for us. We spent our whole lives working for this country, and now our money is gone.”
Modern burrow believes the government should not guarantee investments:
“The basic question is that should someone be responsible for the loss of investment? The government? The banks? The investors themselves?
“I am inclined to say that the investors should bear responsibility for their actions. However there is some doubt as to whether or not they were told exactly what they were buying. In this case I think the banks should be brought to court. Since it is a contract term that indemnifies the banks, perhaps suing under the Unfair Contract Terms Act might be a recourse for investors.
“I do not think the government should guarantee any of their losses. Investments should not be guaranteed. Saving accounts, checking accounts and fixed deposits should be guaranteed to some extent, but not investments. Investing is like gambling.”
Hard Hitting in the Lion City reminds the public about the risks involved when investing:
“It is very sad and unfortunate for the investors that their money is gone, but we have to accept that there’s always an amount of risk in any investment. A month ago, who would have guessed that Lehman Brothers would wind up?”
Singapore Election Watch emphasizes that public funds should not be used to help “stock losers”:
“Public funds should not be used to bail out stock losers, just as public funds are not to be abused to bail out casino losers. Not even in the name of saving the economy. The member of public who did not took part in these gamble stand to gain nothing, and thus should not lose anything on behalf of these greed driven losers. The more you rescue these losers the more emboldened they got to take risk on behalf of the public, and the less they will learn from their lessons.”
Simply Jean agrees:
“I don’t think the investors, especially the elderly ones deserved what they got. However, if a government financial institution steps in to demand for compensation, I think it sets a precedence which will not be good for anyone. The next time some investors lose some money, the same thing might happen again and they may demand for compensation for apparent ignorance.”


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Russia, U.S.: Sergei Elkin’s U.S. Election Cartoons · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Ukrainiana writes about Russian cartoonist Sergei Elkin and his cartoons on the U.S. presidential race.


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SketchPAN: World without Words · Global Voices
Leonard Chien

How do you express yourself online? Words, photos, clips, or paintings? It's been difficult for some of us to draw online, but now with SketchPAN, life will be easier. This website, originally in Korean, started in February 2008. English service is provided since August, and attracting users from the US, Japan, China, Vietnam, Brazil and many more. In the “world without words”, language is no longer a barrier for people around the globe. Users can not only create, respond and interact with others via drawings, but also learn how to draw with its recording function. We get a chance to talk to Bora Lee, Global Marketing Strategist of SketchPAN.
What is SketchPan?
With SketchPAN, we provide a platform and intuitive tools allowing users to create countless and unique contents distinctive from other texts, photos, and videos.
Our tools for drawing, animation and relay drawing help users to transcend the border of their imagination. Users will also meet new multi-playing drawing games soon.
Furthermore, our website enables people around the globe to share and communicate through their own visual creations with our unique social network service.
What's the motivation to start SketchPan at the beginning?
Yu Kim, the CEO and founder of SketchPAN felt empathy seeing great works of talented students becoming just one of school projects. He wanted to create a platform to help them express their creativity freely on the web, and share those works with friends around the world.
What are creative ways of using this service?
SketchPAN, “pan” meaning a board in Korean, provides following services: DrawingPAN, AnimationPAN, TogetherPAN, and ShopPAN. DrawingPAN records and replays drawing process. AnimationPAN lets users to create flipbook like animations easily. TogetherPAN allows collaboration artwork. ShopPAN provides pre-made background images. Finally, MyPAN is a personal page where users can keep track of friends’ works and image comments.
Did you have any unexpected experiences and applications from users?
Our initial target for the service was artists or people who were interested in art; however, during our testing, we saw kids and parents showing enormous interest in our service. Even now, a large percent of SketchPAN users are kids, who continuously create many unique and fun contents.
New and creative ways always exist. Educators, children, parents, students and many others are all expected to benefit from SketchPAN, but there are more possibilities. Welcome to move your mouse and start your private online drawing class today.

author: Leonard Chien


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Slovakia: The Most Famous Slovaks · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

The Foreigner's Guide to Living in Slovakia writes about the most famous Slovaks.


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Trinidad & Tobago: Book of the Week  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Caribbean lit-blog Antilles picks as its “Book of the Week” Ian McDonald's Selected Poems, which it describes as “a long-overdue survey of the career of one of the Caribbean's most admired writers.”


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Trinidad & Tobago: The Price of Progress · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Maximilian Forte, writing at Review of the Indigenous Caribbean Center, posts a video of Trinidadian calypsonian King Austin's song Progress, which he calls “a critique of the ideology and practice of progress, from the vantage points of environmental unsustainability, exploitation, inequality, and the resultant social strife.”


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Trinidad & Tobago, U.S.A.: Eye on the Prize  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Let’s compare politics with sports. You’re in the home stretch.  A smart athlete – a well-trained one – would keep his eyes on the prize and concentrate on running his own race. But what is McCain doing? Looking over at the other lane, more concerned about the competition than he is about raising the level of his own performance. Such a tactic loses races – athletic and presidential”: Blogging from Trinidad, Francomenz takes issue with McCain’s questioning of whether Barack Obama has what it takes to protect America.


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Ukraine: Inside St. Volodymyr’s Cathedral in Kyiv · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Olechko posts the most recent of her daily paintings: St. Volodymyr Cathedral in Kyiv.


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Argentina: We Media 2008 in Buenos Aires · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

The We Media conference was held for the first time in Latin America, when the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina played host on October 14-15, 2008.  The media thinktank iFOCOS has been organizing annual conferences in Miami, and together with the newspaper Clarín, the conference was brought to Argentina. Media executives, web entrepreneurs,and bloggers, among others gathered at the Latin American Art Museum of Buenos Aires (MALBA for its initials in Spanish) to hear a wide range of speakers on topics such as “Media and Blogs”, “Internet, Marketing and Society” and “Communication, New Generations and Online Communities.”
With the quantity of bloggers who were present in the auditorium as presenters and attendees, there was a wide and diverse coverage of the event.  The Buenos Aires newspaper Clarín published an article on their website called “Talking About We Media Buenos Aires [es],” which provided a good collection of blog and media links about the event. A blog post written by Martín of Botón de Inicio [es], who wrote “We Media from the Argentine twittosphere [es],” where he published many, and what he considers the best tweets from We Media.
Young people in the media was also a frequently mentioned topic, including the local photo-blogger (floggger) nicknamed La Cumbio [es], who was often referred to during the two-day event, as an example of attitude, ability and success.  The conference organizers invited her to the event, along with three other young bloggers to share information on how they use the internet and other social software.  José of E-true [es] in his post: Bonus We Media: Adolescents [es]wrote about the conclusions from the discussion:
-Son gente común con distintas características y que se identifican en un mundo virtual y en un mundo real a la vez. No es nada del otro mundo. Todos lo hacemos al ingresar en Internet.
-Los medios no los comprenden. Escriben cualquier cosa de sus formas de vivir. Y encima los categorizan mal. ¿Falta de interés o de información?
-No son fenónemos, no son “nosotros”, “ellos” o “personas comunes”, somos todos iguales, con distintas características.
En un evento en donde la mayoría pertencía a prestigiosas empresas de medios, agencias de publicidad, son bloggers o están interesados en el tiempo, los adolescentes demostraron que no son un fenómeno al cual tenerle miedo. Para nada.
-They are ordinary people with distinct characteristics and who identify with the virtual and real world at the same time.  It is nothing from another planet.  We all do this when we go online.
-The media doesn't understand them.  They write whatever whey want about their lifestyle.  On top of it, they categorize them incorrectly.  A lack of interest or a lack of information?
-They are not phenonmena, they are not “we’, “they,” or “ordinary people,” we are all the same, with different characterisitcs.
In an event, where the majority of people belonged to prestigious media companies, publicity agencies, bloggers or are interested in the topic, the teenagers demonstrated that they are not a phenomenon to be feared.  Not at all.
However, not all agree. Federico of Dotpod [es] writes:
es importante poner especial énfasis en algo concreto, ya que si bien el periodismo y los blogs son de alguna manera moneda corriente, algunos de los disertantes han llegado a menospreciar a la blogósfera y eso puede no ser tomado con buenos ojos. Tenembaum por ejemplo empezó hablando de los blogs y después los mezcó con la famosa flogger “Cumbio“, algo que a mí sinceramente me pareció degradante, amén de que ya parece un cliché hablar de esta mina xD.
It is important to put special emphasis on something concrete, as journalism and blog are something common, some of the speakers undervalued the blogosphere and that cannot be seen well.  Tenembaum, for example, started to talk about the blogs and then later mixed them with the famous flogger “Cumbio,” which to me, honestly, seemed a little degrading, and it appears to be cliché to talk about this girl xD.
Andrés from Unblogged [es] writes about the participation of Global Voices’ author from Argentina, Jorge Gobbi:
“Comunidades conectadas y multitudes organizadas” con Jorge Gobbi de Global Voices, Juan Cruz Mones Cazón de Idealistas.org y Paulien Osse de Wage Indicator Foundation. Cada uno de ellos estuvo contando sobre el proyecto en el que participan y sin duda Global Voices fue el que se llevó los premios, ya que la ronda de preguntas estuvo principalmente dedicada a Gobbi. Global Voices básicamente es una red de colaboradores de todo el mundo que toma información de blogs en cada país y la misma es publicada en distintos idiomas, también traducida por un grupo de traductores colaboradores de los distintos idiomas. En Argentina, Jorge es el único colaborador en la parte de escritura.
“Connected communities and organized crowds,” with Jorge Gobbi of Global Voices, Juan Cruz Mones Cazón of Idealistas.org and Paulien Osse of Wage Indicator Foundation.  Each one spoke about the projects in which they participate, and without a doubt, Global Voices took home the prizes, as the round of questions were primarily directed to Gobbi.  Global Voices is basically a network of collaborators around the world that takes information from blogs of each country that is published in different languages, and it is also translated by a group of collaborators from various languages.  In Argentina, Jorge is the only volunteer that writes articles.
For those interested, please see the article from Clarín, read comments on blogs, and see the photos from the event at the Flickr pool.


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Albania: “Sworn Virgins” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Balkan File links to a BBC story on “Albanian women who became men, not as transsexuals, but because the man of the house had died, leaving a mother alone with her daughters.”


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Bangladesh: Rickshawpuller as pop idol · Global Voices
Rezwan

Mark Dummett reports that Omar Ali, a rickshaw puller from an impoverished village became Bangladesh’s new music star.


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Bermuda: National Pride  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

FreshieBlog lists a number of reasons he is proud to be Bermudian.


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BOBs: Global Videobloggers Compete for Award Part 2 · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

Earlier this week we visited the videoblogs of some of the nominees for the BOBs, Deutsche Welle's Best of Blogs awards. On this second part, we'll see which other videobloggers from all over the globe are nominated and what your choices will be when you decide to vote for your favorite one!
Gina Tost is Ginantonic, a Spanish videoblogger, blogger and podcaster. She posts about her travels, life, has interviews with celebrities, and has been posting since 2004, when she started her blog in Catalan, a dialect spoken in Barcelona. On “Mi Primer Bicing” she records her first experience being part of the Barcelona Bicycle Network.Videoblog do Trajano is a soccer blog by sports journalist José Trajano from Brazil, where he makes his personal opinions better known.
From France, we have a poetic and artsy videoblog by Loiez Deniel, Poésie des désirs en désordre.  C'est la cri$e has an unnerving effect, showing dogs reacting to the filming visitor at the other side of the cage's bars, some cheerfully barking and wagging their tails, others pacing and growling inside small kennel cages at what could possibly be an animal shelter.
Also from France, Films 7 curates online video according to specific topics. For example, they currently have a section on Actresses Facing the Camera, where they have requested for other vloggers to send in their videos of women reading classic texts in front of a camera. In the following example, olivia_gotanegre reads a text:
The final nominee in the VideoBlog category for the BOBs is Marlene Duffy from Germany for Bottleplot, a website where she uploads her wine tasting videos and teaches a bit about the wine culture.
To vote for your favorite video blog, please head over to the BOB website.
By the way, we are happy to announce that Rising Voices, one of the spinnoff projects at Global Voices has also been nominated for the BOB in Best Weblog category. Please check it out and we hope you give us your vote!

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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Cambodia: Hero of the Year nominee · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Nuon Phymean from Cambodia is one of the nominees for the CNN Hero of the Year Award. She has helped a lot of children in Phnom Penh by providing free education and job training.


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China and U.S: World of Warcraft  · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

China Beat blogs an interview with UCI Professor of Informatics Bonnie Nardi on her research founding on WoW players in China and the U.S.


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China: Blog is Outdated? · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

The  4th Chinese Blogger Conference will be held November 15-16th, 2008, in Guangzhou, China.
However, in the past year, there is a continuing discussion in the Chinese blogosphere on whether blog culture is dying down. Moreover, recently bokee.com and blogchina.com, the two earliest BSPs founded by Fang dong-xing (nickname blogfather) in China, are at business crisis. Fang is looking for investing to transform the websites into multi-media community platform.
Back in July, Maitian, a rather active blogger declared that blogging is out-dated and he decided to shift to Social networking site for interacting with friends.
作为一个活跃的博客（Blog）作者，三年多以来，我一直坚持更新一个专业博客《麦田的读书生活》。在这份基本上保持每周更新的博客上，我一直以“自媒体”的模式，几乎全部文章都围绕互联网网站运营，尤其是社区和电子商务方面内容。这份博客给我带来了一些所谓“名声”和快乐，带来了非常高的访问量——但现在，我却在认真思考一个问题：是不是应该关了这个博客。
因为，博客（Blog）已经过时了。
Because blog is getting outdated.
Apart from the fact that most of the independent blogging platforms have been defeated by big internet company, like SINA, the blogger finds the interactive aspect of blogging cannot be competed with other tools, such as QQ.  However the greatest challenge is the emerging of SNS.
但我现在认为，以Facebook为代表的SNS的真正力量，是“博客终结者”——SNS应用在“自媒体”和“交互”两方面，都比博客应用更具有效率。博客完成了网民的“主体性”，SNS将完成网民的“主体间性”。
Apart writing this post, the blogger has stopped writing in his blog and moved to three other SNS. However, his article has been frequently quoted for explaining the recent business crisis for BSPs in China.
William long, another famous tech blogger, also refers back to the article to comment on the recent disappearing of many blog related services, such as BSP and RSS aggregation in China:
我们看到的现象是，BSP以及和博客相关的第三方服务正在一个接一个的消失，博客已经度过了其最辉煌的日子，正慢慢走向一个黑暗的未来，其最主要的原因，我看是因为这些博客第三方服务无法从中盈利。
为什么无法盈利呢？以内容建设的观点看，博客自身的内容质量应该比SNS、Twitter、DIGG等要高，流量也不算少，借助广告实现规模收入也是有 可能的，但是目前博客广告盈利的方式非常单一，基本上集中在Google AdSense上，这也导致了博客的盈利预期受到了Google的控制和影响。
Why can't they make a profit? The content quality of blog is better than SNS, Twitter and Digg, their traffics are high. They should be able to get income from Ads. However, at present, blogger's income is too narrowed. Basically, they depends on Google AdSense. Which means their profit is affected by Google.
Google一上来就收购或者开发了一大堆免费的博客工具如Google Reader、FeedBurner、Blogsearch等等，将这些第三方博客服务的盈利梦想彻底打破，使得类似FeedDemon的服务只好免费， 但市场份额依旧被Google Reader占领，从而导致第三方博客服务无法实现盈利，最终转向Google一家独大的局面。
However, he is more optimistic about the future of blog and disagreed that blog woud be replaced by SNS:
博客的特点就是个性化和开放性，其内容质量相对较高，而SNS相对来说较为封闭，特别是对搜索引擎封闭，这和博客的开放形成鲜明对比，SNS的封闭 性不利于信息的传播，一篇好文章难以在SNS中广泛传播，而目前国内SNS普遍都是复制美国Facebook的模式，这条路非死不可。依我看来，国内 SNS做的最好的是腾讯QQ，但你几乎找不到QQ和Facebook的任何一个相同点，更绝的是腾讯从来不说自己搞得是SNS。
The blogger concludes that the failure of BSP and other blog related services is not an end to blog, on the other hand, bloggers can build their own independent blogs.
Let's wait and see what the Chinese bloggers will say about this in the upcoming Chinese blogger conference.


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Corporations Agree to Standards for Internet Freedom · Global Voices
Ivan Sigal

The Global Network Initiative has been launched. The Initiative is a code of conduct for corporations on privacy and free speech created by a coalition of human rights, media development and research organizations, and Internet and communications companies such as Yahoo, Google, and Microsoft. Its goal: to ensure that ICT companies acknowledge their “responsibility to respect and protect the freedom of expression and privacy rights of their users.”
The Initiative was launched as a response to corporate participation in online censorship, especially in China. It took more than two years to craft, and much of that time was spent articulating a set of principles and devising mechanisms to encourage compliance acceptable both to human rights groups and to businesses.
Rebecca MacKinnon, one of Global Voices’ founders, participated in the working group, and writes in RConversation:
A few people have called me asking “does this thing have any teeth” or “is this thing more than just a figleaf for companies to get congress off their backs?
Organizations like Human Rights Watch, Human Rights in China, Human Rights First, and the Committee to Protect Journalists would not be putting their reputations behind this thing if they didn't think it was meaningful.
That said, the initiative must prove its value in the next couple of years by implementing a meaningful and sufficiently tough process by which companies’ adherence to the principles will be evaluated and benchmarked.
Leslie Harris of the Center for Democracy and Technology, one of the initiative’s conveners, writes on her blog PolicyBeta:
Not merely aspirational, the Initiative requires concrete commitments from participating companies to engage in a high level of corporate due diligence and risk management with respect to the demands they receive from government, and greater user transparency about the impact of those demands on freedom of expression and privacy, in all markets where they operate. Company fulfillment of these commitments will be evaluated through an independent and credible process for accountability.
The Chinese/English anti-censorship blog, GFW Blog provides a succinct summary, a list of quotes and from participants, and their contact information.
Not every organization involved ultimately signed on to the principles. Amnesty International and Reporters sans frontieres both stepped away from the process. RSF believes that the Initiative is a “step in the right direction” but lacks enforcement capacity, and lists their main concerns here. Amnesty UK's Internet repression page doesn't discuss their position, but it does have a video of Global Voices co-founder Ethan Zuckerman explaining online censorship.
Fundamentally, it seems that some organizations feel they can be better advocates if they don’t have to compromise on principles, while others believe that engagement and the creation of a process for dialogue leading to incremental change is more important.

author: Ivan Sigal


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D.R. of Congo: Blogging From the War Zone · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

The following are eye-witness accounts of bloggers based in the Eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo about the situation in the area following fresh clashes between rebels, government and UN forces.
The situation in Goma:
The situation is degrading fast.  There has been a lot of shooting in town until about 40 minutes ago.  Since then, there is silence.  You could hear a pin drop.  Rumours are rife, but there are some confirmed reports of CNDP rebels on the outskirts of town.  MONUC is evacuating their staff to Rwanda.
The Congolese army has totally given up:
It’s total chaos in Goma. I am being told, through various phone calls and text messages, that the army have now laid down their weapons at Kibumba, 12 miles north of Goma, and are fleeing the rebels. In other words they have totally given up.
Some of the soldiers are running/driving/zooming on motorbikes through town towards the west, Sake, and they are going past my house.
The governor of North Kivu has apparently also left town.
Now there is only the UN peacekeeping forces stopping Nkunda’s rebels from taking Goma.
There is lots and lots of speculation right now – and panic. I will keep you posted.
I just got back from the Ranger camp and was about to work with Innocent to report that we have found 3 more Rangers – which of course is fantastic news. One was severely beaten by the military and getting medical treatment, and the other 2 are exhausted – but at least we found them.
Jean Claude and his colleagues in Mount Thsiaberimu:
Hello this is Jean Claude. At the moment we are safe at Mount Thsiaberimu but we are very concerned about the security situation at Goma.
I am at Kyondo at the moment and rebels have started to walk around. I have asked all staff to be very careful.
This morning I spoke to my colleague Henry who is in Goma. He had an ok night but there is fighting between the rebels and the Congolese army at Kibumba, just 30km from Goma. Gorilla Organization staff are staying in their homes for now but are keeping a very close eye on situation and an evacuation plan is in place should they need it.
Some Gorilla Organization partners are based in Rutshuru (between Goma and Mt Tshiaberimu) which is now under control of the Nkunda’s rebels. We had contact with staff there yesterday but today we have lost contact. We think they may have fled towards Uganda for safety.
Readers reactions to Jean's post:
Christine C., on 29 Oct 2008
Jean Claude — my thoughts and prayers are with all of you…I know it is not much, but I suppose it is the best any of us can do from so far away. I hope to God that those who have the power, come to Congo’s aid very soon…It is horrifying to think about what the rebels have managed so far.
Virginia, on 29 Oct 2008
Jean Claude, I am very sorry to hear about this horrendous news. Please stay safe. I will be in Bukavu in 2 weeks time. Are you coming south?
Peter, on 29 Oct 2008
I have worked in Goma and East Kivu from 1994-1999 and know the region and its people well.
I am sorry you all had to go through this pain of civil war and unrest once again…!
Stay safe!
Annie, on 29 Oct 2008
Yes…..please stay safe……this is just terrible for all of you! I don’t want anything happening to any of you! You have all worked so hard!
The fighting in Rumangabo, a military base north of Goma:
“Fighting at Rumangabo started at 0400 today between the rebels of Laurent Nkunda and the army. It has now totally engulfed the park station and our Rangers have been forced to flee into the forests for their lives. The rebels now are the only occupants of the park station at Rumangabo. This has never happened before. This is a serious time. We need to get our 50+ Rangers back to safety in Goma, 45km south of Rumangabo. The main road is blocked because of the fighting so they are walking through the forests of the park south, to Kibumba, about 20km away, where we aim to pick them up in trucks. We are trying to maintain phone contact but they don’t have much battery life in their phones”.
Emmanuel has made an appeal on Gorilla.cd and any donations made here will go directly to support these rangers during these difficult times. I’ve spoken to some friends on the ground who say that the situation is extremely bad.
Here is a video account of the situation in Rumangabo:
I am back in Goma and to be honest too tired to explain our day in Rumangabo.
So I will let Balemba do the talking, in this video I filmed this morning
Viewers are reacting to the video:
lisah Says: 9
Oct
2008

I am speechless as well. Lisa
jean-claude S (France) Says: 9
Oct
2008

Balemba. I come to greet your courage and that which filmed these images. You make us live the war directly … and we are, even by far, very close with all these poor people frightened… without being able to act. I hope for only one thing for all, finally the peace… but it seems well far still. Thanks for your news. I hope to have good news of your sector quickly. My friendships with to all.
jessiewiseman Says: 9
Oct
2008

please go safely.
Balemba Says: 10
Oct
2008

Thanks Jean Claude. Actually,this is the unique way to break the silence.
Says: 10
Oct
2008

I’m on a computer with a very slow speed connection and was able to see your video, Pierre, but hear no sound – but who needs sound with images like these? They say it all… It is a great shame that your powerful images are not being shown all over the world. I know that I am far from impartial, but right now I can only ask: who cares about vice-presidential candidate Palin’s being the mother of five if all over Kivu women are mothers of five and they are running away from gunfire on dirt roads? Who deserves the headlines? The world’s attention? Who has a good plan on how to save Kivu’s children and will implement it? Bon courage to all and take care. Iris
“Insecurity, uncertainty and violence,” Samantha Newport reports:
I am in a different part of town to Emmanuel and I can hear the same shooting and the same silences. I am holed up at a UN compound with about 200 local and international staff.
Innocent is with his family in an area of town where the military are shooting and looting. Balemba is hiding under a bed in his house in Goma and Diddy is safe although I am not sure where he is.
It is impossible to know how the rangers at the camp are getting on as they are very exposed to pillaging and violence.
We continue to wait and see what is going to happen. But for now there is absolutely no way that anybody is exiting this compound. We need to remain together and stay safe.
Finally, read Elia‘s post, “Confusion Reigns in Goma.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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D.R. Congo: Confusion Reigns in Goma · Global Voices
Elia Varela Serra

Two months ago fighting resumed in the DR Congo's Eastern province of North Kivu between the rebel group led by Laurent Nkunda and government forces, in violation of a peace accord signed in January. As many as 250,000 people have been displaced since the violent conflict re-ignited in August, bringing the region's total displacement figure to over 2 million. Mobs of angry civilians have been attacking UN offices in Goma, North Kivu's provincial capital, infuriated that the UN hasn't been able to protect them.
Fred R. at Extra-Extra gives some background to understand the population's frustration:
… the task [of bringing peace and security by ending the plague of foreign armed groups and local militias] fell to cautious, over-stretched UN forces and a corrupt, inept national army barely that was composed of former warring factions. With the huge country split into myriad, inaccessible local enclaves, it was never going to be easy to resolve all the problems of corruption, mismanagement, inter-ethnic rivalries and power struggles. But the immediate post-election period offered a real window of opportunity for the new government to unite the country behind a clear vision and (with UN support) determined backing for the rule of law. They blew it.
Mark Leon Goldberg at the UN Dispatch comments on the population's frustration towards the UN:
Local's are understandably upset that the peacekeeping force had not done enough to stall the rebel advance. Protests outside the UN compound turned violent earlier this week as residents of Goma hurled rocks at the compound in frustration. Unfortunately, the peacekeeping mission cannot repel this attack without reinforcement.
It needs help. Fast.
Fred's post offers a detailed recent background on the situation in North Kivu. Michelle F. at the Stop Genocide blog offers a breakdown of the “alphabet soup of armed elements” in the DRC for those confused about the actors in this conflict:
-General Laurent Nkunda and his Congres National pour la Defense du Peuple (CNDP) claim to fight for the protection of the Congolese Tutsi population from the DRC's most uninvited and unwelcome guests,
-The Forces Democratiques de Liberation du Rwanda (FDLR), or Interahamwe, the perpetrators of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, who set up shop in the eastern DRC following their reign of terror in their own country. The FDLR's ranks now include a substantial number of Congolese recruits, including chidlren.
-The Forces Armées de la République Démocratique du Congo (FARDC), the Armed Forces of the DRC, past masters of doing everything a national army is not supposed to do, and
-MONUC, the United Nations Mission to the DRC, which, as Michael described, is currently under attack by civilians angered over the force's inability to offer protection. Refugees International describes MONUC's rock-and-a-hard-place here.
Four days ago the CNDP rebels seized a major military camp at Rumangabo as well as the headquarters of the 3,000 square mile (7,800 square kilometer) Virunga National Park that is home to 200 of the 700 endangered mountain gorillas in the world. The rebels have used the park as a base but had never seized its headquarters before. The director of the park, Emmanuel de Merode, wrote about the events on Sunday at the official Virunga Park blog:
Fighting [..] has now totally engulfed the park station and our Rangers have been forced to flee into the forests for their lives. The rebels now are the only occupants of the park station at Rumangabo. This has never happened before.
This is a serious time. We need to get our 50+ Rangers back to safety in Goma, 45km south of Rumangabo. The main road is blocked because of the fighting so they are walking through the forests of the park south, to Kibumba, about 20km away, where we aim to pick them up in trucks. We are trying to maintain phone contact but they don’t have much battery life in their phones.
Two days later, 12 of the 53 rangers that had to flee into the forest were rescued and brought to Goma. Innocent Mburanumwe described how tired, thirsty and hungry they were when the Goma team found them:
The Rangers started off on Sunday at 9am as a group of 14 – and also with 4 members of the military who were also fleeing the rebels. They walked through the park, often trying to emerge onto the road, but heard many bombs and mortars and so had to go back into the forest. With no water they tried licking rocks to quench their thirst, and also tried sucking up the moisture from the mud, by putting a piece of clothing between their mouth and the moist mud.
On Wednesday, a spokesperson of the CNDP announced a unilateral ceasefire, although the situation on the ground in Goma remains chaotic. As Kate Cronin-Furman from the blog Wronging Rights points out, “everyone seems to be preparing for war anyway, probably on account of Nkunda's previously-demonstrated questionable grasp of the word cease-fire.”
Samantha Newport writes about the confusion on the Virunga Park blog:
It’s total chaos in Goma. I am being told, through various phone calls and text messages, that the army have now laid down their weapons at Kibumba, 12 miles north of Goma, and are fleeing the rebels. In other words they have totally given up.
[..]
The governor of North Kivu has apparently also left town.
Now there is only the UN peacekeeping forces stopping Nkunda’s rebels from taking Goma.
There is lots and lots of speculation right now – and panic.
On another post at the Virunga Park blog, Emmanuel de Merode also writes about the confusion reigning in Goma:
Confusion is probably the only way to describe the situation. There is a lot of shooting in town, with some heavy weapons further away. Everyone is staying at home. There has been some looting, mainly armed men stealing cars and motorbikes. Laurent Nkunda made a statement on television and radio announcing a unilateral cease-fire, which is encouraging, but unfortunately does not translate into a peaceful evening.
We’ve suffered a barrage of rumours including the invasion of the Rwandan army, Angolan mercenaries coming in from the west, just about everything, none of which is terribly helpful.
This morning Samantha is giving another update on the situation, including a few photos from the compound where she's staying:
The CNDP rebels – Nkunda’s rebels – are in total control of Kiwanja and Rutshuru and have put in their own administration for the area. The national army, police and administators have all left – so a vast swathe of the province is now in CNDP control.
Innocent had an uncomfortable night. His neighbor’s house was looted by fleeing military. Fortunately Innocent, his wife and 5 kids are okay and they were not robbed.
Dawn Hurley, an American expat living in Goma, writes in her blog From Congo about the uncertainty and fear when night falls:
The night here can be a scary thing. During the day, life seems tenable in Goma. But night falls around 6:30 here and from then until morning everyone is on their own. Most people don't have cars, so they can't go anywhere after dark. And these days, even driving around in a car at night isn't recommended. Most people don't have power, so they are often sitting in small shacks with their families, praying for the best, listening to shots echo through town, and waiting for daylight. There is no 911 to call if you have a problem. At best people call their friends, who have little to offer, other than a voice on the other end of the line.
Colette Braeckman, a Belgian journalist and author of several books on Central Africa, reproduces in her blog [Fr] the account of Dunia Ruyenzi, a human rights activist in Goma:
Nous avons passé la nuit enfermés, des coups de feu retentissaient partout. On parlait de militaires congolais mais il y avait aussi, j’en suis sûr, des infiltrés envoyés par Nkunda afin d’accentuer la panique. Certains étaient aussi là pour chercher l’argent et ils ont tué trois personnes. Ils intimident aussi la MONUC et tirent sur ses avions. Malgré cela l’aéroport n’est pas pris et les appareils peuvent se poser. Les prisons débordent de gens qui ont été arrêtées par la police et l’armée. Nous essayons de faire la liste des prisonniers, de les retrouver dans les cachots. Les soldats gouvernementaux n’ont pas tous fui, certains se battent encore du côté de Rutshuru…
In the latest update from the Virunga Park blog, at 10 in the evening, Emmanuel writes:
There is a bit of sporadic firing in the streets but it is much less intense than yesterday. The tension is beginning to diminish. Tomorrow, the US Assistant Secretary of State for Africa is supposed to be coming to Goma to help with the negotiations. Louis Michel, the European Commissioner for International Development is in Kinshasa and the Belgian Foreign Minister Carol de Gujt, is supposed to arrive in Kigali. Let’s hope…
Two weeks ago the journalist Jina Moore, formerly based in Rwanda and who covered the DR Congo as well, wrote on her blog News from Central Africa:
I finally understand that thing I’ve read about in books, where hardened correspondents talk about the desperation they feel to return to the completely screwed places they’ve covered when things take a turn for the worse. It means something different when you know how that place looks in real life, and something gnaws at your gut, beckoning you back.

author: Elia Varela Serra


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Frightful Facts or Fantastical Fictions? · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

This third part of the “Lore, ghosts, demons and frights” series has arrived, and we are looking this time a bit beyond the Latin American borders. With this last installment, we seek out the Chupacabras, stick our heads into Vodou rites, observe examples of exorcism and inquire after a cannibal murderer who has become a Venezuelan legend. Some images may be shocking, if you think you might object to their content or believe you may be disturbed by them, please don't click to view them.
The Chupacabras has been making its rounds for the past 15 years in Latin America. The Spanish word translates into “goat sucker” and this modern cryptid is believed to be part bat, part human, part kangaroo and a greater part of scary. A quick search for “chupacabras” on YouTube will take you to dozens of videos allegedly featuring the chimeric beast: however, when the likeliest video proves to  be a viral campaign for blue-jeans, according to Little Green Martian's blog [es], not much credibility can be given to this creature which has appeared not only throughout America, but has also jumped over to Russia and the African continent.
Voodoo (or Vodou) is the official religion in Benin, Africa, and is one of the most important religions in the Caribbean Island of Haiti as well. And when you speak of Voodoo, most people will immediately think of Zombies. Zombies are argued to be people drugged with a special powder which stops their vital organs and brings them into a comatose state unrecognizable from death, however, when the voodoo priest or priestess digs them up and rescues them from their grave, they are able to bring them back to life and have them do their bidding as mindless slaves. On this partial video by the Greek Exandas production group, the lore around zombies is disclosed by voodoo priests and the common folk. This other video is composed of photographs of voodoo rites that take place in Brooklyn, New York with members from the community who get possessed by the different spirits. The images were taken by photographer Stephanie Keith during 10 different ceremonies and is narrated by her as well.
Exorcism is another one of those topics that some people consider fantasy while others defend as fact. A recent movie on exorcism was based on the life of Anneliese Michel in Germany, who died by what were considered side effects from demonic possession. The following video features the audio from what is supposed to be the exorcism sessions she was submitted to and has images of how she looked during the period it is stated that she was possessed.
Exorcism exists in many different religions, although the one mostly featured in Hollywood movies is the Catholic rites of exorcism. In the following video, we see what YouTube user Dimag3 considers to be an Islamic exorcism rite taking place in Brunei.
And now, from the creepiest more physical realm, a serial murderer who ate the corpses of his victims in Venezuela has become a pop-culture phenomenon, inciting the creation of a song, in the traditional Venezuelan rhythm joropo tuyero with Electronic beats mixed into it, which you can hear on this page , fake myspace profile with forty-nine friends as well as a youtube video [es] with interviews and clips from other media sources where he appears pronouncing his most infamous quote “I am not crazy, I just want to eat people”.
For more Ghosts, ghouls, myths and legends from all over the world,  please visit our Special Coverage page.


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Georgia: McCain Endorsement · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Ahead of next week's presidential election in the United States, This Is Tbilisi Calling says that while most people would prefer a Obama victory, Georgia is firmly behind McCain and posts a photograph of the country's Minister for Refugees to prove it.


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India: World Champion in Chess · Global Voices
Rezwan

Baithak reports that the Indian master chess player Viswanathan Anand retained his FIDE World Chess Championship title in 2008.

author: Rezwan


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Indonesia: Parliament approves anti-porn law · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Indonesia now has an anti-porn law which critics say will curtail freedom of speech and traditional practices. Via Twitter, Aulia comments: “If only people would read the entire ‘porn’ law and understand its full consequences.”

author: Mong Palatino


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Japan: Response to Obama “Put down the Wii Remote” Ad · Global Voices
Chris Salzberg

Comments from Japanese net users respond [ja] to an ad by U.S. presidential nominee Obama in which viewers are told to “put down the remote and go vote“. “Why Wii?” one asks. Another writes: “Anti-Japan policies before even becoming president?” And one person wonders: “Does Obama despise Japan?”


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Japan: Spam mail from a chimpanzee · Global Voices
Chris Salzberg

id:crystaline reports [ja] that she discovered a spam mail with the title: “It might seem unbelievable, but I am a chimpanzee”. The ‘chimp’ explains: “At first, I thought I was a human. Like the other humans around me. However, I acquired knowledge, and realized that I was different. And I now know that I am a chimpanzee.” The email continues: “You and I are very similar: among chimpanzees, I myself am close to humans, and you are human but resemble a chimpanzee. This is a big part of the reason I was attracted to you.” The message ends with a link to a website where you can apparently chat with the chimpanzee on live video.


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Japan: Thoughts on Itochu trading scam · Global Voices
Chris Salzberg

On October 10th, Itochu Corporation announced that it had paid close to one hundred billion yen in false transactions to Mongolian suppliers for construction machinery and materials. The company started business in 1999 purchasing heavy machinery from a Mongolian supplier and selling it to a local natural resources company, but within one year, when the resources company could not afford to pay, an employee at Itochu began falsifying the transactions in order to make it look as though business was expanding.
A person claiming to be a chartered accountant started a blog entitled Kaikeikansa [会計腐蝕列島] in September, offering views on what is happening in the current financial crisis and at Itochu in particular. In the blogger's first entry, posted on September 14th, they explain:
最近遅ればせながら、会計や監査、内部統制という点で、いろいろと考えることが多くなってきました。これから、その内容を少しずつ書いてみようと思います。たまに脱線することがあると思いますが、ご容赦願います。
In a later entry titled “What happens when business performance drops?“, the blogger writes on September 29th (still before the Itochu story was reported):
会社の業績が悪くなると、経営者には、いろいろな負のインセンティブが芽生えます。このことは、ちょっと想像すればわかると思います。人間は、自分が不利な状況に置かれたとき、その状況から何とかして脱しようとするわけですが、そのとき、必ずしも正当な手段だけを用いるとは限らないわけです。それが人間というものです。
まさに、子供の嘘のようなものです。まともに財務諸表を作ったら、だれの目にもひどい状態なのが明らかになってしまう。倒産するんじゃないか、と思われたら終わりだ。だったら、この状況を隠してしまえばいい。そのうち回復するから、そのときまで持ちこたえれば大丈夫だ。おそらくそんな発想でしょう。
[…]
問題は、そういう状況で粉飾があったとき、監査人は何をしていたか、です。表向きは無風の会社が突然倒産し、蓋を開けてみたら実は債務超過だった、なんてこともあるわけです。ホントに、一体何やってたんでしょうね。本当に、見逃していたんでしょうか。そうは思いたくないのですが。
On October 11th, a day after the Itochu story broke, the blogger wrote in part one of a two-part series on the topic:
だいぶ脱線しました。で、クビになった担当課長は何をやったのか、というと、カラ仕入とカラ売りです。商品の受け渡しはなかったにもかかわらず、仕入先から仕入したものとして支払いを起こし、その資金を得意先に迂回させた、ということのようです。最初は真っ当に商売をしていたのですが、得意先が資金難に陥って支払いが滞るようになってきてしまった。そこで、得意先を一時的に支援して、取引を継続してもらおう、そういう意図のようで、報道によれば元課長は、「取引を広めようと便宜を図った」と言っているようなのです。この売上に見せかけた貸付は、実に8 年間にわたって行われ、貸付総額は1,000億円近くに上るとのことです。
In part two, the blogger remarks:
いっぺん隠しはじめると、だいたいは足抜けできなくなってしまうものです。そして麻痺してゆくのです。見つからなければ永遠にやり続けたことでしょう。それは人間心理として仕方がないと思います。やはり、最初の入り口。損失額が大したことがない段階で、隠すとろくなことがない、と思わせる雰囲気や仕組みが会社にあるか。内部統制の本質はそういうところにあるのですが、最近の議論は、なんとなく枝葉末節にこだわりすぎているような気がします。
The blogger then goes into detail explaining what was involved in the transactions scam, concluding in the final lines of the post:
こうしてみると、この不正を実行するのは、かなり高いハードルをクリアしなければならないことがわかると思います。私なんかは、もうそれだけで、正直に訳を話して損切りするか融資に切り替えるか、上司に決断させますけど。そうしないと、自分の首が飛びかねませんよね。この課長に何があったのでしょうね。
Thanks to Akitoshi Abe for the suggestion to translate these posts.