Archive for
August 3rd, 2006


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Peru: Fiestas Patrias 

a small portrait of this author Juan Arellano · 17:54

Este artículo también está disponible en español.

The National Holidays (”fiestas patrias”) have passed and, with a new ruling government at the helm, let's briefly look at what some of Peru's bloggers have to tell us:

Jose Alejandro Godoy, in his blog Desde el Tercer Piso (”From the Third Floor”) reflects about the “militarization” that is the participation of the schools in the patriotic holidays. The post is titled “¿A PASO DE GANSO?” (”Playing the Fool?”) and, among other things, says: “Marching doesn't make us better citizens, it doesn't give us better civic manners, nor does it give us tools to better exercise our rights, and even less does it make us love la Patria.” There are good comments on the post as well.

The veteran journalist Manuel Jesús Orbegozo puts forth some opinions in his own unique style in the post “The Kitschy Peru” (”El Peru Huachafo”), which is basically about two recent incidents that have been on the front pages of all of Lima's dailies: the case of the dog Lay Fun who killed a thief and the swearing-in of the new representatives. Each one, in its particular way, shows the prevailing kitschiness of our society, according to Don Manuel.

Relating to international politics, the health of Fidel Castro couldn't help but receive bloggers' attention and El Bulldog Risueño (”the Smiling Bulldog”), contributor of La Bitácora del Acertijo Cretino (”The Journal of Cretin Riddle”) makes note of the unsuspected repercussions with his post “Fidel no esta muerto, solo de parranda” (”Fidel is not dead, just out and about”). [A clever pun based on the lyrics of a popular song.]

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Ethiopian blogs focus on Somali tension 

a small portrait of this author Andrew Heavens · 13:16

Ethiopia’s bloggers kept a nervous eye on their country’s southern border with Somalia over the past two weeks as rumblings of renewed conflict got ever louder.

The growing tension received next to no coverage in the mainstream media who focused most of their international coverage on southern Lebanon.

But the bloggers were there to fill up the vacuum.

Many of them realised that their readers would know next to nothing about the complex relationship between Ethiopia and Somalia. So they filled the knowledge gap with briefings and background articles.

Ethiopundit provided the most colourful summary in Meles's Not So Excellent Adventure [Meles Zenawi is Ethiopia's prime minister]:

Where to start … where to start …. OK, the Usual Suspect Clan Warlords (USCW) lost a battle for control of Mogadishu [Somalia's capital] and eventually most of the region to the New Jack Islamist Warlords (NJIW) that we certainly had never heard of. Not only that, but the US was allegedly helping the USCW and Ethiopia definitely was helping them. Oh, and Eritrea was aggressively arming the NJIW in a bid to outflank Meles Inc (actually at this point it seems, just to mess with Ethiopia for hell of it)…

According to the USCW, Eritrea was joined by Egypt and Saudi Arabia in aiding the NJIW and according to many others the latter had some rather unsavory connections to international terror. As the USCW were being chased across the region, the UN backed (alert the media!), Ethiopian supported, For Real Somali Government in Internal Exile (FRSGIE) welcomed Ethiopian troops sent by Meles Inc. into Baidoia (the FRSGIE capital) and environs.

Meles Inc., however, denied it was attempting any hostile takeovers at all. The FRSGIE said that it was all a mistake due to Ethiopian donated uniforms on its own soldiers while Meles Inc. denied the whole thing with the same straight face it used to deny everything from blocking blogs onto keeping 70 million hostages. A few tame reporters claimed to see nothing but there could have been a legion of Galactic Storm Troopers straight from the Clone Wars right next door for all they were allowed to see.

My Heart's in Accra provided a slightly drier run-through of the key facts in Some background on the likely forthcoming conflict in Somalia.

After the briefings came the commentary.

Enset called on Ethiopia and the international community to recognise that the newly resurgent Islamic movement in Somalia could actually be seen as a stablising force. But in Neighboring Somalia In The Spotlight he warned:

unless cooler heads prevail in Mogadishu and Baidoa [the headquarters of Somalia's provisional government], there a real possibility that a full-fledged war might break out … and this does not bode well for peace in Somalia and the Horn of Africa region.

Redeem Ethiopia worried about the religious faultlines that it saw opening up in ‘I told you so':

There is a striking similarity between Israel’s invasion in Lebanon and Ethiopia’s invasion in Somalia. There are also differences. The Islamic Courts Union did not kidnap Ethiopian soldiers. They actually have not shot any rockets to Ethiopian territory. They are just not the ones Ethiopia allied with.

The similarity is that the United States of America is using both aggressors. And it is turning a blind eye towards the misery that is created.

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China: Two tales of a boy's death 

a small portrait of this author John Kennedy · 08:41

On July 16, well-known and outspoken political commentary writer Liao Zusheng's (廖祖笙) son Liao Mengjun (廖梦君) is surreptitiously called from summer vacation back to his school to pick up his junior high graduation certificate and, according to one account, within minutes after arriving is found dead on the pavement next to the school wall. An early local newspaper reported the boy had jumped to his death from the sixth floor after being caught rifling through a teacher's desk.

Immediately suspecting foul play, Zusheng turned to his already well-read blog—with readership jumping to forty thousand overnight—with a series of posts claiming a history of abuse and blackmail during his son's time at the school. Although police later admitted the boy's fingerprints could not be found near or in the desk, they did allegedly find a message written on the classroom floor by the boy in his own blood naming one of the senior school administrators: “Murderer xx Chen, I hate you to death.” [zh]

Despite alleged injuries, details and eyewitness accounts suggesting otherwise and after refusing all requests to make public the coroner's report, the police report listed the cause of death as suicide, and named Zusheng, who refused to sign it, as a suspect. Did hired thugs throw sixteen-year old Mengjun down from the sixth floor of the school? Or did the son jump himself after being caught sneaking through a teacher's desk? Will the truth ever be known? The two opposing stories may be all that the public ever have to go by as on the following day all regional media were ordered not to report on the incident.

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Death of a student leader in prison & Lebanon 

This author has no photo Farid Pouya · 04:09
lingua → zht · zhs

Akbar Mohammadi, an Iranian student leader has died in jail while he was on a hunger strike. Akbar Mohammadi was first arrested in 1999 after clashes between the security forces and students at Tehran University. According to news Mohammadi’s parents got arrested as soon as they came to Iran. Many bloggers were shocked about this news and share their thoughts and feelings in different ways, from writing to draw cartoon, in their blogs.

Eternal Freedom

Nikahang a leading cartoonist & blogger published a cartoon in remembrance of Mohammadi in his blog and Roozonline.

From Zahra Kazemi to Akbar Mohammadi

Several bloggers compared Akbar Mohammadi's death to Zahra Kazemi's, Canadian-Iranian photojournalist who died in a very suspicous circumstances in prison, death. Jomhour reminds us the similarities between Zahra Kazemi’s, Iranian Canadian photographer and journalist who died in prison, and Akbar Mohammadi’s death. The blogger says Mohammadi’s body was buried without any approval from his family or lawyer. The blogger adds parents were arrested by authorities to avoid any demonstration or protest. Jomhour says authorities should answer why they refused Mohammadi’s body to be examined by independent doctors [Fa]. He adds we remember in which circumstances Zahra Kazemi, photographer and journalist who died in prison, was buried. We are going to forget his death even sooner than Zahra Kazemi’s death. The blogger writes

Akbar Mohammdi’s lawyer declared his death suspicious and said until the revelation of truth; the body should not be buried. Akbar’s father before his son’s death and when he was on hunger strike to protest against his arrest said his son had been tortured.

Hanif Mazroi says if four years ago authorities had punished Zahra Kazemi’s murderer we won’t face anymore such horrible events. Mazroi adds as soon as Iranian public opinion becomes busy with international affairs, they do what they want with Iranian youth [Fa].

Fm Sokhan says we are not going to forgive or forget people who did this crime [Fa]. The blogger has published a photo of Mohammadi which is taken by Kosoof, a leading photo blogger.

Indifference

Roozmaregiha says so called reformist leaders talk about human rights violation in Lebanon and they worry about political prisoners in that land but they say nothing about Iran [Fa]. The blogger adds none of reformers mentioned Mohammadi’s name. Akbar Mohammdi had been a prisoner for eight years in reformist period. Akbar Ganji and dozens of other political prisoners are from the same period. The blogger adds

Now Akbar Mohammadi is not alive anymore and talking about who is the responsible of his death is not that important. The important thing is that he died in Evin prison while he was on huger strike…Human rights are not a defined concept here. Everybody has his/her own definition.

Mikhak says nothing will happen after this tragedy. The blogger thinks Lebanon news and UN warning to Iran to stop uranium enrichment took the front scene in media [Fa].

Iranpaprazi says that he did not know Mohammadi and his ideological background but it is really unjust to take somebody alive and give him back dead. All these authorities’ declarations to show that they are innocent and it was Akbar Mohammadi’s fault are really disgusting [Fa].

Mohammadi’s tragedy has not been the only tragedy that Iranian bloggers to talk about. Lebanon war and tragedy has been discussed in some blogs too.

Government & volunteer studnets

Ansar Qods says Iranian government ordered to stop volunteer students who want to go fighting in Lebanon in Iran-Turkey borders. The blog says even some get beaten up by security forces. It seems negotiation goes on with Iranian government to let these volunteers who have passports to pass borders [Fa].

Hojreh, a cleric blogger, reports some Iranian students who are volunteers to go to Lebanon will get permission from Makou's authorities to pass Iran-Turkey borders. Mean time the blogger says Turkey announced all will be arrested as soon as they put their foot in Turkey [Fa].

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