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September 3rd, 2007
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Free Speech Roundup: Tunisia, Egypt, China, Thailand 
· 22:11
In this Roundup:
(1) France-based video sharing site Dailymotion has been blocked, again, in Tunisia. (2) Egyptian blogger Abdel Monem Mahmoud, who has been released in June 2007 is facing detention threats. (3) In China people who are using China Telecom are unable to access FeedBurner feeds. (4) And Thailand lifted its ban on YouTube but Veoh and MetaCafe still blocked.
Dailymotion in Tunisia blocked-unblocked-blocked again
The fake “404″ error message received today when trying to access Dailymotion.
Dailymotion, France's YouTube-like video sharing site has been blocked, again, in Tunisia. Still unclear if the government-controlled body, ATI (Agence Tunisienne d’Internet), through whom all Tunisia’s ISPs operate, is behind the ban.
On April 1st, 2007, Dailymotion was blocked in Tunisia for almost a week. Citizen Lab’s technical research director, Nart Villeneuve, who has been following the case, concluded that Dailymotion has most likely been blocked because it has been categorized by SmartFilter - the filtering software produced by Secure Computing, a US-based company, and used by Tunisia - as pornography: “It was blocked because SmartFilter categorized the web site as pornography, and, since Tunisia blocks the pornography category the web site was blocked. Some time between April 4, 2007 and April 9, 2007 SmartFilter removed dailymotion.com from the pornography category.”
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has condemned the Tunisian authorities' blocking of access to Dailymotion. “The blocking of the www.dailymotion.com site may have been prompted by the posting of a number of videos on the political situation in Tunisia” said the organization in its statement issued on April 3, 2007.
On April 6th, 2007, following the ban on Dailymotion, Tunisian bloggers and activists have launched the “Unblock Dailymotion” campaign “in order to highlight the unfair ban and to draw the public attention to the aggressive censorship prevailing in the country.”
Egyptian blogger Monem threatened again
Egyptian blogger and journalist Abdel Monem Mahmoud, who was released in June 2007 after 46 days' imprisonment in Southern Cairo Torah prison, is “facing detention threats [again]. Both as part of the State’s cleansing of political activists from the Egyptian scene and also for reporting on torture,” Nora Younis wrote.
In a blog post published today, Monem wrote that the officer Atef el-Hosseiny - who tortured him for 13 days in Nasr City state security headquarters in 2003 - together with Ahmed Moussa, an al-Ahram journalist close to the security services, are orchestrating a campaign against him and organising for his re-arrest.
According to Monem, the al-Ahram journalist has published information obtained from police reports, apparently filed by el- Hosseiny. The journalist is accusing blogger Monem of being the Muslim Brotherhood’s delegate to infiltrate the independent al-Dostour newspaper. Monem is also being accused of publishing false information and using digital video cameras and cell phone cameras in his campaign against torture.
Tow weeks ago, on August 16, 2007, Monem published a very shoking video of Mohamed Mamdouh, a 12-year-old child who died as a result from being tortured at Al Mansoura’s Police Station, where he was held for stealing two packets of tea from a local shop.
China Telecom blocks FeedBurner RSS feeds
It has been reported that people who are using China Telecom are unable to access FeedBurner feeds. FeedBurner, which has been acquired by Google Inc since June, 2007, is the leading provider of RSS feeds, powering hundreds of thousands of blog, podcast and news feeds (August 27, 2007: Feedburner is feeding 535,003 publishers who've burned 913,490 feeds).
Moon-Blog, who has done a traceroute from China to check the block, found that the traceroute failed at the backbone level in China, blocked by 202.97.33.110 IP. “This IP address is a main router of China Telcom. It’s confirm that the Greate FireWall’s IP blocking works,” he said, adding that “because Feedburner provides content from countless websites. It could conceivably carry some information the Chinese authorities think it shouldn’t. So they try to blocks it.”
“This goes beyond blocking blog services like TypePad and is important to watch. This might be a sign of bigger trouble for RSS in China,” wrote Steve Rubel, the author of Micro Persuasion.
RSS and news aggregators, like FeedBurner, Google Reader and Bloglines allow Internet users to subscribe and view content from specified sources. In countries engaged in Internet filtering, RSS aggregators are being used to bypass filters and access content published on blocked websites.
Thailand: Ban on YouTube lifted; Veoh and MetaCafe blocked
The Thai Information and Communications Technology Ministry has lifted the ban on YouTube.com, Bangkok Pundit reported today.
According to The Nation, the Thai government lifted its ban on YouTube after a deal was made between the video-sharing site and local Thai officials.
YouTube “agreed to block any video clips deemed offensive to Thai people or those that violate Thai law.”YouTube, which is owned by Google Inc, was blocked on April 4th, 2007 following the appearance on the site of material critical of the country’s revered monarch: King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Thailand’s ICT Minister, Dr Sitthichai Pookaiyaudom, declared to the Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SAPA) “When they decide to withdraw the clip, we will withdraw the ban.”
However, two YouTube-like video sharing sites, Veoh and Metacafe have been banned, according to Asia Sentinel:
5 comments · »»Veoh, a site similar to YouTube, was blocked earlier this month after a user posted a risque personal video purportedly of the Thai Royal Family. ICT Minister Sitthichai Pookaiyaudom has said that YouTube would be unblocked once Thailand’s internet service providers (ISPs) have installed cache engines that allow officials to block individual URLs instead of entire websites. Supposedly this was going to happen a month ago, but still today visitors get this Thai-language message when clicking on YouTube, Veoh or Metacafe: “Sorry [state telecom company] TOT as an organization of Thailand has seized the connection of this website due to certain content, messages and images that are inappropriate that have had a tremendous impact on the hearts of Thai people.”
Lebanon: Army Ends “Fateh el Islam”
· 18:36
The siege of Nahr el Bared refugee camp is finally over. The Lebanese Army ended the warfare with the so called “Fateh el Islam” militants after 105 days by killing and capturing its remaining members. It is reported that among the dead is their leader Shaker el Absi. Thousands of Lebanese took to the streets, around the country and especially in the North, to celebrate the army’s victory. It should be noted that the original inhabitants of this refugee camp, around 30,000 Palestinian, were mostly evacuated during the early days of the siege. The militants/terrorists had taken refuge and built bases in the refugee camp before ambushing and killing a number of Lebanese soldiers. Details were mentioned in previous posts at Global Voices. The end of the clashes was the subject for many blog posts. Here are a few of them:
Harryzzz went to the North of Lebanon to check out the celebrations that were taking place in the streets near the camps. He posted many photos and mentioned the shootings taking place because of the jubilation:
And Lebanon wouldn't be Lebanon if many civilians didn't run around with their private Kalashnikovs. Sooooo much shooting going on. This time not because of war, but because of celebrations. Man, my ears still hurt from all this firing in the air. That, by the way, doesn't only proof that the mainly Sunni population in Tripoli knows how to throw a party, it also shows that Shi'a Lebanese aren't the only ones owning guns in this country.
Jamal’s Propaganda looks (sarcastically) at how opposing political parties will be using the army’s successful campaign to continue their “childish” bickering:
Finally, the military operations stage of the Naher El Bared ordeal is finally over. The politicians are all calling for uncovering the truth behind Fatah El Islam as they all think it will provide them with ammo against their foes. Of course, nothing will come out of these calls as we are in Lebanon where investigations are avoided because they endanger national unity. The only way we can find out who really was behind the funding and nurturing of Fatah El Islam is to resort to Maury Povich. Here I’m picturing Saad, 34, high-fiving the audience and being held back from Wiam, 40 some: “Told you @#$%^ I ain’t their @#$%^ sugar daddy, HO, HO, you @#%%# @$%#^ HO!!”
The army’s victory came at a heavy price according to Ibn Bint Jbeil, namely the death and destruction of the homes of thousands among other things. He also raises the question about who was behind this group which he calls “Fath el Shaytan” which is Arabic for “Fath of the devil”:
The victory of the Lebanese army over the thugs in the Nahr elBared Refugee camp is being celebrated as the most wonderful of victories, because it is seen as a victory that has united the Lebanese. It seems that this victory has brought to the Lebanese and to the Lebanese army a much need boost of confidence and pride. But at what price?
The Devastation of Nahr elBared can only be described as “shock and awe” that makes the hyper-militarist George Bush & Israeli Army look like schoolyard bullies. Some Lebanese would say that it is un-Lebanese or un-patriotic to complain about the destruction, that the army had to do what it had to do. While it was necessary to deal with Fath-el-Shaytan, it was not necessary to destroy the homes of thousands. It is peculiar that the army was cornered into this fight while the truth about the origins of Fath-el-Shaytan and their backers remains undisclosed.
Marxist from Lebanon has articles and updates about the last minutes of the conflict and about the organization of the leader of Fateh el Islam.
Blacksmiths of Lebanon posted two videos of the Nahr el Bared camp today and the celebrations in the streets.
The Nahr el Bared refugee camp will be rebuilt as promised by Prime Minister Fouad Saniora. But Abu Moqawama sees problems on the way to the rebuilding of the camp considering that part of it was built on private land:
The interesting thing now will be how — or if — they rebuild. First off, a lot of what is called “New” Nahr al-Bared was basically built on private land by squatters. Whenever things get destroyed in Lebanon, age-old property deeds start coming out. Abu Muqawama's guess is that none of that sprawl around the camp is getting rebuilt anytime soon.
The camp proper is another matter. Abu Muqawama wonders what's going to happen there. It's basically Stalingrad at the moment. Will the Lebanese government rebuild? If not them, who? Abu Muqawama is thinking of tens of thousands of homeless Palestinians at the moment — with the Lebanese winter three months away. Pity them.
SMS service on mobile phones was used to spread updates of the news as it happened according to Lebanon Update:
The SMS alerts were telling in this respect: first, on Sunday at 9:57 AM a message came through saying that the terrorists were escaping the camp. Later, at 5:27 PM, an SMS stated that the Lebanese army has taken full control of the camp…
And finally Body on the Line reviews what the international and local press had to say about the end of the hostilities.
1 comment · »»Maldives: Inhumane Treatment of Migrant Workers
· 17:12
The Maldivian government was able to prevent Bangladeshi migrant workers' community in the capital Malé from holding a demonstration on Friday, by using the threat of deportation. The Bangladeshi community, consisting of mainly unskilled workers, was trying to protest against the rise of xenophobia in the Maldives, and increasing attacks targeted at Bangladeshis.
In August organized gangs in Malé repeatedly attacked some Bangladeshi workers in their living quarters while in the northern island of Kulhudhuffushi a male worker was castrated and brutally murdered. Police claim that the murder was sexually motivated and has arrested a fellow Bangladeshi worker of the victim. In two separate incidents two Bangladeshi workers were found chained in two houses in Malé. One of them was chained to a tree.
The Bangladeshi High Commissioner to Maldives was so alarmed by the developments that he cautioned that he might have to pull out Bangladeshi workers from the Maldives.
Malé, which is a small island of about two square kilometers, has a population of over 30,000 migrant workers. Most of them come from the neighbouring countries of Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh. Majority of them are unskilled workers, who find the wage of US$100 attractive enough to work in the Maldives. In most cases families back home are dependent on the income the workers earn.
The high population of Malé and the scarcity of land have created a high demand for housing. It has also made rent in Malé comparatively one of the highest in the world. A construction boom during the last 15 years had created a high demand for migrant workers.
While there are several foreign professional workers such as doctors, accountants and teachers, the increase in xenophobia is mainly directed towards unskilled workers. Recently there was a report of attacks against foreign workers in the country’s tourist resorts, self-contained islands where Europeans spend their holidays, ignorant of what happens in this ‘paradise’.
The increase in xenophobia could also be related to the rise in organized crime and the proliferation of gangs in Malé. A large percentage of youth in the Maldives are brown sugar addicts.
Apart from the rise of xenophobia, an issue of equal concern is how the foreign workers are treated by their employees. Normally migrant workers work long hours while they are offered a very low wage. In most cases, their accommodation is pathetic as well. It is hardly surprising as the Maldives does not have a labour law and even the Maldivian workers are not enjoying workers’ rights. There is no minimum wage.
The inhumane treatment of the foreign workers in Maldives had been documented in the past. However, the problems persist. The cruel treatment of South Asian migrant workers in the Persian Gulf region has been publicised by international human rights organisations. However, few people outside Maldives are aware that South Asian migrant workers are subjected to inhumane treatment in another South Asian country.
Blogger Jaa criticizes the Maldivian society for the increase in xenophobia and details the extent of the inhumane treatment of expatriate workers.
We (supposedly) once were a tolerant country, welcoming all sorts of people and treated them with due respect. But things have changed and for the worse. Notions of equality and humanity has been devalued to such an extent that xenophobia seems almost universal in the country and racism is building up like never before. As such, mistreatment of and disrespect for expats is a truth many are well aware of. People often treat the many unskilled/semi-skilled workers as “subhuman”. I might be tempted to go as far as summarising the prevalent attitude as being a combination of viewing workers as non-tiring machines, incapable and devoid of emotion and feelings and their lives worth no more than a pet cat! They are given accommodation in tiny enclosures made of tin roofing and little ventilation with more workers packed into such places than sardines in a box. They are harassed on the streets and harassed at work. Too many a time do you see workers beg and cry themselves wet over salaries unpaid. Sometimes months would go by without the employer paying the workers their full wage (if at all!) - which the workers often send to their starving families back in their home country. Few regulations keep employers in check - facilitating them to overwork their employers through day and night and give little consideration to the health and safety of the employees. What more, when their “official” work ends, the workers are often made run personal errands and chores for their employer - they really are slaves to the whims and desires of their “master”. I was shocked to find the word “owner” used in the popular local newspaper Haveeru, in reference to the employer of the recently murdered Bangladesh worker in Kulhudhuffushi! (Owner? Isn't that slave mentality??)
Threat of deportation was enough to coerce the Bangladeshi community from organizing their demonstration. It is not surprising as the government of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who has been the President of Maldives for over 28 years, utilizes similar tactics to silence even Maldivian demonstrators. However, beneath the silence the expatriate community, especially Bangladeshis, are still living in fear.
5 comments · »»Kuwait: The Blogging Monster
· 16:41
Are bloggers swimming against the tide? Are officials losing sleep over what is appearing online everyday? Should blogging be controlled? Or is controlling what appears on blogs another form of repression and another way of brushing corruption under the carpet?
Kuwaiti blogger AseeL, from bara7atmbarak (Mubarak's Square), introduces us to the blogging monster in this post (Ar), which discusses some of the questions raised above.
1 comment · »»تختلف المدونات في عالم التدوين الإلكتروني باختلاف مجالات التدوين فيها، بعضها غث وبعضها سمين، ويفتقد بعضها للنضج الفكري على الصعيدين الاجتماعي والسياسي مما قد يؤثر سلبا على فكر بعض العقول البسيطة والغضة وعلى القارئ بأن يدرك ويميز، ولكن لحرية الرأي فسحة ولكلٍّ الحق في التعبير وإبداء الآراء من خلال هذه الفضاء الإلكتروني الرحب“Blogs defer in the world of blogging as much as the topics they cover. Some are good while others are a waste of time; some are not mature on both social and political aspects and this may negatively effect some simpletons. Readers should be aware and able to distinguish between blogs. However, freedom of expression has its place and everyone has he right to express what is on their mind in this huge electronic space,” she writes.نما الفكر التدويني في الكويت خلال الآونة الأخيرة بشكل كبير لا سيما السياسي منه، وتكونت له شبكات لم يخطط لها مسبقا، وأصبحت منبرا وصوتا شبابيا مسموعا خاصة لمن يتعذر عليهم النشر المطبوع لأسباب مختلفة، وهو ما يشكل بعبعا سياسيا يطل على البعض قاضّا مضاجعهم، وذلك نظرا لما تكشفه صفحات المدونات من حقائق وقضايا وانتقادات سياسية لا تقدر على حملها الصفحات المطبوعة“Blogging has witnessed a huge leap in Kuwait lately, especially with political blogs. The networks available were not planned and have become a platform for youth to voice their opinions, especially for those who can't use the printed media for different reasons. This is a scary notion for some, giving them nightmares, because of what blogs show and the facts they expose as well as issues they raise and political criticism which the printed Press can't carry,” explains Aseel.ليصيح بعض المفكرين هاتفين بضرورة فرض رقابة عليها، بينما يرفض البعض التدوين السياسي إجمالا ويفكرون بصمت بحتمية تفعيل ذلك، وضع حلول لنتائج من دون التفكير بالمسببات هي عادة عربية قديمة اعتدنا عليها، وطمر النتائج والجلوس فوقها لإخفائها أمر طبيعي لمن كانت الأسباب بيده وابتغاها عرفا ظالما يعتاد عليه الشعب بالإجبار لجني مكاسبا شخصية وتحقيق أهداف مغرضة، حلول جوفاء وعقليات فاسدة وضمائر ينخرها الدود وسيلتها محاولة نحت المواطن الكويتي قردا “لا يرى ولا يسمع ولا يتكلم” والغاية هم أدرى فيها، عوضا عن المطالبة بتشديد الرقابة على المدونات الإلكترونية السياسية فليشددوا الرقابة على ضمائرهم وعقولهم فلولاها لما شيدت تلك المدونات وما صاح شباب الوطن وما تذمر الشعب“This has led some thinkers to call for control over blogs, while others completely refuse the idea that political blogs exist. Putting solutions for end results without taking the causes into consideration is an old Arab habit we are all so used to. Brushing results under the carpets and sitting on them is a normal habit for who knew the reasons but kept them away from people in order to make personal gains and achieve their goals. They come up with hallow solutions which are the result of worm-infested mindsets and corrupt consciences, whose main aim is to etch a statue of the Kuwaiti people which resembles the monkey which ‘Sees, Hears and Speaks No Evil.' Instead of calling for more controls over political blogs, they should ensure control over their consciences and minds. Perhaps they will then discover why people have started blogs, why the youth are screaming and why the masses are disgruntled,” she notes.سياسة خاطئة وسوء تخطيط وفساد حاشية وسياد مبدأ الكويت واحة فاستغلوها، هي أمور في المجمل حطوا الشباب بسببها كالصقور على حاسوباتهم وانهمكوا يدونون متربعة الكويت في قلوبهم ملكة، بينما لا تزيد عن كونها ضرعا غنيا بالحليب لغيرهم، التربُّع على المناصب يمنح النفس بعضا من سيء الأمور ولكن هذا لا يغفر خطايا جسيمة وهفوات كثيرة في حق الكويت ممن يتربعون على هذه المناصب، يتهمون بعض الشباب بالتطرف والغلو، قد يكون ذلك في أحيان قليلة، ولكن عندما تصب الأمور في مصلحة الكويت لا أرى غلوا يفوق الغلو في حبها والتطرف لها في وجه المستغلين“What turned youth into hawks tapping away at their computers are a wrong policy, lack of planning, the corruption of the entourage which surrounds officials and the sovereignty of the motto that Kuwait is an oasis, so abuse it for your personal gain. For those bloggers, Kuwait is the Queen of their hearts, while it is an udder which should be milked for others. Being in a position of power could be bad for some but this doesn't excuse their grave sins and the mistakes they have committed against Kuwait. Those in a position of power, accuse youth of extremism and chauvinism, and this could be the case at times. However, when it comes to the interests of Kuwait, I don't see any reason why we shouldn't be extremists and chauvinists in the face of the exploiters,” she adds.عوضا عن محاولات شكم ولجم الشباب، فليغسلوا ضمائرهم بحب الكويت، وليصنعوا منها وطنا يعتمر بشرف قيادييه وأبنائه، ولينظفوا مؤسسات الدولة من الفساد ويخرجوا الخطط النائمة في أدراجهم للنور، حينها لن يجد الشباب شيئا يكتبونه على جدران الفضاء الالكتروني، وستغدو الخيول الشابة الجامحة أكثر جموحا معهم ولها
طلّ!… صراحة ما عندي أمل فيهم“Instead of trying to curtail youth and muzzle them, they should be washing their consciences with the love of Kuwait and make a nation out of it, which should grow in the honour of its leadership and its youth. Let them clean up the state's institutions from corruption and bring out the plans that have been gathering dust in their drawers. When that happens, young people will not find much to write on the walls on cyber space and all the young horses will be galloping alongside them. To tell you the truth, I have no hope in that happening.”
Japan: The Penalty of Death
· 11:03
On August 23, three inmates, in Tokyo and Nagoya, all convicted of murder, were put to death by hanging. The executions brought the number of hangings administered under then-justice minister Nagase Jinen, who was removed from the position shortly later in the recent reshuffle, to 10 during his 11-month term. With over 100 inmates on death row, Japan is one of the very few so-called industrialized nations, along with the United States, in which the death penalty is still in practice and is supported by a large portion of the population. In a report issued earlier in 2007, the UN Committee agaist Torture pointed to the fact that death-row inmates are not told of their execution until the last minutes and condemned the process as amounting to torture.
Asia Death Penalty has a comprehensive summary of the recent event and the issues concerning Japan's practice of death penalty in English.
Despite criticism from outside Japan, the issue does not get much attention inside the country. Following last week's executions, a handful of bloggers responded to the news.
An overwhelming number of bloggers are supportive of the executions. Blogger enterprise presents a typical view expressed by them:
まぁ・・・
各人それぞれ言いたい事はあろうかと思いますが、個人的な意見としては死刑は必要な制度
だと思っております。
死刑廃止にして、受刑者を誰が面倒見るの？
税金で養ってやるの？？
その税金に被害者や遺族の税金も使われるって事だよね？
自分の愛する家族殺された挙句犯人の面倒もみなきゃいけないってどうかと思います。
それ以前に、死刑反対してる方々って命の尊厳云々を仰っての事だと思いますが、 犯人に殺された命はどのようにすれば報われるの？？
Well, i guess people have different things to say, but in my personal opinion,
the death penalty is a necessary system, I think.
If the death penalty were abolished, then who would take care of the imprisoned criminals?
Would they be fed by tax money?
This means that the money which the victim's family pays would be used as well, doesn't it?
Somebody kills his/her family, and then they are taken care of — I have to question this.
I guess those people who are agaist the death penalty oppose it based on the sanctity of life or whatever,
but then how will the life of the murdered person be requited??
Blogger Yakuni writes:
死刑に値するような罪を犯したのなら、減刑なしの無期懲役にして、７年や１５年で出てこられないばかりか、重労働を課して生きてることのほうが辛いと思わせるべきだ。罪を償うということはそういうことだ。死は単に魂の開放であることを知るべき。
Blogger retsureppu was one of the few bloggers who expressed a strong criticism agaist the death penalty:
ギロチン法相長勢は８／２３またまた３人の死刑を執行した。これでわずか１０ヶ月の在任期間中に１０人の死刑を執行したことになる。８／２７日の内閣改造で法相に再任される可能性がほとんど無いのに今回の死刑執行命令は「イタチのさいごっぺ」じゃあるまいし許せん。以前にも書いたと思うが死刑執行の現場に死刑の判決をした裁判官と死刑執行命令にサインした法相も立ち会うべきだ。１０人の死刑執行に立ち会って正常な精神でいられたら法相のそれなりの信念は認めても良い。死刑執行に立ち会う刑務所長で１０ヶ月に１０人もの死刑に立ち会った方はいないと思うが、多分精神に異常をきたすことだろう。絞首刑で死ぬまでには人にもよるが１０数分もかかりのたうち回るとのこと。立ち会った刑務官はその日は寝られないという話が以前読んだ死刑に関する本で読んだことがある。死刑は国家による残虐な殺人である。
While many bloggers discuss pros and cons of the death penalty, some bloggers also discuss other aspects of the system.
One blogger writes:
家は、東京拘置所の近くなのだが。。。
一昨日は、２人死刑執行されたようだ
ワンコなどの保護センターなどでは。。。
毒ガス室での安楽死のようだけれども
人間の場合は首つりの様で。。。
ボタンを押すと床が抜けるみたいだけれども
執行の為とは言え、ボタンを押す刑務官の方は
自らの手で人を殺してしまう事になってしまう。
どんな気持ちでボタンを押されるのかなぁ？と
一瞬考えてしまった。
Two people were apparently put to death the day before yesterday.
At animal shelters for puppies, they use a gas chamber for euthanasia.
In the case of humans, it's done by hanging.
I heard that the floor falls out when the button is pressed,
but even if it's for administering [the death penalty],I wonder how the prison staff who presses the button
feels about killing a person with his or her own hand?
I wondered about this for just a moment.
Another blogger discusses the issue from both sides of the debate:
今週、法務大臣が3人の受刑者の死刑執行を言い渡した。これで、現法務大臣の任期中では合計10人の処刑を下したことになる。しかし、まだ死刑判決で執行の順番を待っている者は百数人ど言う。1993年以降、複数の者が法務大臣に任命されたが、だれも死刑執行命令に印鑑を打つものは居なかったと言う。
この課題は報知新聞ではあまり取り上げられないようだ。加害者が犯罪を起こした当時は、話題となり、毎日報道される。そして、殺人事件、特に残酷な事件では、誰でもが被告の死刑判決を望むであろう。しかし、その死刑が執行される時には、一人の人間として、同じ人類の「死」を望むものは居ないだろう。
This week, the justice minister ordered the execution of three inmates. The present justice minister has given permission for 10 executions in total during his appointed term. However, there are over 100 inmates who have been sentenced to death and are now waiting on death row. Since 1993, several individuals have been appointed justice minister, but no one stamped an order of execution.
It seems that this issue is never covered in the Hochi Shimbun. When a perpetrator commits a crime, it gets talked about and reported everyday. And, in murders, especially grim cases, everyone hopes that the defendant will be sentenced to death. However, at the time when the death order is carried out, no one would hope for a “death” of a fellow human being, as an individual human.
そこで、いくつかの課題が浮かび上がる。「人間は相手を裁く権利があるだろうか？」「殺人犯罪者を死刑にすることは、同じく殺人を起こす事にはならないだろうか？」「残酷な形で人を殺した者は生き続ける権利があるだろうか？」「被害者の遺族の心の傷はどうなる？」「死刑で起こした罪の償いになるだろうか？」、と言うような課題である。
死刑に反対する者、又は、賛成する者はどの社会でも存在する。反対する者は対外そんな事件に対して、第三者の立場に居る者である。そして、いざとなって、自分の家族が被害者の立場に侵されたら、多分意見が変わると思う。一方、賛成者も、死刑執行の現場に立たされたら、多分意見が変わるであろう。何故かと言ったら、一人の「死」は相手の「死」で償えない、つまり、被害者の命を再び取り戻すことは不可能であるからである。
この課題は人類が生きている限り、永久に議論し続けられるであろう。そして、最終結論には到達しないであろう。
This poses a few issues. “Do humans have the right to judge others?” “Isn't punishing someone by death the same as committing a murder?” “Does an individual who killed a person in a brutal way have the right to continue living?” “What about the pain of the victim's family?” “Can the crime commited be compensated by capital punishment?” and other issues like these.
In any society, there exist both those people who oppose the death penalty and those who support it. Those who oppose it are usually people who are directly involved in the these cases. And then, when something happens and their own family is put in the victim's position, they I think they might change their opinion. On the other hand, people who are in favour [of the dealth penalty] probably would also change their opinion if they were forced to be where the execution takes place. This is because a person's death cannot be compensated by the death of his or her opponent: to put it another way, it is because it is impossible to bring the victim back to life.
As long as humankind exists, this issue will be discussed. It will also never reach a final conclusion.
Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago: Elections go Web 2.0
· 05:34
Given their small, close-knit populations, relatively low internet penetration, and the continuing primacy of the mainstream media as a source of information, most Caribbean nations are a long way from seeing the emergence of a homegrown US-style “netroots” movement that can genuinely and profoundly influence the outcome of a political election. But the “social web” seems nevertheless to be making its presence felt in election campaigns in Jamaica, where voters go to the polls today (September 3), and Trinidad and Tobago, where an election date is expected to be announced any day now. Here's a review of some of the notable uses of the web in the Caribbean's two largest and most dominant territories:
Blogs
Jamaica House, Jamaican Lifestyle, Jamaica and the World, Moving Back to Jamaica, City Girl and Stunner's Afflictions, were some of the citizen voices commenting on the Jamaican election campaign, but even more notable, considering the Caribbean media's ambivalence about the read/write web, was the Jamaica Elections 2007 portal set up by the Jamaica Gleaner, the country's oldest newspaper. The portal, which carried the coveted domain name jamaicaelections.com, incorporates a forum, a photo gallery, a polling service and a blog. Much of the blog's content, however, seems to be re-purposed articles or lists of links from the Gleaner, and the photo gallery would probably have been more comprehensive if the site allowed users to contribute their own images from the campaign trail.
With Trinidad and Tobago's election date still to be annouced, it's left to be seen whether any of the country's three dailies will undertake anything similar to the Gleaner's elections portal. But politically oriented Trinidadian blogs like The Manicou Report, Jumbie's Watch, Keith in Trinidad and Trinidad Media Arts & Culture can be expected to enliven the election season discussions, as should a newly launched satirical blog purporting to present the inner thoughts of Patrick Manning, the current Prime Minister. Activist bloggers like Shivonne du Barry, Attillah Springer and the Rights Action Group, whose efforts were galvanised by the government's siting of an aluminium smelter in a rural area in southwestern Trinidad, are unlikely to be silent either.
Video
The Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) beat the incumbent People's National Party (PNP) to the YouTube table, having posted the first of their campaign ads there back in July, and outdid the ruling party numerically as well, posting 31 videos to the PNP's 9. Also appearing on the JLP's YouTube channel are the series of televised debates between JLP leader Bruce Golding and PNP leader Portia Simpson-Miller. While most voters in Jamaica would have first been exposed to these advertisements on local television, releasing the ads and debates on YouTube makes them available to the country's large disapora community in the US and elsewhere, as well as to other interested users. Among the other election-related videos posted on YouTube or is one of a debate organised by Jamaicans living in Miramar, Florida.
Of the three leading political parties in Trinidad and Tobago, only the United National Congress (UNC) currently has a YouTube channel. YouTube user Casadoma Netvision, however, has posted five videos of meetings of the Congress of the People (CoP), the newest of the three contenders. A search for material related to the ruling People's National Movement (PNM) yielded nothing at the time of writing.
Facebook
Neither of the Jamaican parties appears to have a presence on Facebook, but in Trinidad and Tobago the social networking site (currently the second most popular in the country, according to Alexa) has captured the imaginations of political parties and voters alike.
Of the three Trinidad and Tobago parties, the CoP proves to be the savviest user of Facebook. While the party risks creating confusion with its presence as both a Facebook user and a group (open membership; 682 members), the party's Youth wing has what appears to be a serious and fairly active group with 341 members. Another group called “I'm Voting COP!!!” has 142 members. Political leader Winston Dookeran has a user account which lists links to his hi5 page, two e-mail addresses and a telephone number. Moreover, Dookeran's account appears to be genuine, unlike the three claiming to belong to the current Prime Minister Patrick Manning of the PNM (the Trinidadian taste for jokes is alive and well on Facebook). Manning is also pilloried in numerous Facebook groups, including “I hate Patrick Manning” and “Manning is d worse thing that ever happen to T&T“. The PNM's only openly accessible presence on Facebook appears to be a user called “Pnm People“.
The UNC's presence on Facebook at the time of writing consists of a group (membership by request) with 120 members and three events.
On the voters' side of things, a well-trafficked Facebook group called “T&T Elections …are you registered and where can this be done?” started by a teenager offers information and discussion about voter registration.
Political party web sites - who's the most “social”?
Of the two Jamaican party web sites, the Jamaica Labour Party has the more promising appearance, though further examination reveals relatively standard features. A “Get Involved” link leads to a page offering users two options for donating money (PayPal and Senvia Remittance Services). The party's YouTube videos are linked to but not embedded (rather surprisingly, the site instructs users to download a Flash player to view the videos). On the plus side (arguably), the JLP web site offers party ringtones for download.
The less promising looking People's National Party web site has a similar features to its rival's, but its video section has a built-in media player. The blog advertised on the main page disappoints with its two one-sentence entries, both clearly written by a party diehard. With only hours to go before the election, the party's “Donate” link is still promising electronic donations as a “Coming Soon” feature, listing instead three bank accounts where donors could physically deposit funds, after which they were instructed to “Please call/email the People's National Party to confirm receipt.”
Both Jamaican sites link to the Electoral Office of Jamaica's search engine, allowing users to confirm whether their names are on the electoral list.
Although it has yet to change its design to reflect its new title of “UNC Alliance”, Trinidad and Tobago's United National Congress wins the award for the most “social” of the leading Trinidadian party web sites, as well as the most comprehensive. The UNC's web site has a prominently positioned calendar of events and speeches from party events in both print transcript and downloadable MP3 form. Users can register for accounts which give them access to polls, a discussion forum, a live chat facility and e-mail notifications of site updates, as well as the ability to submit links. The “Links” section includes links to the UNC's Facebook page, a mailing list for New York-based party members and a Yahoo User Group, plus a link to the country's Freedom of Information Act. The site accepts donations via PayPal.
The Congress of the People web site is the most attractive and most modern in appearance of the three party web sites (the party is also the most recently formed). Via the site users can join the party, sign up as volunteers or to receive news updates, and make donations via PayPal. A calendar of events is accessible only after clicking a link on the main page, and a “media” section suggests that audio and video will eventually be posted on the site, but at the time of writing contains only print material. Also missing are links to the CoP's presence else on the web, including its vibrant use of Facebook.
Visitors to the PNM web site are greeted by a Flash animation of the party seal, which immediately pushes the site into third place in terms of the modernity of its design. It's the least attractive and user-friendly of the three party sites, with no interactive features except an online poll. A multimedia page offers material dating back to 2005 and 2006 and only available in streaming Real Player of Windows Media Player format. The site's greatest asset may in fact be an interesting set of old photos of Dr. Eric Williams, the party's founder and the country's first Prime Minister.
Does the Internet matter in Caribbean elections?
With official (2006) Internet penetration figures of only 12% for Trinidad and Tobago and 39.6% in Jamaica, it's reasonable to ask whether the Internet can have a real impact on the outcome of an election in these countries. One area where it seems fairly clear the Internet can have play a role in Caribbean elections is on involving overseas diaspora communities in the political process. The donation buttons on party web sites are a sign of their keen awareness of this, notably the Jamaica Labour Party's telling link to a money transfer service specialising in remittances from overseas, which in Jamaica are said to top the list of foreign exchange inflows into the country.
Analysing the politically-oriented online activity in her country in this election year, however, Trinidadian blogger Shivonne du Barry, while celebrating the “alternative spins” on current events being provided by blogs and social networking sites, expresses some skepticism:
All of this is enough to make me think that the population is really politically savvy and educated despite the lack of structured civics education in our school system. What I worry about is whether the online community, with ready access to computers and the Internet, are an accurate representation of the general population. What about the political opinions of those on the other side of the digital divide? And it may be that the Internet is just the latest forum for Trinis to do what they do best, talk. How much this translates into action is another question. Like a friend of mine, wary of all the online talk that has been taking place, recently wrote: “While we, ‘the future', sit and occupy our time amusing ourselves with all these…discussions, the true leaders in the real world are doing as they please.”
Caribbean Free Radio writes in reply:
8 comments · »»Juxtapose the 12% internet penetration rate and Danah Boyd's infamous findings about Facebook and class (assuming they apply to Trinidad and Tobago) and you conclude that Shivonne's concerns are well taken, as of course they are - they're the concerns perennially expressed in discussions about the role/value of the the internet in “developing” societies. But they also assume that, in the absence of Facebook and its equivalents, the political dialogue/activity taking place among this select group would have taken a different (and possibly superior) form (as well it might). Or taken place at all.
They also assume (more than likely correctly) that there's not some parallel activity taking place “on the other side of the digital divide” via cell phones and SMS. They also assume that all online political activity will necessarily be partisan. Might we not see some serious citizen reporting this upcoming election season? Might some ordinary person not happen to capture some priceless image or bit of footage on a cell phone camera that the jaded media practitioners have missed?
Guatemala: Campaign Season in Full Swing
· 02:28
September is a gray and rainy month in Guatemala. It also marks the month when Independence Day celebrations take place around the country with parades and civic expressions. This year, the upcoming month is especially important because on September 9th, Guatemala will elect a new President, as well as other national and local authorities. Representing different perspectives many bloggers express their thoughts regarding the anticipation of the event by either expressing their views of the candidates or on the campaign itself.
Observers from another country can provide a different form of analysis of the election. Gringologue blog provides analysis in the post titled CON MANO DURA (The Guatemalan Elections p1):
As the elections creep closer with each passing day, these issues are becoming more and more exaggerated. Every day there are more signs, more campaign songs, and more political ugliness. As with any election, scandals big and small have emerged, and more may be revealed as the campaigning gets even more competitive.
The scandals referred to arise from different serious problems, from impunity to links with drug dealers and organized crime. And in most cases, the candidates' dark shadows emerge providing additional controversy. The term “mano dura,” in reference to an approach to solving the security situation, has been controversial. This is due not only for the message, but for the messenger, which is a former military officer in duty during the armed conflict, when the worst masacres took place.
This is expressed by the blog Huhnapu E Ixbalanque [ES], on his post “Hands Clean“, where he said:
La premisa de que nadie es culpable hasta que no se pruebe lo contrario es aceptable en las cortes, pero no es suficiente para no escrutinar el pasado de alguien que pretende ser el compás moral de un pueblo.
The premise that no one is guilty until proven innocent may be acceptable in the courts, but it is not sufficient to not scrutinize the past of someone that tries to be the moral compass of a nation.
Not only are political campaigns generating controversy, but civic campaigns promoting voting are also raising eyebrows, such as the one that states “if you vote for criminals, you are a criminal“, as discussed by blogger Carpe Diem [ES]. He described the campaign as:
Un intento por evitar que personajes oscuros vinculados al crimen organizado y al narcotráfico lleguen al poder por medio de los comicios del 9 de septiembre.
An attempt to avoid the possibility that dark characters linked with organized crime and narcotrafficking might be elected in the elections of September 9th.
Blog Ordinaria Locura [ES] highlights the content of political messages in her post MACHISTAS Y MIEDOSOS, strongly critizicing the use of sexist comments in attacking the wives of presidential candidates or female candidates.
Desde que la campaña electoral empezó también comenzaron las campañas negras, que a mi en lo personal, ni van ni vienen, pero que de pronto hartan, no sólo por la basura que contienen, sino por la excesiva carga de machismo que conllevan….Se han burlado de todas y cada una de las mujeres que osan ocupar un espacio en la política guatemalteca.
Ever since the start of the electoral campaign, dirty campaigns were present. From my point of view, it is not relevant, but will soon be too much no only for the trash, but also for the excessive “machismo” of its content…They had make fun of them all and each woman that dares to participate in Guatemalan politics.
And the view that there is lack of information necessary to vote is discussed by Un chapín desde el Japón [ES], in his post Elecciones en Guatemala:
Me hubiera gustado ver paginas de internet con perfiles de los grupos de trabajo de los partidos políticos (no solo de sus candidatos); planes de trabajo, en español y la mayoría de lenguas del país. No lo digo pensando en que todos tienen acceso a una computadora e internet, sino mas bien para poderlo obtener y distribuir (bajarlo e imprimir), haciendo llegar esta información a la mayor cantidad de personas posibles. Pareciera ser que mientras menos sabemos, mejor; lo cual es muy peligroso en cualquier democracia”.
I would like to have seen websites with profiles of the work teams of all the political parties (not only of the candidates); work plans, in spanish and in the other languages of the country. I do not think that all have access to computers and internet, but to be able to obtain the information and distribute (download and print), making the information available to as many people as possible. It seems to me that the less we know the better, a dangerous situation in any democracy.
The cities are covered with hundreds of posters and slogans, but some bloggers think it is really hard to find accurate informations and serious proposals from the candidates.
The weak campaign and propaganda is described by blogger Herbert Toaspern, who concluded on Ahh… los diputados [ES]!
Esta elección será recordada como que si fuera un Reality Show, en el que individualmente todos nos dicen con sendas vallas y muchas canciones: “voten por mí”
This election will be remembered as if it was a Reality Show, where each individual are saying to us with posters and a lot of songs: “vote for me”.
Guatemalans are waiting for the elections with expectations. It will be a complex day for a country with complicated past. In addition, there are concerns for security and bad weather is forecasted. Rain will not be good for a country where abstensionism has always been the winner. But let's hope we can show the world and tell the good news on our blogs on September 10th.
7 comments · »»Trinidad and Tobago: Port of Spain under water 
· 00:13
On the night of Friday 31 August/Saturday 1 September, 2007, “Tropical Depression Six” passed from the open Atlantic over the southern Caribbean, dumping heavy rain on the islands of Grenada, Tobago, and Trinidad. The result: flooding, landslides, trees blown down, and some damage to buildings. (On Friday Francomenz posted regular updates on the depression’s progress: 1, 2, 3.)
Blogger Attillah Springer of Four Fingers and a Thumb — who posts photos at Flickr under the name tillahwillah — was in Port of Spain (the capital of Trinidad and Tobago) very early on Saturday morning, and took a series of photos of the downtown area under several inches of water.
St. Vincent Street, Port of Spain, just outside the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago; before dawn, Saturday 1 September, 2007.
The southern side of Independence Square, Port of Spain; 1 September, 2007. Springer notes that this used to be called Marine Square — “maybe they should call it that again”.
“Caution, Work in Progress” reads this sign knocked over by floodwater; 1 September, 2007. Springer’s caption: “Yes, Port of Spain is a work in progress. Or regress?”
Later Saturday morning, the weather phenomenon was reclassified as a tropical storm, and on 2 September was upgraded to hurricane status. Hurricane Felix, the second hurricane of the 2007 season, having passed just north of the islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao, is now heading for Belize and Honduras.
1 comment · »»
Links for Roundups
Middle East & North Africa
Mohammad Ali Abtahi,reformist politician and blogger,says the Leader of Islamic Republic of Iran [Ali Khamenei] called this year, in domestic domain, as the year of “National Unity” but those who claim to obey the Leader from the highest level to lower levels made more insults, accusations and told more lies as compared to other years.
Eastern & Central Europe
Window on Eurasia writes on ethnic relations in Moscow and the Russian media's coverage of ethnicity and religion.
Eastern & Central Europe
According to TOL's Belarus, most Belarusians don't care whether their country fulfills the 12 demands of the EU or not. Some of these demands include freeing all political prisoners and investigating the disappearances of politicians and journalists.
Central Asia & Caucasus , Eastern & Central Europe
Transatlantic Politics posts an interview on “the recent takeover of the Romanian oil company Rompetrol by the Kazakh state company KazMunayGaz.”
South Asia
Law and Other Things discusses if consensual sex based on false promise amounts to rape.
South Asia
Meter Down has a fascinating series of podcasts - interviews with cab drivers in Mumbai.
Middle East & North Africa
Dailymotion, France’s YouTube-like video sharing site has been blocked, again, in Tunisia. Still unclear if the government-controlled body, ATI (Agence Tunisienne d’Internet), throw whom all Tunisia’s ISPs are operating, has imposed the ban (read more on Global Voices Advocacy blog…)
East Asia
ESWN translated a blog post which discovered the fact that an award winning newspapers page from Yangzhou evening news was faked.
East Asia
Imagethief comments on Han Sanping, Chairman of the government-backed China Film Group's call for more patriotism in Chinese movies: If Han Sanping truly loves the Chinese film industry he should therefore do everything in his power to ensure that the government sets it free, because at the moment it's in pretty woeful shape, and dictating priorities from the top is not going to help. Chinese films (and imports shown in theaters here) can't have sex, superstition, Chinese gangs or excessive violence. That's basically the entire movie-making playbook off-limits before the cameras even roll. Furthermore, since there are no film ratings in China, all films must be suitable for all audiences. In a country with 1.3 billion people that sets the lowest common denominator pretty low indeed.
East Asia
W. David Marx, Ian Lynam, and Jean Snow have launched Neojaponisme, an online group blog following in the footsteps of neomarxisme, a “post-blog” about topics related to Japan and Japanese culture.
East Asia
Chinese Law Prof blogged a summary made by Paul Jones on the newly passed anti-monopoly law in China.
East Asia
Kenneth Tan from Shanghaiist has written a piece on the development of religion in China and predicted that Christianity's next golden age will be in China.
East Asia
Cao Zenghui from new media observe urged that people should focus on business rather than talking about politics in the blog: we don't need to talk about GFW (great fire wall) and politics to prove our existence(zh).
Chung Nanhai commented that Cao's tactic was part of the politics in building the harmonious society (zh).
East Asia
Chao Mu blogged a new photo showing a child in a ruin -a place used to be his home and was burned down into ashes by the Shenzhen government because the houses are illegal (zh).
Middle East & North Africa
A young filmmaker from Bahrain enjoys the limelight at MidEast Youth.
Middle East & North Africa
Brotherhood blogger Abdulmonem Mahmood, who has served 46 days in prison, has identified his torturer, writes Eliajah Zarwan.
Middle East & North Africa
Bahrain-based Bint Batutta celebrates her birthday in style - taking us to a new resort in the middle of the desert for dessert.
Middle East & North Africa
Bahraini blogger Mahmood Al Yousif writes about possible ministerial changes in the country's Cabinet soon.
Americas
This Beach Called Life is surprised that the islands of Trinidad and Tobago have been geographically repositioned, courtesy “the high-paid map designer at an international news agency.”
Americas
“Might we not see some serious citizen reporting this upcoming election season? Might some ordinary person not happen to capture some priceless image or bit of footage on a cell phone camera that the jaded media practitioners have missed?” asks Caribbean Free Radio as she plays the (optimistic) devil's advocate.