Yemen: Two Men Killed for Over-Taking a Sheikh's Wedding Convoy

Two young Yemeni men, originally from the southern city of Aden, were killed last week for over-taking a wedding procession of a Sheikh (tribal leader) in Yemen's capital Sanaa. On Wednesday May 15,2013, Khalid Al-Khateeb and his friend Hassan Aman were driving in their car when they came across a tribal wedding procession and were shot to death for over-taking the convoy. The wedding convoy belonged to Sheikh Ali Abd Rabo Al-Awadhi, a member in Yemen's Islah party and a member of the National Dialogue, which is ironically participating in the southern issue working group. What was more disturbing is that the procession was escorted by a police car assigned for the Sheikh's protection. According to reports, while the Sheikh's guards shot in cold blood the two youth, the policemen did nothing to stop them. Moreover, instead of fulfilling their lawful duties and arresting the assailants, they took-off with them leaving the corpses of Khalid and Hasan behind.

Alaa Isam, an activist and blogger from Aden, tweeted about the crime:

@AlaaIsam: Escorts to #tribal sheikh from Islah Party kill 2 young people from #Aden in one of the streets of #Sanaa #SouthYemen @hrw #NDCYE #YF #Yemen

Naji Alkadi tweeted:

@NajiAlkaladi: #pic of the two #Aden-is who were killed in #Sanaa city by a tribal sheikh escorts #Yemen @hrw pic.twitter.com/RQDdAb225M

He sarcastically tweeted a warning image [ar]:

@NajiAlkaladi

Be careful !

a tribal sheikh

! beside you

نطالب وزارة الداخلية في #اليمن

بوضع التحذيرات على سيارات المشايخ

#Yemen pic.twitter.com/THzbYwOwoK

We request the ministry of Interior in Yemen to put this warning on cars belonging to sheikhs

A sign waring other drivers, reads in Arabic “Beware, an armed sheikh on board” (Photo shared by @NajiAlkaladi)

Mohammed Fadhl a Yemeni who lives in Malaysia, tweeted [ar]:

‏@M_aljaal: #الشعب_في_مواجهة_المشائخ #اليمن #Yemen

من اجل هولاء وغيرهم الكثيرون

نعم ليمن بلا همجية وعنجهية pic.twitter.com/XnJg1jgZcX

The people facing tribal Sheikhs, Yemen, for these and more others, yes to a Yemen without barbarism and arrogance

A poster demanding justice for the two killed youth. It reads in Arabic” nobody is above the law.” (photo shared by @M_aljaal

The National Dialogue Conference members hung their meeting for two consecutive days to protest the cold blooded murder of the youth caused by one of their participating members.

Adam Baron, a correspondent for several news firms, based in Yemen, tweeted:

@adammbaron:

Today, @ndcye was shut down early in protest of the deaths of 2 youths allegedly killed by the son of sheikh ali abdo rabbu al-awadhi #yemen

Journalist Nasser Arrabyee also tweeted:

@narrabyee: For the 2nd day, Yemen dialogue members not working to demand arrest & trial of Islamist leader's guards who killed 2 southerners n Sanaa.

Lawyer Haykal Bafana shared a cartoon by Yemeni cartoonist Rashad Alsamey, who sarcastically depicted the police's reaction to the murder of the two youth:

@BaFana3: Welcome to the “same old” #Yemen : Sanaa wedding convoy murders -”No, no. Thank God, the sheikh is safe.” v @albkyty pic.twitter.com/clvtmZXxUk

Cartoon by Rashad Alsamei reads in Arabic “There is nothing sir, these are just some youth the sheikh killed…no, no thank God, the sheikh is fine” (Photo shared by Ali Albikhyti

The cold blooded murder caused an outcry throughout Yemen, especially among activists who organized several protests in Sanaa and Aden to condemn the crime and demand justice for the families of the victims and put an end to Sheikhs literally getting away with murder. Yemen is a tribal society and tribal sheikhs have a special social status and have been given rights and protection by the government. Many have exploited this privilege. Carrying weapons and being escorted by guards is also part of the tribal trait. Both are privileges which the youth are strongly fighting against and trying hard to to stir Yemen away from these practices in their aspiration for a civil state where everyone is safe and equal under the law.

Rasha Jarhum, a Yemeni human rights activist, who is based in Lebanon, said:

@rrj_934: We wanted a civil state, the revolution 2 yrs later z a joke, our youth r being killed by savages entourage of idiot sheikhs #yemen

She urged [ar]:

@rrj_934: اصمت اليوم ستكون الضحية غداً.. من اجل العدالة لقضية الشهيدين حسن وخالد.. نطالب بالقبض عن المجرمين #اليمن pic.twitter.com/YnaxmubXfE

Be silent today and you will be the victim tomorrow .. justice for the case of martyrs Hassan and Khalid.. we demand arresting the criminals

Yemen's Human Rights minister, Hooria Mashhour tweeted demanding the rule of law over tribal authority:

‏@Hooria_Mashhour: Tribes should not replace and/or function like the State Authorities to fulfill our dreams of building #CivilizedYemen

An organized protest march called the “Justice march for Hassan and Khalid” was held in the capital Sanaa, last Thursday, May 23rd, to condemn the brutal murder and demand justice for the families of the slain youth. Hana Alshowafi, a young activist who participated in the protest, tweeted a photo:

‏@Hanaalshowafi: #صورة من المسيرة الاحتجاجية المطالبة بتسليم قتلة #حسن_أمان و #خالد_الخطيب. #ٍصنعاء #اليمن

ذنبهما أن تجاوزا موكب #شيخ pic.twitter.com/7nqeM5nGtf

A photo from the protest march demanding handing in the murderers of #Hassan_Amman and #Khaled_Alkhateeb, their fault is that they over-took a convoy

A protest in Sanaa against the murder of the two youth, demanding the arrest of their murderers and handing them to justice. (photo shared by: @Hanaalshowafi)

Among the chants in the protest as tweeted by Hanan were:”hey civility where are you, where are you .. the Sheikhdom is between me and you” and “tailor make the constitution to be fitting for.. the son of the sheikh, and the son of the official”

Activist and photographer Hamza's Shiban (@7amzoh) uploaded photos he took of the protest in an album called “Justice march for Hassan and Khaled” on his Facebook page.

Blogger and researcher Atiaf Alwazir wrote a post in her blog in which she demanded that,”No one should be above the law!“

She wrote:

The main issue here is the ease at which corrupt powerful men, tribesman or others, can kill and steal, and get away with it. No one should be above the law, not a powerful tribesman, nor a rich businessman, nor a government official. Sooner or later justice will prevail.

“We will not respond arms for arms, or blood for blood …our weapon is the power of words” said Mohammed Aman on Facebook in response to the murder of his cousin.

So lets spread his words by demanding Justice and equality, after all isn't that what the revolution and the calls for a civic state were all about?

Sheikh Alwadi suggested to settle this the tribal way by offering blood money, but the families of the victims demand justice and rightly so.

Until writing of this post the culprits have not been captured nor presented to justice.

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Skepticism meets Excitement as Croatia Marches towards the EU

As Croatia prepares to enter the European Union officially on July 1 of this year, and Serbia awaits to finally receive a date to begin talks about EU entry, citizens of both countries express mixed feelings about European Union (EU) integration.

Some young Croatian citizens are looking forward to being able to seek employment in EU countries and to the economic benefits some say the EU promises to bring. Twitter user @Tash from Zagreb says [en]:

@EszterLzr haha i know, bad timing for EU and here ppl have mixed feeling ab it..and i just want to be able to go to work somewhere else

Others, like Aleksandar Holiga from Zagreb, look forward to traveling with more freedom to other EU countries [en]:

Flying to London tomorrow. For the last time ever required to fill that form and speak to immigration officer on the non-EU airport booth.

Pro-EU and anti-EU Croatian citizens are having spontaneous street debates in Zagreb on the eve of the 2012 European Union referendum. Photo by Marin Tomaš, copyright © Demotix (14/01/12).

The majority, however, seems to be taking entry into the EU with a grain of salt. Goran Saravanja, a Croatian economist who blogs for Vecernji List daily, begins and ends his thoughts on the matter with simple, objective conclusions in a post titled “Facing Change: Croatia in EU” [hr]:

Prosječna osoba neće primijetiti veliku razliku u svom svakodnevnom okruženju na dan pristupanja Hrvatske EU. No, važne promjene nastupit će ubrzo. [...] Pristupanje EU samo po sebi neće automatski poboljšati kvalitetu domaćih institucija, kao ni razne politike niti njihovu provedbu. Ukoliko želimo da nam rast bude konstanta, nezaposlenost smanjena, a izvoz povećan, mi sami moramo provoditi reforme i (ne samo) ekonomsku politiku na kvalitetan način.

An average person won't notice a large difference in their everyday surroundings on the day of Croatia's entry into the EU. However, important changes will come quickly. [...] Entry into the EU in and of itself won't automatically improve the quality of domestic institutions, nor various political standpoints or their execution. If we want our growth to be constant, our unemployment lowered, and exports to grow, we must implement reforms ourselves and (not only) economic policy in a quality manner.

While Mr. Saravanja lists many of the benefits and opportunities that EU membership will bring Croatia, Zarko Plevnik in an editorial for Glas Slavonije [hr] (Slavonia is a Croatian region) questions how Croatian products will fare in the EU market because most are “unprotected”:

Gledajući i slušajući vijesti iz Hrvatske o tome kako svaki dan pronalazimo neki novi problem vezan uz naš ulazak u Europsku uniju, između ostalog, nameće se pitanje – što smo mi zaštitili od naših proizvoda prije ulaska u EU?

Watching and listening to the news from Croatia about how every day we encounter a new issue related to our entry into the European Union, among other things, the following question arises – what have we protected [trademarked] of our products prior to entry into the EU?

An article on the same site, titled “And This Is the European Union,” shows a picture of Greek farmers giving away fresh vegetables to their “class allies” [hr], or, rather, government employees.

Most social media users from Croatia seem to be skeptical about the benefits of EU membership.

Twitter user @ruzniuzorak says [hr]:

smorena sam ko europska unija

I'm bummed out like the European Union

User @nxyassa from Croatia comments [CRO]:

Glupost nema granice evo naprimjer EUROPSKA UNIJA

Stupidity has no limits [borders] for example the EUROPEAN UNION

User @cromarko from Zagreb quotes an article and adds his own opinion [hr]:

“Najvece priznanje ulaska RH u EU je sastanak s kraljicom”. Priznanje hah, sve sto cu reci je Sjeverna Irska! #freeireland #oneireland

“The greatest acknowledgement of [Croatia's] accession in the EU is a meeting with the Queen.” Acknowledgement hah, all I will say is, Northern Ireland! #freeireland #oneireland

In Serbia, social media users, bloggers and many journalists are just as skeptical. Considering the recent history of Serbia and Croatia, one might wonder at the lack of perhaps expected envy that might come from Serbia towards Croatia, as Croatia enters the EU, while Serbia is still on hold and waiting for talks on membership. Serbs, however, seem to be much more concerned with their own fate.

Twitter user @na_preporciju from Serbia says [sr]:

Evropska unija nam se pokakila na demokratiju i slobodu,

a naši Slepci ne znaju da povuku vodu.

The European Union pooped on our democracy and freedom, while our Blind Men don't know how to flush.

User @m2aja echoes [sr] what many Serbs are saying:

Britanc žele da napuste Evropsku uniju, a Srbija bi da ide…

Britons want to leave the European Union, while Serbs want to enter…

Even users like @luminous_pg from Montenegro, which began EU accession negotiations a year ago, view EU-related matters [sr] sarcastically:

Muče vas bolovi u vratu? Imate problema sa zglobovima? Zaboravite na vaše neprilike, uskoro ulazimo u EVROPSKU UNIJU!

Neck pain bothering you? Have problems with your joints? Forget all your troubles, we're entering the EUROPEAN UNION soon!

User @na_preporciju also comments [sr]:

Kad uđe Hrvatska Evropska unija zaključava vrata – od robijašnice.

When Croatia enters, the European Union will close the door – of the work camp.

Some, like the Beograd Cafe blog, see positives economic opportunities for Serbia in Croatia's entry into the EU [sr], reporting from the recent “CEFTA After Croatia's Entry Into EU” trade conference, where all of the regional countries’ representatives met to discuss the Central European Free Trade Agreement:

Ulazak Hrvatske u EU doneće Srbiji niz prednosti, kao što su dominantan položaj u CEFTA regionu i povećanje suficita u razmeni sa okolnim zemljama, a očekuje se i više investicija…

The entry of Croatia into the EU will bring Serbia several advantages, such as a dominant position in the CEFTA region and a larger sufficit in trade with surrounding countries, while more investments are also expected. [...]

A blog from Bosnia and Herzegovina also writes about the subject [bs] in a post titled “Due to Exiting CEFTA, Croatian Companies to Move Production to Bosnia and Herzegovina?”.

In general, both in Croatia and Serbia, people seem to have an “it is what it is” attitude about the European Union in general. Perhaps the tweet of one user, @Darac42, sums it up best [hr]:

Da da, bit ce taj EU hard landing za hrvate.. niti ne zasluzujemo bolje..

Yes, yes, that EU will be a hard landing for Croats.. and we don't deserve better..

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via Global Voices » Feature http://globalvoicesonline.org/2013/05/24/in-croatia-and-serbia-mixed-feelings-about-the-eu/

Saudi Mobile Company Seeks Privacy Advocate's Help to Spy on Clients

Saudi Arabia's second largest telecommunication company, Mobily, has reached out to a privacy advocate for help in surveilling encrypted communication applications.

In March, the governmental Saudi Communications and Information Technology Commission threatened to block WhatsApp, Skype and other applications that do not comply with Saudi regulations (which include allowing surveillance) and gave telecommunication companies a deadline to find a solution or block them. The American developer and privacy advocate Moxie Marlinspike published an email exchange that he had with Mobily as they were looking for help.

In one email, the Mobily head of security department used the standard terrorism line to try to convince him:

If you are not interested than maybe you are on indirectly helping those who curb the freedom with their brutal activities.

Marlinspike decided to publicize the request, and it got massive attention within the Saudi Twittersphere. Once it caught on, he tweeted in Arabic:

شكرًا للكلمات اللطيفة والتسجيعات من السعودية. كنو دائما بصوت عالي عندما يحاولون اسكاتكم. #موبايلي_تتجسس_على_الشعب

@moxie: Thanks for all of the kind words and encouragement from Saudi Arabia. When they try to silence you, be loud.

A line of people outside a Mobily office in Medinah, Saudi Arabia on October 16, 2012. Photo by Kashif Aziz.(CC-BY-Attribution 2.0 Generic)

Some called for a boycott, others criticized what they thought of as the root of the problem, namely, dictatorship and repression. Reactions were under the hash tag #موبايلي_تتجسس_على_الشعب [ar], which translates to “Mobily spies on the people.”

Saudi netizen Faris Abaalkhail called for a legislative change:

الحل هو ليس فقط تغيير مزود الخدمه اذا تبت #موبايلي_تتجسس_على_الشعب بل المطالبه بسن قوانين تحمي خصوصيتنا وتجرم مثل هذه الأفعال #السعودية

@FarisAbaalkhail: The solution is not to only change the service provider if [this] is proven to be true, but to demand laws that protect our privacy and criminalize such actions.

Bandr al-Amri and many others accused the Interior Ministry of being behind this attempt:

#موبايلي_تتجسس_على_الشعب لذلك يجب معاقبتهم .. و معاقبة من أمرهم بذلك يا # وزارة_الداخلية

@ZajeelBird: #Mobily Spies on the People – for that they should be punished and those who ordered them should be punished too, namely the Interior Ministry.

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After Two Years in Hiding, Bahraini Blogger Ali Abdulemam Flees to London

Bahraini blogger Ali Abdulemam surfaced in London, after escaping from Bahrain, where he has been in hiding for two years. In absentia, Abdulemam, 35 years, was slapped a 15-year prison sentence for belonging to a terror organisation and for seeking to topple the government.

The Atlantic details his escape from Bahrain in a secret car compartment through the causeway which links Bahrain to Saudi Arabia. From there, Ali fled to Kuwait, and was then smuggled by fishermen into Iraq. He then travelled from Basra to Najaf and boarded an Iraqi Airways flight to London, where he was granted political asylum.

The founder of locally-censored Bahrain Online, Abdulemam is also a contributor to Global Voices Advocacy, our free speech defence arm.

Abdulemam's story has been the talk of the netizens since it's details were unveiled.

From Bahrain, Ahmed Ali says:

@ahmedali_: Ali Abduleman is sadly not the first person to have found himself obliged to escape his country. Nor will [he] be the last.

Zuhair Al Ghatam shares a concern many have:

سعادتي بسلامته وطمأنة عائلته ومقدرتهم ع رؤيته ومحادثته وتواجده لخدمة الثورة لاتوصف لكني لا زلت مستغرب لماذا تم نشر قصة هروبه؟

@z_alghatam: My happiness with the safety of Ali and the reassurance of his family and their ability to see and speak to him as well as his appearance to serve the revolution cannot be described. But I am still surprised why the details of his escape have been published.

He continues:

ربما تكون قصة هروب #علي_عبدالإمام أثبتت مدى هشاشة مباحث أمن الدولة ولكنها قد تكون بداية معاقبة المسافرين في زيادة التمحيص والتدقيق

@z_alghatam: Perhaps the story of Ali Abdulemam's escape showcases how fragile the state security apparatus is but it is also the beginning of punishing all travelers by increasing security procedures

And Hussain Yousif, a co-founder of Bahrain Online, who is also in exile, warns:

إلى أحبتنا وإخوتنا المختفين والمطاردين في البحرين، أرجو أن لا تجركم الفرحة بخروج عزيزنا وصديقنا علي عبدالإمام إلى التفريط في شيئ من احتياطكم

@hussain_info: To our dear [friends] in hiding and being hunted [by the authorities], I hope that your happiness with the escape of our beloved friend Ali Abdulemam doesn't let you put your guard down

Turning attention to the UK, Freedom Prayers, from Bahrain, tweets:

@FreedomPrayers: #Bahrain king had a meeting #UK queen today. Had she inform him that her country granted political asylum to his opponent blogger?

She adds:

@FreedomPrayers: If #UK willing to give political asylum to those #Bahrain accuse with terrorism, why not tell it to stop fake trials & release detainees?

And continues, in a tweet to the UK Foreign Office, saying:

@FreedomPrayers: . @foreignoffice there r 1500+ political detainees in #Bahrain like @abdulemam , will u give political asylum to them all? Ur best efforts?

All Smiles. Bahraini blogger Ali Abdulemam arrives at Gatwick Airport in London. Photograph shared on Twitter by @alaashehabi

@alaashehabi: Photo of @abdulemam just after he arrived in Gatwick airport safe & sound after a long journey out of #Bahrain pic.twitter.com/uHtA73aw2H

Others, like prominent Egyptian blogger Alaa Abd El Fattah, have other concerns [ar]:

صديقي المناضل البحريني علي عبد الامام بعد سنوات من الاختفاء تمكن من الخروج من البحرين، المفروض نباركله على الحرية ولا نواسيه على المنفى؟

@alaa: My friend Bahraini freedom fighter Ali Abdulemam has escaped Bahrain after [two] years in hiding. Are we supposed to congratulate him on his freedom or console him on his exile?

And, from the US, Josh Shahryar wonders:

@JShahryar: I wonder what Obama thinks about Ali @Abdulemam‘s escape from #Bahrain. Maybe thank god he wasn't arrested and tortured by his friends?

Meanwhile, Abdulemam is scheduled to speak at the Oslo Freedom Forum on Wednesday:

@OsloFF: Blogger Ali @Abdulemam, missing since March 2011, has escaped Bahrain and will speak at the Oslo Freedom Forum on Wednesday May 15

This will be Abdulemam's first public appearance since going into hiding.

On YouTube, RevolutionMCBahrain shares this video, showing Abdulemam's first video interview, after his escape:

In it, the blogger pledges to continue working towards promoting freedom of speech and his online activism “until the people's demands are met.”

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‘Malaysian Tsunami’ Protests Election Irregularities

Tens of thousands in Malaysia gathered in Kelana Jaya stadium near the country’s capital on May 8, 2013 to protest the final vote tally of the 13th General Elections. The Opposition coalition Pakatan Rakyat won 51 percent of the popular votes but it only got 89 seats against the 133 seats of the ruling coalition Barisan Nasional (BN).

Because of its victory, BN is now the ‘world’s longest-ruling elected coalition’ which first came to power in the 1950s. However, it suffered its worst defeat since 1969.

News reports estimated the crowd inside Kelana Jaya stadium to be around 50,000 to 60,000. However, Malaysiakini reported that more than 120,000 people joined the protest, including those who couldn’t enter the stadium:

Including those caught in traffic jams all around Petaling Jaya, the crowd is estimated at 120,000 – making it one of the biggest rallies in recent times

Despite the drizzle, the crowd is still trickling into the stadium. Cars have been parked as far as 2km away and the party doesn't seem to end anytime soon for supporters.

Tens of thousands gather in Malaysia to protest the results of the General Elections. Photo by Ramon Fadli, Copyright @Demotix (5/8/2013)

This is what Genevieve Nunis observed in the event:

The stadium was filled with Malaysians who disagreed with the results on the 13th General Election, and they made sure the leaders understood them by shouting ‘Reformasi’ (reformation) and ‘Ubah’ (change). The crowd, all dressed in black rallied for a free and fair elections

This is truly the act of patriotism. These are Malaysians who do in fact love their country and yearn for a brighter future in Malaysia. Could it be an overwhelming feeling? It just might, but the beautiful part about it all is that everyone is putting their differences aside, and fighting together for their country as one.

A protester holds up an “anonymous” mask during an opposition coalition rally. Photo by Hafzi Mohamed, Copyright @Demotix (5/8/2013)

Twitter hashtags #black505 and #kelanajaya were used to document and share updates about the protest. Here are some related tweets:

@JustinTWJ I may not be physically at Kelana Jaya stadium now but my heart and mind is there. #black505

@AD___AM Look at all the irrelevant and ungrateful people who showed up at Kelana Jaya yesterday.

@critic4good The #black505 rally ended, but the spirit to fight for a better Malaysia still growing strong. You guys are awesome!

@sueannajoe I see people of all races walking by wearing black in unison. I see unity, I see hope, I see love for the nation. #black505

@Supernoves Was overwhelmed and proud of the turnout at #kelanajaya stadium last night. Our voice can never be silenced anymore. That's how it should be

The government warned that some of the speakers in the rally could be charged for sedition. The Opposition announced that more rallies will take place in the coming days.

These two videos uploaded on YouTube show the crowd which assembled in the stadium:

Terence Netto cited the 1986 People Power in the Philippines when Filipinos marched in the streets and soldiers mutinied in protest to the election fraud committed by the administration:

It is hoped there will be no need of the intervention of personnel in the uniformed units here to assist one side or the other in the dramas to come over the widespread suspicion that the results of GE13 are tainted beyond repair.

Prime Minister Najib Razak attributed the surge in votes for the Opposition to the support given by Chinese voters. He called it the “Chinese Tsunami’. A letter writer named Disappointed Citizen criticized Najib:

Our dear prime minister made a comment about the Chinese voting community which broke my heart…I felt that it was rather insensitive of him.

And now to refer to a portion of the people as a “tsunami” that may be dangerous for the nation simply because they voted for the opposition seems to me to be a rather petty and immature tactic.

But was Najib correct in his analysis? Scholars insist that what caused the loss of votes for the administration was the overwhelming support of urban voters to the Opposition. Some call it ‘urban tsunami’ or ‘Malay tsunami’.

Gertrude Pereira lists some election reforms that need to be undertaken:

If it is serious about reconciliation and healing, then be magnanimous. Clean up the electoral roll, reform postal balloting, provide free and fair access to the media, clearly indicate that the next elections will be on a level playing field and call for GE14 earlier rather than later. And keep it clean.

Ramesh Rajaratnam argues that it’s the election system that is deeply flawed:

Without a concerted effort from our MPs to make our country fairer by insisting on equitable representation in Parliament, it will indeed be very difficult for Najib to ask for national reconciliation when the very premise of his assertion was fundamentally flawed.

If you don't know what's broken, how can you fix it?

Dr. Syed Muhd Khairudin Aljunied heralds the rise of a new breed of Malay voters:

GE13 has laid bare the end of money politics and made it plainly obvious that the days of old school racial politics are numbered. The new breed of Malays have their eyes now set on cosmopolitan leaders, regardless of which party they are from, leaders whose forebears have had Malay interests in mind and, above and beyond that, the interests of all Malaysians at heart.

Just Read! is against the decision of the Opposition to organize a protest rally:

Whether there were flaws or not during the just concluded 13th general election, it was a good start to a ‘clean and free’ election in the country; and with due respect Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, please accept the decision of the voters!

Be a true gentleman, be a good Opposition Leader and take your team on the right and proper function as a constructive opposition rather than mocking at each and very policy the government introduced.

tunku also thinks the same about the Opposition leader:

He may not be good at winning elections, but Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is very good at whipping up his crowds of supporters and trying to persuade the world that he is a victim of injustice

Through the hashtag #mywant, some Malaysians called for national unity and harmony:

‏

@jazlinhussin #mywant is for Malaysians to stop asking for re-election. It was fair so deal with it. Lets build a better Malaysia.

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via Global Voices » Feature http://globalvoicesonline.org/2013/05/09/malaysian-tsunami-protest-against-election-irregularities/

China Censors Chemical Plant Protest

Residents of China’s southwestern Kunming city took to the streets on May 4, 2013 to protest against the potential production of a toxic chemical at a nearby factory.

According to state media, the China National Petroleum Corporation plans to build a chemical plant in the nearby town of Anning to produce 500,000 tonnes of paraxylene (PX) used to make fabric. Close to 3,000 people gathered in the city center to protest against the dangers of a possible PX spill.

China's state media kept the news of the protest quiet, and online censors have aggressively deleted information and photos about the demonstration on popular microblogging site Sina Weibo since May 4, 2013. Many Web users switched their Weibo profile photos to an image of “Kunming PX” crossed-out to show support.

Kunming is well-known for its flowers and plants thanks to its perpetual spring-like weather. It is one of the few Chinese cities that regularly enjoy clear blue skies.

Similar protests had erupted in different cities in recent years. In 2007, thousands of people in China's eastern Xiamen city protested the construction of a PX plant. In the past two years, two large NIMBY protests erupted in Dalian and Ningbo.

Protesters wore symbolic masks and brandished posters warning against the dangers of a paraxylene (PX) spill. (From Sina Weibo)

One Weibo user “Boluocun Yihao” from Kunming called for [zh] more support online:

媒体被控制，手机信号被切断，保卫人民生命安全的警察却没有保卫，＂XX石化炼油厂，滚出昆明！＂我们不要牛奶河，我们不要PM2.5，我们不要PX。希望大家可以接力转载，转发。保护我们的母亲昆明。

Media control, cell phone signals cut off, the police who are supposed to defend the safety of the people didn't protect the people, “XX petrochemical refinery, get out of Kunming!” We do not want milk river[a polluted river in Kunming has turned the color of milk], we do not want PM2.5 [pollution], we do not want PX. Please repost this message. Protect our mother Kunming.

Another Weibo user from Kunming criticized [zh] the media censorship:

那么大一个中国，只有《北京晚报》一家如实报道了昆明昨天发生的事。而且还不是亲自采访的，是引用网易的。据说中新社的采访了昨天的事，但是最后没能发表。新华社，央视更是能躲则躲…..中国已经没有媒体能为百姓说话了，同意的速转.

Such a big country, yet only “Beijing Evening News” truthfully reported what happened in Kunming yesterday. It was not an original report, but quoted from NetEase. It is said that China news agency did the interview yesterday, but was forbidden to publish in the end. Xinhua News Agency or CCTV hide as far away as they can….China has no media to speak for its people. Please repost the message if you agree.

A musician from Kunming “Yinyue Xiaosun” echoed [zh] the sentiment:

Banner reads: “Beautiful Kunming! We need to survive! We want to be healthy! PX—out of Kunming !” (From Sina Weibo)

各位昆明的媒体朋友，我理解你们的工作，就像我们理解今天的警察哥哥，警察叔叔，警察姐姐一样。但是，你们都生活在昆明，都爱自己家乡，都希望自己的孩子呼吸新鲜的空气，不是吗？？不是吗？不是吗？

Media friends in Kunming, I understand your work, just like we understand today's police. But you live in Kunming. We all love our own hometown and want our children to breathe the fresh air, don’t you?? Don’t you? Don’t you?

Weibo user “Kong Batian” recalled [zh] the World Horticultural Exposition in Kunming in 1999:

14年前的今天，在“人与自然，和谐发展——共同迈向21世纪”的口号下，昆明人满怀激动与自豪迎来了中国第一个世博会！而14年后的今天，云南人竟然要为了自己的生存环境走上街头进行抗争！这真是对昆明人民莫大的讽刺！

14 years ago, under the theme of “man and nature, marching into the 21st century”, the Kunming people ushered in the first World Expo in China with pride and excitement! 14 years later, Yunnan people had to take to the streets to fight for the environment! This is the great irony for the Kunming people!

Many Weibo users quoted [zh] a poem written by famous journalist Bai Yansong:

Sign reads “Uncle and aunt, we need clean air!” (From Sina Weibo)

用不了多久，这座城市将慢慢退出人们的视线，沦为历史的鸡肋，美丽的传说将永远成为传说，没有人会对此负责，应该对此负责的人早已离开了这个城市，甚至这个国家，他们的子女早已远居海外，留下的只是一个破烂污染的废城，一方癌症的区域，一群朴实、愚昧的人民， 这个城市叫作昆明。

Soon the city will slowly become out of sight and forgotten by history. The beautiful legend will always be a legend. No one will be held responsible because the ones that should be have already left the city, and their children have already immigrated, leaving a tattered and polluted city with innocent people, a cancer area ….. this city is called Kunming.

Written by Abby · comments (0)

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via Global Voices » Feature http://globalvoicesonline.org/2013/05/06/china-censors-protest-against-chemical-plant/

PHOTOS: Thousands of Workers March for Rights across Southeast Asia

Global Voices reviews the May 1, 2013 Labor Day protests in Cambodia, Philippines, Indonesia, and Singapore. The rallies, which were organized to echo the various demands of workers and advocacy groups, were relatively peaceful across the region.

In Cambodia, more than 6,000 garment workers were joined by students, NGOs, and urban poor residents in Phnom Penh City who marched from the Freedom Park to the National Assembly calling for living wages and improved working conditions.

Garment workers march in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Photo from Licadho

Cambodian protesters near the National Assembly. Photo from Licadho

In this video uploaded by the Community Legal Education Center, the main demands and situation of Cambodian workers were summarized:

In Indonesia, thousands of workers marched in front of the Presidential Palace in Jakarta to commemorate Labor Day. Among their demands were the “fulfillment of the minimum wage, health insurance and safety for workers, as well as refusing outsourcing.”

Thousands of workers march in Jakarta. Photo by Ibnu Mardhani, Copyright @Demotix (5/1/2013)

Workers march in Jakarta during Labor Day. Photo by Ibnu Mardhani, Copyright @Demotix (5/1/2013)

In the Philippines, labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno is disappointed with the labor policies of the government:

We mark the 127th International Workers’ Day and its 110th celebration in the Philippines with a nationwide protest condemning the rabidly anti-worker and pro-capitalist regime of Pres. Noynoy Aquino.

Aquino has again rejected workers’ calls for a significant wage hike, the junking of contractual employment and a stop to trade-union repression. He has bragged about non-wage benefits and his government’s efforts at creating jobs.

Filipino workers march near the presidential palace demanding higher wages and rollback of prices. Photo from Facebook of Tine Sabillo

Labor Day rally in the Philippines. Photo from Facebook of Tine Sabillo

Highlights of the Labor Day events in Manila were featured in this video uploaded by EJ Mijares:

In Singapore. Gilbert Goh of transitioning,org wrote about the historic Labor Day protest in Singapore:

We realised that we are also creating another piece of history in Singapore here as so far no one has managed to organise a labour day event from the ground up – ever and we are proud to be able to do so for the first time!

We may even contemplate doing an annual labour day protest from now on – like what many other countries have done for decades.

Thousands of Singaporeans assembled in Hong Lim Park on Labor Day. Photo from Facebook of Lawrence Chong

Singaporeans participate in historic Labor Day protest to air their views on the government's population policy paper. Photo from Facebook of Lawrence Chong

The event is a sequel protest to the February action which gathered thousands of Singaporeans opposed to the government’s population policy paper. In this video, Singaporeans explained their reasons for organizing and joining the action.

Written by Mong Palatino · comments (0)

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via Global Voices » Feature http://globalvoicesonline.org/2013/05/02/labor-day-actions-in-southeast-asia/