Global Voices

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

‘Bangkok Shutdown’ Begins in Thailand

Protesters pose near a train station with the theme 'Occupy Bangkok'. Photo by Camille Gazeau, Copyright @Demotix (1/13/2014)

Protesters pose near a train station with the theme ‘Occupy Bangkok'. Photo by Camille Gazeau, Copyright @Demotix (1/13/2014)



Tens of thousands filled the major intersections of Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, as opposition groups intensified their bid to topple the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. The protest led by former lawmaker Suthep Thaugsuban aims to ‘shutdown’ Bangkok for several days or until Yingluck is removed from power.


Yingluck is accused of being a puppet of her elder brother, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Thaksin was ousted by a coup in 2006 but his party has remained victorious in the polls. He is in exile after being found guilty of plunder by a local court.


Protesters were able to occupy several government buildings last November and December aside from mobilizing thousands in the streets of Bangkok. To defuse tension, Yingluck dissolved the parliament to make way for an election next month. But the opposition said they will boycott the polls and instead they wanted to set-up an unelected People’s Council.


Despite the planned shutdown, Bangkok was not entirely paralyzed. Matt reported what he saw on the ground:



At the Bangkok Shutdown thousands of people have occupied various busy parts of Bangkok, complete with tents and sleeping mats. It's not really a shutdown, though. Bangkok more or less functioned as normal Monday with the exception of a number of mall closures. About 140 schools also had to close and many people worked from home. The streets in central Bangkok quiet and there were fewer cars on the road, which if anything was a good thing. How many people were out there is difficult to gauge.



Asian Cinema enjoyed the ‘festive atmosphere’ of the protest:



Thousands upon thousands of people, but at least so far it is a very festive atmosphere. A giant street party where people are singing, blowing whistles, clapping, eating, sleeping, smiling, holding up signs and just basically having fun. This could go on for weeks or perhaps only days so it will be interesting to see how long the good mood lasts.



The Twitter hashtag #BKKShutdown is useful to monitor the situation in the country. Bangkok's major streets were occupied with protesters as shown in this photo



A ‘half-road shutdown’



Even those on wheelchair joined the protest:



Many young people were also supportive of the protest:



Whistle was used by protesters as symbol of their fight against corruption:



On Day 2 of the shutdown campaign, expect more flag waving and whistle blowing in the streets.


Interestingly, numerous ‘survival’ apps were developed to help Bangkok residents cope with the protest.


But the demand of the protesters to cancel the February election was criticized as ‘undemocratic.’ They were told to respect the choice of the voters instead of pushing for the creation of a so-called ‘People's Council’




Despite the varying opinion on the protest, many agree that it solved Bangkok's notorious traffic problem:



Meanwhile, in the north part of the country where Prime Minister Yingluck continues to enjoy popular support, thousands joined a candle lighting event



Written by Mong Palatino · comments (0)

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Saturday, January 11, 2014

PHOTOS: Mount Sinabung Eruption Displaced 20,000 in Indonesia

Mount Sinabung erupted when a cloud of dust and heat to form an image of human skull. Photo by Abdullah Arief Siregar, Copyright @Demotix (1/9/2014)

Mount Sinabung erupted when a cloud of dust and heat to form an image of human skull. Photo by Abdullah Arief Siregar, Copyright @Demotix (1/9/2014)



Indonesia’s Mount Sinabung, located in North Sumatra, has erupted more than 200 times since last year and has already displaced more than 20,000 villagers. The volcano has been dormant since the 1600s.


Volcano Discovery provides the latest volcanic activity of Sinabung:



The actively growing lava dome, being a mass of unstable, moderately viscous lava, frequently collapses in parts and produces hot bloack and ash avalanches (pyroclastic flows) that reached up to 4.5 km distance. According to the latest figures, the number of refugees from the 5-7 km exclusion zone has reached approx. 25,000.



Indonesia, located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, has more than 100 active volcanoes. But Carl believes Sinabung will only lead to medium size eruption:



The magmatic system under Sinabung does not in any way contain enough magma for a supereruption.


Since so little is known about this volcano it is probably a good idea to look at the surrounding volcanoes to get an idea of what might be in store. Just a few kilometers away is the double volcano system of Mount Sibayak/Mount Pinto, and that might give a good clue at what might be in store.



Evacuations have been ordered by authorities who also assured affected residents that aid will be delivered promptly to those who are in temporary shelters. But aside from displacing villagers, the eruption of Sinabung made a tremendous negative impact on the local agriculture.


Utami Irawati expressed solidarity to those affected by the eruption:



The photo below from Demotix shows Mount Sinabung throwing ash and lava in the air.


Mount Sinabung ejected lava and hot clouds over Berastepu and Bakerah villages. Photo by by Abdullah Arief Siregar, Copyright @Demotix (1/5/2014)

Mount Sinabung ejected lava and hot clouds over Berastepu and Bakerah villages. Photo by by Abdullah Arief Siregar, Copyright @Demotix (1/5/2014)



Farmers harvest tomatoes covered in a thick layer of ash from the eruption of Mt. Sinabung. Photo by Ahmad Ridwan Nasution, Copyright @Demotix (1/6/2014)

Farmers harvest tomatoes covered in a thick layer of ash from the eruption of Mt. Sinabung. Photo by Ahmad Ridwan Nasution, Copyright @Demotix (1/6/2014)



The eruption of Mount Sinabung on November 24, 2013 ejected ash in the air with a height of about 10,000km. Photo by Abdullah Arief Siregar, Copyright @Demotix (11/24/2013)

The eruption of Mount Sinabung on November 24, 2013 ejected ash in the air with a height of about 10,000km. Photo by Abdullah Arief Siregar, Copyright @Demotix (11/24/2013)



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Wednesday, January 08, 2014

Honduran Journalists use Sensationalised Crime Reporting as a Safety Measure

Man reading a newspaper with the headline "Gunmen kill husband of President's secretary". Photo by Gabriel Vallecillo on Flickr, under a Creative Commons license (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Man sitting in a park in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, reading a newspaper with the headline “Gunmen kill husband of President's secretary”. June 9, 2007. Photo by Gabriel Vallecillo on Flickr, under a Creative Commons license (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)



This article was written by Ana Arana and Daniela Guazo for Fundación MEPI. We will publish the whole article in a series of three posts. This is the first post in the series.


San Pedro Sula: Colon is prime farming and cattle territory in the Honduran Caribbean coast. Its geography extends across eight thousand plus kilometers through mountains, rivers and thick vegetation. It is a strategic territory and middle transit point for drug transshipments from South America to Mexico and the United States. At the helm of these operations are Mexican and Colombian traffickers, according to Colombian and Honduran police reports. Plantations of African Palm conceal clandestine landing strips, which were previously used by crop fumigation planes and where today small planes laden with cocaine land unrestricted, according to the Honduran Armed Forces.


The local chieftains are Javier and Leonel Rivera Maradiaga, brothers and former cattle rustlers who today oversee a multimillion-dollar empire. Their organized crime group is called Los Cachiros, which allegedly picks political candidates and has close links to local police, according to the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Access Control, OFAC.


Until recently, few Hondurans knew about Los Cachiros. Journalists did not dare write about their activities. In fact, few reporters visit Colon, their territory, or other northern territories in this Central American country, where dozens of narco chieftains have built profitable drug trafficking networks with little scrutiny from the local press.


In June of this year, Hondurans finally read in the local press about the Maradiaga brothers and their organization. Something similar occurred with José Handal Pérez, a prominent businessman in San Pedro Sula, owner of a retail empire, which includes clothing stores, auto part shops and restaurants. Local media wrote about Handal Pérez in April, following the release of another report by the OFAC, which identified him as a drug transporter and money launderer.


“We published (the story) because the United States gave us information,” explained without hesitation a local newspaper editor who asked not to be identified in this article. “To investigate such matters in this country is very difficult. We can't take the risk. Also no local authority would provide us with such evidence.”


Honduras has become the ideal transit spot for international drug traffickers. The country and its government institutions are mired with government corruption and ineffective or compromised public security forces, according to a September 2012 report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), “Transnational Organized Crime in Central America and the Caribbean.” In the last four years since President Manuel Zelaya was deposed and President Porfirio Lobo was selected, an institutional crisis has hit the country, creating a power vacuum that has been exploited by local and international organized crimes groups, according to UNODC. Today Honduras has the highest per capita murder rate in the world with 91 murders per 100 thousand inhabitants. The crime statistics are higher in northern territories, where drug trafficking networks operate. The country also has one of the highest numbers of journalists killed, or attacked, in a country not at war.


The Mexican cartels—Zetas, Sinaloa y Gulf—have had a presence in Honduras for quite some time. Two Colombian criminal bands, The Rastrojos, who have a working relationship with Los Cachiros, and the Urabeños, have a presence in the country. Maras or organized youth gangs—MS13 and Mara 18, which originated in the nineties with deported gang members who grew up in low-income barrios in California—control barrios in some of the country's most important cities. In La Ceiba, a Caribbean resort town that has a reputation as an important drug trafficking corridor, and where civil society is desperately trying to rebuild its tourist flow, youth gangs have proliferated and even determine who can live in their areas of control. Youth gangs throughout the country work as low-level level drug distributors and are sometimes subcontracted by the cartels as foot soldiers or enforcers, according to Honduran police and the UNODC.


However, when reading most Honduran newspapers, readers go away with little understanding of what is occurring in the country. Most crime stories are written without context or explanation and are accompanied by bloody, gory pictures. In the next post in this series we will look at how news media reports about crime in Honduras.


Written by Fundacion MEPI · Translated by Fundacion MEPI · View original post [es] · comments (0)

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posted by Stephen Downes @ 5:28 AM 0 comments

Sunday, January 05, 2014

Opposition Rallies and Public Gatherings Now Banned in Cambodia

Civilians wearing red arm bands joined the police in dispersing the crowd gathered inside the Phnom Penh Freedom Park. Photo from Licadho.

Civilians wearing red arm bands joined the police in dispersing the crowd gathered inside the Phnom Penh Freedom Park. Photo from Licadho.



After the violent dispersal of striking garment workers, the government of Cambodia has banned the political opposition from staging more rallies in Phnom Penh, the country’s capital. Even the gathering of two persons in the streets is now prohibited.

Four people died yesterday and dozens were injured after police opened fire at garment workers who have been demanding a monthly minimum wage of $160. Currently, garment workers receive $80 a month.


Workers got the support of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party which vowed to raise wages if it assumed power in the country. The opposition has been holding daily protests at the Phnom Penh Freedom Park, also known as Democracy Plaza, to press for the ouster of the government of Prime Minister Hun Sen which has been accused of manipulating this year’s election results. The opposition has boycotted the parliament sessions even though it has 55 seats.


The opposition was able to gather tens of thousands in the streets since December. The protest was the biggest anti-government rally in Cambodia in recent years.


Today, the protest camp has been forcibly removed by government forces. The local government said the opposition’s protest permit was cancelled because of security issue.


Licadho, a human rights group, described how the protesters were dispersed from the Freedom Park:



The violence began at around 11.00 this morning when hundreds of police and military police blocked roads surrounding Freedom Park and rapidly and without warning moved in to clear the park of protesters. As they approached, the residing protesters, many of whom were monks or women with their children fled in fear leaving behind their belongings. The forces were accompanied by hundreds of thuggish civilians wearing red arm bands who used metre-long steel poles to beat and intimidate the peaceful protesters





Licadho’s report about the street patrolling of uniformed officials accompanied by civilians wearing red arm bands was echoed by Ruom:



On January 4th, seemingly intent on preventing any further protest, police surrounded Freedom Park, the major rallying point for the Cambodian National Rescue Party – the main opposition party. Uniformed officers and plain clothed citizens, armed with wooden rods and pieces of rebar, forced CNRP supporters – largely comprised of rural seniors – out of the park. For the next hour they destroyed the tents and stage that had been host to rallies since October



Twitter reports also verify the brutal protest crackdown which the government ordered today:






Even journalists were attacked by thugs in the streets:



Ou Virak of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights is angered by today’s event and warns against more violence coming from the state:



…the time for free speech is over. The events that have taken place over the past several days are a major step backwards for Cambodia in terms of democracy and human rights.



The opposition CNRP announced that it will cancel a scheduled rally on Sunday because of the crackdown but it condemned the government repression including the reported issuance of arrest warrants against its leaders.


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Egypt: The Muppets Intelligence Agency

The screen was split into two in one of the famous talk shows in Egypt. A Muppet-like character occupied one half of the screen, while a menacing teenager was threatening to throw the puppet in jail in the other half. The host kept on moderating the debate between the two, Abla Fahita, the puppet, and Ahmed Spider, the teenage-looking conspiracy theorist.


Look into the beady evil eyes of terrorism, via @SooperMexican

Look into the beady evil eyes of terrorism, via @SooperMexican



Such a scene is fine if this was a satire show, but it was not. Ahmed Spider made an official complaint against Vodafone Egypt and Abla Fahita, who appeared in one of their advertisements, accusing them of sending hidden messages to terrorists in the ad. The complaint was subsequently referred to state security prosecutors, who deal with cases involving terrorism and security threats. The prosecutors questioned officials from Vodafone Egypt later on. The list of suspected spies in Egypt already include a pigeon, a stork and a shark, along with Abla Fahita the puppet and her daugher, Carolina, aka Carcoura. As a result, Paul Sedra ‏tweeted:



@sedgate: With the Abla Fahita investigation, #Egypt once again challenges North Korea for the title of most paranoid state on earth.



The Egyptian netizens couldn't but deal with such news with sarcasm.



@Cairo67Unedited: If anyone from TV calls asking 2 use ur Kitten in their next phone ad #Egypt hang up on them:Next thing u know cat is on trial



Nevine Zaki mocked Abla Fahita calling her the Che Guevara of our generation.


Abla Fahita portrayed as a revolutionary Che Guevara - via @khlud_hafeez

Abla Fahita portrayed as Che Guevara – via @khlud_hafeez



May Sadek and Pakinam Amer also tweeted about the puppet which now has more than 1 million fans on Facebook and is not less than a revolutionary figure.



@maysadek: ‘F’ for fahita. Not as strong as ‘V’ for vendetta .. But it'll do the job fine..#ablafahita




@pakinamamer: Abla Fahita should lead the next revolution. She'd be our V. The faceless resistance. #3abath #Surrealism




@MohAnis: Rumor has it that #ablafahita is seeking asylum with the muppet show or sesame street.



Satirical comments kept on drawing laughs on social media.



@_amroali: #Egypt has saved the world from a big terrorist threat not seen since the Muppets tried to take Manhattan #AblaFahita



The Muppets take Manhattan

The Muppets take Manhattan




@HoudaBelabd: #Egypt: Ministry of Interior is actually recording phone calls and Facebook conversations between #AblaFahita & Mickey Mouse!




@anasaltikriti: After the Vodafone puppet fiasco, are there any more sensible people out there who respect the coup government?




@AyaYousry: The #AblaFahita story made it to The Economist under “Silly Season in Egypt”



SpongeBob SquarePants is expected to be the next suspect. A question was asked on Google Ejabat wondering whether the cartoon character is a member of the Muslim Brotherhood given the fact its yellow and has four fingers just like the banners of Rabia.


Rabia banner, via @Rassd_Now

Raba logo, via @Rassd_Now



Out of the fear of getting arrested for using the Raba logo as their avatar [after Egypt outlawed the Muslim Brotherhood], some social media users created alternative logos.


Alternative Rabia logos via @nsfadala

Alternative Raba logos via @nsfadala



On a more a serious note, Mohamed ElGohary wondered whether the Egyptian government is blackmailing Vodafone Egypt using this case for a reason:



Earlier in November Bloomberg published that “Telecom Egypt May Buy Vodafone Local Division When 4G Is Offered“. Personally I don't want for this acquiring to happen, since it will decrease/eliminate competition in mobile/4G emerging market .. The million dollar question here, as Vodafone actually wants to buy the government stakes, is this BS accusation a dirty step for blackmailing/forcing Vodafone Egypt to comply to what the government wants?



Also, the Facebook page of Kazeboon published the following image wondering which cases the prosecutors investigate and which ones they don't.


Kazeboon wondeing about which cases the prosecutors investigate and which ones they ignore

When human rights organizations call for opening investigations with Vodafone [Ar], after illegal recording for activists are being leaked from the state security, but the general prosecutor ignores them, and only wakes up when Spider calls for investigations with the same company because of Abla Fahita, then it is safe to call Egypt The Muppet Show. (via Kazeboon)



Sarah Carr compared Ahmed Spider to Glenn Beck in her blog post about Abla Fahita's case:



Every country has its Glenn Beck type public figures, the difference in Egypt is that they are taken seriously where it suits the political ambitions of those at the reins and serves a useful purpose. Thus we have the Public Prosecutor accepting a complaint about a finger puppet while nobody has been charged for the deaths of nearly 1,000 people at Rab3a, because the current mood is almost fascistic in its reverence for the state and for state hegemony and for state opponents to be eliminated. If there was a page equivalent to We Are All Khaled Said now it would be Turns Out We Are All Adolf Hitler. Comedy and tragedy often overlap.



Finally, Holly Dagres tweeted:



@PoliticallyAff: Although we're getting a good laugh from Abla Fahita, it shouldn't shift our focus from @Repent11 and rest of imprisoned AJE staff #Egypt



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Saturday, January 04, 2014

154 Elected in Bangladesh Before Any Votes Are Cast

Without a single vote being cast, Bangladesh's ruling Awami League and allies have won more than half of the seats in parliament because an opposition boycott has left so many candidates without challengers.


Among the 39 registered political parties only around 12 are participating in the general election on January 5, 2014. As a consequence, 154 out of 300 seats have been automatically decided.


An 18 party alliance led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) are boycotting the election, demanding that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resign and allow a neutral caretaker government to oversee the balloting, as was previously called for by the constitution.


For months, opposition supporters have engaged in violent protests across the country to stress their demands. This has caused huge and costly damages and hampered the day-to-day lives of citizens.


Police fire water cannon, tear shell to stopped a procession by lawyers supporting the opposition BNP and its ally Jamaat-e-Islami near the Supreme Court in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Image by Zakir Hossain Chowdhury. Copyright Demotix (29/12/2013)

Police fire water cannon, tear shell to stopped a procession by lawyers supporting the opposition BNP and its ally Jamaat-e-Islami near the Supreme Court in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Image by Zakir Hossain Chowdhury. Copyright Demotix (29/12/2013)



Sajeeb Wajed Joy, the son of Prime Minister, admits on Facebook [bn] that the opposition boycott puts the validity of the election in question, but says the election must be held to uphold the constitution (the constitution requires a parliamentary election be held before January 24):



[...] সাংবিধানিক শুন্যতা তৈরি যেন না হয় তাতে, নিখুঁত না হলেও এই নির্বাচনের কোন বিকল্প নাই। আমাদের মহান সংবিধানকে সমুন্নত রাখার দায়িত্ব এখন সম্পূর্ণ আপনাদের উপর। আপনি যদি অসাংবিধানিক উপায়ে ক্ষমতা দখলের কোন সুযোগ দিতে না চান তবে, ভোটকেন্দ্রে যান এবং ভোট দিন।




[..] We have to ensure that a constitutional vacuum does not arise, we have no option other than this election even it will not be perfect. The onus to uphold the constitution is on us. If you do not want others to gain power through unconstitutional means then please go to your nearest polling station and please do vote.



However Kathakata blog thinks [bn] that the government's actions discourage voters:



[...] এই উপসংহারে পৌঁছালে কি ভুল হবে যে ভোটাধিকারের প্রশ্নটি, জনগণের দ্বারা নির্বাচিত হওয়ার প্রশ্নটি এখন আর মূল্য বহন করে না? ইতিমধ্যে জানা ফলাফলের মাধ্যমে বাংলাদেশের ভোটাররা যেহেতু জানেন, তাঁদের ভোটের মূল্য নেই, সে ক্ষেত্রে নির্বাচনের দিনে ভোটকেন্দ্রে যাওয়ার জন্য বিরোধী দল নয়, সরকারই আসলে ভোটারদের অনুৎসাহী করতে সক্ষম হয়েছে। তাতে করে বিরোধীদের ডাকা ‘বর্জন’ বা ‘প্রতিরোধের’ চেয়ে আরও বেশি কারণ তৈরি হয়েছে ভোটারদের ভোট না দেওয়ার।




[..] Would it be wrong to conclude that the question of exercising our right to vote, an election by the people, means nothing now? As many voters in the country know from the already declared results, their votes have no value. In this case the government, not the boycotting opposition, has discouraged voters from going to polling stations on the day of the election. So this has given more cause not to cast votes than the opposition call to “ignore” or “occupy”.



Blogger and activist Rasel Pervez (who is currently on bail after being detained for his writing) quotes [bn] minister Obaidul Quader and says the election is not democratic:



[...] আজকে যেমন ওবায়দুল কাদের বললেন সংবাদ সম্মেলনে ৫ই জানুয়ারীর নির্বাচনটা হয়ে যাওয়ার পর তারা সকল দলের অংশগ্রহনে, স্বচ্ছ নিরপেক্ষ এবং গণতান্ত্রিক নির্বাচনের জন্যে সংলাপ করবেন। তিনিও জানেন ৫ই জানুয়ারীর নির্বাচন গণতান্ত্রিক হচ্ছে না।




[...] Just as Obaidul Quader said in a press conference, after the election of January 5 they will hold a negotiation to arrange an all-party, free and fair and democratic election. He himself knows that the January 5 election will not be democratic.



On Twitter, Mahbubul Karim has named the 10th national parliament election a “selection”:




Its not election, but a shameful selection http://t.co/em0sLJDSIz



Blogger Shaman Shattik writes [bn] on Aamar Bandhu that he wants Awami League in power again to see the completion of the ongoing trial of war criminals.



কথা উঠেছে, সবদলের অংশগ্রহণে নির্বাচন না হওয়ায় গণতন্ত্রের গতি ব্যাহত হবে ৫ই জানুয়ারীর একতরফা নির্বাচনে। কথাটার মধ্যে যতটুকু সত্য লুকিয়ে আছে, তার চেয়ে বেশি সত্য বোধ হয় জনগণের কাছেই সুবিধৃত হয়ে আছে। সরকারগুলোর জনগণের নিজস্ব মৌলিক সমস্যাগুলো সমাধানের সম্পূর্ণ আন্তরিকতার পরিবর্তে দূর্নীতি থেকে অধিকতর দুর্নীতির দিকে আরো ৫ বছরের জন্য যাত্রা করাটা নিশ্চিত করবে। কেননা, এই দুই দলই দুর্নীতিতে “কেউ কারে নাহি ছাড়ে সমানে সমান।” সেক্ষেত্রে ৫ই জানুয়ারির নির্বাচনে এই মূহুর্তে পুনরায় নির্বাচিত হতে যাওয়া আওয়ামী সরকারকে আমি ততদিন পর্যন্ত ক্ষমতায় দেখতে চাই, যতদিনে বেশিরভাগ চিহ্নিত যুদ্ধাপরাধীদের বিচারের রায় সম্পূর্ণভাবে কার্যকর হয়ে যাবে।




The talk of the town is that democracy will be hindered as all parties are not participating in the January 5, 2014 election. As much as there is truth in that statement, a higher truth is exposed to the citizens. Instead of being frank to solve the basic problems of the citizens, these governments are eager to extend their terms/grab power for the next five years. Because both the major parties are neck-and-neck when it comes to corruption and abuse of power. In this case I actually want to see the inevitable winners of the January 5, 2014 election, the Awami League, be in power as long as it takes to complete the ongoing trial of war criminals.



The Prime Minister says [bn] the opposition party boycott is to blame for the uncontested winners in more than half of all constituencies.


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via Global Voices » Feature http://globalvoicesonline.org/2014/01/04/154-elected-before-any-votes-are-cast-in-bangladesh/

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posted by Stephen Downes @ 3:02 AM 0 comments

PHOTOS: Tunisia in 2013: A Rough Year

The year 2013 was a rough year for Tunisia: two political assassinations, protests, military and security forces targeted by armed groups and a never ending political crisis.


On February 6, Chokri Belaid a leading member of the opposition and a staunch critic of Tunisia's Islamists was gunned down outside his home. His family accused the ruling Islamist party Ennahdha Movement, while the government laid the blame on Ansar al-Sharia.


Thousands Attended Funeral of Belaid on February 8 in Tunis. Photo Credit: Elyes Jaziri

Thousands Attended Funeral of Belaid on February 8 in Tunis. Photo Credit: Elyes Jaziri (used with permission)



Protester Holding Tunisian Flag at Belaid Funeral. Photo Credit: Elyes Jaziri (used with permission)

Protester Waving Tunisian Flag at Belaid Funeral. Photo Credit: Elyes Jaziri (used with permission)



As news of Belaid's assassination spread, protesters took to the streets of Tunisia, clashing with police and torching Ennahdha offices.


Police Fired Tear Gas to Disperse an Anti Government Protest on February 6. Photo Credit: Amine Ghrabi

Police Fired Tear Gas to Disperse an Anti Government Protest on February 6. Photo Credit: Amine Ghrabi



On Republic Day [July 25], anti-government protests had once again rocked the country following a second assassination in the span of less than six months. Mohamed Brahmi, an opposition member at the National Constituent Assembly (NCA) was gunned down outside his home in broad day light. Brahmi's family and the opposition also blamed Ennahdha. The latter denied any involvement.


Mohamed Brahmi Laid to Rest on July 27. Photo Credit: Lilia Blaise

Mohamed Brahmi Laid to Rest on July 27. Photo Credit: Lilia Blaise



Following Brahmi's assassination, rival protests were held and Tunisia plunged into a political crisis that lasted for months.


Pro Government Protesters Gathered Outside PM's Office on August 6. Photo Credit: Ennahdha's Facebook Page

Pro Government Protesters Gathered Outside PM's Office on August 6. Photo Credit: Ennahdha's Facebook Page



Protesters Calling for the Departure of the Government and the Dissolving of the Constituent Assembly (NCA) Form a Human Chain Bewteen the PM's Office and NCA Headquarters on August 31. Photo Credit: Amine Ghrabi

Protesters Calling for the Departure of the Government and the Dissolving of the Constituent Assembly (NCA) Form a Human Chain Between the PM's Office and NCA Headquarters on August 31. Photo Credit: Amine Ghrabi



In 2013, Tunisia had also witnessed an increase in armed militancy targeting armed and security forces. Throughout the year, Tunisian authorities had been hunting for armed groups in the mountainous area of Chaambi, some 290 kilometers from the capital Tunis, where mine explosions left several injuries and deaths among the military and police.


On July 30, eights soldiers were killed in an ambush in Chaambi, leaving the nation in shock.


Candles Lit to Pay Homage to Soldiers Killed in Chaambi. Photo Credit: Seif Allah Bouneb

Candles Lit to Pay Homage to Soldiers Killed in Chaambi. Photo Credit: Seif Allah Bouneb



In late August, the Tunisian government listed Ansar al-Sharia Tunisia (AST) as a “terrorist organization”, blaming it for the assassination of Belaid and Brahmi and linking it to armed groups operating on Mount Chaambi. AST is a radical Islamist group demanding the implementation of Islamic law in Tunisia.


Police Implementing a Government Ban on AST Congress on May 19 in Kairouan. Photo Credit Nawaat

Police Implementing a Government Ban on AST Congress on May 19 in Kairouan. Photo Credit: Nawaat



In October, eight security officers had also been killed during clashes with gunmen in Sidi Ali Ben Aoun (province of Sidi Bouzid) and Gboullat (province of Beja). During the same month, a suicide bomber blew himself up on a beach in the resort city of Sousse. The suicide bomber only killed himself and left no deaths or injuries.


As 2013 was coming to an end, Mehdi Jomma, the Industry Minister in the current three-party coalition government, was nominated as the new PM, following talks between the opposition and the government.


Meanwhile, the National Constituent Assembly (NCA) is set to adopt a constitution and put in place an election board tasked with organizing presidential and parliamentary elections in mid January. Will 2014 bring an end to Tunisia's political crisis and crown a three-year long democratic transition with free and fair elections? Only time will tell.


In this Cartoon by Le Bulle de Dlog, 2013 is Wishing 2014 "Good Luck.

In this Cartoon by La Bulle de Dlog, 2013 is Wishing 2014 “Good Luck.



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posted by Stephen Downes @ 1:58 AM 0 comments

Friday, January 03, 2014

Police Open Fire on Striking Garment Workers in Cambodia


Four are confirmed dead and dozens injured after police and military clashed with striking garment workers in the industrial area of Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia.


Tens of thousands of garment workers have been on strike since the last week of December after the government refused the demand of unions to raise the monthly minimum wage to $160. The current minimum wage is only $80 dollars and the labor council is only willing to grant a $15 dollar hike in basic pay. As protests intensified, the government agreed to raise the minimum wage by another $5.


But workers have been firm in asserting their $160 minimum wage demand. The garment sector is a $5 billion dollar export industry in Cambodia which employs more than 600,000 workers. Many of the leading clothing brands in the world get their supply from Cambodia, which has one of the lowest minimum wage rates in the Asia-Pacific.


John Vink reported what he saw on the scene of the clash:



At least 3 people were shot dead and several were severely injured by hundreds of bullets fired by armed forces during a brutal crackdown in the morning of January 3rd on barricades set up by thousands of striking workers on Veng Sren road, in the industrial area of Phnom Penh. Several others were arrested and subsequently tasered, beaten up or beaten unconscious




Tension rose yesterday when police arrested several protesters, including monks and human rights activists. In response, protesters set-up road blockades which the police tried to clear in the morning. Witnesses claimed that police used live ammunition in dispersing the protest.



Licadho described the crackdown as the “worst state violence against civilians to hit Cambodia in fifteen years.” The human rights group is demanding that



…security forces must now put an immediate end to the use of live ammunition against civilians and ensure that all those injured are safely transported to hospital without delay



Ou Virak of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights thinks that the police acted violently to protect the interest of big business:



While many of the political demonstrations which have taken place over the last few months have been met with restraint from the security forces, there is an increasingly clear link between the excessive use of force by security forces and the protection of the big business of Cambodia. Of the 25 cases where we noted excessive use of force, 21 were related to strikes by garment workers or protests over land.





Workers got the support of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party which vowed to raise wages by $160 if it is able to assume power in the country.


The opposition has been holding daily protests at the Phnom Penh Freedom Park to press for the ouster of the incumbent government which has been accused of manipulating this year’s election results. Prime Minister Hun Sen has been in power in the past three decades although his party lost many seats in the recent parliamentary polls. The opposition has boycotted the parliament sessions even though it has 55 seats.


Many workers have joined the opposition rally which could further undermine the Hun Sen administration. Labor unions have vowed to continue the protests until their demand is granted by the government.


Opposition leader Sam Rainsy announced their intention to file charges against the government in relation to the bloody crackdown of the strike:



We will lodge a complaint to the ICC so that those criminals in power who today ordered soldiers to open fire on workers, be prosecuted.



For its part, the government accused the opposition of provoking the violence to get public sympathy.


The strike of garment workers and the opposition rally produced the biggest ever street demonstration in Cambodia in recent decades. After today’s violence, the political crisis in Cambodia is expected to worsen.


*Thumbnail used is from Facebook page of CNRP, Cambodia's opposition party.


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posted by Stephen Downes @ 10:15 PM 0 comments