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Korea: The Death of an Actress and…

Hyejin Kim — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 04:22:59 +0000

The death of Choi Jin Sil, who has been regarded as a ‘national actress,’ gave a big shock to Korean society. Her image has been like a self-righting toy, from her poverty in childhood to a renowned actress, and from the failure of marriage with a big scandal to the second heyday as a middle-aged actress in recent days. Her sudden suicide contradicted such a common image of hers and therefore her death was like a bolt out of the blue to the people. A series of copycat suicides after her death cover newspapers everyday.

She has recently been involved with a rumor that she was financially linked to loan sharks who might have led to the death of Ahn Jae-hwan, who is her longtime friend’s husband and actor. His dead body was found in a car and he is presumed to have killed himself due to big debt from loan sharks.

Her death is not only regarded as a human’s tragedy, but also seems to have other influences in society. While many people are sad for her death and applauding her, others are busy finding the main cause of her death. As soon as her death was announced, media was focusing on problems of sinister abuses on the Internet. Those Internet abuses seemed to lead her to the suicidal. Politicians of the ruling party, the Grand National Party, criticize the problems of the Internet and swiftly appealed to make the Choi Jin Sil Act to control netiznes’ opinions on the Internet. Several days passed, but her death is a still hot issue. What led her to the death? Netizens are passionately arguing what her death is really from and reacting to the government’s responses to her death.

These two posts below are from one of the most active Internet panels, “Cyber contempt should be enacted” vs “Cyber contempt will control freedom of expression.”

Here is an opinion for “Cyber contempt will control freedom of expression.”

어제 고인이 된 최진실 씨의 장례식이 있었다. 그녀의 자살로 시작된 하루는 그를 알고 있는 사람이라면 누구나 가슴 아파 했을 것이다. 성실과 근검절약의 이미지는 그를 사랑했던 많은 팬들 가슴에 아직도 남아 있어 충격이 더욱 컸다. 우선 이 자리를 빌어 고인의 명복을 빈다. 그를 죽음으로 몰았던 이유에 대해 방송이나 일부 신문들은 인터넷을 이용하는 네티즌이라고 한 목소리를 냈다. 그의 죽음의 원인이 일부 네티즌의 악의적인 댓글에 있었다고 해도 사이버 모욕죄는 정보화 시대로 나가는 길에 복병일 뿐만 아니라 민주주의의 근본인 표현의 자유를 억압할 수 있는 소지가 강해 동의할 수가 없다. 그녀의 죽음은 경찰의 수사를 통해 원인을 찾고 그 원인이 네티즌에 있다면 원인 제공한 네티즌에 대한 합당한 처벌을 하면 되는 것이다. 그런데 이런 사건을 계기로 한나라당에서 이번 정기 국회에 사이버 모욕죄를 상정하겠다는 것은 사건의 본질을 잘 못 짚었다는 생각이 든다. 인터넷 상에서 이루어지는 댓글은 어떤 법을 만들어 놓는다고 해결될 문제가 결코 아니라는 것이다. 일부 네티즌들이 실명제를 주장하고 이에 한나라당 홍준표 원내 대표가 고인이 된 최진실 씨의 이름을 따 법을 상정하겠다고 한다. 나경원 의원 역시 실명제 법을 강화하자는 근거를 되며 사이버 모욕죄를 만들겠다는 목소리를 내고 있다. 정확하게 말하면 우리나라 인터넷은 이미 실명제가 되고 있다는 것이다. 누군가 글을 올려 문제가 생기면 그를 잡아 처벌하는데 전혀 문제가 되지 않는다. 한 마디로 말한다면 이름을 걸고 쓰나 닉네임으로 쓰나 잡아서 처벌하는데 시간이 걸리지 않는다는 뜻이다.

그런데 한나라당이 굳이 이렇게 사이버 모욕죄를 만들겠다는 의도가 궁금해진다. 혹여 인터넷에 재갈을 물리겠다는 의도가 숨어있지 않나 의심이 들기까지 한다. 한나라당의 인터넷을 바라보는 그 동안의 태도를 볼 때 사이버 모욕죄라는 것이 인격 살인을 막겠다는 취지보다는 소통의 공간의 장이었던 인터넷과 네티즌의 입을 직접 통제하겠다는 생각이 드는 이유가 어디 나뿐일까. 세계 여러 나라 중 자신의 실명을 걸고 쓰는 나라는 중국으로 알고 있다. 중국의 네티즌들은 어떤 댓글을 달고 있을까. 자신의 이름을 걸고 글을 쓰니까 나경원 의원 말처럼 인터넷 악성 글이나 댓글들이 완전히 살아졌을까. 천만에 말씀이다. 많은 전문가들은 실명제를 한다고 해서 악성 댓글들이 사라지지 않는다고 말한다. 실명제를 하나 실명제를 하지 않으나 별반 차이가 없다는 소리이다. 다시 말해서 자율규제를 통해 서로 노력하는 길이 가장 빠르다는 것이다. 사이버 모욕죄가 대체 무엇인가. 듣기도 생소하고 말하기도 생소한 단어에 고인의 이름을 따 ‘최진실법’을 만들겠다고 한다. 과연 사이버 모욕죄가 만들어지면 우리 인터넷 세상이 법을 만들겠다는 사람들의 생각처럼 깨끗해 질까. 오히려 악용될 소지는 없는지 따져보아야 한다. 그 옛날 박정희 대통령 시절 막걸리법과 뭐가 다른지 궁금해진다.[…] 찬성하는 네티즌들도 이 법의 도입에 대해 냉정하게 다시 생각해 보아야 한다. 어찌 보면 너와 나의 발목에 족쇄를 채우는 꼴과 별반 다를 게 없다는 생각이 들기 때문이다. 요즘 인터넷에 올라오는 우리 댓글(답글) 문화나 글이 예전에 비해 얼마나 자정 기능이 좋아졌는지도 생각해 보자. 몇몇 연예인 악플러들을 제외하고 나름의 노력들을 하고 있다고 생각한다. 21세기 인터넷 문화를 지금보다 더 활성화 시키고 그 활성화를 통해 보다 나은 세상을 만드는데 가장 좋은 방법은 최진실법이라는 것을 만들어 처벌하는 것이 능사가 아니라 스스로 토론이나 댓글을 통해 상대방을 인정하는 자정능력을 키울 수 있는 방법을 찾는 길이다. 그것이 보다 나은 성숙한 민주주의로 가는 가장 빠른 길이다.

There was a funeral for Choi Jin Sil yesterday. Anyone who knows her must have felt sorry for her suicide. It was a big shock that she was loved by fans with images with hard-work, diligence, and frugality. Through this writing, I would like to pray for the repose of her soul. The major voice of media and newspapers why she committed the suicide is due to netizens who use the Internet. Even though a cause of her death was partially from netizens’ sinister bullies in the Internet, I can’t agree with the enactment of cyber contempt because it will fall into an ambush to this information-oriented society and it will press down freedom of expression, fundamental issue of democracy. The police investigation should look for the reason of her death and, if it is from netizens, they should enact legitimate punishment to those netizens. However, through this accident, the Grand National Party is trying to appeal for cyber contempt in the regular national assembly meeting. Netizens’ opinions can’t be solved by a law. Some netizens insist the real-name system and Hong Joon Pyo, representative of the GNP said that they will appeal a new law named after her, Choi Jin Sil Act. GNP spokeswoman Rah Kyung Won also speaks out strengthening the real-name system as a law and making cyber contempt. Concisely speaking, the Internet in our country already uses the real-name system. If some netizens’ writing has problems, it is possible to find the person and punish the person. In other words, it doesn’t take so much time to find the person whether he or she uses the real name or nickname.

Let’s imagine that the Act will be executed. Will the Internet become as clean as the people for the law? We should consider that the law could be ill-used. What is the difference of this law from the Maggeol-li Law [kr] during the Park Jung Hee authority? I am wondering the intention of the GNP, trying so hard to make cyber contempt. I’m suspicious that their real intention is to control the Internet. How has the GNP looked at the Internet so far? Looking at their attitudes, the reason why they emphasize cyber contempt is not for stopping indirect murder by insults, but for controlling the Internet and netizens that have been major means of conversation. Am I the only one who thinks like this? I heard that the only country using real names in the Internet is China. What do those netizens write on the Internet? I wonder. Because they have to use their own names, are sinister opinions or their own opinions gone? It should be like that according to Na Kyoung Won’s theory. But I don’t think so. Many experts said that the real-name system in the Internet will not get rid of sinister opinions. Therefore, encouraging self-imposed control is the best and effective method. Those politicians say they will use unfamiliar and uncomfortable name, Choi Jin Sil Act.[…] Netizens who agree on this law should think about the influence. It is like placing leg irons on yours and mine. And we should know that netizens’ opinions on the Internet are getting better compared to the past. Except sinister opinions against a few entertainers, people are making efforts. In order to have the betterment of the 21st century Internet culture, rather than making the Choi Jin Sil Act, we should find a way to strengthen self-purification to recognize others through discussions and opinions. It is the faster way to make mature democratization.

Here is a counter opinion.

나의 개인적인 생각으로는 필요하다 생각을 한다. 인터넷상의 악플 내지 루머는 한사람을 죽음으로까지 내몰수 있는 폭력이다. 개인마다 차이는 있겠지만, 받으들이는 사람은 얼마나 큰 고통에 허덕일까? 당사자가 아닌 이상 그 고통을 짐작이나 할수 있을까?여기 아고라 게시판을 보면 정말 가관이다. 우리 아이들이 볼까 민망한 글들이 하루에도 수백개의 글이 올라온다. 말그대로 어떤 자신의 생각이나 논리는 전혀 찾아볼수 없는.. 말그대로 비방과 욕설들… 사이버상도 엄연한 사회라 생각을 한다. 오프라인에서도 그렇게 용감하게 할수있는지 의문스럽다. 처음보는 사람에게 반말은 기본이고, 입에 담기힘든 욕을 서슴치 않으니… 정말 안타깝다. 유명연예인의 죽음을 정치적으로 이용을 한다는등… 정말 한심스럽다. 그냥 모욕죄로도 처벌을 할수있는데,왜 굳이 사이버모욕죄를 만드느냐?? 모욕과 관련해서는 형법으로도 충분히 처벌을 할수 있다고 본인도 생각을 한다. 다만, 이와 관련된법을 더욱 세분화 시켜 처벌할수 있는 범위를 넓혔으면 하는 개인적인 바램이다. 올바른 인터넷문화를 만드는것도 기성세대가 할일이라고 생각을 한다. 사이버 모욕죄가 신설된다면, 적어도 지금과 같은 작태는 많이 줄어들것이다.

In my own opinion, I think the new law is necessary. Sinister opinions and rumors in the Internet are violence that can lead a person to death. Of course, it’s depending on an individual. How much pain does the victim go through? As long as you’re not the person, you can’t imagine how big the pain will be. Look at the bulletin board at Agora! Everyday, there are several hundred embarrassing writings that I feel worried whether our children will read. There is no logic or their own opinions. They’re just blames and insults… I believe that cyber is also functioning as society. I wonder they are as brave as offline. Some of them use unpolite expressions to strangers and use slangs… it makes me feel sorry. Some of them argue that an entertainer’s death is used politically… It can be punished as contempt. Why do we have to make cyber contempt as the law? However, I hope that regarding this part the law should be more departmentalized and the scope of the punishment should be broader. To make sound Internet culture is what the current generation should do. If cyber contempt is enacted as the law, this kind of problem will be lessened.

Very many netizens question whether government’s response is related to her death.

[…]최진실법은 정말 아니라고 봅니다.그것도 죽은 분의 이름을 멋대로 악용하여(사인의 원인은 정확하게 밝히지 않은 채,그저 악플로 죽었다는 식으로 여론몰이를 하고 있더라지요),그것도 고 최진실씨 사망을 활용해 사이버모욕죄를 추진하겠다는 식으로 고인을 팔아 정권의 통제를 강화하겠다는 ‘비열한 꼼수'밖에는 보이지 않습니다. 그리고 분명한 것은,현행법에 사이버 모욕에 관한 내용이 있는데도,그리고 ‘사이버 수사대','사이버 악플러 추적'이라는 규정이 있음에도 불구하고 이런 식으로 ‘정권의 입맛에 맞추는,그리고 정권이 악용할 가능성이 큰 법'을 만들자는 것은 법치주의 원칙에서 벗어난 일일텐데 말입니다. 그런데,정작 이러한 고인의 죽음을 ‘멋대로 매도'한 황색저널리즘에 대한 문제는 왜 언급을 안합니까?지금까지도 계속되고 있는 심지어 장례식장에도 기자들이 무례한 행동들을 했더랍니다).[…]그저 정치적으로 이번 기회를 ‘사이버 모욕죄 만들 명분으로 악용하자'라는 것보다는 ‘이런 언론의 몰상식 작태'부터 고쳐야 하는 것 아닙니까?

최진실법?그걸 제정하는 것보다는 지금 ‘언론에서 보여지는 무례한 행동'과 ‘보도•취재 윤리의 강화'가 중요할 겁니다.이번 사태만 보더라도 얼마나 이번에 언론이라는 곳이 연예인들의 일상에 대해서 갖가지 루머와 의혹들을 양산했던지,그리고 이러한 사례에도 불구하고 최진실씨의 죽음이 인터넷의 병폐인것 마냥 인터넷의 소통공간을 매도하는 행위로 ‘싸잡아 비난'하는 건지 적나라하게 알 수 있지 않나 싶습니다.특히나 그걸 ‘정치적으로 악용'하는 한나라당의 작태에서 말입니다. 개인적으로 한마디 하자면,국민을 ‘천민','사탄','배후','좌익'등으로 싸잡아 매도한 것은 모욕이 아닌가요?[…]

[…] Choi Jin Sil Act… It is not a right way. Abusing the dead person’s name (the reason of the death hasn’t been exactly clarified yet. But media just focuses on her death by sinister opinions from Internet netizens), politicians use dirty tricks to propel cyber contempt as the law in order to strengthen the authority. There are already regulations ‘cyber investigation,’ and ‘tracking down cyber sinister opinions.’ But they are trying to make a ‘law that is tasteful for the authority and that is easy to be abused for the authority.’ This is against constitutionalism. However, why don’t they talk about yellow journalism to denounce the deceased’s death? Those yellow journalists are still not aware what they do (they even behaved wrongly in her funeral).[…] Don’t they have to correct ‘deficient behaviors of media’ rather than to ‘abuse it as an opportunity to make cyber contempt’?

Choi Jin Si Act? We should think about ‘rude behaviors of media’ and ‘ethics of reports and interviews’, not focusing on making the law. Looking at this accident, we can see how media spreads all kinds of rumors and suspicions about entertainers’ daily lives and regardless of it they condemn her death as ill practices of the Internet. Especially, politicians of the GNP abuse it for their own political purposes. Isn’t what they call the people ‘the lowly,’ ‘evils,’ wire-pullers,’ and ‘left-wing’ an abuse?

Many netizens also argue that we should give more attention to depression, not to the Internet, and ask whether there were really many sinister opinions from the Internet about her rumor. How about major media that have the more powerful function to spread over the rumor?

[…]일단, 이번 법안의 내용을 들여다보면 이전까지 포털측에 전적으로 부여되었던 삭제의 권리를 개인에게두고 ,삭제명령이 내려졌을때 의무적으로 24 시간안에 삭제하도록 하고있으며,삭제에 관한 최종적인 결정권을 방통위가 행사 할 수 있도록하고있다. 포털측이 특정한 글이 공익성이 다분한 글이어서, 비판적 성격이 다분한 글이어서 삭제할 이유가 없다고 판단된다고 할지라도 삭제하라면 삭제해야만 한다는 얘기다.다시말해, 따지고 보면 엄연한 독립체인 포털측의 권한을 아예 송두리쩨 없애버린것이다. 공영방송마저 정권의 홍보역할을 해야한다고 말하는 이 무지막지한 정권이 엄연한 독자적 권리를 가진 인터넷마저 정권의 홍보역할을 해야한다는 무언의 압력이 아니고 무었인가. 또한, 싸이버 모욕죄의 경우는 피해자의 고소 없이도 수사에 착수, 처벌할 수 있도록 하겟다는데, 이 부분에 이르러서는 최진실 법이 얼마나 처절하게 악용되고 그로인한 피해자가 얼마나 속출할지 걱정되는 부분이기도 하다.[…] 게다가 과연 이 최진실법이 최진실의 죽음을 계기로, 그것도 이미 고인이되신 최진실씨의 이름을 따서 만들만큼 악플이 최진실씨의 죽음과 직접적인 관계가 있는지도 의문이다.따지고 보면 이번 사태의 근본적인 핵심은 사채설이기 때문이다.최진실씨가 왜 죽었는가.안재환씨의 죽음으로 인해 촉발된것이다. 안재환씨가 왜 죽었나. 바로 사채 때문이다.그렇다면 이제까지 심각한 사회문제로 남아있는 사채문제에대해 대대적으로 정비하고 대한민국 사회를 떠들썩하게만든, 안타까운 목숨 둘을 앗아간 사채업에 대해서 법으로 응징하고 정비해야할 일이지 왜 엉뚱하게 최진실법인가.그리고 이미 경찰의 수사와 의사의 검시결과로 밝혀졌듯,최진실의 자살원인이 예전부터 앓아왔던 우을증 이었으며 자살또한 충동적인 상황에서 벌어진것이라 결론이 내려진 마당에 무슨 엉뚱하게 최진실 법인가.악플은 분명 앞으로 더욱더 심각해질,수 많은 사회문제 들중의 하나임은 분명하다. […]한 고인의 처참한 죽음, 너무도 안타까운 한 아이의 엄마의 죽음을 두고,그것을 정권에 악용하기 위해서 최진실 법 운운하는 저들의 입을 보고 있노라면 참을 수 없는 분노가 치솟는것은 차라리 인지상정이라고 해야할까.

[…] Let’s see what content of the bill has. Until now, portal sites have had authority to delete netizens’ opinions. But the bill says that individuals have the right to delete it and when they are ordered to delete their opinions they have to delete them within 24 hours. The final decision to delete the opinions is executed by the Korean Communications Commission. Even though portal sites think that some writings and opinions are necessary for public benefits and don’t want to delete them, they don’t have any rights to keep if the KCC orders them to delete. In other words, independent organization, portal sites will lose their own authority completely. The current government argues that public media should have functions on advertising the political powers. Can we interpret that their actions are for using the Internet as their PR as well? In addition, in case of cyber contempt, they can start investigations and punish without victims’ complaints. I am worried how Choi Jin Sil Act will be abused and a series of victims will be born in the future.[…] In addition, I would like to ask whether her death was really directly related to sinister opinions on the Internet. The major point of this accident was due to rumor that she was involved in the loansharking. Why did she die? It was caused by the death of Ahn Jae-hwan. Why did he die? It was because of personal debt. Then don’t we have to focus on loansharking that leads serious social problems now, on punishing loan sharks, on improving this problem? But why do we talk about the Choi Jin Sil Act? As the investigation was shown and doctors said, one of the reasons of her suicidal was because of long term depression. But why do we still talk about the Choi Jin Sil Act? Of course sinister opinions on the Internet are one of the serious social problems.[…] Cruel death of the deceased and the death of a mother. But when I see those politicians who are busy talking about the Choi Jin Sil Act in order to abuse it for their authority, I can’t put up with the anger inside me.

Egypt: We are All Laila

Amira Al Hussaini — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 01:30:01 +0000

We are all Laila, echo Egyptian female bloggers in one voice. Who is Laila and why do Egyptian girls and women associate themselves with her? Read on to learn how Egyptian bloggers are working to break the gender barrier and make their voices heard.

The story starts in September, 2006, when a group of bloggers decided the time has come for them to speak up and share their own stories and experiences, as well of those of other women, with injustice.

Lasto Adri wrote:

بدأت فكرة “كلنا ليلى” بليلى/ واحدة منا تشكو و تبوح ل/ليلى أخرى ليزيد العدد لثلاثة فخمسة فأكثر من خمسين فتاة و سيدة، لنكتشف أنه على اختلاف خلفياتنا و أفكارنا و أولوياتنا كلنا في النهاية ليلى.
و ليلى هي بطلة رواية بعنوان ” الباب المفتوح” للروائية لطيفة الزيات وقد تحولت تلك الرواية إلى عمل سينمائي يحمل نفس الاسم - قامت ببطولته فاتن حمامة . ليلى هي نموذج للفتاة المصرية التي تتعرض لمواقف حياتية مختلفة في مجتمع يعلى من شأن الرجل ويقلل من شأن المرأة، ولا يهتم لأحلامها أو أفكارها أو ما تريد أن تصنع في حياتها.
ومع ذلك فقد استطاعت ليلى التي تعرضت منذ طفولتها لأشكال مختلفة من التمييز أن تحتفظ بفكرتها الأصيلة عن نفسها وتظل مؤمنة بدورها كإمراة لا تقل أهمية بأي حال من الأحوال عن الرجل سواء في البيت أو في العمل أو في الدراسة أو في العمل العام.

The idea behind ‘We are all Laila‘ started with with Laila, a woman who was confiding her concerns to another Laila. Soon the two Lailas became three, then five and then more than 50 women, who discovered that despite the differences in their circumstances, ideas and priorities, they were all Laila at the end of the day. Laila is the heroine of The Open Door, by novelist Latifa Al Zayat, which was later made into a movie, starring Faten Hamama. Laila is your contemporary Egyptian girl, who faces different circumstances in a society which elevates the station of men and overlooks women. No one cared for her dreams and ideas and what she wanted to achieve in her life. Despite all this, Laila, who was subjected to discrimination from her childhood, was able to maintain her belief in herself, and her role as a women equal in importance to men - whether at home, in the work place, at school or in society at large.

كانت ليلى هي اختيارنا لأنها قصة مصرية، تحمل في طياتها الكثير من الروح التي تعيش بداخلنا وتتعرض لنفس الضغوطات التي تولدت في مجتمعنا المصري بكل تقاليده وأرائه عن المرأة عبر الأزمان، و لا ينفي هذا مشاركة مدونات من بلاد عربية معنا في هذا اليوم فالثقافة التي تظلم ليلى موجودة هناك أيضا.

We selected Laila because it is an Egyptian story, which reflects a lot of what we go through and the pressures accumulated in our Egyptian society, and its traditions and views of women throughout history. This does not mean that bloggers from other Arab countries cannot take part in this initiative, as the culture which oppresses Laila exists there too.

هدفنا من هذا اليوم إعطاء فرصة لكل ليلى لتتحدث بصوت مسموع و تسمع من أخريات مختلفات عنها و تعلم أنها ليست بمفردها في رفض ومواجهة الظلم الواقع عليها. هدفنا أن يكون لنا صوت يعبر عنا بعدما سأمنا من محاولات التحدث باسمنا. و هدفنا الأكبر هو أن نشارككم جزء مهم و جوهري من عوالمنا المختلفة، جزء مخبأ بعناية في أحايين كثيرة بداخل أختك أو زوجتك أو زميلتك في العمل…جزء قد تشارك في تكوينه بوعي أو بدون وعي أحيانا.

Our aim on this day is to give Laila the opportunity to speak up and hear about others speaking about her, and for her to know that she is not alone in refusing and confronting the injustice she is being subjected to. Our goal is to have a voice which expresses our suffering as we are fed up of having others speak on our behalf. Our bigger goal is to share with you an essential aspect of our existence, a part which is carefully hidden inside your sister, wife and colleague at work .. and a part you are contributing to consciously or subconsciously sometimes.

Since then, the campaign has continued annually with huge success - with female bloggers opening their hearts and pouring out their woes, and surprisingly getting support from men.

The following year, Lasto Adri wrote:

مرت سنة على يوم “كلنا ليلى” الأول… وكانت فكرته ببساطة تجميع أكبر عدد من المدونات –بكسر الواو- للكتابة عما يواجههن من مشاكل من وجهة نظرهن، كمحاولة لطرح المشاكل على وسيط مفتوح فيه قدر معقول من الحرية و الوعي. وكان ذلك بهدف البوح و التشارك والخروج من خندق الإحساس بالوحدة في مواجهة هذه المشاكل. كذلك كان الهدف الاستفادة من موقعنا ومصداقيتنا على ساحة التدوين في طرح ما نراه مشاكل ليراها الجنس الآخر من نفس الزاوية التي نراها بها، في محاولة أخرى ليفهم الطرف الآخر طبيعة ما نشعر به ويحاول معنا تغيير ما نراه مجحفا ولو على نطاق ضيق يشمل فقط نفسه وبيته..

A year has passed since the first We are all Laila day.. the idea was simply getting the largest number of female bloggers writing about the problems they faced, in a bid to discuss these issues in an open medium, which enjoys a certain level of freedom and awareness. The aim was to open up and share as well as getting us out of the feeling of loneliness in confronting these problems. Another aim was using our credibility in the blogosphere to express the problems we face for the other gender to see them from our perspective. It was an opportunity for us to understand one another and how we feel and try to change the discrimination facing us, even on a narrow level, which would include himself and his home.

The result was a different format of posts to mark the day, as well as including men in the conversation. Lasto Adri explains:

ومع نجاح فكرة اليوم العام الماضي، لام علينا البعض عدة نقاط، من أهمها إهمال مشاركة الرجل، وعدم تحديد الموضوعات. وعلى هذا حاولنا قدر المستطاع تلافى هذه الأخطاء. واخترنا هذه المرة تجديد طريقة العرض بطرح مجموعة من الأسئلة –شارك في اختيارها العديد من الأصدقاء- تمس وضع المرأة والفتاة المصرية بشكل خاص والإنسان المصري بشكل عام، بهدف أن تخلق الإجابة عليها حوار يقودنا نحو فهم أفضل لأنفسنا ولمن حولنا.

Despite the success of the day, we were criticised over a few points, the most important was ignoring men, and not specifying the topics. This year, we will try and overcome all those mistakes. This time, we elected to mark the day in a different format, by asking specific questions, carefully selected by a few friends, which concern the status of Egyptian girls and women, in particular, and Egyptians, in general. The objective is to develop a dialogue stemming from the responses to better understand ourselves and those around us.

This year's We are all Laila day will be commemorated on Egyptian blogs on October 19. Stay tuned for coverage on the day.

Russia: A Ticketless Passenger

Veronica Khokhlova — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 00:49:45 +0000

In Moscow, you can buy a bus/trolleybus/tram ticket from the driver and it'll cost you 25 rubles, which is roughly $1. If you buy your tickets at special kiosks, you get a discount. But some people prefer to cheat and ride for free. A ticketless passenger is known as zayats in Russian: a hare. Moscow-based LJ user kozenko described (RUS) a recent encounter with one representative of this species:

I really don't understand people who can ride for free on public transportation. Those who climb over turnstiles, hiding from conductors. And when they consider it heroism, that's totally beyond me. And if they are also older than 12, this, excuse me, is [absolutely obnoxious].

I was on a trolleybus going from [Dinamo] to [Sokol] today. A half-empty car, me and some pensioners. And then through the front door enters something of my age, if not older. Tall, wearing an old leather jacket and idiotic black pants with thin stripes. He steps over the turnstile and crashes down on an empty seat. The driver, a sturdy short woman, walked out of her cabin and told him that if he didn't get out, the trolleybus wouldn't be going anywhere. This something started laughing in response. It was actually laughing all the time, as if stoned.

The driver woman opened all the doors, walked out into the street, lit a cigarette and started strolling around. Two minutes passed. A pensioner, aged 70 or so, got up from his seat, came up to the zayats, if you can call it that, and asked him to leave. The guy even stopped laughing: “Grandpa, [what the hell]? Do you really give a [damn]? Go to your seat and sit there, [damn it].” The pensioner repeated his request, the black jacket and striped pants started laughing. The elderly man tried to take the jerk by his shoulder, the jerk waved him off and tried to push him. This is when I and another elderly man got up from our seats.

Anyway, we basically threw this smirking piece of crap out of the trolleybus. The driver returned to her cabin, closed the doors. The elderly men and I smiled to each other and, having built a civil society, haha, we proceeded on our ride.

Moroccans for Obama?

Jennifer Brea — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 23:39:09 +0000

“When the Americans are getting ready to elect a president, the whole world holds its breath,” writes Moroccon blogger, Robin des Blogs [Fr]. It's a sentiment held by many around the world, but some Moroccon netizens aren't sure which outcome–an Obama or a McCain presidency–would be best for Morocco.

Obama, McCain and Western Sahara

RDB writes that the election matters most to “Third World countries that live under Uncle Sam's wing, or worse, rot under the boots of his GIs” and agrees that an Obama win would be a chance for America to make history.

However, there is another issue Moroccans should consider: the fate of Western Sahara:

A Maroc, les élections américaines représentent un enjeu plus que majeur, puisque directement liées (qui dans ce monde ne l’est pas?) à l’avenir du pays. La connexion directe s’établissant dans les relations Mc Cain-Maroc et Obama-Mandela. Quoi?! C’est plus simple que ça n’en a l’air. Mc Cain l’ancien président du comité d’amitié marocco-américain, est le choix du Maroc, puisqu’il semble tourné vers les intérêts du royaume du moins sur le papier, tandis qu’Obama est un ami d’un vieil homme appelé Nelson Mandela. Vous ne voyez toujours pas l’anguille? Fouillez sous roche, où mieux sous sable…Le Sahara!

In Morocco, the stakes are high for the American elections since they are directly connected (what in this world isn't?) to the future of the country. This direct connection is grounded in McCain-Morocco and Obama-Mandela relations. What?! It's simpler than it sounds. McCain, former president of the Committee of Moroccan-American Friendship, is Morocco's choice since he seems oriented toward the interests of the kingdom, at least on paper, while Obama is a friend of an old man named Nelson Mandela. You still don't see the snake? Look under the rock, or better yet, the sand…Le Sahara!

Oui, c’est un peu tiré par les cheveux, mais c’est une option qui peut se vérifier…On sait tous que Mandela, l’icone mondiale de la liberation des minorités, est un protecteur et défenseur de la cause séparatrice du polisario. Par extention, Obama pourrait être influencé dans ce sens et faire basculer la balance…

Sure, it's a bit far-fetched….but it's a possibility to be born out. We all know that Mandela, global icon for the liberation of minorities, is a protector and defender of polisario's separatist cause. By extension, Obama could be influenced in this way and tip the balance…

Si cette hyppothèse se vérifie, le Maroc croisera les doigts pour que Mc Cain sorte gagnant des urnes…

If this hypothesis checks out, Morocco will cross its fingers McCain comes out the winner at the ballot box…

A reader, Cogito, writes that while he's still thinking, RDB's post has nearly made him change his mind about Obama:

En parlant de ton article à un ami, il vient de me confirmer qu’effectivement c’est le parti républicain qui a toujours été du coté du Maroc en ce qui concerne le dossier du Sahara. Le parti démocrate étant toujours du coté des minorités….

Et moi qui faisait que défendre et espérait qu’Obama soit à la tete des Etats-unis sinon ça serait la catastrophe avec ce Mccain’sh, je me retrouve en train de revoir ma position, par amour pour mon pays, par pragmatisme parce que la priorité pour moi est l’avenir du Maroc avant tout…

I was talking about your article to a friend, and he just confirmed to me that effectively, it's the Republican Party that has always been on Morocco's side when it comes to the Sahara issue. The Democratic Party has always been on hte side of minorities.

And me, who was defending Obama and hoping he would become the leader of the United States, since otherwise it would be a catastrophe with McCain, I find myself in the process of rethinking my position, for the love of my country, for pragmatism, because the priority for me above all else is the future of Morocco…

But Spy Jones doesn't think Western Sahara is much of an issue:

Un McCain soit-disant pro-Maroc, et qui prône le prolongement indéfini de l’Iraq… Tu trouves ça défendable comme parti pris ??

Je crois qu’il ne faut pas se faire d’illusions, et que la question du Sahara ne sera pas perdue au Maroc à cause d’Obama (Cet ignare de McCain ne fera pas bouger les choses ne serait-ce que d’un iota), et qu’il vaudrait mieux soutenir Obama pour mettre fin à une guerre injuste et cruelle qui a ravagée un pays entier, et qui l’a mise à feu et à sang.

En plus de pouvoir mieux traiter avec la crise financière que ne le ferais McCain, Obama sera moins belliqueux que Bush et consorts, et ne cherchera pas à provoquer une guerre avec l’Iran pour servir les interêts des lobbies militaires.

A so-called pro-Morocco McCain, and one who advocates the indefinite continuation [of an American presence] in Iraq…Do you find that bias defensible?

I think that we musn't have any illusions, that Morocco will not lose on the Sahara question because of Obama (that idiot McCain won't make an iota of difference), and that it would be better to support Obama to put an end to the unjust and cruel war that ravages an entire country, and that has engulfed it in fire and blood.

In addition to being better able to deal with the financial crisis than McCain, Obama will be less aggressive than Bush and his consorts, and won't try to provoke a war with Iran to serve the interests of the military lobbyists.

Belier, a supporter of Ron Paul, writes in the comments that choosing between Obama and McCain is like choosing between Pepsi and Coca-Cola. “à 2012 peut être!” “Maybe in 2012!” he writes.

Facebook group: Moroccans for Obama

On the Facebook group, Moroccans for Obama, some Moroccans rallied in support of Obama, others remain cynical about his chances:

Karim, posting from Orlando, FL, writes:

c lui la sollution pr la pai en iraq!! et c lui la sollution pr la survie des américains aussi, ils doivent etre des idiots pr ne pas voter pr lui!!

He's the solution for peace in Iraq!! He's also the solution for the survival of Americans, they must be idiots if they don't vote for him!!

Falah Anass:

obama for change …c le seul démocrate qui pourra apporter la paix ds le monde en tt cas pr le moment… jespere qu'il restera ainsi une fois élu président of usa…to be continued

obama for change…he's the only democrat who can bring peace to this world, at least for the moment…i hope that he will stay this way once he is elected president of the united states…to be continued

Oui moi aussi je soutien Barrack Oubama j'espère bien qu'il va pas nous décevoir,et qu'il va travailler pour le bien de ce monde.Obama et mille fois mieux que Mc cain = (Mc cayne meno walo)

Yes, I also support Barrack Obama I really hope is not going to deceive us, that he will work for the good of this world. Obama is a thousand times better than McCain…

Moussa, a Moroccan living in Kentucky, writes:

I admire this guy, but in the white america he has no chance. race is a big issue. i lived in kentucky and i am 1000% sure people wont vote for him cuz he is black.

Louarni Ashraf:

they have one chance to prouve that USA is not a racist country …i don't think that it's hard to realize …everybody want to see an african american as a president of the united states of america !! god bless ya nigga !!

Faty Owns You:

It's all false hope.

He surely will be the president…until he gets shot.

XDR-TB: Photographer Brings Emerging Disease Into Focus

Juhie Bhatia — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 23:35:44 +0000

In 2007 renowned war photographer and photojournalist James Nachtwey received a TED Prize, granting him $100,000 and one wish to change the world. Nachtwey's wish was to share a vital story in an innovative way using news photography. Last week his wish came true with the unveiling of his photos, which show the global impact of XDR-TB (extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis), and the launch of a multimedia public health campaign.

XDR-TB was brought to the world's attention in 2006, after it was identified in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is a mutation of tuberculosis (TB), a contagious bacterial disease that usually affects the lungs. TB, which spreads through the air, is a major cause of illness and death worldwide, particularly in Asia and Africa. In 2006 there were 9.2 million new cases of TB and 1.7 million deaths from the disease.

TB is treatable, but inadequate treatment can lead to the emergence of drug-resistant strains of the disease, such as XDR-TB. This type of TB is resistant to all of the most effective anti-TB drugs, severely limiting treatment options for people with XDR-TB and resulting in a much higher death rate. This video provides an overview of TB and XDR-TB. It's unknown how widespread XDR-TB is, but it's estimated that 25,000 to 30,000 new cases surface every year, and XDR-TB has been found in 49 counties around the world. Scientists are calling XDR-TB a serious emerging threat to public health.

Ridzuan, blogging on Ridz.sg, expresses dismay over the unnecessary emergence of XDR-TB:

“There is a problem when a disease that’s both preventable and curable is allowed to mutate to become a strain that’s extremely resistant to the drugs that we use today.”

Nachtwey traveled to countries such as India, Cambodia, South Africa, and Lesotho to put faces to this problem. His photos and the accompanying XDR-TB Web site were launched on October 3. This short video shows 37 of his black and white photos, revealing XDR-TB's terrible impact.

The release of this video and the unveiling of Nachtwey's photos, have created a buzz among the art and public health communities. tunneling thru’ talks about the emotional impact of his photos.

“I don’t know anyone who is suffering from it [XDR-TB], but that is no excuse for me to flip through an album or site and walk away unaffected. There is no personal angle to this. Just a need to share and see if it makes a difference. The pictures within spoke more emotions than I knew I was capable of.”

Bloggers are also discussing how Nachtwey's images are motivation to take action, and the power of his photos to create change. Luke Freeman, blogging on A Shoe Box Full of Pictures, says:

“The photography is powerful, yet the purpose behind the images gives this project even more meaning. These are not just images. Work like this will change the world. Photography, coupled with a selfless, heart-felt response has the power to affect change.”

Since TB is a major cause of death among people with HIV/AIDS, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, concerns also exist about XDR-TB's potential impact on those who are HIV positive. There were an estimated 710,000 HIV positive TB patients globally in 2006. Journal of the Plague Years points out that despite this, only one percent of those diagnosed with HIV are tested for TB worldwide, and that TB testing must become routine for HIV positive people.

“Doctors, scientists and public health experts are warning that a worldwide pandemic of extremely drug resistant tuberculosis will be the next big 'surprise' to emanate from the AIDS epidemic, if, as we move forward we are not informed by our look at the past.”

In My Heart's in Accra…, Ethan Zuckerman, a co-founder of Global Voices Online, discusses other steps needed to stop XDR-TB.

“Nachtwey’s intervention is a timely one - the ways to prevent XDR-TB from becoming a pervasive global threat have to do with strengthening healthcare systems in vulnerable nations. If hospitals and community health organizations can diagnose TB early and ensure compliance with treatment, the disease shouldn’t progress to multiple drug resistance. But improving developing world hospitals is a difficult and expensive task. Eliminating pharmaceutical fakes may be even more difficult. Fake prescription drugs are extremely common in developing nations.”

Sproutingforth, blogging on Urban Sprout, adds that the lack of funding is a major issue.

“Reversing the TB epidemic is a political issue as much as it is a health issue. The World Health Organization estimates that it will cost approximately $6.7 billion annually to reverse the TB epidemic. Currently, only slightly more than half of that is projected to be available at current funding levels. This gap is costing millions of lives.”

Nachtwey’s photographs will be on display throughout October in public spaces spanning all seven continents, including cities such as New York, Paris, Melbourne, Seoul, Hong Kong, and London.

Stop XDR-TB logo posted by ElseKramer on Flickr.

Latin America: Reporting On, Twitter for journalists gets popular

Jorge Gobbi — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 23:10:36 +0000

The success of Twitter has had an enormous influence on many new sites, that want to copy the formula: short messages, from all kinds of devices, for a restricted audience. One of the sites that follows this example is Reporting On, a kind of Twitter for journalists, that has been in working in beta phase since last year. And if you register, you'll find the site is getting quite successful particularly among Latin American journalists.

The structure is very similar to Twitter's; we can write up to 140 characters, which most users take advantage of to write news in the form of headlines. Each piece of news can be tagged with many words. In the left column, we can find the most popular tags. We can comment in each others posts as well as reply to them, but we can't follow certain users or filter contents, except for the tags.

Pablo Mancini interviewed Ryan Sholin, who's behind the project, and he points out that Reporting On “is a non profit project financed by Knight News Challenge in order to improve local news, connecting people who don't talk with each other enough”. And he adds: “once the site is working with a healthy amount of applications, I will make the code open source and invite developers and journalists to improve it so they can launch their own versions of the site”.

Also talk about Reporting On: Bloc de Periodista (en español); The Exploding Newsroom; Random Mumblings; and Linchpen. At DigiDave you can find another interview to Sholin.

Tunisia: National Day for Freedom of Blogging on November 4

Lina Ben Mhenni — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 23:03:03 +0000

Tunisian bloggers are rallying for a National Day for Freedom of Blogging on November 4. The day will coincide with a court hearing for a lawsuit filed by the journalist and blogger Zied El Heni against the Tunisian Internet Agency (ATI).

It all started when Tunisian internet surfers welcomed with happiness the repeal of a ban placed on video sharing sites YouTube and Dailymotion. Many Tunisian bloggers celebrated this repeal of the ban by posting videos of songs downloaded from those two video websites on their blogs. But their happiness was cut short as the repeal did not last more than 24 hours. Very soon, the Tunisians discovered that there was in fact no repeal of the ban at all. Rather, a problem with the software and filters used by the ATI resulted in its failure to block these two video websites. The repeal of the ban, which had been welcomed with such enthusiasm, was actually just an accident and a mistake.

Meanwhile, journalist and blogger El Heni is suing the ATI for the censorship of Facebook, which had lasted for 16 days. The trial will take place on November 4 and as a sign of solidarity with his action, a group of bloggers decided that this date will henceforth be baptized as a national day for blogging freedom.

Blogger Abunadem, whose blog had been censored more than twice, spearheaded the campaign on Anticensuretounes, collective blog by Tunisian bloggers on anti-censorship. He explains:

بمناسبة القضية اللي رفعها الصحفي و المدون زياد الهاني ضد عمار 404 واللي تعينتلو الجلسة نهار 4 نوفمبر …( وهي القضية نفسها اللي رفعوها اوخيان اخرين ضد حوادث 404 باشي ) ممكن يكون يوم 4 نوفمبر يوم كل مدون لان القضية قضيتو بدرجة اولى …ممكن نعتبروه يوم وطني من اجل حرية التدوين ونساندوا خونا زياد حتى بالصمت العاجز ………من خلال تدوينات بيضاء او بانيار يعلن هذا الحدث .
والى الامام …لنتكاتف ضد عمار .

The journalist and blogger El Heni has sued the ATI and the trial has been set for November 4th 2008. It would be a great idea to announce this day “every blogger's day” because this cause is every blogger's cause. It should also be considered a Tunisian National Day for Blogging Freedom. We can support our brother Zied even by our desperate silence, expressed through a White Blog Day or by a common logo on our blogs signaling this event . Let's go ahead .Let's unite against censorship!!

Writing on the same blog, Bachbouch further explains:

Tunisian blogs became the main supplier of unbiased news for Tunisians living inside and abroad. Blogging became a responsibility and bloggers are now citizens who can create jeopardy to any government agency trying to cover and shadow information that doesn’t project a picture of a stable and democratic, government of a country experiencing a fast economic growth.
That in mind, we decided that, as we took this heavy responsibility on our shoulders, we are entitled to a law that protects us from any abuse and unlawful censorship. This law should also shield us from any unlawful investigation and arrest due to the content of our blogs as long as it doesn’t break any law acknowledged by our constitution. This same law will punish any person or entity that shall intentionally break it.
Zied El Heni’s symbolic law suite against “Tunisian Internet Agency” inspired us to launch our movement and decided to have November 4th, the date of the first hearing, as a National Day For Freedom of Blogging. This movement was immediately embraced by most if not all the Tunisian bloggers who will be the force that fuels and inspires this movement.
We will be reaching out parties of our government soon with all our demands hoping for a great cooperation.

The result is an overwhelming support from bloggers, such as Mayadine, who writes:

للأصدقاء اللي تفاعلو ايجابيا
مع اقتراح ابو ناظم في مدونة : ضد الحجب
في ان يكون يوم 4 نوفمبر من كل عام ، هو
اليوم الوطني لحرية التدوين
مّاله انا بدوري
نتوجّه للجميع بدعوة للانضمام الى هالاقتراح
ليكن يوم 4 نوفمبر يومنا الوطني من اجل ان
ندوّن
نخربش
نكتب
نفكر
نعبّر
نتحاو
نتناقش
نضيف
ننقد
نطلق اجنحة اقلامنا

To the friends who positively responded to Abu Nadhem's proposition in the Anti-censorship in Tunisia blog to set November 4th as the national day for freedom of blogging. I invite to join this campaign so that this day will be our day to blog, scribble, write, think, discuss, comment, criticize and let our pens speak freely.

To support the initiative, Facebook user Bassem Bouguerra created a Facebook group entitled: November 4th: A National Day for Blogging Freedom. Since its launch on October 1, more than 330 members have so far joined the call. This relatively great number can really be considered a great achievement, in a country where people have been raised in fear of speaking out freely. This show of support is also remarkable considering that many people avoid joining groups dealing with matters of freedom of expression and other controversial issues. They fear persecution and jail.

Members on the Facebook group are exchanging ideas about the best methods to overcome censorship and limits on freedom of expression.

Seifeddine Ben Fatthallah, for instance, writes:

“I hope that the trial against ATI will not be only Zied El Heni's trial against ATI but it will be rather the trial of all Tunisians against ATI. It will not be only for internet users. In fact, the problem is larger than it seems to be as it is going beyond all limits. I hope that the information about limits on freedom of expression will reach every Tunisian citizen.”

Hayett Abed explains that Tunisian law guarantees freedom of expression. He notes:

القانون التونسي يضمن حرية التعبير، و التعبير يمكن يكون في جميع وسائل الإعلام المتاحة ، و بما أنو ما فمّاش ما ينص على التدوين في القانون التونسي باعتبارو داخل في تكنولوجيا جديدة، فإن قبول السلطة بإدخال تكنولوجيا الأنترنات وحثها للمواطنين باش يستعملوها و تقديم كل المساعدات للعايلات المتوسطة باش يشريو الحاسوب العايلي و استعمال الأنترنات يعتبر ضمنيا بقبولها لكل ما توفره الأنترنات و امكانية استغلاله من طرف الشعب الكريم

Tunisian law guarantees freedom of expression and this freedom should be through all available means. Because Tunisian law lacks stipulations about blogging and because the Internet is part of new media and modern technologies, the government's approval to introduce such technologies to our countries is equivalent to its approval and acceptance to the use of the different services available on internet, including the different websites and blogs created by internet users.

And while it is really sad to see so many blogs and websites under the TAI's siege, and witness how Tunisia continues to violate freedom of expression while claiming at international gatherings that it is a leader of freedom and human rights, it is inspiring and encouraging to see so many Tunisians voices rising to say No to oppression and barriers on freedom of expression.

Brazil: A day in jail for blog comments

Paula Góes — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 22:08:07 +0000

Interrupting his blogging holidays, police officer Alexandre de Sousa [pt] posts in solidarity with Major Roberto Cavalcante Vianna, the first Brazilian citizen jailed for commenting on a blog:

Fui aluno do Major Roberto Vianna no Curso de Formação de Oficiais. Era meu instrutor de Direitos Humanos. Pessoa íntegra, estudioso de Segurança Pública, exemplo. Sua transgressão grave foi assinar um comentário se solidarizando com o Major Wanderby, denunciado por indisciplina na Auditoria Militar da PM. Punição de prisão! 12 dias preso por comentar em um blog! Caro Major Vianna, Gostaria de apoiá-lo neste momento cruel e de gosto duvidoso! Continue firme na sua caminhada. Não esmoreça. A sua arma mais forte é a sua determinação. Cumprimentos daquele que te admira muito e que aprendeu muito com o senhor.

I was Major Roberto Vianna's student in the [Police] Officer Training Course. He was my Human Rights instructor. An honest person, a Public Security scholar, an example. His serious transgression was a comment in which he sympathized with Major Wanderby, denounced for indiscipline in a Military Audit of the Military Police. Jail punishment! 12 days trapped for commenting on a blog! Dear Major Vianna, I would like to show you support at this cruel moment of doubtful taste! Please remain firm on your path. Don't wilt. Your strongest weapon is your determination. Greetings from someone who admires you greatly and who has learned a lot from you.

At the heart of the trouble is another police Major and blogger, Wanderby Medeiros [pt], who informs us in one of his latest posts that Major Roberto Vianna was jailed on October 07 initially for 12 days, but he was freed the day after due to a habeas corpus. In an earlier post, he explains further Vianna's error:

Roberto Vianna fez um comentário não apócrifo no blog de um cidadão que se opõe às nefastas políticas “públicas” de Sérgio Cabral, José Mariano Beltrame e companhia!
Vianna exerceu um direito constitucional!

Roberto Vianna made a non-apocryphal comment on the blog of a citizen who is against the harmful “public” policies of [Rio Governor] Sergio Cabral, [Public Safety State Secretary] Jose Mariano Beltrame and company!
Vianna was exercising a constitutional right!

Journalist Gustavo de Almeida [pt], the only non-police blogger in this article, although many other civilians have commented on the issue, digs out the actual comment that caused the order, a message of solidarity for Major Wanderby with a criticism of the way the police force has been led in Rio de Janeiro:

A quem serve o Comando Geral de quaisquer instituições ? Quando alguém assume tal nobre função, não o faria para zelar por todos nós? Zelar por todos nós não incluiria combater a corrupção em todos os seus segmentos?

Who does the general command of any institution serve? When someone takes on such a noble task, shouldn't they ensure that they do so for all of us? Shouldn't fighting corruption in all its forms be a way to look after us?

Stive [pt], on the other hand, investigates and uncovers the news that most of the punishment that has fallen on Major Wanderby is for posting on blogs, his own blog being one of the most popular and commented on among police officers. He says this is lamentable:

O major Wanderby é um dos pouquíssimos oficiais superiores que NÃO se omite diante de tanta sacanagem injustiça e ele manifesta isso em seu blog, que tem sido visto pelos olhos do alto comando como subversivo, incompatível para sua função. Não é de se estranhar que a maioria dos blogs policiais de protestos o autor prefira não mostrar a cara, afinal quem vai querer ser punido pelo comandante geral como já aconteceu com o major três vezes.

Major Wanderby is one of very few senior officers who do NOT keep silent in the face of so much skulduggery injustice and he shows this on his blog, which has been deemed by the high command as subversive, and incompatible with his position. It is not surprising that in most protest blogs by police officers the authors prefer not show their face, after all who wants to be punished by the general commander, as has happened three times with the Major?

Mônica [pt] believes the police regulation which disallows officers expressing their opinions the way they see fit is archaic and from the era of dictatorship, and wonders what might happen to a less senior officer:

O caso acima é com oficiais superiores, imaginem o que acontece com a gente. Prender um oficial superior por expressar sua opinião não é ilegal? Não fere o que diz nossa constituição? Ainda nos criticam por não colocarmos a cara aqui!

The case above regards senior officers, imagine what could happen with us. Isn't it illegal arresting a high ranking officer because he expressed his opinions? Doesn't it go against what our constitution says? And some criticize us for not putting our face here!

José Ricardo [pt] says he favors freedom of speech, despite the fact he doesn't exercise it himself. He avoids commenting further on the Major's imprisonment, but leaves a piece of advice for his readers:

Portanto, companheiro, cuidado com o que você diz na caixa de comentários dos blogs.

So, mate, be careful what you say in blogs' comment boxes.

Despite the fact that they are not allowed to, these officials have been strongly opposing the current government. Major Wanderby was one of the organizers of a movement claiming a better wage for the police - a newly recruited police officer earns $500 a month. They blame the low wages and appalling working conditions of so high a risk job as the causes for the collapse of the Brazilian military and corruption among officers. According to a U.N. Human Rights Council report released last September 15, the Brazilian police is linked to 1 in 5 murders in Rio de Janeiro.

Even though under tremendous pressure not to publicly speak out or criticize the Brazilain police force or government, more and more police officers of all ranks, anonymously and not, have been using blogs as a tool to inform and mobilize. See a previous article on the subject.

Japan: Rikimaru Toho, the first manga narrating cantastoria

Scilla Alecci — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 08:13:50 +0000

His stage name is Rikimaru Tōhō (東方力丸). He defines himself a “manga [Japanese comics] reader”, and for five years he has been enchanting hundreds of passersby with his performances in the suburbs of western Tokyo.

A legendary performer, Rikimaru Tōhō's popularity is due not to TV or radio shows (although he has participated in several minor programs recently) but to his ability to modify his voice and play the parts of the characters (men, women and children) in the stories he reads, to the emotion he puts in this storytelling, and to the warm and polite way in which he interacts with his listeners. What makes him particularly unique is that he has been able to modernize one figure that is present in many cultures: the figure of the cantastoria who passes on the traditional narrative folktales. The tales that he narrates, however, are the stories from manga — products of modern Japanese popular culture.

At Josei Jōi Jidai (女性上位時代), a blogger writes about when she and her sister attended a manga reading by Rikimaru Tōhō.

梅雨の中休みで好天に恵まれた日曜日。買い物ついでにふらふらと立ち寄った井の頭公園は、ギターを奏でて歌う人あり、刀剣でジャグリングする人ありと休日っぽい雰囲気。その一角でビニールシートにマンガを並べ、傍らに佇むアヤシイ人発見。

It was a beautiful Sunday in the middle of the rainy season. I went out to do some shopping and dropped by Inokashira Park. A typical holiday-ish atmosphere with people singing and playing the guitar and others juggling with swords.
Then I spotted some manga on a plastic sheet in a corner and a strange person standing nearby.

ｲﾀ━━━━(ﾟ∀ﾟ)━━━━ｯ!!

There he was!!

長髪にハチマキ（タオル？）、ヒゲ面・メガネのこの方こそ東方力丸さん。好きな漫画をリクエストすると、セリフから効果音まで力を込めて読み聞かせてくれる「漫読家」です。深夜番組「あらびき団」で見て以来、非常に気になってました！ちょうどカップルが「NANA」を読んでもらっているところで、その後私が目を離した隙に、妹が力丸さんと交渉を成立させ、私も一緒に風呂用のイスに着席。漫画は彼の十八番であろう「北斗の拳」。

Long hair and a headband (a towel?), beard and glasses: Toho Rikimaru. He is a “manga reader” who will read you the manga you choose, reciting the parts and producing all the sound effects to make it real. I became curious about him after I saw the late-night show “Arabikidan” [あらびき団]! Right after he finished reading “NANA” to a couple, while I was distracted, my sister negotiated with Rikimaru-san [for a show], and I took seat with her on one of the small basins he uses as seats. The manga she chose was “Hokuto no Ken”, a classic from his repertoire.

「最近浮かれているわたくしですが、力を入れてやらせて頂きます」と丁重な挨拶を述べ、きっちり正座をして漫読スタート。ケンシロウとラオウの死闘、それを見守るリンやバットにユリア。キャラを見事に演じわけ、技が繰り出されると私たちに誌面を近づけたり離したりという演出も。腹の底から出す声が周囲に響き渡り、その迫力にどんどん人が集まってきます。す、すごい！！「北斗の拳」はちゃんと読んだことがないけれど、全巻読破したような満足感があるとかないとか。(´∀｀)

In a very polite way he said to us “Please allow me to make a powerful performance”, then he sat on his knees and start reading the manga. The fight to death between Kenshiro and Raoh, with Lin, Bat and Yuria watching over. He played the parts magnificently and he also kept moving the comic book toward our face and then away again as part of the performance. The voice coming from the bottom of his stomach created a strong echo all around, with an impact that drew passersby around him. I-Incredible!! Although I've never really read “Hokuto no Ken” myself, I have this feeling of satisfaction now as though I had read the whole series from cover to cover.

おひねりで妹と一緒に千円を出したら（計二千円）、「いやいや、こんなにもらえません。この千円でお二人でマックでも…」と返されました。なんて律儀なお方でしょう。ますます高感度アップです。最後にはチョコ菓子までくれました。

We offered to pay him 1,000 Yen each (total 2,000 Yen) but he replied “No, no, I can't take so much. With this 1000 Yen why don't you two have something at Mac [Donald's]…?” What integrity he has. Very sensitive. And he also gave us some chocolates.

Rikimaru Tōhō reads a manga in Shimokitazawa (Tokyo).

Here is how the blogger at Jōnetsu no Omosa wa Yoru no Unagi (情熱の重さは夜のウナギ) described their first encounter with Toho Rikimaru-san, in a post from three years ago:

もう何度も見かけていましたが、ちゃんとお金を払って読んでもらった事がなかったので友人Iさんと勇気を出してお願いしました。
「特攻の拓　第一巻」です。[…]
効果音はもちろん凄かったのですが、女の人の声もちゃんとしてくれるのが超面白かったです。
はじめは誰も居なかったのですが。私たちが聞いていると20人くらい集まってきてました。

I had seen him many times, but I had never actually paid him to read me a manga until my friend and I gathered up some courage and decided to ask him to read us the 1st volume of “Bukkomi no Taku” [特攻の拓].
The sound effects were awesome, but what impressed me most was his ability to reproduce the voices of woman characters.
At first there was nobody there, but while we were listening to him about 20 people gathered around.

A blogger at Shūmatsu Kichijōji Tanken (週末吉祥寺探索) is enthusiastic about Rikimaru's performance:

頂いた名刺には「漫読家」と書いてありました。
その名の通り、ずらりと並んで置いてある漫画の
中からリクエストで力丸さんが読んでくれます。
少年、少女漫画など幅広いジャンルがあります。
私がその中でも特に好きなのは北斗の拳です。
「あたたたたたたたたったたたたたあああああああ！！！！！」
と血管が切れそうな勢いで漫画を読んでくれます。
３人ともそれぞれ表現方法に違いはありますが、
人を立ち止まらせ、引き付ける魅力があります。

On the business card that I got it was written: “manga reader”.
And as that name suggests, you suggest one of the manga from among those on display, and Rikimaru-san reads it to you.
There are all a lot of genres, manga for boys, for girls etc.
My favorite among them is “Hokuto no Ken” [北斗の拳].
“Atatatatatatattttatattataaaaaaaaa!!!!”
He read me the story with so much energy that it seemed like his veins were about to explode.
And the way he differentiates between the expressions of each of the three characters, he is so fascinating that he catches the attention of the passersby who stop and listen to him.

Another sample of Rikimaru's performances in Shimokitazawa (Tokyo).

Last year, Rikimaru Tōhō launched his own blog, and despite his supposed inability to keep any form of diary updated, since he started, he's been constantly updating it with pics and entries about his life and activities.

Here are the two of the first posts in which he introduces himself. In the first post he writes:

ちなみにオイラの活動です。

By the way, here are the things that I do.

仕事は事務所からのお仕事や、御依頼頂いた番組、イベントなどにも出演させて頂く他、
普段は下北沢や井の頭公園で漫画を読ませて頂いております。

Other than the jobs that the agecy I belong to presents to me, and participation in TV programs and other events, I usually also read manga in Shimokitazawa or Inokashira Park.

毎週土曜日・・・下北沢駅南口ガード下　２０時頃～２５時くらいまで
毎週日曜日・・・井の頭公園野外ステージ前付近　１２時頃～夕方暗くなる前まで

Every Saturday… near the southern exit of Shimokitazawa station, from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Every Sunday… in Inokashira Park, next to the open stage, from 12 a.m. to sunset.

そのほか平日の夜も下北沢では出没するときもございます。
天気によっては井の頭公園の方は遠慮させて頂いている場合もありますが、
下北沢に関しては雨が降ろうと、
雷が脳天に落ちようと（それはそれで面白い光景かもしれないなぁ）やらせて頂いております。

I also sometimes make appearances at Shimokitazawa on weekdays in the evening.
Depending on the weather, I sometimes skip the Inokashira Park appointment, but regardless of whether rain or snow is falling on my head (actually that would be an interesting sight), I always show up at Shimokitazawa.

And in another post:

オイラの普通の日常。

My everyday life.

朝起きて９９ショップで自炊の食材を買い、
コンビニエンスストアーで立ち読みをし、
古本屋で漫画を買う。

I wake up and go to buy some food at the 99 Yen shop.
Then I go to the convenience store where I read some comics or magazine and I buy some comics at the secondhand bookstore.

古本屋で漫画を買うと作者さんに印税が入らないだろうから悪い気がするが、
１００円で買えるのは安くて得をした気分になる。

When I buy used comics I feel sorry for the author as he doesn't get any royalties that way,
but to be able to buy it for only 100 yen, I can't help but feel that's quite cheap, and a profit for me.

四畳半に帰って、サイモン＆ガーファンクルと、
タイマーズを聞きながら買って来た漫画を読む。

Then I go back to my 4.5-mat apartment and, while listening to Simon & Garfunkel or The Timers, I read the comics I bought.

良い作品だ。
是非普段のレパートリーに加えさせていただきたい作品だ。

It`s good work.
Stuff I'd really like to add to my regular repertoire.

四畳半で稽古をする。
飯を食う。
丼に白米をよそい
萌やしをさっと煮て
白米の上にたっぷり盛ってやってポン酢を掛けて食う。

I rehearse in my 4,5mats-room.
I have lunch.
I fill a bowl with white rice
and quickly boil some bean sprouts
Then I add them to the rice, sprinkle some ponzu [soy sauce and vinegar] over it and eat.

原価はバカみたいに安い即席料理だが実にうまい。

The ingredients are simple and ridiculously cheap, but it's really delicious.

ＴＶの国会中継を見ながら稽古をする。
喉の炎症を抑えるステロイドを飲む。
声の出はだいぶ良い。
おじゃる丸を見る。
忍たま乱太郎を見る。
体を洗って歯を磨いて下北沢で漫画を読ませてもらう。

I rehearse while watching proceedings from the Diet on TV.
I drink some medicine to prevent throat inflammation.
My voice is fine.
I watch Ojaru Maru.
I watch Nintama Rantaro.
I wash myself, brush my teeth and I am out to Shimokitazawa to read manga.

こういった日が一番幸せだ。

This kind of day is the happiest of all.

Even when he is too busy to write a long and detailed post, Rikimaru Tōhō never forgets to thank the people who stopped by to listen to his manga readings:

どようび、にちようびにマンガよみをみていただいた
“おきゃくさま”“まちのみなさま”
　ありがとうございます。
　たいへんこうひょうでした。
　ありがとうございます。

Thanks to the customers and to the people of the neighborhood who watched me reading Saturday and Sunday.
Thank you.
It was really a success.
Thank you.

China: Melamine Inevitable, even for EU Commissioner

Bob Chen — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 07:14:54 +0000

Melamine-tainted milk gave made-in-China a tough punch, and to reassure the world of China's product safety, premier Wen Jiabao affirmed that “we'll revive the Chinese food industry very soon,” at the World Economic Forum held in Tianjin last month.

The widely-influential milk scandal was resulted from the industrial chemical melamine added to not only milk but yogurt and infant formula. It has led to kidney stones crystallized in body that inflicted hundreds of babies, and killed 3.

At the Forum, Wen kept on saying, as China daily described,

Wen said he was very moved when he saw in television European Union Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson drinking a cup of Chinese milk on Friday to show his trust in China-made products. “It's because he not only sees the present, but the future as well,” Wen said.

This Mandelson, 9 days later, was rushed to hospital in England due to unbearable pain, and after inspection, the trouble-maker is revealed—–kidney stone.

Mandelson might have gone through his most dramatic days in the period of time. In the reshuffle on Friday, Mandelson made a surprise return to the Britain cabinet under Brown's appointment. And on his first day in the office, kidney stones sent him to doctors. Would he relate his misfortune with the milk drunk a few days ago?

Whatever, Chinese blogger have already picked up their pens for responses.

Blogger “prostate inflamed” published on bullg.cn an entry, named “the Chinese milk stunned the world again“. Nothing more did he do than juxtaposing the two news stories, “Wen was impressed by Mandelson's drinking of China milk”, and “on his office move-in day, Mandelson was sent to hospital due to kidney stones “.

Fishabc0 could only sigh in his comment,

立竿见影

Quick into effect, as pole set up shadow seen.

And Nasheishei summarized in one word:

黑色幽默

Black humor.

Netizen 无上荣光 (Ultimate glory) exclaimed:

我喜欢英国幽默。这绝对是一场精彩的行为艺术表演！这是对中国政府官商勾结坑害百姓的机智嘲讽。非常精彩！

I love British humor. This is absolutely a wonderful show of performance art! This is a witty irony against the government-industry conspiracy in China that exploit us people. Fabulous!

Another well-known blogger 宋石男, in a further step, wrote to analyze Mandelson's kidney stones,

在我看来，事件真相有两个可能：

1、曼德尔森早就知道自己有肾结石，故意当众喝中国牛奶，是在落井下石。

2、曼德尔森不知道自己有肾结石，勇敢地当众喝中国牛奶，是好心办了坏事。

In my opinion, there are two possibilities of the truth:
1. Mandelson had known his kidney stones long ago, but simply drank Chinese milk at public to further ridicule China.
2. He had no idea with his kidney stones, and drank milk out of good intention, but just worked out something awful.

Whichever is the truth (I personally incline to the latter), it would be as 老碗 says,

中国奶的确没让世界人民失望

Chinese milk didn't disappoint the world.

But overall, it's never good to be a group of people, who can only make fun of ourselves, while find no way out, no way to change, even no no way to keep ourselves and baies from poison.

驴夫 says,

最近心情很忧伤看到这个故事于是忧伤有了愉悦成了愉悦的忧伤

I have been very sad, grieved recently, but reading this story brings me kind of joy, a joyful grief.

This is our bitter joy melted in milk

(Pictures from Wikipedia, use under permission license)

China: Melamine is Inevitable?

Oiwan Lam — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 03:57:52 +0000

In Oct 7, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Agriculture, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce and the General Administration of Quality Supervision and Quarantine jointly issued a notice which state the upper limit of melamine in milk product. For infant formula, the maximum level is 1mg/kg. As for other formula that contain more than 15% milk, the maximum level is 2.5mg/kg. Any product exceed this level will be banned. In Oct 8, the Ministry of Health held a special press conference explaining that it will be rather impossible for food products to have zero percent melamine because of contamination during packaging process.

High spirit baby invited readers to comment on the policy in bbs.clzy.cn

User high-spirit noticed the contradiction in the government's statements:

当初检验的时候，那么多的企业都说没有检出三氯氰氨，现在又说三氯氰氨不能完全避免，那倒奇怪了，既然不能完全避免，那么多企业当时怎么就没有检查出来含三氯氰氨呢？

　　这不是自相矛盾吗？

　　退一步讲，就算三氯氰氨能通过环境、包装等途径进入到食品里面，那我就要问了，奶农往奶里面掺三氯氰氨违法，通过别的途径往奶里面加三氯氰氨就不违法了？哪里的环境有问题就查哪里，谁的包装有问题就找谁的事，这才是解决问题的正道。

During the quality check earlier on, the government said that there were many corporate products haven't been contaminated by melamine, how come it now states that melamine is inevitable? If it is really inevitable, how come so many corporates achieve zero melamine before?

Isn't it contradictory?

Let's take a step backward. If melamine can enter the food product through the industrial environment and packaging process, how come it is illegal for milk farmers to add melamine while other forms of contamination become legal? If there is something wrong with the production environment, deal with it, if there is something wrong with the packaging, deal with it. This is the right way to solve the problem.

User applexiaohong said:

化工原料都能正大光明的进入食品，还有什么可以放心食用的东西呢，难道物质的丰富与发展就得以牺牲人身体为代价吗？我觉做食品还是得做良心！不能利益熏心！！

If industrial chemicals can enter the food product with legitimation, how can we have the confidence to buy food product? Do we have to sacrifice our body and health for a rich material life and development? We need a high morality in food industry, not a greedy heart.

User Kunming CEO said:

这条新闻太好笑啦。我想问问这些国家机关：莫非这也是国际惯例么？还是中国特色？！

This news is too hilarious, I want to ask the ministries, is this really international practice? or it is Chinese way of handling thing?

Ran Yunfei interprets the joint statement as a legalization of Chronic murder.

In the comment section of Ran's article, Da Ren You Da Leng suggests that:

为了大家更好地响应五部委的号召，强烈建议五部委要员，每天，在中央台< 新闻联播>中，当众喝一盒限量版三聚氰胺液态奶，喝时必须把批次用特写打出来。

身先士卒，大概就是这么回事情吧！

In order to make this call more effective, I strongly suggest that chief officials of the ministries should drink the melamine milk in front of the daily CCTV news and announce the product package number to the public everyday.

They should stand in the front!

However Quick Sword pointed out that 2.5mg/kg is an international standard:

据说是根据美国FDA的分析结果,微量三聚氰胺（小于2.5PPM）对人体无害。http://xys2.dxiong.com/xys/ebooks/others/science/dajia9/sanlu205.txt

According to FDA report from the U.S, a small amount of melamine (less than 2.5PPM) is not harmful to human. http://xys2.dxiong.com/xys/ebooks/others/science/dajia9/sanlu205.txt

Newbie wishes good luck to “made in China” milk product:

祝国产奶粉好运

Hu Mang's comment has been widely circulated in internet media. The writer points out that the Chinese government should work towards zero melamine for solving the problem:

关于三聚氰胺的问题，不应该是一场讨价还价的谈判，而应该是一场从“零”开始的审判。也许只有这样，我们才能真正还国内消费者一个交代，才能真正许国内乳品业一个未来。

The issue of melamine should become a negotiation, we should start from “zero”. Only with this attitude, the government should genuinely be responsible to the consumer and give the milk industry a future.

Ukraine: Voting Again - For the New Ones, and Against Them All

Veronica Khokhlova — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 01:16:55 +0000

On Oct. 8, president Victor Yushchenko announced the dissolution of the Ukrainian parliament. The snap election - the third parliamentary vote in Ukraine since the 2004 Orange Revolution - has been scheduled for Dec. 7.

Here is what some Ukrainian bloggers think of the political situation in their country.

LJ user logvynenko wrote this (UKR) about the general incompetence of the main political players represented in the Ukrainian parliament - Yulia Tymoshenko's Bloc (BYuT), Our Ukraine-People's Self-Defense Bloc (NUNS) and the Party of Regions (PR):

[…] We've already seen the collaboration of all possible configurations of the political forces that are present in the parliament. BYuT+PR, NUNS+PR, BYuT+NUNS. None of these collaborations resulted in getting the following issues resolved:

- [Lawmakers' immunity from prosecution] has not been lifted - a promise made by practically [every political force]

- Tax cuts haven't been introduced, even though they were promising to do it at least regarding the [value-added tax]

And so on. I can name dozens of these [unresolved] issues. But these [two] are the most popular.

So, I don't see a point in [re-electing] the lawmakers who worked in [the parliament of this convocation]. Because it'll change nothing. When it is necessary to decide on important issues, they are fighting for power and everything else - and this is all they are doing.

I am electing them so that they worked, and instead they are wasting their time on [popular political TV talk shows].

I AM NOT VOTING FOR ANY OF THE PARTIES THAT ARE NOW PRESENT IN THE PARLIAMENT

And don't try to scare me that this will help [Victor Yanukovych of the Party of Regions] - just don't.

[…]

Do you want a new life? Let's elect different people.

There were some among LJ user logvynenko's readers who were not aware of any new political forces that could be considered a good alternative to the already established ones:

anatolkukula:

Do you have info on whether someone new is going to appear (someone truly new)?

There were those who favored being as careful about the “new” forces as about the “old” ones:

duvosvit:

I agree with the idea and the slogan, but most likely I won't vote for the parties that are not in the parliament now but have “familiar faces” [among their candidates].

[…]

ot_taka_ja:

Voting for new [party] names isn't the same as voting for new people. But the idea is good. […]

There were some who planned to simply skip the vote:

gothic_inside:

I haven't been voting at all since 2003. And I don't regret it - it's a waste of time, and I'm just too lazy to go there to check the ‘against all' [square on the ballot].

And there were those who were going to vote against all candidates, an option available to Ukrainian voters:

gapusia:

I am for voting against all! The new ones do not have enough time [to gain impact], while the old ones should be in jail… Skipping the vote means showing [that you don't care], and then you don't have the right to be critical of those in power. But ‘against all' - that's a stance!

There is even an LJ community for Ukrainian ‘against all' voters - proty_vsih. LJ user chapeye asked this question (UKR) there on Oct. 9:

What's the difference?

Mathematically, politically, morally, etc.:

- to vote against all;
- to [skip the vote];
- to [leave with your ballot];
- to spoil the ballot with obscenities.

I'm serious. Is there a difference? […]

Here is one of the responses:

mrs_jk:

It's necessary to go for the sake of the turnout. Then it would be more difficult to falsify the vote, fewer chances for the radical marginals, more chances that the election would be valid.

‘Against all' - a way to declare your position. Basically, this wouldn't harm anyone, but it's one of the ways to express your protest.

Spoiling the ballot - the protest wouldn't be heard, because in the overall statistics it would be registered as nothing but spoiled and there'd be no way to tell if it happened accidentally or not. With the ‘against all' vote, it is definitely not accidental.

As for the third item, as far as I understand it, it's the same as not showing up for the vote. The only difference is that the commission members would have to fill out a missing ballot form, and it'd take them longer to do the count […].

In another post (UKR, RUS) in the proty_vsih LJ community, LJ user alex_rubanov wrote that he couldn't find the ‘against all' voting results from the previous election and asked whether these votes were being counted at all. LJ user dr_dick replied:

They count them :)))) They do count them :))) But they publicize [these results] somewhat reluctantly. And they are really not into commenting them :))))

It's growing by approximately one percent with each new vote since 2004.

I guess it was 1.7 [percent] in 2006, and 2.63 [percent] in 2007. I may be wrong about the fractions, can't say exactly from the top of my head. Let's overcome the [3-percent] voting barrier, while [we still can, while the ‘against all' option is still there].

I know the exact figure for the ‘against all' vote in Kyiv in 2007 - 4.44 percent. Nationwide, it was less.