Stories about Politics from March, 2010
Haiti: Debt Forgiveness
Repeating Islands links to a Business Week report that confirms the Inter-American Development Bank “has agreed to forgive $479 million in debts owed by quake-ravaged Haiti”.
Barbados: Ten Year Sentence
Barbados Free Press is disappointed that the murderer of a tourist was sentenced to only ten years in prison: “Barbados doesn’t want any scrutiny about robbery, rape and violence against tourists…”
Bermuda: Violent Crime
Vexed Bermoothes says that crime in Bermuda is “a lot worse than most people assume, particularly given the small size of this rock and the even smaller neighbourhoods that are being scarred by this violence.”
Venezuela: Concerns About Controls on the Internet
Debate is heating up in Venezuela after decrees and statements from President Hugo Chávez, who questioned how the Internet is being used in the country. Many are interpreting these statements and policy proposals that the government wants control the Internet in Venezuela.
Haiti: The Real “Slavery”
“Exploitation of child domestics is a global problem, not a Haitian ‘slavery’ issue”: The Haitian Blogger republishes a piece by Ezilidanto that exposes the real “slavery” in Haiti.
Chile: Changes in Government Websites with Arrival of New Administration
Many Chileans noticed that some government websites no longer contain photos or information from the previous administration, and they are wondering whether it was a deliberate message sent from the administration of new President Sebastián Piñera
Cuba: Feeling the Tremors
Cuban bloggers report on the earthquake tremors that hit the island two days ago.
Jamaica, U.S.A.: On Extradition
Blogging about Jamaica's refusal to extradite Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke to the US, Active Voice says that “there's no level playing field”, while My View of JamDown from UpSo adds: “The fact is that Jamaica is neither America's weed nor cocaine dealer!”
Iran: New wave of blogger arrests
Another wave of blogger arrests has been reported in Iran but the details are murky. The leader of an anti-censorship group named Iran Proxy, and the founder of blog hosting service Persian Blog have both been arrested.
Iran: Iranians marked holiday under surveillance
Iranians marked, Charshanbeh Soori, a holiday that leads up to the Persian new year under the watchful eyes of riot police Tuesday night, after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei the Islamic Republic's leader discouraged celebrations.
Haiti: Reconstruction for Haitians or with Haitians
Haitian Alterpresse republishes a letter [Creole] from Haitian social organisations which openly criticise the Donor's Conference which took place in the Dominican Republic on March 17th. According to them, it will not lead to a long-term development project nor include the population in the reconstruction scheme. Here is the French...
Russia: Prosecuted Blogger Receives Journalist Award
Mikhail Afanasyev (aka LJ user rukhakasia), blogger from Abakan, Eastern Siberia, received a Journalist Union Award “For Professional Achievement” for a series of articles about the accident at Sayano-Shushenskaya dam, Echo Moskvy reported. The articles led to a criminal case initiated against Afanasyev, which was closed later due to lack...
Russia: Activists Burns Effigy of Policeman
Activists of the movement “Autonomous Action” burnt an effigy a policeman during the “political Maslenitsa“, indymedia reports (photos and footage available). The action was dedicated to Seva Ostapov, a young man violently beaten by policemen and later accused of assaulting them.
Russia: Protests in 48 Cities Mark “Day of Anger”
Bloggers post photos of mass protests dedicated to the “Day of Anger” held on March 20, 2010. Protests in 48 cities gathered around 20,000 people. Here are the links to pictures and videos from Moscow, Kaliningrad, Vladivostok, Novosibirsk and Irkutsk.
South Africa: Remembering Sharpeville Massacre
South Africans remember the Sharpeville Massacre on 21 March 1960 as a turning point in the history of political resistance against racial discrimination. Sixty-nine people were killed in the township of Sharpeville when South African police opened fire on a crowd of black protesters.
Russia: Putin pros and cons go cyber
LJ user Anton Igorevich reports [RUS] that recent demonstrations against and for Russian Premier, Vladimir Putin, now have gone cyber, with websites against and in support of Putin, the latter being hacked, presumably by anti-Putinists.
Tajikistan: Free speech vs. courts
The saga of three judges and three newspapers continues in Tajikistan and has taken an interesting turn as the journalists fight back with a new recording revealing the corruption in the Supreme Court, neweurasia’s Alpharabius reports.
Afghanistan: Does Iran support the Taliban?
Joshua Foust doubts whether reports of Iranian support to the Taliban are credible.
Afghanistan: Counterinsurgency is not just Talibans
Joshua Foust reflects on how the U.S. military chooses to portray the communities where it operates.
Afghanistan: Did the US invade Afghanistan?
Nasim Fekrat reviews nine years of the US presence in Afghanistan and says that those cannot be considered as “invasion”.
Singapore: Anti-Death Penalty Campaign
Singapore bloggers react to the death penalty sentence handed down by the High Court of Singapore to a Malaysian youth who was convicted of drug trafficking charges