Madagascar: Security forces harass bloggers and twitterers · Global Voices
Mialy Andriamananjara

Opponents to the Haute Autorite de la Transition (High Authority for the Transition) have been holding daily demonstrations in the Malagasy capital since March 21, 2009.  Last Saturday's protest was harshly repressed by the security forces, and resulted in at least 34 injured people, including children. During the protest, a young man, dubbed Razily by Malagasy Internet users, held a flag proudly and courageously marched towards security forces. The security forces fired at him, but despite their bullets, he kept marching, holding the flag high and finally got so close to them, they threw him in their pick up truck, all the while beating him up and then throwing the Malagasy flag on the ground. Internet users still do not know what happened to him.
Razily's arrest – courtesy of radotiana.blaogy.com
The HAT is now de facto leading Madagascar, since the former President Marc Ravalomanana opted not to resign but has instead transferred power to a military Directorate. Under duress , (the details can be witnessed on a youtube.com video and the American ambassador bears witness to the events, as he was also threatened with weapons pointed at him ), the Directorate then transferred power to the HAT. The HAT has since been duly recognized as a legal authority by Madagascar's Haute Cour Constitutionnelle de Justice which is responsible of making sure that the laws of land and the constitution are being respected in Madagascar.
No countries have so far recognized the HAT and its new President, Andry Rajoelina, the youngest African president ever, who under the Malagasy constitution, is still six years too young to even be on a Presidential election ballot ! And the former Malagasy President, Marc Ravalomanana, barely escaped from his Palace and is now seeking refuge in South Africa and Swaziland.
The Southern African Development Community and the African Union , while harboring themselves some countries that are no slouches in the antidemocratic and human rights violations department, have taken the stand that they will not tolerate putsches amongst their members and have not only banned Madagascar from their midst but are also considering sanctions.
Many western countries such as Norway and the United States have stopped aid to Madagascar and concerns have been raised on how the poverty stricken country which relies on aid for 80% of its budget will manage to hold its head above water, although the HAT has now declared its intentions on selling Ravalomanana's private jet recently purchased $60 million Air Force One/Two jet to replenish its coffers, at least in the short term. France which was accused by some as having, if not engineered the coup, then at the very least of supporting it, has been doing some amends of its own, saying now that it still considered Ravalomanana as Madagascar's President according to the constitution.
Such is the mind boggling and categorization defying political crisis that bloggers and twitterers are striving to report on. Online content about the crisis have been plentiful and have attracted international attention. Our colleague, Lova Rakotomalala, has been the subject of a Wall Street Journal article and a CNN interview for his dedication to relaying and translating Madagascar based twitterers’ contributions. Another blogger, Solofo Rafeno, has been invited to a debate hosted by France24 News.
There are however some alarming developments that could hinder Malagasy twitterers and bloggers’ reporting in the future. One website, Topmada.com, reports on March 30 that :
“20:00 – La police et les militaires ont arrêté certains journalistes et photographes pour les forcer à effacer leurs photos”
This information is confirmed by twitterers. Twitterer Thierry_ratsiz was held and forced to delete his pictures by the security forces.
thierry_ratsiz: #madagascar Ils m'ont juste prie de ne pas prendre photos (d'eux!!) et effacer photos, peur de photos diffuses sur internet!!
thierry_ratsiz: hola, interpele par les gendarmes pour avoir ete surpris en prenant des photos… :/ #madagascar
R1lita and Pakysse experienced the same thing as reported:
TRT @r1lita: @pakysse, other twitterer in #Madagascar, was also ordered to delete the photos he took in Antaninarina by police earlier.
But the most scary incident was reported by Avylavitra, one of the bloggers who has the most prolifically covered the crisis. He writes :
“Nahazendana ny maro ny zavatra nitranga teto satria tsy nanmpoizina velively: nisy iray tamin’ireo miaramila avy tao amin’ny RM1 izay nivoaka teo amin’ny arabe no tonga dia nanondro basy AHY no sady niteny hoe:
Miala any ny mpanaogazety, Tsy mila mpanao gazety eto. Miala sao tifiriko eo an.
Tsy nahita izay hatao aho no sady nanangana fotsiny ny karatra niantona tety ambozoko. Eo ambony Scooter aho amin’io raha mandeha an-tongotra kosa ny maro tamin’ireo mpanao gazety sy mpaka sary maro namana teny an-kianja mafana teny. Rehefa hitany fa tsy nihetsika aho no sady mbola nanangana ny karatra tety an-tanako, dia vao mainka niakatra ny feon’ilay ranamana. Tsy haiko na mpifehy ao amin’io toby io ilay zalahy iny, na iza. Fa ny fihetsika nataony aloha no niarahana nahita.
Nisy tamin’ireo mpanao gazety sasany no nihiaka niteny azy nanontany hoe :
Fa hatramin’ny oviana ny mpanao gazety no tsy mahazo maka sary sy manao ny asany. Sa efa niova indray koa ny lalàna?
Namaly ranamana no sady efa nikendry ny lohako. Ny elanelan’ny trotoir roa no manasaraka anay amin’io fotoana io. Hoy indrindra izy:
Rehefa hoe tsy mila mpanao gazety eto dia tsy mila, miala hoy aho sao tifiriko eo. Tifiriko ialahy an!’
Fahatsiarovana sady tsara no ratsy ho ahy iny ry zalahy namana. Kanefa tsy mba voatahiriko an-tsary, fa dia ny nanodina ny Scooter sy ny nidina ambanimbany namonjy ireo mpanao gazety sy mpaka sary sasany no nataoko sisa.
Koa miangavy anareo izay nahazo sary an’iny ’scène’ iny aho, tena miangavy. Mba omeo sary hotehiriziko, na farafaharatsiny, mba omeo rohy hahafahako mijery azy.
Enga anie ka ho anatra ho an’ireo miaramila rehetra ny namoahako ity lahatsoratro ity, fa aleo hivoaka ny marina sy ny nisy. Izay rahateo no ezahako ijoroana hatrany amin’ity GazetyAdaladala ity. “
mydago.com has a humorous take on this turn of events :
“Mais que peut internet contre des armes à feux ? Contre des lacrymogènes ? Contre des militaires en pick up et brodequins ? Et fusils ? Rien ! Mais absolument rien ! Alors quel est le problème ? Et puis Madagascar est une île. Laissez donc tranquille cette île. C’est bien une île. Il y a la mer autour. Et la prochaine terre est loin. Cà permet de tout cacher. Les violence, les excès, et tout. La dictature même. Les dictatures.
Mais aujourd’hui, plus rien ne va. Quand on fait un coup d’état, les militaires ne peuvent plus faire leur travail normalement comme avant. Les jeunes d’aujourd’hui sont intenables. Ils sont extrêmement ennuyeux !!! Ils prennent des photos et des vidéos. Ensuite ils les transmettent par internet à des sites. Qui ensuite les publient dans le monde entier. Ah, ils sont vraiment ennuyeux ces jeunes d’aujourd’hui. Il n’y a plus de valeurs. Ils ne respectent plus la force ! La force militaire !”
This post also appeared on Global Voices Advocacy