Stories from 17 July 2009
Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados: Plantation Governance
“My thesis is that Caribbean governments today are run exactly like the plantations of old, the only difference being that there are fewer white people cracking whips; the overseers have taken over the Great House”: Barbados-based Trinidadian blogger B.C. Pires builds on the late Lloyd Best's Theory of Plantation Economy.
Cuba: Independent Journalists
Diaspora blogger Uncommon Sense thinks that “whether by coincidence or coordination, a crackdown on Cuba's independent journalists seems to be underway, based on various recent reports.”
Trinidad & Tobago: We Have A Problem
In anticipation of the 40th anniversary of the first moon landing, Trinidad-based blogger This Beach Called Life thinks that Port of Spain has a problem.
Fiji finds foreign friends?
Leaders of Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands will lobby the 15-member Pacific Islands Forum to consider lifting Fiji’s suspension to re-start dialogue with the country to provide its military backed government time to complete reforms.
Puerto Rico, Cuba, U.S.A.: On Sotomayor
Cuban diaspora blogger 26th Parallel urges people to consider Sonia Sotomayor's nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court based on merit, while The Voice of the Taino People Online reminds the media that “there is no more a Puerto Rican race than there is an American one.”
Why did Thailand’s former PM travel to Fiji?
Bloggers are debating the significance of the recent trip of Thailand’s ousted Prime Minister to Fiji and Tonga. Fiji and Thailand have no extradition treaties, fueling speculation that the former Thai leader traveled to the Pacific looking for asylum.
Bombings kill nine in Indonesia
Recently re-elected Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said that the blasts were initiated by those who wish to see a post presidential election chaos, while Vice President Jusuf Kalla blamed the negligence of police and intelligence agencies
Indonesia: Bomb Explosions at Kuningan, Jakarta
Two explosions hit the Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott hotels in Mega Kuningan, Jakarta around 7:40 AM local time. Local social media users broke the story to the world, especially those among today's morning commuters.
Iran: Protesters’ film in You Tube
Protesters chanted down with dictator after Friday Prayer in Tehran. Watch the film here.
Iran: Video on Friday Prayer and Slogans
Freedom Messenger has posted on FaceBook a video film on Friday Prayer in Tehran and people who chant slogans.
Iran: Slogans after Friday Prayer
Green Vote says that people chanted slogans to support Mir hussein Mousavi,opposition leader and against [fa] Ahmadinejad's government. One of the slogans was [fa] “my martyr brother I will take back your vote”.
Palestine: Israeli Settlers Set Farmland On Fire
The Palestine Solidarity Project blog reports that Israeli settlers were seen setting farmland on fire near Beit Ummar in the West Bank.
Iran: Friday Prayer and a “video trick”
Jadi tweeted that “TV is showing a 5 sec view of Friday Prayers. Many people are wearing a glowish blue shirts! Shoulb a video trick to convrert green to blue.” Iranian opposition uses green colour and was present at Friday Prayer.
Iran: Rafsanjani calls political prisoners to be freed
Hadi Nili tweeted that Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani at Friday Prayer called Iranian authorities “to free [political] figures and not let enemy be happy of our behaviour.”
Iran: ‘Down with Russia Slogan’
GreenVote tweeted [fa] that Iranians chanted down with Russia slogan at Friday Prayer in Tehran University. Iranian opposition says that Russia trained Iranian security forces to repress the protest movement.
Palestine: Second Humanitarian Convoy Enters Gaza
Gazan blogger DR – LION reports on the second Viva Palestina humanitarian convoy to enter Gaza, accompanied by the British MP George Galloway [Ar].
Bahrain: The Stereotype Of Expat Kids
Ashish Gorde, who grew up as an “expat kid” in Bahrain, is always amazed at the negative generalisations people make about such children – and prefers to think of the positive: “Not having a place we can call our own is a blessing in disguise because it has protected us...
China: Open Constitution Initiative has stopped operating
Xu Zhiyong is a well-known rights lawyer. The Open Constitution Initiative (公盟) is a non-profit NGO established by Xu: they received a notice from the taxation bureau on July 14 asking for 1.42 million yuan in fines and profits received from donations, including from Yale University. (Via Danwei)
China: When a gang rape scandal turns into state secrets…
Yesterday (July 16) in early morning, twitterer amoiist sent out a mobile message to twitter saying: “I have been arrested by Mawei police, SOS.” And the second message is: “Pls help me, I grasp the phone during police sleep”. Since then, there isn't any update in his twitter. Netizens arrested...
Peru: Informing the Public About H1N1 Virus
El Blog de Que Tal Raza [es] writes about the recent deaths due to the H1N1 virus in Peru and hopes that the Health Ministry finds the right balance between informing the public about prevention measures without adding panic to the population.
