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Russia: New Beslan Footage & YouTube

Veronica Khokhlova · 22:32 · Eastern & Central Europe

lingua → pt · fr · jp · es

It will be three years on September 1 since the beginning of the 2004 Beslan school siege - which ended with the deaths of 331 people, 186 of whom were children.

And on October 23, it will be five years since the beginning of the 2002 Dubrovka/Nord-Ost theater siege in Moscow. At least 129 hostages lost their lives then.

In a comment to a recent post by Marina Litvinovich (LJ user
abstract2001, founder of the comprehensive Russian-language resource on all the Beslan-related developments, PravdaBeslana.ru/Truth of Beslan), a U.S.-based reader asked this question (RUS) about president Vladimir Putin's responsibility for the tragedies:

san_diegan:

[…] Reading your notes and other people's opinions, I sometimes find myself a bit perplexed. Why is it that Nord-Ost and Beslan are treated as “the crimes of the regime”? I've encountered this view often and not just in your journal. I don't see it this way. The Nord-Ost hostage rescue headquarters had to bear responsibility - or, yes, there was a total mess in Beslan. But the desperate words “the criminal regime” conceal something worse - an unwitting exoneration of those who had actually made Nord-Ost and Beslan happen. The terrorists… It starts to feel as if the terrorists are not guilty at all. And when the two planes were blown up that same year [August 24, 2004]? It's obvious that a [bribe-taking] cop who allows just about anyone onto the plane is guilty of criminal negligence. But is this cop the regime? But those who blew up the plane are immeasurably worse. They are the obvious evil. I understand that analogies [don't work well in this context] and I don't know exactly what the the left-wing U.S. journalists are writing about 9/11. Or are they also putting the blame for the instant killing of 3,000 compatriots and destruction of the country's symbol not on the terrorists, but on the FBI and the CIA - which have incredible material resources at their disposal, unlike those half-literate cops from Beslan?

Marina Litvinovich replied (RUS):

You are right: with Nord-Ost and Beslan, there're crimes committed at the operations headquarters. Very often we speak of “the regime's crimes” because I (as well as many others) know how decisions are being made in emergency situations. Putin makes the key (political) decisions. Other decisions are taken by the head of the FSB [Federal Security Service), head of the MVD (Ministry of Internal Affairs) and their subordinates. In the case of Beslan, it was Putin (along with [FSB head Nikolay Patrushev and MVD head Rashid Nurgaliyev]) who decided there'd be “no negotiations” and [ordered] “to prepare for the storming.” And it was Putin who [ran] things during Nord-Ost (I saw it myself). [Litvinovich used to head the Internet Department of Gleb Pavlovsky's Foundation for Effective Politics and, among other things, worked on Putin's 2000 presidential election campaign.]

As for the terrorists and their guilt - they've been punished. Well, thank God for that.

What we're talking about here is that not a single public official who made criminal, wrong decisions in Beslan and [Nord-Ost] has been punished.

During 9/11, the government was trying to save people, and, as far as I know, firefighters and rescuers were acting professionally.

In the case of [Nord-Ost], 130 people died, and of this number the terrorists killed three, if I'm not mistaken. Who is to blame for the deaths of 127 people?

In the case of Beslan: 330 people died, and the terrorists killed approximately 40 of them. Who should bear responsibility for the deaths of the rest of them?

Despite years of official investigation, these and other crucial questions about Dubrovka/Nord-Ost and Beslan tragedies remain unanswered.

One of the key mysteries in the Beslan story is the cause of the two explosions that, around 1 P.M. on Sept. 3, rocked the gym where over a thousand hostages were being held. Russian authorities insist that it was the terrorists who set off homemade bombs strung all around the gym. Recently, however, a video has emerged, in which two Russian bomb experts are heard saying that, judging by the nature of the damage, there could have been no blasts inside the gym - and this seems to lend support to a claim that special forces were responsible for the initial explosions.

On July 30, Marina Litvinovich posted the new footage on YouTube, here. She was delighted (RUS) to have reached so many people in such a short period of time:

I've been making the clips till 6 A.M. today and was uploading the Beslan video of Sept. 3-4, 2004, footage of the prosecutor's office. While I was making them, I really felt like getting drunk - quickly and with vodka, because it is simply impossible to watch all this ;((

[…]

To save space, I've uploaded [the video] on YouTube (pravdabeslana). And it turns out it was the right thing to do. YouTube rules! The clips have already been watched by hundreds and hundreds of people - even though there've only been links from my LJ [blog] and today from Kasparov.ru [opposition site].

But on July 31, two clips - parts 6 and 8 of the Sept. 4 examination of the scene by the prosecutor's office experts - were deleted. Litvinovich wrote (RUS):

[…] On the one hand, this is right, on the other - it's wrong.

In part 6 - there's the blown off head and legs of [a female suicide bomber]. In part 8 - a couple more corpses of the terrorists.

What can I say? This is what the examination was like - and I've uploaded it the way it was, facts remain facts, I haven't edited anything out. I've written a warning everywhere, to save people's nerves. Should I have edited the corpses out? I don't think it would've been right.

I, of course, understand that YouTube has to be cheerful, but this footage is unique, it's got to exist. Maybe not as accessible as it is on YouTube, but where should I put it then? I'll solve this problem somehow, of course, and upload it all on PravdaBeslana.ru, but not everyone who's interested in the subject (especially those who don't speak Russian) will get there…

[…]

One reader alleged that Litvinovich was being “jammed” and another suggested appealing to YouTube, explaining that the footage was “significant politically and historically” and thus should be kept online, but in the end, LJ user nl unearthed a rather obvious explanation for what initially may have looked like censorship - the YouTube Community Guidelines:

Graphic or gratuitous violence is not allowed. If your video shows someone getting hurt, attacked, or humiliated, don't post it.

YouTube is not a shock site. Don't post gross-out videos of accidents, dead bodies and stuff like that. This includes war footage if it's intended to shock or disgust.

All 12 parts of the video - and other relevant footage - can be downloaded here, at PravdaBeslana.ru. The disclaimer typed in red warns that children and people who are “emotionally unstable” should not watch this video.

1 comment · read »

China: One Olympics, One Voice?

John Kennedy · 20:40, August 9th, 2007 · East Asia

lingua → es

European and American fighters for press freedom have infiltrated the capital, Canadian-Tibetan activists have gone underground and blogged from around the country about what's been called the Darfur Olympics, the Gas Mask Olympics even the Coming Out Olympics, so basically now the Pick Your White Elephant Olympics.

But when one factors in language, the Great Firewall and over two billion USD in pride, is any of this resonating with actual Chinese citizens themselves?

Sina Blogs, the largest of China's blog portal websites for example, devoted its front and center coverage of the one year countdown party exclusively to what celebrities, mostly those who were up on stage in Tiananmen square singing the theme song We Are Ready (not to be confused with the rehearsal promo We Are Ready And Ready And Ready And Ready And Ready).

And how to evaluate Chinese popular opinion when some of the biggest names among China's progressive public intellectuals—several of whom blog—independently come up with their own demands for what kind of Olympics they want to see go down next summer? Or is it mainstream or public conscience when Bullog—a smaller blog portal part The Huffington Post, part Daily Kos in that it brings liberal mainstream media journalists and editors together with widely-read political bloggers from across the Chinese-speaking world—has a Beijing 2008 blog that starts off with a firm stance against supporting next year's summer games?

The as-yet unidentified blogger behind it poses an interesting question, put forth with no mention of the foreign protests held in Beijing this past week: why aren't people talking about opposing the Olympics?

北京奥运需要”不支持”者

The Beijing Olympics need more “non-supporters”

2001年9月13日，北京申奥成功的那个晚上，我正和一帮荤男素女驾车赶夜路，心中向往着南戴河的海滩和螃蟹。经过一个大的集镇的时候，突然有几只微型礼花升空，四下里还有劈劈啪啪的声音。在革命电影里，此种场景通常意味着遭遇信号弹并伴随一场伏击。处于惊讶中的我们，纷纷接到北京朋友的电话，大意是申奥成功啦，北京high啦，时隔12年又出现街头狂欢的盛况啦。
我们没有折返回北京加入沸腾的人群，对于我们来说，海滩和螃蟹比群情激越更像真实的生活。如果说申奥成功对我们有什么影响，就是那天晚宴大家多碰了几次杯。

September 13, 2001 was the night Beijing won the Olympics. I was with a mixed group of friends at the time, we were driving at night, and all I was thinking about were the beach and crabs at our destination, Nandaihe. As we passed through a small village, small ceremonial firecrackers suddenly rose up into the air, which filled with the cracking, popping sound. In revolutionary movies, this kind of scene is usually followed by war sirens and gunfire. Still stunned, one after the other we began receiving calls from our friends in Beijing, we'd won the Olympics and Beijing was in party mode and the wildest party in twelve years was going on.
We didn't turn around to go join the reveling masses, the beach and the crabs seemed a lot more like real life to us than mass hysteria did. If the winning of the Olympic games could be said to have had any effect on us, it would be the extra few glasses everyone had during the feast that night.

那段时间，北京奥申委曾委托世界上知名的盖洛普（中国）咨询有限公司进行调查，显示北京民众的奥运支持率为94·9％，为有史以来最高（先别怀疑这个比例，国际奥委会委托欧洲一家公司搞的独立调查，北京的数据高达96％）。我看不清形势，态度暧昧，不知道是否也被算进那94.9%里面了。不过我得承认，看到绝大多数中国民众难得地拥有一个如此酣畅的夜晚，我的情绪也受到感染，虚荣心略有满足。那时候，偶尔可以看到一些不赞成北京奥运的言论，我也抱有一点忧虑，但不很强烈。

At that time, the Beijing Olympic Committee had entrusted the world-renowned Gallup (China) Consulting Inc. to carry out a survey, which showed that Beijing residents' support for the Beijing Olympics lay at %94.9, a historical high (don't doubt this number just yet; the International Olympic Committee commissioned a European company to carry out an independent survey which at %96 surpassed the Beijing number). I don't have a clear view of the situation, and I feel ambiguous about it, so I don't know if I'd be included in the %94.9. Although, I have to admit, seeing the vast majority of Chinese citizens so lively and merry on such a rarely-seen sort of night, my spirits got caught up in it all and I felt slightly vain. Even then, one could already see a few people speaking out in disagreement with Beijing having won the Olympics; I felt a bit of disquiet, but it wasn't very strong.

此后的差不多六年里，一些事情逐渐让我不安起来，这个今天就不一一赘言了。我只想说，在诸多不安中最强烈的一点，就是很难再听到对北京奥运的公开的质疑与反对意见。原来的那个5.1%是归零了，还是增减了？是被要求收声了，还是被忽略不计了？
从一些便于掌握宣传口径的媒体人那里了解到，那些不利于北京奥运会光辉形象的东西，一律要过滤掉。甚至与光辉形象有关的，比如那些恢弘的体育场馆，也被禁止予以关注。
我真的不知道有关方面到底怕什么，又何以怕到这个程度？连我们的党和政府，也一贯表示愿意接受群众监督，北京奥运怎么就拥有了无上的特权？
现代人类社会，应该是一个构成复杂的异质社会，一个包容各种价值观的多元社会。常识告诉我们，钱多总比钱少好，“多元”也肯定好过“一元”。多元没什么好担忧的，大家都秉持宽容之道，自然各得其所。也只有这样的生存环境，才更接近真正的和谐社会。

In the nearly six years since then, a few things have left me starting to feel a bit uneasy, and I don't need to rehash those here. I just want to say that of all the things leaving feeling unsettled, the strongest is in how hard it now is to hear any open questioning or differing opinions regarding the Beijing Olympics. Has the original %5.1 become zero? Or has the number shifted? Have they been required to keep their voices down? Or are these voices being overlooked, excluded?
As I've come to understand from some media people for whom it is easy to come across propaganda slogans, things not beneficial to the Olympic Games' radiant image are all being filtered out. So much in regards to this radiant image that, for example, even restoration to the sports stadiums has been forbidden to report on.
I really, really don't know what it is the authorities are afraid of, or to what extent they're afraid. Even our Party and government consistently express willingness to be subject to public scrutiny, so why do the Beijing Olympics have all-encompassing authority?
A modern human society ought to constitute a sophisticated and heterogeneous society, a pluralistic society which accepts various sorts of values. Common sense tells us that more money is always better than less, so ‘multifarious' [多元 can be literally read as ‘many yuan‘] is definitely better than ‘unifarious' [one yuan]. There's nothing to worry about in pluralism; if everyone were to uphold principles of tolerance, naturally it would be to the benefit of all. And only this kind of living environment will most closely resemble a truly harmonious society.

今天是八月八日，奥运倒计时一周年，《人民日报》的当日文章指出，“这是在党中央、国务院领导下，全国人民齐心协力，共圆民族梦想，共践世界承诺的６年。”
对于这类宏大叙事，我是比较惧怕的，如果是我，愿意这么描述北京奥运：一些民工修了一些体育场馆和路桥，一些人来比赛，一些人来围观，一些人赚了钱。
总觉得这才接近事实和本质。
而全民参与，举国欢腾，不是理性国家应有的作为。一个社会，假如到了万众一心的地步，下一步是不是就可以做到同仇敌忾了？

Today is August 8, one year before the Olympics begin, and a People's Daily editorial writes: “this is six years of the fruits of the efforts of the Party Central Committee, the State Council, and the people of this country, our united people's dream, and common commitment to the world.”
Such grand narrative as this makes me very afraid. If it were me, I'd describe the Beijing Olympics as: some migrant laborers repaired some sports stadiums, bridges and roads, some people will come to compete, some will come to watch, and some will make money off it all.
I feel this is much closer to reality and the nature of the Olympics.
And the whole country's participation, all the people's jubilation, this is not the proper conduct for a sensible nation. In society, when the masses all start walking the same walk, is it not possible that the next step will become shared hatred of a common enemy?

在过去的六年里，我没再看到关于北京奥运支持率的权威统计。只是在一家BBS上，看到有人谨慎地做了一个调查，分为强烈支持、支持、无所谓、反对、强烈反对五个级别，分别以12345代替，只许选数字，不许评论。结果173人表达了意见，选1和5的最多，各为21.97%和34.68%。
我不认为这种网络调查可以科学地集纳民意，但至少说明，“我不支持”还是一个客观存在的态度，而且并非凤毛麟角。
我们不是很渴望获得世界的了解和认同么，那么，让外界知道中国并不只有一种声音，对树立中国形象绝对是一个加分因素而非相反。
今天，我未经牛博网管理人员允许，擅自开了这个博客，叫做“北京奥运，我不支持”。
不支持，一种态度而已，没什么大不了。北京奥运会不可能因为哪个人的不支持而停办。
开这个博客，当然不是仅仅举起一块标语，我希望它包含一些思考和建设性。
如果说“我不支持”还是一种不得已而为之的暧昧态度，那么我也愿意明确地反对一些东西：
反对奥运会的过度政治化；
反对锦标主义；
反对个人利益为之做出牺牲；
反对对反对声音的限制。

Over the past six years, I was never able to see further authoritative statistics on support for the Beijing Olympics. All I've seen is a cautious survey done on one BBS, with the following five options: strongly support, support, no opinion, oppose and strongly oppose. Numbered 1,2,3,4,5, one could only choose a number; no discussion was allowed. In the end, 173 cast votes, with 1 and 5 receiving the most, %21.79 and %34.68 respectively.
I don't feel that these sorts of internet surveys can scientifically capture the will of the people, but they at least show that “I don't support it” is still an objective, existing attitude, and not just phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.
Aren't we eager to earn the world's understanding and recognition? Well, letting the world know that China doesn't only have just one voice would absolutely give the establishment of China's image bonus marks in that regard, and not the opposite.
Today, without permission from the Bullog webmasters, I've set up this blog, named ‘Beijing Olympics: I don't support it'.
Not supporting, it's an attitude and nothing more, nothing less. There's no way that just because someone doesn't support the Beijing Olympics that it will be called off.
Starting a blog, of course is not just the raising of a banner; I hope it also includes some thought and constructiveness.
If you insist that saying ‘I don't support it' is a non-committal attitude borne of helplessness, I'd just like to point out the other things I'm willing to oppose:
-opposition to over-politicization of the Olympics;
-opposition to focusing only on winning medals;
-opposition to martyrdom for personal gain;
-opposition to opposition of restrictions on speech.

And the comments:

[匿名] qian [222.70.190.*] @ 2007-8-9 1:27:56
奥你妈的运

Fuck the Beijing Olympics

[匿名] 实习记者 [122.4.178.*] @ 2007-8-9 1:51:39
反对对反对声音的限制
支持你的不支持！

“-opposition to opposition of restrictions on speech.”
I support your non-support!

皮皮狼 [218.56.106.*] @ 2007-8-9 8:05:36
我很早就是这个观点：锻炼身体，远离奥运。

I've been saying this for ages: keep your body fit, stay away from the Olympics.

[匿名] 我本善良 [220.160.193.*] @ 2007-8-9 8:13:21
我支持奥运，我身边绝大多数人也支持。其实很多反对者反对的并不是中国举报奥运，而是在中国办奥运过程种一些不合理的现象。我们不能因噎废食，如果因为反对而反对，如果因为其他一些政治因素而反对，那就是真正意的粪青了。对于那些不合理的现象，需要的是揭露和监督，而不是因为这些去简单的反对奥运。

I support the Olympics, and so does virtually everyone I know. Actually what most of the opposers are opposing isn't that China will host the Olympics, it's that in the process of China doing so there are improprieties. We can't just throw out the food because we happened to choke; if you're opposing it just to oppose, or for some other political factors, then you're just a shit punk through and through. As for those improprieties, what's needed is exposure and supervision, and not just the simple opposition to the Olympics instead.

[匿名] 王子政 [61.173.234.*] @ 2007-8-9 8:23:42
神泣的土地

The Gods cry for this land

[匿名] 不扯淡了 [210.13.96.*] @ 2007-8-9 8:30:47
奥你妈的运◎！！

Fuck the Olympics!!

healsperm_ [60.210.143.*] @ 2007-8-9 8:42:41
支持你的理性态度

I support your idealistic attitude

rexgocfa [221.217.187.*] @ 2007-8-9 8:46:28
支持——你！
奥你妈的运！

Support you!
Fuck the Olympics!

[匿名] alfantor [222.191.247.*] @ 2007-8-9 9:07:00
我反对奥运期间北京限制外来人口进城。靠。

I oppose Beijing's prevention of non-locals from entering the city during the Olympics. Damn.

[匿名] niaocu [125.77.181.*] @ 2007-8-9 9:09:57
统计学的角度，网络调查是一种“自愿回应样本（voluntary response error）”，会造成有偏。因为持反对意见的人比其他人特别容易站出来表示意见。

From a statistical angle, internet surveys are a kind of voluntary response error, and can give rise to bias. Because it's much easier for people which opposing opinions to stand up and express them than for others.

[匿名] 奥运，压垮骆驼的最后一根稻草。 [221.222.123.*] @ 2007-8-9 9:12:10
奥运，压垮骆驼的最后一根稻草。

Olympics, the straw that will break the camel's back.

[匿名] daisy [58.60.221.*] @ 2007-8-9 9:23:59
顶，我是打心眼无所谓．奥运对我的唯一影响大概就是：蒙牛牛奶开始大规模促削，打折送杯子送娃娃，我买了一堆．

I don't really care, whatever, the only thing the Olympics has done for me is now Mengniu Milk has begun a large-scale promotion: discounts, 2-for-1s, free dolls. I bought a whole stack.

[匿名] 小朱 [219.143.82.*] @ 2007-8-9 9:43:34
我也反对，这么多年我还以为就我一个人反对呢，原来这么多，踏实了。

I oppose the Olympics too. For years I thought I was the only one who did; turns out there's lots of us, it's reassuring.

[匿名] abc [202.96.19.*] @ 2007-8-9 10:51:21
1，奥运是中国经济发展勃起的一粒伟哥，待明年高潮过后，走势拭目以待。。。本人并没有小人心态，而是觉得泛奥运经济论如果过头，早晚自己要买单！
2，作为北京人，我家楼下确实被强制绿化了，我不得不说这很好，几十年雷打不动的脏乱差被铲除了，虽然干活的还是当年怠工的那老几位。。。但对我更大的影响是房价翻了2倍！！如未再05年前买房，仅又遇拆迁，那么幸福生活等于一下回到解放前。。。
3，奥运振奋民族士气不可否认，但如此夸张宣传，总觉得政府另有他意
4，过度沉迷办个奥运的兴奋，是不是反倒体现了民族深度自卑？！？

1. The Olympics are viagra for China's economy; what happens next year once the orgasm's over, we'll just have to wait and see…personally, I'm not too worried, but if you're going to keep discussion of economic stimulus the Olympics brings, well you can start footing the bill yourself!
2. As a Beijinger, the area around the building I live in has definitely been forcibly ‘greened'; I can't help but say it's nice. The mess that even years of striking lightning couldn't move has all been taken away, although the ones doing the work are still the same, slow old few from before…but the biggest effect this has had on me is that housing prices have doubled!! If I hadn't bought my flat before 2005, I could have gotten evicted [to make way for construction] and it would have been like living pre-Liberation again…
3. That the Olympics have stirred up the dorkiness of our people is undeniable, but in promoting it as exaggeratedly as they are, I just feel the government's got other intentions
4. Excessive excitement with the hosting of the Olympics, doesn't that somehow just show inferiorly our nation sees itself?

[匿名] 小路 [222.129.117.*] @ 2007-8-9 10:54:34
我反对奥运！打着奥运名义，北京的胡同遭遇了建国以来规模最大的一次集中拆迁！前门外已经一片狼藉了！奥你妈的运！

I oppose the Olympics! In the name of the Olympics, the largest single demolition of Beijing's Hutongs since Liberation has taken place! It's all ruins outside my door now! Fuck the Olympics!

[匿名] 就事论事 [210.72.234.*] @ 2007-8-9 11:14:26
奥运对提高民族凝聚力是好事。
但反感的是不合理的劳命伤财，一场盛事不知成就多少腐败！
奥运会期间对出行、交通还有诸多管制，肯定会给生活造成诸多不便。
最看不惯的一点是，什么都拿奥运说事，房价一定会在奥运之前一直涨，股市在奥运之前肯定不会大跌。奥运不过是一场体育盛事，干嘛什么都往上面靠阿！
对奥运本身，我是支持的，但对于中国将在2008年举办奥运会，我很担心。制度性的恶将在奥运事件中展示得一览无余。

What the Olympics are doing for the nation's cohesiveness is a good thing
But what irks me is the waste of money and people-power; who knows how much corruption the whole thing has given rise to.

[匿名] 吴妈好友 [125.34.162.*] @ 2007-8-9 13:27:24
不支持,不反对,不关我事.看来明年要出逃北京一段时间.

Don't support it, don't oppose it, none of my business. Seems this time next year I'm going to have to flee Beijing for a while.

ProState in Flames blogger moogee reposted the open question on her blog, and received the following comments:

[匿名] 不平不谈 [218.247.244.*] @ 2007-8-8 19:42:30
我支持不支持奥运

I support not supporting the Olympics

[匿名] mybob [202.127.20.*] @ 2007-8-8 20:10:29
我支持，但是希望更透明的办，更从一个重视民生的政府的立场来办

I support [the Olympics], I just wish it were being hosted with more transparency, particularly by a government which takes a places import on citizens' quality of life

[…a series of expletives…]

[匿名] 钱去了哪里 [61.158.136.*] @ 2007-8-9 0:21:49
盖体育馆的钱都是中国的开车人给凑的。
交强险的钱全被拿来用做盖场馆了。

The money used to build a roof on the sports stadium came from [toll-paying] car owners
All the money from the tight road taxes has all been used to build the roof.

[匿名] 狗脸岁月 [125.33.43.*] @ 2007-8-9 0:43:28
JC叔叔来我们小区逮大狗的时候，
也说是为了办好奥运会来着。
申奥宣传片里那只和小女孩亲嘴儿的大麦町估计也逮了杀了。

When the police uncles come to our neighborhood to seize dogs
They say it's all for the good of hosting the Olympics
I bet even the dalmatian that girl in the Olympic committee poster kisses got killed too.

Later in the afternoon the author of the new Beijing Olympic blog on Bullog whose piece can be seen at the top of this post pasted a feature one interning Beijing journalist did recently which features the conversations the reporter had with fifty-seven imported laborers working on future Beijing Olympic venues, workers who many are speculating will be forced to leave the capital before the athletes and audience arrive. The post quickly brought in a few dozen comments, and here are some:

[匿名] xuxing [218.79.145.*] @ 2007-8-8 17:03:59
好！这工作应该多些人做！可惜，不是记者一走近，就被赶走，根本不让接触。

Great. More people should be doing work like this. Unfortunately, as soon as journalists get near, they're chased away, not allowed to make contact [with the workers].

[匿名] 深蓝 [221.221.21.*] @ 2007-8-8 17:38:41
行了，
别撇了，
你难道到今天才知道中国是一个上下断裂的社会吗。
一直都是。

Okay
Come on
It's not like you just found out today that Chinese society is split between haves and have-nots, right?
It always has been.

[匿名] rock [59.49.19.*] @ 2007-8-8 22:52:54
做这种调查的记者比较让人尊重。
这才是关注民生嘛！

Journalists who do reports like this definitely deserve respect
This is what looking out for the people looks like!

[匿名] 磊落青衫 [210.21.234.*] @ 2007-8-8 23:19:09
心酸的真实。
这个要发出去，一定会被和谐了的

Bitter reality
If this were to get printed, they'd definitely get harmonized

laozious [219.132.235.*] @ 2007-8-9 0:54:20
奥运会就是老大中国在水里的那个倒影。自恋还可以，但是一触即溃。

The Olympics is just big old China's reflection in the water. Narcissism is fine, but the second you touch it, it's gone.

[匿名] 圣人末尊 [124.114.180.*] @ 2007-8-9 2:30:56
奥你妈的运.

Fuck the Olympics.

Also yesterday, moogee at ProState reposted the open letter mentioned above, receiving these comments:

[匿名] 2nd [61.48.43.*] @ 2007-8-8 19:49:18
顶!

w00t!

[匿名] asdf [124.116.187.*] @ 2007-8-8 20:12:29
签名的都是敏感词

All the names are sensitive keywords

[匿名] 老碗 [219.153.130.*] @ 2007-8-8 20:23:53
很有勇气，但是实在不好意思，而且也很不希望说，没有任何用处。至少我个人对那些什么＊＊＊先生已经不抱任何信心了。

So brave, but it's also a bit embarrassing and, I really don't want to say this but, completely useless. At least I personally have lost faith in those xxx guys.

[匿名] 。。。 [58.83.196.*] @ 2007-8-8 20:29:52
名单上的各位保重啊

Everyone on the list, please take care.

[匿名] 大SB [121.10.148.*] @ 2007-8-8 20:48:18
真是一群大SB!广东人说:鸡同鸭讲。
有用吗？奥你妈的运！

They're all a bunch of idiots! In Cantonese we say: the ducks talk and chickens agree.
Is this of any use? Fuck the Olympics!

[匿名] rock [59.49.19.*] @ 2007-8-8 21:05:48
[匿名] 老碗 [219.153.130.*] @ 2007-8-8 20:23:53
很有勇气，但是实在不好意思，而且也很不希望说，没有任何用处。至少我个人对那些什么＊＊＊先生已经不抱任何信心了。
************
如果你认为没有用的话，那正好成全了官家。
肯定有用的，做和不做，显然是不同的。
践行量变，期待质变。

“So brave, but it's also a bit embarrassing and, I really don't want to say this but, completely useless. At least I personally have lost faith in those xxx guys.”
——if you think it's useless, you should go become a government official
Of course it's useful, there's an obvious difference between if they'd done this and if they hadn't.
[We must] implement quantitative change, hope for qualititive change.

[匿名] 支持 [210.72.218.*] @ 2007-8-8 21:10:08
终于在奥运中听到了人话，感受到还活在人间
什么都是要实际行动才能争取的，只停留在想和骂才是真的傻，和懦

I finally hear humans speaking about the Olympics; it feels like I'm among the living again
Everything is only won through practical implementation; stopping merely at thinking and cursing is the real stupidity.

[匿名] js [60.187.235.*] @ 2007-8-8 22:02:21
开奥运会给共党脸上贴金。

Hosting the Olympics is going to give the Party gold face plating

[匿名] 二哥 [121.204.49.*] @ 2007-8-9 2:32:25
操你妈B，罗永浩，连岳为什么没签？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？？

Fuck you Luo Yonghao and Lian Yue, why didn't you sign it???????????????

[匿名] iamlifeiamlife [218.58.62.*] @ 2007-8-9 10:29:43
来人啊，坦克伺候！

Come on y'all, the tanks are waiting!

[匿名] 圣人本尊 [211.101.49.*] @ 2007-8-9 10:43:21
如果找我签名，我绝对不签
我从来不参与这种活动，因为我从来就不对共匪抱任何幻想！
要想获得平等、自由和民主，
你不能靠共匪的怜悯
你只有日翻共匪才行，只有把他们这群劣质统治者赶下台才行
骂了个比的共匪

If they'd asked me to sign, I absolutely would've refused
I never participate in these sorts of activities, because I've never harbored any fantasies whatsoever about the Commie bandits!
If you want to earn equality, freedom and democracy
You can't rely on sympathy from the Commie bandits
All you can do is overthrow them, get these twisted tyrants out of power
Bloody Commie bandits

41 comments · read »

Bahrain: Illegitimate Children

Amira Al Hussaini · 18:13 · Middle East & North Africa

lingua → pt

Bahraini blogger Lizardo is on an on-the-job training stint - which he has to complete to earn his university degree. In this translation, he tells us some of the hard lessons in life he had to learn as an added bonus.

حالياً قاعد آخذ كورس التدريب العملي المطلوب للتخرج …. اشتغل الحين في ادارة أموال القاصرين-وزارة العدل في قسم الهندسة
مو هذا موضوعنا ، الموضوع هو انه لما تشتغل في مكان مماثل تشوف العجايب وتروح من بالك كل افكارك القديمة عن طيبة الناس و عدالتهم تجاه غيرهم

I am currently completing my on-the-job training course, which is a requirement for my graduation. I work at the Department of Managing Minor's Funds at the Justice Ministry, in the Engineering section. This isn't our topic. Our issue is that when you work in a place like this, you see wonders and all your preconceived ideas about the kindness of people and their justice towards others disappear.

تشوف اخوة يضربون خواتهم اعلى حساب مبلغ لا يزيد طوله عن الاربع ارقام … يضربونهم قدام كل الناس وفي نص الوزارة . من جم يوم جا واحد صغير وتكلم ويا احد الموظفين يقوله ان احد المحامين اتصل له وخبره ان المبلغ اللي قالوا له انه بيورثه طلع بالغلط وهوه ماله شي
سأله الموظف : قالك السبب ؟ قال اي وهو منزل راسه …. رفع راسه وهو بيصيح وقال : لأني ولد غير شرعي

You see brothers hitting their sisters for a four digit figure. They beat them up in front of all the other people, in the middle of the ministry. A few days ago a young man came to the ministry and spoke to one of the employees. He told him that a lawyer had called him telling him that he would not inherit anything from his father's will. The employee asked him: Did they tell you what the reason was? The man replied, with his head hanging down: Yes. He then raised his head and yelled saying: Because I am an illegitimate son.

الولد جابته امه عقب ثلاث شهور من زواجها من ابوه طبعاً امه مو الاولى وعنده اخوة من مرت ابوه اكبر منه بسنوات …. الاخوان طردوا الولد من البيت … اكيد مايبون اخوهم النغل يقعد وياهم … فموت ابوه خلاه يتيم و مفلس و بلا عائلة ومنبوذ من المجتمع …. طبعاً مايحصل هالولد جنسية لأنهم خلاص عرفوا من وين يحصلون النغول اللي مابتقول ليهم لا

The boy was born three months after his mother married his father. Of course, his mother wasn't the first wife and he had older brothers from his father's first wife, who were older than him. The brothers threw the boy from the house. They of course don't want a bastard to live with them. The death of his father has left him orphaned, bankrupt, without family and despised by society. Of course, this boy will never get the Bahraini citizenship because (the government) has found where to get the bastards who would not say no to them.

هل هذا هو الشرع ؟؟ اذا اي … شالذنب اللي اقترفه عشان يصير له جدي ؟ ادري ان اللي سواه ابوه غلط بس ليش الولد قاعد يتحمل الخطأ ؟ شدخل الجنسية في الموضوع ؟ يمكن ماجا بطريقة شرعية بس الولد جا من نفس المكان اللي اخوانه جوا منه يعني ابوه معروف.
احد يقدر يشرح ليي اشلون من الممكن اللي يصير هوه العدل؟

Is this the law? If yes.. what is the crime he has committed to suffer this fate? I know that what his father has done is wrong but why is this young boy shouldering that mistake? What has the nationality got to do with this issue? He may not be a legitimate child but this boy came from the same place as his other brothers have come from, and his father is known. Can someone explain to me how what is happening now is justice?

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Kyrgyzstan: SCO summit

Ben Paarmann · 18:12 · Central Asia & Caucasus

The heads of states will land at the capital Bishkek's Manas airport. The road into town is the scene of some hectic beautification work, which LJ user morrire documents in pictures:

In fact, the whole town is undergoing some crazy last-minute construction frenzy. Azamat comments:

The Mayor of Bishkek, as the main implementer, has done “incredible” things: whitewashing trees and facades of buildings on the road from the Manas Airport to Bishkek and the main streets in Bishkek. As with buildings' being painted only on frontal sides, so are the trees, as you can see from the morrire's picture […]. If only these changes were regular and less superficial, we would be living in another country.

Mirsulzhan digged into the Kyrgyzstani Russian LJ community to see what the bloggers were saying about this summit preparation.

Zigeunerin is amazed (RUS) that the whole circus could be completed in such short time:

The construction work will be completed within record time - just 157 days! The builders worked both at day and at night.

All residents of a house with windows facing the Philharmonic, where the SCO summit will take place, will be forbidden to open their windows and balcony doors from August 14 until the end of the summit. LJ user lena writes (RUS):

“It’s for your own safety,” representatives of the police reassured the tenants, “because everyone who appears in the window will be at risk of beeing shot. There will be Russian snipers around”

Bishkek is also plastered with large banners carrying slogans of Kyrgyz President Bakiev. antipodean_world wonders (RUS) whether one of these slogans has not been borrowed from Confucius - and that perhaps the visiting Chinese delegation could raise some intellectual property rights issues with the hosts.

Ahead of the SCO summit, the member states are convening a joint military exercise in both Xinjiang (Western China) and Chelyabinsk (Russia). While Uzbekistan only sent observers to “Peace 2007″ (so the name of the exercise), Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are set to learn something from their more powerful neighbours. Bonnie Boyd comments:

Learning security cooperation might not help craft better political policies for border regulation between these three states, but it will help ensure that security forces have a basis for cooperation–once border coordination is allowed politically.

Bonnie Boyd also links to a video clip of CCTV9's coverage:

Fourth World War thinks that Western media coverage of these military exercises is not reflecting the real importance of the event:

To recap, Russia and China are wargaming together, and through the SCO, Mongolia, Iran, India, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are all involved in some capacity with the war games, and the expansion of solidifying of military and security ties amongst the SCO member and observer nations. [Editor's note: Turkmenistan, Armenia and Belarus are no SCO members while Mongolia, Iran, India and Pakistan have observer status only.]

It's a remarkable and historic event, worthy of more than the minimal attention it has recieved in the Western media, so far.

2 comments · read »

Part One: Defending online free speech and environmental rights in Bulgaria

Sami Ben Gharbia · 16:25, August 9th, 2007 · Eastern & Central Europe

lingua → pt · fr · es

Strandzha Park
For Sale: Strandzha Nature Park. Parcel 1 160 680 dka; view of the sea, beach; located in the east in proximity to Turkey; oak and beech forests; 3 rivers, fishing. Nature pays with its life. Support WWF, protect protected areas. (Source: panda.org/bulgaria)

The June 29, 2007 decision of the Bulgarian Administrative Court (VAS) to remove the protected status of the National Park Strandzha, has evoked a strong reaction from the Bulgarian blogsphere and also from the country's vibrant environmental movement. The two groups have united to defend the country's largest protected area, which is located on the South Black Sea coast, with its unique eco-systems, biodiversity, cultural and historical heritage.

The Supreme Court’s ruling stems from an appeal by the mayor of the Tsarevo municipality and the investor (Crash 2000) in the Zlatna Perla Golden Pearl holiday village, near the town of Varvara. Construction on the vacation complex was suspended because of Strandzha National Park's status as a protected area. The court's decision to strip Strandzha of its protected status has been perceived as an “illustration of the state’s inability to protect public interest, nature, and to enforce its own legislation under pressures of private business powers.”

The response of the Bulgarian environmental stakeholders to this threat against the natural ecosystem of Strandzha Mountain was quick and well-coordinated. Utilizing every method from blog posts to street blockades to SMS to flash mobs, the web-led movement has succeeded in stimulating significant offline activity. “All information was disseminated mainly through mailing lists, SMS-s and on-line,” said BlueLink Information Network executive director Milena Bokova, whom I spoke with about the issue. With its smart use of the Internet and new media appplications such as online petitions (more than 13.900 signatures addressed to Bulgarian Administrative Court were collected - see the petition in English), blogs, and video- and photo-sharing sites, the Bulgarian environmental movement mobilized a substantial demonstration for the protection of the Strandzha Park, and won sympathy for its case.

(Source: nabludatel.blogspot.com)

And it is largely thanks to the Bulgarian Blogsphere and to the e-movement that the attention of the national mainstream media was captured. “The dissemination of information about the Strandja and other environmental cases in Bulgaria via video and photo sharing sites helped a lot in attracting the attention of the Bulgarian mainstream media,” said Milena Bokova. (See the interview with blogger Michel Bozgounov broadcasted on the Bulgarian National TV -Youtube: part1 | part2).

As a result of the attention, Bulgarian police issued a call to bloggers, pressuring them “to stop writing about the recent wave of environmental protests that has swept across the country in the recent weeks.” One blogger summoned by the General Directorate for Combat against Organized Crime was Michel Bozgounov, BlueLink's web designer, who reported the incident on his blog:

Last week I received summons to visit the Sofia Metropolitan Police Department and absolutely not aware what is this about […] There they asked me about my website (my blog) and about the Strandja protests. I had to write some explications and also signed a warning protocol, saying that I should not write in my blog anything that could call to disorderly conduct (like unofficial protests) and so on. I saw a line in the police documents, saying “the website www.optimiced.com must be investigated (watched constantly)”. I read on the top of the documents in front of me the name of the National Service for Combat against the Organized Crime, which indeed puzzled me. […] Also there were printed sheets of paper from another blog of a guy, who wrote as well about the Strandja case, and he is also a journalist. On the stairs one of the police officers told me “in private” that I should be more careful what I am writing about in future, because journalists have a better defense against possible prosecution and I am just an ordinary person, an independent blogger.

The Bluelink network reacted to the intimidation of Michel Bozgounov and other bloggers by launching the Freenet Campaign. “We unconditionally support the actions of each engaged citizen, who have the right to express his or her position on actions (or lack thereof) of Bulgarian institutions through writing or other communication forms; We support and will defend the unconditional right of every Bulgarian citizen to peaceful and non-violent protests and for information dissemination of such protests,” Bluelink said in a statement announcing the launch of Freenet.

The outpouring of support from the Bulgarian blogsphere for fellow blogger Michel Bozgounov was also overwhelming. A group of bloggers sent a letter of protest to the European Commissioner of Human Rights, urging him “to take all necessary measures […] for preventing the Bulgarian Ministry of Interior Affairs and The Bulgarian Government in stepping up to this extremely dangerous path on combating free speech.”

“One of the deep reasons for defending internet freedom is its increasing importance for environmentalism (given legal recognition in the Aarhus convention, which grants the public rights regarding access to information and public participation and access to justice in environmental matters),” says Dr. Dan McQuillan, the current web manager at Amnesty International, who warned against ignoring the threats posed to the Online Free Speech. McQuillan adds that “It’s very worrying that most ecampaigners are ignoring these threats to the environment that they depend on. Of course, they’re all busy doing online campaigns for the core mission of their organizations, whether it’s environmental, human rights or whatever. But key techniques like blogging, social networking and global campaigning are already being impacted by reductions in internet freedoms.”

In Part Two of this article, I speak to Milena Bokova, who talks about the intimidation against her colleague, blogger Michel Bozgounov, the threats to the freedom of online expression in her country, and the Bluelink Freenet Campaign.

8 comments · read »

Syria: Lebanese Border and Toilet Etiquette

Yazan Badran · 07:27, August 9th, 2007 · Middle East & North Africa

lingua → jp · bn · pt

The worsening of conditions of Syrian workers and families at the Lebanese-Syrian border, calls for the return of the Golan Heights occupied by Israel to Syria, the Czech machine gun and toilet etiquette are some of the themes discussed by Syrian bloggers in this week's round up.

To start of, Golaniya from Decentering Damascus, continues her coverage of her experiences on the Syrian-Lebanese borders, and the worsening conditions of Syrian workers passing there.

Since it was so crowded inside, the hardworking Lebanese officers started to feel hot and annoyed at the yells of children:
- All those who are with children get out!
Get out where exactly? To the waiting hall?? Or under the Summer sun For hours?

After that, I saw three Lebanese officers dragging by force the Syrian workers from the lines and throwing them outside.
One of workers screamed:
- I have been waiting on this line since 1 o’clock.
It was five o’clock the time when he was dragged outside.

Sasa from The Syria News Wire reports about pro-Syria campaigns in the Syrian Golan Heights (occupied by Israel since 1967).

A summer camp has opened in the area of the Syrian Golan Heights which is currently controlled by the Israeli Army.

Chanting pro-Syrian slogans, they are calling on the Israeli government to hand their land back to Syria.

On a lighter note, Ayman from The Damascene Blog writes about a familiar experience to all Syrian students. His final oral exam on The Military Education class, about the “Czech Machine gun”…

ما هذا؟
- لا أعرف.
- حسناً. ماذا هذه؟
- ….
- طيّب ما وظيفتها؟
- لا أعرف.
- لا بد أنك تعرف هذا إذن.
- بصراحة لا
فرغ صبره فأمسك بمخزن الطلقات ورفعه في وجهي
- اسمع. هذا هو المخزن. سأسألك عن اسمه، فإن لم تعرف سترسب في الامتحان.
- حاضر.
- ما هذا؟
- المخزن.
- انصرف. وراء دُر.

- What is this?
- I don't know.
- Okay, what is this?
- …
- Okay, what does it do?
- I don't know.
- You must know this one then?
- Honestly, no.
He got impatient, held up the gun's bullet clip against my face.
- Listen, this is the bullet clip. I will ask you what is it, if you don't answer you'll fail the exam.
- Yes sir.
- What is this?
- The bullet clip.
- You may leave now.

To close off with an interesting dilemma that Wassim brings up, how do you explain to westerners our habit of “washing” yourself after using the toilette, the inevitable question of “Why do you have a jug/bottle in the bathroom?” keeps coming up.

The subsequent shock and horror they express when later they are told seems to me incredible but surely it's more hygienic or am I just being culturally obstinate? I've only brought this up because it seems to be something many of my friends seem to encounter when first they visit Western countries. I hear from African and Asian friends that Tashteef (to splash) is also the norm. Why do most people I meet in Europe and America refuse to even consider the concept? Living in a country where the toilet and bodily functions are considered suitable topics for jokes the uneasiness and avoidance of the topic is baffling to say the least!

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