Archive for
May 2nd, 2008
Stories
Kuwait: Activity Filled Week
· 22:42
It was an activity-filled week for Kuwaiti bloggers, who spent time in a shooting range, doing charity work and weighing their options for the parliamentary elections later this month.
Yousef over at somecontrast writes about his visit to the shooting range - one of the many attractions in Kuwait.
I went yesterday to the Mayadeen shooting range with my friend. It was my first time in Kuwait, I went once in Dubai and I loved it over there. In Dubai I used shotguns which made quite an impression on me.. and my shoulder.
From the shooting range, we move to a touching project, led by a group of Kuwaiti girls called We Care, which also maintains a blog, describing their many activities. Their latest is a visit to a nursing home, where they went laden with gifts and food.
According to the blog [Ar]:
الاسبوعين اللي طافوا كنا نستعد لهذا اليوم .. هاليوم كان غير عن اللي قدموه we care .. بما انه طموحنا نهتم بكل فئات المجتمع .. هاليوم كان رحلة الى دار المسنين ..رايحين نقابل 18 مسنه فقط .. اهم اللي حالاتهم النفسيه والمرضيه تسمح لهم يقابلون الناس ويسولفون .. الباجي مو اجتماعيين او المرض يمنعهم.
Because our hopes is to cover all sectors of society, today we paid a visit to the Elderly Centre, where we will be meeting with 18 women, who are in a condition to meet people and chat. The rest were not sociable or were sick. We spent the previous two weeks at We Care preparing for this day, which
was different from any other.
At the centre, the blogger describes how touched the volunteers were:
عقب قعدنا وياهم نسولف ونصب لهم جاي وقهوه ..
ماخش عنكم قلبي عورني وكنت احاول امسك روحي كثر ماقدر.. وايد من القروب يطلعون بره ويردون يدشون بس عشان مايبين عليهم الحزن.. ما ننلام والله..
قعدت ويانا وحده كنا نسولف سوالف عاديه ونضحك وياهم مانبي نعرف منو يابهم والا شحقه وليش نبيهم ينسون.. هالمواضيع ماتستاهل تنفتح علشان ما نضيق خلقهم ويضيق خلقنا.. بدون مايتكلمون و خنقتنا العبره شلون لو تكلموا!؟
قعدنا مع وحده نسألها مرتاحه مستانسه وشسمج .. سوالف عاديه بنص الحجي قالت انا اخواني ماشوفهم كلش وخواتي مايزوروني بس ساعات يزوروني الخميس وكله يقولون لي بناخذج وويروحون ويخلوني وغطت روحها بالملفع و قامت تبجـي… انا عن نفسي قمت ماقدرت .. موقف صج يحس الواحد مو بس يأثر ييجرح يخليك تحلف مليون مره لو شنو ماكانوا امك وابوك جاسيين ماتقطهم هالقطه .. تحس بنعمه ما فكرت تحس فيها من قبل…
We sat, chatting with them, and pouring tea and coffee for them. I won't hide from you how much my heart hurt and how I was trying hard to hold myself but I couldn't. Many members of the group used to excuse themselves and go out, just so that they don't show their emotions and sadness. They cannot be blamed really. One of the women was chatting to us, talking about everyday matters and laughing. We didn't ask them who brought them to the centre and why, because we wanted them to forget. These are topics which shouldn't be opened so that we don't bother them and ourselves. Without them saying anything, we were choked by our tears. What would happen if they spoke?!
We asked one of the women whether she was satisfied and happy and her name. She spoke normally to us and then said that she doesn't see her brothers and that her sisters rarely visit her, sometimes on Thursdays, where they would promise her to return her home with them before leaving without her. She covered her face and started to sob. I couldn't take it and had to leave. It was a difficult situation which really hurt and made you think that however cruel your parents were, you would never throw them out like this. You feel a blessing you have never felt before.
When it came for the volunteers to leave, the blogger writes:
يت حزة الروحه وانا اسلم على اللي نادتني قتلها استانستي؟ قالت وايد قتلها تبين نزورج بعد؟ قالت تعالوا كل يوم ابيكم اتزوروني احبكم انا! …شوفوا شلون قلوبهم بيضه وصافيه ويحبون اي احد يحسون انه اهتم فيهم حتى لو ساعه…
While saying our goodbyes, one of the elderly women called me towards her. I asked her if she was happy. She said she was very happy. I asked her if she wanted us to visit her again. She said: “Come everyday. I want you to visit me. I love you!” .. See how kind-hearted they are and how they love anyone, even those who took care of them for one hour.
Away from the centre, Bu Maryoom, over at 5-q8 writes about female candidates running for the elections.
ليش نظرتنا للمرشحة المطلقة مثلا أو العانس تختلف عن نظرتنا للمرشحة المتزوجة؟
مع ان الكثير من المرشحين الرجال حرامية…و الاكثر سرسرية..بس محد يأطرهم بهالاطار…المهم حنجرتة
هل حالة المرأة الاجتماعية مهمة للحكم على أداءها البرلمانى و فكرها و حالتة الرجل غير مهمة؟
Photocredit: somecontrast
0 comments · »»Global: The price of food, the cost of despair
· 22:09
The crisis of skyrocketing food prices is affecting all economic groups in every corner of the world. Every day, it seems, high-priced food sends another country lurching through some crisis: demonstrations, riots, rumors of hoarding, falling governments, even deaths.
Global Voices is well positioned to follow the nuances of this complex issue with authors tracking citizen media in nearly every country of the planet. This article is an attempt to place an overall narrative on the global food crisis with observations from our authors from around the world. Clicking on the links will take you to all the posts that have been referenced.
Let’s begin in the Caribbean. In Barbados, locals learn to deal with a 30% increase in flour prices, along with gasoline and diesel price jumps. Trinidad and Tobago’s Minister of Agriculture, denies there is a food crisis on the two islands, but locals notice an increase in chicken and flour prices. Cuba is trying a new agriculture policy of providing more land to private farmers.
Prices and shortages of food can be seen across Latin America, as many people are becoming desperate. Blame is being placed on both farmers and governments for their failure to act. Arab bloggers in Lebanon, Syria, Kuwait and Egypt are also feeling the pinch, and writing about it too.
Worries continue to circulate in Cambodia that nearly 500,000 children could start missing meals due to a 20% increase in the price of rice. However, a dramatic increase in rice production may not be beyond hope in this country. Farmers here can cultivate two or three harvests per year on the same piece of land.
The latest riots
Protesters in Cairo lighting fires and throwing rocks at a barricade, April 7, 2008 - Photo by James Buck
Two days of riots broke out on April 6 and 7 in Egypt, where prices of staples have doubled since 2004 (and in some cases quadrupled). At least two people were killed and 111 people – including police – were injured (See our special coverage on Egypt's General Strike).
In Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, protesters blocked roads and burned tires, demanding the government cut taxes on key imports.
Just days later, four people were killed and 25 injured in riots in Haiti, where the prices of rice, beans, and fruit have increased 50% in the past 12 months. Less than a week after the violent demonstrations, Haiti's prime minister was ousted in a vote of no confidence.
For Natifnatal, a Haitian currently in Abu Dhabi, the food crisis offers simple math:
For those who don't even know the basics can present the equation: hunger + poverty + rising prices = demonstrations + the Prime Minister's resignation + violence, and argue that an increase in food aid would suffice to reduce hunger.
Even as a cargo plane crashed in Kinshasa on April 15 killing 75 people, Congolese blogger Du Cabiau à Kinshasa, ruminated on a more silent, less telegenic disaster facing the country: the doubling of food prices in the same week.
The effects on trade
So many countries of the developing world import a large percentage of the foodstuffs necessary to feed their populations. Rising prices means problems grow quickly. Even for food exporters, rising prices has touched a nerve. In Korea, one of the world’s most prolific rice producers, a Netizen argues that rice should be withheld from free trade talks, allowing the country to do as it seems fit with its strategic commodity.
Sometimes protectionism won’t be enough, however. As the price of rice has increased throughout Southeast Asia’s rice growing nations, governments were forced to plea for calm and pray that domestic prices would soon begin to fall. The situation is doubly bad for rice importers like the Philippines, where the poor have felt the brunt of the price increase. Indonesia, another importer, has canceled its imports due to high prices. Cambodia and Vietnam have abandoned exports. Bloggers in Malaysia report rumors of rice shortages. The Government of Brunei could move to subsidize food staples like cooking oil, flour, milk, eggs and chicken.
Milk in Japanese supermarket
For decades food prices in Japan have been in stasis, which is strange for a country that imports almost every staple other than rice. Not any longer. Price increased for the first time in more than two decades. The same goes for milk products, which consumers been paying for at the same rate for three decades. Beer, cooking oil, and soy sauce also experienced increases.
A silent killer
In Bangladesh, where people spend as much as 80% of their salaries on food, high prices for rice have hit the middle class. It’s much worse for the poor, as media reports confirm several hunger deaths. The country’s military chief raised the ire of many when he suggested people replace rice by eating potatoes.
In Tajikistan, where people already faced a winter-long energy shortage, it looks like more than 260,000 people are in need of immediate food assistance. Worries persist that this number could grow to 2 million by winter.
Talk about globalization. In Yemen, the prices of staples have risen while the cost of certain electronic goods have dropped. Kuwait has also seen price increases, no thanks to the falling U.S. dollar.
In Burkina Faso, where people felt the government sat on its hands as prices in some sectors increased more than 40% since the beginning of the year, riots sparked in several cities throughout the country in late February, resulting in plenty of property damage and more than 300 arrests.
At about the same time in Cameroon, anger over rising prices and falling wages sparked three days of violent confrontation with the military. Anger was also fed by President Paul Biya's attempt to change the constitution so he could sit for a third term.
The story is far from over. We’ll keep posting updates – so please check our Special Coverage page on the Global Food Crisis 2008 often.
15 comments · »»Americas: Insufficient Actions and Solutions for Food Crisis
· 21:00
Photo by Andrea SF and used under a Creative Commons license.
Prices and shortages of food can be seen across Latin America, as many people are becoming desperate with the situation. Blame is being placed on the farmers and blame is being placed on the government for their failure to act or failure to act insufficiently. Bloggers are writing about what they are seeing around them, while others are writing about possible solutions.
One of the places where the crisis has already spilled out onto the streets in the form of protests and counter-protests is Argentina. Gabriela Peralta of La Corresponsal [es] laments that hunger is being seen across the country:
Dá ganas de gritarlo a los cuatro vientos. ¡Hay hambre! Maldita sea. Hay hambre mientras en nuestro país se dan el lujo de guardar los granos para cuando las retenciones no sean tan altas. Hay hambre mientras en nuestro país se especula con que la cosecha les queme los tiempos al sector agrario para poder obtener ganancias no coparticipables. Hay hambre mientras se incendian del Delta del Paraná para trasladar el ganado fuera y dedicarse en exclusivo a la soja. Hay hambre mientras la soja consume campos que tarde o temprano serán incultivables…hay hambre, mientras derrochamos riqueza.
I feel like screaming in all directions. There is hunger, dammit! There is hunger while our country has the luxury of storing grain for when the levies are not so high. There is hunger when in our country, harvest spectulation take place in order to split profits. There is hunger while the wetlands of the Paraná wetlands are burned so that the cattle leaves and that land can be used exclusively for soybeans. There is hunger while the soybeans overtakes so that someday the land becomes unable to be cultivated….there is hunger, while we squander our wealth.
Central America is also feeling the pressure of rising food prices, hunger and a lack of solutions. Julia Ardón of Costa Rica wonders what will become of many people during this crisis [es]:
Resulta impresindible entender qué significa eso tan mentado de “soberanía alimentaria”, y mientras en la tele se anuncian problemas de abastecimiento de alimentos y especialmente de arroz en el mundo…¿ qué vamos a comer por acá? ¿ acaso papeles? ¿ engrapadoras? ¿ sopa de juguetitos de plástico made in China? ¿ spagetti de cables telefónicos? ¿ O comida congelada gringa? eso sí…quien la pueda comprar…para luego tener los problemas de salud y obesidad que tienen los gringos…? Y entonces La Caja tenga que comprar más medicinas y no pueda por las patentes de los medicamentos…¿ No era que el TLC nos iba a beneficiar mucho? Y ya el otro día también él mismo andaba anunciando que venían dos años de vacas flacas…y a mi no me importó porque ando con el telele de convertirme en vegetariana…
It is difficult to understand the often-mentioned phrase “food sovereignty,” when on television they talk about the problems with the supply of food, especially with rice. What will eat around here? Paper? Staplers? Soup of toys made in China? Spaghetti of phone cords? American frozen fod? For those that can afford to buy, will have health problems like the Americans. Then the health system will have to buy more medicines and they won't be able to because of the medicine patents. Wasn't the Free Trade Agreement supposed to provide us benefits? The other day the news was also talking about two years of skinnier cows…it doesn't bother me because I am this close of becoming a vegetarian.
In El Salvador, Ayutuxtepeque of Hunnapuh [es] writes about some of the current proposed strategies of the government, and some additional ones that could be taken to alleviate the situation:
Las medidas que actualmente está anunciando el gobierno para enfrentar la crisis alimentaria son sencillamente insuficientes e ineficientes. Pretender que con repartir granos mejorados y otros pocos incentivos, la producción agrícola va a incrementarse, es un sueño de locos. No es con medidas aisladas, atomizadas y de plazo incierto como se resolverán las cosas. Reconstruir nuestro aparato productivo agrícola no es comida de hocicones.
Por ello continuaremos insistiendo en lo que hemos señalado en innumerables ocasiones. La reactivación del aparato productivo nacional, es urgente y requiere de una estrategia integral de corto, mediano y largo plazo. El gobierno debe comprometerse en esto con seriedad y por ello debe promover que esta estrategia deje de ser un mero plan de gobierno para convertirse en una Política de Estado. Es decir que se continúe su implementación independientemente de quien llegue al gobierno, para ello se necesita del consenso de las otras fuerzas políticas y de amplios sectores sociales. (…) Ya no estoy seguro de si tenemos tiempo para hacerlo, pero hay que empezar de inmediato. En todo caso, lo peor es no hacer nada, o conformarnos con medidas aisladas e insuficientes, que no servirán de mucho.
The proposals that the government has announced to face the food crisis are simply insufficient and inefficient. Believing that by distributing higher-quality grains and other incentives, that the agricultural production will increase, is a crazy dream. It is not with isolated, small measures will things be resolved. Reconstructing our agricultural production apparatus is not for the weak-hearted.
I continue to insist that reactivating the national production apparatus is urgent and requires a short, mid and long-term integrated strategy. The government should commit itself to act and that this strategy should be the government's plan in order to become a state policy. It means that it should continue to be implemented independiently of who in power, and for that there needs to be consensus with the other political parties and a cross-section of social sectors. (…) I am not so sure that we have enough time to make it, but we must start now. In any case, the worst thing would be to not do anything, or we conform with isolated and insufficient measures, which won't amount to much.
Some bloggers, such as Esteban Grinberg from Argentina, even put forth some possible concrete solutions to the crisis. He writes at Un Todo un Poco [es] about more state involvement to control prices:
Que pasaría si el gobierno interviniese activamente en la producción de granos y carnes en la Argentina? Por ejemplo, el día de mañana el gobierno crease algo como la MVF (Mataderos Vacunos Fiscales) o la PFF (Plantaciones Frutiferas Fiscales). Una empresa así, que no tenga intención de exportar su producción, sino vender al mercado interno a un precio rentable, pero no en dolares, permitiría por un lado recaudar un poco más pero además tener una herramienta de control de precios de ciertos productos mucho más eficiente que los acuerdos actuales, de difícil control y ejecución. Porque hay una realidad, como van a hacer los gobiernos actuales para controlar el creciente aumento de precios de los alimentos, que producto del crecimiento mundial y de la utilización de algunos cereales en la creación de biodiesel, todo indica que van a seguir aumentando? Por supuesto esta propuesta es totalmente estatista y contraria a cualquier ideología pro mercado, pero bueno, el mercado por las razones que fuese, esta haciendo aumentar el precio de los alimentos. Y por mas que algunos piensan distinto, no creo en la teoría que el Mercado va a arreglar todo por arte de magia..
What would happen if the government would actively intervene in grain production and meat industry in Argentina? For example, what if tomorrow the government would creat something like the State Meatpacking Plant or a State Fruit Plantation. A company like that, which would not have the intention of exporting its production, but rather sell to the internal market at a profitable price, but not in dollars, would allow for some revenues, but more than anything would allow for price control on certain products. This would be much more efficient than the current agreeements, which is difficult to control and enforce. There is a reality. How will the current governments control the rising price of food? Of course this proposal favors more control by the state and goes against any pro-market ideology, but for whatever reason, the price of food continues to rise. In spite of what others might say, I don't think the market will magically fix everything.
Middle East: Police Meet Workers on May 1
· 19:59
May Day is the day workers around the world rally for better working conditions and higher wages. In the Middle East, bloggers mark the day with posts and photographs reporting what happened, what the day means for them, and why it is a reason for celebration.
Turkey:
Our first stop in in Turkey, where Erkan Saka says Labour Day celebrations were met with excessive force by police. Posting pictures of demonstrators being chased by police, he notes:
Like last year, there was an unproportional use of police power.
He further adds:
[M]ainstream Turkish press has become pro-labor today in order to develop another strike at the government. However, one point is missed: Unions knew that there would be violent scenes and instead of designated areas for demonstrations, they declared days before to send their workers to areas that police would react….
Jordan:
Naseem Tarawnah, from Jordan, too wasn't too optimistic about the day and writes:
I always found labor day in Jordan to be a bit ironic. What’s it really about? A day off? From what? For whom? According to unofficial numbers, unemployment in the country is as high as 30%, and the remaining people who are employed don’t make over 200JD’s (US$280) a month.
Iran:
In Iran, Tabuot [Fa] says that workers have been under a lot of pressure in recent years and several magazines/sites covering workers' news have been filtered and banned in the last few months. According to the blogger, reliable sources report that there are more than 100,000 child workers in Iran, with many of them who could be facing serious health problems. Tabout adds that several workers have been arrested by security forces in the last year. The blogger does not say whether they faced any charges or not.
Lebanon:
From Lebanon, Rami Zurayk analyses news reports on May Day. He writes:
In the economy page, Rasha Abu Zeki nails it again: a great report on the people who actually earn the minimum wage: $200. This is an issue of contention because the hawks in the successive Lebanese governments have always denied the fact that there are people who earn minimum wage in Lebanon, and have hidden behind this argument to refuse to raise the wages. Rasha interviews 3 people from different ages and family conditions, and the stories they tell are dramatic. The main point is: to live in Lebanon, families need closer to $800 a month, so increasing the minimum wage to $260 isn't going to do much. People are supported by the remittances of relatives working abroad. Note that the $60 increase has not been approved by the government in spite of the increase in cost of living.
Still in Lebanon, A Diamond in Sunlight, turns her attention to housemaids. Being a holiday, she spent the day with her in-laws, where she notes:
For the maids of Lebanon, Labor Day probably merely means more family members around to cook for and clean up after.
Razan, meanwhile, was stuck at work on Labour Day. But she makes a point of posting pictures of May Day celebrations from Farah Kubaissi's Flickr account, which can be here here.
Writing on her blog, Farah says:
13 thousands people responded to the call of the LCP (Lebanese Communist Party) and the Leftist Gathering and the National Syndicates Union for a popular demonstration on May 1 in Lebanon.U could c a very big red wave flowing the streets of the city.
let every day, May 1…
Arab Democracy provides more information about the labour struggle in Lebanon.
Palestine:
Palestinian Al Falasteenyia, who lives in the US, caught some action from the May Day rally and shares an encounter she experienced here:
I've been so busy with the situation in Palestine lately i almost forgot- but didnt. got off work today and joined the protest for a bit before heading off to class. as i waited to cross the street to join the crowd, a white man turned to me and said: i'm so not in the mood for this.
not in the mood for worker's rights? not in the mood for rights of immigrants? not in the mood to stand in solidarity with other human beings? not in the mood to take a stand and call for justice?
excuse me, mr. america, when will you be in the mood? let me know, so i can write it down in my calendar and mark it down as:
THE DAY WE GET ALL THE RIGHTS WE DESERVE.
Back in Palestine, Palestine Free Voice provides pictures and an article on a May Day rally in Gaza.
Jordan:
Our last stop is in Jordan again, where Ola Eliwat marks the day with a positive note. She writes:
0 comments · »»[W]hether you were the CEO of a multi-national company or just selling newspapers at the traffic lights, for each and everyone of you making this world unstoppingly viable: It’s labour day, and you’ve earned it.
Hong Kong: Olympic Torch Relay, the Virtual and the Real
· 17:54
The real Olympic torch relay in Hong Kong has been criticized as a political decision as most of the non-athletic torch bearers were from the pro-China political clan. In the street, the Beijing supporters also out-numbered the protesters for human rights. However, in the virtual torch relay organized by local bloggers, the viewpoints are much more diverse.
The virtual torch relay, blogtorch08, was organized by More than one on April 8, dukedom of Aberdeen wrote:
如果香港要有火炬手，應該找些不是垃圾的運動員，應該找些平民百姓甚至弱勢社群，而不是給那些政治人物或富貴人家來曝光。
我是這樣的想法，你也可以有你的想法。我還是覺得，同一個世界，最好有更多不同的夢想。
This is what I think, you can have your own opinion. I still feel that one world is better to have many diverse dreams.
Up till now, there are more than 70 blog posts. Many of them criticized the arrangement of real torch relay. Ngsezhin pointed out that:
主辦大國以一幫錦衣衛護著那可憐的小火點到處跑。與其說是傳聖火，倒不如說是示威罷？其實這也是有跡可尋。傳聖火的起源不是古代奧運會，而是 1936 年柏林奧運會中希特拉用以宣傳納粹德國的公關手段！
Nikita also pointed out that the Beijing Olympics has been politicized since the very first day:
中共在申奧時聲稱會改善人權狀況，北京申奧委副主席劉敬民的話：「由北京舉辦奧運會將有助於中國的人權事業發展。」(出處)，將政治和體育混為一談的始作俑者是中共當局…
Stannum from Sidney talked about the history of Olympic torch relay protest in Australia to explain that there is nothing “Holy” about the torch. Tintin also pointed out that the Chinese translation has missed interpreted “Olympic flame” into “Olympic sacred flame”. Ah Tong followed the discussion and wondered who was the idiot to state the rules that “the Olympic sacred fire shall never be put out, not even for one second”? Singsit referred to ancient Greek mythology and pointed out that the sacred fire is originated from Prometheus’ action against the Gods, stealing fire from heaven:
假如當年普羅米和我們一般的昧著良心，不為正義去挑戰權力，不肯冒險作公民抗命的話，今天，世上還有火可以給舉起來嗎！？討厭那些人一手把人類最重要最寶貴的人權自由都沒收在手裡，然後涎著臉胡說：「聖火」不容侵犯。
Richey disagreed with the connection of Olympics and human rights issue and wanted to voice out his discontent towards the people who are using the Olympic as an excuse to force-feed something that is totally irrelevant to the Olympic game.
Daihung made fun of the Olympic torch relay protest and said that Torchsnatching has turned into an official competition in 2008 Beijing Olympics. He even made a poster for this event:
Edmund Hui on the other hand tried to figure out how to create an inextinguishable Olympic torch. Harry Potter’s magic is one of his suggestions.
Infilmity noticed that the official name of the 08 torch relay is called “harmonious trip” and he foresaw that news and information regarding the Olympics would be “harmonized”. Technologypark complained about the harmonized measure (deleting photos with pro-Tibet protesters) in mainland China BBS forum and exclaimed that “Let’s all die in Harmony”.
Rosery joined the “Human Right in Tibet” demonstration in London and she was happy that the torch would not past through Taiwan this time.
Heart of Kafka tried to explain the Chinese logic in the Torch relay protect campaign:
中國很辛苦的掙了個資格。現在錢我交了﹐場地我建了﹐你才和我玩杯葛? 還要搶火熄火? 西藏問題這麼多年你不出聲﹐現在就比CCTV更CCTV的說中國的不是?
不過也好﹐西方傳媒與那些連西藏也不知道在哪的示威份子達成了一個中國共產黨也不能做到的目標 - 團結海外華人的”愛國”心。
Well, western media and those protesters who don’t even know where Tibet is have help the CCP to achieve a goal – united overseas Chinese.
Shadow Cabinet pointed out that the fate of China is still caught in the victim imagination during the war time. It is unreasonable that a strong country would feel threaten by a non-existing country – Tibet.
Back to the real Olympic torch relay in Hong Kong today, Tsang Hin Chi (a pro-China businessman) and Leung Chun-ying (an Executive Council member) are two most controversial figures. Point South supported both for them because their existence is a proof on the political character of the Beijing Olympics.
Chonghead has a summary of today protest action with photos and video clips:
10:35am: Protest Banner action at Tsimshatsiu: One protest banner “Human right repression” was confiscated while another one on “Release Hu Jia” was hanged out at Chungking Mansion during the relay.
10:45am: Human rights and free Tibet protesters were surrounded and attacked by pro-China cheering team.
13:00pm: Students’ protest placards were confiscated by police.
16:00pm: A protester was surrounded by cover-up polices who confiscated his protest placards and threatened to arrest him.
30 comments · »»Saudi Arabia: Imprisoned in the Office
· 15:23
Have you ever found yourself working late in the office? From Saudi Arabia, Ar6abon [Ar] shares with us this fascinating story about how he was locked up in his office one night.
He explains:
احمد الله تعالى خلال هذا الأسبوع اصبحت أداوم في الوظيفة الجديدة .
وبحكم أني جديد لازم أثبت جدارتي وحماسي واندفاعي
المكتب عبارة عن وكيل لشركة عالمية , ومكتب جدة لازال في طور التأسيس , أُعتبر أنا أول موظف في المكتب ..
ولازلت حتى هذه اللحظة أداوم لوحدي .. اسرح وأمرح
حصل لي موقف أمس .. لا أحسد عليه أبدا
سبق وأخذت معي مجموعة من الملفات والعقود والدراسات الخاصة من المكتب إلى البيت , لأقوم بقراءتها وتفحصها .. حتى أكون على إطلاع ومعرفة .
ليلة أمس خرجت من البيت الساعة 11 ونص مساءً , وأنا في اتجاه الكورنيش .. مريت من قرب مقر العمل , قلت في نفسي : خليني انزل واحط الأوراق في المكتب .. وامشي
وبالفعل : طلعت للمكتب وتركت الأوراق , كان فيه شئ آخذت في قراءته , ومضى الوقت .. تفاجئت بأن الساعة صارت 12 ونص صباحا !! ..
قمت بسرعة لأخرج من المكتب , نزلت من المصعد .. وتفاجئت أن بوابة العمارة مغلقة
يظهر أن الحارس قام بإغلاق الباب بحكم أن الوقت تأخر , والمفترض أنه لا يوجد أحد في المكاتب والشركات .
وقتها أحسست بالإختنااااق .. لا يوجد أي طريقة للخروج أبدا !!
عدت للمكتب , شغلت المكيف .. وضحكت على نفسي شوي وبعدها اديييتها نومه على الكنب ..
قمت الساعة 7 والنصف صباحا
(( الناس تدخل للمكاتب لبداية اليوم الوظيفي , وأنا خارج من المكتب ووجهي معفوس ومتجه للبيت ))
موقف عجيب صراحة هههههههههههههه ..
وش رآيكم في الموقف هذا ؟
I thank Allah that I have started working in my new job this week. And because I am a new employee, I had to work hard to prove my qualifications, enthusiasm and keenness to work. The office is an agent for an international company and the Jeddah office is still being established, and I am the first person employed there. Until now, I am the only one working there, having fun on my own. Yesterday something no one can envy happened to me. I had taken some folders, contracts and studies from the office home with me, so that I can read them and examine them closely, in order for me to know what was happening. I left home at 11.30pm, and while I was on the highway overlooking the Corniche (sea front), I pass by my office. I told myself: “Let me go down and return the papers to the office and leave.” And I did just that. I went up to the office and left the papers. Something caught my eyes, I started reading, and time flew. I was shocked to see it was 12.30am. I got up quickly to go home. I took the elevator down and was surprised to see the building doors locked. It seems that the security guard locked the doors, because it was late and all the offices in the companies had no staff at this time.
I felt suffocated. There was no way out for me at all!!
I returned to the office, turned on the air-conditioner and laughed a bit at myself. Afterwards, I slept on the sofa.
I woke up at 7.30am.
People were entering their offices to start their work day, while I was leaving the office with my face messed up, on my way home.
It was a strange experience.. haha .. what do you think of it?
Japan: Return of the Gas Tax
· 04:12
Japan's “temporary” gasoline tax [ja] of 25 yen per liter of gas, extended for over 30 years and funding some 5000 road construction programs, has been re-instated after a short-lived battle with the opposition, and people aren't happy about it. Popularity of the administration of Prime Minister Fukuda Yasuo, according to a newspaper poll on April 21st by Asahi newspaper, has dropped to a record low 25 percent, down from 31% at the end of March. A poll meanwhile showed that 63 percent of Japanese disapprove of the reinstatement of the gas tax, a sentiment reflected in blogs and forums as well.
Gas prices in Tokyo on May 2nd, up by 25 yen to 158 yen/litre (at this station in Tokyo).
Blogger Spray criticizes people who support the gas tax because they think that it will help the environment:
賛成派には色々な意見があるが笑ってしまうのが、環境への影響という。どだい今の日本は新車が売れなくて大変だと報道されているのに、税率が低くなったからといって急にガソリン消費量が劇的に上がるわけね〜ってつうの。車を維持するためには多大な経済的負担が必要で公共交通機関がないに等しい地方や俺のような仕事でどうしても車を使わなくてはいけないという人間以外はもつ必要もないんだから。今の若者が昔に比べて車を所有しなくなっているといわれているんだから、ＣＯ２は特に増えるわけではないだろう。
Blogger bluetear described their experience of the hike in gas prices:
私も昨日の内にいつも行くGSに早めに行ったんですが、もう長い列が出来てました。
驚きました〜駆け込み給油をする人がこんなにも多いとは(>_< )
昨日は125円で満タン入れましたが、今度入れる時は信じられない程の値に上がってるって事ですよね？
最近は、バターが品切れで価格高騰していたり、小麦粉やいろんな物も値上がりして、家計を預かる身は大変です
・.。*゜・。。・゜／【＞△＜】＼ｴｰﾝ
皆さんの場所ではもうガソリンかなり値上がりしましたか？
I was surprised… that there were so many people making a last-minute rush to refuel
I filled up the tank yesterday at 125 yen, but I guess next time the price will have risen to some unbelievable level, right?
With butter going out of stock lately and the price rising steeply, and the prices of other things like flour going up, covering household expenses is really difficult ・.。*゜・。。・゜／【＞△＜】＼
And all of you guys, did the price of gasoline rise where you are?
Blogger kochibox had a harder time:
朝の出勤時間からすでにGSには駆け込み給油の車が３０〜４０台ほど列を作っていました。
「ま、仕事帰りには少し落ち着いているだろう」とタカをくくっていましたが、
とんでもない！車列はさらに長くなり、数え切れないほどの長蛇！
さすがに仕事帰りに並ぶ気力も無く家に帰りましたが、うーん、やはり給油しとかないと・・
“Well, I suppose this will quiet down a little bit by the time I come back from work,” I thought optimistically,
but not even close! The line of cars had become even longer, a long snake [with so many cars] you couldn't even count them!
As would be expected, I didn't have the energy to line up on my way back from work so I just went straight home, but I thought, I'd better fill up…
夕食後、さすがにさっきよりは・・・などと希望的観測を持ちながらいざ出陣！
もちろん惨敗。
And of course, it was a crushing defeat.
セルフ給油所はあきらめ、近くの有人スタンドに行ったのですが、なんとそこは
「売り切れ」の文字が！！
there were the words: “Sold Out”!!
始めて見たゾ！売り切れなんて！ さて、現在午後１１時。どうするオレ！？
Venezuela: Left in the Dark
· 03:41
More than 13 states and the most important cities of Venezuela were affected by a power outage last Tuesday, leaving many without electricity for several hours [es]. The subway system of the capital city of Caracas collapsed and left thousands of people having to walk through city streets already crowded with vehicles (photos). In spite of the difficulties, some bloggers were able to record some thoughts on the day's events through Twitter and their blogs, even though internet service remained slow in those places that still had electricity. Even cell phone service was unable to meet the demand throughout the emergency.
Photo by Benitex and used with permission
The power outage has yet to be explained by the authorities, and during the past weeks there has been a series of protests over the power outages in the western and southern part of the country. The fluctuation of voltage has affected electrical appliances, television sets and refrigerators in those houses without surge protection. As seen in this news article [es], a protestor asks, “now, who will pay for my television?” Venezuela contains a giant network of hydroelectricity that provides energy to the entire country via companies that have been recently criticized by the government. The process of “state-ization” of those services that the government considers “strategic” for national soverignty has also been criticized because neither the quality of the service, nor the maintenance of the service has been guaranteed. The country is going through a national phenomenon that points things in that direction, and it reveals the system's capacity to control emergencies.
Álvaro Rafael of Planeta en Fuego [es] indigently analyzes the responsibildiad about the power outage and the political discourse:
Si este apagón hubiera ocurrido estando las empresas eléctricas en manos de empresas privadas ¿no habría sido «suficiente motivo» para que el Gobierno nacional haya pedido la expulsión de sus dueños privados en beneficio de una supuesta «recuperación nacional»? El apagón ocurrió estando las empresas eléctricas en manos del Estado, ¿no es motivo para que nosotros, los ciudadanos afectados, pidamos la expulsión de quienes nos desgobiernan de tales empresas (y hasta de la administración del Estado)?
If this power outage would have happened when the electric companies were in the hands of private companies, wouldn't it have been enough for the national government to ask for the expulsion of the private owners for a supposed national recuperation? The power outage happened when the electric companies were in hands of the State. Isn't it enough for us, the affected citizens, to ask for the expulsion of those who poorly manage those companies (and even the state administration)?
On the other hand, Carlos García of Carlos Zombie [es] narrates and photographs his experience in his attempt to leave Caracas and get home. Like others, he had to not only deal with the failure of the Caracas metro system, but also had to walk several kilometers to reach one of the bus terminals to take a bus to one of the satellite cities because the electric train was also closed:
al llegar a la hoyada vi que mucha, pero mucha, mucha gente habia tenido la misma idea que yo y llego caminando, por lo que la multitud se incremento a niveles apocalipticos, la falta del tren hace que la hoyada viva momentos de pelicula de zombies. al final me monte en una camioneta a coñazo limpio y fue cuando pude venirme a casa, no sin antes calarme una mamarra cola para salir de ccs.
Reaching the station of La Hoyada, I saw many, many people that had the same idea that I did and arrived walking. The amount of people increased to apocalyptic levels. The lack of trains made the station of La Hoyada look like a zombie movie. At the end, I boarded a truck after pushing and shoving and that is how I made it home, not without standing in a long line to leave the Ccs
JuanCPovE [es] provides a long chronicle of how he had to descend 26 flights without elevator and how he found out about the national situation without radio or TV.
De tanto marcar mi celular logré comunicarme con mi primo ya que en la empresa donde el trabaja mantiene contacto con varias oficinas a lo largo del país y me confirmó que el apagón no sólo había ocurrido en Caracas (¡Rayos!, yo creía que era sólo en una zona de la capital), sino que en otras ciudades del país, posiblemente en toda Venezuela.
After repeatedly dialing my cell phone, I was able to communicate with my cousin. In the company where he works, he is constantly in contact with various offices throughout the country and confirmed that the power outage did not only take place in Caracas. (My goodness! I thought it was only in the capital city), but also in other cities of the country, and possibly all of Venezuela.
In addition to the long hours of standing in traffic, violence in the streets, traffic accidentss, and the general desperation to make it home, other episodes were part of the daily humor when one lives in relaxed socities.
The Twitterosphere had some interesting dialogues between those that followed along via cell phone or on unaffected electric networks:
Jeanfreddy: I am going over to Facebook, where there is light.
Anibal: It is very funny to see an ad of “Motherland, socialismo or death” connected to the system of emergency lights
Juliana B: I am annoyed. How did people live before? I am picking up candles.
Finally, the flickr user MaLu did not let the power outage get in her way of her beauty routine (used with permission):
Morocco: Rage and sadness at this weekend's Casablanca factory fires
· 00:51
This weekend saw two deadly fires, one in a mattress and another in a textile factory, break out in Morocco's economic capital, Casablanca. Dozens of people died from asphyxia after being locked into their workplace by employers. The Moroccan blogosphere responds with questions and expressions of anger and sadness.
In a post entitled “Morocco in Mourning [fr]” the author of Zainabi qualified these incidents as a “national catastrophe [fr].” He went on to add: “When we see [major Moroccan media source] 2M covering royal activities before speaking about these victims, we feel even worse, even more unhappy. Upsetting, saddening, revolting! [fr]”
Blogger Moi dans tous mes etats [Me, in all my states] questions the process of implementing workplace safety measures in a post entitled “Welcome tohell in casablanca : 55 sur 100 … c'est beaucoup!!” (Welcome to Hell in Casablanca: 55 out of 100…that's a lot!), as well as calling upon Moroccan unions to remember these events come May Day:
55% est un grand chiffre ….
55% des ouvriers d'une usine à Lyssasfa sont morts suite à une incendie …
55 sur 100 sont morts principalement par asphixie …
55 sur 100 sont morts parce que le patron a fermé l'usine à clef pour que le prolétariat travaille …
55 sur 100 sont morts et les bouches d'incendie ne marchaient par …
55 sur 100 sont victimes du capitalisme barbare, de la corruption, …
Où est le controle des services des inspecteurs du travail …
Où est le gars qui a autorisé l'usine sans vérifier les installations de sécurité …
A quoi bon de parler encore de la sécurité dans les lieux du travail?
J'espère qu'au premier Mai, nos syndicats parleront aussi des conditions de travail …
Pour l'instant, je présente mes sincères condoléances aux familles des victimes.
55% of the workers in the Lyssasfa factory died in a fire [there]…
55 out of 100 died mainly from asphixia…
55 out of 100 died because the boss locked the factory so that the proletariat would work…
55 out of 100 are dead and the fire hydrants didn't work…
55 out of 100 are victims of corruption and barbarous capitalism…
Where were the security checks by the workplace inspectors?
Where was the guy who approved the factory without checking the security installations?
What good does it do now to talk about workplace safety?
I hope that on May 1st [International Worker's Day], our unions will also speak about workplace conditions…
For now, I present my sincere condolences to the victims' families.
Anglophone blogger Adilski at A Moro in America reminds readers that all of Moroccan society is implicated in such tragedies in small ways:
Everybody knows that corruption and lack of laws' enforcement is the main cause of this tragic event. But, there is a sense of complicity amongst all groups within the Moroccan society who turn the blind eye on violations and lax attitude towards the violation of laws. We all let it slide when Mqeddem takes few dozen Dirhams to let you build an extra room in your building or expand a garden to the public domain. We don't complain when a Gendarme lets it slide for 30 Dirhams when your buddy was 20 kms above the legal speed, but we complain about the high rate of accidents in Morocco. The pig picture of the country's situation is made up of small details; and we are almost involved in all those small details. If we turn the blind eye on the small violations, we get paid back in big calamities such as the horrendous road accidents and the mass deaths of impoverished workers at a sweat shop of highly inflammable material.[en]
Besides venting his own anger and dismay at this weekend's recent events, Jamal, the author of Comment Vous le dire? (How can I tell you?) questions the entire administrative apparatus which allowed for the factory to pass safety checks in the first place, and calls for an examination of all documents related to the construction of these sites:
Ça fait terriblement mal que de voir se consumer, autant de vies humaines, sur l’autel de l’avidité des uns et sur celui de la cupidité des autres.
Ces métaphores peuvent peut être choquer, je le sais ! Néanmoins l’intention, comme vous devez vous en doutez, ça n’est pas de le faire.
Le but, c’est de dire combien peut être soudaine, malheureuse et inacceptable une tragédie qui fait une bonne demie centaine de victimes en très peu de temps. C’est de dire aussi toute ma rage, et celle, sans aucun doute, de millions de marocains qui ne peuvent ni comprendre, ni admettre, qu’on puisse perdre, en moins de six mois, autant de victimes des causes de l’incurie, du laisser-aller et de l’inconscience qui prévalent dans notre administration.
Nous avions soulevé, en moult circonstances, et attiré, plusieurs fois, l’attention des pouvoirs publics sur les catastrophes qui peuvent survenir, à tout moment, du fait du non respect des normes de construction et de sécurité lors de l’édification de bâtisses à usage d’habitation, à usage administratif ou à usage industriel.
Encore que dans le cas des bâtiments administratifs les normes sont relativement bien respectées. Pourquoi alors ne le sont-ils plus dès lors que le promoteur est un particulier ou une entreprise ? Tout simplement parce qu’il est un ramassis de corrompus qui sévissent en toute impunité dans notre administration, qui pourrissent la vie aux citoyens, et qui parfois, comme c’était le cas à Kenitra il y a quelques semaines et samedi à Lissasfa, abrègent, à la place du Mektoub, des vies humaines.
Difficile d’admettre en effet que des femmes et des hommes, partis deux heures plutôt pour aller travailler, se retrouvent soudainement et traîtreusement prises au piège d’un incendie qui prendra tout son temps pour les calciner et les asphyxier sans qu’elles aient pu avoir la moindre chance de pouvoir s’échapper d’une usine dont on avait pris le soin de sceller toutes les issues pour éviter, dit-on, d’éventuel vols.
C’est trop facile, et surtout trop tard, pour dire, maintenant que 55 personnes ont péri, que les fenêtres étaient grillagées, que les issues de secours étaient inexistantes ou que le proprio de l’usine ne respectait pas les normes de sécurité.
J’aimerais bien savoir où étaient les préposés aux contrôles avant que cela n’arrive ? Où étaient surtout les consciences de tous ceux qui avaient délivrées toutes les attestations de conformité aux normes de sécurité au promoteur du projet ?
Si questionnements et poursuites devront avoir lieu, ce qui nous semble être le minimum que les pouvoirs publics doivent faire dans pareils cas, il y aura lieu alors de remonter toute la filière administrative qui a eu à instruire les différents dossiers concernant cette usine…
Même pour un non spécialiste, et rien que vue de dehors, cette construction n’a pas les allures d’une usine. Depuis quand construit-on des usines comme on construit des immeubles ? Sachant que les mesures de prévention les plus efficaces sont celles qui s’exercent en amont, dès la conception et la construction des locaux. Elles permettent de garantir de bonnes conditions d’évacuation, de mieux prendre en compte l’isolement, la séparation et les distances de sécurité pour empêcher, ou limiter, la propagation de l’incendie, ainsi que le choix des matériaux pour assurer la stabilité de la structure et réduire l’émission de gaz et fumées en cas de sinistre.
Vue de dedans, je ne vous dis pas que cette usine ne répondait, selon les réponses apportées à nos questions par ceux qui y travaillaient, à aucune des normes de sécurité exigibles. Pas de détecteurs de fumées, de chaleur ou de flamme, pas de dispositifs de désenfumage, pas de système de détection d’incendies, pas d’extincteurs mobiles, pas de robinets d’incendies armés, pas de cloisons ni de portes coupe-feux, pas d’issues de secours….
J’arrête à ce niveau la liste de ce qui aurait du nécessairement exister sur ce site avant la délivrance de toute autorisation pour l’exercice d’une activité industrielle…
Observer 2 minutes de silence et de recueillement, le 27 avril de chaque année, à la mémoire des 55 victimes de Lissasfa serait le meilleur hommage que l'on pourrait rendre à cette classe ouvrière qui souvent paye cash l'incurie des uns et l'avidité des autres…
These metaphors might be shocking, I know! Nevertheless the intention, as you may suspect, lies not therein.
The goal is to say how suddenly, unfortunately and unacceptably a tragedy that takes over 50 victims can happen in such a short period of time. It’s also to say how much anger I have, as much as millions of Moroccans, who can neither understand nor admit that so many victims can be lost in such a short time, due to carelessness and recklessness.
We have raised in multiple circumstances and drawn the attention of public services several times to the catastrophes that can occur at any moment from not respecting construction and safety regulations when buildings are being built for habitation, industry or businesses.
Also, administrative buildings usually do meet standards. So why don’t they do the same when a real estate developer is working for an individual or a company? Quite simply because they’re a bunch of corrupted jerks who crack down on our administration which decays citizens’ lives and even sometimes, as in the case of Kenitra a few weeks ago and this past Saturday in Lissasfa, abridge human lives instead of leaving it up to Fate [Mektoub].
It’s difficult to admit that women and men who’d left two hours earlier suddenly and treacherously find themselves trapped in a fire which took its own sweet time to burn off and asphyxiate them without them being able to even attempt to escape from the factory, all of whose exits, they say, were sealed off so as to prevent theft.
It’s too easy and especially too late, now that 55 people have perished, to say that the windows were barred, the safety exits inexistent or that the factory owner didn’t respect security regulations.
I’d like to know where the security inspectors were before all this occurred? Particularly, where were the consciences of all those who had attested to this building’s conforming to safety codes when it was being developed?
If questioning and follow-ups are to take place, this seems to us the minimum that the public authorities must do [and] in this case, the entire administrative network will have to be inspected for all those who hold dossiers concerning this factory…
Even to a non-specialist, and only seen from outside, this construction doesn’t look like a factory. Since when do we build factories like apartment buildings? Knowing that the most effective preventative measures take place during the planning stages, right at the conception and construction of the premises; they allow for ease of evacuation, take isolation, separation and distance into account for safety to prevent or limit the propagation of fire, as well as the choice of building materials to assure the structure’s stability and reduce the emissions of gas and smoke in a fire area.
Seen from inside, I won’t tell you that this factory did not respond, according to the responses our questions received from those who worked there, to even the basic norms mandated for safety. No smoke, heat or fire detectors, no ventilation system, no fire extinguishers, no firewalls or doors, no safety exits.
I’ll stop here in this list of everything that should have existed on site before it was given any authorization to exercise industrial activity…
Let’s observe 2 minutes of silence and contemplation, every 27 of April from now on, in the memory of these 55 Lissasfa victims, which will be the best homage we can give to this working class who so often pays for others’ greed and carelessness in cash [i.e. their lives].
Blogger Hdidane vents his anger through his post Serie noire: 2e incendie a Casa (Black -or fatal- Series: Second Fire in Casa):
7didane* est furieux !
Mêmes conditions : Des gens enfermés dans des locaux non conformes aux lois de sécurité marocaines.
Hier soir, un 2ème incendie à eu tout son temps pour griller des ouvriers qui passaient leurs nuits sur place.
Leurs cris de secours ont réveillé les riverains, sans les faire sortir de leur prison.
J’attends l’EXEMPLE !
7didane a perdu sa voie.
Comment faire pour permettre aux syndiques de publier la liste des usines non conformes aux normes ?
7didane étudie le problème. Peut-être un site web avec la possibilité de noté des entreprises et laisser des critiques, et des mails réguliers aux responsables avec la liste des criminels.
Le fils de pute qui ne sait pas maitriser sa chaine de provisionning sans emprisonner ses ouvriers, pour ne pas voler dit-on, n’a pas les compétences et n’est pas assez mature pour obtenir des crédits ou même avoir la licence d’ouvrir.
CRIMINELS !
Same conditions: people locked up in places which did not meet moroccan safety standards.
Last night, a second fire took its own sweet time to roast workers who spent the night on the premisis.
Their cries for help woke up the neighborhood, though they didn't help them to escape from their prison.
I see a pattern here!
7didane has lost his way.
What can we do to allow our unions to publish a list of factories who aren't up to [safety] standards?
7didane is studying the problem. Perhaps a website with the possibility to report such companies and to leave criticism, and regular emails to those in charge with the list of these criminals.
The son of a bitch who can't manage his production line without emprisoning his workers, “to prevent theft,” they say, isn't competent and mature enough to get loans or even to obtain a [business] license to open his company.
CRIMINALS!
One of the authors of English-speaking blog The View from Fez writes:
The mattress factory blaze is the worst industrial incident in Morocco. Moroccan Interior Minister Chakib Benmoussa who visited the site, at the head of an official delegation sent by King Mohammed VI, pledged that an investigation into the cause of the blaze would also examine security measures and work conditions at the factory.
Blogger Larbi responds not only by calling into question the monarchy, the prime minister and the government, but also to the revelation of an amateur video, which many bloggers are criticising as being in poor taste, made at the scene of one of the fires:
Nous n’irons pas jusqu’à dire que quand une incendie grave et dramatique se déclenche quelque part, le roi n’a pas besoin de donner ses « Hautes instructions royales pour secourir les victimes.».
Nous n’irons pas jusqu’à dire que les secours doivent être apportés spontanément et sur le champ. Sans attendre des instructions royales ! Si toutefois le respect de la vie humaine signifie encore quelque chose.
Nous n’irons pas jusqu’à dire que tout ce qui va être dit dans les prochains jours sur le drame humain de Lissasfa a été dit auparavant , et à plusieurs occasions, notamment lors de l’effondrement de l’immeuble de Kenitra! Et qu’entre temps rien n’a changé ou presque.
Nous n’irons pas jusqu’à dire que des usines comme celui de Lissasfa il y en a probablement beaucoup d’autres et que des immeubles comme celui de Kenitra il y en a aussi beaucoup d’autres au Maroc . Nous n’irons pas qu’à dire que face à la médiocrité et l’incompétence des gérants de ce pays, il faut hélas se résigner à attendre d’autres incendies et effondrements pour les découvrir .
Nous n’irons pas jusqu’à dire que le silence du premier ministre nous n’étonne pas tant depuis longtemps il a été réduit à un simple fonctionnaire chargé de recevoir les ambassadeurs et les syndicats et que s’il faut chercher une responsabilité politique dans cette affaire il faut la chercher auprès de ceux qui décident et qui gouvernent…
Nous n’irons pas jusqu’à dire que nous avons beaucoup de peine pour les familles des victimes et que c’est qui nous chagrine le plus c’est que ce drame aurait pu et aurait du être évité . Que ce qui nous chagrine le plus c’est qu’il y avait des morts avant Lissasfa et qu’il y aura des morts après Lissasfa .
Non! Nous ne dirons rien de tout cela pour éviter d’être taxés de nihilistes. Nous nous contentons de ceci : ce film de très mauvais goût n’amuse plus personne !
We won't go so far as to say that help should be given spontaneously and immediately. Without waiting for royal instructions ! If, that is, respect for human life still means anything anymore.
We won’t go so far as to say that everything that will be said in the coming days about the human drama at Lissasfa has already been said, and repeatedly, notably when the apartment building in Kenitra crumbled [crushing residents inside]! And that in between these two incidents nothing has hardly changed…
We won’t go so far as to say that there are probably lots of other factories like Lissasfa and apartment buildings like the one in Kenitra throughout Morocco. We wont go so far as to say that when confronted with mediocrity and incompetence of this country’s managers, we must –alas!- resign ourselves to waiting for subsequent fires and building collapses to discover them.
We won’t go so far as to say that the prime minister’s silence does not surprise us since he was reduced to a simple civil servant a long time ago, only charged with receiving ambassadors and unions and that if you want to find those politically responsible in this whole affair, you’ll have to find them among those the decision-makers and the governors…
We won’t go so far as to say that we feel a tremendous amount of sorrow for the victims’ families, nor that that which saddens us the most is that this drama could have been avoided. [No,] that which saddens us the most is that there were deaths before Lissasfa and that there will be deaths after Lissasfa.
No ! We won’t say anything about all that so as to avoid being charged as nihilists. We will suffice ourselves with this: this film is in very poor taste and doesn’t amuse anyone!
The View from Fez also reports that:
King Mohammed VI sent a condolence message to the families of the victims and vowed to take in charge the hospitals and burial expenses of the victims.
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*For Arabic-speakers who seek to transliterate certain Arabic sounds into the latin alphabet, the 7 symbol is used to indicate a strong velarized “H” sound.
Links for Roundups
Eastern & Central Europe
A contemporary Ukrainian political joke - at Ukrainiana.
Eastern & Central Europe
Balkan Baby explains some of the issues behind the upcoming election in Serbia.
South Asia
Rohail Butt reports in The Pakistani Spectator that watching the financial success of the Indian Premier League cricket, the Pakistan Cricket Board has announced their own Pakistan Premier League, which will start from next year.
South Asia
The knitwear industry of Bangladesh is going to increase salary for the workers and it is also thinking of introducing food rations for the workers to overcome the present price hike. An Ordinary Citizen thinks these steps may not be fair enough and proposes to introduce profit sharing with workers for this profitable sector.
South Asia
Maila Baje of Nepali Notebook analyzes the post election politics in Nepal: “Despite being the largest party in the newly elected assembly, the Maoists are not quite sure they would get to head the government.”
Americas
“Locally, consumers are not getting value for money. Breadbasket items such as flour, butter, cheese and canned goods have all been outrageously priced,” writes Adrian Gibson at WeblogBahamas.com, while Bajan Global Report says that Haiti will receive food aid from Florida.
Sub-Saharan Africa
Having been back in Africa for a bit more than one year, Gi [pt] has many questions about identity: “As soon as I arrived here - and that time flies like an arrow! - This question fell upon me: Where I am from? From here, the place I was born? Or from the place where I grew up, lived, where I learned to be what I am? Where I composed myself as a person”.
Sub-Saharan Africa
“Right on May 1st, between going to the march with banners saying “the best for workers”, knowing that he is speaker is the boss who pays badly and sometimes is even the slave-owner of our days, or going to hit the bottle and lift the thumb for all who see me to say that I am well, I preferred to pay a visit to the blogs around”. Check out what Reflectindo sobre Moçambique [pt] found out.
Middle East & North Africa
Talking about the “promise” 60 years ago of an Israel that will be “a light unto the nations,” Lebanese blogger