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June 22nd, 2009

   

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Venezuela: The Relationship With Iran

The Venezuelan blogosphere has been both touched, and moved by the latest development in Iran. There have been blogger opinions that try to make comparisons with similar events in Venezuelan recent history, as well viewpoints on the support given by President Hugo Chavez to Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Statue of South American liberator Simón Bolívar in Tehran. Photo by Eshare and used under a Creative Commons license: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rshoraka/1244078060/

Statue of South American liberator Simón Bolívar in Tehran. Photo by Eshare and used under a Creative Commons license: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rshoraka/1244078060/

In his blog Venezuela’s News and Views, Daniel criticizes this support and puts the light on the analysis made by the foreign media regarding the alliance with Iran:

(…) Chavez to Ahmadinejerk does not mean Venezuela to Iran (…)

But Center Left major paper Le Monde did take notice that not only Chavez is about the only Western leader in the word to come strongly on Ahmadinejad side (well, he has been cheating electorally since at least 2003) but that this support should not be surprising and should be considered ominous. That for sure will play nice among the French leftist intelligentsia (and among the wuss right too). It never ceases to amaze me how Chavez has an ability to stick his foot in mouth at the very worst moment. But thanks to oil until now he was able to make limited come backs. Let's see how that works out now.

Meanwhile, Juan Cristobal in his blog Caracas Chronicles makes an “iran-alogy” in this comparison of scenarios and whether lessons could be learned from what Venezuela experienced in the 2006 Presidential election. He writes that there is “no happy ending”:

Sadly, if anything, Venezuela's experience does not provide much hope for Iran's Mousavi backers. I'm no Iran expert, but judging by what we've gone through, this slow kabuki dance will be long on drama and short on substance. We learned long ago that not to underestimate a petro-dictatorship's ability to ignore what happens on the streets. Marcha no mata mullah, chamo, y Twitter no mata dictadura (Marches don't kill the mullah and Twitter does not kill dictatorship). Just ask the Burmese monks.

(…)

The other lesson is in the power of alternative media as a way of overcoming official censorship. As we see the last independent TV station in Venezuela gasping for air, it's easy to think of its demise as the end of the possibility of regime change.

But the world is changing, and old media is not the only media out there. The role of alternative media sites such as Facebook or Twitter or (hell, why not) blogs in the current crisis should be carefully analyzed, specially by Venezuela's hapless opposition.

In the article Venezuela, Iran’s best friend? posted by Alex Holland takes a look at the relationship between the two countries, including the fact that Venezuela was one of the only countries that cast a vote against putting Iran in front of the United Nations Security Council in regards to its nuclear activities. However, the relationship also includes cooperation in the petroleum industry. Iran is helping Venezuela develop some of its natural resources through these agreements. However, Holland points out that there have been some claims by the media that do not accurately portray this relationship:

A recent article from the conservative US newspaper, the Washington Times with the title, “Venezuela Seeks Nuclear Technology”, gave the impression that Venezuela was about to take delivery of Nuclear Weapons from Iran to use against the US.

General James Hill, the head of the U.S. Southern Command claimed Venezuela was supporting “Islamic terror groups” in one of its major tourist resorts, Margarita Island. This was immediately and easily disproved by journalists visiting the alleged sites.

Despite some of these outlandish US claims, Venezuela’s reasons for having an alliance with Iran is motivated by other things than wanting to be part of an “Islamo-bloc” of nations against the US.

(…)

The two countries do not share all the same foreign policy aims either. Venezuela is more than happy to do business with a country the Iranian President recently said should be, “wiped off the map.”

Israel has received millions of dollars from Venezuela in recent years. This money was to pay for weapons such as anti-aircraft missiles. Israel would have gotten another $100 million last year to repair Venezuela’s F16 fighter aircraft if the US government had not stopped the deal.

Chavez also sent his best wishes to the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon when he became seriously ill in January. The Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s comments for Sharon were less generous.

Caribbean: Following the path of the CaribsPhotos post

Since the beginning of 2009, French West Indians have questioned their identity, their national heritage and their present-day situation in different ways. Kintamingo Ema, a Martinican blog, presents an initiative which mixes a social insertion, historical and archeological project with an identity quest. Dubbed “Kintamingo Ema, sur le chemin de nos ancêtres” (Kintamingo Ema, following the path of our ancestors), the project was launched by Association Karisko , an association focusing on social integration, as explained here [Fr]:

Ce sont les jeunes du foyer d'insertion de Sainte-Marie qui ont bénéficié de cette formation.

Young adults from the insertion structure of Sainte-Marie are the recipients of this vocational training.

They benefited from the knowledge and experience of the Caribs, by learning to build a canoe and then ride it from Martinique to Antigua. But before reaching to all these islands from le Prêcheur in Martinique, many young adults in search of a professional project and practical training participated in the creation of the Kanawa (the native name for a canoe). The social integration building site quickly became a genuine shipyard, where the traditional skills of the native inhabitants were used to create this massive canoe. A comment on CocoNews post gives us more details concerning the measures of the canoe [Fr]:

Le kanawa pèse plus d'une tonne ( à vide !) , 18 mètres de long et 27 rameurs.

The Kanawa weighs more than a ton (empty) (about 2200 pounds) and is 18 meters long (about 60 feet) and needs 27 rowers.

One of the team members has posted pictures of the construction site and lists the 4 steps involved in the making of the Kanawa: cutting the tree, transporting the trunk, preparing the top of the trunk and finally digging it up. Here is a diaporama describing all the different steps of the making.

CocoNews Guadeloupe introduces the project to its readers and reveals the itinerary of the ride [Fr].

@ CocoNews Guadeloupe

@ CocoNews Guadeloupe

The journey was scheduled as follows: leave le Prêcheur in Martinique on May 21st and go back to le Prêcheur on June 1st, after stops in the Caribbean islands of Dominica, les Saintes, Guadeloupe (Basse-Terre then Grande-Terre) and Antigua. The trip included about thirty people, including historians, athletes, sociologists and writers, but it was also open to anyone else who had an interest in the project. This post lists all the participants.

Quite apart from its social integration and historical aspects, this project has had an important impact at the level of memory and conscience. To understand this better, CocoNews quotes one of the objectives of the project [Fr]:

L'objectif de KYTANGOMINGO EMA est la réouverture symbolique et matérielle de la route de navigation maritime des temps anciens,…

The objective of KYTANGOMINGO EMA is the symbolic and material opening of the old-time seafaring…

But the best way to understand the motivation behind the project is to read about the experiences of the passengers and rowers [Fr]:

L'aventure Martinique-Antigua a été pour moi une expérience très valorisante humainement parlant. Découvrir les îles des Caraïbes comme nos ancêtres amérindiens et pouvoir ressentir les moments forts de leur arrivée sur une terre inconnue

The Martinique-Antigua adventure was a very enriching human experience for me. Discovering the Caribbean islands as our native ancestors did it and being able to experience the strong feelings they had when they landed on these unknown lands.

The general success of the initiative has gone a long way to inspire the team in its plan for next year: reaching Puerto Rico by kanawa.

Bermuda: “No Confidence” Motion Thwarted

Part of the backlash against Bermudian Premier Ewart Brown's decision to accept four former Guantanamo detainees into the island has been the opposition party's tabling of a “No Confidence” vote against him in Parliament - a motion that bloggers are reporting has been defeated.

Vexed Bermoothes was following the parliamentary proceedings closely:

They have started debating the motion of no confidence in Dr. Brown.

The Speaker tried to change the motion to: “That this house has no confidence in the Government and deplores the actions of the Premier in relation to the Uighurs matter” or something like that.

It finally ended up as “That this honourable house has no confidence in the Government led by the Premier” after the UBP resisted.

Dr. Brown has corrected his earlier statements regarding the Uighur risk assessment, saying that he erred rather than knowingly mislead in his statement to the House and subsequent radio broadcasts. Sayeth he “To err is human, to forgive divine.”

Please give me some novocaine!

As he awaited the results of the debate, the blogger noted:

If Dr. Brown survives this upheaval and there is no change to the political status quo, let me promise you that it will not be business as usual on Monday. It will have been proven that there is no consequence to violating the Bermuda Constitution. From a political risk perspective, that makes us an unstable country.

It is important for countries to have a reliable Rule of Law. But there are weaknesses in laws even, because laws are made by politicians. And that’s why the Constitution is so important. It must be passed by public referendum. All politicians and laws must toe to the Constitution.

Ergo, a politician who flaunts the Constitution is effectively saying ‘I am beholden to no law'.

As news broke that the motion had been defeated following a 14-hour debate, Breezeblog commented:

I’m disappointed and depressed but not surprised at the spinelessness of those who blindly follow Dr. Brown. Maybe there’ll be a leadershp challenge at the PLP conference in the Fall but I doubt it. I suspect Dr. Brown will emerge stronger than ever from this.

The UBP, though, are finished as a credible Opposition.

Vexed Bermoothes, meanwhile, called the result “a catastrophe for Bermuda”:

The motion in the House of Assembly failed by 22-11 (two UBP MPs failing to vote).

I have lost all faith in our political system. I think we are governed by crooks and fools for their own benefit.

We have retained a leader who during the debates yesterday free admitted that he violated the law and the Constitution, and kept his own Government in the dark as to his actions and motives. Half the debate was about race and independence, rather than the simple task of reprimanding a leader who apparently will not comply with the law, nor represent the people.

I am ashamed for Bermuda. The consequences for this will be terrible for our community.

21 Square has not been able to get over the Premier's defense of his actions by calling them “an act of God”:

An act of God? This is the same kind of thing terrorists say before blowing up buildings full of innocent people.

…while Breezeblog seemed more interested in Dr. Brown's next move:

So what will an emboldened and empowered Dr. Brown do next?

Independence is the big fear for many people but maybe there’s another option up his sleeve. I’m not normally in the business of publishing rumours but I have now heard this one from credible non-UBP sources so I’ll put it up here and see who salutes. I’m genuinely interested to hear what people think, not stir up anything.

I understand that the PLP has been exploring the option of Bermuda becoming a US territory like Puerto Rico as an alternative to independence from Britain.

But if – and I stress ‘if' – it is true, it might explain many of the unashamedly pro-American Dr. Brown’s recent actions…

According to Breezeblog, the U.K. is still very much a part of this political debacle:

A petition has been posted on the UK Prime Minister’s web site calling for the resignation of Dr. Ewart Brown.

UPDATE: Organisers of the recent local protests are urging people not to sign this petition. In an e-mail circulated June 20, they state:

RE: Advise that you do NOT sign the UK petition calling for Ewart Brown’s resignation

Advise that you do NOT sign the UK petition calling for Ewart Brown’s resignation

Avoid ‘knee jerk' reactions. We should not throw a petition out to the public in haste. As we know, wording is critical. We have to get it right and take the time to get it right.

Finally, Catch a fire weighed in after “a long night”:

After reading over the transcripts of the debate and looking at the end vote, I think one thing is definitely clear. Dr. Brown won the battle, but he has lost the war.

While on the surface it may appear that Dr. Brown’s hand has been strengthened, from my reading any such strength now is more illussionary that real. The Party, at least in the form of its MPs, have clearly expressed that business as usual a la Dr. Brown cannot continue. He must now either build bridges or accept it is time to go gracefully as per internal Party procedures.

The demonstrators will feel disillussioned after these events. That is unfortunate, and I advise them to carry on their energy of political and community activism in other areas. There are a lot of issues of concern in our society, and if people can mobilise as they did last week, there is no reason why this momentum cannot be carried forward for the betterment of our people on other issues.

While those in power may cry that control is being lost, in fact it is our democracy and political consciousness that is being strengthened.

Iran: Videos of protests and vigilsVideo post

A disputed June 12 election in Iran that returned President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to power, has sparked the most violent unrest since the Islamic Revolution in 1979. Protesters and the opposition leader, Mir Hussein Mousavi are calling for an annulment of the election. Security forces killed at least 10 people in Tehran on Saturday, but protests have continued in different Iranian cities.

Tehran, Sunday: Protesters chanted the following slogans: “Don't be scared, don't be scared, we are all together. Down with the dictator.”

Tehran, Thursday: Iranians in remembrance of the ‘martyrs' of Tehran light up candles near the University of Tehran.

Tehran: Iranians shout ‘Allaho Akbar' (God is Great) on their rooftops as a sign of protest against the election results. A beautiful poem is recited by a girl sitting on a roof in Tehran.

Isfahan: Protesters confront security forces

Greece: Bloggers interview Iranian protesters

With the clampdown on journalism and communications in Iran, most Greek mainstream media have resorted to conveying reports from social media, second or third-hand, through western news organizations. Some Greek bloggers have helped bridge gaps in reporting by interviewing Iranian protesters contacted on Twitter themselves, or by posting news from acquaintances in Iran and abroad.

Greek journalist and blogger Panagiotis Papachatzis published two interviews with Iranian protesters on his blog, πρόχειρο τετράδιο.

In the first interview, on Tuesday, Iranian activist and blogger Jadi commented on the role Twitter played in reporting during the first few days of the election protests, and why he has chosen to blog under his real name.

γράφω επώνυμα και αυτό το κάνω γιατί είναι πολύ σημαντικό για μένα να πω ” Είμαι αυτό το συγκεκριμένο άτομο και ζω στο Ιράν και πιστεύω στα ανθρώπινα δικαιώματα.” Αν γράφω ανώνυμα θα είναι σαν να αποδέχομαι ότι αυτό που κάνω είναι περίεργο. Δεν είμαι αντάρτης και δεν χρειάζεται να κρύβομαι. Και αν συλληφθώ…. και τι με αυτό; Χρησιμοποιώ τα βασικά μου ανθρώπινα δικαιώματα, δεν είμαι εγκληματίας. [..]Ο ψηφιακός κόσμος δεν έχει σύνορα και δεν υπάρχει διαφορά μεταξύ μας, και ας είμαι εγώ στο Ιράν και εσύ στην Ελλάδα. Τις τελευταίες μέρες μας έκοψαν όλες τις επικοινωνίες, όχι sms, όχι κινητά τηλέφωνα σε συγκεκριμένες περιοχές. Κάτω από αυτές τις συνθήκες, το γυρίσαμε στο Twitter και ευτυχώς δουλεύει.

“For me it is important to say that ‘I am this specific person, and I live in Iran, and I believe in human rights'. If I go anonymous, I have accepted that I'm doing something suspect. I'm not a guerrilla and I don't need to hide. If I get arrested … so what? I used my very basic human right, I am not a criminal. […]
The digital world is a borderless world, and there is no difference between me and you there. Additionally, we lost all means of communication recently. No SMS, no phones in some areas, and … in this situation, we switched to Twitter and it worked.

In the second interview, a 20 year-old student protester who asked to remain anonymous, talks about why he feels obliged to protest and report on what is happening in his country. He describes how protesters are facing their fears and how recent events in Iran have helped shape his dreams for the future.

Θέλω να πιστεύω ότι είναι υποχρέωση μου, εκτός από το να βγαίνω στους δρόμους και να διαδηλώνω, να ενημερώνω τον κόσμο για το τι συμβαίνει στο Ιράν.[..]
Η πρώτη μέρα ήταν δύσκολη. Ο φόβος του αγνώστου. Όσο περνάνε οι μέρες τόσο πιο γενναίοι γινόμαστε να διαδηλώνουμε. Έχουμε συνηθίσει την βία της αστυνομίας [..]. Δεν μπορούν να μας κάνουν να μην σκεφτόμαστε, να μην θέλουμε.[..]
[Πάντα ήθελα να σπουδάσω στις ΗΠΑ] Αλλά όταν είδα την κλοπή των ψήφων μας, την εξαπάτηση, είπα στον εαυτό μου ” Θα κάνω τα πάντα, για να δω ένα ελεύθερο και δημοκρατικό Ιράν, πριν φύγω”. Έτσι πια, ονειρεύομαι ένα καλύτερο μέλλον για το Ιράν.

I really think it is my obligation. I mean, besides going to the streets and protesting, it’s my obligation to let people of the world know what’s going on in Iran, because the national media in Iran is pretending that nothing has happened and everything’s OK. People would be fooled, If I didn’t tweet whatever I see and I hear.  […]
Only in the first days of demonstrations were there signs of fear among some people. We didn't [know] what would happen, but after the first day, people became brave enough to demonstrate and protest without fear, because they got used to riot-police violence […] They cannot stop us from thinking, from wanting what is best for ourselves […]
I always dreamed of studying in the USA […], but when I saw that our votes had been stolen - when I saw that they think we are stupid - I said to myself, ‘I have to do whatever I can, to see a free and democratic Iran before I leave my country.' So I’m dreaming of a better future for Iran.

Greek blogger and journalist ttallou posted her correspondence with an Iranian expatriate using Facebook to publish photos from Tuesday's demonstration:

Government started to block most web sites, disconnected sms, mobiles, and people were not able to communicate yesterday, so far they arrested and injured many people and killed some. we (those who live outside), we started to send info from here and distribute among our fellows, also had demonstration all around the world. It’s really sad. We want our votes.
Mousavi himself is not important, what I do believe is that people decided to vote, so voted, decided to have this person as president, to have better situation, what hurts us is that government betrayed us

Blogger Sotiris Koukios published a letter from Tehran, from a young woman dreaming of freedom and equality, with a plea to Greeks for help and solidarity:

Αγαπητοί φίλοι στην Ελλάδα,

έχω κλείσει 5 μέρες στους δρόμους…. κάθε μέρα σε μια συνεχή πορεία διαμαρτυρίας… μια πορεία εναντίον ενός καθεστώτος που έζησα από την μέρα που γεννήθηκα. Είμαι 25 χρονών, την Τεχεράνη πριν από τους Αγιατολλάχ δεν τους έζησα. [..]

Η χώρα μου είναι βαθιά ρατσιστική για την γυναίκα, άδικη για τους περισσότερους πολίτες της και επικίνδυνη για όλους τους γείτονες μας. Δεν θέλω να ζω σε μια ατέλειωτη κηδεία…. Δεν θέλω το διαβατήριο μου να με κάνει ύποπτη σαν πιθανό τρομοκράτη. Και θέλω να ταξιδέψω, να ζήσω ελεύθερη και ισότιμα με όλους σας.

Αγαπητοί μου έλληνες φίλοι, βοηθήστε με και συμπαρασταθείτε. Η χώρα σας είναι αγαπητή στην χώρα μου. Είμαστε λαοί με αρχαίο πολιτισμό και ιστορικές παραδόσεις. Και πάντα με πολιτιστικούς και πολιτικούς δεσμούς. Τώρα σας έχουμε ανάγκη. Και θέλουμε από εσάς να διαδώστε το μήνυμα της ελευθερίας για εμάς. Αυτό πάντα σκεφτόμουνα για τους Έλληνες για το μπαράκι που πηγαίνω στην πόλη μου και καπνίζω κρυφά, πίνω καμμιά μπύρα κρυφά και μιλάω για την ελευθερία κρυφά. Και όλα αυτά με την υπόκρουση του Θεοδωράκη!!!

Dear friends in Greece,

I've been out on the streets for 5 days.. protesting every day in a continuous rally… a rally against a regime I've lived under since the day I was born. I'm 25 years old, I have never seen Tehran before the Ayatollahs. […]
My country is deeply discriminatory towards women, unfair to most of it's citizens, and dangerous to all our neighbors. I don't want to live in an endless funeral… I don't want my passport to brand me as a potential terrorist suspect. And I want to travel, to live free, as an equal to all of you.
My dear Greek friends, help me and support me. Your country is dear to mine. We are peoples with ancient cultures and historical traditions, always with cultural and political bonds. We need you now. And we want you to transmit the message of freedom for us. That's what I always thought about Greeks at the bar in my city, where I go to smoke secretly, drink beer secretly, and talk about freedom, secretly. And all that while listening to Theodorakis!

As in countless other countries, a wave of green avatars swept over the Greek “Twittersphere” last week, as Greek bloggers sought to express their solidarity with Iranian protesters in the aftermath of the June presidential elections.

Greek tweet

Cambodia: Report outlines Khmer Rouge Tribunal's latest troubles

A report by the Open Society Justice Initiative details the latest issues to plague the Khmer Rouge Tribunal. The report, released in late May 2009, states the Tribunal's legitimacy is threatened by charges of corruption and political interference. The report states:

The government of Cambodia and the United Nations have failed as yet to agree on a credible process for addressing complaints of corruption. This leaves staff who may be victims of corrupt practices bereft of a viable remedy or complaint mechanism that they can pursue without fear of putting their jobs or safety at risk.

In addition to discussing the charges of corruption and political interference, the report provides an update of events at the Extraordinary Chambers of the Courts in Cambodia. The full text of the report is available here.

But the Tribunal could also fail on a technicality. KI Media posted a story from VOA Khmer revealing that the jailed senior leaders may be released from detention before their trials start because the Tribunal has proceeded at such a slow pace.

Four of the senior-most leaders of the failed regime—Nuon Chea, Khieu Samphan, Ieng Sary, Ieng Thirith—have reached the midway points of their provisional detentions, and yet none has seen trial. Some observers worry about a release of those four in early 2010, but others argue that authorities will have to find ways to keep them detained.

The corruption charges were discussed in a prior GV post. The Cambodian government has denied interfering with the Tribunal, including preventing judges of the court from interviewing witnesses who are current government employees.

Tribunal support sticker

Tribunal support sticker

Photo by Arwens Abendstern on Flickr and licensed through Creative Commons.