
The recent decision by Russian television channel “2×2″ to cut a scene in an episode of the US cartoon series “South Park” has sparked anger in the Russian blogosphere. The episode Free Willzyx, which was aired last Tuesday, appeared to mock Vladimir Putin and portray him as an avaricious and desperate dictator. When Kyle, one of the cartoon's protagonists, phones him to ask if he will fly him to the moon, Putin thinks he is the butt of a prank phone call from the US and exclaims “Kiss my ass George Bush, this isn't funny” and hangs up.
As LJ user dark_lawyer comments (RUS), the television channel has a history of censorship:
Television channel “2×2″ has long been censoring cartoons by cutting scenes containing violence, alcohol and drug consumption, both candid scenes and scenes which mock the feelings of different social and religious groups. Of course this is done in a crude way but to a certain extent, everyone can understand why the channel does it. […]
However, there is some uncertainty as to whether the decision to censor this episode, which originally aired in the US in 2005 when Putin was still president, was made by regulators or by executives at “2×2″ itself.
Dark_lawyer is sceptical of higher powers having a say in the matter:
[…] But look when it turns out that they have also cut an episode featuring the voice of Putin, well that is very interesting. And for whatever reason I am most confident that they have not acted on any so-called ‘instructions from above' and they have done this of their own good will. […]
Fellow LJ user samoleg, a.k.a Oleg Kuvaev - creator of the popular cartoon Masyanya - agrees, writing this (RUS) on his other blog, which is devoted almost exclusively to animation:
[…] It looks as if it's not a case of ‘instructions from above' but a ‘in case of emergency' measure. In principle we can understand their motives but of course in a way it's a type vandalism, but Channel “2×2″ has always had a lot of difficulties with South Park. In Russia this kind of political satire is always dangerous. Although in my opinion, in the Internet era it's stupid to censor things like this as it simply has a type of reverse effect of attracting even greater attention to such a scene. […]
LJ user alex_kainit explains (RUS) that “2×2″ has not been deterred in the past even by criticism from religious circles:
[…] The blogosphere feels that, in trying to correct the channel's broadcast policy, the regulators have gone one step too far.
We understand that during this channel's lifetime of broadcasting ‘cartoons for adults', it has time and again faced criticism for propagating violence, cruelty extremism and paedophilia. The biggest “2×2″ scandal flared up in March 2008: leading Protestant Churches in Russia demanded that the channel, which they felt indulged in “overt propaganda of many evils”, should be shut down.
In September of that year, the Basmannyi court issued a warning, which appeared amongst signs of extremism during episodes of South Park. They hoped that the warning would prove enough to stop the channel from renewing its broadcast license. The scandal incited massive demonstrations by the channel's supporters in Moscow and St. Petersburg where they gathered together 50,000 signatures. However, on 17 October 2008 “2×2″ renewed its license for a further 5 years.
Kenya is experiencing the worst drought in more than a decade according to the country's meteorological department. This drought has been felt throughout the country, but it is more visible among the Maasai community who's primary source of livelihood is cattle.
Faced by the danger of loosing their valued livestock, the Maasai, a traditional nomadic community resident in southern Kenya and Northern Tanzania, are driving their cattle into wildlife areas - and even cities - in search of pasture. This has worsened human-wildlife conflict as the weakened cows fall prey to lions and other predators.
The Lion Guardians blog reports that there has not been any good rain in two years.
The drought is worsening day by day. It has not rained properly for two consecutive years, and the pastoralist Maasai community who inhabit the [Mbirikani] group ranch have moved their livestock in three directions in search of greener pastures. The cows are all becoming very thin, and many are dying.
Predator Aware, a group that works towards conservation of predators, is also reporting some dire situations in Masai Mara wildlands and Siana ranches in the southern part of Kenya. In the Predetor Aware blog they say:
The Masai Mara and Siana in particular is running out of grazing [pasture] as the need for rain continues. Last night there appeared to be a storm over the Reserve some where. We are hoping this is an indicator and more rain will come. This dry weather really increases the human-wildlife conflict as the search for water and grazing goes on.
Although wildlife are better able to cope with drought, cattle are very badly hit. The Maasai, being traditionally nomadic pastoralists, will do what they have done for generations, they will move their cattle to seek pasture. It happens that the only places with open pasture are protected areas such as national parks and reserves. Ironically, most of the world famous parks in Kenya were carved out of traditional Maasai reserve pastures. The Lion Guardians blog describes the movement of the Maasai groups living adjacent to Amboseli National Park:
The first group moved their livestock all the way to Manyara in Tanzania. Others decided to take their cattle to Tsavo West National Park, but they have been experiencing serious clashes with the park authorities, who are trying to prevent the pastures of the national park from being overgrazed by cattle, leaving the ground bare.
Some of the these herders have traveled with their cattle for more than 400 km in search of pasture and water. Some have moved northwards towards Nairobi City after a little rain was reported some weeks ago, while others have moved south into Tanzania.
The severity of the drought can be heard in the words of ole Lentura, the key blogger at Predator Aware. ‘The days bring hot sun and a lot of wind', says ole Lentura who reports that wildlife that are traditionally grazers (feed on grass) are being forced to browse on trees and bushes as they adapt to the absence of grass.
“Elders in the group ranch are describing this drought as the worst ever, and with price of consumer goods sky-rocketing while the price of selling livestock and other domestic products are falling, the situation is triggering a catastrophic food crisis” say the Lion Guardians.
Of the human wildlife conflict ole Lentura of Predator Aware says “No predator incidents to report but another Maasai man sadly was killed by a buffalo over the weekend. This human-wildlife conflict will not lessen until we get some good rain.”

The ancient Temple of Preah Vihear, which, according to UNESCO, dates back to the eleventh century and is dedicated to Shiva, rests on the Cambodian and Thai borders. Exactly which country can claim Preah Vihear has been a source of contention between the neighboring countries. In 1962, the International Court of Justice, acting on an application by the Cambodian government, ruled that the Temple is within Cambodian territory. In July 2008, UNESCO listed the Temple as a World Heritage Site, citing its “unique architectural complex.”
Photo below by paniek at Flickr.
Since the July 2008 inscription by UNESCO, there has been violence in the region between Cambodian and Thai soldiers. However, as The Mirror reports, various Cambodian government officials have denied that the UNESCO listing is the reason behind the violence. Thailand has urged that UNESCO re-list the Temple so that it would be jointly managed by Thailand and Cambodia. The Mirror notes:
Based on the relevant UNESCO documents, and referenced here point by point, we bring additional information related to the procedures of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee and the listing of the Sacred Site of the Temple of Preah Vihear, which led to military confrontations, the loss of human life on both sides, and a sharp decline of tourism – all this has been reflected in different degrees in the Mirror during the last year.
Unfortunately, and to our surprise – in spite of the wide emotional concerns related to the Preah Vihear listing – the press in Cambodia has not reported much about the delicate and detailed legal and contractual arguments at the basis of the listing as a World Heritage Site, and the future obligations entered into by the Cambodian government.
But if the Cambodian press is failing to report on the implications of the listing, the Cambodian government is very much aware of the UNESCO designation. The Cambodian government recently recognized the one-year anniversary of UNESCO's listing with singing, dancing and speeches. Photos of the event are available on Monkgol's blog and at Khmerization.
Video of the festivities is available as well.
The animosity between the two countries has manifested online as well, as Kounila Keo points out in her post entitled “I Love Khmer vs. I Love Thailand” about competing websites ilovethailand.org
and ilovekhmer.org.
Details are Sketchy, with comments from ThaRum, reports that the ilovethailand.org site is blocked in Cambodia, but it is unclear which side is censoring the site.
As hostilities continue, Sopheap Chak charges the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (”ASEAN”) for not fulfilling its duty to “promote regional peace and stability.” In an editorial published in UPI Asia, Chak writes that ASEAN's passivity in the Preah Vihear matter is unacceptable. Chak writes that “[i]t seems that ASEAN is simply irrelevant when it comes to member states’ security…[and that continued lack of action will mean] ASEAN cannot continue to be considered a crucial regional body.”

Yesterday, Guangzhou blogger Beifeng went hiking with a number of friends in Baiyun mountain. Some of them were wearing a t-shirt that carry a slogan from Xinhua Daily in1946 that says: one-party rule will bring disaster everywhere (一黨獨裁,遍地是災). It is a communist party slogan against the former ruling party Kuomingtang. The group of people were interrogated by six police and brought to the police station for further investigation. The tea-time lasted for more than eight hours and Beifeng reports on the process via twitter. Here is a translation of his tweets:
一些人穿着印刷有当年”新华日报”主张TEE人爬白云山,被六名警察盘查中。
警号018356的警员最积极。
警察要带人去派出所,这些人不让,僵持中。
双方互拍中,警察要求删除拍下的视频。
有几个人身上的TEE写着”一党独裁,遍地是灾”。
现一干干人等被请去白云山所在分局,大家可致电查询事态进展。
具体是广州市公安局白云山分局(广园中路805号),以查身份证为由。
我自己没穿那件TEE,我是去爬山。
共有九人被带到分局一间大房,房里没警察没摄像头,偶尔有打酱油的在门口闪过,相信是等市局的人来。大家在在屋里说笑话。
还在警局枯坐,有便衣进来问了文字出处,让大家自愿写下名字,有两朋友写了。外面雨很大。
公安的同志们在开会,只派个人在门口不远外看着,很无聊,一个朋友在读圣经上的诗,几个人睡着了。
有个朋友竟然从大门堂而皇之走了,哈,太恶搞了。
白云山公安分局大门现在关起来了,是不是叫”逃羊补牢,犹未为晚?”可乐死了。
气氛紧张了些,警察也多了,要请我们吃饭,大伙没尿,要他们给个留置的理由。
剩下的八人排排坐在公安局门口台阶,路过群众可围观并拍照。
一便衣把我们带上二楼会议室,说是警官要要见。警方至今没有出具任何手续。
开始一一做做笔录。
以扰乱社会秩序为由做笔录中。
我在20分钟前离开警局,前后共8个小时,其他人应无大碍,详情后报,但至少野渡还得留下与国保喝茶。
其他人被要求换上他们买的新衣服,留下旧衣服。我再三提出只有写扣押单才能留下衣服,他们不干,几番折腾的结果是我脱下旧衣服拿回家,但得穿上新衣服。给钱他们不要,光身不给。我衣服上写“Fucking revolution”及列宁中指图案。
第一次喝茶,竟然是这样子,太出乎意料了。
我在笔录后面要求补充:我作为一个白云山的游客,一个国家的公民,在没有违反任何法律法规的情况下,对警方传唤置留超过六个小时的行为,本人深表遗憾。我希望国家能尊重每一个人的自由与权利,不要让类似的事情再次发生。
刚开始他们要我换下衣服,我要求开扣押单,一警察说,如果算是宣传品就直接没收销毁。后来说换下后直接剪碎,还拿了剪子来,我还是要求开扣押单。一警察有点怒,我说私人不要结怨。后来是再三汇报,方得以保留。
他们问为什么要开扣押单,我说,我一定会问你们要回这件衣服。
或许他们想不到用什么名堂来问我们的话,才没有收我们的手机及没人看门让一个朋友出去了。他们在上面开了两个小时会,后来弄了一份打印的问讯提纲,想必也是层层请示后商量出来的。我跟他们说,不管怎么弄,都将会是一个笑话。
野渡也回到家了,全部八人都已经回家。
As the time line of the tweets are not clear, Beifeng added more details in his blog:
第一条信息的发布是在19日14时40分左右,带到白云山分局是15时15分左右,开始做笔录是18时许,8个人分开做,我做完笔录是在21时许,因要求取回衣服又多呆了一点时间,离开时是22时55分。
Volan recommends visiting what's in his opinion is a somewhat neglected Macedonian National Gallery at the Daut Pasha Hammam in Skopje, situated in a former harem bath of a high Ottoman official, presenting reproductions of some of the most notable paintings [MKD] and other artwork from the XIV to the XX century.
Sean's Russia Blog writes about President Medvedev's efforts to rally the Russian youth to politics.
Karina Alexanyan of Internet & Democracy Blog accounts for Russia labeled partly free in a recent Freedom House report on Freedom on the Net.
The Natashas draws attention to a Canadian effort to help developing a model HIV/AIDS prevention program in Ukraine in partnership with UNICEF.
Bahraini blogger aMal has decided to rid herself of negative feelings - but that's not so simple: “People, at least maybe in this part of the world, I wholeheartedly say, are allergic to positivity.”
Uncommon Sense marks the 48th birthday of Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet, a political prisoner “who by his example provides the moral leadership needed for that struggle [for freedom] to eventually prevail.”