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In Korea, North Korean Dictator, Kim Jong Il Is Dead

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 07:44:33 -0600

Kim Jong Il, the North Korean dictator who ruled the hermit kingdom for the past three decades, has died at the age of 69. According to North Korean state television's official report on Monday, Kim passed away from “mental and physical strain” during a train ride on December 17, 2011.

The South Korean Twittersphere erupted with various responses. Although the death of one of the world's most notorious dictators is something people might welcome, most South Koreans have expressed concern about the instability his sudden death might bring to Korean peninsula.

The South Korean public's initial response to the news was pure shock. Son Byung-gwan(@sonkiza), a reporter from the South Korean citizen media site Ohmynews, tweeted [ko]:

북한, 김정일 사망 속보… 너무 큰 뉴스라서 편집국도 어리둥절

North Korea reported a breaking story on Kim Jong-il's death. The story is such a huge news even our company's ‘news desk' was bewildered.

Kim Gil-su (@yourKGS) tweeted [ko]:

김정일 사망 소식에 속이 후련한 것보다 걱정이 앞네요. 나이가 들어서인가봐요.

Instead of feeling relieved, I feel concerned by the news on Kim Jong-il's death. It is probably because I am an old man.

Many on Twitter also worried that the ongoing allegations of election fraud by the ruling party would be eclipsed by the news. @photo_jjang tweeted [ko]:

모든 언론사 홈페이지에 올라온 김정일 사망소식 뉴스…. 그 밑에 이슈들은 다 묻히는겁니다

On all media companies' homepages, Kim Jong-il's death made headlines… which means all the other issues (displayed below that news) will be ignored.

After the initial wave of shock, many on Twitter started blaming the South Korean government for its slow reaction. It is believed that they had no clue about Kim's death for over 50 hours. For now, South Korean President Lee has ordered a state of emergency. Barry Lee (@barry_lee) tweeted [ko]:

김정일이 죽은게 17일인데 이명박은 17, 18일에 방일을 했군요.정말 몰랐다면 정보력이 개판이라는 소리고 알고도 다녀왔다면 위기 대응 능력이 개판이라는 소리군요. […]

Kim died on Dec 17. And President Lee Myung-bak was visiting Japan from Dec 17 to 18. If President Lee had not really heard the news, that means the South Korean government's intelligence is really awful. Or if he had known about the news, that would mean he is really lousy at risk-management.

South Korea's Twitter timeline was filled with speculations on the future of North Korea and its impact on the peace of Korean peninsula.Twitterer CafeVine (@CafeVine) tweeted[ko]:

가장 큰 불안요소는 북한 군부의 소요 가능성이 아니라 주변 강대국의 정치 계산에 의한 움직임과 북한 민중의 반응이 아닐까 싶다. 북한 군부가 흐트러지는 틈을 타 대규모 탈북 움직임이 일어난다면… 위험하다.

The elements which cause great instability are NOT the chance of commotion within the North Korean military, BUT the change of political situation of Korean peninsula by adjacent strong countries' moves and also reactions by the North Korean citizen. What if there is a sudden increase of North Korean defectors because its military has become unstable? That can be dangerous.

@trimutri100 expressed concern over North Korea's inexperienced, 27-year-old heir, Kim Jong-un:

북한은 진정 큰일이구나. 그 햇병아리가 정권을 제대로 인수할리도 없고, 차라리 김정남이 긴급 호출되는게 아닐까?

North Korea is in real crisis. That fledgling (referring to Kim Jong-un) would never be able to smoothly succeed the regime… Is there a chance they would send an emergency call for help to Kim Jung-nam [the eldest son of Kim Jong-il]?

Later he expressed the opinion [ko] that the fact the news was broken by North Korea's state media means that situation is fairly under control:

북한이 발표를 했다는 건, 권력구도가 최소한 어느 정도는 교통정리가 되었다는 이야기다. 문제는, 그게 누구냐는거다.

The fact that the North Korea announced the news means that the power transition has taken a fairly good shape. But the remaining problem here is WHO has taken the power…

Originally published at Global Voices: http://globalvoicesonline.org/2011/12/19/korea-north-korean-dictator-kim-jong-il-is-dead/

In Libya, Game Over Gaddafi

Sun, 21 Aug 2011 19:36:29 -0500

Written by Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage Libya Uprising 2011.

Libyan revolutionaries are in Tripoli, the country's capital. The thrill is evident online, with Twitter abuzz with joy and jubilation as tweeps countdown the hours in which Gaddafi will leave power. Reports are already circulating that the battalion responsible for his protection has surrendered and decided to lay down arms.

Foreign Policy's Blake Hounshell tweets:

@blakehounshell: GAME OVER. #Libya

And Shabab Libya adds:

@ShababLibya: Martyr's square formally known as ‘green' square is now home to Freedom Fighters. Game Over

Tweeps are also sharing snippets of what they are watching on their TV screens of live footage from Tripoli.

Hind Hassan writes:

@hindhassan: Can hardly hear @SkyNews Alex Crawford speak because of celebrations, sound of car horns, gunfire & fireworks behind her #Libya #Tripoli

NPR Senior Strategist Andy Carvin quotes Crawford:

@acarvin: “They feel liberated. Fireworks going off, guns going off, truly an amazing site.” -Alex Crawford, Sky #libya

@acarvin: Crawford: “This is going to be the biggest party tripoli has ever seen. Look at these people - do they seem worried?” #libya

The Guardian's Brian Whitaker has more news:

@Brian_Whit: Numerous reports claiming Said Gaddafi has been captured. Can't confirm. #libya

While Al Jazeera's Evan Hill has questions:

@evanchill: So I'm heading into west Libya in a couple days. I wonder who'll be running the country by then.

Meanwhile, Cindy A. shares a sentiment we are all having tonight:

@Organica_: I wish there were more Libyans on Twitter. I'd give them all hugs. #Libya #Tripoli #Greensquare

Stay tuned for more updates from Libya.

Originally Published at GlobalVoices: http://globalvoicesonline.org/2011/08/21/libya-game-over-gaddafi/

In China and Hong Kong, Citizen Arrested for Wearing Political T-Shirt

Wed, 17 Aug 2011 15:51:28 -0500

Written by Oiwan Lam

Li Keqiang, China's current vice premier and premier-to-be, began a three-day visit to Hong Kong on August 16, 2011. On the first day of his visit, Li tried to show concern for Hong Kong people's livelihoods by visiting a center for the elderly and a residential campus in Lam Tin district.

However, Li's “friendly” gesture turned into a performance of political brutality when a male resident was forcibly dragged away and arrested by a number of “men in black”, because he wrote a political T-shirt with the slogan “Vindicate June 4“:

In a television interview, the man said, “I am not protesting. My wife was playing with our kids downstairs. They saw a big crowd in the campus and called me to come down and join them. When I came down from my apartment, suddenly I was surrounded by a group of men in black. Then someone said, ‘take him away'. They dragged me to the corner without telling me what had happened. I live here in flat 26!”

Political T-shirts are casual wear in Hong Kong; probably every one out of 15-20 Hong Kong citizens has a T-shirt with the slogan “Vindicate June 4″, as the city has been organizing the annual June 4 candlelight vigil to commemorate the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 for 22 years now, with tens of thousands of people attending every year.

Doctor fat posts two sets of T-shirt designs based on June 4 in his blog [zh]:

June 4 T-shirts. Image by Doctor Fat.

One can imagine how the scene of a male resident being “kidnapped” from his own neighborhood because of a political T-shirt has outraged the local community.

To justify the operation, the Hong Kong government quickly issued a press statement [zh] claiming that the male resident was on the police's wanted list due a traffic incident back which took place in 2006.

“River crab” banquet delivered to Hong Kong

Local blogger Kursk is angry with the situation and wrote a post titled “If you don't want to see June 4 T-shirts, go back to Beijing!” [zh]:

這是一件十分嚴重的事件，一定要追究。香港幾時禁止著六四t-shi rt架？果度仲要係私人住宅黎架大佬。特區警察同公安有咩分別呀？仲有，抬佢走既人冇表示身份，更加冇表示行使緊乜野法律權力，理論上係非法禁錮，係嚴重侵犯人權既做法。
侵犯人權太誇張？你試諗下，有一日無啦啦有四五個黑西裝大漢冇表明身份夾硬夾你走，佢地可以係黑社會點錯相、擄人勒索，甚至係公安跨省都得，咁你知驚未？
呢班黑衣人究竟係G4定係北京既國安？如果係前者，就係特區政府泛用武力既問題，一定要投訴去監警會同立法會保安事務委員會；如果係後者，事態就嚴重百倍－－大陸國安黎香港既私人住宅區向只係著住六四T -shirt既香港人施行武力，呢個唔只係一國兩制不保既問題，而係國安南下香港鎮壓言論自由。

This is a very serious incident and we should demand an explanation. Since when have “Vindicate June 4 T-shirts” been banned? The spot is a private residential campus. What is the different between Hong Kong SAR police and mainland police? They took action without identifying themselves, and nor did they explain according to which law they were excising power. In theory, this is illegal detention in violation of his human rights.
Am I exaggerating? Please imagine, if, one day, 4-5 men dressed in black suddenly dragged you away. They could be from a triad, or kidnappers or mainland police excising their power across the border. Wouldn't you be scared?
This group of men-in-black, are they from the Hong Kong police force's G4 department [political department], or are they Beijing police? If the former, then this is a case of abusive power by the SAR police force and we should complain to the police monitor council and the Security Panel of the Legislative Council. If the latter case, then the situation is 100 times more worrisome. It signifies not only the end of One Country, Two Systems, but the mainland police coming to Hong Kong to repress our freedom in expression.

Upon his arrival, Li Keqiang claimed that he had brought some good news (a set of favorable policies that would enhance Hong Kong economy). Journalist and blogger, Those were the days, describes the “gift set” as “a river-crab banquet” [zh]. The term “river crab” is a slang for “harmonious society“.

昨天，只是李副總理訪港第一天，北京風味的打壓反對者的「河蟹全席」，只上了頭盤，未來幾天香港人還可以慢慢「享用」！

Yesterday is the first day of vice premier Li Keqiang's visit. Only the first course in the Beijing-style “river crab banquet” of cracking down on dissent has been served. Hong Kong people will have a real taste of it in the future.

Police's wanted list?

Martinoei explains [zh] the police's strategy in covering up their illegal arrest:

警察為咗掩飾自已膠，就話條友涉及2006年一宗交通事故，通緝緊，所以要拉佢。
首先，差佬點可能一眼睇出條友係通緝犯，但更膠係，你唔記得找你張牛肉乾，都可以係通緝犯。

In order to cover up their ridiculous action, the police said the guy was on their wanted list for a traffic incident. That's why they had to arrest him.
First of all, it is impossible for the police to identify him on first sight. Moreover, it is extremely easy for someone to be listed as a wanted person, such as if you forget to pay an illegal parking fine.

況且牛肉乾未找而被通緝，好多時你交低罰款就走人。呢位著平反六四T恤人士可以被無條件釋放(唔係保釋)，分分鐘係因為即場掟低三百二十元，咁咪解除通緝。警隊要膠，都咪咁膠，有國安入咗香港警隊，唔該從實招來。

In the case of being “wanted” because of illegal parking, all you have to do is to pay the fine on the spot. This guy with the “Vindicate June 4 T-shirt”, the fact that he can walk out from the police station without bail is probably because he paid his HKD320 [less than USD50] fine to get himself unlisted from the wanted persons list. This is the most ridiculous cover-up. Please get back to the real issue of whether the mainland national security police have indeed been operating in Hong Kong.

In the discussion thread on Martinoei's post, netizen Newbie said:

感覺上, 中國人普遍非常認同呢種”非法逮捕”, 對果種所謂過程唔合法就應該導致証據無效既思想非常薄弱.
即係合唔合法都好, 先拉人進行大搜查外加嚴刑迫供, 只要最後搵到蛛絲馬跡証明被捕者可能犯咗小小法, 整個過程就馬上變成 “合法合情合理” 了. 當個個人都認同呢種思想時, 我係差佬我都濫權喇!
呢個民族, 根本無決心付出某啲代價去平衡權力, 唔搞到 xx 霸權當道就有鬼喇!

It seems to me that many Chinese accept such kind of “illegal arrest” and they do not disregard the evidences gathered under illegal procedure.
Which means, they can arrest and torture someone, and with just a tiny scrap of evidence of a minor offense, the whole process becomes “legal, reasonable and justified”. If everyone accepts this, of course the police will do whatever they want.
Chinese people are unwilling to pay the price for balance of power, that's why the XX hegemony [note: probably refers to the Chinese Communist Party] is so dominating.

Magiccello said:

香港公安學習能力真高. 強國的手段學會了. 維穩辦主任曾偉雄好快又升官發財了.

Hong Kong police are learning from their mainland counterparts in strengthening the nation. Tsang Wai Hung, the head of the stability maintenance office, will be promoted very soon.

The incident has been widely discussed on Facebook, and many users claimed that they would wear political T-shirts and walk around on the street during Li Keqiang's visit in Hong Kong. The University of Hong Kong Centenary Ceremony on August 18, 2011, will probably be another occasion for the display of political T-shirts (see the Facebook Event [zh]).

Originally Published at GlobalVoices: http://globalvoicesonline.org/2011/08/17/china-and-hong-kong-citizen-arrested-for-wearing-political-t-shirt/

In Japan, How to Unplug Your Life and Save Electricity

Tue, 16 Aug 2011 08:45:20 -0500

Written By Scilla Alecci

This page is part of our special coverage Japan Earthquake 2011.

People in Japan have been unplugging their lives as electricity saving measures have been implemented to cope with power shortages.

At present only 19 out of 54 nuclear reactors at power plants are operating and the government has been urging citizens - particularly those living in Eastern Japan - to reduce energy consumption in order to avoid power shortages resulting from the disaster at the Fukushima nuclear power plant.

According to a survey by research company Micromill [ja], 70 percent of the Japanese interviewed have changed their lifestyle in the last few months. The respondents were young people in their 20s from eight different prefectures and most of them said they had begun to spend more time at home, turn off the lights and unplug their electrical appliances when not in use.

Save Electricity, Switch Off, by Bevelle. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

The effectiveness of the power saving measures is still a subject of hot debate in the country but many have taken this opportunity to change their power consuming life style.

Roco lives in Kobe, in Western Japan, and said her family had changed their habits [jp] even though that part of Japan hasn’t been directly affected by the Fukushima nuclear accident:

我が家は、もう常識になってしまったエアコンの設定温度28℃に！
家族はできるだけ１部屋にかたまって動かすエアコンは1台に！
を心がける事と、就寝時間を１時間早めて朝の時間を有効利用しています。
電力消費需要のピーク時午後２時くらい〜はPCやTVなど
電気製品の使用を控えるのも有効な対策になるんですよね。

In my family now it’s become normal to set the aircon temperature at 28℃!
We have also been trying to gather together in one room as much as we can so as to use only one cooler!
These are some of the things we've been paying attention to, besides going to bed one hour earlier and using the morning more effectively.
It is also good to avoid the use of electrical appliances such as PC or TV around 2 p.m. when the power demand reaches its peak.

“Setsuden” (an abbreviation for 'saving electricity') has become an everyday word and in some cases also a trend.
Setsuden recipes, for instance, have become popular on the internet as people have been spreading the word on what’s the best way to eat well without using too much energy.

Shirousagi posted some suggestions [jp] on her blog:

節電レシピとしては冷ややっこや納豆、佃煮、
梅干し、海苔、漬物、缶づめ、ハム、かまぼこなど
電気だけでなくガスも使わずささっと手早く
食べられるものを多く使うようにしています。

加熱するものがあるとどうしても室温が上がり
暑くなるので火を加えず美味しく頂けるものが
あると節電だけでなく涼しく過ごせ良いなと
思います。

お刺身などもそのままお料理せずに食べられて
節電メニューの代表的なものかもしれません。

For my setsuden recipes, I have been using a lot of ingredients such as tofu, food boiled in soy, pickled umeboshi (preserved plums), seaweeds, pickles, canned foods, ham, minced fish etc., because there is no need to use electricity or gas and they can be eaten quickly.
If you use food that has to be cooked, the room temperature will rise inevitably and you'll feel hot so eating fresh food helps save electricity and remain cool.
One perfect example of setsuden menu is sashimi because you can eat [the raw fish] as it is without cooking it.

Power saving trends started before summer, when home centers and electrical appliance shops put on sale a variety of goods with the aim of facilitating a low power consuming life.

Blogger Bota started changing his lifestyle in May [jp] when he first acquired his first setsuden devices:

１）電気契約量を４０Ａ⇒３０Ａに変更して、電気使用量の上限を強制的に下げた。
２）電気消費量の多いダウンライトとクリプトン球を使用した照明器具の使用をやめて、使用頻度の高いリビングは蛍光灯に切り替えた。（ＬＥＤはまだ高いのであきらめた）

1) I changed the contract with the electric company to a lower limit of 30 Amperes instead of 40, in effect lowering the amount of electricity I can use.
2) I stopped using lights that use high electrical consumption bulbs such as down lights and krypton bulbs. (LED lights are still too expensive so I gave up on them)

[…]

③東京電力「電気のシェイプアップカルテ」に申し込んで、月次で電気使用量を点検
④真夏に備えて緑のカーテンを準備
今年は節電対策としてゴーヤやアサガオを栽培する家庭が多いようで、どこのホームセンターでも売り切れだ。

3) I applied for the Tokyo Electric Company's “electricity shape up chart” so I can check the electricity consumption month by month.
4) As I prepared for summer heat, I set up a curtain made of greens.
This year many families have started to grow bitter melon or the flower of Morning Glory as a measure [to provide shade], so now there are none left in the shopping centers.

Goya (bitter melon) curtain, by Hidetsugu Tonomura. CC BY-NC 2.0

①７月度の節電の取り組み　ＬＥＤ化以外はほとんど節電の余地がなくなってきたが、７月９日の梅雨明け以来、急に日差しが強まってきたため、窓に断熱シートを貼って室温の上昇を抑えることにした。ただしこのシートによる断熱効果がいかほどのものかは分からない。

1) In July I was able to replace the light bulbs with LED but after the rainy season was over and the sun has become stronger I decided to use the heat insulating sheet because of the rising temperatures. However I am still not sure about the sheet’s effectiveness.

Heat insulating sheet, by YTO. CC BY 2.0

Whilst doubt remains whether these small changes in power consuming habits may actually make a real difference, people like @coachsuki are proud that their efforts have proved successful.

@coachsuki 電気使用量のお知らせがきた～！今月分は昨年と比べ31％減少してますって＼(^o^)／家中の電球を変えたのと冷風機使用と冷蔵庫カーテンの結果だな♩ちゃんと節電出来てるわ(o^^o)

I got the report on my electricity consumption! This month I have used 31% less than the same period last year ＼(^o^)／ Probably it depends on the fact that I've changed the light bulbs at home, also that I now use fans and a ‘fridge curtain‘ ♩ so I have really been able to save electricity! (o^^o)

This page is part of our special coverage Japan Earthquake 2011.

Originally Published at GlobalVoices: http://globalvoicesonline.org/2011/08/15/japan-how-to-unplug-your-life-and-save-electricity/

In Iran, Summer Heat Gives Way to Crackdowns on “Improper” Clothing

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 08:12:09 -0500

Written by Fred Petrossian

A photo from the semi-official Iranian news agency FARS of a woman being reprimanded for her attire.

In many places, summer means sun, sea and holidays. In Iran, summer means at least one more thing: crackdowns on improper or “un-Islamic” clothing.

This year, traffic police in Iran have been helping to enforce the dress code, and the crackdown is not limited to giving warnings or fines. Sometimes women are arrested by force because of what they are wearing. Several citizen videos from different parts of the country help show the true “heat” of summer in Iran.

A woman runs and resists arrest in Hamadan

Citizens protest, as girl is arrested in Tabriz

A mother screams as 13-year old daughter is arrested

Discrimination?

Iranian blogger Irane Azad republishes several photos of women arrested for their attire, and questions [fa] why the laws only seem to be enforced on ordinary citizens and not on the Islamic Republic's famous actresses.

Originally Published at GlobalVoices: http://globalvoicesonline.org/2011/07/18/iran-summer-heat-gives-way-to-crackdowns-on-improper-clothing/

In China, Independent Candidates Busy Building Up Support

Sun, 17 Jul 2011 10:21:11 -0500

Written by

John Kennedy, GlobalVoices

Carrying on from the incident in which three independent candidates for local level People's Congress elections in Jiangxi were prevented from taking part in their election, candidates from other areas around China have yet to enter election periods but face no shortage of problems of their own.

The candidacy wave remains small, but is still a top discussion topic online.

More prominent participants in the movement such as media workers Li Chengpeng and Yao ‘Wuyue Sanren' Bo have become less vocal about their individual campaigns (Yao recently quietly announced his resignation from the China Daily newspaper, ostensibly to work on his campaign) in recent weeks. One candidate who has moved more into the limelight has beenHangzhou-based post-80s advertising agency employee and locally-known commentator on the real estate market, Xu Yan. The focus on Xu seems driven largely by his civics lesson approach to campaign preparation.

In early July, Xu began weekly posting of videos [zh] online in which he discusses in detail issues that he plans to address, if elected, as well as educating on topics such as division of powers in the current system and the particular responsibilities which come with the role of district-level People's Congress representative. As with most other independent candidates around China, Xu's been busy on Weibo, organizing volunteers, constituent meet-ups and answering questions.

One recent exchange Xu had on Weibo suggests that [zh] one of his immediate challenges will be in overcoming skepticism:

//@everyoneisfree1:如果徐彦真的得到了浙江省人大的支持，我建议大家人肉一下徐彦和政府部门的关系，99.99%的可能性是里面有猫腻。

If Xu Yan really ends up winning support from the Zhejiang Provincial People's Congress, I suggest that we run the human flesh search engine on him to find out if he has connections with any government department. I bet there's a 99.99% chance that something fishy is going on here.

哈哈，我跟政府当然有关系1、政府应是民众选举；2、财政是纳税人提供。另，人大不是政府，参选也不用得到人大的支持，是要得到选民支持。

Xu: Of course I have a connection with the government: 1) The government is supposed to be elected by the people; 2) Government finances are provided by taxpayers. What's more, the People's Congress is not the government, and one doesn't need support from the People's Congress to stand for a seat on it. What you need is the voters' support.

//@everyoneisfree1:回复@人代参选人徐彦: 全国的独立候选人都遭到了打击，唯独你得到了人大的支持，这一点，你不要说什么官话套话，瞎子都能看见

Now you see a crackdown on all independent candidates across the country, but you're the only who's received support from the People's Congress. Save your slogans and officialese in addressing this point, anyone with eyes can see what's going on.

回复@everyoneisfree1:我是有后台，如果我做得好，选民就是我的后台。另外，选举不是看人大机构支持，而是选民支持。当然，欢迎你的质疑，也欢迎你调查。

Xu: As for my background support, I will have some, that being those who vote for me. Further, elections don't depend on support from People's Congress bodies. Of course, I welcome your doubts and encourage you to investigate.

Then on July 14, Xu came on Weibo with an update on his plans for an offline meet-and-greet with local voters:

【调整第一阶段选民集中拜访的安排】原计划7月16日起开始进行的选民集中拜访安排，调整为电话、邮件、微博私信等方式约定拜访时间、拜访方式后进行“一对一”拜访。详见下图，

The first meet and greet with voters has been rescheduled. The gathering originally scheduled for July 16 for me to meet with voters has been changed. It will now take place through phone calls, e-mails and private direct messages on Sina Weibo at the original time. Step two after this will be one-on-one meetings.

Xiamen-based independent candidate Yao Jincheng also had the idea to start meeting with local constituents and has said he will take his campaign to people's doors. Today, he merged a Q&A outside a coffee shop with an apparently aimless donation drive [zh] he organized on Weibo to collect local residents' old and used clothing. Yao received a fair amount of clothing donations for his unspecified purpose, and the event went off without a hitch.

In Shanghai, businessman Xia Shang has not been so lucky. Xia wrote on Weibo that he was visited on July 12 by China's Ministry of State Security, and announced the following day that he was notified that two companies he runs, one in interior design services and the other selling Pu'er tea, have been randomly selected for a tax audit. Xia says his companies had no problem passing China's annual tax inspection, which concluded last month.

Also in the election prevention news, Li Chengpeng, mentioned above, has had Internet service to his home cut off since July 3, and continues to complain on Weibo that numerous daily calls to his service provider have had no effect. Reportedly, one netizen had their Taobao store shut down and was investigated by police after printing and selling this t-shirt with the independent election campaign's unofficial ‘One person, One vote, Changing China' slogan:

In Jiangsu province, post-80s independent candidate He Peng has also been questioned by police—not due to his candidacy, he says, but for blog posts regarding local politics. He is among those considered by some to to more entertainment than serious would-be legislators. He's been more active on Weibo, promoting himself and trading one-liners with followers, than he has been in formulating a vision for his campaign. But He is also one of the few announced candidates to have made their own adverts. When challenged, he has brought forth his strong views on the current political system and democracy in general. One recent exchange touched on the fear which many share—not that the current regime will collapse, but one which still stretches back to the Cultural Revolution—that with any change to the current system comes the possibility that extremists will take over the country again:

田哞的微博 “体制、民主”是人民的政权，是人民的。谁要来反？坚决人肉他！(7月12日 17:28)

棍客回复@田哞的微博:那倒不必。告诫我的人也许是出于好意。可他们也许忽略了“宪政民主”正是解决一切民生问题的根本。或者只将参选一事单纯理解为草根进入体制而可为平民发出呼声。实际上参选的最大意义在于告知大家，我们可以通过珍惜自己手中的一票，来逐步达成某种权利上的平衡。西瓜与芝麻的道理。(7月12日 21:41)

“A democratic system is a people's regime, it belongs to the people. Whoever disagrees will be ‘human fleshed' immediately!”

He: Well, there's no need for that. The people who warn me about the dangers involved probably mean well. But they may also have overlooked the fact that “constitutional democracy” is at the center of resolving people's livelihood issues. Either that or their understanding of the civic participation in elections trend is simply that the grassroots are gaining a voice for the common person by becoming part of the system. In fact, the greatest significance in taking part in the elections is that it tells people that by valuing the votes which we hold in our hands, we can gradually bring some balance to certain interests. It's likethe sesame seed vs. the watermelon.

He, however, seems OK with the idea of a change in the political system. From another exchange:

作为一个基层人代参选人谈“体制、民主”是对本身定位不清，你应该做的是调研并解决选区民众关心的问题。

——在我看来这完全是舍本逐末。当下中国没有什么比“体制、民主”问题更严重的伤害我选区人民的利益。另任何人也都有资格和必要谈论“体制、民主”问题，无论他是否参选人代。

“As a grassroots candidate in a people's congress elections, talking about the current system and democracy reflects the lack of a clear understanding of your own status. What you should instead be doing is looking into and resolving the issues that those in your constituent district worry about.”

He: To me, this would mean completely ignoring the purpose of being elected and focusing on the trivial. In today's China, there isn't a single bigger threat to the interests of my district's voters than problems with the system and democracy. Everyone has both the qualification and the obligation to talk about the system and democracy, regardless of whether or not they're seeking to be elected as a representative.

Commenting on He's campaign ad(left), one reader makes the perennial claim that people just aren't civilized enough to handle things like freedom, human rights or democracy without sending the country down the toilet. He replies:

回复@清风入帘:有时候，乱也未必是一件坏事。如台湾的乱，为了选票或观点政客打架公民看戏、即使总统贪腐也得关进监狱等，大约在很多大陆人眼里已经“乱”得不成“体统”了，但其公民社会保障体系是大陆任何城市都无法相比的。

可大多数人并不会有这样的见识。所以就需要不停的重复常识，告诉那些笑话台湾议会打架的人：打架是伤害不到普通公民的，相反可能为他们带来好处，因为打架者只有更多考虑公民权益才被认可。而举手和睡觉却绝达不到这样的效果。政客的面子跟我们无关，政客的政绩我们却得验收。

In some cases, disorder isn't necessarily a bad thing. If you look at how it gets in Taiwan, politicians fight over votes or different views and the public watches the show, but then even their President can go to prison over corruption. In the eyes of many Mainlanders, things there are out of control; however, there isn't a city on the Mainland which can compare to Taiwan's civil society or welfare system.

And down in Guangdong province, where declared candidates include high school and university students and lawyers, Shenzhen-based lawyer Li Zhiyong's (left) approach has been to merge canvassing with his lawyer work. Last weekend, at an outdoor legal advice clinic, Lifound himself in trouble after using the venue to discuss his politics:

在为社区居民提供法律咨询的时候，宣传了选举法律知识，告知居民我准备参选区人大代表。社区工作站领导说不可以告诉居民自己参选的事。不再为我服务居民提供方便。OK.以专业服务居民，还是我的宗旨。我将继续通过各种方式为居民提供公益法律服务。

While giving legal advice to neighborhood residents, I took the opportunity to share legal knowledge regarding taking part in a people's congress election, as well as to tell people that I'm preparing to stand in the district people's congress election. The director of the social work station said I'm not allowed to tell residents about my own candidacy. I'm also no longer welcome there to offer my services to other residents. OK then. To serve residents with professionalism, that's my operating principle. I will, however, continue to offer pro bono legal advice to residents through all other available means.

Originally Published at GlobalVoices: http://globalvoicesonline.org/2011/07/17/china-independent-candidates-busy-building-up-support/

In South Korea, Social Media Controversy Surrounds Sports Broadcaster's Death

Thu, 26 May 2011 07:59:55 -0500

Written by Lee Yoo Eun

The death by suicide on May 23, 2011, of national television channel MBC sports announcer Song Ji-seon in South Korea, has sparked considerable controversy regarding social media in the country.

South Korea has one of the highest suicide rates in the world, but this latest case has opened a new debate on the public health issue.

Social media involvement?

Song came to public attention after the accidental disclosure of her relationship with Korean baseball player Lim Tae-hoon via a journal-style post on her Cyworld [ko] account (Korean version of Facebook), which led to his subsequent denial of the attachment.

The original post was removed, but the screen capture image of the post can be found online, and despite hacking allegations, is believed to have been written by Song herself.

The troubled presenter is thought to have faced criticism [ko] from malicious online comments regarding the relationship, and faced possible suspension or sacking from work over the issue. She sparked concern [ko] amongst her Twitter followers regarding her state of mind, with a number of worrying tweets up until her death.

Image of Lim Tae-hoon.com's main page. Image captured by author.

A special website LimTae-hoon.com [ko] has been set up, on the one hand revealing alleged salacious aspects of Song's relationship with Lim and on the other paying condolences to the deceased. The site's several pages temporarily halted yesterday due to high web traffic.

Lim has faced online abuse, with several portal sites blocking the comments sections of news articles reporting on the case.

Mainstream media response

Major South Korean sports newspaper, Sport Seoul, has implied [ko] that social media played a role in Song's death, quoting a government official as saying that lies and speculative articles are shared and rapidly spread via social media.

Net users have strongly criticized the comment as irresponsible and devious. Suicide is known to be a complex issue often with multiple causes.

Certain ways of presenting and portraying suicide in the media appear to precipitate suicidal behaviour in vulnerable people, and most news organisations follow guidelines on reporting responsibly.

Twitter user @rselove83 tweeted [ko]:

송지선 아나운서의 죽음을 SNS 탓으로 돌리는 무책임한 언론기사네요 http://bit.ly/mxMi3z 악성댓글이 달리도록 자극적인기사를 쓰고 또 그 악성댓글로 다시 기사화한 것 너네 언론들이 아니었는지.[…]

Those irresponsible news articles are blaming social media for Song Ji-Seon's death. It is none other than you journalists who started all this by writing sensational news articles which have introduced malicious comments. Then, you guys are writing articles about those comments.[…]

A sports fan, Min-tong (@MintAcademy) tweeted [ko]:

“SNS가 그녀를 벼랑으로 몰았나” 송지선 아나운서 자살이 꼭 SNS 때문인것 처럼 말하는 기사들 뭐니… SNS는 도구일 뿐이고 그걸 쓰는 사람들이 문제인거잖아. 이걸 빌미로 SNS 규제 할려고 그러니?

There are articles such as “Has social media pushed her over the edge”. They are blaming social media for her suicide. Social media is a mere tool. Not the social media itself, but people using it (wrong way) is the source of the problem. Mainstream media want to use this case as an excuse for censoring social media, aren't they?

A female sports broadcaster and a colleague of Song's has commented [ko] that the South Korean sports world is still a hostile place for women.

If you need any support or advice regarding this issue, the International Association for Suicide Prevention has a comprehensive list of crisis centers around the world.

Click here for a guide on the responsible reporting of suicide.

Originally Published at Global Voices: http://globalvoicesonline.org/2011/05/25/south-korea-social-media-controversy-surrounds-sports-broadcasters-death/

In the Caribbean, Reflections on the Rapture

Mon, 23 May 2011 15:17:54 -0500

Written by Janine Mendes-Franco, Global Voices

So the world was supposed to end this past Saturday - at least according to some religious sects. Caribbean bloggers write about how one man's delusion had an impact on the region and put a humourous spin on surviving the end of the world.

Jamaican blogger Stunner's Afflictions was…shall we say…stunned to discover that:

The May 21 believers are so convinced of this that they have embarked on a massive campaign, which has resulted in many large billboards being placed all over the US and even here in Jamaica! There are also floods of Google ads and other forms of electronic media being used to propagate this baseless prediction.

He goes on to point out the irony of the fact that:

Camping and his followers, however, despite claiming to be followers of God has completely disregarded the very word of God himself, which states that only God knows the exact time when He will brig fourth his judgement on those who fail to serve him. The Bible states in several books that only God himself can say when this great day will be.

Meanwhile, Jamaican diaspora blogger Grasshopper Eyes The Potomac concedes that:

It has been a world that has had its share of events fitting for the last days…

Jones cites “the allegations laid against the now former-Managing Director (MD) of the International Monetary Fund” and the case of “a wealthy, white, Jewish Frenchman, highly regarded in the world of finance, and a potential French presidential candidate having close encounters with an (I assume) not very well-off, black, Muslim, woman hailing from one of France’s former colonies, and with no known political aspirations” to underscore his point, adding:

Of course, should the world remain as we know it, then we will all have more time and actions with which to reckon. Those who do not want to face tomorrow will not be very happy.

Guyana-Gyal, in an entertaining post, answers the all-important question, “Wha' you drinkin' today when the world gon end?”, then considers her brother's explanation for the whole affair (”the man does do this to scare people so they gon sell out their property cheap-cheap and he gon buy it up”), concluding:

That would never work in Guyana. Things does get tough like drought and them-these people does hold out for high-high price!

Blogging from Trinidad and Tobago, Outlish's Afiya Ray goes to great lengths not to “pour criticism on anyone's personal beliefs”. In contrast, diaspora blogger Trini Like Salt thinks the whole idea is preposterous and doesn't hesitate to poke fun at the concept, first re-blogging this post-Rapture to-do list “for sheer brilliance”, then posting his own “notes” on the subject:

I’m nekkid AND I can fly! Rapturing is awesome!

I can see Sarah Palin’s house from here!

Rapturin’ gives me gas, man. Or maybe it was that pizza. That sinful, sinful pizza.

Fab Five Freddy tells me everybody’s high, DJ’s spinnin are savin’ my mind…oh wait, wrong Rapture.

Did I mention I was flying naked?

Wheeeeeeeeeeeee!

Across much of the region, life went on as usual, as Throwing Down the Water proved in this post:

The end of the world looks like sunshine. It sounds like Latin drums on the radio and a baby chasing a rooster next door. It smells like onions frying in the kitchen. It feels like a clean breeze coming through the windows and shoulder-solid hugs from good friends. It tastes like just pressed papaya juice, cool on my throat, kind to our thirst.

The last day failed to materialize as per Camping's prediction, but Stunner gets the last word:

Camping and his following have proven what they are since it is already May 21, 2011 in half of the earth and nothing has happened thus far. But Camping is not the first who thinks he can beat God's word with his own prophesy and he shall certainly not be the last. The Bible has warned against people like him and they have manifested themselves, misleading many.

Originally published at Global Voices: http://globalvoicesonline.org/2011/05/23/caribbean-reflections-on-the-rapture/

In Korea, is North Korea Behind Every Unsolved Cyber Attack?

Sun, 22 May 2011 08:43:41 -0500

Written by Lee Yoo Eun

A slew of reports on North Korea's cyber attack capability recently came out in South Korea, and even on Fox News this week. In the first week of May, one South Korean bank was shut down for several days due to a cyber assault and the South Korean government concluded that North Korea was behind the attack. But South Korean citizens, IT experts and even mainstream media outlets have doubted the government's version of the story and stressed that it lacks evidence. Some net users went a little further, suggesting that the authorities' real intention is to exaggerate North Korea's cyber warfare power. South Korean Tweeters have made sarcastic jokes about the government's poor analysis and its knee-jerk reaction of blaming North Korea for every unsolved case.

The cynical jokes trending widely in the South Korean Twittersphere comprise two parts: you list all the problems and then, no matter what the problem is, you blame North Korea. On South Korea's biggest public forum, Daum Agora's net user ID: KsG, mocking this situation, wrote [ko] as if he had the North Korea paranoia.

[…]우리 아버지 어제 감기 걸리셨는데, 북한 놈들이 감기 바이러스 퍼트려서 걸리셨다. 우리 어머니 어제 오래 주무셨는데, 북한 놈들이 수돗물에 수면제를 탄 게 틀림없다. 어제 우리집 TV 잠깐 안 나왔는데 북한 놈들이 방해 전파 보낸게 틀림 없다. 다 진짜 모조리다 북한 탓이다.

[…] My dad caught cold yesterday - because North Korean thugs have spread a cold virus. My mom slept quite a long time yesterday - those North Korean thugs must have injected sleeping pills into our drinking water. My television went out for moments yesterday - North Korean thugs must have jammed the signal. Everything is the North Korean's fault.

Jo Hyo-jin (@JJOHYO), a student who is studying another year to enter university, tweeted [ko]:

은행 마비도 북한 탓 ,단수도 북한 탓, 군사정변도 북한 탓, 내 배방귀도 북한 탓, 나 배고픈것도 북한 탓, 내가 재수하는 것도 북한탓…

The bank shutdown was North Korea's fault. The water shut-off was also the North's fault. The chaos caused during the military regime was also the North's fault. My gassy belly and its grumbling sound are also the North's fault. Me feeling hungry and me studying one more year for university are the North's fault.

Jung Hae-seung (@haesjung), a office worker tweeted [ko]:

와우~ 커피 금단증상이 좀 있네요. 이게 다 북한 탓…

Woo. Caffeine withdrawal has started kicking in. This is all North Korea's fault.

Another Twitter user, J. Kim(@jkim0124) tweeted [ko]:

2월쯤부터 해서 한 10키로쯤 빼려고 했는데, 5주만에 5키로를 빼고, 그 후로 그냥 유지만 되고 있습니다. 이게 다 북한 탓입니다.

Starting this February, I planned to lose about 10 kilograms (22lbs). But I have only lost 5 kilograms in five weeks and have just been maintaining my weight ever since. This is all North Korea's fault.

To other's complaints about their relationships, Si-Gyeong (@Samituy) tweeted [ko]:

북한탓이야 이건 RT @caissis: 이사실들은 외계인의음모일꺼야ㅠㅠ RT @choitopholic 나는왜남친이안생길까ㅜRT”@caissis: 저는왜여친이안생길까요ㅠㅠ

This is North Korea's fault. @caissis: Why am I not able to get a girl friend? @choitopholic Why am I not able to get a boy friend? @caissis: This is the alien's conspiracy.

A software developer, Kim Yoon-bong (@y8k) tweeted [ko]:

트윗 상태 안좋은 것도 북한 탓인가… 표식을 찾아봐야겠네

Twitter is not working fine now. It is North Korea's fault. I should start looking for a sign.

Game programmer Kim Hyung-gyu (@cloudree) tweetd [ko]:

농협 해킹 북한 탓만 할뿐, 하도급 개선이나 IT 처우개선, 보안 강화 같은 정부 시책은 없다[…]

Rather than taking real measures such as improving the subcontracting system, providing better treatment for IT workers and strengthening security, the only action the government took is to blame North Korea for hacking the Nonghyup. […]

Fox News reported on May 17 that the North Korean military has about 30,000 electronic warfare specialists with capabilities rivaling those of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, quoting defectors and exports. The latest cyber attack on April 12 had hobbled the banking system of the Nonghyup (Its rarely-used full name is National Agricultural Cooperative Federation) for several weeks. This prompted a nationwide investigation. On May 2, the South Korea Prosecutor’s Office concluded that North Korea is to blame for the cyber attack. North Korea is strongly suspected of carrying out the 2009 and 2008 Denial-of-Service (DDos) attacks.

Image of Nonghyup Bank, Image by Author

The Prosecutors’ Office reported in a press briefing on May 2 that hackers turned an IBM employee’s laptop into a “zombie PC” last September and have been controlling it since with full access to the Nonghyup Internet banking service. (Nonghyup outsourced Internet security to IBM). To support their theory, they pointed out the similarities between this Nonghyup case with the previous attacks, which are believed to have been carried out by North Korea; how mal codes were distributed and the Internet Protocol (IP) of a server used to control the zombie PC were identical.

About a week later, on May 11, North Korea denounced the South Korean Prosecutor's Office's claim as a “fabrication like the Cheonan incident“.

Not because they agreed with North Korean's version of the story, but because of a series of inexplicable questions, South Koreans citizens have raised suspicions of the authorities’ explanation. The programmers and web developers pointed out that the IP addresses could be manipulated easily and that the malicious software and code planted on this case's zombie PC are commonly used among hackers and not exclusively by North Korea. They also questioned the IBM security expert who went on using his infected laptop for several months without noticing the difference.

South Korea’s progressive news outlet, Presssian consolidated [ko] several major media’s responses. According to the report, the DongA, one major conservative media organisation who usually sides with the government, pointed out the ineffectiveness of the IP address in identifying the hacker. It commented that since it is not yet 100 percent proven that the last DDos attack was carried out by North Korea, jumping to that conclusion would be making “an assumption based on an assumption”. The Hankook wrote its subtitle as “what kind of hacker uses his own IP address?” and explained that the number of IP addresses is so limited in the North that they borrow internet networks from China. The ZD Net Korea, an online-based media outlet specializing in IT, argued that the attack patterns of the last DDos attack are different from the one detected in the Nonghyup attack, which worked in a more interactive way.

The conservative side finds this trend of what they call ‘underestimating the national enemy' very disturbing. South and North Korea remain technically at war and the high chances of military provocation such as last November's YeonPyeong attack cannot be ignored. There is even a possibility of war, though the odds of an all-out war are extremely low.

Conservative Agora net user ID:이순신장군의후예 (:Descendant of General Lee Sun-shin) questioned [ko] other net users about why it is so hard to believe that North Korea, our enemy, has done it:

현대 캐피탈과는 다른 금전적 협박이 없다.(일반 해킹의 경우 그 목적이 100% 금전적인 이유이다.) 일부 아고리언의 북한 사이버전 수행능력에 대한 폄하는 다르게 북한은 이미 오래전부터 수만명의 해커 등을 조직적으로 양성하여 현재 수천명 이상의 정예 사이버 병사들을 두고 있다는 점. […] 대한민국 국민이라면 누가봐도 혐의자 1순위인 북한을 두고 굳이 이를 부정하고자 하는 의도는 과연 무엇일까?

Unlike the cyber attack on Hyundai Capital, there was no financial blackmailing involved. (The motive of an ordinary hacking is 100 percent based on financial benefits). Some Agorians (referring to Agora net users) are underestimating North Korea's cyber warfare potential, but the North, from a long time ago, have systematically nurtured tens of thousands of hackers. Nowadays, their cyber soldiers number several thousand. […] Any (reasonable) South Koreans would not remove North Korea from the (cyber terror) suspect list since they are, after all, the most likley perpetrator of this attack. Why do some people try so hard to deny this aspect?

Other net users wrote [ko] that they were offended by the North's response of comparing it with the Cheonan incident. Many net users warned that the govenrment's rush to the conclusion that the North Korea is behind every unsolved case could backfire and undermine people's awareness. A blogger whose first name is Wook compared [ko] the government's quick reaction and cursory analysis with the Shepherd boy's lies in the Aesop's fable.

[…]요즘 정부와 한나라당은 무슨 양치기 소년도 아니고, 무슨 골치아픈 사건 터지면 죄다 “북한 소행”라고 하는 듯한 느낌입니다. 분명 천안함이나 연평도 포격 사건처럼 북한의 비열한 테러 행위에 대해서는 명백하게 규탄해야 합니다. 그런데 무슨 장난하는 것도 아니고 국민을 바보취급하는 것도 아니고 걸핏하면 이런 식으로 외치면 오히려 국민들에게 내성만 줄 뿐인 것을 정말 정부는 모르는 것인지 모르겠습니다.

The current administration and the ruling Grand National Party are acting like the shepherd boy (from the Shepherd boy and the wolf story) and blaming North Korea for every baffling cold case. It is absolutely true that we must protect our nation against the North's contemptible terror attacks such as the Cheonan and Yeongpyeong attacks. But if the government overuses this card in too many cases, as if they are messing with our heads or fooling its citizens, people will develop resistance to such warnings. Are they really aware of this consequence?

Beside these worries and cynicism, there is one humorous joke which compares marriage with the Inter-Korean relations. During a talk show last week South Korean actor, Lee Sun-Gyun pointed out [ko] the three similarities between a married couple and the two Koreas. First, they are a family. In bad times, even though they want to separate themselves from each other, they cannot. Second, they cannot communicate well with each other. In talk table, each speaks their own story without listening to others. Third, they share a De-militarized zone (DMZ) where military actions are forbidden. For a couple, the DMZ would be a kid.

Originally published at Global Voices: http://globalvoicesonline.org/2011/05/22/korea-is-north-korea-behind-every-unsolved-cyber-attack/

In France: The Fall of Dominique Strauss-Kahn?

Thu, 19 May 2011 08:52:17 -0500

Written by Claire Ulrich, GlobalVoices

On Sunday 15 May, 2011, France awoke to a political earthquake: a sex scandal involving the (now former) French president of the IMF (International Monetary Fund), Dominique Strauss-Kahn, arrested for an alleged sexual assault against a chambermaid in a New York hotel.

On day three after the revelation, French bloggers are still struggling to grasp the implications of this global scandal on French politics.

From “Don Juan” to “pervert”

Front page of the French daily newspaper "Liberation".

The political fallout in France will be enormous. Dominique Strauss-Kahn, known as ‘DSK', was the only politician thought to be able to defeat the incumbent President Sarkozy in next year's presidential election. He was even ahead in recent polls.

Romain, blogging on Lyonitude [fr] is in shock:

Moi qui suis un strauss-kahnien des plus convaincus depuis des années, par beau temps et par orage, je suis effondré si les choses se confirment.

As one who has been a fervent supporter of Strauss-Kahn for years, in good and stormy weather, I will be shattered if this is confirmed.

Dorham1er is aghast [fr] at the magnitude of the scandal striking France:

L'affaire Bill Clinton, à coté de tout ce foutoir, c'est le chapitre guimauve d'un mauvais roman de la bibliothèque rose. Il faut sans doute remonter plus loin pour trouver trace d'une affaire aussi grave […] au tout début des années 80 et à la candidature d'Edward Kennedy à l'investiture démocrate

The Bill Clinton scandal, compared to this mess, is a cheesy chapter in a cheap novel for kids. One must probably go long way back to find such a damaging scandal […] to the early 1980s and Edward Kennedy's candidature to the Democrat ticket.

A few DSK supporters in denial are still sporting “Yes We Khan” banners [fr] and T-shirts on their blogs. One commenter quips:

Yes, we kahn forget (the election)

Focus on media coverage

On day one of the scandal, Sunday, cartoonist Dadou caught the general opinion on the charges facing Strauss Kahn with this sketch: that it could not be true.

The arrest of DSK was written off as harsh local United States laws and as a smear campaign. On Monday, a poll showed that 57% were still convinced DSK was innocent [fr]. Agnès, on Le Monolecte, commented wryly [fr]:

Après le too big to fail, voici le too powerfull [sic] to rape.

After Too big to fail, here comes too powerful to rape.

On day three of the scandal, in full media frenzy (with 19 million entries related to DSK on Google France), reality is slowy sinking in - that it could be true.

The testimony of Tristane Banon, a young writer who told in 2007 [fr] how she had been sexually assaulted by Strauss-Kahn in 2001, is now world famous, and she gave another interview [fr] on 18 May, 2011, to citizen media outlet Agora Vox to confirm it. Testimonies are now surfacing daily in France about DSK's alleged passes [fr].

Top French blog Partageons mon avis coins the obvious question [fr] in the post ‘Je le savais' (I knew it):

Ladies and Gentlemen of the press, if you knew that [about] DSK… Why did you boost his polls and market him as the providential man?

The pressure is now on French journalists who “knew” about DSK's attitude towards women but kept quiet, save for one journalist, Jean Quatremer, a veteran French European affairs journalist and blogger, who had written on his blog [fr] as early as 2007:

Le seul vrai problème de Strauss-Kahn est son rapport aux femmes. Trop pressant, il frôle souvent le harcèlement. Un travers connu des médias, mais dont personne ne parle (on est en France)

The single serious problem with Strauss-Kahn is his attitude with women. Too ‘heavy', he’s a border-line harasser. A problem well known to the media, but nobody mentions it (we are in France).

Sebastien Rochat pleads not guilty for DSK on the website Arret sur Images, invoking a stringent French law, article 9 of the Civil Code [fr], on the protection of private life:

Comment rester élégant et ne pas être attaqué en justice, tout en évoquant des sujets graveleux qui relèvent de la vie privée ? C'est le dilemme des journalistes dès qu'il s'agit de parler de la vie sexuelle des politiques.

How can you remain elegant and avoid being sued, while evoking lewd topics protected by [French laws on] private life? It's the journalists' dilemma whenever a politician's sex life is concerned.

Kerbraz [fr] slams back in a comment:

This debate has got nothing to do with today's topic. What we are talking about today is a rape, it is a crime…

Rue89 information site co-founder, Pierre Haski, has opened an online debate with a frank post, ‘Why journalists didn't talk about Strauss-Kahn's private life‘ [fr], admitting he should have broken this law more than once:

Je savais que Roland Dumas, alors qu'il était ministre des Affaires étrangères, était l'amant de Nahed Ojjeh, la fille du ministre syrien de la défense Mustafa Tlass. Fallait-il l'écrire ? Je ne l'ai pas fait, en rangeant cette information dans le domaine de la vie privée, alors que, s'agissant du chef de la diplomatie, je ne pense pas que c'était anodin. J'ai sans doute eu tort.

I knew that Roland Dumas, then French Minister of Foreign Affairs, had an affair with Nahed Ojjeh, daughter of the Syrian Minister of Defence Mustafa Tlass. Should it have been exposed? I did not, classifying this information under private life, even though it involved the top level of the Foreign Office and was no menial thing. I was probably wrong.

karlsquell [fr] does not buy it:

Et pourquoi se taire ? Pour pas perdre les interviews, parce que DSK pouvait accéder à la plus haute marche, par peur, par connivence, par lâcheté, par prudence.

Why keep silent? Not to lose interviews, because DSK could have climbed to the highest step, because of fear, connivence, cautiousness.

A side debate raging about the French press involve the pictures showing a manacled DSK coming out of the police station in New York. The law in France forbids the press to publish pictures of manacled suspects until they are proven guilty, but they were nevertheless published.

Comments on a thread on newspaper Le Monde's website [fr] show a divided opinion on this law:

Henriette: Et dire que Sarkozy veut introduire le système américain. Cela donne des frissons dans le dos.

Henriette: And to think that Sarkozy wants to introduce the American system. This sends shivers down your spine.

Irca: Les Français, qui ont guillotiné Louis XVI en public et en sont fiers, ont été choqués par la vue du roi des sondages menotté.

Irca: The French who beheaded king Louis XVIII in public, and are proud of it, are shocked by the sight of the ‘king of the polls' in manacles.

Originally Published at Global Voices: http://globalvoicesonline.org/2011/05/19/france-the-fall-of-dominique-strauss-kahn/