Stray Bullets - Silence In South Africa And Hunger Strikes In Algeria

South African Journalists Could Be Silenced:
The South African National Congress is proposing new laws that would make it illegal for journalists to publish information which the government deems ‘classified’. According to journalists, the new legislation could lead to offending-journalists being imprisoned for 25 years [1].

Jacob Zuma [2], President of South Africa, said:

“The media that say this is a restriction on us, we are the watchdog of the people - they were never elected. They need to be governed themselves because at times they go overboard on the rights.”

Earlier this month (6 August 2010), Mzilikazi wa Afrika, editor of the South African Sunday Times, was arrested [3] and quickly released for allegedly possessing a fraudulent letter of resignation by a South African politician. The South African Institute of Race Relations said the arrest was merely an effort by the police to intimidate journalists. Mary Papayya, the deputy chairperson for the South African National Editor’s Forum [4], said:

”We are totally opposed to any form of state controlled or state regulation of the media…we think this flies in the face of media freedom, and that it is unconstitutional and it has no place in our democracy.”

Unemployed Youth In Algeria Hunger-Strike For Jobs:

Eight unemployed young people in Algeria have ended a week-long hunger strike [5] in protest at a lack of jobs in their home town. The protest [6] on 10 August 2010 in the region of Hassi R’mel was aimed at what is perceived as political favouritism - with jobs going to selected workers elsewhere in the country. Youcef Boumidouna, one of the activists, said:

“It has come to this because of the false promises of the local authorities. The council told us they couldn’t do anything for us. Our elected representatives never stop telling us that their power is limited.”

Officially 10.2% of the Algerian population is unemployed, and 73.4% of the unemployed are under the age of 30. The strike comes a week (4 August 2010) after 10 unemployed young people tried to commit collective suicide in protest at unemployment, under the slogan of ‘Work or Death’. Ghribi Omar, a protester who was part of the suicide pact, said:

“Suicide has become the only way in which I can express myself. I’ve joined this protest movement and I won’t keep quiet any longer…my children will soon be starting school. They deserve a better life.”

Find out more: Reuters looks at how Al Qaeda recruiters are targeting Algeria's jobless [7].

Tibetan Businessman Sentenced to Life for Helping Exiles:

Dorje Tashi [8], one of Tibet’s richest businessmen, has been sentenced to life in prison [9] for helping exile groups, a human rights group has announced (August 12 2010). Formal charges are yet to be disclosed [10], but the move has come as a shock to many Tibetans.

Tashi, the operator of Yak Hotel, the most famous hotel in the city of Lhasa, met Chinese President Hu Jintao in 2005, two years after joining the ruling Communist Party. Tashi’s company was praised by the Chinese authorities for offering support to security forces after rioting in Lhasa.

However, Tibetan sources told The Times that there were rumours that Tashi had donated some of his wealth to monasteries or even the Dalai Lama - a move that would be strongly condemned by the Chinese government.

Words: Richard Lemmer
Photos: Top - Flickr user umusoto
Second - Flickr user niko.chan