The Amazonian woods threatened by the soy culture

Brazilian production of soy has doubled in 4 years, and Brazil became quickly the 2nd world exporter, after US. This culture seems to be providential for the country: commercial benefits for the farm sector arise to 34 billions of dollars. This money is compulsory for the country’s financial credibility, which faces an important debt.
However, the soy culture leads to different negative consequences. The big industrials buy at a very low price fields of small farmers, who have no other choice than going in the poor suburbs. Traditional production lets place to huge soy fields, which replace the woods and accelerate deforestation. In 2004, the forest lost a surface equivalent to Switzerland. Soy culture facilitates the development of other activities harmful for the woods, particularly the construction of roads, necessary for the seeds’ transport. The biggest one crosses the equatorial forest on 130km. Those roads open the way for wood exploiters, breeders, which participate as well to the woods' destruction. Totally, the equatorial forest has already lost a surface equivalent to France and Portugal together.
Harmony brought by the Amazonian woods in South America begins to be broken, some drinkable water rupture in the big cities are appearing. This does not disturb the frenzy for the soy culture, which did not procure any benefits for the population. Indeed, the soy culture profits only to a minority. More than 65% of Brazilians suffer from malnutrition at diverse degrees, while all efforts are turned to this culture, which will feed European cattle. Moreover, this “manna” is just temporary, because soy uses up the earth. Fields are rich thanks to the forest recycling, but when trees are cut down, the ground die. In few years, business men will let Brazil for other better fields.
Marina Silva who comes from Amazonian region, was named Minister of Environment. She seems decided to take measures to fight against deforestation. An Amerindian proverbs says: “When the last tree will be cut down, the last river contaminated, the last fish captured, then you will discover you cannot eat money”.

Zimbabwe: a country with sad records

Former South Rhodesia, Zimbabwe became officially independent from UK the 18th April 1980. From this day, Robert Gabriel Mugabe detains the power. This country from the south of Africa is well known for its spectacular Victoria Falls, which make the border with Zambia. Since few years, Zimbabwe digs in a tragic economical and alimentary crisis. Relationship with Occident became tense, and NGOs denounce multiple human rights violations committed by Mugabe’s regime. The farming reform took on by the government was a disaster: rich white farmers’ expropriation lead to a production fall, majority of fields is not cultivated now. Surnamed the “corn garner” of Africa, the country is now a World Food Program client. In May 2005, the government destroyed a lot of residential quarters. Now, more than 700 000 people are without house. The unemployed rate is more than 70%. The country is also strongly touched by the HIV, about 35% of Zimbabwean are concerned. The life expectancy, 37.3 years, has decreased from 20 years in less than a decade. Popular for his fight against racial segregations, Mugabe must now repress the opponent, to keep the power. The next presidential elections in 2008 will be crucial for the country’s future.

The Aral Sea drying out: an ecological and human disaster

The sea in 1973 and in 2004

Fourth bigger sea in the world 40 years ago, the Aral Sea has lost today more than the half of its surface and three quarters of its volume. It is the result of the farming policy conducted during the soviet time, with the intensive cotton production in the desert Aral region. To do so, barrages have been built up on the Amou-Daria and Syr-Daria, the two rivers arriving in the sea, to irrigate. Receiving almost no water then, the Aral Sea coasts have stand back more than 120 km in some places, letting the ports dry, and leading the fishers to ruin. In 1989, the sea divided in two parts: “the small sea” in the north and “the big sea” in the south.
Consequences are multiple. Diminution of evaporation rendered the climate dryer, and precipitations are rarer. Minerals contained in the water have increased (x4), leading to animals and plants disappearance. The dry sea bed let place to huge salted areas, and the wind takes away the salted dust on hundreds of miles. Kazakhstan decided to react and built up a barrage, financed in part by the World Bank. This barrage, finished in 2005, permitted to the “small sea” to see its level growing up, and to extend on some kilometres, arriving next to the former ports. Fishes come back in the sea, and miraculous fishing attract a lot of fishers. However, the “big sea” could not be saved, and could disappear in 25 years, leading to a new desert. Moreover, no tests have been done on fishes since the 90’s. The region was used for nuclear tries, and biological and chemical experimentations during the soviet time. Water is also contaminated by pesticides used for the cotton production. In hospitals, children birth with abnormalities and the children death rate is one of the higher in the world. Animals taken in the Aral Sea are harmful, but give work and money to people. So silence is kept.
The Aral Sea region is sometimes considered as ecologically dead. But if the sea seems impossible to save now, emergency for governments is to get agree on a rational use of water, so as to permit to the 50 millions of inhabitants to live correctly.

Turkmenistan: a dictatorship in the desert

Turkmenistan is a barren country from central Asia as big as France, with 4,3 millions of inhabitants. The longest irrigation canal represents a line of life from east to west along which the main part of the population is concentrated. The population is mainly rural and is divided in seven tribes. The Turkmen people are above all loyal to their clan, which does not prevent them from having a strong national identity.
Turkmenistan is a former soviet republic, which has gone through the communist era without major problems. The declaration of independence from the 27th of October 1991 has not provoked any revolution. The president of the Turkmen Supreme Soviet since 1990, Saparmourad Nyazov, was elected president of the republic in October 1991, then again in June 1992, in elections without opponents, in which he got 98% of the suffrages.
Nyazov establishes a personality cult and makes himself called “Turkmenbachy”, which means Turkmen leader. This nickname is systematically given to the big avenues of the cities, and even to a port on the Caspian Sea. His golden statue (see above), in the center of the capital Achkhabad is the symbol of this personal power. The Turkmen parliament gave him in 1999 the presidency for life. During the legislative elections, almost all the candidates are issued from the president’s party. Since 1991, Nyazov has strengthened his power over the Turkmen public life. The media are censored and the opposition party, Agzybirlik has disappeared following the arrest of all of its leaders in 1992.
The president has largely reduced the credits for the health department, leading to the closing of numerous hospitals, and to the appearance of diseases such as tuberculosis, cholera or dysentery. Saparmourad Nyazov died the 21st of December 2006 without having held his promise to permit to each Turkmen family to own a brand new Mercedes.
His successor has not engaged his country on the way of liberalisation. Indeed, Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedow was elected the 11th of February 2007, while his main opponent has been prevented from being candidate. The winner had prepared his investiture ceremony before the poll, and no independent journalist has been accorded a visa to cover these elections.
On the international level, Turkmenistan is neutral and is concentrated on finding buyers for its natural gas. An agreement with the Gazprom company has been announced in February 2000, by which the Russian giant agrees to evacuate the Turkmen gas at good prices. This transaction is the only element interesting the United States and Europe concerning Turkmenistan. However, only an accurate attention from the international community could constrain the Ashkhabad power to evolve towards democracy and respect of the Human Rights.

The tribe with the golden spiral

In some tropical forests, far away, a people is surviving in rebellion against the Burmese central state: the karenni. They must not be confused with their close neighbours: the karen, who are also fighting against the military junta in power since the coup of the 2nd of March 1962. The karenni’s history is a long fight for freedom. Indeed, settled along the Salween river for ages, the karenni fight for their independence since the arrival of the Burmese in the IXth century. The British colonisation in the XIXth century has confirmed this particularity with the signature of an Anglo-Burmese treaty the 21st of June 1875 which recognised the sovereignty of the Karenni state within Myanmar. This territory will finally be ruled by the Empire of the British Indies until it collapsed after the Japanese invasion in 1942. Thousands of Karenni decide to fight the invader from the raising sun, although the Burmese government supports the Axis’ forces. The Karenni find back a factual independence after the Japanese defeat. At the same time, the Panglong conference of the 12th of February 1947 establishes the creation of a new federal state called Burmese Union. The Karenni refuse sign in, although other ethnos accept to join in at the condition that they get a secession right. The independence of the Burmese Union is officially announced the 4th of July 1948 and the Karenni state finds itself, against its will, integrated in the boarders of this new federal state. The army of the central state invades the Karenni country, whom president U Be Tu Reh is executed the 8th of September 1948. This date marks the beginning of the guerrilla of the Karenni people.
The “Karenni National Progressive Party” leads the resistance with a government and a national army against the central power. The Karenni are part of the “National Democratic United Front” which regroups different movement in rebellion in Burma. Two Thirds of the Myanmar territory and half of its population are in rebellion. The military junta has just inaugurated Naypyidaw the last 27th of March as the new capital of Myanmar, because this city, located in the jungle is less likely to be the target of a coup. Contrary to the communist rebels the Karenni refuse to fund their fight with the money of the opium trafficking in the Golden Triangle (Burmese region). The means that they own come from a tax of 10% over the smugglers, who carry their merchandises in their territory. The 300000 Karenni are living in very difficult conditions, their villages being frequently bombed by the Burmese air force. Despite that, the Karenni keep fighting for their freedom for almost 60 years with a very strong determination.

The Karenni have the last “giraffe women” in the world, whose neck can attain 30 cm. This spiral in brass, weighting 4 or 5 kilos, is supposed to protect the soul of the tribe, it cannot be removed without causing the death of its holder.

Oman : an unknown country

Oman is a Middle East sultanate, located in the south-east of the Arabic peninsula. The current sultan Qabous forced to exile his despotic father in 1970, and underwent since then the improvement of the economical situation of his country, while maintaining the peace with the neighbour states of the Gulf. On the political level the absolute monarch has proceeded to institutional evolutions aiming at introducing democracy in the regime. In 1996, the sultan has promulgated a bill clarifying the rules of succession, establishing a bicameral parliament with some legislative powers and guarantying basic civil freedoms to the Omanese people. The establishment of the direct universal suffrage lead to the election in 2003 of 83 representatives of the low chamber (of which 2 women), with a turnout of 74% of the electors. At the same time the sultan appointed a governmental cabinet, to which several women belong. On a diplomatic level, Oman exerts an original influence in the Arabic world. Indeed, the sultanate has had an important role in the peace process in the Middle-East in defending the normalisation of the relations with Israel. Opposed to the intervention in Irak, the Omanese authorities subscribe plainly the fight against terrorism. This country appears also free from Islamic branches, on a fianancial and human point, according to the French foreign affairs Ministry. The main religion of the sultanate is the Ibâdism, which constitute a moderate and tolerant branch of Islam. The official language is Arabic but some minorities, mainly from India, speak their own language. Oil representing 82% of the budget resources, Omanese authorities wish to develop other sectors like the port activities or tourism. The country has got real advantages in this domain with great and various landscapes, and a welcoming population. Oman benefits from a rare stability in the region, despite the troubles in the Yemen neighbour. It remains to wish it to spread over Middle-East, which needs it hardly.

Oman in brief:
-Population: 2,9 millions of inhabitants (52% is less than 15 years old)
-Literacy rate: 74%
-Life expectancy: Women 75,6years, Men72,6 years
-National day: 18th of November (sultan’s birthday)
-423 French people are living in the sultanate

Surviving Tibet

In the night between the 16th and the 17th of March 1959, Tenzin Gyatso, the current 14th Dalai Lama dressed up in soldier was fleeing Lhassa, a shotgun on the shoulder. Welcomed by Nehru in India, his exile in Dharamsala is still going on today.
This month of March 1959 the Chinese repression of the Tibetan insurrection made 87000 dead. Fourty years later, the commemoration of this event ended up in a blood bath and saw the appliance of the martial law during one year in Tibet. Since the Chinese invasion in 1949, 1,2 millions of Tibetans have died. This drama has even been called genocide by the International Commission of Lawyers in his rapport of 1959.
At the same time the occupier spreads terror within the population and applies a policy that aims at imposing the Chinese traditions in this territory. The Tibetans are now in minority on their land, because of the settlement of more than 7 millions of Chinese colons. Moreover, Tibetan women are submitted to a strict control of the births, which leads to sterilisation or abortion after the first child, whereas the colons are not submitted to these rules. Alcohol and drugs are wasting the poor population excluded from the model imposed by Beijing. The culture of the “country of the snows” is also the target of a terrible oppression: the Buddhist rites are strictly supervised and it is forbidden to pray the Dalai Lama. Owning a picture of the spiritual leader can be liable for jail. The Maoist cultural revolution in 1966 has caused wastes, because 6000 temples or monasteries have been destroyed. One hundred remain for tourism. The gathering in favour of the independence are prohibited and we can count 1000 Tibetan political prisoners, of which 300 women and 40 under 18. They are often tortured for having simply said “Free Tibet” or were involved in demonstrations. On the environmental level, the Chinese presence has had huge consequences: deforestation and massive anarchic mineral extraction have unbalanced a rich and intact eco-system before 1949. This territory is even used by Beijing to bury radioactive trashes.
This dramatic situation has caused a massive exodus. We can count 130000 official refugees throughout the world (100000 in India and more than 100 in France), but some experts say the number of 200000. This diaspora is particularly important, if we consider the risk of fleeing Tibet across high mountains with Chinese border guards who do not hesitate to shoot on exhausted climbers. Since 1949 the Dalai Lama leads a pacific fight of all instants, which has been rewarded by the Nobel Prize of Peace in 1989. Unfortunately, even if he has visited all the important people of the world, he can not compete with the economic power of the Chinese giant. This renders the international community to be accommodating with Beijing. Tibetans will have to suffer again before being able not to feel stranger in their country.