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WITH clashes between police and demonstrators in Egypt entering its fourth day yesterday, Algeria experiencing five days of protests, tens of thousands taking to the streets in Yemen, and similar scenes replaying in Jordan and elsewhere, it would appear that what began in Tunisia has started to spread to other parts of North Africa and the Middle East.
To be sure, these countries share the combustible combination of rising prices, widespread poverty, high unemployment, endemic corruption and limited freedoms that ignited the so-called Jasmine Revolution in Tunisia.
There have certainly been cases of self-immolation in Egypt, Algeria and Mauritania similar to that of the young Tunisian who set himself ablaze and sparked the mass demonstrations that led to the overthrow of the 23-year-rule of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali on Jan 14.
Undoubtedly, from Algeria to Yemen, the protesters have been emboldened and inspired by the Tunisian example.
However, though they may feel very Tunisian in thought and action, as the Twittering and Facebooking class in Cairo which called for the "day of rage" on Tuesday acknowledged, they are all Khaled Sai'ds, too, in reference to the young Egyptian who was beaten to death in Alexandria last June.
So far, the protests have been peaceful in Jordan, and despite the violence of the rallies in Algeria, they have not been on the scale of popular revolt in Tunisia.
While the protests have been the largest in Yemen for some time, thousands have also rallied in support of President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
In the case of Egypt, though the likes of the current demonstrations have not been seen since the days of the bread riots of 1977, the 82-year-old president does not appear to be contemplating spending the rest of his days in exile.
Rather, as the use of force, the clampdown on the Internet and mobile phone services, and the arrest of activists suggest, when push comes to shove, the Egyptian authorities have not been averse to clearing the streets with a whiff of grapeshot.
In any event, as events are still unfolding, it is too soon to say that the conditions in the Arab world are ripe for another Tunisia. In any case, what is clear is that governments in the region need to address the consequences of economic stagnation and the popular grievances over the lack of political reform.
They should also hold back from suppressing the protesters through sheer brute force. The last thing anyone needs is another Tiananmen Square in Cairo's Tahrir Square or on the campuses in Sanaa.
-- New Straits Times
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