· September, 2011

Stories about Freedom of Speech from September, 2011

Cuba: Jailed Activists

  29 September 2011

Uncommon Sense continues to keep a close eye on three members of the Damas de Blanco who were arrested recently, as well as political prisoner Sara Martha Fonseca, whose son was allegedly attacked after trying to obtain information about his jailed parents.

Global: Key Quotes and Tweets from the Internet Governance Forum

  29 September 2011

As the Internet Governance Forum is a truly epic event both online and offline, it's hard to do justice to the complexity of the discussions and debates that are currently taking place in Nairobi, Kenya. Discover with Global Voices some key tweets and quotes from participants, accompanied by short commentaries.

Brazil: The Tie of the Case Folha Versus Falha

  29 September 2011

It's a tie, says [pt] the journalist Luiz Carlos Azenha about the sentence of the case of the newspaper Folha de São Paulo versus the satirical blog Falha de São Paulo. Journalist Rodrigo Vianna discloses [pt] an interview he made with Lino Bocchini, Falha's creator, and also reproduces the legal...

Cuba: Female Prisoner on Hunger Strike

  28 September 2011

Pedazos de La Isla uploads a video showing “what happened on Saturday, September 24th, to Sara Marta Fonseca Quevedo and other dissidents who were peacefully protesting”, while Uncommon Sense notes that Fonseca has since begun a hunger strike.

Philippines: Creative Protests During Campus Strikes

  28 September 2011

Last week's nationwide campus strikes in the Philippines against education budget cuts saw the lively and creative integration of online tools to mobilize thousands to fight for the right to education. From mass planking, freeze mob, blackboard campaign, fashion show, to Facebook campaigns, activists used various forms of protests to highlight their cause

North Korea: Kim Jong-Il's Surprise Appearance On the Simpsons

  26 September 2011

Martyn Williams from the North Korea Tech blog wrote a short post on Kim Jong-il's appearance on “The Simpsons”. One character from the episode says that he was forced to write a musical about Kim in a North Korean prison and introduces a song addressing the regime's ban on internet.

Book Review: ‘Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives In North Korea’

  26 September 2011

Change in Longitude blog posted a thorough review of the book ‘Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives In North Korea’ by Barbara Demick. The book’s title comes from a song that North Korean school children recite, “We have nothing to envy in the world” in spite of chronic malnutrition and famine...

Cuba: “Damas” Targeted Again

  26 September 2011

The Ladies in White were once more targeted this weekend for their “planned march to a church to honor Our Lady of Charity on her feast day” – bloggers have a lot to say here, here, here, here and here.

Philippines: Anti-Planking Bill Draws More Planks

  26 September 2011

A proposal in the Philippines to ban planking has drawn much criticism online and offline. Planking has been used by student activists as a creative form of protest, especially in last week's nationwide campus strikes against education budget cuts.

China: Interview with a digital dissident

  25 September 2011

Tom from Seeing Red in China interviews Xiaomi (twitter: @xiaomi2020), one of the organizers of Yizhe, a group which translates Western journalism on China so that they are more accessible to ordinary Chinese. Though not politically-oriented, some members of the group were identified by authorities because they translate news considered...

Tunisia: Whistleblower Samir Feriani Set Free

  24 September 2011

A military court in Tunis temporarily released whistle blower Samir Feriani, who spent 117 days in detention after publishing articles criticising the Tunisian Interior Ministry, on September 22. On September 29, his trial will resume and a verdict will be issued on his case. Netizens react to the news.

India: Independent Radio Legend Deported

  24 September 2011

Shivam Vij at Kafila reports that “David Barsamian, founder director of Alternative Radio, and independent radio legend, was deported on arrival from New Delhi airport in the early hours of Sept 23.” Initial reports suggest that his attention to the Kashmir issue could well be the reason.