· October, 2011

Stories about Freedom of Speech from October, 2011

Cuba: Members of “Las Damas” Detained

  31 October 2011

Uncommon Sense learns that “ten members of the Laura Pollan Damas De Blanco…were among severa dissidents arrested in Santiago de Cuba as they tried to gather for Mass” yesterday morning.

Myanmar Netizens to BBC: Apologize Now

  29 October 2011

Some Myanmar netizens are asking BBC to apologize for publishing an ‘inaccurate' map of Myanmar's ethnic groups. BBC has already updated the map but netizens still want a formal apology

Ukraine: “We Are Europeans”

  29 October 2011

Ordinary Ukrainians are using citizen media and social networks to voice their commitment to European values and organize rallies in support of Ukraine's European orientation. Veronica Khokhlova reports.

Cuba: Dissident Fired

  28 October 2011

Pedazos de La Isla blogs about a young man whose political views have allegedly “cost him serious impediments such as detentions, threats, and other violations, one of the most recent being that he was fired from his job for being a dissident.”

South Korea: Warning to Twitter Influencers Fails to Discourage Voters

  27 October 2011

South Korean capital, Seoul, elected a new mayor on October 26. The mayoral race was a fierce battle between an elitist female candidate from the ruling party and an outsider from democratic party. Despite warnings from the authorities, influential Twitter users continued to encourage people to vote throughout.

Overview of Occupy Southeast Asia

  27 October 2011

‘Occupy’ protests are also spreading in Southeast Asia. Inspired by the global ‘Occupy’ movement, assemblies were organized this month in Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, and Singapore. Here is an overview of the 'Occupy' actions in the region and their online impact.

Cuba: Lessons from Libya

  27 October 2011

“Watching the fall of dictators, one after another, thousands of miles away, we can only reflect on the sequel such a process could generate on our own island”: Yoani Sanchez thinks that Qaddafi's death holds some lessons for Cuba.

Syria: Blogger Hussein Gharir “Missing”

  26 October 2011

Prominent Syrian blogger and activist Hussein Gharir, has been missing since yesterday and is presumed to have been arrested by Syrian authorities. A #FreeHussein campaign has been launched on Twitter and Facebook, and a statement [AR] has been issued in the name of Syrian bloggers calling for his release.

Myanmar: Video of Dissident Comedian Blogger Zarganar

  26 October 2011

Reporters Without Borders posted a video interview with the dissident comedian and blogger Zarganar from Myanmar who was released from jail early this month. Zarganar discussed media freedom and the situation of Myanmar's political prisoners.

Thailand: Government Censored Thaiflood Website?

  26 October 2011

The Committee to Protect Journalists has issued a statement expressing concern about the reported attempt of the Thailand government to censor the citizen-journalist website Thaiflood which has been provising useful updates about the flooding disaster in the country.

Russia: Ministry of Justice Plans to Monitor Online Content

RuNet Echo  25 October 2011

Russian Ministry of Justice had published a public procurement proposal [ru] to purchase a content monitoring system worth of ~115,000 US dollars. The system is aimed to monitor the information published about the ministry and its representatives as well as about the president and prime-minister. The scale of the system...

Macedonia: Advocating Media Freedom Through Music

  25 October 2011

On the occasion of the Daniel Pearl World Music Days, the rock band Reporters, composed of prominent journalists, including veterans of critical investigative reporting who are now out of work due to closing of A1 TV, will hold a concert in Skopje (FB event) and present their new song “Freedom”...