· November, 2011

Stories about Freedom of Speech from November, 2011

Malaysia: Netizens React to ‘Peaceful Assembly Bill’

  30 November 2011

The Malaysian Parliament has approved the Peaceful Assembly Bill which gives police broad powers to control and even ban street assemblies and protests. Activists described the measure as an attack on civil liberties and freedom of speech. Using the hashtags #walk4freedom and #PA2011, netizens reacted to the quick passage of the bill

Cuba: Under “Survey-lance”

  30 November 2011

“As far as many Cubans here are concerned, it is not necessary to have survey results to verify the high levels of discontent and uncertainty we live under”: Without Evasion explains why she's sceptical of surveys.

Malaysia: Protesting the Peaceful Assembly Bill

  29 November 2011

The Malaysian Parliament has approved the controversial Peaceful Assembly Bill which critics believe will make it difficult for citizens to organize protest assemblies. Netizens used the #pa2011 hashtag to express their views about this measure

Cuba: Entrepreneurship & Home Ownership

  28 November 2011

Generation Y wonders whether the country's new wave of entrepreneurs will survive, while Laritza's Laws is concerned that “the housing regulations, recently enacted by the government of Cuba…leave intact regulations that impede the full exercise of the right of ownership.”

Malaysia: Opposition to Peaceful Assembly Bill

  27 November 2011

An online campaign was launched to pressure members of Parliament of Malaysia to reject the proposed Peaceful Assembly Bill which activists believe will curtail freedom of expression and the people's right to organize in the country

Russia: “Anti-Gay” Bill Postponed Till Nov. 30

RuNet Echo  26 November 2011

Siberian Light reports that the second reading of the “anti-gay” bill in the St. Petersburg City Duma has been postponed till Nov. 30 – “to allow time for a face-saving review of the legislation’s wording.” The AllOut.org's petition calling “leaders around the world to reach out to their counterparts in...

Russia: Siberian Light's This Week in Russia Blogs #1

RuNet Echo  25 November 2011

Andy of Siberian Light presents This Week in Russia Blogs #1, a revamped version of Russia Blog Roundup weekly series. Anglophone posts highlighted in the current edition include A Good Treaty's take on the efficiency of the RuNet activism and Putinania‘s analysis of the United Russia’s prospects for the Dec....

Cuba: News, 24/7

  25 November 2011

Cuba will apparently soon have a 24-hour news channel; Regina Coyula says: “Despite so much supposed information, we are the most disinformed people in the world.”

Cuba: Photos of Violent Arrests

  24 November 2011

Uncommon Sense weighs in on photos showing the violent arrest of “two Cuban female activists, Yris Pérez Aguilera and Donaida Pérez Paseiro, as they tried to leave Yris’ home in Placetas so she could see a specialist for treatment of head injuries she suffered during a beating by a police...

Cuba: Siding with Syria

  23 November 2011

Bloggers comment on Cuba's opposition against a United Nations General Assembly resolution condemning Syria for human rights violations, here and here.

South Korea: Comedian Sued for Making Fun of Politicians

  23 November 2011

Politics is seen as a fair target for most comedy shows, but in South Korea a politician is suing a comedian. The lawsuit - claiming that the performer defamed all politicians - has drawn immediate criticism from various parts of Korean society, inundating social media with jokes and comments.

Cuba: Censoring “El Chupi”

  22 November 2011

Generation Y blogs about El Chupi Chupi, a hugely popular song in Cuba right now, which has been panned by the Cuban Music Institute, saying: “Controversy will arise, of course, and generate debate, but no public official will be able to erase it with the stroke of a pen, because...