· August, 2006

Stories about Freedom of Speech from August, 2006

China: ipod China contractor sues newspapers reporter

  24 August 2006

Mindmeters pastes a post from donews discussion board which provided details concerning Foxconn's – ipod's contractor in China – legal charge against an editor and a reporter in First Financial Daily in Shanghai. The newspapers wrote two reports on the situation of workers in Foxconn ipod production line in June...

China: commercialize nation's inauguration

  24 August 2006

SohoXiaoBao blogs a local newspapers report on a Changsha resturant which changed the slogan in the nation's inauguration ceremony painting into “big rice bowl is now established”. The city commerical said that “the advertisement was inappropriate from political and emotional perspectives, it would have negective effect on the construction of...

Iran: Cartoonist out of jail for 10 days

According to Full Metal Jacket, cartoonist, Mana Neyestani and his editor Mehrdad Ghasemfar got permission to come out prison for ten days [Fa].These two were arrested 80 days ago after riots had erupted by ethnic Azaris in Iran when they took offence in Mana Neyestani's cartoon, published in the children's...

Bahamas: Not press freedom

  23 August 2006

Lynn Sweeting gets at what may be the real issue behind an English editor's position at a Bahamian newspaper. As one commenter put it, the issue is “the hiring of Bahamian managers, not freedom of the press.”

Belarus: Quick Political Update

  22 August 2006

VW of TOL's Belarus Blog posts an update on political developments in Belarus: some activists have been released from jail, others are on trial – and still others have been taken off the bus and made to cross the border on foot – all because they were allegedly carrying banned...

Malaysia: Moderating Comments

  22 August 2006

Jeff Ooi in Malaysia is asking his readers “Do you favour a pre-moderated comments mechanism, or real-time publsihing after the initial user authentication requirement (as currently practised in this blog)?”. This comes after a newspaper editor filed a complaint against a comment posted on Ooi's blog.

Extra-judicial killings in the Philippines

  22 August 2006

One of the basis of the impeachment complaint against Philippine president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is that she abetted political killings in the country. Human rights groups have accused Mrs. Arroyo of being the worst human rights violator in the country’s modern history.

China: unhealthy digital broadcast?

  21 August 2006

Official Xinhua news finally confirmed about the new regulation on digital broadcast. Two cold in bullog questions about the definition of “unhealthy” digital broadcast in the new regulation: “I need to know, according to which regulation I am unhealthy. So that in case I lost in the court case, the...

A tale of two Ethiopian books

  21 August 2006

It was a tale of two books in Ethiopia’s blogosphere over the past two weeks. The first book, catchily titled African Development: Dead Ends and New Beginnings (PDF of the first draft – English), was written by Meles Zenawi, prime minister of Ethiopia, currently residing in the prime ministerial palace...

Former Soviet Union: 15 Years Since the August Coup

  19 August 2006

Today is 15 years since the beginning of the events that some people consider (RUS) Russia's Orange Revolution – but which are better known as the August Putsch. This year, on August 20 and 21, memorial services will be held in Moscow for Dmitry Komar, Ilya Krichevsky and Vladimir Usov,...

China: Blogs from the dark side

  19 August 2006

Does it goes without saying that the internet—particularly blogs and BBS'—is the place to go for unchecked and alternative voices in China? What about those blocked Chinese-language websites hosted overseas? Many like Wenxue City and 6Park also offer blogs, and here are titles of today's recommended posts from a few...

Iran: Jahanbegloo & Confession

Agh Bahman says it seems Ramin Jahanbegloo's, jailed philosopher; confession film will be broadcasted on TV. The blogger says he wants to see Iranian people reaction to this confession film. Will they believe that or not or just a part of that? The blogger adds Iranian people are not really...

Ahmadinejad's blog and Fidel Castro

  18 August 2006

According to the BBC, the launch of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s blog was reported on state TV, which urged users to send in messages to the president. Several magazines and newspapers around the world have already talked about Ahmadinejad’s blog. In his first, and so far only, post, Ahmadinejad talks...