Stories about Freedom of Speech from June, 2008
China: New website for a free Tibet
“With the start of the Beijing Olympics less than 50 days away,” writes cold mtn at the Tibet Will Be Free blog, Students for a Free Tibet is stepping up its Olympic campaign efforts with a new website. Check out their new strategy and video here.
Haiti: Jean-Juste Charges Dropped
Blog de Port-au-Prince is happy to report that all charges against Father Gerard Jean-Juste (the Catholic priest who is a prominent supporter of Famni Lavalas, the political party of ousted Haitian president Jean Bertrand Aristide) have been dropped.
Kosovo: Cyber-Attacks
LimbicNutrition Weblog writes that “pro-Serbian hacktivists” are attacking pro-Kosovo web sites.
Russia: The eXile
Robert Amsterdam's blog – on the shutting down of the eXile – here and here.
Bermuda: Hide and Seek
As the list of watchdog organisations speaking out against the Bermudian government's clampdown on a local newspaper continues to grow, Vexed Bermoothes asks: “What is there to hide?”
Armenia: A1 Plus European Court Ruling
Six years after it was effectively removed from the airwaves, the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg has finally ruled in favor of the A1 Plus TV Station. Known for its criticism of the authorities, A1 Plus failed to win a tender for its own broadcasting frequency in April 2002.
Korea: Suppressing Media or Illegal Internet Activities
Korea’s Youtube equivalent, Afreeca, has recently become more famous due to live coverage of candlelight vigils. On the 17th, the CEO of Afreeca was taken by the prosecutor’s office under the charge of having illegal activities on the Internet. The investigation and swift confinement by the government have given rise...
The Balkans: Ingeborg Beugel
Say: Macedonia quotes from an interview with Ingeborg Beugel, “a Dutch reporter and author of several documentaries about the crimes committed in Bosnia”: “In an interview for the online site Sarajevo-x.com, she talks about the rise of the Greek nationalism and the participation of Greek mercenaries in the war in...
Czech Republic: Anti-Globalization Rally
The Czech Daily Word writes about the anti-globalization rally that took place in Brno this past Saturday, and about the way some of the activists were treated by the riot police.
Bulgaria: Gay Pride on June 28
Petya of Bighead writes about the upcoming gay pride parade in Sofia: “… I've already seen notes from the Bulgarian major nationalist party urging their supporters to organize a counter-protest…At any rate, it is so insane, I am embarrassed to even translate it.”
Cuba: Review of Sanctions
Both Babalu and Child of the Revolution blog about the European Union‘s upcoming decision on whether or not to end sanctions on Cuba.
China: Press ID
Zan Ai-zong writes in inmediahk.net about the government monopoly in the issuing of press card in China [zh]. The practice results in the direct control over journalists or some news agencies would sell the card to individual at very high price.
Poland: Gay Pride
Polandian writes about and posts pictures from the gay pride parade that took place in Warsaw on June 7.
Vietnam: Detention of journalists sparks web debate
GV author Caroline Finlay writes about how the arrest of two Vietnamese journalists last month sparked an online debate about media freedom and corruption in Vietnam. The spirited online discussion was interesting and encouraging since the press is tightly controlled in Vietnam.
Brazil: World (not) Naked Bike Ride
In the Brazilian version of the World Naked Bike Ride (WNBR), in São Paulo, nudism was ruled out: “According to the a lieutenant who was patrolling the demonstration, the order was to arrest anybody who displays their genitalia. In other words, it is fine to protest… but not naked. The funny...
Kuwait: Covered Hard Candy for Madonna
“Madonna’s album is being raped by Kuwaiti MOI [Ministry of Information], they basically forced leggings on her and took all the pictures off her CD booklet, it is a cover only no inlay pages,” writes Moey.
Soviet History: Chingiz Aitmatov
Moscow Through Brown Eyes writes about the passing of Kyrgyz writer Chingiz Aitmatov.
Russia: Kozlovsky Criticizes Amnesty International
Oleg Kozlovsky, at Robert Amsterdam's blog, criticizes the Moscow presentation of the Amnesty International World Report 2008.
Russia: The eXile Shuts Down
Sean's Russia Blog, Robert Amsterdam's blog, and FP's Passport comment on the shutting down of the eXile, Moscow's English-language alternative paper.
Korea: Myungbak Castle
The biggest candlelight vigil against policies of the new government started from the US-Korea beef trade was over on the 10th of June. Hot issues now are how the government reacted to the demonstration and how demonstrators responded to the government. The protests come on the 21st anniversary of demonstrations...
Ukraine: Kyiv People vs Construction Workers
Ukrainiana posts a video of a fight between residents of one Kyiv neighborhood and “construction workers who landed on their doorstep.”
