Stories about Freedom of Speech from September, 2009
Brazil: Has a free Internet really appeared on the electoral scene?
With the new electoral reform in Brazil, the individual Internet user is now obliged to behave as a media entrepreneur, unable to analyse candidates' positions and losing the right to freedom of expression.
Macedonia: Freedom Not Fear 2009
Information Policy cites an item on privacy-related citizen education activities that took place in Macedonia during this year's Freedom Not Fear action. The item was published on the website of Metamorphosis Foundation, a Macedonian NGO that was one of the event's organizers.
Belarus: Internet Issues
Andrei Khrapavitski of Belarusan American Blog comments on Evgeny Morozov's TED talk on “the ways the Internet can actually help oppressive regimes stifle dissent.”
India: A Minister And A Twitter Message
Indian Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor was caught up in a controversy for replying a twitter message. Über Desi has details.
Iran: Blog Service Providers in Trouble
Several Iranian sites and blogs such as Parlemannews report [fa] that two important blog service providers in country are in trouble. Persian Blog is filtered and BlogFa has a lot of ‘technical’ problems in last week.
Philippines: National Artist Under Surveillance
The Philippine Navy recently confirmed that the man caught stalking the home of Bienvenido Lumbera, a prizewinning poet, dramatist, literary critic, and National Artist on September 17 was one of its personnel carrying out a surveillance training exercise.
Barbados: journalist's “confession”
Barbados Free Press reacts to a newspaper journalist's “confession” that he posted anonymous comments on several Barbadian blogs — starting a discussion about “the limits of anonymous blogging.”
USA: Eid Postage Stamp Provokes Hate in Tennessee
A chain e-mail that falsely claims President Obama has issued a new postage stamp commemorating the Muslim holiday Eid al-Fitr has even reached a Tennessee mayor who forwarded it to employees encouraging them to boycott the stamp.
Taiwan: Kaohsiung set to screen film amidst controversy
The Kaohsiung Film Festival came under pressure from China over its decision to screen The Ten Conditions of Love, a documentary about exiled Uighur leader Rebiya Kadeer. As a result the Kaohsiung City Government decided to screen the documentary in advance of the film festival. Echo Taiwan criticises the Kaohsiung...
Japan: DPJ on Press Clubs and Media Opennness
Blogger APEESCAPE covers the way the Democratic Party of Japan has gone back on their promise and closed off press conferences to foreign, internet, and independent press. The Hatoyama administration is now under close scrutiny and APEESCAPE says “Today’s news is an incremental step to media openness, but not nearly...
Iran: Videos from Quds Day Protests
On September 18, Iranian protesters wearing green in support of the opposition, once more defied the Iranian government in the streets of Tehran, Shiraz, Isfahan, and several other cities as they protested against dictatorship.
Sri Lanka: Justice
“The week after Tissa was given 20 years for writing, two actual card carrying LTTE spokesmen were released on bail. Hence, being LTTE is pardonable, but being charged with meeting them or writing against the government (from a Tamil perspective) is not,” comments Indrajit Samarajiva at Indi.ca on the verdict...
South Korea: Government sued activist with libel
Ohmynews! International has a report on South Korean government libel charge against a prominent activist lawyer Park Wonsoon. Part was charged 200 million won for damages from the National Intelligence Agency (“NIA”) last September 14.
India: Beer is against Indian culture?
Amit Varma, on India Uncut, wonders if beer is against Indian culture, after the Indian People's Party (BPJ) protested in opposition to a female minister who attended “a beer promotion party”.
China: Pretending to be a reporter
ESWN translated the Retrial of Wu Baoquan, a netizen sentenced to 2 year imprisonment for exposing a land dispute in Ordos city under the charge of libel. On 16 of September, the verdict of the retrial was released, apart from libel, the court introduced the new element of “pretending to...
Morocco: Activists Break Fast in Public, Receive Punishment
During the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims abstain from eating or drinking from dawn to sunset. A group of Moroccan activists was reprimanded for breaking the fast in public, an action that is punishable under the Moroccan criminal code. A divided blogoma reacts to the incident.
Singapore: Independent press needed
Trapper's Swamp deplores the state of media in Singapore and renews the call for a strong and independent press.
Egypt: A Coptic Presidential Candidate?
A Copt has stated his intent to run for elections for Egypt's top post in the 2011 presidential race. Lawyer Mamdouh Ramzy, a member of the Constitutional Party, is venturing where many have failed.
Russia: 1999 Apartment Bombings
Eternal Remont reports on the coverage of “twelve heroic Russian citizens” who are still looking for answers in the 1999 apartment bombing case “that pulled Russia into a second war with Chechnya and secured Putin's place in the presidency.”
Syria: A Week Against Everything and Anything
The Syrian blogosphere is frequently one of dissent. This week, following a post decrying the practice of masturbation and encouraging bloggers to join in a campaign against, the blogosphere exploded in a flurry of opposition, creating their own (often sarcastic) campaigns. Jillian C. York brings us the story.
Indonesia: Controversial new film law
Indonesia's Parliament has recently approved a new film law which drew strong reactions from the local movie industry. It is feared that the law would legitimize the government's tighter control over creativity and self expression in the industry.
