Stories about Freedom of Speech from October, 2009
USA: Interracial couple denied marriage license
Last week, in Hammond, Louisiana, a couple applied for a marriage license and were refused on the basis of their different races. The justice of the peace claimed that "interracial marriages do not last long" and stated that he was "doing it for the children."
Guinea: In the aftermath of a massacre
Amid widespread international condemnation of Guinea's military regime, the United Nations announced Friday it would launch a formal investigation into the September 28th massacre of opposition protestors in Conakry. Meanwhile, Guinean netizens continue trying to process and assess the meaning of the tragedy.
China: The Power of Symbolic Appropriation in Chinese Cyberspace
The China beat has posted an adapted article of Guobin Yang's recent talk at a conference on New Media and Global Transformations early this month. The talk was about Chinese netizens’ appropriation of an online anonymous post “Jia Junpeng, your mother wants you to go home to eat”.
Ukraine: Child Rape and Politics
Ukrainiana reports on a controversial child molestation case, the details of which were leaked right before the official start of the presidential election campaign: “How much of this accounts for a smear campaign and how much portrays a shocking case of sexual child abuse remains to be seen.”
Cuba: Press Freedom Ranking
“Press conditions were considered worse only in Burma, Iran, Turkmenistan, North Korea and Eritrea”: Uncommon Sense refers to the latest Reporters Without Borders index of press freedom around the world, noting that once again, Cuba is low on the list.
Cuba: Internet & Freedom
Generation Y makes a call for “freedom for Cuba” and thinks that the Internet is the way: “It occurs to me to use kilobytes, to take advantage of the cutting edge of a word that is also sharp and makes precepts grow more durable than the machete.”
Jamaica: Change Takes Time
Annie Paul blogs about everything from Jamaican coffee to reggae star Buju Banton's meeting with gay activists: “Yeah right, the Jamaican public is going to listen and learn from a castrated Buju when he tells them he has recanted and they should all follow suit by becoming ‘pro-gay’ whatever that...
China: Does Internet matter?
Li Huafang discusses the relation between the Internet and politics with reference to Yang Guobin's paper, the Internet and Civil Society in China: a preliminary assessment, and Hu Yong's book, the Rising Cacophony: Personal expression and Public Discussion in the Internet Age.
United Kingdom: ‘Super injunction’ lifted on Côte d'Ivoire waste dumping report
Trafigura, the British oil trader, has finally released The Guardian newspaper from a secret injunction preventing it from reporting the so-called Minton Report, after an extraordinary week of online activity.
Russia: Election Fraud and Blogging
Reports of vote-rigging in the local elections, which took place in 75 of Russia’s 83 regions on Oct. 11, spurred protests by citizens and politicians in Moscow - and quite an outrage among some of the country's bloggers.
Thailand: Another Lese Majeste conviction
A 27-year old Thai citizen was found guilty of violating Thailand's lese majeste laws. The Thai citizen was accused of sending lese majeste clips to a British blogger in Spain.
Banned books in Malaysia
myAsylum lists some of the books which were banned in Malaysia by government censors.
Trinidad & Tobago: Registration Legislation?
Trinidadian bloggers Nicholas Laughlin and Caribbean Free Radio draw attention to the “possibility of regional legislation for registering journalists”.
Cuba: Journalism Prize Winner Denied Permission to Leave Cuba
Yoani Sánchez, Cuban blogger writing in Generacion Y blog, was once again denied permission to leave the island nation of Cuba to go receive the 2009 Maria Moors Cabot journalism award. In a video, she asks immigration officials about her travel bans.
Sri Lanka: Anonymity For The Scribes
Going Global writes an open letter to Sri Lankan journalists asking them to break free from media oppression and get the message across by writing in blogs anonymously.
Trinidad & Tobago: Media & the People
“There is a growing seed of discontent that the government of Trinidad and Tobago has planted through its actions and lack of action. There are more people…being vocal through weblogs and other social media, and it doesn't take a licensed geologist or former trade union leader or economist to know...
Cuba: Blog Marks First Anniversary
The Havana Times blog celebrates its first anniversary – Circles Robinson reflects on the accomplishments of the past year: “Contrary to what some might think, I didn’t ask anyone for permission to put out HT, and have never had anyone from…the government directly telling me what I should or shouldn’t...
China: Blocking Tor and increase of bridge users
Tor was partially blocked in China end of September. The graphs posted at the blog of torproject show that in response to the blocking of tor, the number of bridge users has grown significantly in China.
Cuba: The Prague List
Diaspora blogger Uncommon Sense highlights a list compiled by Cuban human rights activists that identifies 307 existing political prisoners: “The list…is not meant to be inclusive, but it does provide a general idea of the scope of repression on the island…”
China: Major Crisis at Caijing Magazine
C.A Yeung from Under the Jacaranda Tree blogs about the collective resignation incident at Caijing Magazine, the finance publication in China.
Cuba: Yoani Sanchez Denied Visa
Havana Times reports that Cuban blogger Yoani Sanchez has been denied a visa to leave the island, even though she “continues to be allowed to publish her Generation Y page with her acrid criticisms of the Cuban government”; diaspora blogger Uncommon Sense says that shouldn't stop people from honouring her:...
