Stories about Freedom of Speech from February, 2011
China: Ran Yunfei charged with inciting subversion
Five days after he was detained, the family of Sichuan writer, scholar and blogger Ran Yunfei was notified today that Ran has officially been charged with inciting subversion of state power. Dark f**ing days indeed. [Note: People are now saying Ran has in fact been charged with the more serious...
South Korea: Amnesty International Condemns Korean Government's Censorship.
Amnesty International has condemned the convictionof eight South Koreans who are members of the Socialist Workers League. All eight men were found guilty under the National Security Law for “propagating or instigating a rebellion against the State’. Amnesty International criticized the law has been used to justify a form of censorship.
China: The Risk of Shutting Up Sina Weibo is Zero!?
The reaction of the Chinese government towards the anonymous “Jasmine Revolution” message circulated around overseas dissident websites and Twitter has alerted investment banks’ analysts to cut the rating of Sina's stock value. Some banks apparently anticipate an increase in the risk of the Chinese government tightening regulations on social media,...
Saudi Arabia: The Return of King Abdullah
Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz returned home on Wednesday 23 February, 2011, after a three month period abroad for medical treatment. Anticipation of serious political and economic reforms filled the air upon his arrival. Here is a snapshot of the reactions of Saudi netizens.
Poland: Prosecuted Blogger Hopes For a Different Verdict
Jakub Górnicki continues to report on the case of Łukasz Kasprowicz, a Polish blogger who was sued for defamation by a local official and is now banned from blogging by the court.
Macedonia: Global Voices Featured on a TV Show
GV author Filip Stojanovski was interviewed [MKD] for the TV show Nie (“We”) on the topic of “Kale, Internet, political parties, Facebook!? Whose fault is it?”, where he spoke about the importance of citizen media and Global Voices. The show also included a segment of Ethan Zuckerman's TED talk.
Côte d'Ivoire: Violent Repression of Street Protests
After a little rest in coverage, the international media is once again looking to Côte d'Ivoire. The last five days have seen the country experience further violence and increased radicalisation of Ivorian netizens' speeches.
China: Playing Revolution on Twitter
Two small protests on Sunday have been declared the beginning of China's own revolution, and yes, it all started on Twitter. Many felt leading up to the protests that they would prove to be little more than performance art, but now wonder if the heavy-handed response from authorities has created something bigger.
Cuba: The Memory of Zapata
“Sometimes the end of person cements his name in history forever”: Generation Y blogs about Orlando Zapata Tamayo on the first anniversary of his death.
Bahrain: Jailed Blogger Ali Abdulemam Free
Jailed Bahraini blogger Ali Abdulemam is finally free. The news was welcomed by netizens from around the world, as tweeps posted pictures of a smiling Ali being greeted by family and friends.
Ukraine: “Undressing… With an Excuse”
Good Girl Gone Ukrainian explains her disappointment with what FEMEN, a Ukrainian “female protest group known for its provocative bare-breasted acts,” has evolved into over the years.
China: What a Beautiful Sensitive Word
China Digital Times translated technology blogger Jason Ng's post on “What a beautiful sensitive word” describing how the security police had helped promote the Jasmine Revolution by arresting a large number of dissidents and opinion leaders over an anonymous tweet.
Russia: One-Person Rallies by the Embassy of Libya
LJ user notavailablenow reports (RUS) on an hour-long series of one-person pickets held across the street from the Embassy of Libya in Moscow on Tuesday by two citizen activists, who took turns holding up a poster that read “Stop state terrorism.” First, however, the activists had to educate and argue...
Egypt: Social Media in the Middle East as a Tool for Incremental Change
In this post, we reflect on Egyptian blogger Hani Morsi's writing about technology driven activism and the role social media plays in providing incremental societal change. Hani's core argument focuses on the long term effects of social media.
Bahrain: Loyalty to the Martyrs
Since Saturday, anti government protesters have been protesting peacefully and freely at Pearl (Lulu) Roundabout. Today marked the eighth day of Bahrain's Day of Wrath protests, as Bahrain's opposition parties organized a mass march from Bahrain Mall to Pearl (Lulu) Roundabout as a sign of loyalty to the eight fallen martyrs from the protests.
Cuba: Masses for Tamayo
Uncommon Sense reports that “State Security agents this week have been warning parishes in Havana to not celebrate Masses to commemorate the anniversary of the death of Orlando Zapata Tamayo.”
USA: Journalists, Lawyers Forced to Handover Data At Airports
Several American journalists and lawyers who work abroad regularly, have their laptops, flash drives, notebooks and business cards copied by immigration authorities at airports, according to the ACLU. Amy Goodman shares the story of journalist Brandon Jourdan, who says it's happened to him seven times.
Taiwan:Is Central News Agency Censoring China's Jasmine Revolution?
The National News Agency-Central News Agency of Taiwan is suspected to censor related news about China's Jasmine Revolution yesterday. Jou Ying-Cheng, blogger and former reporter of CNA, accused CNA for not syndicating the second and further interview with Tan Lan-Yin(談蘭英)’ son due to political sensitivity, and such news blocking has...
UAE: Libyan Consulate in Dubai Occupied and Flags Removed
In response to the ongoing massacre in Libya under a media blackout, protesters in Dubai, UAE, headed towards the Libyan Consulate on Tuesday to call for the end of the bloodshed and toppling Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's regime.
Bahrain: Coming Out in Numbers in Search for Unity
A week has passed since protests broke in the capital Manama on February 14, 2011, calling for real democracy in the Kingdom. Seven men have lost their lives, with the latest martyr Abdulredha Mohammed passing away on Monday in Salmaniya Hospital after being shot by military forces on Friday.
Cuba: Realities of Virtual Protests
Laritza Diversent and Without Evasion blog about the Middle East protests and the obstacles that may prevent similar demonstrations from happening in Cuba.