Stories about Freedom of Speech from September, 2012
Ecuadorian Views on Assange Asylum Case
The government’s attitude and journalists’ blatant disregard for their code of professional conduct makes it impossible for us to consider Ecuador as a haven of freedom of expression. Nor can the diplomatic asylum granted Assange be taken as evidence of this. Eduardo Varas writes in the post “The Assange Case: the...
India: Arrest of Cartoonist on Sedition Charges Sparks Debate
On 8 September, award-winning political cartoonist, Aseem Trivedi was arrested in Mumbai, India, on charges of sedition and is now in judicial custody. Netizens expressed outrage over his arrest, a move they see as politically motivated and an attempt by the government to curb freedom of expression.
New Digital Safe Haven from Censors
Press freedom group Reporters Without Borders is launching a new website in October for banned and censored content called Wefightcensorship.org. The site is intended to be a “virtual shelter,” for all those hounded by censors, and users will be able to submit content anonymously.
Japan: House of Representatives Passes ACTA
ACTA and three other motions were all adopted together in a plenary session [ja] of the Japanese House of Representatives on September 6, 2012.
Mauritania's Online Journalism Director Hires Hackers
Mauritanian activists on Facebook and Twitter uncover the attempt of the electronic journalism director, who is close to the political regime, to hire hackers to counter activists who oppose the Mauritanian regime. Dedda Weld Sheikh Ibrahim reports
Cambodia: Mandatory Internet Surveillance Cameras
The Cambodian government is enforcing a circular drafted earlier this year which requires internet cafes to set up surveillance cameras and to register callers. The circular is seen by some netizens as a threat to internet freedom.
Singapore: Media Literacy Council to Curb Internet Freedom?
To promote ‘public education on media literacy and cyber wellness’ the Singapore government has set up a Media Literacy Council. But bloggers are worried that the council could be a tool to restrict internet media freedom
Cuba: Police Detain Blogger, Disrupt Independent Scholarly Forum
Well-known Cuban author and blogger Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo was recently detained by state police on September 1, 2012. Pardo Lazo had been slated to moderate a session of Estado de SATS, an independent, informal scholarly forum in Havana later that day.
Lebanon: A Virtual Museum for Censorship
Lebanese non-governmental organization MARCH has launched the country's Virtual Museum of Censorship, which seeks to document censorship cases in Lebanon from the 1940s to date.
Syria: The Flag Debacle
Syrian revolutionaries have chosen the country's independence flag as their symbol after months of conflict in the country. Some people are arguing that it is the Independence flag, and others saying it's a flag of Syria under colonialism. The debate continues as each side clings to its opinion.
Self-censorship in Hong Kong
Zhongnanhai takes notes from the Asian American Journalists Association roundtable on self-censorship situation in Hong Kong. One of the issue is about the “mainlandization” of Hong Kong media ecology as presented by Claudia Mo, a former journalist and a candidate running for the coming Legislative Council Election.
India: Is Online Censorship Always a Violation of Free Speech?
The Indian government's move to block bulk SMS, MMS, webpages and social media to contain rumors from spreading in the wake of ethnic clashes in Assam has set off a debate on the pros and cons of censorship in the Indian blogosphere.
Iranian Women – Saying ‘No’ to Compulsory Hijabs Since 1979
More than 26,000 people have joined a Facebook campaign by Iranian students calling for an end to mandatory headscarves (hijabs) in Iran. Iranian women have protested for three decades, but are still subjected to harassment by security forces in public.
India: Dalit Camera – Media for the Marginalised
Disillusioned by the mainstream media's lack of in-depth knowledge and coverage of India's marginalized communities or 'Dalits', members of the group are turning to citizen media to tell their stories. Dalit Camera aims to document and chronicle their lives, conditions and struggles.
Bulgaria: Independent Journalists Demand EU Intervention
A group of Bulgarian NGOs and individual journalists issued an open letter [bg, en] to Neelie Kroes, Vice-President of the European Commission, asking for a public meeting because “the situation of the media in Bulgaria is a threat not only for the Bulgarian society, but for the EU as a...
Guatemala: “Threatened for Reporting the Truth”
“I denounced the activities of a masked group of vigilantes who were terrorizing the local population at night. It wasn’t the first time I had written about their crimes, but this time I named names.” Anna-Claire Bevan in LatinaLista quotes Guatemalan journalist Lucia Escobar, who was “forced into hiding last...
Greek Anarchists’ Anti-Racism Demonstration in Photos
On Saturday, September 1, an anti-racism demonstration took place in central Athens. Hundreds of demonstrators, mainly anarchists, gathered to protest recent events such as violent, even lethal, attacks against immigrants.
Taiwan: Smear Campaign Sparks Historic Media Monopoly Protest
A smear campaign against Taiwanese scholar Huang Kuo-chang by Want Want China Time's media outlets, in reaction to his opposition of the group's acquisition of a television cable network back in July 2012, has triggered intense public outrage - and the largest anti-media monopoly protest in the country's history.