· September, 2012

Stories about Freedom of Speech from September, 2012

Ecuadorian Views on Assange Asylum Case

  11 September 2012

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

  10 September 2012

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

  10 September 2012

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.

Cambodia: Mandatory Internet Surveillance Cameras

  9 September 2012

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.

Syria: The Flag Debacle

  7 September 2012

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

  7 September 2012

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: Dalit Camera – Media for the Marginalised

  5 September 2012

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.

Guatemala: “Threatened for Reporting the Truth”

  4 September 2012

“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...

Taiwan: Smear Campaign Sparks Historic Media Monopoly Protest

  4 September 2012

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.