Stories about Freedom of Speech from June, 2013
Cuba: Yoani Returns
I’m back now. Beginning to feel the peculiarities of a Cuba that in my three months absence has barely changed. High-profile Cuban blogger Yoani Sanchez talks about returning home after her first trip abroad in years.
Two Ugandan Newspapers Reopen After Days-Long Closure by Police
Uganda has allowed two newspapers to reopen after an 11-day standoff between the government and the media houses over a controversial letter they had obtained that referred to a plot to groom the eldest son of President Yoweri Museveni to succeed the 27-year leader.
‘Free My Internet’ Movement Rises in Singapore
Singapore’s new licensing scheme for news websites announced by the Media Development Authority was quickly denounced by many netizens as a censorship measure. A group of concerned netizens called the ‘Free My Internet’ movement has called on the public to join a rally this coming Saturday, June 8, 2013, to demand the withdrawal of the controversial regulation.
Artists Dodge Censorship in Myanmar
Artist and former political detainee Htein Lin talks to Art Radar Asia and discusses Myanmar's current art scene and politics: For visual art exhibitions, there are still some censors. Some artists [have stopped] inviting the censors from the Information Ministry, so now there are some art exhibitions without censorship but...
Istanbul Protests Through the Eyes of a Ukrainian Journalist
As the anti-government protests and police brutality in Turkey are making top headlines globally, many Ukrainians have started to follow the situation there with much interest, expressing support and admiration for the peaceful protesters. Their primary source of updates, photos and insight from Istanbul is Ukrainian journalist Osman Pashayev, the Istanbul bureau chief of the Crimean Tatar ATR TV channel.
Turkey: “A Tree Dies, A Nation Rises”
The situation in Istanbul turned violent when police cracked down on peaceful protesters on Friday, May 31. The peaceful sit-in started five days ago where several tens of people gathered to oppose plans by the government urban reorganization of Istanbul's only green spot: the Gezi Park. The brutality used by police forces — teargas, water cannons, fists and batons — to expel protesters from the park generated a national outcry.
Protests Over ‘Religious Tolerance’ Award for Indonesian President
Some Indonesians think their president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, does not deserve the World Statesman Award given to him by a US-based interfaith group. When the award was announced, many people immediately pointed out that the president has done little to address the growing religious intolerance and religious violence in the most populous Muslim country in the world.
