Stories about Law from December, 2016
Malaysians Can Have Their Cake and Eat It Too Inside McDonald's — But Only If It's Halal
"Has halal political correctness gone overboard? Will we one day see moral police invading houses to ensure that we are eating only halal food? When will common sense prevail?"
Bangladesh Blocks 560 Porn Sites
Bangladesh is a Muslim-majority country, where many people have expressed concerns about the spread and consumption of online pornography. But it is also a democracy.
Classic Christmas Carols, Satirically Reimagined as Songs About Hong Kong Politics
To the tune of Twelve Days of Christmas: "Causeway Bay’s boss bought a banned book. He was then arrested, convicted, forced to apologize and escorted to the Shenzhen police station."
Breaking a Four-Century Custom That Denied Women Temple Entry in India
"If we all have equal rights and freedom then why such restrictions on women?"
2016: The Year the Caribbean Was Forced to Confront Its Attitude Towards Women
"We do not talk truthfully among ourselves about [...] harassment. Verbal innuendo and unwanted remarks are part of the culture we do not want to get rid of."
Thailand’s New Computer Crimes Law Threatens Free Speech and Encryption
"The law's most serious shortcoming is in its giving too much power for authorities to make their own judgement whether certain actions may be deemed in violation of the law."
In India, Moviegoers Are Expected to Stand for the National Anthem—Or Else
"I go to cinema to relax and amuse myself, not to show my patriotism to my fellow countrymen. People who question my patriotism can come to my house."
Domestic-Murder Spree Clouds Christmas in Jamaica
"The system of patriarchy continues to socialize men into a false belief that they have the right to control women. Consequently, gender-based violence [...] seems almost ‘normal.'"
Is Nepal No Country for Women?
Nepal's constitution has failed to bring equality to the country's women, but human rights advocates haven't given up.
#FreeMaxenceMelo: Authorities Charge Tanzanian Whistleblowing Website Owner Under Cybercrimes Law
"Mentioning 'Tanzania' and 'democracy' in the same sentence amounts to subjecting the term 'democracy' to ridicule."
Netizen Report: Discussion Platform Founder Arrested in Tanzania
Global Voices Advocacy's Netizen Report offers an international snapshot of challenges, victories, and emerging trends in Internet rights around the world.
Controversial Legislation in Bangladesh Highlights the Complexity of Child Marriage
"Civil society easily can see child marriage but is blind to the fact why it happens. When there is development in society...child marriages will fall. We need time for that."
Belarus Moves to Block Tor in Fight Against Online Anonymity
Belarus is ramping up efforts to crack down on Tor. But does Minsk actually have the ability to block the anonymity network?
After Missing Woman Is Found Dead, Trinbagonians Say, ‘Enough is Enough’
"How do we fix this? Where do we start? Who has the expertise [...] to bring about the changes [...] required to get these criminals off our blood splattered streets?"
Activist Arrested on Royal Insult Charges for Sharing BBC Article About Thailand's New King
Almost 2,500 Facebook users shared the post, but the police singled out an activist calling for the restoration of democracy in Thailand.
Australians Ask: Have We Lost the War on Drugs?
The Greens leader's call to decriminalise recreational drugs has many supporters in Australia.
Russian Blogger Launches Campaign to Annul Anti-Extremism Law He Was Convicted of Violating
Blogger Anton Nossik wants to annul Article 282 of the Russian Criminal Code, a catch-all statute that prohibits "ctions aimed at the incitement of hatred or enmity."
Filipino Activists Hold Solidarity Fast in Support of Political Prisoners
"They are persons caring for the marginalized sectors of the society but they were jailed for trumped up charges."
Russian Media Regulator Backpedals on Google Pressure
Hours after Russian news outlets began reporting that state media regulatory agency Roskomnadzor had issued instructions forcing Google to re-register in Russia or face sanctions, an agency representative backpedaled, telling roem.ru that Izvestiya, the newspaper that broke the news, had misreported the story. Izvestiya quoted Vadim Ampelonsky in their initial report as saying that...
Russia Ratchets Up Pressure on Google
Roskomnadzor, the agency that regulates Russian media, has issued instructions that will force Google to change its registration by the end of March.
Caribbean Women Take Their Power Back by Sharing Stories of Sexual Abuse Via the #LifeinLeggings Hashtag
"#LifeinLeggings is the story of women AND girl children [...] A large number of the stories are of childhood events. [...] Measure the country's level of civilization against that."
