Stories about Law from November, 2008
Thailand: Rallies and Twitter updates
Thailand’s anti-government protesters have surrounded the Parliament building; they are demanding the resignation of the Prime Minister. Thai bloggers and Twitter users have been sending updates about the protest actions in Bangkok.
Afghanistan: Meeting Sayed Pervez Kambakhsh
Nasim Fekrat, an independent Afghan journalist, met with imprisoned journalism student Sayed Pervez Kambakhsh in Pul-e Charkhi prison. He seemed disappointed and desperately waved at me. Only for a few seconds I got closer to him, closer to hear him, which was difficult because of the noise. Suddenly my left...
Russia: The Plight of Journalism
As the West continues to turn attention to the Politkovskaya case, Foreign Policy Association's Russia Blog gives focus to the plight of Mikhail Beketov, editor of the obscure Khimki Pravda.
China: Citizen reporter Zuola becomes a potential threat to state security?!
Three days ago, on Nov 20th, Zuola sent out a twitter message reporting that he could not get through the Customs from Shenzhen to Hong Kong: I can't get in Hongkong, not allow me leave from China, I don't konw why. And I call somebody for ask help. May be...
Barbados: Bus Crash
Barbados Free Press reports on a bus crash that left dozens injured, saying: “Just like the other major bus and auto crashes during the past three years our Barbados police do not have the breathalizer equipment or laws that would show if any of the drivers had been drinking.”
Jamaica: Political Will
“There has been a lot of talk recently of the Government's inabilty to curb the massive escalation of murders, kidnappings and other crimes in Jamaica”: Abeng News Magazine‘s John Fagan says that “the whole system is in chaos” and “it will take political will to fix it.”
Japan: Bloggers debate prohibition of cannabis
Starting with the case of two sumo wrestlers who tested positive for marijuana at the beginning of September and continuing with the announcement last week by Waseda University that three students were arrested over suspicions of growing cannabis, scandals related to the use of cannabis have topped the headlines in the media over the last few weeks in Japan.
Latvia: Freedom of speech in peril?
Latvian bloggers react to the security police incarceration of two citizens for publicly criticising the government financial policies. Free Speech Emergency in Latvia covers the story, and Marginalia provides links and comment.
Egypt: Uproar as Lawyer Suggests Raping Israeli Women
Voice of Egypt is ashamed of Egyptian Lawyer Nagla Al Imam, the same lawyer who made Egyptians angry, for encouraging Arab men to sexually harass Israeli women during her interview on Al Arabia TV (Ar). Marwa Rakha translates from Arabic.
Japan: Suginami Ward proposes removal of Street View images
Following on a request by the Machida city council for regulation of Google's Street View service, recently introduced in Japan, Asiajin reports that the ward of Suginami in central Tokyo has advised its residents on how to submit [ja] takedown requests to Google. An article at Asahi reports that Suginami...
Russia: Rise of Orthodox Militia
Sean's Russia Blog writes about Moscow Patriarch's plans to found an Orthodox People's Militia serving the Church. WindowonEurasia and Windows to Russia! continue the discussion.
Russia: Newspaper Warned off for Extremism
Finrosforum draws attention to Russian authorities warning mainstream newspaper Vedomosti against publishing extremist content.
Denmark: “Deep Linking” Under Fire by Newspaper Publishers
Blogging journalists in Denmark are up in arms over a renewed effort by Danish newspaper publishers to stop websites like Google News from linking to individual articles rather than a newspaper's homepage. They call this “deep linking”, and it is precisely what bloggers usually do. Regardless of what is considered normal practice around the world, the Danish Association of Newspaper Publishers insist they only want homepage links.
Hungary, Slovakia: Tense Relationship
On Nov. 15, Slovak prime minister Robert Fico and his Hungarian counterpart, Ferenc Gyurcsány, met in the border town of Komárno, Slovakia, in an attempt to ease nationalist tensions that have escalated due to Nov. 1 football game violence in Dunajská Streda, Slovakia. Eva S. Balogh of Hungarian Spectrum has been blogging a lot recently about the Slovak-Hungarian relations, and here are some of the highlights.
Anguilla, The Cayman Islands: Children's Rights
“Child abuse and neglect is no less a serious and widespread problem in Anguilla than it is in the Cayman Islands”: Corruption-free Anguilla praises the efforts of a Caymanian woman who is asking that the government implement the recommendations of a report linked to the UN's Convention on the Rights...
Japan: Revision of the Nationality Law
On the 4th of June, on the occasion of cases filed in 2003 [en] and in 2005 whose protagonists were 10 children born out of wedlock to Japanese fathers and Filipino mothers, the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional an article of the Nationality Law[en] because it infringes on Article 14 of...
Macau: Say No to Article 23 and White Terror
Macau SAR government issued a draft bill enacting Article 23 of the Macau Basic Law in October. The Law is very sensitive and it would affect every citizen's freedom and rights. Now it is supposed to be the public consultation period, but it seems that the government has been giving...
Bolivia: Recent Lynchings Cause Concerns
A string of lynchings around Bolivia has caused concern around the country. The latest case in Achacachi involved 11 accused thieves, who were set ablaze by town residents. Defenders of the indigenous tradition of "community justice" argue that what took place in Achacachi was very different and it should not involve taking another's life, although others see any acts of taking justice into one's own hands can lead to these types of tragedies.
Philippines: Bloggers file impeachment case against president
Several Filipino bloggers have filed an impeachment complaint against the Philippine president. The president is accused of corruption, electoral fraud, betrayal of the Constitution and public trust.
Sri Lanka: Censoring the web and Internet
ICT for Peacebuilding (ICT4Peace) discusses about a proposed law in Sri Lanka restricting private TV broadcasting: “disturbingly, the proposed regulations are a significant challenge to all bloggers in Sri Lanka, since they seek to hold accountable all ISPs for the qualitative nature of the content transmitted, accessed and produced using...
Egypt: Jailed for Complaining about Sexual Harassment
Egyptian Zeinobia writes about how a 31-year-old woman and her sick elderly mother spent the night in jail, after reporting to the authorities that a police officer had sexually harassed her.
