US Takes On Vietnam Over Internet Censorship

The United States Congress is considering a resolution calling on Vietnam to ease up restrictions on internet uses and free bloggers and cyber activists jailed for their activities.
Supporting the resolution, California Rep Loretta Sanchez told the House that it was time for Vietnam to recognize the rights of local internet users.
She sees the internet and [...]

China puts up Berlin (fire) Wall

Twenty years after the Berlin wall fell, signaling the end of communism in East Germany, China has erected an electronic wall to stop its citizens from joining the festivities electronically.
The organizers of the Berlin Wall Twitter site intended for it to be used by people wishing to post their memories of the night the wall [...]

Media law assistance website for journalists

The  Center for International Media Assistance (CIMA) has recently launched a Media Law Assistance Website to provide journalists around the world with legal assistance, information and resources.
The globally accessible site contains information and resources on media law and serves as a source of both information and analysis through seminal texts, legislation, and court decisions on [...]

Yahoo! pledge to be a good Netizen

It’s about time: Yahoo! new chief executive Carol Bartz says that human rights trump doing business. Bartz’s remarks on May 5 opened a Yahoo! Business & Human Rights Summit at which she acknowledged that the US Internet pioneer made some mistakes in foreign markets. “It is really going to take all of us working together [...]

Vietnam among the worst to be blogging in

If you are a blogger, don’t go to Vietnam. Blogging was virtually unknown two years ago in Vietnam. But it caught up like wild fire once the generation of eager, Web savvy students discovered the fun of speaking your mind and connecting with friends online. Unfortunately for them, the censors caught up and, afraid as [...]

Burma, Worst for Bloggers – CPJ

According to the New York based Center to Protect Journalists, Burma is the worst country for bloggers. Vietnam comes number 6 on the list of difficult places for freedom of expression and China number 8.
“Bloggers are at the vanguard of the information revolution and their numbers are expanding rapidly,” said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon. [...]

US lawmakers urge web services to confront Vietnam, AFP

WASHINGTON (AFP) — Twelve US lawmakers have urged Internet giants Google, Microsoft and Yahoo to resist what they called communist Vietnam’s “worsening” efforts to restrict online political speech.
“We strongly urge you to advocate for the freedoms of speech and expression for the citizens of Vietnam by continuing to provide your [...]

Saffron Revolution, One Year Later

A year after Burma’s beloved monks took to the streets to support a popular uprising, the junta is said to be working hard at keeping a lid on any expressions of dissent.

The Tibetans you’ve never heard of

Who hasn’t heard of Tibet? And who outside of Asia can even pronounce “Uyghur”?
Millions of Uyghurs (pronounced “WEE-ger”) live in China’s northwesternmost province, Xinjiang. They, like the Tibetans, are a religious as well as an ethnic minority; they have chafed under Beijing’s heavy-handed rule for the last six decades; and Chinese authorities have faced persistent [...]

One more detention in Burma

You read it here less than two weeks ago: Burma’s military government detained a noted comedian, Zargana, after he went on a private mission to aid millions of victims of Cyclone Nargis. Now they have detained a prominent journalist who was working with Zargana, Zaw Thet Htwe.