Heavy Censorship By Chinese Authorities As Sichuan Violence Continues

Feb 072012
 

The increasing unrest among Tibetan protestors in China’s Sichuan province saw three Tibetan livestock herders set themselves on fire in protest at Chinese government’s repression this week but few ordinary Chinese are hearing much about the events.

The China Digital Times  reports that the weekend immolations came just two weeks after Chinese authorities opened fire on Tibetan protesters in province.

It quoted the The New York Times saying: “If confirmed, the latest cases would bring the total self-immolations over the past year to 19, an unprecedented wave of self-inflicted violence among the tiny ethnic minority in China, according to scholars. They were also apparently the first by lay people, rather than current or former members of the clergy, suggesting that may be gaining popularity as a form of dissent.

The incidents took place Friday in a remote village in Seda County, once a center of Buddhist teaching, but reports did not surface until the weekend because the government has cut Internet and telephone connections to the area, said Tsering Woeser, a Tibetan poet in Beijing.

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New Report Shows Mixed Fortunes For Online Freedoms In the Asia Pacific Region In 2011

Jan 202012
 

Censorship and online controls eased in Burma (Myanmar), Thailand and several other Asian countries last year but there were major clampdowns in China and several south asian countries according to a report just released by media and democracy watch dog Freedom House.

The report cites the success of the Arab Spring in overthrowing governments in the middle east as having prompted the hardening attitudes in China. Leaders there were keen the movement did not replicate itself on their doorstep.

The full report can be read here: Freedom in the World 2012.

Meanwhile the entry for China is available at: Freedom House China 2012

China Cuts Phone Lines And Internet Links Following Tibetan Monks Suicide Protest

Aug 152011
 

China has cut phone lines and closed internet cafes in Tawau in Sichuan province in an apparent attempt to stiffle information about a monk committed suicide by self-imolation as a protest at the Chinese regime’s suppression of political freedom in Tibet and their treatment of the Dalai Lama.

Advocacy group Free Tibet said there are reports the monk’s monestry had been surrounded by troops. 

It is the second such suicide by a monk in the region in the past six months. In that case the authorities responded with force - deploying troops on the streets.

Free Tibet reported that 29-year-old monk, Tsewang Norbu, also known as Norko, set himself on fire on the Chume Bridge (Ch. Street name Bing He Lu) in the centre of Tawu (Ch. Daofu), Kandze (Ch. Gandze) Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province at 12:30 pm (Tibet local time) today. He  died as a result of his injuries.

 Tsewang Norbu drank petrol, sprayed himself with petrol and then set himself on fire. He was heard calling out: “We Tibetan people want freedom”, “Long live the Dalai Lama” and “Let the Dalai Lama Return to Tibet”. He is believed to have died at the scene.

Tsewang Norbu is from Nyitso Monastery in Tawu. The local community celebrated the Dalai Lama’s birthday in their thousands this year and last, despite China’s strict ban on doing so.

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Free And Low Cost PC Security Tools

Jul 272011
 

There is a huge variety of software available for securing a PC from unwanted attention be it malware, spyware, hacking or online surveillance.  Companies like Norton provide excellent products but at a cost.

For many people in need of such protection including many in China, Burma, Vietnam, Thailand and other countries in the region these pr0grams are too expensive.

But there are effective ways of keeping your PC safe with freeware or at minimal cost.

Eric Geir writing on the eSecurity Planet website  has some great tips and websites to go to if you want security without a huge outlay. 

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Censorship In China And SEA: Share Your Experiences

Nov 192010
 

We would like to hear from anyone who has visited China or other countries in the region and used the internet.

Can you tell us of any problems you had accessing sites, email or ID theft. Please let us know if you managed to access websites you did not think you would be able to. And please let us know of any tips you have for other travelers to region about internet usage.

Staying Anonymous On The Internet – Tips For Avoiding Unwanted Attention

Nov 102010
 

It is almost impossible to use the internet without leaving a trail behind you. And for many netizens in Asia, particularly China and Vietnam, that can lead to trouble with the authorities.

Even in countries without formal restrictions to online sources there are other dangers associated with indiscriminate internet surfing – indentity theft, spam and invasion of privacy are just a few.

But there are some simple steps that can be taken to ensure that users remain, if not totally anonymous, at least harder to find.

The Link  newspaper provides a useful guide that even the least tech savy among us will find helpful. It is reproduced below.

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Chinese State Media Makes First Mention Of Tibet Protests

Oct 252010
 

The official Xinhua News Agency, last weekend, gave the first public report about the Tibetan protests that have spread through-out China and been attended by thousands of people.

 The Tibet Post said the state news agency reported that students had “expressed their dissatisfaction” in at least four Tibetan prefectures in Qinghai between last Sunday and Wednesday.

But there were no reports of the wider extent of the protests or of any of the arrests that followed the demonstrations against what Tibetans see as a policy of taking away their language and replacing it with mandarin.

Meanwhile RFA reports Tibetan students protesting against China’s education policies brought their campaign to the nation’s capital, with some 400 of them holding demonstrations at the Beijing National Minorities University.

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2010 Press Freedom Index Released: Rankings Highlight The Ongoing Need For RFA And Other

Oct 202010
 

The 2010 Press Freedom Index released last night by Reporters Without Borders shows the dire need for independent information among RFA’s target audiences.

In the survey, North Korea was ranked second to last at 177 (just above Eritrea on 178); Burma, 174; China, 171; Laos, 168; and Vietnam, 165 were all near the bottom.

Since the survey began, these five countries have consistently been ranked in the bottom 10 percent in all consecutive eight indices.

In a disturbing trend Cambodia, which rose to 117 in last year’s survey, fell to the 128th place this year – its lowest rank ever.

 All six countries within RFA’s broadcast region were categorized as “Not Free” in Freedom House’s Freedom of the Press survey, which was released in April.

The full Press Index is available here.

Cyber Haven Set Up By “Reporters Without Borders”

Aug 162010
 

A journalism support group has set up an “anti-censorship shelter” in Paris, to give online refuge for journalists, bloggers and dissidents whose work is being threatened by censorship or cyber attack.

Reporters Sans Frontières says the shelter – billed as the first ever – will use state-of-the-art censorship-circumvention and encryption software, and connect to the digital security firm XeroBank through a high-speed anonymity network.

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China, Vietnam Burma and North Korea Prominent On “Internet Enemies” List

Aug 102010
 

Paris based media advocacy group Reporters Without Borders lists China, North Korea, Burma and Vietnam as “Internet Enemies” – the highest classification for state sponsored internet censorship, interference and repression.

South Korea is listed as being “under surveillance” which is a designation indicating censorship issues but not as serious as those countries in the top tier.

The organization’s entries for the countries contains a host of useful information including number of netizens, costs of getting on the web, details of detentions and arrests for internet related activities along with a full analysis of the internet’s impact and government response.

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