Free Expression in Asian Cyberspace Manila - April 19-21, 2006 The Law Terrorism and national security laws affecting pr

1. Free Expression in Asian Cyberspace Manila - April 19-21, 2006 The Law Terrorism and national security laws affecting press freedom & cyberspace Jeff Ooi RSF Representative

2.  RSF- Reporters without Borders • Restoring and upholding press freedom -- over 18 years • Defending journalists and other media contributors and professionals imprisoned or persecuted for doing their work • Supporting journalists who are being threatened in their own countries; and providing financial and other types of support to their needy families • Fighting to reduce the use of censorship, and to oppose laws designed to restrict press freedom • Working to improve the safety of journalists world-wide, particularly in war zones

3.  RSF Global Networks • Present on 5 continents • National branches: Germany, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Spain, France, Italy, Sweden and Switzerland • Offices in Bangkok, New York, Tokyo and Washington • Internet desk (Julien Pain) • Key dates: • May 3: World Press Freedom Day • Sponsor’s Day • December 10: RSF-Fondation de France Prize

4.  The Internet ‘Black Holes’

5.  • The Internet “Black Holes” • Belarus • Burma • China • Cuba • Iran • Libya • Nepal • North Korea • Saudi Arabia • Syria • Maldives • Tunisia • Turkmenistan • Uzbekistan • Vietnam RSF’s 15 Enemies of Internet

6. Asia • Press Freedom • At a glance • Very serious regions: • China • Burma • North Korea • Vietnam • Laos • Nepal • Bhutan

7.  • The Case of China • Filtering regime: • Most sophisticated, systematic, comprehensive, • pervasive, effective & targetted filtering regime • Legal regulation plus technical control • Strict media regulation • Protection of national secrets • Control of ISPs, content providers • “The Great Firewall of China” Findings of ONI - Revealing

8.  • China: Collusion with ‘Big Boys’ • Cisco, Microsoft, Yahoo, Google admonished • Yahoo gave away user identity to Chinese • authorities • Cisco: • 12000 series filtering at backbone routing • Filter bi-directional at packet level • 750,000 filtering rules • Functions for blocking DDoS, worms and • viruses used to block politicl content • Protocol URL; **root.exe** changed to • **falun** • Google: • Google -- TLD is OK, but specific cache page • blocked • Microsoft: Accused of shutting down MSN Space

9.  RSF Report 2005 • 16 of the 53 journalists killed in 2004 died in Asia • 46 of the world’s 104 imprisoned journalists were in Asia -- as at 1st January 2005 • Snapshots: • China: 27 imprisoned by 2005, 48 by 2006 • Burma: Win Tin, imprisoned for 15th year • Worrying trends: • Curbing airwaves: BBC World Service and Radio France Internationale seen as new threats– especially in China and North Korea • Internet Surveillance: “Great Firewall of China” • Media censorship & self-censorship • Corporate responsibility in repressive regimes

10.  Interventionism Asian democracies have justified attacks on press freedom by the "anti-terrorist struggle“ • Australia: • New security measures allowing its secret services to monitor communications, including those of journalists • John Howard’s government also prevented the press from freely covering the plight of asylum seekers held in centers • Japan: • Traditional media in Japan showed complacency about their country’s involvement in Iraq • A controversial law on protection of private life was adopted in May 2003 -- leading to a temporary ban on a weekly that carried an article on the daughter of a parliamentary deputy

11.  Interventionism • South Korea: • President Roh Moo-hyun passed a new press law that tried to limit the influence of the three major conservative dailies that criticise his government • The law was amended under opposition pressure, but remains an obstruction to free enterprise • Thailand: • Negative impact on press freedom related to the populism of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and conflict in South Thailand • At least 3 journalists were dismissed under political pressure • The army, embarrassed by media reports on the massacre of Muslims in the south, obstructed press work and harassed a journalist from the BBC World Service

12.  Interventionism • India: • Manmohan Singh’s administration revoked a controversial anti-terror law and extremist Hindus hostile to the act giving it the same degree of impunity compared to the previous regime • Privately-owned media and journalists are quick to defend themselves when their rights are threatened • Pakistan: • Pakistani reporters allowed to visit the disputed province of Kashmir for the first time in more than 50 years • But not vice versa -- Authorities in Islamabad continued to refuse visas to some Indian journalist, including in September when they applied to cover a cricket match

13.  Press Freedom Barometer 2006 • 14 Journalists killed • 6 Media Assistants killed • 122 Journalists imprisoned • 3 Media Assistants imprisoned • 56 Cyber-dissidents imprisoned

14.  • 122 journalists imprisoned • The breakdown: • Algeria – 1 • Burma – 7 • China – 32 • Israel – 1 • Cuba – 23 • D.R. Congo – 1 • Egypt – 1 • Eriteria – 13 • Ethiopia – 17 • Gambia – 2 • Iran – 4 • Iraq – 1 • Laos – 1 • Libya – 1 • Maldives – 3 • Nepal – 2 • Nigeria – 1 • North Korea – 1 • Rwanda – 3 • Saudi Arabia – 1 • Syria – 1 • Turkey – 1 • Turkmenistan – 1 • United States – 1 • Uzbekistan - 2

15.  • 56 Cyber-dissidents imprisoned • The breakdown: • Iran – 2 • China – 48 • Syria – 3 • Tunisia – 1 • Vietnam – 2

16.  China: 48 Cyber-dissidents imprisoned • February 22, 2006 - Hao Wu, blogger and documentary filmmaker • January 25, 2006 - Li Changqing, journalist for the Fuzhou Daily • December 23, 2005 - Yang Tianshui, online journalist • September 29, 2005 - Li Yuanlong, journalist for the Bijie Ribao • May 28, 2005 - Li Jianping, freelance journalist, entrepreneur • January 29, 2005 - Zhang Lin, pro-democracy activist • December 29, 2004 - Zheng Yichun, poet, professor and freelance writer • December 02, 2004 - Liao Yuanhua, former civil servant, member of Falun Gong movement • December 13, 2003 - Kong Youping, dissident • September 13, 2003 - Huang Jinqiu (Qing Shuijun), former journalist, cyberdissident • August 08, 2003 - Li Zhi, civil servant • July 09, 2003 - Tao Haidong, dissident • June 13, 2003 - Luo Yongzhong, shopkeeper • April 2003 - Huang Qunwei, jobless • March 27, 2003 - Zheng ("Sini"), pupil

17.  China: 48 Cyber-dissidents imprisoned • March 12, 2003 - Zhang Yuxiang, dissident • November 2003 - Lu Zengqi, executive in a technology company • November 2003 - Chen Shumin, head of a technology firm • November 2003 - Yin Yan • November 2003 - Li Jian • November 2003 - Yan Qiuyan • November 06, 2002 - Jiang Lijun, dissident • November 04, 2002 - He Depu, dissident • November 04, 2002 - Zhao Changqing, dissident • October 2002 - Han Lifa, dissident • September 05, 2002 - Liang Changying, teacher, member of Falun Gong movement • April 27, 2002 - Yang Jianli, economist • April 01, 2002 - Li Dawei, dissident • November 2002 - Tan Qiu, former hospital worker • November 2002 - Fang Guokun, railroad worker, member of Falun Gong movement

18.  China: 48 Cyber-dissidents imprisoned • June 01, 2001 - Li Hongmin, dissident • April 30, 2001 - Wang Sen, dissident • March 13, 2001 - Yang Zili, creator of the website www.lib.126.com • March 13, 2001 - Jin Haike, dissident • March 13, 2001 - Xu Wei, journalist for the Consumer daily • March 13, 2001 - Zhang Honghai, writer • November 2000 - Zhang Yuhui, businessman • October 2000 - Li Yanfang, student • October 2000 - Jiang Yuxia, student • October 2000 - Li Chunyan, student • October 2000 - Huang Kui, student • October 2000 - Ma Yan, student • October 2000 - Lin Yang, student • July 29, 2000 - Zhang Haitao, creator of the only China-based Web site on Falun Gong • July 07, 1999 - Liu Xianbin • June 19, 1999 - Zhu Yufu, journalist • June 19, 1999 - Wu Yilong, dissident • June 19, 1999 - Mao Qingxiang, journalist

19.  Vietnam: 2 Cyber-dissidents imprisoned • September 25, 2002 - Nguyen Vu Binh, former journalist for Tap Chi Cong San (the Communist Newspaper’s magazine) • March 27, 2002 - Pham Hong Son, doctor and sales representative for a pharmaceutical company

20.  Expression under Repression As at April 19… Hao Wu has been detained for 57 days. WITHOUT A REASON. WITHOUT TRIAL. Online Petition: http://www.gopetition.com/region/237/8389.html

21.  Thank You.