Report Lists 'Enemies Of The Internet'

Reporters Without Borders Names Countries Lacking In Cyber-Freedom Of Expression

(CBS)  The international journalists' advocacy group Reporters Without Borders has released its annual list of countries that "systematically violate online free expression."

The French-based organization's "Enemies of the Internet" list includes 13 countries in 2006, with three being dropped from the previous year and one new addition: Egypt.

The group said in a statement that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, "displays an extremely disturbing authoritarianism as regards the Internet," but points out that only select websites seem to be targeted for filtering, and those are largely sites linked to radical Islamic groups.

The report claims that Egyptian bloggers have come under intense scrutiny in 2006, with several being arrested for urging economic reforms on their sites and others facing police harassment. It also said the Egyptian government now has the power to shut down any site deemed a threat to the nation's security.

"This could open the way to extensive online censorship," the statement said.

Remaining on the list from 2005 are: Belarus, Burma, China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.

Reporters Without Borders said that China remains unchallenged as the world's "most advanced country in Internet filtering."

The Chinese government makes no attempt to hide the fact that it closely monitors everything allowed online in the country.

However, due to Beijing's huge economic and geopolitical importance to the Western world, it has been relatively successful at absorbing criticism about its non-existent freedom of the press without affecting any real change.

That rule does not apply, as the group points out, to Vietnam.

While the communist nation of 84 million remains on the group's blacklist, their position there may be destined to change in the not-so-distant future.

Vietnam was formally invited Tuesday to join the World Trade Organization, and the country's booming economy is bringing it inevitably closer to the Western world.

This changing relationship is forcing Vietnam "to soften its control over news and information," Reporters Without Borders said, adding that Hanoi also seems now to "hesitate to crack down on dissidents."

For the three countries removed from the list; Libya, the Maldives and Nepal, it has been a combination of a quiet, unpublicized lack of arrests in the first two, and a noisy military coup in the second that earned their removal.

The group said that while the leaders of both Libya and the Maldives are still considered "press freedom predators," neither country has jailed "cyber-dissidents" during the last year, and both seem to be relaxing policy on website policing and censorship.

In Nepal, a May military coup which resulted in King Gyanendra being stripped of most of his actual power and democracy being restored to the tiny Himalayan nation also seems to have restored press freedoms, according to the group.

"The Internet is no longer censored and no harassment or arbitrary detention of any blogger has been reported," the report said.

Coinciding with the release of their 2006 Enemies of the Internet list, Reporters Without Borders launched a 24 hour appeal Tuesday, asking people to visit their website and register their name in support of freedom of cyber-expression, and to chose one of the nations on the list to publicly denounce.

[marcelde]

Reporters Without Borders: list of countries that "systematically violate online free expression."

Will the U.S. be added to that list? Will this Republican misadministration try to suppress postings like:

George Bush's triumphal announcement of "Mission Accomplished" could be viewed as correct if we agree that the mission was to kill thousands of our troops, uncounted civilians, destroy the infrastructure of Iraq, erode any residual respect of the rest of the world for us, and set the stage for a bloody civil war in Iraq.

In accomplishing that "mission" we have already lost over 2,800 U.S. military, diverted critical funds from the War on Terror,.

THE HISTORY LESSON RUMSFELD SHOULD BE LEARNING is the tragic lesson of Vietnam where an unpopular "police action" was fabricated to stop the "domino effect" of spreading Communism.

Those who suggest we "still have not learned history's lessons" ignore 58,249 soldiers that needlessly died there. That war left Vietnam a Communist country, but our trading partner. Those who objected to that war want to Support Our Troops" by bringing them home out of harm's way. We need to actively resist mindless leaders who suggest that Weapons of Mass Destruction, never found in Iraq, are the cause of 911, and that every culture is eager to embrace our form of democracy. Our soldiers who are dying in Iraq are another "Inconvenient Truth" just as those in 1970 whose names are engraved on the Vietnam War Memorial.

[marcelde]

PLAGIARIZED BUT VALID

THINGS YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE TO BE A REPUBLICAN TODAY.

Saddam was a good guy when Reagan armed him, a bad guy when Bush%u2019s daddy made war on him, a good guy when Cheney did business with him, and a bad guy when Bush needed a "we can%u2019t find Bin Laden" diversion.

Trade with Cuba is wrong because the country is Communist, but trade with China and Vietnam is vital to a spirit of international harmony.

A woman can%u2019t be trusted with decisions about her own body, but multi-national corporations can make decisions affecting all mankind without regulation.

The best way to improve military morale is to praise the troops in speeches,while slashing veterans%u2019 benefits and combat pay.

If condoms are kept out of schools, adolescents won%u2019t have ***.

A good way to fight terrorism is to belittle our long-time allies, then demand their cooperation and money.

Providing health care to all Iraqis is sound policy, but providing health care to all Americans is socialism.

Global warming and tobacco%u2019s link to cancer are junk science, but creationism should be taught in schools.

A president lying about an extra-marital affair is an impeachable offense, but a president lying to enlist support for a war in which thousands die is solid defense policy.

Being a drug addict is a moral failing and a crime, unless you%u2019re a Conservative radio host. Then it%u2019s an illness and you need our prayers
for your recovery.

[marcelde]

%u201CIn developed countries, freedom of the press implies that all people should have the right to express themselves in writing or in any other way of expression of personal opinion or creativity.%u201D Courtesy of Wikipedia snip

%u201CStrict control of access to information is critical to the existence of most non-democratic governments and their associated control systems and security apparatus.%u201D Courtesy of Wikipedia

If we declare someone guilty by association, without any trial, we have put our way of life in far worse jeopardy than the proven terrorists could ever hope to achieve.

There is no doubt that our Constitution also guarantees our citizens; of which Juan Padilla is a member, a right to a fair and speedy trial.

Irrespective of the truth of his allegations of torture, it is undeniable that he was *not* given a "fair and speedy trial" if he was incarcerated for three and a half years!


It is critical that we not be governed by our fears. Once we accept dictatorial powers by this administration we are no better than many of the German people who refused to repudiate Hitler.

It is not just our "right" but our responsibility, to maintain that a person is innocent until PROVEN guilty.

We make no apologies for the heinous acts of terrorists but I do believe that even Saddam Hussein and certainly Juan Padilla deserves, his day in court.

VOTE DEMOCRATIC! VOTE TO HONOR OUR CONSTITUTION.

%u201CThe Price of Liberty is Eternal Vigilance.%u201D

[marcelde]

THE PARTS OF OUR CONSTITUTION THIS BUSH MISADMINISTRATION IGNORES:

Amendment I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Amendment IV
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Amendment VI
In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.

Amendment VII
In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise reexamined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.

[agnim]

These world dictators who come up with their list are merely agents of european domination through smear campaigns!

Every nation reserves the right to regulate media if there is threat to national interest as it is defined by THEM!
And EVERY country does regulate/prowl/spy on its citizens in one form or another, just ask the young California students who had a beef with her president and was accosted secret service agent.

It is generally acknowledged that the US and UK have programs to track every communications on the Net; but they are never going to make the list "Internet Enemies"; because they are western euroepan countries, just like the french who are making their BIAS list!

[lost_seraph]

Why can't people just do what they want on the internet regardless of where they live or what government rules over them? It's all escapism anyway.