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Social activism through blogging in repressed countries

By Kelly Hunt

(Class presentation: Nov. 19, 2008)

 

“Everyone has right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”

-Article 19, Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the Committee to Protect Bloggers

Blogging plays a vital role in social activism in repressed countries by offering a channel through which voices can be heard.  Blogs transcend national borders and allow for the free flow of ideas throughout the world. The unwarranted restriction of which is a direct attack on freedom of speech, a basic human freedom that can bring the people of various nations together in times of peace and war and in times of celebration and grief. The technology offers people of varying backgrounds the opportunity to learn about other cultures and connect in ways never seen before.

According to Kate Allen, UK director of Amnesty International, “It is the greatest medium for free expression since the printing press, a meeting of technology and the social, inquisitive nature of human beings and the irrepressible force of human voice.” 1

The Bagdad Blogger, during the U.S.-led invasion into Iraq 2003, provided people from around the globe with a glimpse of the life of an Iraqi caught between an invading army and brutal dictator. Bloggers also brought the world first hand knowledge of the Asian tsunami in 2004. Without these bloggers, personal accounts delivered in an immediate manner would not be possible at the rate they are produced and appear to the public. There is a new blog created every second, bringing with it a unique voice for the world to hear.2 

Author of The Blogging Revolution and a Sydney-based freelance journalist, Antony Loewenstein, said, “The internet cannot on its own bring large change, but it can facilitate and empower people to find their voice and campaign openly. No technology has existed before the web to do this. … Blogs in so-called repressive regimes cover issues that time-constrained and narrow Western journalists usually do not. For this reason alone, they should be discussed and promoted.”

According to Loewenstein, blogs originating from repressed countries, such as Iran and Egypt, are growing in numbers and are beginning to influence the political process. The governments in these regimes are recognizing the importance of this online force and are doing their best to silence bloggers through arrests and imprisonments.

“International solidarity, from other bloggers and certain governments, is making the job of repressive regimes more difficult. Imprisoned bloggers won’t be forgotten,” Loewenstein said. “More effort should be placed into finding connections between the West and the rest because the internet is currently a space where these two worlds (can) interact.”3

Bloggers have embraced the internet in battles against repression, but governments are lashing out. Reporters Without Borders, a Paris group advocating freedom of the press, released a list in November of countries that work hard to censor the internet. The group, which works to “provide a means for people in repressed countries to show solidarity,” announced that Myanmar leads the list, with China coming in second. Other repressive governments named include: Belarus, Iran, Cuba, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkmenistan, Vietnam, North Korea, Syria, and Uzbekistan.4

According to the Freedom House, Myanmar, known as Burma, is listed in the not-free category. Burma received a combined average rating of 7 on a 1-7 scale of independent countries: 1 being an independent country and 7 being not free. China is listed as not free, with a 6.5 rating; Belarus, not free, 6.5 rating; Iran, not free, 6 rating; Cuba, not free, 7 rating; Egypt, not free, 5.5 rating; Saudi Arabia, not free, 6.5 rating; Turkmenistan, not free, 7 rating; Vietnam, not free, 6 rating; North Korea, not free, 7 rating; Syria, not free, 6.5 rating; and Uzbekistan is listed as not free, with a 7 rating.5

No. 2 China is described as a “pioneer of Internet censorship, dedicating more resources than any other country to restrict online freedoms.” 4 China is the most tech savvy blocker and has become the world’s most sophisticated censorship regime, using filters to block Web sites containing certain phrases and expanding the use of internet police to monitor online use. All Web sites are required to register. Self censorship has taken hold of the country for fear of being prosecuted or worse dominates. Internet café owners are responsible for the online use of their customers, and must check the IDs before allowing anyone to use the web. Cameras are being installed in cafes to monitor who visits them and displays on computer screens remind users that they are being watched. The country works closely with hardware companies to build monitoring and filtering technologies. 1

The government in Belarus blocks Web sites that “even hint at political opposition, particularly during election season,” and is known for jailing university students who blog critically against the president and government. North Korea has total control of its media, allowing only a few thousand citizens access to the internet, which includes about 30 Web sites praising the North Korean government. In Vietnam, penalties are three years in jail “for voicing democratic sentiments online.”

In the Middle East, censorship and punishment circle around religion. In Egypt, a 22-year-old blogger was arrested for posts critical of “the rise of religion in daily life” in Egypt. He was expelled from his university, which is renowned as the highest seat of Sunni Islamic education in the country. In Iran, independent media Web sites are routinely blocked and the government is continuing to arrest bloggers. A 23-year-old was imprisoned for two years for “opposing the Supreme Guide Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.”

According to Reporters Without Borders, the Burmese government monitors internet use, taking screenshots of computers in use every five minutes at internet café’s, the main access to the internet in Burma. The government also uses software to block Web sites they deem opposing to its view. 4

The Burmese government has more than 2,100 political prisoners in jail at this time. According to The Burma Campaign UK, “they have been imprisoned just for peacefully calling for democracy and freedom in Burma.”

The group lists torture that these prisoners endure as: electric shock, rape, iron rods rubbed on their shins until flesh is rubbed off, sever beatings, solitary confinement, forced to hold unnatural positions for long periods of time, water torture, inflicted with severe burns with electric rods, kept in cells for 24 hours a day, given inadequate food, kept in poor health and denied medical care. Freeing political prisoners in Burma is being demanded worldwide and has drawn the attention of the United Nations Security Council. According to The Burma Campaign, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will visit Burma in December to look into these allegations.

Punishment in Burma is by far extreme. Eight Seconds of Silence is a report issued by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. These excerpts are words from family members who have died due to Burma’s treatment of political prisoners:

 

“I grieved so much as if my heart was broken.  I still feel hurt and very upset when I see his picture.  I still burst into tears when I look at his picture.  I tell myself that it would have been better if I could replace him because I am over 60 years old now.  I cried in front of them (the authorities), saying my son shouldn’t be dead yet.  And I prayed for others not to face similar tragedy to mine… I wouldn’t be that sad if my son was a criminal.  Obviously, he was not.  He died for his country and that’s why I can’t feel anymore. I don’t want to blame them [authorities] further since they are absolutely out of control.  My son died because they closed their ears and didn’t want to listen to us.  I would feel less hurt if he had died in my hands. I just pray that there will be no more deaths like my son’s in the future.  And if I ever offended them [authorities] in my previous life, I hope I gain release from my sufferings in this life.”

-Daw Than Aye speaking about her son, Ko Khin Maung Lwin

 

“I am not looking to accuse a person for my father’s death by saying, “Why did he die and who made him die?” I understand clearly who is responsible. It is not a person; it is the bad political system. Of course, the military dictatorship is responsible. That is why I don’t have any personal feelings of hate or bitterness. There have been too many lives lost and blood sacrificed under the military dictatorship. There have been too many lives damaged. I am trying to console myself as this has not just happened to my father.”

-Ko Kyaw Zaw speaking about his father, U Kyi Tin Oo

 

“I will never forget that my father introduced my siblings and I to the history of Burma, especially the student movement. Our country is very beautiful. There are many rivers, mountains and delightful natural scenes, but there has also been many sounds of crying, moaning and anger. Missing fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters...they scream while searching, crying from the torture. Whenever political activists die in prison or the interrogation center, their families have no right to bury the bodies of their loved ones. Our nation is overwhelmed with grief.

Many activists have been killed by the junta. I want peace and stability for my country.  I pray that those who sacrificed their life for democracy and human rights, including my father, can find rest.”

-Ko Salai Yaw Aung speaking about his father, U Saw Win (MP)

 

In the foreword of the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, United Nations Soecial Rapporteur wrote: “Nothing is more revealing about the situation of human rights in a country than the existence of political prisoners. They embody the denial of the most basic freedoms essential to humankind, such as freedom of opinion and assembly.”

Tom Malinowski, Washington Advocacy director of Human Rights Watch wrote: “The Burmese government, like most dictatorships, does its best to hide the crimes it commits against its people… It tells them: ‘Not only will we harm you physically, but no one in the world will know we did this to you. No one will know that you suffered. No one will know that you even existed. And if they do not know, they will not care.’”

Tate Naing, secretary of the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners in Burma told a story of a prisoner: “In May 2005, a young man in Burma sat down in a local restaurant to east his dinner. While eating, he was suddenly accosted by several men and taken to an unknown location. Seven days later, he was dead.” The man, Aung Hlaing Win was tortured in Burma for his association with the National League for Democracy, which opposed the Burma regime. Win’s family was notified days later and was told Win died of a heart attack. Authorities responsible for Win’s death have yet to be identified.

There also are a number of political prisoners in Burma who have died just days or weeks after being released due to lack of health care from injuries resulting from torture, as well as 15 known cases of disappearances of people after they were taken into government custody. It is difficult to obtain information on missing persons cases and families are left wondering what happened to a loved one. According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners in Burma, the reported number of 15 is likely only a fraction of the actual disappearances. Often, the bodies of prisoners are cremated before family members can see the body, adding to the mystery of the cause of death and extent of torture endured. Many times, families are forced into silence through fear tactics or are bribed to remain silent about the death of their loved ones.

Torture of prisoners in Burma at interrogation centers is documented as “the most brutal,” of all countries. Beyond the torture of the prisoner, they are forced to endure threats of the same torture against their family and associates.6

 

Blogger Case Studies

Moroccan blogger

Moroccan blogger Mohammed Erraji was arrested Sept. 5, 2008, after publishing an article titled “The King Encourages His Subject’s Dependency,” on the online news site Hespress.com. Erraji was sentenced 72 hours later in a fast-tracked trial in which he was denied a lawyer. He received two years in jail and a fine of 5,000 MAD, which translates into about $625 in U.S. currency, for “failure to uphold the respect due to the king.”7

Morocco, listed as a partly free country by the Freedom House, received a 4.5 out of 7 combined average rating for independence in Freedom House’s 2008 report. 5

The country’s press laws prohibit the press and online bloggers from criticizing the Moroccan monarchy. In Erraji’s article, he states that the king’s charity encourages his people from working.

His article concludes: “When the young Crown Prince, who will become the Ruler one day, witnesses how his father distributes honours, gratuities and gifts to people upon hearing compliments and praise, there is no doubt that he will act based on the same logic, when he rules. This is why we should delay our dreams of a Morocco of equality and equal opportunities until the reign of Mohammad the Seventh, which will follow after Hassan the Third, who is the Crown Prince at present.”

Bloggers flooded the blogosphere with news of Erraji’s sentence and complaints on the content and handling of the case. Erraji’s case was appealed and the court of appeals overturned the original court’s decision. The appeals court dropped all charges and released Erraji. 7

 

Russian blogger

In June, 28-year-old Russian blogger Savva Terentiev received a one-year suspended jail sentence for an inflammatory blog about local authorities. In his post, Terentiev called the police “scum” and said the “police force should be cleaned up by ceremonially burning offices (some reports, such as Reuter’s article, translate “offices” as “officers”) twice a day in a town square.”

Russia’s state-controlled television makes the internet the one non-government controlled medium for opinions and non-state controlled news.8

Bloggers responded with concern over online speech rights. Terentiev, is a musician from Syktyvkar, a town 940 miles north of Moscow. He was charged with “inciting hatred or enmity,” and his blog was taken down. During Terentiev’s prosecution, he wrote Presidents Dimitry Medvedev proclaiming his innocence.

He wrote: It is our duty to take responsibility for words on the Internet but … I did not call for the inflaming of social hatred towards the employees of the police department.” The letter to Medvedev also was posted on his blog.

Free speech advocates in Moscow are uprooted by the latest sentencing, stating the ruling sets a bad precedent for free speech online.9

Alexander Verhovsky, director of the SOVA centre in Moscow told Reuters: “This was an absolutely unjustified verdict. “Savva for sure wrote a rude comment … but this verdict means it will be impossible to make rude comments about anybody.”

The verdict also lead bloggers to question what they can write about in Russia.

Blogger Likershassi wrote: “I don’t know now if I should be writing or not.” Blogger Puffinus wrote: “The fact that Terentiev got a conditional sentence is unimportant. What’s important is the precedent.”

Medvedev claims free speech in his country is essential and that the government shouldn’t intervene much in internet policing, according to the Reuters article.

“Thank God we live in a free society,” Medvedev said during a Reuters interview. “It’s possible to go on the internet and get basically anything you want. In that regard, there are no problems of closed access to information in Russia today, there weren’t any yesterday and there won’t be any tomorrow.”10

Russia is listed as not free by the Freedom House and received a 5.5 out of 7 combined average rating for independence in Freedom House’s 2008 report. 5

 

Lebanese bloggers

Four Lebanese college students were jailed in January for comments on Facebook. The all male group was sentenced for crude remarks about the singing talent of a woman they met at a party. The group was detained after the woman’s father spoke with authorities in the town of Zahle. They were charged with “violating public morality” and slander.

Though their sentence was light – a week in jail - it still sends a message of censorship and deters the freedom of speech the country has proclaimed. Responses to the news on the site included:

1. “We should find out the names of the authorities who agreed to the arrests and then charge them. Lebanon is NOT Saudi as you, very rightly, note. Freedom of speech - even for those who hate us! Hearty”
2. “This is not Iran, that girl has obviously some money. Jenna”
3. “If we are allowed to show our religion and our political choices and to demand our independency loud and clearly in the streets of Lebanon, then we are definitely allowed to make remarks on someone's singing talent. Maybe she does suck and if so, no worry, she can always put some silicons and wear a short skirt and go to saudi!! Why worry about 4 guys if she can have the love of hole Saudi and Rotana!!!! However, I don't blaim her and her father for their complaining. I personally blaim those authorities who made this possible! My God, how low can you fall?!!!!! Diala”11

Lebanon is listed as a partly free country by the Freedom House and received a 4.5 out of 7 combined average rating for independence in Freedom House’s 2008 report. 5

 

Saudi Arabia blogger

Saudi Arabia’s leading blogger Fouad al-Farhan was arrested in January by his government. The 32 year old, who ran a small IT company in Jeddah, was the first blogger in his country to use his real name. The country has more than 500 bloggers, but three years ago, that was not the case.

According to the BBC, “They blog to give voice to their thirst for change – or just to escape isolation and boredom. … (Blogging) has given young Saudis a new means of self-expression in a hitherto closed society.”

Al-Farhan’s blog begins with the motto “Searching for freedom, dignity, justice, equality, public participation and the other Islamic values.” The blog highlights corruption and “the plight of political prisoners.”

There is little information available about the reasons for al-Farhan’s arrest – The government said he was being held for “violating non-security regulations,” refusing to elaborate - but the BBC said it is most likely tied to his political blog and his support for reformists who were arrested for their political movement. The news of his arrest was first heard on the internet.

In Saudi Arabia, cyberspace has become the location for free speech since the government and strict Islamic rules prohibit political discussion. Bloggers turned to the internet for freedom from these restrictions to attack “religious police – or just gossip about fashion, travel and relationships.”12 

Al-Farhan became the first blogger in Saudi to be arrested. And he knew it was coming. Days before his arrest, he wrote in his blog to supports, asking “that if his incarceration lasted more than three days, that the world not ‘forget him.’”13

News of his release spread through online communities; some bloggers received news of his release through iPhone alerts. While bloggers have speculated why al-Farhan had been held so long, Arab bloggers were “unanimously excited.” Bloggers from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, and Sudan, totaling 140, congraduated a-Farhan’s fellow blogger, Mashi 97, but questioned what comes next and what his arrest means to the blogosphere.

Ibarahim of Saudi Arabi wrote: “As a blogger, I want to know what are the laws he has broken so that I don’t commit them.” Blogger Rasheed Abou-Alsamh wanted to know is al-Farhan would continue blogging or if he would chose to end writing on corruption. The Arab Network for Human Rights Information offered its congratulations, while demanding an “immediate lift of the ban on his blog.”14 

Saudi Arabia is listed as not free by the Freedom House and received a 6.5 out of 7 combined average rating for independence in Freedom House’s 2008 report. 5

There are several Web sites geared toward aiding bloggers in their fight against oppression: the Committee to Protect Bloggers15; Global Voices Advocacy, Defending Free Speech Online; Amnesty International16; Reporters Without Borders17; and Don’t Block the Blog, just to name a few.

Amnesty International’s Irrepressible Web site stands out because bloggers can link their blogs to the site, so if their blog is blocked by a repressive government, the site is not lost. Visitors to Irrepressible can take a pledge online to stop this type of oppression and violation of freedom of speech. People display a Irrepressible badge on their Web sites, e-mails or blogs, taking a stand in defeating censorship. The site profiles bloggers who have been unduly imprisoned. The site hosts excerpts from blogs that have been censored and visitors to the Irrepressible site can sign on to publish fragments of the censored material on their Web sites or blogs. 16 

 

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