The Reporters Without Borders (RWB) group represents the
interests of journalists working in dangerous situations around the
world and has organised a web-based protest to put pressure on the
most repressive web regimes.
"Throughout the world, more than 60
Internet users are currently in prison for posting news or
information on the Internet," said an RWB statement.
"Three countries – Nepal, Maldives and Libya – have
been removed from the annual list of Internet enemies," said RWB.
"But many bloggers were harassed and imprisoned this year in Egypt,
so it has been added to the roll of shame reserved for countries
that systematically violate online free expression."
The body is asking internet users to take part in a 24 hour
campaign to highlight the issue of online free speech around the
world. A map illustrating the 13 'internet black holes' was
projected on to major buildings in Paris, while a billboard
containing the image was driven around the streets of New York
yesterday.
The body has been particularly critical of Yahoo!, which it says
passed on information that led to the arrest of one blogger in
China. The group wants internet users to leave a voice mail message
of protest for Yahoo! founder Jerry Yang, and says that 200 people
have already done so. Many more have registered their protest in
other ways, it says.
"In response to an appeal by Reporters Without Borders, more
than 10,000 people have already participated in an online
demonstration that was launched at 11 a.m. today on the
organisation’s website with the aim of condemning the 13 Internet
enemies and combatting online censorship," said RWB. "200 people
have already recorded a message for the founder of Yahoo!,
deploring the fact that his company helps the Chinese authorities
track down cyber-dissidents."
The RWB's research says that China is still one of the biggest
enemies of free speech online. "China unquestionably continues to
be the world’s most advanced country in Internet filtering," said
RWB. "The authorities carefully monitor technological progress to
ensure that no new window of free expression opens up."
"After initially targeting websites and chat forums, they
nowadays concentrate on blogs and video exchange sites. China now
has nearly 17 million bloggers. This is an enormous number, but
very few of them dare to tackle sensitive issues, still less
criticise government policy," it said.
