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Friday, May 9, 2014
Press and religious freedom worsen in China | Free Tibet
Tibetan monks protesting in Tibet
China a "country of particular concern"
This year’s World Press Freedom Index ranks China at 175out of 180 countries, two places down from the previous report.
The rating applies to China as a whole but more press restrictions apply in Tibet. Last year the Chinese government harassed and threatened French journalist Cyril Payen and his news agency after they aired an undercover documentary on Tibet.
China regularly arrests Tibetans because they have shared information.
Kalsang a mother of three was arrested for her activities on social media.
Tibetans defy this censorship to share their stories. Golog Jigme Gyatso - who helped film Leaving Fear Behind, a series of interviews in which Tibetans talked frankly about China's occupation, with Dhondup Wangchen - has been listed in the Reporters without Borders “100 information heroes”.
No religious freedom
A new report by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom has stated that the US government must continue to list China as a “country of particular concern” for religious freedom.
It finds that over the past decade the conditions of Tibetan Buddhists have declined to their worst state in many years.
The Chinese government tries to discredit religious leaders who become too outspoken. Monasteries' operations are restricted and religious activity strictly monitored and controlled.
Tibetans are under heavy surveillance when carrying out religious ceremonies and in Tawu Tibetans wereshot by Chinese authorities whilst holding a prayer ceremony.
More than 125 Tibetans have set themselves on fire in protest against China's occupation with the majority calling for religious freedom and the return of their spiritual leader the Dalai Lama.
Take Action
The Chinese Government cracks down on any form of expression by Tibetans including Tibetan musicians. They have been jailed for writing and singing songs celebrating Tibet, opposing China's occupation and calling for freedom.
Help us tell China to release Tibetan Musicians.
Ethiopian bloggers allege being beaten in detention - Yahoo News
Addis Ababa (AFP) - Three Ethiopian bloggers appeared in court Thursday with two alleging they had been beaten while in detention, a case that has been condemned internationally as an assault on press freedom.
The three are part of a group of nine bloggers and journalists accused by police of "serious crimes", with the other six having appeared in court a day earlier. Thursday's hearing was held in closed session.
None have yet been charged, with police requesting more time to investigate their case.
"The detainees told the presiding judge that they were beaten by the police investigators under their feet and slapped and punched on their faces," defence lawyer Amha Mekonen told AFP.
But she said the police had denied the claim, saying "no one had touched" the detainees.
On April 25 and 26, six members of the blogging collective Zone Nine and three journalists were arrested by police, with the government saying they were being investigated for "serious crimes", without elaborating.
The arrests prompted an outcry from rights groups, with the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) calling them "one of the worst crackdowns against free expression" in the country, while Amnesty International said it was part of a "long trend of arrests and harassment of human rights defenders."
Ethiopia has one of the most closed press environments in the world, the CPJ says, with at least 49 journalists forced into exile -- a figure only beaten by Iran and Somalia.
Ethiopia has also been accused of cracking down on independent media and doling out heavy sentences for journalists under controversial anti-terror legislation.
The six who appeared in court Wednesday will next appear on May 17. The three in court Thursday will next appear on May 18.
US Secretary of State John Kerry urged Ethiopia to allow greater freedoms for civil society and journalists, during a visit last week, expressing concern for the group.
UN human rights chief Navi Pillay has condemned the arrests, warning the country is increasingly muzzling freedom of expression under the guise of fighting terrorism.
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Nine journalists and bloggers arrested in Ethiopia ahead of Kerry visit | Economy | The Guardian
According to sources cited by the International Press Institute, some of the people arrested were among a group that met with the IPI's representatives during a press freedom mission to the country in November 2013.
Three of the nine worked for Amharic and English newspapers. The others wrote for the dissident Zone 9 blog. All were reportedly arraigned in an Addis Ababa court on Sunday (27 April), the day after their arrest.
One of the arrested, the editor of a weekly, said they are all being held at the central police station in Addis Ababa and have been denied access to lawyers, family and colleagues.
According to the Zone 9 blog, the nine were charged with "working with foreign human right activist organisations... and inciting violence through social media to create instability in the country".
IPI's press freedom manager Barbara Trionfi said: "The Ethiopian authorities seem determined to crush any independent source of information, be it in print or online, and local, regional and international press freedom groups have so far failed to halt the ongoing harassment."
"There needs to be concerted international pressure from Ethiopia's donors and partners, including the European Union and the United States, to end the abuse and to pressure the Ethiopian leaders to respect their constitutional and international obligations to respect fundamental rights of media freedom."
US secretary of state John Kerry arrived in Ethiopia yesterday "to advance peace and democracy". His visit prompted Pen America to write a letter urging him to take up the case of the nine arrested journalists and bloggers.
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