China: Editor dismissed for online comments

The editor of a Chinese newspaper has been dismissed after posting comments online deemed critical of the government. Yu Chen, editor of the investigative news desk at Southern Metropolitan Newspaper, was initially suspended and later forced to resign after he accidentally used the newspapers Sina Weibo account to respond  a question on whether China’s Ministry of National Defence should serve the Chinese Communist Party. Yu’s post was deleted immediately, along with the message he was responding to. Yu is the first journalist in China to be forced to resign from a newspaper as a result of online comments.

Pakistan: Journalist killed, house of another attacked

A local TV correspondent has been murdered in Pakistan, while another has had his house attacked. Abdul Qadir Hajizai, a correspondent for a Balochi-language TV channel WASH TV, was shot by men on motorcycles on 27 May as he headed home from work. The journalist later died in hospital. Separatist group Baloch Liberation United Front (BLUF) have taken responsibility for the murder, claiming Hajizai  was a government informer reporting against them. In a separate attack, armed men also shot at the home of Irshad Akhtar, president of Turbat Press Club. He and his family were unhurt.

China: Censors erase 13 minutes from ‘Men in Black 3′ to remove Chinese villains

China’s film censors have erased 13 minutes of footage from the new Men in Black film to remove the appearance of Chinese villains. Beijing’s censors have removed a scene showing an alien disguised as a Chinese restaurant worker, along with the appearance of a Chinese cashier girl who uses her long alien tongue to attack Will Smith’s character, Agent J. The final cut taken from the film involved Smith erasing the memories of a group of Chinese onlookers. One of the country’s newspapers speculated that the last scene had been removed as a statement on “internet censorship to maintain social stability”.

China: Regulation of Sina Weibo seen as Government censorship

China‘s largest microblogging service has introduced a code of conduct to restrict the type of messages that can be posted. The new move from Sina Weibo, seen to be the latest attempt to censor social media, comes after local authorities criticised the posting of “unfounded” rumours on the network. Under the new rules, users start with 80 “points” which can be deducted for breaking the sites code of conduct, and repeat offenders risk having their accounts deleted. The site has also developed a “community convention” clearly outlining what type of postings are unacceptable on the site.

Indonesia: Lady Gaga concert off after threats

Lady GaGa has been forced to cancel her Indonesian concert, as promoters claim the threats made against her were too serious for the show to go ahead. The Born This Way Ball, which was scheduled to take place on 3 June, has been at the centre of a campaign from Islamic hardliners, claiming the show could undermine the country’s moral fibre. Promoters had suggested negotiations were taking place to tone down the gig, ensuring it could go ahead safely, but the pop diva’s management stated there would be no compromise to quiet the religious conservatives. GaGa tweeted an apology to her fans.

China: Chen Guangcheng’s brother flees village

The brother of blind Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng has fled his family’s captors in a second escape from their Shandong village. Chen Guangfu arrived in Beijing on Thursday morning after escaping the home where his relatives have been living under strict control since his brother escaped house arrest and fled to the US embassy in Beijing in April. Chen Guangfu is said to be seeking help for his son, Chen Kegui, who was arrested on attempted murder charges earlier this month following a clash with intruders who broke into his home to search for his uncle.    

Bangladesh: Journalist brutally attacked with machetes

A group of unidentified assailants attempted to hack off the arm of a journalist in Bangladesh on Saturday (19 May). ABM Fazlur Rahman, from daily Samakal was targeted in the brutal attack after reporting on an obscene dance performance at a university in Pabna. Rahman was contacted by an anonymous caller, asking him to visit Govt Edward College campus. Upon his arrival at the campus, he was set upon by four people with machetes. The journalist has received treatment at Pabna Medical College Hospital.

India: Government debates cyber censorship, ‘hacktivists’ hack government websites

Hacktivists have targeted two Indian government websites, as discussions of internet regulation took place in parliament. The websites of India’s apex court and the ruling Congress party were hacked in an apparent protest against the censorship of some websites by the Indian government. Hacking group Anonymous, who have protested the closures of video sharing websites Pirate Bay and Vimeo, are believed to have been involved in the attacks.  Shortly before the websites became unavailable, Anonymous Central Twitter account read: “Namaste #India, your time has come to trash the current government and install a new one. Good luck.”