Anyone wishing to reproduce printed or written material in Lhasa will have to undergo real-name ID registration due to a new ruling announced on 10 May. Local police will now regularly check copy service providers to ensure that they take down the names, addresses and organisations of all their customers. The move is intended to monitor the distribution of leaflets and pamphlets by pro-Tibetan activists.
Pakistan blocked access to Facebook today over the Everybody Draw Mohammed Day event on 20 May. A judge at Lahore’s High Court issued an interim order, which expires on 31 May when a detailed hearing will take place. It has been reported that some users are still able to sporadically access the site, whilst others are using proxy websites to circumvent the ban.
The South East Asia Press Alliance’s statement on media casualties in Bangkok
(more…)
Security forces in Mauritania have banned veiled women from entering a courtroom where a terrorism case is being heard. Veiled women were also prevented from visiting the 20 defendants, who are accused of killing four French tourists in 2007 and attacking the Israeli embassy in 2008.