Documentary’s legal battles reveal ugly truth
In a self-preserving news blackout, the mainstream media proved the central point of the Starsuckers documentary: their “behaviour is monstrously hypocritical”. Judith Townend reports
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Kyrgyzstan: protests break out over repressive government
Large-scale riots have broken out in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, over what human rights groups claim are increasingly repressive policies of the president, Kurmanbek Bakiyev. One government minister has been killed, and the deputy prime minister has been taken hostage in a series of protests which started when a group of protestors stormed government offices in the town of of Talas on Tuesday. Since he took office in 2005, Bakiyev has cracked down on opposition parties and the independent media. Last Wednesday, a court suspended the newspaper Forum, on the basis that an article contained “appeals to forcibly overthrow the constitutional order”. On Thursday, financial police raided the Bishkek headquarters of the independent Web-based television outlet Stan TV, confiscating all computer equipment. The clampdown follows suspensions of two other newspapers Achyk Sayasat and Nazar on 18 March. All thee had reported on a March opposition convention, at which representatives demanded President Bakiyev dismiss his relatives from government positions, and that the government lower electricity and heating costs.
Libel reform washed out?
Jack Straw’s measure to reduce success payments to lawyers in ‘no win no fee’ libel cases sunk by a misinformed backbench rebellion, says Bob Satchwell
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PAST EVENT: From Behzti to Behud
April 10th 2010 11am – 6pm
A day of discussion to accompany the premiere run of Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti’s new play Behud at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry
‘Behzti Five Years on’ – panel discussion
Chaired by Kenan Malik (writer, broadcaster), author of From Fatwa to Jihad.
Panellists: Giles Croft (Nottingham Playhouse); Hamish Glen (Belgrade Theatre), Sunny Hundal (Asians in the Media, liberalconspiracy.org), Trina Jones (Birmingham Rep), Hardish Virk (Multi Nation Arts).
In 2004 there were concerns that the fallout from the ‘Behzti’ affair would have a chilling effect on British theatre and that it would become increasingly difficult to stage controversial work. ‘Behzti Five Years On’ focuses on theatre in the Midlands, asking to what extent this has come true. Theatre has a distinct role in reflecting contemporary society, and in influencing, shaping, and interrogating our shared culture. Are we witnessing a trend towards subtle forms of censorship, underpinned by the government’s national security agenda? Is support for freedom of expression on the decline?
The panel discussion will be followed by lunch and the matinée performance of Behud by Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti. We will then have an after-show discussion with Lisa Goldman, Hamish Glen and members of the cast, chaired by Jo Glanville (editor of Index on Censorship).
The discussion events are free and the matinee performance is priced as on theatre website
Behud (Beyond Belief) is also running in London’s Soho Theatre, from 13 April to 8 May, 2010. Book online here.
For more information please visit http://art.indexoncensorship.org