The Network of Vietnamese Bloggers has called on the government of Vietnam to uphold its commitment to human rights in wake of the country’s election to the United Nations Human Rights Council
Japan’s new secrecy law is yet another disturbing symptom of the country’s rising militarism, broadening the government’s power to classify state secrets amidst increased belligerence in the region. Saul Takahashi reports for Open Democracy
A radio prank that lead to tragic consequences may end up expanding Australia’s broadcast authority’s powers. Helen Clark reports
Pakistan is notorious for blocking websites. It has banned more than 4,000 websites for what it considers objectionable material. The latest was IMDb, Zofeen Ebrahim reports.
Despite a thriving media sector, Bangladesh has seen a surge in violence against journalists. Samira Shackle reports
On the eve of the International Day To End Impunity, we look back at the journalists intimidated, attacked and killed in 2013
The rules India makes for its online users are highly significant – for not only will they apply to 1 in 6 people on earth in the near future as more Indians go online, but as the country emerges as a global power they will shape future debates over freedom of expression online.
This paper has shown that despite its lively democracy, strong tradition of press freedom and political debates, India is in many ways struggling to find the right balance between freedom of expression online and other concerns such as security.
International summits and fora over the next two years will be critical in determining the internet’s future.
Key concerns in assessing online freedom of expression in India are the barriers to accessing the internet itself.