In a day of dramatic developments, the blind Chinese lawyer who left the US embassy in Beijing yesterday has called on Barack Obama to do everything possible to let his family leave China. “I would like to say to (President Obama): Please do...
CATEGORY: Asia and Pacific
Blind Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng leaves US embassy
Update: the Associated Press has spoken via Skype to a close friend of Chen, Zeng Jinyan, who claims that Chinese officials forced the activist to choose between going into exile alone or staying in China with his family. More details as we get...
Thailand: Webmaster’s lese majeste verdict delayed
A verdict in the trial of a webmaster accused of failing to quickly remove online comments deemed insulting to Thailand's royalty has been postponed. Judge Nittaya Yaemsri said more time was needed to process documents in the case of Chiranuch...
Malaysian columnist fined for defamatory tweets
Green Energy Sources Well-known Malaysian columnist R Nadeswaran has been ordered to pay 500,000 MYR (£101,193) in damages for comments made on Twitter about a property developer. Nadeswaran allegedly tweeted insults about businessman Mohamed Salim...
Chinese petitioner to serve jail time for defaming police officers
On 24 April, Chinese petitioner Hu Lianyou was sentenced to two years in prison for defamation after comments made about a local police chief online, according to Chinese state media. Hu allegedly wrote posts on popular websites accusing two...

Malaysia: The death of civil liberties
Thousands of Malaysians plan to demonstrate in favour of electoral reform this week despite a government crackdown. But the country’s new security laws are set to make political dissent and free speech even more difficult, says Malik Imtiaz Sarwar
Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng escapes house arrest
Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng has reportedly fled to Beijing after a year and a half under house arrest. Chen is one of China's best-known human rights activist, famous for his campaign against forced abortions. The blind lawyer spent four...

Ai Wei Wei’s arrest changed China’s political landscape
The artist Ai Weiwei’s outspoken views are gaining currency. Simon Kirbyreflects on a change of mood in China as people lose faith in the Party
India: University professor arrested over anti-Mamata cartoons
A university protester has been arrested for allegedly spreading derogatory cartoons against "respectable persons" in India. Ambikesh Mahapatra, a chemistry professor at Jadavpur University in Bengal, was arrested on Friday (13 April) for...
Vietnam: New online censorship rules drafted
Google, Facebook, and other internet companies may be required cooperate with Vietnamese authorities in removing content from their sites, based on draft regulations that have been released by the Ministry of Information. Foreign businesses...