Stories about Advocacy from January, 2023
How military supporters are using Telegram channels to suppress dissent in Myanmar
Pro-military people are urging the military authorities to take action against those who are pro-democracy, calling for detention, imprisonment, property seizure, revoking citizenship and travel documents — even the execution of political prisoners and rebels.
Anti-zero-COVID ‘white paper’ protesters face forced disappearance in China
An unknown number of anti-zero COVID policy protesters were forced into disappearance during Christmas and Lunar New Year break in China.
State-affiliated actors launch smear campaign against Hungarian investigative nonprofit Átlátszó
Hungarian pro-government media publish defamatory texts about independent investigative outlet Atlatszo with allegations that it was receiving 'Judas money' and being a 'criminal association' involved in treason and anti-national activities.
Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen orders police to find Facebook beach ‘insulter’
Cambodian prime minister's Facebook post attracted more than 19,000 comments, mostly fawning deferentially to the prime minister. But Facebook user “Ver To” went against the tide.
President Bukele harasses independent journalists on Twitter in El Salvador
Bukele's presidency has attacked and discredited independent journalists who expose corruption in his government, putting them at risk of harassment and violence.
Saudi Arabia: Call for release of two Saudi Wikipedians
A request for the release of doctors Osama Khalid and Ziad Al-Sufyani, who contributed to Wikipedia Arabic and were jailed in Saudi Arabia for 32 and 8 years, respectively.
Cambodia bans music video of police attacking workers in 2014
"It is LICADHO’s belief that the music video is not incitement, and is protected speech under the Cambodian Constitution. We are saddened by this restriction on freedom of expression."
Thailand’s new ministerial decree could further suppress free speech online
The new decree is “another tool of control for the authorities to silence critical dissent, and a reflection of the digital dictatorship in Thailand.”
Infrastructural content moderation: the case of Mariupol
In addition to the obvious humanitarian consequences that internet shutdowns in a war zone bring, infrastructural content moderation is a potent and dangerous approach to spreading disinformation.
Rights organization OVD-Info gives an overview of repression in Russia in 2022
In 2022 in Russia, there were more than 21,000 arrests and at least 370 defendants in criminal cases for anti-war statements and speeches. More than 200,000 Internet resources have been blocked including 11 sentences in cases of state treason.
Saudi Arabia: Government agents infiltrate Wikipedia, sentence independent admins to prison
The Saudi government infiltrated Wikipedia by recruiting the organization’s highest-ranking administrators in the country to control information about the country and prosecute those who contributed critical information about political detainees.
How Zimbabwe is building a Big Brother surveillance state
Citizens' belief that the infringement of human and digital rights does not concern them has created fertile ground for the emergence of pervasive surveillance in Zimbabwe.
Kosovo: Six attacks against journalists in December following escalating tensions
The Kosovo media sphere is endangered by the recent physical assaults and their implications for press freedom and reporting on developments in the northern part of the country
New stringent legislation threatens data privacy and surveillance protection in Tanzania
A lack of data protection and privacy legislation leaves room for abuse in Tanzania.
The construction of the 5G network brings the demise of the Chinese domination in North Macedonia’s telecommunications
Despite the real concerns around privacy and espionage, and the often debunked viral concerns around 5G and health, the installation of a 5G network in North Macedonia continues without problems — for now.
Filipino activists decry Facebook’s ‘automated censorship’
The removal of posts “exposes how the so-called community standards of Facebook are arbitrarily invoked to silence activists and revolutionaries.”
