Asian countries seen as 'enemies' of the internet

I saw this in today's South China Morning Post (Hong Kong's most popular English language newspaper), and thought it might be apropos for the forum, considering that a large number of members need to read Sawatdee via a proxy service...

Governments in Asia are considered among the world's worst "enemies" of internet freedom, censoring websites and jailing people who express online views that are deemed dangerous.

Ahead of today's World Press Freedom Day, experts said countries including China, Vietnam and Nepal were feeling increasingly threatened by cyberspace, as internet use booms and more people turn to the Web.

Of a list of 15 "enemies of the internet" named by Paris-based rights group Reporters Without Borders, seven are in Asia.

Experts warn that, with less freedom of information, Asian societies risk seeing more corruption and abuse of government power, while public discontent will grow, leading to more social instability.

"These countries are among the most politically backward countries, that's why they are afraid of the internet," said formerly imprisoned Chinese journalist Gao Yu, who won Unesco's Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom award in 1997. "They fear the internet will spread western ideas of freedom and democracy which will lead to an overthrow of their power."

Using sophisticated filtering technology, forcing internet cafes to register users and internet service providers to reveal user information, the governments are trying to rein in a medium they realise they must also embrace to spur modernisation and economic growth.

China, the world's biggest jailer of journalists, now has more cyber dissidents in jail than reporters.

Vietnam has employed internet police to filter out "subversive" content and spy on internet caf├йs. Pham Hong Son was given a five-year prison term and three years' house arrest for sending an article from the US State Department website entitled "What is Democracy" to friends and officials.

Myanmar blocks not only foreign news sites but also Web-based e-mail services like Yahoo! and Hotmail, and forces internet caf├йs to monitor their computer users.

North Korea only allows the privileged to have access to a heavily censored version of the internet with sites praising the regime.

In Nepal, despite restoring internet access that was initially cut off when King Gyanendra seized power in February last year, his regime continued to block opposition publications to try to subdue an uprising that has now forced him to relinquish power.

Meanwhile, Asian countries perceived as more modern and open remained on Reporters Without Borders' "watch list". These countries have also displayed signs of trying to control the internet, the group said.

The Malaysian government's intimidation of online journalists and bloggers has increased in the past three years, it said.


In Singapore, a blogger who criticised the country's university system was forced to shut down his weblog last year.

South Korea excessively filters the internet, blocking pornographic sites as well as publications that supposedly "disturb public order", including pro-North Korean sites.

In Thailand, the government has censored online news sites as part of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's effort to rein in the media, according to the Southeast Asian Press Alliance.

This tight control over the internet in Asia has removed an effective check on government powers and will fuel only more political discontent, experts say.

"They'll only have economic development, but how about political [development]?" said Mr Gao. "People will become even more dissatisfied ... This will only encourage more people to go online."

MBG -- Just realised that I ought to have posted this to "any other country" as opposed to the Thailand forum -- thanks to whomever moved it for me, and sorry for the oversight