---------------------------------------------------- Internet Guide for Chinese Studies Newsletter http://www.sino.uni-heidelberg.de/igcs/ignew.htm ---------------------------------------------------- 20 Jun 2003 (HL) New in IGCS - Internet; News Media: The Internet under Surveillance: Obstacles to the free flow of information online Ed./Corp.: Reporters sans frontièrs, Paris, France, Jun 2003. URL.: http://www.rsf.fr/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=378 Language: English, French, Spanish, German. Self description: The Internet is the bane of all dictatorial regimes, but even in democracies, new anti-terrorism laws have tightened government control of it and undermined the principle of protecting journalistic sources. This report is about attitudes to the Internet by the powerful in 60 countries, between spring 2001 and spring 2003. The preface is by Vinton G. Cerf, who is often called the "father" of the Internet. [... Report on China:] The number of Internet users doubles nearly every six months and the number of websites every year. But this dizzying growth is matched by the authorities' energetic attempts to monitor, censor and repress Internet activity, with tough laws, jailing cyber-dissidents, blocking access to websites, monitoring online forums and shutting down cybercafés. Description: Four out of five jailed Internet activists world wide are from China. This latest report makes it possible to compare PRC policies with those in other countries, including Singapore, Japan, the US, the UK, Germany, as well as other "more restrictive" countries such as Vietnam (in prison: 5), the Maldives (in prison: 4), Malaysia (in prison: 1) or Tunesia (in prison: 1). _______________________________________________________ With kind regards, Hanno E. Lecher INTERNET GUIDE FOR CHINESE STUDIES -- editor http://www.sino.uni-heidelberg.de/igcs/ _______________________________________________________ An archive of this list as well as an subscribe/unsubscribe facility is available at: http://listserv.uni-heidelberg.de/archives/igcs-l.html