Category Archives: Censorship

The death on Thursday of Chinese dissident activist and Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobo elicited an outpouring of grief and anger in China, particularly from its artists. Though usually preferring to remain safely apolitical, members of the Chinese art world defied a ban on covering or mentioning Liu and expressed their sorrow and frustration at his death through mostly indirect references on Chinese social media.

Ai Weiwei, the Chinese dissident artist now living in Berlin, told the BBC yesterday: "It still comes as a big shock... because he has been such a symbol for China's human rights or democratic movement." Ai said of his friend, "I think Liu Xiaobo will be remembered as an individual, a strong mind, with his belief, and as a brave fighter, believing in democracy and freedom of speech. And he sacrificed his life for his belief."

His compatriots still based in China, though unable to speak so freely, found creative ways to mourn Liu on the social media platform Wechat. According to some reports, the national outpouring was so widespread that the government banned the emojis for candles and clasped hands on Twitter clone Weibo, though they remain permitted on Wechat.

Articles mentioning Liu's death, with titles like "The Death of Freedom", were quickly expunged, but artists and curatorshave instead posted screenshots of the error message, with comments like, "Do you not understand what bullshit this is!" Screengrabs of global media reports were also popular, as technology currently does not facilitate the searching of textual images.

One artist listed the characters of Liu Xiaobo's name but on different lines, slowing their removal. Many posted simple all black or grey squares were posted to represent censorship, sometimes adding the prayer and candle emojis and references like Liu's age of death, 62, or simple expressions of gratitude.

Some posted the works of Liu Xiaobo's poet and artist widow Liu Xia, who remains under house arrest, depicting mutilated dolls positioned in bleak landscapes. Paintings of empty chairsreferencedthe empty seat at Liu Xiaobo's 2010 ceremony for the Nobel Peace Prize, which the Chinese government refused to release him to receive.

Liu Xiaobo was a professor spurred to activism by the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, and negotiated the safe passage of hundreds of students from the square. In and out of prison since for his fearless criticism of the government, he was last sentenced to 11 years in 2009 for co-authoring Charter 08, a 2008 call for political reform and greater freedom.

Officials announced Liu's terminal liver cancer last month, and moved him to a hospital in Shenyang under high security but refused to release him for treatment abroad. And while his name can be erased from China's public domain, his memory remains powerfully present.

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China's artists defy censorship ban to mourn Liu Xiaobo - Art Newspaper

Denouncing Censorship Photo Internet users mourning Mr. Liu posted images of an empty chair, an echo of the way the Nobel Prize committee honored him in 2010. Credit via Weibo

As censors sprung into action after Mr. Lius death, internet users found creative means to convey their opinions. One popular motif was a picture of an empty chair, echoing the way the Nobel Prize committee honored Mr. Liu at the 2010 ceremony. Another common image was a black backdrop accompanied only by the text 1955-2017, the years of Mr. Lius life.

Chinese journalists, lawyers and activists denounced government efforts to erase mentions of Mr. Liu. He is now relatively unknown in China, despite his fame overseas, and the mainland Chinese news media has largely not reported his death. To evade censors who were patrolling the internet for uses of Mr. Lius name, some users instead referred to him as Wang Xiaobo, or Teacher Liu.

The censors were quick to react, blocking searches of several code words. A viral essay on Mr. Lius death titled A Night That Cant Be Discussed was quickly deleted.

Mr. Lius famous phrase I have no enemies and no hatred was widely quoted among his admirers in the hours after his death. He had planned to make the remark at his sentencing on charges of inciting subversion of state power in 2009, but the court forbade him from doing so. Since then, the quotation has become a mantra of hope for pro-democracy activists in China and a reminder of Mr. Lius commitment to nonviolence.

I have no enemies and no hatred. None of the police who monitored, arrested and interrogated me, none of the prosecutors who indicted me, and none of the judges who judged me are my enemies, Mr. Liu wrote in a prepared statement in 2009.

As they grappled with his death, Mr. Lius admirers quoted his writings and poetry. Some remembered his days helping student protesters gathered in Tiananmen Square in 1989. They posted photographs of a dimly lit square, a portrait of Mao blurry in the background.

You are the martyr of freedom, wrote one user. The executioner will never be forgiven.

Iris Zhao, Zoe Mou and Ye Fei contributed research.

A version of this article appears in print on July 15, 2017, on Page A7 of the New York edition with the headline: Evading Censors To Honor An Activist.

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Chinese Citizens Evade Internet Censors to Remember Liu Xiaobo - New York Times

Karen Cook

As with most things these days, people do not agree.

I have lived in West Peoria for 43 years, having participated in the Fourth of July parade in various capacities and watched it many times. If the spirit of the Fourth of July stands for anything, it's for the freedoms we enjoy in America. Freedom of speech is No. 1.

I certainly hope the parade does not become censored because there are some groups I would like to see banned. That's not where freedom should lead us. The kids aren't much interested in antique cars, politicians, the pro-life movement or Planned Parenthood, but they are all part of the parade. That's America. I doubt any kids even noticed or understood the float.

The parade is always a fun event. Please don't force it to become a battleground.

Karen Cook

West Peoria

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Letter: No censorship in West Peoria parade - Peoria Journal Star

Large numbers of internet users in China have used elaborate methods to get round the censors to express their grief over the death from liver cancer of the political activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo.

References to Lius name were blocked on Weibo, Chinas version of Twitter, as well as other phrases linked to the rights activist such as I have no enemy a line from his final statement to court during his trial on subversion charges in 2009.

Liu was sentenced to 11 years in jail, but was released on medical parole and treated in hospital after his cancer was diagnosed in May. He died on Thursday.

Other references to Liu blocked online on the mainland included RIP and Emojis of candles, a common method used by internet users to express mourning, such as after natural disasters or serious accidents.

Liu Xiaobo the quiet, determined teller of Chinas inconvenient truths

Blocked searches on Weibo led to a message appearing saying the result cannot be displayed according to relevant laws, regulations and policies.

Similar censorship was in place on WeChat, Chinas hugely popular instant messaging app.

Internet users managed to express their sadness for Lius death by using indirect references to the political activist or through pictures and screenshots.

Many posts referring to Liu, however, were still blocked.

Abnormal weather appeared in many places around the nation and heavy rain poured down, one person wrote on Weibo, Maybe the gods were sad about someones death.

Many articles and poems written by Liu or his wife, plus the cover of Lius doctoral thesis, were widely circulated on WeChat.

Rest in peace, Dr Liu of Beijing Normal University, one of the posts said.

Internet users also posted screenshots of reports and obituaries released by overseas media about Lius death.

State-run media have largely remained silent about the Nobel Peace Prize winners passing.

However, the Global Times, a tabloid controlled by the Communist Party mouthpiece the Peoples Daily, said mourners were putting on a grand show of sorrow. The article was later removed online.

In another article, the newspaper said that Liu was a victim led astray by the West".

Liu lived in an era when China witnessed the most rapid growth in recent history, but he attempted to confront Chinese mainstream society under Western support, it said.

This determined his tragic life. Even if he could have lived longer, he would never have achieved his political goals that are in opposition to the path of history, it added.

Censors appear to have stepped up their surveillance and cast a wider net to catch posts with indirect references Liu as news of his death spread.

The most recent 200 Weibo posts deleted on Weibo were all related to Lius death on Friday morning, according to Weiboscope, a University of Hong Kong project that tracks censorship on the social media platform.

Live on well: fury, farewells and Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobos last words to his wife

None of the deleted tweets contained Lius name, with many referring to the activist simply as him.

Nearly a 10th of the censored posts after the announcement of Lius death on Thursday night contained the Chinese words for rain and storm.

Some of the messages trying to circumvent censorship by adding text inside pictures were also blocked.

Liu, 61, died of multiple organ failure on Thursday, according to statement released by the hospital treating him in Shenyang in Liaoning province.

Liu was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010. He was represented at the ceremony by an empty chair.

Additional reporting by Kinling Lo

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How Chinese internet users got round censors to mourn Liu Xiaobo - South China Morning Post

Health + Tech /13 Jul 2017

Organized protests are taking place against the Trump administrations goal of dismantling net neutrality, which will enable the powerful plutocrats who rule the United States to severely limit the ability of Americans to share anti-establishment ideas and information online. The United States of America is not a democracy, nor a democratic republic, nor a representative democracy, nor a constitutional republic, nor any combination of the above. America is effectively a corporatist oligarchy, according to a Cambridge University-published study conducted by Princeton University Prof Martin Gilens and Northwestern University Prof Benjamin.

Since the Supreme Court has slowly made it legal for the billionaire class to fully control the US government by legalizing corporate lobbying and campaign funding in a way that undeniably amounts to legalized bribery (see 1976s Buckley v. Valeo, 1978s First National Bank of Boston v. Bellotti, and 2010s Citizens United v. FEC), America is now ruled by the wealthy and the people who serve them as surely as a monarchy is ruled by a king or queen.

Ending net neutrality in the name of letting the Magical Free Market Economics Fairy sort things out in an unregulated system, as FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has been advocating, only makes sense if you live in a fictional America that isnt ruled by a small group of plutocrats. Since no American lives in a country wherein ordinary citizens can influence their government in any meaningful way, this cannot possibly be the case.

The US is a nation whose entire government is ultimately answerable only to the owners of enormous multinational corporations and banks, which means that deregulating the ability of those plutocrats to control internet communications is the exact same thing as allowing state censorship. Its easy to get lost in the smaller battles and partisan politics, but when you zoom out and look at the big picture US politics can accurately be described as the slow, suffocating process of robbing the American people of power and giving it to the plutocrats while preserving the illusion of democracy. This new bid to dismantle net neutrality is just one more of the many, many steps that have been taken over many generations to allow this to happen.

Net neutrality is an obstacle for US oligarchs in that it hamstrings their ability to manipulate web traffic away from information which challenges their rule. By dismantling an independent internet, the ever-growing media conglomerates who provide internet services will be able to choke off smaller independent sites by slowing them down with an unaffordable fee for faster service, which will put fewer eyes on dissenting online media. That may be all they need to do to strangle the media revolution, which for the first time in history caused Americas unelected power establishment to completely lose control of the narrative on both ends of the political spectrum in 2016.

The internet has been causing many problems for the ruling class, who up until very recently were able to use the consolidated legacy media they own to manipulate and control the way Americans think and vote. Last year, saw a populist candidate named Bernie Sanders nearly secure the Democratic party nomination while openly using the word oligarchy on national television and speaking out against the billionaire class. Then the official preferred candidate failed to win the general election. This all happened because the American people were able to use the alternative media, social media and WikiLeaks to form their own narratives about what was happening in their country.

Now, the oligarchs were never afraid of either Sanders nor Trump; subsequent events have shown that the US power establishment has been able to push those two individuals around pretty effectively. What they feared, and continue to fear, is the way the people broke out of their corporate media brain boxes and started fighting to take power away from the oligarchs and give it back to themselves. If they lose the ability to manufacture the consent of the governed using their media propaganda machine, they will be unable to govern, and people will use their insurmountable numbers to overthrow them by whatever means.

I feel very confident telling all of my readers that no matter where you are on the political spectrum, the dismantling of net neutrality is bad for you. Go to YouTube and watch some video footage of Ajit Pai right now. Ignore his words and just watch his face, listen to his tone of voice. That is not a sincere person. You can feel it in your guts. Trust that feeling. This former Verizon lawyer isnt trying to dismantle net neutrality because he wants to help you; this former Verizon lawyer is trying to dismantle net neutrality because he wants to hurt you. He wants to take away your power and give it to the ruling class he serves.

Net neutrality was one of the very few victories the American people were able to secure for themselves prior to last year, and they need to fight for it. It will be a challenge, because the ruling elites want the internet as loyal to pro-establishment narratives as they can possibly make it, but its worth fighting for. Dont let these creeps take this away from you.

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Net Neutrality: Corporate Censorship Is State Censorship - International Policy Digest (press release) (blog)

BBC News

El Salvador media bill prompts 'censorship' claim - BBC News BBC News The government says the press should self-regulate violent stories to help the nation's mental health. and more »

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El Salvador media bill prompts 'censorship' claim - BBC News - BBC News

NEW DELHI He may have won a Nobel Prize, but renowned Harvard economist Amartya Sen is not allowed to say the word cow in a new documentary, Indias movie censorship board has ruled.

The documentary, called The Argumentative Indian, is named after abookof essays written by Sen thatdwells (rather ironically) on Indias long history of intellectual pluralism and public debate. The movie will not get a license for public screenings in India unless the cuts are implemented.

Censors have not said why the word cow is objectionable. The documentary at one point talks about the Hindu nationalist, self-styled cow protectors who attack people, mainly Muslims, for carrying or eating beef. Hindus consider the cow tobesacred.

The move comes against the backdrop of a rising nationalistic fervor in India after the victory of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2014. The party has pushed policies in line with its conservative view of Hinduism, the predominant religion in this diverse nation.

Director Suman Ghosh told IndiasTelegraphnewspaper that the censorship underlines the relevance of the documentary in which Sen highlights the growing intolerance in India.

He added, There is no way I would agree to beep or mute or change anything that one of the greatest minds of our times has said in the documentary.

It wasnt just cows that caught the censors attention.Ghosh was also asked by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to remove words such as Gujarat, the name of an Indian state, Hindu India, and Hindutva view of India, referring to the nationalist Hindu ideologyespousedby the BJP.The filmmakers face a lengthy appeals process through which they will attempt to fight the censorship boards decision.

In India, where films draw audiences of millions, nationalist ideology has slowly seeped into the experience of going to the movies. In 2016, the Supreme Court ordered that thenational anthembe played before every screening and that audiences must stand during it.

The CBFC has increasingly comeunder firefor overzealous censorship and moral policing under the leadership of Pahlaj Nihalani, avocal supporterof the BJP, who appears to take offense to any implied criticism of India or Hinduism.

Recently, the board asked directors to remove all references to the state of Punjab in a crime drama called Udta Punjab, meaning Flying Punjab or High Punjab. Instead, the board demanded, the movie should be set in a fictional land. Censors made no comment at the time as to why references to Punjab were objectionable.

In the recent James Bond movie, Spectre, a kissing scene was cut short. Another controversy involves an upcoming Bollywood romantic comedy Jab Harry Met Sejal, playing on the title of When Harry Met Sally, in which censors objected to the word intercourse.

The threat of violence from right-wing mobs also has resulted in censorship in recent months. In the Bollywood blockbuster Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, the role ofPakistani actor Fawad Khan was allegedly trimmed after a right-wing groupthreatenedto burn cinemas down.

The Argumentative Indian, which centers onSen, shows clips of his conversations with former World Bank chief economist Kaushik Basu.

The word cow, which the board wants removed from the film, is heard in an answer to Basus question about the context of Sen'sbook, according to the Telegraph. As part of his answer, Sen says, There was a kind of grandness of vision there, and an integrated picture which hangs together in trying to embrace each other, not through chastising people for having mistreated a cow or some other thing, but dealing with people in terms of argument.

Speaking tothe Telegraph, Harvard historian Sugata Bose, who also features in the documentary, lambasted attempts to block the film. It is a preposterous and unacceptable assault on the freedom of expression. The film ought to be given a certificate immediately. It is an academic film primarily where every word has been carefully weighed, he said.

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India's censors now won't allow the word 'cow' in a documentary about Harvard economist - Washington Post

Armenia's Golden Apricot international film festival has run into controversy as rights activists accuse organizers of censorship for scrapping part of the event that featured two films dealing with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) themes.

The two features, Listen To Me: Untold Stories Beyond Hatred and Apricot Groves, were scheduled outside the competitive portion of the weeklong festival under the rubric Armenians: Internal And External Views.

Festival organizers, however, canceled the entire slate of 36 films by Armenian directors, as well as foreign productions about Armenia and Armenians, to be shown in the section, saying only that they "apologize for any inconveniences."

The move immediately sparked a backlash from filmmakers and rights groups who said it was a thinly veiled attempt at censorship reminiscent of the Soviet era and the Ottoman Empire.

"We condemn the actions of both the Union of Cinematography of Armenia, that has dared to censor the special program of the Golden Apricot International Festival because of the themes broached in the films Listen To Me: Untold Stories Beyond Hatred and Apricot Groves," more than 100 of the country's filmmakers, artists, and rights advocates said in a letter to the organizers.

"Golden Apricot should immediately restore the screening of all films regardless of the format. Otherwise the Golden Apricot International Festival should accept that they are the ones who are legitimizing the censorship and changes in the festival."

Facing Prejudice

Though homosexuality has been legal in Armenia since 2003, the subject is still taboo within Armenian society, which is firmly guided by the Apostolic Church.

The country does not recognize formalized same-sex relationships performed locally, has no antidiscrimination laws, and gay men are declared mentally ill and unfit for military service.

In the documentary Listen To Me, written by Hovhannes Ishkhanyan and directed by Gagik Ghazerah, 10 members of the LGBT community relate their experiences of coming out to their friends, families, and community.

Included in the group is Tsomak Oganezova, the owner of a gay pub in Yerevan that was firebombed and vandalized with Nazi symbols in 2012. Oganezova has said she left Armenia after the attacks "to be with those like me."

Pouria Heidary Oureh's Apricot Groves is about Aram, an Iranian-Armenian trans man who has lived in the United States since childhood. The story follows him as he returns to Armenia to meet his girlfriend's conservative family and make preparations for their marriage.

Both films have already been featured at festivals around the world.

"Understanding the fact that this is not only discrimination against the Armenian LGBT community, and a violation of freedom of expression and freedom to create, but also a slap to Armenian cinematography, we are calling upon the Ministry of Culture of Armenia, the staff, and sponsors, and partners of the...festival to put all their efforts to restore the whole...program," supporters wrote in a petition to Culture Minister Armen Amiryan*, the Cinematographers Union, and festival organizers.

'Officially Sanctioned Hate'

Given the hostile conditions they face, many LGBT people say they remain closeted to avoid discrimination and violence.

In 2015, a local tabloid outed dozens of LGBT advocates, calling on readers to shun them and providing links to their Facebook profiles. The victims filed suit against the publication, but the court ruled in favor of the paper and made the plaintiffs pay $100 in fees.

That incident came after a 2012 study was published showing 55 percent of Armenians would reject a friend or relative if they came out.

"Hate speech in Armenia is rising day by day," activist Mamikon Hovsepyan said after being one of the journalists outed by the tabloid. "The homophobic media has the support of government officials and promotes aggression and hate toward LGBT people."

This year, jury members at the Golden Apricot festival include Britain's Hugh Hudson, who directed the Oscar-winning 1981 epic Chariots Of Fire, and Dutch director Tom Fassaert.

*CORRECTED from original version.

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Armenian Film Festival Sparks LGBT Outrage, Cries Of Censorship - RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty

BY: Katelyn Caralle July 11, 2017 10:36 am

The Associated Press Stylebook, the traditional journalist stylistic handbook for decades, has sparked controversy over new updates that have right-leaning journalists and politicians concerned about potentially biased language.

The AP annually updates its stylebook in the spring to give journalists guidance on style and grammar. These changes are often analyzed and publicized, but the most recent updates have some observers particularly concerned.

Fox News host Shannon Bream on Tuesday listed changes that have some people questioning if the intent is to censor words more likely to be used by conservatives.

"The AP Stylebook tells people to change pro-life' to anti-abortion,'" Bream reported. "Militant,' lone wolves,' or attackers,' those are the preferred terms rather than terrorist' or Islamist.' And illegal immigrant' or undocumented,' well those are no longer considered acceptable words."

Dave Hoppe, former chief of staff to House Speaker Paul Ryan (R., Wis.), discussed the importance of language and the AP's changes along with the campaign director at the Center for Progress Action Fund, Emily Tisch Sussman.

"The thing you have to look at is that use of language is a very powerful tool. And to make choices like this, and I think in some cases bias choices like this, is something you have to watch very carefully," Hoppe said. "In extreme cases, this is actually censorship. So one has to be careful and be fair to use the language that both sides like."

One change that seems to be causing the most discussion is the disparity between "pro-life" and "anti-abortion."

Bream read off the change that instead of using "pro-choice" or "pro-abortion," journalists should use "pro-abortion rights." The AP also guides journalists to no longer use the term "abortionists" because it claims that term only refers to people who perform clandestine, or unsafe, abortions.

Bream then asked whether it is possible for language to truly be neutral in any story that raises such controversial and emotional topics.

Sussman said these standards exist so everyone can agree on and be aware of what is being reported.

"It's important to have a distinction if you are anti-abortion, pro-abortion, or pro-choice. There are people who can be anti-abortion and pro-choice, that is possible," Sussman said. "So I think it's important that we have clear guidelines."

"Use the word pro-life,' that is the phrase preferred by people who are pro-life. There's no problem in using it; it's not confusing to people to use it. It's very clear what they mean," Hoppe said. "That you use one set of words as opposed to the other and are told specifically not to use a certain set of words, it seems to me is bias and that's where the power of language can come in to try and turn people's minds and turn their thoughts away."

Sussman disagreed, arguing that it is important to be as specific as possible when talking about emotional issues like abortion and immigration.

"I do think that being anti-abortion is as specific as possible. I don't think that being pro-life is as specific as possible," Sussman said. "That would imply that someone would be pro-life in other contexts like death penalty or health care."

"To choose the language that someone prefers, I don't think is specific," she added. "As culture is moving, our definitions have to evolve as well."

Some other AP guideline amendments include calling migrants or refugees fleeing to Europe "people struggling to enter Europe." The AP also says that journalists should describe people who dispute that the world is warming as either "climate-change doubters" or "those who reject mainstream climate science."

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AP Stylebook Updates Spur Controversy Over Worries of Conservative Censorship - Washington Free Beacon

Egyptian Artists Continue to Produce Thrilling Art Despite Increased Censorship

The arts and culture scene in Egypt has been Oxygenating the freedom of expression discoursedespite battling against repression and government censorship.

In recent years, creative works of artstarting from music productions, television series or filmshave faced many legal consequences suffocating the creative process.

The independent Egyptian rock band Cairokee was set to launch their latest albumNotaa Bedaor A Drop of White. However, on 2 July, Cairokee announced that the General Authority for Censorship of works of art rejected a number of songs and prevented the distribution of the album in the market.

18 Days is an Egyptian film focusing on the 18 days of the 2011 Egyptian revolution. It premiered at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival and has been banned to be aired in Egypt since then. The film combined glossary of directors, sound engineers and editors among others to produce a film with many Egyptian artists on voluntary basis.

On 4 July, the film has been leaked on the internet allowing people to view it after many years of unjustified ban.

While Ramadan television series represent a great opportunity for artists to show off their best talents, clever scripts, thrilling events and smart directing, lawsuits remain an annual obstacle that impose censorship restrictions on Ramadan biggest hits.

This year, Ramadan seriesLa Totfe El Shams,or Dont let the Sun Set, faced a lawsuit on claims of offending the president. The lawsuit cameafter airing episode number 14 was aired showing a graffiti on a wall that says Sisi the traitor.

The Association from Freedom of Thought and Expression (AFTE) and The World Forum on Music and Censorship (FREEMUSE) have conducted a study called Censors of Creativity that explores case studies of artistic censorship tracing legal cases from courts, local news and international conventions.

Article 1 of the law [38/1992]states that the objective of the censorship of cinema, theater, musical works, and the performing arts is to protect the public order, public morals, and the higher interests of the state, stated in the study.

However, the effects of art censorship or unjustified restrictions of the right to freedom of artistic expression and creativity are devastating,according to researchers in the study.

Historically, contemporary arthas beenapowerful and impactfulway to address pressing political and social issues. Egyptian artists continue to work around the oppression and censorship in Egypt.

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Egyptian Artists Continue to Produce Thrilling Art Despite Increased Censorship - Egyptian Streets