Risky Blogging
I do love blogging and I like that I don’t actually think much of what somebody may think about what I’m going to post. I post everything that comes to my head and I think it’s good. To my huge regret, my “counterparts” from some countries are not so lucky as they have to think twice before posting their thoughts if they don’t want to face the music for their blogging.
On April 30 the Committee to Protect Journalists published the list of the worst countries to blog and where blogging is not simply unwelcome but also a perilous business. At the forefront in this list is Burma where Internet penetration rate is about 1% and the authorities enjoy the right to check e-mails. At least two bloggers are in jail for their allegedly wrongful acts. Moreover, during a civil uprising in 2007 the Internet in Burma was shut down completely.
Iranian authorities also see bloggers too disquieting. For instance, just remember how Iranian authorities blocked some social media web-sites during and after the elections in this country. Moreover, all Iranian bloggers are required to register their websites with the Ministry of Art and Culture.
In Syria, for instance, authorities are striving to regulate websites that touch on political issues. Also in the list are Cube, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Tunisia, China, Turkmenistan and Egypt. By the way, in Turkmenistan the first Internet cafes were guarded by soldiers.