Arrested for Blogging
Who knew blogging could be so dangerous? According to a recent article published in BusinessWeek, two bloggers were arrested in Malaysia after it was determined that they contributed to the ruling party’s dismal performance following a general election that was held in March. According to the article,
The subsequent arrest of two bloggers under the country’s sedition laws appear to have dampened hopes that the government may be softening its tough stance against the online medium.
On May 6, one of the bloggers, Raja Petra Kamarruddin was charged with sedition, a term of law (according to Wikipedia) which refers to covert conduct, such as speech and organization which is deemed by legal authorities as tending toward insurrection against established order. You can read his controversial blog here. The other blogger, a businessman named Syed Akbar Ali, was also charged the same day as Kamarruddin for posting a comment on Malaysia Today.
The arrests of these bloggers has stirred up a lot of debate about how people are or aren’t allowed to voice their opinions. The Malaysian information minister, Ahmad Shabery Cheek assured the blogging community that the government would not seek to control them saying,
The alternative media, like bloggers, play a role in nation building. It is the most direct and simple channel for people to voice their opinions.
Despite this hopeful message, the fact still remains that, with the recent arrest of the bloggers, people are still skeptical about the future of blogging in Malaysia. What do you think about the situation?
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June 04 2008 02:00 am | Marketing
Links Roundup - June 10th 2008 on 10 Jun 2008 at 5:02 am #
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