[huridocs-tech] Reporters Without Borders announces prizes for online repression

Press release
Reporters sans frontières
26.03.2004

To mark the Internet Festival that France and several French-speaking
countries (Belgium, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Madagascar and Canada-Quebec)
are holding from 29 March to 4 April, Reporters Without Borders announces
its awards for online repression. Top prize, the Golden Palm, goes to
China. Eight other countries put in outstanding performances.


The winners :

Golden Palm : China

An easy choice this year for its 60 cyber-dissidents in prison, hundreds
of thousands of websites censored and strict censorship of e-mail. The
Best Actor award was won by Chinese President Hu Jintao for his regular
statements about the country's progress in human rights.

First Prize for Censorship : Saudi Arabia

Well deserved for its more than 400,000 online items censored, ranging
from political websites to unauthorised Islamist organisations and of
course anything remotely concerning sex.

Chief Jailer Award : Vietnam

With seven cyber-dissidents in jail, Vietnam is the world's second biggest
prison (after its neighbour China) for those who want to surf the Internet
in freedom.

Public (sector) Prize : Cuba

This goes to the Cuban government for using the state telecommunications
body, ETEC SA, to restrict access to the Internet and for its complete
control of all information.

Best Scenery Award : the Maldives

Three cyber-dissidents are in prison in this country, better known for its
stunning beaches. Two of them have been sentenced to life imprisonment.

Critics' Prize : Syria

The government is holding two Internet users in secret for posting
criticism of the regime online.

Special Media Prize : Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe

This honours the winner's career as a predator of press freedom and
recognises his growing determination to stifle use of the Internet..

Grand Prize for Hypocrisy : The United Nations and its World Summit on the
Information Society

Won for the special place reserved at this major Internet summit for
countries that have most harshly repressed the Internet, such as China and
Cuba.

Special Jury Prize : French industry minister Nicole Fontaine

For her proposed law on the digital economy which threatens freedom of
expression online.

Reporters Without Borders welcomes this Festival and notes that as it
opens on 29 March, 72 cyber-dissidents around the world will spend the day
in their prison cells for posting criticism of their governments online.



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