India has had a controversial law of criminalizing offenders who post degrading or disturbing things online. The law included facing up to three years in jail for posting or commenting anything along the lines of being offensive. This raises a huge point of what could be misconstrued or taken the wrong way. The debate also covers how the law clashes with freedom of speech and expression. In the article, it's explained how a professor was arrested for posting a cartoon that fell under a number of categories, including insulting women and slandering the West Bengal chief minister. Recently after that, companies had to also comply with these rules of what they can or can't post.
Even with social media like Facebook, they had to remove about 5,000 pieces of content the Indian government found were offensive. If this were the case in the US, it would be interesting to see the numbers of offensive or degrading content there is out there, even within advertisements for certain companies.
"Google says in the last half of 2013 it removed 540 items from its pages in compliance with orders issued by Indian courts, government agencies, and law enforcement."
http://edition.cnn.com/2015/03/24/asia/india-internet-law/index.html
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Protests in Myanmar
For the past month or so,
students have been protesting and fighting against the new education law in
Letpadan, Myanmar. As the students are making their point and sit in front of
police barricades, they're being violently treated by police- chased down,
being hit and kicked. As said in the article, it's sickening to see this police
brutality, and it should raise attention on an international level. The
government says [regarding the new education law], "its reforms will give universities more autonomy
and allow for an independent body to coordinate their functions."
(Mooney) The students only wish for academic freedom and more a democratic
education. The protestors also say they feel as
though the government failed to keep their word. It’s crazy to see how such
protests for freedom within education can happen, and authorities act in such a
negative way towards it. This also reminds us not to take our education in the
US for granted, since it’s an issue around the world.
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
India Rape documentary... airing the truth or incites violence?
This article raises the question... Does airing a documentary about the brutal rape incident in India increase awareness and expose the truth? Or is it encouraging violence and inciting such horrible acts?
In 2012, a woman was on a bus and was attacked and raped by a group of men. After a British woman saw and heard about the mass protests after this horrific gang rape case, she was inspired to expose the truth and voice for women in India. She created a documentary and named it "India's Daughter", exposing the truth, interviewing the perpetrators, and also the family. The secretary of India's Progressive Women's Association said she had no problem with it, but it's bad timing because those men are currently appealing their death sentences.
On the other hand, people are seeing this and speaking out that it's given the men an opportunity to explain themselves and justify their actions. This has caused an uproar because that is seen as tolerated and almost putting them in the spotlight.
"India's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has told all news channels not to air a controversial documentary about rape in India -- warning that the excerpts "appear to encourage and incite violence against women."
The official Times Of India tweeted, "Bizarre that a person convicted of brutal rape, murder gets a platform to justify his act."
This has raised much controversy, and shown how extreme of an issue it is in India still. I can see both sides, but mostly understand why it's so important that it is exposed to raise even more awareness and speak up for not only the victim who lost her life, but also a voice for the rest of the women who have been in harm. I don't agree with getting the opinions from the perpetrators, or if it is included it shouldn't be justified.
http://edition.cnn.com/2015/03/04/asia/india-rape-documentary/index.html
In 2012, a woman was on a bus and was attacked and raped by a group of men. After a British woman saw and heard about the mass protests after this horrific gang rape case, she was inspired to expose the truth and voice for women in India. She created a documentary and named it "India's Daughter", exposing the truth, interviewing the perpetrators, and also the family. The secretary of India's Progressive Women's Association said she had no problem with it, but it's bad timing because those men are currently appealing their death sentences.
On the other hand, people are seeing this and speaking out that it's given the men an opportunity to explain themselves and justify their actions. This has caused an uproar because that is seen as tolerated and almost putting them in the spotlight.
"India's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has told all news channels not to air a controversial documentary about rape in India -- warning that the excerpts "appear to encourage and incite violence against women."
The official Times Of India tweeted, "Bizarre that a person convicted of brutal rape, murder gets a platform to justify his act."
This has raised much controversy, and shown how extreme of an issue it is in India still. I can see both sides, but mostly understand why it's so important that it is exposed to raise even more awareness and speak up for not only the victim who lost her life, but also a voice for the rest of the women who have been in harm. I don't agree with getting the opinions from the perpetrators, or if it is included it shouldn't be justified.
http://edition.cnn.com/2015/03/04/asia/india-rape-documentary/index.html
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