[WSIS CS-Plenary] Meanwhile in the real world > [is] Internet Censorship in India : Yahoo Groups Remains Blocked (fwd)

[Al Alegre]

As we struggle with language in WSIS PrepCom3, the real world impinges on
us....


----- Original Message -----
From: "Frederick Noronha (FN)" <fred at bytesforall.org>
To: "Information Society: Voices from the South" <is at dgroups.org>
Sent: Thursday, September 25, 2003 12:55 PM
Subject: [is] Internet Censorship in India : Yahoo Groups Remains Blocked
(fwd)


> Current topic: Issue of Access and Barriers:
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>
> INTERNET CENSORSHIP IN INDIA :
> Blocking of Yahoo groups continues
>
> Posted below are URL's to most news reports about a draconian move by
> the Indian state to specifically block a specific online news group
> on yahoo. The targeted Group's name on Yahoo is: kynhun   Bri U
> Hynniewtrep. URL: groups.yahoo.com/group/kynhun/.
>
> Blocking of a near invisible web site ordered by Indian agencies in
> the name off national security, is reprehensible enough, but the
> blocking of an entire domain, (groups.yahoo.com) is criminal. It
> seems that when Yahoo refused to comply with request from Indian
> authorities to delete the 'kynhun' yahoo group in question, and the
> consequence was that the entire groups.yahoo.com domain has become
> inaccessible to India based users for the last 4 days or so. There
> are literally thousands of yahoo groups sites related to and/or based
> in India (if you do search on yahoogroups  with the term India, it
> gives you figure of 12503).
>
> This is not the first time the Indian government has tried to block
> web sites, during the Kargil war of 1999, the web site of the
> prominent Pakistan daily was blocked, this was very vigorously fought
> by many in the media in India and some activists abroad. In 1998 a
> law suit was filed by online activist Arun Mehta to challenge other
> moves by the Indian state to block some commercial  websites.
>
> This current move to block internet content  for thousands off users,
> is a grave violation of freedom of expression and sets a very
> dangerous precedent of censorship and control of the internet in
> India. Human rights groups in India, South Asia and around the world
> need to take note and express concern.
>
> Addresses of the officials and bodies to whom people may write to
> protest or seeking their intervention re this latest instance of
> Internet censorship in India:
>
> Minister (Communications & Information Technology & Disinvestment)
> Ist Floor,Electronics Niketan,
> Lodhi Road,New Delhi
> Email : ashourie at nic.in
>
> Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad
> (Minister of Information and Broadcasting)
> E-Mail: ravis at sansad.nic.in
> Phone: (91) 23384340, 23384782 Fax : (91) 23782118
>
> Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In)
> http://www.mit.gov.in/cert/
>
> India's Department of Telecom
> http://www.dotindia.com/
> ddgir at sancharnet.in
>
> The Internet Service Providers Association of India (ISPAI)
> http://www.ispai.com/
>
> Yahoo! India Web Services Ltd;
> 386, Veer Savarkar Marg
> Opp. Siddhivinayak Temple
> Mumbai 400025
> Phone: +91-22-56622222
> Fax: +91-22-56622244
>
> Delhi Office:
>
> Yahoo! India Web Services Ltd;
> Ground Floor, First India Place,
> Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road
> Gurgaon [Haryana]- 122002
> Phone: +91-0124-5061888/9 (from Delhi 95124-5061888/9)
> Fax: +91-0124-2560057
> http://solutions.yahoo.co.in/contact.html
>
>
> [* India's Official Human rights watch dog]
> National Human Rights Commission(NHRC)
> http://nhrc.nic.in/contact.htm
>
>
> Please write to any or all of the above, write to the press and
> contact human rights groups to take this up.
>
> I would particularly recommend that activists who have in the past
> vigorously fought against censorship on the internet in India [1]
> should be involved and some legal action should be initiated right
> away, if this ban persists this week.
>
> In the meantime users in India wanting to urgently access the
> groups.yahoo.com domain based sites despite this unofficial ban
> should attempt to beat the ban by browsing via: www.anonymizer.com
> or may want to visit  www.proxy4free.com/    [this second option may
> require some figuring out changing settings]
>
> I also propose the formation of a campaign group consisting of
> individuals moderating and managing groups on the groups.yahoo.com
> domain to challenge the India government, this ban lasts any further.
>
> Harsh Kapoor
> (South Asia Citizens Web)
> E-mail: <aiindex at mnet.fr>
>
> NEWS REPORTS:
>
> Economic Times,
> Is the government right in blocking all Yahoo groups?
>
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/html/uncomp/articleshow?msid=199
990
>
> o o o
>
> Mid Day, September 24, 2003
> http://web.mid-day.com/news/city/2003/september/64623.htm
>
> o o o
>
> Sify  (Pioneer) September 24, 2003
> 'Govt has no right to block Yahoo group'
> http://sify.com/news/pioneer/fullstory.php?id=13259504&vsv=71
>
> o o o
>
> http://asia.cnet.com/newstech/industry/0,39001143,39152163,00.htm
> Cnet Asia, Sept. 24, 2003
> India blocks Yahoo web site
> By Staff, CNETAsia
>
> o o o
>
> Newindpress, September 24, 2003
> Yahoo refuses to remove anti-India content, site blocked
> This is the first time a website has been blocked under Cert-IN since it
came
> into being in July this year. Representatives of Yahoo in India had been
>
http://www.newindpress.com/Newsitems.asp?ID=IEH20030923005101&Title=Top+Stor
ies&rLink=0
>
> o o o
>
> Editorial, Hindustan Times, September 24, 2003
> No net gain for Big Brother
>
> http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_387920,0012.htm
>
> o o o
>
> News Today, September 24, 2003
> Yahoo Groups continue to be blocked
> http://newstodaynet.com/23sep/ld1.htm
>
> o o o
>
> Rediff, September 24, 2003
> Government bans Yahoo! group
> http://www.rediff.com/netguide/2003/sep/23yahoo.htm
>
> o o o
>
> The Hindu,September 23, 2003
> Bid to block anti-India website affects users
> By Sandeep Dikshit
> http://www.thehindu.com/2003/09/23/stories/2003092312761100.htm
>
> o o o
>
> The Register [UK]
> India blocks Yahoo! Groups
> By Andrew Orlowski
> Posted: 23/09/2003 at 16:21 GMT
> http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/6/32983.html
>
> o o o
>
> Business Week, September 23, 2003
> http://www.businessweek.com/technology/cnet/stories/5081021.htm
>
> o o o
>
> The Times of India., September 23 2003
> Yahoo website blocked
>
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com:80/cms.dll/html/uncomp/articleshow?msid=1
96169
>
> o o o
>
> The Hindustan Times, September 23, 2003
> Govt blocks e-group but can't prevent access
> Siddharth Zarabi
> http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/printedition/230903/detFRO04.shtml
>
> o o o
>
> Business Line, India - 20 Sep 2003
> Govt issues orders to ISPs - ` Block separatist outfit's e - ...
>
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2003/09/20/stories/2003092002890100.htm
>
>
> o o o
>
> [Read Postings and to post a Message on the Ministry of Information
> Technology Discussion fora ]
> http://www.mit.gov.in/discussionforum/
>
>
> BACKGROUND RESOURCES ON OTHER INSTANCES OF GOVT CENSORSHIP:
>
> [1] http://guide.vsnl.net.in/tcpip/columns/censorship/cc04.html
>
> Indian Government Ban of Net Access to Pakistani News Broken
> July 5, 1999
> http://www.rediff.com/computer/1999/jul/05dawn.htm
>
>
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