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------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
Date:          Mon, 17 Nov 1997 21:58:26 -0500 (EST)
From:          Saul Chernos <schernos@freenet.toronto.on.ca>
Subject:       Censorship action news from CCPJ
To:            caj-list@eagle.ca


Forwarded by
Saul Chernos
schernos@torfree.net


---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 17 Nov 1997 17:03:48 -0500 (EST)
From: Canadian Committee to Protect Journalists <ccpj@web.net>
To: canpress@web.net
Cc: edi@web.net
Subject: APEC - Internet Censorship action

NEWS RELEASE                            17 NOVEMBER 1997

PRESS FREEDOM GROUPS PROTEST INTERNET CENSORSHIP IN APEC NATIONS

A dozen press freedom groups joined together this week to protest
the disturbing trend in Internet censorship in many member
nations of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). The
letter of protest will be presented to leaders of APEC nations at
the APEC leaders' summit in Vancouver, Canada on 24 and 25
November 1997, and has been sent to the APEC Secretariat in
Singapore. The letter, co-authoured by the Canadian Committee to
Protect Journalists (CCPJ) and the Institute for the Studies on
Free Flow of Information (ISAI) in Indonesia, states alarm over
efforts by many APEC nations "to control the free flow of
information and free expression on the Internet in their
respective countries."

The letter cites examples of efforts by APEC members to control
or censor the Internet. For example, "in China, all Internet
users must register with police, while all traffic on the
Internet is routed through government-monitored gateways where
authorities block access to a number of sites on the Internet."
Indonesia announced this year that access to the Internet would
be controlled, in addition to content such as "pornography [and]
things that hamper or threaten national security." Likewise, in
Singapore, the government instituted resolutions in 1996 to
regulate the whole Internet industry as a broadcast medium,
including ensuring Internet service providers (ISPs) and users
abide by strict guidelines against "objectionable" content, such
as pornography or "areas which may undermine public morals,
political stability or religious harmony."

In Malaysia, the main Internet line, Jaring, states that "members
shall not use the Jaring network for any activities not allowed
under any Law of Malaysia." In Japan, a non-profit organization
called the Electronic Network Consortium, which includes many
computer companies, recently drew up guidelines for
"inappropriate" material on the Internet.

In Australia, the letter states, the government is attempting to
implement a code of conduct for ISPs for on-line content
regulation as part of a government plan to develop a "national
framework that protects Australian citizens, particularly
children, from offensive or illegal material online." In the
United States, according to the letter, after the courts struck
down the Communications Decency Act (CDA), which would have
criminalized "indecent" speech on the Internet, the government
encouraged Internet users "to self-rate their speech and to urge
industry leaders to develop and deploy the tools for blocking
"inappropriate" speech."

In the Philippines, in 1996, the National Telecommunications
Commission of the Department of Transportation and Communications
solicited comments from ISPs on "barring or blocking pornographic
materials on the Internet." In Thailand, the state-run National
Electronics and Computer Technology Centre (Nectec) in 1996
called upon local ISPs to police their own sites for
pornography - those who did not comply would have their licenses
revoked.

The letter concludes by reminding APEC members that "the most
effective means of responding to offensive content is to counter
it with more content. Censoring offensive material, through the
blocking of sites or other means, will not remove it from the
Internet; rather, the ease of circulating information on the
Internet will simply cause the material to be duplicated
elsewhere on other sites." It also points out that "any attempt
to regulate the Internet is ultimately unworkable."

The letter was signed by:
Canadian Committee to Protect Journalists, Canada
Institute for the Studies on Free Flow of Information, Indonesia
Committee to Protect Journalists, United States
Freedom House, United States
Freedom of Expression Institute, South Africa
Hong Kong Journalists Association, Hong Kong
Human Rights Watch
International PEN, United Kingdom
Norwegian Forum for Freedom of Expression, Norway
Pacific Islands News Association, Fiji
PEN American Center, United States
PEN Canada, Canada

Representatives of ISAI and the CCPJ will be attending the Open
Media, Open Markets? conference, organized by the Vancouver-based
International Media and Policy  Alternatives Centre (IMPAC), on
19 November at the Plaza of Nations, 750 Pacific Boulevard. The
CCPJ will also have a booth during the People's Summit from 19-21
November.

For a copy of the complete letter, or for further information,
contact the CCPJ, 490 Adelaide Street West, suite 205, Toronto,
Ontario M5V 1T2 Canada, tel: +1 416 703 1638, fax: +1 416 703
7034, e-mail: ccpj@web.net, Internet: http://www.web.net/ccpj/

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CAUTION: Contents may not have been spellchecked, copyedited or proofed.

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"The fool wonders, the wise man asks."  (Benjamin Disraeli)

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