[WSIS CS-Plenary] Tunisian online protest blocked

[Ralf Bendrath]

<http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/globalvoices/2005/10/04/tunisian-online-protest-blocked/>

Tuesday, October 4th, 2005 @ 11:52 EDT
Tunisian online protest blocked

Tunisia, Middle East & North Africa, Breaking News, Weblog

As Tunisia prepares to host the controversial World Summit on the 
Information Society in November, tunisia freespeechTunisian opposition 
activist Neila Charchour Hachicha <http://www.neila-charchour.com/> 
informs Global Voices that the online freedom of speech protest site 
launched by Tunisians on Monday, www.yezzi.org <http://www.yezzi.org/> has 
already been blocked by the Tunisian authorities.

The online protest, called “Freedom of Expression in Mourning,” 
<http://tounis.blogspot.com/2005/10/freedom-of-expression-in-mourning-la_03.html> 
is organized by The Tunisian Association for the Promotion and Defense of 
Cyberspace (Association Tunisienne pour la Promotion et la Défense du 
Cyberespace)<http://tounis.blogspot.com/>. Here is how they describe the 
protest and its motivations:

     The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) will be held in 
Tunisia from 16th to 18th November 2005.

     However:

     * A World Summit on the Information Society cannot have any concrete 
impact on the world community, if the main concern of such a Summit, which 
should be the human being, remains relegated to a simple accessory.
     * Experience showed that concerning information issues, top level 
international meetings have never led to positive measures to make 
public’s rights effective to get free access to information.
     * Dictatorships similar to that of the Tunisian General Ben Ali, use 
the information’s restrictions as a strategic pillar conscious that 
without restrictions their tyrannies would fail.
     * Continuous impunity of tyrants, who violate on a daily basis the 
right of their people to freedom of expression, shows that apart NGO, it 
is illusory to count on “democratic” governments to support the right of 
free access to independent information.
     * Finally, if there’s a stake in the World Summit on the Information 
Society, it should not only be about reducing the “digital gap “, but it 
should be about reducing the evil that corrode peace in the world which is 
the “democratic gap”.

     Therefore throughout the WSIS and in order to get the attention of 
the Tunisian and the International public opinion to the cruel absence of 
freedom of expression and information in Tunisia, and the obvious 
incoherence between the principles of this world summit and its hosting by 
the violent and repressive Tunisian regime, a working group has been 
gathered under the sponsorship of the Tunisian Association for the 
promotion and defense of the Cyberspace (TAPD - Cyberspace) in order to 
launch the campaign:

     “Freedom of Expression in Mourning!”

     This campaign starts today, October 3, 2005, and will end with the 
closure of the World Summit on the Information Society. Within the 
framework of this campaign, we will immediately start an initiative 
defined by the following actions:

     * Since we are physically unable to demonstrate within Tunisian 
public spaces, we will use the internet to organize permanent virtual 
demonstrations in order to express our total disapproval with the Tunisian 
dictatorial regime.


Visit their website to view the online protest and contribute materials. 
The site is trilingual: French, Arabic and English. (Scroll down to the 
bottom for the English.) You are also invited to download a badge 
<http://tounis.blogspot.com/2005/09/action-ruban-bleu.html> and link it to 
their site in support of the cause.

UPDATE: Activist Neila Charchour Hachicha 
<http://www.neila-charchour.com/> has written a long post 
<http://plmonline.blogs.com/plm/2005/10/yezzifock.html#more> on her blog 
about the situation. An excerpt:

     Allthough most protesters are anonymous the regime censored the 
website in Tunisia the same day it was launched. If it proves something, 
it does prove that the regime is much more frightened then the 100 virtual 
protesters.

     So finally, who is more powerfull? Is it anonymous but free citizens 
claiming their right to be discontent or is it a frightened regime 
supposed to hold a strong legitimacy?

     In reality it is only when a regime totally lacks democratic 
legitimacy that it badly needs to be authotitarian and violent. But when 
people really want freedom and democracy, sooner or later they just get it!

     Dear readers, you are all invited to support us in this initiative 
since freedom of expression and democracy are no more local causes but 
universal causes in which any one can engage regardless of his nationality 
or his religious belonging. All human beings deserve dignity. All human 
beings deserve freedom and democracy. It is the only and unique way to 
avoid terrorism and violence whether they are legally justified or not.

She encourages people everywhere to participate in the online protest.

Rebecca MacKinnon