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It’s a never ending story it seems.
Freedom of speech is already a sharp two sided sword in Western countries.
But in Asia and the Middle East you don’t have it.
Simple as that.

When you are a blogger and one with a critical mind at that, you can easily get into trouble.

This time it’s a young man from Burma, who reported during the uprising in 2007 via his blog.

A Burmese blogger has been sentenced to 20 years in jail for posting a cartoon of the military leader Than Shwe.

Nay Phone Latt was arrested in January; the sentence delivered on Monday included 15 years for offences under the Electronics Act, two years for “creating public alarm” and three and a half years for offences under the Video Act, his mother said.

Full article on BBC

And he’s not the only one. And not only in Burma.

Since this morning and this blog entry, or actually since quite some time before that, I have a few questions about freedom of speech in general and living in the Middle East in particular bouncing back and forth through my head.

These days you can get arrested in any country just because they suspect you to be a terrorist, right or wrong?

Now, play this scenario:

Me comon back to Europe or trying to get into the US.
Passport control: Oh you have been in the ME for over a year.
Me: Yes.
PC: What did you do there?
Me: Being a housewife.
PC: Ah, so you had a lot of time to yourself.
Me: Uh?
Now comes the far fetched part, but possible:
PC (after checking his Computer): Ah, I see, you have a website and a blog.
Me: Yes?
PC: I need to inform you that it is marked in our system and ask you to please come with us for questioning.

Tatatatata…..

Now, can’t happen?
It could. How did you pay for your domain name and host?
You don’t have one?
Mh.
How did you pay for your Computer? Do you hide your IP address? Does your blog pop up in search engines?

Now, how often are you critical about your government?
Politicians, your President?

It only happens in Asia, the Middle East, South America and in the US? Not in Europe?
Wrong again.
Remember that one guy that claimed a few months back that he got taken in and brought to the Balkans. I don’t recall the whole story, but it happened in Europe and it was about him being a suspected terrorist.

Or try saying that the Blond at the airline Check In or the Stewardess is a bomb….

I could go on and on. But I won’t. Don’t be afraid.

What is your opinion about this?
Do we have free speech, no matter which country we are in?
Do we have to be afraid to be the next innocently arrested blogger, journalist or just plain citizen?

Two examples of NO FREE SPEECH:
Saudi Arabia:

On December 11, one of the Arab world’s top bloggers was arrested by the Saudi Interior Ministry. Fouad Al-Farhan, age 32, is the godfather of Saudi blogging. He was among the first Saudis to blog under his real name and has been an outspoken voice for nonviolent reform.

China:
Jan 11th 2007

Authorities have fired an official in central China after city inspectors beat to death a man who filmed their confrontation with villagers, China’s Xinhua news agency reports.
More on CNN

Am I the only one that thinks it a bit ironic that Bush in Saudi suggests to the Amir to free the Saudi blogger Fouad Ahmad Alfarhan (one of the first that wrote under his real name) that got arrested 11th of December and is in custody since then without any charges. Legally the government can hold him for three months.

I think it’s Ironic, because the Saudi government pulls all off a sudden the “He’s a suspected terrorist” string.

Now, what about that prison where the US holds terror suspect without charging them, letting them see anyone, etc. for HOW long?
And now they go, once again, to another country and ask them to do what they don’t do themselves. I call it Ironic.

Don’t get me wrong, I wish Fouad Ahmad Alfarhan would be freed instantly.
And I wish stuff like that would not happen.
I think, Fouad Ahmad Alfarhan was originally arrested because he criticized the Amir or government. Using his right of free speech is not good in some places of this world? Correct me, if I got it wrong. Here’s a letter that he sent a few days before his arrest to his friends.

The petition link: http://campaigns.aicongress.org/FreeFouad

His blog: http://www.alfarhan.org/

The campaign website: http://www.freefouad.com/

Please help to spread the word!