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Inside Expression: August 2022

This month: Salman Rushdie, surveillance in Myanmar, and #MakeProtestSafe_
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WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR OUR SOCIETIES IF BRUTE FORCE IS USED TO SILENCE
WRITERS?

When Salman Rushdie was attacked at a literary festival on 12 August, it
sent shockwaves around the world.

Rushdie’s writing has been seen as controversial by a minority of
hardline religious leaders who say his work criticises their beliefs. But
when opinions, words, or writing are deemed to be controversial, targeting
a fellow human being with violence is neither necessary nor proportionate,
and therefore, never an acceptable response. It pays to remember that
individuals in positions of power typically use such tactics to prevent and
punish the expression of minority views, and for their own political
advantage.

If we are to find a way to respect the legal right to freedom of expression
and the right to freedom of religion, while also respecting religious
beliefs, we must encourage dialogue. We must be able to talk to each other
and find common ground, and we must keep voicing opinions.

READ MORE ABOUT SALMAN RUSHDIE [3]

'WHAT ONE WRITER CAN MAKE IN THE SOLITUDE OF ONE ROOM IS SOMETHING NO POWER
CAN EASILY DESTROY.' – SALMAN RUSHDIE SPEAKING AT A PRESS CONFERENCE IN
1998,  WHEN HE OFFICIALLY CAME OUT OF HIDING

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'SMART CITIES': CCTV IN MYANMAR

Increasing use of CCTV in Myanmar suggests the military junta is using
surveillance to target anyone who opposes it – and with very little
transparency. Private companies sell this equipment to authoritarian
dictatorships, presenting them as opportunities to create what they
describe as ‘smart city’ infrastructures. But claims that these
innovations will improve people’s lives must be set against the realities
of their use as a means of entrenching power.

READ THE REPORT [4]

ARTICLE 19'S' PODCAST SERIES 'SILENCED'

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Don't miss 'Silenced' [5], Nicola Kelly’s conversations with journalists
and activists who speak up for human rights and against the governments and
powerful individuals who try to shield the world from the truth.

Afghan journalist Zahra Joya [6]describes the day the Taliban’s white
flags lined the streets and women were forced back inside their homes, and
what it’s like leading a remote team of women journalists while living in
exile.

Mexico's Sergio Aguayo [7] talks about the dangers of reporting on
organised crime and corruption in one of the deadliest places in the world
for journalists.

Journalist Olga Tokariuk [8] speaks from a bomb shelter in the west of
Ukraine, giving her account of efforts to ensure a free media space and get
impartial information out to the world.

LISTEN ON SPOTIFY

LISTEN ON APPLE PODCASTS 

__#MAKEPROTESTSAFE

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Throughout history, protest has proven time and again to be an instrumental
force for change. From the Protestant reformation to Gandhi’s salt march
and from women demanding their right to vote to the demonstrations that
finally stopped the Iraq war, protests have allowed us to make the world a
better place.

As _The Global Expression Report 2022 [9]_ (GxR22) shows, last year,
despite the Covid-19 pandemic, demonstrations increased by 9% globally as
compared to 2020. Protests in 2021 took place most often in India, the
United States, France, Italy, and Pakistan, all countries where leadership
is failing to listen. And people are marching together for all the things
that matter to them – better wages, cleaner water, or even to resist
democratic overthrows.

Worryingly, our findings also show that rather than listening or engaging
with what people need, repressive governments are responding to protests
[10] with more brutality. In at least 12 countries in 2021, live ammunition
was fired at demonstrators. Police are increasingly using tear gas, rubber
bullets, kettling and other violent practices as blunt tools to intimidate
people who protest. Worst of all, those who injure marchers are being
granted impunity.

In response, ARTICLE 19 will be launching a global campaign.The
#FreeToProtest [10] campaign will challenge the stigma around protest and
call on authorities to uphold international human rights standards to
#MakeProtestSafe [11] for all.

SHARE THIS WITH OTHERS WHO WANT TO #MAKEPROTESTSAFE [11]

[9]

READ ABOUT PROTEST IN _THE GLOBAL EXPRESSION REPORT 2022_

'ANGER IS NOT SUFFICIENT TO MAINTAIN MOTIVATION OVER TIME; YOU ALSO NEED TO
HAVE HOPE, AND TO BELIEVE THAT YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.' – KATHRYN
SIKKINK, AUTHOR AND HUMAN RIGHTS ACADEMIC

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BELARUS: COURAGE, RESILIENCE, AND DEFIANCE TWO YEARS ON FROM RIGGED
ELECTION

Two years on from the rigged election and nationwide protests, ARTICLE 19
stands with the courageous people of Belarus [12], who have been resilient
and persistent in their fight for democracy and freedom. The intensifying
crackdown on civil society has only been exacerbated by the ongoing Russian
war against Ukraine.

Today there are over 1250 political prisoners in Belarus. More than 30,000
people have been arrested and persecuted, or physically assaulted by the
police. According to the Belarusian Association of Journalists, at least 27
media workers are behind bars after having been sentenced or who still face
sham trials.

Among those jailed on ludicrous charges are journalist Katsiaryna Andreyeva
[13], who was given an additional eight years of imprisonment in July, and
our former colleague Andrei Aliaksandrau [14] has been detained since
January 2021 for allegedly paying fines for people apprehended during one
of the protests in Minsk. He faces charges of ‘treason to the state’,
which could put him in prison for up to 15 years.

JOIN THE SOLIDARITY CAMPAIGN FOR ANDREI ALIAKSANDRAU AND IRINA ZLOBINA

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ANTI-ROHINGYA RHETORIC IN BANGLADESH – AND WHAT THE MEDIA CAN DO 

Rohingya Muslims [15] fleeing genocide in Myanmar began arriving in
Bangladesh in 2017 to take refuge, and media reported that local
communities and the government alike were hospitable. But gradually, the
narrative around the Rohingya refugees and their hosts began to change,
fuelled by perceptions that they were taking a toll on the economy and that
they posed threats to national security. So why has Bangladesh’s media
changed, and how can it bring fairer coverage of the Rohingya 'crisis' to
the people of Bangladesh? A good understanding of the historical context
and sound critical thinking are a positive start.

'IT IS IMPORTANT THAT JOURNALISTS ARE AWARE OF THEIR PROFESSIONAL ROLES AND
RESPONSIBILITIES AND HOW THOSE NEED TO ALIGN WITH NATIONAL AND
INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS AND COMMITMENTS.' – RUMKY FARHANA, ARTICLE 19
SOUTH ASIA 

READ THE REPORT [15]

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19's monthly Inside Expression update

News and campaigns from ARTICLE 19

*

There have been calls for more transparency regarding the transition from
military to civilian rule Guinea [16]. But instead of listening to these
pleas, authorities have lashed out against protesters and journalists –
resulting in at least 4 deaths.

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MEDIA FREEDOM AND DIVERSITY UNDER THREAT IN EUROPE

In Poland, [17] state oil co PKN Orlen has been allowed to acquire regional
paper Polska Press – a blatant rejection of the media pluralism
government officials have said they would honour.

Plus: Serbia's media authority [18] has blatantly defied international
freedom of expression standards in its recent decision to grant TV licences
to pro-government outlets only.

ARTICLE 19 CONVERSATIONS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED

Mahsa Alimardani [19]on Salman Rushdie's freedom to write _The Satanic
Verses_, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the founding of
ARTICLE 19 (beginning at 36:33)

Lèse-majesté laws — the crime of insulting the monarchy — have no
place in a democratic country, and are widely used in Cambodia, Thailand,
Malaysia and other countries across Southeast Asia. Samantha Holmes [20],
Asia Advocacy and Communications Officer at ARTICLE 19, explains the
disastrous impact these laws, often ambiguously-worded, have on freedom of
expression in the region.

Read more

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HELP PROTECT FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

You can now help to protect freedom of expression by giving to ARTICLE 19!

INVEST IN FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION TODAY

BOOKMARK

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_FREE SPEECH: A GLOBAL HISTORY FROM SOCRATES TO SOCIAL MEDIA_ BY
JACOB MCHANGAMA

'Meticulously researched, deeply humane and provocative, _Free Speech_
challenges us all to recognise how much we have gained from this principle
– and how much we stand to lose without it.' – Waterstones Booksellers

ORDER _FREE SPEECH_ [22]

READ MORE ABOUT ARTICLE 19

ARTICLE 19 opportunities

Working in human rights is a challenging but rewarding career choice. With
ARTICLE 19 you will find an international community of activists, legal
specialists, and experts working together to protect basic freedoms.

Careers [23]

Coming soon from ARTICLE 19

__Protest in Thailand, UK and Mexico. Plus: More from Tightening the Net,
ARTICLE 19's groundbreaking work on digital freedom in Iran

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