Civil society strongly criticizes UN for censoring the poster on China Firewall

[VOICE Release, Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, 16 November 2009]

 Civil society organizations, human rights activists, researchers, academicians gathered in the United Nations Internet Governance Forum (IGF) taking place in Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt strongly criticized UN for removal of a poster during the meeting of Open Net Initiative (ONI) held on the first day of the UN IGF on 15 December 2009. The poster mentioned internet censorship and China's Great Firewall.

Internet censorship and surveillance are increasing in democratic countries as well as authoritarian states. And ONI has been working on censorship and surveillance currently operating in countries in Asia.

The ONI meeting was to discuss about internet censorship and surveillance while it was launching a forthcoming book titled Access Controlled. The poster says, "The first generation of Internet controls consisted largely of building firewalls at key Internet gateways; China's famous "Great Firewall of China" is one of the first national Internet filtering systems." The UN official asked to removed poster, which was later taken away by the Security. Also the officials asked the organizers to stop circulating invitation of the event because it contained a mention of Tibet.