Politics

Politics

by Mike Masnick


Filed Under:
arrests, bans, blogs, malaysia, politics



Malaysia Jails Blogger For Two Years Without Trial

from the public-outcry-didn't-work dept

We've been trying to follow the situation with the government crackdown on opposition bloggers in Malaysia, and with different stories coming out every day, it got a little confusing. So when we wrote about a blogger being released following a public outcry, it was actually a different blogger than the original one we had reported as arrested. It now turns out that the original blogger has actually been immediately sentenced to two years in jail without any trial -- and those two years can be extended indefinitely at will by the government. As for the other blogger who was released, apparently that's just a temporary thing, as he's still facing charges as well. Apparently, the ruling party seems to think that by jailing opposition bloggers it will shut them up. This wouldn't be the first time that the government underestimated the response to trying to silence critical bloggers.

8 Comments | Leave a Comment..

 
 

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  1. Sep 23rd, 2008 @ 6:22pm

    Wow, that's pretty awful. It sounds so similar to China. I guess we have to be glad that although our country certainly isn't the best, that our personal freedoms are a bit better than those in countries like Malaysia.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  2. Sep 23rd, 2008 @ 6:35pm
    by Dave

    @ Nick

    Agreed - Freedom here is just a bit better. And every day we loose more freedoms, not gain. I wonder how long it will take before this country resembles the ones we look at and feel sorry for.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  3. Sep 23rd, 2008 @ 7:30pm

    Re:

    by Anonymous Coward

    Another four years of Republican government, probably.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  4. Sep 23rd, 2008 @ 9:41pm
    by Anonymous Coward

    I went to school with Malaysians -- they were all MUSLIMS. What is worse than a freakin' ISLAMIC CHINA?!

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  5. Sep 23rd, 2008 @ 11:24pm

    Re:

    by Anonymous Coward

    How about a xenophobic, trigger happy America?

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  6. Sep 24th, 2008 @ 12:11am

    Xenophobic Trigger Happy America

    by Known Coward

    Some people can't kick any country but their own.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  7. Sep 24th, 2008 @ 12:12am

    Re: Re:

    by Trigger happy

    OK - Go live in Malaysia

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  8. Sep 25th, 2008 @ 1:26am

    Re:

    by Enrico Suarve

    Yeah at least in America you have the right to at least a show trial and they at least have to bribe the judiciary

    Either that or get shoved in orange overalls and... oh wait my bad I failed to spot the sarcasm - you were comparing the two despotic regimes right?

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

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