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Recent moves by the Cambodian government to crack down on independent media, including broadcasters and newspapers, is seen by analysts and activists as a key step by the government to consolidate control ahead of national elections in 2018.

The tougher approach by the Cambodian government led by Prime Minister Hun Sen in power for more than three decades comes against a backdrop of growing opposition support, especially among younger voters.

Allegations of a campaign against human rights

Rights activists also point to a broad strategy by the government against both the media and rights activists.

The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development condemned the recent attacks against civil society organizations and the free media.

"These repressive measures come at a critical juncture for Cambodia and severely compromise the legitimacy and fairness of next year's election," Asian Forum said in a statement.

The group also pointed to the killing of activist Kem Ley in July 2016, as well as detention of other opposition politicians, as adding to a "culture of fear spreading in the country."

Campaign takes many forms

The media crackdown has included imposition of a $6.3 million tax bill against the English-language Cambodia Daily, a newspaper published since 1993, with the paper being forced to shut down if the payment is not met by Sept. 4.

Other targets included Cambodian radio stations broadcasting U.S.-funded Radio Free Asia and Voice of America (VOA), with the government claiming the outlets failed to have the correct licenses, charging the offices were unregistered with the authorities.

In late August, Cambodia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs ordered the closure of the National Democratic Institute (NDI), in international development and democracy organization, ordering the institute's foreign staff to leave the country before month's end.

Billy Chai-Lung Tai, an independent analyst with Human Rights and Project Management, said the moves against the media marked a tougher line by the government on the media and public debate.

Analyst says China is a factor

"The gloves are off, so to speak," Chai-Lung Tai said in an email to VOA. He added the government was also less reticent now about maintaining "a semblance of upholding human rights to show the [international aid] donors anymore."

Cambodia has become less dependent on Western foreign development assistance in recent years as the economy has grown and the Cambodian government has built closer ties with China.

Charges that government fears elections

Nathan Thompson, president of the Overseas Press Club of Cambodia (OPCC), said the 2018 elections are the main reason for the media crackdown.

"The ruling party is terrified of losing the 2018 elections and so they crack down on all opposing voices," Thompson told VOA in an email. He pointed to opposition gains in local elections, which "served to only increase their paranoia."

He said there were also fears the government may tighten visa rules and work permits, making it easier for the government to deny visas to freelance journalists and foreign correspondents.

Human Rights Watch charges

Human Rights Watch deputy Asia director Phil Robertson said the government was acting dictatorially to control the media and wipe out opposition political leaders and critical nongovernment organizations (NGOs) "in a barrage of bogus criminal charges heard by judges beholden to [the prime minister]."

Robertson said the strategy by Hun Sen is to "stifle all the remaining independent media outlets, whether they be radio or newspapers, before the real campaigning starts for the July 2018 election."

In a May commentary, the Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR) noted the Cambodian government had also drawn on the new U.S. administration's "more hostile rhetoric and policies regarding the [U.S.] media."

The Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) said the government should first clarify new regulations "rather than immediately launch a crackdown as a first action."

SEAPA director Edgardo Legaspi called the government's policy a "systematic attack" at silencing independent media and called on the international community to press the government over the recent crackdown.

"It is important for the international community to voice their concern on the recent events in order to convince the Cambodian government to adopt a more reasonable approach for their all-too-sudden concern about taxation or reporting airtime buyers," Legaspi told VOA.

"We must call for the immediate reinstatement of the programming of the canceled radio programs," he said.

Low 'freedom of press' ranking

Cambodia remains lowly ranked in terms of press freedom with the media watchdog Freedom House, which classifies Cambodia's media as "not free," while in 2016 Reporters without Borders placed Cambodia at 128 out of 182 countries for the freedom afforded to its press.

The Cambodian Center for Human Rights said journalists often found themselves "victim to physical attacks, judicial harassment and even murder."

CCHR said since 1994 14 journalists have been killed in Cambodia with most of the killings carried out "with complete impunity," creating a "climate of fear among Cambodian journalists and political commentators."

The Cambodian government did not respond to requests for comment.

View post:
Cambodian Media Crackdown Seen as Key Step by Government Ahead of 2018 Elections - Voice of America

Real Madrids official Twitter account was hacked with a post announcing the signing of rival Lionel Messi appearing on their feed.

The hacking group known as OurMine, was behind the attacks on the Spanish giant and posted hoax claims of player transfers.

The group, which has been behind a series of high-profile hacks recently, claimed that Messi, the former multiple world player of the year and Barcelonas greatest ever player, had signed for Madrid.

The post on the Madrid official Twitter account also accompanied by a video of Messi scoring for Barcelona against Real Madrid said Benvingut Messi! !Bienvenido Messi! Welcome Messi! Bienvenue Messi! #Messi.

The tweet remained visible for over an hour before it disappeared from both the Spanish and English social media language feeds. The removable of the post was not quick enough to stop the post going viral with over 27,000 retweets coming in the first 45 minutes.

The hacking group followed up this tweet with a series of tweets claiming responsibility for the hack saying: Internet security is s*** and we proved that.

The hack on the current UEFA Champions League holders came just days after their fiercest rivals, FC Barcelona, had their social media accounts hacked with a post announcing the signing of ngel Di Mara from Paris Saint-Germain.

The Catalan club quickly released a statement confirming the incident: Our accounts have been hacked tonight. Were working to solve the problem as soon as possible. Thanks for your patience.

This was the second time that the club fell victim to hackers having previously had their social media platforms compromised in 2014 by a group claiming to be the Syrian Electronic Army.

It is difficult to ascertain what exactly is the aim of OurMine, is the group using these hacks to simply promote their group, or is there a more serious motive lurking in the dark that is yet to materialize?

Author Shane Curtis, ESET

Originally posted here:
Spanish giants the latest to fall foul of hackers - We Live Security (blog)

Gustavo Hernandez is a local Venezuelan journalist reporting for the online outlet Caracas Chronicles. He and his colleagues are working to cover the situation in Venezuela as the government tightens its control over traditional media sources.

DW: What is the situation right now for journalists on the ground in Venezuela?

Gustavo Hernandez: The situation in Venezuela over thelast few months has deteriorated tothe lowest point and has made it almost impossible forjournalists to work onthe streets. In the last two months, the security forces -the national guard, police and intelligence services have become more aggressive against journalists and have literally made them targets.

We have seen multiple cases of journalists being attacked using tear-gas canisters and even cases of journalists being shot at. We also have cases or journalists whose equipment has been confiscated or damaged. We have cases of journalists who have been detained forhours at military installations without access to lawyers. They were eventually released. We have cases of journalists who have been threatened by security forces fordoing their jobs.

This situation is not new. We have had situations like this since 2014 but not to the scale that we are seeing today.

President Maduro has labelled journalists who have criticized him as 'terrorists.'

Is it safe for journalists to cover the protests now in Venezuela?

Well it is very tricky for journalists right now even if you have proper identification. Colleagues nowhave to do their jobs wearing bullet-proof vests, helmets and gas masks. The national guard is now working to stop any journalists from covering the protests and will take away equipment or break equipment to make sure that journalists cannot cover the protests in Venezuela.

Over the past couple of years the government has taken control of the traditional media: radio, television and to a certain degree the written press.

The consequence of this is the growth of new digital media who are doing the heavy bulk of the coverage of the protests. But they are now also being targeted by the government and by the media authorities who want to regulate digital and social media. They have even accused some outlets of distributing "terrorist messages and are now asking internet service providers to block access to such sites in Venezuela.

The government has also acted against international broadcasters. CNN en Espanol was taken off the air in Venezuela in February because they were accused of being against Venezuela. It can only be seen now online.

And to add insult to injury, Venezuela has the slowest internet speeds on the continent.

So how are Venezuelans accessing information about what is happening in the country?

The most important tool right now for Venezuelans to get informed is social media. The former head of Conatel, the country's national communication regulator, has suggested that social media should be heavily regulated. They are calling for the tools to fight so-called terrorists.

Right now the government cannot do anything because they do not control the national assembly. But now with this new constitutional assembly, the government can take steps to control social media. President [Nicolas] Maduro has said that he intends to go after those who criticize him on social media and there have been cases of people who have been detained by security forces because of what they published on social media.

If there have been threats against publishing on social media, why are people still doing so?

Venezuelans have a hunger for information about what is happening in their cities, their neighborhoods. Traditional media is heavily self-censored. There is legislation that controls what is reported and it is very vague, very ambiguous on what can and cannot be said. So broadcasters are very cautious about what they say so that they do not risk losingtheir broadcast license.

Gustavo Hernandez is a journalist in Venezuela

For example there was very little media coverage of the election of the constitutional assembly in the country. There were threats against media companies by the electoral commission not to broadcast certain information related to the election.

How are Venezuelans reacting to this new media situation?

Sadly we have to deal with this new reality now. At any moment there could be arrests of journalists by the national guard. The fear has become real. We are seeing a new, unprecedented wave of repression in Venezuela not seen since the last dictatorship we hadmore than 50-60 years ago. Sadly journalism has to adapt to this new reality.

This commentary is a part of DW's Freedom of Speech Project which aims to highlight voices from around the world on the topics of freedom of expression and press freedom. You can also follow the project on Facebook. Interview by Ole Tangen Jr.

View original post here:
Reporting in Venezuela: 'The fear has become real' - Deutsche Welle

July 2016, teenager Bresha Meadows shot and killed her father in self-defense after he allegedly abused her, her mother and siblings in Ohio. She accepted a plea deal which states that in January 2018, Meadows will be released from a mental health facility where she is currently receiving psychiatric treatment.

According to the New York Times, Meadows was held in two juvenile detention centers for a total of a year before being transferred to the Bellefaire Residential Treatment Center.

Rapper Talib Kweli released a new song called "She's My Hero" which he dedicated to Meadows.

The first thing that struck me about Bresha was how much she physically reminded me of my own daughter, Kweli writes. I had a similar experience when George Zimmerman killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, who reminded me of my son. I instantly felt drawn to these children, and I felt compelled to dive deeper into their lives. Leading up to shooting her father, Breshas grades were slipping in school, she had run away from home and had repeatedly told relatives and authorities that her father was beating up her mom and threatening to kill the whole family.

Many of Bresha's relatives and even her sister claimed that the abusive tendencies of her father, Jonathan Meadows, was a thing of the past and that Bresha had murdered their father in cold blood. On the other hand, several others, including her mother, claimed that Jonathan was still verbally and physically violent up until his death.

Because it was declared that Bresha suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, her sentence was lessened whereas she could have served a life-sentence behind bars.

Bresha is incredibly relieved and feeling optimistic about her life for the first time, said Ian Friedman, her attorney. It was nice to see her genuinely smile yesterday. This young girl will now have a very bright future.

However, because Bresha was a witness to and victim of domestic violence, the judge's ruling was deemed insensitive to most especially in cases of young African-Americans and mental health cases.

Kweli and several others have rallied together to donate to Bresha's GoFundMe campaign to help raise money for treatment.

Regardless of how you feel about this particular case, whether you feel its a self defense issue, a domestic abuse issue, a mental health issue or all of the above, the take away for me is that we must do a better job of taking care of and protecting our children, he continues. Our children should never feel they have to make these kinds of decisions. I see my own children in Breshas young face, and I want to uplift their voices as much as I possibly can.

Listen to Kweli's "She's My Hero" on Soundcloud shared by XXL.

Remember, sharing is caring.

Continued here:
Talib Kweli Pays Beautiful Tribute To Domestic Abuse Victim In His New Song "She's My Hero" - Blavity

Note: This feature appears in the Wednesday, Aug. 30 newspaper on Page A3.

Each week, the Vinton County Courier is going back into the archives to find interesting and oftentimes humorous newspaper clippings and advertisements of the past.

From the Thursday, Aug. 29, 1957 edition of the McArthur Democrat-Enquirer:

- The Franklin County Historical Society visited Wilkesvilles Ponn Humpback Covered Bridge during its annual summer bus tour. The tour also featured Buckeye Furnace.

- In sports, the McArthur High School Generals football team was coached by Jack Osborne and was set to scrimmage Berne Union.

- The Ohio Division of Juvenile planned to inspect a Vinton County site for a Boys Honor Camp to be a partnership with the Ohio Department of Transportation.

From the Thursday, Aug. 31, 1967 edition of the McArthur Democrat-Enquirer:

- The St. Sylvester Catholic Church in Zaleski celebrated its 100th anniversary. There were 54 families made up the church as parishioners. Leading the church was Father Robert F. Lemon.

- In sports, Don Radcliff, the Voice of the Vikings, returned to broadcast football games on WBEX out of Chillicothe.

From the Wednesday, Aug. 31, 1977 edition of the Vinton County Courier:

- Vinton County schools began offering a breakfast program at a cost of 25 cents.

- McArthur Mayor Robert Dodrill proclaims Sept. 7, 1977 to be George Zimmerman Day. Zimmerman, who still had an active drivers license, turned 100 years old.

- In sports, Vinton County residents Rodney Peoples, Mark Johnston and Storma Peoples competed in the Summer Karate Championships in Columbus.

- Also in sports, the Wilkesville Merchants won the Banquet Softball Tournament. The team was made up of Sis Sherpherd, Sandi Sines, Barb Lambert, Mary Brown, Rae Hicks, Barb Fetty, Kay Woodard, Beth LuAnn Shifflet, Donna Johnston, Lori Ward, Carla Cecil and Robin Eberts. The team was coached by Sam Hicks and John Dailey.

- At the movies: The Cinema Louvee showed Star Wars.

From the Wednesday, Sept. 2, 1987 edition of the Vinton County Courier:

- Donna and Lamar Kruger were recognized for their loyal service to the Vinton County Local School District. Together, they had 52 years of perfect attendance. Lamar began as a bus driver in Allensville in 1952 and later became a custodian. Donna started in 1970 as a custodian.

- In advertising, Snugglers Cove Dairy Hut offered veals for $1.50 at its location on Route 50 in Prattsville.

From the Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2007 edition of The Vinton County Courier:

- Vinton County Middle School officially opened, with Dee Caudill as principal.

- The Convention and Visitors Bureau continued working on the quilt barn project with Farm Friendliness on a barn owned by Bob Rannells on Route 328.

- In sports, the Vikings football team beat Unioto 31-15 to open the season 1-0. The game featured touchdowns by Bobby Mason, Ryan Stewart and Andy Grillo.

- Also in sports, the Vinton County cross country teams competed at the River Valley Early Bird Invitational. Brandon Clark and Abbe Batey were the two top runners.

Read more:
This Week in Vinton County History - Vinton County Courier (registration)