[Reader-list] Internet Censorship in India : Yahoo Groups Remains Blocked (fwd)

[Frederick Noronha (FN)]

---------- Forwarded message ----------

INTERNET CENSORSHIP IN INDIA :
Blocking of Yahoo groups continues

Posted below are URL's to most news reports about a draconian move by 
the Indian state to specifically block a specific online news group 
on yahoo. The targeted Group's name on Yahoo is: kynhun   Bri U 
Hynniewtrep. URL: groups.yahoo.com/group/kynhun/.

Blocking of a near invisible web site ordered by Indian agencies in 
the name off national security, is reprehensible enough, but the 
blocking of an entire domain, (groups.yahoo.com) is criminal. It 
seems that when Yahoo refused to comply with request from Indian 
authorities to delete the 'kynhun' yahoo group in question, and the 
consequence was that the entire groups.yahoo.com domain has become 
inaccessible to India based users for the last 4 days or so. There 
are literally thousands of yahoo groups sites related to and/or based 
in India (if you do search on yahoogroups  with the term India, it 
gives you figure of 12503).

This is not the first time the Indian government has tried to block 
web sites, during the Kargil war of 1999, the web site of the 
prominent Pakistan daily was blocked, this was very vigorously fought 
by many in the media in India and some activists abroad. In 1998 a 
law suit was filed by online activist Arun Mehta to challenge other 
moves by the Indian state to block some commercial  websites.

This current move to block internet content  for thousands off users, 
is a grave violation of freedom of expression and sets a very 
dangerous precedent of censorship and control of the internet in 
India. Human rights groups in India, South Asia and around the world 
need to take note and express concern.

Addresses of the officials and bodies to whom people may write to 
protest or seeking their intervention re this latest instance of 
Internet censorship in India:

Minister (Communications & Information Technology & Disinvestment)
Ist Floor,Electronics Niketan,
Lodhi Road,New Delhi 
Email : ashourie at nic.in

Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad
(Minister of Information and Broadcasting)
E-Mail: ravis at sansad.nic.in
Phone: (91) 23384340, 23384782 Fax : (91) 23782118

Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In)
http://www.mit.gov.in/cert/

India's Department of Telecom
http://www.dotindia.com/
ddgir at sancharnet.in

The Internet Service Providers Association of India (ISPAI)
http://www.ispai.com/

Yahoo! India Web Services Ltd;
386, Veer Savarkar Marg
Opp. Siddhivinayak Temple
Mumbai 400025
Phone: +91-22-56622222
Fax: +91-22-56622244

Delhi Office:

Yahoo! India Web Services Ltd;
Ground Floor, First India Place,
Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road
Gurgaon [Haryana]- 122002
Phone: +91-0124-5061888/9 (from Delhi 95124-5061888/9)
Fax: +91-0124-2560057
http://solutions.yahoo.co.in/contact.html


[* India's Official Human rights watch dog]
National Human Rights Commission(NHRC)
http://nhrc.nic.in/contact.htm


Please write to any or all of the above, write to the press and 
contact human rights groups to take this up.

I would particularly recommend that activists who have in the past 
vigorously fought against censorship on the internet in India [1] 
should be involved and some legal action should be initiated right 
away, if this ban persists this week.

In the meantime users in India wanting to urgently access the 
groups.yahoo.com domain based sites despite this unofficial ban 
should attempt to beat the ban by browsing via: www.anonymizer.com
or may want to visit  www.proxy4free.com/    [this second option may 
require some figuring out changing settings]

I also propose the formation of a campaign group consisting of 
individuals moderating and managing groups on the groups.yahoo.com 
domain to challenge the India government, this ban lasts any further.

Harsh Kapoor
(South Asia Citizens Web)
E-mail: <aiindex at mnet.fr>

NEWS REPORTS:

Economic Times,
Is the government right in blocking all Yahoo groups?
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/html/uncomp/articleshow?msid=199990

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Mid Day, September 24, 2003
http://web.mid-day.com/news/city/2003/september/64623.htm

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Sify  (Pioneer) September 24, 2003
'Govt has no right to block Yahoo group'
http://sify.com/news/pioneer/fullstory.php?id=13259504&vsv=71

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http://asia.cnet.com/newstech/industry/0,39001143,39152163,00.htm
Cnet Asia, Sept. 24, 2003
India blocks Yahoo web site
By Staff, CNETAsia

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Newindpress, September 24, 2003
Yahoo refuses to remove anti-India content, site blocked
This is the first time a website has been blocked under Cert-IN since it came
into being in July this year. Representatives of Yahoo in India had been
http://www.newindpress.com/Newsitems.asp?ID=IEH20030923005101&Title=Top+Stories&rLink=0

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Editorial, Hindustan Times, September 24, 2003
No net gain for Big Brother

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_387920,0012.htm

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News Today, September 24, 2003
Yahoo Groups continue to be blocked
http://newstodaynet.com/23sep/ld1.htm

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Rediff, September 24, 2003
Government bans Yahoo! group
http://www.rediff.com/netguide/2003/sep/23yahoo.htm

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The Hindu,September 23, 2003
Bid to block anti-India website affects users
By Sandeep Dikshit
http://www.thehindu.com/2003/09/23/stories/2003092312761100.htm

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The Register [UK]
India blocks Yahoo! Groups
By Andrew Orlowski
Posted: 23/09/2003 at 16:21 GMT
http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/6/32983.html

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Business Week, September 23, 2003
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/cnet/stories/5081021.htm

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The Times of India., September 23 2003
Yahoo website blocked
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com:80/cms.dll/html/uncomp/articleshow?msid=196169

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The Hindustan Times, September 23, 2003
Govt blocks e-group but can't prevent access
Siddharth Zarabi
http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/printedition/230903/detFRO04.shtml

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Business Line, India - 20 Sep 2003
Govt issues orders to ISPs - ` Block separatist outfit's e - ...
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2003/09/20/stories/2003092002890100.htm


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[Read Postings and to post a Message on the Ministry of Information 
Technology Discussion fora ]
http://www.mit.gov.in/discussionforum/


BACKGROUND RESOURCES ON OTHER INSTANCES OF GOVT CENSORSHIP:

[1] http://guide.vsnl.net.in/tcpip/columns/censorship/cc04.html

Indian Government Ban of Net Access to Pakistani News Broken
July 5, 1999
http://www.rediff.com/computer/1999/jul/05dawn.htm