Government censorship seems to be the 'in' thing in China and Kenya this year. Governments in both states have rung in the New Year by cracking down on local media and internet sites (shock), much to the surprise and outrage of many (barring those in China, I suppose).
On January 2nd, President Kibaki signed the Kenya Communications (Amendment) Bill into law. The new legislation provides for heavy fines and prison sentences for press offenses, and also gives the government - above all information and interior ministries - the authority to issue broadcast licenses and monitor the production and content of news programs. The law has given rise to much protest across Kenya, as memories of a 2006 government raid on the offices of the Standard Newspapers, the country's second largest newspaper, and a 2007 media crackdown remain fresh.
To be perfectly honest, I remain somewhat puzzled by the passage of this law, especially given that the country is still trying to rebound after the 2007 presidential election and such media restrictions may well curtail much-needed foreign investments. Kenyan media has in past days carried several somewhat biting (biting if you're a member of Parliament, that is) stories about MPs refusal to pay taxes, disclosing the fiscal excesses of Parliament, but I hesitate to accept the publication of such stories as the sole reason for the government clamping down so harshly. Then again, I could be wrong. Thoughts?
In China, too, 2009 has begun with, well, interesting developments: Chinese authorities have blocked a number of websites criticized for 'low and vulgar practices on the Internet,' among them Google's 'web page search' and 'image search' functions (kind of takes away from the point, doesn't it?). In addition, internet addicts are being sent to boot-camps (yes, seriously) where they undergo a three-month regimen of counseling, confidence building activities, sex ed (sex ed?!?) and in about 60% of cases, medication. Fabulous. Just imagine what they would do to us Western bloggers!
In all seriousness, though, it's often the case that when citizens are barred from accessing information, whatever that information may be, they more actively seek ways to evade censorship to access it. While government crackdowns a la Kenya and China may succeed (or give the impression of success) in the short-term, in the long term the result will be a populace exceptionally well-versed at evading filters and disseminating information. Media crackdowns aren't all they're cracked up to be.