http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8657779.stm


And coming from a country with great freedom of speech (not), I happen to find this relevant and worth discussing.

I must admit that I am not quite knowledgable about Thailand, aside that it is a parliamentary monarchy with king Boumibol (or something like that, transliteration differs) and that the previous Prime Minister was expelled by seditious mobs (the yellows, I think they were called) and that his supporters have for quite some time been forming seditious mobs (the reds) to expel the current one. I do recall you telling of the repression of a certain ethnic group, though.

Anyway that China is dreadful is no surprise to anybody, I hope. Regarding Russia, well, you just have to say the magic word and you'll unlock a rant about that. Rwanda is a bit of a black page, though, I know where it lies and that it was the site of the Tutsi tribes being massacred by Hutus, but that's where it ends.

Which isn't actually that related to the subject at hand. We can't exactly voice our own political opinions and then there's lese majeste.

Lets not forget about Iran. Two metal journalists have been basically kidnapped, with no charges, and while the UN is warning them to give reason for arrests and to see them, or let them go, yet Iran refuses. Hell most forms of music are banned there do to being blasphemous.

Iran obviously needs the metal.

It does, and I'm not saying just metal, any in general, its just ridiculous that the government can stifle the minds of artists like that.

You speak as if you never heard of North Korea.

Ah, touché. Yes, North Korea is a... unique case. Truly disgusting government over there, a very unsettling personality cult and committing virtually every single human right in existence.

Anyway, there are many different groups persecuted in Iran, homosexuals are amongst the most prominent, but Zoroastrians and Christians are persecuted, too.

About freedom of speech, I think you should be able to voice or show about everything you want (but not on every medium at every time), but unlike laissez-faire capitalist libertarians I am not quite silly enough to discard every penalty to expression as censorship. Several people should be able to be persecuted for islamophobic comments, since they constitute insult and slander (of which I think the latter is more relevant, since insults are a blurry area).

No, actually I've heard lots. I have a friend who's from South Korea and he always told me stuff. I was just pointing out another country against free speech was all. :F

S'all good dude. I kinda envy some western countries.

No surprise about Russia. Russia hasn't changed much since the fall of the Soviet union, in fact, government organizations have even more power to suppress the people now because most of these government organization aren't under the direct control of a political party. In short, it's a permanent field day for the FSB.

They have changed quite a bit from Gorbachev in the sense that Russia is way more authoritarian now (I'm not saying Gorbachev was the greatest, shady things were happening during his tenure, too).

At least Putin is badass.

Nothing is bad a** about Putin, he was an oppressive leader and continues to allow his Government agencies to do whatever they please.

He's the manliest of manly men in Russia. And he could kick your a**. He is a cool guy, saves journalists from from tigers and doesn't afraid of anything. Ruthless policies earn badass points as well.