An Enemy of Internet, Bahrain Suppresses Protesters

Local Editor

Bahraini security forces violently broke-up protests outside the Gulf kingdom's capital city of Manama, using tear gas to disperse the marchers.

According to media information, Saudi-backed regime forces attacked Tuesday protesters outside Manama, injuring several of them.
"The police surrounded several villages and towns around Manama and attacked the protesters, firing tear gas at them," activists informed adding that "several people were injured and one of them is reportedly in a critical condition."

A day earlier, several Bahraini protesters were wounded during clashes with regime forces in a number of villages across the tiny island.
Meanwhile, Bahrain has been declared an enemy of the Internet by a prominent campaign group in a report marking "World Day against Cyber Censorship."

Reporters without Borders condemned the Gulf state's continued arbitrary arrests of online activists.
Bahrain was one of only two countries to be called an "enem"" for the first time this year, the other being Belarus.
"Two countries, Bahrain and Belarus, have been moved from the "under surveillance" category to the "Enemies of the Internet" list," the report said.
 
"They combine often drastic content filtering with access restrictions, tracking of cyber-dissidents and online propaganda," it added.
Stressing that "the ongoing arrests of activists and the lack of international news coverage had succeeded in suppressing the protests in Bahrain," the report pointed out that "the upcoming Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix was an attempt by the ruling regime to pretend the protests are not happening."

"Bahrain is an example of a news blackout succeeding thanks to an impressive combination of technical, judicial and physical censorship methods," the report said.
"Bahrain is spending millions to polish its image abroad and give the impression that the country has returned to normal. This has been capped by the announcement that the 2012 Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix, canceled last year, will go ahead in April," it added.

The Reporters without Borders report also condemned Saudi Arabia for continued harassment of online users.
"Saudi Arabia has continued its relentless censorship and suppressed coverage of a provincial uprising," the report said.

Source:News Agencies, Edited by moqawama.org