Armenia: Samizdat & the Internet

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在亞美尼亞，保全業者與前總統支持者在首都街頭因為充滿爭議的219選舉產生衝突而宣佈的緊急狀態以過二十天，接收新聞媒體的行為嚴重受到制約。依照總統旨令，當地新聞媒體撥出只能發佈官方新聞，而政治宣傳已被禁止。


四）政府與內部政治議題有關的新聞能在政府機關的官方資訊範圍內撥報。
五）沒有核准的傳單和其他形態的政治宣傳已被禁止。


在許多新聞發佈所遵循緊急制約的同時，其它沒有遵循的媒體很快的也受到行動上的限制。因為沒有任何亞美尼亞國內電視台是獨立而不受國家或其它政府相關的商業和公務影響，自從二零零二年四月，支持反對黨的電視台, A1 Plus，停止撥送後，支持反對黨的新聞媒體被限制只能發布報紙和線上雜誌和新聞。

反對黨的觀點和言論也可以在 Radio Free Europe 電台收聽，但是自從緊急狀態宣佈後，電台的轉撥也被停止了。

但，由於網路上支持反對黨的新聞媒體沒有遵循這項限制而被國內網路過濾，這個情況下給予部落格前所未有的機會來填補漏洞。由於很多部落格都是建立於通用的伺服器上，例如 Wordpress 或 Blogspot，他們還沒被限制。不過，YouTube，由於 A1 Plus 之前利用它來散播週末發生的暴動的影片，所以似乎無法連入。


Nevertheless, pro-Ter-Petrossian activists outside of the country have seized upon the opportunity to instead use blogs to disseminate information during what is to all intents and purposes a media blackout in the country. Interestingly, one such blogger, Artmika at Unzipped, likens it to the old Soviet practice of “samizdat.” 



   Samizdat (Russian: самиздат) was the clandestine copying and distribution of government-suppressed literature or other media in Soviet-bloc countries. Copies were made a few at a time, and those who received a copy would be expected to make more copies. This was often done by handwriting or typing.

   This grassroots practice to evade officially imposed censorship was fraught with danger as harsh punishments were meted out to people caught possessing or copying censored materials.

   Vladimir Bukovsky defined it as follows: “I myself create it, edit it, censor it, publish it, distribute it, and [may] get imprisoned for it.”

While the opposition literature has its own site, others such as pro-Ter-Petrossian activist Nazarian are following in the spirit of the old days by republishing content on their own blogs. Although an initial fear that his blog had also been blocked in Armenia proved premature, Nazarian, like Unzipped, has taken on the role of serving as one of the main sources of information for the opposition in Armenia and its Diaspora. 

   Now that Armenia has been reduced to the level of China, the brave souls try to keep the liberty going by publishing underground papers and radio reports. Fortunately, we have internet now in addition to the traditional methods of samizdat to disseminate information. Below it the issue number one of samizdat. The sources and authors are kept secret to protect them from the Armenian state.

Indeed, in a recent analysis for ISN Security Watch, one Diasporan academic acknowledged this new trend although also identified one of its shortcomings. 

   With a media blackout in place [..t]he only source of independent (although biased) news remains the various blogs maintained by individuals in Armenia and a handful of international news agencies that have limited access to properly assess the situation in the country.

With YouTube apparently blocked by most ISPs in Armenia (the site times out constantly) it remains to be seen if blogs are targeted next. According to The Armenian Observer and a media legal expert for Internews Armenia, blogs technically fall under restrictions in place as a result of the state of emergency.

However, as of writing there appears to be no censorship or restrictions on local bloggers yet, with Ter-Petrossian activists such as Bekaisa constantly updating her LiveJournal site in Armenian, Russian and English on a daily basis. Just in case, however, Unzipped posts tips on how to circumvent internet censorship. 3月 07, 2008

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