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Web Censoring Widens Across Southeast Asia

Web Censoring Widens Across Southeast Asia
Governments Lacking Technical Means Use Coercion and Intimidation in Efforts to Suppress Criticism Online

By JAMES HOOKWAY
BANGKOK — Attempts to censor the Internet are spreading to Southeast Asia as governments turn to coercion and intimidation to rein in online criticism.

Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam lack the kind of technology and financial resources that China and some other large countries use to police the Internet. The Southeast Asian nations are using other methods — also seen in China — to tamp down criticism, including arresting some bloggers and individuals posting contentious views online.

That is distressing free-speech advocates who had hoped that Southeast Asia — until recently a region where Internet use was relatively unfettered — would become a model of open debate in the developing world as its economies modernize.

Malaysia has recently used its colonial-era Internal Security Act, which allows detention for up to two years without trial, to muzzle bloggers. Thailand is ramping up its reliance on a recently introduced Computer Crimes Act to restrict criticism of its royal family and limit the spread of what the government calls seditious material. Vietnam, an authoritarian Communist state, has been arresting people caught posting thoughts that run contrary to government policy, and has detained lawyers who try to defend them.

“A number of governments in the region have discovered they can’t use technology alone to block out dissent because people will always find a way around it,” says Roby Alampay, executive director of a Bangkok-based media advocacy group, the Southeast Asia Press Alliance. “Instead they are trying to send out the message that the government is watching what their citizens are up to, and many of these arrests are deliberately high-profile.”

To be sure, not every government in the region is trying to bolt down the Internet. Singapore, where mainstream media are largely controlled by the government, has taken a relatively hands-off approach to the Internet. The governments of Indonesia and the Philippines don’t limit political content on the Internet in their countries.

The case of Raja Petra Kamarudin, Malaysia’s best-known blogger, reveals a different approach. The 58-year-old prince, or raja, in one of Malaysia’s royal families started his feisty Malaysia Today news Web site a decade ago after the arrest of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim on sodomy charges, which Mr. Anwar denied. Mr. Anwar was convicted, jailed until the conviction was overturned, and is now being prosecuted again on sodomy charges, which he again is denying.

Since launching his Web site, Raja Petra has been a thorn in the side of Malaysia’s ruling National Front coalition, posting a series of articles notable for their criticism of the government. His postings led to his detention for nearly two months under the Internal Security Act in 2008.

Malaysian authorities have accused Raja Petra of suggesting in a letter to prosecutors investigating the murder of a Mongolian model in 2006 that Prime Minister Najib Razak was involved in the killing, which Mr. Najib denies. Raja Petra was charged with sedition and went into hiding. He says the charge is misdirected because he didn’t publish the letter, though he admits writing it and stands by its contents.

Malaysian government spokesman Tengku Sharifuddin Tengku Ahmad declined to comment about Raja Petra’s allegations, and he didn’t respond to questions about the broader issues surrounding Malaysia’s approach to censorship.

Malaysia’s government is careful not to be seen to be directly censoring the Internet because of a longstanding pledge not to interfere online and potentially scare off foreign technology companies, such as Microsoft Corp., which operate there.

In August, Mr. Najib’s government backed off from implementing Web filters similar to those used in China to weed out certain political topics and other contentious discussions. It has also considered requiring that bloggers register with the government, but decided not to implement the rule.

Instead, says Raja Petra, Malaysia’s authorities are using criminal laws “to make an example of me so that others will run away from the truth,” although he says their efforts will backfire. “Other bloggers are becoming more vocal and more aggressive.”

Some media analysts suggest governments are catching up with the impact of the Internet and mobile-phone messaging and how they helped to trigger social upheavals in countries such as Ukraine and the Philippines. Iran’s success in putting down Twitter and Facebook-driven protests this summer may have lent some indirect encouragement, too.

“Even if governments aren’t censoring outright, they are providing an adequate disincentive to posting criticism. People now know there will be consequences,” says Rebecca MacKinnon, a professor of journalism and media studies at Hong Kong University and a co-founder of GlobalVoices, an international citizens’ media Web site.

In Thailand, police last month arrested two people for forwarding an audio recording of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva purportedly ordering soldiers to attack antigovernment demonstrators. Mr. Abhisit said the recording is fake. Another Thai, Suwicha Thakor, was sentenced to 10 years in jail in June after pleading guilty to posting videos mocking Thailand’s revered monarchy.

Thai government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn says the country’s computer-crime laws are designed to protect people from fraud and defamation, and says the laws are at times being used to address what he describes as “national security” issues.

In recent weeks in Vietnam, meanwhile, popular blogger Bui Thanh Hieu was detained for several days after criticizing the government’s mining policies; another blogger, Huy Duc, was fired from his job at a Ho Chi Minh City newspaper after the Communist Party complained about his posts, while others have also been briefly detained. A Vietnamese foreign-ministry spokeswoman on Thursday said the bloggers had been detained to enable police to investigate alleged violations of national security.

Internet-freedom advocates worry that more governments beyond Southeast Asia will follow the region’s lead and try to take additional steps to tighten Internet controls.

“Being blocked from visiting a Web site is frustrating,” Mr. Alampay, the Bangkok-based activist, says. “But when you see or hear about people being arrested, then that could stop you from logging on at all.”

Write to James Hookway at james.hookway@wsj.com

How to keep your PC clean and quick

How to keep your PC clean and quick
ARA) – What you don’t know can hurt you – big time – when it comes to what’s hiding in your PC. From “naturally” occurring registry errors to more insidious threats like spyware, hidden problems can slow your computer performance to a crawl or even cause it to crash.

A little pro-active maintenance, however, can go a long way towards preventing problems. Keeping your PC “clean” and running at its best is as simple as establishing a routine maintenance schedule and using the right kinds of software to address the most common problems. The good news is, many of these maintenance tasks can be automated, thanks to software developers who understand how busy the average PC user is – and how baffling trouble-shooting can be.

Here are three key “cleaning” tasks that you should perform on a regular basis (at least once a week):

Run a registry cleaner

If your computer is slower now than when you first bought it, the problem may be registry errors. Installing and removing software, playing online games, application crashes and upgrades of software problems can all create “natural” errors in your PC’s registry. They accumulate over time and the more errors you have, the higher the likelihood that you’ll experience trouble.

To protect your system, install a one-click tool called Advanced Registry Optimizer 5 (ARO 5). The software ferrets out and corrects registry errors. Manufacturer Sammsoft offers free trials of ARO 5 so people can check their systems for errors. Go to www.Sammsoft.com to download your free trial. Once the download is complete, just click “run” to install ARO 5. The program will scan and diagnose your PC’s registry, tell you how many errors it found and then fix the first 20 errors for free. If you like the trial version, you can upgrade to the full unlimited commercial system for just $29.95.

Industry watcher Softarea51 recently gave the software 5 stars, calling it “a remarkable product, best of breed in its class, rising above its competitors by its innovative approach.”

Out spyware

Did you know that 61 percent of PCs have spyware on them? And of those infected, 92 percent of users didn’t know spyware was present on their computers, according to a poll by AOL and the National Cyber-Security Alliance.

Spyware – software that gets installed on your computer without your knowledge or consent – is considered a serious security threat. Not only can spyware collect information about your Internet usage, it can install additional software, hijack your browser, change your computer settings and slow down your computer performance.

Scan for spyware daily if you are on the Internet often and download frequently. Many companies offer completely free anti-spyware software for download.

Be vigilant to viruses

With so many other computer threats cropping up, it may be easy to overlook virus protection. But viruses continue to be a major threat to computer security, costing consumers and companies billions of dollars worldwide each year to prevent virus transmission and clean up after infection.

The best defense is a good offense when it comes to computer viruses. Subscribe to a virus protection software that provides constant updates since new viruses emerge and old ones evolve into new forms every day. Scan for new viruses at least once a week – more frequently if you are a heavy Internet user or receive large volumes of unsolicited e-mail.

Don’t wait until it’s too late…go to www.Sammsoft.com to download your free trial. Once the download is complete, just click “run” to install ARO 5. The program will scan and diagnose your PC’s registry, tell you how many errors it found and then fix the first 20 errors for free. If you like the trial version, you can upgrade to the full unlimited commercial system for just $29.95.

Sponsored content provided by ARALifestyle. Copyright ARAnet, Inc.

Preparing for a Job Interview?

Preparing for a Job Interview?
By C.J. Liu, PayScale.com

After networking, sending resumes and waiting patiently by the phone, all your hard work has paid off with an invitation to interview. Now it’s time for some expert tips on preparing for a job interview. Are you ready with smart answers to tough interviewing questions? What about explaining a job termination during an interview? There are ways to be honest but not hurt your chances of getting hired.

PayScale.com has developed a quick quiz to test your interview savvy. Read through the following true and false statements to assess your interview IQ, then enjoy the follow-up hints for a job interview.

1. Spending a lot of time preparing for a job interview will make me seem desperate.

False – There is nothing worse than an unprepared interviewee. Make sure you have done your homework about the organization and the job skills required before the interview. This will help you when the job interview question, “Why do you want to work here?” is thrown at you. Plus, you can ask knowledgeable questions when your turn comes around.

2. While preparing for a job interview, put yourself in the interviewer’s shoes to see things from their perspective.

True – Typically, interviewers are busy and easily distracted. Remember that you may be 1 of 10 people that they have talked to in the last 5 hours. Don’t make them struggle to get answers out of you or make sense of your rambling replies.

3. Role playing to prepare for typical interview questions is really important.

True- Practicing your responses to typical interview questions is paramount. Role play with a friend and get feedback on how you come across. For example, if you say that you are really excited about the job but sound hesitant, you will not seem credible.

4. If you have reservations about your abilities or skills for the position you should tell the whole truth.

True/False- You should not tell a lie and say you have five years of experience when you really have two. Nor should you fully disclose your inadequacies. If you left your last job because you were fired, there’s no need to bring that up. When the employer asks you about your biggest mistake, pick a less emotionally charged experience and emphasize what you learned from it.

5. A job interview is a one-direction conversation, like on a talk show.

False – Having a one-sided interview can be exhausting for both parties. Make sure that while you are preparing for a job interview, you come up with at least 10 engaging and relevant questions to ask. Even better, have some questions about their favorite subject – themselves. An example is, “Tell me about your job and what you love about it?”

6. Interviewers are like dogs; they can smell my fear.

True- Interviewing is the quintessential example of dogs sniffing each other out. Like a dog, the interviewer will be trying to determine your overall confidence. Your body language indicates your level of self-esteem. Remember, a shaking leg or deer in headlights expression can matter more than how well you answer the questions.

7. The “real me” will shine through whether I’m dressed in pajamas or a suit.

False- Whether we like it or not, what we wear helps form a first impression. Here are some attire hints for a job interview. See if you can get some insider information on the dress code and whether it is more casual or formal. If you don’t know, opt for formal. For women, remember it’s about getting a job not a date. Stay away from low cut or short anything.

8. Sending a thank you note is an important way of standing out.

True- Thank you notes are not only about good etiquette but self-marketing, too. How can a simple card help you seal the deal? Start by mentioning something you learned about your interviewer. You could say, “I really enjoyed our conversation about your first years at Boeing.” Then, write a quick summary of the conversation and why you are perfect for the job.

9. Making demands for your ideal salary and vacation in the initial interview is a risky proposition.

True- While you are aching to know the starting salary and benefits right off the bat, it’s a bit risky to ask these types of questions initially. Reserve negotiations on these matters until you have a job offer.
10. It doesn’t matter if I’m 5 minutes late. Everyone runs late to interviews.

False – It’s okay for your interviewer to be late, but the interviewee needs to be on time or 5-10 minutes early. Even if you have a good reason for being late, the interviewer will make assumptions about your level of organization and how you treat others. Plus, getting there early gives you time to compose yourself and shake off your coffee jitters.

What not to do on a business card

What not to do on a business card.

-DO NOT USE ALL CAPS AS THEY ARE HARD TO READ
-Do not cross out information and write in correct information. Get new business cards instead when information changes.
-Avoid fancy type faces that cannot be read.
-Choose the right size type face for all readers. If your customers are in their 40’s and above many of them will have to pull out reading glasses to read small print so make sure your name and phone number stand out.

Something to ponder
-Beware The Card Pusher- Some people are scared of rejection, think they are their business card or are simply socially retarded.
-Ditch The Card – When I say ditch the card, I mean ditch using a business card as your approach. Don’t even use what you do as an approach. Be a person, with genuine passions, hobbies, and interests and go out there and share yourself!

“People don’t want to do business with business cards, they want to do business with people.” ~Audio

Tips to projecting the Right Image

Projecting the Right Image by Steele Curry
1)Be punctual, be punctual, be punctual. If you arrange to meet someone at a specific time, do whatever you have to do to be there exactly on time, regardless of whether it is a social, business or professional occasion. Being late is inexcusable rudeness.

2)How to “break the ice” when you first meet someone. Do not rely on the other person to start or carry the conversation. Be prepared to take the initiative.

3)Never use Dr., Mr., Mrs., Ms., Miss or your title when you are introducing yourself to someone.

4)In shaking hands, your grip should err on the firm side as opposed to being limp or alternatively bone crunching.

5)Always stand up whenever someone is coming over to greet or meet you, including when you are sitting down in a meeting. This applies to both men and women.

6)Your body language is an important element in creating the right first impression. As you are walking up to meet someone for the first time, assume a position of excellent posture, face the individual square on, and establish eye contact with that person.

7)Whenever you are meeting someone, inject some energy into your greeting and never underestimate the power of a smile to put the other person at ease and make him or her feel pleased to meet you.

8)Respect the right of other people to have legitimate views and opinions different from your own.

9)Always introduce your companion or spouse whenever you are meeting someone.

Every day conversation and eye contact

Author: Steven Aitchison

Every day conversation and eye contact
We will use eye contact every day of our lives so it makes sense to learn the best ways to use your eyes to your advantage.

Eye contact provides social information to the person you are listening to and talking to. Too much eye contact and you could be seen as aggressive, too little eye contact and you can be seen as having no interest in the person speaking.

When you are interested in someone sexually your pupils will dilate and you hold the person’s gaze a little longer than normal.

When talking to a group of people it is great to have direct contact with your listeners. Don’t make the mistake of maintaining eye contact with just one person as this will stop the other members of the group from listening.

Arguing with someone is a skill in itself and if you want to compete in an argument holding the gaze shows strength. If you look away when arguing with someone you have all but lost the argument.

To make your pupils dilate even more you can try this: as you are staring at your partner imagine yourself going inside their body and your two souls making love.

Are Your Eyes Right With Single Women?Too much eye contact is as bad as too little. It’s impolite to stare. As a cultural rule, a man should not look steadily at a woman for longer than a few seconds – unless she gives him license with a smile, a backward glance, or a direct meeting of eyes.

Street traders know the importance of the eyes when using their selling skills to keep their potential buyers interested.

5 Reasons Why God Uses Problems

5 Reasons Why God Uses Problems

The problems you face will either defeat you or develop you – depending on how you respond to them.
Here are five ways God wants to use the problems in your life:

1. God uses problems to DIRECT you.
Sometimes God must light a fire under you to get you moving. Problems often point us in a new direction and motivate us to change. Is God trying to get your attention? “Sometimes it takes a painful situation to make us change our ways.” Proverbs 20:30

2. God uses problems to INSPECT you.
People are like tea bags…if you want to know what’s inside them, just drop them into hot ever water! Has God tested your faith with a problem What do problems reveal about you? “When you have many kinds of troubles, you should be full of joy, because you know that these troubles test your faith, and this will give you patience.” James 1:2-3

3. God uses problems to CORRECT you.
Some lessons we learn only through pain and failure. It’s likely that as a child your parents told you not to touch a hot stove. But you probably learned by being burned. Sometimes we only learn the value of something… health, money, a relationship. .. by losing it. “It was the best thing that could have happened to me, for it taught me to pay attention to your laws.” Psalm 119:71-72

4. God uses problems to PROTECT you.
A problem can be a blessing in disguise if it prevents you from being harmed by something more serious. Last year a friend was fired for refusing to do something unethical that his boss had asked him to do. His unemployment was a problem – but it saved him from being convicted and sent to prison a year later when management’s actions were eventually discovered. “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good…
Genesis 50:20

5. God uses problems to PERFECT you.
Problems, when responded to correctly, are character builders. God is far more interested in your character than your comfort. Your relationship to God and your character are the only two things you’re going to take with you into eternity. “We can rejoice when we run into problems… they help us learn to be patient.. And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady.” Romans 5:3-4

Start Networking With Confidence

Start Networking With Confidence

Step 1
Compose a brief introduction for yourself. You may need to compose several versions of this speech, each customized to particular situations. For example, if you are interested in finding a new position or starting a new business, you might write two versions of your speech–one for employment contacts and one for venture capitalists.

Step 2
Practice your introduction by standing before a mirror and paying close attention to your posture and stance. You should try to exude confidence by keeping your shoulders back and your eyes up.

Step 3
Find a friend or someone you feel comfortable rehearsing your short introduction in front of. This should be someone who is willing to listen and give constructive criticism to help you perfect your introduction or icebreaker.

Step 4
Find a networking opportunity that is low key and low pressure at which to unveil your introductory speech. This can be anything from a casual party to an alumni event for your college or university.

Step 5
Dress the part. Your appearance makes up a large part of the first impression for a new contact. When networking for your career or business, choose professional attire that is suitable to the occasion and avoid over- or under-dressing.

Step 6
Introduce yourself to at least one new person during your first networking event. By overcoming your fear or shyness, you will find the next introduction that much easier.

Step 7
Improve the likelihood that the contacts you make will be fruitful by following up. Send a brief email or make a couple of calls, especially if you promised or were promised information or job leads during your initial conversation.

Step 8
Keep getting out there. The best way to improve your networking skills is through real-world experience.

Source: http://www.ehow.com/

The secret of investing in Unit Trust

The secret of investing in Unit Trust by by KCLau

1. Ringgit Cost Averaging
Regularly invest a fix amount in a unit trust fund regardless of market trend is called the Ringgit Cost Averaging strategy. The actual market performance is fluctuating. When the equity market is high, you buy less unit with the same amount. When the market is low, you buy more unit. For long term, you will get much more unit in the lower price range.

2. Portfolio Re-balancing
Portfolio re-balancing is the process of bringing the different asset classes back into proper relationship following a significant change in one or more. More simply stated, it is returning your portfolio to the proper mix of stocks, bonds and cash when they no longer conform to your plan.

3. Switching
Switching will lock in the gain you made in your unit trust investment. Switching fees are low and definitely lower than the upfront service charge. When you are making profit from an equity fund, you can switch it to some lower risk fund to lock the gain instead of selling it for cash. When the market turn low, you can switch it back to equity fund.

Source: http://kclau.com/wealth-management/