There two days, opening my mailbox, I came across a very special letter: A letter from the Tunisian Ministry of Technology Communication ! Inside, a letter from the "Office of Public Relations" attached to the Office of the Minister and dated 25 September 2010! whose object is, consider yourself: " Protest against censorship of websites !
A scan of the envelope containing the letter. The Postmarked is the date of 25.10.10
confess that at this stage I was playing in a state of near euphoria. The word "citizen", "protest" and "censorship" in an official letter of state administration, under its false air of form letter, that letter is, to my knowledge, a first in the long protest against Internet censorship in Tunisia.
The remainder of this letter will also be at the height of its purpose:
Letter "Office of Public Relations", Ministry of Communication Technologies, dated 25.09.10
More than four months after sending a letter to President Tunisian parliament , as part of Operation Letter to an MP "campaign against censorship" Nhar 3la 3ammar "So it's finally an answer to my request. In fact in my post, largely inspired by the form letter posted on Facebook, I request the President of Parliament, " as a citizen "he asks" the Tunisian government and responsible authorities to lift censorship and to establish responsibility for these illegal practices. "
Again, some clarification is needed, when the idea of sending letters to MPs was presented to the group, I was not really excited about the usefulness of such an action . A few weeks ago, I participated in drafting the famous "Letter to President " in a process aimed at to authorities in a quandary as to how to react. Being convinced that censorship in Tunisia, is not the result of any malfunction but rather a deliberate policy, this action was for me a kind of reductio ad absurdum of the impossibility of dialogue.
A demonstration that gave the only result we could expect: media censorship still available with the published call! Some bloggers believe the effectiveness of such an approach does not always come back having seen their blogs censored after this action. So again this approach does not seem particularly relevant.
All that to say that receiving this letter, especially after reading its contents, put me in my turn, face a dilemma. How is it that the fifty people who have the same approach, no, to my knowledge, has been answered. Some, like me, did not even receive an acknowledgment of receipt of their letters recommended.
In addition, the response was sent to my address in France that I stated on the letter and not the address Tunisia I had written on the submission form. So how to answer this? Take it seriously or laugh at them instead? Should we see a particular message?
After much thought and consultation, I have come to the belief that it should take this letter seriously. The approach of the administration, as unusual as it is, is welcome ... not that I perceive it as a favor or special attention to my person or that it was any progress, but simply because it results from a "normal" functioning of the relationship between institutions and the citizen I am.
Sending my letter to Mr. Mbaza, just days before the close of the parliamentary session 2009/2010, has not stopped its services to treat it once the new session opened. Also, the fact that the Tunisian Parliament to answer my query by forwarding my mail to the department concerned is, in itself, a significant step. Obviously I would have preferred that the President put the motion to the agenda of questions to the government within the Chamber, but I did not ask a lot already to a parliament with powers very limited.
The behavior of the Cabinet of Minister of communication technologies is also welcome. The approach to give my request a formal aspect with a file number and a signature of a clearly identified, although again it is the nature of things, none the less significant. This is especially true, says that this answer is far from trivial.
The first thing is undoubtedly the recognition of the responsibility, at least administrative department of technology regarding the issue of censorship. Then the department in question believes that this " protest against the censorship of websites " is an acceptable application that requires a response or at least adequate treatment.
In this regard, I recall that when the appointment of the current minister, Mr Naceur Ammar one of his former students to Sup'Com which he was director , welcomed this appointment on the micro-blogging site, Twitter. He was convinced that Mr. Ammar could not accept censorship and would certainly address this problem. Bad luck, the month of his appointment, the Tunisian had net a wave of unprecedented censorship which ended with the censure of the latest video sharing site available in Tunisia on the eve of November 7. The reference to the ITA is therefore most similar to a confession of failure, the ministry is incapable of responding to this request, however he considers legitimate.
Finally, and certainly the most important lesson of this post, the ATI is the first responsible for Internet censorship in Tunisia. This is the cabinet itself, which indirectly confirms this by referring my query on censorship this public agency private law. The Department could have ignored the letter and nothing could give me it was on this famous "office relationship with the citizen." But for one reason or another it has been decided differently, especially between the date indicated on the hidden post and the receipt it took over a month, enough to get all this mail permissions to send to me.
Responsibility for the ATI, though never proven, is leaving "guess". Moreover, when censorship of Dailymotion in 2007, some service providers solicited by RSF, had openly designated ITA . The nature of censorship in Tunisia and the means implemented , are legitimate suspicions as to the operator's national network of Tunisia. Then, despite what my friend said Astrubal " administration of censorship is the best kept secret of Tunisia " everything suggests that SE is complicit in one way or another a true Internet police, which some sources to quantify 600 agents located in premises brand new close to the presidential palace . And it is no coincidence that to maintain the fog around this thankless task that is censorship, ATI continues to operate outside the law. Indeed, and it Court of Auditors notes that " the permission for the ATI for the operation of access node to the international Internet is without legal basis since 2001 " (Court of Auditors, abstract 23rd annual report, p. 33 and 34).
Whether on my personal blog , or blog collective nawaat.org , the question of responsibility and respect laws of our country have always been central to our commitment. The operation Nhar 3la 3ammar was also part of the legalistic approach of requiring the State to respect its own laws.
These requirements are increasingly those of a growing number of Internet users frustrated by the censorship Tunisians who muzzled their words, their creativity and flange affects their work. I do not know why this answer came to me, but what is certain is that I will follow this case provided with my case number to demand answers from the ITA. Meanwhile, everyone will continue to do what he has to do ...
Malek Khadhraoui
http://stranger-paris.blogspot.com
www.nawaat.org
@ malekk
confess that at this stage I was playing in a state of near euphoria. The word "citizen", "protest" and "censorship" in an official letter of state administration, under its false air of form letter, that letter is, to my knowledge, a first in the long protest against Internet censorship in Tunisia.
The remainder of this letter will also be at the height of its purpose:
I inform you that your letter regarding the subject mentioned above ["protest against censorship" So Ed] was sent to us by the staff of parliament. After study, it was referred to the Tunisian Internet Agency under number 201000530 dated from 25/09/2010 to consider and take appropriate action.
More than four months after sending a letter to President Tunisian parliament , as part of Operation Letter to an MP "campaign against censorship" Nhar 3la 3ammar "So it's finally an answer to my request. In fact in my post, largely inspired by the form letter posted on Facebook, I request the President of Parliament, " as a citizen "he asks" the Tunisian government and responsible authorities to lift censorship and to establish responsibility for these illegal practices. "
Again, some clarification is needed, when the idea of sending letters to MPs was presented to the group, I was not really excited about the usefulness of such an action . A few weeks ago, I participated in drafting the famous "Letter to President " in a process aimed at to authorities in a quandary as to how to react. Being convinced that censorship in Tunisia, is not the result of any malfunction but rather a deliberate policy, this action was for me a kind of reductio ad absurdum of the impossibility of dialogue.
A demonstration that gave the only result we could expect: media censorship still available with the published call! Some bloggers believe the effectiveness of such an approach does not always come back having seen their blogs censored after this action. So again this approach does not seem particularly relevant.
All that to say that receiving this letter, especially after reading its contents, put me in my turn, face a dilemma. How is it that the fifty people who have the same approach, no, to my knowledge, has been answered. Some, like me, did not even receive an acknowledgment of receipt of their letters recommended.
In addition, the response was sent to my address in France that I stated on the letter and not the address Tunisia I had written on the submission form. So how to answer this? Take it seriously or laugh at them instead? Should we see a particular message?
After much thought and consultation, I have come to the belief that it should take this letter seriously. The approach of the administration, as unusual as it is, is welcome ... not that I perceive it as a favor or special attention to my person or that it was any progress, but simply because it results from a "normal" functioning of the relationship between institutions and the citizen I am.
Sending my letter to Mr. Mbaza, just days before the close of the parliamentary session 2009/2010, has not stopped its services to treat it once the new session opened. Also, the fact that the Tunisian Parliament to answer my query by forwarding my mail to the department concerned is, in itself, a significant step. Obviously I would have preferred that the President put the motion to the agenda of questions to the government within the Chamber, but I did not ask a lot already to a parliament with powers very limited.
The behavior of the Cabinet of Minister of communication technologies is also welcome. The approach to give my request a formal aspect with a file number and a signature of a clearly identified, although again it is the nature of things, none the less significant. This is especially true, says that this answer is far from trivial.
The first thing is undoubtedly the recognition of the responsibility, at least administrative department of technology regarding the issue of censorship. Then the department in question believes that this " protest against the censorship of websites " is an acceptable application that requires a response or at least adequate treatment.
In this regard, I recall that when the appointment of the current minister, Mr Naceur Ammar one of his former students to Sup'Com which he was director , welcomed this appointment on the micro-blogging site, Twitter. He was convinced that Mr. Ammar could not accept censorship and would certainly address this problem. Bad luck, the month of his appointment, the Tunisian had net a wave of unprecedented censorship which ended with the censure of the latest video sharing site available in Tunisia on the eve of November 7. The reference to the ITA is therefore most similar to a confession of failure, the ministry is incapable of responding to this request, however he considers legitimate.
Finally, and certainly the most important lesson of this post, the ATI is the first responsible for Internet censorship in Tunisia. This is the cabinet itself, which indirectly confirms this by referring my query on censorship this public agency private law. The Department could have ignored the letter and nothing could give me it was on this famous "office relationship with the citizen." But for one reason or another it has been decided differently, especially between the date indicated on the hidden post and the receipt it took over a month, enough to get all this mail permissions to send to me.
Responsibility for the ATI, though never proven, is leaving "guess". Moreover, when censorship of Dailymotion in 2007, some service providers solicited by RSF, had openly designated ITA . The nature of censorship in Tunisia and the means implemented , are legitimate suspicions as to the operator's national network of Tunisia. Then, despite what my friend said Astrubal " administration of censorship is the best kept secret of Tunisia " everything suggests that SE is complicit in one way or another a true Internet police, which some sources to quantify 600 agents located in premises brand new close to the presidential palace . And it is no coincidence that to maintain the fog around this thankless task that is censorship, ATI continues to operate outside the law. Indeed, and it Court of Auditors notes that " the permission for the ATI for the operation of access node to the international Internet is without legal basis since 2001 " (Court of Auditors, abstract 23rd annual report, p. 33 and 34).
Whether on my personal blog , or blog collective nawaat.org , the question of responsibility and respect laws of our country have always been central to our commitment. The operation Nhar 3la 3ammar was also part of the legalistic approach of requiring the State to respect its own laws.
These requirements are increasingly those of a growing number of Internet users frustrated by the censorship Tunisians who muzzled their words, their creativity and flange affects their work. I do not know why this answer came to me, but what is certain is that I will follow this case provided with my case number to demand answers from the ITA. Meanwhile, everyone will continue to do what he has to do ...
Malek Khadhraoui
http://stranger-paris.blogspot.com
www.nawaat.org
@ malekk
