A Japanese court yesterday imposed a fine of 400,000 yen (about $3,667) on artist Megumi Igarashi for distributing 3D plans of her own genitals via the Internet. The plans were among the premiums in her crowdfunding campaign, which raised money…
Tag: asia
Zunar and Gado Win Cartooning for Peace Prize
In recognition of their respective fights against censorship and repressive governments, political cartoonists Zunar and Gado have been jointly awarded the biennial International Editorial Cartoons Prize from the organization Cartooning for Peace. In conjunction with the prize, their work and…
Zunar Trial to Proceed After Court Rejects Challenge to Sedition Act
Malaysia’s High Court yesterday rejected cartoonist Zunar’s challenge to the country’s Sedition Act, clearing the way for his long-delayed trial on nine counts of sedition. If convicted on all counts, he could face up to 43 years in prison. A…
UN Committee Urges Japan to Ban Sexual Violence in Fiction
Just a few months after a UN envoy recommended that Japan ban certain types of manga and anime to somehow protect real children from abuse, a separate UN committee has now entered the fray by urging the government to ban…
New Malaysian Museum Dares to Exhibit Zunar Cartoons
There’s some rare good news for Zunar this week: despite the nine charges of sedition currently hanging over his head, the Malaysian political cartoonist’s work is now on display in a dedicated section of the brand-new Asia Comic Cultural Museum…
Zunar Sedition Trial Delayed Yet Again to April 7
The sedition trial of Malaysian cartoonist Zunar has been delayed yet again to April 7, he reported via Twitter this week. After multiple delays while a separate challenge to the country’s Sedition Act is pending, the trial had been set…
On a Loop: Zunar’s Sedition Trial Delayed Once Again
The trial of Malaysian cartoonist Zunar was set to begin yesterday, but has once again been delayed while a separate challenge to the country’s Sedition Act is pending. A new start date has been set for March 9. If convicted…
China Bans Its Own History
Even China’s own history isn’t safe from censorship. A collection of essays entitled The Realm of History by late historian Gao Hua, which offers a historical and cultural analysis of mainland China’s contemporary history and the Communist Party, has been…
LEGO Changes Bulk Order Policy After Ai Weiwei Protest
Months after news broke that LEGO Group refused to fulfill a bulk order for Ai Weiwei’s current exhibit at Australia’s National Gallery of Victoria, the company reversed course this week and announced that it no longer vets customers’ intentions for…
Zunar to Join US Colleagues for California Free Expression Conference
Embattled Malaysian cartoonist Zunar and four U.S. colleagues will join in a roundtable discussion this Friday at the University of California, Irvine School of Law. The event kicks off a three-day conference called What Cannot Be Said: Freedom of Expression…