Human rights and the internet in Asia: Promoting the case of east timor

Abstract

With the Internet becoming more affordable and accessible, it is fast becoming the primary tool for promoting human rights and disseminating up-to-the-minute human rights-related information. East Timor is an excellent example of a human rights issue that has benefited from the power of the Internet. Recently, information concerning events in East Timor, or updates of parliamentary or solidarity activities in various countries around the globe, were obtained primarily by telephone, fax or mailed news bulletins. Information was expensive, in short supply, and often obtained months after the fact. Although Internet messages from East Timor are frequently intercepted by Indonesian authorities, the Internet has enabled worldwide dissemination of information concerning human rights abuses in East Timor. Furthermore, the Internet allowed East Timor to declare a ‘virtual sovereignty’ from Indonesia by registering a country code domain name through an offshore Internet Service Provider (ISP).