Pupils join protest to support human rights

JOHN HAWKINS/Southland Times/Image ID 109217

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Southland Girls' High School pupil Charlotte Leask signing a gumboot to symbolise Amnesty International's "Give Google the Boot" protest.

Girls' High joined activists nationwide in a protest to defend human rights in cyberspace as part of this year's Amnesty International Freedom Challenge.

Last year Google launched a self-censoring Chinese search engine, which affects Chinese users by restricting search results for topics such as human rights and political reform.

These restrictions go against the constitution of the People's Republic of China, which guarantees freedom of expression, Amnesty International says.

The school's challenge aims to free Chinese journalist Shi Tao and Egyptian blogger Kareem Amer who are in jail for simple internet activities.

Tao is serving a 10-year sentence for sending an e-mail containing information on the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre.

While Amer, a student activist, is serving four years for writing a blog criticising his university and Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak.

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