Malaysia: Peaceful protesters arrested

Police arrested 38 people in Selangor, Penang and Kelantan who were part of a nationwide candlelight vigil which was held to denounce the 50th year of the Internal Security Act (ISA) on 1 August.

The ISA targets any person who “has acted, is about to act, or is likely to act in any way manner prejudicial to the security of Malaysia.” According to the act, the police can detain anyone for up to 60 days without trial without access to a lawyer.

China: Hong Kong’s Google question page blocked

Google’s Hong Kong question page has been blocked in some parts of mainland China. The page allows users in China to ask questions of any description, acting as an open forum. The Chinese government uses a “Great Firewall” to censor and block all overseas websites that they consider controversial. Google China closed its offices earlier this year after disputes with Beijing about censoring and has since then relocated in Hong Kong.