UN defends removal of China poster at Net event

November 16, 2009
By Tarek El-Tablawy
The Associated Press
Original source: http://www.philly.com/philly/wires/ap/features/high_tech/20091116_ap_undefendsremovalofchinaposteratnetevent.html

SHARM EL-SHEIK, Egypt - The United Nations is defending the removal of a poster criticizing China's censorship of the Web at an Internet conference.

Free speech advocates from the OpenNet Initiative had placed a poster at the Internet Governance Forum decrying what they called China's Great Firewall. An unnamed delegation complained, and the group was asked to take it down.

A video on YouTube showed a U.N. guard picking the poster up off the floor and folding it.

Markus Kummer, U.N. official heading the forum, says the United Nations has a policy against commercial sponsorship and has a no poster policy.

He said Monday the OpenNet Initiative was asked to take it down to comply with that policy.

OpenNet was not available for comment.