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Twenty years after the genocide that killed 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus, the situation in Rwanda is now seen as largely stable. But that stability has a price: many journalists still can't work freely and critical reporting is often suppressed - even though press freedom and freedom of information are basic rights in Rwanda's constitution.

That is the conclusion that the most recent report by the New York-based NGO Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reaches. The report (published on December 8, 2014) was written by Anton Harber who runs the journalism program for the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg and heads the South African Freedom of Expression Institute.

Internalised self-censorship

Harber spoke to over 25 Rwandan journalists, publishers and government representatives for his report. Many critical journalists complained that they were being harassed and their work impeded by public authorities, random police questioning and anonymous threats, Harber told DW.

"All the journalists I spoke to said there's a great deal of self-censorship," he said. "For many, it's an issue of survival. They feel that if they don't self- censor, then they will be harassed, closed down, threatened or driven into exile."

Rwandan journalists have become used to self-censorship

In his report, Harber quotes Fred Muvunyi, chairman of the self-regulatory Rwanda Media Commission: "Self-censorship is flowing like blood in the arteries and veins. There is no [direct] censorship, but there are things that journalists don't do because they are not confident of what will happen."

Journalistic hopes shattered

In the past few years, many people hoped there might be a liberalization in Rwandan journalism. After all, four years ago a critical report by the state authority for media pointed out that journalists were not free to carry out their work unimpeded. According to the government report, the Rwandan government officially stands for a liberal attitude towards free speech, but Rwanda's political culture is repressive when it comes to dissenting opinions. At the time, the report called for a change to this culture.

It was a demand that led to several reforms: The country introduced a duty of disclosure for the government. Journalists were also given an ombudsman to turn to if they are harassed.

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Rwanda: Censorship or self-censorship?

Vodafone UK isnt letting its customers access the website of the Chaos Computer Club (CCC), one of the oldest and largest associations of computer hackers in Europe.

Its not clear why the mobile operator has blocked the ccc.de website since late last week, but the CCC believes its because its site has been misclassified in the Internet filtering system used by Vodafone.

Since its founding in 1981 in Berlin, the CCC has highlighted security risks in technology affecting a large number of people, has exposed government surveillance and has advocated for privacy and freedom of information online. Every year the group organizes the Chaos Communication Congress, the largest hacker convention in Europe.

Vodafone UK did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

For years ISPs in the U.K. have blocked access to websites that host images of child sexual abuse based on a list maintained by an organization called the Internet Watch Foundation. However, in 2013 the U.K. government convinced ISPs to build their own Internet safety filters in order to block sites that host content unsuitable for minors, including pornography and drugs.

The initiative was criticized by human rights and Internet advocacy groups because it allows ISPs to judge what is right or wrong for young people and opens up the door to over-blocking, where users are prevented access to non-harmful and even helpful websites and information.

When these filters were introduced, their abuse was imminent, said CCC spokesman Dirk Engling in a blog post Friday. Today, we are shocked to learn that they not only block access to our site, but also to our conference. We see this as proof that censorship infrastructureno matter for which reasons it was set up, and no matter which country you are inwill always be abused for political reasons.

According to a check on http://www.blocked.org.uk, a website maintained by U.K.-based Open Rights Group (ORG), ccc.de was being blocked by both Vodafone and Three, another U.K. mobile operator, as of Sunday. The Chaos Communication Congress tickets site, tickets.events.ccc.de, was only being blocked by Vodafone.

Overblocking is a major issue when it comes to filters that are designed to stop children and young people from seeing adult content, said Pam Cowburn, ORGs communications director, Monday via email. When we tested the Alexa 100k websites, we found that almost 1 in 5 sites were blocked. Although many of these may have been deliberately blocked because, for example they are pornography, this high figure suggests that there is a real problem with over blocking.

Sites that have been incorrectly blocked in the past include political blogs, sites about womens rights and even a Porsche sales site, Cowburn said. A site that offers support to victims of sexual abuse and rape, aged 16 and higher, was also blocked and so were some sites that belong to charities, she said.

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Vodafone blocks Chaos Computer Club site, fueling 'Net censorship concerns in UK

The premiere of Chinese director Jiang Wen's forthcoming 3D epic Gone with the Bullets has been delayed because of censorship issues, the film's production company Buyilehu Films said, but it should be ready for its Dec. 18launch date.

"There are some new last-minute developments regarding censorship, and we have to take time to make some adjustments, so the premiere will be postponed," the company said in a statement on its WeChat social media page.

Jiang, one of Chinas most talented actors and writers, is no stranger to censorship headaches. The one-time bad boy of Chinese cinema, he was banned for seven years from filmmaking after Devils on the Doorstep back in 2000.

Social media were speculating the film wouldn't make the launch date, but producer Ma Ke insisted it would go ahead as planned.

"We will take great care until the last minute. We are sure will not disappoint anyone," he said in a statement.

Many media figures are already in Beijing for the premiere and the producers apologized for the delay in getting their formal release approval from the Film Bureau.

"We tried our best, but unfortunately all the conditions are not in place. Thanks for your understanding. We will have the premiere on another date," the company said.

There have reportedly already been some adjustments made, such as changing some prostitute characters into less morally suspect dancing girls, and also changed some words related to social issues of the time.

A sequel to the wildly successful Let The Bullets Fly in 2010, has already run up more than $19.5 million in pre-ordered tickets weeks before its theatrical release.

The film's midnight bow IMAX pre-sale tickets have surpassed the same figure for the year's current box office leader Transformers: Age of Extinction, producers told a recent news conference in Beijing.

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'Gone With The Bullets' Chinese Premiere Delayed Over Last-Minute Censorship

This Week in Unnecessary Censorship | JimmyKimmel
This is our weekly tribute to the FCC where we bleep and blur things whether they need it or not. This week we feature Peyton Manning, Monica Lewinsky and mo...

By: Jimmy KimmelLive

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This Week in Unnecessary Censorship | JimmyKimmel - Video

Sony hack could lead to censorship
Dave Aitel, former NSA computer scientist and current CEO of security firm Immunity, says the Sony hack could lead to self-censorship by movie studios.

By: CNNMoney

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Sony hack could lead to censorship - Video