Trump cuts aid for pro-democracy groups in Belarus, Hong Kong and Iran

[Rogue Valley]

Trump cuts aid for pro-democracy groups in Belarus, Hong Kong and Iran

Open Technology Fund, which helped activists evade state surveillance and sidestep web censorship, sees $20m grant pulled

www.theguardian.com

9/24/20
The Trump administration has stopped vital technical assistance to pro-democracy groups in Belarus, Hong Kong and Iran, which had helped activists evade state surveillance and sidestep internet censorship. The Open Technology Fund (OTF) has had to stop all its operations in Belarus, and many of its activities supporting civil society in Hong Kong and Iran, because a congressionally-mandated grant of nearly $20m has been withheld by a new Trump appointee, Michael Pack. The OTF is a small non-profit organization that develops technologies for evading cyber-surveillance and for circumventing internet and radio blackouts imposed by authoritarian regimes. It provides daily help to pro-democracy movements in installing and maintaining them, with the aim of staying at least one step ahead of the state. The chair of the OTF board, Karen Kornbluh, said the end of funding from the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which Pack has been running since June, would mean that activists living under repressive regimes were at increased risk.

The Trump administration is here assisting three authoritarian regime's to stifle democracy in Belarus, Hong Kong, and Iran.

America has always defended democracy everywhere. Such nobless ended with Donald Trump, who makes common cause with authoritarians.

 

[Casper]

Trump cuts aid for pro-democracy groups in Belarus, Hong Kong and Iran

Open Technology Fund, which helped activists evade state surveillance and sidestep web censorship, sees $20m grant pulled

www.theguardian.com

The Trump administration is here assisting three authoritarian regime's to stifle democracy in Belarus, Hong Kong, and Iran.

America has always defended democracy everywhere. Such nobless ended with Donald Trump, who makes common cause with authoritarians.

This should surprise no one, trump is not about democracy and never has been.

 

[Mr Person]

Kissing Russia's, Iran's, and China's ass at the same time.

That's Trump for you. His Trumpists will express their love of him as a result, then tell us about "China Joe".