Annual press freedom report finds Asia toughest continent for journalists
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- Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2007 10:54:53 +0800
Annual press freedom report finds Asia toughest continent for journalists
North Korea, Nepal, Burma and China remain hostile environments for journalists,
while East Timor and India see improvements
By Ananth Krishnan
AsiaMedia Staff Writer
Friday, October 28, 2005
Asia is the most unfavorable continent for media organizations and their
journalists, who often struggle to exist -- let alone function -- at the mercy
of their governments.
This is one of the many findings of the Annual Worldwide Press Freedom Index,
compiled by Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (RSF), a non-governmental
organization that monitors press freedoms around the world.
The Index measures the degree of freedom enjoyed by journalists and media in
each country in the past one year, taking into account legal rights of the
press, violations against journalists and the overall attitude of authorities
towards the media.
This year's Index finds that Asia remains the most difficult continent for
journalists, with North Korea ranked 167th, at the very bottom of the list.
East Asia remains a particularly hostile environment for press freedoms, with
Burma (163rd), China (159th), Vietnam (158th) and Laos (155th) all appearing at
the lower end of the list.
"We?re factoring in Vietnam and specifically China, which has the largest prison
for cyber dissidents with 60 imprisonments," says Tala Dowlatshahi, the U.S.
representative for RSF. "The Chinese government is also placing demands and
restrictions on U.S. corporations in China."
The Chinese government has also clamped down on media mentions of phrases like
"democracy," "human rights," "Taiwan independence" and "Dalai Lama," and has
blocked access to many websites using these terms, Dowlatshahi adds.
In Burma, the state jailed journalists and exercised torture campaigns during
the past twelve months.
North Korea continues to be the biggest "black hole" for news for the second
straight year because people have absolutely no access to any media or
information outside state channels.
Nepal, placed 160th on the Index, is fast joining North Korea as another
journalistic black hole. As many as 150 journalists were arrested by King
Gyanendra?s government within the first ten days of September, according to RSF.
Journalists -- especially those supporting the government -- have also been
killed, kidnapped and threatened by Maoist rebels.
According to the report, killings of journalists also increased in the
Philippines (139th on the Index), where President Arroyo?s government has been
hostile to media organizations that sought to expose corruption.
However, the Asian press landscape still remains a source of some optimism.
The relatively high position of East Timor (58th) on the Index -- just 14 places
behind the United States -- contradicts the often-made argument that economic
development is a necessity for democratic freedoms. The freedom enjoyed by the
press in East Timor has also belied the insistence of authoritarian states that
it takes at least several decades to establish democratic freedoms in a state.
"In East Timor, there is a fluid upwardly mobile media," says Dowlatshahi.
"Separating from Indonesia has allowed East Timor to engage in a free and open
media system; it has cut off its old historical links with Indonesia."
The media is the first and most important instrument in promoting democracy,
Dowlatshahi adds. Like the Ukraine, which also recently went through a political
revolution, East Timor enjoys open exchange within the media.
Indonesia (102nd) itself has recorded significant improvements, according to
RSF. Peace accords have allowed Aceh to open up to journalists, which in turn
has allowed for better media exchange and a proliferation of online media in
Indonesia.
India (106th) also faired relatively well on the Index -- improving 14 places
since the 2004 report. The country has an abundance of media organizations and a
press that is enjoying greater access to high government officials.
"There are still pockets in India where minorities are restricted," warns
Dowlatshahi. "But overall it is very independent. Women reporters can even
describe cases of trafficking of female workers from Nepal to Mumbai."
Pakistan, meanwhile, has shown no improvements over the past year, remaining
150th on the Index.
"Still, it is to be kept in mind that the Index is relative," Dowlatshahi adds.
"The performance of a country is measured only in comparison to other
countries."
You can see the full text of the Worldwide Press Freedom Index 2005 on the RSF
website.
Date Posted: 10/28/2005
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