Asian Governments Increasingly Repressive, Curbing Criticism Online, Says Watchdog

Press freedom is on the decline around the world.

Washington, 5 Sya’ban 1438/2 May 2017 (MINA) – Only 13 percent of the world’s population enjoyed free press last year, according to democracy watchdog Freedom House in yet another international study proving press freedom is on the decline around the world.

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In its Freedom of the Press 2017 report entitled Press Freedom’s Dark Horizon, Freedom House identifies a growing trend in Asia of the use of defamation laws by governments and powerful individuals to silence and punish criticism in the press.

It says in 2016, authorities in the region provided “greater attention to [cracking down on] unfavourable commentary on social media in particular.”

Just last week, Reporters Without Borders released its World Press Freedom Index 2017 which similarly depicted a worrying decline in media freedom around the world.

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10 Worst-rated countries ro media freedom

Asian countries listed among the 10 worst-rated countries for media freedom include North Korea and the Middle East’s Syria, Iran, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan. Others on the list of 10 are Crimea, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea and Eritrea, asiancorrespondent.com rported.

Nevertheless, Freedom House highlighted the Chinese Communist Party’s growing crackdown on dissidents, including the jailing of Zhang Haitao for 19 years for repeatedly criticising the government on social media and providing information to foreign media outlets.

At least 111 bloggers, journalists and minorities were sentenced to prison in 2016 for sharing or accessing information online, says the report.

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Meanwhile in Burma (Myanmar), Freedom House notes a “marked increase” in defamation cases and telecommunications law against critics under Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD).

According to the report, “The increased use of the law against government critics and even ordinary social media users called into question the NLD’s commitment to freedom of expression.”

Cambodian authorities stepped up monitoring of social media channels ahead of the 2018 national election, pursuing criminal action against prominent opposition figures and ordinary citizens whose comments were considered “politically sensitive.”

In 2016, Pakistan implemented a cybercrime law granting its government the power to block or remove virtually any content based on vague criteria such as “public order” and “the interest of the glory of Islam.”

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Sri Lanka saw the world’s largest increase in press freedom in 2016, while Thailand, Nauru and Turkey were among the countries with the biggest declines.

Global press freedom will likely continue to decline

World Press Freedom Day is marked on May 5, with the global celebration being held in Jakarta, Indonesia.

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“Global press freedom will likely continue to decline in the absence of strong leadership from the United States, EU members, and other democracies,” said the non-profit Global Investigative Journalism Network in response to the report.

“The global flow of accurate news and information will consequently weaken, and citizens, businesses, and policymakers in all countries will pay the price.” T//RS5/RS1)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)

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