Press freedom in the Asia-Pacific
By International Federation of Journalists Asia-Pacific
Few could downplay the pressure and intensity of the media scene in the Asia-Pacific. It is vibrant in terms of the sheer number and diversity of media outlets and the passion of its journalists, but also incredibly challenged when it comes to safety and aggressive controls placed on freedom of expression.
Across the region, journalist killings continue to wreak havoc on the media community. Since April 2016, 18 journalists and media workers have been killed in the Asia Pacific.
However controls across the Asia Pacific continue to develop, with a growth in online controls and surveillance under the guise of national security rampant across China, India and Pakistan.
China has fast become a nation under surveillance, with the world’s toughest laws on data privacy, surveillance and metadata.
Governments and policy makers across the region are making it increasingly difficult for journalists to operate, impeding on press freedom.
In Indonesia, blasphemy charges have been levelled against media houses and journalists, raising serious questions about press freedom in the Muslim-majority nation.
In Pakistan, newspapers have been forced to shut by local authorities, while complaints from the National Government to Facebook have seen content removed which threatens national security.
In Vanuatu, the long-awaited Right to Information Act was legislated in November 2016, and implementation began in early 2017. The implementation process will take five years, but has been heralded as a success in Vanuatu. The media continues to grow and develop in Vanuatu, adapting to change with the growth of digital media.
Thailand’s press freedom continued to weaken in 2016 under the military junta which are increasingly strengthen their control of the media through repressive legislation. In early 2017, the National Reform Steering Assembly (NRSA) media reform panel pushed through the controversial media regulation bill, which has been labelled a form of state control. Part of the bill will include the establishment of a “national media profession council” that will be empowered to penalise media outlets that violate the code of conduct. The media bill is the latest step by the military junta to control and stifle the media. Since the coup in 2014, the media has been under attack, with media houses shut down and journalists arrested.
In Timor Leste, although criminal defamation was made illegal, in 2016, two journalists, Oki Raimundos and Lourenco Vincente continued their fight against the Timor Leste Prime Minister’s defamation charges. The Prime Minister brought charges against the journalists for a story published in 2015. The journalists, and the publication the Timor Post, issued an apology and correction the day after the story and the error was published as per the guidelines of the TImor Leste Media Law. Oki and Lourenco remain on bail in Timor Leste as the case is processed through the courts. The IFJ and several international media organisations, including CPJ, Freedom House and SEAJU have pushed for the charges to be dropped.
There were great hopes for press freedom in Myanmar following the elections in 2015. Since then, the media has experienced a more friendly environment, but challenges remain. Executives from Eleven Media Group were jailed after the media outlet published a report involving Yangon Chief Minister Phyo Min Thien. After two bail requests were denied, the Eleven Media Group decided to publish an apology for running the story. Criminal defamation also remains legal under the Penal Code and can lead to 15 years imprisonment. In early 2017, the editor of Myanmar Now had criminal defamation charges brought against him by Buddhist monk over a Facebook post.
While there is cause for concern across the region, there positive changes happening across the board. In July 2016, Sri Lanka passed RTI (right to information) legislation after years of campaigning from press freedom bodies.
After strong campaigning from media unions, minimum wage was implemented in Nepal in 2016.
And in India, after 10 months in detention, Chhattisgargh journalist Sandesh Yadav was released in early 2017.
Philippines
With the election of President Duterte in 2016, there was an opportunity for change in the Philippines. Under the newly elected President, the first executive order that was passed guaranteed Freedom of Information, however, the situation for journalists quickly deteriorated.
With the launch of Duterte’s war on drugs, the media was caught trying to report on the situation but remain safe.
Impunity continues to thrive across the country, with the Philippines remaining one of the deadliest countries for journalists in the world. To-date not a single person has been prosecuted for the single deadliest attack on journalists in history, the Ampatuan Massacre, which saw 32 journalists among the 58 people killed.
In 2016, there were small wins for impunity in the Philippines. In June, Dennis Lumikid was convicted of the 2010 murder of Desiderio Camangyan. Lumikid, a local police officer as sentenced to a maximum of 40 years imprisonment for the murder of Mati City broadcaster, Desiderio Camangyan on June 4, 2010. Camangyan was a blocktimer for a program on Sunrise FM. He was hosting a local singing contest in a village in Manay, Davao Oriental in the southern Philippines when he was killed.
China
The situation in China continues to deteriorate, as the government increases its control and suppression of press freedom. In 2016, the use of “forced” televised confessions continued, with journalists forced to confess for their “crimes”, which often secured a quick release or lesser sentence.
However, more concerning was the rise of “forced abductions” at the hands of authorities.
In 2016, the IFJ recorded 68 media workers who were detained in China, which was an increase from 51 in 2015. The increasing suppression of the media in China is evident by the changing and evolving tactics of the authorities.
The result was that 1.3 billion people — close to 20 per cent of the world’s population — were denied their full rights to information, free expression and a free press.
Under the guise of national security, legal constraints have extended into the online realm, further restricted access to information for the Chinese people.
South Asia
India has continued to suffer through some of its worst years for journalists, with five journalists killed and numerous press freedom violations across the country. Political instability in Kashmir saw the press shut down for several days, while the internet was shut down for several weeks. Online harassment of journalists, particularly women, continued to weaken freedom of expression across the country.
Press freedom in Bangladesh and the Maldives continues to be hampered with attacks from state and non-state actors. In the Maldives legal challenges from the government and MPs have left journalists imprisoned and facing lengthy legal processes. In Bangladesh, while the killing of secular bloggers has stopped, the press remains vigilant and on high alert.
Afghanistan saw one of the deadliest years in 2016, with 13 media workers killed. Attacks against the media at the hands of Taliban are becoming an all-to regular occurrence in Afghanistan. Radio stations were bombed, media owners were stalked, threatened and attacked and female media workers also face cultural pressures. Yet the media community continues to work and share the news and stories for the country.
Sri Lanka continued to strengthen in 2016, building on the steps made in 2015. The Right to Information was legislated in July 2016, after years of campaigning and advocacy. Impunity wins have continued in 2016, with further investigations and arrests made in the disappearance of Prageeth Eknaligoda and the murder of Lasantha Wickremetunge.
There remain challenges for journalists, evident in the attack on a journalists by a navy commander in last 2016, but the media continue to campaign for change and ensure the press in Sri Lanka becomes a strong element of the country’s democracy.
MEAA is an affiliated member of the International Federation of Journalists and hosts its Asia-Pacific office at MEAA’s national office in Sydney.
