FOcus On - International Press Institute

gal harassment of journalists and self-censorship.
Furthermore, the government has
reported that it has blocked 2,300 websites
including messages deemed insulting
to monarchy. This year, BBC correspondent
Jonathan Head was harassed
by a police officer who alleged that the
reporter had offended the king. Under
Thai law, lèse-majesté charges can be
brought by any citizen.
In a separate case, Australian author
Harry Nicolaides was jailed on 31 August
for three sentences he wrote about the
royal family in his 2005 novel, “Veri si -
militude”.
The Vietnamese government’s
crackdown on free
speech resulted in the arrest
of at least 10 journalists
Criminal defamation is not the only
law used to jail journalists in Asia. In
Burma, popular comedian Zarganar was
sentenced to 45 years for violating the
Electronics Act by videotaping cyclone
damage and criticizing the ruling military
junta’s lacklustre relief efforts. Three
other journalists were sentenced to bet -
ween 15 and 29 years under the Elec -
tronics Act for their involvement in helping
cyclone survivors. A blogger, Nay
Phone Latt, was sentenced to 20 years in
prison for posting a poem criticizing the
country’s ruling general.
The Vietnamese government’s crackdown
on free speech resulted in the ar -
rest of at least 10 journalists, five of
whom are now serving prison terms on
charges of abuse of power, tax evasion
and terrorism.
Licensing requirements for newspapers,
a practice IPI has repeatedly condemned,
have been used by the authorities
in Malaysia to censor critical voices.
In April, the Tamil-language newspaper
Makkal Osai, known for its criticism of
one of the ruling parties, received a letter
from the Ministry of Home Affairs stating
that its application for a new permit
had been denied.
Governments of the Central Asian
re publics also strictly control the allocation
of broadcasting and, in some
cases, newspaper licenses. State control
over printing and distribution facilities
represents a fur ther obstacle press freedom
in this re gion, where physical at -
A Tibetan motorcyclist rides past closed shops with a banner demanding media freedom
in Tibet, in Dharmsala, India, Sunday, March 23, 2008. (AP Photo/Ashwini Bhatia)
tacks and imprisonment of journalists
are not uncommon.
Conflicts along political, ethnic and
religious lines in South Asia have become
the greatest threats to journalists in the
region. Of the 26 journalists who lost
their lives in the line of duty in Asia in
2008, 17 were killed in Afghanistan,
Pakistan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
Of the 26 journalists who
lost their lives in the line
of duty in Asia in 2008,
17 were killed in Afghan -
istan, Pakistan, India,
Nepal and Sri Lanka
Investigative journalists are also in the
line of fire. Four of the journalists killed
in the Philippines in 2008, as well as two
of the three journalists killed in Thai -
land, one in Cambodian and three in
South Asia, were known for their reports
on corruption.
Asian authorities have often expressed
the need to control the Internet – a growing
source of independent information.
In an amusing stab at unfettered media
access, Chinese authorities use “Jing” and
“Cha” – two cartoon police officers that
regularly pop up on Internet users’
screens warning them of illegal content.
Illegal content includes anything deemed
as subversive or promoting superstition.
Efforts to censor website content and
force registration of Internet users have be -
come more routine in China, Singa pore,
Vietnam, Malaysia, Burma and the Cen -
tral Asian republics. However, this year’s
announcement by the government in
South Korea that it would consider new
laws to control the spread of false information
on the Internet came as discouraging
news for a nation that has become one
of the region’s steadiest de mocracies.
Under the Korean proposal, all users of
cyber-forums and chat rooms would be
required to register using their real names.
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