Asia & Pacific

A total 52 incidents of press freedom violations were recorded in 2023, while Freedom Forum’s annual media report shows the severe impact of the economic downturn on Nepali media.

The report noted that the government’s crackdown on fundamental freedoms hindered public participation and undermined the advancement of democracy in Cambodia.

A report from Bytes for All showed that Pakistan faced 24 network shutdowns in 2022, which is 58% higher than in 2021.

The report traces this form of censorship done through blocking of websites, applications, and social media accounts in India.

The study showed that Indonesian female journalists have experienced various forms of sexual violence in the workplace and in the course of fulfilling their duties in the field.

Press freedom violations in Bangladesh, April-September 2022.

With the advancement of access to the internet and the consequent manifold increase in using the internet as a platform for exercising speech and expression, there has also been an increase in censorship of expression. The report traces this form of censorship carried out through the blocking of websites, applications, and social media accounts in India.

Freedom Forum’s annual media report for 2022 states that in total 45 incidents of press freedom violations occurred in Nepal, and 120 journalists were directly affected. Compared to the previous year, the number of violations declined, but the number of affected journalists increased, which the report has noted is a worrying trend.

In a country where the press routinely remains under threat and faces attacks from many fronts, the media in Pakistan operated on slippery grounds in 2022 with a flurry of cases against journalists, television channel closures, charged political rhetoric enabling attacks against the media, overreach by media regulatory bodies and the killing of two journalists, including he brutal murder of one journalist on foreign soil that shook the nation.

The previous decade has witnessed an exponential increase in internet shutdowns in India with a total count of 690, out of which 110 had been implemented in the year 2021. The year 2022 has seen 75 shutdowns till the publication of this report.

This report documents cases of how repressive laws were used to curtail the right to speech, expression and assembly in Malaysia this past year.

The report tracks gaps in the judicial process for the murder of journalists in Pakistan. PPF found that of the 76 cases where journalists were killed — either in targeted killings or while on assignment — since 2002, there have been convictions in only five instances.

In partnership with the University of Sydney and University of Technology Sydney, Media Diversity Australia (MDA) has released this ‘report card’ on Indigenous and cultural diversity in television news, with insights into what has changed, what has stayed the same, and opportunities to lead the charge toward greater diversity.

The report captures growing anxiety among artists and creative practitioners across South, Southeast, East, and Central Asia around stringent security laws, the lack of unencumbered spaces for free expression, and the impact of authoritarian measures to crack down on artistic production and criminalize free expression.

A new report from Freedom House highlights the Beijing government’s global campaign to shape public opinion and secure both its hold on power in China and its policy priorities abroad.

The report by the outgoing UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, contains victim accounts that substantiate mass arbitrary detention, torture, cultural persecution, forced labor, and other serious human rights violations, and recommends that states, businesses, and the international community take action with a view to ending the abuses, and advancing justice and accountability.

With almost all independent media institutions eradicated, Cambodian people have been forced to rely largely on social media and other online platforms to access news and information.

In July 2022, ARTICLE 19 documented a number of concerning cases in which individuals were prosecuted for allegedly blasphemous speech. Malaysian authorities have investigated individuals under Section 298A of the Penal Code, Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act, and the Sedition Act.

Effective content moderation in a big and diverse country such as Indonesia requires a transparent and sustainable dialogue between platforms and local civil society groups.

This report presents a summary analysis of research on current practices of content moderation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Indonesia ‘harmful content’ such as ‘hate speech ’, and Kenya, with a specific focus on and disinformation.

Drawing on interviews with Rohingya and humanitarian workers from 2012 to the present, Human Rights Watch documents how the authorities have capitalized on the ethnic cleansing campaign launched in June 2012 to segregate and confine a population they had long sought to remove from daily life in the predominantly Buddhist country.

Freedom Forum published its annual World Press Freedom Day report which highlighted the attacks against journalists in Nepal over the past year.

A new research by Media Matters for Democracy looks into the policies of the government and the experience of Pakistan in improving access to internet connection.

The Centre for Independent Journalism has published a brief about the state of media in Malaysia, the impact of the pandemic, and its recommendations to the Malaysian government on upholding freedom of expression.

TRUTH versus DISINFORMATION — The Challenge for Public Interest Journalism is MEAA’s annual report into the state of press freedom in Australia in 2022.

This report looks at whether the laws and policies in Thailand make it possible for children to access their environmental rights.

This report from the Cambodian Center for Human Rights outlines the state of freedom of expression, press freedom, and access to information in Cambodia during the first year of the pandemic.

The government has repeatedly bent to pressure from powerful interest groups, including those who advocate the use of violence on the basis of religion, and in doing so has not protected freedom of speech and religion, and the rights of at-risk communities. Police investigations into targeted attacks have stalled, largely because those responsible enjoy political protection.

This report analyzes 100 judgments on cybercrime cases made by local courts in Nepal.

The 2021 report recorded 51 recorded cases of harassment against 93 journalists (including 5 women); 32 journalists were arrested, 10 journalists face other legal actions and 18 experienced violence and harassment.

This report looks at whether the laws and policies in Fiji make it possible for children to access their environmental rights.

A Safer World For The Truth investigation. The murder of Gerry Ortega is indicative of structural problems concerning the safety of journalists in the Philippines; while the hitmen are often arrested, the powerful masterminds behind the killings of journalists often evade justice.

This report documents the Gotabaya Rajapaksa administration’s misuse of the PTA against the minority Tamil and Muslim communities, and to suppress civil society groups.

This 82-page report from Reporters Without Borders (RSF) details Beijing’s strategy to control access to information within and beyond its borders.

The Alliance of Independent Journalists releases its annual report on the state of media freedom in Indonesia. It documented 43 cases of violence against journalists throughout 2021.

PEN America’s report explores the creative response to the February 2021 coup in Myanmar and the brutal retaliation by the military.

The space for free expression in Pakistan continues to shrink with the media facing attacks on all fronts. Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) has observed an alarming trend during 2021 where not only did physical attacks against the media continue with impunity but the state level push to restrict free expression also grew.

The media in Pakistan works within an increasingly repressive environment with the attacks on press freedom coming from all fronts. While physical attacks including abductions, manhandling, arrests and in some instances killings of journalists for their work continue, as online spheres such as social media platforms are of growing importance to the work of media professionals, journalists become the subject of attacks online.

Ministerial Regulation 5 governs the functioning of private electronic systems operators (ESOs) accessible in Indonesia which include social media platforms, search engines, ecommerce platforms, games, and communications services.

This report by the Free Media Movement provides an overview of the state of media freedom in Sri Lanka in 2020.

This Bytes for All report maps Pakistan’s internet landscape highlighting digital trends and their impact on socio-economic developments, as well as challenges and threats in the digital age during 2019-20.

The report describes the types of violence and threats journalists encounter, along with the nature and frequency of different types of violations.

Around 80 cases of political and civil rights violations were documented by Globe International Center in its latest media freedom report in Mongolia.

Despite credible and consistent evidence that Bangladesh security forces routinely commit enforced disappearances, the ruling Awami League has ignored calls by donor governments, the UN, human rights organizations, and civil society to address the culture of impunity.

The Hong Kong press industry faced increasing threats in the past 12 months. Suppression from the authorities is felt across different forms of media; freedoms have seriously deteriorated under a repressive government.

This briefing paper first explains internet restrictions that the NLD-led government put in place before the coup. It then sets out a timeline of the implementation of internet restrictions since 1 February.

Digital sex crimes are crimes involving non-consensual intimate images. These crimes are a form of gender-based violence, using digital images that are captured non-consensually and sometimes shared, captured with consent but shared non-consensually, or sometimes faked.

This research shows how the U.S. Department of Defense’s biometric programme was developed and implemented without prior assessment of its human rights impact and without the safeguards necessary to prevent its abuse. Its whereabouts and current use today remain unclear.

A new report by Aliansi Jurnalis Independen Indonesia looks into the impact of the pandemic on the welfare of journalists. The report also explored the state of press freedom in Papua.

The 19th Annual South Asia Press Freedom report goes inside the key media issues of the Covid-19 pandemic and documents the stories of struggle, courage and resistance of a media industry in crisis and under attack on economic and political fronts in almost every country of the region.

IFEX member Globe International Center has released its annual report which details the activities, campaigns, and programs it implemented in 2020.

Hate speech has long been pervasive in Pakistani society, especially directed towards individuals and groups belonging to minority faiths (and those of no faith). Those not following the majority’s Sunni faith, are given different titles and labels while several stereotypes are associated with different faiths, sects and religions, including Christians, Hindus, Ahmadis, Sikhs and Shias. However, when it comes to online spaces where more and more people are joining different social media platforms to express their views and share their opinions (or those of others whom they support), these labels, titles and stereotypes get hugely amplified, attracting widespread attention across whole communities.

This paper by the Cambodian Center for Independent Media surveys the challenges facing journalists in Cambodia and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on media reporting.

This study examines the impact of the gender digital divide on women in Pakistan during the coronavirus pandemic.

Freedom Forum recorded a total of 96 press freedom violations during 2020. Although the number of violations declined slightly compared to the previous year (111 in 2019), the country still awaits an improvement in the press freedom atmosphere.

In 2020 Pakistani media was confronted with unique new challenges, both in terms of content to cover as well as in the nature of the measures restricting press freedom and the free flow of information in the country.

The protesters’ complaints about the government’s anti-democratic nature have been underscored by the authorities’ response to the protests. The government has harassed and obstructed protest organisers at every turn. At least 173 individuals have been charged because of their role in protests this year.

Media networks have faced closing operations, job losses, and a weakened watchdog role for independent media. This report details the adverse impact of COVID-19 on the state of media in Nepal.

This report details the critical challenges faced by Malaysian journalists and media workers this year.

This report examines the ways in which Beijing’s censors have affected and influenced Hollywood and the global filmmaking industry.

From 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020, the monitoring report showed that the space to exercise fundamental freedoms continues to be restricted in Cambodia.

Press freedom has clearly become a key issue for Australians. MEAA’s third annual press freedom survey has found that when asked if press freedom in Australia had got better or worse over the past decade, an overwhelming 98% of respondents said it had got worse, compared to 90.9% in 2019.

Given the emergence and spread of COVID-19, it is all the more critical that we have access to news and information that we trust and can help in understanding the crisis and what is required to protect ourselves, as well as independent information on how our government is responding to the pandemic.

A s the novel coronavirus made a deadly sweep across the globe from the beginning of 2020, governments in South Asia tightened their iron grip over the media and democratic institutions.

This briefing paper sets forth recommendations for countering ‘hate speech’ in Myanmar, with a focus on draft legislation currently being considered by the Myanmar government.

This report by Digital Rights Foundation looks into the extent of information disorder in Pakistan and the efforts of various stakeholders to combat disinformation.

Online media at receiving end; press freedom violation highest in seven years according to the 2019 report of Freedom Forum

Understanding how China tries to influence the media is a first step to preserve press freedom. Hong Kong and Taiwan are on the frontlines of this battle.

Key Finding: Governments harness big data for social media surveillance

IMPUNITY, JOURNALIST SAFETY AND WORKING CONDITIONS IN SOUTH EAST ASIA

The annual report of the Hong Kong Journalists Association documents events in the past 12 months related to freedom of expression and the press in the city.

Freedom Forum’s press freedom report from May 2018 to April 2019

There are concerns about how the secret warrant system is run. The flaws in administration give no comfort to journalists who remain fearful that the warrants are being used to identify their confidential sources.

Media Matters for Democracy has launched its 2018 publication assessing the challenges to media and digital freedoms in Pakistan

Freedom Forum recorded a total of 98 press freedom violations that directly affected at least 223 journalists in 2018.

Freedom Forum’s report on increasing attacks against journalists who are covering political protests.

Attacks and threats against the Philippine media continue to rise under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte

Annual report of the union and advocate for Australia’s creative professionals

The level of internet freedom declined due to the new cybersecurity law which strengthened repressive restrictions on online activities.

PEN International’s freedom of expression report on India

The report provides a comprehensive overview of the exercise of freedom of association, freedom of expression and freedom of assembly in Cambodia from 01 April 2017 to 31 March 2018.

A quantitative research study on online gender-based harassment in Pakistan

This report will explore the laws and institutions that are in place within Pakistan to deal with issues of online violence against women.

The Cyber Harassment Helpline was launched after the successful completion of the Hamara Internet (translates as “Our Internet”) project, and based on its findings in the “Measuring Pakistani Women’s Experience of Online Violence” report

Reports by Freedom Forum published every three months show a gradual improvement in the statistics for women’s presence in the media.

According to a report, women were underrepresented in Nepali media with only 9% in bylines and 13% as news sources in 2,397 news stories.

This report documents abuses under section 57 of the ICT Act to warn that any new law should protect rights, not be used to crack down on critics.

The Indonesian press has not been free from violence and abuse against journalists. There were more than 60 cases recorded from 2017 to March 2018, with at least 20 percent of the cases involving women journalists.

Hostility against the press continues to rise.

There’s almost universal acceptance of the maxim “Journalism is not a crime”. One exception is Australia’s parliament – it begs to differ.

Based on extensive interviews with writers, poets, artists, activists, and others personally affected by the government’s grip on online expression, as well as interviews with anonymous employees at Chinese social media companies, the report lays bare the destructive impact of the Chinese government’s vision of “cyber sovereignty” on netizens who dare to dissent.

Cambodia’s facade of media freedom collapsed in 2017. Authorities shut- tered 32 radio stations carrying opposition, U.S.-funded or independent content,1 hit often-critical media outlets with tax investigations that closed down newsrooms, and threatened and arrested journalists for “incitement” and “espionage” amid heated rhetoric that claimed foreign agents were attempting to topple the government.

Freedom Forum recorded a total of 66 press freedom violations during this passing year 2017, which is a sharp rise compared to the previous year, 2016. Only 25 incidents were recorded in 2016.

The general trend over the past 10 years has been bleak, with an overall negative trajectory for press freedom. The major turning point was the election of Xi Jinping as General Secretary of the Communist Party of China in 2012 and President of China in 2013.

Pakistan has been slow to recognize that violence, threats and harassment faced online by journalists reflects the violence they are exposed to offline. A nationwide survey of working journalists was conducted to ascertain their level of digital insecurity, to record their experiences and the protections they desired from the journalist community, their media organizations, and the government.

Internet Landscape of Pakistan is an indigenous effort to regularly monitor and document the ongoing trends and challenges that impact digital and human rights in the country. This is the third edition in the series.

Blogger prosecutions intensified in 2017, culminating in a 10-year prison sentence for the activist using the penname Mother Mushroom in June [2016]

Military courts sentenced at least two internet users to more than a decade each in prison, one based on private chat messages criticizing royalty

Officials raised the need to introduce laws to regulate news websites and curb hate speech

Women reported violent threats after they advocated for feminist causes on social media

The Court of Appeals dismissed the Ministry of Defense’s appeal that it should be allowed to use a new antiharassment law to protect itself from criticism

Websites run by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism and the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines were disabled by cyberattacks

A teenager was arrested for allegedly “liking” a blasphemous post on Facebook in September 2016

At least 61 people were prosecuted for online speech under the new NLD administration, a dramatic increase from last year; several were held for weeks without bail, and some were sentenced to prison

Several websites remain blocked for reporting on a billion dollar corruption scandal implicating Prime Minister Najib Razak, including the publishing platform Medium

Leaked documents revealed Japanese intelligence agencies obtained mass surveillance equipment from the U.S. National Security Agency in 2013

Blocks on web content affected gay dating apps and websites with information related to the West Papua region

The Supreme Court recognized privacy as a fundamental right in a landmark ruling in August 2017

Activists received sentences of up to 11 years in prison for advocating democracy online

Hackers attacked email and social media accounts operated by activists and journalists

Regulators blocked 35 news websites largely favouring the opposition, and launched a raft of punitive measures against one outlet for spreading rumors which it had actually debunked

The Australian Federal Police accidentally accessed a journalist’s metadata without authorization in April 2017, though the law requires them to seek a warrant

Globe International registered a total of 519 freedom of expression violations in Mongolia

A report on gender content monitoring found only 6% of bylines were women.

According to Freedom Forum, anti-press incidents have declined in Nepal since April 2017 but the policy environment is still regressive.

Since 2013, law enforcement authorities in Bangladesh have illegally detained scores of opposition activists and held them in secret without producing them before courts, as the law requires. In most cases, those arrested remain in custody for weeks or months before being formally arrested or released. Others however are killed in so-called armed exchanges, and many remain “disappeared.”

Freedom Forum monitored FoE during the elections as it concerns citizens’ freedom of expression through the ballot box. Therefore, any action creating an unfavourable atmosphere for the elections is also a violation of freedom of expression.

Physical violence and threats against journalists and bloggers continued with impunity, with past murders remaining unsolved and other acts of violence going unpunished.

In December [2016], the government approved an amendment to the 2007 Computer Crimes Act (CCA) that expanded authorities’ power to monitor internet activity and censor online content.

In December [2016], former president Ma Ying-jeou won a defamation suit against a media personality who had accused of accepting secret political donations, though the court ordered a smaller compensation payment than Ma had requested.

The country’s powerful military pressured media outlets and journalists to disseminate positive coverage of its operations against militant Islamist groups.

In September [2016], Agence France-Presse (AFP) opened a bureau in Pyongyang, joining just a few other foreign outlets that have a permanent presence in the country.

Amendments to the 2008 Information and Electronic Transactions (ITE) Law retained criminal penalties for online defamation, but reduced the maximum sentence. The amendments also introduced a provision media watchdogs said could permit the censorship of past news articles.

Political commentator Kem Ley was shot and killed in July, a few days after he spoke on Radio Free Asia about a highly sensitive Global Witness report detailing the vast wealth accumulated by the prime minister’s family.

The Afghan Journalists Safety Committee (AJSC) reported 101 incidents of violence against journalists and media workers over the course of the year, up sharply from 73 in 2015.

Two people were convicted of murdering journalists in 2016. Nevertheless, the Philippines remains one of the most dangerous places in the world to practice journalism, and violent attacks against media workers usually go unpunished.

Journalist Soe Moe Tun was murdered in December while reporting on the illegal logging industry. Separately, two journalists were threatened by bomb blasts outside their homes.

In May, the Supreme Court ruled to retain criminal defamation, despite calls for decriminalization.

The five Hong Kong booksellers who disappeared in late 2015 resurfaced early in the year, confirming that they had been in police custody on the mainland and issuing statements that raised suspicions of coercion.

Authorities tightened control over news dissemination channels, including social media and mobile-phone applications, and suspended permission for websites to repost content from the prominent news site Caixin.

This report presents the outcome of an assessment of women’s participation in the Nepali print media as news source, news actors and news reporters identified in bylines. Women’s participation is still meager vis a vis Nepali media content

A recent HKJA survey indicates a slight rise in the Hong Kong Press Freedom Index after two consecutive years of decline. Journalists on the ground believe that the situation has worsened in 2016, compared to the year before. HKJA chairperson Sham Yee-lan explained that the slight increase in the Press Freedom Index was likely to be related to the emergence of online media, which has led to some diversity in the industry.

Combining both violent and nonviolent methods, the Communist Party’s policies are designed to curb the rapid growth of religious communities and eliminate certain beliefs and practices, while also harnessing aspects of religion that could serve the regime’s political and economic interests.

Freedom Forum has issued a review of Nepal’s National Mass Communications Policy 2016. Among others, FF says the policy fails to articulate constitutional provisions relating to freedom of expression and mass communication. The policy, they said, also seems to promote centralided regulation, instead of self-regulation.

The Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) in 2016 maintained its control over all public affairs and punished those who challenged its monopoly on power. Authorities restricted basic rights, including freedom of speech, opinion, association, and assembly. All religious groups had to register with the government and operate under surveillance. Bloggers and activists faced daily police harassment and intimidation, and were subject to arbitrary house arrest, restricted movement, and physical assaults.

During the year, the ruling National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) junta curtailed the rights to freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly through repressive laws such the Referendum Act, the Computer Crime Act, and article 116 of the penal code on sedition, as well as NCPO orders censoring media and preventing public gatherings of more than five people.

Singapore’s political environment is stifling, and citizens continued in 2016 to face severe restrictions on their basic rights to freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly.

Many journalists increasingly practice self-censorship, fearing retribution from security forces, military intelligence, and militant groups. Media outlets in 2016 remained under pressure to avoid reporting on or criticising human rights violations in counterterrorism operations. The Taliban and other armed groups threatened media outlets and targeted journalists and activists for their work.

Malaysia’s human rights situation continued to deteriorate in 2016, with human rights defenders, activists, political opposition figures, and journalists facing harassment and politically motivated prosecution. Those criticising the administration of Prime Minister Najib Razak or commenting on the government’s handling of the 1 Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) corruption scandal have been particular targets.

Authorities continue to use sedition and criminal defamation laws to prosecute citizens who criticise government officials or oppose state policies. In a blow to free speech, the government in 2016 argued before the Supreme Court in favour of retaining criminal penalties for defamation. The court upheld the law.

Chinese authorities’ enforced disappearance of critics from Hong Kong and other countries in 2016 garnered headlines globally. Beijing’s decision to interfere in a politically charged court case in Hong Kong in November undermined judicial independence and the territory’s autonomy. In the ethnic minority regions of Xinjiang and Tibet, Beijing continued its highly repressive rule, curtailing political activity and many peaceful expressions of ethnic and religious identity.

The murder of popular political commentator Kem Ley, who had voiced many criticisms of the government, on 10 July 2016, remains unanswered. Authorities systematically denied Cambodians their right to peaceful assembly by suppressing protests and issuing a series of ad hoc bans on non-violent gatherings and processions.

Restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression and assembly persist, amid the government’s failure to contend with the range of rights-abusing laws that have been long used to criminalize free speech and prosecute dissidents.As part of the military’s “clearance operations” in northern Rakhine State, where thousands of Rohingya Muslims face rampant and systemic human rights violations, the authorities denied independent journalists access to the region since early October.

Bangladesh witnessed a spate of violent attacks against secular bloggers, academics, gay rights activists, foreigners, and members of religious minorities in 2016. Several laws were proposed during the year to increase restrictions on freedom of expression.

2016 was the bloodiest year for journalists since 2001; 12 were killed in the first nine months of the year. Access to information has yet to be implemented satisfactorily.

Freedom Forum observed a relatively peaceful atmosphere for the media this year (2016) with a significant decline in the number of press freedom violations. FF recorded only 25 incidents of press freedom violations during 2016 versus 83 in 2015.

Four senior staff members of the Cambodian Human Rights have been detained in Phnom Penh since April 2016. 

Pakistan is among the countries that do not properly investigate and prosecute crimes against media professionals. Because of the near absolute level of impunity, most of the people who attack, injure or even murder media journalists in Pakistan remain free.

This research report documents human rights issues faced by transgender women in Cambodia’s urban centres, and recommends actions to secure their rights to equality, dignity, health and security.

2016 is a highly significant year for Cambodian democracy. Looking back, 2016 marks 25 years since the conclusion of the Paris Peace Agreements (the “Paris Agreements”), which brought an end to 20 years of conflict in the Kingdom of Cambodia (“Cambodia”) and laid the framework for a political settlement based on human rights and liberal democracy; looking forward, 2016 marks the unofficial start of the lead‐up to the local and national elections in 2017 and 2018, respectively, as political actors across the spectrum begin to position themselves.

Events at recent demonstrations and protests indicate that the fundamental freedoms of expression and assembly in the Kingdom of Cambodia are facing ever-greater interference and restriction at the hands of local and national authorities.

In the 27 cases of journalists murdered for their work in India since CPJ began keeping records in 1992, there have been no convictions. More than half of those killed reported regularly on corruption. The cases of Jagendra Singh, Umesh Rajput, and Akshay Singh, who died between 2011 and 2015, show how small-town journalists face greater risk in their reporting than those from larger outlets, and how India’s culture of impunity is leaving the country’s press vulnerable to threats and attacks

This publication presents the findings of the media development assessment in Mongolia that began in 2012 to determine the state of the media in the country. The assessment was based on the UNESCO/IPDC Media Development Indicators (MDIs), an internationally recognized analytical tool used to provide detailed overviews of national media landscapes and related media development priorities.

This new report continues the documentation of the country’s internet landscape from a critical, human rights perspective.

The report features present FoE practices on internet in Nepal and analyses existing policy, laws and constitution affecting the practice of freedom of expression. It seeks to advance the debate on this topic, thereby augmenting digital rights to make democracy’s pillars more sustainable and more functional.

An officer of the Myanmar army recently filed a criminal complaint against two journalists for allegedly sowing disunity among the military. Even though mediation by the Press Council caused the military to withdraw the case, this incident demonstrates how the military continues to throw its weight to get back at what it perceives as negative publicity.

The government uses draconian laws such as the sedition provisions of the penal code, the criminal defamation law, and laws dealing with hate speech to silence dissent. These laws are vaguely worded, overly broad, and prone to misuse, and have been repeatedly used for political purposes against critics at the national and state level.

Police harassed and detained journalists, bloggers, and employees of the newly established YouTube news broadcaster Conscience TV.

A Japanese journalist was acquitted of defaming President Park in December, but other criminal defamation cases against the media were still making their way through the courts.

Reporting on the alleged misuse of the 1MDB state investment fund sparked criminal defamation proceedings against at least four news outlets, and two others were temporarily suspended.

The government continued to restrict media coverage at immigration detention centers in 2015, including at a major offshore center located in Nauru.

From 2008 through March 2015, 85 people had been sued under the ITE Law, with at least five people sentenced to prison.

Numerous journalists were attacked in connection with their coverage of demonstrations and political unrest related to provisions in the new constitution.

In June, the government barred foreign diplomats in the country from possessing any media content that is critical of the leadership.

Five Hong Kong residents associated with a local publisher known for producing books that are critical of China’s leaders disappeared in late 2015 and were thought to be in the custody of mainland authorities, raising fears that Beijing had disregarded the territory’s laws and autonomy.

Dedicated internet users continued to employ circumvention technology and other creative tactics to defy and bypass restrictions on free expression. The government responded by increasing efforts to block circumvention tools, including through innovative cyberattacks and intimidation of software developers.

In November, the government announced that online news portals would be required to register with the authorities, and that the accreditation of journalists at unregistered media outlets would be canceled

The authorities proposed new measures that could further restrict media freedom, including a Cybersecurity Bill that would increase surveillance, prevent the publication of sensitive material, and facilitate data interception and website blocking. However, the government appeared to step back from plans to create a single gateway for all internet traffic following a public outcry.

A proposal by the Taipei police department to establish designated “press zones” at illegal demonstrations was abandoned after media workers sharply criticized it. A separate proposal by Taipei’s mayor that journalists wear identifying vests while covering demonstrations was also abandoned, following pushback by media workers.

The government granted access to many news sites that had been blocked under the previous administration, including the diaspora-based outlet TamilNet, which had been obstructed since 2007.

Impunity for crimes against journalists was compounded by a lack of progress in trials related to the 2009 Maguindanao massacre, an election-related crime in which 32 journalists and other media staff were among the 58 people killed.

Journalists with Pakistan’s largest private television network, Geo TV, and its affiliated outlets remained frequent targets of violence and intimidation.

In January, journalists established the Press Council of Mongolia, the country’s first-ever independent media council.

Authorities banned a documentary that chronicled the 2012 gang rape and death of a medical student in Delhi.

The Broadcasting Law, approved in August, enabled private companies to enter the broadcast market for the first time. However, it maintains presidential control over the broadcasting sector, and the Broadcasting Council it established is susceptible to political interference.

The government dissolved a discredited media complaints commission in May, replacing it with a new body that has greater civil society representation and a stronger legal foundation.

Media under the chilling effect of political unrest

The report surveys the rocky landscape for media and public discourse since the ruling military junta lifted the curtain on the southeast Asian nation in 2012 after five decades of isolation from the modern world.

“Vietnam continues to be one of the worst jailers of bloggers in the world”

Military court passes longest lese majeste sentence on record, 56 to 60 years in prison

Rights violations on a considerable decline

Nuclear power plants targeted by North Korean cyber attacks

“A new anti-harassment law, ostensibly introduced to protect ordinary citizens, was wielded against critics of the government”

Government orders telecoms to block mobile signals during papal visit

Two journalists and an accountant from Online International News Network shot dead by unidentified gunmen

Three men jailed for two years each for insulting religion on Facebook

Amendment to Sedition Act allows government to block electronic content, increases maximum jail term from three to seven years

Courts uphold users’ “right to be forgotten”

Supreme Court upholds ministerial regulation allowing government to block websites displaying “negative content”

Over one million rally to protect net neutrality

Draft counterterrorism law would require telecoms and ISPs to provide backdoor access and encryption keys to government

Government working group established to restrict “immoral” online content

“Four bloggers were murdered in 2015, allegedly by religious extremists”

Law enforcement and intelligence agencies no longer require warrants to access meta data

The Pakistani government has significantly expanded its communication interception activities. This Privacy International report covers the intelligence services plan to capture all IP-traffic in Pakistan and other initiatives, pointing to gaps in the laws governing surveillance.

Despite its Constitutional commitment to free speech, India’s legal system makes it surprisingly easy to silence others. Routine corruption, inefficiency, and the selective enforcement of vague and overbroad laws allow individuals, or small groups, to censor opinions they find distasteful. – See more at: http://www.pen-international.org/the-india-report-executive-summary-and-key-findings/#sthash.TIIM2xbu.dpuf

In 2014 Cambodian journalists increasingly found themselves in the news, as reporters faced injury and even death for covering the news. 2014 proved the deadliest year for Cambodian journalists since the political turmoil of 1997, with two Cambodian journalists confirmed murdered in relation to their work and a third, foreign journalist found dead under suspicious circumstances.

Press freedom in the Philippines continued to be under attack from 2014 to 2015. The killing of journalists is continuing, with four journalists killed from May 2014 to May 2015. The trial of the accused masterminds of the Ampatuan (Maguindanao) Massacre and their supposed henchmen is continuing, but with a primary accused was released, while a witness in the same case was killed.

The year 2014 saw Malaysians standing up to exercise the rights guaranteed under the Federal Constitution, including freedom of expression and freedom of assembly. This continues a growing trend of facing up to state oppression. Unfortunately, this has been met with increasing repression. Malaysia has seen a concerted crackdown on the freedom of expression in the year 2014, which has escalated even further in 2015.

As Globe International Center (GIC) reported, from 2012-2014, violations against journalists and the media increased compared to previous years and journalists faced external threats and intervention in their professional work, different types of pressures, threats, censorship in distribution, demands to reveal their information sources, to question and give testimony in mass by law enforcement bodies, especially by the General Intelligence Agency, use of criminal defamation law by politicians and public bodies or public officials censoring the media.

The first months of 2014 saw a continuation of the political unrest that rocked the capital city of Phnom Penh in the months following the disputed July 2013 national elections. Political protests continued throughout the city in 2014 as the opposition Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP) boycotted its National Assembly seats over alleged widespread irregularities in the previous year’s election, which maintained control of the legislative body under the Cambodian People’s Party, and its long-ruling leader Prime Minister Hun Sen, who in 2014 marked 30 years as head of state.

As the election looms for later this year, incidents in 2014 and in early 2015 involving the press raises serious questions on the genuineness of media freedom in Burma. The situation is alarming as the state seems to have heaped all the faults and fines on the media in the past year, which has seen a media worker being killed in October on the pretext of national security. International assistance has poured into the country to develop the media aimed at lifting and sustaining the state of media freedom. However, a viable press freedom environment seems unlikely to materialise in Burma before the end of this administration.

(*The As the world is marking World Press Freedom Day today (May 3, 2015), Nepali media is grief-stricken, mourning over the deaths of thousands of Nepalis with slim hopes of finding anyone alive nine days after the destructive earthquake. Freedom Forum normally marks this day with the production of a report on press freedom across the country and other programs. But, this time, this report on ‘media in a disaster’ is unavoidable.

Ranked 52nd in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 148th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 57th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 26th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 118th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 71st in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 118th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 111th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 69th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 127th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 48th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 83rd in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 186th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 154th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 183rd in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 186th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 41st in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 48th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 57th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 166th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 169th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 67th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 61st in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 86th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 11th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 142nd in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 199th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 161st in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 28th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 18th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 142nd in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 57th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 41st in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 97th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 80th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 166th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 115th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 148th in annual global media freedom report

Among other developments, civil society organisations remained deeply concerned at the lack of protection provided by authorities for activists and journalists

Cambodian Internet users overwhelmingly see the country’s Internet as increasingly becoming more accommodating of free expression but remain concerned about the effects of recently proposed government actions related to Internet surveillance and controls, according to the results of a study by CCIM, which surveyed almost 1,000 Cambodian Internet users from 22 provinces.

The media in Tripura is still dependent on the government for financial help, giving them an unprecedented upper hand to control press freedom in the state. As long as the political party in power is satisfied, the media is deemed to be okay otherwise there is an incredible pressure on the journalists as they have to not only endure insults but also face demotion in rank as well as being refused accreditation. – See more at: https://samsn.ifj.org/media-in-north-eastern-state-of-tripura/#sthash.0GypROMb.dpuf

Despite protecting human rights defenders (“HRDs”) falling under the protection of legally binding international instruments, such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (“ICCPR”), many HRDs in the Kingdom of Cambodia (“Cambodia”) remain at high risk of a plethora of threats including arbitrary arrest and detention, physical violence and murder, and threats and intimidation and harassment.

In Dala, PEN Myanmar experienced a rare opportunity to work with a group of 200 or so high school children from the local state secondary school, which stands adjacent to the monastery compound.

This 140-page report documents lax government enforcement of labor laws and brand actions that hinder monitoring and compliance. In recent years, wage protests, instances of garment workers fainting, and burdensome union registration procedures have spotlighted the plight of workers in Cambodia’s garment factories.

This 96-page report profiles eight “strongmen” linked to police, intelligence, and militia forces responsible for serious abuses in recent years. The report documents emblematic incidents that reflect longstanding patterns of violence for which victims obtained no official redress.

Journalists reporting on corruption were prone to more threats in 2014, Freedom Forum found

This report was submitted by Globe International for the second cycle of Mongolia’s UPR (Universal Periodic Review)

This Outcome Report summarizes the issues raised and the recommendations of participants during the Workshop for Youth on Electoral Reform held on 20-21 June 2014 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

This legal analysis examines the compliance of the 2014 News Media Law of Myanmar with international standards on freedom of expression and media freedom.

CCHR has released a Briefing Note on freedom of information and legislative transparency in Cambodia, where laws are almost always drafted in secrecy, without the inclusion of relevant stakeholders.

The year under review has been the darkest for press freedom for several decades, with the media coming under relentless assault from several directions. There have been attacks on journalists, sackings and personnel changes affecting critical personalities and the withdrawal of advertising, which places pressure on the editorial integrity of publications.

State releases documentary ‘The Act of Killing’ as free download opening public debate on junta-led genocide

There has been some improvement in the state of press freedom, reports Freedom Forum. At the same, the State’s strict vigilance of new media is disappointing

Disappearance of prominent community organizer, Sombath a chilling effect on freedom of expression among development community

Impunity for perpetrators of violence against journalists continues

Journalism in South Asia is far from an easy profession, as the 12th annual review of journalism in the region “The Campaign for Justice: Press Freedom in South Asia 2013-14” portrays. But this year’s report also tells the story of the courage of South Asia’s journalists to defend press freedom and to ensure citizens’ right to information and freedom of expression in the face of increasing challenges to the profession and personal safety.

“Hate speech has now become common in satellite TV, low-powered radio stations and social networks”

100 websites replace their home page with the words “Free My Internet” on a black screen to protest new internet regulations

“A record number of journalists were killed in the Philippines in 2013”

Reporters from The Washington Post and Huffington Post confess to taking government money to write stories critical of opposition parties

“The press freedom record of Timor Leste has lately been quite promising”

“Human rights violations are often unreported by the censored media, facilitating a culture of impunity”

Journalists charged under State Secrets Act for reporting on chemical weapons manufacturing facility

Ranked 183rd in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 58th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 42nd in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 78th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 74th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 115th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 71st in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 147th in annual global media freedom report

Karzai supports conservative clerics’ request to ban television programs considered “counter to social morality”

Ranked 127th in annual global media freedom report

Authorities ease restrictions on “Red-Shirt” websites and radio stations

Court rules in favor of professor sued for defamation by carcinogen-emitting petrol-chemical conglomerate

New regulation bans major websites from “advocating homosexuality or lesbianism”

Impunity for crimes against journalists is the norm

“Freedoms of speech and the press are respected”

Ranked 159th in annual global media freedom report

“Education is not free of political indoctrination”

Ranked 164th in annual global media freedom report

There are no protections against hate-crimes

State operated Marshall Island Gazette provides official news, but no political content

Appeals Court rules non-Muslims prohibited from using word “Allah”

Ranked 33rd in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 147th in annual global media freedom report

No domestic broadcaster as state-owned television station Kiribati TV closes

Homogeneity in media linked to close ties between politicians, business leaders and press clubs

Aceh “punks” rounded up by police, subjected to reeducation

Real-time digital surveillance system launched

Strike by journalists calling for end to censorship met with state-led ideological campaign

Coverage of government land grabs and extralegal resource extraction not tolerated

“Internet activity is still subject to criminal punishment”

Ranked 47th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 183rd in annual global media freedom report

The report details violent protests by opposition activists who called for an election boycott. In response, the government unleashed a brutal crackdown.

The 100-page report shows that Tibetan refugee communities in Nepal are now facing a de facto ban on political protests, sharp restrictions on public activities promoting Tibetan culture and religion, and routine abuses by Nepali security forces.

RWB report is being published ahead of the presidential election scheduled for 5 April. It is the fruit of a fact-finding visit to the northern provinces of Parwan, Kapisa and Panjshir in September 2013

The report is the first created by the South Asia Media Solidarity Network (SAMSN) looking specifically at the experience of women journalists in the South Asia sub-region

“The Web as a pawn in the power game”

“Electronic Great Wall getting taller”

“Big Brother up and running”

Bloggers and cyber-dissidents, ruthlessly suppressed

“Upgraded censorship”

This factsheet provides an overview of the recent rubbish collectors’ protests and subsequent negotiations with garbage collection company CINTRI. The strike for an increased minimum wage and improved working conditions went ahead in spite of the current ban on all demonstrations, assemblies and marches, and remained peaceful, despite heavy military police presence

“New decree requires Internet companies to reveal identity of their users”

“Authorities extend online censorship to social media”

“Critical, opposition journalists continue to face threats, severe intimidation”

“Slow progress in Maguindanao massacre case underscores culture of impunity”

“Five journalists killed in relation to their work”

“Journalists face threats and intimidation amid a tense political climate”

“Press is stifled by state-employed surveillance tactics”

“Crackdown on bloggers and social media users follows presidential transition”

“Draft printing and publishing law would impose new censorship criteria”

“Historic verdict hands life terms to killers of journalist”

“Journalists threatened and attacked, but none killed in relation to work”

This Briefing Note addresses the increasing practice of forcing human rights defenders, protesters and everyday citizens to sign written statements agreeing to not partake in future demonstrations or illegal activities, as a condition of their release or to avoid charges

Ranked 174th in annual press freedom index

Ranked 63rd in annual press freedom index

Ranked 130th in annual press freedom index

Ranked 50th in annual press freedom index

Ranked 165th in annual press freedom index

Ranked 57th in annual press freedom index

Ranked 150th in annual press freedom index

Ranked 40th in annual press freedom index

Ranked 149th in annual press freedom index

Ranked 44th in annual press freedom index

Ranked 158th in annual press freedom index

Ranked 2nd last in annual press freedom index

Ranked 9th in annual press freedom index

Ranked 120th in annual press freedom index

Ranked 28th in annual press freedom index

Ranked 88th in annual press freedom index

Ranked 128th in annual press freedom index

Ranked 108th in annual press freedom index

Ranked 147th in annual press freedom index

Ranked 171st in annual press freedom index

Ranked 59th in annual press freedom index

Ranked 132nd in annual press freedom index

Ranked 140th in annual press freedom index

Ranked 61st in annual press freedom index

Ranked 107nd in annual press freedom index

Ranked 77th in annual press freedom index

Ranked 175th in annual press freedom index

Ranked 144th in annual press freedom index

Ranked 145th in annual press freedom index

Ranked 117th in annual press freedom index

Ranked 92nd in annual press freedom index

Ranked 146th in annual press freedom index

IFJ’s report documents the continued deterioration of press freedoms in Mainland China, as well as Hong Kong and Macau. It takes its title in direct response to Chinese authorities adopting more repressive measures in 2013 reminiscent of the Mao era four decades ago, including direct censorship, Internet surveillance, abuse of legal process, harassment and intimidation, and televised confessions of journalists and bloggers without trial.

Police harrass, arbitrary arrest and detain bloggers and rights activists

Computer Crimes Act and lesse majests law continue to be used to suppress free speech

“Dangerously ambigous” media law introduced; prohibits 13 types of speech

System to monitor mobile phone and internet communications introduced

Freedom of expression limited in the name of morality, public order, racial and religious harmony

“Harassment of and violence against leftist political activists and environmentalists continues”

UN urgers government to repeal 1971 Sorcery Act, demands end to extrajudicial killing of women deemed sorcerers

“Blasphemous” YouTube remains blocked

Government attempts to rein in micro-blogging

Possession of DVDs, flash drives and Chinese phones harshly punished

Disability rights activists excluded from political process

Ruling party and supporters control almost all media

“Malaysian authorities maintain control over television and radio, printed newspapers, magazines and books, and films and video”

“Burma released more than 200 political prisoners in amnesties in 2013”

Government increases control over social media, blogs, online news websites

Afghan security forces implicated in growing number of attacks against journalists

An update on the Ampatuan Massacre trial by CMFR Executive Director Melinda Quintos de Jesus

Today, it’s not uncommon to see Gen Y men and women flashing the latest iPhones, Galaxies or tablets. Fun, work and politics are all parts of the nascent online life in Burma

There is some skepticism about how much influence Burma’s youth movement can assert in terms of political change. Still, activists have benefited from greater access to the Internet, which has brought a new side to the online community after decades of heavy censorship

The report documents case after case in which police, the paramilitary Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), and the Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) opened fire into crowds or beat protesters in a brutal and unlawful manner

CMFR has issued a monograph report on the issues of journalists’ safety, from the perspective of owners/their representatives. The report included discussions on how the owners see their responsibilities and their capacity to provide protection, the problems and what they perceive to be the most serious challenge to the protection of journalists

The government has enacted unnecessary restrictions on access to information about forest concessions and land claims. Authorities have harassed and intimidated local activists who have been bringing attention to forest sector abuses, and a number of environmentalists and activists have been arrested or prosecuted in recent months over plantation disputes.

Burma is at a crossroads. The period of transition since 2010 has opened up the space for freedom of expression to an extent unpredicted by even the most optimistic in the country. Yet this space is highly contingent on a number of volatile factors.

In a context of increasing protests about working conditions in garment factories throughout Cambodia, the Garment Factory Map is aimed at providing greater transparency regarding the ownership and supply chains of Cambodian garment factories

This joint submission by ARTICLE 19, IPA, SEAPA, PEN International and others focuses on Cambodia’s compliance with its international human rights obligations in respect to freedom of expression

The report by ARTICLE 19 and the Cambodian Center for Human Rights is part of the larger CCHR Human Rights Defenders Project, which aims to complement and reinforce the existing civil society network in support of human rights defenders at risk

ARTICLE 19, Access, English PEN and PEN International welcome the opportunity to contribute to the second cycle of the UPR process of Viet Nam.

The media landscape in Burma is more open than ever, as President Thein Sein releases imprisoned journalists and abolishes the former censorship regime. But many threats and obstacles to truly unfettered reporting remain, including restrictive laws held over from the previous military regime. The wider government’s commitment to a more open reporting environment is in doubt.

This report outlines steps necessary to promote adequate protections for Internet and mobile phone users in Burma, and ways to foster responsible investment in Burma’s telecom sector

In scrutinising the GE13 coverage provided by the most popular and influential Malaysian media, the Watching the Watchdog media monitoring project found that different ‘Language Media’ (English, Bahasa Malaysia, and Mandarin) provide differential information about GE13 participants, although in all cases, they reproduce the pro-BN bias found by the Watching the Watchdog project overall

Ranked 182nd in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 45th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 47th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 61st in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 140th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 47th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 164th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 64th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 55th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 153rd in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 61st in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 89th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 55th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 13th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 146th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 196th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 13th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 55th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 126th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 77th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 31st in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 19th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 118th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 146th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 52nd in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 40th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 96th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 71st in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 120th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 71st in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 179th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 149th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 162nd in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 167th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 126th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 112th in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 31st in annual global media freedom report

Ranked 153rd in annual global media freedom report

In scrutinising the GE13 coverage provided by the most popular and influential Malaysian media, the Watching the Watchdog media monitoring project found that the coverage of politicians and other individuals present within election reporting (both when mentioned and when used as sources) is heavily gender-biased towards coverage of men.

In scrutinising the GE13 coverage provided by the most popular and influential Malaysian media, the Watching the Watchdog media monitoring project found that citizens are being deprived of fair and objective information about the individual politicians who are taking part in the elections.

In scrutinising the GE13 coverage provided by the most popular and influential Malaysian media, the Watching the Watchdog media monitoring project found that citizens of Malaysia are being deprived of fair and objective information about political parties and coalitions which are taking part in the elections.

As political turmoil continues between Islamists and secularists in Bangladesh, the climate for press freedom is rapidly deteriorating. The tensions stem from an ongoing war crimes tribunal tasked with prosecuting genocide, crimes against humanity, and other crimes dating back to the 1971 war of independence.

Contribution to the Universal Periodic Review Mechanism, 17th session of the Working Group of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR)

Government alleged to monitor e-mail accounts

“The news media operate freely”

Parliament amends laws to allow political activities on university campuses

“University professors cannot teach or write about politically sensitive topics”

“Press clubs, or ‘kisha kurabu’, ensure homogeneity of news coverage by fostering close relationships between the major media and bureaucrats and politicians”

Authorities in Aceh subject rebellious youth to “reeducation,” which includes the forcible shaving of their punk-rock hairstyles and a traditional cleansing ceremony

“The government has used security laws, criminal defamation legislation, hate-speech laws, and contempt-of-court charges to curb critical voices”

Poll of journalists reveals self-censorship as greatest threat to free expression

Eight free Internet centres open to service rural poor

“The free flow of information remains hampered primarily by poor infrastructure and scarce resources”

A growing number of Chinese assert basic rights, share uncensored information online, and challenge perceived injustice despite the regime’s hostility toward organised dissent

Government drafts decree expanding the definition of speech crimes on the Internet and forcing Internet providers to block and filter content more thoroughly

Ministry of Communications decree prohibits internet cafes from being located within 500 meters of a school or allowing access to websites with pornographic content or those used for playing games

Forty people arrested for eating in public during Ramadan

“In 2012, the government granted a broadcast license to a new community radio station that focuses on women’s issues”

Critical NGOs face increased pressure and restrictions on their activities

“More than 60 such writers, intellectuals, and musicians have been arrested since 2008”

Authorities ease restrictions on red-shirt websites and community radio stations

Samoa launches first Internet-based TV station in the Pacific Islands

As of May 2012, “broadcast media are no longer subject to licensing and programming reviews by the Government Information Office”

Despite lack of constitutional protections for free speech, citizens and media freely criticise the government without reprisal.

“The Philippines remains one of the most dangerous places in the world for journalists to work, and impunity for crimes against them is the norm”

“The government does not always tolerate criticism”

“The government continued efforts to censor the internet in 2012, temporarily blocking access to the independent news site Colombo Telegraph, as well as the websites of Tamil language news sites”

“Although media censorship is illegal, official censorship, particularly of online content, increased under Lee Myung-bak’s administration”

“Impunity in cases concerning murdered journalists remains the norm”

“Afghan media continue to grow and diversify, but they face major challenges including physical attacks and intimidation”

“Freedoms of expression and of the press are generally respected, but politicians and elites sometimes use legal and extralegal means to intimidate journalists”

“Intense state indoctrination and repression preclude free exercise of religion as well as academic freedom”

Popular videos, music, and books that reference sex, violence, or drugs subject to censorship

“The media are free and competitive”

Authorities detain Tibetan and Nepali monks and pressure them to sign pledges not to participate in future protests

“Foreign media are effectively barred from covering controversial political issues”

“Finally, an independent broadcast regulator”

“Freedom of expression remains restricted regarding officially taboo subjects, most notably homosexuality”

Press freedom advocates launch International Day to End Impunity on anniversary of Ampatuan massacre

Mainstream Malay media remain hostile to online publications and social media users

“Mobile phones and the Internet have increasingly become alternate sources of information for the people as incomes rise in the rural areas”

Coffins delivered to media organisations in an attempt to intimidate journalists

Draft NGO law will keep civil society on a tight leash

Government bans VoIP technology, including Skype

President Hu Jintao, the leading jailer of press freedom defenders in the world

Evidence ties spy agency to murder of 21 journalists between 1999 and 2006

Permanent Associated Press bureau opened in Pyongyang in January 2012

President Sayasone maintains control over all media, preventing objective and independent information from reaching public

Citizen journalists fill void left by censored media

Government opponents distribute “stealth USBs containing news about democracy and human rights, and designed to appeal to the country’s dissidents, students and intellectual elites”

Public WIFI providers required to install user tracking software

More than half of imprisoned journalists from minority regions, Tibet and Xinjiang

Indonesian journalists cover corruption at great risk

“One of the worst countries in the world at combating deadly anti-press violence”

“Nepal is among the worst nations worldwide in combating impunity”

“World’s deadliest country for the press for the second consecutive year”

“At least 72 journalists have been killed for their work since 1992, making the Philippines the second deadliest country in the world for journalists”

“Sri Lanka is one of the worst nations in the world in combating anti-press violence”

New Premier wields lèse majesté laws to censor websites and Facebook pages, harass internet users who post material critical of monarchy

Online media crackdown intensifies, “reasserting the government’s near-total control of domestic news media”

10th deadliest nation for press

Courts invoke state security laws to arrest critical journalists

Tied for 63rd place in annual press freedom index

“Stranglehold of the Rajapakse clan forced the last few opposition journalists to flee the country”

Tied for 54th place in annual press freedom index

“Judicial investigation into the Ampatuan massacre made it clear that the response of the authorities was seriously inadequate”

Ranked 45th in annual press freedom index

Ranked 44th in annual press freedom index

“Arrests, assaults and harassment worsened working conditions for journalists to an extent not seen previously”

Ranked 35th in annual press freedom index

China “has more journalists, bloggers and cyber-dissidents in prison than any other country”

Fewer than 10 journalists remain in prison

New Zealand’s fall to 13th position on annual press freedom index means no country in the Asia-Pacific region in the top 10

Ruling party and opposition groups combine to make country the 50th worst violator of press freedom in the world

Government systemically denies access to information requests

Ranked 137th in annual press freedom index

Ranked 135th in annual press freedom index

Taliban, religious extremists, separatist movements and political groups create a difficult environment for media freedom

“No grounds for optimism”

Illegal detentions and intimidation of media workers lessens press freedom

Tied for 122nd place in annual press freedom index

Ranked 165th in annual press freedom index

Tied for 117th place in annual press freedom index

Journalists are “regularly subjected to threats from rival political groups and their supporters”

Tied for 117th place in annual press freedom index

Ranked 125th in annual press freedom index

“Climate of religious intolerance” called “a detriment to free expression”

Ranked 70th in annual press freedom index

Violence, main concern for journalists

Fukushima nuclear accident leads to excessive restrictions on media

“At least two journalists were killed, five kidnapped and 18 assaulted in 2011”

Threats from mafia groups lead to a climate of self-censorship

Government curtails free speech to dissuade religious and ethnic differences they say have “the potential to cause friction and divide Singaporeans”

“Hundreds of leftist politicians and political activists, journalists, and outspoken clergy have been killed or abducted since 2001”

“A climate of fear impedes media coverage of military and militant groups”

“Government uses fear – generated mainly by threats of forced labor and public executions – to prevent dissent”

Kuala Lumpur high court upholds ban on seven books by cartoonist Zunar

“Indonesia has imprisoned more than 100 activists from the Moluccas and Papua for peacefully voicing political views, holding demonstrations, and raising separatist flags”

“At least 12 RTI activists have been killed and several others assaulted over the past two years”

Authorities take “unprecedented step of rounding up over 30 of the most outspoken critics and ‘disappearing’ them for weeks”

“Government increasingly is using criminal defamation and incitement laws to intimidate critics”

Propaganda slogans being removed from magazines, photos of Aung San Suu Kyi permitted

“Government blocks access to politically sensitive websites, requires internet cafe owners to monitor and store information about users’ online activities”