12 December 2000
RSF ANGERED BY BURMESE JUNTA'S PRESENCE AT EU/ASEAN SUMMIT
Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF) has expressed its indignation at the presence of the Burmese junta at the European Union (EU) and Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit, held in Vientiane, Laos, on 11-12 December 2000. RSF notes that in Burma, at least 12 journalists languish in jail in appalling conditions, censorship has been strengthened considerably and for more than three months the main leaders of the National League for Democracy (NLD) have been prevented from communicating with the outside world.
Press freedom remains a concern in the rest of the region as well, according to RSF. In Laos, the only political party controls all media and violently represses demonstrations in favour of the democratisation of the country. In Vietnam, an opposition journalist is still jailed while the authorities refuse to grant opposition personalities publication licences. In three other countries, Brunei, Singapore and Malaysia, particularly restrictive press laws do not allow pluralistic expression in the news. Although the situation of press freedom in Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand is relatively good, RSF says that journalists are still exposed to violence from the army as well as political and religious movements.
RSF calls for the immediate release of journalists and editors currently in jail and the establishment of press freedom without restrictions throughout the region. RSF reminds the ASEAN states that the United Nations' special rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression stated in a document dated 18 January 2000 that "imprisonment as punishment for the peaceful expression of an opinion constitutes a serious violation of human rights." Finally, RSF calls on EU states to demand that their ASEAN partners respect press freedom.
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