Media freedom in the Mekong region

Link to the program recording here.

While much has been written about the jailing and repression of independent media in the Mekong region, comparatively little detail is known about the actual conditions and legal processes that have seen many journalists and bloggers receiving heavy prison sentences -- often for little more than a blog post exposing an environmental crime or challenging actions such as land grabbing by local authorities.

On this afternoon, representatives of some leading media research and advocacy groups will brief on the latest situation in some of these countries, including the launch of a new report and the release of recent data on prison conditions, cases and charges.

The briefing comes amid growing concern among media advocacy and human rights groups about the deterioration of media freedom in the region. Most Mekong region countries rank poorly on global media freedom rankings, including indexes compiled by Freedom House and Reporters Without Borders, with Myanmar, Vietnam and Laos among the lowest in the world.

Vietnam was ranked as the seventh worst jailer of journalists worldwide, at 178th, while Myanmar was ranked 174th, in the latest annual global prison census compiled by the International Committee to Protect Journalists, with at least 16 reporters behind bars on Dec. 1, 2024. By other measures, Myanmar ranks among the worst in terms of levels of violence against media, while Laos observes some of the most stringent official restrictions against media operations.

Join us for this informal discussion. Complimentary coffee and tea will be served, and the regular FCCT menu will be available.