Press freedom and ASEAN TV

Press freedom and ASEAN TV

The fifth conference of ASEAN ministers responsible for
information ended in Bangkok this week with a resolution to set
up a satellite TV station to help propagate ASEAN's views
throughout the region and the rest of the world. Clearly, many of
these ASEAN information ministers are particularly irked by
biased reporting by the Western electronic media, especially CNN
and BBC and one or two others.

If the ASEAN TV station is to be the window to the world, it
must be free and without any interference from ASEAN governments.
But, alas, there are not many genuinely free TV stations within
the ASEAN region. Even Thailand, where the print media is
relatively free, can only boast of one independent TV station.

In this regard, when ASEAN talks about the biases engendered
in Western news reporting, it is very much a case of the pot
calling the kettle black.

Perhaps the ASEAN members should begin by opening up to
reporters from the region, since not all fully welcome them. In
addition, the ASEAN media should be encouraged to speak the truth
on issues affecting the region and to promote the free flow of
information. Then and only then can the region present a common
view to the world. Any attempt to create a distorted picture
cannot be allowed.

No doubt ASEAN still has a long way to go if it is to counter
Western viewpoints. Within ASEAN, some countries are free and
have no censorship of the mass media or the Internet. But in
others, even having a fax machine or a modem could land the owner
in jail.

If the ASEAN TV station is to be successful, we must first put
our house in order. Definitely a freer atmosphere of information
dissemination within individual members and between the grouping
is a prerequisite. On the other hand, if joining the scheme means
lowering the standard of our press freedom, Thailand should opt
out.

On this, there can be no compromise.

-- The Nation, Bangkok