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