Dozens of countries curbing the press freedom: Obama

[Guest guest]

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4 May, 2011, 10.02AM IST,PTI

Dozens of countries curbing the press freedom: Obama

WASHINGTON: Citing the examples of China and Iran, US President Barack Obama

said that dozens of countries continue to stand in the way of free press.

Obama was speaking on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day as he recognised

the vital role being played by journalists in strengthening democratic

governance around the world.

Noting that governments have an obligation to protect rights and freedoms, Obama

said this year alone, at least 16 journalists have already been killed and more

than 145 remain imprisoned around the world, simply for daring to report the

truth.

This includes recent crackdowns on the independent press in Bahrain, threats

against and arrests of domestic and foreign journalists in China, political

persecution of independent journalists and bloggers in Iran, arrests and

detention of international journalists in Syria, and the government takeover of

independent media outlets in Venezuela, he said.

Countries such as Belarus, Burma, Cuba , Eritrea, Libya, North Korea,

Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan also continue to be notoriously repressive of press

freedoms.

Freedom of expression is also under attack through criminal violence and

impunity in countries like Mexico, Honduras, and Russia, Obama said.

On this World Press Freedom Day, the US joins with people around the world in

reaffirming the fundamental freedoms of expression, assembly, and association

that provide the foundation for media to operate freely and keep citizens

informed, he said.

" We rededicate ourselves to the basic principle enshrined in the Universal

Declaration of Human Rights that every person has the right to seek, receive,

and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

" We recognise the courageous journalists who work every day to give meaning to

these rights, often at great risk to their lives, as we have seen most recently

with the tragic deaths of journalists in Libya, " Obama said.

" As we witnessed in the historic events in Tunisia and Egypt , new media tools

can also help empower citizens exercise their freedoms of speech and

association, yet these same 21st century tools can be used to filter, block, and

restrict free expression.

" That is why we must always stand up for the free flow of information around the

world, " he said.

" History shows that one of the ingredients of successful, prosperous, and stable

societies is a free press where citizens can freely access information and hold

their governments accountable, " said the US President.

[Guest guest]

That's really a joke that he's saying this while trying to curb the freedom of the press in the US. He's doing that by trying to install a new Fairness Doctrine through his czars and executive bureaucracies as well as that new scheme to force companies who do business with the government to list their political donation lists. But certainly that's not a blackmail list for companies that depend on government contracts to survive. Then there is Obama's power to shut down parts of the internet if he so chooses. Nope, nothing bad about that either.

Also don't forget the shabby treatment and blacklisting of certain reporters and news agencies nor how Immelt, who controlled NBC, ended up with a post close to Obama.

In a message dated 5/4/2011 1:46:34 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, no_reply writes:

Citing the examples of China and Iran, US President Barack Obama said that dozens of countries continue to stand in the way of free press. Obama was speaking on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day as he recognised the vital role being played by journalists in strengthening democratic governance around the world.