Press freedom in Sri Lanka rated as very serious

Press freedom in Sri Lanka has been rated as “very serious” in the latest annual World Press Freedom Index produced by Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

The report, released to mark World Press Freedom Day 2024 on 3rd May, says Sri Lanka’s ratings in 2024 had dropped when compared to 2023.

No country in the Asia-Pacific region is among the Index?s top 15 this year. This is chiefly due to a six-place fall by New Zealand (19th), which nonetheless retains its position as the region?s leader. Although experiencing challenges to the right to information, other regional democracies such as Timor-Leste (20th), Samoa (22nd) and Taiwan (27th) have also retained their roles as press freedom models.

The press freedom situation has worsened in the Asia-Pacific region, where 26 of the 32 countries and territories have seen their scores fall in the 2024 World Press Freedom Index. The region?s dictatorial governments have been tightening their hold over news and information with increasing vigour.

With three journalists killed and at least 25 cases of journalists detained, Afghanistan (178th) dropped 26 places. North Korea (177th) and China (172nd), with their all-out persecution of the media, have stagnated in the depths of the Index. Vietnam (174th) and Myanmar (171st) have pursued a policy of mass imprisonment of media personnel. They are the world?s fourth and second biggest jailers of journalists, respectively.

An increase in government reprisals against journalists has added Cambodia (151st) to the countries coloured dark red on the press freedom map because their situation is classified as ?very serious.? In 2023, two journalists were murdered in the Philippines (134th), which continues to be one of the region?s most dangerous countries for media professionals.

Some countries? rises in the Index are misleading inasmuch as their scores fell and the Index rises were the result of falls by countries previously above them. This is the case with India (159th), which was pushed up two places despite recently adopting more draconian laws. Its new position is still unworthy of a democracy. Similarly, Hong Kong (135th) rose five places despite a fall in its score due to an increase in the persecution of journalists under the national security law imposed by Beijing in 2020. (Colombo Gazette)