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Published: October 24, 2006
According to the Worldwide Press Freedom Index 2006 announced by Reporters Without Borders on October 24, Taiwan・s annual ranking for the year rose to No. 43, compared with No. 51 last year. This puts Taiwan in the top position in Asia in terms of press freedom, outpacing Japan which placed at No. 51 this year. Taiwan・s ranking in the survey even bettered that of the United States, which ranked No. 53.
Government Information Office Minister Cheng Wen-tsang said that the nod of approval given to Taiwan in the rankings by the organization, as well as Taiwan having surpassed the United States and Japan for the first time, indicates that the nation has established a solid environment for press freedom and freedom of speech in its course of democratization. Minister Chen said that Taiwan・s achievements are the result of the hard work by all its citizens, adding that the accomplishment is something that all Taiwanese should be proud of.
In early April this year, Freedom House, based in the United States, announced 2006 global press freedom study. In the Freedom of the Press 2006: A Global Survey of Media Independence, Taiwan was ranked No. 35, joining Japan for the top spot in Asia. In that report, Taiwan was given a perfect score in freedom of speech and religious belief. This is another example of mainstream American and European human rights organizations affirming the development of democracy and freedom on Taiwan.
Minister Cheng furthermore said that in comparison to Taiwan・s outstanding rankings, China・s ranking in the latest Annual Worldwide Press Freedom Index fell to No. 163, compared with No. 159 in the previous survey. According to information released by Reporters Without Borders, while the number of media outlets in China is more numerous and aggressive now, repression, carried out jointly by the government departments of propaganda and public security, has increased. The report added that Chinese authorities want to keep their monopoly on all news, mainly through the state-run Xinhua news agency. As a result, censorship has been stepped up and penalties increased. It added that many news websites have been shut down and physical attacks against journalists have escalated.
Reporters Without Borders is headquartered in France and works to defend press freedom and journalists. Its Press Freedom Index is compiled with the assistance of 14 freedom of expression groups throughout the world, 130 correspondents worldwide, researchers and human rights activists. The survey is compiled based on a questionnaire with 50 criteria, including personal safety of journalists, freedom of reporting, media diversity and degree of liberalization and free flow of information on the Internet. The Press Freedom Index is one of the world・s most authoritative reports on the topic.
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