Free Expression in Asian Cyberspace

April 20, 2006

I’m spending the rest of the week at the “Free Expression in Asian Cyberspace” conference organized by the Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) and the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ).  Delegates from at least 15 countries in the region are speaking about a range of issues affecting press freedom across Asian nations and the Internet.  For a good blow-by-blow coverage, visit the PCIJ blog here, here, here, here, here, here, and here) or the Conference Blog. 

Presenters from different countries spoke of government-sanctioned restrictions on their press freedom ranging from harrasment to arrests to disappearances.  It makes me realize just how much we take for granted our press freedom here (despite the government’s best efforts).  But for some of the participants, the dialogue at the conference had some more ominous consequences.  I understand that some delegates were unable to attend because they were detained at the airport long enough to miss their flights.  One has apparently been arrested.  Yet another (a presenter here) pleaded this morning for the bloggers present to take down erroneous information identifying the delegate with an underground press freedom organization — this in the wake of an AP article that just hit the wires this morning.  As the delegate stood up and addressed the bloggers, it dawned on me that our freedoms can cause real harm to other people in places where repression is the norm.  It was a sobering thought and I think a major lesson we all learned in this conference.
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