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Publications : Regions : Asia : All
Click on these links for: Legal Analyses - Legal Cases

Refine your view by theme: Armed Conflict - Censorship - Defamation - Freedom of Information - Media - Other

Press release welcoming the Supreme Court’s decision to release three protestors of Tibetan origin being detained for their involvement in organising daily protests against the Chinese regime, which have been increasing in the count down to the Olympics.
10 Jul 2008
Press release condemning the arrest and prolonged detention without charge and without bail of two Greenpeace campaigners who exposed alleged embezzlement in the Japanese government-sponsored whaling programme in the Southern Ocean
10 Jul 2008
Press release welcoming the government's decision to approve a Right to Information Ordinance.
23 Jun 2008
Statement on the occasion of Aung San Suu Kyi's 63rd birthday.
19 Jun 2008
A Tetun translation of ARTICLE 19's international standard "A Model Freedom of Information Law".
17 Jun 2008
A Tetun translation of ARTICLE 19's international standard “Johannesburg Principles: Principles on National Security, Freedom of Expression and Access to Information.”
17 Jun 2008
Press release condemning the military Junta's renewed detention of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and the arrest of twenty protestors who were calling for her release.
27 May 2008
Press release highlighting progress of ARTICLE 19's Agenda for Change project in Nepal.
27 May 2008
Letter to the Prime Minister of China expressing concern over the detention of a journalist for reporting on official corruption.
23 May 2008
Press release condemning the Junta's attempts to suppress information on the manifest humanitarian disaster ahead of the UN Secretary General’s visit.
22 May 2008
Conference paper delivered by ARTICLE 19's Law Programme Director, Toby Mendel at an international seminar on defamation held in Indonesia in May 2008.
15 May 2008
Joint submission by ARTICLE 19, SUPRO, Mass Line Media (MMC) and Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC) providing an analysis of Bangladesh’s (Draft) Right to Information Ordinance 2008.
3 Apr 2008
Joint legal analysis by ARTICLE 19, the Federation of Nepali Journalists and Freedom Forum of Nepal’s Right to Information Act based on international law and best practice in the field of freedom of information.
1 Feb 2008
Background paper on freedom of expression and commercial issues, produced as part of ARTICLE 19’s “Agenda for Change” project, which aims to establish a process for media legislation reform in Nepal in close consultation with media stakeholders.
28 Jan 2008
Background paper on freedom of information, produced as part of ARTICLE 19’s “Agenda for Change” project, which aims to establish a process for media legislation reform in Nepal in close consultation with media stakeholders.
28 Jan 2008
Background paper on content restrictions, produced as part of ARTICLE 19’s “Agenda for Change” project, which aims to establish a process for media legislation reform in Nepal in close consultation with media stakeholders.
28 Jan 2008
Background paper on freedom of expression guarantees and regulation of the media, produced as part of ARTICLE 19’s “Agenda for Change” project, which aims to establish a process for media legislation reform in Nepal in close consultation with media stakeholders.
28 Jan 2008
Statement from the International Press Freedom Mission to Nepal of which ARTICLE 19 is a member. The statement raises serious concerns about press freedom violations taking place throughout the country.
17 Jan 2008
Submission to the United Nations Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review on Indonesia.
26 Nov 2007
Report, entitled "The Mechanics of Censorship", analysing the print media legislation of the People's Republic of China against international standards on freedom of expression.
14 Nov 2007
Joint submission from ARTICLE 19 and the Centre for Policy Alternatives to the Sri Lanka Ministry of Mass Media and Information on the proposed National Media Policy.
14 Sep 2007
Memorandum examining the draft Thai Public Service Broadcasting Service Agency Act in the light of international standards.
17 Jul 2007
Note summarising ARTICLE 19’s main comments on the draft Measure for Public Environmental Participation. The note focuses on the provisions in the Measures that relate to the disclosure of information.
2 May 2007
Memorandum on the draft Computer-Related Offences Commission Act currently being developed by the Thai authorities.
5 Apr 2007
Presentation to the Religious and Cultural Affairs Commission of the Afghan National Assembly on the development of freedom of expression principles and the draft media law.
30 Mar 2007
Pocketbook offering a bird's eye view of international law and standards on freedom of expression and international mechanisms for the enforcement of the right.
29 Mar 2007
Note summarising ARTICLE 19's principal concerns with the Draft Broadcasting Bill of the Maldives.
9 Mar 2007
A comment on the freedom of expression and information provisions in the 2007 Interim Constitution of Nepal. Also available in Nepali at http://www.article19.org/pdfs/analysis/nepal-interim-constitution-nepali.pdf
5 Mar 2007
Findings of the October 2006 mission undertaken by the International Press Freedom and Freedom of Expression Mission to Sri Lanka.
19 Feb 2007
Report by ARTICLE 19 and the Center for Independent Journalism examining the level of access to environmental information in Malaysia.
8 Feb 2007
Legal analysis of Kazakhstan's draft 2006 Law 'On Publishing'.
15 Jan 2007
Report into the Health and Human Rights in Burma. Outlines the relationship between health in a society under censorship, as well as covering the the effects of war on Burmas Human Rights situation.
1 Jan 2007
Analysis of Nepal's draft Right to Information Bill – 2063 against international standards in the area of access to information.
1 Dec 2006
Analysis of the draft Media Bill for the Cook Islands, proposed in November 2006.
17 Nov 2006
Memorandum analysing the draft Law of the Kyrgyz Republic on Access to Information against international standards.
27 Oct 2006
Statement produced by the International Press Freedom and Freedom of Expression Mission giving an assessment of the current media situation in the country and the impact of the escalation in fighting between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on the media.
11 Oct 2006
Read our October update on freedom of expression in Asia including special features on Religion & Censorship and Information Vs Secrecy.
9 Oct 2006
Memorandum analysing Kazakhstan’s Law on Mass Media, as amended in July 2006.
28 Sep 2006
This Submission sets out the observations and recommendations of the International Press Freedom and Freedom of Expression Mission to Nepal to the High Level Media Commission.
15 Sep 2006
Submission analysing the proposed Fijian Broadcast Licensing Bill 2006, No. 10 of 2006 (the Bill), and providing recommendations for reform throughout.
25 Aug 2006
Memorandum on the Defamation Bill for the Republic of the Maldives.
18 Jul 2006
Report of the fact-finding mission to the Maldives undertaken from 3 to 7 May 2006 by ARTICLE 19 and 4 free press organisations.
15 Jul 2006
Memorandum on Malaysia's Press Council Bill of 2006.
15 Jul 2006
Summary of concerns with regard to proposed amendments to Kazakhstan's media laws.
7 Jul 2006
Baseline study on media freedom in Cambodia, as part of a series of seven such studies on Southeast Asian countries. June 2006 revision edition.
27 Jun 2006
Comment comparing the draft Law on Freedom of Information of Mongolia to international law and standards.
15 May 2006
Statement by the International Press Freedom Mission deploring frequent attacks against media professionals and dissenting voices in the Maldives.
9 May 2006
Memorandum analysing the Maldives Freedom of Press Bill against international standards on freedom of expression.
9 May 2006
Submission to the Australian Law Reform Commission on its review of the 'sedition' provisions enacted in November 2005.
10 Apr 2006
Submission to the Committee on the Review of Public Service Broadcasting in Hong Kong, recommending that Radio Television Hong Kong be reestablished as an independent broadcaster, governed by a board that represents the people of Hong Kong.
3 Apr 2006
Baseline study on media freedom in Malaysia, as part of a series of seven such studies on Southeast Asian countries.
27 Feb 2006
Baseline study on media freedom in the Philippines, as part of a series of seven such studies on Southeast Asian countries.
27 Feb 2006
Baseline study on media freedom in Singapore, as part of a series of seven such studies on Southeast Asian countries.
27 Feb 2006
Baseline study on media freedom in Thailand, as part of a series of seven such studies on Southeast Asian countries.
27 Feb 2006
Baseline study on media freedom in Indonesia, as part of a series of seven such studies on Southeast Asian countries.
27 Feb 2006
Baseline study on media freedom in Timor Leste, as part of a series of seven such studies on Southeast Asian countries.
27 Feb 2006
Statement on Google's decision to cooperate with the authorities in censoring the Chinese version of its search engine.
5 Jan 2006
Memornadum on the Ordinance Amending Some of the Nepal Acts Relating to the Media, 2062 (2005)
1 Nov 2005
Press release containing a statement by the 'International Press Freedom and Freedom of Expression Mission to Nepal'.
17 Oct 2005
Memorandum on the Ordinance Amending Some of the NepalAct Relating to the Media, 2062 (2005).
15 Oct 2005
Commentary on a set of regulations issued by Kazakhstan's Agency for Information and Communication regarding the allocation of .kz domain names.
15 Oct 2005
Note examining relations between courts and media in response to a discussion paper produced by a joint committee of media and judicial representatives.
1 Oct 2005
A summary of concerns regarding the Kyrgyz defamation law, the Kyrgyz Media Law and the Law on Journalists Activities
15 Sep 2005
Memorandum on Kyrgyz Mass Media Law and the Law on Journalists' Activities.
15 Sep 2005
Memorandum on the Laws of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan relating to the Protection of Reputation.
15 Sep 2005
Report on the consequences of armed conflict in South Asia for freedom of expression.
1 Sep 2005
An analysis of the deterioration of press freedom and freedom of expression in Nepal.
19 Aug 2005
Brief in support of Ms. Supinya Klangnarong, a media reform advocate prosecuted for defamation after she alleged that a major Thai media company had benefited from its close relationship to the prime minister.
18 Aug 2005
Memorandum on the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat's draft Information Disclosure Policy.
15 Aug 2005
From 10 to 16 July, ARTICLE 19 participated in an international press freedom and freedom of expression mission to Nepal with eleven other international organisations to raise our concerns on the deteriorating human rights situation in the country, following King Gyanendra’s seizure of power on 1 February 2005.
25 Jul 2005
Memorandum on the draft Law of Kyrgyzstan on Broadcasting
15 Jul 2005
Thirteenth joint annual report of the Hong Kong Journalists' Association and ARTICLE 19 on the new challenges to freedom of expression since the handover of sovereignty to China in July 1997.
1 Jul 2005
Report illustrating the importance of information in disaster relief operations.
1 May 2005
Memorandum analysing the defamation provisions in the Penal and Civil Codes for compliance with international standards.
30 Nov 2004
Memorandum analysing the existing Cambodian Law on the Press for compliance with international law and standards.
31 Oct 2004
Memorandum on Thailand's criminal and civil defamation provisions.
15 Oct 2004
Memorandum analysing the Official Secrets Act 1972 against international standards on the right to freedom of expression.
30 Sep 2004
Note commenting on two proposals, one by Internews-Kazakhstan and one by Adil Soz, for legislative reform relating to mass media.
31 Aug 2004
Memorandum analysing the current criminal and civil defamation provisions of the Criminal and Civil Codes for compliance with international standards.
31 Jul 2004
Presentation on international defamation standards for the Jakarta Conference on Defamation, 28-29 July 2004, Indonesia.
28 Jul 2004
Memorandum analysing the Law on Principles of and Guarantees for Freedom of Information (also available in Russian through our Russian publications page).
30 Jun 2004
Memorandum analysing the Law on Protection of State Secrets and its failure to mitigate concerns regarding the restrictions on freedom of expression and access to information.
30 Jun 2004
Memorandum analysing the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Mass Media, passed by the legislature in 1997 (also available in Russian through our Russian publications page).
29 Jun 2004
Twelfth joint annual report by the Hong Kong Journalists' Association and ARTICLE 19 on recent developments and trends concerning freedom of expression in Chinese-administered Hong Kong.
1 Jun 2004
Memorandum analysing the Working Paper on the Proposed Right to Information Act 2002, which was circulated for comment in 2002-2003.
1 Mar 2004
Note analysing Press Law No. 40 of 1999 in the context of proposals to prepare a new, separate press law for East Timor.
28 Feb 2004
Memorandum analysing the second draft 'Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan on Mass Media' with regards to its compliance with international standards on freedom of expression.
28 Feb 2004
Memorandum analysing the draft Public Information Act prepared by the Nepalese Law Reform Commission in 2003.
31 Jan 2004
Comments on Draft Philippine Freedom of Information Law.
15 Oct 2003
Comments on the draft Sri Lankan Freedom of Information Law.
15 Oct 2003
Letter with recommendations to increase transparency in the Policy on Confidentiality and Disclosure of Information.
1 Oct 2003
Memorandum on Kazakhstan's Draft Law "Concerning Mass Media".
15 Sep 2003
Note on the draft Freedom of Information Rules for implementing the Pakistani Freedom of Information Ordiance.
15 Sep 2003
Memorandum analysing the Media Council Bill, circulated by the Fijian Minister of Information for public comment.
1 Sep 2003
Memorandum on the Law of Mongolia on Freedom of Information.
15 Aug 2003
Submission on contempt of court in Sri Lanka: recommendations for codification.
15 Aug 2003
Memorandum on the Malaysian Sedition Act of 1948.
15 Jul 2003
Memorandum on the Broadcasting Ordinance 1976 of the Solomon Islands.
15 Jul 2003
Memorandum on the Malaysian draft Media Council Act of 2002 and the Media Council (Procedure for Inquiry) Regulations.
15 Apr 2003
Memorandum on Russian Federal Draft Law "On Mass Media".
15 Feb 2003
Memorandum on the draft Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan on “Principles and Guarantees of Freedom of Information”.
15 Dec 2002
Note on the draft law of the Republic of Tajikistan on Mass Media.
15 Nov 2002
Memorandum on the laws of Tajikistan regulating mass media.
15 Nov 2002
Memorandum on the Amendments to the Russian Federal Laws on Mass Media and Combating Terrorism.
15 Nov 2002
Memorandum on Indonesia's draft broadcasting bill.
15 Nov 2002
Memorandum on the Federal Government of Pakistan’s Freedom of Information Ordinance.
15 Nov 2002
Memorandum on the Press Council of Pakistan Ordinance, 2002; the Press, Newspapers, News Agencies and Books Registration Ordinance, 2002; and the Defamation Ordinance, 2002.
15 Sep 2002
Memorandum on Kazakhstan's draft Law on Advertising.
15 Aug 2002
Memorandum on Kazakhstan's Laws Regulating Mass Media.
15 Jun 2002
Tenth joint annual report by the Hong Kong Journalists' Association and ARTICLE 19 on the state of freedom of expression in Hong Kong, coinciding with the fifth anniversary of the handover of the territory from the United Kingdom to the People’s Republic of China in 1997.
1 Jun 2002
Memorandum on the Law of Mongolia on Public Radio and Television
15 May 2002
Note on the draft Constitution of the Democratic Republic of East Timor of 9 February 2002, focusing on provisions affecting freedom of expression.
15 Feb 2002
Statement on the Election Commission Guidelines to the State and Private Media in Sri Lanka.
15 Nov 2001
OSCE review of the legal framework for media coverage of elections in Kazakhstan.
15 Sep 2001
Report on the legal framework for media coverage of elections in Kazakhstan.
5 Sep 2001
Memorandum on Russian Regional Media Regulations.
15 Aug 2001
Memorandum on the Editors Guild of Sri Lanka's Official Freedom of Information Act, 2001.
15 Aug 2001
Note on the draft Regulation on Broadcasting in Timor Leste.
15 Jul 2001
This survey looks at significant developments at the international level towards recognising the right to information. The survey includes case studies on India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
1 Jul 2001
Ninth joint annual report on the state of freedom of expression in Hong Kong. The year under review has been dominated by the question of how the SAR government deals with the Falun Gong, the spiritual movement banned by the authorities in China.
1 Jul 2001
Memorandum on India's Freedom of Information Bill of July 2000.
15 Dec 2000
Memorandum on the he Federal Government of Pakistan’s Ordinance to provide for transparency and freedom of information.
15 Sep 2000
Written comments submitted by ARTICLE 19 on national security and public order restrictions on freedom of expression.
14 Jun 2000
Report reviewing the various laws and other measures which have progressively eroded the right to freedom of expression in Burma over more than three decades.
10 Mar 1999
Memorandum analysing the draft Freedom of Information Bill 1998 and supporting its demonstrated commitment to open government, democracy, and human rights.
1 Jan 1999
Report examining the impact of the conflict on freedom of expression and in particular media freedom in Sri Lanka.
15 Dec 1998
A collaborative report by ARTICLE 19 and the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development looking at the limitations of FoI in Indonesia in the run up to the parliamentary elections.
15 May 1997
Report providing an overview of recent acts of censorship – both formal and informal – in the context of the conflict in the North East and the political process in the South.
15 Mar 1997
Report examining the legal measures taken since 1988 by the State Law and Order Restoration Council in an attempt to legitimise its authority.
1 Aug 1996
Report on freedom of expression and the right to health in Burma.
1 Jul 1996
A report with the purpose of exploring questions abouth the role of the broadcast media in Indonesia.
15 Jun 1996
Report providing an in depth study of censorship and the conflict in Sri Lanka since March 1995.
15 Mar 1996
Report charting the conflicting ideology of a country which, in the midst of increasingly rapid economic change, promises to move towards democracy yet remains one of the most secretive in the world.
15 Mar 1995
This report is intended as a constructive and effective contribution to the cause of freedom of expression in Sri Lanka. It sets out recommendations for reforms which ARTICLE 19 believes are vital if freedom of expression is to be allowed to flourish in Sri Lanka in the future.
27 Oct 1994
Report on freedom of expression and the environment in Burma.
15 Sep 1994
Report on the Burmese government's brutal suppression of the right to academic freedom and how this raises fundamental questions about all aspects of the right to freedom of expression in Burma.
10 Dec 1992
A report documenting the history, traditions, laws and practice of censorship in Burma/Myanmar since 1962, when a military coup brought General Ne Win to power and ended the Parliamentary era.
1 Dec 1991
आर्टिकल १९ को परिवर्तनका विषयवस्तु' परियोजनाको एक भागका रुपमा तयार पारिएको अभिव्यक्ति स्वतन्त्रताको प्रत्याभूती तथा सञ्चारमाध्यमको नियमनसम्बन्धी आधारपत्र। यस परियोजनाको उद्देश्य सरोकारहरुसंगको सहभागितामा नेपालमा सञ्चारक्षेत्रसम्बन्धी कानुनमा सुधारको प्रकृया स्थापित गर्नु हो
A19 Newsletter
A round up of the latest news.
ASEAN MEDIA BASELINE STUDIES
Provide an overview of the state of media law and media freedom in Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore,Thailand and Timor Leste.
haze of secrecy
Read ARTICLE 19's report on access to environmental information in Malaysia. 
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