Bangladesh
ARTICLE 19 has recently opened an office in Dhaka. We started our active involvement in Bangladesh towards the end of 2007 with the inauguration of a project entitled “Access to Information for Greater Participation and Government Accountability”. The objective of the project is to promote effective realisation of Bangladeshi people’s rights to information with a view to fostering greater government accountability and increasing poor people’s participation in policies related to poverty eradication.

Burma
ARTICLE 19 has for many years lent its support to campaigning for the release of the Burmese freedom fighter and honorary ARTICLE 19 board member, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. In 2006-2007, we lobbied the United Nations Security Council and undertook a number of other advocacy initiatives to secure a binding resolution on Burma to include the immediate release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, a comprehensive review of the laws and practices restricting freedom of expression and the holding of democratic elections.  Click here for details of our advocacy actions to date. ARTICLE 19 is now preparing to build on this work through the development of an advocacy and capacity building project. We are also publishing a compilation of works from Burmese writers.

China
The ARTICLE 19 Asia programme began working in China in 2004 when, in partnership with the British Council; we ran investigative journalism training courses for some of China’s leading financial journalists. ARTICLE 19 is now looking to expand its focus on China and has recently begun developing work in the following areas:
   • Access to information and the environment: China is now beginning to show more commitment to the resolution of its very serious environmental issues. The Asia programme is looking into the possibility of working at a local level to promote the adoption of right to know legislation with a particular focus on the promotion of access to environmental information.
   • Government dialogue and legislative analyses: In December 2006, ARTICLE 19 participated in the Berne process, where governments agree human rights concerns to be raised during individual negotiations with China. We have recently released an analysis of print media legislation and we are in dialogue with a number of international actors on how best to promote freedom of expression and access to information in China.

Indonesia
We continue to support the works of the Indonesian civil society to promote the adoption of a Freedom of Information Law. To this end, we conduct ongoing advocacy to put pressure on the Indonesian government to proceed with the adoption of the Freedom of Information Law. We are also preparing a larger programme of work which will focus on campaigning and advocacy at the national level as well as monitoring of the implementation of local legislation on transparency and participation and capacity building for local organisations.

India
ARTICLE 19 is preparing a project in Karnataka, India with the objective to improve governance and social services for poverty eradication through the use of right to information and improving people’s participation in democratic processes.
Nepal
In August 2007, ARTICLE 19 started a project to promote an enabling environment for the free flow of information and ideas in Nepal by fostering a supportive legislative framework and by raising awareness among key stakeholders. Under this project we are:
a) organising three stakeholders meeting to produce “An Agenda for Change”, a blueprint for legal reform to promote freedom of expression/information;
b) producing legal analyses of or input into at least 3 legal documents affecting freedom of information/expression;
c) developing of civil society draft legislation in 2 key priority areas;
d) training of trainers: and
e) conducting an ongoing advocacy campaign.

ARTICLE 19 also participated in an international freedom of expression mission in January 2008.
Sri Lanka
We are preparing a project aimed at promoting poverty eradication through a right to information approach to conflict resolution. This project will involve media monitoring and capacity building activities to improve the media’s capacity to engage in conflict reporting; provision of alternative information about the conflict and right to information through citizen journalism; an outreach and media campaign to promote right to information aimed at the groups working on poverty; and ongoing advocacy for right to information reform.