Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2003 14:53:10 +0700 From: Sacha Jotisalikorn <sacha@forumasia.org> Subject: [communication 958] Fwd: Fight never ends for a free press To: communication@wsisasia.org Message-Id: <4A001BFF-FD52-11D7-9F7E-000393DB8C92@forumasia.org> X-Mail-Count: 00958Begin forwarded message: > From: Sacha Jotisalikorn <sacha@forumasia.org> > Date: Mon Oct 13, 2003 14:10:26 Asia/Bangkok > To: Chun Eung Hwi <chun@peacenet.or.kr> > Subject: Re: [communication 932] Fight never ends for a free press > > Hi Chun, others, > > Good to hear the feedback, which I think is very fruitful for getting > a better understanding of what different people are thinking in the > region. This goes to show that the information society is a live, > active process. > > (Just for clarification, any news article or paper that I can share > does not imply that I agree/disagree or endorse/condemn the ideas > contained within it, but to give the regional members information > about what people might be thinking in Thailand or elsewhere). > > All best, > > Sacha > > > On Wednesday, Oct 8, 2003, at 10:26 Asia/Bangkok, Chun Eung Hwi wrote: > >> Dear Sacha and others, >> >> >> I appreciate your efforts to share your information with others in >> this >> communication list. But I feel some problems in some articles you are >> introducing. >> >> I hope you to talk with Supinya regarding NWICO (new world >> information and >> communication order) because she knows correctly what that is. It was >> never such a thing to lincense all journalists. Rather, such a critic >> was >> given by the U.S. conservertive press group. In fact, NWICO dispute >> has an >> aspect of struggle between developing countries and Big Power and >> their >> so-called mainstream presses. The U.S didn't allow the critic to >> global >> information and communcation order, where they had been dominating and >> colonizing people's mind in the world. That is why they withdrew from >> UNESCO. Now the surrender of UNESCO came from their financial >> difficulties. Due to lack of the U.S. funding, UNESCO suffered very >> hard >> times for last twenty years. So, finally, they chose to compromise. >> >> Surprisingly, even in WSIS, still those U.S conservative press group >> affects civil society contents very badly, You should know the notion >> of >> communication rights have been aggressively offended in media caucus >> of >> civil society and finally disappeard. Those negative actors in Media >> Caucus was American conservative press group. >> >> On the one hand, particularly concerned with internet governance, the >> description that dictator's coalition is pushing for governmental >> control >> over internet related things is right. Then, on the other hand, the >> current conflict surrounding internet governance has something to do >> with >> fighting aginst the U.S. monopoly dominating power over internet. Of >> course, intergovernmental approach and preference of ITU has very >> negative >> implication as well because it virtually and completely exclude the >> participation of civil society and other stakeholders in decision >> making >> process. However, the present U.S. monopoly mechanism could not be >> fully >> justified because it allows multistakeholder's participation. >> >> Due to these reasons, the viewpoint of Bangkok Post seems to be very >> one >> -dimensional. The current conflict in WSIS cannot be simplified as the >> conflict for freedom of press. Rather, in my view, the bad guy who is >> trying to break up WSIS seems to be the U.S. Up to last 2nd PrepCom, >> the >> U.S. has ignored the significance of WSIS. Their contribution or >> intervention had been very limited. But since last intersessional >> meeting, >> and remarkably in last PrepCom III, the U.S. positively mobilized >> their >> bloc to make documents their languages. In a sense, the breakdown of >> WSIS >> is what the U.S. and a few Big Powers really have wanted. Here, civil >> society group is facing this dillema. >> >> regards, >> >> Chun >> >> >> On Wed, 8 Oct 2003, Sacha Jotisalikorn wrote: >> >>> The Bangkok Post >>> 7 October 2003 >>> >>> Editorial >>> Fight never ends for a free press >>> >>> Last week was almost normal to those who specialise in trying to >>> secure >>> freedom of speech and the press. Iranian militiamen seized 14,000 >>> satellite dishes because citizens might use them to obtain news. The >>> Chinese editor of a biography of US senator Hillary Clinton not only >>> admitted censoring the Chinese translation but bragged of it. The >>> United States rejoined Unesco, after bureaucrats in the United >>> Nations >>> cultural agency ended their 20-year-old battle for a ``new >>> information >>> order'' to license all journalists. And a loose coalition of >>> dictatorships attempted to subvert the World Summit on the >>> Information >>> Society in December by putting all internet facilities under >>> government >>> control. >>> >>> WSIS was originally framed to discuss the digital divide around the >>> world. In general, rich people have reaped the benefits of the >>> internet >>> and other information technology projects, sometimes to the detriment >>> of the poor. Similarly, both governments and citizens of poorer >>> countries have seen fewer IT benefits. Sometimes they have seen none >>> at >>> all. Sometimes, they have actually fallen back from their relative >>> positions, compared with neighbours or richer countries. >>> >>> This subject alone has more than enough facets to keep world leaders >>> arguing and proposing solutions to problems for three days. But that >>> will not satisfy oppressive governments, meddling dictatorships and >>> censorious regimes. Advance talks to the Dec 10-12 summit in Geneva >>> reveal a dangerous, hidden agenda. >>> >>> Authoritarians seek to have the sponsoring International >>> Telecommunication Union authorise government control of, and meddling >>> into, freedom to access the internet and all information technology. >>> Yoshio Utsumi, the Union secretary-general, is an expert on >>> information >>> technology and has deep knowledge of the digital divide. The Union >>> itself was formed as a non-political group which sets world standards >>> for technology so, for example, a fax machine made in Thailand will >>> communicate with one made in Latin America. >>> >>> Certain governments, including several important and influential >>> ones, >>> are seeking to use the Union and its ambitious World Summit on the >>> Information Society to legitimise their own censorious ways. Last >>> week, >>> the Union found it could not organise a statement of principles for >>> the >>> summit because of disputes. China and similar governments seek to >>> sneak >>> in statements and paragraphs that would seem to make the UN approve >>> of >>> censorship and withholding information. Other governments and a group >>> of non-government organisations called the civil society disagree. >>> >>> This is not an issue that can be bartered. First Lady Laura Bush >>> announced the United States was rejoining Unesco as a ``full, active >>> and enthusiastic participant'' after a 19 year absence. The US, >>> Britain >>> and Singapore quit the group in protest at its New World Information >>> Order. Now, with Unesco back on track pressing cultural and >>> educational >>> exchanges, there is a new attempt to use UN offices for censorship, >>> via >>> the International Telecommunication Union. >>> >>> Thailand has been blindsided by the tricky and underhanded attempts >>> to >>> subvert the WSIS. The Thai team to the two preparatory meetings in >>> Geneva has pressed ahead with such issues as better access to >>> information by the handicapped, more sources of aid to poorer nations >>> to establish internet connectivity, and help to spread use of >>> high-speed internet lines to and from the country. The attempt to >>> subvert WSIS in favour of censorship has made it necessary to hold >>> another unscheduled preparatory meeting. Thailand must join attempts >>> to >>> kill off attempts to write pro-censorship clauses into the final >>> summit >>> statement. Such subversion will widen the digital divide. Advances in >>> information technology requires a free flow of ideas. >>> >>> >>> >>> >> >> -- >> ------------------------------------------------------------ >> Chun Eung Hwi >> General Secretary, PeaceNet | phone: (+82) 2-2166-2205 >> Seoul Yangchun P.O.Box 81 | pcs: (+82) 019-259-2667 >> Seoul, 158-600, Korea | eMail: chun@peacenet.or.kr >> ------------------------------------------------------------ >> >> >> >958_2.enriched (attatchment)(tag is disabled)