Malaysian Election Special: Democracy How?
Mahathir wins election, stifles media Also in this report: A. Lin Neumann discusses the Malaysian press on the eve of elections in a news analysis. In an exclusive essay for CPJ, Far Eastern Economic Review correspondent Murray Hiebert recounts his ordeal at the hands of the Malaysian legal system.
Contacts
For more information about this report, you may contact: A.Lin Neumann, Asia program consultant, in Bangkok (phone: 66-2-252-3429; e-mail: [email protected]) Kavita Menon, Asia program coordinator, in New York (phone: 212-465-1004 x140; e-mail: [email protected]) Judith Leynse, media relations director, in New York (phone: 212-465-9344 x105; e-mail: [email protected]).
Introduction
On the eve of Indonesia’s first free elections in more than a generation, government officials eagerly point to the country’s open and virtually unfettered press as one of the major accomplishments of interim President B.J. Habibie’s tenure. With the Indonesian economy still reeling from the Asian economic crisis, unrest simmering in many provinces, and the…
Indonesia’s Press Flourishes Despite Uncertainty
Journalists in Jakarta estimate that 1,000 new publications have sprung up throughout the country since Suharto was forced from office a year ago. While some of them are supported by one or another of the 48 political parties vying in the June 7 elections, many others profess independence and seek readers rather than partisan victories.…
Indonesia’s Press Flourishes Despite Uncertainty
In the run-up to August’s United Nations-sponsored vote on East Timor’s future status, political instability in the territory has escalated dramatically, prompting fears of a full-scale civil war. This grim backdrop is darkened further by the scarcity of independent news and information reaching East Timor’s citizens as they choose whether to accept Indonesia’s offer of…
Enemies of the Press: The 10 Worst Offenders of 1998
On May 3, in conjunction with World Press Freedom Day, CPJ announced its annual identification of the top 10 Enemies of the Press worldwide. Those who made the list this year, as in the past, earned the dubious distinction by exhibiting particular zeal for the ruthless suppression of journalists. Gen. Sani Abacha of Nigeria was…