press freedom?
i've been currently looking at websites that provide an alternative view to news in th country. now i'm wondering...
DOES PRESS FREEDOM REALLY EXIST OR IS IT JUST A MYTH?
some would say that YES press freedom does exist, but to a certain degree. so does that still count as freedom? without limits there'd be anarchy, i know that. but its disturbing when you find out that your country ranks as:
- UNDP Human Development Ranking:
2002 - 59
2003 - 58
2004 - 59 - TI Corruption Ranking:
2002 - 33
2003 - 37
2004 - 39 - RSF Press Freedom Ranking:
2002 - 110
2003 - 104
2004 - 122
you can say that other countries are far more corrupt. sing that old song if you want, but how can you improve if you keep the benchmark low?
look at the following. it just appalls me..
Malaysia has ratified the following:
- Gender Equality: The Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) - Ratified in 1995
- Children's Rights: The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) - Ratified in 1995
- Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR)
- Civil and Political Rights: The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)
- Anti-Torture: The Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT)
- Migrant Workers' Rights: The International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of all Migrant Workers and Members of their Families (MWC), which was adopted by the General Assembly in 1990 and will enter into force when at least 20 States have ratified it.
- Refugees' Rights: The United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees 1951
- Racial Equality: The International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD), entry into force: 1969
- The Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (OPT)
- The Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights aimed at the abolition of the death penalty (OPT2)
- The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (OPT)
- The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflicts (OPT)
- The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography (OPT2)
Malaysia has also not yet signed the Rome Statute (which came into force on 1 July 2002) establishing the International Criminal Court.