By Phuntsok Yangchen
DHARAMSHALA, February 12: China has been ranked 176th out of 180 countries in the 2015 World Press Freedom Index compiled by Paris based Reporters Without Borders, down by a position compared to previous year.
The freedom of press across the world has declined in 2014 with two-thirds of the 180 countries performing worse than the previous year, according to Reporters Without Borders.
“The 2015 World Press Freedom Index highlights the worldwide deterioration in freedom of information in 2014. Beset by wars, the growing threat from non-state operatives, violence during demonstrations and the economic crisis, media freedom is in retreat on all five continents,” said RSF.
With increase of violence in 2014, the group noted that the non-state groups had used fear and reprisal to silence journalists and bloggers who dare to investigate them or refuse to act as their mouthpieces.
China continues to cut off Tibet from the rest of the world even as international clamour over diplomatic access and visits by foreign media has grown. Foreign journalists who have been able to slip past heavy security check points and gain rare access to Tibet have been detained, kicked out of the region, or threatened with visa cancellations.
Finland, Norway and Denmark ranked top three places in the index while Eritrea, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and Turkmenistan were the worst performers.
According Press Freedom Barometer 2015, published by the same group, 13 journalists were killed, 165 journalists were imprisoned, 13 media assistants imprisoned and 178 netizens were imprisoned in 2014.
Reporters Without Borders publishes “The World Press Freedom Index” every year since 2002 to rank the level of freedom of information in 180 countries. It reflects the degree of freedom that journalists, news organizations and netizens enjoy in each country, and the efforts made by the authorities to respect and ensure respect for this freedom.
