Myanmar 'not free but getting better'

Myanmar has made some improvements in its political rights and civil freedom over the past year, according to the US-based rights advocate Freedom House in its latest annual global report on the state of global freedom released yesterday, although it continued to be ranked as “not free”.

In the Asean region Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Brunei and Vietnam have been listed as “not free” but the report noted improvements in Myanmar. 

This means five out of 10 Asean member nations are classified as not free, and four others – Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore – are listed as partly free.

Indonesia is the only country in the Asean-region listed as free in the annual report.

“[Myanmar’s] political rights rating improved from 7 to 6, and its civil liberties rating improved from 6 to 5, due to the successful participation of opposition parties in legislative by-elections and the continued easing of long-standing restrictions on the media, private discussion, public assembly, civil society, private enterprise, and other activities,” the report stated.

In the Asia-Pacific region, 17 countries – 42 per cent of the countries in the region – have been listed as free. About 36 per cent, or 14 countries, including Thailand, are classified as partly free. And 21 per cent, or eight countries, are classified as not free. 

Indonesia outranked Thailand and was listed as “free”.

The Philippines, Singapore and Malaysia ranked alongside Thailand in the region as “partly free”. Outside the region, Nepal, Morocco, Mozambique, Mexico, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Turkey, Tunisia, Ukraine, Hong Kong and others – about 30 per cent – were listed as partly free.

Meanwhile, China, Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Russia, Rwanda, Chad, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates were among the 58 countries around the world, or 30 per cent of countries surveyed, listed as not free.

Freedom House said in its report that the emergence of popular movements for reform were the driving force behind major gains in the Middle East while a number of regions experienced setbacks.

Arch Puddington, vice president of Freedom House, stated that there’s “growing sophistication” amongst modern authoritarians. 

“They are flexible; they distort and abuse the legal framework; they are adept at the techniques of modern propaganda. 

“But especially since the Arab Spring, they are nervous, which accounts for their intensified persecution of popular movements for change.”

The report noted that while over the previous year three more countries are ranked as free, now at 90 countries, 27 countries showed significant declines. 

“Among the most striking gains for freedom was that of Libya, which advanced from “Not Free” to “Partly Free” and registered one of the most substantial one-year numerical movements in the report’s nearly 40-year history. 

Myanmar and a number of African countries, including Ivory Coast, Guinea, Lesotho, Senegal, and Sierra Leone, also saw major advances. Noteworthy declines were recorded for Kazakhstan, Kenya, Nigeria, Russia, Turkey, and Ukraine.

 

Regional ranking

 

Status of the media in the 10 Asean member states, as classified by the latest annual Freedom House Report.

 

Free: Indonesia

 

Partly free: Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore

 

Not free: Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Brunei