Press freedom in Thailand
Reporters Without Borders released its World Press Freedom Index 2014. If Thailand is gaining positions, it remains very low in the ranking. The country is currently experiencing a very serious political crise and will have to work on this issue, which is often considered as a barometer to measure the health of a democracy.
Thailand is ranked 130th out of 180. And even if the country gainedincreased 5 positions compared to the previous year, there are no reason to celebrate. It is true that the crime of lese- majesty applied with great severity in the Kingdom participates in Thailand being so low in the ranking but it obviously does not alone explain it even if it is sometimes used as a pretext for political censorship. There is alsa an important web censorship by the Ministry of Information and Communication Technologies ( MICT ) and a censorship of the media in general to try to contain protests. Whatever the government in power is, Democrats or Peu Thai. Ground invoked each time : maintaining order.
We must say that compared to its neighbors Thailand, despite its 130th place, is the best student. Obviously the worst of the Asian region remains North Korea which surprisingly is not the last in the world for press frededom (179th). A place that goes to Eritrea this year. While China is 175th , Vietnam 174th, Laos 171st, Malaysia 147th , Myanmar 145th and Cambodia 144th.
United States are 46th in this ranking dominated by Finland.
See complete ranking on the RSF website .
