..Press Release................................ UNESCAP News Services

Date 19 June 2006
Note to Editor: N/27/2006

SPECIAL UN FORUM ON FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION IN SOUTH-EAST ASIA

Bangkok (UN Information Services) -- The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Regional Office for South-East Asia is organising a special forum on “Freedom of Expression in South-East Asia: Rights and Responsibilities” at 10:00, Thursday 22 June.

“The forum aims to give groups the opportunity to share opinions with the new regional representative of OHCHR and to raise awareness of this complex and controversial topic” said Dr. Homayoun Alizadeh, the Regional Representative for South-East Asia, OHCHR.

The forum will be attended by journalists, NGOs, academia, UN agency heads, government officials, and members of the diplomatic community.

Each of the Forum’s five speakers will talk for ten to fifteen minutes, after which the floor will be open for general discussion. Three topics will be covered:

Topic One: The right to freedom of expression: exercising a right with responsibility.

Dr. Nasir Tamara, former editor of Indonesia’s Republika, and Larry Jagan, former BBC correspondent, will be presenting their perspectives on what considerations, if any, should be made when a journalist exercises the right to freedom of expression, or when a journalist enables others to exercise that right. They will consider to what extent a journalist should take into account the need to respect cultural sensitivities; whether it is ever appropriate for a journalist to engage in self-censorship; and to what extent the notion of responsible journalism is culturally specific.

Topic Two: Reporting on human rights violations: obstacles and responsibilities.

Suraphong Suebwonglee, the Thai government spokesman, will provide the government’s perspective on the role of the media in bringing attention to human rights violations. Boonthan Verawongse, the Director of Amnesty International Thailand, will present his perspective on the role of the media in reporting human rights violations, including the challenges faced by Amnesty International in bringing attention to human rights violations.

Topic Three: Protecting and promoting the right to freedom of expression through regional cooperation: the role of a regional human rights mechanism.

Homayoun Alizadeh, OHCHR’s Regional Representative for South-East Asia, will talk of the need for regional cooperation to protect and promote human rights, including the right to freedom of expression. In particular, he will focus on the Office’s priority of bringing about an ASEAN human rights mechanism for this purpose.

NOTE TO EDITORS:

You or your representatives are cordially invited to attend the special forum on “Freedom of Expression in South-East Asia: Rights and Responsibilities” from 10.00 to 13:00hrs, Thursday 22 June 2006 at Conference Room 3 of the UN Conference Centre, Rajdamnern Nok Avenue, Bangkok.

A summary of the discussions that take place will be posted onto OHCHR’s website. For the latest updates on this forum, please consult our website at http://www.un.or.th/ohchr.

For further enquiries and speaker bios, please call 02-288-1178 or 02-288-1605 or 02-288-2627 (for English), 02-288-2544 (for Thai), or email us at ohchr.bangkok@un.org.

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