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Taiwan
appeals for rights to its journalists
New Delhi, May 07, 2008
The World Health Assembly (WHA), held every May in Geneva,
Switzerland, has disqualified the rights of Taiwan’s
journalists to report the annual event by refusing to issue
media accreditations since 2004. Right to know and press
freedom should be without borders. Even though Taiwan is not
one of the members of the WHO, the UN and the WHO must uphold
the right, which is secured by Article 19 of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights and offer Taiwanese journalists
the right to report.
The WHO’s objective, as set out in its Constitution, is the
attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of
health. It makes not the slightest difference which nations
they belong to or whether the countries are members of the UN
or not.
Therefore, as an advocate of equal human rights for all
peoples, the UN is urged to respect the third article of the
International Health Regulations: “The implementation of these
Regulations should be guided by the goal of their universal
application for the protection of all people of the world from
the international spread of disease.”
Journalists should be regarded as independent individuals, not
the delegation of a country or an area. Supporting the cause
of their colleagues from Taiwan, the members of the Geneva
Association of United Nations Correspondents, gathered at its
annual assembly in 2008 in its final resolution stated : “To
reconsider the current United Nations policy of excluding
media representatives bearing Taiwanese passports from access
to the United Nations and its affiliated agencies and bodies,
with a view to modifying this policy in such a way as to bring
it into conformity with the spirit and letter of the united
Nations Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and
pertinent related resolutions by United Nations bodies, thus
allowing media representatives bearing Taiwanese passports
full and unfettered access to the United Nations and to its
affiliated agencies and bodies so that they may pursue the
practice of journalism just as other media representatives are
currently allowed to.”
According to the US-based human rights organization Freedom
House, Taiwan enjoyed the highest degree of press freedom in
Asia in 2007. The International Press Institute (IPI), the
global network of editors, media executives and leading
journalists in over 120 countries, expresses concern regarding
the refusal by the United Nations (UN) to grant press passes
to journalists carrying Taiwanese passports or working for
Taiwanese media outlets. Several other international press
associations, including Reporters Without Borders, the Society
for Threatened Peoples, and the National Press Club of the
Philippines, also expressed their support for the cause of
Taiwan’s journalists.
Making an appeal, Mr. Shieh Jhy-wey, Minister, Government
Information Office, Republic of China (Taiwan), recently said:
“It is time for the international community to put a stop to
another violation of human rights—the denial of press freedom
to Taiwan that has come about due to political machinations.
He said: “Every year since 2004, the United Nations (UN)
Department of Public Information has refused to issue press
credentials to Taiwan’s journalists for the World Health
Assembly (WHA), rendering them unable to cover that body’s
annual meeting. The stated reason for the refusal is that
Taiwan is not a member of the World Health Organization (WHO).
This is a clear indication that the Taiwanese people’s health
rights and their right to know are being violated on political
grounds. This behavior also runs contrary to the global
understanding that the UN is obliged to uphold justice.”
“In democratic nations, journalists are seen as independent,
not as representatives of their government or region. In
democratic Taiwan, journalists are fully independent and
autonomous. Regrettably, at the UN, the universal value of
press freedom has not been respected. Despite its vow to
safeguard human rights and protect press freedom, the UN, due
to political considerations, has banned Taiwan’s journalists
from reporting on WHA activities, preventing them from doing
their duty to satisfy the Taiwanese people’s right to know,”
Mr. Shieh pointed out.
“Freedom of the press is a universal value that transcends
politics,” he said, adding: According to Article 19 of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights: “Everyone has the right
to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes
freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek,
receive and impart information and ideas through any media and
regardless of frontiers.”
“The goal of the WHO is to attain the highest possible degree
of health for everyone regardless of nationality or
membership. The WHO and its parent organization, the UN, which
champion global equity and human rights, should respect the
rights of the 23 million people of Taiwan to health and
information. The UN and WHO should not allow political
considerations to supersede press freedom and the spirit of
journalistic independence. These organizations should, in
respecting the principle of parity, lift their discriminatory
ban on and issue WHA press passes to Taiwan’s journalists,”
the Minister appealed.
In a world that is democratising, members of the media should
be considered as independent agents and not as representatives
of a government or region. Hence, freedom to gather news
should not be sacrificed. The United Nations and the World
Health Organization must issue press credentials to Taiwanese
journalists for the May 19 World Health Assembly, so as to
ensure that newsgathering activities can operate normally,
free from political interference that would trample on the
precious spirit of freedom and autonomy of the press.
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