RSF urges UN to defy China pressure and respect Taiwan’s right to free information
Taiwan News
Date: 2019/04/08
By: Huang Tzu-ti, Taiwan News, Staff Writer
WHA in 2018 (By Central News Agency)
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on April 7 urged the United Nations to accredit Taiwanese journalists for covering events organized by UN organizations, including the upcoming World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva in May.
In a press release, RSF castigated the UN for refusing to allow Taiwanese reporters to cover its events in past years as a result of ramped up pressure from China, which has violated the Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
“The current ban contradicts the fundamental right to free information,” noted Christophe Deloire, secretary-general of RSF, adding that “accrediting bona fide journalists and media is not a political move and should not depend on their nationality or the geographical origin of the outlet they represent.”
China, RSF pointed out, has been engaging in a frantic campaign to suppress Taiwan’s international space by making every effort to isolate the country. For example, Taiwanese journalists were denied accreditation, for the second consecutive year, to cover the WHA in 2018, as was the case during the 2016 triennial Assembly by International Civil Aviation Organization. [FULL STORY]
