Taiwan is one of Asia’s most vibrant democracies and has replaced Hong Kong as the bastion of free speech in the region, according to a New York Times article published April 14.
Written by Chris Horton and Austin Ramzy, the piece highlights Taiwan’s dramatic progress in advancing human rights over the past half-century and growing reputation among international rights activists, events and organizations.
One major example mentioned in the article is the decision by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) to open its first Asian bureau in Taipei City last year after considering and rejecting Hong Kong. According to the Paris-headquartered press freedom watchdog, the bureau serves as a strategic platform for exercising influence and raising awareness of media rights in countries and territories across East Asia, including Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea and mainland China.
Cedric Alviani, head of the Taipei bureau, stated in the article that Taiwan is an island of stability in a region where press freedoms are backsliding. “Freedom of expression is a big part of Taiwanese culture,” he said.
Another instance cited in the article is the relocation of this year’s 1905 Hong Kong Human Rights Film Festival to Taiwan. According to Li Dan, organizer of the event, the move was inspired by difficulty finding donors to sponsor the event.
Li stated that there is fear of the term “human rights” in Hong Kong owing to the increasing control of information and media. In contrast, Taiwan has the best free speech environment in Asia, he said.
Taiwan’s efforts in fostering human rights have gained global recognition in recent years. In January, U.S.-based nongovernmental organization Freedom House named Taiwan as free in its annual Freedom in the World report for the 20th consecutive year, while RSF’s latest World Press Freedom Index released last year ranked the nation first in Asia and 45th globally among 180 countries and territories. (KWS-E)
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