A media watchdog group again ranks China as the worst jailer of journalists.
Welcome to VOA Asia Weekly. I'm Chris Casquejo in Washington. That story is just ahead, but first, making headlines:
At least 30 people in India were killed and many more injured in a stampede at the sacred Maha Kumbh Mela festival in the northern Uttar Pradesh city of Prayagraj, police and health officials said Wednesday. The stampede happened when pilgrims tried to jump barricades.
An Air Busan flight caught fire Tuesday night at South Korea's Gimhae International Airport in Busan just before departure to Hong Kong. Fire authorities confirmed all 169 passengers, and seven crew members were evacuated, with three suffering minor injuries.
Chinese firm DeepSeek's artificial intelligence chatbot has soared to the top of the Apple Store's download charts, stunning industry insiders and analysts with its ability to match its U.S. competitors, and resulting in a global market sell-off in AI-related stocks.
Myanmar's military junta was expected to extend the country's state of emergency, marking the fourth year under military rule since a coup toppled the democratically elected government. In early 2021, the military seized power from Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government and jailed her.
Hundreds of Pakistani journalists rallied on Tuesday against a proposed law to regulate social media content. They say it’s aimed at curbing press freedom and controlling the digital landscape. The law would establish a regulatory authority that would have its own investigation agency and tribunals. Those found guilty of violating the proposed law would face prison sentences of up to three years.
China again ranks as the worst jailer of journalists, according to a report released this month from media watchdog Committee to Protect Journalists. As VOA’s Liam Scott reports, analysts say the situation for the media is bad and only getting worse.
Armed personnel stand watch as a vehicle carrying Jimmy Lai arrives for another hearing at a Hong Kong court in November. The pro-democracy publisher is on trial for national security charges, in a case that his international lawyers and foreign governments say is politically motivated.
Lai was one of at least 50 media workers imprisoned for their work in China and Hong Kong as of December 1st, according to data from the Committee to Protect Journalists' 2024 prison census released this month. The group’s chief executive, Jodie Ginsberg, says Lai’s case is emblematic.
“Not just of the kinds of restrictions that we’re seeing in Hong Kong, but more globally, in which journalists are being held under accusations of breaching national security.”
Globally, at least 361 journalists were imprisoned for their work as of December 1st. And China held the most in custody.
That ranking is not a shock for Yaqiu Wang, the China director at democracy advocate Freedom House.
“It’s not surprising because China has been at the bottom of the list for many years.”
Analysts like Wang believe many more journalists could be behind bars in China, but their families are often afraid to talk publicly.
“Anyone who, you know, grew up in that environment, living in that environment, your first reaction is, ‘Of course, I’m going to comply with this order. Of course, I’m not going to tell the world what happened to my husband, what happened to my daughter.’”
China’s embassy in Washington told VOA that Beijing protects freedom of speech. “The achievements made in the development of China’s news industry are obvious to all.”
Historically, international pressure has not been effective in pushing China to release journalists like Lai or the Uyghur writer Ilham Tohti, says Wang. But it can help ensure access to other rights, like medical care.
“When there’s international attention, the prison guards treat them better. They are more aware that there might be consequences, so they won’t be horribly abusive to them.”
The case of Lai in Hong Kong shows how quickly press freedom and other civil liberties can be lost, Ginsberg says.
“The speed with which we can lose our freedoms is a really important takeaway from this report.”
Hong Kong says it respects press freedom and the rule of law. But Ginsberg says the cases there should act as a lesson for democracies that press freedom can disappear.
Liam Scott, VOA News.
Visit voanews.com for the most up-to-date stories.
I’m Chris Casquejo.
Finally, a happy Lunar New Year from all of us at Voice of America.
Massive floats and hundreds of performers lit up Hong Kong’s night parade on Wednesday, overlooking the city’s iconic Victoria Harbor.
Dance troupes from across the globe took part in the event ringing in the Chinese zodiac Year of the Snake.
Thanks for watching VOA Asia Weekly.
