[DaveB]

An interesting article I found in the Bangkok Post, my knowledge & gut feeling tells me it's more or less spot-on.

Many governments around the world are manipulating the press & the media, in many ways things are going backwards. I think it's gonna get worse.


Rgds, DaveB


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World media group

Bangkok (dpa) - Thailand's ranking fell sharply in the Worldwide Press Freedom Index, to 107th place from 59th last year, according to the Paris-based watchdog group Reporters Without Borders.

The report accompanying the indexed rankings of 167 countries did not spell out the reasons for Thailand's precipitous fall from its September 2004 position.

But it covered a period when the government of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra moved aggressively against critics by filing a string of defamation lawsuits and forcing some broadcast programmes off the air.

The report said East Asia was among the most difficult areas for journalists, with five countries in the region placing in the bottom 10 rankings for press freedom.

North Korea maintained its place at the bottom, with Burma ranking 163rd, China 159th, Vietnam 158th and Laos 155th.