Two cameramen film proceedings at a news conference held by the Thai Journalists Association on World Press Freedom Day in Bangkok. Some advocates believe there should be a new region-wide mechanism to support media freedom and protect journalists. The discussions took place against the backdrop of reports that painted a grim picture of press freedom across Southeast Asia. The press in countries in Southeast Asia remains "not free" or "partly free", according to the US-based rights watchdog Freedom House. Indonesian President Joko Widodo also credited press freedom in Indonesia for the country's rise after the turmoil of the 1997 financial crisis and the fall of the authoritarian regime of President Suharto the following year, which opened the way for press freedom in the country.

Source: Bangkok Post May 08, 2017 09:00 UTC