April 6, 2006
AAP
China has increased its media censorship and its harassment and abuse of journalists and democracy activists, despite criticism and efforts by the United States to increase democratic freedoms there, the US State Department says in an annual report.
"The government adopted measures to control print, broadcast, and electronic media more tightly and pressured internet companies to censor and restrict the content of material available online," according to the fourth annual report, Supporting Human Rights and Democracy: The US Record 2005-2006.
The report describes the $US1.5 billion ($A2.09 billion) in US efforts to support human rights and democracy development in 95 countries.
In an echo of last year's findings, the report said China "continued to deny citizens basic democratic rights."
Although the Chinese government increasingly discussed the issues publicly, laws meant to strengthen human rights and democracy in China have not been widely enforced, the report said.
North Korea also came under fire again for being "one of the world's most repressive countries in the world."
The United States, according to the report, remained "deeply concerned" about North Korean refugees who face repatriation by China to North Korea, where media reports suggest they are imprisoned, tortured, or killed.
The report also called attention to improvements in democracy in Indonesia and religious freedom in Vietnam, two areas the United States has criticised in recent years.
Burma, Cambodia, Tibet, Laos, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Thailand and the Solomon Islands were also listed in the report's discussion of East Asia and the Pacific region.
"The government adopted measures to control print, broadcast, and electronic media more tightly and pressured internet companies to censor and restrict the content of material available online," according to the fourth annual report, Supporting Human Rights and Democracy: The US Record 2005-2006.
The report describes the $US1.5 billion ($A2.09 billion) in US efforts to support human rights and democracy development in 95 countries.
In an echo of last year's findings, the report said China "continued to deny citizens basic democratic rights."
Although the Chinese government increasingly discussed the issues publicly, laws meant to strengthen human rights and democracy in China have not been widely enforced, the report said.
North Korea also came under fire again for being "one of the world's most repressive countries in the world."
The United States, according to the report, remained "deeply concerned" about North Korean refugees who face repatriation by China to North Korea, where media reports suggest they are imprisoned, tortured, or killed.
The report also called attention to improvements in democracy in Indonesia and religious freedom in Vietnam, two areas the United States has criticised in recent years.
Burma, Cambodia, Tibet, Laos, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Thailand and the Solomon Islands were also listed in the report's discussion of East Asia and the Pacific region.
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