[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 71 (Wednesday, May 1, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2573-S2575]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS
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SENATE RESOLUTION 179--RECOGNIZING WIDENING THREATS TO FREEDOMS OF THE
PRESS AND EXPRESSION AROUND THE WORLD, REAFFIRMING THE CENTRALITY OF A
FREE AND INDEPENDENT PRESS TO THE HEALTH OF DEMOCRACY, AND REAFFIRMING
FREEDOM OF THE PRESS AS A PRIORITY OF THE UNITED STATES IN PROMOTING
DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND GOOD GOVERNANCE IN COMMEMORATION OF WORLD
PRESS FREEDOM DAY ON MAY 3, 2019
Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Casey, Mr. Moran, Mr.
Markey, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Gardner, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Kaine,
Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Coons, and Mr. Durbin) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:
S. Res. 179
Whereas Article 19 of the United Nations Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, adopted at Paris December 10,
1948, states, ``Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion
and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions
without interference and to seek, receive and impart
information and ideas through any media and regardless of
frontiers.'';
Whereas, in 1993, the United Nations General Assembly
proclaimed May 3 of each year as ``World Press Freedom
Day''--
(1) to celebrate the fundamental principles of freedom of
the press;
(2) to evaluate freedom of the press around the world;
(3) to defend the media against attacks on its
independence; and
(4) to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives
while working in their profession;
Whereas, on December 18, 2013, the United Nations General
Assembly adopted Resolution 68/163 on the safety of
journalists and the problem of impunity, which unequivocally
condemns all attacks on, and violence against, journalists
and media workers, including torture, extrajudicial killing,
enforced disappearance, arbitrary detention, and intimidation
and harassment in conflict and nonconflict situations;
Whereas the theme for World Press Freedom Day on May 3,
2019 is ``Media for Democracy: Journalism and Democracy in
Times of Disinformation'';
Whereas Thomas Jefferson, who recognized the importance of
the press in a constitutional republic, wisely declared,
``... were it left to me to decide whether we should have a
government without newspapers, or newspapers without a
government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the
latter.'';
Whereas the Daniel Pearl Freedom of the Press Act of 2009
(Public Law 111-166; 22 U.S.C. 2151 note), which the Senate
passed by unanimous consent and President Barack Obama signed
into law in 2010, expanded the examination of the freedom of
the press around the world in the annual country reports on
human rights practices of the Department of State;
Whereas the 2019 World Press Freedom Index, published by
Reporters Without Borders, warns ``The number of countries
regarded as safe, where journalists can work in complete
security, continues to decline, while authoritarian regimes
tighten their grip on the media.'';
Whereas, Freedom House's publication ``Freedom in the World
2019'' noted that global freedom of expression has declined
each year for the past 13 years;
Whereas, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists,
in 2018--
(1) at least 54 journalists were killed around the world
for their work, of which at least 34 were singled out for
murder;
(2) the 2 deadliest countries for journalists on assignment
were Afghanistan and Syria;
(3) the most dangerous subject for a journalist to report
on was politics, followed by war;
(4) 251 journalists worldwide were in prison, with Turkey,
China, and Egypt responsible for more than \1/2\ of the
jailed journalists;
(5) 13 percent of the journalists in jail were female, an
increase from 8 percent in 2017;
(6) 70 percent of the journalists who were imprisoned
around the world faced anti-state charges, such as belonging
to or aiding groups deemed by authorities as terrorist
organizations; and
(7) the number of journalists imprisoned on charges of
false news rose to 28 globally, compared with 9 such
imprisonments in 2016;
Whereas, Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo,
recipients of the 2018 PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award--
(1) were arrested in December 2017 for investigating the
murder by the Burmese military of 10 Rohingya men in the
village of Inn Dinn in Rakhine State; and
(2) were sentenced in September 2018 to 7 years in prison
on fraudulent charges of breaching the colonial-era Official
Secrets Act, and remain unjustly imprisoned;
Whereas freedom of the press has been under considerable
pressure in recent years throughout Southeast Asia, including
in the Philippines, where the government has waged a campaign
of judicial harassment against the news website Rappler and
its editor, Maria Ressa;
Whereas, Nouf Abdulaziz, Loujain Al-Hathloul, and Eman Al-
Nafjan, recipients of the 2019 PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write
Award, who wrote in opposition to Saudi Arabia's repressive
Guardianship system, have been subjected to imprisonment,
solitary confinement, and torture by the Government of the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia since May 2018 in an apparent effort
to suppress dissent and silence the voices of women;
Whereas, Washington Post journalist and United States
resident Jamal Khashoggi was murdered by a team of Saudi
operatives while visiting the Saudi Arabian consulate in
Istanbul, Turkey;
Whereas the Central Intelligence Agency concluded with high
confidence, and the Senate unanimously approved a resolution
stating, that Mr. Khashoggi's murder was carried out at the
behest of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman;
Whereas journalist Mimi Mefo Takambou was jailed for 4 days
in Cameroon in November 2018 on charges of spreading false
news while investigating the death of an American missionary,
where 4 out of the 7 total journalists imprisoned in Cameroon
were jailed for spreading false news, which is a rising trend
in Cameroon and elsewhere around the world;
Whereas according to the Committee to Protect Journalists,
at least 26 journalists were killed in Honduras since 2007,
making it one of the most deadly countries for journalists in
the Americas, and where journalist Leonardo Gabriel Hernandez
was murdered in March 2019 after receiving threats related to
his work;
Whereas in Nicaragua, Miguel Mora and Lucia Pineda Ubau,
the directors of the country's only 24-hour cable news
network,
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have been jailed since December 2018 on charges of fomenting
hate, spreading fake news, and terrorism, and prominent
journalist Carlos Fernando Chamorro has fled the country as
President Daniel Ortega cracks down on free expression in a
bid to silence dissent and end the protests against him;
Whereas in Mexico, which remains the most dangerous country
in the Western Hemisphere for journalists--
(1) murders, death threats, and legal impunity cause
journalists to self censor their reporting out of fear; and
(2) Rafael Murua Manriquez was abducted and murdered in
January 2019 after reporting threats from an official in the
municipal government for critical reporting;
Whereas Slovakian journalist Jan Kuciak and his partner
Martina Kusnirova were murdered in February 2018, allegedly
in retaliation for his investigative reporting of tax fraud
in connection to a businessman with close ties to Slovakia's
ruling party, where the perpetrator awaits trial, just 4
months after the murder of another European journalist,
Malta's Daphne Caruana Galizia, for her reporting on
corruption;
Whereas the world's growing cadre of ethical and hard-
hitting investigative journalists, including those
contributing to the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting
Project--
(1) adhere to the highest professional standards;
(2) uncover abuses and corruption being committed in their
own countries; and
(3) deserve the international community's support and
praise for taking on the risky job of fostering
accountability and transparency in their respective
countries;
Whereas, under the auspices of the United States Agency for
Global Media, the United States Government provides financial
assistance to several editorially independent media outlets,
including Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty,
Radio Free Asia, Radio y Television Marti, and the Middle
East Broadcast Networks--
(1) which report and broadcast news, information, and
analysis in critical regions around the world; and
(2) whose journalists regularly face harassment, fines, and
imprisonment for their work;
Whereas freedom of the press--
(1) is a key component of democratic governance, activism
in civil society, and socioeconomic development; and
(2) enhances public accountability, transparency, and
participation in civil society and democratic governance:
Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) expresses concern about threats to freedom of the press
and free expression around the world on the occasion of World
Press Freedom Day on May 3, 2019;
(2) commends journalists and media workers around the
world, despite threats to their safety, for their essential
role in--
(A) promoting government accountability;
(B) defending democratic activity; and
(C) strengthening civil society;
(3) pays tribute to journalists who have lost their lives
carrying out their work;
(4) calls on governments abroad to implement United Nations
General Assembly Resolution 163 (2013) by thoroughly
investigating and seeking to resolve outstanding cases of
violence against journalists, including murders and
kidnappings, while ensuring the protection of witnesses;
(5) condemns all actions around the world that suppress
freedom of the press;
(6) reaffirms the centrality of freedom of the press to
efforts of the United States Government to support democracy,
mitigate conflict, and promote good governance domestically
and around the world; and
(7) calls on the President and the Secretary of State--
(A) to preserve and build upon the leadership of the United
States on issues relating to freedom of the press, on the
basis of the protections afforded the American people under
the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States;
(B) to improve the rapid identification, publication, and
response by the United States Government to threats against
freedom of the press around the world;
(C) to urge foreign governments to transparently
investigate and bring to justice the perpetrators of attacks
against journalists; and
(D) to highlight the issue of threats against freedom of
the press in the annual country reports on human rights
practices of the Department of State and through diplomatic
channels.
Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, freedom of the press is a fundamental
human right, a foundational pillar of democracy, and an indispensable
check on authoritarian overreach. Today, press freedom is under assault
across the globe--including in the United States. As journalists fight
to advance truth and objectivity, far too many governments and non-
state actors are targeting them, seeking to thwart their efforts to
promote transparency and accountability and expose abuses of power.
Their focus on attacking journalists indeed serves to highlight their
critical work.
Since 2009, 659 journalists and media workers have been killed in
connection with their efforts to report and disseminate news and
information. Stories of abuses of government power, of human suffering,
of environmental disasters, and stories of the remarkable resilience of
people abused and oppressed. 2018 marked the worst year on record for
deadly violence and abuse toward journalists, with murders,
imprisonment, hostage-taking, and enforced disappearances all on the
rise.
Slovak journalist Jan Kuciak and his partner Martina Kusnirova were
gunned down in their home after investigating organized crime in his
country and in alleged retaliation for his reporting of tax fraud on a
businessman with close ties to Slovakia's ruling party, a stark
reminder of the danger reporters sometimes face when investigating
corruption at the highest levels.
Just over a year ago, in the deadliest day for Afghanistan's media
since the start of the war, nine journalists were killed in a second-
wave suicide bombing in Kabul, and another was shot dead in the eastern
city of Khost, a sign of the constant threat against the fundamental
elements of a free, secure, and democratic Afghanistan.
Last October, at the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul, Washington
Post columnist and U.S. resident Jamal Khashoggi was brutally murdered
by a group of Saudi operatives at the behest of Crown Prince Mohammed
bin Salman, showing the reach of political oppression and the silencing
of dissent.
In many cases, crimes carried out against the media go unpunished--
this includes murder, the ultimate form of censorship. According to the
Committee to Protect Journalists, in nine out of 10 cases where a
journalist has been targeted for murder, the perpetrator goes free,
reflecting widespread impunity in this space.
In 2018, across the world 251 journalists remained imprisoned on
charges related to their reporting. Last month, Burma's Supreme Court
upheld the conviction and prison sentence of Pulitzer Prize-winning
reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, who were arrested after exposing the
massacre of ten Rohingya men in a village in Rakhine State. In
Nicaragua, Miguel Mora and Lucia Pineda Ubau, directors of the
country's only 24-hour cable news network, were jailed on charges of
fomenting hate, spreading fake news, and terrorism, falling victim to
President Daniel Ortega's widespread crackdown on dissent and freedom
of expression. While in different countries, these ongoing
imprisonments are in countries with degrading records on human rights
and fundamental freedoms more broadly.
In the last year, governments have ramped up similar attempts to
silence the press in places like Turkey and the Philippines. Beyond
threats to journalists themselves, governments across the world from
Poland to Sudan continue to pursue legislative efforts to restrict
media freedom and free expression, ultimately weakening the ability of
citizens to hold their governments accountable. In Bangladesh,
photojournalist and human rights advocate Shahidul Alam faced torture
and spent 107 days in prison for violating a law that forbids criticism
of the government on digital platforms in his native Bangladesh. One of
several journalists who were named Time's Person of the Year in 2018
for being one of ``the guardians'' in the face of the ``war on truth,''
he expressed, ``The world over, journalism is under threat. Whether
you're a teacher, a dancer, a painter, or a journalist, each one of us
needs to be constantly fighting.''
But the threat to press freedom isn't limited to foreign lands--it is
something we've had to increasingly contend with here at home in the
United States. President Trump continues to employ dangerous rhetoric
in targeting the media, referring to the free press as the ``enemy of
the people,'' and fostering an environment of hostility toward
journalists. Moreover, he refuses to hold autocratic world leaders
accountable as they attack press freedom in brazen ways, including
targeting American journalists in places like Egypt. This only adds to
the deterioration in free expression throughout the world. As a recent
report from Reporters Without Borders highlights, ``The number of
countries regarded as safe, where journalists can work in complete
security, continues to decline, while authoritarian regimes continue to
tighten their grip on the media.''
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In spite of the unprecedented assault on the free press, journalists
continue to take significant risks in the pursuit of truth and
transparency. Journalists from Radio Free Asia have relentlessly
covered the Chinese government's gross human rights abuses against the
country's Uyghur minority, including mass internment and surveillance
in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR). If not for the work of
these courageous reporters--many of whom are Uyghurs themselves, having
to report on abuses exacted against their families and friends--Chinese
authorities would be able to commit such abuses largely in secrecy.
Instead, those who champion human rights will be able to use the
reporting in order to hold this repressive government to account.
Over 200 years ago, our Founding Fathers had the foresight to
recognize the importance of a free press to a fledgling democracy,
enshrining it in our first amendment. Today, that importance cannot be
overstated. Recognizing that societies where informed citizens can hold
their governments accountable are more stable, secure, and prosperous,
we have a responsibility to stand up for the fundamental right of free
expression and free press. I join the international community in
honoring and defending freedom of expression and the brave journalists
seeking to tell a story that deserves to be told. In fact, the very
fact the repressive governments, autocrats, and thugs continue to
attack journalists is a tragic testament to the critical work they do.
Just yesterday, the Maduro government in Venezuela took CNN off the air
while the network was broadcasting live video of protestors being run
over by military vehicles in Caracas, a transparent attempt by a
criminal regime to silence journalists telling the story of brave
Venezuelans standing up for their democratic aspirations.
This week, I introduced a resolution commemorating World Press
Freedom Day. The resolution highlights increasing threats to freedoms
of the press and expression worldwide, reaffirms the centrality of a
free and independent press to the health of democracy, and reiterates
freedom of the press as a priority of the United States in promoting
democracy, human rights, and good governance. On this World Press
Freedom Day, I call on the Trump administration to reverse course and
recommit to advancing press freedom--both at home and abroad.''
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