Remarks by the President On World Press Freedom Day

Roosevelt Room

12:02 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Well, as many of you know, Sunday is World Press Freedom Day, a day in which we reaffirm the vital role that a free press plays in democracy and shining a light on the many challenges, cruelties and also hopeful stories that exist in countries all around the world.

Journalists give all of us, as citizens, the chance to know the truth about our countries, ourselves, our governments. That makes us better. It makes us stronger. It gives voice to the voiceless, exposes injustice, and holds leaders like me accountable.

Unfortunately, in too many places around the world, a free press is under attack by governments that want to avoid the truth or mistrust the ability of citizens to make their own decisions. Journalists are harassed, sometimes even killed. Independent outlets are shut down. Dissent is silenced. And freedom of expression is stifled.

And that’s why I really appreciated and valued the opportunity to hear from three journalists who have been incredibly courageous under some very, very difficult circumstances. All three are from countries that severely restrict the freedom of the press. All three have been detained or harassed in the past. All three have sought refuge here in the United States. And we welcome them so that they can continue their important work.

Just very briefly, I want to mention them. We have Fatima Tlisova, who is from Russia. She reported on military operations in the North Caucasus region, as well as disappearances and corruption. She was attacked, kidnapped, tortured herself. Today, she reports for the Voice of America, and most recently has spent time reporting on the Boston trials related to the Boston bombing. So we very much appreciate Fatima being here.

We also have Dieu Cay -- that’s his pen name -- from Vietnam, a blogger who has written on human rights, including religious freedom, is a leading voice for greater press freedom in Vietnam. He spent six years in prison and was just released in October.

And finally, we have Lily Mengesha, who is from Ethiopia. She helped to shine a light on the outrage of child brides. After her advocacy for a free press, she was harassed and detained. Today, she is with the National Endowment for Democracy.

So I heard firsthand I think from all of them the importance of all of us, including the United States government, speaking out on behalf of the value of freedom of the press. As I indicated to them, these are countries in which we are engaged and do a lot of business, and we think that engagement and diplomacy is absolutely critical to the national interest of the United States. But what’s also important is that we speak out on behalf of the values that are enshrined in our Constitution and our Bill of Rights, because we believe those values are not simply American values, that certain core values like being able to express yourself and your conscience without danger is a human right, a universal right, and ultimately makes the world better and stronger when individual conscience and a press that is free is allowed to function.

It’s also a time for us to reflect and honor all those journalists who are languishing in jail as we speak right now, are being harassed, are in danger, and, of course, journalists whose lives were lost. That includes Steven Sotloff and James Foley and Luke Somers; those killed in Paris at Charlie Hebdo. We’ll keep working for the release of journalists who are unjustly imprisoned, including Jason Rezaian of The Washington Post, who is currently being held in Iran.

So, once again, I want to thank the three journalists who are here for sharing with me in very clear and stark terms some of the challenges that folks are facing. I want everybody to understand that this will continue to be a priority for the United States in our foreign policy, not only because it's the right thing to do, but also because ultimately I believe it's in the national interest of the United States.

So, with that, since it's World Press Freedom Day, I figure I'd better take at least one question.

Q Will the charges against the police in Baltimore, sir, help to defuse things there?

THE PRESIDENT: Before I answer your question, when we were discussing why I thought freedom of the press was so important, I actually used the example of Selma, the incredible courage of those marchers across the bridge, and I pointed out that had there not been good reporters like Mr. Bill Plante at that bridge that day, America’s conscience might not have been stirred and we might not have seen the changes that needed to be made. So that's just one example of why press freedom is so important.

Bill, the State’s Attorney had literally just walked to the podium as I was coming in here, so I've not had an opportunity to see the nature of the charges. I didn’t watch the press conference that she engaged in. So let me just say this, building on what I said in the Rose Garden: It is absolutely vital that the truth comes out on what happened to Freddie Gray.

And it is my practice not to comment on the legal processes involved; that would not be appropriate. But I can tell you that justice needs to be served. All the evidence needs to be presented. Those individuals who are charged obviously are also entitled to due process and rule of law. And so I want to make sure that our legal system runs the way it should.

And the Justice Department and our new Attorney General is in communications with Baltimore officials to make sure that any assistance we can provide on the investigation is provided. But what I think the people of Baltimore want more than anything else is the truth. That's what people around the country expect. And to the extent that it's appropriate, this administration will help local officials get to the bottom of exactly what happened.

In the meantime, I'm gratified that we've seen the constructive, thoughtful protests that have been taking place, peaceful but clear calls for accountability -- that those have been managed over the last couple of days in a way that's ultimately positive for Baltimore and positive for the country. And I hope that approach to nonviolent protest and community engagement continues.

And finally, as I’ve said for the last year, we are going to continue to work with the task force that we put together post-Ferguson. I'm actually going to be talking to mayors who are interested in figuring ways to rebuild trust between the community and police, and to focus on some of the issues that were raised by the task force right after this meeting. Our efforts to make sure that we're providing greater opportunity for young people in these communities -- all those things are going to be continuing top priorities for the administration. And we'll probably have some more announcements and news about that in the days and weeks to come.

All right. Thank you very much, everybody.

END
12:13 P.M. EDT

source: https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/05/01/remarks-president-world-press-freedom-day

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

May 03, 2012

Statement by the President on World Press Freedom Day

On this World Press Freedom Day, the United States honors the role of a free press in creating sustainable democracies and prosperous societies. We pay special tribute to those journalists who have sacrificed their lives, freedom or personal well-being in pursuit of truth and justice.

Over sixty years after the Universal Declaration of Human Rights proclaimed the right of every person “to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers,” that right remains in peril in far too many countries.

While this year has seen some positive developments, like the release of journalists along with hundreds of other political prisoners in Burma, arbitrary arrests and detentions of journalists continue across the globe. As we condemn recent detentions of journalists like Mazen Darwish, a leading proponent of free speech in Syria, and call for their immediate release, we must not forget others like blogger Dieu Cay, whose 2008 arrest coincided with a mass crackdown on citizen journalism in Vietnam, or journalist Dawit Isaak who has been held incommunicado by the Eritrean government for over a decade without formal charge or trial.

Threats and harassment, like that endured by Ecuadorian journalist Cesar Ricaurte and exiled Belarusian democratic activist Natalya Radzina, and indirect censorship, including through restrictions on freedom of movement like those imposed on Cuban blogger Yoani Sanchez, continue to have a chilling effect on freedom of expression and the press. We call on all governments to protect the ability of journalists, bloggers, and dissidents to write and speak freely without retribution and to stop the use of travel bans and other indirect forms of censorship to suppress the exercise of these universal rights.

In some cases, it is not just governments threatening the freedom of the press. It is also criminal gangs, terrorists, or political factions. No matter the cause, when journalists are intimidated, attacked, imprisoned, or disappeared, individuals begin to self-censor, fear replaces truth, and all of our societies suffer. A culture of impunity for such actions must not be allowed to persist in any country.

This year, across the Middle East, North Africa and beyond, the world witnessed not only these perils, but also the promise that a free press holds for fostering innovative, successful, and stable democracies. On this World Press Freedom Day, we call upon all governments to seize that promise by recognizing the vital role of a free press and taking the necessary steps to create societies in which independent journalists can operate freely and without fear.

source: https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/05/03/statement-president-world-press-freedom-day

US President Barack Obama (R) talks with Vietnamese journalist Dieu Cay (L) on World Press Freedom Day at the White House in Washington, May 1, 2015.

AFP

Six months after being deported to the United States following his release from a prison in Vietnam, dissident blogger Nguyen Van Hai, also known by his pen name Dieu Cay, spoke to RFA's Vietnamese Service about meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama about global press freedom. Hai, whose online articles had criticized communist rule and highlighted alleged abuses by the authorities, was arrested in 2008 and sentenced a year later to 30 months in jail on a charge of "tax evasion" but was not freed after completing his term. He was later charged with carrying out propaganda against the state and sentenced in 2012 to 12 years in prison. After being freed on Oct. 21, 2014, he was immediately deported to the United States.

RFA: Your return to Washington this time has tremendous significance. Three years ago, in a speech on Press Freedom Day, President Barack Obama mentioned you by name. Partially due to that, you were released from prison and flew here about six months ago. Can you tell us what you and the president spoke about during this meeting?

Hai: Thanks to the efforts of President Obama and the U.S. government, I was released from prison and was able to come to the U.S. During today’s meeting, the president spoke with three journalists about global press freedom—me, a journalist from Russia and one from Ethiopia. I expressed my sincere gratitude towards the president and the U.S. government for paying attention to my case and helping to free me from prison. I also told him about the situation of press freedom and the freedom of expression in Vietnam, as well as prisoners of conscience. After that, I presented a list of my colleagues who need his help.

RFA: Do you think there is a connection between the president meeting you about global press freedom and the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) recommendation to the State Department to put Vietnam back on the Countries of Particular Concern list?

Hai: The president and the U.S. government pay a great deal of attention to press and religious freedom in Vietnam. About two days ago, I met with Senator Dick Durbin and spoke to him about freedom of the press and expression, as well as the issue of prisoners of conscience. On the same day, the State Department demanded that the government of Vietnam immediately release prisoner of conscience Ta Phong Tan, who is a member of our free journalist club. I don’t know if my meeting with the president was related, but we have seen the results my friends back home and I were hoping for. The efforts of people in Vietnam to help our club have now achieved some results.

RFA: A former prisoner of conscience visiting the White House and speaking with the president is a very special thing. It also comes just ahead of a scheduled visit by Vietnam’s Communist Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong and amid speculation that Obama will visit Vietnam at the end of this year. What is the significance of this?

Hai: I think this is the right time—it’s a very important time for democracy activists as well as journalists in Vietnam. During today’s meeting I asked the president to raise the issue of freedom of the press and expression, and prisoners of conscience, at the scheduled visit by Trong, as well as to urge that Vietnam eradicate articles of the law the leadership is using to restrict the press and expression, because those articles do not comply with international conventions signed by Vietnam and U.S.

RFA: It has been six months since you left a Vietnamese prison and came here, pledging to continue your fight for freedom online. Have you made progress on that goal?

Hai: There are always difficulties, especially for a new organization. We must overcome such difficulties to achieve our goals. We have established the free journalist club overseas, but we are still in the process of building our website. We have a lot of activities that we plan to do to promote freedom of the press and expression in Vietnam, and we are exploring ways to send information to international organizations to protect journalists in Vietnam. We have achieved some results, but we hope to find additional support to finish our job … especially support from the media.

Reported by Nam Nguyen for RFA’s Vietnamese Service.

source: http://www.rfa.org/english/news/vietnam/blogger-05012015151555.html

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