Freedom of the press in Bhutan

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Freedom of the press in Bhutan is in jeopardy. Bhutanese journalists are afforded little freedom of the press. Between 2016 and 2018, in two cases journalists have been prosecuted for posting on their personal Facebook accounts about property disputes or child mistreatment.[1] Both were sentenced to three months in prison and were required to pay a fine.

Bhutanese government officials enacted laws that restricts what can be shared on social media. While the constitution in Bhutan guarantees freedom of speech, civil servants such as journalists are denied this right because of a law that states, "A civil servant shall not critique his agency and the Royal Government".[2] Bhutan is praised for its high level of "gross domestic happiness",[3] but its people face increasingly strict media censorship.

References

  1. ^ "Bhutan's Gross National Unhappiness: In The Wake Of The Country's First Facebook Defamation Lawsuit, Fears Of Censorship Rise". Techdirt.
  2. ^ Zam, Namgay. "When Freedom of Expression Isn't Free: Journalism, Facebook, and Censorship in Bhutan". The Diplomat.
  3. ^ "Bhutan Faces an Important Test of Press Freedom". The New York Times.


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