Philippines and UN Censorship

The World Association of Newspapers and the World Editors Forum have protested to the UN Human Rights Council and its member nations against a resolution that attempts to justify censorship under the guise of protecting religious sensibilities.

The resolution, which aims to discourage "defamation of religion", asserts that freedom of expression "should be exercised with responsibility and may therefore be subject to limitations as provided by law." While the resolution was proposed by Pakistan and supported by numerous repressive governments, several democratic nations also approved the resolution (Mexico, the Philippines and South Africa) or abstained from the vote (Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, India, Peru, Uruguay).

"We are seriously concerned that this resolution will be relied on by authoritarian governments to suppress freedom of expression on the grounds of religious defamation," the Paris-based WAN and the WEF said in letters to the UN Human Rights Council President, Luis Alfonso de Alba, and to the Presidents and Ambassadors of countries approving or abstaining from the measure.

"It is wholly inappropriate for the Human Rights Council to justify censorship and the stifling of dissenting voices," the letter said.