Freedom of expression is a human right

TIMES INT'L

Dear Editor,

Former President Jagdeo signed the Declaration of Chapultepec on May 24, 2002. This Declaration was instituted by the Inter-American Press Association in 1994, a body that represents freedom of the press. The principle of the ‘Chapultepec Declaration’ is a result of a struggle begun by English poet John Milton, in his book Aeropagitica, in which he clamoured for the freedom to write and publish without any official license.

Press freedom should be the inalienable rights of every citizen of any democracy to express themselves freely without fear of the State; without fear or favour and intimidation and without any political prejudice in contemporary society.

In any country where the free press is dictated to by the State, there is lack of democracy and presence of totalitarian dictatorship. This type of Government is nothing new to Guyanese since the Forbes Burnham era, and now history is repeating itself recently in our nation where journalists, editors and writers are intimidated by the state or by autocratic politicians.

It’s one thing for us as a nation to sign this declaration joining over 26 nations, but are these laws implemented at every media in this nation including the Free Press, Radio and Television? I believe these laws should become a Press Freedom Bill in Parliament whereby the State must be separated from the Press without interference.

Without freedom there can be no true order, stability and justice, and without freedom of expression there can be no freedom.

A free press enables societies to resolve their conflicts, promote their well-being and protect their liberty. No Government should limit freedom of expression or of the press, whatever the medium. Freedom of speech, freedom of the press and the right to information are individual rights, which belong to all. The violation of freedom of expression and of the press is a violation of democracy, the framework for provision of human rights.

Sincerely,

Rev. Gideon Cecil

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