Status: Not Free
Legal Environment: 26
Political Influences: 29
Economic Pressures: 23
Total Score: 78
Population: n/a
GNI/capita: n/a
Life Expectancy: 74
Religious Groups: n/a
Ethnic Groups: Malay (67 percent), Chinese (15 percent), other (18 percent)
Capital: Bandar Seri Begawan
The "Local Newspapers Order 2001" provided still more strict control over news and information. Private newspapers are either owned or controlled by the sultan's family, and practice self-censorship on political and religious issues. The state-controlled Radio Television Brunei operates the only local broadcast media. Foreign journals containing articles critical of the royal family or the government are not permitted into the kingdom. The new law provides for a series of further restrictive measures, including requiring newspapers to apply for annual publishing permits, threatening journalists with jail terms for publishing "false news," and requiring non-citizens to obtain government approval before working for the news media.
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