China among top violators of music freedom in 2014: Freemuse
DHARAMSALA, Feb 12: Russia, China and Turkey are the top violators of freedom of expression for musicians in the year 2014, said to Freemuse, a Denmark-based group that advocates and defends freedom of expression for musicians and composers worldwide.
Freemuse registered a total number of 90 attacks and violations against musicians’ rights to musical freedom of expression in 2014 and Russia tops the unflattering list with 15 cases followed by China with 13, and Turkey with nine cases, according to the group’s tally released on Feb 11.
“In China — one of the great violators of artistic freedom — you don’t get away with music and lyrics addressing the suppression of Tibetan cultural identity, China continues to detain and imprison musicians, who criticise Chinese cultural hegemony. Currently China keeps a dozen Tibetan musicians in detention and imprisonment,” the group said.
“Silencing musicians with violence, imprisonment and intimidations not only violates the individual’s right to freedom of expression, it robs local and global communities of the joy and critical perspectives expressed through music,” said Freemuse Executive Director Ole Reitov.
“It is crucial that national governments respect their obligations to implement international human rights conventions.”
Freemuse said its statistics only register recorded and verified attacks on individuals, events or shops and noted that statistics do not portray the fear of being attacked shared by musicians in many countries.
Freemuse is an independent international membership organisation advocating and defending freedom of expression for musicians and composers worldwide, and has Special Consultative Status with the United Nation‘s Economic and Social Council, ECOSOC, since 2012.
