TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — U.S. NGO Freedom House recently published its “Freedom in the World 2019” index in which Taiwan receives an aggregate score of 93, making it one of the most “free” countries in the world.
The scores are calculated using a set of numerical ratings and supplemented by qualitative data. All countries are ranked from one to seven in the three categories of “Freedom Rating,” “Political Rights,” and “Civil Liberties.”
In addition to being given a total freedom score, countries are allocated different colors on the map, with green representing “free”, yellow “partly free” and purple “not free.”
Taiwan scored one in all three categories, receiving a total score equal to that of other democratic nations including the U.K. and diplomatic allies Tuvalu, Kiribati and the Marshall Islands. The full Freedom in the World report on Taiwan is yet to be published.
Topping the index this year are Norway, Sweden and Finland, all of which received an aggregate score of 100. Canada and the Netherlands closely follow, each with total score of 99, and Australia and New Zealand both received 98, making them equally the third most “free” nations in the world.
The index not only ranks countries, but also disputed territories that may be occupied by another state or exert some degree of autonomy. Therefore, while India holds an aggregate score of 75 and is regarded as “free,” Indian Kashmir holds a score of 49 and is only regarded as “partly free.”
Tibet comes in at the bottom of the list, with a total freedom score of one, and a score of 7 in each of the three freedom categories. The full report is likely to elaborate on the land grabs, forced political “education” and religious and cultural oppression Tibetans experience in increasing intensity at the hands of the Chinese government.
The Freedom in the World report explains an alarming global decline in political rights and civil liberties has been recorded over the past 13 years. The aggregate score for every “region” except the Asia-Pacific is lower than it was in 2005.
Notable declines this year include Nicaragua, which has gone from “partly free” to “not free” following the violent crackdown on civil unrest by President Daniel Ortega’s government, and Hungary, which is now the first country in the European Union to be regarded as “partly free.” The country is suffering an erosion of democracy at the hands of Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
Taiwan has continually received a score of one in all three freedom categories since 2017, following the election of Tsai Ing-wen. The 2017 report states the score increase from the previous year was due to “demonstrations of media independence and academic freedom in recent years, including in media coverage of the 2016 elections.”
Freedom House says it uses a broad range of sources to inform the index including news and NGO reports, academic analysis and on-the-ground research. Its first global comparative study of freedom was published in 1972.
