Taliban, UK and German Public Broadcasters Suspend Airing... Chinese State Media Also

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] The Islamic militant group Taliban, which has taken control of Afghanistan, has blocked the broadcasts of the British public broadcaster BBC, the German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW), the Chinese state media CGTN, and the American radio station Voice of America (VOA).

On the 28th (local time), according to the BBC and others, the broadcast of BBC news programs in Pashto, Persian, Uzbek, and other languages in Afghanistan was recently suspended.

This is due to the Taliban government instructing Ariana and Shamshad, Afghan partner media of the BBC, to stop airing foreign content. In Afghanistan, more than 6 million people watch BBC news weekly.

The Taliban also blocked broadcasts from VOA, the German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW), and the Chinese state media CGTN. A Taliban official stated, "VOA culturally and politically contradicts the policies of the Taliban (interim) government."

Since the Taliban took power in August last year, the media environment in Afghanistan has been deteriorating. According to the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), at least 318 media outlets have closed since August last year.

After taking power, the Taliban introduced new media regulations prohibiting reports that oppose Islam or insult national figures. They also require that unverified information by officials or issues that could negatively influence public attitudes not be reported.

There have also been reports of journalists being detained or assaulted while covering protests. The South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported, "Recently, due to strict crackdowns on foreign dramas, a total of 11 people, including three employees of Afghanistan's Tolo News, were arrested."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.