# Ladder: access bans, in Asia

A government or official bars a reporter or a news organisation from places or events where news is gathered: briefings, government buildings, press pools, official trips or court hearings. The ban may be announced, or made by refusing entry without notice. It does not stop publication, but it cuts reporters off from officials and from events that other outlets can still cover.

The number of entries reflects the depth of this record, not the severity of a country's conduct.

Narrow with ?stage= (restrict, pressure, punish, silence, eliminate), ?continent=, ?from= and ?to= (year or date).

## Restrict

Limiting access or credentials for particular reporters or outlets: bans from briefings or buildings, pool changes, credential revocations, accreditation refusals.

| Date | Country | Head of government | What was done | Outcome | Sources |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 7 January 2026 | [Israel](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/il) ([RSF 2026 rank: 116th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) |  | Since the war in Gaza began in October 2023, the government of Israel has barred foreign journalists from entering the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian territory on the Mediterranean coast between Israel and Egypt, independently; foreign correspondents have entered only on trips escorted by the Israeli… [Full entry](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2026-israel-maintains-ban-on-independent-press-access-to-gaza) | Sustained (25 February 2026) | 3 |

## Pressure

Using state power short of prosecution to change coverage: regulatory threats, licence reviews, funding cuts, lawsuits by officials, official "fake news" or "foreign agent" labels, advertising pressure, tax audits.

| Date | Country | Head of government | What was done | Outcome | Sources |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 21 February 2018 | [Philippines](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/ph) ([RSF 2026 rank: 114th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Rodrigo Duterte](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/rodrigo-duterte) | President Rodrigo Duterte ordered Rappler reporter Pia Ranada and the outlet's CEO barred from Malacanang Palace, the seat of the Philippine presidency, after the government revoked Rappler's operating license. Note: The head of government personally ordered a named outlet's reporters excluded from the seat of government after revoking the outlet's corporate license. [Full entry](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2018-philippines-bans-rappler-presidential-palace) | Unknown (21 February 2018) | 3 |

## Punish

Legal or physical action against individual journalists or sources: subpoenas and record seizures, prosecutions, arrests, detention, expulsions, visa denials, assault where a government actor is involved.

| Date | Country | Head of government | What was done | Outcome | Sources |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 14 June 1989 | [China](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/cn) ([RSF 2026 rank: 178th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Li Peng](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/li-peng) | After declaring martial law in Beijing on May 20, 1989, China's government imposed rigid restrictions on coverage of pro-democracy protests and, following the military's June 3-4 clearing of Tiananmen Square, expelled Associated Press correspondent John Pomfret and Voice of America correspondent Al… [Full entry](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1989-china-tiananmen-foreign-journalists-expelled) | Sustained (1 January 1990) | 1 |
| 19 February 2020 | [China](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/cn) ([RSF 2026 rank: 178th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Xi Jinping](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/xi-jinping) | China's foreign ministry expelled three Wall Street Journal correspondents and revoked their press credentials after an opinion column, unrelated to their own reporting, used a headline the ministry called offensive. Note: Working correspondents were expelled from the country over content written by someone outside their newsroom, not barred from one building or event. [Full entry](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2020-china-expels-three-wsj-journalists-headline) | Sustained (19 February 2020) | 3 |

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