You, the foreign media, have been the companion of my people in its long and painful journey to freedom.

The media's power is frail. Without the people's support, it can be shut off with the ease of turning a light switch.

The media's power is frail. Without the people's support, it can be shut off with the ease of turning a light switch.

You have spent many lives and much treasure to bring freedom to many lands that were reluctant to receive it. And here you have a people who won it by themselves and need only the help to preserve it.

It is true you cannot eat freedom and you cannot power machinery with democracy. But then neither can political prisoners turn on the light in the cells of a dictatorship.

Freedom of expression - in particular, freedom of the press - guarantees popular participation in the decisions and actions of government, and popular participation is the essence of our democracy.