When it comes to problems with press freedom, countries like Cuba and China tend to come to mind. But restrictions and violence against free expression elsewhere often pass beneath the radar.

That’s why we welcome the Canadian Journalists for Free Expression award, which was recently presented to Guatemalan journalist Luis Alberto Perez Barillas in a ceremony at U of T. (See story on page 1.)

The fact is that when it comes to free expression, some victims are valued more than others. And more often than not, the reasons are political.

You’ve probably heard of Daniel Pearl, for example, but have you heard of Kimy Pernia?

Pearl was a journalist with the Wall Street Journal. His kidnapping and murder by Pakistani extremists in January 2002 sparked outrage in the US and Canada and around the world.

Kimy Pernia was not a journalist, but an indigenous Colombian leader who also paid the price for his attempt to exercise his freedom of expression.

Pearl’s case fit nicely with the dominant theme playing out in the media: 9/11 and the “War on Terror.” It was the focus of a great deal of attention and concern.

In contrast, Pernia’s disappearance could not be blamed on the appropriate enemies. Worse, it raised disturbing questions about Canada’s own responsibility. When a Canadian-financed dam threatened to drown his people’s land and way of life, Pernia traveled to Canada to testify about it in front of a parliamentary committee. He spoke again in April 2000, at the Alternative People’s Summit during the Free Trade Area of the Americas talks in Quebec City. Shortly after returning he was abducted at gunpoint by paramilitaries and never seen again.

Despite the connection to Canada, Pernia’s story received just a small fraction of that paid to Pearl’s case. Are we that loath to examine attacks on free expression when we might bear some indirect responsibility? Pernia’s case is not the only one that hasn’t received its due. In Turkey, a NATO ally, and recipient of Canadian military exports, several journalists have disappeared after being taken into government custody. Does anyone in Canada know their names?

The attention given to Pearl’s case was well warranted. But we shouldn’t shy from looking at other cases where those responsible are not official enemies.