IFJ Asia-Pacific Regional eBulletin: February 2013

Welcome to the IFJ Asia-Pacific’s monthly e-bulletin. The next bulletin will be issued on March 1, 2012, and contributions from affiliates are most welcome. To contribute, email ifj@ifj-asia.org.

Please distribute this bulletin widely among colleagues in the media.

1. IFJ Launches China and Hong Kong Press Freedom Report: Media at Risk: Press Freedom in China 2012
The International Federation of Journalists held a press conference on February 4 in Hong Kong to launch Media at Risk: Press Freedom in China 2012. The IFJ’s fifth annual report analyses trends in press freedom in Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau over the past year. The report highlights the escalation in the efforts to control information and the media, and an overall worsening situation for press freedom throughout 2012.

The Chinese Government issued dozens of restrictive orders to media outlets, and a number of journalists were suspended or forced to leave their jobs under pressure from Chinese authorities during 2012. Censorship of the media continued, and there was widespread monitoring of micro blogs. Both Mainland and foreign journalists in China were harassed and assaulted and restrictions were placed on foreign journalists working in the Mainland. Bloggers were detained after sharing ‘sensitive’ content and the comment function of two mainstream online media organisation’s Weibo accounts were disabled for days. Press freedom also suffered in Hong Kong and Macau, where self-censorship escalated. Political interference with editorial independence was particularly noted in Hong Kong.

Three journalists working in the region were invited to contribute to the Report and provide greater insight into the situation of press freedom in Mainland China and Hong Kong.

Copies of the digital report were available at the press conference, and will be uploaded to the IFJ website. Past reports can be found here.

See: http://asiapacific.ifj.org/en/articles/2012-annual-report-on-press-freedom-in-china-and-hong-kong

2. A Bloody Start to the Year - Three Media Workers Killed in Pakistan in January
Three media workers have already been killed this year in Pakistan, with three dying in January as the result of twin bomb blasts that struck a snooker club in Quetta on January 10. The blast, which killed at least 43 people, resulted in the deaths of journalists Imran Shaikh, a cameraman with Samaa TV, and Mohammad Iqbal, a photographer at NNI. Mohammad Hasan, photographer with INP and Saifur Rehman, a senior reporter with Samaa TV, were seriously injured, with Saifur Rehman becoming the third victim from the media community, when he died on January 12.

This latest tragedy drew sharply on the serious and imminent dangers faced by journalists in Pakistan. PFUJ Secretary-General Amin Yousuf condemned the twin blasts. "We will not tolerate government's continued apathy to the loss of precious lives. We demand immediate protection of journalists," he said. A countrywide protest against the killings followed on January 12.

See: http://asiapacific.ifj.org/en/articles/ifj-and-pfuj-condemn-death-of-cameraman-photographer-in-quetta-twin-blasts
See: http://asiapacific.ifj.org/en/articles/ifj-condemns-death-of-another-journalist-in-quetta-twin-blasts

3. Increasing Attacks on Journalists in Nepal; International Media Mission to Nepal Addresses Open Letter to Nepal’s PM
The International Federation of Journalists joined its affiliates the National Union of Journalists-Nepal (NUJ Nepal) and the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) in expressing grave concern over the growing number of threats and physical assaults that have occurred recently against journalists in Dailekh, a district in the far western region of Nepal, following the arrest of ruling UCPN-Maoist party cadres in connection with the murder of journalist Dekendra Thapa.

UCPN-Maoist cadres publicly threatened 10 journalists of Dailekh that they would ‘meet the same fate’ as Dekendra Thapa on January 23 and vandalized the Office of the Hamro Teshro Ankha daily. Over 20 journalists were forced to flee the area after the attacks and death threats.

A further six journalists were injured during a clash between the cadres of the ruling parties and the opposition. And, in another incident, on January 29, cadres of the Young Communist League (YCL) -- the youth affiliate of the Maoist party, which leads the government in Nepal today--assaulted and seriously injured a number of journalists who had gathered to cover an event involving three senior leaders of the United Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), including Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai. The attack was followed by a number of threats being made against news photographers who had recorded the attacks.

See: http://asiapacific.ifj.org/en/articles/continuing-assaults-on-journalists-by-political-cadre-in-nepal
See: http://asiapacific.ifj.org/en/articles/growing-threats-to-dailekh-based-journalists

Earlier in January, the IFJ and partner organisations in the International Media Mission to Nepal addressed an Open Letter to the Prime Minister, Dr Baburam Bhattarai of Nepal, urging that the law be allowed to take its course, unimpeded by politics, in the case of the alleged murderers of journalist Dekendra Thapa.

Five political activists, associated with Nepal’s Maoist party and a breakaway group, were arrested between January 3 and 5 on charges of murdering Thapa, who was abducted from his home in June 2004 and murdered on August 11, 2004. The investigation was however, ordered stopped by Nepal’s Prime Minister, on the grounds that a crime committed during the war years should be dealt with through a Truth Commission, rather than under ordinary criminal law. The IFJ and partners continue to follow the case.

See: http://asiapacific.ifj.org/en/articles/international-media-mission-addresses-open-letter-to-nepal-prime-minister

4. Fourth Anniversary of Lasantha Wickrematunga’s Killing; Sri Lanka’s “Black January” Commemorated
On the four year anniversary of the murder of Lasantha Wickrematunga, January 8, 2013, the IFJ joined the Free Media Movement (FMM) and other affiliates in Sri Lanka in paying tribute to his brand of courageous journalism and deploring the dismal failure of the authorities in bringing his killers to account.

In a statement issued on the occasion, the FMM called on “civil and political society to take the lead in abolishing the killer politics that create and foster murderers and the culture of impunity that allows killers to go scot-free”.Wickrematunga, founder and editor of the Sunday Leader, was renowned in Sri Lanka and abroad for his campaigning style of journalism which targeted corruption in high places and for his consistent advocacy of peace and inter-ethnic understanding.

The IFJ also joined the ‘Black January’ campaign against attacks on journalists in Sri Lanka, organized by the Alliance of Media. The campaign is a response to the attacks on the media that have occurred in the month of January in recent years, and the failure of the government of Sri Lanka to bring to account those responsible for the numerous attacks against journalists.

The FMM and associated organisations had in 2011, initiated the observance of January as a “black month” to commemorate Wickrematunga’s murder and many other atrocities against journalism that by coincidence or otherwise, occurred during January. The campaign attracted the hostile attention of government spokespersons and was attacked in most extreme terms over the state-owned media.

See: http://asiapacific.ifj.org/en/articles/on-anniversary-of-lasantha-wickrematungas-killing-ifj-deplores-climate-of-impunity

The attacks also include the disappearance of political columnist Prageeth Ekneligoda in 2010, the attack on Sirasa media network in 2009 and the brutal attack on television producer Lal Hemantha Mawalage in 2008.

See: http://asiapacific.ifj.org/en/articles/black-january-campaign-against-attacks-on-journalists-in-sri-lanka

5. IFJ condemns Attack of Luviana Ariyanti in Indonesia
The IFJ joins its affiliate the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) in Indonesia in strongly condemning the violence committed by members of the National Democratic Party (Nasdem) against former Metro TV journalist, Luviana Ariyanti and supporters during a protest outside the Nasdem office on, January 16. Nasdem party members brutally attacked Luviana and her supporters and destroyed a vehicle, they also prevented journalists from taking pictures of the rally.

Ariyanti protested about disparities in the awarding of staff bonuses at Metro TV and had been dismissed by the company in early 2012.

See: http://asiapacific.ifj.org/en/articles/ifj-condemns-attack-of-luviana-ariyanti-by-member-of-national-democratic-party-nasdem

6. Journalists Receive Text Messages Regarding Plan to Assassinate Colleague
Two Kidapawan City (Philippines) journalists reportedly received separate but similar text messages on January 13, detailing a plan to assassinate a colleague after the upcoming May 2013 elections.

Malu Manar, chairperson of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) Kidapawan City Chapter said she and another journalist received text messages in the early hours of January 13, from a person claiming to be a hired-assassin stating that a contract had been put out for the killing of fellow Kidapawan City journalist, Joy Francisco.

Manar said the person who sent the message had identified themselves as a member of a gun-for-hire group which is linked to the 2011 murder of Italian priest Fr. Fausto "Pops" Tentorio.

See: http://asiapacific.ifj.org/en/articles/journalists-receive-text-messages-regarding-plan-to-assassinate-colleaguue

7. Continuing Detention of Indian Journalist Naveen Soorinje Condemned
Naveen Soorinje, a journalist with the Kasturi TV news channel, in Mangalore city in the southern Indian state of Karnataka has been held since November 7, 2012 on charges of involvement in a right-wing vigilante group’s attack on group of revelling teenagers in a Mangalore resort on July 28.

Following a failure to obtain bail from a local magistrate’s court in Mangalore, Soorinje made an appeal to the High Court of Karnataka, which ruled on November 19 that criminal proceedings be postponed until it arrived at a determination in the matter. On December 26, the High Court rejected the bail plea on the grounds that Soorinje’s video recording of the attack indicated his complicity. Journalists’ unions in Mangalore city and neighbouring Udupi have been campaigning for Soorinje’s release on the grounds that he was carrying out his job as a journalist after being alerted to the attack by a source who was close to the incident. His footage had in fact assisted police in identifying and arresting many of the individuals responsible for the violence.

On January 5, the Karnataka Union of Working Journalists and other bodies rallied in the state capital of Bangalore and the cities of Mysore and Mangalore, demanding Soorinje’s freedom and unconditional discharge.

See: http://asiapacific.ifj.org/en/articles/ifj-condemns-continuing-detention-of-indian-journalist-naveen-soorinje

8.India’s Manipur State Government Urged to Publish Report on Journalist's Death
The IFJ and partners in India are calling on the government in the north-eastern state of Manipur, to publish the findings of an inquiry into the killing of freelance news cameraman Thangjam Nanao Singh. Nanao Singh, who worked for India’s state-controlled TV broadcaster, Doordarshan and numerous other channels died of bullet wounds as he covered a public demonstration on December 23 in Imphal, Manipur state. A number of social and political organizations had been demonstrating in Manipur demanding the arrest and prosecution of an insurgent leader active in the state, for allegedly assaulting a prominent film personality in full public view a few days earlier.

A demonstration on December 23 was fired upon by the police, apparently without warning. Singh, according to an eyewitness, sought to continue filming the events from behind a pillar, but was hit by a bullet in the chest. Singh was taken to a hospital but died within an hour.

The IFJ urges the Manipur state government to make its inquiry report public without further delay, to initiate action against those guilty for the killing and to engage in a dialogue with the AMWJU to improve security conditions for journalists in the state.

See: http://asiapacific.ifj.org/en/articles/manipur-state-government-in-india-should-publish-report-on-journalists-death

9. Journalists strike against censorship in Mainland China
The IFJ stood in solidarity with the courageous journalists defending press freedom and the public’s right to know in China, as they went on strike against censorship in China on January 7 and 8.

The walkout followed reports that the Chief of the Guangdong Province, Tuo Zhen reportedly interfered with the editorial independence of the Southern Weekly magazine in violation of Article 35 of the Chinese Constitution, after the magazine’s editorial was secretly changed from “China’s Dream, the Dream of Constitutionalism” to “We are now closer to our dream than ever before” on January 1. It is widely suspected that Tuo changed the article to echo the direction of the Central Authority.

The statement was the first such action since the Beijing News Daily took an indirect form of strike in 2005 to express their anger after senior editors were removed when they reported a murder case.

China’s Central Propaganda Department subsequently issued an order that no media are allowed to report, comment or forward any messages related to the article or the strike at Southern Weekly. At the same time, all related online messages have also been deleted.

See: http://asiapacific.ifj.org/en/articles/journalists-strike-against-censorship-in-mainland-china

10.IFJ Joins Chorus of Protests at Jailing of Editor in Thailand
The IFJ joined widespread international outcry and criticism of a ruling by a Bangkok court, which on January 23 jailed for ten years Somyot Prueksakasemsuk, the editor of the Voice of the Oppressed (Voice of Taksin), after convicting him on lèse -majesté charges. The accusations followed the publications of two articles in 2010 which the authorities claimed were offensive to the Thai monarch.

The court's decision was also condemned by the European Union and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Somyot is also a leading labour activist in Thailand and was arrested on 30 April 2011. He was repeatedly denied bail despite suffering ill health, and has reportedly complained about his treatment while in detention.

See: http://asiapacific.ifj.org/en/articles/ifj-joins-chorus-of-protest-at-jailing-of-editor-in-thailand

Jacqueline Park
Katie Richmond
Minari Fernando
Kristen Smith
Sukumar Muralidharan

IFJ Asia-Pacific
asiapacific.ifj.org
ifj@ifj-asia.org

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