IFJ Monthly e-Bulletin - Feb 2012

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.

In this bulletin:

1. China’s New Clampdown: Press Freedom in China 2011
2. Journalists Seek Legal Action to Secure Rights in Nepal
3. Attack on Broadcast Studio in Maldives
4. ‘Black January’ Campaign Against Attacks on Journalists in Sri Lanka
5. Increasing Hostility towards the Media in Maldives
6. Assaults on News Crew in Mongolia
7. Death Threats Against Journalist in the Philippines
8. Murder of Journalist in Pakistan
9. Release of Journalists in Burma
10. Journalist Shot in Thailand’s South
11. Media Worker Murdered in the Philippines
12. End of Public Emergency Regulations in Fiji

1. China’s New Clampdown: Press Freedom in China 2011

A new IFJ report reveals that press freedom in China suffered significant setbacks in 2011. China’s New Clampdown: Press Freedom in China 2011, released on January 23 by the IFJ Asia-Pacific in Hong Kong, reports that as the scent of the Jasmine Revolution in the Middle East and North Africa drifted towards China, central authorities tightened restrictions on the press, and stepped up intimidation of journalists.

During the protests associated with the call for a so-called “Chinese Jasmine Revolution”, scores of media workers, bloggers, human rights lawyers, artists and activists were illegally detained and tortured. Foreign journalists were among those assaulted. Chinese authorities also suddenly and unilaterally changed the regulations on news reporting for non-mainland media, reversing many of the reforms introduced after the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

See: http://asiapacific.ifj.org/en/articles/chinas-new-clampdown-press-freedom-in-china-2011

2. Journalists Seek Legal Action to Secure Rights in Nepal

The Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ), an IFJ affiliate, on January 26 filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court of Nepal seeking a direction to government to fully implement the intent and regulations of the Working Journalists’ Act in state-owned media organisations. Despite the law’s clear mandate in favour of decent wages and working conditions for journalists, state-owned media enterprises in Nepal have been conspicuous in their default on these requirements. The writ petition in the Supreme Court states that despite the legal stipulation, government owned media organisations have been in continuous default on their obligation to provide letters of appointment to all employees.

See: http://asiapacific.ifj.org/en/articles/journalists-seek-legal-action-to-secure-rights-in-nepal

3. Attack on Broadcast Studio in Maldives

the office and studio of DhiTV, a private broadcaster in the Maldives capital of Male on January 26. The attack occurred in the early hours of the day after the station had broadcast live coverage of opposition protests at the recent arrest of a judge by Maldives Special Forces the previous evening.

The Maldives Journalists’ Association (MJA), an IFJ affiliate, reports that Hussain Nishan, a senior camera operator with DhiTV was injured when a group of masked men attacked the premises with bricks. Mohammad Shiham, a senior journalist, was injured the previous evening while covering the opposition protests.

See: http://asiapacific.ifj.org/en/articles/ifj-deeply-concerned-by-attack-on-broadcast-studio-in-maldives

4. ‘Black January’ Campaign Against Attacks on Journalists in Sri Lanka

The month of January 2012, was nominated as ‘Black January’ in Sri Lanka, by Sri Lanka’s Alliance of Media Organizations and its supporters in the national and international communities.
The campaign is a response to the attacks on the media that have occurred in the month of January in the past three years, and the failure of the government of Sri Lanka to bring to account those responsible for attacks on numerous journalists. These attacks include the murder of Sunday Leader editor, Lasantha Wickrematunga in 2009, 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. On January 25, journalists and media workers all over the world united in observance of ‘Black January’, culminating in a series of public protests in Sri Lanka’s capital, Colombo.

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

5. Increasing Hostility towards the Media in Maldives

On January 11, Mohamed Zuhair, press secretary to the President of Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed, threatened criminal action against media that spread allegedly “baseless and demonstrably false” claims about government actions. Following this statement by the president’s press secretary, the Maldives Minister for Transport and Communication, Adhil Saleem, declared publicly on January 20 that broadcast stations suspected of “misleading the public” could have their licences revoked.

See: http://asiapacific.ifj.org/en/articles/ifj-alarmed-by-increasing-hostility-towards-the-media-in-maldives

6. Assaults on News Crew in Mongolia

On January 2, an assault on a Khongor Television news crew took place in Bayankhongor Province in western Mongolia. Journalist T. Danaasuren and camera operator J. Tuvshintulga were assaulted while covering a series of incidents between small local mining entrepreneurs and guards from the Special Mines company, following complaints from local residents. According to a report from Mongolian press freedom NGO Globe International, the television crew were approached by the company’s guards while entering Special Mines’ premises to investigate the dispute. The guards reportedly threatened to kill the news crew, and stuck their truncheons into the face of T. Danaasuren. The guards then seized the crew’s camera and detained them in an unheated ger (traditional Mongolian dwelling) for two hours. The camera was destroyed during the scuffle between the camera operator and the guards. The guards also subsequently deleted all images from the camera.

See: http://asiapacific.ifj.org/en/articles/ifj-condemns-assaults-on-news-crew-in-mongolia

7. Death Threats Against Journalist in the Philippines

On January 17, death threats were made to a publisher based in General Santos City, in the southern Philippines. Ronald Allan T. Mascardo, publisher and editor of Dadiangas Balita, received a threatening text message, following his condemnation of the killing of fellow publisher Christopher Guarin the previous week. According to an NUJP report, Mascardo received a text message at around 9:00 am that read: “You are daring the killers of Chris Guarin. You will be next.” The threat has been reported to the local police.

See: http://asiapacific.ifj.org/en/articles/ifj-condemns-death-threats-against-journalist-in-the-philippines

8. Murder of Journalist in Pakistan

On January 17, senior journalist Mukaram Khan Atif was murdered in Pakistan. According to the Khyber Union of Journalists (KhUJ) General Secretary Yousuf Ali, Khan Atif was offering evening prayers at a mosque near his home in Shabqadar Town, Charsadda, in Pakistan’s central Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, when two gunmen opened fire, shooting him in the head and chest. He was taken to a local hospital where he died later that evening. Khan Atif, a journalist for 15 years, was working as a correspondent for Dewa Radio - a Pashto language radio channel of the Voice of America and a reporter for Dunya TV. According to an AFP report, militant group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan has claimed responsibility for the killing.

See: http://asiapacific.ifj.org/en/articles/ifj-condemns-the-murder-of-journalist-in-pakistan

9. Release of Journalists in Burma

A number of journalists and bloggers were released under an amnesty announced by the Government of Burma on 13 January, 2012. The amnesty comes after a long advocacy campaign to free Burma’s journalists, supported by both the BMA and IFJ. Those released included 13 Journalists working for the Burmese exile radio and television station Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB). Three other journalists — Sein WIn Maung, Thant Zin Aung and Zaw Thet Htwe — were also released, in addition to blogger Nay Phone Latt. According to a DVB report, the amnesty was issued under article 401(1) of Burma’s Code of Criminal Procedure, unlike previous amnesties which were issued under article 204 of Burma’s Constitution. The report suggested this signifies the amnesty was not approved by the country’s influential National Defence and Security Council.

See: http://asiapacific.ifj.org/en/articles/ifj-welcomes-release-of-journalists-in-burma

10. Journalist Shot in Thailand’s South

On January 13, owner and editor of Inside Phuket, Wisut "Ae" Tangwittayaporn, was murdered in Thailand’s southern island of Phuket. Wisut, 44, in addition to being the driving force behind Inside Phuket, was also a leading member of the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship, popularly known as the ‘red shirt’ movement, whose protests brought Bangkok to a standstill in 2010. Police are investigating the murder, and have advised the media that they now believe the attacks were a response to Wisut’sreporting of the illegal issuing of land titles in Phuket.

See: http://asiapacific.ifj.org/en/articles/journalist-shot-in-thailands-south

11. Media Worker Murdered in the Philippines

On January 5, publisher of Tatak News Nationwide Christopher Guarin was murdered in General Santos City in the southern Philippines. Guarin was shot five times in the body and and once in the head by gunmen while driving his wife and two children home from his office. Police reported that Guarin was shot along Conel Road in Barangay Lagao at around 10:30 p.m. He was declared dead on arrival at the General Santos City Hospital. Guarin’s wife was also slightly wounded in the attack. Police are yet to determine the motive for the killing. However, in an interview with local radio, Guarin’s wife claimed that her husband had received several death threats in the days leading up to the murder.

See: http://asiapacific.ifj.org/en/articles/tragic-start-to-2012-as-media-worker-murdered-in-the-philippines

12. End of Public Emergency Regulations in Fiji

During his New Year’s address to the nation, Fiji’s leader Commodore Frank Bainimarama announced that the regulations, in place since April 2009, would be removed to allow preparations for the drafting of a new national constitution. Under the “temporary” Public Emergency Regulations imposed by Fiji’s authorities, the regime and its authorities decide what fair, balanced and quality journalism is. However, other existing laws which limit press freedom, such as the media decree, remain in place. As such, journalists working in Fiji continue to come under threat from the government and press freedom continues to be undermined.

See: http://asiapacific.ifj.org/en/articles/ifj-cautiously-welcomes-end-of-public-emergency-regulations-in-fiji

ENDS

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