Welcome to IFJ Asia's monthly e-bulletin. The next bulletin will be sent on Monday 6 December and contributions from affiliates are most welcome. To contribute, email ifj@ifj-asia.org
Please distribute this bulletin widely among colleagues in the media.
In this bulletin:
Iraq journalist death toll continues to rise
Eight journalists murdered in the Philippines in 2004
Bleak times for Indian journalists
IFJ Executive Committee speaks out against sackings in India
Asian journalists meet in Korea
IFJ supports the establishment of a journalists' union in Afghanistan
IFJ welcomes two new members in East Timor
Future planning process for IFJ
Thanks for support for Pakistan union
Latest protests
Iraq journalist death toll continues to rise
The targeted bomb attack on the Baghdad office of Arab television channel Al-Arabiya in late October, in which a number of employees were killed, and the killing on Monday 1 November of Reuters cameraman Dhia Najim, have confirmed Iraq as the world's most dangerous country for journalists. The IFJ raised concerns over the incident in which Najim was killed, apparently at the hands of a US soldier. The latest killings bring the total number of journalists and media staff killed in Iraq since the invasion in March last year to 62. The bloodshed over the past weeks began on Thursday 28 October when Liqaa Abdul-Razzaq, a journalist working for Al-Iraqiya television, was shot dead along with her interpreter when the taxi she was travelling in was fired upon. Observers said this was a targeted shooting designed to intimidate the Iraqi media. On Saturday 30 October bombers struck at the Al-Arabiya killing seven people including five employees and seven journalists were injured. A group calling itself the Jihadist Martyrs Brigades said it was behind the bombing. For more information on the situation in Iraq, visit www.ifj.org
Eight journalists murdered in the Philippines in 2004
"How many more journalists have to die before the Philippines Government makes concrete changes to ensure the protection of journalists?" asked IFJ President Christopher Warren, in response to the assassination of the eighth journalist in the Philippines this year. Radio commentator Eldy Gabinales, also known as Eldy Sablas, was killed on 19 October 2004 in Tandag, Surigao del Sur in the Philippines. An unidentified assailant shot Gabinales three times from behind in the head and body at approximately 10am as he rode his tricycle from a supermarket. Gabinales is the 57th journalist to be killed in the Philippines since 1986. For further information visit http://www.ifj-asia.org/page/philippines.html and www.nujp.org
Bleak times for Indian journalists
The last few weeks have been bleak for Indian journalists. In an horrific attack, an Orissa newspaper editor, Dilip Mohapatra, was found brutally murdered on Tuesday 9 November, bound with plastic rope and his head smashed. He had been missing since Monday 8 November and he is thought to be the 100th journalist murdered in 2004. On 1 November 2004, 15 Indian media workers were attacked whilst covering a reception of the Industries Minister, P.K. Kunhalikutty at the Karipur airport. In a separate incident on 31 October 2004, supporters of Kunhalikutty staged a protest in response to media coverage of Kunhalikutty, and during the protest staff of Malayalam news channel India Vision were stoned and their vehicles were ransacked. The bureau chief of The New Indian Express was attacked by a group of men allegedly belong to the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and the Youth League, while covering the protest. A photographer's camera was also badly damaged in the attack. The attacks follow the incarceration of freelance journalist Sanjay Arya of village Chirapatla in Betul district of Madhya Pradesh, who was jailed on 21 October 2004 under falsified charges. This follows his investigations into government corruption and failures in the public health and education systems, which have been instrumental in local campaigns to enforce accountability from local administration. For further information on the situation in India, visit http://www.ifj-asia.org/page/india.html
IFJ Executive Committee speaks out against sackings in India
The recent Executive Committee meeting of the IFJ, held in Brussels on 23-24 October passed a resolution condemning the sacking of 362 permanent employees of the Hindustan Times in Delhi on 3 October 2004. The IFJ expressed its support for the Hindustan Times Employees Union's to have the illegal dismissals reversed. "The IFJ takes a dim view of the employer´s tactics in justifying the termination of services on grounds of change in ownership of its printing units to its subsidiary, whereas in effect it is controlled and owned by the Hindustan Times group itself," said the IFJ in the resolution. For further information visit http://www.ifj-asia.org/page/india.html
Asian journalists meet in Korea
The Journalists Association of Korea (JAK) will host the second East Asia Journalists Forum from November 16 to 21 in Seoul. Under the theme "War and the Role of the Media and Journalists," the annual forum will feature three presentation sessions on the following: trends in new media, the war and role of journalists, and media situations in participating countries. Speakers include Korean Prof. and scientist Hwang Woo-suk, who will talk about therapeutic cloning, and Philippine Prof. Crispin Maslog, speaking on peace journalism. Christopher Warren, IFJ President, will speak on journalists' safety. The forum is expected to draw around 60 journalists and journalists' group leaders from about 20 countries, mostly in East Asia. In addition, journalists from the United States, Russia, Greece and Germany are also attending the forum as observers. The JAK, established in 1964, is the largest press advocacy organisation of working journalists in Korea, with nationwide membership numbering about 7,000. For further information contact eajf2004@hotmail.com
IFJ supports the establishment of a journalists' union in Afghanistan
The IFJ is working with a group of independent journalists in Afghanistan to support them to establish a genuine and independent union of journalists in that country. The IFJ is helping the group organise a planning meeting in mid-December that should lead to the formation of the union at a general meeting of Afghan journalists in the first quarter of 2005. The IFJ is sending a journalist to Afghanistan to facilitate the planning and establishment process.
IFJ welcomes two new members in East Timor
The recent Executive Committee meeting of the IFJ admitted two journalists' groups from East Timor to membership of the Federation. The Sindicato dos Journalistas de Timor Lorosa'e (SJTL) and the Timor Lorosa'e Journalists' Association (TLJA) were both admitted as associate members of the IFJ. We look forward to working with these two organisations in the region. Contact details can be found at http://www.ifj-asia.org/page/east_timor.html
Future planning process for IFJ
The Executive Committee also resolved to begin a future planning process for the IFJ. The Administrative Committee (consisting of the senior officers of the Federation) agreed to prepare a document for the next Executive Committee meeting of the IFJ on future strategies for the Federation. If any affiliate would like to contribute ideas or find out more about the future planning process, please contact IFJ President Christopher Warren at christopher.warren@alliance.org.au
Thanks for support for Pakistan union
Thanks goes to all IFJ affiliates who supported the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) in its fight to have Pakistani newspaper employers pay the long-overdue wages set out in a three-year old wages decision originally handed down in 2001. Friday 8 October was the third anniversary of the decision and still the newspaper owners across the country are yet to implement the stipulated wages, while some, mainly regional newspapers, have not even implemented the Sixth Wage Board decision. This is despite repeated calls from the national assembly, provincial assemblies and the PFUJ to do so. The IFJ sent a joint letter from affiliates calling on the Pakistan Government to withhold newspaper advertising until the wages are paid, and calling on the newspaper owners to immediately pay the wages. For further information on the PFUJ campaign, please visit http://www.ifj-asia.org/page/pakistan.html.
Latest Protests
India: Indian editor from Orissa brutally murdered - 11/11/04
India: Violence directed towards journalists undermines democracy in India, says IFJ - 05/11/2004
India: IFJ condemns the harassment of investigative journalist in India - 26/10/2004
India: IFJ condemns the management of Hindustan Times House for terminating 362 employees - 25/10/2004
Bangladesh: IFJ calls for Government action in response to journalist murdered in Bangladesh -25/10/2004
China: New York Times researcher faces death penalty in China - 25/10/2004
Philippines: Journalist death toll reaches eight in the Philippines -19/10/2004
Iraq: IFJ & Media Alliance welcome release of Australian journalist in Iraq -19/10/2004
Indonesia: Indonesian Press Council decision is justice without retribution, says IFJ -18/10/2004
Pakistan: Another year on: still no pay rise for Pakistan's suffering journalists -08/10/2004
If affiliates have any information on a press freedom violation, please make sure you immediately contact staff at IFJ Asia so action can be taken.
