Welcome to IFJ Asia's monthly e-bulletin. The next bulletin will be sent on March 1, 2006 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:
1. Nepal February 1, 2006: IFJ releases report One Year On
2. Tragic media murders continue trend of violence into 2006
3. IFJ Report on Journalists and Media Staff Killed in 2005
4. Wave of criminal defamation cases in South East Asia
5. International 'solidarity handshake' for the Philippines Safety Office
6. Petition for press freedom in the Philippines
7. Train the trainer in HIV/AIDS reporting
8. Research HIV/AIDS reporting
9. Paralegal training for activists in Indonesia
10. Public broadcasting in Hong Kong, private broadcasting in Indonesia
11. China continues assault against press freedom
12. IFEX meeting in Brussels to be hosted by IFJ
13. Tolerance prize winners for South Asia announced
14. IFJ congratulates the new NUJI executive committee
15. IWMF seeking nominations for awards in journalism
16. Latest protests
1. Nepal February 1, 2006: IFJ releases report One Year On
On the first anniversary of the February 1, 2005 royal coup in Nepal, the IFJ is releasing One Year On, a report on the attacks on press freedom over the past year. The IFJ's general secretary, Aidan White, and IFJ program manager Laxmi Murthy, are in Nepal supporting journalists in their protest actions on the anniversary. On February 1, the FNJ hosted a national conference acknowledging the anniversary, at which Aidan White will speak. A general statement by the International Mission for Press Freedom and Free Expression in Nepal has also been released, condemning the government for hindering freedom of expression and repressing the media. Visit http://www.ifj-asia.org/page/nepal.html.
2. Tragic media murders continue trend of violence into 2006
Recent murders of journalists in the Asia-Pacific region indicate that the appalling violence against the media characterising 2005 is continuing in 2006. The first journalist murdered this year, Indian reporter Prahlad Goala, was hit by a truck, stabbed and beaten on January 6. Two Filippino journalists, Rolly Canete and Graciano Aquino, were murdered on January 20 and 21 respectively, maintaining the Philippines' reputation as the second most dangerous nation for media practitioners. Sri Lankan journalist Subramaniyam Sugirdharajan was shot and killed on January 24. For more reports on media killings visit: http://www.ifj-asia.org/page/2006killedlist.html.
3. IFJ Report on Journalists and Media Staff Killed in 2005
The IFJ Report on Journalists and Media Staff Killed in 2005 was launched globally on January 23, 2006, at press conferences in Athens, Bogot?, Brussels, Caracas, Copenhagen, Dakar, Freetown, London, Mogadishu, Sydney and Washington. Alan Kennedy, Australian Media Alliance president and IFJ Executive Committee reserve member, and Mike Carey, SBS producer, launched the report at the Sydney press conference. The report chronicled 2005 as the most dangerous year on record for journalists, both in the Asia-Pacific region and globally. To view the report see: http://www.ifj.org/default.asp?Index=3660&Language=EN.
4. Wave of criminal defamation cases in South East Asia
A wave of criminal defamation cases across the region has alarming implications for press freedom in South East Asia. The Cambodian Prime Minister pledged to drop criminal defamation charges against five activists on January 24, and although the removal of the charges is welcome, it remains concerning that journalists would have been imprisoned if they did not offer an official apology. On December 6, in East Timor, an executive decree approved a penal code criminalising defamation. In Indonesia and Thailand, two journalists were convicted for defamation in January. To see the IFJ's report on criminal defamation, visit: http://www.ifj-asia.org/page/defamation.html
5. International 'solidarity handshake' for the Philippines Safety Office
Following an initial solidarity grant by the Australian IFJ affiliate, the Media Alliance, the Norwegian IFJ affiliate, the NJ, has pledged to support the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) Safety Office for one year. It will do this by fundraising among its members. The pledge, which will see a substantial commitment from the NJ to safety and press freedom in the Philippines, is a wonderful example of unions helping unions via a 'solidarity handshake'. The IFJ Asia-Pacific and the NUJP have spent much of 2005 seeking support for the much needed safety office. For further information, visit www.ifj-asia.org/philippines
6. Petition for press freedom in Philippines
The NUJP released a petition for press freedom on January 24, 2006, opposing amendments to the Bill of Rights of the Philippine Constitution. The Malacanang-appointed Constitutional Commission proposed changing Section 4 of the Philippine Constitution, amending the law to read: "No law shall be passed abridging the RESPONSIBLE EXERCISE of freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and petition the Government for redress of grievances." According to the NUJP, the addition of the phrase "responsible exercise" undermines basic rights and increases the likelihood of "capricious" interpretation of the law. For more information visit: www.nujp.org.
7. Train the trainer for HIV/AIDS reporting
IFJ Asia-Pacific and its affiliate in the Philippines, the NUJP, conducted a three-day train the trainer for HIV/AIDS reporting workshop from January 20-22. The workshop conducted by IFJ trainer Emma Walters for 13 participants from across the Philippines, covered basic training skills and introduced participants to the IFJ's new one-day Reporting HIV/AIDS training module. The workshop is part of a broader program of activities, supported by the Swedish LOTCO, across Asia and Africa aimed at improving reporting of HIV/AIDS. The NUJP will now run a series of one-day workshops throughout the Philippines. Visit http://www.ifj-asia.org/page/hivaids.html
8. Research on HIV/AIDS reporting
Under the project, "Strengthening Journalists Unions to Improve Reporting of HIV/AIDS in Africa and Asia", research on the current state of HIV/AIDS reporting is being conducted in six countries - three in Asia (the Philippines, India and Cambodia) and three in Africa. The researcher is taking two forms: surveys of journalists and HIV/AIDS NGOs on their perception of the current quality of reporting, and media monitoring of newspapers and broadcast media over a two-week period. The research will support a localised in-country media guide on HIV/AIDS reporting. The project is supported by the Swedish trade union movement. For further information, contact Emma Walters at IFJ Asia on emma.walters@ifj-asia.org
9. Paralegal training for activists in Indonesia
The Alliance Independent Journalists (AJI) held a seminar on paralegal training for trade union activists in Makassar, West Sulawesi, Indonesia from December 16-18, 2005. 17 participants from print and electronic media attended the training, which is part of a broader program "Media for Democracy in Indonesia", supported by the European Commission. Participants workshopped how to advocate for themselves and their colleagues in labour disputes. As a result of the training, participants set up SOLIDER (Solidarity of Media Workers Trade Union) Makassar.
10. Public broadcasting in Hong Kong, private broadcasting in Indonesia
On January 17, Hong Kong's Commerce, Industry and Technology secretary, John Tsang, announced the formation of a new independent committee investigating the future of public service broadcasting in Hong Kong. The announcement invited concerns from Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) about the future role and editorial independence of Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK). Meanwhile, in Indonesia, AJI, led by their new president, Heru Hendratmoko, attended a public hearing on a new regulation on private broadcasting. AJI is deeply concerned that the regulation will give the government overt control over information broadcast in Indonesia. Visit http://www.ifj.org/default.asp?Issue=pubbroad&Language=EN
11. China continues assault against press freedom
China's assault against press freedom continues with a barrage of media arrests and dismissals occurring throughout January. New York Times researcher Zhao Yan faces a potential 10-year prison term for accusations of fraud and divulging state secrets. The editor-in-chief and two deputy editors of the Beijing News were dismissed by the newspaper's conservative parent organization, the Guangmong Daily. Investigations into Hong Kong resident journalist Ching Cheong by China's prosecution department are also due to commence. Protests against the Chinese crackdown on media freedoms are aggravated by reports that Microsoft shut down the Chinese journalist Zhao Jing's blog because it presented issues that are politically sensitive in China, ignoring Zhao's right to freedom of expression. For further information visit www.ifj-asia.org
12. IFEX meeting in Brussels to be hosted by IFJ
The IFJ will be hosting the International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX) Conference in Brussels on February 19-24, 2006. The theme of the conference is 'Acting Together to Defend Free Expression', and it will address the need to confront increasing threats against freedom of expression. The issues to be discussed will include fundraising, campaigning techniques, journalist distress funds, anti-terrorism legislations, the EU, Internet censorship, and policy issues. For more information, contact robert.shaw@ifj.org.
13. Tolerance prize winners for South Asia announced
The winners of the IFJ Journalism for Tolerance prize for South Asia were announced for three categories: Dionne Bunsha, India (English-Print); Sharifuzzaman Pintu, Bangladesh (Language- Print) and Jagat Nepal and Suraj Kunwar, Nepal, (Broadcast). The jury comprised of eminent journalists from South Asia: Mr Narayan Wagle, editor, Kantipur, Kathmandu, Nepal; Mr Haroon Habib, senior journalist, Dhaka, Bangladesh; Mr Pankaj Singh, senior journalist, New Delhi, India; Ms CS Lakshmi, writer and director, Sound and Picture Archives for Research on Women, Mumbai, India; and Mr SG Punchihewa, senior journalist and lawyer, Colombo, Sri Lanka. The IFJ Journalism for Tolerance Prize is about promoting tolerance, combating racism and discrimination and contributing to an understanding of cultural, religious and ethnic differences. For more details visit: www.ifj-asia.org.
14. IFJ congratulates the new NUJI executive committee
Elections for the executive committee of the National Union of Journalists, India (NUJI) took place at the 14th Biennial Conference in Bhopal, on January 21, 2006. Dr N K Trikha from New Delhi was unanimously elected president, and Mr P Choudhary of Kolkatta was elected secretary general. IFJ anticipates a year of many accomplishments for the NUJI under the new leadership and congratulates the outgoing leadership team for their long-standing commitment to journalists' rights in India.
15. IWMF seeking nominations for awards in journalism
The International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF) seeks nominations for two awards: the Courage in Journalism Awards, for women working in news media that demonstrate courage working under difficult or dangerous circumstances; and the Lifetime Achievement Award, honouring a female journalist whose determination has paved the way for future generations of women in the media. Candidates can be full-time, part-time or freelance female journalists working in print, broadcast or online media in any country. Completed nominations must be received by the IWMF no later than March 15, 2006. Winners will be announced in May 2006. Nomination forms are available at: www.iwmf.org/courage/nominate.php
16. Latest protests
Nepal: International Organisations Condemn a Year of Repression of Press Freedoms and Freedom of Expression in Nepal -31/01/2006
South East Asia: IFJ concerned criminal defamation impinging on press freedom in South East Asia - 25/01/2006
Sri Lanka: Violence against the media in Sri Lanka continues with latest murder - 25/01/2006
Nepal: Journalists targeted in civil rights crackdown in Nepal - 25/01/2006
Philippines: Philippines to follow grim tradition in 2006 following murder of two journalists - 24/01/2006
Asia: 2005 most dangerous year yet for Asia - Pacific journalists - 23/01/06
Hong Kong: IFJ calls for stronger public service broadcaster - 23/01/2006
Nepal: IFJ alarmed at clampdown on democratic forces in Nepal - 20/01/2006
'China: IFJ protest to Bill Gates on Microsofts censoring of Chinese bloggers - 19/01/2006
India: IFJ concerned over harassment of journalist in Chattisgarh - 16/01/2006
Cambodia: IFJ condemns "totalitarian witch-hunt" as Cambodia adds to criminal defamation crisis in Asia - 12/01/2006
India: Stop killing of journalists, demands IFJ - 11/01/2006
China: Attacks on press freedom continue - 05/01/2006
Nepal: IFJ concerned over police assault on journalists - 04/01/2006
Pakistan: IFJ condemns assault on newspapers in Sindh, Pakistan - 03/01/2006
India: IFJ condemns assault on journalists in New Delhi - 28/12/2005
Sri Lanka: Press freedom suffers as violence accelerates in Jaffna, Sri Lanka - 22/12/2005
Indonesia: Radio station closure threatens democracy in Indonesia - 19/12/2005
Afghanistan: Journalism: a dangerous profession in Afghanistan, says IFJ - 19/12/2005
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.
