Safeguarding Press Freedom in Perilous Times

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Safeguarding Press Freedom in Perilous Times IMS Defending Journalism book series / 1 IMS book series – 2020 Defending journalism Shared responsibility: Safeguarding press freedom in perilous times Lessons learned and new approaches to media safety 2 IMS Defending Journalism book series / 3 IMS Defending Journalism book series Published in Denmark, April 2020 Publisher: International Media Support (IMS) ISBN 87-92209-64-5 4 List of acronyms EAN 9788792209641 5 Acknowledgments IMS Nørregade 18 6 Foreword by Jesper Højberg 1165 Copenhagen K Denmark 9 Foreword by Agnés Callamard +45 88327000 [email protected] 12 Executive summary © 2020 IMS 16 Introduction: The content of this publications is copyright protected. Meeting the challenge of defending journalism in perilous times International Media Support is happy to share the text in the publication with you under the Creative Commons Attribution- through multi-stakeholder action ShareAlike 4.0 International License. To view a summary of this license, please visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ 21 Chapter 1: by-sa/4.0. Can adversaries ally? Building trust, engagement and collaboration between the state and civil society stakeholders 32 Chapter 2: Join the global work for freedom of expression and Anchoring mechanisms in national human rights institutions and stay up to date on media issues worldwide strong coalitions forfreemedia 39 Chapter 3: InternationalMediaSupport Media, the reluctant stakeholder – gaining more commitment and improving practices among the media sector International Media Support is a non-profit organisation working to support local media in countries where conflict and 48 Chapter 4: political transition make it difficult for media to operate. Incorporating a gender perspective into state mechanisms and beyond www.mediasupport.org 59 Chapter 5: A tough push for justice: New approaches and old mechanisms for combatting impunity 73 Conclusion: Lessons learned and recommendations 78 Resources and bibliography Author: Elisabeth Witchel Editor: Colette Simonne Heefner Layout: Nanette Vabø 4 IMS Defending Journalism book series / 5 List of acronyms Acknowledgments AIJC Asian Institute of Journalism and Com- MAP Media Association of Puntland The lead author of this report is Elisabeth Witchel, an independent consultant on human munication MWJS Myanmar Women’s Journalist Society rights, freedom of expression and impunity, who was commissioned by International Me- AJSC Afghan Journalists Safety Committee NCHR National Commission on Human Rights dia Support (IMS). Contributing author, Javier Garza Ramos, IMS Advisor on Gender & CCJD Center for Community Journalism and in Pakistan Development NGO Non-Governmental Organisation Safety, drafted Chapter 4 of this publication. IMS Global Response Head of Department CEDAW Committee to Eliminate Discrimination NHRI National Human Rights Institution Gulnara Akhundova was the editor-in-chief; IMS Advisor Robert Shaw provided strategic Against Women NUJP National Union of Journalists of the vision; IMS Programme Manager Ia Kldiashvili served as project manager; IMS consul- CERREM Committee for Risk Assessment and Philippines tants Colette Heefner and Natasha Schmidt served as copy editors and Marte Høiby of Recommendation of Measures NHRC Nepalese National Human Rights Oslo Metropolitan University peer reviewed this report. CHR Commission on Human Rights in the Commission Philippines NPA New People’s Army IMS is thankful to UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbi- CIGIG Guatemala’s International Commission NUPL National Union of People’s Lawyers trary executions, Agnès Callamard, and all other individuals who contributed their time, Against Impunity OHCHR Office of the High Commissioner for research and expertise to this report: Ilias Alami, Abubakar Albadri, Red Batario, Binod CIMAC Comunicación e Información de la Human Rights Bhattari, Emma Lygnerud Boberg, Jonathon Bock, Julián David García, Laura Gil, Ye Wint Mujer OSF Open Society Foundation Hlaing, Nasriin Maxamed Ibraahim, Susanna Inkinen, Manja Kamwi, Iqbal Khattak, Finn CPJ Committee to Protect Journalists PCIJ Philippines Center for Investigative CMFR Center for Media Freedom and Respon- Journalism Rasmussen, Adnan Rehmat, Imelda Samson, Ramon Tuazon, Qurratulain Zaman. sibility PCOMS Pakistan Coalition on Media Safety We are also grateful for the financial support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of CPNE Council of Pakistan News Editors PCOO Presidential Communications Opera- Norway, without which this research would have not been possible. CSO Civil Society Organisations tions Office CPP Communist Party of the Philippines PJSC Pakistan Journalist Safety Coalition EfS Editors for Safety PPASJ Philippine Plan of Action on the Safety FCO Foreign Commonwealth Office of Journalists FEADLE Special Prosecutor for Attention to PPF Pakistani Press Foundation Crimes Committed Against Freedom of PPI Philippine Press Institute Expression PSSC Philippine Social Science Council FECOPER Federation of Colombian Journalists PTFoMS Presidential Task Force on Media Secu- FESOJ Federation of Somali Journalists rity FLIP Foundation for Press Freedom SIMHA Somali Independent Media Houses FoE Freedom of Expression Association HRC Human Rights Council SMSJ Somali Mechanism for Safety of Jour- HRDs Human Rights Defenders nalists IACHR Inter-American Commission on Human SoJ Safety of Journalists Rights IMS International Media Support SOMA Somalia Media Association IPI International Press Institute SWJ Somali Women Journalists JCSSJ Joint Committee for the Safety and UNESCO United Nations Education, Science and Security of Journalists Cultural Organization JRR Justice Rapid Response UNP National Protection Unit JSAG Journalist Safety Advisory Group UPR Universal Periodic Reviews KBP Association of Broadcasters of the Philippines 6 Foreword IMS Defending Journalism book series / 7 on Human Rights, the General Assembly, the Security Council and the United Nations Ed- Foreword ucation, Science and Communications Organization (UNESCO). These are in addition to the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and Issue of Impunity, adopted in 2012, by Jesper Højberg and the inclusion of a dedicated UN Sustainable Development Goal indicator. Regional bodies have also escalated their commitments. In 2015, the Council International Media Support Executive Director of Europe established the Platform for the Protection of Journalism and Safety of Jour- nalists to monitor attacks against journalists. The African Union is working to set up a multi-stakeholder Working Group on the Safety of Journalists and in 2017 the Inter-Amer- “Now more than ever, we need journalism and journalists need our support.” ican Commission on Human Rights launched a Joint Action Mechanism to Contribute to Protection of Human Rights Defenders in the Americas, which covers journalists, jointly Over the last several years, there has been no shortage of reminders of why we need journal- with the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Alongside these initia- ism. The joint reporting by a global network of journalists that exposed secretive offshore tives, important regional court decisions taken in recent years have upheld freedom of ex- tax regimes in the Panama Papers, exposure of human rights crimes against the Rohing- pression and accountability for attacks against journalists. ya population in Myanmar, coverage of unrest in Hong Kong, Iran, Iraq, Nicaragua and so Individual states have also begun to step up their efforts. In 2019 the United King- many other parts of the world are just a few. As we finalise this publication, citizens around dom and Canada launched a global Media Freedom Coalition. In the last decade, an in- the world acknowledge how media play a crucial role in ensuring accountability and filling creasing number of countries have established or begun taking steps towards establishing the information gap caused by inept authorities’ response to the corona virus pandemic. special measures and mechanisms focused on prevention, protection, prosecution, mon- The information we receive through journalism and our access to it is essential to itoring and reporting on media-related attacks. This followed the formation several years all citizens; it is fundamental to good governance, fighting corruption and peace-building. ago of the “Group of Friends,” an informal network of UN Member States committed to In an era of growing conflict and authoritarianism, arming ourselves with information promoting safety of journalists. In 2019, the Philippines launched a national plan of action and diverse points of view to make decisions, think critically and hold our leaders to ac- for the safety of journalists. Within civil society, new alliances and coalitions have formed count is more important than ever. around safety of journalists and freedom of expression on national and international levels. There is also no shortage of intimidation journalists have to face. Whether it is This surge in attention and coordination among safety of journalists stakehold- cyber-attacks, arrests, murders, threats of rape and other forms of violence or diabolising ers is encouraging progress. When IMS was founded in 2001, we recognised there was a by world leaders, journalists face unrelenting pressure in these and many other forms. It need to promote greater harmonisation and strong national is not possible in today’s world to stand back and hope journalism will survive without and international partnerships. This is something we have widespread
Recommended publications
  • Contribution to the Universal Periodic Review Mechanism 7Th Session of the Working Group of the Universal Periodic Review
    Contribution to the Universal Periodic Review Mechanism 7th session of the Working Group of the Universal Periodic Review A joint submission on the Republic of the Gambia, by International PEN, International Publishers Association (NGOs in Consultative Status with ECOSOC) and Index on Censorship 21 August 2009 International PEN, on behalf of the submitting organisations, welcomes the opportunity provided by the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights to comment on the human rights situation in the Republic of The Gambia, about which it has had serious concerns for a number of years. This document provides an overview of the current situation for print journalists and examples of specific cases of individuals whose right to freedom of expression and other basic rights have been severely restricted. 1. Overview of free expression situation Although freedom of expression is protected in The Gambia under both national1 and international2 law, the enjoyment of this right has deteriorated drastically under President Yahya Jammeh, who seized power in 1994 following a military coup which ended decades of democracy. Since then, apart from a brief post-coup honeymoon period and despite a nominal return to constitutional rule in 1996, President Jammeh has been openly hostile to the country’s historically well organized independent media, an attitude manifest in numerous public statements. As early as 1994, for example, he declared: “Journalists are the illegitimate sons of Africa. Citizens should not buy newspapers so that journalists can starve to death.” The President’s attitude towards the media has hardened over the last 15 years. He has continued to make statements showing his disregard for freedom of expression and of the press and directly threatening journalists.
    [Show full text]
  • Download Transcript
    Getting Real NOW: Documenting Press Freedom & Impact - Transcript Cassidy Dimon: Hello, everyone. Welcome to our panel. We're going to take a couple minutes ​ here and let the room populate before we begin. Just hold tight. Thank you. Hello all. Again thank you for joining. I see a lot of you have joined recently. We're going to take just two more minutes here and let people get into the room. And we will get started at approximately 5:03. Thank you. Carrie Lozano: Good evening, everyone. I know some of you are still joining us tonight. But I'm ​ so happy to kick off this conversation. I honestly can't imagine anywhere else I'd rather be right now. So thank you for joining us for this second installment of Getting Real Now. My name is Carrie Lozano. I am the director of IDA's Enterprise Documentary Fund. I would like to acknowledge that I am in northern California on Ohlone land. And as many of you might know, we are encircled by fire and smoke throughout the west coast. And I am just reminded that in Native tradition, it's the Earth's way of renewing its soil and making it fertile to burn. And while it might be uncomfortable for us, it's the planet's way of healing itself. And so I hope we can all hold space together and honor all that the planet is doing to correct itself. Before I introduce our speakers, I really want to thank all of the sponsors and supporters that make these conversations and getting real in the digital space possible.
    [Show full text]
  • Download PDF File
    from the 33rd Annual Camden Conference The Media Revolution: Changing the World Nicco Mele , Nic Newman , Joshua Tucker , Jeff Jarvis , Courtney Radsch , Maria Ressa , Lydia Cacho Ribeiro , Jason Rezaian, Yeganeh Rezaian, Kathleen Hall Jamieson, David Brancaccio 2020 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Matthew Storin, President Karin Look, Vice President Don Abbott, Treasurer Wayne Hobson, Secretary John Doughty Peter Fitzgerald James Hengerer Peter Imber Elaine Keyes Eric Lebson Emily Lusher Merlin Miller Jane Nyce Sandra Ruch Charlotte Singleton Ward Wickwire About the Camden Conference ow in its 33rd year, this midwinter event in Midcoast Maine is routinely cited ADVISORY COUNCIL as an outstanding example of civic engagement, as it brings in experts from Richard Anderson Naround the world to discuss and debate issues of international import. This David Babski past February, speaker Kathleen Hall Jamieson of the University of Pennsylvania Ann Beaudry hailed the Camden Conference as “democratic engagement in action.” John Bird The three-day event plays out before a capacity audience in the beautiful Camden Bruce Cole Opera House and is live-streamed to locations in Portland, Belfast, and Rockland, as John Davidson well as Hanover, N.H. Each of the Maine locations includes a contingent of students Thomas M. Deford from high schools and colleges throughout the state, who study the topic as part of Leslie Fillnow their curriculum in the months prior. Additional social and substantive activities are Will Galloway planned for those students in the various locations over the course of the weekend. Charlie Graham The Camden Conference is primarily a volunteer organization with just two paid Kathleen Hirsch staff members.
    [Show full text]
  • February 15, 2021 Ms. Irene Khan Special Rapporteur on The
    February 15, 2021 Ms. Irene Khan Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression OHCHR-UNOG 8-14 Avenue de la Paix 1211 Geneve 10, Switzerland Re: UN Special Rapporteur’s Annual Thematic Report to be Presented to the Human Rights Council at its 47th Session in June 2021 To the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, The Technology and Social Change Team submits the following comment in response to the UN Special Rapporteur’s call for inputs regarding the upcoming report to the Human Rights Council, to be presented in June 2021. The Technology and Social Change team (TaSC) researches media manipulation and disinformation at scale. TaSC conducts research, develops methods, and facilitates workshops for students, journalists, policy makers, technologists, and civil society organizations on how to detect, document, and debunk media manipulation campaigns that seek to control public conversation, derail democracy, and disrupt society. TaSC is led by sociologist Joan Donovan, PhD, Research Director of Harvard Kennedy School's Shorenstein Center, and a field leading expert in online extremism, media manipulation, and disinformation. DISINFORMATION AT SCALE THREATENS FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION WORLDWIDE Comment of Joan Donovan, Emily Dreyfuss, Gabrielle Lim, and Brian Friedberg of The Technology and Social Change Team at the Harvard Shorenstein Center1 The human right to freedom of expression includes the right to have access to such expression. Increasingly, that access is threatened by social inequalities and the technological systems that hold the world’s information. Within the fragmented media ecosystem of the 21st century, opaque algorithms, policies, and enforcement mechanisms determine what information is available to whom.
    [Show full text]
  • OLLI at USM Newsletter April 2020
    Osher Lifelong Learning Institute USM O L L I N E W S L E T T E R April 2020 www.usm.maine.edu/olli OLLI Adjusts Special Section on the In so many ways OLLI keeps us con- Camden Conference nected and engaged. While the coronavi- rus pandemic has caused the cancellation Report on the of face-to-face classes, we’re busy behind the scenes with ideas about how we can ensure that our OLLI serves you. Conference We are training a group of OLLI faculty who want to experi- Page 6 ment with us in providing distance learning. This is NOT a dreary Note on the sort of online learning but a lively, social, and easy-to-use strategy using Zoom conferencing, teleconferencing/PDF or Google slides, Conference e-mail, and perhaps even Facebook. Page 9 This is our game plan moving forward: Our top priority is to move forward with the 15 to 20 courses and workshops that we hope to conduct via distance learning— IN THIS ISSUE through Zoom, teleconferencing, e-mail, or some other technique (such as Facebook instruction if the instructors are familiar with [Hint: Click on these to it). Training occurred during the weeks of March 16 and 23, for jump to their page.] classes starting the week of March 30. Your instructor should have been in touch with you with options on how to proceed. Social distance Our second priority will be to add content by developing a sec- Community Com- ond wave of classes offered by faculty who want to regenerate mittee News classes or offer new ones.
    [Show full text]
  • Toward Peace in the Southern Philippines
    UNITED STATES InsTITUTE OF PEACE www.usip.org SPECIAL REPORT 1200 17th Street NW • Washington, DC 20036 • 202.457.1700 • fax 202.429.6063 ABOUT THE REPORT G. Eugene Martin and Astrid S. Tuminez In 2003 the U.S. Department of State asked the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) to undertake a project to help expedite a peace agreement between the government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). The MILF has been engaged in a rebellion against the GRP for more than three decades, Toward Peace in the with the conflict concentrated on the southern island of Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago. This report highlights USIP activities in the Philippines from 2003 to 2007. It Southern Philippines describes the conflict and its background, the substance of ongoing negotiations, USIP efforts to “facilitate” the peace process, and insights on potentially constructive steps for A Summary and Assessment of the USIP moving the Philippine peace talks forward. It concludes with a few lessons learned from USIP’s engagement in this Philippine Facilitation Project, 2003–2007 specific conflict, as well as general observations about the potential value of a quasi-governmental entity such as USIP in facilitating negotiations in other conflicts. G. Eugene Martin was the executive director of the Philippine Facilitation Project. He is a retired Foreign Summary Service officer who served as deputy chief of mission at the • The Muslim inhabitants of Mindanao and Sulu in the southern Philippines, known U.S. Embassy in Manila. Astrid S. Tuminez served as the project’s senior research associate.
    [Show full text]
  • April 21 Bulletin
    April 21 Bulletin Bulletin April 21, 2021 Greetings! This issue of the Bulletin features previews of two upcoming events, member news and new resources that we hope you will enjoy. Our top stories this week include: A recap of our April 16 book night with John Maxwell Hamilton about his book, Manipulating the Masses: Woodrow Wilson and the Birth of American Propaganda. OPC Past President Bill Holstein has summarized a recent donation of about 40 books with ties to club and member history. To kick off a series of mini-reviews from the archive, he wrote about a book called Deadline Delayed. We published a remembrance page on April 20 to recognize the 10- year anniversary of the deaths of Tim Hetherington and Chris Hondros, who were both OPC Award winners. Happy reading! John Maxwell Hamilton Examines the Birth and Legacy of American Propaganda https://myemail.constantcontact.com/April-21-Bulletin.html?soid=1102853718750&aid=wovt-DSkyW0[5/18/2021 1:21:59 PM] April 21 Bulletin by Chad Bouchard In April 1917, just two weeks after the United States joined World War I, President Woodrow Wilson launched a mass propaganda agency with unchecked power and sweeping influence to support the war and mislead the public. A new book by OPC member John Maxwell Hamilton examines the history of the Committee on Public Information, known as the CPI, how its legacy “managed to shoot propaganda through every capillary of the American blood system,” and set the stage for U.S. government media manipulation over the last century. On April 16, Hamilton discussed the book, Manipulating the Masses: Woodrow Wilson and the Birth of American Propaganda, with OPC Past President Allan Dodds Frank.
    [Show full text]
  • Freedom of the Press 2009
    Freedom of the Press 2009 FURTHER DECLINES IN GLOBAL MEDIA INDEPENDENCE Selected data from Freedom House’s annual survey of press freedom Acknowledgments Freedom of the Press 2009 could not have been completed without the contributions of numerous Freedom House staff and consultants. The following section, entitled “The Survey Team,” contains a detailed list of writers without whose efforts this project would not have been possible. Karin Deutsch Karlekar, a senior researcher at Freedom House, served as managing editor of this year’s survey. Extensive research, editorial, and administrative assistance was provided by Denelle Burns, as well as by Sarah Cook, Tyler Roylance, Elizabeth Floyd, Joanna Perry, Joshua Siegel, Charles Liebling, and Aidan Gould. Overall guidance for the project was provided by Arch Puddington, director of research, and by Christopher Walker, director of studies. We are grateful for the insights provided by those who served on this year’s review team, including Freedom House staff members Arch Puddington, Christopher Walker, Karin Deutsch Karlekar, Sarah Cook, and Tyler Roylance. In addition, the ratings and narratives were reviewed by a number of Freedom House staff based in our overseas offices. This report also reflects the findings of the Freedom House study Freedom in the World 2009: The Annual Survey of Political Rights and Civil Liberties. Statistics on internet usage were taken from www.internetworldstats.com. This project was made possible by the contributions of the Asia Vision Foundation, F. M. Kirby, Free Voice, Freedom Forum, The Hurford Foundation, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Lilly Endowment Inc., The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, the National Endowment for Democracy, The Nicholas B.
    [Show full text]
  • A Resolution Recognizing Ginny Frizzi Submitted​
    Resolution 1: A Resolution Recognizing Ginny Frizzi Submitted by: Donald W. Meyers, SPJ Region 10 Coordinator and Rebecca ​ ​ ​ Tallent, University of Idaho chapter advisor. Cosponsors: Matt Hall, SPJ president-elect; Robert Leger, past SPJ national ​ president; Steve Geimann, past SPJ national president; Kevin Z. Smith, past SPJ national president; Rebecca Baker, past SPJ national president; Gordon “Mac: McKerral, past SPJ national president; Sonny Albarado, past SPJ national president; Howard Dubin, past SPJ national president; Hagit Limor, past SPJ national president; Kelly Hawes, former SPJ national president; Dave Aeikens, past SPJ National president; Al Cross, past SPJ national president; Patti Cross; Jay Evensen, SPJ Foundation Board Member; Sue Kopen Katcef, former SPJ vice president for campus chapter affairs; Bill McCloskey, former SPJ at-large director; Deb Krol, SPJ Region 11 coordinator; Jane Primerano, SPJ Region 1 coordinator; Nerissa Young, Ohio University chapter advisor; Joel Campbell, Brigham Young University chapter advisor; Kym Fox, Texas State University chapter co-advisor; Linda Hall, SPJ headquarters office manager; Deb Hurley Brobst, SPJ Colorado board member and former SPJ Region 9 Director; Jim Parker, director of digital content, News-Press & Gazette Co.; and Jennifer Royer, SPJ Director of Communications and Marketing Resolutions Committee Recommendation: Positive ​ WHEREAS Virginia A. “Ginny” Frizzi, a longtime member of the Society of ​ Professional Journalists and former national board member, died June
    [Show full text]
  • CTX Vol 2 No 4
    Vol. 2, No. 4 | CTX EDITORIAL STAFF From the Editor MICHAEL FREEMAN Executive Editor Welcome to our first special issue of CTX, “Social Media in Jihad and ANNA SIMONS Executive Editor Counterterrorism,” which is devoted to a wide-ranging exploration of social ELIZABETH SKINNER Managing Editor media and counterterrorism. Social media have become valuable tools for RYAN STUART Design & Layout combating crime and terrorism. According to LexisNexis® Risk Solutions, four out of five respondents to their survey of law enforcement professionals EDITORIAL REVIEW BOARD reported using social media, particularly Facebook and YouTube, to aid VICTOR ASAL investigations. One officer said he believed his department’s use of social University at Albany SUNY media allowed personnel to defuse a terrorist threat involving students at a ALEJANDRA BOLANOS local high school. Two-thirds said they thought access to social media helps National Defense University solve crimes more quickly. LAWRENCE CLINE Naval Postgraduate School To better understand the role of social media in combating terrorism, the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) in Monterey, California held a small STEPHEN DI RIENZO workshop on Social Media and Counterterrorism this past June. Sponsored National Intelligence University by the Combating Terrorism Fellowship Program, the workshop brought SAJJAN GOHEL together a diverse group of people, including researchers, law enforcement Asia Pacific Foundation and military officers, and media experts from the United States, Ireland, and SEBASTIAN GORKA the Philippines. Participants were invited to submit papers for inclusion in National Defense University this special issue of CTX. JAKUB GRYGIEL School of Advanced International We are delighted to present here six papers that we received from partici- Studies pants of the workshop.
    [Show full text]
  • Underneath the Autocrats South East Asia Media Freedom Report 2018
    UNDERNEATH THE AUTOCRATS SOUTH EAST ASIA MEDIA FREEDOM REPORT 2018 A REPORT INTO IMPUNITY, JOURNALIST SAFETY AND WORKING CONDITIONS 2 3 IFJ SOUTH EAST ASIA MEDIA FREEDOM REPORT IFJ SOUTH EAST ASIA MEDIA FREEDOM REPORT IFJ-SEAJU SOUTH EAST ASIA MEDIA SPECIAL THANKS TO: EDITOR: Paul Ruffini FREEDOM REPORT Ratna Ariyanti Ye Min Oo December 2018 Jose Belo Chiranuch Premchaiporn DESIGNED BY: LX9 Design Oki Raimundos Mark Davis This document has been produced by the International Jason Sanjeev Inday Espina-Varona Federation of Journalists (IFJ) on behalf of the South East Asia Um Sarin IMAGES: With special thanks Nonoy Espina Journalist Unions (SEAJU) Latt Latt Soe to Agence France-Presse for the Alexandra Hearne Aliansi Jurnalis Independen (AJI) Sumeth Somankae use of images throughout the Cambodia Association for Protection of Journalists (CAPJ) Luke Hunt Eih Eih Tin report. Additional photographs are Myanmar Journalists Association (MJA) Chorrng Longheng Jane Worthington contributed by IFJ affiliates and also National Union of Journalist of the Philippines (NUJP) Farah Marshita Thanida Tansubhapoi accessed under a Creative Commons National Union of Journalists, Peninsular Malaysia (NUJM) Alycia McCarthy Phil Thornton Attribution Non-Commercial Licence National Union of Journalists, Thailand (NUJT) U Kyaw Swar Min Steve Tickner and are acknowledged as such Timor Leste Press Union (TLPU) Myo Myo through this report. 2 3 CONTENTS IFJ SOUTH EAST ASIA MEDIA FREEDOM REPORT 2018 IMPUNITY, JOURNALIST SAFETY AND WORKING CONDITIONS IN SOUTH EAST ASIA
    [Show full text]
  • Urgent Action
    UA: 332/12 Index: AFR 27/013/2012 Gambia Date: 16 November 2012 URGENT ACTION GAMBIAN JOURNALISTS RECEIVE THREATS Journalist Abubacarr Saidykhan received a death threat on 13 November; this follows an earlier threat against himself and journalist Baboucarr Ceesay. They believe the threats are related to their attempts to peacefully demonstrate and their work as journalists. On 13 November at around midnight, Abubacarr Saidykhan reported that as he was talking to his brother near their compound gate in Ebo Town, Gambia, a black vehicle without license plates stopped outside. One of the four men in the car yelled, "We have [told] you that we will come for you without any further information. We got information that you are a very stubborn journalist. The next time we meet you your head will be hammered by one of our patriotic killers. Just continue to ignore our warnings." Abubacarr Saidykhan – an independent freelance journalist – and Baboucarr Ceesay – the First Vice President of The Gambia Press Union (GPU) – also received a death threat by email on 25 October. It said: “You choose to live or die…you… want to destroy the image of the APRC government and our affectionate President...I will come with my team of patriotic killers...” On 26 October, the journalists reported the initial threat to the Inspector General of Police. Both journalists stated they had police protection from 26 to 27 October. Abubacarr Saidykhan told Amnesty International that on 26 October, a man was stationed outside his gate, observing his house. Abubacarr Saidykhan instructed the police officer guarding him to question the man but when the police officer approached him, the man got in his car and drove away.
    [Show full text]