SOUTH EAST HOLDING ASIA MEDIA FREEDOM THE LINE REPORT 2019 IMPUNITY, JOURNALIST SAFETY AND WORKING CONDITIONS IN SOUTH EAST ASIA 2 3 SOUTH EAST ASIA MEDIA FREEDOM REPORT SOUTH EAST ASIA MEDIA FREEDOM REPORT SOUTH EAST ASIA MEDIA EDITOR: Laxmi Murthy Farah Marshita Images: With special thanks to Aung Zaw Min Agence France-Presse for the FREEDOM REPORT EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Melanie Morrison use of images throughout the November 2019 Jane Worthington Hesthi Murthi report. Additional photographs Andrew Nachemson are contributed by IFJ affiliates This document has been produced by the International Farah Marshita Abdul Patah and also accessed under a Eugenio Pereira Creative Commons Attribution Federation of Journalists (IFJ) on behalf of the South SPECIAL THANKS TO: Um Sarin Non-Commercial Licence and East Asia Journalist Unions (SEAJU) Ratna Ariyanti Chin Sung Chew are acknowledged as such Aliansi Jurnalis Independen (AJI) Horacio Afonso Fatima Babo Thanida Tansubhapol through this report. Cambodia Association for Protection of Journalists Jhoanna Ballaran Eih Eih Tin (CAPJ) Simon Beck Sineat Yon Jose Belo Myanmar Journalists Association (MJA) Van Vichar Kulachada Chaipipat National Union of Journalist of the Philippines (NUJP) Francisco B. S.Da Costa National Union of Journalists, Peninsular Malaysia (NUJM) Nonoy Espina Design by: LX9 Design National Union of Journalists, Thailand (NUJT) Musdalifah Fachri [email protected] Timor Leste Press Union (TLPU) Jason Sanjeev Ganesan 2 3 CONTENTS SOUTH EAST ASIA MEDIA FREEDOM REPORT 2019 PRESS FREEDOM, JOURNALIST SAFETY AND IMPUNITY IN SOUTH EAST ASIA 4 FOREWORD SOUTH EAST ASIA MEDIA FREEDOM REPORT 6 OVERVIEW SOUTH EAST ASIA MEDIA FREEDOM REPORT 10 THE AMPATUAN MASSACRE 10 YEARS HENCE COUNTRY CHAPTERS 14 CAMBODIA 20 INDONESIA 26 MALAYSIA 32 MYANMAR 38 PHILIPPINES 46 THAILAND 54 TIMOR LESTE 60 IFJ-SEAJU SURVEY: KEY FINDINGS & RESULTS 2019 62 VIOLATIONS AND JOURNALISTS’ SAFETY INDICATORS List of Media Rights Violations by Journalists’ Safety Indicators (JSIs) - November 1, 2018 to October 31, 2019 - Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, Timor Leste COVER PHOTO: Filipino journalist Maria Ressa gives a statement to the media after being freed on bail on February 14, 2019. Ressa, the CEO and founder of Rappler, was arrested and was the subject of a lengthy legal campaign over the news website’s criticisms of the president of the Philippines, This document has been produced with The author will be responsible for the part of UNESCO concerning the legal Rodrigo Duterte. CREDIT: NOEL CELIS / AFP support from the Media, Safety and choice and presentation of the facts status of any country, territory, city or ABOVE: A newspaper vendor the day Solidarity Fund (MSSF) and the United contained in the paper and for the area, or its authorities or concerning after Thailand’s much-anticipated election Nations Educational, Scientific and opinions expressed therein, which will the delimitation of its frontiers and predicts a likely victory to the military junta- Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). not be necessarily those of UNESCO boundaries. led party on March 25, 2019. The election and do not commit the Organisation, failed to bring democracy back on track in The views and contents expressed the designations employed and the CC-BY-SA license Thailand, but reinstated military dominance herein are those of the IFJ and can in presentation of material throughout in the ruling 19-party coalition. Credit: YE no way be taken to reflect the official this book will not imply the expression Open Access is not applicable to non- AUNG THU / AFP opinion of UNESCO. of any opinion whatsoever on the IFJ copyright photos in this publication. 4 5 FOREWORD here is a pretty scary trend As our title suggests, South East emerging in South East Asia Asia’s media is determinedly Holding when it comes to media the Line against forces both overt and freedom. unseen, both online and offline that TMore and more, good journalists are trying in various ways to silence front their daily jobs in fear of being them. Together they are fighting back, targeted for their work, but more they are building solidarity and they are IFJ SOUTH EAST ASIA MEDIA FREEDOM REPORT IFJ SOUTH EAST ASIA MEDIA FREEDOM REPORT specifically being caught up in raising the voice of media freedom in debilitating legal maelstroms. this complex and challenged region. In 2019, far too many journalists in The 2019 South East Asia Media the region were threatened with legal Freedom Report details some of these action, stymied in the course of their key legal cases across the region over work as a result and hauled through the period, including that of Maria lengthy court battles on spurious Ressa who is fronting a large scale charges. While some were free to attempt by the Philippines government continue their work awaiting trial, to silence her and her Rappler, online others had their movements severely media outlet. Rappler is currently controlled and others were simply facing 10 cases and investigations, locked up without recourse. including the revocation of its license But the worrying end result is the to operate after it was found to have Indonesian journalists cited targeted attacks for their work, threats to potential contagion effect that could accommodated a foreign investor, colleagues or people close to them, more widely impacting the media allegedly in violation of regulations on and random physical attacks by the industry in South East Asia; that the media ownership. public. National demonstrations against President Joko Widodo’s proposed law broader collective is forced to self- to outlaw gay and pre-marital sex was censor or curb critical reporting that one of the trigger points in the year might otherwise put it in firmly in with protests in Bandung on September 23. Credit: Timur Matahari / AFP the legal firing line of political players KEY THREATS TO JOURNALISM: and other powerful forces. 1. Arrest or detainment by authorities For those driving this surge of 2. Targeted attack for journalism work litigation against media workers, the 3. Threats to myself or others close to As Ressa so aptly summarised objective is pretty clear. Silence the me; Poor wages and working conditions the state of play this year: “At the media and shut down the truth. If an very least, you see intent. … It’s the idle threat isn’t enough to turn the 61% felt insecure because of their job government using all of its forces to screws, then legal action is the latest in the past year (up from 50% in 2018) try to intimidate a journalist. … And I weapon. don’t think that I’m alone, that I was Despite this prevailing climate the target necessarily. I think they mean of intimidation, there is hope and to let every journalist know, ‘This could grizzly determination. happen to you.’” There’s no doubt that South East Holding the Line also looks at the Asia’s media workers are brave and other individual journalist violations defiant lot. This courage is epitomized 24% were personally threatened and the major threats against media in the legal travails of people like the that punctuated the year: from internet Philippines’ Maria Ressa, Malaysia’s shutdowns and online controls Steven Gan and Cambodia’s Yeang in Papua; to wide-scale protests in Sothearin and Uon Chhin. Indonesia where journalists were too They, and many other journalists often targeted by both the police and fighting their own battles, are what the public; through to the mass layoffs 28% had legal issues affect their place this report is all about in a region that impacted so much of Malaysia of work where the true promise of democracy and Thailand’s media industry with continues to elude in terms of the the closure of major media houses fourth estate and the vital role it including Utusan Malaysia and the should be able play, but too often end of print production of The Nation can’t. newspaper in Thailand. 4 5 FOREWORD IFJ SOUTH EAST ASIA MEDIA FREEDOM REPORT IFJ SOUTH EAST ASIA MEDIA FREEDOM REPORT When we launched the first ever Individual country reports are backed As we launch this year’s report, it is survey last year of impunity, journalist also by a survey of nearly 1,300 media appropriate that we are also marking safety and working conditions in South workers across the region. The results the 10th anniversary of the Ampatuan East Asia last year, the aim was to get a highlight clear evidence on the state of massacre in the Philippines, where deeper understanding of the journalist health for South East Asia’s media and, 58 people were murdered while experience both in the workplace and more importantly, highlight the areas travelling in a political convoy in out in the field. of vulnerability and issues for potential Mindanao on November 23, 1999. To do that, we needed to talk to solidarity action. The grizzly attack – the largest journalists, hear about their issues, Tellingly, 61 per cent of journalists single attack against the media in their worries and their fears. It was felt insecure because of their job history – extinguished the lives of an ambitious task but thanks to the in the past year, 24 per cent were 32 journalists that day. In a special dedication and determination of the personally threatened and 28 per cent report, we outline the long fight to IFJ’s South East Asian affiliates, so began had legal issues affect their place of hold the perpetrators accountable. the task of building a record by which work. Nearly a third of all respondents Ten years on, the families and we can monitor the region year by year. defined government efforts to provide colleagues of those who lost their Importantly, this report could not have sufficient protection to journalists as lives are still waiting for justice to been possible without the dedicated worsening.