The Freedom Frontier PRESS FREEDOM IN SOUTH ASIA 2014-15 THIRTEENTH ANNUAL IFJ PRESS FREEDOM REPORT FOR SOUTH ASIA 2014-15 THE FREEDOM FRONTIER: PRESS FREEDOM IN SOUTH ASIA 2014-15 CONTENTS THE FREEDOM FRONTIER: PRESS FREEDOM IN SOUTH ASIA 2014-15 1. Foreword 3 Editor : Laxmi Murthy 2. Overview 5 Special thanks to: Ujjwal Acharya 3. Impunity 11 Shujaat Bukhari Sunanda Deshapriya n Nepal Paba Deshapriya Dilrukshi Handunnetti n Sri Lanka Alexandra Hearne Sabina Inderjit n Pakistan Khairuzzaman Kamal Samandar Khan 4. Capsule Reports: Conflict Zones 24 Iqbal Khattak Lesly Lotha 5. Gender & Media 42 Sujata Madhok Sukumar Muralidharan 6. Afghanistan 54 S.K. Pande Seetha Ranjanee 7. Bangladesh 59 Tahir Rathore Adnan Rehmat 8. Bhutan 65 Saleem Samad S.N. Sinha 9. India 69 Ali Shamaan Kinley Tshering 10. The Maldives 80 Zia ul-Haq Jane Worthington 11. Nepal 84 Designed by: Impulsive Creations 12. Pakistan 90 Images: Photographs are contributed by IFJ 13. Sri Lanka 97 affiliates and also accessed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Licence 14. Annexure: List of Media Rights Violations, May 2014 to April 2015 104 and are acknowledged as such through this report. Cover Photo: On March 24, 2015, India’s Supreme Court ruled that Section 66A of the Information Technology (IT) Act contradicted the rights of freedom of expression after a massive media and legal campaign across the country. Credit: Strdel/AFP May 2015 This document has been produced with support from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and This document has been produced by the International Federation of Cultural Organisation (UNESCO); United Nations Journalists (IFJ) on behalf of the South Asia Media Solidarity Network Democracy Fund (UNDEF); and the Norwegian (SAMSN). Ministry of Foreign Affairs (NMFA). The views and contents expressed herein are those of the IFJ and Afghan Independent Journalists’ Association can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion All India Newspapers Employees’ Federation of UNESCO, UNDEF and NMFA. Bangladesh Manobadhikar Sangbadik Forum The author will be responsible for the choice and presentation of the facts contained in the paper Federation of Nepali Journalists and for the opinions expressed therein, which will Free Media Movement, Sri Lanka not be necessarily those of UNESCO, UNDEF and NMFA and do not commit the Organisations, Indian Journalists’ Union the designations employed and the presentation of material throughout this book will not imply the Journalists Association of Bhutan expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part Maldives Journalists’ Association of UINESCO, UNDEF and NMFA concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or National Union of Journalists, India its authorities or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers and boundaries. National Union of Journalists, Nepal Nepal Press Union Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists Sri Lanka Working Journalists’ Association https://samsn.ifj.org/map/ provides a listing of all known cases of media rights violations from 2014 South Asia Media Solidarity Network (SAMSN) – Defending rights of journalists and freedom of expression in South Asia United Nations samsn.ifj.org/ Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization 2 THE FREEDOM FRONTIER: PRESS FREEDOM IN SOUTH ASIA 2014-15 FOREWORD hen it comes to the battle for freedom access information. Importantly, journalists are taking their of expression and defending the rights of battles to the courts, online and to the streets and they are Windependent journalists, few could downplay harnessing digital tactics to build campaigns and solidarity the pressure and intensity of the media scene in South with their colleagues in the region. Asia. It is a region that is vibrant both in terms of the sheer number and diversity of media outlets and in the passion of Journalists are taking their battles to the journalists at work. But it is also incredibly challenged the courts, online and to the streets on multiple fronts when it comes to journalist safety and the continuing aggressive controls placed on freedom of and they are harnessing digital tactics expression. to build campaigns and solidarity with This 13th annual review of journalism in the region, The Freedom Frontier: Press Freedom in South Asia 2014-15, their colleagues in the region. explores the frontlines, both old and new, that continue to The year under review in this report (May 2014 to April shape and define the region’s media development and in 2015) shows that journalists and media workers remain many ways thwart ongoing efforts to build a robust media victims and, too often, targets in the deadly power environment. It is our biggest report to date and brings struggles on which that they report. Within this time together analysis and specialised chapters on key areas such period, 14 journalists lost their lives, mostly in targeted as the fight against impunity, reporting in conflict zones and attacks. Pakistan was the world’s most deadly country for gender equity in the media. journalists, while Afghanistan experienced heightened levels of violence and a spike in journalist killings leading up What is clear from the strong reports gathered from across to and after the country’s protracted presidential election. the region is that freedom to express is being limited. So Bangladesh has also carved a bloody name as a deadly too, constitutional guarantees on independent media arena for journalists, particularly for those operating in continue to be weakened by contradictory laws intent on the online space. The year witnessed a rise in religious silencing oppositional voices or views interpreted as being extremists in Bangladesh brutally murdering and targeting threatening or undermining state security. Amid and in journalists and bloggers in their homes and on the street. spite of all that, thousands of media workers across the seven countries reported remain doggedly focussed on The digital realm is the newest frontier of conflict for press presenting the story. Often at great personal risk, they freedom but it also presents tremendous opportunities for are defending the public’s right to know and the right to informing, connecting with audiences and in harnessing US-Bangladeshi blogger Avijit Roy was brutally murdered in Dhaka in February 2015. Following his death, hundreds of Bangladeshis held vigils and protests across the city condemning his murder. Credit: Munir Uz Zaman/AFP 3 THE FREEDOM FRONTIER: PRESS FREEDOM IN SOUTH ASIA 2014-15 The South Asia Media Solidarity Network (SAMSN) and the SAMSN digital hub provide a critical space for the region’s media journalists to express themselves, exchange good practices and share ideas in freedom of expression advocacy. The annual SAMSN networking meeting in Kathmandu, Nepal, in July 2014. Credit: IFJ regional solidarity and action. This report explores some For the first time, the report also features a special focus of the battles won, such as the concerted campaign and on conflict zones in the region: Balochistan and Khyber victory that rid India of the of the controversial Section 66A Pakthunkhwa in Pakistan, Kashmir in India and the Northern of the Information Technology (IT) Act, and some of the and Eastern Provinces in Sri Lanka. Journalists in these mighty battles ahead to stop new laws and censorship that hotspots have borne the brunt of decades-long ethnic, inhibit the flow of information. political strike and separatist struggles. Many have lost their lives, and the campaign to end impunity gathers strength, As journalists in South Asia continue to build monitoring fuelled by the memory of our brave colleagues and the networks to combat violations in their work, they must also determination of that they should not have died in vain. equip themselves in the online realm to work and campaign effectively and securely. Importantly, as we explore the newer challenges to journalism, we must remain focussed on the all too real In our gender chapter, we clearly document how women dangers of reporting from the ground and the ongoing journalists in South Asia are a critical and growing voice in campaign against impunity for attacks against journalists. the media. Yet while more and more women continue to This is a campaign that is gathering momentum and is join journalism’s ranks, they are also particularly vulnerable beginning to engineer results in places like Pakistan and as workers, as the highlights of the media and gender Nepal. But the battle will be waged and won on multiple research by SAMSN-IFJ in partnership with the UNESCO and fronts and can only be dented through meaningful UN Women show. The focus on gender and media in South cooperation between media, civil society and governments. Asia not only spotlights the struggles of women journalists to break into a male-dominated profession, but also There is no doubt journalist unions and associations and showcases best practices from the region. These success others working for human rights must remain united in stories show how so many women and forward-thinking their frontline campaigns to this end – both online and media companies are working to lead the way in practicing offline. The SAMSN and the SAMSN digital hub provide a ethical and professional journalism; strengthening their critical space for the region’s media journalists to express rights and solidarity networks and, ultimately ensuring that themselves, exchange good practices and share ideas in gender equity gets a firm footing from media outlets and freedom of expression advocacy. unions. This report is part of the effort to build regional solidarity The focus on gender and media to meet the needs of South Asia’s media and is prepared by the IFJ-Asia Pacific with support and inputs from the many in South Asia not only spotlights great voices and IFJ affiliates that comprise SAMSN. the struggles of women journalists As we take on journalism’s fights ahead, we hope The Freedom Frontier will be a meaningful addition to our to break into a male-dominated solidarity efforts.