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PRESS FREEDOM TODAY
A global panorama of censorship and repression (by tb)
Yu Huafeng (publisher and deputy editor of the liberal daily Nanfang Dushi Bao, China)
imprisoned since 14 january 2004 for false charges of corruption and stealing public funds. The conviction is linked with the popular Cantonese paper’s investigative journalism, about the SARS epidemic and the death of a young man, Sun Zhigang, who was beaten to death in a city police station. The trial aims to foster a climate of fear among Chinese journalists.
Mohammed Almosawi and Hussain Yousif (Bahrainonline moderators)
arrested in the beginning of March 2005 after the initial imprisonement of another Online forum moderator Ali Abdulemam on February 27th. They are facing five possible charges, including defaming the king, inciting hatred and undermining the country’s security. Like many other critical webpages Bahrainonline is not accessible within the country. It gives Internet-users the opportunity to post their comments on political, social and religious issues and it regularly posts messages that are very critical of the authorities. Offences “against the Islamic faith, the unity of the people and the person of the king”, and “inciting division or sectarianism” are punishable by six months to five years in prison.
Five weekly editors questioned in Nepal
For publishing blank pages in protest against censorship, and the mistreatment of a reporter while being questioned by soldiers in Kathmandu. Editors of the national weekly Deshantar and Bimarsh were questioned by Nepalese authorities, in early March. Since February 1st 2005 the new censorship measures imposed by the king are in effect. But as one of the editors Kabir Rana, most of the journalists “will continue to write in support of democracy and press freedom and [will be] ready to go to jail for this cause”. The editors now agreed to “fill the blank spaces with reports about social issues, but not politics”, said another dissident, who spent 22 days in detention in March 2002 already.
Chinese authorities border the infinite possibilites of the internet
China is the country where the technology for e-mail interception and Internet censorship is even more developed than in the US. The authorities use a mix of propaganda, disinformation and repression to inhibit online free expression. The Internet can indeed become a propaganda media, as the Chinese officials show. Nonetheless many Chinese Internet users are inventive enough to develop the technical know-how to evade Beijing’s censorship. Even arrested or exiled dissidents help to create tools to foil the Chinese firewalls and try to put pressure on the governments in the countries where they live. [Google and Yahoo recently agreed on applying limits to their search engines in China as the words “free tibet”.]
Kyrgyz authorities harass independent media ahead of elections
There are only few independent papers and media programs in Kyrgyzstan, most of them published by US firms like the Media Support Center. Prior to this years legislative elections governmental harrasment and ist constant blocks of press freedom became more obvious than ever before. The country’s best-selling opposition newspapers (MSN, Analitika, Respublica and Litsa), suffered power cuts in late February threatening publication. The only independent radio, Radio Azattyk, had the plug pulled completely from February 24 until the 26th. The opposition sites www.gazeta.kg and www.kyrgyz.us, were completely blocked on 25. February. While thousands of demonstrators continue their protests in six out of the country’s eight regions against the unfair elimination of opposition candidates, whose registration has been cancelled by the authorities, the president is taking legal action against media producers to remain candidate for the second round of the presidential elections in Mid-March 2005.
Austrian journalist detained and held in prison in Istanbul for 18 days
Sandra Bakutz of radio Orange 94.0 and the German newspaper Junge Welt, was arrested in the beginning of February on her arrival at Atatürk International Airport in Istanbul on a charge of “belonging to an illegal organisation”. Bakutz was taken to the Pasakapisi detention centre in Istanbul on February 16th, and was then transferred to the prison in Gebze, to await trial. “Her imprisonment, which has so far lasted 18 days, is based on vague suspicions and is not supported by an international arrest warrant”, Reporters without Borders officials said.
Bakutz, who has been involved for several years in defending Turkish political prisoners, was supposed to attend the trial of 82 activists who were arrested in an international police operation on 1 April 2004 against the DHKP-C (Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party/Front), a far-left movement classified as a terrorist organisation by the United States and the European Union. Her alleged membership of DHKP-C is in no way proven. The Austrian ambassador and Austrian consul general in Istanbul went to Gebze prison yesterday morning but only the consul general was allowed to see her. She shares her cell with 10 other political prisoners and is not allowed to make telephone calls or have any other contact with the outside world.
Magazine suspended for carrying St Valentine’s Day advertisement
Han Thit, one of Burmas biggest magazines was suspended for two months over an ad for St Valentine’s Day, which is banned in Burma. Authorities also highlighted a two-week ban against a weekly for publishing a false report and repeated an appeal for advance censorship, imposed on all media, to be lifted. The military junta has banned this lovers’ festival which it sees as arising from negative Western influences. Han Thit was previously sanctioned in September 2004 for allowing the headline of a censored article to appear in the list of contents. It was given a one-month ban in October 2003 for referring to a writer who had been blacklisted by the censorship bureau. Two other monthly publications, Nwe Ni and Myanma Dana, were banned from publishing in February 2005 because their cover pages had not been passed by the censorship bureau. On February 17 the censorship bureau’s director, Major Aye Thun, was forced to retire, probably inheriting his chair directly to officers in the War Office.