Indonesia’s journalists call for charge against colleague to be dropped

The following is a statement issued by the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) Indonesia

Press freedom, which has been guaranteed by the Constitution, is being tested again. Today, 30 August 2006, the South Jakarta District Court opened the trial against Teguh Santosa, editor-in-chief of Rakyat Merdeka (RM) Online, who is accused of breaching Articles 156 and 156 (a) of the Criminal Code (KUHP) on defamation against religion. Teguh faces five years of imprisonment if found guilty.

Malaysian editor calls for repeal of licencing requirement

Nexnews group editor-in-chief Ho Kay Tat argues that the huge set-up costs of a printing business already make owners accountable financially, hence there is no need for the government’s licencing requirement as a means of controlling the media, reports The Sun, a daily published by Nexnews. Ho was speaking at a public forum on the state of press freedom in Malaysia alongside veteran journalist Ahmad Subki Abdul Latiff, Sin Chew Daily general manager for legal and corporate services Chan May May and malaysiakini editor-in-chief Steven Gan.

Philippine National Security Adviser wants dossiers on media ‘commies’

The Philippine National Security Adviser says communists have ‘infiltrated’ the country’s media, and is suggesting that there may be a need for government to start profiling journalists. Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales’ statement is drawing condemnation from the National Union of Journalists in the Philippines and the country’s legislators. In 2005, a Powerpoint presentation titled ‘Knowing the Enemy’ and prepared by the military, tagged the NUJP and the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism as two such communist-inspired ‘enemies of the state’.

Singapore drops case against filmmaker See

Singapore Rebel reports that Singaporean police have finally dropped their case against filmmaker Martyn See, “after 16 months of investigation, three interrogation sessions, 120 questions, and not discounting a covert round of interviews with some (of Mr. See’s) friends and associates.”

AJI names top enemies of Indonesian press

Indonesia’s Alliance of Independent Journalists has just released a list of the country’s top ‘Enemies of the Press’. No.1 on the list: Mob violence and thuggery. AJI also named the capital city of Jakarta as the most dangerous place for Indonesian journalists.

Vietnam filtering, monitoring Internet more

The Open Net Initiative, in a recently released study on Vietnam, reports an increase in Internet censorship in the country. ONI’s research finds that Vietnamese officials are particularly bent on filtering content that question the country’s one-party system. ONI also says that, apparently paying close attention to China’s practices, Vietnam’s technical sophistication and effectiveness with respect to its capacity to control Internet content is “increasing with time”.

Cops drop in on Malaysiakini.com

The Kuala Lumpur-based Centre for Independent Journalism is expressing concern over a visit paid by police to the office of independent web-based daily, Malaysiakini.com, on 8 August. The police claimed Malaysiakini had defamed them by alleging police involvement in a pepper spray attack on former premier Mahathir Mohamad. The Bernama news agency reports that police filed a formal report on the Malaysiakini story, so as to enable themselves to carry out a formal investigation.

Singapore shortens leash on foreign newspapers

One month ahead of an IMF-WB meeting in Singapore, the city-state’s government has imposed more controls on foreign companies publishing newspapers and magazines in the country. Singapore’s government said it will reclassify the Far Eastern Economic Review under more stringent categories for foreign publications, and also lift exemptions on legal representation and publishing bonds granted to four other international media — the International Herald Tribune, Financial Times, Newsweek and TIME Magazine. This means that the publications will soon be required to post S$200,000 for the privilege of publishing and distributing in the country, and to hire their own legal representation to continue operating in Singapore — two mechanisms that institutionalize vulnerabilities for the publications.

Malaysia will detain Internet ‘liars’

The Star reports of a warning by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi that authors of seditious, slanderous and incorrect postings on the Internet will be detained.

Arroyo orders results, draws skeptics, on activist and journo killings in Philippines

The Irrawady reports that Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has given the police 10 weeks to produce results in their probes into the spate of killings of Filipino activists and journalists. Many are skeptical, however, about the President’s sincerity and the resolve of the police, says the Philippine Daily Inquirer.