In Philippines, journalists and media organisations sue president’s husband for chilling effect on press freedom

More than half of the 45 reporters, columnists, editors and publishers the First Gentleman, Jose Miguel Arroyo, has sued for libel are filing a civil class action suit against him on 28 December 2006, according to a release from the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR), a SEAPA founding member.

Because the suit is being filed on behalf of the press, the journalists have been joined by other journalists and media and journalists’ organizations, among them the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility, Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, and The Daily Tribune.

Philippine journalist dies from stabbing; former police personnel tried over death of another

Assailants stabbed to death a community journalist on 20 December 2006 in Batac, Ilocos Norte, a province north of Manila, according to a report from the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR), a founding member of SEAPA.

Cambodian authorities urged to investigate traffic accident involving radio journalist

The Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) is concerned that Cambodian authorities are not investigating an apparent traffic accident that has left a journalist of Radio Free Asia, Sok Serei, in critical condition.

Information from the Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR) and Alliance of Freedom of Expression in Cambodia (AFEC) suggests that the “accident” could be a premeditated hit-and-run over Sok’s work in the past months as the maverick reporter had been highlighting civil society’s criticisms of the government and exposing corruption. One case involved a high-ranking official in the Ministry of Rural Development.

Open - applications to SEAPA 2007 Journalism Fellowship Program

BANGKOK – The Southeast Asian Press Alliance announces the opening of applications for the 2007 SEAPA Journalism Fellowship Program. The Fellowship theme for 2007 is, “Human Rights Versus a Culture of Impunity in Southeast Asia.”

Journalist nationals of all Southeast Asian countries (Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Singapore, Vietnam, Laos, Burma, Brunei Darussalam, and East Timor) may compete for 15 Fellowships available for the summer of 2007. To be eligible for the Fellowship, applicants must have at least five years’ experience as journalists in any medium (print, TV, radio or online), either as staff of media organizations or as freelancers. They should have some background or experience in writing on social, political, and/or economic issues in their countries and interest in writing in-depth human interest stories or investigative pieces.

Based on professional credentials and story proposals, the Fellowship Program will afford Fellows limited travel to a second Southeast Asian country where they can spend up to three weeks researching and writing/producing a story of their choice.

Fellows are allowed to produce stories in their own native language for publication/broadcast in their home countries, but familiarity with spoken English will be a consideration for acceptance into the program, given the cross-border coverages and in light of pre- and post-coverage workshops that Fellows will be taking part in.

Singapore’s key opposition leader freed earlier for good behaviour

The Singapore government released vocal opposition leader Dr Chee Soon Juan from prison on 16 December 2006, two weeks short of the five-week term meted out to him for speaking in public without a permit.

Malaysian government tells editors to downplay reports on toll hike

The Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) is concerned with the latest interference in the media by the Malaysian government through a directive to downplay news of an increase in highway toll charges.

Five Philippine journalists charged with libel of president’s husband, post bail

CMFR/Philippines - Five journalists posted bail at the Regional Trial Court of the Manila City Hall on 14 December 2006 following the court’s approval of the filing of libel charges against them by Jose Miguel Arroyo, the husband of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

SEAPA welcomes annulment of ‘lèse majesté’ articles in Indonesia, urges for draft Criminal Code to reject curbs on free expression

The Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) welcomes the Indonesian Constitutional Court’s landmark ruling on 6 December 2006, which declared as unconstitutional the “lèse majesté” articles that criminalise insulting the president and vice-president.

Under the now annulled articles 134, 136, and 137 of the Criminal Code, anyone who disseminated, demonstrated openly or put up a writing or portrait containing an insult against the president or vice-president was liable to be imprisoned for up to six years. A legacy of the Dutch colonialists, these articles had been abused by the Suharto regime, silencing political opponents, critics, students and human rights activists.

We applaud the Court’s wisdom in recognising that such laws “hamper the freedom for conveying thoughts, orally or written, and the right to express (oneself),” as announced by the Constitutional Court Chair Jimly Asshiddiqie.

Burma’s U Win Tin is RSF Journalist of the Year

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has awarded Burmese U Win Tin the Journalist of the Year title at the 15th RSF-Fondation de France Prize ceremony in Paris on 12 December 2006. 

The 76-year-old journalist is serving a 20-year prison sentence for “subversion” and “anti-government propaganda” and has been imprisoned for 17 years now in junta-ruled Burma. Despite his failing health, he refuses to renounce his commitment to the National League for Democracy, the rightful ruling party of the day which won a landslide electoral victory in 1990. He continues to call for the unconditional release of thousands of prisoners of opinion detained by the junta. Read more about U Win Tin and the winners of the other categories here.

“Kompas Daily” fires journalist-cum-union-leader for refusing reassignment; AJI calls it a move to undermine union

The Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) protests the dismissal of senior journalist Bambang Wisudo from “Kompas Daily” on 8 December 2006 and the intimidating manner in which it was done.

Bambang, who is also secretary of the Kompas Trade Union, has worked for the Jakarta-based newspaper for 15 years.

He was purportedly dismissed for refusing to be reassigned to Ambon, in the Maluku Province, 2,300km east of Jakarta.

However, AJI said that Wisudo’s reassignment was prompted by his efforts to improve the union’s reportage standards and address policies instituted by the newspaper’s management seen to be disruptive to workforce productivity and the readers.