Philippine journalists, sued by president’s husband, post bail after being issued arrest warrants

Journalists Ramon, Erwin, and Raffy Tulfo posted a P10, 000 (approx. US$200) bail bond each at the Quezon City Regional Trial court branch 83 after a judge issued warrants for their arrest last 26 January 2007, according to a release from the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility, a SEAPA founding member.

In Thailand, newspaper office hit by two small bombs

Two small explosions occurred outside a newspaper office in a northern suburb of Bangkok in the early hours of 30 January 2007, causing minor damage to building and the hotel next door, but no casualties.

Democracy activist in Burma sues 123 editors, publishers for defamation

A democracy activist in Rangoon has filed a defamation suit against 123 editors, editors-in-chief and publishers from 30 weekly newspapers in military-ruled Burma for publishing a report that cast aspersions on her, reports Mizzima News on 29 January 2007.

Naw Ohn Hla, 45, a former political prisoner and supporter of detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, said the report, written by a journalist called Yan Yan, linked to her a widely known, but now deceased, pimp who lived in her area.

“It greatly affected women’s dignity,” Naw told Mizzima News, an online daily and SEAPA partner based in New Delhi.

Philippine provincial governor threatens journalists with libel suit ahead of elections

Governor Josie Mendoza dela Cruz of Bulacan, a province north of Manila, warned journalists on 22 January 2007 that she will file libel charges against them if they report “unsubstantiated news to malign her reputation”, according to a 27 January 2007 release from the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR), a SEAPA founding member.

“Anticipating various tactics of political mudslinging pending the coming May elections, dela Cruz declared that she would file charges against members of the press who write or report unsubstantiated news to malign her reputation,” a report from the provincial public affairs office of Bulacan said.

Dela Cruz made the announcement before provincial government employees in the provincial capital’s gym.

Police manhandle and arrest blogger covering protest in Malaysia, briefly detain journalist

The Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) is concerned that police in Malaysia roughed up and arrested a blogger at a peaceful assembly, and briefly detained an online journalist covering the event on 21 January 2007.

Blogger Tan Han Kuo had attempted to document the peaceful assembly held to protest a recent increase in highway toll charges, said a 26 January release from the Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ), a SEAPA partner in Malaysia.

Six-year murder case of Philippine journalist reopened

A resolution by the Department of Justice (DOJ) on 16 January 2007 ordered the reopening of the murder case against the suspected killers of radio broadcaster Rolando Ureta, who was killed on 3 January 2001 in Aklan, a province south of Manila, according to a release by SEAPA founding member, the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR).

The defendants’ alibis were insufficient, said the DOJ in reversing the 6 December 2004 dismissal of the murder case against them. It directed the Aklan provincial prosecutor to file the appropriate charges against Amador Paz and Jessie Ticar.

“I’m very happy. For six years I have been praying for something to happen with the case. This is an answered prayer,” Emely Ureta, widow of the slain journalist, said.

Two news programmes critical of Arroyo cancelled; investigative news magazine to stop print

Two television news programmes that were critical of the administration of Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo have been taken off the air by its home station network ABC 5.

According to a release by the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR), a SEAPA founding member in the Philippines, “Dokyu” and “Frontlines” were allegedly cancelled by network owner Antonio Cojuangco.

Landmark suit in Malaysia rightly has bloggers up in arms

The Southeast Asian Press Alliance views with grave concern a landmark suit in Malaysia filed on 4 January 2007 by a major news group and its top executives against two bloggers for “defamation” and “malicious falsehoods”. SEAPA sees this case as going beyond the interests of private entities. It will impact on Malaysians’ access to diverse and independent news, commentary, and information, and will also adversely affect the Internet as a medium for free expression in a country where much of the mainstream press is owned and influenced by political parties and government itself.

While the plaintiffs, the New Straits Times Press (NSTP), its Deputy Chairperson Kalimullah Hassan, Group Editor-in-Chief Hishamuddin Aun and former group editor Brenden Pereira, have the right to seek redress against any harm done to their reputation, their suit against the bloggers attacks the burgeoning movement of independent writing itself.

Malaysia’s community of bloggers have come together to condemn the filing of the cases as a threat to free expression in the country in general.

SEAPA notes that the two bloggers being sued, Jeff Ooi and Ahirudin Attan, have been actively exposing ethical issues pertaining to the traditional media that - because they are all either government owned and controlled, or linked through close business and political associates - give little room to dissenting views.

In Malaysia, news group and media executives sue bloggers for libel

A major news group in Malaysia and its top executives are suing two bloggers for “defamation” and “malicious falsehood” over certain postings they permitted or made in their blogs.

The New Straits Times Press (NSTP),  its Deputy Chairperson Kalimullah Hassan, Group Editor-in-Chief Hishamuddin Aun and former group editor Brenden Pereira filed a defamation suit against popular socio-political bloggers Jeff Ooi and Ahirudin Attan on 4 January 2007.

Thai junta censoring CNN’s interview with Thaksin

Thailand’s military leaders on 15 January moved to block CNN broadcasts of the cable network’s exclusive interview with deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, less than a week after warning the Thai press about giving the ousted leader such access to the media.
Thai papers are reporting that the Council for National Security (CNS), as Thailand’s ruling military council is known, had asked for the “cooperation” of UBCTV, Thailand’s leading cable service provider, to pull the interview everytime it gets play from CNN. As of 16 January, the 3-minute segment was still being replaced by still images with no news audio.
Meanwhile, the Freedom Against Censorship-Thailand (FACT), a civil society movement monitoring the worsening censorship of the Internet in Thailand since the coup, reported that CNN’s website, CNN.com, suddenly became inaccessible from the evening of 15 January to the morning of the 16th. Attempts to load up CNN.com repeatedly turned up error messages. CNN.com was accessible again by the morning of the 16th, but FACT suspects the involvement of the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT) in Thais’ night-long inability to visit the website.