Hi Serena,
We'd like to suggest a slight revision. This suggestion comes from our=20
colleague in Malaysia:
Third to the last para, second sentence which starts with:
"It should take actions to secure and promote open and free press rather=20
than repressing journalists exposing critical and sensitive issues."
Can we add something about "investigative reporting" i.e. reporting based=20
on facts and sound investigation, not just exposing critical and sensitive=
=20
issues which the Malaysian govt likes to call sensationalism or=20
irresponsible. In a case study presented by Prem Chandran of Malaysiakini=20
in a Women's Electronic Network Training we had last August in Kuala=20
Lumpur, he said that all their eports are based on facts and they make an=20
effort to check their information and sources.
Perhaps the revision could be:
"It should take actions to secure and promote open and free press rather=20
than repressing journalists who uphold high quality investigative reporting=
=20
based on facts and sound investigation."
---------
I hope this helps.
Chat
At 04:39 PM 1/24/03 +0800, you wrote:
>Dear all,
>
>Here is the second draft of the statement in support of the Malaysiakini=20
>(still rough though). Will be finalized soon in the evening. I added the=20
>recommendations of several colleagues here on the mailing list to the=20
>rough draft.
>
>Sacha, when and where to meet to finalize the draft? Anybody else=20
>available and interested in this?
>
>Cheers,
>SERENA
>---------------------------------------------------------------------------=
----------------------------------------------------------------------------=
--------
>
>
>Joint Statement Calling for Press Freedom in <?xml:namespace prefix =3D st1=
=20
>ns =3D "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"=20
>/>Malaysia<?xml:namespace prefix =3D o ns =3D=20
>"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
>
>January 23, 2003
>
>This is a joint statement of national, regional and international=20
>non-governmental organizations (NGOs) who participated in the Asia Pacific=
=20
>Regional Conference on the World Summit of Information Society (WSIS) 2003=
=20
>as well as other civil society entities that are concerned about human=20
>rights issues in the information society.
>
>The statement is in support of the Malaysiakini for freedom of opinion and=
=20
>express, thus requesting the Malaysian authority to rule out any form of=20
>censorship at once.
>
>The Malaysiakini, an independent and alternative online media based in=20
>Malaysia, faced police raid on Jan 20. Four servers and 15 central=20
>processing units (CPUs) from the office were seized during the raid. The=20
>raid was triggered by a police report accusing the media of publishing a=20
>=93seditious=94 letter, which was alleged to have posed questions on the=20
>=93special rights=94 of the Malays in the country.
>
>As the joint statement of participants in the Asia Civil Society Forum on=
=20
>WSIS (held last December in Bangkok) clearly stated, transcending the=20
>divides between enabled citizens and marginalized communities is a major=20
>challenge of globalization facing all stakeholders in the information=20
>society, including NGOs. The safeguard and promotion of free and balanced=
=20
>flow of information and communication with full respect for human rights=20
>plays an indispensable role in helping all bridge the gap.
>
>It is beyond doubt that the securing and promotion of the freedom should=20
>be guided by, inter alia, Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human=
=20
>Rights, which stipulates that =93Everyone has the rights to freedom of=20
>opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions=20
>without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas=
=20
>through any media and regardless of frontiers.=94
>
>As the aforementioned Bangkok statement affirms, civil society=92s vision=
is=20
>to evolve the global community into a truly communicative, just and=20
>peaceful one grounded in respect for diversity and plurality.
>
>All WSIS related events and the official summit to be held in Geneva this=
=20
>December will be absolutely pointless if we fail to uphold communication=20
>rights=97the fundamental human right to communicate, to access and=20
>disseminate information=97as the touchstone of our information society. The=
=20
>raid on Malaysiakini, which broke out shortly after the Asia Pacific=20
>Regional Conference on WSIS in Tokyo where NGOs reiterated the=20
>significance of communication rights, is a total disgrace to all that were=
=20
>committed to wide-range discussion in the WSIS preparatory process to=20
>better the information society.
>
>We, as civil society in full support of freedom of opinion expression,=20
>gravely condemn the raid, which has severely jeopardized press freedom.=20
>All violations to media freedom, such the police raid on Malaysiakini, are=
=20
>extremely abhorrent, undemocratic and detrimental to human rights and=20
>alternative views. They are also a severe setback to regional and global=20
>evolution of politics and economics.
>
>We hereby request the Malaysian government to publicly renounce censorship=
=20
>in all forms in respect of human rights. It should take actions to secure=
=20
>and promote open and free press rather than repressing journalists=20
>exposing critical and sensitive issues.
>
>It is absolutely unnecessary for the Malaysian authority to apply the=20
>Sedition Act against the Malyasiakini. Sensitive issues should be resolved=
=20
>through constructive and rational dialogues and debate rather than=20
>censorship.
>
>We also demand the Malaysian police to immediately return all seized items=
=20
>of the Malaysiakini and stop the interrogation over the media=92s decision=
=20
>to publish the letter and identity of the letter=92s writer.
>
>This statement is endorsed by:
>1. Name of individual:
>2. Organization:
>3. Country:
>4. Email:
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