Hi Serena,

We'd like to suggest a slight revision. This suggestion comes from our 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 than repressing journalists exposing critical and sensitive issues."

Can we add something about "investigative reporting" i.e. reporting based on facts and sound investigation, not just exposing critical and sensitive issues which the Malaysian govt likes to call sensationalism or irresponsible. In a case study presented by Prem Chandran of Malaysiakini in a Women's Electronic Network Training we had last August in Kuala Lumpur, he said that all their eports are based on facts and they make an 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 than repressing journalists who uphold high quality investigative reporting 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 (still rough though). Will be finalized soon in the evening. I added the recommendations of several colleagues here on the mailing list to the rough draft.
 
Sacha, when and where to meet to finalize the draft? Anybody else available and interested in this?
 
Cheers,
SERENA
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Joint Statement Calling for Press Freedom in <?xml:namespace prefix =3D st1 ns =3D "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Malaysia<?xml:namespace prefix =3D o ns =3D "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

January 23, 2003

This is a joint statement of national, regional and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) who participated in the Asia Pacific Regional Conference on the World Summit of Information Society (WSIS) 2003 as well as other civil society entities that are concerned about human rights issues in the information society.

The statement is in support of the Malaysiakini for freedom of opinion and express, thus requesting the Malaysian authority to rule out any form of censorship at once.

The Malaysiakini, an independent and alternative online media based in Malaysia, faced police raid on Jan 20. Four servers and 15 central processing units (CPUs) from the office were seized during the raid. The raid was triggered by a police report accusing the media of publishing a =93seditious=94 letter, which was alleged to have posed questions on the =93special rights=94 of the Malays in the country.

As the joint statement of participants in the Asia Civil Society Forum on WSIS (held last December in Bangkok) clearly stated, transcending the divides between enabled citizens and marginalized communities is a major challenge of globalization facing all stakeholders in the information society, including NGOs. The safeguard and promotion of free and balanced flow of information and communication with full respect for human rights plays an indispensable role in helping all bridge the gap. 

It is beyond doubt that the securing and promotion of the freedom should be guided by, inter alia, Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which stipulates that =93Everyone has the rights to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.=94

As the aforementioned Bangkok statement affirms, civil society=92s vision is to evolve the global community into a truly communicative, just and peaceful one grounded in respect for diversity and plurality.

All WSIS related events and the official summit to be held in Geneva this December will be absolutely pointless if we fail to uphold communication rights=97the fundamental human right to communicate, to access and disseminate information=97as the touchstone of our information society. The raid on Malaysiakini, which broke out shortly after the Asia Pacific Regional Conference on WSIS in Tokyo where NGOs reiterated the significance of communication rights, is a total disgrace to all that were committed to wide-range discussion in the WSIS preparatory process to better the information society.

We, as civil society in full support of freedom of opinion expression, gravely condemn the raid, which has severely jeopardized press freedom. All violations to media freedom, such the police raid on Malaysiakini, are extremely abhorrent, undemocratic and detrimental to human rights and alternative views. They are also a severe setback to regional and global evolution of politics and economics.

We hereby request the Malaysian government to publicly renounce censorship in all forms in respect of human rights. It should take actions to secure and promote open and free press rather than repressing journalists exposing critical and sensitive issues.

It is absolutely unnecessary for the Malaysian authority to apply the Sedition Act against the Malyasiakini. Sensitive issues should be resolved through constructive and rational dialogues and debate rather than censorship. 

We also demand the Malaysian police to immediately return all seized items of the Malaysiakini and stop the interrogation over the media=92s decision 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: