Dear Leelangi and all,
THANKS for the prompt reaction to endorse the =
statement in=20
support of the Malaysiakini for press freedom!
Please note that, however, the final version of =
the=20
statement is NOT yet fully settled. We are trying to update the =
draft with=20
the latest development of the case and recommendations from other=20
colleagues as well as to make it more diplomatic. So please =
understand=20
that we'll need a little bit more time and check =
your=20
mailbox again this coming Sunday, if possible. The final draft =
will be=20
ready for sure by then (The earliest time for the statement to be ready =
is Jan=20
25 afternoon). Otherwise we will still have to ask if you'd like=20
to endorse the final draft.
I think we should follow PatchA's suggestion =
(see mail=20
357) for better use of this statement. If any of you could think of more =
agencies to be contacted with the statement, please make your suggestion =
(list=20
name of agency and contact information like PatchA did) as soon as=20
possible.
Thanks!
Solidarity,
Serena/Taiwan Association for Human =
Rights
----- Original Message -----
To: <communication@wsisasia.org>
Sent: Saturday, January 25, 2003 11:53 =
AM
Subject: [communication 392] Re: Response to the =
Malaysiakini case
Hello =
Adam, Serena=20
(Vervy),
Please add my name to the statement
Leelangi=20
Wanasundera
Sri Lanka
At 02:27 PM 1/24/03 +0700, you =
wrote:
>Hi=20
Adam, Serena (Vervy),
>
>I helped Arfa draft some parts of =
her=20
presentation so I have some of the
files on me (I will forward that =
to you=20
Serena). I haven't had a chance to
take a look at
>what is =
posted but I=20
do know that Arfa had to cut down the content becuase
the speaking =
time was=20
reduced from 4 to 3 minutes later in the=20
day.
>
>Sacha
>
>Adam Peake =
wrote:
>
>>=20
Serena,
>>
>> I think you could refer to the statement =
Arfa=20
made during the WSIS
>> meeting last week, it's now online as=20
either
>> <http://www.wsis-japan.jp/documents/ngo_01.pdf">
face=3DArial>http://www.wsis-japan.jp/documents/ngo_01.pdf
T=20
face=3DArial>> or
>> <http://www.wsis-japan.jp/documents/ngo_24.pdf">
face=3DArial>http://www.wsis-japan.jp/documents/ngo_24.pdf
T=20
face=3DArial>> (and I suspect
>> neither is the final =
version Arfa=20
read, can someone help? Sacha?)
>>
>> She spoke on =
behalf of=20
participants at the Asian Civil Society Forum,
>> organized by =
CONGO,=20
The Conference of NGOs in Consultative
>> Relationship with the =
United=20
Nations, December 9-13, 2002 in Bangkok.
>>
>> I know =
the=20
statement was modified, and I did not hear her speak, but
>> =
guess Arfa=20
spoke about how information society should be guided by
>> =
Article 19=20
of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, guaranteeing
>> =
"rights=20
to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes
>> =
freedom to=20
hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive
>> and =
impart=20
information and ideas through any media and regardless of
>>=20
frontiers." Rights the government of Malaysia a few days later=20
denied
>> her and her organization.
>>
>> The =
World=20
Summit on the Information Society will be meaningless if we
>> =
cannot=20
agree to uphold basic Communication Rights --the right to
>>=20
communicate, to access and disseminate information-- as the
>>=20
touchstone of our information society.
>>
>> Suggest =
you try=20
to tie the statement to WSIS and the regional meeting
>> as =
that's=20
where we formed (without it we're just a few names, WSIS
>> =
gives=20
context.)
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>>=20
Adam
>>
>> >Dear all and Mavic,
>>=20
>
>> >I think as NGOs have particularly emphasized on =
freedom=20
of
>> >expression in the WSIS regional conference, there's =
no reason=20
for us
>> >to delay actions against the raid on =
Malaysiakini, if we=20
feel that
>> >it is necessary to take actions.
>>=20
>
>> >I think people who are interested should come with =
some=20
ways to make
>> >a quick statement and figure out how to set =
a=20
deadline for
>> >endorsement before submitting that to the=20
Malaysiakini. Actions
>> >responding to this case concerning =
violation of press freedom
>> >should be taken =
timely.
>>=20
>
>> >If more organizations or individuals on the mailing =
list=20
feel that
>> >we should make a response, may I suggest you =
to sign=20
up and
>> >volunteer to form an ad hoc group to work on the =
drafting=20
and
>> >release of a statement to be endorsed by regional =
NGOs.=20
(This may be
>> >a lousy idea. Any others who are =
interested, please=20
give more
>> >recommendations on how we may work it out.) We =
should=20
finalize the
>> >statement as soon as possible and circulate =
it for=20
endorsement
>> >before a deadline (again, must be very=20
near).
>> >
>> >Below is a very rough draft of =
statement=20
done in a short time. It is
>> >only for reference and we =
can work=20
on a new statement if there's
>> >time. I propose this =
because I=20
think we might be able to move
>> >quicker with a rough =
draft to be=20
elaborated.
>> >
>> >Cheers,
>>=20
>Serena
>>
>-------------------------------------------=
--------------------------------
-------------------------------------=
---------------------------------------
--------=20
>> >Joint Statement Calling for Press Freedom in=20
Malaysia
>> >
>> >January 23, 2003
>>=20
>
>> >Below is a statement by Asian non governmental=20
organizations who
>> >openly advocated freedom of expression =
and=20
media freedom in the
>> >regional conference on the World =
Summit of=20
Information Society 2003.
>> >The statement is in support of =
the=20
Malaysiakini and requests the
>> >Malaysian authority to =
rule out=20
any form of censorship at once.
>> >
>> >The=20
Malaysiakini, an independent and alternative web-based media
>> =
>which has won international prizes for its news coverage of =
the
>>=20
>country, faced police raid on Jan 20. 15 CPUs and four servers=20
from
>> >the office were seized during the raid, which was =
launched=20
as a
>> >response to a police report lodged by Umno Youth =
that the=20
media
>> >published a "seditious" letter which was alleged =
to=20
having
>> >questioned the "special rights" of the=20
Malays.
>> >
>> >We, non governmental =
organizations in=20
support of freedom of
>> >expression, gravely condemn the =
raid that=20
severely jeopardizes press
>> >freedom, and request the =
Malaysian=20
government to take actions
>> >securing and promoting open =
and free=20
media rather than oppressing
>> >press freedom to afflict =
brave=20
media and journalists focusing on
>> >critical and sensitive =
issues.=20
Violations to press freedom are
>> >abhorrent, undemocratic =
and=20
detrimental to both alternative views
>> >and the political =
and=20
economic development of the region in general.
>> =
>
>>=20
>It is absolutely unnecessary for the police to apply the=20
Sedition
>> >Act against the Malyasiakini. Sensitive issues =
shall be=20
resolved
>> >through constructive and rational dialogues or =
debate=20
rather than
>> >censorship.
>> >
>> =
>With=20
our intensive concern over the raid, we hereby request the
>>=20
>police to immediately return all seized items of the=20
Malaysiakini
>> >and stop the interrogation over the media's =
decision to publish the
>> >letter and identity of the =
letter's=20
writer.
>> >
>> >It cannot be overemphasized =
that the=20
right of every media
>> >institution to provide news and =
information=20
free to censorship is
>> >fundamental. We therefore demand =
the=20
Malaysian government to
>> >publicly renounce censorship in =
all=20
forms in respect of human rights.
>> >
>>=20
>END
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> =
>-----=20
Original Message -----
>> >From: <Chiting">mailto:fauves77@hotmail.com>Chiting=20
Serena Chuang
>> >To: <communication@wsisasia.org">mailto:communication@wsisasia.org>communication@wsisasia.=
org
>> >Sent: Thursday, January 23, 2003 5:44 =
PM
>>=20
>Subject: Re: [communication 340] Re: thanks, it was all worth =
it
>>=20
>
>> >Dear all,
>> >
>> >Replying =
Mavic,=20
I actually feel that we are obliged to drafting a
>> =
>regional NGO=20
statement for the Malaysiakini case, if not yet too
>>=20
>late.
>> >
>> >Serena
>> =
>
>>=20
>----- Original Message -----
>> >From: <Mavic">mailto:mavic@isiswomen.org>Mavic
>> >To: <communication@wsisasia.org">mailto:communication@wsisasia.org>communication@wsisasia.=
org
>> >Sent: Thursday, January 23, 2003 4:44 =
PM
>>=20
>Subject: [communication 340] Re: thanks, it was all worth =
it
>>=20
>
>> >Dear all,
>> >
>>=20
>......
>> >On another note, I know that Malaysiakini is =
back=20
online but I guess
>> >it is not too late to say our piece =
as=20
APNGOCC. We can draft a
>> >statement condemning the raid =
and=20
circulate it as widely as possible
>> >and perhaps publish =
it in=20
Malaysiakini itself. What do people think?
>> >
>>=20
>
>> >Warm regards,
>> >
>>=20
>Mavic
>>
>> =
--
>
>