IFEX-aktuell/Org für Presse-Freiheit, Canada/7/08

The „IFEX Communiqué“ is the weekly newsletter of the International Freedom
of Expression eXchange (IFEX), a global network of 81 organisations working
to defend and promote the right to free expression. IFEX is managed by
Canadian Journalists for Free Expression.

FREE EXPRESSION SPOTLIGHT:
1. China: Race to Take Action for Free Expression Ahead of Beijing Games

REGIONAL NEWS:
2. Philippines: Journalist Killed, Daughters Survive Attack
3. Bahrain: Government Stokes Sectarian Tensions to Justify Crackdown on
Press
4. Ethiopia: New Laws Threaten Free Expression

TAKE ACTION!
5. Campaign for Press Freedom in Azerbaijan on 17 July
6. Stand Up for the People of Zimbabwe on 12 July

CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS:
7. Amsterdam to Host Neo-Censorship Conference

AWARDS AND FELLOWSHIPS:
8. MISA 2008 Press Freedom Award
9. Photo Competition to Portray Digital Divide
——————————————————–
FREE EXPRESSION SPOTLIGHT

1. CHINA: RACE TO TAKE ACTION FOR FREE EXPRESSION AHEAD OF BEIJING GAMES

One hundred journalists and cyber-dissidents still in jail. Foreign
journalists blocked and threatened despite Beijing’s repeated promises to
give them „complete freedom“ ahead of the Olympics – both in Tibet and the
earthquake-hit areas in Sichuan. Ongoing censorship online and elsewhere.
With just one month left to the Beijing Games, IFEX members are asking that
you turn up the heat and speak up for free expression in China. Find out
what you can do now to add your voice to the protests.

While Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is continuing to call on world
leaders and heads of state to boycott the opening ceremonies – rumour has
it that French President Nicolas Sarkozy is reneging on his earlier vow
that he’d attend only if the Chinese engaged in real dialogue with the
Dalai Lama – they’re also organising for the masses. RSF is urging you to
turn away from your TV and march outside Chinese embassies on 8 August. For
the real couch potato, protest online with RSF’s cyber-demo on the same
day. See: http://www.rsf.org

RSF, along with IFEX members the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and
the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) have already joined the
global appeal for the release of the Chinese „POC (Prisoners of Conscience)
8″ before lucky 08/08/08 – the day of the opening ceremonies. IFEX members
have lobbied for all eight, particularly, Shi Tao and Hu Jia. Get out your
pen and address your letter to the Chinese ambassador or consul where you
live. Check out the video call here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35DmnlIJlJU and download ready-made letters
here: http://www.visual-artists-guild.org/

Follow the poem instead of the torch with International PEN’s poem relay:
hear the poem „June“ by Shi Tao, translated into more than 90 languages,
including Tibetan: http://www.penpoemrelay.org/

Then check out International PEN’s We Are Ready for Freedom of Expression
campaign and read up on all of the 44 journalists and writers in jail.
There’s still time to sign the petition to the Chinese government calling
for their release: http://www.pen.org/page.php/prmID/1527

More than 30,000 foreign journalists are expected at the Games – three
hacks for every athlete. So IFJ has teamed up with the sports political
organisation Play the Game to launch Play the Game for Open Journalism, a
website for those reporters heading to China who don’t know how freely
they’ll be able to do their job. Get tips and tricks on how to report in
Beijing (including from local journalists!), from what the sensitive topics
are and how to broach them, to working with local assistants and protecting
your sources. Got tips of your own? Be sure to upload them on the site in
the discussion forums. It’s all here:
http://www.playthegameforopenjournalism.org

Appreciating that knowing your rights is essential and that access to
websites may be censored, Human Rights Watch and CPJ have published a
pocket-sized survival guide – ideal for your plane journey. If you don’t
have enough time to order it, the „Reporters‘ Guide to Covering the Beijing
Olympics“ can be downloaded free at: http://china.hrw.org/ and will also
soon be available in French, German, Spanish and Japanese. It includes an
English/Chinese version of the temporary regulations, which can be shown to
officials questioning reporters in the field.

For those journalists who still end up at the receiving end of the
authorities‘ wrath because of their work, IFJ has also unveiled a helpline
for emergency assistance and advice. The 10,000 of you expected to descend
on Beijing without accreditation would be smart to keep this number handy:
+ 32 475 76 13 92 . Lines are open from 20 July to 31 August.

Still need convincing? Read Human Rights Watch’s hot-off-the-press report,
„China’s Forbidden Zones: Shutting the Media out of Tibet and other
‚Sensitive‘ Stories“, at: http://hrw.org/reports/2008/china0708/ . The
report is based on interviews with more than 60 foreign correspondents that
were in China AFTER the authorities promised to lift media freedom
restrictions in the run-up to the Olympics. The findings? The Chinese
government – with the help of the International Olympic Committee – has
done its best to impede progress.

Three International PEN centres – the Independent Chinese PEN Center, PEN
American Center and PEN Canada – say free expression in China has
deteriorated so substantially over the past year „in full view of the
international community“ that there are more writers and journalists in
Chinese prisons than there were seven months ago. Read „Failing to Deliver:
An Olympic-Year Report Card on Free Expression in China“, at:
http://www.pen.org/chinareport

Get confirmation in CPJ’s updated report „Falling Short“, which outlines
China’s failure to meet its media pledges:
http://www.cpj.org/Briefings/2007/Falling_Short/China/index.html

Then keep abreast of the latest developments by subscribing to IFJ’s
monthly press freedom report: ifjchina (@) ifj-asia.org

Now spread the word. The World Association of Newspapers (WAN) has got a
slew of stories, cartoons, graphs and pictures on the Olympic Challenge of
freeing the press in China. They’re free for the taking here:
http://worldpressfreedomday.org/
——————————————————–
REGIONAL NEWS

ASIA

2. PHILIPPINES: JOURNALIST KILLED, DAUGHTERS SURVIVE ATTACK

A journalist driving home with his two daughters was shot dead in the town
of Sariaya in Quezon province, about 100 kilometres southeast of Manila,
report the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR), the
Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and other IFEX members.

Robert „Bert“ Sison was shot in his car by two gunmen on a motorcycle on 30
June. His daughter Liwayway, 30, was wounded in the arm, while his younger
daughter Amirah, 24, escaped unharmed by pretending to be dead, reports
CPJ.

According to local news reports, the car was „peppered“ with bullets.
„Clearly, the suspects were very angry at Sison,“ a Quezon province police
officer told Manila newspaper the „Philippine Daily Inquirer“.

Sison and his daughters were reporters for the „Regional Bulletin“, a
weekly paper that often publishes articles on crime and critical stories of
local officials. Sison was also a broadcaster at a local radio station.

According to CMFR, Sison is the second journalist killed in the Philippines
this year. Thirty-four media professionals have been killed in the line of
duty since Gloria Macapagal Arroyo became president in 2001, says CMFR.

CPJ says the Philippines ranks among the deadliest nations for journalists
– and the current administration has been accused of being one of the worst
at solving the cases of journalists‘ murders, with more than 90 percent
unsolved. CPJ has partnered with local press groups in the Philippines in
its Global Campaign Against Impunity. Read more about the campaign here:
http://www.cpj.org/impunity

Visit these links:
– CMFR: http://www.cmfr.com.ph/_alerts/2008/jul_03.html
– CPJ: http://tinyurl.com/6qew4g
– International Federation of Journalists: http://tinyurl.com/6cb5r5
– National Union of Journalists of the Philippines: http://www.nujp.org/

MIDDLE EAST

3. BAHRAIN: GOVERNMENT STOKES SECTARIAN TENSIONS TO JUSTIFY CRACKDOWN ON
PRESS

Just over a month after the Bahrain government said it would eliminate
prison sentences for journalists and lift some bans on censored
publications, it has done a massive U-turn. Authorities in the country are
cracking down on opposition journalists, websites and even mosque leaders
for apparently stirring up sectarian tensions and threatening national
security, reports the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR).

At least three journalists writing for the main opposition group mouthpiece
„Al-Wefaq“ were arrested on 28 June and held overnight, report BCHR and
Reporters Without Borders (RSF). Another three journalists in charge of the
website Awaal.net – shut down on 24 June because of its „sectarian nature“
– were also detained. All six were charged with „inciting hatred of the
government“ and „disseminating news that would raise sectarian divisions“,
says BCHR. At least two of them showed signs of being tortured while in
police custody.

According to BHCR, the men had published information implicating the King
and senior members of the royal family in administrative and financial
corruption scandals – including the seizure of large areas of public lands
and the naturalisation of thousands of non-Bahrainis based on their
political beliefs.

The Bahraini government introduced amendments to the country’s press law in
May, eliminating prison sentences for journalists and prior censorship on
publications, say RSF and the International Federation of Journalists
(IFJ). But it is still possible to charge and jail journalists using the
penal code and anti-terrorism laws, the groups say.

BCHR says the Bahraini authorities are exploiting religious tensions –
often stoked by officials themselves – to justify a crackdown on the press
and critical voices.

„Many violations in Bahrain are committed using the name and powers of the
King … He has become a part of the conflict rather than a symbol of
national unity,“ says BCHR.

Take the blocked websites. Besides Awaal.net, the Ministry of Information
closed down two other sites on 24 June because they published stories of a
„sectarian nature“ that might „harm social stability in Bahrain,“ reports
BCHR. According to RSF, at least 24 other political websites are currently
blocked in Bahrain – including the sites of BCHR and IFEX member Arabic
Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI).

During a cabinet meeting in June, the government announced plans to set up
a commission to monitor mosques, press articles and online forums for any
violations concerning the King, national unity and Arab identity – offences
under Bahrain’s penal code, says RSF.

In another case, activist Abdullah Bou-Hassan was arrested for writing an
article published in the newsletter of the National Democratic Action
Society and for displaying a political banner in his car, reports BCHR. He
was charged under the penal code with inciting hatred and insulting the
ruling regime.

„We are frustrated that after we read in the press that the Cabinet is
moving towards abolishing prison sentences for journalists, this incident
proves that the legal system in Bahrain, and particularly the penal code,
still contains provisions stipulating punishment through imprisonment for
writing, publishing and distribution,“ says BCHR.

BCHR is demanding that the government reform the penal code and other laws
that restrict freedom of the press, online journalism and preaching in
mosques under the pretext of easing sectarian tensions.

The proposed amendments to the press law will be reviewed in Parliament in
October.

Visit these links:
– BHCR on website closures, sectarian tensions:
http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/95155/
– BCHR: http://www.bahrainrights.org/en
– RSF: http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=27741
– IFJ: http://tinyurl.com/6mr3x8
– IFEX Bahrain page: http://tinyurl.com/ytqq7w
– Bahrain Journalists‘ Association: http://www.bja-bh.org/en

AFRICA

4. ETHIOPIA: NEW LAWS THREATEN FREE EXPRESSION

Ethiopia has passed a new media law that bans censorship of private media
and the detention of journalists, but which critics say maintains other
threats to free expression.

„Under the new law, previous restrictions against private media outlets,
such as detention of journalists suspected of infringement of the law, has
been scrapped,“ a Parliament statement said.

But opposition members say the law, passed on 1 July, still allows state
prosecutors to invoke national security as grounds for impounding
publishing materials prior to publication and distribution.

Opposition Parliamentarian Temesgen Zewede told reporters, „Although
censorship is abolished, such a right to impound press material before
distribution is tantamount to censorship.“

The government is also planning to impose strict controls and „draconian“
criminal penalties on non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in a separate
law, say Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International.

Ethiopia says the draft law on charities and societies is a way for NGOs to
be financially transparent and accountable to their stakeholders. But Human
Rights Watch says the government’s intent is „to consolidate that trend by
taking the ’non‘ out of ’non-governmental‘ and putting civil society under
government control.“

For example, the draft law imposes stiff criminal penalties for anyone
participating in „unlawful“ civil society activity – jail time for
participating in a meeting held by an unlawful organisation or
disseminating the organisation’s information.

Who decides which NGOs are lawful? The government of course – the bill
calls for a Charities and Society Agency with extensive powers to license
NGOs, monitor their activities and interfere in their management and
staffing, says Human Rights Watch.

Plus, all non-Ethiopian NGOs are not allowed to carry out work related to
human rights – making it difficult for IFEX members to report free
expression violations or engage in human rights activities in the country.
Meanwhile, Ethiopian rights NGOs that get more than 10 percent of funding
from foreign sources would be considered foreign and would also be closed
down.

„The law’s key provisions are blunt and heavy-handed mechanisms to control
and monitor civil society groups while punishing those whose work
displeases the government,“ say Human Rights Watch and Amnesty. „It could
also seriously restrict much of the development-related work currently
being carried out by some of Ethiopia’s key international partners.“

Human Rights Watch and Amnesty are calling on donor governments, especially
Ethiopia’s biggest donors, the United States and the United Kingdom, to
speak out publicly against the criminalisation of human rights work in
Ethiopia.

„Their policy of silence has had the effect of helping to embolden the
Ethiopian government to make further assaults on human rights, exemplified
by the draft NGO law,“ says Human Rights Watch.

Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, once considered a pioneer of democracy in
Africa, had seen his reputation wane since post-election violence that
killed 200 people in 2005. Journalists and opposition members viewed as
sympathetic to the protesters were then arrested and charged with treason,
and now formal political opposition has become nearly extinct in most of
the country.

Visit these links:
– Human Rights Watch: http://tinyurl.com/5jplq2
– „The Nation“ (Kenya) on new media law:
http://allafrica.com/stories/200807040064.html
– IFEX Ethiopia page: http://tinyurl.com/58q5rr
——————————————————–
TAKE ACTION!

5. CAMPAIGN FOR PRESS FREEDOM IN AZERBAIJAN ON 17 JULY

This year was supposed to be different for Azerbaijani journalists. Late in
December, President Ilham Aliyev pardoned five journalists who were behind
bars. But press offences still count as crimes, four journalists are still
wrongfully in jail and the killers of beloved journalist Elmar Huseynov are
still free. The Institute for Reporter Freedom and Safety (IRFS) wants you
to voice these wrongs on 17 July, Huseynov’s birthday, at your Azerbaijani
embassy or online with banners on your website.

IRFS has specially prepared placards, slogans and banners for you to take
to your embassy that call for Huseynov’s murder to be solved, the release
of the four journalists, and an end to Aliyev’s reign of repression that
has persisted ever since Huseynov’s death. Those in Azerbaijan will be
gathering at Huseynov’s grave in Baku on the day.

IRFS is also asking that you snap your action – take a picture and email it
to IRFS, who will then post it on its website.

Huseynov, the editor of the opposition weekly magazine „Monitor“ that was
known for its hard-hitting articles, was gunned down in front of his home
on 2 March 2005. One of the currently imprisoned journalists, Eynulla
Fatullayev, was targeted shortly after he published a report alleging an
official cover-up of Huseynov’s murder.

Materials will be available from this Friday, 11 July on IRFS’s website at:
http://www.irfs.az/index.php?lang=eng

To get involved, contact IRFS at: irfs.az (@) gmail.com

6. STAND UP FOR THE PEOPLE OF ZIMBABWE ON 12 JULY

Last month Robert Mugabe was sworn in as President of Zimbabwe again after
one of the bloodiest and most controversial elections in African history.
„It is the responsibility of all Africans to urgently put a stop to Mr
Mugabe’s anti-democratic activities,“ says CIVICUS: World Alliance for
Citizen Participation, Amnesty International and the Global Call to Action
Against Poverty (GCAP), who are calling for a pan-African campaign of
solidarity for Zimbabwe this Saturday, 12 July.

„The widespread killings, torture and intimidation of the political
opposition that characterised the presidential election run-off on 27 June
cannot be condoned under any circumstances,“ say the groups. So they are
asking the people of Africa to stand together with the people of Zimbabwe.

How? Start by organising or attending a vigil outside the Zimbabwe embassy
in your country on 12 July. Write to your MP and urge your government to
step up its efforts in Zimbabwe. Publish articles or letters in the
national or local press on violations of human and people’s rights in
Zimbabwe. Direct people to sign a petition.

To find out more about the campaign and ideas for action, see:
http://tinyurl.com/5pporo

Or email:
– CIVICUS: anupama.selvam (@) civicus.org
– Amnesty: christopher.cymbalak (@) amnesty.org
– GCAP: joe.donlin (@) civicus.org
——————————————————–
CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS

7. AMSTERDAM TO HOST NEO-CENSORSHIP CONFERENCE

Neo-censorship – the kind of censorship not imposed by the state but by the
private sector, be that self-censorship, market censorship or silent
repression and threats to writers, journalists and publishers – is on the
rise, says the Amsterdam World Book Capital Foundation. Find out how
neo-censorship is eating away at the right to free expression and how to
combat this latest threat at the International Symposium on Neo-censorship,
happening on 18-20 September in Amsterdam.

Check out sessions on how large-scale immigration and multiculturalism
could restrict freedom of expression, or how the fight against terrorism
often leads to governments asserting an iron grip on their citizens. Stick
around for the final session, when experts talk about if any of the myriad
campaigns leading up to the Olympics actually had any use.

Also be sure to catch the (free!) opening ceremony on 18 September, where
IPA presents its Freedom to Publish Prize to Ragip Zarakolu, the Turkish
publisher who refused to abandon his campaign for freedom of thought,
despite being given a three-year prison sentence.

The conference is organised by the Amsterdam World Book Capital Foundation
in collaboration with Index on Censorship and Amnesty International, and
support from the International Publishers Association (IPA).

For details and to register, see: http://www.amsterdamworldbookcapital.com
——————————————————–
AWARDS AND FELLOWSHIPS

8. MISA 2008 PRESS FREEDOM AWARD

Calling all southern African journalists and media organisations! The Media
Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) with the Southern Africa Trust is
inviting nominations for its 2008 Press Freedom Award. The deadline for
entries is 12 August 2008.

The US$2,500 award honours excellence in journalism: upholding the ethics
of the profession at all costs, pursuing the truth behind the facts, and
promoting media freedom in the region. Excellence can be achieved through
reportage or other ways, such as media reform, lobbying or training.

Nominations (of any form of media) should include a letter stating how the
nominee meets the criteria, the nominee’s CV, and where possible, a sample
of work.

Send your nominations to the MISA secretariat for the attention of the
regional director to: communications (@) misa.org

For more details, visit: http://www.misa.org/pressfreedom.html

9. PHOTO COMPETITION TO PORTRAY DIGITAL DIVIDE

Iwith.org, an organisation dedicated to helping non-profits make the best
use of technology, wants your pictures and holiday snaps for its Summer
Photo Competition about the digital gap.

„We suggest that you take your camera on vacation and look around,“
Iwith.org says. „Surprise us with a photo that will make the web visitors
to our site aware of the issue.“

Iwith.org describes the digital gap as the distance between people
(including communities, states and countries) who use information
communication technologies in their daily lives and those who lack access
to or don’t know how to use the technologies.

Photographs that „capture this gap“ don’t need to be negative or show
prejudice, but simply portray the gap’s existence, says Iwith.org.
Photographs selected in the 2007 competition can be seen at:
http://www.iwith.org/album/FotosVerano07

The photographers whose photos are selected will be considered Iwith.org
members for one year, until September 2009, and will have their snaps
published on Iwith.org.

Entries should be submitted electronically by 1 September 2008. Competition
rules and an entry form can be found at:
https://www.iwith.org/news/en_US/1/2008/06/10/0003/
——————————————————–
The „IFEX Communiqué“ is published weekly by the International Freedom of
Expression eXchange (IFEX). IFEX is managed by Canadian Journalists for
Free Expression ( http://www.cjfe.org ) on behalf of the network’s 81
member organisations.

The „IFEX Communiqué“ is also available in French, Spanish, Russian (
http://www.ifex.cjes.ru/ ) and Arabic ( http://anhri.net/ifex/ ).

The views expressed in the „IFEX Communiqué“ are the sole responsibility of
the sources to which they are attributed.

The „IFEX Communiqué“ grants permission for its material to be reproduced
or republished provided it is credited as the source.

Contact IFEX Online Editor Natasha Grzincic at: communique (@) ifex.org

Mailing Address: 555 Richmond Street West, #1101, PO Box 407, Toronto,
Ontario M5V 3B1 Canada, Tel: +1 416 515 9622; Fax: +1 416 515 7879;
Website: http://www.ifex.org
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TAKE ACTION!
5. Campaign for Press Freedom in Azerbaijan on 17 July
6. Stand Up for the People of Zimbabwe on 12 July