Asia

New York, January 6, 2009--Following today's early morning assault by about 15 masked gunmen on Maharaja TV's (MTV) studios outside the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo, the Committee to Protect Journalists called for an independent, nonpartisan parliamentary board of inquiry to investigate. 

The news that BBC reporter Jonathan Head could face jail time in Thailand for alledgely insulting the Thai monarchy has recieved significant coverage over the holidays. Our alert on the incident from Wendesday has been cited in a number of outlets including The Associated Press, the UK-based Press Association, and the Irish Examiner. All three quoted CPJ's Asia Program Coordinator Bob Dietz as saying, "Head's reporting has raised important questions about Thailand's deteriorating political situation and he should be allowed to report without fear of official reprisals."

New York, December 24, 2008--The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the ongoing legal harassment of BBC correspondent Jonathan Head. Police Lt. Col. Wattanasak Mungkandee filed a third criminal complaint this year against Head on December 23, alleging he had insulted the Thai monarchy in his reporting. 

New York, December 22, 2008--Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal's coalition government must carry out an open, independent, and nonpartisan investigation into Sunday's attack on Himalmedia in Kathmandu, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

Making news today is yesterday's release of our year-end analysis of the deadliest countries for journalists. The report found that 41 journalists were killed for their work in 2008, with Iraq named the most deadly for the sixth straight year. The Associated Press, Reuters, and Agence France-Presse all ran stories outlining the report's findings yesterday. Today the story is receiving widespread coverage in both the English and Spanish-language press. 

March 28, 2008

Sean Langan, freelance
ABDUCTED

A Taliban-linked group kidnapped freelance British television journalist Sean Langan and his translator near the town of Torkham on the border with Pakistan. He was working in Afghanistan on a documentary series for publicly owned U.K. broadcaster Channel 4, according to U.K. news reports.

Langan arranged to meet with Taliban leaders across the border in Pakistan on March 28, but was taken captive with his translator en route, according to The Daily Mail. He was released on June 21, according to international news reports. His translator, an Afghan, was named by The Times of London only as “Sammy.” He was also freed, according to the Mail.

November 25, 2008

Tom Van de Weghe, VRT
ATTACKED

Eight assailants pulled Belgian journalist Van de Weghe, an Australian cameraman, and a Belgian assistant, from their vehicle before beating them and stealing money and equipment during a reporting job in Henan province, central China, according to the Foreign Correspondents Club of China and international news reports. The crew was recording interviews with AIDS patients in advance of World AIDS Day for the Flemish Radio and Television network VRT. The other crew members were not named in published reports, and VRT did not respond to an e-mail inquiry.

A Henan official confirmed that “a conflict” between the journalists and local villagers and officials had taken place, according to Agence France-Presse. The Foreign Ministry told foreign journalists that authorities would investigate the incident.

China permanently extended regulations protecting international reporters from official interference in their work--introduced in advance of the Beijing Olympics--in October. But the Beijing-based Foreign Correspondents Club frequently reports cases of local government representatives obstructing the investigation of issues which reflect badly on Chinese authorities.

A badly regulated scheme encouraging blood donation for cash incentives made Henan a focal point for the spread of the AIDS virus in the 1990s, according to published reports. The news reflected poorly on local officials involved in the project when it broke, and the issue remains sensitive. The VRT crew had been tailed all day and questioned once by police, according to the Foreign Correspondents Club.

New York, December 18, 2008—For the sixth consecutive year, Iraq was the deadliest country in the world for the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists found in its end-of-year analysis. The 11 deaths recorded in Iraq in 2008, while a sharp drop from prior years, remained among the highest annual tolls in CPJ history.

China has blocked access to BBC and VOA Chinese Web sites, according to reports released yesterday. The Associated Press is covering the story with two releases today that both quote CPJ's Bob Dietz, who said in a statement: "It's clear that China has no intention of fulfilling the hopes it raised when it was awarded the 2008 Olympic Games that the Chinese media universe would enter a period of expansion."