13 November 2001

EXPANDS LIST OF PRESS PREDATORS


Reporters sans frontières (RSF) has added eight names to its list of "predators of press freedom" – Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe; King Mswati III of Swaziland; Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad; Eritrean President Issaias Afeworki; President Gnassingbé Eyadéma of Togo; Bangladeshi politican Joynal Hazari; Israeli army Chief of Staff Shaul Moffaz; and the Palestinian Authority Security Forces. The
eight names join 31 other "press predators" who were named by RSF earlier this year [See IFEX "Communiqué #10-18]. ">http://communique.ifex.org/articles.cfm?system_id=3088">#10-18].

According to RSF, the purpose of the list is to provide a face to the "predators" by posting their names and portraits on RSF's website (www.rsf.org). RSF adds that several of these "predators" are responsible for ordering the murders of journalists, but they have never been implicated by the justice system. ">http://www.rsf.org">www.rsf.org). RSF adds that several of these "predators" are responsible for ordering the murders of journalists, but they have never been implicated by the justice system.

In the case of Mohamad, RSF notes that the Malaysian prime minister has clamped down on press freedom by amending legislation to bolster his campaign against opposition media and denying renewal permits for pro-reform magazines. He has also allowed a party in his ruling coalition to buy out the publisher of two independent Chinese newspapers.

The independent online news service Malaysiakini.com reports that, on several occasions, its writers have been expelled from government press conferences. In March, Malaysia's national news agency Bernama quoted Mohamad as saying that these people (Malaysiakini) behave like traitors" and that "people who love Malaysia would not support Malaysiakini." [See IFEX "Communiqués" #10-24 and #10-11].




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Also from the Communiqué, 13 November 2001

INTERNATIONAL: COUNCIL OF EUROPE MOVES TO BAN INTERNET HATE SPEECH 13 November 2001 INTERNATIONAL: MEDIA GET BOOST FROM PINA 13 November 2001 LIBERIA: PRESS UNION REVIVES MONTHLY MAGAZINE 13 November 2001 BULGARIA: IFJ URGES GENUINE REFORM FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING 13 November 2001 RWANDA: NEW PRESS LAW RAISES CONCERNS 13 November 2001 IRAN: FIFTY-TWO NEWSPAPERS SHUT DOWN SINCE 1997; 1,000 SATELLITE DISHES CONFISCATED 13 November 2001 AFGHANISTAN: WAR CLAIMS FIRST MEDIA CASUALTIES 13 November 2001
 
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