Asia

  
Men in Bangalore, India, take a selfie in front of a truck protesters had set ablaze, September 12, 2016. (AP/Raijaz Rahi)

TV journalists beaten, threatened covering protest

Protesters in Bangalore, the capital of India’s Karnataka state, on September 12, 2016, assaulted Rohini Swamy, deputy editor of the English-language news channel India Today TV, and Madhu Y, a cameraman for the channel, as the two covered demonstrations against a Supreme Court order to divert some water from the Cauvery River to the neighboring…

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A woman shows footage on her mobile phone she says shows residents of Wukan, in China's Guangdong province, detained by police, September 14, 2016. (Reuters/Damir Salgoj)

Chinese police detain, assault Hong Kong journalists for covering protest

New York, September 15, 2016 – Chinese authorities should launch a credible, independent investigation into allegations police assaulted journalists and allow reporters to do their work, including covering protests, without restriction, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Police in China’s southern Guangdong province last night assaulted and detained five journalists from Hong Kong-based news…

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In this September 30, 2014, file photo, Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha waves after a Bangkok handover ceremony for the new chief of the Royal Thai Army. (Reuters/Athit Perawongmetha)

Draft regulatory bill threatens media freedom in Thailand

Bangkok, September 15, 2016 – Thailand’s military-appointed National Reform Steering Assembly should scrap proposed legislation that would create a new national media regulator, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. The draft bill, the latest in a raft of military-imposed measures that restrict press freedom, is now being considered by a government sub-panel tasked with…

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Maldivian President Yameen Abdul Gayoom (left) arrives in Sri Lanka in this January 12, 2014, file photo. Police raided the office of the Maldives Independent on September 7 after its editor was interviewed in an Al-Jazeera documentary alleging corruption and abuse of power under Gayoom's government, allegations his government has denied.

Police raid newspaper after critical documentary airs in Maldives

Bangkok, September 9, 2016 – Authorities in the Maldives should cease harassing the Maldives Independent, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Police raided the daily newspaper’s office hours after the Qatari broadcaster Al-Jazeera aired a documentary produced by the paper’s former editor alleging high-level corruption in the Maldives.

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Journalist detained over criminal defamation complaint in Bangladesh

Bangkok, September 6, 2016–Bangladeshi journalist Siddiqur Rahman Khan has been detained since September 1 after a criminal defamation complaint was filed against him under Article 57 of the 2006 Information and Communication Technology Act, according to news reports. The Committee to Protect Journalists called today for Khan’s immediate release and an end to the use…

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Chinese journalist beaten in detention, lawyer says

New York, September 1, 2016 – Chinese authorities should credibly investigate allegations that prison guards beat online journalist Lu Yuyu in custody and ensure that he gets proper medical treatment, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

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CPJ Newsletter: We fight back against defamation, highlight impunity in India, and host an exhibit on Shawkan’s works

September edition IOC creates mechanism for journalist complaints after CPJ consultation In early August, we welcomed the creation of a press freedom complaints mechanism by the International Olympic Committee. The move followed years of advocacy with the IOC by CPJ and other rights groups to do more to hold governments that host the Olympic Games…

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An empty refrigerator at a convenience store at West Lake, in Hangzhou, China, on August 31 bears a sign that reads 'During G20, beverages and dairy products are not allowed to be purchased and are sold out. Thanks.' Authorities have ordered the media not to report on inconveniences caused by the summit. (Reuters/Aly Song)

Criticism and jokes off limits ahead of G20 summit in Hangzhou, China

The city of Yuyao, in China’s Zhejiang province, is 70 miles away from Hangzhou, where leaders of the world’s 20 leading economies will gather September 4 and 5 for the annual G20 summit. Nonetheless, on August 26, democracy activist You Jingyou and his wife were subject to extra security checks at the train station in…

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Journalists attacked by protesters as curfew lifts in Kashmir

New Delhi, August 31, 2016–Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir must take stronger measures to ensure the safety of journalists, and should investigate two separate attacks against staff at the Kashmir Observer on August 29, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

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Dangerous pursuit: In India, journalists who cover corruption may pay with their lives

In the 27 cases of journalists murdered for their work in India since CPJ began keeping records in 1992, there have been no convictions. More than half of those killed reported regularly on corruption. The cases of Jagendra Singh, Umesh Rajput, and Akshay Singh, who died between 2011 and 2015, show how small-town journalists face…

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