THAILAND: Acting prime minister files more criminal and civil defamation suits
New York, June 15, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns Thailand’s caretaker prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s continuing use of criminal defamation charges to silence critical media outlets. The most recent charges, filed on Wednesday, targeted three Thai-language dailies, Matichon, Khao Sod and Daily News.
India: Veteran journalist escapes assassination attempt
New York, June 12, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by the attempted murder of senior Indian journalist Shujaat Bukhari, a correspondent in Kashmir for The Hindu newspaper. Bukhari told CPJ his life was spared because his attacker’s gun jammed. Bukhari was forced at gunpoint by two men into a motor rickshaw on the…
Tamil journalists in London threatened
JUNE 8, 2006 Posted: June 30, 2006 TBC Radio Station ATTACKED, THREATENED Journalists at the London-based Tamil Broadcasting Corporation (TBC) received death threats from members of the Sri Lankan separatist movement Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). A group of five men attempted to break into the studio while it aired a political discussion program,…
Cambodia: Newspaper journalist arrested while covering squatter evictions
New York, June 8, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the arrest of Cambodian journalist Hem Choun, a reporter with the occasional Khmer-language newspaper Samrek Yutethor. Chuon was arrested June 7 by military police while reporting on the eviction of squatters by security forces at Sombok Chab, 11 miles (19 kilometers) outside the capital Phnom…
Thailand: Thaksin brings criminal libel charges against newspaper
New York, June 2, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns a decision by caretaker prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his Thai Rak Thai party to file criminal defamation charges against the newspaper Manager Daily, its editor, a columnist, and two senior executives. The charges filed on Tuesday relate to articles which alleged that Thaksin and…
Bangladesh:Party activists attack journalists and printing press
New York, May 31, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists is appalled by attacks on journalists and a newspaper in the town of Kushtia in western Bangladesh. Witnesses told local media that about 20 men, whom they recognized as activists from the ruling Bangladesh National Party (BNP), attacked the offices of Quality Press on Wednesday, damaging…
Cambodia: Government abolishes jail time for criminal defamation
New York, May 30, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes Cambodia’s abolition of prison as punishment for libel, but urges Prime Minister Hun Sen to decriminalize defamation completely. On May 26, Cambodia’s lower house of parliament passed legislation eliminating penalties of eight days to one year in prison for defamation convictions. The amendments are expected…
In Pakistan, cameraman killed while covering tribal violence
New York, May 30, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the killing of Munir Ahmed Sangi, a cameraman for the Sindhi-language Kawish Television Network (KTN). Sangi was shot on Monday afternoon while covering a gunfight between members of the Unar and Abro tribes in the town of Larkana, in southeast Pakistan’s Sindh district, according to…
Philippines: Radio journalist killed after receiving threat
New York, May 22, 2006— The Committee to Protect Journalists called on the Philippines government to investigate the shooting death Monday of provincial radio journalist and commentator Fernando Batul. Two gunmen on motorcycles shot Batul six times as he drove to work at radio station DZRH in Puerto Princessa on Palawan Island, media reported.
China indicts Times researcher Zhao Yan again
New York, May 17, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the continued imprisonment of New York Times researcher Zhao Yan, who has been re-indicted on charges of fraud and revealing state secrets. The Times reported the reinstated charges today. Zhao has been imprisoned for 21 months without once appearing before a judge. Charges against Zhao…