Indonesia detains online news editor over prophet drawings
New York, July 20, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the detention of Teguh Santosa, chief editor of Rakyat Merdeka Online, for posting cartoons that depicted the Prophet Mohammad. Indonesian police on July 19 detained Santosa after questioning him for three hours about his role in the posting of three controversial cartoons depicting the Prophet…
Government ban on Web sites draws concern
Your Excellency, The Committee to Protect Journalists is troubled by the government’s recent order to ban certain Web sites, an action that has resulted in blocked access to domains hosting many thousands of Web logs. We urge you to lift the ban, which has disrupted the flow of news, information, and commentary in a medium of growing importance in India. We are concerned as well that the order was imposed with no official explanation and without judicial or independent review.
Malaysia: Government cracks down on popular radio program
New York, July 19, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the Malaysian government’s interference with Ai FM’s radio program “The Mic is On, With Love, Without Obstacles” for freely airing listeners’ views about a controversial government order that affected Chinese-language schools. The Ministry of Information on June 24 ordered the Chinese-language program to restructure its…
Philippines: Radio broadcaster killed in Mindanao
New York, July 18, 2006—Two unidentified gunmen killed broadcaster Armando Pace as he returned home today after hosting his radio program in the city of Digos on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao. The Committee to Protect Journalists is investigating to determine whether he was killed in relation to his work. Pace, 51, was shot…
Cambodia: Government files criminal charges against newspaper
New York, July 14, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists expresses its grave concern about a lawsuit filed by the Cambodian government against Dam Sithek, publisher of the Khmer-language Moneakseka newspaper, for allegedly publishing false information. Deputy Prime Minister Sok An filed the charges through a government lawyer earlier this week over a June 13 article…
China: CPJ condemns two-year prison sentence of journalist Li Yuanlong
New York, July 13, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists deplores the two-year prison sentence handed today to Bijie Ribao newspaper reporter Li Yuanlong for articles he wrote for overseas Web sites. Li was convicted of “inciting subversion of state authority” in a court in southern China’s Guizhou province, according to international news reports.
Pakistan: CPJ calls on authorities for information about missing journalist
New York, July 13, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on authorities in the Pakistani province of Sindh to clarify immediately whether they are holding journalist Mehruddin Mari, who has been missing since July 2. CPJ has confirmed that Mari, a correspondent for the Sindhi-language newspaper The Daily Kawish, was taken by police, according to…
Chinese filmmaker, blogger Wu Hao released
New York, July 11, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes today’s release of blogger and documentary filmmaker Wu Hao, who was detained without charge for more than four months. Authorities had denied him access to a lawyer and withheld information on his whereabouts and the allegations against him. “We’re relieved that Wu Hao has been…
Bangladesh: Office of controversial magazine Weekly Blitz bombed
New York, July 7, 2006 — The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns a bomb attack on the office of the Bangladeshi magazine Weekly Blitz whose editor is on trial for sedition after writing about radical Islam. Editor Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury told CPJ that two small devices exploded Wednesday outside the Weekly Blitz office in…