Asia

New York, September 15, 2000–The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) welcomes today’s announcement that the United Nations is investigating the October, 1975 murders of five Australia-based journalists in East Timor. [Go to map of region] CPJ urges UN authorities to expand the investigation to include the murder of Australian free-lance journalist Roger East, said to…

Your Excellency: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is outraged by the imprisonment of Cheng Poh, a lawyer who was sentenced yesterday to 14 years in jail for allegedly distributing foreign news articles.

Click here to read more about press freedom conditions in BURMA New York, September 14, 2000 — The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called yesterday’s sentencing of lawyer Cheng Poh “an outrageous violation of press freedom” and expressed concerns for his safety. Cheng Poh, 77, was sentenced to 14 years in prison yesterday for allegedly…

Click here to read more about press freedom conditions in PHILIPPINES New York, September 11, 2000 — The release of two France 2 television journalists, cameraman Jean-Jacques Le Garrec and sound engineer Roland Madura, has been delayed due to factional fighting within the ranks of the Philippine rebel group that kidnapped them, according to news…

Your Excellency: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) welcomes your decision to ease censorship restrictions on the Sri Lankan media. We are, however, disappointed that military-related news will still be subject to censorship regulations issued in previous years.

New York, September 8, 2000–The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) wrote to Sri Lankan president Chandrika Kumaratunga today, welcoming her decision to ease censorship restrictions on the media. However, CPJ noted that censorship of military-related news remains in place, in violation of Sri Lanka’s international obligations to uphold press freedom. “We do not think that…

Your Excellency: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is dismayed by the recent suspension of two Malaysian publications, the weekly news magazine Eksklusif and the monthly youth magazine Wasilah.

New York, September 5, 2000 — The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemns the sentencing today of Lasantha Wickrematunga, editor of the English-language weekly newspaper The Sunday Leader, on charges of criminally defaming President Chandrika Kumaratunga. A judge from Colombo’s High Court sentenced Wickrematunga to two years in jail, but suspended the sentence for five…

Your Excellency: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is dismayed by recent indications that censorship regulations are still fully in force in Sri Lanka, despite earlier assurances by the media minister that these restrictions would be lifted by mid-August, well in advance of the upcoming parliamentary elections. CPJ believes that it is impossible to hold free and fair elections in a country where media are subject to censorship regulations.

Your Excellency: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is deeply disturbed by the August 26 bombing attack on the offices of two publications in Imphal, Manipur. The attack comes just one week after newspaper editor Thounaojam Brajamani Singh was assassinated on the streets of Imphal.