The
International Federation of Journalists joins its affiliate The Media,
Entertainment & Arts Alliance in expressing concern that foreign
journalists have been banned from accessing the proposed Regional Processing
Centre for Asylum Seekers on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea. By contrast,
Nauru has promised to give journalists access to report the stories and
conditions of asylum seekers in its care.
Responding
to media reports about the PNG ban, Christopher Warren, federal secretary of
the Media Alliance: “It’s disturbing that after having their visa application
approved by the PNG Prime Minister’s office, a Fairfax Media journalist and
photographer have reportedly had their application stalled by the PNG
Immigration and Citizenship Service.”
A
report in Fairfax newspapers quotes a Service spokesperson as explaining that
the visa applications had been stalled “due to a ban being imposed by the
Foreign Minister on issuance of visas to foreign media personnel until further
notice”.
Speaking
to New Zealand radio, Foreign Affairs and Immigration Minister Rimbink Pato
explained that the ban was temporary and had been undertaken to protect the
country from misreporting, which could be ‘‘misinterpreted’’ by Papua New
Guineans. He said: “There’s no need for the access.”
Last
week, Minister Pato announced that the PNG Cabinet has formally approved
Australia's request to re-open the Manus Regional Asylum Processing Centre
during a special National Executive Council meeting. The Australian Government
is funding re-establishment of the detention centre and its facilities.
Nauru’s
Foreign Minister, Kieren Keke said his country had “no problem” with granting
journalists access to people who wanted to speak publicly and to report on the
conditions in the processing centre to be re-established there.
Christopher
Warren said: “The PNG ban appears to be an over-reaction to an issue that,
rather than be conducted in secrecy, should be made available to full and
complete coverage by PNG and foreign media to ensure a completely open and
transparent process is undertaken and that PNG voices are heard. Excluding the
media and preventing proper scrutiny of what is planned for Manus Island only
gives rise to confusion and may trigger the very kind of misreporting that
Foreign Minister says he is concerned about.”
The
IFJ and The Media Alliance call on Prime Minister Peter O’Neill and Foreign Minister
Rimbink Pato to relax the ban and allow foreign media to report on the
situation on Manus Island thus ensuring that the process of re-establishing and
operation of the processing centre is done to everyone’s satisfaction.
For further information contact
Karol
Foyle at The Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance on +61 411 757 690
IFJ
Asia-Pacific on +612 9333 0918
The IFJ
represents more than 600,000 journalists in 131 countries
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the IFJ on Twitter: @ifjasiapacific
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