To SAMSN members and friends,
Welcome to the e-bulletin
of the South Asia Media Solidarity Network (SAMSN) for the month of August 2013.
The next bulletin will be sent on September
15, 2013, and inputs are most welcome. We encourage contributions to let
others know what you are doing; to seek solidarity and support from other SAMSN
members; and to find out what others are doing in the region.
To contribute, email: [email protected]
SAMSN is a group of
journalists’ trade unions, press freedom organisations and journalists in South
Asia that have agreed to work together to support freedom of expression and
association in the region. SAMSN was formed at a meeting of these groups in
Kathmandu, Nepal, in September 2004. The group agreed to stand in solidarity
and work together for media reform, for an independent pluralist media and to
build public respect for the work of journalists in the region.
For further information on
SAMSN, visit: www.ifj-asia.org/page/samsn.html
Please distribute this
bulletin widely among colleagues in the media.
In this bulletin:
1. Debate on cross-media
ownership rules in India
2. Raise in foreign
investment ceiling contemplated in Indian media
3. Hearings on wage
board for India’s journalists to resume in Supreme Court
4. Code of ethics for
Sri Lanka media held in abeyance
5. Journalism
excellence awards presented in Sri Lanka
6. Journalists
covering protests in Sri Lanka attacked by army units
7. Mahmudur Rahman
remanded; Adilur Rahman arrested in Bangladesh
8. Bangladesh blogger
released, rearrested
9. Competition
watchdog to investigate TV ratings agency in India
10. Soni Sori and Lingaram Kodopi denied bail
11. Applications invited for Thomson Foundation-Foreign
Press Association awards
12. Press Council of India indicts state government for
press freedom violations
13. Indian journalist, Tongam Rina wins press freedom
award
14. Afghan newspaper harassed, journalist convicted on
libel charges
15. Proposals of Pakistan media commission discussed
16. SAMSN annual meeting held in Kathmandu, action
plans adopted
DETAILED REPORTS
FOLLOW:
1. Debate on
cross-media ownership rules in India
The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of
India (TRAI) acting on a mandate from India’s Ministry of Information and
Broadcasting (MIB) is continuing with broad-ranging consultations on possible
restrictions on cross-media ownership. SAMSN partner, the Delhi Union of
Journalists, submitted a response to an initial consultation paper circulated
by TRAI. Media owners have subsequently joined the discussion and opposed the
introduction of any such norms. Further information at: http://www.trai.gov.in/ConsultationDescription.aspx?CONSULT_ID=675&qid=0 and http://asiapacific.ifj.org/en/articles/ifj-calls-for-broad-union-participation-in-evolution-of-ownership-rules-for-indian-media.
2. Raise in foreign
investment ceiling contemplated in Indian media
The Union Government in India has mooted a proposal to raise
the foreign investment ceiling in the equity of media companies to 49 per cent
from the current 25 per cent. A formal notification issued by the Government in
July however, left out the media industry from liberalised rules for foreign
investment in a number of other sectors. Divided counsels within the industry
and security worries expressed by the Union Home Ministry were believed to be
behind this. However, a meeting of the Indian newspaper industry’s principal
national level lobby – the Indian Newspaper Society (INS) – later endorsed the
proposal with only two members in dissent. Broadcasters are also believed to
favour the raising of foreign investment caps. Further details at: http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/divided-industry-propriety-of-process-slow-fdi-in-media-proposal/article4905861.ece and http://www.indianexpress.com/news/ins-okays-49-per-cent-fdi-in-print-media/1149467/.
3. Hearings on wage
board for India’s journalists to resume in Supreme Court
The Supreme Court in India has posted all matters related to the latest
Wage Board award for journalists and non-journalists, for final hearings
following September 10. Hearings will begin before a new bench following the
failure of an earlier bench which heard the matter through February, to deliver
a final ruling because of the retirement of one member-judge. Further details
4. Code of ethics for
Sri Lanka media held in abeyance
Following protests by the Free Media Movement and the Sri
Lanka Journalists’ Association, and by various international media freedom
bodies, the Sri Lankan government has decided to keep its proposal to introduce
a new media code of ethics in abeyance. The Sri Lankan president, after a
meeting with senior editors, has reportedly instructed the Information Ministry
to leave the matter in the hands of the journalists’ bodies which would be free
to consider elements of the government draft. Further information at: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jbEprDJhi8Xk2HIp7N_FK_kEo3-Q?docId=CNG.67d2181a80db59a06b597e7ba3f1856e.8d1.
5. Journalism
excellence awards presented in Sri Lanka
The Sri Lanka Press Institute and the Editors’ Guild of Sri Lanka
jointly organised the annual excellence in journalism awards function on July
30. These awards, which were instituted in 1999, are now regarded as Sri
Lanka's most prestigious annual event recognising journalistic excellence.
Among those awarded was Seetha Ranjanee, senior journalist and press freedom
activist, who was honoured with the Sepala Gunasena Award for Press Freedom. Seetha
Ranjanee has been associated with IFJ's affiliate in Sri Lanka, the Free Media
Movement (FMM). She has served several terms in the key positions of Convenor
and Secretary of the FMM. At the moment she is a member of the executive
committee of the FMM, as well as the Sri Lanka Journalists' Association,
another affiliate of the IFJ. Further details at: http://asiapacific.ifj.org/en/articles/fmm-activist-seetha-ranjanee-awarded-for-press-freedom-work and http://colombogazette.com/2013/07/31/journalism-awards-for-excellence/.
6. Journalists
covering protests in Sri Lanka attacked by army units
SAMSN partners have joined the Free Media Movement (FMM) and the Sri
Lanka Journalists’ Association (SLJA) in strongly condemning an army crackdown
on peaceful protests near the western town of Weliweriya which resulted in the
death of three protesters and injuries to no fewer than fifteen journalists.
SAMSN partners report that military units deployed to contain protests by
residents of a village near Weliweriya town in western Sri Lanka on August 1,
against the contamination of drinking water in the area, used indiscriminate
force and specially targeted journalists covering the events. Journalists were
warned against taking photographs and videographing the protests. Further
details at: http://asiapacific.ifj.org/en/articles/journalists-harassed-and-attacked-as-army-cracks-down-on-peaceful-protesters.
7. Mahmudur Rahman
remanded; Adilur Rahman arrested in Bangladesh
Mahmudur Rahman, editor of the Bangladesh newspaper Amar Desh has been remanded to further police custody in a case
registered against him in February. Rahman, a critic of the current government,
was arrested on April 11 on complaints of incitement to violence filed
following Amar Desh’s coverage of
ongoing youth protests over Bangladesh’s war crimes trials. Charges are yet to
be laid against him on any of the complaints that have been registered. Meanwhile,
Adilur Rahman, a prominent human rights defender associated with the campaign
and advocacy group Odhikar, has been arrested under clauses of the Information
and Communication Technology Act, for allegedly publishing exaggerated figures
of casualties caused by a police crackdown on Islamic protests on the night of
May 6. Adilur Rahman has been vocal in his defence of Mahmudur Rahman’s case. Further
details at: http://bdinn.com/news/mahmudur-rahman-back-in-jail-after-remand/; http://tazakhobor.com/politics/5014-mahmudur-rahman-on-3-day-remand-again and http://www.amnesty.org/en/news/bangladesh-arrest-human-rights-defender-sends-chilling-message-2013-08-12.
8. Bangladesh blogger
released, rearrested
Bangladesh youth activist and blogger Asif Mohiuddin was rearrested
following the expiry of his one-month bail on July 29. A court in Dhaka held
that there were no grounds for extending his bail and fixed August 25 for
framing of charges against him and three other youth activists who remain free
on bail -- Subrata Adhikari Shuvo, Russel Parvez and Mashiur Rahman Biplob – in
a case brought against them for causing offence to religious sentiments. Further
details at: http://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/blogger-asif-sent-to-jail/.
9. Competition
watchdog to investigate TV ratings agency in India
Following disagreements, a number of broadcasters pulled out of India’s
only television ratings process run by the TAM Media in July and the
anti-monopoly watchdog, Competition Commission of India (CCI) announced plans
to investigate TAM Media for possible monopolistic behaviour. Following a deal
between broadcasters and TAM Media that the reporting format would be revied to
provide monthly aggregates of audience, rather than weekly ratings, the CCI
investigation appears to have lost momentum. Further details at: http://www.indiantelevision.com/headlines/y2k13/aug/aug69.php.
10. Journalist Lingaram Kodopi and co-accused Soni Sori
denied bail
Lingaram Kodopi, a journalist from an indigenous (adivasi) community in Central India was denied bail at a hearing of
the High Court in the state of Chhattisgarh on July 7. Kodopi along with his
aunt Soni Sori, is an accused in a case of acting as a courier in a financial
transaction involving the banned Maoist insurgents in the state and a major
mining conglomerate, Essar Ltd. Kodopi has been acquitted in two other cases
brought against him and Sori in five. Soni Sori’s husband died early in August
and she was denied permission to attend his funeral. Further details at: http://us5.campaign-archive1.com/?u=7dc34c00b8101d17704011d1a&id=cd796b4e27&e=f0f139b610.
11. Applications invited for Thomson Foundation-Foreign
Press Association awards
The Thomson Foundation in association with the U.K. Foreign Press
Association, has invited applications for the “Young Journalist” award, open to
all media professionals who will be under the age of thirty as of 19 November
2013. The competition is open to all journalists from developing countries
defined per the World Bank. Deadline for submissions is 18 September 2013.
Further details at: http://www.thomsonfoundation.org/young-journalist-award.
12. Press Council of India indicts state government for
press freedom violations
The Press Council of India has adopted a report indicting the government
in the eastern Indian state of Bihar for serious violations of press freedom.
The report was prepared by a three-member fact-finding team of the council and
has found the state government guilty of pressuring the press to downplay
issues such as corruption, ignoring the opposition and favouring the
establishment in news coverage. The council has called for an independent
agency to oversee the allocation of government advertisements and observed that
the press in the state depends mainly on this source of revenue since
commercial ads were in short supply in the backward state. Further details at: http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/pci-adopts-report-indicting-nitish-govt-over-press-freedom-113072300711_1.html.
13. Indian journalist, Tongam Rina wins press freedom
award
Tongam Rina, a journalist from the north-eastern Indian state of
Arunachal Pradesh, has been awarded the "Prize for the Freedom and Future
of the Media - 2013" instituted by Media Foundation, Leipzig, Germany.
While working as associate editor of the Arunachal
Times, Rina was attacked in July 2012 near her office and suffered serious
bullet injuries. She recovered only after months of intensive medical
treatment. Further details at: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-07-14/guwahati/40568881_1_tongam-rina-arunachal-press-club-leipzig and http://asiapacific.ifj.org/en/articles/ifj-condemns-attempted-murder-of-indian-journalist.
14. Afghan newspaper harassed, journalist convicted on
libel charges
Police authorities in Afghanistan have been accused on harassing the
staff and owners of a Kabul-based daily newspaper, Mandegar. A reporter with the newspaper was arrested on July 5 and its
editor was sentenced to thirty months in prison after hearings on a libel case
which he was not aware of. The libel action was initiated by the head of the
official anti-corruption ombudsman. Further details at: http://www.voanews.com/content/rights-group-afghanistan-violating-freedom-in-crackdown-on-newspaper/1700134.html.
15. Proposals of Pakistan media commission discussed
Editors and other media professionals, including legal experts, have
welcomed the recommendations of a Media Commission appointed by the Pakistan
Supreme Court, which has suggested major changes in the regulatory framework
for the media in the country. The commission has recommended that the
sixty-eight laws which currently govern the functioning of the media should be
reviewed over six months and suitably amended. State owned broadcasters, it has
suggested, should be converted into independent entities. The report also
includes certain recommendations on financial transparency in media enterprises
and the statutory application of a code of ethics. Further details at: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\07\28\story_28-7-2013_pg7_7.
16. SAMSN annual meeting held in Kathmandu, action
plans adopted
SAMSN held its annual meeting in Kathmandu between July 21 and 23. The
meeting was supported by the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung of Germany and adopted a
number of action plans in aras of concern such as fair wages and working
conditions, safety, ethics and gender fairness. Further details at: http://asiapacific.ifj.org/en/articles/journalists-at-south-asia-meet-reaffirm-commitment-to-press-freedom-and-social-justice and http://asiapacific.ifj.org/en/articles/journalists-at-south-asia-meet-call-for-a-new-deal-on-wages-and-working-conditions.
IFJ Asia-Pacific
http://asiapacific.ifj.org
[email protected]
SAMSN Members:
Afghan Independent Journalists' Association, Afghanistan
Bangladesh Journalists' Rights Forum (BJRF), Bangladesh
Dhaka Reporters' Unity, Bangladesh
All India Newspapers Employees' Federation (AINEF), India
Indian Journalists' Union (IJU), India
National Union of Journalists India (NUJI), India
Maldives Journalists Association
Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ), Nepal
National Union of Journalists Nepal (NUJN), Nepal
Nepal Press Union (NPU), Nepal
Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), Pakistan
Pakistan Press Foundation, Pakistan
Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association (SLWJA), Sri Lanka
Federation of Media Employees' Trade Unions (FMETU), Sri Lanka
Free Media Movement (FMM), Sri Lanka
Bangladesh Manobadhikar Sangbadik Forum (BMSF: Human Rights Journalists
Forum of Bangladesh)
Media Watch, Bangladesh