18 August 2004
Volume 13 - 2004 Issue 33 (17 Aug. 2004)
Philippines
IFEX members are calling for an end to a "culture of impunity" in the Philippines in which dozens of journalists have been killed in the past two decades without anyone being brought to justice. In the past two weeks, four alone have been murdered and a fifth one shot.
Nepal
In the ongoing armed conflict between government forces and Maoist rebels in Nepal, an increasing number of journalists covering the civil war are being targeted, report the Center for Human Rights and Democratic Studies (CEHURDES), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).
Indonesia
IFEX members are putting Indonesia's harsh defamation laws under the international spotlight, urging the government to bring them in line with international standards on freedom of expression. The attention comes as three journalists face charges that could land them in jail for allegedly libeling a well-known Indonesian businessman.
Sri Lanka
Kandasamy Iyer Balanadarajah, a journalist and media spokesperson for the Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP), was gunned down on 16 August 2004 by two unidentified assailants, report Free Media Movement and Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontierès, RSF). He became the second journalist killed in Sri Lanka this year.
Iraq
IFEX members are renewing concerns over safety conditions for journalists in Iraq, following the killing of a freelance reporter and the abduction of three journalists in the past week.
Tajikistan
Adil Soz and the National Association of Independent Mass Media of Tajikistan (NANSMIT) are calling attention to increasing threats against journalists in Tajikistan in recent months, where 12 have been targeted since January 2004.
International
17 August 2004
International
The Columbia Graduate School of Journalism will honour journalists from Romania and Zimbabwe for courageous reporting in October when it presents the 2004 Kurt Schork Awards for International Journalism.
International
A Sierra Leonean journalist who has spent the last decade promoting freedom of expression and helping rebuild his country's media has been honoured with an award from the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association (CBA).
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