In a 17 March 2000 letter to President Charles G. Taylor, CPJ condemned the recent illegal closure of the privately-owned stations Star Radio and Radio Veritas. During the morning of 15 March, heavily armed police officers under the command of Director of Police Paul Mulbah occupied the Star Radio compound in Monrovia and sealed its […]
In a 17 March 2000 letter to President Charles G. Taylor, CPJ condemned the recent illegal closure of the privately-owned stations Star Radio and Radio Veritas.
During the morning of 15 March, heavily armed police officers under the command of Director of Police Paul Mulbah occupied the Star Radio compound in Monrovia and sealed its gate. Star Radio’s Internet-based news service was also interrupted. Meanwhile, police also sealed the compound housing Radio Veritas, which is owned by the Catholic Archdiocese.
The police seized documents and broadcast equipment, and manhandled journalists and technicians. They also shut down the Catholic Printing Press, another Archdiocese media venture that is housed in the same compound. At the time of writing, armed officers in riot gear remained
posted in front of both compounds.
A statement from the president’s office defended the decision to silence the two broadcasters, referring to “the rising incidence of inflammatory comments and radio programming filling the airways in recent times.” The statement accused “agents provocateurs” of using Star Radio and Radio Veritas to create security problems in Liberia.
In a 14 March letter addressed to the management of Star Radio, Information Minister Joe W. Mulbah stated that Star Radio, which is sponsored by the Swiss non-governmental organization Fondation Hirondelle, had only been granted a temporary license allowing it to broadcast during the 1997 general elections. Mulbah added that because the electoral “playing field had been
leveled,” there was no reason for Star Radio to continue broadcasting “political talk shows, news, and interviews.”
However, CPJ has learned that Star Radio’s articles of incorporation, filed with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, allowed it “to disseminate useful, impartial and objective information to Liberians” without time restrictions. And while President Taylorâs government has stated that Radio Veritas may resume operation if it provides a written guarantee that it will restrict itself to religious programming, it appears that the station’s license contains no such restriction.
On 17 March, according to news reports, the president accused both stations of obstructing “the peace and stability of this country.” CPJ regrets that the president views press freedom as a threat to the stability of Liberia. In CPJâs view, a free and functioning press is essential to any possible resolution of the deep-seated social and ethnic divisions that linger two years after rebels under his command declared victory after a brutal, eight-year civil war.
The 17 March action leaves only two independent radio outlets in Liberia: the privately-owned station Ducor, and ELWA, a religious broadcaster owned by Baptist missionaries. Two other stations, KISS FM and Radio Liberia International, are the president’s private property.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to the president:
– expressing your regret that the president views press freedom as a threat to the stability of Liberia – noting that, in your view, a free and functioning press is essential to any possible resolution of the deep-seated social and ethnic divisions that linger two years after rebels under his command declared victory after a brutal, eight-year civil war
– stating that you believe that the closure of Star Radio and Radio Veritas is a blatant violation of international law that will severely restrict the Liberian people’s access to information, an internationally-recognized human right
– urging His Excellency to ensure that Star Radio, Radio Veritas and the Catholic Printing Press are allowed to re-open immediately, that their equipment is returned, and that their staff are free to seek, receive, and impart information without fear of reprisals
Appeals To
APPEALS TO:
His Excellency Charles G. Taylor
President of the Republic of Liberia
Monrovia, Liberia
Fax: +231 225 217
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
