Pacific Freedom Forum (PFF)

NBC journalist Mark Kayok was stepped in to stop a fight and when he identified himself as a journalist to police, they turned on him too.

Any proposed legislation which takes jobs away from Palau’s citizens, and impacts on the independent flow of news and information to the public, raises the question of the agenda behind the changes, says PFF.

An open letter by 44 organisations calls Iraq’s proposed Information Technology Crimes law a threat to the fundamental freedoms necessary for the evolution of free speech and a vibrant press. The law will come to vote in the Iraqi Council of Representatives in April.

Communications department secretary Paulius Korini initiated a heated discussion amongst regional journalists with his claims that media controls and regulation would help the industry towards balance in reporting.

“There is no treason in freedom of expression shared peacefully,” said PFF, while calling on Indonesian authorities to “follow through on the constitutional mandate to open up public spaces for all people of West Papua to share ideas safely with each other and their leaders.”

Fifty IFEX members and other rights groups call on the Bahrain authorities to release from prison human rights defender Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, whose life is at risk since beginning a hunger strike on 8 February.

A government press release stated that anyone found using a mobile phone, e-mail or Facebook to spread information considered “malicious” will be deemed to have committed a crime.

The country’s new state proceedings decree grants Fiji’s regime leader and his ministers exemption from defamation suits over anything they may say in public or private.