Articles by Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA)
Editor arrested, charged, radio station ordered to stop broadcasting in run-up to elections
(SEAPA/IFEX) – Cambodian rights and free expression advocates are anxious and concerned in the run- up to the general elections scheduled for late July 2008, sounding the alarm over recent attacks on the media that threaten the press and the open conduct of campaigns. The Cambodian Association for the Protection of Journalists (CAPJ), a partner […]
Lawyer in detention, charged, facing possible jail term for online comments about judge
(SEAPA/IFEX) – A Singaporean-US lawyer has been charged in a Singapore court for allegedly insulting a judge in emails and his blog, wire reports say. A Reuters dispatch on 2 June 2008 ( http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSSIN32641420080602 ), said that “Gopalan Nair, who runs a law firm in California and was previously a Singapore citizen, was arrested last […]
Censors interfere with screening of critical film, seize disc
(SEAPA/IFEX) – Singapore authorities attempted to stop a private screening of a critical film on Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew on 17 May 2008, alleging that the screening violated the Films Act, according to news reports. Section 21(1)(b) of the Films Act forbids the screening of a film that has not been vetted by the […]
Newspaper’s supplement on Burma seized by police, paper threatened with suspension
(SEAPA/IFEX) – A newspaper in Cambodia has had to stop publishing a pullout on Burma after authorities confiscated that section for two consecutive days, warning that a suspension would soon follow. The English-Khmer “Cambodia Daily” started the pullout, called the “Burma Daily”, on 16 May 2008, “to introduce to the Burmese people what a free […]
Blogger released on bail; online writer detained briefly, released on bail; opposition politician faces sedition complaint over comment
(SEAPA/IFEX) – SEAPA is concerned by a spate of sedition threats in Malaysia, where sedition is a criminal offence punishable with a jail term of up to three years, or a fine of up to RM5,000 (approx. US$1,566), or both. On 6 May 2008, a well-known online critic, Raja Petra Kamaruddin, and a commentator on […]
Fifteen IFEX members and others call on junta to allow free expression of views on referendum
(SEAPA/IFEX) – The following is a 1 May 2008 joint statement by 15 IFEX members and other organisations: Free expression groups call on Burmese junta to allow referendum campaigners the right to say “No” Freedom of expression groups from Asia and around the world say a planned 10 May 2008 referendum on a new Burmese […]
Tamil-language paper denied licence renewal, effectively banned
(SEAPA/IFEX) – Malaysian officials have rejected a Tamil-language newspaper’s application for a publishing permit – an annual requirement for periodicals under the draconian Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA) – in effect, banning the daily that had existed since the early 1990s. The publishing permit of “Makkal Osai” (The People’s Voice) expired on 15 October […]
Giant retail company’s legal action against newspapers “harassment, pure and simple,” says SEAPA
(SEAPA/IFEX) – Tesco Lotus, one of the biggest retailers in Thailand, has filed another defamation suit against a Thai columnist, following through on a trend that has got the country’s journalists and media on edge. Tesco’s newest case seeks 100 million baht (approx. US$3.3 million) in damages from Ms. Nongnart Harnwilai, who writes a column […]