PFF condemns Police bashing of PNG journalist

PFF Rarotonga, COOK ISLANDS- The Pacific Freedom Forum condemns the brutal attack by uniformed Police officers on Papua New Guinea journalist Mark Kayok on the evening of Saturday 21 April, in Port Moresby.  Kayok, a Police rounds reporter with the National Broadcasting Corporation, has reportedly sustained a broken nose amongst his injuries and is currently recovering at home.

The incident was reported in the morning bulletin on NBC radio on Monday 23 April . Kayok had been on assignment on Saturday evening before meeting up with a friend who was wearing his Police uniform. Returning home, they were tailed by a mobile Police Unit who stopped them at a service station in 5-mile and began assaulting the Police officer. When Kayok tried to stop the attack, the assailants asked him who he was. He identified himself as an NBC journalist and was also beaten up by the group of Police officers who told him media were not reporting positively on them.

"We strongly condemn these crimes and call on those in authority to let the rule of law prevail, and investigate and prosecute those behind this shocking and despicable act. Not only did this attack involve a fellow law enforcer, but the citizen who tried to come to his aid also became a victim after it was found he was a journalist," says American Samoa-based PFF co-chair Monica Miller.

The assaults come in the wake of ongoing tensions within Police ranks in the PNG capital, after reports of fighting between factions of Highlands and NCD-based police in the last week.

"We urge the leadership to ensure the safety of all PNG citizens, especially when it's those paid to protect them who are their biggest threat. The media must be able to safely do the work of keeping the public informed at a critical time in the nation's history and we are gravely concerned at ongoing reports of threats and harrassment. We urge the government and law enforcers to respect the role of the fourth estate, and uphold their own duty to serve and protect the people of Papua New Guinea."

Miller says it's important that the leadership in the Police and Government quickly investigate and stand down the perpetrators of the beating and strive for peaceful settlement of the current tensions within the Police ranks, while keeping open lines of communication with journalists.-- ENDS

CONTACT: PFF Chair Titi Gabi | Freelance Journalist | Papua New Guinea Mail: PO Box 7776, Boroko, NCD, Papua New Guinea | Mob: (675) 7314 3929 | Email: titi.gabipng@gmail.com PFF co-Chair Monica Miller | KHJ Radio | American Samoa Mob 684 258-4197 | Office 684 633-7793 | Email: monica@khjradio.com The Pacific Freedom Forum are a regional and global online network of Pacific media colleagues, with the specific intent of raising awareness and advocacy of the right of Pacific people to enjoy freedom of expression and be served by a free and independent media. We believe in the critical and basic link between these freedoms, and the vision of democratic and participatory governance pledged by our leaders in their endorsement of the Pacific Plan and other commitments to good governance. In support of the above, our key focus is monitoring threats to media freedom and bringing issues of concern to the attention of the wider regional and international community.

Palau: Journo jobs, media freedoms face the axe under new bill

PFF Rarotonga, COOK ISLANDS--Independent journalism and jobs for journalists in Palau face the axe if a proposed telecommunications bill before the country's senate becomes law, says regional media monitoring network the Pacific Freedom Forum.
Senate bill 8-231 is aimed at updating licensing regulations for broadcasters, but includes a clause banning foreign ownership of media companies.
The clause would effectively shut down major news player Oceania Television Network, which is majority owned by US citizens Jeff Barabe and Kassi Berg, in partnership with Palauan partners, Jill Senior and Micheal Gordon. OTN employs Palauan nationals across its news, production and admin teams.
"Any proposed legislation which takes jobs away from Palau's citizens, and impacts on the independent flow of news and information to the public, surely raises the question of the agenda behind the changes," says PFF chair Titi Gabi of Papua New Guinea.
"We urge those behind the bill's clauses to check it does not threaten Palau's constitutional guarantees of freedom of expression and speech."
"Forward-thinking Pacific governments feature foreign investment and ownership guidelines and monitoring in their trade and investment environment and don't mix it up in spectrum and telecommunications licensing. In a globalised era where more small island media industries would welcome foreign investment to help meet their high capital costs, the truth behind making this a restricted industry must be made public," she says.
Attempts to ban foreign ownership of media outlets is not new to Palau. It’s been reported the same provision was included in a previous Senate Bill introduced by broadcast owner and Senator Alfonso Diaz in 2009. It was dropped amidst legal challenges resulting in a criminal complaint filed by the Special Prosecutor against Senator Diaz for anti-competitive and unfair business practices.
PFF is also extremely concerned at news that the March 29 public hearing held in the Palau senate on the draft bill also actively excluded Barabe and his staff members from OTV. When Barabe, acting on an invite from a Senate staffer appeared at 11am, the hearing Chair Senator Kathy Kesolei called a recess, which meant cameras recording the 'public' hearings were turned off. During the off-camera discussion with Barabe, Kesolei told the OTV owner he couldn’t submit because he didn’t have a license. When he said he had two broadcast licenses, she changed reasons and said he could submit at a later date. When he asked for that date, she said there might not be another hearing on the bill.
"Public hearings over legislation are a precious part of any democracy and on camera recording links the business of elected leaders to their voters in the most transparent and practical way," says PFF co-chair Monica Miller of American Samoa. "Taking that right away and grasping for excuses in the manner reported,suspends belief and credibility in the whole public hearings process handling this bill."
Roll-Em Productions, the Barabe brainchild which lead to Oceania TV Network, are a thriving media company who've put a decades work into training and employing Palauan journalists.
"For an industry leader operating with the same standards as a public service broadcaster to now face extermination without clear justification, and especially without the right to be heard, is a chilling wake up call to Pacific voters of how easily their elected leaders can shut down their right to be informed."----ENDS

LINKS

OTV Newslink: http://www.oceaniatv.net/?p=761
Kaselehlie Press: http://bild-art.de/kpress/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1771&Itemid=2

Palau Constitution: http://www.palauembassy.com/Documents/ConstitutionE.pdf

CONTACT: PFF Chair Titi Gabi | Freelance Journalist | Papua New Guinea Mail: PO Box 7776, Boroko, NCD, Papua New Guinea | Mob: (675) 7314 3929 | Email: titi.gabipng@gmail.com PFF co-Chair Monica Miller | KHJ Radio | American Samoa Mob 684 258-4197 | Office 684 633-7793 | Email: monica@khjradio.com The Pacific Freedom Forum are a regional and global online network of Pacific media colleagues, with the specific intent of raising awareness and advocacy of the right of Pacific people to enjoy freedom of expression and be served by a free and independent media. We believe in the critical and basic link between these freedoms, and the vision of democratic and participatory governance pledged by our leaders in their endorsement of the Pacific Plan and other commitments to good governance. In support of the above, our key focus is monitoring threats to media freedom and bringing issues of concern to the attention of the wider regional and international community.

PFF joins call for action over plane attack in Papua

PFF, Rarotonga, COOK ISLANDS -- Pacific media watchdogs are keen to see closure and prosecution from Indonesia's Police forces investigating the plane attack in Indonesia's Papua province on Sunday 8 April, which killed 35 year old journalist Leiron Kegoya.

Kegoya, a journalist for the Papua Pos and Pasifik Pos Dail was on assignment to cover local elections in the Papua provincial capital Jayapura, which borders Papua New Guinea. He was a passenger in a small twin otter plane touching down at Mulia Airport when the shooters opened fire on the plane. He died from a bullet wound to his neck

The pilot, co-pilot and a mother and her 4-year-old son were injured in the attack, which saw the aircraft veer off the runway and crash into the terminal building.

"The circumstances of this attack highlight the situation in which journalists must do their work, and we join our colleagues in Indonesia and the International Federation of Journalists, IFJ in urging police to ensure the perpetrators behind this horrible act are brought to justice," says PFF chair Titi Gabi, of Papua New Guinea.

"The safety and security of civilians including journalists rests on the ability of Police and law enforcers, and is especially critical during election periods and when reporting from dangerous or unstable locations."

"We express condolences to the colleagues and family of Leiron Kegoya, and ask that Papua's police and Indonesia's leadership ensure this investigation not taper into silence, but that those responsible can be identified and brought to justice," says PFF co chair Monica Miller of American Samoa. The Pacific Freedom Forum adds its solidarity to condemnation of the attack from other media networks including the national Indonesia media association, AJI, the International Federation of Journalists, IFJ, and Reporters without Borders, RSF. -- ENDS

LINKS:

Jakarta Post: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/04/08/armed-gang-attacks-trigana-air-plane-papua.html

Radio NZ International: http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=67390

Pacific Media Watch: http://www.pmc.aut.ac.nz/pacific-media-watch/west-papua-rsf-protests-over-killing-journalist-airport-attack-7897
Pacific Scoop: http://pacific.scoop.co.nz/2012/04/indonesian-president-demands-quick-justice-in-west-papua-attack/
IFJ: http://asiapacific.ifj.org/en/articles/journalist-killed-in-indonesias-papua-province
CONTACT: PFF Chair Titi Gabi | Freelance Journalist | Papua New Guinea Mail: PO Box 7776, Boroko, NCD, Papua New Guinea | Mob: (675) 7314 3929 | Email: titi.gabipng@gmail.com PFF co-Chair Monica Miller | KHJ Radio | American Samoa Mob 684 258-4197 | Office 684 633-7793 | Email: monica@khjradio.com The Pacific Freedom Forum are a regional and global online network of Pacific media colleagues, with the specific intent of raising awareness and advocacy of the right of Pacific people to enjoy freedom of expression and be served by a free and independent media. We believe in the critical and basic link between these freedoms, and the vision of democratic and participatory governance pledged by our leaders in their endorsement of the Pacific Plan and other commitments to good governance. In support of the above, our key focus is monitoring threats to media freedom and bringing issues of concern to the attention of the wider regional and international community.