[caption id="attachment_2062" align="alignleft" width="175" caption="Chamil Wariya with Badawi. Remember that face well, folks."][/caption]

Lim had read aloud an excerpt of the article penned by Datuk Chamil Wariya, a former magazine group editor, which described the assassination of a fictitious political figure called "YBJ" whom he alleged was modelled on Kok.

In the story, YBJ was killed by a youngster with a pistol, releasing several shots straight to her heart.

- The Malaysian Insider

I really don't think I'm over-reacting here when I fully agree with Uncle Lim that this is almost akin to promoting and sowing the seeds of a violent means to deal with one's "nemesis".

Lim, who waved a copy of the Oct 12 issue of Mingguan Malaysia as he spoke, said in the country's 51 years of independence, never had creative licence been used in this way to promote a violent idea.

At this point, Datuk Bung Moktar Radin (BN-Kinabatangan) demanded to know how Lim came to the conclusion that the short story was aimed at Kok.

"If you ask 100 people who read the story, they would say that it refers to Teresa Kok, except you," replied Lim, saying that he wanted to know whether the authorities would investigate the matter.

"The backbenchers and opposition may have our differences but in the matter of assassination, it should be condemned by all of us." - NST

Why is the government detaining reporters like Tan Hoon Cheng from Sin Chew, when all she did was report EXACTLY what that goon (totally forgot his name btw) said and yet do absolutely nothing about Utusan !?!? Giving out mixed signals here fellas........

Do you think any of us will get away like that Chamil fler, if we were to be absolutely "inspired" by him and use our "creative juces" to come up with a similar "fictitious" tale, but this time, in a thinly veiled reference to an UMNO politician?

An indignant Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo replied that these perceptions of corruption were not caused by, you know, actual corruption. Instead, she blamed "the freest media in Asia," saying

A lot of their (Transparency International) basis is what they read in the papers. It’s a whole layering of perception indexes. And if you compare the Philippines with the rest of the region, we have to remember that the Philippines has the freest media in the region. . .

What would be on page 10 in some other countries would be a banner headline in the Philippines. Even rumors and innuendos become fact when they’re in the banner headline. That’s part of what we have to live with.*

It would probably have been possible to live with the stupidity of this argument, to add it to the pile of her other vapid pronouncements. But to say that media in the Philippines is free is a horrendous lie. At least 60 journalists have been murdered since Arroyo assumed office in 2001. This figure, which does not even include desaparecidos, has already surpassed the record of dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

The Centre for Media Freedom and Responsibility reports that most of the journalists killed were working on exposes of government corruption, especially in regions outside Manila. Another report from the Committee to Protect Journalists states that in the Philippines,

politicians and police have been implicated in a number of slayings, but corruption in the local court system has stymied efforts to prosecute. No convictions have been obtained in 24 cases.

As one of the "deadliest countries in the world for journalists," the Philippines is one of two initial target countries (the other is Russia) in the Global Campaign Against Impunity. Check them out for more in-depth reports on murdered journalists and info on how to get involved in their campaigns.

The CMFR and CPJ reports point to the Philippine government's disregard of and collusion in the murder of journalists, especially those who work to root out corruption in their home provinces. This makes President Arroyo's words, her willingness to blame the consequences of corruption on journalists, even more shameful.

-------------------------------------

*Link is acting up. Source for this quote is (TJ Burgonio, "Economist tags corruption for low FDIs," Philippine Daily Inquirer, October 11, 2008. Cache of article is here)

Jean-Claude, an ardent critic of corruption and human rights abuse in his country, was arrested in September 2008, and charged with "defamation", simply for questioning President Nkurunziza's expenditure at the Beijing Olympics.

Amnesty International has taken up the case, listing Jean-Claude as “a prisoner of conscience, detained solely for the peaceful exercise of his right to freedom of expression.”

I've just set up an online petition to raise the profile of the case, and press for Jean-Claude's release:

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/FreeJeanClaudeKavumbagu

1. I'm not nearer finishing any of the books I started reading at the beginning of the month. From a three chapter-a-day goal for Charles Dickens' David Copperfield, I find myself applauding if I even get to the end of one chapter a day. Like the one doing this The Penguin Blog entry, I find sometimes myself wondering at how other people seem to be reading too fast. "I often re-read sentences or even whole paragraphs (which, at my most positive and self-delusional, I claim makes me a conscientious, diligent reader)..."That's exactly how I read.

2. After Soul, another Andrey Platonov story had me yearning to finish the remaining works in Soul and Other Stories (more about these other stories later). I don't really know what more to say of "The Third Son," a story about six young men called home by their aging father after the death of their mother, except that I like it. Of the story Robert Chandler wrote in the introduction: "Few stories convey, in so short a space, so complex a sense of the passing of time."

3. From A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century by Chuck Klosterman:

JUNE 15, 2032: A virtual-reality amusement park in Berlin allows patrons to momentarily experience the sensation of death. Controversy explodes when studies indicate that almost 10 percent of those who participate in the simulation commit suicide within one year.

JAN. 5, 2061: Chicago doctors perform the first successful brain transplant. The patient survives for sixty-one days, mostly in a state of perpetual terror and befuddlement.

4. Congressman Pablo John Garcia said late last month that officials offended by media should just blog instead of supporting the “Right to Reply Bill,” a proposed law that poses a grave threat to Press Freedom. Not only is it unconstitutional, as media organizations like the National Press Club's newly reorganized Cebu Chapter contend, but also ridiculous as pointed out by several commentators like SunStar Cebu columnist Frank Malilong:

Section 2 of HB 3306 says that the “reply of the person so accused or criticized shall be published or broadcast in the same space of the newspapers, magazine, newsletter or publication or aired over the same program on radio, television, website or through any electronic device.”

Thus, if 15 people are identified in a page one report as accused of complicity in the purchase of decorative lampposts, the replies of all the 15 should also be published in the front page. Can you imagine accommodating the letters of 15 people in the same page at the same time?

These lawmakers should just follow Congressman Garcia's lead and just blog about their press-related grievances. It would really be interesting if all their blogs would be as entertaining as onion-skinned.com.

5. I was invited to join the Blog Action Day 2008 Philippines. So as not to be accused of indifference I will end with a reminder on how the global financial crisis is bound to affect the country. I am optimistic about capitalism's ability for regeneration. Did not Marx himself describe capital as "vampire-like" (indeed, how many times have we tried to kill and bury the exploitative and oppressive system only for it to rise up again to torment us)? However, I simply cannot abide by the assurances of Filipino officials that the country will not be seriously affected by the crisis that now stares everyone in the face.

Allow me to quote from analyst Mon Casiple's "Recession risks to Filipinos" for as he warns, "It would have been better if they started telling the people the truth and prepare them for the hardships ahead. It is not fair nor prudent to mask the reality–when it hits with no preparations, psychological or otherwise, it will simply swamp those unprepared to survive the economic blows."

How may Filipinos be affected by recession? Let me count the ways: 1) you may lose your job in the global job market, whether it be in the call center here or your overseas job; 2) you may lose the foreign market for your goods; 3) you may lose your credit card, your insurance plan, and/or your bank account; 4) you may not be able to get loans or credit for your business or other needs; and 5) your stocks may plummet in value and your foreign investor partner may leave and saddle you with the remaining liabilities.

A second round where the local economy contracts in sympathy will do the following to you: 1) your business may fold up with the shrinkage or disappearance of your foreign market, lack of capital, or bad debts; 2) you may not have the necessary reserves to weather the slowing or stopping of the business cycle and consequent loss of earnings and profits; 3) you may lose your job; 4) your peso may not be worth much as exchange rates deteriorates; and 5) you may not have the money at all to buy basic necessities. ■

2.  100 Cheat Sheets for Web Developers.  I guess as teachers we shouldn't encourage cheating, but you can't possibly ever know all the CSS, HTML, Ruby on Rails or Wordpress shortcuts, codes and more.

3.  I just couldn't stop looking at what a great site Crayon Virtuoso is and to top it off the site master is following one of the great online photo courses and posting their results on the site.  Very cool.

4. As a yearbook teacher, I've got to stay on top of trends and I know that Grunge is back.  So it is time to brush up on photoshop tutorials that grunge up text, photos and more.

5.  Cindy Green is blogging about a court case that could make Hazelwood look like small change.  Some court said that a middle school kid had to get a flyer approved before passing it out.  This could set the precident that ALL printed material MUST be approved before distribution.  So much for first amendment rights and the school house door. Keep us updated Cindy.

6.  Great collection of video tips and how to's from Camp VJ. Wish I knew how to download them, because NING is bound to be blocked at school.

It is interesting that in Barbados we are discussing the importance of implementing effective Integrity and Freedom of Information legislation at this time. Barbadians especially have become enamored with the idea that we have a well functioning democracy which will just keep hopping along with little or no effort from us. Some members of the BU family have been very insistent that we need to work a little harder to ensure that as a PEOPLE we participate in all the elements which make up our democracy.

Barbados is a small country located in one of the most beautiful parts of the world, our quest to ensure safeguards are instituted to provide the best governance takes inspiration from the fact that PEOPLE all over the world are paying a price to access what WE take for granted. WE HAVE TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR DEMOCRACY TO MAKE IT WORK!

If you doubt us about the price PEOPLE all over the world are paying to enjoy freedom of expression...

We receive the following in our inbox and we will join the cause.

Dear Friend,

At this moment, at least 80 people around the world, many of them bloggers, are behind bars because they dared to express their political opinions online. We are hoping that you will take a moment to add your name to a petition by parliamentarians and others calling for their release.

The short statement below, calling for freedom of expression on the Internet, has been signed by over 50 legislators from all continents,  and is now being circulated for signature to bloggers, journalists, citizens and groups. Once it has received a large number of signatures, it will be sent to heads of state and government ‐‐ including those who are holding the prisoners ‐‐ as well as to the UN Human Rights Council.

This Call for e-Freedom has been initiated by the e‐Parliament, which is a new forum for democratic legislators.

For the first time in history, the internet enables us to have a truly global conversation about our common future – in our local communities, our national communities and our global community. In blogs, websites and discussion groups, people are sharing ideas, exposing corruption and building networks to solve common problems.

We are now contacting you as a member of the blogging community in the hope that you would like to sign this Call for e-Freedom -- to show solidarity with your fellow bloggers whose only crime has been to voice an opinion online. The text that we are asking people to sign is as follows:

As Members of Parliament and Congress and as citizens, we call on all governments to allow their people to express their views on the Internet freely and without fear of retribution. In particular, we call for the release of those who are now in prison because they expressed opinions online that their governments did not like. We believe the Internet should be a space for free exchange among all the world's people, where no one loses their life or their liberty for saying what they think.

You can add your name to the list of signatories simply by visiting  http://www.e-parl.net/efreedom and signing at the bottom of the page. If you can also encourage your friends and colleagues to add their names, we would be most grateful.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Graham Watson MEP                                Sirpa Pietikainen  MEP

Alliance of Liberals and Democrats        European People's Party (Christian Democrats)

European Parliament                                 European Parliament

Ana Maria Gomes MEP,                            Anders Wijkman MEP

Socialist Group                                            European People's Party (Christian Democrats)

European Parliament                                 European Parliament

The Call for e-Freedom - additional information

According to international human rights organisations, as of 1st October 2008 those imprisoned for free speech on the Internet include:

Hu Jia was detained on 27 December 2007 and sentenced in April 2008 to three and a half years. His crime was to expose human rights violations and to publicise China’s AIDS problem on the Internet. His wife Zeng Jinyan and their young child are under house arrest. About 50 other people have been imprisoned in China for similar 'crimes'. More on Hu Jia here.

Tariq Omar Biasi has been in jail in Syria since 7 July 2007 for a blog entry that was regarded as critical of the security services. His six year sentence was reduced to three on appeal. The authorities have strict laws on licensing internet sites and seven other individuals are thought to be in jail in Syria for expressing opinions online. More about Tariq here.

Nguyen Van Dai regularly posted pro-democracy essays on websites based abroad. In June 2006, for example, he wrote an article on the "right to found a party in Vietnam" for the BBC’s Vietnamese website. Arrested in March 2007, he was sentenced to 5 years -- reduced to 4 on appeal. Other internet writers are known to be in jail in Vietnam and Burma. More on Nguyen Van Dai here.

Legislators, organisations and citizens are all encouraged to sign this Call for e-Freedom - which will then be delivered to the authorities who are holding these people in prison. We shall continue to collect signatures and to apply parliamentary pressure based on the Call so long as such prisoners are being held.

Yesterday's upturn was short lived. You've all been talking about it on the blog..BUT has every page in the book been turned, has everything possible been done to try and make the situation better? If not, what more needs to be done OR what more can be done? Or as Priya has posted..Is there an upside to the global credit crunch? You've been posting your comments here.

***

Below are two stories we've looked at in the past but would you like to discuss them again?

**

One month after the Olmypics the Chinese media tightening is back.  Are you surprised? Is press freedom in China just impossible to achieve?

***

More countries are abolishing the death penalty, that's according to a latest report. Amnesty International say, Asia leads the way globally as the continent that carries out the most executions. Is the abolishment of the death penalty across the world inevitable?

There have been a lot of discussions about the KMT’s meddling in state owned media where 1) Ma’s government asked the Central News Agency to reduce negative reports about the government and appointed Ma’s presidential election spokesperson who doesn’t have any experience in journalism as CNA vice chairperson; 2) Ma’s government told RTI to tone down criticisms on China[1][2][3][4]. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) criticised such interference.[5]

However, the threat to freedom is not restricted to press freedom. I have blogged about signs indicating that the KMT has started watching and persecuting people again[6]. Similar incidents seem to be occurring more frequently in Taiwan.

Police investigating members in an online forum

A few of days ago, the police wrote a letter to an online forum on stock market to as the site administrator hand over certain members’ personal information and their IP addresses to the police to facilitate police investigation as those people have expressed critical views on certain companies' future or probably criticised the government (I'm not sure if there were any bad languages or personal attacks). This happened after the deputy head of Financial Supervisory Commission, Lee, Jih-chu announced that the government would investigate anyone who encourages short selling.[8] If someone expresses pessimism on a company’s future based on their current performance or reservations on the whole market based on the government’s current policy or the global economy (i.e. informed and evidence based), will he/she be in trouble? Probably. It doesn’t look like those people have published inappropriate articles or graphics online. They are more likely to have simply engaged in discussions and expressed pessimism about the stock market in the forum. After receiving the letter from the police, the site administrator told their members to be careful with what they say in the forum. This has provoked anxiety in other online forums. The chief executive of another similar organisation issued a statement, asking the police and the forum under investigation to respect individual privacy and target the police resources on vicious companies, analysts or the media rather than ordinary people.[7] 

Police arrests of convenience store employees

It was reported[9] on 9^th October that the police went into several convenience stores and arrested employees for selling a particular issue of a long running magazine. That particular issue contains SM descriptions and graphics. One of the employees explained that they have been selling that magazine for years and met the legal requirements by having that issue tightly sealed in plastic cover and clearly labelled its explicit nature and age restriction. Those people were handcuffed during the arrest and kept in a police cell overnight. They said they were frightened and feel that white terror is back. A former judge questioned the police conduct and thought the way it went down was a bit ‘over the top’. The police argued that the handcuffing was necessary to prevent suspects from escaping and the reason for the overnight detention was due to the fact that they don’t question/interrogate at night. The police pointed out that they did give those arrestees a consent form to sign but if the way they carry out their duties cause any upset, they will look into it.

Update: there's a clip of an interview with the former CNA editor in chief, Chuang, Feng-cha who shared his observations of the changes in the KMT government's interferences with CNA's reporting after Ma took office and his views on the KMT's treatment to state owned media. He expresses his concern that the KMT and Ma's government is politicinsing state owned media and treating those organisations as their mouthpiece just like the old times. He pointed out that even during the 'red shirt army' protests in 2006, which really hurt former President Chen's image, the DPP government or the party never put pressure on him or CNA as a whole to reduce or tone down any reporting on the protests. He said this was actually supposed to be the thing to do and did not deserve to be praised but he would still like to highlight the differences he has personally witnessed in the two administrations.

He reckons that the KMT is doing this because this is the only way they know how to maintain their power. He believes that even if the KMT stops openly interfering, they may still use their power over the budget to put pressure on state owned news agencies. He is worried about the integrity and credibility of CNA in the future and the wider implications in the society. He hopes that more Taiwanese journalists stop seeing themselves as being completely powerless, fully realise their rights and responsibilities as a journalist and can stand up to political interferences from the government no matter which party is in power.

http://www.southnews.com.tw/videos/specil/00/00123.htm

One of my first memories from moving to Cairo in August of last year was hearing the rumors swirling that Hosni Mubarak had died or was seriously ill, which were subsequently discussed in the local independent press.   Ash-Shakkak has the English translation of the offending article from ad-Dostour, but here's a taste:

The president in Egypt is a god and gods don’t get sick. Thus, President Mubarak, those surrounding him, and the hypocrites hide his illness and leave the country prey to rumors. It is not a serious illness. It’s just old age. But the Egyptian people are entitled to know if the president is down with something as minor as the flu.

In retaliation, several paper editors were sued by nominally private individuals, who accused them of causing capital flight and undermining the symbols [i.e. the president] of the state.  This resulted in a year-long legal drama that ended yesterday, when Mubarak gave ad-Dostour's editor, Ibrahim Eissa, a presidential pardon, forgiving the two month sentence finally issued by the appeals court.

The way I see it, the pardon is neither a government climbdown on press freedom nor a reaction to pressure - although there was more of that in Eissa's case than others.   Rather, the state wins and independent press loses regardless of whether he spends his two months in jail.

The point was not so much that a critic be punished, but that the red line around discussion of Mubarak's health be touched up.   This had already been made abundantly clear over the twelve-month long highly public trial and appeals process, and having a prominent journalist sitting in jail penning witty columns  would only invite further scrutiny and pressure.

In fact, the government may have achieved, or thought it was achieving, a PR victory through the pardon, which I first heard about from a 'breaking news' text message sent by the state news agency (the subscription to these costs about 1/5 the price of the al-Jazeera ones).

For every "plucky and indefatigable" Eissa, there are many more journalists or activists who aren't as witty, connected, or lucky who don't get attention, and more articles not written and things not said.

This can't be bad for Ad-Dustour's sales though.   I had to go to four different newsstands this morning to find one that hadn't sold out.

America is built on freedom; the freedom that allows Sarah Palin to launch her personal attacks on Barack Obama, as she did in Clearwater, Florida today.
 
She ended her address to the party faithful, waving the Stars and Stripes as if the only patriots in America are Republicans, by saying:  "Remember Ronald Reagan used to talk about America being that shining city on a hill for all mankind to see and that America is a good honorable nation.
 
"We are not a perfect nation but we learn from our mistakes.  And individually, no we are not perfect, but collectively together America represents a perfect ideal.
 
"It's freedom.  It's tolerance.  It's respect for equal rights.  It is those things that our military men and women have fought and died for and freedom is worth fighting for."
 
But in Palin's world, the world of the Republican Party, freedom is divisible.  There is a freedom for some but not for others.
 
There is the freedom to smear an opponent, as she has been doing these past couple of days.  There is the freedom at the mention of Barack Obama's name, as The Washington Post reports, for someone in the audience to shout, "Kill him!"
 
But there is not the freedom for members of the press to mingle with the audience at the rally to find out its reaction to Palin's speech.
 
Eileen Schulte, a staff writer with the St. Petersburg Times, attended the rally and reports: "Constantly under the watchful eyes of security, the media wasn't permitted to wander around inside Coachman Park to talk to Sarah Palin supporters.
 
"When reporters tried to leave the designated press area and head toward the bleachers, where the crowd was seated, an escort would dart out of nowhere and confront him or her and say, "Can I help you?" and turn the person around.
 
"When one reporter asked an escort, who would not give her name, why the press wasn't allowed to mingle with the crowd, she said that in the past negative things had been written.  The campaign wanted to avoid that possibility Monday."
 
Is that the freedom Palin was referring to in her speech?  It hardly seems worth people in the military laying down their lives for, does it?
 
An entire generation of Americans will wince at the Palin version of freedom because it is the "freedom" they fought against on the continent of Europe 64 years ago.  That "freedom" also liked to stage manage political rallies, flaunted flags and invoked the military to further its political ideals.  It was a "freedom" that allowed no one the freedom to criticize or voice opposition.
 
Take a couple of more steps to the right Ms. Palin and you will be there.  And God help America!

[Based on reports by the Chicago Sun-Times, The Washington Post and the Associated Press.]

A law that dictates what journalists will publish or broadcast is patently unconstitutional. The right to reply bills -- House Bill No. 3306 and Senate Bill No. 2150 -- precisely seek to impose the editorial judgement of congressmen and senators on gatekeepers at the newsroom. The bills intend to enforce penalties on news executives and owners for not publishing replies in the same space or program within a specific period. It constitutes prior restraint and violates the constitutional right of press freedom.

The advocates of the bills argue that freedom of the press is not absolute. They say that offended parties have also the right to have their side published or aired. They even advance the argument that the bills will widen the freedom of expression by requiring the publication or broadcast of media reports and commentaries deemed inaccurate, unfair or biased, and injurious to reputations.

But newspapers and news programs are not passive mouthpieces. The choice and treatment of material especially on public issues and public officials -- whether fair or unfair -- constitute editorial control and judgement. This is integral in the news media's function as the Fourth Estate. Our congressmen and senators should leave editors to freely do their jobs.

Moreover, we journalists consider fair play, accuracy and responsibility basic tenets in the conduct of our profession. We serve society best under an atmosphere of freedom sans interference from legislators who want to play editors.

Besides, offended parties already have a wide array of options in airing their sides against what they deem unfair or inaccurate news reports and commentaries. Offended congressmen and senators could deliver lengthy privilege speeches and even malign the object of their ire at the Congress floor before live television without fear of libel suits.

We in Cebu hope our legislators will see the light and reject the bills outright. But in the unfortunate possibility of passage of the bills into law, we will join our colleagues in going to court and win a major victory for press freedom.

National Press Club Cebu
October 2, 2008

Clearly Anti-Constitutional

A number of incidents after Ma took office have led to the suspicion that the KMT is brining one party dictatorship back and the KMT government seems to be watching people and restricting freedom of speech again. Here are some examples:

A: Police probing about Pasua Yao’s talk?

On 23 August 2008, the police telephoned Taiwan Ta-Ti Cultural and Educational Foundation to ‘ask’ questions about their activities[1]. One of the phone calls stood out. It was concerned with the presentation which was about to be given by the former General Information Office Director Pasua Yao. The office worker asked why the police called and the policeman told her that his superior told him to because intelligence indicated that a DPP party official was invited to attend. The office worker told him this was not true and then asked why the police never contacted them when DPP was in power and, all of sudden, the police started questioning their activities. The policeman claimed that they were assessing whether they should send some colleagues to protect Mr. Yao.

The office worker replied ‘Really? The government couldn’t even protect the former President Chen from physical attacks. Are you sure they are extending their protection to a former General Information Office Director? Besides, last week, we invited another former General Information Office Director, Dr. Hsieh, Chih-wei. Why didn’t you send anyone to protect him?’ The policeman went silent and quickly went on to his next question. He asked about the number of participants. The worker told him that there were going to be 150 people. The policeman replied that according to the intelligence, there were going to be 200, so he suggested to his superior that the Foundation should hire the police hall. The worker said ‘perhaps we will do that in the future to make it easy for you guys to watch us and gather intelligence.’ She went on to say ‘Actually, all the information and photos can be found on our website. You don’t need to any intelligence work.’ The police replied ‘yeah, I know. Your talks are also always broadcast through FM95.9 and the 228 Internet Radio.’ Before hanging up the phone, he asked the worker her name. When she gave her surname, he insisted on getting the full name but she firmly refused.

B: Taipei City Government inspecting business donating to the DPP?

In September, it was disclosed that Taipei City Government (Mayor belongs to the KMT) Finance Department started inspecting accounts of companies that have made donations to the DPP in response to a request made by the KMT. The City Government claimed that the request was actually made by the DPP as DPP wanted to make sure all donations they received were legitimate and the ‘KMT’ printed on the official letters they sent out were simply a typo. However, the DPP denied that they ever made such a request.[2] When you come to think of it, what kind of political parties would hassle their own supporters like this? Are they throwing all the future donations away?

C: Investigation Bureau probing about the DPP party meeting?

On 1 October, the DPP was holding a party meeting in Ping-tung. An investigator from the Investigation Bureau, Ministry of Justice, Li, went to ask about the DPP chairperson, Tsai Ing-wen’s whereabouts and movements and decisions made during the meeting. The official also left his business card. When asked, Investigation Bureau admitted sending an investigator there but denied deliberate probing. The Bureau claimed that a KMT councilman was going to stage a protest around the DPP meeting and the investigator was only sent there to investigate this possible disturbance. The investigator himself said that he only stopped by the DPP meeting on his way to his old university supervisor's. Whichever accounts were true, a DPP MP, Pan Meng-an, emphasised that when DPP was in power, Investigation Bureau officers never went to KMT to probe about their internal information. [3][4]

In the Martial Law era, the KMT used Investigation Bureau to watch and gather information on people. Anyone who showed any anti-KMT tendency would be subject to ‘investigations’, which included unlawful search/arrest, tedious interrogations and torture. Such probing inevitably arouses suspicion. If Mr Li genuinely went there to investigate the possible protest staged by a KMT local councilman, why did he ask questions about Tsai Ing-wen’s movements and content of the meeting? Even if he didn’t mean to probe and was just making a conversation, then his professional boundaries should be seriously questioned.

D: The Magnificent President Ma?

When attending a Deaflympics event, Ma laughed very happily when the hostess taught the whole audience how to sign ‘the Magnificent President Ma’ but there was said to be moments of uncomfortable silence in the audience.[5] Many criticised such a performance and Ma’s happy acceptance. In an event like this, it seems unlikely that the organiser didn’t inform Ma’s office everything in the programme. Many doubt that he didn’t know. If he knew and didn’t tell them not to go ahead with it, it meant that he probably liked it.

E: Rituals for the Emperor?

In late September, Taipei City Councilwoman, Chien, Yuyen revealed that the City Government invited Ma Ying-jeou to attend the Confucious Celebrations and changed the rituals to a performance for the Emperor.[6] Although this event was cancelled (or postponed) because of a typhoon, it still instigated some discussions. According to Chien, the City Government also arranged for Ma to walk on red carpet and enter the temple through the middle gate, which is reserved only for Gods in Chinese culture. This is unprecedented in Taiwanese history and no president has accepted such an arrangement before. Ma also gave a tablet to the Confucious temple, which only Chiang, Kai-shek has done before. Many people wonder whether Ma really fancies himself a magnificent emperor but the Presidential Office Spokesperson, Wang Yu-chi explained that Ma was doing this to highlight that Republic of China is a sovereign state.[7] Well, after calling Taiwan a ‘region’[8], allowing Chen Yun-lin (Chinese official) not to call him ‘President’ and attempting to unconditionally accept the Chinese food inspection standard[9], Ma is highlighting ‘sovereignty’ internally to Taiwanese… in an imperial way? Update: The ceremony did go ahead as described above on 5 October. Quite a few students and Head of Cultural Affairs passed out in the heat.  

F: Putting pressure on the press?

A-gu has done a good job writing about the KMT and government interference with the running and reporting of RTI.[10]

Now, Talking Show, which has been using real evidence to comment on and criticise government’s policies, is under fire. The show host, Cheng, Hung-yi made a mistake in interpreting an EU figure the other day but he immediately retracted it after being corrected by a call-in viewer and asked experts among the viewers to help him with the correct interpretation. He also clarified the information and brought in the former DoH Minister, Dr Tu Shing-cheh (a medic of course) to explain the following day. However, the KMT and pan-Blue media ignored his correction and further explanations and the government’s dishonest and vague accounts and are now holding on to the Cheng’s initial mistake. A KMT committee member proposed counter attacks on ‘TV programmes which mislead the public’ and gave Talking Show as an example. The KMT has not confirmed or ruled out legal actions.[11] I think the KMT is doing this because their lies and deception are often crushed by Talking Show, which means 'losing face', and now they see a weakness, they'll go for the throat.

Sovereignty is eroding fast; one party state seems to be coming back. Many are worried that even if Taiwan can see another presidential election (i.e. if Taiwan is not completely swallowed up by China before then), the KMT is making sure that no one else can beat them in an election and the freedom and democracy Taiwanese had for the past 20 years will simply disappear.  Some are waiting to impeach Ma and MPs on his side. Some are talking about street protests and petitions. Some are even contemplating the prospect of a radical revolution.[12] Whatever is going to happen, Taiwan has not seen this level of anxiety and uncertainty since Former President Lee Deng-hui peacefully freed the country from martial law and transformed it into a democracy.

Puentevella's Revenge

Very often when talking about democracy, the question at the top of my head will be "what is democracy in the truest sense?" There are afterall various types of democracy in the world today. The concept seems to be really fluid. Different countries practice democracy in different ways, thus I perceive the concept to be diluted from its theoretical sense. The most common kind of democracy we hear today is "constitutional democracy" which is practiced in most countries. And then there are of course other types like representative democracy and participatory democracy, and even going back to the medieval time there were the Athenian democracy.

In Beckman's 'Explaining democratisation: notes on the concept of civil society'  (1997), he relates democracy to the civil society. Although according to him, the notion of civil society has a history of ambiguity in Western political theory, it is generally accepted that the civil society consist of shared interests, purposes and values. Although democracy is practised differently in various nation-states, it is nonetheless generally accepted to be the ability of the people to choose their leaders. While Cunnigham defined democracy as "rule by the people", alluding to the commonly used notion of "government of the people FOR the people", Schumpeter argued that democracy is nothing but the ability of the people to vote for or against their leaders and political parties.

This then brings me to the prerequisites of a democracy in a society. In order for the society to practice their voting rights intelligently, there is a need for the masses to be educated and informed of the political agendas of the personalities they are supporting. An educated society is imperative for democracy to work ideally. Nonetheless, an educated society is also a derivative from the practice of democracy. Much like the "chicken and egg" equation, education and democracy coexists.

As a media student, democracy has a special place in my heart. The issue of media democracy has long been debated. As the mass media has a adverse influence in the society, governments all over are wary of the media, and media autonomy is practised differently in different countries. Why the difference? Beckman argues that the concept of civil society has been incorporated into a liberal political agenda that ultimately makes it redundant and overshadowed by the political agendas.

A free press system is an element of the civil society. Yet how true is it that the press gets 100% freedom, and is entirely free from the state? Perhaps in the United States, the First Amendment protects the autonomy of the civil society. Even Scandinavian countries are known for the level of freedom their media has. Yet in Singapore, the issue of media democracy is questionable. In fact, it has been a hotly discussed issue among Western democracies. Does this mean that human rights have been infringed? How much liberty do we want in order to consider ourselves considerately "media democratic"?

And that, I personally feel, is a tricky question to resolve. Democracy is inevitably linked to freedom, and very often the issue of freedom is questioned to as whether there is such thing as a "total freedom". Of course there is, yet the only problem is total freedom might mean chaos as interests collide and principles are conflicting.

Yet the issue with democracy is such that it represents the sovereignty of the people. It is a symbolic representation, and inevitably an important aspect of human rights. There is no true blue formula so as to how democracy should function and what should work for countries. Afterall, societies vary based on their history of formation and environments. For the fact that democracy is practised differently in different parts of the world, I have nothing against it. Yet states should always respect the fundamental idea behind it.

Democracy is to vest the people with the rights they have in the workings of the society. Although the government is selected by the people, the state should not exclude the people from policy-making processes and give them the rights to input in such activities. True, the government is given the mandate to rule, yet transparency should exist in order for trust and rapport to exist between the state and society. And this transparency should be allowed in the way the media functions. Ideally, the media SHOULD be free of the state as they have an ethical responsibility to inform the society of nothing but the truth.

Pimentel said while the Supreme Court has spared journalists from jail terms in its recent decisions involving libel cases, the fate of the measure to decriminalize libel remains uncertain in both the Senate and House of Representatives.

However, he said he is glad that the Senate committee on constitutional amendments and revision of laws has started public hearings on the proposal.

The minority leader said the justification for the decriminalization of libel has been strengthened when Chief Justice Reynato Puno early this year issued a circular advising judges all over the country to refrain from imposing jail sentences on journalists and other persons convicted of libel.

The Chief Justice in his circular noted that in most libel cases, journalists made mistakes with honest intentions. Therefore, he said journalists who commit such offense need not be penalized with imprisonment and the payment of a fine “would already satisfy the intent of the law to punish the culprit.”

Pimentel said Puno stated that the circular was meant to be an “interim measure” to aid members of the judiciary in handling libel suits pending the passage by Congress of the law decriminalizing libel.

“The Puno circular should help legislators in resolving doubts over the propriety of modifying the country’s outmoded libel law,” Pimentel said.

Libel is defined under the Revised Penal Code as “a public and malicious imputation of a crime, vice or defect, whether real or not, tending to cause the dishonor of a person or to blacken the memory of the dead.”

Pimentel stressed that the decriminalization of libel should go hand in hand with a related measure: the right of reply that can be availed of by people who are unduly criticized or maligned by the media.

The measure is embodied in Senate Bill 2l50 which has already been approved on third and final reading by the Senate but is still awaiting passage by the House.

The bill provides that “all persons who are accused directly or indirectly of any crime or offense or are criticized by innuendo or rumor for any lapse in behavior in public or private life shall have the right to reply to the charges published in newspapers and other publications or to criticisms over radio, television, website or through any electrical device.”

Some members of the media are wary of the right to reply proposal for fear that it may infringe on their discretion to decide on what items to publish or air in the newspapers or broadcast networks.

“The bill will in fact widen the freedom of expression by obliging the media to provide space to the response and explanation of persons to media reports or commentaries that are inaccurate, unfair or biased against them and injurious to their reputation,” Pimentel pointed out.

He said the publication or airing of the side of the aggrieved parties will enhance the credibility of the media outfits concerned and at the same time eliminate a source of friction or conflict that will cause troubles to the journalists concerned.

Such conflict, according to Pimentel, usually prompts the aggrieved parties to file a libel case against the defaulting journalists. But in extreme cases, he said the offended persons, especially if they are moneyed and powerful, go to the extent of hiring mercenaries to harass or even kill the journalists.

Ultimately, he said it is the media practitioners themselves who will benefit from the enactment of the right of reply. (PinoyPress)

Press Secretary JESUS DUREZA

Thru: Undersecretary MARTIN CRISOSTOMO

Malacanang, Manila

Dear Sir:

We express regret that FOCAP's press conference with the president orginally scheduled on October 2, has been postponed. We hope for your speedy recovery and look forward to the re-scheduling of the meeting with the president.

However, we in the FOCAP Board and many of our members were dismayed when we learned that the president will not entertain "political questions."

We earnestly request that the president reconsider this decision and allow a free-flowing interaction with FOCAP members without any restrictions on the subject matters to be covered.

The president is the nation's chief political leader and as such the public would be interested in knowing where she is taking the country as well as her initiatives in response to outstanding political issues. As members of the media, we in FOCAP see our role as the conveyor of the president’s message to the nation, be they political or not.

As a matter of principle upon which FOCAP was founded more than 30 years ago under martial law, and as responsible members of the press, we strongly object to being party to any form of media management, prior restraint or censorship. Fencing off certain subjects for discussion with the president does not bode well for press freedom.

Again, we earnestly request the president reconsiders her decision.

Sincerely yours,

JASON GUTIERREZ

President

F O C A P

SHIV MALIK, at the High Court, London on 21 May 2008. Copyright Facundo Arrizabalaga, 2008. Published here by kind permission of Facundo Arrizabalaga.

Photocall: NUJ to meet government over police obstruction and harassment of journalists.

Date: Tuesday 14th October 2008.  Tuesday 28th October 2008.

Time: 10.15am.  2.15pm.

Place: Outside the Home Office, 2 Marsham Street, London SW1P 4DF. (Map)

Jeremy Dear the General Secretary of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) will be meeting the Minister of State for Security, Counter-Terrorism, Crime and Policing Tony McNulty MP Vernon Coaker MP on Tuesday 14th October 2008 Tuesday 28th October 2008 at the Home Office at 10.30am 2.30pm.

The meeting is to discuss the NUJ’s concerns about the increasing use of anti-terrorism legislation to undermine press freedoms and obstruct journalistic work.

Two specific issues are on the agenda:

1. The Shiv Malik case and the use of production orders – Shiv Malik was ordered to hand the police source material relating to a book he had been writing on terrorism.   Greater Manchester Police had originally obtained an order that would have seriously undermined the ability of journalists to persuade contacts to speak out.

A judicial review, which was supported financially by the NUJ and Times Newspapers, ruled that the original order was too broad in its scope.  Under a revised order, Shiv Malik had to hand over some of his source material, but under far more defined terms and in a way that will enable him to protect confidential sources.

Although this case has sent a clear signal to the police that they can’t use broad production orders against journalists in the hope of dredging up useful information, the NUJ is still concerned that the law fails to give journalists sufficient protections.

2. Police surveillance, obstruction and harassment of working journalists who regularly cover protests – the NUJ has a comprehensive dossier of numerous complaints from media workers who have experiences of the police going beyond their powers in attempting to restrict the ability of journalists to do their work.

The dossier also includes evidence of harassment and intimidation by the Metropolitan Police’s Forward Intelligence Team. There are also examples of journalists being threatened with arrest, because they have refused to stop taking photos and in other cases photographers have had their equipment seized. Many NUJ members have reported being physically and mentally intimidated by the police and some cases have included actual physical violence.  Examples from the dossier will be presented to the minister at the meeting.

Jeremy Dear will be available for interviews before and after the meeting. Contact the NUJ's Campaigns and Communications officer Stephen Pearse on 0207 843 6380 if you need more information.

Please note: This is not a protest but a photocall.

Film: Press Freedom: ‘Collateral Damage’ - Current TV.

Update (04.10.08) Cabinet Reshuffle: Tony McNulty has become the new Minister of State (Employment), Department for Work and Pensions, and Minister for London.  This leaves a vacancie for the post of Minister of for Security, Counter-terrorism, Crime and Policing at the Home Office.  This news may impact on the NUJ meeting with the Home Office. More on this over the next few days.

Update (08.10.08): The Home Office has asked the NUJ if the meeting could be moved back "a few weeks" as Vernon Coaker has just taken over from Tony McNulty as the new Minister of for Security, Counter-terrorism, Crime and Policing.  It is pretty standard procedure for a new ministers to clear their diary of these types of meetings for the first couple of weeks.  No new date has been confirmed yet.

Update (09.10.08): The new date and time for the meeting is Tuesday 28th October 2008 at 2.30pm.  The photocall will be at 2.15pm.

British Journal of Photography, 28.05.08, page 4. Copyright British Journal of Photography/Incisive Media, 2008. Published here by kind permission of the British Journal of Photography/Incisive Media

The implementation of Integrity Legislation and Freedom of Information Act are hot button issues. The Democratic Labour Party (DLP) leading into the last general election made it a platform issue. The DLP's commitment to rolling out the two pieces of important legislation was made against a background of alleged rampant corruption by the previous administration and intimidation of the media in Barbados.

We are thankful to our reliable source for providing a status report on the long awaited Integrity and Freedom of Information Act:

After much back and forth by BFP and BU on the subject of Integrity Legislation and the Freedom of Information Act, I am indeed very pleased to report that a full suite of Legislation is being completed and so far the Cabinet has seen and has approved the New FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT with the drafting of the INTEGRITY LEGISLATION nearly complete. It is expected that circulation of both of these drafts will done prior to the Christmas break of Parliament and will be passed into law very shortly thereafter.

I trust that this will settle everyone's nerves and will address the concerns of the people of Barbados, the government of Barbados, the Opposition of Barbados and both BU and BFP.

The DLP promised that they would address these issues and they are doing what is required to make this a reality but on the other hand, as was the case at BFP making a daily issue of it with their silly remarks has done nothing to hasten the pace at which the work of those involved in the drafting of the legislation can perform it has happened at its own pace. The work was carried by a group of well respected persons and it is hoped that at the end of it all that all the expectations will be served.

Not to be neglected is the new Freedom of Information Act this will present a whole new dimension to journalism and provide for more flexibility in their reporting and interviews.

I trust that this will assist in given you some idea as to how far along and how serious the Government is with these new pieces of legislation.

Although Tunisian government is reportedly promoting itself as a progressive state that protects human rights, but reports by committee that protects journalists (CPJ) has unveiled that government aggressively silences newsmen and others who challenge policies of president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

According to report, nicknamed, "The Smiling Oppressor," CPJ has found journalists are subject to routine imprisonment, assault, harassment, and censorship in Tunisia.

President Ben Ali's administration reportedly enjoys close ties with western governments, which have been largely silent about country's press freedom record.

But CPJ's investigation found that Tunisia falls well short of internationally accepted standards for free expression.

Report shows that Mr Ben Ali's administration imposes broad restrictions on news coverage, banning, for example, coverage that could be construed as "offending the president," while it tightly regulates licensing of print and broadcast media.

It says licenses are doled out to government allies and denied to potentially critical news outlets.

CPJ found out that critical journalists who turn to Internet or small opposition newspapers have been harassed by security agents, subject to assault, and even jailed.

Tunisia, along with Morocco, leads Arab world in jailing journalists.

"Known across world for its stunning beaches and tourist locales, Tunisia quietly operates a police state at home," report says.

It further says, "Print press does not criticise president and is largely paralysed by self-censorship. Few critical voices who do write on Internet, for foreign publications, and low-circulation opposition weeklies are regularly harassed and marginalised by Tunisian authorities."

"Thus, if 15 people are identified in a page one report as accused of complicity in the purchase of decorative lampposts, the replies of all the 15 should also be published in the front page. Can you imagine accommodating the letters of 15 people in the same page at the same time? "

Read more about this "flawed bill" here.

"We have been ruling and deliver good results, vote for us!"

All of these sentences can be summed up to a single phrase; road to power!

I guess that when you are in politics, the road to power is the clear goal. No doubt at all.

The truth is, what you claim others commit might just happen to you. This law apply everywhere and so is it in politics. When you are not in Power, the word 'corruption', 'cronyism' and 'bribery' could easily be labeled to anyone in the ruling government. But, as the story goes, the Opposition too have the chance to be government of 5 states. Its a good start for the opposition since the release of the de facto leader.

But, of the recent case of "sedekah sex", from the opposition,is an indication that the opposition government might be having the same problem with the federal government.

This might the starting point of the future where the plague in politic; scandals, cronyism, and bribery are infecting the Opposition governments as well. Was it because of the opportunity that elevate the Opposition in power? Or is is because of Power itself condemns anyone who love to have it with all these plagues?

Or simply because we are all human who can't run away from all these problems and are not accountable enough to resist the devil's seduction?

Now, the political ground is relatively leveled so that the Rakyat can evaluate which government is 'cleaner' and decide on the 13th election polling day.

To all political parties, stop the mouth war, do your entrusted jobs 'in front' of the Rakyat.

Amnesty International has denounced the trial saying it's part of a pattern by Egyptian authorities to chill press freedom in the country.

Kathleen Okubo, NUJP Baguio-Benguet chairperson, said this case clearly exemplifies the use of a libel case by those in power to curtail the freedom of expression.

“This act is condemnable not only because it is against press freedom but even more so because it is used against an ‘institution’ of the free press, the 72-year old Macasaet who consistently stood for the freedom of expression especially in the dark days of martial law,” Okubo said. “He has been arrested even before he really knew why,” she added.

Macasaet, publisher of the daily newspaper Malaya and the tabloid Abante, was arrested for a nine-year old libel case by operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) of the Philippine National Police at his office in Port Area, Manila.

Macasaet is also the president of the Philippine Press Institute (PPI) as well as director of Samahang Plaridel (Plaridel group), an organization of veteran journalists and communicators.

Former Rizal Governor Casimiro Ynares and Narciso Santiago Jr. filed the case in 1999 for articles Macasaet wrote that year in Malaya and Abante about a conflict between two cockfighting groups, one of which was reportedly headed by Ynares.

Santiago is the husband of administration Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago while Ynares is the brother of Supreme Court Justice Consuelo Ynares-Santiago.

Also included in the charge sheet are Malaya editors Enrique P. Romualdez and Joy P. De Los Reyes. According to Minnie Advincula, Malaya news editor, the CIDG agents did not look for Romualdez nor De Los Reyes when they came to their office to arrest Macasaet.

Macasaet said he was surprised by the arrest as he was not informed of the libel case filed against him.

Macasaet was released later in the afternoon after posting a P10,000 bail.

Macasaet was earlier cited for indirect contempt in an August 8 2007 Supreme Court decision and ordered to pay a fine of P20,000 for his columns in September 2007 alleging a P10-million bribery incident involving Ynares-Santiago. # Cye Reyes and PPI Release (NorDis)