Media freedom seminar: The Philippines is the country with the largest single massacre of journalists – 32 on the island of Mindanao in 2009, where a three-month urban siege against jihadists in Marawi City has recently ended with a toll on many newsrooms.
“Gagged” PNG blogger Martyn Namorong is not the only one critical of the just-ended elections … News reports mentioned complaints of alleged irregularities … such as discrepancies in voter rolls, inadequate support for polling staff, and inefficient counting of results.
“We are inching closer towards dictatorship and the ensuing bloodshed and violence that must come from the hostility towards it. But, like lemmings and sheep, we are led to that reality with little resistance at all. Is this the Papua New Guinea we all believed in once upon a time?” — Oro Governor Gary Juffa
“The attack on Al Jazeera is part of an assault on free speech to subvert the impact of old and new media in the Arab world. It should be condemned and resisted.” One of many global media responses.
While the New Zealand campaign and success with the nuclear-free legislation was tremendously inspirational for the Pacific and globally, it should not be forgotten that some small Pacific countries and communities were actually ahead of the game.
Dr Max Lane, pictured here with Faiza Mardzoeki, talks about his project to establish a community and activist library for…
“Indonesian hospitality was given a rave notice this week for hosting World Press Freedom Day 2017, but it was also given a huge black mark for its ‘gagging’ of free discussion over West Papua violations.” The author was one of just two New Zealanders among 1300 media people at WPFD2017.
Freedom advocates and human rights activists will next week focus global attention on the “media blackout” long imposed by Indonesian authorities on West Papua, in spite of promises to open up access to the two adjoining independent Papua New Guinea.
More than a year on from Severe Tropical Cyclone Winston — which devastated Fiji early last year, leaving 44 people dead and 45,000 displaced — a Fijian planning researcher offers his scenario around climate change. His message is good for much of the Pacific.
The blacklisting of Jack Hewson, a freelance journalist working for Al Jazeera, shows the Indonesian government’s paranoia towards foreign journalists.