Joint Statement

16 June 2008

We the undersigned groups condemn the assault of a Sin Chew Daily reporter based in Sitiawan, Perak, Chen Shi Chuan, by nearly thirty thugs on June 11 after covering a fatal road accident. The incident has once again rung the bell on the safety of journalists and the space for media freedom. The police must ensure those responsible be brought to justice.

We note that such attacks have been largely overlooked by the media fraternity. We call upon the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) and its branches in Utusan Melayu (M) Berhad, New Straits Times Press, The Star, The Sun Media Corporation, Nanyang Siang Pau, Sin Chew Jit Poh and Kwong Wah Yit Poh; the in-house union of China Press, Sin Chew Daily, Guang Ming Daily; the reporters in Oriental Daily and other media organizations to show solidarity and jointly condemn such assaults. It is high time for journalists to look beyond their own media organizations and fend for their counterparts elsewhere.

Not long before the Sitiawan assault, three journalists from Merdeka Review, Utusan Malaysia and another Malay daily were assaulted by a group of thugs when reporting the standoff over the barricades in Bandar Mahkota Cheras. Prior to this, a photojournalist from Guang Ming Daily was attacked by some members of UMNO's Cheras Division when covering a dispute over party structure on public land. Last year, journalists were attacked in both the Machap and Ijok by-elections.

Aiming to stop journalists from reporting the truth independently, such violent acts are a blatant encroachment of citizens' right to know, an assault on press freedom, and ultimately an attack on our democratic system. The casualty of such violence is not only the attacked journalists, but the public at large.

We urge the police to speedily make public its investigation on the assault of journalists and members of the public in Bandar Mahkota Cheras. The failure of the police personnel there to intervene and stop the assault and to assist the victims afterwards has greatly tarnished the image and credibility of the police as law enforcers. The determination of the Government to reform the police force is also called into question.

We urge the Home Minister Dato Seri Syed Hamid Syed Albar to assume his administrative responsibility to apologize over the police's misconduct and ensure the OCPD of Kajang and the police officials involved face due disciplinary action for their negligence both during and after the assault, resulting in the wrong message that attacks on journalists and press freedom can go unpunished.

Signed By:

1. Writer Alliance for Media Independence (WAMI)

2. Society for Defending Media Freedom, New Era College

3. Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall, Youth Section

4. Merdeka Review

5. Malaysian Youth and Students Democratic Movement (DEMA)

6. National Alliance of Bloggers (All-Blogs)

7. Benar for Free and Fair Media (Benar)

8. Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ)