The Hindu : `A dangerous area for the press'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, May 27, 2003

International

International

`A dangerous area for the press'

By Haroon Habib

DHAKA MAY 26. "No country of South Asia can take pride in fully conceding the citizen's right to know and the right of access to information," said Imtiaz Alam, secretary-general of the South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA). He was speaking at the third South Asian media conference which ended here today.

Alam, international editor of The News of Pakistan, said many journalists "have been harassed, arrested and killed in almost all countries of South

Asia".

In a report earlier this month, the Paris-based reporters without borders said at least six journalists were killed in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and

Nepal last year, making South Asia one of the world's most dangerous areas for the press. Most of the killings were the "work of armed groups or criminal gangs".

Media rights groups told the conference that journalists were being targeted for writing about political corruption, organised crime and religious intolerance.

The Bangladesh Information Minister, Tariqul Islam, said his Government was "committed to upholding press freedom". But leaders of two major political parties, the BNP and the Awami league, were themselves locked in a debate, blaming their parties for creating obstacles to the freedom of the

media. Some participants of the conference demanded that visa procedures for the journalists to travel South Asian countries be made easy.

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