Asia

New York, October 28, 2024—Sri Lankan police must cease harassing journalists Selvakumar Nilanthan and Tharindu Jayawardhana, following their reporting on alleged government misconduct, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. “With a new president, Sri Lanka has an opportunity to improve press freedom,” said CPJ Asia Program Coordinator Beh Lih Yi. “Police should drop their…

Editor’s note: CPJ has not added this killing to our database as we only document work-related or possibly work-related killings, and this journalist’s death was later confirmed not to be work-related. Bangkok, October 23, 2024—Philippine authorities must launch a swift and thorough investigation into the killing of radio anchor Maria Vilma Rodriguez, who was shot three…

Bangkok, October 22, 2024 – Myanmar’s Kachin Independence Army (KIA) must account for and release Red News Agency reporter Ta Lin Maung and freelancer Naung Yoe who were arrested by the rebel group’s forces on September 29 and 30 respectively, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. “All combatants in Myanmar’s civil war have a…

New York, October 10, 2024—Pakistani authorities ordered a raid of the home and a 30-day detention of journalist Ihsan Naseem on Sunday, October 6, in Battagram district in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, on accusations of endangering public safety and encouraging members of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) to protest. “The detention of journalist Ihsan Naseem…

New Delhi, October 8, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the release of Kashmiri journalist Sajad Gul on bail — after more than two years of arbitrary detention on multiple charges — and calls on authorities in the Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir to immediately end all prosecution against him. “The release of Kashmiri journalist Sajad Gul on bail…

New York, October 8, 2024—Taliban authorities should immediately and unconditionally release journalists Hekmat Aryan and Mahdi Ansary, who were detained by General Directorate of Intelligence agents in Afghanistan’s southern Ghazni province and the capital Kabul, respectively, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. “Taliban intelligence must release journalists Mahdi Ansary and Hekmat Aryan immediately and…

Bangkok, October 1, 2024—Cambodian authorities must release and drop criminal incitement charges against investigative journalist Mech Dara, who was arrested Monday by military police at an expressway toll booth near the coastal city of Sihanoukville, the Committee to Protect Journalists said. “Journalist Mech Dara’s arrest and detention shows just how far Cambodia’s government is willing to go to…

Taipei, September 26, 2024 — A Hong Kong court on Thursday sentenced two former Stand News editors on charges of conspiracy to publish seditious publications following their convictions in late August. Chung Pui-kuen received one year and nine months in prison, and Patrick Lam, who received 11 months, was released after the hearing as he…

Taipei, September 25, 2024—Hong Kong authorities should renew Associated Press (AP) photojournalist Louise Delmotte’s visa, and allow foreign correspondents to work freely in the city, the Committee to Protect Journalists said on Wednesday. “Denying Louise Delmotte’s entry is a petty act of retaliation against her journalistic work,” said Iris Hsu, CPJ’s China representative. “This pattern…

New York, September 24, 2024—The Taliban must reverse their directive banning live broadcasts of political shows, criticism of the group, and interviews with analysts not on a list of 68 pre-approved names, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On September 21, the Taliban’s Ministry of Information and Culture summoned media executives in the capital…