Indonesia’s Press Flourishes Despite Uncertainty
Journalists in Jakarta estimate that 1,000 new publications have sprung up throughout the country since Suharto was forced from office a year ago. While some of them are supported by one or another of the 48 political parties vying in the June 7 elections, many others profess independence and seek readers rather than partisan victories.…
Indonesia’s Press Flourishes Despite Uncertainty
In the run-up to August’s United Nations-sponsored vote on East Timor’s future status, political instability in the territory has escalated dramatically, prompting fears of a full-scale civil war. This grim backdrop is darkened further by the scarcity of independent news and information reaching East Timor’s citizens as they choose whether to accept Indonesia’s offer of…
Contacts
For more information about this report, you may contact: A.Lin Neumann, Asia program consultant, in Bangkok (phone: 66-2-252-3429; e-mail: lin_neumann@csi.com) Kavita Menon, Asia program coordinator, in New York (phone: 212-465-1004 x140; e-mail: kmenon@cpj.org) Judith Leynse, media relations director, in New York (phone: 212-465-9344 x105; e-mail: jleynse@cpj.org).
Introduction
Prime Minister Mohammad Nawaz Sharif has once again ratcheted up the pressure on Pakistan’s independent media, detaining three journalists in less than a week. The May 8 arrest of Najam Sethi, the founder and editor of the English-language weekly Friday Times, has attracted international attention.
Introduction
Najam Sethi, founding editor of The Friday Times, was prevented from flying to London on June 23 to accept Amnesty International’s award for “Journalists Under Threat.” Though the government has dropped all sedition-related charges against him, Sethi’s name still appears on the government’s Exit Control List, his passport has been seized by Pakistan’s Intelligence Bureau,…