ASEAN legislators: End growing assault on journalists

As the world commemorates the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, the ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights has urged Southeast Asian nations to put an end on the "growing assault" against press freedom.

The group of regional lawmakers also called for justice on those responsible for killing media workers as a culture of impunity emboldens more attacks on journalists.

Rep. Teddy Baguilat (Ifugao), an APHR board member, warned that the media is under increasing threat in the region.

"It is abhorrent that brave journalists should have to put their personal freedom or even lives on the line when they are simply trying to do their jobs," Baguilat said.

The Ifugao lawmaker stressed that Southeast Asian governments must do more to protect journalists to avoid sending a signal that such crimes are acceptable.

In the Philippines alone, there have been at least 47 unsolved killings of journalists since 2008, making the country one of the most dangerous countries for media workers.

Last June, unknown gunmen killed local newspaper publisher Dennis Denora while driving his car through Panabo City, Davao del Norte. One of the most deadliest single attacks against journalists in history was the 2009 Maguindanao massacre, which took the lives of at least 34 media workers. Until now nobody has been held accountable for the gruesome incident.

The Philippines, along with Somalia, Syria, Iraq and Sudan, are the five states in the world with the poorest accountability records, based on the Committee to Protect Journalists.

APHR chair and Malaysian lawmaker Charles Santiago said President Rodrigo Duterte's tirades against media outlets must end immediately.

"The Philippines has a shameful record of holding killers of journalists to account – authorities should focus on seeking justice for these attacks, not trying to silence legitimate criticism," Santiago said.

Myanmar, Indonesia and Cambodia are also among Southeast Asian countries where murders of journalists have gone unpunished in the last decade.

At least 13 journalists have been killed in Cambodia since 1994, most of whom were investigating corruption allegations against government and military officials, the APHR said.

In Myanmar, two Reuters journalists have been sentenced to seven years in jail for violating the Official Secrets Act.

"Their only 'crime' was helping to uncover a massacre of Rohingya villagers by the Myanmar security forces," the APHR said.

Santiago pointed out that independent media should be protected and not subjected to attacks as it plays a crucial role in any democracy.

"Governments in Southeast Asia and across the world must do their utmost to ensure that journalists can carry out their work without fear of reprisal. This must include effective, impartial and speedy investigations into all attacks on media workers," the Malaysian lawmaker said. —