Attacks on the Press - Committee to Protect Journalists

attacks on the press in 2009journalists killed: analysisWhen CPJ traveled to Mindanao in December, a local prosecutor assignedto build the case against the accused described a lack of coordination betweenhis panel and the police officials who had gathered evidence. He also expressedconcern that his team members had insufficient resources to construct a case andinadequate security to ensure their own safety.The mishandling of evidence, the intimidation of witnesses, the questions ofofficial involvement, and the lack of sufficient investigative resources all fit a disturbinglyfamiliar pattern in the Philippines, one that over the years has allowedthe killers of journalists to wiggle free of justice. Given the Ampatuan clan’s politicalpower, including its ties to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, could eventhese horrific killings go unpunished?In a meeting with international and local press groups, including CPJ, presssecretary Remonde rejected any suggestion that the government be held directlyaccountable for the Maguindanao massacre. He emphasized that Arroyo had attendedthe wakes of victims and that the government would provide scholarshipsand compensation to slain journalists’ family members. But without a clear commitmentto protecting journalists and breaking the cycle of impunity, there wasno guarantee that the Maguindanao massacre would be the Philippines’ last.Shawn W. Crispin is CPJ’s senior Southeast Asia representative. He conductedthree missions to the Philippines during 2009, advocating and conductingresearch on the issue of impunity. CPJ’s Global Campaign Against Impunityis underwritten by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.PHILIPPINES, SOMALIA FUELRECORD MEDIA DEATH TOLLAt least 70 journalists worldwide were killed for theirwork in 2009, the highest yearly tally ever documented by the Committeeto Protect Journalists. The record toll was driven by the mass, election-relatedkillings in Maguindanao province, Philippines, the deadliest event for the pressin CPJ history, and the escalation of violence in Somalia. The worldwide tallysurpassed the previous record of 67 deaths, set in 2007 when violence in Iraq waspervasive. CPJ is still investigating 24 other journalist deaths worldwide in 2009to determine whether they were work-related.CPJ found notable shifts in the risks in combat zones. Deaths in Iraq continueda significant downward trend: Four Iraqi journalists were killed during the year,the lowest annual tally since the war began in 2003. But violence soared in Somalia,where nine local journalists were killed. Throughout 2009, Al-Shabaab militantswaged a terror campaign against the Somali press, murdering journalists and seizingnews outlets. Among the victims was Said Tahlil Ahmed, managing director ofthe independent broadcaster HornAfrik, who was gunned down as he and otherjournalists walked through Mogadishu’s Bakara Market to a press conference.Four journalists were killed in Pakistan during the year, among them MusaKhankhel, a local television reporter known for his critical coverage. Abductedwhile covering a peace march in a militant-controlled area near the town of Matta,Khankhel was tortured and then shot repeatedly.As in past years, murder was the leading cause of work-related deaths. Atleast 51 journalists were targeted and slain in retaliation for their work, representingabout three-quarters of deaths in 2009. Twelve journalists were killed incrossfire while in combat situations; seven more died while covering dangerousassignments such as police raids or street protests. Many of the deadliest nationsfor the press in 2009 have long-term records of violence against journalists andhigh rates of impunity in those attacks.Three journalists were murdered in Russia, which has had a high media fatalityrate over two decades. The 2009 victims included Abdulmalik Akhmedilov,a Dagestani editor who sharply criticized government officials for suppressingreligious and political dissent. He was found shot, execution-style, in his car.Two journalists were killed in Afghanistan, where the conflict posed increasingdanger. In December, a roadside bomb near Kandahar claimed the life ofreporter Michelle Lang, who was embedded with Canadian troops.Two murders were reported in both Mexico and Sri Lanka, where retaliatoryviolence was common. In Durango state, Mexico, assailants abducted crime250251