The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has expressed concern over the police attack on journalists who were covering the opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP)-led protest last week.
Last week several journalists working at different media outlets claimed they were attacked and forced to move away while they were covering an opposition riot.
“According to the Maldives Journalists’ Association (MJA), an IFJ affiliate, the journalists were reporting on a protest organised by the opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party in the national capital of Male,’’ said the IFJ’s statement.
“The MJA has since established that the journalists, most of whom were wearing press badges, were beaten with batons and some of them shackled. A few were briefly detained.’’
“Though the Maldives has significant provisions defending press freedom in its newly enacted constitution, there seems to be a gap between the assurances of the law and the reality faced by journalists on the ground,’’ said the IFJ Asia-Pacific Director Jacqueline Park.
‘’“We fully support the MJA in its effort to ensure that all provisions of the law are made operative and become credible guarantees of press freedom.”
The police claimed that some journalists covering the riot had begun to show the same characteristics as the opposition activists and engaged in hostile confrontations with the police.
Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said last week that “some journalists opposed police orders and refused to stay in the security zone. It would have gone smoothly if they had worked according to the orders. Some journalists who opposed the police were moved away by using force.’’
He also claimed that journalists had tried to break the police lines and pass through the cordon.
Press Secretary for the President Mohamed Zuhair did not respond to Minivan News at time of press.
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IFJ must hear the story by both sides before making any comments.
Isn't this amusing? IFJ, which promotes freedom of reporting and may be bias, is affliated with MJA which is dominated by the journalist who promoted 30 years of dictatorship while helping to cover up truth and spreading false accusations against political prisoners in the past.
Welldone IFJ.
So anyone who reports the dirty "DOs" of MDP is a supporter of the 30 year old dictatorship? Goodness... It's the journalists duty to get the story even if its a war and not just a protest. The police have to protect the journalists. If you don't understand this please do yourself (or let's just say do the NATION a favor) and shut up!
Ok now, all who support the dictatorship feel free to comment and attack me. But it's a fact 🙂
Cheers!
hypocrites. where are the people who fought for rights now? how could anyone justify beating reporters with batons?!
"Last week several journalists working at different media outlets claimed they were attacked and forced to move away while they were covering an opposition riot." - These were all journalists employed by Gayoom and cronies during their time in power and they were the frontline of the opposition rally. Show me a single journalist who got his/her job after this administration came to power, or a single journalist who did not work to maintain the status quo of the previous regime. Rather than the Police attacking them, they provoked, attacked and antogonized the Police. This was a case of journalists bitter that their beloved Zaeem is no longer chief, charging the Police
@Ashame
these people were distorting news before MDP even existed...and any maldivian with a pea sized brain will understand who reports fairly and who are biased in this country...so NO!! no shuttin up!!!
if the present is a dictatorship, i dont know the word for the previous administration...
@Ashame on Politicians: I agree with you. Once anyone reports the dirty "DOs" of MDP, he or she is has done the crime of supporting the 30 year old dictatorship. This has to change. The journalists must be able to do their job by covering good and bad events... be it Maumoon Abdul Gayoom robbing the nation or Mohamed Nasheed robbing the nation. In order to practice democracy, these changes must be implemented. Journalists should have the right to cover these events.
Ayya, that is the same justifications that moumoon used when people got beat up in opposition demonstrations.
@Ayya is Spot On. Tks.
@ Ayya
Whether a journalist is a supporter of MDP, DRP Qaumee party or whatever, they have rights in this modern era to access to such activities. Freedom of Expression, Freedom of assemble & Freedom of Press has become a nemesis to MDP government which you MDP dogmatics advocate yesterday. It is quite abusrd that you MDP indoctrinates try to make compromise of the values that you believe yesterday when serious blunders are made by your beloved Anni.