2007: Record High in Number of Journalist Killings Worldwide; Iraq is Still Most Dangerous, RP is 5th

Published on December 23, 2007

The year 2007 is a record high in terms of the number of journalists killed worldwide and Iraq ranks as “the most dangerous place for journalists” while the Philippines is running in fifth, said the Geneva-based Press Emblem Campaign monitoring system (the PEC Ticking Clock).

BY ACE ALEGRE
Contributed to Bulatlat
Vol. VII, No. 46, December 23, 2007 – January 5, 2008

Never before has so many journalists been killed in one year. The total number of journalists killed this year is 110 as compared to 96 in 2006 and 68 in 2005, it said.

The figure for 2007, the PEC said, reflects a new deterioration for freedom of the press worldwide. This year’s tally represents a 14-percent increase over the 2006 figure.

Out of 27countries examined, Iraq has the most number of journalists killed, with 50 journalists killed this year against 48 last year and at least 250 since the war was launched in Iraq in March 2003. Consequently, Iraq has ranked as “most dangerous for journalists” for several years.

The situation in Iraq represents an unprecedented situation of collective slaughter and punishment of members of the media profession, the PEC said.

After Iraq is Somalia which witnesses a brutal deterioration in the security conditions for the profession. Eight journalists were killed there this year as against one last year.

Coming in third is civil strife-torn Sri Lanka where seven journalists were slain this year as against only four last year.

A continued deterioration in Pakistan, the PEC said, is evident in the five journalists killed while both Afghanistan and the Philippines have each seen four journalists killed.

Haiti, Columbia and Mexico flag at the sixth, seventh and eighth positions with three killed in each country.

The tally continues: Nepal, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Eritrea, and India and Guatemala with two journalists killed in each country.

During 2006 Mexico was one of the most dangerous places for journalists with eight journalists killed but PEC sees an improved situation.

One journalist was killed in each of the following countries: Honduras, Uzbekistan, Salvador, Burma/Myanmar, United States, Paraguay, Gaza, Zimbabwe, Russia, Peru, Brazil, Ghana and Turkey.

Killed while covering conflict areas

Majority of the journalists who were killed were in conflict zones namely, Iraq, Sri Lanka, Somalia and Afghanistan, the PEC said. Sixty-nine journalists of the total of 110 killed in 2007 were killed in these four dangerous conflict zones.

PEC Secretary-General Blaise Lempen said, “The increase in the number of victims among journalists is directly linked to the coverage of major conflicts marked by grave human rights violations of major dimensions.”

Lempen added that in other situations, journalists were targeted because of their political opinion, the main example being that of Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaia who was killed in October 2006, and others like Hrant Dink who was killed Jan. 19 this year in Istanbul, Turkey; Edward Chikombo killed on April 2007 in Zimbabwe; Francois Latour on May 23, 2007 in Port-au Prince (Haiti), Serge Maheshe, of Radio Okapi, on June 13, 2007 in Bukavu, the DRC; and the Japanese reporter Kenji Nagai, killed on Sept. 27, 2007 in Rangoon during the peaceful demonstrations that were followed by a brutal crackdown.

Global campaign on protection of journalists

Lempen vowed that in order to face this increasing deterioration in the security situation surrounding journalists around the world, they have launched a global campaign on a draft international convention for the protection of journalists in conflict zones, civil unrest and other situations.

The draft convention has reportedly already reached representatives of United Nations (UN) member states in Geneva.

PEC President Hedayat Abdel Nabi stressed that this draft convention, a wide ranging exercise prepared by the PEC Board, could be the basis of improved national legislation and could expand to include other matters like wage, insurance and housing rights.

“When ratified, the draft Convention, shall stand as a tribute to all journalists and media workers under attack, who are directly or indirectly targeted, and are part of the news for sometime then forgotten,” Nabi said.

This draft, Nabi added, when adopted, will be a “token gift” for those journalists who have risked their lives, their families and their sacred profession to uncover the truth, to ensure that victims are reached, and to guarantee freedom of opinion and expression. Contributed to Bulatlat