Media leaders do nothing for press freedom [Archives:2007/1064/Opinion]
Tawakul Karaman
Some people say that civil society organizations have no right to issues newspapers. Regretfully, these people are the ones who are supposed to be the main sponsors and protectors of the freedom of expression. we will take a look at the law and see what is permissible and what is prohibited, in order to clarify the issue.
Sirs, the Article No. 33 of the Press and Publications Law ensures all citizens, political parties, social personalities of distinction, ngos and government institutions the right to issue and own newspapers and magazines. So the ownership and issuance of newspapers and magazines must be open to every individual, organization and political party. Denying them the right to own and issue newspapers and magazines is a flagrant violation of their legal and constitutional right. I do not know why these gentlemen do not read the Press and Publication Law before taking any press-related procedures.
The Yemeni Journalists Syndicate is considered one of the most important civil community organizations and its president is responsible for maintaining its interests. By maintaining its interests we mean that the syndicate must defend its members from any violation, and claim additional entitlements and privileges for pressmen, huge premises and ensure full independence of its management and finance.
Therefore the YJS President will work vigilantly for the sake of achieving the syndicate's goals as an effective civil organization. And, because this organization is the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate, its president has to perform a double duty for the sake of boosting unionism business, journalism and freedom of expression.
What do the YJS President's statements, given on more one occasion and published in more than one newspaper about the legal problems related with transmission of news messages, achieve? More than once, the YJS President has confirmed that civil community organizations have no right to own newspapers or transmit news messages on cell phones.
What kind of law and constitution does the YJS leader Nasr Taha support?. As a senior and respected journalist, as well as a leader of Yemeni journalists, he is expected to support freedom of press and expression. What will be achieved in favor of journalists and journalism if news message services are limited to September Mobile and Saba.net, and the civil society is prevented from providing these services. When did the authorities concerned issue decisions banning the ownership of newspapers and magazines and restricting press freedom?
We don't know why the YJS President has decided to deprive civil community organizations of their legal and constitutional rights to own newspapers and magazines while he is presiding over one of the most important civil community organizations, which is the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate. By this, he violates the ngos' simple regulations and mutual solidarity with each other in the event that one of the ngos comes under attack or suffers violations. Mustafa thwarts freedom of press and expression and does not remain committed to his obligations toward the fourth authority 'journalism', which selected him as its leader. He also abandons the right of his organization to issue newspapers, magazines and any other media means. Does he have the power to do so? Surely, the answer is NO. I would argue that the YJS president with his stands foils any of the civil community organizations' attempts to attain success in various fields and deprives them of establishing mutual solidarity with one another because I realize that his attitudes trigger animosity toward press freedom. He doesn't do his duty in the best way for the sake of the syndicate that selected him as its president.
I fear that our leader Mustafa may have committed three serious mistakes, one of which is frustrating civil community organizations, the second is abandoning the legal and constitutional right of these organizations to have media means and the third is represented by his indifference toward press freedom. He does not boost freedom of the press nor encourage journalists to exercise their noble job in a better way.
Let us come back to media officials' justification for blocking the website of Women Journalists Without Chains (WJC) and depriving it of providing news message services. Their justification is that WJC is not allowed to offer news message services because it is an organization concerned only with human rights and public freedoms. This is a false and illegal justification. We hope to see if the officials, who prevented our organization from providing news message services, will be brave enough to prevent other establishments, be they official or private, from doing so.
Tawakul Karaman is a prominent women journalist and Chairwoman of Women Journalists Without Chains
Source: Al-Sahwa.net
——
[archive-e:1064-v:15-y:2007-d:2007-07-02-p:opinion]
