Iraq & India are the most dangerous counties for journalists

By S. Hewage

(February 17, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) In an attempt to undermine the Sri Lankan government’s campaign to eradicate Tamil Tiger Terrorism (LTTE) in recent years, Western nongovernmental organizations (INGOs) and certain media groups sympathetic to LTTE terrorists have been accusing the government for what they describe as “stifling the free media” in the country.

Many of these media organizations band together with so-called human rights campaigners, who have their own agendas, to “pick and choose” specific countries for condemnation, while deliberately ignoring others. These western nongovernmental organizations, such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, are generously funded by western governments to promote their own agendas in non-western societies where they have vested economic and strategic interests. Therefore, these so-called protectors of democracy and human rights are more concerned with promoting their paymasters’ international agenda of hegemony. To carry out such an agenda these INGOs often dole out funds to their local pariah organizations claiming to represent freedom of the press and human rights. In reality, they are no more than local agents to carry out the orders of their international financiers. For example, in the case of Sri Lanka, the Free Media Movement, and the Center for Policy Alternatives are such local agents of western imperialism.

During the last three years, these international and local agents of western imperialism systematically attacked the current government of Sri Lanka for violating media freedom. They frequently describe Sri Lanka as one of the most dangerous places for journalists to work. Even India recently joined this dubious club of media protectors to point the finger at Sri Lanka while its own record of stifling media stands as one of the worst in the world.

Yesterday, the New York based World Association of Newspapers released the figures for journalists and other media workers killed doing their job during 2008. The statistics speak for themselves. In order of the most journalists killed in a country is Iraq at 14 where the United States and Britain are busily establishing democratic governance. One may suggest that this may be the result of their democratization campaign in that country.

Coming in at a close second is India, which boasts itself to be the largest democracy in the world, had 7 journalist killed in 2008. Understandably, Pakistan, which is battling insurgency of its own because of the NATO military operations in neighboring Afghanistan, also had 7 journalists killed while performing their duties. The Philippines, Mexico, and Thailand had 6, 5, and 4 journalists killed respectively. These countries are known for the long-standing Western military and economic interests with heavy investment in trade and tourism.

On the other hand, despite the constant finger pointing at Sri Lanka as being the most dangerous place for journalists, only 2 perished during the year, according to the report.

In media reporting, truth is often concealed behind the economic and political interest of those who purport to safeguard democratic and media freedoms. How could Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and other political representatives of the west be critical of their own paymasters when the truth is that media and democratic freedom are often more violated in societies where western governments are heavily involved. In this dubious campaign of promoting democracy and media freedom what is more dangerous to the lives of journalists is outside interference in internal affairs.

The complete list of journalists and other media workers that were killed in 23 countries and territories in 2008 follows:

Iraq (14);
India (7); Pakistan (7);
Philippines (6);
Mexico (5);
Thailand (4); Russia (4);
Georgia (3);
Afghanistan (2); Croatia (2); Nepal (2); Somalia (2); Sri Lanka (2);
Bolivia (1); Brazil (1); Cambodia (1); Democratic Republic of Congo (1); Dominican Republic (1); Guatemala (1); Honduras (1); Kenya (1): Palestinian Territories (1); Venezuela (1).

-Sri Lanka Guardian