South Sudanese rebels excel in reforms on media freedom – official
July 13, 2015 (ADDIS ABABA) – The South Sudanese armed opposition faction led by the country’s former vice-president, Riek Machar, said they were for media reforms which would usher in a host of freedoms media practitioners could think of in the young country.
“Our position at the peace talks is very clear. We want media reforms that shall guarantee establishment, freedom and independence of electronic, print and all other types of media free from control or interference of government,” said Machar’s press secretary, James Gatdet Dak, in response to queries on position of the rebel faction on the matter.
He said the opposition group wanted to change the status quo in the country in which, he said, media houses were currently being shut down or their operations interrupted and their journalists harassed, tortured and detained or even killed by “president Salva Kiir’s agents”, with no due process of the law, and for expressing their opinions or reporting on the situation in the country.
Dak said the leadership of the opposition was cognizant of the importance of the media as the fourth branch of government which serves as a watch dog, saying Machar and his colleagues were also known for their tolerance towards the media.
He said unlike the current “tyrannical” laws of establishment by the regime in Juba which he said had been infiltrating media regulatory bodies with government agents and security personnel, the opposition wanted these bodies to become independent and impartial.
“In our position paper, we don’t want government to exercise control over or interfere with any person engaged in broadcasting, the production or circulation of any publication or the dissemination of information by any medium or freedom of expression or freedom of the media,” Dak said.
“The media should be independent of control by government, political interests or commercial interests, and reflect the interests of all sections of the society,” he added.
He said even government-owned media will have the freedom of impartiality to determine independently the editorial content of their broadcast or other communication as well as afford fair opportunity for divergent views and dissenting opinions.
He further pointed out that the media will have the freedom and independence to set its ethical standards and regulations that will ensure issues such as code of conduct, professionalism and fair, accurate and unbiased reporting on matters of public interest, among others.
“Whistle blowers will also be protected by law,” he said.
The media official added that no media house or journalist will be penalized for any opinion or view or the content of any broadcast, publication or dissemination.
He however explained that issues such as defamation will be handled through “peaceful legal means with civility” in a court of law, and in accordance to the would-be reviewed law.
He accused president Kiir’s government of allegedly introducing a “police state” where the culture of arbitrary arrest, detention and torture and even killing of journalists had been the order of the day.
Recently senior government officials warned journalists not to interview anti-government officials or broadcast views emanating from the armed opposition groups in the country.
Also of recent, a leader of one of the opposition parties in the country was arrested and detained for several days, tortured by security operatives in the national capital, Juba, for criticising president Kiir’s government.
(ST)