News Articles Topic 2

The ongoing war between Google and China has come down to email hacking. Journalists in China face email Hijacking.
- Burma jails journalist
-Transnational Corporations
Related to the issue of human rights but not the topic 1 or 2:
Vietnam Jails Democracy Activists



Don't forget to mail your position papers to hsmun.hrc@gmail.com before the conference so they can be looked over.

Have a great weekend.

News Articles

Aid Workers in Israel

Foreign Journalists Email Hacked in China

Casualties of Foreign Journalists Mounting in Afghanistan



Not pertaining to Topic 1 or 2, but recent news about the situation in Nigeria brings up the importance of human rights and the role of the United Nations.

Christian-Muslim Mayhem in Nigeria
Nigeria Religious Violence

News Articles: Aid workers & Journalists

Some interesting news articles for you to explore:

An Evolution of Threats Against UN Aid Workers in Somalia

Afghanistan: Roadside Bomb Kills 3 Charity Workers

York aid workers reach Gaza after nightmare trip

Canada slams brutal Iran prosecutor and renews demand for Kazemi's body

Sri Lanka's human rights disaster

Recent Cases of Journalists in Danger

As the last post suggests there have been many recent incidents of journalists being kidnapped or killed while reporting abroad. Here I'll post some links about the more significant cases and some overall statistics and information you should look at when researching for this topic.

• This is a site that tracks all incidents related to press safety, and has regional/country reports on the issue. It's a very useful starting point.
• Reporters Without Borders, an NGO which works for press freedom and security globally.
• Here are the vital statistics on journalist deaths, kidnappings etc for 2009.
• A great article (with case studies) from the BBC on 'Reporting from the Danger Zones'.
• Another general article from the BBC on journalist safety.

Now for the particular cases:

• French journalists kidnapped in Afghanistan.
• British and Spanish journalists kidnapped in Somalia.
• Constant murders of Philippine journalists.
• Video interview on the role of reporting during the Iran elections.

There have been a lot more cases of journalist kidnappings and murders over the past 10 years, and you can find them easily on the BBC by typing in some keywords in their search bar. I hope the above help, and good luck with further research!

IFJ Condemns Government over Attack on Journalist in Tunisia

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today condemned the kidnap and assault of Slim Boukdhir, a freelance journalist and correspondent of Al Arabya newspaper in Tunisia, who was abducted by unidentified men on Wednesday evening in Tunis. The journalist, who was later dumped near a park stripped of his clothes by his attackers, sustained serious injuries.

"This is a shameless attack on a journalist who has shown great courage in denouncing the repressive regime in Tunisia," said Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary. "It is part of a shocking campaign targeting independent journalists and opponents of the government."

According to reports, Slim was attacked by four men, believed to be state security agents, shortly after his interview on the BBC World Service in which he was critical of President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali's victory in last Sunday presidential elections.

The IFJ accuses President Ben Ali of exposing independent journalists to mob violence following his statements after the poll, accusing Slim and what he described as a "tiny minority" of Tunisians of treason for working with foreign media organisations.

"The President's comments bear grave consequences for the country's democracy and independent media," added White. "They put journalists' safety at serious risk and intimidate alternative voice on the nation's affairs."

The Syndicat National des Journalistes Tunisiens (SNJT), an IFJ affiliate has been subjected to a government-inspired campaign of destabilisation after the leadership issued a press freedom report critical of the government in May and refused to endorse sitting President Ben Ali during the recent national elections.

Source: International Federation of Journalists, http://www.ifj.org/en/articles/ifj-condemns-government-over-attack-on-journalist-in-tunisia