Monday 7 December 2009

IFJ issues new call for global solidarity campaign over massacre of journalists


The International Federation of Journalists today issued a new call to journalists across the world to join the Global Day of Solidarity on Wednesday, 9 December, to demand justice for the 31 journalists slaughtered in Maguindanao province of the Philippines on 23rd November.
“Filipino journalists need to hear our voices expressing solidarity with the victims and anger at the Philippine government that allowed this to happen”, said Aidan White, IFJ general secretary. “106 journalists have now met a violent death since President Arroyo was elected in 2001.Her government has created the circumstances for this massacre by allowing a culture of impunity to flourish.”
The IFJ is currently leading an international mission to bring support to the victims and investigate the circumstances of the mission, hosted by its affiliate, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP). The mission has just returned from meeting the families of the victims based in the city of General Santos and is now focusing on talks with the authorities.
On Wednesday the mission will attend a protest rally in Manila and issue a preliminary report at a press conference.
According to the IFJ, 30 journalists have been confirmed dead and one missing out of a total 57 people massacred by around 100 armed men on the 23rd November. The convoy was travelling across country to nominate a candidate for the May elections when they were confronted by gunmen from the Ampatuan clan who subsequently murdered everyone and buried their bodies in shallow pits.
This is the biggest single atrocity against journalists on record.

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