ASIA-PACIFIC NEW AGENCIES CALL FOR PROTECTION OF JOURNALISTS

ISTANBUL, Nov 26 (Bernama) – More than 40 Asia-Pacific news agencies have
urged governments to ensure safety and fair treatment of journalists, be they
from the domestic or international media.

They also called for better working conditions for journalists, adding that
obstacles to accurate, fast and objective reporting must be cleared.

The call for protection of journalists was prompted by recent violence
against journalists in Russia. One incident involved a political reporter of a
national newspaper who was beaten in Moscow and is now in a coma in a hospital.

It was incorporated in the Istanbul Declaration adopted Thursday at the
14th general assembly of OANA, the Organisation of Asia Pacific News Agencies,
held in this historical Turkish city.

Two Russian news agencies – the ITAR-TASS and RIA Novosti – are members of
OANA which was founded in 1961.


Representatives of the news agencies of six sub-regions -- East Asia,
Southeast Asia, South Asia, West Asia, the Commonwealth of Independent States
and Australasia -- had earlier discussed the challenges and opportunities
facing news agencies in the digital era.

The meeting was chaired by OANA president Dr Ahmad Mukhlis Yusuf, the
Managing-Director of Indonesia’s news agency ANTARA.

Bernama general manager Hasnul Hassan had proposed the setting up of a
video exchange clearing house to enable members to share news clips.

He said the exchange would help to meet growing subscriber demand for
multimedia services.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Ahmad Mukhlis handed over the OANA
chairmanship to Dr Hilmi Bengi of Turkey’s news agency, Anadolu.

OANA has 41 member news agencies from 33 countries.

-- BERNAMA