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Commonwealth Press Union concerned over government pressure in Guyana
Monday, February 12, 2007
GEORGETOWN, Guyana: The Commonwealth Press Union (CPU) has expressed increasing concern at the pressure being applied by the Government of Guyana on the independent newspaper, the Stabroek News.
Following recent withdrawal of government advertising, it now appears that further pressure is being applied by two state-owned companies who have also withdrawn their support.
It seems that the Chairman of both companies, Ronald Alli, is claiming ignorance of any such action and when editor-in-chief of Stabroek News, David de Caires, sought to to clarify the matter Alli called him back to confirm he was not aware of any such decision and he or his board had not approved it.
Since that date, the paper has reportedly attempted on several occasions to contact Alii for further clarification, but he remains elusive.
The Stabroek News has said that it believes there is a politically directed effort to suppress the newspaper. The Editor-in-Chief noted that the government had no legal right to interfere directly in the affairs of public corporations, or to give instructions to personnel in those corporations, as had apparently been done in this case.
He said that his newspaper will continue to fight against this undemocratic behaviour. He noted that this action against Stabroek News should not be seen in isolation but as part of a broader pattern of arbitrary and authoritarian behaviour which did not bode well for the future.
The CPU says that it "believes this is a concerted attempt to undermine the Stabroek News, an independent paper that has been critical of the Government, by financial means. The control of government advertising is a powerful tool in attempting to control a free press and we urge the Government of Guyana to reconsider this attempt to bully independent papers into line. This is a direct attack on freedom of the press and will do the government’s democratic credentials locally, regionally and internationally nothing but harm."
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