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afrol News, 21 January - A government symposium to address the role of the free press "in the national development process" was suddenly cancelled. Then, it was secretly arranged without inviting the press. Also the agenda had suddenly been changed to the adoption of a new press law and code of ethics. The Ethiopian Free Press Journalists' Association (EFJA) today voiced its concerns about the uncertain future of press freedom and about its own organisation's ability to survive. During the last years, "numerous free press publications have been rendering services as alternative sources of information," but this was about to change, EFJA noted. The Ethiopian government, through the Ministry of Information, has conducted a three-day national symposium from 15-17 January to address the following theme: "The Ethiopian government wants to come closer to, and discuss issues with, the free press to enable it to play the constructive role expected of it in the national development process." The government's purpose in organising the symposium "is clear," EFJA says. "It is a propaganda stunt designed to show to the world that the government is democratic. It is also a measure calculated to win the hearts and sympathies of donors and creditors." The symposium was originally scheduled to be held from 8-10 February. EFJA had been invited to present a paper to the symposium entitled, "Problems Faced by the Free Press and their Solutions". In accordance with the invitation, EFJA had prepared the paper, but for unknown reasons, the Ministry of Information announced that the programme was cancelled. One month after the announcement of the cancellation, the entire event however was held in secret, and then, the objectives of the symposium were only revealed through a telephone message, EFJA reports. The agenda items of the symposium focused on the new press law being drafted exclusively by the Ministry of Information, the draft journalists' and publishers' code of ethics and regulations for the establishment of a press council. The agenda item on the problems facing the free press and their solutions was totally dropped, according to EFJA. The issues being discussed by the symposium were "well known" to EFJA, international counterpart associations, human rights organisations and activists since February 2001. These organisations have repeatedly commented on the issues faced by the free press. EFJA had unsuccessfully requested that the authorities give it a copy of the draft press law and see to it that the draft law is developed with the participation of citizens, professional lawyers and EFJA members. The group and counterpart international associations also repeatedly had stated that the matters of a journalists' professional code of ethics and a press council should be addressed by those parties that ware directly concerned, and not by the government. The journalists' association claims it had expressed its willingness to jointly organise the symposium and "enable it to come up with fruitful results." Yet the government had sidelined the repeated calls made by EFJA. It decided instead to conduct the symposium through the Ministry of Information, with the support of the British Embassy, to discuss the new press law, which is designed to undermine the existence of the free press. Members of the free press did not participate in the symposium. EFJA and its members were present at the symposium but withdrew after the opening because they were invited as mere guests and promises that were made to them at the outset were broken. - EFJA and its entire membership have been disappointed by the fact that the British government, which does not itself have a press law and has given recognition to organisations such as Article 19 and human rights originations such as Amnesty International, has extended financial support for the running of the symposium, in which journalists of government media services, employees of regional information bureaus and public relations professionals are participating and various department heads are presenting study papers, the group said. According to the group, members of the Ethiopian free press had "undergone great suffering under the repressive press law and civil and criminal laws that have been in force for the past 40 years." Heavy fines had been imposed on them. They had been thrown in prison. "In spite of all these and other repressive measures against them, they have been in a position to withstand the measures and maintain their existence. Other additional pressures imposed on free press publications include the occasional increase of printing costs, income tax increases and lately, the imposition of a value-added tax (VAT). These measures have greatly threatened the very existence and survival of the free press." - If the government enforces a professional code of ethics and regulations for the establishment of a press council, which should be put in effect by those directly concerned, it will serve as a clear indication that democratic rights are being trampled upon and that dictatorship is gaining the upper hand in this country, the EFJA statement warns. The group therefore strongly protested the activities of the Ministry of Information, "which are aimed at promulgating a press law that restricts freedom of expression and information exchange and exposes Ethiopian free press journalists to imprisonment and fines under the guise of a code of ethics."
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