Press freedom advocates in the Philippines call for the release of detained journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio in a protest in front of the Department of Justice. Photo by Lito Ocampo, used with permission.

Media and human rights groups across the Southeast Asian region marked the United Nation's International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists on November 2 by releasing statements and organizing events highlighting the challenges and continuing threats faced by reporters in fulfilling their work.

Cambodia

In Cambodia, civil society groups issued a joint statement expressing concern about the deteriorating media situation even after a new government assumed power in 2023. They cited a report that showed 28 cases of harassment against 46 journalists in the first nine months of 2024.

Targeting journalists — particularly those reporting on human rights issues — undermines freedoms of expression and the press, thereby threatening the public’s access to information. This environment complicates efforts to hold those in power accountable for their wrongdoing. When authorities fail to investigate and punish perpetrators of crimes against journalists, it conveys the message that such offences are permissible.

A recent example of harassment was the arrest and detention of award-winning investigative journalist Mech Dara who exposed the proliferation of cyber scams in the country. He was released on bail but soon announced his retirement from journalism after his traumatic ordeal.

Cambodian journalists are often harassed or imprisoned for publishing work critical of the government. Environmental journalists and those who speak out about the government's forced displacement of Indigenous groups are particularly at risk.

Malaysia

Another country that failed to undertake necessary media reforms even after a new government rose to power is Malaysia, which continues to rely on repressive, colonial-era laws to silence dissent and intimidate journalists. Civil society groups reiterated the demand for the formation of a media council to help bolster free press in the country.

We urge that the Malaysian Media Council as an independent, multistakeholder self-regulatory body for the industry be established, without further delay, and be given the mandate to have the powers to protect journalists — legally, physically, economically, and socially — and the integrity of our media landscape.

They also drew attention to the financial constraints undermining the work of media outlets:

A growing concern that threatens Malaysia’s media landscape recently has been economic violence in the form of low wages, unsafe working conditions, and job insecurity.

Philippines

Media groups urged Philippine authorities to pursue justice for the 2011 murder of broadcast journalist Gerry Ortega, whose case has become “emblematic of the entrenched impunity in media killings” in the country.

Media killings have continued, with most of which remaining unresolved up to this day. The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines warns against the chilling effect of impunity.

Each year that passes risks relegating these murders further into the past and sends the message that attacks against journalists are to be expected and can be expected to be done with impunity. Already, many of our colleagues see these attacks as just part of the territory. While there is inherent risk in journalism and media work, attacks against journalists cannot be normalized.

They vow to continue the fight for justice.

Keeping their stories alive, reporting on the progress — or lack of it — in their cases, and seeking accountability for these crimes are some of the ways we can make sure they are not forgotten.

Media groups also called for the release of journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio, whose trumped-up criminal cases reflect the weaponization of laws and judicial processes to arbitrarily detain critical reporters.

#Philippines: CPJ urges authorities to drop vindictive charges against journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio ahead of her November 11 trial.

Read more about the case: https://t.co/g9Q3eEj0R3@bongbongmarcos pic.twitter.com/SCfwVoUePe

— CPJ Asia (@CPJAsia) November 7, 2024

Myanmar

After the February 2021 coup, the junta imposed absolute media censorship and waged a brutal crackdown targeting opposition forces and even members of the press. At least eight journalists have been killed over the past three years. According to the Independent Myanmar Journalists Association, a total of 177 journalists have been detained, and 53 remain in custody. The Committee to Protect Journalists summed up the dire media situation in Myanmar:

The Myanmar junta has crushed the independent media by banning outlets, raiding media offices, and targeting journalists with arrests and killings over the past four years. The country is also the world’s second-worst jailer of journalists after China.

The civilian National Unity Government, which represents the resistance, issued a statement condemning the junta’s systematic assault on freedom of expression.

The military's systematic campaign of violence, harassment, and intimidation has turned journalism into an occupation fraught with peril. Today, we call attention not only to these crimes but also to the wider impact of the military's assault on freedom of expression. By silencing journalist, the terrorist military council seeks to suppress the truth, restrict the people's awareness, and stifle calls for accountability.