國際記者組織呼籲台灣警察停止壓制媒體以取得抗議的資訊 ■IFJ(2008.11.19) 雲程譯
國際記者組織(IFJ)督促台灣的警政署(NPA)停止要求媒體從業人員提供近日遊行抗議者的資訊。根據本組織的會員台灣新聞記者協會(ATJ)的說明,台灣的警察要求媒體工作者提供參加旨在抗議11月6日馬英九總統與海協會會長陳雲林會面的「黃絲帶圍城」(Yellow Ribbon Siege)抗議者照片。抗議者據稱是受到民進黨的動員。
台灣記者協會說警察關切將對不提供資訊攝影記者的雇主施壓。
「警察的命令已經將記者推入險境」記協會長莊豐嘉 先生說。
11月18日警政署王卓鈞與莊豐嘉與數名記者開會解決此問題,但記協的要求被拒絕。
「記者的義務是報導真實,並保護其新聞來源。記者不應被迫成為代替政府蒐證的工具。警方如此干涉,將使獨立報導的自由蕩然無存。」IFJ亞太分部說。
「IFJ督促台灣的當局尊重新聞自由,並保障不危害新聞記者的尊嚴。所有媒體應捍衛新聞自由,並避免交出照片。」據報從11月起,警方對台灣媒體的施壓持續升高。一位獨立紀錄片工作者,當她在11月4日於飯店拍攝陳雲林時被警方拘禁。另外案件是,11月6日【原文為16日】的遊行中,一位電視記者在被誤認為抗議者而遭警方攻擊。
November 19, 2008
IFJ Call for Taiwan Police to Stop Pressuring Media for Protest Information
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) urges Taiwan 's National Police Agency (NPA) to stop asking media personnel for information about protesters at a recent public demonstration. According to the Association of Taiwan Journalists (ATJ), an IFJ affiliate, members of the Taiwan police have reportedly asked media workers to provide photographs of demonstrators who participated in the "Yellow Ribbon Siege" protest against a meeting between Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou and chairman of the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) Chen Yunlin on November 16. The protest was reportedly organised by the Democratic Progressive Political Party.
The ATJ said there were concerns that police would seek to pressure photojournalists who refused the request for information by approaching their employers.
"The police have put the reporters in grave danger by demanding that they rat on their interviewees," ATJ president Leon Chuang said.
On November 18, Leon Chuang and several reporters requested a meeting with NPA Director-General Wang Cho-chun to resolve the issue, but the request was declined.
"The duty of a journalist is to report the truth and to protect his or her sources. Journalists must not be compelled to act as agents to collect information on behalf of government authorities. Police interference of this kind places freedom of the independent press in jeopardy," IFJ Asia-Pacific said.
"The IFJ urges Taiwan 's authorities to respect press freedom and ensure that they do not compromise journalists' integrity. All media outlets are also urged to defend press freedom and refrain from handing over photographs."
Increasing police pressure on Taiwan 's media has been reported since early November. An independent documentary film-maker was detained by police while she was filming Chen in a hotel on November 4.. In a separate incident, a television reporter was assaulted by police who reportedly mistook him for a protester during the November 16 rally.