Madagascar: threats and pressure against media continue

IFEX - News from the international freedom of expression community
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PRESS RELEASE/ALERT - MADAGASCAR

12 April 2002

Private radio station suspends programming, threats and pressure against the
media continue

SOURCE: Reporters sans frontières (RSF), Paris

**For further information on attacks since the declaration of the state of
emergency, see IFEX alerts of 1 March and 26 February 2002**

(RSF/IFEX) - The following is a 10 April 2002 RSF press release:

RSF asks that the two protagonists of the present crisis - Didier Ratsiraka
and Marc Ravalomanana - do everything to ensure that journalists can
continue to work securely and freely in the country. RSF urges the two
political leaders to call upon their militants and sympathisers to remain
calm and not interfere with freedom of expression. "Information pluralism is
fundamental during such a turbulent period. Both leaders must do whatever is
necessary to ensure that all voices in the country can be expressed without
fear," stated RSF's Secretary-General Robert Ménard. Since the 22 February
2002 declaration of a state of emergency, about ten radio stations have been
ransacked or set on fire, and several journalists have been threatened or
assaulted. The recent announcement by a private radio station that it will
suspend its news programmes demonstrates that threats and pressures still
persist.

RSF also reminds the authorities that state media must serve the public and
not an individual or a party. Journalists from the state press must be free
to report the news as they see fit and to cover events occurring in both
camps.

Lastly, the organisation appeals to journalists present on the island to
exercise extreme care in gathering and verifying information. In March, one
local daily asserted that "the radios on each side are spreading false
information and inciting hatred." Rumours are spread easily in times of
crisis and journalists must abide by their professional ethics and rules of
conduct.

Recapitulation of the main facts:

According to information gathered by RSF, on 8 April, the private station
Radio-Télévision Analamanga (RTA) announced that it would drop its news
flash because of "telephone threats" and "threats against journalists."
According to one press release, the radio station had taken the liberty of
"merely providing information and had not slanted it in favour of, or
against, any individual, entity or party."

In addition, on 16 March, soldiers ransacked the offices of Radio Soleil,
which is owned by a pro-Ravalomanana member of the Malagasy National
Assembly. Two days later, the same servicemen returned to the premises to
destroy the rest of the equipment.

On 27 February, Radio Tsiokavao was set on fire by Ravalomanana
sympathisers. The station's offices were totally destroyed in the blaze.
Radio Tsiokavao is a Ratsiraka supporter. One of the people responsible for
the fire told Agence France-Presse: "We set the fire to avenge the one at
MBS radio station."

During the night of 23 February, about ten masked men attacked the offices
of Ravalomanana's Madagascar Broadcasting Service (MBS) radio station in
Fianarantsoa (300 km south of the capital, Antananarivo). The offices were
set on fire and three night watchmen were seriously injured in the attack.
"We have locked ourselves inside the station offices for three days because
we fear for our safety," the radio station's editor-in-chief told a
Madagascan daily.

On 20 February, striking secondary school students ransacked and threw
stones at the offices of the Amoron'i Mania Radio-Television (Art) station
in Ambositra les Roses (south of Antsirabe). The students were protesting
the station's coverage of events, which they considered to be
overly-partisan. The station is owned by Ratsiraka.

Finally, on 2 February, Lieutenant-Colonel Coutiti, the information
minister's technical advisor, confiscated the private FM 91 radio station's
equipment in Nosy Be (an island in the country's northern region) and closed
the station. FM 91 is owned by a provincial councillor who supports
Ravalomanana.

For further information, contact Jean-François Julliard at RSF, rue Geoffroy
Marie, Paris 75009, France, tel: +33 1 44 83 84 84, fax: +33 1 45 23 11 51,
e-mail: [email protected], Internet: http://www.rsf.fr

The information contained in this press release/alert is the sole
responsibility of RSF. In citing this material for broadcast or publication,
please credit RSF.
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