www.mja.org.mv

PRESS RELEASE

Maldives Journalist Association (MJA) welcomes the government’s decision to hand over Television Maldives (TVM) and Voice Of Maldives (VOM) to Maldives Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), an institute established under law for public service broadcast.

We hope that MBC would manage the state media under the legal boundary, and establish justice without discriminating the political colours. As the state media is operated from state funds, we callon MBC to develop an independent editorial and to give priority to the social issues.

PRESS RELEASE

While making the coverage of the protest organised by former ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) today afternoon, there were reports that some of the journalists have been badly hurt and also the police have confiscated a cable of 3G camera of the private broadcaster RaajjeTV.

It is the duty of the journalists to make the coverage of the current protests and to bring the information to the citizens. While exercising their duty, it is unacceptable to influence them by obstructing their work. It is also a concern that the recent protests have inspired to damage the equipments owned by some of the media organisations.

PRESS RELEASE

Maldives Journalist Association (MJA) strongly condemns the violent tattacks to journalists and enter the private TV station VTV, destroying its equipments and putting fire on the station. MJA learned that this attack was made by a group of people who went into the station when the station was broadcasting live footages of last night clashes between ruling MDP and opposition.

Many journalists, some with seriously injured last night while covering the protest which turns into confrontation. The both (MDP and opposition) protest was taken place in a same ground facing each other while police was controlling the middle with a boundry. After a while military came into the scene and forced police to leave the ground. Later journalists observed that, military too left the scene and that lead the clashes between.

PRESS RELEASE

Maldives Journalist Association (MJA) strongly condemns the violen tattacks last four night against four journalists and vandalizing the office of DhiTV for the second time.

One journalist has sustained face injury while covering the protest on 25th night. Another sustained head injury on 26th night protest coverage. The other journalist was attacked with a stone by a group of men covering face, outside DhiTV office, wounding one of his leg. And another was arrensted by Police while covering the protest but released later.

We call on Maldives Police Service to investigate the attacks against media without any political influence, and to forward these cases of the perpetrators to Prosecutor General’s office with evidence. And also call on to give lawful punishment for the convicts which they deserve.