Papua New Guinea

The Pacific Freedom Forum (PFF) has called for swift and decisive action from the Papua New Guinea Police following the abduction and sexual assaults of three female journalists on Monday, October 13. While police say they are 'waiting' for medical findings and talks with the victims to guide their investigation, news reports say that a bus doing evening drop-offs for National Broadcasting...

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is concerned for the safely of journalists in Papua New Guinea after an assault on two EMTV journalists. On Sunday June 8, crew members from EMTV were detained for an hour and allegedly physically assaulted near Port Moresby by a cell keeper in front of local police. Police officers from a Highway Patrol Unit allegedly forced the EMTV cameraman to...

A judge's instruction backing the fair use of photos snapped by landowners at a controversial mining project in Madang, Papua New Guinea, is being welcomed by the Pacific Freedom Forum. "The judiciary in Papua New Guinea deserves praise for refusing to gag the use of photos," said PFF chair Susuve Laumaea, of Papua New Guinea. PFF has reviewed the background into the case brought by the...

Government officials responsible for the sudden suspension of senior news editor Dorah Masseung from her management position at the Papua New Guinea National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) must let the national media do its work without fear or political pressure, according to the Pacific Freedom Forum (PFF). Masseung, the executive news director for NBC, was "relieved" of her duties on December...

Dorah Masseung, the executive news director of Papua New Guinea's main public radio broadcaster, the National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), has been suspended as a result of presumed pressure from the authorities amid a political crisis, according to Paris-based press freedom group Reporters sans Frontières (RSF). Her removal was followed by a directive from the station’s management requiring...

Journalists in Papua are on edge after a reporter was found dead, naked and handcuffed in a river in the Indonesian region’s south, Radio NEw Zealand International has reported. Australia-based human rights advocate, Nick Chesterfield, said the Merauke environmental journalist had been reporting on financial irregularities and alleged military corruption. He said Ardiansyah Matra’is had become...