South Asia is considered as a risky place for journalists as attacks to media workers in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and other countries in the region have increased in recent months.
The Manila Times reports:
“South Asian journalists face particularly severe risks. The region’s nations make up nearly half of CPJ’s index,” according to the report, released in Manila to mark the fourth anniversary of the murder of Marlene Esperat, a Filipino journalist killed for reporting on official corruption.
Iraq, Sierra Leone and Somalia topped the list for the second year running, with a total of 103 journalists killed since 1999.
In the Philippines, the Commission of Human Rights is pursuing several cases involving assassinations and killings involving local journalists. Several cases of violence committed on local journalists in the Philippines remained unresolved over the past decade.
In Pakistan, Journalists have been under treat from religious organizations while in Sri Lanka, a fatal assault on a TV crew has bee reported.
New York-based CPJ reported;
“We’re distressed to see justice worsen in places such as Sri Lanka and Pakistan,” said Joel Simon, CPJ’s executive director. “Our findings indicate that the failure to solve journalists’ murders perpetuates further violence against the press
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