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| Sunday, 13 July 2003 |
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Time for Asian journalists to band together by Ramani Kangaraarachchi, reporting from Guwahati (Assam) The Sri Lanka Press Association has sent out a clarion call to journalists grouping in Asia to band together under a united front and forge ahead to establish a truly Asian journalist culture projecting higher international standards of journalism than is displayed today by the now suspect Western journalist community. Addressing the four-day Plenary of the Indian Federation of Working Journalists attended by over 3,500 representatives of its 65,0000 membership at Guwahati in Assam, the President of the Sri Lanka Press Association, B.H.S. Jayewardene, who was present with a 25-member Sri Lankan delegation, said it was now time for Asia to consolidate its achievements of media independence and integrity that had already taken them ahead of the traditional Western journalism. He regretted that the so-called "embedded journalism" engaged in by some journalists in the West during the recent Iraq war was a disgrace which brought shame and distrust upon the international journalist community. Jayewardene said that the Confederation of Asian Journalists' Union, which was initiated a few years ago by senior journalists in the region of the calibre of D.F. Kariyakarawana of Sri Lanka, Vickram Rao of India, M.S. Chopra of Pakistan and Riazzudin Mohamad of Bangladesh, was an ideal launching pad for the thrust. Sri Lanka will host the CAJU session to be held in Colombo at the end of this year for which over 200 delegates are expected. The theme of the conference will be "The Asian plunge into journalistic supremacy." all Asian journalist groupings are welcome to participate. President of the IFWJ, Vickram Rao, who is also the President of the CAJU, elaborating on the aims of the CAJU, emphasised that those belonging to the intellectual profession of journalism owed it to society at large and to humankind to become catalysts of progressive change and play a proactive role. The region had seen tumultuous changes for the better in the media industry but there was more to be attained. He called on journalists to return to their homes with a message from Guwahati that 'truth is sacred, comments are free but integrity above all is non-negotiable' and to pledge themselves to honest, fair and free journalism. The chief guest was the Chief Minister of Assam, Tarun Gogoi. Among the guests-of-honour were Mrs. Moshina Kidawi - Union Minister, D.F. Kariyakarawana - Executive Patron, Sri Lanka Press Association, Haren Das - Member of the Assam Legislative Assembly, and S.M. Tangri - Advocate, High Court, India. Among those who addressed the sessions were B.V.K. Bhanu, Special Officer to Chief Minister, Professor T. S. Datta of the Staff College Mussurie, Mr. Mansana Choudhary, Editor Shillong Times, Ramani Kangaraarachchi and B.H.S. Jayewardene of the Sri Lanka Press Association. The 20-member Sri Lankan delegation consisted of journalists from the Sunday Observer, 'Silumina', 'Divaina', 'Daily Mirror', 'Lakbima,' and SLBC. |
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