Scribes decry
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, October 12 2023:
The All Manipur Working Journalists' Union (AMWJU) and Editors' Guild Manipur (EGM) have accused the 20 JAT Regiment and 5/4 GR of violating press freedom.
In a joint statement, AMWJU and EGM said that combined troops of 20 JAT Regiment and 5/4 GR prevented media persons from discharging their duties at Sabungkhok Khunou today.
Maintaining that the media persons went to cover an attack at Sabungkhok Khunou, AMWJU and EGM continued that the troops of JAT Regiment not only prevented the media team from ISTV, Impact TV, TOM TV and ISCom from covering the incident but also forced them to delete whatever footage they had taken.
It further said that another team of media persons from TOM TV and Impact TV was also prevented from taking footage of the incident initially .
Condemning the conduct of the security personn el, AMWJU and EGM accused the 20 JAT Regiment and 4/5 GR of trying to silence the press.
This is a direct attack on the freedom of speech, it said, while demanding accountability from the Central forces for their conduct.
AMWJU and EGM said that they will submit a memorandum each to the Chairman of Unified Command Kuldiep Singh and Governor Anusuiya Uikey to look into the series of attacks on media since May 3 to take up appropriate action.
Saying that the media in Manipur has been working in an extremely difficult situation since the violence broke out, the joint statement appealed to all security forces operating in the State not to prevent media persons from performing their duty.