ETIMOR: Media 'face arrest' over inaccurate reporting, PM warns
Updated
During a recent press conference in East Timor, Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao had been expected to discuss reports of a "stampede" outside a government office earlier this month in which, according to local media, three people were killed and a dozen more were injured. But Mr Gusmao took a very different tack, denying the stampede took place and threatening to arrest members of the press if they publish or broadcast misinformation that might detabilise East Timor.
Presenter: Stephanie March
Speakers: Mouzinho Lopes de Aroujo, Editor-in-Chief of the Timor Post; Xanana Gusmao, East Timor Prime Minister, Mouzinho Lopes de Aroujo is the Editor-in-Chief of the Timor Post.
When Xanana Gusmao called a press conference last week, journalists were expecting a response from the country's Prime Minister about a report that three people died and twelve were injured in a "stampede" while waiting in line for a $100.00 government Small Business subsidy outside the offices of the Ministry of Social Solidarity.
Instead, the media heard this:
GUSMAO: My appeal to you, the media professionals: Crosscheck your information well. Because if you don't, we will say you're not professional.
According to PM Gusmao the incident outside the Minisrty never happened, but was fabricated by the opposition and propagated by the media.
He referred to it as an 'all time low' for the country, and made it clear that his government would not tolerate journalists publishing or broadcasting misinformation.
GUSMAO: For big things or little things, you have to go and check they are correct. We, [the government] close our eyes [to small mistakes].
But if instability happens because of you, we'll catch you.
Mouzinho Lopes de Aroujo is the Editor-in-Chief of the Timor Post, the daily newspaper that published the story that infuriated the Prime Minister.
He stands by his newspapers decision to print the story.
He says his journalist was simply reporting what the opposition said in Parliament about the deaths at the Ministry.
He says his journalist also found an eye-witness that confirmed the incident.
AROUJO: From that story the PM just came out and threat (sic) us that if there is instability we will arrest the press. So this is a big threat. It is dangerous for democracy and dangerous for the media.
Mr Aroujo admits the media in East Timor is far from perfect. There are no formal journalism courses available in the country so most reporters are young, and inadequately trained and mistakes are bound to happen.
But he also says that the country's leaders rarely make themselves available for the press to ask questions or cross check information.
Often the only time journalists have access to ministers is at official ceremonies where the leaders refuse to take questions on topics other than the reception itself.
AROUJO: Like what happened last week about our story that make PM nervous. It was because of, you know, mechanism in East Timor.
Sometimes when we want to interview the leaders, if we see them in a ceremony. So hard for us to call them, sometime we don't have to call them to interview directly so it is very, very difficulty (sic) in East Timor. 11.11
Another problem is favouritism. Mr Aroujo says leaders in East Timor are more inclined to give interviews with foreign journalists, than local ones.
AROUJO: Foreign journalists have very quick access to interview leaders of the country but for local journalists it is very hard for them to interview. For local journalists only depend on ceremony only depend on you know yeah, only ceremony during this time. It is the main opportunity. So our leaders discriminate journalists. Honestly I say that.
He said the leaders prefer to speak with international journalists because they are perceived to be more professional than local ones, and they fear inaccurate reporting by local journalists could lead to further instability in the young nation.
Mr Aroujo uses the example of a recent interview with President Jose Ramos-Horta about a video released by rebel fugitive Alfredo Reinado.
AROUJO: Mr President never talk to media about he video of Alfredo, but he talk to ABC. But I got information from ABC and I publish it.
That is one example of discrimination. Because I think Mr president was afraid that if he talk to local media broadcast it or publish it will create instability.
But Mr Aroujo says that increased training for journalist and the creation of a solid set of media laws, will help improve the media in East Timor's ability to report accurately keep the government accountable.
AROUJO: Australia has the freedom of information laws, so this I think it is quite easy for the journalists to get access, to get information from the government side very quickly but in East Timor, it is quite hard at the moment because we don't have regulation like that, we don't have an act like that.
