HELLO THERE GOOD PEOPLE!

PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO YOUR FRIENDS! TERIMA KASIH!

Center of Independent Journalism's World Press Freedom Day Gig
*************************************************

Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th June 2006
Venue: Central Market (Pasar Seni), KL / main entrance, open-air,
parking lot
Time: 12 pm - 6pm (both days)
FREE

link to flyer: http://www.360dhr.com/NewGigs/Images/CIJCM.gif
link to blog: http://geekrawk.wordpress.com
link to ricecooker page: http://ricecooker.kerbau.com

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FIRST DAY:
Saturday 3rd June 2006
12 Noon till 6 PM:

* Grape - 12.00-12.20pm (opening)
* Asna - 12.25-12.45pm (opening)
* Fathullistiwa Soundscapes - 12.50-1.20pm
* Peter Brown - 1.25-1.55pm
* Nao - 2.00-2.30pm
* Skyjuicecoffee - 2.35-3.05pm
* Lurks - 3.10-3.40pm
* Farasu - 3.45-4.15pm
* Mushbuttons - 4.20-4.50pm
* Project Ei8ht - 4.55-5.25pm
* Carburetor Dung - 5.30-6.00pm

Bands:
GRAPE - http://www.myspace.com/grapemusic
ASNA - http://www.myspace.com/asnamusic
PROJECT EI8HT - http://www.projectei8ht.tk
PETER BROWN - http://peterbrown.lemang.com/
NAO - http://www.myspace.com/isnao
SKYJUICECOFFEE - http://www.myspace.com/skyjuicecoffee
LURKS - http://www.myspace.com/lurks01
FARASU - http://www.myspace.com/farasu
MUSHBUTTONS - http://www.myspace.com/mushbuttons
CARBURETOR DUNG - http://www.myspace.com/carburetordung
FATHULLISTIWA SOUNDSCAPES - http://www.myspace.com/romantikarat

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SECOND DAY:
Sunday 4th June 2006
12 Noon till 6 PM

* Superbar - 12.00-12.20pm (opening)
* Flow - 12.25-12.45pm (opening)
* Broken Scar - 12.50-1.20pm
* Applecreed - 1.25-1.55pm
* Y2K - 2.00-2.30pm
* Revenge - 2.35-3.05pm
* Stonebay - 3.10-3.40pm
* Ben’s Bitches - 3.45-4.15pm
* 360° Head Rotation - 4.20-4.50pm
* Two Foot Candle - 4.55-5.25pm
* Negation - 5.30-6.00pm


Bands:
SUPERBAR - http://www.myspace.com/superbar
FLOW - http://www.myspace.com/flow679
REVENGE -
APPLECREED -
Y2K - http://www.myspace.com/yes2kapitalism
BROKEN SCAR - http://www.myspace.com/brokenscarmusic
STONEBAY - http://www.myspace.com/stonebaymusic
BEN'S BITCHES - http://www.myspace.com/bensbitches
360° HEAD ROTATION - http://www.360dhr.com
TWOFOOTCANDLE – http://myspace.com/twofootcandle
NEGATION – http://www.myspace.com/negationmalaysia

ORGANISER:
The Centre for Independent Journalism, Malaysia (CIJ): http://
www.cijmalaysia.org


==== STATEMENT ========

Pressed for Freedom
by Jac sm Kee

Last Wednesday was World Press Freedom Day. Celebrated every May 3
since its proclamation by the United Nations in 1993, "The Media As A
Force For Change" is the theme for this year's observation. Scanning
mainstream newspapers, apart from Utusan Malaysia, not many others
actually highlighted the day with much significance. I wonder why.
Perhaps it is because there frankly isn't much to celebrate.

A quick back glance raises a blush as I recall the Danish cartoons
fiasco. In February alone, we witnessed the indefinite suspension of
Sarawak's oldest newspaper, Sarawak Tribune, and a two-week
suspension of Berita Petang - another newspaper in Sarawak - as well
as Guang Ming Daily for publishing news with the cartoons in one form
or another. New Straits Times had to publish a front page apology for
publishing a cartoon strip that alluded to the Danish cartoon (twice,
mind you) to get off the hook; an action that incidentally did not
help China Press, since it had to sack two senior editors as well as
publish a front page apology to avoid suspension on reportage of the
nude squats incident.

Meanwhile, newspapers like Harian Metro are having a field day,
exercising complete "freedom" without any reprise, often working in
collusion with enforcement agencies.

Accompanying police officers to raids, publishing reports about non-
existent goats in alleged "black metal" concerts and conducting
interviews with young people while they were under police detention
are just some of the gems of their record of ethical journalism.
Similarly. Utusan Malaysia takes investigative journalism one step
stranger by creating "exposes on gay spas and saunas", spurring a
series of raids by the police targeting allegedly "gay" venues.

The internet on the other hand, has been loudly hailed as being free
from any form of censorship.

Bloggers and community forums are blooming like mushrooms after a
much awaited spell of rain in attempts to quench the nation's thirst
for information that is not circumscribed by political parties'
associated ownership. But the freedom here is also, sadly, somewhat
artificial.

There are a plethora of other laws that can be used to gag and
silence, such as the omnipotent Sedition Act, Official Secrets Act
and of course, the infamous Internal Security Act. All of which work
effectively to create an environment of selfcensorship that works
better than any actual application of laws.

As though that is not enough, filtering software is being unabashedly
done in schools and government departments, apparently to block out
pornographic sites.

It is a well-known fact (amongst those who work in the field of
information and women's rights, that is) that filtering software does
not effectively curb the consumption of pornography. In practice, it
has blocked out information related to sexual health and feminist
sites. Which begs the question, what is it about this digital space
for information exchange and expression that needs to be blacked out,
and more offensively, in the name of "protecting young people and
women"?

We painfully need something to celebrate about. At least I do. It is
not appropriate to congratulate ourselves for rating 113 in the
Reporters Sans Frontiers worldwide press freedom index. So we rate a
little better than the Philippines (at 139, one notch higher than
Singapore), but they have the mixed infamy of journalists being
gunned down for dissident reporting.

Do we really need to start documenting the number of news
disseminators being murdered before we acknowledge that we pressed
are indeed,freedoms for the of information and expression?

I have not even begun articulating the gendered dimension of this
need for an environment to have knowledge, opine and share with lived
and genuine liberty.

Suffice for now, slap on the yellow ribbon and keep the critical
faculties alert for the creation of spaces that enable a real
transformation of the way we acquire, exchange and create information
in this country.

Start by signing the petition calling for a Freedom of Information Act!

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PLEASE ALL COME AND JOIN THE CAUSE!