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Mizzima: World Press Meet ended tod



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World Press Meet ended today in Delhi

New Delhi, January 29, 2001
Mizzima News Group (www.mizzima.com)

The International Press Institute, a watchdog of Press freedom around
the world, today awarded its "Free Media Pioneer Award for the year 2001
to a Malaysia Internet newspaper at the end of its four-day meet in New
Delhi this evening. The Malaysiakini.Com (meaning Malaysia Now) has been
operating for more than one year now in Malaysia against the backdrop of
harsh government's restrictions on independent and pro-opposition media
in Malaysia.

While speaking at the function, Mr. Hugo Buetler, Chairman of the
International Press Institute said that Malaysiakini.com is using the
Internet as a testing ground for publishing stories of public concern.
It has gained tremendous popularity with its mix of unbiased news
coverage, investigative journalism, in-depth analysis and commentary
written in English and Malay.

"So far, the Malaysia government with an eye on the economic benefits of
information age has refrained from censoring the new technology and we
hope that this will go on", said Mr. Hugo Buetler.

Receiving the award on behalf of Malaysiakini team, Mr. Steven Gan,
Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of the Malaysiakini.Com said that the
government in Malaysia had a complete monopoly on the media until the
emergence of the Internet. "Malaysia is a liberal democracy. We have
freedom of speech. But no freedom after speech. We have freedom of
movement but no freedom of assembly?In a sense, we are definitely much
luckier than a number of other Asian countries such as Burma and China",
he said while receiving the award.

The World Congress and 50th General Assembly of the International Press
Institute (IPI) was held from January 26 to 29 in New Delhi. Nobel
Laureate Professor Amartya Sen and His Holiness the Dalai Lama delivered
keynote addresses at its closing ceremony this evening.

It was participated by more than 400 editors, publishers, broadcasting
executives and leading journalists from 51 countries. Kye Mon U Thaung,
a leading Burmese journalist and Chief Editor of the New Era Journal
published in Thailand, was one of the participants. U Thaung was one of
the 50 "Hero Journalists" selected by the IPI for the struggle for press
freedom in their respective countries.

Luminaries from the world over addressed the General Assembly, focusing
on "India Experiment in Democracy, The Indian Media Landscape, Tensions
and Conflicts in the Indian Subcontinent, the Global Information
Revolution and Freedom of Expression in the IT Era". Prime Minister of
India Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee inaugurated the grand media event at
Delhi's Vigyan Bhavan on January 27.

In its resolutions adopted at the Assembly, the IPI has condemned the
use of lengthy suspended prison sentences to silence journalists in
parts of the world. "IPI condemned the increasing use of lengthy
suspended jail sentences in order to silence criticism and prevent
journalists from carrying out their professional duties".

It has also noted that governments in many parts of the world attempt to
restrict the movement of journalists under the pretext of enforcing
immigration laws that require visas and special permits for media
correspondents. "Members of IPI urged governments to allow journalists
to exercise their profession without hindrance by ensuring that if there
is a need to obtain visas or work permits, these are provided rapidly
and without bureaucratic interference", said the resolution.

The IPI represents the collective voice of the print and electronic
media around the world and its membership is said to be around 2,000
from 100 countries. It was founded in New York in 1950. The last time
India hosted the IPI conference was in 1966.



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<b><font size=+2>World Press Meet ended today in Delhi</font></b>
<p><b><font size=+1>New Delhi, January 29, 2001</font></b>
<br><b><font size=+1>Mizzima News Group <a href="http://www.mizzima.com";>(www.mizzima.com)</a></font></b>
<p>The International Press Institute, a watchdog of Press freedom around
the world, today awarded its "Free Media Pioneer Award for the year 2001
to a Malaysia Internet newspaper at the end of its four-day meet in New
Delhi this evening. The <b><i>Malaysiakini.Com</i></b> (meaning Malaysia
Now) has been operating for more than one year now in Malaysia against
the backdrop of harsh government's restrictions on independent and pro-opposition
media in Malaysia.
<p>While speaking at the function, Mr. Hugo Buetler, Chairman of the International
Press Institute said that Malaysiakini.com is using the Internet as a testing
ground for publishing stories of public concern. It has gained tremendous
popularity with its mix of unbiased news coverage, investigative journalism,
in-depth analysis and commentary written in English and Malay.
<p>"So far, the Malaysia government with an eye on the economic benefits
of information age has refrained from censoring the new technology and
we hope that this will go on", said Mr. Hugo Buetler.
<p>Receiving the award on behalf of Malaysiakini team, Mr. Steven Gan,
Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of the Malaysiakini.Com said that the government
in Malaysia had a complete monopoly on the media until the emergence of
the Internet. "Malaysia is a liberal democracy. We have freedom of speech.
But no freedom after speech. We have freedom of movement but no freedom
of assembly?In a sense, we are definitely much luckier than a number of
other Asian countries such as Burma and China", he said while receiving
the award.
<p>The World Congress and 50th General Assembly of the International Press
Institute (IPI) was held from January 26 to 29 in New Delhi. Nobel Laureate
Professor Amartya Sen and His Holiness the Dalai Lama delivered keynote
addresses at its closing ceremony this evening.
<p>It was participated by more than 400 editors, publishers, broadcasting
executives and leading journalists from 51 countries. <b><i>Kye Mon</i></b>
U Thaung, a leading Burmese journalist and Chief Editor of the New Era
Journal published in Thailand, was one of the participants. U Thaung was
one of the 50 "Hero Journalists" selected by the IPI for the struggle for
press freedom in their respective countries.
<p>Luminaries from the world over addressed the General Assembly, focusing
on "India Experiment in Democracy, The Indian Media Landscape, Tensions
and Conflicts in the Indian Subcontinent, the Global Information Revolution
and Freedom of Expression in the IT Era". Prime Minister of India Mr. Atal
Bihari Vajpayee inaugurated the grand media event at Delhi's Vigyan Bhavan
on January 27.
<p>In its resolutions adopted at the Assembly, the IPI has condemned the
use of lengthy suspended prison sentences to silence journalists in parts
of the world. "IPI condemned the increasing use of lengthy suspended jail
sentences in order to silence criticism and prevent journalists from carrying
out their professional duties".
<p>It has also noted that governments in many parts of the world attempt
to restrict the movement of journalists under the pretext of enforcing
immigration laws that require visas and special permits for media correspondents.
"Members of IPI urged governments to allow journalists to exercise their
profession without hindrance by ensuring that if there is a need to obtain
visas or work permits, these are provided rapidly and without bureaucratic
interference", said the resolution.
<p>The IPI represents the collective voice of the print and electronic
media around the world and its membership is said to be around 2,000 from
100 countries. It was founded in New York in 1950. The last time India
hosted the IPI conference was in 1966.
<p>&nbsp;</html>

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