Gambian parliament passes tough media bill


BANJUL, May 3 (Reuters) - Gambia's parliament passed a media bill which
critics say will muzzle reporters, just minutes before World Press Freedom
Day on Friday.

The bill passed late on Thursday is the latest of a string of media laws in
Africa sponsored by governments accused by press watchdogs of trying to
introduce subtle forms of censorship.

Gambia's new law sets up a 10-member commission charged with issuing licences
to media organisations in the tiny West African country. The body can try,
fine or imprison journalists who work without a proper licence or write what
it deems as inaccurate stories.

The government of President Yahya Jammeh, whose supporters have all but three
of parliament's 53 seats, says the bill will ensure the impartiality,
independence and professionalism of journalists in the former British colony.

But the president of Gambia's press union criticised the bill as "a very bad"
one. "It's a visible threat to press freedom in this country," Demba Jawo
said.

Friday is World Press Freedom Day, meant to remind people of the principles
of a free press and the difficulties journalists face. Gambia is one of a
number of African countries passing or planning to laws to restrict press
freedoms, editors say.

Paris-based media watchdog Reporters Sans Frontieres says 2001 was the worst
year for African journalists since the early 1990s, with 180 reporters
arrested compared to 150 in 2000.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface
at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html
To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to:
[log in to unmask]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~