KL media curbs condemned

KL media curbs condemned

KUALA LUMPUR (AP): International press rights groups called on
Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Thursday to lift curbs on an
anti-government magazine, saying that Malaysia's trend of
muzzling media violated international conventions.

The World Association of Newspapers and the Committee to
Protect Journalists, in separate statements faxed to news
agencies, joined growing condemnation of the government's move
not to renew the printing license of Detik magazine, a Malay-
language political magazine published twice a month.

"We respectfully remind you that refusal of a publishing
license on political grounds is a clear breach of the right of
freedom of expression, which is guaranteed by numerous
international conventions," the Paris-based World Association of
Newspapers said in a letter to Mahathir. Copies of the letter
were forwarded to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and other
United Nations agencies.

Detik was informed last week by the Home Affairs Ministry that
its printing permit, which had expired on Nov. 30, would not be
renewed. Detik was launched last January amid huge public uproar
after the sacking and jailing of Deputy Prime Minister Anwar
Ibrahim.