DATE=7/5/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=AMNESTY / ANGOLA (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-264109
BYLINE=LOURDES NAVARRO
DATELINE=LONDON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: The London-based human-rights organization,
Amnesty International, is accusing the Angolan
government of intimidating journalists and cracking
down on public protests to silence critics of its
policies. Amnesty says that within the past year at
least 30-journalists were detained for questioning,
and several journalists have been threatened with
physical harm. Lourdes Navarro reports from London.
TEXT: Amnesty International says that a major media
crackdown is underway in Angola. Amnesty says
journalists are being illegally detained - some held
for weeks before being charged with offences ranging
from libel to state security violations. They are
also being threatened and that newspapers and radio
stations have been ordered not to comment on certain
issues.
Judit Arenas of Amnesty International says that the
crackdown on press freedom means that the actions of
the government and the rebel force UNITA - a
Portuguese acronym for the National Union for the
Total Independence of Angola - are carried out under a
veil of secrecy.
/// ACT ARENAS ///
Angola is actually in the middle of a war, and
there have been mass violations of human rights.
We believe that when you try and stifle freedom
of expression what actually happens is that
nobody is finding out of the extra-judicial
executions of suspected criminals, and of the
real or perceived political opponents being
carried out by the government and police. And
on the other hand, no one is finding out of the
killings, torture and mutilations that the armed
opposition UNITA is carrying out.
/// END ACT ///
Amnesty International also says that the police have
moved to crush public demonstrations in Angola. In
February, Amnesty says police beat and detained
several people during a street protest against a fuel
price hike.
Angolan President Jose Eduardo Dos Santos has been
included in this year's U-S based Committee to Protect
Journalists' list of "10 Enemies of the Press."
Paris-based Reporters Without Borders has also
condemned the Angolan government for what it says is a
systematic policy of curbing coverage of the war.
(SIGNED)
NEB/LN/GE/RAE
05-Jul-2000 14:30 PM EDT (05-Jul-2000 1830 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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