December 9 2004 US and G8 asked to make press freedom a priority for "Broader Middle East" Press freedom should not be the "notable absentee" at the Forum for the Future being held as a result of a US initiative in Morocco on 10-11 December and, on the contrary, this basic right should high on the list of reforms in the so-called Broader Middle East and North Africa region (BMENA) defined by Washington, Reporters Without Borders said today. "Press freedom is not respected in the overwhelming majority of countries in this region," Reporters Without Borders said. "Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Tunisia - to name just the worst - constantly flout the public right to be informed and, in the region as a whole, at least 600 million people are denied access to independent, free and credible information." Press offences and defamation are punishable by imprisonment in almost all the countries from Morocco to Pakistan, in violation of UN recommendations and international standards in general, the press freedom organisation said. In varying degrees, the authorities in these countries all use repressive methods to deal with journalists. Whether by censorship or by forcing journalists to censor themselves, they all keep the press under close control. "We call on the G8 countries and the United States to make their economic and financial aid to the countries of this region conditional on their attitude towards free expression, especially press freedom," Reporters Without Borders said. The conference being hosted in the Moroccan capital of Rabat is the first meeting of the Forum for the Future that resulted from a proposed "Partnership for Progress and a Common Future with the Region of the Broader Middle East and North Africa" adopted by G8 heads of state and government at their last summit in Sea Island, in the United States, on 8-10 June. The primary purpose of the conference is to facilitate financial and economic measures but, although the goals are now more modest than originally envisaged, US officials say it could also pave the way for large-scale political reforms. Foreign and finance ministers from the 28 countries in the BMENA region and their G8 counterparts are due to attend. GAS PIPE LINE FROM IRAN Lok Sabha To meet the large deficit between demand and supply of natural gas in the country, as projected in Hydrocarbon Vision-2025, and for enhancing the energy security of the country in keeping with the provisions of the Energy Security Section of the National Common Minimum Programme, a trans-national onland pipeline from Iran to India transiting through Pakistan is one of the viable options. The matter was recently discussed at the highest level between the two countries and it was decided to pursue the Iran-India natural gas pipeline via Pakistan in the context of overall bilateral trade and economic cooperation between the two countries. The discussions in this regard are continuing. This project would basically be a commercial project supported by appropriate guarantees for security of supplies. A meeting of the Petroleum/Gas Ministers of the two countries is envisaged in this regard. The Indian Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas held a conversation without commitment in Tehran with his Iranian counterpart on 5-6th December 2004. The issue was also touched upon during the Minister’s call on the Prime Minister of Pakistan on 24.11.2004.Giving above information in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today, Shri Mani Shankar Aiyar, Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas added that as the proposal is at a preliminary stage, these have not been worked out. December 8 2004 Radisson SAS to Manage Resort in Holy City of Madinah -RSF Urges Syrian President to Respect Media Freedom Oomman Chandy becomes Health Conscious after 100 Days in Office K P Mohan, Deepa of Asianet summoned as Part of Sex Scandal Investigation The Calicut First Class Megisgrate Court on Wednesday summoned ten witnesses in the ice-cream parlour sex scandal case to record their statements in connection with the alleged sexual abuse of Rejina, the main victim by Kerala Industries Minister P.K.kunhalikutty. The First class Judicial Magistrate P Sasaidharan directed India Vision reporter M P Basheer and Asianet Executive Editor K P Mohanan to appear before the court with the CD's containing Rejina's revelations to them on December 27 to verify the revelations made by victim Regina on October 28. It may be recalled that Asianet was in the eye of a controversy ever since the channel did not telecast the controversial news when all other channels and the entire state media were vying with each other to publish it. The Asianet reporter, Deepa, who got the first news was not allowed to report the story for unknown reasons. According to reports, the Kiliroor sex scandal involved an unnamed private channel director, but that investigation is almost over due to the death of the main victim Shaari S.Nair. It may be recalled that a Kuwait based NRK Congress leader was also allegedly part of the sex trafficking syndicate. The latest court orders were issued under section 202 of the CrPC to enable the court to record the statements directly on a petition filed by social activist P J Sebastian accusing the Minister of raping a minor and attempting to temper with the evidence. The other witnesses, summoned an different dates, were Rajina, her brother Ayub, C.I. A.V.Varghese, who probed the case at the initial stage in 1997, CPI leader Meenakshi Thampan, former Kerala Women's Commission chairperson Sugathakumari, Asianet Reporter V.P.Deepa, Asianet cameraman Suresh.G.Nair and 'Anweshi' Women Counselling President K.Ajitha. Meanwhile the Bar Council has issued a showcause notice to an advocate who was sending the girls statements in the court to Rauf, the controversial relative of Kunjalikutty, one of the main brain behind the entire drama. According to reports, Advocate Ibrahim was sending the statements of Rejina through his mobile phone. It was alleged that she was forced to change her statement using some compulsions. Mysteriously her son was missing from her during this court proceedings. A number of newspapers reported that the advocate was calling the relative of Kunjalikutty. ITDC Headed by Amithabh Kanth Justifies Sellout of Kovalam Palace to M-Far Meanwhile in another controversial deal involving the League Ministers and Industrial tycoons, ITDC headed by the corrupt and controversial IAS officer Amithabh Kanth has submitted that the state government has violated the agreement reached between ITDC and the private hotel group. The India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), which sold its Ashoka Beach Resorts at Kovalam to M. Far Hotels Limited, of Galfar group Muscat said that it had enjoyed `exclusive and peaceful possession' of the property, including the Halcyon Castle with valid title between 1970 and 2002. ITDC has been headed by Amithabh Kanth who is facing another investigation about a dubious land deal involving League Politicians. In an affidavit filed before the Kerala High Court today, the company secretary of the corporation said that all the properties, which consisted of 64.5 acres of land and its buildings, had been acquired by the State Government for the ITDC. The Halcyon Castle and its surrounding property was an integral part of the property acquired by the Government. The affidavit was filed in response to a writ petition filed by M.Far Hotel Limited challenging the takeover of the castle and other buildings. The company secretary said that at the time when the Union Government purchased the property from the State Government, no registration of documents was compulsory. Hence, no particular documents like the title deed had been prepared between the State Government and the Central Government. The affidavit said that the corporation acquired clear and marketable right over the property. It said that documents would testify that the corporation had valid title over the property. According to the affidavit, the ITDC had proposed various plans to develop Kovalam on a par with major international tourist destinations. The State Government had responded positively to the proposal of the corporation and acquired the Halcyon Castle and adjoining land after paying a compensation of Rs. 5, 26,4312 to the titleholder in 1964. The ITDC had been operating a hotel in the acquired palace since then. The land had later been transferred to ITDC for Rs. 9.50 lakhs. The affidavit denied the allegation of the State Government that the ITDC was only in the permissive possession of the palace and the allied land. Had it been in the permissive possession, there would have been some rental arrangements. The State Government had no case in this regard. The affidavit said that the transfer of property had been made for adequate consideration. The condition for transfer of property was that the State would acquire or make available further land for the ITDC for implementing the Integrated Kovalam Development Project. The State Government had surrendered all rights in the place and its adjacent property to ITDC for a mutually agreed adequate consideration. It was handed over to ITDC in 1970. The affidavit said that all assets had been transferred to M.Far Hotels on July 11, 2002. The transfer was done in accordance with law and it was not appropriate for the State Government to object to the valid transfer of property to the M.Far Group. The State Government should have acted in accordance with the relevant law, instead of trespassing into the transferred property. The action of the Government was a breach of trust and in violation of its agreement with the ITDC, it said. Watch this space Rehabilitation of Tribal Families in Kerala 400 FM Radio Stations identified in India India and Israel to Enhance Cooperation in High Technology Areas Agreement to form joint Study group for Comprehensive Economic Partnership The Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Shri Kamal Nath and the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry, Trade, Labour and Communications of Israel, Mr. Ehud Olmert at a function of the Indian Industry on "Enhancing Trade and Investment Flow", organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in New Delhi on December 8, 2004. New Delhi - India and Israel have taken one more step forward to enhance cooperation in high technology areas by signing a “Statement of Intent” in this regard . The document was signed by the visiting Israeli Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Industry, Trade and Labour, Mr. Ehud Olmert and the Minister for Science and Technology and Ocean Development, Shri. Kapil Sibal at the end of bilateral talks here today. The Statement expresses the desire to establish the India-Israel Industrial R & D Cooperation Initiative with the main objective of providing support for approved joint industrial R & D Projects between the entities of India and Israel. It will involve at least one industrial partner from each side and will aim at the development of products or processes to be commercialized in the global market. The two sides will identify, promote, facilitate and support joint industrial research and development projects between the two countries. Later speaking to media persons, Shri. Sibal said that today’s talks will give further momentum to the cooperation that the two countries have been able to build over the last few years. Giving an account of growing strength of partnership, Shri. Sibal said that trade figure between the two countries is set to touch $ 2 billion this year which does not include defence products. At present, India and Israel are cooperating in 37 Science and Technology projects and 200 Indian scientists have visited Israel this year alone. Mr. Olmert said that Israel has a lot to offer in the fields of agro-technology, enrichment of seeds, system of green house farming and incubators for high technology areas. The visiting dignitary invited Shri. Sibal to visit Israel next year to sign the Memorandum of Understanding. The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry, Trade, Labour and Communications of Israel, Mr. Ehud Olmert calls on the Minister for Science & Technology and Ocean Development, Shri Kapil Sibal in New Delhi on December 8, 2004. India and Israel have agreed to set up a Joint Study Group for a comprehensive economic partnership between the two countries. This was announced by Shri Kamal Nath, Commerce & Industry Minister, at the India-Israel Business Conference, organised by the FICCI here today. The Minister said the decision was taken during his discussions with Mr. Ehud Olmert, Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Industry, Trade, Labour and Communications of Israel, earlier this morning. Mr. Olmert described that the setting up of the Joint Study Group as a "major breakthrough" and "an important first step" which would lead to closer economic partnership between India and Israel covering a wide range of sectors of interest to both the countries. "Israel is looking at the East now and India is our first stop", Israeli Vice Prime Minister said. He further said that Israel would pursue all avenues of partnership with India particularly in areas of R&D, bio-technology, telecommunications, electronics, etc. Trade between India and Israel, Shri Kamal Nath said, was expected to reach a figure of US $ 2 billion this year (2004). He suggested that both sides should identify areas for achieving a quantum jump in trade based on their comparative advantages and mutual synergies. In reply to a question during the FICCI interactive session, Mr. Olmert said that there was no change in Government of India’s policy towards Israel and that Israel had maintained friendly relations with both NDA and Congress governments in the past and with the UPA government now. Hence, "there is a continuity in our relationship", he said. $ 5 billion Annual Trade Between India and Israel Possible. INDIA-ISRAEL BUSINESS CONFERENCE HELD Shri Kamal Nath, Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, has proposed a target of bilateral trade of US $ 5 billion between India and Israel in three years and said that going by the present trends, it should be possible to achieve this target. Addressing the India-Israel Business Conference organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), which was attended by his counterpart Mr. Ehud Olmert, Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Industry, Trade, Labour and Communications of Israel, Shri Kamal Nath indicated that in 2004, Indo-Israeli trade should comfortably cross US $2 billion. The volume of bilateral had set a new record every year since 1991 when India’s trade with Israel was a mere US $ 142 million, he noted, adding that India was Israel’s second largest partner in Asia and 9th largest globally. The basket of products was expanding, even though diamonds continue to be the most important item. “We expect this positive trend to continue, as India expands its range of its goods and as its appetite for high-tech product grows”, he said. Referring to the diamond trade between India and Israel, Shri Kamal Nath said that the creative and successful leveraging of mutual strengths witnessed in the diamond trade between the two countries should be replicated in other sectors. “Neither India nor Israel are producers of rough diamonds. It is the intelligent use of the synergy and the business acumen of the diamond communities of the two countries that have given them a dominant position in the world”, he observed. He invited Israeli investors to participate in the development of infrastructure and in the telecom sector which offered vast opportunities for investments and collaborations. “Indian software and services exports, which were 164 million dollars twelve years ago, have grown exponentially to over 13 billion dollars in the last financial year. And this is just the beginning. Collaboration between India and Israel could be mutually beneficial; our complementarities in this sector should be leveraged for mutual benefit. An Indian IT delegation had visited Israel two months ago. Such exchanges should become a regular feature”, he said. “India now has one of the most liberal policy frameworks for foreign direct investment and foreign technology transfer. FDI up to 100% is permitted on the automatic route in most sectors. There is no restriction on repatriation of original investment and returns on investment. In the last decade the approved FDI was in excess of 66 billion dollars, with actual inflows touching 40 billion dollars. In the first six months of the current year, FDI grew by almost 70% over last year….Improvements in infrastructure, abundant raw materials, low-cost skilled manpower and a business-friendly policy framework is helping India fast emerge as a low-cost manufacturing Centre for international markets”, Shri Kamal Nath said.Earlier, Mr. Ehud Olmert met Shri Kamal Nath separately and discussions with him on bilateral trade and economic cooperation. Radisson SAS to Manage Resort in Holy City of Madinah 08-12-2004 -Radisson SAS, the first-class brand of the leading hospitality company Rezidor SAS,is set to manage a fourth property in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – the Al MadinahParadise Radisson SAS Resort. The resort, in one of Islam’s holiest cities, is due to open in mid 2007 and will feature 212 luxurious guestrooms as well as 10 villas. Just seven kilometres from the Haram, or the Mosque of the Prophet, the Al Madinah Paradise Resort is surrounded by a beautifully landscaped hillside and open mountain views. The architectural style incorporates natural materials and traditional Arabic design details reflecting the rich local heritage. Furthermore, the resort features the largest wedding hall in the Madinah area. Jean-Marc Busato, Vice President Middle East, Rezidor SAS Hospitality, said: “Thecity of Madinah plays a vital part in the Islamic faith, and as such we are keen to ensure that the hotel provides a relaxing and reviving experience to those who visit for either pilgrimage, business or leisure.” The resort owner, Dr. Ibrahim M. Massoud, President of Al Razi Medical & Resorts Company, one of the leading healthcare solution providers in the Gulf, met with Busato at the Radisson SAS Hotel, Jeddah to sign the management agreement. “Radisson SAS already manages three other properties in the Kingdom – in Riyadh, Jeddah and Yanbu – therefore we have an excellent understanding of the unique nature of the country. We are also looking closely at other projects in the Kingdom and hoping to increase our exposure in this growing market,” explained Busato. The city of Madinah plays host to approximately 2 million pilgrims each year, and this number is set to rise after the government recently agreed to accept incoming international flights to Al Madinah Airport and to open the city for Umrah, a pilgrimage outside the time of Hajj, for 9 months of the year. Pravasi Bharatiya Bhawan Tender to be floated soon, Land Allotment Over Lok Sabha The idea of a Pravasi Bharatiya Bhawan had been put forward by the late Shri Prakashvir Shastri in a letter to the former PM, the late Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Pandit Nehru had replied to Shri Shastri just two days before his death greatly appreciating it as an idea deserving implementation. Shri Shastri had planned to register a Trust for this purpose and several eminent persons had agreed to be Trustees. Unfortunately, with the passing away of Shri Shastri, the idea could not be translated into reality. This was stated by the Minister of State (IC) for Overseas Indian Affairs, Shri Jagdish Tytler in reply to a question by Shri Badiga Ramakrishna in Lok Sabha today. He further added that the following the recommendations of the High Level Committee on the Indian Diaspora and the announcement of the then Prime Minister at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2004, action has been taken to get suitable land allotted for the proposed Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra. The design and drawings of the proposed Kendra are likely to be finalised in the next financial year and work tendered out thereafter. The kendra is expected to be functional in about two years thereafter. The Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra would become the focal point of interactions between India and its Diaspora. It would house facilities for harnessing the vast talent among the Overseas Indians including a library, documentation centre, an exhibition complex, auditorium, visitors room etc Oman's Ministry of Education Selects Cisco Wireless LAN To Support E-Learning Drive Wireless solutions help provide an education that transcends the traditional constraints of time and place Muscat, Oman, December 7th, 2004 - Oman's Ministry of Education today announced it has deployed a world-leading, wireless solution from Cisco Systems across more than 200 schools in the Sultanate. The deployment was achieved over a matter of five months, helping provide 100, 000 expected students and other users with wireless, high-speed access to the Internet and e-learning applications. The Ministry's wireless approach to networking removed the need for costly cabling and disruptive construction work. Wireless has also allowed students increased mobility within classrooms and has enhanced the schools' ability to teach sciences and other laboratory-based curriculum. Khalid Bin Sulaiman Al-Siyabi, IT Director of Oman's Ministry of Education, said: "This collaboration is helping us to achieve our ambitions and deliver on our promise to Oman's youth. They are the future of our country and have a great responsibility to ensure its ongoing industrial and economical strength. Through collaboration with Cisco we have been able to rapidly establish the foundations on which to deliver training and education which will empower our children and allow them to realise their full potential." These kinds of Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) solutions help provide an education that transcends the traditional constraints of time and place.. "IT, the Internet and education are so closely entwined that it is hard for schools to offer even a basic service to its pupils if it does not have some form of connectivity infrastructure in place. We are pleased to have been asked to provide this service which we hope will enrich the lives of many people in the Sultanate," said Ghazi Atallah, General Manager, Cisco Systems Middle East. The deployment took five months to complete, of which three months were required for testing. Over 20 engineers from Cisco, the Ministry of Education and Cisco's Channel Partner Oman Computer Services, took part in the project. The Ministry is now in the process of adding Cisco's wireless solutions to its own buildings providing easy access to central information stores from conference and meeting rooms. The solution includes Cisco Aironet 1200 Series Access Points and Linksys WMP546 Wireless PCI Network Cards, which offer 11 and 54Mbps connectivity and optimizes secure encryption for improved security. Municipality Conducts Three Days Career Exhibition Dubai, 8 December 2004 Dubai Municipality participated in the three-day exhibition, “Careers Unlimited An Exposition…for a better future,” held at the Sheikh Rashid Auditorium in Indian High School, Dubai.Two employees representing the Human Resources Section in the Personnel Department of the Municipality gave presentations at the exhibition, which was jointly organized by Dubai Education District and Indian Highs School.In their presentations, Ahmed AbdulNabi Alyasi, Training Scholarship Officer and Ali Humaid Al Hashimi, Training Planning Officer, focused on the activities of the Human Resources Section. They spoke about the encouragement given by the Section to UAE national students to join Dubai Municipality and to enroll themselves for some specific courses as the job market experiences scarcity for graduates of some specializations and the Municipality needs such graduates. Dubai Municipality is considered to be one of the biggest government departments that accommodate large number of qualified UAE nationals. The Municipality presently employs more than 2,200 male and female UAE nationals in its various sections and departments. The Municipality has been systematically conducting many professional training courses and sending its employees to different courses inside as well as outside the country for them to obtain expertise in specialized fields. The training courses include internal, local and international courses. Between January 2003 and May 2004, the section has conducted 707 training courses, which were participated by 8,777 employees. It had conducted 1,032 courses during 2000-2002 and 10,051 employees received training in these courses. The public service training courses included practical courses for the students of colleges and universities. Every year Dubai Municipality receives at least 50 students from local colleges and universities. During 2004, the Municipality trained four foreign students including a German. Apart from this, the Municipality accommodates more than 150 students for summer training every year. INDIA, SWITZERLAND TO PROMOTE BILATERAL TRADE AND INVESTMENT Indo-Swiss Joint Commission Meeting Held India and Switzerland have emphasized their commitment for further promoting bilateral trade and investment at the 9th Meeting of the Indo-Swiss Joint Commission held here today. The Indian delegation was led by Shri Abhijit Sengupta, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Commerce, Government of India and the Swiss delegation was led by Ambassador Jo"rg Reding, Head of Bilateral Economic Relations, State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), Government of Switzerland. The meeting noted with satisfaction the positive developments in the bilateral economic relations especially the increase by 24 per cent in the total bilateral trade so far in 2004. The Swiss government acknowledged and appreciated the various initiatives taken by the Indian government on economic reforms in the competitive and globalising world-economy. In this context, both sides noted that India is in the process of introducing the WTO compatible product patent regime from January 1, 2005. Both sides exchanged views on regional, multilateral / WTO issues emphasising the common interests and appreciated each others perception of the future work programme in the WTO. The talks also covered the initiatives taken by India in enlarging the framework of its free/preferential trade agreements with its important business partners. The Indian delegation raised the issue related to social security contribution in Switzerland and the need for a simple framework for serving legal notices from India and made a proposal for Swiss technical assistance in organic shrimp farming, which Swiss side agreed to examine. Questions related to promotion of investment, joint venture and technology transfer in core sectors, setting up of a Joint Business Council and bilateral co-operation in IT & Biotechnology sectors were also discussed. The Swiss delegation raised some issues related to Intellectual Property rights such as efficient patent regime for attracting good R&D linked investment, tax issues such as relatively high import duties and on the existing tax system. The need to improve market access as well as investment and trade conditions/business restrictions particularly on Press Note 18 and the introduction of VAT in India covered other areas of discussions. With the growing international recognition of the strengths of the Indian Biotechnology sector, a Swiss business delegation to India led by SOFI is planned for early next year. The Indian side also requested to Swiss side to avail of the opportunity of participation in the Indiasoft to be held in Chennai on 21-22 March 2005 in order to enhance bilateral cooperation in software sector. In addition, the Swiss delegation expressed its interest for new business co-operations and investments from India and pointed out Switzerland’s strengths as “Business Location in Europe”, characterized by liberal market conditions, a future-oriented research and development base, excellent infrastructure and its highly productive workforce. SIMPLIFICATION OF VISA RULES BETWEEN INDIA AND PAKISTAN Rajya Sabha The Government of India has simplified the visa-regime for doctors, scholars and recognized journalists of Pakistan recently. There is no provision of Tourist visa in the Indo-Pak Visa Agreement. The details of simplified visa regime for doctors, scholars and recognized journalists of Pakistan is as under: * Medical Doctors, if accompanying patients for treatment at leading hospitals are issued visas without prior reference to the Ministry of Home Affairs and are exempted from Police Reporting. * Accredited journalists with minimum three years accreditation with national or international media of repute and academicians and professors, vice Chancellors and those coming on the invitation of reputed Universities/Institutions are granted Multiple Entry Visa Facility with Exemption from Police Reporting without prior reference to Ministry of Home Affairs. In respect of the above categories, the Heads of Mission have been granted the discretion to allow permission to visit upto 12 places as against 3 places existing presently. Giving this information in the Rajys Sabha during Question Hour, the Minister of State for Home, Shri Sriprakash Jaiswal told the House that Pakistan has not reciprocated on the matter. EXTRADITION TREATY WITH PAKISTAN Lok Sabha India has suggested to Pakistan that the two countries could enter into an extradition treaty. However, Pakistan has so far not responded to the proposal. This was stated by the Minister of State for External Affairs, Shri E. Ahamed in reply to a question by Shri Ramakant Yadav in Lok Sabha today. LAW TO DEAL WITH COMMUNAL VIOLENCE Rajya Sabha The Rajya Sabha was informed during question hour that a draft Bill to enact a comprehensive law to deal with communal violence is under preparation. The Minister of State for Home, Shri Sriprakash Jaiswal told the House that the Bill is likely to be introduced in Parliament during the forthcoming Budget Session after wider consultations. He said it is also proposed to consult the State Governments on the Bill. GOLD PRODUCTION IN LAST THREE YEARS Lok Sabha India produced 3,363 kgs. of gold worth Rs.181.5 crore during 2003-04. The production of gold during 2002-03 was 3,153 kgs. worth Rs.165.8 crore. During 2001-02, the production was 2,810 kgs. worth Rs.128.1 crore. At present, Hutti Gold Mines Company Limited (HGML), a profit making Government of Karnataka undertaking, is the only company in the country which is producing gold from ore. HGML has taken steps like modernisation/expansion of its mines and mills, deepening of shafts, exploratory surface/underground diamond drilling, opening up of new satellite mines, searching new gold bearing areas under the reconnaissance permit/ prospecting licenses in order to boost the production of gold.This information was given by the Minister of State for Coal & Mines, Dr. Dasari Narayana Rao, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today. RSF Urges Syrian President to Respect Media Freedom SYRIA - 8 December 2004 As World Human Rights Day approaches, Reporters Without Borders calls on President Bashar al-Assad to respect press freedomSyrian-Kurdish political journalist arrested and another reporter banned from writingOn the eve of World Human Rights Day (10 December), Reporters Without Borders today urged Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to end daily attacks on press freedom in his country. "Syria's economic opening-up and political modernisation will just be empty promises if the authorities continue to block development of a free and independent media," it said."For the past three decades, state security agents have intimidated and cracked down on journalists and turned Syria into a very bleak place for the media. News is controlled by the ruling Baath Party and the government. If the authorities really want the country to rejoin the international community and improve its image, they must allow independent media to emerge," the worldwide press freedom organisation said.The latest attack on press freedom was the arrest on 2 December of Syrian-Kurdish journalist Taha Hamid in the northeastern border town of Kamishli on 2 December as he was returning from neighbouring Turkey. He was held in the army intelligence service prison in Damascus until his release on 5 December, according to human rights lawyer Anwar al-Bunni.Hamid, a journalism student at Damascus University and a 37-year-old father of four, regularly wrote political and cultural articles for Kurdish-language news websites, especially the German-based www.amude.com. He had fled to Turkey after clashes last March between Kurds, Arab tribes and Syrian security forces in Kamishli, in which many were reportedly killed, though this has not yet been confirmed by independent sources because of the regime's grip on news.Another Syrian journalist, Luai Hussein, who writes in the Lebanese press about corruption, has been banned from writing by the interior ministry.Two members of the Syrian "mukhabarat" secret police went to his home in the northwestern port town of Lattakia on 21 November and gave him a written order from the interior ministry's political security department to stop writing articles. He refused to sign the banning order. He told Reporters Without Borders by phone that he would continue to write in Lebanese newspapers, including the dailies An-Nahar and As-Safir. He said the ban was sparked by an article he wrote in An-Nahar in September about "the curse" of having a Syrian passport.Massud Hamid, a 29-year-old journalism student, has been in prison in Syria for more than 16 months. He was sentenced to three years in jail by the state security court on 10 October for "belonging to a secret organisation" and "advocating the transfer of part of Syria to another country." He was arrested on 24 July 2003 at Damascus University, a month after posting photos on www.amude.com of a peaceful demonstration by Kurds in front of the UNICEF office in Damascus. He is being held in Adra prison, near Damascus, and has reportedly been tortured.Hamid's immediate release is one of those being demanded by the Syrian "Free Political Prisoners Committee," which launched a petition on 18 November for the release of 400 political prisoners and some 200 Kurds arrested since March. The campaign will culminate with a sit-in in front of the cabinet office in Damascus on 10 December, the 56th World Human Rights Day.The Committee's leading figure, lawyer Anwar al-Bunni, deplored to Reporters Without Borders the fact that no Syrian media had dared to mention the campaign.He said other Arab and Western media had reported on it while the Syrian media had sent nobody to the Committee's 18 November press conference at which the petition was announced."I'm not surprised since the Syrian media are slavishly obedient," he said. "It's a regime-controlled press and journalists are just civil servants more concerned about getting paid than looking for the truth. They know that anyone who steps over the set limits will be dealt with like the newspaper Addomari, which was shut down and which the authorities have still not allowed to reappear. The Committee comprises five former political prisoners:- Anwar al-Bunni, arrested during a crackdown in Damascus in the spring of 2001 and imprisoned for the next three years.- Imad Shi'ha, freed a few months ago after 30 years in prison.- Hassiba Abdrahman, a woman novelist, jailed for seven years.- Yassin Haj Saleh, a writer and journalist, who was held for 16 years.- Kamal Labwani, a medical doctor arrested in the spring of 2001, imprisoned for three years and freed in September this year.You can sign the petition in English, Arabic or French at www.togetherforsyria.org Syria, whose media has no freedom, came 155th in the third annual Reporters Without Borders worldwide index of press freedom announced in October. President al-Assad has been put on the organisation's list of 32 "predators of press freedom" around the world.