MANILA – As a way to commemorate the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, the coalition of the Press Freedom Monitoring in Southeast Asia (PFMSEA) launched an ebook that highlights ten stories of attacks against journalists in six countries.

The members of the the PFMsea coalition believe that a safe working environment is crucial for journalists as it directly relates to their right to work in conditions that are safe and protected. The coalition is composed of Aliansi Jurnalis Independen – AJI (Indonesia), Association Journalist Timor Leste – AJTL (Timor Leste), CamboJA (Cambodia), Centre For Independent Journalism – CIJ (Malaysia), National Union of Journalists of the Philippines – NUJP (Philippines), Prachatai (Thailand) and an independent media in Myanmar, Mizzima.

The e-book titled, “Silencing the Messenger: Stories of Ten Journalist Attacks in Southeast Asia,” highlights the unresolved cases in each country and how they represent the current struggles of the media community in the respective countries.

Included in the compilation are the cases of the Ampatuan Massacre and Percy Mabasa written by Alyssa Clarin, NUJP treasurer and board member.

The ebook was officially launched in Jakarta, Indonesia on November 26, 2024 through a panel discussion organized by the PFMSEA Coalition titled “Breaking the Silence: Confronting Violence and Impunity Against Journalists in Southeast Asia,” which discussed the ebook’s findings, authors’ field experiences, and actionable strategies for protecting press freedom in the region.

“It will provide a platform for dialogue and raise awareness about the urgent need to defend journalists and their role as watchdogs in democratic societies,” said AJI, adding that the event also emphasized the importance of collaborative efforts in combating violence, impunity, and the shrinking civic space faced by the press in Southeast Asia.

The e-book can be downloaded through this link: bit.ly/silencingthemessenger