Often found at theaters and museums, Kwon Mee-yoo has covered a wide range of cultural fields from K-pop and dramas to theater and fine art for over a decade. Now as K-Culture Desk editor, she tries to connect Korean culture with global readers through fresh perspectives.
Asia Journalist Association calls for Mubarak to quit
By Kwon Mee-yoo
The Asia Journalist Association (AJA) released a statement Tuesday, calling on Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to step down gracefully in honor of the long-suffering Egyptian people’s demand for change.
Ivan Lim, president of the organization, said in a press release that the time has come for Mubarak to acknowledge he has lost the popular support after 30 years of quasi-military rule that violates citizens’ rights and freedom and has done little to raise living standards. “We believe his acceptance is the decent and graceful stance he should take as a political leader of Egypt, the birthplace of world civilization and the pride of world citizens,” Lim said.
The AJA is an association of journalists in the Asia-Pacific region. Established in 2004, the organization was first composed of reporters from East Asia, including Korea, China, Japan and Mongolia, and ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia. Now it has 36 regular member countries and 10 associate member nations including the United States and Brazil.
The AJA also supported all journalists reporting from Egypt. “The Egyptian authorities cannot intervene or interrupt them under any circumstance,” the organization said. “We deplore the curbs on media networks and urge the authorities to respect the freedom of expression and right of journalists to air their grievances and press for reforms.”
The association also paid condolences to Ahmad Mahmud, an Egyptian journalist who was shot to death while reporting there. “We express our great regrets that dozens of journalists have been attacked by police and pro-government demonstrators while reporting in Egypt. We condemn this as brutal and savage and appropriate measures must be taken to stop violence,” the AJA said.
The AJA’s Middle East Chapter, led by Al Arabi Magazine’s Ashraf Dali, said members in Jakarta, Indonesia, staged demonstrations outside the Egyptian Embassy there in support of their Egyptian counterparts.