Use media to advance economic development
Gilbert Boyefio
07/11/2006
A trial Attorney of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, Elvis Kuntulo Bazawule has admonished Ghanaian journalists and the media to take a cue from the negative effects of the Rwandan media on their country and use their profession to advocate good governance and economic development.
He described the Media as a two edged sword that has the ability to make or un-make the progress of a country cautioning that journalists should let their reportage strive for good governance, articles that will improve the economy and human rights protection.
Speaking at a media dialogue organised by the Ghana Journalists Association on the topic "Criminal responsibility of Journalists under international law: lessons and insights from the ICTR-Media trial", he said Journalists have the opportunity to use their profession to advocate good governance, human rights and economic development, or on the other hand, are a powerful instrument in inflaming conflicts.
He however pointed out that Media practitioners do not operate in a vacuum but are subjected to both domestic and international laws which regulates the exercise of freedom of expression by Journalists.
"In Ghana, press freedom is guaranteed under Article 162 of the 1992 Constitution; however, Article 164 simultaneously installs fetters to these rights and freedoms, and Article 165 defines them as being additional to fundamental human rights," said Mr Bazawule.
He noted that the exercise of freedom of expression by Journalists in Ghana does not therefore exempt them from individual criminal responsibility when reporting in conflict areas. Similarly, Articles 2, 3 and 4 of the ICTR define the crimes that can be charged.
"In reporting in conflict areas, both print and electronic media need to ensure sensitivity and balance in order not to inflame passion or pour more petrol on havoc wreaking fire. Rather it is the role of Journalists to build channels of communications between parties involved in conflicts through their publications", he added.
Touching on the impact negative media practice can have on a country, Mr Bazawule said there is compelling evidence that the local media in Rwanda was used to indoctrinate the local population and to prepare them to fight and kill their perceived enemies before and during the 1994 Rwanda genocide.
He said Journalists and other media personnel actively and effectively participated in diffusing false information that was meant to incite Hutus to kill Tutsis and other Hutus considered opponents of the Habyarimana regime.
He said Radio Rwanda, Kangura newspaper and Radio-Television Libre des Mille Collines, were the main media used. "In about 100 days, it was estimated that 800,000 people lost their lives in the violence. Most victims belonged to the Tutsi group and included large numbers of civilians; men, women, children and babies, killed at the command of their government and journalists, who abuse press freedom to incite, aid and abet crimes", he observed.
He said freedom of speech is a fundamental principle in international human rights laws; however, international law also permits restrictions on hate speech or incitement, although the Universal Declaration of Human Rights does not expressly prohibit advocacy of racial hatred.
Mr Bazawule explained that under the laws of war, journalists and other media personnel are not accorded combatant status. Instead, the laws of war treat them as ordinary civilians and are protected under the Geneva Convention.
He said this right is extended to all journalists until they lose that status by either joining the war on the side of one of the belligerents. He said such journalists are classified either combatant or unlawful combatants.
"A journalist does not go on trial because of his profession as a journalist; instead, he is indicted because as an ordinary civilian, he committed a crime or crimes under the laws of war," he said.
07/11/2006
A trial Attorney of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, Elvis Kuntulo Bazawule has admonished Ghanaian journalists and the media to take a cue from the negative effects of the Rwandan media on their country and use their profession to advocate good governance and economic development.
He described the Media as a two edged sword that has the ability to make or un-make the progress of a country cautioning that journalists should let their reportage strive for good governance, articles that will improve the economy and human rights protection.
Speaking at a media dialogue organised by the Ghana Journalists Association on the topic "Criminal responsibility of Journalists under international law: lessons and insights from the ICTR-Media trial", he said Journalists have the opportunity to use their profession to advocate good governance, human rights and economic development, or on the other hand, are a powerful instrument in inflaming conflicts.
He however pointed out that Media practitioners do not operate in a vacuum but are subjected to both domestic and international laws which regulates the exercise of freedom of expression by Journalists.
"In Ghana, press freedom is guaranteed under Article 162 of the 1992 Constitution; however, Article 164 simultaneously installs fetters to these rights and freedoms, and Article 165 defines them as being additional to fundamental human rights," said Mr Bazawule.
He noted that the exercise of freedom of expression by Journalists in Ghana does not therefore exempt them from individual criminal responsibility when reporting in conflict areas. Similarly, Articles 2, 3 and 4 of the ICTR define the crimes that can be charged.
"In reporting in conflict areas, both print and electronic media need to ensure sensitivity and balance in order not to inflame passion or pour more petrol on havoc wreaking fire. Rather it is the role of Journalists to build channels of communications between parties involved in conflicts through their publications", he added.
Touching on the impact negative media practice can have on a country, Mr Bazawule said there is compelling evidence that the local media in Rwanda was used to indoctrinate the local population and to prepare them to fight and kill their perceived enemies before and during the 1994 Rwanda genocide.
He said Journalists and other media personnel actively and effectively participated in diffusing false information that was meant to incite Hutus to kill Tutsis and other Hutus considered opponents of the Habyarimana regime.
He said Radio Rwanda, Kangura newspaper and Radio-Television Libre des Mille Collines, were the main media used. "In about 100 days, it was estimated that 800,000 people lost their lives in the violence. Most victims belonged to the Tutsi group and included large numbers of civilians; men, women, children and babies, killed at the command of their government and journalists, who abuse press freedom to incite, aid and abet crimes", he observed.
He said freedom of speech is a fundamental principle in international human rights laws; however, international law also permits restrictions on hate speech or incitement, although the Universal Declaration of Human Rights does not expressly prohibit advocacy of racial hatred.
Mr Bazawule explained that under the laws of war, journalists and other media personnel are not accorded combatant status. Instead, the laws of war treat them as ordinary civilians and are protected under the Geneva Convention.
He said this right is extended to all journalists until they lose that status by either joining the war on the side of one of the belligerents. He said such journalists are classified either combatant or unlawful combatants.
"A journalist does not go on trial because of his profession as a journalist; instead, he is indicted because as an ordinary civilian, he committed a crime or crimes under the laws of war," he said.
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