Faizel Patel – 22/04/2021
Radio Islam’s Asia Pacific correspondent Kiru Naidoo says embattled Philippine journalist Maria Ressa is facing a number of charges for publishing stories critical of President Rodrigo Duterte’s policies, including his bloody drug war.
Naidoo was speaking to Radio Islam during the Asia Pacific Report on Thursday.
Ressa, a former CNN correspondent has spoken out vocally about the US under the Donald Trump administration and in the Philippines under President Duterte.
Naidoo says Ressa’s criticism of the Duterte government has got her into a lot of “hot water”.
“Presently she is being charged in the Philippines for all kinds of transgressions. Cyber libel is another law that is being passed by the Duterte government and she had been detained for long periods and also faces onward charges in the courts.”
Naidoo says Ressa has essentially done is call out the Duterte government for it excesses, especially in the war on drugs.
“This has been a campaign which has solved the problem in some ways but also transgressed the rule of law in so many other ways. What we are seeing now is observers and international organisations concerned with human rights have called a government that is operating with complete impunity.”
Naidoo also shared news about Chinese president Xi Jinping attending a US led climate change summit at the invitation if US President Joe Biden and the increase in the number of COVID-19 infections in the Asia Pacific.
Listen to the Asia Pacific Report with Kiru Naidoo
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