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CENTRAL AMERICA |
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New Media Measures
Take Effect in Honduras
By Freddy Cuevas (AP)
TEGUCIGALPA - Honduras' interim
leaders put in place new rules Saturday that
threaten broadcasters with closure for airing
reports that "attack national security,"
further restricting media freedom following
the closure of two opposition stations.
The latest decree is sure to anger
supporters of ousted President Manuel Zelaya
and appears to be a challenge to the
Organization of American States and a team
of regional diplomats who were in the
country Thursday to push for a resolution of
the crisis.
A statement released by the OAS delegation
urged the coup-installed government to,
among other things, allow the resumption of
operations at the two broadcasters, which
backed Zelaya's return to office.
Under the decree imposed by the government
of interim President Roberto Micheletti,
"the frequencies of radio or television
stations may be canceled if they transmit
messages that incite national hate and the
destruction of public property."
Officials can monitor and control broadcast
messages that "attack national security,"
according to the decree.
It was adopted by the Interior Ministry and
will be enforced by the National
Telecommunications Commission, interim
Information Minister Rene Zepeda told The
Associated Press.
Micheletti was sworn in Honduras' interim
president following a June 28 coup that
ousted Zelaya and sent him into exile. After
Zelaya suddenly reappeared in Honduras and
took refuge in the Brazilian Embassy on
Sept. 21, street protests prompted the
Micheletti government to limit freedom of
expression, association and movement, and to
shut down two pro-Zelaya broadcasters.
The restriction on civil liberties has been
lifted, but Channel 36 and Radio Globo are
still off the air. Micheletti said they
would remain shut down until their owners
"come to the courts to recover their right
to be on the air."
"We thought that when the (civil liberties)
decree was revoked, the equipment would be
returned, but that has not happened," said
Yesenia Herculano, an activist with
Honduras' Committee for Free Expression,
earlier this week. "There has been no
progress."
Talks on resolving the bitter divide over
Zelaya's ousters produced some signs of
progress before breaking off for the
weekend.
On Friday, police fired tear gas and a water
cannon at about 200 pro-Zelaya protesters
who demonstrated outside the hotel where
negotiations were taking place. There were
no arrests and apparently no major injuries,
though many people rubbed their eyes or had
tears streaming from their eyes because of
the acrid smoke.
The international community has been
pressuring the Micheletti government to
allow Zelaya's return before the Nov. 29
presidential election that was scheduled
before the coup. Zelaya was toppled after he
pressed ahead with plans for a referendum on
changing the constitution despite a Supreme
Court order ruling the vote illegal.
The U.S. and other nations have suspended
foreign aid and imposed diplomatic isolation
on the interim administration.
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