Dr Lam Akol Ajawin, the chairperson of South Sudan’s Democratic Change party, on Wednesday said that he feels ashamed to see government threatening media, pointing out that the National Security Service has no legal right to arrest journalists.
“The government is elected by the people to serve them – not to be boss on them. When I see the government threatening the press I get ashamed,” Akol told a gathering in Juba yesterday when given a chance to comment on the issues facing independent media.
He said the ministry of information is the branch of the government charged with overseeing the dissemination of the government policies on press. The ministry “is supposed to facilitate not to obstruct the work of press,” he said.
Lam was speaking at Aron Hotel in Juba during launching of a ‘national platform for freedom of expression and media’, which was organized by Agency for Independent Media. Participants included MPs, civil society and religious and political leaders.
“The role of the government as far as its relationship with the press is concerned, is that of facilitation, not that of bossing over the press or controlling the press,” said Akol.
“The security has no rights to take the law into its own hand. This is another job of another body in democratic setup,” he said. “In democratic system, the courts are the final resort. The government can be taken to the court. If the security thinks that this journalist has gone beyond its boundaries. Do they go and arrest them?”
“They should not in a democratic system,” Akol said, explaining that it is up to a court to say whether a journalist has gone beyond his limit, not for the security to decide.
He also urged journalists to be well trained and to abide by a code of ethics.