H.E. Shivraj Patil
Indian Minister for Home Affairs
Ministry of Home Affairs
North Block, Central Secretariat
New Delhi – 110 001
India

Fax: +91-11-23093750/ +91-11-23092763

CC:
H.E. Dr. Manmohan Singh
Prime Minister of India
South Block, Raisina Hill
New Delhi – 110 011
India

Fax: +91-11-23019545/ +91-11-23016857

Vienna, 17 April 2007

Your Excellency,

The International Press Institute (IPI), the global network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in over 120 countries, is concerned about the sealing of the Mizzima News headquarters in New Delhi by the authorities.

IPI has been informed that on 16 April, at about 11.30 a.m. local time, two Delhi municipal officers and about 20 police officers came to the news agency and ordered that the premises be shut down. The authorities also closed Mizzima’s library and sealed the rooms where computers, equipment and files are kept, effectively preventing Mizzima from carrying out its work. They did not say how long the offices would remain sealed.

Mizzima’s editors were informed that the raid was conducted in line with a wider campaign against “commercial activities” in what is allegedly a “residential area.” Mizzima, however, has denied conducting any commercial activities.

Mizzima, which is run by exiled Burmese journalists, is an independent and non-profit news agency and one of the very few reliable sources of news on Burma-related issues. It was founded in 1998 with the declared aim of “promoting democracy and freedom of expression in Burma by improving the flow of information in and out of the country.” It became known for reporting on human rights abuses, particularly on freedom of expression violations, carried out by the Burmese military junta.

Mizzima’s editors said they were “surprised” by the raid, since Mizzima’s operations are well known to the Indian authorities, who have never previously interfered with its work. Furthermore, while the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) declared that Mizzima was closed for conducting “commercial activities,” the police raided no other shop or business in the area, Mizzima said.

By sealing the Mizzima News headquarters, the authorities are preventing the distribution of valuable information about one of the most secretive countries and one of the worst human rights violators in the world. In this way, the authorities are not only violating Mizzima’s journalists’ right to press freedom, but also Mizzima’s readers right to be informed about issues of public interest.

Furthermore, IPI would point out that India prides itself on its flourishing democracy. With this in mind, the valuable work of free expression advocates such as Mizzima News should be supported by such democracies, not hindered.

IPI therefore urges Your Excellency to make sure that Mizzima News’ premises are immediately re-opened and its journalists are allowed to carry out their jobs without restrictions.

We thank you for your attention.

Yours sincerely,

Johann P. Fritz
Director