Families of media workers killed in the 2009 Maguindanao massacre went to New York over the weekend to seek help from the United Nations in finding justice for their slain loved ones.

National Union of Journalists of the Philippines chairman Nestor Burgos Jr. handed to UN General Assembly president Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser a letter from the families.

“We appeal for your help in preventing a denial of justice,” the letter said.

The families also asked the UN to expedite the prosecution and conviction of those involved in the massacre, the NUJP said in a post on its website Sunday night.

At least 32 media workers were among at least 57 people ambushed and brutally killed by several gunmen in Ampatuan town, Maguindanao on November 23, 2009.

In their letter, the families urged the UN “to vigilantly monitor this case and to take action,” through the body’s mechanisms and instruments.

They cited the slow pace in the prosecution of the 196 suspects in the massacre, including members of the politically powerful Ampatuan clan.

“Three years and yet justice for the victims of what can only be called a crime against humanity has continued to remain elusive,” they lamented.

Also, they pointed out that nearly 100 of the suspects remain at large and only two of the principal suspects have been arraigned.

“Meanwhile, at least three vital witnesses have been murdered, while we, the families of the victims, as well as those of other witnesses, continue to be harassed and offered bribes,” they said in their letter.

Burgos handed the letter to Nasser at the UN headquarters in New York on September 7, the NUJP said.

International delegation

Burgos was part of an international delegation composed of Qatar’s National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) and media organizations led by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).

The IFJ met with Nasser to transmit recommendations for the protection and safety of journalists that were issued following a conference organized by the NHRC on January 23 in Doha.

According to the NUJP, the delegation also consisted of Ali Bin Samikh Al-Marri, NHRC chairman; Jim Boumelha, IFJ president; Omar Faruk, president of the Federation of African Journalists; Celso Schroder, president of the Federación de Periodistas de América Latina y el Caribe; Mohamed Makram, general secretary of the Federation of Arab Journalists; and Gianfranco Fattorini, representing the Geneva-based Press Emblem Campaign.

“The killing of journalists continues to increase worldwide despite the plethora of international instruments, international human rights laws, universal human rights laws, covenants, declarations and resolutions which are simply ignored by many governments,” said Boumelha.

“Our message to the General Assembly is to use whatever mechanisms it has in its power to force member states to discharge rigorously their responsibility under international laws to protect journalists and put a stop to impunity,” he added.

He added that since the Security Council agreed to the UN’s Resolution 1738 on the safety of journalists in conflict and on impunity, over 600 journalists have died, most of them murdered in their own countries.

In a press conference held after the meeting, Nasser voiced his support of the delegation's  initiatives to improve the safety of journalists.

“It is unacceptable that journalists are being murdered every year but the killers often go free. I strongly support the efforts of the [NHRC] and encourage all peace-loving member states, civil society actors and the media sector to support endeavors leading to the endorsement of the recommendation of the [Doha] conference,” Nasser said.

“As President of the General Assembly, I reject all forms of attack, unlawful persecution or killing of journalists whether they are working in the new or traditional media,” he said.

Recommendations

The recommendations of the Doha conference were distributed by Nasser to all 193 members of the UN.

The recommendations include:

- developing new binding tools for states to accept the protection of journalists as a standing obligation;

- adopting reforms to their mechanisms and procedures such as through regional security organizations;

- expanding the mandates of Special Rapporteurs and relevant bodies, develop further monitoring mechanisms, intrusive inspections and mandatory sanctions; and

- creating a unit to follow up media cases at the Human Rights Council.

“We need renewed action by the UN to start forcing member states to implement current provisions but to also develop new tools. It is clear that the incremental approach has proven insufficient and the IFJ will be spearheading moves to plug the gaps that allowed impunity to flourish,” Boumelha said. — BM, GMA News