Media organisation protests closure of six radio stations

The Media Foundation of West Africa (MFWA) has protested against the closure of six FM radio stations in the central Bong and Margibi Counties. The closure, MFWA said, was ordered without specific charges being proffered against the stations. A statement from the MFWA executive director, Professor Kwame Karikari on Wednesday appealed to President Charles Taylor to allow the closed stations to reopen. They include Y-FM, Bright FM, Jet 89.9, The Voice of Kakata, and the Voice of YMCA. The Ghana-based MFWA quoted Emmanuel Todo, director of the National Communication Bureau at the Ministry of Information as saying "the motives and scope of operations of these stations were not clear to the government." The Liberian Association of Amateur Radio Stations (AARS) however said the affected stations were all registered with the government, MFWA reported. It had appealed to the government to allow the stations to resume operation because of their important community service function. MFWA also said a journalist, Stanley McGill, working with the independent The News newspaper was on 27 May attacked and robbed by three armed men wearing uniforms of the Presidential elite guard, the Anti-Terrorist Unit (ATU). This was the second attack on McGill by men wearing state security uniforms, MFWA said. "The MFWA is worried about the blatant abuse, at the least pretext, of the freedom of expression rights of Liberians and in particular the persistent threats and attacks on journalists and the private media in the country," MFWA said. "On 14 December, five ATU men attacked Throble Suah of The Inquirer newspaper and tortured him until he went unconscious. Suah is still hospitalised in Accra, Ghana, and is undergoing physiotherapy."