Sabina Inderjit elected as the president of newly formed Federation of Asia Pacific Journalists

A new regional journalists’ organisation of Asian and Pacific countries, known as the Federation of Asia Pacific Journalists (FAPaJ), was formed on Tuesday during the inaugural session of the International Federation of Journalists’ (IFJ) 31st world congress, which is being organised  in Oman by the Oman Journalists Association (OJA).

 

">Sabina Inderjit, Secretary-General of the Indian Journalists Union (IJU), was elected FAPaJ president by a majority. With 54 votes out of 71, Inderjit defeated Australia's Leigh Tonkin.

Leigh received only 16 votes. Salim Al Jahwari of OJA was elected vice president of the FAPaJ without opposition. Md Alhammadi, Ali Youssef, and Mousa Abdul Nour were elected as members from Western Asia; Jonathan De Santos of the Philippines was elected as a member from Eastern Asia; Badri Seigdel of Nepal was elected as a member from Southern Asia; and Chin Sung Chew was elected as a reserved member.

The FAPaJ, a regional organisation of the IFJ which comprises five regions of Asia and the Pacific region, did not earlier have a common platform.

Inderjit was a key figure in the formation of the FAPaJ. She played a crucial role in the formation of the area by organising consultations on the formation of a regional organisation.

“I am very happy that the long struggle of over years has culminated finally by formation of FAPaJ,” she said.

“IJU has been demanding for such regional body of many years. Now, with 10 members’ council, there are bigger challenges ahead to ensure that the FAPaJ develops into a stronger and vibrant regional body of the IFJ,” she added.

Amar Sangno, President of the Arunachal Pradesh Union of Working Journalists, was present at the meeting, which was presided over by IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger and IFJ Director Jane Worthington.

The IFJ had earlier unanimously accepted a number of resolutions, including one calling internet blocking and shutting down "censorship and highly censorship or control of online space," as suggested by IJU President Geetartha Pathak.

The IFJ also condemned the recent assassination of Palestinian journalist Shiren Abu Aqla by Israeli forces.