US visa policy to defend Bangladesh’s press freedom: Peter Haas
Staff Reporter :
US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas has reaffirmed his government’s commitment to upholding press freedom including views critical of any government.
He has emphasised the importance of safeguarding the rights of journalists and media houses to freely exercise their right to expression, the Sampadak Parishad said in a press statement on Saturday.
Peter Haas clarified it when president of the Sampadak Parishad Mahfuz Anam sought clarification of his remarks during a recent interview with a private TV Channel that media may also come under the purview of the US visa policy.
Haas said they encouraged press freedom and “That includes views critical of any government, including the United States. In fact, we welcome public reflection on any element of our policy.”
Earlier in an interview aired on September 24, Haas said, “We are applying the policy in a balanced way against anyone regardless of whether they are pro-government, whether they are in the opposition, or whether they are law enforcement, whether they are in the judiciary, whether it’s the media.”
Mahfuz Anam in his letter to Peter Haas on 27 September said he was writing because some questions have arisen in his mind and in the minds of members of the Sampadak Parishad regarding the aforementioned comment on visa restrictions on media.
In response, Peter Haas wrote that the US will continue to support the freedom of the press and also speak out against, and apply US visa policy to those who seek to undermine the democratic election process in Bangladesh.
Referring to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, he said the holding of free and fair elections is the responsibility of everyone – voters, political parties, the government, the security forces, civil society, and the media.
“Equally as important, each of these institutions must be allowed to play their respective roles in the democratic election process,” the Ambassador replied.
He said Secretary Blinken’s statement was clear that the policy applies to “any Bangladeshi individual, believed to be responsible for, or complicit in, undermining the democratic election process in Bangladesh.”
This includes anyone who takes measures to prevent the media from disseminating their views, he added.
On 24 May this year, the US announced the visa policy for Bangladesh and on 22 September, it was declared that steps were taken to impose visa restrictions on Bangladeshi individuals responsible for, or complicit in, undermining the democratic election process in Bangladesh.
Soon after the remarks of Peter Haas on the visa restriction on media, it created much uproar in the landscape of media outlets and journalists.
A section of the journalists’ community has tried to explain that such remarks were against the freedom of expression of the journalists.
But Haas has clarified to the Sampadak Parishad that such measures would not be against the suppression of media rather they would defend the freedom of expression and critical views of any government, even if it is application for the US government.
