ULFA: Threat was not for Bezboruah

The banned United Liberation Front of Asom on Saturday clarified that senior journalist and former President of Editors' Guild of India D N Bezboruah was not among the four journalists who were warned against trying to create confusion in the state over the current peace initiative to facilitate ULFA-Government of India talks.

In a corrigendum issued in the latest edition of its mouthpiece, Freedom, the banned militant group regretted that Bezboruah's name was wrongly mentioned in place of D N Chakraborty, the Editor of Dainik Asom.

The militant outfit notwithstanding the protests registered by the journalists all over the country against its action of issuing threat against scribes in Assam, expressed no regret over it. It has also apparently ignored the call given by Journalist Union of Asom on June 15 to immediately withdraw the threat issued against the four journalists in Guwahati.

Meanwhile, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has condemned the threats issued by ULFA and supported subsequent calls made by journalists for their right to freedom of expression to be respected.

"Any attempt at bullying or intimidating journalists strongly undermines freedom of expression and the democratic role of the Indian media," IFJ president Christopher Warren said in a statement.

Earlier, senior editors and columnist of the country expressed their concerns over the threats. The Journalists' Union of Assam, an affiliate of the Indian Journalists' Union, organised a meeting at the Guwahati Press Club on June 15, whereby journalists' called upon ULFA as well as government and non-government organisations to respect journalists' universal right to freedom of expression.