Manipur, IMPHAL, Aug 4: A joint meeting of All Manipur Working Journalists` Union (AMWJU) and editors of Imphal based dailies was organised at Manipur Press Club on Saturday and condemned the diktak issued by People`s United Liberation Front (PM Akber) militant group to the AMWJU presedent, journalists and newspapers hawkers in the state.
The meeting discussed in detail on the threat issued by the militant group to the media fraternity as well as the newspaper hawkers warning that they would be attacked and that they should stop publication, too.
PULF (Akber) group has demanded all the media houses to publish a news item which is against the guideline of Press Council of India (PCI), AWMJU said in a statement.
Taking serious note on the diktak of the militant outfit, the joint meeting resolved to condemn it as the act amounted to violation and challenge to `freedom of press` and decided to reject any press release issued by the militant group in future.
The meeting also condemned the diktak of the little known outfit which asked the AMWJU and all the editors to publish its statement in toto without editing, and further decided to appeal to the concerned to refrain from such act in future.
The AMWJU statement also said that as per the PCI guideline, no unsubstantial press release that threatens any private individual or group can be published as a news item. Therefore, the public is requested not to put pressure on the media houses to publish any statement as news item without factual basis.
