Mourning day for press freedom in Madagascar

The everlasting quest for a scoop irretrievably requires you to be the first one reaching the scene. The Fahazavana radio’s reporter, who was present in Ampahibe on the day of the to the Support Regiment’s aborted mutiny attempt, on December 29th, 2009, was meant to pay his professional devotion cash. Reporter Lôlô Ratsimba has been charged for complicity with the mutinous non-commissioned officers. The investigators held his presence on the scene at  » 4 o’clock » a.m. as the « proof » of his active implication.  

The Radio Fahazavana’s reporter explained that he reached Ampahibe at 05:30 a.m. Besides, the on going event has been reported to the station by a listener. As any professional would, the reporter made to scene. Since he was the single one providing coverage to the event, investigators made it, and seized an opportunity to attack the opposition’s station. The station’s director, Didier Ravoahangiarison has also been held in custody. That day’s online speaker scarcely got away with temporary release.  

This judicial case is purely political. As a proof, various other stations made the event public on December 29th. The Radio Antsiva, owned by Antananarivo’s PDS as the HAT propaganda voice by the same way, could deserve praise for not censoring the opposition. This channel broadcasted the Coup process live during the first quarter of 2009, and equally covered the events of the RAS camp. The chief master sergeant who led the aborted mutiny even intervened on Radio Antsiva’s waves.  

The Radio Fahazavana has already been entitled to a warning, a short term suspension of its program « Ampenjika » on which plenty of listeners used to sing something else but blind support to the TGV. As for aggressiveness and provocation, these listeners intervening freely on the religious radio waves were actually no match for the presidential Radio Viva’s listeners and animators. Engulfed in permanent propaganda, the HAT has understood that radio waves are essential weapons aiming at manipulating the opinion.  

Various other media groups also got a piece of the HAT’s mind. The presidency filters TV and radio stations by invitations whenever Ambohitsorohitra organizes a press conference. Midi Madagasikara’s owner has once been tickled by the HAT justice because of an announcement published in the newspaper. It also served the pressure exerted on her husband, Mamy Rakotoarivelo, freshly named president of a stillborn transitional convention.  

Even though piracy against anti-TGV or pro-Ravalomanana websites is on the rise, resistance to the HAT proves stronger than the Rajoelina mobility’s propaganda on the internet. Columnists devoted to the authorities even threatened some websites and blogs. Lecturing disciples of the HAT are scolding their colleagues judged far too much critical, and paradoxically pretending to be models of good faith and intellectual honesty. The super columnists’ club has insistently called upon some measures against Fahazavana, « the Light », the rogue station.  

And here comes the funniest of all of these press stories: the dictatorial authorities are pretending that their Putsch served an alleged struggle for freedom. Does the closing of Radio Viva worth a full year of political, social and economic crisis to a country of 20 millions inhabitants? Something can be held for granted, press freedom is dimmed to be another brick in the propaganda wall in 2010. The alleged previous preys have become several times more ferocious predators.