US embassy cable - 05SANAA1233

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SANAA 001233 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR IIP/G/NEA-SA, NEA/PI; ABU DHABI FOR PAO, MEPI RO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: YM, KPAO OIIP 
SUBJECT:  REQUEST FOR MEDIA LAW SPEAKER TO WORK WITH YEMENI 
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, JOURNALISTS AND CIVIL SOCIETY REGARDING A 
NEW PRESS LAW 
 
REF:  STATE 261067 
 
SUMMARY: POST REQUESTS A MEDIA LAW SPEAKER TO WORK WITH YEMENI 
STAKEHOLDERS WITH REGARD TO THE DRAFTING OF A NEW PRINTED PRESS 
LAW. UNDER THE EXISTING LAW, JOURNALISTS HAVE BEEN IMPRISONED AND 
NEWSPAPERS SHUT DOWN FOR THE EXPRESSION OF THEIR VIEWS. CIVIL 
SOCIETY, JOURNALISTS, AND EVEN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS HAVE ASKED FOR 
A NEW LAW. A DRAFT WAS QUICKLY DRAWN UP WITHIN THE GOVERNMENT 
WITHOUT EXTERNAL INPUT. AMONG THE OUTRAGE FROM JOURNALISTS AND 
CIVIL SOCIETY, THE YEMENI GOVERNMENT HAS ASKED FOR ASSISTANCE FROM 
THE U.S. TO HELP FORGE A FAIR LAW IN A TRANSPARENT MANNER WITH 
PARTICIPATION FROM ALL ELEMENTS OF SOCIETY. END SUMMARY. 
 
1.  PROGRAM DESCRIPTION.  SPEAKER WILL WORK WITH GOVERNMENT 
OFFICIALS FROM THE MINISTRIES OF INFORMATION AND PLANNING AND 
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION, WITH THE YEMENI JOURNALIST SYNDICATE, 
AND CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS REGARDING THE DRAFT OF A NEW, 
PROPOSED PRESS LAW. 
 
2.  TIME FRAME.  BECAUSE THE PROCESS OF DRAFTING THE LAW HAS 
ALREADY BEGUN, POST WOULD APPRECIATE A SPEAKER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE 
FOR A MINIMUM OF FIVE PROGRAM DAYS, BEGINNING ON A SATURDAY (THE 
NORMAL WORK WEEK IN YEMEN IS SATURDAY TO WEDNESDAY. POST CAN 
ACCOMMODATE UP TO TEN PROGRAM DAYS, IF SPEAKER IS AVAILABLE. 
 
3.  PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM.  2004 WAS A DIFFICULT YEAR FOR THE 
YEMENI PRESS. SEVERAL JOURNALISTS WERE IMPRISONED AND SOME 
NEWSPAPERS WERE CLOSED DOWN BECAUSE OF ALLEDGED VIOLATIONS OF THE 
CURRENT PRINTED PRESS LAW. THERE HAS BEEN A CALL FROM CIVIL 
SOCIETY AND YEMENI JOURNALISTS TO MAKE SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES TO THE 
LAW TO ENSURE RESPONSIBLE FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION IN THE PRESS. THE 
GOVERNMENT RESPONDED BY DRAFTING NEW LEGISLATION, BUT THE DRAFT 
BEING CONSIDERED IS LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN THE EXISTING LAW. POST 
HAS BEEN ASKED BY THE MINISTER OF INFORMATION TO HELP DEVELOP A 
FAIR LAW IN A TRANSPARENT MANNER. HE HAS ALSO ASKED US TO PROVIDE 
CASE LAW EXAMPLES FROM THE U.S. (SINCE THE U.S. HAS NO PRESS LAW) 
AND PROFESSIONAL GUIDANCE IN DRAFTING THE NEW LAW. WORKING WITH 
THE GOVERNMENT, PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS (YEMENI JOURNALIST 
SYNDICATE) AND CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS WILL HELP ENSURE THE 
TRANSPARENT DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPREHENSIVE, FAIR PRESS LAW FOR 
YEMEN. THE SPEAKER WILL BE EXPECTED TO CONSULT SEPARATELY AND 
JOINTLY WITH THE STAKEHOLDERS. POST WILL ALSO PROGRAM A PUBLIC 
FORUM IN WHICH CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS WILL PARTICIPATE. THE 
SPEAKER'S VISIT WILL LIKELY GARNER CONSIDERABLE PRESS ATTENTION, 
FURTHERING U.S. FOREIGN POLICY OBJECTIVES IN THE COUNTRY AND 
REGION. SPEAKER PARTICIPATION IN THE PROCESS WILL ADDRESS MAJOR 
AREAS OF POST'S MPP, INCLUDING "DEMOCRATIC SYSTEMS AND PRACTICES" 
AND "MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING". 
 
4.  AUDIENCE(S).  WITH THE COOPERATION OF THE MINISTRY OF PLANNING 
AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION (MOPIC), SPEAKER WILL BE WORKING 
DIRECTLY WITH THE MINISTER OF INFORMATION, HUSSEIN AL-AWADI, AND 
HIS LEGAL AND TECHNICAL STAFF. SPEAKER WILL ALSO BE WORKING 
DIRECTLY WITH THE HEAD OF THE YEMENI JOURNALIST SYNDICATE, MAHBOOB 
ALI, AND TECHNICAL STAFF MEMBERS ATTEMPTING TO PROVIDE AN 
ALTERNATIVE TO THE EXISTING PRESS LAW. 
 
5.  PROPOSED TOPICS AND NATURE OF EVENTS (E.G. LECTURE, 
WORKSHOP, ONE-ON-ONE MEETING, ETC.).  SPECIFIC LOCATIONS ARE TO BE 
DETERMINED, BUT CONSULTATIONS WILL LIKELY TAKE PLACE WITHIN THE 
MINISTRY OF INFORMATION, AT THE OFFICES OF THE YEMENI JOURNALISTS 
SYNDICATE, AND AT A PUBLIC FORUM IN SANA'A. TIME PERMITTING, POST 
WOULD LIKE TO PROGRAM LECTURES AT MAJOR YEMENI UNIVERSITIES IN AT 
LEAST SANA'A AND ADEN. 
 
6.  TYPE OR NAME OF SPECIALIST REQUIRED (E.G. ACADEMIC, 
JOURNALIST, ECONOMIST, ETC.).  POST REQUESTS SOMEONE WELL VERSED 
IN U.S. AND INTERNATIONAL MEDIA LAW AND WHO IS COMFORTABLE WORKING 
WITH HIGH-LEVEL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS. 
 
7.  LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS.  ARABIC LANGUAGE IS DESIRED, BUT POST 
WILL PROVIDE INTERPRETOR FOR ALL MEETINGS AND TRANSLATION AS 
NEEDED. POST WOULD APPRECIATE ADVANCE COPIES OF WORKING PAPERS FOR 
TRANSLATION. 
 
8.  REQUESTS FOR SUPPORTING BIBLIOGRAPHIC MATERIALS.  TO BE 
DETERMINED. 
 
9.  POST CONTACT INFORMATION. 
 
MISSION PROGRAM OFFICER: 
TIMOTHY J. FINGARSON, APAO 
OFFICE TELEPHONE: +967 1 755-2262 
OFFICE FAX: +967 1 755-2282 
MOBILE: +967 7322-8058 
 
BACK UP PROGRAM OFFICER 
FARIS ASAD, POLITICAL OFFICER 
OFFICE TELEPHONE: +967 1 755-2398 
OFFICE FAX: +967 1 755-2282 
MOBILE: 7321-7224 
 
RESPONSIBLE FSN: 
MOHAMED AL-HIMYARI, CULTURAL AFFAIRS ASSISTANT 
OFFICE NUMBER: +967 1 755-2454 
OFFICE FAX: +967 1 755-2282 
MOBILE: +967 7344-4934 
 
10.  FUNDING.  POST PLANS TO USE I-BUCKS FOR FUNDING. FOR A FIVE- 
DAY PROGRAM, ALL ACTIVITIES WILL TAKE PLACE IN SANA'A.  SHOULD 
ADDITIONAL PROGRAM DAYS BE AVAILABLE, UNIVERSITY VISITS WILL BE 
PLANNED FOR ADEN AND POSSIBLY TAIZ. 
 
11.  SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES.  TO BE DETERMINED. 
 
KRAJESKI