TUNISIAN JOURNALISTS UNION - PUPPET THEATER?

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TUNIS 000126 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR DRL (JOHNSTONE/KLARMAN) NEA/MAG (HOPKINS/HARRIS) AND NEA/PPD (DOUGLAS/SMITH) LONDON AND PARIS FOR NEA WATCHER DUBAI FOR RMH (PELLETIER) E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/06/2018 TAGS: ELAB KDEM KPAO PGOV PHUM PREL TS SUBJECT: TUNISIAN JOURNALISTS UNION - PUPPET THEATER? REF: A. 07 TUNIS 1566 ¶B. 07 TUNIS 1531 ¶C. 06 TUNIS 2844 TUNIS 00000126 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: Ambassador Robert F. Godec for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) The January 14, 2008 evolution of the Tunisian Journalists Association in favor of the National Syndicate of Tunisian Journalists was viewed by some observers, including the General Secretary of the International Federation of Journalists, as "historic reform." To other observers, the new union's organizing congress was little more than puppet theater staged by the Tunisian authorities. Nonetheless, some signs indicate that the government puppeteers may not be entirely in control of their marionettes, and reform-minded journalists may in fact be in a position to push for needed change. Only time will tell which view proves more accurate. End summary. -------------- BRAVO FROM THE IFJ -------------- ¶2. (U) The need for a union with collective bargaining authority and independence, rather than a powerless association, has long been a bone of contention between the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and Tunisian journalists and authorities. The lack of a national body with any real credibility has often been cited as a contributing factor to the poor state of journalism, and press freedom, in Tunisia (Ref A). In recent years, the membership of the Tunisian Journalists Association (AJT) in the IFJ was suspended for a period of two years for failing to adequately defend the rights of Tunisian journalists. There were bad feelings on both sides--the IFJ web site was blocked by Tunisian authorities in 2005 following IFJ criticism of GOT media policies at the World Summit on the Information Society held in Tunis. As recently as November, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Ben Ali regime, IFJ challenged the GOT to change its practices "stuck in a political groove of media manipulation." ¶3. (U) Despite this contentious history, IFJ General Secretary Aidan White, present at the organizing congress of SIPDIS the new National Syndicate of Tunisian Journalists (SNJT), praised the event in an IFJ communique as "historic reform" and declared that "Tunisian journalism has an opportunity for a fresh start in a country where journalists have suffered for too long." The IFJ also greeted with enthusiasm the news that its web site was no longer blocked in Tunisia. -------------- BOOS FROM OTHERS -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Other observers have been more skeptical about the newly-minted SNJT, pointing to the large numbers of journalists from government and ruling party media entities at the congress and even alleging that attendees were transported from their place of work to the congress in government buses. The GOT has long stymied independent efforts by journalists to unionize including the small, unrecognized Tunisian Journalists Syndicate (SJT) led by activist and Al Jazeera correspondent Lotfi Hajji (Refs B and C). For many in the Tunisian and international human rights community, the transformation of the AJT from association to union was a blatant attempt to thwart ongoing negotiations which seek to legitimize SJT under the umbrella of the General Union of Tunisian Workers (UGTT),Tunisia's national labor confederation. ¶5. (C) In the wake of the SNJT organizing congress, UGTT Assistant Secretary General Mohamed Trabelsi (PROTECT) told LabOff that the UGTT has always supported the creation of a journalists' union. He noted that the UGTT had been in discussions throughout 2006 about the SJT joining the UGTT. Now, Trabelsi suggested the UGTT must consider which union should represent journalists as part of the UGTT. Trabelsi said there are many questions about the SNJT, including its actual independence from the GOT and the validity of the recent SNJT elections. The future of the UGTT/SJT negotiations remains unclear at this time. TUNIS 00000126 002.2 OF 002 -------------- A PUPPET SPEAKS? -------------- ¶6. (C) Despite the uncertain future of the SJT, the new SNJT may not be a lost cause. Soon after the congress, media reports and informal conversations even with journalists strongly critical of the government seemed to indicate that, if the SNJT had been planned as puppet theater by the authorities, then the puppets may be dancing to their own tune. Journalists from across the political spectrum, while voicing some reservations, have pointed to a large turnout of younger journalists and a surprisingly free and frank debate on everything from press freedom to American hegemony at the conference. (Note: One opposition journalist has even cited the beneficial influence of visiting American journalism students at Tunisia's main journalism school in inspiring their Tunisian counterparts to be more proactive. End note.) Many observers have cited the failure of candidates on the presumed official ticket to gain a majority on the SNJT steering committee in an apparently free and fair election as another positive development. While it is not impossible that such dramas were staged, most journalists seem to view them as positive signs. ¶7. (C) Recently, a PA FSN met with newly-elected SNJT President Neji Bghouri (PROTECT) who had declined to meet with any American officer (or with French counterparts) for the time being. In this meeting Bhouri made three key points. First, he claimed quiet support (as yet unconfirmed) for his ticket from members of the unrecognized SJT, including President Lotfi Hajji. If true, that would indicate closer ties and greater cooperation between SNJT and SJT leadership than was previously thought to be the case. Second, Bhouri emphasized his initial program at SNJT, also summarized in a published Reuters interview, which includes establishing an SNJT web site to publish censored articles, forming editorial boards at each of Tunisia's major newspapers to hear journalists' grievances, and "declaring war" on newspaper directors who engage in unethical freelance hiring practices. Third, Bhouri described a letter sent by the SNJT board to President Ben Ali which apparently caused some consternation among the GOT leadership. Instead of the perfunctory letter of thanks expected, the SNJT board essentially sent a communique outlining their satisfaction with the organizing congress, dedication to freedom of expression and determination to improve the situation of journalists in Tunisia. ¶8. (C) The SNJT faces a number of future litmus tests of its credibility as an independent organization. As a legitimate union, unlike the weak AJT or the unrecognized SJT, the SNJT has the power to take action on longstanding grievances. For example, the SJT unsuccessfully protested the inability of some journalists to obtain their domestic press credentials. (Note: Several such journalists have authored pieces critical of the GOT and its policies, suggesting a political element in the accreditation process. Many continue to work for well known international media outlets despite their lack of accreditation. End note.) How the SNJT chooses to handle this issue will be a good indication of its willingness to go to bat for journalists. Other potential litmus tests are how publicly SNJT fights censorship and how strongly it supports journalists involved in politically-motivated trials. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶9. (C) In short, it is still unclear how independent the SNJT really is or what will happen to the SJT. The SNJT congress could have been a set piece staged for benefit of the peanut gallery or a genuine ground swell of independence, or perhaps a little of both. Privately, the new SNJT President is saying the right things and some seem willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. But only time will tell if the puppets have managed to cut the strings in establishing the new Tunisian journalists union. End comment. GODEC