Journalists
walked out of parliament on Wednesday during the debate on the National
Security Service (NSS) bill because National Security Service officials
prevented them from snapping photographs.
According to
security personnel, they were shooting images as the august house became
agitated about the decision to pass the NSS bill.
Despite being ordered not to use their phones, the journalists
began using them when the house was in disarray but were stopped and told to
erase the film.
"This is unfair! How can they allow their colleagues to take
pictures and prevent us from taking pictures?" said a journalist.
But
an officer argued, saying: "The work of the journalists is to sit,
take note, and later interact with Oliver to give you the decision of
parliament."
"If
you don't have a picture for the parliament by now, you are not a professional
journalist. The picture of the parliament remains the same. Especially you,
Obaj (Eye Radio reporter), I know you have been taking pictures every
day."
However,
the media industry requires reporters to obtain new images for the most recent
happenings. That means Obaj wasn’t wrong, journalistically.
Civil society activists from the Center for Peace and Advocacy
(CPA) were also pulled out of the parliamentary deliberations, detained for 40
minutes in the national security office in parliament, and questioned about who
invited them to the parliament.
"Three staff of the
Center for Peace and Advocacy (CPA) have been detained for 40 minutes by
National Security Service personnel in their office in Parliament after the
sitting of the NSS Bill passed," said Ter Manyang, CPA executive director.
"They
said who invited you and civil society organizations and journalists are not
allowed to attend the sitting."
The August house passed the long-overdue National Security Service Bill maintaining arrest without warrent.