Indymedia Japan and 'Ronin' journalists...

27-06-2005 06:21 wrote Paul Arenson at paul@tokyoprogressive.org *

"We therefore request you tell us where [your] articles are located originally."

Conc.: Publish and be damned!

Open Letter to Indymedia Japan, Mr. Paul Arenson.

FPF - June 27th - 2005 - Concerning your complaint about the FPF; putting alternative information for free at the disposal of the Japanese Indymedia readers, I'd like you to know the following: for more than four decades I've been working as an independent and free foreign correspondent in many foreign countries and continents.

Because of a very positive reason, I decided to stay for some years in my native Netherlands, but was shocked thoroughly when I saw in which terminal state journalism and freedom in general in the Netherlands had become.

In short: since I apply the same standards to all countries and all people, based on live long observations and experience abroad - I did the same to the Netherlands, and that was it.

Many 'friends' and editors - always proud I worked for the BBC too - told me that either I'd 'tag along and play the game', or I would get into difficulties. Since I've been declared 'Persona non Grata' as a journalist five times by repressive regimes in East and West, I'm used to "difficulties", including those at present and even in my 'own' country.

As a free journalist, always being and keeping independent, I have to publish elsewhere on earth, so you have the pleasure of getting all investigative and other journalistical work I do for free, and for everybody to see, read and to make up their own mind about present global developments which concern us all.

I'm only via FPF offering free information to IMC, without expecting censorship or 'spiking' by 'editors', like in all other by multinationals influenced media which 'they' own. I take the liberty of offering this information to the people in Japan too, since I know Japan a little bit and have - concerning many people - very good memories of it.

And I can assure you that IMC is the only form of publication I've chosen in the whole of Japan, because Indymedia in some countries still functions the way it was meant to function: as a tribune for people who otherwise - and especially in global war times - never could get into the mainstream manipulating media, like here in the Netherlands or like in Japan too.

SO, BE ASSURED: ALL THE INFORMATION IS FOR FREE AND FOR JAPAN'S OWN INDYMEDIA ONLY, WITH NO STRINGS ATTACHED. - IT IS A GIFT!

Concerning the question of origin: all items always have the links to the original, of the by me written or quoted articles, of which I do understand some may carry information which is not appealing to all people at IMC.*

Could you pls. ask some of the Japanese people working at IMC Japan to tell me what they think about free information given to IMC in Japan only? They may have different points of view. I can contact them personally later on.

As many people know, during much of the Middle Ages, warfare was common in Japan. Warlords were battling warlords to get more land and power. They hired professional soldiers called samurai and had large armies of common soldiers.

The same thing is going on now, but journalists like me are not for sale, you can only hire them on their own terms.

RONIN JOURNALISTS

So now it's up to IMC Japan whether you ignore Indymedia's goal and intentions, by censoring material that doesn't fit your views, and like the mainstream media publishing only what you think is acceptable, or you do like Indymedia is supposed and intended to do: let the 'ronins' of this world - the free and independent fighters - also verbally do their work...

Personally I think it's up to the readers of IMC in any country - and not 'gatekeeping editors' - to decide what they want to see and read, but since it looks like that you have different criteria, and I do not know whether you are speaking for all of the people running Indymedia in Japan, maybe you could clarify?

Any real IMC-publicist or journalist willing to inform the people, remembers Arthur Wellesley who was the Duke of Wellington. When courtesan Harriette Wilson threatened to publish her memoirs and his letters, he spoke the for every journalist sacred words:

Publish and be damned!

That's what Indymedia must do too.

Looking forward to your reply,

I meanwhile remain,

Henk Ruyssenaars

The Netherlands

FPF - Blog - Url.: http://tinyurl.com/6v8ru

P.S.: I hope you're not offended, but your name does not strike me as typical Japanese, so I checked it on Google: "Paul Arenson" +IMC. This one was interesting: TOWARD A DEMOCRATIC MEDIA: ALTERNATIVE MEDIA RESOURCES - And so is your site - Url.: http://tinyurl.com/a9djy - and what you wrote on IMC-the Netherlands (formerly an 'open' news source, which now has gone down the censoring/infiltration drain) then too: Quote:

"Introducing two independent media sites in Japan - paul - 15.05.2003 13:47

TokyoProgressive and Japan Indymedia are waiting for your participation

I maintain the first site and am also a member of the IMC Japan collective.

(1) TokyoProgressive - http://tokyoprogressive.org

This site has been in existence since 1997 and aims to serve as a bridge between activists in and out of Japan. It also serves as a resource for Japan residents,and offers a limited amount of free space to deserving projects.

(2) IndyMedia Japan - http://japan.indymedia.org

This site has recently gotten off the ground. There is a great need for independent journalism in this country, as throughout the so-called "free world". We hope to work with others in Asia, both by helping to develop other Asian IMCs and by providing a means for people throughout Asia to cooperate with one another.

"Both sites need YOUR participation..." - you wrote.

[endquote - Paul] - Url.: http://tinyurl.com/b3p94

paul@tokyoprogressive.org - Url.: http://tinyurl.com/7z4my

* Colin Powell: ''It is not anti-Semitic to criticize the policies of the state of Israel' - Said as 'US Secretary of State' in a speech at the 'Conference on Anti-Semitism of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe' German Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Berlin - April 28th - 2004 - Url.: http://tinyurl.com/22p6c

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