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33 journalists killed worldwide in 1999

NEW YORK: Thirty-three journalists, including 10 in war-torn Sierra Leone, were killed in 1999 because of their work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said on Thursday.

CPJ said that Sierra Leone was by far the deadliest place for journalists with 10 killed during the year, most by rebels who in some cases conducted house-to-house hunts for reporters whose work was deemed "anti-rebel."

Others died reporting on conflicts in Yugoslavia, Colombia, East Timor and Chechnya, including many who were targeted by warring factions, CPJ said. The deaths in 10 nations marked an increase of about one-third over 1998, when 24 were reported in 17 nations.

"We see a clear policy, particularly in Sierra Leone, Colombia and East Timor, of armed factions seeking to banish or even exterminate journalists in order to hide the truth," said CPJ executive director Ann Cooper.

"Whether it's the Indonesian army or Sierra Leone rebels, the goal is obvious: get rid of witnesses whose reporting can inform the world about atrocities, corruption or killings," she said.

Others died because their work placed them directly in the line of fire, including three Chinese journalists who were killed in Belgrade in May when NATO bombs hit the Chinese embassy where they were staying.

In one of the most chilling incidents, editor Paul Mansaray, his wife, their two young children and a nephew were murdered on Jan. 9 at their home east of Freetown, Sierra Leone when RUF rebels set the house ablaze and fired into the house as it burned.

Other nations where journalists were killed included Argentina, Lebanon, Nigeria, Sri Lanka and Turkey.

The CPJ is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organisation dedicated to the defence of press freedom and the protection of journalists around the world. -Reuters