"What we see in these disclosures is a brutal, heavy-handed response by government agencies to legitimate news stories. The aim is to punish and silence those who inform the wider community of what is being done in their name," Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance, Paul Murphy, said referring to authorities' reports on journalists, as quoted by the newspaper.
Within about 12 months at least eight requests on journalists covering immigration issues were made by the country's authorities to the Australian Federal Police (AFP) on the basis of "unauthorized disclosure of commonwealth information," Guardian Australia reported.
In December 2013 Ian McPhedran, a journalist with news.com.au, was reported to police by the Australian Defense Department for a story on an Australian customs patrol boat sinking an asylum seekers' vessel and then taking the passengers to Christmas Island. The journalist was accused of a "potential breach of operational security," the newspaper reported.
Police are currently investigating several cases based on the Australian government requests.
Since January 14, Australian media has been actively reporting the riots in the Australia-run immigration detention center on Papua New Guinea. The issue has received wide coverage due to the desperate actions of the detainees demanding refugee status in Australia. Protests have included a widespread hunger strike and many self-harming actions. Four immigrants were reported to have swallowed razor blades.
