Please justify statement
FEER Online Reader<br>Kuala LumpurPublished: Feb 9, 2001 1:16 AM | Updated: Jan 29, 2008 10:21 AM
(This letter to the editor of Far Eastern Economic Review was forwarded by the writer to malaysiakini.)
I noted your [#1]clarification[/#] in your online report dated Feb 15 as follows:
"In Levelling the Field [Feb 8], we reported that Malaysiakini.com receives support from George Soros' Open Society. Rather, the Open Society funds the Bangkok-based Southeast Asian Press Alliance, one source of funding for Malaysiakini.com."
From what I have read elsewhere, I noted the following (paraphrase):
- Malaysiakini.com has vigorously denied receiving any money from OSI, directly or indirectly through Seapa (as your clarification implies; otherwise, why would FEER add the phrase "one source of funding for Malaysiakini.com"? If there is no connection, that phrase shouldn't have been there in the first place, right?).
- OSI has also issued a statement denying giving Malaysiakini,com any money directly or indirectly through Seapa.
- Seapa has similarly denied the money it channelled to Malaysiakini.com were from OSI, directly or indirectly.
Since all parties concerned have made their denials and questioned the accuracy and truth of your report and clarification, FEER now owes its readers a duty to publish concrete evidence (or transcripts of any interview with Soros, etc.) to justify its position, i.e. Malaysiakini.com receives funds indirectly from OSI through Seapa. If FEER cannot produce such evidence in the next issue, it will lose credibility in the eyes of its readers.
From this episode, someone must be lying (OSI, Seapa or Malaysiakini.com), or pride must have gotten in the way of admitting a wrong (FEER).
I am not a supporter of any party mentioned in this e-mail. I am only interested in seeing the truth prevail. Please convince readers of the "truth" you seek to convey by your documented evidence, if any.
I noted your [#1]clarification[/#] in your online report dated Feb 15 as follows:
"In Levelling the Field [Feb 8], we reported that Malaysiakini.com receives support from George Soros' Open Society. Rather, the Open Society funds the Bangkok-based Southeast Asian Press Alliance, one source of funding for Malaysiakini.com."
From what I have read elsewhere, I noted the following (paraphrase):
- Malaysiakini.com has vigorously denied receiving any money from OSI, directly or indirectly through Seapa (as your clarification implies; otherwise, why would FEER add the phrase "one source of funding for Malaysiakini.com"? If there is no connection, that phrase shouldn't have been there in the first place, right?).
- OSI has also issued a statement denying giving Malaysiakini,com any money directly or indirectly through Seapa.
- Seapa has similarly denied the money it channelled to Malaysiakini.com were from OSI, directly or indirectly.
Since all parties concerned have made their denials and questioned the accuracy and truth of your report and clarification, FEER now owes its readers a duty to publish concrete evidence (or transcripts of any interview with Soros, etc.) to justify its position, i.e. Malaysiakini.com receives funds indirectly from OSI through Seapa. If FEER cannot produce such evidence in the next issue, it will lose credibility in the eyes of its readers.
From this episode, someone must be lying (OSI, Seapa or Malaysiakini.com), or pride must have gotten in the way of admitting a wrong (FEER).
I am not a supporter of any party mentioned in this e-mail. I am only interested in seeing the truth prevail. Please convince readers of the "truth" you seek to convey by your documented evidence, if any.
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