Pacific Media Watch
Asia-Pacific correspondents and staff of Reporters Without Borders (RSF) made a "grand" statement on the vast staircase of the iconic Grand Hotel of Taipei, Taiwan, last week.

On the seventh anniversary of the assassination of Maltese investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, representatives of RSF gathered in nine cities around the world - including Taipei - in memory and solidarity over her brutal killing on 16 October 2017.

So far seven people have admitted to or have been sentenced for complicity in her murder, and criminal proceedings continue against three suspects, including the alleged mastermind and alleged bomb suppliers.

The event coincided with an RSF delegation meeting Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te with a package of proposals for strengthening media freedom in the face of growing pressure from China; a celebration of the seventh anniversary of the founding of RSF's Taipei Asia-Pacific campaign office: and a three-day press freedom seminar for Asia-Pacific correspondents.

Asia Pacific Media Network (APMN) was represented at the event by two members, Dr Joseph Fernandez, the Australian correspondent who is visiting associate professor at Curtin University, and APMN Pacific Media Watch's convenor Dr David Robie. 

Papua New Guinea correspondent Belinda Kora, one of PNG's leading journalists who is now with the ABC's Port Moresby team, was also there. APMN's Del Abcede participated in several of the RSF events.