World
Press Freedom Award Presentation
Speaking notes for Hon. David Kilgour, Secretary
of State (Latin America and Africa), M.P.
Edmonton Southeast
for the presentation of the National Press
Club of Canada Press Freedom Award on the
occasion of World Press Freedom Day
May 3, 2000, National Press Club, 150 Wellington
St. Ottawa
Greetings,
distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
members of the press corps.
It is an
honour to join you today. In 1993 the United
Nations proclaimed May 3 World Press Freedom
Day, a day set aside for people around the
world to turn their attention to the problems
individual journalists and media organizations
face in their pursuit of the truth. As a
result of their work, journalists may find
themselves victims of violence, threats
and sometimes even death. Today we honour
those journalists and draw attention to
the forces in this world which may hinder
their endeavours.
I am proud
to present this year’s National Press
Club of Canada Press Freedom Award to Vancouver
Sun reporter, Kim Bolan, who is an example
of someone committed to maintaining the
freedom and integrity of the press in the
face of major personal adversity.
Over the
last 16 years at the Sun, Bolan has covered
the Sikh faith community extensively, as
well as women’s issues, education and
social services. She has reported from war
zones in El Salvador, Guatemala, Afghanistan
and Northern India.
Her work
has not been without consequences. In December
1997 she began receiving the death threats,
which continued until very recently, thought
to be related to her coverage of some members
of a small faction of an overwhelming law-abiding
religious community.
The threats
led Ms. Bolan, the Vancouver Sun and the
police to institute a number of security
measures to protect her from consequences
like those impacting Tara Singh Hayer, the
editor of the Indo Canadian Times of Surrey
B.C., who was killed in his garage during
1998.
For her work,
Ms. Bolan was awarded the Courage of Journalism
Award by the International Women’s
Media Foundation and the Jack Webster Memorial
Award, the B.C. Newspaper Award and an award
from the South Asian Journalists’ Foundation.
Today, in
recognition of her strength of character,
professionalism and courage to continue
in her role as a leading journalist in the
face of threats and other forms of extreme
intimidation, the National Press Club of
Canada is pleased to award the Press Freedom
Award to Kim Bolan of the Vancouver Sun.
Please join
me in congratulating Kim Bolan.
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