jpk update

TRIBUTE by jason brown, editor, avaiki nius agency It was, as promised, a small and simple ceremony. Gathered around an empty grave, tombstone in place, friends of the Couraud family, about 20 in all. "This is the time he was ..." The mother of Jean-Pascal Couraud pauses, searching her French memory for the right word in English. Kidnapped? "Yes, kidnapped," agrees his mother, stepping across the syllables carefully, like a goat on a mountain, fearful not of the plunge, but of forgetting to be careful. "... the time he was kidnapped at this very hour, exactly ten years ago." She peers upwards as she speaks, a small women for such enormous memories, shadows of frangipani falling across her shoulders, children surfing on even smaller waves in the background. As happens so often in all our lives, she begins to say more but is distracted by a comforting hand. Did he surf here too? JPK's brother glances across his brother's empty grave, past other tombs

lucien maillard, a former colleague to JPK, pays tribute, saying he never imagined their work could lead to his death. TRIBUTE After grief, after anger and outrage, in time comes meditation. The time for prayer. A prayer of communion with the parents of Jean-Pascal, his children, his brothers, his sister, his friends, present or missing. I am thinking particularly of the late Patrick Brai, a valiant companion of a beautiful collective adventure - what must be called journalism at its most noble - including Jean-Pascal who was both its soul and radiant symbol. Some, to achieve their ideals of loyalty, travel to the Orient or take the pilgrimage to Compostela . We need to move closer to Jean-Pascal - because it is with him, I know! - to keep us with him, to listen, to remain faithful to our ethical commitments, not to betray the word of honour that he has bequeathed to us. We have had the privilege of meeting an exceptional person. Absolute in his quest for truth and honesty, in his ti

"never again" - a hard hitting editorial against the "calamitous reign of Gaston Flosse." TRIBUTE Reaching back nearly two decades, a former colleague of Jean-Pascal Couraud has typed out an editorial from his most infamous edition. Headlined "Never again", the front page editorial was part of a "special edition" with a self-proclaimed "bias" towards "derision", collecting stories and cartoons from the "calamitous reign of Gaston Flosse." The issues were seized by authorities in Tahiti after Flosse laid an injunction against the newspaper. Interviewed on television, Couraud thanked Flosse for the "free publicity." "NEVER AGAIN! "The weather in Polynesia does not have the same consistency as elsewhere: it is only a succession of moments, one after another, ad infinitum, blending in a kind of eternity with no beginning and no end. "That is why events are like successive images of a movie on a

france inter radio has broadcast fresh evidence on the JPK affair. UPDATE Second most popular radio station in the republic, France Inter has released a major investigation into the JPK Affair on the tenth anniversary of the disappearance of the former Pape'ete editor. Titled "Sharks in troubled waters - a counter-investigation into the JPK Affair" the programme sees fresh testimony from witnesses connected to the affair. Following below is a translation taken from the introductory webpage. "Sunday, December 16, 2007 "Sharks in troubled waters - a counter-investigation into the JPK Affair "10 years ago, during the night of 15 to 16 December 1997, the investigative journalist Jean-Pascal Couraud disappeared in mysterious circumstances in French Polynesia. "Under his byline JPK, Jean-Pascal Couraud denounced political, economic, and judicial scandals and abuses of power by Gaston Flosse, leader of French Polynesia for almost 30 years, protected by Jacque

PRESS RELEASE > reporters sans frontieres 15 December 2007 The tenth anniversary of the disappearance of Jean-Pascal Couraud: Reporters Without Borders calls on the authorities not to betray the hopes of his family A few days before the tenth anniversary of the disappearance of the former editor of the Les Nouvelles in Tahiti, Jean-Pascal Couraud ( "JPK"), on December 15, 2007, Reporters Without Borders calls on the French authorities including the Justice minister, known as the the Keeper of Judicial Seals, Rachida Dati, to renew their commitment to establishing the truth about the exact circumstances of the death of the journalist. "Recent events allow us to believe that the investigation into the death of Jean-Pascal Couraud could move forward on a sound basis. Ten years after the fact, it is urgent, both from a moral and legal viewpoint, that the ins and outs of this case be brought out into the open. We call on French justice not to provide arguments to those who

NEWS RELEASE Two French media giants are marking the tenth anniversary of the disappearance of former Pape'ete editor, Jean-Pascal Couraud, with independent investigations. Second most popular in French radio, France Inter and leading daily newspaper Le Monde are both set to release indepth reports into allegations of assassination. Reportage seems sure to increase pressure on authorities previously foot dragging their way through official inquiries, now in their third year. Couraud disappeared nearly one decade ago, on Monday night of 15th December 1997. MAFIA Initial findings of suicide remained unchallenged until October 2004. Vetea Guilloux, a presidential security agent, told the administration of Oscar Temaru, then new, about widespread espionage activities in his surveillance section. Including, allegedly, overhearing colleagues boast about the mafia-style drowning of the investigative journalist - known by his byline "JPK". Like Watergate, L'Affair JPK is beco

Papeete, le 5 décembre 2007 A tous les amis, membres et sympathisants du Comité de soutien, Tenue de notre assemblée générale annuelle Tous les membres et sympathisants du Comité de soutien sont cordialement invités à notre assemblée générale annuelle qui se tiendra le mardi 11 décembre 2007 à 17h30 à l'hôtel Shératon de Faaa afin de délibérer sur les points ci-dessous inscrits à l'ordre du jour : 1. Situation et contenu du dossier d'enquête 2. Examen des comptes de l'association 3. Renouvellement du bureau 4. Questions diverses Rendez-vous avec la presse A tous nos amis résidant en France, nous rappelons la diffusion sur France Inter de l'émission « Interception » réalisée par Benoît Collombat, le dimanche 16 décembre à 9h10 heure française. France Inter étant retransmis en direct sur RFO Polynésie toutes les nuits (à partir de 22h00 le samedi), cette émission pourra être également écoutée le samedi 15 décembre à 22 heures 10 en Polynésie f

COMMUNIQUE soutienjpk.org Papeete, December 5, 2007 To all the friends, members and supporters of the Support Committee, Hosting of our AGM All members and sympathisers of the Support Committee are cordially invited to our annual general meeting to be held Tuesday, December 11, 2007 at 17:30 at the Hotel Sheraton in Fa'aa to deliberate on the following items listed on the agenda : 1. Situation report and contents in the inquiry dossier. 2. Examination of accounts of the association 3. Renewal of office bearers 4. Other business Rendevouz with the Press To all our friends residing in France, we remind you of the dissemination on France Inter radio of the programme "Interception" by Benedict Collombat, Sunday, December 16th at 9:10am French time. France Inter being broadcast live on RFO Polynesia every night (from 22:00 Saturday), the program can also be heard Saturday, Dec. 15 at 22:10am in French Polynesia, day of the tenth anniversary of the death of Jean-Pascal Couraud