Yemen seizes transmission units from 2 networks over south coverage

Sana'a, Yemen - Yemen confiscated two satellite transmission units from the offices of pan-Arab al-Jazeera and al-Arabiya TV channels in Sana'a in a bid to control their coverage of the violence in the south of the Arab country, the two channels said Friday. Murad Hashim, head of al-Jazeera's office in Sana'a office, told the German Press Agency dpa that 12 security agents and Information Ministry representatives "stormed the channel's offices and forcibly confiscated the transmission unit.

"It is a regretful measure," Hashim said, adding that the ministry claimed that al-Jazeera was "exaggerating" in the coverage of the protests staged by the Southern Movement in southern cities.

Violence has been on the rise in southern cities in recent months where disgruntled local residents have been taking to the streets to support calls by the separatists to split the once independent south from a united Yemen.

North and South Yemen were united in 1990, but separatist groups in the south claim that the central government in Sana'a neglect the people in the south and discriminate against them.

Hashim said al-Jazeera had received warnings from the Information Ministry on Wednesday over its coverage of the protests staged by the Southern Movement or opposition parties supporting the secessionist movement.

The ministry also seized transmission equipment from the office of al-Arabiya, whose correspondent in Sana'a Hamoud Munassar said the seizure would "curtail" the channel's work in Yemen...

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/313805,yemen-seizes-transmission-units-from-2-networks-over-south-coverage.html.