Cablegate: Netherlands/Iran: Media Projects to Promote Democracy

VZCZCXRO7965
RR RUEHDE
DE RUEHTC #2634/01 3521649
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 181649Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7728
INFO RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE
RUEHDI/AMCONSUL DUBAI 0080
RUEHCP/AMEMBASSY COPENHAGEN 6633
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1616
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS 0423
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 4217

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 THE HAGUE 002634

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM EUN PREL IR NL
SUBJECT: NETHERLANDS/IRAN: MEDIA PROJECTS TO PROMOTE DEMOCRACY

THE HAGUE 00002634 001.2 OF 002

1. (SBU) Summary: Eleven Dutch-funded Iranian media projects, worth
over 13 million Euros, have moved into the operational phase. The
projects, begun in early 2006 at the behest of the Dutch parliament,
represent the broadest Dutch media diversity efforts anywhere,
according to MFA officials. End summary.

Program background: Parliamentary initiative
--------------------------------------------

2. (SBU) MFA Human Rights Division Policy Officers Sonja van der
Meer and Reneko Elema met Poloff December 5, to discuss ongoing
Dutch-funded Iranian media projects. Van der Meer asked that the
information be held in trust, as it has not yet been fully shared
with the Dutch parliament. Several of the NGOs, including some of
the western organizations, have asked that their source of funding
not be publicly disclosed.

3. (SBU) Former Green Left MP Farah Karimi, according to van der
Meer and others, was the driving force behind the projects and was
largely responsible for securing Euro 15 million for the purpose.
Hans van Baalen, foreign policy spokesman for the conservative
Liberal Party (VVD), co-sponsored the measure. Karimi, v/d Meer
said, had asked the Foreign Ministry to help establish a satellite
television channel. The Foreign Ministry rejected the specific
project Karimi advocated, because some of the individuals involved
were connected with the Mujahideen al-Khalq (MKO) or affiliated
organizations.

Program scope: Training and some newscasts
------------------------------------------

4. (SBU) The MFA decided instead to finance a broad array of
programs, including radio and internet news channels, training
programs and one children's rights documentary series. The MFA
solicited for proposals online. Fifty proposals were received, 11
were chosen, and 13 million Euros have been allotted. Work began in
early 2006 - in January, for most recipients. Partners include BBC
World Service, World Press Photo (Netherlands), Radio Zamineh, Press
Now (Netherlands), Internews Europe, Dokhtarak, Freedom House,
Communication for Development (CFD), Jadit Media (UK), Danish
Institute of Human Rights (DIHR), and UNICEF. The UNICEF project,
costing 600,000 Euros, is the only program involving direct
cooperation with the Iranian government. Van der Meer said that the
MFA is not averse to funding independent television, but no solid
proposals for such projects were received.

5. (SBU) According to van der Meer, all eleven projects are supposed
to be self-sustaining by the end of calendar 2007. Funding
end-dates are standard for Dutch development expenditures, but v/d
Meer said Foreign Minister Bot had already suggested to Parliament
that some of these projects might require assistance beyond 2007.

Difficulty with Iranian authorities
-----------------------------------

6. (SBU) Van der Meer and Elema reported that, as the programs have
moved into the operational phase during the second half of 2006,
participants have encountered some difficulty with the Iranian
government. For example, a Netherlands-based trainer participating
in Press Now's training programs in Iran was expelled on December 4.
Some Iranians returning from programs outside Iran have run into
harassment back home. So far, according to v/d Meer, the MFA has
chosen to deal with problems on a case-by-case basis. She said that
the Dutch Embassy in Tehran has been tasked with raising problems
with the Iranians, as they arise. She added that, as this is the
first time the Netherlands has conducted extensive media programs
anywhere, they are learning on-the-go. Elema added, though, that
the problems were not a surprise. He noted that the Dutch Embassy
in Tehran already administers about one million Euros per year for
democracy programs and is therefore accustomed to dealing with
harassment of grantees and similar problems.

The learning curve: building capacity
-------------------------------------

7. (SBU) Van de Meer noted that the MFA has run into a few problems
trying to diversify the pool of grant recipients. She said that the
same individual who was expelled for participating in the Press Now
program also works for CFD, and she added that Radio Zamineh and
Press Now are affiliated. Overall, however, she was satisfied with
the talent and thought the program had made a good start. Many
inside Iran are reluctant to work with foreign government funding,
she said, and it will take time to build training capacity in the
Iranian journalistic community. She noted with optimism the large
numbers of journalists in Iran and their tradition of pushing the
envelope.

THE HAGUE 00002634 002.2 OF 002

Individual project details
--------------------------

8. (SBU) Some details of the projects follow. BBC World Service is
providing journalism training, mostly via the internet. It is not
one of the larger programs, and few participants are crossing
borders. Press Now also trains journalists but is doing so in Iran.
A Dutch national, working as a trainer, was expelled December 4
from Iran. Press Now indicated it intended to continue the project.
Internews Europe is working on online citizen journalism and is
exploring ways to defeat internet censorship. Internews have asked
that their funding not be disclosed. The Website Dokhtarak works
closely with Radio Netherlands (RNTC) and provides news "for women,
by women and about women." Jadit Media, based in London and staffed
by some former employees of BBC and the Institute for War and Peace
Reporting (IWPR), is also providing training. IWPR have asked that
their funding not be disclosed. The Danish Institute of Human
Rights (DIHR) is setting up training programs inside Iran, including
at the University of Isfahan, and will focus on "legal aspects of
media diversity." DIHR experienced some cartoon-related
difficulties, but, said v/d Meer, their Iranian partners remain
onboard. Communication for Development (CFD) is providing training
in the Netherlands and has received some negative press in Iran.

9. (SBU) The UNICEF project is a series of documentaries on
children's rights. It will air on Iranian state television and is
the only project that will involve direct cooperation with the
Iranian government.

10. (SBU) World Press Photo will organize a photo exhibition in
Tehran and will train photojournalists during the event. Citing the
famous 1979 Pulitzer-winning, anonymous photographs of Revolutionary
Guards executing Kurds, v/d Meer said such training had potential.
She wondered, though, whether Iranian authorities would allow the
exhibition itself sufficient latitude to be successful.

11. (SBU) Radio Zamineh is broadcasting from the Netherlands by
internet, shortwave and satellite, and is establishing citizen
blogging within Iran. Van der Meer claimed that Iran has the
"highest number of bloggers in the world." This, and the fact that
Radio Zamineh has chosen a strategy of attracting publicity, have
made it one of the more controversial projects for the Iranian
government. She added that Radio Zamineh has a relationship of
"mutual respect" with the Iranian Ambassador in The Hague, but added
that its staff have been subject to Iranian surveillance.

More EU efforts to follow?
--------------------------

12. (SBU) Van der Meer and Elema said that they expect to see more
such Iran media projects from EU member states. The British, they
said, are seeking assistance from the European Commission (EC) and
European Union (EU) member states for a satellite television
station. She said startup costs are expected to be eighteen million
British pounds, and annual expenses would run around twelve million
pounds. Van der Meer thought the British project worthwhile but
lamented the competition for EU money.
Blakeman

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