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Defence minister reverses position on Drotectina mediaOTTAW \ (CP) The arrm will search and interrogate reporters leaving the Mohawk stronghold at Oka, Que., treating them the same as militant Warriors, says Defence Minister Hill McKnight.(Reporters1 will be handled as others who come from behind the barricades They are certainly free to come from behind the bar rieades No one is being held there against their will, McKnight saidThursda v%The minister said the situation at Oka has changed since Sept 7 when he gave assurances that themedia would continue to have access to supplies at the MohawkcompoundWhen asked what had changed, McKnight would onlv sav that the army wanted to bring about a peaceful resolution of the dispute Don Marsh, the minister's assistant. later said that the major change since Sept 7 has been thetime elapsed without any resol ution to the situation“That was two weeks ago and the situation continues to be one ofa charged atmosphere with armed Warriors, he said.The Ottawa Citizen has written to McKnight and senior military officials requesting, among other things, an assurance that its re porter Ian MacLeod will not be searched or interrogated if he leaves the assignmentMcKnight said he could no longer give such an assurance.Civil libertarians, politicians, lawyers and media representatives have accused the army of violating civil liberties at Oka.The Citizen’s letters alsoprotest the “violations of a free press and ordinary human rights that have occurred in the past fewda vs “McKnight said he would not sec ond guess a warrant obtained Sept13 by Quebec provincial police to shut off cellular phones at Oka He said journalists may challenge the warrant in courtIndian Affairs Minister Tom Siddon refused to comment about the possible violation of civil liber ties at Oka, saying there is a “process to deal w ith such allegations
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Brandon Sunday
Brandon, Manitoba, CA
Sun, Sep 23, 1990
Page 3
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