Parmanand Goyal was shot by three unidentified assailants outside his home in Kaithal, Haryana, north of Delhi on 18 September. Goyal was a correspondent for the daily newspaper “Punjab Kesari” and district president of the Haryana Union of Journalists. According to newspaper reports, the three men were let into the house by the journalist’s son, who subsequently overheard them threatening his father to stop writing about a local political figure and the police. Goyal had been arrested on corruption charges in May and was released on bail earlier this month.

Parvaz Mohammed Sultan, owner and editor of the local news agency News and Feature Alliance, was shot in his home office in Srinagar by two unidentified assailants on 1 February. He was shot in the head and neck. After dragging himself to the street, he was taken to hospital by neighbours, where he died. Police blame Muslim militants for the killing. No group, however, has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Binod Sajana Chaudhary was shot at point-blank range by Nepalese security forces on 27 September, after having his identity card checked. He was accompanied by a Maoist activist at the time of the incident. Local security sources however, said that the journalist and the Maoist activist were killed in an armed clash. At the time of his death, Chaudhary was a reporter for the weekly “Nepalgunj Express”, located in the western district of Kailali.

Gyanendra Khadka, was murdered by Maoist rebels while attending a parent-teacher meeting a school in Jyamire, Nepal’s eastern Sindhupalchowk District on 7 September. Khadka was a correspondent for the government news agency Rastriya Samachar Samiti and part-time teacher. The Maoist rebels reportedly led the journalist to a nearby field, where he had his hands tied to a pole and his throat slit. No motive for the murder is yet known.

Amar Lama was killed by four unidentified gunmen on 27 July, in a town south of Kathmandu, after being abducted from his newspaper’s offices. According to eye-witnesses, the managing editor of the weekly newspaper “Tajakhabar”, escaped at one point, but following a street-chase he was re-caught by his assailants and shot at point blank. The motive for his murder remains unknown. Lama was a member of the Nepali Congress Party and had previously spent five years in prison, accused of murder.

Ameer Bux Barohi, was shot five times by unidentified gunmen in the town of Shikarpur on 3 October. Barohi was a reporter for Kawish, the largest Sindh-language daily newspaper in Pakistan’s Sindh Province. He had reportedly been arguing with the three men just prior to his shooting. The motive for the journalist’s slaying remains unclear, however, Barohi was known for reporting on sensitive local issues.

Fazal Wahab was shot dead by four armed men in Mingora on January 21. Wahab, an author frequently critical of radical Islamic clerics, had received death threats in the past and had informed police, yet he was not provided with any protection. Local police claim an inquiry into the murder has begun, yet Pakistan’s Human Rights Commission has reportedly stated that the police have taken no action to find Mr Wahab’s killers. The Commission has launched its own investigation into his murder.

Nelson Nadura was shot by two unidentified men in the town of Masbate on 2 December. He was killed shortly after leaving DYME radio station on motorcycle, where he hosted a regular programme “Opinion Publico”. No motive has yet been determined for his killing, however police reportedly said that Nadura may have been targeted because of past connections to the New People’s Army, a guerrilla organisation that has been waging a war with the government since 1969.

Juan “Jun” Pala was shot nine times by unidentified gunmen on motorcycle while he was walking home, accompanied by a bodyguard, in Davao City on 6 September. Pala, who hosted a show on DXGO radio station called “Isumbong Mo Kay Pala” (Tell Pala), had been repeatedly targeted prior to his death. In April of 2003, the journalist was wounded when shot at while riding in a taxi, and since the attack, had begun recording his programme from his home. The reasons for his murder are unclear, however Pala was known for his criticism against communist rebels, and in recent years, his radio show focused on exposing corruption among local politicians.

Rico Ramirez was found on the side of a road by police on 20 August in the town of San Francisco, province of Agusan del Sur. The journalist, a reporter for DXSF radio, was reportedly shot in the back by two gunmen, close to the radio station’s offices, as witnessed by the station’s manager. No motive has yet been determined, however, the journalist’s murder is suspected to have been linked to his recent criticism of local organised crime and drug traffickers.

Noel Villarante was shot by two unidentified gunmen at his home in the city of Santa Cruz, Laguna province on 19 August. Villarante, a radio journalist, was reportedly first shot at outside his home, but managed to escape into the house. When family members subsequently attempted to take the wounded journalist to hospital, they were prevented by another attack from the gunmen and Villarante was shot and killed at point blank range. The journalist, who worked for the local radio station DZJV as well as the local newspaper “Laguna Score”, had often criticised regional authorities for corruption and spoken out against illegal gambling.

Bonifacio Gregorio was shot three times in the head by an unidentified assailant outside his home in La Paz, on 8 July. Gregorio, a reporter for a the local weekly "Dyaryo Banat", was a former village chief and had worked for the local newspaper for three years. According to initial police investigations, the attack is believed to have been carried out by a professional assassin, who fled on foot after the assault. Gregorio was known for his criticism of La Paz mayor Dionisio Manuel for his alleged illegal activities. The mayor has denied any involvement in the journalist’s murder.

Apolinario "Polly" Pobeda, a radio presenter for "Who Are They?" on DWTI-AM in Lucena city, was murdered on his way to work early in the morning of 17 May. Shot seven times by two unidentified gunman while riding his motorcycle, Pobeda was rushed to hospital but pronounced dead on arrival. A vocal critic of corrupt municipal officials, local news sources suspect the journalist’s murder could have been politically motivated.

John Villanueva was ambushed by two unidentified gunmen on the evening of 28 April. The journalist, a radio announcer for DZGB radio station in Legaspi City, was returning home on his motorcycle when he was attacked just 200 metres from his home, in the town of Camalig. Villanueva died an hour later in hospital. No motive has yet been found. Local officials claim the journalist was suspected of supporting the country’s Communist guerrillas.