The media in Assam on Wednesday expressed its protest against the United Liberation Front of Asom, an insurgent group that had threatened four journalists.

A meeting of journalists, held at Guwahati Press Club under the aegis of the Journalists Union of Assam, asked the ULFA to desist from interfering with the media in the state.

The journalists also demanded that it withdraw the threats issued to D N Bezboruah (former editor of The Sentinel), Prasanta Rajguru (executive editor of Amar Asom) and two other journalists.

The meeting resolved to launch a signature campaign amongst all journalists and employees of newspaper organisations in protest against ULFA's attempt to terrorise the media.

Those who attended the meeting, which was presided over by D N Chakraborty, editor, Dainik Asom, included Girtartha Pathak, Prasanta Rajguru, Samudra Gupta Kashyap, Saifuddin Ahmed, Pranay Bardoloi, Rupam Baruah and Nava Thakuria.

The ULFA 'commander-in-chief' Paresh Baruah, in an e-mail, had accused the four journalists of trying to create an atmosphere of confusion over the peace initiative to facilitate direct talks between Government of India and the ULFA.