A Kuala Lumpur-based press group has expressed concern over the possible ramifications on British Broadcasting Corporation's independence following the release of a scathing report which faulted the state-owned media organisation for lapses in its editorial processes.

"Being one of the greatest British institutions, the BBC serves not only the British public, but the global audience as well," said Wong Chin Huat, coordinator of the Writers Action for Media Independence (Wami), an organisation of writers from the Chinese-language press.

"The BBC is a role model for the state media worldwide in independent and investigative journalism," said Wong, who along with 90 others quitted writing for the mainstream Chinese press three years ago in protest against the takeover of Chinese dailies Nanyang Siang Pau and China Press by political party Malaysian Chinese Association.

"While whistle-blowing is a requisite for informed public decision-making... such a role is often made not possible by authoritarian rulers, and all the more so with state-funded media."

Wong added that BBC had been an especially "rare and precious" exception which people in many countries would like to have as their own.

Government exonerated

Lord Hutton's two-month inquiry, which was set up to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of weapons expert Dr David Kelly, exonerated the British government but severely criticised the BBC.

The boardcaster's chairman Gavyn Davies quit soon after the 328-page report was released last Wednesday, while Greg Dyke left a day later.

The journalist at the centre of the row, BBC Radio 4's Andrew Gilligan, had also tendered his resignation.

According to Lord Hutton (photo), the allegation reported by Gilligan that the government had "sexed up" a dossier in September 2002 to justify war against Iraq was "unfounded".

In a live broadcast on the Today programme last May, Gilligan said the government "probably knew" it was wrong to claim Iraq's weapons of mass destruction could be deployed in 45 minutes.

The government had said that the 45-minute claim was based on an intelligence report it believed to be reliable.

While Gilligan later accepted during the Hutton inquiry that his words were "imperfect", he argued that his intention had been to make an allegation of government's "spin" rather than "dishonesty".

He quoted his source - which was later revealed to be Kelly - as one of the senior officials in charge of drawing up the dossier. Kelly later committed suicide after coming under intense attacks from government officials.

Possible flaws

Wong said that while the Gilligan episode suggested possible flaws in BBC's editorial system, that the broadcaster was casting doubts on the justification for a terribly costly war should not be ignored.

"It is utterly regrettable that the Hutton report has chosen to ignore this important aspect of the affair. As we all know, the war has had severe repercussions worldwide," he added.

Wong hoped that the BBC would not lose its independence as a result of the controversy and urged the British government to ensure that the broadcaster remains a "truly independent state media and one that rightly deserves to be the world's model".