Mellissa Fung
Encyclopedia
Mellissa Fung is a Canadian journalist with CBC News
, appearing regularly as a field correspondent on The National.
, and her family moved to Vancouver
when she was four years old. There, she attended an all-girls Catholic high school, then completed a Bachelor of Arts at the University of British Columbia
where she contributed regularly to the student-run newspaper The Ubyssey
. After graduating in 1994, she earned a Master's degree from Columbia School of Journalism
in 1995. From February 2001 to 2003 she reported for CBC-TV News in Vancouver. Since December 2003, she has served as a national reporter for CBC Television, working out of Toronto
and Regina
.
In her time as a national correspondent she has covered numerous topics on both Canadian and world affairs, including the Robert Pickton
trial, the 2003 SARS
outbreak in Canada
, the trial of Mike Danton
, the 2007 Saskatchewan provincial election
, 2008 Summer Olympics
in Beijing
and uncovering Canada's international sales of toxic asbestos
. In 2007 and 2008 she was sent on assignment to Afghanistan
to cover the Canadian military presence there
.
.
On October 12, while en route to a refugee camp
near Kabul
, she was kidnapped by armed men. Fung alerted her employer herself using her mobile phone and stated that the kidnappers were not Taliban but "bandits". Her translator and driver—two Afghan brothers named Shokoor Feroz and Qaem Feroz—were beaten and left behind by the kidnappers. Before her captors abandoned her for the last week, she was blindfolded and chained to the inside of a tiny, dark cave
. Zabiullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman in the eastern part of the county, told The Canadian Press
that another Islamist group called Hizb-e-Islami was responsible for the abduction. They were later implicated by Afghan authorities in the kidnapping and detained, though CBC publisher John Cruickshank
expressed confidence in them and stated that they were worried about their conditions in prison.
The kidnapping occurred two days before the 2008 Canadian federal election
, and CBC requested a press blackout while negotiations were conducted with the kidnappers, out of concern that widespread media coverage would complicate matters. Though the incident was covered in Afghan press, the blackout was honoured by all Canadian media and Fung's kidnapping remained generally unknown within Canada.
Fung was finally released on November 8, 2008 after weeks of negotiations. A spokesman for the governor of Wardak Province
indicated that local tribal elders and provincial council members negotiated Fung's release and that no ransom was paid. However, it was later revealed that Afghan intelligence determined the identity of the kidnapper, abducted his family, then demanded Fung be released in a prisoner exchange
.
She was interviewed about her kidnapping on November 12, 2008, by CBC Radio
's Anna Maria Tremonti
, in Dubai
. The interview later earned Tremonti and Fung a gold medal at the 2009 New York Festivals Radio Programming and Promotion Awards.
Fung wrote the book Under an Afghan Sky about her experiences. During an interview with a columnist from The Globe and Mail
, she said “I thought it might be cathartic...But it wasn’t.” On 5th May 2011, Fung was interviewed by CBC radio and CBC TV to talk about her experience and her book.
CBC News
CBC News is the department within the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the news gathering and production of news programs on CBC television, radio and online services...
, appearing regularly as a field correspondent on The National.
Education and career
Fung and her younger sister are the daughters of Kellog and Joyce Fung. She was born in Hong KongHong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, and her family moved to Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
when she was four years old. There, she attended an all-girls Catholic high school, then completed a Bachelor of Arts at the University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
where she contributed regularly to the student-run newspaper The Ubyssey
The Ubyssey
The Ubyssey is the University of British Columbia's student-run paper and is published every Monday and Thursday. Founded in 1918, The Ubyssey is a member of Canadian University Press , and is the largest student run paper in Western Canada, second largest in Canada...
. After graduating in 1994, she earned a Master's degree from Columbia School of Journalism
Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
The Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism is one of Columbia's graduate and professional schools. It offers three degree programs: Master of Science in journalism , Master of Arts in journalism and a Ph.D. in communications...
in 1995. From February 2001 to 2003 she reported for CBC-TV News in Vancouver. Since December 2003, she has served as a national reporter for CBC Television, working out of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
and Regina
Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...
.
In her time as a national correspondent she has covered numerous topics on both Canadian and world affairs, including the Robert Pickton
Robert Pickton
Robert William "Willie" Pickton of Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada is a former pig farmer and serial killer convicted of the second-degree murders of six women. He is also charged in the deaths of an additional twenty women, many of them prostitutes and drug users from Vancouver's...
trial, the 2003 SARS
Severe acute respiratory syndrome
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome is a respiratory disease in humans which is caused by the SARS coronavirus . Between November 2002 and July 2003 an outbreak of SARS in Hong Kong nearly became a pandemic, with 8,422 cases and 916 deaths worldwide according to the WHO...
outbreak in Canada
Progress of the SARS outbreak
-November 2002:On November 16, 2002, an outbreak of what is believed to be severe acute respiratory syndrome , began in the Guangdong province of China, which borders on Hong Kong. The first case of infection was speculated to be a farmer in Foshan County...
, the trial of Mike Danton
Mike Danton
Michael Sage Danton is a Canadian ice hockey player currently playing for the IFK Ore of the Swedish Division 1. Danton played for the New Jersey Devils and St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League between 2000 and 2004, before being imprisoned for a conspiracy to commit murder...
, the 2007 Saskatchewan provincial election
Saskatchewan general election, 2007
The 26th Saskatchewan general election was held on November 7, 2007; the writ was dropped on October 10, 2007. The election determined the composition of the 26th Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan....
, 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
and uncovering Canada's international sales of toxic asbestos
Asbestos
Asbestos is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals used commercially for their desirable physical properties. They all have in common their eponymous, asbestiform habit: long, thin fibrous crystals...
. In 2007 and 2008 she was sent on assignment to Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
to cover the Canadian military presence there
Canada's role in the invasion of Afghanistan
Canada did not have a significant role in the first few months of the invasion of Afghanistan that began on October 7, 2001, and the first contingents of regular Canadian troops arrived in Afghanistan only in January–February 2002. Canada took on a larger role starting in 2006 after the Canadian...
.
2008 kidnapping
In late 2008, Fung was sent on her second assignment to Afghanistan, based out of the Canadian military base at KandaharKandahar
Kandahar is the second largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of about 512,200 as of 2011. It is the capital of Kandahar Province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m above sea level...
.
On October 12, while en route to a refugee camp
Refugee camp
A refugee camp is a temporary settlement built to receive refugees. Hundreds of thousands of people may live in any one single camp. Usually they are built and run by a government, the United Nations, or international organizations, or NGOs.Refugee camps are generally set up in an impromptu...
near Kabul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
, she was kidnapped by armed men. Fung alerted her employer herself using her mobile phone and stated that the kidnappers were not Taliban but "bandits". Her translator and driver—two Afghan brothers named Shokoor Feroz and Qaem Feroz—were beaten and left behind by the kidnappers. Before her captors abandoned her for the last week, she was blindfolded and chained to the inside of a tiny, dark cave
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
. Zabiullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman in the eastern part of the county, told The Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Canadian Press Enterprises Inc. is the entity which "will take over the operations of the Canadian Press" according to a November 26, 2010 article in the Toronto Star...
that another Islamist group called Hizb-e-Islami was responsible for the abduction. They were later implicated by Afghan authorities in the kidnapping and detained, though CBC publisher John Cruickshank
John Cruickshank
John Alexander Cruickshank, VC is a Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
expressed confidence in them and stated that they were worried about their conditions in prison.
The kidnapping occurred two days before the 2008 Canadian federal election
Canadian federal election, 2008
The 2008 Canadian federal election was held on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 40th Canadian Parliament after the previous parliament had been dissolved by the Governor General on September 7, 2008...
, and CBC requested a press blackout while negotiations were conducted with the kidnappers, out of concern that widespread media coverage would complicate matters. Though the incident was covered in Afghan press, the blackout was honoured by all Canadian media and Fung's kidnapping remained generally unknown within Canada.
Fung was finally released on November 8, 2008 after weeks of negotiations. A spokesman for the governor of Wardak Province
Wardak Province
Maidan Wardak Province is one of thirty four provinces of Afghanistan located in the central east region of Afghanistan. It has a population of approximately 540,100. The capital of the province is Maidan Shar...
indicated that local tribal elders and provincial council members negotiated Fung's release and that no ransom was paid. However, it was later revealed that Afghan intelligence determined the identity of the kidnapper, abducted his family, then demanded Fung be released in a prisoner exchange
Prisoner exchange
A prisoner exchange or prisoner swap is a deal between opposing sides in a conflict to release prisoners. These may be prisoners of war, spies, hostages, etc...
.
She was interviewed about her kidnapping on November 12, 2008, by CBC Radio
CBC Radio
CBC Radio generally refers to the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which are outlined below.-English:CBC Radio operates three English language...
's Anna Maria Tremonti
Anna Maria Tremonti
Anna Maria Tremonti is a Canadian radio and television journalist, who has been featured on a variety of programs on the CBC.She has previously been a senior reporter for The National, and a host of The Fifth Estate...
, in Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
. The interview later earned Tremonti and Fung a gold medal at the 2009 New York Festivals Radio Programming and Promotion Awards.
Fung wrote the book Under an Afghan Sky about her experiences. During an interview with a columnist from The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail is a nationally distributed Canadian newspaper, based in Toronto and printed in six cities across the country. With a weekly readership of approximately 1 million, it is Canada's largest-circulation national newspaper and second-largest daily newspaper after the Toronto Star...
, she said “I thought it might be cathartic...But it wasn’t.” On 5th May 2011, Fung was interviewed by CBC radio and CBC TV to talk about her experience and her book.