Page 32 - IB MAY 2017

We Say
Give us Media Freedom

JUST over eight years ago this month,
as thousands of Christians marked the
death of Jesus Christ, Fiji’s interim gov-
ernment crucified the 1997 Constitution.
A day later censors were forcibly
placed in newsrooms.
Then, now the late, President Ratu
Josefa Iloilo disregarded an earlier rul-
ing by the Appeals Court which had
declared (then) Commodore Frank
Bainimarama’s appointment as prime
minister illegal.
On Holy Thursday 2008 Bainimarama
vowed on national television to abide by
the declaration of the court and await
the orders of the President.
Most of Fiji awoke the following day
to the promise of a new beginning and
a return to democracy.
But it was not to be. On Good Friday
Iloilo re-appointed Bainimarama and
abrogated the supreme law by which Fiji
had been governed for 12 years.
Iloilo effectively killed the Constitu-
tion and ushered in an unprecedented
six years of rule by decrees and prom-
ulgations.
One of those decrees – the Media In-
dustry Development Decree – was born
out of those early days of censorship Journalists at work in Fiji. Photo:Invictus
in which journalists and the companies
for which they worked were beaten into frey Smith have also fallen to the sword radio and newspapers in his campaign
submission and gagged. of restrictive media legislation. to unseat Fiji’s democratically-elected
There are others, not named, to whom
government.
The floors of the country’s newsrooms
were littered with untold stories of the we pay tribute today- noble practitioners How quickly he shut down the very
brutality which took place in those early of a trade whose creed is to tell the truth institutions he used to drum up public
days and its workers bear the trauma despite the circumstances. support for his illegal actions.
We acknowledge that there are a few
The people of Fiji have learned first-
of the physical and verbal abuse they true journalists who attempt every day hand what happens when they lose
suffered at the hands of members of the
security forces. to uphold media freedom, ask the tough media freedom and the ability to express
Media freedom in its purest form questions and hold our leaders respon- their opinions in fora which allow debate
died on that day and has never been sible to the people. on national issues.
But they are becoming few and far
Today their complaints on poor health
resurrected. between. services and corruption within the Civil
In the last nine years, journalists
who have dared to ask tough questions In Tonga, Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Service are confined in the main to Face-
of government and others in author- Pohiva has taken a distinctive dislike book, Twitter and other social media or
ity have had their careers destroyed to the Tonga Broadcasting Commission in communal gossip circles.
A free media is critical to maintain true
through political interference even in which could soon face closure if there is democracy and ensure the participation
no public outcry.
privately-owned companies.
Among them Sophie Foster and Ilai- It is ironical that Pohiva, who used of the broader community in governance
tia Turagabeci of The Fiji Times, Anish the free media to great effect in order from the villages to the halls of Parlia-
Chand, Satish Narain and Merana Kiti- to sway public opinion from the Royal ment in any Pacific country.
And no country can be truly free un-
one of Fiji Television, Wame Valentine Family towards his democracy move- less is journalists and media organisa-
ment should now choose to shut down
of Radio Fiji.
Media executives Frances Herman, the State broadcaster. tions can fulfil their role as the Fifth
Tanya Waqanika, Tevita Gonelevu, Geof- Bainimarama too, it must be remem- Estate without interference from the
bered, was allowed unfettered access to government.
l We Say is compiled with the oversight of the editor.

32 Islands Business, May 2017