Rarotonga, COOK ISLANDS -- Updated
arrangements for the Pacific Islands News Association biennial meeting have been
welcomed by the Pacific Freedom Forum, but the regional media monitoring
network is concerned over the potential pitfalls of hosting the event in Fiji.
The Pacific Islands
News Association which has its coordinator, secretariat and regional news
service based in Fiji's capital city, announced this week it would be
postponing its 2011 Pacific Media Summit til early 2012 and relocating it from host country
Papua New Guinea.
"Many PFF members trace their active advocacy of media freedom back to PINA, which is why we are concerned that media freedom will not be a leading agenda item given the current situation in Fiji" says PFF Chair Titi Gabi of Papua New Guinea.
"We support the optimism with which some colleagues have greeted the news. But a mutual dialogue best happens where both sides feel free to speak from their hearts, and skilled mediation is present," says Gabi. "As we saw in PINA 2009, the attendance by Fiji military personnel sparked a walkout and changed the tone of the whole event. What will happen next year?"
Under the media decree application process for a regional media meeting , every session of PINA 2012, every speaker presenting and the name of every delegate planning to attend has to be vetted by the regime, who can also be there 'monitoring' what is said.
Since April 2009, emergency
regulations have suspended media freedom and the right to peaceful assembly,
installed military censors in newsrooms, and led to a media decree which
controls who can practice journalism and how they work. The last major media conference event
hosted by Fiji was the Asia Pacific Institute for Broadcast Development event in July 2009. Local media were notably absent, and were largely represented by state media and
military information officers.
Regional media events where freedom of expression has
featured, originally planned for Fiji around World Press Freedom Day, have
twice been relocated to Samoa. The last event, planned for World
Press Freedom Day in May 2011, had its application rejected without explanation by Fiji's Ministry of
Information just days after organisers were advised it had been accepted.
"PFF have previously called for a regional media mission to Fiji to allow for some direct and frank dialogue with the regime, Fiji's people, and our media colleagues," says PFF co-chair Monica Miller of American Samoa, "If having PINA 2012 in Suva can help to progress such a mission without compromising its independence, we would welcome it."--ENDS
CONTACT:
PFF Chair
Titi Gabi | Freelance Journalist | Papua New Guinea
Mail: PO Box 7776, Boroko, NCD, Papua New Guinea | Mob: (675) 7314 3929 | Email: titi.gabipng@gmail.com
PFF co-Chair
Monica Miller | KHJ Radio | American Samoa
Mob 684 258-4197 | Office 684 633-7793 | Email: monica@khjradio.com
The Pacific Freedom Forum are a regional and global online network of Pacific media colleagues, with the specific intent of raising awareness and advocacy of the right of Pacific people to enjoy freedom of expression and be served by a free and independent media.
We believe in the critical and basic link between these freedoms, and the vision of democratic and participatory governance pledged by our leaders in their endorsement of the Pacific Plan and other commitments to good governance. In support of the above, our key focus is monitoring threats to media freedom and bringing issues of concern to the attention of the wider regional and international community.
Pacific Freedom Forum is a regional media body, monitoring threats to press freedom and journalism ethics across Oceania.
Friday, 30 September 2011
Wednesday, 28 September 2011
Solomon Islands: Police action urged on 75,000 compensation demand
Rarotonga, COOK ISLANDS -- Regional media monitoring network the Pacific Freedom Forum has welcomed news that Solomon Islands newspaper the Islands Sun has referred a $75,000 SBD (about 7,500 AUD) compensation demand against them to the Police.
The compensation demand was made on Thursday 21 September by supporters of West Honiara MP Namson Tram, following the front-page publication by Island Sun of a report into Tram's purchase and private registration of his government vehicle. Island Sun and other media outlets had quoted Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee Mathew Wale referring to the deal as criminal, with the paper's headline reflecting that label. The Media Association of the Solomon Islands, MASI has issued a statement denouncing the compensation demand as a form of harassment against journalists and media organisations which is 'inappropriate and disrespectful to media freedom in Solomon Islands."
"We stand by our colleagues in their stance against compensation threats of this kind which are clearly nothing more than attempts to extort money and have nothing to do with a custom arrangement," says PFF chair Titi Gabi of Papua New Guinea. "We call on Police to complete their investigation in a timely manner mindful of the fact that this compensation demand involves an MP, and threats to personal safety of journalists involved," she says. She says harassment, abuse and threats against journalists should not be accepted as part of the news beat, and must be reported immediately to Police.
"While the context of media ethics and traditional customs will inform the Police investigation, we have to refer back to the rule of law. If journalists don't report threats and harassment to Police, they are effectively signalling that an illegal behaviour against them is acceptable."
"As Pacific journalists, it's important to understand that elements of culture are always going to be a point of contention in our work, but the bottom line is culture should make us better -- not worse, at doing the best job for our communities," says PFF co chair Monica Miller.
"Leading and award-winning journalists in the Solomon Islands have helped to develop one of the best national media associations in the Pacific. We commend MASI's important work in developing training and codes of ethics and practice for journalists in the Solomons, and urge our colleagues in all outlets to advertise complaints procedures to their audiences so that more people understand what their choices are when they are offended by what is reported as news." ENDS.
LINKS--
ISLAND SUN report
http://www.islandsun.com.sb/
MASI statement
http://www.solomonstarnews.com/news/national/12355-masi-denounced-compensation-demand-on-island-sun-newspaper
CONTACT: PFF Chair Titi Gabi | Freelance Journalist | Papua New Guinea Mail: PO Box 7776, Boroko, NCD, Papua New Guinea | Mob: (675) 7314 3929 | Email: titi.gabipng@gmail.com PFF co-Chair Monica Miller | KHJ Radio | American Samoa Mob 684 258-4197 | Office 684 633-7793 | Email: monica@khjradio.com The Pacific Freedom Forum are a regional and global online network of Pacific media colleagues, with the specific intent of raising awareness and advocacy of the right of Pacific people to enjoy freedom of expression and be served by a free and independent media. We believe in the critical and basic link between these freedoms, and the vision of democratic and participatory governance pledged by our leaders in their endorsement of the Pacific Plan and other commitments to good governance. In support of the above, our key focus is monitoring threats to media freedom and bringing issues of concern to the attention of the wider regional and international community.
The compensation demand was made on Thursday 21 September by supporters of West Honiara MP Namson Tram, following the front-page publication by Island Sun of a report into Tram's purchase and private registration of his government vehicle. Island Sun and other media outlets had quoted Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee Mathew Wale referring to the deal as criminal, with the paper's headline reflecting that label. The Media Association of the Solomon Islands, MASI has issued a statement denouncing the compensation demand as a form of harassment against journalists and media organisations which is 'inappropriate and disrespectful to media freedom in Solomon Islands."
"We stand by our colleagues in their stance against compensation threats of this kind which are clearly nothing more than attempts to extort money and have nothing to do with a custom arrangement," says PFF chair Titi Gabi of Papua New Guinea. "We call on Police to complete their investigation in a timely manner mindful of the fact that this compensation demand involves an MP, and threats to personal safety of journalists involved," she says. She says harassment, abuse and threats against journalists should not be accepted as part of the news beat, and must be reported immediately to Police.
"While the context of media ethics and traditional customs will inform the Police investigation, we have to refer back to the rule of law. If journalists don't report threats and harassment to Police, they are effectively signalling that an illegal behaviour against them is acceptable."
"As Pacific journalists, it's important to understand that elements of culture are always going to be a point of contention in our work, but the bottom line is culture should make us better -- not worse, at doing the best job for our communities," says PFF co chair Monica Miller.
"Leading and award-winning journalists in the Solomon Islands have helped to develop one of the best national media associations in the Pacific. We commend MASI's important work in developing training and codes of ethics and practice for journalists in the Solomons, and urge our colleagues in all outlets to advertise complaints procedures to their audiences so that more people understand what their choices are when they are offended by what is reported as news." ENDS.
LINKS--
ISLAND SUN report
http://www.islandsun.com.sb/
MASI statement
http://www.solomonstarnews.com/news/national/12355-masi-denounced-compensation-demand-on-island-sun-newspaper
CONTACT: PFF Chair Titi Gabi | Freelance Journalist | Papua New Guinea Mail: PO Box 7776, Boroko, NCD, Papua New Guinea | Mob: (675) 7314 3929 | Email: titi.gabipng@gmail.com PFF co-Chair Monica Miller | KHJ Radio | American Samoa Mob 684 258-4197 | Office 684 633-7793 | Email: monica@khjradio.com The Pacific Freedom Forum are a regional and global online network of Pacific media colleagues, with the specific intent of raising awareness and advocacy of the right of Pacific people to enjoy freedom of expression and be served by a free and independent media. We believe in the critical and basic link between these freedoms, and the vision of democratic and participatory governance pledged by our leaders in their endorsement of the Pacific Plan and other commitments to good governance. In support of the above, our key focus is monitoring threats to media freedom and bringing issues of concern to the attention of the wider regional and international community.
Thursday, 22 September 2011
PFF welcomes UN concern on Vanuatu media--next steps important
Rarotonga, COOK ISLANDS----The 'serious concern' voiced by the United Nations
over media rights abuses by Vanuatu's government is a milestone moment for
Pacific media freedom work.
Regional monitoring watchdog the Pacific Freedom Forum, PFF and other media groups have led ongoing campaigns calling on serious abuses to media freedom in Vanuatu. PFF says the opinion expressed this week by the UN's Pacific Office for Human Rights regional representative Matilda Bogner is a welcome step by a key regional development partner opening up on an issue that's usually left to journalists to handle.
"It's good to see that the key regional body of the UN agency tasked with human rights is helping to raise the rights of journalists in this way," says PFF chair Titi Gabi of PNG.
"The ability of journalists to do their work without fear or favour means the public they serve can be informed without fear or favour. Vanuatu's leadership and other Pacific nations need to know that assaults and harassment of media workers undermines governance itself and lessens the credibility of leaders who allow it to happen on their watch," she says.
In her opinion published this week, Bogner notes the key basis of a free media to governance and accountability and points out guidelines for leaders in Vanuatu to help tackle the culture of impunity
surrounding harassment of journalists.
The Pacific Freedom Forum would especially welcome a country or regional visit by the UN Special
Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression, says Gabi.
"Journalists doing their jobs free from interference or censorship are one of the core features of thriving democracies. A country or regional visit by the UN special rapporteur assigned by Ban ki Moon to investigate and advocate around freedom of expression would really help Pacific governments understand their responsibility to protect, not control, a free media."
PFF has previously called on Pacific agencies who partner with media workers on training and development to raise their concerns with Pacific governments on their development commitments which rest on the support for human rights.
"We are mindful that regional agencies based in Fiji, where military censorship and leadership by decree continues to suppress freedom of expression and other key human rights, may themselves be
self-censoring and fearing for their personal and professional safety." says PFF co-Chair Monica Miller of American Samoa.
"It's the work of all of us, not just media and monitoring networks like PFF to sound the warnings when our governments backtrack on their promises and agreements, especially on basic human rights. So we look forward to more opinions from the UN on Article 19 in the Pacific, including the country where the regional office is hosted-- Fiji."--ENDS
LINKS:
UN Pacific OHCHR opinion: Free media essential for any society:
http://pacific.scoop.co.nz/2011/09/%E2%80%9Ca-free-media-is-essential-for-any-society%E2%80%9D/
PFF on Vanuatu assault -- March statement
http://www.pacificfreedomforum.org/2011/03/pacific-govts-must-distance-themselves.html
CONTACT: PFF Chair Titi Gabi | Freelance Journalist | Papua New Guinea Mail: PO Box 7776, Boroko, NCD, Papua New Guinea | Mob: (675) 7314 3929 | Email: titi.gabipng@gmail.com PFF co-Chair Monica Miller | KHJ Radio | American Samoa Mob 684 258-4197 | Office 684 633-7793 | Email: monica@khjradio.com The Pacific Freedom Forum are a regional and global online network of Pacific media colleagues, with the specific intent of raising awareness and advocacy of the right of Pacific people to enjoy freedom of expression and be served by a free and independent media. We believe in the critical and basic link between these freedoms, and the vision of democratic and participatory governance pledged by our leaders in their endorsement of the Pacific Plan and other commitments to good governance. In support of the above, our key focus is monitoring threats to media freedom and bringing issues of concern to the attention of the wider regional and international community.
Regional monitoring watchdog the Pacific Freedom Forum, PFF and other media groups have led ongoing campaigns calling on serious abuses to media freedom in Vanuatu. PFF says the opinion expressed this week by the UN's Pacific Office for Human Rights regional representative Matilda Bogner is a welcome step by a key regional development partner opening up on an issue that's usually left to journalists to handle.
"It's good to see that the key regional body of the UN agency tasked with human rights is helping to raise the rights of journalists in this way," says PFF chair Titi Gabi of PNG.
"The ability of journalists to do their work without fear or favour means the public they serve can be informed without fear or favour. Vanuatu's leadership and other Pacific nations need to know that assaults and harassment of media workers undermines governance itself and lessens the credibility of leaders who allow it to happen on their watch," she says.
In her opinion published this week, Bogner notes the key basis of a free media to governance and accountability and points out guidelines for leaders in Vanuatu to help tackle the culture of impunity
surrounding harassment of journalists.
The Pacific Freedom Forum would especially welcome a country or regional visit by the UN Special
Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression, says Gabi.
"Journalists doing their jobs free from interference or censorship are one of the core features of thriving democracies. A country or regional visit by the UN special rapporteur assigned by Ban ki Moon to investigate and advocate around freedom of expression would really help Pacific governments understand their responsibility to protect, not control, a free media."
PFF has previously called on Pacific agencies who partner with media workers on training and development to raise their concerns with Pacific governments on their development commitments which rest on the support for human rights.
"We are mindful that regional agencies based in Fiji, where military censorship and leadership by decree continues to suppress freedom of expression and other key human rights, may themselves be
self-censoring and fearing for their personal and professional safety." says PFF co-Chair Monica Miller of American Samoa.
"It's the work of all of us, not just media and monitoring networks like PFF to sound the warnings when our governments backtrack on their promises and agreements, especially on basic human rights. So we look forward to more opinions from the UN on Article 19 in the Pacific, including the country where the regional office is hosted-- Fiji."--ENDS
LINKS:
UN Pacific OHCHR opinion: Free media essential for any society:
http://pacific.scoop.co.nz/2011/09/%E2%80%9Ca-free-media-is-essential-for-any-society%E2%80%9D/
PFF on Vanuatu assault -- March statement
http://www.pacificfreedomforum.org/2011/03/pacific-govts-must-distance-themselves.html
CONTACT: PFF Chair Titi Gabi | Freelance Journalist | Papua New Guinea Mail: PO Box 7776, Boroko, NCD, Papua New Guinea | Mob: (675) 7314 3929 | Email: titi.gabipng@gmail.com PFF co-Chair Monica Miller | KHJ Radio | American Samoa Mob 684 258-4197 | Office 684 633-7793 | Email: monica@khjradio.com The Pacific Freedom Forum are a regional and global online network of Pacific media colleagues, with the specific intent of raising awareness and advocacy of the right of Pacific people to enjoy freedom of expression and be served by a free and independent media. We believe in the critical and basic link between these freedoms, and the vision of democratic and participatory governance pledged by our leaders in their endorsement of the Pacific Plan and other commitments to good governance. In support of the above, our key focus is monitoring threats to media freedom and bringing issues of concern to the attention of the wider regional and international community.
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