Pacific Freedom Forum, Rarotonga, COOK ISLANDS-- A presidential order
banning Palau's Attorney General Ernestine Rengiil from giving her legal
opinion directly to those seeking raises serious concerns over access to
information and freedom of information for the island nation, says regional
media watchdog the Pacific Freedom Forum, PFF.
The order, issued on January 27 now bans the Attorney General from
issuing a legal opinion on any matter unless it is specifically authorized by
the President or his Ministers. Under the Executive Order, the AG now has to
confer with President Johnson Toribiong or a Minister on all requests. If a green light is given, the legal analysis
still has to go back to the President with copies to the Ministers for
final clearance before it can be provided to the person or group who
first requested it.
"Controlling and restricting how the public's
leading expert on the constitution can communicate with the people of Palau
not only ends a well-established relationship for public access to the office
of the AG, but now leaves all pending questions hanging,"says PFF chair
Titi Gabi of PNG.
"Journalists wanting to have a quick legal insight
into news of the day are not the only ones who will be affected by this ban.
It's a blow for the right of Palauans to know what their elected leaders
are
doing and we urge President Toribiong to reconsider his decision
and reconsider the impact of this executive order, and revoke it,"
The
lack of an explanation for the gag order raises questions around timing.
National elections are set down for November 6.
The ban comes in the wake of questions from news broadcaster OTV regarding Palau's political campaign
law. Current campaign laws provide for equal airtime between privately owned
radio and TV for candidates. OTV had sought a legal opinion clarifying how
the law applies to Senator Alfonso Diaz, a former journalist who runs talk back and
promotion of his policies for several hours from his privately owned Radio Diaz station
each morning, without similar access for other political
candidates.
"The media ownership and campaign questions were relevant and
all in a days journalism, but now Palau's voters may never have the answers
-- or because of the vetting process involved, may not know until
after the elections," says PFF co chair Monica Miller.
"Our media
colleagues in Palau share the common situation of their journalism family
across the developing Pacific. The office of the Attorney General can
often be the only information link for sharing accurate legal information
with the public on how their elected leaders are applying the rule of law.
Gagging the Attorney General robs people of their right to know, and opens up room for speculation and misinformation." --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.
Sunday 12 February 2012
Thursday 9 February 2012
Defamation protections for Fiji regime unwelcome, says PFF.
PFF, Rarotonga, COOK ISLANDS -- Fiji's journalists are being warned to steer clear of the
latest
media-related decree and stick to ethical standards to guide their reporting of regime speeches and statements.
The warning comes in the wake of the country's new state proceedings decree, which grants Fiji's regime leader and his ministers exemption from defamation suits over anything they may say in public or private.
Signed off on January 19th by the nation's President, the regime issued a statement this week claiming the decree will strengthen public discussion and consultation in the lead-up to planned elections in 2014.
"Defamation and libel restrictions are a cornerstone of journalism ethics training and the practice applies whether a country has defamation laws or not. A leadership which protects itself but not its
people from defamation suits cannot expect that to be welcome news. We urge and support our colleagues in Fiji to apply caution in interpreting this decree, and to resist any confusion with parliamentary privilege which is only applied by democratically elected leaders, only in their official capacity, and only from the Parliament floor," says PFF chair Titi Gabi from Papua New Guinea.
"Of all the decrees introduced by the regime this is the most blatant in its elitist protection of the regime leader and his ministers. The claim it will foster and open public debate because the media won't be facing defamation lawsuits over any stories quoting the regime leadership is a farce. Along with the Media Decree, this one should be immediately revoked."
"The best way to open public debate towards meaningful progress is to ensure the right to speak and be heard, to ask questions and to challenge ideas and policies, is to ensure everyone involved is able to openly do so. " says PFF co-chair Monica Miller from American Samoa.
"This is yet another regime decree which adds to the current Media and other decrees shaping what is expressed in public and who says it. We stand by those media colleagues in Fiji who will strive in difficult times to uphold ethical standards, especially as they seek balance and right of reply from individuals and groups who may soon bear the brunt of the latest edict", she says.--ENDS
LINKS
Decree announced: http://fijivillage.com/?mod=story&id=0802129451fb595af42a6c83cc7e4e
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.
media-related decree and stick to ethical standards to guide their reporting of regime speeches and statements.
The warning comes in the wake of the country's new state proceedings decree, which grants Fiji's regime leader and his ministers exemption from defamation suits over anything they may say in public or private.
Signed off on January 19th by the nation's President, the regime issued a statement this week claiming the decree will strengthen public discussion and consultation in the lead-up to planned elections in 2014.
"Defamation and libel restrictions are a cornerstone of journalism ethics training and the practice applies whether a country has defamation laws or not. A leadership which protects itself but not its
people from defamation suits cannot expect that to be welcome news. We urge and support our colleagues in Fiji to apply caution in interpreting this decree, and to resist any confusion with parliamentary privilege which is only applied by democratically elected leaders, only in their official capacity, and only from the Parliament floor," says PFF chair Titi Gabi from Papua New Guinea.
"Of all the decrees introduced by the regime this is the most blatant in its elitist protection of the regime leader and his ministers. The claim it will foster and open public debate because the media won't be facing defamation lawsuits over any stories quoting the regime leadership is a farce. Along with the Media Decree, this one should be immediately revoked."
"The best way to open public debate towards meaningful progress is to ensure the right to speak and be heard, to ask questions and to challenge ideas and policies, is to ensure everyone involved is able to openly do so. " says PFF co-chair Monica Miller from American Samoa.
"This is yet another regime decree which adds to the current Media and other decrees shaping what is expressed in public and who says it. We stand by those media colleagues in Fiji who will strive in difficult times to uphold ethical standards, especially as they seek balance and right of reply from individuals and groups who may soon bear the brunt of the latest edict", she says.--ENDS
LINKS
Decree announced: http://fijivillage.com/?mod=story&id=0802129451fb595af42a6c83cc7e4e
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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