Fiji journalist arrested over article 

The arrest of a Fiji journalist during a sedition investigation has sparked fresh debate over media freedom in the South Pacific country.
  
Fiji Times journalist Serafina Silaitoga was taken into police custody on Sunday morning for questioning over a recent political article she wrote.
  
The journalist, who is five-months pregnant, was arrested at her home by eight police officers.
  
Fiji Times editor Netani Rika said police threatened to lock her up unless she answered their questions.
  
Fiji is ruled by a military regime headed by Commodore Frank Bainimarama, who seized power in a bloodless coup and appointed himself prime minister.
  
"The officer on Friday night said the interim prime minister had called the police commissioner from China where he is at the Olympic Games, and said he wanted an investigation into the story that we ran," Rika said.

"That set off a chain of events which happened to end with the police sergeant turning up at a private function and demanding a statement."
  
The article in question quoted Fiji businessman Charan Jeath Singh, who challenged interim finance minister Mahendra Chaudhry to admit he received a letter of dismissal from Bainimarama.
  
There were recent reports Chaudhry was set to be sacked from his post following pressure from Bainimarama's military council.
  
Fiji Media Council chairman Daryl Tarte has said Silaitoga's arrest is a threat to media freedom.
  
Media Council secretary Bob Pratt said he was aware of another incident involving a reporter from the Fiji Daily Post, who was taken by police for questioning recently also concerning the reports into Chaudhry.
  
"There are various arms of the administration and if they take offence ... they go to the extreme. They send in a truckfull of police and grab people for interviews," Pratt said.
  
Interim attorney-general Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum defended the military government's handling of journalists, saying the administration respected media freedom.
  
The treatment of Silaitoga is not the first time a Fiji journalist has been taken into custody by security forces since the coup.
  
Rika said he knew of three Fiji Times reporters who had been questioned, including a photographer who was beaten by soldiers after he took pictures of a meeting between the army and church leaders.
  
Earlier this year the newspaper's Australian publisher Evan Hannah was expelled from Fiji amid claims he was a security risk.
  
The expulsion came soon after the Australian publisher of the Fiji Sun, Russell Hunter, was thrown out of the country following the publication of a series of controversial articles.
  
Rika said the treatment of Silaitoga would not stop his journalists reporting political events in the country.
  
Police in Fiji have denied threatening the reporter during their questioning.