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.
