-
Frank Bainimarama - Source: ONE News -
Related
Fiji's press freedom is under threat again after police searched two media organisations for airing politically-sensitive stories.
The Fiji Times and Fiji TV were issued with search warrants on Tuesday, so police could look for copies and sources of two letters that were published and aired this week.
One letter was apparently from political facilitators Dr Sitiveni Halapua and Robin Nair asking interim Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama for a meeting, the Fiji Times newspaper reported.
Another was from the United Nations and the Commonwealth showing their support for the president's political dialogue forum, a special meeting of Fiji's political parties set down for March 13.
It had been a tough day for Fiji Times editor-in-chief Netani Rika, who had his company car smashed by vandals before the day began.
"I do have my suspects and I have conveyed it to police," Rika told the news website Fijilive.
Three newspaper Australian editors or publishers have been deported from Fiji in the past year after disputes with Fiji's interim government.
The military regime was slammed in a report released this month by the International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute which highlighted concerns about political efforts to influence journalists, judges and lawyers.
"It is evident that measures implemented by the interim regime have negatively impacted on the judiciary, the legal profession, the Human Rights Commission and the media," stated the report, titled Dire Straits.
Bainimarama, who has been in power since staging the December 2006 coup, has denied any efforts to control external organisations.
