This item from Radio Fiji may explain why FijiLive did not register in time, and could not be accessed yesterday. My information is that PER is being lightly applied, leaving editors responsible for erroneous postings. But, whatever, the cause, being taken in for questioning seems excessive. Surely a phone call asking the editor to correct the error would have been sufficient. Fiji Live has been a very responsible online paper to date, and its temporary absence from the internet is already missed.
"Police have questioned and released Fiji Live News Editor Richard Naidu for a story that was published by the online news agency on Thursday. Naidu was taken in yesterday by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID). Director CID Adi Sen says they questioned Naidu overnight and released him at about 11am today.
Naidu was questioned over a story alleging the suspension of the Police Commissioner Commodore Esala Teleni.Police say the story was incorrect. Fiji’s Public Emergency Regulations remain in place."
15 comments:
It just goes from bad to worse. I'm not holding my breath that we are returning to normality in 4 years time!!
@ thinking not sleeping - I think you should add the appointment of Teleni as police high priest to your list of early mistakes made by the military and one they are yet to fix. Crusades, crime free states....
so that would be the PER that we where absolutely assured would be removed when we had a media decree......Military credibility takes another dive.
Oh and still no word on the Police Commissioners absence by the way.
'one step forward three steps back' - feels like a theme here. Over sensitive military, over reacting again.
@ All ... I suggest you all reserve judgment until more is known. We all have concerns but my guess is that some of the things reported show that the Government's left hand does not know what its right hand is doing, and it takes them time to coordinate. Until this happens, why not at least give them the benefit of the doubt? Richard was not arrested, abused, assaulted; he was taken in for questiong. Big deal but not all that big.
Looks like this govt has lost the plot, picking on petty things. Get rid of your media decree now. If you dont like critisism, butt out and give someone else a go. Enough is enough. If Richard has misreported, then tell us what the fact is. Is Teleni a protected species because he is an NBF debtor? Is this the new Fiji, as promised? What can be expected from a govt that can deport someone who dares open his/her mouth against a govt minister, ie RUSSELL HUNTER. Go figure
Didn't they say that when the Media Decree was promulgated, the PER would end? This stuff is all redolent of a police state and highly damaging to the country's image. It seems to be one step forward and two steps back for the regime. Just when it gets some upbeat publicity abroad for staging a successful regional summit and giving the Aussies one in the eye, the jackboots emerge to spoil the party. Richard Naidu wouldn't have been hauled in without Frank and Sharon Smith Johns being informed. And if they weren't, whoever did this ( presumably Teleni given the contents of the offending story ) deserves to be carpeted. More bad news for Fiji.
I agree with Croz. It is no big deal to be taken in for questioning. Happens in New Zealand all the time. Police in NZ question up to 600 suspected criminals every day! So what is the fuss about? And the right had of government not knowing what the left is doing is certainly excusable in a country which faces severe capacity constraints demonstrated by the Prime Ministers admission that he does not know left from right. Lets be fair and unbiased when we judge the moves of Fiji's authorities.
We are this morning being told by police spokesperson that
he was taken in under the media decree which
is interesting because I can't see what
part of the decree gives the police the
power to haul in publishers or journos
and hold them over night.
I admire you 'benefit of the doubt' ideals
Croz and positivity. It's lost on these
thugs though.
As an aside my good friend has to attend church
each Sunday with tele tubbie to ensure
he remains considered for any future in the
Police force. He is Hindu. How race free
is that ?
It's well into Sunday now in Fiji and fijilive
site is still down. Surely someone in the
military must know this will get negative
media attention around the region or
perhaps they just don't care ?
Who is in charge on information and PR for the junta? They are obviously asleep on the job. The image of this junta is declining rapdly internationally as it lauches from problem to problem? There appears to be no consistent message - just continually putting out spot fires most of which they have started themselves.
On the matter of religious freedom:
It is perfectly desirable that people should be free to confess NO religious conviction at all. This is an entirely logical and reasonable position for anyone to take OR to change their religious conviction at will based upon premises which they happen to find acceptable at the time. No one, no entity can enforce religion or religious belief upon any human being. THe Spanish Inquisition was proof of that - and here we are, back to Spain again but it is relevant. Conscience must determine all matters of belief and conscience is the ultimate arbiter of Justice. We should consider what John Wesley might have thought about this? Would he recognise the aberrations of indoctrination perpetrated in his name as anything remotely connected with himself?
Hey guys, Fijivillage is back on line with an interesting article about Fiji's new competition in supplying troops to international operations. The Tongans seem to beaver away at the regional monopoly of Fiji and have landed a major hit worth 5 million NZ $ in Afghanistan.
To all those gob-smacked at the "taken in for questioning" should really refer to Wikileaks and Pentagon's non-amusement.
@ Going off message re freedom of conscience
Anyone who has a modicum of knowledge about Soviet Russia and Europe under Communism or who might have read "THe Unbearable Lightness of Being" and novels like it which concern themselves with life behind the Iron Curtain, will know that restricting or constricting the ability to think freely is the death knell of any regime. The death throes may be drawn out but the convulsions and the end may be sudden and unexpected: were we around at the Fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989? If we were, we know that this is "THe Truth" staring us in the face - let us not stumble over it and go on our way. That would indeed be greatly mistaken. Milan Kundera and writers like him know that ultimately 'The Truth will Out'. Modern united Germany is proof of this: the Emperor wore no clothes!
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