Silence in paradise

It’s happening in paradise.

Not too long ago, members of the Commonwealth Broadcasters Association met in Fiji to discuss a number of matters - presumably in a free and forthright manner. The CBA espouses the values of freedom of speech, freedom of expression and freedom of the media. Ironically, delegates at the CBA Conference were served by hotel staff who do not have these rights once they leave the hotel complex.

And what was most disturbing was the fact that parts of this conference were presided over by the Permanent Secretary for Information - a lieutenant-colonel - who is in effect Fiji’s chief censor.

May I be presumptuous at this stage and say that Australians appear to have no idea just how lucky they are to have a voice through the media organisations which operate freely in this country.

As journalism students, you must know that your colleagues but a plane ride from this city are under enormous pressure to succumb to the demands of an illegal regime. Unfortunately, many of your colleagues have buckled under this pressure because their editors or publishers have chosen to take the easy way out and sell their ethics.

This administration wants a particular message to go out to the people. They want the public to think that all is good. Let me tell you, that message is far from the truth.

The danger however, is that without a free media, people will begin to believe in the lies.

So what are we permitted to print?

Basically any story on government must put the interim regime in a positive light or it will not be permitted. No views contrary to those of the interim government are permitted - even if balance is provided in the form of a comment from a minister of state or a senior public servant.

Censors did not allow the publication of the reactions of the Commonwealth and the United Nations to the reappointment of Bainimarama as interim prime minister by our president who, now that his usefulness to the regime is at an end, has been put out to pasture.

We were not allowed to publish news of street protests in Thailand or the assassination attempt on US President Barack Obama.

Censors entered our newsroom on the evening of the day that the President ordered Bainimarama’s reinstatement. Of course we had dozens of stories from all across the political spectrum showing reactions to this event. We were not allowed to publish any of these stories.