Fiji media told not to promote disharmony Featured
Ashwin Raj, chair of Fiji's media authority MIDA (Photo: RNZI)
12 January, 2016. Fiji's Media Industry Development Authority says media organisations should not publish or broadcast material in a form likely to promote discord, but are free to report matters of national interest.
The Authority's chairperson, Ashwin Raj, made the comment after last week's report in the Fiji Sun which quoted the prime minister as saying if a women wants to marry another woman, they should do so in Iceland and stay there.
Mr Raj says media organisations have to be sensitive to and particularly careful about the possible effects of discriminatory references to vulnerable minorities in prejudicial or pejorative contexts.
He goes on to say that Fiji needs to have a deep and meaningful discussion on the issue that goes beyond what he calls the cul de sac of marriage. Fiji's gay community has called on the prime minister Frank Bainimarama to apologise for what it says are derogatory and homophobic statements.
A human rights advocate, Shamima Ali, has described the prime minister's comments as disheartening.
RNZI
3 comments
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MO'ONI KI AI FINE...Neongo kuo hulu fau e pulusi e loi & kaakaa 'i he Kele'a (tu'o fiha ena 'enau mo'ua 'i he 'lau'i kovi?), ko e tau'ataaina ia 'o e lea.
Mo'oni e lea 'a e kau Kominiusi 'a Lusia: TALA MA'U PE 'A E LOI PEA 'E HOKO IA KO E MO'ONI." Ko e feinga ia 'oku fai ki ai 'a e Kele'a mo e fanga pone 'a e Palemia. Toki fk-tonutonu ia ki mui, ka kuo 'osi fk-hoko e maumau. -
Tonu ke fa'u mo ha tu'utu'u ni ki Tonga ni ke tapu e publish e loi, ka ko e me'a pe he 'e mate 'a e Kele'a ia he ko 'enau kei mo'ui pe 'anautolu he LOI, ko e 'u tu'uaki pe 'a e ngaahi kautaha 'i he Kele'a 'oku mo'oni ko hono toe 'oku hilo pe mei mu'a ki mui. Hilo Loi kiaiii
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FIJI'AN MEDIA STILL UNDER DICTATORSHIP...since Fiji signed on to the CEDAW treaty in 2002, they must accept the CEDAW's alternative lifestyles of their people. Fijian gays have a right to be insulted if PM Bainimarama showed insensitivity to them as human beings.
Ashwi Raj of Fiji's MIDA is a government bureaucrat who wants journalists to give up their free speech rights. He is a mouthpiece for the Bainimarama's dictatorial Government. He wants the media to publish propaganda for government instead of "reporting what they saw and heard in the news."
Freedom of speech is exactly what it is: Freedom to say, write, sing, or read poetry on any subject we wish. PM Bainimarama is free to say anything he wants, but people are free to agree or disagree with him. And journalists have a right to report what Bainimarama said,
He insulted some people and he needs to apologize to them.