(PINA/IFEX) – On 17 July 1998, the Fiji News Council called on the Fiji Government not to use the new Emergency Powers Act 1998 to censor the news media. The council, a PINA member, comprises representatives of Fiji’s news media organisations plus an equal number of prominent public members drawn from the country’s various communities. […]
(PINA/IFEX) – On 17 July 1998, the Fiji News Council called on the Fiji
Government not to use the new Emergency Powers Act 1998 to censor the news
media. The council, a PINA member, comprises representatives of Fiji’s news
media organisations plus an equal number of prominent public members drawn
from the country’s various communities. It acts as a self-regulatory body
for the local news media and also promotes freedom of expression and
information, ethics, and professional standards. The council’s independent
chairperson, Daryl Tarte, issued a statement which said:
**Updates IFEX alert of 7 July, 9 July and 13 July 1998**
“The Fiji News Council, at its meeting in Suva on Wednesday 15 July 1998,
expressed its gravest concern at the possibility of Government assuming
these wide powers. This legislation gives the Government the authority to
suppress many of the basic freedoms enshrined in the Bill of Rights of the
new Constitution. These include personal liberty, freedom from servitude and
forced labour, freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, freedom of
association, labour relations, freedom of movement and privacy.
“The Fiji News Council understands that in the event of a public emergency
resulting from an invasion or from natural disaster, or that action has been
taken which threatens to endanger public safety or harm the national
economy, it is necessary for Government to take unusual measures to protect
the state. Nevertheless, the council does not believe the situation could
arise whereby freedom of expression should be suppressed. The only avenue
through which the opinions of the people can be heard is through a free
press, radio or television system. If these forms of media are controlled by
Government, then the voice of the people is effectively silenced and the
only communication or information that is likely to go out to the people is
from Government.
“Freedom of expression, as set out in the new Constitution which comes into
effect on 27 July, provides:
‘Every person has the right to freedom of speech and expression,
including:
(a) freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas; and
(b) freedom of the press and other media.”
“Unless there is any breach of specific provisions of the Constitution, this
freedom must prevail in any true democratic society … The Fiji News
Council, on which there are industry and public members, has an established
code of ethics. It is in the process of refining this and establishing a
code of standards for all media and it believes that rigid adherence to
these codes is sufficient regulation of media freedoms.”
Background Information
The Emergency Powers Act 1998 was passed in special sittings of Fiji’s House
of Representatives and Senate ending on 16 July 1998. This was done despite
concern from the news media, trade unions, community activists and some
Opposition parliamentarians (see IFEX alerts). The act includes a section
enabling the introduction of regulations for “censorship and the control of
and suppression of publications, writings, maps, plans, photographs,
communications and means of communications.” The Government says that under
the 1990 Constitution (introduced by an unelected interim government after
two 1987 military coups), the president has the power in certain
circumstances to declare a state of emergency and issue decrees which
displace various rights and freedoms. When the new Constitution comes into
effect that power will be repealed. The proposed legislation enables the
president to still declare a state of emergency, the Government says.
