(PINA/IFEX) – On 14 November 2000, the editors of two Fiji Islands journalists charged with unlawful assembly with rebels said their reporters had been covering the takeover of an army camp by the rebels. On 13 November, Fiji Islands police charged reporter Ruci Mafi of “The Fiji Times” and local Radio Fiji correspondent Theresa Ralogaivau […]
(PINA/IFEX) – On 14 November 2000, the editors of two Fiji Islands journalists charged with unlawful assembly with rebels said their reporters had been covering the takeover of an army camp by the rebels. On 13 November, Fiji Islands police charged reporter Ruci Mafi of “The Fiji Times” and local Radio Fiji correspondent Theresa Ralogaivau with unlawful assembly and unlawful use of a motor vehicle. They were released on bail and are due to appear in a magistrates court on 4 December.
According to Russell Hunter, editor-in-chief of “The Fiji Times”, and Vasiti Waqa, news director of Radio Fiji, the unlawful assembly charge relates to the journalists covering meetings held inside the army camp after it was taken over by rebels. The unlawful use of a motor vehicle charge relates to the journalists getting a ride in a vehicle rebels were using. The reporters had done this because it was the only way to get to the camp at the time, Waqa said.
Hunter and Waqa said their news organisations would vigorously defend their journalists. Waqa said the charges could be prompted by other reports the journalists had done about the behaviour of senior police officers during the crisis.
The charges follow events between 4 July and 3 August on Fiji’s second largest island, Vanua Levu. An army camp near the town of Labasa was taken over by rebel soldiers and local civilians, including indigenous Fijian traditional chiefs. The country’s first ethnic Indian prime minister, Mahendra Chaudhry, and his government were being held hostage in the capital, Suva, by coup leader George Speight and his indigenous Fijian supporters, including other rebel soldiers. The Fiji Military Forces had meanwhile declared martial law to halt violence and growing unrest around the country and was negotiating for the release of Chaudhry and his government.
“Fiji’s Daily Post” reported that the two journalists were alleged to have sat through a meeting held by rebel soldiers and civilians and transmitted information designed to get more civilians into the barracks. Police also allege that the pair were seen in a vehicle allegedly unlawfully taken and driven by rebels.
Divisional Police Commander Northern Samuela Matakibau was quoted by local news media as saying: “The law is for everyone and no journalists should overstep that line.” He said other members of the public will be charged when sufficient evidence is collected.
Fiji has among the most developed, independent, and diverse news media in the Pacific Islands. They have reported freely throughout the Fiji crisis. During the hostage crisis, many local and overseas journalists reported freely from within the parliamentary complex held by Speight and his supporters.
But the charges against Mafi and Ralogaivau come after an incident on 20 October, when armed soldiers came to Radio Fiji in Suva and took acting chief executive Francis Herman, news director Waqa and reporter Maca Lutunauga to army headquarters. The trio were detained for six hours and questioned by soldiers and police over the source of a report broadcast that morning about differences in the army. The trio refused to reveal their sources and were finally freed without being charged (see IFEX alerts of 25 and 20 October 2000).
Thirteen days later, eight soldiers were killed during a mutiny at the army headquarters by soldiers from the same elite unit as those who had helped Speight seize the Chaudhry government.
