Pacific Islands News Association (PINA)

(PINA/IFEX) – A former pro-Indonesian militia commander claims the Indonesian Information Minister, Yunus Yosfiah, had a direct role in the killing of five newsmen during the 1975 invasion of East Timor, the “Sydney Morning Herald” reported on 21 June 1999. The “Sydney Morning Herald” report was written by Jill Jolliffe, an Australian freelance writer who […]

(PINA/IFEX) – On 21 June 1999, the new Fiji Islands Government announced that it plans to introduce legislation to set up a government-imposed media council to replace Fiji’s present independent, self-regulatory council. Lekh Ram Vayeshnoi, Assistant Minister for Information to Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry, told the House of Representatives this during an attack in which […]

(PINA/IFEX) – On 18 June 1999, PINA urged the new Fiji Islands Government to withdraw a notice it issued for government advertising to be placed in only one of Fiji’s two daily newspapers. PINA said: “PINA notes that in the past this advertising tactic has been used both in Fiji and in other Pacific Islands […]

(PINA/IFEX) – Broadcasters in the Fiji Islands are getting more information before commenting on a new bill regulating broadcasting being proposed by the new Fiji Labour Party-led coalition government. The proposed bill was announced by the President, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, in his speech outlining government policies at the opening of the new Parliament on […]

(PINA/IFEX) – A woman journalist for American Samoa’s daily newspaper was slapped in the face by a former lawmaker who is now a government adviser to the territorial House of Representatives, the newspaper “Samoa News” alleged on 14 June 1999. The adviser, Gus Hannemann, was said to be upset because journalist Fili Sagapolutele reported that […]

(PINA/IFEX) – The United Nations Assistance Mission in East Timor (UNAMET) has begun broadcasting news and feature reports in four languages, Australian Associated Press (AAP) reported on 14 June 1999. The news agency said the broadcasts enable the United Nations to talk directly to the East Timorese, who are scheduled to vote on 8 August […]

(PINA/IFEX) – Fiji Islands news organisations have complained over the manhandling of journalists by police guarding the country’s new prime minister, “The Fiji Times” reported on 12 June 1999 (local date). The newspaper stated that on 11 June, after a caucus meeting of Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry’s Labour Party, a police officer guarding Chaudhry pushed […]

(PINA/IFEX) – News organisations in the Fiji Islands are concerned about a new restriction placed on coverage of the country’s influential Bose Levu Vakaturaga (Great Council of Chiefs). On 4 June 1999, “The Fiji Times” reported that, contrary to some claims of improved access to this meeting of traditional indigenous Fijian leaders, coverage is actually […]