Freedom not a cliche - then or now

Muzzled Press is all you are going to get there...despite Bainimarama

It has been said that Fiji's dictatorial strongman and self appointed Prime Minister is not the first leader to bridle at the attentions of the Press.

Two centuries ago, Thomas Jefferson, the author of the American Declaration of Independence allegedly said of a Philadelphia newspaper, "Nothing in this paper is true , with the possible exception of the advertising, and I question that.'' He believed that a free press was essential to a democracy. If he had to choose between a government without newspapers, and newspapers without government, he would choose the latter!

He recognised that the Press had to be free to hold governments to account for their actions and to inform the people.

Sadly, in Fiji's case with Commodore Bainimarama holding sway in that banana republic there is no shred of press freedom - journalists are just as likely to be taken down to the army barracks and 'spoken to' as anybody else!

He says his government is committed to media freedom as a fundamental right enshrined in rhe constitution but his personal bully boys continue to harass and intimidate the critics of his regime.

An employee of a Fijian publication was invited down for one of the military's chats at the barracks - he was neither a journalist or editor of the publication and not involved in the decision to run a story which was proven to have errors. He was , as I stated in an earlier story, badly mistreated during a five ordeal left him with chest and knee lacerations and broken ribs; he had been force-marched up a hill and later dragged into a shower.

Representatives of other publications have also been invited in for chats about what had been written in their news as well. Now the media must impose a muzzle on themselves for self preservation.

231 years ago Thomas Jefferson stated and wrote that the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness were the ideals of a successful democracy. Governments were created by men and derived their powers from the consent of the governed. There isn't any government by the people, for the people and of the people in Fiji, and no amount of spin will alter that simple fact. Democracy is dead in Fiji. This is not some overworn cliche!

The relationship between Fiji the banana republic, and its former best friend, New Zealand, has never been worse with Bainimarama tossing out New Zealand's High Commissioner in a fit of pique because the son of a Fijian government representative had his visa revoked. With a conservative National Government in NZ now; the outcome was predictable with Fiji's official government representative sent home. The future looks interesting, to say the least!