News Updates

For many viewers who switched on their television sets at 6PM this evening, you may have been surprised to learn that the news bulletin would not be aired.

We would like to clear the air before RFN and SV choose to distort the truth as they continually done. The true story behind the news bulletin not being aired is this. Fiji TV wanted to air stories against the new govt. and spoke to a number of radicals who voiced their opinions in a very seditious manner. As you all know, the Emergency Decrees is in place and the decree very clearly states that all media outlets must guard against running any news which can be considered seditious. Fiji TV chose to run stories by contacting parties such as NFP, SDL and other NGO’s who all chose to use the limelight as an opportunity to voice their personal opinions and attempt to cause an uprising against the govt. of the day.

We have stated this in the past and we state this again for the benefit of those here: The govt. will not tolerate any forms of sedition, treason or civil disobedience from any quarter. We have stated that all media outlets need to exercise a high degree of caution before publishing any article which may cause riots or civil unrest of any sort. The Fiji TV management was given the opportunity to remove specific items from their news bulletin however, they refused and argued that they should be allowed to publish all news events or they would not be running the news bulletin at all. Since the armed forces have been tasked with ensuring no news outlets reports in a biased manner, the final onus was on Fiji TV to abide by the Emergency Decree or not run any of the bulletins. As such, the company then chose to flaunt the rule of law and the end result is as the viewers finally saw it: no news bulletin this evening.

We would like to reiterate to all parties that any political meetings, gatherings or any form of public congregation will require the approval of the Police Commissioner and any one found to be disobeying this order we believe, will be dealt with in an extremely serious manner. If the Fiji TV management team chooses not to run their news bulletin as normal, but under the Emergency Decree, then the govt. will not interfere with the decision taken by the management. This also applies to the Fiji Times who were cordial enough to agree that specific news articles would not be run but the requirement was that the company be allowed to publish a censorship message in its stead. This was readily agreed to and it was further agreed that no news that had been censored would be published on any of the media outlets websites. We are of the belief that the media council will be working closely with us in a professional manner in order to ensure the 30 day transition passes smoothly. The Emergency Regulations will be reviewed after this period and renewed IF necessary.

We ask that all the people of this country come together in a patriotic harmony and work with the govt. to help build a better Fiji which is free of corruption and racial politics. May God bless Fiji and her people.