The International Press Institute (IPI) is deeply concerned by the intimidation and violent threats made against the management and staff of the Fiji Daily Post by the Fijian military during a coup d’état led by Commodore Frank Bainimarama.

According to information before IPI, the Fiji Daily Post was forced to halt operations and evacuate their premises for a period of 24 hours following these threats.

Commenting on these events, IPI Director Johann P. Fritz said, “This is Fiji’s fourth coup in 20 years and the Fijian military’s actions against the media are a clear attempt to block the free flow of information regarding current events. The Fijian military must put an end to its tactics of intimidation and allow newspapers and broadcasters to work free of all restraints.”

“We would also urge the Fijian military to respect Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that everyone has the right to ‘seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers,’” Fritz said.

The Fiji Daily Post, an independent publication owned by publisher Mesake Koroi, has reported on the events leading to today’s military coup. On Saturday, 2 December, the newspaper exposed Bainimarama’s timetable for taking control of the government in their online edition. The newspaper also reported that the military would remove incumbent Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase from power on 4 December.

The Fiji Daily Post’s reporting led to death and bomb threats from Fijian military officers directed at the newspaper’s management and staff members. Management therefore considered it in the best interests of staff safety to evacuate their premises at around 3.30 pm local time on 4 December and the offices remained closed for a period of 24 hours. The threats prevented the Fiji Daily Post from publishing its daily edition on 5 December 2006.

Based on information from IPI’s sources, the threats follow a pattern of intimidation against the newspaper and its publisher. In the past, this has forced the publisher into hiding.

Reports of military manipulation of the press are not isolated. Other news reports detail a ban on the main Fijian television station, Fiji 1, from airing any statements made by Qarase or his government. Fiji 1 has since ceased broadcasting all news items in an act of defiance.

Similarly, the daily Fiji Times has suspended publication after being ordered to publish only pro-coup stories. Fiji Times Editor Samisoni Kakaivalu said he refused to edit any newspaper in which content had been altered or censored in any way by external forces.