MINISTER HITS BACK AT PINA EDITOR

SUVA, Fiji Islands (PMW): Fiji's Assistant Information Minister Lekh Ram Vayeshnoi has accused Papua New Guinea newspaper editor Oseah Philemon of being "misinformed" and "hallucinating" in criticisms of the Government's threats on media regulation.

Writing in two daily newspapers on 11 November 1999, the Fiji Sun and the Daily Post, Vayeshnoi launched into an attack on a statement made by PNG Post-Courier editor Philemon as recently elected vice-president of the Pacific Islands News Association (PINA).

In the statement, widely circulated at the weekend by PINA, Philemon accused Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry of becoming the first civilian dictator of a South Pacific country if he "goes ahead with his threat to legislate against media freedom".

Scathing about the alleged lack of accuracy and unprofessionalism of Fiji news media, Vayeshnoi said the two newspapers could not even spell the editor's name correctly.

"We now don't know who to believe," the minister said in the Daily Post. "Is it Oseah Phileon, as he is described in your article, or Osea Philomen as in the Fiji Sun?

"Never mind, neither paper has got the poor man's name exactly right. I am referring to Oseah Philemon, vice-president of PINA.

"If they cannot correctly spell the name of their vice-president, it says something for the accuracy and laxity of our local journalists."

Vayeshnoi said that if it were not for the seriousness of the allegation from a reputed journalist, "I would have thought the poor man was choking on his words and hallucinating from the lack of oxygen".

"All I can say is that I pity Philemon for being misinformed about Government's proposal to set up a media tribunal for the benefit of the people.

"The only link the tribunal has with media freedom is its authority to adjudicate in the interest of freedom of expression and media responsibility and the protection of the public from grievances it may have against the media."

In the Fiji Sun, Valeshnoi said: "It is unfortunate that Government's proposal to establish a media tribunal has been deliberately misconstrued as a threat to media freedom.

"What threat, may I ask? Perhaps, the threat to curtail inaccurate, biased, slanted, twisted, misrepresented reports that we have cited?

"The media likes to think it is in the vanguard in its call for transparency and accountability. It has jealously guarded its assumed responsibility as the watchdog of the people.

"Surely that does not exempt the watchdog from being watched?"

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