RSF: 31 August 1998
EDUCATION: RSF PROTESTS OVER HARASSMENT
Reporters Sans Frontières, a Paris-based independent organisation for the defence of press freedom worldwide, protests to Fiji against the harassment of two foreign journalists and academics.
Reporters sans frontières
Tél : (33) 1 44 83 84 84
Letter to:
Senator Filipe Bole
Paris, 31 August 1998
Sir,
Reporters Sans Frontières, an independent organisation for the defence of
press freedom worldwide, wishes to protest against the harrassment of two
foreign journalists and academics.
According to our information, David Robie, a journalism coordinator at the
regional University of South Pacific based in Suva, Fiji, and correspondent
of Reporters Sans Frontières for the last four years, and Ingrid Leary, a
journalism lecturer - both New-Zealand nationals -, have been threatened
with having their work permits revoked because of what they wrote as
journalists and academics. It seems that the threat came after an article
was published on David Robie's web site, which criticised the Fiji
government's plan to legislate for a media council to replace the
independent and self-regulating council already in place.
David Robie is the co-publisher of an independent Internet website dedicated
to press freedom and journalism issues. Ingrid Leary writes a weekly "Media
Watch" column for the Fiji newspaper Daily Post.
Reporters Sans Frontières asks you to ensure that David Robie and Ingrid
Leary can exercise their work freely without fear of pressure, as the new
Fijian constitution allows.
I remain.
Secrétariat International
Bureau Asie-Pacifique
5, rue Geoffroy Marie - 75009 Paris France
Fax : (33) 1 45 23 11 51
E-mail : asie@rsf.fr
Web : www.rsf.fr
Minister of Information
Government of the Fiji Islands
Yours faithfully
Robert Ménard
General Secretary