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 2006 ARCHIVE: SECURITY: FIJI: SANCTIONS COULD HURT THE WRONG PEOPLE Inter Press Service: 30 December 2006  With the international community clamping a range of sanctions on Fiji's military regime, warnings say such action could harm the civilian population, or lead to further tension in the South Pacific island nation. By Shailendra SinghFIJI: DEMOCRACY BY THE GUN NZ Listener: 23 December 2006 After going from popular hero to coupster in six years, Fiji's military strongman Voreqe "Frank" Bainimarama clings to a vision. By David Robie FIJI: COLUMNIST RANJIT SINGH CRITICISES NZ 'HYPOCRISY' Asia-Pacific Network: 21 December 2006 Fiji human rights campaigner and newspaper columnist Thakur Ranjit Singh has criticised New Zealand media over its coverage of the military coup and accused the government of hypocrisy. By David Robie PACIFIC: THE MONARCHY AND THE MILITARY Radio KPFA 94.1 FM: 21 December 2006 A military coup in Fiji and a pro-democracy movement in Tonga: Polynesian scholars Fuifuilupe and Loa Niumeitolu talk about governments controlled by a monarchy and a military as well as the future of these countries. REGION: CENSORS AND BEAT-UPS IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC AsiaMedia: 8 December 2006 Assassinations, coups and conflicts plague the region -- most recently in Fiji -- but does the media provide enough background on post-terrorism issues? asks David Robie FIJI: BACKGROUND TIMELINE TO THE TAKEOVER Asia Pacific Network: 8 December 2006 As in previous coups, there are concerns that the December 2006 putsch may not have support of the vanua (Fijian people). Fiji’s Great Council of Chiefs has come out strongly against the takeover, placing Bainimarama in a difficult and potentially dangerous situation. By Sanjay Ramesh FIJI: POST-COUP MILITARY CENSORSHIP ROW HITS MEDIA Pacific Media Watch: 6 December 2006 Fiji's leading daily newspaper and sole television station temporarily suspend operations after attempts by the military to censor their news. By Shailendra Singh FIJI: FIJI'S 'COUP BY STRANGULATION' Reuters: 5 December 2006 Heavily-armed soldiers remained on Fiji's streets on Tuesday and government cars were being seized, radio reports said, as the military increased pressure on the government amid fears of a fourth coup in 20 years. By Paul Tait REGION: BARBOUZES, BULLETS AND BEAT-UPS: SOUTH PACIFIC MEDIA REALITIES AUT School of Communication Studies: 29 November 2006 A research paper backgrounding the South Pacific region's "arc of instability" and the media response to crises (pdf file). By David Robie. FIJI: MEDIA EDUCATOR PRAISES PACIFIC PAPER AT AWARDS Te Waha Nui Online: 20 November 2006 The 10-year-old newspaper Wansolwara has set a benchmark for media training in Pacific island countries, says AUT University associate professor in journalism David Robie. FIJI: THE 'MEXICAN STAND-OFF' - THE BACKGROUND Asia Pacific Network: 10 November 2006 As the dust settles slightly on the latest tussle, both the Fiji army and the government are claiming victory. Meanwhile, the threat of an imminent coup in Fiji seems all but over. By Sanjay Ramesh FIJI: THE SECRET DILEMMA: WHAT CAN WE DO? Asia Pacific Network: 3 November 2006 After the 2000 coup and the political developments in recent weeks, there is really an urgent need to re-look at our national security situation, including the mechanisms in place and how we can introduce a more participatory and interactive human dimension into it. By Steven Ratuva FIJI: BULLETINS AND BULLETS: THE MEDIA AND COUP RUMOURS Asia Pacific Network: 28 October 2006 The war of words between the Fiji government and the military commander, Frank Bainimarama, last year, including the latest outbursts against the government by Bainimarama, were literally taken by the rumour-mongering foreign media to mean that a coup was around the corner. By Steven Ratuva REFUGEES: NZ'S LONE TERROR SUSPECT SPLITS COUNTRY BBC Assignment: 25 October 2006 The story of Algerian Islamist Ahmed Zaoui has divided New Zealand. He arrived in 2002 from Vietnam, and immediately sought political asylum. Since then he has had a two-year spell in jail, a year of it in solitary confinement. POLITICS: 'THE RIGHT' SHOULD EMBRACE WEST PAPUA Crickey!: 4 October 2006  The shock death in Sydney of West Papuan leader Willem (Wim) Zonggonau is tragic - but it also reminds us of why West Papuans will continue to flee the province and why The Right should welcome it. By Ben OquistHIV/AIDS: CATASTROPHE ON AUSTRALIA'S DOORSTEP Eureka Street: 3 October 2006 Papua New Guinea is a nation-state facing many of the problems of a developing nation. However, it is the spread of HIV/AIDS that may be the country's biggest test. The epidemic has the potential to kill thousands, and wreak havoc with the fragile economy. By Peter Cronau TONGA: TONGA: DEATH OF A KING AND END OF AN ERA  Asia Pacific Network: 21 September 2006The passing away of King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV represents the end of an era, an era characterized by the sometimes calm and sometimes turbulent relationship between the waning old and the robust new, between loyalty to the traditional order and popular demand for socio-political transformation. By Dr Steven Ratuva MEDIA: FILIPINO FEAR OVER ACTIVIST KILLINGS  BBC World: 17 September 2006Journalism can be a dangerous occupation in the Philippines where there has been a spate of murders arousing international concern. Sarah Toms reports WEST PAPUA: CLERGYMAN CONDEMNS INDONESIA'S 'GENOCIDAL' POLICIES Te Waha Nui Online: 18 August 2006 A visiting West Papuan church leader has accused Indonesia of genocidal policies in the Jakarta-ruled Pacific province and has called on New Zealand to press for an end to human rights violations in his homeland. David Robie reports MEDIA TRAINING: DAVID ROBIE TALKS TO RADIO AUSTRALIA'S PACIFIC BEAT Radio Australia On the Mat: 11 August 2006 Look at efforts to develop and improve the skills of journalists in Vanuatu, as part as the fight against corruption, both in the private and public sectors. In the country's capital Port Vila last week, a media-training workshop was held. Carolin Tiriman reports STATE TERRORISM: DAVID ROBIE TALKS TO TVNZ BREAKFAST SHOW Court of Appeal judgement: 7 August 2006 TVNZ Breakfast Show's Kay Gregory spoke to David Robie about the Court of Appeal's decision to let Television New Zealand air a taped confession of manslaughter by Rainbow Warrior saboteurs Alain Mafart and Dominique Prieur. Dr Robie worked as a freelance journalist during the trial of the pair and wrote a book - Eyes of Fire. Video feed STATE TERRORISM: TVNZ WINS CASE AGAINST RAINBOW WARRIOR SPIES Court of Appeal judgement: 7 August 2006 NZ's Court of Appeal has ruled in favour of Television NZ in its long-running battle to broadcast the guilty pleas by Rainbow Warrior secret agents Alain Mafart and Dominique Prieur. And the footage has been broadcast on One News. VANUATU: DAVID ROBIE PRESENTS EYES OF FIRE TO PM LINI Vanuatu Daily Post: 4 August 2006 Journalist David Robie has presented a copy of the memorial edition of his book Eyes of Fire to Vanuatu Prime Minister Ham Lini. Lini's late brother wrote the original foreword in 1986. POLITICS: WEST PAPUA - THE HIDDEN PACIFIC CONFLICT AUT Journalism Online: 28 June 2006 Student journalists at AUT University compile news reports on the ongoing West Papua struggle for self-determination. EAST TIMOR: THE COUP THE WORLD MISSED Antiwar.com: 22 June 2006 "Australia's collusion, wrote Professor Roger Clark, a world authority on the law of the sea, 'is like acquiring stuff from a thief … the fact is that they have neither historical, nor legal, nor moral claim to East Timor and its resources.' " By John Pilger EAST TIMOR: AUSTRALIA - PEACEKEEPER OR PETROLEUM PREDATOR IPS News: 22 June 2006 In Australian media reports, which in turn influence regional and international reporting of the issue, the crisis in East Timor is painted as an internal power struggle where an "unpopular" Prime Minister is opposed by a peoples' movement. The words "oil" and "gas" are hardly mentioned in these reports, even though this is at the heart of the Australian intervention. By Kalinga Seneviratne ASSASSINATIONS: KILLING SEASON IN THE PHILIPPINES Asia Times Online: 2 June 2006 A creeping and escalating killing spree of left-leaning political activists has erupted in the Philippines. Over the past two months, at least 18 activists have been murdered by unidentified assailants in various areas of the country - an average of two killings per week. By Herbert Docena EAST TIMOR: RAMOS HORTA 'TO END UNREST' BBC World: 2 June 2006 East Timor's Foreign Minister and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Jose Ramos Horta is to take over as the troubled country's security chief. The move follows President Xanana Gusmao's sacking of the discredited defence and interior ministers. EAST TIMOR: WHAT IS HOWARD'S ROLE IN THE TIMOR LESTE COUP? Sydney Indymedia: 28 May 2006 The violence in Dili is hardly an industrial dispute, nor spontaneous ethnic violence. Timor Leste's Prime Minister, Mari Alkatiri, says the armed attacks are part of an attempted coup, and follow a history of destabilisation attempts. By Tim Anderson TERRORISM: AN ANALYTICAL SNAPSHOT OF THE PACIFIC'S STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENT  Pacific Journalism Review: 16 May 2006A review in the April edition of the journalism research journal by the Scoop website coeditor. By Selwyn Manning POST-COUP: DEMOCRACY BY THE GUN IN FIJI Pacific Media Watch: 13 May 2006 A transcript of Australia's controversial Channel Nine Sunday programme about Fiji on the eve of the 2006 general election. SECURITY: WESTERN TERRORISTS' DESTRUCTION AND MURDER Green-Left Weekly: 10 May 2006 Eyes of Fire offers an historical counter to today's "war on terror" idealogues and, in its tragic yet uplifting tale of perseverance and victory over nuclear testing in the Pacific. This offers hope for defeating other political evils of our time. By Phil Shannon POST-COUP: FIJI GOES TO THE POLLS AMID UNCERTAINTY Asia Pacific Network: 27 April 2006 Fiji goes to the polls from May 6-13 as political uncertainty over the South Pacific nation’s future remains. The Soqosoqo ni Duavata ni Lewenivanua (SDL) Government has paid lip-service to multiracial democracy. By Sanjay Ramesh SOLOMON ISLANDS: WHERE NEXT AFTER THE RIOTS? Asia Pacific Network: 24 April 2006 Years of violence and conflict have left Solomon Islanders feeling disenfranchised and distrustful of state institutions, say a trio of academics who specialise in Pacific Island affairs. By Sanjay Ramesh SOLOMON ISLANDS: SEEKING ANSWERS IN THE ASHES OF HONIARA Pacific Islands Report: 20 April 2006 An analysis of the reasons for the the post-election riots in the Solomon Islands and questions about the future. By Tarcisius Tara Kabutaulaka Rioting raises tension STATE TERRORISM: THE REAL FIRST CASUALTY OF WAR Information Clearing House: 20 April 2006 'The oldest cliché is that truth is the first casualty of war. I disagree. Journalism is the first casualty. Not only that: it has become a weapon of war, a virulent censorship that goes unrecognised in the United States, Britain, and other democracies. By John Pilger DISASTERS: END HIV/AIDS DISCRIMINATION IN PACIFIC, SAYS JOURNALIST APN/Pacific Media Watch: 19 April 2006 Freelance New Zealand journalist and television producer Ingrid Leary talks about story telling and dealing with crises of death and development. By David Robie MERCENARIES: FIJI, IRAQ AND THE PRIVATISATION OF PACIFIC ISLAND SECURITY Nautilus: 6 April 2006 More than 1000 Fijians are working in Iraq and Kuwait, as soldiers, security guards, drivers and labourers, and more than 2000 Fijian soldiers in the British Army. The employment of Fijian soldiers as mercenaries has brought new problems for the government of Fiji, and for its island neighbours as well. By Nic Maclellan PHILIPPINES: NEW ZEALANDER BATTLES MINING COMPANIES New Zealand Herald: 30 March 2006 Though campaigners are pleased that Prime Minister Helen Clark raised human rights issues with Philippines president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo during a brief visit to the country earlier this month, the fight goes on against the mining companies accused of some of the abuses. New Zealander Paul Finlayson is at the centre of the protests in one remote area. By Paul Smith IRAQ INVASION: CHALLENGING THE LEGALITY OF THE WAR IN IRAQ Radio NZ: 19 March 2006 Royal Air Force Flight Lieutenant Malcolm Kendall-Smith isn't a pacifist or consientious objector. He has previously served two tours in Basra and has been decorated for his military feats. Now he is being court martialled for refusing to return to the "illegal" war in Iraq. By Jon Stephenson PAPUA: THE GHOSTS OF INDONESIA WON'T LIE Asia Pacific Network: 19 March 2006 East Timor's history is repeating itself as Jakarta colludes with the West to crush another resource-rich land -West Papua. The world is watching as Australia decides the fate of 43 West Papuans seeking asylum. By John Pilger EDUCATION: THE TARR CONTROVERSY: ACADEMIC FREEDOM AND PACIFIC UNIVERSITIES Asia Pacific Network: 12 March 2006 The controversy surrounding USP Vice-Chancellor Tony Tarr's decision to speak to the Grand Fijian Coalition could possibly shake the very foundation of universities in this part of the world - that foundation called academic freedom. By Dr Ganesh Chand DISASTERS: PAKISTAN EARTHQUAKE ZONE EXPERIENCE Television NZ: 2 March 2006 Journalist Jon Stephenson shares his experience of working in the earthquake zone in North-West Pakistan. MEDIA: TO PUBLISH OR NOT TO PUBLISH? Asia Pacific Network: 8 February 2006 Two New Zealand newspaper editors have apologised for offending Muslims by publishing the controversial Danish cartoons. A Auckland journalist comments on the balance between media freedom and responsibility. By Edward Gay ECOJOURNALISM: EYES OF FIRE: WHEN NUCLEAR WARS CAME TO TOWN Scoop: 3 February 2006"David Robie lived through that last journey through the 1985 Pacific on board the Rainbow Warrior, and New Zealanders are the luckier for this fact. He allows us all to share in the historic adventure, which was, of course, cut tragically short by the French bombing of the now famous ship." By Selwyn Manning POLITICS: MILITARY VERSUS GOVERNMENT IN FIJI Asia Pacific Network: 1 February 2006 A cloud still hangs over the Fiji Military Forces. As Fiji heads towards another election, the ghosts of 2000 are still lingering in the shadows. By Sanjay Ramesh DISASTERS: COLD HARD FACTS IN KASHMIR Asia Pacific Network: 1 February 2006 In quake-devastated Kashmir, survivors are still waiting for promised aid. Kashmir lies broken, a land of rubble and ruins.. By Jon Stephenson |
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