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Fiji newspaper staff threatened
Many of us have a certain disdain for the MSM and journalists in general. Some of that comes from the fact that the journalists and editors at the NYT, etc., risk little and understand little about the hard facts of life. Here's a group of journalists who deserve our support.
Staff at a major Fijian newspaper have been warned they will be “the first people shot” after an army coup. The verbal threats -- by army officers -- and other bomb threats against the Fiji Daily Post have led the newspaper to seek political asylum in Australia for its entire staff.

“We’ve had death threats, bomb threats and our publisher is in and out of hiding after being named by Commander Bainimarama on Friday,” said Editor-in-Chief Robert Wolfgramm in an exclusive interview with ninemsn. “We’re in a state of meltdown and the publisher has suggested we all ask for asylum. The army is moving on certain police buildings as we speak, including the Tactical Response Group headquarters.”

The Fiji Daily Post is owned by the SDL party, headed by Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase. It has written a number of strongly worded editorials backing constitutional rule in Fiji.

Mr Wolfgramm said his newspaper was sick of the intimidation by certain elements of the army and had to take the threats of violence seriously. “Over the past year we’ve had, at regular intervals, calls from army personnel saying ‘when we take over you are the first people we’ll shoot’.

“It has been escalating with bomb threats as well and then last Friday the Commander named our publisher. We’ve just had enough.” The situation has led the publisher, Mr Alan Hinkling, to recommend asking the Australian High Commission to support applications by staff for asylum.

In its editorials, The Fiji Daily Post has stridently supported the legitimacy of the Qarase government. In an open letter to Commander Bainimarama and his supporters the Post wrote: “You will have a torrid time getting legitimate acceptance of your newfound role from both local and indigenous peoples, and from the international community. Indigenous Fijians are not ethno-nationalists — they are ordinary citizens who made a choice for the government they wanted ruling Fiji back in May this year. An overwhelming 80 percent of these ordinary Fijians chose the SDL party and its parliamentary candidates for national leadership. Because we are a democracy, they had every right to expect that their choice — the Qarase government — would be honoured by all peoples and every key institution that comprises the nation.”
Posted by: Steve White 2006-12-04
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=173896