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Down Under
Fiji newspaper staff threatened
2006-12-04
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

#7  Time and again genius of French three quarters has dazzled their British and to a far lessser degree, Southern hemisphere opponents but in this day of 1987 they looked like teenagers facing the Harlem Globe Trotters (that is if the Trotters played serious) completely outbrained.

But that idiot Koro Dua Dua, he was at fifteen yards of the French line, there was no French betwen him and the line and he had a ten yards lead over his nearest pursuer but instead of running with the ball clutched to his chest like every other rugby player in history, he was holding it like athetes hold the baton in relay races: in one hand and moving this in synchro with his legs. Then the ball slipped from his hand.

But I have never seen such pure wizardry in a rugby field like the one displayed by the Fijians this day.
Posted by: JFM   2006-12-04 17:50  

#6  JFM - all too true, but you left out one important part. Many of the Indians the British brought to Fiji were muslims. Today, 80% of the businesses are owned by Indians, and the majority of the government is Indian. The Fijians have little problems with the Hindus, but there are major problems with other groups. There is also little industry other than tourism. Fiji is not on anyone's beaten path, so even that is hampered. There are some other major problems, too. The Fijians still maintain control of the military, but the police is mostly Indian. There is no love lost, especially when the non-Fijians out-breed the natives by about seven to two.
Posted by: Old Patriot   2006-12-04 14:41  

#5  My money sez 3:1 on rugby players wailing on soccer players during any coup or civil war.
Posted by: ed   2006-12-04 14:40  

#4  JFM him say:
Division II Fiji nearly took out top 10 France but for a fumble towards the end of the game.

/
Posted by: Leg Bowler Jones   2006-12-04 13:50  

#3  JFM, what in the world did you just say?
Posted by: Steve White   2006-12-04 10:21  

#2  Lol, Commander? I thought he was a Commodore - got demoted, eh?
Posted by: Spot   2006-12-04 08:16  

#1  The problem in Fidji is that the colonizers brought Indian workers until these outnumbered the locals (sounds familiar?) and now prime miniter is most of the time an Indian. That doesn't fit weel with then Fijians who control the Army.

Also there is a culture shock because Indian teachers teach soccer to their Fijian pupils while their fathers would have them learning Rugby.

Now don't miss an opportunity to see the Fijians playing Rugby (specially 7 Ruby where they are best in world), they have an amazing creativiy, rarely kick the ball out of the field (that comes because as child they played barefooted with coconuts) and often pass the ball one handed like football quaterbacks but with the far bigger and heavier rugby ball.

In 1987 they came close to eliminate France (the hand slipped from the hands of half fly Koroduadua who had an open highway for the try but was holding tha ball one handed) in quarter finals and in 1999 or 2003 (don't remember) only partial refereeing impeded them from eliminating the French.
Posted by: JFM   2006-12-04 03:42  

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