Pacific Media Condemn Minister 'And His Thugs'

Pacific Media Condemn Minister 'And His Thugs' For Attack On Daily Post
http://pacific.scoop.co.nz/2011/03/pacific-media-condemn-minister-and-his-thugs-for-attack-on-daily-post/

By Pacific Media Centre news desk

PORT VILA (Pacific Scoop/Pacific Media Watch): Pacific media organisations have reacted with outrage over a violent attack on the Vanuatu Daily Post allegedly led by a cabinet minister with the newspaper publisher vowing to bring assault changes against those involved.

The mid-afternoon attack happened yesterday when Public Utilities Minister Harry Iauko led a group of men into the newspaper office and allegedly assaulted publisher Marc Neil-Jones, and threatened his editor and other staff, according to a Daily Post front page report today.

Editor Royson Willie wrote in the newspaper that the aggressive visit to the office was because the Daily Post had published articles “about the minister’s handling of land issues, the Airports Vanuatu Limited board suspension, Transparency International’s column and letters to editor”. All these issues were reported during the week.

Police arrived at the Daily Post just as the group was leaving and were reportedly investigating.

Publisher Marc Neil-Jones angrily condemned the group for the attack, saying: “I can’t think of many countries where a minister of state would survive long if he marched into a national newspaper with a gang of thugs employed within the ministry and assaulted the publisher of a national daiily paper because he didn’t like the valid criticism he was getting from all quarters, including the newspaper, members of the public through letters to the editor and Transparency International.”

Editor Royson Willie called the attack “a disgrace and unacceptable”.

“This is appalling,” said Cook Islands News publisher John Woods, who is also an executive member of the regional Pasifika Media Association. He paid tribute to Neil-Jones’ courage.

“It behoves us all to support Marc and his newspaper against bigotry and violence like this.”

‘Mindless brutality’
Dr David Robie, director of the Auckland-based Pacific Media Centre, also condemned the “mindless brutality” of the attack on a free press and called on Prime Minister Sato Kilman’s government to sack the minister and rigorously investigate the attack.

ENDS

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