Fiji Media Council Condemns Assault

Fiji Media Council Condemns Assault

www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=56421

* Fiji Times photographer assault
www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?ref=archive&id=56332

SUVA (FT Online/Pacific Media Watch) - The assault and detention of The Fiji Times photographer Sitiveni Moce by soldiers on Friday has been strongly condemned by the Fiji Media Council.

Council chairman Daryl Tarte yesterday said Fiji Military Forces commander Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama had given assurance of media freedom.

He said this meant that photographers must be free to take pictures of incidents that occur in the country.

The Fiji Times editor, Samisoni Kakaivalu, said the paper would lodge an official complaint with the Fiji Human Rights Commission and the police on Monday.

The Fiji Times photographer Sitiveni Moce was manhandled by soldiers outside the Centenary Methodist Church at Stewart Street, Suva on Friday.

He was on an assignment at the church when the soldiers manhandled him.

Witnesses said Moce was confronted by a soldier when he tried to take pictures of them escorting a member of the church from the premises.

A soldier had tried to take the roll of film from Moce's camera while another soldier tried to snatch his camera bag.

Moce was then manhandled, dragged to the military truck and taken to the Delainabua camp where he was questioned and detained for an hour.

Moce was medically examined on Friday night for injuries he sustained.

Paula Sotutu, of the Fiji Media Council complaints committee, said it was a pity that despite giving media freedom assurance, the military assaulted media personnel.

Sotutu reiterated Tarte's comment that it was a job of a photographer to take pictures of incidents that happened and it was sad to see him being punished for doing his job.

He said the council would investigate the incident as soon as it received a formal complaint.

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