PORT VILA: The Media Asosiesen blong Vanuatu (MAV) has strongly condemned the violent attack against the Vanuatu Daily Post publisher on Friday, March 4.
MAV president Evelyne Toa said such a violent act must not be tolerated at any level of our society. She called on the police to thoroughly investigate the attack and bring to justice those involved, and for the government to discipline government members involved.
“MAV condemns any such attack on media practitioners as an attack on press freedom and a failure to use proper channels to address grievances with the media. Let us not allow the perception that the way to solve problems is through violence,” Toa said.
“This is one way of trying to stop the media from tackling controversial and high profile issues. We condemn this attempt to silence the media and we call on the authorities to immediately resolve the case.”
The MAV president said the media at its best is a defender of human rights, an advocate of peace and development, and a voice for the people.
“We are not the enemy. We are just carrying and delivering the message. If any person has concerns about how an issue is reported in the media, then there are a number of ways to air these concerns and seek a remedy,” Toa said.
“We urge our members and colleagues in the media to be on guard always, and to put safety above all priorities,” she added.
The MAV president added: “We call on all fellow media practitioners to denounce this attack in the strongest possible terms. We urge our media community to resist all attempts to prevent us from fulfilling our role in a democratic society. Together, let us put up a united front against attacks on media freedom.” - Vanuatu Daily Post/Pacfic Media Watch
Pacific Media Watch
