AUCKLAND (Pacific Media Watch): The controversial ban on Samoan language in Mormon churches in Brisbane was discussed when Gary Farrow at 95bFM interviewed Pacific Media Watch editor Daniel Drageset recently.
After having lost a court case, Samoan Mormons have lodged a complaint in the Federal Appeals Court in Australia arguing the language ban is a violation of human rights.
“The Samoan community [in Brisbane] – in fact, Samoa as a country – has mobilised in winning this case. The lawyer of the Samoan Mormons in Brisbane, met last week with [Samoan] Prime Minister Tuilaepa, who promised to write to the Pacific community and the Mormon church in Salt Lake City,” Drageset told Gary Farrow during the programme The Wire.
According to the Samoa Observer, the Mormon church in Brisbane has removed the Samoan language service and told its congregations they could no longer pray, sing or testify in any other language than English.
Samoans have even been prohibited from speaking Samoan in the Mormon churches in Brisbane, prompting their lawyer Leulua’iali’i Olinda Woodrooffe to characterise the language ban as “disgusting”.
The decision has angered many Samoans, according to ONE News.
However, the Mormon church in Brisbane has defended its decision by saying that using English in church helps “the younger generation feel comfortable with English”.
PNG mine
Drageset also talked about a recently proposed bill in Papua New Guinea, where the government would take over the Ok Tedi Mine in the Western Province.
“During the 1980s and 90s tailings from the Ok Tedi mine caused widespread damage to the Fly River in PNG,” Drageset explained.
The company responsible for the damage, BHP Billiton, accepted responsibility, but was granted legal immunity in 2001 after it divested its majority share to a charitable trust called the PNG Sustainable Development Programme.
According to Radio Australia, this programme has helped the local population coping with the environmental problems caused by the mine.
A Papua New Guinean political commentator that Radio Australia spoke to, said money that up until now had benefitted the people of the Western Province instead would be subject to corruption from powerful and wealthy politicians.
Listen to the full interview with contributing editor of Pacific Media Watch Daniel Drageset
Drageset also recently talked about the new director of Fiji's Media Industry Development Authority Matai Akauola on 95bFM, who criticised Australian and New Zealand news media for 'dictating' the Fijian media
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