MELBOURNE (Radio Australia / Reporters Without Borders / Pacific Media Watch): Reporters without Borders and the New Zealand-based Pacific Media Centre have called for Fiji to repeal its Media Decree and introduce a Freedom of Information law.
A joint submission from both organisations has been made to the United Nations Human Rights Council for when it monitors Fiji at its four and a half yearly universal periodic review in Geneva next month.
Reporters Without Borders' Asia-Pacific director Benjamin Ismail says it was "regrettable" that the media decree had resulted in a 48 hour blackout on media coverage of last week's elections.
He says press freedom in an electoral period and during the elections has been under attack, and more media coverage and press freedom could have decreased the risk of fraud.
The Pacific Media Centre's Director, Professor David Robie, told Bruce Hill now that the country had returned to parliamentary democracy with elections it was time to scrap the Media Decree and its draconian penalties.
Presenter: Bruce Hill
Speaker: Professor David Robie, Director of the Pacific Media Centre in Auckland
Listen to the Radio Australia interview
David Robie's comment on Cafe Pacific
The full submission to the UN Human Rights Council
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Pacific Media Centre
