Govts must distance themselves from Vanuatu media bashing

colleagues, the PFF link at www.pacificfreedomforum.org has been
updated with the text and links below --with thanks for your
publishing and sharing to relevant networks.

For immediate release, Sat 5 March 2011-Rarotonga, Cook Islands -- The
Pacific Freedom Forum calls on Pacific leaders and the Vanuatu
government to distance themselves in the strongest possible terms from
the serious assault of Vanuatu Daily Post Publisher, Marc Neil-Jones,
and threats against Daily Post editor Royson Willie on Friday 4th
March 2011. The attack was initiated by a group of men led into the
Daily Post offices by Vanuatu cabinet minister Harry Iauko, and was
reported on by the Daily Post in its Saturday 5th March issue.

Neil Jones was left shaken and with visible injuries after he was
struck to the head from behind, kicked, and strangled by his
assailants during the assault. The Minister who witnessed the attack
which took place in Neil Jones' office, had screamed abuse and threats
over the Daily Post exposure linking him to maladministration in Port
Vila. The men also confronted and threatened Daily Post Editor Royson
Willie.

The Daily Post documented the attack in its Saturday newspaper and has
filed a statement with the Police. It is the second bashing of the
newspaper publisher in recent years.

"The Pacific Freedom Forum calls on the Vanuatu Government, other
Pacific government leaders, and development partners, especially those
based in Port Vila to denounce this vile attack and distance
themselves from this shameful thuggery," says PFF chair Susuve Laumaea
of Papua New Guinea.

"The role of the media as the fourth estate, the fourth arm of
governance supporting a watchdog 'eyes of the public' function on the
legislature, the judiciary, and the executive governing arms of a
country, is under threat of being trampled into fear and silence
across the region. At a turning point in Pacific history, we call on
our leaders to uphold the rule of law, not take it into their own
hands and turn to vigilante justice."

Laumaea says the assault on Jones, who is already ill and semi-retired
from his publishing role with the Daily Post, "is more than a violent
act of cowardice. It is a crime in breach of the Vanuatu Constitution
and the Leadership Code of Vanuatu, and sends a chilling signal to
other Pacific leaders and development partners that their silence is
being taken as support for the the systematic abuse of human rights
and in particular on the right to freedom of expression and
information in Vanuatu," he says.

"The manner in which the Minister and his team went by government
vehicle, in open view of the general public and Daily Post staff, and
of a government official who has brought shame onto himself, his
office, and his country. We say the government should suspend Harry
Iauko from all Ministerial and Parliamentary duties and
responsibilities pending the final outcome of the police
investigation, including any prosecutions arising. Any public servants
involved should also be immediately suspended."

"The Pacific Freedom Forum stands with the Media Association of
Vanuatu and our global freedom of expression partners in total outrage
at this latest and extremely serious incident threatening media
freedom and Government - media relations in Vanuatu," says PFF
co-chair Monica Miller of American Samoa.

This is not the first time Marc Neil-Jones has been assaulted by
Vanuatu government employees. In January, 2009, he was bashed by a
group of prison guards angered by stories in the Vanuatu Daily Post
implicating them in the death of a prison escapee and mismanagement of
the Port Vila Jail. In 2001, Neil-Jones, who is a naturalised citizen
of Vanuatu, successfully challenged his illegal deportation from
Vanuatu after the then government was angered by his reportage on
corruption and transparency.

The Pacific Freedom Forum also calls on the Vanuatu Police to act on
the detailed statement from Mr Neil-Jones, to promptly and thoroughly
investigate this outrage and bring all those responsible before the
courts without delay.--ENDS

LINKS:

Iauko disgraces Vanuatu govt--Daily Post:
http://www.dailypost.vu/sites/default/files/Issue%203182.pdf

Pacific media condemn attack:
http://pacific.scoop.co.nz/2011/03/pacific-media-condemn-minister-and-his-thugs-for-attack-on-daily-post/

Vanuatu Leadership Code 1998 :
http://www.paclii.org//cgi-bin/disp.pl/vu/legis/num_act/lca1998131/lca1998131.html

Opinion piece, Vanuatu Daily Post:
http://www.dailypost.vu/content/when-will-destruction-stop

Daily Post publisher attacked by Prison Guards:
http://cafepacific.blogspot.com/2009/01/assault-on-vanuatu-publisher-shocks.html

Deportation of Neil Jones from Vanuatu, Ombuds report:
http://www.paclii.org//cgi-bin/disp.pl/vu/ombudsman/2001/5.html

© Scoop Media