Fiji: Reaction to detention of alleged bloggers
Region: FijiGlobal Voices previously reported that Fiji police detained and seized the laptops of three people who had been named as bloggers behind the anti-government site Raw Fiji News. The three lawyers, among others, had recently been named by the pro-government site Real Fiji News. While police confirmed the detentions and laptop seizures, a spokesman would not say why the three men were hauled in. All three have been relea... more
Views: 1200Fiji: EU cancels 2009 sugar subsidy
Region: FijiThe European Union announced that it was suspending 2009 payment of 24 million Euro in subsidies to help prop up Fiji’s sugar industry. European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, Louis Michel, admitted Fiji would have received the payment if it would have had a “legitimate government” in place. He was referring to the events that began on December 2006 when Commodore Frank Bainimara... more
Views: 1128Fiji: Bloggers debate media censorship
Region: FijiAs reported here last week, Fiji’s government extended for another 30 days its “emergency regulations” that, among other things, controls public gatherings and forbids the media from printing stories that “undermine the Government and the State of Fiji.” These rules allow the Permanent Secretary of Information the ability to place censors in newsrooms, accompanied by plainclothes policeman... more
Views: 1091Fiji Government Raises Income Tax Threshold, Lowers Trade Duties
Region: FijiActing Finance Minister Filipe Bole of Fiji's interim government has announced that his Department has raised the nation's minimum income tax threshold from $9000 to $15,000 (U.S.), a move which is getting mixed reactions from economists. The new cut-off for income taxation goes into effect on June 1st. The intent of the action is to give relief to lower-class and poor people, including many small farmers, in the w... more
Views: 2612Video: Greenpeace and Climate Crisis
Region: Fiji
Here we talk to Nilesh Goundar, Greenpeace Director for the Pacific region, about the NGO's position vis-a-vis global warming refugees. more
Views: 1904Bloggers React to 'A Better Fiji'
Region: FijiPosted by John Liebhardt to Global Voices Online A government-appointed committee in Fiji introduced an 11-point framework to augment the Pacific island nation’s constitution and “rebuild Fiji into a nonracial, culturally vibrant and united, well-governed, truly democratic nation.” The 75-page report, called the “Fiji Draft People’s Charter for Change, Peace & Progress” ... more
Views: 1320Environmental Concerns a Priority for Pacific Island Bloggers
Region: Fiji
Outside of denouncing military rule in Fiji, environmental concerns top the agenda as South Pacific leaders gather this week in Alofi, the capital of Nieu. Fiji’s so-called interim Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama boycotted this year’s 16-nation meeting. Other members of the conference threaten to impose travel bans on Fiji’s leaders until the government reverses a recent dec... more
Views: 1767