More expatriates will be deported and Fiji’s military has threatened to close down the Pacific nation’s news media.
But military strongman Voreqe Bainimarama – who has installed himself as prime minister – says he did not want to close media down.
Bainimarama has confronted Fiji’s media bosses after last week deporting Fiji Times publisher Evan Hannah, three months after Fiji Sun publisher Russell Hunter was also kicked out.
Regional news agency Pacnews said Bainimarama told the meeting that Hannah will not be the last of the expatriates to be deported.
He told the executives he could not reveal why Hannah had been deported but said that others are likely to follow.
He said the news media were publishing “inciteful” articles and called for balance and fair reporting.
Pacnews said Bainimarama added the last thing he would want to do is close down the media and his government should not be likened to Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe.
The Fiji Times is owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Ltd.
The Australian, owned by the same stable, reported this morning that the Fiji Times editor Netani Rika described how Bainimarama claimed that local journalists hate him.
Bainimarama claimed that shutting down the country’s media would be the worst-case scenario.
“He told us that he can shut the media down, but in his quotes, ‘I don’t want to do that’,” Rika told The Australian.
“He told us today that he did not want us to go down the path of Zimbabwe, but he was quite clear … while he did not want to close the media down, that would be an option if we did not take on board the concerns that he raised today.”
During the meeting, Bainimarama became agitated when the media representatives made it clear they would not “roll over and do what he wanted”, Rika said.
Bainimarama refused to explain how Hannah had breached his work permit, he said.
“The actual words he said was: ‘There’s no use discussing that matter. This person, Russell Hunter, and the other, Hannah whatever-his-name is, are not coming back’.”
