7 May 2009

Tongan call to move PINA from Fiji

4:33 pm on 7 May 2009

The Tongan newspaper publisher, Kalafi Moala, has called for the Pacific Islands News Association, or PINA, to be moved from Suva in protest at the clamps on media freedom imposed by the Fiji military-led regime.

Mr Moala has told a Press Freedom Forum workshop in Samoa that PINA should be moved into a country which is democratically ruled and where press freedom as well as freedom of expression is respected.

But there have been calls from Fiji for the matter to be discussed by all members of PINA.

PINA is due to hold its bi-annual meeting in Vanuatu in July and the President Joseph Ealedona, of Papua New Guinea, had indicated earlier that any decision on relocating would be made then.

But Mr Ealedona also said last month that he felt PINA should stay in Fiji to show solidarity with local journalists.