27 Mar 2009

Fiji Interim Defence Minister says media portrayal of home bombings damaging

2:43 pm on 27 March 2009

Fiji's Interim Minister for Defence says the way the media has reported recent attacks on high profile figures could be damaging Fiji's reputation with tourists and foreign investors.

The attacks involved the throwing of homemade bombs at the homes of the Fiji Times' editor-in-chief and a security recruitment agent last weekend .

It's been suggested that the attacks, along with earlier incidents where the vehicles of a prominent unionist and a former SDL parliamentarian were stoned, are politically motivated.

Ratu Epeli Ganilau says until the police have thoroughly investigated the crimes it's impossible to identify the perpetrators.

But he says media speculation and its general treatment of the attacks has not been helpful.

"I fully understand what the media is trying to do. They will report whatever has to be reported factually and if they report it factually and in a balanced way then so be it. But on the other hand there may be some media outlets who report these incidents in such a way that it does give a very bad image of the security situation in this country but compared with other countries in the world this is still a very safe place to be in"