UN rep trying to counter 'arrogant' NZ, Australia
Title -- 5409 FIJI: UN rep trying to counter 'arrogant' NZ, Aust
Date -- 5 April 2008
Byline -- None
Origin -- Pacific Media Watch
Origin -- Pacific Media Watch
Source -- AAP/Stuff 4/04/08
Status -- Unabridged
Post a comment on PMW's Right of Reply: PMW feedback pmc@aut.ac.nz
UN REP TRYING TO COUNTER 'ARROGANT' NZ, AUST
www.stuff.co.nz/4464761a12.html
SYDNEY (AAP/Stuff/Pacific Media Watch): Fiji's new permanent representative to the United Nations says he will have his work cut out for him trying to counter the arrogant views of countries like New Zealand and Australia.
Berenado Vunibobo, who last month was appointed to the post by Fiji's military government, told the Fijilive website that his toughest challenge would be altering the negative view of his country.
Fiji has been subjected to sanctions from many countries, including Australia, since the bloodless coup in December 2006 saw the democratically elected government replaced by a military regime.
Since then the interim government in the country has been accused of a host of human rights abuses and crackdowns on media freedom.
"You can see the network of western countries; Australia, New Zealand, Britain, US, trying to lobby Japan and Malaysia that they should not be cooperating with us," Vunibobo said.
"The western governments we interact with have a very strong sense of arrogance that they alone have the things sewn up such as democracy," he said.
Fiji's military government has been frustrated since last year when Malaysia refused to accept a controversial colonel as their ambassador to Kuala Lumpur.
PACIFIC MEDIA WATCH is an independent, non-profit, non-government organisation comprising journalists, lawyers, editors and other media workers, dedicated to examining issues of ethics, accountability, censorship, media freedom and media ownership in the Pacific region. It is now published by the Pacific Media Centre at New Zealand's AUT University. Launched in October 1996, it has links with the Journalism Programme at the University of the South Pacific, Journalism Studies at the University of PNG (UPNG) and the Australian Centre for Independent Journalism (ACIJ), Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand. The website is hosted by the Association of Progressive Communications (APC).
© 1996-2008 Copyright - All rights reserved. Items are provided solely for review purposes as a non-profit educational service. Copyright remains the property of the original producers as indicated. Recipients should seek permission from the copyright owner for any publishing. Copyright owners not wishing their materials to be posted by PMW please contact us. The views expressed in material listed by PMW are not necessarily the views of PMW or its members. Recipients should rely on their own inquiries before making decisions based on material listed in PMW.
For further information and joining the Pacific Media Watch listserve,
go to http://lists.apc.org.au/listinfo.cgi/pacific_media_watch-apc.org.au:
Email: pmc@aut.ac.nz
Pacific Media Centre
Fax: (+649) 921 9987
Mail: PO Box 92006, Auckland 1142, Aotearoa/New Zealand
Website: www.pmw.c2o.org
Return to Pacific Media Watch