Fiji bars TV film crew
PA Auckland A Television New Zealand film crew has been barred from Fiji in spite of a special request from the Minister of Foreign Affairs’s office relayed through the New Zealand Embassy.
The office of the Information Minister, Ratu Inoke Kubuabola, notified TVNZ late on Friday that the crew, from the current affairs programme, “Frontline,” would not be issued visas. The journalists were to arrive in Suva on Saturday to film a meeting of officials from the South Pacific, North America and Asia on driftnet fishing.
“Frontline’s” director, Chris Ghent, said the bar
was an affront to press freedom and raised doubts as to suitability of Fiji as a venue for international meetings.
He said he understood journalists were not allowed into Fiji unless they were promoting tourism or trade or had highranking Fiji contacts. It was also possible the visas were refused because of an interview with the deposed Fijian leader, Timoci Bavadra, last months Mr Ghent said. The director of the Forum Fisheries Agency, Mr Philip Muller, was to raise the bar at the preconference meeting of forum State officials. The 30min documentary on driftnetting has been scuttled as a result
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Press, 26 June 1989, Page 8
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198Fiji bars TV film crew Press, 26 June 1989, Page 8
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