MEDIA
RELEASE
16
July 2003
“STOP
CENSORING RADIO AUSTRALIA NEWS BULLETINS”
The
Human Rights & Democracy Movement today issued
an appeal to the management of Radio Tonga to stop
censoring Radio
Australia news bulletins.
According
to Lopeti Senituli, Director of the HRDMT Office,
the Radio Australia news bulletin came on air as
usual at 8:00 am this morning on Radio A3Z. Amongst
the headlines was a story that the Tongan Government
may have withdrawn an amendment to the country’s
constitution because of public opposition. When
the newsreader came to the actual story, he was
cut-off in mid-sentence to be immediately replaced
by the voice of a BBC news reader (female) talking
about how the American pro-consul in Iraq, J Bremer
wants the Iraqi people to democratically elect
their own government.
“Radio
Tonga’s censorship is so childish that the
management should be ashamed to call themselves ‘journalists’”,
Senituli said. “And what is the point of
informing the Tongan people of the democratization
of Iraq yet not tell them about the undemocratic
designs of their own government”.
Senituli
said that this is not the first time it has happened.
They have done it numerous times with Radio Australia
and Radio New Zealand
International news bulletins.
Senituli
said that the Government last week submitted to
the secretariat of the Legislative Assembly a new
draft of its constitution amendment Bill which
no longer includes the amendment that sought to
remove the Court’s right of judicial review
of legislations passed by the Legislative Assembly
and Ordinances approved by His Majesty in Privy
Council. The Legislative Assembly will reconvene
next week.
For
further information contact Lopeti Senituli
at ph: 25501 or mobile 18545
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