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FIJILEAKS among top 100 for the 2016 Freedom of Expression Awards! VICTOR LAL and Fijileaks selected with 26 others for Journalism Award

16/12/2015

17 Comments

 
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"For the first time, Index is sharing its long list, featuring 100 remarkable champions against censorship" - Index on Censorship
Fijileaks is honoured to be sharing the nomination alongside Charlie Hebdo, the French satirical magazine whose journalists were slaughtered in Paris; Fiji's authoritarian chairman of Media Industry and Development Authority (MIDA), ASHWIN RAJ, had shamelessly declared that the Charlie Hebdo dead journalists were victims of unfettered free speech;
of course, he was using the slaughter in Paris to justify the draconian media decree in Fiji

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"A great journalist once remarked that the purpose of the media was to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. We might add that it aims (or should aim) to be a voice for the voiceless.The people of Fiji neither trust nor believe the onshore government-controlled media which is why Fijileaks is gathering such a following. For readers can be sure they are receiving frank, unbiased and above all accurate news and analysis untainted by the subversion of a corrupt and despotic regime. It’s why Fijileaks Editor-in-Chief Victor Lal so richly deserves the recognition he has received. Long may it continue."
RUSSELL HUNTER, former publisher and editor-in-chief, Fiji Sun, deported from Fiji and declared persona non grata by the Fijian military dictatorship; Co-Winner with VICTOR LAL, of Fiji's prestigious Robert Keith-Reid Award For Outstanding Journalism, 2008

“The individuals and organisations listed in the #Index100 demonstrate courage, creativity and determination in tackling threats to censorship in every corner of globe. They are a testament to the universal value of free expression. Without their efforts in the face of huge obstacles, often under violent harassment, the world would be a darker place,”
Index on Censorship CEO Jodie Ginsberg

Date: Wed, Dec 16, 2015
Subject: World Freedom of Expression Awards 2016 - the #Index100
To: editor@fijileaks.com

Dear Victor,  

I'm writing to update you about Index on Censorship's 2016 Freedom of Expression Awards. 
 
We are delighted to inform you that you have been named as one of the 100 long-listed finalists - the ​#Index100. You will appear on our map here later today (16th December) and continue to be considered for the 2016 awards. A final shortlist of 16 candidates will be announced in late January.
 
Index on Censorship supports your excellent work, which we believe is crucial in the ongoing fight to improve conditions for free expression globally. We sincerely hope you will continue your fantastic efforts to combat threats to free speech. 
 
As you know the awards are open to all, with nominations crowdsourced from across the world. We received hundreds of suggestions and it's been a huge privilege to learn more about them all. 
 
The amount of courage, creativity and resilience being demonstrated in tackling threats to censorship in every corner of globe is testament to the universal value of free expression. Thank you for your interest and participation in the Freedom of Expression Awards. And please do stay in touch - we would welcome ongoing  updates on your work.

 
Best Regards,
David

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VICTOR LAL'S JOURNEY TO FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AWARD 2016:
1987 Sitiveni Rabuka Coups:

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Excerpt from Fiji: Coups in Paradise
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Victor Lal, in Fiji's Daily Post, 6 May 1999
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SVT'S party secretary EMA DRUAVESI, 7 May 1999: "By no means can Prime Minister be compared to the brutal dictator Pinochet, nor can we compare the 1987 coups to the coups in Chile in 1973 and what happened there...With the exception of Victor Lal, I do not think any Fijian or Indian overseas will want to waste his or her time and money trying to take Rabuka to court"; a day before Victor Lal had outlined two possible charges against Rabuka, one of treason and another of torture and kidnapping, based on the arrest of Pinochet in London.

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Fifty years ago, Chilean author Ariel Dorfman wrote down the seed of a story, which he then lost in his years of exile during General Augusto Pinochet’s dictatorship. Recently he revisited the idea and realised how to develop it into his new short story, All I Ever Have, which is published for the first time in the latest Index on Censorship magazine. Vicky Baker speaks to him about its key theme of music as resistance
Writer Ariel Dorfman remembers the exact moment the idea first came to him for his latest short story, All I Ever Have. It was 7 January 1966, his wedding day. As dawn broke over Chile, an image came into his mind of a man in a military band, playing a defiant, rebellious song on his trumpet. Just seven years later General Augusto Pinochet would seize power. Read more here


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See Full Report at Coupfourpointfive: http://www.coupfourandahalf.com/2010/06/coup-apologist-ema-druavesi-and.html

2000 George Speight Coup (Failed) - Victor Lal's public and behind-the-scene role in bringing George Speight's TREASON to an end! Bainimarama had signed the Muanikau Accord, freeing Speight

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Fijileaks has decided to conceal the identity of the
Fiji High Court Judge, 22 August 2000:

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On 29 May 2000 Bainimarama had abrogated the Constitution, declared martial law, and became leader of the Interim Military Government. In July the military appointed an Interim Fijian Government with Laisenia Qarase as Interim Prime Minister. What about George Speight? Bainimarama signed the now infamous Muanikau Accord with Speight under which he and his supporters were to release the hostages, surrender their weapons and receive immunity from prosecution. In his defence Bainimarama said he signed the Accord because the crisis had gone on for too long and a peaceful solution was needed. In a cruel twist of irony, Ratu Mara himself was to be removed as President. No sooner Speight was released, he began swaggering around the city with a pistol on display, making a mockery of the Accord.

As I have revealed recently, Mesake Koroi, Daily Post Editor, asked me to analyze the Muanikau Accord (see above). I came to the conclusion that George Speight could be nabbed because of the violation of clause (c) – re the handing of all weapons. The Director of Public Prosecutions Office personnel had been wrongly claiming that the Muanikau Accord was invalid because it was signed under duress. It was not until I published the three part series on the Accord showing why and how Speight could be brought to justice that the army finally, on 26 July 2000, summoned its muscles to nab Speight.

I put forward the 1994 precedent in Trinidad which was later employed by the DPP that saw Speight stripped of immunity and the gang behind bars. Don’t get me wrong, I am not blowing my own trumpet nor that of Koroi. (P.S. I had authorized DPP officers to take an advance copy of my analysis off Koroi at 2am, English time before its publication; in fact, it was none other than the then Interim Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase (a cousin of Koroi) who had taken the copy of my analysis to the military and DPP for consideration. Ratu Ului Mara had captured George Speight.)

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George Speight in prison - serving life sentence for TREASON

What Victor Lal had not expected was that having stood up for Mahendra Chaudhry, and with George Speight behind bars, that Chaudhry would not only join Bainimarama as Interim Finance Minister in post 2006 coup but that he (Chaudhry) was hiding $2million in Australia; we still maintain that the money was not for Chaudhry and his family to relocate to Australia but it was meant for Indo-Fijian victims of George Speight coup!

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When Bainimarama formed an Interim government post Speight coup, led by Laisenia Qarase, the 1987 coupist Inoke Kubuabola resurfaced as interim Foreign Minister to peddle his racist views against Indo-Fijians,
attacking Victor Lal

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http://www.coupfourandahalf.com/2010/05/bainimaramas-foreign-minister-inoke.html

A Passionate Defender of Indo-Fijian Rights in Fiji!

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1985: Victor Lal, the then President of the Oxford University Africa Society, protesting against apartheid in South Africa
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And where was Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum in 2000? He was in Hong Kong, busy decrying corruption in the Fiji Muslim League by writing Letters to the Editor in the Fiji Times; now he and his FFP Indo-Fijian MPs and supporters are wagging fingers at VICTOR LAL


Letter: Critique of FML decision to make submission to Constitution Commission 

(Letter from A S Khaiyum) 

The claim by some executive members of the Fiji Muslim League ('League') that Muslims support a review of our [1997] Constitution and demand separate seats merely because the executive says so is a gross misrepresentation of the views of the everyday and majority of Muslims in our country. The executive lack the mandate to speak as a representative body for Muslims since the League has been and is essentially an administrative institution managing and maintaining mosques, schools, orphanages, a sugar cane farm and real estate. In addition to the lack of mandate the arguments and justifications espoused by the executive for a review and separate seats are flawed.

They are flawed because our Constitution, in particular the Bill of Rights, namely sections 38(2) and 35 more than adequately guarantee and protect religious freedom and minority rights. 
 
Indeed if an almost identical South African Bill of Rights provision protects the rights of the minority South African Muslims then what is so special about and differentiates Muslims in Fiji? On the basis that last century the then nascent League made submissions on separate seats, it is argued today that so called Muslim rights will be achieved if these seats as submitted then are allocated now. To refer to a resolution passed some seventy years ago, in an era with its own specificities and dynamics, as justification for separate seats in today's Fiji illustrates a complete ignorance and denial of our political, social and constitutional history/experience as a nation-state. Indeed if we were to hark back and uphold the standards of 1929 then commoner indigenous Fijians and women would not have the right to vote. Fiji and the rest of the world have moved along.

Clearly such absurd referrals to the past illustrate an enormous vacuum in basic critical thinking and analysis, discourse and a general prevalence of obscurantism within the executive.
 
Furthermore, it aptly demonstrates a complete ignorance of contemporary developments in and interpretations of Islamic law and jurisprudence vis-a-vis constitutional, human rights and international law and conventions. More tragically, however, the opportunism of the executive displays the absence of and lack of belief in justice, compassion, selflessness and basic human decency. Most Muslims in Fiji know that certain officials treat the League and its branches as their own little fiefdoms.

Fiefdoms, where nepotism is known to be rampant at most times; where certain families and individuals have reigned as executives literally for decades; where children and families of well-to-do officials benefit from scholarships which were and are meant for poor students; where chairs of numerous committees are held by single individuals; where businessmen and business interests are over represented; where women, the youth, various provinces and other denominations are either underrepresented or not represented at all; where appeals to religious dogma and unity are utilized in response to queries of administrative/financial discrepancies and where certain individuals view the League merely as a means to acquire access to power, influence and ultimately money - all under the guise of "protecting Muslim interests."
 


Indeed the absence of proper representation, transparency, accountability and ultimately legitimacy also plague other local institutions in contemporary Fiji. The executive of the League cannot and does not represent the political opinion, views, philosophies of individuals or the bulk of Muslims in Fiji. These self appointed guardians do not speak for the masses. Therefore, the current administration and all Fiji Islanders must understand and recognize the majority of Muslims who believe in basic human decency, justice, democracy and constitutionalism reject the idea of separate seats and/or a review of our Constitution. 
Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum
University of Hong Kong
Hong Kong
sayedkha@hkusua.hku.hk

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Among the nominees with Fijileaks is the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo


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17 Comments
Thinker
17/12/2015 01:51:36 am

Congrats! You deserve it for a job well done.

BTW where is Fiji Sun? Are they even known to the Award organizers?

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FOOLS OF PARADISE
17/12/2015 02:04:42 am

CONGRATULATIONS VICTOR. VICTORY ALL THE WAY.

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Rajend Naidu
17/12/2015 02:05:17 am

Some get awards they do NOT deserve. And the people are acutely aware why they get the awards they get. Their success and their awards ( read, rewards ) come as Kahlil Gibran noted at " the sacrifice of conscience and honor".
Others get the award they truly deserve. Victor Lal and Fijileaks fall into this latter category.it is sufficient acknowledgement of their work that they have been listed as potential contenders for this Freedom of Expression Award. Winning the award would be a bonus. For keen followers of Fijileaks they are already winners by virtue of their steadfast commitment to the right to freedom of expression and the public's right to know, especially to know what those in power purport to do in their name.
I congratulate Fijileaks for the recognition it has got in this prestigious award.

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Chiku
17/12/2015 02:27:55 am

It is no surprise that Victor Lal and Fijileaks are among 26 selected for Journalism Award. Was anyone expecting Ashwin Raj and his MIDA bullshit to be selected?

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great
17/12/2015 03:01:19 am

Well done Fiji leaks. You deserve it, unlike others who waste ink and paper on a daily basis afraid of the cockroaches that will come crawling if they print the TRUTH,so keep it coming. Once again always pleased and excited to read or await your next mind boggling news.

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Chiku
17/12/2015 04:49:22 am

Freedom fighters - champions against censorship - get recognised with awards.
Dictators award themselves!

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rajend Naidu
17/12/2015 05:58:53 am

Editor,
re : DW Arts. 21 Arts of Freedom : Mexico ( 16/12 )
Mexico is a country where corruption is rife and where politicians, police and criminals are involved in violent crimes against ordinary citizens and journalists.
Despite censorship and threats artists are taking a stand. Their message : fight back!
This what one of the most popular band of musicians are doing. Speaking out is dangerous in a country whose political climate is shaped by intimidation and censorship. But not everyone will keep quiet. As one musician points out there is repression and censorship " but you can't live in constant fear ".
Another person speaking out is one of Mexico's most successful authors and historian Paco Ignacio Taibo. His focus is corrupt politicians and the plight of indigenous people.
He says " the country is a pile of crap. This is what motivates me to write..." He points out it is not only corruption that has turned the country into a pile of crap. But impunity..."
What these courageous people do in Mexico to restore their country to civilised norms of behaviour and governance reminds me of the work Fijileaks is doing.
The world would be a poorer place if not for these people.
I salute them.
Sincerely,
Rajend Naidu

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Fiji First Party
17/12/2015 07:49:17 am

Heartiest Congratulations to Fijileaks and Victor Lal !!

Fijileaks – up untill now is the ONLY media outlet in Fiji –which has given air to the “Fiji First Naam Chori Story”. Thanking you so sincerely –for being the Voice of the Voiceless.

Where else can we speak the TRUTH and call Bainimarama and Aiyaz Khaiyum the most pitiable Intellectual Property Thieves (CHORS –Butaku) –ever.

Vinaka Victor – GO Celebrate! – I am.

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Excellent Flows From Barrel of FIJILEAKS
17/12/2015 07:37:03 pm

While coups and dictatorship flows from the barrel of guns... it is compassion and hard work of VICTOR LAL where flows the barrel of FREEDOM of EXPRESSION.

CONGRATULATIONS to Victor Lal and those who support him with "leaked" information who help make a difference.

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Guta
17/12/2015 07:54:09 am

With the work you are doing, Fijileaks you're already a winner with or without the award.

Congratulations & thanks Victor.

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Rustam
17/12/2015 03:57:41 pm

Congratulations, Fijileaks.

Just thank you for being there.

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rajend naidu
17/12/2015 06:37:14 pm

Editor,
On Dec 16 I caught a very inspirational interview of Nobel Literature Prize Winner Svetlana Alexievich on DW Arts 21- Art of Freedom series.
I went and read some more about her in ' Nobel prize in literature : Svetlana Alexievich wins ' for her polyphonic writings ' - as it happened' in the Guardian 8/10/15
" Belarussian writer and journalist who has pricked the conscience of Russia with her accounts of " suffering and courage in our time ".
... author Svetlana said she wept when she saw photographs of those shot dead during street protests in Kiev in Feb 2014 against a Moscow leaning president. The subsequent pro- Russian separatist uprising was a result of foreign interference, she said, pointing the finger at Russia, " it is occupation, a foreign invasion"..." I love the good Russian world, the humanitarian Russian world, but I do not love the Russian world of Beria, Stalin and Shoigu" she said referring to Soviet leader Josef Stalin, the security chief responsible for Stalin era mass purges, Laventry Beria, and the current Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu...
We also read in the nytimes article ' Svetlana Alexievich , Belarussian Voice of Survivors, wins Nobel Prize in Literature ' that " the selection of Ms Alexievich was lauded as long overdue corrective, and as a high point for journalism as a literary art... The stories Ms Alexievich tells are drawn from historical facts and oral histories, but have a lyrical quality and a distinctive style and perspective. She is best known for GiVING VOICE TO WOMEN AND MEN WHO HAVE LIVED THROUGH MAJOR EVENTS like the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan from 1979 to 1989, and the Chernobyl nuclear disaster of 1986 ( she collected the stories of over 500 people there ), in which her sister was killed and her mother was blinded.
We have our own people who have lived through a major event - the coups in the country, the rape of democracy and the installation of dictatorship with its accompanying assault on civil rights and liberties.
Fijileaks has been there to chronicle what our people have lived through for history.
Sincerely,
Rajend Naidu

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Just Saying..
17/12/2015 07:31:53 pm

...And His Excellency the Biscuit dared ask Victor -'what he had done for Fiji??

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rajend Naidu
17/12/2015 08:02:40 pm

Talking about awards, According to the " wisdom " of the former KGB operative and current president of Russia Vladimir Putin the suspended FIFA president Sepp Blatter " deserves the Nobel Peace Prize" ( ABC 24 News 18/12 ).
Now how about that for an award!

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Chiku
18/12/2015 08:06:12 am

Regime media henchman Ashwin Raj found " unfettered free speech " objectionable and had no qualms about imposing draconian laws to curb free speech and media freedom. But he had no problem in accepting UNFETTERED POWER which the dictator Frank Bainimarama and his right hand man Aiyaz Khaiyum had given themselves. What a hypocrite and self- serving scoundrel!

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Tualeita
18/12/2015 05:59:01 pm

Thank you Victor for a job well done. Congratulations and may you, your team with all of your families have a wonderful Christmas, and may you prosper in the new year and in the many more years to come.

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Tomasi
19/12/2015 03:44:09 am

Yes Victor. Thank you and congratulations. The award is not even sufficient to express our most sincere gratitude and appreciation for your radically wonderfully positive contributions to our nation. May god bless and keep you in his everlasting arms.

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