AMIC Alternative Media Portal - Various aspects of alternative media in Asia and the Pacific.

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Blogs are known to be a place where anyone who has access to the Internet, can speak freely about whatever they choose for the eyes of the world. Where the voiceless in countries where the media is government controlled gets heard, where truth becomes prominent when the mainstream media covers it with a hateful blanket, and where, in the case of Fiji, citizens discuss about the military action after the takeover of the government on 5th December, 2006.

Its true, the ruling controlled regime in Fiji was not pleased by activists posting negative blogs about them and deemed it as a “threat to national security”. The military have attempted to arrest these bloggers by even claiming to hire “hackers” – IT experts from Bangalore to track these bloggers down. The Fijian military also tried to block blog sites so that its difficult for activists to gain access to their sites and read other blogs that have been posted. Resistfrankscoup, a blog spot was one such site which the Fijian military had blocked, according to the Fiji Times.

Such acts by the military have set an international outrage. Mr. Ethan Zuckerman, co-founder of Global Voices Network told in an interview with Radio Australia that, “activists will try to keep one step ahead of the government”. Those opposing the military will figure out how to use proxies and other places that will host their blog content. The Global Voices Online believes in online free speech and supports the Fijian bloggers by promoting their cause on their website with the aim of creating awareness. Also, they try to network with other activists from all parts of the world to find out what they do in these similar situations.

A University of South Pacific Library Systems Manager warned in an article on the Fuji Times Online that by blocking the access of blogs, the Fijian government will suffer through the restriction of free flow of information and also dampens high-tech investment prospects in the country.

Mr. Zuckerman strongly believed that the Fijian military were only threatening activists with hiring foreign "hackers". Also, in order to fully track down these bloggers, they would need the cooperation of Google, and it is highly unlikely that Google will lend their services for such a cooperative act.

However, it was reported on 24th May, that the Fijian military has decided to stop the tracking and investigations of blog sites. Commander Colonel Pita Driti said in an interview posted on The Fiji Times Online, “We are not interested any more in what’s been said about us on the blog sites. It doesn’t bother us any more. We won’t pursue it any further.”

However warned that the military will detain anyone for questioning if sufficient evidence is found against them. He also suggested that critics should visit pro-military and pro-interim Government blogs, written by soldiers and supporters of the regime to understand the perspective of the military.

And even if the activists continue their anti-military blogs, Colonel Driti said, “the more they blog, the better. We are starting to laugh about it. Whenever I want to laugh, I read them.”

Written By
Ahangama Badalge Richard
24th May, 2007

Sources for further information:
http://www.abc.net.au/ra/pacbeat/stories/s1928324.htm

http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=62808

http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=63169

http://www.fijitimes.com/print.aspx?id=63221

http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/2007/05/23/fijian-freedom-bloggers-and-the-military-junta/

http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=32392