Thursday, 16 April 2009

Meanwhile, in Fiji, a man gets on a bus

Back in the home neighbourhood, Fiji's military rulers have expelled several foreign reporters for their "irresponsible reporting" on the current political turmoil in that country. At the same time strict censorship rules are being imposed resulting in this piece taken from the "Sydney Morning Herald". It refers to the Suva based "Daily Post" newspaper issue of 15 April '09:
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Read all about it: man gets on bus

In a satirical jibe at stringent censorship imposed by Fiji's military Government, the Daily Post newspaper has been filling the space with some no news.

Headlines in Wednesday's edition included "Man gets on bus" over an item reading: "In what is believed to be the first reported incident of its kind, a man got on a bus yesterday. 'It was easy,' he said. 'I just lifted one leg up and then the other and I was on.' "

Another headed "Breakfast as usual" began: "It was breakfast as usual for the staff of this newspaper. 'I had leftover roti from last night,' senior reporter Manueli told his colleague yesterday morning."

A third story began, "Paint has apparently dried on his old couch, Max reports. Given the job of painting the couch, Max was excited at the prospect of the paint drying. But when asked how it dried, he was nonplussed.

" 'It just went on wet, but after about four hours, it started to dry. That was when I realised, paint dries,' the young scholar observed."

Fiji's military ruler Frank Bainimarama has posted censors in the offices of newspapers and radio and television stations, ordered foreign journalists out of the country and shut down the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's radio transmitters.

2 comments:

  1. I'm pleased that people can find humour in what is otherwise another catastrophic event happening in Fiji.

    The Fijian spirit doesn't die easily.

    Even though I left Fiji in 1976 for New Zealand, news like this about my homeland still breaks my heart.

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  2. We can easily solve this dictatorship issue. Ban them from playing international rugby. They will go crazy if they can't. It worked with us in South Africa.

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