Fiji's Constitution Burning Episode
Editor
Sharon Smith- Jones claim that Rowan Callic's article ("Fiji cops torch constitution draft" 8/1) is" factually
incorrect" and that "no printed copies of Fiji's draft constitution has been burnt" (Letters 9/1) should itself be
verified for its factual accuracy .
Many critics of the Bainimarama military regime in which the Australian expatriate Sharon Smith-Jones has acquired a
position as Permanent secretary for information maintain the permanent secretary and the ministry of information operate
like the old Soviet style Ministry of Propaganda . They therefore contend much of what comes out of the Ministry and its
permanent secretary cannot be relied upon or be trusted to be factually correct. No newspaper in Fiji has apparently
reported the story . The free press in Fiji is not all that free.This matter calls for good investigative journalism.
The Australian should take up the challenge to get to the bottom of this story and reveal the truth.It would be a
service to both the people of Fiji and to the international community.
Why would a world renown constitution making expert like Professor Yash Ghai lie about the burning of his draft
constitution in Fiji?
The photo of a distraught Prof.Ghai watching the burning in the web blogsite Coupfourpointfive is that a lie?
Yours sincerely,
Rajend Naidu
Sydney
ENDS