NGOs, Opposition MPs Attack On Fiji Sun Hypocritical, Says A-G

Attorney-General and Min­ister for Economy Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said it was hypocritical for some members of parliament and NGOs (non-gov­ernmental organisations) to con­demn the Fiji Sun’s front page on former Minister Mereseini Vuni­waqa when they remained silent on similar reports by other media organisations in the past.

Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said he was baffled at the ‘mightier than thou’ approach members of the Opposi­tion took on the Fiji Sun’s article of former Minister for Women Mer­eseini Vuniwaqa.

He called out the Opposition for not condemning similar incidents that had been published by other media organisations in the past.

“Fiji’s newspaper articles are replete with what would one call “affairs.” The Fiji Times led the charge, remember the tea lady inci­dent, front page, two or three days about a former Prime Minister; full on.

“None of these people condemned it, but more importantly, what I found really hypocritical, not just Members in this House but outside some of the NGOs and women’s groups, they did not care about the women involved.

“They did not say anything about them. Why? Because simply may be commoner women?”

“Number three, in social media recently, Mr Speaker, Sir, and the female Members of the Opposi­tion have not said anything about it, one of your own people about the car park incident. No one has come to her rescue. None of the Op­position, none of the people outside this House who were making com­ments.

“Recently, an executive of a com­pany was charged by Police, unfor­tunately he got off on a technicality. The lady had also gone to the Wom­en’s Crisis Centre; we understand; nothing happened. No one came to the defence of that lady, no one commented that this person who has gone to New Zealand, now mak­ing comments from there – why?

“Was it because he is anti-Gov­ernment or made anti-Government comments that is why they are not saying anything about him? Why were they not saying about all these other women? I should take my hat off to those women because they were publicly dragged into these incidents because of those politi­cians.

“But they did not utter a word be­cause it is not politically expedient for. Even the car park incident is­sue, you are not commenting on it because you see them as political nemesis; that is the problem and that is the hypocrisy.”

He further stated that Govern­ment didn’t tell the Fiji Sun what to publish.