Speech – The Maori Party

If there really is one law for all, then they should resign because four members of that party did not come in on one person one vote. In this country we have one person two votes and four of the members of the ACT party are here on that second … Read more »

Press Release – Pacific Avian and Pandemic Influenza Taskforce

Nadi, Fiji Islands, Tuesday 25 May 2010 – The 2009 Influenza A (H1N1) pandemic showed how important it is for Pacific Island countries and territories (PICTs) to have preparedness and response plans in place along with resources to implement them. Read more »

Press Release – Solomon Islands Government

The Minister of Development Planning and Aid Coordination, Steve Abana says the European Union Budgetary Grant of 15.2 million Euro (SB$160 million) to Solomon Islands reflects the EU’s increasing trust in Government’s commitment to essential reforms. Read more »

Press Release – Amnesty International

A global justice gap that is being made worse by a lack of accountability is nowhere more apparent than in the Pacific region, said Amnesty International today in its annual assessment of human rights worldwide. Read more »

Press Release – Amnesty International

A global justice gap that is being made worse by a lack of accountability is nowhere more apparent than in the Pacific region, said Amnesty International today in its annual assessment of human rights worldwide. Read more »

Press Release – National Agricultural Fieldays

National Fieldays are delighted to announce the finalists for the Rural Bachelor of the Year and the Rural Good Keen Girl competitions. Finalists come from all over New Zealand to compete at the New Zealand National Agricultural Fieldays, 16-19 June, … Read more »

Press Release – WHO

WHO urges Pacific Islanders to prevent or give up tobacco on World No Tobacco Day Press Release – Suva, 27 May, 2010 Read more »

Press Release – Unite Union

Human rights and rainforest activists will take their campaign against the import of kwila to the Trade Me Headquarters: 11 Cable St, Wellington on Thursday 27 May. The campaigners will assemble at Te Papa at 12-45 pm and march to the Trade Me office … Read more »

Speech – The Maori Party

The Maori population is a young population, the median age barely reaching 23 years, compared to 36.4 years in the total population. Read more »

Tony Maniaty (pictured) is senior lecturer in international journalism at the University of Technology, Sydney, and the author of Shooting Balibo. He was also the keynote speaker at the Reporting Wars: The Ongoing Challenges conference hosted by AUT University's Pacific Media Centre, May 24 2010. (Photo by Andrea Steward.)

Pacific Scoop:
Analysis – By Tony Maniaty.

Anyone remotely sensitive who watches the film Balibo comes away surely with a sense of anger, about the injustice visited upon the people of East Timor, about the invasion of sovereign states – whether East Timor or Iraq – and about the cruelty that human beings visit upon each other in the quest for political and economic power over their neighbours – and for something worse, national insecurities posing as military might. This syndrome is not confined to a misguided Indonesia and a helpless East Timor three decades ago; it still happens, and our own nations are sadly party to it.

At another level, all of us here can only reflect soberly on what happens when young Western journalists – in this case inexperienced, yet strongly motivated to “get the story” – veer towards the inexplicable in the intensity of their actions. To get the story, to stay to bitter end, no matter what. Is a story worth dying for, is any story worth the risk of likely death? Read more »