Fijian lawyers questioned by police

Campbell Cooney

Last Updated: Wed, 20 May 2009 17:14:00 +1000

Three Fijian lawyers accused of being anti-government bloggers have been questioned by police.

Radio Australia has confirmed the three men, Richard Naidu and Tevita Fa, and Jon Apted, have been detained.

Their detention comes after a pro-interim government website, Real Fiji News, accused them of being bloggers and warned they were about to be outed by the military.

Fiji's chief censor and principle secretary of the Ministry of Information, Major Neumi Leweni, has made it clear he only wants positive stories concerning the interim government.

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd last week sent an editorial to Fiji's media outlets explaining why the country's military-backed regime has been suspended from the Pacific Islands Forum.

But media censorship in Fiji meant Mr Rudd's piece was not published in the country.

Mr Rudd said interim prime minister Commodore Frank Bainimarama's actions, including the recent scrapping of the constitution, have damaged Fiji's international standing and the reputation of its military.