June 06, 2007

Military encroaching on academic freedom?

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

driti and any other military personnel who are ordering and following orders, to bash people up, should worry about their future generations. being a christian, they shud know that they will reap what they are sowing, along with their future kawa. if they are bashing up people, they will be answerable....ONE DAY.... lets just pray that their punishment dont fall on their children and their childrens children.

The youths of this country are suffering enough already!!!!

Anonymous said...

What are these USP academics want to prove? Are they condoning the racial abuses and false reporting by the bloggers? I think it is high time internet needs governance, remember governance and not control. Governance the same way as environment, gun laws, personal liberty etc

Anonymous said...

you didnt read it very well. they say they dont condone it.

Anonymous said...

Driti threatening USP students? Palease, those students are more logical and reasonable than you will ever be in your whole life time. It just goes to show that you are really greatly, significantly, sad to say, lacking in the mental department. Get a life, man. You are really driving us up the wall and getting into our nerves.

Anonymous said...

Fiji Daily Post, Saturday June 9

University of the South Pacific (USP) academic Doctor David Whish-Wilson has urged the Republic of Fiji Military Forces to look at their own statements if they thought it was illegal to spread reports that create or foster public alarm.
Dr Wilson, a lecturer at the USP’s School of Language, Arts & Media yesterday queried the RFMF’s intention of threatening scholarship termination for students who left their opinions on internet sites, like weblogs or blogs.
What’s the purpose of using such inflammatory language as “tracking them down” if it’s not to foster a sense of public alarm, or anxiety? Especially now that the Emergency Decree has been lifted,” Dr Wilson said. He asked for evidence that students represented a threat to national security.
“It’s so obviously counter-productive that you have to wonder about the purpose of doing it. Is the purpose to genuinely catch seditious people or is it really to create and perpetuate a climate of fear?” Dr Wilson asked.
“And if this is the case, then in effect, Col Pita Driti’s comments themselves possible contravene the Public Order Act by annoyingly spreading false news or reports to create or foster public alarm.”
Col Pita Driti, the RFMF Land Forces Commander had said that the military would track down bloggers who were speaking out against the military and interim regime. Dr Wilson claimed earlier that some USP students were taken to the army barracks in regards to the blogs. He said the students were threatened by weapons and warned that their scholarships would be terminated. Dr Wilson also claims that they have documentary evidence of military abuses.
“And while we’re on the subject of legality or illegality, there are also the concerns we have about how the RFMF is getting their information. Are they hacking into the USP network, or do they have someone passing on information from the inside, and if so, how legal is this?” Dr Wilson asked.

Anonymous said...

Who authorised these two lecturers to use the official letterhead of USP? Were these ufs the Head of School? I think these two lectures have violated the channel of communication procedure. A thorough investigation is warranted.

Anonymous said...

These two lecturers need to be disciplined because they used the official letterhead of USP without The approval od Head of School. An enquiry is underway. They may be fired soon.

Anonymous said...

This is fake. USP does not use this (brown) ,letterhead since 2005. The letterhead is rather green. How shameful for this already bogus blog.