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Freedom of the Press 2016: Tonga
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Freedom of the Press 2015: Tonga
Ranked 57th in annual global media freedom report
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World Press Freedom Index 2014: Tonga
Ranked 63rd in annual press freedom index
Radio and TV Tonga News reported that the kingdom's Privy Council, which is headed by King Taufa'ahau Tupou, responded by gazetting a "supplement extraordinary ordinance". This, the Privy Council said, was "for the protection of the King, royal family, government and people of this Kingdom from abuse of press freedom."
The ordinance said it will be unlawful for any person to publish, sell or offer for sale, distribute, copy or reproduce, possess or import any publication to which it applies. It also specifies that "import" means to bring into the kingdom by any means and in any form, including electronic transmission, any publication, or part thereof, of the "Times of Tonga" newspaper and other Lali Media publications.
Under the ordinance, any person convicted of such an offence is liable to a fine of up to 1,000 Pa'anga (approx. US$460) or imprisonment for up to two years.
The ordinance gives powers to the police commander, commissioner of revenue or any officer authorised by them to search without a warrant, detain, open and "examine anything or person suspected on reasonable grounds to contain any publication". It specifies that the cabinet may, through regulation, delete from or add to the list of publications. Action shall not be subjected to any judicial review and the police will institute legal proceedings against offenders.
In legal moves begun in February, the Tongan authorities declared the "Times of Tonga" to be a "prohibited import" and a "prohibited document". The government alleges the newspaper is "foreign" and aims to overthrow the kingdom's government structure. Police Minister Clive Edwards told the court hearing that the newspaper had to be banned because it alleged Tongan leaders were "engaged in homosexual activities", Radio Australia reported.
"Times of Tonga" publisher Kalafi Moala says the ban was imposed because of the newspaper's recent reporting on business activities of members of the island nation's royal family. Moala is a Tongan national who holds American citizenship. He publishes the "Times of Tonga" from Auckland, New Zealand, where there is a large Tongan population. The newspaper circulated widely in Tonga before the ban.
Freedom of expression is protected under the Tongan constitution. However, the authorities have used criminal libel and other laws against the news media. In December 2002, Moala, 'Akau'ola and pro-democracy movement parliamentarian 'Akilisi Pohiva won damages for being wrongly jailed for contempt of Parliament in 1996. The Supreme Court awarded them a total of nearly US$26,000 (see IFEX alerts of 13 December 2002 and 20 September 1996).
The government's ban on the "Times of Tonga" has been condemned regionally by PINA and internationally by organisations such as the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Paris-based Reporters sans frontières (RSF).
The Crown Law Office has also charged five prominent Tongans involved in a local television discussion on the ban with contempt of court (see IFEX alert of 2 April 2003).
Ranked 57th in annual global media freedom report
Ranked 63rd in annual press freedom index
members working in this region
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SOUTH ASIA PRESS FREEDOM REPORT 2018-2019
Journalism in South Asia is far from an easy profession, as the 12th annual review of journalism in the region "The Campaign for Justice: Press Freedom in South Asia 2013-14" portrays. But this year's report also tells the story of the courage of South Asia's journalists to defend press freedom and to ensure citizens' right to information and freedom of expression in the face of increasing challenges to the profession and personal safety.
The report is the first created by the South Asia Media Solidarity Network (SAMSN) looking specifically at the experience of women journalists in the South Asia sub-region