Nauru calls for honesty in reporting riot
The Government of Nauru has called
on the foreign media to immediately stop referring to this month's
attack on Parliament House as a protest.
Justice Minister David Adeang says
it's another example of bias in reporting events on Nauru by the
international media.
"It was a mob riot, and an extremely
violent one as well. Ministers and the President had to be securely
locked up in Parliament for the whole day because of very real
safety concerns."
"How the media continually refer to
it as just a protest is a disgrace, particularly when police
officers were badly injured as they tried to keep the
peace."
Mr Adeang says the Government will
release video evidence of the riot, showing fireworks let off among
the crowd and officers getting attacked.
"Why should only Australia and New
Zealand be able to uphold the law but not
Nauru?
"It is clear that certain media
outlets want to play down this violence to suit their narrative and
make it appear that we are not allowing peaceful protests. This
journalistic behaviour is unethical."
Opposition MPs Sprent Dabwido,
Mathew Batsuia and Squire Jeremiah are facing charges over the riot
while another MP Roland Kun is also being investigated over his
role in the violent attacks.