Fiji Sun Plans Action Against Facebook Fakes, Cowards

The Fiji Sun will take legal action against those who continue to defame the newspaper, its journalists and their families on social media. Publisher Peter Lomas said: "We strongly believe in free speech ... within the limits of decency and the law. But we will not stand by and watch our journalists and especially their families defamed by cowards hiding behind fake Facebook profiles."

Posting the photo of the infant son of Managing Editor News Jyoti Pratibha by someone using a fake profile to threaten Ms Pratibha showed how low some are Mr Lomas said: "For far too long people have hidden behind fake accounts or attacked from far away to defame hardworking professional journalists.

"These cowards think they can do so without being exposed or held to account. "People forget that even though they may hide behind fake profiles, the digital footprints of every individual is traceable. "We have already identified a number of people who we will refer to our lawyers or the Police.

"There are others hiding overseas we will deal with if we find they are back within Fijian jurisdiction.

"Let me stress. We have no problem with robust debate on issues. We have no problem with people disagreeing with us or criticising us.

"Nor do we have a problem with people using proper channels if they feel there is real reason to complain about our work. "But we do have a problem with the sickening defamatory rubbish and lies pedalled by cowards hiding behind fake profiles or hiding overseas.

"We are not alone in this growing national concern about these fakes of Facebook," Mr Lomas said.