Gallows humour in Fiji

With almost no controversial news allowed to appear in martial law ruled Fiji, one newspaper has decided to inject some humour into the situation.

The Bainimarama regime has imposed a state of emergency and introduced censorship of news media.

The country’s smallest of three daily newspapers, the Fiji Daily Post, has responded to it with some humour.

One story it published was headlined “Breakfast as usual”.

The story went on:

"It was breakfast as usual for the staff of this newspaper. 'I had leftover roti from last night', senior reporter Manueli told his colleague yesterday morning. Staff gasped with delight when Fiji Daily Post receptionist Lupe said her breakfast was a cup of latte coffee along with toasted currant bread."

Another published story reported on a man getting on a bus.

"It was easy," he said.

"I just lifted one leg up and then the other and I was on".

A further story was headlined "Paint dry".

It quoted a man called Max who painted a couch.

"It just went on wet, but after about four hours, it started to dry".

"That was when I realised, paint dries," the young scholar observed.

- © Fairfax NZ News