Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi criticised the Samoa Observer for its front page yesterday, which showed a full-length photo of a local fa'afafine, or transgender woman, after being found dead in a church hall. The Samoan Prime Minister says he is "appalled" over the decision of a local newspaper to publish a photograph of a suspected suicide victim in her final moments. The Pacific Islands Media Association (PIMA) has started a petition against the publication via the Change.org website. "Like many others, I was appalled at the front page of the Sunday Samoan, showing the lifeless body of a young person with such callousness and disrespect. Members of the Samoan community - both at home and overseas - have begun various campaigns, including boycotting the paper, in response to the article.

Source: New Zealand Herald June 20, 2016 04:50 UTC