By Renate Rivers of 
Samoan Prime Minister La'aulialemalietoa Leuatea Schmidt Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii
Samoa's Prime Minister La'aulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao Schmidt, has banned the country's only daily newspaper, the Smoa Observer, from all ministerial press conferences.
The move has raised serious concerns among industry stakeholders about media freedom as he faces growing political and legal pressure.
La'aulialemalietoa announced the ban on Monday at his first press conference in two months, held just days after returning from medical treatment in New Zealand.
He told journalists that the ban also applies to his Cabinet ministers. The decision follows a tense confrontation on Saturday, when journalists from Samoa Observer and the BBC went to the Prime Minister's home to confirm his return.
The journalists claim they remained on the public roadside but were approached by men from the PM's property, who accused them of trespassing and of behaving disrespectfully.
"They don't respect me as the Prime Minister. In my time in New Zealand, I never saw any reporters writing so disrespectfully about leaders," La'aulialemalietoa told reporters in his office on Monday.
"I was in my home for ten minutes when they arrived. They argued with the Police. They were told to leave as I was only just reuniting with my family and trying to say a prayer. My home is a private home, not a public place."
In a report published on Saturday, Observer editor Shalveen Chand alleges he was assaulted during the Saturday exchange, in full view of police officers nearby.
He says when he asked police for help, he was told to lodge a complaint at the station. He has since filed a formal report.
BBC journalist Dr Mandeep Rai, who witnessed the incident, says the Samoa Observer team acted "carefully and respectfully", and that the hostile response was surprising. She says the difficulty in simply confirming a national leader's safe arrival raises questions about transparency and access.
The Prime Minister linked the ban to what he described as "wrong" and "disrespectful" reporting, including stories published during his medical leave.
"When I was away, I saw numerous reports that were wrong… especially the story about a meeting between the Deputy PM and my CEOs. A meeting that never happened."
La'aulialemalietoa says that as Faatuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) chairperson, he had previously banned the Observer from party events, but lifted that ban when he became Prime Minister at the request of senior government officials.
The ban intensifies an already tense political climate in Samoa. In October, former Prime Minister Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa filed a ST$1.1 million ($NZ698,000) defamation case against him, alleging he falsely linked her to interference in the murder investigation of American Samoan academic Dr Caroline Sinavaiana-Gabbard. The case is now before the Supreme Court.
There are also ongoing election-related disputes, public service tensions, and growing scrutiny about the government's commitment to transparency.
Regional pressure also rising
La'aulialemalietoa's return to Samoa follows an unofficial meeting with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in Auckland earlier this month, his first public political engagement in weeks.
The two leaders discussed major issues, including health infrastructure, drug-trafficking in the Pacific, and labour mobility.
La'aulialemalietoa confirmed plans for new hospitals in Tuanaimato and Savai'i and reiterated his support for the Pacific Justice campaign, which seeks visa-on-arrival access to New Zealand for Pacific citizens.
At the start of Monday's press conference, La'aulialemalietoa asked the Samoa Observer's reporter to leave his office. The exchange happened in front of the President of the Journalists Association of Samoa (JAWS) and other senior media members.
