Although the country's media covered politically sensitive issues with less government interference than in previous years, there were some setbacks in 1998. There were also allegations that Radio Vanuatu journalists had been threatened by former cabinet minister and parliamentarian Willie Jimmy. The government owns most of the country's media, including a television station serving the capital, Port Vila, two radio stations, and the Vanuatu Weekly newspaper. The smaller private press consists of a growing independent newspaper and political party newsletters. Religious freedom is respected in this predominantly Christian country.
Unions exercise their right to organize and bargain collectively.
Although the judicial system is generally independent, the government has at times attempted to pressure the largely expatriate judiciary in politically sensitive cases. After the arrest of some 500 suspected rioters in January, there were credible reports that police assaulted or otherwise poorly treated prisoners, many of whom sought medical treatment for their injuries. According to a report by Amnesty International, the mass arrests in January highlighted long-standing, serious deficiencies in Vanuatu's penal system, including buildings made unsafe by earthquakes and water seepage, insufficient food for prisoners, and a lack of safe accommodation for female inmates. The country's small ethnic minority communities experience discrimination regarding land ownership. Women continue to face limited opportunities in education and politics, and domestic violence is reportedly common.