Rimon Rimon, one of Kiribati’s most influential journalists and communicators, joins Devpolicy Talks to reflect on his journey from government adviser to independent media leader. Drawing on his decade as Lead Communications and Public Relations Adviser to President Anote Tong — where he helped shape Kiribati’s global climate narrative — Rimon discusses the challenges and importance of independent journalism in the Pacific, his fight against misinformation and the lessons he has learned about governance, accountability and the power of storytelling.
In this episode, we delve into the life and work of Rimon Rimon, a dynamic i-Kiribati citizen who has shaped both the public narrative in his own country and the evolution of independent journalism in the Pacific. Rimon’s career began in education and government service, but it was his appointment as Lead Communications and Public Relations Adviser to President Anote Tong that placed him at the centre of Kiribati’s international engagement. For over a decade, Rimon was responsible for crafting and communicating Kiribati’s message to the world — most notably on the existential threat of climate change. He managed media campaigns, coordinated public diplomacy and represented the country at major global forums, building a reputation as a skilled and trusted communicator.
After leaving government, Rimon turned to independent journalism, founding the Kiribati Newsroom and contributing to regional and international outlets. His reporting has tackled corruption, misinformation and the everyday realities of life in one of the world’s most remote nations. Rimon’s advocacy extends beyond the newsroom: he is active in anti-corruption networks, mentors young journalists and has helped develop resources to strengthen Pacific media.
Throughout the conversation, Rimon reflects on the pressures facing journalists in small island states, the lessons he learned working alongside President Tong and the ongoing struggle for press freedom and public accountability. He shares his vision for a Pacific where independent media is empowered to inform, challenge and connect communities, and where journalists can collaborate to defend democracy and drive development.
Devpolicy Talks is the podcast of the Australian National University’s Development Policy Centre. Our producers are Robin Davies, Amita Monterola and Finn Clark.
Please note: We provide transcripts for information purposes only. Anyone accessing our transcripts undertake responsibility for assessing the relevance and accuracy of the content. Before using the material contained in a transcript, the permission of the relevant presenter should be obtained.
Rimon: “I couldn't really work with any media in Kiribati, and because of the limitations of what I could do, and so that's why I opted to be a freelance journalist to report on the stories that I thought mattered, that I thought people need to know at that certain time. And certainly, it goes without any challenges. I mean, I have my fair share of challenges, like any other jobs, but for me, I feel like it's more of alone, doing the one job which you think is important. There are days when you want to just find something else and do it, but a lot is at stake. And if no one else is doing this, who else will do it?”
***
Acknowledgement: We wish to acknowledge the Indigenous people of Australia, the wider Asia-Pacific region, and other parts of the world, and express our respect for their traditional knowledge and practices, which stem from a deep connection to the lands and waters they have inhabited for millennia.
Robin: Welcome to Devpolicy Talks, the podcast of the Development Policy Centre. We’re part of the Crawford School of Public Policy at the Australian National University, on Ngunnawal and Ngambri country in Canberra. I’m Robin Davies. This is our twelfth season, and we’re bringing you a mix of interviews, event recordings and in-depth features on topics central to our research: Australia’s overseas aid, development in Papua New Guinea and the Pacific, and other regional and global development issues.
In this episode, I speak with Rimon Rimon, one of Kiribati’s most influential journalists and communicators. Rimon’s career spans more than two decades across media, government and international advocacy. He is currently an investigative journalist, content creator and media consultant, contributing to outlets such as ABC Australia, The Guardian Australia, Radio New Zealand Pacific and Islands Business magazine. Rimon is also the founder of the Kiribati Newsroom, an online news platform he launched to counter misinformation and promote independent reporting in his country.
But Rimon’s influence extends far beyond journalism. For over a decade, he served as Lead Communications and Public Relations Adviser to the Government of Kiribati and was the key media spokesperson and public diplomacy manager for President Anote Tong from 2006 to 2016. In that role, Rimon helped shape Kiribati’s international narrative on climate change, leading global media campaigns and representing the country at the United Nations and other forums. His experience at the heart of government during a pivotal era for Kiribati gives him a unique perspective on the intersection of media, government and development.
In our conversation, Rimon reflects on his journey from teaching and government service to independent journalism, the challenges of reporting in a small island state and the crucial role of media in promoting transparency and accountability. He also shares insights from his work with anti-corruption networks and his ongoing efforts to strengthen Pacific journalism.
Rimon: Thank you, Robin, for the opportunity to be on the podcast. My name is Rimon Rimon. I'm from Kiribati in the Central Pacific. I love reading and writing articles, and I have three wonderful children, whom I love so much.
Robin: Now, I know you're working as a freelance journalist, but for a large part of your career, over 10 years, you were advising the former prime minister of Kiribati, President Anote Tong, particularly during that period where he was playing a very prominent role on the international stage, advocating for climate action. He also had, I think, very forward-looking, definite policies about how to manage the impacts of climate change on Kiribati itself, including the “migration with dignity” policy. Now the current government has, I think, adopted quite a different approach. What's your perception? How would you describe that change, and what's your comment on it?
Rimon: Yeah, I think you've put it out quite accurately. I mean, as expected, each administration has their own ideas and visions. And I think back in the days, I can only speak on my time in government, when I was in the previous administration. So, at that time, towards the Paris Agreement —t he Copenhagen failed attempt to get agreement in Copenhagen in 2009 — a lot of what we did on climate change was really guided by the science, right? And I think the IPCC report that was out then, at that time before Copenhagen, and then consecutively after that, towards Paris, were quite categorical and straightforward, and we knew our place in the science of climate change, and it wasn't really a good picture for us. And so that really dictated or shaped how the leadership approached the issue of climate change.
And so, with the science available, the approach that the government took at that time was kind of two-pronged. So, they wanted to focus on building up the islands, which requires a lot of resources that Kiribati does not have. And the second approach was to prepare for the inevitable migration of the people. I mean, nobody in Kiribati wants to migrate, for sure. Yes, people want to travel or explore other places, but they tend to always want to come back. But the science is saying that in 50 or 80 years from now, Kiribati might not exist. And so, it's inevitable for people to migrate. But government took it ... so the importance in at least preparing the people that when they migrate, they become worthwhile citizens in the new societies that they choose to reside in, rather than climate refugees. We sort of like ... it was a taboo word for us to use in our administration — climate refugee. And so, I think that's where the migration with dignity concept really came about.
The current government is taking a different approach, as you said. How I see it, I don't really understand ... the way that I see it is that they almost think that God will do this for us, will look after us, and will take care of all the problems, which I think is not quite practical. In a sense, it's good for our spiritual inspiration, but it's almost as if they're telling people that we shouldn't worry about climate change. The government will look after us. And so, they're working in the right space, I think, with partners, and trying to help the people, at least make the impacts more bearable for their lives.
And so, when it comes for people to migrate, it almost seems to me, and these are my personal views, that they're on their own, that there is no set policy on migration set by government. And so, I've asked a few people whether they're getting assistance or anything like that from government, and they're saying nothing, really. And to give you an example of this: in the previous administration, I'll give an example of Kiribati students who are public servants, who perhaps take scholarships, an Australian Award Scholarship, for example, and do their masters or PhD in Australia. They're confined by the rules of the scholarship to come back and serve two years in the country. And even the public service in Kiribati has their own terms. I think it's four years or three years. In the previous administration, that was pulled out. I mean, if you had that opportunity to stay in another country, it's almost as if that's like one less problem for the government, if you know what I mean. So that's sort of like more a proactive sense that, you know, if I went and studied and stayed there... Now, people, they can't do that. They have to ask the government first. Look, because it's just not part of their policy or their vision.
Robin: So, when you say the view is almost "God will provide," and the focus is on land reclamation, expensive sort of infrastructure works of that kind, the view might also be that emerging donors might provide. And I think we'll come back to that whole question of geopolitical competition in the region, as it relates to Kiribati. But on people movement, you said people are almost on their own in some ways. They're actually being actively constrained from taking up opportunities. Of course, Kiribati citizens are eligible for some temporary migration schemes like the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme and the New Zealand equivalent, but Kiribati has chosen not to take up its allocation of places under Australia's new Pacific Engagement Visa. Is this something that you have reported on?
Rimon: Yes. I mean, this is quite big news. I mean, in the region, actually, in the Pacific, when PEV [Pacific Engagement Visa] was launched, a lot of Pacific nations were really eager for that, because it provided a pathway for them to migrate, or at least in that sense. It's the stance that the Kiribati government took on this is quite interesting. I still have to look into it yet, but it just doesn't make sense to me. When these are opportunities for the people, and they are stopping access from the people. I mean, I understand our government is reserved in so many areas in respect of regional undertakings, but this is one area where even the people on the ground are saying, "Hey, Fijian brothers and Samoan sisters and Tongans are going to access this, and why not us?" So, people are actually talking about this on the ground, but they don't really set the rules.
Robin: Now, these two related issues for Kiribati, climate change and labour mobility, in many countries are topics of great interest to the national media. The media reflects public opinion about these things. It provides information that informs public opinion. I know that the media scene in Kiribati is very small. Do you feel that people are getting the information they need on these issues?
Rimon: Oh, definitely. I mean, it's good to note that the media landscape is quite small, and also in its—I think perhaps in infant stages. We still need a lot of capacity building in that area. But information is getting out to the people. I think the question to ask is: is the right information going out to the right people? And I think that's where things get a bit tricky. And as you understand, we were such a small media and owned by the state, most of what people read or have access to is dictated, actually, by the government. So, they say, "Print this and don't print that. Publish that and don't publish this."
And so, it's why I took the initiative of doing the Kiribati Newsroom, as I mentioned in my presentation earlier, is because it was an avenue that... I really wanted to apply for a permit or licence to run a newspaper, but I knew where that was going, or where that would head to, right? And so, I found inspiration in what was happening in the region already, and Facebook became a platform that people were already accessing. And so, the Kiribati Newsroom provided that sort of other side of the story, like the other side of the coin.
And so, I think more work needs to be done in getting the right information to the right people so that people make more informed decisions. These are my personal views on this. But I think people in Kiribati are quite comfortable in the sense that they get spoon-fed with the information and they say, "Oh, okay, so this is why this is happening." I have a different kind of mind on that, and I think every journalist does. And it's when the news is out there, I always wonder, what is not out? You know, what part of that story was not out, and why? And so, as an investigative journalist, I introduce myself to people as more someone who doesn't cover stories but uncover stories. And so, this has really given people the opportunity to say, "Hey, there's a different version out there, and he's referencing the laws and the Constitution. Is he legit? Is he right?"
And it's come to a point where the government has really closed the doors to me in carrying out my work to get that first-hand information from them. And so, I find a lot of the times—we don't have FOI [Freedom of Information] or whistleblower protection in Kiribati—but I find a lot of the time how I've been reporting and getting the accurate news out is because people are leaking it. And this is true because I hear a lot of people, even within government or within cabinet, saying, "How did this guy get that information?" So, it shows that there is an effort to try and stop that information from coming out. And sometimes I'm seen, or independent media is seen as an impediment to their efforts in developing the country. And so rather than just being criticised along the way, they want to reach the point B and say, "Look, we did this. Now you can criticise us as much as you want, but don't hold us back on what we're doing."
Robin: So you went from government, you walked right past the fourth estate into the fifth estate, set up a digital investigative platform. And just for the people listening, if they look at Facebook and search on the Kiribati Newsroom, they can follow you. You've got more than 20,000 subscribers, which is a remarkable achievement. But in a country where the traditional media is government controlled, aside from your difficulty in accessing information, do you face any active hostility to your work?
Rimon: Oh, indeed. I mean, because when I started off, it's quite a transition to work from government media and transition onto the other spectrum as media, reporting on the governments. But I couldn't really just work with any media in Kiribati, and because of the limitations of what I could do, and so that's why I opted to be a freelance journalist to report on the stories that I thought mattered, that I thought people need to know at that certain time. And certainly, it goes without any challenges. I mean, I have my fair share of challenges, like any other jobs, but for me, I feel like it's more of alone, doing the one job which you think is important. There are days when you want to just find something else and do it, but a lot is at stake. And if no one else is doing this, who else will do it?
And so, like I said, the Kiribati Newsroom was created out of necessity because misinformation, disinformation was really rife at the time when we were going through a diplomatic switch and things like that. And so, I had a lot of my main critics were actually from government authorities, and they're saying I wasn't really helping, in a sense. But it comes to a point where people started to go against me and say, "Oh, he's so bitter. He used to work for the previous administration, and he's not there anymore, and he's talking about this now." And they see my reporting as always negative, right? And so, to do proper reporting and get criticised for those reasons is a bit depressing at times. Depression is a close friend of mine in this kind of job, but you just keep on doing it, and eventually people understand, and they'll read an article that I wrote perhaps last year and comment on it like now. And I think, oh, people are still... And so, it takes time for people, because they don't understand how government is undertaken, how government is run, and all that. And so, they started to sort of like compliment me and say, "Hey, keep doing what you're doing." But does that help? I mean, in a sense, yes, I like that. It's positive feedback, but I think it's quite a challenging environment working...
Robin: I noticed that in one of those media freedom indexes that are prepared on Pacific Island countries, Kiribati doesn't do too badly. It appears to have a reasonable level of media freedom. But from what you say, that appears to be an odd kind of freedom. Maybe you are the measure of media freedom in that you can operate. But on the other hand, you're operating with a very closed government ecosystem.
Rimon: Yeah, I think, Robin, I think that's why I said I specialise more on uncovering stories, rather than covering stories, because I think a lot of information is out there that really is sugar-coated or, you know, illusion. So, it's quite a tricky space to be working in. But media freedom with respect to just expressing the thoughts... even citizens who want to express their thoughts, they get reprimanded when they do that. It's a popular place to rant and get opinions—Facebook. And when they talk critically about government, and I see them as supporters, and out of the blue, they just become quiet, and I get worried. And they say, "Hey, what's wrong with this person?" And then I hear that maybe he or she is related to someone in government, and they've been pressured not to talk in that way because it's painting a bad picture. They're saying they're supporting my agenda, which is not really an agenda. It's just the work I do. We have to report and just not leave anything out.
So, I think more needs to be done in this space. We need whistleblower protection, Freedom of Information Act. I mentioned in my presentation earlier today that groundwork has been done on this, so it's at the political level now where our parliamentarians need to say, "Okay, let's do this." And so, I think having these proper mechanisms in place would help more on that. But we can't wait for that to happen and just not report on things. And so that's, I think that's where... You said the fifth estate. I like that. I've always heard the fourth, but I have never heard the fifth. But yeah, I think it's, like I said with the Kiribati Newsroom and with other things, it's out of necessity that I have to do it, because I worry that when people don't get the right information, that just doesn't sit well with me.
Robin: Now, two of the things that we've talked about may or may not relate to the question of geopolitical competition in the region and its impact on Kiribati. We talked about the changed position of the current Kiribati government on climate adaptation. They're putting their faith in, I think, infrastructure works, land reclamation and so forth, which would require expensive investments from somewhere. And you have also remarked on the growing almost secrecy, or at least the very closed approach that the government is increasingly taking, holding information tightly. And I wonder if some of that is also about investment prospects and relationships that the government would prefer not to discuss. So, this, you know, elephant in the room, the role of China and Kiribati's relationship with China. Is this something that you're focusing on closely?
Rimon: Yes, I mentioned the diplomatic switch during a critical time in our democracy. We were having elections at that time, when this was in 2019. The switch happened in 2019, and for it to happen at a time when people were deciding who should be in government was, to me, a bit ... I don't know, timely or untimely. It depends on who you say that for. But it certainly has played a role in our politics and in our democracy and the elections after that. People were starting to question, "Hey, why is this about China and Taiwan?" But I think it talks about the principles of democracy because people are getting an understanding of what democracy is in Kiribati.
The culture is quite different with other Pacific [nations] in the sense that we don't have chiefs, we don't have a chief system. So, we do have hierarchy, but it's a very small one, and basically, it's just the elders, those who are wise and old. And these are our grandfathers, and they are the ones who make the decisions, right? And so, whatever happens, however they decide on important matters in the village, they don't just decide that. We have a meeting house called the maneaba, and this is sort of like a formal platform for everyone to give in their thoughts and ideas. And so, consensus is quite important in our culture. And so, I see that as sort of like having similarities with the democracy system, even though it's a Western system introduced to Kiribati people.
And so, when we switched, because we were friends with China before, and with the Tong administration coming in, that was a big question from the Western media. And they say, "Well, why are you ... so you do not recognise the One China policy?" But the stance, or what the President said back then was that that's a China issue, not our issue. It's not up to someone or a superpower to tell us who we should or should not be friends with. And so, he was more interested in having his development plans developed into becoming reality. And so, he saw Taiwan as a partner that could really bring about that. I mean, China has been sitting for quite a long time since our independence, and we haven't really seen much. And their focus back then was quite different as well. And we understand now China is not the former China that we once knew.
And so, a lot of that had to be foregone or lost by the people. And most of these include medical access to one of the top hospitals in Taiwan. We've lost all of that now, and people really look forward to getting that referral to hospitals and even the scholarships. I mean, what has really changed in the diplomatic switch? I think it's just a continuation. China has really taken those things. Oh, did Taiwan do that? Okay, well, let's continue that. So, we have scholarships. I'm not really sure about the health side of things, whether we're sending people to China or not. I mean, that's another issue. But they're telling people that the answer to our development is if we stick with China because they have these infrastructure projects that they need to realise, and they think that China can help us in that way. And so, governments are free to do that, choose who their friends are. But I think in the process of doing that, the people felt a disconnect that is growing and growing. So, they're not seeing the benefits yet. Well, not just seeing the tangible benefits. Because, I mean, China's 2019, is just still within this decade.
But the disconnect was growing more and more in the sense that the people were disconnected from their own government, and so people felt that they were serving interests of their partners more than their own people. And I don't know if that's how it should be or not, but it's creating a lot of ... stirring a lot of conversations on the ground, and people see that as... I mean, change is never easy for people, but I think we're still going through this, and we're still analysing and navigating our way through it. And certainly, many respects of our rights or freedom that we once enjoyed have now been more tightened. And is this reflective of the switch? I don't know. I think there are experts on this who can talk more on that, but this is just my observations on how things have played out.
Robin: The other development really, in the last five to 10 years in the region, is the rapid growth in drug trade across the region, which has had terrible impacts in Fiji in particular, but a number of other countries. Is this something which is touching on Kiribati and something that you're following as an investigative journalist?
Rimon: Yes, indeed it is. And I am quite happy that I'm not really working on those kinds of stories, because that means perhaps the organised crime community have not really seen the strategic importance of the location of Kiribati. But I think they're focusing more on Fiji and Tonga, as you know, transiting hub for that. But people read news about what's happening in Fiji, and Fiji is like a Pacific hub. People know Fiji. They've been to Fiji a lot and studied and everything in Fiji. So, when we hear stories out of the ordinary, like stories that we usually hear in more developed countries, we know that something actually much more sinister is here, apart from corruption or other things. But I understand now authorities are actively engaged in this work, because I understand our police have these transnational crime units that look after this. But I think Kiribati hasn't really been much on the radar.
I think back in the administration, back then, we had ... so Kiribati has the Eastern Islands, which are much closer to French Polynesia. Some of the islands there are not inhabited, right? And so, with only one patrol boat, it came out of chance, really, that they found one of the islands was... they were growing marijuana there. So, I mean, marijuana is debatable, but it's not as serious as other drugs. But that's pretty much what my experience and my understanding of what's happening.
Robin: Now, I'm interested in how you work with other investigative journalists across the region on the range of issues that we've been talking about, whether it's climate change or migration, corruption, influence of China, the drug trade, all of these things that are the bread and butter of investigative journalism. Is there a functional network? And I know by the way that you've played a role in putting together some tools for investigative journalists in the region, a sort of toolkit that people can use. So, can you just talk a bit about how you work together with other journalists in the region as you focus on these issues?
Rimon: Yeah, I think that is our initial aim or goal. We can't do this alone. It's just not smart to do this. I mean, when crime is organised, we have to be organised as well. And so, I work under the umbrella of the Pacific Island News Association, PINA, with what we call the Pacific Anti-Corruption Journalist Network [PACJN], and that's where we developed the toolkit, and we're putting more focus now on corruption as an issue that needs ... I mean, it's an important issue, but certain times we feel it's being embedded somewhere within another important issue, when actually corruption is the greatest impediment to anything that we're trying to... especially with development. And so PACJN has really been helpful in that, getting reporters from the region to work on this. It's not all reporters who are part of this initially were so eager to do this because they had to consider a lot of security issues for themselves and their families. To report on authority is never easy.
And so, on top of ... in addition to PACJN, I'm also part of the OCCRP, the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project. So, I'm also working with the OCCRP, and the region is right ... and then, so they've just recently entered the Pacific stage. And while each Pacific country has their own specific investigations, we formed up the group where we worked together, and we found out that it was a very good arrangement, effective and efficient, because some of the crimes that we were investigating in one country actually started off from another neighbouring country, and so sharing those kind of resources and expertise and experiences really has helped us perhaps come this far.
Robin: And it was OCCRP that just broke the news in the last couple of days about the sale of a Vanuatu passport to Andrew Tate. So now you're a fellow with OCCRP, you're a reporter for the BenarNews at times, and I know both of those organisations have been hit by US development assistance funding cuts. How much impact is that going to have on the quality of journalism in the region, do you think?
Rimon: I think it's going to have a great impact. I mean, as much as we have a big voice, we can't just rely on a voice. We need microphones or megaphones or things like that, metaphorically speaking. But I think resources are needed there. I think in the case of OCCRP, it's been doing this for quite some time that it's quite established itself as an organisation, as an entity that can, in a way, continue to function in political changes that happen right now. But I am also a correspondent for BenarNews, and it was actually quite exciting when I started working with them, and then so far to learn that it has been defunded and now we don't get to report on critical issues. They have quite a different approach. I'm not saying they're completely different, but I kind of like the avenues where they ... and the angle that they do that. But to not be able to do that, I think is a big loss, because I have to go back to my Kiribati Newsroom, and it only has 20,000 people and does not really have an international audience that can make things a difference when people hear what's happening.
Robin: Well, Rimon, thank you very much. I think that covers everything I wanted.
Rimon: Robin, it's been a pleasure.