Tuesday, January 27, 2009



Fiji: another media deportation

In May last year, Fiji's interim regime deported Fiji Times publisher Evan Hannah in retaliation for a series of articles exposing corruption and tax-evasion by the quisling Minister of Finance Mahendra Chaudhary. Now, they've done it again, ordering the deportation of (new) Fiji Times publisher Rex Gardner. The reason? He has been

deemed by the Minister to be a person who is or has been conducting himself in a manner prejudicial to the peace, defence, public safety, public order, public morality, public health, security or good government of the Fiji Islands.
(Section 13 (2) (g), Immigration Act 2003)

So, according to the Fijian military, running a newspaper is a threat to security. It's nice to know where they stand...