MEDIA-FIJI: Activists Condemn Expulsion of Aussie Publisher

By Shailendra Singh

SUVA, Feb 26 (IPS) - Media organisations and civil society groups in Fiji have condemned the deportation overnight of an expatriate newspaper publisher by Fiji’s interim government.

The Australian managing director and publisher of the 'Fiji Sun' daily, Russell Hunter, was arrested at his Suva home Monday night by two men claiming to be from the immigration department. He was put on a Sydney-bound flight out of Nadi International Airport on Tuesday.

A media statement issued by Fiji’s department of information said Hunter had been declared a ‘prohibited immigrant’. "This action was taken after the Department of Immigration received credible information that Mr Hunter was engaged in activities that not only contravened the conditions attached to his work permit, but also made him a Prohibited Immigrant under Section 13(2)(g) of the new Immigration Act 2003 that came into force on 03 January 2008,which states that a non-citizen becomes a Prohibited Immigrant if it is deemed by the Minister that the person has been conducting himself in a manner prejudicial to the peace, defence, public safety, public health, security or good government of the Fiji Islands."

For the full report, visit http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=41351.