Fiji Times publisher deported despite court order

02/05/2008 16:44:41

An Australian newspaper publisher is flying to Seoul, after he was deported from Fiji.

Our reporter in Suva, Samisoni Pareti, says immigrations officials detained Evan Hannah on Thursday night, saying the Fiji Times publisher had breached work permit conditions.

The Australian High Commission in Suva has confirmed the News Limited executive was put on a Korean Airlines plane and is currently flying to Seoul, despite a Fiji court order preventing his departure.

The editor of the Fiji Times, Natani Rika, has told Radio Australia right up till the last moment Evan Hannah had no idea where he was to be sent

"Indications are they waited until five minutes before the Korean Airways flight left, then members of the security forces, we are not sure which branch at this stage, told the airport offcials to put Mr Hannah on the plane," he said.

Mr Hannah's deportation went ahead despite a court order preventing his departure.

The court order was signed by High Court Judge Justice Filimoni Jitoko, who will now rule on the authorities' refusal to abide by his orders.

Media Freedom

The United States Government says it's concerned by the Fiji interim Governments expulsion of Australian publisher, Evan Hannah.

In a statement, the US says the deportation of Mr Hannah raises serious questions about respect for the freedom of the press in Fiji.

The Pacific Islands News Association says Fiji's decision to deport an Australian newspaper publisher is a blatant attack on media freedom.

In a statement, PINA President Joseph Ealedona says the deportation of Mr Hannah is calaculated to intimidate and silence critics of Fiji's interim military regime.

Mr Rika says the deportation comes a day after the interim prime minister, Commodore Frank Bainimara, released a statement in support of media freedom, ahead of World Media Freedom Day on May 3.

"It's difficult not to laugh in a situation such as this - but it's unfortunate that this has happened at this, of all times, shortly before Media Freedom Day," he said.

"This move doesn't do much to foster good relations, but as a responsible media organisation, we're going to continue to allow people, including the government, space in our newspaper to make their views known to the public."

Fiji's Media Council chair, Daryl Tarte, has issued a strong statement saying the deportation of Mr Hannah makes a mockery of the regime's claim that the media in Fiji is free.

"[The] council is shocked and dismayed that on the eve of world media freedom day the interim government should make a mockery of its claim that the media in Fiji is free," he said.

Hunter not suprised

Mr Hannah's deportation comes just months after another Australian publisher, Russell Hunter, was arrested and sent home after allegedly publishing stories that incensed the military regime

Mr Hunter was the publisher of the rival newspaper Fiji Sun and had upset the military regime with a number of articles relating to one of the country's ministers.

He's told Radio Australia's Pacific Beat program he knew he would not be the last media representative to be kicked out of Fiji.

"I'm not surprised but I am extremely disappointed," he said.

"Evan and I had discussed this after my deportation and he was firmly of the view that he was next in line."

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