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ABC correspondent faces deportation from Fiji

Updated: ABC Pacific correspondent Sean Dorney has arrived back in Sydney after being deported from Fiji following a crack down on the media.

dorneyUpdated: Dorney arrived back in Sydney today saying: “The censorship at the moment is just absolutely extraordinary, never in Fiji before has it been this tough, even after [Sitiveni] Rabuka’s coup.

“It’s total censorship, the news media have no freedom left whatsoever in Fiji under the current situation. These emergency regulations are in power for 30 days, what happens beyond that I don’t know.”

An ABC Pacific correspondent is expected to be deported from Fiji following a crack down on the media and critics of the regime.

Sean Dorney spent the night in Nadi, supervised by immigration officials. This morning, he could not be reached on his mobile.

Security officials also detained New Zealand reporter Sia Aston and cameraman Matt Smith.

Police have been watching over what is being written and broadcast. A Fijian journalist who interviewed Dorney has also been arrested under Commodore Bainimarama’s new censorship laws.

“A Fiji One reporter was imprisoned overnight for giving us footage, TVNZ footage,” said TVNZ correspondent Barbara Dreaver.

“This is just indicative of the crackdown. I take my hat off to our young reporters up in Fiji. They are just fantastic. Very brave.”

Fiji’s main television station, Fiji One, refused to broadcast its nightly news bulletin Sunday, instead showing a simple message written across a black screen: “Viewers please be advised that there will be no 6 p.m. news tonight.”

Source / photo: ABC

One Response

  1. Strange decision.
    First thing ABC should do is get Dorney in studio on 7.30 report and interview the crap out of him and he should “go full throttle” and tell it like it is.
    No holds barred interview might be change from ‘censored or governement speak.

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