Fiji's military commander Frank Bainimarama and, inset, ABC correspondent Sean Dorney.
Fiji is a country ruled by military government intimidation, says an Australian journalist deported from the Pacific nation.
In the past five days the military regime has gained more power after the country's constitution was dissolved, its judiciary sacked and the Reserve Bank taken over, and local media has been heavily censored.
The Fiji government, under the leadership of Commodore Frank Bainimarama, had veteran ABC correspondent Sean Dorney deported from Nadi on the first Australia-bound flight on Tuesday. He touched down in Sydney just after midday (AEST).
"There is an incredible amount of intimidation going on there at the moment," Mr Dorney told reporters in Sydney. "There's no disturbances in the street, there's no carry on,the military really has the country under the thumb.
"Under these regulations there's no judges so you can't contest anything, you can't take anything to court. "It's total military control at the moment."
Mr Dorney was one of a number of journalists caught up in the latest military government crackdown.
New Zealand television journalist Sia Aston and cameraman Matt Smith were also deported, and a Fijian journalist was arrested for giving footage to another New Zealand television network.
Mr Dorney was approached by Fijian immigration officials after one of his stories went to air in Fiji on the Australia Network.
"I got a phone call from a senior immigration official saying: 'Sean, we want to discuss your reporting with you, could you come into the office?'," Mr Dorney said.
After refusing to leave the country voluntarily, Mr Dorney had his mobile phone confiscated and was held for several hours.
Fiji is a country ruled by military government intimidation, says an Australian journalist deported from the Pacific nation.In the past five days the military regime has gained more power after the country's constitution was dissolved, its judiciary sacked and the Reserve Bank taken over, and local media has been heavily censored.
The Fiji government, under the leadership of Commodore Frank Bainimarama, had veteran ABC correspondent Sean Dorney deported from Nadi on the first Australia-bound flight on Tuesday. He touched down in Sydney just after midday (AEST).
"There is an incredible amount of intimidation going on there at the moment," Mr Dorney told reporters in Sydney. "There's no disturbances in the street, there's no carry on,the military really has the country under the thumb."Under these regulations there's no judges so you can't contest anything, you can't take anything to court. "It's total military control at the moment."
Mr Dorney was one of a number of journalists caught up in the latest military government crackdown.
New Zealand television journalist Sia Aston and cameraman Matt Smith were also deported, and a Fijian journalist was arrested for giving footage to another New Zealand television network.
Mr Dorney was approached by Fijian immigration officials after one of his stories went to air in Fiji on the Australia Network.
"I got a phone call from a senior immigration official saying: 'Sean, we want to discuss your reporting with you, could you come into the office?'," Mr Dorney said.
After refusing to leave the country voluntarily, Mr Dorney had his mobile phone confiscated and was held for several hours.
Courtesy: The Canberra Times
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