Fiji-born academic interrogated after media comment

Updated November 5, 2009 09:51:34

Fiji-born political commentator Brij Lal is the latest casualty of the interim regime having been taken to military barracks yesterday, then given 24 hours to leave the country. Radio Australia was told that two cars with plain-clothed officers arrived at Dr Lal's Fiji home yesterday afternoon and ordered him to go with them to a military camp for an interview. Apparently the interrogation was very violent.

Professor Lal was detained by Fiji military in relation to public comments he made about Fiji's expulsion of Australia and New Zealand's head of diplomatic missions. He says he was interrogated by the military for three hours. He was told that his views were uninformed and unwelcome by Fiji's military-backed regime. He was then told he was unwelcome in Fiji and had 24 hours to leave the country. We rang Fiji this morning and were told that Doctor Lal has left his home and is due to arrive in Sydney at around 12.30 today.

Dr Lal was born in Fiji, but has been working at the Australian National Unviersity in Canberra for many years and holds Australian citizenship. Fiji is under military rule and does not have a free press.

He spoke with Mike Woods shortly after his release from military detention late last night.

Presenter: Mike Woods
Speaker: Professor Brij Lal, Fiji-born academic at Australian National University from Suva