FIJI: Another high-profile Fijian banned from travel
Updated
Another high-profile Fijian on the interim government's travel ban list has been stopped from leaving the country. Suva-based solicitor Graham Leung has lodged a court action challenging the military-led government's decision to stop him from flying out of Nadi on Monday morning. Mr Leung is one of several prominent Fijians who've been stopped from leaving the country in recent weeks, including the pro-democracy and anti-coup activist, Laisa Digitaki. Mr Leung says he didn't learn he'd been banned from travel until he arrived at the airport, and told Radio Australia's Geraldine Coutts he has learned that the order preventing him from leaving was given by the Interim Home Affairs Minister and prime minister Commodore Frank Bainimarama.
Presenter: Geraldine Coutts
Speakers: Solicitor Graham Leung
LEUNG: No reasons were given to me at Nadi airport but listening to what's in the public domain there seems to be a suggestion that a speech that I made in Hong Kong several weeks ago about the rule of law in Fiji has caused offence to those in the corridors of power.
COUTTS: Not to put too fine a point on it can you briefly just explain those comments?
LEUNG: Well basically I said look Fiji was being run by rulers who didn't have the mandate of the people. And I gave examples of what I thought to be instances where the rule of law was being eroded; as an example free speech I believe is curtailed and there is a large degree of self-censorship in the media. So obviously this put me offside with the authorities and that's why I'm on the travel ban.
COUTTS: Now can I just ask you what do you know about this travel ban? I know that it's been in existence since 1987 but seems to be used quite widely now since December last year. What prerequisites if you like are there for you finding yourself on this list?
LEUNG: Look that's the million dollar question. The travel ban is obviously a device that somebody's pulled out of a hat, and if you are perceived to be critical of the regime then your name is listed on a banned list of persons. And it's quite arbitrary and capricious, and you have no way of knowing unless you ring in advance or you front up at the airport only to be told that you can't leave. But as far as I'm concerned it's illegal and it has no basis in law and it's certainly unconstitutional because as a Fiji citizen I have a right to move about freely and that includes leaving the country.
COUTTS: Now if you had a crystal ball it does appear to be a pattern of behaviour emerging that the interim government is practising at the moment, and that is if you are as you say critical, even a little critical you'll find yourself on this list. What do you think is happening? Why would this be an instrument of fear for the interim government to have people speaking their minds?
LEUNG: Well they're obviously nervous of dissent and nervous of points of view which differ from theirs and so there's a heavy hand at play here. Obviously the overt reason for this is to ensure that people tow the party line.
COUTTS: Are there alleged charges even that will be brought as a reason for preventing you from leaving?
LEUNG: No, there is no suggestion of any charges but from what I can tell they are just simply unhappy that I've expressed views in an international forum completely unsupportive of the rape of democracy last December.
COUTTS: Now Laisa Digitaki - who was one of the more recent people to be disallowed to leave the country found her way on this list as well - she was unclear as to what she could do to get herself off this list so she could go about her normal business. And it's intriguing to me that she is a businesswoman, one of the things that Fiji actually needs at this point to have business continue as normal so they're preventing their business people from leaving?
LEUNG: Well there's no rhyme or reason for this. On the one hand the economy is haemorrhaging quite badly if you believe the Reserve Bank and other objective commentators. So their action in stopping business people from leaving is quite inexplicable and obviously it's going to send the wrong message to investors, both domestic and international. But look, we're here in a situation of dictatorship and the whole affair is quite irrational. But I've mounted a court challenge and my only recourse now is to find some justice in the courts and I'm very confident that I will get a very positive outcome from the judiciary.
