By Cindy Trinh
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania
SUVA, Fiji – A former Fiji Human Rights Commissioner, Shamima Ali, says the treatment of Dr. Brij Lal is shocking and unacceptable. Lal was threatened when he was questioned by the Fiji military, and was deported to Australia after he was questioned.
Lal is an Australian academic who was originally born in Fiji.
Earlier this week, Lal commented on the interim regime’s expulsion of top New Zealand and Australian diplomats in an interview with ABC.
Soon after, Lal was confronted by the Fiji military and questioned extensively. Lal reports that military authorities came to his house and took him to the barracks for questioning. Lal says he was subjected to intense verbal abuse, foul language and explosive anger while he was in detention in Suva.
The military gave Lal only 24 hours to leave Fiji. He was immediately deported to Australia.
Ali strongly criticizes the military’s actions, and stated: “This is like taking us back to the early days of the coup; the military taking people in and I’m not at liberty to say exactly what he went through, but he was humiliated and sworn at and belittled and threatened…”
Ali further criticizes the military’s behavior as being unacceptable: “I’m very concerned about what’s happening. We seem to be facing a deteriorating situation politically in this country. And when we thought that bridges have been mended that’s when it seems that it slipped out of our hands again. So it’s not a good place for Fiji to be at the moment.”
After Lal arrived in Australia, Lal commented that “he suffered nothing the people of Fiji don’t already suffer daily.” He returned to Australia with heightened diplomatic tensions resulting from the expulsions, which have left relations between Fiji, Australia, and New Zealand at a “new low.”
Amnesty International condemns the action taken by Fiji’s military against Lal. Amnesty reports that the military also told Lal that if he were to ever return to Fiji, he would be killed.
A researcher from Amnesty International, Apolosi Bose, says the situation in Fiji is deteriorating: “People were scared before, but the danger from Amnesty’s point of view is that Fiji’s situation will become worse as it becomes more isolated and away from all the scrutiny.”
Fiji’s immigration director, Major Nemani Vuniwaqa, denies that Lal was deported and expelled. He would not make any comments as to why Lal was questioned.
The Australian National University (ANU) is considering making a formal complaint to the Fiji government for its treatment of Lal.
Australia’s National Tertiary Education Union also condemns the actions of the Fiji military. The Union’s spokesman, Ted Murphy, says Lal’s expulsion is “a direct violation of free speech and academic freedom.”
Murphy also fears that the regime’s actions will destroy educational partnerships between Australia and Fiji.
For more information, please see:
Raw Fiji News – A former Fiji Human Rights Commissioner says treatment of academic is shocking – 06 November 2009
ABC Radio Australia – Fiji deports Fiji-born Australian academic Dr. Brij Lal – 05 November 2009
Radio New Zealand International – A former Fiji Human Rights Commissioner says treatment of academic is shocking – 05 November 2009
Radio New Zealand International – Amnesty critical of Fiji treatment of Australian academic Lal – 05 November 2009
Radio New Zealand International – Fiji deports academic Lal to Australia – 04 November 2009
