9 Dec 2003

More eviction orders given near Fiji capital

6:25 am on 9 December 2003

The latest report of mass evictions from indigenous-owned land in Fiji concerns a group of residents close to the capital of Suva.

Fiji TV reports that the Native Lands Trust Board has served eviction notices on scores of residents of a settlement just outside the city boundaries because it wants to subdivide the land.

But while some residents are squatters and others are living there with the consent of indigenous landowners, another group has a 75-year residential leases with the NLTB.

These residents with existing leases have expressed serious concern about their evictions and compensation issues.

The NLTB says those with leases will be allocated other land to live on.