3 May 2008

Deported Fiji Times publisher says he is still shocked by events

1:30 pm on 3 May 2008

The publisher of the Fiji Times newspaper who was deported yesterday, says he is still shocked by the events.

Evan Hannah has now arrived back into Australia after being taken to Nadi airport yesterday by security forces, and made to board a Korean airliner.

Mr Hannah says he was told he had violated the terms and conditions of his status via certain articles in his newspaper.

"I under that many conditions of a work permit, one is which is that you don't get involved in politics. By definition the publisher of a newspaper could be said to be involved in politics because the newspaper will discuss politics. But I of course, and we had made this clear to the interim government many times, have no role in the editorial directional content in the newspaper."

The deported Fiji Times publisher, Evan Hannah.

And an editorial in the newspaper today accuses the interim government - especially its Attorney General - of intimidating and threatening it for more than two months.

But the paper says it will not give in to a cowardly and unwarranted attack.