24 Jul 2015

Embattled Nauru MP hopes to meet with Forum head

7:37 pm on 24 July 2015

Nauru MP Roland Kun, who is waging a court battle to have his passport returned, hopes he will get to meet the Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum next week.

Dame Meg Taylor's visit comes after weeks of international criticism of the Nauru Government.

It is believed the New Zealand and Australian foreign ministers initiated the visit after they raised their concerns with the Nauru President, Baron Waqa, in a meeting in Sydney two weeks ago.

Mr Kun, who had his passport confiscated a month ago, is one of five Nauru MPs who have been suspended from parliament since May last year.

He says Dame Meg has to hear how democratically elected MPs have been stripped of their wages and entitlements and prevented from representing their constituencies simply because they were critical of the government.

Mr Kun says she must hear from those MPs who have been arrested and thrown into jail - and denied bail for weeks - because they took part in a peaceful protest.

And he says she has to hear from members of the public who have lost their jobs and been vilified by the government because they dared to speak out against its unlawful and unconstitutional practices.