Nauru's Minister of Justice David Adeang has defended high visa fees for journalists visiting Nauru to report, saying it's a fragile situation on the island.
Nauru's Justice Minister David Adeang Photo: Supplied
Mr Adeang was responding to recommendations put forward at a UN meeting in Geneva for Nauru to ease the way for foreign journalists.
At the moment they must pay a non-refundable US$5000 visa application fee in order to visit.
Mr Adeang says Nauru does not welcome journalists because reporting on the regional processing centre has been far from positive despite Nauru's efforts to make asylum seeker processing work.
"Irresponsible reporting of circumstances in Nauru can tend to undermine the fragile relations between asylum seekers and refugees on the one hand and the Nauruan community who are doing everything they can to make the arrangements work. Anything that can be seen to destabilise those arrangements can incite social disorder."
David Adeang says the media is still invited to come to Nauru but urged journalists to be responsible in their reporting.
Nauru defends cancelling Kun's passport
Mr Adeang also defended the cancellation of an opposition MP's passport at the UN meeting.
Nauru is undergoing a review of its approach to human rights as part of the UN's Universal Periodic Review process.
In his opening comments to the meeting Mr Adeang referred to the case of Roland Kun who has not been able to leave the country since June after his passport was cancelled.
Mr Kun is waiting for his case against the government to go through the courts but says he is yet to be charged for any wrongdoing.
Mr Adeang said the passport was cancelled to ensure justice can take its course.
"Additionally the issue concerning the revocation of a passport of a certain MP is to allow the due process of an individual charged with a crime is facilitated and are in line with the laws of Nauru."
But Mr Kun says no criminal charges have been laid against him.
