Suspended Nauru MP hopeful Forum will step in

Transcript

The suspended Nauru opposition MP Roland Kun says he's hopeful of help from the Pacific Islands Forum after a meeting with its Secretary General yesterday.

Mr Kun says Dame Meg arranged a meeting with all five suspended MPs at "the eleventh hour" during her visit to the island.

The MPs are either facing criminal charges or have had their passports cancelled in the wake of anti government protests on Nauru.

Mr Kun says the MPs were able to give Dame Meg valuable information like how their suspensions have differed from such action by parliament in the past.

ROLAND KUN: We did explain to her that actually our suspension is very very different from previous suspensions. Past suspensions have always been on the basis of parliamentary standing orders. Our suspension is not. It is purely because we've spoken to international media and no other reason.

SALLY ROUND: Did she indicate to you what she would be doing with all the information she's gathered?

RK: Our understanding is she's going to to take the information back to the Forum Secretariat. They're going to put together a report that will then inform the Forum its best way forward. They're going to make an assessment as to whether intervention is warranted and if so how best the Forum may be able to assist Nauru through our current crisis.

SR: Were you interested to know what the Forum might be able to do? Did you ask her that?

RK: Sure we did but there was no commitment on what may possibly happen. We can understand that. She would need to be speaking to her Secretariat and then perhaps she has to be speaking to the current chair of the Forum and then (inaudible) all that through the leaders.

SR: And is it your impression that this visit by Dame Meg was a run of the mill visit to a Pacific island country which she has to do before this Forum leaders' meeting in September or was this a special visit to look out for what's happening in Nauru?

RK: I would expect this is a special visit for the purpose of gathering information. We, at the eleventh hour, were able to get airtime with her. I also know civil society requested a meeting with her. I'm not sure whther they were able to get a meeting.

SR: How do you rate your chances of getting an outcome favourable to you? You've had this high profile visit, you'be been able to get this meeting. How are you feeling at the moment?

RK: The reality of what's happening here needs to be appreciated if we're to be getting any support from say now the Forum. I think it is valuable that the crisis here is recognised for what it is. There is a high level of denial on the part of the Nauru government. They're just refusing to accept that anything is wrong here. That is obviously a large part of the problem. We're unable to move to resolving deterioration in our democracy, displacement of rule of law on the island. The government continues to refuse to accept their wrongs. I think it is important for organisations such as the Forum to be able to play a mediating role or some type of role to get government to start accepting the situation that we're actually in, in order that we can address this.

SR: And do you get a sense that this is actually what is going to happen, that the Forum will try and mediate here?

RK: I'm hopeful that is what is going to happen.