Banned MP stuck on Nauru without visa

YAREN – A Nauru opposition MP’s fight to get his passport reissued has suffered a major defeat with the court throwing out the application due to it being out of time.

Roland Kun had his passport cancelled by Justice Minister David Adeang in June – although he has not been charged with any crime.

Kun’s lawyer said the government had used every chance to delay the matter and has avoided making any submissions to explain its actions.

Kun has been unable to see his family for six months, and he said it was doing them harm.

“There’s just no end in sight, in terms of what we are going through, being now already separated for six months. It is very disappointing. It seems unlikely we’re going to be spending Christmas together and so that is very hard for us.”

Adeang has made representations to the United Nations that Kun has been charged in relation to a protest outside Parliament in June.

Kun has also rubbished comments made by members of a fact-finding mission from the Commonwealth Secretariat.

Albert Mariner, the Head of its Caribbean and Pacific Section, visited Nauru last week with the Solomon Islands Foreign Minister, Milner Tozaka.

They met with opposition MPs and said they conveyed their concerns to the government, and were now confident in the due process of the courts.

Kun said the comments were bewildering.

“I find it very difficult to understand how they can now say due process is being observed here on the island and the rule of law is intact. They really do need to go beyond just stating that, and explain themselves.”

Kun said he had an unscheduled meeting with the two secretarit representatives late on their final day, after business hours and before a scheduled dinner.

One half of the fact-finding team was Milner Tozaka, the foreign minister of Solomon Islands, who says he’s confident in the state of democracy on Nauru.

“They have a chief justice there now – we have spoken to him. And they have allowed the opposition to be represented in court.”

Kun said it appears highly unlikely he will be with his family in New Zealand for Christmas. He has not seen them for six months.

- RNZI/PNC