Fiji government is strongly criticized for the deportation of USP Vice-Chancellor Featured
University of the South Pacific (USP) vice-chancellor and president Pal Ahluwalia
11 February, 2021. Fiji's Law Society and human rights coalition have joined the widespread condemnation of the arrests and deportation of Ahluwalia and his wife Sandra Price.
The NGO Coalition for Human Rights said the extreme force employed by Immigration officials and police was unacceptable and unjustified.
The deportations come after months of tensions between the university and the Fiji government, with staff and student protests erupting in June following the removal of professor Ahluwalia and ongoing allegations of corruption and financial mismanagement.
The Coalition said the strong-armed approach by government does not reflect democratic principles or the human rights values Fiji champions in its role as president of the UN Human Rights Council.
Meanwhile, Fiji's Law Society said deportation is not an answer to allegations of impropriety.
It calls on the government to follow the rule of law saying no authority should exercise undue force when there are mechanisms to deal with such matters.
