What’s the big secret in ‘Australia’s Guantanamo’? Media muzzled for Pacific summit in Nauru
Few foreign journalists have had access to Nauru over the past few years, with many hampered by the nation’s decision to charge A$8,000 (US$5,800) per visa application, non-refundable even if not granted
The tiny Pacific island of Nauru - home to a Canberra-funded refugee detention camp dubbed “Australia’s Guantanamo” - is limiting media access to the region’s largest diplomatic summit, sparking claims it is trying to muzzle the press.
Reporters are usually warmly welcomed at the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), an annual gathering that allows leaders from 18 nations to air concerns about a region often overlooked on the global stage.
There are no shortage of pressing stories to cover at the meeting, from the existential threat climate change poses for small island states to China’s growing influence.
But Nauru’s government, which Australia’s Lowy Institute think-tank says “has recently lurched towards authoritarianism”, harbours a deep mistrust of the media and is limiting reporting opportunities at this year’s summit, which it will host.
Australia’s national broadcaster ABC has been banned outright, accused by Nauru authorities of “harassment and lack of respect” in its coverage of the island.
“It (Nauru) can hardly claim it is ‘welcoming the media’ if it dictates who that media will be and bans Australia’s public broadcaster,” said ABC News director Gaven Morris.