Photo: Supplied
An unelected official in Fiji is demanding that visitors to Rabi lsland seek his approval before travelling there.
Rabi administrator Iakoba Karutake has issued a policy statement saying non-Banabans visiting the island must register with local police.
He said those planning to consult or organise meetings with the Banaban community will not be allowed on the island without permission from him.
This comes as the Banaban Human Rights Defenders Network has called on the Fiji government to investigate human rights violations on Rabi.
Rabi became home for Banaban Islanders after the destruction of Banaba due to phosphate mining by the colonial powers.
Iakoba Karutake Photo: Fiji Sun
The Network has expressed its concern at the authoritarian control Karutake is assuming.
The former Fiji government of Frank Bainimarama replaced the Rabi Council of Leaders in 2013 with a temporary administrator and the Network wants the Council re-instated.
A spokesperson with the group, Rae Bainteiti, said the Karutake has acted without consulting the people.
Bainteiti said the administrator's role only continues to exists because the Fiji government has neglected to hold elections for the Rabi Council of Leaders.
He also asks whether such a regulation is in conflict with the Fiji Constitution.
However, Karutake told RNZ Pacific that he has conducted community consultations and he believes the people of Rabi understand what he is trying to achieve.
He claims people like Bainteiti are stirring people up but he wants to maintain the calm.
Rae Bainteiti Photo: RNZ Pacific / Kelvin Anthony
