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Source: ONE News -
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An Australian academic has been taken into custody in Fiji and is being questioned by the military after giving several media interviews on the current political situation.
Professor Brij Lal, a long-time academic at Canberra's Australian National University and an expert in Fiji politics, was reportedly taken from his Suva residence on Wednesday.
The Australian government has yet to formally confirm Prof Lal's detention, but consular officials said they were urgently seeking access to him.
It is not known where or why he has been taken for questioning, but a university spokeswoman said colleagues were deeply concerned at the news.
She believed Lal, who is based in Canberra but was believed to be on posting in Fiji, was taken by military authorities after giving several media interviews on the current political situation.
The rift between Australia and Fiji has deepened following tit-for-tat expulsions of top diplomats from both countries.
Both have given 24-hour deadlines to have their respective High Commissioners out of Australia and Fiji.
Consular officials are in contact with Prof Lal's wife, as were university staff.
Lal, who was believed to have been born in Fiji, but is an Australian citizen, has published numerous books on Fiji and is also an expert on Indian-Fijian issues.
He was part of the Fiji Constitution Review Commission, which formed the basis on which Fiji's constitution was written.
The university said it continued to stand by its academics for speaking out on their areas of expertise.
