CANBERRA—The Australian National University (ANU) is considering making a formal complaint to the Fijian government over its treatment of academic Brij Lal.
Professor Lal, an ANU academic for two decades, was given 24 hours to leave Fiji on Wednesday after speaking to the media about the Pacific island nation's latest political drama.
His expulsion is the latest directive to come from Fiji's military regime and came just a day after it gave similar marching orders to the top diplomats from Australia and New Zealand.
ANU Vice-Chancellor Ian Chubb said he was disappointed by the news and was standing by his colleague.
"The ANU has a policy as a public institution in this country that academics have not just a right but an obligation to speak out on matters of public importance," he told reporters in Canberra on Thursday.
"When they do do that, then the university stands with them ... and we'll support them."
Professor Chubb said he was considering making an official complaint to the Fijian government over the incident but would speak first to Prof Lal.
"I would rather do things that are effective and will improve matters, rather than to do something that might make me feel good but have no impact on anything whatsoever," he said.
"When I get to talk to him, I'll be able to work out the best way forward for us."
While Prof Lal had spoken out on the situation in Fiji before, he had never been arrested for his comments, Prof Chubb said.
"This has come as a bit of a surprise to us all, including him," he said.
"We'll just have to sit back and reflect on that and what it will actually mean for his future academic work."
Prof Lal is expected to arrive in Australia on Thursday afternoon but Prof Chubb expected he'd want to return as soon as possible to Fiji, where he is conducting research.
"He's a person deeply devoted to Fiji and to the people of Fiji," he said.
"I would imagine he would want to go back as soon as he can but as soon as it is safe for him to do so."
The National Tertiary Education Union joined Prof Chubb in condemning the expulsion of the Fijian-born academic.
"Professor Lal's expulsion is a direct violation of free speech and academic freedom," union spokesman Ted Murphy said.
Mr Murphy warned that the actions of Fiji's military regime would destroy Australian-Fijian educational partnerships.
"This will ultimately be to the detriment of both Fiji and its future prosperity, but also to Australia's research and academic community," he said.
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